Masque of the Red Death – Bethany Griffin

Posted on June 24, 2012 by EHL

A modern-day plague has swept through the world with alarming force, and there’s no cure.  As Araby Worth and her best friend, April, rush through the streets on their way to the Debauchery Club, they see people die in the streets, carts full of bleeding, dead adults and children, and general hysteria. The only protection from the disease is a high-tech, extremely expensive mask that Araby’s father invented.  The masks can’t be shared, though, so if families can’t afford one for every person, they have to choose who gets to live.  Araby and April live a higher-class life than the rest of the masses, since Araby’s father is the mask inventor and April is related to the Prince.  To forget about the horrors in the world, the girls opt for oblivion, drugs, and late nights at the Club.  One morning, though, Araby wakes up in a strange room.  A club worker, Will, brought her home after she passed out in order to protect her.  Will and his two younger siblings have a special impact on Araby, and she starts to care for them.  At the same time, April’s cunning and slightly devious brother, Elliott, shows an interest in Araby, but his interest is motivated by more than love.  As the world continues to crumble and politics starts to tear the city apart, Araby has to make difficult decisions and open herself up to experiences she had vowed to avoid.  This reworking of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name is cleverly told and captivating, filled with adventure, romance, politics, and a futuristic feel.  The final few pages are dramatic and rapid, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment of the story.

Galley review   Publication date 4.24.12

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The Solitary House – Lynn Shepherd

Posted on June 23, 2012 by EHL

From where we stand, the air is so deadened with a greasy yellow fog that you can barely see three paces ahead, and risk stumbling in the street over milk-cans, shattered bottles, and what look at first like rat-ridden heaps of rags, until they stare back at you with gin-hollowed eyes, and hold out their blackened hands for hard cash….Muffle your face, if you can, against the stink of human and animal filth, and try not to look too closely at what it is that’s caking your boots. So the narrator describes Dickens’ London in 1850.

And this is the London of Charles Maddox, an interesting young man.  He has a very nineteenth-century obsession with science and exotic curios and was once a bright young police officer until dismissed for insubordination.  Now he tries to make ends meet as a private detective and is working on his only case.  He’s been hired by Mr. Chadwick to find the daughter he disowned years ago when she had an out-of-wedlock pregnancy.  Is she still alive and is the child still alive?  Charles barely starts to investigate when he gets his second case.  Edward Tulkinghorn, an attorney, offers him a handsome sum to find the person responsible for anonymous threatening letters received by the wealthy banker Sir Julius Cremorne. The case proves to be far more than it appears and Charles pursues it even after being warned off.  Death, violence and bodily harm come to Charles and those helping him.

Charles learned his methods of detection from his uncle, a famous “thief taker” also named Charles Maddox.  He needs the help of his uncle to solve his cases, but unfortunately Uncle Charles suffers from increasingly severe bouts of dementia.

The novel pays homage to Dickens’ Bleak House, and several of Dickens’ characters are repurposed. The story is told in a present tense narrative, with the reader being brought into the plot as a modern observer.  The narrator talks to the reader directly telling us what to watch out for and things that Charles doesn’t know.  Some readers might find this annoying, but I liked it.  It seemed that I was hovering above the action, watching it unfold.  For anyone who loves Victorian mysteries, this is a must read.

NetGalley review     Publication date 5.1.12

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Shadow & Bone – Leigh Bardugo

Posted on June 23, 2012 by EHL

Following the common fantasy theme of orphan coming into power and fighting evil, Shadow & Bone is an enjoying read.  Alina and Mal grew up as best friends in an orphanage and now serve in the army.  Mal is a tracker and something of a ladies man, much to Alina’s dismay.  Alina is a cartographer who is truly nothing special, until the day she saves Mal.  Many years before, the evil Darkling created the Fold, a large swath of blackness separating the country in two and now inhabited by the leathery flying volcra that enjoy dismembering anyone that dares to enter the Fold.  The army boards a ship designed to sail across the sand and into the Fold with the goal of crossing before the volcra pick them off.  This is when Alina throws her body over Mal and inadvertently creates a blinding white light that destroy the volcra and ends her Army career.  She enters the Grisha, people with power, and begins training to harness her power.  Alina is the shining hope to save the kingdom by destroying the Fold, but it is never so simple.  One tiny thing keeps nagging at me though – when the ships enter the Fold, everyone is on deck, just ripe for the plucking.  Seems like a thin lower deck ought to have been built so all could go below decks when crossing over the Fold.  I probably missed something in the reading.  In addition to her blinding light power, Alina possesses humor, wit, attitude and perseverance.  The first of the Grisha Trilogy offers plenty of action and a touch of tender romance.

NetGalley review   Publication date 6.5.12

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Roadside Picnic – Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugasky

Posted on June 23, 2012 by EHL

Aliens have visited the earth, stopping briefly at several sites and leaving behind their trash in areas known as Zones.  Though most of the mystifying debris is extremely dangerous, some of it accidentally proves to be useful.  The scientists can’t understand the principles of the artifacts and feel sure they are using “sledgehammers to crack walnuts”.  An international institute sponsors research, a black market flourishes, Stalkers enter the forbidden zones and risk all kinds of disfigurement and death to steal bits of alien litter. It’s worth a lot of money.  Walled off and guarded by police, these Zones are legally accessible to scientists, but the Zones are deadly and even the scientists do business with the Stalkers.  Redrick Schuhart is one of the successful Stalkers….he is 23 and still alive.

 

Roadside Picnic was first published in Russian in 1971 and in English in 1977.  This is a new translation, which corrects the errors and omissions of the previous one.  It has a foreword by Ursla K. LeGuin and a new afterword by Boris Strugatsky explaining the history of its publication in Russia.  Like most Soviet science fiction of that era it is dark and gritty and surreal and ironic. This is a first contact story unlike most first contact stories. There was no communication, there can be no understanding.  The characters are tough, ordinary people, not heroes.  I haven’t decided whether or not I liked the book, but I couldn’t stop reading it and I can’t stop thinking about it.

 NetGalley Review    Publication date 5.1.12

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Mission to Paris – Alan Furst

Posted on June 14, 2012 by EHL

Frederic Stahl, an internationally famous Hollywood film star is making a film in Paris.   Having spent a few years there as a young man, Stahl was looking forward to the visit.   As soon as he arrived, he changed into a sweater and pair of corduroy trousers and went out to find his Paris.  Walking slowly he couldn’t get enough of the smells . . . garlic, perfume, tobacco, potatoes frying.  Just as it had smelled when he was twenty-five.  But he soon finds that this is not the Paris of his youth.  Paris in 1938 is a target of political warfare. Germany is using intimidation and bribery, hundreds of millions of francs, to undermine morale and weaken France’s will to defend itself.  The Germans have plans to use him for propaganda while the Americans have plans to use him as an informal spy.

The story is told with careful detail, as if it were history instead of fiction.  There are no fantastic twists and turns.  Though Stahl feels that his fame will keep him safe, the tense, dangerous atmosphere of Paris is always present just below the surface.  I was quickly drawn into the feeling of unease, not knowing who to trust, not wanting to say or do something dangerous.  The book is excellent spy novel is quite a page turner.  I am left with wanting to learn more about this time in history.

NetGalley Review        Publication date 6.12.12

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Hemlock – Kathleen Peacock

Posted on June 11, 2012 by EHL

Just a few years earlier, the myths of werewolves were confirmed as reality by the government.  It’s an affliction that’s spread like a contagious disease through bites and scratches from those already infected.  Unlike most normal diseases, though, werewolfism can’t be cured with a few drugs or a brief hospital stay.  Instead, those afflicted are hunted down by a cult-like organization known as the Trackers, and are then sent to a type of rehab facility for a very long time.  While these Trackers seem rather brutal to some, their mission is justified.  Many werewolves are incredibly dangerous and deadly.  A white wolf in particular has wreaked havoc on the small town of Hemlock, and has killed Amy, the best friend of Mackenzie Dobson.  Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, takes the news rather hard, and goes on drinking binges and joins the Trackers.  Mackenzie’s long-time friend, Kyle, tries to help her cope with Amy’s brutal death, but she soon learns that Kyle has some secrets of his own.  After she is attacked by a mob of Trackers and her life is threatened, she begins to see into the world of the werewolves in the town. Together, these friends start to investigate all the mysterious happenings of the small town, and figure out the real culprit behind Amy’s murder.  Hemlock has a brilliantly mixed combination of romance, mystery, and fantasy, and is filled with unique characters and plot twists that keep the reader enthralled.

Galley review     Publication date  5.8.12

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Transcendence – C. J. Omololu

Posted on June 11, 2012 by EHL

What are the odds of meeting the ONE person on the entire planet that is your true soul mate?  Fairly slim.  Perhaps there are many people that you can be happy living with your entire life.  If you have many lives, I would hope there are a plethora of potential mates that can lead to a happy life.

Cole, short for Nichole, is a child prodigy on the cello.  Or is she?  Turns out she is awakening to the many past lives she has led and she was a brilliant cellist in a past life.  She was also beheaded in a past life.  To help her understand her awakening to her past lives is Griffon who remembers his many lives and yes, they have met before.  Griffon senses that someone from Cole’s past life is trying to harm her in the present and he is determined to save her.  Part romance, part mystery, Transcendence is a well told reincarnation romance.  For the gaggle of girls at my school that crave anything with romance, especially mysteries, you will enjoy this.  I look forward to the next in this new series.

NetGalley review     Publication date 6.5.12

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Insignia – S.J. Kincaid

Posted on May 28, 2012 by EHL

There is never a dull moment in this futuristic virtual war game thriller.  Corporations rule the world and fight over rights to natural resources on Earth and the solar system.  The corporations argue there is no loss of life in conflict dispute because warships are unmanned since they are controlled virtually with teenagers as the controller/combatant.  Teens are used because of their flexible brains and Tom is the newest recruit.  His mother left him with his father years ago and they have drifted from casino to casino.  While his father gets drunk and rants against the corporations and military, Tom spends his lonely existence in virtual gaming parlors, rarely attending his virtual school.  Tom’s gaming expertise catches the attention of the military (as in The Last Starfighter movie) and he is eager to leave this drifter life and become someone important.  He learns there is a huge catch – a neural processor will be implanted into his brain that could pave the way for others to program him.  Tom is rather impulsive and has little to lose by leaving his life behind, so why not let the military dig into his brain.

He gains friends for the first time in his life, and enemies as well, when he starts battle school.  Tom, Vik, Wyatt, and Yuri are in the same division and are intensely loyal to each other.  They are all well-developed characters who have a dash of charm and humor to soften their rough edges.  Socially awkward Wyatt, befriended by Tom, is the true hero.  I love the way her character develops. Tom is unique because he is brash yet is also a brilliant strategist constantly honing his skills.  He is a fearless fighter on the battlefield, but is compassionate in the real world.   Another amazing thing about Tom – he can take a beating physically and mentally and still keep his sense of humor and good nature.  Then again . . . he is awfully good at revenge.  I especially enjoyed all of the virtual world scenarios and the battles with Medusa.  Looks like there will be a sequel to come and I hope Medusa, the unbeatable enemy warrior, is heavily featured.  She is an intriguing character and I want to see more.  Insignia is expertly written with a detailed plot, entertaining characters, and delivered at a non-stop pace.  Insignia should be a huge hit that belongs on all of the best of lists.  Libraries will need several copies to satisfy reader demand.  Highly recommend.

Galley review   Publication 7.10.12

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Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls – Julie Schumacher

Posted on May 28, 2012 by EHL

It is summertime and Adrienne Haus is finally out of school.  But instead of going off on an adventure with her best friend, she’s forced to stay home nursing a hurt knee.  To keep her daughter occupied, Adrienne’s Mom enrolls her in a mother-daughter book club with three other girls.  These girls,Jill, Wallis, Cee Cee and Adrienne, didn’t know each before that summer, but they end up spending a lot of time together at the community pool and at the club.  Cee Cee doesn’t take long to become comfortable in the group.   She has a daring, adventurous attitude and doesn’t always think things through or abide by the rules.  She pulls Adrienne out of her home in the middle of the night for sporadic, somewhat dangerous, excursions.  Just as the girls are getting chummy, situations arise that threaten to pull them apart.  Jill’s father’s pain medication goes missing after they host a book meeting, Wallis’ mom never shows up to a meeting, and a midnight swim at the pool goes horribly awry.  All the girls end the summer a little wiser and changed, and some may even have learned something from the books.  Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls is a charming read with relatable and diverse characters displayed with sharp, witty writing.  It’s a coming-of-age story with a hard twist, and it will certainly appeal to a wide audience.

NetGalley review   Publication date 5.8.12

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The Long Earth – Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Posted on May 21, 2012 by EHL

The Long Earth is a sizzling brain stimulator full of what if scenarios and philosophical musings delivered in doses of witty banter between explorers Joshua and Lobsang.  Folks on Datum Earth, our Earth, discovered the Long Earth, an infinite number of differing versions of Earth, on what became known as Step Day.   Instructions to make a step box appeared on the Internet and countless numbers built the simple device and flipped the switch not knowing the outcome.  Turns out, the switch helped them to step into the next alternate Earth.  Word of warning – if you step while on the 15th floor of a building, you’d appear in the next Earth plummeting through the air to your probable death.  Accidents did happen.  Droves of people set out to explore and/or settle the many Earths with most people sticking to the first couple of hundred versions. 

Joshua Valiente’ is a natural stepper, not needing a step box to cross Earths.  He was birthed as his mother accidentally stepped and this makes him exceedingly unique.  Lobsang is the soul of a Tibetan motorcycle repairman, reincarnated as a computer program.  (hmmm – nod to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?)  Lobsang is the all-knowing Big Brother, head of the corporation of the Long Earth and enlists the help of Joshua to explore the millions of Earths.  Consider ocean Earths, ice age Earths, and every possible twist and turn of evolution creating interesting animals.  Consider mankind’s reaction to endless possibilities and opportunities.

This is by far the best alternate/parallel universe writing I have read.  The story simultaneously befuddles and stimulates my little brain.  Every time I thought – here’s a problem that would arise – the authors introduce and address the issue.  As soon as I finished, I wanted to go back and re-read.  That never happens for me.  Hurray for my Kindle!  I used the note feature again and again while reading.  Absolutely brilliant!  Highly recommend.

Galley review    Publication date 6.19.12

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Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor – Rosina Harrison

Posted on May 21, 2012 by EHL

When Rosina Harrison was a girl in North Yorkshire she confided in her mother that she wanted to travel when she grew up.  Taking her wishes seriously, her mother told her that in order to do that she must “smarten herself up and become a lady’s maid.”  So Rose didn’t leave school at fourteen as did most children but stayed on an additional two years, learned French and dressmaking. After serving several years as a Young Lady’s Maid she became maid for Lady Astor’s daughter.  Then in 1928 she began her service as personal maid to the notoriously temperamental Lady Astor. 

This memoir is a fascinating account of all her many responsibilities.  She was on duty 24/7 and charged with caring for all the furs, jewels, hats and clothing, and dressing her lady several times a day.  And did she travel!  She travelled first class on luxury liners to America many times and to most corners of Europe, even to Turkey, visiting palaces and castles and meeting a few kings and queens along the way. 

Rose, always outspoken and strong willed, never let herself be bullied by Lady Astor, and never hesitated to offer her opinion.  In her forward to the book, Rose says “My life with my lady was one of constant conflict and challenge, and despite occasional wounds on both sides, one that we enjoyed hugely.  Although divided by rank and money we had similar natures and I think it is true to say that we always respected each other.” 

The book is well written, charming and candid, and filled with glimpses into the life of the super-rich in the early 20th century.  I thoroughly enjoyed every page.

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Shadows on the Moon –Zoë Marriott

Posted on May 17, 2012 by EHL

Suzume leads a carefree life as an only child, playing on her father’s modest estates in a land similar to feudal Japan.  One horrible day, soldiers storm in, accuse her father of treason and kill them all including her beloved cousin.  Suzume hides with the help of an old kitchen servant who discovers Suzume has a knack for disguising herself.  She can create illusions that alter her appearance.  The old servant begins to teach her the art of weaving illusions.   Away from home during the massacre, her mother returns with their male family friend in tow.  After mourning a bit, the family friend quickly proposes to Suzume’s mother.  It is not hard to figure out who orchestrated the murder of Suzume’s father.  Suzume’s life takes another twist when she has to escape from her stepfather’s estates.  She ultimately has to choose between a life of revenge or true love.  The part of the book that I was not comfortable with is the cutting that Suzume does to herself to handle her emotional stress.  Suzume’s character is already complex.  There isn’t a need to add cutting to her many burdens.   This is different  Cinderella twist set in an Asian culture steeped with mysticism, murder, love and loss.

NetGalley Review    Publication date 4.24.12

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Struck – Jennifer Bosworth

Posted on May 16, 2012 by EHL

Mia has been struck by lightning countless times, so that she has become the embodiment of lightning with rivers of scars running the length of her body. If she loses her temper or feels threatened, she releases energy and can kill. Her mother and brother settle in Los Angeles just in time for a huge earthquake with death and destruction everywhere. The story opens when she and her brother go back to school to try and resume some sense of normalcy. There are two opposing factions in town that infiltrate the school. One group is lead by a televangelist prophet who preaches the end of the world in a few days and the Seekers who fight against the religious zealots. Apparently, it takes one whopper of a lightning strike to set off the final, ultimate earthquake and both sides want to harness Mia’s power. The story moves along at a brisk pace and includes a bit of romance when Mia meets Jeremy, a boy with visions of the future. Struck is a satisfying read for teens with brisk action and an interesting premise.

NetGalley review Publication date 5.08.12

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Lucky Fools – Coert Voorhees

Posted on May 12, 2012 by EHL

The competition is fierce at Oak Fields prep in many areas of David Ellison’s life.  He and all the other seniors are contemplating their college choices and life goals and are thrown a crushing blow when a Stanford admissions representative tells them that only one student from their school will be granted admission.  Initially, David isn’t too fazed by the news.  While his girlfriend, Ellen, and new friend and theater costar, Vanessa, both desperately want to go to Stanford, David has his sights set on Julliard.  He’s been the star of all the school plays for years, and knows the theater is where his dreams lie.  His parents aren’t quite as sure and encourage him to explore other options.  Just when David thinks he has his life figured out, things start to change.  Class bullying and fighting targets the students who try to excel.  David’s new friendship with Vanessa causes jealousy in Ellen. Finally, David takes the stage to audition for Julliard and something happens that he had never anticipated.  His whole picture of who he is and who he’s destined to become starts to crash.  Lucky Fools is cleverly written and portrays the characters’ struggles with self-discovery and teen angst in an insightful way.

NetGalley review   Publication date 7.10.12

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Welcome Caller, This is Chloe – Shelley Coriell

Posted on May 12, 2012 by EHL

Chloe is an ambitious, high-spirited high school junior with a seemingly unsinkable personality and a flare for vintage shoes. Her normally bright outlook on life threatens to dim though when classes resume after winter break. Her two best friends, Brie and Merce, are giving her the cold shoulder but she has no idea why. The entire school seems to be in on it, though. In the midst of dealing with her friends and the strained relationship between her mother and grandmother at home, she is told that her plan for her Junior Independent Study Project is rejected. Instead of creating a killer report on soap opera villainesses, she is forced to join the school’s radio station crew. At first, the team seems like a group of misfits who don’t respond to her enthusiasm with her same level of energy. She quickly finds her place in the radio team, and brings the station to life with her promotional ideas and call-in talk show. She gets plenty of help from her grandmother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and is struggling living on her own. The radio team members become her friends, and she grows close to Duncan, a boy who could definitely benefit from her warmth and positive outlook. This book is both touching and fun. Chloe is a wonderful character.  She is so well-developed that she seems real… and someone I’d definitely want to know.

NetGalley review Publication date 5.1.12

Posted in chick lit, realistic fiction | Comments Off on Welcome Caller, This is Chloe – Shelley Coriell