THE DIVINERS / Libba Bray / 578 pages / First Book in a Series / Scotish-Irish Challenge (Evangeline Mary O'Neill AND Will Fitzgerald!)

The Diviners is the first in a historical fantasy series set in New York City during 1926 which centers on Evie O'Neill, a self-styled flapper with a talent for 'reading' objects. Her most recent use of this 'talent' ended with her being sent away from home to live with her Uncle Will Fitzgerald, curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult; more commonly called 'the Museum of the Creepy Crawlies'.

Seventeen year-old Evie is eager to explore all aspects of life in the big city. So when her Unc' Will is called to assist the police with a murder investigation, she can hardly wait to help out. Little does Evie know that she's not the only one with a special talent (a diviner) or that the so-called Pentacle Killer is more even dangerous than anyone could have ever thought.

Readers who enjoy Bray's other titles (the Gemma Doyle Trilogy; Going Bovine, or Beauty Queens) or who like to explore Prohibition-era settings, slang and all, should enjoy Libba Bray's occult mystery and will look forward to the next in the series.

Appeal Terms: Sassy, suspenseful, intricate.

LOVER AT LAST / J. R. Ward / 591 pages

Lover At Last is the 11th novel in Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood paranormal romance series. The story centers around the romance between Qhuinn and Blaylock but also continues to develop the political plotline regarding the attempt on the life and kingship of Wrath, leader of the vampire race and of the Brotherhood.

Qhuinn is going to be a father through his connection to Layla, one of the chosen, although in his heart he still longs for Blay. Blay has moved on and found a new companion in Saxton but then why does seeing Qhuinn with Layla still bother him.

Fans of the series will see how Qhuinn and Blay finally come together as a couple and learn of a new development in the dangerous battle with Xcor and his Band of Bastards for leadership of the vampire race. Ward even introduces some other romantic couple possibilities which she may be planning to explore in future titles in the series.

Appeal Terms: Fast-paced, steamy, violent

A '6 DEGREES OF READING' connection: Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann is a romance which deals with personal issues, tolerance, has some political conflict thrown into the mix, and is part of a long running series.

[6 Degrees of Reading is similar to the game '6 degrees of Kevin Bacon' but with books. Select an aspect of the current title which is shared in another title and describe the connection using a single sentence.  Source : http://www.readersadvisoronline.com/ranews/mar2007/cords.html]

Into the Wild / Jon Krakauer / 207 pgs.

Jon Krakauer's account of Christopher McCandless' doomed venture into the Alaskan wilderness will certainly strike a chord in the souls of those who foster a wanderlust or yearning to see what lies beyond the sometimes suffocating constraints of life in contemporary society. While Krakauer portrays McCandless as a resourceful idealist on a quest for self-discovery as opposed to a reckless narcissist whose foolishness ultimately led to his demise, it is not difficult to imagine either.

Given the facts as presented by Krakauer, it appears that McCandless was in fact a clever young man who survived an impressively long time under the near worst of circumstances. Had it not been for a freak occurrence, he would have probably lived to tell the tale of his struggle with nature.

If nothing else, it is clear that McCandless did arrive at some life-changing realizations before meeting his demise, which I'd like to think made the journey worthwhile in his eyes.

World War Z / Max Brooks / 342 pgs

On its surface, World War Z seems like just another entry in the expanding zombie-fiction genre, but underneath, it is actually a sly commentary about the diversity of the world's different cultures and how we all react and deal differently with crisis.

Instead of a central plot, the story is told through a series of vignettes of survivors' stories, ten years after a global zombie epidemic. There is no main character except for the unseen narrator, described as a UN worker who has compiled the series of survivor interviews. His voice is unobtrusive, used minimally, and only serves to move the stories along. Through the interviews, we get individual accounts of how the zombie war transpired from various viewpoints all over the world. We also get insight into how different individuals and governments effectively dealt with, or mismanaged the crisis - from Japan to India, Iceland, Cuba, Russia, Brazil, United States, etc.

The book paces itself nicely by first describing the initial confusion and ignorance about what is happening, then travels through the thick of things when the epidemic is at its worst, then ends with the eventual control of the situation and delves into the various ways society changed and adapted in the aftermath.

The individual stories portray the horrors that people experienced on a personal level, as well as give insight as to how things were dealt with politically and militarily. Through its mode of storytelling, it manages to explore the different ways we react to epic catastrophe on an individual level as well as a collective basis, while also touching upon the fog of war and the confusion that stems from panic and misinformation.

World War Z was an easy read due to its short bursts of rotating stories. The accounts are realistic and have a sense of urgency and dread. The book is definitely a fun read, but it also contains a deceptively subtle subtext about world cultures, the human condition and history.

Six Years / Harlan Coben / 351 pgs.

“Six Years”  is an excellent thriller about a man who will do anything for love. Jake Fisher fell in love with Natalie Avery one summer while he was writing his thesis and she was attending an art camp. She left him at the end of that summer to marry another man--Todd Sanderson. He promised to leave them alone and never try to contact her.

Now six years have passed and he sees her groom's obituary on the front page of their college website. For Jake, all bets are off. He needs to see if Natalie was willing to rekindle their relationship. He feels that he was only leading half a life during the past years. But when he attends Todd Sanderson's funeral he is surprised that the widow is not Natalie. This starts him on a quest to find Natalie but he encounters road block after road block.

Jake also attracts the attention of the mafia, various police officers, and the FBI. Despite being beaten, kidnapped, and shot, Jake continues to follow all the clues to find out what happened to the only woman he had ever loved.

The story is told in first person as though Jake is talking to the reader including various asides. We get to follow along as he uncovers clues and conspiracies and as he uncovers secrets and betrayals. The style of the book is engaging and engrossing. It was a real page-turner that kept me up later than I should have been up. Jake was a great hero--an ordinary man who gets in way over his head and perseveres because of his great love for Natalie.

Tease/Suzanne Forster/377pgs

A spicy read from Suzanne Forster - Tess Wakefield a L.A. girl is starting a new advertising job in N.Y.
and she has sworn off anything to do with men. Until of course she meets her colleague Danny Gabriel.
Danny is handsome  and a genius in advertising but she feels threatened by him. At the same time
she is consumed by dreams of him. He leads her to an exotic club in Manhattan were anything
is possible. Will she run or will she stay? Love the characters in this book and how Tess
often talks to herself. Great for fans of the Fifty Shades series.

Speaking From Among the Bones / Alan Bradley/ 378 p / Set in England, a country that oppressed both the Irish and the Scottish! (too much of a stretch?)

Another fantastic Flavia de Luce mystery in which our intrepid 11-year-old heroine solves a murder in the surprisingly deadly, quiet, little town of Bishop's Lacey. This time, the organist is discovered dead in the crypt when the parish elders decide to dig up the remains of St. Tancred, patron saint of the village church. The murder mystery wraps up neatly, but Alan Bradley surprises with a cliffhanger ending that has me dying for the next book...which, which my luck, won't be out for years and years!

Outlander / Diana Gabaldon / 627 pgs. / Scottish - Irish Challenge

What can I say about this book besides "Awesome" and "Well Written"?  The author, Diana Gabaldon, has a wonderful talent for storytelling and she can evoke the feeling of a time and place for a reader with her words.

This book has it all: time-travel, romance, true love, battles, raids, Witch trials, a prison break, sword fighting, torture, family feuds, a wedding and other celebrations.  And the characters are flawed which make them more believable.  There is so much about the book that you can talk about as you really do feel (as one of my coworkers described it to me) like you are on a rollercoaster with all of the ups and downs in the events in the story.    

The writing reminds me of Jean Auel's "Clan of the Cave Bear" series, where the books are long and detailed, but there is so much going on that you don't notice the length.  I guess it goes without saying, I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but would caution that there are some very gory descriptions of violence.


 

Sophie's Lucky / Dick King-Smith / 108 pages / Scotland

This is the sixth book in a series describing the antics of a headstrong seven year old named Sophie.   Sophie knows exactly what she want to be when she grows up - a lady farmer.  She has decided that she will marry her friend, Andrew, because his father owns a farm and when he dies it will be Andrew's.  Sophie and her family visit her great-great aunt at her farm in the Scottish Highlands on sumer holiday.  Sophie, of course, loves the farm and the pony, Lucky, who belongs to the family renting and working the farm.  When Sophie's great aunt dies, the house, farm, and pony come to Sophie's family.

Isabella" A Wish for Miguel, Peru, 1920 / Shirlee Newman / 70 pages / First Book in a Series

Childhood Journeys Book 1
This is a work of historical fiction very similar to the American Girl books. There is even a doll collection that accompanies the series.  Life on young Isabella's hacienda has changed with the death of her mother.  Her fathers is sad and distant.  One of the hacienda's sheep shearers has been called to work in the mines.  This is often a death sentence as one half of the Incans called to duty either die or become ill.  Miguel's mother, Yma, will soon be just as sad as Isabella's father.  Isabella determines to see the viceroy and ask for an exemption for Miguel.  The book, written in diary format, has a very informative historical afterword and glossary of Spanish terms.

The Trouble with Violet / Anne Mazer / 95 pages / First Book in a Series

Sister Magic #1
"One simple word, with 5 ordinary letters, explained every confusing, befuddling, and extraordinary event of the last few days."  Magic.  Mabel and Violet were as different as two sisters can be.  Mabel was 8, neat, organized, always did her chores, and helped in her father's store.  Violet was 5, messy, colorful, rambunctious...and magic.  Although she cannot yet read, she read far more in the book of fairy tales sent by Uncle Vartan than Mabel does.  This is a cute book illustrating functional family dynamics, sibling relations, and a family secret.  Loved the artist's rendition of Violet, but I though she looked a little young for 5, and Mabel looked too old for 8. 

New Kid at School / K. H. McMullan / 91 pages / First Book in a Series

Dragon Slayers' Academy #1
Wiglaf was different from his twelve brothers.  He was small for his age, had hair the color of carrots, and he could not bear to see any creature suffer.  Sometimes he dreamed he would one day become a mighty hero.  A wandering minstrel, who had spent the winter in Wiglaf's pig sty, told Wiglaf stories of dragons and their secrets, taught Wiglaf to read and write, and foretold that Wiglaf would, indeed, one day be a hero.  On the way to the Pinwick Fair, the family passes the village message tree and its notice describing Dragon Slayers' Academy.  It is determined that Wiglaf should go as he in the most useless of the brothers.  En route, he encounters Zelnoc, a wizard of soemwhat questionable powers, who gives Wiglaf a bent magic sword, and bespells Daisy, Wiglaf's pig, to speak pig Latin, ...and the rest is history.  Can a dragon be killed with bad jokes?....Queen Barb & King Ken?!

"NOS4A2 : a novel" By: Joe Hill 692pages

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it's across Massachusetts or across the country. Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing--and terrifying--playground of amusements he calls "Christmasland." Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble--and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx's unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He's on the road again and he's picked up a new passenger: Vic's own son.

One of Joe Hill's best works (and that's saying A LOT). Reminds me of his father.

Plugged / Eoin Colfer / 277 pages / Frist Book in a Series

This is Eoin Colfer's first book for adults and I totally enjoyed it.  It is clever and witty and funny and suspenseful, and you will drfinitely want to continue Daniel McEvoy's story in Screwed.

"World War Z" Max Brooks 342 pages

"The end was near." -Voices from the Zombie War The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years. Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War. Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, "By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?"


Very good read. Not your typical Zombie book. I wish I had two more arms so I can give this book four thumbs up!  

Pure Dead Magic / Debi Gliori / 248 pages / Scotland

Oh my Gosh!!  School Library Journal was right!  This book is "Pure dead fun!"  Author Debi Gliori, who spent her teenagehood in Glasgow, Scotland, said that pure dead was "the phrase employed to reassure, flatter, and smooth."  It means "very fine indeed, verging on excellent."  "Pure dead anything is a Glaswegian way of underlining your point."  Set in a Scottish schloss, Pure Dead Magic is pure dead entertainment.  Cleverly written, it is the stroy of twelve year old Titus, 10 year old Pandora, 14 month old Damp, their parents, their most unusual nanny, computer technology, a croc in the moat and three most unusual pets - Knot, the Yeti, Sab the griffon, and FFup, the dragon.  Damp is inadvertently shrunk and emailed, the father is kidnapped, Damp is rescued by a talking spider, the mother is going to witch school, and the nanny, in addition to her remarkable skills, owns and uses an incredible magic compact.

Temptation / Jude Deveraux / 346 pages / Scotland

Temperance O'Neill is fighting for women's rights.  Her speaking engagements are well-attended and hats are her icon.  When her mother, Melanie, marries a traditional, old-fashioned Scotsman, Angus McCaron, he demands that Temperance move with them to Scotland, as she is unmarried.  Since Angus now controls the money left her by her father, she has no choice but to follow them to Scotland.  She make his life miserable.  The house is always filled with her acquaintances and she spends, spends, spends.  In a mutally benefiial attempt to get rid of her, he sends her to his nephew, Laird Jamie McCaron.  Jamie is a rather poor sheep farmer, but beloved by the local populace.  If Jamie could find the treasure reported to have been hidden by his grandmother, he would be wealthy.  Unfortunately, he might lose everything he has if he does not marry for true love before his next birthday.  Temperance is sent to find him a wife.  It's not easy...but rather enjoyable...

Ferno the Fire Dragon / Adam Blade / 78 pages / First Book in a Series

Beast Quest 1
Tom was training to be a blacksmith, but longed to be a knight on a quest.  His village, Errinel, and the surrounding countryside is blanketed with smoke and is suffering drought.  The Dark Wizard, Malvel, has placed an evil spell on the beasts and it is the Fire Dragon that is causing the problems.  Tom has a wizard's assistant (Aduro), a lifelike 3-D map (It moves.), a stallion named Storm, and Elenna's vast knowledge of Avantia to aid  him on his quest.

Birthmarked / Caragh M. O'Brien / 361 pages / First Book in a Series

In this dystopian novel set in the future, sixteen year old Gaia Stone serves as a midwife, following in her mother's footsteps.  It is her duty to advance the first three babies she delivers each month to the Enclave.    Her mother and father have been arrested for questioning, leaving a secret packet of papers behind for Gaia.  Gaia has lived outside the Enclave her entire life.  An accident with hot wax when she was ten months old left her face scarred and ineligible for advancement.  Gaia goes to the Enclave to discover the fate of her parents. She learns that they are to be executed.  She tries to save them and becomes ensnared in the politics of the Enclave.  Her birthmarks - or freckles, her father's love of code and fine stitchery, her relationship with the Protectorat's son, and Gaia's resourcefulness and bravery are carefully interwoven into this futurist medical thriller.

"Even the worst feeling, with time and familiarity, became tolerable."

Iron-Hearted Violet / Kelly Rega Barnhill / 424 pages / Fairy Tale

Iron-Hearted Violet wishes to be a fairy tale princess - beautiful.  Instead she is plain.  She and her friend ,Demetrius, are captivated by the power of the stories told by the ancient storyteller.  (It is, in fact, the storyteller himself who tells us the story of Iron-Hearted Violet.)  He cautions them not to mention the thirteenth god.  It is a name never utterted.  The multiverse would not approve.  Unfortunately, the thirteenth god is wiley and cunning, and Violet nearly destroys her kingdom with her desire for beauty.  This is a clever story about the value of stories, and listening and heeding good advice.  It is also a story of the last dragon, friendship, self-sacrifice, forgiveness and love.

The Problem Child / Michael Buckley / 292 pages

Problem Child is the 3rd book in the amazing Sisters Grimm series.  I listened to the audio recording by L. J. Ganser and gleefully recommend listening to the books.  The Grimm Family and the Ever Afters must defend their town from the psychotic Little Red Riding Hood and her pet kitty, the deadly Jabberwocky.  These books have lots of humor, action, creative use of fairy tale and folktale characters, and insightful messages about human nature and the impact of our choices.  Can't wait to start the 4th book, Once Upon a Crime!

Vintage Ladybug Farm / Donna Ball / 304 pages

The Ladybug Farm books are great chick lit.  Three women purchase a rundown mansion and proceed to refurbish it and find new skills, interests and hobbies.  This is the 5th book in the series and Lindsay, CiCi and Bridget must deal with big changes in their lives as well as starting up the old Blackwell Winery.  Great fun, interesting characters, and a feel good book about the value of friendship.

The Chaperone/Laura Moriarty/371 pages

Cora Carlisle is a traditional thirty-something housewife from Wichita when she accepts the job as chaperone for the stunning, irreverent Louise Brooks. Louise has just been accepted into a prestigious dance school in New York City and the two spend five weeks together that will change both of their lives. The story is set in the 1920s, an era of silent film stars and prohibition but the novel encompasses 50 years of Cora's life.  After her trip to New York and finally meeting her birth mother, she returns to the Midwest a very different woman, but she spends her whole life looking for happiness, while conforming to the norms of society during  those times in history.

The Probability of Miracles/Wendy Wunder/ 360 pages

Grab the tissue box! This is one of those teen books where you have already guessed the ending, but you keep hoping for a "miracle".  When a book starts with "She hoped this is what it would  feel like in heaven", you know it can't end well. Cam is a sixteen year old that has spent the last seven years in and out of hospitals. She is crossing things off her "flamingo list" and the last thing she wants to do is move 1600 miles away to a town called Promise, Maine, a place known for miraculous events. The story has wit, romance, humor and a cast of quirky characters. Cam did find her own little miracles and the story will touch your heart. Similar to John Green's, The Fault in Our Stars and Before I Die by Jenny Downham, but not near as heavy or sad.

Untouched / Anna Campbell / 373 pages

     I was watching the news on CNN one night and becoming increasingly anxious over the information coming out in Cleveland with the three girls held captive for eleven years.  I knew there was no way I was going to sleep soon.  Then I remembered that I had a light romance novel that I had had for quite some time.  The person recommending the book described it as amusing or something like that.  Okay, perfect escape.  I started the book.
Chapter 1:  Young widow is kidnapped and taken to an estate (England) where there is no escape.  She is "given" to a young man who is also a prisoner.  His uncle keeps him captive and he has not escaped in eleven years!  Great.  Just the kind of light reading that will take my mind off being held captive.
     I did become sucked into the vortex of the story.  How will Grace escape?  How will they be able to remain "pure" and how soon will the story get really steamy?  (at the half-way mark, as rules of Romance novels dictate.)  Of course they will need to escape eventually from the very evil uncle and his evil thugs.
     I did like the characters.  The guy was kind of an ideal type of super smart, nice, cute etc. despite his having been labeled insane.  She was also a quite nice person.  They did certainly have quite a tussel with their libido vs. what they thought was the "right" thing to do.  It was set in the 1800's so it was appropriate to the time period.
     Two thumbs up!

Scandal/Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur/326 pages

Callie Andrews, when we last left her, had been accused of being the Ivy Insider, the person who was writing articles exposing the seedier side of the Hasty Pudding Club at Harvard. She suspects her archrival Lexi is behind it all, but how to prove it? And to top it all off, Gregory, her almost boyfriend has disappeared to avoid the questions about his father's questionable finances. The four roommates plus the three boys from across the hall band together to figure out what's what.

I started this series when I was sick last month and finished it this month while fighting off yet another nasty bug. This was the perfect thing to read while recovering. My other choice would have been The Poisonwood Bible which I'm reading (and not really into) for my book club next month.

Fables: The Mean Seasons (Vol. 5) / Bill Willingham / 166 pgs. / Fairy Tales Challenge

The battle is over and the war is on pause, for now, but time and life is moving on.  Fabletown is preparing for a mayoral election; and Bigby (the Big Bad Wolf) and Snow White are awaiting the birth of their babies. 

This volume has a great backstory about Bigby's service during WWII, with lots of action behind enemy lines.  It also focuses more on the characters as fabletown is changing and the birth of the babies are changing the lives of the major players.  Its a nice break from the War storyline, since no matter what awful things happen life still does go on.

The Seduction of Elliot McBride / Jennifer Ashley / 309 pgs. / Scottish/Irish Fiction Challenge

btw: I chose this book because

he looked like he has a great

personality.

Juliana St. John is jilted at the alter, so instead of facing embarrassment she quickly asks her longtime friend Elliot McBride to marry her.  Having been in love with Juliana his entire life, Elliot acquiesces. 
Elliot, however has just returned from fighting with the British army in India and has severe post traumatic stress syndrome.  Juliana spends much of her time at first trying to "fix" Elliot through her "love", but ultimately learns that she can't change him back to the way he was before the war, only understand and care for the person he is now. 

A good message, and an important topic; its just the book was so over the top cheesy it made it almost comical.  Granted I do not know how PTSD works, but it seemed a bit much when one "trigger" word would send the hero back to the memories of the cave where he was held and tortured.  Even if that is how PTSD works and a person can just flip out and start attacking people, other elements in the story were overdramatic.  My favorite being at the climax of the story Elliot has run off into the woods and the heroine Juliana is running through the rain searching for him to let him know how much she Luvvvvesss him, and how that will make everything better. 

Yeah, I probably missed the point of this book.  If you have an hour ask me what I really thought of this book.  ;)        

Whiskey Beach/Nora Roberts/484 pgs.

I like the premise of Nora Roberts newest novel, I'm just not sure how much I like the main female character, Abra Walsh--she's a little bit too "New Age" for me. Anyway, Eli Landon has come home to Bluff House, which sits above Whiskey Beach. His grandmother had an "accident" and was recuperating with Eli's parents in Boston. As a result, Eli is taking care of Bluff House for her. Since he wasn't found guilty of his wife's murder over a year ago, this seems like a good time to try to get his life back on track. It's at Bluff House that he meets Abra Walsh, a "Jill" of all trades who has promised Eli's grandmother that she would keep an eye on him, plus continue to clean the house, feed him, conduct yoga classes, and make jewelry! When Eli and Abra discover that someone has been digging in the basement of Bluff House, it becomes evident that there is more going on than meets the eye. Roberts provides a story involving murder, suspense, injustice, and of course, romance. It's a fast read and entertaining--I just couldn't cozy up to Abra!

The Doll/Taylor Stevens/335 pgs.

This is Stevens' third novel featuring Vanessa "Michael" Munroe, a character similar to Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander. The book hits the ground running, and doesn't let up until the very end! "Michael" Munroe is abducted in front of her workplace--the workplace owned by her "boyfriend," Miles Bradford. The man known as the Doll Maker wants Michael to transport a Hollywood starlet to the man who has "purchased" her. The Doll Maker runs a very profitable business selling girls to the highest bidders. This is what Munroe, and eventually, Bradford are up against. I had really enjoyed Stevens' The Informationist, but felt she had fallen somewhat short with The Innocent. She is back on track, and then some, with The Doll. Highly recommended!

Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers (vol. 4) / Bill Willingham / 231 pgs / Fairy Tales Challenge

The evil empire known as "The Adversary" has found Fabletown and has begun their attack.  An army of Pinocchio-like wooden soldiers have descended on Fabletown and it is up to the residents to figure out how to destroy the puppets without destroying their town or letting the human world find out about them and the war.  The Fables are also wondering who made these puppets? and does this mean that Pinocchio's maker Gepetto is still alive? and is he working for the Adversary? 

Great artwork, snarky commentary, lots of action.  My only complaint is the Wooden Soldiers were annoying.  They are single minded so their comments are short and terse and just got on my nerves after awhile because of the repetitiveness of the dialog. 

Secrets of an Organized Mom / Barbara Reich / 240 pgs

Barbara Reich is a professional organizer and she has a 4 step plan for cleaning up your clutter and staying organized.  1. purge 2. design 3. organize and 4. maintain.  She repeats this mantra throughout the book as she walks you through the main areas of your house and gives tips and ideas on what you can throw out, keep, and where and how to store things.  This book is less preachy and philosophical and doesn't waste time asking you why you have so much stuff, which is actually quite refreshing.  Instead Ms. Reich gets right to it with checklists and brief bullet points to let you deal with the clutter problem you have now. 

I want to buy my own copy of this book to use for personal reference, but I'll have to remember to keep it at the top of my pile of clutter so I don't lose it.  :)

Winter of the World / Ken Follett / 940 pages

Sigh...that's what I did when this book ended.  In book two of the Century Trilogy, Follett brings to life the years 1933-1949 in America, Britain, Germany & Russia with characters whose lives and families are intertwined.  Follett is truly a master of historical fiction, bringing his readers right into the hearts of the characters and the events of this period.  As a reader you will be living in Berlin in fear of the Gestapo and raging against the Nazis, you will look into the hearts of the Russians who deal with Stalin and love their country but are disillusioned with communism, you will see the differences between the classes in Britain, and you will be part of the politics of America.  No telling when book three will be on the horizon, but I will be awaiting the next book with great anticipation.

Zebra Forest / Adina Rishe Gewirtz / 200 pages

This book begs to be discussed.  The plot is very unique for a children's book.  The characters are well drawn and react very differently to a hostage situation.  Think what it would be like if the first few pages of the story of your life are missing and what you know to be your story is a lie.  Two young children are pretty much on their own as they live with their reclusive and ill grandmother near the edge of the Zebra Forest, a refuge of birch and oak trees.  Life as they know it ends when an escaped prisoner takes them hostage and the prisoner turns out to be their father who they thought to be dead.  You read it and tell me what you think!

We're So Close....

My Precious Trophy!  We Wants it, We Needs it!

READERS, we are currently tied for 1st place in the Missouri Book Challenge !!! 

But we are not out of the Woods yet, we really need to continue to keep up our high reading scores.  The team we are tied with this year is The River Readers, who are from the Missouri River Regional Library District.  It's a tough team with 20 regular readers and they mean business. 

But so Do WE!  So Keep Calm, and Read on, and threaten encourage your teammates.  Remind them that there will be a TROPHY awarded this year at the annual MLA conference in ST. LOUIS!!!  We Can DO THIS!!!


(Okay, okay, yes I added this picture on the left, just to have something a little more pleasant to look at.  *sigh*  READ and BLOG or I will sick Gollum on you! Bwahahahahaha!!)

The New Kid at School (Dragon Slayer' Academy, vol. 1) / Kate McMullan / 109 pgs. / 1st in a Series

Wiglaf is a small, scrawny, boy who gets picked on by his older brothers and is forced to do all of the household chores.  To change his destiny, he leaves home and joins Dragon Slayers' Academy where he will learn to slay dragons and collect their horde.  With his trusty pet pig by his side he is off for adventure and learn to become a hero.

Kids will enjoy this funny, entertaining read.  The adult characters are a bit mean and cartoony, reminiscent of Rohl Dahl books.  The book has plenty of action and funny over the top antics that will make younger kids laugh, and some inside jokes for the adults. 

Dawn of the Arcana (vol. 1) / Rei Toma / 187 pgs. / 1st in a Series!

Princess Nakaba is in a forced arranged marriage with Prince Caesar in order to keep their two warring countries at peace for a few years.  Prince Caesar is powerful and handsome, but also selfish and possessive.  He constantly berates and teases Nakaba and tries to control her.  Nakaba's only friend is her loyal servant Loki.  Loki is in the lowest class of society as he is half human and half dog, but he is willing to do anything to protect her.

This series is setting up for a love triangle that teen girls will love.  Although I am not excited about the idea that the princess will feel attracted to the powerful, good looking, but controlling, mean jerk of a prince.  The idea that the worse the guy treats the girl the more she wants him is NOT the message I would want to be sending.   But, I may be assuming to much, time will tell, that is if I continue to read this series.

After Visiting With Friends / Michael Hainey / 299 pages /  Nonfiction

Michael Hainey is on a quest.  His father died when Michael was a young child.  As a grown up, he is troubled by the circumstance concerning his father's death.  Things do not add up.  Michael, a reporter, begins his own investigation of what happened the night his father died.  Along the way he learns to see both his father and his  mother in a new light.

After Visiting With Friends was recommended to me because the story takes place in Chicago.  What struck me most about this book was Michael's determination to solve the mystery of his father's death, even when those he questions are less than forthcoming.  Michael also shows how the world of reporters and police officers dramatically changed in the 1960's.

Secret Pearl / Mary Balogh 410 p.

When Fleur is the end of her rope, she turns to the oldest profession to support herself.  When she accepts a position as governess to Lady Pamela, she believes all is behind her.  The stranger she doesn't think to see again turns out to be her married employer.  She is very wary of him.  She does come to see another good side of him.  His wife sees a little and believes more--wants Fleur fired for sleeping with the Duke.  If only she knew how they meet... Very very slowly a romance builds.  I like how Mary Balogh shows romantic characters with imperfections and in non-traditional situations.

First Prophet / Kay Hooper 390 p.

First in the Bishop Files series.

Sarah Gallagher woke from a coma with a special new ability--she develops skills as a psychic.  When her home is destroyed by fire, Tucker Mackenzie comes into her world.  He gains her confidence and finds out what she is 'learning' with her special ability. Immediately they seek to uncover the secret organization that goes after psychics.  I liked this because it was fast paced and suspenseful.  Slowly the "good" guys were revealed.  The bad guys were not totally eliminated leaving more to be revealed in a later book.  It may be helpful to read to understand the role of Bishop in the story.

'The Bishop Files' are a companion series to 'Bishop special crimes unit'.

The Boggart / Susan Cooper / 196 pages / Scotland

Emily's family has inherited a castle in Scotland.  They couldn't begin to keep it as her parents' jobs are in the States and the castle would require too much for upkeep.  It will have to be sold.  Emily's mother allows each family member to choose one piece of furniture from the castle to have shipped home to the States.  Emily chooses an old rolltop desk.  Unfortunately, the castle boggart stows away in the desk.  This invisible mischievous spirit loves practical jokes and tends to cause havock.  Can Emily find a way to ship him back to Scotland?  Will he go?  The Boggart is a fun read, a bit of old Scotland, and a reminder that people may not always share your sense of humor or adventure.

Kill Me Softly / Sarah Cross / 331 pages / Fairy Tale

Mirabelle runs away just before her sixteenth birthday.  Her past is shrouded in secrecy, and her guardians, her godmothers, are extraordinarily protective.  She runs to Beau Rivage, the site of her parents' death by fire when she was just three months old.  She longs to find her parents' grave and pay her respects.  Felix agrees to help her.  At the casino and among his friends, Mirabelle discovers she is part of world where fairy tales have come true.  Romatics kill with love.  She finds that "love just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns."

The Great Unexpected / Sharon Creech / 226 pages / Ireland

"Did a delicate cobweb link us all, silky lines trailing through the air?"  "Call it coincidence, fate, or just old-fashioned magic, but the characteres in Sharon Creech's latest novel are connected to one another."  -Booklist.  Two orphan girls live in the town of Balckbird Tree.  Naomi Deane is curious and has a knack for being around when trouble happens, and her friend, Lizzie Scatterding "could talk the ears off a cornfield."  The girls volunteer to help the poor, old, unfortunates (cranky senior citizens) who serendipitously help to tie up loose ends.  We have two Finn boys - one who drops out of trees, and one who caused the alienation of two sisters.  This story of how the girls came to inherit a great Irish estate is most enjoyable.

Bloodland / Alan Glynn / 364 pages / Ireland

Winner of the Ireland Crime Fiction Award, Bloodland is a complex story featuring a confusing cast of characters and a pot pourri plot.  When economies, markets, and newspapers experience difficulty, young journalist Jimmy Gilroy is anxious to save his career.  He decides to write a biography of Susie Monaghan, a soap opera star on the cusp of stardom when she was tragically killed in a helicopter accident.  A friend tries to discourage his writing and research and suggests that he interview and help the ex-Prime Minister of Ireland write his memoirs.  Drunk, the ex-Prime Minister suggests that the helicopter crash was no accident.  Of course, now Jimmy's newsman nose is on the trail of a big story.  What really happened at the Fifth International Conference of Corporate and Business Ethnics held at Drumcoolie Castle?

The Right Attitude to Rain / Alexander McCall Smith / 470 pages / Scotland

I was a bit disappointed in this book.  It was described as a mystery, but I found very little of the mysterious here.  Mostly this is a philosophical diatribe on the prudence of forming a relationship with a younger man and the ramifications thereof.  Isabel Dalhousie overthinks the situation perhaps, but her thoughtful musings are insightful.  We learn all about trolls.  They can be beguiled by music, kept at bay by fire, and turned to stone by the sun.  The reappearance of the princesses in a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

The Belonging Place / Jean Little / 124 pages / Scotland

This is the "story of Elspet Mary Gordon, who was born Elspet Mary Iveson on January 2, 1832, in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, and how she first became an orphan and then found a new family and travelled with them to a far country (Canada), where she found, at last, her heart's home, the place where she belonged."  Jean Little tells us in the Prelude that she probably would never have told this story if she hadn't fallen off the haywagon six years after the story ends.  She wrote it while incapacited.  This is a heart-warming story of family, mother's love, and new beginnings.

The Yard / Alex Grecian / 422 pages / First Book in a Series

The Yard - Scotland, has an amazing cast of characters - a kidnapped boy, a murdered chimney sweep, a tailor who kills police and stuffs them into trunks to avoid detection, a pair of bearded men-murdering prostitutes who are avenging an attack by Jack the Ripper, Saucy Jack, a detective new to The Yard, and his astute wife, and a doctor/medical examiner who is well ahead of his time.  Dr. Kingsley has been corresponding with a man named Henry Faulds.  He is a Scottish missionary who has spent some time in the Orient who "has been petitioning The Yard of late with a notion he brought back with him" - fingerprinting.  This new notion enables Dr. Kingsley to aid Detectives Day and Hammersmith to solve their cases and re-establish some of the respect lost to the force because of its failure to apprehend Jack.

The Witch of Clatteringshaws / Joan Aiken / 131 pages / Scotland

"Many saints, it appeared, had said very important things as they lay dying, delivered prophecies or given good advice.  Three of them had left instructions that their last words were to be written down, then kept secret for a number of years - St. Arfish for three years, St. Ardust for 9, St. Arling for 21."  Unfortunately, when Malise agreed to take her brother's turn sitting by the bedside of St. Arfish and then was distracted and failed to record these final words, she was banished to Clatteringshaws.   She takes up residence in a roadside park convenience - or privy.  Here she is befriended by the Loch Grieve Monster - the Tatzelworm, and controls The Hobyans - with her golf club.  She also is instrumental in helping Dido and Simon find the heir to the English throne.  "Joan Aiken said that your imagination is the greatest gift you have; life will always be a mystery, but through stories we share, we can find our way of coming to terms with it."  The imagination of this great storyteller has given a tale set in the "forested, loch-studed hinterlands of Scotland which "invites readers into a spellbinding world of magic, mystery, and mayhem - with a does of proper'English hilarity, of course.

Pillars of the Earth / Ken Follett / 973 pages / Frist Book in a Series

Set in 12th century England, this in an epic tale of church building, intrigue, and the curse of humanity.  Political struggle, both within the church and the court and within individuals themselves, highlight the master builder's compulsion to create a church that by itself expresses the magnificence of the Creator.  We see architectural elements that are taken for granted today in their initial conceptions.  Although somewhat long and at time a bit slow, Pillars of the Earth does a credible job of recreating the middle ages with all it treachery and violence.

Twelve Kinds of Ice/Ellen Bryan Obed/64 pages

Twelve Kinds of Ice was a quick, short read, but with beautiful writing.  Until now, I thought that ice was just ice.  I have a new appreciation now of the different types of ice that Ellen Obed grew up with in Maine.  Starting with the first ice, which is a thin layer that forms in the water bucket and ending with the perfect ice skating ice, Obed defines many types of ice that make up the winter months in her neighborhood.  With each arrival of new ice, the children of the area eagerly anticipate the next with text explaining, it's not just ice, it's a new adventure with each layer.  Each description was so lyrical, it made me want to visit Maine in the winter, just so I can experience all twelve kinds of ice.

Scarlet: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Audio book. 9 CD. Narrated by Rebecca Soler

     This is the second volume in the Lunar Chronicles series. The author has taken the familiar fairy tale and has given it a current twist. Scarlet is the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Scarlet lives on a small farm in rural France. Her grandmother has disappeared and the police aren't taking the report too seriously. Scarlet has just decided to take matters into her own hands when Wolf, a young man appears during a bar fight and says he can help Scarlet find her grandmother. What is a young lady to do when a young and dangerously handsome man says he can help? This story line is told in alternate chapters with Cinder who was the main character, Cinderella from the first book in the series, Cinder. It is just possible these two young ladies may be searching for the same thing: answers to some mysterious questions.
     Half the fun in reading this series is the narrator. Rebecca Soler really works to ensure the reader is swept along in the action of the story. The French accents are gentle but just enough to help differentiate between all the many characters. Scarlet, Wolf, Grandmother and the other characters are each distinct and the listener knows which story line is in action. The fight scenes are where Soler really shines. The action roars out of speakers and the fight is right there in the room or car.
      This book/audio is for anyone who enjoys alternative worlds but also adventure. The stories are filled with rich characters who have some tough decisions to make and what the consequences are. The third in the trilogy isn't out yet and it will be a long wait before the adventures of Cinder and Scarlet have ended.

     Six Degrees of Reading: The Selection by Kiera Cass; Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi; Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

Power Food for the Brain / Neal Barnard 313 p.

Neal Barnard, M.D., nutrition researcher, shares how to care for one's brain.  He describes a lifestyle that enables us to care for our brain much like one cares for one's heart by eating a plant-based diet, regular exercise, incorporating power foods, and avoiding toxic metals.  He puts it into words one may understand.

 “Every minute, our brain cells are bathing in the nutrients—or toxins—we take in through food,” says Dr. Barnard. “Just as we put money in a retirement account to ensure a secure future, we can put foods on our plates today to help keep the brain in high gear well into the future.”

Secret Affair / Mary Balogh 340 p.

Widowed Duchess of Dunbarton, Hannah Reid, decides to take a secret lover during the London season.  Ton rumors that she has had many during her marriage to her very elderly duke.  She has picked Constantine Huxtable.  His illegitimacy denied him the title of earl, so he goes after all offered a single bachelor without any cares or ties.  He usually picks recent widows for his short-term affairs--till the Duchess.  Both understand the rules; but both find it difficult to stop the affair.  Both have secrets that each have yet to share with each other or with family members (creating tension in his family).  Neither bargain on the chemistry that develops nor on the relationship that finds each telling of their secrets.  Mary Balogh handles a myriad of topics not usually included in a hot sensual romance.  With style and interest she incorporates developmentally delayed people and their care, seniors long term care, and homosexuality.  I enjoy the depth of her characters, the humor she displays, the complexities she brings to her characters, and the interweaving of characters from previous stories.

Fifth and last (sadly) in the Huxtable quintet series.

Taking Eve/Iris Johansen/339 pgs.

This is the first in another trilogy involving Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor extraordinaire! Eve has been kidnapped by Jim Doane, who wants Eve to do a reconstruction on a skull that he believes belongs to his deceased son, Kevin. There is more here than meets the eye. Needless to say, Eve's long time love, Joe, and her adoptive daughter, Jane, play major roles in the story line. In the words of Penny from "The Big Bang," Jim Doane is a real "whack-a-doodle." There is mystery, suspense, and even some romance. It's a very fast read, and makes me anxious for the next installment, Hunting Eve.

The Great Gatsby/F. Scott Fitzgerald/180 pgs.

This is a book I have always had the intention of reading, but since I was going to see the movie this past weekend, I finally did it! It was a much better story than I anticipated. The "surface" story revolves around Jay Gatsby, his love of Daisy Buchanan, Daisy's husband, Tom, and the story's narrator, Nick Carraway (who is also Daisy's cousin.) It is also a commentary on that period in United States history--the great division between the "haves" and the "have nots." It's an engrossing, beautifully written work.

Taking Eve/Iris Johansen/453 pgs

This is the latest in the Eve Duncan series and was a very good book.  I am enjoying them more now that they are not all about her search for Bonnie.  Eve is kidnapped by a man who wants her to do a reconstruction of his son's skull and he is not at all what he seems.  He has planned this for years and it has serious repercussions for Eve at the end of the story.  Didn't like how it ended - really abrupt.  I am guessing there must be a sequel coming soon - I hope.  This one brings back a lot of characters from the previous titles, mainly dealing with Jane.

Inferno/Dan Brown/461 pgs

This is the latest in his series starring Robert Langdon and I think it may have been one of the best.  I hated to put this down.  Dr Langdon wakes up in the hospital in Florence and has no idea why he is there and how he was shot.  Shortly after he awakes an assassin shows up in his hospital room and he is running for his life with one of his doctors.  It is pretty much non stop from there.  The basis of this story is Dante's Inferno and there is some of the typical symbolism in this series but not to the extent as some of the past titles.  Great book - it doesn't end the way you think it will.

Unintended Consequences/Stuart Woods/310 pages

Elaine's, late. For years, that is how a Stone Barrington novel began. Now that Elaine herself has passed away, Stone has to find a new place to eat and Woods needs to find a new way to begin his novels. So, this new novel begins with Stone waking up in a cell/hospital room with no memory from the last four days. Turns out he is in the American Embassy in Paris and being cared for by the CIA's doctor. Most people would be freaked out to have lost four days and to have no idea why they are in Paris, but Stone just checks into an expensive hotel, sends his clothes out to be pressed and begins to accept dinner invitations from strangers. Such is the world of Stone Barrington. Back in the day, Stone used to have to keep his fingers crossed that he could pay his bills, now people practically throw money at him. There is a mystery of sorts in this story, but mainly, it is just about how Stone's life is wonderful. Good for him.

Christmas in Cedar Cove / Debbie Macomber 299 p.

Two novellas convey life in Cedar Cove, Washington where at 5-B Poppy Lane, Helen Shelton shares her never told WWII experiences as a French resistance fighter with her first husband when her granddaughter Ruth visits; then moves to the unwed mother Mary Jo Wyse as she seeks her ex-lover’s family and ends up having her baby, Noelle, in Grace and Cliff Harding’s stable apartment delivered Christmas by firefighter Mack McAfee as her three brothers Wyse drive all around the cove looking for her.

Dune / Frank Herbert 412 p.

Book one in the Dune novels, main series is set on a desert planet Arrakis.  It is a desirable planet because of its mining operations for spice.  The Duke of Ledo is murdered when a warring faction seek to take charge of the operation.  Paul Altreides with his mother escape and live with the Fremen who come to believe that Paul is a savior.  He evolves into the Muad'Dib, a person with great powers above what his somewhat mythical witch mother has.  He seeks revenge against his father's murder,  Baron Harkonnen.  War erupts and Paul's young sister kills the Baron and his young son is killed.  What makes this of interest to me is the ecological theme.  Survival on a desert planet depends upon water and the people of Arrakis have developed many ways to conserve and reuse water.  This may satisfy advanced sci-fi readers.

Mistress of Magic / Marion Zimm Bradley 275 p.

In this book one of the Mists of  Avalon series tells the Arthurian legend from the female point of view.   Written from the point of view of Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister and the villain of traditional Arthur tales. What I liked is that it tells of the Celtic religion of the time and of the Roman soldiers. I found it a hard read as I am not into fantasy and it is a rather dark story.  

Fables: Storybook Love (vol. 3) / Bill Willingham / 190 pgs. / Fairy Tales Retold Challenge!

While Snow White is recovering from her head wound, Bigby (The Big Bad Wolf) is left in charge to make sure that Fabletown runs smoothly.  Things have been returning to normal at The Farm, and Fabletown has been quiet, until a Human Reporter shows up and threatens to expose the truth about Fabletown and it's inhabitants.  Bigby and several other fairy tale creatures launch an "Oceans 11" type scheme to break into the reporter's apartment to find out what he really knows about them.

Meanwhile, Goldilocks is still on the loose and is still trying to hunt down Snow White to finish the job that she started when she shot Snow in the head.  Snow White and Bigby are put under a spell and left out in the middle of the woods.  When the two come to, they have no idea how long they have been out, where they are, and what happened during the elapsed time.  As they make their way back to civilization and avoid being killed by Goldilocks the two open up and become closer friends.

Three Times Lucky / Sheila Turnage / 312 pages

This is totally a charming and entertaining book with very memorable characters.  Meet Moses LoBeau, up and coming 6th grader, whose story is that she arrived in Tupelo, NC as an infant floating on a billboard in the midst of a hurricane.  She is taken in by her rescuer the mysterious Colonel who has amnesia and the flamboyant Miss Lana who runs the local café which is the center of the small community.  With a murder mystery, the poignancy of a missing mother, a hurricane, and the very humorous Mo LoBeau and her cadre of friends and neighbors, this is a wonderful book for grades 4-7.  It would be a great choice for a mother-daughter discussion group.

The Butterfly Gardener's Guide - Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guides / Design Your Own Butterfly Garden - Susan Sales Harkins / 111 pgs & 45 pgs

*Yes I will blog anything for points, and I did read these books cover to cover so here they are*

The Butterfly Gardener's Guide, gives a nice overview of Butterfly Gardening, but does not get into much specifics.  Each chapter was a short essay written by a different author covering topics such as Gardening with Children, Butterfly Biology, Herbs for Butterflies, and so on.  Then there are brief 2 page essays on Gardening in different regions: the Northeast, Pacific Coast, Florida, Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest.  Good place for some quick tips and you really only have to read the chapters that interest you because the overall effect of the book is a bit disjointed.


Design Your Own Butterfly Garden by Susan Sales Harkins and William H. Harkins is written for the school-age crowd and is brief, colorful, and to the point.  What I like about it is that is give exact directions on how to plan, prepare, plant and maintain the garden.  There are also nice charts that show what flowers to look for and how butterflies use them.   

The Walking Dead: A Larger World, Vol. 16 / Robert Kirkman / 160 pgs.

In this chapter, Rick is looking for ways to strengthen the community and increase the defenses to keep the zombies and outsiders out.  While out on a scouting mission, the group comes across a stranger who claims he comes from a large network of communities that are close by.  Rick struggles with trusting and believing the stranger's story and intentions; and has to make the decision whether to keep the community closed off or open up and join the larger network.

Still exciting even if it is a bit repetitive.  AND new characters means a greater chance that someone else is going to be next on the chopping block.  

The Doomsday Prepping Crash Course / Patty Hahne / 165 pages

     Been watching the "Doomsday Preppers" show on TV?  Well, this handy little guide will help you get started with your own preparations.  Not only is it easy to read, it is also small and light so you could consider it an essential reference guide for your bug-out kit. 

     There are separate sections on food, weapons, water, how to pack, what to take, and how to go to the bathroom.  It is really only an overview so the actual prepper would need to return multiple times to the library to find out how to really can food, start fires, make an outhouse etc.  But on the bright side, it does point a novice prepper in the right direction so that they don't just pack some candy and their cd's and leave wearing flip flops.

     A further, but much more subtle use for this book is to inspire hoarders.  Yes, there is a hoarding connection.  Apparently, preppers are secretly hoarders, but they feel like they only collect "good stuff" like bullets, knives, food, wood, toilet paper, alcohol, water, bleach, and plastic bags.  Yes, plastic bags - like from Walmart or Schnuck's.  They plan to use them to bury bathroom waste.  I can just see that working really well.

     So, if you want to be prepared for any doomsday scenario, read this book and then go buy some duct tape.  (and make sure to keep the plastic bag!)

The 19th Wife / David Ebershoff / 514 pages

 
This was a truly fascinating book.  I started reading it because someone said it was a historical novel set in the late 1800's.
Indeed it was.  It concerns Ann Eliza, the 19th wife of Brigham Young.  She became an apostate and divorced him.  She became a crusade speaker across the United States which ultimately ended polygamy in the U.S. 
The other chapters of the book fast forward to a present day story of the "firsters", a renegade retro group of "Old School" Mormons and the story based on facts of recent news accounts from that type of group in southern Utah.
I highly recommend this book if you like history.

Rosetta's Dress Mess / Laura Driscoll / 118 pg.

Garden Talent Fairy Rosetta loves clothes and fashion, but gets in over her head when she boasts that she can create the best dress in the upcoming Fairy Fashion Show.  The story is quick and funny and has the good message that your good friends are the ones that will stay by you and help you in a crisis; and that being humble is much better than being boastful.

Light, a Gone Novel / Michael Grant / 413 pages

"Endgame.  That word had quickly become part of conversation in the FAYZ.  [Sam] had tried to quash it.  Endilio had tried to quash it.  Down in Perdido Beach, Caine had tried to quash it.  It wasn't good for people to start thinking things were coming to and end."  This sixth and final book in the Gone Series is an absolute must read, especially if you've read the other five.  Stephen King says "This is great fiction...exciting, high tension stories told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up.  There are monsters, there are kids with mad-crazy superpowers, there's the mystery of where all the adults went."  232 kids between the age of one month and fourteen years had been confined within the FAYZ (Fall Out Youth Zone).  196 eventually emerged.  What happened to the rest...and to the survivors...is...horrifically unbelievable!!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo / Stieg Larsson / 793 pages / First Book in a Series

The beginning is bit slow, but if you keep with it, the rewards are plentiful.  The characters are unlikely and their interactions at times unbelievable, yet the reader is compelled to turn the page.  Mikael Blomkvist publishes a small Swedish political magazine, Millennium, loses a libel case,  is sentenced to three months in prison, and is ordered to pay hefty damages.  He is offered a research job by a Swedish captain of industry, Henrik Vanger, to research and write a family history and to discover what happened to his niece, Harriet.  The offer will enable Blomkvist to keep his magazine afloat.  He takes the job which turns out to be much bigger than he thought.  He could not have succeeded without assistance from the girl with the dragon tattoo, Lisbeth Salander.  The unexpected plot twists and rapid fire ending more than compensate for the slow beginning.

The Emerald Atlas / John Stephens / 417 pages / Frist Book in a Series

This is the first book in a trilogy called the Books of Beginnings.  It opens "on a snowy Christmas Eve when three toddlers are taken from their parents and placed in an orphanage in Boston.  Ten years and twelve orphanages later, fourteen year old Kate (Who promised her mother to keep her younger siblings safe that fateful night.), twelve year old Michael, and eleven year old Emma find themselves in the Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible orphans."  They have perhaps one more chance at a real home when the are shipped off the the village of Cambridge Falls, to the estate of the mysterious Dr. Stanislaus Pym.  Kate, Michael, and Emma are its only residents.  While exploring their new home, they discover an ancient green book.  When a picture is places within its pages the kids are transported to the past where they find the missing children of Cambridge Falls and the Countess who is determined to possess all three Books and to control the world.  Horn Book says that "Stephens creates an American version of a complex fantastical world akin to the Harry Potter or Narnia books; an imaginative and enjoyable read."  I agree!  I also could not help but compare it a Series of Unfortunate Events.

he Bagpiper's Ghost / Jane Yolen / 129 pages / Set in Scotland

This the third book in the Tartan Magic series transports the reader to Scotland with its rock-and reel bands, games like Patience, Happy Families, and Bezique, men in kilts, and magic and ghosts.  "In matters o' magic, knowledge is the most important beginning step..."  cautions Jennifer's Gran.  Jennifer and her twin, Peter, and their baby sister, Molly, and their parents are visiting their grandparents in Scotland.  On a midnight visit to a local graveyard, Peter is taken over by a malicious ghost.  Andrew McFadden had interfered with his twin's love; and her ghost - The White Lady - and her love, The Bagpiper McGregor meet in the cemetery.  Can Jennifer use her newly discovered magic skills to release the ghosts...and Peter?  This finely wrought tale includes a glossary of the many Scottish terms and phrases used within the story.

Stealaway / K. M. Peyton / 86 pages / Set in Scotland

David Wyatt's illustrations vividly recreate the Scottish Highlands, the setting for this intriguing ghost story in which the most prominent ghosts are horses.  Nicky and her mother have come to live at Bloodybow Castle in Scotland where her mother will train the horses of a wealthy American, Mr. Robson.  Mr. Robson has been researching the past and its bloody feuds, including the kidnapping of a prize stallion and the death of a young boy.  He hopes to recreate the fine line of horses Bloodybow Castle has been famous for in the past.  It seems as if his research has somehow reawakened ghosts of the border raiders.  They attack the stables and Nicky & Jed, and Rowan & Stealaway (ghost horses) save the day.

Vanished / Iren Hannon / 328 pages / First Book in a Series

This is a captivating hometown read.  Set in St. Charles and St. Louis counties, the action pulls the reader into the suspense and makes us one with the plot.  Newspaper reporter, Moira Harrison, is driving through slashing April rain on a long, curving section of rural Highway 94.  She sees a terrified woman in the road and does everything in her power to avoid hitting her.  Unfortunately, she is not successful.  Her car crashes against a tree and a Good Samaritan comes to her aid.  Moira cannot stop thinking about woman in the road and hires a PI firm to investigate what happened to her and to perhaps find the Good Samaritan.  Investigation uncovers a horrific plot masterminded by a pediatric surgeon who kills for charity.  This is a no- holds-barred page turner romance!

The Abduction / Gordon Korman / 137 pages / First Book in a Series

Were Aiden and Meg Falconer doomed to be misfits forever?  Their professor parents were recently released from fourteen months in prison where they were being held for aiding foreign terrorists.  Aiden and Meg had achieved almost as much notoriety as their parents when they escaped from a juvenile detention facility in Nebraska and became fugitives for eight weeks.  After their experience, high school and middle school seemed pointless.  Then Meg is kidnapped and the same FBI agent who arrested and later cleared her parents is put on the case. Meg is quick-witted and ingenious and almost escapes twice.  The kidnappers' attempt to collect a ransom is foiled.  To find out what happens next, you have to read book 2 in the series.  This was hard to put down.  The story moved rapidly and was over much too quickly.

Twenties Girl/ Sophie Kinsella/ 435p

During her Great Aunt Sophie's funeral, Lara finds herself haunted by a much
younger version of her Aunt.  Sophie can't rest until she has her most cherished
possession once again,which happens to be an heirloom necklace.  Lara and Sophie try to solve the mystery of the missing necklace and uncover family secrets and deception. Kinsella delivers another great read with wit, romance and mystery.  I found this book a bit predictable but I also like the paranormal aspect
and would give it three out of five stars.

Death of Yesterday/M.C. Beaton/263 pages/Scottish literature

The latest in the Hamish Macbeth series finds Hamish looking for the murderer of young factory worker. In the process, he uncovers more wrongdoings. Although the Hamish of the earlier novels was one to run from commitment and marriage, he's slowly started thinking he should change his ways. His romances keep getting in the way of his professional and personal life. He may have to be contented with his "wife" and fellow police officer, Dick.

A nice little cozy that lets you leave the world behind. Plus, perfect timing, and another Scottish novel!

The Unusual Suspects / Michael Buckley / 293 pages

This is book 2 in the Sisters Grimm series which uses fairy tale elements and characters to tell the story of the two young Grimm sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, who are searching for their long lost parents.  These books include adventure, humor, great characters, and a quest.  I listened to the audio version and enjoyed it immensely....on to book 3!!

Thor the Mighty Avenger vol. 2 / Roger Langridge/128 pages

I read this volume because I read vol.1 as it was recommended for Top Ten Best Graphic Novels for Teens from Booklist.  I liked the first volume and was certain I would like the second volume.  However, I still had issues with the 1962 comics they slipped in the back of the volume. The writing of todays Thor is just so much better than the writing from 50 years ago.  And modern technology has made the illustrations just so much more vibrant.  A good read for the most part.

Shades of Earth/Beth Revis/369 pgs.

As the concluding book in the "Across the Universe" trilogy, Shades of Earth met all of my expectations. Elder and Amy, along with a good portion of the population aboard the spaceship Godspeed, are landing on Centauri-Earth, to build a new home. However, Centauri-Earth isn't what any of them expected. There are hidden dangers, secrets, and mysteries that must be solved in order for a new colony to exist and prosper. It is a riveting trilogy that I would highly recommend to the YA public.

Into the Wild/Jon Krakauer/207 pgs.

This was a very difficult book for me to read--maybe because even the thought of going camping puts a chill up my spine, so the idea of someone voluntarily exploring Alaska on his own is unimaginable for me. Yet, that is exactly what Christopher Johnson McCandless did. Upon graduating from college, Chris headed west, then ultimately to Alaska, to commune with nature, and to "make it" with minimal resources. Along the way, he befriended some people upon whom he made a lasting impression. His travels, and his resulting death, makes up the majority of the story, but there is much more to it than that--thanks to the author's insight and research. The part that still bothers me the most is that McCandless struck out on this adventure without letting any of his family know. I can't imagine willingly putting your parents through that type of heartache and anguish. It was an interesting read.

Odd Interlude / Dean Koontz / 253 pages

This is a "mini Odd" book that was first published as an eBook.  Odd Thomas is always an interesting character.  Koontz can come up with the most bizarre circumstances...like a scientist who injects himself with alien DNA and becomes an evil human/alien hybrid able to enter minds and control actions.  Odd Thomas is unique and provides good, thrilling, horrific stories with thoughts about the meaning of life and who we are as leavening.

Speaking from Among the Bones / Alan Bradley / 375 pages

I absolutely love these books that star the intrepid child prodigy 11 year old Flavia de Luce.  In this episode, readers will follow Flavia as she solves the murder of the church organist in the village of Bishop's Lacey on the eve of the opening of the crypt of St. Tancred 500 years after his death.  Readers will follow Flavia as she creeps through the remains of the deceased, uses squalene from her nose to pick a lock, reveals the consequences of lead poisoning, zooms about the countryside on her trusty bike "Gladys," combats the vicious verbal jabs of  her two older sisters and tries to understand her father.  There's humor, mystery, science, a cast of great characters, and everything that makes up a good cozy mystery with an unforgettable main character.  This one ends with a cliffhanger...can't wait until the next book!

The Third Gate / Lincoln Child / 306 Pages

This is one of Lincoln Child's standalone novels (ie not Pendergast) about an enigmalogist and empath, Dr. Jeremy Logan, who is called on by one of the worlds preeminent archaeologists to investigate some mysterious events that are impeding the quest to find the tomb of the first Pharaoh in the Sudd.  There's plenty of action, Egyptology, mythology, elements of the supernatural, and questions about near death experiences that keep you turning the pages.  The setting itself, the Sudd which is an area south of Egypt that is neither water nor earth but vegetative sludge, plays an important role in the ambiance of the story.  Recommend.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger vol. 1/Roger Langridge/128 pages

I read this because it was listed as one of YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten - 2012) and a Top Ten Graphic Novel for Youth (Booklist) (2012).  In general, I am not a big fan of graphic novels or comics, but am attempting to broaden my reader's advisory of this genre.  The first graphic novel I read thusly did not endear me to the genre, but I think I might change my mind after reading Thor.   Having seen the recent movies, it was quite an entertaining read.  It tells of a re-imagined beginning for the hero Thor and Jane that parallels the main events from the movie, Thor.  The artwork was very good as well as the storyline.  An addition at the end of the graphic novel is the original 2 stories from the 1960s.  I got quite a giggle to see how far comics and graphic novels have come in the past 50 years.  Happy to say it was a big improvement.  It also made me think that I might be judging my like/dislike of the genre base on what was available when I was younger.  If that is the case, I am more than happy to give graphic novels another try.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth / Carrie Ryan / 310 pg. / 1st in a Series

Just FYI - the cover artist for this

book wanted to remind you that

 even though its the end of the

world, don't forget to wear your

smokey Eye shadow and eyeliner.

"Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead."

This book was creepy, had lots of action and a little romance.  I could see teens getting into this book; and now that the movie is in the works this book will become a "must-read".  This is also the first book in a trilogy  and while it does not end on a cliff-hanger the book does abruptly end leaving the reader with open questions and wondering what will happen next.

Just a side note:  Like a lot of post-apocalyptic stories after the characters go through long bouts of suffering and dead ends, I begin to wonder why they still "want" to live.  Why continue on this way, what for, what about the world do you possibly find joy in?  It's always desolate, ugly, extreme weather, the people are mean and take advantage of each other, what could they possibly want to save and preserve for future generations?   Obviously, I will not be someone that will live long after an apocalyptic event.  ;)