What Book Is That?

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Top Ten Favorite Places to Read

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday! This week is a rewind week, so we get to pick any previous top ten list and run with it! This week, I'll be talking about my top ten favorite places to read!

I have to say at the onset though, I can read anywhere! If there are printed words, I'm there. Just saying.

Anyway, and in no particular order...

Top Ten Favorite Places to Read
1. In Bed. Especially in the morning on the weekend. I love that feeling of being able to read a book start to finish and not have to worry about anything else that needs to get done or anything else that's going on. It's a rare luxury these days so I definitely savor it when the opportunity arises.

2. At the Beach. Here's a picture of my beach:

I live about four miles away from the ocean so it's delightful to pack my stuff and spread out in the sun.

3. On the Couch. Under the couch is where I store all my library books so when I'm feeling spontaneous I'll grab a book off the stack and just start reading. Good times.

4. In the Waiting Room. I'm a very good patient at the doctor because I always have a book with me so I don't stress out about how long I've been there.

5. Car Rides. Maybe not print books, but I LOVE listening to audiobooks while I'm driving long distances. Makes the time fly!

6. With Kids. I love sharing stories with the students in my class!

7. Airplanes. If you have to wait for hours for something, you might as well pass the time in a nice way.

8. On the Swing Set. Maybe not so much anymore, but when I was little I used to love to sit at the top of my slide with a book.

9.At the Park. Lay out a blanket and stretch out with a book.

10.At the Library. When a book is finished there are plenty more to choose from?

What are your favorite reading places?

Review: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:35:00 +0000

Title: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
Author: Alan Bradley
Page Count: 364 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: historical mystery
Copy for review obtained via my public library

Back Cover Summary:
From Dagger Award–winning and internationally bestselling author Alan Bradley comes this utterly beguiling mystery starring one of fiction’s most remarkable sleuths: Flavia de Luce, a dangerously brilliant eleven-year-old with a passion for chemistry and a genius for solving murders. This time, Flavia finds herself untangling two deaths—separated by time but linked by the unlikeliest of threads.

Flavia thinks that her days of crime-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacy are over—and then Rupert Porson has an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity. The beloved puppeteer has had his own strings sizzled, but who’d do such a thing and why? For Flavia, the questions are intriguing enough to make her put aside her chemistry experiments and schemes of vengeance against her insufferable big sisters. Astride Gladys, her trusty bicycle, Flavia sets out from the de Luces’ crumbling family mansion in search of Bishop’s Lacey’s deadliest secrets.

Does the madwoman who lives in Gibbet Wood know more than she’s letting on? What of the vicar’s odd ministrations to the catatonic woman in the dovecote? Then there’s a German pilot obsessed with the Brontë sisters, a reproachful spinster aunt, and even a box of poisoned chocolates. Most troubling of all is Porson’s assistant, the charming but erratic Nialla. All clues point toward a suspicious death years earlier and a case the local constables can’t solve—without Flavia’s help. But in getting so close to who’s secretly pulling the strings of this dance of death, has our precocious heroine finally gotten in way over her head?
*****

So I'm pretty notorious, at least in my own mind, for starting a series and loving the first book and then not keeping up with the series, right? Well, stop the presses, because I have continued reading a series in a timely fashion compared to when I started it.

That series is the Flavia de Luce series, which features, quite possibly, my favorite narrator under the age of 13 in any book, ever. Flavia is what could charitably be called precocious, which as anyone knows is a word that people use when they don't want to say "that kid is annoying." She's smart as a whip (far too smart for her own good in fact,) terribly observant, insatiably curious, and has a mind like an endless filing cabinet. These characteristics come together to make a narrator who's a chemist, an investigator, and a believer in justice, even when she's not sure what an affair is or how to tell if her older sisters are having fun at her expense.

As I'm writing this review, I've read the next two books in the series as well (reviews forthcoming) and I have to say that as far as the mystery goes, this book's puzzler was my favorite. I loved the descriptions of the puppets and the puppet show and I thought it was great the way the history of the town of Bishop's Lacey was intertwined with the mystery of how the puppet man died and why it clearly wasn't an accident. But who could want to murder a guy that, as far as anyone knew, nobody had met before that week? Well, read the book and find out!

This book introduces several characters who have repeating roles in future books, and their inclusion added some interesting historical aspects to the story as well, especially Dieter, the German pilot who was a POW but couldn't bring himself to leave after the war was over.

Unsurprisingly, Flavia saves the day and puts the facts together in a new and unusual way, and I don't think that's a spoiler because it wouldn't be much of a mystery if our detective didn't solve it, right? One of my favorite parts of these stories is the big reveal at the end, where Flavia and the Inspector sit down and compare notes, and the Inspector tries not to be too impressed or too annoyed at the eleven year old that beat his own cops at figuring out the story.

I'm pretty sure I'm the last person on earth to start reading this story, but just in case you're actually that person, I highly recommend making a place for Flavia on your TBR. My next two review slots are taken up by the next two books in this series, and then I'll only have one book to go before I'm current! Imagine that!

A Favorite Quote:

I am often thought of as being remarkably bright, and yet my brains, more often than not, are busily devising new and interesting ways of bringing my enemies to sudden, gagging, writhing, agonizing death.

Overall Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was A Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Believe it or not, there was a time when WBiT? did not exist! I'm a lifelong reader and have been squirreling books away to enjoy for as long as I can remember, and not all of my perennial favorites have made their way on to the blog. Here's a chance to spotlight some old favorites though! Leave a link to your list in the comments- I'd love to see what books have stood the test of time for you!

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was a Blogger

1. Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates by Tom Robbins- My favorite book of. all. time. I love the crazy language and the chaotic yet hilarious story. I love everything Tom Robbins writes but this is far and away my favorite of the bunch.

2. Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore- Again, I love everything Christopher Moore writes but this was the first book of his that I picked up and so it has a special place in my heart. Cargo cults, fruit bats, shenanigans- I love it!

3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- I picked the cover of the omnibus for this line on the list because once you pop, the fun don't stop. And yes, I always know where my towel is.

4. Harry Potter
- The whole series is like one giant book in my mind so it gets one line on the list. You know a book is awesome when you're up until the small hours reading because you have to hand the book off to the next family member first thing in the morning (true story.)

5. The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers- All of his books are awesome and illustrated and adventurous and great- I think I need to do a week featuring his books here on the blog. Maybe call it More Moers. Zing!

6. A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole- My love affair with PNR and urban fantasy was in full swing by the time I started blogging and I was blowing up the request form for interlibrary loan on a regular basis. Many of the series I started reading back then have become auto-buy favorites. IAD is certainly one of them.

7. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh- Another one of my favorite series that has its roots in my pre-blogging days. I would follow this series to the ends of the earth. Sigh.

8. Hercules and Other Legends of Gods and Heroes by Donald Richardson- I have had this book since middle school. It has been lost, found, left out in the rain, dried out, you name it. I still have, and I still love it.

9. The Rabbit Factory
by Marshall Karp- I've reviewed this book nine ways to Sunday as well as the rest of the Lomax and Biggs series and it will never, ever get old. Ever.

10. If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl- This was another series I glommed during my PNR awakening a few year ago and I'm stoked to see that there are tons of other related books released now to feed my love of these characters. This is one of those series that you can read again and again and enjoy each time, so I saved it for a rainy day. Maybe that day needs to get here.

What about you? What books have stood the test of time and stayed true even after the blogging bug bit?

Audiobook Review: The Case of the Missing Servant

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Title: The Case of the Missing Servant
Author: Tarquin Hall
Narrator: Sam Dastor
Length: 8 hours, 27 minutes
Publisher: AudioGo
Genre: mystery
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
Watch out Alexander McCall Smith! Here comes the first novel by the highly acclaimed writer Tarquin Hall in an entrancing new mystery series set in India.

The portly Vish Puri is India’s most accomplished detective, at least in his own estimation, and is also the hero of an irresistible new mystery series set in hot, dusty Delhi. Puri’s detective skills are old-fashioned in a Sherlock Holmesian way and a little out of sync with the tempo of the modern city, but Puri is clever and his methods work.

The Case of the Missing Servant shows Puri (“Chubby” to his friends) and his wonderfully nicknamed employees (among them, Handbrake, Flush, and Handcream) hired for two investigations. The first is into the background of a man surprisingly willing to wed a woman her father considers unmarriageable, and the second is into the disappearance six months earlier of a servant to a prominent Punjabi lawyer, a young woman known only as Mary.

The Most Private Investigator novels offer a delicious combination of ingenious stories, brilliant writing, sharp wit, and a vivid, unsentimental picture of contemporary India. And from the first to the last page run an affectionate humour and intelligent insights into both the subtleties of Indian culture and the mysteries of human behaviour.
*****

If I remember correctly, I grabbed this book during one of the many sales that Audible has had since the start of this year. I was willing to break my rule of audiobooks (only listen to books where I've already read/enjoyed the print version) since for five or seven bucks, there's not much to lose. I'm happy I did, because this was a fun mystery with a great cast of characters, showcased to perfection by an excellent narrator. Had enough superlatives yet? If not, read on.

I have to say, if you're expecting something tremendously different in the field of mystery novels, you may be disappointed. What makes this book unique is the setting (modern day India) and the tongue-in-cheek observations made about life in India and Indian society. The overall mysteries and the mini mysteries aren't that hard to figure out and are often deduced by logical thinking and arranging the facts in order. If you're a fan of Agatha Christie or other mystery novelists of that ilk I think you'll find a lot to like, but if you were expecting some grand reconfiguring of the genre then you might not. Just saying.

The back cover summary does a good job summing up what the book is all about, so I'll make my contribution by saying the usage of the classic elements of a mystery novel- gathering the clues, arranging the facts, etc. into something that was fun and engrossing with a new setting you don't often see were the big selling points of the book for me. The narrator does an excellent job of giving characters individual voices and personalities and he kept the narration moving at a good pace. I think my favorite character is Mommy-ji, Puri's mom, who makes a fair detective in her own right, although her son would never admit that in a million years. Decades of marriage to a police detective weren't wasted apparently.

Even though I had figured out the whodunnits before the big reveals (it takes a lot longer to listen to a book than to read it in print) I was totally sucked in to this story. I'm training to walk a half marathon right now and this book was one that I listened to as I went around and around the jogging track at the park trying to build mileage. If you like fun mysteries, great characters, and excellent narration, get this book on your TBR.

Overall Rating:

Review: Winterblaze

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Title: Winterblaze
Author: Kristen Callihan
Page Count: 400 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: historical paranormal romance
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
Once blissfully in love . . .

Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership in the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, but she must keep both her ability and her alliance with the Society from her husband, Winston. Yet when Winston is brutally attacked by a werewolf, Poppy's secrets are revealed, leaving Winston's trust in her as broken as his body. Now Poppy will do anything to win back his affections . . .

Their relationship is now put to the ultimate test.

Winston Lane soon regains his physical strength but his face and heart still bear the scars of the vicious attack. Drawn into the darkest depths of London, Winston must fight an evil demon that wants to take away the last hope of reconciliation with his wife. As a former police inspector, Winston has intelligence and logic on his side. But it will take the strength of Poppy's love for him to defeat the forces that threaten to tear them apart.
****

This is truly a series of excellence. In the span of three books Kristen Callihan has become an auto-buy author for me- I will follow her wherever she goes storywise at this point. With that said, in the interest of not spoiling the awesome reading experience for anyone, there are probably spoilers in this review for previous books in the series. Ye be warned and all that jazz.

Poppy Lane is a bad, bad girl. She went from having a great marriage with her detective husband Winson and a million skeletons in her closet to having all her dirty secrets out in the open and a husband who (she thinks) can't stand the sight of her. She bears so much responsiblity and can't set it down, even now when her life has gone to crappy crap crap.

Winston is recovering from a life-threatening attack and the added bonus feature of finding out his wife is keeping about a million secrets from him. He has a top-shelf mantrum and starts trying to figure out what to do with all this new knowledge he has, all while ignoring Poppy. Things come to a head when they're both on the same ship; Lord knows close quarters with no relief in sight is awesome when you're trying to avoid someone.

I have to say, the beginning of the book took a little while to get going. I would have been totally happy had the whole book been nothing but me reading along as Poppy and Winston dealt with their issues, but I wasn't surprised at all when there was a supernatural bad guy that had to be defeated. At about 8% the plot kind of gets the Heimlich and we find out that there's a super bad demon on the loose that Poppy has fought and temporarily defeated before; we don't know how much of an influence this demon has had Poppy and Winston's past.

I loved Poppy and Winston as a couple, and I loved watching them find their way back to each other. If I have a complaint about this book, it's that we had to deal with all of their backstory all at once- the issues that came up in this book were never mentioned before and there were times that it felt like they had to be developed so there would be a conflict besides 'you lied to me, no I didn't you never asked the right questions.' I'm super excited to find out about Poppy and Winston's baby as well as to watch Mary whip Jack Talent into shape in the next book.

Yes, NEXT BOOK! I thought for sure this was supposed to be a trilogy, but I am wrong about that- there is going to be at least one more book in the series! Shadowdance is due out in November 2013, according to Goodreads, and I will definitely be reading it. Hooray for good news!

As a parting thought, I'm giving this book a full rating of 5, even though there were a couple of pacing issues I wasn't expecting. I was so pleased with the ending, the incorporation of elements for future stories, and just, oh, everything that I was able to overcome my stumbles very quickly.

A Favorite Quote:

“If you die on me, Winston Lane, I shall kill you.”
His lips tilted. “Don’t worry, sweeting. I live to thwart you.” Then his eyes slid closed.

Overall Rating:

Review: Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Title: Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains
Author: Catriona McPherson
Page Count: 293 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: historical mystery
Copy for review obtained via my public library

Back Cover Summary:
Welcome to Edinburgh, 1926. Dandy Gilver, a wealthy and witty aristocrat (and sometimes amateur sleuth) receives a letter from Lollie Balfour, who insists that her husband of five years is having her followed and her mail is being steamed open.

The only way for Dandy to help is by pretending to applying for a job as a lady’s maid in Lollie’s house. Dandy gets a crash course from her own maid and arrives at 31 Heriot Row, ready to put all of her detection skills to good use. Why does Mr. Balfour want to get rid of his wife? And can Dandy stay in disguise long enough to evade the villains?

Charming and funny, Dandy Gilver is an irresistible sleuth who is sure to win over mystery lovers everywhere. Readers who can’t get enough of Dorothy L. Sayers, Barbara Pym, and Dorothy Parker will definitely find a new favorite in Catriona McPherson’s smart and original mystery.
*****

Remember how, when I was reviewing the first book in this series (After the Armistice Ball) I commented on how glad I was to have read the first book first? Well, happily enough for me, that wasn't a requirement for the rest of the series, since I apparently had grabbed this, the fifth book in the series, in one of my library forays.

Having read the first book was helpful because I had met most of the characters already, but the mystery itself definitely stood on its own. Dandy goes undercover as a lady's maid in order to find out why Lollie Balfour's husband is acting cray cray and trying to kill her. Everyone who knows Dandy finds the idea of her passing for a second as a servant to be hilarious, and Dandy herself is very honest in her appraisal of her own abilities to pass as a lady's maid. In fact, the reactions of several members of the Balfour household end up being the key to the whole business. Sometimes it isn't what a character says, but what isn't said, that ends up being the biggest clue.

With that said, I did figure out who the bad guy was fairly early on, although I didn't see the precise details come together until they were revealed in the course of the story. This wasn't/never is a problem for me- I like to see a plan come together.

The most fascinating (and unexpected) part of this story was definitely the peek into how the lives of servants and workers were different from those of the people you generally read about (wealthy people.) At the same time as the events of this story was a general strike in Britain; Dandy has to consider how her attitudes towards working people were shaped by her and her husband's social position and finds that meeting these people in the flesh is a lot different from reading about people in the newspapers. The book doesn't preach, just provides some food for thought, and it's clear that Dandy leaves the Balfour household with a lot to think about.

All in all, this was another fun venture into this series, and when I went to put my next installment on hold, I made sure to find book number two. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing all the shenanigans that Dandy gets up to- this is rapidly becoming one of my favorite historical mystery series.

Overall Rating:

Review: A Rogue by Any Other Name

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:41:00 +0000

Title: A Rogue by Any Other Name
Author: Sarah MacLean
Page Count: 386 pages
Publisher: Avon
Genre: historical romance
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary
What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets...

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them... even her heart.
*****

I had seen this title bandied about on various blogs a couple of months ago, right before the second book in this series was released, and filed it away for future reference. After reading enough good reviews and seeing that the price had temporarily dropped on Amazon, I was ready to dive in.

The story was a nice tale of redemption for Bourne, one of the owners of a notorious gambling hell who, in his wild younger years, made a stupid mistake that changed the entire course of his life. That mistake was, for whatever reason, gambling all of his holdings that weren't entailed on a single hand of cards. It's something a young and stupid person would do but for whatever reason Bourne was surprised when the scumbag he was playing against held him to his bargain. Bourne's obsession with regaining his family estate was born on that night.

Enter the other half of the equation- Lady Penelope Marbury, whose family estate bordered on the one that Bourne (Michael) lost in the card game back when they were children. Penelope had a secret crush on him when they were both young, but kept it a secret and nurtured her feelings in private, writing and never sending lots of letters and the like. Fast forward to the present day of the story and Penelope is something of a pariah, having broken an engagement years ago when she found out her fiance was in love with someone else. The fiance is happily married with children; Penelope is a walking punch line and her family really wants to get her to the altar.

Penelope's family was kind of douchey in this book- I understand that Penelope's actions had consequences for them but the whole "we'd rather you be unhappy forever than have your choices impact me" line got old after awhile. It was her dad deciding that enough was enough and adding more land to Penelope's dowry that got Bourne on the scene to ruin Penelope's reputation in the first place. I wish there had been more explanation of how Penelope's dad came by some very sensitive information about Bourne's nemesis, but what can one do.

Anyway, the best part of the story was easily the blossoming romance between Bourne and Penelope. Penelope is the best kind of nice girl heroine- the one who is honest and true without being vapid or shallow, the one who has beliefs and lives by them and tries to make the best of a bad situation without coming across as naive. Penelope wants the kind of love that lasts a lifetime and resents the implications of oh, everyone she knows that she should be happy with a groom who is vertical and above room temperature. She decides to make the most of her marriage with Bourne, even before Bourne realizes that revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Likewise, Bourne makes an excellent redeemed bad boy. He's faced with the inconvenient situation of actually falling in love with the woman he was supposed to marry to get his estate back and then forget about. She's determined for them to be happy together, and his friends at the gambling hell are happy as clams to see Bourne entangles so thoroughly. Meeting the other owners of the Fallen Angel conveniently introduces us to the heroes for future books in the series. It all works out nicely.

Overall this story was a pleasing way to spend an evening after work, and it definitely got me on board for future installments in the series. Each of the owners of the Fallen Angel has his own terribly convoluted story that true love can help sort out, so I'm excited to be around for the ride.

Overall Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Characters I'd Have a Crush on if I Were a Fictional Character

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:33:00 +0000

I'm back! After a long, long hiatus, Top Ten Tuesday has returned to WBiT?! Looking ahead, there are some excellent list topics coming up so I'm looking forward to participating and commenting. Let the good times roll!

Topic of the Week: Top Ten Characters I'd Have a Crush on If I Were a Fictional Character

In no particular order:

1. Marak, the Goblin King (The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle)- This is one of my favorite unsung fantasy romances. Even though he's a goblin and has all the requisite spooky and mysterious things going on, Marak is squishy on the inside. Love this series.

2. Malkom Slaine (Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole)- Malkom is my favorite IAD hero so far. His past is so dark yet through it all he's noble and brave and loyal.

3. Regin the Radiant (Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole)- Total girl crush here. I love Regin, I love her sailor mouth and her war cries- I think hanging out with her would be both terrifying and awesome.

4. Fire (Fire by Kristen Cashore)- Another girl crush on a total badass heroine. She's a great warrior, brave, with a sense of honor and integrity and an ability to get things done. Oh and super powers! Love.

5. Cullin Seaghdh (Enemy Within by Marcella Burnard)- He's a captain! He's a spy! He's a spy captain!

6. Osborn (Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe)- He's a grumpy bear from a fun retelling of the Goldilocks story. He can sit on all the chairs in my house if he wants to. Just saying.

7. Wolf Who Rules (Tinker by Wen Spencer)- Sigh. Even when he's being a goof or an accidental jerk he's still awesome. Gotta love elf magic.

7. Dorina Basarab and 8. Louis-Cesare (Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance)- One of my favorite power couples of urban fantasy- these two are so snarky and chaotic. Even though they manage to destroy every structure they come near they seem like they'd be fun.

9. Julian (Cynful) by Dana Marie Bell)- He's a geeky bear shifter that likes books and RPGs. What's not to like?

10. Caitrin (Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier)- Caitrin seems like good BFF material. She's not afraid to stand up to anything- creepy, crawly, ghostly, or otherwise.

And there you have it! If you're participating in Top Ten Tuesday, leave a link to your list in the comments- I'd love to check it out. :D

Book Blogging Events- Because Participation is Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:59:00 +0000

Happy Spring Break! The blessed week is finally here and with it some time to attend to blog related issues. As of this writing, I have 9 reviews to write and every intention of reading a bunch of books! Add to that a couple of fun blog related events and it's shaping up to be a fun, fun week.

Here's what's on the agenda:

Book Blogger Twitter Convention
Truth in advertising right here- a series of panels, all for book bloggers, all on Twitter! My Twitter account has been gathering dust lately except for autotweeting (and even that has been lacking) so it's nice to wade back into the fray. Here's the calendar of events, compliments of Parajunkee's View!

Page Count Contest at Reading Angel
Again, simple and straightforward- read, log your books, be eligible for prizes! I'm going for a marathon of reading over spring break so it's a good month for me to sign up. Here's the post for week one with directions on how to sign up!

Just a quick heads up about some fun things happening out in the blogging world, enjoy!

Review: After the Armistice Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:13:00 +0000

Title: After the Armistice Ball
Author: Catriona McPherson
Page Count: 303 pages
Publisher: Carroll & Graf
Genre: historical mystery
Copy for review obtained via my public library

Back Cover Summary:

Dandy Gilver, her husband back from the War, her children off at school and her uniform growing musty in the attic, is bored to a whimper in the spring of 1923 and a little light snooping seems like harmless fun. And what could be better than to seek out the Duffy diamonds, stolen from the Esselmont's country house, Croys, after the Armistice Ball? Before long, though, the puzzle of what really happened to the Duffy diamonds has been swept aside by the sudden, unexpected death of lovely young Cara Duffy in a lonely seaside cottage in Galloway. Society and the law seem ready to call it an accident but Dandy, along with Cara Duffy's fiancé Alec, is sure that there is more going on than meets the eye. What is being hidden by members of the Duffy family: the watchful Lena, the cold and distant Clemence and old Gregory Duffy with his air of quiet sadness, not to mention Cara herself whose secret always seems just tantalizingly out of view? Dandy must learn to trust her instincts and swallow most of her scruples if he is to uncover the truth and earn the right to call herself a sleuth.
*****

This was a random grab off the library shelves for me and I'm super glad for two things- one, that I took the plunge in what is looking like an impressive series, and two, that I read at least the first book in this series in the proper order. I don't think, moving forward, that it's terribly important to read this series in order, as the repeating characters reprise their same roles and really it's the mystery that's different, but it was nice to have a proper introduction to the important folks.

The story opens five years after the end of World War I, and showcases people in England still trying to adjust to the world after the end of war. Times are lean for many, so there's a certain level of resentment between folks who have titles and standing but few resources and up and coming wealthy folks. When an annual dinner goes awry when the Duffy diamonds are stolen our intrepid investigator, Dandy Gilver, is asked by her best friend to investigate. The best friend thinks the Duffys are trying to pull an insurance scam- if only that were the only thing going on.

This story was engaging, entertaining and thoughtful on a variety of levels. Dandy is a fantastic narrator- she's witty and bright, and makes no bones about the fact that she's basically making up investigative strategy as she goes along. Once she's got the scent of a conspiracy, she has to see justice done. Turns out the missing diamonds are just the tip of the iceberg here, and murder isn't too far off. But who actually was murdered? And when? And why? Some of the answers are right there, and others have to be dug for. It made for a satisfying story.

Another facet of the story that I enjoyed was Dandy's friendship and investigative partnership with Alec, fiance to the murdered Duffy daughter. There's nothing romantic between these two, and I think they're more kindred souls- after the war, both were expected to just get on with their lives as if nothing had changed, when in fact everything had changed. Dandy had been working to support the war effort and resented being sent back to basically answering the mail and being decorative, and the things that Alec saw and experienced during the war would not be forgotten any time soon. Having something on which to focus their efforts gave them both purpose and formed a great friendship.

The resolution of the mystery is one you need to read for yourself, and this is a series where I was super happy to find out that there are a lot of installments already in print. I have the next book out from the library now and am looking forward to reading it. Hooray!

Overall Rating:

Playing Series Catch Up

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:55:00 +0000

I'm one of those people who loves to start a series but has a really hard time finishing them, or even getting current until the next book comes out. The worst part is that this is an especially big problem if the series is AWESOME. I think it's because I know the books will be good, so saving them for when I need a sure thing seems like a good idea at the time.

This means that I have a lot of series laying around that aren't current or finished, and no real plan for how to get them finished or current before the next installment comes out. One of the joys of refocusing on books I own or just want to read for fun is that some of these languishing series can finally get finished. Here are some series that I'm currently working on getting current with (and a picture of the book in the series that I'm on):

The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews- I love this series to teeny tiny pieces but have yet to read the most recent installment. Need to get on this.

The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole- one of my two favorite PNR series and I haven't read the most recent installment. I know, I know. On a side note, the audiobook versions of this series are FANTASTIC. Fan. Tas. Tic.

The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley- so far I finished the second book (The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag) and am about to start the third.

The Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch- the first two books were awesome and are a great way to spend a weekend. I'm looking forward to getting caught up!

The Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn- Julia and Nicholas Brisbane are a great leading couple and the first book that introduced them was great. Not sure what my delay has been in getting to the rest of this series.

The Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander- another great historical romance/mystery series with a great first installment. Better get busy!

The India Black series by Carol K. Carr- detectives and a madam and historical mysteries, oh my! I've only read the first book and am ashamed to say that I only knew about the second book in this series, not the third and the short story. Shame on me!

Lots of great reading ahead? Do you have any series on your shelf that you've been meaning to catch up on? Share, share, share!

Review: A Cast of Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:42:00 +0000

Title: Cast of Shadows
Author: Hailey Edwards
Page Count: 110 pages (novella)
Publisher: Samhain
Genre: fantasy romance
Copy for review sent by the publicist in anticipation of an honest review

Back Cover Summary:

"The strongest net is no match for destiny. "

An "Araneae Nation" Story

Daraja has grown up watching her brothers journey down the river on the traditional Deinopidae rite of passage. Each returned with riches from their travels, and lovers with whom to share their lives.

Now she has reached the age where she would strike out on her own to seek her fortune-if she were male. Instead, she is expected to sit patiently, weave her nets and wait for the river to bring a husband to her.

Patience, however, has never been her strong suit.

Brynmor haunts the forest surrounding the city of Cathis, his disembodied spirit inextricably bound to the wild canis roaming his lands. Until the day he stumbles across a brazen trespasser in his woods.

Compelled to step in when the canis suspect her of poaching one of their own, Brynmor fears he has lost a piece of his ragged soul to the feisty, adventure-seeking female. And when the canis confront the real poachers, he is forced to choose which life to sacrifice. Hers...or his own.

Warning: This book contains one heroine with a knack for weaving nets and one hero who relishes getting caught. Expect singing, some howling, ghostly shenanigans, and the start of a love that transcends death.
*****

So I'm pretty much in love with the Aranae Nation series at this point and was so excited to be offered a copy of this novella for review that I broke my "no more books for review" rule. This has seriously been the only exception and it was totally worth it.

I'm usually on the fence about previous villains coming back as the hero in future books. There's just something about a person being a douche in the past that makes it hard to imagine them getting their own happily-ever-after, you know? I think it takes a lot of skill for an author to work with this element convincingly, and the author here did a great job.

Spoilers (sort of) ahead, ye be warned.

If Brynmor was on the Aranae equivalent of Facebook, his relationship status would definitely have to be "it's complicated." While he was alive, he was married to Isolde, who was in love with her soul mate, a cornerstone of her religious beliefs, to the extent that she stepped out on her marriage to Brynmor and had a child with her soul mate after bearing Brynmor a son of his own. Brynmor flew off the handle and killed Isolde's lover, and Isolde (naturally) never forgave him, and the bitterness between them seeped over into every facet of their lives, including their relationships with the two sons that were involved.

Fast forward to after Brynmor has died. He's still kicking around in a sort of spiritual waiting room, watching over his loved ones. That's the odd thing- despite the fact that his marriage to Isolde was to settle a debt and she was clearly in love with someone else to the exclusion of all others, he genuinely loved Isolde and was hurt by her actions. He understood after the fact that he had committed a serious moral transgression (even though as paladin he can do pretty much what he wants and none of his clansmen would have faulted his actions) but also realized that he couldn't change the past. All he could do was secure a safe future for Isolde and both of the boys, even the one who wasn't his. He understood he had tanked his relationship with his biological son. He didn't know what to do about any of this.

When he meets Daraja while she's fishing, he's immediately attracted to her but isn't sure how to make the first move. When he was paladin, he just did what he wanted; now he's a nobody and he has to reassess his entire way of thinking and doing things to fit his new situation. He's bound to a wolf alpha because he needs a body in order to stick around, and he finds himself in a new situation - being unsure how to proceed.

Daraja doesn't want to hear that, though. She's on a quest to find herself a husband, and her future husband has to meet a few pretty obvious criteria. One, he has to be emotionally available. Two, he has to be a decent person. Three, he has to be willing to become her husband, that is, not sticking around in limbo forever living with wolves in the forest. Daraja is decisive and bold; Brynmor doesn't stand a chance.

Like all good novellas, in my opinion, this one covers a lot of ground in a few short pages but doesn't shortchange any aspects of the story. I think it was a wise choice to tell this story this way- at the end I felt satisfied with how things had turned out. I think Brynmor will probably make some different choices this time around.

I have no idea when the next book in this series is coming out but whenever it is, I will definitely be reading it. What a fun story!

Overall Rating:

What's Next at What Book is That?: Planning a Series Catch-Up

Review: A Lack of Temperance

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:43:00 +0000

Title: A Lack of Temperance
Author: Anna Loan-Wilsey
Page Count: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: historical mystery, first in a series
Copy for review obtained via my public library

Back Cover Summary:
Have typewriter will travel...and track down dead bodies. Not the usual motto for a Victorian private secretary and certainly not what Miss Hattie Davish has in mind when she responds to the latest summons for her services. On the eve of the 1892 Election, Hattie arrives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a booming health spa and vacation resort, hoping to hike the hills, botanize and placate the demands of her newest high-society employer. Yet her employer is missing, and this idyllic Ozark village is being plagued by a league of temperance women attacking saloons with hatchets and bricks, a city council candidate fighting in the streets and a trail of cryptic death threats. With her reputation and life on the line, Hattie will put more than her trusty typewriter to the test.
*****

I had seen this title pop up in my Google Reader a couple of times and the interesting and unique historical setting is what first grabbed my attention. The setting of Eureka Springs is almost a character unto itself throughout the story, which was a good first offering from a debut mystery author.

Hattie Davish is refreshing as a protagonist- astute, observant, curious but not nosy, she shows up in Eureka Springs to do a job and is thoroughly put out that her employer is such an enigma and that the workings of the Temperance movement are so chaotic. All she wants is some clarification on what she's supposed to be doing, and where, and with whom, and what she gets is an entry way into a murder mystery. Investigation is not in her job description, certainly, but she isn't one to just sit back and let injustice pass.

This is one of those mysteries where the reader can certainly figure out who the murderer is if he or she keeps track of the details, and the conclusion is logical, which is nice. There are a couple of times where the plot slowed a little for my tastes- one too many scenes of the police not taking Hattie seriously and maybe one too many red herrings- but these are matters of personal preference, and let's face it, I'm not sure how seriously Hattie's discoveries would have been taken at the actual time in history either.

There were also lots of references to Hattie's mysterious benefactor/reference/previous/current employer, and I admit I wasn't quite clear on how he and Hattie were connected. I'm hoping we'll find out more about him in future stories.

There was also Hattie's interest in the town doctor in Eureka Springs. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm curious if we'll see him again since the next book is set in Georgia. Time will tell, eh?

Overall this was a fun book and a good way to pass a Friday night after work. It's not a hardboiled crime novel and falls squarely in the realm of cozy mysteries, and if that's your scene then I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Overall Rating:

Up Next at What Book is That?:

Review: The Labors of Hercules

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:16:00 +0000

Title: The Labors of Hercules
Author: Agatha Christie
Length: 8 hours, 48 minutes
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: mystery
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
In appearance Hercule Poirot hardly resembled an ancient Greek hero. Yet, reasoned the detective, like Hercules, he had been responsible for ridding society of some of its most unpleasant monsters.

So, in the period leading up to his retirement, Poirot makes up his mind to accept just 12 more cases: his self-imposed "Labors". Each would go down in the annals of crime as a heroic feat of deduction.
*****

From what I understand, these stories were published in various magazines and sources and whatnot and then organized into this collection with the labors of Hercules theme. Some of the stories are better than others, some are more cohesive than others, but this is one of the first Christie short story collections I remember reading and it was just as much fun to listen to this time around.

Rather than go through and summarize each individual story, I'll send you to the really well-done wikipedia page about the collection and move on to other things. The only thread that connects each of these stories together is the Hercules theme, so you can read as many or as few of the stories as strike your fancy.

My favorite one of the bunch was "The Flock of Geryon," wherein Poirot enlists the help of, oddly enough, one of the guilty parties from a previous story to infiltrate a religious cult. Turns out the character from that story (I'm not giving her name as that would be a spoiler obviously) is having trouble turning her mind from criminal enterprise to honest pursuits and figures helping with Poirot's investigations might help her sublimate her urges a little bit. I liked this one because it felt so different from how a Poirot mystery usually turns out. Usually you've got the stately old manor houses and high bred people wandering around doing the things they do and then someone gets murdered and it turns out everyone had a motive and an opportunity and the devil is in the details, and here it was more like a thriller, with suspected wrongdoings and bits and pieces of information from which a case had to be made. Good stuff.

My least favorite one was "The Arcadian Deer," mostly for the reason that you just had to believe that things were the way that they appeared and the way that Poirot explained. There wasn't any evidence to go back and double check, just a bunch of hunches that ended up explaining the mystery. Not the best offering in my opinion.

The mythology reference and thread connecting all the stories also made me want to go dig out my collection of Greek myths and enjoy those again too.

This is another good book for a winter afternoon- lots to keep you interested and each story is short and sweet so there are lots of good opportunities for breaks. Enjoy!

Overall Rating:

What's Next at What Book is That?

Review: A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey

Audiobook Review: Dead Man's Folly

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Title: Dead Man's Folly<.i>
Author: Agatha Christie
Narrator: David Suchet
Length: 6 hours, 2 minutes
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: mystery
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
Whilst organising a mock murder hunt for the village fete hosted by Sir George and Lady Stubbs, a feeling of dread settles on the famous crime novelist Adriane Oliver. Call it instinct, but it's a feeling she just can't explain...or get away from.

In desperation she summons her old friend, Hercule Poirot - and her instincts are soon proved correct when the "pretend" murder victim is discovered playing the scene for real, a rope wrapped tightly around her neck.

But it's the great detective who first discovers that in murder hunts, whether mock or real, everyone is playing a part.
*****

I am hopelessly addicted to Agatha Christie novels. I've read all of them at one time or another, and I can revisit them over and over again even if I know the outcome and it doesn't make a lick of difference. I'm sucked in and having a great time.

I find the audiobook versions to be just as addicting, especially because most of them are narrated by either David Suchet or Hugh Fraser, who play Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings respectively in the TV movies that I love so very very much.

Hugh Fraser on the left as Hastings, David Suchet on the right as Poirot
Anyway, this particular story was narrated by David Suchet, and he did a marvelous job as always. I definitely have my favorites among the Poirot stories, and this one was pretty middle of the pack. The familiar story elements were all there- the country house, the mysterious auras and feelings, the pack of people who were loosely tied together and sitting around waiting for something to happen, the murder that couldn't be prevented, the mysterious foreigner, the works. Ariadne Oliver is featured in this one as well, and her commentary was fun.

The back cover summary puts the plot together fairly nicely, and without giving anything away, this is one of those stories where if you accept that events happened the way the resolution outlines them, then it's a good story. If you don't, then it seems...less. I was happy to just immerse myself in the narration so when the ultimate resolution came along it didn't disturb my enjoyment of the book. I can see why someone would be kind of put out by the idea of the subtle influences and the subconscious whatnots. It depends entirely on how you're feeling when the story elements are revealed.

When reading mysteries, I have the bad habit of flipping to the end so that I know how the story ends and can see (or not see) how the story elements came together. I find that to be way more enjoyable than the surprise of the ending. This drives some people crazy but that's their problem! I didn't do that here, mostly because it's tough to do with an audiobook that I'm mostly listening to on my phone, but I found that not having the road map didn't detract from the story either. The clues and important facts are fairly well marked here.

Is this my favorite Christie story? No, but I did enjoy listening. David Suchet is one of my favorite narrators for one of my favorite authors. It was a win win situation.

Overall Rating:

What's Next at What Book is That?

Audiobook Review: The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Review: A Feast of Souls

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Title: A Feast of Souls
Author: Hailey Edwards
Page Count: 340 pages (digital)
Publisher: Samhain
Genre: fantasy romance
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
The only way to save her is to bind their souls as one.

Araneae Nation, Book 2

Born with the ability to communicate with the dead, few things take Mana by surprise. But when a canis lopes into her life, announcing himself as the long-dead father of a childhood friend, she’s shocked. To make matters worse, he has a dire message that she alone can deliver.

Now Mana must face Vaughn, the male who inspired one too many girlish fantasies, and impart the spirit’s message—without acknowledging her source—so the soul can be laid to rest.

With rumors of a burgeoning clan war setting his nerves on edge, the last thing Vaughn needs is for an innocent to get caught in the crosshairs. But the woman he remembers as an awkward girl refuses to leave his side until he’s heard her out. That’s not the only change in her that calls to him. Her kindness soothes his battle-scarred soul—and he craves her in ways a warrior shouldn’t.

When they are both captured, they learn of an even greater threat. The plague devastating the southlands has come to his clan home. And his best—and only—chance to keep his people alive is the female who walks among the dead.

Product Warnings
This book contains one fierce hero with a nose for danger, one stubborn heroine who smells like trouble, and one wolfish spirit who makes most relationships with the in-laws seem downright tame. Fur, fangs and some biting should be expected. But never fear, the hero has a sword, and he knows how to use it.
*****

The first book in this series, A Hint of Frost, was one of my favorite books of 2012 and I was super pleased to learn that the next book would be out just in time for my Christmas travels. I'm always nervous about second books in a series- will they live up to the first one? Will they be exactly the same as the first one and not in a good way? This one was a good follow up that kept me hooked on the series.

We met Vaughn and Mana in the first book and both characters took a significant backseat to the main couple. Enough ground was laid to show that these two were going to be the stars in book 2, but I was okay with not really getting to know either one until it was their moment in the sun, so to speak.

Vaughn was kind of a dick in book one- we know he and Rhys had serious problems that stemmed from their parentage (same mother, Vaughn is legitimate, Rhys isn't- someone call Maury) but we didn't really get to see things from Vaughn's point of view until now. What that means is that Vaughn has had a pretty twisted upbringing and has been immersed in politics since he was very young, and has seen the consequences to letting people get close to you, for better or worse. He's been groomed to succeed his mother as clan leader and has no issues with that- he's a mercenary through and through.

Enter Mana, who is pretty much the opposite in every respect. Her upbringing was unique and forever changed by the interactions between her clan and Vaughn's, and she's able to see how longstanding animosity and unresolved issues can cause just as many problems as not letting people get close to you ever. Her clan also believes in fated soulmates and so she's bound and determined to resist Vaughn's appeal because she thinks he's not meant to be hers and that getting involved with him would be tantamount to cheating on her future husband. This is a romance so I don't think it's a spoiler to say she's wrong. I'll get to that in a second though.

Anyway, a horrible plague is spreading across the land and it soon becomes apparent that religiously based practices honored by Mana's clan might actually be the only way to treat the disease. There's a hint of debate about religion versus science but it's resolved nicely for the purposes of the story; the twisty turny bits come from dealing with Vaughn's mother, Isolde, and the choices she made while out of her mind with fever that also negatively impacted the whole clan. It's hard to say more without giving stuff away but I will say that it was highly interesting for me and kept me turning pages.

My issues with the book are few and far between but most of them are things that have bothered me with other paranormal-esque or fantasy books. For one, I didn't really buy that Mana was so blind to the true nature of her feelings for Vaughn. It seemed self-indulgent on her part and kind of made her come off as sort of enjoying being a martyr in the name of unrequited love when the answer was staring everyone else in the face, screaming and jumping up and down for acknowledgement. She tells us herself that people with her powers can't see things related to themselves or their loved ones, and it seemed odd that she conveniently forgot that whenever Vaughn was around.

Then there were the issues surrounding Vaughn's father, who is back in spirit form in this book and hanging out in the body of a wolf. Vaughn's dad was not a nice guy, and even if you buy into the fact that he did the things he did because weakness would have gotten him killed among his mercenary clan, he's still not a nice guy. His motives were hard to discern, and he's the star of an upcoming novella in this series that's due out in February (review forthcoming.) I don't know how I feel about that. We'll see I guess.

I guess my final verdict on this book would be that it was very good, very enjoyable, but was just narrowly edged out by the first book in the series. I still highly recommend both and recommend that they be read in order. I'm looking forward to reading future installments in this series.

Overall Rating:

What's Up Next?

Audiobook Review: Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie

Happy 2013!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Well! It's been a wild year here at WBiT, but a good one filled with lots of good books and good conversation and projects and hard work and all that stuff. 2013 looks to be more of the same- always onward and upward!

I had every intention of writing a standard Happy New Year post, with a list of the best books I'd read in 2012 and a list of books I was eager for in 2013 and all the things you'd expect to see on a blog at the end of the last month of any given year. To that end, I went back through my old posts to see if I had made a post listing blogging related goals and what have you, thinking it'd be interesting to reference the post and see how much progress I'd made.

The fact that I couldn't remember if that post existed is pretty telling if you ask me.

Anyway, I found my post, and it was interesting to compare my ideas and priorities in December 2011/January 2012 to where I am now. I'm a firm believer in reading the writing on the wall and it should be clear to anyone that writing about books has had to take a distant back seat to other things. Work things, school things (I just can't seem to stay away from higher education,) crafty things (I'm an enthusiastic knitting and cross stitcher) and other projects too. I cook a lot more now than I used to. I exercise more and have committed to training to walk a half marathon in April (woo!) I'm making it a goal for 2013 to clean and organize more around the house. I'm a busy, busy bee, more so than ever before.

This means that my reading habits have changed dramatically over the past twelve months. I'm not proud of the fact that I've completely ignored my pile of review books lately, but that's what's happened. I've focused on reading books that I've purchased or have enjoyed in the past; I've read one new to me book in the past two months (Feast of Souls by Hailey Edwards and it was awesome; a review is forthcoming,) I've enjoyed audiobooks (thanks Audible) and didn't post here at all in December. Time was spent doing other things.

Probably the most indicative thing I've discovered is that there has apparently been an issue in my blog emails being forwarded to the email address that I check all the time, meaning that blog related emails haven't been getting to me. I realized this today when I finally noticed the pop up that said there was a problem and went to check it out.

Honey boo boos, there were over 12,000 emails in that inbox. I don't recall the last time I logged into the account but apparently it's been quite some time since any blog related correspondence reached me. The problem has been addressed and I should be back on top of things now, but the point to take away is this- I didn't deal with blog related things for a long time, and nothing bad happened. I did find some thoughtful and kind emails from folks who had requested a review following up on the status of said review, and I responded; if I missed yours, please send it again. I responded to one request for review that was too good to pass up and that should be scheduled for February. Other than that, I will not be accepting new books for review. Probably ever. If I have committed to reviewing a title for you, I will get to it; if an unsolicited copy of a book has shown up at my door, I will make decisions on a case by case basis but bear in mind, this book was unsolicited. I am updating the review policy today to say that I am not accepting books for review. Beyond that, this blog is now a place for me to track my personal reading habits and to keep track of thoughts on my reading. In effect, it's going back to what it was in the very beginning.

I don't know why I was so hesitant to take this step, but it feels good. Reading and books will always be a part of my life, but now this outlet is totally on my terms. I guess I wasn't ready to take that step a year ago. I am now.

I'm thankful to everyone who has been along for the ride since I started spewing my book-related thoughts all over the internet back in 2008. I hope you decide it's still worthwhile to see what this next incarnation of WBiT brings. Comparing notes on books has always been my favorite part of the blogging community and I'm looking forward to doing just that.

Thanks to any and all who are still reading and here's to a great 2013!

2013 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 23:40:00 +0000

This challenge is hosted by Bookmark to Blog and all images in this post originate from the challenge post. Kim has chosen key words to go with each month of the year in 2013 and the challenge is to read a book that lines up with one of the keywords. Here are the guidelines straight from her:

GUIDELINES

* The title you choose can be a variation on one of the key words. For example- your title could include the word 'snowing' or 'snowflake' even though the key word is 'snow.'

*Key words can be tweaked. For example- You could read "Cinder" or "Ashes" for the key word 'Fire' and that would be just fine. If the key word is 'family' then your title could include the word 'sister' or 'mother.'If the key word is 'food' then your title could include the word 'cake.'

I'm adding another dimension to this challenge for myself, which is that I'll be trying as best I can to read books that I already own, whether they be paper books or Kindle books or whatever. It's kind of ridiculous that I've accumulated so many books. Don't we all have this problem though? Be honest now.

Anyway, I'll leave you to check out the sign up page for yourself to see the complete list of key words for each month, but I'll make my list here of books that I'll be reading and what keyword they fit with.

January: Fire
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

February: Animal
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Wolf Who Rules by Wen Spencer

March: Magic
Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Love's Magic by Traci Hall

April: Home
Elfhome by Wen Spencer

May: Shatter
The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams

June: Sea
A Burial at Sea by Charles Finch (which means I'll have to read A Stranger in Mayfair as well :D)

July: Night
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

August: Clear
Throne of Glass by Sara Maas (hey glass is clear)

September: Space
Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair (space romance)- this one is a stretch, I know

October: Witch
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

November: Number
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

December: Throne
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

2013 Nerdy Non-Fiction Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:42:00 +0000

This challenge is hosted by Bookmark to Blog and runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. The rules are as follows:

Levels:

Geek: 4-6 books in at least 2-3 different categories
Dork: 7-10 books in at least 4-5 different categories
Dweeb: 11- 14 books in at least 6-7 different categories
Nerd: 15+ books in at least 8+ different categories

Categories:

* Health, Medicine, Fitness, Wellness
* History- US, World, European, etc
* Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy
* Technology, Engineering, Computers, etc
* Business, Finance, Management
* Sports, Adventure
* Food- Cookbooks, Cooks, Vegan Vegetarianism, etc
* Autobiography, Biography, Memoir
* Art, Photography, Architecture
* Music, Film, TV
* Self Improvement, Self Help, How To
* Home, Garden
* Science-Nature, Weather, Biology, Geology
* Anthropology, Archaeology
* Animals-Insects, Mammals, Dinosaurs, etc
* Family, Relationships, Parenting, Dating, Love
* Crime, Law
* Poetry, Theatre
* Politics, Government, Current Affairs
* Literary Criticism/Theory
* Cultural Studies
* Travel
* Crafts

* It is not necessary to pick your categories ahead of time, but try not to read more than two books in each category so you can broaden your horizons.

I'll be participating at the Dweeb level (11-14 books) with my target being to read one nonfiction book per month. I'm challenging myself to read specific books that have been languishing on my TBR pile for longer than I'd care to think about. Those books are:

Packing for Mars: The Curious History of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp Through History's Best Bits
Maphead by Ken Jennings
Eating for Autism by Elizabeth Strickland
Autism's False Prophets by Paul A. Offit
Crochet!
Millionaire Teacher: Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School by Andrew Hallam

I'm adding another level to my personal approach to the challenge- I have a ton of articles from my ABA classes waiting to be read, it's kind of sad. I'm challenging myself to read at least two articles per month from my backlist of articles.

This should be fun! I've been saying for a long time that I want to read more nonfiction for a long time and this challenge is the perfect way to go about it.

Review: Impulse

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Title: Impulse
Author: Moira Rogers
Page Count: 270 pages (digital)
Publisher: Samhain
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review sent by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Back Cover Summary:
Her submission can heal him. His dominance can free her.

Southern Arcana, Book 5

Sera Sinclaire is a New Orleans rarity: a submissive coyote trapped in a town overrun by dominant shapeshifters. Worse, she lacks the willpower to deny the alphas-in-shining-armor who need her soothing presence, even when their protectiveness threatens to crush her hard-won self-reliance.

The only shifter she doesn’t want to push away is Julio Mendoza, a wolf so dominant he’s earned a place on the Southeast council.

Julio doesn’t have the luxury of indulging in the vacation his psychic shrink insists he needs. He can't turn his back on responsibilities he’s beginning to wish he’d never shouldered. When an obsessive ex endangers Sera, though, instinct drives him to get her out of town. Watching her come to life outside the city makes him feel like he's finally done something right, and her touch ignites desire he doesn’t want to ignore.

But soon, lighthearted flirting becomes a dangerous game of seduction, where every day spent falling into each other is another day avoiding the truth. Sera's ex isn't the only one who’d disapprove of their relationship. There are wolves who would kill to get Sera out of Julio's life—starting with his own blood kin.

Product Warnings
Contains endless summer road trips, family drama, redneck werewolves, sexual power games and a taboo love affair between a submissive coyote who’s among the last of her kind and a dominant wolf who loves his heroine’s ass. Literally.
*****

Well! This was an anticipated book for me since I'm a big fan of this series. The events leading up to those included here are broad, so I don't recommend picking up the series here just because I wouldn't want you to miss out! Instead, I would start with the first book (Crux) and enjoying the whole journey from page one.

Anyway, this is Julio and Sera's story, and it's a spicy one, with plenty of getting over old issues and moving forward into the future and all the good stuff that makes for a satisfying story. Sera is dealing with a creepy, abusive ex-husband and the issues with finding her own way as an individual when she's never really been an individual before; Julio is recovering from a traumatic injury and trying to feel his way around being a Council member and all the responsibilities that go with it. By all accounts, neither is really ready or looking for a relationship, but this is Romanceland, which means a relationship is exactly what they find.

Sera and Julio are perfect for each other, but unfortunately for them a lot of other people don't see it that way. It's hard to get too detailed without spoiling previous books in the series but suffice it to say that if there was ever any confusion about Julio's extended family being full of prejudiced morons, that confusion is thoroughly resolved here.

My favorite part of this story was definitely the road trip- by not having anyone else to talk to or any other distractions, both Sera and Julio have to confront their issues and decide if dealing with the obstacles and headaches that would be their lives together are worth the gains. Julio also gets to see firsthand that the Council has really not been leading in an efficient way and that there are a lot of marginalized people who need to be represented and supported. Winning the challenge to become a councilor was only the beginning, and Julio really didn't understand that until mid-road trip.

Like I said, I wouldn't start this series here, because way too much has happened in the previous books that's important to enjoying this one. That's not a bad thing, just something to be aware of, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Overall Rating:

Happy Thanksgiving! Oh, and Hello Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 02:15:00 +0000

Well! After another unexpected work/school/life related hiatus, it's now Thanksgiving break! I'm not traveling and so am looking forward to spending now until Monday morning wearing various pairs of yoga pants and eating as much as possible. Somewhere after the food coma and before I finally get around to catching up on classwork (oops) I'm looking forward to reading/reviewing some as well. Having time to do fun things is nice!

I've also started considering challenges for 2013! As usual, there's a ton of great choices, but as I'm looking to diversify my reading as well as revisit some old favorites in 2013, I'm sure I'll find a good starting place.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by friends, family, and some good books. Enjoy!

Review: Once Burned

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:14:00 +0000

Title: Once Burned
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Page Count: 346 pages
Publisher: Avon
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review obtained via my public library

Back Cover Summary:

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.
*****

Of all the reviews posted here lately, this is the one where I disagree the most with others who've read the same book. In general, it certainly seemed that lots of people loved Once Burned and Vlad as the hero of his own spinoff series. Try as I might, I really didn't and i think at the end of it all it was the uneven power dynamic that finally tipped the scales for me.

Let me start off with the positives- Leila was a believable heroine given the raw material she had to work with. She's a human, but she's aware that supernatural whatnots exist because she is one (she shocks people and sees their deepest shame, the result of an electrical accident earlier in life) so she doesn't fall into the trap of being unable to accept supernatural powers that belong to other people (as an aside, this is one of my biggest pet peeves in paranormal romance.) She realizes that people will think she's a complete crackpot if they find out about her abilities or her perceptions so she keeps them under her hat as best as possible and tries to staff off radar.

Her cover is blown when some vampire flunkies kidnap her and she makes a telepathic connection with Vlad Tepes, a major player from the Night Huntress series and yes, he is THAT Vlad. He's intrigued by Leila and rescues her from her captives. He has to make sure she's not a spy and that she's telling the truth and all that, which means she has to come stay with him while he figures out why this latest bad guy wants to kill him.

This is where things start to go downhill, in my opinion. Vlad is certainly an anti-hero, in that he's out for his own gain and lives by his own moral code, lopsided though it may be, and that's fine, but I feel like if it were anyone else (that is, not a pre-established sort of historical person) or he hadn't had some page time in the Night Huntress series where he seemed a little bit more vulnerable, for lack of a better word, he would have just come off as a controlling asshole. Friends, anyone who impales your loved ones, regardless of the reasons, is not a nice person, and you should probably hold off for someone who's a little less murderous.

Then there's the issue that Leila doesn't really have any recourse against him- he's faster than her, stronger than her, has lived longer than her, has endless resources at his disposal whereas she has the clothes on her back, and even her powers, formidable as they are against every other character in the book, are worthless against him. She's dependent on the fact that he's attracted to her for her safety and the safety of her family and loved ones, and even the moments when he does sweet things seem kind of odd in light of the fact that he's also so cold and calculating the rest of the time. It veered out of romance territory and into creepy territory.

I'm not sure if some of these issues will be addressed in future books, since there are at least two more books planned that feature these two, but I certainly hope that they are. I found the imbalance of power killed the romance for me even more than the "Leila is going to die and Vlad isn't" element, and admittedly that's usually a deal breaker in PNR for me too.

Overall Rating:

Review: Iloria

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 20:46:00 +0000

Title: Iloria
Author: Moira Rogers
Page Count: novella length (54 pages according to Goodreads)
Publisher: self-published
Genre: romance, fairy tale retelling
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
After three years at war, the First Warlord of the Forest alone faces the newly won peace with trepidation--a curse ensures the wolves of Farran’s family line are fit only for violence. Denied an enemy, he would prefer to return to his remote keep alone and turn that inevitable rage inward. Unfortunately, there’s the small matter of the bride he took in a moment of madness.

Iloria is a gently reared lady, trained from childhood to be the wife of the High Lord himself. Instead, she finds herself wed to his brutish commander, a man who offered kindness in her weakest moment. She’s more than willing to turn her dreams toward building a life with Farran, but her new husband seems reluctant to speak to her, much less bed her.

Farran’s isolated castle offers him little respite from the temptation of Iloria’s stubborn affections. Every encounter with her chips away at his self-control--a dangerous thing for a cursed man. If he takes her to his bed, he won’t stop until he’s mated his virgin bride...but if he fails to consummate their union, he risks losing the only person who’s ever made him feel like more than a beast.
*****

This story's release totally snuck up on me but what a good surprise! I've read and reviewed Sabine and Kisri here at WBiT? and was totally stoked for book three, especially because I knew it was a marriage of convenience story and in the style of my ALL TIME FAVORITE FAIRY TALE, Beauty and the Beast!

The expectations were high, but the ingredients were all there for a good story and they were blended excellently. Iloria is a great heroine who overcomes a lot of cultural baggage and indoctrination in a short while in the pursuit of her own happiness, and at the same time she manages to convince Farran that their relationship is not only a good thing, but worth fighting for and strengthening.

Farran is a beast only when he's possessed by lunacy on the night of the full moon, but since the curse is inherited, he's seen plenty of examples of how repulsive people think he and his ancestors are, or so he thinks. His curse has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and he's convinced that the only reason Iloria married him is to save herself the shame of being cast aside by the High King. While that may have been the first instant's motivation, she's determined to have a real, loving marriage, and he's determined not to hurt her, even if ignoring her is hurting her. It's a sticky wicket.

This is a really, really short story so there isn't a lot of time devoted to backstory. It's a good length though, and was a perfect way to relax after work one day. And at $2.99 per story, I can highly recommend buying all three and enjoying them one after the other. Do yourself a favor!

Overall Rating:

Review: Gunmetal Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:37:00 +0000

Title: Gunmetal Magic
Author: Ilona Andrews
Page Count: 326 pages
Publisher: Ace
Genre: urban fantasy/paranormal romance
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:

After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. She tries to put herself back together by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend. When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano--the male alpha of the Clan Bouda, and Andrea's former lover--die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate. Now she must work with Raphael as her search for the killer leads into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta. And dealing with her feelings for him might have to take a back seat to saving the world...
*****

This was one of my most, if not actually my most anticipated books for 2012, and it lived up to my expectations in every respect. It's a little more on the romance side than the straight up urban fantasy side, but let's face it, the resolution of the drama between Andrea and Raphael is what we came for, right? Right.

Andrea Nash is one of my favorite female characters and despite having up until now been a supporting character in the Kate Daniels series, is entirely kick ass in her own right. She's had a terrible history and works hard to overcome her past and to be a person of integrity and honor in the present along with being a serious force to be reckoned with. She has secrets on top of secrets and has learned never to trust anybody. Period. She made an exception for Kate.

It looked, for awhile, like she had made an exception for Raphael too. They were madly in love, crazy about each other, and in Raphael's opinion that would be enough for Andrea to get over her past issues and be ready to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. It seems like an arrogant as hell way to look at things, but realizing that Raphael has always had the love and loyalty of his family and the strength and support of the Pack it makes sense that he wouldn't understand how devastating Andrea's history truly was.

This is the backstory that all happened before the start of this book. In this book, Andrea and Raphael have to work together to figure out why four of Raphael's employees were horribly murdered. This means they're going to have to confront their hurt feelings and their history and figure out whether their relationship is salvageable. Both of them had some growing to do, and watching them go through their changes made the ultimate ending believable. I was so pleased.

The subplot of who is behind the murders was interesting too. In the tradition of this series, a Supreme Badass is on the loose and, grossly outnumbered and outarmed, Andrea, Raphael, Kate, Curran and the rest of the characters from this series have to save us all from doom. Also in the tradition of this series, they meet with varying degrees of success.

I can't say enough good things about this book- like I said, it totally blew away my admittedly high expectations. I do want to mention that I wouldn't start here if you're new to the Kate Daniels series- you should go back and read from the beginning and enjoy.

Another good thought- since, according to the author's blog, this book did very well in terms of sales expectations, I'm hoping we can look forward to more Kate Daniels World books in addition to the regular Kate Daniels books. Jim and Dali anyone?

Overall Rating:

Review: Dark Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Title: Dark Storm
Author: Christine Feehan
Page Count: 370 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review was purchased by me

Back Cover Summary:
Return to the seductive world of Christine Feehan's New York Times bestselling Carpathian novels as roiling passions collide in a perfect storm of dangerous desire that only a precious few can hope to outrun . . .

Awakening after all this time in a world of absolute darkness and oppressive heat, Dax wonders in how many ways the world above must have changed. But it is how he has changed that fills him with dread and loathing. Buried alive for hundreds of years in a volcano in the Carpathian Mountains, Dax fears that he has become the full-fledged abomination that every Carpathian male fears, a victim of the insidious evil that has crept relentlessly into his mind and body over the centuries. But there are some things that never change.

His name is Mitro, the vampire Dax had hunted all these long centuries. Second in command to the prince of the Carpathian people he is the epitome of everything malevolent, and perpetrator of one of the most shocking killing sprees known to man - and beast. Even his friends and family weren't safe from Mitro's bloodlust. Neither was Mitro's lifemate, Arabejila, an extraordinary woman with extraordinary gifts. But now that Dax has re-emerged, so too has Mitro. The ultimate battle between good and evil has been re-engaged. Between Dax and Mitro, a violent game has begun - one that has marked Riley Parker, the last descendent of Arabejila, as the reward.
*****

First of all, I grabbed the back cover summary from Goodreads, and I have no idea why it says that the volcano that plays such a huge role in the story is in the Carpathian Mountains- it isn't. We're still in the jungle, and at no point in the story do we go to the Carpathian Mountains. If you were hoping for that, stop, because it didn't happen in this book.

Second of all, spoilers may follow in this review, but honestly at this point I don't think so, because nothing is happening in this series and therefore there really isn't anything to spoil. Be that as it may, I'm putting a spoiler warning here so nobody can say they weren't informed.

Moving on, this book was conflicting for me. I enjoyed the whirlwind relationship between Dax and Riley, but I'm starting to seriously resent the fact that this series is going absolutely nowhere. I've mentioned before that I'm not sure that the series needed more characters at this point, and I stand by that statement now. I would have been over the moon if this book included any forward yardage on the plot at all; sadly, it didn't.

If anything, this installment in the series actually moved the plot backwards, because things that have been canon in this series are now in question. We've been running on the assumption that certain things are the basis of the events in the story for a long time- years, in real life time- at this point, so to kind of throw all that out and start over is annoying for me as a reader.

Oh what the hell, I'll get more specific. The big example of this is that there still isn't a full resolution as to why the Carpathians have such a hard time having children and keeping them alive once they're born. For years (since Dark Demon in 2006) we've been told that Xavier is the reason, that he's corrupted the soil with parasites, and that he's alive and waiting to deliver the killing blow to the Carpathian species. Fast forward to this, book 23, and Xavier is dead (for real this time,) there's a way to purify the soil (albeit inefficiently) and theoretically things should be at least a little brighter now that the supreme enemy of the Carpathian race is dead.

If you think that, you're wrong! Apparently there's some ancient fertility ritual with a flower that's critical to successful procreation for Carpathians and somehow nobody remembered this until recently, which is how two HUMAN associates of the Carpathians (Gary and Jubal) ended up in the rain forest looking for the flower, and that's how they run into Riley and, by extension, Dax. The pieces fit together but they sure don't make a neat puzzle.

I find that at this point, the most enjoyable part of the story was the whirlwind relationship between Riley and Dax, but it was enjoyable because it precisely fit the mold of every other hero/heroine in this series. Sudden, almost accidental meeting, instant attraction, improbably odds (Riley's mom is murdered on screen so it's a really natural time for her to start a seriously long-term relationship) and happily ever after where they're both Carpathian at the end (albeit after a pukey, convulsive, organ-shifting conversion.)

I have a hard time giving a good review to a book whose best parts are ones that have been done a thousand times in the same series at this point. I know that this author works with the "my characters speak to me" method of plotting the series but at this point I'm kind of hoping they go back and read their own past installments so we don't end up just starting the whole story arc over again on accident.

I know Skylar and Dmitri's story is going to be a long, LONG way off, but at this point that is the one I want to read. It may not be a bad idea for me to take a break from this series and pick up later. Much later.

Overall Rating: