Tuesday's Review: The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford

In The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I,  Stephen Alford presents a book that satisfies both the history buff in me and the side of me that loves mystery and intrigue. Although political intrigue is not a new phenomenon, Tudor England, in particular, the Elizabethan era, had it in spades. The setting of the book is a time when religion was less about worshiping God, and more about power and the riches and control of the world that went with that power. This is no romanticized version of the paranoia and intrigue that surrounded the governments of the day. It is a excellent detailing of the methods and lengths that governments would go to protect themselves in a time when the stakes were the highest and turmoil was the norm. 

Alford begins the book with a look at what history might have been like if one of the supposed assassination plots against Elizabeth had succeeded. With this alternate look at history, he immediately throws the reading into the feelings of fear and conspiracy that were rampant at the time. And who could blame the Court for these feelings? In the few years after the death of Henry VIII, England had switched from Anglican  to more austere Prostestanism, back to Catholicism, and then back to Protestantism. Also in this time, a pretender to the throne, Lady Jane Grey, had been beheaded, and two monarchs, Edward and Mary, had died without an heir, and the Catholic Church had Mary Queen of Scots waiting in the wings. 

Enter into this miasma two of the most cunning men in Elizabeth's court, Sir Francis Walsingham and William Cecil, both trusted advisers to Elizabeth and men who would stop at nothing to protect their Queen. It is Walsingham in particular that is adept picking men that he cold "turn" to spying. Alford's research and discussion of the many men and varied methods used by Cecil and Walsingham to protect the Queen is well researched and presented in a manner that is easily followed by those interested in and familiar with Elizabeth and her court. He leaves nothing out, detailing the dealings of many of the eras most prolific spies and double agents and the various plots against the Queen. I was particularly fascinated by his discussion of the Throckmorten Plot and the attempts to place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. 

The one drawback to this book, as to all non-fiction history books is that the detailed information can be a bit overwhelming to the casual reader. On the other hand, if you are a fan of anything Elizabethan, this book will not disappoint. 

I am thankful to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book for an honest review. 

The Monday Challenge: Reading the Series

One of the challenges that I am doing this year entails reading from a series or multiple series.  This is a common challenge among reading groups that I have been involved in.  The particular iteration that I am doing has a few interesting rules, though.  First, in order for a series to qualify, you must read 3 or more books from that series.  This means that trilogies count, but you cannot use the last book of a series that you have been reading all along or new series that only have one or two books out so far.  The second twist is that you must read 24 series books in total throughout the year to meet the challenge.  That is the average of two books a month.  The biggest problem that I have is I can't decide which series I really want to read for this challenge. There are so many out there to choose from.
Has anyone else noticed that stand alone books are falling by the wayside from many of the most prolific and popular authors?  Series are nothing new.  In fact, the first books that I remember reading as a child were all from various series.  I spent many a day with Laura Ingalls, Anne of Green Gables, The Five Little Peppers, the Bobsey Twins, Nancy Drew and later Cherry Ames.  Series make a lot of sense from a marketing perspective.  If you create a good series concept and good characters, you have your readers hooked.  From the readers perspective, series are also nice.  I have read a number of books that I really wanted to be able to continue with the characters.  I also have read a number of fantastic series with story lines that just cannot be handled in one book.  

There is a trick to writing a good series.  An author has to be able to keep the story fresh, while still keeping it familiar to a certain extent.  The characters must be able to grow and develop and new ones must be introduced.  If these two rules are not followed, the series has the potential to become stagnant and readers will leave the fold.  One example of a series done well that comes to mind is the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.  This series started out as sort of a run of the mill PI series with the twist that the main protagonist was a practicing wizard.  As the series has developed, though, it has become less and less about the main character's cases and more and more about the non-human world.  Butcher is a master of developing his characters in a way that keeps the reader coming back for more.  In addition, his ability to develop the story and reveal a bit more of the big picture in each book is wonderful.  His is just one example of a well developed series, and one I highly recommend.
Anyway, I digress.  Back to the series challenge that I am working on.  I have several series in mind for this challenge.  Among them are:

• The Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais
• The Reverend Clarie Ferguson and Russ Van Alystyne Mysteries by Julia Spencer-Fleming
• The Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny
• The Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs
• The Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin
• The John Cole series by Nelson DeMille

I won't be reading The Dresden Files as I have already read all of the ones that have been published to date.

What is your favorite series?  If you were suggesting a series for someone to read, what would it be?  what about the series draws you to it?

Happy Birthday Laura Ingalls Wilder

Do you remember the first book you ever read?  How about the first author you ever fell in love with?  I'm not sure what the first book I ever read was, but it was probably something in the Bobsey Twins series.  The first author that I ever read all of their work, though, was Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I remember so well the first book I read.  I was not such a stickler for reading a series in order back then (I was only 6 or 7), but I remember finding Little House on the Prairie at our local library.  In the town that I grew up in, our library was in an old house where all of the walls had been turned into bookshelves and  the books were stashed away in various rooms.   I remember quite clearly my Dad taking me to the library on the day I first found Laura's books.  I was looking through the children's section and saw Little House on the Prairie   I pulled it from the shelf and immediately sat down on the floor to read it.  The next thing that I remember was my Dad's voice calling to me that it was time to go.  At any rate, after Little House on the Prairie  I looked for and found Little House in the Big Woods, and I was hooked!  The glimpse that Mrs. Wilder gave us into the life of a pioneer girl growing up, and later of a pioneer woman, was fascinating to me.  These books not only fostered a life long love of reading, but an equally ingrained love of historical fiction.  Although these books were probably not technically historical fiction, they seemed that way to me and ignited the love of reading about other times, places, and cultures that I still have today.  So I say...."Hats off to you, Mrs. Wilder.  May there be many more like you in the future!:"

Passing on: Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies wins again... and again

For those of you who are fans of historical fiction, Hilary Mantel has once again won the Mann Booker award.  This time the award is for her new book Bringing Up The Bodies.  Here is a great post about it from my friend as Reading the Past.

Reading the Past: Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies wins again... ...: Within the past few days, Hilary Mantel's Man Booker-winning Bring Up the Bodies , which continues the story of Henry VIII's right-hand ma...

  I  bought a copy when it first came out, but as yet haven't gotten a chance to read it.  I am certainly looking forward to it.

Tuesday's Review: Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman

I am always excited when I find a new author whose stories I love. This is the case with Jenny Milchman and Cover of Snow: A Novel,  my first 5 star book of 2013.  I blew through this book in only two days, which is saying something.  

Nora Hamilton wakes up one morning alone in bed, only to find that her husband has committed suicide.  Dazed, confused, and looking for closure, she begins to search for answers to why he would do this.  Unfortunately, asking too many questions in the small town of Wedeskyul is not a good idea.  As the story unravels, Nora realizes that she may not have know Brendan, or the residents of this small New York town, quite as well as she thought.  

The story that Milchman crafts in this book is deliciously sinister.  Within the first few pages, I began to feel that all was not as it seemed in Wedeskyul and this  feeling continued until the final climax of the story.   I loved the way the characters were all hiding something, that nothing was quite what it seemed on the surface.  They all had layers upon layers, and even when I thought I had figured out their motivations, my initial assessments were not always spot on.  I also loved that this story was set in a very small town, as this is the type of story that could only happen in that type of environment.  One where everyone knows everyone and, even more, knows everything about everyone else.  The residents of Wedeskyul seem more like a clan than a group of neighbors, and like a clan, when outsiders threaten them they close ranks.  Having spent time in small towns, I can definitely see this scenario happening.  

 Although there were plenty of revelations about the characters in this book, there were actually frew twists and turns in the story line itself.  This seemed to fit the book, though, allowing me to focus my attention on the characters, their interactions, and their secrets.   By the middle of the book, it was pretty apparent who the "bad guys" were.  What wasn't apparent was just why they were so intent on their efforts to cover up reality.  This aspect of the book is what kept me hooked and kept me reading, rooting for some characters and against others.    Although there was no huge revelation at the end of the book, there was, in fact, closure, which was satisfying in and of itself. 

In the set up for this book, the publisher likened the author to such great writers as Chris Bohjalian and Gillian Flynn.  For me, this book did not have the feel of a Gillian Flynn book at all.  If it did have the feel of a Bohjalian book, it would most likely be Secrets of Eden.  What I would compare this book to would be These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf, or The Witness by Nora Roberts.  A good story with interesting characters that keep you invested, but not a lot of surprises.  I highly recommend this book for fans of either of those books listed above,  and am looking forward to another book by Jenny Milchman myself.  

I recieved this book from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.  

Thursday's Review:The Second Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay

Have you ever read a book and thoroughly enjoyed it, but not been able to point at anything in particular that made you like it?  That is the way that I felt about the second book in the Tenzing Norbu series  by  Gay Hendricks .  I had read the first book, (The First Rule of Ten) last year shortly after it was published, and found it to be an enjoyable mystery ala Sue Grafton or Earl Stanley Gardner (for us older folks), or even, dare I say it, Agatha Christie with her Hercule Poirot mysteries.   In fact, I enjoyed the first book enough that I was excited to read the second book in the series,  aptly named The Second Rule Of Ten , published at the beginning of this month. 
As I said, it is hard to put my finger on exactly what I like about these stories, they are just enjoyable mysteries with great characters. Rather than any specific items, it is the whole package that I ended up liking. I enjoyed the characters, the story line was interesting, the writing flowed, and the details on Buddhism that are revealed (the lead character grew up in a Buddhist monastery in India) fascinated me. Like Hercule of Christie fame, the main character Tenzing (or Ten as his friends call him) is a bit odd.  Thanks to his unusual upbringing, he is not really in tune with the technologically driven 21st century.  His quest to fit in, while still maintaining the positive aspects of his Buddhist upbringing make him, not only a bit eccentric, but also endearing in a way.  He appears as reserved and out of place in Los Angeles as his ex-partner  Bill is at home there.  As I read the books I find myself really rooting for Ten to get the girl, or find the clue, or solve the mystery.     
After much thought, I decided that it is not only what this book is that was so enjoyable, but also what it is not.  Missing in this book is the steamy romance that is prevalent in many of today's stories.  Don't get me wrong, I like steamy romance, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed a book without any.  Heck, Ten is having a hard enough time trying to fit into America, LA, and the 21st century.  Why complicate things with a romantic attachment that is more than he could juggle.  
Also missing in this book is the darkness and grit that I enjoy so much in many of my favorite suspense/thrillers which are peppered with psychotic serial killers and the like.   In this story, though, those elements would be truly out of place.  The hook here is not what diabolical thing is around the corner,  but what new revelation will Ten figure out, and how will that help him on his quest to understand, not only the outside world, but himself (and solve the mystery, to boot).  
This book left me smiling, and better still, looking forward to the next book, which I presume will be titled, The Third Rule of Ten. I am definitely hooked and can tell that I am going to be looking forward to each book in this series. 

Passing On:Reading the Past: A second gallery of Downton Abbey readalikes

A great list of twelve books that may be appropriate for Downton Abbey fans.  I know I will be adding some of them to my reading lists.
Reading the Past: A second gallery of Downton Abbey readalikes: Since I posted my last visual preview with a focus on historical novels that have been compared to Downton Abbey , I've come across many mor...

Friday: The Week in Review

How did your reading week go? Mine has been up and down. I am currently in the middle of reading two or three books that I am really enjoying. Unfortunately, I have spent most of the week at my parents' house. The bathroom floor in their guest bathroom needed work since the toilet was falling through the floor. At any rate, being away from home has seriously cut into my reading time.
So that is the down. The up is the books that I am currently working on. I have three books going currently and I am really enjoying them all. So much so that I am having a hard time deciding which book to read when I do get a chance to read. The main book that I am reading is Stephen King's 11/22/63. I am a King newbie, but I am really enjoying this book. I read The Stand a couple of years ago and I am finding this one is just as good as it was. The next book I am working on is a mystery. It is the second in a series of mysteries in which the main protagonist is a PI who grew up in a Bhuddist monastery in India. It is called The Second Rule of Ten, and it is one of those books that is just a pleasure to read. The last book that I am working on is a suspense/thriller called Cover of Snow. It is the debut effort from author Jenny Milchman. Too many books, too little time.
Other than that, I have been trying to keep up with my Goodreads groups, modding duties, reviews, and challenges. Hope your reading week has gone great and that you have a wonderful weekend. Not sure what Saturday holds for me, but I plan to spend most of Sunday watching the football playoffs. See you on Monday. :)

Thursday's Review: Memoir of a Good Death by Anne Sorbie

If you decide to read Anne Sorbie 's Memoir of a Good Deathand it starts a bit slow for you, don't give up and don't despair. That is exactly what happened to me with this book. It is the story of Rheegan, a women in her thirties who, along with her mother, Sarah, is trying to deal with the death of her father. 

In the beginning, I had a hard time identifying with the main characters, especially that of Rheegan. My first impression of her was that she was going to be another one of those run-of-the mill self absorbed characters that you sometimes find in books on family dynamics. As the story progressed, though, and I got into the rhythm of the book, I became enthralled by the behaviors of both Rheegan, and Sarah. Soon I was greedily turning pages, wondering where the story was going to go, what strange behaviors the characters were going to exhibit next, and how those behaviors were going to impact both them and the people around them. By the middle of the book, I was wondering exactly how Rheegan was going to die (no spoiler, she tells us she is going to die in the first paragraph of the book). And then I got to the end, which smacked me right in the face. By the time I finished this book, I realized that this is no run-of-the-mill story of family dynamics and mother-daughter relationships. Rather it is a story of two women dealing with the aftermath of death, while trying desperately to reconcile their very different ways of handling the situation. 

Rheegan and Sarah are not the only interesting characters in this book. The author has filled the book with people who are anything but ordinary. In some cases we get to spend quite a bit of time with them, in other cases, we are only afforded brief glimpses. Even these brief glimpses, though, are fascinating. There were quite a few of them that were important, but not integral to the story, but I wished I could get to know a bit more about them. 

The plot of the book flowed well. One of the things I particularly liked was that it was not exactly straightforward, but tended to meander around a bit, like the river that both Rheegan and Sarah lived next to. The author's use of foreshadowing was good and her hooks certainly got me thinking and trying to guess at the end result. You see, even though we know up front that Rheegan will die, it is the uncertainty of the circumstances and timing of that death that kept me turning the pages. 

If there was one thing, though, that kept me from giving this book 5 stars, it was the fact that the author made some plot hints that never panned out. This can be a good thing as in the use of a "red herring" in a mystery story, but in this case, there were some definite comments made that seemed at first to be important in some way, but that ended up going nowhere. One, in particular, was mentioned several times, but the dots were never connected. I found this just a bit confusing, and at the same time disappointing. I kept waiting for the big revelation as to the significance of the statement, only to have it never explained. At least not to my satisfaction. 

All in all, though, I would class this book as a "hidden gem" as I don't think many people have found it yet. I am giving it 4 starts and would suggest it to those who like books on family dynamics by authors like Sue Miller, Anita Shreve, or Jodi Picoult

It's Wednesday: Anything Goes

I just joined a new book group that focuses solely on "Classic Historical Fiction". Some of my favorite time is when a book group is starting out. Everyone is getting to know each other and figuring out just how much they have in common. I love discussing books with the members, and having those, "Oh, you too!" minutes when you connect. This particular group started with some spirited and interesting discussions of how you determine what is a "classic" and what the exact definition of the genre Historical Fiction is.

Let's start with a definition of Historical Fiction. Most places I have looked have defined it as any fiction book where the story is set at least 50 years in the past. Books like C. W. Gortner's The Confessions of Catherine de Medici or Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth are naturals. But what about a book that is written in the late 60s or early 70s about WWII. Would that not seem like Historical Fiction to you? The time difference between the writing and the events is only 25 or 30 years. But it certainly seems like history to me, and therefore Historical Fiction. On the flip side, some people consider the work of Charles Dickens as historical fiction because the subjects that he wrote about are so far in the past, even though they were contemporary when he wrote them. How about you? Where do you fall in this continuum?

Then there is the issue of what is a "classic". I think the most common thing that comes to people's mind when you say the word classic is something that has endured the test of time. Books that were written many years ago, and are still being read and loved by readers today. Others say it is works that, by their subject matter or the manner in which they were written, define the era in which they were written. At best the definition is a nebulous one. I think for the group we decided that anything written before the beginning of the 1980s was going to be determined to fit the definition for our purposes. In the end, though, I believe that we decided to change the word from classic, to classical, in order to allow books that did not have a large following, but that we felt should have.

So - What are your favorite Classical Historical Fiction books and/or authors. Do you find certain time periods, places, or historical figures that you like to read about more than others? I have thought a lot about this question myself. My favorite Historical Fiction books are easy, Hawaii by James Michener, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (actually just about anything by her), Memoirs of a Geisha (forgot the author, lol), and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. There are many more, but they are the top.

Tuesday's Review: The Last Victim by Karen Robards

The Last Victim by Karen Robards is the first book in her new Dr. Charlotte Stone series. Although Robards is an established author in the romantic suspense genre, this is the first book of hers that I have read. As such, I am not sure that it was the best book for me to start with. For one, I like romantic suspense that is a bit more geared to the suspense than the romance. In the end, there were things about this book that I really liked, and some that bothered me.

Dr. Charlotte Stone is a survivor. In fact, 15 years ago she was the lone survivor of a terrible serial killer. Unfortunately, she was the only living person who could identify him. This fact has haunted her for years and helped her to decide to become a psychologist who specializes in studying serial killers. As an expert, she is asked to consult with the FBI as a consultant on the case of a serial killer who seems eerily similar to the one that she survived all those years ago.

This premise of this book was intriguing. I think the psychologist as a profiler is a tried and true device in a number of thrillers, and it always seems to work for me. I like the way it gives the author a way to look inside the mind and motives of the killer, and actually spell out what the killer is thinking without sounding like they are lecturing the reader. In this respect, Dr. Stone is a perfect example. Another device that works well is the romantic feelings and the tension that it causes between Dr. Stone and Bartoli, the head of the FBI team that she is working with. The plot line of the story was another part of this book that I enjoyed. Unfortunately, I sometimes felt that the thriller plot line was playing second fiddle to the romantic plot lines. Yes, I said lines. There were two of them.

This brings me to the parts of the book that I was not that fond of. The biggest thing here, which I mentioned above, is that I felt that the main romance story line overshadowed the thriller storyline at times. I'm sure this is fine with many readers, but I am not a huge romance reader. I do think romance has a place in many story lines, and I am not averse to it altoghether, but I try to avoid books that may be considered "bodice rippers" (not my phrase, that is what some of my friends who read them call them). I would have preferred it if the thriller story line was a bit more front and center. The biggest thing that bothered me, though was the fact that the main character, who has had an emotionally scarring encounter with a serial killer in her teens, and is supposed to be a clinical psychologist on top of it, falls in love with the ghost of a serial killer. Although I liked the character of the ghost, and liked the way that he participated in the solving of the crime, the fact that he was the major love interest was not at all believable to me. Additionally, the fact that the author seemed to want to make him into a sympathetic character I found just plain disturbing. In all, this aspect of the story did not work for me.

For a long time, I deliberated how many stars to give this book, but in the end, the things that I liked won out over the things that I didn't. That and the fact that I feel that I liked it enough to try the next one in the series.

Monday's a Challenge: the Challenge Challenged Club, Are You A Member?

If you are anything like me, you love book challenges.  I tell everyone, though, that I am "challenge challenged."  Just like buying books (I'm sure I own more than I will ever read) I cannot seem to pass up a book challenge.  It doesn't help that I am in a couple of reading groups run by two of the best reading challenge designers in the known universe, either.  They are two of the most clever, and at the same time diabolical  women I have ever met when it comes to thinking up new and creative ways to challenge yourself with your reading.  The end result, as you have probably guessed, is that I join every challenge that they, and others, come up with.  Once I have joined, I get all excited about picking which books I am going to read, or which books I am already reading that will fit into the challenges.  I make my plans, post my lists, and then sit back with a sigh and get ready to read.  Here is where the problems start.  When I join all of these challenges, I am convinced that reading all of the books is doable.  Then life hits me in the face.  Before you know it, I am behind and wondering how I got that way.  It doesn't help that I am also somewhat of a mood reader and a social reader.  Show me a buddy read, and I am on it.

So, for 2013 I have decided that I am going to pick just a few challenges (Ya, right) and then stick with those.  I AM going to stay focused. (Challenge wise).  As I said before, I know two of the best challenge designers around, so I am going to have to pick and choose.

The first set of challenges that I am doing for 2013 all have something to do with clearing books from your To Read lists.  Luckily, all of my major book clubs are doing some form of this challenge this year, so by doing this, I can hit several "birds" with one books, so to speak.  In addition, I am doing a couple of "genre" or "shelf" challenges, which entail reading from different stated genres (sometimes called shelves, like the Young Adult shelf in a library).   These are actually my favorite type of challenge as I am a pretty eclectic reader and this allows me to hit all the high spots.  Then there are a few "task based" challenges that I am participating in.  One is to read a short story a week for the entire year.  Another entails reading books by debut or "new to me" authors, and yet another is to read books from my favorite authors.  The last type of challenge that I am doing is based on books in a series.  Whether it is reading an entire series, reading the first book of 5 different series, or completing a series that I started in a prior year, these can be fun challenges. Oh, and I almost forgot, I am also doing the basic challenge - read a certain number of books or pages during the year.

How about you?  Are you like me and love book challenges?  What is your favorite type?  Are you doing any this year?  Which part of a challenge do you like best, the planning or the reading?

As the year goes on, I will talk a bit more in detail about the challenges that I am doing, who designed them, what the goal is,  and how they are progressing.  Feel free to share your challenges with me.  What are the best challenges you have ever come across?

Passing Along: Passages to the Past: Giveaway: The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn

Passages to the Past: Giveaway: The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn: I received an extra ARC of Judith Kinghorn's new release, The Last Summer , so I'm giving it away to one lucky reader! Pub Date:  Decemb...

Tuesday's Reveiw: Daughters of Fire by Tom Peek

When I read that this book picked up where James A. Michener's Hawaii left off,  I was all in.  Ever since I learned to read, I have loved reading about other eras and cultures, and from that perspective, the Michener classic was a double hit with me.  In fact, I count in among the best books I have ever read, and the beginning of my fascination with the Polynesian culture in general.  Since then I have read many books about Hawai'i and the Polynesian culture.


To say that this book picks up where Michener's  left off is a bit misleading.  Upon reading that, I expected a book centered on the history of Hawai'i from Statehood to the present.  What this book is, to my joy, is a top-notch contemporary fiction book about modern day Hawai'i and the cultural, economic, and political forces that are at play there.  It is truly a 'tale that illuminates the spirit of a native Hawaiian people struggling to keep faith the aloha.'

I'm not sure what Tom Peek's background is, or what compelled him to write a book about Hawai'i, but I am very glad that he did.  The story that he weaves of these 16 days on the Big Island of Hawai'i is a compelling one that will keep you turning the pages and stay with you after you finish.  It was easy to involve myself in the lives of the main protagonist; Hawaiian born anthropologist, Maile, who is trying to balance the "old ways" that she grew up with and modern life, and Mainland born astronomer who finds himself, not only in love with Maile, but caught up in a web of murder and politics.  I particularly enjoyed the way that the author used them, and the other characters in the book, to represent the various factions at play in today's Hawai'i.  Giving each faction a voice, and portraying them as themselves, neither good nor evil, but trying to fit in and pursue their vision of what Hawai'i is.

In addition to crafting great characters for this work, Peek's prose flows through the pages with all of the rhythm an feeling of the old Hawaiian legends.  In fact, these legends are the backdrop for the story that he tells.  I had read about several of the legends before in  other books, but thoroughly enjoyed the way that the author used them as a backdrop for his story, giving the story as a whole a truly Hawaiian feel.  In short, the combination of story and legend transported me, making me feel that I was actually on the island, dealing with the problems of clashing cultures.

In the end, I really struggled with the rating for this book, and would love to have given it 4.5 stars.  I ended with giving it 4 stars as it did not quite hit me the way that Michener's work did.  Nonetheless, it was highly enjoyable and gets a huge recommendation from me.  In fact, I think this one is a  treasure and definitely deserves more exposure and should garner many more readers.  

What I hope 2013 will bring, the reader's version

Welcome to 2013!  Do you have a New Year's Resolution?  Many of my friends say that they do not make New Year's resolutions because they do not keep them very well.  As for me, I always make them, even though I don't often make it through the whole year.  So, what are my reading resolutions for this year?  Last year I had a very ambitious reading goal as well as several challenge goals.  For this year, I think I will scale it back a bit.  Here are my goals for the following year:

Read at least 70 books  - This breaks down to six books a month, which should be readily doable.  Many months I read more than 70 books.  It mostly depends on the type of books that I am reading. Last year my family and I took a 5 week vacation for the summer, and it really cut into my reading time.  On the flip side, though, I managed to take 5000 pictures on our trip.  I already have 50 books listed on my "to be read in 2013" list, and I am sure that the list does not even represent what I have slated for the first few months.  I guess I should have titled the list "hope to read in 2013".

Be more discriminating in my reading challenges -   I love reading challenges, especially those where you have to plan ahead for what you are going to read.  I get so caught up in the creativity that people display in coming up with challenge requirements, that I want to do them all.  Last year I got so distracted by all of the challenges that I did not manage to finish even a single one.  This year I plan to pick a few that are must finishes, even if I do work on some others.  As the year goes on, I will let you know my progress and which challenges are must finishes for me.  I do know that I am working on two challenges designed to help clear out/read some of the books that I actually own, or that have been around the longest.  These books have really fallen through the cracks the last few years.  I figure I should be able to fit in one or two of these a month while I am reading and reviewing all of the wonderful new books I come across.

Review, Review, Review -  I have found that I really enjoy writing book reviews.  My husband says that I have missed my calling in this regard.  Of course he says this while shaking his head as I triumphantly hold up another book, or download another one and shout, "All right!  I just got this great new book to read."  Sometimes I think he thinks that I am nuts.  Most of the time I think he is just amazed at how much time and energy I can give to reading.

Catch up - Another goal for 2013 is to start a few series that I have been wanting to read, as well as catch up on some that I have been reading and fallen behind on.  The same goes for some of my favorite authors.  While it is always fun to find new series and new authors to fall in love with, I find that I am really missing some of my old favorites.   Although having said that, I already have 11 books on my "upcoming books to get" list of anticipated new releases, and I am finding more every day.

Read with friends - While I love reading for challenges, reviewing, etc.  I also have a few friends that I love to read and discuss with.  This year I plan to read at least one book a month with a friend and have a discussion about it.  After all, we all like to be able to share our joy and enthusiasm for books with others, don't we?

So - Happy 2013 Everyone.  I will see you back here often with news, reviews, and just random thoughts.

Highly Recommended: The East Salem Trilogy by Lis Wiehl

I have had Lis Wiehl's first book, Face of Betrayal on my radar since it was originally published. Unfortunately, I was never able to get it read, but recently was offered the opportunity to read the second book in the author's East Salem Trilogy, Darkness Rising as an ARC. Of course, that lead me to read Waking Hours first, and I am so glad that I did.  This trilogy is definitely on my Highly Recommended list of series for those of us who love a good thriller.    


In the first book of the trilogy, a girl is murdered in upscale West Chester County, New York after attending a party at one of the student's house. From there, the story becomes a mystery/thriller of the best kind. Along with the two main protagonists, who eventually band together to try to solve the murder, there is a whole host of interesting characters to capture the mind of the reader. Even better, as the story progresses, we find that many of them are not as they appear on the surface. I loved this aspect of the book and it definitely enhanced the mystery/thriller aspect of the book. 

My favorite part about this book, aside from the fact that it was a first rate thriller with lots of turns and twists, was the interplay between the two main protagonists. I don't mean the underlying romantic attachment that they seem to have, although that is a well done aspect in itself. Dani Harris is a forensic psychiatrist that looks at everything with a cool, clinical eye. Ex NFL Linebacker Tommy Gunderson, however, sees life in a less "rational" way, where the logical and real are mixed with things that science cannot quite explain. It is in the contrasting of these two styles of looking at the crime that I feel is the author's best contribution to this story. 

As for the plot of the book, here again, Lis Wiehl scores. The plot is deftly woven and well paced. In addition there are twists and turns, some of which I saw coming, some of which hit me out of the blue. There were even a few "red herrings" to lead the reader temporarily down a path leading away from the truth. Another plus is the way the author was able to end the book, solving the murder, but making it apparent that the story was not over and leaving the reading definitely wanting more. I could not wait for the next installment and was glad that it was sitting on my Nook, ready to read. 

Then it was on to the second book in the trilogy.   In this book we again find the main characters of Dani Harris and Tommy Gunderson.  In addition, we also get more of some of the other characters that I grew to love. In fact, several of the best ones play bigger roles in this book, such as Tommy's aunt, his spiritual adviser Carl, and a few of the other characters from the first book. As the book begins, we become aware that, although Tommy and Dani solved the murder in the first book, their job is not over. In fact, in solving the murder they uncovered a darker plot that needs their attention. This plot is the center piece of the second book. As the story unfolds, not only are Tommy and Dani faced with difficult decisions, but several of their friends and acquaintances are being drawn into the story more fully. 

Many times in a series where the first book is a five star read for me, the second book does not live up to that level.  In this case, though,  Lis Wiehl has another definite hit on her hands. I was excited to see that this book continued with the combination of the elements of a first rate mystery/thriller and the elements of the supernatural that where so successfully woven together in Waking Hours. In addition, I was fascinated with the historical elements that were included in this one as I love history in any form. To have an author combine local history so successfully with a riveting thriller story line was part of what made this book a big hit for me. Another of the enjoyable parts of the story was the ability to weave supernatural elements into the story without resorting to the "they live among us" story line that is so common these days. Not that I don't like that story line (I am a big fan), but it is refreshing and delightful to see an author approach the supernatural from a different direction. In fact, I would class this book as more of a mystery/thriller with a definitely "evil" twist than a supernatural mystery/thriller. However you class it, though, it works! 

As for the character development in this installment of the trilogy. Dani and Tommy continue to grow as characters, but, thankfully, in the end Dani is still Dani and Tommy is still Tommy. They are still looking at things from a very different perspective, which was one of the things I most enjoyed about them in the first book.  I was excited, though, to see that some of my other favorite characters from the first book (Carl and Tommy's aunt, to mention two of them) got to play bigger roles as the story continued. In addition, I was able to find some new favorites among the characters that were introduced in this book, like Quinn.  The inclusion of his character gave the author a chance to delve more fully into the workings of the human brain from the scientific viewpoint, which she did without talking over the reader. 


Once again  the ending of this book left me both satisfied with where I was in the story, and wanting more. I am excitedly waiting for the third book. Unfortunately, it has a publishing date of September 2013, as I would love to read it now. 

After reading the first two books in the East Salem trilogy, I can proudly say that I am a definite fan of Lis Wiehl and look forward to reading some of her other mystery/thrillers while waiting for the third book in this series. I give both books in this series 5 out of 5 stars  based on my feelings that the characters and story were first rate, and on the level of enjoyment I had in both the reading , and trying to guess what the end result would be. In fact, I have already recommended both books to several of the people in my reading circles and those that have read them loved them as much as I did.


 I highly recommend this book to anyone who is an fan of mystery/thrillers and feel that Lis Wiehl can hold her own with the top writers in this genre

Review: Pandora's Bottle by Joanne Sydney Lessner

I would class Pandora's Bottle by Joanne Sydney Lessner as a delightful read. Sy Hampton, a millionaire wine connoisseur, bids half a million dollars for a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafitte once owned by Thomas Jefferson. It is the last of the batch, and said to have properties that would render it still drinkable 200 years later. Seems pretty straight forward, right? But as Sy looks over his life, he finds that he cannot come up with anyone he knows that he wants to drink it with. When he picks a person to drink it with, the story really starts to take off. As the plot progresses, Joanne Sidney Lesser introduces us to several quirky, fun characters surrounding Sy and the drinking of his bottle of wine.

