Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble

Today’s nonfiction post is on Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson. It is 272 including notes and it is published by HarperCollins. The cover is sand with a hammer, a skull, and necklace on it. The intended reader is someone who likes good nonfiction and is interested in archaeology. There is no sex, no language, and no violence in this book; ages 10 and up can read this with pleasure. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

Review- Pompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon- the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found ( British king under parking lot) and treasure lost ( looters, bulldozers, natural disaster, and war). Archaeological research tantalizes us with possibilities (are modern humans really part Neanderthal?). Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter?
Marilyn Johnson’s Lives in Ruins is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, and mummies.
What drives these archaeologists is not the money (meager) or the jobs (scarce) or the working conditions (dangerous), but their passion for the stories that would otherwise be buried and lost.

Review- I really enjoyed reading this book and I am going to be reading Johnson’s other books. It is very well written with excellent foot and end notes. The people we meet are interesting and the story of modern archaeology itself is moving and tragic. The archaeologists that Johnson interviews are both interesting and moving. They are in a profession that has never had enough of anything. Never enough money, never enough time, and never enough respect. By respect I mean this- Archaeologists just do not have the space they need to work and they do not have the people they need to really get some work done. Johnson does capture my dream of being an Archaeologist that I had as a child. I wanted to climb the mountains to Machu Picchu and we get to see it through her eyes. Johnson does a great job. I recommend this book with pleasure.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I was given this book by HarperCollins in exchange for my honest review.

don’t look back

Today’s post is on don’t look back by Jennifer L. Armentrout.. It is a stand-alone novel. It is 369 pages long and is published by Hyperion. The cover is dark brown with a ballerina figurine in front of a cracked mirror with another one standing a different position in the mirror. There is language, talk of sex, sex, and violence in this book. The intended reader is young adult who wants mystery with some real life problems added in. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all- popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.
Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tried to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for- even when the old Sam treated him like trash.
But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night aren’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory- someone else knows; someone who wants to makes sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally more on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review- This book surprised me. I was expecting to enjoy myself but have some moments of ‘I want this scene to over’ or something like that and I expected to both know the killer and the reason pretty quickly. Well I did not have a ‘I want this over’ during this book and while I did guess the killer right I did not get the reason right. I think that one thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that I have not read anything like this in a long time. The YA mystery/thriller scene I think is pretty bare at the moment or at the very least no one else is writing them like this at the moment. It made me think of Caroline B. Cooney from the 90s’; at least that is when I read her, but with sex in the novel. There is a light sex scene was not too intense but probably will get the younger than me readers. The killer was who I thought but the reason did get me. I thought sex would be the reason and it was not. I was impressed. If Armentrout writes more mysteries I will probably read them.

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.

Samurai Deeper Kyo volume 28

Today’s post is on Samurai Deeper Kyo volume 28 by Akimine Kamijyo. It is published by Tokyopop. As it is the 28^th in the series you need to have read the first 27 to understand the story. The cover has Akira on it looking very cool. There is language, no sex, and lots of violence in this volume. The intended reader is someone who likes samurai stories, fun action, and surprising love stories. The story is told from third person god perspective with character’s thoughts added for plot and character development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Shihodo, guardian of the Onmyo Palace’s labyrinth, allows Kyo and Sasuke to leave on one condition: they retrieve the fourth cursed blade of Muramasa, believed to be held by the famed blacksmith Julian, once mentor to Muramasa himself! Later, the reunited group to Kyo, Sasuke, Yuya and Akari run into Yuya’s “dead” brother Nozomu again. But this time, what they discover about him has the potential to disrupt the balance of the entire world…

Review- Finally some plot answers! After 27 volumes of really nothing we get something. Shihodo is a fountain of information and she answers questions directly. Susake is the questioner and Kyo is himself. There is some slow points in the middle with Akira, Bontenmaru, and Benitora but then back to answers and stuff. I can see where Kamijyo is building for the next big fight but I really just wanted to spend more time Kyo and get more answers about the plot. There is some fighting and Kyo gets mad about Shihodo holding back on him but that is normal for Kyo. Tenro gets some action too and then the manga stops with Nozomu reappearing and turning to Nobunaga. Someone is going to die for putting his soul into Yuya’s brother’s body and I think that Kyo is going to be the one to kill them. Only ten volumes left in the series. That makes me sad but I have really enjoyed this ride.

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 Peculiar case of the Electric Constable: A True Tale of Passion, Poison & Pursuit

Today’s nonfiction post is on The Peculiar case of the Electric Constable: A True Tale of

Passion, Poison & Pursuit by Carol Baxter. It is 391 pages long including notes and an index. The

cover is like a old time newspaper cover with a train in the center. There is no language, no sex, and

no violence in this book. The story is told from newspaper articles, dairies, and other historical 

documents. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime, whodunit’s, and history. 

There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The electrifying story of a criminal Quaker, a poisoned mistress, and the 

dawn of the information age John Tawell was a sincere Quaker but a sinning one. Convicted of 

forgery, he was transported to Sydney, where he opened Australia’s first retail pharmacy and made a 

fortune. When he returned home to England after fifteen years, he thought he would be welcomed; 

instead he was shunned. Then on New Year’s Day in 1845 Tawell boarded the 7.42 pm train from 

Slough to London Paddington. Soon, men arrived chasing a suspected murderer- but the 7.42 had 

departed. The Great Western Railway was experimenting with a new-fangled device, the electric 

telegraph, so a message was sent: a ‘KWAKER’ man on the run. The trail became a sensation, 

involving no apparent weapon, much innuendo, and a pious man desperate to save his reputation- 

and would usher in the modern communication age. Told with narrative verse and rich in historical 

research, this is a delicious true tale of murder and scientific revolution in Victorian England. 

Review- This was a great read. The murder is interesting and very cruel. The details and manner of 

how the murderer was caught is the root of how we catch them now. There is so much going on here. 

There is legal drama, religion, new sciences, and a man who just wanted it all. I do not find Tawell to 

be very sympathetic. I did not like him and I think that is because he was hiding behind religion for 

all his crimes. He had committed forgery with plans to continue to do so. He had relations a maid in 

his service for years then tossed her aside for a Quaker woman, who would her place in her religion 

if she married him but he did not care. His actions made it very clear to me that he only cared about 

himself.  Baxter’s writing and research are solid. She presented the case without much personal input 

until the very end. Her notes are easy to follow and I will be reading more of her stuff. I recommend 

this interesting true crime book.

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.

 

Resist

Today’s post is on Resist by Sarah Crossan. It is the second in her Breathe doulogy. It is 360 pages long and is published by Greenwillow. The cover has the three main character’s standing in front of the dome with a red flower growing from the dry earth. The intended reader is someone who has read the first one, who likes dystopian and good winning. There is no sex, some mild language, and violence in this book. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main characters from one chapter to another. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Run. Break away. Fight. Keep on breathing.
They are all outlaws. They are all fighters. And they can’t ever go back to the life they left behind. They don’t want to.
Bea
thought she knew what people meant when they talked about having broken hearts. She didn’t know a thing.
Quinn
doesn’t know what he was thinking. Now he’s alone and Bea’s practically alone, and he has no way of knowing when he’ll see here again.
Ronan
has never been alone before. Not truly. But now he is, and he has only one option left. Does he have the guts to take it.
Alina
can’t help feeling that she’s going to have a notable part to play in everyone’s destruction,
From the ashes of a dying world, a revolution is growing. And it starts with those who have already lost everything. The provocative and unforgettable conclusion to Sarah Crossan’s Breathe.

Review- This was a good close to the doulogy. The young adults save the world but the world is still in a bad way. Lots of bad things happen over the course of the story. More adults are bad and crazy. The young adults are forced to grow up and fix things. There is main character death but it is a good death. I found it very character fulfilling. The character that dies is doing it for the greater good. I like that Crossan did not make the death something to shock the reader into some emotional place. It felt to me like something a mature person would do. It really changed the way that I see the character now and I like that. There is much more action in this volume unlike the first one but that is because time is running out. Time is very present in this volume. I felt the time that the characters did not have. I felt the need to get moving like the characters. Another thing that I liked was Crossan did not 'pair the spares'. She does not hook up Ronan or Alina and there is no love triangle or square or anything like that. I think that makes her novel(s) unlike so much young adult out here at the moment. I will be reading Crossan’s next book.

I give this book Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given a copy of this book as a birthday gift.

Samurai Deeper Kyo volume 27

Today’s post is on Samurai Deeper Kyo volume 27 by Akimine Kamijyo. It is the published by Tokyopop. As it is the 27^th in the series you need to have the first 26. The cover has Kyo, Yukimura, and Bontenmaru on looking cool in watercolors. The intended reader is someone who likes samurai manga, lots of character’s, and unusual love story. There is no language, some sexuality, and lots of violence. The story is told from third person god perspective with character’s thoughts added in for character and plot development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- As Yukimura is on the verge of defeating the traitor Shindara, Kosuke rushes in to reveal the shocking truth behind Shindara’s betrayal. Just as the misunderstandings are put to rest, the Four Elders appear… to welcome Kyo and the gang into Onmyo Palace! What secrets are hidden within, and more importantly, will our heroes survive them?

Review- Yukimura gets some closure on some of his stuff. Sasuke decides that he wants to see this through with Kyo and company. Kyo and Yukimura’s fight is pretty good. Yukimura gets to show off to Kyo and they are friends again. But I think the best part of this volume is between Hotaru and Shinrei. It is so funny. They are wanting to argue and fight when some faceless baddies show up and stop them. So they decide that they have to kill faceless baddies so that they can fight. Hotaru is so funny. I imagine his voice is so flat; like he says everything in the same tone with the same inflection. After that we get back to Kyo and Sasuke and it’s Sasuke’s turn to be annoyed and confused by Kyo’s thought processes. More drama and action ahead and I cannot wait.

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

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood

Today’s nonfiction post is on Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J. Mann. It is 480 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover has a 1920’s picture of a young woman on top with the Hollywood strip on the bottom. There is language, talk of sex and rape, and violence in this book. The intended reader is someone interested in true crime, murder mysteries, and complex true plots. The story is told from interviews, newspaper articles, letters, dairies, and other first person sources. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America’s new favorite pastime, and one of the nation’s largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such influence. Yet Hollywood’s glittering ascendency was threatened by a strong group of headline-grabbing tragedies- including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.
In a fiendishly involving narrative, bestselling Hollywood chronicler William J, Mann draws on a rich host of sources, including recently released FBI files, to unpack the story of the enigmatic Taylor and the diverse cast that surrounded him- including three beautiful actresses; a grasping stage mother; a devoted valet; and a gang of two-bit thugs, any of whom might have fired the fatal bullet. And overseeing this entire landscape of intrigue was Adolph Zukor; the brilliant and ruthless founder of Paramount, locked in a struggle for control of the industry and desperate to conceal the truth about the crime. Along the way, Mann brings to life Los Angeles in the Roaring Twenties: a sparkling yet schizophrenic town filled with party girls, drug dealers, religious zealots, newly minted legends, and starlets already past their prime- a dangerous place where the powerful could still run afoul of the desperate.
A true story re-created with the suspense of a novel, Tinseltown is the work of a storyteller at the peak of his powers- and the solution to a crime that has stumped detectives and historians for nearly a century.

Review- If noir mysteries are your thing then you need to read this book. Written in a film noir style with details and twenties slang for favor this is interesting murder mystery that keeps you guessing. I did guess who I think did it but Mann and I think differently about that. All the characters are three dimensional. Mann’s research into this almost 100 year old murder is solid. But the best part of the book is the writing style. Mann uses words to give the correct ambiance to the story. They are not movies but pictures, it is not a clue but a clew, and dozens of other little touches to give this book the feel of the twenties and I loved it. Mann builds the story from the past of all the people involved then the night of the murder then moving into the slow future. He gives the reader perspective on both the murdered and those around him. There is so much right about this book that I could just go on and on about it but I will stop with I highly recommend this book.

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