April Reads: Lots of Magic and Make Believe

 April definitely was the month for me to read books that had an element of the mystical. Whether it was a young woman working to keep her witchy gifts, or a cozy mystery involving a tea house, I found comfort in the magical. I suspect I'll keep reading magical novels all throughout the summer!

It is May 1st (!) and I'm working through the half-begun books that are littering my living room. Vacation is coming up in another week or so, and I've begun thinking about what to take with me to read. I cannot wait to sit on my plane, open a book, and relax!

Here's what I read in April:

Love Sarah Jio. This novel asks the question: how different could my life be if I made other choices? 

A historical novel set in the late 1960's in Ireland, where contraception is illegal and women have no financial rights. Fascinating read!

A cozy fantasy about a young woman who has 30 days to reclaim her magical abilities or lose them forever. 

A cozy mystery set in small town Georgia, centered at a beloved bookstore. 

Second in a series about a family of women, their magical abilities, and the special flower farm in Mexico they call home. 

First in a cozy mystery series set on the coast of California. A young woman inherits a mystical tea shop, but someone wants her gone. What are her ties to the shop? 

As I said, a month of cozy reads. May is shaping up to be a very busy month, but I'll find the time to dive into some of the newer books I've bought, as well as what's waiting on my shelves at home. 

Enjoy the warmer weather, and happy reading!

The Bookalicious Babe

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

April Reads: Lots of Magic and Make Believe

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

It took me a few weeks, but I finally finished Children of Blood and Bone this morning. I  don't read a lot of YA novels and shame on me for missing some pretty good stuff in the past few years. The buzz around Tomi Adeyemi has been high, and I couldn't ignore it.  I bought a special edition at Barnes & Noble on the day it was released; it has an annotated chapter and a fold out map. It's always fun to read author notes and see what they were thinking as they wrote scenes, so if you have a chance, check it out. 

Adeyemi is a gifted writer, and she doesn't shy away from unpleasant situations. There are torture, death, and oppression in this tale of a people who were once magical, but have been murdered for their gifts out of fear and anger by King Saran, who rules Orisha.  Their children were spared, and without magic, they are the downtrodden; "maggots" taxed beyond their means, and treated like dirt. They are known by their snow white hair, which sets them apart from the rest of the people. 

Out of this, two sets of siblings meet and start on a journey to bring magic back.  Prince Inan and Princess Amari are the children of King Saran.  He's a nasty father, and regularly pits his children against each other in battle training. Zelie and Tzain are brother and sister, living in Ilorin, secretly being schooled in fighting, in the hope that one day the Maji and diviners will have a chance to rise up and regain their magic. When Amari is shattered by a close friend's brutal death, she  steals a scroll from her father that, with a few other tools, can bring magic back to Orisha. Running away from the palace, she runs into Zelie, who is selling fish to raise tax money. When the two meet, the story unfolds, and it's an adventure from that moment on to the final sentence on the last page. 

I don't want to give much away, because you should experience this novel on your own in your own way, without any input from me.  I will tell you that it does break down what looks to be a simple good vs. evil into something that reminds us nothing is ever that simple, and that easy to decide. Family loyalty? Vengeance? If magic comes back, how to keep those who would use it for harm from doing so, and creating another potential war? How do you balance the magic with a peaceful kingdom and those who do not have magic in their blood?  I won't even get started on the horrible parenting that Saran uses on his children. Abused kids for sure, yet Inan fights what he knows he should do with his sense of loyalty towards his father, who has never treated him well. It's a classic abuse issue. Amari is seen as a helpless young lady, but she's the one who grows the most in the novel. It's hard to keep remembering that all four characters, and most of the supporting cast, are teens. Yes, Adeyemi does a masterful job wiping that out of your head. That's why this novel is a great read for teens and adults, and anyone who loves mythology and magic. 

It's an adventure, and the characters grow on you. I will have to read the next novel, and I'm sure it will be just as excellent as the first. It's already been optioned for a movie.  In light of all the race issues we have in the United States right now, the immigration issues, the seeing people (we are all part of the human race!) as less than; well, those are all the bedrock of this tale. It has a lot to say. Definitely a book club selection, and I hope high school English classes read it, too.  

Rating:  6/6 for an incredible tale of rising up, fighting for what's right, even if it means you may lose. This tale of magic, adventure, love, and dreams was fantastic. I think of it, and I see so many colors-you'll find yourself smelling, hearing, and seeing the vibrant world of Zelie, Tzain, Inan, and Amari. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

A friend of mine at work read this novel some time ago and hasn't stopped raving about the whole series since then.  It was enough to make me buy the first three book in the series, then promptly put them on my bookcase and forget about them.

Ah…but I finally picked up Green Rider, and I'm happy to say my friend wasn't wrong.  It's pretty fab.  There is still that teenage geek in me that lives in a land of magic and strange creatures, maps to forbidden places, and a clearly cut good and evil.  Probably a few unicorns tossed in there, as well.  Whenever I find myself restless in my reading, I reach for a fantasy book.  So many today are urban fantasy (which I do like); but sometimes a good old  fantasy novel is the only thing that will do.  Horses!  Evil! Castles!  Secret Messages!  Magic!  Yep.  Love them all.

Green Rider is the first in the series aptly named The Green Rider Series.  It features a strong-willed smart young lady who runs away from school and gets herself into a bit of a situation.  Karigan G'ladheon was suspended from school following a fight (in which she humiliated the bully of the school) and decides she's going to walk home to her father's house.  It's not down the block, but a few days journey.  While walking in the woods, she is overtaken by a rider barely hanging onto his horse.  He's a green rider, one of the messengers for the King.  And he's been shot with two black arrows, and only has moments to live.  He implores Karigan to take his horse and ride to the city of Sacor to deliver a very important message to  King Zachary.  Giving her his brooch, his green cloak, and the horse, he dies on the side of the road.  Karigan is torn between the promise she makes the green rider, and her desire to chuck it all and just keep walking home.  The choice is taken out of her hands by approaching badness, and Kerigan's journey to Sacor begins.  And a whole lot of crap, too.  Poor girl.  She certainly finds out what she's made of--and that being a green rider is more than just riding a horse.  There's magic in that brooch and the horse, Condor, is no ordinary horse.  

There's so much to tell you, and I just won't do it!  Suffice it to say, black magic, supernatural badness, ghostly riders, and evil men bent on domination are all part of the mix.  It is a true battle of good vs. evil.  

This is a great start to a series.  I will be diving into the rest this summer.  Teens will like this novel, especially the honorable and incredibly smart Kerigan.  
She is an admirable figure; not perfect, but certainly one who finds incredible strength in herself when she needs it.  And no sex in this, either.  I have no problem with sex, but I have to say it was refreshing to read something where sex was a complete non-event.  Definitely recommend this to youngsters who are beyond Harry Potter and don't find teen reads to be terribly interesting.  And anyone who likes a great adventure will certainly want to pick this up.  Weary of the shenanigans in Game of Thrones?  Try this novel.  Not nearly as blood thirsty (and I had a friend say "No incest? Yes!") or seething with such dripping darkness. Just a good, solid fantasy read.  

Rating:  8/10 for a solid start to a series.  Karigan is a strong character, and her adventures are only beginning.  

Available in mass market, e-book, and audio.  

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

After reading The Rook last year (my favorite book of 2012) I was pretty sure I wouldn't find another book quite as entertaining this year; it's hard to find a good blending of sci-fi, humor, and fantasy lately.  

But lo and behold, I found it in The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway.  This book takes all the things I love about a few different genres and puts them together in one story.  And for a first time author, I am pretty impressed!

I don't want to give a lot away, so I'll give you a brief overview of the plot:  Lord Nicholas Falcott is fighting in Spain in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars.  Just as he's about to be killed, he finds himself lying in a strange room with a man telling him he's now in 2003 and has "jumped" through time.  

Move ahead ten years. He's now  Nick Davenant, it's 2013, he lives in Vermont, is incredibly wealthy, and part of the Guild.  The Guild is a group of people who can move through time--jump into the 'river'.  They help others who jump, giving them money to live on, acclimate them to their new lives, and have a few rules:  you can never go back to your place of origin, you can never go back in time.  For Nick, that means he can never go back to England.  

Until he gets a letter from the Guild.  

The letter says "catch a plane to England NOW."

So Nick's adventure begins.  He finds out that yes, you can jump back in time, and he's being recruited to jump back to 1815 in order to find out who is manipulating the future--with dire consequences.  He returns to find Julia Percy, his neighbor--and the one vision he has kept to himself from his old life.  They reconnect, and the passion is white hot from the first moment they meet again.  

But Julia has a secret of her own, and her secret is part of why Nick has returned.  Can he save her from those who are searching for her?  Can she learn to protect herself before others can harm her?  

There is a lot to this story.  Romance, of course; action, adventure, and time travel.  But there is also the struggle Nick has of returning to a life he thought was long gone, and people he has mourned as long dead.  Now suddenly they are there, fully alive, and he's mysteriously returned from Spain after being presumed dead in battle.  His conflicted feelings at returning to his old life as the Marquess of Blackdown and his new life as a modern man  in 2013 give a depth to the character that could have easily been left out--but it would have left a lack of empathy for Nick's character.  But in keeping this inner conflict a part of Nick's return to 1815 he is definitely a fully sketched character you root for all through the story.  And his love for Julia is quite lovely--deep and lasting over two centuries.  Nick's sisters are great additions to the storyline and pull Julia into the family circle, which moves the plot along.  

I certainly enjoyed this novel.  What a nice change of pace from the usual historical novels.  This has a great twist, memorable characters, and an ending that leaves you hoping for more.  There's a lot of questions left unanswered about  the Guild, the future, and where Nick and Julia will end up--in 1815 or in 2013.  I could definitely see this as a trilogy.

Rating:  7/10 Great idea and mix of genres.  Nick is a well drawn character; you can sympathize, laugh, and cheer him on in this novel.  And Julia's growth from a clueless young lady to a tough cookie is also part of what makes this  a great story.

Available in hardcover and ebook.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey

I have read 2 novels by Mercedes Lackey, both in the Elementals Series.  There's a bit of confusion about which is the first novel in this series--if you look in the books, this is the first novel, but if you look online it's listed as the second in the series, after The Fire Rose.  Either way, the important thing is that you can read either one first.  They are completely separate stories--the only link is the Elemental magic part.  

My sis-in-law has adored Mercedes Lackey for years and years--when I lived with her and my brother during my college years in PA (ahem 20 years ago) she had every book Mercedes Lackey ever wrote and I'm pretty sure she still does.  

Here's what I like about this series, based on two books:  they are fun, they are historical and magical fantasy, and they are based on magic that works with fire, earth, air, and water.  They can get a bit preachy at times--the first two take place in the early 1900's when women were fighting for the right to vote.  I just take that with a grain of salt and move on.  It's not a big deal to me and doesn't interfere with the gist of the novel. In this novel, Maya is a "half-breed"--half English, half Indian.  Her parents are dead, and she flees India to London in order to put some distance between whatever killed her parents and herself.  Her father was a doctor, and she is, too.  Female doctors aren't very common in England, and she has to fight to get her certificate to work in the local charity hospital.  On the side, she has a clinic set up in her home to help people who live on the streets.  Maya has to fight against people who judge her by her skin, the fact that she's a female doctor, unmarried, and a foreigner.  

She's also an Earth elemental, but doesn't really know it.  For reasons you find out in the story, her mother (a super magical woman herself) would not teach her anything, so she's cobbled together some small spells she can use to keep her home, herself, and her loyal servants safe from whatever is out to get her.  

But, she needs to learn, and quickly.  For whatever was looking to kill her in India has come to London, and it's looking for her.  

This is a retelling of Snow White; all of the Elemental books are based on a fairy tale.  The Fire Rose is Beauty and the Beast in San Francisco just before the great earthquake.  

So if you're looking for a fun fantasy series, try this one.  I've been happy enough with the first two books that I've managed to buy the next 3 or so and they're waiting on my shelves.  I think there are seven or eight in the series so far, and I don't see an end anytime soon.  They are a welcome break from some of the contemporary fiction I've been reading.  

Rating:  7/10 for sheer enjoyment factor.  I have found another author I can enjoy!

This series is available in mass market paperback and as e-books.  You could also probably get used hardcover editions either in used bookstores or online.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley: Most Awesome!

Lately, not much gets me excited.  I've found myself reading the same type of book over and over, and quite frankly I became bored with myself.

And then The Rook decided I needed to read something so fantastic, so clever, so damn funny, that it would leave me a happy camper for a few hours.

I am a happy camper.  I loved this book.  Seriously, loved it.  I can imagine it as a BBC series full of quirky characters in that beloved quirky place, London.  There's something to be said for a city that is a gazillion years old--you do believe pretty much anything can happen there.  And in the center of this craziness, you meet Myfanwy Thomas (pronounced Mifany).  She's lost her memory, and is surrounded by a ring of dead people; she's in a park and completely gobsmacked.  This begins Myfanwy's journey as she pulls out a letter from her coat, reads it, and quickly discovers she's a Rook--a top notch member of the Checquy--Britain's secret supernatural agency.  It keeps all of Great Britain safe from all the supernatural stuff that goes on all day, every day.  Most people are oblivious to it, and the Checquy likes it that way.  Imagine Emma Peele with amazing abilities to control people's nervous systems just by thought.  That's what Myfanwy does.  Except the Myfanwy that wrote that letter (and many more for the new Myfanwy) is known as meek, mild, and top notch with numbers.  The new Myfanwy isn't quite that way, and as she navigates her first day at work--bluffing the whole time--she soon discovers her powers have been underutilized and she's pretty pissed at whomever took her memories.  

Follow Myfanwy as she works to find out who stole her memories, why, and what it's got to do with what the old Myfanwy uncovered during her routine paperwork duties.  You will love the new Myfanwy--who's not afraid to swear, stand up for herself, and kick some ass.  You'll also come to know the old Myfanwy, who knew something was going to happen to her and took the time to build a file full of information for the new Myfanwy.  All of the players in this novel are so much fun to get to know, and Daniel O'Malley's ability to construct such an amazing, crazy, convoluted, oh-so-British world full of supernatural creatures and situations will keep you glued to the pages.  

Quite simply, this book is one of my favorite books of 2012.  Maybe, just maybe, it could take the top crown for this year.  This book is perfect for anyone who loves science fiction/fantasy, all things British, and wants to read a rollicking good story.  I found myself snickering quite a bit.  

Rating:  5/5 for an amazing, imaginative novel.  Please do not stop writing, Daniel O'Malley.  

Available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley: Most Awesome!

Plans for 2013 Reading Extravaganza!

I have been very guilty of buying too many books this year.  My few "extra just in case" books have grown to around 200 extra--unread--brand new--books.  I was going to buy Life of Pi until I realized I already had it on my Nook and bought it on sale months ago.  Oops.  

Having a life altering event happen to me always makes me stop and reflect on what I've been doing, what I'm going to do, and how do I get myself moving again.  Because of course I have come to a complete halt in my usual schedule, and I'm finding that not only am I having a difficult time diving back into my reading routine, I don't really care much about it.  I know my perspective will change as I progress in my grieving for my sister, and I will once again be turning to my books for the comfort only a book can provide.  They truly ask no questions of you, wait patiently, and amazingly--there are many many kinds to fit whatever mood you're in at the moment.  Luckily through my purchasing in 2012 (and 2011!), I have many kinds of books to choose from when I get on the reading wagon again.

I've been thinking about what reading goals I want to make for 2013 with the understanding that I usually don't manage to keep them.  Pretty much as soon as I make the goal, I change it within hours.  I irritate myself that way! 

But.

Get it here

I think this will be the year of Sci-Fi/Fantasy for me.  I have accumulated so many novels in that genre that I can quite happily read them all year and probably not have to buy one more.  I know I will, though.  I love this genre and always buy more books but don't have time to read them.  This will change in 2013.  Of course, doing book talks for my bookstore means that I do need to keep reading other fiction and non-fiction titles, so I have a good mix to talk about at a moment's notice.  But Sci-Fi/Fantasy will be top dog in 2013!!  

A friend of mine had a great idea, and I've seen this idea on many blogs.  I think it's time I do this myself:  make a list of books to read in 2013, and cross 'em off as I read them.  It's a great way to read those classics, those dusty books on the shelves, and have a goal that's not only fun to reach, but chock full of good reads.  Since I'm also exploring my "spiritual" side, there will probably be a sprinkling of New-Agey titles in here, too.  Can't wait.  

I've managed to make my Good Reads Reading Challenge for this year, and I'm happy with that.  Yes, I could frantically read more in the next month--but quite frankly I can't concentrate long enough on one book to finish it, and I don't want to.  There.  I don't want to.  Blah.  

Stick with me, people!  I'll be gathering my list together of must reads for 2013 and post it on my blog, so you can see my progress.  I hope to have it up by Mid-December, and of course I will have my favorite reads from 2012 coming up shortly.  

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

Plans for 2013 Reading Extravaganza!