Fire & Ice

Book Review: The Last Rake in London by Nicola Cornick

2012-03-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

Under a blaze of chandeliers, in London's most fashionable club, Jack Kestrel is waiting. He hasn't come to enjoy the rich at play, he's there to uphold his family name. But first he has to get past the ice-cool owner: the beautiful Sally Bowes. And Jack wants her to warm his bed--at any price Edwardian society flocks to Sally's club, but dangerous Jack Kestrel is the most sinfully sensual rogue she's ever met. Inexperienced with men, the wicked glint in Jack's eyes promises he'll take care of satisfying her every need.... I spent most of this book hoping the heroine would buck up and kick her boorish hero squarely in the family jewels. The writing wasn't horrible , except for repeated misuse of the word "quiescent." Although, given what a doormat the supposedly independent and self-minded heroine is, perhaps quiescent IS the word for her....this one rates a meh. But at least it was a fast read.

True Mom Confessions:Real Moms get real by Romi Lassally

2012-01-22T00:31:00.000-06:00

Mothers' hilarious, outrageous, heartfelt admissions

"Sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom."

"I put an educational DVD on so I could have sex. It wasn't with my husband."

Romi Lassally provides a judgment-free zone where women can reveal their mommy misdemeanors. From not feeling like cleaning up vomit in the middle of the night, to barking something completely inappropriate to the children, to wanting to be pawed by hands that aren't covered in jelly, the confessions pour in daily.

Heartfelt and hilarious, naughty and nasty, frank and outrageous, the confessions culled together for this book represent the best-or the worst?-of those humbling hidden secrets of motherhood in all its glorious messiness as improvisation and triage. They dare to suggest that it's okay for moms to make mistakes, to have unkind thoughts, to publicly or privately embarrass themselves-and above all to be human.

This was a fast read for me and being only a step mom I was not fully sure I would relate,but it seemed like fun. So I went for it. Well I am glad I did because it was a great book, it made me laugh and it made me cry and really no matter what kind of Mom you are you can relate.

If you are a Step Mom, Mom Mom, Fur Mom or any kind of Mom at all I reccomend reading this one. It will help you and make you see indeed your not alone in the little things and bigger things either. True Mom Confessions is just that!

Happy New Year

2011-12-30T02:21:00.000-06:00

I finished my goal of 50 books this year not to shabby since I started so behind the ball. I did not get all the reviews written mostly because the books I finished the year out with for the challenge were ones I have already read and I just could only type so many Reviews. Bad of me I know.

But the new year commeth and I shall set my goal for a reasonable 50 again and start the reviews once more.

Happy new year fellow book Lovers.

Book Review: A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

2011-12-18T02:00:00.002-06:00

At her friend Ivy's behest, Lady Emily Ashton reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of a man she finds odious. But the despised Lord Fortescue is not to be her greatest problem. Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess once linked romantically with Emily's fiancÉ, the debonair Colin Hargreaves, is a guest also. And a tedious evening turns deadly when their host is found murdered, and his protÉgÉ, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime.

Determined to right a terrible wrong, Emily embarks on a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets—and into a game of wits with a notorious anarchist. But putting Colin in deadly peril may be the price for exonerating Robert—forcing the intrepid Emily to bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange, for the life of her fiancÉ.

This is the third book in the series about Lady Emily Ashton, and while I have thoroughly enjoyed each one, I believe that this one is my favorite so far. I have enjoyed watching Emily's character grow and mature in each book. This time, she sets out to prove the innocence of Robert Brandon, her friend Ivy's husband, after he has been arrested for murder. The novel moves at a fast pace, and many of Emily's friends from the previous books appear as new ones are also introduced. At the end of the previous book, Lady Emily became engaged to Colin Hargreaves, and he plays a major role in this story as he did in the others. This time, Lady Emily experiences a few qualms over a past romantic relationship of Colin's. Political intrigues put Colin's life in danger, and Emily does her best to ensure his safety. Colin is as wonderful in this book as he was in the other two. I find him to be an unusually delightful hero. He is so supportive of Emily and willing to let her test her abilities and intelligence. I eagerly await reading the next book in the series :)

Book Review: Letters for Emily by Camron Wright

2011-10-18T00:23:00.002-05:00

You are so young. You may wonder what an old man like me could teach? I wonder as well. I certainly don't claim to know all the answers. I'm barely figuring out the questions....Life has a strange way of repeating itself and I want my experience to help you. I want to make a difference. My hope is that you'll consider my words and remember my heart.

Harry Whitney is dying. And in the process, he's losing his mind. Afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, he knows his "good" time is dwindling. Wishing to be remembered as more than an ailing old man, Harry realizes the greatest gift he can pass on is the wisdom of his years, the jumbled mix of experiences and emotions that add up to a life. And so he compiles a book of his poems for his favorite granddaughter, Emily, in the hope that his words might somehow heal the tenuous relationships in a family that is falling apart.

But Harry's poems contain much more than meets the eye....As Emily and her family discover, intricate messages are hidden in them, clues and riddles that lead to an extraordinary cache of letters, and even a promise of hidden gold. Are they the ramblings of a man losing touch with reality? Or has Harry given them a gift more valuable than any of them could have guessed? As Harry's secrets are uncovered one by one, his family learns about romance, compassion, and hope -- and together they set out to search for something priceless, a shining prize to treasure forever. They may grow closer in spirit or be torn apart by greed...but their lives will be undeniably altered by Harry's words in his letters for Emily.

The letters are written by a Grandfather with Alzheimers (ostensibly) to his granddaughter. Grandpa Harry wants to leave letters and poems behind so that people can know him for the man he was in life, and not the man he was as his mind and conduct were claimed by disease.

There are additional story lines relating to his relationships with his wife, his children, and between his children and their families, but I was most struck by two things: his desperation to be remembered with fondness, and not as the crazy crank he anticipated becoming; and the fact that his disease process was exacerbated by a lifelong battle with depression.

I was touched by the story, even when I felt that the ending was perhaps a little idealized for a society that exalts the easy divorce.

Book Review: The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

2011-10-17T00:22:00.003-05:00

Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now Lestat is a rockstar in the demonic, shimmering 1980s. He rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his terrifying exsitence. His story, the second volume in Anne Rice's best-selling Vampire Chronicles, is mesmerizing, passionate, and thrilling.

I'm going to just put this out there: Lestat is among the most fascinating minds I've ever been inside in literature. He just is. I understand that this is an erotic horror novel but that doesn't diminish the truth of that statement. This book holds up to the test of time. I re-read it , and found out that I had not had a silly teenage fancy about it.

Lestat is just one of those... well the main review says Faustian, and I'm going to have to agree. His journey through sensuality, spirtuality, violence and meaning is one of the most fascinating I've ever read. It comes to a culmination in "Memnoch the Devil," I feel, but this is where it begins. Lestat is a thoroughgoing bastard with lines like "I can't help that I'm a gorgeous fiend. It's just a card a drew," and "I don't like myself, you know. I love myself, and I'm committed to myself to my dying day, but I don't like myself." You can't help but want to know more about him. Mythical, poetic, grand, larger than life. He just sucks you up into his story. I defy anyone to read this and not end up caring for this mind deeply. It's just so beautiful. I think his journey through the chronicles is very much Odysseus-like. Except that he does not know where his home is, and he rejects the very idea of it. But that's what he's searching for all the same.

Perhaps I got attached to these at a young age, so I have a different perspective. But I think you can appreciate his passion, and the beauty with which it is expressed until a far older age than that.

Book Review: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

2011-10-16T00:19:00.001-05:00

The time is now.

We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks, as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead. . .

He speaks quietly, plainly, even gently . . . carrying us back to the night when he departed human existence as heir--young, romantic, cultivated--to a great Louisiana plantation, and was inducted by the radiant and sinister Lestat into the other, the "endless," life . . . learning first to sustain himself on the blood of cocks and rats caught in the raffish streets of New Orleans, then on the blood of human beings . . . to the years when, moving away from his final human ties under the tutelage of the hated yet necessary Lestat, he gradually embraces the habits, hungers, feelings of vampirism: the detachment, the hardened will, the "superior" sensual pleasures.

He carries us back to the crucial moment in a dark New Orleans street when he finds the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her, struggling against the last residue of human feeling within him . . .

We see how Claudia in turn is made a vampire--all her passion and intelligence trapped forever in the body of a small child--and how they arrive at their passionate and dangerous alliance, their French Quarter life of opulence: delicate Grecian statues, Chinese vases, crystal chandeliers, a butler, a maid, a stone nymph in the hidden garden court . . . night curving into night with their vampire senses heightened to the beauty of the world, thirsting for the beauty of death--a constant stream of vulnerable strangers awaiting them below . . .

We see them joined against the envious, dangerous Lestat, embarking on a perilous search across Europe for others like themselves, desperate to discover the world they belong to, the ways of survival, to know what they are and why, where they came from, what their future can be . . .

We follow them across Austria and Transylvania, encountering their kind in forms beyond their wildest imagining . . . to Paris, where footsteps behind them, in exact rhythm with their own, steer them to the doors of the Théâtre des Vampires--the beautiful, lewd, and febrile mime theatre whose posters of penny-dreadful vampires at once mask and reveal the horror within . . . to their meeting with the eerily magnetic Armand, who brings them, at last, into intimacy with a whole brilliant and decadent society of vampires, an intimacy that becomes sudden terror when they are compelled to confront what they have feared and fled . . .

Interview with the Vampire" is a truly remarkable book and this is by far not the first time I have read it, but the first time I review it. Without claiming to be a fantasy know-it-all, I'd like to say that the characters in this book are probably some of the most well-developed fantasy creatures out there. Each one has their own doubts, fears, hopes, and a whole system of values. They might not always act as expected from them, but then again, do they have to be perfect, all-knowing, wise and so very distant from humans every single time? What Anne Rice has created is not only a work of fiction, but also a study of psychology.

I have never read a book which goes so deeply into vampire nature, telling us a whole new story of insecurity, where dark thoughts battle with the constant fascination by the world; where the need to be together with somebody of your own kind overcomes all obstacles, even your own hatred; where the struggle for knowledge fights for its existence with the fear that there might be nothing to know; where cold comfort meets change. And all this is so stylish, so dark and dangerous, that nobody dares to think these vampires are funny or stupid.

Isn't it paradoxical that the book's approach to fantastic creatures is so logical, yet so rarely used in modern-day fantasy literature? After all, some of them have been humans before their transformation, right? Why does no one pay attention to their struggle after becoming vampires for example? Where does the presumption that they suddenly become encyclopedias come from?! I'm not saying the human psychological approach towards them doesn't exist, such a thing I cannot claim, but it still is an uncommon concept. Perhaps it's harder to think before writing, to analyze the options and get to know your own characters, to predict their every move. All too often, modern-day authors just find in fantasy an easy way to escape all logic and write whatever comes out from under their fingers. That is why, I fear, literature teachers will always retain their negative attitude towards fantasy. Which is a shame.

Yikes

2011-10-09T19:17:00.002-05:00

Yikes I have gotten behind on my reviews again. I have been reading just not doing my reviews. Bad book girl. I will make an effort to catch up on those soon! Life has just been busy busy busy.

Book Review: Lover Awakened by JR Ward

2011-08-29T02:52:00.001-05:00

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her

I can admit based on the first two books Z was my least favorite of the brotherhood, although occasionally I found myself wondering if he was not just acting so nasty because everyone expected him to especially in book 2 but I just could not connect with him. I think that is however what was intended we were not supposed to like him, until his book.

Lover Awakened is a great book, it is well written and it truly gives you understanding on why Z is the way he is, we get his full story the abuses he took were well beyond the realm of only being a blood slave. I cried for him, and I cried for other things as well but I will not put them in my review because they are spoilers. Z pushes so hard for Bella to prefer the “un-broken” brother his brother Phury, but she refuses. There is angst as always, but in the end the right thing happens at the right time. Z truly comes to be whole to take his place among the Brotherhood and be more than a killer, he truly becomes a warrior.

By the end of this book I had fully changed my my mind on Z, while he won't replace my favorite just yet of Rhage he is now loved by me. Well done it is not often I go from absolutely not liking a character to making me love them.

I still do not like the lessers I get why they are there but they bore me. John Matthew is going to be great once we get into his full story and bless Butch for his pinning, though I wonder what V did to him, I bet you do now too.

Book Review: Trading up by Candace Bushnell

2011-08-23T01:50:00.000-05:00

Janey Wilcox is an M.A.W. (that's Model/Actress/Whatever to the uninitiated). The problem with Janey, the protagonist of Candace Bushnell's first novel, Trading Up, is not the M or the A part. It's the W. Here is a rare alphabetical anomaly: In Janey's case, W stands for "prostitute." Oh, Janey never crosses the line into actual hookerdom, but she does sleep with extremely wealthy men in the hopes they'll improve her status, her financial situation, or her lifestyle. When we first met Janey in Bushnell's novella collection 4 Blondes, she was up to her usual tricks (so to speak)--scamming a guy for a Hamptons vacation rental. At the opening of Trading Up, her fortunes have improved. She's now the star of a Victoria's Secret ad campaign, and as such she's found access to undreamed-of echelons of New York society. She makes friends with Mimi Kilroy, a senator's daughter "at the very top of the social heap in New York." She gets invited to all the best parties. And she finally finds a wealthy man who will actually marry her: Seldon Rose, a powerful entertainment industry executive. Of course, Janey's social ambitions are not stoppered by her marriage to Seldon, and the clash between her expectations (more parties!) and his (normal life) send Janey into a tailspin that leads to heartbreak. Bushnell is clearly trying to channel Edith Wharton (The Custom of the Country is even invoked by Janey as a screenplay idea), but ends up sounding a lot more like a cross between Tama Janowitz and Judith Krantz. This is a novel about shopping and sex, and while it's fizzy enough, it's not Cristal. --Claire Dederer

This is a pretty mediocre book. Its worst flaw is that every one of the characters is so downright despicable that you end up not caring a jot what happens to any of them. You find yourself hoping that Janey will get her come-uppance, but unfortunately when she does, it's short-lived. The writing is barely okay, certainly nothing outstanding, and the plot development is sluggish.

On the positive side, Candace Bushnell obviously knows the Manhattan social scene well and at times you feel that the descriptions are depressingly accurate. I say depressing because it comes across as being such a shallow and superficial world that I am happy to be well removed from it. It's kind of fun to guess at the inspiration behind some of the characters - Gwyneth Paltrow, Rupert Everett, Anna Wintour, Aerin Lauder...

I continued with this book hoping it would get better. It didn't. It's not the worst book that I've read, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

Book Review: Lover Eternal by JR Ward

2011-08-07T02:29:00.001-05:00

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves.

The second book in the series of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and I have to say the series is getting better. While I really get bored with the chapters are partial chapters on the lessers and the omega I think it may be just because I get so into the stories that the Brothers are having and do not want to be interrupted with that stuff.

Rhage was my favorite from the first book, I was eager and curious to know more about him and how he got his curse. The book did not disappoint in teaching us what happened, and how he handled his monster. That on first look Rhage is not what he appears to be. The love story of Rhage and Mary is sweet, touching and truly a joy to read. Two people with a lot of baggage learning that they do not have to carry it alone.

Book Review: The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe by Sandi Gelles-Cole

2011-08-01T12:14:00.004-05:00

Sandi Gelles-Cole imagines the life the screen legend and enduring cultural icon might have led -- from the opening scene (below) to her 85th birthday on June 1, 2011. DRAMA QUEEN June 1, 2011 They say only the good die young and I guess it s true because I m still here. Today is my eighty fifth birthday. During these years I have lived three lives: Before Marilyn, Being Marilyn and After. I created Marilyn Monroe and then men molded her: studios, agents, and husbands. Ever since the night I did not die, I have tried to leave her behind, but wherever I went, the creature followed. I tried to run. I tried changing my name, my country of residence, my hair color, body type, career and sexual preference. I went to college for coursework in Humanities and studied Russian Literature. But there was no escaping her. The character I created became my own personal monster and devoured me in the 50s, and even after she died I could no more be someone else than I could grow a penis, change my skin color, or stop being a movie star. My so-called death scene is always described the same: My housekeeper, Eunice Murray, finds my wasted, naked body tangled in a sheet, wet from secretions better left unexplained. I am face down with one hand hanging over the telephone. This detail is discussed often; am I answering a call or making one and if I am calling, then whom? But it did not happen that way. I cheated death. . .

I am a huge Marilyn Monroe fan, I always have bee and found what happened to her to be tragic, as so many early deaths can be. This book is an interesting and diffrent look into the what might have happened.

It is of course fictionilized as alternative history but if you have always wondered well what if, maybe they didn't this is a great read it takes a look at the what if's behind one of hollywoods most famous deaths. I reccomend it, a quik and fun read.

Book Review: The wars of the roses by Alison Weir

2011-07-21T04:11:00.000-05:00

Lancaster and York. For much of the 15th century, these two families were locked in battle for control of the British throne. The war between the Houses of Lancaster and York profoundly altered the course of the monarchy. In this book, one of the foremost authorities on the British royal family brilliantly brings to life the war itself and the historic figures who fought it on the great stage of England.

The Wars of the Roses are one of the most confusing periods of English history. From the origins in the rivalries between Edward III's children to the final resolution with the founding of the Tudor dynasty by Henry VII, there are eight kings, including some of the best and worst England has had; and literally scores of major figures and families: the Nevilles, the Percys, the Woodvilles, the Beauforts, the Cliffords, the Bourchiers -- the list is endless.
Making this all comprehensible the first time through is simply impossible. Weir almost manages it, though; her style is very readable and friendly, and exciting without being sensational. Weir begins with a short section describing what England was like in the fifteenth century; then she starts the story proper with Edward III, whose five sons and their families are the central players in the history.

She ends her story in 1471, with the defeat of the Lancastrians and the subsequent murder of Henry VI. She only gives a page or two to the remainder of Edward IV's reign, and to the story of Richard III and the princes in the tower, and Henry VII's ultimate accession in 1485. This is almost certainly because she has covered this ground in another book, "The Princes In The Tower". The omission is understandable but still rather a mistake -- the conflict doesn't end till the Tudors are on the throne (and not even then, really -- there were pretenders for years).

The only other criticism I have is that the genealogy tables at the back are too small to read easily. I tried using a magnifying glass but the reproduction is poor enough that some letters are blurred into unreadability. Even when it's readable, it's more work than it should be; this is a real problem for a book about the Wars of the Roses, where understanding the genealogy is crucial to keeping your bearings.

Overall I can recommend this strongly, just because it'll give you the overall narrative clearly and excitingly, but you'll need another source to cover the period from 1471 to 1485.

Book Review: When we were Gods by Colin Falconer

2011-07-13T00:26:00.001-05:00

"The most complete woman ever to have existed, the most womanly woman and the most queenly queen, a person to be wondered at . . . whom dreamers find always at the end of their dreams."
-- Theophile Gautier, 1845

Arrestingly beautiful and fiercely intelligent, Cleopatra VII of Egypt was barely more than a teenager when she inherited the richest empire in the world--one that stretched from the scorching deserts of lower Egypt to the shining Mediterranean metropolis of Alexandria, with its famed libraries, storehouses, and treasuries. Imperiled at every turn by court conspiracies and Roman treachery, the young queen was forced to flee Alexandria and live in exile while a foreign army overran her city and her own siblings plotted her downfall. With nothing to lose, Cleopatra brazenly sought a partnership with the only man who could secure Egypt's safety: Julius Caesar, a wily politician and battle-hardened general with a weakness for women. The result was a passionate love affair that scandalized Rome and thrust Cleopatra into the glittering but deadly world of imperial intrigue and warfare-- a world that she would mesmerize and manipulate even after Caesar was gone.

At the height of her power and fame, Cleopatra fell in love with Caesar's protégé and successor, Marc Antony, a handsome general known as much for his drunken hedonism as for his victories in battle. Brash, irresistible, and fatally unreliable, Antony's once-strong hold on the Roman Empire was slipping fast, and with it slipped Cleopatra's fortunes. When the tide had finally, irrevocably turned against her, the proud queen plotted a last, spectacular maneuver that was to save her children, her empire, and her place in the pantheon of gods.

Colin Falconer's bold, sensuous prose takes the reader inside the walls of Alexandria's great palaces and into Cleopatra's very heart, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman who thrived and triumphed in a world ruled by men. This is the story of a legendary woman's most glorious time, a story that blazes through thousands of years of history to capture the imagination of readers today.

If you know me you know how much I love Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra. This book is by far one of the best books of this time in history I have read. Some of the way Caesar was portrayed seemed a bit to crass to me, but overall the characters were spot on. You can certainly tell Colin Falconer did his research on the topic, I felt like I could have been walking along side these characters in the ancient world. No book is going to be perfect because when it comes down to it we really do not know exactly what happened or how they were done, but this book is very close I think.

There is license taken of course this is a work of historical fiction, but if you want to read a book that will make you feel like you have stepped back in time to see the fantastic story of the greatest queen of the ancient world and her well known love affair and love story read this book, the title is perfect for these players of the ancient world truly were gods.

Book Review: Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

2011-07-07T02:13:00.000-05:00

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

I have mainly stuck to the young adult vampire novels since Anne Rice, what can I say I tend to get stuck on things. So when my friend from back home on good reads recommended this book I arched a brow. In all honesty I thought I would not like it, but she is a good friend and she liked it so I decided to give it a fair shot at least. I am glad I did, I loved this book.

Dark lover is everything a Vampire novel should be, sexy and mysterious with some twists and a heap if mystery as well. The bad guys are really bad and the good guys well they are almost as bad as the bad guys but they have a code and morals and they follow them, mostly. There is an undercurrent of a love story of course but it fits I so well with the rest of the story I would not call it a romance novel, this is a Vampire novel with romance thrown in. frankly the hardest thing you’re going to have to do with this book is sort out your favorite character, the big bad Wrath, the handsome dangerous Thorment or perhaps Phury is more your style the good side of the twins..I am very much looking forward to the next book I this series my mail man is officially on stalk watch, I do not want to give any spoilers away but if you have not read this book and started this series and you like vampires it’s time to start I am a fan of the Brotherhood.

Book Review: At Her Majesty's Request An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter dean Meyers

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah Forbes Bonetta was an African princess whose parents were murdered by enemy warriors. A British naval officer rescued her and brought her to England, where she became the protege of Queen Victoria herself.

This is a good story about the relationships of a culture. It is a childrens book and small but it is informative and enjoyable to read. As an adult it was a fast read but I did enjoy it very much and it is a good look at some history that is not commonly known and talked about. I would put this on your fast read pile.

My Library.

2011-07-04T06:40:00.002-05:00

I posted this over on my other blog Birth of a Notion and than I sat and wondered how on earth I could have forgotten to post it here on my book blog it is my Library after all, my new one in my brand new house. Really how could I have forgotten such a thing? Well no matter here it is now, the shelves are not finnished but here is the progress so far.

Book Review: Angry Housewives eating bon bons by Lorna Landvik

2011-06-29T17:57:00.002-05:00

The women of Freesia Court are convinced that there is nothing good coffee, delectable desserts, and a strong shoulder can’t fix. Laughter is the glue that holds them together—the foundation of a book group they call AHEB (Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons), an unofficial “club” that becomes much more. It becomes a lifeline. Holding on through forty eventful years, there’s Faith, a lonely mother of twins who harbors a terrible secret that has condemned her to living a lie; big, beautiful Audrey, the resident sex queen who knows that with good posture and an attitude you can get away with anything; Merit, the shy doctor’s wife with the face of an angel and the private hell of an abusive husband; Kari, a wise woman with a wonderful laugh who knows the greatest gifts appear after life’s fiercest storms; and finally, Slip, a tiny spitfire of a woman who isn’t afraid to look trouble straight in the eye.

This stalwart group of friends depicts a special slice of American life, of stay-at-home days and new careers, of children and grandchildren, of bold beginnings and second chances, in which the power of forgiveness, understanding, and the perfectly timed giggle fit is the CPR that mends broken hearts and shattered dreams.

The first thing I have to say about Angry Housewives eating Bon Bon’s is that it made me homesick, but in a good way. This book is based in Minnesota and I knew the places they talked about. When a street was mentioned, or a building many of them I knew even though the book was started out before I was born it still felt like home. This is a good read and it kept me entertained this group of friends is the kind of friends I want around for me as I get older.
That is not say there are not some slow parts of this book, there are a few of the chapters are not really needed and dragged on a bit, but for the most part it was a good read and set up in a unique way. The chapters revolved around the book clubs choices in books and what happened during the time when they were set for that book, what a great approach! If you want just a good read to cuddle up with and have a laugh with some characters that are not perfect but real and human this is a great book to settle in with.

Book Review: A Little bit Wicked by Victoria Alexander

2011-06-26T04:17:00.000-05:00

Who will be the last unmarried man standing?

No man in his right mind would want to get married, but every duke, earl, and viscount knows that a fellow must do his duty in the end. So four of London's most desirable gentlemen make a wager—the prize going to the one who remains unwed the longest.

Gideon Pearsall, Viscount Warton, thinks he has a fair shot at winning. After all, he's managed to enjoy the favors of many a lady while resisting the parson's noose. Even when he's stopped dead in his tracks by the most scandalous woman in all of London—Judith, Lady Chester—he vows to have her bedded but never wedded.

Beautiful, and more than a little bit naughty, Judith has always kept herself within the bounds of respectability, even while playing by her own rules. And the experience has taught her to avoid marriage. She has no desire to resist Warton's hot kisses, and his tempting touch is impossible to ignore.

But soon both Judith and Gideon can't help but wonder . . . is it possible to be a little bit wicked and still follow your heart?

Well I was so hopeful as it had been a while since I read a historical romance, and sadly this book let me down. I really cannot think of too much to say for a review because the book is just not that memorable. The banter between the two main players is lack luster and not that entertaining. It is not witty and over all the book just fell flat, I had hope but alas it’s painfully obvious not much fun.

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

2011-06-22T03:14:00.004-05:00

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want--husband, country home, successful career--but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence

I wanted to like this book so much I really did, sadly it just fell flat. The chapter or "book" of Italy was the only part I really found myself enjoying. It was fun and witty and had some great jokes, but as I got into more of the book I had to say it was because it was Italy and not the writer.

Over all this is not a book I enjoyed, of course others have and will, but for me I just found the writer to be a nit wit and I found myself wanting to say GET OVER IT at some points and GROW UP at others. Mean of me perhaps, but well if you put it down for all the world to see your asking for their thoughts.

Book Review: Death Piled Hard by W. Patrick Lang

2011-06-22T03:08:00.003-05:00

When Claude Devereux's brother, Patrick, is killed at the Battle of Gettysburg, he's devastated.But there is little time for grief. Devereux, a Confederate spy, has worked his way behind enemy lines in the North to become a prominent adviser to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. If General Robert Lee and his comrades in the South have any chance of succeeding in beating the Union, Devereux knows that he must keep his cover at all costs. So he steers clear of danger even when he doesn?t want to do so.One of Devereux?s main tasks is to find out more about General Ulysses Grant, who has come to Washington to assume command of the Union army. The general is about to lead his troops on the Overland Campaign, a series of battles through the heart of Virginia.Devereux must do all that he can to stop Grant in his tracks and help the South win its independence in Death Piled Hard.

In this second of a trilogy (which I honestly did not know when I started) we gain insight into the powerful internal and external forces that threaten to tear Claude Devereux asunder. As a Confederate spy he is well and truly lodged in the heart of the Northern war machine, but he wishes fervently to return to the command of his beloved 17th Virginia Infantry regiment. Claude is a newly named Colonel of US Volunteers, a gray man in a blue uniform, and his heart is full of hate. As he goes to join Grant's Headquarters before the Battle of the Wilderness, the pressures are intense.

This author knows the Civil War, but more important, he knows WAR. The battle scenes are violent, and nearly poetic in their terribleness. A modern reader looks back through the window of foreknowledge and marvels at the inevitability of Grant's arrival as General-in-Chief. The battle of attrition is on, but the elegant Bobby Lee has moves left.

These books are as close to a time machine as we now can achieve. I will be getting the FIRST one and The Third ASAP.

Book Review: Mr. Maybe by Jane Green

2011-06-16T12:04:00.003-05:00

To Libby Mason, Mr. Right has always meant Mr. Rich. A twenty-seven-year-old publicist, she’s barely able to afford her fashionable and fabulous lifestyle, and often has to foot the bill for dates with Struggling Writer Nick, a sexy but perpetually strapped-for-cash guy she’s dating (no commitments–really). So when Ed, Britain’s wealthiest but stodgiest bachelor, enters the picture, her idea of the fairy-tale romance is turned on its head. Libby soon finds herself weighing the advantages of Nick’s sexual prowess and tender heart against Ed’s luxurious lifestyle and unlimited retail therapy. But when the diamond shopping commences, Libby is forced to realize that the time for “maybe” is up

It is no secret that I like Jane Green, she is one of the authors that after reading the first book of hers I promptly picked up as many of the others as I could get my hands on to try to complete the collection. Mr. Maybe for me was not her best work. It was not a bad book but it just did not seem to have the usual flair that I have come to expect when reading a Jane Green.

There are several points in the book where it just seems to drag on and there are things that just do not seem to be needed. Libby Mason as a character, well I felt I could not connect with her much. She is very superficial, and a bit over dramatic and there are most assuredly times where I want to swat her upside the head. I even found myself wishing her best friend in the book Jules would do just that.

Now with the negative parts said, I did still enjoy the book overall. It was not a waste of my reading time and it did have some great parts. Nick was by far my favorite character, at first I was not sure I would like him as he was being played up as a kind of wastrel but overall he was the brightest spot in the list of characters in this book, he is witty, funny and not a wastrel but a creative mind who may not have taken the best route to what he wants but he got it in the end.

Book Review: Duchess A novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott

2011-06-06T18:33:00.000-05:00

A historical novel based on the life of the lady-in-waiting who helped bring James II to the throne of England.

Brimming with the intrigue and sensuality of one of history's most decadent courts, Duchess brings to vivid life the story of an unforgettable woman who determines her own destiny-outspoken, outrageous, but most of all true to herself and her heart.

In 1673, as a penniless twelve-year-old, Sarah Jennings arrived at the bawdy Restoration Court of Charles II. Armed with a potent combination of charm, beauty, and intelligence, she prospered. Not only did Sarah win the trust of the future Queen Anne, but she managed to protect her virtue and reputation, marrying the one man as ambitious as she was: the dashing young soldier John Churchill. Over the next forty years, Sarah would amass an immense personal fortune, help make her husband a national hero, and help bring a new king to the throne.

My first thought in this review is once again this book did not take me so long to complete because I didn’t like it but purely I started reading it while starting a new job, and working on a move. Bad timing to read any book to be sure.

Duchess is a good account and tail of Sarah Churchill; many may ask well who is Sarah Churchill? Well that is a fantastic question; Sarah Churchill was a relatively commonly born girl who went into the service of the Duchess Mary Beatrice, whose husband was Duke James who became the deposed King James. For a more modern who’s who Sarah Churchill is the great great etc. Grandmother of Sir Winston Churchill.

This book is full of the things you would expect to find at court, intrigue, back biting, gossip rumors love and war. It is a fantastic following of this family rises and falls through their time in trying to better their circumstances by playing the courtly games and working hard. Susan Holloway Scott once again delivers a fantastic novel of historical play. Is it 100% accurate no, but then no work of fiction is. It is however as accurate as it is going to get and a good read. This one goes on my must read list.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

2011-05-16T01:27:00.000-05:00

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increa... more »singly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience

What is there to say about the Deathly Hallows it was a good story, a fitting ending in all honesty. Anyone who knows me knows I have not been wildly fanatic about Harry Potter but I was looking forward to this book and in all honesty I was not disappointed. The start of the book was a bit slow, but it did pick up.
We once again follow Harry and his Gang through twists and turns and all leading up to the battle against Voldermort. Certain chapters fell flat as if perhaps the writer had run out of something on that topic to say, but others were gripping and held you riveted. I won’t spoil the ending in case there are others like me who are behind on the Harry Potter train, but regardless of what some say I do not think it fell flat, I believe the ending was just right. The tension was so epic through a great deal of the book and the large battle even more so especially as you tally up the loses, and they were many. The ending was like a release of the tension and keeping the character intact. Well done and a good ending.

Book Review: The Vanishing act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

2011-05-08T03:39:00.001-05:00

In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend's attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital, where she has been locked away for over sixty years. Iris' grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme's papers prove she is Kitty's sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme' face. Esme has been labeled harmless; sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But Esme is still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit? Maggie O'Farrell's intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth will haunt readers long past its final page

Iris Lockhart is going about life, minding her own business and trying not to think about the fact that she is in love with her step-brother when *bam*: she finds out she has a great-aunt that she's never heard of who's been locked up in an asylum for the last sixty years. Iris feels compelled to take Aunt Esme under her wing and the novel goes on to reveal the events that led to Esme's lockup while Iris tries to sort out her own life.

Wasn't too crazy about this one. The book vacillates between Iris's life and what happened to Esme that led her to lockup in the nuthouse. It took a while to figure out that the random stream-of-consciousness passages were coming from an addle-pated grandmother and that added to the bit of confusion over the rapidly changing points of view in the novel.

Nor was the (adopted, step, whatever) brother/sister-being-in-love-thing working for us. Yes, we understand they weren't blood related. It was still creepy in a V.C. Andrews kind of way.

O'Farrell did a nice job of conveying the terrible conditions that existed (and still do, to some extent) asylums during the early 20th-century, but she didn't play enough to this strength. It was one of those novels that could have been great, but fell flat, although we admit the ending was pretty sharp. Ultimately, it needed more One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest quality to really work.

Kinda meh on this one. Don't rush out today to buy it...perhaps a library checkout would be better because it does have a pretty snappy ending.