Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines

I saw this book in hardcover last year and just didn't get to it on my reading list.  Now it's in paperback, so I have no excuse not to pick it up and read it.

This is my first Jim C. Hines book, but it probably won't be the last.  He's got a quirky sense of humor, and combine that with the ability to pull objects out of books to make magic and you've got me pulled in without any question.

Libriomancer is the first book in the Magic ex Libris series.  Book two, Codex Born, just came out in hardcover a few weeks ago.  If you are a lover of books--and any kind of books--you will enjoy this novel about Isaac, a libriomancer.  Libriomancers are people who belong to an organization founded by Johannes Gutenberg to keep the world safe from all of the creatures found in books.  As more and more people read a book, their belief and imagination fires up that book, and those creatures and objects in the books become magical.  A libriomancer can literally pull them out of a book.  And so can the bad guys.  Some books are so dangerous that Johannes Gutenberg has locked them magically forever, so no one can use them for nefarious purposes.  

But someone has been very busy, and Johannes Gutenberg is missing.  Did I tell you he's still alive after all these years?  Yep.  Put that down to the magic of books.  I won't tell you more so you can discover for yourself how this all happens.  Once you start thinking about all the books you've read in a magical sense, it can become dizzying to ask the question: "What if I could reach in and pull out, say, a pot of gold?  Or a magic sword?  Or even a light saber?"  

All this magic has a price to pay, and Isaac has been banned to a small library in Michigan after making a huge error as a libriomancer a few years before.  He is forbidden to practice magic, and has followed the rules.

Until vampires show up and try to kill him.  Vampires from books, you see.

This was a fun read, chock full of authors and books you will recognize no matter what you read.  It gets a bit convoluted so you really do have to pay attention.  And Isaac's love interest (which fits nicely in the story)  Lena, a dryad who is one with trees, makes an interesting flip side to natural magic.  She's also on the cover of the second book.  

I think teens would enjoy this, along with anyone who has a life-long passion for books.  You don't have to be a sci-fi/fantasy fan to pick this up.  So go give it a try!

Rating:  7/10 for a brilliant idea about books and magic, room to grow the story in a series, and characters you enjoy and care about.  

Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book

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Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines

The Rest of the Year: A Challenging Reading Goal and Learning Excel So I Keep My Sanity

Learning Excel is one of my goals in the next few months.  I realize it is an excellent tool to use for most anything; especially trying to organize my books in some kind of order.  I think I'll be asking my sister for some quick lessons on Excel...

Going back to school is no doubt going to cut into my reading time.  I like to be organized, but will only take it so far.  I try and plan my reading, but then something shiny and pretty comes along and bumps the rest of the books back a few spaces in my "to be read" mental file.  And then they disappear into the stacks on my shelves and on the floor. I figure the discipline of school will push me into being a bit more organized and working from a plan for reading, reviewing, and blogging about my books.

So....I'm still going to read what I want to read.  I've gone through the stacks on my floor and listed all the books on Excel.  That's as far as I've gotten in that process, since I am clueless on spreadsheets.  But not for long!  And when that happens, I am going to go down my list, one by one, and read what I've got, post reviews, and either keep the book, give it away, or sell it.  I culled many titles earlier this year from my bookcases, but they've gotten away from me again.  Funny how books multiply, right?  And I rarely only buy one book at a time, so the stacks quickly pile up.  And when my boyfriend Bud comments on the books, I know I need to take action.  He's not a reader, and rarely says anything about my books--so a notice from him is a heads up to clean up my space.  

School, upcoming book talks at work, and my blog will certainly keep my world of books hopping.  I'm sticking with my goal of reading 100 books this year; I'll hit 80 by the end of August (fingers crossed!).  I'm glad I lowered my goal from last year; I simply won't be able to read as much as I want.  Retail Christmas usually means the whole month of December I stumble home from work and fall asleep on the couch at 5 PM.  I give myself through November to hit my yearly goal for this very reason.  Even though I so want to read, I just can't keep my eyes open in December.  

With that being said, I'm off to read before I head to my first day of classes this afternoon.  A review will be up by the end of the week!  

How do you keep your books organized?  Do you even try?

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The Rest of the Year: A Challenging Reading Goal and Learning Excel So I Keep My Sanity

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

Well.  This one is certainly worthy of a book club discussion or two.  The "wife" in this novel is Jodi, who has lived with Todd for 20 years.  They've never married; Todd wanted to get married, Jodi never did due to issues with her childhood.  No kids.  Again, Jodi didn't want them.  She keeps a tight reign over her emotions, her life, and her part-time practice as a psychologist.  She lives a good life with Todd as long as she ignores his chronic cheating.


Todd is struggling through bouts of depression; his inability to stay faithful to Jodi is never an issue with him.  It's just the way he is and he offers no excuse for it.  They have an unwritten rule:  it's never talked about directly; innuendoes are used to refer to his overnight trips and weekends away; and unbeknownst to him, Jodi gets back by doing little things to Todd that make his life miserable for brief moments of time.  He has no idea Jodi is behind such small things; small blips that disrupt his daily schedule.

Until the day his young girlfriend tells him she's pregnant and they have to get married.  

This is the turning point in the story; this is the beginning of the descent on the highest hill of the roller coaster.  Todd and Jodi are nuts.  Plain and simple.  Both are so fundamentally damaged they can't even begin to see it.  And this will cost them both.

This novel is a quick read; you will find that you don't like anyone in the novel.  Not one person.  There is no one to like.  It makes you wonder just how many people are clinging to a life they think they want and ignoring all the wrong things that are in it.  

Read it.  Discuss it with someone.  It is a page turner, and it will leave you dwelling on the story of Todd and Jodi for a long time.

Rating:  8/10 for a few twists and turns, and characters that are deeply flawed and don't even know it.  

Available in paperback and e-book

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The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

And the Winner of The Girl You Left Behind is.....

The winner of The Girl You Left Behind is......

Ashley!

Ashley, please email me your address and full name so we can get you your copy of this hard to put down novel.  My email is:  supersue66@gmaildotcom.

Thanks everyone for entering the contest.  Keep reading and watching for more giveaways in the future.


If you didn't win, read this book anyway!  It's out tomorrow, August 20th in hardcover and e-book.

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And the Winner of The Girl You Left Behind is.....

Love and Lament by John Milliken Thompson

This novel got my attention because it's about a young woman growing up in the post-Civil War South and follows her life into  a new century and World War I.  I didn't realize quite how much I would connect with Mary Bet Hartsoe until the very end of the novel, when this very moving sentence had me reaching for the tissues:

"It would have to be enough, then, to know, as her father did, that grief lasts as long as memory, though the tissue of life grow around it like a wound protected from the world and shielded from the heart.  Grief and love are the only things that endure."

Oh Mary Bet, I understand completely.  She's a wonderful character:  honest, strong, and independent.  She comes from a family of 9 children, and as she reaches the age of 15, most of her siblings are dead.  I come from a family of 10 kids; a brother and a sister passed on years before I was even a thought; they've been gone since the 1950's--what seems like so long ago.  Only my oldest brother and sister remember Kim and Mark.  

Mary Bet  finds herself and her brother Siler the only remaining siblings; Siler is older and attends a school for the deaf 150 miles away.  He's always been extremely talented in fixing things up around their home; they have a way of using their hands to speak to each other--their own sign language.  He's a smart young man, but tormented by the idea that he may end up losing his mind like their father and grandfather.  Does grief affect their minds, or is it really mental illness?  How do you know?

Siler's decision to take a walk on railroad tracks one day haunts Mary Bet for years afterwards.  Why did he do that?  What was he thinking?  Did he deliberately not feel the train coming, or was he so lost in thoughts that he was caught off guard? Was it an impulsive decision, or long thought out?  She feels guilty, like she missed a sign from Siler.  When my sister Patti passed away last October, so suddenly, so heartbreaking,  with so many unanswered questions, I didn't think I would ever know peace about it.  And maybe I still don't--maybe that road is still unfolding, and the journey I need to take is not over.  I get Mary Bet.  I'm sorry if I spoiled a bit of the story for you, but Siler's  story so resonated with me that I had to share that with my readers.  It is a crucial turning point in the novel and connects you to Mary Bet's grief and love.

This novel came at a good time for me.  I don't think I could have read it a few months ago without putting it down and not returning to finish it.  It was at times painful to read--how does someone keep moving on with all that sorrow? I've never wanted to think about losing any of my siblings, but it did happen sooner than any of us expected.  While I have always held a spot in my heart for my brother and sister born and died so long ago, long before I was born, losing Patti was painful on a level I had never experienced before.  I do not want to experience that again.  I plan on all my brothers and sisters staying healthy and vital until we're each in our 90's.  

So.  I did love this novel.  It was a bit healing for me to read about Mary Bet, her family, and her life in North Carolina.  At the end, she is hopeful. And really, that is all we can ask for sometimes.  I would recommend this for anyone who loves to read about the South, young women finding their voices in the early 20th century, and a well written, sweetly sad story.

Rating:  7/10 for wonderful characters--especially Mary Bet and her father; a quick pace, and a peek into life as a single woman in the early 1900's.  

Available in paperback and e-book.

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Love and Lament by John Milliken Thompson

Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes--Giveaway!!

I have found another author that I love.  Yep.  JoJo Moyes.  I read The Last Letter from Your Lover a few years ago and throughly enjoyed it; but really this novel firmly puts her on my list of authors that I will keep reading faithfully every time a new book comes out!

And you, lucky reader, can enter my contest to win a copy of The Girl You Left Behind!  It is on sale Tuesday, August 20th.  I was lucky to receive a review copy from Penguin/Viking--they are awesome people.

I won't tell you much about the novel, cause I want you to discover the stories of Sophie and Liv--two women who live almost 100 years apart and are connected by a painting of Sophie lost during World War I.  Sophie's story of a German occupied France is heartbreaking; the choices she makes to find her husband make you wonder:  what would you do to find the man you loved?  And Liv, a widow still grieving over her husband years after his death.  Sophie's painting is the only thing that keeps her connected to David--and it is the subject of a tug of war between Liv and Sophie's relatives.  How do two women living 100 years apart have anything in common?  You'd be surprised.  

I am a new found fan of JoJo Moyes.  Her writing will quickly pull you into the lives of her characters; you'll laugh, cry, and keep reading with fingers crossed for a happy outcome.  This novel is particularly interesting because it  deals with stolen art from World War I.  Most of us are familiar with all of the claims from families who lost significant pieces of art to the Nazis during World War 2; we see that it didn't start then; this is something that has happened throughout history.  It also delves into the complicated motives behind the reparation business--are people merely trying to find family pieces to put the past to rest and have justice?  Or are they only out for the money the art brings at auction?

So.  I believe this novel could be your next favorite read.  And you can win a copy from me!  How awesome is that?  Here's what you do:

Leave a comment on this post.  What author have you discovered this year that has become a favorite?  

Please make sure that if you enter, you check back to see who wins!  

Winner will be announced on Monday, August 19th.  

Open to U.S. residents only.  


Good luck!  

Rating:  8/10; compelling story.  Your heart will ache for Sophie and you hope like heck that Liv can find happiness again.  

Available in hardcover on August 20th; also available as an e-book.

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Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes--Giveaway!!

The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen by Lindsay Ashford

Once again, I've delved into the mystery section of our bookstore.  And again, I have been pleasantly surprised.  

This is a short review.  I like to keep mysteries mysterious!

What if Jane Austen was murdered, and didn't die from an unknown illness?  How would it ever be proved, and who would be able to do it?

Meet Anne Sharp, close friend of Jane, and former governess to Jane's  brother Edward and his wife Elizabeth's young children.  Meeting Jane at Godmersham, Edward's estate, in 1805 began a firm friendship that was tested by suspicion and untimely deaths in the Austen family.  

Starting 26 years after Jane's death, Anne begins to start putting the pieces together, remembering back to her time with the Austen family and what she saw--were her suspicions of Henry, Jane's brother, correct?  How much does Jane know, or does she wish to remain oblivious to her brother's shenanigans?  Does Anne dare to confide in Jane?  

Oh, this mystery is quite entertaining.  We think of Jane as a figure that everyone loves, but there may have been some who did not--in fact, they wished her dead.  But why?  

This novel was published in the UK and "sparked an international debate and uproar."  What few facts are known about Jane's death are mysterious, indeed.    You will read this and want to delve into biographies about Jane and her family--she had a sister and at least 3 brothers; many nieces and nephews, and so many friends and acquaintances.  Lots of intrigue, forbidden love, and frustrations as clever, gifted women are left languishing on the side; unwed and deemed old maids by the age of 25.  

Read this if you're a fan of Jane Austen--and even if you're not.  Historical mystery lovers will enjoy this, too.  It's smartly written and leaves you wondering....how did Jane die?  

Rating:  7/10 for an interesting plot, characters that are well developed and complex, and an ending that leaves you eager to explore the world and life of Jane Austen.

Available in paperback and e-book.

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The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen by Lindsay Ashford