This will be a quick post. This is another teen vampire novel and it honestly just didn't interest me. Maybe I'm over the teen vamp craze? Or maybe it just wasn't that good. :-) I won't be continuing the series. Not recommended.
Dead Ever After, sadly the last of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, and
Everneath, by Brodi Ashton.
Everneath is Ashton's debut novel (for YA) and is pretty good. It is a retelling of the Persephone myth for modern times. A young woman has just returned for 6 months after being taken to the underworld (Everneath). She tries to make peace with her family and friends before she returns to the Everneath forever. But is there a way she can stay above the Earth? The chapters count down the 6 months, which makes it naturally suspenseful. However, it is the same love trio of many of the current YA novels. She has to decide between her boyfriend above ground and the evil, yet sexy (and does he truly love her?) Everling that took her to Everneath to begin with. In the end I was sick of the seemingly perfect boyfriend and rooting for the Everling, which is not what I think the author intended. It feels a bit immature, but it is a debut novel, so I am okay with that. I look forward to the next installment in the series.
Conversely, Dead Ever After is the end novel of the highly successful, and beloved by me, Sookie Stackhouse series. While I agree with Harris ending it before it drags on too long (take notes Evanovitch), it is sad to see the series end. I won't say too much about it, as one of our book club members is woefully behind in Sookieverse, but I will say that I liked how she ended it. I put a lot of thought into how it should end before opening the book and that is what I decided I wanted. It did seem to get tied up a bit too neatly, but, hey, that's why it is fiction, right? Overall a fun read, if bittersweet.
Neverfall is a short novella that goes along with Everneath. Rather than being a continuation of the action, it shows the action (and a side plot) from the Everling's point-of-view. It was okay. A little too much obsession with the girl and gushing about how "special" she is, which seems par for the course for this type of book. It was short and interesting to see the action from another view.
I was impressed more than I expected by Magic Bites. I was beginning to think I'd already read all the good urban fantasy series. This is like a female Dresden. Kate is a mercenary who cleans up when magic goes wrong. She is outside of the official magical cleanup channels and likes it that way. Unfortunately, in this book her mentor is killed and the Order (official magical cleanup) recruits her to figure out who and why. She gets embroiled with the Weres and Vampires. It is a little gory, but I like the main character who is pragmatic and yet humorous and I like the relationships in the book. There are 7 of these books so far and I have the next 3 ordered. Looking forward to continuing the series between book club books.
This book was just depressing. Conde takes the limited historical facts about Tituba, the black slave charged in the Salem witch trials, and uses it to create a fictional story of Tituba's life. Granted, I didn't expect a happy story, but Tituba survives the witch trials so there could be a happyish ending. Afterall, we don't know what happened to her, so it could have been something good, right? Not in Conde's mind. Tituba's life is traumatic and devastating from the start until the end. Not recommended.
Ugh, I wrote a whole comment and then the computer messed up and it didn't get recorded.
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs.
This is a very detailed and realistic book about a forensic anthropologist in Montreal. I was surprised at how well the author did her homework until I found out from her bio that she is a forensic anthropologist that worked in Montreal. Huh. Write what you know, I guess.
In the book, the main character identifies bones for police (sex, age, height, etc.). She notices that a number of dismemberment cases have similarities and believes it is a serial murderer. The police aren't convinced, so she investigates on her own. Not for those with a weak stomach as the autopsies and crime scene descriptions are very detailed. As I ate my cottage cheese snack while reading about maggots dropping from a corpse, it made me reevaluate when I read this book (not during meals or immediately before bed). My only complaint is that the inner dialogue of the anthropologist becomes repetitive and long-winded in several spots.
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, and
Magic Burns through Magic Slays of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
I am addicted to the Kate Daniel's series by Ilona Andrews. It can get a little gory in the fight scenes, but it is not oversexed like so many urban fantasy series. Plus, it is very funny. I spend half my time reading it laughing out loud. Good series, but now I have to wait for the next book to come out!
"No 1 Ladies'" was an interesting book and I think I will continue the series. This book sets the stage by telling how Precious becomes the first woman private investigator in Botswana and her first few cases. It tells a lot about Botswana and human nature and has a dry sense of humor. I missed some of the humor at first because it is snuck in so quietly and not an obvious type of humor. I would recommend this book to all of you- I think you'd enjoy it. I'll let you know how the rest of the series goes.
This is a YA book that is the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy. There was a film out a few years ago based on the book. It is about a 11 year old girl in a alternate universe who gets caught up in a scheme orchestrated by the Church to purge the world of immortal sin by abducting and hurting kids. I won't give any more away.
Honestly, I didn't think that I would like it because I didn't much care for the film. However, like usual, the book is much better than the film and I really enjoyed it. I've started the next in the series already.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie by Alan Bradley.
Quirky, a little demented, and wholly entertaining. A- I have this being sent your way because I think you'll really like it.
It is a murder mystery in England in the 1950s, being investigated by an 11 year old girl (and the police, of course). She is fascinated by chemistry, and especially poisons, and has a rocky relationship with her sisters. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading it. Definitely recommended. I look forward to the next in the series.
The Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.
These are the last two books in His Dark Materials trilogy and with each book it got increasingly weirder.
First of all, with all the religious mythology and anti-religious sentiment, I'm rather surprised that this series is so popular in the United States. I liked it, but I can see a lot of people not liking it at all. You hear about Harry Potter being banned because of witches and magic, but I haven't heard much about this series being banned and it basically claims there is no god and we just disappear when we die.
The other thing that surprised me is how complex the last book is. I found it rather difficult to follow and yet it is written for young adults. There are multiple worlds, multiple storylines, and things change very quickly.
Without giving anything away, the ending was not what I expected. It seemed rather harsh. Somehow fitting, but this is not the happy ending we are used to expecting in YA books.
All in all, recommended if you don't mind the religious thing.
Hmm, I've read a couple of books since my last post, let me remember...
Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich, and
Dogs and Goddesses by Crusie, Stuart, and Rich.
Notorious Nineteen is basically the same plot as all the others. Should Stephanie be with Ranger or Morelli? And, of course, the craziness of Lula, Grandma Mazur, and in this book a Tiki. Also, cars being blown up. Nothing new plot-wise, but a fun read none-the-less. Book twenty comes out in November.
I actually thought Dogs and Goddesses was three short stories by the three authors, but actually it was a novel. And not a very good one. Three women with dogs go to a dog training class run by a Goddess and after drinking a magic drink come into their powers and can hear dogs talk. Kind-of a fun plot, really, but just not executed well. Too simplistic and unrealistic. Oh well. It was an impulse purchase.
One of the lists of best YA books had this book listed, but I didn't finish it. I read the first 100 pages and decided that it was basically a mix of StarGirl and Neverfall, except not as interesting. The writing seemed overdramatic and it moved too slowly. It just didn't hold my interest. Not recommended.
I wasn't sure whether I really wanted to read this book because it is about a young Hawaiian girl who gets leprosy and is sent to a leper colony. Happy story, right? However, it was a fantastic book. It was really more about how to live a full life under difficult circumstances and how to come to terms with what happens to us in life. The book follows Rachel from before she is found to have leprosy at age seven until her eventual death.
From the dustcover: "Fans of The Mists of Avalon will recognize familiar plot elements..." , "Fans of Mists will love it..."
Um, not so much. I really liked Mists of Avalon and at about 100 pages I set this book down and gave up. I didn't like the plot, which seemed too far out. I didn't like that it switched between about 6 characters and their flashbacks. And I didn't like the characters. Not recommended.
Another vampire series I won't continue. This book wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good either. It is about a bounty hunter that becomes a vampire and is trying to find her way in the world she knows without letting anyone know what happened to her. The writing was melodramatic and the plot seemed contrived. Not recommended.
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters, the first in the Brother Cadfael mystery series.
Both of these were much better than I expected. "Thank You" follows a 12 year old girl who moves back into her mother's childhood home when their apartment burns. Her mother and father have a terrible relationship and her mother is struggling with dealing with her father's slow death. Meanwhile, the girl is trying to figure out who her own father is and is trying to get to know her grandparents, both against her mother's wishes. It sounds very dramatic, but being told from the girl's viewpoint really lightens it up with frequent wit and comedy. Did I mention that she has a twin brother and they are both geniuses? Very funny, but also touching. Recommended.
Brother Cadfael is a monk back in 12th Century England. In this book, the Prior of his Abbey decides they should dig up the bones of a saint who was buried in a small town in Wales and bring them back to the Abbey so that the saint will be properly worshipped. Of course, the people of the small town disagree. As the only Welsh-speaker in the Abbey, Brother Cadfael goes along to translate for the Prior and finds himself in agreement with the people of the town. Then, an influential man is murdered. How to help solve the murder and help the people of the town? He devises really unique strategies and, of course, wins the day. Well, the Prior doesn't know that, but the people of the town do.
This was interesting. I didn't realize when I started reading it that it is three different scenarios about the same person. The beginning is about a female athlete at the 1968 olympics who comes in second in a swimming event. In the first third of the book, it picks up in 1990 with her married and having an affiar. The second third picks up in 1990 with a new scenario where she is in a same-sex relationship going home for her mother's retirement party. The third is also in 1990 with her divorced dealing with two teenagers. I have to say that the first switch caught me by surprise, but then I figured out what was going on. What was really neat is that each section refers to her brother, her mother's retirement party, and her memory of the Olympics, but all in different ways.
When B was hear visiting this summer, she was reading this book, which follows Daughter of Fortune (and also ties in with House of Spirits). She kept telling me about it and was obviously enjoying it. So, when I finally had the time, I started it myself. B was right, it is a great book.
It picks up with Eliza's granddaughter, who is trying to figure out her past. She gives a recounting of her history up to her present (which is around age 30ish?). It is well-written and I like already knowing so much about many of the characters. Although, now I'll have to read House of Spirits!
The Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie by Alan Bradley
Rcvd this book courtesy of M (see above), which I have now passed on to my mom. I loved it! She really liked it too.
My favorite bit was the imagined obituary listing three daughters, Anna, Dianna and Triannna. I'm sure there were many more witty chemistry puns that went over my head. You get the feeling that Bradley puts a lot of thought into the little details, and I'm looking forward to reading more.
This book was really interesting, but took me forever to read because I've been so busy. After WWI, a man returns to Australia and becomes a lightkeeper in a really remote lighthouse. He marries a girl he met on the way to the posting and takes her to the lighthouse with him. At first they are happy, and then she has two miscarriages and a stillbirth. The same day as the stillbirth, a boat washes up on their island with a dead man and a baby. She asks him to keep the baby rather than reporting it, and with many misgivings, he agrees. The story follows the ethical and practical problems of raising a child as their own who is not. It was a dramatic ending. It was described to me as a love story, which I think is partly true, but their is much more to it. Recommended.
Marked, Untamed, and Chosen, by P.C. Cast (the first three of the House of Night novels).
Yes, this is another vampire school series, which is very similar to vampire academy (though not as good). A 16 year old girl becomes a fledgling (teenage vampire in training) and enrolls in the House of Night school system. Each book covers 1-2 months, which means the first three books cover from October when she is marked to January. At this rate, there will be a lot of books in the series. There is nothing particular special about them except that they are quick, fun reads for the holidays. There is enough teenage comedy to make them funny, but enough vampire and relationship drama to keep them interesting. The writing is good, not spectacular, but better than many similar series. That may be because Cast is a creative writing teacher.
Athena Factor by W. Micheal Gear, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange, and Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews.
Athena Factor was scary and very realistic. In it, a group called GenesisAthena is stealing DNA from famous celebrities in very public stunts. The book follows one actress, Sheela, her security guy, Lymon, and an ex-FBI agent, Christal, who they hire to help them find out what GenesisAthena is and what it is doing with the DNA. Very interesting plot that continues to develop well through a relatively long book. I liked the characters, especially the strong female characters. The ending itself felt a little rushed, but that is my only complaint. Recommended.
Amanda Grange has written some well-known books based on Jane Austen's novels, for example Mr. Darcy's Diary. In this one, she follows Elizabeth (Pride and Prejudice) after the wedding as she discovers her new husband is actually an old vampire. Eh. It was slow developing and makes Elizabeth seem like an idiot. Then it is "fixed" too easily. Not recommended.
Magic Rises is the newest book in the Kate Daniels series and a good continuation of a good series. What I find fascinating in this series is that she marries in the third book and is married through, so far, all the later books. And yet, the relationship bits are just as interesting. Most series riders keep their protagonists intentionally single (for example, Janet Evanovich, who needs to get Plum with Ranger or Morelli already). I really enjoy this series.
and Untamed, Hunted, Tempted, and Burned, of the House of Night series by the Casts.
Dealing with Dragons is a GREAT book for tweens or young adults. It is about a princess, who is not a very good princess, and she chooses to live with dragons rather than to marry the handsome prince. What is fantastic, is it turns a lot of stereotypes on their head and pokes fun at traditional fairy tales, without being mean about it. Many laugh out loud moments. And it is a series! I can't wait to get the next one. Highly recommended.
The House of Night series continues on with books 4-7 and we are still in the first year of school. Honestly, they get a bit predictable after a while. I'll finish the series, but I hope they get a little better and that we see some growth in the main character. Granted, we are less than a year from when we first encounter her, and it is hard to have a lot of personal growth in that length of time, but I am getting tired about her whining about the same things 6 books later.
I have two lists of books. The first is books that I have read; the second is books that I gave up on.
Read: Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mother Earth Father Sky by Sue Harrison, Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch, and Children's Blizzard by Laskin.
Gave up on: Of Virgins and Martyrs by David Jacobson, Descending Into Dark Money by Rich Robinson, Bloodline by Sidney Sheldon.
Let's begin with the ones I actually read (or in the case of Reign of Error, mostly read). Fantasy Lover was not good. The plot was contrived, the characters were superficial and whiny, and the writing was mediocre. There was some witty dialogue, but not enough to save the book.
Mother Earth is historical fiction about Native Americans a long, long time ago. It was good. An interesting read, though a bit superficial in its own way. I liked the characters and the plot. I'll probably read the next two in the trilogy. On a side note, the author lives not far from me up here in the UP.
Reign of Error is a nonfiction book about the state of education in the United States. Ravitch argues that American education is not broken, but government policy is misguided and hurting it. It is a very angry book, but packed full of interesting information.
Children's Blizzard is a nonfiction/fiction book about a terrible blizzard in the late 1800s that killed a bunch of children (and adults) in the midwest. THere is a lot of technical information and historical accounts, with some fictionalization of the actual accounts when there was no historical record (what children went through right before they died, for example. No-one knows for sure, but the author makes it read like a story). Rather disturbing and also rather clinical.
For the books I didn't finish: Virgins and Martyrs, although it sounded like it should be interesting, was not. Descending Into Dark Money is a lot of charts and other information that is a good reference source but dull reading. Bloodline was poorly written and violent (who'd have guessed with a title like that?) None are recommended.
As you can guess from the title, this is a novel about vampires. However, it is not in the current iteration of vampire novels, as it was written in the 1960s and set during the time of Sherlock Holmes. It is more of a murder mystery along the lines of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, but with vampires. A fun read with a surprise ending. And a refreshing change from today's glut of "erotic vampire fantasy" novels. No sex in this one and it wasn't missed at all. Recommended.
Both of these books were great fun to read. Howling is the first book in the Urban Werewolf series. The main character is an accountant fashionista, who also happens to be a werewolf. She has kept in under wraps until the start of the book when her mother (a witch) casts a spell to force her to meet other werewolves. Then all hell breaks loose. A bit repetitive in places and girly, but also very entertaining.
Louisianna Longshot is about a female CIA operative who has to go undercover to avoid a hit. She is sent to rural Louisianna as a traditional, ex-beauty queen librarian who knits. And fails abysmally at being convincing. Shenanigans and hootenanys commence when she befriends the Sinful Ladies Society (a group of old ladies who run the town). Very funny.
Both are recommended for light, entertaining reads.
Death Du Jour and Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs,
She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb.
Death Du Jour and Deadly Decisions are the 2nd and 3rd Books in a series about a forensic anthropologist working in Montreal part-time. They are real and gritty, but also very good. The amount of detailed information given to the reader about forensic science is amazing. In Deadly Decisions, I learned a ton about motorcycle gangs and analyzing blood splatters.
She Walks was also very good. It traces a bunch of different stories, from an older escaped con, to a graduate student, to a female deputy to name just a few. By the end, the stories all come together and tie back to an old story about a girl who haunts the hills in which most of the stories set. Recommended.
I have requested The Canvas and should be able to read through it fairly quickly when I get it.
This is actually the 6th book in the Brother Cadfael. I went out of order because I bought it in Seattle for the flight home after I finished the book I took. In this installment, a young nun is found murdered during a time of war. Brother Cadfael has to hunt down who the murderer is, of course. Not who you expect. Entertaining as usual.
Dead of Night, edited by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) and
One Corpse Too Many by Elis Peters.
Dead of Night included 4 stories by different authors. The first was good, the second and third were pathetic and the last was okay. All were paranormal romances, supposedly. The first was really a detective story with little romance and the last was about a married couple. The middle two were traditional smutty, contrived romances. Not recommended.
One Corpse was a fun installment of the Brother Cadfael story, where we meet Hugh Beringar, the Sheriff. In the midst of a civil war, a girl ends up masquerading as a novice at the monastary. No surprise Brother Cadfael takes her under his wing and helps to smuggle her out of the territory. Other hijinks also occur. A- I'm sending this to you because I think you will enjoy this series.
I found this book really annoying. The plot is about a woman who helps convict her husband for being a serial murderer, but then he escapes jail and comes after her. She hires a burnt-out Marine to teach her to defend herself.
The plot was okay, though a bit on the gory side. My issue: She escaped a terrible marriage with a messed-up man who manipulated her and was violent. Then she falls in love (of course) with the Marine. Who, as it turns out, is just as manipulative and violent, but supposedly in a good way. He manipulates her because he wants to keep her safe. He is only violent because he has a difficult past. And that is COMPLETELy different. Oh, it isn't? Tell Gardner that.
At one point, within a space of a few pages, she reflects on how her ex-husband used to rape her when she did something wrong (like dinner being a minute late), but when the Marine says she better leave the room or he can't be held responsible for his actions and then they have violent sex, that is a good thing. Because she is lusty, of course. How is that substantively different from her ex-husband? Argh!!! Plus, pertuating the myth that women like rape.
The only character I really cared for goes after the serial killer herself and is killed.
Fatal Voyage, the third in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reich,
Skin Game, the fifteenth in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher,
and Love Anthony by Lisa Genova.
Love Anthony is a touching novel about an autistic boy and two women: his mother, and a woman who writes his story. It both is and is not about autism. Overall well-written with an interesting plot and well researched (written by a neuroscientist).
Fatal Voyage and Skin Game are both great additions to two of my favorite series. Butcher is able to take the fifteenth book in the series and both make it new and novel enough to be good, without forcing the characters into bigger, badder, and less realistic problems. Whilt it is a fantasy novel and thus unrealistic, the plot line is believable for the world that has been built up this far and continues character development of Dresden and other characters that have been in the series.
Fatal Voyage changes the plot from an individual murder case to a plane wreck and a satanic group. At times, it felt a little contrived, but like the other books, it was backed up with a lot of science about body recovery and analysis and procedure in massive accidents like plane wrecks. I also just love the main character. She is the perfect mix of super-hero (brilliant and logical) and damaged goods (recovering alcoholic and new divorcee). I recommend both series.
Suffragette, the Diary of Dollie Baxter, London 1909-1913 by Carol Drinkwater,
Undead and Unwed by MaryJane Davidson,
and Gunmetal Magic and Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews.
Suffragette is published by Scholastic for young adults. It is an interesting account of a young woman during Britains suffrage movement, but it doesn't go into much depth and ends rather abruptly. Not recommended.
Undead is a fantasy/comedy. A young secretary with a shoe fetish becomes a vampire and is trying to live her life as it was before, but while also being hailed as a vampire queen by the other vamps. It is meant to be light and fluffy and amusing and it succeeded. It was the perfect read for a night with a terrible headache.
Magic Gifts is a novellette in the Kate Daniels series, while Gunmetal Magic is set in the Kate Daniels world, but follows her friend and coworker Andrea as she investigates a murder. More of a fantasy murder mystery. Both very good. The Ilona Andrews writing teams seems to hit the correct balance of fantasy, comedy, and reality.
I did not like this book. It is a series of stories of Haitian immigrants in the United States. It begins with a girl who finds out her father was a "dew breaker" or torturer/executioner under a Haitian dictator in the 1960s. All the other stories are somehow tied back to him and the final story is how and why he left Haiti. It is depressing, fragmented, and feels incomplete. Not recommended.
Undead and Unemployed, the 2nd in the Undead series, by MaryJane Davidson, W is for Wasted, the 23rd in the Kinsey Millhone series, by Sue Grafton, On the Prowl, the 2nd in the Urban Werewolf series, by Karen Macinerny, and Grave Secrets, Bare bones, and Monday Mourning, the 5th, 6th, and 7th of the Temperance Brennan novels, by Kathy Reichs.
I'll go in order to keep it simple. First, you'll notice that these are all books in series. I stopped buying/mooching them and now get them from the library, which goes much faster. Plus, I love series because you get to know the characters so much better.
Even so, I won't be continuing the Undead series. It is too superficial, and though fun and flaky for one book, it just gets onerous in a series.
Sue Grafton continues to impress me with W is for Wasted. She focuses on the cases rather than romance and keeps it fresh. Plus, I love Kinsey Millhone's character.
I will continue the Urban Werewolf series, though Macinerny overdid it on the sex/romance in this book in my opinion. What is it with fantasy novels and love triangles? Or in this case quadrangle. Seriously, one woman desperately attracted to three smoking hot, super powerful men? This type of plot is oversold and overdone. However, the rest of the book is good, so I'll keep reading for now.
Finally, Kathy Reichs may be a close follow-up for Sue Grafton. I thought reading about a forensic anthropologist might get old, I mean how many books can you right about bones and keep it fresh? Especially for an author that gives so much detail. She keeps pulling it off, though. From biker gangs, to religious sects, she keeps bringing in new information and interesting plots. Also, like Millhone, Brennan is a great main character. I'm definitely going to keep going on this series. But I need to stop reading it while I'm eating. I little too graphic on what happens to corpses over time. :-)
Cross Bones, from the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs, and St. Peter's Fair, from the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters.
Both books and authors highly recommended. In Cross Bones, Tempe ends up going to Jerusalem with bones that may be J.C.'s! I won't say more and give the ending away. I was looking forward to this plot, but it this book was not one of her best, actually. Still good, but not my favorite.
In Fair, a merchant is murdered during a fair put on by the Abbey and Brother Cadfael is called upon to solve the mystery (with help from Hugh Beringer and Brother Mark, of course). I picked out the culprit right away, but Cadfael didn't catch on until the very end, which was rather frustrating. An ending I did not expect, though, even though I was correct about the murderer.
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong and Leader of the Pack by Karen MacInerney.
These are both books about female werewolves and very similar. In fact, a few times I got them confused because I was reading them at the same time and they were really very similar.
Bitten is part of the Women of the Otherworld series and the only one of the series that I have read so far. It is about a woman who is bitten by her lover (who happens to be a werewolf) and becomes the only female werewolf. She rejects the pack (and her former fiance) and tries to make it on her own, but is drawn back into pack politics.
Leader of the Pack is the third in the Tales of the Urban Werewolf series. In this installment Sophie (an city-dwelling, fashion-loving accountant) is drawn into pack politics, even though she wants to avoid any involvement with the pack. In addition, she struggles with the breakup with her human boyfriend and a mysterious and disturbing new lover.
Both were good. I will continue the series but wouldn't necessarily recommend them unless you like these sorts of books.
Leper of St. Giles by Ellis Peters and Break No Bones, by Kathy Reichs.
Both good books by excellent authors. In Leper, Peters takes us away from the abbey to follow a young man accused of murder who hides in a nearby leper colony. An interesting change, with very kind coverage of the lepers.
In Break, Tempe is working a murder in South Carolina, at the beach, staying in a house with her estranged husband. Then Ryan, the current love interest, shows up. Tempe struggles to balance an on-going murder investigation with home drama.
I was encouraged by some friends to read the Game of Thrones series and then watch the television show. They swore I would love it. That is a bit of an overstatement. I will continue the series because it is oddly addicting and Martin is a good writer. However, I found the books to be very violent. AS you may know from the responses to the television show, main characters are dying all the time. Additionally, if there was a drinking game where you did a shot every time a horse was killed, you'd never make it through the book. I have been reassured that there are more human deaths than horse deaths in the show. I don't really recommend the books. As I wrote before, I will continue the series , for now, anyway, but am not nearly as excited about it as everyone seems to think I would be.
Another Brother Cadfael book, this one follow a young circus performer accused of murder, who asks for sanctuary in the Church. During the 40 days of sanctuary, Cadfael tries to find the real criminal (we all know it isn't the circus performer) and it turns out to be someone quite unexpected. I liked the twist about who it was and why they did it. Always good reading. :-)
A continuation of both series and excellent books both. Bones to Ashes delves into Tempe's early life when she discovers bones that she thinks belong to a childhood friend. Instead she ends up researching porn and leprosy. Definitely one of her heavier books.
Devil's Novice was a change in that the murder wasn't discovered until almost the end of the book, so much of it was about looking for a missing person. There was still a love interest (not of Cadfael, of course), but more common sense and less romantic.
Dead Man's Ransom was a typical Brother Cadfael mystery with death, love interests, and old friendships. What I liked about this one is the return of Sister Magdalen and a different ending. Not so much a surprise ending, but not the typical ending for these books.
Meanwhile, 206 Bones was not as good as some of the other Reichs books. I didn't like that it moved backward and forward in time, I didn't like the parts where she was trapped, and it just felt too angry and uncomfortable. I hope the next book returns to normal.
I had to give up on two books this week. I was about halfway through Three Squares: The History of the American Meal when I called it quits. The problem is that it is an academic book and just too dry. The author had a tendency to repeat herself or at least sound like she was repeating herself and just wasn't successful at making the topic interesting.
I didn't even make it halfway through the Uncrowned Queen by Posie Graeme-Evans. Usually I like historical fiction, but this book annoyed me. The end of almost every single chapter (and they were short chapters, so I read many chapters in the few pages I made it through) was a list of questions. I think it was supposed to be reflected of the concerns that the different characters had, but it bugged me. I can figure out what they are worried about without having it spelled out to me at the end of EVERY chapter.
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Red Moon Rising by Billie Sue Mosiman.
This will be a quick post. This is another teen vampire novel and it honestly just didn't interest me. Maybe I'm over the teen vamp craze? Or maybe it just wasn't that good. :-) I won't be continuing the series. Not recommended.
Dead Ever After, sadly the last of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, and
Everneath, by Brodi Ashton.
Everneath is Ashton's debut novel (for YA) and is pretty good. It is a retelling of the Persephone myth for modern times. A young woman has just returned for 6 months after being taken to the underworld (Everneath). She tries to make peace with her family and friends before she returns to the Everneath forever. But is there a way she can stay above the Earth? The chapters count down the 6 months, which makes it naturally suspenseful. However, it is the same love trio of many of the current YA novels. She has to decide between her boyfriend above ground and the evil, yet sexy (and does he truly love her?) Everling that took her to Everneath to begin with. In the end I was sick of the seemingly perfect boyfriend and rooting for the Everling, which is not what I think the author intended. It feels a bit immature, but it is a debut novel, so I am okay with that. I look forward to the next installment in the series.
Conversely, Dead Ever After is the end novel of the highly successful, and beloved by me, Sookie Stackhouse series. While I agree with Harris ending it before it drags on too long (take notes Evanovitch), it is sad to see the series end. I won't say too much about it, as one of our book club members is woefully behind in Sookieverse, but I will say that I liked how she ended it. I put a lot of thought into how it should end before opening the book and that is what I decided I wanted. It did seem to get tied up a bit too neatly, but, hey, that's why it is fiction, right? Overall a fun read, if bittersweet.
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews,
and Neverfall by Brodi Ashton.
Neverfall is a short novella that goes along with Everneath. Rather than being a continuation of the action, it shows the action (and a side plot) from the Everling's point-of-view. It was okay. A little too much obsession with the girl and gushing about how "special" she is, which seems par for the course for this type of book. It was short and interesting to see the action from another view.
I was impressed more than I expected by Magic Bites. I was beginning to think I'd already read all the good urban fantasy series. This is like a female Dresden. Kate is a mercenary who cleans up when magic goes wrong. She is outside of the official magical cleanup channels and likes it that way. Unfortunately, in this book her mentor is killed and the Order (official magical cleanup) recruits her to figure out who and why. She gets embroiled with the Weres and Vampires. It is a little gory, but I like the main character who is pragmatic and yet humorous and I like the relationships in the book. There are 7 of these books so far and I have the next 3 ordered. Looking forward to continuing the series between book club books.
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde.
This book was just depressing. Conde takes the limited historical facts about Tituba, the black slave charged in the Salem witch trials, and uses it to create a fictional story of Tituba's life. Granted, I didn't expect a happy story, but Tituba survives the witch trials so there could be a happyish ending. Afterall, we don't know what happened to her, so it could have been something good, right? Not in Conde's mind. Tituba's life is traumatic and devastating from the start until the end. Not recommended.
Ugh, I wrote a whole comment and then the computer messed up and it didn't get recorded.
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs.
This is a very detailed and realistic book about a forensic anthropologist in Montreal. I was surprised at how well the author did her homework until I found out from her bio that she is a forensic anthropologist that worked in Montreal. Huh. Write what you know, I guess.
In the book, the main character identifies bones for police (sex, age, height, etc.). She notices that a number of dismemberment cases have similarities and believes it is a serial murderer. The police aren't convinced, so she investigates on her own. Not for those with a weak stomach as the autopsies and crime scene descriptions are very detailed. As I ate my cottage cheese snack while reading about maggots dropping from a corpse, it made me reevaluate when I read this book (not during meals or immediately before bed). My only complaint is that the inner dialogue of the anthropologist becomes repetitive and long-winded in several spots.
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, and
Magic Burns through Magic Slays of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
I am addicted to the Kate Daniel's series by Ilona Andrews. It can get a little gory in the fight scenes, but it is not oversexed like so many urban fantasy series. Plus, it is very funny. I spend half my time reading it laughing out loud. Good series, but now I have to wait for the next book to come out!
"No 1 Ladies'" was an interesting book and I think I will continue the series. This book sets the stage by telling how Precious becomes the first woman private investigator in Botswana and her first few cases. It tells a lot about Botswana and human nature and has a dry sense of humor. I missed some of the humor at first because it is snuck in so quietly and not an obvious type of humor. I would recommend this book to all of you- I think you'd enjoy it. I'll let you know how the rest of the series goes.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.
This is a YA book that is the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy. There was a film out a few years ago based on the book. It is about a 11 year old girl in a alternate universe who gets caught up in a scheme orchestrated by the Church to purge the world of immortal sin by abducting and hurting kids. I won't give any more away.
Honestly, I didn't think that I would like it because I didn't much care for the film. However, like usual, the book is much better than the film and I really enjoyed it. I've started the next in the series already.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie by Alan Bradley.
Quirky, a little demented, and wholly entertaining. A- I have this being sent your way because I think you'll really like it.
It is a murder mystery in England in the 1950s, being investigated by an 11 year old girl (and the police, of course). She is fascinated by chemistry, and especially poisons, and has a rocky relationship with her sisters. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading it. Definitely recommended. I look forward to the next in the series.
The Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.
These are the last two books in His Dark Materials trilogy and with each book it got increasingly weirder.
First of all, with all the religious mythology and anti-religious sentiment, I'm rather surprised that this series is so popular in the United States. I liked it, but I can see a lot of people not liking it at all. You hear about Harry Potter being banned because of witches and magic, but I haven't heard much about this series being banned and it basically claims there is no god and we just disappear when we die.
The other thing that surprised me is how complex the last book is. I found it rather difficult to follow and yet it is written for young adults. There are multiple worlds, multiple storylines, and things change very quickly.
Without giving anything away, the ending was not what I expected. It seemed rather harsh. Somehow fitting, but this is not the happy ending we are used to expecting in YA books.
All in all, recommended if you don't mind the religious thing.
Hmm, I've read a couple of books since my last post, let me remember...
Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich, and
Dogs and Goddesses by Crusie, Stuart, and Rich.
Notorious Nineteen is basically the same plot as all the others. Should Stephanie be with Ranger or Morelli? And, of course, the craziness of Lula, Grandma Mazur, and in this book a Tiki. Also, cars being blown up. Nothing new plot-wise, but a fun read none-the-less. Book twenty comes out in November.
I actually thought Dogs and Goddesses was three short stories by the three authors, but actually it was a novel. And not a very good one. Three women with dogs go to a dog training class run by a Goddess and after drinking a magic drink come into their powers and can hear dogs talk. Kind-of a fun plot, really, but just not executed well. Too simplistic and unrealistic. Oh well. It was an impulse purchase.
Beautiful Creatures by Garcia and Stohl.
One of the lists of best YA books had this book listed, but I didn't finish it. I read the first 100 pages and decided that it was basically a mix of StarGirl and Neverfall, except not as interesting. The writing seemed overdramatic and it moved too slowly. It just didn't hold my interest. Not recommended.
Molokai'i by Alan Brenner.
I wasn't sure whether I really wanted to read this book because it is about a young Hawaiian girl who gets leprosy and is sent to a leper colony. Happy story, right? However, it was a fantastic book. It was really more about how to live a full life under difficult circumstances and how to come to terms with what happens to us in life. The book follows Rachel from before she is found to have leprosy at age seven until her eventual death.
An excellent book that I highly recommend.
Gravelight by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
From the dustcover: "Fans of The Mists of Avalon will recognize familiar plot elements..." , "Fans of Mists will love it..."
Um, not so much. I really liked Mists of Avalon and at about 100 pages I set this book down and gave up. I didn't like the plot, which seemed too far out. I didn't like that it switched between about 6 characters and their flashbacks. And I didn't like the characters. Not recommended.
The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein.
Another vampire series I won't continue. This book wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good either. It is about a bounty hunter that becomes a vampire and is trying to find her way in the world she knows without letting anyone know what happened to her. The writing was melodramatic and the plot seemed contrived. Not recommended.
Thank You For All Things by Sandra Kring and
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters, the first in the Brother Cadfael mystery series.
Both of these were much better than I expected. "Thank You" follows a 12 year old girl who moves back into her mother's childhood home when their apartment burns. Her mother and father have a terrible relationship and her mother is struggling with dealing with her father's slow death. Meanwhile, the girl is trying to figure out who her own father is and is trying to get to know her grandparents, both against her mother's wishes. It sounds very dramatic, but being told from the girl's viewpoint really lightens it up with frequent wit and comedy. Did I mention that she has a twin brother and they are both geniuses? Very funny, but also touching. Recommended.
Brother Cadfael is a monk back in 12th Century England. In this book, the Prior of his Abbey decides they should dig up the bones of a saint who was buried in a small town in Wales and bring them back to the Abbey so that the saint will be properly worshipped. Of course, the people of the small town disagree. As the only Welsh-speaker in the Abbey, Brother Cadfael goes along to translate for the Prior and finds himself in agreement with the people of the town. Then, an influential man is murdered. How to help solve the murder and help the people of the town? He devises really unique strategies and, of course, wins the day. Well, the Prior doesn't know that, but the people of the town do.
Aquamarine by Carol Anshaw.
This was interesting. I didn't realize when I started reading it that it is three different scenarios about the same person. The beginning is about a female athlete at the 1968 olympics who comes in second in a swimming event. In the first third of the book, it picks up in 1990 with her married and having an affiar. The second third picks up in 1990 with a new scenario where she is in a same-sex relationship going home for her mother's retirement party. The third is also in 1990 with her divorced dealing with two teenagers. I have to say that the first switch caught me by surprise, but then I figured out what was going on. What was really neat is that each section refers to her brother, her mother's retirement party, and her memory of the Olympics, but all in different ways.
Neat plot, but the writing was only so-so.
Portrait in Sepia by Isabelle Allende.
When B was hear visiting this summer, she was reading this book, which follows Daughter of Fortune (and also ties in with House of Spirits). She kept telling me about it and was obviously enjoying it. So, when I finally had the time, I started it myself. B was right, it is a great book.
It picks up with Eliza's granddaughter, who is trying to figure out her past. She gives a recounting of her history up to her present (which is around age 30ish?). It is well-written and I like already knowing so much about many of the characters. Although, now I'll have to read House of Spirits!
Highly recommended.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie by Alan Bradley
Rcvd this book courtesy of M (see above), which I have now passed on to my mom. I loved it! She really liked it too.
My favorite bit was the imagined obituary listing three daughters, Anna, Dianna and Triannna. I'm sure there were many more witty chemistry puns that went over my head. You get the feeling that Bradley puts a lot of thought into the little details, and I'm looking forward to reading more.
Light Between Two Oceans by M.L. Steadman.
This book was really interesting, but took me forever to read because I've been so busy. After WWI, a man returns to Australia and becomes a lightkeeper in a really remote lighthouse. He marries a girl he met on the way to the posting and takes her to the lighthouse with him. At first they are happy, and then she has two miscarriages and a stillbirth. The same day as the stillbirth, a boat washes up on their island with a dead man and a baby. She asks him to keep the baby rather than reporting it, and with many misgivings, he agrees. The story follows the ethical and practical problems of raising a child as their own who is not. It was a dramatic ending. It was described to me as a love story, which I think is partly true, but their is much more to it. Recommended.
Marked, Untamed, and Chosen, by P.C. Cast (the first three of the House of Night novels).
Yes, this is another vampire school series, which is very similar to vampire academy (though not as good). A 16 year old girl becomes a fledgling (teenage vampire in training) and enrolls in the House of Night school system. Each book covers 1-2 months, which means the first three books cover from October when she is marked to January. At this rate, there will be a lot of books in the series. There is nothing particular special about them except that they are quick, fun reads for the holidays. There is enough teenage comedy to make them funny, but enough vampire and relationship drama to keep them interesting. The writing is good, not spectacular, but better than many similar series. That may be because Cast is a creative writing teacher.
Athena Factor by W. Micheal Gear,
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange,
and Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews.
Athena Factor was scary and very realistic. In it, a group called GenesisAthena is stealing DNA from famous celebrities in very public stunts. The book follows one actress, Sheela, her security guy, Lymon, and an ex-FBI agent, Christal, who they hire to help them find out what GenesisAthena is and what it is doing with the DNA. Very interesting plot that continues to develop well through a relatively long book. I liked the characters, especially the strong female characters. The ending itself felt a little rushed, but that is my only complaint. Recommended.
Amanda Grange has written some well-known books based on Jane Austen's novels, for example Mr. Darcy's Diary. In this one, she follows Elizabeth (Pride and Prejudice) after the wedding as she discovers her new husband is actually an old vampire. Eh. It was slow developing and makes Elizabeth seem like an idiot. Then it is "fixed" too easily. Not recommended.
Magic Rises is the newest book in the Kate Daniels series and a good continuation of a good series. What I find fascinating in this series is that she marries in the third book and is married through, so far, all the later books. And yet, the relationship bits are just as interesting. Most series riders keep their protagonists intentionally single (for example, Janet Evanovich, who needs to get Plum with Ranger or Morelli already). I really enjoy this series.
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede,
and Untamed, Hunted, Tempted, and Burned, of the House of Night series by the Casts.
Dealing with Dragons is a GREAT book for tweens or young adults. It is about a princess, who is not a very good princess, and she chooses to live with dragons rather than to marry the handsome prince. What is fantastic, is it turns a lot of stereotypes on their head and pokes fun at traditional fairy tales, without being mean about it. Many laugh out loud moments. And it is a series! I can't wait to get the next one. Highly recommended.
The House of Night series continues on with books 4-7 and we are still in the first year of school. Honestly, they get a bit predictable after a while. I'll finish the series, but I hope they get a little better and that we see some growth in the main character. Granted, we are less than a year from when we first encounter her, and it is hard to have a lot of personal growth in that length of time, but I am getting tired about her whining about the same things 6 books later.
I have two lists of books. The first is books that I have read; the second is books that I gave up on.
Read: Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mother Earth Father Sky by Sue Harrison, Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch, and Children's Blizzard by Laskin.
Gave up on: Of Virgins and Martyrs by David Jacobson, Descending Into Dark Money by Rich Robinson, Bloodline by Sidney Sheldon.
Let's begin with the ones I actually read (or in the case of Reign of Error, mostly read). Fantasy Lover was not good. The plot was contrived, the characters were superficial and whiny, and the writing was mediocre. There was some witty dialogue, but not enough to save the book.
Mother Earth is historical fiction about Native Americans a long, long time ago. It was good. An interesting read, though a bit superficial in its own way. I liked the characters and the plot. I'll probably read the next two in the trilogy. On a side note, the author lives not far from me up here in the UP.
Reign of Error is a nonfiction book about the state of education in the United States. Ravitch argues that American education is not broken, but government policy is misguided and hurting it. It is a very angry book, but packed full of interesting information.
Children's Blizzard is a nonfiction/fiction book about a terrible blizzard in the late 1800s that killed a bunch of children (and adults) in the midwest. THere is a lot of technical information and historical accounts, with some fictionalization of the actual accounts when there was no historical record (what children went through right before they died, for example. No-one knows for sure, but the author makes it read like a story). Rather disturbing and also rather clinical.
For the books I didn't finish: Virgins and Martyrs, although it sounded like it should be interesting, was not. Descending Into Dark Money is a lot of charts and other information that is a good reference source but dull reading. Bloodline was poorly written and violent (who'd have guessed with a title like that?) None are recommended.
Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly.
As you can guess from the title, this is a novel about vampires. However, it is not in the current iteration of vampire novels, as it was written in the 1960s and set during the time of Sherlock Holmes. It is more of a murder mystery along the lines of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, but with vampires. A fun read with a surprise ending. And a refreshing change from today's glut of "erotic vampire fantasy" novels. No sex in this one and it wasn't missed at all. Recommended.
Howling at the Moon by Karen MacInerney and
Louisianna Longshot by Jana DeLeon
Both of these books were great fun to read. Howling is the first book in the Urban Werewolf series. The main character is an accountant fashionista, who also happens to be a werewolf. She has kept in under wraps until the start of the book when her mother (a witch) casts a spell to force her to meet other werewolves. Then all hell breaks loose. A bit repetitive in places and girly, but also very entertaining.
Louisianna Longshot is about a female CIA operative who has to go undercover to avoid a hit. She is sent to rural Louisianna as a traditional, ex-beauty queen librarian who knits. And fails abysmally at being convincing. Shenanigans and hootenanys commence when she befriends the Sinful Ladies Society (a group of old ladies who run the town). Very funny.
Both are recommended for light, entertaining reads.
Death Du Jour and Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs,
She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb.
Death Du Jour and Deadly Decisions are the 2nd and 3rd Books in a series about a forensic anthropologist working in Montreal part-time. They are real and gritty, but also very good. The amount of detailed information given to the reader about forensic science is amazing. In Deadly Decisions, I learned a ton about motorcycle gangs and analyzing blood splatters.
She Walks was also very good. It traces a bunch of different stories, from an older escaped con, to a graduate student, to a female deputy to name just a few. By the end, the stories all come together and tie back to an old story about a girl who haunts the hills in which most of the stories set. Recommended.
I have requested The Canvas and should be able to read through it fairly quickly when I get it.
Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters.
This is actually the 6th book in the Brother Cadfael. I went out of order because I bought it in Seattle for the flight home after I finished the book I took. In this installment, a young nun is found murdered during a time of war. Brother Cadfael has to hunt down who the murderer is, of course. Not who you expect. Entertaining as usual.
Dead of Night, edited by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) and
One Corpse Too Many by Elis Peters.
Dead of Night included 4 stories by different authors. The first was good, the second and third were pathetic and the last was okay. All were paranormal romances, supposedly. The first was really a detective story with little romance and the last was about a married couple. The middle two were traditional smutty, contrived romances. Not recommended.
One Corpse was a fun installment of the Brother Cadfael story, where we meet Hugh Beringar, the Sheriff. In the midst of a civil war, a girl ends up masquerading as a novice at the monastary. No surprise Brother Cadfael takes her under his wing and helps to smuggle her out of the territory. Other hijinks also occur. A- I'm sending this to you because I think you will enjoy this series.
The Perfect Husband, by Lisa Gardner.
I found this book really annoying. The plot is about a woman who helps convict her husband for being a serial murderer, but then he escapes jail and comes after her. She hires a burnt-out Marine to teach her to defend herself.
The plot was okay, though a bit on the gory side. My issue: She escaped a terrible marriage with a messed-up man who manipulated her and was violent. Then she falls in love (of course) with the Marine. Who, as it turns out, is just as manipulative and violent, but supposedly in a good way. He manipulates her because he wants to keep her safe. He is only violent because he has a difficult past. And that is COMPLETELy different. Oh, it isn't? Tell Gardner that.
At one point, within a space of a few pages, she reflects on how her ex-husband used to rape her when she did something wrong (like dinner being a minute late), but when the Marine says she better leave the room or he can't be held responsible for his actions and then they have violent sex, that is a good thing. Because she is lusty, of course. How is that substantively different from her ex-husband? Argh!!! Plus, pertuating the myth that women like rape.
The only character I really cared for goes after the serial killer herself and is killed.
Not recommended.
Fatal Voyage, the third in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reich,
Skin Game, the fifteenth in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher,
and Love Anthony by Lisa Genova.
Love Anthony is a touching novel about an autistic boy and two women: his mother, and a woman who writes his story. It both is and is not about autism. Overall well-written with an interesting plot and well researched (written by a neuroscientist).
Fatal Voyage and Skin Game are both great additions to two of my favorite series. Butcher is able to take the fifteenth book in the series and both make it new and novel enough to be good, without forcing the characters into bigger, badder, and less realistic problems. Whilt it is a fantasy novel and thus unrealistic, the plot line is believable for the world that has been built up this far and continues character development of Dresden and other characters that have been in the series.
Fatal Voyage changes the plot from an individual murder case to a plane wreck and a satanic group. At times, it felt a little contrived, but like the other books, it was backed up with a lot of science about body recovery and analysis and procedure in massive accidents like plane wrecks. I also just love the main character. She is the perfect mix of super-hero (brilliant and logical) and damaged goods (recovering alcoholic and new divorcee). I recommend both series.
Suffragette, the Diary of Dollie Baxter, London 1909-1913 by Carol Drinkwater,
Undead and Unwed by MaryJane Davidson,
and Gunmetal Magic and Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews.
Suffragette is published by Scholastic for young adults. It is an interesting account of a young woman during Britains suffrage movement, but it doesn't go into much depth and ends rather abruptly. Not recommended.
Undead is a fantasy/comedy. A young secretary with a shoe fetish becomes a vampire and is trying to live her life as it was before, but while also being hailed as a vampire queen by the other vamps. It is meant to be light and fluffy and amusing and it succeeded. It was the perfect read for a night with a terrible headache.
Magic Gifts is a novellette in the Kate Daniels series, while Gunmetal Magic is set in the Kate Daniels world, but follows her friend and coworker Andrea as she investigates a murder. More of a fantasy murder mystery. Both very good. The Ilona Andrews writing teams seems to hit the correct balance of fantasy, comedy, and reality.
The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat.
I did not like this book. It is a series of stories of Haitian immigrants in the United States. It begins with a girl who finds out her father was a "dew breaker" or torturer/executioner under a Haitian dictator in the 1960s. All the other stories are somehow tied back to him and the final story is how and why he left Haiti. It is depressing, fragmented, and feels incomplete. Not recommended.
Undead and Unemployed, the 2nd in the Undead series, by MaryJane Davidson,
W is for Wasted, the 23rd in the Kinsey Millhone series, by Sue Grafton,
On the Prowl, the 2nd in the Urban Werewolf series, by Karen Macinerny,
and Grave Secrets, Bare bones, and Monday Mourning, the 5th, 6th, and 7th of the Temperance Brennan novels, by Kathy Reichs.
I'll go in order to keep it simple. First, you'll notice that these are all books in series. I stopped buying/mooching them and now get them from the library, which goes much faster. Plus, I love series because you get to know the characters so much better.
Even so, I won't be continuing the Undead series. It is too superficial, and though fun and flaky for one book, it just gets onerous in a series.
Sue Grafton continues to impress me with W is for Wasted. She focuses on the cases rather than romance and keeps it fresh. Plus, I love Kinsey Millhone's character.
I will continue the Urban Werewolf series, though Macinerny overdid it on the sex/romance in this book in my opinion. What is it with fantasy novels and love triangles? Or in this case quadrangle. Seriously, one woman desperately attracted to three smoking hot, super powerful men? This type of plot is oversold and overdone. However, the rest of the book is good, so I'll keep reading for now.
Finally, Kathy Reichs may be a close follow-up for Sue Grafton. I thought reading about a forensic anthropologist might get old, I mean how many books can you right about bones and keep it fresh? Especially for an author that gives so much detail. She keeps pulling it off, though. From biker gangs, to religious sects, she keeps bringing in new information and interesting plots. Also, like Millhone, Brennan is a great main character. I'm definitely going to keep going on this series. But I need to stop reading it while I'm eating. I little too graphic on what happens to corpses over time. :-)
Cross Bones, from the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs, and
St. Peter's Fair, from the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters.
Both books and authors highly recommended. In Cross Bones, Tempe ends up going to Jerusalem with bones that may be J.C.'s! I won't say more and give the ending away. I was looking forward to this plot, but it this book was not one of her best, actually. Still good, but not my favorite.
In Fair, a merchant is murdered during a fair put on by the Abbey and Brother Cadfael is called upon to solve the mystery (with help from Hugh Beringer and Brother Mark, of course). I picked out the culprit right away, but Cadfael didn't catch on until the very end, which was rather frustrating. An ending I did not expect, though, even though I was correct about the murderer.
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong and Leader of the Pack by Karen MacInerney.
These are both books about female werewolves and very similar. In fact, a few times I got them confused because I was reading them at the same time and they were really very similar.
Bitten is part of the Women of the Otherworld series and the only one of the series that I have read so far. It is about a woman who is bitten by her lover (who happens to be a werewolf) and becomes the only female werewolf. She rejects the pack (and her former fiance) and tries to make it on her own, but is drawn back into pack politics.
Leader of the Pack is the third in the Tales of the Urban Werewolf series. In this installment Sophie (an city-dwelling, fashion-loving accountant) is drawn into pack politics, even though she wants to avoid any involvement with the pack. In addition, she struggles with the breakup with her human boyfriend and a mysterious and disturbing new lover.
Both were good. I will continue the series but wouldn't necessarily recommend them unless you like these sorts of books.
Leper of St. Giles by Ellis Peters and
Break No Bones, by Kathy Reichs.
Both good books by excellent authors. In Leper, Peters takes us away from the abbey to follow a young man accused of murder who hides in a nearby leper colony. An interesting change, with very kind coverage of the lepers.
In Break, Tempe is working a murder in South Carolina, at the beach, staying in a house with her estranged husband. Then Ryan, the current love interest, shows up. Tempe struggles to balance an on-going murder investigation with home drama.
Both are recommended, of course.
A Game of Thrones by George Martin.
I was encouraged by some friends to read the Game of Thrones series and then watch the television show. They swore I would love it. That is a bit of an overstatement. I will continue the series because it is oddly addicting and Martin is a good writer. However, I found the books to be very violent. AS you may know from the responses to the television show, main characters are dying all the time. Additionally, if there was a drinking game where you did a shot every time a horse was killed, you'd never make it through the book. I have been reassured that there are more human deaths than horse deaths in the show. I don't really recommend the books. As I wrote before, I will continue the series , for now, anyway, but am not nearly as excited about it as everyone seems to think I would be.
The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters.
Another Brother Cadfael book, this one follow a young circus performer accused of murder, who asks for sanctuary in the Church. During the 40 days of sanctuary, Cadfael tries to find the real criminal (we all know it isn't the circus performer) and it turns out to be someone quite unexpected. I liked the twist about who it was and why they did it. Always good reading. :-)
Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs and
The Devil's Novice by Ellis Peters.
A continuation of both series and excellent books both. Bones to Ashes delves into Tempe's early life when she discovers bones that she thinks belong to a childhood friend. Instead she ends up researching porn and leprosy. Definitely one of her heavier books.
Devil's Novice was a change in that the murder wasn't discovered until almost the end of the book, so much of it was about looking for a missing person. There was still a love interest (not of Cadfael, of course), but more common sense and less romantic.
Dead Man's Ransom by Ellis Peters and
206 Bones by Kathy Reichs.
Dead Man's Ransom was a typical Brother Cadfael mystery with death, love interests, and old friendships. What I liked about this one is the return of Sister Magdalen and a different ending. Not so much a surprise ending, but not the typical ending for these books.
Meanwhile, 206 Bones was not as good as some of the other Reichs books. I didn't like that it moved backward and forward in time, I didn't like the parts where she was trapped, and it just felt too angry and uncomfortable. I hope the next book returns to normal.
I had to give up on two books this week. I was about halfway through Three Squares: The History of the American Meal when I called it quits. The problem is that it is an academic book and just too dry. The author had a tendency to repeat herself or at least sound like she was repeating herself and just wasn't successful at making the topic interesting.
I didn't even make it halfway through the Uncrowned Queen by Posie Graeme-Evans. Usually I like historical fiction, but this book annoyed me. The end of almost every single chapter (and they were short chapters, so I read many chapters in the few pages I made it through) was a list of questions. I think it was supposed to be reflected of the concerns that the different characters had, but it bugged me. I can figure out what they are worried about without having it spelled out to me at the end of EVERY chapter.
Neither is recommended, of course.
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