I should be packing

The guest room is a mess, with various piles of clothing awaiting either packing or putting away, depending on what I decide to take.  My suitcase has to be at my folks' house on Saturday, so it can go overland to Orlando, while I work in the office next week and then fly to Orlando on Friday.

This week has been absolutely hellish at work, as Mom and I scramble to get everything done before she leaves.  Of course, there have been crises, most notably four Wards in three different hospitals in two counties.  I think Tuesday was the worst, because we expected Monday to be a Monday, and we both got a lot done yesterday, but the phone would NOT stop ringing on Tuesday.

I'm getting cautiously excited about the cruise.  I've just purchased and downloaded 7 e-books to take with me, along with the physical books I've been hoarding, and I do know which nail polishes, perfumes and bath and body products I want to take.  I do need to find my lavender sugar scrub, which appears to be in hiding,  and as I said, I should be packing.

Instead, I am faffing about on Goodreads and playing a silly little shareware game.

Book review

The Painted Girls: A Novel by Cathy Marie Buchanan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although this is a fictional account of the van Goethem sisters, it's realistic while being engaging.  While some of the supporting characters are rather flat, the main characters are fully realized and I came to care what happens to them.  Without descending too far into adolescent angst, the author nevertheless manages to convey the pains and joys of growing up.  Without delving too far into grossness, Ms. Buchanan manages to convey the dangers and fears of a life lived on the ragged edge of poverty.  And without crossing the line into erotica, the author manages to convey the joy of sex with a loved one and the shame of sex for money.

After reading this book, I am torn between wanting to know more about the van Goethem sisters, and wanting not to know, so I can imagine them in a happy old age, chortling together over cups of tea and surrounded by reminders of lives well lived.

This book was sent to me for review


View all my reviews

Yet another book review

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This didn't wow me--it's much better written than most of the Austen sequels/ripoffs/homages/reimaginings that have hit the market in the last few years, but it's by a professional writer, so that's not surprising. Most of the character have evolved in ways that fit with their original depictions, and the relationships have done the same. The mystery is decent if not innovative, and handled well, but overall, the book just didn't grab me or live up to the standard set by Ms. Austen.



View all my reviews

Another book review!

The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It was with reluctance that I closed this book and left the world of Gullstruck. Ms. Hardinge combined splendid world-building with fascinating character-building. Learning about a society reliant on those of its members who can project their astral selves and what happens when that ability is gone was fascinating, but the story of Hathin, the central character, was even more so. Watching Hathin cope with her duties and responsibilities and then with her fears and hopes was a rich and rewarding experience.

I hope that sometime in the future Ms. Hardinge will revisit this world--I would love to read more about it.



View all my reviews

Book review

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


A note for Brooke--don't read this, I'm sending the book to you.

While the world-building and character-building in this novel are good and the plot is interesting, I just couldn't get past the (view spoiler)[animal abuse in the first chapter and the large-scale child abuse in the main plot (hide spoiler)].



View all my reviews

Book review

Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle by The Countess of Carnarvon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The book was interesting, although there were various grammar and spelling usages which threw me out of the narrative. These may just result from a difference between British and American English, so I didn't deduct any mental points. Almina, Countess Carnarvon, was certainly an interesting woman, but I did deduct a point for the marketing strategy of linking her life with a popular television show. The book could have stood on its own merits.



View all my reviews

Book Review

The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren by Jonathan Lopez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An intriguing story, a compelling if not particularly likeable subject, crisp writing, elegant language and an author who explains details and concepts without talking down to his reader all made this a wonderful reading experience.



View all my reviews

Book review

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Bleah. For a so-called "ghost story," this was terribly boring. The writing is technically proficient, but the characters are two-dimensional placeholders, which makes for absolutely no tension in the scary plot developments. Those plot developments are telegraphed loudly in advance, and there's no leavening humor or humanity to make a reader care enough to be scared on behalf of any of the cardboard figures populating the novel. Throughout the read I was irritated by the use of second person singular for chapters involving the main character, then ticked when the cat was killed for no apparent reason except to demonstrate which "herbalist" was the Big Bad and finally just bored right out of my little fuzzy socks



View all my reviews

Book Review

Ganymede by Cherie Priest

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There is no way for me to do a sensible, scholarly review of this book or any of the books in the Clockwork Century series. All I can say is that I loved this, and that Ms. Priest had me before Marie Laveau but I squealed in delight when she appeared. I'm thrilled with the gentle, low-key touch of romance as well as the breathless action, and just delighted to pieces with the whole book.



View all my reviews

Book review

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an impressive first novel! It's well-written, without purple prose, and while a few of the minor characters are two-dimensional, the main characters are not. The pacing is good, and the plot is engaging. Ms. Habel does an exceptional job of making it seem as if there is always something exciting happening, even in the calmer parts. The romance is sweet and believable. The story of the world is intriguing and not too difficult to picture. While I have a soft spot for the character who shares my name, I wasn't thrilled with the multi-character viewpoints. The transitions between viewpoints didn't seem quite as seamless as the rest of the book. I do appreciate the fact that while the door is left open for a sequel, the book doesn't end with a cliff-hanger.



Well-done and highly recommended.



This book was sent to me for review.



View all my reviews

Book review

Unnatural Issue: An Elemental Masters Novel by Mercedes Lackey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This would have been 5 stars, except I'm getting a bit tired of Ms. Lackey's overuse of the "Bad guy schemes to take over someone else's body" plotline. Off the top of my head, I can think of three other books, one in this very series, that she's used it in, and I wish she would find some other type of villainy for her villains.



That caveat aside, Ms. Lackey does a good job with the characters and the setting. Clearly, she has done some research into the horrors of World War I, and they are interwoven so skillfully that none of the information comes across as a history lecture. Miracle of miracles, Ms. Lackey even made me care about a character based on Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Whimsey, who I cannot stand.



Overall, this is an engaging summer novel, with enough action to make you pay attention, characters to enjoy, and enough bits that make you think without boring you to death.



View all my reviews

Book review

Feckless: Tales of Supernatural, Paranormal, and Downright Presumptuous Ilk by Ellen C. Maze

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


There have been a lot of technological advances since I started buying books 30 years ago, but my favorite has to be easy, accessible paper recycling. Now when I make the mistake of purchasing two covers surrounding a giant pile of dreck, I don't feel guilty about tossing it.



View all my reviews

Book review

Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution by Holly Tucker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In one way, this book is difficult to read. It deals with some truly horrific experiments in the name of science and some truly horrific human stupidity.



In another way, this book is easy to read. The writing flows smoothly, the events narrated are fascinating and the science is explained in a way that's accessible without being dumbed down.



This book reminds me of Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List in that I'm glad I read it, I had a definite emotional and intellectual response to it, but I've no desire to read it again.



I can and do recommend this to anyone curious about the beginning of the science of blood transfusion, as long as the reader doesn't have a delicate stomach or a thin skin.



This book was sent to me for review.



View all my reviews

Book Review

Not Less Than Gods by Kage Baker

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The world in this book is well-constructed, but the characters are more two-dimensional than three, and the plot is more a series of vignettes than a full story. I suspect that readers of The Company series will enjoy the book quite a bit, it just doesn't hold up all that well as a stand-alone novel.



This book was sent to me for review.



View all my reviews

Book review

Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was so excited to have won this on First Reads, and overall, it was quite enjoyable. Ms. Priest does a little too much telling in the first couple of chapters, i.e. having the protagonist describe herself in detail, but once past that bump, when the story got going, it really got going.



Vampires, ghouls, black ops, a drag queen Navy SEAL, a venal but somehow appealing museum employee, and lots of fast-paced action overall made this an exciting read. Taken individually, all of the plot elements and most of the characters in this book have appeared elsewhere, but all together they're a thrill ride. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book!



View all my reviews