Mini Reviews 21

When in doubt, just chuck them all in at once! Here's some stuff I read a while ago, so nothing is fresh in my mind. Bleh.

Dearest by Alethea Kontis
This follows Friday as she becomes embroiled in an enchantment where seven brothers are all turned into swans by day. Can she find a way to break the curse with just a needle and her wits?

I really enjoy this series and I like how seamlessly the many different fairy tales are woven together into a fun story. I liked Friday and the brothers as well. A good, well-written fairy tale retelling. Definitely want more from this author!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
When Kady and Ezra's planet is invaded and they must escape or die, they had to put aside the petty problem of just having broken up. But far from being safe on the escape ships, they are surrounded by lies, half-truths, and a whole different set of problems. Will they come out alive?

This story gripped me from the very start. I love the format, the fun files and emails and schematics that fit like pieces of a puzzle together into a strange and unexpected whole. This is definitely a story that will get your heart pounding and have you questioning everyone's motives throughout. The ending threw me for a big loop. Definitely need to get my hands on the next book.

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
Things are looking bleak for David and his broken team, after Prof gave in to his epic powers. It would seem that nothing can stop him in his desires for power. But David refuses to give up and will go wherever and do whatever is necessary to save his friend.

I have really loved this series. It's fast-paced and exciting and funny. It has surprises around every corner and I definitely didn't expect the ending. I think I felt a little let down after all the build up, but perhaps I expected it to be, well, epic. Anyway, enjoyed the series, I would definitely read more about this world.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
In 1945, there was an epic tragedy involving the Wilhelm Gustloff - a ship full of people hoping to escape the advancing Soviet army. This book tells the story of this disaster from the viewpoints of four very different young people.

This was a very painful story to read. It's hard to read about stories that you know are about disaster or tragedy, especially of this scale. I had absolutely no idea about this piece of history, as I think most people don't. It's surprising and sad how lost their stories are. I am glad to have learned more about it, would like to read historical accounts of these people. I did find that the one Nazi was kind of a caricature of badness. Just an all-around rotten person. Mind you, he didn't seem to notice he was evil, but I found him hard to believe. Anyway, I recommend it, just to get a taste of what happened in this very much ignored historical event.

Book Review: The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy

The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
Publisher: Several (I read Kindle edition)
Publication date: first published 1921
Source: Free on Kindle
For: Fun
Series: The Forsyte Chronicles #1-3

Summary (if that's even possible) (from goodreads):

The three novels which make up The Forsyte Saga chronicle the ebbing social power of the commercial upper-middle class Forsyte family between 1886 and 1920. Galsworthy's masterly narrative examines not only their fortunes but also the wider developments within society, particularly the changing position of women.

My Thoughts:
Crazy, epic story. Impossible to summarize and just so broad that I don't even know where to start. I love the real characters, you get into everyone's head and you see what makes them tick. I love to love the "good" characters and love to hate the "bad" ones, even though you can see that there are neither kind, really. Just everyone mixed up with good and bad. I especially loved the family gossip sessions, that sounded so real and just what a lot of family gatherings tend to be like. I thought it was interesting and I did like watching generations of the same family struggle to understand each other and change. I also found that I was terribly bored during vast amounts of the book. Sometimes, characters went off on enormous tangents and I lost interest. It took me months and months (possibly a year?) to finish this epic. Now what I really need is to watch the mini-series (or whatever it is), so I can see it all at once, succinctly.

Read-alikes:
Uh, I have no idea

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a handful here and there

mrg-factor: X
implied stuff, of course

v-factor: ->
a little bit

Overall rating: ***

Mini Reviews 20

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Summary: *spoilers for The Kiss of Deception*
Lia and Rafe are being held captive in the kingdom of Venda with no chance of escape. While trying to navigate the horrors of being prisoners, they are also trying to learn all they can about their captors and are surprised to find much to praise in them. But their situation becomes more dire as the Komizar is determined to use Lia and her gift for unknown purposes.

My Thoughts:
Honestly, I can't remember what happens. I read it a few months ago now and I did like it. It was interesting how nothing they did was easy and no way out seemed plausible. Although I thought a few things seemed mighty convenient. Pearson managed to get all the characters into some seriously dire straits and I just didn't know what was going to happen to Lia. Now I need to read up on what actually went on.

The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
Summary:
This is not the Robin Hood you remember from those sweet, sly foxes in the Disney film. Robin an his band of grim and tired outlaws are nearly forced into hiding and inundated with those who also loathe sheriff of Nottingham and all he does to his people. But will things work out for them in the end or is there no happy ending in sight?

My Thoughts:
I love how it was messy and not what you expect. I loved Robin and I loved how very realistically it was portrayed that, yeah, they lived in the forest: no roofs, rain, dirt, etc. They didn't have an easy or terribly envious lifestyle. Things were not idealized, and I loved how Marian rocked the bow. Rather sad to read at times, but so glad I finally did it (thank you, Angie).

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Summary:
When her father is brutally murdered, Kate is drawn into a world full of revenge, secrets, and hidden gold. She follows the trail of those who killed him, determined to take them on single-handed, but ends up in an alliance with some unlikely characters, soon to be friends.

My Thoughts:
This one was kind of good and bad for me. I think I was most interested in it for the local factor - a lot of it takes place right here in Arizona and even some of it near to where I am. That made it more interesting to me. Otherwise, I was kind of meh about the story and the characters. Her whole motivation for chasing folks down and being insane and doing stuff she shouldn't, at times was a bit unbelievable. I did, however, enjoy the story. For a wild west flavor, check it out.

Winter by Marissa Meyer
Summary: *Spoilers for the first three books*
Winter has been stuck under the thumb of her stepmother for years, but despite her delicate appearance and wandering mind, she's got more power than anyone knows. Cinder is ready to take on Queen Levana and determined to incite the Lunars to rise with her. With the help of her friends and some new allies, they are ready for an uprising, until everything seems to go wrong.

My Thoughts:
A nice finish for a series I adore. I loved how things worked out in the end, I loved seeing how hard it was for Cinder and all the characters. Winter was a really unique kind of person and I often had a hard time figuring out what to think of her and what she was thinking. All together, I think this is a fabulous and unique fairy tale retelling series that I just plain enjoy.

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Summary:
Lee has a gift, an unusual power that her family has tried to hide for years: she can sense gold. Her life seems ordinary enough, until all she has and loves is suddenly taken from her unexpectedly. Now Lee must make her way across the country, hoping to escape her past and make a future, but how can she when everyone around her would do anything for gold?

My Thoughts:
Interesting, unique, a bit strange. Reminded me a bit of Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel. I loved Lee and the things she was determined to do. She had a difficult life and I thought her reactions to things was realistic. I didn't like how everything seemed to be put off for a later book, but I guess they had plenty of troubles along the way. A different kind of story, you don't often read about people going west and the difficulties that must have been.Though, two westerns in one mini review post!

Book Review: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: July 2015
Pages: 278
Source: Library
For: Harper Lee, duh!
Series: Sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird

Summary (from goodreads):

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch--"Scout"--returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past--a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience. 

Things I Liked:
I enjoyed a number of parts of this book.  I really liked seeing Scout and just who she had grown up into and the funny things she said and thought.  I loved that part of her.  I really struggled with what the story was actually about, her seeing the truth of her hometown and father and not idolizing them anymore.  It was hard to read, hard for me to understand, and just not what I wanted to read, I guess.  It was a smart book, and definitely changes your perspective and thoughts in relation to To Kill a Mockingbird.  Still, I found as it went on that I wasn't much enjoying my read.  I did like it, but I didn't like it too.  Makes perfect sense, right? I read the book probably six months ago, but I'm only posting it now, just in time to hear of Harper Lee's death. Wish we had more from her!

Things I Didn't Like:
Think I covered both in the previous paragraph.

Read-alikes:
Well I'd start with To Kill a Mockingbird...and maybe end there too :)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
maybe a little off-page

Overall rating: ***

Book Review: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio
Publisher: Plume
Publication date: 2011
Pages: 320
Source: Library
For: Recommended by a friend

Summary (from goodreads):

In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

Things I Liked:
I picked this one up after a friend of mine raved about it - her favorite book! This was kind of a sweet story with some dark elements to make it feel more realistic.  I have to admit at times it was a little unbelievable, but I sure don't know enough about that time and place to really know.  I thought it was interesting and engaging, but kind of lacked a little substance.  There are a few things that you pick up on long before the main character, which can be annoying.  Still, the ending was surprising and a little bittersweet.

Things I Didn't Like:
I wanted something more from it. Not sure what, but I just felt like it never quite achieved what it could have.

Read-alikes:
I can't think of any right now...

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe a few

mrg-factor: X
some vague scenes

v-factor: ->

Overall rating: ***

Book Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 2012
Pages: 669
Source: Library
For: More Kate Morton stuff

Summary (from goodreads):

During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.

Dorothy’s story takes the reader from pre–WWII England through the blitz, to the ’60s and beyond. It is the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined. The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometimes bring. It is an unforgettable story of lovers and friends, deception and passion that is told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

Things I Liked:
This book has a complicated plot filled with all kinds of secrets and mysteries and written in the perfect way to keep you guessing all the way to the ending.  This was signature Kate Morton (though, I'm pretty sure I've only read two of her other books).  It was also quite long.  It was engaging and I couldn't stop reading to find out just what in the world happened all those years ago. I was completely thrown for a loop when some of the stuff was revealed, though I did have an inkling about other things.

Things I Didn't Like:
Yeah, it is dark and creepy and at times kinda depressing.  Also, long.  But, I am really impressed at Morton's skills at weaving a complex web of uncertainties all the way to the end.  And I really have no idea how Laurel could even pretend to feel normal after what she saw.

Read-alikes:
Other Morton books will satisfy your "like this book" craving

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !#$
a fair few

mrg-factor: X
some

v-factor: ->->
rather more than I enjoy

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication date: March 2015
Pages: 304
Source: e-book from library
For: Fun
Series: The Agency, Book 4

Summary (from goodreads):*Spoilers are inevitable for the first three books*

Mary Quinn has a lot on her mind. James Easton, her longtime love interest, wants to marry her; but despite her feelings, independent-minded Mary hesitates. Meanwhile, the Agency has asked Mary to take on a dangerous case: convicted fraudster Henry Thorold is dying in prison, and Mary must watch for the return of his estranged wife, an accomplished criminal herself who has a potentially deadly grudge against James. Finally, a Chinese prizefighter has arrived in town, and Mary can’t shake a feeling that he is somehow familiar. With the stakes higher than ever, can Mary balance family secrets, conflicting loyalties, and professional expertise to bring a criminal to justice and find her own happiness?

Things I Liked:
I feel like this one wasn't as good to me as the previous three, possibly because I'd forgotten much of what went on in those books.  I liked the dynamic between Mary and James and how she wanted to be independent and to be loved as well.  She was definitely not like many women of her time.  The mystery was pretty good too, though I'm kind of slow at picking up things, so it's quite possible it was easy to guess from the first.  I enjoy the books mostly for Mary.

Things I Didn't Like:
I thought there were some tangents and other things that kind of distracted from the main plot and characters, but still enjoyed it.

Read-alikes:
Start with A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: none
some kissing

v-factor: ->
some intense parts

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: November 2010
Pages: 576
Source: Library
For: Book Group

Summary (from goodreads):

A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Things I Liked:
Yes! I loved this deep and twisty and complicated story about family and secrets and what really happened and all that history stuff.  This was very well plotted and written and I couldn't put it down.  I first thought I had things figured out and then I changed my mind (three or four times).  Really, it kept me guessing right down to the final chapters.  I really enjoyed it.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, the ending, despite being quite surprising was a little bit too much.  Stretched a bit too far?  It felt very different from the rest of the book, in that it was a bit unbelievable, if quite a good fit for the story.  Still, I enjoyed it very much and need to get myself more Kate Morton right away!

Read-alikes:
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few

mrg-factor: none
on page, anyway

v-factor: ->
some kind of implied

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Longbourn by Jo Baker

Longbourn by Jo Baker
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date: October 2013
Pages: 352
Source: Library
For: Book Club

 

Summary (from goodreads):

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.
 
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own. 

Things I Liked:
This was one of the most interesting and best spin-offs of a Jane Austen book I've read. Probably because it had nothing really to do with the story. Makes you think of the Bennet family much differently - maybe not love them as much. It definitely opened my eyes to the working classes at the time and the struggles they dealt with (ugh the description of diapers just about did me in - and I used cloth diapers! :).

Things I Didn't Like:
I really was annoyed with James and what he did near the end of the book - it seemed pretty stupid. Also, the ever switching of points of view got rather annoying sometimes. I didn't notice just how often it happened until someone pointed it out. It happened mid-paragraph sometimes!

Read-alikes:
Tons of Pride and Prejudice retellings and spin-offs out there :)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
probably a few

mrg-factor: XX
some implied and not so implied stuff

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Mini Reviews 16

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah M. Ladd

Summary:
Amelia Barrett is a wealthy heiress and content in life, until her friend dies and begs Amelia to care for her baby.  Amelia is ready to do everything in her power to honor that promise, including proposing to the child's father, despite all social expectations.

My Thoughts:

A sweet and fun historical romance that had a different enough plot to remain interesting, if predictable and a bit forgettable. I rather liked the religious aspect too.
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Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

Summary:
Sherlock Holmes is only fourteen and not yet grown into his powers of observation and deduction.  But when he determines to discover the cause of the deaths of two people while he's on break from school, he is about to begin a life-long career of solving mysteries.

My Thoughts:
Kind of a fun book introducing us to a young Sherlock and his first mystery adventure. I found some of it a bit dull, but managed to enjoy it despite its rather implausible plot.
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Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*
Blue and her friends are getting closer and closer to finding Glendower and the path to him is becoming increasingly perilous.  When Blue's mother goes missing, they become even more hopelessly tangled in the search for the king.

My Thoughts:
I still love these characters and I crave more of their adventures. I'm somewhat tired of waiting for the end to come, but I enjoyed the story, if not the smattering of f-bombs.
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Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Summary:
Nyx is betrothed to the monster that enslaved her people. Her destiny is to marry him and discover a way to kill him so they can all be free.  But she doesn't count on the unyielding attraction she feels for the smooth, charming monster.

My Thoughts:
I listened to this audio and it took me forever, but every time I started listening I was sucked into the story. It felt unique despite being a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and some Greek mythological inspiration. I adored the very much flawed characters, especially Nyx. The ending was strange and surprising and also satisfying. I was deliciously entertained and can't wait for more from her! (I'm currently reading Crimson Bound and enjoying it, though somewhat less than this one.)
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Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Summary:
Avery Roe is desperate to take her place as the witch on her island, protecting the people from storm and other dangers at sea.  Her mother is determined to keep her from that destiny.  But when Avery sees a disturbing vision of her own future, she must find a way to escape her mother and become the witch.

My Thoughts:
I really wanted to like this more. I tried to love the characters, but really just hated Avery. She did some really stupid things and didn't often realize how dumb they were, even later. Her obsession with her magic and how to get it felt just a bit ridiculous to me. I did enjoy the writing, the vivid setting and some elements of the plot, but ultimately felt like it fell short and was forgettable. Especially the romance. Meh.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication date: January 2010
Pages: 320
Source: Library
For: Book Group

Summary from goodreads:

Twelve-year-old CeeCee is in trouble. For years she’s been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille— the crown-wearing, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town. Though it’s 1967 and they live in Ohio, Camille believes it’s 1951 and she’s just been crowned the Vidalia Onion Queen of Georgia.

The day CeeCee discovers Camille in the front yard wearing a tattered prom dress and tiara as she blows kisses to passing motorists, she knows her mother has completely flipped. When tragedy strikes, Tootie Caldwell, a previously unknown great-aunt comes to CeeCee’s rescue and whisks her away to Savannah. Within hours of her arrival, CeeCee is catapulted into a perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricities—a world that appears to be run entirely by women.

Things I Liked:
I loved the home town southern feel of the town.  I loved watching CeeCee get a chance to be loved and be happy.  I enjoyed all the fun and quirky characters in the story and how they seemed to have an impact on CeeCee.  It was a sad and sweet story and kept me interested in knowing just what would happen to CeeCee in the end.

Things I Didn't Like:
I wondered about why some of the characters were included (and the stories) that didn't seem to have any true purpose in the book (Tootie's sister?)  Also, I love a good woman power story, really, but I sure wish CeeCee had been able to see a good male role model somewhere in the book.  She was just surrounded by male idiots and none of the women had much good to say about any man.  Taylor was the exception, but we didn't see much of him either.  I just think that as much as she needed that woman power and the wonderful ladies surrounding her, a decent man somewhere in the story, even if he didn't have much of a role, would have been a good addition.  Also, the vignette feel of the story made it seem rather disjointed and choppy to me.  And there were a few contrivances near the end that seemed to wrap it all up a little too neatly.  But, I did enjoy reading it, promise.  :)

Read-alikes:
A tiny bit like The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some

mrg-factor: X
mostly implied stuff

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: February 2011
Pages: 272
Source: Review copy from Publisher
For: Review (and Newbery)

Summary from goodreads: 

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.

For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.

But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.

This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

Things I Liked:
What a wonderful story!  I loved seeing what it must have been like for a young girl growing up in Vietnam during the war.  I know next to nothing about the time period or the war or Vietnam, so this was a true eye opener for me.  It was so interesting to read about the hardships they endured pretty much everywhere they went, but so sad to see how they were received in America.  And I really liked that it was in verse.  I admit to not reading a lot of books in verse, but this was well written and the format only contributed to the story.  Obvious reasons that this was the National Book Award winner and a Newbery Honor book.

Things I Didn't Like:
Hm, not much.  I wish we could have had a few more details about what her family experienced in America, but it was told from her viewpoint and the limited detail was quite accurate.

Read-alikes:
Can't think of anything...

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
well, maybe not violence, but some bad stuff does happen to her

Overall rating: *****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: War Brides by Helen Bryan

War Brides by Helen Bryan
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication date: 2007
Pages: 496
Source: Purchased e-book
For: Book Group

Summary from goodreads:

With war threatening to spread from Europe to England, the sleepy village of Crowmarsh Priors settles into a new sort of normal: Evacuees from London are billeted in local homes. Nightly air raids become grimly mundane. The tightening vice of rationing curtails every comfort. Men leave to fight and die. And five women forge an unlikely bond of friendship that will change their lives forever. 

Alice Osbourne, the stolid daughter of the late vicar, is reeling from the news that Richard Fairfax broke their engagement to marry Evangeline Fontaine, an American girl from the Deep South. Evangeline's arrival causes a stir in the village but not the chaos that would ensue if they knew her motives for being there. Scrappy Elsie Pigeon is among the poor of London who see the evacuations as a chance to escape a life of destitution. Another new arrival is Tanni Zayman, a young Jewish girl who fled the horrors of Europe and now waits with her newborn son, certain that the rest of her family is safe and bound to show up any day. And then there's Frances Falconleigh, a madcap, fearless debutante whose father is determined to keep her in the countryside and out of the papers. 

As the war and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart their lives also bring the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat formidable enemies: hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a traitor in their midst, and find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends. Theirs is a war-forged loyalty that will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance. When four of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age, but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women's mission is not to commemorate or remember; they've returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.

Things I Liked:
There really is no concise way to summarize the book.  I was really immersed in the historical story, the war story of all the very different women's lives.  I found the details and the interactions of each of the women fascinating.  I wanted to laugh and cry with them and all they struggled with.  During that portion of the book, I really enjoyed the story.  It was fantastic historical fiction and obviously well-researched and well-written.  I had some real issues with the end, though, that kind of tainted my enjoyment.

Things I Didn't Like:
As I mentioned, there were a number of things I didn't like.  First, the prologue was very confusing.  I found that starting in the "present day" (1995, I think) left me just not sure what or who or anything.  But most of what I didn't like was the ending.  The very last parts of the historical story were rushed and then abruptly cut off.  It seemed only half-finished, and obviously Bryan wanted to complete the story from the present looking back, but I think it could have been more gently done.  I was a bit angry that we didn't get more of Alice at that point, as things were going in an interesting direction (finally).  And at the end when they are having their reunion I was just plain appalled at what happened.  It seemed really out of character for some of them and completely out of the blue.  I can understand some of what they are feeling, but honestly, it did not seem to fit the rest of the story.  Despite my disappointments with the way things ended for the characters back in the 40s, the ending of the book really made me end up disliking the whole thing. 

Read-alikes:
Well, the historical part reminded me a bit of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
yep

mrg-factor: XX
a bit too descriptive at times

v-factor: ->
some, since there was a war, but not too graphic

Overall rating: **

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publication date: February 2014
Pages: 320
Source: E-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: Scarlet, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book*

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves.

Things I Liked:
I enjoyed seeing how Scarlet manages to still be tough and fight back even when injured and in a very restricted position.  I think she's an interesting and unique person, one with many very apparent flaws that I still seem to like.  The story was a little bit thin and slow, but I wanted to know the outcome all the same.  It seemed very much a battle they were unable to win.  The author manages to make the ending both happy and horrifying at the same time.  Win but still lose.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, I spent much of this book not being interested at all.  It felt like nothing ever happened, Scarlet was doing and saying the same things over and over.  The ending was quite fast and exciting, but pretty much everything before was dull, slow, and very thin on plot as I mentioned above.  It was a drag to read it, even if I liked hearing about Scarlet and the way she could fight back despite her situation.  I'll probably continue to read the series, but with less enthusiasm.

Read-alikes:
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley (which I still haven't read!  ACH!)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some

mrg-factor: X
mostly kissing

v-factor: ->->
some rather brutal scenes

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel
Publication date: March 2011
Pages: 352
Source: ARC from publisher
For: Review

Summary from goodreads:

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.

Things I Liked:
This was such a unique view of WWII and something I know nothing about.  It really never ceases to amaze me how horrible humanity can be and also how resilient humans can be.  We can do such cruel things to one another and then justify it.  We can also survive in such dreadful circumstances and some can even be so positive about it.  It's at once heart-wrenching and hopeful to read such stories of survival.  I wish I knew more about the Lithuanians who were taken from their homes and sent so far away.  There is so much that people will never know about.

Things I Didn't Like:
I kind of expected this to blow me away, and I really was impressed and loved it, but I found it a bit more simplistic in style and a bit less gripping in story than I expected.  Obviously, this is a fault of my own expectations.  Still very much worth the read.

Read-alikes:
Reminded me of The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a very few

mrg-factor: X
a little bit of implied stuff

v-factor: ->
there are some cruel things that happen

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain AND The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson

 

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Publisher:
Publication date: 1876
Pages: 209 (my kindle edition)
Source: Free e-book
For: Classic Double Challenge

The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: July 2014
Pages: 224
Source: ARC from the author
For: Classic Double Challenge (and review)

Summary of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (TS) from goodreads:

From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality—base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery.

Summary of The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher (BT) from goodreads:

In 1860, eleven-year-old Becky Thatcher is the new girl in town, determined to have adventures like she promised her brother Jon before he died. With her Mama frozen in grief and her Daddy busy as town judge, Becky spends much of her time on her own, getting into mischief. Before long, she joins the boys at school in a bet to steal from the Widow Douglas, and Becky convinces her new best friend, Amy Lawrence, to join her.

Becky decides that she and Amy need a bag of dirt from a bad man’s grave as protection for entering the Widow's house, so they sneak out to the cemetery at midnight, where they witness the thieving Pritchard brothers digging up a coffin. Determined to keep her family safe (and to avoid getting in trouble), Becky makes Amy promise not to tell anyone what they saw.

When their silence inadvertently results in the Widow Douglas being accused of the graverobbery, Becky concocts a plan to clear the Widow’s name. If she pulls it off, she might just get her Mama to notice her again and fulfill her promise to Jon in a most unexpected way . . . if that tattle-tale Tom Sawyer will quit following her around.

Things I Liked About TS:
It is nice to read classics now and again, because books are (mostly) not written like this anymore (ok, maybe just the books I usually read).  I love the language and the way stories are told, things are more implied it seems and there is more flowery description.  Tom was a fun character, I love his self-pitying feelings and his mischievous side and the way his mind worked.  There are a number of iconic scenes like the white washing of the fence and going to their own funerals that are just such great stories it's impossible not to smile about them. 

Things I Liked About BT:
I thought this was a really fun way to retell Tom Sawyer.  Lawson has kind of flipped the story on its head and imagined what it might be like to have Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) seeing real people and writing them into a story, but getting things all muddled up.  I love how Tom and Sid are pretty well switched up.  Even though this kind of bothered me at first, it was fairly humorous.  Also, I loved Becky.  She was a handful and her adventures, as a girl in that time, were so great.  She let us see just what girls could do and what they did even if they weren't supposed to.  And it was nice to see a friendship with Amy in the story too.  It was a clever plot and I liked it.

Things I Didn't Like About TS:
It did feel kind of disjointed, like the story was just a bunch of funny vignettes cobbled together with very little transition.  Don't get me wrong, I love the stories, but there wasn't much connecting them together except the same old Tom.  He doesn't change much over the course of the book either, just does a lot of funny kid things and stays pretty much the same.

Things I Didn't Like About BT:
At times it really stretched belief.  I mean, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is kind of a story that stretches believability, but Becky Thatcher made it even more of a stretch.  Her time in the cave with the bandits was just too much for me.  Also, I was a bit bothered at first, as I mentioned, with the mixing up of characters and story and details.  But, I ended up liking how Mark Twain would have seen and heard all of this and mixed it up for his own writing fun.  Great retelling!

Read-alikes:
Sometimes it reminded me (maybe because of the title) of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS (for both):
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Micro Reviews: Finishing Up 2013, Part 2

Part 2 of the last of my 2013 books (see Part 1 here).  Enjoy!


The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margot Lanagan
Disturbing, depressing, horribly sad, but gorgeously written and so believable I wanted to visit Rollrock Island. Sort of.


Transparent by Natalie Whipple
I distinctly remember enjoying this book and the different "powers" people have in it.  But for the life of me, I can't remember much of what actually happened :)

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
This book made me think "what is going on?" a few too many times.  I'm pretty sure I ended up skimming the last half.  Now I don't remember a thing about it.


Hero by Alethea Kontis
Love, love, love Saturday.  She's such a cool heroine.  Also, I love the fairy-tale mash-ups going on in this series.


Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Fascinating story, though I wanted to smack Lulu upside the head a number of times.  The plot was a bit difficult for me to swallow, because it's something I'd NEVER do, but I have to give Forman props for wonderful writing and characters that kept me reading.


Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Despite many angry responses, I found the surprise ending rather believable for Tris. The rest of the story, however, I had some trouble swallowing.  End of the Divergent series.


Blackout by Robison Wells

Another crazy adventure story, complete with x-men powers and cliff-hanger ending. 

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

A wonderful and satisfying ending to one of my favorite fantasy series (and heroines) ever. Can we get more Elisa please?

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Completely insane virtual reality plot with a surprising twist I never saw coming. Some parts a little too unbelievable with some writing that grated my nerves, but intriguing enough that I want more. 

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

An interesting look at what happened to Willem over the course of a year. Made me dislike him slightly less :)

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce up to more antics at home, always with mad crime-solving skills up her sleeve. 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Intense, interesting, and extremely well-written story about a serious lack of heroes in a world of superpowers. While I guessed some twists, others caught me by surprise. 

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Wonderful story of friendship and romance, with a heroine who sticks to her guns and seizes what she wants in a time when women didn't get to do that much.

Whew! I'm so relieved to be done with 2013 books!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage