Summer Reading 2022: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

 

This summer has flown by so fast my head is spinning. Now it's August, and I did finally manage to finish a book! I spent yesterday cleaning my house, which I haven't done in some time. That involved gathering all the piles of books I have sitting around and putting them all in one spot. Now instead of a lot of small piles, I have just one big pile by my living room bookcase. Cleaning felt good, and helped me reset a bit. It's been a very busy work summer, and I'm definitely feeling low energy. Finishing this book, which has been on my TBR list for a long time, also helped reset my mental "can do" attitude. 

I read this book now because I was invited to be on a podcast with a local library. They discuss books with librarians from area libraries each month, and I picked West with Giraffes. When I say I enjoyed this book so so much, I'm not understating it. I even decided to add it to our library collection as a book club kit because it is such a wonderful book, and must be shared. 

WWG takes place over a two week period in September, 1938. It also bounces to 2025, where the main character Woody Nickel (yes that's his name) is 105 years old and nearing the end of his life. Woody realizes he doesn't have much time left, and he still has a story to tell. It's a story he must tell, because he's the only one left to tell it, and he can't stand the thought of the story dying with him. So Woody starts writing in notebooks in his room at the care center; feverishly writing it all down. 

The story starts out with Woody surviving the Hurricane of 1938 that hit New Jersey and killed hundreds of people. Woody is there, and survives through sheer luck. He's traveled from Texas to work with the only remaining relative he has: a third cousin who doesn't survive the hurricane. Woody is seventeen, broke, and alone. And to his amazement, he sees two giraffes on a boat that have miracularly survived the hurricane. He finds out they are to travel across country to the San Diego Zoo, their new home. Woody wants to get to "Californy" to start over--after all, it's the land of milk and honey. 

Old man is tasked with hiring a driver to take the giraffes to California. Woody, through some sheer ingenuity and luck, gets to drive the truck. He's formed a connection with the two giraffes he calls Boy and Girl. And so the adventure begins, filled with bad men, good people, danger, and a whole lot of amazing moments. 

Woody, Old Man, and Red, the beautiful photographer who follows the truck across the U.S. capturing all the special moments of the journey, are three characters that grew on me so much so that it was painful to end the journey. Each has a back story that is slowly revealed as they connect over their love for the giraffes. 

I still find myself thinking about this novel and the characters days after I finished it. It was quite unlike anything I've read this year, and exactly what I needed to read this summer. I think it would make an excellent movie on any of the streaming services. It's definitely a hidden gem that I will be sharing with everyone who asks me "what should I read next?"

Rating: 5/6 for a sneaky novel: it begins interestingly enough, but somehow grabs you by the heartstrings and doesn't let go. Characters reveal themselves and their hidden secrets and form unbreakable bonds. And the giraffes are just unforgettable. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio. 

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Summer Reading 2022: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Summer Reading 2022: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

 

I'm chipping away at my summer reading pile, and I just finished Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I wanted to give her another chance after I read Beach Read a few years ago and had mixed feelings about that novel. Enough mixed feelings that I didn't read People We Meet on Vacation, her follow up. 

I'm happy to say I had a different experience with this novel. It could be I liked the characters much more in Book Lovers.  Nora and Charlie both live in New York City. Nora is a literary agent, and Charlie is an editor. They meet briefly to discuss one of Nora's clients. Charlie doesn't like the book, and Nora doesn't much like Charlie. Neither makes a good impression on the other.  

Fast forward two years later, and Nora is taking a month long vacation to the town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her pregnant sister Libby. They are extremely close, but Nora has felt some distance in their relationship. Libby isn't happy with Nora's career taking all of her time; Nora is afraid their relationship may be damaged because of it. 

Nora runs into Charlie in Sunshine Falls. Oh--did I mention Sunshine Falls is the setting for the novel Charlie dissed two years before? And that novel was a HUGE hit? Surprise, surprise. Charlie actually is from Sunshine Falls. He's there taking care of his parent's bookshop and helping his father recover from a stroke. Charlie hates Sunshine Falls. They run into each other, and it's clear their short meeting two years before was just the start of something big. 

Nora and Charlie begin working on editing a novel that has the potential to be a blockbuster. They both know it and are completely in sync with each other about the work it will take to shape the manuscript and get it ready to sell. 

Nora and Charlie also are irresistibly attracted to each other, and their chemistry is off the charts! I'll say Emily Henry hit the nail on the head as Nora finds the little things about Charlie so darn hot. That's exactly how it works. I'm partial to my dude's dimples. They get me every time. I love his chin. Weird, I know, but darn it all he's got a great chin. Anyway...Nora and Charlie just are so good together. I loved reading their texts; they just get each other. Smart, snappy, sharp conversations that make their relationship very believable. 

