Marked

Marked by Jenny Martin, 361 pages

"Cash, the prince of Bisera and leader of the rebellion, is missing. Phee's uncle James is dead. And Charles Benroyal, once again, is behind it all. Caught between grief, thoughts of revenge, and traumatizing flashbacks of battle, Phee struggles to aid the resistance and prove her worth, even as she attempts to reconcile her growing romantic feelings for Bear with her loyalty to Cash. But when Benroyal's attacks grow bolder, no one is prepared for the sacrifices Phee will have to make to win this war once and for all. With the high-stakes action ofa The Fast and the Furious , a swoony love triangle, and a wholly original science fiction world,a Marked awill have your heart racing until its breathless conclusion.” I liked this book.  It was a great sequel to the Tracked.  I like that it wrapped up in two books too.  I would give this to teens who like dystopian and science fiction type novels.

The Brightest Fell

The Brightest Fell (October Daye #11) by Seanan McGuire      368 pages

For once, everything seems to be going well in October "Toby" Daye's life; she's engaged and there have been no murders or declarations of war for her to deal with. Of course, in Toby's life, nothing is ever simple for very long. On the night of her bachelorette party, Toby's mother appears at her door, demanding that Toby find her missing sister, August.  And just so Toby gets the message, her mother takes Toby's fiance and one of her close friends as hostage.

With no idea of where to start, Toby calls on an old friend for some guidance . . . and then quickly realizes that some pretty deep sacrifices will need to be made if her sister's going to be found.

This series is one where it makes the most sense to start at the beginning.  If you jump in here, at book #11, you'll have a bit of backstory on a few people, but not really enough to understand what's going on in the story or the world that McGuire has created for this series.  I like this series, although I can sometimes get a feeling of predictability.  However, McGuire always throws in a twist or two and I enjoy the world and the characters, so every time there's a new book, I pick it up.  I may not always remember some of the more convoluted storylines/characters from past stories, but I still make my way through the books pretty well.

Chasing Spirits

Chasing Spirits by Nick Groff with Jeff Belanger     Paperback Book:  257 pages   

Nick Groff is one of the 3 main characters on the Travel Channel show:  "Ghost Adventures."   Nick actually came up with the concept for the pilot and the show and is one of the executive producers, director, sound guy etc.   Zak Baggans may be the front guy who appears to be the leader but it all came about because of Nick.   He tends to be the quiet guy in the background so I was surprised reading his story that the show/concept all the calls about locations, and what everyone does is up to him.    I guess because Zak is such a huge personality and Nick is the strong silent type behind the camerawork it never occurred to me just how much was attributed to him.     It is a good read especially if you are a fan of the show or of the paranormal shows currently out there.   He discusses a lot of their investigations in great detail and answers fan questions along the way.   He shares a lot about who he is, who he was and where he plans to be going.   He does not berate any other investigators and talks in length about the many other people he has worked with be they investigators, tech people, psychics, etc.    A good view behind the scenes as to what the show is all about. 

Flashback Four: The Titanic Mission

Flashback Four:  The Titanic Mission  by Dan Gutman       Audiobook:  4 hours, 34 mins     Hardback Book:  240 pages     

A fun story regarding four 6th graders who time travel back to the night the Titanic sank in order to get  a photo of the ship going down for an eccentric billionairess/ technology savant.    There are so many things that happen and I could picture all the adventures the kids like I was watching it on a screen in my head.   There are times when they get a little annoying and you think o.k. kids would do grating things like that and say things off the cuff that would rankle adults.   Sometimes they lean toward the unethical but all in all it was a good story and it is almost like you are running a race with them hoping they make it back before the ship goes down.   The ending was a total surprise.   This book is part of a series so I am definetly going to have to read all of them to hear more of their adventure.    A good story so good the characters actually made me side against them at times.

How To Change A Life

How To Change A Life by Stacey Ballis         Audio Book:10 hours, 40 mins.     Paperback Book:  400 pages   

How to Change A Life is the story of three adult friends who have been besties since highschool but as life happens and takes them in different directions they lose contact until they meet up again at the funeral of their favorite and most inspiring teacher.   Promising not to lose touch again they begin getting together and end up over drinks making a bet that before they each turn 40 they must complete a bucket list of things to do that will change their lives around completely.   Eloise who has become a near recluse has been tasked by the other two friends, Lynne and Teresa, to start dating with a set amount of dates she has to go on,  (her heart was broken by a relationship she had with an older married man in France - you'll learn all about that - and she avoided relationships after that), Lynne is a control freak so the other friends give her the assignment that she must get a dog, something she has to take care of (other than herself) and love (she is not strong on giving over to anyone or anything.   Teresa who is a stay at home mom is tasked to spice up her marriage with pole dancing classes which she signs the other two gals up for too.     It has a big plot twist complication that keeps the reader in suspense as to who will be right?   Good story.  I enjoyed it.

Dreadnought

Dreadnought by April Daniels   276 pages

Teenage Danny is minding her own business when famed superhero Dreadnought crashes to the ground in front of her. As his last act, he passes his powers on to Danny. Said powers include strength, flight, and an idealized superheroine body, which is great except for one thing: Danny’s transgender and closeted, and wasn’t planning to have the “By the way, I’m a girl” conversation until she was well out of high school.
Danny’s parents want their “son” back. Her best friend turns out to be kind of a creep. The local superhero league, still mourning the death of their friend, doesn’t know what to do about her. And on top of all that, the murderous villain responsible for Dreadnought’s death is still out there, planning another attack.
Though the coming-of-age part of Danny’s story can be grim, the narrative is firmly on Danny’s side and stays blessedly far away from the misery lit territory too often explored in books about trans people. Ultimately, Dreadnought is a classic hero origin story done well. Exciting, heartwarming, recommended.

Indexing

Indexing by Seanan McGuire       404 pages

The Aarne-Thompson Index classifies folklore and fairytales. The ATI Management Bureau is a secret government agency dedicated to keeping those fairy tales from taking over the world, because a classical “happily ever after” tends to leave bodies in its wake.

Indexing was originally released through Amazon’s Kindle Serials program, and the transition to traditional print isn’t seamless. Especially early on, there are a few dangling bits of redundant exposition, a couple loose plot threads left hanging, but nothing too bad. “Dark, modern-day fairy tale” is well-trodden territory by now, but McGuire does it well. It’s not my favorite among her books, but it’s a pleasant read nonetheless.

Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (4 stars, 390 pages, paperback)

This is a fascinating and hilarious book. In this world, possibly a distant future after Something Happened, people have limited color perception. Society is based on the works of Albert Munsell, color scientist and inventor of the Munsell Color System.What colors you can see determine your caste in society, and how much of your colors you can see influences your rank. Purples are at the top of society (aside from the almost-unheard of people who can see all colors), while the unfortunate Greys can see little color and form the working class. Color forms the basis of medical care, drugs, employment, last names, and pretty much every aspect of their lives.

Eddie Russett is a Red. As the story opens, his father has been sent to the town of East Carmine to fill in as relief swatchman - a doctor, who heals people with color swatches. Eddie tags along as a punishment - officially, he’s conducting a chair census. The book follows him as he navigates new friendships (and crushes), marriage contracts, the will of the collective, and the dangers of lightning. Along the way, he learns some things about his society, and of course, about himself.

Fforde has achieved an epic feat of imagination and world-building. The dystopia exists somewhere on the spectrum between teen fiction and classic Orwellian sci-fi, but it’s all dealt with in the deadpan humor of an expert satirist. It drags a bit in the middle when the plot stalls, but the comedy and creativity kept me coming back.

It’s the first of a planned series. You can tell the story is not done, but the book has a reasonably bittersweet conclusion. If you’re allergic to unfinished stories, maybe you should hold off, but there’s no clear indication that the next books are coming anytime soon. Personally, it’s well worth the read for the world-building alone.

Unseen Academicals

Unseen  Academicals by Terry Pratchett (4 stars, Audio, 400 pages)

This is one of many installments in Pratchett’s venerable Discworld Series. Foot-the-ball dominates the streets of Ankh-Morpork, threatening livelihoods and ending lives. Archchancellor Ridcully and the staff of Unseen University are compelled by Lord Vetinari to refine and redirect the game into, it turns out, something that looks familiar. There are many other plot threads as well: reluctant hero Trevor Likely’s romance with aspiring model Juliette; Ridcully’s rivalry with an upstart university; Glenda Sugarbean’s need to control her surroundings; and the identity of the exceedingly helpful Mr. Nutt.

So it’s all about the Football (Soccer to Americans), but... it’s not, really. A major theme in this book is that Football is about the Shove - the all-consuming crush of the crowd in their pursuit to participate in the street version of the game. And it’s all the Shove. Whether it’s the roar of the crowd’s approval or the relentless desire to get ahead in life, it all comes back to this. Anyway, for non-sports fans who love Pratchett, there’s much more to this than the sports talk, and if you’re still worried, there’s only
 the one game.
All your favorite familiar Discworld characters make an appearance. (Vetinari and the Librarian are mine.) The book is a light-hearted romp down the streets of Ankh-Morpork, and a fun send-up of sports culture, academic culture, modeling culture, pretty much every kind of culture there is, and even some that don’t quite exist. Though your understanding of the city would surely be enhanced by reading some of the other books, don’t feel like you have to read them.  This book stands alone well. I think the three main characters - Trevor, Glenda, and Nutt - are all original to this book.

Posted

Posted by John David Anderson, 369 pages

Frost is worried about navigating middle school, but he has his tribe, Bench, Deedee, and Wolf, to hang with and help protect him from the wolves.  However, changes start when cell phones are banned at school.  People start passing notes on post-its and a new girl, Rose, not only starts school but starts sitting with Frost’s tribe at lunch.  She and Wolf hit it off quickly, and Bench stops sitting with them at lunch.  Meanwhile, the notes, which started out fairly innocuous, start to become vicious.  Frost thinks that it can’t possibly end well, and he’s partly right.  This book was amazing.  I think it’s an excellent book for older elementary and middle school students.

Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie     212 pages

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again...
A truly thrilling mystery. I absolutely love Agatha Christie - her characters are so dynamic and interesting and she spares no detail. Detective Poirot is amazing and such a fun character to read. His methodical, calm methods are mesmerizing and I would come back to this book again and again. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good whodunit. 

The Castle of Otranto

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole     125 pages

Considered the first "Gothic novel," Walpole's story takes place in the Castle of Otranto, where its prince struggles to keep his title and the castle while fighting against an ancient prophecy. Supernatural elements occur and mayhem ensues.

This story was so crazy. I chalk it up to the time it was written (1764). It was very heavy-handed with the religious content - almost every character wished to quit their mortal life and go to heaven, there were extreme caricatures - all the women were totally and completely subservient to their husbands/fathers. Example: the main character, Manfred, wants to divorce his wife so he can marry the girl he was about to marry to his son, who's death opens the novella. His wife, Hippolita, is completely cool with it because she totally loves him and only wishes the best for him and she'll just become a nun and pray for her husband and daughter's good health and wait for her death. Like, seriously, Hippolita and her daughter both want to become nuns and pray until they die, even when their lives are seriously crappy and it's totally not their fault, but they'd never speak against their husband/father.

Honestly, this work feels much too dated for me to really appreciate. The Gothic aspects of the novella were really cheesy - portrait ghosts and overly large swords, helmets, and arms/feet appearing out of nowhere, but really they just represent Heaven's displeasure at Manfred still clinging to his castle.

The Sorcerer’s Daughter

The Sorcerer’s Daughter by Terry Brooks, 334 pages

“The mysterious, magic-wielding Druid order has existed for long ages, battling any evil that threatens the Four Lands--and struggling to be understood and accepted by outsiders. But their hopes of building goodwill are dashed when a demon's murderous rampage at a peace summit leaves their political opponents dead--casting new suspicions upon the Druids and forcing them to flee from enemies both mortal and monstrous. Paxon Leah, the order's appointed protector, knows that blame lies with Arcannen Rai, the vile sorcerer he has battled and defeated before. But there's no time to hunt his nemesis, if he is to lead the wrongfully accused Druids to their sanctuary. It is a quest fraught with danger, as a furious government agent and his army snap at their heels, and lethal predators stalk them in the depths of the untamed wilderness. But Arcannen is playing a deeper game than Paxon realizes. Paxon's sister possesses a powerful magic that the sorcerer longs to control--but Arcannen has not reckoned with the determination of his own estranged daughter, Leofur, who is also Paxon's devoted lifemate. Leofur sets out on a perilous quest to thwart her father's desires--while the vengeful Arcannen conjures his blackest magical skills, determined to destroy them all . . . and claim the most powerful of magics for his own.” I thought this was a solid effort by Brooks. It’s not my favorite fantasy but I enjoyed it and if it was the first book I’d ever read by him I’d be interested in reading more.

The Prince Of Venice Beach

The Prince Of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson, 233 pages

Cali, a teen runaway, knows a lot about what’s happening in Venice Beach.  When a private investigator approaches him, asking for help finding another runaway, Cali accepts.  He finds the kid, who has had some rough experiences and is ready to go home. Cali thinks that he might like to get into that line of work eventually. More private investigators start asking for help finding people and Cali is eager but starts to find that finding people might be more complicated than he thinks.  People’s stories may not always be true and there may be good reasons for people not wanting to be found.  Looking for Reese, another teen runaway, may be one of those complicated stories.  Who is telling the truth; Reese, her father, the PI looking for her?  Cali just isn’t sure, and he isn’t sure how to proceed.  This story seemed a little simplistic in some ways, but I still found it a satisfying read.  I think that teens who like realistic fiction would enjoy it.

Buzz

Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy by Hallie Lieberman      384 pages (read an e-galley)

If you enjoy Mary Roach's frank curiosity and exploration of different topics, you'll likely also enjoy this book.  Told with a sense of humor but also packed with information and analysis, this book explains not only the beginnings of sex toys to their current embodiment, but also delves into the history of the societal attitudes towards them, as well as towards female sexuality.  Hallie Lieberman, who holds the world's first PhD in the history of sex toys, has an engaging writing style that draws you in to a topic that you may have anticipated would be amusing/interesting and explores a world you probably never knew existed. Lieberman in particular looks at how these devices went from being advertised as medical equipment to not being advertised at all (and if so, not as sex toys). Her explanations of the history of these devices is an explanation of our society's attitudes about sex and sexuality, and feminism, not just the development of materials and design (and marketing).  I was surprised by how much I was learning when I was reading this and honestly, I was dismayed by the fact that several states had laws on the books until pretty recently that could get you in trouble if you bought a sex toy.  I honestly never thought much about that (maybe it's because I lived in an urban area and kind of took it for granted that people could buy toys) and I also never considered that there was as much history and societal history tied up with them.

You may feel that if you pick up this book and read it, you'd want to read it in the privacy of your own home ---- but once you start turning the pages, you may think about reading it in public, just to see what kind of conversation you'd generate (and what kinds of things you could tell people about what you're learning).   Definitely an interesting book!

The Beginning

The Beginning by Catherine Coulter 534 pages

This book contains Book 1 (The Cove) and Book 2 (The Maze) of Coulter's FBI thriller series.

The Cove

Sally St. John is in a crisis, everyone is looking for her and she doesn't have any answers to give them. Her father has been murdered and everyone thinks either she did it or her mother did it and Sally is covering up for her. The most dedicated to finding her is Special Agent James Quinlan, who won't stop until he has the truth from the terrified and yet surprisingly strong Sally. Oh yes and there's a small town that is so picture perfect it's practically unbelievable just like its inhabitants.

There is action and romance in this story. I myself don't understand why there has to be romance in these stories, but a man meets a woman and despite the crazy circumstances they find affection for each other and so on and so forth. I enjoyed this story. There was enough action that the (in my opinion) unnecessary romance didn't take away from the story. I guess I'm picky when it comes to dialogue, the way this writer writes people talking almost sounds wooden like it did on the Dragnet TV and radio show. Nevertheless, it kept me turning pages and wondering who did what. It wasn't entirely unpredictable, I could easily tell when someone was going to sneak up on Sally, but it wasn't the bad kind of predictable. I did like the ending of the story and how things were wrapped up, I'm pretty sure I laughed at the antics.

