BREAKING THE SILENCE by DIANE CHAMBERLAIN

I have heard about Diane Chamberlain for quite a while, but this is the first actual book that I have read by this author. I am not sure what I was expecting, but what I got was an amazing read from an author that I cannot wait to read more from.

This book is actually two stories. The first is the story of Laura Brandon. At the beginning of the book Laura's father has just died and her husband commits suicide. As a result, her 5 year old daughter Emma quits speaking. Laura's story centers mostly around her resolve to help Emma get over the pain and trauma of the two deaths that come so close together. It is the story of a mother's love for her child, confusion over exactly how to help her, and the resulting feeling of hopelessness for not being able to "make it all better". Ms. Chamberlain crafts a good story in this regard that will have you hoping for Emma and Laura to get their lives back on track.

The real story in the book, though, is the story of Sarah Tolley, a woman in her 70s who is suffering from Alzheimers. Laura promises her dying father that she will visit Sarah. A woman that she has never heard of before her father tells her his dying wish. Through Laura's visits to Sarah we begin to find out about Sarah's life story, and it is definitely a fascinating one. As the stories progress, we find out that all is not what it seems, until the final clue is revealed in the end.

I loved Sarah's story. I found it compelling and at times I actually wanted to skip the Laura and Emma parts and just get back to Sarah. As Sarah revealed more and more about her life, I found myself trying hard to guess where her story was leading, which is a real plus in my book. The more the story engages me, the more I want to know about the characters, the more I enjoy. And Sarah was definitely someone I wanted to read more about. Not that Laura's story wasn't good. It was definitely engaging also. And as the book continued, both stories really got me involved.

The best part of the book, I have to say, was the ending. The way that the author tied all the elements in the stories together to bring us to her conclusion was fascinating. In addition, she took the story in a direction that I never anticipated. In fact, at one point, certain elements of the story were revealed, and I actually pumped my fist and shouted, "Yes", much to the laughter of my son. Ms. Chamberlain is definitely a master at crafting a story and knows how to keep readers interested and engaged. I have several other books by her on my list and am anxiously awaiting a chance to read them.

TRUE GRIT by CHARLES PORTIS

As a younger adult, I loved the John Wayne classic version of True Grit. When I saw they were making a new version, I decided to watch the old, then see the new. The result was two very different movies, which then spurred me on to read the book. My quest was to see which movie more closely followed the original book version. So..I ordered it from the library and sat back to wait my turn.

The book version of this classic tale reads almost like a movie script. By that I mean that it consists mostly of either dialog, or of descriptions as told through the eyes of the female protagonist, Mattie Ross. Mattie is the thirteen year old daughter of an Arkansas rancher who is murdered when he goes to town to buy horses. Since she is the oldest child, and her father's right hand person, she is sent to Fort Smith to claim his body, but decided to stay on and avenge his murder. The result is an action story about three people chasing down a criminal in Oklahoma Indian Territory. Since the book is told through Mattie's voice, it is less of an adventure story and more of a character study of the people involved. Mattie Ross is a self assured, older than her years, head strong girl. She teams up with Marshall Rooster Cogburn, an almost washed up, grizzled U.S. Marshall who likes to shoot first and ask questions later. The third major character in the story is LeBeouf, a by the book Texas Ranger who is long on attitude and ego and just happens to be chasing the same criminal that Mattie is after.

The resulting story is an interesting read and a good story. Both movies stick pretty close to the book in both plot and dialog, with the newer version being a little more true to the details. As a result, if you have seen either movie, there is really nothing new to learn by reading the book. In fact, I really enjoyed the movies more than the book in this instance. 

DREAMS OF JOY by LISA SEE

This book was highly anticipated by me as I fell in love with Lisa See several years ago when I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Since then I have collected all of her books, and though I have yet to read some of them, I have loved all of the ones that I have read. The most recent one to be read wasShanghai Girls, in which Joy, the main character in this book, is also present. I loved the story of Pearl and May and was anxious to read more.

This book did not disappoint. As always, this book was filled with Lisa See's wonderful prose, great characters, and amazing stories. I was captivated by the lives of the characters. I also really love the amount of research and knowledge that Ms. See puts into her books. With Snow Flower it was her detailed descriptions of the foot binding process that drew my attention. With Shanghai Girls it was the development of Chinatown in LA. With this book it is her detailed descriptions of life under Mao Tse Tung and the disconnect between the life of the Chinese authorities and that of the average Chinese citizen, especially during the Great Famine. She really made Communist China come alive for me.

This book was definitely hard to put down, from the beginning to its thrilling ending. I can't wait to see what Ms. See comes up with next, but in the meantime I will be catching up on other books by her that I have yet to read. She is a major talent in Asian literature, up there with the likes of Amy Tan and Gail Tsukiyama. 

EVENFALL by LIZ MICHALSKI

Liz Michalski is a new author for me, and contemporary romance books are not exactly my forte, but this one caught me from the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire story. There were several things that I thought were excellent about this book, and a few that I found disappointing. I enjoyed the characters of Andie, Cort, Gert and Frank. In fact, from the description of the book, I expected Frank to play a bigger role and was kind of disappointed that he wasn't more prevalent. In fact, my favorite parts of the book were the parts that dealt with the story of Frank and Gert and their short circuited romance. It was a typical story of love and loss, underscoring the adage that you only live once....there are no do overs. I felt that their story was much more compelling than what was happening in the current time. Luckily for me, most of the book dealt with that story and the effect that their relationship had on everyone over the years.

I have to say, though, that I did not particularly like the ending. Not because it was not well written, or didn't fit the story, but just because I wanted it to end differently in a few areas.

All in all it was a great story that kept me interested all the way through, but with a slightly disappointing ending.

ALTOGETHER DEAD by CHARLAINE HARRIS

I really enjoy these books for several reasons. I like Sookie, the ultimate "social outcast" and the world that she has found a way to fit into. Ms. Harris does a wonderful job of developing the secondary characters, and she always has some new ones to spring on the reader in each book. In addition, she is really good at divulging a little more about the supernatural world with each book. To me, if you want to keep your readers engaged, that is essential for a long series. My standard for this type of series is The Dresden File series byJim Butcher, and this one hold up to that one pretty well. 

In the seventh book of the series, we find Sookie up to her eyeballs in the land of the Supes again as she is off to Illinois to participate in a conference of the top vampires in the country. While there she gets to meet up with Barry Bellhop, the only other telepath she has met, again as well as spending time with her new main squeeze, who happens to be a weretiger. In addition, all the other players that we have grown to love are once again present. As usual, nothing that involves Sookie goes smoothly, and what is supposed to be an easy job to allow her an economic "cushion" turn bad and Sookie is faced with trying to set things right. And the end of this one definitely leaves you wondering and wanting more. 

Although these books are somewhat formulaic, the situations are varied enough, and the characters endearing enough, that one keeps reading to see what happens to everyone next. Reading the next book in the series is much like catching up with some old friends that you haven't seen for a while.

COLOR ME GREY by J C PHELPS

This book was billed as a romantic suspense book, although the synopsis made it sound more like a political thriller. As a result, I was not sure what to expect. What I found as I read it was a good thriller with an interesting story line. The main character, Alex Stanton, is a rich girl who has never been able to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. I found her to be spoiled and shallow at first, but once she got a job with a company of private mercenaries and became involved in the business her character became much more palatable. In fact, most of the characters in this book seemed to take a long time to get off the ground. I can only assume that this is due to the fact that this is the first book in a series and as such, the author didn't want to reveal too much about her characters. That she wanted to leave something for future books. The same might be said for the romance usually present in a romantic suspense book. In fact, the romance in this book was all verbal, with no real romance present at all. Again, this must be something that the author intends to develop in future installments. To me this is risky, as there was not really anything in the first book to invest you in the characters and entice you to continue on in the series. 

The best thing about this book was the plot line of the story, which I felt was good, but nothing spectacular. Usually my main criteria for a suspense book revolves around how easy the twists in the story line are to figure out. In this case, I saw them coming a mile away. 

Although I enjoyed this book, I am actually on the fence as to whether I will continue with the series. I may give the second book a chance and see how it goes. If the author doesn't develop the characters and romance any more in the second book, I will be out.

MIDNIGHT FEAR by LESLIE TENTLER

I read the first book by this debut author just last month, and really enjoyed it. Therefore, when I got the chance to read this one I jumped at it. I was anticipating another good mystery along the lines of the first book in the series. What I got, however, was an even better book than Midnight Caller. In the time that has passed between the writing of her first book and this one, the author has certainly honed her craft. This second book of the series had a more exciting story line with a myriad of possibilities for the antagonist, leaving the plot twists harder to figure out. Once the antagonist was finally revealed, I found myself cheering that I had guessed correctly, a sure sign that I was involved in the story.  


In addition, the characters seemed to have more personality making it even easier to get invested in their stories. The heroine, Caitlyn, had the perfect mixture of softness and backbone and her hero, Reid was the perfect strong but vulnerable leading man.  There were also a number of well developed secondary characters who played interesting roles throughout the book.  All in all, I had a really hard time putting this book down once I started to read it. I wanted the world to go away and just keep reading.  I think I may even have snapped at a few of my family members when they interrupted my reading time. 


If I really enjoyed the author's first book, I LOVED this one. I can't wait for the next installment from this author and hope that she writes many more books similar to her first two, and this one in particular.

PRELUDES & NOCTURNES by NEIL GAIMAN

I just finished my first graphic novel, Preludes and Nocturnes. It is the first volume in the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. There are several reasons why I decided to try this book. One of my groups is doing a seasonal challenge where we are asked to read books outside of our normal genres. One of the genres I chose was graphic novels, and since the last few books I have read were not that good, I thought a short one would help get me back into reading. Finally, I have a friend who LOVES graphic novels and she recommended this series as one of the best. Since I like Neil Gaiman's books, I thought I would give it a chance. 