Charlie's attraction to Nora is also so. well. done. I loved the evolution of their relationship. A great match; great dialogue. 

Nora's relationship with her sister Libby is a bit complicated, and Nora's quirks and issues get a deep dive into her past. Charlie brings out the best in her. 

A big theme in this novel is the idea of happily ever after, and how sometimes it doesn't always happen the way we want it to happen. Life is not a Hallmark movie; tough choices have to be made. Sometimes your happy is not the same happy for others you love, and you have to make a choice. It's also about loving someone enough to let them go so they can be happy. 

I'm not saying how this novel ends, because the journey is important. It's a good journey, however, and while this is a romance, it's also a story about family, sacrifice, personal happiness, and healing. 

Okay. So I'm onboard the Emily Henry train. Book Lovers was a great read, a solid romance, and an examination of being happy in your life versus just being okay in order to make someone else happy. 

Rating: 5/6 for two engaging characters: Nora and Charlie. Darn it all, Charlie sure is appealing! The story moves along at a good pace; all of the strands of this plot come together neatly. A good novel to take on vacation. 

Available in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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Summer Reading 2022: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

 

I eagerly awaited the publication date of this novel and quickly bought my own copy so I could enjoy it at my own pace and not worry about returning it to the library. It's a good thing I did, because it took me almost three weeks in February before I finally started reading it. I picked it up and started reading it last weekend after deciding the two books I was already reading just didn't fit my weekend reading vibe. 

This is my second World War 2 novel this month, which is definitely a record for me. Any novel that has a bookstore or a library in it is one I have to read, so I couldn't wait another month to dig into the story of Odile Souchet in Paris during World War 2, and young Lily living in Montana in 1985. How do the two of them have anything in common? Well, Odile lives right next door to Lily and her family in the small town of Froid. Odile is reserved, always dressed to the nines, and is still, after forty years, described as "the war bride". Her husband, a former solider, has died, leaving Odile living on her own in Froid. 

Fascinated by her next door neighbor, Lily approaches Odile under the guise of working on a writing assignment for school. Lily can't wait to escape Froid, even though she's terribly worried about her mother's health. She sees Odile as her gateway to her dreams of being a writer and traveling the world. 

Odile and Lily hit it off, and soon Odile is teaching Lily French. Their mutual love of books is another bond, and Lily finds out Odile was a librarian in Paris. 

That's where most of the story takes place-Paris, during World War 2. Odile gets a job at the American Library in Paris, and it is her dream job. She is thrilled to be a librarian, and nothing smells better to her than the odor of all those books when she steps in the doors of the library. However, war is coming quickly, and Odile's simple dreams of falling in love, marrying, and continuing to work at the library fall apart as Nazis take over Paris. 

Odile's life in Paris is hard, to be sure. She is determined to do her part to keep the library open and safe from Nazis destroying the collection, as they've done to other libraries around Europe. Her close friends at the library all fall into danger--most are not natives to France, and as the world is drawn into war, each one becomes a foreign enemy that could be arrested and sent away. Food becomes scarce, and restrictions keep tightening. Odile's twin brother Remy joined the French army right away, and is now in danger. Paul, Odile's sweetheart, is a police officer who struggles to remain true to his devotion to Odile while under increasing pressure to work with the Nazis to maintain order in Paris. 

Odile's story is compelling; more so than Lily's. Maybe it's because it's 1985 and heck, I remember the 80's fairly well-I was a teen for part of them! However, Lily's struggle in a small town, with big changes to her home life, definitely echo the increasing change in family dynamics that occurred in the 1980's. I can't say much because I don't want to give it away, so I'll leave it at that. 

There's really not much suspense or mystery to this novel. It's more of a slow unraveling of a story that hadn't been told for decades. Now it's time for Odile to share her life story and forgive herself for her actions so long ago. 

This was a quick read, and full of literary references and characters who loved the written word. Men and women who risked their lives to protect books, deliver them to prisoners of war, and to Jews hiding in Paris. They realized the importance of storytelling and even when faced with possible arrest, kept doing their jobs. It was also pretty interesting to read about library work before computers and the internet. 

Fans of World War 2 fiction, novels about libraries, and stories of friendship are sure to enjoy this read. And yes, there really is an American Library in Paris, open to this day; it was founded in 1920. It makes me very happy to know it survived the horrors of war and operated throughout the occupation of Paris. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel set in Paris during World War 2 that features the American Library. It's about the risks librarians took to protect not only the collection, but kept providing books and information to citizens under siege and in danger. It's also a novel about friendship, forgiveness, and making peace with the past. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

 

The Children's Blizzard is historical fiction based on a tragic natural disaster that happened on January 12, 1888 in Nebraska. That blizzard, called The Schoolhouse Blizzard in some records, was previously written about in David Laskin's non-fiction book of the same name. I read Laskin's book when it was published in 2004 and was fascinated by this natural disaster that I'd never heard of before. 

This is a fictionalized story of that day in 1888. The characters--Raina and Gerda, Anette, Fredrik, Tor-they are based on some of the actual students and teachers that survived the blizzard. 

It's January 12, 1888. A strangely warm (40 degrees!) day on the Nebraska prairies. People took advantage of the mild weather to make trips to town from their homesteads for supplies. Students walked to school without their usual heavy coats and gloves. For most, it was a pretty short walk-maybe 15 minutes from their homes to the schoolhouses. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and no one had any idea what was brewing. This was before there was a national weather service. Most pioneers on the prairie who lived there long enough could tell when the weather was going to change; however, this odd weather happening showed no signs of approach until it was too late. 

Raina is sixteen and teaching her first year in a schoolhouse in rural Nebraska. She's still a bit unsure of herself (after all, the oldest student-Tor-is only a year younger than her) and is miserable. She's boarding with a family and the husband is mooning over her. Anna Pedersen, the wife, is hostile and watching their every move. Raina, flattered by the attention, is also uncomfortable and trapped in the situation. Little Anette also lives with the Pedersens. Her mother literally sold her to the Pedersen family as a servant. Anna also doesn't like Anette, and keeps the little girl working day and night, with only a break to attend school. 

Gerda, Raina's sister, is also a schoolteacher some miles away. She's older, and the bright star of her family. Gerda has a beau named Tiny, and she's arranged with him to pick her up from school midday so they have some time together in secret. She's dismissing school early so she can be with her beau.

The storm suddenly comes out of nowhere, and it's terrifying. Huge black clouds sweep down, the temperature drops and the blizzard begins. Gerda, just at that time dismissing her students, laughingly tells the kids to run fast to get home and outrun the storm. She hops into Tiny's sleigh with two other small students, and away they go. Her decision will haunt her the rest of her life. 

Raina is caught at the schoolhouse with her students. Anette flees the schoolhouse to run home, fearful of Mrs. Pedersen's anger if she doesn't come home. Little Fredrik follows Anette. Raina can't find them-they are gone into the blizzard. Thinking to stay in the schoolhouse, that quickly ends when windows are smashed and the stove goes out. It's obvious the children will freeze to death if they stay, so Raina makes the decision to take the children out into the blizzard to the nearest homestead--a place that on a normal day can be seen from the schoolhouse steps. 

Most of the novel is about that dark day, as Anette and Fredrik, Raina, Tor, the school children, and Gerda struggle to survive the blizzard. Brutal conditions, unable to see two steps in front of them--just walking a short way off the usual paths would mean certain death on the prairie. Will they all find their way to safety?

This novel doesn't stop at the blizzard, but examines the following days and years after the blizzard. The prairie had an almost mystical pull for so many people. So much hard, back breaking work that could be wiped out with one bad storm, a dry summer, grasshoppers. A brutal existence that not all could handle. People loved it and hated it all at the same time. 

Who are the heroes? Who survives? How do they move on with life after such a horrific experience? You'll have to read to find out. 

It's a quick read, and you will be on the edge of your seat. Living in the Midwest-yes, we've had some pretty darn cold days and nights. I can't imagine a blizzard of this magnitude and being out in it inadequately dressed, with no modern conveniences to help me find my way to safety. 

This novel is available in the United States on Tuesday, January 12th (the 133rd anniversary of the blizzard!). It will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

I would recommend reading David Laskin's nonfiction book The Children's Blizzard if you want more in-depth information and photos. 

A big thank you to Edelweiss and Random House for providing me with an advanced ebook. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel about the great Blizzard of 1888. Strong characters and plenty of nail biting moments! 

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The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

 I naturally turn to books that have the potential of keeping me up at night just as soon as the weather cools down, and Fall arrives. Halloween is my favorite holiday. I think I loved it so as a child (and still do today) because it was the unofficial kick off to the countdown towards my birthday in November, then Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, as an adult, it's less about the build up of excitement for those holidays and more of a nesting thing. I also love to watch paranormal shows, and October is definitely the time for those to pop up everywhere. My DVR works overtime to record everything I can't possibly watch during the week. I also love to watch the Halloween baking shows on Food Network, too...which lead directly to the winter holiday baking shows! 

Onto the review. I realized as I was reading the author's bio in the back of the book that I had read Christina Henry before, and liked what I'd read. I read the first of her Black Wing series years ago, and enjoyed it enough to want to read the rest of the series. But did I?  Nope. Going on my list. What I like about Christina's writing is that she gives enough horror to make you uneasy and get you sucked into the plot, but not so much that you're grossed out. I like to read scary books, but not books where there's so much gore illustrated. Yes, there is some gore in this book, but I can handle it because it doesn't go over the top and we're not lingering over it for pages. 

Lauren and Miranda are fifteen, and have always met under the ghost tree in the woods surrounding their town of Smiths Hollow, about an hour or so away from Chicago. Their friendship is going through a rough patch, since Miranda is all about boys, and Lauren is lagging behind. One day in June, they're together in the woods, and swiftly leave so Miranda can meet a few boys in town. Lauren's not interested, but goes anyway. She's got a migraine coming on-so strong that she gets sick in the alley behind the arcade and decides to grab her bike from the woods and get home. But this migraine is different-she sees a horrifying vision of two young women being killed in the woods, by something that is not human and not a wild animal. Something that leaves the girls in pieces. When Lauren reaches her bike, she notices something terrible: a bloody handprint on her bicycle seat. A handprint that looks human, but not quite. 

Sheriff Alejandro Lopez receives a call that there are remains in a neighbor's back yard. When he arrives, he sees a terrible sight: bits and pieces of two young women, with their heads next to each other. He's recently moved his family to Smiths Hollow from Chicago, and thought he'd left this kind of violence behind. Trying to coordinate an investigation, he notices how everyone around him seems to be forgetting all about these murders. The Police Chief isn't doing anything to find out who these victims are, and Alejandro himself struggles to write down every detail he can remember. Why are people acting like nothing happened? 

There's so much more that happens, and I can't tell you more without giving a lot away. Let's just say Smiths Hollow is not an ordinary town, and something terrible has been taking place for decades--and Alejandro and Lauren are two keys to unlocking the mystery, and stopping the monster that stalks the town. 

At first, I will admit, I struggled to concentrate enough to get through the first few chapters. But I finally sat down Saturday and read a chunk and was hooked. I will definitely read more of Christina Henry's novels. Folks who like horror novels will definitely enjoy this book. There is some blood and blech moments, but they are short and not so horrible I was grossed out or had to put the book down. 

Rating: 4/6 for a spooky, entertaining read about a cursed town, a monster in the woods, and a young girl who may be the only hope to break the curse. You'll love Lauren and her little brother, David-they are quite the pair. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

The Chill by Scott Carson

This was a book that caught my eye a few months ago. I was a few spots down the holds list at the library when our "quick pick" came in and I decided to snag it. Our quick pick titles are checked out for 10 days; no renewals and no holds. So you've got to get to it and read the book. That wasn't hard to do with The Chill.

Upstate New York. The Chilewaukee "Chill" Reservoir was built over 80 years before , destroying the town of Galesburg and burying it underneath the water. Yet the people of Galesburg didn't go peacefully, and they are ready, after all these years, to bring vengeance down on the city of New York. Except they're all dead. 

Hmm. For 80 plus years, the dam has worked really well. Yet some families who live and work around it are frightened--mostly from stories told by their parents and grandparents. Murder, betrayal, and pacts were made amongst the people of Galesburg, and finally the endless weeks of rain have pushed the capacity of the Chill close to maximum. The ghosts of those who died over the years are working, silently and without stopping, to destroy the dam and extract their revenge. Their plan is to break the dam, forcing the water to flow into other unused areas of the complex water system that runs from Upstate New York to the city. If their plan works, New York City will be dry--without water--and a crisis like no other will be unleashed. All for revenge, all those years ago. 

The story unfolds fairly quickly, with a shocking start, followed by some really weird stuff. Aaron Ellsworth, son of Sheriff Steve Ellsworth, has gotten into a bit of trouble, and his father is ready to send him to rehab. He was the star swimmer of Torrance, practicing in the cold, swift waters of The Chill for years to  perfect his swimming. Now, one last swim to prove to his father he's not a loser sets in motion the story as you, the reader, come into it. 

Aaron swims downstream, and then decides to walk back. He cuts his foot badly, and sees a man on the other side of the water. Asking him for help, he's confused when the man doesn't appear to want to help him. Aaron throws a bottle at him, hits his head, and watches, horrified, as the man falls into the water and is swept downstream. Aaron dives in, and searches frantically for the man, but can't find him. While he's diving, he finds another body--this one with chains attached, wearing a black ball over it's head. Horrified, he returns to shore, calls his father, and waits to be arrested. 

Sheriff Ellsworth arrives; hears Aaron's story, and prepares to deal with his son going to jail--this time for murder. But just as Aaron finishes his story, the man he claims to have killed walks up with no marks on his face. Mick Fleming, an engineer from New York City, is perfectly fine. He has no idea what Aaron is talking about. Mick Fleming's grandfather was the original designer of the dam, and was murdered by the people of Galesburg all those years ago. Mick Fleming knows the dam is in danger of structural failure, and has been frustrated by the lack of response by the powers that be to maintain the dam. But the Mick that drove up to the dam is not the Mick that is facing Aaron and his father. What the heck happened while he was walking around the reservoir?

This book was such a great story! 

I seriously had a hard time putting it down. It's all about respecting Mother Nature; respecting the land, and understanding history. Making choices for the greater good always costs someone dearly. It's most definitely about family legends and duties passed down through the generations, and deciding to break the chain. Is vengeance worth it, when it causes more death and destruction? 

It's also a heck of a good ghost story. 

Rating: 5/6 for a thriller that mixes nature, ghostly revenge, and history. Note to self: always live above the dam. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Chill by Scott Carson

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I have spent the last week furiously reading Pachinko for two book groups that meet on Tuesday. It's a big chunk of a novel; clocking in at almost 500 pages. I've finally finished it this Sunday morning, and even though I haven't given myself a lot of time to process it, I'm writing my review with my first impressions. 

First of all, I find the cover to be absolutely stunning. Every time I look at it, I find myself taken aback by the beauty of it. I see Sunja and her sons, and my heart breaks for all they will go through. This is definitely a book worthy of discussion, and I can't wait to talk about it on Tuesday with my book groups. 

In a nutshell, this novel is about four generations of Koreans living in Japan during the 1920's-through 1990. I confess to be completely ignorant of the Korean-Japanese tension, and totally in the dark about the discrimination and awful treatment of Koreans who were forced to flee Korea and settle in Japan as political conflicts, World War 2, and the division of Korea into North and South took place. The novel starts in Korea, in the small fishing  village of Yeongdo and the family of Hoonie, his wife Yangjin, and their only child, Sunja. Japan has annexed Korea, and the economy is terrible. Hoonie dies, leaving Yangjin and teenaged Sunja to run a boardinghouse to makes ends meet. Hard working women; so hard working I feel a bit ashamed at how easy my day to day life is, and how blessed I am to have enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and the money to pay for lights, water, and heat. 

Sonja meets wealthy businessman Hansu while going to market one day. He's drawn to her, and they begin a friendship that leads to an affair. Sunja is very young (15), and finds herself pregnant. Hansu is married to a wealthy Japanese woman, and cannot and will not marry Sunja. He is very pleased she's pregnant, hoping for a boy after having three daughters with his wife. Sunja rejects his offer of being his "Korean wife", and sends him away. Being young, and pregnant, Sunja has very few options, and her condition will bring shame to her family name and her mother. Isak, a young man who is staying at their boardinghouse, decides to marry Sunja and take on the responsibility of being husband and father to her unborn child. Isak is on his way to Japan to work as a pastor at a church. His health is very poor, but his desire to help Sunja overrides  everything. 

Isak and Sunja arrive in Japan and are stunned at the treatment of Koreans living there. Subjected to harassment, living in slums and extremely filthy conditions, Koreans are seen as dirt. Isak and Sunja, living with Yoseb and Kyunghee (Isak's brother and sis-in-law), struggle to make ends meet and strive to survive daily life. Life takes turns that are tragic and heartbreaking, and as the years go by, the family stays together and endures strife that strengthens them rather than tears them down. 

Hansu is still around, however. He is powerful, and rich, and keeps tabs on Sunja and Noa, his son. I found Hansu to be a very compelling character. A man who is torn between two families, trying to do what is right, and still, after all those years, loves Sunja and won't give up. The relationship between Sunja and Hansu was one of the best parts of this novel. 

There's so much more to this generational saga. I am so grateful for reading this novel, and learning about the Korean-Japanese strife that continues on today. I had no idea. Family, identity, self-worth, hard work, sacrifice, national identity, and love are all huge themes that run throughout the pages of this novel. It's definitely an epic, multi-generational novel that will leave you breathless when you finish the last page. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook. 

Rating: 5/6 for a look at a corner of the world and a history that I was not familiar with at all. The layers of history, emotion, and political strife that echo through generations of family are hard-hitting and incredibly moving. Sunja is one of the most memorable characters I've come across this year. 

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Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness

I finally finished Time's Convert yesterday afternoon, after two weeks of reading a little bit, setting it down, then coming back to it. I wanted to take my time, and enjoy it, since I've been waiting some time to get back to the world of Diana and Matthew de Clermont.  

So I'll just blurt it all out: I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away by it. 

There. I said it. 

Settling into this novel felt a bit like revisiting old friends, and I was pretty happy to be back with Diana and Matthew, and Ysabeau, and the whole world of the de Clermont vampire family. It was pretty great to see how Diana and Matthew are fairing as parents to Becca and Philip, their adorable twins--who are a mix of witch and vampire. Where their talents will lie, no one knows. And the rarity of these two little people (witches and vampires have never been able to have offspring, and normally avoid each other) means that there will come a day of reckoning for their parents and for both of them. That is an underlying tension in the novel, but I kept saying to myself "They're just babies, so there's plenty of time."  I suspect, and I hope, Deborah Harkness crafts a compelling tale of adult Becca and Philip.  

But, the big part of this story concerns Phoebe Taylor, a warmblood, and Marcus MacNeil, a vampire. They're in love, and were featured in the first three novels that make up the All Souls Trilogy. Now Phoebe has decided to become a vampire, so she can wed Marcus and live with him for, well, a very long time. It's not just a matter of biting someone, draining their blood, and bingo! vampire presto. There's a protocol to follow, and Phoebe and Marcus aren't allowed to see each other for 90 days after Phoebe has turned. After the 90 days, they reunite, and she officially claims Marcus as her mate. But within those 90 days, she has to learn how to move through the world as a vampire. There's a lot to learn, and it's not easy. 

Marcus stays with Diana and Matthew, who is his maker, and in vampire families, that makes Matthew Marcus' father, and Diana his step-mother. Another big chunk of the novel is about Marcus; who he was as a human, how he was turned by Matthew, and what he's done until present day. It's an interesting tale that centers on the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the horrible childhood Marcus had at the hands of an abusive and alcoholic father. You get to know Marcus very well, and follow him on his journey as a young vampire. He makes plenty of mistakes, and gets in trouble with his family over and over again. Much of what he does haunts him, and he is concerned when Phoebe does drink from him, she will be disgusted at his deep secrets. Cause when you're a vampire, when you drink blood, you see everything about that person--no secret is hidden. 

There really wasn't much tension in this novel, and that was good and bad. The trilogy was so damn good, in part because Diana and Matthew as a couple were so forbidden, and Diana was struggling to accept her family history as witches, and come into her own immense power. There was none of that in this story, which I kind of missed. But seeing Diana and Matthew as parents, and happily living their lives (as well as they can as de Clermont) was sweet. It was all enough to keep me turning pages, and enjoying what I read. But it wasn't OMG THIS IS SO GOOD I CAN'T STAND IT!

Thank you, Deborah Harkness for another peek into the wonderful world you created. I am ready for more!

Rating:  4/6 for the continuing tale of the de Clermont family, and their fascinating experiences living through some of history's most dramatic and legendary moments. 

Available in hardcover, audio, and ebook. 

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Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

I've posted a video review of The Hunger on my Facebook page @bookaliciousbabe.  

I'll just say this was an unexpected find during a visit to Barnes & Noble; I went to work the next day and it came across my desk; that meant I had to read it! 

A real thriller/chiller retelling of the Donner Party Tragedy of 1846-47 with a supernatural twist. I consider this a horror novel.  I even go so far as to say it would make a good book club discussion book.  

American pioneers were an extraordinarily brave group of people, traveling across unknown territory hundreds of miles with only a hope that the end resulted in a place they could settle, raise a family, and create a new life. That's tough enough, but imagine if on the way (which you started months too late to safely get through before the snow starts flying), something is stalking you. Something that is not natural; something that looks human but isn't quite--was it ever human? Imagine that there's more than one of these creatures, and as you become more desperate as food runs low, tempers flare, hope begins to fade, you realize something horrible is out there, waiting to strike. 

The tension ramps up in this novel, and Alma Katsu masterfully blends the past with the present situation for each of the main characters. Everyone has secrets they are running from, and this wagon train to California forces those secrets out. Just how far will people go to survive?

Take a look at my video review; hope you enjoy it. I tend to just start recording and whatever falls out of my mouth, well, that's it. That's how I review books. 

Rating:  5/6 for a thriller that kept me on the edge. Even knowing what the actual outcome of the Donner Party was, I still kept hoping something would change. Throw in a horrible supernatural slant, and the story takes on an even darker edge. It's been optioned for a film, and I hope it happens--I'll go see it!

Available in hardcover and ebook. 

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The Hunger by Alma Katsu

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Ahhhhh!!  Alice Hoffman returns to the world we first discovered in Practical Magic, the first Alice Hoffman book I ever read. I was so excited to read this and it met my expectations in every way. 

This is a prequel to Practical Magic.  It begins in the 1960's, in New York with the Owens family:  mother Susanna, her husband, and their three children:  Frances, a beautiful young lady with red hair and fair skin; Bridget (Jet), stunningly beautiful with long black hair and grey eyes, and Vincent, the youngest and the first male child to be born to the Owens line. Owens is the name descended from their first ancestor, who arrived in America way back when.  She was  witch.

Susanna tried to run away from her gifts, and forbade her children to do anything that might be construed as magic.  They weren't quite sure why, but as they grew into their teens, it was impossible to deny they each had abilities.  Along with those abilities came a curse: no Owens could love anyone, for it would lead to disaster and death.   

Oh, so much happens in this novel!  Vincent is pulled to dark magic as he wander the streets of New York, playing guitar, hanging out in bars (at 14!), and having a hypnotic pull on pretty much every woman who sees him. He doesn't even have to try, and is pretty unhappy with his life, but doesn't really know why. Both Frances and Jet are slowly discovering a few magical talents they each have, as well.  All on the hush, so their parents don't know. 

 One summer, the three siblings are invited to spend the summer with their Great Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts.  Actually, it's not an invitation, but a command.  All three end up discovering more about their magical powers and more of the family history--and meet their cousin April in the big old house on Magnolia Street.  The house where the porch light is always on, the gardens are full of mysterious plants, and townspeople come at night to get potions and charms.  

At the novel travels through the 1960's, all three teens struggle to understand the family curse about love; sometimes with disastrous consequences.  It seems they are all heading for unhappy, loveless lives.  Can the curse be broken?  

I so loved this novel.  It is classic Alice Hoffman, and that makes me so happy.  While I absolutely adored The Dovekeepers, my heart always goes back to her tales of magic.  This prequel brings you right up to the day Sally and Gillian, as little girls, come to live at the house on Magnolia Street with Franny and Jet. 

I'm leaving a lot of the details and story for you to discover and enjoy yourself.  There is plenty of heartbreak, love, and turmoil in the journey of the Owens siblings, but it is masterfully written.  It left me very reluctantly finishing the last page.  I may have to go back and reread Practical Magic again.  

I'm sorry to say, but The Rules of Magic won't be published in hardcover until October, 2017 in the United States.  You have a wonderful summer to build up the anticipation of reading this book so appropriately released in October.  A big thank you to Edelweiss for the chance to read this!  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to wait until October.  

Rating: 5/6 for a satisfying prequel to Practical Magic.  Getting to know Franny, Jet, and Vincent and all their trials and heartbreaks makes this one of my favorite reads of 2017.  

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The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

One thing I miss about working in a bookstore is being near the kid's books.  I always enjoyed walking into that space and looking at all of the great stories on the shelves.  I'm pretty sure if I'd had the opportunity to see so many kid's  books when I was a youngster I'd probably have danced around and twirled a bit through sheer excitement.  

I realized as I started reading The Girl Who Drank the Moon that I had read Kelly Barnhill's earlier novel, The Mostly True Story of Jack years ago when it first came out in 2011.  I loved that book; it took place in Iowa, and was very unusual and magical.  What an imagination Kelly Barnhill has--what a gift!

I picked up this novel because it had just recently won the Newbery Award and I was curious.  Whenever I read a teen or young reader novel, I have to constantly check my inner voice and basically tell it to shut up.  I have to remember who the intended audience is, and that they are reading from a much more innocent, non-adult place.  I think it will do me a lot of good to read more young reader and teen books!

So, to the novel.  The Protectorate is a town that is filled with sorrow.  It's always gloomy, the sun never shines, and the people live very poorly.  The Elders and the Sisters run the show, and they have a yearly tradition that feeds more sorrow into the atmosphere (and keeps people under control):  once a year, they take the youngest baby in the village, and leave it in the forest as a sacrifice to the witch that lives there.  This keeps the witch from coming to the village and wreaking havoc on everyone.  It keeps them safe.  This year, a mother fights to keep her child, and is deemed crazy and taken to the Tower, where she is imprisoned by the Sisters.  The child is taken to the forest and left there.  

Here's the kicker:  The Elders have made it all up.  They leave the baby in the forest to die from exposure or, worse yet, animals.  There's no witch, as far as they're concerned.  It's just a way to keep control of the village.  Very teen dystopian!  

Here's the other kicker:  there really is a witch, Xan, who lives in the forest with her friends Glerk, the swamp monster, and Fyrian, the little dragon.  She finds the babies every year, and takes them to the other side of the forest, into the towns and villages there, and gives them to loving families.  She has no idea why they leave the babies in the forest, but she takes care of them and saves them from certain death.  This time, when a baby girl is left, Xan hesitates to take her to the villages for adoption.  Feeding her moon magic, she gives the baby too much, and the baby becomes magical.  Xan decides to keep the baby for herself, names her Luna, and raises her as her grandmother in the forest. Xan knows when Luna turns thirteen her magic will really kick in, and it will be time for Xan to give all her magic and die.  After all, Xan is 500 years old, and ready to be done.  

Of course, this plan doesn't work out that well.  Luna is a powerful little girl, and the magic is leaking out of her constantly. She has no way to control it, so Xan puts a spell on her that will keep the magic tamped down, and make it impossible for Luna to learn about magic or use it until she's thirteen.  

But that's not all that's going on in this story.  There's a young man in the village who struggles with the yearly tradition, and seeks a way to reconcile his feelings and find a solution.  He's got hope, a tiny spark of hope, that things will change.  But the change is not something that the Elders or Sisters want.  

I wondered if a child reading this novel would understand the undertone of powerful people doing bad things, and the oppression of people.  That the face some people put on in public is not who they really are, and it can hide some bad stuff.  That those people you think are bad just by hearing stories or seeing their physical self, actually are very kind and loving people who got a bad rap through stories and gossip.  They are the true healers and good people. 

I did enjoy this novel; I do wonder at the length for young readers.  I'd say advanced readers would swallow it up pretty quickly, but younger kids would struggle a bit.  The writing is fantastic, and the plot is pretty clever.  You can almost feel the magic oozing off the pages.  I enjoyed how the story unfolded and concluded.  Worthy of the Newbery.  Hope to read more of Kelly Barnhill; if she ever wrote an adult novel I'd grab it without hesitation. 

Rating:  4/6 for a beautifully written young reader novel about family, love, magic, sacrifice, and the evil that lurks behind those who are supposed to be looking out for all of us.  

Available in hardcover and e-reader.  

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

I'm ashamed to say it's taken me years to finally read this book, and I read it because I picked it for a book talk at work.  In light of today's climate regarding immigration, it's even more relevant today than when it was first published in 1997.  

At its core, this book is about the struggle to understand cultures other than our own.  Not understanding or even trying to understand; believing that our culture is the "best" culture and our medicine is infallible can lead to tragedy, as it did in the case of Lia Lee.   

Lia's parents and older siblings came to California from a refugee camp after fleeing Laos after the Vietnam War, where many Hmong were recruited by the CIA to fight for the American side both on the ground and as trained pilots.  They believed they would be taken care of by the Americans after the war; coming to America was an obvious choice for them. Lia's parents, Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee didn't speak, write, or read English.  They came to Merced, California because there was a large Hmong population and, most importantly, family.  Lia was their first child born in America, in 1982. Lia began have seizures after a few months at home.  Her parents believed a dab (an evil spirit) had taken her spirit away, and that is what made her sick.  Their culture also believed that those who had this sickness were special, and would be a shaman.  Not only did the shaman have special abilities to fetch a spirit back to an ill person, but they had empathy for those who were ill, because they themselves suffered from seizures.  

The medical staff at Merced Community Medical Center weren't trained to deal with different cultural beliefs, and the Hmong population in Merced was a whole different ball game for them.  Lacking interpreters at the hospital, the language barrier was most of the time insurmountable.  What was most difficult, far and away, was the lack of understanding of the spiritual medicine the Hmong believed in; it was at the core of their culture.  The modern medicine and practices at Merced were at odds with what Lia's parents felt was the right course of treatment for their daughter.  

This lack of understanding proved diastrous to Lia and her family, and to the doctors who treated Lia.  Anne Fadiman explains all of this thoroughly, spending time with the Lee family, the doctors and other medical staff who treated Lia.  She spent four years pouring over medical reports, staff notes, and the history of the Hmong as a people.  

Written in 1997, the updated paperback version has an new afterword from the author, written 15 years after the first publication.  She updates us on all of the major players in this saga, including the creation at Merced Community Medical Center of a new program that allows shamans to conduct rituals for Hmong patients. While there is still much to do regarding effective communication and understanding between cultures, this is a great start and a big step forward.

This book is, ultimately, about one family's love for their daughter. It is the tragic nightmare that resulted from everyone trying their best to heal and protect her, but no one asking the important questions and bridging the gap between two vastly different cultures to come to a mutual understanding.  It is powerful, moving, and a testament to the importance of belief, spiritualism, and familial love.  

Rating:  9/10.  

Available in paperback, audio, and e-book.      

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The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman