This is the blog for the CANTOSTARS music program on CJSW 90.9 FM in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Sailor Moon will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the animation in 2025. Bands DALI and Manish performed the original song Moonlight Densetsu in 1992 that became the opening theme song for the original Sailor Moon animated series in 1995. The song CantoStars will be playing Sunday morning is from the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos the Movie Theme Song Collection EP. This is a 5-song EP released in 2023 for an animated movie that is one of the latest in the franchise.
Eric Chou is a Taiwanese singer and actor. His most recent single is The little things, released in 2024. He has released 6 albums since starting in music and entertainment in 2014. He has appeared in film, television, and talent shows. In the Starlight BnB reality show, he sings and plays the keyboard. He is also a chef. The program showcases the beautiful outdoors and recreational activities, as well as bring celebrities to live at a bed and breakfast together. There are 30 episodes all together with 1-hour episodes available on Netflix.
Kelly Yu is a Chinese-Canadian singer. She released a new album this year, Scorpio in November. She also started her career in 2014 in China, and is credited in film, television, variety and talent shows. Her most recent film credit was in 2023 for the Far East Films production, The Ex-File 4. She returned to the lead role Lin Jia that she played in The Ex-File 3. It is a romantic comedy that also stars Han Geng formerly of the South Korean boy band Super Junior. Scorpio is a 10-song album with pop and rock music sounds.
Andy Lau is a longtime singer and actor. He has starred in Hong Kong television and film. A couple roles international viewers might know him best would be the crime thriller The Infernal Affairs, which was remade as The Departed by Martin Scorsese, and the wuxia film The House of Flying Daggers with Zhang Ziyi, and Takeshi Kaneshiro.
He recently starred in the Hong Kong action movie, High Forces, which had a release in Mainland China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong at the end of September and early October 2024.
His most recent single is a song from the movie, 親愛的小孩, which translates as Dear Child.
Wendy Zhang also performs on the track.
The song I picked for the weekend program CantoStars is 繼續談情 which is titled in English as Butterfly Love, which is from the 繼續談情 or Best of My Love 2005 compilation album. The music video I found dates back at least 11 years shows two people spending their days together and the conversations they have.
Cloud Wan is a Cantopop singer who also released a new single in September of this year. The music video is about a young woman on her own for her birthday. She is missing her parents’ home and has pizza and cake on her own. The title of the song is 引我笑, which is Make Me Laugh in English. She is a Hong Kong singer and actress who was on the talent competition show, Kingmaker III in 2020. She has released a number of singles since 2022, and has had a couple of acting roles, along with continuing to appear in talent competition shows.
Aimyon is a J-pop singer with a new album also released in September. The album is titled Jealous of Cats. She is both the composer and lyricist on the album. She sings, plays guitar, and was a lead voice actor in The Boy and the Heron. It is what might be considered the last animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was released in 2023.
The song I picked for Sunday is Coffee Shop Poplar.
It is already November. Where has the year gone with it already near the end of the year? This has been an interesting year in reading. I haven’t stuck to my reading goals as I would like, but I also read books I have been meaning to get to for a while.
I can say this year has been about change and growth for me in creative endeavors. I want to keep it up, but I know it will also be a lot of work. I am still young and healthy so I will do as much as I can, and finally get to where I want to be in terms of career, as well as family obligations. I aim to do the best at everything I do, and that means seeking help when I need it, as well as being willing to learn and try new things.
Beverley McLachlin released her most recent work of fiction, Proof, back in September. The book is currently a bestseller in Canada where the author also was also the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She was the first woman to hold the post and was the longest serving chief justice in Canadian history.
Her latest follows Juilly Truitt, a criminal justice lawyer, who has always put her work first. Now she is also a new mother. The daughter of a pop star has gone missing, and the ex-wife has been charged with kidnapping. This is happening while there is a custody battle taking place that also has a public following with the high-profile celebrity. McLachlin has written two previous novels and one memoir.
Cristina Garcia is the author of novels and plays. She worked as a journalist, as well as an editor of Cuban and Latin American literature. Her focus as a novelist has been on Cuba as a place as well as part of the imaginations of Cubans, and Cuban Americans.
I started reading her novels years ago. Currently, I am almost done Here in Berlin about an unnamed visitor to Berlin takes snapshots of the city and speaks to strangers, drawing out their stories as an outside listener and observer. Published in 2017, the volume reveals the marks of WWII and the Nazi regime that still remain almost 100 years later with changes in society. Many of the conversations are difficult to have. The individual voices captured in the short chapters or snapshots are haunting and disturbing. The book is around 200 pages, but so much is said in the sparse writing, while other things are not said.
I also read King of Cuba published in 2013. I will soon be caught up with Garcia’s novels. She has also written children’s books. I have only two left to go, The Lady Matador’s Hotel from 2010 and the most recent novel, Vanishing Maps, published in 2023.
