Bayou Bytes Blog

           It's 1946 in Metropolis and Lois Lane is waiting for Superman to save the day. He shows up, of course, and slays the Atom Man, a Nazi soldier. Like a movie, there's a scene change to a car ride with four passengers: the Lee family.           There's Dr. Lee, who has a new job at the Metropolis Health Department, his wife, who he keeps reminding to speak English instead of Cantonese; and his two kids: Roberta (originally Lan-shin) and Tommy. They're moving from Chinatown, Los Angeles to White suburbia. Upon arrival, they're greeted by a welcoming committee of his new boss, Dr. Wilson, and mildly racist coworker, Dr. William.   Soon, they're harassed by local hate group, the Klan of the Fiery Kross. A whole slew of problems are encountered, but with Superman and a team-effort, Good trumps Evil.          Touching on racism, assimilation, and coming-to-age woes of trying to fit in, Gene Luen...

         Whether new to financial literacy or not, Tiffany  Aliche , the " budgetnista, " is here to simplify it all for you. With over 300 pages (plus a handy Appendix at the book's end),  Aliche's  goal is to guide readers towards "financial wholeness."  Why live in fear when instead you can master your money and live in peace?        This book, packed with definitions and how-to steps, should be given an initial read through, then used as a reference guide thereafter due to its in-depth 10 chapters:   1. Budget Building   2. Save Like a Squirrel   3. Dig Out of Debt   4. Score High   5. Learn to Earn   6. Invest Like an Insider   7. Get Good with Insurance   8. Grow Rich- ish   9. Pick Your Money Team   10.Leave a Legacy          The first five chapters are for building a financial foundation, so if yours is sound-proof, move onto steps 6-10...

I stumbled upon The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels after putting down several other titles in frustrations. I had never heard of it and went in with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised.  The Wisteria Society is an organization of some of England's most proper and courteous women. They also happen to be pirates. With houses that use an ancient Latin incantation to fly about.  It is absurd and wonderful. Cecilia is a junior member, raised by her aunt and the other Wisteria women, she hopes to be promoted to senior member soon. When Ned Lightborne shows up, admitting he's been hired to kill her, she is delighted. Surely having been deemed important enough to assassinate will prove her worth to the Wisteria Society.  But when the villainous pirate captain Morvath shows up and kidnaps the Wisteria ladies, Cecilia is forced to team up with Ned in order to infiltrate Morvath's flying fortress and rescue her society.  This was a delightful read. It's a charmin...

It's nearly the end of the summer! Immunizations are a hot topic, so let's review a recent blockbuster book about the history of medical research. At the time Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer at John Hopkins in 1951, doctors were routinely taking cell biopsies without obtaining informed patient consent. But once researchers discovered Lacks's cervical cancer cell line (called HeLa) was immortal, they used it to develop countless medical advances and vaccines (including polio vaccines). The line became commercialized, and lives were saved worldwide. Meanwhile, Henrietta Lacks's own family went without health insurance.   The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot doesn't just explore the impact of Henrietta Lacks and her unusual cervical cancer cells on scientific research-- it also tackles the importance of ethical research, racism and classism in American medicine, and informed consent. I would highly recommend this book to teens or adults inte...

Let's imagine, for a moment, that you're an innocent bystander in a superhero story.  Sailor Moon: Meme Princess The bad guys have you cornered-- but then, from almost out of nowhere, a superheroine interrupts the action. Whew! What a relief! You're saved! Sort of.  She didn't yank the bad guy away from you with a golden lasso. She doesn't incapacitate anyone with expert martial arts action or sneak up on anyone with world-class stealth.  She doesn't even seem to want to be there. It then starts to dawn on you -- as you watch your superheroine run in terror from the fight she started with the bad guys -- that she doesn't seem like she wants to be a heroine at all.  Oh, well. At least she showed up.  Sailor Moon, or Usagi "Serena" Tsukino, first made her way from Japan to American audiences via the Toonami block on Cartoon Network about 25 years ago. No one-- not even the Powerpuff girls-- defeats the forces of evil with 90s girl power more effecti...

The Priory of the Orange Tree is one of those novels that has been on my to-read list for a while. Now that I've finally picked it up, I'm sad I ever waited this long.  Priory is a high fantasy tale, spanning a whole world and told from several points of view. Sabran Berethnet is the latest queen of Inys, her line stretches back to the founding of the land and it's said that as long as a Berethnet is on the throne the great and terrible Nameless One will not reawaken.  Ead Duryan was brought to the Inysh court on a mission: get close to Sabran and protect her. But Ead must keep her own past a secret. The people of Inys are devout in their worship of the Six Virtues, and as a member of the Priory, a secret society of mages, Ead could be executed if anyone discovers her true identity.  Far across the sea, Tané comes from a society that worships dragons, the god-like beasts who helped defeat the Nameless One when he last threatened the world. Tané has trained all her life t...

       The beginning of the popularity of the Internet as we  vaguely remember  it: dial-up, cherished cassette tapes, and grunge. It’s the 90’s after all in Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden’s Young Adult  g raphic  n ovel, Incredible Doom.          As the chapters alternate, so do the POVs. There’s only child Allison,  who’s been forced to be a magician’s assistant for her controlling dad.  Then there’s Richard,  a   new kid in town, struggling to make friends.  Both teens find  solace in the Bullet in Board System (BBS) , a virtual community before the World Wide Web was a thing.  At the time, members joined up with  their local BBS to avoid International-calling fees.   Its local option led   to  Allison meet ing  Samir, and Richard meet ing  Tina, his  defense against bullies.        The authors paint their realistic story ...