Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Jenn

  • 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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Posted in Paranormal Fiction, Review | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Review: The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Jenn

  • 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

Buy this book now from:
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Posted in Harper Collins Publishers, Review, Women's Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Teaser Tuesday: The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Jenn
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

My teaser this week comes from:
The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle:

“Forgiving is the hardest.  Regret isn’t hard, but you carry it forever.”

Check back tomorrow for my review of The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle. 

What’s your teaser this week?

Posted in Teaser Tuesday | 7 Comments

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Jenn

  • 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)

Buy this book now from:
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Posted in Paranormal Fiction, Review, YA | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

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

Posted on August 16, 2010 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 reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Scar Tissue: Seven Stories of Love and Wounds by Marcus Sakey
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Currently Reading

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler

Books to Complete This Week

I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

What are you reading this week?

Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 9 Comments

Review: How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Jenn

  • 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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Posted in 4-8 years of age, Kid-lit, Kid-Lit/Middle Grade, Review | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday: Holy Ghosts by Gary Jansen

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Jenn

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we’re eagerly anticipating.

The book I’m eagerly anticipating is Holy Ghosts by Gary Jansen.  Here is a description from the publisher:

In this extraordinary true story, the haunting of a Long Island household forces a respected writer and editor to reevaluate the mysteries of life and death as he struggles with the frightening truths of his childhood home and his town’s past.

Growing up in Rockville Centre, Long Island, Gary Jansen never believed in ghosts. His mother – a devoutly Catholic woman with a keen sense for the uncanny – claimed that their family house was haunted. But Jansen never found anything inexplicable in how their doorbell would sometimes ring of its own accord; or in the mysterious sounds of footsteps or breaking glass that occasionally would fill their home; or even in his mother’s sometimes unnervingly accurate visions of future events and tragedies. Though he once experienced a supernatural encounter in a Prague church as a young man, Jansen grew up into a rationalist, as well as a noted writer and editor.

In 2001, Jansen moved back into the very same house where he had once grown up, to raise a family with his wife. One day in 2007 he encountered a weird physical sensation in his toddler son’s bedroom – like an electric hand rubbing the length of my back. I stopped and couldn’t move, not because I was stuck but for the simple reason that the feeling was so strange. What the hell is that? Then the pressure seemed to break apart and for a brief moment I felt like I had a million little bugs crawling all over my back and neck.

This became the first step in uncovering a frightening, full-blown haunting in his home-a phenomenon which lasted a full year and eventually included unveiling the identities of the spirits who occupied his house; reliving a tragic murder in his hometown; encountering mind-boggling coincidences between local history and episodes in his household; and finally, with the help of Mary Ann Winkowski, the real-life inspiration for TV’s The Ghost Whisperer, ridding his house of these uninvited visitors. The events of that year, in which Jansen’s family was terrified by ghosts in their own home, would forever change how he viewed the mysteries of life and death.

Holy Ghosts is not only a gripping true-life ghost story but a wry and touching memoir, as well as a meditation on the relationship between religion and the paranormal, which are often considered at odds with each other, but which the author shows are intimately linked.

I discovered this title in an issue of Shelf Awareness. Sounds great, right? I plan on featuring this book during Fright Fest if I can get my hands on a copy in time.

So, what book are you waiting for?

Posted in Waiting on Wednesday | 7 Comments

Announcing the Winners of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Jenn

The first place winner, winning a finished copy of An Echo in the Bone is:

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The second place winner, receiving a ARC of An Echo in the Bone is:

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Congratulations to both winners!  The finished copy will be sent directly by the publisher; I will handle shipping for the ARC.  Thanks again to all who entered!

Posted in Bookish Chatter | 2 Comments

Announcing the Winner of Running Dark by Jamie Freveletti

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Jenn

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Congratulations, Trisha! I’ll ship your book out this weekend.  Thanks to all who entered!

Posted in Bookish Chatter | 1 Comment

Review: Scar Tissue-Seven Stories About Love and Wounds by Marcus Sakey

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Jenn

To start, I first have to thank Jen from Jen’s Book Thoughts for introducing me to the phenomenal writing of Marcus Sakey.  The Chicago Tribune has referred to Sakey as “the new reigning prince of crime fiction” and I won’t disagree! His writing is known to be honest & gritty.

Ok, on to the review!  In Scar Tissue, Sakey provides his readers with seven very different short stories in ebook format.  What I found stunning while reading this anthology was that none of the stories felt like short stories.  Each seemed to be extremely well-developed, the characters clearly detailed.  Following are a few of my favorites:


“The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away”

The main character is Nick, a  soldier.  Vivid descriptions of war-time life pull you into the story:

“And the funny thing is that it’s the aftermath that the fear really hits, as you realize it was just chance that their vehicle was in front; not strategy or fate or a plan, just chance, a matter of which driver pulled out first.  That difference between life and death was measured in feet and in seconds.  Fear burst the door of its basement cage and seized you and didn’t let go, not then and not since.”

At the conclusion of this short story, I literally had to take a deep breath and step away. I literally felt like I was walking in Nick’s boots, feeling his feelings, thinking his thoughts.  Quite haunting, really. It doesn’t surprise me that this short story was nominated for multiple thriller awards.

The Days When You Were Anything Else

The first sentence reads:

“She calls me sometimes. Late at night, drunk or worse.  She calls to say she hates me.”

Sakey launches us into a gut-wrenching, emotional telling of one father’s relationship with a daughter who refuses to stop punishing him for his crimes.  He’ll stop at nothing, sacrifice everything, to gain the love of his daughter.

Gravity and Need

Ever wonder just how far love will go? After a serious car accident, the main character is paralyzed.  Prior to the accident, his relationship with Pamela was new, fresh, and very physical.  After the accident, things changed.

“Take the phrase, ‘I need you.’  There was a time those words might kick off a romp that could get us arrested in some states.  We said ‘need’ when we meant ‘want’….It was only after the accident that I learned what ‘I need you’ really means.

I need you to tie my shoes.

I need you to drive me to work.

No. Please. No.

I need you to help me off the toilet.”


He’s stated his relationship with Paula is all or nothing. Despite the stress & pressure his injuries have caused, neither of them want a divorce.  So, Paula gives the ultimate sacrifice…

The stories I mentioned are just a few of my favorites.  The other stories are excellent as well. They made me laugh out loud, shake my head in amazement, and sit in stunned silence.

Whether you’ve read Sakey’s work or not, I can’t recommend this short-story collection enough.  For those who have read Sakey before, consider it a taste of things to come. For those who have not, an appetizer before a long, several-course meal.

 

Posted in Crime Fiction, Review | Tagged , , | 4 Comments