Jo Storm

There are a lot of things Hannah Williams doesn't understand. She doesn't understand why her family bought a cabin in the middle of nowhere. She doesn't understand why she has to be respectful to everyone, even her annoying younger sister. She doesn't understand why she can't go to away camp like all the other kids her age do. She's tired of being treated like a kid. Tired of staying at a cabin with her family. Tired of her dad's Learning Face every time she whines about his lessons on survival, building a fire, taking care of the dogs......

Hannah is just tired of everything.

In the middle of their family winter camping expedition, her father is called to report for duty with the Army ahead of a massive snowstorm. The storm changes direction, heading for the area where the Williams are camping, dropping huge amounts of snow and ice. Then an accident leaves Hannah's mom without the insulin she needs. Hannah has to stop being angry, use her survival skills and strike out for town to get help.

I read this story while snow and sleet was falling outside so it was perfect timing. :) It is completely obvious that the author is experienced with outdoor skills, sled dogs and survival skills. It made for such a realistic, vibrant story. Hannah puts her skills to the test and faces dangerous weather conditions to help her family. She learns several important lessons during her journey and puts the knowledge her parents taught her to work. It made for perfect reading on a snowy night.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more outdoor adventure tales from this author!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Dundurn via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**… (más)

Usually, unofficial concordances to sf tv series either delve deep into geekish detail (most tie-in material for the Star Trek franchise falls into this category) or overdose on fanboy (and fangirl) squee. This book is a bit different. It opens with a reasonably level-headed examination of how the 'Stargate SG-1' franchise moved from a mid-range film with a not very sympathetic main character to a syndicated tv series with a very personable cast, a healthy sense of its own ridiculousness and a premise which I found engaging and yet at the same time maddening (the biggest secret in world history is kept almost water-tight by an ever-increasing circle of people beyond the main players - yeah, right...)

There then follows a series of biographical pieces on the main cast members which does lapse into squee when it isn't rehashing PR releases. But then we reach the episode guides, and unlike most of these guides, which give a plot synopsis and pointers to key story arc elements (for those series with a story arc), Jo Storm instead looks at the themes and underlying ideas explored in each episode. (But just in case you thought we were going all intellectual here, each episode entry ends with a quote, often one of Richard Dean Anderson's one-liners.)

An examination of Stargate fandom is also included, though for those not familiar with any fandoms it will seem - well, alien.

The intellectual approach makes a pleasant change. The episode guide only covers Stargate SG-1 up to the end of season eight; seasons 9 & 10, the tv films, Stargate Atlantis or the slow-motion car crash that was Stargate: Universe are not covered.… (más)