Rethinking History

Sin and Honey #2: A Touch of Betrayal by Taryn Scott

Historical Romance

What a fascinating premise! This book series focuses on telling the stories of women mentioned in the Bible. It has always been so interesting to me to think of what those women must have endured. History has too long remained silent on their stories and that is one of the reasons the Bible feels so stale and irrelevant to me. Without the stories of the women involved, how much of history are we missing?

This book, number two in the series, deals with Delilah, and her love affair with Samson. In the book, Delilah is not a character I much enjoyed getting to know. She isn't a likeable character the entire way through, although there are sparks of heroism in her. She's such a broken and tragic woman, and not the way I had pictured her at all from reading the Biblical tale. This book, though, really brought her to life and examined the betrayal of Samson in a different way. I'd always wondered why Delilah betrayed the hero and this book gives a plausible tale. In the end, it made me rethink the historical Delilah as well.

In the book, Delilah is a woman who has escaped from her hometown. She was run out of town after being accused of witchcraft. Fearing for her life, she escapes, but troubles soon follow her. Delilah has such a tragic history. Because she is a woman, and powerless in society, she becomes a prostitute and then servant in order to feed herself. Life is not kind to Delilah and she soon sees the whole world, and all the people, as mistrustful. Her past is found out and a local man threatens to expose her unless she traps Samson and turns over his secret so that he can be defeated. She agrees. After all, what's one broken man to her, a broken woman. In Samson, though, she sees something different from all the other men. While she went to betray him, she soon falls in love with him. If you're just expecting a Christian romance, think again. The action scenes are hot with passion overload!

The book, of course, has a tragic ending, as anyone familiar with the Biblical tale will know. Don't despair, though, as the author throws in a lot of imaginative details that will leave you thinking about this man and woman from history and how their story might have ended. This book was right up my alley and I look forward to checking out more in the series.

Not Your Momma's Fairy Tale

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Young Adult Dystopian Fiction

This is not usually a book I would pick up.  It looks a bit too much like a girly-girl book for my taste.  However, when I started reading it, I was so glad for the recommendation because it's exactly the kind of book I love. 

It's a cross between a fairy tale and dystopian novel.  The main character is America, so much symbolism in that name and what a perfect choice.  The other main character is Prince Maxim, who has reaching marrying age.  In a future world, this would make a great reality show.  Bachelor, anyone?  At the insistence of her mother, America submits an application to be considered as one of Prince Maxon's marriage potentials.  She is stunned to learn she is only of only 35 to read the final stage, the Selection.  In order to do this, American must big goodbye to Aspen, her true love but social inferior.  Still, she figures once the Prince chooses someone else, she can take the prize money to help her family and then get her romance, and life, back on track.  When she meets the Prince, her feelings on lots of things starts to change and she's no longer sure she wants to lose the contest.

I loved the futuristic feel of the book and the fact it still felt like an old-fashioned fairy tale.  It was a perfect blending of the two genres and pure genius.  It reminded me a bit of Ally Condie's "Matched" series, but America is more of a rebel, which I loved.  I also loved the political undertones.  It is part of a trilogy and not a stand alone boo.  You'll have to read them all, in order, to see how the story really ends.

Humanity and Its Best and Worst

The Postman by David Brin

Dystopian Adult Fiction

I really love the dystopian genre.  Not because of the darkness and chaos that is so prevalent, but because I love to see how humans retain such incredible sparks of humanity in the face of eternal darkness and destruction.  The Postman is a perfect example of that and one of the better dystopian books I've read. 

Gordon is a trader and scavenger--barely living by his wits until he comes across the remains of a postman in an abandoned vehicle.  He takes the postman's clothes and gear, never knowing how such a simple act of survival will change his life and his world.  As he wanders into villages and towns, Gordon (as the postman) becomes a symbol to people of what they lost with the destruction of their society through war and disease.  Almost accidentally, Gordon starts the US postal service and begins to connect peoples and towns with simple acts of social letters.  Of course, there are those who don't want him to succeed and the last half of the book is an adventure worthy of any action movie.

My only wish with the book was that the female guerilla fighters had been given more time and attention to.  Or, since I'm wishing anyway, their own book!

A Worthy Classic

Pollyanna #2:  Pollyanna Grows Up by Eleanor H. Porter

Classic

I do love the classics!  This sequel to the original Pollyanna was actually better the first book, which is really saying something.

Most people probably hear the phrase "being a Pollyanna" and have no idea where it comes from.  The phrase comes from this beloved book character, a perpetual optimist who has so much reason to be a pessimist.  In this book, her uncle has died and left the family in dire financial straits.  Pollyanna tries so hard to use her unfailing optimism and bring her aunt back to happiness, but that is a tall order.

In the story are old friends, like Jimmy Bean, and new friends. What made the book so wonderful, though, was seeing Pollyanna struggling with her first love.  I love these books and am sad there are only these two.  True, they are a bit sappy, but in a world that loves to criticize, it's a nice reality break.

An Uncomfortable Read

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Psychological Thriller/Mystery

I chose this book because of all the buzz generated recently and because it has been compared to Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl".  I felt, after reading, it didn't quite live up to my very high expectations and I could find no similarity to the other book, other than both left me feeling uncomfortable after reading them.

In this book, Rachel is a girl on a train.  She rides into the city everyday, hiding the fact she's lost her job due to her chronic alcoholism.  During her daily travels, she looks out the window and starts to fantasize about the daily lives of those she sees living in a house that used to belong to her...until her disease destroyed her marriage and life.  One day, she discovers the person living in her old home has gone missing and she thinks she might have a clue that could help solve the crime.  No one, however, wants to believe her.

This book made me uncomfortable from beginning to end.  That is always the case with an unreliable narrator and I don't think I've ever seen more of an unreliable character than Rachel.  She is a hot mess from beginning to end.  Her actions, bordering on insane at most points, made me so angry at her stupidity and weakness that I wanted to throw the book.  I alternated between anger, pity, and sadness--as did Rachel herself and all those whose lives she interacted with.  The ending, though, made the journey worthwhile and it's one of those twists that are impossible to see coming.  Overall, it was a great read...just not worthy of the 5 stars I had wanted it to be.

Funny, Nostalgic Read

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Adult Fiction

I didn't expect to like this book nearly as much as I did.  Actually, I had loved the old movie so much that I avoided this on my Kindle until it just begged to be read.  What a waste of time, the waiting that is.  I suppose, since I am of the television, record-playing age, I should have expected to identify right away.

It isn't, though, that I identified, or even liked very much, the main character.  Rob is a pain, to the reader and to everyone in the book, apparently.  His girlfriend, Laura, has recently left him and it's easy to see why.  He's whiny, obsessive, and incapable of making decision.  He's just like a friend I have, and probably everybody has, who has everything going for them only they're too self-absorbed to realize it and end up throwing it all way for an ideal that never turns out just the way they expect. 

Still, the book was easy to love, especially if you grew up listening to and loving real music from real records.  It was a pleasant, nostalgic read with very engaging characters and led to me updating my song list on my iPod.  After all, I'm no Rob.  I can march along with the times.

Definitely a Treat

Hallowe'en Party: Hercule Poirot #36 by Agatha Christie

Classic Mystery

One (out of many) of the things I love about Christie is that it isn't necessary to read her books in order.  Serial mysteries become tiresome as one scrambles about trying to figure out which to read next and getting angry when one has read the wrong book out of sequence.  Christie's books aren't like that and it's a pleasure finding them in garage sales or old book sales and buying them without a thought of whether it comes next or not.

This one is actually the first I've seen which relied one a book previous, although the references weren't really important.  In this book, Poirot has been called in to investigate the death of a child during a Hallowe'en party.  The child was forcibly drowned in an apple-bobbing bucket during a busy party, but no one can figure out the who might have done it.  Poirot's investigation unveils some very unpleasant skeletons in a few family closets and there are soon many suspects.  Don't think you'll guess the secret, though!  Unless you're as clever as Poirot (or Christie), you'll be guessing right up to the last page.

Great Book for Adolescent Girls

Storm Mountain by Tom Birdseye

Adolescent Action/Adventure/Survival

Cat has slowly rebuilt her life after her father's death on nearby Storm Mountain.  She has a healthy respect for the environment and has devoted her time to learning everything she can about mountain climbing.  Her cousin Ty is the exact opposite, although he also lost his father, twin to Cat's, on the same mountain during the same storm.  Ty is a devil-may-care, hang by the seat of his pants kind of person and Cats knows how very dangerous this attitude can be while mountain climbing.  Ty gets the brilliant idea to release their fathers' ashes at the site of their deaths on the anniversary of that date.  Cat says no--she isn't ready to let go of her father yet.  Not to be deterred, Ty steals the ashes--and Cat's dog--in the middle of the night and heads to Storm Mountain and right into a blizzard.  With both their mothers gone and the storm getting worse, Cat has no choice but to swallow her fears, ignore reason, and plunge into the storm to save Ty and her beloved dog.

What I loved about this book was the strong female character.  There are so few action adventure books for adolescent girls.  The adventure story turns into one of survival as Cat struggles to keep them all alive during a blizzard and avalanche.  There are also great messages about grieving, knowing when to say goodbye, making a new start, and the important of family.

Hate Math, Loved This Book

Freakonomics:  A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dunbar

Nonfiction


I would never have thought that I would ever read an economics book.  And, if I did, I would never have guessed I could have stayed awake, much less found it fascinating. But, I did and I did.

Even if you abhor any scent of mathematics, as I do, this book is so eminently easy to read.  One of the authors is a journalist and crafts each chapter in a way I found to be interesting and relevant and eye-opening.

The focus of he book is with Steven Levitt, a guru of economics who doesn't write to think about boring, old statistics.  Well, actually he does but he presents them in a way that are too interesting to ignore.  Some examples:  why do real estate agents so eager to settle for less money on a sale when it means less money in their pocket? What do abortions and national crime rates have in common?  Why do drug dealers live with their mothers?  If you've ever thought any of these seemingly random thoughts, this is probably a book you would enjoy.

What I really like about it is that the authors don't shy away from controversial topics and just let the numbers speak for themselves.  And, while I don't like math, I know that numbers can only be manipulated so much; they just can't lie.  I'm a bit hooked on the topic now and am rushing to get the next book by the two, Superfreakonomics.  After reading this, you'll probably be a bit freakish about numbers too.

It's Always a Pleasure to Read a Brown

Inferno by Dan Brown

Fiction/History Mystery/Adventure/Thriller

I always wait with gleeful anticipation the next release of any of Dan Brown's books.  He can always be counted on to provide a solid, engaging read with unexpected plot twists and delicious historical mysteries.

This book was no exception.  In this latest installment of the adventures of Professor Langdon, he is suffering from amnesia and wakes up in a hospital being shot at. His rescuer, a young doctor, soon becomes involved in the chase and two try and backtrack to help Langdon discover why anyone would want to kill him.  Naturally, the reasons are long and convoluted and filled with both historical fiction and fact.  This book focuses on the real-life Dante and his work, "Inferno".  If you've never read, don't worry.  There is enough explanation in the book for even a casual literary lover.

I do love Brown's work, but, honestly I'm getting tired of him.  I mean, come on!  How can one guy have so many adventures?  It's starting to stretch believability a bit too much.  This book would have been much better if there were another main character and Langdon was relegated to an advisor of some sort.  I am also a bit perplexed by the ending. Talk about a cliffhanger!  I hope it means this book might just have a sequel.  There's definitely enough left undone that a complete other book could remedy.

Cute, Sweet Read

Friends:  Snake and Lizard by Joy Crowley

Elementary Fiction

Wen I first ordered this book, I went off the information provided that it was for "primary" readers.  This is most certainly not the case.  The book would be a great read-aloud for primary-aged children, in bits and chapters.  But an independent reader couldn't tackle the book until elementary school.  It's a fairly lengthy chapter book.

The stories inside deal with the friendship of Snake and Lizard, who live in a desert and have not-so-remarkable adventures, which is not to say the book is boring.  However, what is remarkable to a couple of cold-blooded desert dwellers is old hat to humans who have seen more of the world.  Their naiveté is charming and the stories are cute, filled with fun.  Many of them have valuable, but not preachy, lessons about friendship, how to treat others, lying, exaggeration, etc. 

I believe this is the second in a series, but you won't suffer from confusion if you start with this one first.  Overall, a sweet and funny read.

Excellent Gift Book

The Galapagos:  A Natural History by Henry Nicholls

Nonfiction/History

This book is one of those that are so delightful to own and to read.  It is a tactile pleasure for the true bibliophile, one of those rare breed who love the feel of a book as much as the words within.  The cover illustrations immediately draw the reader to the pages and are reminiscent of John James Audubon's best work.  The deckled edges, heavy paper, and cream tone make it feel like a gift book.  If you're thinking of purchasing, definitely buy the print version because the physical components are as important as the ideas.

The ideas, though, are quite fascinating, if you're into Darwin.  I had been reading a lot of Darwin and happened upon this book.  I wanted to read more of his theories without having to delve into his original works, parts of which I've read and found a bit boring.  This book did provide a bit more excitement, but it won't make you grit your teeth with thrills.  It is, instead, a fascinating and gentle historical read about natural selection as seen upon the Galapagos Islands.  I do not claim to be a naturalist and could only name about 15 birds by sight if I were hard-pressed.  However, the text and explanations were fascinating to me and I think even a casual reader of natural history would find something in this book to love.

Deep Waters

Jesse Stone #3:  Death in Paradise by Robert Parker

Mystery/Thriller

I so enjoy reading Jesse Stone books.  What I most like about them isn't necessarily the mystery (which is always superbly plotted), or the adventure (which is often knuckle-biting), it's the character of Jesse.

Jesse is a human with a lot of human mistakes.  He is an alcoholic, not recovering, and has real issues with his on-again, off-again ex-wife.  I love that Parker doesn't make any excuses for Jesse's behavior and that Jesse doesn't make any for himself.  Usually, in a book, the character is recovering from some addiction.  In this book, and the others in the series so far, Jesse isn't recovering.  He fights his demons in front of the reader and it's so refreshing to read about a "real" person with problems who isn't always successful in dealing with them.

In this series installment, Jesse is hot on the trail of a murder.  A local teenager is found floating in the lake and Jesse and his not-so-crackpot team of police dive in to the mystery only to discover the waters are a lot deeper than they look.  Soon, the tiny police force is mixed up in the gang, prostitution, and child molestation. As always, the plot is so tightly written.  It's a pleasure to see Jesse's mind at work and I love that he is changing man, book by book. Can't wait to read the next one!

Bizarre

Survivor by Chuck Palahnuik

Adult Fiction

I am becoming less and less a fan of Palahnuik.  I have read several of his books and think I must have peaked early on because they get worse and worse as I go.

This book is about a religious cult survivor who has become a maid or cleaning person who also, apparently, runs a suicide hotline advising people to commit suicide and has the hots for a girl who can tell the future.  Bizarre doesn't begin to cover it.

There are so many things to loathe about the book. Every character in it is dislikable and confusing.  The plot is confusing, especially since it doesn't really get going with a plot until about 75% in.  The formatting is so awful.  It is NOT worthy to abandon traditional forms of punctuation.  Punctuation has a purpose--it makes things readable.  When you don't use it, things become unreadable.  This is unreadable.  Although, even if it had formatting, everything else about it was so awful, I still wouldn't like it.

Fun, Mystery, Adventure

Death of a Kingfisher:  Hamish Macbeth #28 by M.C. Beaton

English Mystery

This is my second Hamish Macbeth mystery and the 28th in the series. I'm starting to count myself a true fan, even though I'm not really reading them in order. I like them so much, I'll probably go back to #1 and start properly. It isn't complicated to follow, but there are some romantic allusions I'd like to have the backstory too because Hamish just seems so irritated by his exes.

In this story, a Kingfisher bird is found hanged and its nest and young are destroyed and poisoned. While detecting that crime, other crimes start popping up all over town and soon Hamish is on the trail of a thief, birdkiller, and murderer. The plot is complicated by a love interest for Hamish, one he should ignore because she's probably a criminal. Hamish is unable to control his urges, though, and flits through the book bouncing from one unpleasant feminine encounter after another.

These are light-hearted, fun mysteries to read (well, except for the murders, of course). I'm quite a fan of Hamish. He reminds me a bit of Don Knotts's character Barney Fife in "The Andy Griffith Show". Hamish is a bit of a goof, although he does seem to have a bit more common sense and detective prowess. Watching him bumble along and get irritate and then irritate those around him is so funny. M.C. Beaton has never disappointed and I'm delighted to follow her on another mysterious, humorous adventure series

Decadent

A Stroke of Midnight: Merry Gentry #4 by Laurel Hamilton

Paranormal Romance/Mystery

I wish there were half stars....4 is a bit too high and 3 not nearly high enough.  This series always places me in somewhat of a quandary...because, well, it's just weird.

The main character, Merry Gentry, is competing to become queen of a paranormal court of some really killer faeries and other creatures.  The competition is between her and her cousin, Cai, who is insane and it is a race to see which of them is the first to become pregnant.   With that being said, there is more sex going on in this book than any dirty channel in any hotel.  My word.  I'm no prude, by any means, but a girl can hardly take a break before catching her breath again.  It's just all so...hedonistic and decadent.  This is certainly not a book for the faint of heart, or easy blushers.

Hamilton most certainly has written one of the most unique series I've ever read.  The characters fairly leap off the page and readers will whole-heartedly wish this was a land they could visit, if only for a night or two (because what human could keep up the pace?)  The first few books focused more on Merry's detective skills and solving of a mystery, but that was only lightly touched on in this one.  Shame, I really liked those parts in the other books.  One aspect of the book that is very difficult for me is all the court rules and shenanigans that go on.  I feel as if maybe the book should come with a faerie etiquette guide.  If I were Merry, I could have been murdered long ago if only for my lapse in court rules. 

I shall most certainly keep reading.  With all the shenanigans going on, Merry is bound to be impregnated soon and the drama of that will be quite a read.

Parts Of It Made Me Uncomfortable

Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne

Adolescent Realistic Fiction

Celeste is an overweight teen-ager whose life just got much more difficult.  Her best friend dumps her for more popular friends and her aunt enters her in a chubby girl modeling contest.  Through these dramas, though, Celeste finds out what's really important in a friend and in herself.

When I first started reading this book, I had some really uncomfortable feelings about the accuracy and realism of certain elements in the book.  First, of all, the main character is, by her own accounts, overweight, yet she grabs unhealthy foods by the handful and doesn't seem to see the connection.  As a former teacher, this type of thinking isn't realistic as students are now taught from a very early age which foods are bad for them.  The fact she only seems to realize it later in the book seemed off to me.  Also, I find it impossible to believe that a company specializing in overweight models would call their company and contest "HuskyPeach".  That name just rubbed me wrong the whole time.  It's so politically incorrect and such a company would be lambasted for their bad judgment.  Lastly, the instances of bullying in the book are hard to read but seem so unrealistic when some of that verbal bullying took place right in front of teachers who said nothing.  Again, as a former teacher, maybe I was being too critical, but there's no way such abuse would be tolerated.

Overall, it was an okay book.  Once I got over my initial misgivings (and ignored the others), I found the book to be cute with some good messages.  It was a bit over the top of drama for me, but I know many of my ex-students who would gobble it right up for just that reason.

Such an Unlikable Main Character

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

Adult Fiction

Golden, the main character in this novel, is so easy to dislike.  For starters, he's married to four different women, none of whom he seems to love, and he has so many kids that he has to memorize their names in some sort of chant.  To top it all off, he's also contemplating having an affair.  Very sleazy guy.

Yet, I was enthralled with his story from the beginning. His young life was so very sad and, initially, I was hopeful he would be able to escape such a destiny.  But, Golden is a weak man and this book is the story of him letting other people direct him in whichever way they want.  He just does whatever he's told without any sort of backbone at all.  If it were only his story, it might be stretching the pleasure a bit, but the point of view changes to include other people in the books, wife #4 and a son.  Their stories are full of so much heart-ache and heartbreak that you find yourself hoping, somehow, things will work out for this huge dysfunctional family.

It's a hefty read, but one that seems to just fly along.  If you've ever been intrigued by the inner workings of polygamy, this seems as close as one could get without it being straight from a believer's lips.  Overall, the book hooked me and I just couldn't turn away until I saw what happened to every last one of the many characters.

Will Cause You To Question Your Beliefs About Love

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Historical Fiction

I am so glad I waited to read this book.  If I had read it when it first came out and was getting all the awards and acclaims, I would certainly have missed the most poignant and heartfelt truths.  Many of the reviews I have read and book blurbs focus on the romantic nature of the book and the love affair between two of the characters.  I did not read the same book they did and my theory is because this is a book that speaks to people wherever they are in their road to romantic (love) maturity.

The book revolves around two main characters:  Fermina and Florentina.  They fall in love when each are young virgins and their entire relationship is only consummated on the pages of the letters they write to one another.  When Fermina is sent away by her father for the relationship, she years to return home and marry Florentina and begin her happily ever after.  Upon coming home, though, she sees that what she thought was love was only infatuation.  She breaks it off with Florentina and instead marries another man, one more prominent and wealthy.  The majority of the book actually focuses on Fermina's marriage to Dr. Juvenal Urbino and the love they eventually create.  Florentina never marries and spends decades waiting for a second chance with Fermina, convinced she is his soul mate.

Because I am on my way to middle age (maybe I'm already there, but I'm not admitting it in writing) and have been married for decades, I absolutely don't see the romance between Fermina and Florentina as anything other than youthful romantic infatuation.  I believe the love in the love in the title instead refers to the different kinds of love found in the book and the lesson that love, especially during times of turmoil and over long periods of time, can be found in many different ways.  There is romantic love, sexual love, and a beautiful kind of marriage love that can only be found when two people have spent their entire lives together.  I thought that Fermina and Juvenal's marriage and love were the really romantic parts of the book because it shows the strength of love to grow, endure, and sustain hearts.  I also don't think many of the reviews focus enough on the historical aspects of the book.  Cholera is a disease we don't know much about today, but is one that decimated populations during last century across the globe.  The book is a careful look at how a disease like cholera impacts every facet of life, influencing decisions one would never have made otherwise.
Overall, I found the book to be masterful both in language and content.  Best of all, it is one of those books that really causes you to think and consider deeply help convictions and beliefs and see the world in a different way.

Not a Riveting Love Story

Love Will Find a Way by Barbara Freethy

Romance

Romance is not my usual preferred reading genre, but when my mother recommended it to me...well, she's my mother so it was more like a directive.

Since I'm not a typical romance reader, that might influence my lower rating and review.  This was very much a typical romance.  The plot had some nice twists and the characters were very believable.  As a reader, you wanted the happy ending.

In the story, Rachel is reeling after her husband's unexpected death and turns to his lifelong best friend Dylan.  She wants Dylan to help her determine if Gary, her husband, committed suicide or was just the victim of an untimely accident.  Dylan and Rachel have an unresolved drama between them with years of angst and yearning.  Can Rachel overcome her widow's remorse to love again?  Will Dylan be able to place his heart up for grabs again?  Will Gary's secret tear them apart?
If that last part sounded a bit cheezy, that was my problem with most of the book.  It is clearly a serial romance, written to a set of specifications with a few surprises and twists thrown in.  The surprises aren't shocking, though.  Also, the characters were generally unlikeable.  Both seemed extremely selfish and their emotions varied so wildly, I wasn't for sure from one moment to the next what each wanted. 

So, sorry, Mom. You stick to your reading pile, and I'll stick to mine.