MIA No More

After a series of problems with my computer, and a bad case of food poisoning that made me visit the hospital for three days... I'm back!

While I was MIA I read:

Promises In Death by J.D. Robb (4.5/5) Romantic Suspense; Alternate Future; Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons (09); Series: # 30, Eve Dallas; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (55); 2009 Support Your Local Library (50);

Getting What You Want by Kathy Love (3/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: Kensington Publishing Corp. (04); New Author; Series: # 1, The Stepp Sisters; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (56);

The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver (4.5/5) Mystery Thriller; Published: A Signet Book (1997); New Author; Series: # 1, Rhyme & Sachs; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (57); Keeper Shelf;

Blame It on Paris by Jennifer Greene (3/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: HQN (2008); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (58);

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (5/5) Classic Literature; Published: Chapman and Hall (1855); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (59); 18th & 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge (5); Romance Reading Challenge (5); Spring Reading Thing (4); Keeper Shelf;

To Kill A Mockingbird

There are several books that I read in high school that I still consider favourites: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, Othello by William Shakespeare, Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence (just to name a few). But the one that started it all (Grade 9 English - thank you Mr Bedford!) was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. That book opened my heart...It's the first book that I remember brought tears to my eyes. I had an emotional connection to it.

It was like visiting an old friend. I laughed and cried, and cried some more, but at the end I had a huge smile on my face. Scout tells the story so beautifully through the eyes of a child that sees more than what adults think. To grow up in such a time must have been a wondrous experience, you have the simplicity of life, but also the ugliness of social and racial injustice. But somehow this little girl has the ability to see the good in people and situations, and has no qualms about it. She is my favourite character of the book. And Boo rocks!

And after so many years, I happy to say that I still have that connection to To Kill A Mickingbird.

I hate to admit this nut this is one book I don't have in my collection, but that will soon be remedied. It's on the shopping list.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (5/5) Classic Fiction; Published: J.B. Lippincott & Co. (7/1960); Pulitzer Prize Winner (1961); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (54); 2009 Support Your Local Library (49); Book Awards II (6); Spring Reading Thing 2009 (4); Celebrate The Author (4);

Love In Bloom

Hope Walker survived early breast cancer at just thirty-years-old, but a mastectomy left her with a lot of scarring—and some serious fears about dating. Hope owns Changing Seasons, Heart Lake’s most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, she’s able to work magic through her expert flower arranging…for everyone but herself. Then one day a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, but Hope knows he’d rather have a whole woman than someone like her.

When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lake’s community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighboring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each other—not just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love.

I'm a sucker for a friendship themed story, and throw in a cancer survivor and I'm a watering pot. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a light, conforting read that uplifted my mood.

The women come together in a community garden. And while they're tending their gardens they develop a deep friendship. And that friendship helped and gave insight to their personal issues: an overworked daughter whose is loosing contact with her children, an out of work husband that doesn't believe in himself, and living with scars of cancer. I enjoyed the characters and each of their own stories, and how it was tied in all together. My only complaint is that I found the last few chapters to be rushed, it didn't have the flow that the rest of the book had.

Love in Bloom by Sheila Roberts (4/5) General Fiction; Published: St. Martin's Griffin (4/2009); New Author; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (53); 2009 Support Your Local Library (48); 2009 Pub Challenge (16);

The Hour I First Believed

Wally Lamb's two previous novels, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, struck a chord with readers. They responded to the intensely introspective nature of the books, and to their lively narrative styles and biting humor. One critic called Wally Lamb a "modern-day Dostoyevsky," whose characters struggle not only with their respective pasts, but with a "mocking, sadistic God" in whom they don't believe but to whom they turn, nevertheless, in times of trouble (New York Times).

In his new novel, The Hour I First Believed, Lamb travels well beyond his earlier work and embodies in his fiction myth, psychology, family history stretching back many generations, and the questions of faith that lie at the heart of everyday life. The result is an extraordinary tour de force, at once a meditation on the human condition and an unflinching yet compassionate evocation of character.

