The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

BookTalk

Carrie McClelland is a bestselling author of historical fiction. She’s made enough off her writing to travel the world, living in the locations where her books are set. Carrie begins her journey at a French Castle. She’s decided to track Nathaniel Hooke, an Irishman deeply involved in the failed Scottish uprising of 1708. But, Carrie is finding that in addition to a mostly forgotten plan to reinstate the Scottish King Mr. Hooke is giving her very dry writing material.

What Carrie needs is a change of scene…Drawn to Slains Castle, ruins of a stronghold perilously close to the sea, Carrie begins to feel the whispers of a story. Her tale changes shape. Carrie is being led not by Nathaniel Hooke but instead by a young woman. Carrie believes she names this girl after her own ancestor Sophia Paterson for sentimental reasons. But as Carrie’s Scottish nights grow thick with the voices of her characters, her writing takes on a life of its own. And Carrie begins to have the sneaking suspicious that it is not her imagination creating the heart-breaking love…Instead it looks as though Carrie is remembering ghosts of her past…

Review

This book came with some mixed reviews. Some people were 5/5 star in love with the book…others hung-up on an ending plot choice that not only didn’t ring true, it also incited anger and fury amongst readers.

I’ll admit I fall into the middle of this group. If you’d like a *Spoiler* as to the plot choice (or you’d just really like to see myself and RachelKiwi debate the point) check out the Book Club of Two breakdown tomorrow.

So without mention of the *Spoiler* I’ll let you know what I thought of the book as a whole. It’s why your reading this right? Just checking, lol…

Know that the book is extremely addictive. Told in alternating chapters of modern-day Carrie, the woman writing the historical fiction novel, and Sophia, Carrie’s main character and ancestor. While Carrie has action enough on both the paranormal and romantic front it is Sophia’s love-story that sings.

You see, the premise of this tale is that Carrie has genetic memory of Sophia’s life. It’s rationalized much in the same way that we explain how our baby has the exact same smile or mannerism as our dead grandfather. That somewhere in our strands of DNA in addition to deciding the color of our eyes and the size of our feet we also inherit physical movements and skills from past generations. While this theory is completely legit Kearsley stretches science to include actual memories of the past. Like…remembering an entire year of another persons life.

Kearsley weaves past and present together fluidly. Carrie’s own life begins to reflect Sophia’s past. In the beginning this is what Carrie blames her story on. Later it simply becomes a nice plot point. I will note that Carrie’s modern romance didn’t have the spark that Sophia’s did. I think had more time been given to the modern couple. Or had Stuie been cut from the story. Carrie and Graham’s romance would have been fleshed out a bit better. This is sad, not because this tale lacks love…nope, Sophia provides that in spades…more so because I liked Carrie and Graham and would have enjoyed a bit more time with them as full characters and not as a mode to view Sophia’s story.

Another problem some had with the text was its historical component. Be Warned my bookish friends…Kearsley knows her history, and doesn’t deviate for a minute. I think this also muddied up the plot a bit. It was a lot to wade through at times, and some characters/schemes could have been cut altogether. But still, I maintain the camp of a happy historical reader. I have a lot of admiration for Kearsley’s ability to stick so stringently to fact and make history work for her. Just always sad to watch the Scottish uprisings…You know they all end poorly…and yet those strong Scottish men are always so sexy and stalwart. I just wish they would have caught a break every now and then.

Know that this is a great read. Plot *Spoiler* or not, it’s a well told tale that is both addictive and different.

Rating: 4/5 Perfect for a snowy winter’s day…remember the warm coffee and a box of tissues!

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Dark Parties by Sara Grant

BookTalk

“so long as we know we’re trapped, we still have a chance to escape.” (67, Galley ed.)

Neva is hosting a ‘Dark Party’. She’s planned the details with her best friend for weeks. They’ve snuck her father out of the house. Being he head of rewriting the Protectosphere’s history makes him a figure most teens want to avoid. Neva’s mother thinks this ruse is about a graduation party…one last hurrah before a lifetime of work and baby-making that follows adulthood at age 16. Neva has spent hours tapping up plastic bags over windows, shoving cloth in door cracks. Finally, she’s achieved it: Total darkness. A place where you can lose yourself, where you can forget what is expected of you, a place where in a crowded room you can be alone with another. But Neva isn’t here to mess around with her boyfriend. This party isn’t about one last wild night of love and laughter. Tonight is about the beginning…The beginning of a revolution.

Review

What’s sad is that I really did want this story to work. I liked the plot, I liked the foundation of this dystopian world, the characters could have had potential. But I didn’t understand the plot because the author was very weak in her world building. Yes, logically I knew that these people were in a bubble of sorts, closed off from the rest of the world, because a past generation had wanted to maintain a culture rather than lose a heritage to mass globalization. But I figured this out way past the time I needed to, to feel the motivations of the characters.

But it sounded interesting right? I haven’t seen this reasoning before. Very cool that the segregation of this nation happened out of a mass science experiment rather than a massive war or famine. So it’s just too bad that Grant never made me understand what it felt like to be in this world. I feel like this story started in the middle of something…and I’m walking around a little confused. Neva looking for what she lost with Ethan, The quick attraction to Braydon…I feel like I wanted to walk in on this group about 3 months before I did. Like I missed a whole chapter of the book. I think that the revolutionary aspect would have felt more like a group rebellion if we had seen them pre-dark party. Post-dark party it really begins to be just Neva working alone. Thus, less of a revolution and more of a single person against the government.

So while I liked Grant’s plot points, I felt like I was arriving at them either blind or very rushed. The story quickly built momentum but it was too fast for me to understand where everything was coming from. This appears to be a stand-alone. The ending is one of those “open to interpretation” types. Suitably vague for a world as hazily explained.

I don’t know that I hated this book. I finished it and I wanted to see what happened to Neva. But if you’ve got a long list of Dystopian TBR (Delirium, The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games) read another first. This one really isn’t worth it.

Rating: 4/10

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Undeniably Yours (Kowalski Family #2) by Shannon Stacey

It’s Kowalski Family Week!

Today is day two of my reviews/booktalks for Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski Family series. I recently discovered these books and blew through them in three days! It’s a series all about a large, loving, laughing family that is way too involved in each other’s lives. Lets just say I’m in love with watching all of them fall in love. Stick around because the week ends with an Author interview where she’ll spill the beans about writing the Kowalskis.

Without further ado…Undeniably Yours (Kowalski Family #2)

BookTalk

Beth and Kevin had a one night stand….At Kevin’s brother’s wedding. Kevin had met spunky Beth previously during a brawl at his bar. At the wedding Kevin finds Beth tending bar. And after a night of calculated flirtation Beth has no more fight left to combat Kevin’s roguish charm. Enter one hot night…followed by an early morning walk of shame.

3 weeks later Beth and Kevin learn first hand that the 2% failure rate for condoms is a real statistic. Beth is pregnant and Kevin is all for an instant family. Over the next nine months Kevin finds himself falling in love with the mother and excited for the baby…But Beth isn’t willing to trust in a love blooming between two people who only know each other through a surprise pregnancy. Will Beth and Kevin remain friends with a baby?…Or can Beth trust in the love and family Kevin is offering her?…

Review

I was super excited for this title. I liked the character of Kevin in the first of this series (Exclusively Yours) and I was intrigued by the pregnancy aspect of this book. Any situation that forces two characters to be so intimate so fast usually makes for some really great emotion and scenes.

This book didn’t disappoint in the emotional aspect. I loved how much Kevin loves Beth. Seeing him care for both Beth and their future child was super sweet. From the very beginning he is supportive of Beth and their decision to keep the baby. And the man doesn’t stop flirting for the whole book! He wants Beth. He wants her bad. And he’s willing to wait till the time is right to get her.

Where I got lost a little was with Beth. She is so insistent that she do everything on her own. EVERY. THING. She pushes Kevin away so many times the guy should apply for sainthood just for sticking around. Beth jumps down the poor guy’s throat for buying her a cell phone, even for offering to help her move to a better apartment. While I expected the independent streak to last quite awhile I had no idea that it would last the entire pregnancy.

Beth spends quite a bit of time talking about hormones making her a little lusty and yet she manages to resist Kevin and his amazing abs. I was so frustrated by this! lol. Maybe its just because my hubby doesn’t have to do a lot of convincing to get me feeling lusty…hormones or not…And as sexy as the hubs is, he doesn’t have Kevin’s 6-pack. Come to think of it, no one may have the Kowalski abs in real life…they only exist in our photoshopped imaginations, lol.

But back to my Beth frustrations. At one point she’s a new mother and everyone is tripping over themselves to help; to give her a break. And she accepts nothing! First off, what new mother doesn’t accept the offer to take a shower while some one watches the baby? Crazy talk for not accepting that. Second, Kevin spends a lot of time running around with no shirt and lots of abs…While begging Beth to accept him in a relationship. Crazy talk for not giving in months before she does.

I’m probably being a little hard on poor Beth…she’s just not my favorite type of character. I think that a little give and take would have saved her a lot of stress. That being said, even Kevin agrees that it was best for them to wait until post baby to truly get involved in an intimate relationship. Without the excitement of a baby on the way, and with the real life schedule of a newborn all fantasies are disproved…and if love is still there then the couple will have a stronger love than most for their sacrifice.

The ending is worth waiting for because of this. The emotional buildup yields great results, results that wouldn’t have had the impact had Beth given in months earlier. Also, the beginning of the novel had some of the sweetest scenes. Watching Kevin and Beth come together over such a big change in their lives while getting to know each other presents smile inducing moments. Throughout it all while I didn’t love Beth…Kevin is by far my favorite Kowalski brother. His looks, his sweetness, and that little naughty smile (he’s always giving shirtless!) had me at hello. He makes this story for me…and by the end Beth knows what an amazing guy she has too.

Rating: 7/10

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Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater *Spoilers*

Click Here to enter to win a Signed copy of Forever

*Spoilers*

Review

This was by far my favorite book of the series. I know it ends without resolving the wolf/human problem…but still, it seemed strangely finished to me. Having that last image of a fall leaf as a wedding band around Grace’s finger is a beautiful one. Leaving the couple on the verge of transformation and future. Whether that future be a traditional marriage and family, or a life in the wild as wolves remains to be seen. But I guess ultimately the reader feels as though whatever the choice, the love between Grace and Sam will have its forever together.

I think Isabel and Cole will also have a future. Maybe if Cole is ever cured he’ll join Isabel in California. Their relationship was always far more realistic than Sam and Graces…never an instant forever attraction…instead it seems like one that will grow over time. Not everyone needs to find marriage at 17.

Now for just a few things I loved about Cole and Isabel’s relationship this book:

• The little black mustang Isabel gave Cole, and that scene where Cole drives the car around Isabel’s body. Seeing Cole play with it at inopportune moments. Very endearing.
• The scene where Cole and Isabel are hiding underneath the lab table – making out!? – and getting caught by Isabel’s mom…who (luckily, lol) just kind of rolls her eyes and lets the two of them off the hook.
• Isabel watching Cole give his life for Sam and Grace and then rolling that SUV off the road to save the pack. She, more than anyone, has given to a cause that has done nothing but hurt her throughout this series. For that I will always love Isabel as my favorite character from Mercy Falls. That girl has heart and guts and deserves the kisses and affection of that hot St. Claire boy.

*sigh*

Now more random notes about Forever…

I also loved the scene in the beginning of the book where Isabel loses it at the Italian restaurant and her mother again saves the day with understanding rarely seen in parents in this series. The way her mother instantly understands the situation and helps her daughter was unique and heartwarming. It was just perfect to see Isabel finally show some emotion over all that she’s been dealing with and then getting the support of her mother. That scene made me very happy.

Another happy moment was when Sam and Grace drive off to see the northern lights. Throughout these novels Grace and Sam get one good scene per book. One happy, uncomplicated, field trip where they just get to be two crazy kids in love. The whole thing reminded me of getting lost in the country with my hubby when we were teens. Granted he was never lost because he has a good sense of direction…where as I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag with a map. Still it’s the thought that counts, and it’s always kind of romantic to be alone in a car watching the stars with the man you love.

I guess I’m a little sad to be leaving Mercy Falls. Part of me wishes I knew what really happened to all the characters in the future. But I think that the strength in the ending is really that Stiefvater picked her battle. She chose to focus on the struggle to find a new leader of the pack and the escape from the shotgun of Tom Culpepper. Her characters matured and are now ready to face their lives as adults. At the age of 18 there’s no way to ensure a happily ever after anyway…Because fans of Mercy Falls are all hoping for a long life and relationship between Grace and Sam and to have a full life is to have one full of both joy and sorrow. The ending of this series is really the beginning of life for its characters.

Who else is hoping for a 10 year update? lol. Maybe Stiefvater will return to the falls someday…

Rating: 9/10

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Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater *Spoilers*

*Spoilers*

Review

One of my favorite parts of this book was when Grace told off her parents. I normally don’t support this type of outburst from teen characters. I often find that either the adult they are ranting at was such a caricature of a person that it seems unfair…or that they aren’t seeing a valid adult point of view. Not so in Mercy Falls. Grace’s parents aren’t super strict or super unfair, they just kind of ignore the fact that they have a child. And they have a good child. A cooking, homework completing, friend-having child. And that they finally care after all these years…after Grace has finally assembled her own support system is both realistic and the epitome of the word injustice. I read the section where she tells them off twice! And my only critique was that if I was Grace…I would have run away that night!

And Sam had his own bit of empowerment. In this book Sam really begins to come into his humanness. It’s like watching the thaw from winter to spring. Even when Grace is dying/changing into a wolf, Sam is still secure in his choice to stay human. It’s what makes their love so heart-wrenching…They’re obviously meant to be together but both are driven by what’s inside them to desire wolf or human. Neither feels the need to force the other to stay one way or another. You can’t help but fall for the connection these two have. Everyone who sees them feels it.

Now to the eye candy of the novel…I’ll say this first, Cole is hot! But he’s so self-centered. I just don’t think that his issues stand up to his attitude. I mean, I get that stuff went wrong in his life – jaded rock star and all. But others in these books have more valid issues and less trouble interacting with others…Sam’s parents tried to kill him, Isabelle’s parents are on the verge of divorce and she’s lost a brother, and Grace could be dying. What’s so wrong with being Cole St. Claire anyway? He’s a rock star genius whose parents believed in him. Wow, bad luck with that one. When he throws Sam into the bathroom with the tub, or is unable to help Victor…to watch Victor die because of Cole’s decision. I was really seeing no redeeming qualities in Cole. Until he saves the day at the end of the story by finally getting with the program and helping, I was ready to kick Cole out of the pack…call up Tom Culpepper!

But wait…if we got rid of Cole we wouldn’t have the relationship between Cole and Isabelle. There were those scenes where they began to break down each other’s walls. So amazing. Probably my favorite part of the book. Watching them begin to save each other – to see the life and the fight come back to each of them was invigorating. Between the kissing, muscles, and opening up I was hooked. They keep dropping lines claiming that their love is nothing like Grace and Sam’s but I think they aren’t seeing how special it is that they are able to open up to one another.

In the end I admit, sometimes in these novels I get a little lost. There’s so much seriousness…the looks, longing, moments to read into. I can get a little bogged down. But then Stiefvater writes those endings. Victor’s burial where Cole cracks, Grace’s hospital bed yearning for Sam, Cole stepping in at the 11th hour to save the day. Seeing it all come together is worth all the heavy setup. It makes me even more excited to finish the series. For an author who is so amazing at endings the finish of a series should be the ultimate read. Excited to see what she does with it.

Rating: 8/10

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Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

BookTalk

“All right, Miss Teen Dreamers! Yoo-hoo! Over here! I’m wigglin’ my fingers your y’all’s attention! Could ya’ll come on over here, please?”…”Hi. I’m Taylor Rene Krystal Hawkins, and I’m Miss Teen Dream Texas, the state where dreams are bigger and better – nothing against y’all’s states. I’m a senior at George Walker Bush High School and I hope to pursue a career as a motivational speaker.”…”Okay, Miss Teen Dreamers, I know we’re all real flustered and everything. But we’re alive. And I think before anything else we need to pray to the one we love.”…”I’m talkin’ about my personal copilot, Jesus Christ.”…”Ahem. Dear Jesus,”…”We just want to thank you for gettin’ us here safe – “

There was a loud, gurgling groan. Somebody shouted, “Oh my gosh! Miss Delaware just died!”

“- for getting’ some of us here safe,”…”And we pray that, as we are fine, upstandin’, law-abidin’ girls who represent the best of the best, you will protect us from harm and keep us safe until we are rescued and can tell our story to People magazine. Amen.” (9-12, ePub ed.)

So, a plane of Beauty Queens crashes on a deserted island…what happens…go!

Well, hut building, spirit finger practicing, rock-star pirate kissing, hallucinogenic fruit-eating, secret volcano villain killing times happen. It’s one hilarious, wild ride so buckle up and remember your lip gloss because prettiness is the light of the world…

Review

I’d just like to start by saying in my review of Bray’s Going Bovine I asked for footnotes…ask and ye shall receive! I was so excited to see footnotes which, instead of giving clarity to an idea, enhance the satire Bray is known for. Not that Bray sticks to the satirical style in this book, nope, she includes elements of magical realism, fairy tale, campy movie, and commercial breaks. The whole mix serves to entertain while taking on the issues of consumerism and gender roles.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t as interested in the themes of consumerism. They are played to the point of parody and while I can very much see the truth in Bray’s handling of the topic I don’t think it was as well executed as the gender roles theme. Consumerism hits you over the head while the unveiling of the Beauty Queen’s personalities and secrets was oh, so much better. The over the top pagent-ness of the girls. Throughout the book they call each other by their titles (Miss Ohio, Miss New Mexico, ect.) and upon surviving a tragic plane crash begin to practice their routines (three-quarter turn y’all, lol). The horror of the beach-crash site including dead contestants and a girl with a tray-table stuck in her head are juxtaposed with Miss Texas giving a pagent-worthy inspirational speech about prettiness being the light of the world. Forget scavenging for food, in the beginning this plane crash was going to be a diet worthy of a master cleanse.

It doesn’t take long for the fake exteriors of these girls to fall away revealing the real person underneath. A trans-gender contestant, a girl lying about her upbringing, child abuse victims, a journalist assuming a role, and a lesbian brought up in the juvie system, among others. It’s easy to see the metaphor in each of these girls hiding under the guise of a Beauty Queen instead of simply being who they are. Their childhood has taught them that no one will understand them, no one has time for a girl who isn’t simply pretty. In the secluded world of this island the girls will shed their defenses like a facial mask, coming together to build a new world and way of thinking that doesn’t make a woman say “sorry” for having an opinion.

This book is a wild ride of fun…and should be required reading for every girl, teen or not. This book will make you laugh out loud and take a look at what type of Beauty Queen you present to the world. Mascara and eyeliner or no, we all choose to present a version of ourselves to the world. This book gives insight to what would happen if we let that persona fall and accepted each other for who we are, not what we should be.

Loved it, Loved it, Loved it…

Rating: 10/10

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Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

BookTalk

Emma thought her life couldn’t get any worse. Within a year she’d lost both her mother and her twin brother leaving her with a grieving alcoholic of a step dad to take care of her. After her stepfather wrapped both of them around a tree Emma is left not only with a massive scar on her arm but a wounded soul as well.

Brendan is the creme de la creme of New York society. The richest, most attractive, athletic guy at Vincent Academy. He doesn’t even own a hairbrush…that’s how naturally hot his features are…straight out of bed he’s rock star perfect. But he’s sickened by the cliques that come with wealth. He’d trade it in a heartbeat for something wild and real.

Emma will move to New York and as the wounds of her past begin to heal she’ll find herself involved in a thousand-year old curse…and find her soul mate in Brendan. But their path is not straight, instead full of ancient history, witchy spells, and the gossip mill that is an Upper East Side private school. They’ll have to trust in each other because the only thing worse than a curse is a trashed high school reputation.

Review

I. Loved. This. Book.

It surprised me, it was so funny from the start. Emma is kinda snarky, a little geeky, and super funny. I officially liked her when she referred to super-sweet-teen-perfume as a “unicorn fart”. Where has that expression been all my life?! The writing was witty, and the way Emma narrates her experiences was by far my favorite part of the book. From random comments about teen life, to watching her fall for Brendan, the way Emma described it all gets an emotional response from the reader.

And now for the insta-love. I’ll admit in the beginning of this book I wondered if this was going to be too much like the Fallen series. It’s hard not to compare the two as Spellbound is about soul-mates finding each other. The plot involves the souls of Emma and Brendan being reincarnated again and again over the span of 1,000 years which is very Fallen-esque. But, I was happy to find that aside from the reincarnation/curse aspect the two tales are very different.

First off, neither Emma nor Brendan are aware of the curse. Sure, Brendan admits to it being an old family joke, but nothing that he’s ever taken seriously. It was cool to see these two fall into insta-love and figure out their connection. It was a great twist that it was a new concept to both of them, rather than one being more knowledgeable about the situation than another. Plus, they have a lot of swoon-worthy moments over their brief courtship. Brendan plays a little bit of the too-cool-for-school guy in the beginning, but it’s the little things he does for Emma that make the reader swoon.

Another thing that I loved was that this book was a stand-alone. The whole story was wrapped up in one book. Shultz gives a teaser at a potential companion novel starring Angelique, but the curse that is the center of this story concludes within the pages of a single book. The end action may have happened a bit dramatically in comparison to the rest of the novel but it was an end I didn’t see coming and I’m always happy when that happens. I am now excitedly awaiting more info on Angelique’s title…If Spellbound was any indication it’s bound to be a fun and funny romp filled with lots of love.

Rating: 9/10

P.S.

Brendan is always joking that Emma is a ‘musicologist’ but really both characters are constantly pictured in the book with ear buds in their ears…Shultz has taken this obsession one step further for Spellbound fans by creating a playlist on iTunes featuring songs that are special to both Brendan and Emma. Check out the back of your book for the reasoning behind each song choice.

Download the Playlist on iTunes: Brendan & Emma’s Playlist

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Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

BookTalk

“I remember this: his yellow eyes.

I thought I’d never see them again.” (2, epub)

Grace was attacked by wolves as a child. They took her from her tire swing for a tasty mid-winter snack. But Grace survived. The wolf with the yellow eyes held her to her human world.

Sam is a summer boy. The warmth of Mercy Falls’ Minnesota sunny days brings him back to his human form. Bitten by a wolf as a child, Sam changed. Spending his winters as a part of a pack of others like him. His whole world changed the day he rescued Grace. And for years the two have had an unspoken connection over uncharted territory between the species.

But then it finally happened. In a moment of trauma Sam is no longer the wolf he is supposed to be. Instead he becomes the man Grace has been longing for, for far too long. Their romance is one hanging by the tenuous thread that is the weather. Because, you see, this is Sam’s last transition…his last time to change to his human form. A gust of air too cold to handle will separate Sam and Grace placing them firmly into two very different species. And banishing a love that should last forever…

Review

This book has been sitting in my library for years. Years! And yet I never read it. I think I added it to the collection around the time that Twilight was huge. I was looking for some read-a-likes for my paranormal hungry teens. I think the fact that this was about werewolves put me off. I’ve always been more of a vampire fan…Totally Team Edward, I’m a purest you know. But let me tell you, after finally finding Sam and Grace I’m wondering why it took me so long to pick this up!

*Sigh* Sam…You have to love a man who loves a girl soo much he manages to go against all animal instinct and not only save her from being eaten alive, he silently watches over her for years…just pining away. The connection Grace and Sam have is one that the reader is able to feel. All of the locking of the eyes, instinctivly knowing when the other is near, heck, even the super sensory ability to smell each other heightens the tension between these two characters. What makes this tension so wonderful is that like Twilight, the tension can be sexual, but unlike Twilight, the tension can also be full of love.

One of my favorite scenes is when Grace and Sam are in the candy store. The girl behind the register is practically getting a contact high from being close to their love. I think I like the scene so much because for most of the book Sam and Grace’s relationship happens in private. This isolation does allow for a lot of intimacy, both physical and mental, but it also gives a serious tone to a love that has the potential to be very giddy and fresh. Thus, the scene at the candy store was a breath of fresh air to me.

Obviously, I’m behind the times. I didn’t read this book when it first came out so I knew the ending before I even began (it is a trilogy people, obviously something has to go right for these two to merit other titles). What surprised me was the depth of the love developed. And how very un-paranormal this werewolf book seemed. But that’s it’s strength. The fact that the book is an honest to goodness love story, rather than a fight for good or evil, or a tale of magic. The humanity of the love is only reinforced by it’s animal counterpoint.

Pick this one up if you haven’t yet. The third book (Forever) comes out today btw. For all those still thrown by the idea of another paranormal book…or a general uninterest in the werewolf trope (holla)…Know that this book is more than it’s summary. Inside you’ll find a love story involving characters you’ll feel for, supported by lots of poetry and song lyrics to warm/break your heart. You’ll quickly find that this is the most un-paranormal book about a paranormal creature.

Rating: 8/10

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

BookTalk

Do you remember the stories of your childhood? Tales of magic and creatures who lived among us? When do we stop believing in them? When do we lose the faith? What happened if little red riding hood and the wolf showed up in your backyard? Better yet, what if Queen Mary did appear after three “Bloody Mary’s” spoken into a mirror at midnight?

I’ll tell you what would happen…Everyone would call you crazy

Then we’d hype you up on antipsychotic medications and send you to a shrink. At least that’s what happens to 16 year old Jacob. Jacob grew up on his Grandfather’s tales of the freakish. You see, his Grandfather claimed to have grown up on an isolated Island in Wales, “Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children”. Jacob was fed stories and photographs of the levitating girl, the invisible man, and the girl who ate with the back of her head. Yep, a full set of teeth under her glorious curls.

But when Jacob’s Grandfather dies Jacob sees the killer, and the killer is decidedly not a normal human. Across the seas, Jacob will search to find the root of his childhood stories, and to find the history of his Grandfather. And there is no way to prepare Jacob for the reality that all of his childhood tales are true…

Review

This book had me at hello. I mean, look at that cover…how can you not want to simply tear into this book. And that freaky victorian-art deco-gothic-horror vibe continues throughout the story with photos. Yep, it’s a multi-media type read. Riggs scoured photography collections featuring the old and freaky so all the photos within Miss Peregrine’s pages are real! Super cool.

But wait…it doesn’t stop there. Riggs’s writing style conjures up instant images with his word choice. The first time Jacob enters Miss Peregrine’s decrepit home well written. There are walls fuzzy with mold, walls splattered with food burst from jars, rooms with trees growing due to exposure. For me this was by far one of the creepiest parts of the novel.

That being said, maybe it’s just me…but I wasn’t all that scared. If I had to judge a book by it’s cover (haha) I was expecting a ‘scary story’ and I’m not sure if I’m disappointed or not that this didn’t turn out to be the point. Surprisingly, this novel was run-through with themes including WWII, father relationships, and the contemplation of the choice between a single safe, perfect day of the extraordinary (Ground-Hog-Day style) or a life time of ordinary. Jacob is beginning to realize that a 70 year old family hurt has passed down from the holocaust to bombings, to an abandoned son, to a stress disorder. It’s amazing to see how big a role the sins of the father play in this novel. So family issues…check…scary scenes…miss.

As for the famous creepy kids of Jacob’s youth? Peculiar is truly the best word for them. After the reader becomes aquatinted with the group they seem surprisingly ordinary and yet extraordinary at the same time. While I’m not saying that if a levitating girl and an invisible boy popped up in the middle of my day I wouldn’t be freaked out…Riggs presents it all with a normalcy that is usually found in magical realism novels or tall tale movies like Big Fish.

I’m not gonna lie, I was really hoping for creepy…maybe a little sleeping with the light on…if that’s what you’re looking for this isn’t the title for you. However, what you will find is a delightfully written tale with surprising twists and turns of language that make the reader feel like you’re there. But Warning: this seems as though it’s not a stand-alone book. You follow the final frantic chase to one big cliff. I was a little disappointed in this I think that simplifying the story could have resulted in a strong stand-alone. Not sure that this is a cliff I’m gonna jump to the next book…we shall see what the teaser summaries result in.

Rating: 6/10

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Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts

BookTalk

As a child Julia was adopted into a loving family. While she had no record of the woman who gave her up, her childhood was idyllic. Then, as a pregnant teen Julia found herself faced with the same heartbreaking decision…keep her child or give him up.

10 years later Julia Summers is famous for her celebrity biographies. Working with the rich and famous she tells the tales of their lives with panache. Now, Julia and her son Brandon find themselves on a plane to glamorous L.A. to live and research the life of Eve Benedict. The ultimate star for over half a century in a business that chews up and spits out actresses. This story will switch from Eve’s numerous love affairs to the modern romancing of Julia and Eve’s surrogate son, Paul.

But as Eve’s life is revealed man by man, and secret by secret Julia and Eve are about to encounter mysterious people who will stop at nothing to prevent seeing their secrets in print. Secrets that will place some in jail and ruin other’s lives. Unwilling to edit Eve’s legacy Julia and Eve will pay the ultimate price.

Review

Holy 80’s!…Ok, so the book was originally published in 1991 but really, we’re splitting hairs. Eve and Julia walk around in coral colored silk jackets and elegant leisure pajamas. And the trainer Fritz…OMG this quote had me cracking up!

“Standing beside Eve as she lay on a weight bench doing leg curls was Mr. Muscle…He had to be nearly seven feet – a Nordic god whose bronze body bulged out of an incredibly brief unitard.”

Seriously?!…Unitard?!…Sexy?!…

Only in the 80’s (-ish) could this be possible. Don’t worry Mr. Muscle ends up being gay (could explain the unitard) but he is still continuously viewed throughout the book as some sexy, unitard wearing, eye candy. Love It! Aside from the dated cultural references this book still pleases the romance fan. Julia and Paul’s relationship doesn’t get a whole lot of development or play. What is more interesting is Eve’s long history of men.

Roberts traces Eve’s romantic history from her very first husband/lover to the multiple affairs still in Eve’s life at the age of 67. This woman has it going on. What’s so refreshing is that Eve’s character is able to look back on her history and honestly relate the specifics of each relationship. She admits when she’s made a mistake, and also proves true emotion where most tabloids have written her off. It made me wonder about the celebrities we all follow, and the judgements we place at their feet. There’s definitely a lot we don’t know and a lot we take for granted. To see a fictional account of a celebrity life made me interested in real celebrity relationships. What really went down with Bennifer? Brad and Jen? Brad and Angelina? heck, I’d even like to see an honest breakdown of the Speidi ordeal.

Maybe I should pick up a celebrity bio…anyone have a good suggestion?

Anyway, back to the book…Alongside Eve’s romances are a slew of industry secrets and lies. Seriously, I had no idea who was threatening Julia and Eve because so many people were accused of hideous ordeals in Eve’s stories. S&M sex with the underage, torrid secret affairs, aborted love children…murder. This woman was mowing people down with her tale. Just about anyone had more than enough reason to want to stop the story. How all the secrets wind together is really fun to see. And the big shocker of the book is one you’ll probably see coming about halfway through (Paul tipped me off) but it’s not a secret you’ll see coming from the start of the book…definitely a really good twist.

In the end what I enjoyed most about this Roberts title was that it was different. The big love story of this tale happens in Eve’s past…not Julia’s present. It was fun to go back in time to the golden days of Hollywood and see all that old school romance. This book is full of champagne, love affairs, and secrets. It’s a fun romp through the 80’s with a murder mystery to boot. A good choice if you’re in the mood for some retro-trashy-romance.

Rating: 8/10

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