Skinwalker

Today’s post is on “Skinwalker” by Faith Hunter and it is the first in the Jane Yellowrock series. It is 320 pages long and is published by ROC fantasy. The cover has Jane dressed in black leather, not showing too much skin, on her motorcycle Bista with a shotgun in her hand looking at the reader; surprisingly not too sexual. The intended reader is adult, someone who likes dark urban fantasy, and that is who should read it. There is some talk about sex, some strong language, and there is graphic violence. Under about age 16 should not read this one. The story is told from Jane/Beast’s first person point of view. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Last year Jane nearly lost her life taking down a deadly family of vampires who preyed on the helpless local populace. Now, after months of recuperation, she’s back and ready to fight again. Except this time, she’s been hired by those she’s trained to kill- Vampires.
Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind- a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires- and hunts the undead for a living. But now she’s been hired to Katherine Fonteneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.
Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission… or else the next skin she’ll need to save may be her own.

Review- The blurb is not a bad but it is not really what the story is about. To start with Skinwalker is fierce. This book is about a strong female protagonist who does not really need anyone else. There is no romance in this story. She is sexually attracted to the Cajun biker, Rick, but she is there on business and does not have the time to get involved. I liked that about her. I liked that there is no love story in this book. I like love stories, I like my characters to have something more than killing the bad guys but I do get sick of every urban fantasy heroine has to have a guy when that is not true with the male heroes of urban fantasy. The story is strong, the characters, mainly Jane and Beast are interesting and very engaging. The mystery of who, what, and the what now of Jane is something that I look forward to reading more about. Also vampires are vampires, they are bloodsucking cursed beings not good guys. They are not bad or evil but they are the not good guys in this book. I did not guess who the killer was but when his plot was laid out I was impressed with evil he was. One thing that the villain did for the story was making Jane question and learn about herself and that is impressive because we only see him about three times in the book. The play of religion is interesting the book not just for the vampires but for Jane as well. I highly recommend this book.

I give this one Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Venom

Today’s post is on “Venom” by Fiona Paul and it is the first in the Secrets of the Eternal Rose. It is 435 pages long and is published by Philomel Books. The cover has a girl in a beautiful mask looking at the reader with the word ‘In Venice, beauty can be deadly’. The intended reader is young adult and they are the only ones who are really going to enjoy this. There is some drinking and some underage drunkenness but no foul language or sex. The drinking is time appropriate because in renaissance Venice everyone drank wine or ale. It is told from third person close and only from Cass’s point of view. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Secrets can be as powerful and deadly- as poison.
Cassandra Caravello has everything that a girl could desire: elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, invitations to the best parties, and a handsome, wealthy fiancé- yet she longs for something more. Ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.
When Cass stumbles upon the body of a murdered woman- with a bloody X carved across her heart- she’s drawn into a dangerous world of secret societies, courtesans, and killers. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a poor artist with a mischievous grin… and a habit of getting into trouble. Will Cassandra find the murderer before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?
Beauty, romance, and mystery weave together in a novel that’s as seductive and stunning as Renaissance Venice itself.

Review- This book sounds really interesting and good but it is really just long. It is not badly written it just it not interesting. I had to read this for a course in my grad school so I have read it all. Cass, Falco, Luca, and even the killer is just boring. I did not guess the killer because he is only in about four scenes. He is just generic woman hating killer. Cass is not stupid but she is not brave, she is bored and I think that takes over the story. When Cass was in danger, I felt nothing about it, and maybe that is because I had no doubts that she would be fine. In fact the only character that I was worried about was her cat. I was worried that the generic crazed killer would kill her cat to scare her or to get at her. I have no plans of reading the second book which is coming out this year. Another thing I found annoying was her nickname Cass. I know that is a nickname for girls named Cassandra but everyone, even people who do not know to call her that, call her Cass. It really just annoyed me every time I read it and it is in the text a lot.

I give this one Two stars out of Five. I get nothing for this review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Very Recent History

Today’s Non-fiction post is on “Very Recent History: An entirely factual account of  a year (c. AD 2009) in a Large City” by Choire Sicha. It is 240 pages long and is published by Harper Publishing. The cover has a picture of The City looking up between the buildings to a grey sky with the title and author information in a purple rectangle in the center. There is strong language, talk about sex and sexuality but no violence in this book; 18 and up just to be safe. It is told from an odd third person close. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Choire Sicha’s brilliant, enigmatic first book is a nonfiction account that reads like a novel. A voice from the future is piecing together a record of life in a “massive” city on the eastern coast of this country and follows John, a sexually profligate reporter with a weekly newspaper, and his circle of friends as they navigate the expensive, dark world around them. It is a fable of money, sex, and politics, featuring an imperious Mayor (the richest man in town) who is campaigning for an unprecedented third term, a Blind Governor, elevated to office in the wake of a prostitution scandal, who is trying to overcome scandals of his own; and Beyoncé.
Told in Choire Sicha’s distinctive style, Very Recent History is a work of detailed reportage and an Internet-era historical pastiche that seamlessly weaves together first-person interviews and current events, presenting a surreal and sublime portrait of New York circa 2009; an island of isolation, ambition, sublimation, and attraction.

Review- This is an interesting way to tell a biography. I do not know if Sicha is in the book. He chances everyone’s names or gives them no names to protect them and himself. The story is about the life of John as he tries to live in The City when so much of America’s financial center where coming apart at the same time. Sicha gives the reader an odd shaped window into a life. The book starts at the beginning of the year and moves through the year in bits and pieces. By that I mean there is no chapter just about January but it about the winter then it moves slowly into spring and so on. It is at first not easy to red because there are so many characters that move in John’s life. The book will start a new scene with John then move to his best friend Chad and his boyfriend Diego and their relationship and then move back to John. The whole book is like that but I enjoyed it. This book is odd but it is very readable and I really enjoyed the oddness of the book. If you are looking for something a little different then try this one.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

The Selection

Today’s post is on “The Selection” by Kiera Cass. It is 327 pages long and is published by Harperteen. The cover has a girl, with red hair, looking at the reader with half her face covered by her arm, she is dressed in a lovely, puffy blue gown, with other girls around her dressed the same. The intended reader is young adult but I think that most grown women could enjoy this one. There is no sex, just some kissing, no language, and no gore; some action but little violence. If you are over the age of 14 to 15 you should be just fine. It is told from first person point of view by America. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review- I expected to enjoy this book but not as much as I did. It was fun to read, America was an interesting main character, and I want to know where Cass is going with it. I liked that America was honest with herself and those around her. She does not  want to be there and she tells the prince so but she is willing to be there for her family. Every week she is part of The Selection her family gets money and they need money badly. The world is not as dark as The Hunger Games but it is in a similar vein; so if you love THG then you need to try this one. But not as dark I mean that America is not a lower class like Katniss is/was. She is a musician and in her world that makes her a Five. All the people are broken into castes with Ones and royalty at the top all the way down to Eights at the bottom who are homeless. Normally I am all about the first person that the main character loves, loyalty and all that but not this time. I like the prince better, he is kind, he wants to be both a good man and a good king, and he is willing to prove it. Her first love Aspen is a dick in general and I think that he was/is manipulative.  So I am hoping America needs up with him but I do not know where that part of the story is going to go. I know that she is going to help make the lives of her people better just because she is now in a place of power and America is not going to waste it. She is a nice change from the usual YA heroine.

I give this one Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Darkest Minds

Today’s post is on "The Darkest Minds” by Alexandra Bracken. It is 488 pages long and is published by Hyperion. The cover is black with an orange symbol like a trident on it, the trident and the title are the same color. The intended reader is young adult but anyone who read X-Men comics, likes dark dystopian stories, or just very well written books should enjoy this if not love it. There is no sex, some language, and little gore but nothing really to scare the more delicate minds. It is told from first person point of view of Ruby. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Review- Like so many of my recent posts I had to read this one for grad school but I truly enjoyed this book. It is well written, has interesting characters, and the story is just good. The plot does more things than just more the story along .But I have only have one, just one,  minor complaint about the main character Ruby and that is when she is rescued from the camp she keeps one tracker on her. I knew it was a plot device from the beginning but I was and am willing to overlook it. That is the only problem I had with the book. I loved everything else. I grew up reading comic books, watching odd shows, and reading even odder things; so this book was a perfect fit for me. Ruby is interesting, sympathetic, and engaging. The side characters were enhanced the story, the mystery of what is really going on is still there but the ending is in a good place. I like how Ruby does not give into either the darkness around her or her own weakness. I say weakness because she does not feel that she really has anything to give anyone and she does not know to help herself or others around her. But she does let that stop her from doing everything she can even if that is perhaps questionable. I look forward to the next book with anticipation.

I give this one Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Curse of the Thireenth Fey

Today’s post is on "Curse of the Thirteenth Fey” by Jane Yolen. It is 290 pages long and is published by Philomel Books. The cover is a close up of a pretty young girl asleep on the green grass. The intended reader is older children and young adult. There is no language, no sex, and the action is age appropriate. It is told from the first person point of view of the main character Gorse. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Gorse is the thirteenth and youngest of the Shouting Fey, a family of faeries who are tied to the evil king’s land and made to do his Bidding. Because of an oath the first Shouters made to the king’s great-great-ever-so-many-times-great-grandfather, if they try to leave or disobey any member of the royal family, they will burst into a thousand stars.
When the accident-prone Gorse falls ill just as the family is Bid to bless the king’s new baby daughter, a story like- and unlike- Sleeping Beauty starts to unfold.
Sick as she is, thirteen-year-old Gorse wakes out of her fever and races to the castle with the last piece of magick the family has left for her- a spindle with a piece of the Thread of Life with which to bless the baby.
But that is when accident, mayhem, and magick combine to make Gorse’s story veer into the unthinkable, threatening the baby, the Shouters, the kingdom, and all.
With her trademark depth, grace, and humor, master storyteller Jane Yolen weaves a tale of magick that tells readers the “true” story of the faerie who cursed the princess and the sleeping spell that just might end them all.

Review- This story is good but it does not become Sleeping Beauty until the last 40 pages. But the story is fun, lighthearted, and has a happily ever after. Yolen is a good storyteller and she does not fail again. It is marketed to young adult but I do not think that is a young adult novel. The story is good but I think that children will like it better. The characters are fun but I think that a teenager would not enjoy them because there is no darkness in this story. There is a villain and he is really bad but there is no real danger to Gorse or her family. I believed that everything would work out in the end and I was right. That is not a bad thing but most young adults want there to be some suspense about it. In the end this is a fun story about a 13-year-old fairy who accidentally curses Sleeping Beauty at the end of the story. It is more about how Gorse is going to help save her life from the Bidding and stop the bad guy from getting out of his prison.

I give this one Four out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

False Covenant

Today’s post is on “False Convenant” by Ari Marmell. It is the second in the Widdershins Adventures. It is 280 pages long and is published by Pyr Books. The cover has Widdershins leaning against a white wall, she is the only color with her dark leathers and her lovely red hair. The intended reader is Young Adult but if you enjoyed the first one this is not a disappointing second novel. There is no language, no sexuality in this book but there is graphic violence and the villain is pretty creepy. So parents be warned. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A creature of the other world, an unnatural entity bent on chaos and carnage, has come to stalk the nighttime streets of the Galicien city of Davillion. There’s never a good time for murder and panic, but for a community already in the midst of its own inner turmoil, this couldn’t possibly have come at a worst one.
Not for Davillion, and not for a young thief who calls herself Widdershins.
It’s been over half a year since the brutal murder of Archbishop William de Laurent during this pilgrimage to Davillion. And in all that time, Widdershins has truly tried her best. She has tried to take care of Genevieve’s tavern and tried to make a semihonest living in a city slowly stagnating under the weight of an angry and disapproving Church. She has tried to keep out of trouble, away from the attentions of the Davillion Guard and above the secrets and schemes of the city’s new bishop.
But she’s in way over her head, with no idea which way to turn. The Guard doesn’t trust her. The Church doesn’t trust her. Her own Thieves’ Guild doesn’t trust her.
Too bad for everyone, then, that she and her personal god, Olgun, maybe their only real weapon against a new evil like nothing the has even seen.

Review- This is a brilliant second volume. The characters grow, interact, and then grow more. The plot is engaging, the villain is creepy, and the ending is tragic but leaves you wanting more. One warning- The opening is a little slow but if you can stick with it the rest of the book just flies by. The villain is a good one, he is magical, he eats people, and he rhymes. When he eats people, it is like the movie The Mummy where the villain just sucks the life out of people, only instead of hearing the sand and screams, you really feel it. Marmell gives us the picture with sound effects. I was like 'gross' when I read it but then I was impressed that he could get that out of me. Widdershins is still funny, clever, and very likeable but with the ending she has more sorrow and I am curious about where she is going after all this. I look forward to reading more whenever they come out. I want to own these novels; they just are that good.

I give this one Five out Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Do Cool Sh*t

Today’s Non-Fiction post is on “Do Cool Sh*t” by Miki Agrawal. It is 223 pages and is published by Harper Business. The cover is black with the title in orange, blue and red. The intended reader is someone who wants to open their own business and is seeking advice. There is no sex, no violence, but there is some language. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A hip, young, and successful entrepreneur shows you how to start your own business with limited time, a small budget, and no experience- and still have a life.
Miki Agrawal opened Slice Perfect, her farm-to-table pizzeria in New York City, with zero experience and no capital. Since then she has watched her business grow exponentially, including a partnership with Zappos.com founder and bestselling author Tiny Hsieh, with whom she is opening her dream restaurant, Slice: Las Vegas. She’s also become an angel investor for other promising start-ups.
In Do Cool Sh*t, she shares her own adventures in entrepreneurship, offering solid, easy-to-follow advice that aspiring entrepreneurs can use to start their own business, fund it on a shoestring budget, convene the perfect group to brainstorm a business plan, test a product to assess market share, get great media coverage, and more- and still have a life.
Miki pulls back the curtain of how you can out loud, honor your hunches, and leave nothing on the table. Whether you’re a new college graduate with big aspirations, an experience professional looking for new opportunities, or in a dead-end job dreaming about your own business, Do Cool Sh*t will make you open your eyes, laugh out loud, and believe “I can do that!”

Review- Agrawal has passion for her business and does believe that she has something new to give in the business world but she does not. It is not a bad book but Agrawal just does not give the reader anything new. In fact I was bored while reading this book. She starts the chapters in the same way with a partial story that she never returns to; she tells the reader how she resolved the problem but she never goes back to that moment again. After the first time I wanted to see her do something new but she never did. Then she goes into dating and exercise advice. My problem with that is she is an entrepreneur not a matchmaker or a personal trainer. That part of the book annoyed me so much that it lowered my rating for this book by a star. Agrawal never thinks that what worked for her may not work for someone else. She never says that and she never gives advice about where to look if her style does not work for you. I appreciate her drive, her passion, and the fact that she has been successful but Agrawal never looks outside of her own success to think about how it might not work for others.

I give this book a Two out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

What Came from the Stars

Today’s post is on “What came from the stars” by Gary D. Schmidt. It is 294 pages long including a dictionary at the back for the alien words. The cover has a house with one window lit up with a boy’s shadow in it and a beautiful night with the necklace streaking down to him. The intended reader is children’s but it is a wonderful story so anyone can read and enjoy it. It is told in third person close when with Tommy and third person god when on Valorim. There is no language, no sex. There are fantasy sword fights between the bad guys and the good kids but nothing too intense. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The peaceful civilization of Valorim in under siege… It’s about to fall to the dark Lord Mondus. In a panic, a few heroes bind all their world’s beauty into one precious necklace and send it across the cosmos, hurtling past a trillion lighted stars… all the way into the lunch box of sixth-grader Tommy Pepper of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Tommy puts it on, and soon he starts doodling pictures of the twin suns of Valorim and hearing strange music. But at first, he is too preoccupied to notice; his mother died recently, his sister isn’t speaking, and his father is fighting a real-estate agency to keep their home. But when strange minions of Lord Mondus begin ransacking Plymouth, Tommy realizes he must protect his family from villains more dangerous than a vengeful realtor and her bus-stop-bully daughter. Gary D. Schmidt masterfully presents the epic story of a family trying to redefine itself in the wake of tragedy.

Review- This is a good, well written story. Tommy and family go from just making it back to living again from the death of their mother. It is told in two ways; there is Tommy on earth dealing his grief, his family, and then the villains; and Valorim where there is still fighting for freedom. Tommy is a likable character who learns to forgive himself as he blames himself for his mother’s death. It is not as moving as ‘A Monster comes calling’ but it is still a satisfying read and conclusion. His sister Patty has not spoken in almost a year but at the end of the novel she is humming with him as his father paints again. One thing that I found very interesting is the how scary the villains are. The main villain Lord Mondus destroyed from Valorim by using their servants, when they swear loyalty to him, he stole their faces. They are basically the muscle for the dark lord and they only have mouths. Long arms, legs, weapons, and open toothy mouths; have that vision for a moment because it creeped me out. But they are saved by Tommy and one of the aliens so they do not stay that way. There is so much about this story that I liked; I cannot give it all in this review. If you are looking for a heart-warming story about a family learning to be a family again after a loss then this is the one for you.

I give this one Five out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Five Little Pigs

Today’s post is on “Five Little Pigs” by Agatha Christie also called Murder in Retrospect. It is the 24th Hercule Poirot novel, it is 240 pages long, and is published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. The cover has a hand with a paint brush in it and fades into a bright orange. The intended reader is someone who loves mysteries but this, like all Christie novels, is so well written that anyone who reads it will have a good time. There is no language, nothing illicit in this but there is talk of affair(s) by the murder victim and the murderer is very, very cold. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- It was an open and shut case. All the evidence said Caroline Crale poisoned her philandering husband, a brilliant painter. She was quickly and easily convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Now, sixteen years later, in a posthumous letter, Mrs. Crale has assured her grown daughter that she was innocent. But instead of setting the young woman’s mind at ease, the letter only raises disquieting questions. Did Caroline indeed write the truth? And if she didn’t kill her husband, who did?
To find out, the Crale’s daughter asks Hercule Poirot to reopen the case. His investigation takes him deep into the conflicting memories and motivations of the five other people who were with the Crales on that fatal day. With his keen understanding of human psychology, he manages to discover the surprising truth behind the artist’s death.

Review- This is my favorite Poirot novel and one of the best by Christie; in my opinion. The mystery is being told to both Poirot and the reader backwards. Poirot is hired sixteen years after the murders, I say murders because Caroline Crale dies in jail because of the real murderer, and how it fits together is just chilling. When I read the final chapter and Poirot unveils the killer and their reasoning I got cold chills. One of the things that I love about Christie is that I do not have sympathy with her murderers and this one is no exception. The murderer is one of the most cold blooded killers I have ever read about. The writing is, of course, is superior to so many both in her time and in ours. The characters have layers upon layers that has the novel moves towards it conclusion they just become more and more complex. Everyone one of them has reasons for wanting Mr. Crale dead and Poirot is the only man who could uncover not only who but why he was murdered. Poirot himself does not have any character development but he is more like the reader than an active part of the cast in the story. Poirot is being told things and unless he has a question there is no interruption in the flow of the narrative. Only Agatha Christie could think of a story like this; much less write successfully. Pick this one up for a engrossing mystery and watch her do some of her best work.

I give this one Five out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Today’s post is on “The Girl of Fire and Thorns" by Rae Carson. It is the first in a trilogy and is published by Greenwillow Books. It is 423 pages longs. The cover is very pretty with dark plants reaching towards a circle in the bottom half of the book and that is the godstone that the main character has in her naval. There is no language or sex in this novel but there is violence and some of it happens in front of the main character. Nothing too intense but something to be aware of. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

Review- This book is told from the first person point of view of Elisa. This book has an interesting Spanish favor with Spanish names for people and places; that was something fun about it. This is book unusual and I cannot tell you why. Not because it will give some great plot point away but because I just cannot put my finger on why. It is well written but I do not know if I am going to read the next one. Carson leaves the ending in a good place, by that I mean, it does not have a cliff hanger ending. This book was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award for debut novels and Carson is a good writer but I just cannot say what about it just does not hook me. The only thing that I can think of is that the characters just did not get me to care about them. I really do not care if they live or die and that is something nice for this book has a pretty high death toll. Two of the other main characters die in front of Elisa and it is not pretty either time. One thing I do like is the lack of romance. That is something that most YA novels are pushing at this time but not this one. Elisa is married but she does not love or even know her husband. The rebel who kidnaps her, I think was to be her love interest, but I was never interested in their interactions and then he is murdered in front of her by one of the villains. So I read this as more of an action story than anything else.

I give this one Three out Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.