When forty-seven-year-old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, Caelum returns home to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to be with his aunt who has just had a stroke. But Maureen finds herself in the school library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed, as two vengeful students go on a carefully premeditated, murderous rampage. Miraculously she survives, but at a cost: she is unable to recover from the trauma. Caelum and Maureen flee Colorado and return to an illusion of safety at the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers. But the effects of chaos are not so easily put right, and further tragedy ensues.

While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers a cache of old diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in an upstairs bedroom of his family's house. The colorful and intriguing story they recount spans five generations of Quirk family ancestors, from the Civil War era to Caelum's own troubled childhood. Piece by piece, Caelum reconstructs the lives of the women and men whose legacy he bears. Unimaginable secrets emerge; long-buried fear, anger, guilt, and grief rise to the surface.

As Caelum grapples with unexpected and confounding revelations from the past, he also struggles to fashion a future out of the ashes of tragedy. His personal quest for meaning and faith becomes a mythic journey that is at the same time quintessentially contemporary—and American.

The Hour I First Believed is a profound and heart-rending work of fiction. Wally Lamb proves himself a virtuoso storyteller, assembling a variety of voices and an ensemble of characters rich enough to evoke all of humanity.

When was the last time you devoured a book? Really devoured a book...Every little spare time you can find you pick it up and lose yourself in the story.

It's such a beautifully written story that you just don't want it to end. It is a large book but the way it flows makes it seem short, at the end, I wanted more.

It's definitely a tear jerker. Sad, but hopeful. It's a book about grief and despair, and being hopeful that eventually everything that get better. It's a story about individuals that have their own demons and how they deal with them.

I highly recommend The Hour I First Believed.

The Hour I First Beleived by Wally Lamb (4.5/5) General Fiction; Published: Harper (2008); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (52); 2009 Support Your Local Library (47); Chunkster Challenge (4);

Dewey

I must have been the only person in North America that hadn't heard about this cat before. I'm serious, even my husband knew about Dewey. Ah well...I'm a cat lover and I couldn't resist reading the book.

Here's the blurb:

How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.

In all honesty I was expecting something different. I was expecting a book on a cat and his antics. But instead I got book about a small town in Iowa. If I had known that at the beginning, I probably wouldn't have picked this book.

I enjoyed reading about Dewey, but I could have done without all the town problems and personal issues that went about. I do understand that Dewey brought happiness in those bleak times, but I felt that it was more a story about the town, and the author. There were chapters that I wondered where was Dewey...ah.

Bottom line I found the book boring.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (2.5/5) Non-fiction; Memoir; Published: Grand Central Publishing (8/2008); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (51); 2009 Support Your Local Library (46);

The Mysteries of Udolpho

"Her present life appeared like a dream of a distempered imagination or like one of those frightful fictions, in which wild genius of the poets sometimes delighted. Reflection brought only regret, and anticipation terror."

Such is the state of mind of Ann Radcliffe's orphaned heroine Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself imprisoned in her her evil guardian Count Montoni's gloomy medieval fortress in the remote Apennines. Terror is the order of the day inside the walls of Udolpho, as Emily struggles against Montoni's rapacious schemes and the threat of her own psychological disintegration.

A bestseller in its day and a potent influence on Sade, Poe, and other writers, The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) is Radcliffe's classic work of Gothic fiction. With its dream-like plot and hallucinatory of its characters' psychological states, the novel remains a profound and fascinating challenge to modern readers.

Well, it was a definite challenge. For me, at least.

I struggled with it all along. But I kept on reading, even though I found the writing to be flowery, it had a kind of poetry that kept me going. In all honesty I think the first hundred pages aren't needed - just my opinion - it just drags on and on.

But once it gets to the Gothic parts, it definitely turns around. It's more exciting and scary. And I think that's what appealed to me. I like dark and sinister stories, and I'm not afraid to admit that there were times that I was terrified along with Emily.

At the beginning I found Emily to be a naive heroine, but she grew on me throughout the book. Even if she cried one too many times...I couldn't understand her feelings for Vallancourt, I found him dull. I actually enjoyed Montoni, his crazy evil antics, he was entertaining, let's face it if he wasn't in the story, there wouldn't be one.

Will I read again? No, it's a one time deal. But I am glad that I read it.

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (3/5) Classic Literature; Gothic Romance; Published: G. G. and J. Robinson (1794); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (50); 2009 Support Your Local Library (44); 18th & 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge (4); Spring Reading Thing Challenge (3); Chunkster Challenge (3);

Veil of Midnight

Bound by blood, addicted to danger, they'll enter the darkest—and most erotic—place of all.

A warrior trained in bullets and blades, Renata cannot be bested by any man—vampire or mortal. But her most powerful weapon is her extraordinary psychic ability—a gift both rare and deadly. Now a stranger threatens her hard-won independence—a golden-haired vampire who lures her into a realm of darkness…and pleasure beyond imagining.

A combat-loving adrenaline junkie, Nikolai dispenses his own justice to enemies of the Breed—and his latest quarry is a ruthless assassin. One woman stands in his way: the seductive, cool-as-ice bodyguard, Renata. But Renata’s powers are put to the test when a loved one, a child, is threatened and she’s forced to turn to Niko for help. As the two join forces, as desire fans the flames of a deeper hunger, Renata’s life is under siege by a man who offers the exquisite pleasure of a blood bond—and a passion that could save or doom them both forever.…

When you think it can't get even better...it does.

I just love strong warrior females, and Renata can definitely kick ass. But she knows when she needs help. She surprised on how kind, considerate and decent Nikolai is...well considering the other vampires she was dealing with it's not a surprise. They come together to save Mira, a child that has an amazing ability and who is saught after by an evil Gen One vampire.

I was sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the book. There were twists and more twists, and just when I thought I had it figured out there was another one. Loved! I liked that it was unpredectable. I loved seeing some of the older characters, but also the introduction of the new ones, like Hunter. Can't wait to hear more about him. And there's also Andreas Reichen, he was in this story as well...and I'm not complaining. I believe the next book of the series, Ashes of Midnight is his.

Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian (4.5/5) Romance; Paranormal: Vampire; Published: Dell (1/2009); Series: # 5, Midnight Breed; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (49); 2009 Support Your Local Library (43); 2009 Pub Challenge (15);

Bride of a Wicked Scotsman

Lady Maura O'Donnell swore to her father on his deathbed that she'd recover the Circle of Light, an enchanted Celtic relic that had brought the family prosperity—until it was stolen a century earlier by a notorious pirate. Now the pirate's descendant, the Duke of Gleneden, holds this rare treasure, and Maura would give anything to get it back . . .

Alec McBride knows when he's been had. Lady Maura tricked him into marriage with the expertise of a born seductress, and now she'll pay for her treachery. He'll ravish her, tempt her, tame her—until she sorely wishes she'd never heard of the Duke of Gleneden. Caught up in their game of revenge, Alec and Maura never notice what is happening in their hearts—until it's too late.

Their marriage may have been a farce, but there is nothing truer than their desire . . .

Once upon time there was an Irish family that was blessed. One day the Circle of Light was stolen from the Irish by a Scottish pirate. Ever since the robery the Irish family have been experiencing bad luck. Generations later, the current patriarch of the Irish family makes his daughter promise that she'll recover the Circle of Life by any means possible.

And she does... She lies, seduces, drugs and forces a Duke to "marry her".

I didn't like this story at all. I thought the recovery of the relic was overshadowed by the acts of Lady Maura. The only thing she didn't do was kill...maybe that will happen in the next book. I cannot believe that I spent my precious time reading this...

It was a WASTE OF MY TIME!

Bride of a Wicked Scotsman by Samantha James (1/5) Historical Romance; Published: Avon (March 2009); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (48); 2009 Support Your Local Library (42); 2009 Pub Challenge (14); Romance Reading Challenge (4)

Fire And Ice

Sophie Rose, a tough and determined newspaper reporter, is the daughter of Bobby Rose, a suave, charming, and handsome gentleman who also happens to be a notorious big-time thief sought by every law-enforcement agency in the country. When the major Chicago daily where she works insists she write an exposé about her roguish father, Sophie refuses, quits her job, and goes to work at a small newspaper. Far from her onetime high-powered crime beat, she now covers local personalities such as the quirky winner of several area 5K runs whose trademark is goofy red socks.

Those red socks–with Sophie’s business card neatly tucked inside–are practically all that’s found after runner William Harrington is killed near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, seemingly the victim of a brutal death by polar bear. The Alaska cops want to know why Harrington carried Sophie’s card. With an unerring nose for a good story, she heads north.

What Sophie doesn’t realize is that on her journey from Chicago to Prudhoe Bay, danger follows in her wake. After one attempt on her life, she’s been assigned brash but sexy Jack MacAlister as a bodyguard by the cautious FBI. Amid great peril and deadly intrigue in the unforgiving Alaskan terrain, she and Jack form an uneasy alliance sparked with sensual attraction. But they will soon be fighting more than their growing passion for each other. Powerful forces will stop at nothing to prevent the exposure of the sinister conspiracy Sophie and Jack are about to uncover.

Captivating mystery, unyielding desire, unrelenting action in a setting both beautiful and lethal–Julie Garwood weaves these thrilling elements into a heat-generating masterpiece of romantic suspense.

I admit that I haven't been pleased with Julie Garwood's contemporary romantic suspense novels, I love her historicals and it's taking me a long time getting used to her writting contemporaries (can you tell?!) but that hasn't stopped me from reading her books. I do have to say that this one hasn't helped change my mind, either.

It has the usual quick pace and great dialogue, the characters are good, and we see familiar faces, the suspense is there. Even though I really didn't get the reason why Sophie was so hyped about finding the guy with the red socks. And where's the romance? Can someone please tell me where the romance has gone? I found that Jack and Sophie fell in love too quickly, and it just didn't make sense to me.

Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood (3/5) Romantic Suspense; Published: Ballantine Books (2008); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (47); 2009 Support Your Local Library (41);

The Man Who Loved Jane Austen

What if Fitzwilliam Darcy was a real man? Seriously. Think about it. What if Jane Austen had met and fallen in love with him only to lose him? Hmm...Think of the possibility that someone in the twenty first century finds letters from Jane Austen to F. Darcy.

Here's the blurb for The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke:

When New York artist Eliza Knight buys an old vanity table one lazy Sunday afternoon, she has no idea of its history. Tucked away behind the mirror are two letters. One is sealed; the other, dated May 1810, is addressed to 'Dearest Jane' from 'F. Darcy' - as in Fitzwilliam Darcy, the fictional hero of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". Could one of literature's most compelling characters been a real person? More intriguing still, scientific research testing proves that the second, sealed letter was written by Jane herself. Caught between the routine of her present life and these incredible discoveries from the past, Eliza decides to look deeper and is drawn to a majestic, 200-year-old estate in Virginia's breathtaking Shenandoah Valley. There she meets the man who may hold the answer to this extraordinary puzzle. Now, as the real story of Fitzwilliam Darcy unfolds, Eliza finds her life has become a modern-day romance, one that perhaps only Jane herself could have written.

I was walking through the shelves at the library and my peripheral caught sight of the title. Interesting title I just had to pick it up. I'm so glad that I did, too.

It's not an over the top book with an in-depth charactization of Darcy and time that he lived. It's a lovely romance, it's sweet and simple. It's a fun book to read. I found a few of the characters shallow, and they acted more like fillers and then really being part of the story. But I enjoyed Fitz and Eliza, and I even liked Jane.

The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke (4/5) Romance; Paranormal: Time Travel; Published: Kensington (2006); New Author; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (46); 2009 Support Your Local Library (40);

Aunt Dimity: Detective

After the last book I needed a good entertaining read, and what could be better than reading a cosy mystery. I chose Aunt Dimity: Detective by Nancy Atherton.

Here's the blurb:

"There's been a murder in Finch!" the vicar's wife tells Lori Shepard upon Lori's return from her trip to America. This is not the kind of greeting she has expected to receive back at her usually idyllic English cottage. Lori simply can't believe it. There hasn't been a murder in Finch since 1872, when one shepherd bashed another with the hook of his crook. When Lori discovers the victim was PRunella "Pruneface" Hooper, however, she is less surprised: the newly arrived Pruneface had quickly become privy to everyone's secrets - and used her secret knowledge to plant rumors, nurture backbiting, resurrect feuds, and season it all with downright lies. Almost everyone had a reason to want her dead.

Despite her hectic home schedule with her three-year-old twins, Lori agrees to investigate because the police have come up short. It seems nobody in the close-knit town wants to talk. But Lori is bound and determined she'll get tongues wagging and solve the case. She knows she needs the help of Aunt Dimity, but she hadn't expected help from the vicar's nephew, Nicholas Fox. Why is a self-defense instructor from London so interested in solving the case? And, most important, why does he have to be so darn handsome?

Lori tries to put personal feelings aside as the newly formed team of Lori, Nicholas and Aunt Dimity forges ahead - but narrowing the list of suspects remains a major challenge. Fortunately, Aunt Dimity's supernatural skills - and her insight into uncovering the true goodness of human nature - lead Lori down a path not only to unraveling the mystery, but also to uncovering a lot of good among the bad.

Just what I needed! It was a fast paced, entertaining and charming read. It was a good book to cosy up with in a wet April afternoon.

Although Dimity's presence wasn't as prominent in this book her words of wisdom come through loud and clear. And I think that one of the main reasons I come back for more, Dimity is charming, direct and wise for a ghost. I found the mysteries (both the murder and the "real" reason for Nicholas' visit) easy to crack, but it was interesting to see the villagers pointing fingers but also not having qualms on their feelings for Pruneface. The revelation of those secrets at times was entertaining and other times I didn't see what the problem would have been.

I do have a complaint: Lori is beginning to bore me with her emotional and physical attraction to other men. Poor Bill!

Aunt Dimity: Detective by Nancy Atherton (3.5/5) Contemporary Mystery; Paranormal: Ghost; Published: Viking (2001); Series: # 7, Aunt Dimity; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (45); 2009 Support Your Local Library (39);

First Comes Marriage

Another author that I've given up buying her books... If I'm going to buy a book I want to know that I'll be dazzled and entertained and simply fall in love with the story. And with the author's last series, it left me cold...completely not what I expect of Mary Balogh. But I cannot resist reading her books, just in case that one of them will give me a glimpse of the earlier Mary Balogh.

Here's the blurb for First Comes Marriage, the first book of the Huxtable series:

Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family—the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?

The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the country village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. Desperate to rescue her eldest sister from a loveless union, Vanessa Huxtable Dew offers herself instead. In need of a wife, Elliott takes the audacious widow up on her unconventional proposal while he pursues an urgent mission of his own. But a strange thing happens on the way to the wedding night. Two strangers with absolutely nothing in common can’t keep their hands off each other. Now, as intrigue swirls around a past secret—one with a stunning connection to the Huxtables—Elliott and Vanessa are uncovering the glorious pleasures of the marriage bed…and discovering that when it comes to wedded bliss, love can’t be far behind.

Deep breath...Argh! I thought maybe, just maybe this one would be one to break the mold.

I read the prologue, and I honestly thought that Con was the hero...usually that's what a prologue is for to give you some background information on the story or the characters. But although Con is part of the story he doesn't have a major role. Of course, because he isn't the hero...it just took me awhile to get that info into my head. I wonder if I was the only one?

Back to the "real" hero: I did not like him! Nor did I like Vanessa! OMG I just wanted to throw the book out the window. Elliot was an ass with a capital A, and Vanessa's issue with not being a beauty really got on my nerves. What saved the book for me were the secondary characters. Sad isn't, it?

First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh (2/5) Historical Romance; Published: Dell (2/2009); Series: # 1, Huxtable Family; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (44); 2009 Support Your Local Library (38); 2009 Pub Challenge (13);

Hounding The Pavement

A new series starring a dog walker who just happens to understand canine talk...Interesting. Bonus: it's written by Judi McCoy.

Here's the blurb for Hounding The Pavement:

Ellie Engleman, the newest dog walker on Manhattan's swanky Upper East Side, has a talent - besides scooping poop. She can hear what her canine clientele are thinking. So when an owner is killed, Ellie must perk up her ears and bone up on her sleuthing.

Ditching her dog-eat-dog career and cur of a husband, Ellie happily trades her power suits for a panty hose - free wardrobe and her dream job. And she couldn't be happier - unless, of course, Mr. Right shows up at her door with apint of Haagen-Dazs.

But when she stumbles upon dead client, Ellie becomes a suspect in an investigation led by smoking-hot, if cocky, Detective Ryder. Ellie wouldn't exactly mind staying in custody - if it meant sticking close by him 24-7 - but she worries about deceased's missing prizewinning bichon. Did someone steal him? If only she could find the dog, he'd tell her who the culprit is. But a killer wants Ellie to let sleeping dogs lie...or else.

I've had a love and hate "relationship" with "talking" animals in books. They are some that I love (like Susan Wittig Albert's Beatrix Potter series) and others I just can't get into (like Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series - please no rotten tomatoes!), so I was a little hesitant about reading this book, but it is written by an author that I enjoy so I gave it a try and ...

Two words: cute and entertaining. It was fast paced and interesting. I enjoyed the way that Ellie talked and took care of her charges. I loved the banter between Rudy and Ellie. Plus there's a promising romance going between Ellie and Detective Ryder...even if Ryder can be somewhat an ass. Can't wait to see what will happen next!

Hounding the Pavement by Judi McCoy (3.5/5) Contemporary Mystery; Published: Obsidian (3/2009); Series: # 1, A Dog Walker Mystery; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (43); 2009 Support Your Local Library (37); 2009 Pub Challenge (12);

The Gift of Wings

I finally finished reading this book! And, it only took me two months...

Here's the product description (taken from Amazon.com):

Mary Henley Rubio has spent over two decades researching Montgomery’s life, and has put together a comprehensive and penetrating picture of this Canadian literary icon, all set in rich social context. Extensive interviews with people who knew Montgomery – her son, maids, friends, relatives, all now deceased – are only part of the material gathered in a journey to understand Montgomery that took Rubio to Poland and the highlands of Scotland.

From Montgomery’s apparently idyllic childhood in Prince Edward Island to her passion-filled adolescence and young adulthood, to her legal fights as world-famous author, to her shattering experiences with motherhood and as wife to a deeply troubled man, this fascinating, intimate narrative of her life will engage and delight.

When I read biographies I take everything I read with a grain of salt...yes, I'm a skeptic. No matter how much research the author has done, we'll never know for sure how accurate the facts are, but I feel that this one is "the" one.

I took out of the book this: Lucy Maud Montgomery lived in two different worlds. The turn of the century in Canada with new technologies, World Wars, the Depression and her everyday family life - which at times brought her great sadness and despair. And her imaginary world where she lost herself in the books that she wrote and which brought her so much joy and a sense of accomplishment.

Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings by Mary Henley Rubio (5/5) Biography; Published: Doubleday Canada (2008); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (42); 2009 Support Your Local Library (36); Chunkster Challenge (2); Spring Reading Thing 2008 (2)

Midnight Rising

I haven't gotten excited about a series in a long time...Happy dance! The themes, the locations and the hunky macho "vampires" do it for me. I love Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series.

Here's the blurb for Midnight Rising:

In a world of shadows and dark, cosuming hungers, desire is the deadliest weapon...

For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began with the discovery of a hidden tomb, thrusting her into the center of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who rises from the shadows to draw her into his world of dark desire and endless night.

Fueled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way—least of all a mortal woman with the power to expose the entire vampire race. For an ancient evil has been awakened, and a stunning darkness is on the rise. Suddenly Dylan is powerless to resist Rio’s touch, even as she uncovers a shocking link to her own past. And now she must choose: Leave Rio’s midnight realm, or risk it all for the man who has shown her true passion and the infinite pleasures of the heart. . . .

I just love a tortured hero. Rio has scars, on the outside and inside. And it all goes back to the very first book of the series, where he is betrayed by his Breedmate Eva. Dylan has a special ability, which she hides from the world. She can talk to the dead...well, she can talk to female ghosts. And that's how she is lead to find Rio.

Like the other books, this one was fast paced and easy to read. I love the way the author draws me in, and I completely forget the time. It was a well "wasted" afternoon read. Can't wait to get my hands on the next book of the series!

Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian (4.5/5) Contemporary Romance; Paranormal: Vampires and Ghosts; Published: Dell (2008); Series: # 4, Midnight Breed; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (41); 2009 Support Your Local Library (35);

The Girl Most Likely To...

Kat Cavanaugh was sixteen when she hitchhiked out of Persuasion, West Virginia and vowed never to return. Who could blame her? She’d just stumbled upon her father’s adulterous affair, found out she was pregnant, got dumped by her boyfriend, and kicked out of her house and school . . . all in a single afternoon. Twenty years have gone by and Kat’s back—gorgeous, rich, and looking for an apology from everyone who’d turned their backs on her. First on that list is Riley Bohland, the boy who broke her heart before she could tell him about the baby.

But Kat didn’t count on Riley having his own axe to grind, or that he’d be just as delicious as he was at sixteen. She also didn’t count on her heart opening at the sight of him. When their anger ignites a passion intense enough to burn through two decades of secrets and lies, Kat must question everything she thought she knew about her past. And what about her future? The only place to find the answers may be in Riley’s arms…

Susan Donovan is a must read author (at least for me), but the last book left me a little cold. I didn't care for it as much as the previous ones. My expectations for The Girl Most Likely To... were somewhat subdued.

And I'm glad that they were...Don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad read. But it was a more of a "oh well" read. The humour was there, it had the quick dialogue that I adore, the characters were likable (and attractive), but there was way too much going on. The plot had a sub-plot and that sub-plot had it's own sub-plot...well you get the idea. And it felt rushed.

The Girl Most Likely To... by Susan Donovan (3/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: St. Martin's Paperbacks (1/2009); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (39); 2009 Support Your Local Library (34); 2009 Pub Challenge (11);

Black Beauty

I love horses. Always have. They're graceful and beautiful animals, and also very kind. Because of my allergies and asthma I had to stop riding, but my love for horses has not diminished. When my daughter chose to read Black Beauty a few months ago, I just had to put it on my list. I hate admitting this, I never read this book before...it's one of those books I've always wanted to read but never got around to it.

The story is told by Black Beauty, it's his memoir/biography. It begins with him as a colt, and follows with various owners, some good and some bad and it ends with his retirement. It a beautifully written story, it's straight forward and entertaining. I think that being written in the first person adds to the experience, it makes it real. And I know from my daughter reading it, that it teaches children sympathy, compassion for animals of any size. And the message does not change when you read it as an adult.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (4/5) Children's Classic; Published: 1877; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (38); 2009 Support Your Local Library (33); Celebrate The Author (3); Young Readers Challenge (2); Spring Reading Thing (1);

Smart Girls Think Twice

Where dangerously sexy men are concerned....SMART GIRLS THINK TWICE

With her job hanging in the balance, sociologist Emma Riley is back in her hometown of Rock Creek, Pennsylvania, for both her sisters' weddings. As if that isn't depressing enough, Emma also needs to stay focused on the research project that could save her job and launch her career. Her success hinges on sexy Rock Creek newcomer Jake Slayter.

Unfortunately, Jake wants nothing to do with Emma -- or her big project. He has his own motives for being in Rock Creek, and if there's one thing he can't afford, it's a distraction in the form of a brainy beauty like Emma. Too bad Emma has made it perfectly clear that she's way too smart to let him stand in her way. Too bad Jake has made it perfectly clear that he's way too smart to take no for an answer!

I've read the other books in the series and enjoyed them all. They were all fun to read and had great characters. But, I have mixed feelings about this book.

I enjoyed the setting, the characters, I liked the dialogue (even when at times it was repetitive), but it felt rushed...everything happened so quickly. I didn't get emotionally involved with either the hero or heroine...I wanted to know more about them and also wanted a more in depth resolution with Jake family.

Smart Girls Think Twice by Cathie Linz (3/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: Berkley (1/2009); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (37); 2009 Support Your Local Library (32); 2009 Pub Challenge (10);

When A Stranger Loves Me

I'm not a huge fan of amnesia. I find it overdone, and there's only so many times I can read about a heroine who doesn't remember a thing, super vulnerable without a backbone to speak of. But what caught my attention in When A Stranger Loves Me by Julianne MacLean is that the amnesia victim is the hero.

Here's the blurb for the book:

I saved his life . . . and I had much to demand in return.

When he washed up on shore, I knew my prayers had been answered, and that I, Lady Chelsea Campion, need no longer fear poverty and heartbreak. To secure my family's estate, all I needed was a child. Handsome, clearly noble-born, and with no memory of his previous life, the mysterious man was perfect. All I had to do was visit his bedchamber and seduce him. I had expected him to be a skillful, scandalously wonderful lover, but once in his arms I was overcome by something more than mere passion. I had fallen hopelessly, desperately in love.

My plan has gone shockingly awry. But I will not give up a man who makes me feel such wicked ecstasy. No matter his true identity, no matter the secrets he struggles to remember, I will do anything in this world to make this stranger love me.

I enjoyed seeing Blake's vulnerability. He's physically strong, and seems that he has a strong personality, but the way he deals with amnesia, he shows that vulnerability, and I also enjoyed seeing the anger that he feels with Chelsea scheme. I hate to admit this, but I truly disliked the heroine. I thought she was interesting in the beginning, she had an independent streak that was entertaining until she decided to use the hero.

The book was fast paced and it had good dialogue, but, and this is a big but it lacked spice. I know I've mentioned this before with the previous book of the series, you can find it here. That spark, the chemistry, just wasn't there, in my opinion.

When A Stranger Loves Me by Julianne MacLean (3/5) Historical Romance; Published: Avon (2/2009); Series: # 3, Pembroke Palace; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (36); 2009 Support Your Local Library (31); 2009 Pub Challenge (9);

Some Like It Wicked

Once upon a time I used to be a huge fan of Teresa Medeiros. At one point she was a must buy author, but I was turned off by her attempt to crossover to the paranormal genre. But it's very hard to stop reading her books, it's habit. I had high hopes for Some Like It Wicked.

Here's the blurb:

Some like it dangerous . . .

Highland beauty Catriona Kincaid cares nothing for propriety—or even her own safety—when she storms the grounds of Newgate Prison. Determined to return to Scotland and restore her clan's honor, she seeks the help of Sir Simon Wescott, a disgraced nobleman and notorious rogue. She is prepared to offer him both wealth and freedom, but she never dreams the wicked rake will be bold enough to demand a far more sensual prize.

Some like it seductive . . .

Simon is shocked to discover the tomboy he met long ago has blossomed into a headstrong temptress. Although he's sworn off his dreams of becoming a hero, he can't resist playing knight errant to Catriona's damsel in distress. Both adventure and peril await them at her Highland home, where they will risk their lives to vanquish her enemies . . . and risk their hearts to discover a passion beyond their wildest dreams.

I'm disappointed. I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would have. But, it was better (in my opinion) than the last two books that I read of hers. I think the author's slowly going back to her roots.

What did I take out of the book? A few hours of entertainment. I enjoyed the plot, but couldn't get into the hero and heroine, they simply got on my nerves. I love strong, independent women, but Catriona at times seemed foolish and downright spoiled. Simon, a self-proclaimed rake, an anti-hero to his core, well I just couldn't warm up to him. The one thing I did enjoy of their pairing was their banter. It made me laugh. And I missed that in the previous books, the laughter.

I'm hoping that the next book, Some Like It Wild, will be better.

Some Like It Wicked by Teresa Medeiros (3/5) Historical Romance; Published: Avon: (7/2008); Series: # 1, The Kincaid Highland Series; 100 + Reading Challenge (35); 2009 Support Your Local Library (30);