The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell:  A sequel and a stand alone all in one. 

In the acknowledgements to this book, author Lisa Jewell mentions that she doesn't like to write sequels, but felt compelled to do so in this case due to many requests from readers.  I am so glad she did.  I really enjoyed this "rest of the story" book that followed up on the characters from The Family Upstairs.  I enjoyed the original, but this book was even better.  The Family Remains begins where The Family Upstairs left off, literally.  And yet it is a book that could easily stand on it own.  Jewell includes just enough details from the first book to give the reader the background that they need to understand where the characters are in the present.  She also includes a new story line and a few new characters that keep the reader engaged and give the story a fresh outlook.  As opposed to the first book, there are no loose ends at the end of this book, just answers and outcomes which I found profoundly satisfying.  It was particularly gratifying to see the resolution of the many questions that were left unanswered at the end of The Family Upstairs.  I would highly recommend both books to readers, but if you are only going to read one of them....I recommend it is this one.  It will definitely be on my recommendation list for others. 

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and would like to thank Atria publishers for granting me the copy, Lisa Jewell for putting the book up for review, and Netgalley for the service they provide in getting review copies to readers.

NEVER COMING HOME BY HANNAH MARY MCKINNON

 

Let me start by saying that this book is not your typical Mystery/Thriller novel. There are several things that set it apart from the run of the mill book in that genre. The first one being that all you need to do is read the published synopsis, or the first few pages of the book and you know that the main character, Lucas, put out a hit on his wife and had her killed. That is not the mystery. We also know right up front why Lucas had her killed. The mystery part comes in when someone starts sending him things in the "I know what you did last summer" kind of vein. The other thing that set this book apart for me is that Lucas is a totally unlikeable character with no redeeming qualities that I could find. This is not just my opinion, but a plot point stated by the author. Lucas is, as he would say, " a total arse" and you are not supposed to like him. I get that, and it works on some level, but unfortunately for me, his character was so over the top that I found him off putting and it actually hampered my enjoyment of what would otherwise have been a well crafted story. And the story was well crafted with a twist at the end that was really good and made the book worth the time to read it for the most part, but I just couldn't get past Lucas' personality enough to REALLY enjoy the book. I'm sure there are a lot of readers who would not be bothered by, and probably even enjoy Lucas as a character given how the book flows. As for me, I would like to thank Mira books for giving me a chance to read this book through Netgalley. My recommendation to other readers would be to give the book a try and see if the story wins out for you.

The best true crime book I have read in a few years. Bone Deep by Charles Bosworth JR. and Joel Schwartz

 I will admit, I had never heard of the Betsy Faria murder case until a reading cohort of mine suggested we get the book from Netgalley and read it. Being a person who is intrigued by true crime books, I readily agreed,  Then another true crime afficionado friend of mine told me about the 6 episode miniseries on Peacock called The Thing About Pam.  I am really glad that both of these friend brought this case, and Charles Bosworth's book to my attention. 

As soon as I began reading the book, the murder of Betsy Faria fascinated me.  There were several reasons for this.   case was fascinating to me for several reasons.  First, I grew up in Florissant, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis that is close to Tray and O'Fallen.  It was interesting to read a book set in an area that I am so familiar with, even if it is a book about crime.  And the crimes in this book were horrendous.  The murder of Betsy Faria was bad enough, but the behavior and actions of the police, prosecuting attorney, and judge in the original trial were just as much a crime, and just as fascinating at the murder;   Charles Bosworth Jr. does a marvelous job of chronicling the case in the book. His writing is stellar and his ability to highlight the ups and downs of the case kept me riveted to the story. I couldn't wait to see what the major players in the story were going to do next and how it was going to play out. This was a top notch thriller, complete numerous surprising twists and turns, only these were real. In fact, I became so immersed in the story that I am currently looking for a way to get the original Dateline programs that were referenced in the book to see how their coverage compares.

Another positive I will point out regarding Bone Deep is that the story was well enough written that I felt a number of emotions as I continued to read it.  Anger at the police and prosecutor who originally handled the case.  I couldn't decide if they were inept, or just disregarding the information that was  apparent to me reading the book.  It certainly didn't make the law enforcement agencies in the area look good to begin with. I also felt extreme sorrow for Russ Faria and his family for what they had to go through, and for Betsy's family who were the real victims of the shell game played by Pam Hupp and the Lincoln County police force.  And lastly, there was the feeling of incredulity that someone could get away with such a bungled crime for so long.

When I finished reading the book, I saw that the author has several other true crime books that I am looking forward to checking out. Also interested in getting the old Dateline episodes referred to in the book if possible. I am very glad that I was granted a copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington books. As far as true crime books go, I am giving this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

NOTE:  I understand that they changed a lot in the Peacock show.  I have only watched the first episode, and I have to agree, there are a lot of differences  from the account in the book.  It is still fascinating, but I am glad to have read the book so that I can compare the entertainment from the facts. 

The Maid by Nina Prouse

3 out of 5 stars

 I'll start by saying that I enjoyed this book, but was not able to give it more than three stars. 

When I read a mystery, I like to look at it as a puzzle. Part of the fun for me is figuring out who are the good guys, who are just pretending to be good, who are the likely suspects and why, and who are the unlikely suspects. What are the connections between the characters that may come into play. In the case of The Maid, by Nita Prose, I was not able to do this. The plot was a good one. Molly the maid finds a dead body in one of the rooms she is cleaning and ends up being the prime suspect in the murderer. It wasn't that pace of the story, or the lack of twists, there were plenty of those. It wasn't even that I was able to figure out the puzzle too easily, although I did figure most of it out, including who was the actual killer, early in the book.

The big thing for me was the characters. Unlike most of my book buddies, I was not able to really connect with the maim character, Molly. Instead of the sympathetic character that most saw her as, to me she just seemed pathetic. The investigating detective to me seemed mean and rigid in her thinking, with a total lack of empathy, which made it hard for me to have any empathy for her. The dead man's wife just seemed shallow, as did a number of the other characters. It turns out that I just had a hard time connecting with any of the character. That said, I think I am the only one of the people I know who has read this book that thought it was just okay. And the book is showing up on quite a lot of "must read" lists in websites and blogs that I follow, so I figure I must just be missing something.

I do want to thank the publisher for making this book available on Netgalley and giving me a chance to read and review it. I enjoyed the book and I'm not sorry I read it, but for me it was an average read.

May 2019 review links

The Night Before - by Wendy Walker  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2545413692

Review: Lies by T. M. Logan

4.5 of 5 stars

I don't think that I have read a more appropriately titled book in a long time.....if ever.  The title [book:Lies|33652433] ( St. Martin's Press, September 2018) certainly says it all.  The book begins with a snap decision made by the main character, which leads to a little lie, which leads to bigger lies....and so it goes.  I was mesmerized by this book from beginning to end, and yet the story was highly believable.  I could see myself, or others falling into the trap that Joseph and his wife Mel found themselves.  In addition, the reactions of those around them were true to life.   The characters were definitely interesting and well thought out.   The author's portrayal of the villain was exceptional. 

In addition to fascinating characters, the flow of the story really intrigued me.  The plot was full of interesting plot turns and twists, some of which I could see coming, but most of which I did not.  That is what drew me to the story the most.  I confess, I am a sucker for plot twists, especially when they surprise me and as each one was revealed, I found myself more and more intrigued.  By the time that I got into the meat of the story, I had a hard time putting the book down.  This book definitely will go onto my highly recommended list and is one of the best books that I have read so far in 2018. 

The only downfall, if any, was my desire to skip ahead a few time, hence the 4.5 and not 5 star rating.  In all truth, though, that rating might be more due to my desire to know if I was on the right track figuring out the next twist rather than any problem with the way the author laid out the story. 

T. M. Logan is a "first time" author for me, and I would definitely give him a high five.  I am putting his first book [book:29 Seconds|36217426] on my list of books to find and look forward to reading more by this author.

I received a copy of this book from through Netgalley and would like to thank St. Martin's Press  and the author for the opportunity.

The revival post and October Witchy books

It has been forever since I blogged, and I have really missed it.  Under the old format I was mostly blogging reviews, which I still enjoy doing, but it seemed like it was getting to be a chore in some ways and I think I just got burned out.  At any rate, I have been thinking about reviving my blog for most of this year, and I have been trying out different scenarios in my head of ways to make a comeback and have come to the conclusion that I should just jump in and take the plunge.  So here I am plunging away. 

The biggest difference that I intend to make with the blog is to blog about things other than reviews.  Many times when I am reading a book and I have comments I want to make about the book, the writing style, the author in general, the type of book.  I start all of these conversations in my head and I have decided that I should just write them down here.

Writing a blog is a weird thing because unless people comment on what you write, you really have no idea whether people are reading your thoughts or not.  I think to be a successful blogger, you have to do it for yourself as much as anything else. So here goes my second attempt.  Hopefully you will like the new format and find things that interest you to read about.  And if you feel like leaving a comment, I will certainly try to get back to you.  I love Conversations. 

