Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (02/25/2014)

I have been out of the boot since around Valentine's Day. Hooray! It's such a relief not to have that extra weight on my leg. My ankle seems to have healed fairly well. It is still a bit sensitive and will be for awhile as it strengthens, from what the doctor says. His biggest advice was to "go slow" and "take it easy." I wonder if he actually believes that's possible because I am pretty sure it is not.

I am on a Michael Robotham binge at the moment. I currently am reading my third book by him, this one called Say You're Sorry. He writes crime fiction novels set in London, one of my favorite settings.I hadn't realized when I started reading the books that they featured some of the same characters. Fortunately, the books read very much like stand alones, and so I do not feel lost or like I am beginning the series in the middle.

I am starting to get excited about my March reading plans. I usually do not like to plan too far in advance, with the exception of the occasional tour. My mood often dictates the direction my reading will go. As I have mentioned before, Veronica Roth's Divergent is on the calendar for next month as is Ann Patchett's State of Wonder for Carrie of Books and Movies' "I've Always Meant to Read That Book!" Challenge, among others.

I commented on Twitter last week that I have been craving a book with that "wow" factor. I seem to be reading fair to good books these days. Good is great. There's nothing wrong with good books. But sometimes I want more from my reading, you know? Andi of Estella's Revenge recommended The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, a book I had started once before, but couldn't get into. It's gotten high praise from so many. I think this may be the year to try again.

What are you reading at the moment? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

For this week's Tuesday Teaser and First Chapter /Paragraph exercises, I grabbed a book recently added to the stack of books on my desk waiting to be read. This is one I am particularly excited about. Three Janie Chang's Souls is a historical fiction novel set in China, following the life of Leiyin as she reviews her life after death. In order to pass into the afterlife, she must make amends with her past. The publisher describes the novel: "Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom." Here is a taste of what's inside the cover:

We have three souls. Or So I'd been told.

But only in death could I confirm this.

The moment the priest spoke the last prayer and sealed my coffin, I awoke and floated upward in a slow drift of incense smoke, until I could travel no farther. I settled in the rafters of the small temple, a sleepy wraith perched in the roof beams. I had knowledge, but no memory. My first thoughts were confused, for clearly this was the real world. But surely I no longer belonged there. When would I take my journey to the afterlife?

Would you continue reading?

Hosted by MizB Should Be Reading

© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: Ripper by Isabel Allende

"Mom is still alive, but she's going to be murdered at midnight on Good Friday, " Amanda Martin told the deputy chief, who didn't even think to question the girl; sh'ed already proved she knew more than he and all his colleagues in the Homicide put together. ~ First Sentence of Ripper

Ripper by Isabel Allende

Harper, 2014

Crime Fiction; 496 pgs

From the Publisher:

The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda's father, she's reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her-Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco's elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.

While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD's Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.

When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced before it's too late.

Ripper was my first experience with Isabel Allende, and, as I understand it, her first foray into crime fiction. I knew going in this would be a slower paced mystery/thriller type novel, and that is okay. I can appreciate a book that takes its time, one that spends a lot of time developing the characters, and setting up the story. Ripper opens with a rather heinous murder that is brought to the attention of a group of online role players, led by Amanda Martin, with her grandfather acting as her henchman who have decided to try their hand at solving real life crimes instead of their own make believe ones. It's an interesting premise to say the least.

The real story, however, lies with Indiana, Amanda, Martin, and Amanda's grandfather, with Indiana always at the center. It makes sense given she is targeted by the killer--something revealed to the reader up front. What the reader doesn't know is why or how. And so, Isabel Allende's novel, Ripper, unfolds.

The author spends much time describing Indiana's life and the people she encounters. Each of those people play an important role in events to come, and I have to say, I appreciated the depth the author went into with each character, including the more eccentric and mysterious ones. I especially liked how the author breathed life into her characters. I really came to care for Amanda and her mother, Indiana. Both were very different in terms of personality, but they are strong female leads, nonetheless. I also really liked Amanda's grandfather--even though I did have to wonder at times how easily led by Amanda he was.

Ryan, the former Navy SEAL and his dog, were such interesting characters, especially given Ryan's past and the obstacles he had to overcome after losing his leg in battle. The emotional turmoil he went through was palatable, especially given the psychological aspects of what he'd been through--and done. And the dog, a war hero in her own right. Atilla's own story was very moving. I loved that dog.

I wish the author had allowed the reader to spend more time with the Ripper group in general. They were an interesting group of kids, misfits really, each bringing their own knowledge and skills to the table.

At times I felt as if the author threw just about everything, including the kitchen sink, she could into this novel--and, somehow, it worked, mostly. Allende is clearly a gifted storyteller. Just about everything she includes in this novel has a purpose. And while some threads of the story were stronger than others, some more necessary than others, it made for an interesting and entertaining novel.

It took a while for the mystery to unravel, and very little happens over the first half of the novel in terms of the actual solving of the crime. I did wish the story hadn't meandered quite as much in the middle as it did. Nothing a tightening of the plot couldn't resolve. The biggest trouble I had with the book, at it was a big one for me, was near the end. Not the end itself, mind you, but the way the author revealed the who and why of the mystery. The suspense was intense and the edge of your seat kind. I did not mind the slow down as the point of view changed from the good guys to the bad. Writing devices like that only increase the suspense. What bothered me was the repetition. As the good guys uncovered major bits of the mystery, the view would shift to the killer, who would then go over the same information without much more insight than I, as the reader, had already been given. It happened again and again, enough the throw me out of the story. Still, the ending is, like I said, intense and quite a ride. It was a fitting ending to the novel overall.

And can I just add how much I loved the setting of the novel? San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. I am always happy to spend time there, in person or in a book.

There was much I liked about this book even as there were some aspects I had trouble with. I am curious about Allende's other books and hope to one day try something else by her. So many others love her writing. I want to too, but this wasn't a book that won be over.

Rating:

(Fair +)

To learn more about Isabel Allende and her books, please visit the author's website.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about Ripper on the TLC Book Tours route!

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. The publisher provided an e-copy of the book for review.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (02/18/2014)

My household was struck down by illness again last week. I felt especially bad for Mouse because she missed out on two birthday parties and her soccer class, which she loves. Except for her lingering cough, she is feeling much better, as are my husband and I. I am hoping we will all stay healthy from here on out, especially as Mouse's 3rd birthday approaches next month. I'm in high planning mode at the moment, as you can imagine. Mouse has wanted a pirate themed party for months now. Then just the other day she announced that she is going to have a princess cake. That's my girl for you. I can't believe March is just around the corner!

At the moment I am reading a crime fiction novel by Michael Robotham called Bombproof. It is a fast paced thriller about one very unlucky man on the run from authorities. I picked it up to read after finally finishing Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale, which, by the way, I finished just in time to see the movie on opening day. Whew. I needed a more quick read to balance out the slower one.

I am not sure what I will read next. I am eager to read A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby, another book recently translated to film. The movie comes out in early March. I also want to read Divergent by Veronica Roth, but I admit I am feeling a little gun shy of young adult fantasy type novels at the moment. Still, with the movie deadline approaching next month, I am hoping to fit it in soon. Since I seem to be doing less re-discovery of old favorite authors and more book to movie reads so far this year, maybe I should change my reading goal for the year. On second thought, it is still early in the year.

What are you reading at the moment? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Bombproof by Michael Robotham is proving to be quite a roller coaster ride. Here's a look at the opening of the novel:

Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones. John Denver used to sing that before he crashed his plane into Monterey Bay. It wasn't a diamond day for him.

Sami Macbeth's day has been nothing but stones. Emerging from Oxford Circus Underground, he blinks into the sunlight and coughs so hard it feels as if he sphincter is coming up through his lungs looking for clean air. His clothes are torn and bloody. His face is streaked with sweat. his skin is coated in dust.

Would you continue reading?

Hosted by MizB Should Be Reading

And a little teaser from the same book (last sentence of the first chapter):

Three days ago he walked out of prison and swore he'd never go back. Thirty-six hours ago he was shagging Kate Tierney, the woman of his wet dreams, in a suite at the Savoy thinking life was looking up. Now he's carrying a rucksack that could send him to prison for the rest of his life through the West End of London and he's turned himself into the most wanted man in Britain.

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley

Birthdays are supposed to be happy occasions, so Eve plans a party. ~ Opening to The Deepest Secret

The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley

Bantam, 2014

Crime Fiction; 448 pgs

From the Publisher:

Diagnosed with XP, a rare medical condition which makes him lethally sensitive to light, Tyler is a thirteen-year-old who desperately wants just one thing: to be normal. His mother Eve also wants just one thing: to protect her son. As Tyler begins roaming their cul-de-sac at night, cloaked in the safety of the darkness, he peers into the lives of the other families on the street-looking in on the things they most want hidden. Then, the young daughter of a neighbor suddenly vanishes, and Tyler may be the only one who can make sense of her disappearance…but what will happen when everyone's secrets are exposed to the light?

I did not know much about Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) going into this novel, nor how limiting survival with this genetic defect could be. Not only does Tyler have to stay indoors during the daylight hours, but certain types of light, including from car headlights, can be detrimental to his health. Extreme care must be taken for Tyler to get to doctor's appointments and the like. His mother, Eve, has gone out of her way to make life as comfortable and safe for her son as possible. She's gotten most of the neighbors on their cul de sac to avoid halogen bulbs and advocated to get the street lights in their vicinity turned off. She will take no chances at keeping her son safe--and alive.

The Deepest Secret is an engrossing novel that takes the reader into the life of Tyler's family. Tyler dreams of being a photographer, and often ventures out into the night without his family's knowledge to capture photographs of nature and life. He peeks into the windows of his neighbors, and probably knows more about what goes on behind closed doors than anyone else. His older sister, Melissa, is the "perfect" child. The one without the genetic defect. Her own life has begun to spiral out of control, something her mother doesn't at first realize. Eve's attention and concern has always mostly fallen on Tyler. She's had to play the role of father more often than not too, her husband living and working in another city, only coming home on the weekends or when he can.

The novel is told from alternating viewpoints, giving the reader multiple perspectives into the lives of the Lattimore family. The author takes her time setting up the story, making sure the reader has a clear and in-depth picture of the players involved. As a result, The Deepest Secret is not a fast paced novel. However, it was difficult to put down. I became so invested in the characters, in their lives, and in their fate. I felt for Eve's friend whose daughter was missing, and I felt for Eve and her family, who seemed to be at the center of it all.

I often forgot as I read just how young Tyler is--only 14. At times he seemed older, and then he would do or say something that would remind me just how young and innocent he is. I can't imagine living like he does, how lonely an existence he has, even with his few friends. And to know that your life could be cut short any day . . .

I did not warm to Eve, Tyler's mother, right away. It's easy to see why the neighbors and outsiders might have a poor attitude about her, given her obsession with keeping her son safe. She often has to be assertive and sometimes even aggressive about it. As annoying as that might be, it's a necessary evil. Wouldn't any of us do the same in most situations, knowing our child's life depends on it?

I felt from the start for not only Tyler, but also his sister, Melissa. She too has been impacted by the shut in life her brother has had to lead. In many ways, she has been shut in too. It is no wonder she has begun to act out.

As for the father, David, well, I have mixed feelings about him even now. He was so often absent, and when he began to realize just how much he didn't know or understand about his own family, his first reaction was to run away. I know that people cope in different ways, but I often found his reactions disappointing. At the same time, I did feel for him on some level, knowing it was not easy on him either. And I felt that Eve could have been more flexible in some things than she was. Honestly though, I cannot imagine it was easy on any of them.

The way the story unfolds, the fate of the missing girl, and the roles the Lattimores and their neighbors play make this thrilling novel all the more intriguing. This is one of those books I am having difficulty reviewing for risk of spoiling any part of it. It's such a good book on many levels, one I enjoyed thoroughly--and one that left me wondering what I would have done in the same situation. Or, at least, understanding why certain choices were made, even if I did not quite agree with them. I am still thinking of this book weeks after finishing it.

Recommendation: Read it!

Rating:

(Very Good)

You can learn more about Carla Buckley and her books on the author's website.

Source: E-copy of the book provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Where is Your Bookmark? (02/04/2014)

Winter has arrived! At least the cold weather. I left my jacket in the office yesterday evening and regretted it as soon as I stepped outside. I was already running late to pick up Mouse from daycare and so decided to leave it. Only to regret it again this morning. I can see snow on the mountains in the distance, one of my favorite winter sights. There isn't much, I'm afraid. I am still waiting for that promised rain. I even washed my car in hopes that would spur Mother Nature on.

Reading time has been scarce these past couple weeks. Especially time where I can sit down and read in big gulps, which is how I get the most out of Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I enjoy the book immensely while I am reading it. Unfortunately, I find myself easily distracted at those times I am debating whether to read or do something else. In this case, I don't think it is book related, but rather just my state of mind and just how busy I have been, both at work and at home.

I may have to dive into The Husband's Wife by Liane Moriarty before I finish Helprin's novel. Moriarity's book is next up for discussion in the online reading group I belong to. I am really excited about reading the book given how much others I know have enjoyed it. Hopefully my expectations aren't too high.

I am still listening to Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese. I am on the second part of three at the moment and still enjoying it when I get to listen to it. I have not been listening on my way to work in the mornings like I should, instead tuning into the news. Hopefully I will be able to finish it by the end of February.

What are you reading at the moment? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

The book I am currently reading is rich in description and quite an eccentric cast of characters. It's a fantasy novel, a love story, and an adventure tale rolled into one. Here is the opening paragraph from Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale:

A great city is nothing more than a portrait of itself, and yet when all is said and done, its arsenals of scenes and images are part of a deeply moving plan. As a book in which to read this plan, New York is unsurpassed. For the whole world has poured its heart into the city by the Palisades, and made it far better than it ever had any right to be.

Hosted by MizB Should Be Reading

And a little teaser from the same book:

The shelf was filled with books that were hard to read, that could devastate and remake one's soul, and that, when they were finished, had a kick like a mule.

Would you continue reading?