Viking is doing another giveaway of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness through GoodReads. Click here to enter. Seriously. Click it. I'm reading this one right now, and I'm diggin' it. Sign up ends in about 16 hours, so don't delay. It's US only, though. Sorry non-USian folks.
Gotta go now. Must read more. Bye!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Review: Like Clockwork by Bonnie Dee
Review by Chronic Betty
Victoria's work with automatons has gained her renown and changed the face of London. But her concern that the clockworks are taking too many jobs away from humans, creating social unrest, is ignored. Given the ugly mood of the underclass, she fears more outbreaks of violence similar to the murder spree of the notorious Southwark Slasher.
Dash, unemployed thanks to the clockworks, has pledged fealty to The Brotherhood, a group determined to bring about the downfall of the automatons by any means necessary. His plan to kidnap Victoria goes awry when the unorthodox scientist pledges her assistance to their cause.
Despite their opposite social classes, a bond grows between them, and Victoria begins to feel emotions she never expected for the passionate Dash. But when the Slasher strikes close to home, Dash and Victoria realize that the boundaries of polite society are far from the only threat to their happiness...
I was really psyched to read this one. I read another one of Dee's Carina titles last summer, Jungle Heat, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Throw in some steampunk, and I'm there! I was a little disappointed when I found out that this was a novella, because they generally aren't my favorite. But I decided to give this one a go.
This was a very crowded story. We've got steampunk, we've got civil unrest, we've got a kidnapping, we've got a nefarious government agency, and a Jack the Ripper-like serial killer on the loose. Then we've got the lovers, two people who've never met each other before and have to overcome significant class differences to get to their happy ending. All in just under 90 pages. That's a lot of ground to cover. One of the biggest plot points isn't even resolved on screen; we just hear about it later.
With all the other stuff going on, there just wasn't time for the romance to develop. There were some nice moments in the middle of the story between Victoria and Dash, but the beginning just wasn't believable. He kidnaps her, and within an few hours she's totally on his side. (So, OK, politically she was pretty much on his side to begin with. But I'm sorry, I don't care how much we agree philosophically, it's going to take more than a few hours to get over the desire to scream and bash my kidnapper over the head with my handbag. I'm not going to invite him in for a drink and let him kiss me.) And then we skip forward five months for the epilogue and the happy ending.
If there's going to be this much story in my story, it really needs to be about three times the page length. Barring that, I would have liked to see Victoria and Dash's romance play out more naturally on the page, with some of the other threads left to be picked up in another book. This could have been an excellent introduction to a new world and a new series, but I see nothing on the author's website about any planned follow up books. There's certainly enough going on here, enough not satisfactorily resolved, to support more than a 90 page novella.
There were positives. I liked the premise, and I liked Victoria and Dash, as much as I got to know them. It wasn't a total dud. I just wish there had been enough breathing room for the positives to really develop.
While it's an A for creativity and story building, I have to give this one a D for execution. It was a very interesting idea, but it's too much story shoehorned into too few pages.
I picked this one up as a promotional freebie from Harlequin.
I was really psyched to read this one. I read another one of Dee's Carina titles last summer, Jungle Heat, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Throw in some steampunk, and I'm there! I was a little disappointed when I found out that this was a novella, because they generally aren't my favorite. But I decided to give this one a go.
This was a very crowded story. We've got steampunk, we've got civil unrest, we've got a kidnapping, we've got a nefarious government agency, and a Jack the Ripper-like serial killer on the loose. Then we've got the lovers, two people who've never met each other before and have to overcome significant class differences to get to their happy ending. All in just under 90 pages. That's a lot of ground to cover. One of the biggest plot points isn't even resolved on screen; we just hear about it later.
With all the other stuff going on, there just wasn't time for the romance to develop. There were some nice moments in the middle of the story between Victoria and Dash, but the beginning just wasn't believable. He kidnaps her, and within an few hours she's totally on his side. (So, OK, politically she was pretty much on his side to begin with. But I'm sorry, I don't care how much we agree philosophically, it's going to take more than a few hours to get over the desire to scream and bash my kidnapper over the head with my handbag. I'm not going to invite him in for a drink and let him kiss me.) And then we skip forward five months for the epilogue and the happy ending.
If there's going to be this much story in my story, it really needs to be about three times the page length. Barring that, I would have liked to see Victoria and Dash's romance play out more naturally on the page, with some of the other threads left to be picked up in another book. This could have been an excellent introduction to a new world and a new series, but I see nothing on the author's website about any planned follow up books. There's certainly enough going on here, enough not satisfactorily resolved, to support more than a 90 page novella.
There were positives. I liked the premise, and I liked Victoria and Dash, as much as I got to know them. It wasn't a total dud. I just wish there had been enough breathing room for the positives to really develop.
While it's an A for creativity and story building, I have to give this one a D for execution. It was a very interesting idea, but it's too much story shoehorned into too few pages.
