Glory in Death

Today’s post is on Glory in Death by J.D. Robb. It is the second in her In Death series. It is 320 pages long and is published by Berkley. As it is the second in the series you need to have read the first one to understand the characters and the world. The cover is purple with handcuffs and a mansion in the background. The intended reader is someone who has read the first one, likes light science fiction and mystery stories. There is mild foul language, sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It is 2058, New York City. In a world where technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion-in the heart.

Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second is murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects -- including her own lover, Roarke.

Review- A solid second novel in this series with some problems. In this novel we get more character development and relationship building. I wish that Roarke had not been on the suspect list for a second time, it felt contrived and it caused needless drama in the story. While I think that Eve and Roarke are good for each other, he did annoy me so much in this novel. His lack empathy to Eve’s emotional baggage was very trying for me to read. He wants more, I understand that, but Eve cannot give him what she does not have and him pushing her did not endear him to me. I wanted Eve to walk out on him and find herself and I was disappointed that she did not do that. But the murder was interesting and that is what this series should really be about. I did not guess the killer until the very end and I enjoyed the twists and turns as the mystery was discovered.

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

Claymore volume 10: The Battle of the North

Today's post is on Claymore volume 10: The Battle of the North by Norihiro Yagi. It is the tenth the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first nine volumes to understand the story. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare with her sword drawn in a snowy scene. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

Review- Clare and a group of Claymores are sent to the north to battle a group of Yoma that have banded together under the command of Isley, a powerful Awakened Being. When the warriors arrive, they find their new enemies to be unusually dangerous. They are incredibly strong, well organized, and seem to have a plan to dominate the entire region. Will the Claymores be able to stop this monstrous army? 

Review- The volume starts with the action getting started and Yoma attack the city before anyone can truly prepare anyway. The Claymores do hold the Yoma back with no losses but we get some character development from the new Claymores. Clare does get outed as more powerful than her number but the leader does not push the matter.  We do see Raki in this volume and he with the bad guys, unknowingly. Priscilla is heading towards Clare but something has changed in Priscilla, she is just a child again and she does not speak much. But the volume ends with twenty-four Yoma heading towards them and another big battle for the next 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.

Magic Steals

Today’s post is on Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews. It is 83 pages long and is published by InterMix. It is 6.5 in the Kate Daniels series. The cover is dark with the main character in both her forms on it. The intended reader is someone who has read up the sixth book in series, likes urban fantasy, and fast plots. There is mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this short story. The story is told from first person perspective of Dali, the main character for this story. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau may be a powerful healer and magic user, but she’s far from what might be called “normal”. She dislikes the violence and bloodshed that are a way of life for most of her kind, even going so far as to become a vegetarian. The last thing she wants is trouble...
Jim Shrapshire is an original, hardcore badass. A jaguar shifter, he’s been tasked with keeping Atlanta’s Cat Clan in line, which he does with swift and lethal force when necessary. His only soft spot is for the petite Dali, whose kindness he calls upon when he is injured.
When Dali is approached by a desperate woman whose grandmother has vanished, Jim is concerned enough to help investigate. But what they find may just be the end of them—an enemy whose skill in the dark arts is matched only by their willingness to kill anyone in their way...
Magic Steals was originally published in the anthology Night Shift

Review- Another great story from Andrews and this one follows a favorite side character. Dali is a white tiger and an intelligential, she does not do fighting or blood at all. But if you need something done with brain power, then she is your tiger. Jim is Curran’s right-hand man and he is very good with blood and not bad with brains. They have just really started getting serious and Jim wants more but Dali is being held back by her fears that she is not enough. But then the plot happens and everything gets serious with missing grandmothers and angry spirits. I felt sorry for the villain at the beginning of the story but at the end, she has been consumed by her hate and is nothing more than an evil spirit. Dali is great and I love watching her and Jim work their way to each other.

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

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Today’s post is on Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. It is 386 pages long and is published by Random House. The cover is dark green with statue of young woman with two bowls in her hands. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and Savannah, Georgia. There is foul language, sex, sexuality, and violence in this book. The story is told from the first person close of the author. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.
Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.
It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

Review- It is really an interesting and seductive reading experience. I was charmed by the author, the other players, and Savannah itself. The story starts very slowly, with Berendt talking about New York culture and what drove him to start traveling around the country. He discovers Savannah and is taken in by the city. He meets the very different kinds of people that call Savannah home and we get to see some of them too through Berendt’s eyes. When the crime happens, Berendt does his best to give the reader the best view of what happened. Then we get into the Four trails for the crime and at the end of everything, I still do not know if it was murder or self-defense. I think that is very accurate to the crime itself, no one is really sure what happened. If you are interested in true crime, then you should give this book a try.

