A Natural History of Dragons: A memoir by Lady Trent

Today's post is on A Natural History of Dragons: A memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan. It is 334 pages long and is published by TOR. The cover is white with a dragon it with the different parts labeled like for a science book. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy, historical fictional, and dragons. There is no sex, mild language, and violence in this book. The story is told from the perspective of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, knows Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she become the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Review- How can I express how good this book is. It is very well written, the character's are all interesting with Isabella being most, the plot is good, the dialog is very real. The only thing I wanted that I did not get from this book was more. I do not want to wait for the next book, which I have already bought. The style is fun, as it is written not just a memoir but a tell-all about herself and those around her. I like books written in this style. Isabella is a very sympathetic character. The time period that this is to be like is the Victorian age, so Isabella feels the limits of what she is supposed to do. But she does not let that stop her. I look forward to reading more by Brennan and more about Isabella.

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

Among the Janeites: A Journey through the World of Jane Austen Fandom

Today's post is on Among the Janeites: A journey through the world of Jane Austen Fandom by Deborah Yaffe. It is 241 pages long including notes and is published by Mariner Books. The cover is yellow with a young woman on a horse jumping on it. The intended reader is someone who is a Janeite or just interested in the Janeite world. There is no sex, no violence , and no language in this book. The story is told from the first person perspective of the writer. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- They walk among us in their bonnets and Empire-waist gowns, clutching their souvenir tote bags and battered paperbacks: the Janeites, Jane Austen's legion of devoted fans. Who are these obsessed admirers, whose passion has transformed Austen from classic novelist to pop-culture phenomenon? Deborah Yaffe, journalist and Janeite, sets out to answer this question, exploring the remarkable endurance of Austen's stories, the unusual zeal that their author inspires, and the striking cross-section of lives she has touched.
Along the way, Yaffe meets a Florida lawyer with a byzantine theory about hidden subtexts in the novels, a writer of Austen fan fiction who found her own Mr. Darcy while reimagining Pride and Prejudice, and a lit professor whose rollier-derby nom de skate is Stone Cold Jane Austen. Yaffe goes where Janeites gather, joining a pilgrimage to historic sites in Britain, chatting online with fellow fans, and attending the annual ball of the Jane Austen Society of North American- in period costume. Part chronicle of a vibrant literary community, part memoir of a lifelong love, Among the Janeites is a funny, touching meditation on the nature of fandom.

Review- As a Janeite is was fun to read about other people, kind of, like me. This is a fun book with lots going on. Yaffe talks about Austen both in her time and what she has become in ours. It is interesting to read about all the different kinds of people that love Austen from professors to lawyer to housewives and they all get something different out of her. It made me think about one of my favorite authors in a new way and that is always good. I think that some of the people we meet are a little odd even for me but I liked learning about how Austen touched their lives and made them better. It is also interesting to read about the way fanfiction works in this scene. I remember when I saw some of the books talked about, I did not know that they started out as just fanfiction but I do not know why I surprised by this. I guess Austen has always just been so important to me that of course people would want to read more about the characters.

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

XXXHolic volume 8

Today's post is on XXXHolic volume 8 by CLAMP. It is the eighth in the series, so you need to have read the first seven to understand the story. It is 176 pages long and is published by DEL REY. The cover has Yuko on it looking very pretty and wrapping around to Watanuki on the back. The intended reader is someone who likes Japanese mythology, ghost stories, and very pretty pictures. The story is told from Watanuki's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kimihiro Watanuki's after-school job working for the mysterious aitch Yuko Ishikawa has taken a dangerous turn. A recent assignment cost Kimihiro his right eye to a spider with a grudge. Now the missing eye has become the latest must-have item n the spirit world. Even the Zashiki-Warashi, the pretty spirit who has a crush on on Kimihiro, has become entangled in the mess... and she's being held captive by an unknown evil! Can Kimihiro save bot the girl and his eye- without getting himself killed by beings more powerful than he can imagine?

Review- More world and character development for this volume. The world building is more about the spiritual world that Watanuki partly lives in and the character development is about him, hopefully, learning that he matters. Yuko is getting annoyed with Watanuki about that. He believes that his life does not matter so nothing that happens to him matters. The Shinto belief of all things are connected is very present in this volume and of course in this whole manga. Domeki finds a way to make things better but I am curious to see how he solution will play out. We still have some plot points without any idea about where they are going like what the wing-things were or why Himawari is really bad luck for Watanuki but all in all a very good volume.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money years ago.

Whisper the Dead

Today’s post is on Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey. It is the second in her The Lovegrove Legacy.  It is 397 pages long and is published by Bloomsbury. The cover has one of the main character’s one it breathing out of the title. The intended reader is young adult but this is very well written regency era so if you like that time period try this series. There is no sex, mild language, and some violence in this book.  There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Gretchen Thorn is a whisperer, which means she often feels like her head is going to explode. The constant whispers of witches’ spells in her ears may help her to know when one of her own spells is going wrong, but the incessant buzzing and pain it causes hardly seem worth the trouble. And being a debutant is not any more pleasant, as she’s forced to act like a proper lady, donning ball gowns and having good manners, when she much prefers wearing trousers and speaking her mind.

But when something evil once again begins to menace Mayfair, Gretchen must find a way to master her gifts. Along with her cousins, Emma and Penelope; a madcap named Moira; and the icy yet irresistible Tobias Lawless, Gretchen will face deadly threats and unimaginable loss in the hopes of preventing a terrible power from rising again.

Review- The second in this series is just as good as the first. We follow Gretchen mostly in this book. She handles her new magical powers pretty well I think. We get more world building, character development, and more bad guys. One of the bad guys does not get explained and I want to know why he would do what he does in the book. If the main bad guy is magically controlling him, I would have liked to know that. That is my only complaint about the plot. Everything else is fun, witty, and good writing.  The cliffhanger is good and did not irritate me. I even liked the new love interest. I do want him and Gretchen to work together and have a happily ever after. Pretty unusual for me.

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

A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance In Occupied France

Today's post is on A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance n Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead. It is 374 pages long includes notes and index and is it published by HarperCollins. The cover is a black and white picture of people standing in a train station. The intended reader is someone who is interested in history, world war 2 and women. There is some language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person with first interjected. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- They were teachers, students, chemists, writers, and housewives; a singer at the Paris Opera, a mid-wife, a dental surgeon. They distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, printed subversive newspapers, hid resisters, secreted Jews to safety, transported weapons, and conveyed clandestine messages. The youngest was a schoolgirl of fifteen who scrawled “V” for victory on the walls of lycee; the eldest, a farmer's wife in her sixties who harbored escaped Allied airmen. Strangers to each others, hailing from villages and cities from across France, these brave women were united in hatred and defiance of the Nazi occupiers.
Eventually, the Gestapo hunted down 230 of these women and imprisoned them in a fort outside of Paris. Separated from home and loved ones, these disparate individuals turned to one another, their common experience conquering divisions of age, education, profession, and class, as they found solace and strength in their deep affection and camaraderie.
In January 1943, they were send to their final destination: Auschwitz. Only Forty-nine would return to France.A Train in Winter draws on interviews with these woman and their families; German, French, and Polish archives; and documents held by World War II resistance organizations to uncover a dark chapter of history that offers an inspiring portrait of ordinary people, of bravery and survival- and of the remarkable, enduring power of female friendship.

Review- This is a moving and incredibly difficult book to read. The acts done to this women, what they survived, and what they refused to do to others. I have been reading a lot of WWII books lately so this is going to be a last one for a while(or so I thought but not the case). Moorehead again does great research, she handles the topic with care but she does not shy away from the hard facts. Moorehead gives an index of the women at the back of the book with their lives in brief; I liked that because you met 230 women over the course of this book and so many had children or other family and so many die without ever seeing them again. The pictures in this book help to give faces to the names but there is one picture that disgusted me. It is a smiling happy picture of the guards at Auschwitz. They look so happy and healthy. It made my blood run cold and disgusted me. To see the people who beat, starved, and tortured thousands of people being so happy; it was and is disgusting. But this is a very inspiring story in the end because they were never broken. They were hungry, thirsty, naked, and mistreated but they were never broken.

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

XXXHolic volume 7

Today's post is on XXXHolic volume 7 by CLAMP. It is 176 pages long and is published by Del Rey. As it is the seventh in the long series you need to have read the first six to understand the story. The cover has Yuko on the front and Watanuki on the back looking cool. The intended reader is someone who likes mythology, ghost stories, and great art. There is no sex, no language, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from Watanuki's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kimihiro Watanuki has a wish on layway with Yuko Ishikawa, the sultry time-space witch who can grant anyone's deepest desire... for a price! Still, working like a slave in Yuko's shop hasn't dampened Kimihiro's enthusiasm for his cute classmate Himawari-chan, nor his irritation with his too-cool rival Domeki, the guy who always seems to be around during Kimihiro's most embarrassing moments.
But when Domeki, trying to be a good Samaritan, inadvertently becomes the object of a terrible grudge, Kimihiro seeks Yuko's help. However, the cost for her assistance is steep: Kimihiro's would be permanently impaired! Is such a sacrifice worth it for someone he would rather have disappear?

 

Review- More world building and Shintoism. All beings have spiritual power and affect each other. So Domeki runs into trouble and Watanuki, who feels that he owes him, makes it go away. But then that causes trouble with Domeki, who did not want Watanuki to help. Of course we see more that Himawari is bad news for Watanuki but still do not know why and Watanuki himself still does not see it.  But the real theme that is still being explored is that Watanuki does not value himself. Because he cannot see his own self-worth it affects how he sees himself with others. He does not understand why Domeki cares about him or why others would sacrifice for him. The art of course is just beautiful and is as important to the story as the plot. The art gives so much character to the story both in development and to enriching it. Good stuff all around.

 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Ink and Bone

Today's post is on Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. It is the first in her Great Library series. It is 368 pages long and is published by New American Library. It cover is like a tapestry with a red-orange city of bottom and the sky above. The intended reader is young adult, likes fantasy, and good writing. There is no sex, some language, and violence in this book. The story is told from the third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly- but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family's spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of training to enter the Library's service.
When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe knowledge is more valuable than any human life- and soon both heretics and books will burn...

Review- This was a very good book with some flaws. The story and the world itself are interesting but the blurb on the back would make you think that it is all about the invention but that does not come into play until the last fourth of the book. You see it coming because of notes between chapters but really does not matter to that overall story. The weak points are the villains. The Library itself and their teacher. I call their teacher a villain because of the way that he treats Jess. I do not really understand what he thinks he is doing but he is being a plot piece.  I know that his reasons with be revealed but really he was just too much. The Library is a shadow in the background without any reason but control and destroy. Maybe I am asking too much of a first novel in a new series but I really wanted more from the villains. That said I will be reading the next one but good job Caine.

 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I was given this book by Ace/Roc publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries

Today's post is on The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson. It is 244 pages long including notes and it published by HarperCollins. The cover is tan with a raven in the center and the title from top to bottom. The intended reader is someone who is interested in history, different lifestyles, and good writing. The story is told from the first person of the author as she explores this world. There is no sex, no violence, and some mild language in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The New York Times comes each morning and never fails to deliver news of the important dead. Every day is new; every day is fraught with significance. I can arrange my cup of tea, prop up my slippers. Obituaries are history as it is happening. Whose time am I living in? Was he a success or a failure, lucky or doomed, older than I am or younger? Did she know how to live? I shake out the pages. Tell me the secret of a good life!
Where else can you celebrate the life of the pharmacist who moonlighted as a spy, the genius behind Sea Monkeys, the school lunch lady who spent her evenings as a ballroom hostess? No wonder so many readers skip the news and the sports and go directly to the obituary page. The Dead Beat is the story of how these stories get told. Enthralled by the fascinating loves that were matching out of this world, Marilyn Johnson tumbled into the obits page to find out what made it so lively. She sought out the best obits in the English language and chased the people who spent their lives writing about the dead. Surveying the darkest corners of the Internet chat rooms, surviving a mass gathering of obituarists, and making a pilgrimage to London to savor the most caustic and literate obits of all, Marilyn Johnson leads us into the cult and culture behind the obituary page. The result is a rare combination of scrapbook and compelling read, a trip through recent history and the unusual lives we don't quite appreciate until they're gone.

Review- This book was a wonderful break from all the War World 2 stuff I have been reading lately. It is funny, touching, and gets into what we humans are really like, morbid. Johnson really gets into the history of obits, the current standards for them, and what in recent years has changed about them. She goes to a convention for obit writers and travels the world to meet the most famous ones living. I had so much fun with this book and I got to be morbid at the same time as learning something new. Very full of win. One note about the physical book itself, it is long and thing like obituaries in the newspaper really are. I like that touch; making the book like what it is written about.

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

XXXHolic volume 6

Today's post is on XXXHolic volume 6 by CLAMP. It is the sixth in the series, so you need to have read the first five to understand the story. It is 174 pages long and is published by DEL REY. The cover has Yuko on it looking very pretty and wrapping around to Watanuki on the back. The intended reader is someone who likes Japanese mythology, ghost stories, and very pretty pictures. The story is told from Watanuki's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kimihiro Watanuki takes a welcome break from his grueling service to the time-space witch, Yuko Ishihara, only to find himself mixed up in the strangest parade of the Japanese magical world. But a slipup reveals that Kimihiro is a powerless human! How can he survive the festival without being eaten by its dangerous participants?
Then Kimihiro meets a woman grieving for her lost son. Since Kimihiro is an orphan, the two form an immediate bond. But what will Kimihiro do when he realizes that his wonderful new friendship may very well kill him?

Review- This volume is really good but really sad. The first story is about the spirit world and Domeki gets to see what Watanuki sees. It is really fun. They are on an unknowing mission from Yuko but get to see some beautiful things. Also some development between Yuko and Domeki. He guesses that she does not want him to come into her shop and what that could mean. In the second story Watanuki makes friends with something, we never discover what she was, and it is really sad. Domeki has to make a choice and that hurts Watanuki but saves his life. It was really sad, seeing Watanuki meet someone who understands how lonely he really is. She does not want to kill him but she cannot help it. It was touching to watch them interact and to see Watanuki stop fighting with Domeki.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money many years ago.

Stitching Snow

Today's post is on Stitching Snow by R. C. Lewis. It is 328 pages long and is published by Hyperion. It is a stand alone book. The cover is white with a red apple that looks like it is made of circuits. The intended reader is young adult. There is no sex, some mild language, and violence in this book. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet, once known for lush landscapes, is now filled with violence, fear, and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his new wife as they attempt to punish the princess's captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back- but that's assuming she wants to return at all.
Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mine.
When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

Review- This is a strong debut by the author. The plot, characters, and setting are good. The seven loyal drones are not really important to the story, only one is. Essie is an interesting way to change Snow White. But I did not like the hero. He did not really do anything to make me dislike me but I did not want Essie to fall in love with him. I wanted her to remain strong and face her enemies without a man or boy in this case. He was little high-handed and he changed his mind about things too much. I think that I would have liked him better if he had stuck to something over the course of the book. If Dane was not in the book I would have liked it better. Have it be Essie and her drones working to stop the evil king and queen. She survived on her own for years, survived fights and attacks. Essie is more than enough to carry this story herself.

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

Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories

Today's post is on Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie. It is 867 pages long and published by William Morrow. The cover is tan with the author's name in dark red and the title in black. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries, very good writing, and a very particular Belgian detective. There is no sex, no language and only mild violence in this book. The stories are told from many different perspectives from Poirot himself to a victim of blackmail. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- At last, a single volume that gathers together all of the short stories featuring Agatha Christie's most famous creation: Hercule Poirot. The dapper, mustache-twirling little Belgian with the egg-shaped head and curious mannerism has solved some of the most puzzling crimes of the century- and, in his own humble opinion, is “probably the greatest detective in the world.”
In this compete collection of stories, ranging from short tales to novellas, Poirot faces violent murders, poisonings, kidnappings, and thefts- all solved with his characteristic panache. Only Agatha Christie could have devised cases worthy of Hercule Poirot's skill and “little gray cells.”

Review- Wonderful collection, wonderful writing, and of course the reader gets to spend time with M. Poirot. Christie is one of the greatest writer's of the last century and her talent is on show in this collection. M. Poirot solves everything from blackmail to murder. What helps to keep the stories from just blending into each other is that she changes perspective from one story to the next. Sometimes M. Poirot does not even come into the story until it is almost done. Luckily Ms. Christie is a good enough author that she can pull this off. My favorite is Wasps' Nest where Poirot stops both a murder and a suicide. He saves a man's soul. If you have never read M. Poirot this could be a good place to start but as with everything that I have read from Christie, you can just pick it up and go from there.

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

XXXHolic volume 5

Today's post is on XXXHolic volume 5 by CLAMP. As it is the fifth in the long series you need to have read the first one to understand the story. It is 176 pages long and is published by DEL REY. The cover is beautiful and has Yuko on it with Watanuki on the back. The intended reader is someone who likes mythology, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. There is no sex, some mild language, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from Watanuki's perspective only. There Be Spoilers Ahead

From the back of the book- Kimihiro Watanuki is the indentured servant of Yuko, the beautiful but completely unpredictable Space-Time Witch. He must work at her bizarre wish-granting shop until he can pay off his own wish: to be free of the spirits that haunt him. Yuko's latest customer is a rain spirit who wants Kimihiro dispatched on a rescue mission. Little does Kimihiro know that this mission will take him to death's door!
And that's not his only problem: A cute spirit has given him a Valentine's Day present, which means he's obligated by Japanese Culture to return the favor. What do you get a girl who may not even exist in this world?

Review- This volume is fun, in my opinion. Lots of mythology and Japanese culture going on. White Day is when boys return gifts for the chocolates that they got on Valentine's day. So Watanuki is getting pressure about that from Yuko and the spirits that come to see him. The first story could be seen as a little scary but once you discover what is really only on it is just sad. But the volume ends with a cliff hanger. Watanuki has been seeing strange wings on people and Yuko knows what those mean but she gets him out of the way. I cannot remember what is really going on with them so I'm looking forward to rereading it.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

Today's post is on The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie. It is the ninth in her Miss Marple series but you do not have to read them in order to understand the story or the characters. The cover is broken mirror with the title in the center of the crack. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries, well written books, and interesting main characters. There is no sex, no language, and no violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main characters moving from one to another over the course of the book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- What was it that Marina Gregg, the famous film actress, saw just before a murder was committed in her house? What or who caused her expression to change so violently that one observer called it “a look of doom”?
A few minutes later a body lay dead in Marina's large house- the second time a victim of willful murder has been discovered there.

Review- Another brilliant Christie mystery. The why of the murder is not as cold-blooded as they normally are but it cold enough. One interesting thing about this novel is that Miss Marple is mostly house bound in it. She is getting over being very sick and has people taking care of her. So most of the information she is getting is second or third hand. In the end she goes to confront the killer herself but other than that she is outside looking in. I had no idea who the killer was until the revealing so it was surprising and the killer's reasoning was pitiful. This killer is one of the few who I really pitied. Because what drove the killer in life and to commit murder was very sad but it costs the killer so much in the end. Interesting look on blaming or hating others in the end just kills yourself.

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