Jennifer Weiner's book The Next Best Thing was an enjoyable, quick read. Set in Hollywood, it is a story about a writer who finally gets her chance to have a show on television. The book is more about Ruth discovering herself and trying to find her own happily every after.
Ruth's parents died in a car accident when she was a toddler. In that same accident, she was severely injured and left with scars that would require many surgeries over the years and leave her face and body permanently marred. She has spent her life, with her loving grandmother, learning to overcome her physical differences and learning to live with the pain and isolation that comes from being so visibly scarred.
She and her grandmother pick up and leave Boston in search of Ruth's dream of being a writer. She gets a job, falls in love a couple of times, has her heart broken, and makes some friends. When her idea for a show gets green lighted for a pilot it seems as if her life is about to change for the better. But then she sees the truth in how TV gets made. Can she compromise with the network without losing what her show was supposed to be about? Can she become a successful television writer and showrunner and maintain her own sense of herself? And will she find her happily ever after, too?
The storyline was enjoyable, but the characters are the ones who really shine in this book. They are so real, flawed and imperfectly perfect and the reader finds herself rooting for them every step of the way. Typical Jennifer Weiner magic.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Takedown Twenty
Takedown Twenty is the 20th installation in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I have been reading these books for too many years to count and love all of them. They are laugh out loud brain candy of the finest kind. This 20th book in the series does not disappoint.
In Takedown Twenty, Stephanie is up against a Trenton mobster that is very well liked, Uncle Sunny. No one is giving him up even though he was charged with 2nd Degree Murder and skipped out on his court date. Stephanie has to bring him in, but can't get any leads because no one is talking. To make things more complicated, Uncle Sunny happens to be the godfather of her on again off again boyfriend, cop Joe Morelli, and the nephew of Joe's very scary Grandma Bella. In addition to Uncle Sunny, there is someone killing elderly women and leaving them in dumpsters. Ranger, Stephanie's mentor and sometimes employer, has hired her to help look into the mystery. She also has a few other skips to bring in, including a gangster who is wanted for murder.
Hijinks ensue with Grandma Bella cursing Stephanie, Grandma Mazur (Stephanie's wild grandmother) getting in on the action of the dumpster killings, bingo games, Stephanie and Lula working side by side, and Stephanie wondering of bounty hunting is the best career choice for her. This was another laugh out loud episode of Stephanie and her gang of cohorts.
I read Notorious Nineteen prior to opening Takedown Twenty because I always like to get back up to speed on the relationships and timeline before opening the new book. I finished these two books entirely too soon, as always. Time spent in Stephanie's world is always too short, and then we have to wait another year for the next installment.
Happy Reading!
In Takedown Twenty, Stephanie is up against a Trenton mobster that is very well liked, Uncle Sunny. No one is giving him up even though he was charged with 2nd Degree Murder and skipped out on his court date. Stephanie has to bring him in, but can't get any leads because no one is talking. To make things more complicated, Uncle Sunny happens to be the godfather of her on again off again boyfriend, cop Joe Morelli, and the nephew of Joe's very scary Grandma Bella. In addition to Uncle Sunny, there is someone killing elderly women and leaving them in dumpsters. Ranger, Stephanie's mentor and sometimes employer, has hired her to help look into the mystery. She also has a few other skips to bring in, including a gangster who is wanted for murder.
Hijinks ensue with Grandma Bella cursing Stephanie, Grandma Mazur (Stephanie's wild grandmother) getting in on the action of the dumpster killings, bingo games, Stephanie and Lula working side by side, and Stephanie wondering of bounty hunting is the best career choice for her. This was another laugh out loud episode of Stephanie and her gang of cohorts.
I read Notorious Nineteen prior to opening Takedown Twenty because I always like to get back up to speed on the relationships and timeline before opening the new book. I finished these two books entirely too soon, as always. Time spent in Stephanie's world is always too short, and then we have to wait another year for the next installment.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Behind in Blogging
My last post was back in April. That was 20 books ago. Life has been busy with 4 kids, and in my free time I choose other activities (like Facebook or reading) rather than keeping up with my blog. There is no way I can review those 20 books that span 7 months, so I will just let you know which ones are worth reading and which once you could skip.
Great reads, definitely worth the time:
Until Again - prequel to Blue (Lou Aronica)
Blue (Lou Aronica)
Inferno (Dan Brown)
Relentless (Dean Koontz)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)
Dark Places (Gillian Flynn)
Silent Witness (Richard North Patterson)
Books I found to be 'meh':
A Texan's Promise
The Liberation of Alice Love
Caught Up In Us
I do enjoy writing about the books I read and sharing my thoughts. I love books and love to pass on my passion for them to others. I need to spend more time doing that and less time on Facebook. :)
Happy Reading!
Great reads, definitely worth the time:
Until Again - prequel to Blue (Lou Aronica)
Blue (Lou Aronica)
Inferno (Dan Brown)
Relentless (Dean Koontz)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)
Dark Places (Gillian Flynn)
Silent Witness (Richard North Patterson)
Books I found to be 'meh':
A Texan's Promise
The Liberation of Alice Love
Caught Up In Us
I do enjoy writing about the books I read and sharing my thoughts. I love books and love to pass on my passion for them to others. I need to spend more time doing that and less time on Facebook. :)
Happy Reading!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Twice Tempted
Twice Tempted is the next installment in Jeaniene Frost's "Night Prince Series". It chronicles Vlad and Leila's next adventure. Full of violence, mystery and vampire politics, this novel is a must read for anyone who is a fan of vampire fiction or Jeaniene Frost's other novels.
Vlad and Leila are having troubles. Leila is having a hard time with the possessive nature of the vampire hierarchy and does not understand her lover's sudden emotional distance. She returns to her carnival days only to find that she has been replaced. When someone blows up her old carnival trailer, she and Maximus (Vlad's right hand vamp) are suddenly on the run. But Maximus may have ulterior motives. Who can she trust? As she tries to figure out who tried to kill her, more enemies come out of the woodwork and Vlad's true feelings are revealed.
This book was action packed and did not disappoint, except that I was able to read it too quickly and now I have to wait for the next installment. I loved every page and cannot wait for the next Jeaniene Frost book to be published. Mind candy? Absolutely, but for fans of paranormal romance with a dark side, this series is a must read.
Happy Reading!
Vlad and Leila are having troubles. Leila is having a hard time with the possessive nature of the vampire hierarchy and does not understand her lover's sudden emotional distance. She returns to her carnival days only to find that she has been replaced. When someone blows up her old carnival trailer, she and Maximus (Vlad's right hand vamp) are suddenly on the run. But Maximus may have ulterior motives. Who can she trust? As she tries to figure out who tried to kill her, more enemies come out of the woodwork and Vlad's true feelings are revealed.
This book was action packed and did not disappoint, except that I was able to read it too quickly and now I have to wait for the next installment. I loved every page and cannot wait for the next Jeaniene Frost book to be published. Mind candy? Absolutely, but for fans of paranormal romance with a dark side, this series is a must read.
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Ten Year Nap
Meg Wolitzer's The Ten Year Nap is a thought provoking novel about career women who become mothers and the choices that they make. It is a very smart novel about feminism and family, and not a light read.
The novel focuses on four New York women, friends, who have each made different choices when it comes to career versus family. For the last ten years, most of their lives have been focused on family: children and marriage. Some of the novel is focused on their own mothers and the choices they also made, and the paths they tried to open for their daughters. They all went to college and became career women: lawyer, film producer, banker and artist. But for each of them, family changed the path. Now that ten years have passed, their children are older, they are approaching 40...what is next?
This novel asks the question, "Can we really have it all?" Can women have careers and be wonderful mothers and focused on family? As a stay at home mom, who is college educated and had a career prior to having children, I thought this novel would be right up my alley. I was wrong. I found it very difficult to connect to the women in this book. First of all, the New York city life is so different from the suburban life that I am living that I could not relate as much to their daily activities. Secondly, all but one of them is not exactly happy being a just a Mom. I absolutely hate that saying...'just a Mom.' It implies that being a Mom is not enough. As I read the novel, I believe the author was saying just that. Being a Mom is not enough. Women should be doing more, should expect more of themselves than to just be a Mom. Finally, I felt that three of the main characters were a bit whiny and self-absorbed. One has a hard time loving her adoptive daughter, one wants to keep up with the other mothers at the school so she is creating stress in the home as her husband struggles to pay the bills and provide for the family, one feels that she has lost in her creative ability and feels the need to be an activist so that she is doing something "important" (because raising her two children isn't?) then she completely abandons the teenager she is helping in her activism.
There was another reason that made it difficult to connect with the characters. Roberta, the character who needed to be involved in some sort of activism chose abortion as her cause. She volunteers for an organization that provides transportation to girls who want an abortion but do not have the means to get to a clinic. She flies out to the Midwest to complete this task. She takes the girl to the abortion (with consent from the girl's mother) and then cares for her overnight and drives her back home (in the process she confesses to the girl that she too had an abortion when she was younger and that she hardly ever thinks about it). I found this turn of events so unnecessary and unbelievable. I cannot imagine that a mother would allow a stranger to take her only daughter to get an abortion and then to care for her overnight in a hotel room. Work responsibilities or not. I also found it very difficult to believe that a mother of two children would not think about the one that she aborted in her younger life. I felt that this was the author's way of making a political statement and that the only thing it added to character development was to make this character less likable. Roberta promises to help this girl with her art career by showing slides of the teenager's to some of her New York art connections (of which she doesn't have any anymore). After a few communications, Roberta completely drops the ball and never reaches out to this young girl again. It absolutely disgusted me.
There would be a lot to discuss with this novel, so I would recommend it for a book club especially one interested in feministic literature. For me, it was not a hit. I came away angry. Maybe because I do not consider myself a feminist and do not understand the need for feminism, this novel did not resonate with me. It was a very intelligent book, well written and provocative. I do believe that the author did her job, because even though I did not like this novel, it did elicit an emotion. It just may not have been the emotion she intended to evoke.
Happy Reading!
The novel focuses on four New York women, friends, who have each made different choices when it comes to career versus family. For the last ten years, most of their lives have been focused on family: children and marriage. Some of the novel is focused on their own mothers and the choices they also made, and the paths they tried to open for their daughters. They all went to college and became career women: lawyer, film producer, banker and artist. But for each of them, family changed the path. Now that ten years have passed, their children are older, they are approaching 40...what is next?
This novel asks the question, "Can we really have it all?" Can women have careers and be wonderful mothers and focused on family? As a stay at home mom, who is college educated and had a career prior to having children, I thought this novel would be right up my alley. I was wrong. I found it very difficult to connect to the women in this book. First of all, the New York city life is so different from the suburban life that I am living that I could not relate as much to their daily activities. Secondly, all but one of them is not exactly happy being a just a Mom. I absolutely hate that saying...'just a Mom.' It implies that being a Mom is not enough. As I read the novel, I believe the author was saying just that. Being a Mom is not enough. Women should be doing more, should expect more of themselves than to just be a Mom. Finally, I felt that three of the main characters were a bit whiny and self-absorbed. One has a hard time loving her adoptive daughter, one wants to keep up with the other mothers at the school so she is creating stress in the home as her husband struggles to pay the bills and provide for the family, one feels that she has lost in her creative ability and feels the need to be an activist so that she is doing something "important" (because raising her two children isn't?) then she completely abandons the teenager she is helping in her activism.
There was another reason that made it difficult to connect with the characters. Roberta, the character who needed to be involved in some sort of activism chose abortion as her cause. She volunteers for an organization that provides transportation to girls who want an abortion but do not have the means to get to a clinic. She flies out to the Midwest to complete this task. She takes the girl to the abortion (with consent from the girl's mother) and then cares for her overnight and drives her back home (in the process she confesses to the girl that she too had an abortion when she was younger and that she hardly ever thinks about it). I found this turn of events so unnecessary and unbelievable. I cannot imagine that a mother would allow a stranger to take her only daughter to get an abortion and then to care for her overnight in a hotel room. Work responsibilities or not. I also found it very difficult to believe that a mother of two children would not think about the one that she aborted in her younger life. I felt that this was the author's way of making a political statement and that the only thing it added to character development was to make this character less likable. Roberta promises to help this girl with her art career by showing slides of the teenager's to some of her New York art connections (of which she doesn't have any anymore). After a few communications, Roberta completely drops the ball and never reaches out to this young girl again. It absolutely disgusted me.
There would be a lot to discuss with this novel, so I would recommend it for a book club especially one interested in feministic literature. For me, it was not a hit. I came away angry. Maybe because I do not consider myself a feminist and do not understand the need for feminism, this novel did not resonate with me. It was a very intelligent book, well written and provocative. I do believe that the author did her job, because even though I did not like this novel, it did elicit an emotion. It just may not have been the emotion she intended to evoke.
Happy Reading!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Pets in a Pickle
Pets in a Pickle by Malcolm D. Welshman is a funny, engaging story about a veterinarian, his patients and their owners, and the rest of the staff that works for Prospect House Veterinary Hospital in a small town in England. The story was light, a little funny and a fast read.
Paul Mitchell is the new vet at Prospect House. He is needed there to lend a hand to the husband and wife that own the veterinary hospital. As the new boy, he gets stuck with what would appear to be some pretty boring patients. However, each one is it's own adventure. While waiting for his opportunity to get to the bigger cases, Paul must deal with what he feels are more mundane health issues. However, this reader found the hamsters, birds, dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, pigs, horses and cows that he treats to be interesting. Paul finds many of the human owners he encounters annoying and his attitude toward them is a little off putting. But the animal interactions, their quirky owners and the funny escapades keep you turning the pages.
While mildly humorous, the book does lack warmth. The main character is often unlikable and immature. The author overuses puns to the point of annoyance. All that being said, it was not an unenjoyable read. The animal interactions were amusing and sweet. The other characters are quirky and unique (even if not all are completely likable). If you enjoy animal stories, I think it is worth the read. This is the first in a series, and while I am mildly curious about which way certain relationships will go I am not sure I will ever pick up the second book.
Happy Reading!
Paul Mitchell is the new vet at Prospect House. He is needed there to lend a hand to the husband and wife that own the veterinary hospital. As the new boy, he gets stuck with what would appear to be some pretty boring patients. However, each one is it's own adventure. While waiting for his opportunity to get to the bigger cases, Paul must deal with what he feels are more mundane health issues. However, this reader found the hamsters, birds, dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, pigs, horses and cows that he treats to be interesting. Paul finds many of the human owners he encounters annoying and his attitude toward them is a little off putting. But the animal interactions, their quirky owners and the funny escapades keep you turning the pages.
While mildly humorous, the book does lack warmth. The main character is often unlikable and immature. The author overuses puns to the point of annoyance. All that being said, it was not an unenjoyable read. The animal interactions were amusing and sweet. The other characters are quirky and unique (even if not all are completely likable). If you enjoy animal stories, I think it is worth the read. This is the first in a series, and while I am mildly curious about which way certain relationships will go I am not sure I will ever pick up the second book.
Happy Reading!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Of Love and Evil
Ann Rice's Of Love and Evil is a novel but short enough, at just 172 pages, to be read in one day. Just because this novel is short does not mean that it is not full of intrigue, action and emotion. Rice expertly weaves a story about choices and love.
The story revolves around Toby O'Dare who is a former government assassin. Because of the choices he made earlier in life, in that line of work, he now has to atone for those sins. He has been summoned by an angel to work off his debt. O'Dare would like to be able to live a normal life, with the woman he loves and his child, but first he must make amends by solving a mystery from fifteenth century Rome. The reader is transported back in time, with Toby, into a dark world of religion and persecution.
In this fantastical world, we are drawn into Toby's dark secrets and his desires to be forgiven. The characters are rich and the reader is sympathetic to them. This novel at it's essence is a mystery, but it is so much more than that and in the end it is a story about hope. Rice is very good at mixing dark with light. I recommend this one.
Happy Reading!
The story revolves around Toby O'Dare who is a former government assassin. Because of the choices he made earlier in life, in that line of work, he now has to atone for those sins. He has been summoned by an angel to work off his debt. O'Dare would like to be able to live a normal life, with the woman he loves and his child, but first he must make amends by solving a mystery from fifteenth century Rome. The reader is transported back in time, with Toby, into a dark world of religion and persecution.
In this fantastical world, we are drawn into Toby's dark secrets and his desires to be forgiven. The characters are rich and the reader is sympathetic to them. This novel at it's essence is a mystery, but it is so much more than that and in the end it is a story about hope. Rice is very good at mixing dark with light. I recommend this one.
Happy Reading!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Glass Case
The Glass Case is a short story by Kristin Hannah. Kristin Hannah is well known for her contemporary fiction usually centered around family dynamics. This short story was just as gripping and emotional as her full length novels. How she does that in only 20 or so pages is nothing short of amazing.
The Glass Case is about a young mother in a very small town following in her own mother's footsteps. Her mother had wanted more for her though. Pregnant while still in high school, she marries her high school sweetheart. Unfortunately, her mother gets sick and dies before ever getting to meet her grandchild. Years later, they truly are still in love and raising a small family in a small house in this small town. One day her Kindergartner doesn't get off the bus and her worst nightmare becomes reality. What occurs over the next few hours is what parents fear most. It is a very emotional, well written short story that brought me to tears but leaves the reader with hope. Well done, Ms. Hannah, as usual.
Happy Reading!
The Glass Case is about a young mother in a very small town following in her own mother's footsteps. Her mother had wanted more for her though. Pregnant while still in high school, she marries her high school sweetheart. Unfortunately, her mother gets sick and dies before ever getting to meet her grandchild. Years later, they truly are still in love and raising a small family in a small house in this small town. One day her Kindergartner doesn't get off the bus and her worst nightmare becomes reality. What occurs over the next few hours is what parents fear most. It is a very emotional, well written short story that brought me to tears but leaves the reader with hope. Well done, Ms. Hannah, as usual.
Happy Reading!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Jeaniene Frost Vampire Huntress Series & Spin Offs
I have spent the last several weeks consuming every book published in the Vampire Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost as well as the novellas and spin offs from that series. I followed the reading order posted on her website (http://jeanienefrost.com/reading-order/). These novels include from the Night Huntress series: Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave's End, Destined for an Early Grave, This Side of the Grave, and One Grave at a Time. The ebook novellas include: Devil to Pay, Magic Graves, and Home for the Holidays. She has completed two stand alone books that take place in the Night Huntress world: First Drop of Crimson and Eternal Kiss of Darkness. She has also started another series with one of the supporting characters from the original series. This spin off series is called the Night Prince series and so far one book has been released: Once Burned. The second book in this series, Twice Tempted, is due out at the end of March 2013.
The Vampire Huntress series is about a half vampire, half human named Cat who has made it her life's goal to kill as many vampires as she can because she believes them all to be evil monsters. But when she meets Bones, a vampire with a moral code, she realizes that no all vampires are out to kill humans. The two of them team up to take out the most wicked of the undead; the ones who don't follow the rules. Along the way, she meets a host of other undead creatures the likes of which she never knew existed and learns that there is a secret government agency that is charged with the task of monitoring the activity of such creatures and acting to take out those that become threats.
This series is fun, dark, twisted, violent, gory and sexy. I have loved the supporting cast of vampires and ghouls, ghosts and shape shifters. I have been entertained for hours with this crew of creatures. Each book is around 300 pages and very fast reading; the novellas are more like 100 pages. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading supernatural stories, but make sure you follow the reading order on Ms. Frost's website, as the stories and character development do progress through them. As stated above her next novel comes out late this month and I cannot wait to begin reading it!
Happy Reading!
The Vampire Huntress series is about a half vampire, half human named Cat who has made it her life's goal to kill as many vampires as she can because she believes them all to be evil monsters. But when she meets Bones, a vampire with a moral code, she realizes that no all vampires are out to kill humans. The two of them team up to take out the most wicked of the undead; the ones who don't follow the rules. Along the way, she meets a host of other undead creatures the likes of which she never knew existed and learns that there is a secret government agency that is charged with the task of monitoring the activity of such creatures and acting to take out those that become threats.
This series is fun, dark, twisted, violent, gory and sexy. I have loved the supporting cast of vampires and ghouls, ghosts and shape shifters. I have been entertained for hours with this crew of creatures. Each book is around 300 pages and very fast reading; the novellas are more like 100 pages. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading supernatural stories, but make sure you follow the reading order on Ms. Frost's website, as the stories and character development do progress through them. As stated above her next novel comes out late this month and I cannot wait to begin reading it!
Happy Reading!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain is a novel by Charles Frazier, and was the latest pick "book club" pick in my tight circle of friends. It is said to be "Whitmanesque" (James Polk, The New York Times Book Review) and "as close to a masterpiece as American writing is going to come these days" (Fred Chappell, Raleigh News & Observer). I found it to be depressing and at the end of the novel I felt cheated. But maybe that is what the author intended.
This novel is a story about two main characters trying to survive in the South during the Civil War. Inman is a Confederate soldier, who does not support the cause and just wants to get back home to Cold Mountain. There he hopes to reunite with his the object of his affections, Ada. Ada is the daughter of a pastor, who was raised in a city and brought up to be a woman of society in the South. Her father moved them to the rustic, far removed Cold Mountain, where she is completely out of her element. She meets Inman and takes an interest in him, as well. After he is drafted to go to war, her father passes away leaving her to fend for herself on their plot of land with no clue how to survive on her own.
The book intertwines their journeys. Inman as he defects and tried desperately to get home; Ada as she does not really even attempt to figure out how to survive and is eventually saved by a young woman named Ruby, who teaches her how to survive on her own. The journey for Inman is perilous, it is fraught with danger and constant struggle, but he is full of goodness. He spends his journey helping strangers when needed and doing his best to repay those who help him. There is not much redeeming about Ada, she seems spoiled and weak as she allows Ruby to lead her. Regardless, because of Inman's incredible character the reader hopes that he will arrive safely and they will be reunited.
I won't give away the rest. Suffice it to say that the novel was very gloomy and violent. I felt the author used descriptive language that sets the mood to be depressing, which made the book difficult to pick up each day to read. I did really like Inman's character and also Ruby. When I finished reading the book, I was not happy with it and felt that it had been a waste of time. Upon further reflection, maybe that is just what the author intended.
I caution you to read at your own risk. I had intended to watch the movie starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, but I could not bring myself to watch it. My time is limited enough that I did not want to waste any more of it on such a depressing story.
(not so) Happy Reading!
This novel is a story about two main characters trying to survive in the South during the Civil War. Inman is a Confederate soldier, who does not support the cause and just wants to get back home to Cold Mountain. There he hopes to reunite with his the object of his affections, Ada. Ada is the daughter of a pastor, who was raised in a city and brought up to be a woman of society in the South. Her father moved them to the rustic, far removed Cold Mountain, where she is completely out of her element. She meets Inman and takes an interest in him, as well. After he is drafted to go to war, her father passes away leaving her to fend for herself on their plot of land with no clue how to survive on her own.
The book intertwines their journeys. Inman as he defects and tried desperately to get home; Ada as she does not really even attempt to figure out how to survive and is eventually saved by a young woman named Ruby, who teaches her how to survive on her own. The journey for Inman is perilous, it is fraught with danger and constant struggle, but he is full of goodness. He spends his journey helping strangers when needed and doing his best to repay those who help him. There is not much redeeming about Ada, she seems spoiled and weak as she allows Ruby to lead her. Regardless, because of Inman's incredible character the reader hopes that he will arrive safely and they will be reunited.
I won't give away the rest. Suffice it to say that the novel was very gloomy and violent. I felt the author used descriptive language that sets the mood to be depressing, which made the book difficult to pick up each day to read. I did really like Inman's character and also Ruby. When I finished reading the book, I was not happy with it and felt that it had been a waste of time. Upon further reflection, maybe that is just what the author intended.
I caution you to read at your own risk. I had intended to watch the movie starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, but I could not bring myself to watch it. My time is limited enough that I did not want to waste any more of it on such a depressing story.
(not so) Happy Reading!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The Last Noel
Michael Malone's The Last Noel is a fantastic novel. The novel is about two unlikely friends and 12 Christmases that they spend together throughout the years, beginning in 1963. It is heart warming and heart breaking, funny and emotional. The story grips you from the beginning with a tenderness that is truly felt by the reader, and has excellent character development.
Kaye & Noni are both seven years old. One is a child of privilege, living in the town's grandest home. The other is the grandson of the maid of that home. The two become fast friends one Christmas Eve and their unlikely, but deep, friendship continues across the years. They deal with their families issues, the prejudices of the small North Carolina town, other relationships that threaten to tear them apart and their own stubbornness. This story masterfully weaves through the decades by focusing on the Christmas season, as that is where their story began. As each of them grows, ages, experiences joys and sorrows, their relationship only deepens even when those outside forces do push them apart.
This is a book worth reading. It had me laughing, crying and whole-heartedly cheering for Noni & Kaye throughout their individual struggles, as well as some of the supporting characters. The deep friendship that these characters develop is something that not many of us get to experience. There are so many things to discuss in this book that I was sorry it wasn't a book club reading selection. This is the kind of book that you want your friends to read so you can talk about it. It touches on historical events, physiological and psychological issues, family dynamics, discrimination, womens' liberation, war and peace. The Last Noel is a book that will not be easily forgotten. I highly recommend it.
Happy Reading!
Kaye & Noni are both seven years old. One is a child of privilege, living in the town's grandest home. The other is the grandson of the maid of that home. The two become fast friends one Christmas Eve and their unlikely, but deep, friendship continues across the years. They deal with their families issues, the prejudices of the small North Carolina town, other relationships that threaten to tear them apart and their own stubbornness. This story masterfully weaves through the decades by focusing on the Christmas season, as that is where their story began. As each of them grows, ages, experiences joys and sorrows, their relationship only deepens even when those outside forces do push them apart.
This is a book worth reading. It had me laughing, crying and whole-heartedly cheering for Noni & Kaye throughout their individual struggles, as well as some of the supporting characters. The deep friendship that these characters develop is something that not many of us get to experience. There are so many things to discuss in this book that I was sorry it wasn't a book club reading selection. This is the kind of book that you want your friends to read so you can talk about it. It touches on historical events, physiological and psychological issues, family dynamics, discrimination, womens' liberation, war and peace. The Last Noel is a book that will not be easily forgotten. I highly recommend it.
Happy Reading!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Devil's Cradle
Devil's Cradle is the second book in the Kendall O'Dell series by Sylvia Nobel. This novel had action and lots of intrigue and conspiracy. So much, that it was a bit confusing!
Kendall O'Dell's next adventure takes her to a small mining town in southern Arizona. A friend of her brother's from Pittsburgh has just been told that she is the heir to a mining conglomerate. But she didn't even know that this was her family. Her entire life has been a lie. Kendall's brother asks her to help this young woman on her journey to AZ, and Kendall senses a good human interest story. The two set out on their adventure and it turns into something they did not expect. There are a lot of people in this mining town that don't seem to want this young girl to stake her claim. But just who has the biggest motive for wanting her father dead? And will she be next?
I was so excited to read this next installment in this series but it fell flat for me. What I loved most about the first novel was the great cast of characters from Castle Valley. Unfortunately, because this story takes place outside of Castle Valley, those characters were not in this novel very much. The story just didn't have as much flavor without them. In addition, the mystery involved was so convoluted with so many characters and potential adversaries that it got confusing. It was hard to keep everyone and their motives straight, and I found myself just wishing I could get to the end of the book to find out who the perpetrator was. There was one final issue I had with the book: I could not stand the young woman that Kendall was helping. She was wishy-washy, needy, full of mood swings and immature. This was her character because she has been sheltered and because of a medical condition. But I found her too annoying to get behind her, and therefore I didn't care as much about the outcome.
I was disappointed with this read. From what I can tell, the next novel in the series takes place back in Castle Valley so maybe it will be better. It isn't all that high on my "want to read" list now though.
Happy Reading!
Kendall O'Dell's next adventure takes her to a small mining town in southern Arizona. A friend of her brother's from Pittsburgh has just been told that she is the heir to a mining conglomerate. But she didn't even know that this was her family. Her entire life has been a lie. Kendall's brother asks her to help this young woman on her journey to AZ, and Kendall senses a good human interest story. The two set out on their adventure and it turns into something they did not expect. There are a lot of people in this mining town that don't seem to want this young girl to stake her claim. But just who has the biggest motive for wanting her father dead? And will she be next?
I was so excited to read this next installment in this series but it fell flat for me. What I loved most about the first novel was the great cast of characters from Castle Valley. Unfortunately, because this story takes place outside of Castle Valley, those characters were not in this novel very much. The story just didn't have as much flavor without them. In addition, the mystery involved was so convoluted with so many characters and potential adversaries that it got confusing. It was hard to keep everyone and their motives straight, and I found myself just wishing I could get to the end of the book to find out who the perpetrator was. There was one final issue I had with the book: I could not stand the young woman that Kendall was helping. She was wishy-washy, needy, full of mood swings and immature. This was her character because she has been sheltered and because of a medical condition. But I found her too annoying to get behind her, and therefore I didn't care as much about the outcome.
I was disappointed with this read. From what I can tell, the next novel in the series takes place back in Castle Valley so maybe it will be better. It isn't all that high on my "want to read" list now though.
Happy Reading!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Deadly Sanctuary
Deadly Sanctuary is a mystery novel by Sylvia Nobel. It is the first in her Kendall O'Dell Series. It was a fast paced, well developed novel of intrigue surrounding a conspiracy in a small town in Arizona.
Kendall O'Dell has just moved to the town of Castle Valley, AZ to help with her asthma. She has taken a job as an investigative reporter at the local paper, which is a much smaller operation than what she is used to, coming from Philadelphia. The position opened up because her predecessor disappeared. The paper's editor wants her to look into the reporter's disappearance and see if she can link his disappearance to the last story he was working on. One which he kept a secret, only saying that it would blow the lid off of the small town. But, she has to be quiet about it. Because the previous reporter's investigation included the town's sheriff, who also happens to be the financial support behind the paper and the editor's brother-in-law.
What ensues is a twisting turning ride, full of things that seem to be a dead end but somehow weave together to create an intricate plot. Throw in some quirky but lovable co-workers, a sexy rancher and a wealthy lawyer who vie for Kendall's attention and a breathtaking setting and you have a winner of a novel. This is my first experience with Sylvia Nobel and the character of Kendall O'Dell. I enjoyed the book so much that I am going to start the second in the series (Devil's Cradle) right away.
Happy Reading!
Kendall O'Dell has just moved to the town of Castle Valley, AZ to help with her asthma. She has taken a job as an investigative reporter at the local paper, which is a much smaller operation than what she is used to, coming from Philadelphia. The position opened up because her predecessor disappeared. The paper's editor wants her to look into the reporter's disappearance and see if she can link his disappearance to the last story he was working on. One which he kept a secret, only saying that it would blow the lid off of the small town. But, she has to be quiet about it. Because the previous reporter's investigation included the town's sheriff, who also happens to be the financial support behind the paper and the editor's brother-in-law.
What ensues is a twisting turning ride, full of things that seem to be a dead end but somehow weave together to create an intricate plot. Throw in some quirky but lovable co-workers, a sexy rancher and a wealthy lawyer who vie for Kendall's attention and a breathtaking setting and you have a winner of a novel. This is my first experience with Sylvia Nobel and the character of Kendall O'Dell. I enjoyed the book so much that I am going to start the second in the series (Devil's Cradle) right away.
Happy Reading!
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