Bookworms and Tea Lovers

Wandering Feet Wednesday: Nebraska and Iceland

2012-01-25T22:36:00.000+01:00

A new weekly theme here on Bookworms and Tea Lovers to document my fictional travels. For my Book Around the World I have a list of specific books I want to read, one for each country, based on setting. But of course I read much more than just those books. So this weekly theme will follow me on my fictional travels of all the books I read. So, where do my books take me this week?

I visited two very different places this week. First I was in the wilds of Nebraska, USA with the pioneers that started homesteading there. From the descriptions in Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson Nebraska was (probably still is) a very beautiful state.

From Nebraska I travelled to Iceland with Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Quite a change, but no less enjoyable. Iceland can be a beautiful if brutal country.

The coming week I'll be staying in Europe, but where exactly I'll tell you next week!

Bookreview: Last Rituals

2012-01-24T21:54:00.002+01:00

Author: Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Genre: Mystery, Crime
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 4.5/5
Yearly count: 7

After the body of a young German student—with his eyes cut out and strange symbols carved into his chest—is discovered at a university in Reykjavík, the police waste no time in making an arrest. The victim's family isn't convinced they have the right man, however, so they ask Thóra Gudmundsdóttir, attorney and single mother of two, to investigate. It's not long before Thóra and Matthew Reich, her new associate, discover something unusual about the deceased student: He had been obsessed with the country's grisly history of torture, execution, and witch hunts. As Thóra and Matthew dig deeper, they make the connection between long-bygone customs and the student's murder. But the shadow of dark traditions conceals secrets in both the past and the present, and the investigators soon realize that nothing is as it seems . . . and that no one can be trusted.

This book was definitely a page-turner. With every bit of the puzzle revealed the mystery grew deeper, urging me to keep reading to figure out what really happened. The pace was fast – the entire investigation is done within about a week – but it never got too fast, nor did it ever become unbelievable, despite the sometimes bizarre subject matter. The good writing and the likeable Thóra as main character made me fall in love with this book. The setting of the story in Iceland was icing on the cake.

However, I have one quibble with this book that made me give it four and a half stars instead of the full five. The ending – the conclusion of the mystery – was in my opinion fairly sudden. I like the solution, the whodunit and the why – but the way mainly Thóra pieced everything together was too easy in the end, too much like a lucky coincidence. I thought that took away from an otherwise brilliant book with a very well thought out plot.

But all in all I highly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it and I will definitely go in search of the next book in the series about Thóra!

Sunday Salon: Personal 2012 theme: The Second World War

2012-01-22T18:44:00.000+01:00

Last year one of the theme reads on the Reading Globally group over at LibraryThing was “War and Regions in Conflict” for which I decided to read about World War Two, one of my favorite periods in history to read about when it comes to non-fiction. We were encouraged to read from different sides of the conflict, which I thought was a bit more difficult with World War Two since it has more than one battlefield and more than two sides. But, I made a plan – unfortunately real life got in the way.

But, this theme would just not leave me alone. So, for 2012, I’ve decided to start my own World War Two theme. For now I’ve decided to focus on the European part of the war (including America’s involvement in the war), leaving out the Pacific and African battles, unless I just happen to read something that fits that. This theme will probably continue past this year, so expansion is always possible. My planned reads can be found here.

But my plans to focus on World War Two don’t stop with fiction. On one of the bookshelves in my house stands Sir Winston Churchill’s The Second World War in 12 volumes. I’ve always wanted to read it, but for some reason never started. Now, however, I’ve decided to read one volume a month, so I will have finished it at the end of 2012. I’m working on volume 1 now, Milestones To Disaster, which encompasses the period of 1919-1939. So far it’s very good, although sometimes I don’t know all of the people Churchill mentions – I think they were household names, especially in Britain, right after the Second World War, but I just don’t know them all. Still, it’s very clear and concise, and he manages to point out both the good and the bad.

What’s your favorite time in history? Are you doing any themed reads this year

Bookreview: Sixteen Brides

2012-01-19T09:12:00.000+01:00

Author: Stephanie Grace Whitson
Genre: Historical
Published: 2010
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 6

Sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women out West in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival! When the women discover the truth on the way, six of them decide to stay in the fledgling community Plum Grove, Nebraska and try to make their original plan of homesteading work anyway. But each woman carries her own burden which she must overcome to make life on the frontier a success.

The historical setting in this book is amazing. The details are part of the story, never interfering with the plot, yet they paint the picture of 1872 Nebraska in great detail. No lengthy expositions, just information sprinkled through the story in a logical fashion – something that’s hard to do and Stephanie Grace Whitson does with seeming ease.

What I also really liked was the way these women felt so real. All of them were different, had different reasons for trying to homestead alone, yet they never felt like a modern woman transposed into a historical setting. It was the same with faith – this book is technically Christian fiction – it was woven into the story in a believable way; there’s no beating anyone on the head with a stick with the moral of the story or with God. Just simple faith of people in a setting where that faith existed, and each one believing in their own way. No cookie cutter characters to be found here!

However, the amount of characters make slow reading a must to avoid getting confused. Especially in the beginning it was hard to keep track of who was who. It took me until about half-way through the book before I could easily remember, but then the story truly took off for me. Don’t get me wrong, it's not a bad book by any means, but I think it could have been so much better if there were less characters that it focused on, or if it was just told from one POV, or even if each character she uses as a POV character had her own chapter. Even just a list of characters to refer to would have helped a lot.

But, all in all, I found this a very enjoyable book. Stephanie Grace Whitson has a way of bringing the historical setting alive using nothing more than some well-placed details while telling a compelling story with realistic characters. I will definitely try more of this author’s books.

Wandering Feet Wednesday: Washington D.C. and the Balkan

2012-01-18T23:35:00.000+01:00

A new weekly theme here on Bookworms and Tea Lovers to document my fictional travels. For my Book Around the World I have a list of specific books I want to read, one for each country, based on setting. But of course I read much more than just those books. So this weekly theme will follow me on my fictional travels of all the books I read. So, where do my books take me this week?

I’m playing a little bit of catch-up this week, as I’ll be talking about all books I read since the year began. At the start of 2012 I was in Washington, D.C. with Flowerbed of State by Dorothy St. James. I stayed there with my next book Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy.

And just yesterday I finished my visit to the Balkan with The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht. There are no further specifics of where in the Balkan this takes place and the place names that are mentioned are invented. Still, this book has a very good sense of place – some reviewers even place it in Yugoslavia, though I wouldn’t go that far.

My current reading has me traveling various places in the USA, not Washington D.C. this time, and also Iceland. But more on that next time!

Bookreview: The Tiger's Wife

2012-01-18T11:03:00.000+01:00

Author: Tea Obreht
Genre: realistic
Published: 2010
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 5

The time: the present. The place: a Balkan country ravaged by years of conflict. Natalia, a young doctor, is on a mission of mercy to an orphanage when she receives word of her beloved grandfather's death far from their home under circumstances shrouded in confusion. Remembering childhood stories her grandfather once told her, Natalia becomes convinced that he spent his last days searching for "the deathless man," a vagabond who claimed to be immortal. As Natalia struggles to understand why her grandfather, a deeply rational man, would go on such a farfetched journey, she stumbles across a clue that leads her to the extraordinary story of the tiger's wife.

How to review The Tiger’s Wife? It’s hard to put a label on this book, let alone explain exactly how this story engages the reader. It’s a powerful book, with lots of story strands that are told in a meandering yet somehow logical way. This book has so many layers, stories within stories that are all connected in a way that you don’t fully understand until you have read the last sentence.

When the book was finished, I was left behind still not knowing everything and being content with that. It resonated with something deep inside of me, was always on my mind when I wasn’t reading it, and I found myself slowing down so I could savor it longer. It is certainly a story that will stay with me for a good long time. I cannot recommend it enough.

Bookreview: Jamie at Home

2012-01-16T14:11:00.001+01:00

Author: Jamie Oliver
Genre: Non-fiction, Cookbook
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 4

Jamie at Home at first glance looks a lot like Andrea Chesman’s Serving Up the Harvest. Like her book, it is divided into seasons, although Jamie uses the traditional four seasons, and further divided by main ingredient. Jamie also provides information about growing seasonal products. But that’s about where the comparison ends. Where Andrea’s book deals solely with vegetables, Jamie at Home deals with seasonal products – which include things like fruit, eggs, and certain meats like lamb. That makes this book very interesting for those who aren’t such vegetable lovers – or those who like to cook seasonal with more ingredients than just vegetables.

As for the recipes, like always with Jamie Oliver’s books, they are delicious. However, I must make the remark that although they look deceptively simple, the recipes are always is more work than they seem at first glance. No matter how delicious his recipes, most of them are of the ‘special’ variety – which means I cook them on weekends or on holidays when I have the time – but in my opinion they are not so suitable for normal, everyday, nine-to-five working days. Nonetheless, I’m very pleased with the culinary results from trying the recipes – the taste is superb and well worth whatever work the recipes take.

Aside from the recipes, there are amusing anecdotes that accompany every chapter, a list of Jamie’s favorite varieties of many vegetables and some fruits, and a very useable recipe index that includes an indication for which recipes are vegetarian (more than you’d think). All in all, a lovely book that I won’t mind cooking from more often.

Sunday Salon: Celebrating Women’s Writing

2012-01-15T19:07:00.001+01:00

Twice a year, in January and July, I join in an ‘Orange’ reading month, which celebrates women authors, and specifically those that were long-listed, short-listed, or won the Orange prize for Fiction. The Orange prize is awarded annually for the best original full-length novel by a female author of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK in the preceding year. You can read more about it on their official site.

While I normally don’t really pay attention to what gender, skin color, or nationality the authors of the books I pick up have, I am getting increasingly aware of it. Coincidentally (or not) the latest issue of Belletrista – a nonprofit, bi-monthly magazine celebrating the wonderfully varied literary work from women writers around the world – had an article about awards and gender in their latest issue. You can read the entire article here, but what really got me is that they ask the question of why we should care – about if women are awarded as many prizes as men, or if they are as well-represented as men are. Their answer? “Because it is about fairness, about equality, but it's also about widening our perspectives and reading and enjoying great books.” And they are right.

If we read only books written by white European (read: British) or American men, then we are narrowing our worldview to theirs. And I, for one, find that a shame. Due to reading ‘Orange’ I’ve picked up wonderful books I would never have read otherwise. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, short-listed for the Orange Prize in 1999, was one such book. I loved it (you can read my review here), but I never would have picked it up were it not for the fact that it was an Orange book. And right now I’m reading The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht, the winner of the 2011 Orange Prize, which I wouldn’t have picked up either under other circumstances, but which I love as well. So perhaps I should pay attention to gender more often – who knows what gems still await me?

What about you? Do you pay attention to the gender of authors when picking out books?

Bookreview: Serving Up the Harvest

2012-01-12T15:24:00.002+01:00

Author: Andrea Chesman
Genre: Non-fiction, Cookbook
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 3

Serving Up the Harvest is a delightful book that is so much more than just a cookbook. It is divided into seasons, but not your ordinary spring, summer, fall and winter. No, it has gardening seasons, like early to mid-summer and fall into winter. Each of the seasons have chapters devoted to specific vegetables that are bountiful in that season, as well as a height of the season chapter with recipes that combine in-season vegetables to the max. It makes cooking in tune with the seasons (and thus with cheap vegetables) easy.

The recipes are simple, clear and concise – it’s hard to screw them up even if you don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen. Oftentimes the recipes are vegetarian, but just as often a suggestion to add meat is made, or you can simply serve up some meat with the vegetables like you’d normally do. And from experience I can say the recipes in this book are very tasteful. Recipes range from side-dishes to main dishes to deserts for each vegetable, how much of each category depending on how a vegetable can be used.

Aside from these recipes there are some ‘introductory’ chapters, talking about stuff to keep in your pantry as well as some basic methods and recipes that serve as a base for many other recipes. There’s a bit about preserving the harvest in the back of the book, as well as a list of resources and an index. There’s even some anecdotal interludes and a short anecdotal intro to each vegetable that are fun to read. But what makes this book more than your ordinary cookbook is the fact that for every vegetable in the book there’s a page with information about growing the vegetable, harvesting it, how much weight/size equals cups, how to use it in the kitchen, how much time different cooking methods take, and some notes on nutrients. Everything from seed to food on one handy page for each vegetable make this into one of the most useful, basic cookbooks I’ve ever seen.

Bookreview: Affairs of Steak

2012-01-11T19:50:00.002+01:00

Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2012
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 2

White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady's assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda.

The latest book in the White House Chef mystery series by Julie Hyzy is probably the best one yet. I don’t know what I loved more about this book. All the little threads of the mystery adding up to the big finale, done in a masterful way. The small mystery which turned out to be a red herring but still important on a more personal level. The closer look we get at Sergeant, who's even a little likable after this book. Or Ollie's progress in her relationship with Gav, which demonstrated perfectly how wrong Tom really was for her – especially during the instances we got both Tom and Gav’s reaction to the same situation.

All of it made for a book I really, really loved and I read through it in one go, starting the moment it automatically downloaded on my Kindle due to the pre-ordering I did in December. I cannot wait until the next book and I’ll be gushing about this one until then. Highly, highly recommended! But do be sure to start this series at the beginning, because there are several red threads throughout this series, especially concerning Ollie’s relationships with other characters.

Books Reviewed in 2012 by Title

2012-01-10T19:15:00.004+01:00

This is a list of all the books I've reviewed in 2011, sorted by title. Titles beginning with 'A', 'An', 'To' or 'The' will be sorted like those words weren't in the title. So you can find 'The Tiger's Wife' under the T.

A

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy - review

F

Flowerbed of State by Dorothy St. James - review

J

Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver - review

L

Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir - review

S

Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman - review
Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson - review

T

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - review

Books Reviewed in 2012 by Author

2012-01-10T19:13:00.005+01:00

C

Chesman, Andrea - Serving Up the Harvest - review

H

Hyzy, Julie - Affairs of Steak - review

O

Obreht, Tea - The Tiger's Wife - review
Oliver, Jamie - Jamie at Home - review

S

Sigurdardottir, Yrsa - Last Rituals - review
St. James, Dorothy - Flowerbed of State - review

W

Whitson, Stephanie Grace - Sixteen Brides - review

Bookreview: Flowerbed of State

2012-01-10T13:56:00.003+01:00

Author: Dorothy St. James
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 2.5/5
Yearly count: 1

Cassandra "Casey" Calhoun's passion for gardening has carried her to President's Park on which sits the White House. But when she finds a dead body in a trash can, Casey has to root out a killer before she ends up planted herself.

This series has the unfortunate luck of being compared to The White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy, which I love. And even worse, it pales in comparison. Where Julie Hyzy makes her characters competent like you would expect from people working in the White House, Dorothy St. James’ characters seem bumbling, Casey especially. It makes you wonder why they haven’t been fired yet. Besides that, they seem to do very little actual work….but that could just be me.

Casey thinks she knows everything just because she loves to read mystery books, but if she’s so good a detective, then why doesn’t she at least question the sudden interest of Templeton in her while he reportedly only dates supermodels and celebrities? But Casey is not the only one to act especially stupid. I cannot believe that a member of the elite CAT team of the Secret Service would take a civilian who’s a material witness to a murder – not to mention someone he seems to like – with him to apprehend a murderer. The characters behaved silly and that made things seem unrealistic.

The final nail in the coffin of this sub-standard series was the fact that the author dropped a rather broad hint about the true occupation of Casey’s parents, yet didn’t pursue it at all. An obvious hook to get the reader to pick up the next book. Perhaps she knew she needed one?

The only good thing about this was the mystery, I quite liked the puzzle of figuring out who did what and why. All in all this was a good idea but a bad execution, and I will not be picking up the next book in this series.

Bookreview: A Cold Day for Murder

2012-01-09T22:46:00.002+01:00

Author: Dana Stabenow
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1992
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 80 (2011 Book)

When a young national park ranger disappears during the long Alaskan winter, everyone assumes the cold got him. But when an investigator goes in after him and fails to return, Kate Shugak suspects it's more than the weather. With her Husky-breed, Mutt, as an ally, she goes hunting for answers among the pipeliners, Aleuts, and marginal eccentrics of the rugged American North. What she finds is thin ice between lies and loyalties...between justice served and the bare face of cold-blooded murder.

I really, really liked this book. The author’s knowledge of living in Alaska shines through in every word and the story has a great pace. The mystery was superb and the ending was heart wrenching but satisfying. Kate Shugak is an intriguing main character and I look forward to reading more in this series.

Sunday Salon: 2011 In Review

2012-01-08T21:18:00.000+01:00

2011 was an exceptionally good reading year for me. I expanded my horizons, mostly due to the theme reads I took part in, and tried a host of new (to me) authors and genres. I fell in love with a couple of new (to me) series and had what I think is an all-time high of 5 star books.

Book Stats for 2011:

# books read: 80 (!)

# of pages read: 22,379

# of 5 star books: 31

Best book: It’s a tie between Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett and Term Limits by Vince Flynn

Worst book: Luxembourg & the Jenisch Connection by David Robinson (1.5 stars)

Favorite series: White House Chef Mysteries by Julie Hyzy

What was your favorite book of 2011? And your worst? Did you discover a great new (to you) series in 2011?

Bookreview: Gunpowder Green

2012-01-07T22:38:00.000+01:00

Author: Laura Childs
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2002
Personal rating: 3/5
Yearly count: 79 (2011 Book)

When at the yearly yacht race a prominent member of Charleston’s society dies because the ancient gun he was using to signal the end of the race it seems like an accident. But Theodosia Browning isn’t so sure and she starts to dig into the mystery.

Just like the first book in the Tea Shop Mystery series, this one was full of charm. It has everything a good cozy needs: great setting, a colorful cast of characters, an intriguing mystery and a likable main character. However, just like the first book, the editing could have been better. There were still a lot of point of view changes, although the storyline was tighter than in the first book, so that’s progress. But my main problem with this book was the fact that Theodosia kept an important piece of evidence from the police, starting testing it herself, and in the end the detective in charge didn’t even mention it! That, for me, pulled the story down. But, setting that aside, this was a lovely cozy.

Bookreview: Buffalo West Wing

2012-01-06T22:27:00.000+01:00

Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 78 (2011 Book)

With a new First Family, White House executive chef Olivia Paras can't afford to make any mistakes. But when a box of take-out chicken mysteriously shows up for the First Kids, she soon finds herself in a "no-wing" situation. After Olivia refuses to serve the chicken, the First Lady gives her the cold shoulder. But when it turns out to be poisoned poultry, Olivia realizes the kids are true targets.

A new First Family is not only a realistic change, it is also a refreshing one. A lot of things change, there are now children in the White House, and Ollie doesn’t have the clout she had with the previous president and his wife. I liked these changes a lot, I think it kept this book from becoming ‘another one’.

As for the story, the mystery was a good one, but what really made this book was all the developments on a personal relationship front. It’s been a year since the happenings in Eggsecutive Orders and all hope of Ollie maybe getting back together with Tom is gone. I thought I’d find that terrible, but with the return of an old favorite character and new happenings on the relationship front I am incredibly glad, actually. And I have to admit, the new possible boyfriend fits Ollie better than Tom ever did – at least he understands and accepts her as she is. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed for them!

Bookreview: Eggsecutive Orders

2012-01-05T15:19:00.001+01:00

Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2010
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 77 (2011 Book)

When NSA big shot Carl Minkus dies right after eating the dinner Olivia Paras's staff had prepared, all forks point to them. Now the Secret Service is picking apart the kitchen-and scrutinizing the staff's every move. The timing couldn't be worse with the White House Lawn Easter Egg Roll to prep for without access to a kitchen. Olivia must find the real culprit-before she cracks under pressure.

This installment of the White House Chef mysteries is all about Easter – and a mystery that could have far reaching consequences for Ollie’s career. The mystery was done really well, unlike the previous books I did not figure things out before Ollie did. I didn’t like the happenings on the personal relationships front, although considering the tensions in the previous books it was probably inevitable.

Bookreview: Experience the Tower of London

2012-01-04T10:12:00.000+01:00

Author: Sarah Kilby
Genre: Non-fiction
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 76 (2011 Book)

This guidebook gives an overview of tower history as well as five tours with plenty of information. There are great maps inside as well as pictures and even if you don’t visit the Tower of London it is worth a read. I liked reading it a lot, it gave me a lot of information in an easily digestible form and it made me curious to know more – which is what a good guidebook is all about!

Bookreview: Hail to the Chef

2012-01-03T14:05:00.000+01:00

Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2008
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 75 (2011 Book)

White House executive chef Ollie Paras has to put her own interests on the back burner when a kindly electrician is electrocuted to death, and the First Lady's nephew dies in an apparent suicide less than 24 hours after cleaning shrimp with Ollie. Ollie suspects something fishy is going on. She'll have to watch her back - and find a killer unlikely to be pardoned.

This book gives the reader a peek into the holiday kitchen of the White House, which was great given the time of year I read it. But it was also a very nice cozy mystery. I especially liked the fact that Ollie didn’t deliberately stuck her nose into the bomb situation and that she did not like being in the middle of it. All in all it was a fun read with a satisfying amount of mystery.

Bookreview: The Cater Street Hangman

2012-01-02T21:53:00.003+01:00

Author: Anne Perry
Genre: Historical, Mystery
Published: 1979
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 74 (2011 Book)

While the Ellison girls were out paying calls and drinking tea like proper Victorian ladies, a maid in their household was strangled to death. The quiet and young Inspector Pitt investigates the scene and finds no one above suspicion. As his intense questioning causes many a composed facade to crumble, Pitt finds himself curiously drawn to pretty Charlotte Ellison. Yet, a romance between a society girl and so unsuitable a suitor was impossible in the midst of a murder....

I must admit, this book was not at all what I expected. I figured on a romance with a bit of murder mystery thrown in, or perhaps a gritty investigative novel told from Thomas Pitt’s point of view. It was neither. It was a cozy mystery told from the point of view of almost everyone in the Ellison family, and at no point did we find out firsthand what Thomas Pitt was thinking or doing. While that surprised me, it was a pleasant surprise and I absolutely loved the atmosphere of the book.

Anne Perry did a great job at evoking the Victorian era with its complicated manners and caste system. While Charlotte didn’t fall in love with Thomas immediately – something I liked a lot, by the way – she does eventually and for once the story doesn’t gloss over the problems such a relationship would have evoked back then. All in all this novel was great, realistic and cozy and a very good first book in a series I think I’ll quite enjoy.

Sunday Salon: Reading Year 2012

2012-01-01T14:59:00.000+01:00

While you are reading this, I am still enjoying my holiday in London. If all went to plan, I am not only enjoying London but I am also reading a heap of books on my Kindle! It’s amazing what amount of reading you can get done when you’ve got no access to internet. As such, I can’t really do a review of the past year, as is usual on the first Sunday Salon in the new year, because I want to have the books I read in the last week in the stats as well. Who knows, perhaps I read my best book of 2011 while in London!

But while I cannot yet review 2011, I can look ahead to 2012. My biggest change in 2012 is that I will no longer be doing any challenges. The only exception to this is the perpetual Book Around the World Challenge. Other than that, I will only join theme reads. I discovered in 2011 that I love theme reads, they force me to read ‘outside of the box’ and I found some real gems of books that I would never have picked up otherwise.

While doing these theme reads, and while reading in general in 2012, I am trying to read through my TBR stack and list. My stack is a physical stack (well, stacks) in my home, while my list contain books to get from the library and some to buy. Now, I will not be buying, but I will be reading from my stack and the library list as much as I can. There are so many books I own that I still haven’t read and it’s high time to make a dent in that stack!

And last, but certainly not least, I will be making an effort to catch up on all my series, especially the ones that I have books from on my TBR stack. There are also several series that are finished, so when I read them I don’t feel like I’ll never catch up. And for the series that are still being written, well, I have to catch up a bit or I’ll still be behind in fifty years!

So, that’s my general reading plan for 2012. What’s yours?

Bookreview: The Poisonwood Bible

2011-12-28T18:38:00.001+01:00

Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Genre: Historical
Published: 1998
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 73

Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family – a wife and four daughters – on a mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

The Poisonwood Bible is narrated by Orleana Price and her daughters, who are all very different people with their own unique perspective. This gave the book a unique 3-D picture of the situation, both their private situation as the more general situation of the country they live in which is in turmoil. Right from the beginning I knew things were going to go wrong, and as the book followed the family as things slid from bad to worse without them knowing it, it seems, until it was too late. Every time there was a point at which they could turn things around I was hoping they would, but didn’t really expect it.

What I liked very much was that the story continued after the main happenings in the Belgian Congo, that it showed how the events there affected the family for decades afterwards and how they ended up living their lives. That, for me, was perhaps the best part of the book.

All in all, this was a heavy book (both in subject as in size), but very, very good. It will stick with me for a good long while and I highly recommend it!

Bookreview: Rules of the Wild

2011-12-26T16:13:00.000+01:00

Author: Francesca Mariano
Genre: Realistic
Published: 1998
Personal rating: 3/5
Yearly count: 72

Rules of the wild tells the story of Esme, an Italian immigrant now living in Kenya, and her struggle to fit in there, to find herself, and the love she feels for two very different men. The fact that the author herself is also an Italian now living in Kenya shows and brings the descriptions in the book to life. The writing style did take me a while to get into, but once I got used to it, it was fine. The ending, while not the happy ending I was hoping for, felt hopeful even if it was ambiguous and fit the tone of the story. So despite it not being a fairy-tale ending, I ended up liking it quite a lot.

However, a lot of the story is about looking back, and Esme reflecting on her life and how things all went wrong. Esme is a fairly passive character and that combined with the lack of forward movement in the story made the whole book feel very passive. I didn’t like that very much.

All in all, this was an ok book. It didn’t shine for me, although the immigrant lifestyle was very well depicted, as were all the different aspects of Africa. That, for me, made the book more worth reading than the whole story about Esme.

Sunday Salon: London Here I Come!

2011-12-25T16:07:00.000+01:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a great day and that you get lots of books from your wish list!

For me it’s only one more day until I fly to London. I will stay there until after New Year, so while there some pre-planned posts will be published during that time, I won’t be online. Instead, I am going to go book shopping!

One of my stops will be Cecil Court road, a tiny little street filled with bookshops. The prices are not always as nice as the street, but it’s a delight to just browse.

Bookreview: A Wrinkle in Time

2011-12-24T20:14:00.002+01:00

Author: Madeleine L’Engle
Genre: Science fiction
Published: 1962
Personal rating: 3/5
Yearly count: 71

Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time.

Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?

For a science fiction book written almost 50 years ago this story held up really well. The science of the time travel in the book, the different planets and races, and the evil the characters face seem as ‘real’ today as they did when this book was first written. The story has the right amount of tension and lighter moments in it and always seems to be moving forward.

Yet having said all that, all this book did was show me once again that science fiction really isn’t my cup of tea when it comes to books. The only science fiction I like seems to be the science fiction on tv. So while I didn’t hate this book, in fact, I found it to be highly readable – it is the first science fiction book I can remember actually finishing – I didn’t really like it either. That, however, had nothing to do with the book and everything to do with me. So for everyone who does enjoy science fiction I would recommend this book, because it is charming and simply a good story. And that, coming from a science fiction book hater like myself, is high praise indeed!

Bookreview: A Different Kind of Christmas

2011-12-23T20:06:00.000+01:00

Author: Alex Haley
Genre: Historical
Published: 1988
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 70

It is 1855. Fletcher Randall is the son of a Southern plantation owner who is pro-slavery, as it is all he’s ever known. But when he goes to school up North, he’s exposed to the anti-slavery sentiments of several of his classmates. It is the start of a personal journey for Fletcher which culminates in a risky undertaking on Christmas Eve that could cost him his life.

This book is short but packs quite a punch. The writing style fits the story beautifully, and that’s not something I say lightly. The emotional journey Fletcher makes is believable and even when he’s still pro-slavery he’s easy to empathize with, despite not sharing his views at all. The ending is a little unexpected, but I thought it was a fitting end to the book.

Bookreview: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

2011-12-22T20:04:00.001+01:00

Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1938
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 69

It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is an old-fashioned mystery, where all suspects are gathered in one manor house in the country and the murder victim is despised by all. The fact that it is Christmas makes the actions of Simeon Lee, the murder victim, all the more vicious, and without it being Christmas the murder would probably never have taken place, or at least there would have been fewer suspects with motive around. As always in Agatha Christie’s books there are plenty of secrets to go around and it falls to Hercule Poirot to find those details that actually matter in this murder case. I don’t always like Hercule Poirot as a character, but he was more tolerable in this book than normal. And the twist at the end was brilliant.

Bookreview: Last Call

2011-12-12T18:56:00.003+01:00

Author: Jennifer Schmidt
Genre: Romance
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 68

While on vacation, a night out turns into a drunken haze, and Novalee Jensen wakes up hung over, confused, and… married? Fleeing Nevada, Novalee returns home to Montana to hide out, dreading the moment when her husband will show up to take her hard-earned business. But two years later just when Novalee thinks her secret is safe, guess who walks through her door? Now, face-to-face with the man she left in a hotel room two years ago, Novalee discovers the difficult part isn't having to explain her actions that night, or the questions that arise about the sexy stranger's arrival, it's keeping her hands off her husband. And what's Novalee to do when the hardest part turns out not to be confronting her past, but facing a possible future without her soon-to-be ex-husband?

Multi-millionaire Dean Philips wakes up in a Las Vegas hotel room to find the pretty blonde he married the night before gone. The piece of paper he possesses proves she served her purpose, and guilt ridden over his actions, Dean begins a battle with his father for a fight for his grandfather’s fortune. When Dean is ordered to have his wife appear in court, he finds himself in a small town in Montana, looking for the woman who ran off two years ago. Caught up in secrets and lies of his own, he has to find a way to persuade her to come back to Vegas with him without having her find out that she's the missing puzzle piece to everything he's been fighting for. But when Dean decides to mix a little pleasure with business, he suddenly finds himself in unfamiliar territory that could cost him everything.

I liked this one. What started out as a fairly typical romance plot was made just that little bit better by the realism of the feelings and events. There was no easy acceptance on Novalee’s part of the lies, nor was Dean completely comfortable with lying in the first place. I also liked how Novalee’s past was dealt with – she’s damaged but not broken, and there are no magical solutions, just Novalee doing her best to move on with her life. The writing style of this book was pleasant as well. All in all, I enjoyed this book.

Short Story Reviews

2011-12-11T19:13:00.000+01:00

When Tony Met Adam – Suzanne Brockmann – 4 stars

This short story is part of the Troubleshooter universe of Suzanne Brockmann and was written in honor of the final repeal of DADT. I loved this story a lot, even though the end was a bit sudden. What I liked most was the fact that the teammates of the gay Navy SEAL were afraid of saying the wrong thing and thereby putting their teammate in an awkward position due to DADT. Highly recommended, even if you have no idea who these characters are!

The Affair at the Victory Ball – Agatha Christie – 3 stars

A short Hercule Poirot story that was mediocre compared to Agatha Christie’s usual brilliance. Still a solid little mystery, but easily solved by me early in the story – something that never, ever happens with Agatha Christie’s full sized novels. I also think Hercule Poirot doesn’t really work in a short story, but otherwise this story was a nice, quick read.

Daddy Die Hard – Isaac Sweeney – 2.5 stars

A short non-fiction story about the author using John McClane as a father figure after his own father leaves him and his mother alone. While I liked what little he said, I had expected more from this going by the description of the story. It left me rather dissatisfied and I think it could have been a lot better.

Bookreview: The Third Option

2011-12-08T18:34:00.001+01:00

Author: Vince Flynn
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2000
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 67

Mitch Rapp, the CIA's top counterterrorism operative, is sent on his final mission, to eliminate a European industrialist who has been selling sensitive equipment to one of terrorism's most notorious sponsors. But he doesn't know that the ultimate target of this mission is himself. Set up by forces within the US who do not want the next Director-elect of the CIA to take over, and therefore need a disaster for the present regime, Mitch refuses to die... the conspirators have made an awful miscalculation. They have enraged one of the most lethal and efficient killers the CIA has ever produced. Now they will pay.

This book has an explosive start and from there on it’s a thrilling ride as Mitch Rapp is on the run, unsure of who he can trust – if he can trust anyone at all. Written in the same style as the previous book Vince Flynn draws the reader into the plot with multiple threads that all converge. But where Transfer of Power kept the same break-neck pace until the end, this book did not. The last 150 pages or so the pace slowed down, which I thought was a pity.

Still, despite that, this book was a good one and although this particular case is closed there’s a loose thread which I assume will become the main plot of the next book. I’d still recommend this book, if only because Mitch Rapp and his reactions were outstanding in this one.

Bookreview: The Last Kashmiri Rose

2011-12-07T16:05:00.001+01:00

Author: Barbara Cleverly
Genre: Mystery, Detective
Published: 2001
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 66

In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case. Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice…knowing the next victim is already marked to die.

Set in the early 1920s in British India The Last Kashmiri Rose is the first book of the Detective Joe Sandilands series. And I’ll tell you, if the rest of them are as good as this one I’ll be a very happy girl. The plot is well thought out, the setting is crucial to the plot and, unusual for this type of book, the why of the murders is more important than the who, although for about half the book the killer’s identity isn’t known. This book scores very well on all fronts, plot, setting and characters are great and make this a page-turner despite the slow simmering of happenings.

But what I loved most about this book was the setting. India is described so vividly that I felt as if I were there. While Anglo-India is most prominent, something of the native people and culture is also shown in this book. The time period is also an interesting one. There is unrest simmering under the surface due to tension between the British and the natives, and an uprising resulting in a lot of casualties is not that long ago. Not to mention that World War I is only just over and nobody was left untouched by that. The early 1920s is also an interesting time for forensics and criminal psychology, which were just up and coming in being used in investigations, and of which Joe Sandilands is a fervent fan. But perhaps most striking of all did I find the gap between Joe, who hasn’t spent that much time in India, and the English living in India that he meets. Time is ‘behind’ in India, often Joe thinks ‘it could have been the 90s’ by which he means the 1890s. This contrast puts you even more in the 1920s frame of mind than mere descriptions of the time period could have done.

All in all I really liked this book and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Highly recommended!

Bookreview: Transfer of Power

2011-12-06T16:03:00.001+01:00

Author: Vince Flynn
Genre: Thriller
Published: 1999
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 65

On a busy Washington morning, the stately calm of the White House is shattered as terrorists gain control of the executive mansion, slaughtering dozens of people. The president is evacuated to an underground bunker, but not before nearly one hundred hostages are taken. One man is sent in to take control of the crisis. Mitch Rapp, the CIA's top counterterrorism operative, determines that the president is not as safe as Washington's power elite had thought. Moving among the corridors of the White House, Rapp makes a chilling discovery that could rock Washington to its core: someone within his own government wants his rescue attempt to fail.

This is the first book where Mitch Rapp appears as a main character and boy, what a main character he is! The perfect hero for a series of thrillers about covert counterterrorism operations, Rapp is good at what he does, yet imperfect at the same time. I fell in love with this character right from the first page he appeared.

Other than a great main character, this book has a lot of things going for it. A great plot, good, fast-paced writing and an explosive ending that wrapped things up quite nicely. But above all this plot was believable in a way that was absolutely chilling, because if something like this ever happened in real life – and it could, unfortunately – we sadly don’t have a Mitch Rapp to call upon to save the day. All in all this was a great book that I highly recommend!

Bookreview: Term Limits

2011-12-05T16:00:00.001+01:00

Author: Vince Flynn
Genre: Thriller
Published: 1997
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 64

In one bloody night, three of Washington's most powerful politicians are executed with surgical precision. Their assassins then deliver a shocking ultimatum to the American government: set aside partisan politics and restore power to the people. No one, they warn, is out of their reach -- not even the president. A joint FBI-CIA task force reveals the killers are elite military commandos, but no one knows exactly who they are or when they will strike next. Only Michael O'Rourke, a former U.S. Marine and freshman congressman, holds a clue to the violence: a haunting incident in his own past with explosive implications for his country's future....

This thriller is fast-paced and Vince Flynn juggles the different strands of the story with ease. Never did I get confused about who I was reading about and one by one the different storylines started to come together to culminate in an exciting, realistic ending. For a first novel, this was absolutely amazing!

But more than just a well written thriller Term Limits is also a book that made me think. Who do you feel sympathy for? The killers, the FBI, or the politicians? Perhaps only for the innocents caught in the crossfire. Since the publication of this novel politics has only gotten worse and the monetary crisis this book predicts has come to pass. But when does fighting for freedom, for civil rights, become an ordinary crime? How far can and should you go in today’s world if you want to change it? Can killing ever be justified? Though questions that this book made me ask, and I still haven’t found an answer to them. And that, I think, is the true power of this book.

Bookreview: The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax

2011-12-02T15:57:00.002+01:00

Author: Dorothy Gilman
Genre: Spy novel
Published: 1971
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 63

While waiting for a view of her night-blooming cereus, the mild-seeming Mrs. Pollifax received urgent orders for a daring mission to aid an escape. Soon, the unlikely-looking international spy was sporting a beautiful new hat that hid eight forged passports....

Where giving Mrs. Pollifax the mission instead of a seasoned CIA agent in the first two books was half-way credible, this time it totally isn’t. As always, the storyline is rife with coincidences, even more than normal and if you can’t stand that, then this isn’t the book for you. If, however, you want to read an amusing, cozy spy story than you should definitely pick up The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax. Always fun and more often than not with quite a bit of fast-paced action this is another fine addition to the Mrs. Pollifax series.

Bookreview: Hoe schrijf ik een biografie? (How to write a biography)

2011-12-01T15:54:00.003+01:00

Author: Dik van der Meulen and Monica Soeting
Genre: Non-fiction
Published: 2010
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 62

I picked this book up because I am interested in writing family history, which often amounts to writing the stories of one ancestor at a time. In that aspect it very much looks like a biography, so I had hoped this book might help me.

Many books that deal with writing family histories focus on the near past, where there are still people who remember it, and the ins and outs of using interviews as a source often play a huge role in those books. This book, however, dealt not only with writing the biography of a recently deceased person, but also of people who lived further back in time. Therefore it described methods of finding, interpreting and using information other than interviews. As such, I found this the best book I have yet to read about writing a biography or family history. It was not only informative, but also easy to read and understand. Highly recommended!

Bookreview: Prehistoric Cookery

2011-11-11T22:14:00.001+01:00

Author: Jane Renfrew
Genre: Non-fiction
Published: 2005
Personal rating: 2/5
Yearly count: 61

Prehistoric Cookery: Recipes & History by Jane Renfrew is exactly as the title suggests. It’s a small, short book about the history of food and food preparation in prehistoric Britain which includes a few recipes. Text is brief and to the point, although parts of it read more as a long list of items than as an actual story. The research seemed solid and the author was honest enough to admit the uncertainty there still is about all of this, all points in favor of this book.

However, I do have two problems with the book. The first one is that the book claims to have adapted the recipes for the modern kitchen. The blurb on the back literally says: “The recipes, which have been adapted for the modern kitchen…” But I don't agree with that. A lot of the ingredients used, especially the herbs, are not easily available and no alternatives are given. Very few of the recipes could be cooked without needing to do some actual foraging in the wild or some complicated cooking method. So adapted for the modern kitchen is not a phrase I would use to describe these recipes.

Another problem I have is more serious, namely that there are no warnings for the use of some ‘uncommon’ herbs. Uncommon in this case means not available in most stores, if available in stores at all. For instance, one recipe calls for tansy, which can be a) toxic in too high substances and you need to know which leaves are safe to harvest to avoid this, and b) it is not safe to use if you are pregnant! No warnings for the use of these herbs, which we do not use today anymore and thus most people know nothing about, is not given at all. The Latin names are mentioned in the text, but not until after the recipes and it’s easy to overlook. Also, nothing is said about how to harvest them or how to deal with them in the kitchen. In contrast, she does warn about picking and eating mushrooms if you are not absolutely sure about what you do – the same goes for herbs, especially those you cannot find in stores (unlike most edible mushrooms which are readily available these days), yet she doesn’t say a word about it. I find this to be a very, very dangerous thing.

So, while the historical portion of this book is fine, if a bit dry at times, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book. The recipes are simply unusable – and believe me, I tried some of the easier ones – without either changing them, leaving things out, or doing very complicated things. And that is without taking into account the possible dangers of the recipes that I find do not fit the ‘adapted to the modern kitchen’ moniker at all. All in all, I do not find this book worth my time – a great disappointment.

Flash Reviews (Part 4)

2011-11-10T17:28:00.000+01:00

Identity: Unknown by Suzanne Brockmann (4 stars, nr. 57)

Identity: Unknown is the eight book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. It is not easy to get me to really like a story with amnesiac main character, but this story was good. Probably because as a reader you did know what was going on, at least in part, with the amnesiac. So even though I didn’t expect to like it, I am very glad I gave this one a chance.

Get Lucky by Suzanne Brockmann (4 stars, nr. 58)

Get Lucky is the ninth book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. I liked the book, but Lucky was not a character I could easily get attached to. It took me awhile to warm up to him.

Taylor’s Temptation by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 59)

Taylor’s Temptation is the tenth book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. This book was brilliant. Bobby being pulled between his love for Colleen and his friendship with Wes was something that really had me rooting for a good ending on both side. I especially liked the fact that Wes was the one who pulled his head out of his ass on his own in the end.

Night Watch by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 60)

Night Watch is the eleventh and final book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. This was a very nice book, which dealt with letting go of the past and going from friendship to romance. A nice ending to this series.

Flash Reviews (Part 3)

2011-11-09T17:17:00.000+01:00

Harvard’s Education by Suzanne Brockmann (4 stars, nr. 54)

Harvard’s Education is the fifth book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. It was nice, if somewhat predictable in places. Harvard pleasantly surprised me in the end, which I found to be the highlight of the book.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 55)

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear is the sixth book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. I love the mystery in this one, really, I love the whole package. Opposites attract might be a cliché, but it’s a very nicely done cliché in this case.

The Admiral’s Bride by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 56)

The Admiral’s Bride is the seventh book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. This book is a little different than the others in this series, in that it not only has a plot that is much more tense than most, it also has an older character as the male lead. I loved the fact that this book had a May/December romance in it – with all the inherent problems being discussed and not glossed over – without ever even hinting about it being ‘wrong’. The suspense plot itself would have made me read this book, but the romance just added to the situation. Really, really liked this book.

Flash Reviews (Part 2)

2011-11-08T17:05:00.000+01:00

Forever Blue by Suzanne Brockmann (4 stars, nr. 51)

Forever Blue is the second book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. I liked this plot and I really liked the main characters, but I found the solution a little bit too convenient.

Frisco’s Kid by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 52)

Frisco’s Kid is the third book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. I loved this book! Ever since learning about Frisco in Prince Joe I have wanted his story and Suzanne Brockmann really delivers in this book. There’s no magical solution here, no ‘fix-it’ relationship, just a man getting that final push he needs to start living again.

Everyday, Average Jones by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 53)

Everyday, Average Jones is the fourth book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. I thought this book was very nice. I love the fact that Jones does give up in the end, only to get a push from his teammate to get back in the game. To me, that showed the closeness of a SEAL team more than any battlefield heroics ever could.

Flash Reviews (Part 1)

2011-11-07T16:35:00.001+01:00

Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann (5 stars, nr. 48)

Prince Joe is the first book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series about Navy SEALs finding love, with a little bit of action thrown in to spice things up. I liked this one a lot, there was a great give and take between the two main characters.

Baby Bling by Elle James (4 stars, nr. 49)

The third book in the Diamonds and Daddies series, and things are really heating up with the over-all plotline. The plotline of this book is pretty good too, although sometimes I had a hard time believing a woman who was pregnant would take such great risks. On the other hand, I could understand as well. All in all, another good addition to this series.

Priceless Newborn Prince by Ann Voss Peterson (4 stars, nr. 50)

The fourth and final book in the Diamonds and Daddies series. A whole new heap of trouble comes to the Aggie Four in this book, in which all the puzzle pieces finally fall into place to reveal what has been going on. While I liked the book, I thought things were wrapped up a little too quickly, especially considering the extra trouble this book brought. But, all in all, a very satisfying end to this series.

Sunday Salon: New To Me Authors: Love At First Sight

2011-11-06T16:29:00.001+01:00

I am way, way behind on updating this blog with reviews – no, scratch that, I am way, way behind with writing reviews. And I blame Suzanne Brockmann and Vince Flynn! At the end of September I discovered Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall, Dark and Dangerous series, and I read almost all of the books in that series in the space of a week. The last two books I finished in the first week of October. I then got sidetracked by real life, and read very little for the rest of the month.

Now, when I should be writing reviews and posting them, I am not. Why? Because of Vince Flynn, another new to me author. His thrillers are awesome, and I am about 400 pages into his first novel Term Limits and loving it!

I will, of course, start reviewing books. The coming week will see four days of flash reviews to catch up a bit, then it’s back to normal reviews. So, a lot to look forward. But first, I’m going to finish Term Limits. And did I mention that I have Vince Flynn’s next novel ready and waiting?

How about you? Do you ever get obsessed with a new to you author? Which authors grabbed you so much that you just had to read (nearly) everything they’d ever written?

Bookreview: Death at Daisy's Folly

2011-09-12T09:22:00.000+02:00

Author: Robin Paige
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1997
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 47

Kate and Sir Charles gather with a host of memorable guests at the Warwicks' Eaton Lodge for an English country-house weekend. Meet Albert Edward, Prince of Wales; his "darling Daisy," the Countess of Warwick; their friends -- and their enemies. Someone has murdered a stableboy and the Prince, smarting over a recent gambling exposé and seeking to avoid scandal, directs Sir Charles to find the killer. But the stakes go up when a guest is shot with the Countess's gun.

Another great installment in the Robin Paige Victorian-Edwardian Mysteries. This one not only is a great mystery, it also is an excellent showcase of the different layers in British society at the time. Not only between the upper layers and the servants, but also all of the subtle layers in those groups. From royals to Kate, who’s not a peer, to the Uppers of the servants all the way down to the scullery maids.

But what I love most about this series is the excellent way the historical setting is used. From showing the reactions to the new phenomenon motorcars, which was not favorable at all, to more political issues of the time like Anarchists. It’s both a rich picture to serve as a backdrop for a truly excellent mystery, as well as an excellent reason in and of itself to read this book.

The only thing I didn’t like as much was the fact that for half the book Kate and Charles are making assumptions about what the other thinks instead of actually taking. But, they finally did talk, so I’m happy over-all with the progress in their personal relationship.

All in all, I was very charmed by this book and I heartily recommend it to mystery lovers and historical fiction fans alike.

Bookreview: Simon Said

2011-09-10T09:52:00.002+02:00

Author: Sarah Shaber
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1997
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 46

When an archaeologist unearths a decaying body while excavating Kenan College's distinguished Bloodsworth House, the college's youngest full-time professor, Simon Shaw, becomes involved in the case because he is the leading authority on the house's history.

I love a mystery like this with a body so old. You can research without getting in the way of the police, for they don’t really investigate a murder so old. This makes for a credible storyline with an amateur sleuth.

The point of view switched quite a lot, certainly in the first few chapters, which isn’t my favorite thing in the world. Especially in cozy mysteries I like a tighter point of view. In this case, it took until the fourth chapter before I really started connecting with Simon, the main character, because his voice wasn’t coming through before that because of the pov switches. But once I did connect to Simon, I really got into the book.

The only thing I really have to complain about is that the editing on this Kindle edition could be better. Line breaks are sometimes missing where they should be, dialogue often doesn’t start on a new line, and sometimes where there should be numbers there is merely blank space. This sloppy editing job was annoying, and threw me out of the story when there was something missing from the text.

But, despite the abysmal editing, I really liked this book and looks forward to reading the rest of the series.

Bookreview: Homicide in Hardcover

2011-09-09T10:49:00.002+02:00

Author: Kate Carlisle
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2009
Personal rating: 4.5/5
Yearly count: 45

The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn't be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.

With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless - and supposedly cursed - copy of Goethe's Faust for safekeeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless - but attractive - British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice.

An interesting main character with an interesting profession and a eclectic cast of secondary characters does not automatically make a good cozy mystery. But for Homicide in Hardcover it certainly made the excellent mystery plot even better. Despite the fact that I found the ending a bit creepy, I really liked this book. Highly recommended!

Bookreview: Fool's Puzzle

2011-09-08T10:46:00.001+02:00

Author: Earlene Fowler
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1994
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 44

Thirty-four-year-old widow Benni Harper takes a job as curator of the San Celina folk art museum, only to find herself embroiled in the murder of an artist and small-town intrigues that shed new light on her own late husband's death.

Despite the fact that it is advertised as a craft mystery revolving around quilting – something the title also leads you to believe – this book was more character driven than craft driven. It worked out perfectly, with just enough quilt references to satisfy me as a quilter without it being overwhelming. I found it a refreshing change in pace that the mystery plot is the most important one, so different from all the themed cozy mysteries that are available right now.

Also, I have to say it, finally we have a main character that keeps information secret from the police for a logical reason: family. She keeps digging for the same reason. And also, hurray, a cop that is neither clueless nor heartless! No cliché characters to be found here, only characters that felt like they could walk straight off the page and into the real world.

I loved it! Really, really loved this book. I highly recommend it!

Bookreview: Jane Austen Ruined My Life

2011-09-07T10:43:00.001+02:00

Author: Beth Pattillo
Genre: Romance, Women's fiction
Published: 2009
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 43

I read through this book like a speeding bullet. Emma’s voice was spot on and I could empathize with her very easily. It was a fun read for me as a Jane Austen fan, but I do think that people not familiar with Jane Austen might miss a lot when reading this book.

I have to say, I expected a fluffy chick-lit book, but this was much more than that. It had a bittersweet and more realistic ending than I had anticipated. This lifted the book to a higher rating, as it felt so perfect and yet so real.

Bookreview: Death by Darjeeling

2011-09-06T18:32:00.003+02:00

Author: Laura Childs
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2001
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 42

Death by Darjeeling, the first book in Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mysteries, just breathed atmosphere and character. It had a great flow of words that drew me straight into the story and made me forget everything around me. I loved Theodosia, the main character, and cared about her right from the first few pages.

I won’t lie, the book could have used a stricter editor. Some parts did not connect with the plot at all and could have easily been cut out. There were point of view shifts, often sudden and for a short time. But both were not annoying me like usual, because the story flowed so very well. I can overlook these faults easily; I didn’t even notice them when I was reading, only when looking back on the book.

All in all, this book gave me everything I want in a cozy mystery – unique, atmospheric setting, colorful characters, and a juice mystery. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and sincerely recommend this book!

Bookreview: Slave

2011-08-08T20:30:00.000+02:00

Author: Sherri Hayes
Genre: Romance, Drama
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 41

Stephan has lived the lifestyle of a Dominant for five years. After several rebellious teenage years, it gave him the stability and control he had been seeking after his parent’s death. As president of a not-for-profit foundation, he knows what his future holds and what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend and Mentor, Darren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he’d be in, Stephan can’t walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how. But Brianna knows only one thing, she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing. Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a Slave?

I started this book with equal amounts of anticipation and trepidation. This kind of storyline can make for a really good book, or one riddled with clichés and bad writing. But this book was even better than I had anticipated. I couldn’t put it away and the story pulled me in completely.

What I liked most about this book was how the author never went for the easy solutions. There was no magical cure for Brianna, Stephan made mistakes – some which he realized and some which he didn’t (want to) see. The secondary characters were well rounded, none were completely vilified, something that could have easily happened with Richard’s character. He doesn’t approve of Stephan’s lifestyle, but loves his nephew enough to keep trying, and he does have a valid point about Brianna, even though Stephan refuses to hear it.

What I also really liked in this book was the way the lifestyle was depicted. No hard-core BDSM just for the sake of it, no BDSM fairy tale where everything is always candies and roses and nothing ever goes wrong, but no vilifying it either. But I was most impressed by the fact that the author never drew a line in the sand between submission and voluntary slavery where submission was the ‘right’ choice and slavery the ‘wrong’ choice. Considering this was a book about a girl rescued from forced slavery, such a distinction could have easily been made but never was. In fact, the author showed that neither submission nor slavery is wrong, as long as all parties agree to it.

So, all in all, I was very impressed with this book and I liked it very much. I was very sad to see the end of it. The ending itself is very open ended and after some checking on the author’s blog, it appears that this was the first book in a series about Stephan and Brianna. Now that I can get behind! I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

*This book was an Early Review book provided to me for free. This did not in any way influence the contents of my review*

Bookreview: London: A Brief History

2011-08-05T10:38:00.000+02:00

Author: Charles River Editors
Genre: Non-fiction
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 3/5
Yearly count: 40

London: A Brief History is brief indeed, and more of a collection of facts about London than a story of its history. But this lightning fast overview of London is interesting nonetheless. It was a quick read, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in London, but this is not the book for you if you are looking for a story of London throughout the ages.

Bookreview: Atlantis

2011-08-04T14:21:00.002+02:00

Author: David Gibbins
Genre: Adventure
Published: 2005
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 3

Jack Howard, an underwater archeologist, discovers clues that could lead him and his team to the legendary city of Atlantis. But the deep waters of the sea don’t only hold the secrets of the past, they are also the terrain of pirates who will stop at nothing to get their hands on valuable archeological finds. And when Jack’s team discovers a Russian submarine from the Cold War era, there is suddenly more at stake than just their own lives.

I loved this book. It had a little bit of everything I love: history, mystery, and adventure. It is definitely a book for those that love history, as it is full of historical information. It is very clear that David Gibbins knows what he is talking about, as well he should, considering he’s an underwater archeologist himself. His hands-on experience is most notable in the descriptions of the diving scenes, which were breathtaking.

The only downside of David Gibbins’ extensive knowledge of his subject is that sometimes the book was a bit information heavy. Especially on history subjects, which I didn’t mind because I love history, and on weaponry, which got a bit tiring after a while because it doesn’t really interest me.

But, all in all, this book was a great read and I am really happy it is only the first in the series. I look forward to reading more of Jack Howard’s adventures.

Author Page: Juan Gomez-Jurado

2011-08-03T20:29:00.004+02:00

I started reading Juan Gomez-Jurado's first book God's Spy as part of my Book Around the World challenge. I haven't looked back since, as that book gripped me tight and took me on a thrilling ride. Everything I've read from him so far does, and I have never been more glad of a challenge expanding my reading horizons, for I might have never picked up one of his books otherwise.

Father Anthony Fowler series

God's Spy review
Contract With God review

Other books

The Traitor's Emblem

Bookreview: State of the Onion

2011-07-21T22:22:00.006+02:00

Author: Julie Hyzy
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2008
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 38

White House Assistant Chef Olivia ‘Ollie’ Paras has enough problems in her day to day life. Aside from working in the most important kitchen in the world, which is stressful enough on its own, she’s also in the running for the position of Executive Chef. But Laurel Anne, a celebrity chef with whom Ollie has a less than pleasant past, is vying for the same position. If that’s not enough, Ollie gets ensnared into a plot to assassinate the president when she takes out an intruder on the White House lawn. She’s the only one who knows what the assassin looks like and he is willing to kill her to protect his identity.

I thought the first half of the book was a bit slow paced. It’s not that there isn’t anything going on, but most of the problems are work related while the thriller aspect simmers on the backburner. But about half-way through the book the assassin plot picks up the pace and from there it’s a race to the finish. While reading I began to suspect virtually everyone, becoming as paranoid as Ollie. In the end, I didn’t guess correctly who was the assassin, but he was on my short list of suspects. So the author did a good job of keeping the true identity hidden without taking all the fun out of guessing by coming up with someone completely left-field. I liked that.

One point I want to make is that a lot of reviews I’ve read have had something to say about Tom, Ollie’s secret service boyfriend. Most of them didn’t like how he was acting towards Ollie, especially in regards to her need to know more about what was going on with the threat to the President’s life. But I thought he was very realistic. Tom’s a guy who wants to leave a fairly stressful job at work and not take it home, who doesn’t like talking about it, even the few bits and pieces that aren’t classified, and who certainly won’t like talking about an active case considering he knows Ollie will always push for more. And I can totally get why he was absolutely furious with her for pushing it and thereby endangering her life.

Ollie vying for executive chef position with Laurel Anne was a nice subplot, although the ending to that is easy to guess. Still, it was a nice addition to the book, creating some added tension and comic relief here and there. My favorite part of the book was the ending, where a lot of little things came together to create the situation that was the big finish for the main plot. All in all I thought it was a great book, and a very promising beginning to a new series.

Bookreview: Desert Ice Daddy

2011-07-20T22:11:00.003+02:00

Author: Dana Marton
Genre: Romance
Published: 2009
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 37

The second in the Diamonds and Daddies series continues with a new mystery, but this one builds on the happenings in the previous book. Akeem Abdul arrives at the McKade ranch for business related to the incident in the first book, Rita Herron’s Platinum Cowboy, but that is quickly shifted aside when he learns Taylor McKade's little boy had disappeared. This kidnapping is very personal for Akeem, as he has loved Taylor for years and now that she’s divorced, he finally sees a chance to win her heart.

This book was very tension filled, even more than Platinum Cowboy. Where in Platinum Cowboy several small incidents led to the big finish, this book revolved around one thing and one thing only: the kidnapping. It was a very good read with a very believable romance, but there was one moment in the book that stood out in a negative way. I mean, really, sex in the middle of a kidnapping case, while in danger, on top of a ledge? It was an obvious and fairly unbelievable ploy, just to get in the obligatory sex scene. I’d have been happier if Dana Marton had left that out and just stuck with the one sex scene at the end, which did feel real and believable.

Bookreview: Contract With God

2011-07-18T22:06:00.004+02:00

Author: Juan Gomez-Jurado
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2009
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 36

Contract With God is also known as The Moses Expedition and together these titles give a pretty good idea as to the plot of this book. An expedition to search for the Ark of the Covenant is at the center of this book. Where other expeditions have tried and failed, this expedition might end up actually succeeding. It is therefore not unexpected that it draws the attention of some not so savory types as well as the Vatican. Father Anthony Fowler, who was one of the main characters in Juan Gomez-Jurado’s first book Spy of God, is ‘persuaded’ to join the expedition to keep an eye on things. But will his presence be enough to keep the expedition members alive?

I loved this book, just as I did Spy of God. It’s a fast paced thriller and I just could not put it away. I like how Juan Gomez-Jurado always shows so many sides of what is going on, even going so far as to show the point of view of the bad guys. And he’s a master of weaving all kinds of different threads, only to bring them all together in one big finish.

The only point of complaint I might have is that it seems this is the last book with Father Anthony Fowler as the main character. Two books isn’t nearly enough time with him! I e-mailed the author to ask if it is indeed the last we’ll see of Anthony Fowler, but as of yet have not heard back from him. But I will say that if this is the last Anthony Fowler book, the ending couldn’t have been better.

Bookreview: Introduction to Ecological Genomics

2011-07-05T12:48:00.001+02:00

Author: Nico van Straalen and Dick Roelofs
Genre: Non-fiction
Published: 2006
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 35
2011 Non-Fiction Challenge: 5/9
Off The Shelf Challenge: 11/15

First off, let me say that I did not come into this book with a clean slate. Not only am I a biologist, and therefore have some pre-knowledge of this subject, I also know both authors. Nico van Straalen and Dick Roelofs have taught me a lot over the years and they write the way they teach: very accessible. I’m sure everyone knows the type of textbook that has a lot of information but just isn’t readable. This book is very readable, has a well-thought out order and the voice of the authors sounds through in every word – but perhaps that last only if you know them like I do.

The aim of this book is to explore and explain a fairly new field, that of ecological genomics. It’s basically using genomics – research based on genes and everything associated with genes – to answer ecological questions and further ecological understanding. The first three chapters are fairly technical, focusing more on the relevant genomic techniques and ways to use them, where the other four chapters of the book focus more on ecological questions and how genomics can help answer them. This order is very logical, for you have to understand the techniques used before you can understand how to apply them (or how they have been applied already). The downside of this is that the ‘fun’ ecological stuff doesn’t start until chapter four.

While we’re talking about technical chapters and more ecological ones, I want to say some things about the level of knowledge that is required to appreciate this book. Let me make it very clear from the start that this book is not for the layperson. A reader might be able to follow without the assumed ecological knowledge, as a lot of the necessary ecological knowledge is explained in the book. But if you don’t have a firm grounding in genetics, you will be lost very, very fast. And with a firm grounding I do not merely mean knowing that DNA is transcribed into RNA and then into proteins. You need to know the specifics of the mechanisms involved in that process, as well as the difference between the different domains of life, and a working knowledge of transposable elements is also recommended. Knowledge of cellular processes and techniques commonly used in genetics research (which is different from genomics) is something I’d also recommend. So as you can see, background knowledge is fairly essential to understanding this book.

Even with the required background knowledge, it’s easy to get lost sometimes when there are a lot of gene names bandied about in a short amount of text. But that is often off-set by the very clear pictures that elucidate the text. All in all, this is a very good book if you’re interested in this subject, but I do recommend that you read a good book about genetics first.

Bookreview: Murder Takes the Cake

2011-07-04T13:01:00.000+02:00

Author: Gayle Trent
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2008
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 34
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2/13

When Daphne Martin’s first client of her new cake decorating business is found dead by her, it seems as if her business is doomed from the start. When fingers start pointing at her cakes as the cause of death, even though there were plenty of people in town who wanted Yodel dead, Daphne decided she needs to find out who really did it, before there’s nothing left to save of her new company.

I loved this book. Daphne had a tragic past, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying life. She’s returned to her hometown, so there is some reconnecting with people from her past, but most characters she doesn’t know from before. I really liked the mystery, mostly because Daphne didn’t try to stick her nose in it, yet still found herself smack dab in the middle of it. She seemed very real, as did her reactions. And don’t get me started on how hungry I became reading about all those cakes! All in all, a great begin to a new series.

So why the 4 stars instead of 5? Sometimes the cake decorating information was a little technical. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the details, but I would have liked a little section in the back that maybe explained some terms. She used a lot of tools I have never heard of before, so I couldn’t really picture them.

Sunday Salon: Flash Reviews

2011-07-03T12:46:00.000+02:00

I’m a bit behind with my reviews, so today I’m using the Sunday Salon to give a brief review for three suspense romances I read recently. I don’t have a lot to say about them anyway, as they’re fairly light fare.

Platinum Cowboy by Rita Herron (5 stars, nr. 31)

Platinum Cowboy is the first in a series of 4 and set on a ranch that suffers from sabotage. But there’s more to it than just someone trying to ruin the owner Flint McKade. In the midst of this all, the new veterinarian Lora Leigh Whittaker is searching for her brother that disappeared while working for Flint under an assumed name. The more she learns, the more she believes something bad happened, and Flint is the man she suspects. But at the end of the day, the two of them might need each other if they are to come out of this alive. I really liked this one, from the romance to the plot, it was all very believable and fast-paced.

Security Blanket by Delores Fossen ( 5 stars, nr. 32)

Texas P.I. Quinn “Lukcy” Bacelli is tracking Marin Sheppard, convinced she knew where her criminal brother was. But he’s not the only one to think so and someone else is willing to kill Marin and her son to get the information. A pretend engagement is the last thing Lucky was expecting, but it might just be what he wants. I liked this one, at times it read more as a thriller than a romance and you never knew who to trust. There was a lot more going on behind the obvious plot than I thought. This book is the first in the Texas Paternity series, although the order is a bit ambiguous.

Armed and Devastating by Julie Miller (4 stars, nr. 33)

This is actually the second one in this series, which I figured out pretty soon. Still, I liked this one. But although the mystery is somewhat resolved, not everything is. This one definitely can't stand on its own if you want to know everything that happened.

Bookreview: Dinomummy

2011-05-13T08:05:00.002+02:00

Author: Phillip Manning
Genre: Non-fiction, Children's book
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 30
2011 Non-Fiction Challenge: 5/9

This children’s book is a quick and easy read, but that doesn’t make the story of the life and discovery of Dakota, a dinosaur mummy, any less interesting. The text is clear and simple, but conveys a lot of information. And the pictures are great. I wonder how many were staged for the book and how many were actual pictures taken during the course of the excavation and research. Either way, a nice look behind the scenes of dinosaur research and about one of the greatest finds in recent history!

Bookreview: Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

2011-05-12T09:51:00.003+02:00

Author: Eoin Colfer
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Published: 2010
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 29
Series Reading Challenge: 10/3
Off The Shelf Challenge: 11/15

Artemis has a plan to stop global warming and wants the cooperation of the elves. But he is suffering from a disease known as the Atlantis Complex, causing delusions and paranoia. It comes at a really bad time, because an army of robots invade Earth and are on their way to Atlantis. Will Artemis be able to stop them while not being in his right mind?

This latest book in the Artemis Fowl series has plenty of action and some wry humor, as is usual in an Artemis Fowl book. But there’s one thing different: Artemis himself. Due to the Atlantis Complex he’s almost unrecognizable as a character. So I kept wondering, is it really an Artemis Fowl book if Artemis isn’t himself?

I’m still not quite sure of the answer to that. I liked the book, but I missed Artemis. It doesn’t help that the ending is pretty open. Hopefully Eoin Colfer will really write that promised eight and last book in the series to make everything all right again and give us faithful readers the great ending this series deserves.

Bookreview: The Abyssinian Proof

2011-05-10T12:33:00.002+02:00

Author: Jenny White
Genre: Mystery, Historical
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 4.5/5
Yearly count: 28
Series Reading Challenge: 9/3
Historical Tour de Genre: 2/6
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: 2/20

The Ottoman Empire is plagued by thefts of antiquities from mosques and churches that, within days, appear for sale in Europe. Among them is a reliquary, presumed lost for four hundred years and around which an elaborate and mysterious sect has grown. Magistrate Kamil Pasha is under pressure to break the smuggling ring amid rising tensions between Christians and Muslims. The ever increasing complicated search for the missing reliquary into the old neighborhoods where Istanbul's crime rings reside may cost Kamil not only his position but also his life.

I picked this second Kamil Pasha book up a few years ago, but put it down due to some bits concerning women’s circumcision that had me a bit squeamish. But my reading tastes have shifted to some more hard-core mysteries since then, and so this time around I was able to enjoy this book. I love the complex mix of history, different culture, and a time period of great change as the Ottoman Empire is nearing its collapse, where old and new ways are co-existing and sometimes warring.

What I didn’t like about this book was the cheap cop-out of a situation raised in the last book. Jenny White ‘solved’ it simply by removing the conflict in the time period between the two books. I was really disappointed in that, because the conflict could’ve been a great secondary plot in the series. At the very least I wanted to see the way it was resolved, instead of the few bland sentences that were used to describe it.

But setting that one disappointment aside, this book was great. The mystery was complicated, with twists and turns that left me unsure of who to trust. What I liked a lot was how realistic Jenny White kept the storyline, for the whole Proof of God could’ve lend itself easily to something unrealistic. To top it all off is the fact that Kamil’s personal life is changing. It’s slow and therefore realistic, but it promises good things for future books, as I like main characters of series changing over the course of the series.

Bookreview: The Blessing Way

2011-05-06T15:13:00.001+02:00

Author: Tony Hillerman
Genre: Mystery, Detective
Published: 1970
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 27

Witchcraft appears to be involved in the death of an Indian, whose body is found in Many Ruins Canyon, and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is charged with the task of solving the crime.

The Blessing Way is an old fashioned detective story which stands out because of the superb setting in the Navajo reservation. It's also the first in Tony Hillerman's long running series abour Joe Leaphorn and the later addition of Jimmy Chee, but it's quite a bit different from the others.

A lot of reviews for this book say it’s not the best book in the series. Even Hillerman himself apparently agrees that it’s not the best introduction to the series, even though it is the first book. The reviews are right that Hillerman is still trying to find the best way to tell the story and as such, the story’s focus isn’t always as tight as it should be. But I’ve always liked to start at the beginning of a series.

A lot of the complaining in the reviews was that Leaphorn isn’t always acting like Leaphorn, and apparently shows characteristics of Chee, a character that comes later in the series. Another complaint often voiced was that Leaphorn wasn’t the main character of this book, but the Caucasian Dr. Bergan McKee. But if you’ve never read a book in this series before, like me, than none of these things are noticeable, let alone annoying! So please, don’t let the reviews stop you from starting this series at the beginning.

The Blessing Way has a well worked out plot, with a twist I didn’t work out until it was revealed. But what I liked most was the Navajo culture and way of thinking that was so central to the book. It felt like stepping into another world, or perhaps I could better say: seeing our world through different eyes. I liked this book and if the series gets better as is said, that’s a very nice bonus when I’m reading the rest!

Bookreview: The Eye of the Needle

2011-05-05T15:10:00.003+02:00

Author: Ken Follett
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 1978
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 26
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: 2/20
Theme Read War & Regions in Conflict: 1/8

His weapon is the stiletto, his codename: "The Needle". He is Henry Faber, Germany's most feared agent in Britain. His task is to discover the Allies' plans for D-Day, and get them to Germany at all costs. A task that he ruthlessly carries through, until Storm Island and a woman called Lucy.

Eye of the Needle is a brilliant book. It takes a very talented writer to create such a suspenseful book when everyone knows the outcome already. It’s known Germany lost the war, so there’s no question that Faber will not succeed in his task, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if he would manage to pull it off.

The plot of the book is excellent, but more so are the characters. Even Faber is likeable, in fact, I actually liked Faber more than any other character. The little quirks of the character are so good, even though he’s the bad guy. I loved that the little detail of Faber deliberately giving the Luftwaffe the wrong information to protect a British cathedral he admires. That’s just brilliant, no other word for it.

What makes this novel work most of all is the fact that it could have happened like this. That makes everything so very believable. Mere words cannot describe how much I love this book. I highly recommend it!

Bookreview: Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox

2011-05-03T15:04:00.005+02:00

Author: Eoin Colfer
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2008
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 25
Series Reading Challenge: 6/3
Off The Shelf Challenge: 10/15
2011 To Be Read Pile Challenge: 1/12
2011 Original TBR Challenge: 1/12

Artemis’ mother falls ill and human medicine can’t help her. Artemis is desperate to save her life and calls in the help of Holly. But Holly finds out that Artemis’ mother has an elfen illness and needs an antidote. Unfortunately, that antidote was destroyed eight years ago – by Artemis. Finding a way to travel back in time to retrieve it is the easy part. For Artemis faces his most dangerous opponent ever – himself.

The sixth book in the Artemis Fowl series starts out a bit slow and weird after Artemis’ long absence following the events in book five. But once the story gets going, it really gets going. The plot is full of twists and turns and kept surprising me. I loved the intricacies of the time travel, and the contrast between ‘old’ Artemis and ‘new’ Artemis really showed how much Artemis has changed over the course of the series. Of course there’s plenty of humor in the book as well, but it’s really the plot that tips this book from good to excellent.

Author Page: Ken Follett

2011-05-02T16:34:00.003+02:00

My first ever read from Ken Follett was The Eye of the Needle. I loved this book! It was so suspensful and the characters were so great, I literally couldn't put the book down. And it isn't even supposed to be his best work, so I'm definitely going to read everything of him I can get my hands on!

He also writes as Martin Martinsen, Simon Myles, Bernard L Ross, and Zachary Stone.

Apples Carstairs (writing as Simon Myles

The Big Needle
The Big Black
The Big Hit

Century

Fall of Giants

Novels (chronologically)

Amok King of Legend (writing as Bernard L Ross)
The Power Twins: A Science Fantasy for Young People (writing as Martin Martinsen)
The Secret of Kellerman's Studio
The Modigliani Scandal (writing as Zachary Stone)
The Mystery Hideout
Paper Money (writing as Zachary Stone)
Capricorn One (writing as Bernard L Ross)
Eye of the Needle
Triple
The Key to Rebecca
The Man from St. Petersburg
On Wings of Eagles
Lie Down with Lions
Night Over Water
A Dangerous Fortune
A Place Called Freedom
The Third Twin
The Hammer of Eden
Code to Zero
Jackdaws
Hornet Flight
Whiteout

Piers Roper

The Shakeout
The Bear Raid

Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth
World Without End

Sunday Salon: Reading Series

2011-05-01T16:12:00.001+02:00

I love reading series. I love staying with my favorite characters for a longer period of time, seeing them and their lives change. But there’s one downside to reading series, especially when it comes to series that are still being written: it’s so hard to catch up!

Take for instance the Elm Creek Quilts series. I started reading this series in 2008, almost ten years after the first book was published. By that time there were already 13 parts published. I’ve now read three books, and the 18th part will be published later this year. Will I ever catch up?

And if it was just one series I had to catch up on, it wouldn’t be so bad. But there’s a lot of series I’ve already started reading and even more on my TBR list I haven’t started yet! I’ll never catch up!

The good news? I’ll catch up with at least one series today, as I’ll be finishing up Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, the last published book in the Artemis Fowl series. So I can cross one series off my ‘have to catch up with’- list.

What about you? Do you like reading series? Do you have series you’re behind on?

Bookreview: Khap Djaai

2011-04-30T15:00:00.005+02:00

Author: Sandra Bakker
Genre: Travel story, non-fiction
Published: 2000
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 24
2011 Non-Fiction Challenge: 4/9

A travel story of Sandra Bakker and her husband as they go by trains, boats, and sometimes other transportation through Azia. A fairly large part of the trip is in China, but all of it is interesting. It’s written with humor and a good eye for details. After reading the book, I’ve determined I never, ever want to go to China for an extended period of time, as the descriptions of Chinese manners were enough to put me off. Definitely recommended, although not as good as her second travel story Zijdezacht Zand.

Spring Reading Thing Update: One month in (more or less)

2011-04-29T20:05:00.002+02:00

I’ve been pretty busy the last few weeks, busy enough that I’m behind on my reviews, which almost never happens! I’ve got three books up for review, quite a lot for me. But despite not finding (or rather, making) the time to review books, I’ve actually got quite a lot of reading done since the beginning of Spring Reading Thing.

I didn’t make a list of books, but I stated three goals for reading that I’m hoping to achieve. One of my goals was to read off my shelf more. I managed to get to two books that have been collecting dust on my shelf for some time: A Dilly of a Death by Susan Wittig Albert and Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer. I loved both books and can’t believe I left them on my shelf for so long!

Another goal was to read globally, with an emphasis on Northern Europe. I managed to read my Denmark pick Beowulf by Caitlin Kiernan. I didn’t read any other books on my Northern Europe list, but I did read two books that were on my reading globally list: The Elf of Luxembourg by Tom Weston for Luxembourg (of course), and Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston for the US state New Mexico. All books were good, but Beowulf and Tyrannosaur Canyon were simply amazing! Definitely contenders for best book of the year.

My last stated goal was to read books for the theme read war & regions in conflict. I managed to read one book from the British perspective: Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett. Man, I love that book! Really, I do. It’s so amazing, I want to go out and read everything from Follett. But I’ve got enough books on my immediate TBR pile, but he’s definitely an author I’ll revisit.

Apart from that, I managed to read three travel stories, one early review book, one Dutch literary work from 1250, two romance novels released this year, both from series I’m following, and Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, so I’m now one book away from being caught up with that series. Which makes for 8 books not on my original ‘list’.

All in all, I’ve read 14 books since Spring Reading Thing began. Wow! Where did I find the time? Oh, right, massive delays with public transport this month… I knew there was a downside to reading this much books! On the other hand, I was probably the only traveler this month who wasn’t cursing about the delays. My books were too good to put down and every five minutes extra was very welcome indeed!

Sunday Salon: Outside Reading

2011-04-24T15:21:00.002+02:00

It’s only April, but this Easter weekend the temperatures in the Netherlands are decidedly hot. I can’t remember the last time I managed to celebrate Easter in my bikini in the garden. It’s so hot in the middle of the day that I have taken refuge in the shade. Still, I love reading in the garden, working on my tan while breezing through my book stack.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading this weekend. I had Friday off and have tomorrow off, so it’s four days straight of reading and sunshine! What else can a girl ask for? (Okay, a pile of chocolate and some diamonds, but still…) I’ve finished Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox, for which I still need to write a review. Then again, I need to write a review of Khap Djaai by Sandra Bakker as well. But I’m having too much fun reading to stop long enough to actually do so.

Currently, I’m reading The Abyssinian Proof by Jenny White. I’ve picked up this second Kamil Pasha book before, but there were some squicky bits in there that had me putting it aside. In the mean time, I’ve developed a tougher skin, so I’ve picked it up again. The writing is really good and there’s a third book out, so it seemed like a good idea.

I’ve also started The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman. I know from reviews that it’s probably his worst book in his Navajo mystery series, but it’s the first and I like reading a series in order. It’s still a good read, so if the reviewers are right, that promises good things for the rest of the series.

What about you? Can you read in the garden already? What are you reading this Easter weekend?

Bookreview: To Desire a Wicked Duke

2011-04-21T10:02:00.000+02:00

Author: Nicole Jordan
Genre: Historical romance
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 3/5
Yearly count: 23
What’s In A Name Challenge: 2/6
Series Reading Challenge: 5/3
2011 Romance Reading Challenge: 2/12
Romance Reading Challenge 2011: 2/5
Historical Tour de Genre: 1/6
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: 1/20

In this final installment in the Courtship Wars series, Tess Blanchard finally makes the decision to get back on the marriage mart after losing her fiancé two years ago. But before she gets a chance to find a suitable husband, a threatening scandal forces her to wed her longtime nemesis Ian Sutherland, Duke of Rotham. Ian has long desired Tess and isn’t nearly as reluctant to wed as she is. But secrets from both of their pasts stand in the way of their happiness, and matters are complicated by a mysterious ghost who haunts Ian’s castle and Tess’ insistence Ian play matchmaker between her friends Fanny Irwin and Basil Eddowes.

While this book was an OK read, there was little sparkle to Tess and Ian’s relationship. It certainly wasn’t the dazzling ending of a series I was expecting. Neither Tess nor Ian really clicked with me. I found them to stay flat and boring most of the time, and even inconsistent at others. What I found particularly vexing was that Ian, who’s shown himself to be overprotective of Tess, glosses over an intruder that got into her room just for the chance to bed her.

The last 50 pages picked up the pace as all secrets come to light. The passion and that longed for connection with the characters was finally there. It lifted the book up from mediocre to OK., but it came a little too late to make me love the book as much as the rest of the series. Not a bad read, but not as great as the previous books either.

Bookreview: Beowulf

2011-04-19T10:43:00.001+02:00

Author: Caitlin Kiernan
Genre: Epic, adventure
Published: 2007
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 22
Book Around the World Challenge: Western Europe 11/31

This book is a modern adaptation of the old heroic poem of Beowulf. Kiernan herself notes at the end that ‘if a teacher or professor has assigned you Beowulf, this novelization doesn’t count. Not even close.’ I cannot comment on how close this novel resembles the original tale, but I can say with certaintly that it is a story of which the skalds of old would be proud.

As a reader, I am usually taken in by great characters and swept away by amazing plots. Beowulf has both, but it is the prose that was the highlight of this book for me. Normally, if the writing doesn’t annoy me for some reason, I rarely pay attention to it. So the fact that this book has me waxing lyrically about the prose is telling. The way Kiernan worded everything is superb. It breather the atmosphere of old and while reading it I could hear the tunes that would’ve accompanied the skald in his singing of this tale. But through this all, it stayed very down to earth and readable, making the story a true work of art.

All in all, I am in awe of this book. It might be based on the screenplay of the similarly named movie, but it’s from a quality I rarely see in books. I am totally in love with this tale and highly recommend it to everyone. Forget the original Beowulf, go read this!

Sunday Salon: Going by the Numbers Reading

2011-04-17T16:21:00.001+02:00

I have a huge (really, really huge) stack of books I want to read on my desk right now. Some of it is for theme reads, others for reading groups I participate in. Some are books by my favorite authors, the latest book in a series I love, or new, exciting books.

All in all, there are 40 (!) books on my desk right now. It’s a little overwhelming, to be honest. Prioritizing is hard, because a lot of these books have a deadline attached; I must finish them before the end of the theme read, before my book group discusses them, before I have to return them to the library (and wait for it all over again). Others are just ‘want’ books – books I am excited enough about that I want to read them now, now, now!

It’s very easy to get indecisive, flit from book to book, ending with a pile of half-read books and no results (i.e. finished books) to show for it. But I’ve found a way! I’m currently reading by the numbers. I pick up a book, called my primary book, that I must read 50 pages a day from – an easy number for me. Once I’ve reached that number, I am allowed to pick up a second book and read a chapter from that (regardless of how long or short that chapter is). After reading a chapter, I must then return to my primary book for another 50 pages, after which I will read a chapter in my other book again. I’ll keep this up until my primary book is finished. Then my second book will become the primary book and I get to pick up another book from the stack.

What this means is that I don’t have more than two books at a time going, pushing me to finish books, and keeps me from getting the urge to go pick up another wonderful book from my stack (which I would get if I were to read just one book). So for me, this reading strategy works great!

What about you? Do you also have a huge TBR stack, like me? Do you have a particular reading strategy to help you get to the bottom of that stack?

Bookreview: Silver Borne

2011-04-15T16:10:00.001+02:00

Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2010
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 21
Series Reading Challenge: 6/3

Loaning a book has never before been dangerous. But then again, most people are smart enough not to loan a fae book. But Mercy was rather desperate when she did it. Unfortunately, she hasn't returned the book yet and now that fact gets her into trouble. As if life isn't complicated enough, Sam's problems come to a head and there's trouble brewing in the pack that could have grave consequences for Mercy and Adam. Mercy will have to use all her wits to get out of this one in one piece!

I loved, loved, loved this book! Besides meeting up with the fae again, which is creepy in and of itself, there's a lot going on besides the central mystery. Sam's problems have been building ever since he appeared as a character and in this book the situation explodes. Another situation that's been brewing for awhile, Mercy's relationship with the pack, also comes to a head in typical werewolf style. All in all, I wasn't bored for one moment and just couln't put the book down. Yet another great book in the Mercy Thompson series and highly recommended!

Bookreview: Vampire Dragon

2011-04-14T16:00:00.003+02:00

Author: Annette Blair
Genre: Paranormal romance
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 20
Series Reading Challenge: 5/3
2011 Romance Reading Challenge: 1/12
Romance Reading Challenge 2011: 1/5

Darkwyn Dragonelli, a former Roman warrior turned dragon, had landed in the 21st century. In order to save his brothers he needs to help Bronte McBride. But that's easier said than done, because Bronte is on the run from the mob with her twelve-year-old nephew Zachary. And her secrets could prove to be all their undoing.

This third book in the Works Like Magick series returns to the Roman warrior dragons plotline of the first book, which I liked a lot. As usual, it was a fun, quick read with the right mix of humor, romance, and suspense. Darkwyn's limited grasp of English always makes for hilarious situations and exchanges when he takes things far too literally.

The only complaint I have about this book is that the whole vampire thing was a bit confusing at times. This led to me being confused a lot in the beginning as to what was going on. I would have liked the mob storyline to have been more present, instead of this vampire/not-vampire club.

But, all in all, this was a fun, light read that I enjoyed. Definitely recommended!

Wish List Books Wednesday

2011-04-13T15:48:00.003+02:00

As much as I try to read from my TBR pile, somehow, new books always find their way there. This week was no different. Here are the new additions to my list, mostly non-fiction once again.

I got a few non-fiction titles on my TBR list just by browsing the shelves in the library last week. The titles jumped out at me and the subject seemed interesting:

Food of the Gods by Terence MacKenna

Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem

The Tending Instinct by Shelley Taylor

I also added a book I've been meaning to read for a long time now:

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

This one is also a non-fiction book and come on, who wouldn't read it with such a title? And the glowing review by Claire over at The Captive Reader didn't hurt!

Chosen by Blood by Virna DePaul

Last, but certainly not least, to be added to my TBR list is Chosen by Blood. There was an excerpt of this at the back of one of my recently read books Vapire Dragon by Annette Blair (review to come tomorrow). It sounded really, really interesting and reminded me a bit of the Mercy Thompson series where supernatural beings are known, but far more grittier if the mentions of a civil war half a decade ago and the possible end of the world seen in a vision are anything to go by. But in the end, it's an unlikely group of FBI agents brought together to work cases. Very, very interesting!

Bookreview: Reynard the Fox

2011-04-12T15:45:00.001+02:00

Author: Willem
Genre: fable
Published: 1275
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 19

Van den vos Reynaerde has several English titles, the most basic one being Reynard the Fox. It was written around 1275 by either a man named Willem alone, or together with a man named Aernout. It’s written in rhyme, like most Medieval stories.

Reynard the Fox is a familiar figure in many different countries, but the Dutch version is most widely known. All stories about Reynard fall under the fable category. Fables anthropomorphize animals, so writers could use them to give a critical worldview (often about nobles and kings) without insulting the people they were writing about, as they were often the ones to pay authors.

Reynard is a scoundrel, no question about it. He lies, cheats, steals, and kills without remorse. It is therefore no surprise that when the king calls all animals in the kingdom to his court, Reynard is too afraid to show his face there. He’s called to court two times and both times manages to avoid going. The third time, though, he has no choice but to go. At court, he’s convicted for his crimes and sentenced to death. Will he be able to save himself?

Reynard the Fox is a tale that’s funny and easy to read. Some of the things Reynard does get repetitive, as it all comes down to the same thing. He uses the other characters’ greed against them. And that is exactly the whole point of this fable: to point out how greed for more, whether it be more money, power, or something else, corrupts and eventually leads to your own doom. It’s a pretty powerful commentary on the upper echelons of medieval society – and unfortunately still applicable today.

Series Saturday: Wyman Ford Series

2011-04-09T19:36:00.003+02:00

A new weekly theme in which I discuss series that are either on my wish list or that I am currently reading. This week a series that's not a series in the traditional sense of the word

The Wyman Ford series by Douglas Preston currently consists of three novels: Tyrannosaur Canyon, Blasphemy, and Impact. All three are thrillers with a science fiction edge. I’ve read Tyrannosaur Canyon and literally couldn’t put it down until I had finished it!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

What do you say about a series that’s not really a series? It’s more accurate to say that these novels are connected by the appearance of Wyman Ford. He’s an ex-CIA agent who lost his wife to a car bomb blast. He spent time in a monastery following her death but that wasn't his calling. I found him to be a very interesting, complex character that I’d love to read more about. What I also liked was that the CIA wasn’t painted as the bad apple among the alphabet agencies, but as an organization that cares for its own people and the American people. A refreshing view in fiction.

Reviews for this series can be found here.

Bookreview: Any Witch Way

2011-04-08T15:11:00.002+02:00

Author: Annastaysia Savage
Genre: children/young adult, fantasy
Published: 2011
Personal rating: 2.5/5
Yearly count: 16

Enduring the teasing and ridicule of her school mates, Sadie struggles through life as a pre-teen on the eve of her 13th birthday. Three years ago, a car crash took her mother, but Sadie never saw her body. She refuses to believe her mother is really gone. Holding fast to that feeling earns her the nickname "Crazy Sadie."
But when she turns 13, everything in her life changes. Faced with fantastical encounters, unexplainable transformations, and startling fears, Sadie struggles against an unknown evil – all while searching for her real identity.

This book, focusing on children ages 10 and up, works on the same premises as So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane, Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. A teen is thrust into a magical world and has to survive. Unfortunately, in comparison Any Witch Way fell a little flat.

The storyline was promising, but the execution left a lot to be desired. It started with the fact that magic was spelled with a ‘k’ in this book, which I personally found annoying. It always makes me think that the author is trying too hard to make the story different.

The story took a while to really ‘get started’ and when it did, it all felt a bit contrived, sometimes even repetitive. Every time Sadie was about to get some explanation (and with her the reader), something came up. . It got really old really fast . Instead of giving her at least a little information on each of those occasions, Sadie gets none of her questions answered until about half-way through the book, where there’s a huge information dump.

