Around the blogs

Sarah over at Reading the Past is in search of historically accurate romance titles in a few different eras. If you think you can help out, be sure to leave a comment on her post at the link above!


Jennie from Jennie's B(ook)log has a link up to a very funny video. As someone who is technologically challenged, this probably would have been my reaction as well!


Blue Stalking Readerhas an interview up with Jennifer Egan, who is the author of The Keep. I read The Keep earlier this year and quite enjoyed it so it was interesting to read the interview.

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B by Sandra Gulland

You will be unhappily wed.
You will be widowed.
You will be queen

To the fourteen year old Rose, eldest daughter of a poor plantation landlord, the fortuneteller's prophecy is both thrilling and laughable. Poorly educated and without a dowry, it seems unlikely that she will find any husband - much less a king. But history tells a different tale, for Rose not only marries into a wealthy aristocratic family, she survives the French Revolution, outlives her first husband and is one day known as Josephine Bonaparte.

In this beautifully crafted novel, Sandra Gulland pulls back the veil of history to reveal an extraordinary life. From her simple childhood on the French island of Martinique to her first heady experience in French revolutionary Paris and her unhappy marriage to the unfaithful Alexandre, Rose's destiny lives with a man determined to rule all of France, determined to make her Queen.

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B is the first book in the incredible trilogy inspired by the life of Josephine Bonaparte.

On the odd occasion that I have read books that are in diary format, particularly historical fiction, they haven't necessarily worked for me, so if I had of realised that this was the format of this book, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. This is, however, one of those books where the diary format really, really works.

We meet the legendary Josephine Bonaparte when she is Rose, a young planter's daughter who lives in Martinique. She visits a fortune teller who tells her that she will be married unhappily, she will be a widow, and she will be a queen - all very unlikely given that she is uneducated, and from a poor family. Following tragedy within her family she is however betrothed to a man she has never met before and therefore has to make the trip to France - a country in uproar.

She marries Alexandre, Vicomte de Beaurharnais, and eventually provides him with two children, but the marriage is an unhappy one, and he is unfaithful to her many times. Eventually they undertake a legal separation, but there are many custody issues, particularly around their son, Eugene.

All of this takes place against a background of revolution, and eventually Josephine has to try and walk the fine line between being a revolutionary (necessary if one wants to keep one's head intact), but still being loyal and doing all she can to save her aristocratic friends. As Alexandre becomes more and more important in government, Rose finds herself under more and more scrutiny because she is still his wife, and when the tide turns against Alexandre they both find themselves in Carmes prison. Even during such a worrying time as that, Alexandre and Rose still find ways to torment each other, until finally Alexandre's name is on the list - which means that he is on his way to meet Madame Guillotine. Rose's name is also called, but she is deemed too sick to be killed, and luckily, through her influential friends, she is released, thus narrowly avoiding the same fate as her husband.

Once out of prison, life in post revolutionary Paris begins, and Rose, now a widow, becomes the mistress of several men. Whilst never rich, she does have influence, and does seem to fraternise with many men who form part of the new government. It is through these men that she meets Napoleon. At first, she is unimpressed, but as he pursues her, she eventually begins to see some advantages to being linked with this man.

This book is the first book in a trilogy, and focuses mainly on Rose's life prior to meeting Napoleon. He only appears in the last few chapters of the book, presumably as a kind of teaser for the next book in the series. And if that was the intention then it definitely works, because I have already requested the next book in the series.

Gulland is very successful at giving some idea of what life must have been like for people in France during this turbulent time - never knowing whether or not your neighbour that you have known for years might be the one person who will turn you in for disloyalty, not knowing if each time you see your friends may be the last time you see them, struggling to provide food and education to your children.

Through it all Rose manages to maintain her dignity, humour and grace. Overall, this was a very entertaining read, about a very interesting woman who lived in very turbulent times, and is still remembered today.

Rating: 4.5/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:;

Kylee's Book blog

Prince Charming by Gaelen Foley

"There is star quality in this writer!" raves the Romantic Times about gifted author Gaelen Foley. Her love stories are filled with glorious settings, stunning characters, and unforgettable passion.

Destiny casts its hand one perfect moonlit night when Ascencion's most elusive highwayman, the Masked Rider, chooses the wrong coach to rob. For inside is Rafael, the prince of the kingdom, renowned for his hot-blooded pursuits of women and other decadent pleasures. The failed raid leaves the equally notorious Masked Rider wounded and facing a hangman's noose. Then Rafe realizes his captive criminal is Lady Daniela Chiaramonte, a defiant beauty who torments him, awakening his senses and his heart as no woman has before.

Dani can only wonder if she's been delivered to heaven or hell once she agrees to marry the most desirable man in the Mediterranean—until forces of treachery threaten to destroy their tenuous alliance and bring down the throne itself. . . .

Gaelen Foley was Author of the Month in April in the Historical Romance Chat Yahoo group, and for once, I was able to read the AotM in the right month. Luckily, I already had this book out from the library so it fitted in nicely with my reading timetable!

This is the third and final book in the Ascension trilogy following on from The Pirate Prince and Princess and features the brother of the heroine from the second book, Rafael. He is portrayed as the ultimate playboy prince. Whilst destined to one day become king of Ascension, he has little responsibility of his own, so spends his days with his friends, womanising and partying, and not much else. Not that that is all his own fault...his father Lazar finds it difficult to let go of the reigns of power to his playboy son. However, when Lazar becomes ill, then there is no choice but to hand over the throne to Rafe whilst he goes to get treatment. But there is a condition, Rafe must agree to marry one of several specially chosen women who would make suitable queens.

In the meantime, Rafe has met Lady Daniela Chiaramonte - albeit when she was disguised as the Masked Rider who has been doing her best to terrorise the nobility - stealing from the rich to give to the poor. But Dani lives in a very different world from Rafe, one where she has to work her family's holding to make ends meet, and so when Rafe invites her to a ball she feels very out of place. And whereas it was Rafe's intention to have his way with her and then forget about her, his feelings begin to grow, and once the Masked Rider is unmasked, he decides that he can solve two problems at once by marrying her.

One thing that was a bit unbelievable was that a royal wedding could be arranged in a matter of days, without the presence of any of the rest of the royal family, but that is a minor quibble. The newlyweds are not left to live an idyllic life though, because it seems that there are those within the government that are determined to get rid of Rafe - either by framing him for attempting to murder the King or if necessary by killing him, so the second half of the book concentrates on trying to identify who the bad link in the government is - could it be someone very close to the royal family themselves. This subplot was kind of a distraction from the love story between Rafe and Dani, but the resolution drew the characters that we had come to know and love from all three books back together nicely.

This story was really hard to put down - a really strong story, like the first book in the trilogy, but what was is with the cover? Such a boring cover! Then again, the cover for Princess was pretty average too if I recall correctly.

So now I have finished the Ascension trilogy, I will be moving on to the Knights Miscellany series...can't wait!


Rating: 4.5/5

This so true!

Saw a link to this cartoon, called The Seven Stages of Falling in Love with an Author over on Me and My Books.

The cartoonist certainly got my thought processes down!

Confessions of a Viscount by Shirley Karr

The Naked Truth . . .

Alistair, Viscount Moncreiffe, must confess: He is thoroughly bored with the proper ladies of the ton. The rogue longs for an adventurous beauty who will make his world more . . . interesting. So Alistair is delighted when fiery, fearless Charlotte Parnell literally drops into his arms—and he's quick to tender a marriage proposal when they are discovered in this scandalous position.

Better a Spy Than a Bride . . .

Charlotte wishes to continue spying for the Crown alongside her brother, who thinks she should marry instead. Now she's determined to solve a most important and dangerous case before he does. But a misstep on a London rooftop has landed her in Viscount Moncreiffe's embrace—and she is intrigued by the handsome rake's offer of matrimony. With a fiancé by her side, she'll arouse fewer suspicions—and she'll end the engagement once her mission is completed. But will Alistair's disarming passion inspire Charlotte to uncover the most astonishing secret of all: the love hidden deep in her heart?

This is the third Shirley Karr book that I have read, the other two being What an Earl Wants and Kiss from a Rogue.

Once again, this was an enjoyable historical romance. We first met Alistair in Kiss from a Rogue, where he was featured as one of the friends of Tony Sinclair.
Alistair's prime method of enjoying himself seems to be to spend time watching the stars. Having slipped away during a ball to star gaze, he suddenly finds his arms full of the lovely Charlotte Parnell. Unfortunately, he is caught in this seemingly indecent position (although nothing had happened) by his father, and it seems there is no option but to become engaged.

For Charlotte, having a fiance should make it easier to be able to go out and about without nosy chaperones, especially when the said fiance is prepared to become involved in her adventures. For Charlotte is determined to prove to her spy brother and his boss that she has what it takes to become a top spy on her own merits. She has no intention of actually going through with the marriage to Alistair, so it is very inconvenient when she starts having feelings for him.

For the most part, this was a very entertaining tale, and interesting in that it was Charlotte who was the spy as opposed to Alistair. There were times when the speculation about who had the snuff box that she was supposed to be recovering got a bit much, because if the snuff box fell into the wrong hands then it could be diplomatically disastrous for both then English royals and those of a fictional country the name of which escapes me right now!

Alistair was lovely - a man who was prepared to stand by his woman, no matter what hare brained scheme she was involved in. Charlotte was pretty spunky, although at times she did do some silly things in the name of spying, but in the end I suppose that was supposed to be part of her charm.

I am now all caught up with the released by this author I think. If I see something about a new book from her, I will be at least interested enough to take a look at it!

Rating 3.5/5

Bubbles All the Way by Sarah Strohmeyer

Deirdre Shatsky is the kind of woman that other women love to hate....or at least she was that kind of woman. Right now Deirdre is laid out at the local morgue. The verdict - homicide by hair product.

When journalist Bubbles Yablonsky's best friend - and owner of the The House of Beauty hair salon - Sandy, is accused of murdering Pennsylvania's biggest bragger, Bubbles is determined to prove her innocence. But this isn't going to be a simple case of sleuthing and solving.

Whilst trying to clear Sandy's name, Bubbles must track down the mysterious 'Marguerite', defend her job from an annoying fresh-faced college graduate, re-marry her slimy, blackmailing, son of a gun ex-husband and avoid the psycho Santa Clause with the sniper rifle. And as if that wasn't enough, just who the hell is that glamorous actress hanging off the arm of HER, seriously sexy, Steve Stiletto?

Ballsy, brilliant and bursting with wise-ass humour, Bubbles All the Way is the fabulous new mystery from Agatha Award-winning Sarah Strohmeyer.

This is the sixth instalment in the Bubbles Yablonsky series, following on from Bubbles Betrothed, but it is the first time that I have actually read one of these books - I listened to all the other books on audiobook.

When I was actually reading the book, I very much enjoyed it - until the ending, but I will come back to that. The story was fast paced, funny and not simply the same story rehashed from previous books, but as I started thinking about things I realised that not everything was as rosy as it seemed. It was only after I closed the book that I wondered about a few things - for example a character that had been introduced, and had quite a lot of page time, and yet her character didn't really form any part of the solution to the mystery. There were other things that were in the book that, only when I looked back on it, I was left wondering why on earth was that in there! And that is before we start talking about some of the things like the fact that Bubbles was supposed to be remarrying her slimy ex husband Dan the Man, and numerous other things.

And about that ending! Having read all the books in the series, there are a few things that we know. Bubbles is a hairdresser turned journalist of Lithuanian stock, and sexy Steve Stiletto is a photo journalist for Reuters. In the last few pages of this book, we end up with a very strange ending, when the author attempts to convince us that what we have always thought, is actually not at all how things were, with the bizarrest plot twist - you couldn't actually imagine it yourself I think. I would imagine what was being attempted was to be able to take the series in a new direction, but to be honest it came so far out of left field, I was flabbergasted! So, if there is a new Bubbles book will I read it? Probably, but it will be a degree of scepticism!

So how do you rate a book that you really enjoyed reading, but when you actually thought about, realised that it had plot holes all through it, and then the strange ending! Well, until the ending I was going to give this the best grade of all the Bubbles book I have read, but I did have to deduct at least half a grade for the ending, so I decided on a rating of 4/5. Now that I have given it some more thought I am tempted to further downgrade, but I could second guess nearly every grading I give, so I will leave it as it is. Besides, even though it doesn't necessarily sound like it from this post, I did enjoy it, at least while I was reading it!

How cool!

Or it would be if it would work!! IT WORKED!! Yay!

In honour of the movie of the Philip Pullman book The Golden Compass, you can get your own daemon! Mine is a lion called Alexias.


I first saw this on the Morsie Reads blog, and you can get your own daemon at - the website for the movie.

Black Diamonds by Kim Kelly

It's 1914 and Lithgow is booming. Daniel is a young German-Australian, a coalminer and a socialist; Francine is the bourgeois, Irish-Catholic, too-good-for-this-place daughter of one of the mine's owners. When their paths collide, they fall in love despite themselves and it very quickly becomes apparent that their only option is to wed. But before the signatures on their marriage certificate are dry, World War I erupts, throwing in their path a new and much more terrifying obstacle. Against his principles but driven by a sense of solidarity, Daniel enlists; Francine, horrified, has no choice but to support him. As they hurtle towards a daunting world of war, separation and grief, they each learn things about themselves and one another that they would never have expected in more certain times - about heroism, sacrifice, the thin line between courage and stupidity, and, most of all, about the magical power of love.

A moving story of a tumultuous period in our history, Black Diamonds is a wonderful celebration of resilience, told with verve and an generous dash of humour

I got this book as an uncorrected proof from the HarperCollins First Look program, the first time that I have ever been chosen, and I quite enjoyed it. I also thought it was quite timely because I finished reading it a few days before Anzac Day, and given that the book is set around World War I very relevant.

In a broad sense this book was a look at some of the issues that affected a young country, still trying to find it's place in the world, and as a unified country. Part of the reason why Anzac Day is so special to Australians and New Zealanders is that it is the first time that we fought as independent countries. We were still very closely linked to the British Empire, but instead of being absorbed into the British army we had distinct identities, and as time proved, distinct characteristics in terms of the way that we banded together and fought for each other. There are parts of this book where these ideas are explored especially as Daniel is sent first to Egypt to wait for his orders and then to the bloodbath that was the Western Front.

Kim Kelly also took the time to focus on what was happening at home, and for me, that was the most enlightening part of the book. Whilst our country was at war, the trade union movement was growing in strength and trying to at least protect some of the rights of workers who were left behind, some business owners were trying to take advantage of the war time needs and make more money, the people with dissenting voices against participation in the war were ostracised, and for those who returned from the war, there was still a degree of censorship about what they could say publicly, or even, for example, the kind of art they could produce with war themes.

This central story in the book is that of the love story between Daniel Ackerman and Francine Connolly. Daniel is a miner, and Francine is the mine owner's daughter, and we get to know them through alternate chapters from each of their points of view. They first meet when Daniel helps her pick up apples that she has dropped into the road, but she doesn't know how to interact with him, and so he thinks that she is stuck up. When they meet up again not too long after that it is under very different circumstances - Daniel has just been injured in a mine accident, the same accident that claimed the life of his father, and he is now laid up recovering from his injuries. Francine begins to visit him on a regular basis and before long they have fallen in love, and due to circumstance outside of their control, they are almost railroaded into marrying, which changes everything for both of them.

It isn't too long before war breaks out, and despite his principles, or maybe because of his conflicted principles, Daniel enlists and is sent off to Europe to fight in the war, leaving Francine at home to look after their home and affairs. When Daniel returns he is a much different man - a man struggling with the injuries that he received and the pain he is in, both physically and emotionally, and what follows is a long period of rehabilitation, at a time when there is already great upheaval everywhere throughout both the town and the country.

Overall this was a good read, although I did have some issues with the dialogue. Daniel was portrayed as a quiet man, a thinker, someone who internalises a lot, whereas Francine was for the most part portrayed as a happy go lucky young woman, especially at the start of the book, and as a result the dialogue in particular was uneven and a bit jarring at times, but I think the author made up for that with other elements in the book. For example, the author didn't take the easy way out and give our couple a picture perfect life, and there were several weighty issues that were dealt with even once Daniel returned from the war.

Whilst I don't think that this book has the emotional depth of, for example, The Bronze Horseman, for the Aussies reading this, I would say that this author is comparable to Belinda Alexander (or at least the one book that I have read by her!). If you are interested in reading a book that gives some of the information that you would expect to read about WWI, but also some things that you wouldn't necessarily expect as well, then this book may be for you. It is being released here in Australia on 1 May.

Rating: 4/5

And another new blog!

Nicole, who was another of the girls at Sanctuary's Finest, has also started a new blog called Escape with Me.

It's raining

Not enough for the drought to be officially over, but it's a start! Of course, we'll see how happy we are about it when I have to take my son to sport in the rain tomorrow morning!

Speaking of rain, I saw a really cool picture of raindrops here.

Another new blog

This time featuring four self published historical fiction authors. I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with! I have previously heard of 3 of the 4 authors involved, so I look forward to hearing what they are up to.

Have a look at Yesterday Revisited.

Uh-oh!

I saw the trailer for the next Harry Potter movie today, and it looked really, really good! Only problem is....I haven't read that book or the next books yet, and I have NO idea when I am going to fit either of them into the reading schedule!

What to do, what to do!

Taking it personally

Do you take things too personally? Things like when you drop off of someone's blog roll or when number of visitors drop significantly for some unknown reason? I do.

Can't seem to help myself. Does that mean that I am being so boring that people don't want to come visit anymore, or did they just forget? Or do I need to get over myself?



Don't mind me! Had a rough few weeks and it is beginning to tell on me I think.

Book Binge

There are two definitions for book binge in this post.

Book Binge: The name of a new blog featuring Holly, Isabel and Rowena who used to post at Sanctuary's Finest, but have decided that it is time for a fresh start!

Help spread the word about their new blog and you can win some books! You can find more details here.


Book Binge: What I seem to be in the middle of at the moment!! I was having a look at one of the spreadsheets that I use to keep track of what books I own, what books I want to read and what books I have out from the library and when they are due back, and I was shocked to realise that I seem to have been in a bit of a book buying frenzy over the last few months!

In the middle of last year I was a bit worried that my book spending had gotten a bit out of control, so I decided to limit the number of books that I bought, and I did really well for a while! Here's a list of the number of books I bought each month:

July 7
August 0
September 4
October 2
November 4
December 19
January 7
February 4
March 11
April 14

Of course realising this today didn't stop me from placing orders for four books today, and I have 3 sitting in my basket on The Book Depository as well!

The really shocking statistic out of all of that is that of the 72 books that I have acquired (because some of them have been freebies) since July last year, I have actually only read 22 of them!

And while I am talking about my TBR pile, might as well do a list of what I have out from the library at the moment!

1. Abundance : a novel of Marie Antoinette by Naslund, Sena Jeter
2. Baby proof by Giffin, Emily
3. Beyblade : official handbook by MacKinnon, J. (No, not mine!)
4. The book thief by Zusak, Markus (I've borrowed this about three times now but it keeps on getting requested - hopefully this time I will actually get to read it!)
5. Borrower of the night by Peters, Elizabeth
6. The bride finder by Carroll, Susan
7. Burning bright by Chevalier, Tracy
8. Chill factor by Caine, Rachel
9. The Christmas quilt by Chiaverini, Jennifer
10. City of glory : a novel of war and desire in Old Manhattan by Swerling, Beverly
11. David Golder by Nemirovsky, Irene
12. Death at Victoria Dock by Greenwood, Kerry
13. The deception of the emerald ring by Willig, Lauren (reading this at the moment)
14. Dime store magic by Armstrong, Kelley
15. Dreaming the bull by Scott, Manda
16. Excalibur (a collection of short stories)
17. Forever in blue by Brashares, Ann
18. Grave sight by Harris, Charlaine
19. Half of a yellow sun by Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi (for my Orange shortlist reading)
20. The hippopotamus pool by Peters, Elizabeth
21. Hot stuff by Evanovich, Janet
22. The hummingbird's daughter by Urre, Luis Alberto
23. It's in his kiss by Quinn, Julia
24. The last man standing by Child, Maureen (This also has a book by Nalini Singh in it so that is why I am getting it.)
25. Loyalty in death by Robb, J.D.
26. The many lives & secret sorrows of Josephine B. by Gullard, Sandra (finished this just haven't returned it yet)
27. A match made in Scotland by Thomas, Melody (actual book title is A Match Made in Scandal, but Scotland is close enough!)
28. My best friend's girl by Koomson, Dorothy
29. My pleasure by Brockway, Connie
30. One night with a prince by Jeffries, Sabrina
31. The pillars of the world by Bishop, Anne
32. The pirate queen by Norman, Diana
33. Pope Joan by Cross, Donna Woolfolk
34. Postcards from the bed by Keyes, Marian
35. Regency scandals by Gaston, Diane
36. The road by McCarthy, Cormac (reading this at the moment)
37. The scarlet lion by Chadwick, Elizabeth
38. Shadows in bronze by Davis, Lindsey
39. Stranger in my arms by Kleypas, Lisa
40. The temple dancer : a novel of India by Speed, John
41. The tilecutter's penny by Mor, Caiseal
42. Valley of silence by Roberts, Nora (finished this as well)

Ready to pick up I have:

1. The Duke by Gaelen Foley

And on request I have:

1. All together dead by Harris, Charlaine
2. The boar stone by Watson, Jules
3. First among sequels by Fforde, Jasper
4. Lean mean thirteen by Evanovich, Janet
5. Miss Wonderful by Chase, Loretta
6. Mistress of the art of death by Franklin, Ariana (In transit, so I should be able to pick it up over the weekend)
7. New moon by Meyer, Stephenie
8. Night play by Kenyon, Sherrilyn (In mending, so goodness knows how long until I get it)
9. Portrait of an unknown woman by Bennett, Vanora
10. Sugar daddy by Kleypas, Lisa
11. Tales of passion, tales of woe by Gullard, Sandra
12. Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Crusie, Jennifer



Phew....when you look at lists like that it's easier to get a little overwhelmed!

Anzac Day

Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.



And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.



And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.



But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.



And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.



For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.



But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.



And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.



But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all. Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?

Eric Bogle



Lest We Forget

Kiss of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dear Reader,

What do you get when you have one immortal Viking warrior no one can remember five minutes after he leaves their presence, a princess on the run for her life, and one seriously annoyed demigod? Basically, you get my life.

It started out simple enough. One night I went to save a woman in trouble. The next thing I knew, the doorway to hell had opened and out stepped Daimons-vampires the likes of which I'd never seen before. Led by the son of Apollo, they are out to end the curse that has banished them all to darkness. The only problem with that is they have to kill Cassandra Peters to do it and if she dies, so dies the sun, the earth and all who dwell here. Life's just a bowl full of cherries, ain't it?

Brought together by fate, it's now my job to protect a daughter of the very race I have been hunting for centuries. Neither of us dares to trust the other. But she is the only one who remembers me... More than that, with her courage and strength, she is the only one who has ever touched a heart that I thought had died centuries ago.

The only way for a Dark-Hunter to regain his soul is through the love of a woman. But what happens when that woman isn't exactly human?

Wulf Tryggvasen
'

After really liking the last Dark Hunter book Dance with the Devil, I was very much looking forward to reading this book, However, right from page 1 I wasn't as invested in this one as I was for Zarek's book.

And that doesn't mean to say that it was a terrible book because it wasn't. There were many moments were I was moved, and even a couple where I cried, but overall Wulf's story was good but not great.

Wulf was cursed hundreds of years ago so that only a member of his family can actually remember him. Everyone else forgets him the moment they walk away, so it is very unusual when he meets a woman who actually does remember him from one day to the next. Of course, it isn't easy to forget a man who you have amazing sex with, even if it is only in your dreams....or is it!

Cassandra is no ordinary woman though. She is an Appolite, destined to either die on her 27th birthday, which is only months away, or to make the choice to become a Daimon, and she holds the future of the world in her hands. If she is to die without having children, then according to legend the world will end as well - and there are quite a few out there who are willing to test the legend to see if it is actually true or not!

Cassandra and Wulf meet when she and her bodyguard are being attacked by several Daimons, and events are quickly orchestrated so that he has to protect her, especially seeing as though she is now pregnant with his child. Wulf struggles a lot with the thought of the future - how can he love a woman who is destined to become one of the Daimons that he must hunt in his role as Dark Hunter, or she must die.

Some of the more emotional scenes for me were around the thought of the baby not knowing Cassandra as it grew up. I loved the memory box where she was placing little bits and pieces so that the baby would know something about her, as well as her family. There were a couple of interesting twists in this one, including the actions of Urian, who I am sure we will get to meet again in future books.

Whilst this one was nowhere near as good as Zarek's book I am still looking forward to the next one!

My only question is - do other people out there find all the mentions of DarkHunter.com, and yet another character reading a Kinley MacGregor novel, distracting? I have to admit that at times I do!

Strangely enough, even though I felt more invested in Zarek's book, I ended up rating them both the same. How does that happen?


A solid 4/5 for this book for me!

Tatiana's Table by Paullina Simons

In her internationally bestselling trilogy, Paullina Simons introduced Tatiana Metanova, one of the most remarkable heroines in contemporary fiction. The unforgettable story of her lifelong love affair with American soldier, Alexander Barrington has warmed and broken hearts across the globe.

Now comes the final, delicious chapter: a collection of Tatiana's favourite recipes, the first truly epic cookbook, which spans the second half of the twentieth century and two continents, through times of war, times of famine, times of peace, and times of plenty.

Here are delectable peaks into the life and love of Tatiana and Alexander as well as their children and grandchildren. From traditional Russian cuisine to American staples, to exotic dishes with international flair, Tatiana's Table is full of twists and turns to delight readers and food lovers everywhere.

I am a huge Paullina Simons fan (including a mod on her reader forums) but as I read this book, I couldn't help but wonder about what the intention was when writing it. As far as I can tell, it is a response to requests for more Tatiana and Alexander, because it doesn't seem to add all that much to the trilogy.

Now that paragraph probably makes it sound as though I didn't enjoy this book, but I did! I really did, but this is definitely a book for existing fans of the trilogy that started with The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to the Holy Cross (also published under the title Tatiana and Alexander in some places) and The Summer Garden. What I don't think that this book will do is to draw new fans to the series, because if you picked up this book having not read any of the others then you certainly wouldn't understand what was going on, and I doubt that it would really inspire you to pick up the other books.

So what is this book? It really is mostly a cookbook, which is interesting seeing as it was labeled as fiction at the bookstore. The book is broken into several sections that reflected various phases and locations throughout Tatiana and Alexanders life, starting from their childhoods, through the blockade of Leningrad, to Tatiana's time in New York and then a couple of other locations through to their life in Arizona.

Amongst the anecdotes, there are definitely things that build upon things that we already knew from reading the trilogy. For example, throughout The Bronze Horsemen we are told that Tatiana and her sister Dasha were very close, but this book actually shows that closeness - the way that when they were both starving during the blockade Tatiana and Dasha would cuddle under the blankets to try and keep warm and Dasha telling Tatiana how to cook many of their family favourites. There are also lots of other little interesting glimpses like Tatiana and Vicki in Vietnam, and small anecdotes about the other children who didn't really have a lot of focus on them in the earlier books.

My favourite anecdote was definitely Tatiana and Alexander's 50th anniversary celebrations, and the what if question that was asked. What if Tatiana had never found Alexander - would they have been apart forever or would they eventually find each other again.

Oh, and I should mention that some of these recipes sound really, really good! There are definitely a few that I am going to try one day!

The strange thing about Paullina's books is how little availability there is in other markets, particularly the US, especially seeing as she is an American author. The second and third books are only available through bookclubs such as Book of the Month Club and Double Day. I have no idea whether this book is going to be made available in the US or not, but if anyone is desperate to get hold of this one let me know and I can get you some links, or come to some arrangements to assist.

In summary, if you are already a fan of The Bronze Horseman trilogy then you will really enjoy this book. Paullina Simons has also confirmed that this is the last glimpse into Tatiana and Alexander's life - it is time to move on, and her next book, called The Bartered Bride is to due to come out in Australia and New Zealand in November! I am looking forward to it!

Rating 4/5

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith

In the life of Precious Ramotswe - a woman duly proud of her fine traditional build - there is rarely a dull moment, and the latest instalment in the universally beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series there is much happening on Zebra Drvie and Tlokweng Road. Mma Ramotswe is experiencing staffing difficulties. First, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni asks to be put in charge of a case involving an errant husband. But can a man investigate such matters as successfully as the number one lady detective can? Then Mma Ramotswe has a minor falling out with her assistant Mma Makutsi, who decides to leave the agency, taking her near-perfect secretarial skills with her.

Along the way, Mma Ramotswe is asked to investigate a couple of tricky cases. Will she be able to explain an unexpected series of deaths at the hospital in Mochudi? And what about the missing office supplies at the local printing company? These are the types of question that Mma Ramotswe is uniquely well suited to answer.

In the end, whatever happens, she knows she can count on Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, who stands for all that is solid and true in a shifting world, and there is always her love of Botswana, a country of which she is justifiably proud.

I always enjoy reading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, and this book, which is the eighth in the series following on from Blue Shoes and Happiness, was no exception. There was a lot going on in the agency and the Tlokweng Road Motors, and there are lots of staff developments in this book as well.

Mma Makutsi is now an engaged woman, but she is still as opinionated and headstrong as ever, but now it is beginning to upset some people. to the extent that both Mma Makutsi and Mma Ramotswe are beginning to feel it in their own relationship. Staff upsets are the last thing that is needed given how busy they are at the moment, but maybe this was just a matter of time. The question is can Mma Makutsi find a glamourous new job, and how will the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency cope without her superior secretarial skills.

In addition, Mr J L B Matekoni has decided that he wants the chance to investigate a case, and so when a client drops by when no one else is around he decides that he will investigate the case of the unfaithful husband, and Precious very graciously allows him to do so, despite her own misgivings, and he does do quite well. Mr Matekoni has his own staffing issues when one of his apprentices wants to leave in order to start his own taxi firm.

In the meantime, there is also the case of the missing stationery items at the local printing firm, and also the case of the mysterious deaths of three people, in the same bed, at around the same time within weeks of each other at Mochudi hospital.

The biggest positive for me in this book was that there seemed to be a bit more character development in the secondary characters in this book than we have perhaps seen in previous books.

The biggest disappointment, although that may not be quite the right word, was with the main mystery in this book, and that is the one about the deaths in the hospital. The only reason I say that is because as soon as Precious started talking about the case, I knew exactly what the outcome was, because I have heard the story before. It is, I think, maybe something of an urban myth. It was still enjoyable to read, but there was certainly no surprise at the outcome for me.

All in all, another fun read. Now I just have to wait for the next one! Good thing Alexander McCall Smith is so prolific!

Rating 4/5

Decision time

When I made my Reading Resolutions for 2007, one of them was:

Shortlists - it is my intention to read the shortlists for the Booker and either the Orange Prize or the Pulitzer Prize.

Well, the shortlist for the Orange Prize was announced today and three of the books on the list are books that I already had on my list to read anyway, so now I have to decide which shortlist I am going to read. Given that I already do have some of them that I know that I want to read maybe I will do the Orange. The nominated books are:

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Arlingtom Park by Rachel Cusk

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo

The Observations by Jane Harris

Digging to America by Anne Tyler



Maybe I will make a final decision in the morning when I am not quite so sleepy!

Book news!

I was very excited yesterday when I got home from work. I had a card saying that there was a Fedex package for me. I've never received a Fedex package before, and I had no idea what was in it. They delivered it today and it turns out it was a review book. Now I need to fit it in the reading schedule.

Another thing to fit in the schedule as well - I won a book at Twisted Kingdom! Now I just need to confirm which book it is that I want and wait for it to arrive! Gotta love a free book. Two in a day is even better.

What else? Not much really. At the moment I am reading an ARC that I received through the Harper Collins First Look program and I will have more information about it soon. Let's just say that given that it is coming up to Anzac Day here next week, the subject matter is extremely timely.

I'll probably do a library list again soon, just to show how out of control my reading schedule really is! Especially when you check and realise that not only are there 40 books out from the library, plus 9 on request, but I have recently (as in since 1 March) bought or received 15 books! Oh my goodness!