Jenn\'s Bookshelves

Review: A Future Arrived by Phillip Rock

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Jenn

Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (February 5, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0062229354
Source: Publisher

The final installment of the Passing Bells trilogy begins in the 1930s, the Jazz era ending and a period of uncertainty as the younger generation, born during the great war, embarks upon adulthood.

Rather than continuing with the host of characters readers of the series have grown to love, Rock instead introduces a whole new cast of characters in a younger generation. While a few of the original characters, like American writer Martin Rilke make an appearance, a great deal of the story focuses on a ten-year span of time with the younger generation.

The historical setting of these novels is incredibly rich. In this installment, Hitler is just beginning to make a voice for himself in Germany. Those who have just survived a war don’t even want to contemplate another battle but it seems imminent. Additionally, while the characters Rock builds are in general new to the reader, the depth that he adds to each of these characters is commendable. Readers can’t help but grow to love them just as much as their family before them.

While this wasn’t my favorite of the trilogy, mainly due to the new slate of characters, as a whole I did find this series to be incredibly informative and engaging. Additionally, while I would have enjoyed more closure regarding the original characters, I did find the new generation to be an interesting set of individuals. The challenges they faced, including the uncertainty of their future, was far different than the same uncertainty that challenged the generation before them.

Fans of historical fiction will find this series to be incredibly rewarding. Additionally, fans of Downton Abbey desperate for another fix will enjoy this series tremendously. Recommended.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this title. Be sure to check out the tour page for the entire series.

Posted in Historical Fiction, Review, William Morrow | 3 Comments

Review: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Jenn

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (February 12, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1250014522
Source: Publisher

Isabelle McAllister is a feisty eighty-nine year old woman. Over the years, she’s formed quite a friendship with her hairdresser, Dorrie Curtis, a single-black woman in her thirties. She’s followed Dorrie around as she’s moved from one salon to another, finally opening up her own. Yet what Isabelle asks of her has nothing to do with her hair…but her past. Isabelle asks Dorrie to put her life on hold and driver her from her home in Arlington, TX to a funeral in Cincinnati the very next day.

Dorrie is more than happy to fulfill Isabelle’s request. The two woman, separated by age and race, have known each other for years. Dorrie realizes it must mean a lot to Isabelle to attend this funeral and she’s honored to be asked. After making arrangements for her children and tying lose ends at home, the two women embark on the journey.

Although Isabelle has been Dorrie’s client for years and have shared in casual conversation, neither woman really knows a great deal about the other. As the miles pass, Isabelle opens up to Dorrie about her guarded past. As a teen growing up in 1930s Kentucky, she fell in love with Robert Prewitt, the son of her family’s black housekeeper, in a town in which blacks weren’t allowed after dark. Isabelle reveals to Dorrie a young life riddled with pain and loss, further proving the importance of this journey. In turn, Dorrie learns a great deal about herself on this journey, that love is possible if you just open your heart to it.

Due to my own marriage, when I began the journey with this book, I knew it would hit home with me. While we never had to face many of the challenges Isabelle and Robert faced, there were definitely some obstacles we had to overcome. His life was never in danger but we had to deal with looks and glares when we went out in the public. Seventy years certainly seems like a long time, but not when you are forced to endure racism that has endured for centuries. Thankfully, however, our boys were born years later, in a time in which the color of one’s skin didn’t determine their fate or value in life. Now that they are older, we remind them how lucky we are to be a family, that not too long ago the love we share would be forbidden…illegal.

I love that Kibler uses her own grandmother’s story as an inspiration for this novel. She truly captures the very essence of an inter-racial relationship…then and now. Additionally, the transformation that both Isabelle and Dorrie take on their journey is incredibly endearing and heartwarming. Two young women with vastly different lives brought together seemingly by fate for I do not believe Isabelle could have taken this journey with anyone but Dorrie. The relationship they share, while unlikely, is wholly believable and sincere, the gifts they give one another are invaluable.

Calling Me Home is an incredibly memorable and heartwarming novel, rich with subject matters meant to be discussed. It’s a novel that I dare you NOT to fall in love with, for I grew such a strong attachment to this book that I read it not once, but twice. Isabelle and Robert’s relationship really hit home with me, characters that were forced to deal a fate no one should ever have to face in the name of love. I cannot wait to discuss this book with my own book club once it comes out in paperback. Until then, I fondly anticipate my reunion with Isabelle and Dorrie…and Robert. Highly, highly recommended.

Calling Me Home is the February book club selection for the She Reads book club. Check out what other members of the blog network thought of this book and join in on the discussion!

Posted in Review, SheReads Book Club, St. Martin's Press | Tagged 1930s, friendship, interracial marriage, racism | 7 Comments

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

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Jenn

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

So, I think my reading groove is back!

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler (reread)
Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason (review)
The Truth about Love and Lightning by Susan McBride
Devil’s Wake by Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due (review)
Domino Falls by Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due (review)
The Good Daughter by Jane Porter (review)
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Currently Reading

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer (audio)
The Lion Is in by Delia Ephron

Books to Complete This Week

A Future Arrived by Phillip Rock
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns

What are you reading this week?

Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 7 Comments

Mini-Review: The Good Daughter by Jane Porter

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Jenn

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1 edition (February 5, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0425253422
Source: Publisher

Kit Brennan has always been a good girl, the good daughter, as far as her family is concerned. She’s teacher at a Catholic school, attends Mass every weekend, and wants to go the traditional route as far as marriage and having children are concerned. Yet as her 40th birthday nears, Kit wonders if taking the route preferred by her family is the best one. She both a man her parents would approve of (on the surface anyway) as well as a man she knows they would shun. An even more difficult question: Should she wait for the perfect man to enter her life in order to start a family, or does she have what it takes to have one, through adoption, on her own? As her mother deteriorates further due to cancer, Kit soon realizes that sometimes life is meant to be lived in the moment, that an individual truly can’t be happy if they are continuously trying to please others rather than themselves.

The Good Daughter is the second book in the Brennan sisters trilogy. Once again, Porter continues to create a truly rewarding and insightful read. She tackles a number of pretty tough subjects so eloquently and respectfully, packing quite a punch. Readers are given a bigger opportunity to embrace and love each of the Brennan sisters, a truly remarkable set of siblings. Upon wrapping up title, much like her other books, the characters resonate, often taking on stronger roles in my life than I thought imaginable. As I closed each of the Brennan sisters books, I felt as though I was saying goodbye to a dear friend. Yet knowing that a reunion is in future with another Brennan sisters book I’m left feeling hopeful, looking forward to the next saga in this family’s story. Highly recommended.

Posted in Berkley Trade, Review, Women's Fiction | Tagged abuse, adoption, cancer, parenthood | 1 Comment

Frightful Friday: Domino Falls by Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. This week’s featured book is: Domino Falls by Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Atria Books; Original edition (February 19, 2013)
ISBN-10: 145161702X
Source: Publisher egalley

In this continuation of Devil’s Wake, Kendra and the other survivors finally reach Domino Falls, a secure town in California run by new-age guru Joseph Wales. After a period of quarantine, the conditions they discover in Domino Falls are almost too good to be true: clean bathrooms with running water, hot cooked meals, and a mechanic to help repair the shoddy bus they have been driving for thousands of miles.

It isn’t long before they realize that the Domino Falls is, in fact, too good to be true. Wales is implicitly involved in the apocalypse that caused the infection that turned everyday people into monsters. When what the group of survivors thought was the cause of this wave of infection is disproven, an unworldly source is revealed.

Domino Falls is an extraordinary follow-up to what I thought was an incredibly unique and remarkable first book in a series. In this novel, the characters experience a tremendous amount of growth and revelation. Additionally, readers will be floored when the true cause of the “infection” is revealed, adding a completely astounding science fiction spin on this zombie series.

As with the previous book, the action is intense and the pacing fast so don’t be surprised if you finish this book in one sitting. While I thought the cliff-hanger at the end of Devil’s Wake was powerful, it holds nothing to the ending of Domino Falls. I cannot wait until more is revealed in this series. Highly recommended.

Posted in Atria, Frightful Friday, Horror, Review | Tagged apocalypse, zombies | 1 Comment

Review: Devil’s Wake by Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Jenn

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Atria Books; Original edition (July 31, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1451617003
Source: Personal copy

Kendra and her parents are on their way to the hospital in Portland for a flu shot when it happens: an infection consumes innocent people, turning them into flesh-eating monsters. Escaping before receiving the injection, they attempt to escape the madness that is unfolding before their very eyes. It isn’t long before the devastation hits home, Kendra left to fend for herself after her parents become victims of the mysterious infection.

After fleeing yet another incident that nearly takes her life, Kendra eventually meets up with a group of juvenile delinquents who served time volunteering at a summer camp instead of in the Washington juvenile detention system.The group begins the harrowing journey to find safety. Together, they cross thousands of miles of barren land in a decrepit school bus, fighting not only the infected but healthy individuals, pirating the weak for supplies and information.

A great deal of speculation takes place regarding the cause of the virus that turns people into “freaks,” the prevailing answer seems to be the infected are those who both received a flu shot & consumed a mushroom marketed as a weight-loss diet. All the survivors know is this: newly infected fall asleep and wake up as flesh-eating monsters with blood-red eyes. The cause is not important to Kendra in the survivors. Their goal is to get to safety…and fast.

Devil’s Wake is a fresh, unique spin on the zombie story. Both the cause of the infection and Kendra’s speculated involvement is wholly intriguing. Additionally, the zombies this husband/wife writing combo create are unique in and of themselves. Some turn into bumbling, flesh-hungry creatures but others retain a part of their original selves, some able to participate in actual intelligible conversation.

The main characters are mostly teens, Barnes & Due allow them to retain some of the aspects of teens, including the traditional insecurities that many teens face. Additionally, they are incredibly flawed and make genuine mistakes. One of the many redeeming characteristics of this novel is the strong, female characters. Each of them are head strong and self-assured, traits not often seen in this genre. Also, the authors create characters from different walks of life, combining individuals from well-off backgrounds with those whose family life had more to be desired. Finally, the characters are genuine representations of people of color, not forced into stereotypical roles or norms.

While there wasn’t a strong ending to this novel with several aspects left hanging, this cliff-hanger instead generates a great deal of excitement about the next book in the series. All in all, Devil’s Wake is a great example of zombie fiction for those who like a bit of horror, but not a great deal of vulgarity and gore. Highly recommended.

Devil’s Wake the first in a series; stay tuned for tomorrow when I review the second book in the series, Domino Falls.

Posted in Atria, Horror, Review | Tagged apocalypse, NW United States, zombies | 3 Comments

Review: The Truth about Love and Lightning by Susan McBride

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Jenn

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (February 12, 2013)
ISBN-10: 006202728X
Source: Publisher

When a tornado tears through Gretchen Brink’s land, the impact is not only structural but emotional. Gretchen and her twin sisters discover the body of a man unconscious on their property, a man who has no memory of his life or identity. Additionally, her grown daughter Abby returns home unexpectedly with her own emotional storm: she is pregnant, not certain if she will wed the father. Upon seeing the man, Abby is certain it is her long-lost father, Sam, a man who disappeared decades ago while volunteering in Africa. The storm that brought this man to them is eerily similar to the storm that occurred shortly after Sam disappeared. The appearance of this man, affectionately referred to as “the man who might be Sam” unleashes a host of memories and deeply buried secrets Gretchen has kept repressed all these years. Worried that these secrets will shatter the fragile family she’s built, Gretchen must accept the inevitable and allow fate to take its course.

The Truth about Love and Lightning is a truly rewarding novel. The characters McBride creates are incredibly endearing and multifaceted. Adding to the completely unique storyline is a trace of mystery, really adding to the intensity of this emotional read. The pacing of this novel was impeccable, not rushed or forced but flowed quite naturally. Flashbacks allow the reader to uncover a tremendous amount of detail about Gretchen, Sam and his family’s “gift,” an aspect that added a tinge of mysticism to the story.

There are definitely a number of characteristics about this book that would make it the perfect book club read, including the P.S. section at the end of the book that includes information about the author and her other books and list of questions to aid a book club discussion

A truly unique and genuine story about the importance of family, of living in the past and not the present, and of accepting life’s gifts, The Truth about Love and Lightning is a novel that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Thank you to TLC book tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other stops in the tour. Learn more about the author here.

Posted in General Fiction, Review, William Morrow | 2 Comments

Review: Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Jenn

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books (February 12, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1451685033
Source: Publisher

Over a year ago, Jason Getty killed a man, burying his body in his own back yard.Jason spends every waking moment thinking about the body and its potential discovery. Just as he gets close to accepting his crime will go undetected, the police uncover two bodies buried on his property, neither of which is the body Jason buried. Jason is desperate to keep the police from discovering the body. His attempts to lay low are thwarted when the wife of one of the victims begins to snoop around the property. Add Detective Tim Bayard, a small town detective who can’t get rid of his suspicious feelings about Jason’s involvement and Jason has his work cut out for him.

Three Graves Full is a novel full of potential. Interesting and engaging storyline, intense plot and eloquently written prose. Unfortunately, all this vast potential was left unmet. It is clear in Mason’s writing that she is a truly talented writer. Unfortunately, the cookie-cutter characters and uneven and inconsistent writing left this reader craving for more.

I’m a fan of incredibly descriptive prose…when appropriate. In reading Three Graves Full there were scenes in which I thought the writing to be a bit too descriptive and others where it wasn’t descriptive enough.

Additionally, I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The point of view alternated between each of the main characters, providing the opportunity to develop each individual. Jason’s character was created to generate sympathy from the reader, yet I couldn’t care less as to what happened to him. Unfortunately, the only character I found a connection with was the incredibly intuitive dog belonging to the small town detective.

Bottom line: While this novel wasn’t a winner for me, the fact that Mason’s writing is so strong lends me to believe that subsequent novels will have marked signs of improvement. My feelings about this title won’t prevent me from reading Mason’s future works. If you are looking for a psychological thriller with a tinge of dark humor, this is the title for you.

Posted in Gallery Books, Mystery/Suspense, Review | 3 Comments