I picked this one up as a promotional freebie from Harlequin.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Bookle
Today, over on Lucy's blog, she introduced us to the wonder of Wordle. I thought it was so cool that I decided to plug in all the books I've read in the last few years, and this is what I got. The computer is thwarting me today, and I can't get the picture to display any larger than that, but if you click on it you should go to a bigger version on the Wordle website. Cool, huh?
Monday, January 24, 2011
When Do You Give Up?
I'm reading this book, see. And it's a library book. I waited in line for WEEKS to get this book. And I really want to read it, except that I don't.
Sometimes I'm reading along and it just sucks me in. It's fascinating, and I can't wait to see what happens next. And then the scene changes, and I'm putting it down every other page to see if there's anything new on the internet and get a snack. I think part of the problem is that the author seems to be setting up a triangle, and I have no interest in one of the dudes. Also, I'm a little over 1/3 of the way through the book, about 95 pages in, and I still have little to no idea what the hell is going on. Obviously there is mysterious, paranormal shit going down. But none of it makes sense yet. And all we're getting is the girl's POV, even though it's told in 3rd person, so the author could switch over to one of the guys if she wanted to. (But please, not the one I don't like, unless you can tell me something in his POV that would make him interesting.)
I'm seriously thinking about scraping this book. There's other stuff I want to read. But I've borrowed this book from the library twice now, waiting in line forever both times, and I'm reluctant to give up on it. When do you pull the plug? At what point do you decide to let it go and move on with your day?
Sometimes I'm reading along and it just sucks me in. It's fascinating, and I can't wait to see what happens next. And then the scene changes, and I'm putting it down every other page to see if there's anything new on the internet and get a snack. I think part of the problem is that the author seems to be setting up a triangle, and I have no interest in one of the dudes. Also, I'm a little over 1/3 of the way through the book, about 95 pages in, and I still have little to no idea what the hell is going on. Obviously there is mysterious, paranormal shit going down. But none of it makes sense yet. And all we're getting is the girl's POV, even though it's told in 3rd person, so the author could switch over to one of the guys if she wanted to. (But please, not the one I don't like, unless you can tell me something in his POV that would make him interesting.)
I'm seriously thinking about scraping this book. There's other stuff I want to read. But I've borrowed this book from the library twice now, waiting in line forever both times, and I'm reluctant to give up on it. When do you pull the plug? At what point do you decide to let it go and move on with your day?
Friday, January 21, 2011
Review: Warrior by Zoe Archer
Review by Chronic Betty
To most people, the realm of magic is the stuff of nursery rhymes and dusty libraries. But for Capt. Gabriel Huntley, it’s become quite real and quite dangerous…
IN HOT PURSUIT…
The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn’t be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.
IN HOTTER WATER…
Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…
This is the book I picked for Read a Happy Book Week, and I was quite delighted with it. You know what was so delightful? The conflict. There was some. I've read so many romances lately where the one thing standing between the Hero and Heroine goes something like this: "My mother left my father, who was an abusive asshole. Therefore all women are dirty whooores!" Ugh. In this one, their stumbling block to happiness went more like: "We're being chased by a pack of madmen searching for a magical treasure that will allow them to rule the world. Maybe now is not the best time for humperating." Also, there was a small misunderstanding that was quickly resolved by communicating with one another. What a concept.
Beyond the refreshingly realistic interpersonal conflict, Warrior is just a fun story. Archer does a good job of laying out her new world without slowing down the action. Most of the story takes place in Mongolia, which is a new setting for me. And the two leads, Thalia and Gabriel, really seem to fit together. He was protective without being smothering; she's the one with all the knowledge and experience with magic, and she doesn't make the second-rate heroine mistake of running off half-cocked and then expecting to be rescued.
One thing that I found slightly distracting is that a couple of the descriptions of magic in the story strongly reminded me of scenes from The Mummy and Lord of the Rings, and the setting and situation for the final showdown reminded me quite a bit of Helm's Deep from The Two Towers. These things were enough to make my mind wander from the story for a minute, but not enough of a distraction to make me put the book down.
I'm also a little concerned about The Blades of the Rose (the name of the group fighting to protect the magical items) and their overall motivation for the series. They're determined to protect these items, called Sources, for the native people and cultures in which they're found. They're not allowed to collect or use the magic themselves. So instead of being proactive, they're constantly reacting to the moves of the Heirs of Albion (the bad guys) and behind the 8 ball, because the Heirs have no problem with using what they take. It's a negative goal and a war that they can't ever really win. I understand the thinking to a certain extent-- if they start gathering Sources too, what makes them different from the Heirs? But it also strikes me as a slightly... wimpy stance. I hope in future books the Blades find a way to get more proactive in their defense of the Sources.
