Frightful Friday: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. Feel free to grab the button & join in!

This week’s featured book is Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake:

  • Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Teen; First Edition edition (August 30, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0765328658
  • Source: Publisher

Theseus Cassio (Cas) Lowood is a ghost hunter, a trade he inherited when his father was brutally killed by a ghost he was chasing. Armed with his father’s powerful athame (a knife that is able to “kill” ghosts), Cas and his mother travel around the country on the hunt for evil spirits.

Cas’ latest “case” brings him to Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the hunt for a ghost referred to as Anna Dressed in Blood. She was killed in the late 1950s and now haunts her former home, killing whomever crosses the threshold. She still wears the same white dress she wore when she died, now dripping in blood. Anna has quite the reputation as a pretty serious and dangerous ghost, killing dozens of people each year. Cas doesn’t get just how dangerous she is until he witnesses one of these deaths. Not a pretty picture, to say the least. Yet he’s the only person alive who has lived through a sighting of Anna. For some reason, she spares his life.  This first time, at least.

Before he can put an end to Anna’s murderous rage, he must find out the cause of her death, the motive behind her anger. Along the way, he becomes fascinated, almost obsessed with her. With the help of a handful of his classmates, this motley crew of ghost hunting teens devises a plan to trap Anna and rid this small town of her evil acts.

Overall, I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood.  Blake provides a fairly unique story. Definitely a spooky tale; I found myself scared several times. While classified as a book appropriate for ages twelve and up, I’d be reluctant to allow my twelve year old to read it. There is a good amount of swearing. I’m talking the f-bomb, so not on the light end of the swearing spectrum. Additionally, there is a good deal of gore, not for the weak of stomachs.

What I definitely did not like about this book was the romance. It frustrates me that, as of late, all YA has to have some sort of romance happening. I’m not certain if that’s what gets young adults to read this sort of book or, thanks to Twilight, authors feel they must add an injection of love to anything they write geared toward teens. In the case of Anna Dressed in Blood, I think it was forced, unnatural, and quite frankly, a little eerie.

That said, if this is something you don’t have objection to or an issue with, this is definitely a book I would recommend. Despite my issues with this book,  I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, Girl of Nightmares, due out in August.

 

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Posted in Frightful Friday, Horror, Review, Tor Books, YA | Leave a comment

Review: Taken by Robert Crais

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Jenn

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Hardcover:352 pages
  • Publisher:Putnam Adult (January 24, 2012)
  • Source: Publisher

Krista is a first generation Hispanic-American.  When she goes off on a trip with her boyfriend and doesn’t return when planned, her mother doesn’t worry. Nor does she worry when she receives a call demanding money for her daughter’s release.  She assumes her daughter has run off with her boyfriend, Jack, and gotten married. When days go by with no word from Krista and reluctant to call the authorities, she calls Elvis Cole, whom a recent newspaper article refers to as the “World’s Greatest Detective.”

Cole soon learns that Krista and Jack have unwittingly gotten mixed up in an illegal immigration ring. Coyotes, individuals who require immigrants to pay exorbitant amounts of money to cross into the States, often are preyed upon by Bajadores, criminals who attack other criminals. These bajadores kill the coyotes and hold the immigrants hostage until their families are able to pay the ransom. Some families are able to pay the ransom  while others have already given everything they have to get their loved ones across the border. In this world of illegal immigration, no lives are safe. Oftentimes, once the bajadores receive their money they kill their hostages anyway, having no reason to let them go free.

Cole, realizing what danger Krista and Jack are in, immerses himself into this incredibly dangerous crime world and is taken hostage himself. His partner and friend, Joe Pike, scrambles to rescue Cole (as well as Krista and Jack) before it’s too late.

Taken is the 15th book of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series and Crais’ skill at pulling at the heartstrings of readers while simultaneously making their heart race is tremendous. I was quite impressed at Crais’ unique take on illegal immigration, a side of a dangerous trade that we don’t often learn about. It’s not frequent that we are exposed to a world so deadly and unforgiving.

The one thing that I feel affected the pacing of this book in particular was the timeline; rather than telling what took place in a linear timeline, Crais jumps around, some chapters before and others after Cole is taken. I found myself flipping back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself of the timing of that particular chapter. Ultimately, it wasn’t that big of a distraction; after I was in a few chapters I was able to pick up on the jagged timeline.

As with his past books, Crais allows us to see a softer side of his seemingly strong characters. After Cole is taken, Pike feels vulnerable, void of control over what happens to Cole. He immerses himself in things that he does have control of, but seems quite out of place an inappropriate given what is going on around him, like feeding Cole’s cat.  This sense of vulnerability in Pike is heartwarming; while the two friends/partners are tough-skinned there really is a deep friendship there.

Fans of Crais’ writing (known as Craisies) will once again be rewarded with another stellar Pike/Cole novel.  Those new to the series won’t be lost if this book is their first introduction to this dynamic duo, but I warn you: you’ll want to go back and read all the previous books in the series as I did when I read my first book. Additionally, in Taken, Crais brings back characters from previous books, characters I hope to read more about in the future. Highly recommended.

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Posted in Mystery/Suspense, Putnam, Review, Thriller | 4 Comments

Review: The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Crown (January 24, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0307460185
  • Source: Publisher (via Netgalley)

Germany, 1945: Elsie Schmidt is relatively secluded from the dangers of the world, thanks to a high-ranking Nazi officer who wishes to marry her. On Christmas Eve the facade begins to fade, two separate incidents cracking the shell that has surrounded her for so long. 

El Paso, TX Present time: Reba Adams is working on an up-beat, feel-good, Christmas piece for a local magazine.  She’s been attempting to secure an interview with the owner of a local German bakery for some time. She’s relatively new to El Paso, her difficult childhood has left her unable to settle down in one location for too long. Her fiance, Riki Chavez, works as a Border Patrol agent.

When Reba is finally able to meet the owner of Elsie’s German Bakery, the relationship takes an unexpected turn.  She begins making repeated visits, Elsie and her daughter Jane become integral parts of Reba’s life. Through her conversations with Elsie, Reba learns of the darker times of Elsie’s childhood, the circumstances that brought her to El Paso, seemingly an entirely different world as compared to Nazi Germany.  While the two aren’t necessarily the same, they share similar components.  Still, the difficulties that Riki deals with as a border agent pale in comparison to what Elsie dealt with as a young woman in Germany. Her stories of her sister Hazel’s sacrifices in the name of  the Fatherland are heartbreaking, almost unbelievable.  It is with Elsie that Reba deals with the often hidden truths of the pasts and discovers the importance of forgiveness.

The Baker’s Daughter is a truly beautiful story of two women, separated in age by decades, who really aren’t that different at all. Coinciding with the stories of these two women are the difficult topics of cultural inclusion (and exclusion), a topic that is very timely in our country at this time.  Elsie is a an incredibly brave and selfless individual, the transition the reader sees in her as a young woman into a business woman in El Paso is tremendous. Thanks to Reba, Elsie opens up about her past, sharing with her daughter, Jane, secrets long buried.

I’d be remiss not to mention the food aspect of this book. Elsie’s family, the Schmidts, are a family of bakers whose shop barely survived the War. The reader is teased by discussions of delicious German pastries and baked goods, ultimately rewarded with recipes at the book’s conclusion. A woman of German heritage myself, the food, the terms of endearment, the history this family shared brought back fond memories of my own.

McCoy paints a very honest and obviously quite well-researched story about how unveiling the past can help those in the present, how past traumas can be used as moments of inspiration and growth. The Baker’s Daughter is a story that I will forever cherish, a story that sparked hours of discussion with my husband (a history buff), a truly inspirational tale.  Highly recommended.

 

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Posted in Crown Books | Tagged , | 7 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Jenn

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty (review)
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey


Currently Reading

King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry (audio)
The Baker’s Daughter by Sara McCoy
The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey


Books to Complete This Week

No One Is Here Except All of Us by Ramona Ausubel
In Darkness by Nick Lake

What are you reading this week?

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Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 4 Comments

Frightful Friday Review: The Chalk Girl by Carol O’Connell

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.  Feel free to grab the button and join in!

This week’s Frightful Friday book is The Chalk Girl  by Carol O’Connell:

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Putnam Adult (January 17, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0399157743
  • Source: Publisher

School children on a school field trip to Central Park come across a young girl. She’s bright-eyed, red-headed and appears to be okay other than the blood on her shoulders.  She dismisses this, stating that it fell from the sky when she was looking for her uncle, who had turned into a tree. It isn’t until later that police, including Special Crimes Detective Mallory, begin finding bodies hanging from trees.

Mallory has just recently returned to the force after a three-month “leave.” She feels a close bond with the little girl, Coco, due to their similar history. Mallory, too, was a “found” child, fostered by a police detective, spurring her interest in law enforcement.  Due to her childhood, she’s quick to form bonds with others with attachment disorders.  It’s not long before they learn that Coco has a disorder called Williams syndrome, giving her a fairy-like appearance and the desire to form close attachments with complete strangers.  The man she refers to as her uncle isn’t her uncle at all, but a man who abducted her after her grandmother passed away.

The discover of Coco uncovers murders spanning back nearly two decades and a series of deep secrets kept hidden thanks to good, old-fashioned blackmail. The serial killer responsible for the current crimes is referred to as The Hunger Artists, for all of his victims are found close to death due to starvation.

The Chalk Girl is a multi-faceted thriller. Not only is it an investigation of a serious set of crimes, it is also a psychological examination of Mallory herself. While this is my first Mallory novel, I felt I learned a great deal about this incredibly rich character.  She has quite a history, largely influenced, in my mind, by her difficult upbringing.

Additionally, it is an examination of the life of a troubled set of children. Each chapter begins with a statement by a character named Ernest Nadler from his childhood. It isn’t until much later in the book that the reader discovers Nadler’s connection to the other victims mentioned.

As mentioned, this is my first Mallory novel.  I can’t wait to dive in the other nine novels in the Kate Mallory series. Mallory is a no-nonsense, incredibly strong female character. I can’t wait to trace back her history with the New York City Police Department, to see how her character has evolved over the years. Recommended.


 

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Posted in Frightful Friday, Mystery/Suspense, Putnam, Women's Fiction | 2 Comments

Review: First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover:304 pages
  • Publisher:Harper (January 17, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0066210623
  • Source: Publisher

Evvie and Ben married relatively young after a pretty idealistic romance. They traveled the country, sleeping under the stars. Life seemed so much simpler then.  Things have changed over the years.  Evvie continues to life the alternative lifestyle she did when she was in college, most of her time spent writing letters to politicians about animal cruelty Ben has become more “mainstream,” heading to the office in a suit all day.

A divide has formed between them.  Evvie notices it just as much as Ben, but Ben is set on making a change. He’s formed a friendship with another woman. Not a physical relationship, but in my mind, an emotional one. He craves the ability to have an intellectual conversation with someone close to him.  He still has some feelings for Evvie, but he questions if it is love.

When he Ben tells Evvie his decision to leave she is quite reluctant to accept it. She does so, certainly not willingly.  Months pass by and she continues to be unable to really process the fact that their seperation isn’t temporary.  Ultimately, just as she’s beginning to accept her new life, she sees Ben and his girlfriend, Lauren, at the movies. Up until this point, Ben has kept this relationship from Evvie, not certain how she’ll handle it.

It is at this point that Evvie becomes desperate, agreeing to partake in a dangerous (and ulitmately devastating) scheme to get Ben back.  However, it is the results of this scheme that force Evvie to wake up, in a sense, truly evolving into a completely new individual.

Admittedly, as I was reading First You Try Everything I was on the fence in regards to my feelings about this book.  It is certainly a very emotional book; I experienced a wide range of motions as I read it, including sadness, anger, and in parts, amusement. It was tremendously difficult to “side” with either Evvie or Ben. They both have aspects I liked and disliked.  How can you hate a man wanting a little more in his life, a relationship with a woman who isn’t afraid to leave the house. Conversely, however, Evvie’s eccentric behavior isn’t new.  This was the woman Ben fell in love with, the one he married. Yes, some of her behavior is a little out there, but I felt a great deal of sympathy for her as well.

I did a great deal of contemplating after reading this book, ultimately coming to the realization that it was the author’s skilled writing that prevented me from siding with one character over the other.  I don’t believe McCafferty intended the reader to do so, but to look at this relationship as a neutral observer.  Granted, one cannot be expected to be completely void of emotion while reading this book.  It certainly evokes a great deal of strong emotions.  Throughout a great portion of this book I wanted to grab Evvie by the shoulders and shake her to get her to wake up from the fog she was under. Her signs of desperation really bothered me, but once I really thought about it, can I guarantee that iI wouldn’t act similarly (not nearly as severe, however) if I were in a similar situation?

Given these statements,  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend First You Try Everything to just everyone.  It is a dynamic psychological evaluation of one couple’s separation, the steps one woman will take to save her marriage. It’s not a simple read, but a completely emotionally complex.  Beyond the surface of this book is a vastly different world dealing with the psyche of this woman, desperate to keep her marriage whole. That said, it might be a little much for some readers, but if you are up for it, First You Try Everything is a book that I do recommend.

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Posted in General Fiction, Harper Books, Review | 8 Comments

Review: American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (January 9, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0316183318
  • Source: Publisher (BEA)

In 1990, Hayat Shah is in college.  A phone call from his mother announcing the death of his “aunt” Mina draws him back to his youth, how things changed when Mina entered the Shah’s home.

They lived in Milwaukee. Hyat’s father was a neurologist with no interest in keeping touch with Milwaukee’s Muslim community. His mother continues to put up with his father’s infidelity. The family is troubled, to say the least. His mother’s best friend Mina arrives from Pakistan.  She’s been divorced by her husband for having a “fast mouth.”  She fears her son will be taken from her so she escapes to the United States.

Mina is a devout Muslim.  It isn’t long before she convinces Hayat to study the Quran and encourages him to become a hafiz, an individual who knows the holy book by heart. This act influences Hayat to reflect on his life, his family, his upbringing.  It causes tension with his father, a relationship that is already pretty volatile to begin with.

It is when Mina begins dating Hayat’s father’s best friend, Nathan, that the tension truly begins. Not just a tension between family members but a sexual tension of sorts between Hayat and Mina.  This isn’t done in a perverse or abusive manner, it is simply a young man’s feelings toward an attractive woman living in his home. Nathan is not Muslim, but Jewish. As the relationship progresses, he agrees to convert to the Muslim religion if this means a life with Mina. This new relationship Mina shares with Nathan creates a level of jealousy in Hayat. Combined with the readings of the Quran that he occasionally misinterprets, Hayat partakes in an act of betrayal that will forever alter him, but more importantly, will alter the life of his aunt Mina.

American Dervish is unique in that it gives the reader a first hand glance inside the life of a Muslim family.  Hayat is desperately seeeking his own identity. His father doesn’t partake in the religion that other members of his family hold so dear.  He turns to the Quran for answers but ends up with more questions.  When the choices Mina makes based on her religion, his religion, have detrimental effects, Hayat is torn, confused. The results are an awakening of sorts for Hayat, changing the way he looks at his religion, his life, forever.

What impresses me most about American Dervish is the writing itself. Akhtar is able to perform the truly remarkable, to tackle difficult issues without being overly heavy or depressing.  Hayat’s character is one that you can’t help but feel for; he’s struggling to find identity in a family full of misrepresentations of the religion he hopes to devote himself to. A young Muslim man living in a Midwestern town, desperate for his Muslim beliefs to co-exist with the Western culture he is immersed in.

Additionally, Akhtar is able to juxtapose anger and beauty, love and hatred so eloquently.  Living in a post 9/11 world, it is refreshing to read a novel not degrading the Muslim religion, but one that celebrates it for both its beauty and its faults.

American Dervish is a book that will forever have a place in my mind. It is this book that educated me on the Muslim world, introduced me to a young man battling to find his identity.  It is a book that will be discussed in coffee shops and book clubs around the country. A book that will live in the hearts of its readers long after the last pages our turned. Dare I say it? American Dervish is, without a doubt, already one of my favorite books of 2012. Highly recommended.

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Posted in Little, Brown & Company | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Jenn

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar
The Chalk Girl by Carol O. Connell
The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak

Currently Reading

King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry (audio)
Come in and Cover Me by Gin Phillips

Books to Complete This Week

First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty
The Baker’s Daughter by Sara McCoy

What are you reading this week?

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Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 5 Comments

Author Guest Post: Eva Stachniak, Author of THE WINTER PALACE

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Jenn

Yesterday, I reviewed The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak.  Today I’m thrilled to present a guest post by Eva about the research she did in writing this book:

When I decided to write about Catherine the Great I knew I had to go to St Petersburg and see the city where Catherine spent so many years of her life. I chose to go there during the white nights, because I live in Ontario, Canada, and I can imagine winter far easier than I can imagine constant daylight of the far north.

I knew it would be a unforgettable journey.

My husband knows how relentless I’m when I travel on a mission. I stop only when I’m too tired to make another step. Luckily for him, Russian food was on my research list, so we made frequent stops in Russian restaurants to sample bliny, smoked fish, borsch, and try some flavored vodkas.

What I searched for was imprints of Catherine’s presence. The Winter Palace itself offers some, but I knew the palace Catherine would’ve remembered burnt down almost completely in 1837 and has been extensively remodeled and rebuilt since. But some things didn’t change. The view from the windows on the Neva is still there, and so are the paintings Catherine collected, her jewels, her china, her carriage, her dresses. The Hermitage Museum also keeps a few rooms to illustrate how the palace looked under Peter the Great, and I could walk into these small, unassuming rooms, see tables covered by carpets rather than tablecloths, see his tools for he was an avid craftsman who loved to work with his hands.

The interiors least changed from Catherine’s times are located outside St Petersburg, in two magnificent palaces: Tsarskoye Selo (which in travel guides is called by its newer name Pushkin) and Peterhof. This is where I saw rooms commissioned by Catherine herself. I saw her study, her bedroom with a life-size porcelain figure of  Zemira, one of her favorite greyhounds, her gardens, as well as paintings, sculptures and wall coverings she had commissioned at various points of her life.

This is where I fully realized how clever Catherine was in what we would now call self-promotion. A sculpture of her? Yes, but it has to show her victorious, a ruler over nations which are bending at her feet, all under a spiritual patronage of Peter the Great. A portrait? Yes, but it must reflect one of her key goals. Establish her legitimacy, for instance, or make her victories well-known. Viewed from this perspective it is easy to appreciate the wisdom of commissioning a giant sculpture of Peter the Great in St Petersburg with its laconic inscription “To Peter I from Catherine II.” Or to have so many various representations of Russian military victories: on snuffboxes, on cutlery, on plates. I can almost hear Catherine’s thoughts: when they finish their borsch let them discover a victorious scene emerging at the bottom of the plate. Let them remember that I vanquished Turkey!

What an empress! What a woman!

Thank you, Eva! Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of The Winter Palace to give away.  To enter, please fill out the form below.  Open to US citizens only.  The winner will be contacted via email on Monday, January 23. 

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Posted in Author Guest Post | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Review: The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam (January 10, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0553808125
  • Source: Publisher

Varvara (Russian for Barbara) is the daughter of a book binder.  When her mother and father pass away within a year of one another, Varvara is taken under the employ of the Empress Elizabeth and finds a home in her court.  With Count Bestuzhev as her mentor, Varvara becomes an all-seeing eye to all the things that take place before her.  She’s waiting for a better opportunity, something to give her the life she’s long desired.

When a young princess Sophie arrives from Zerbst, Varvara has new hope.  Sophie is destined to marry the Empress’ nephew & eventually become Catherine the Great.  Sophie needs an insider, someone to be her confidante, protecting her against those who would like to see her fail. With Varvara by her side, Sophie/Catherine becomes a legend, surviving trials, tribulations, and the coup that allows her to rise and assume the throne of all of Russia.

The Winter Palace is a beautifully written, dramatic glimpse inside the world of Catherine the Great. With the intensity of a suspense novel, readers get a unique view of Catherine’s youth, from a young, shy girl to an incredibly strong leader.  Stachniak’s writing is so detailed, the reader will feel as though they are walking the halls of the palace themselves, a witness to all the (often cruel) actions. Most importantly, this isn’t merely a novel about Catherine the Great, but one about the confidant who was by her side as she rose to power.  Varvara was a truly impressive character. Despite having a difficult start, she evolved into a truly powerful woman.

To some, the pacing may be slow.  Personally, I thought it was perfect, allowing the growth of these two great women to be revealed slowly, rather than rushed. Fans of history, particularly Russian, will enjoy this fine novel. Highly recommended.

 

 

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Posted in Bantam, Historical Fiction, Review | 8 Comments