Other books I have started reading include Big Mall: Shopping for Meaning by Kate Black which is a scholarly look at the mall as a place that grew and developed over the decades in Canada, United States, as well as in the Middle East and Asia. The author draws from historical records and newspaper archives to tell the story of one particular mall that has significance for her growing up in Alberta, Canada.
At the start of the year, I made video about all the mass market paperbacks I would read in 2024. Now that it is November, I can say I have not read any. I will make one more attempt, with Hunting Party by Elizabeth Moon, which is sci-fi space adventure with Captain Heris Serrano finding herself having to steer a luxury yacht. After all her adventures, this latest stint might not be the most exciting, but her old enemies somehow find her.
Other books I would like to get this week include the love-triangle novel Polar Vortex by Shani Mootoo, and the epic fantasy novel The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
Weekly Reading Blog Thursday, October 31, 2024
The Blood Orchid is the latest book from Kylie Lee Baker. It is the second in a series with The Scarlet Alchemist as the first.
I am still catching up on my reading. I am still reading the debut book The Keeper of Night in ebook format that was released back in 2021. The story follows a Half-Grim Reaper and Half-Shinigami as she travels back to find her roots in 19th century Japan. It is something that I started to read a while back and returned to it for Halloween.
The new duology is set in Tang Dynasty China. Zilan has a dream to become the Royal Alchemist to provide the wealthy and powerful with gems they can eat to stay young forever. It has elements of historical fantasy that draws YA readers into a good old ball of yarn. It is the story of a young girl wanting to make it in royal court and whether she will succeed in the imperial exams to get there.
As for other reading for the week, I read the text of Poetics by Aristotle without reading the introduction or notes in the Penguin Classics edition.
After studying, reading books of fiction, poetry and watching many theatrical performances, I finally got around to reading this classical text of literary criticism attributed to the Ancient Greek philosopher.
Aside from the references to peers of the time period as well as to women and slaves, the ideas of the volume seem familiar. Aristotle was specifically talking about poetry and theatre. While I have read The Iliad, I still have The Odyssey to read, as well as a few volumes of Classical Greek plays. I will finally have to get around to reading more of them to have a better understanding of what specifically the text is referring to.
I will also continue reading Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict. It is the book club pick for the month of November. While the meeting won’t take place for a few weeks, I still would like to get to the end fairly soon. I have read to the 50 page mark and there are around 275 pages to the book. The story follows a young woman who journeys across the ocean to take up a post in the Carnegie’s household during the American industrial revolution era.
It is already close to the end of September. I am sitting at my desk, a pen in my hand, and I am thinking about the fall season. There are rainy days, and there are warmer days. I enjoy the mornings, waking up to stillness and seeing if it is time to get up and get ready for the day. The alarm clock doesn’t always ring. If the clock does ring, the sound is almost too faint.
During the past few months, I started a few books but did not finish that many. Although I am having trouble finding a book that I will stick to the end, I still made a list of books to read for the month of October. I am hopeful I will get to some if not all of them at some point. Here goes!
Life is speeding up and I feel I am not reading in the depth that I would like. These past few weeks, I would pick books to read, but I will read only a few chapters before putting the book down and starting another book.
I did manage to finish The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White, so my next reaction is to read her new book. Except, I have so many other books to read, so once I acquire it, I am not sure I will get to it right away. I get easily distracted or my curiosity will wonder and I will pick up another book to read. My reading list is full of books I have started but still have to complete.
Since the last paragraph, I made a trip downtown, drank coffee at a place I hadn’t been to for a while, and I returned books to the library. While on the bus and at the cafe, I managed to get to the 2/3rds mark of Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler. It is another book that takes place on the British isles, but at focusing on the Scots instead of the Welsh.
I am at a point of the books where I feel I can say something.
After watching as many Chinese dramas that take place at the imperial court, I feel Queen Hereafter is a safe foray into the world of political intrigue. It is not as intense or complex as some of the books that exist such as Game of Thrones. Young Lady Macbeth gets a schooling into the world of warriors, noblemen, and ladies-in-waiting, but the book is not as dark as it could be. As someone who has seen the live performance of Macbeth, and read different versions of the play, I am very aware while reading that this book will attempt to tell the story of Lady Macbeth before the events in the play. I can see myself getting to the end of the book fairly soon.
Weekly Reading Blog Thursday, September 19, 2024
Returning To:
The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
The story begins in an outdoor market when a man’s shadow disappears. The plague spreads causing people’s shadows to disappear in many places including the U.S. With this strange phenomenon, memories disappear as well, but those afflicted also gain new powers. A couple are hiding in Virginia. This is the debut novel by the author who released a new book this year.
Mystery Pick:
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
The world has disappeared with a mysterious fog. A small island is left. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists are left. This is about how they spend their time as seemingly to be the last ones left. While The Book of M was published before the pandemic, The Last Murder was published this year.
Library Pick:
The Incarnations by Susan Barker
Published in 2014, this novel begins with following a taxi-driver in Beijing as the city prepares for the 2008 Olympics. From what I’ve heard from other readers, this is a thriller that involves reincarnation and past lives. I have had this book on my TBR for a long time, so I am making an effort to read this book. The author has not published anything since I am aware of, although I did see somewhere that she has contributed to an anthology recently.
Continuing:
The Harvesters by Jasmina Odor
Mira and her nephew are on vacation. They are travelling through Paris on bicycle. While Mira is divorced, her nephew is dealing with the loss of his first love. Along with enjoying the sites, they are reminded of the past and the impact the Yugoslav Wars have had on their family.
Non-fiction Pick:
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
With less then two months until the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, I have decided to finally read the mass market paperback of one of the books the former president published in the lead up to his election in 2008. With all the chatter online, I feel I should be a little bit more prepared and informed about the American system. This book is now dated but serves as a historical document.
Friday Reads September 13. 2024
Backlist Pick:
The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill
At 19 years old, twins Nicolas and Nouschka try to escape the shadow of their famous father, a folk singer in Quebec. Since they were young, Etienne would take them along on talk show appearances, but also leaving them with their grandfather and disappearing for a while. Years later, the twins are older and they have to make their own way in life.
Canadian Small Press:
The Harvesters by Jasmina Odor
Mira travels to Paris with her nephew with the plan to travel through Paris on bicycle. While Bernard deals with the responsibilities of first love, they also feel the lasting effects of the Yugoslav Wars on their family’s past and present.
Library Pick:
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Winter Young starts out as a backup dancer which leads to global pop stardom. The criminal tycoon Eli Morrison has one weakness – his daughter. Penelope has one wish for her 19th birthday – a private concert with Winter Young.
Continuing:
The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
A new fantasy novel about warring gods and what it takes for the ruins of humanity to be restored. This is the start of a new series by the author The Drowning Empire trilogy that begins with The Bone Shard Daughter.
Nonfiction Pick:
Arrival: The Story of CanLit by Nick Mount
The story over how Canadian literature has developed since the 1950s with writers such as Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Mordecai Richler, and more. Published in 2017 after 150 years of Confederation.
A 2024 Release:
Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
Three friends are teenagers in the 1980s. They go on to their adult lives and careers, then years later it is time to reassess their friendship in the present time as they remain lifelong friends. Also reflects on life with modern information technology.
New this week:
The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
A war among immortals leave the human realm in ruins. In a bid for a hopeful future, they strike a bargain with a devious god to restore the world to its glory, but there is price to pay. What are the immortals willing to give up?
Library Pick:
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
An historical fiction account of the story of the girl who became immortalized in the painting by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The book was translated 39 times and made into an Oscar-nominated movie.
Continuing:
From Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The book that started the career of an indie fantasy romance author. Now many books later, they remain popular and appear on best-seller lists.
Nonfiction:
Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan
A work of history in which the author details the 6 months in 1919 in which U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, British prime minister David Lloyd George, and French premier Georges Clemenceau met in Paris for what they aspired to would be a lasting peace at the end of the First World War.
Friday Reads August 30, 2024
Weeknight Read:
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Maiden is a chosen one for divine purposes. She has been hidden away from the world, but she is curious about what she is instructed not to desire.
Commute Read:
Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler
A retelling of the story of Lady Macbeth from the Shakespeare play Macbeth. She is married to a nobleman who has ambitious plans encouraged on a course of action by his encounter of three witches.
Library Pick:
Hide by Kiersten White
A horror novel where the main character is in competition to survive while stuck at an amusement park. The author has a new book this week that is a Dracula story from the point-of-view of Lucy the thrall who escapes and goes on her own adventures.
Continuing:
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
A young woman raised to fight finds herself on a mission to protect Greek gods who have lost their powers from those from bloodlines tasked with hunting the gods who live on earth as mortals.
Nonfiction:
Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre by Ethan Mordden
A history of American musical theatre and its development over more than a 100-year period and the continuing appeal of the art form for contemporary audiences.
It is a quiet morning as I write this. It is the last week of August. Fall is not far off even when on the calendar there are several weeks before fall will be here in the northern hemisphere. I don’t have too much to say at this moment. My summer reading has been fairly interesting even when I rated many of the books I read 3 out of 5 stars. I am not as generous with my star ratings lately. Perhaps my reading for the new month will be better after picking books more fitting for the cooler and spookier months. I have my September TBR ready. I am planning out the time I will read even when I am taking on more work on my plate in other areas of my life. We’ll see how this goes. Happy reading!
September TBR for Monday, August 26, 2024
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler
The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill
