Tag: books

Quests of Kings, by Robert Evert

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Image belongs to Diversion Books.

Robert Evert is a professor. His latest novel, Quests of the Kings, is a young adult fantasy.

Natalie is a 16-year-old peasant girl who works every job she can find to support her mother and her siblings, but options are limited for girls in her society. Natalie is determined to make a better life for her family, and dreams of the exciting life of an adventurer. But Natalie runs afoul of Brago, one of the most famous adventurers, and finds her life in danger.

While on the run, Natalie seeks help from Sir Edris and his squire, the only ones powerful enough to go up against Brago. She joins the kings’ quest for a golden harp, and starts to feel safe with her new friends. But Brago isn’t about to let Natalie—or those she loves—off that easily.

Quests of Kings had potential. A brave young woman, working to support her family in a culture that places little value on women in general:  there’s a lot of potential there. Except Natalie comes across as being needlessly defiant, thoughtless, manipulative, and a liar. There’s a lot of action in the book, but it’s mainly due to Natalie’s thoughtlessness. When people put their lives in danger for her, she just takes advantage of them and treats them however she wants. She is not a likeable protagonist, being almost as cruel as Brago—albeit just out of carelessness and thoughtlessness than sheer evil.

(Galley provided by Diversion books via NetGalley.)

The Rules Do Not Apply, by Ariel Levy

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Image belongs to Random House.

Ariel Levy is a staff writer for the New Yorker. Her newest novel is The Rules Do Not Apply.

Ariel Levy grew up watching her mother come alive for a man besides her husband, and then watching that relationship stall out after her parents’ marriage ended. It was only after the end of these two relationships that her mother—eventually—found herself. Ariel decides she will love whomever she wants—and proceeds to do that, disregarding the fact that the other woman is already in a relationship when they meet.

A few years later, Ariel is pregnant, married, and secure in her own life when she heads to Mongolia to cover a story. When she returns, she is none of those things. Reeling from her loss, she discovers her partner’s alcoholism, which is too much for her to deal with. So, Ariel must decide—once again—what she wants, so she can go after it.

The writing in The Rules Do Not Apply is solid and evocative, but the author seems to be keenly analytical of other people’s flaws…and not her own. She went through a horrifying experience, one no woman should ever have to experience, and dealing with that grief is the most honest part of this book. The rest of the novel seems more about blame and veiled criticism of others, along with some scathingly accurate cultural analysis.

(Novel provided by Random House via NetGalley.)

The Orphan’s Tale, by Pam Jenoff

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Image belongs to harlequin/Mira.

Pam Jenoff is a lawyer and former government employee who now teaches law school. She is an award-winning author, and her newest novel is The Orphan’s Tale.

Noa’s family kicked her out when she became pregnant by a Nazi soldier. She was forced to give up her baby, and took a job cleaning a rail station. When a boxcar full of Jewish infants headed for a concentration camp stops at the station, Noa finds herself stealing one of the babies and escaping into the snowy night.

A German circus takes Noa in, and she’s forced to learn the trapeze to earn her keep and so she can blend in. Her presence puts the entire circus at risk, and she butts heads with the lead aerialist, Astrid, who must train her. Soon, she and Astrid forge a strong bond, as the threat to the circus looms larger, and the two women must overcome the secrets between them if they—and the rest of the circus—are to survive.

I was supposed to read this last month, and somehow skipped over it. I’m so glad I figured that out and read this! It’s a dark book, set in one of the bleakest periods of human history. World War II-era Germany was a terrifying place to be Jewish, and this danger snakes through every page of this book. The tragedies faced by both Noa and Astrid are harrowing, at best, and the way they fight to overcome them and reach for a brighter future is both inspiring and sad. This is a great read, but not for someone looking for a book that’s light or happy—despite being set in a circus.

(Galley provided by Harlequin/Mira.)

Year of No Clutter, by Eve Schaub

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Image belongs to Sourcebooks.

Eve Schaub is a serial memoirist with two bachelor’s degrees and an MFA. She has written about giving up added sugar—for which her family probably did not thank her—and her newest book, Year of No Clutter, is about her attempt to fight back against a lifetime habit of keeping things.

Eve Schaub is a “clutter-gatherer.” She keeps stuff. Lots of stuff. She’s not a hoarder…but she’s close enough to see the shadows caused by the towering piles of junk. Her guilty secret is the “Hell Room;” 567 square feet of upstairs space overflowing with…stuff. Of course, she keeps it hidden away like the dirty secret it is. Eve is bad with decisions, but she decides she’s finally—finally—going to get rid of all the stuff clogging the Hell Room so her family can actually use the space.

Does she really need to save her fifth-grade report card? No. Who does that? What Eve discovers is that she’s not really keeping stuff—she’s keeping memories. If she gets rids of the things that trigger her memories, will she lose the memories themselves? From the dead mouse to the pile of family photos, Eve must go through it all, learning what’s truly important, and what is just…clutter.

I recognize Eve’s self-description of being a “clutter-gatherer.” (Not to mention her family history of hoarding. I’m looking at you, Dad. Not to mention my grandmother, who kept every plastic butter tub ever.) This is a tendency I’ve fought for years, and for the same reasons:  What if I need that someday? It has sentimental value! I can’t throw it away, it’s perfectly good! So, yes, I sympathize with Eve. Last year, when I moved, I cleaned out a storage building I’d had for years, and got rid of a lot of stuff. Including 33 boxes of books. (Yes, that hurt my heart, too. But they went to Half-Price Books at least, with a shot at a new life.)

I was expecting this book to be dry to be dry and boring (I don’t know why). Instead, I found wry wit and laugh-out-loud humor as the author delves into her memories while coming to terms with the truth about stuff…and her tendency to keep it.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.)

 

If Not for You, by Debbie Macomber

if not for you
Image belongs to Ballantine Books.

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, and has written dozens of books in her career. She also loves to knit and help others, including her Knit 1, Bless 2 program. Debbie’s newest book is If Not for You, in the New Beginnings books, a series of stand-alone novels.

Beth Prudhomme loves her parents, but she’s had enough of her loving but domineering mother. So, Beth moves to Portland, near her Aunt Sunshine, a free-spirited artist. Beth gets the job she’s always dreamed of, as a high-school music teacher, and makes new friends, including Nichole and Rocco, who set up a blind date with Sam, a tattooed mechanic. Beth is reserved and proper, Sam is rough around the edges and unconventional:  the opposite of everything Beth’s mother wants for her.

After their awkward blind date, Beth and Sam leave, thinking themselves unscathed, but Beth is in a bad wreck, which Sam witnesses. He stays to comfort her, and finds himself drawn to her hospital room…and to Beth herself. Their attraction surprises them both, and they have many obstacles to overcome. Sam has the secrets of his past, and Beth her tendency to take trying to help a little too far. And then there’s her mother…

I loved A Girl’s Guide to Moving On, a previous book in the New Beginnings series, and some of those characters show up here, which I’ve always loved. The characters in this book really make it so worth reading. Beth is fighting a lifetime of habit and trying to forge a life of her own when calamity strikes. The she must deal with an injury as well as her own faults. And Sam has spent so many years hurting that he can’t imagine not hurting. As the two of them grow—together but separately as well—the reader is privileged to watch their choices change them.

(Galley provided by Ballantine Books.)

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The Bone Witch, by Rin Chupeco

the bone witch
Image belongs to Sourcebooks.

Rin Chupeco writes books that mix fantasy with dark thrillers. The Bone Witch is her newest novel.

The women in Tea’s family are witches, but when teenage Tea raises her brother Fox from the dead—unintentionally—she learns she’s far different from the others. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, both feared and shunned by everyone she knows. Then an older bone witch arrives to take Tea and her brother far away for training.

Becoming an asha—one who wields magic—is the hardest thing she’s ever done, but Tea wants it more than anything. The intricate rituals, the esoteric knowledge, the combat training all prepare Tea for her new role. But training isn’t all that waits for Tea, and dark forces are rising in secret, set to destroy everything she holds dear.

From the book’s website: “Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind…” This is exactly what this book is! And since I loved both of these books, it stands to reason that I’d love this one. Which I did. I started off a bit confused, but gradually I got a grasp on everything. The cultures in this book are rich and intricate, especially the ashas’. There’s action, history, a little bit of romance, and a lot of magic…everything to keep the reader entranced until the very end. I highly recommend this book!

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(Galley provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.)

Traveling with Ghosts, by Shannon Leone Fowler

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Image belongs to Simon and Schuster.

Shannon Leone Fowler is a marine biologist who has traveled and worked all over the world, and studied everything from sea lions to killer whales. Traveling with Ghosts is her first book.

Shannon Leone Fowler, marine biologist, loved backpacking all over the world almost as much as she loved her fiancé, Sean, an Australian who shared her love of travel. In summer of 2002, they were in Thailand, when a box jellyfish, the most venous animal in the world, stung Sean, killing him in minutes as Shannon watched. While the authorities tried to label Sean’s death a “drunk drowning,” two Israeli women helped Shannon wade through the red tape to bring Sean’s body home to Australia, to the family he’d left behind and that she was no longer a part of.

Reeling from Sean’s death, Shannon returned home to America, but could no longer make sense of her world. So, she decided to travel as she searched for healing. Poland, Israel, Bosnia, Romania…all places she’d never been with Sean, but she could not escape his memory. Finally, she ended up in Barcelona, where she first met Sean, and confronted the ocean, which took her love away.

Traveling with Ghosts is an immensely personal memoir, about a harrowing loss and a woman’s struggles to heal. The narrative switches between Shannon’s travels after Sean’s death, the fateful trip to Thailand, and their travels when they first met. Her grief coats every page with a patina of sorrow, as she struggles to find a way to deal with her loss.

(Galley provided by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley.)

What I Read in February

My official goal is to read 100 books this year…but I’d like to read more like 125 or so. I read a lot last year, but I don’t want to get overly optimistic this year, what with grad school, work, training for three fall races…you know, LIFE.

In February, I read 10 books, 2 less than January, for a total of 22 for the year.

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Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee. (Read to review.) I found this book engrossing and sad at the same time–such persecution the Koreans faced and Sunya’s life was full of sorrow–but well-worth the read.

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Portal of a Thousand Worlds, by  Dave Duncan. (Read to review.) Asian cultures fascinate me–I’d love to visit–but sometimes the “rules” are so complex as to be mind-boggling. I loved the layers of this novel.

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I Wanna Be Loved by You, by Heather Hiestand. (Read to review.) I love reading anything set in the 20s, hence my interest in this book.

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The Weight of Him, by Ethel Rohan. (Read to review.) I also love Ireland and anything set there is guaranteed to catch my eye. This novel deals with…weighty…issues like suicide, depression, and eating disorders. It captures the struggles within a family, as well as a man’s struggle with his weight.

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Fatal Option, by Chris Beakey. (Read to review).  This is one of the few books I’ve ever read where all the characters are “bad guys” in some shape, form, or fashion. It’s about impossible choices—and their repercussions.

Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton. (Classical book of the month.) Surprisingly engrossing, and the ending was NOT what I expected.

Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat. (Different culture book of the month.) About a family of women from/in Haiti. Not a happy book, but a book about family relationships among women, and it will give you a glimpse into Haitian culture.

Amish White Christmas Pie, by Wanda E. Bruntstetter. (From the TBR pile.)

God’s Plan for When You Can’t Sleep, by Christina Vinson. (Spiritual book for the month.)

Paper and Fire, by Rachel Caine. (Just because.) I LOVE these books! Can’t wait for the third book to come out. Such a unique premise—where the Library in Alexandria still exists and controls the flow of information in the world, and the main character is from a family who trades in illegal books.

 

Fatal Option, by Chris Beakey

fatal-option
Image belongs to Post Hill Press.

Chris Beakey’s newest novel is Fatal Option.

Five Months ago, Stephen Porter’s wife died mysteriously in a car crash on the side of a mountain. Tonight, his 17-year-old daughter, Sara, calls in the middle of the night, crying hysterically, stranded on that same mountain in a blinding snowstorm. Stephen just went to sleep after binge drinking his wife’s death from his mind, and he knows he’s in no shape to drive. But he has no choice, so he sets off to bring Sara home.

Kieran O’Shea is also out in the snowstorm:  to bring his autistic brother, Aidan, home. Kieran is all Aidan has, but Kieran is afraid that he’ll lose Aidan if anyone ever finds out about the voices in his head. Then there’s the three murdered women… Soon Stephen and Kieran are on a collision course with disaster, one that will bring dark secrets to life, and reveal the truth of Stephen’s wife’s death. Sometimes, there are no easy choices.

This was a hard book to read. It isn’t easy. There are no clear-cut “good” guys or “bad” guys. You’ll feel sympathy for every single character…but disgust and probably anger as well. In the end, Fatal Option is about choices, and how they change us.

(Galley provided by Post Hill Press.)

The Weight of Him, by Ethel Rohan

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Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Ethel Rohan was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, but now lives in San Francisco. She is an award-winning author of short stories, chapbooks, and memoirs. The Weight of Him is her first novel.

At four hundred pounds, Billy Brennan has always turned to food for comfort. He’s obsessed with food:  not just the taste, but the textures and everything about it. Especially the way it makes his mind go quiet. But in the wake of his son Michael’s suicide, not even food will help him.

Embracing the concept of “go big or go home,” Billy decides to lose half his body weight to raise money for suicide prevention…and to save his family from falling apart. But Billy’s family just wants to go on, and Billy struggles alone. As word of Billy’s efforts spreads, he gains unexpected allies as he learns to deal with his emotions and his regrets while he strives to find meaning in Michael’s death.

I wanted to read this novel because it’s set in Ireland—which is at the top of my bucket list—and because it deals with suicide—because a couple of people close to me struggle with debilitating depression and suicide is a real problem that people don’t like to talk about. (Mental illness is real, people, and if we don’t talk about it, how can we help those who struggle with it? Depression is HARD.)

But this book…it’s powerful. Not only does it talk about suicide, but about eating disorders and disordered eating. With the stigma attached to those who are overweight. Billy has emotional wounds he’s never dealt with, and Michael’s death just ripped the scab off them. Now, when he’s actually trying to deal with and heal his issues, his family wants to keep pretending they don’t exist. This is a very moving book that deals with difficult subjects.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.)