Musings of a Bookish Kitty: August 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Bookish Thoughts: Mini Review of Short Reads

What better time to fit in three novellas then when I cannot quite decide what to read next?

Ring in the Dead by J.A. Jance

William Morrow, 2013

Crime Fiction; 114 pgs

I have long been a fan of J.A. Jance's J.P. Beaumont, and so when I was offered the chance to read and review a novella that takes the reader back to one of Beau's earliest cases, I could not resist. The daughter of Beau's first partner, Pickles Gurkey, as a Seattle P.D. Homicide Detective surprises Beau one evening with part of an entry to a book Pickles Gurkey had been writing. It takes Beau back in time to their first case, and Pickles involvement in another murder investigation that almost landed him in jail.

The story is told from two viewpoints, that of Pickles and that of Beau. I thought the two perspectives fit nicely together. Pickles wasn't particularly excited about taking on a new partner, especially one was inexperienced as Beau. This was a perfect story for a novella--giving the reader a taste of what Beau had been like in his younger years both on a personal and professional level while at the same time telling an entertaining mystery.

You can learn more about J.A. Jance and her books on the author's website.

Source: I received an e-copy of this novella from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Bitter Disenchantment by Shawntelle Madison

2013

Fantasy; 156 pgs

Having read and enjoyed Shawntelle Madison's other books, I jumped at the chance to read Bitter Disenchantment. This novella features werewolf Agatha McClure, a character we've met before in the author's series featuring heroine Natalya Stravinksy. I love that Madison's characters tend to have anxiety type disorders, and Agatha's is one I can relate all too well with. She's an over eater. I know all too well what it's like to be a comfort eater, and how difficult it can be to stop. This story isn't about that though. Bitter Disenchantment is the story of how Agatha ended up on Natalya's doorstep. About her controlling father, an arranged marriage and taking drastic measures to get out of an unwanted relationship.

This was a good story and I enjoyed catching up on Aggie's history. She's one of my favorite characters in Madison's series. I think the only fault I found with the novel is that I would have ended it sooner. Although I do understand why the author took the novel to the point she did. It leads nicely into the series and offers a peak into what is to come.

You can learn more about Shawntelle Madison and her books on the author's website.

Source: I received an e-copy of this novella from the publisher for review via NetGalley.

The Wanderer in Unknown Realms by John Connolly

Atria, 2013

Horror, 96 pgs

“Books alter men, and men, in their turn, alter worlds.”

A World War I veteran, Soter, is doing investigative work now and then for an attorney is asked to look into the disappearance of a wealthy man, Lionel Maulding. Mr. Maulding is a bit of a recluse, not having many friends and mostly keeping to himself. His house is full of books varying in subject matter. Soter discovers Mr. Maulding's most recent interest in the occult, and what follows is the stuff of nightmares.

I fell in love with John Connolly's writing the moment I began this short novella. The author's words easily set the tone of the novel and his descriptions of the characters and setting took me right into the pages of the book. Soter is surviving rather than living, after having lost his family and seeing the horrors he saw during the war. It makes this story all the more compelling--are the horrors Soter encounters real or a dissent into madness? I am not so easily frightened by horror novels, but this one got under my skin. I won't be so quick to get into a bubble bath any time soon.

You can learn more about John Connolly and his books on the author's website.

Source: I bought an e-copy of this novella for my own reading pleasure.

© 2013, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Where is Your Bookmark? (08/27/2013)

Our family was hit hard by the summer flu recently. Mouse caught a bad case of Conjunctivitis and I was laid up for a week, unable to do much more than move around the house like a zombie. Other than a lingering cough, both Mouse and I are feeling much better. Somehow, Anjin has managed to stay on the healthy side, and hopefully it stays that way.

You would think a week of being sick would be the perfect time for reading. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I did watch a lot of HGTV though. Love it or List it became a favorite. And I got a few ideas for my own house.

I managed to get to the book City of Bones, the first book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, just in time for the release of the movie. I finished listening to Joseph Finder's Paranoia, which ended on a high note. I have yet to see the movie, which has not gotten the highest of ratings. I have been spending much of my reading time on novellas of late, reading ones by John Connolly, J.A. Jance, and Shawntelle Madison.

