Book Review - "Pillage"

Author: Obert Skye

This is going to be my last book review. I'm frustrated with the Summer Reading Thing website this year. They take forever to update. No one seems to be monitoring it at all. I don't think I'll even bother sending this one in.

Anyway, here's the description from the back cover:

When fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips travels by train to the secluded village of Kingsplot to live with his wealthy but estranged uncle, Beck discovers some dark family secrets. A buried basement, a forbidden wall, an old book of family history with odd references to... dragons? Beck's life is about to be changed forever in this suspenseful tale about the destructive nature of greed and the courage to make things right. Pillage is filled wtih Mr. Skye's signature humor as well as some very intense moments. including a surprising ending, that will keep readers young and old engrossed and entertained.

It's true.
This is a young adult fantacy. I'm not a young adult, and I'm not a fan of fantasy, but I still enjoyed this book immensely. Very fresh and different kind of story.

The main character talks about reading his mother's journal, and how as he learns about his family history that it begins to make more and more sense to him.

Likewise, at the head of each chapter is a "page" from the ancient book he finds later in the story. At first, those pages mean nothing at all, but as the story progresses, you begin to understand what they mean. I love how the author did that, so that you could "grow" right along with the main character. Brilliant twist!

I'm going to have to look into the other books by this author.

Book Review - Methods of Madness

Author: Stephanie Black

Book Jacket Description:

It's been three years since the terrible night Emily Ramsey suffered a double tragedy - the death of her sister, and the disappearance of her fiance. She deserves another chance at happiness, and gentle, adorable Zach Sullivan is the perfect man to mend her shattered heart. But from the moment Emily opens the hand-carved box holding a glittering diamond solitaire, she's seized by an unshakable fear: She's going to lose Zach.

That's exactly what Monica, Zach's ex-girlfriend is banking on. Bitter with envy, Monica will stop at nothing to sabotage Zach and Emily's romance.
A troubling note shows up in Emily's mailbox, fanning the flames of suspicion. A bloody photograph sends her reeling. But when someone is brutally murdered, will Emily be able to escape suspicion and the possibility that she might be next?

This tale is intricately woven, and the plot spirals deeper and deeper. Emily is led to suspect everyone - even herself, as questions are brought up about her sanity.

The only problem I had with this book was that, for being a murder case, the police seemed a little blase. Other than taking every one's statements, it didn't seem like they were doing much to help. That put me a little on edge. (But maybe that was the author's intent?)

...Aside from that minor point, this is a gripping, page-turning book. I read it in one sitting, and I promise the ending will blow you away!

Congrats Stephanie, this is another winner!
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Book Review - English Trifle

Written by Josi S. Kilpack

I was so excited to read this book - I loved the first book in the series (Lemon Tart)

Amazon's description:
High Crimes at High Tea Things to Do in England Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo Take the Jack the Ripper tour creepy! Sample authentic English scones and crumpets Discover a dead body What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

Rarely do I enjoy the second book in a series as much as the first, but I think I actually liked this one a little bit more.
I love that Josi chose such a different location for this one. The foray into life in an English Manor was a fun departure from Sadie's usual diggs.

The plot has lots of twists and turns, and no one escapes suspicion. I thought I had things figured out a time or two, but I didn't know for sure until the final few chapters.

I just wish I were a better cook, so I could enjoy the recipes more...
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Book Report - "Wesley the Owl" ....*Spoilers*

I haven't been doing many book reports here anymore, but this latest book I just finished impacted me to the point, that I just wanted to talk about it.

Many times I'm attracted to a book by it's cover & title, and this one was just "cute" enough to get me to look. As I read the description, it captured my imagination, and it "followed me home."

Wesley the Owl is not a novel - it's a memoir, written by a young botanist from Caltech, who was entrusted with a rescued baby owl to take home to raise and observe.
Owls are the type of creature who "imprint" on the person (or creature) who takes care of it, and bond for life - thus, as the quote from the Little Prince goes; "If you tame something, you are responsible for it forever"

It was so fascinating to learn about Owl behavior in the wild - and in captivity. Many survival techniques are taught to the creatures by their "parent", but when the "parent" has no knowledge of that behavior - what then?
Wesley appears to learn a few behaviors from his human parent, that are foreign to owls in the wild - and misses out on learning some that would have been crucial for him to return to it.

Not just an interesting story, but also a touching one - it is apparent through the book, that this Botanist also "imprints" on the owl - as she chooses her bird over "the latest boyfriend" time and time again, and, at the end of the book, ends up still single. ("Love me, love my owl.") Mainly because many aspects of the owl's care are difficult for the average human to tolerate (Like the mouse thing - ick.) and they are put off by it.

I also learned a bit about the behaviors of Botanists, which can be even more strange than wild creatures they care for! ...Such as the one who became obsessed with black widow spiders to the point that he not only kept them and raved about their "cuteness" at the office, but refused to kill them or damage their habitat at home - letting them breed freely and take over his house and yard - until he ended up in an "institution" of a different kind. Hmmm...

As the book progresses, Stacy (the botanist) and her owl not only bond, but learn to communicate with each other, and is a very touching and tender story. But this book conveys a little more than that - it teaches that all living things are individuals and have a soul - it also passes on a reverence for all life.
I don't think I'll ever look on any creature in exactly the same way.

Read it - you'll love it!

Summer Book Trek 2008 Wrap Up

The Summer Book Trek is over - here's my wrap up...

1. How many fiction books by LDS authors did you read?
Officially six - but I read a few others on the side...

2. Did you read more than you would have read if you hadn't participated in this book trek?
Absolutely.

3. Did the reviews posted by other participants influence which titles you read? How?
Yes, I did find many other books that I want to read in the future.

4. Did the Whitney awards influence which titles you read? How?
No, it didn't - sorry.

5. Did the many, many virtual blog tours that happened this summer influence which titles you read? How?
I only got in on a couple of those, but I would say that it was helpful because I like reading the author interviews and reviews by other bloggers.

6. Did you finish all the books you had planned to read? If not, why?
Pretty much, I did remove one or two from my list toward the end because I was also trying to keep up with my church book club and was getting a bit overwhelmed.

7. Did you discover any new authors whom you now love?
Yes!

8. Did you nominate any of the books you read for Whitney awards?
No - but I may still.

9. Would you be interested in another LDS themed reading challenge either this winter, or next summer?
Yes, I believe I would...

Book Review - The Princess and the Hound

*****The Princess and the Hound
by Mette Ivie Harrison
Dust cover description:

When duty steers Prince George into betrothal to an enemy king's daughter, he is surprised to find he admires the prickly, forthright princess, despite her apparent indifference to any but her beloved pet hound. As George attempts to win Beatrice's heart along with her hand, evidence of treachery back home leads him to startling truths about animal magic—the stigmatized gift of animal speech, which he secretly possesses—as well as information about his betrothed.

This is a very different kind of fairy tale - one in which the princess is not necessarily drop-dead beautiful, and she doesn't swoon at the sight of the prince, yet I love how they grow together as they learn who each of them is, and help each other not only to come to terms with that, but to become better because of it.

I didn't say that well at all - this book is way better than my description of it LOL! The first few chapters give background information about "animal magic," and that was a bit slow for me and took some time to get through, but it was well worth it.
I will probably read this one again someday...
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Book Review - All's Fair

****I read on the internet that Julie Coulter Bellon would be at a book signing just a few miles from me on Saturday, so I ran over to meet her.
She was the nicest sweetest lady!

Dust cover description:

"Dr. Brandon Shepherd is finishing out his tour of duty at a small medical outpost in al-Qaim, Iraq. During an emergency evacuation of two wounded soldiers, the helicopter carrying him and his colleague, Dr. Rachel Fielding, is shot down and they are captured by insurgents. They are chained to a wall and pushed past their limits of endurance while their hope for rescue dwindles by the day.

Back in the States, political opponents Kristen Shepherd and Ryan Jameson are squaring off over a heated campaign. When Kristen finds out her brother Brandon has been kidnapped, both Kristen and Ryan band together and use all of their political connections to find him. They soon find themselves swept up in international intrigue that could cause Kristen to lose everything she holds dear. Will she risk it all to bring her family together once again?

All's Fair is a book of suspense, adventure and romance that will keep you guessing until the last page. Is all really fair in love and war? Only you can decide."

I've already finished reading "All's Fair." It grabbed me right from the opening scene where Kristin has run out on her own wedding, and ends up hiking through the rain and the mud in her wedding gown - great stuff!
This book is full of edge-of-your-chair action, politics, and military intrigue. I had a hard time putting it down!

I really admire Julie for joining in on "Operation Care and Comfort" for our soldiers in Iraq.
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Review - Delicious Conversation

****Susanah, a 30-ish single gal, is forced to re-arrange her life's plan when the company she works for goes belly up. A new home (which needs a lot of work), a new business, and a new singles ward keeps her very busy as she tries to sort it all out.

*Warning: If you are contemplating going on a diet, you may want to hold off on this one for a while - all the talk of delectable food could be distracting! Ha ha!

I read a few harsh reviews of this before I picked it up, so I was a little hesitant, but personally, I thought it was delightfu.
It did drag a little for me at first, but it picked up a few chapters in.
I would consider it a "light" read, but it definitely has it's moments - (the description of the over thirties singles ward had me laughing out loud!)...and I love the idea of the "Chocolate Bar"!
The author has a fresh writing style, and an interesting sense of humor.
The situations the heroine encounters are quite unique (and some are just darn funny,) - not your usual stereo-typical scenarios (like the home demolition projects, and the 187 year old tortoise...)
It does end a bit predictably, but happily - so who cares, right?

(OK, maybe it was a little convenient that both "husband" choices were not only hunky, but rich, rich, rich)

A fun read, and I may just throw caution to the wind and try some of the yummy recipes too!
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Review - Fool Me Twice

*****Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black

First of all, I want to know how someone as nice a Stephanie (I'm assuming here) could contrive a plot as twisted as this! LOL!
Don't turn your back on anyone in this book - almost everyone has an evil agenda of some kind!
Seriously, so suspenseful - a real page turner!
There was a point where I wondered how the main character could ever come out of her predicament in one piece...
(But I'm not telling!)
Awesome, awesome book! Five stars.
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Summer Reading Thing 2008

Here we go again...
I love all these Summer Reading challenges, because hey - it's too hot to go outside, so what else am I going to do?
I'm going to use the same reading list as the other challenge - I hope that's ok - there's only so much one woman can do, after all...

****Austenland Shannon Hale
****First Day Allyson Braithwaite Condie
*****Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black
****All's Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon

I've already finished the first two, so I'm adding:
*****The Princess and the Hound Mette Ivie Harrison
and:
****Delicious Conversation Jennifer Stewart Griffith (it's about chocolate - it's got to be good, right?)

Summer Book Trek Review - "First Day"

*****Frist Day by Allyson Braithwaite Condie

Jobs. Missions. College. Love. In the sequel to Yearbook, the characters are in the middle of it all. Two and a half years after we left off, Andrea Beckett is a junior at Cornell University in New York. She's caught up in the whirlwind of finals, decisions about jobs . . . and decisions about love, too. Dave Sherman has returned home from his mission, and they will have to decide where their romance is going. In addition to everything else, Andrea just received the assignment to teach early-morning seminary to a group of eight high school students, who all have their own decisions to make and challenges to overcome. Meanwhile, Andrea's brother Ethan is serving a mission in Brazil. The language is new, the culture is different, and sometimes being Elder Beckett is harder than he expected.

I didn't realize when I started this book that it was a sequel, but I never felt lost or that I missed a lot by not reading the first book (Yearbook). This book totally stands on it's own.
It started out a little slow for me because of the switching back and forth between characters, but I soon got the rhythm of it and got into the story.
I really enjoyed this story about individual growth and making choices, and I absolutely loved how the author summed it all up at the end - but I won't spoil that for you...
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Summer Book Trek Review - "First Day"

First Day by Allyson Braithwaite Condie
This one started slow for me until I got used to it switching back and forth among the different characters.


I didn't realize that this was a sequel until I got checking around and read some other reviews of it. This book totally stands on it's own - I never felt that I was lost, or that I missed something somewhere, as often occurs in a sequel.

Blog Tour...

Jumping on the bandwagon for the "Farworld" blog tour...
I've been following J. Scott Savage's posts on "The Frog Blog," and he's been pretty excited about the release of this book for quite a while.
It's the first in a new young-adult series of fantasy novels, entitled the "Farworld" series.
There is a contest posted here to win an advance reader's copy not even available to the public yet! How cool is that?
Congratulations on the new series Scott, (to be released in Sept.) I hope it's a smash hit for you!

Summer Book Trek Review - Austenland

****Austenland by Shannon Hale
I received this book as a gift from my daughter who enjoys Jane Austin as much as I do.
It is a fun story of a young girl, (Jane) who is nearing that precarious age, which in Austin's time, would have crossed her over that borderline into "spinsterhood."

Her favorite aunt (who knows of her secret desire to meet a "Mr. Darcy") bequeaths her a fantasy trip to a theme park in England ("Austinland,") where she will be able to mix and mingle with characters like those of Jane Austin's time.

I could sympathize with the main character's feelings - how she felt awkward and embarrassed in this role, but at the same time was willing to immerse herself and give the fantasy her best try. (And every once in a while feels the need to sneak back into the "real" world.)
I don't want to give away any of the plot, but it ends well, and she learns along the way that fantasy isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
I enjoyed this book, and will look for others by this author.
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Summer Reads

Just a quickie this morning - I just finished reading the sequel to Stargirl, it's called (oddly enough) Love, Stargirl. If you want a quick, fun little read for the Summer,may I recommend these books! They are young adult fiction (but I think some of the best writing out there is in this category), The books are about a quirky but completely selfless young lady, who is just trying to fit into her new surroundings. It is just the cutest sweetest example of how one person's life can affect those around her.
I was so happy at the end where.....
...But then if you're going to read them, I'd better not finish that! ha ha!
(Sorry if that sounds like an episode of Reading Rainbow)

(I'll probably be talking a lot about books, since that's pretty much what I do these days - hope I don't get too boring...)

I've been messing with my music again - added some Summer themes, hope you like!