The Maze

Lacey Sherlock is a new agent with the FBI and she has joined for a specific reason. She wants to take down the man who killed her sister seven years ago. However, even though she helped the FBI catch him, there are lingering doubts that she and her boss (and of course lover) Dillon Savich have to iron out. Lacey's family is the epitome of dysfunctional. She finds out that her sister wasn't all she thought she was and that her killer is a lot more tenacious than she gave him credit for.

I liked this story as well. It was almost an identical twin of the story before it, but that wasn't a bad thing. Both have women in crazy circumstances who get helped by handsome FBI agents and they get together in the end. What I didn't like about this book was how scared Lacey was ALL the time. I get it, there's mean people who want to hurt you, but did it have to mentioned so often that she was scared? It just made her seem wimpy, but she wasn't a wimp, she did what needed to be done. There was more fear than steely resolve and that bugged me. One other thing that bothered me was both Quinlan and Savich got gut feelings at interesting times, they only seemed to get them to suit the plot and at other times it was non-existant, for me it took away the authenticity although I understand why the author did it. Other than that I enjoyed it. The dialogue was still wooden and some of the writing was stilted in places, but as far as plot goes it was good.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust     384 pages

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

This book promises a more thrilling, action-packed story than it delivers. It's really a slow-paced, generalized re-telling of Snow White, with barely enough "fight" between the two main characters to justify the promise of an "only one can win" tagline. I liked it okay, but it was very meandering and not all that it was hyped to be and so I was unfortunately let down. 

Kudos to making a women-centered story and providing some diversity (a few lesbian characters), but even that was a bit predictable and really didn't improve the story. I didn't really love any of the characters and I only liked a few. But otherwise, a rather boring story that could have been so much more. 

Irena’s Children

Irena’s Children by Tilar J. Mazzeo, 317 pages

“In 1942, one young social worker, Irena Sendler, was granted access to the Warsaw ghetto as a public health specialist. While she was there, she began to understand the fate that awaited the Jewish families who were unable to leave. Soon she reached out to the trapped families, going from door to door and asking them to trust her with their young children. Driven to extreme measures and with the help of a network of local tradesmen, ghetto residents, and her star-crossed lover in the Jewish resistance, Irena ultimately smuggled thousands of children past the Nazis. She made dangerous trips through the city's sewers, hid children in coffins, snuck them under overcoats at checkpoints, and slipped them through secret passages in abandoned buildings. But Irena did something even more astonishing at immense personal risk: she kept a secret list buried in bottles under an old apple tree in a friend's back garden. On it were the names and true identities of these Jewish children, recorded so their families could find them after the war. She could not know that more than ninety percent of their families would perish.” This was a fascinating account of this woman’s story.  Although it focuses primarily on her life and the events of the war years, it is a fantastic biographical account of that time.  I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the human side of history.

Trouble The Water

Trouble The Water by Frances O’Roark Dowell, 278 pages

“In the segregated south of Kentucky in 1953, twelve-year-olds Callie, who is black, and Wendell, who is white, are brought together by an old dog that is clearly seeking something or someone, but they not only face prejudice, they find trouble at a haunted cabin in the woods.” This was a fascinating combination of realistic fiction, historical fiction, and ghost story.  I think this falls heaviest on the historical fiction side and would probably lean towards giving it to kids who like that genre but I think it could have wider appeal.

Flamecaster

Flamecaster by Chinda Williams Chima, 535 pages

“Adrian sul'Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic--and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now he's closer than ever to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. With time running out, Ash faces an excruciating choice: Can he use his powers not to save a life but to take it? Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told that the magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King's Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn't know why she's being hunted, she knows that she can't get caught. Eventually, Ash's and Jenna's paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the ruthless king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.” I really liked this new series, maybe better than Chima’s other series.  I really liked the characters in this book and would probably recommend this as a starting point for her books.  This is a great choice for teens who like fantasy.

Applewhites Coast To Coast

Applewhites Coast To Coast by Stephanie S. Tolan, 309 pages

The Applewhites are traveling across the country, showing their unique educational philosophies to different groups and organizations, videotaping their efforts as they go, in an effort to win a contest.  At first, this seems interesting and fun, but as television gets involved, and crowd appeal, some of the Applewhites start to think that a popularity contest is not what they signed up for.  E.D. is conflicted about many things.  She misses her traditional education and is torn about her feelings for a new member of their little group.  Melody is a beautiful, troubled teen that Jake seems interested in and E.D. doesn’t know how she feels about that.  Melody also seems to want to help E.D. improver her appearance and E.D. isn’t sure how she feels about that either.  This was a fun installment to the Applewhite adventures.  I really liked it and would give it to kids who like realistic and humorous stories.I read this as an ARC and the library does not own it at the time of this review.

Dog Speak: Recognising and Understanding Behavior

Dog Speak: Recognising and Understanding Behavior by Christiane Blenski                Paperback Book:  80 pages                    

Excellent understandable book on dog behavior.   What various behaviors represent to dogs and how to understand them from the dog’s point of view not the human standpoint.     Great book for people who think dogs are just animals.   We forget that other species are just that,  other species, not less than, just other than, human.    All living creatures do things from an instinctual basis from behaviors we have learned since the beginning of life on earth.   Many human traits have been adapted to today’s lifestyles though many things we do are universal throughout cultures and throughout the history of mankind dogs being so close to humans have also learned to adapt their behaviors to more domestic domiciles and partnerships but many of the things dogs still do to this day are instinctual traits learned when that first wolf walked the earth later becoming trusting enough to interact with man.    Great explanations with photo illustrations of various dog behaviors showing how they are introduced and what they mean to each of the dogs interacting.    Good insight into pack mentality.   The reader will learn a lot about many dog behaviors that formerly we had ignored but after reading this book you will never look at dogs the same way.    There is a noble quality to each of their actions/reactions and as their caretakers and friends we should be mindful to their right to interact as they feel necessary so long as that interaction does not bring them into conflict situations and if you read this book cover to cover you will know the signs to avoid such interactions and you will be able to interpret what is going on at all times with your furry buddy.    I really liked this book and I have learned a lot of insight into behaviors I had noted but did not necessarily take all that was in play into consideration.   This book will give  the reader new eyes to see into the silent language of dogs and how to truly come away having learned Dog Speak.    Great job Christiane Blenski.   Well done.  Good book.

Molly’s Story

Molly’s Story by W. Bruce Cameron       Audio Book:  5 hours    Hardback Book:  208 pages               

If you have read the book or seen the film, “A Dog’s Purpose,”  you will be pleased with this story which is a sequel or maybe a continuation of the original.    While the previous story was about a male dog named Bailey (or Bailey, Bailey, Bailey, Bailey as he thought his name was because that is how his boy always said it J) this story is about a female puppy named, Molly.    I loved the first story and this one is adorable, too.     W. Bruce Cameron has a great way of interpreting life from a dog’s point of view.    So pure, so innocent, so sweet, motivated by love and food.     Hmmmm, sounds like a great way to be.       C. J. is a young girl who’s mother is so self-centered that C.J. barely rates attention at all and when she gets it the attention C.J. receives is either full of sarcasm, contempt, dismissal or belittling.   To say their relationship is strained is an understatement.   Then C.J. meets Molly and her life becomes so happy because now she has someone to love and be loved by.    A heartwrenching story that every animal lover should surely take the time to read or listen to.   Beautiful and dear that is the story of Molly and her girl.       

Through the Woods

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (4 stars, hardback, 208 pages)

The Library was cold.
The Library is often cold.
And I shivered.
But not because of the temperature.
There was a strange chill in my bones.

It came from the Woods.
(Most strange things do.)

This graphic not-novel tells five short horror stories,
 bookended by an introduction and conclusion. The stories are quite chilling, and the illustrations serve well to amplify the effect. I can hardly open the book for consultation during this review without my local temperature falling 15 degrees. Each story
 takes place in or around the Woods.

I found myself wishing for just a little bit more with each
 of the stories. I know, I know - less can be so much more when it comes to gothic horror. Some of the stories just fell flat to me because I couldn’t understand what was going on, or the story concluded a touch too soon. The on-point illustrations still did
 evoke that sense of spine-tingling horror that is so prized this time of year, without being gross or explicit. His Face All Red was a perfect tale that made the whole book well worth the read.

Almost Amish

Almost Amish:  One Woman’s Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life by  Nancy Sleeth             Paperback Book:  272 pages                        

Nancy Sleeth and her husband gave up the materialistic lifestyle to pursue a simpler more Christian less capitalistic way of living.    Not only did they sell or giveaway half of their belongings, their children opted to do so, too.    They returned to doing more things by hand and less out of pocket paying others to do.   They took lessons from their Amish neighbors in learning to live simpler more minimalistic lives while putting their religious beliefs first.    They help their neighbors, they spend time with each other instead of t.v.s, computers, or video games.    They spend more time outside, open their home to visitors and the needy and live in about a 1/10 of the space they once did.    They find having the basics at hand, in the garden, in walking distance or simply borrowing distance has made their lives better and less stressful (and cluttered) and has improved their faith and their friendships so improving life, love and community with a deeper relationship with God works for them.   This was a very enjoyable read with lots of tips on how to do complicated things simpler and how to let go of the actually unnecessary.    

Seven Days of Us

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak                       Audio Book: 9 hours, 30 mins.    Paperback Book:  464 pages                       

The Birch Family has a lot going on the Christmas season of 2016.    From health crisis to surprise relatives they didn’t know about, dropping in.    The oldest daughter, Olivia who is a doctor and has been treating patients suffering in an epidemic abroad comes home for the first time in 5 years for Christmas.   Unfortunately, due to the severity of the disease she has been treating others for it has required her and anyone she comes in close contact with to have to be quarantined.    The book doesn’t explain why the other passengers on the plane she and other medical staff came home on were not also quarantined nor was there mention of anyone who transported them, rented them vehicles, etc. were not quarantined, but, hey, you don’t even notice that part until after you complete the story because there is so much going on with whiny spoiled Phoebe the younger sibling and her boyfriend.   Not to mention the sarcastic reviews the father does on local restaurants that are printed in the paper now that he is no longer a war corresponedent.   Maybe the sarcasm comes from being stuck in one place rather than travelling the world as he did in his younger days.    And how those long tours of duty in the trenches with the troops can throw people together each looking for a little satiation– more to that story.    So many things are happening simultaneously in this story that it will definetly peak your interest to find out what happens next.    A good page turner.    Honestly, you will wonder how all of England didn’t come down with this virus, though.     

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems  by Joy Harjo                Hardback book: 139 pages         

All through the poems within the pages of “Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings” there are themes of music and instruments being played.  I think maybe music speaks to Joy Harjo.   She is a noted musician herself afterall as well as a poet and Native American member of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation.    Her poems speak of the sorrow of the Native Americans, and her references to music tend to be always about the Blues sometimes Jazz but always with a tinge of melancholy.   Her words speak to the reader’s heart and sensibility.    She presents rights and wrongs all within the same stanzas beautifully blending good, bad, happy, sad as though she is stirring paint then dipping her quill in that paint to form the ink that is the source and meaning of her works.    Beautiful to the point you can feel her pain in tangible ways.   She offers word pictures, from describing loveless joining of two lonely people searching for something they hope to gain from each other that leaves the reader feeling Joy Harjo must believe in love she just can’t seem to find it.     She speaks of Time often  in her poetry as though they are friends, even colleagues in a way that lets you know her soul is communicating with Time reaching out to grasp always what it cannot have but who promises a day of reckoning when all answers will be revealed.     Her works cry out to be read aloud and I would very much like to hear her read them some day.   She captures so many emotions and so many concepts and serves them to the reader.   She bares her emotion as though she is peeling her skin back to show all that is beneath.   Her heart beat is the constant drum rhythm you feel from this book.     Once you start you won’t be able to put it down.     She weaves what was with what is like a beautiful tapestry then she silently walks away in deerskin moccasins.   Very good read.

Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment

Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment
by Linda Gordon (Editor), Gary Okihiro (Editor), Dorothea Lange (Photographs)    224 pages

Presenting 119 images that were originally censored by the U.S. Army, this book brings together visual and social history of the stark reality of the internment camps. The majority of Lange's photographs of the camps have never been published, so this book is both essential for students of history, as well as students of photography.

I consider this one of the especially shameful things in U.S History (among other examples) and have read other books about the internment camps. I am also a big fan of Lange's photography, so this book was especially good.  The authors are nationally known historians, and they clearly outline the saga of Japanese-American internment from before Executive Order 9066 to the abrupt roundups of people and then the marginal existence that people experienced in the camps.  It is a very sobering read and Lange's photographs boldly underscore the horror of the community that was uprooted and the life that awaited them in detainment.

Americans View Their Dustbowl Experience

Americans View Their Dustbowl Experience by John R. Wunder (Editor), Frances W. Kaye (Editor)   429 pages

While this is a great compilation of essays that include first-person accounts of the Dust Bowl, and the book includes many facts, this book is a much drier read than the book about the Dust Bowl by Dayton Duncan (and definitely much drier than The Worst Hard Time).  The book is divided into sections of contemporary accounts and also retrospective analysis of the Dust Bowl and there is a large section about institutional activism, as well as an extensive bibliography. 

This was an interesting read, although at times a bit of a slog. However, it's a good addendum if you really want to understand certain aspects about the Dust Bowl, especially the political decisions of the time.  I did sometimes wonder about where the different authors of the essays were getting their information from; For example, one essay, which had many citations in different places, said "Rural women's fertility has tended to be higher than that of urban women..."  without any citation to back this up.  I found this odd, and it wasn't the only instance where there was a statement like this where you'd expect some kind of citation and there was nothing there.

If you're interested in the Dust Bowl, I would recommend The Worst Hard Time instead, as well as The Dust Bowl by Dayton Duncan (which accompanied the Ken Burns documentary).

The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History

The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History by Duncan Dayton and Ken Burns    231 pages

This book accompanies the PBS documentary by Ken Burns and is a fascinating look at the American Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Complete with firsthand accounts and vivid photographs, this book explains the conditions (and choices) that led to the catastrophe, as well as the decisions and strategies to change farming techniques and restore the land.

I have seen the documentary, although not for a few years (although I'll be borrowing it from the library soon), but I had remembered that this book was quite good.  The photographs alone are fantastic, but what I really liked was the straightforward writing style that gave insight into the whole "event," from the decisions and weather events that created the Dust Bowl right up until after farming techniques had changed and the land had undergone restoration.  The firsthand accounts make this a truly compelling read.

It is also a sobering read, as the authors point out at the end of the book that farming techniques are again endangering the future of the land, since many farmers are drawing water from an aquifer that is not an infinite, boundless well.

Gerald’s Game

Gerald’s Game

by Stephen King (4 Stars, paperback, 445 pages)

This book would be a great antidote to those under the spell of 50 Shades of Grey. Bondage games may lose some of their attraction if you have this narrative in the back of your mind. Jessie’s husband Gerald handcuffed her to the bed in the pursuit of his sexual pleasure, then he did her the inconvenience of dying of a heart attack. This occurs in the remote Maine backwoods on a vacation, so there’s no help coming.  What follows has some graphic survival horror, but the bulk of the novel is the deep introspection of a woman wondering how she got here, and how she can go forward. Jessie has some unresolved psychological trauma that combines with the stressful circumstances to create a whole cast of characters out of this claustrophobic setup.

Going in I was unsure how I would like all of that introspection, but King deals expertly in building suspense even through the sections where the physical world is quiet. A combination of shifting perspectives, inner dialogue, and relevant flashbacks built immense characterization of the players in the story and held my interest. He also deals much more sensitively than I expected with Jessie’s situation. A few of King’s novels depict women whose behavior is clearly based on male fantasies, but Jessie has much greater agency than that, and is a very strong character. Altogether, this book was riveting and well-told. I did have some difficulty understanding what the room looked like, which is unfortunate, considering the importance of the setting.

I did not know there was a new Netflix Original film when I started reading this book. It has really put me in a directorial frame of mind, so I hope to get a chance to watch it soon.

If you are bothered by purposeful, detailed mutilation, like with surgery, this may not be the best read.

Love the Home You Have

Love the Home You Have: Simple Ways to…Embrace Your Style-Get Organized-Delight in Where You Are by Melissa Michaels                  Paperback Book: 213 pages       

I do like this book.    Honestly it is a little repetitive for the first few chapters, but, always a smile is involved even so as Melissa shares inner truths about her home decorating disasters, hiding under a table whem a neighbor stopped by so she wouldn’t have to open the door because her house was a wreck and her many horror stories of the homes she has lived in with before and after stories on her ups and downs of learning to love the home she had rather than pining for another one.    She tells tales of moving into a fixer upper, o.k.,  a broken down fixer upper that included rats in the walls that actually came out during a dinner gathering of friends she invited over.   Funny stories – the time she and her husband moved into the place with pink walls and brown carpeting that smelled like a dumpster, did I mention that her husband is a minister and they were sent out in the mission field to start a new church and that was the home they could afford.    Frightening stories (RATS!!!!!!),  a neighbor’s home down the street actually crumbled and caved in as they were late leaving for a speaking engagement out of town.   Humble and sweet stories about their family learning to love the home they were living in and the ways they made it more loveable.    An easy read and a pleasant one.   Also inspiring.    She gives so many good ideas on things to try and do and how to look with all of your senses at what you have and how to find inspiration everywhere for what you want things to become.   This book could be a Disney movie it is just that uplifting and full of goodness.   I am going to look for other titles by her.   Enjoyable book with good lessons to apply.

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson and Brooke A. Allen   128 pages

Five friends have summer adventures at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types. These adventures involve such things as math, puns, secret caves, and sinister three-eyed forest beasts.

I’m a big fan of Nimona, Stevenson’s previous graphic novel, which she both wrote and illustrated, so I confess to a bit of disappointment when I found out that Lumberjanes had a different artist. Allen’s loose, energetic style works, though. Lumberjanes itself is light, adventurous, and fun, with occasional forays into wackiness that might not appeal to everyone. It’s not particularly deep (yet), but I enjoyed it as a modern twist on a classic Kids' Own adventure story.
Oh, and one minor complaint: "Either tot utter" is not an anagram of "The truth is out there." "Either tot utter hush" works, but as shown in the story, you're short four letters.

Bride of Death

Bride of Death by T. A. Pratt   238 pages

Marla Mason, former chief sorcerer of the city of Felport, now part-time death goddess, claws her way out of her own grave and immediately resolves to be a better person. This she does by killing as many supernatural monsters as she can get her hands on before the month is up and she has to go back to the underworld.

A bit of explanation first: this is the seventh book of a completed series spanning ten books (plus several short stories and novellas comprising sundry pre- and interquels). Books one through four were published by Bantam Spectra, but books five through ten were published through a combination of crowdfunding, self-publishing, and an independent press. Books five and six are also available to read for free online. I didn’t know this, and jumped from book four to book seven, which was... a little confusing. What happened to all of the cliffhangers? Why did Marla get exiled? Why did she start the book dead?
After getting over that speedbump, though, this was a fun, fast-paced read. Marla is, unusually for an urban fantasy heroine, angst-free and bullishly straightforward. She’s made mistakes, bad ones and lots of them, but she doesn’t wallow in regret. Instead she works to remedy her mistakes, usually through the direct application of magic and/or violence. This doesn’t always work out—some problems are subtle and/or complicated enough that this approach only worsens them. While Marla’s genuinely well-intentioned, her good deeds come with plenty of collateral damage, which only gives her more problems to solve. It’s an entertaining little downward spiral she’s on.

A Column of Fire

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett            Audio Book:  30 hours 30 mins    Hardback Book:  928 pages               

I did not realize this book was part of a series and the third book in that series to boot, however, I have to say this book stands alone as a great story in the same category as “A Game of Thrones.”    I am going to have to check to see which author wrote their series first because these are definetly along the same lines.   I kept waiting for a flying firebreathing dragon to appear as I was reading this one.   Kenneth Follett sticks with actual historical characters and events with no dabbling in the magical realm and does it brilliantly though I confess to loving the magical happenings of my beloved addiction, “Game of Thrones.”  J   Having said that, I also became a fan of Ken Follet’s writing and while I am waiting on George R.R. Martin to come out with more of his eye candy on the page (or ear candy on Audio Book) I will now be a devotee of his Kingsbridge series.     I must have a thing about the number 3 because for some reason when I pick up a tome that turns out to be part of a series it tends to be the third one (ie. the Twilight Series picked up “Eclipse,” etc. ).    Truly this story in the Kingsbridge Saga stands alone as an excellent story complete with Mary, Queen of Scots who I had my eyes opened about – I had thought she was a kindly, misued winsome character who turns out to be a Protestant burning at the stake kind of gal.  YIKES!   You will learn so many historical facts with a bit of author’s license to create conversation from noted events that actually transpired but maybe the conversations that took place may or may not have been quite as printed.  That’s o.k.    The reader gets the gist of the situation and we can forgive Ken Follett for his daliances into what they might have said.  Really enjoyable read here.   I highly recommend it to anyone who loves, “Game of Thrones,”, anyone who loves history and anyone who is into the swashbuckling thing.    Lots of action, lots of love scenes, love and lost scenes, love and lost with interesting twists and turns and he kills people off just as quick as George R.R. Martin does and no one is safe just like on “Game of Thrones.”    I site so many comparisons here because the first thing I was struck with was that there are similar character names, from there Ken Follett overcame my skepticism and won me over as a fan of his writing.   If you prefer your historical fiction pure and sans fantasy – Ken Follett is your guy.   Well done.  

Not That He Brought Flowers, Bread of Truth

The Bread of Truth: Poems by RS Thomas, 48 pages

Not That He Brought Flowers by RS Thomas, 45 pages

RS Thomas was a 20th century Welsh Anglican country curate, a modernist in form with an antiquarian's imagination, his poems perhaps something more, but certainly not less, than 

     Something for neo-Edwardians

     Of a test-tube age to grow glum about

     In their conditioned libraries.