This was not the only time an information dump was used. Instead of spreading the new information and characters out, there were two or three moments in the book where a lot of information was told to the reader, mostly through a monologue by a character. This was a shame, because I could see so many moments where a little information could have been given to Sadie and the reader, so it would have been spread out a bit more.

Another point I am concerned about is the fact that while it is marketed as for ages 10 and up, there were some words I doubt 10-12 year olds would know the meaning of. How many 10-12 year olds know the meaning of the word widdershins, for instance? But, I will readily admit to not being qualified to judge this.

All of this, though, doesn’t mean this book has no good points. The storyline was promising and original enough that the information dumps could be forgiven. The different magical creatures Sadie meets are funny, clever, or scary, and never quite how you expect them. I really liked that. The plot had the right amount of excitement in it once it got going, keeping things interesting. And there was a very nice twist at the ending, totally unexpected. I was banking on something quite different. But I like the author’s ending better than the one I was expecting.

But even though the book did have its good points, I did not like it. The main reason for that was that I couldn’t connect with Sadie. I didn’t always find her believable, but perhaps that’s because I’m older than the target group. For three years she doesn’t believe her mother is dead, then when she comes face to face with her ‘mother’, she very quickly figures out it’s not her mother because her mother is dead… That was not the only time Sadie felt contradictory. The lack of consistency in her reactions to situations made me unable to believe in her.

That being said, Sadie’s annoyance at having her birthday on Halloween was very familiar to me and also very understandable. I think Sadie’s loneliness in school because she’s different is very recognizable for the target group. Perhaps they can connect with Sadie, where I could not.

All in all, I think this book is a promising debut, but Annastaysia Savage’s writing needs a lot of polishing before I can honestly say I’d recommend it. Consistency, which is lacking both in characterization as in the distribution of both information and moments of tension, is my main issue with the book. But I would definitely encourage the author to keep writing, because she certainly shows promise.

*This book was a free early review copy. This fact did not influence my review in any way.*

Bookreview: Tyrannosaur Canyon

2011-04-07T15:34:00.001+02:00

Author: Douglas Preston
Genre: thriller
Published: 2005
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 18
Book Around the World Challenge: United States (and Washington DC): 2/51

When a dinosaur hunter who just did the discovery of a lifetime is murdered, the race to find a rare dinosaur fossil is on. It is so rare that people are willing to kill in order to get there first. But while several parties are searching for the location of the fossil, there is more to it than just a spectacular academic find. And it might just mean the end of mankind…

This was a fast paced thriller that I just couldn’t put down. At the end the book touches on the science fiction genre a bit, but in a very realistic way. There are many different points of view and the chapters are short, which kept me turning page after page for just ‘one more chapter.’

I also loved the science in this book, but will admit that Douglas Preston might lose some readers in certain chapters because the science bits get complicated. But these moments are rare and don’t detract from the fact that the book is chilling until the end. Highly recommended!

Wish List Book Wednesday

2011-04-06T19:01:00.005+02:00

As much as I try to read from my TBR pile, somehow, new books always find their way there. This week was no different. Here are the new additions to my list, mostly non-fiction this time:

The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War and Faith by Susan Withfield

The Last Secrets of the Silk Road by Alexandra Tolstoy

Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron

I’ve been coming across quite a few books about the Silk Road recently when I was just browsing in my library that seemed really interesting. I’ve always been fascinated with the Silk Road. In the end, I settled on the above three titles that went on my TBR list.

The Lost Heart of Asia by Colin Thubron

Also by Colin Thubron, this book is the one I’ve seen mentioned the most when he comes up in conversations. I saw it on the shelf in the library and decided it really ought to be on my TBR list.

The War Magician by David Fisher

A non-fiction book about a illusionist who used tricks of the trade to help the British military in World War Two. The reactions of the ones reading it over at the LT Non-fiction Readers Group was enthusiastic and it sounds very interesting. So on my TBR list it goes!

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

This was recommended to me by John on LT after we had a conversation about science fiction books. I’ve found very little science fiction books I like, especially the more hard-core ones. John swears by this author when it comes to science fiction and said this was the best book of him, so I put it on my TBR list. We’ll see if I like it.

Little Princes by Conor Grennan

S. Krishna’s raving review put this one on my TBR list.

Darwin in de Supermarkt (Darwin in the Supermarket) by Mark Nelissen

This book looks at how evolution and the history of the human race is effecting our behavior today. I read about it in the book section of the newspaper and it sounded really interesting. So on my TBR list it goes!

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

A long, long time ago I read a (non-professional) story about smoke jumpers. It caught my attention and has always stayed with me. So I’m very happy to have discovered this book through Marcia’s wishlist post.

And God Said by Joel M. Hoffman

And God Said sounded like a book for me after reading the short review by Eva. I remember translating the Christmas story (I believe from the book Matthew?) from the original Greek (or as original as there is, in any way) in my Ancient Greek class. And boy, did the story look different than the one in the Bible when we were through! So many words twisted, so many meanings lost… So on my TBR list this non-fiction book goes!

Bookreview: The Elf of Luxembourg

2011-04-05T20:45:00.003+02:00

Author: Tom Weston
Genre: mystery, supernatural
Published: 2009
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 17
Off The Shelf Challenge: 9/15
Book Around the World Challenge: Western Europe 11/31

The Elf of Luxembourg is the second book in a series about the sisters Alex and Jackie, but it can stand on its own without any problems. The only thing you might need to know is that the sisters have come into contact with the supernatural before, which explains their lack of surprise and instant belief in it later on in the story.

Actually, in this book there are two stories told. One if the story of Cucha, a Muiscan who gets pulled into the search for El Dorado by the Conquistadors and the English in the late sixteenth century. The other one is the story of Alex and Jackie, who are visiting their aunt and uncle in Luxembourg. But deep beneath the ancient city there lies a secret. The Vampires believe it is protected by the Elf. The Elf believes it is protected by a prophecy concerning Alex and Jackie. Whatever the truth is, the sisters get inevitable involved, and as you read the book, the connection between the two alternating stories becomes increasingly clear.

Tom Weston chose to write this book in the third-person omniscient narrative, which took a bit of getting used to. But it fit the story very well and the masterful way it was done complimented the mystery surrounding the truth of what was really going on.

Because the sisters are tourist in Luxembourg and therefore go sightseeing, you get a real feel of the country. The narrators comments on the history of Luxembourg and the information he gives on the places the sisters visit only add to this. It really felt like I was visiting Luxembourg myself.

But what I liked most about the The Elf of Luxembourg was the plot. Right from the start I was very emotionally invested in Cucha’s story. I really wanted him to have a happy ending. Jackie and Alex’s story didn’t draw me in as fast, but once the Elf got really involved I was sold. I was just as uncertain as the sisters on who to trust: the Elf or the Vampires. And the twist at the end was absolutely brilliant! I definitely recommend this book.

Meet the Author Monday: Rick Riordan

2011-04-04T19:28:00.002+02:00

Rick Riordan was born on June 5, 1964 in San Antonia, Texas. He attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, where he worked as an editor for the school newspaper and won third place in state for UIL feature writing. He graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas in Austin. Later he got certified to teach English and history at UT San Antonio. Rick taught at several different schools, teaching mythology almost every year. A few years ago, he stopped teaching to write full-time.

Rick Riordan started his writing career writing adult novels in 1997, namely the Tres Navarre series. The Percy Jackson & The Olympians series came after that, mixing the present day world with Greek mythology. This series has recently gotten a sort of sequel-series with the Heroes of Olympus series, which also involves Roman mythology. Rick has also branched out into Egyptian mythology with the Kane Chronicles. He has also contributed to the 39 Clues series.

Rick has his own website and blog. My reviews of his books can be found here.

Sunday Salon: Early Review Copies & Guilt Complex

2011-04-03T15:05:00.003+02:00

LT has a program called Early Reviewers, where members can request an Early Review copy of books. If you win a copy, you are expected to review them, but other than that there are no obligations. No deadlines, no demands on what your review should contain.

I've won several ER copies, all of them e-books. Due to me living in the Netherlands, e-books are usually the only books I qualify for. I pick the books I request based on their blurbs and expect to like them. I thought it wouldn't be really different from picking books and reading them from, say, the library or a bookstore. But it is! There's the unexpected factor of guilt.

Of the four ER books I've received so far, I've disliked 2. One was a DNF (did not finish), for the blurb on the book was very misleading and I didn't like it at all. The second one isn't bad, but it's not very good either. The third one I do like (thankfully) and the fourth one I haven't started yet.

Not only do I feel slightly guilty for not having reviewed the last two books I've won (one I've not even started reading yet), I also feel guilty for not liking the first two. And I don't quite understand why. Is it because the books are free? No, I don't feel guilty for not liking library books, or not having read a book that I got as a gift yet. Perhaps it is because for every book I request and get, someone else doesn't get that book, as there are only so many copies to go around.

Whatever the reason, it's weird and will make me even more picky when requesting ER copies. I've been told by many people on LT who are also Early Reviewers not to feel guilty, and I am trying. Maybe I'll get used to this Early Review thing and the guilt will go away?

How about you? Do you read Early Review copies/Advanced Reader copies? Do you feel guilty for not having read/reviewed a book yet? For giving it a bad review?

Series Saturday: Works Like Magick Series

2011-04-02T15:04:00.000+02:00

A new weekly theme in which I discuss series that are either on my wish list or that I am currently reading. This week a series of which the upcoming book is definitely on my ‘to buy’ list this year!

Annette Blair’s latest paranormal romance series features The Works Like Magick Employment Agency, which has a reputation for perfectly matching clients with magickal temps. A former dragon turned handyman or a fallen angel babysitter anyone?

Aside from the individual stories in the books, the first book also introduces a mythology of Roman dragon warriors who are cursed. The second book barely touches this theme, although there are several references in the book, but the upcoming third book will once again focus on a warrior.

Photo Credit

I must say that I love the dragon mythology in these books. I hope Annette Blair will continue this series until all dragon warriors have their happy ending, but I won’t mind if she throws in some non-related books in between. The longer this series is, the better in my opinion!

April-June Theme Read: War & Regions in Conflict

2011-03-31T15:23:00.002+02:00

Over at the LT group Reading Globally, a new theme read has commenced: War & Regions in Conflict. There are a lot of great recommendations in the thread, from regions all over the world and wars throughout history.

For this theme read, I have decided to return to a historical period that has always fascinated me: World War Two. We are encouraged to read from both sides of the conflict. However, there are more than two sides to this conflict. Therefore, I'm going to read the following from these perspectives:

1. Jews (I am specifically avoiding Holocaust stories, because for one, I know a lot about that already, and another, I don't think I could deal with it in my fiction reading.)

My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young

2. Americans (involved in the war, but more distantly, since their country wasn't under direct attack)

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris

3. The British (still free, but under direct attack)

The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follet
The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley

4. Occupied Territory (people living in occupied countries, but still resisting)

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell

5. Germans

Officer Factory by Hans Hellmut Kirst
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada

Wish List Book Wednesday

2011-03-30T17:03:00.002+02:00

As much as I try to read from my TBR pile, somehow, new books always find their way there. This week was no different. Here are the new additions to my list:

Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

Veil of Roses drew my attention because it’s a book about an Iranian woman who comes to America and tries to make a life there. Besides highlighting the cultural differences, which I like to read about, it also sounds like a really gripping story. Swapna over at S. Krishna’s Books gave it a great review, so on my TBR list it goes!

Pickled, Potted, and Canned by Sue Sheppard

This was recommended to me on the LT Group Non-fiction Readers. It’s about food history. I love food and I love history, so on my TBR list it goes!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

This book was recommended by Rick Riordan, one of my favorite authors. He said: This is a must-read for fantasy fans. If Charles Dickens were alive in the 21st century writing epic fantasy, it would sound like this. Rothfuss is one of those writers who raises the bar and the reputation of an entire genre when he produces a book. Well, that can only mean one thing: on my TBR list it goes!

The Mistletoe and the Sword by Anya Seton

Elizabeth K. Mahon did a post over at Historical Tapestry about her favorite books. This was one of them and it immediately drew my attention. Romans in Britain, the clashing of two cultures, a love story, all elements I love in a book. So I added it to my TBR list.

The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander

I stumbled upon this book in Susanne’s reading list for the Spring Reading Thing 2011, over at Living to Tell the Story. It’s a fiction book about the Romanovs and they have always fascinated me. After reading the glowing review she linked to, I added it to my TBR list.

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

This was an automated recommendation on LibraryThing, and while I don’t usually add those to my TBR list, this one I couldn’t resist. I mean, a book about a vampire that’s spent 140 years working for the President of the United States, bound by a blood oath, as a special agent. Could you resist adding it to your TBR list?

Review: The Importance of Being Earnest

2011-03-29T23:49:00.001+02:00

Author: Oscar Wilde
Play: comedy
Published: 1895
Personal rating: 3/5
Yearly count: 1

This three act comedy is said to be Oscar Wilde’s best work. I can’t judge if that is true, for I haven’t read any of Wilde’s work before, but I wasn’t very impressed. I’ve read several plays over the years, including comedies, and I found The Importance of Being Earnest rather dull in comparison.

There were a few moments that elicited a smile and some clever word-plays, but overall this play failed to engage me. After all the enthusiastic comments from others who have read this, I was a bit disappointed.

Now, having said that, The Importance of Being Earnest isn’t a bad play at all. The writing was good and some of the characters were nicely over-the-top, like in all comedies. Perhaps Oscar Wilde’s brand of humor just isn’t for me?

Meet the Author Monday: Susan Wittig Albert

2011-03-28T20:15:00.003+02:00

In 1985, Susan left her career as a university English professor and administrator and began working fulltime as a novelist. She currently serves as an editor of StoryCircleBookReviews. She has three children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandsons. She and Bill live in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes, gardens, and raises a varying assortment of barnyard creatures.

Susan’s books include the best-selling China Bayles mysteries, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and The Darling Dahlias series. Her earlier nonfiction work are Work of Her Own, a study of women who left their careers, and Writing From Life: Telling Your Soul's Story, a guidebook for women memoirists. That book led to the founding of the Story Circle Network in 1997. She has edited two anthologies for the Story Circle Network: With Courage and Common Sense (2004) and What Wildness Is This: Women Write about the Southwest (2007). She is also the author of two memoirs: Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place (2009) and An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days (2010), both published by the University of Texas Press. Currently (2011) she’s working on a collection of essays entitled Unfinished Places.

Under the name Robin Paige she had written Victorian/Edwardian mysteries with her husband, Bill Albert. Working together, the Alberts have also written over 60 young adult novels.

Susan can be followed on Twitter and Facebook. She also has her own website and blog. My reviews of her books can be found on this page.