The reason that I don't usually read graphic novels is because, for some reason, I find the "comic book" style format very hard to read. That still held true for this book, especially since the page flow was not consistent from page to page. At times the pages were configured in columns, some of them in rows, and still others in more creative formats. To me, that interferes with the flow of the story. 

Another interesting aspect of this book was the different fonts used for each character. At first that took some getting used to, just like the page formats, but in the end, I actually liked this. The separate fonts seemed to give each character their own voice. 

Negating the above, though, my difficulty with the format was more than overcome by the story. The beginning novel deals with the story of Dream and how he is trying to rebuild his life after being held captive for decades. I found the references to old comic book heroes, mythology and religion, and magic really helped the story develop. In addition, the characters were interesting, and just enough was revealed about them to leave you wanting more. One of the most fun things, too, was the inclusion of all of the Dream/Sandman themed songs from through out the years. What does it say about me that I was familiar with most of them? 

All in all, I am putting this one in the win column, and plan to continue the series and see how the story develops.

BEAUFORT 1849: A NOVEL ABOUT THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH by KAREN LYNN ALLEN

I am one of those people who really like historical fiction. I love reading books that transport me to another place and time and allow me to see the world through the eyes of the people who lived before me. My love affair began when I read the Little House on the Prarie books as a child, and was solidified in high school when I read James A. Michener's Hawaii. I have to disclose, though, that the period of history that I have read the least about is probably the Antebellum South. That is the time period for this book whose main character, Jasper Wainwright, finds himself back in his hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina in 1849 after traveling the world. From the synopsis of the book, the main story line is supposed to revolve around the fact that Jasper is falling in love with his cousin Cara, but that he has no love for the South and it's policy of slavery. 

I may be the only one, but I had a really hard time getting through this book. It sat on my shelf for days while I only read a few pages at a time. Partially this was due to the fact that I kept comparing it to other books about the South and slavery that I have recently read, namely Kindred by Octavia E. Butler and Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill, both of which had fascinating characters and a rich story lines. In comparison, I found this book lacking. To me, the author could have done a lot more with both the subject matter, and the main characters of Henry Birch, Cara Randall, and Jasper Wainwright. 

For example, in the publisher's blurb about the book it says "As cries for secession grow louder, Jasper works desperately to convince Beaufort planters that gradual emancipation and transition to a wage-based economy could avert the coming storm of war." Yet I found Jasper's attempts in this arena to be too short and too easily abandoned. I also found his inability to figure out that Cara's alter ego was being the writer of the anonymous letters to the Charleston Courier was unbelievable. Even I figured it out early on. In addition, I would have liked Henry Birch more if he wasn't such a perfect slave owner. I found his character unrealistic. Lastly, Beaufort is purported to be " the most hotheaded, secessionist city in the South" yet when neither party is injured in a duel between Jasper and another of Cara's suitors, the two men just shake hands and walk away. Really?? Does't seem to fit the "hot headed" category to me. 

I was fascinated, though, by the references to Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre and the way the women of Beaufort reacted to them. I also would have liked to have seen more of Cara's maid Minnie and Spit Jim, who seemed to be much more interesting than any of the other characters. But perhaps the most interesting thing in the whole book to me was the author's note about how the people of Beaufort abandoned the city in a very Pompeii like fashion when the war with the North started, and how the North used the town as a headquarter during the war. This fact is even alluded to in the synopsis of the book, but is never brought into the story. 

I know some have compared this book to Gone With the Wind. I would say that it is Gone With the Wind with all of the good parts and characters removed. To me, this book just did not deliver.

MIDNIGHT CALLER by LESLIE TENTLER

This romantic suspense novel is the debut book from new author Leslie Tentler.  Late night talk show hose Rain Summers is the daughter of a murdered singer from New Orleans who is credited with being goth before goth was a trend.   Special Agent Trevor Rivette is a native of New Orleans who left in his team and has spent the ensuing years trying to forget his childhood.  Now he is back and dealing with a case that involves Rain, but may also be personal.  As the case progresses, he finds that trying to protect Rain and identify his unsub may be more than he can handle on many levels.

Although I have read many romantic suspense novels throughout the years, it is not the genre that I read the most.  In fact, I think most of the books that I have read in this genre were probably written by Nora Roberts.  This one had an interesting plot line that kept me involved.  In addition, the characters of Rain and Trevor were quite interesting, and their personal stories were enticing.  I really enjoyed the mystery story line and although I figured out who the killer was before it was revealed, there were enough possible suspects to keep me guessing through a lot of the book.   Unfortunately, the  romance story line was a bit predictable, and the very end of the book fell a little flat for me.

All in all a good read from a new author, which I enjoyed enough to look forward to her next effort.

THE SECOND DUCHESS by ELIZABETH LOUPAS

Let me just say, Historical Fiction is perhaps my favorite genre of all, especially historical fiction about Royalty. I have been in love with it ever since I read Jean Plaidy back in the 70s (when not many people were writing HF about Royalty at all). As a result, I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. I love finding new authors in this genre and have found several lately that are really good. Elizabeth Loupas certainly falls into that category. 

In The Second Duchess she tells the story of Barbara of Austria, the second wife of Alfonso d'Este, the 5th Duke of Ferrara. Barbara knows that she is not pretty, like his first wife, Lucrezia de Medici. She also knows that as a princess of Austria, she has no real choices in her marriage or her life, so she has decided to make the best of her marriage, whatever happens. Once she arrives in Ferrara, she quickly becomes embroiled in the mystery surrounding the death of the Duke's first wife, who rumors say was murdered by the Duke. 

There are several things that I liked about this book. For one, the book is told in the first person, alternating between the voice of Barbara and the voice of the dead Lucrezia. Although this can be problematic in some stories, Loupas does a great job with it. In this case, the use of the two voices only enhances the mystery and keeps you turning pages. I also liked the fact that the story presented in the book is not one of the main stream stories that have been done many times. Loupas' choice to pick one of the Italian Royal families that have had less exposure, and on top of that, a story that has not been overdone, is a really smart move in my opinion. Finally, Loupas does a wonderful job in creating characters that a reader can identify with, while still keeping them true to 16th century Italy. 

To my friends who love historical fiction, this books is a must read. I highly recommend it and am eagerly awaiting what Ms. Loupas comes up with next

THE KILLING FLOOR (JACK REACHER #1) by LEE CHILD

A number of my friends who read thrillers have been telling me about Lee Child for quite a while. I finally got a chance to start the Jack Reacher series and I can definitely see what all the fuss is about. This book was wonderful. It grabbed me right off of the bat, and the story kept me going the whole way through. I love it when a thriller gets me to keep changing my mind about what I think is REALLY going on. This one certainly did. Every time I thought I had figured out who were the good guys and who were the bad, something would happen and I would find out that I was wrong. 

Aside from the great twists and turns in this story, I also loved the story line and the details about the business end of things that were included in the book. It really made interesting reading. 

In addition, Jack Reacher is one of the most interesting new character that I have come across in a while. I love that he is at times a loner, but at others a very caring individual, and always an enigma. At least he was in this book. I am sure that we will get to know more and understand more about him as the series continues. Along with Jack, there are a number of other great characters in this book. 

A definite 4 star book, and I am really l

THE DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by DEBORAH HARKNESS

Alot of people think that the paranormal/urban fantasy/vampire genre is getting old, or has been over done. I have to agree that I have become very picky about the books that I read in these genres at this point. There are several series that I continue to read and enjoy, but as for new material, it is getting more difficult to find something fresh and different. This book, however, had everything that I love, history, magic, paranormal characters, a little romance.....The author gave us a wonderful story and great characters that really stood out. As I read it, I found myself feeling that it was a cross between several other books that I have read in this genre. I can't help feeling, though, that by combining all the elements of the other books,Deborah Harkness really got it right. While Matthew Clairmont is a vampire in love with a "warm blood",  he has none of the more annoying characteristics that Edward exhibits in Twilight (which, by the way, I loved, but this book is definitely less fairy tale and more adult). Diana Bishop is a witch with a famous lineage, but she is not quite like any witch I have read about in other stories. There is a secret manuscript and a mystery, but the story surrounding them in complex and complicated, too different things. And there will be time travel, but approached in a new and different way. 

As for the author,  Ms. Harkness is a history professor  at a major university, and a lover of science.  Both of these loves come across in this book.  Her historical references are spot on and show her extensive understanding of history.  In addition, Edward Clairmont is a geneticist, and with such a character, she is able to show her love of science., but without being so detailed as to lose the reader.  In fact, both science and magic blend well in this book.  

I also loved where it ended. For the first book of a trilogy, it did not tie up all the loose ends, but it did not leave you hanging at an inappropriate place either.

To sum it up, at 700 pages, this book was a real page turner, and read fairly quickly. I am really looking forward to the next book, but I hear it is a long way away :(

NEVER KNOWING by CHEVY STEVENS

What would you do if you woke up one morning and found out that your father was a serial killer? That is the question that Sara Gallagher has to wrestle with in the second book by author Chevy Stevens. Sara is the oldest of three girls in her family, and the only one that is adopted. As such, she has always felt that she never quite fit in and wondered what her birth parents were like. What takes place in this story is definitely a case of "be careful what you wish for" as once Sara discovers her birth parents there is no turning back. How could she ever have imagined that they would be who they were? Or that her father would be a celebrated serial killer? As Sara makes contact with her birth father and grapples with the many issues that raises, we are taken on a thrill ride. Ms. Stevens definitely has another hit on her hands with Never Knowing.

Like Still Missing, this book is told from the main character's viewpoint, as if she were talking to her psychiatrist. It is a unique way to tell the story, and one that Stevens certainly has the knack for. Also as in Still Missing, the main character in this story is scarred, which makes for an interesting protagonist. Unlike the first book, though, Sara is not abrasive, and the book never drags from beginning to end. Best of all, once again, Stevens finishes with an ending that I didn't see coming. 

This book is slated for release on July 5, and if you are a fan of thrillers in general, and Chevy Stevens in particular, I highly recommend this one.

IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS by ERIK LARSON

This is the newest book by the author who wrote The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. If you are a history aficionado like me, especially if you are intrigued by Germany during the time of the Third Reich, then this is the book for you. Through the eyes of the American ambassador to Berlin and his adult daughter, Mr. Larson shows in stunning fashion how the world was determined to ignore the warning signs, and thus the true intent of Hitler and the Nazi regime in Germany, until it was too late. This book certainly told a powerful tale. I am giving this one 5 stars, not because I loved the story, but because it made an impact on me and I will continue to think of it for quite a while.

REBELLION by RACHEL COTTERILL

Although fantasy is not my usual genre of choice, I enjoyed this book a lot. For one thing, unlike most fantasy books, this book contained no magic or magical and mythical beings.  Just a lot of humans who had to rely on solely on their wits and intelligence to survive.  Other than the lack of magic, though, it followed the classical fantasy set up.  For one thing, the story takes place in an alternate world where swords and knives are the weapons of choice, and horses, carts and ships are the methods of transportation.  In addition, the plot centers around a girl, who is the first female to be allowed into the secret assassins academy.  She must compete against a number of males, some of which have been raised with the whole purpose of becoming assassins.  How she uses her intelligence and her totally human skills to survive is a great story.

In addition, this book is the first of a trilogy.  I am looking forward to the next installment to see how the story progresses and the characters develop.

THE SNOWS OF KILAMANJARO AND OTHER STORIES by ERNEST HEMINGWAY

OK, It is official. Ernest Hemingway is just not for me. I read this book because I am doing a three month "Give an author a second chance" challenge, and I couldn't think of anyone who I needed to give a second chance more than Hemingway. I have only read two books by Hemingway in my whole like, The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises. Both of those were a long time ago. So I thought, how perfect for the challenge. At first, ans I started the book, I was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't as bad as I remembered, but every time I would really start to get into a story.....BAM, he would slap me upside the head with one of the traits of his writing that drive me crazy, thus reminding me why I don't read Hemingway. 

For example, in one story he spends a whole page having the two characters say 

"Watch the game with me." 
"No, I'm going to pray." 
"Watch the game with me." 
"No, I'm going to pray." 
"Watch the game with me." 
"No, I'm going to pray." 
"Watch the game with me." 
"No, I'm going to pray." 

Literally, a whole page. Or he describes something in the most undescriptive way possible. Or he doesn't describe it at all. In my opinion the man has no imagination at all. The only things that he writes about are old men who are womanizers, like to either hunt or fish, and want to commit suicide. In other words, himself. I will not be running out to get any more Hemingway anytime soon.

NETSUKE by RIKKI DUCORNET

I  have to say, I really couldn't decide at first what to give this book, but ending up deciding on 4 stars. This was a really interesting book, only 128 pages, and every one of them both appalled me and enthralled me at the same time. It is about a psychoanalyst who has a lot of erotic encounters, and frankly, needs a psychoanalyst himself. As I read through this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pretty sure that I was watching someone's life turn into a train wreck. And the ending really stunned me. 

I am giving it four stars mostly because as disgusted as I was by the main character, I couldn't stop reading the book. It was like a really bad reality show. You know, the kind that you know you shouldn't be giving legitimacy to by watching, but you just can't stop yourself. Since I am pretty easily turned off by graphic sex, the fact that I even finished this book surprised me, and I figure if a writer can get me to finish a book like this, he must be a good writer. 

All in all a very weird, weird, little book. Did I enjoy it.....I wouldn't say that, but I will say I couldn't put it down. 

BURN OUT by debut author TRACI HOHENSTEIN

Great New Mystery/Thriller 

Wow. This is a great new book by a debut author. At just 170 pages it is a quick read. At first I was afraid that would limit the story, but it definitely did not. I was surprised and pleased that this story included everything that I would expect from a much longer mystery/thriller. The author does a great job of letting pieces of the story out slowly, keeping the reader's interest. The story definitely includes enough action to keep you turning pages, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. In addition Traci Hohenstein's characters are well developed and interesting. I love that the main protagonist runs a missing person investigation service. That is a fresh approach for mystery thrillers, as is using firefighting as a backdrop. I don't know if this book will be part of a series, but just think of the possibilities presented by using missing persons as a theme. And if further stories were as good as this one, I would jump on them quickly. 

While I read many different genres, mysteries have been a favorite of mine since high school when I discovered Agatha Christie, and thrillers a fave since Mary Higgins Clark came on the scene. This book holds up with the best of them, IMO. It gets 4.5 stars from me, and I look forward to reading more from this debut author.

THE HUNTER'S MOON by O. R. MELLING

 was trolling the stacks at the library, looking for a book to satisfy a mythology/folklore part of a challenge when this book called my name. I love faeries, werewolves, vampires, wizards, and all things urban fantasy. In addition, I have always had a burning curiosity about all things Irish. This book seemed to be a good combination of the two.