I have settled finally into another full length novel and am reading my first Karin Slaughter mystery thriller, Unseen, which got off to a strong start. It is a real page turner. In audio, I am listening to the popular and much raved about Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, narrated by Wil Wheaton. The novel is set in the future and is full of 1980's nostalgia. Two chapters in and I am already loving it.

What are you reading right now? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

One of my most recent reads was a novella by John Connolly called The Wanderer of Unknown Realms. I really had no idea what to expect going in. It has an air of a mystery novel about it, but is definitely more a horror story. The opening does not give anything about the story away really, but it does set the tone.

Through Chancery, pausing only to wipe the dung from my boots.

To the Chancery, to the chambers of the lawyer Quayle.

There are men of wealth and power who wish others to know of their position in society. They eat at the best restaurants and stay in the finest hotels; they revel in ostentation. Even those who serve the interests of others more important than themselves are not immune from grand gestures, and so it is that the Harley Street physicians who tend to the ailments of the great will acquire suites of rooms fitted with antique furnishings, as if to say, "See! I am as good as you. I can demean myself in displays of wealth just as readily as you can." It should be said, of course, that it is somehow less noble to have bought one's possessions with money earned than it is simply to inherit, and arrivistes who try to compete will always be looked down upon by those whose wealth was acquired so long ago that the effort of its acquisition, the filth and sin of it, have since been erased from memory.

Then there are those who understand that wealth and power are weapons and should be used carefully and not without forethought. They disdain ostentation in themselves and in other men. In a way, they may even be ashamed of their privileged position. They have learned, too, that if those who look after their affairs--the physicians, the lawyers, the bankers--work in lavish surroundings, then someone, somewhere is paying more than a shilling extra on his bill in order to provide such comforts. The man who looks after one's money should know its value and be parsimonious with his particular funds as he is with one's own.

Would you continue reading?

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Soccer

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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Bookish Thoughts: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay, narrated by Grover Gardner

Blackstone Audio; 2012

Fiction; 12 hrs, 25 min

From the Publisher:

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis--a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He's his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, and as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own--between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he's tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

My thoughts: Oh my G-d. Read. This. Now. That is all.

What I liked (because my husband wants more):

The narrator was spot on in his narration as Andy Barber. Spot. On. Annoying and all.
The way the author touched upon the impact a murder charge would have on the family, particularly as a parent.
What was said.
What wasn't said.
The level of attention to detail in terms of the court process, particularly the defense.
Defending Jacob is the very definition of suspense.
How heartbreaking this book was.
How discussion worthy this book is, and how I still can't stop thinking of it or talking about it.

The title says it all. This really isn't a book about Jacob so much as it is about defending Jacob. Jacob is a big part of the story, but it really is the story of his father and how his father--and the family--deals with the charges against his son. There were a couple of moments in which the story could be seen as going off the rails, but I felt, in both instances, it worked for the book. I bought it. I could see it happening the way William Landay describes.

And a final note: I didn't particularly like anybody in this book. Maybe the mom. I felt sorry for her most of the time. It didn't matter though. This book was that good.

Rating:

(Outstanding)

You can learn more about William Landay and his book on the author's website.

Source: I bought an audio copy of this book for my own listening pleasure.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Furry Friends

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Monday, August 12, 2013

Bookish Thoughts: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Atria Books, 2007

Fiction; 464 pgs

I remember the first time I read a book by Jodi Picoult. How moved I was by her ability to present several sides of a controversial topic that really made me think. Picoult is an author who likes to write about those hot button issues. She is able to take the darkest of subjects and make them approachable. I won't say she never shows a bias. She's only human. But I do think she (mostly) presents a fair and well rounded case for the subjects she takes on. I say this only having read five of Jodi Picoult's books.

The subject matter in her more recent books haven't interested me too much, but I've long been meaning to get to Nineteen Minutes. With all the school shootings that had been in the news, it was a topic on the minds of many. And it has only gained relevance with each new school shooting that's taken place.

Synopsis from the Publisher:

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex—whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded—must decide whether or not to step down. She’s torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter’s rampage. Or can she? And Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.

Nineteen Minutes is not meant to explain away all school shootings; it's just the fictional story about Peter, Josie, and their parents. It's about one school shooting, the impact it had on a community and those involved, and an attempt to understand why it happened.

In her usual style, Picoult tells the story from the perspective of multiple characters, allowing the reader to experience the book through the eyes of each of them. It's a difficult book to read on many levels. As a parent. As a human being. What Peter did was wrong no matter how you look at it. It would be easy to stop at that and look no further. Then again, it is human nature to try and understand why of how such horrible tragedies like this can happen. The answer, no matter how tragic in and of itself, doesn't make what happened right--it doesn't take the guilt away from the shooter, but it should get us to stop and think about our own behavior and responses as well as the community and institutions in which we live and work.

Peter isn't an easy character to like. I mean, look at what he did. I did feel bad for what he went through as a child; how he was bullied and picked on from such a young age and how little support and guidance he got from those around him who might have been able to help. I think Peter's defense attorney made some good points in that regard. Still, as awful as Peter was treated and as much as I could see the path set that he traveled on to get to where he was, it didn't excuse what he'd done.

Josie's own story paralleled Peter's in some respects. They both struggled in their own ways, Peter just more obviously. Josie was always pretending, trying hard to fit in and turning a blind eye, meanwhile losing herself in the process. It's sad really, given how close Josie and Peter once were. But it isn't hard to understand, unfortunately.

Before I had a child, I always tended to identify most with the children/teens. Now I seem to identify more with the parents. And so it came as no surprise that I took a particular interest in the sections involving the parents of Josie and Peter. I really felt bad for Peter's parents. How quickly the community turned against them and blamed them for their son's actions. That isn't to say they were perfect or couldn't have done anything differently--it just seemed unfair to treat them as guilty too, especially since, in their own way, they were victims in this too. But we do that, don't we? In our effort to understand the why of a tragedy we also seek to blame. And not just the perpetrator.

As for Alex, Josie's mother, the judge, she fought against giving the case up for quite a while. I was surprised she even considered keeping it, frankly, given her and her daughter's past with Peter and his family. I felt for her though, as she made efforts to get to know her daughter better, the shooting having shaken something loose in her, making her realize how distant the two of them had become.

I felt sad for Peter and Josie. I felt sad for the victims and their families and friends. At times I felt angry and frustrated. The shooting didn't have to happen. Peter didn't have to take it that far. If only someone had stepped in at an earlier point in Peter's life . . . Not that some didn't try in their own ways. It just wasn't enough. How can we really know though, until after the fact? It's easy to point fingers in the aftermath and say what should have been done differently. But by then it's too late. I guess we hope we learn from our mistakes so there won't be a next time. As I said, this was a difficult book to read.

There's more, of course. With Jodi Picoult there always is. And, yes, Picoult adds in her trademark twist--although I have to say it wasn't really surprising at all. The author had left pretty clear footprints in this instance. Even so, I have mixed feelings about the ending. And there were other things, small things, I took issue with, but nothing I can share without spoiling important points.

This is a book I could talk about for quite a while. It raises many salient points, including the no tolerance bullying policies at schools and how effective they really are, gun safety, and parental supervision/monitoring among others. It would make a great book club selection as many of Jodi Picoult's books would. This book opens the way for so much discussion about topics that are worth taking the time to explore.

Rating:

(Good +)

You can learn more about Jodi Picoult and her books on the author's website.

Source: I bought a copy of this book for my own reading pleasure.

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Bookish Thoughts: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
William Morrow, 2013
Fiction; 304 pgs

The perfect books seem to be finding me at just the right moment this summer, as difficult as the past few months have been. Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train brought tears of sadness and of joy to my eyes. I came to love both Molly and Vivian, wishing I could reach into the pages and hug them over and over again.

Molly Ayer has grown up in foster care, having lost her father at a young age and being neglected by her mother. Molly, a Penobscot Indian, survives as best she can, not letting anyone get to close to her. She's been bounced from home to home and labeled a delinquent most of her life even despite the circumstances being out of her control.

After a run in with the law, Molly is required to do community service or face juvenile hall. She agrees to do her service hours in the home of an elderly woman. Vivian Daly has Molly helping her sort through her possessions in the attic, and, bit by bit, the reader--and Molly--learn Vivian's history. She and Molly are not so different from one another after all.

Vivian, born Niamh, came to New York from Ireland as a young girl. Orphaned at the age of 9, she is put on a train along with hundreds of other children and sent to the Midwest to find new homes and families. Niamh's first two families used her for labor, not treating her very well. Her story is one that made me both angry and sad--she was just a child and deserved a better life than the one she received.

While much of the story is Vivian's, of her childhood and life as an orphan, Molly's own story framed it well. The two women faced similar struggles growing up, including their struggle to find and maintain their own identities, cultural and otherwise. I liked the juxtaposition of the two stories, the past and the present and the way they came together.

I knew nothing about orphan trains before first hearing about this book several months ago. From about 1853 to the early 1900's, homeless and orphaned children were sent by train from the East Coast of America to the Midwest, placed with any family willing to take them. Some children were adopted while others were taken in to perform labor--some both. It was heartbreaking reading Vivian's story, about how a child of only 9 was seen as a source of labor rather than the young girl she was. She wasn't offered the love and safety she most needed. And through no fault of her own.

I can't help but think of Molly too, moving from foster home to foster home, never finding the love and stability she most needed. I admit Vivian's story touched me more so than Molly's. Perhaps in part because Vivian's story took up the majority of the book. It would be easy to say Molly's experience wasn't nearly as bad as Vivian's had been, and in some ways that might be true. But in others, not so much. I don't think it's really fair to compare in that way as each of us have a unique story all our own and our trials and experiences affect us in varying ways. Still, there were moments I wished Molly had held her tongue, knowing it would make things easier for her. Easy to say from my perspective. Not so easy from hers. Ultimately, I saw a bit of myself in Molly--or rather, a bit of my teen self in Molly--and so I understood where she was coming from even if we had entirely lives.

Both women are extremely resilient. Whether a natural tendency or forced to be through circumstance. I admired their strength and wanted so much for them to find their happy ending. The two women, who, on the outside, couldn't be more different, were just what the other one needed. They learned from each other, and grew as a result.

Christina Baker Kline did a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life for me, as well as making me feel and care for them. I liked the way the author connected all the pieces of the story together. I did not want the novel to end. I would like to have spent more time with Vivian, listening to her stories. And I really would have liked to know more about Molly's future, what happens to her down the road. Still, I think the novel ended in a good place. Yet another novel that left me with a big smile on my face.

Rating:

(Very Good +)

To learn more about Christina Baker Kline and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also learn more about the author by visiting his Facebook page, and Twitter account.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about Orphan Train on the TLC Book Tours route!

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. The publisher provided a print copy of the book to read; however, I purchased an e-copy after the fact because it was more convenient for me to read it that way.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Our Vacation

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Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Where is Your Bookmark? (08/06/2013)

I woke up this morning to a wall of fog outside my windows. Thirty minutes before my alarm went off, I was awakened by my cat, plucking at the sheet covering me. I pet him and rolled over, hoping he would leave me alone. No such luck. He kept me company while I got ready for the day, mewing all the while. I gave him extra pets, cuddled him and gave him his breakfast (which he promptly ignored). My husband and Mouse were sleeping soundly as I left for work. A typical morning in my life.

Joseph Finder's Paranoia has been keeping me company on my drive to work in the mornings. It isn't quite as thrilling as I expected, but, even so, I am enjoying the book and anxious to see how it ends. I do wish Adam, the protagonist, would listen more to his father. As angry and bitter as the old man may seem, he really does know what he's talking about. Adam is in far over his head, trying to play the business espionage game.

I finished Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and am in the process of writing my review. You can expect that to go up Thursday. I am focusing my efforts on finishing Highlander Unchained by Monica McCarty now. I have not decided if I want to start another book until I do. It really is more a case of my not knowing what to read next. I have a Kindle and Nook full of books, not to mention all the print books on my shelves, to choose from. Trying to figure out what kind of reading mood I am in should not be this hard. Do I want something heavy and serious? Something with magic? Or perhaps a mystery? Maybe I want something light and funny. Decisions, decisions.

What are you reading right now? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Highlander Unchained is the final book in the MacLeod trilogy by Monica McCarty (each book in the series is a stand alone). I feel like I have been reading it forever. But then, it isn't like I was not reading other books at the same time. These books are a bit outside my comfort zone in terms of what I generally like to read, but they have kept me entertained. In this particular book, a young woman, Flora MacLeod, is kidnapped by a Highlander desperate to save his castle and people. Getting Flora to marry him by her own choice is imperative. Only, she's as stubborn as can be and not exactly inclined to agree to marry the man who would take her prisoner--or so she thinks. So far there's been adventure, a curse, and a few close calls . . .

On a cold winter's day nearly a hundred years gone past, a curse was born . . .

Lady Elizabeth Campbell Maclean wouldn't beg. Not for his love, and not for her life. But she was scared. More scared than she'd ever been in her preciously short life. Six and twenty was far too young to die.

Would you continue reading?

Monday, August 05, 2013

Bookish Thoughts: Deadlocked & Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Ace, 2012

Fantasy; 336 pgs

I began reading the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris in 2004. Back then they were called The Southern Vampire series. The name never really took. Due to the success of the television show, the books are often referred to as the True Blood series. Really though, the books and television show couldn't be more different. They have the same characters (in name only in many cases) and, while early on the plot lines were similar, I don't think anyone would say the two resemble each other much other than that. The television show is darker to say the least. The books, while they do have their dark sides, are mostly light and funny. I lovingly refer to them as fluff and comfort reads.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in Bon Temps. She lives in a world where supernatural is the norm. Vampires live among humans; they and werewolves and other shapeshifters are fighting for equal rights; and faeries come and go through a magical gate in Sookie's backyard. Sookie is human by most accounts. Except she can read minds. Not that she wants too. She doesn't have much choice in the matter.

Some books in the series have been better than others. Deadlocked falls into the better category for me. I really enjoyed the ride as I read the book. The vampire king of Louisiana is in town to find out what happened to one of his most trusted men (reference to previous book). As if that isn't bad enough, a woman who had just been inside Eric Northman's house is found dead on his lawn. The police are circling and it is up to Sookie and friends to find out who was behind her murder.

Deadlocked was a good stand alone novel in a series where some of the books read like middle books. It had a solid plot and it was good to spend time with the familiar Bon Temps characters. Tara is about to burst, pregnant with twins, Jason is getting serious with his girlfriend, and Bill still loves Sookie even though she's moved on. And of course there's Alcide and Sam (one of my literary crushes--but not the TV version--I prefer the book version, thank you very much). Reading Deadlocked was like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. It was pure fun.

Rating:

(Very Good)

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

Ace, 2013

Fantasy; 352 pgs

Reading Dead Ever After was bittersweet. It is the 13th and final book in a series I have grown to love. I almost didn't want to read it. Endings are hard. And I hate saying goodbye. Of course, I can always re-read the books . . .

In Dead Ever After, an old friend/nemesis of Sookie's winds up dead, the body dumped in a dumpster behind Merlotte's. Sookie is the prime suspect and not without good reason. It looks like someone is out to get Sookie, and he (or they) are determined to see that she ends up dead herself.

The not so bad: The final book in the series had a couple holes and left questions unanswered. I didn't expect a complete wrap up with every loose end tied in a bow, but I felt there were a few loose threads in this particular book left hanging that kind of got lost in the shuffle as everything started coming to a head. And I would have liked to have seen more resolution in terms of old relationships, but that's just my personal preference.

The good: It was such fun to see so many characters come together for Sookie's sake. This really was a good send off. Given all the help Sookie has given people throughout the course of the series, they really do owe her their loyalty and friendship. I also liked the way many of the series threads were wrapped up--and ending that was satisfying in most respects. As I got to the end of the book and got the answers to one big question I had, I gave out a woot. All will be well in Sookie's world. Or so we can hope.

And I still have the television show . . .

Rating:

(Good +)

You can learn more about the Charlaine Harris and her books on the author's website.

Source: I purchased e-copies of both these books. I may have to go back and purchase print copies since I have the entire collection. Except Dead Reckoning, which I loaned to a coworker and still have not gotten back after a year and a half.