This was fun adventure and an excellent start to the series. I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad that I have the next two books ready to go in my TBR file. I don't remember for sure, but it was on the Pocket, so I must have picked this one up from Kobo with a coupon. I give it a B++. (Only books that make my hair stand on end, in a good way, get an A rating. Warrior didn't have that final zing to push it over into that category, but it came very close.)
Beyond the refreshingly realistic interpersonal conflict, Warrior is just a fun story. Archer does a good job of laying out her new world without slowing down the action. Most of the story takes place in Mongolia, which is a new setting for me. And the two leads, Thalia and Gabriel, really seem to fit together. He was protective without being smothering; she's the one with all the knowledge and experience with magic, and she doesn't make the second-rate heroine mistake of running off half-cocked and then expecting to be rescued.
One thing that I found slightly distracting is that a couple of the descriptions of magic in the story strongly reminded me of scenes from The Mummy and Lord of the Rings, and the setting and situation for the final showdown reminded me quite a bit of Helm's Deep from The Two Towers. These things were enough to make my mind wander from the story for a minute, but not enough of a distraction to make me put the book down.
I'm also a little concerned about The Blades of the Rose (the name of the group fighting to protect the magical items) and their overall motivation for the series. They're determined to protect these items, called Sources, for the native people and cultures in which they're found. They're not allowed to collect or use the magic themselves. So instead of being proactive, they're constantly reacting to the moves of the Heirs of Albion (the bad guys) and behind the 8 ball, because the Heirs have no problem with using what they take. It's a negative goal and a war that they can't ever really win. I understand the thinking to a certain extent-- if they start gathering Sources too, what makes them different from the Heirs? But it also strikes me as a slightly... wimpy stance. I hope in future books the Blades find a way to get more proactive in their defense of the Sources.
This was fun adventure and an excellent start to the series. I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad that I have the next two books ready to go in my TBR file. I don't remember for sure, but it was on the Pocket, so I must have picked this one up from Kobo with a coupon. I give it a B++. (Only books that make my hair stand on end, in a good way, get an A rating. Warrior didn't have that final zing to push it over into that category, but it came very close.)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Review With a Capital "EW"
Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly
Review by Diva
The Story:
Icy lonelyhearts rich girl Maddy goes to a charity bachelor auction to keep her new stepmom from cuckolding dad by paying money for some hunky humping. She outbids Stepmommy on Bachelor #19, the "gorgeous, muscular, friendly" Jake the paramedic. He likes Maddy. She is disgusted that he was in a charity bachelor auction and makes the hip-breakingly wild cognitive leap that because he auctioned off a date to a ball game with himself he must be a high priced man-ho. She does him anyway. He doesn't tell her he isn't a gigolo because she has walls around her heart (I imagine them being cute lego brick walls) and needs to control the relationship by paying him or something. It's like Pretty Woman--all the cynicism without the fun shopping. Then they develop Feelings-with-a-capital-wtF and drama follows involving her sister's upcoming loveless-match wedding, her dad's fourth marriage, and a bypass surgery.
What Worked:
Convenience-- I was sick and needed something to read, ergo it was the obvious choice.
Frugality--it was free. I feel dirty now.
What Didn't Work:
Characterization--the Diva had to refer back to the book twice to confirm the names of the main characters despite third person narration and the fact I had read the names hundreds of times. No one has a personality. I was compelled to call them Uppity Hot Girl and Washboard Abs. It is also a challenge to believe that Uppity is truly as icy as her adjectives declare when she yanks up her tank top and commences dry humping outside the bar on the first date (excuse me, non-date they are just friends---I have friends, we NEVER do stuff like that)
Motivation--Dear Washboard (May I call you by your first name?): She thinks you are a whore. She gives you a check for 30K to be "exclusive" and service her for one month. Explain to me why you would do this. 'Because she is Uppity Hot Girl' is not an acceptable answer. Love, Diva
Names--in addition to Uppity and Washboard, we have characters named Tabby and Bitsy.
Talking about the Relationship--if Diva had to talk about her feelings and relationships half this much she would be single 4evah. I don't even think I *have* that many feelings. The angsty angst of being a rich woman with "large luscious breasts and a tiny, tiny waist" who is for some reason paying for it made me giggle a lot until i realized that the only person who should have to listen to her many many thoughts on trust and the impossibility of romantic love would be a trained therapist.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Read a Happy Book Week
I've been in a real funk lately. It seems like the whole world has been in a funk lately. At a certain point I think all the misery out there just sucks all the happiness out of your tank. What we all need is a refill.
So I am declaring Read a Happy Book Week. I want you to find something that makes you happy, that will bring a few moments of joy into your life, and read the heck out of it. That new book you've been saving up for the right moment? Now would be the time. The old favorite that always makes you smile? Sounds good to me. Does a good murder mystery always make you sigh with pleasure when the bad guy's caught and all is right with the world again? Murder on. And I know you all know a few good romcom authors.
The book I've picked out to start Read a Happy Book Week is Warrior by Zoe Archer. I've heard good things about this series, and it's definite the kind of book I enjoy. Adventure, romance, mysterious bad guys, exotic locations, and magic. Sounds like a good time to me!
So go fill up your happy tanks, everyone. Let us all know what book you pick, and if this little reading adventure helps!
So I am declaring Read a Happy Book Week. I want you to find something that makes you happy, that will bring a few moments of joy into your life, and read the heck out of it. That new book you've been saving up for the right moment? Now would be the time. The old favorite that always makes you smile? Sounds good to me. Does a good murder mystery always make you sigh with pleasure when the bad guy's caught and all is right with the world again? Murder on. And I know you all know a few good romcom authors.
The book I've picked out to start Read a Happy Book Week is Warrior by Zoe Archer. I've heard good things about this series, and it's definite the kind of book I enjoy. Adventure, romance, mysterious bad guys, exotic locations, and magic. Sounds like a good time to me!
So go fill up your happy tanks, everyone. Let us all know what book you pick, and if this little reading adventure helps!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Review: Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong
Review by Chronic Betty
The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favour to one of the agency’s associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.
Soon Savannah is in over her head. She’s run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn’t her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she’s ever had to learn.
I'm a long-time fan of Armstrong, and this book is another strong entry in the series. After 11 books you might think that both the author and readers would be getting a little tired. But Ms Armstrong keeps it fresh. Instead of using one first person narrator through the whole series, she switches things up, using different narrators book to book and focusing on different areas of the supernatural community.
We first met Savannah as a young teen in the third book in the series, Dime Store Magic. She's come a long way since then. In this, her first novel as narrator, she shows herself to be smart, tough, and powerful, even if she's also frequently rash and unwilling to accept help.
The case is a difficult one. A year ago two young women were found murdered in the basement of an abandoned building. Now, another woman has been found dead in the same place. Three murders in a year is a lot for tiny, down on it's luck Columbus, Washington. The sheriff is focused on a suspect, but is it the right one?
There were many likely suspects in this one, and more deaths followed the initial three. Lots of red herrings (or are they?), and lots of racing around. Because most of the book is Savannah on her own, you don't need to know much about what has come before. And when old characters do pop up briefly, you're given enough background to place them without interrupting the flow of the story.
But that changes in the last 60 pages or so. The ending leans heavily on events from Dime Store Magic, which could definitely be confusing for those who are new to the series. It was confusing to me, and I've read it, although not recently. So for old fans a refresher on DSM could be helpful.
Mostly, there's just a lot of stuff going on at the end of the book. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just suggest you read carefully. Maybe take notes. One major, dangerous plot line is not wrapped up, and it appears to be the subject of the next book, also narrated by Savannah, due out in July. And there's a major whoa! in the last line, which should make things even more interesting for book 12.
Overall I found this one very entertaining, if a little complicated at the end. I give it a B. And once again I send a shout out to the Harris County Public Library for having such an excellent digital collection.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
 |
| The original 90's cover |
I have a regrettable taste for teen soap operas, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I'm a fan of the TV show The Vampire Diaries. I'd never read the books, though, so this weekend I decided to dive into the first one, The Awakening by L.J. Smith. Here's the blurb:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
Elena
Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
Doesn't that sound deliciously Old Skool, to borrow SB Sarah's favorite phrase? Unfortunately, the book worked about as well for me as most romances of the 70s through the early 90s do. That is, not at all.
The Elena of the book was a straight up Mean Girl. She is the acknowledged Queen of the School, and she's perfectly willing to use and abuse that power to get what she wants. I don't find this kind of character at all sympathetic, and it sets me up to root against her whenever possible.
Her obsession with Stefan was squicky as well. She thought this on the first day of school, having never even spoken to poor Stefan before:
She'd have him, even if it killed her. If it killed both of them, she'd have him.Um, ew. That's a bit extreme, don't you think? Even for an angsty teen romance, which tend to be a bit OTT anyway. And then there was this, toward the end of the book:
All she knew was that she needed to see him, to hear his voice, to feels his arms around her. Being away from him was like being separated from her own flesh.At least they were a couple by this point. I had a friend in high school who absolutely fell to pieces when her parents made her go on a band trip over Christmas break. She spent the whole time wracking up huge long distance charges on the hotel bill (I'm old. This was in the dark ages before every teenager had a cell phone.) and crying. I didn't understand this desperate attitude at 18 any more than I do now.
The pacing of the book was off for me, too. The middle of the book dragged terribly, and then all the interesting stuff happened in the last 30 pages or so. And most of that was Stefan explaining the backstory. Then Damon shows up and the book stops. It doesn't end, it just stops. There was a sample chapter from the next book in the series, and it picks up exactly where The Awakening stops, like they whacked the end off and glued it onto the next. That's not a cliffhanger, that's just a dirty trick.