I found this book enticingly easy to get sucked into as the author has a wonderfully intimate writing style. I was amazed at what a wonderful story she could craft around something as simple as the opening and drinking of a bottle of wine. At each point, I felt that I was right there with the characters, feeling their joys and pains. Another plus with this book was the cast of characters, many of whom had wonderful prophetic names. In fact, I found the author's use of the whimsical character names said almost as much about the characters as their actions did. It was one of the things I liked about this book the most. Another was the way that the characters actions and decisions did not just happen in a vacuum, but had real consequences that both shaped them and the story. In addition, I felt that the author included enough wine details to draw in the wine aficionados without losing the casual reader. Finally, I thought the conclusion to the story had just the right mix of realism and happy ending. 

As I said above, I found this story a delightful read which kept me turning pages and allowed me to finish quickly. This was no earth shattering, life changing book, but it was a fun, entertaining escape and as such I gave it 4 stars. Would I read another book by this author? Yes, I would and hope she has more in the pipeline coming soon.

Review 2: Cupid's Christmas by Bette Lee Crosby

I originally decided to read Cupid's Christmas because I am aBette Lee Crosby fan. Although I have only read two books by author her, she has already become an author whose work I seek out. I had some reservations about this one as it is a romance book, which is not my normal type of book. Although I enjoy a good romantic mystery ala Nora Roberts, I am not much for the "bodice ripper" type of books. This book, however, is a more intellectual romance with the addition of a few heavenly characters and a real down to earth story. As such, it is another winner from this new voice in fiction. 
I enjoyed this book as much as I did Spare Change, which was the first book that I read by this author. Although Spare Changeis not a romance, the two books have a lot in common. LikeSpare Change this one is filled with wonderful characters that are so real that it is easy to become invested in their struggles. I found myself definitely rooting for them and for their fledgling relationships. Also similar is the way Bette tells her story from the viewpoints of several of the characters, a writing device that I find that I really like. I am one of those people who loves to look at things from all sides, and am often found playing devil's advocate with my friends, so it is not surprising that stories told from several viewpoints attract me. By far, though, my favorite viewpoint in this book is that of Cupid. I love the voice that Bette gives to this mythical creature. In fact, I loved Cupid so much that I am hoping that Bette intends to make this a series. I would really love to read more about how Cupid interacts with the humans he is trying to match up and battles the powers that is in the guise of the Life Management Department and The Boss. I almost wish that I hadn't read this one yet so that I could still look forward to reading it for the first time again. I have several other books by Bette on my list of to reads and I can't wait to get them read.

Review: The River by Michael Neale

I have been mulling over how to review The River by Michael Neale. Let me first say, I am not a huge reader of inspirational or life transforming books. I am more likely to read a book that highlights the underbelly of society. I glazed over the synopsis for this book and it sounded interesting, like maybe it could go either way. It definitely turned out to be one of those stories that aspires to be inspirational and life transforming. In fact, if I had taken the time to research the Michael Neale, I would have been more attuned to the type of books that he has written and not surprised by the flow of this book.  I did look him up after reading the book and found that all of his other books are self-help books, so this, even though it is fiction, fits his profile. 
That said,  I liked the story. I thought that the author did a reasonably good job of fleshing out both the story line and the characters in the story. My favorite part of the book was the part where Gabriel was living in Kansas with his mother, and my favorite character was probably Mister Earl. One of the things that I particularly liked is the way that the characters all connected in some way, although by the end of the book I was almost expecting them to have some connection. In that, I wasn't disappointed as the relationships developed exactly the way I thought they would. Another thing I liked about this book was the descriptive writing that the book contained. All in all, though, this book was just a little too much of a mystical, life affirming trip for me. In addition, the use of The River as a metaphor was just a little too transparent. But, as I said, this is not my usual type of read. I have to say, though, after all that, did enjoy the story. And if that is your type of book, this one is well written and would not disappoint.

REVIEW: Auraria by Tim Westover. A Modern Day Folktale......Sort Of??

For the longest time, I honestly didn't know how I felt about Auraria: A Novel. To say the least, it was not what I expected...but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. Tim Westover tells an interesting story that is part fantasy, part history, part folklore, and part fairy tale. I am happy to say that he blends all of those genres successfully. The story takes place in Auraria, Georgia and is steeped in local folklore, which was both a blessing and a curse for me. I think that I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I was more familiar with the folklore that was the basis for the story. On the other hand, I love folklore and this book inspired me to do a little more research on the folklore and history of this area of Georgia. I also love quirky and weird characters, and this book was loaded with people who would fit that bill. As I read, I was continually reminded of the writing of Washington Irving. Both The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle come instantly to mind. As all good examples of fairy tales, folklore and local legend do, this story also had a lesson to teach. Often the lesson is not immediately apparent, as is the case here. I thought the author did a great job of wrapping his message in an interesting story, filled with characters that a reader would enjoy reading about, and finished off with an ending that was as satisfying as it was appropriate.