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

Queen's Quality volume 1

Today's post is on Queen's Quality volume 1 by Kyousuke Motomi. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. It is the first in Kyousuke's new series, Queen's Quality. The cover has the main female character on it looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who has read QQ Sweeper, likes shojo manga, and supernatural love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters moving as the story goes on. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The adventures of mind Sweepers continue in this supernatural romance!
Fumi Nishioka lives with Kyutaro Horikita and his family of Sweepers, people who specialize in cleaning the minds of those overcome by negative energy and harmful spirits. Fumi has always displayed mysterious abilities, but will those powers be used for evil when she begins to truly awake as a Queen?
Fumi has never shown much romantic interest in Kyutaro, the quiet but formidable Sweeper who may be the only one who can keep Fumi's power under control. But when Kyutaro tells her that he'll never leave his side, she unexpectedly starts to fall for him.

Review- An excellent start to the new series. We pick up days after the ending of QQ Sweeper with Fumi still reeling from discovering that she is a Queen. But Kyutaro is on her side and he can help her when the Queen tries to come out of Fumi's subconscious.  With friends and enemies watching her closely, Fumi has much to learn and far to go. I like where the volume goes with seeing how powerful the Queen is really is and how evil the villains are. Kyousuke is starting to build up what is really going on in this world. With Fumi going to get more training, Kyutaro fighting his feelings for her, and whatever is going on with villains I am very excited for this series and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next 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.

My New Crush Gave to Me

Today's post is on My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff. It is 264 pages long and is published by Swoon Reads. The cover is red and the words are stitched like a sweater. The intended reader is someone who likes cute love stories and Christmas stories. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from first person close of the main character Charlie. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Charlotte 'Charlie' Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He's the school's star athlete, in the National Honor Society, invited to every party, contributes to the school paper (where Charlie is co-editor), and is about to be featured as One to Watch in a teen magazine basically, he's exactly the type of guy Charlie s meant to be with. The only problem he barely knows she exists.
But Charlie is determined to be Teo's date to the Christmas ball. And she has a plan: To rig the paper's Secret Santa so that she can win his heart with five perfect gifts. But to do that she needs help. Enter J.D. Ortiz Teo s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He's easy going, laid back, unorganized, spontaneous, and makes a joke out of everything the exact opposite of Charlie (and Teo). But he's willing to provide insight into what Teo wants, so she s stuck with him.
Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

Review- This was  just the cutest story to read over the holidays. Charlie is so cute, I just loved her. J.D. I had to warm up to, he is always late and he never listens to Charlie, so I understood how annoyed Charlie could get with him. But of course he has a pure heart and a terrible crush on Charlie. The writing is good, with good world building and lots of little details to make Charlie and her friends feel very real. The characters were the strongest part of the story with Charlie at the center but J.D. and her other friends being so believable and the Christmas tone of the story just adding sweetness to the plot. I really enjoyed in this novel and I look forward to reading more by Petroff.

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.

Charles Darwin: Victorian Mythmaker

I was given a copy of this book by Harper Collins exchange for an honest review.

Today's Nonfiction post is on Charles Darwin: Victorian Mythmaker by A. N. Wilson. It is 448 pages long including notes. The cover is black with a picture of Darwin and the title next to him. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Darwin and how he helped to build his image. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of teh book- With the publication of On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin—hailed as the man who "discovered evolution"—was propelled into the pantheon of great scientific thinkers, alongside Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton. Eminent writer A. N. Wilson challenges this long-held assumption. Contextualizing Darwin and his ideas, he offers a groundbreaking critical look at this revered figure in modern science.In this beautifully written, deeply erudite portrait, Wilson argues that Darwin was not an original scientific thinker, but a ruthless and determined self-promoter who did not credit the many great sages whose ideas he advanced in his book. Furthermore, Wilson contends that religion and Darwinism have much more in common than it would seem, for the acceptance of Darwin's theory involves a pretty significant leap of faith.Armed with an extraordinary breadth of knowledge, Wilson explores how Darwin and his theory were very much a product of their place and time. The "Survival of the Fittest" was really the Survival of Middle Class families like the Darwins—members of a relatively new economic strata who benefited from the rising Industrial Revolution at the expense of the working classes. Following Darwin’s theory, the wretched state of the poor was an outcome of nature, not the greed and neglect of the moneyed classes. In a paradigm-shifting conclusion, Wilson suggests that it remains to be seen, as this class dies out, whether the Darwinian idea will survive, or whether it, like other Victorian fads, will become a footnote in our intellectual history.Brilliant, daring, and ambitious, Charles Darwin explores this legendary man as never before, and challenges us to reconsider our understanding of both Darwin and modern science itself.

Review- In this book Wilson wants to try and find the real Charles Darwin and discuss why it is so hard to just discover him for yourself. Wilson gets his hands on many first hand resources and he does his best to help make sense of Darwin's life and his times. Darwin was a man of his times and his scientific thinking is very much of it. But Wilson cannot help that much of what makes up this book is not very interesting. The book drags at many points as we move through Darwin's life and I was glad to be done with this book. If you are very interested in Darwin's life then you should read this book. If not then pass on it.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars.