Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Bookish Thoughts: The Silenced by Heather Graham

Lara Mayhew held her cell phone to her ear, trying to reach her friend Meg as she hurried along the length of the National Mall. ~ Opening of The Silenced

The Silenced (Krewe of Hunters #15) by Heather Graham

Mira, 2015

Crime Fiction (Paranormal/Romance); 352 pgs

From Goodreads:

Lara, a congressman's media assistant, suddenly quits her job—and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment.

Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara's, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she's disillusioned and "going home." To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara's description are showing up in nearby rivers… Could she be the victim of a serial killer?

Meg is assigned to work with special agent Matt Bosworth, a hard-nosed pro in the FBI's unit of paranormal investigators—the Krewe of Hunters. They trace the route Meg and Lara took more than once in the past, visiting battlefields and graveyards from Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg. Places where the dead share their secrets with those who can hear… As Meg and Matt pursue the possibility of a serial killer, they find themselves in the middle of a political conspiracy. Is there a connection? And who—besides each other—can they trust?

Coincidence can be a funny thing. Having recently read The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy, which takes place, in part, during the Civil War, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Heather Graham's latest novel, The Silenced, ties into the Civil War too-sort of. At least, the two novels share similar settings with historical ties to the locales.

In some ways, The Silenced is my favorite of the Krewe Hunter books I have read so far. Although this is book #15, I have really only read 3 books in the series, all of them in the later half of the series. These books stand alone well, with two new main characters featured in each book. This particular book had more of a thriller feel to it than the cozy feel that past books have had. For those not familiar with the series, The Krewe Hunters are an elite division of the FBI whose members are specially gifted, often with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts.

As I am finding with this series, I am most enamored with the historical aspect, especially the history of the various locations that the novels take place. In The Silenced, Civil War history is at the forefront, and Graham weaves the history with the mystery quite well, referencing the political thoughts and changes at the time, some of which are relevant today. She doesn't do it in a heavy handed way at all--it's actually quite subtle.

The author does a good job of capturing the nuances of the newly formed partnership between the two main characters, especially with both of them not exactly happy about the idea. I liked the interplay between Meg and Matt, one the overconfident newbie and the other the slightly arrogant "old timer". They play off each other well, at first in a defensive sort of way and then later in a casual joking manner as they grow more comfortable with each other. I admit to not completely buying into the romance aspect of the novel though--I worried that it was more a case of a traumatic experience bringing two people together, and I wonder if it can possibly last.

My favorite character in the novel by far is Killer, who, if you read the book, you will get to know soon enough. Anyone who knows me well though won't be surprised.

The mystery itself was interesting. Politics play a large part over the course of the book and how that may or may not tie into the serial killings is a big part of it. Although I had an idea of what direction the novel would take, I was only partially right in terms of the ending--and even then I wasn't completely sure. The Krewe Hunters is a fun series, and I enjoy the interactions the characters have with the ghosts and the history behind the settings the various books take place.

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

Source: Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

© 2015, 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.

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Bookish Thoughts: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

He'd stopped trying to bring her back. ~ Opening of Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Sunil Malhotra
Listening Library, 2012
Fiction (YA, Romance); 8 hrs, 56 mins

I generally do not gravitate towards young adult romance novels, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park. Many book bloggers I know loved this one, and some didn't. What would I think?

I chose to listen to the audio version and am glad I did. Even if it did take me five months to listen to it. It's not the book's fault. Really, it isn't. For the first half of the book, I was listening every chance I got, and then suddenly I wasn't. I couldn't find the time but in fits and spurts. I hate listening to an audio book that way, and so I opted not to listen at times I probably could have. I'm a terrible audio book listener.

But that's neither here nor there. You want to know about the book.

From the Publisher:

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra, playing the parts of Eleanor and Park, I fell in love with the characters and their story almost immediately. I adored Park and Eleanor, and could relate to both of them in one way or another. Eleanor is the girl I wish I could have been. Even with her insecurities and dysfunctional family, there was a strength and confidence about her that drew me to her. She was honest and smart, thoughtful and real. It is obvious she is a fighter, especially given her family situation--a mother who obviously loves her but is unable to protect not only her children but also herself from an abusive and alcoholic husband, Eleanor's stepfather. Not to mention the negativity she faced at school from her peers. My heart ached for her much of the time, and yet I also knew she would be okay somehow.

