Teen Tuesday

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler (Simon Pulse hardcover, 5/21/2013).

Jude is much younger than her three older sisters.  She's been the only Hernandez daughter at home for the last five years, but she's graduated from high school and preparing to go to Denver University in the fall.

Meanwhile, she plans to spend the summer hanging out with her father, who's recently been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.  Wanting her last summer at home to be as "normal" as possible, she decides to hire someone to rebuild  Papi's old motorcycle, Valentina.

At Duchess Custom Cycles, the owner recommends a young mechanic named Emilio, who agrees to come out to the Hernandez place to work on it when he's not at the shop.  Jude thinks Emilio seems like a nice guy, and he's cute.

Then she finds out that his last name is Vargas.  When she was very young, her sisters made her swear a blood oath that she'd never get involved with a Vargas boy because they're heartbreakers.  More than that, Jude doesn't really know.

What she does learn as the summer progresses, is that Emilio is a pretty nice guy.  Even though she hasn't told him about Papi's illness, Emilio is gentle with him, and seems to instinctively know how to deal with him.  But she dreads what will happen if her sisters find out about him.

The Book of Broken Hearts is a love story about Jude's relationship with her family, as well as a tale of romance between two teens.  Sarah Ockler deals with the subject of Alzheimer's sensitively, but with humor in an engrossing story about a young woman growing into confidence and  individuality while  dealing with some issues that are just as difficult for her parents and older siblings as they are for an 18-year-old.


FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing both print and digital galleys. 

Teen Tuesday on Thursday

Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter (Harlequin Teen hardcover, 25 September 2012).

 

 Reviewed by Kathleen Beebe.

 

This was overall a good book. It had an interesting new take on the zombie, which is a nice reprieve. 

 

Zombies attack the spirit rather than the body, but what happens to the spirit manifests in the body as well, which is how zombies can kill and make more zombies. 

 

There were flaws of course. The main character, a girl named “Alice” that goes by Ali, just happens to manifest a lot more of the abilities a slayer can use in fighting the zombies. One of these abilities is to be a natural fighter, but only when she’s actually fighting the zombies. Yeah, I call shenanigans on that one. There is a something to be said about natural skills, and the whole “I want to survive” drive, but there is a limit. She can get pounded in practice, but when fighting zombies she’s unstoppable? Right. On the other hand there is also a point where you have to wonder just how many more things can go wrong for this girl. By the end of the book, she has almost no family and has had to personally destroy two of her family members that went zombie. Can this girl get a break? 

 

Other plot twists kept me from knowing exactly what was going to happen throughout the book, which was quite a change for me. Usually I can pick who the killer is or how it’s going to end as soon as I’ve met all the characters, but not this time. 

 

Ali’s best friend Kat is a character that is easy to fall in love with. Though I didn’t see the twists they did with her, I am glad that the author chose to go with the less clichéd route. A lot of the twists were not ones that surprised me, but they weren’t what I expected. The love story was a high school love story and I’m glad that it was as clichéd as it was. However, if some guy pulled the “I’m breaking up with you for your own good” line with me, I’d probably have to hurt him, a lot. 

 

Like I said at the beginning, it was over all a good read, not a classic in the making, but a good fun read. I will be looking forward to the next book, but I can wait. Besides, I survived the end of the Mayan calendar, so the zombie apocalypse has been postponed again and I will have time to wait for the next book to learn another way to fight off zombies. Well, unless I want to join them.

 

 

 

Kathleen Beebe is my stepdaughter, and a voracious reader, and has my gratitude for the thoughtful and well-written review.

 

 

FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of the book. 

A Snowstorm in May

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio (Plume trade paperback, 25 September 2012).


"Blackberry winter" is a colloquial term used to describe a cold snap that occurs in late spring, when the blackberries are in bloom.


In Seattle, the second of May 1933, there was a terrible snowstorm.  Young single mother Vera Ray, who can't afford child-care, kisses her three-year-old son Daniel good night and leaves him alone while she goes to work as a hotel chambermaid.  She tried taking him with her once, but her supervisor was not pleased.  When she finally returns home the next day, Daniel has disappeared and the only sign of him she can find is his snow-covered Teddy bear, not far from their apartment.

Switch to the present, also in May.  A severe blizzard covers Seattle, bringing the city to a standstill.
Reporter Claire Aldridge, of the Seattle Herald receives a call from her editor, asking her to do a story comparing the current storm to the one in 1933. 

At first reluctant, she finally agrees, and during her background research Claire stumbles across the story of Daniel's disappearance, never solved, and during her quest for the truth, discovers that she has a connection to Vera and Daniel.  

The book goes back and forth between Claire and Vera,  and we slowly learn the reasons for Vera's desperate financial straits and Claire's eagerness to do the story.  Although neither is shocking, the
details of both are described in thorough detail. 

This is a charming tale, mysterious and romantic, and the surprise conclusion does not disappoint.


FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of the book. 

Countdown to Left Coast Crime -- 5 days...

I met Cindy Sample at Left Coast Crime 2011 in Santa Fe when I approached the LCC 2012 registration desk to offer my services.  Cindy very cleverly convinced me to be the co-chair of programming, which has been great fun.  She was also kind enough to send me an e-galley of her upcoming first book, Dying for a Date, which I reviewed last June.

Dying for a Date by Cindy Sample.

Cindy Sample's first book brought back memories of meeting frogs through online dating sites. Luckily (as far as I know) none of them were killed after a date with me. Which is the problem that Laurel McKay has after her first date with a man she met through "The Love Club", a non-virtual dating service recommended by her best friend Liz.

She feels badly, but she writes it off as a coincidence and tries dating another guy. When he's fished out of the river during their second date, she begins to wonder if it has something to do with her, and decides to find out.

Juggling a murder investigation, her two kids, a kitten, an ex-husband who suddenly wants to reconcile and her job as a loans underwriter for a local bank means Laurel doesn't have a lot of time, so she convinces Liz to help. When Laurel's co-worker Stan finds out, he wants to help, as does her mother Barbara.

The result is a delightful mix of mystery, romance and silliness. Go get it.


Having been an avid reader from the age of four, Cindy Sample’s third grade career ambition was to become a detective just like Nancy Drew.  At sixteen, she realized her inherent klutziness could be an impediment to becoming a private eye or super spy.  Her new mission was to be a mystery writer.

Cindy's career path took a few twists and turns along the way, including the position of CEO of a nationwide company.  Her first novel, Dying for a Date, was released by L&L Dreamspell in June 2010, and was voted # 1 in Romance in the 2010 P&E Readers Poll.  The sequel, Dying for a Dance, was released to rave reviews in October 2011 and is nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery of 2011.

 

The Swag Bag!

Here's a photo of the book bag we received at Passion & Prose: 

Here are the books that were inside it:

There are also various bookmarks and postcards, candy, lip balm ...

If you'd like to win this bag, please leave a comment on today's or yesterday's Stuff and Nonsense, telling me the name of your favorite female author of all time.  Entries (U.S. only, please) will be accepted until midnight on Friday, March 2nd.

Passion & Prose

On Saturday, I attended a literary conference called Passion and Prose, intended to be the first of an annual event bringing together "passionate romance readers and several dozen of their most beloved romance writers together for a fabulous day of conversation and fun".  

In actuality, there were also mystery, speciulative fiction, and fantasy  writers in attendance, many of whom were young adult authors.  

The morning keynote speaker was Gail Carriger, author of the The Parasol Protectorate series, which she describes as "Jane Austen doing urban fantsy meets P.G. Wodehouse doing steampunk".  Carriger's latest novel is Timeless, the fifth and final book in the series.

Me (l) with the stylish Gail Carriger.

After lunch was a panel called Breathless Reads, consisting of five young adult writers  who have been on tour together for some weeks.  This was the fnal stop on their tour, and thet participated in a delightful discussion moderated by M.G. Lord ( of whom I unfortunately didn't get a photo).

Me with (l-r) Andrea Cremer, Marie Lu, Beth Revis, Jessica Spotsood and Sara Wilson Etienne.

The afternoon keynote speaker was Meg Cabot, author of many books for both adults and young adults, including The Princess Diaries, The Mediator series, and the Heather Wells mystery series.  She's recenly published Overbite, the second in the Insatiable series.

Me, with the charming Meg Cabot (r).

I was able to snag an extra goodie bag from the conference, and I'm delighted to give it (and the contents) to one of my readers.  Please leave a comment here telling me the name of your favorite female author of all time.  Entries (from the US only, please) will be accepted until midnight on Friday, March 2nd.

I'll post photos of the bag and some of fabulous stuff inside it on tomorrow's blog.

Just finished reading...

Little Shop of Homicide (Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery #1) by Denise Swanson. 
Release date March 6, 2012.

When the her grandmother's doctor tells Devereaux Sinclair that the elderly woman shouldn't live alone, Dev quits her high-stress job in the city and  moves back to her hometown of Shadow Bend, Missouri (pop. 4,028).  She sinks most of her savings into purchasing the local old-fashioned dime store, which she turns into Devereaux's Dime Store and Gift Baskets.  She soon realizes she left her investment job at the right time, because a few months later, her former boss was arrested for running a Ponzi scheme.

Unfortunately, because her father had been accused of embezzlement when she was a teen, many people felt that perhaps she wasn't completely innocent.. "Many" including the detective who walked into her store on a Monday morning and accused her of murdering the fiancée of her high school boyfriend.

Dev learns that  Detective Woods is not completely impartial, since he'd lost money when the investment firm went bust, and finds her a convenient scapegoat.   Unable to change his mind, Dev and her two BFFs Boone and Poppy decide that the best way to prove he's wrong is to find the actual killer.

Although the detective's vindictiveness seemed somewhat excessive at first, as the story goes on, his extreme behavior towards Dev becomes a little more understandable, but still doesn't make him a sympathetic character.

Devereaux is a likeable character, and it's heartening that the town's sheriff is much more reasonable than his big-city counterpart.  The dynamics of a small town are well-depicted, too.

This is an absorbing and enjoyable mystery, but it does have some fairly suggestive romantic scenes, which may be a problem for some readers.




*FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.

Just finished reading

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

In the world of this book, there are humans and creatures. Creatures are supernatural beings, and there are three types: witches, vampires and daemons. Although there is no open hostility between the three groups of creatures, they do not commingle.

Dr. Diana Bishop is working on a paper at the Bodleian Library in Oxford when she comes across a book which seems to respond to her touch.

The Reading Room of the Bodleian

The last of the Bishops, an august New England family of witches, Diana prefers not to make use of her abilities, maintaining that she wants to succeed as a scholar due to her intelligence and hard work, not magic. Thus, she is somewhat surprised by what happens with Ashmole 728, as the manuscript is called.

She's even more surprised the next day when the library is filled with creatures of all varieties, apparently attracted by the "awakening" of valuable Ashmole 728, which had been missing for centuries. Rushing to escape the magical bedlam, she runs into Dr. Matthew Clairmont, who, though he happens to be a vampire, helps her to elude all those who are suddenly trying to get close to her and therefore, the manuscript.

Diana had returned the book to the stacks, and though she requests it again when she realizes it's importance, it cannot be found. She and Matthew begin to search for it, and as they get to know each other, they fall in love.

Dr. Harkness' universe proves that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to supernatural beings. All three groups are different from each other, and from those described in other literature, though also the same in some respects. The vampires here are quite capable of being in sunlight, although they do survive on blood. Witches (female) and wizards (male) inherit their magic, although they do need to be trained. Not as much concrete information is imparted about daemons here, other than that they can be very powerful, and good or evil (as with all individuals).

Some of the romantic scenes are a bit trite; Diana comes across as a lovesick teenager early in her relationship with Matthew. Once past that, however, Harkness' writing is absorbing, and most of the characters are well-defined. What's important here is the Story, and a compelling one it is.

The ending is something of a cliffhanger, as this is the first volume of a proposed trilogy. The second book in the All Souls Trilogy, Shadow of Night, will be released in July 2012.


The Penguin Group is kindly providing a trade paperback copy of A Discovery of Witches to one of my readers. Please leave a comment below to enter. (Entries from the U.S. only, please.)

*FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.

Just finished reading...

Dying for a Date by Cindy Sample.*

Cindy Sample's first book brought back memories of meeting frogs through online dating sites. Luckily (as far as I know) none of them were killed after a date with me. Which is the problem that Laurel McKay has after her first date with a man she met through "The Love Club", a non-virtual dating service recommended by her best friend Liz.

She feels badly, but she writes it off as a coincidence and tries dating another guy. When he's fished out of the river during their second date, she begins to wonder if it has something to do with her, and decides to find out.

Juggling a murder investigation, her two kids, a kitten, an ex-husband who suddenly wants to reconcile and her job as a loans underwriter for a local bank means Laurel doesn't have a lot of time, so she convinces Liz to help. When Laurel's co-worker Stan finds out, he wants to help, as does her mother Barbara.

The result is a delightful mix of mystery, romance and silliness. Go get it.


*Many thanks to the author for the e-galley!

Just finished reading...

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen.*

Lady Georgiana Rannoch (Georgie to her friends), is again desperate. She has no job, no money, and her sister-in-law Fig has announced that she and Binky (Georgie's brother) will be joining her at Rannoch House in London. Georgie moved to London to avoid living with Fig, and wonders what to do now.

Once again, her relationship to the Queen works in her favour: Georgie is asked to represent the her Family at the wedding of her cousin (and old schoolmate) Princess Maria Theresa in Romania.

Along with a clumsy, inexperienced maid, and an overbearing chaperon, Georgie sets off for Romania. The wedding is to be held at Maria Theresa's ancestral home, a gloomy, isolated castle which was reportedly once inhabited by Vlad the Impaler, complete with a shadowy figure who prowls the halls at night.

The groom is from the Bulgarian royal family, and of course is accompanied by retainers and guards of his own. After dinner one night the Bulgarian Field Marshall Pirin collapses due to an apparent heart attack. Or is the ghostly prowler responsible for his death?

Luckily, the seemingly ubiquitous Darcy O'Mara is with the groom's party, and helps Georgie and her hapless maid to determine what's going on.

The fourth Royal Spyness mystery, despite the grim setting, is as charming as its predecessors. Highly recommended!

*Full disclosure: I received a review copy of the book from the publisher.

Just finished reading...

Northanger Alibi by Jenni James.*

Sixteen-year-old Claire Hart is a huge fan of the Twilight books, and as a result has always wanted to go to Washington State. She's so thrilled when friends of her parents invite her to spend the summer with them in Seattle that she doesn't even mind when her mother insists that her older sister Cassidy is included.

Claire is so obsessed with Twilight that she's certain there are actually vampires and werewolves in abundance in Washington. When they meet the Halloways' Seattle friends the Russos, whose twins are about the same age as Claire, she's unimpressed at first. Then she bumps into Tony and feels as though she's hit a wall. When Tony seems to know what she's thinking, she's certain that he's a vampire, even though Cassidy attempts to make her see reason.

As the title suggests, this book is based on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. The plot of Ms. James' book is quite similar to that of Miss Austen's, with the main exception, of course being the chronological setting. Claire's fascination with the Twilight novels and inability to separate fiction from reality parallels Catherine Morland's character nicely.

The changes in the plot suit the sensibility of the modern teen admirably; Claire's summer experience could possibly be the dream of every sixteen-year-old on the planet, Twilight aficionado or not.

This is a charming, amusing tale that captures today's teens accurately. I don't know if the author intended Alibi to lead young readers to the original Northanger; probably not, but who knows?


*Electronic ARC received from publisher.

Just finished reading...

My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin.

Libby was kind enough to send me this book (sign up for her newsletter or friend her on Facebook for a chance to win a copy of one of her books!).

Frankie McNally has the job of her dreams: head writer for the soap opera Lust for Life. Having watched it since she was a kid, she knows its history very well, and she just happens to be a talented writer, to boot.
But when her producer introduces her to Victor Pendergrast, from the company who sponsors the show, and asks her to show him around, she has no suspicion that Victor will be joining her staff.

It turns out that Victor's elderly Great-Aunt Augusta is the only reason that Pendergrast Soaps has continued to sponsor the low-rated program; she loves it. Augusta's health is failing, and Victor, a marketing expert, thinks that improving the show's ratings is the only way to persuade the rest of the company's Board of Directors to continue the sponsorship, which in turn (he hopes) will have a positive effect on his Aunt. Frankie finds that she and Victor will be working together closely.

Meanwhile, a storyline about a jewel thief sparks a copycat; Frankie's ex-husband publishes a memoir barely disguised as a novel; and Luke Blades, the injured star of Lust for Life moves in with her whilst he recovers.

Oh, to top it all off Frankie finds herself very attracted to the tall, handsome, older Victor, and Luke suddenly seems to be making a play for her.

Libby is well-characterized as a young woman who thinks she's in over her head, but is more talented than she knows. Yes, the plot is a bit over-the-top, but her story is so much fun that it doesn't matter.

Aside: one of the minor characters in the book is named Iris Carrington, who was a character on Another World, which I watched for a while. I'm not knowledgeable enough about soaps to recognize any other names; I did Google a few, but got no suitable hits.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and plan to read more of Libby's books.