Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Where to start with this? There's so much that happens.

The basic plot of the story is this: Claire goes back to find Jamie. Her husband died two years prior and her daughter is in her third year of college. She contemplates which would be better for her ... staying with Bree in the present or going back to put her heart together again.

She went back but it wasn't the easy, blissful ending she pictured in her mind. Jamie had changed and so had she. If they'd been together for the prior 20 years, those changes wouldn't have been as obvious. And probably some of them wouldn't have occurred at all. They have a lot to relearn about the other.

While they were newly reunited, Jamie's nephew Ian was kidnapped and taken to the West Indies. They followed him and the usual mayhem ensues on the trip. Jamie's seasickness, Claire's healing (which gets her pushed into the King's service for England) among other things. Fergus and Marsali (Laoghaire's daughter) handfast. There's a snitch among Jamie's men who turns out to be Mr. Willoughby (an Asian that Jamie saved from himself), a murderer on the loose in Jamaica when they get there and more. The new governor of that island is a former jailer and current friend of Jamie's. He has custody of Jamie's bastard son. It just never ends.

And that's what makes this series so compelling. Everything keeps piling up but you just can't put the books down.

The Ship Who Sang - Anne McCaffrey

This is another compilation of stories which centers around a main character. In this case, the main character is the brain portion of a ship. The main character is also human. When human children have physical deformities that may end their lives if left to their own devices, their parents have the choice of allowing them to become "shell people." They will, in essence, become a ship and are heavily conditioned to avoid curiousity, regret, and other conditions which could adversely affect their mental well being.

Some of these shell people are installed into ships. Others are installed into cities and act as administrators. This particular story focuses around one particular person named Helva. She is installed as a BB ship and is assigned to Medical at human age 16. The term BB stands for brain/brawn. The brain is installed in the ship and has a mobile human partner or "brawn." Helva is unique for she figured out how to manipulate her diaphragm and amplify the sounds into singing, thereby earning the nickname "The Ship Who Sings." The stories deal with her falling in love for the first time with her very first brawn, helping in the aftermath of a planetwide plague, helping to restore a population to another ravaged planet, finding a rogue BB ship, and various other adventures.

The original stories were written as shorts for Science Fiction Magazine and turned into this book. It sparked a series of other stories written about BB ships. These partnerships also show up in various other series that Anne McCaffrey has written. Love.Them.

Crystal Singer - Anne McCaffrey

She's better known for her series on Pern but I like her non-Dragon series better. Anne McCaffrey was one of the first female sci-fi writers. This book is originally a series of stories from Science Fiction Magazine and published in the 1960s. Love. It.

In the future, humankind is scattered throughout galaxies after having figure out space travel. On one of the planets that they were hoping to transform into suitable living for people, they find a crystalline substance that will change virtually everything. It can be used for communication, data storage, transportation, and so much more. The shards and slivers can be used for artwork and jewelry as well. It is to this planet (named Ballybran) that Killashandra Ree comes looking for a fresh start and a new career.

She was in training to become an operatic singer. There were planets to explore, arias to sing, people to visit, and accolades to collect. It was all she had ever wanted from the time she was a little girl. However, her dreams were shattered when the judges noticed a slight flaw in her voice that hadn't been trained out. On the day she received the devastating blow, she met the man who would change her life.

He was a Crystal Singer and it seemed that everyone deferred to him, especially when he heard a shuttle at the spaceport that was ready to explode from improperly tuned crystal. Killashandra heard it too. They spent several months together until Carrick had to start back to the Heptite Guild. She wanted to go with him but never expected it to be by his bedside. As they were explaining to authorities that she was in her right mind and not been twisted by the Singer, a shuttle exploded. Carrick, having superhuman senses, was rendered unconscious in the blast and returned to Ballybran where he was in a coma for the rest of his days.

The rest of the story deals with Killashandra going through the training upon reaching Ballybran and the trials and tribulations of starting out in a career. There are secrets to be discovered in this first of the trilogy and Killa is one of my favorite characters. I go back again and again.

Face the Fire - Nora Roberts

I think I want to be Mia Devlin. lol ... is it possible to become a fictional character? The chick has it all together. She's smart, beautiful, a successful business owner, has a rockin' body ... and is a hereditary witch. What's not to love?

Oh right ... the evil powers that want her to fail at her portion of the task set to the Three of Three Sisters Island. They want to cause her death. She also has to either accept or reject the love of her life, Sam Logan. It's a fascinating look into how a strong woman can still struggle with basic issues like compromise, love, acceptance, and compassion. Does she win? Does she lose and plunge her island into the sea forever? That's for Mia and Nora to tell you.

And she owns a bookstore. I think it's nirvana.

The Last Boleyn - Karen Harper

I've done a lot of reading this year about the Tudor era in England's history. Granted, it's been historical fiction but there are some facts involved. This particular book is about Mary Boleyn. For those who aren't familiar with her or the timeframe involved, she was Anne Boleyn's sister. And Anne Boleyn eventually ascended to the crown to become the first commoner Queen of England.

Mary's story takes a different turn. She was sent away at age 10 to live with Princess Mary (King Henry's sister) as she became Queen of France. She was allowed to stay at the French court when all the other Englishwomen were sent home. She kept the secret that, after the French king's death, that Mary and Charles Brandon were secretly married. But she was soon to be used by the new king all in the name of love. Her father told her to submit to whatever the new king had in mind and she did. So he used and abused her. Literally. At one point, he gave her to a member of his court as payment for a gambling debt.

Eventually her father brought her home to England where she caught the eye of Henry VIII. She eventually bedded him as well and was rewarded with lands and titles for her family. As all her father and uncle cared about was wealth, power, and those titles, they encouraged her to continue. She married a man of the king's choosing who also benefitted from Mary's being mistress to the King but resented every second of her time away from him. It was all about duty with William Carey. But there was someone else waiting in the wings ... William Stafford.

While Mary was pregnant with her first son (and there was a question as to who had fathered the boy), her father thrust Anne under the king's nose. And the rest, shall we say, is history. Through it all, Mary persevered. And lived a long, full life.

Heaven and Earth - Nora Roberts

In this second book of the Three Sisters trilogy, Ripley Todd is the focus. She turned her back on who she is and what she possesses on the cusp of adulthood. The story pulls us into the middle of the 300 year old culmination of the spell cast on the island by one of the original Three. For Ripley to stop what's building, she has to forgive and accept herself without condition.

Again, I love the story and I love the final scene on the beach with Ripley making her choice. I know this is brief but I'm trying to review it without giving too much away.

Dance Upon the Air - Nora Roberts

Nell Channing is a hunted woman. She's on the run from an abusive husband, who thinks her dead. She finds her way to the Massachusetts coastline and to a little island called Three Sisters. There is lore and legend attached to it, as there usually is to such places. In this case, the island itself is created by three witches and cast out to sea to protect them from the insanity of the Witch Trails in Salem Town in 1692.

In this first of my favorite trilogy, Nell rediscovers herself, finds her courage, and falls in love. She also discovers she's a witch, one of three descendents of the original Sisters who created their island. And she learns to begin harnessing that power. She uses that power, along with love, to free herself of the enslavement that her ex-husband tries to re-enforce.

I truly love this series. So much so that it influenced my desire for a sapphire engagement ring, which I got from my husband. :o) I just didn't realize it until now.

The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory

I've always felt sorry for Katherine of Aragon. The unwanted first wife, unable to carry a son to term ... denied what she wanted most in life.

I may have changed my mind after reading this book again. To backtrack, this is the story of Katherine when she first arrived in England. She was to marry the Prince of Wales and did so. She was exotic, young, beautiful, kind, and caring. It shone through everything she did or touched. And then her husband, Arthur, died. Her world was tossed into chaos.

So she did what most women would have done. She came up with a way to save herself. Self-preservation is an instinct strong in anyone, be they royalty or commoners. The rest of her life was given over to protecting the lie that her first marriage was unconsummated. I'm not a historian; I have no research proving or disproving that. Just my own belief.

This is where I've changed my mind about Katherine. After she married Henry and was Queen of England, she was determined to prove that she could rule. She did rule in fact, if not in name. Having that feminist cast to my thoughts as well, I understand the sentiment. But, in doing so, she wrested all control over the court and the country from Henry in stealth. There was not an occurrence that happened that she didn't know about. She was like his parents in that she never taught him how to rule. She never thought that she would have had to. I think that was her mistake.

So I admire her for having the courage to live her life as she chose in a time where women had few choices. But I wonder what would have happened if ...

If.

Two new blogs

Hi everyone. I'm part of a great online community that reads and discusses all sorts of books. Well, in the spirit of giving (and talking about our obsession endlessly), we've started a book blog as well. It's going to be general to everyone who posts on it. Feel free to peruse it at your leisure.

I've also linked the blog of one of my favorite authors as well. It's easier for me so that I don't have to constantly search for it.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling

As a self-proclaimed Harry Potter obsessee, I HAD to order this when I found out it was being released. I ordered it when I got the original e-mail about it ... in July. I think it was the fastest pre-order I've ever made. E-mail notification to preorder in 3.2 second!

I'm glad I did because this made me realize how much I miss being immersed in the Wizarding world that JK Rowling has created. The tales are more like Aesop's fables in that there are lessons underlying each story. What I didn't expect was the explanations offered by Dumbledore. Then again, I'm thinking in linear terms since he died prior to this being written in my mind. As I've learned with so many other books I've read, time isn't linear.

The tales themselves were straightforward. One, we already know from Deathly Hallows. JK Rowling adds a little explanation here and there to Dumbledore's commentary. She also does some of the sketches peppered throughout the book.

All in all, I'm glad I got it. I read it in about an hour. I want more.

Would it be dignified if I threw myself on my knees in an effort to beg her to write more of the Wizarding world?

The Pagan Stone - Nora Roberts

It's the third in the Sign of Seven trilogy. We've established the fact that a demon is stalking the town of Hawkins Hollow and that three men are the blood descendents of the last man to try and stop it. He put a metaphorical bandaid on the situation until the boys came along and set it free accidentally. I've talked about the first two books previously.

The third book finishes the tale. The third couple, Gage and Cybil, are the focus this time. He's a professional gambler. She's a gypsy. They both prefer not being tied down to any one place for any length of time. They would do anything to save the ones they love from being hurt or killed. It's good but I don't think it's my favorite of the three. Of course, they do what they have to do and someone is sacrificed to stop the evil monster. And everyone lives happily ever after.

Like I said, I liked it because I liked knowing the details of the ending. Ultimately, it's a romance novel. Everyone always lives happily ever after in a romance novel. lol ... how they get to it is the point of the story. I have other trilogies of hers that I prefer.

The Queen of Subtleties: A Novel of Anne Boleyn - Suzanne Dunn

I just finished this one last night. Maybe I'm historical fictioned out but I didn't really get why the writer would have a subplot woven around the King's confectioner. It was OK and I really enjoyed the portions coming from Anne's POV but Mrs. Cornwallis, not so much.

I think it showed her passion, her ambition and drive very well. It also showed that she wasn't repentant regarding her actions at the very end either. She regretted her time ending but not what brought about the change. I wonder what would have become of her if she'd just learned to control her temper & tongue a little more. Would she have been pensioned off? Gotten to see Elizabeth grow up? Or would she still have wound up with her head on the block for some other action?


(Originally posted July 16, 2008)

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer **SPOILERS**

If you haven't read the book yet and don't want to know, please don't read any further.

I read the whole book on Saturday, which is not an unusual occurrence. I've been known to read several books in one day. (In my defense, they were all little books.) It was not what I was expecting. I was disappointed in parts such as the whole pregnancy thing. Come on. Really? An incubus? I think I would have been less disappointed if she hadn't made a big deal over the fact that vampires are preserved and basically have no liquids left in their bodies. If they have no liquid left, how was the pregnancy possible?

I didn't mind the pregnancy chapters from Jacob's POV. I've grown to rather like him. I also know what it's like to want to be with someone when they plainly have no interest in you so I also felt sorry for him. I didn't see what happened next coming.

As for Edward, eh.

There was a stark contrast between human Bella and vampire Bella. I'm glad she found the grace and charm that eluded her in life. I like her overall and got a kick out of watching her discover life as a newborn.

I wanted a fight with the Volturi. THAT was the biggest disappointment in the book. All that and NOTHING happened? Nothing? Let their coven be defeated and the Cullens start to rule their part of the supernatural world. They could have set up a vampire school to train newborns how to handle being a "vegetarian" and how to live alongside humans. Or something. The lack of an ending was the hardest part for me to read. Give me something a little more exciting. Anything but that.

So overall, it was OK. Not the greatest. Definitely not the worst thing I've read. If it were me, I would have done things differently like having Bella stay human, a fight with the Volturi, etc. No pregnancy. Maybe Jacob getting seriously hurt when he goes to rescue Bella and losing the ability to phase. But it's not my story to tell.

Thanks for the ending. :o)


(Originally posted August 5, 2008)

Sign of Seven trilogy - Nora Roberts

Her books are like brain candy for me. They go so fast and yet I can read them over and over and over again. And I do. I just finished reading book 2 of the Sign of Seven trilogy. I'm glad she's writing more and more about magick and mystical things as it parallels some of my own interests.

Blood Brothers introduces us to three friends who accidentally set free a demon within their town. Every seven years from the day released it, it terrorizes their town for a week. However, this the time when the demon has to be battled back for good or it will destroy them all. For each of the three friends, there are strong women to back them up and help them defeat evil. Each are connected to the demon through blood as the men are connected to the witch who stopped it nearly 450 years earlier.

The Hollow is a continuation. They've learned a bit more about the women, fallen in love/lust, and defended the town against several manifestations. They are also growing in their power together and need to fuse the weapon that the men's ancestor used to stop the demon after it was split.

I think what I love about Nora Roberts is that her female characters aren't weak. They are strong, forthright individuals who aren't afraid of taking on a challenge no matter how overwhelming. Well, they are afraid. They'd be insane not to be with some of the things she's set against her heroines. (Think ghosts, demons, and magick along with serial killers and arsonists.) But they do it anyway because some things need to be stopped.


(Originally posted August 8, 2008)

Dark Angels - Karleen Koen

I liked it. The story was well written. My only problem is this:

I didn't like the heroine.

Aren't we supposed to? Aren't we supposed to root for whomever the book is about to be happy and to live happily ever after? Maybe I'm not supposed to like her. I haven't figured it out as of yet. She was vain, spoiled, and bratty. She didn't want her friends to have anything she didn't, including families. She thought that she knew better for those around her than they did.
I really wanted to smack this chick. But then I've been like that a lot lately.



(Originally posted August 18, 2008)

The Wild Irish: A Tale of Elizabeth I and the Pirate O'Malley - Robin Maxwell

When I read this, I felt like I was reading two different books. The first half of the book dealt with the meeting between Grace O'Malley and Elizabeth I. It took place in 1593 and used Grace to tell the story of the Irish and their treatment at the hands of England. The fascinating part of it was the unification of the Irish people from separate clans (think Italian city-states) into one against their common enemy of England. Even more fascinating was the thought that a woman was able to rise up and become such a force to be reckoned with. I'd love to read more about the formidable Grace and her family.

The second half of the book references Grace and Elizabeth I briefly. It deals with the fall of the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereaux. Granted, he brought it on himself when he contracted syphilis but Elizabeth set him up to fail when she sent him to Ireland. Even though she "loved" him (and I use that term loosely), I think she did it to have him killed. Having him die in the midst of the campaign would save her from having to arrange for his downfall later on. In any book I've read on the subject (ha!), she wanted to be first and foremost in her people's hearts. Anyone who had as much or more popularity than her was not to be tolerated. She was ruthless in her own way and the dithering back and forth on war hid that heartless streak.

Overall, I don't think I'd read it again but I'm glad I finished it.


(Originally posted August 25, 2008)

Hi Everyone

Books are my passion. They're my favorite hobby. I love to read and I'm looking for a way to share that passion with others. Since my husband is tired of me talking his ear off about various books, I'm turning to the web to blather on to you all.

My favorite authors include Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, Anne McCaffrey, and Diana Gabaldon. I also have gotten into historical fiction this year thanks to a certain internet book club I stalk daily. I've read a lot of Tudor based fiction including work by Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir (whom I love), Karen Harper, Robin Maxwell, and Suzanne Dunn.

My bookshelves are overflowing with romances, science fiction, fantasy, young adult novels, and cookbooks. I love cookbooks. You can never have too many of them and several of the ones I treasure most belonged to my great-grandmother.

I will be migrating some reviews of books I've read from another blog over the next few days. So welcome to my passion ... and my brain's version of comfort food. Enjoy!