Sunday Salon: Theme Read Journeys

2011-03-27T16:49:00.000+02:00

The LT Reading Globally Group had a theme read about journeys during the first three months of this year. In honor of this, I picked up a classic I had on my shelves, but had never actually read: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.

It is the quintessential travel story, where the journey is the main element. Phileas Fogg bets he can travel around the world in 80 days, then sets out to prove it. It’s a story that almost everyone knows in one form or another, but I can say, without any reservation, that the original is the best version I’ve had the pleasure of seeing/reading/experiencing.

Jules Verne is a masterful storyteller and the quiet humor in the story, as well as the spot-on descriptions of both places and characters make this story truly great. His descriptions of the places, along with the other information he provides, are really detailed and great. As far as I know, they are also correct, at least at the time of writing.

Due to this theme read, I also discovered the joys of reading travel stories. I read Alle wegen naar Rome (All Roads To Rome) by Jan Blokker Jr. and Zijdezacht zand (Silky Sand) by Sandra Bakker. Both non-fiction travel stories, but about as different as day and night.

Alle wegen naar Rome tells the story of Jan Blokker who went from Amsterdam to Rome on foot. It’s not just a travel account, but also a history story. As Jan travels, he takes in as much history as he can along the way. In fact, he planned his route to go through several places with some historical significance (large or small). For those who like travel stories, I’d definitely recommend this book, if only for the feeling you’ve walked the route yourself. But don’t expect either a fascinating look into history or an in-depth look at the places the author passes.

In contrast, Zijdezacht zand is a book that details the landscape, culture, history, but most of all the people of the countries Sandra Bakker and her husband travel through. There’s always something going on as they travel through Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The things they experience are amazing, although sometimes I was very glad I could enjoy the ride safely at home in my comfortable chair. I don't think I'll ever have the guts to take the same journey! Through Sandra Bakker’s writing I felt like I got to know the countries and its people, something a good travel story is all about. I feel like I’ve been there myself and that’s the highest compliment I can give.

All in all, this theme read was very enjoyable. I discovered great joy in a new genre and read a classic that I enjoyed very much. Throughout it all, I was reminded that sometimes it really is all about the journey!

What book have you read that fits the theme journey? How did you like it?

Series Saturday: China Bayles Herbal Mysteries

2011-03-26T16:11:00.001+01:00

A new weekly theme in which I discuss series that are either on my wish list or that I am currently reading. This week a series of herbal mysteries that I fell in love with.

The China Bayles Herbal Mysteries feature herbalist China Bayles, who abandoned her career as a hot-shot Houston criminal attorney to buy an herb shop in a small town located half-way between Austin and San Antonio, Texas. China wants the things that many contemporary women seek: a quieter life, rewarding work, a close relationship, friends, and community. Each of her mysteries has a signature herb that is connected to a major theme, and each is liberally sprinkled with information on growing and using herbs.

Photo Credit

I love this series! China Bayles is a smart, independent, modern woman who loves herbs, like me. Besides great mysteries and wonderful characters, the herbal lore women throughout the stories are great. Throughout the currently 19 books the series is rich, China and her friends grow, change and evolve in a way I love. There’s also always a section of recipes and resources at the end, which is an added bonus.

All reviews for this series can be found here.

Bookreview: A Dilly of a Death

2011-03-25T23:40:00.004+01:00

Author: Susan Wittig Albert
Genre: mystery, detective
Published: 2004
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 15
Series Reading Challenge: 4/3
Off The Shelf Challenge: 8/15
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 1/13

China Bayles’ life is plenty busy in the twelfth book of the series. She’s on the planning committee for PickleFest, McQuaid takes up a new job, Ruby’s pregnant daughter moves in with China after refusing to name the baby’s father, and the Pickle Queen Phoebe Morgan goes missing – with only days to go before the tenth annual PickleFest. On top of that, a string of burglaries is hitting the richer inhabitants of Pecan Springs, and worse, they’ve led to one death already. None of these things seem very related, but with the clock ticking until the start of PickleFest, they turn out to be more related than anyone expected.

I loved this book, even though the mystery simmers slowly for a long while. There’s so much going on, so many small mysteries that add up and eventually tie into the big mystery, that the story is utterly captivating. And of course the herbal lore, this time about dill – with added information about pickling – adds something extra. Highly recommended, like the rest of the series!

Bookreview: Zijdezacht zand (Silky Sand)

2011-03-24T20:29:00.005+01:00

Author: Sandra Bakker
Genre: non-fiction, travel story
Published: 2006
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 14
Theme read: Journeys
2011 Non-Fiction Challenge: 3/9

This book is about the journey of Sandra Bakker and her husband through Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. They undertook this journey in 2002 and along the way see not only the far-reaching effects of the end of the Soviet Union, but also the effects of 9/11. Through the marvelous and often humorous writing, you get to know the landscape, culture, history, but most of all the people of the countries they travel through.

Although the Silk Road is their guide, it is not restricting their journey. The things they experience are amazing, although sometimes I was very glad I could enjoy the ride safely at home in my comfortable chair. I don't think I'll ever have the guts to take the same journey! Through Sandra Bakker’s writing I felt like I got to know the countries and its people, something a good travel story is all about. I feel like I’ve been there myself and that’s the highest compliment I can give. I highly recommend this book!

Wish List Books Wednesday

2011-03-23T19:41:00.004+01:00

In January, February, and March I joined the LT Reading Globally Group in their theme read of Journeys. During this time, I read some interesting books and found even more books that fit the theme. There's still about a week to go on that, but there's far too many books on my TBR list for this theme, so the following books have been added to my TBR list to be read at a later date. They're all non-fiction travel stories, featuring women.

Bookreview: Alle wegen naar Rome (All Roads To Rome)

2011-03-22T11:25:00.002+01:00

Author: Jan Blokker Jr.
Genre: non-fiction, travel story
Published: 2009
Personal rating: 3.5/5
Yearly count: 13
Theme read: Journeys
2011 Non-Fiction Challenge: 2/9

This book tells the story of Jan Blokker who went from Amsterdam to Rome on foot. It’s not just a travel account, but also a history story. As Jan travels, he takes in as much history as he can along the way. In fact, he planned his route to go through several places with some historical significance (large or small).

Each chapter is a piece of the journey. At the beginning of the chapters there is a small map of the route he took, so you can place him geographically. The beginning of the book has a larger map of the entire route. I found it to be a very nice feature. What can I say? I like maps.

The author describes the environment in such a way that I felt like I was walking the route as well. In fact, when I got to the end, I had the fanciful thought of walking to Rome myself. Just for a moment, mind you, but that’s the kind of book it is.

What I didn’t like was the fact the sometimes he names people that he meets up with, clearly familiar people, relatives or family perhaps. But aside from first names, there is no explanation for who they are. I was confused and couldn’t always figure out who they were to the author.

Over the course, the author talks about the scenery, people he meets, the history of where he stops, and memories. None of it in any particular order, except that his journey is written chronologically. The book felt more structured when he entered Italy and started walking along the via Francigena, a classical pilgrim’s route.

While the entire book was enjoyable, the latter part really was the best of the book. There were more things happening than just walking. For the first time, Jan Blokker really struggled, physically and mentally. He also had a bit more contact with people, although he tried his very best to avoid it.

For those who like travel stories, I’d definitely recommend this book, if only for the feeling you’ve walked the route yourself. But don’t expect either a fascinating look into history or an in-depth look at the places the author passes.

Spring Reading Thing 2011

2011-03-20T17:31:00.003+01:00

Ah, Spring is in the air! And Spring Reading Thing is here as well! Lots of books I want to read, but I promised myself I wouldn't commit to specific books this year, so my goal-read list will read a little differently.

First, I plan to read off my shelf some more, specifically from series that I am (way) behind on. This will either be the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, where I've not yet read the last two books, the Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder, as I've had Magic Study on my shelf for quite a while now, or I might try to catch up with Diane Duane's So You Want To Be A Wizard series. Either way, I want some books off my shelves and catch up to those ongoing series!

Next, I'm continuing with reading globally and I'm starting to work my way through the cold North of Europe. Not sure which books I'll be reading, but Beowulf by Caitlin Kiernan, The Shadow of the River by Frode Grytten, and Far Afield by Susanna Kaysen are on the nominations list.

Last, but certainly not least, I'll be reading for the theme of War and Regions in Conflict, with an encouragement to read from both sides of the conflict. I've decided to go with my favorite non-peaceful historical period: World War Two. I've decided to read from the many different viewpoints during this war. I'm not sure yet which books I'll be reading, but I'll let everyone know come April, when this theme read starts.

UPDATE 1 April 2011: my theme read reading list is here.

There, that should keep me busy!

Series Saturday: Women of the Bible

2011-03-19T22:29:00.001+01:00

A new weekly theme in which I discuss series that are either on my wish list or that I am currently reading. This week, an enigmatic set of books I nevertheless greatly enjoy.

The Women of the Bible series by Ann Burton currently consists of four books. In each book, a different biblical woman’s story is told, from her point of view. Ever wanted to know why Abigail managed to persuade David? Or exactly Rahab became a prostitute, yet was still so devout? Than this is the series for you.

Photo Credit

The four books highlight Abigail, Rahab, Deborah, and Jael. Two were written in 2005, the other two in 2006. But as far as who Ann Burton is, whether there will ever be more books (please, I hope so!), or any other information on the books or author, nothing is to be found. But despite this mystery, the books are very well written, with a great eye for historical detail that bring these women’s stories alive.

Reviews for the books can be found on this page.

Wish List Books Wednesday

2011-03-16T19:51:00.002+01:00

Always when I find a new blog, I end up with a list of great new books to add to my TBR list. Since starting to read S. Krishna’s Books a little over a week ago, I’ve added these books to my TBR list because she talked about them. I really should stop reading back-posts when I find a new blog, it’s not like my TBR isn’t long enough already!

To A Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron

This non-fiction book tells of Thubron’s trip to Kailas, a sacred mountain in Tibet. I’m reading several travel stories right now, so that’s probably why the review caught my attention. It sounded like a good book, hence I put it on my TBR list.

The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner

I already have The Confessions of Catherine de Medici on my TBR list from this author, so should anyone be surprised that I added this book after the glowing review I read? It’s a historical novel and a spy novel, two of my favorite kind of novels, all wrapped in one package.

Suits: A Woman on Wallstreet by Nina Godiwalla

A non-fiction book about Godiwalla’s experiences working in the corporate financial world. I was very interested in this book from the moment I saw the title. I wanted to know why someone would pick this kind of life, what it does with you, especially a woman. The review of S. Krishna just made me want to read the book even more!

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya-Gowda

This book promises to be an interesting tale of adoption, seen from both sides of the coin. I’ve always loved seeing both sides of the same situation and the review of this one was glowing.

The Courier’s Tale by Peter Walker

This is the one book that I didn’t find through S. Krishna’s Books this week. I actually came across this one while browsing in the library, but seeing as that I already had far too many books in my hands, I left it behind and just put it on my TBR list. It’s another historical, about Michael Throckmorton, who has the dubious honor of being Thomas Cromwell’s courier between Rome and England.

Bookreview: Around The World In Eighty Days

2011-03-15T08:52:00.001+01:00

Author: Jules Verne
Genre: adventure
Published: around 1873
Personal rating: 5/5
Yearly count: 12
Off The Shelf Challenge: 7/15
What’s In A Name Challenge: 1/6
Theme read: Journeys

Almost everyone knows the basic story of Phileas Fogg and his trip around the world. There are numerous version of it. I’ve seen quite a few movies and even a (mini?) series, as well as a theater version. All of them change things somewhat, place the focus on different things. I’ve seen parodies, versions focused on the romance, or the theft, serious version and humorous versions. Yet I had never actually read the original, until now.

I can say, without any reservation, that it is the best version I’ve had the pleasure of seeing/reading/experiencing. Aouda’s rescue in India was the bit I was most familiar with, but even though most of the book was a feast of recognition, it was never boring. In fact, there were even instances I was surprised by the story, as those elements had been left out of the versions I knew, or perhaps were just forgotten by me.

Jules Verne is a masterful storyteller and the quiet humor in the story, as well as the spot-on descriptions of both places and characters make this story truly great. I loved the meticulous Phileas Fogg, he was by far my most favorite character. His unflappability was eccentric even for the usually unflappable Brits, and that made him all the more lovable to me.

All in all, the book is deserving of the title of classic. I highly recommend it to everyone, even if they think they know the story well enough. Go, read it, you won’t regret it, I promise!

Bookreview: Monte Carlo

2011-03-14T16:40:00.003+01:00

Author: Stephen Sheppard
Genre: thriller
Published: around 1983
Personal rating: 4/5
Yearly count: 11
Book Around the World Challenge: Western Europe 11/31

Monaco – the glittering city-state, home to the European elite, summer retreat for the rich and famous – is officially neutral in World War Two. But beneath the veneer of glamour of the rich elite that gathers in Monte Carlo to escape the war a dangerous game is played. Covert Gestapo agents try to get their hands on the wealth that is so abundant in Monaco with any means possible, while British spies do everything in their power to prevent it. Against this backdrop, the book follows a group of people whose lives entwine as the war progresses.

This low-simmering thriller is very interesting, with an understated tension that creeps up on you. The threat is subtle and slumbering, hidden under the veneer of fun and games the rich inhabitants of Monte Carlo keep up, and all the more dangerous because of it. I found the story to be interesting and compelling, although I had a hard time getting a grip on the cast of characters at first.

The only thing I didn’t really like were several explicit sex scenes in the book. Normally I have nothing against explicit sex scenes, but they felt out of place in this book, not keeping in tune with the rest of the writing.

The ending, though, was absolutely brilliant and had me on the edge of my seat. Everything came together brilliantly and it was very satisfying. A great read and definitely recommended!

Sunday Salon: Reading the Classics

2011-03-13T16:57:00.001+01:00

Classics, a term almost every book reader knows, but the definition is rather vague. Books from authors like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen are often defined as classics, as are books like Dracula and The Three Musketeers. Everybody has a different opinion on what books are ‘worthy’ of being called a classic.

For me, Around the World in Eighty Days is definitely on the classics list. Almost everyone knows the basic story of Phileas Fogg and his trip around the world. There are numerous version of it. I’ve seen quite a few movies and even a (mini?) series, as well as a theater version. All of them change things somewhat, place the focus on different things. I’ve seen parodies, versions focused on the romance, or the theft, serious version and humorous versions. Yet I’ve never actually read the original, until now.

I’m 2/3 of the way into the book and I can say, without any reservation, that it is the best version I’ve had the pleasure of seeing/reading/experiencing. Jules Verne is a masterful storyteller and the quiet humor in the story, as well as the spot-on descriptions of both places and characters are great. Truly, the book is deserving of the title of classic.

So, what about you? Which classic do you want to read? Which classic did you enjoy? What’s your definition of a classic?