Park, raised by two loving parents, has his own battles to fight as he begins to come into his own, even when it goes against what his parents expect and want from him. Park is such an easygoing character, smart in his own right, and a good friend. Park may have been apprehensive about befriending the new girl at first, but I appreciated that he looked beyond what everyone else might think and followed his own heart and path. The two complement each other, Park bringing out the best in Eleanor and her in him.

I think it was smart on the author's part to have the two running narratives throughout the book, allowing the reader into the thoughts of both Eleanor and Park. It helped me see what each of the characters saw in each other, and I couldn't help but fall in love with them too. I felt their frustrations and heartache, I wanted to shake them when they were being dumb, and I wanted to wrap them both in my arms and hug them. I wanted to protect Eleanor, to save her.

I also like that the author chose to set the novel in 1986. I enjoyed the pop culture references, even though I was a bit younger than Eleanor and Park at that time. The use of cassette tapes to record music and messages for each other was something my husband and I did early on in our relationship (admittedly, that was in the early 1990's). I was never into comic books growing up, but I am sure my husband was.

I am not one to remember or jot down quotes generally, but with this book, there were several that touched a chord with me--and, darn it, because I was listening to the audio, mostly while driving, I couldn't exactly write them down or highlight them so I would remember. Some of those quotes made me smile and others that made me melt a little inside, remembering when I fell in love for the first time, not to mention how intense and all-consuming it was.

There were very few surprises in Eleanor and Park. No unexpected twists I did not see coming. And that was okay. I was lost in the romance of the story. I would not have minded knowing more about Eleanor's family history than was offered, but this did not hurt my enjoyment of the book. And I would not have minded more depth in regards to Eleanor's family--I worried most about her siblings. The love story between Park and Eleanor was obviously the main focal point of the novel. And even then, Eleanor was at its center in many ways. Her story was the most compelling, certainly.

I do not know if this is a book I would have enjoyed as much in print as I did listening to the audio. It isn't a book I would have picked up to read had it not been highly recommended by so many of my bookish friends. I had my doubts going in but was more than pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

To learn more about author Rainbow Rowell and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads.

Source: I purchased the audio version of this book for my listening pleasure.

Monday, July 06, 2015

Where Is Your Bookmark? (07/07/2015)

While my daughter recovered from her most recent fever this past weekend, I snuggled up with Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, a book that might have made my top ten list this week had it not been for my Postal Book Club. I actually own a copy of the book, which has sat on my shelf for years. It's time had finally come. Now I am trying to decide if I want to see the movie version. Have you read the book or seen the movie?

It is hard for me to imagine someone not having heard of this book (I feel like the last person on earth to read it), but then again, I had never heard of Daphne du Maurier until 2006. In case you aren't familiar with The Time Traveler's Wife, it is about Henry and Clare. Henry is a Time Traveler who first appears to Clare when she is 6 years old. The two fall in love as he bounces through time, but they both learn that life isn't always easy. It's actually about more than that, but you get the idea.

First Paragraph of The Time Traveler's Wife:

Clare: It's hard being left behind. I wait for Henry, not knowing where he is, wondering if he's okay. It's hard to be the one who stays.

I keep myself busy. Time goes faster that way.

I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I'm tired. I watch the wind play with the trash that's been under the snow all winter. Everything seems simple unless you think about it. Why is love intensified by absence?

Teaser from The Time Traveler's Wife:

I wish for a moment that time would lift me out of this day, and into some more benign one. But then I feel guilty for wanting to avoid the sadness; dead people need us to remember them, even if it eats us, even if all we can do is say "I'm sorry" until it is as meaningless air.

and this one:

I place my hands over her ears and tip her head back, and kiss her, and try to put my heart into hers, for safekeeping, in case I lose it again.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

I began reading The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan this week after scrolling through my Kindle and randomly picking the title. I am still not far into it, but I am already captivated. A world divided into two types of people: those who live on land and those who live on the sea. It's described as being inspired by Scottish myths and fairytales. which is probably what drew me to the book in the first place. I can't wait to read more.

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

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read. I went back and forth on how to interpret today's theme. Do I list ten hyped books I never intend to read or is it meant to be a list of books I just have not yet read? Several titles I listed in a previous Top Ten post (Books I'll (Probably) Never Read) could easily make this week's as well. Many of those books are well-hyped and popular. In the end, I decided to take this topic in a slightly different direction, listing five books I have not read despite (or because of) the hype and then five books I did read, but which I feel did not live up to the hype.

I read what I want to read, regardless of hype. Although, hype is occasionally what puts a book on my radar. Sometimes I rush to read a book that is getting much praise from my fellow book bloggers, but other times I sit back and wait--because, well, too much hype can be a turn off.

Books I Have Not Read Despite the Hype:

1.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ~ So many people love this novel and say I must read it. I haven't felt the overwhelming need to though--or even a little need to, really. I may read it someday if the mood strikes, but as of right now, I cannot see that happening any time soon.

2.

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel ~ I might have been curious about this one when it first came out, but the more I heard about it, the less interest I had in reading it. I have no plans to see the movie either.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling ~ I love the Harry Potter series and I hope to read the mystery series she writes under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, but this particular book has never appealed to me.

The Martian by Andy Weir ~ I have heard so many good things about this book, but I am still on the fence about reading it. The description alone does not appeal to me, but so many others have sung its praise that it makes me wonder if I am missing out by not reading it.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón ~ I actually do want to read this one. Someday. The hype kind of put me off of it though, and so it sits on my shelf unread.

Books I Read That Were Overhyped:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

7.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

10.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Have you read any of these books? What hyped books have you never read? Do you think you ever will read those titles?

Sunday, July 05, 2015

From the Archives: The Invisible Ring and Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop

I began keeping a reading journal several years before I began blogging. I find it interesting to sift through my thoughts of books that I read back then. My reviews were often brief and contained little substance, but I thought it'd be fun to document them here on my blog as well as share them with you. The first half of 2006 seemed to be my time for series reading. Here are some of my reviews from 2006:

The Invisible Ring (The Black Jewels #4) by Anne Bishop

Roc, 2000

Fantasy; 398 pgs

The Invisible Ring is a prequel to the Black Jewels series that I read just over two years ago. I had started to read The Invisible Ring at that time, but ended up setting it aside because I needed a little space between the books. I hadn’t expected to wait so long to read the prequel, however, this time I was much more ready for the book and enjoyed it quite a bit. Although the world Anne Bishop created in her novel was not fresh in my memory, it was easy to slip back into it. In The Invisible Ring, Priestess Dorothea who rules over Hayll is determined to see the Gray Lady, queen of Dena Nehele, dead so that she can overtake the queen’s land and people. The perfect opportunity arises when the Queen steps off her lands to buy slaves at the market. She picks up an unlikely lot of slaves, many of whom have secrets just like herself. Among the slaves is the powerful Red-Jeweled Warlord, Jared, who had been a pleasure slave for many years and whose last queen died at his hands. Dorothea and her Master of Guards soon discover that killing the Gray Lady will not be an easy task. Anne Bishop’s story contained suspense, magic and even a touch of romance throughout. The author painted a very dark world, where cruelty and unfairness seem to rule over honor and justice.

Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop

Roc, 2005

Fantasy; 439 pgs

Stepping back into the realm of the Black Jewels, I decided it was the perfect time to read Dreams Made Flesh, which is made up of four stories involving some of my favorite characters from the Black Jewels series. The book opens with a creation story not quite like any other. Next is the story of Eyrien Warlord Lucivar and hearth witch Marian. Readers learn a dark secret about Saetan and what can happen if his family is threatened. And then there is the final story is of Warlord Prince Daemon and his Queen, the Witch, Jaenelle. Power, revenge, and retribution fill the pages of Dreams Made Flesh, in a realm where women tend to have the upper hand and the men serve. But threaten the man and those he loves, and there will be no mercy. I hated to see the stories come to an end because I so enjoy spending time with Anne Bishop’s characters. When I finally make it to some of her other books, I hope they are just as good.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Bookish Thoughts: A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

London, the year I turned twenty. ~ Opening of A Small Indiscretion

A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

Random House, 2015

Fiction; 336 pgs

Synopsis from Goodreads:

At nineteen, Annie Black abandons California for a London winter of drinking to oblivion and looking for love in the wrong places. Twenty years later, she is a happily married mother of three living in San Francisco. Then one morning, a photograph arrives in her mailbox, and an old obsession is awakened.

After a return trip to London, Annie’s marriage falters, her store floods, and her son, Robbie, takes a night-time ride that nearly costs him his life. Now Annie must fight to save her family by untangling the mysteries of that reckless winter in Europe that drew an invisible map of her future.

Written as a letter to her son, Robbie, this novel tells the story of Annie Black whose seemingly idyllic life with her husband and three children is disrupted when a photo from her past arrives in the mail. It isn't the photo itself that outlines any possible transgression, but rather the events that surround it. It is the beginning of the unraveling of her life, and Annie is forced to reflect on her past and the choices she has made.

There were very few surprises in A Small Indiscretion. From what that "small indiscretion" could be (it's pretty obvious almost right away) to the role various characters played in the story and the actions they would take. Still, I was never exactly sure of Robbie's fate or what direction the author would take the story, especially in the end. There's the unhappily married couple, Malcolm and Louise, the mysterious and somewhat charming Patrick, Annie's ever reliable husband Jonathan, their best friend Mitch, and Emme, the wayward stranger turned employee.

The biggest draw for me to the book was not just the beautiful writing, which I found compelling and thought provoking, but also the characters themselves. I felt a certain disconnect with all the characters in the novel, but I am not sure that is a bad thing in this case. As Annie recalls the events from her past and ties them to what is going on in her life in the present, she is trying to be as objective as possible in terms of laying out her memories of what happened, why she made the choices she did, and the consequences that came after. She holds nothing back, not even in taking blame for her own actions.

I liked that that the author brings into question the validity of memories. This was a more minor point really, given the circumstances, but one can't help but wonder how reliable are memories really? The author brings this point up late in the novel, which at first I thought wasn't really fair as I would like to have seen that side of the story explored more. And yet, the more I thought about it, the more I thought perhaps it was well-placed, this doubt the author suddenly had thrown my way. It gave me a chance to reflect on what had happened up to that point and re-evaluate my assessment of Annie.

I admit that Annie Black did not endear herself to me, not as a young woman trying to find her path in life nor really the more mature family oriented version of herself--and yet I was fascinated by her and could not help but feel pulled into her story. She was at times reckless and selfish (but aren't we all selfish to some degree?). I could understand why Annie made the choices she made even if I didn't always agree with them. I came to care about her as time went on. I saw a young woman, trying to make her way in the world on her own, but getting lost in loneliness and insecurities. She used alcohol as a balm. It was easy to see how she could get caught up with Malcolm and Louise and Patrick: Louise and Malcolm with their broken marriage, both of them pathetic and sad, really; and Patrick who seemed less a mystery artist type and more of a poser to me.

In the present, Annie is married to Jonathan, a doctor and loving husband. She feels as if she should be happy. She has a thriving business of her own, and yet there are moments when she feels restless and cannot help but wonder what might have been. When the photo arrives in her mailbox it brings it all back full force, however. It seems to be the domino that sets the other dominoes falling. She is forced to face secrets she has long kept hidden. Annie feels helpless and alone with the life she's built falling apart around her.

Jan Ellison does an amazing job of bringing out the inner turmoil Annie was and is feeling as well as giving us a good idea of what the other characters must have been going through too. Even Jonathan, who seemed more like a victim in all of this, isn't perfect by far. There is a scene near the end in which it becomes even more clear how the pieces of Annie's past fall into place--and I couldn't help but think of Jonathan's own past and how little we know about that and yet how he, like Annie, has his own ghosts, even if maybe not quite as prominent. It's another reminder of how the choices we make early on in our lives can impact us--as well as others--years later.

A Small Indiscretion hit two of my buttons in terms of topics that make me uncomfortable to read about because I have such strong opinions on them, one of which I suspected but decided to take the plunge anyway. I like to avoid those topics generally, but occasionally I think it's good to take them on, not just to challenge myself but also to take in a different perspective.

I had mixed feelings about the novel when I finished it. I loved the writing, but the novel left me in a dark place. At the risk of spoiling the end, it wasn't a particularly sad ending. It was more promising and hopeful than not. Still, I couldn't help but feel sad and a bit hollow as I finished reading it. Maybe even exhausted. I carried Annie and Jonathan and Robbie with me even after I finished the last page. Annie may have frustrated me more often than not, but Jan Ellison's novel was quite compelling and thought provoking. Most of all, what I took away from this novel is about the role forgiveness can ultimately plays in our lives. Not just forgiveness of those we love, but also of ourselves.

To learn more about author Jan Ellison and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: I received an e-copy of this book from a publicist for an honest review.