Musings of a Bookish Kitty: August 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Shelf Control: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

Shelf Control hosted by Lisa of Bookshelf Fantasies "is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers."

Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan (Orbit, 2008; 400 pgs)

Goodreads Summary:

England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs.

But a great light casts a great shadow.

In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.

Two courtiers, both struggling for royal favor, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind these two thrones. When the faerie lady Lune is sent to monitor and manipulate Elizabeth's spymaster, Walsingham, her path crosses that of Michael Deven, a mortal gentleman and agent of Walsingham's. His discovery of the "hidden player" in English politics will test Lune's loyalty and Deven's courage alike. Will she betray her Queen for the sake of a world that is not hers? And can he survive in the alien and Machiavellian world of the fae? For only together will they be able to find the source of Invidiana's power—find it, and break it…

A breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England; Midnight Never Come seamlessly weaves together history and the fantastic to dazzling effect.

How I got it: A holiday gift swap

When I got it: December 2009

Why I want to read it: I love the genre and novels featuring the fae. Not to mention Marie Brennan is an author I have been wanting to read for ages now. Her books come highly recommended, and I love the sound of them.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? Should I move it up in my TBR pile?

© 2016, 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.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Where Is Your Bookmark: Including Mouse's Corner Edition of the Top Ten Tuesday List (Mostly)

I am definitely in the mood for something light after reading Love Anthony by Lisa Genova. Here's a taste from the book I just started, Lost in Geeklandia by E.J. Russell, which about a woman who "has 30 days to turn her enemy into her boyfriend..." using a computer matchmaking computer program.

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea 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. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

The hotel ballroom doors whooshed closed behind Charlie Forrester, muffling the sound of wedding guests hooting at the groomsmen dancing to "Too Sexy for My Shirt." The lobby was mercifully empty, and she leaned against the wall, the silence easing her skittering nerves.

Weddings. Just shoot me now. This was the fourth one she'd sneaked out of in two months.

Every Tuesday, Jenn from Books And A Beat hosts Teaser Tuesdays at which time participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Random teaser from 25% of Lost in Geeklandia:

Charlie sat on the edge of the sofa, afraid that if she sank back into the cushions while wearing her shrink-wrapped outfit, she'd never get out again. She clasped her hands between her knees, and her gaze snapped to the distracting color on her nails. Manicures. Nail polish. Nail extensions. Lord.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

Charlie, our heroine, is clearly not comfortable in social settings, as we can see from the opening paragraphs of Lost in Geeklandia.

What are you reading at the moment? Is it anything you would recommend?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a Back To School Freebie and so I thought I would share six books that have helped my daughter get into the Kindergarten spirit, and then, to top the list off, three books I am looking forward to reading now that the school year has started. Can you guess which are which?

1. The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Julie Durrell is similar in vein to the well known Night Before Christmas story, only it is about children preparing for Kindergarten the night before their first day as well as their first day. One of my favorite scenes in the book is of the kids having a great time while the parents look on . . . sniffling and tear-filled eyes. That was me!

2. Ready for Kindergarten, Stinky Face? by Lisa McCourt and illustrated by Cyd Moore is a witty and cute story about a child who is afraid of going to Kindergarten. His mother counters all of of his worst fears by turning them into something fun, whether it be a sink only pouring out grape juice or a hungry armadillo chasing the kids during art class.

3. Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten by Lynne Marie and illustrated by Anne Kennedy is about a Hedgehog who is afraid of riding the school bus for the first time. Making friends doesn't prove very easy given his physical form; he is rather prickly, after all.

4. Go to School, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman and illustrated by Bonnie Leick is the story of Little Monster's first day of school. I just love the Little Monster books and so does my daughter. Although so different lifestyle wise (we don't eat worms or ride on dragons during recess), there is much to relate to in these books. And the artwork is just beautiful.

5. Kindergarten, Here I Come! by D. J. Steinberg and illustrated by Mark Chambers, which offers children a look at what they might expect in Kindergarten.

6. Happy Halloween Mittens by Lola M. Schaefer and illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung is an "I Can Read" story about a boy and his cat. The cat who is always getting in the way proves he has a talent for helping decorate for Halloween. Such a cute book!

7. The Last Day of Kindergarten by Nancy Loewen and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa, which is about a young girl remembering the fun she had in kindergarten and how excited she is to be graduating.

8. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen is just one of the Jane Austen novels I want to read, but it is the most likely the one of hers I will read next. It is described as a Gothic parody, and everything about it sounds intriguing.

9. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyers has been on my to read list since I first heard about it and this year I actually plan to read it. It is a re-telling of the Cinderella fairytale, in a post war setting. It's got elements of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Dystopia.

10. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton is the next in the Kinsey Milhone series I need to read. I am way behind, and would really like to catch up. This is one of my favorite mystery series, and so I have no good excuse.

Have you read any of these books? What books would make your back to school book list?

Kindergarten, here Mouse comes!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

From the Archives: A Blogging Retrospective - August 2006

[Post idea ~~stolen~~ ~~borrowed~~ inspired by Kay of Kay's Reading Life's Bookish Nostalgia and Stacy of Stacy's Books' A Look Back features. Thank you, Ladies!]

I spent less time amongst the pages of books this month than I have in the last couple of months, but my August adventures were no less worthwhile. I traveled the world and through time, ducked a few physical and magical blows, tracked down the bad guys, and breathed in the ocean air.

And so August of 2006 came to an end. After starting my book blogging career with a bang (16 posts in the later half of the previous month), I settled into what would become my average for the next couple months with 9 posts.

I cross-posted a couple reviews I had written for the website Front Street Reviews, which is no longer in business, as well as a few from Curled Up With a Good Book, mixing it up with books of my own. The one book I won from Harper Collins First Look Program, was my first DNF of the year. The book was Haweswater by Sarah Hall, a historical fiction novel set in 1936 England. While the prologue drew me in, I was soon bored, weighed down by description, and decided it best to set the book aside. I never returned to it.

I tried out a new mystery series called Targets of Affection by RG Willems featuring a veterinary technician, that tackled the heavy topics of animal and child abuse. Although at times on the slow side, I enjoyed the novel and getting to know the characters. The relationship between Shelby, the protagonist, and her husband, as well as her dog, Spin, especially stood out for me.

The Shattered Blue Line by Patrick A. Davis was a new to me type mystery, a military thriller, set at the Air Force Academy. Murder and politics always mean high stakes, and it proves true in this case too. Continuing with the thriller theme, I read and enjoyed my first George Pelecanos' novel, The Night Gardener. I had heard a lot about Pelecanos and was eager to give his work a try. True to expectation, the novel was dark and gritty, where nothing was simply black and white. While The Shattered Blue Line was more about guilt and atonement, The Night Gardener was centered around our actions and their consequences.

Stepping a little out of my comfort zone, I agreed to read a Christian thriller novel, the first in a trilogy by Lisa T. Bergren called The Begotten, in August of 2006. The novel has some fantasy elements and was overall an entertaining read. Not enough, however, for me to go on and finish the trilogy.

Catherine Chidgey's The Strength of the Sun stands out from my August reads that month ten years ago because it was the only book that I reviewed that didn't qualify as a mystery. The past and the present, as well as the characters lives, are woven together in a story about loss, love, and human connectedness.

That August, I revisited two series I enjoyed. It was good to visit again with protagonist, Melanie Vargas, a federal prosecutor in a series by Michelle Martinez. The Finishing School is the second in the series. Melanie is a great character, and it was interesting to see how she balanced motherhood with work, especially with such a demanding job. I ended the month visiting with my favorite wizard, Harry Dresden in Proven Guilty. I always feel a bit out of breath after finishing one of Jim Butcher's novels.

On a personal front, I discovered that month my request to change shifts at work was accepted. At the end of the month, I would move from the swing shift to the day shift, or so I hoped. My husband and I were enjoying the second season of Veronica Mars, and Parker and Riley were as playful as ever. And so concludes my August of 2016.

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?

Do you remember what you were reading 10 years ago?

What was the last book you read that was outside of your comfort zone?

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Sunday Post: New Books, Soccer & Busy Times

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about.

The weather has been wonderful this weekend. It almost feels like fall is on its way; although, I suppose that will change quickly as another heat wave is on its way. Summer never gives up easily. And it's too soon for wishful thinking.

How have you all been? I hadn't meant to be away last week, but life has been crazy. It will probably be like that for awhile until our family settles into our new routine. Changes are afoot at work too, which means getting used to new routines there as well.

What are you reading this weekend? Have you watched anything you would recommend?

Here's what I've been up to:

New to My Shelves:

Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

(from the publisher for tour review)

and

Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border
(purchased for my daughter)

What I Am Reading: I am behind in my reading. I still haven't started my August TBR book. And I'm slowly making way through Love Anthony by Lisa Genova for my postal mail group. It isn't that I am not enjoying it. It just touches on two topics I do not like to read about (infidelity and the death of a child). Not to mention I have been very busy as of late. Work has picked up considerably now that school is in session and with the start of school and the soccer season for Mouse . . . well, you get the picture.

What I Am Listening To: My cat purring.

What I Am Watching: A couple weeks ago I got the rare opportunity to catch a movie by myself in the theater. The Suicide Squad fit into my available time slot just perfectly, and I had been wanting to see it. I am not too familiar with comic villains, but I do love a good superhero movie. I thought it was entertaining and action-packed, even if violent and very dark.

Mouse and I have been watching the first season of Once Upon a Time (my second time around). She's quite fond of Henry's character and has added Emma and Henry characters to her imaginary play when she's playing with her princess toys (except in her world, the two are married--not mother and son).

I got the chance to see the latest episode of Fear of the Walking Dead now that the second season has resumed. The episode focused on Nick, and was quite good, I thought, portraying the suffering and desperation he was going through as he struggled to survive.

What's Going On Off the Blog: Mouse had her first soccer game Saturday. At this age, the teams don't keep score. It is obvious some of the girls have more experience than others. And even despite my daughter's own experience, she isn't the most competitive or aggressive. Of course, it's all about having fun at this age and just learning to keep the ball going in the right direction.

Before Game Huddle

It didn't help that Mouse was not feeling her best. Her allergies got the better of her and her swim lesson on Friday didn't help. She ended up with an ear infection. She's now on antibiotics and is feeling much better.

Mouse and I attended the meet and greet with her teacher Friday, and we got to meet some of Mouse's new classmates. There was a scavenger hunt so the kids would be familiar with the layout of the classroom. When we left the school that afternoon, Mouse couldn't stop talking about how she was looking forward to starting school on Monday.

Mixed in with all that was a stressful week at work and some bad news on the home front. I was feeling emotionally exhausted going into this weekend, and am so glad it is finally here.

The Past Two Weeks In Reading Mews:

Around the Blogosphere:

Nina of By Page or By Plane shares her thoughts on a classic I hope to read before the year is out. I'm so glad she liked it! - Classic of the Month ft. Northanger Abbey - A new book on my wish list thanks to Iliana of Bookgirl's Nightstand
People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper - A new book on my wish list thanks to Iliana of Bookgirl's Nightstand
Kristen of Metaphors and Moonlight wants to know: DISCUSSION: Do Spoilers Actually Ruin Books? What do you think?
Trish of Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity talks about Finding Our New Normal. Several of us book bloggers have kindergartners just starting school. So I know they can relate to this post as much as I do.
Lindsay of Lindsay's Library wants to know: Do You Have a Favorite Genre?

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Can you say this sentence describes you? READING IS MY PASSION. (submitted by Elizabeth)

According to Merriam Webster's simple definition, passion means

: a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something

: a strong feeling (such as anger) that causes you to act in a dangerous way

Considering I have walked into a wall or two while entranced by a book that has me gripped in its thrall, I guess you could say my strong feelings for reading have caused me to act in a dangerous way. I also am able to tune everything out around me, which is risky when someone you love is trying to talk to you. Mostly though, my passion for reading falls under the "feeling of enthusiasm or excitement" category. I suffer withdrawals if I go without reading for long, my mind aching to read the written word. I like to always carry a book with me, wherever I go, even when I know I will not be able to read. I feel lost when I don't have a book with me. I cannot imagine my life without books. So, yes, reading is my passion. At least one of them, anyway.

Is reading one of your passions?

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel

She opened her eyes to blackness. ~ Opening of The Whiskey Sea

The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel

Lake Union Publishing, 2016

Fiction; 300 pgs

From Goodreads:

Motherless and destitute, Frieda Hope grows up during Prohibition determined to make a better life for herself and her sister, Bea. The girls are taken in by a kindly fisherman named Silver, and Frieda begins to feel at home whenever she is on the water. When Silver sells his fishing boat to WWI veteran Sam Hicks, thinking Sam would be a fine husband for Frieda, she’s outraged. But Frieda manages to talk Sam into teaching her to repair boat engines instead, so she has a trade of her own and won’t have to marry.

Frieda quickly discovers that a mechanic’s wages won’t support Bea and Silver, so she joins a team of rumrunners, speeding into dangerous waters to transport illegal liquor. Frieda becomes swept up in the lucrative, risky work—and swept off her feet by a handsome Ivy Leaguer who’s in it just for fun.

As danger mounts and her own feelings threaten to drown her, can Frieda find her way back to solid ground—and to a love that will sustain her?

I was instantly drawn into The Whiskey Sea, the story of Frieda Hope, a young woman with the world on her shoulders. Just out of high school, Frieda's dreams are wrapped up in caring for her sister, Bea, and in carrying for the ailing fisherman who took she and her sister in when they were young children. Frieda loves the sea and wants nothing more than to earn her living the same way Silver had. Frieda is both stubborn and determined. Her heart is in the right place, but she does not always see beyond her own thoughts and ideas. This is a theme we see throughout the novel, as Frieda matures and grows into the woman she will become.

Most of what I know about the Prohibition era is what I learned from history books and organized crime movies and shows (i.e. Boardwalk Empire). Occasionally a novel will take me into a speakeasy, but the focus is rarely on Prohibition itself. Prohibition was a Constitutional law (the 18th Amendment) prohibiting the production, importing, transportation and sale of alcohol throughout the United States. Frieda's decision to join a rum running team did not come easy. She would be putting her own life at risk, not to mention breaking the law. The lure of making fast money--and a lot of it--is too good to pass up, however, and Frieda soon finds herself drawn into rum running. Especially given Silver's poor health and Bea's future to look after.

The author really brings to the forefront the changes rum running went through over the course of the Prohibition era. From being a local free for all to becoming more organized, from a party atmosphere to a more dangerous business, as time went on. Even enforcement of the law changed over time, as can be seen as Frieda and her team run into more obstacles. Seeing all this come together was perhaps my most favorite part of the novel.

For me, The Whiskey Sea is more a coming of age story. Frieda's lead a sheltered life in many respects, even with the hardships she has faced. Her world expands when she becomes a boat mechanic and then a rum runner. As someone who prides herself for her independence and self-preservation, falling in love with a gentleman with money is last thing she expects. The handsome Charles is intrigued by Frieda, who wears trousers and drinks with men. She is unlike anyone else he has met.

Sam Hicks and Bea Hope are minor characters in the novel, but both play large roles in Frieda's life. Bea is so different from her sister in temperament and life experience. Sam is more so the faithful friend and moral compass of the novel. I adored him.

I cannot say I was surprised by the direction the novel took. Whether in love or rum running, it was pretty obvious to me how everything would turn out. Still, I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, getting to know Frieda and her family and friends. And I love Ann Howard Creel's writing style.

The historical aspects of the novel were what most intrigued me in this novel, but I also was quite taken with Frieda's own journey and growth as a character. She did not always make the best choices and faced the consequences as a result, but as is true for many of us, these are lessons we need to learn on our own. They are what shape us and make us who we are. Overall, I enjoyed The Whiskey Sea.

To learn more about Ann Howard Creel and her work, please visit the author's website. She can also be found on Goodreads.

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

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

I am running. ~ Opening of In a Dark, Dark, Wood

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, narrated by Imogen Church

Simon & Schuster, 2015

Crime Fiction; 9hrs 34 min

Source: I bought the audio version of this book for my own listening pleasure.

In the mood for something suspenseful, I decided to download In a Dark, Dark Wood to my phone and give it a try. Much praise has been given to Ruth Ware's novel and Imogen Church's narration of it, and it did not disappoint. I can see this novel being perfect on a particularly stormy night . . .

Crime fiction writer Nora is startled when she receives an e-mail inviting her to a hen party (bachelorette party) for her former best friend, Clare. The two women have not spoken in many years and did not exactly leave on the best of terms. Although reluctant, Nora accompanies a friend to their weekend destination: a glass house in the woods in the English countryside. The home is owned by the aunt of Clare's current best friend, Flo, and seems an odd out of the way place for a Hen party, or so Nora thinks.

The novel alternates between the recent past and the present, as Nora slowly remembers what happened over that short weekend and why she is now in the hospital recovering from injuries--not to mention the prime person of interest in a murder investigation. Who died? What was the motive? What role in Nora play? All of these questions haunt Nora.

I was drawn into the novel immediately, Imogen Church's Nora expressing the tension and a subtle eeriness as the story unfolded. I had no problem differentiating between the different characters and felt the narrator captured their personalities well. Imogen Church was a good choice as the narrator and one I will enjoy listening to in the future.

The reader gets to know each of the characters, particularly those at the weekend long hen party, as Nora recalls her time there. No one is without motive, although some have stronger motives than others. Nor are the characters particularly likable, but that in no way hurt my enjoyment of the novel. I wanted to know what happened, and found myself listening to the book whenever I could.

The twists were not entirely unexpected, although still exciting to see whether I was right or wrong. It was fun to go back and think on the clues dropped and see how they lined up once all was revealed. In a Dark, Dark Wood was an enjoyable thriller over all.

To learn more about Ruth Ware and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information and Imogen Church, please visit her website and Twitter.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Shelf Control: My Haruki Murakami Collection

Shelf Control hosted by Lisa of Bookshelf Fantasies "is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers."

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (Vintage, 1987; 296 pgs) ~ Per Goodreads, this is "a poignant story of one college student's romantic coming-of-age, Norwegian Wood takes us to that distant place of a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love."

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (Vintage, 1994; 607 pgs) ~ According to Goodreads, this is an "imaginative novel, which is at once a detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets of World War II."

Kafka On the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Vintage, 2002; 467 pgs) ~ A runaway and an aging simpleton's paths cross, and readers find themselves in "a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder." [as described by Goodreads]

After Dark by Haruki Murakami (Vintage, 2004; 191 pgs) ~ Two sisters are drawn into a nightlife like they have never known. As described by Goodreads, "After Dark moves from mesmerizing drama to metaphysical speculation, interweaving time and space as well as memory and perspective into a seamless exploration of human agency—the interplay between self-expression and empathy, between the power of observation and the scope of compassion and love."

How and When I got them: Kafka On the Shore has been on my TBR shelf since June of 2007, a purchase I made at Barnes and Noble one day based off the recommendation of an online book group friend, Christine. In April of 2008, I received a copy of Norwegian Wood as a gift from a fellow online book group friend, Sylvie. After Dark landed on my TBR shelf in May of 2008 thanks to a purchase made at Borders. And I haven't a clue how or when The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle ended up on my shelf. I imagine I purchased it at some point, unable to help myself. It wasn't a recent purchase, I know.

Why I want to read them: It is curiosity and all the good things I have heard about the author, Haruki Murakami. I mean, Ti of Book Chatter has been singing his praises for as long as I can remember. I am both mesmerized by the descriptions of these books just as I am intimidated by them. Will I fall under Murakami's spell or will his books go right over my head? I will not know until I try. It's just a matter of which book to start with and when will I work up the courage to give his books a try.

Have you read any of this author's books? If so, what did you think? Which one do you think would be the best to start with?

Monday, August 15, 2016

Where Is Your Bookmark? (08/16/2016)

At the moment I am in the middle of Ann Howard Creel's The Whiskey Sea, about a young woman doing what she can to support her younger sister and the man who raised her. She loves being on the water and, with the help of a World War I veteran, learns how to repair boat engines. When that doesn't bring in enough money, she turns to rumrunning during the American Prohibition, a very lucrative, but dangerous trade for anyone, but especially a woman.

Prologue

She opened her eyes to blackness. Salty blackness. She moved her arms against water, then remembered. The ocean. The fight. The flames.

No.

Her arms and legs would not move. She was drowning, falling into the cold depths. Below her, the pull of invisible arms and no light. A silence pure and dark. Her face down, her vision gone, she was plunging fast into infinite time. She could not hold her breath much longer; she was going to die.

and then

Chapter One

1908

When death came to Della Hope, this story begins.

Della never set foot more than a few paces off the waterfront. A sweet little thing with brassy hair and misty green eyes, she made a living off being shapely and willing, with no other means to support herself. As the town whore, she lived above one of the ramshackle dockside establishments and catered to men coming in off a fishing boat, reeking of the sea. Along the way she caught a disease that drove her mad--and then killed her.

Teaser from page 17% of The Whiskey Sea:

She sighed and breathed in, then slowly exhaled. "I've been thinking. Come better weather we should go for the liquor, too."

and at 24%

Anger erupted, and if there had been something there to strike she would've punched it. But instead she sucked in some shaky breaths and willed that urge away. This was a moment for thinking, not losing control.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

From the prologue and then the opening of the first chapter, I was immediately intrigued. My initial thought is the prologue is a foreshadowing of what will come. And I'm already hoping death by drowning is not the fate of the protagonist, Frieda, but only time will tell the further I read. In the opening paragraph of the first chapter, we meet Frieda and Bea's mother, Della--at least briefly. She leaves behind two very young daughters who instantly won over this reader's heart. So far, I am enjoying The Whiskey Sea.

What are you reading at the moment? Is it anything you would recommend?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is Top Ten Series Set in California. I enjoy reading books set outside of the United States very much, but I enjoy reading books set in familiar places. Admittedly, there are many more books I want to read than I actually have read (which, I imagine applies to many books in all types of settings). That list, however, would be too long to post here. Here are some of my favorite series set in California (most of which I am not completely caught up with--yet):

1. Rebecca Chastain's series featuring Madison Fox, a Illuminant Enforcer living and working in Roseville, California (First book: A Fistful of Evil)

2. Carol Higgins Clark's series featuring Regan Reilly, a private investigator based out of Los Angeles, California (First book: Decked)

3. Michael Connelly's series featuring Harry Bosch, a homicide detective in Los Angeles, California (First book: The Black Echo)

4. Michael Connelly's series featuring Mickey Haller, a lawyer in Los Angeles, California (First book: The Lincoln Laywer)

5. Robert Crais's series featuring Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, a pair of Hollywood private eyes, in Los Angeles, California (First book: The Monkey's Raincoat)

6. Sue Grafton's series featuring Kinsey Millhone, a private eye in fictional Santa Teresa, California (First book: A is for Alibi)

7. Tami Hoag's series featuring Tony Mendez, a Sheriff's detective in mid-1980s Oak Knoll, California, in the Oak Knoll mysteries (First book: Deeper Than the Dead)

8. Jonathan Kellerman's series featuring Alex Delaware, a child psychologist in Los Angeles, California (First book: When the Bough Breaks)

9. Lisa Lutz's series featuring Isabele “Izzy” Spellman, a 28-year old sleuth working for her parents’ private investigation firm, in San Francisco, California (First book: The Spellman Files)

10. Jaime Lee Moyer's trilogy set in historical San Francisco, featuring Delia Martin, who can communicate with the dead, and Police Captain Gabriel Ryan (First book: Delia's Shadow)

Do you enjoy reading books set in or around where you live? What are some of your favorite series set near where you live?

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: The Ninja's Daughter by Susan Spann

Knocking echoed through the silent house. ~ Opening of The Ninja's Daughter

The Ninja's Daughter (Shinobi Mystery #4) by Susan Spann

Seventh Street Books, 2016

Crime Fiction (Historical), 230 pgs

The year is 1565, and the political wind in Kyoto is shifting after the recent death of the shogun. Tensions are high and a possible war is on the horizon. An apprentice to a local merchant arrives on the Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo's doorstep early one morning much to Hiro Hattori's chagrin. A girl has been murdered on the banks of the Kamo River. Hiro, a shinobi (ninja) charged with protecting the foreign priest, disguised as a ronin (masterless samurai), takes his job very seriously, and so when Father Mateo decides he will look into the matter despite Hiro's reservations, Hiro knows he must go along. Soon, both men have reasons to start their own investigation, even as they face the wrath of a corrupt Kyoto police force intent on halting the investigation.

The Ninja's Daughter is my first novel by Susan Spann, but it certainly won't be my last. Although fourth in the series, The Ninja's Daughter stands well on its own as a mystery. I admit I am very curious as to how Father Mateo and Hiro's relationship came about and about their previous adventures together. Both are such intriguing characters from Hiro's loyalty and strong sense of justice to Father Mateo's thoughtfulness and caring ways. I also grew quite fond of Ana, the housekeeper, and, of course, Gato, Hiro's cat. I would like to have spent more time getting to know Ana as well as Luis, the Portuguese merchant living with Hiro and Father Mateo--but perhaps I will in earlier books.

Author Susan Spann does not waste words in her novel. This isn't a novel you will find full of description nor much set-up in terms of the setting and time period, and yet, she skillfully creates an image of the time and place the book is set in as well that of her characters. The hierarchy and roles of people and castes, particularly that of the acting guilds, is explained so naturally. It helps too that the priest is a foreigner, new to such ways just as many of us readers might be. I felt like I was right there in the pages of the novel. You get a real sense for who the characters are, and I really appreciated that about this novel.

The Ninja's Daughter is a traditional mystery in many ways, with the protagonists asking questions and putting together the clues they find in hopes of finding out who did what. The deeper they dig, the more they uncover, including that almost everyone seems to be keeping secrets. There is some action, but it is a relatively quiet novel, with some tense moments. Even so, this is a quick read, and it was hard to set the book aside when I was forced to. It's quite a compelling read, and if you are a mystery reader who enjoys historical mysteries, I highly recommend this one.

To learn more about Susan Spann and her work, please visit the author's website. She can also be found on Goodreads and Twitter.

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

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review.

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Sunday Post: A Quiet Olympic Week & August TBR List Winner

Our lovely 90+ weather will be heating up again the next few days for another heat wave. Isn't it sad when "lovely" applies to 90+ degree weather? Anything is better than 109. I am ready for autumn. Although, fall weather doesn't usually take hold here until the beginning of October, and so I am not holding out much hope.

It has been a relatively quiet weekend. We went out for breakfast Saturday morning and then ran a few errands. I don't foresee your Sunday being much different.

What have you been up to this weekend? Are you reading anything you would recommend? Caught any great shows or movies lately?

What I Am Reading: The Olympics have distracted me from my reading, and so it feels like I have gotten hardly any reading done. This past week I finished Susan Spann's The Ninja's Daughter, a mystery set in mid-sixteenth century Japan, my first by the author. I am now reading The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel, another historical novel, this one set during Prohibition about a woman who becomes a rumrunner to support her sisters.

What I Am Listening To: My daughter sing. I still haven't started up another audiobook. I am not sure I will for another month or so as my listening time is next to being nonexistent for the time being.

What I Am Watching: Hoping to talk my daughter into seeing the new Pete's Dragon (the original was one of my favorite childhood movies), I failed miserably, and we ended up seeing Ice Age: Collision Course. The only other mother and child in the theater ended up leaving early when the boy fell asleep (I take it the mother wasn't taken with the movie enough to stay). Mouse was so excited when she realized we were the only two in the theater. The movie was cute, but seemed to run long even for a 94 minute movie. Mouse was more than ready to leave after. She made it clear she didn't want to see another movie that day.

Other than that, I have been watching the Olympic games here and there. I caught some of the gymnastics, beach volleyball, regular volleyball, track and field and a lot of the swimming events--along with a few other sports.

This Past Week In Reading Mews:

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do any of your book club members have a blog? Do you compare notes if they do? (submitted by Elizabeth)

I do not belong to an in-person book club, I'm afraid. However, I do belong to a few online book groups and some of them have book blogs. In fact, it's through them that I discovered book blogging in the first place! I am also part of a Postal Book Club in which we each have chosen a book and it is mailed from member to member throughout the year, along with journals in which we share our thoughts about each book--and so, in that way, yes, we do compare notes. All the members of my Postal Book Club are book bloggers, as a matter of fact, and I follow each of their blogs.

What about you? Are you in a book club? If so, do any of the members blog?

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month.

The winner is:

Lost in Geeklandia by E.J. Russell

It was a very close race this time around. Two of the books were tied most of the week, and the winner only came ahead by one vote. Thank you every one who took the time to vote! Two of you voted for Club Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen, ten for Daphne Lamb's The Girl's Guide to the Apocalypse, and there were eleven votes for Lost in Geeklandia by E.J. Russell. I told my husband going in that that book I was hoping would win probably would get the least among of votes just because of the cover alone, and I wasn't far off (although I can't say it was because of the cover specifically). Regardless, I am looking forward to reading Lost in Geeklandia. It promises to be a light and romantic read, which is just what I'm in the mood for.

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

Tonight, I will do the impossible. ~ Opening of The Magician's Lie

Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

Sourcebooks Landmark, 2015

Fiction (Historical); 320 pgs
Source: E-Copy provided by Publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Magic of all kinds fascinates me. Whether the kind you find in fantasy novels or the more realistic illusionist kind, which is what you find in The Magician's Lie. Set in the late 19th century, The Magician's Lie is a novel about survival at all costs. The Amazing Arden, the country's most notorious illusionist, has one night to convince small town police officer Virgil Holt to let her go after her husband has been found murdered.

The Magician's Lie felt less like a mystery to me than it did a rags to riches sort of story, with suspense built in. The now famous Arden begins her story in childhood, taking the reader through her beginnings up through her successful career. She talks about the hardships she faced, including her relationship with her mother, her cousin Ray, and her broken heart. Her stage name of the Amazing Arden suits her. She is a resilient and clever, creative and thoughtful. The novel is set up so the reader is unsure whether to completely trust Arden as she shares her story with Virgil. How much, if any, is just a story she is telling to get out of her current situation? Or is it all true? Virgil is skeptical and yet a part of him wants to believe. For if her story is, in fact, true, perhaps she has something to offer him he desperately needs.

I found it impossible not to root for Arden all along the way. I understood her reluctance to love again, her strong belief in self-reliance, and her fear of the shadows of her past. As for Virgil, I felt for him too. He is in a difficult position, having lost hope, but wanting to find that hope again. He is at a crossroads, as is Arden.

The author's attention to historical detail shines through in capturing the mood and tone of the day. I especially liked that she interspersed truth with fiction, with a nod to the famous female illusionist Adelaide Hermann, who makes an appearance in the novel. Greer Macallister's writing is compelling, and perhaps infused with a little magic of its own the way the book kept me under its spell.

To learn more about Greer Macallister and her work, please visit the author's website.

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Shelf Control: Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Years ago I kept a spreadsheet of all of my TBR books. Any time a new book came into the house, it immediately was entered on the spreadsheet. Then my computer was stolen, and along with it my TBR list. Fortunately, I had a back up. Unfortunately, I had not backed it up in quite a while and so the copy that saved was quite old. With the loss of my original list, I lost my motivation to continue with the list further. It could have been too because I had a baby and was in the process of moving around that time too.

I recently re-discovered that old TBR list. Some books I have since read. Others I passed along after losing interest in them. It has been fun going through the list. I not only tracked the date when and location where I got a particular book, but I also sometimes listed who recommended the book, including links to blogs. Sadly, many of the book bloggers who recommended the books on my list no longer blog.

Shelf Control hosted by Lisa of Bookshelf Fantasies "is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers."

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald (Simon & Schuster, 1996; 512 pgs)

Synopsis from Goodreads:

They are the Pipers of Cape Breton Island -- a family steeped in lies and unspoken truths that reach out from the past, forever mindful of the tragic secret that could shatter the family to its foundations.

Chronicling five generations of this eccentric clan, Fall On Your Knees follows four remarkable sisters whose lives are filled with driving ambition, inescapable family bonds, and forbidden love. Their experiences will take them from their stormswept homeland, across the battlefields of World War I, to the freedom and independence of Jazz-era New York City.

Compellingly written, running the literary gamut from menacingly dark to hilariously funny, this is an epic saga of one family's trials and triumphs in a world of sin, guilt, and redemption.

How I got it: I bought my copy of this book from Amazon. It came highly recommended by a fellow reader and former blogger, Lisa of Breaking the Fourth Wall. A lot of books landed on my TBR pile because of her.

When I got it: May, 2007

Why I want to read it: Several years ago I read Ann-Marie MacDonald's novel The Way the Crow Flies, which I loved. More than loved. It is one of several books that has remained on my all-time favorite lists for years now. You would think that would make me want to pick Fall On Your Knees right away, wouldn't you? And yet I haven't. The size and fear of being disappointed after loving her other book have made me hesitate to pick this one up to read. I hear it's even better than The Way the Crow Flies. And it's shorter. Both good reasons to want to read this one.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? Should I move it up in my TBR pile?