First let me clarify. This book is YA fantasy, not urban fantasy. It is all about the world of faeries and how it interacts with the mortal world. The setting is modern day Ireland. The main protagonists include and Irish American teen, an Irish teen, and the King of Faerie. Included is a whole host of supporting characters including a leprechaun, the hereditary king of Inch Island, an old Irish soothsayer, and many more. It reads as part fantasy book, part fairy tale, and part Irish folklore. What it mostly does is work. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was written by an Irish author. It included a large amount of Irish Folklore, which was explained in the back of the book. As well as a lot of Irish Gaelic, which was also explained in the glossary in the back. The characters were lovable. The story line kept my interest and, although it wasn't anything earth shaking, neither was it totally predictable. The ending surprised me a bit and was a fitting ending to this story.

As a result, I am torn between giving it 3 and 3.75 stars. This author is a new author to me, and I am looking forward to reading other books by her.

FAITHLESS by KARIN SLAUGHTER

Number five in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter. This one has another thrilling story line. A girl buried alive in the woods, a religious cult, weird wacky characters, more secrets revealed by the main characters, a side story about battered women, and more problems for Lena.   And even more important, less of the Jeffrey/Sara soap opera. I really like this series for the wonderful story lines that the author includes. They have twists and turns, some endearing characters, some that you love to hate, the villains are sufficiently horrible.   I also like the way that the author uses the titles to reflect both the thriller story line, and the continuing story line of the main characters.  BUT PLEASE: Sara and Jeffrey need to grow up. I could really do with out that aspect of the stories. 3.5 stars.

JULIET by ANNE FORTIER

One of my book groups voted to read this book for a group read. I have to admit, the synopsis of the book intrigued me. A modern day re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, which is one of my favorite stories of all time. Couple that with a Dan Brown Da Vinci Code type mystery (I have read everything Dan Brown has written and loved them all) and I was sure it would be a good book. In fact, the book was different than I expected. Yes, there was a mystery, but not on the level of a Dan Brown book. What there was instead was a double re-telling of the story of Romeo and Juliet, one in modern day Siena, and one in 14th century Sienna. I found both stories fascinating, and actually had a hard time deciding which story line I liked the most. I might have liked the ancient story line a little better, but mostly only because I am a historical fiction buff and love reading about medieval times. 

The Characters that Anne Fortier included in her book were interesting. I felt that the medieval characters were a bit more intriguing, but again, that could be my love of history and medieval times talking. The current story was enjoyable, too, but a little more predictable. At one time, I felt that the modern story line lagged, but it was not for long. 

All in all a great read that I would highly recommend. I hope that Ms. Fortier continues to write stories of this ilk.

HIDDEN WIVES by CLAIRE AVERY

he idea for this book really drew me in. Two sisters who grew up in a polygamist sect in Utah are finally of marriageable age. They are about to be married to elders in their community. Sara, the youngest, is a rebel in the eyes of her community. She loves to read and learn, far above what is expected of a girl in this society. Rachel is the beautiful one, the one that everyone wants, the sweet one, and also the one that doesn't question the teachings she has been fed for her entire life. Until now. What happens to make Rachel begin to doubt her faith and for Rachel and Sara to eventually leave the only home they have ever known is what this story is based on. 

I must say, I began reading this book with a lot of anticipation. The fact that there are still societies in the world who subjugate women justs amazes me. The fact that some of them operate in the United States astounds me. I was very interested to see how the author approached this subject and represented the lives of the women involved. While I feel that she did an okay job and enjoyed the book overall, I was disappointed in the outcome. It seems to me that a story involving this particular subject could really pack an emotional punch. Instead what I found here seemed to just graze the surface and the rich subject matter that could have been highlighted ignored. This was most apparent in the last part of the book and the ending, where every loose end was tied up in a happily ever after ending that that I felt missed so many opportunities. 

The story that was told was a good one and the characters were engaging, so I feel that I can recommend this book. Just don't be looking for a hard hitting emotionally packed story that deals with the subject of life in a polygamist sect in America.

THE HUNGER GAMES by SUZANNE COLLINS

I have had this book for so long, but never gotten to reading it. I don't know why, other than the fact that I owned it. My friends laughingly refer to the books that I own as my "orphans" as I am always reading a myriad of library books while my own books gather dust on a shelf. If you are like me and tend to let your owned books languish, and this is one of the books, I urge you to read it! Now! This book was fantastic. A friend of mine likened this book to "a cross between The Running Man and Survivor with The Truman Show thrown in for good measure". I think that sums it up beautifully. In this book, authorSuzanne Collins takes you to a dystopian society where the each district is expected to "donate" two children each year in a battle to the death. Why? Just to prove their power over the masses. The storyline takes off from the first word and doesn't let go until the last sentence is finished. In addition, the book is filled with a cast of characters who are wonderfully endearing for the most part. By the end of the book I definitely felt empathy for all of the children forced to take part in the barbaric ritual of the Hunger Games. Even the ones that seemed less than lovable. And I was firmly convinced that the government officials were evil. 

The combination of characters and the situations that they find themselves in at the end of the book, along with the unanswered questions, leave you wanting more. Good thing this is the first book in a trilogy. I am highly anticipating reading the next book. Alas, the wait list at my library is huge,even though it has been out for over a year. Oh well. I know I will enjoy it when it gets here.

THESE THINGS HIDDEN by HEATHER GUDENKAUF

I loved the debut book from Heather Gudenkauf, The Weight of Silence so when I saw that she had another book coming out I was really excited. This book did not disappoint. It is another great read from an author that has quickly become one of my favorites. Ms. Gudenkauf writes a compelling story filled with top notch characters. The story line contains numerous issues that will leave the reader emotionally spent, including the pressure to succeed, mental illness, a terminal illness, infertility, and parental neglect to name a few. It sounds like a mish mash, and truthfully, a story that contains so many elements could go horribly astray, but this one does not. Ms. Gudenkauf ties all the issues together superbly with her excellent story telling and a cast of characters that come alive on the pages. Many times while reading the book, I found myself in tears, swamped with emotion for the characters. By the end of the book, I was not sure who I felt the most empathy for. Even those I did not empathize with are memorable. A story so filled with rich characters is a treat, one that has a great story line is even better.

A definite must read in my book and winner of the coveted 5 stars!

DARK TORT by DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON

My friend Donna recommended this series of cozy mysteries several years ago and I began devouring them.  I have been away from the series for a while, but picked up the 13th book the other day.  This is perhaps my favorite cozy mystery series as I love the characters and the recipes, and the story lines are always enjoyable. 


Another cute story from author Diane Mott Davidson in the Goldy Baer Catering Culinary series. In this story, Goldy's friend and neighbor is found murdered in the law office that she worked at....and Goldy is the one who found her. She literally "stumbles" over her. And then it is off to the races as Goldy once again tries to find the killer while keeping up with her catering appointments and trying to stay alive herself. I had put these books aside for a while, but am glad to get back to them. I especially liked the fact that this installment contained all of my favorite characters to some degree. Tom was back to being the teddy bear he is, Arch is in high school and is still shy, but no longer a moody jerk, and Julian Teller is back in all his glory. A great cozy mystery read ... Keep them coming, Diane!

CLUB DEAD by CHARLAINE HARRIS

Another good read in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Sometimes books in a series get stale. How many times can the main character get in trouble? How many times can the couple break up and get back together? That is not the case with these books. This is one of those series where the main characters are continually evolving, new characters are continuing to be introduced, and we learn a little more about the supernatural world with each book. As far as series go, that is what I tend to look for. and as such, this book did not disappoint. In this installment, Sookie finds herself going to Jackson, Mississippi to try and find a missing Bill. Of course she gets in trouble, of course Eric is involved. But above and beyond that, she makes new friends, and new enemies, and she continues to learn a lot about herself and what she is capable of.

**********************************SPOILER******************************************

Even though I had heard that she and Bill did not stay together, their break-up in this book, and the reason for it, surprised me. I found myself saying that old phrase, "OH NO Mr. Bill!". I must admit, I don't really see Bill as that sort of character, and am a bit disappointed in his behavior. All in all, though, I took it as both a character development tool and a plot development tool, so I accept it.




I hear things really get interesting in the next book, so I am anticipating what will happen to Sookie, Bill, Eric, and the rest of them.  

EXIT THE ACTRESS by PRIYA PARMAR

Although my usual is to read books that are mostly told from one perspective, I have read a couple of historical fiction books before that tell the story from the perspective of several characters. Most of them alternate the viewpoints by chapter. What is really different about this book is the use of the different mediums: the letters between the English King and his family, Those between the theater owners, the gossip column, the notes from Parliament meetings to represent the different perspectives. Although this method is unconventional, I particularly liked it because it made it easier to keep where each perspective was coming from clearer in my mind.

This book is first and foremost about Ellen Gwynn, who eventually became the mistress of Charles II of England. Underneath that story, though, Priya Parmar includes A LOT of information about many different characters. It required slower reading to get it all in. But, on the other hand, it was wonderful because we not only got to know Ellen, but got a lot of other info about English society during this period.

Some may say that there are items in this book, such as Ellen's literacy, that are not true to the times or the history of her life. The literacy issue, in particular, is addressed by the author in her notes at the end of the book. And in truth, I am not one to get embroiled in the veracity of most fictional accounts. Either way you feel, this is a great story with a strong female protagonist and as such is excellent reading.

In closing, I really enjoyed both the subject matter (Duh, history buff, here) and the unconventional writing style used by Priya in this book. I loved the characters in this story - they were all so real and vibrant. I can't wait to see what her next project will be! Well done, Priya! 

THE KING'S ROSE by ALISA M. LIBBY

A historical fiction book about Catherine Howard, the 5th wife of Henry VIII and the most enigmatic in my opinion. I am fast deciding that Catherine Howard is the most fascinating of Henry's wives. She was the only one of his wives to never have her portrait painted, which kind of symbolizes her whole marriage to Henry. It was like it wasn't even there. She was also his youngest wife, and as such, she has been portrayed as everything from a complete harlot to a naive teenager, with the truth most likely being somewhere in the middle. In this book, she is portrayed as a the naive young girl buffeted about by the intrigues of court and the machinations of the power hungry Howard family of which she is a member. As a result, it took me a while to get into the book because I had to get used to the one sided Catherine the author chose to portray. Once I did, though, the story was captivating. I found Libby's take on Henry VIII as an aging man determined to feel young again perhaps the best part of the book. 

Although the portrayal of Catherine in this book was one sided, neither she, nor the other characters were one dimensional. The portrayal of the court of Henry VIII and the various players was enjoyable. In addition, the story, while not exactly believable in all respects, was a good fictional story. The only drawback was that I had to convince myself not to get caught up in the characterization of Catherine and view her as simply a girl in WAY OVER her head. 

Just a word to the wise, also. This book is considered as a Young Adult novel, and it stands well as young ADULT. However, since it is a book that deals with the court of Henry VIII, there is a lot of instances of a sexual nature both within and without of wedlock. Although the descriptions are quite tame by today's standards, I would caution whether this a good book for 'tweens and very young teens. 

As an aside, I think it very interesting that the only two wives that Henry VIII had beheaded were both Howards.

DEAD RECKONING: THE NEW SCIENCE OF CATCHING KILLERS by MICHAEL BADEN M.D. with MARION ROACH

I belong to a book club where a member gets to pick a genre each month and we all read whatever books we want to from that genre. When I first saw the shelf for February was Science, I admit it, I groaned. Then I figured that I like thrillers, so a book on forensics might be pretty good. And I was right. Dr. Michael Baden is a forensic scientist, medical examiner, news consultant, and expert witness. He has been involved in many cases over his career, including many high profile cases. In addition, he has consulted on the forensics in such endeavors as the identification of the Romanov remains in Russia, TWA flight 800, the Thomas Jefferson paternity case, and many others. In his lectures and meetings he has come across some of the most well known people in the field of forensics including the man who teaches a class on blood spatter, the "forensic bug" guy, and Dr. Henry Lee. His chapter on Doctor Lee is especially fascinating. 

Marion Roach is a contemporary non-fiction writer. In addition to this book, she has written a book about Alzheimers, and has been published in many of todays leading magazines. She is also the sister of author Margaret Roach. She has a wonderful writing style that is easy to read and really makes Micheal Baden's stories come alive. In addition, she attended many meeting with him and classes with the experts that they profile, bringing her first hand knowledge into the writing. 

Between Marion Roach's writing style, and Michael Baden's experience in forensics, this book was a surprisingly easy read. Definitely a 4 star read and recommended for anyone who is interested in the science behind the thrillers that are so popular. 

MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS by JON RONSON

Although this book purports to be true and based in fact, one has to wonder how truthful the items in the book actually are. I found myself many times looking something up on the internet just to be sure the author wasn't pulling my leg. Especially the first half of the book, which was so over the top it was actually humorous. I found myself laughing many times. I had to keep reminding myself of the historical context, though. In that light, I can see some of these ideas actually taking shape in someone's brain. Additionally, most of what I looked up on the internet checked out in some fashion, although not in the detail that the author provides. In fact, I kept thinking of the book A Million Little Pieces, which was purported to be true, and ended up being mostly fiction. 

The second half of the book was very different, though. By that time, the author had gotten to the War on Terror. Things that he said and quoted became much more believable. In addition they became easier to verify. In fact, the uses and situations described in the last half of the book made even the beginning of the book seem more believable. By the end of the book, I was totally enthralled. 

If you are into conspiracy theories and secret and clandestine government programs, this is the book for you. To say the least, it was an entertaining read, highlighting all of the crazy people who are out there in the world taking themselves very seriously. I am now curious to see how the movie was done.

SOMEONE KNOWS MY NAME by LAWRENCE HILL

This book was a highly anticipated read. One, it is just the type of book that I really like, historical fiction. Secondly, about 5 or 6 of my book buddies have read it and they have all given it 5 stars. Plus part of the book takes place in Nova Scotia, which is a place that has fascinated me ever since Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island. It is the story of Meena, an African women who is kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of 11. From the minute that she leaves Africa, her whole mission in life is to get back to the village of her birth. Through her triumphs, struggles, joys and pains, Lawrence Hill tells the compelling story of all of the Africans who were victims of the slave trade of the 1700 - 1800s. It also tells of the resilience of these people to survive despite their lot in life and their struggle for freedom. It is a must read book for anyone interested in this struggle or the history of the Africans who have ended up in North America and Europe in general. Although I have read a number of books dealing with this subject, Meena, through Hill's writing, taught me many things. I had never heard of the Black Loyalists nor their emigration to Canada and ultimately back to Africa at Freetown in Sierra Leone. I also did not know that Freetown predated the Liberian colony founded by former US slaves.

My only disappointment with the book was that I just couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars. It was a wonderful story, and as I said above, a must read for people interested in this subject, but it did not WOW me the way some other books have. The interesting thing is that I can't even figure out why. I really feel like I must have missed something since everyone else I know gave it 5 stars. That frustrates me.