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!
Monday, March 25, 2013
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!
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