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Ruth Galloway, archeologist, lives in a remote area near Norfolk called Saltmarsh.  She has experience recovering ancient relics & remains of the Iron Age people, but when a child’s body is discovered on a remote beach she is intrigued.  The local police, lead by  Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, call in Ruth for asssistance.  The bones are believed to be those of a young girl named Lucy, missing for a decade.  Since Lucy’s disappearance, Nelson has been receiving bizzare letters about the young girl.

The bones turn out to be over two thousand years old, but Ruth becomes a part of the case when the letters reveal the writer has a knowledge of archeology.  Another girl goes missing and the pace of the investigation speeds up.  Soon Ruth discovers she’s a lot closer to the case than she’d like and in a great deal of danger.

I’ve always been fond of forensic mysteries. In college, I took several archeology courses and the entire science has always fascinated me.  When I heard about this series, I was instantly drawn to it. Griffiths paints a very exciting, heart-pounding portrait of a crime.  What I loved about it most was Ruth’s character. She was real, she had flaws.  She’s overweight and lives with a bunch of cats in a remote cottage. She wasn’t a Barbie doll, but a truly average human being.  In addition, she’s smart, independent and quite witty. These details make Ruth a fascinating and endearing character, one that readers will be drawn to and appreciate.

The setting added a great deal to the mystery.  Where the North Sea meets the land, the landscape is full of deep pits of mud, neither land nor water. Thousands of years ago the area held religious significance to its inhabitants. While Saltmarsh is a fictional location, I found an image of a similar landscape:

I highly recommend this book to those looking for a new mystery series. I’m looking forward to reading & reviewing the second book in this series, THE JANUS STONE, scheduled for release in January 2011.

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Marie spent six years in jail, charged with aiding and abetting after her boyfriend robbed a bank, killing one individual. She was convicted on the charges of accessory to murder and bank robbery. Said boyfriend hung himself in jail, so Marie is alone.  She survived her time spent in jail in part due to a book she read, Virginie at Sea. 

Despite her checkered past, Marie’s  childhood friend, Ellen, hires her as a nanny for her precocious daughter, Caitlin. Ellen’s husband, Benoit Doniel,  just happens to be the author of the book Marie cherish while in prison.

Marie is a very rude, selfish, manipulating character.  Her one good trait is that she truly loves Caitlin.  But when Ellen & Benoit discover Marie & Caitlin asleep in the bathtub, Marie is fired.  The only “real” life she has is spinning out of control and she desperately attempts to retain it. When Benoit suggests that they take off for Paris together, Caitlin in tow, Marie readily agrees.

The life she was struggling to hold on to continues on a downward spiral, and Marie soon discovers the only person she can rely on is herself, and the love of a little girl.

Let me start by saying that there are times that I curse myself for not reading a book sooner.  That happened in this case.  Within the first few pages, I was hooked, I couldn’t stop reading.  I read BAD MARIE in one sitting. It took me two hours to read; I simply couldn’t tear myself away from it.  Marie is a character with traits one is meant to dispise, but I found myself enjoying and appreciating her crude behavior. 

The book starts off with the line: “Sometimes, Marie got a little drunk at work.” Talk about an attention-getting lead sentence!  Based on the title alone, one would tend to think that Marie is a bad person.  In reality, she is not, just a victim of circumstances.  The time she spent in prison, six years of her young life, forever altered how she views friendships, love, relationships as a whole.  I feel that she reacted as best she good, given her history and her experience.

So, go out and pick up a copy of BAD MARIE now.  You won’t regret it.

Here are some other reviews of BAD MARIE:

Devourer of Books

Linus’s Blanket

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In 1960′s Nashville, Bezellia Grove is the oldest daughter in a prominent family.  Her father is a doctor who would rather spend time with his patients than his own family, and her mother is a closet alcoholic. Bezellia and her sister are raised by their nanny, Maizelle, and the handyman, Nathanial. Bezellia treats them as members of her family while her mother treats them as pieces of property.

As a member of a prominent family, Bezellia is expected to accept her role by taking French lessons and attending cotillions.  Bezellia wants more out of life than that. 

 Bezellia’s name has been passed down from generation to generation. Her namesake was known for her courage and passion, and Bezellia vows to live up to that name. While others in the family line shortened the name, Bezellia totes it proudly.

When she meets Nathanial’s son, Samuel, she is instantly enamored. In a world where the color lines can’t be breached, this relationship is damned from the beginning.  Bezellia is forced to decide which name she will be known for; her first name or her last.

Gilmore is not afraid to touch on some pretty sensitive issues, including racism, alcoholism & insanity.  She doesn’t sugar coat it at all, despite how difficult it may to accept.  I fell in love with her characters, with Bezellia and her relationship with Samuel.  I had a special bond with these two characters in specific, largely due to the fact that my husband and I make up an interracial couple.  While the pain they went through is much larger than what my husband & I deal with on a regular basis, I could definitely sympathize with their struggle. 

THE IMPROPER LIFE OF BEZELLIA GROVE  is much more than “just” a novel about racism in the South.  It’s a tale of one young woman’s struggle to come to terms with who she is.  Does she live up to the expectations placed on her because of her family’s position in society, or does she live up to her own goals and aspirations. 

I can’t recommend this book enough to you. If there is one book you  must buy this summer, this should be it. I will forever cherish the gift Gilmore has given to me, through the characters in this book and her overwhelmingly powerful prose.

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• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Picador; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0312429770
• Source: Publisher

Abbigail (Abbe) Deighton lives with her husband, Greg, and three-year-old daughter Cloe in Hawaii.  Greg, a minister,  is a caring, loving, husband.  Cleo is your typical toddler, keeping Abbe on her toes.

Abbe’s life is quite different than the one she had growing up in South Africa.  Her father was an alcoholic, physically and abusive toward her mother.  In Abbe’s eyes, her mother put up with the abuse for far too long.

Abbe’s life is ripped from her when Cleo is hit by a car and killed. She goes into a long depression, in a sense dying along with her daughter.

It isn’t until Abbe returns to South Africa that she discovers that she hasn’t been “whole” for some time.  She learns more about her parents’ deaths, and her life.

COME SUNDAY is a heart-wrenching tale of one mother’s grief after losing her child, and ultimately herself.  I literally sobbed through the first 50-60 pages.   As a mother myself, I can’t bear to think of how I would react if I lost one of my children.  However, this is not a tale full of dread and sadness.  It is not only a story of love and loss, but also a journey of rediscovery.  This path Abbe takes is uplifting and empowering, she learns more about her mother; she wasn’t the virtual punching bag Abbe grew up thinking her to be.  Abbe, always the minister’s wife, becomes an individual and finally begins to lead the life she’s meant to lead.

I highly recommend COME SUNDAY, I cannot sufficiently portray how much I loved this book.  Yes, the start of the journey Abbe faces is difficult, but the pain she goes through is worth it in the end.

Beauty, the servant from Abbe’s childhood, said it best:

“The death of our babies is not our punishment…We must carry our burden like the buckets of water the women carry on their heads.  Most of them carry small buckets because their necks are not strong enough.  But a few of the women, the strong ones, have to carry the big buckets.  They have to carry more water; they have to walk a long way.  Then, when the others have finished all their water and are thirsty again, the woman wit the big bucket comes home.  She puts it down and doesn’t have to carry it again for a long time.” (p. 253)

Please don’t let the dreariness of this book’s premise prevent you from reading it.  Just like Abbe’s journey, the reader’s initial sadness will be rewarded in the end.

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• Inteview with Isla Morley, Author of Come Sunday (6)

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Balzer & Bray; 1 edition (June 22, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 006176275X
• Source: Personal copy

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten is an charming and adorable book about preparing your child (or buffalo!) for kindergarten!  It discusses things your kindergartner might be worIried about, including being shy & sharing.  It assures children that they don’t need to know how to do all of these these before starting school.  What I loved most about it was the underlying theme of “everyone is special in his/her own way.”

My youngest son, Justin, is starting kindergarten in just a few weeks.  We purchased this book as soon as it released and we’ve read it several times since then, so I wanted to make sure to include his thoughts.  To keep it simple, I asked what he liked about this book:

“I think the book is very silly.  I thought it was funny when the buffalo tried to put on a suit and it was too small.  The funniest funniest funniest part was when he was trying to balance on the tight rope! The tower of blocks they built was very cool! And when the buffalo got his bum stuck on the swing? That was very funny!   Oh, and I liked the part  when the buffalo got grumpy (I added: You know you can’t be grumpy at kindergarten?)  Of course, Mom, but I can still like it!”

Justin picked up on the illustrations of Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten right away.  The illustrator is Daniel Jennewein, and his drawings are the perfect complement to this story.  They are quite humorous!  Justin spent hours pouring over this book, talking about each of the illustrations.

Justin was very excited to hear that Audrey & Daniel will be in town in September for a signing.  He’s looking forward to getting his first “autoscratch” (autograph).

I highly highly recommend this book to any child preparing to enter kindergarten. I think it will alleviate any fears they may have starting school.

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• Review: How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills (13)

• Hardcover: 394 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (June 16, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1594148600
• Source: Author

Annie Bartlett returns to her small Florida hometown after her father is murdered.  She demands to confront the woman acquitted of the crime, and is astonished to find that she looks remarkably like her mother, who has been dead since she was a young girl, a victim of suicide.  It’s not difficult for Annie to remember what her mother looked like; she continues to see her nearly every day.  Her mother has “haunted” her since her death, berating Annie’s father and discounting his love to her.

After meeting his father’s accused murderer, she’s suddenly drawn to fight for this woman’s acquittal. She begins to dig a little deeper she discovers that some pretty powerful people are involved, and these individuals want to keep their secrets buried.

I was happy to have “met” Irene on Twitter and I was instantly drawn to the premise of this book.  She has developed some very complex characters; the reader learns a great deal about each of the major characters.  The storyline was evenly paced, keeping my focus and interest throughout.  Irene is definitely an author to keep on your radar, I see nothing but good things in her future. Highly recommended for fans of character-driven thrillers.

Thank you to TLC book tours for providing me the opportunity to participate in this tour.  Please check out the other stops along the way:

Monday, August 23rd: Lesa’s Book Critiques

Tuesday, August 24th: My Reading Room

Wednesday, August 25th: Booksie’s Blog

Thursday, August 26th: Café of Dreams

Monday, August 30th: Jen’s Book Thoughts

Tuesday, August 31st: My Random Acts of Reading

Wednesday, September 1st: Helen’s Book Blog

Thursday, September 2nd: Life In Review

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These are affiliate links. If you purchase an item from either of these links I will earn a small commission, which goes toward the hosting of this blog & other routine costs associated with running this blog.

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• Review:The Enemy by Lee Child (4)

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dell (August 28, 2007)
• ISBN-10: 0440240980
• Source: Publisher

MacKayla (Mac) Lane is a small town, Southern girl. Her days consist of basking in the sun and shopping.  When her sister Alina, a student in Ireland, dies mysteriously MacKayla drops everything and sets off to Dublin to find out more about her sister’s death.  Her only clues are a cryptic message left on her cell phone by Alina:

“I thought I knew what I was doing. I thought he was helping me, but –God, I can’t believe I was so stupid.  I thought I was in love with him and he’s one of them, Mac!  He’s one of them!”

Alina’s message closes with her desperate plea to Mac to find the Sinsar Dubah (the Dark Book)Upon her arrival in Dublin, Mac soon learns her sister was living a completely different life.  Gone were the days of attending class or hanging out with friends.  The local law enforcement assumed Alina had turned to drugs, what else would explain the drastic change in her behavior.

Mac is unsure of how or where to start her investigation.  She starts out in pubs, asking random people what a Sinsar Dubh is.  Mac’s “investigating” leads her to a bookstore run by Jericho Barrons.  Barrons obviously knows something about the situation surrounding Alina’s death but won’t divulge any information.  Until later that night when he appears outside the bed & breakfast where Mac is staying.  Mac learns she has a gift to see into the realm of the Fae. It is also likely that Alina had this power as well.  In addition, Mac is able to sense what she refers to as OOPs (Objects of Power).  She and Barron reluctantly join forces: Barron needs her powers to track down the Sinsar Dubh and Mac needs Barron to help keep her alive!

This is my first foray into Moning’s writing.  While advertised as a romance, I would categorize this more as a paranormal or urban fiction.  There is a bit of romance (if can call it that…a Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women) and some pretty illicit scenes, so not for the faint of heart.  The storyline moved fast, I literally read this in one afternoon.  My only issue was Mac’s character:   She’s a 22 year-old girl, but she acts more like a teenage beauty queen.  She spends much too much time discussing her outfit and the color of nail polish she is wearing.   Barron’s character is dark and mysterious.  It’s obvious that he has some sort of power but it isn’t revealed in this book.  There is definite sexual tension between Mac & Barron and it’s pretty much a given that something will happen between these two.

I should warn you, DARKFEVER does end with a total cliffhanger ending.  If that sort of thing drives you crazy, I suggest you have the next book, BLOODFEVER waiting on your bookshelf.   So, despite my flaws with Mac’s character, I’m eagerly looking forward to reading and reviewing the next book in this series next month.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to review this book!  Please be sure to check out the other stops on this tour:

Monday, August 23rd:  Rundpinne

Wednesday, August 25th:  Tynga’s Reviews

Thursday, August 26th:  Savvy Verse and Wit

Monday, August 30th:  Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, September 1st:  The Cajun Book Lady

Tuesday, September 7th:  Book Junkie

Thursday, September 9th:  Angieville

Friday, September 10th:  Luxury Reading

Monday, September 13th:  Dark Faerie Tales

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• Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (8)

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
• Source: Publisher
• ISBN-10: 0061906077

When they were young, Bobby rescued Cami from debilitating anorexia.  Decades later, she needs saving again when he decides he wants to end their marriage.  Cami is devastated.  She’s a veterinarian, running her own practice and Bobby owns his own restaurant.  While things weren’t perfect, she never expected this.

Earlier that day, Cami goes on on a horrible cruelty & abuse case in which she has to euthanize several horses beyond healing.  One of the survivors is a severely underweight horse with a serious back kick.  Even though he literally knocks Cami out when she attempts to load him onto her trailer, she can’t bear to leave him in the current conditions and she takes him home to her farm.

Despite the rough start, this horse, eventually named Moonshot, becomes a key part of Cami’s physical and emotional recovery.  Her form of healing is in the presence of animals.

She’s torn between following the advice of her family and trying to mend a broken marriage and finding a life of her own.  She starts to evaluate and reconsider the relationships of those around her: her parents who are about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary; her brother and his lover, trying to adopt a baby; and her best friend Olive, just embarking on the adventure of marriage.

Inspiring her is their teen daughter, Gabriella.  Gabriella sees the pain her father has put her mother through and swears of marriage.  Cami can’t bear to see her daughter feel this way about love and marriage.  She must prove to Gabriella, and herself, that being true to yourself brings happiness.

I think I’ve read everything Katrina Kittle has ever written, and I’ve literally fallen in love with every bit of it.  Her books, the characters, the storyline are all very compelling, multifaceted, and really leave you contemplating your own life.  You close the book, the only words that come to your lips are “Wow!”, and you can’t wait to start the book all over again.The best way to sum up this book is to quote it directly:

“What a risk love was.  But the riskier the venture and greater the chance of failure, the higher the reward.” (p. 422)

WARNING-the rest of this review might be considered a spoiler!

My favorite thing about this book: the ending.  So many times I read books with similar story lines, and the woman feels the need to be in a relationship with a man.  She either begs for her husband to stay with her or rushes into another relationship.  Cami does neither, and I commend the author for writing such a strong and independent character.

Katrina Kittle will be on Blog Talk Radio on August 26th at 7pm ET. Here’s the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/book-club-girl/2010/08/26/katrina-kittle-discusses-the-blessings-of-the-animals. Be sure to tune in, I know I will!

Thank you TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to participate in this tour.  Be sure to check out the other stops:

Thursday, August 19th: Booksie’s Blog

Tuesday, August 24th: The Little Reader

Wednesday, August 25th: Take Me Away

Thursday, August 26th: Books and Things

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• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (August 31, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1416975861
• Source: BEA-from publisher

Sixteen-year old Tessa leaves her world behind in New York when she crosses the Atlantic to find her brother, Nate, in Victorian London.  When she arrives, it’s not Nate waiting for her on the dock as she thought, but two women, promising to take her to her brother.

These women, known by many as the Dark Sisters, hold Tessa captive.  She learns she has the ability to transform herself into another person and the Sisters have been taking advantage of this power.  Tessa discovers that she is not human, but what is she?  The Sisters prepare to present her to the Magistrate, the leader of the Pandemonium Club to which they all belong.

A completely different world within London is revealed to Tessa, a world of demons, vampires, & warlords.  Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, warriors who protect humans (mundanes) from demons.  Together they must find Nate and uncover what it is about Tessa that makes her so special, so different than others with her powers.

I’ve been a fan of Cassandra Clare’s writing since reading The Mortal Instruments. She always delivers compelling characters with layers upon layers of history & depth.  The same rings true with Clockwork Angel. I’m quite found of YA books with strong female main characters.  Tess, while weak and naive in the beginning quickly transforms into a strong young woman. To top it all off, Tessa is lover of books. How can you not love her!?

Her feelings are divided between two young men: James “Jem” a fragile, sensitive boy and Will, a moody, defensive brute who won’t let anyone get close to him.  Both clearly have secrets, but Jem was more willing to reveal his than Will.  I have to say I’m clearly rooting for Jem in this case!

As with the Mortal Instruments series Clare builds a completely dynamic and compelling setting.  While it is set in Victorian London, some aspects are true to life while in others Clare adds a bit of creativity.  In any case, be prepared to become enveloped in this world.  The detailed, flowing prose will pull you in from the first few pages.  While Clockwork Angel is just shy of 500 pages, you’ll be swept away and won’t notice the pages flying by.

Clockwork Angel is prequel of the Mortal Instruments series, so fans of the series should definitely check this one out. While I enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series more than Clockwork Angel, it was exciting and to read more of Clare’s work and see where the series began. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series, aptly titled The Infernal Devices.

Following are a few of my favorite quotes from Clockwork Angel:

“One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

” Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature & poetry.” (pg 87 of ARC)

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• Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (4)

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Schwartz & Wade; 1 edition (July 27, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0375858997
• Source: Library

Rocket is an adorable little puppy who loves to do little puppy things, like chase leaves and chew sticks.  At the end of a day, he would plop down in his favorite spot under his favorite tree. One day, he happens upon a little yellow bird.  This little bird is a teacher, so Rocket must be his student!

When the little bird discovers that Rocket can’t read, teaching him to read becomes the little bird’s mission.  Rocket is very reluctant to read; he’d much rather take a nap. This doesn’t dissuade the little bird.  She picks up a book and begins to read anyway.

At first Rocket was annoyed by the book. But in no time at all he become absorbed in the story.  He pictures it in his head.  The anticipation builds up and he must know the end of the story.

Every day Rocket returned to the little bird’s classroom.  She teaches him the alphabet, how to sound out each letter, and soon they were spelling entire words!

But soon the spring turned to fall and the bird flew away, promising to return in the winter. Despite the cold winter, Rocket couldn’t stop thinking about reading!  He continued to practice his letters and sound out words, and before long it was spring again!

This time, Rocket and the little bird began to read together

I read How Rocket Learned to Read to my youngest son, who will be starting kindergarten this fall.  Since his brother has reviewed for me, as well as his father, he wanted a turn at reviewing.  So, here are Justin’s brief comments:

Why did you like this book?

I liked Rocket.  I like dogs!

Other than Rocket, was there anything else you liked about this book?

YES MOM!  Rocket was learning to read.  I am learning to read! Rocket spelled out letters in the snow! Mom, can I do that when it snows!?

Yes, Justin.  It’s 90 degrees out now so we might be waiting a little while.  Was there anything you didn’t like about this book?

Yes! It was over!! Oh, and when the teacher bird left in the winter, I was sad.

So there you have it…Justin’s reviewing debut!

Personally, I loved How Rocket Learned to Read because it describes the steps to learning how to read in a fun and exciting way.  The illustrations are vivid and interesting.  It grabs the reader’s attention, just as all books should. As I explained to Justin as we read, if he follows the steps that Rocket took, with time and practice he, too, would be reading before he knew it.

How Rocket Learned to Read is the perfect book for a preschooler or a child just about to enter kindergarten.

Since we’re about to start kindergarten here, Justin & I have been reading a lot of books about school and kindergarten. Check back each week as we feature our favorite back to school/kindergarten books!

Is there a book about going back to school or starting kindergarten that you’d like to recommend?

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