Book Reviews Archive - Page 68 of 79

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich: Book Review

Stephanie Plum has just gotten laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer for a company that turned out to be owned by the mob in New Jersey. Her Miata has just been repossessed, she's sold everything of value, and her refrigerator is empty. Out of desperation, she goes to see her cousin Vinnie, a bail bondsman, about a filing job. That's just been filled, but the secretary lets her know that there's an opening for a bounty hunter, and the money's good. Stephanie blackmails her way into taking a case that will pay out $10,000 if she can bring the guy in. It turns out the fugitive is someone she has a long history with who appears to be a cop gone bad. He's been arrested for cold-blooded murder. Of course, Stephanie is unbelievably unqualified for this job, but a mixture of desperation, pride, and stubborness take her a long way. This was a quick, fun read, but there was still plenty of murder and mayhem for most mystery/thriller readers. This was actually pretty funny. I don't think I ever laughed out loud, but I probably giggled a few times. I had expected it to be a little funnier and less violent from what someone had told me about it, but this was still a good book. One thing that did irritate me was that the author pretty much gave driving directions to every place Stephanie went in the book. That might make it more real to the people from Trenton, NJ, but to me it was just distracting fluff for me to skip over. The characters were what really made the book. You have to like Stephanie. She comes across as just an average woman who's gotten in over her head, but she doesn't let that stop…

The Doll’s House by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

Dream's kingdom is being threatened by a vortex, an entity that can rip apart the Dreaming. He also finds out that a few of his major, and monstrous, subjects, have escaped his kingdom. He must look for them all and save the day before it's too late. This was better than Preludes and Nocturnes, but still not quite a four. The arc of the story flowed much more smoothly. This volume really encompasses one big storyline rather than the three or four rather disjointed ones found in the first volume. This one was definitely creepy--I'm desperately hoping that the Corinthian stays out of my nightmares!--but it wasn't as over-the-top horrifying as Preludes. All pluses in my book. I also liked the way Gaiman took a storyline from the first collection that I had completely forgotten about and expanded it into something unexpected but fitting. I liked that we got to see a little more of the family dynamics among Dream's family, the Endless Ones. They aren't really gods because gods die; these beings don't. They have always been around and they always will be. Some of Dream's past is told, and we're left with the feeling that his younger siblings aren't through messing with him and the other two Eldest. I'm not a big fan of the art of the actual story. The colors are a little too garish. Sandman is still very cool, but the other characters, (well, except for the Corinthian) were just too much. This was written and illustrated in the late '80's, early '90's though, so that probably has something to do with it. I did, again, find myself poring over Dave McKean's gorgeous cover illustrations. I really, really like the mixed-media work he did for these. I'll try one more.

Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

A magus trying to capture Death captures her younger brother, Dream, instead. He's trapped like a goldfish in a bowl for 70 years, a time when the "sleepy sickness" took over the earth. Some people slept through a lifetime. But the Sandman has patience and he has time to plan his revenge. I haven't read that many graphic novels. Really, I've only read graphic novel memoirs and Coraline. So this genre is pretty new to me. I wasn't hugely impressed, but that's just me. Although I have read a lot of reviews that say this first volume is just okay and it gets better from here. I like the basic idea of the story, and I have to say that I am hugely impressed by all the myth and story Gaiman has worked into the storyline. I know I missed some of it, but what I caught was seamlessly integrated and impressive in its scope. By the end, it had gotten way too dark and disturbing for my taste. That's all I'll say. I did like the way that The Sandman is depicted. He looks very badass (and somehow like Gaiman himself, but maybe I'm projecting) and I do like the long, flowing cape. I also love the covers that Dave McKean did. I stopped at every one to inspect it carefully, and I honestly rarely do that with artwork in books. That's really all I have to say. Judging by this one, I probably wouldn't continue with the series. There's just enough potential, and I've heard just enough about the rest of the series for me to give one or two more volumes a try. Those who are well-established fans of graphic novels will probably like it more than I did.

Bound South by Susan Rebecca White: Book Review

I would say that Bound South is a group of connected short stories. There's not really one plot that connects the chapters. Instead, I would say that the author uses these stories, told from the points of view of three different Southern ladies, to explore issues they each face and how hard it can be to move past them, even when they try. I thought the author did a fantastic job giving each character her own voice. With each story being written in first person, it was very important that she get this right and she did. Louise, the upper-class society matron who holds some surprising views; Caroline, her teenage daughter who is constantly seeking; and Missy, their housekeeper's daughter who tries to hold tight to religion in an increasingly sinful world. Each told her own story in her own way and had something to contribute to the story. At times funny, sometimes sad, and always thought-provoking, some of the issues the women face are the obvious, such as race, sexual orientation/identity, poverty, religion, and a middle-aged woman's constantly shifting role in her children's lives. Some of the others are not so obvious, such as the surprising directions exploitation can come from, stupid choices that can affect your whole life, how sometimes you're not the only one who carries the weight of your sins, and how hard it is to watch your children make mistakes. But these women face each challenge as it comes, do the best they can, and try to learn from it. I loved this passage, as Louise is thinking about her daughter: "How do I tell her that what I want is to know her, to know the woman who made these birds, to see what she might become if she is allowed to spread out,…

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones: Book Review

Abdullah is the son of a carpet merchant in the city of Zanzib. His inheritance wasn't much, but he's getting by pretty well. The rest of his extended family picks on him, but it's only once a month and he can take that. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up and sells him a magic carpet. That night, Abdullah falls asleep on the carpet and wakes up in a beautiful garden with a beautiful princess named Flower-in-the-Night. As you would expect, Abdullah and Flower-in-the-Night fall in love over several nighttime visits and plan to run away together. Then an evil djinn kidnaps her. Abdullah swears to rescue her at all costs. So it's not quite Howl's Moving Castle. It was still a very engaging story with characters that I liked. Abdullah is the plucky protagonist who can only be likened to Aladdin. He's by far the poorest suitor a princess could have, but he's also the most faithful. He's the only man to go in pursuit of the evil djinn. He hits some big snags and faces down danger to save his lady-love. Flower-in-the-Night was great! She's an intriguing mixture of innocence and wisdom. She's so protected that she's never seen a man except for her father. She's spent a lot of time reading books though, and learning about the world around her. When everything starts to reach its resolution, she's the one with the ideas. The soldier was completely unexpected. He was a bit of a trickster figure and I could never put my finger on whether he was good, bad, or indifferent. He's a good guy to have on your side in a scrape, but he has a great big soft spot for the kitties. The book itself was one great big magic carpet ride of a story.…

By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan: Book Review

It's the early 1490s in Spain and world-changing events are happening. The New Inquisition is getting established; Spain is trying to take Granada back from the Moors; and, well, we all know about Christopher Columbus in 1492. Huge stuff. By Fire, By Water focuses on one man's role through all this. Luis de Santángel is an important man in Ferdinand and Isabella's court. He's basically the money man. He's also a converso, a Christian whose ancestors were Jewish but converted, usually under intense pressure. He's curious about his heritage, so he starts asking questions. Spain under the New Inquisition, led by Torquemada, is no place to ask questions about anything. Santángel soon finds himself and his family under suspicion. Concurrently, Judith Migdal, a Jew living in Granada, is fighting for her survival. She finds herself trying to provide for some extended family alone. Life with the Muslims in Granada might not be perfect, but at least she's free to worship as she pleases. I don't know exactly how to say that I liked reading about this period in history. It infuriated me sometimes, but it felt important to know. I'd heard about the Spanish Inquisition, of course, but I hadn't really thought about who might have been targeted. I was appalled at the ultimate action the authorities took against the Jewish people. I read Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance at the same time that I read this book, completely unintentionally, and the two books fit well together. By Fire, By Water gave me the background and Poison showed me how the Jews fared afterward. Needless to say, it wasn't that well. I never quite connected to Santángel. I think it would be safe to say that I'm a coward. I would have kept my mouth shut and been at…

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: Book Review

The Lies of Locke Lamora was a hugely fun tale of a group of con artists called The Gentlemen Bastards and their lives in Camorr, a fantasy version of Venice. I'm going to say right out that I actually struggled a little with this, and that says more about my attention span at the moment than it does about the book. Locke and his group of friends are fantastically funny and amazingly great at what they do. Some of their antics just left me in admiration at the sheer *ahem* balls of what they pull off. I would read and think, "Oh, no. They aren't. Oh, yes. They are. I can't believe these guys!" And then I would frequently shake my head in admiration or burst into (mostly) silent gales of laughter. And then I would tell my husband, "You won't believe what The Gentlemen Bastards just did!" like they were real people I was talking about. Well, take out the "Gentlemen" part and he probably would have thought I was talking about a couple of people at work. :-) But anyway... The witty dialog was actually witty and layered and pointed in so many ways that I still wouldn't swear that I got it all, and I was supposed to know what was going on! Again--that's me, not the book. But it wasn't all lighthearted scams and tricks, and there were times that I was so upset with the direction that the story took, I could have thrown the book against the wall. And that's all I'll say about that. I feel like I have to throw this in here. If you're offended by language, skip this one. I didn't think it was that bad, but I'm fairly tolerant of that kind of thing. There were parts that were…

Poison by Sara Poole: Book Review

"The Spaniard died in agony. That much was evident from the contortions of his once handsome face and limbs and the black foam caking his lips. A horrible death to be sure, one only possible from that most feared of weapons: 'Poison.'"* What an opening to a page-turner of a book! Especially when the protagonist, Francesca Giordano, immediately admits that she's the one who killed him. Francesca's father was Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia's poisoner. When he dies, Francesca vows to have her revenge, and the best way to do that is to take over his position. One death later, she does. The role of poisoner isn't just about poisoning others; it's also about keeping your charge safe. There's a power-play for the papacy going on, and Borgia is in the thick of it. Can Francesca protect him and avenge her father? I loved this book! Francesca was a great character. She's so very earnest in her narration. Her tone actually reminded me a little of Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes' protegee. She's very confident in her abilities as a poisoner, but she soon realizes that she's up against a very clever opponent. She could have remained over-confident, but she adjusts her thinking. She's also living in a time when anyone outside the "norm" is a heretic and only fit for poverty and starvation at best. She's open-minded enough to learn the lessons that she needs to. She likes to kill and that disturbs her a little. She thinks of herself as a creature of the darkness. She doesn't realize that she's working for the light in a roundabout way. She can only think of her actions and her theological questions and assume that she's probably doomed. But she still continues to do her best. Francesca's narrative irritated me a little when the…

The Blind Contessa’s New Machine by Carey Wallace: Book Review

Based true events, The Blind Contessa's New Machine tells the story of Carolina Fantoni and her friend, Turri. Carolina is a beautiful, somewhat solitary girl. She loves to spend time alone down at the little lake her father constructed for her mother. When she gets older, she attracts the attention of the local heartthrob, Pietro. As the wedding draws near, Carolina realizes that she is going blind. She tells her parents and Pietro, but they just brush her off. Turri is the only one who understands and listens. This was an absolutely beautiful book. Even though it is grounded in reality, I had the feeling that I was reading a fairy tale. It felt so dreamy. Carolina felt a little like a princess under a curse. Pietro was the handsome yet clueless prince. Turri is the thoughtful, overlooked friend. That sounds like a Disney version, but this would have more in common with the Brothers Grimm version than Disney. This is the real world, after all, and Carolina is going blind in the early 1800s. There's no happy ending to be found there. I appreciated the descriptions of Carolina's encroaching blindness. I could picture exactly what she was seeing and how she was feeling. She judges the progression of her vision loss by looking at some trees on the banks of her lake weekly. She gets frightened, she hopes it's stopping, she even occasionally hopes it's getting better, but deep down she knows that she will inevitably be blind. It all felt so real and I could see myself doing the same things if, heaven forbid, the same should ever happen to me. When she does become fully blind, she seems to go into a depression. Then she realizes that she has sight in her dreams and the book moves…

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: Book Review

Journalist Mikael Blomqvist has just been found guilty of libel and sentenced to 90 days in jail and slapped with a huge fine. He needs to take a break from journalism for a while, so when a former industrial tycoon asks him to write a family history while investigating a 40-year-old mystery, Mikael takes him up on the offer. I'll be honest here. I've been in a bit of a reading slump for a couple of weeks. I'm just tired from work and even reading takes more energy than I have. So that might be why I didn't fall in love with this, like so many of my friends have. But I don't think that's entirely it. One of the biggest things that I think knocked this down a few stars for me is the fact that if I think you're about to start talking about Finance, Investment, Economics, or anything like that, my eyes start to glaze over and I start hearing you the way we hear Charlie Brown's mother: "Wa wa wah wa wah...." Yes, it really is that bad. There's not a lot of that here, but since my tolerance hovers around zero for that kind of thing, a little was too much for me. I still don't have a clue what Salander got up to at the end of this. I needed it spelled out in small words. But speaking of Salander, I am hopelessly intrigued by her. She was really the big draw of the book for me. Asocial, a little goth, super-intelligent, mysterious, and with a preternatural ability to sniff out someone's deepest, darkest secrets, I always wanted to know more about her. There are little clues here and there, but we don't find out too much of her personal story. I'm hoping that…