October Books About Witches

I have a younger sister who knows me better than almost anyone, and she knows how much I love reading and books.  Often she will tag me on Facebook with links to articles about books and reading and I love getting them.  The other day she sent me this one: 

https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/10/23/historical-fiction-books-about-witches/

And I am passing it on to you.  It lists 18 Historical Fiction books about witches and there are some really great ones on the list.  Although I read all types of books, I would have to say Historical Fiction is probably my favorite genre.  Something about reading books about other times and cultures just fascinates me. So any list that has Historical Fiction in the title gets my attention. Of the 18 books on the list, I have only read four, I own 4 more and have them on my to read list, and I have not heard of 10. 

I read  The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear while I was still in high school and it was probably my first fictional connection to the Salem/Colonial witch mania.  I remember being enthralled by the book.  The other three that I have read, The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Kaltherine Howe, and The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston have been read in the last few years.  I would recommend them all, but I think that the Kathleen Kent book was probably my favorite.  Another interesting tidbit, I believe that Kathleen Kent and Katherine Howe are both descended from Salem "withches".  

The four that I have to read are The Witches of New York by Ami McKay, The Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan, The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch, and The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown.  The Witchfinder's Sister is the next one on my list.  

As for the 10 that I have not heard of before...I will definitely by checking them out. There are a few books about witches that I have read that aren't on the list and should be, I think.  The most notable one is A discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  Although it is a hefty book, it really held my interest and it read quite quickly.  I am anxious to see what they do with the TV/Movie adaptation that is in the works.  Another one that I would add to the list is Daughters of the Witching Hill  by  Mary Sharrat which I currently have checked out from the library.  

What is your favorite Historical Fiction book about witches?  What about witchy books from other genres?  Which ones do you recommend? 

Review: Haven Lake by Holly Robinson

NOTE:  A copy of this book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several of Holly Robinson's books over the last few years.  I started with The Wishing Hill  (Review Link)  the story of three women whose lives are linked in an unusual yet unbreakable way.  That was followed by Beach Plum Island (review link ) a story of three sisters whose lives are linked and who are just beginning to understand the meaning of the word  "family".  Recently I had the privilege of reading a third book by Holly, Haven Lake, published April 2015 by NAL, $15.00 US.   I am pleased to say that I think this is Holly's best work yet. 

Like all of Holly's books that I have read, Haven Lake is a story about people, the connections that they make, and what actually constitutes a family.  In this case, we are introduced to Sydney Bishop, a women who left home at the age of sixteen after a pair of tragic deaths tore her family apart, and her mother, Hannah Bishop, a sheep farmer who still lives at the family farm where Sydney grew up.  Sydney is currently a child psychologist working with troubled students and engaged to marry Gary, a top notch surgeon with a teenage son.   The story unfolds as Sydney tries to forge a bond with Dylan, Gary's son, and steer clear of her mother and their strained relationship.

As I stated in my other reviews of her books,  Holly Robinson's strengths are the characters that she develops in her stories, and the actual flow of the stories themselves.  In that respect, this book is no different.  The main characters, Sydney, Hannah, and Dylan are all amazingly complex characters with a lot of depth and many facets in their personalities.  In fact, even the minor characters, Sydney's fiancee Gary, her grandmother, Hannah's friend and neighbor, Liz, and Dylan's crush are all complex and interesting in their own right.  In fact, there is not a single character in this book that did not do something surprising at one point or another.  The fact that the characters in the story were unpredictable at times only made them seem more real and allowed me to connect with them all the more.  As for the story itself, Haven Lake is once again filled with plenty of emotion...love, loss, betrayal, and enough twists and turns to make the story a page turner.

There were, however, two big differences that set this book apart and made it, for me, the best effort from Holly Robinson yet.  First were the male characters in this book.  I felt that the male characters in this book were more developed and played a bigger role in the flow of the story.  I was especially happy with the character of Dylan, as he is the first male character that has been used as the stories focus among the Holly Robinson books that I have read, and he was an excellent one at that.  The second reason that this book resonated with me more than some of the others has to do with the last quarter of the book, and the ultimate ending.  There were so many things revealed about the characters in this section of the book that made for a fascinating read.  In addition, the ending of this book was so realistic.  One thing that I really appreciate, is authors who do not succumb to the urge to always give books an ending where everything works out perfectly.  Don't get me wrong, I love happy endings, but I also appreciate realistic endings where you see that the characters still have decisions to make and journeys to go through.   In this respect, I found the ending to this story very satisfying.

The next Holly Robinson book on my list to read is Chance Harbor, which I highly anticipating.  Over the course of time as I have been reading Holly's books, I have become a true fan of her stories and look forward to much more from her in the future. 

This week at a glance

This Week's Reading: 

The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie

The first in a new trilogy centered around France's King Louis XV and four sisters who shared his heart and his bed.

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Elizabeth Grey is a witch hunter who ultimately is accused and convicted of being a witch herself in this debut YA fantasy novel

The House of Hawthorne by Erika Robuk

The new novel from the author of Hemingway's Girl.  This novel centers around the marriage between author Nathaniel Hawthorne and artist Sophia Peabody.

The Reviews: 

Haven Lake by Holly Robinson
The Bones of You by Debbie Howells

Series Spotlight: 

The Stonechild and Rouleau Mysteries by Brenda Chapman

Review: Tidewater: A Novel of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony by Libbie Hawker

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my review.

I have always been fascinated by other cultures, and among the first that I sought out information on when I was in elementary school were the Native Americans.  Growing up in America I was told the story of Pocahontas and John Smith numerous times in my life, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I found out that Pocahontas and John Smith were never in love, nor were they ever lovers.  There is so much mythology and fairy tale attached to their story, that it is a true find to come across a book that tells a more likely, and to my mind likable, story of the two.  Tidewater: A Novel of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony  by Libbie Hawker (Lake Union Publishing $10.95 in Paperback) is just such a book.   When I saw it being offered for review, I knew I had to read it, whether I was awarded the ARC or not.

The first thing that I noticed was that the  book begins with the arrival of John Smith and his cohorts from the Virginia Company in America and their decision of where to set up the colony of Jamestown.  In fact, although Pocahontas definitely plays a role in the first third of the book, the author mainly focuses on the developing relationship between the colonists at Jamestown and the Powhatan Indians.  Pocahontas' father Powhatan, her uncle Opechanacanough, John Smith, and various other colonists are the main characters for this part of the story.  Score one for both the book and the author.  As the story progressed, I was very impressed with the way that the author peppered the story with the actual names and customs of the Powhatan Indians.  In addition, she was meticulous in her descriptions of the colonists and the actual roles that each of them played, reminding us that John Smith was not the "leader" or president of the Jamestown colony at the time that he met Pocahontas.

As the story unfolds, we get to the part where Pocahontas saves John Smith from death and the resulting development of their relationship.  At this point in the book, Pocahontas takes on a more central role, as she most likely did in real life.  Although the book at this point details her relationship with John Smith and, in the last third, her life in the colony, conversion to Christianity, marriage to John Rolfe, and eventual trip to England, the author does a great job of continuing to let us know what is happening with the other characters, most notably, John Smith, Powhatan, and his brother. Through all of this, we get an excellent picture of Pocahontas, her true role in the Jamestown story, and her eventual life as a Christian and Englishwoman.

The one thing that struck me throughout this book, and perhaps my favorite thing about it, was the amount of detail and realism that the author included in this book.  It was apparent from the beginning that she had done a lot of research,  not only on Pocahontas her self, but on the Powhatan Indians in general along with the actual inhabitants of the Jamestown colony.  I was definitely pleased, although not really surprised, when I came to the end of the book and found listed there the titles of several non-fiction books that the author used to research and develop her story.  I definitely intend to check a few of them out.  

I ended up giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and am including it on my highly recommended list.  It is a true gem and I will am thankful to Libbie Hawker  for this more realistic glimpse of  this interesting woman who was caught up in history. I still love my fairy tale stories of princesses, but this book is so rich with great characters and interesting details that it is a must read for anyone interested in this time period.   It is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last!  

The week ahead

What's on tap for this week?  

Reviews:  

Tuesday's Review will be on Tidewater, Libby Hawker's book on Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony, which was a 5 star read for me.

Thursday's Review will be on Holly Robinson's Haven Lake, which I feel is her best work yet.

Reading: 

 Goodnight June  By Sarah Jio

I must have read Goodnight Moon to my son a billion times when he was little and a book based on Margaret Wise Brown is a real draw for me.










 The Mill River Redemption and The Promise of Home by Darcie Chan

LOVED  Darcie's book The Mill River Recluse back in 2011 when it was first published and was excited to get a copy of the third book in the series.  I am currently finishing the second book, The Mill River Redemption, and then will follow up with The Promise of Home.





Enjoy the week everyone!

3rd annual ARC August sponsored by Read, Sleep,Repeat

I have decided to participate in the ARC August challenge this year as I have a number of ARCS that I need to get read and reviewed.  The contest was brought to my attention by a book blogging friend, and is sponsored by the site Read, Sleep, Repeat.  In case you are interested, here is a link to the site:
http://www.readsleeprepeat.org/2015/07/3rd-annual-arc-august-sign-ups/

You don't have to be a blogger to participate, just and ARC reader who has a pile they would like to get through.  On the site they talk about several ways to keep track of what you have read.  For me, though, I will be reviewing books here, and updating this site with my progress.  Initially I am shooting for 7 ARCS during the month.  Here is the list:

Pleasantville by Attica Locke

Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand











Judas the Apostle by Van Mayhall Jr.











Tidewater by Libby Hawker












Those Girls by Chevy Chase











Shroud of Roses by Gloria Ferris

The Bones of You by Debbie Howells
















Possibles if I get time;
Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes and Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
The Burying Ground by Janet Kellough
The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick
The Promise of Home by Darcie Chan

Wish me luck!

The Week Ahead

CONTINUATION: Dracula by Bram Stoker

I have to say, I am finding Dracula fascinating, and am so glad that I am reading it.  The version that I am reading is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition that came loaded on my nook. I love the Classics editions because they come with all of the historical footnotes and such, which I find fascinating.  I fell in love with these versions a few years ago when I read the Penguin Classics edition of The Count of Monte Cristo.  These versions also lend themselves well to e-Readers since you can touch the footnote reference, read it, and then jump right back to the page you were reading.  No flipping to find the footnotes, no muss, no fuss.

NEW START: I've Got You Under My Skin  by Mary Higgins Clark. 

I am reading this one for a team challenge for one of my book clubs.  Every month the person who runs the challenge pics 5 old TV shows and then assigns 3 - 6 tasks per show.  We participate in a team of three readers and divide the tasks up between us.  It is a fun game, but time consuming, however, I am what I call "challenge challenged" and rarely pass up a challenge.  I know I have never found one that I did not enjoy.  Back to the book, though.  The task here is to read a book by an author who has a relative who is also an author, which certainly fits MHC as her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark also writes mystery stories.  I think I read my first MHC book in high school, it was her fist,also titled Where Are The Children.   I have been hooked on her books ever since and am delighting in this one which introduces a new series by her.

BUDDY READS: The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathie Marie Buchanan

This will be my first book by this author as as I love historical fiction of any kind, I expect I will enjoy it a lot.

REVIEW BOOKS: Isabella:Brave Heart of France by Colin Falconer

The Isabella here is the wife of Edward the II, and the only woman to ever invade England and win, or so the book promises.  Although Historical Fiction about royalty is perhaps my favorite over all, I am not familiar with this particular queen, and so I hope to learn a few things.  The review for this book with be the debut review for my new blog...Reading on Royalty, which is under development.  I will post a link the the review on this site when I have it ready.
  

UNDERGOING CHANGES.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY. 

BE BACK SOON. 

Thoughts and resolutions surrounding banned books week.

This week, September 21 - 28, 2014 is Banned Books week and with that there are numerous articles, lists, posts, memes, etc. urging us to celebrate the week.   What they really are asking us, as readers, to do, is to become aware and involved in what books are banned and why, and possibly to choose one or more of them and read it this week.  As I was scrolling through all of my Facebook and Twitter posts yesterday, I came across the following article on the BookRiot site that got me to thinking.

http://bookriot.com/2014/09/22/dos-donts-banned-books-week/

Although the author of the post is speaking to the publishing and marketing community, in effect trying to get them to stop taking advantage of Banned Books Week, the post got me thinking in another direction.

First  - it got me to thinking about how it sounds to "celebrate" banned books.  I will be the first to admit that I have no problem with having one week a year dedicated to highlighting the hows and whys of banned books, but I am starting to wonder if the word celebrate is the correct term to use in this context.  Perhaps we should celebrate our personal freedom by reading a banned book during banned books week.  Or rename the week Read a Banned Book week.  I know this is really nit-picky and everyone understands that we are celebrating the week, not the banned books, but it just got me to thinking.  Why give power to the people who are banning the books by even using the phrase "celebrate banned books".

The second stream of thought that the article lead me to was to question why I only seem to pay attention to the banning of books one week a year.  Don't get me wrong, as I said above, I am glad that we have a week to focus on the books that are getting banned.  If it weren't for the ALA and other organizations and their highlighting of banned books once a year,  I may go through my year having this subject never even enter my mind.  It is so easy to become wrapped up in my everyday life and reading, and not even think about it.  So, I am eternally grateful to the entities behind the Banned Books Week for bringing the issue to our collective conscience in general, and my personal radar in particular.  To an avid reader like me, though, banning books for whatever reason is anathema and and issue that I really should be more involved in.  For that reason, I have decided to do challenge myself to do something every week between now and Banned Books Week 2015 that promotes reading freedom.  Although part of it will be reading some of the most commonly banned books, there will be other activities, posts, etc. in addition. although I am not yet sure what form they may take.

One thing I hope to do is to read at least 12 books that have been banned to large audiences in the next year.  I would say I would read one a month, but the way my life goes, I am not sure I can stick to that.  There may be times when I can read two or more in a given month, and times when I won't get to any, so 12 in a year it is!

So - I will count this post as my first action toward my new resolution.  If you, like me, are interested in knowing the wheres, whys, and hows of banned books, here are some websites that I have found particularly interesting regarding the subject.

Banned Books Week website - http://www.bannedbooksweek.org
ALA Frequently Challenged Books list - http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics
ILA Challenged Books explanations - http://www.ila.org/BannedBooks/ALA016%20Short%20List%20L3c_low%20%281%29.pdf
ALA Top Challenged books by year - http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#2013

I hope you enjoy my break from the usual in this post and find some of this informational and interesting. I will be back to reviewing tomorrow.

And as always - Happy Reading!

Review: The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps by Michael Blanding

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my review

Genre: Non-fiction History

Page Count: 320 Pages

List Price:  $27.50 Hardback

                $12.99 Digital 

Publication Date: May 29, 2014

Publisher: Gotham

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

In his introduction to the book The Map Thief author Michael Blanding writes, "Maps have long exerted a special fascination on viewers-both as beautiful works of art and as practical tools to navigate the world."  What he forgets to mention is that they can also be snapshots in history.  For me, they are all of the above, so a book centered around historical maps seemed a natural.  Add to that my fascination with true crime accounts, and it is no wonder that I jumped at the chance to read and review this book.  

The Map Thief  is Blandings account of  the E. Forbes Smiley case, Smiley was a respected dealer in antiquarian maps who ended up in over his head and began stealing rare and famous maps from Universities and selling them on the market as new finds until he was caught red-handed cutting a map from a book in the Yale University antique map room.  I found the idea that a trusted, well respected member of the exclusive trade in antiquarian maps could take so much advantage of the other players in the industry fascinating.  After all, for years E. Forbes Smiley was able to pull the wool over the eyes of top-notch dealers in antique maps and savvy collectors, not to mention the major Universities and Museums that he was able to steal from.  I really enjoyed reading about Smiley and his crimes.  

For me, though, the best part of the book was the amount of time that Blanding spent explaining the maps that were stolen and their significance.  As you might expect from an investigative journalist of his caliber, the discussion of each map was well researched and well written.  His ability to highlight the importance of these maps as both historical documents and works of art really drew me in.  I learned so much about maps, their uses, the history of map making, and the historical figures behind the maps.  I would have loved for this part of the book to never end.  Blanding did such a great job with this part of the book that I found myself researching antique maps and the history of map making on my own.  

The only place were the book fell short for me was at the end.  Throughout the book, there was a lot of discussion of the fact that hundreds more maps were missing that Smiley ever admitted to stealing.  I felt it was presented in such a way that a revelation would be forthcoming, but perhaps it was just my reader's wish that there would be a big reveal.  At any rate, not only was there no real new information about these missing maps, I felt that Blanding really glassed over this portion of the story. It was almost like he just threw the information into the book at the end and as a result, I thought it detracted from the rest of the book, which was really great.  In  addition, I found the information that was presented confusing.  For me, it would have been better if Blanding had mentioned that many more maps were missing, and the theories by all parties about what might have happened to them, in a short concluding chapter.  

All in all, though, this book was really worth the read.  The information regarding maps, map making, and map collecting was enough to keep me interested to the very end.  Throw in E. Forbes Smiley, his personality, and what he was able to accomplish, and you have a very engaging read.  I would highly recommend it to any one with a love of history and a love of true crime stories.  Bravo Mr. Blanding!

Review: DragonFly by Charles A. Cornell

A copy of this book was provided by the author through E-book Miner in exchange for my review

Genre:  Alternate History/diesel-punk

Page Count: 356 pages

List Price (only available in digital format): $3.99 on Kindle

Publication Date:  February 28, 2014

Publisher: Charles Cornell Creative Partners LLC

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I think that the best way to describe this book is "delightful".   Veronica "Ronnie" Somerset is a female RAF pilot during WWII.  The Nazis are about to start the invasion of Britain and Ronnie is trying to get the support and attention that she deserves from the male dominated British Royal Air Force.  The RAF, on the other hand, is trying to minimize her role.  They think they have succeeded by stationing her at a remote base in Cornwall that is shared by the RAF and the Navy.  In actuality, though, they have placed her in the perfect place to play a pivotal role in the fight for the UK.  

I have to say upfront, I am new to the genre of Steampunk/Dieselpunk, but with each book of this type that I read, I am finding that I really enjoy it.  To me the genre is all about mixing sci-fi (as far as the machines, etc. go) and magic or mysticism, which DragonFly by Charles A. Cornell does in just the right amount.  The book is full of imaginative machines, the best examples of which in my mind, are the DragonFly planes and Blitzkrieger.  These are just two of the really imaginative and inventive items included in the story, though and all of them are fun to read about and consider.   On the magic side, there is a bit of Druidism and some thought telepathy that represent this aspect quite well. 

No story can survive, though without a good plot, and the good vs. evil plot of DragonFly is excellently drawn. Set in WWII, the outcome of the story should be etched in history, but this is "alternate history" and the author is free to take the story where he will.  He does this in admirable fashion, keeping the reader on the edge of his seat trying to decide if "good" will triumph over "evil".  As a self-titled aficionado of history, I really appreciated the way that Cornell wove the just the right amount of the factual history of WWII in with his fantasy story to give it a strong foundation, yet allow it to be unpredictable. 

I think my favorite part of this book, along with the DragonFly plane itself, were the characters.  There were so many characters in this book that I thought were exceptionally well done.  I loved the fact that the RAF pilots were all women and had to fight for the chance to play a part in history.  As for the rest of the British characters, they came across as a unique blend of British stability and optimism.  The Germans, on the other had, were very dark, their plodding steps, ulterior motives, and subterfuge painting the perfect picture of the stories "evil".  If there was one thing that was off in Cornell's characters for me, though, it was the origin of the Blitzkriegers, which was a little hard for me to wrap my head around. 

So, with one minor drawback, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.  At times I found myself wanting to be Ronnie, flying a DragonFly.  At other times I found myself worrying over who would prevail in battles, or who would make it through to the end.  At all times, though, I found myself entertained and wanting to keep reading more.   I am definitely looking forward to other DragonFly Squadron books, and hope that this episode is able to overcome its somewhat limited availability.  

I would definitely like to thank both the author, Charles A. Cornell, and the E-book Miner group on Goodreads for bringing this book to my attention.  If not for them, I don't know that this book would ever have made it onto my radar, but I am very glad that it did! 

TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Fall) !

I can't believe that I am actually saying this, but I am glad to see the summer ending and fall beginning.  With fall comes the return of routine, which I am finding that I need more and more as I get older.  The days of flying by the seat of my pants are over for me, I think.  This summer has been a particularly hectic summer in my family, which definitely had a negative effect on my ability to keep up with the blogging.   Some of the events were scheduled, some not.  Some of them were happy events, some not.  All of them were draining, that is for sure.  All of this explanation is by way of apologizing to those who have been wondering where I have been for the last three months.

Although the summer's events definitely had a negative effect on my blog, it only had a minimally negative effect on my reading.  There is nothing like a good book when you are sitting around waiting for a graduation to start, news from a doctor, phone calls from family members, games to be finished, etc.  Below is a list of the books that I read this summer, complete with star ratings.  Most of them have reviews pending, which I will be working on in the next few weeks.

Hope you all had a happy and successful summer, and here is to getting back on track.

MY SUMMER READS  (R denotes review pending)

Five Star Reads

Skin Game by Jim Butcher
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
Missing You by Harlan Cobin R
That Night by Chevy Steves R
Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf R
Runner by Patrick Lee R

Four Star Reads

The Map Theif by Machael Blanding R
The Here and Now by Anna Brashares R
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey R
Cop Town by Karin Slaughter R
The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whitmore R
Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris
The Boleyn Deceit by Laura Anderson R
DragonFly by Charles A. Cornell R
Morning Glory by Sarah Jio
The 12th Child by Bette Lee Crosby
Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir R

Three Star Reads

Three Strikes and Your Dead by Jessica Fletcher
Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski  R
The Secret Lives of the Tsars by Michael Farquhar R

As you can see, it has been a good summer of reading and I certainly have my work cut out for me.  My first review will be of DragonFly by  Charles A. Cornell, a steampunk adventure set in WWII that I found really entertaining.  It should be on the blog in the next day or so.

Hope you all had a great summer for reading!

Review: China Dolls by Lisa See

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for my review

Genre: Historical Fiction

Page Count:  400 pages
List Price:  $27.00 - Hardcover
                $11.84 - Digital Edition
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Random House

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Like many readers, my introduction to author Lisa See's work was with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and like most readers, I instantly fell in love.  The book was beautifully written, the story was wonderful.  Since reading Snow Flower, I have read most of the rest of Lisa See's work, and own copies of them all.  To say that I am a fan of her work just doesn't quite say it all.

I recently read her new offering, China Dolls, and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed.  China Dolls tells the story of the rise of Asian entertainers on the nightclub circuit during the late 1930s through the mid 1940s, through the lives of  Grace, Helen, and Ruby, three separate women who were Asian entertainers during that time.  It is in the way that the lives of these three women alternately intersect and diverge that the story of what it was like to be an entertainer on the "Chop Suey Circuit" was like.

One of the things that I have always loved about Lisa See's books is the way she uses her characters as the main story-telling agent in her books.  In China Dolls, each of the three main characters represent an amalgamation of people that lived in that time in history.  Grace is a Chinese born American whose parents moved to the Midwest to raise their daughter as far from other Chinese as possible.  Helen is also an American born Chinese, but her parents are living the traditional Chinese lifestyle in  a secluded compound in San Francisco's Chinatown.  Ruby, on the other hand, is the girl who wants to be totally American in every way, using American slang and dressing American whenever she can, but who is hiding more of a secret that just her wish to be American and not Asian.  I have to say, I am continually amazed at how Lisa See is able to come up with such vibrant, realistic characters that effectively represent a section of Asian culture and history time and time again.  Her characters are so well crafted that they become very real to me, and stay with me long after I have read the book.

Another strong point of the book, and Lisa See's writing in general, is her excellent knowledge of the history and culture of the subject that she is writing about.  Her research into the subject is always spot on.  In the case of China Dolls, the main nightclub in San Francisco, The Forbidden City, really existed, showcasing first Chinese entertainers, and later Asian entertainers of all kinds well into the 1950s.  Many of the characters in the book were actual owners or entertainers at the nightclub, although in many cases she has changed their names.  Other characters are an amalgamation of several entertainers from that time.  In addition, the lives of the women outside the nightclub are spot on and truly represent what it was like to live at that time.

The only thing that felt a bit off in this book, though, was the intense level of competition between the women.  Over time, I have become used to the deep and  intense friendships between the characters in Lisa See's books.  The kind of friendships that, even during fights or disagreements, never really waver.  In this light, I was not really prepared for the amount of discord between the three main characters of this story.  At times it seemed that Grace, Helen, and Ruby were always trying to one-up each other, or in some cases, actually turn each other against the others.  As characters, they were much more manipulative and shallow than what I am used to in Lisa See's characters, and each one was a diva in her own way.  In retrospect, though, I feel that their behavior is justifiable to the story and culture that they represent.  After all, the entertainment business has always been a bit dog eat dog, and being in a section of it where the jobs were fewer and competition was higher would only highlight that type of behavior.  

Although this was not my favorite Lisa See book (that would be Shanghai Girls), that fact that I am giving a 4.5 rating to a book that is not my favorite speaks volumes.  Lisa See has yet to disappoint me, and China Dolls is no exception to that rule.  In fact, I stayed up one night until 4am to finish it, and then was disappointed because it was over and I read it so fast.  I highly recommend this book for fans of Lisa See and fans of Chinese American culture.  You will not be sorry.

Additional Note:  I was excited to find that The Forbidden City nightclub, which played a central part in this story, was actually the inspiration of the musical Flower Drum Song, which is my favorite musical of all time. 

Review: Trouble in Mind: The Collected Stories, Volume 3 by Jeffery Deaver

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley

Genre: Short Story Collection

Page Count: 496 pages

List Price:  $26.00 - Hardback Edition ($16.95 at Barnes & Noble)

                $12.99 - Digital Edition  ($9.09 at Amazon)

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Many of you may be familiar with Jeffery Deaver through his Lincoln Rhyme or Kate Daniels books.  Although he has been on my To Read list as an author, I have yet to read any of his books, mainly because I have so many series going currently that I have been reluctant to start another one.  I found that reading this book of short stories was the perfect way for me to acquaint myself with his writing. 

As it turns out, Deaver has been writing short stories for years.  As it states in the sub-title, Trouble in Mind,  is his third published volume of short stories.  The author himself says in the Author's Note to Trouble in Mind that he began writing at age 11 with a short story (two chapters in length).  His latest effort is comprised of 12 stories, most of them in the mystery/crime genre that established readers of Deaver's books would expect.  For those of you who love his series, there are two Lincoln Rhyme stories, one Katherine Dance and one John Pellam.  Don't worry, though, if you are not familiar with the series.  I read and enjoyed all four of the stories and did not feel lost at all.  In fact, I thought they were a great way to introduce me to his series and characters.  A way to "try them on for size" you might say. The volume includes six other stories in the crime genre, all of which are excellent.

 In addition to the mystery stories there were two stories with a more sci-fi or fantasy bent.  Deaver himself calls these "genre benders" and tells us that one thing he likes about writing short stories is that they "allow an author to step out of genre more easily than novels do."  I would say he did a good job stepping out of genre, as one of these stories, "Forever" was my favorite from the whole book.

To be honest, though, I loved every one of the stories in this compilation, and cannot wait to read more by this author.  In addition, I am anxious to start at least one of his series, as the stories included here peaked my interest in them.  Since I live in Northern California, I may start with the Katherine Dance books as they take place in the local area where I live.  Whether you are a tried and true Jeffery Deaver fan, or just someone who wants to explore his work, I would recommend Trouble in Mind.   For me it was a great place to start with Jeffery Deaver's work.