I'm glad I got this one from the library, because I didn't like it at all. I think I'll stick to the TV show from now on. The characters, especially Elena, are much more relatable.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Review: How to Marry a Duke by Vicky Dreiling
Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne is a man with a mission: find a wife he can tolerate as long as they both shall live. Love is not necessary--nor desired. But how to choose among a dizzying array of wealthy-yet-witless candidates? Hire London's infamously prim and proper matchmaker. Then pretend she's not the most captivating woman he's ever met...
Helping a devilish Duke create a contest to pick his perfect mate is the kind of challenge Tessa Mansfield relishes. Her methods may be scandalous, but she's determined to find the notorious bachelor more than a wife--she'll bring him true love. Yet when Tessa watches the women vie for the Duke's affections, she longs to win his heart herself. And after a stolen kiss confirms Tristan's desire, Tessa knows she has broken a matchmaker's number one rule: never fall in love with the groom.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I went in really excited about it-- the premise sounded cute and it started off well. Tristan isn't thrilled about getting married, but he knows it's time. When he meets the lovely Tessa, a spinster who has gained a reputation as a matchmaker, he decides to use her professional help. Tessa hopes to seal that reputation by making the match of the season. She not only agrees to take on Tristan as a client, she turns his courtship into a Bachelor-like contest, with 24 of the most beautiful and accomplished girls of the season competing for the Duke's hand.
After that fun set up, the book took a turn for the angsty. It turns out Tessa has a deep, dark secret. We get to hear that she has this secret, and how it makes it impossible for her to ever marry. But it's not until almost the end of the book that we find out what the secret is. (It's pretty much exactly what you think it is.)
In the meantime, Tristan, who is know as a notorious rake and constantly appears in the scandal pages, becomes obsessed with not making waves of any kind. He keeps saying that he doesn't want to cause his mother and sister pain. This is his reason for constantly denying his feelings for Tessa; choosing the matchmaker would dishonor the girls in the contest and create a huge scandal. My problem with this line of reasoning is that he's been causing scandals for years with no problem. Why does it suddenly start bothering him now?
*This next bit is spoilery, so read at your own peril.*
The frustrating part about all this angst is that there's no pay off. When Tessa is finally forced to reveal her secret to Tristan, he goes off in a rage. He feels that Tessa has brought shame to his family and the girls with her scandalous past. But one five minute conversation with his mother and all is forgiven. And when it comes time to announce his decision to marry Tessa there's no negative backlash at all. All that hand wringing, and then they go ahead and do what they want to do anyway, and no one bats an eye. It made the previous couple hundred pages kind of pointless.
*OK, you can come back now.*
Also, Tristan calls his dick "Bad Boy" in one scene, which is not attractive.
I was motivated to like this one, but it just didn't work for me. There were some enjoyable moments, but they were overshadowed by all the pointless worrying. I'm sorry to say I give this one a D. Full disclosure-- I know and really like the author, although she may not be speaking to me after this review. I pre-ordered and paid for my copy myself.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading in 2011
So, we've talked about 2010. Now that we're several days into 2011 I think it's time to talk about the good stuff we're all looking forward to this year.
The book I was most excited about reading as the ball dropped on Friday night was How to Marry a Duke by Vicky Dreiling. It's been described as The Bachelor in Regency England, which sounds like fun. Also, I know Vicky from my time in West Houston RWA, and she's a real sweetheart. I've dropped out of touch with the group in the last year or two, but I couldn't have been more thrilled when I heard she sold her first book. How to Marry a Duke launched this week, and I'll be posting my review on Friday.
The next book on the publishing schedule that I'm looking forward to is Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning, due out January 18th. I wouldn't care if Mac was run over by a bus (which she's just about smart enough to manage), except for the whole first person narrator thing. It's Barrons I want more of. The last book ended on a cliffhanger, and I'm dying to find out how it is resolved. I really, really don't think it's going to be what the author wanted us, or at least Mac, to think it is. I guess we'll all know for sure in a couple more weeks.
The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton comes out on January 31st. It's got steampunk and a mystery and some romance, but mostly do you see that gorgeous cover? It know I shouldn't. I know it's wrong. But a beautiful cover will suck me in every time. As we've previously established, I'm shallow like that. If the story provokes half the reaction in me that the cover does, I'll definitely be reviewing this one.
Moving into February, we have A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. This is the one the publisher sent me a copy of through the First Reads program over at Goodreads. A library, an ancient text, a scholar and reluctant witch, a sexy vampire, and a whole lotta trouble. I can't wait to dive into this one. And it's got a pretty cover, too.
March brings California Schemin' by our very own Kate George. California appears to be the sequel to her first book, Moonlighting in Vermont. (Which I received for Christmas and haven't had a chance to read yet.) No cover yet, as far as I can tell, although I know she's run through a million different versions, trying to find exactly the right one. That's all I can tell you at the moment, because my extreme allergy to spoilers prevents me from checking the storyline!
March also brings the latest book by one of my very favorite authors, Sarah Addison Allen. I don't even know what The Peach Keeper is about, but you know what? It doesn't matter. I still want to read it. Her books are that good. If you haven't read any of her books, run, don't walk, to your nearest book source and get yourself a copy of Garden Spells or The Sugar Queen. Which one is my favorite depends entirely on which one I've read most recently. Whichever book you choose, prepare to be hungry.
And then comes April and the latest installment of the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Ghost Story. The last book ended in such a big way, I'd want to read it even if I wasn't a big Dresden fan, just to see what happens next. The end of Changes was a game changer. I never discount Harry Dresden, but at this moment I just can't see how he can come back from this. Which means that Butcher has something clever up his sleeve. I can't wait to see what it is.
Later in April comes the long anticipated One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer- Fleming. I have to admit, I have some anxiety about this book. It's been pushed back at least a year from it's original pub date, which isn't usually a good sign. But I love Clare and Russ, so I'll be along for the ride. If you've never read this series, I highly recommend it. Murders in a small town in upstate New York, a Chief of Police with trouble on his hands, and a Lady Priest who's always sticking her nose where it's not wanted. Lots of chemistry and complications. Spencer-Fleming is one of the top three new (to me) authors I've discovered in the last few years.
Skipping ahead to June, this is when Jenny Crusie's newest book Lavender's Blue: Liz Danger Mystery series, Book One is tentatively scheduled. Awww, yeah. New Crusie. That's all that needs to be said about that.
Skipping forward again to August we have Tawna Fenske's first book, Making Waves. Let's see. Modern day executives turn pirate and try to intercept an illegal diamond shipment made by their conniving ex-boss. I'm so there. If it's half as amusing as her blog and Twitter stream, this is going to be one heck of a book.
And then there's a book called A Little Night Magic by some chick named Lucy. She's not committing to when it will be out, other than hopefully sometime in 2011. Let's get the FGBVs going, ladies. I want to read this one.
So what books are you looking forward to this year? And what did I miss? I know there's got to be something.
March brings California Schemin' by our very own Kate George. California appears to be the sequel to her first book, Moonlighting in Vermont. (Which I received for Christmas and haven't had a chance to read yet.) No cover yet, as far as I can tell, although I know she's run through a million different versions, trying to find exactly the right one. That's all I can tell you at the moment, because my extreme allergy to spoilers prevents me from checking the storyline!
Skipping ahead to June, this is when Jenny Crusie's newest book Lavender's Blue: Liz Danger Mystery series, Book One is tentatively scheduled. Awww, yeah. New Crusie. That's all that needs to be said about that.
Skipping forward again to August we have Tawna Fenske's first book, Making Waves. Let's see. Modern day executives turn pirate and try to intercept an illegal diamond shipment made by their conniving ex-boss. I'm so there. If it's half as amusing as her blog and Twitter stream, this is going to be one heck of a book.
And then there's a book called A Little Night Magic by some chick named Lucy. She's not committing to when it will be out, other than hopefully sometime in 2011. Let's get the FGBVs going, ladies. I want to read this one.
So what books are you looking forward to this year? And what did I miss? I know there's got to be something.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Review: Tomorrow Is Mine by Rebecca James
Review by DivaBetty
TOMORROW IS MINE By Rebecca James (pen name of Canadian playwright Jim Clavell)
Backstory: I got this book from the library when I was in high school, having read all the Victoria Holts and Jane Aiken Hodges in stock and yearning for historical romance/suspense. May I bandy about a local redneckism? Because whooo boy howdy! that is one hell of a book.
Finally scored my own copy (inscribed, natch) from Alibris.com for $8.
Here's the rationale for my review--despite the fact it's hard to find and you will have to force your library to order it or shell out hard cash online to get a copy, it is by far and away one of my favorite books ever ever ever!
I've been reading it every year since I was fifteen. It doesn't diminish--no amount of maturity or life experience render it silly or quaint or otherwise less than I originally thought it. In short, it is my cup of tea.
The Summary:
Eleanor Locke grows up on the family hacienda, orphaned as an infant by her Mexican mother and English father (who was disowned by crotchety rich dude dad Simeon Locke for marrying the hot senorita instead of foreclosing on her ranch which he was sent there to do). She's really tall, plain, loyal, and outspoken and an excellent horsewoman. She adores the hacienda's managers Tomas and Inez who have raised her as one of their own and trained her to run a household and manage a large cattle ranch. Word comes that her wealthy grandfather has died and the terms of his will are both inconvenient and nasty.
His fortune will go to Eleanor in its entirety if she marries a 'gentleman of property' within one year of his death (it took like nine months for the lawyers to get affairs in order and go to Mexico by ship so it's pretty urgent) or else all of his estate is to be liquidated and given to an obscure church, including the hacienda which is to be sold and all employees turned out and never rehired.
To save her beloved home and adoptive family, Eleanor has to go to England and land a landed gentleman, knowing that the only possible suitors would be callous fortune hunters since she is neither beautiful nor a genteel lady of the ton. With neither looks nor family to recommend her, Eleanor travels angrily to London with Dominic and Ada Chumbley, her grandfather's attorney and his wife (who is just as much the lawyer as her sweet but bumbling husband). She meets a hot doctor, Gordon, on the ship, but he has no property so she can't marry him to solve her problems despite being infatuated with him. Ada buys their way in with Lady Monica--a bankrupt gargoyle bitch of an aristocrat to get Eleanor invited to the right balls. Unflattering clothes are purchased which have to have 12-inch swags of nonmatching material tacked onto the hem because Eleanor's so tall. It's difficult to get anyone to talk to her because she's so pissed off about having to do this and would like to basically dig up Grandpa Locke and set fire to the vindictive old bastard. Still, she pursues it out of necessity.
Out for a walk at dawn, she barges into a commotion surrounding a gorgeous but wild stallion who has been forfeited in a bet by a ruined gambler. She charges up, scolds the drunken gentlemen for mishandling the horse and offers to buy it. She gets laughed at and derided and storms off but eventually wins the horse at a hand of cards at that night's ball. The scene where she and gambling rake Javis de Courcey cut cards for the horse is priceless.
You see where this is going--she has to marry him because she wants her inheritance and he is down to nothing but Mallory Court--the family coast property that's perilously close to Napoleonic France with the threat of invasion looming larger every day. He agrees to stay married to her for a year and then give her a divorce if she'll pay his outstanding debts, even offering a marriage in name only which is a relief to her because she thinks he's a stuck up gambling jackass. Eleanor ends up at tumbledown Mallory Court with rude servants who won't listen to her and finds out that Javis' madman godfather lives there along with his "ward"--a twelve year old French girl named Cricket. Also she finds out that his wife died last year when someone (probably him) threw her histrionic ass off a cliff.
No one wants her there. She hears his dead wife's ghost playing the harp at night, then finds the case locked when she checks it. She's isolated, he's drunk a lot, and she starts to fear for her life, realizing that if she dies he gets all her money and no tacky divorce. Never mind that he tries to talk to her and get her on his side, or that he rather shyly brings her a huge stack of leather boxes which contain generations of de Courcey family jewels because she is his wife and he wants her to have them. They're suspicious of each other but oh is he ever the hot rakish lord who does some smuggling with the French and has a penchant for taking in strays (his godfather, Cricket, some old maiden aunts)!
Gordon shows back up as the new town doctor and she's all happy to see him. They meet clandestinely, he brings her to a cottage and begs for her help because he is keeping a refugee alive--Liane, Javis's dead wife's sister whom he cast out after Amelie's death. Liane is gorgeous and frail and Eleanor moves her in to the Court just as everyone's arriving for the holiday house party. This makes Javis mad as hell and confrontations ensue and the "accidents" start happening to Eleanor a lot more often.
There's also someone signalling the French from the locked tower on the coast at night, which means someone's a spy!
There's cloak and dagger business, lots of romance, and a really good twist at the end.
Love it. Full marks. A+, All possible strips of bacon.
TOMORROW IS MINE By Rebecca James (pen name of Canadian playwright Jim Clavell)
Backstory: I got this book from the library when I was in high school, having read all the Victoria Holts and Jane Aiken Hodges in stock and yearning for historical romance/suspense. May I bandy about a local redneckism? Because whooo boy howdy! that is one hell of a book.
Finally scored my own copy (inscribed, natch) from Alibris.com for $8.
Here's the rationale for my review--despite the fact it's hard to find and you will have to force your library to order it or shell out hard cash online to get a copy, it is by far and away one of my favorite books ever ever ever!
I've been reading it every year since I was fifteen. It doesn't diminish--no amount of maturity or life experience render it silly or quaint or otherwise less than I originally thought it. In short, it is my cup of tea.
The Summary:
Eleanor Locke grows up on the family hacienda, orphaned as an infant by her Mexican mother and English father (who was disowned by crotchety rich dude dad Simeon Locke for marrying the hot senorita instead of foreclosing on her ranch which he was sent there to do). She's really tall, plain, loyal, and outspoken and an excellent horsewoman. She adores the hacienda's managers Tomas and Inez who have raised her as one of their own and trained her to run a household and manage a large cattle ranch. Word comes that her wealthy grandfather has died and the terms of his will are both inconvenient and nasty.
His fortune will go to Eleanor in its entirety if she marries a 'gentleman of property' within one year of his death (it took like nine months for the lawyers to get affairs in order and go to Mexico by ship so it's pretty urgent) or else all of his estate is to be liquidated and given to an obscure church, including the hacienda which is to be sold and all employees turned out and never rehired.
To save her beloved home and adoptive family, Eleanor has to go to England and land a landed gentleman, knowing that the only possible suitors would be callous fortune hunters since she is neither beautiful nor a genteel lady of the ton. With neither looks nor family to recommend her, Eleanor travels angrily to London with Dominic and Ada Chumbley, her grandfather's attorney and his wife (who is just as much the lawyer as her sweet but bumbling husband). She meets a hot doctor, Gordon, on the ship, but he has no property so she can't marry him to solve her problems despite being infatuated with him. Ada buys their way in with Lady Monica--a bankrupt gargoyle bitch of an aristocrat to get Eleanor invited to the right balls. Unflattering clothes are purchased which have to have 12-inch swags of nonmatching material tacked onto the hem because Eleanor's so tall. It's difficult to get anyone to talk to her because she's so pissed off about having to do this and would like to basically dig up Grandpa Locke and set fire to the vindictive old bastard. Still, she pursues it out of necessity.
Out for a walk at dawn, she barges into a commotion surrounding a gorgeous but wild stallion who has been forfeited in a bet by a ruined gambler. She charges up, scolds the drunken gentlemen for mishandling the horse and offers to buy it. She gets laughed at and derided and storms off but eventually wins the horse at a hand of cards at that night's ball. The scene where she and gambling rake Javis de Courcey cut cards for the horse is priceless.
You see where this is going--she has to marry him because she wants her inheritance and he is down to nothing but Mallory Court--the family coast property that's perilously close to Napoleonic France with the threat of invasion looming larger every day. He agrees to stay married to her for a year and then give her a divorce if she'll pay his outstanding debts, even offering a marriage in name only which is a relief to her because she thinks he's a stuck up gambling jackass. Eleanor ends up at tumbledown Mallory Court with rude servants who won't listen to her and finds out that Javis' madman godfather lives there along with his "ward"--a twelve year old French girl named Cricket. Also she finds out that his wife died last year when someone (probably him) threw her histrionic ass off a cliff.
No one wants her there. She hears his dead wife's ghost playing the harp at night, then finds the case locked when she checks it. She's isolated, he's drunk a lot, and she starts to fear for her life, realizing that if she dies he gets all her money and no tacky divorce. Never mind that he tries to talk to her and get her on his side, or that he rather shyly brings her a huge stack of leather boxes which contain generations of de Courcey family jewels because she is his wife and he wants her to have them. They're suspicious of each other but oh is he ever the hot rakish lord who does some smuggling with the French and has a penchant for taking in strays (his godfather, Cricket, some old maiden aunts)!
Gordon shows back up as the new town doctor and she's all happy to see him. They meet clandestinely, he brings her to a cottage and begs for her help because he is keeping a refugee alive--Liane, Javis's dead wife's sister whom he cast out after Amelie's death. Liane is gorgeous and frail and Eleanor moves her in to the Court just as everyone's arriving for the holiday house party. This makes Javis mad as hell and confrontations ensue and the "accidents" start happening to Eleanor a lot more often.
There's also someone signalling the French from the locked tower on the coast at night, which means someone's a spy!
There's cloak and dagger business, lots of romance, and a really good twist at the end.
Love it. Full marks. A+, All possible strips of bacon.
Monday, January 3, 2011
A New Year, A New Mini Monday
It's a New Year! I hope you've been reading lots of books over the holidays and have many mini reviews to share. As usual, you can email them to booksandbacon (at) yahoo dot com and I'll post them, or you can add them in the comments.
My mini-review is more of a mini-rant. I read a romantic suspense last week, and it suffered from a problem I notice a lot in mystery and romantic suspense-- the wild assumption. There was a murder 20 years ago, so of course when a house that's stood empty since the murder is broken into it must be related. The wild leap is supported by no facts, but everyone goes along with it like it's written in stone. And then it turns out that it really is related. That's just sloppy. I understand that there's no place for the random and unrelated in a story. The reader should suspect that something that happens in the story's today is related to past events. But the characters aren't aware that they're in a story. For them to connect two events with no logical reason to do so except to move the story forward is bad writing. Give us something more, some clue that allows the characters to reasonably make the connection. Or let them make assumptions that lead to red herrings. But don't let them make unquestioned assumptions that turn out to be right.
My mini-review is more of a mini-rant. I read a romantic suspense last week, and it suffered from a problem I notice a lot in mystery and romantic suspense-- the wild assumption. There was a murder 20 years ago, so of course when a house that's stood empty since the murder is broken into it must be related. The wild leap is supported by no facts, but everyone goes along with it like it's written in stone. And then it turns out that it really is related. That's just sloppy. I understand that there's no place for the random and unrelated in a story. The reader should suspect that something that happens in the story's today is related to past events. But the characters aren't aware that they're in a story. For them to connect two events with no logical reason to do so except to move the story forward is bad writing. Give us something more, some clue that allows the characters to reasonably make the connection. Or let them make assumptions that lead to red herrings. But don't let them make unquestioned assumptions that turn out to be right.
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