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Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie

Posted November 9, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Andy Squared
Author: Jennifer Lavoie
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Genre:  YA LGBT
Pages: 264
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old twins, Andrew and Andrea Morris, have always been close. They share everything—from their friends to a room—and they both enjoy star positions on their high school’s soccer teams. All’s right with the twins…or is it?

When new student Ryder Coltrane moves from Texas to their small New York town, he spins Andrew’s world upside down. All of Andrew’s past relationship troubles begin to make sense and his true feelings start to click into place after Ryder comes out to him. His friendship with Ryder turns secretively romantic, but secrets, they soon find out, are hard to keep. Once rumors start to fly, so-called friends turn on them, and the boys’ relationship turns into a bomb about to explode. But Andrew never expected it would be his own twin, Andrea, holding a lighter to ignite it.

*Synopsis taken from Goodreads

My Review: Andy Squared starts out like a lot of other YA novels – teens in their senior year of high school, just trying to live out the rest of the year before fully figuring out what to do with the rest of their lives.  Our main characters are twins Andrew and Andrea, who have always done basically the same thing.  Both soccer stars, in the same position on their respective teams, with Andrea seeming to think things are going to remain the same when they go off to college.

Their differences start to show to the reader when Andrew begins thinking he might want something other than what his sister has previously settled upon as a mutual decision.  From the start, Andrea seems a little unhealthily attached to doing everything with her brother, but I may be a little biased.  It always grated on me growing up when my siblings wanted to do all that I was doing.  With that in mind, it annoyed me every time Andrea insisted she and Andrew were going to the same college, to play the same position on the soccer teams, and lead parallel lives indefinitely.  I don’t think this is bad writing, in fact I think it does a great job of illustrating how the twins are growing apart even before Andrew really figures out just how different he really is.

To an extent, I avoid reading coming out stories.  The mistreatment of LGBTQ youth is a cause dear to my heart, but reading about it can be really hard when there are thousands of It Gets Better videos out there to pull at my heart strings.  Because of all that, this is really the first fiction I’ve read in this genre.  There were parts I truly felt overwhelmed by and completely overcome by emotion.

I think kids are pretty cruel as it is, and it’s harder to swallow when that cruelty is focused on something as unimportant as another person’s sexuality.  There are a few scenes that gave me pause because they took me back to memories of my own senior year of high school, especially in light of the fact that I was reading this on the anniversary of Matthew Sheppard’s death.  While being gay isn’t a choice, how you react to your loved ones coming out is, and I think we’ve all seen people react in positive and negative ways.  Reading about that array of reactions was difficult for me because I don’t think I’ll ever understand intolerance when it comes to this particular situation.

These scenarios are described in such a realistic way that it makes me wonder about the author’s personal experiences with the LGBTQ community when she was a teen.  I wouldn’t be surprised if her story was similar to mine, and I’m glad she wrote this story regardless of her personal history.  It was a lovely journey to take and makes me hope I can personally ease the coming out of more teens going forward.

Read this book if: I think that understanding and becoming comfortable with the gay community is an important step in the lives of every youth around the world.  As a result, I would recommend this to anyone who has questions about what it might be like to come out, or to have someone come out to you.

My Rating: 4/5 – Borderline amazing!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Jennifer Lavoie | Tagged: , ,

Sound by Shelley Workinger

Posted October 19, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Sound (Solid #3)
Author: Shelley Workinger
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre:  Sci-Fi/YA Dystopia
Pages: 218
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Clio Kaid’s had one crazy summer.

After learning she was one of a hundred teens who were genetically modified before birth, she and the others departed for “camp” at a classified military site.

Besides discovering her own special ability, uncovering a conspiracy, and capturing a killer, she’s also forged new friendships, found love, and managed to lose them both.

With no answers and the end of summer closing in, Clio’s terrified of going home more lost than when she arrived.

Will she finally find everything she’s been looking for?

Find out in this exciting conclusion to the Solid trilogy.

*Synopsis taken from Goodreads

My Review: The conclusion to the Solid series is a fast paced and interesting end to the lovey world inhabited by Clio Kaid and her fellow mutants.  I use the word “mutant” loosely because this isn’t a true genetic mutation born of evolution, but rather an intentionally scientifically engineered one that I still want to know more about.  Luckily, the door is left open to get more information down the line, and I’m almost as excited as Clio would be.

In the previous novel, Clio made a series of questionable decisions, and she spends a fair amount of time dealing with the consequences in this book.  I liked that she had to mend some fences and try to repair her friendships, but I also wish it had taken a bit longer.  I think that’s my most consistent thing with this series, I wish it was longer!

I felt a bit like the consequences portion was rushed along so that we could get to the main action of the book.  I liked the action as well, so I wish we’d had about a hundred more pages to this one to explore all the avenues a little more.

We’ve still got some unanswered questions at the conclusion of the book, which I suspect will be answered in future novels.  I’m especially curious to see what happens between Clio and Jack as they continue down new paths, not to mention the rest of Clio’s friends from camp.  The author definitely left the ending open for a new series or at least another novel, and I look forward to reading about all their new adventures!

Read this book if: This is a lovely resolution to the series, so I would definitely encourage people to pick the series up from the start and read the whole thing!

My Rating: 3.5/5 – Two thumbs up, fine holiday fun!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Royal Reviews, Shelley Workinger | Tagged: , ,

The Lincoln Conspiracy by Timothy L. O’Brien

Posted September 21, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: The Lincoln Conspiracy
Author: Timothy L. O’Brien
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Pages: 346
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: A nation shattered by its president’s murder.  Two diaries that reveal the true scope of an American conspiracy.  A detective determined to bring the truth to light, no matter what it costs him.

From award-winning journalist Timothy L. O’Brien comes a gripping historical thriller that poses a provocative question: What if the plot to assassinate President Lincoln was wider and more sinister than we ever imagined?

In late spring of 1865, as America mourns the death of its leader, Washington, D.C., police detective Temple McFadden makes a startling discovery. Strapped to the body of a dead man at the B&O Railroad station are two diaries, two documents that together reveal the true depth of the Lincoln conspiracy. Securing the diaries will put Temple’s life in jeopardy—and will endanger the fragile peace of a nation still torn by war.

Temple’s quest to bring the conspirators to justice takes him on a perilous journey through the gaslit streets of the Civil War–era capital, into bawdy houses and back alleys where ruthless enemies await him in every shadowed corner. Aided by an underground network of friends—and by his wife, Fiona, a nurse who possesses a formidable arsenal of medicinal potions—Temple must stay one step ahead of Lafayette Baker, head of the Union Army’s spy service. Along the way, he’ll run from or rely on Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s fearsome secretary of war; the legendary Scottish spymaster Allan Pinkerton; abolitionist Sojourner Truth; the photographer Alexander Gardner; and many others.

Bristling with twists and building to a climax that will leave readers gasping, The Lincoln Conspiracy offers a riveting new account of what truly motivated the assassination of one of America’s most beloved presidents—and who participated in the plot to derail the train of liberty that Lincoln set in motion.

*Synopsis taken from Goodreads

My Review: The Lincoln Conspiracy starts off with a bang, a good old fashioned chase, and doesn’t let up from there.

One thing that really struck me while reading this book was how realistic it was in terms of my expectations for what things were like during this time in our history.  For those of you who are TV junkies like I am, this novel reminded me a lot of the new BBC America show Copper: both are set during the 1860s and are about detectives in major metropolitan areas.  In fact, our main character in this novel, Temple McFadden, worked in New York before transferring to Washington DC.  So in my head, Temple and Corky (the main character in Copper) are friends and colleagues, because I like to merge my fictional worlds.

Anyway, watching Copper feels a bit like what it would be to watch The Lincoln Conspiracy were it on the screen.  This novel is really violent and bloody, which bothered me until I thought about it a bit and realized that’s probably really what things were like.  Life during the 1860s wasn’t easy.  There was no indoor plumbing, electricity, or any of the other modern conveniences we’re accustomed to.  Law enforcement was a relatively new thing in our country, and the questionable loyalties of the citizens in general post of the Civil War undoubtedly made investigative work even more difficult.  When you live in a society where no one really thinks twice about killing a detective, your detectives are bound to be more violent towards their suspects in general.  Racial tensions are high, there’s a lot of division between Catholics and Protestants, and being Irish certainly doesn’t help a guy like Temple.  Add the first presidential assassination into the mix and you’ve got a pot ready to boil over.

The mystery in this book is really unraveling a deeper conspiracy behind the Lincoln assassination, a speculation about what else might have been going on during this tumultuous time in US history.  When people are willing to be bought for the right price, it’s hard to know who is really a friend or an enemy.  The fact that many of the characters were actual historical figures makes it all the more interesting to think about the motivations and goals that could have gone into this tragic event.

I quite enjoyed this book, and I would like to see more of Temple and his wife Fiona in the future, so it would be excellent if this ended up being a series.  I felt the end left it open for a possible sequel, or at the very least a continuation of some of our characters, so I’m crossing my fingers that the author will revisit these people later on.

Read this book if: I enjoyed both the mystery and historical fiction aspect of this one, so I would encourage fans of either genre to pick it up!

My Rating: 3.5/5 – Two thumbs up, fine holiday fun!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Royal Reviews, Timothy L. O'Brien | Tagged: ,

Jane by Robin Maxwell

Posted September 19, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan
Author: Robin Maxwell
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Pages: 320
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Cambridge, England: 1905. Jane Porter is hardly a typical woman of her time. The only female student in Cambridge University’s medical program, she is far more comfortable in a lab coat, dissecting corpses, than she is in a corset and gown, sipping afternoon tea. A budding paleoanthropologist, Jane dreams of travelling the globe in search of fossils that will prove the evolutionary theories of her scientific hero, Charles Darwin.

When dashing American explorer Ral Conrath invites Jane and her father on an expedition deep into West Africa, she can hardly believe her luck. Rising to the challenge, Jane finds an Africa that is every bit exotic and fascinating as she has always imagined. But she quickly learns that the lush jungle is full of secrets—and so is Ral Conrath. When danger strikes, Jane finds her hero, the key to humanity’s past, and an all-consuming love in one extraordinary man: Tarzan of the Apes.

Jane is the first version of the Tarzan story written by a woman and authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate. Its 2012 publication will mark the centennial of the publication of the original Tarzan of the Apes.

*Synopsis taken from Goodreads

My Review: As I started reading this book, I realized I hadn’t ever read anything about Tarzan and Jane before.  In fact, aside from seeing the Disney movie like a decade ago, my exposure to their story is pretty limited.

I actually consider that a good thing, because I really had no preconceived notions about the tale ahead of time.  Although Tarzan is a bit of a romantic figure, I didn’t picture him in that way, and I think I was able to fall in love with him a bit alongside Jane.

This story is a piecing together what Jane’s life was like before her trip into the African jungle, the circumstances in which she meets Tarzan, and the development of their relationship from there.  It seems like a pretty harrowing life, with danger all around in the trees and on the jungle floor.

The novel also brings us a couple of loathsome villains, both in human and animal form.  A lot of the characters seem to be from the original novel, with the circumstances altered a bit based on creative license.  As he always does, Tarzan comes to Jane’s rescue when she needs it most, securing himself as protector, savior, and all around appealing guy.

Jane is exactly what her mother doesn’t want her to be, a trait I always admire in a heroine – it reminds me of myself and is a reinforcement that things can work out really well if you just follow your own path.  Even though we can’t really live her story in this day and age, the adventure she experiences and evolution she goes through is quite inspirational.

I was already a fan of Robin Maxwell, so I jumped at the chance to read this one right as it was coming out.  She doesn’t disappoint with this novel, and I found it to be as entertaining as her other historical fiction.  As a reader, we know there’s more to this story than what we see in this book, so I think it leaves room for a potential sequel down the road, which would be equally thrilling!

Read this book if: I’m guessing people who are big fans of the Tarzan story will like this one, as will historical fiction readers in general.

My Rating: 4/5 – Borderline amazing!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Robin Maxwell | Tagged: ,

Beauty To Die For by Kim Alexis & Mindy Starns Clark

Posted August 31, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Beauty To Die For
Author: Kim Alexis & Mindy Starns Clark
Publisher: B & H Publishing Group
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 352
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Twenty-five years ago, Juliette Taylor walked away from her career as a supermodel after a chance encounter with a handsome stranger.  She’s never regretted that decision – and never forgotten the man who gave her the courage to change her life.

These days, Juliette’s ministry is providing encouragement to women who spend their time caring for and nurturing others.  She uses her successful skin care line and spa retreats to rejuvenate these “servers”.

Isn’t it time someone took care of you for a change?

That’s the theme for this weekend’s retreat.  Juliette can’t wait.

But as she heads for the retreat at the world-renowned Palm Grotto Resort and Spa, she runs into Raven, a fellow supermodel from back in the day known for her fiery red hair and equally fiery temper.  Within minutes, Raven flies into a rage and threatens to kill Juliette.

Two hours later, Raven is dead.

Filled with guilt and sadness, at first Juliette doesn’t even notice the arrival of TOTGA – The One That Got Away.  Now she must sort out her feelings for this man from her past, as well as try to learn who killed her old modeling rival and why – before she becomes the prime suspect.

Or the next victim.

*Synopsis taken from the back of the book

My Review: The premise of this book grabbed me from the start…the idea of a murder mystery taking place at a spa was both intriguing and terrifying!  Who wants to run the risk of death while in such a relaxed state!

In the mix of this murder mystery we’ve got a love story and a whole separate set of crimes going on, so it’s a pretty busy plot with a lot of different relationships and characters to keep up with.  Since no one knows why Raven was murdered, let alone who did it, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not the killer has disappeared, or is lurking in the spa somewhere ready to strike again.

The main mystery in this book was reasonably entertaining, although I saw the end result coming quite a bit before we got there.  We’re slowly learning details as we go along, and I found it rather easy to figure out who was responsible for what, which was disappointing.  It’s one of those situations where I think too much focus was placed on other areas and the main plot suffered as a result.  There were also quite a few situations that came up where I thought the average person wouldn’t have done what Juliette, or another character, did in that scenario.  Things people said were misinterpreted, but in a way that just didn’t make sense.  And the main climax of the whole book was just something I couldn’t see a smart person getting into…it was a good idea, and had it been written better it would have worked, but it fell flat for me and seemed like a temporary moment of stupidity.

I also half liked the love story, and half didn’t.  I think it’s really cute of both Marcus and Juliette to still have an attraction for each other after twenty-five years, but it was a bit difficult for me to believe that they were still that distracted by the thought of each other on a seemingly daily basis.  Their lives seem much busier than mine, but I don’t think about people who had a large impact on my life even just a few years ago.  It’s human nature for your brain to move on, so this just wasn’t terribly realistic to me.  I think it would have helped if we’d seen more about their past relationships, particularly Juliette’s, to get more of an explanation as to why this one person from so long ago is still the one she was pining after.  Still, even with those complaints, it was a cute idea, so I didn’t hate it.

The piece that I felt was a little too distracting was the religious aspect of the book.  I realize the spa retreat was for Christian women who need some time to relax, and that the main characters are people of faith, but I dislike when a book spends more than a few sentences throughout the book on something like this.  There was one point where at least a page was devoted to talking about Juliette’s faith, and it’s one of those things that I didn’t feel like it brought anything to the overall plot.  Murders and counterfeiting do not get solved by prayers, they get solved by detective work, so this aspect irritated me.  Clearly I need to do a better job of reading book summaries before accepting them, since I haven’t been doing well with the Christian books lately.

While I didn’t think this was the most clever mystery I’ve ever read, it was still entertaining despite the aspects I didn’t like.  I wish there had been more focus on the counterfeiting issue, which was possibly the most entertaining aspect of the entire thing, but I guess you can’t have it all!

Read this book if: I think readers who enjoy a light mystery will like this one.  It’s probably not one for a hardcore mystery reader, since it’s really not difficult to figure out, but it would be entertaining to take to the pool.

My Rating: 2.5/5 – Did I fall asleep?

Filed in 2012, ARC, Mindy Starns Clark | Tagged: ,

The Innocents by Francesca Segal

Posted August 17, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: The Innocents
Author: Francesca Segal
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Genre:  General Fiction
Pages: 288
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Newly engaged and unthinkingly self-satisfied, twenty-eight-year-old Adam Newman is the price catch of Temple Fortune, a small, tight-knit Jewish suburb of London.  He has been dating Rachel Gilbert since they were both sixteen and now, to the relief and happiness of the entire Gilbert family, they are finally to marry.  To Adam, Rachel embodies the highest values of Temple Fortune; she is innocent, conventional, and entirely secure in her community – a place in which everyone still knows the whereabouts of their nursery school classmates.  Marrying Rachel will cement Adam’s role in a warm, inclusive family he loves.

But as the vast machinery of the wedding gathers momentum, Adam feels the first faint touches of claustrophobia, and when Rachel’s younger cousin Ellie Schneider moves home from New York, she unsettles Adam more than he’d care to admit.  Ellie – beautiful, vulnerable, and fiercely independent – offers a liberation that he hadn’t known existed: a freedom from the loving interference and frustrating parochialism of North West London.  Adam finds himself questioning everything, suddenly torn between security and exhilaration, tradition and independence.  What might he be missing by staying close to home?

*Synopsis taken from the back of the book

My Review: This novel surprised me in the most pleasant sort of way, I’d heard mixed things about it and was a little worried I would be bored by it, and I’m happy to say that wasn’t the case.  I’ve seen quite a few reviews complaining that nothing happens in this book, and it’s a fair criticism, but this isn’t a book about a bunch of things happening.  The whole point is to tell a story of what happens when you’re born in a place and pretty much stay there your whole life – and what could happen if someone realized there was more outside that community.

Adam seems happy with the idea that he’s really only ever dated Rachel, hasn’t known a real relationship outside of her, and seems like he’s going to be content with that life until Ellie comes around.  I liked Adam quite a bit, and would like to hope that he would have realized there could be more to life even had Ellie not come along.  However, Adam’s awakening and actions after that are frustrating and somewhat disappointing to me.  He’s a man who knows he could have more, but doesn’t ever seem to get the courage to take any action.  This is something I find frustrating both with characters in books, as well as in real life, so it was difficult for me to continue reading this inaction.

That frustration aside, I still enjoyed Adam and the book as a whole, though I had a difficult time understanding what was so appealing about Rachel.  She was a character I could never really get behind, didn’t feel much connection to, and she felt flat to me.  Granted, the story isn’t really about her, but her behavior made me more and more irritated as time went on, and made Ellie seem all the more appealing.  It made a lot of sense that Adam would struggle with affections for both of them – the history with Rachel coupled with the mysterious newness and freedom that Ellie represented.

I also didn’t know much about the Jewish community in London before this, so it was an interesting look into how closely knit their lives really are.  The families are both endearing and excessively annoying at the same time.  I don’t think I could handle that much hovering all the time, but perhaps I’m more like Ellie than any other character in the book.  The idea of everyone knowing everything that is going on in my life makes my skin crawl, which made it difficult just to read about it and feel like you’re going through it by being that engrossed in the novel.

I found the average, somewhat mundane aspects of this novel to be comforting, simply because it’s nice to see a community come together and face whatever life throws at them.  While I hoped for different things for Adam, I can also understand his course of action and I did love to see his personal drama unfold.  It was also a fast and interesting read, something I would love to take to a park or out on the patio, so I say pick it up!

Read this book if: Although I haven’t read The Age Of Innocence, I like the way this story was translated to a more modern time, and I think most readers will too.

My Rating: 3.5/5 – Two thumbs up, fine holiday fun!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Francesca Segal | Tagged: ,

Injustice For All by Robin Caroll

Posted August 10, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Injustice For All
Author: Robin Caroll
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Genre:  Mystery
Pages: 352
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: A federal judge lies bleeding on his office floor, betrayed by a most unlikely source – people who helped him bring criminals to justice.  Now, why would someone working for the FBI need to disappear after witnessing this crime?

When Remington Wyatt sees her godfather’s murder, she recognizes the killers and knows it’s only a matter of time before they come to silence her.  She must do the only thing possible to stay alive…run.

FBI agent Rafe Baxter is serious about his career, and solving a cold case involving a federal judge’s death puts him in line for the promotion he so desires.  But the case leads him to the small town of Hopewell, Louisiana, where some secrets seem inextricably hidden deep within the bayou.

*Synopsis taken from the back of the book

My Review: After finishing this one, all I can really say is “oh my”, and not in a good way.  I had really high hopes for this book, I wanted a fun, light mystery after reading a truly great but heavy novel, and this was just not what I wanted in any way.  It started out just fine, but lost me along the way.

My first complaint is that the mystery was just not that great.  I don’t like to figure a mystery out on my own, I like the not knowing and wondering, feeling more like I’m one of the characters experiencing the situation at the same time.  Without even trying, not even consciously thinking about who could have done it, I pretty much had everything figured out with the exception of the name of the big bad.  And that’s probably only because that name wasn’t mentioned prior to the reveal.  It left the whole thing flat for me.

Next on my list was the romance aspect of it.  I don’t mind a romance thrown in with my mystery, that’s not a problem at all.  But when it’s not a good mystery, I prefer the romance to be pretty good instead.  I felt like the romance just hit us out of nowhere, inexplicably.  Not in the way that a new romance hits you in real life, in the way that it does in a romance novel that doesn’t do much to show you why the characters are interested in each other.  One character, out of the blue, just thinks they were trying to avoid the idea of the mere presence of another.  This comes on the heels of no indication whatsoever that the character was interested in the other one.  I felt let down by the telling instead of showing when it came to the romance.

After that comes the rather stupid decisions some of the characters made, which felt like mere plot devices instead of how the situation would actually go.  I mean, someone is in danger, the bad guys are nowhere to be found, and you decide to take a detour to do something else?  I can’t buy that cops and FBI agents would do this.  None of the main characters in this book are average citizens, they’re all involved with law enforcement in some way.  For them to neglect some simple details, which seemed obvious to me, was so out of character that it wasn’t believable.

And finally comes the religious aspect.  I’ve read a handful of Christian Fiction books in the past, and enjoyed them despite the fact that I’m not a religious person myself.  But I think there’s a huge difference, both in fiction and in life, between being religious and actually seeming to leave important things in the hands of the lord.  I’m fine with praying, but to me, it felt like there were several times that the fate of friends and loved ones was simply left to the hope that God would take care of it.  This often came on the heels of one of the stupid decisions I already mentioned.  Maybe things are different in the south than where I’m from, but I often found myself rolling my eyes in response to these aspects by the end – people were saved by someone getting there in the nick of time, usually because they finally realized they had done something stupid.  I had a very hard time getting past this aspect of the book, especially with the other areas lacking for me as well.

On the whole, it was a fast read and I’m grateful for that.  I wish I had liked it more, but I really think the only reason I finished at all was out of a sense of obligation.

Read this book if: Based on other reviews I’ve seen, people who really like Christian Fiction seemed to enjoy it more than I did.  Since I didn’t think it was a good mystery or romance, I don’t feel good about recommending it to anyone.

My Rating: 1.5/5 – I thought it reeked!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Robin Caroll | Tagged: ,

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

Posted July 25, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: The Homecoming of Samuel Lake
Author: Jenny Wingfield
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Genre:  Fiction
Pages: 352
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities.

In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core and setting the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

*Synopsis taken from Goodreads

My Review: This book opens with a doozy of a line and I was hooked from that moment forward.  I didn’t want to set this one down, I just couldn’t wait to get back into it and see what was going to happen next to Swan and her brothers – that is one crazy set of kids!

The story starts out simple enough, with the Lake family heading back to Arkansas from Louisiana for a family reunion.  An unfortunate turn of events turns the reunion into quite the tragedy, and sets the tone for a strange and revealing summer, full of learning and tragedy.  I loved this book, but it was rather heartbreaking and I found myself alternating between laughter and tears at various points in the book.

You’re probably going to see a lot of the same things about Swan, and all I can really say is she is a delight.  Swan is the kind of girl I hope I have some day: strong, proud, brave, and a bit too daring.  I sat here, reading the story and thinking “Oh boy, she is gonna get into some trouble!” and coming out astounded by that amazing little girl.

The villain of this story is a terrible man, who leaves you cringing and always wondering what evil deed he’s going to do next.  He’s one of those kinds of people that you can just feel the terror swirling around him, and it’s all the worse because you know that people like him really do exist.  My desire to know his ultimate fate kept me going through some of the harder sections of the book, because despite my love for it, there were some bits I really had a hard time reading.

I felt so sucked into this book, like I was there experiencing the horses, cowbells, and church revivals along with the characters.  The details were so vivid, it was almost as though I could reach in and slap a few people I really felt deserved it.  The author also managed to surprise me with the directions she took things, much of it going in the opposite way I thought it would, and that made it all the more lovely to read.

While religion is a key piece of this book, this isn’t a religious book, which I liked.  The religion was simply there because Samuel is a preacher, and this is the south in the 50s.  It was a big part of some of their lives, so it’s a big part of the story and really helps to propel the events along.  I mean, what else do you have to do when you live in a small town?  You get involved in other people’s business, and go to a lot of church!

Also, although there are some scenes that were very difficult to read, I would love to see a film adaptation of this one.  Some movie people should make that happen!

Read this book if: I’m going to recommend this book to everyone I can get to listen, so I say pick this one up as soon as you can.  As much as it may make you cry, it’s worthwhile and I don’t think you’ll regret it.

My Rating: 4.5/5 – Borderline amazing!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Jenny Wingfield | Tagged: ,

Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Posted June 27, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Gilt
Author: Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Pages: 398
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free — and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney’s best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII’s heart and brings Kitty to court, she’s thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat’s shadow, Kitty’s now caught between two men—the object of her affection and the object of her desire.

But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat’s meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

My Review: The new trend in historical fiction seems to be telling the story of Catherine Howard through the perspective of Katherine Tylney, allegedly one of her best friends.  For those who aren’t familiar with this story, Kitty Tylney is a historical figure, but not much is known about her.  She lived with the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk during the same time that Catherine Howard was there, the two were around the same age, so it’s a fair assumption that they had a friendship on some level.

Although this book is about Kitty, and is told from her perspective, the tale intertwines her story very heavily with Cat’s, which means that the story essentially revolves around Cat.  Kitty is basically with Cat from the start, witnessing Cat’s escapades while they are girls and eventually going to court to serve under her as queen.  As the story progresses, Kitty realizes she is simply living a life in Cat’s shadow, wanting things because Cat wants them, and not doing anything for herself.

The frustrating thing was seeing her know this, and not really doing anything about it.  While Cat was definitely stuck in the situation she found herself in, Kitty has plenty of opportunities to get out and chooses to stay with Cat.  Her rationalization is that without Cat, she would be nothing.  However, I don’t know if being grateful to someone means you owe them the potential to lose your head on the block, which is essentially what Kitty is risking in this story.

That being said, her misplaced loyalty in Cat is admirable, and it was sweet to see her stay despite her best interests.  Kitty does try to stand up to Cat in a few situations, but it becomes obvious that it’s a bit futile to do that.  Even before she was queen, Cat was always getting her way, usually at someone else’s cost.

My heart went out to Kitty in this story because I don’t think I would have stayed in the same situation.  The fate of Anne Boleyn is ever present in this story, being mentioned regularly as Cat becomes more and more involved with Thomas Culpeper, and I don’t think I would have remained that loyal of a friend if I had been in Kitty’s situation.

I also think this portrays a more realistic point of view of what would have really happened to someone in Kitty’s position.  In other novels, she really just gets away with no risk, which has always confused me.  In this one, you truly do not know what her fate will be given her involvement in Cat’s life.  That’s one of the fun parts of a relatively unknown historical figure – you can do what you want with their fate!  We all know what really happened to Catherine Howard, but who really knows what happened to Katherine Tylney.

Read this book if: I would think most fans of historical fiction will enjoy this one.  Catherine Howard is one of my least favorite of Henry VIII’s wives, and this story does nothing to redeem her for me, but Kitty’s story kept me going.

My Rating: 3.5/5 – Two thumbs up, fine holiday fun!

Filed in 2012, ARC, Katherine Longshore | Tagged: ,

Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker

Posted June 22, 2012 By dorolerium

Title: Click: An Online Love Story
Author: Lisa Becker
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Chick Lit
Pages: 347
How I Read It: ARC received from the author – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.

Synopsis: Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles.

The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley, and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online.

From the guy who starts every story with “My buddies and I were out drinking one night,” to the egotistical “B” celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates.

Fraught with BCC’s, FWD’s and inadvertent Reply to All’s, readers will root for Renee to “click” with the right man.

*Synopsis taken from Goodreads

My Review: Ever wanted to experience the world of online dating without the actual “dating” part?  Click does a great job of bringing that world to you.  I read this book in a handful of hours, and the kinds of men Renee finds herself interacting with are, to a large extent, exactly what you would expect.  After reading the book, I discovered that the author herself used actual life experiences to write this one, which makes it feel all the more authentic.

The premise of this story really interested me – in a world where online dating is something almost everyone has done at this point, it’s something we can all laugh at and share in the misery and amusement together.  Who doesn’t want to hear that someone else has experienced the same horror that we did?!

I really enjoyed most of the characters, with the exception of Ashley, who reminded me too much of a couple of people in my life and that wasn’t my favorite thing.  Shelley was by far my favorite, she was a lot of fun and reading about her reminded me of reading something by Chelsea Handler.

The format, however, is going to be something you’ll either like or you won’t, plain and simple.  The entire book is told through the story of emails – to Renee, her friends, dudes she is dating, etc.  I realized about three emails in that I get bored with my own email conversations with people I actually know, so it doesn’t bode well for a book when I have that problem with my own personal life.  I think I would have liked this a lot better if it were some emails and some more traditional book format.  Like, some stuff we get to see in real time, so to speak, and other things we could see through email.  So I take this as a lesson for myself – probably don’t read something in non-traditional format in the future!

As for the plot, I liked it overall, until the end anyway.  I had a little inkling as to what may end up happening, and I was a little disappointed that I got it right.  Which is also amusing – I can’t ever figure out a mystery, but something like this just calls to me!  I guess I just felt like the major problem Renee encountered was so not a big deal, and I probably would have burst out laughing if I had found myself in her situation.  The resolution to that was alright, but also felt a little rushed.  Given what we, and Renee, had invested in this online dating adventure, I would have liked to see a little bit more to the book.  While Renee was the main character, there were a few stories that I would have liked to see the end to, so maybe another twenty or so pages would have satisfied me.

The book is really relevant for life as we know it, which makes it fun and I think this could turn into an interesting movie if it were ever an option.  It was a good first try, I’ll be curious to see what the author comes up with next…hopefully in a format that is more to my liking.

Read this book if: This was entertaining and I think it would be a good pool/beach read for the summer.  Definitely something that takes your mind off your life for a few hours!

My Rating: 2.5/5 – Did I fall asleep?

Filed in 2012, ARC, Lisa Becker | Tagged: ,
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