These are not the poems of an eager young man, but of a maturity

     When love has changed to a grave service

     Of a cold queen.

They often show the tension of a man whose heart and voice were distinctly Welsh but who wrote verse exclusively in English, a cultured clerk who longed for simplicity, a pastoralist who recognized the arduous hardship of rural life, a man of faith whose ministry brought him into daily contact with the dying, the grieving, and the broken.  Perhaps it is in his bleak reconciliation of these tensions that Thomas' poetic work is most valuable, in its rejection of the

     Emptiness of the bare mind

     Without knowledge, and the frost

     Of knowledge, where there is no love

and the corresponding claim that 

     ... We must dip belief

     Not in dew nor in the cool fountain

     Of beech buds, but in seas

     Of manure through which they squelch

     To the bleakness of their assignations.

Two Girls Down

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna 320 pages (read an e-galley; book is due out January, 2018)

When two sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small town, their devastated mother hires bounty hunter Alice Vega to find them. Vega has a good track record in finding missing children, although her methods are a little unconventional. Immediately turned aside by the local police department, Vega enlists the help of former cop Max Caplan. Caplan's trying to put his past behind him and move on, but Vega convinces him that she needs him, especially considering his past with the local police department.

Compelling characters combined with a taut pace make this a page-turning read. There are complex relationships between several characters and some false leads, so you find you're not sure if you can predict the ending (or if there will even be a happy ending for the missing girls). I liked that the story had a realistic feel to it and that while both Vega and Caplan had flaws, they were believable. Maybe it's those flaws that make them compelling (because if Vega were too kick-butt and perfect, you'd feel she couldn't fail).  Definitely a good first book from this author that makes me want to read her next story.

The perfect nanny

The Perfect Nanny byLeila Slimani     240 pages (e-galley - due to be published in January 2018)

"She has the keys to their apartment. She knows everything. She has embedded herself so deeply in their lives that it now seems impossible to remove her."

As you can guess from this quote and the title, this tensely written book explores the lives of a family and the woman who is hired as their nanny, and how their lives start to intertwine to an uncomfortable extent. In fact, the book begins with something pretty shocking, so you are set up to understand that things probably began pretty normally with this nanny and then something went wrong. 

Myriam is the mother, a lawyer who decides to return to work after having children and finding it a bit overwhelming (and depressing) to be at home with them all day. Louise seems quiet and devoted to the children, even cleaning the family's apartment and staying late with no complaints. It seems clear that the family needs Louise and they treat her as part of the family --- but not quite all of the time. This story explores the relationships between people when there are situations of employer-employee, class, race, and expectations of motherhood.

I actually wanted to like this book more than I did. I didn't warm up completely to the characters and didn't always find them interesting, which for me is important.  I don't need to like characters, but if I find them too predictable or not interesting, the book can become a bit of a chore. I was curious to see how the story explored the relationship of Louise to the family and she is an interesting character, although at times difficult to understand.   Per Goodreads, this book is "The #1 international bestseller and winner of France’s most prestigious literary prize, the Goncourt."  Apparently, this was a case of "every person has their book" and for me, this wasn't my book. I felt the storyline was predictable and almost too familiar at times, so while I kept reading out of curiosity, I just didn't feel the book was compelling.

The Shadow of the Wind

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (paperback, 3 Stars, 487 pages) 

This book is about the way literature has of transfixing you, and how you can get so wrapped up in a story that you infuse it with your own life. It is literature about literature. Daniel Sempere traces down the mystery of why books by one Julian Carax are disappearing, and in the process, gets drawn into an epic, sordid tale.

My response to this book fluctuated. There were many stretches where the endless narrative would fail to hold my interest, and I would get distracted every half-page. Then there were many moments where I was breathlessly caught in the drama and the pages flew by. I congratulated myself on identifying the antagonists well ahead of the reveal, but found myself quite surprised by the twists it took to get there.

Daniel, the main character, was a blank slate who made some shall-we-say poor choices in the name of youth. The people he surrounded himself with were endlessly fascinating, and I liked getting glimpses of their lives, and deaths, in order to better see the tapestry of their lives. I didn’t care much for Fermin, but I was quite attached to Daniel’s father. I was slightly bothered by the fact that the various narrators sometimes couldn’t have had access to the information they imparted. I was more bothered by the fact that the women in the novel were almost entirely defined by their relationships with men, and had few other characteristics. Daniel's mother didn't even have a name!

Ultimately, though it was long and taxing on my atrophied attention span, it was a worthwhile experience. It really made me care about connecting the dots of an ancient mystery in a foreign land. The book wraps you in wings of language, and concludes itself quite neatly. I doubt I will read the other books in the series, though.

The Spy

The Spy: A Novel of Mata Hari by Paulo Coelho (audio, 3 stars, 208 pages) 

This brief novel tells the story of the important points in the life of the exotic dancer Mata Hari. I was unfamiliar with the story of Mata Hari when I started reading this book. I had only heard the name, and associated it with exoticism. Listening to it, it really seemed like Mata Hari was in the car with me telling her story. The story was brief, and slightly confusing due to the author’s tendency to gloss over years at a time. The language was beautiful, and did a good job of telling the story of a woman ahead of her time. Whether or not that’s the life Mata Hari had doesn’t matter as much for a fiction title, though it’s clear the author is using her life to make his own philosophical point.

The third part of the novel soured it for me, as the new narrator mansplained Mata Hari’s mistakes to her. On the plus side, I guess she didn’t have to listen to it. The book would have been much stronger if it was all her own perspective. Still, the first two parts were pretty interesting.