Oh the shame!

I did something the other day that I don't normally do! I actually had to take some books back to the library unread because I couldn't extend them any further, and I just wasn't going to get them read anytime soon.

The ones I took back unread were Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron, Cup of Ghosts by PC Doherty and Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke. I actually have to take back The Twylight Tower by Karen Harper as well...better get onto that! I also moved the three books my son had on my card onto his card thinking that that would help reduce the number of books that I had out, but I had six more books waiting for me!!!

So, my library list at the moment looks like this:

The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald (can't extend this one so need to get onto it pretty soon!)
The Dawn Stag by Jules Watson
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott
The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop (can take this one back now)
Holiday in Death by J D Robb
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
In the Prince's Bed by Sabrina Jeffries
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander (brand new book! Yay!)
Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir
Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz
Midnight Angel by Lisa Kleypas
The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters
The Observations by Jane Harris
The Pirate Prince by Gaelen Foley
The Quilter's Legacy by Jennifer Chiaverini (Started this but haven't been able to get into it like I did with the other books in the series)
Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes
The Rake by Suzanne Enoch
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Sarah by Marek halter
Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (this is a high demand book so can only have it out for two weeks and can't extend it)
The Snake, the Crocodile and the dog by Elizabeth Peters
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (about half way through this one - must pick it up again)
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Brand new book...yay! But can't extend)
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (Brand new book..yay!!)
The Twylight Tower by Karen Harper (Must, must take this back!)
What an Earl Wants by Shirley Karr
Wish List anthology (finished this already)
Excalibur anthology
Mirabilis by Susann Cokal (started but couldn't get into it)

On my hold list I have:

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory (ready to pick up, but I will have to read it quickly because I can't extend it)
Angel Fall by Nora Roberts (no. 17 in the queue)
Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts (no. 15 in the queue)
Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich (no. 12 in the queue)
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati (no. 1 but it's not out yet)
Stolen by Kelley Armstrong (no. 1)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (no. 1 but it's not out yet)

The good thing about those is that there is only a couple that can come in in the next couple of weeks.

Aside from the books mentioned I still haven't started my TBR challenge book, or She's Come Undone for one of my groups...might be skipping that one this month! LOL!

When I was at the library, my son was reading all the titles that I was booking out and checking how many pages were in each book (because he likes to do that!). When he got to Scandal in Spring he looked at the sticker that was on the front that says "High Demand" and he read "High Demon". Had us all in stitches. The librarians wanted to know what a low demon book might look like! Maybe he knows that Lisa Kleypas has plans to move into paranormals next...inside knowledge or something!!

The only reason why I am looking forward to going back to work next week is so that I can have 3 hours reading time every day on the train so that I can make a dent in this pile!

Simply Love by Mary Balogh

New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh returns to the elegance and sensuality of Regency England as she continues the enthralling story of four remarkable women- friends and teachers at Miss Martin's School for Girls. At the center of this spellbinding novel is Anne Jewell, a teacher haunted by a scandalous past...until she meets a man who teaches her the most important lesson of all: nothing is simple when it comes to love....

She spies him in the deepening dusk of a Wales evening- a lone figure of breathtaking strength and masculinity, his handsome face branded by a secret pain. For single mother and teacher Anne Jewell, newly arrived with her son at a sprawling estate in Wales on the invitation of an influential friend, Sydnam Butler is a man whose sorrows- and passions- run deeper than she could have ever imagined.

As steward of a remote seaside manor, Sydnam lives a reclusive existence far from the pity and disdain of others. Yet almost from the moment Anne first appears on the cliffs, he senses in this lovely stranger a kindred soul, and between these two wary hearts, desire stirs. Unable to resist the passion that has rescued them both from loneliness, Anne and Sydnam share an afternoon of exquisite lovemaking. Now the unwed single mother and war-scarred veteran must make a decision that could forever alter their lives. For Sydnam, it is a chance to heal the pain of the past. For Anne, it is the glorious promise of a future with the man who will dare her to reveal her deepest secrets...before she can give him all her heart.

When Anne Jewell is convinced to go on holidays with the Marquess of Hallmere (her son's cousin and self appointed guardian angel), Anne is determined that she will in effect be like a companion and act as a servant. When it appears on her first night that her hosts have other ideas, she is mortified, and decides to go for a walk. Whilst out walking she catches her first glimpse of Sydnam Butler. At first captivated, when he turns to face her she sees the scars on his face and flees. Mortified by her own terrible behaviour she returns to the spot within minutes but the mysterious man has disappeared.

When she meets him again, Anne apologises, and is then drawn to spend time with Sydnam, finding another lonely soul, with a similarly scarred psyche. Whilst Sydnam's scars are very visible (along with the inner ones he has), Anne's are invisible, but still very much affecting her daily life. As Anne and Sydnam continue to spend time together there is a growing sexual tension between them.

The first half of this book where the couple get to know each other was really good. The dialogue, both internal and external, was well written and completely believable. Given that we had met both of these characters before, there was already a sense of knowing them, at least a little, as I was going into the book and I think that helped with my enjoyment. Sydnam is the brother of Kit Butler who was the hero in A Summer to Remember, and Anne first was mentioned in Slightly Scandalous, and then appeared again in Simply Unforgettable.

The only thing I have felt a couple of times recently with Mary Balogh is that I have read the story before. The scarred war hero had echoes of Adam from The Secret Pearl, although I liked Sydnam from the get go, not like Adam, who I had to get to like eventually throughout that book!

I actually had a couple of issues with the turns that the book took in the second half, and also overall with the characters, oh, and the copyrighters who wrote that back cover blurb!!!

Firstly, my issue with the characters..........this book was like a passing parade of characters from Balogh's previous books. All of the Bedwyn's were present and accounted for - along with their spouses, children, and in some cases their in-laws. Yes, some of them performed a role within the story, but maybe it is time to give some of them time to live quietly in the country and not be dragged out into the spotlight in every book. Then, when the Bedwyn's temporarily exit (stage right), in come all of the Butler's from A Summer to Remember, oh, and a mention of the characters from One Night for Love for good measure. And then, change of location, and role in the characters from Simply Unforgettable.

Secondly, my issue with the storyline. Please be aware that there will be SPOILERS in the following couple of paragraphs.

************SPOILERS**********

Why, why, why did the author have Anne Jewel get pregnant from her one sexual encounter with Sydnam. The poor woman has had sex twice in her life (one being a rape) and she has ended up with two pregnancies. Yes, I understand that that meant that Sydnam would do the right thing and marry her thus moving the story forward, but surely it would have been a more romantic story had they been so drawn to each other that they continued some kind of communication eventually leading to their getting together. Yes, I know that it could happen (after all my own mother must have only had sex three times!!) but to me it felt very manipulative way of making the story go where it needed to go.

Secondly, the copyrighters. "Anne and Sydnam share an afternoon of exquisite lovemaking". Did they read the book? One of the things that I thought the author did do very well was in the portrayal of the sexual issues that a woman that has been raped or abused feels. Whilst Anne was a very willing participant initially, the lovemaking was not exquisite for her, and Sydnam knew it! Of course, he thought it was about him when it wasn't but still!

*********End SPOILERS********

If it was just Sydnam and Anne's story then I would have rated this higher, but because of my issues I have had to mark it down just a little.

Rating 3.5/5

Vengeance in Death by JD Robb

He is an expert with the latest technology . . . a madman with the mind of a genius and the heart of a killer. He quietly stalks his prey. Then he haunts the police with cryptic riddles about the crimes he is about to commit - always solved moments too late to save the victims' lives.

Police lieutenant Eve Dallas found the first victim butchered in his own home. The second lost his life in a vacant luxury apartment. The two men had little in common. Both suffered unspeakable torture before their deaths. And both had ties to an ugly secret of ten years past - a secret shared by none other than Eve's new husband, Roarke.

Eve is looking forward to going home on time after having wrapped up a relatively straight forward case, when she is contacted personally and given a riddle to solve that leads her to find the badly mutilated body of a man in his luxury apartment. When another man is killed, this time in one of Rourke's empty rental properties, it soon becomes clear that whoever is killing these people is working his way towards Eve and Roarke himself, and along the way seems determined to make it appear as though Summerset might be involved in the deaths. As much as Eve dislikes Summerset, she finds it hard to believe that he would murder people, so as she deals with the killer, she has to find ways to either prove that her husband's close friend and butler is either guilty or not, as the case may be.

I really liked in that book that Eve and Roarke went back to the mean streets of Dublin to meet some of the people from Roarke's past, reiterating that he is human (every now and again he seems to be almost too good to be true...just a little bit!).

This book also sees the introduction of a new character that was given a lot of page time, so I presume he will be back. At the end of the last book, Captain Feeney was invited to take his family to Roarke's home in Mexico. When Eve needs technical assistance, she is assigned a newcomer by the name of McNab. I think we are going to see more of him, and I will be glad to. He seems to have a little chemistry going with Eve's offsider Peabody.

What amazes me with Nora Roberts in both her books written under the JD Robb and the Nora Roberts name is that she seems to have the ability to produce a lot of books, at a remarkably consistent quality. At the moment I am averaging one JD Robb book a month, and I am definitely enjoying the ride!

Rating 4/5

Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop

This is the second book in the Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop following on from Daughter of the Blood.

Dreams Made Flesh

The Blood have waited centuries for the coming of Witch, the living embodiment of magic. But Jaenelle, the young girl prophecy spoke of, is haunted by the cruel battles fought over her future power.. for not all the Blood await her as saviour. Some dismiss her as myth. Some refuse to believe. And some would use her, making her a puppet to their whims.

Only time, and the love of her guardians have healed Jaenelle's physical wounds. But her mind is still fragile, amnesia providing a shield from the terrors of her childhood. Nothing, however, can shield her from her destiny. And soon the day of reckoning will come. When her memories return. When her magic matures. When she is forced to accept her fate.

And on that day, the dark Realms will know what it means to be ruled by Witch.

THIS is the book I read while I was on holidays!! Which is kind of funny I guess because it wouldn't be my normal kind of vacation read - mainly because it is a book that I had to think about as I read it, particularly in the beginning parts.

This book takes up where the first book begins, so there may be a few spoilers for Daughter of the Blood in this review.

Jaenelle's body is healing but her spirit is still wandering in the abyss following on from the traumatic events at the end of the last book. This book is really the story of her gradual recovery, both physically and mentally, her gradual rebuilding of her friendships with the other young queens in the realms that will eventually help form her power base and also her realisations about what really happened to her, and who saved her life.

Lucivar plays more of the starring role in this book, and Daemon is much less present (and I missed him). It enable Jaenelle and Lucivar to form a stronger relationship that I am sure will be an important element of the next book. I do however really hope that Lucivar gets to find a mate in the next book.

I think that reading this book has really helped get my head around the world that Bishop has created. I think I said in my review of Daughter of the Blood that there were things that I found confusing in relation to the world building in the first book. In this book because there was actually less world building as opposed to just living in the created world it was much easier to follow the intricate webs between worlds and different levels and things within the realms. I am glad that I didn't leave too much time between reading the two books.

There was still plenty of tensions within the story as some tried to get to Jaenelle to destroy her and stop her from reaching her fated position of Witch. The stage is set for a fantastic third book, for Daemon to reenter the story, Jaenelle ready to be who she is fated to be and the world ready for the show down between good and evil.

Rating 4.5/5


Other Bloggers Thoughts:

Just Add Books

Back...kind of!

Got back from holidays today....had a great time! Only read one book, I am all theme parked out, and I am tired but relaxed! Unfortunately I am also pretty sick so it is going to take me a couple of days to get back into the swing of things!

Dark Lover by J R Ward

JR Ward was chosen as Author of the Month over in my Historical Romance Chat Yahoo group! Nope, not historical, but that's okay, because it made a nice change, and meant that I moved another new to me author I have been wanting to read up the list!

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Among them, none relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed- orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead…

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both…

Yes I know that everyone in blog world is busy reviewing Lover Awakened...what can I say...I'm behind the times!! Actually I have only started reading paranormals in the last few months, so for me this whole world that JR Ward has created is pretty fresh - no comparisons to Alcheron (whoever he is) for me!! I'm not going to go into a whole description of the plot (there is one hereif you would like to read it)

So where to start? Well...I liked it a LOT. So much so that I went into just about every bookshop I went past while I was on holidays just to see if any of them had it. They didn't! So I still haven't got hold of Lover Eternal, but I will! I liked the characters, the tensions between them, especially once the human cop Butch was added to the mix. I did kind of wonder how a blind vampire could be a kick-ass fighter, but what do I know!!! I was creeped out by the Lessers, as I was supposed to be I would guess and at times freaked out a little by some of the Brothers, but my overall impression was a good one! I don't know that I am on my way to becoming a JR Ward fangirl (from what I hear she has enough of those already) but I will continue to read her books, and hopefully enjoy them!! Heck, I will probably end up buying her books, and I am really trying not to buy any books at the moment!

I loved the way that Wrath was able to let himself show Beth how much he loved her, and also that Beth was able to be the one that protected him at some points instead of it all being a one way relationship. I do have to say that the mating ceremony seems a bit extreme though!! Maybe because like Beth (Elizabeth) I have quite a long first name! Can anyone say Ouch!

With more Black Dagger Brotherhood books already out, and more planned, it looks like I will be spending more time in Caldwell, New York in the future.

Rating 4.5/5

A dilemna

I am going on holidays tomorrow for a week. In theory there will be warmer weather and sunshine...yay!!! That means me in my beach gear....not so yay!

So have I started packing my stuff? Nope.

How about my son's stuff? Nope.

Thought about games and entertainment and things to keep two 7 year olds entertained on a plane and at nights? Nope.

So what's the hold up? Well......I can't decide what books to take with me. In my head I have changed the list of books that I am taking with me at least three times. And that was before my friend rang me and said "Can you bring me some books to read too?". I have no idea what she likes to read!! The pressure is on!

What's that you say? My priorities are a bit wrong? Maybe, but what can a say...I'm a reader!!!

Oh, and I have one more review to write before I go, but I probably should do that later tonight when everything else is ready to go!

I might see you before, but if not.....see you next week!

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

The Gingerbreadman - psychopath, sadist, genius, convicted murderer and biscuit - is loose in the streets of Reading.

It isn't Jack Spratt's case. Despite the success of the Humpty Dumpty investigation, the well publicised failure to prevent Red Riding Hood and her Gran being eaten once again plunges the Nursery Crime Division into controversy.

Enforced non-involvement with the Gingerbreadman hunt looks to be frustrating until a chance encounter at the oddly familiar Deja-vu Club leads them onto the hunt for missing journalist Henrietta 'Goldy' Hatchett, star reporter for The Daily Toad.

The last witnesses to see her alive were The Three Bears, comfortably living out a life of rural solitude in Anderson's wood. But all is not what it seems. Are the unexplained explosions around the globe somehow related to missing nuclear scientist Angus McGuffin? Is cucumber growing really that dangerous? Why are National Security involved?

But most important of all: how could the bears' porridge be at such disparate temperatures when they were poured at the same time?

It is probably fair to say that I am a bit of a Jasper Fforde fangirl. I started reading the Thursday Next series of books a couple of years ago, and then had to wait patiently for his next book (The Big Over Easy) to come out, and then more patiently for this one! I do have to say though that I was actually a bit disappointed by The Big Over Easy, maybe just because it wasn't a Thursday Next book! Thankfully, Fforde has another winner on his hands with this book, and now I have to wait even more impatiently for the next two books - one to be published next year called War of the Words is another Thursday Next book, and the next Nursery Crime book after that!

I actually finished this a couple of weeks ago, so please forgive me if the details are a bit thin on the ground. Actually, they may have been that way anyway given that there was so much going on in this novel - Jack and his wife having issues because she doesn't seem to be aware that he is a Nursery Rhyme character, exploding cucumbers, a psychopathic killer Gingerbreadman on the loose (is he a cake or a biscuit?), a missing investigative reporter by the name of Goldie, Jack getting suspended from work, porridge as a restricted foodstuff and an out of this world experience for one of the characters amongst other things! Fforde manages to include these and many other ideas that range from just plain silly to laugh out loud funny, and yet the story still works as a mystery, with red herrings a plenty, clashes with authority and a terrific finale.

The characters of Jack and Mary Mary are much better defined in this novel, as are many of the other characters including the other members of the Nursery Crime Division, especially Ashley. The scene where Mary Mary meets his parents is very, very funny.

A fair indication of Fforde's humour can be gauged from the opening paragraph in the book:

The little village of Obscurity is remarkable only for its unremarkableness. Passed over for inclusion in almost every publication from the Domesday Book to Thirty Places Not Worth Visiting in Berkshire, the small hamlet is also a cartographic omission, an honour it shares with the neighbouring village of Hiding and Cognito. Indeed, the status of Obscurity was once thought so tenuous that some of the more philosophically inclined residents considered the possibility that since the village didn't exit then they might not exist either, and hurriedly placed 'existential question of being' on the parish council agenda, where it still resides, after much unresolved discussion, between 'church roof fund' and 'any other business'.

I just wish that Fforde could get all his crazy ideas on paper and have those new books out a bit quicker!! In the meantime there are always lots of fun things on his websites (www.nurserycrimes.co.uk for the Nursery Crime books and www.jasperfforde.com for lots of things related to both series!)

Rating 4.5/5

Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi

In Persepolis, heralded by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the freshest and most original memoirs of our day," Marjane Satrapi dazzled us with her heartrending memoir-in-comic-strips about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Here is the continuation of her fascinating story.

In 1984, Marjane flees fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. Once there, she faces the trials of adolescence far from her friends and family, and while she soon carves out a place for herself among a group of fellow outsiders, she continues to struggle for a sense of belonging.

Finding that she misses her home more than she can stand, Marjane returns to Iran after graduation. Her difficult homecoming forces her to confront the changes both she and her country have undergone in her absence and her shame at what she perceives as her failure in Austria. Marjane allows her past to weigh heavily on her until she finds some like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university. However, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism eventually lead her to question whether she can have a future in Iran.

As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of growing up--here compounded by Marjane's status as an outsider both abroad and at home--it is raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.

I read Persepolis a while ago, and it was always my intention to read the follow up to it. And this week I did!

This book picks up where Persepolis left off. Marjane has moved to Austria to go to school, but she struggles over a long period of time to deal with the fact that she is an outsider there. She has to deal with prejudices and loneliness, and find herself drawn to the fringes of society, to the point that she eventually finds herself homeless.

Upon returning to Iran, she once again finds herself the outsider - she is seen as too Western, and eventually finds herself conforming to the expectations of Iranian society.

As a study of young girl trying to find her way in two different cultures, two completely different worlds, this is a very touching and emotional read. Having said that there were some true laugh out loud moments!

Highly recommended...but start with Persepolis first!

Rating 4.5/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Things Mean A Lot
B & b Ex Libris
Katrina Reads
The Daily Pugle (The Complete Persepolis)

The White Mare by Jules Watson

AD 79. Agricola, the ruthless governor of Roman Britain has just subdued the Welsh. Now he has turned to the last unconquered territory in Britain - Alba, Scotland.

For Rhiann, an Alban priestess and princess, the thread of invasion changes her life irrevocably. The king, her uncle, has no heir, and it is her duty to submit to a political marriage. But she is emotionally scarred from a terrible trauma, and can imagine nothing worse than matrimony. Desperately, she looks for a way out, but sees only the Romans closing in.

Into this volatile situation sails an Irish prince, Eremon, exiled from his home by familial treachery. His aim is to win renown and regain his throne, but first he has to deal with an unexpected alliance, prove himself a military leader, and unite the feuding tribes of his adopted country.

Against this backdrop of looming war Rhiann finds herself embarking on an unexpected journey of love and loss that will the true purpose of her life.

The White Mare is the first novel in the Dalriada Trilogy and marks the arrival of an exciting new talent in historical fiction. In the grand tradition of the saga, it is a tale of heroic deeds, of kinship and kingship, and the struggle for power, honour, freedom, and love.

One of the things I love about reading is the way that you can travel to other places and/or times, without actually leaving modern comforts behind!! This book transported me to Scotland (Alba) in AD 79. The Roman forces are massing in the south of Alba waiting for the order to be given to conquer the wild tribes of the north once and for all, given Rome control over the whole of the mainland Britain.

With the prospect of war looming, Eremon arrives. He is fleeing from a usurper that has taken his rightful place as King from one of the tribes of Ireland, and is looking for a place to spend time regrouping until he can go and take back what is rightfully his. His plan is to make a name for himself, and one way that can happen is if he becomes war leader of the tribes. However, that will take some doing, because the tribes of Alba are notorious for their ongoing feuds and battles. Eremon sees that the only way to defeat the Romans will be to be fighting as one cohesive unit, and works his way towards that girl.

Rhiann is a princess and also a priestess, and she has one pressing duty - to provide a royal heir. Quite interestingly, author chooses to have the crown pass through the females of the family, so that if Rhiann has a son, then he will become King, instead of the more traditional way of passing the crown from father to son. Rhiann is a leader of her people and a very strong woman, in all ways except one. She is traumatised from events that happened several years ago where her foster family was all killed, and she herself suffered terribly. These events have left her with a terrible distrust of men, and warriors in particular.

When it is agreed that a political match be made between Rhiann and Eremon, she is terrified of what is to come, and for a long time after the wedding she maintains a completely distant persona. Gradually though, Eremon and Rhiann begin to work together for the good of the people of Alba, although it is fair to say that there are setbacks along the way. They also work together towards healing of both their relationship and their minds.

The author doesn't back away from the faults of the characters, moving the story forward through the mistakes and errors in judgement that occur.

With a strong emphasis on the role of fate and on the role of religion during those times, there is almost a mystical feel to this book. It has to be said that I haven't read a lot about Roman times, or the tribes of the time, so I have no idea how feasible some of the ideas are that are presented in the book, but they seemed reasonable enough to me as I read it. What I look for in a book is readability, and for a story that hooks me in and makes me want to keep reading. Using these two as measurements, this sprawling sage is a winner!

I enjoyed it immensely and I will definitely be reading the sequel, The Dawn Stag, and the final book in the Dalriada trilogy, which is due out early next year.

Rating 4.5/5

Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer

Love in a Stranger's Eyes

Elly
In town, they call her "Crazy Widow Dinsmore". But Elly was no stranger to their ridicule - she had been an outcast all her life, growing up in a boarded-up old house under the strict eye of her eccentric grandparents. Now she was all alone, with two little boys and a third child on the way.

Will
He drifted into Whitney, Georgia, one lazy afternoon in the summer of 1941, hoping to put his lonely past behind him. He yearned for the tenderness he had never known, the home he'd never had. All he needed was for someone to give him a chance.

Then he saw her classified ad: WANTED - A HUSBAND. When he stepped across Elly Dinsmore's cluttered yard, Will Parker knew he had come home at last...

This author was chosen as Author of the Month for June in my Historical Romance Chat group, but I have only now got around to reading it. Very slack..I know!

Reviewing this book is actually quite difficult for me because in the end I did really enjoy it, but oh my goodness it took me forever to get into it. I am not really sure why that was. It is actually a pretty unusual setting for me. Normally the historicals that I read are set in England around the time of the Regency and feature lords and scoundrels and rakes. This book is set in small town American South in the early 1940's, just before America becomes involved in WWII. Having said that I love a good war story - especially one written with a focus on the relationships that happen with a background of war. Maybe part of the reason for the slow beginning was that both Will and Elly are very cautious people, both trying to protect themselves from past hurts, and the novel proceeded in a similarly cautious pattern.

Having said all of that, when I really got hooked, that was it, and I loved the rest of the book. This book was originally published in 1989, and I wonder if that is also part of the reason why this book was a little different to other romances that I had read. I did start to wonder how many more ways the author could possibly torture our main characters though! She did use a very effective tool at one point...moving the story along through the use of a series of letters between several characters - given the setting, and the content of the letters it was a great way of communicating events without having to spend pages and pages explaining action that had actually happened offstage..so to speak!

As for Elly and Will - I completely understand their fears, and their issues, but I did wonder if Will may be a fraction too good to be true. Everything he turned his hand to he could do - become a bee keeper...sure. Fix the bathroom and the porch, and the car ... no problem. He was however a very likeable character - a decent man, and I liked him a lot.

There were a lot of times where we were privy to what they both were thinking, and there was more than once when I just wanted to shout at the two of them to just talk to each other. Life would have been so much easier if they had...but the book would have been significantly shorter!

Overall, this romance was quite a lot deeper than a lot of others that I have read, and included some very unusual storylines, especially involving giving birth. Ultimately it was a satisfying read...one that I nearly missed out on because I was very tempted to put the book down and not come back to it because it took so long to hook me in.

Rating 4/5

A Little Hasty

So, it's 3am and I've just finished Morning Glory. Maybe I was a little hasty earlier when I said it wasn't really grabbing me!

Will say more later. Now....I am off to sleep!

Reading schedule

These are the books that I need to read over the next month. Somehow I need to figure out how to fit them all in, bearing in mind as soon as I get a list together I tend to read something that was never on the list in the first place!

I have a gazillion books out from the library, but the ones below are the ones I need to get through first:

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde (someone else has this on request so I can't extend it)
The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald (I have to go and pick this up today, but I already know that I can't extend it any further because there are other people on the request list).

I can't extend any of these ones any further so I either need to read them, or take them back.

Cup of Ghosts by Paul Doherty
Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer (I have started this but I can't seem to get into it)
The White Mare by Jules Watson (about half way through this one and really enjoying it)

Reading for groups - somehow I seem to collect groups of people to read along with so easily!

Dark Lover by J R Ward
Mirabilis by Susann Cokal (need to have this read by 10 September ready for discussion)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Trust Me on This by Jenny Crusie

Books I really want to read soon for no other reason than I just want to, and I am meant to be reading along with someone:

The Silver Rose by Susan Carroll
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop

This list doesn't take into consideration any books that I have on request that I get hold of, and that other people have also requested so I only have the normal borrowing time to read them in, or any new books that come up that I just HAVE to read, and it also doesn't take into consideration any of the series that I am part of the way through and that I want to continue reading soon!

How do you decide what you are going to read next? Do you keep lists? Do you stick to the reading order you have decided or does that start out as just a starting point and you could end up anywhere?

Tied to the Tracks by Sara Donati

Seemingly out of the blue, tiny documentary company Tied to the Tracks is handed the opportunity of a lifetime: a personal invitation from reclusive literary legend Miss Zula Bragg to make a film about her life. For Angie Mangiamele and her award-winning team, it's almost too good too be true - and impossible to pass up.

But for Angie, the prospect of visiting Miss Zula's home town in the Deep South is a mixed blessing because it means coming face to face with the man she once thought was the love of her life. Now head of Ogilvie University's literature department, John Grant is engaged to local beauty Caroline Rose. In a small town rich in tradition and rife with gossip, the sparks that fly when the two former lovers meet again can't escape the attention of the closeknit community, mind Caroline's four sisters and the overbearing Aunt Patty-Cake, who aren't about to let any strangers from the city interfere with the impending nuptials.

Beautifully drawn with a vibrant cast of characters more than ready for their close-ups, TIED TO THE TRACKS a sharp, witty and grown up love story.

I have been reading Sara Donati for a couple of years now having initially been introduced to her Into the Wilderness series after reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I can't wait to read the next book in the ITW series which is due out in October. When I heard that she was writing a contemporary book I was quite keen to see how it was. She has written another contemporary novel called Homestead which was published under the name of Rosina Lippi but I have never been able to find that book here.

The novel starts when a small, independent film company unexpectedly gets a contract to film a documentary about a reclusive literary treasure by the name of Miss Zula Bragg. The documentary was requested because it is coming up to the 150th anniversary of the founding of Ogilvie University and the 50th anniversary of Miss Zula's graduation from there. It seems that Miss Zula has specifically requested Tied to the Tracks be the company that does the documentary. Whilst the idea of work is definitely attractive, for one of the three stakeholders in the company there are complications because it means spending the summer in Ogilvie, Georgia. For Angie Mangiamele, this means that she will have to share a town with John Grant - aka the one that got away. John has recently returned to Ogilvie with his fiancee, Caroline Rose, darling youngest daughter of another of the town's most influential families.

As soon as Angie and John meet again, it is clear that there is still chemistry between them, and the author does a fantastic job at building the tension between the two characters as they grapple with their emotions from the past, but also with the new ones that are building between them. As their lives are changed irrevocably, the opening quote of the book becomes increasingly relevant - Happiness is the china shop: love is the bull.

John is forced to look at his current relationship and realise that things probably aren't as they should be for a couple who is about to get married. It is, however, difficult to sort these issues out when the prospective bride does a disappearing trick just days before the wedding - much to the consternation of her posse of older sisters.

At least superficially, this book is about what happens when the one that got away comes back into your life, but in reality it is also about the complex nature of relationships in families, in small towns, and about the secrets that we keep, even from those that love us most.

Other themes that are touched on are the significant changes that have happened in society, particularly in relation to racism and the acceptance (or otherwise) of homosexual relationships.

Most of the other major characters are well drawn and distinct, and there is a cast of the quirky and not so quirky characters that abound in literature that features a small town - but not to the point of becoming completely cliched.

Whilst it is not all that unusual for books to have different titles for different markets, somewhat unusually this book is published under a different author name here in Australia. In the rest of the world, it was released under the author name of Rosina Lippi, but here they decided that they wanted to cash in on the already established name of Sara Donati instead of trying to introduce a new name into the market.

Rating 4.5/5

Temeraire (His Majesty's Dragon) by Naomi Novik

Published under the name His Majesty's Dragon in the US this is the first book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. The book is called Temeraire in the UK and also here in Australia.

Set amid the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, Temeraire is a thrilling tale of one of the most dramatic chapters of European History with a brilliant veneer of bold fantasy.

As Napoleon's Grande Armee tears Europe apart, his vast armada threatens Britain. But the battles are not fought upon land and sea alone, for both sides have an air force. And the fiery death they rain down upon their enemies has little to do with gunpowder - it comes from the very guts of the beasts they are flying: dragons.

Weeks out of port at Madeira, a British vessel - the Reliant, commanded by Captain William Laurence - captures a French frigate. Within its hold lies a greater prize than the ship herself: a dragon egg. And it is close to hatching.

Young dragons must be put to harness immediately or they go feral, and once harnessed, the beast will accept no other master. When the newborn ignores his chosen rider and approaches Laurence instead, his life is changed forever.

But even more astonishing than the young dragonet - named Temeraire by Laurence - is the revelation that the egg was meant for the Emperor Napoleon himself...

I don't read a lot of fantasy, but this book was attractive to me for a couple of reasons. One is that it has been getting a lot of positive reviews, and the second is that it could almost be classified as historical fantasy. Novik has taken the events of the Napoleonic wars, and just tweaked them, by giving the combatant countries an air force, not made up of planes or balloons, but rather of dragons. One of the reasons I don't read a lot of fantasy is that I don't really enjoy the world building that sort of has to happen to establish the rules for the society, hierachy, social rules etc. By only having to tweak the world as we know it a little, it means that the story can get going a whole lot quicker and for me that is a bonus.

When Captain William Laurence engages in battle with a French warship, he is kind of surprise that the crew fights so fiercely given that they are practically starving, and there doesn't seem to be any great treasure or anything on board, until they come across a dragon egg...very close to hatching.

The thing with dragon's eggs is that they must be harnessed and bonded with their rider pretty much immediately because otherwise they will go feral or will not accept another handler - a waste of a terribly precious resource, particularly in these troubling days. It is therefore agreed that the officers on board will all draw lots to see who the unlucky handler is going to be. It is considered unlucky because to be a dragon handler pretty much means leaving life as you know it behind, to live in the dragon coverts where they are trained and cared for. Gone are the chances to be courted in society - where naval officers are welcomed in society, dragon handlers are pretty much shunned. Also gone is pretty much any chance of marriage, family, and gaining advancement and material wealth.

So when the dragon shuns the chosen handler and instead attaches himself to Laurence, he is quite upset but realises that he has no choice as a man of great honour but to do his duty for his country. And yet, as he gets to know the dragon he has chosen to name Temeraire, he finds that he enjoys his new life- including their many conversations about life, reading books together, hunting, and eventually when they are bought back to England for training, getting ready for their coming life together during their manoeuvres. One of my favourite conversation between the two was when the normally unflappable Laurence had to explain to Temeraire why the men from the dragon corps visit the nearby town to visit the local prostitutes...very funny. I did find Laurence's habit of calling his dragon "My Dear" a little affected but I got over it eventually!!

The thing with Temeraire is no one really knows what kind of dragon he is, and so they don't know what his special skill is. They know he is a Chinese dragon but that is about as far as it goes. With his superior speed and intelligence he is still a very valuable asset and when his weapon is revealed it is very key in the battle against those fiendishly clever French men under the rule of Napoleon.

The other interesting dynamic in the book is the relationship between the other flyers and Laurence. It is very unusual for someone to swap from the Navy to the Flying corps (and vice versa), and Laurence brings with him very different ideas of how his crew should be run. It is interesting to watch both the other flyers and Laurence begin to get an understanding and working together. One of the more interesting relationships is between Laurence and a female officer by the name of Roland. There is a good build up in the relationship, but I can't help but feel that the author backed away from building the relationship up completely - but maybe that is just the romance reader in me talking!! I hope to see this relationship develop further in the next books in the series.

The other day I was in one of our department stores looking longingly at the second book in the series. I think I am going to have to ask the library to see whether they will order this one and the third one in the series in for me.

As an added bonus there is a short story on the author's website which fits between the first and second books, and there is also a web game that Harper Collins UK put up to coincide with the release of this book in the UK.

Overall, a very enjoyable read.

Rating 4.5/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Finding Wonderland
Bookworm
Books and Other Thoughts

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

July 1209: in Carcassonne a young girl is given a book said to contain the secret of the true Grail. Although Alais cannot understand the strange symbols hidden within, she knows that her destiny lies in protecting the secret of the labyrinth - a secret that stretches back thousands of years to Ancient Egypt....

July 2005: Alice Tanner stumbles upon two skeletons during an archaeological dig outside Carcassonne. Stepping into the tomb, Alice sets in motion a terrifying sequence of events that will lead her to realise that her destiny is inextricably tied up with the fate of the Cathars 800 years before.

Whenever I finish a book I try to choose something completely different genre or subject wise. I always also have more than one book in my handbag so that if I finish one then I can just start the next one, so when I finished Ceremony in Death, the next book in the bag was this one. Now you would think that if you go from a futuristic, police/suspense book to a historical, search for the grail type thriller they would be sufficiently different, but I have to admit that during the first few pages I was most surprised at the similarities.

The book opens with Dr Alice Tanner stumbling into what appears to be an altar that she has found in a cave whilst volunteering on a archeological dig in France. With ancient symbols and letters strategically placed, a couple of artefacts that have a mysterious labyrinth symbol, as well as two skeletons, there was a certain synchronicity regarding the likelihood that the skeletons were linked to some kind of rituals, reflecting some of the themes from Ceremony in Death.

From that point on, the two books parted ways. With two strands of storyline that gradually merged together towards the end of the novel there was a lot going on in this book. The first strand of the story was that of Alais - a newly married young woman who is a healer living in Carcassonne during the early 13th century. It turns out that her father was a keeper of a secret thousands of years old, and chief adviser to Viscount Trencavel. She was living during a dangerous time, when, in the only Crusade to be held on European soil, the French were building up to attack the city of Carcassonne and it's surrounds for it's support and acceptance of the heretical Cathar Christians and Jews. When her father entrusts her with his secret, she becomes guardian of one book of the Labyrinth trilogy, which in turn when all three parts are together, reveals the secret of the Holy Grail. Along the way she must successfully evade danger, both from the marauding Crusaders, and people closer to home, like her own jealous and manipulative sister Oriane. She must also work out whether she can trust the people around her, most especially her husband, Guilhelme.

In the more modern strand of the story, Alice Tanner has discovered a cave filled with symbols, most strikingly a labyrinth. What she doesn't know is that she may have revealed the secret location that has been searched for for years, to enable all three books of the trilogy to come together again, and for the power of the grail to be revealed. As soon as the location is revealed, Alice find herself being chased to obtain the information and the mysterious ring that she may or may not have. Not only are those who want to keep the secret trying to track her down, but also those who want to exploit the power of the Grail for their own purposes. In the end the decisions that Alice makes could very well cause the lives of her friends to be in danger, as well as herself.

Of course, given the type of book that this is, and the fact that it is a Holy Grail type story there have been inevitable comparisons to the Da Vinci Code, but I would think that there really only superficial similarities . Personally, I think that this was a better all round read than DVC, with the characters developed more fully, and more depth to the story. When I read DVC though, I just wanted to devour it in just one sitting, I was hooked so completely into the story. Given that this is a bigger book that was unlikely to happen, but also I was happier to read it over a couple of settings. The hook is still there but the pacing is better, with lots of action in both threads of the story, but time taken to develop the story and background. There was only one point in the novel towards the end where I felt like I was having details told to me as opposed to having them shown to me, but by that time I was so engaged in the story that I just wanted to get the various threads drawn together, and reach the conclusion.

With two strong female primary characters, a touch of magic, mysticism and romance, and a very interesting storyline, this was an entertaining read.

Just as an aside to this my interest was definitely grabbed by the mention of one of the more minor characters in this novel - Simon de Montford. At first, my heart was in my mouth thinking that the noble Simon introduced to me in Sharon Penman's Falls the Shadow was involved in this book, but it turns out that it was his father! Sometimes it can be a bit tricky keeping all these historical figures straight!

The other thing that this book really made me want to do was to go to Carcassonne. Looking at many of the pictures that are available on the net, it seemed that the walled city has been protected and was restored in the 1850's so it is still pretty much as it was, and is now listed in the World Heritage listings. Makes me want to go to France to visit now! Thanks goodness for cyber tourism!

Rating 4.5/5




Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Reading Room

Red Lily by Nora Roberts

The third and final book in the In the Garden trilogy following on from on from Blue Dahlia and Black Rose.

Three women learn that the heart of their historic home holds a mystery of years gone by, as number-one bestselling author Nora Roberts brings her In the Garden trilogy to a captivating conclusion, following Blue Dahlia and Black Rose.

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night...

Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn't looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had-including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper-as much more than a friend...

If Hayley gives in to her desire, she's afraid the foundation she's built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own. Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It's time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again-and whether she's willing to risk it...

It is 3.50am, my eyes are falling out of my head, but it was so worth it to wrap up this trilogy from Nora Roberts. I love it when a book does that to you, when it is so good that you just can't put it down!



Later...so staying up until 4am to finish a book probably isn't the smartest thing given that you still have to function later in the day! LOL!!

As this trilogy has progressed the story of the Harper Bride has become stronger and stronger, and in this book for me it was definitely the highlight. That doesn't mean to say that I didn't enjoy Harper and Hayley as a couple, but that my anticipation as to the discovery as to what actually happened to the ghost, Amelia, had been sufficiently tempted so that I just HAD to keep reading.

The interesting thing is that in relation to the ghost, her presence in the books, including how she manifested herself to the characters also grew as everyone got closer to the truth of her identity, and her role in the Harper family history, and I found her truly scary in this one. During this book she manifests herself by possessing Hayley, and the scenes where this happened were so well written - they were seamless, but you could feel the slide from where Hayley would be talking, to where it was Amelia talking so clearly - quite skillful, especially seeing as sometimes this change of viewpoint happened halfway during a sentence!

As for Hayley, I completely understand her concerns about undertaking a relationship with a man who she not only worked with, but she was friends with his mother, and living in his family home. I got the feeling though, especially throughout the last couple of books, that Harper had been the one who recognised very early on that he was developing feelings for Hayley, so it was something of a shorter build up in my opinion for Hayley.

Can I just say that I wouldn't mind a guy like Harper! Good with his hands, and knows how to treat a lady. Of course, it would be handy to not have to worry about the garden as well!!!

I did wonder though if things moved too fast for Hayley and Harper. Yes, in book time they had known each other for a couple of years, but once they did get together everything moved at break neck speed.

By finishing this book, I feel that I am saying goodbye to people that I have come to know, and in a way it is sad, but I am definitely looking forward to getting hold of Roberts' next trilogy. I guess you could say that I am rapidly becoming a fan, although because she has such a huge backlist it could take me a while to get through them all!!

Overall, an satisfying conclusion to a really good trilogy!

Rating 4/5

Ceremony in Death by J D Robb

This is the 5th book in the In Death series, following on from Rapture in Death. Once again Kailana and I are doing a joint review of this one.

Conducting a top secret investigation into the death of a fellow police officer has Lieutenant Eve Dallas treading on dangerous ground. She must put professional ethics before personal loyalties. But when a dead body is placed outside her home, Eve takes the warning personally. With her husband, Roarke, watching her every move, Eve is drawn into the most dangerous case of her career. Every step she takes makes her question her own sense of right and wrong - and brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil...

I actually finished this novel a week ago, started the post in draft...and then promptly forgot about it! Not quite sure what that says, other than the fact that I am forgetful! My comments are in black, and Kailana's are in blue.

Anyway, this book opens at the funeral of a fellow police office...a man who has seemingly died of natural causes in the prime of his life. When his granddaughter passes Eve a note to arrange a meeting, Eve starts to get suspicious about why. When the granddaughter ends up dead shortly after she talks to Eve and then another person is killed not long after talking to her as well, Eve is gradually drawn into a world where there are good and evil, witches and wiccans, power and sex, and ultimately danger and death for many people. It sounds like a good beginning, huh? A lot seems to happen in the opening pages, but I started this book, read the beginning and then put it aside for a while. I think Eve annoyed me in this book more than any other. I understand she is supposed to be tough and independent, but she does not back down at all in this book. Sometimes you just want to tell her it okay to believe in something. Her need to fight every thing gets a bit tiring from time to time. It hasn't been bad in others that I have read, but for some reason, she annoyed me in this book. Maybe because she breaks writing conventions and is not open-minded about what happens in this book at all.

It was obvious that there had been a lot of research done into the various practices and rituals of both the Wiccan's and the witches and I guess there were times during this novel when there was a hint of infodump, but for the most part it was well paced and interesting enough. In other words, zoning out periods.

There were a couple of stand out scenes in this book - I nearly cried my eyes out when Eve and Feeney had a falling out. I loved the fact that Eve is gradually realising that despite her terrible beginnings, it is possible for someone to build a family around them. I am not a "cry my eyes out" sort of person (no offense), but I agree that this was an interesting scene. By this point in the book I am getting over being annoyed with Eve's character and have started to once again enjoy the story. I think this is actually touching, with the argument, Eve's reaction to it, Roarke's reaction to it, and then the making up part.

The other interesting development for me in this story was the inclusion of Jamie, the younger brother of the young lady who is killed. He is an interesting character, with his ability with electronics, even being able to short circuit Roarke's security system. I wonder if he will continue to make appearance throughout the series, as there definitely would seem to be some scope for him to be included. He was an interesting character. You were never really sure what to make of him, but the kid has brains. If it wasn't for him, some very bad stuff might have not been prevented. He was determined to get the people that hurt his sister, which made for some interesting scenes. My favourite was when he broke into Roarke's yard, my there were some scenes as a result of that where you got to see other sides of Roarke.

Overall, I would say that whilst this wasn't the best of the series, it was still remarkably consistent in terms of it's quality. Not my favourite by her either, but enough that I will read more of the series. Every series has their slight faults, Robb is no exception. I must say though, was it just me, or does there seem to be even more sex scenes in this book than normal? I hope that doesn't become the norm...

Rating 4/5
Rating 3.5/5

Other Bloggers Thoughts:

Passion for the Page

An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

The third book in the Bridgerton series, following on from The Viscount Who Loved Me.

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball — or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other — except, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers her his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

The first part of this book is ostensibly a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale story. All the factors are there - an evil stepmother and two stepsisters for whom our Cinders is basically a servant, a fairy god mother, a masquerade ball which Cinders has to leave from before the clock strikes midnight, a handsome hero who is transfixed by this unknown lady. She knows who he is, but he has no idea who she is, and for the next couple of years he is forever looking out for any lady who could be the mysterious lady from the masquerade.

Fast forward from the ball and Sophie is no longer the maid of her stepmother, but she is working in the country estate of a well-to-do family when she is nearly attacked by a group of young gentlemen. When Benedict saves her and takes her off to his own cottage not too far away, Sophie nurses him through an illness. As they spend time together Benedict recognises that he is attracted to Sophie, but he is still stuck on the idea of the mysterious lady from the ball. I just wanted to shout at Sophie to stop being silly and just tell him who she was for goodness sake.

As far as characterisations go, I really liked Benedict, although there were times that I felt that the author introduced something about him to differentiate him from his brothers, but that that then wasn't really followed through all that well.

As for Sophie, I didn't really connect with her all that well, and thought that her reluctance to reveal her identity to firstly Benedict and then others was something that could definitely have been avoided.

Overall I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the previous book, but it wasn't too bad. I did love the little glimpses that we saw into the next book, which I already have from the library ready to read!

Rating 4/5

The Storyteller's Daughter by Saira Shah

Saira Shah grew up in Britain, but she was always told she came from somewhere else: a fairytale land of orchards and gardens, a place where even the water had magical qualities.

The country was Afghanistan, the storyteller her father and the tales were embellished with every telling. Then, at the age of twenty-one - with her father's tales as her guide - Saira set out to find the truth about her family's homeland.

Instead of finding a paradise, she was plunged into a country at war. It was the beginning of a journey spanning more than fifteen years. Whether extricating herself from an arranged marriage, walking through minefields with the mujahidin, or slipping clandestinely into the Taliban's Kabul, Saira learnt the bitter limits of the stories she loved. But, in the process, she discovered the reality of a country more complex and challenging than anything she could have imagined.

I don't read a lot of non-fiction but I do love to read books about other times, places and cultures. I know of a group where they are trying to go "Around the World in 80 books", and when this was their first book I was sufficiently interested to go and get it from the library and read along with them. There are several other books on their journey that I am hoping to read along with as well.

Saira Shah was been heavily involved with a couple of documentaries (Beneath the Veil and Unholy War) that went into Afghanistan and showed life as it really was in the Afghanistan that was ruled by the Taliban. These were not, however, her first journeys into this strife torn land. Her first harrowing journeys had been made years before by foot through the mountains during the time that the mujahadeen had been fighting against the Soviets.

As Saira travels into and out of Aghanistan, living in the volatile border town of Peshawar in Pakistan, she strives to try and work out her identity - is she an Afghanistani who has grown up in Britain, or is she British of Afghanistani heritage? Is she more Easterner than Westerner, and if so how can she make her life meaningful and help the women and children in her homeland. She is also trying to reconcile the men of the mujahadeen for whom honour means everything, with the same men who would sell Stinger missiles on to Iran, and for whom the fact that she questions them is more dishonourable than the actual deed itself.

There are moments of good humour within this book, so it is not all gloom of doom. There are times when it appears that the order of the stories is not quite right, and it sometimes seems like we have got a little off track, but for the most part this is quite an eye opening and entertaining look at the life of a woman who has taken quite amazing risks to bring the story of life in Afghanistan into our living rooms.

Because I don't normally read non-fiction, there were some questions that I did want more information on. For example, when she left Peshawar under threat of death for revealing some details that several sides of the conflict did not want revealed, how was she able to reestablish her life with her husband, is she still drawn to Afghanistan etc...but I think that that is because I like to have a happy ever after and know that the story is over. Having done a little googling, it seems that she has gone on to cover stories in more trouble spots including Gaza.

Overall, this was a very interesting read about a fascinating subject, and I am glad that I read it!

Rating 4/5

20 Things that Irritate Me Today

Tagged by Dev. When I first sat down to write this, it took me ages to think of them all. Of course after I went to bed I thought of at least half a dozen more, and then since then...well lets just say I could have written quite a lot more! So these are the things that annoyed me a couple of days ago.

1. Those little bits of skin or nail that grow on your finger. I had one that I pulled off about 10 hours ago. In the last hour or so my finger has started throbbing and gone red. Amazing how much it hurts!

2. Noisy train carriages - don't you know I am trying to read people!!

3. Reading a series of books out of order - hate it, hate it, hate it!

4. Being tired - by the time I work full time, be a single mum and try to have a life, I am pretty much always tired.

5. Being overweight - but feeling too tired most of the time to do anything about it. Can anyone say "vicious circle"?

6. Office politics - man, I can't start it when the drama starts building and everyone is bitching about such small, inconsequential things.

7. Narrow minded and obnoxious people - especially in web forums and the like. Isn't it amazing how often those things go together.

8. One sided friendships - When I lived in the UK I made some quite close friends. When I ring them every six months or so, they are always delighted to hear from me, and inevitably say something along the lines of "Why don't you ring more often?". Leaves me wondering what's up with their dialling fingers that they can't ever ring me! Of course, there are others that are the same here as well.

9. Late trains - normally I don't mind having to rely on public transport, but if the trains are all running on time, there is literally a minute's changeover between when one arrives and the other leaves. Really annoying when you pull into the station just in time to see the connection leave!

10. Mornings

11. Shopping - that's right...I don't like going shopping. Doesn't matter what kind of shopping it is...clothes, groceries. Only exception would be book shopping and I am not even doing that at the moment!

12. Grey hair - on my head that is...not so bad on other peoples head!

13. Being broke

14. Confrontation - I am really not good at it!

15. Corns on my little toe - it really hurts

16. Whiny people...oh wait..that's me!

17. Out of print books - Now I know that not all books can stay in print all the time, but why can't the ones that I want to get hold of always be available!

18. My mum - oh the stories I could tell....but I won't!

19. People who take steps to get out of paying child support - I work in payroll and there are always people who are trying to get out of paying the money they are supposed to pay for Child Support. Could be because I never see any of the money that I should get from the ex. Of course, when the amount he is supposed to pay is so insulting, it's not worth fighting for.

20. Weekday cooking - I love finding a recipe, buying all the ingredients, and then cooking something nice, but the Monday to Friday "what are we having for dinner" question is really, really annoying!

Black Rose by Nora Roberts

The second book in the In the Garden trilogy. The first book in the trilogy was Blue Dahlia. Please beware...there are spoilers for Blue Dahlia in this review.

Three women meet at a crossroads in their lives, each searching for new ways to grow-and find in each other the courage to take chances and embrace the future.

Roz is a woman of independent means who thought love was behind her, but when romance takes her by surprise; she won't allow anything to keep her from her second chance at happiness.

Black Rose takes up a couple of months after the events of Blue Dahlia. Stella and the kids are still living at Harper House with Roz, although with the wedding between Stella and Logan is coming up shortly so they will be moving out. Hayley is also still living at Harper House, getting used to life as a single mum to little Lily and so is the resident ghost, known only as the Harper Bride. In Blue Dahlia, Roz started the process of trying to find out who the Harper Bride was, and what happened to her, by contacting Dr Mitch Carnagie, a genealogist.

At the beginning of this book, Mitch is available to start his investigation, and so we have our two main characters for this novel. The main difference between this and most other romances is that our two central characters are both, shall we say mature adults. Both are in their forties, with grown children, and with marriages behind them. Mitch has been divorced once, and Roz both widowed and divorced in her previous two marriages. What having a hero and heroine of this age does mean is that there is no possibility of a sappy epilogue where there are three lovely little children running around and another one on the way. I guess that that doesn't happen as regularly in contemporaries as it does in historicals, but it wasn't an option at all here which makes a nice change.

The other thing is that Mitch and Roz are both well established and successful in their chosen careers, and have a strong sense of their own identities. Whilst they are both immediately attracted to each other, and are both interested in a relationship, you also get the feeling that it is the icing on the cake for them...not their entire focus in life. There is also no need for any conflict between the two of them...something that seems to be standard romance fodder. Instead the conflict finds the two of them and it is something that they work through together. The first source of this conflict is from the Harper Bride, the second is from Roz's slimy ex-husband Bryce.

As Mitch and Roz get closer and closer to each other, the Harper Bride makes her opposition known, including in a couple of really dangerous incidents. I loved that Roz, who was willing to let anyone know what she thought about things, was strong enough to even stand up to the Harper Bride. This whole section of the trilogy is building nicely to a climax in the final book in the trilogy.

I loved that from the very first scene in the book, the sense of Roz's strength and personality shown through very consistently, including her strong sense of family, which now includes both her boys, and her friends. A perfect example of her strength are the scenes involving her ex husband. As he tries to destroy Roz's reputation in the community, she is prepared to let things go, until he takes things a step too far, at which point she stands up for herself in a very funny scene where she humiliates him in front of his friends and colleagues at the country club. I also loved Mitch's ability to recognise his own weaknesses and strengths, and thought the relationship he had with his son was lovely. I did wonder where the author was going with the storyline when she started to introduce some of the details about Mitch's own demons. Where it would have been easy to take things a step too far and have Mitch wallowing in his past, instead it was presented, dealt with, and it was clear that Mitch was a man who was now comfortable in his own skin, whilst still being aware of his limitations.

One thing I did wonder about was the character of Jane that was introduced in this book. It will be interesting to see what role she has to play in the culmination of this story. Jane is a relative who was working for Roz's cranky old aunt. As Roz assists Jane to escape from the crotchety old lady, it would seem that there is more to come for this character.

As usual, this is a well written romance, featuring well drawn and likeable characters. I can't wait to get Red Lily and read the culmination of both the mystery surrounding the Harper Bride as well as what appears to be a budding relationship between Hayley and Roz's son Harper.

Rating 4/5

In other news.......

Well..I know how many books you can request at the library at any one time now....20!

Found out when I went to request a book and the library very politely said "Don't you think you have enough requests already, you greedy cow!".

Now I have been suitably chastened I will have to wait until I can pick a couple of books up before I can request anything else.

Of course, I haven't quite figured out how many books I can have out at any one time yet!

I did ask today about Interlibrary Loans, and the librarian gave me a couple of forms to complete to request books. I thought about asking for the whole pad of forms, but thought it may have been pushing my luck a bit much. The next question is....which ones shall I ask for??

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

It's 1895 and, after the death of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma finds her reception a chilly one. She's not completely alone, though...she's being followed by a mysterious young man, sent to warn her to close her mind against the visions.

It's at Spence that Gemma's power to attract the supernatural unfolds, as she becomes entangled with the school's most powerful girls and discovers her mother's connection to a shadowy, timeless group called The Order. Her destiny awaits...if only Gemma can believe in it.

When Gemma's mother dies after there were harsh words spoken between them, Gemma finds herself at Spence, an English boarding school whose main aim is to produce young ladies who will be prized catches during the season, and find worth husbands. Feeling incredibly lonely and ostracized, Gemma struggles to make friends and to make sense of the strange visions that she has had. As events spiral out of control, can Gemma and her friends make the correct decisions to maintain both their friendship, and their lives.

I wish I could remember where I first saw this book, so that I could thank the person who bought it to my attention. What a little gem of a book! With a tone that is moody and atmospheric, almost gothic and so fitting! The last book that I remember reading that conveyed this kind of sense of impending events was the Australian classic "Picnic at Hanging Rock".

With interesting locales (both in India and then at Spence school), the world that Gemma (and the reader) is introduced to following the tragic death of her mother is one where anything can happen, both good and bad, and is an interesting look at the consequences of getting what you think you want.

And yet, as gloomy as that may sound, there were sections of fun, delight fantasy and growing friendship between the girls. In some ways this book could be a gothic/fantasy/historical version of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants books. Both explore friendship and a growing sense of self, and are marketed as Young Adult books, although I was a little surprised at a couple of the scenes that were in this one, as I felt that it might be pushing the YA label a bit far!

The sequel to this book is already out - called "Rebel Angels", I will definitely be looking out for it to continue the adventures of Gemma and her friends.

Rating 4.5/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Tanabata
Leafing Through Life
Things Mean a Lot

Slave to Sensation - A blogging experiment

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

$200 Amazon gift certificate
Signed copy of Slave to Sensation
New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh
ARC of Christine Feehan's October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

SLAVE TO SENSATION
Nalini Singh
Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

Top 100

I've seen this at quite a few blogs, and decided that just for fun I would do it.

These are the top 100 from an AAR poll in 2004. The ones that I have read are in red, and the ones that I have on my TBR list are in purple.

1. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
2. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale
3. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
4. As You Desire by Connie Brockway
5. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie This has been on the TBR forever
6. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
7. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
8. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
9. All Through the Night by Connie Brockway
10. Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
11. It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
12. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh
13. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
14. The Proposition by Judith Ivory
15. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
16. Ravished by Amanda Quick
17. Frederica by Georgette Heyer
18. Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly
19. MacKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard
20. Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
21. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
22. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
23. The Bride by Julie Garwood
24. Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens
25. To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney
26. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
27. Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
28. Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann
29. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
30. Saving Grace by Julie Garwood
31. My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway
32. In the Midnight Rain by Barbara Samuel
33. The Windflower by Laura London
34. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
35. Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
36. Nobody's Baby but Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
37. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
38. Paradise by Judith McNaught
39. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
40. Dream Man by Linda Howard
41. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann
42. Silk and Shadows by Mary Jo Putney
43. See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
44. Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney
45. Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney
46. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
47. Heart Throb by Suzanne Brockmann
48. For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale
49. Honor's Splendor by Julie Garwood
50. Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh
51. Untie my Heart by Judith Ivory
52. Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
53. The Secret by Julie Garwood
54. This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland
55. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
56. One Perfect Rose by Mary Jo Putney
57. To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney
58. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
59. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
60. Venetia by Georgette Heyer
61. Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant
62. The Prize by Julie Garwood
63. Reforming Lord Ragsdale by Carla Kelly
64. Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann
65. The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh
66. Heartless by Mary Balogh
67. Son of the Morning by Linda Howard
68. Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory
69. Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
70. The Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
71. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
72. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegar
73. With This Ring by Carla Kelly
74. The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood
75. The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
76. Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone
77. Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath
78. Castles by Julie Garwood
79. One Good Turn by Carla Kelly
80. Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts
81. By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter
82. Perfect by Judith McNaught
83. My Darling Caroline by Adele Ashworth
84. The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
85. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
86. Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
87. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
88. Kill and Tell by Linda Howard
89. After the Night by Linda Howard
90. More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh
91. Born in Ice by Nora Roberts
92. Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase
93. The Charm School by Susan Wiggs
94. Scoundrel by Elizabeth Elliott
95. How to Marry a Marquis by Julia Quinn
96. Angel Rogue by Mary Jo Putney
97. Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz
98. Dancing on the Wind by Mary Jo Putney
99. Once and Always by Judith McNaught
100. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Well....19 read and 13 on the TBR list....that's pretty, well poor, I guess! LOL!

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

The fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, following on from Club Dead.

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty. She does her job well. She keeps to herself and has only a few close friends because not everyone appreciates Sookie's gift. She can read minds. Not exactly every man's idea of date bait. Unless they're undead. Vampires and the like can be tough to read - just the kind of guy Sookie's been looking for.

Maybe that's why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the road home from work, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out he hasn't a clue as to who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric, still as scary and sexy - and dead - as the day she first met him. But now that he has amnesia, Eric is sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie's help - because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But there could be a greater danger to Sookie's heart - because the kinder, gentler Eric is very difficult to resist...

Sookie's New Year's resolution was to stay away from vampires. Should be easy right? After all, her ex-boyfriend Bill has gone to Peru so she has no need to have anything to do with any of his vampire buddies. Except when she comes across Eric running naked down a road, apparently unaware of who he is, he is pretty hard to resist. It turns out he has lost his memory, and the people who put the curse on him are pretty intent on tracking him down so that they can finish him off once and for all. Not long after Eric turns up, Sookie's brother Jason goes missing, so between looking for him, and trying to keep Eric hidden, her New Year's resolution has gone out the window. It certainly doesn't help that Eric is still sexy as, and to top it off he is kind and vulnerable....yum! I wouldn't be saying no either, just quietly, and I don't know about Sookie, but I was definitely thinking "Bill.....Bill who?" a lot of the time through this book!

With more and more supernaturals being unveiled and time running out, Sookie is drawn into a supernatural battle between witches, were-creatures (including the very sexy Alcide who we met in the last book), fairies, vampires and the local wiccan community, Sookie is just hoping that she doesn't get too badly beaten up.

When I finished the last book I was really hoping that Sookie would end up with Alcide. They had such great chemistry, and he seemed like a really great guy...well, for a werewolf anyway! It wasn't to be in this book, but one of the major obstacles is out of the way for the future if that is the way the author decides to go!

With more supernatural men find Sookie attractive, and her own conflicted feelings about some of them, it all looks like interesting times ahead for Sookie.

Rating 4/5