The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Title: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Type: Audio Book (Unabridged)
Narrator: Lisette Lecat
Genre: Fiction
Series: Yes par of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency 
Copyright: 2003

Publisher: Recorded Books
Rating:  2.5 out of 5


Summery: from Good Reads

Working in a mystery tradition that will cause genre aficionados to think of such classic sleuths as Melville Davisson Post's Uncle Abner or Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee, Alexander McCall Smith creates an African detective, Precious Ramotswe, who's their full-fledged heir.

It's the detective as folk hero, solving crimes through an innate, self-possessed wisdom that, combined with an understanding of human nature, invariably penetrates into the heart of a puzzle. If Miss Marple were fat and jolly and lived in Botswana--and decided to go against any conventional notion of what an unmarried woman should do, spending the money she got from selling her late father's cattle to set up a Ladies' Detective Agency--then you have an idea of how Precious sets herself up as her country's first female detective.

Once the clients start showing up on her doorstep, Precious enjoys a pleasingly successful series of cases. But the edge of the Kalahari is not St. Mary Mead, and the sign Precious orders, painted in brilliant colors, is anything but discreet. Pointing in the direction of the small building she had purchased to house her new business, it reads "THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. FOR ALL CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS AND ENQUIRIES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED FOR ALL PARTIES. UNDER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT."

The solutions she comes up with, whether in the case of the clinic doctor with two quite different personalities (depending on the day of the week), or the man who had joined a Christian sect and seemingly vanished, or the kidnapped boy whose bones may or may not be those in a witch doctor's magic kit, are all sensible, logical, and satisfying. Smith's gently ironic tone is full of good humor towards his lively, intelligent heroine and towards her fellow Africans, who live their lives with dignity and with cautious acceptance of the confusions to which the world submits them. Precious Ramotswe is a remarkable creation, and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency well deserves the praise it received from London's Times Literary Supplement.

Feelings:
This is less of one cohesive story and more short vignettes that tie into one novel. For a long drive where one is falling asleep and waking up again this was a good thing. I did enjoy this audiobook the narrator was enjoyable to listen to but at times with road noise was hard to hear. Precious Ramotswe, the lady detective, was an interesting character and I enjoyed listening to a story that was set outside of the United States. 

Botswana where the story was set played a big role in the stories. Some of the vignettes where very specific to Africa and couldn't happen anyplace else. Witch doctor's and corruption cases are solved by Romotswe in often funny and satisfying ways that don't seem to be a stretch of reality in the slightest. 

I would recommend this novel to those that want something to listen to on a drive.
 

High Noon by Nora Roberts

Title: High Noon
Author: Nora Roberts
Type: Novel
Genre: Romance
Series: No
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Summary: From Good Reads.
Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara found her calling at an early age when an unstable man broke into her family's home, trapping and terrorizing them for hours. Now she's Savannah's top hostage negotiator, defusing powderkeg situations with a talent for knowing when to give in-and when to jump in and take action. It's satisfying work-and sometimes those skills come in handy at home dealing with her agoraphobic mother, still traumatized by the break-in after all these years, and her precocious seven-year-old, Carly.

It's exactly that heady combination of steely courage and sensitivity that first attracts Duncan Swift to Phoebe. After observing her coax one of his employees down from a roof ledge, he is committed to keeping this intriguing, take-charge woman in his life. She's used to working solo, but Phoebe's discovering that no amount of negotiation can keep Duncan at arm's length.

And when she's grabbed by a man who throws a hood over her head and brutally assaults her-in her own precinct house-Phoebe can't help but be deeply shaken. Then threatening messages show up on her doorstep, and she's not just alarmed but frustrated. How do you go face-to-face with an opponent who refuses to look you in the eye?

Now, with Duncan backing her up every step of the way, she must establish contact with the faceless tormentor who is determined to make her a hostage to fear . . . before she becomes the final showdown.

Feelings: 
Like all Nora Roberts books this is ultimately a love story. Some of her older books used to be only a love story, more recently the books have become more about the interactions between characters on the job as well as about finding love. I like having characters that are strong and have a purpose other than finding love. That being sad there are lots of similarity between this book and her other books. The characters have a hard past to get over they lack something that they didn't know they lacked and they are challenged in their work in such a way that they must come together with the romantic interest to make it through. The books all end the same way with a marriage proposal as well. That being said I don't think I'm giving anything away because anyone familiar with Nora Roberts should have noticed this pattern.

High Noon was an enjoyable read even knowing all that because of the fact that characters and the work they did. Having a job that is action packed is what makes Phoebe and interesting character and worth spending some time reading about. Duncan is also an intriguing character but a little more unlikely than is Phoebe who didn't win a lottery. He is a dynamic character though so it is less irritating and easier to get over the improbability of the lottery win. Together the interactions between Phoebe and Duncan can be funny and sweet.

"I started to Google you." She sat back now, raised her eyebrows. " I thought, sure it's a shortcut, a curiosity-satisfying one. But sometimes you want to go the long way around. You get to find out about somebody from the source, maybe over some type of food or drink. And if you're wondering, yes, I'm hitting on you." "I'm a trained observer. I don't have to wonder when I know. I appreciate the honesty, and the interest, but--" (p.23)

After accepting the half hour date she wonders if she should have made the time for a mistake with a man but her mother and live in family friend, Ava convince her she must go for them and every other dateless woman she find she enjoys herself and the time away from work and family responsibilities.

"Oh, Duncan, you're awfully cute, and you're rich, and you've got a very sexy car. I'm just not in a position to start a relationship." "Are you in a position to eat dinner?" She laughed, shook her head as he walked with her up to the parlor level. "Several nights a week, depending." ..."Saturday." He leaned in. It was smooth, but she saw the move. Still, it felt fussy and foolish to stop it. So she let his lips brush over hers. Sweet, she thought. Then his hands ran down from her shoulders to her wrists, his mouth moved on hers. And she couldn't think at all. Deep, penetrating warmth, quick, hard flutters, a leap and gallop of pulse. (p. 47)

The love interest is started early but develops slowly as the book progresses.

The book is well written and fun to read which is what I look for in a good romance. So far Nora Roberts hasn't let me down.

The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimée Carter
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Yest fists in A Goddess Test series
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Summary: From Good Reads
EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS...

Feelings:
The debut novel by Aimée Carter this book takes on an interesting topic and doesn't quite fulfill the promise of the premise.

This is a book about Greek Gods. It takes Greek myths and modernizes them. Some that have written reviews on the book object to this. I guess I didn't have as much a problem with that as I did with the fact that I didn't really think many of the characters actually seemed like gods. I got to the end of the book and we had a cast of 14 Greek Gods with modern names and I think I could have placed maybe 4 of them with their correct Greek name.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed reading the book I just thought using Greek mythology would have played a bigger part in the story rather than having it be a love story. I like a little romantic interaction in a story and find that interesting but seems to me like it was the focus rather than Kate learning to be a Goddess. Seems to me if you were being tested to become the Queen of the Underworld with Hades you would be tested on some relevant things...and maybe learn some about that job. I know this is a Young Adult story and we don't want things to complicated but a little history would have been nice. If I was Kate I would have been asking a lot more questions particularly if I thought I my life was in danger.

Here is a list of the 14 goods that are in the story. See if you can do better matching them up with their new names.

Zeus: The Father of Gods and men, he rules from Mount Olympus. Son of Titans Rhea and Cronus. The God of sky and thunder.
Hera: The wife of Zeus. Daughter of Titans Rhea and Cronus.The Goddess of women and marriage.
Poseidon: Son of Titans Rhea and Cronus.The God of the sea.
Demeter: Daughter of Titans Rhea and Cronus. The Goddess of harvest.
Hades: Son of Titans Rhea and Cronus. The God of the underworld.
Hestia: Daughter of Titans Rhea and Cronus. The Goddess of hearth and home.
Ares: Son of Zeus and Hera. God of War.
Aphrodite: Origins are debatable, some say from a castration done by Cronus others say a daughter of Zeus. Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.
Hermes: Son of Zeus. God of transitions and boundaries.
Athena: Daughter of Zeus. Goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.
Apollo: Son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin sister, the chaste huntress Artemis. God of ight and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, and poetry.
Artemis: Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin brother Apollo. Goddess of  the hunt,  forest and  hills and the moon.
Hephaestus: Son of Zeus and Hera. God of Fire, Metalworking, Stone masonry, and the Art of Sculpture.
Dionysus: Son of Zeus and a mortal woman. God of Wine, Theater and Ecstasy.

All in all this was an interesting book and I will read the other in the series, but not because of the Greek mythology because that falls way short and just isn't believable.

Red Glove by Holy Black

Title: Red Gloves
Author: Holly Black
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Yes second in The Curse Workers series
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating:  3 out of 5

Summary:
Now fully immersed in the world of "curses and cons, magic and the mob" Cassel Sharpe tried to deal with his mother's actions. His mother an emotional worker has cursed the girl he likes and now he can not see her because he is unwilling to take advantage of her. Cassel and his mother are trying to spend some time together before he returns to school but having been the only non-worker in the family for years Cassel is not over joyed to be coning people for money and tricking people with his mother who thinks there is nothing wrong with it. When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, both the mob and the Feds turn to Cassel who must stay ahead of both of them while he is finishing high school.

Feelings:
I enjoyed reading this but the ending was a bit different than what I would have expected. It did a good job setting up the next book. I liked that Cassel's friends played a bigger role in this book. I also liked that Lila was included in the story and was becoming more of a character rather than someone the story worked around. I think in the next book she will be playing a larger role. I liked that Cassel plays the mob and the Feds to his advantage while he tries to decided what to do and how best to take advantage of it all. In many ways even though he doesn't think he is like his mother he is. I liked that the characters are dynamic. I did find parts of it a bit dull but overall I really enjoyed the second book. 

Blessed Are the Cheesemakers by Sarah-Kate Lynch

Title: Blessed Are the Cheesemakers
Author: Sarah-Kate Lynch
Type:  Audiobook (Unabridged)
Narrator: Heather O'Neill
Genre: Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2003
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary: From Amazon
Set mainly in Ireland on a dairy farm, Blessed Are the Cheesemakers tells the story of two old men, Joseph "Corrie" Corrigan and Joseph "Fee" Feehan who are the best cheesemakers in the world, and the broken hearted women and whisky-soaked men they rescue in the course of their daily doing. There's a love story, a family story, the lore of cheese-making (fiction or not), and some wonderfully appealing characters, including the cows which only give their top grade product when milked by vegetarian, unwed, pregnant teenagers who sing "The Sound of Music" while at their task. A tender and funny novel with a colorful cast of characters.

Feelings: 
This was an extremely amusing audiobook. I loved the narrator, Heather O'Neill, she had so many different voices and accents that were at times funny and at times serious. I don't know if they were necessarily authentic but I really enjoyed listening.

The book started out in three different locations Ireland, New York City, and the Pacific Island Ate'ate, but converges on the Coolarney cheese factory in Ireland. This is not a story for those who are offended by language, fecking (Irish pronunciation) is one Corrie and Fee's favorite words. It took a little time to get used to this but really made the story more authentic in my opinion. This is a humorous story that deals with difficult characters and emotions in a way that doesn't end up depressing.

As suggested by the title cheese plays a really big role in this novel and is at times almost magical. The cheese was a really nice touch and I really enjoyed listening to the process of making cheese, although I myself would not want to make cheese it gave me an appreciation of cheese making.

This is a story worth listening to as an audiobook as the narrator is excellent and one would never get all the different accents in their own head.

White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Yes first in The Curse Workers series
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating:  3 out of 5

Summary:
The book is about Curse Workers in a time when working magic has been banned by the government. Workers are sent underground and considered outcasts of society. They work their magic with a touch of skin on skin. Most curse workers are  luck or emotional workers, fewer are memory or death workers and the most rare of all are shape workers who can change the shape of things. Cassel Sharpe is from a family of workers yet he appears to have no magic of his own. He attends a boarding school where he is able to escape from the insanity of mother and the dysfunctional in his family. At fourteen Cassel kills Lila the daughter of the biggest crime boss, but he can't remember why or how he did it. He is still ridden with guilt from his lack of knowledge about Lila who was his best friend. Now seventeen he is sleepwalking and dreaming of a white cat. What follows is discovery of self and family. Not all of them pleasant.

Feelings: 
This was an interesting book. I wouldn't consider it anything new but it was enjoyable to read and the characters were well formed and easy to like or dislike which can be good in this type of book. Cassel even though he is attending an upper class school has turned to the black market and running a betting business at his school. The interactions and superstition of difference between worker and non-worker are similar to racial issues seen today. The dynamics of the school environment and the relationships Cassel forms there are in strong contrast to the relationships he has with his family. The family dynamic is something that I think may people will be able to relate to. The mystery and discovery in the book are reminiscent of many coming of age stories but it is well written and I will read the next book.

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Title: Chasing Fire
Author: Nora Roberts
Type: Novel
Genre: Romance
Series: No
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: from Good Reads.
Little else in life is as dangerous as fire jumping. Flying past towering pillars of smoke, parachuting down to the edge of an all-consuming blaze, shoveling and sawing for hours upon hours, days at a time, all to hold the line and push back against the raw power of Mother Nature.

But there's also little else as thrilling - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are one of the most exclusive fire-fighting squads in the nation, and the job is in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend in the field. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is among the strongest ever - and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kid's arcade. He came to Missoula to follow in the footsteps of Lucas "Iron Man" Tripp, yet he's instantly more fascinated by his hero's daughter. Rowan, as a rule, doesn't hook up with other smoke jumpers, but Gull is convinced he can change her mind. And damn if he doesn't make a good case to be an exception to the rule.

Everything is thrown off balance, though, when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull - any distractions in the air or on the ground could be lethal. But if she doesn't find someone she can lean on when the heat gets intense, her life may go down in flames.

Feelings:
So first I feel that I should admit that I picked this book by the cover. I was standing in the library looking for "brain candy" and pulling books of the shelve, I do read Nora Roberts but not often, and really liked the cover. I don't normally do this but in this case I wasn't upset the book really lived up to the cover.

Rowan and Gulliver are fire jumpers, Zulies, and besides the hot fires they fight they have a steamy relationship. I didn't find this book to be as graphic sexually as many of Nora Roberts books. This one focused more on the mystery and story which I really liked. I think this may be my favorite Nora Roberts book so far.

This isn't to say that the romance isn't part of the story.

Her mouth was as he'd imagined. Hot and soft and avid. It met his with equal fervor, as if a switch had been flipped in each of them from stop to go. She pressed that killer body to his without hesitation, without restraint, a gift and a challenge, until the chilly air under the sizzling stars seemed to smoke. (p. 52)

 Because it is part of the story. What really makes this more than just a normal romance though is the mystery aspect.

 Light the fire. Feel the heat. See the color and shape. Hear the crackle and snap. Then the whoosh of air and flame as that fire began to breathe. A thing of beauty. Dazzling, dangerous, destructive. So beautiful and fierce, and personal, when you started with your own hands. Never realized, never knew. (p. 207)

So I did really enjoy the book. At first I really felt like the last 10 pages where as good as they could have been. I figured out what was happening and who was responsible much before it became obvious to the characters in the story. I didn't mind this because there was still a chance it could have ended differently. I do have to admit I didn't really like the ending to the mystery though which is why I'm not rating this higher.

I would recommended this to people who love Nora Roberts or who want an exciting, romantic read.

Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan

Title: Helen Keller in Love
Author: Rosie Sultan
Type:  Audiobook
Narrator: Christine Williams
Genre: Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2012
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads
A captivating novel that explores the little-known romance of a beloved American icon

Helen Keller has long been a towering figure in the pantheon of world heroines. Yet the enduring portrait of her in the popular imagination is The Miracle Worker, which ends when Helen is seven years old.

Rosie Sultan’s debut novel imagines a part of Keller’s life she rarely spoke of or wrote about: the man she once loved. When Helen is in her thirties and Annie Sullivan is diagnosed with tuberculosis, a young man steps in as a private secretary. Peter Fagan opens a new world to Helen, and their sensual interactions—signing and lip-reading with hands and fingers—quickly set in motion a liberating, passionate, and clandestine affair. It’s not long before Helen’s secret is discovered and met with stern disapproval from her family and Annie. As pressure mounts, the lovers plot to elope, and Helen is caught between the expectations of the people who love her and her most intimate desires.

Richly textured and deeply sympathetic, Sultan’s highly inventive telling of a story Keller herself would not tell is both a captivating romance and a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of an inspirational figure.

Feelings: 
I felt like this was a really good story but it was slow and when I wasn't listening to it I didn't think about it at all. If I hadn't been driving I wouldn't have finished the story. As it was it took me 2 months to finish this audiobook.

The narrator of the audiobook was very good and I liked her different voices for different characters. I generally liked all of the characters except for Helen, she was at times annoying and at times overly confident in herself. Yes she was famous, and no I haven't read her autobiography but I am not sure I believed the character. This may have been because things are described visually and that doesn't seem accurate to me. I would have thought they would be described by feel. To a small extent things are described by how they feel by lots of things are described by how they look or how they sound and that didn't seem real to me. The narrative itself addresses the issue which for me made if feel less real. If an issue must be addressed and explained in detail I feel like maybe it isn't as well done as it could be I should be able to sit back and enjoy the story without questioning the details.

That is my biggest complaint about the story. It was beautifully written and while it wasn't the most exciting story, not that much happens within the story, it was nice to listen to. It is a love story that from the very beginning you know is not going to have a happy ending and it is the bittersweet story of longing for what we don't have and trying to hold onto it once we get it.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Title: Bitterblue 
Author: Kristin Cashore 
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy 
Series: Yes, Sequel to Graceling and Fire 
Copyright: 2012 
Publisher: Dial Books 
Rating: 4 out of  5

Summary: From Good Reads.
Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Feelings: 
This is the last of the books in the series that started with Graceling. Chronologically Fire comes first as it happens before the story in Graceling, but the author wrote Graceling first and Fire isn't central or important to the story of Graceling. However, Bitterblue does benefit from having read Graceling and Fire first. I personally read Fire first because I didn't know it was part of a series. I got the books in chronological order as a result but I think that as long as Bitterblue is read last, it is the only book that really has overlapping characters the reader will enjoy the experience.

This is the third book by Kristin Cashore and it is definitely the strongest of the three. Bitterblue is not a graced character nor does she have the beauty of the monsters but she is an interesting character, and I found it nice to see what it was like to be a normal human in a world with individuals who have graces. This story isn't as action packed as the other books were but I found it to be just as interesting. Bitterblue who was a child in Graceling is now a young woman of 18 and she doesn't like the way her advisers are running Monsea, the kingdom she became queen of upon her father's death.

It all began with a High Court case about the madman and the watermelons. ... Sitting at the table of the High Court, Bitterblue was a trifle annoyed with her advisers, whose job it was to decide what court cases were worth the queen's time. It seemed to her that they were always doing this, sending her to preside over the kingdom's silliest business, then whisking her back to her office the moment something juicy cropped up. (p. 11-12)

Bitterblue struggles with her advisers telling her she should not do things and can not do things until the case of the watermelons which she didn't even knew grew in her city sends her out into her city to see what it is like for herself.

She'd never seen the bridges up close. Despite her yearly tours, Bitterblue had never been on the streets of the east city; she only know the bridges from the heights of her tower, looking out at them from across the sky, not even certain they were real. Now as Bitterblue stood at the base of Winged Bridge, she ran her fingers along a seam where pieces of cold marble joined to form the gargantuan foundations. (p. 26)

She discovers the story rooms and the stories that are being told of her father and of her and the people she knows. At first she doesn't trust the stories because of her past but then she realizes she doesn't need to fear the stories she relaxes and listens. It is in the story rooms that she meets Sapphire, called Saf, and Teddy who befriend without knowing who she is.

"Teddy," said Saf, "go get the next round." "Sapphire told me you saw him steal," continued Teddy to Bitterblue, unconcerned. "You mustn't misunderstand. He only steals back that which has already been--" Now Saf's fist grabbed Teddy's collar and Teddy chocked over his words. ... "--stolen," spluttered Teddy. "Perhaps I'll go get the next round." (p.55)

Bitterblue gains some freedom and an understanding of her city that she didn't have before she meet Teddy and Saf. Through them she is able to understand her people and the struggles they are facing to deal with the past, some of them just want to forget and others want to find out the truth. Bitterblue is also seeking the truth of her father's actions and finds little help until she goes beyond the castle.  

This was in my opinion the best of the three book but it did depend on knowledge of the others. Bitterblue is a real person and she depends on others and doesn't mind doing so most of the time. She is also strong but unlike the other books she doesn't have to fight to prove herself. This was a nice ending to the series. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoyed the first two.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Title: Graceling
Author: Kristin Cashore
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Series: Yes. Prequel Fire, and sequel Bitterblue.
Copyright: 2008
Publisher:Harcourt, Inc.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: from Good Reads
His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human....

Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed. (p. 56-57)


In a world where people born with an extreme skill - called a Grace - are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Feelings:
I really enjoyed reading his book. I started the series by reading Fire which happens to chronologically be the first book but most people place it after Graceling. That being said the three books Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue can be read in any order. Bitterblue (I have not had the chance to read it yet) takes place after Graceling but I don't think the story is such that you need to read the others to understand it.

I appreciated the story and the fact that Katsa was a strong female character. Independent and able to make make decisions for herself it is no surprise that she feels as though she is trapped in a mans world. Her desire to be free and to do only as she wants leads her to make decisions that can be viewed as feminist, and they are by many that read the book. Yes, Katsa is a strong woman and she stands up for herself but she has to learn to stand up for herself. She is Graced, with killing, and that does seem to help her along the way but it is also something she must control. In little ways Katsa is strong from the beginning.

"Hmm," Randa said, smirking at her silence. "Your sword is the only bright thing about you. Pay attention, girl. I'm sending you after this traitor. You're to kill him, in public, using your bare hands, no weapons. Just him, no one else. I'm sure we all hope you've learned to control your bloodlust by now." ... When the soldiers caught the underlord, they dragged him to the square of the nearest village, where a scattering of startled people watched, slack jawed. Katsa instructed the soldiers to make the man kneel. In one motion she snapped his neck. There was no blood; there was no more than an instant's pain. Most in the crowd didn't even realize what had happened. ... After that his commands included specifics: blood and pain, for this or that length of time. (p. 28-29)

She is only 10 when that happened and in small ways she continues to disobey her uncle the king.

She makes who she feels about marriage very clear from the start of the book, and this is where the feminism comes in. Because she does not want to marry and be held by anyone she is considered a feminist. I'm not sure I agree with this I think she is just struggling to maintain her own freedom and doing it in the only way she sees. Yes she does turn down marriage she does choice sexual freedom but I don't think this is something new in Young Adult fiction. Maybe it isn't what popular fiction such as Twilight would promote but I think there are plenty of better books out there with strong female characters who are sexually free. (So maybe this is just a comment on other people's view of the book but I think it is worth knowing).

The characters are strong and enjoyable and the book is a fast read. I liked spending time with a confident female character and men who were willing to let her take the lead.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Title: Fire
Author: Kristen Cashore
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Yes
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Dial
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary: from Good Reads

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

Feelings: 
So I admit that the cover with the girl standing on the rock back lit could not be Fire because she would not put herself in a place like that because of the danger. However, I really liked this cover and I don't think I would have bought this book if it wasn't for the cover. I like it, but have included the other cover here for those that like something a little more realistic.

Archer knelt beside her and took hold of her shoulders. His face was wooden but his voice shook with emotion. "Forgive me, Fire." To the healer: "We're mad to be doing this outside. They smell the blood." And then sudden pain, blinding and brilliant. Fire wrenched her head and fought against the healer, against Archer's heavy strength. Her scarf slipped off and released the prism of her hair: sunrise, poppy, copper, fuchsia, flame. Red, brighter than the blood soaking the pathway. (p.24).

This was the first of Kristin Cashore's books that I read. At the time I didn't even realize it wasn't a stand alone book nor did I realize it was considered to be the second book. I personally would consider this to be the first in the series but it really is a companion and rather than a sequel or prequel.

I liked the story and that Fire was a strong character. The story drew me in and held my interest. The idea of monster being something very beautiful and with the power to control as well as being a different color than would be normal was an interesting change from it being something horrible. Yes, the monster's in the story can be horrible but they do not have to be horrible, they can be just different than the rest of their kind. Fire is the only human monster left after her father's death, and as such she is something of an oddity that others want to see. There is only one character, Leek, who has a grace, two different colored eyes a a power which lets him excel beyond what would be possible otherwise, as the Dell's do not have gracelings as to the seven kingdoms in which Graceling and Bitterblue are set.

Prince Brigan who is sent to travels with Fire to King City is the only one not taken by her beauty or sustainable to her mind control. So it seems rather obvious that they will have some kind of connection with each other. Most men have a strong reaction to seeing Fire so when Prince Brigan doesn't act how Fire would expect she has to get to know him without her powers.

She had a dagger scar on one forearm, another on her belly. An arrow gouge from years ago on her back. It was a thing that happened now and then. For every peaceful man, there was a man who wanted to hurt her, even kill her, because she was a gorgeous thing he could not have, or because he'd despised her father. And for every attack that had left a scar there were five or six other attacks she'd managed to stop. (p. 31)

There are many things which Fire has to come to terms with to become the person the kingdom needs, and the person she needs herself to be. Fear of what her father was makes her wary but she learns to depend on others and to have self reliance which lead her to grow.

This is a good second book by Cashore and it is an enjoyable read.

Hamlet's Father by Orsen Scott Card

Title: Hamlet's Father
Author: Orson Scott Card
Type: Audio Book (Unabridged)
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
Genre: Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2012(for audiobook recording only)
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:
This is a reinterpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. This varies from the play in that it focus more on Hamlet's feeling towards his father and his lack of knowledge about his father. As a child Hamlet always felt that his father picked his companions over him and that they were the ones he loved rather than him. After his father's death Hamlet us asked to avenge his father and Hamlet learns more and more about his father. The Hamlet we encounter in here is much different than Shakespeare's Hamlet, he is devious and skilled in the art of deception.While Hamlet is using deception to his advantage is he really as smart as he thinks he is?

Feelings:
I enjoyed this audiobook mostly because of the narrator, Stefan Rudnicki, who did an excellent job reading the book, but found that sometimes I drifted off to sleep because it wasn't all that interesting. I don't normally fall asleep while I'm listening to an audiobook. It is short which is nice about 2 1/2 hours. It does not stay true to the play itself which I found interesting. I did find it to be a bit homophobic which I guess is just the author's point-of-view being reflected in the writing. One could almost not think of it as homophobia and as pedophilia, if it were not for one pivotal scene that clearly makes it about homophobia. It gives a new insight into the King, who was previously a rather minor character but a very important one. There are some aspects that stay true to the Shakespeare play in that death is a theme, and yes pretty much everyone dies. But there is a twist that I did not see coming. For lovers of Hamlet I would not recommend this because it is a reinterpretation and does not stay true to the play itself. One good thing about this version is the language is clear and easy to understand. I can't say I really liked the message or that I would recommend this to many people just because it deals with a pedophile and homophobia.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Title: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Author: Lisa See
Type: Novel
Genre: Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2005
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
Two girls are bound together with laotong "old same" which matches them emotionally at their foot bindings. Snow Flower sends Lily a fan with a message in the language of women that will bind them, "I understand there is a girl of good character and women's learning in your home. You and I are of the same year and the same day. Could we not be same together?" (p.5) With this message on a silk fan they become bound on the journey to adulthood. In 19th century China the road to becoming a woman is not an easy one.

"When I knew I couldn't suffer another moment of pain, and tears fell on my bloody bindings, my mother spoke softly into my ear, encouraging me to go one more hour, one more day, one more week, reminding me of the rewards I would have if I carried on a little longer. In this way, she taught me how to endure--not just the physical trials of footbinding and childbearing  but the more torturous pain of the heart, mind, and soul. She was also pointing out my defects and teaching me how to use them to my benefit. In our country, we call this type of mother love teng ai. My son has told me that in men's writing it is composed of two characters. The first means pain; the second means love. That is a mother's love." (p. 3-4)

One is headed up and one is headed down. Lily is from a poor family but she is married into the Lu family a wealthy family and Snow Flower from a well to do family, who ruins themselves is married below her birth status. They become great friends as children but one has a secret she is hiding from the other that will end up pulling them apart. Once Lily is married she is to return home until she is with child and she is surprised and upset by the way they treat her.

"My mother wanted to examine my private parts, but I denied her this, pleading embarrassment. My aunt inquired about bed business, but I turned away from her, pretending I was too shy. My father tried to hold my hand, but I implied that now I was a married woman this kind of affection was no longer appropriate. Elder Brother sought my company to laugh and share stories; I told him he should do these things with his wife. Second Brother saw my face and kept his distance; I did nothing to change that, suggesting modestly that when he had a wife of his own he would understand. Only Uncle--with his baffled look and nervous hopping--elicited an sympathy from me, but I confided nothing." (p. 135)

As the story progresses Lily distances her self from more and more people. She feels sorry for Snow Flower but does not understand her happiness. She is lost in her own world and even the secret bond between Snow Flower and Lily is stressed.

Feelings:
I enjoyed this book. I didn't like how things progressed near the end. But it reflected reality and the changes an individuals goes through in their life. I really liked the characters and the story line. Reading about footbinding in China from the perspective of an old woman remembering how she felt when she was young and her mother was breaking her bones and creating a new character and personality from the experience. It illuminates the difference between the past and today in ways that one can only understand from connecting with a believable character. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is beautifully written and the fan which they pass back and forth is described in detail and the language of women flowers. The story is like a flower it blooms with beauty and wilts slowly with the end of the season. I would suggest this book to those interested in 19th century Chinese culture who do not want to read a history book but want to connect with a person. This is a book about women, and the women's world, the male world is foreign to the characters in here. I think this is better suited to the female reader. It is an easy read that is enjoyable to the end.

Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende

Title: Island Beneath the Sea
Author: Isabel Allende
Type: Audiobook (Unabridged)
Narrator: S. Epatha Merkerson  
Genre: Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating:  3.5 out of 5

Summary:
Toulouse Valmorain arrives in Saint-Domingue in 1770 to help his sick father and what he thinks will be a short trip turns into him staying. When he arrives at 20 he is an idealistic young man who doesn't think slavery is a good thing. The longer he stays on Saint-Domingue the more his opinion of slavery changes and he begins to think that blacks are not as human and as long as he is a just master it is alright. However, his overseer a mulatto thinks that slaves must be punished and he takes great joy in the punishments. Valmorain turns a blind eye to this because as long as he does not see it he can pretend that he is a good master.

Zarité, called Tété, is born on Saint-Domingue to a slave mother and a sailor who brought her mother from Africa. Tété's mother does not want her and thus she is sold. At the age of nine Tété is bought by Valmorain as a personal servant for his new bride. Tété is a strong young girl and she longs for her freedom. 

The story follows Tété over 40 years and as things change Valmorain and Tété become intertwined, as they travel from Saint-Domingue to Cuba and then on to New Orleans to escape the revolution that kills many plantation owners and their domestic slaves. 

Feelings:
The first thing I should say, for everyone who loves Isabel Allende, is that I have only read one other book by her, Zorro. I enjoyed it a lot but from others I heard that it was very different from her other books. That being said I really cannot compare this book with her other books.

The book starts out in first person from Tété's view but then there are things that happen and are told in detail in following chapters that are in third person from another character's perspective. I found this interesting and wondered at first if it would detract from the story but it did not. 
 
This books was very detailed and at times I felt like it was dragging, 16 hours. I did enjoy the story and all the little interior stories that were told from slaves and from the whites. Getting both sides of the story was at times very interesting but sometimes also helped to slow the story. If I had not had a long drive over which to listen to this I'm not sure I would have made it through the story. I'm pretty sure that I would not have read the print form of this book because of the slow pace it had. I do wonder however if some of the issues I had with the pace of the story were created by the narrator. She wasn't consistent and I didn't think she did a good job portraying the characters.

I liked all of the historical parts of the book as well as the religion of the slaves. It added nicely to the rigidity of the whites. The island beneath the sea is where the dead go and will be reunited with their families. This is something that I think I missed the first time or two that it was mentioned in the reading. It is little details like this that make the book different. The difference between white, mulatto, and black was striking and emphasized in the relationships between the characters.

I would recommend this to people who love Isabel Allende, or those who are interested in the history of slavery in the Caribbean and the Americas and want a fictional version. As with all historical fiction it isn't fact but it does give an interesting perspective.

Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Southern Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2011
Publisher:  Bantam Books
Buy: Amazon
Reviews of other books by Sarah Addison Allen: Garden Spells, First Frost, The Sugar Queen, Lost, Lake, and The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Summary:
Willa Jackson, Colin Osgood, Paxton Osgood, and Sebastian Rogers all went to high school together, in Walls of Water North Carolina and yet they can't seem to live down their past which is exactly what they would like to do. " The Joker, the Stick Man, the Princess, and the Freak" (p. 209). 

The Madam had been built in the 1800s by Willa's great-great-grandfather, the founder of the now defunct Jackson Logging Company. ... The irony was that the Jacksons, once the finest family in town, the reason for the town's existence in the first place, lost all their money when the logging stopped. ... [Willa] got out of her Wrangler and climbed onto the hood, leaning back against the windshield. ... The only thing left to the renovation was the landscaping, which apparently had gotten under way just that day. That excited Willa. ... Most of the activity, however, seemed centered on the area around the only tree on the flat top of the hill, where the house sat. (p. 11-12)

Willa's family has a history at the Madam but she is the only one who had not been inside the run down house as a teenager. She only views it from a distance. Thus when she is caught looking that it by Colin she is embarrassed and hurries off in the hope that he didn't recognize her. Colin is left with the invitation to the gala event being held at the Madam. He goes to return it to her and in a jet-legged state ends up falling asleep on her couch. In high school Willa was the school Joker and she had pinned her pranks on Colin not on purpose to start with but because everyone thought he had done them. Colin is drawn to Willa because of her wild side, but she is not the person she was in high school.

Paxton is having the Madam remolded for the big 75th anniversary gala for the Women's Society Club. Paxton is the president, and she feels that she must be in control. Colin is doing the landscaping for the Madam and when he finds a skeleton under a peach tree his sister feels as though everything is out of her control and she worries that she will not be able to have the gala there. The skeleton belongs to Tucker Devlin a traveling sales man who was in Walls of Water 75 years before. The mystery surrounding his death brings Paxton and Willa closer.

Paxton and Sebastian are very good friends and Paxton is under the impression from being in high school together that he is gay, yet she finds herself sexually attracted to him. She wants more from her relationship with him than just the friendship they have.

"He opened the car door for her and helped her out. 'It's too hot to be sitting in your car. Your hair is wet.' He put his cool hand to the base of her bare neck, which made her want to shiver. It was a base reaction from a place deep within her, a well full of sharp longings and pipe dreams." (p. 67) 

Even the way they interact shows how close they are physically even if it isn't sexual.

Colin and Paxton both need to come to terms with who they are now and what it means for them to be part of their family and an individual. All have to learn to be who they were in the past as well as who they are now to be comfortable, in coming to terms with this they are able to find happiness.

Feelings:
I really enjoyed the mountain setting for The Peach Keeper. The idea of a town of waterfalls seems magical, and the way the mist was described makes the setting magical. The idea of selling jars of fog, because of how think and magical it was seems an odd idea to me, but living in the mountains I understand the kind of fog that is being described. Unlike some of Sarah Addison Allen's other books this one combines a fictional location, Walls of Water, with a real location, Asheville, where the author is from. I liked that touch. Walls of Water is both a small town but also has the feel of a larger town. Through the setting and nature we learn about the characters which is important to the story.

Contrary to the title there were not many peaches in the story. I expected them to play a bigger part in the story but they didn't really. Personally, I had hoped that they would as they are my favorite fruit. Tucker Devlin has peach tree that is growing over were he was buried and there is the smell of peaches sometimes when people think of Tucker and what he did to the town. Mostly though peaches are part of the magical or unknown in this story.

I really enjoy reading Sarah Addison Allen's books but I have to admit that I am beginning to see a similar structure in them. This has not stopped me from enjoying the writing and the story. Almost all of her stories have a strong focus on the past and healing wounds. This story was no exception to this pattern. What makes her books really enjoyable to me are that the characters are strong and easy to like. The romance between characters helps, but I think I would like the story even if there wasn't romance and the characters were just friends.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good read over a weekend. It is easy to get into and the characters give in to the superstitions of the town. The town and the characters all have their own personalities that make this a book worth reading.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Title: What I Saw and How I Lied
Author: Judy Blundell

Type: Audio Book (Unabridged) Young Adult Novel
Narrator: Catalin Greer
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Series: No
Copyright: 2009 (2008 printed edition)

Publisher:  Scholastic Audio
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary:
It is right after World War II and Evie Spooner and her mother Beverly are waiting for Joe to come back from the war. They are living with his mother and feel the strain. When Joe returns he starts a business selling appliances. On what seems to be a whim Joe takes the family on a vacation to Palm Beach, Florida. At first they are very excited and the drive is fun but as the temperature rises so does the tension in the car. Bev and Evie do not ask or talk about the war with Joe and there is much they do not know about him. Staying at the only open hotel in Palm Beach they meet Arlene and Tom Grayson who they become friends with. Tom and Joe start to form a shady business deal for buying the hotel they are staying in and Arlene helps Evie start to grow up by buying her clothes that are for a young woman not a girl. Also, staying at the hotel is Peter Coleridge, someone who had served with Joe in the war. Joe has a clear dislike for Peter but it isn't clear why. Evie finds Peter kind, handsome and finds herself with a crush, which she calls love. What follows leads to betray and a taking of sides. Evie must choice what lies to tell and who to betray.

Feelings:
A National Book Award Winner in young adult this book is told in first person (Something I have been noticing, recently is first person narratives. I thought I read only third person. Turns out I was wrong.) from the point-of-view of a 15 year old girl. Evie wants so much to be an adult and everyone is trying to hold her back. This is a coming-of-age novel with a mystery twist. I'm not sure that the mystery is ever really solved at the end because Evie isn't sure what happened. She does grow up in the process and the change in the character is genuine and well worth reading the book to see. In the south after the war Evie does not see the change that she would have expected and racism is present. This bothers her and she doesn't see why there are these kind of rules. She is innocent in a way that draws the reader in and as she looses that innocence through life experiences and her observations of what is happening around her she begins to grow up. The only problem is that once you grow up you can't go back. The setting for the book was good and I enjoyed the post war atmosphere of plenty. While this is definitely a story told from the point-of-view of a teenager there isn't as much dwelling on girly things as one would expect. I would recommend this book to individuals who like a good coming-of-age novel and a bit of mystery mixed in.

Review: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Southern Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Bantam Books
Buy: Amazon

Reviews of other books by Sarah Addison Allen: Garden Spells, First Frost, The Sugar Queen, Lost, Lake, and The Peach Keeper

Summary:
This is the story of Emily Benedict and Julia Winterson. Emily Benedict comes to Mullaby, North Carolina, when her mother dies, to live with a grandfather she didn't even know she had. Julia Winterson who grew up in Mullaby, she saw no reason to return until her father dies. Julia is living in Mullaby until she has paid off the mortgage on her father's BBQ restaurant at which point she will return to her life that has nothing to do with her past in Mullaby. When Emily first arrives she finds the difference between her life with her mother and life in Mullaby hard to adjust too.

Emily hesitated, then paid him and got out. The air outside was tomato-sweet and hickory-smoked, all at once delicious and strange. It automatically made her touch her tongue to her lips. It was dusk, but the streetlights weren't on yet. She was taken aback by how quiet everything was. It suddenly made her feel light. No street sounds. No kids playing. No music or television. There was this sensation of otherworldliness, like she'd traveled some impossible distance. (p. 3-4)

At night Emily sees a light in the woods and finds it odd and interesting. Once she ventures into town she finds that her mother's past in Mullaby is not what she thought and many of the things she thought of her mother are not as they seem.

"I'm Julia Winterson. I live over there." She turned her head slightly, indicating the yellow and white house next door. That's when Emily noticed the pink streak in Julia's hair, tucked behind her ear. It wasn't something she expected from someone so fresh-faced, in flour-stained jeans and a white peasant blouse. ... [Of an apple stack cake Julie says,] "It means..." she struggled with the world, then finally said, "welcome. I know Mullaby has its faults, as I'm sure your mother told you, but it's also a town of great food. Your going to eat very well while you're here. At least there's that.".... "My mother didn't tell me anything about Mullaby," Emily said, staring at the cake. "Nothing?" "No." Julia seemed shocked into silence. (p.23-24)

Emily's lack of understanding of the town and everyone else's understanding of what her mother "did" leave her an outcast. Win Coffey is the only one that seems to be interested in her yet he is the only person who everyone wants to keep her away from.

Julia has been back in Mullaby for a year and a half, and she has done everything she can to avoid Sawyer. Until one small slip while she is talking with Stella, her best friend who she lives with, leaves Sawyer wanting to get close to her.

"Don't you want to know what Stella told me last night?" [Sawyer] asked. ... "Stella was drunk last night." "She said you told her that you bake cakes because of me." (p.17)

Julia and Sawyer have a past, and not one that Julia is likely to forget.

She couldn't blame him for being a scared teenager when he'd found out she'd gotten pregnant from their one night together on the football field all those years ago. ... But she resented how easily he'd gotten on with his life. It had been just one night to him. One regretful night with the freaky, unpopular girl he'd barely even talked to at school. A girl who'd been madly in love with him. (p. 20)

Getting over the past is something both Julia and Emily must overcome to find a place where they can fit.

Feelings:
Like with many of Allen's books food plays a big roll in the story. Expect to be hungry when you read this. BBQ and Cakes play a big part in the story and how the characters interact. I really enjoy reading a book were food is an important part of the story. Sometimes when you read a book and you never see the characters eat it makes you wonder if they are real. This makes food seem magical which I really liked.

This is an easy read. I enjoyed the story, a hint of magic and a little bit of tension make it a good read. I enjoyed the characters and how they seemed so real. Yes there were times when you must suspend disbelief but I don't have an issue with this and really enjoyed the magical elements of the story.

As with all of her stories Sarah Addison Allen takes a setting in rural North Carolina and makes it come to life. I like that her setting is real. I'm from North Carolina and while it feels much like some of the places I have traveled in North Carolina it is a setting that is friendly and it is clear that Allen knows what she is writing.

Review: Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Yes, link to my review of Incarceron
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Dial
Buy: Amazon


Summary:
The Summary and Feelings on this book are shorter because the story is so linked to the prequel Incarceron that to say much about this book is to give away the story of Incarceron. The story is set in both the prison and the realm. It still follows Claudia, Finn, Keiro, and Attia as well as the problems in both the prison and Realm. In this book we see that maybe escape is not exactly what it seems and that both prison and realm have aspects of confinement. We do learn much more about Sapphique in this book and the story of Sapphique's escape from the prison.

Feelings:
This book explained many things that were left unexplained in Incarceron but still didn't do many things that I would have hoped. I doubt there will be a sequel to Sapphique but there are still things that could be cleared up. The book did resolve many things and end nicely but I would have liked to see a little more resolution. I don't trust what happened at the end of the book. To trust the ending is to trust a character who is not trusted. I know that is an odd thing to say but I don't want to give to much away.

Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Narrator: Christopher Hurt
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: No
Copyright: 2005 (first published 1953)
Publisher:  Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Buy: Amazon

Summary:
In an alternate time line Guy Montag is a fireman. Instead of putting out fires he starts them. In a day when all houses are fire proof one must take different measures if they wish to get rid of things that the government bans. He and the fire department are in charge of making sure everyone follows the rules. This means no books, and those who have books must be punished. Guy Montag enjoys starting fires to burn the houses with books. He enjoys the heat, the smell of kerosene. He does not question the reason why he must burn the books he just does it, until he meets a 17 year old girl who moves in next door to him and a professor who no longer teaches but hides in fear like everyone else. The girl is different and she makes him think about the world around him and how it got to be the way it is.

Feelings:
I really enjoyed listening to Fahrenheit 451. The descriptions were amazing. There is nothing like a good book burning when described with such beauty. This is the first Ray Bradbury book I have heard/read. I have to admit I'm surprised I didn't find him sooner. Guy Montag is an interesting man who starts out just like everyone else in the book he doesn't think for himself. He doesn't love. He doesn't feel anything. The world Bradbury creates is so like our own yet so different. I wonder if we are moving towards a world like the one in Fahrenheit 451 or if books will survive in this area of immediate pleasure. The characters in here were vibrant and full of life until the very end. The mechanical hound with eight legs is such a strange hound we wonder how it can be a hound. The fire engine named after the mythical salamander that breathed fire is such an interesting image. I don't imagine wheels but legs that crawl down the roads to start the next fire and then back to the station. I would recommend this to anyone that likes science fiction. It is a vibrant colorful book.  

Review: Time and Again by Jack Finney

Genre: Fiction
Series: Yes, next From Time to Time
Copyright: 1970
Publisher:  Simon  Schuster
Buy: Amazon

Summary:
Simon Morley is one of a very small number that is selected to be part of a project in New York City in the 1970s. This project believes that time is like a stream and we are only stuck in one place because we do not know enough of anther time to get off there. With some convincing of the project director and the board Simon, called Si, is going back to January 1882 in New York City. He has an apartment in the Dakota an old building which was around in 1882 and though it would have been on the outside of the city it was there. He prepares himself for the project by eating and dressing like they did during the time. It is not easy for him to disconnect himself from his own time but with a little help and lots of studying he is able to do it.

"You'll sleep for only a little while, Si. But it will be a marvelously restful sleep. Deep and dreamless. Restful as you've ever known. And when you wake, everything you know of the twentieth centery will be gone from you mind; it will dwindle to a motionless pinpoint deep in your brain, and lost to you....But you know what the world is like; you know very well. You know all about it. Why shouldn't you know what the world is like tonight, January 21, 1882? Because that is the date; that is the time we're in of course...Now hear what I say. I am going to give you a final, irrevocable instruction; you will hear it, you will obey it. You will sleep for twenty minutes. You will awake rested. You will go out for a walk. Just a little walk, a breath of air before you go to bed. You will be as careful as you possibly can be . . . that on one sees you. You will be absolutely certain to speak to no one. You will allow no act of yours, however small, to influence anyone in any way, however trivial." (p. 99-100)

Thus starts Si's adventures into 1882 to discover the mystery of a letter and a picture of a grave that Katie his girlfriend has wondered about her entire life.

"If a discussion of Court House Carrara should prove of interest to you, please appear in City Hall Part at half past twelve on Thursday next. In blue ink below the fold, in a large half-illegible scrawl, blot-stained in four places, it said: That the sending of this should cause the Destruction by Fire of the entire World (a world seemed to be missing here at the end of the top line where the paper was burned) seems well-nigh incredible. Yet it is so, and the Fault and the Guilt (another word missing in the burned area) mine, and can never be denied or escaped. So, with this wretched souvenir of that Event before me, I now end the life which should have ended then" (p. 72)

The grave stone is simple with no name just a nine pointed star within a circle all formed of dots. It had confused the decedents who did not know why such a thing would have been made. As did the letter that did not make sense to them.

Si is to go back and watch the mailing of the letter without interfering in what happens. The project starts small and grows with each trip Si makes to 1882, until the letter is decoded and Si is left with an important decision to make.

Feelings:
I had a really hard time liking this book to start with. Si really annoyed me at times. His attitudes were difficult to deal with because he thought of himself as good and self-riotous at times. I think this quote is a good example of how Si can be even when he doesn't realize what he is doing. It is clear to those reading yet not to others.

"I like women, I never run them down as somehow inferior to men, and I have a contempt for men who do. And I think, for one thing that women are just as principled as men--but they sure as hell aren't the same kind of principles. I knew I could trust Kate in virtually anything, relying on her absolutely, her sense of right and wrong as lively as mine. Yet now we argued interminably: Kate at the stove, where she'd taken over dinner preparations, I at the kitchen table, waiting; then, sharing my two chops, we continued the battle at dinner. ... With no trouble at all Kate saw through the transparency to the truth--the feminine truth--underneath the serious pretense. She knew this was really a great, big expensive fascinating toy; we were all of us playing with it, and like a determined tomboy on a playground shouldering her way into a circle of boys, she was damn well going to play, too." (p. 108)

This is the kind of attitude that made it hard for me to like Si. Although by the end of the book I did. I think for the most part this book might be better for the male reader than the female. It is in first person from a male perspective and it shows. That made it harder for me to read and really get into. I have a feeling I will read the next in the series because I did enjoy the contrast between the time periods and I liked the descriptions. I have to admit that sometimes the descriptions were over powering and really slowed the plot. However, I think that was a big part of the story, dwelling on the past and what comes of it.

I would recommend Time and Again by Jack Finney to men, but would really think twice before I suggested it to a woman just because of the narrator's views and how they made me feel.

Review: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Narrator: Malcolm Gladwell
Genre: Non-Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2005
Publisher:  Hachette Audio
Buy: Amazon


Summery:
An exploration of what our brain does without us knowing we are doing it. Those fast decisions that help us cross the road when a car is coming up faster than you expected, and you dash out of the way before you know you are doing it. How do we make these decisions and can we control or do we want to control these fast judgement we make. Also looks at micro expressions that we perceive but don't know we see because of the speed at which they happen.

Feelings: 
I enjoyed listening to Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking, it was read by the author which was enjoyable. Some of the book wasn't as engaging as other parts but I liked the opening where snap judgments and science were compared. I'm sure there are also examples that can go the other way where science was better than intuition. I think what I liked most was the part of the book that talked about micro expressions and the expressions we make and how they communicate more to us than what is said. We learn these expressions before we learn to talk they are vital to our communication with others as well as the way we feel about others after we meet them. This is a book I would recommend but not to everyone. There are some people that will really dislike this book because of the discussion about thinking without knowing we are doing it. Those that need to be in charge every moment will not enjoy this book as it is letting the subconscious take over for a while. However, we may be able to use snap decisions and judgments to our advantage with some amount of practice at which point we may be in control of them more than we would know.