Book Reviews: Every Which Way But Dead and A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison

Quick reviews this time because I want to clear the decks for The National Novel Writing Month. I don't know how much I'll be posting over the next 30 days but knowing me, I'll miss you guys too much to stay completely away.

So, onto the mini-reviews:

Every Which Way But Dead
Harper Torch
501 Pages
Copyright 2005

From the back of the book:

There's no witch in Cincinnati tougher, sexier, or more screwed up than bounty hunter Rachel Morgan, who's already put her love life and her soul in dire jeopardy through her determined efforts to bring criminal night creatures to justice.

Between "runs," she has her hands full fending off the attentions of her blood-drinking partner, keeping a deadly secret from her backup, and resisting a hot new vamp suitor.

Rachel must also take a stand in the war that's raging in the city's underworld, since she helped put away its former vampire kingpin - and made a deal with a powerful demon to do so that could cost her an eternity of pain, torment, and degradation.

And now her dark 'master' is coming to collect his due.

I thoroughly enjoyed the third book in the series. Rachel has her handsful with the demon come to claim her as his familiar, Quen, Trent Kalamack's head-of-security demanding her help, and Kisten, the drop-dead gorgeous living vampire she almost succumbed to in the previous book, hanging around to tempt her. Add in a boat explosion and a Were who seems to be following her and it's a pretty action-packed adventure.

A Fistful of Charms
Eos
510 Pages
Copyright 2006

From the back of the book:

The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her - not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rache has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses - savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary.

Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrat of a vengeful demon, Rache must nevertheless act quickly. For teh pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake.

Try as she might, Rachel can't seem to avoid trouble. First, she's attacked by a group of Alpha Werewolves. Then she has to convince her former partner, Jenks, the pixie, to let her help him rescue his son from the trouble her former lover has dragged him into, and then there's the undead master vampire who seems intent on possessing Rachel, regardless of her feelings on the matter.

Gotta admit I wasn't as crazy about this one for one simple, irritating reason. Most of the action takes place in Mackinaw City, Michigan. That's my neck of the woods and I feel a little let down. I can handle the 'small-town redneck' comparisons because... well, people around here consider that a compliment most of the time. But, there's a scene in the book where two of the characters are heading from Mackinaw City, on the south end of the Mackinac Bridge, to St. Ignace, on the north end of the bridge and Harrison has them paying the toll on the south end of the bridge. There is no toll on the south end - you pay it on the north end. And the critical scene, which takes place on the bridge, didn't click. Having driven the bridge too many times to count in my life, I just couldn't buy it. It also bugged me that she kept referring to the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Huron to Lake Michigan as an 'ocean'. I get that she wanted to convey the size and if you've never seen it, ocean is an apt comparison. It still bugged me.

Anyway, the story was interesting and fast-paced, the new characters interesting, and the development of the old characters intriguing. I can't fault the story, just the location and Harrison's handling of it. Besides, who can resist the idea of a 6'4" pixie?

Recommendations: I love Rachel Morgan and her world. If you're looking for an action-packed, paranormal series, give this one a try.

Sifting Thoughs, Sunday edition

Sunday night is a slow night, for the most part here at work. Letting people into labs and their dorm rooms is about it. Oh, and weapons check ins. We allow students to store weapons (rifles, shotguns, pistols, bows) on campus as long as they are kept here, at the department under lock and key. We've been doing a ton of them lately.

Anyway...

First, congratulations to all of you that took part in the Readathon! I did as much blog hopping as I could and y'all looked like you had fun! Maybe in April I can work it out to take part. Any idea on a date or this too far out for that?

Second, I have to admit another violation of my book buying ban but it's my sister's fault. Really.

Friday night, after working 0700 - 1500 on a cold, wet, blustery fall day, I went home with ever intention of staying there. At about 1630, my sister called and asked if I'd run to the library for her. She was at work until 2100 and the library closed at 1730 and isn't open on the weekends. They were holding a book for her and she really wanted to have it to read this weekend.

I went. What can I say? I got out of my comfy sweats and my cuddly blanket, put some jeans on, and went out in the cold and wet. While I was at the library, however, I noticed a display of Halloween theme books that included Kim Harrison and her "The Hollows" series. I'd read the first two awhile back and loved them. I was also sorta proud of the fact that I hadn't dashed to Amazon to order the rest of the series.

They had book three, Every Which Way But Dead. It was lying there, on a shelf, big as life whispering at me... read me... read me...

Don't you hate it when that happens?

I basically read the book today and then tonight at work, I dashed over to Amazon and ordered books four and five. I'll get three later. My reason? I didn't see book four in the stack on the shelf and I couldn't find it shelved with the other books. And I want to read it. Now.

So, you see? It was my sister's fault.

Again, congrats to all you terrific readers! I hope you've managed to catch up on your sleep today!

Oh, and if my use of military time has you baffled - if the number is greater than 12, subtract 12. So, 1730 is 5:30 p.m. Military time, for me is second nature and so much simpler - no need to write a.m. and p.m., which I always manage to do incorrectly!

Have a great week.

Friday Fill - ins 57

And...here we go!

1. The crickets sing, and I rejoice.

2. Be happy wherever you are.

3. I want to get far away from the craziness that is my life at times.

4. Left and right getting along in civility; this was a dream.

5. But as for me I will serve God.

6. I will never forget where I come from

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting through two more day shifts, tomorrow my plans include work and Sunday, I want to sleep late!

The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian

I can't call this a book review because I didn't finish it. But, I didn't finish it for a vastly different reason. It's not that I didn't like the book. It's not that I didn't think it was a worth-while read. I liked what I read and it was very worth-while.

The problem was simple: I found it too depressing to continue with it.

The Marketing of Evil is the story of how a segment of society that didn't like traditional values set out to change those values through the use of marketing tactics.

It's the story of how those tactics have worked, leading to a surge in anit-American sentiment becoming common among Americans, the destruction of marriage and family, the destruction of our school system, and a death culture that now refuses to acknowledge a fetus as a baby.

The author, David Kupelian, is the managing editor of WorldNetDaily, one of the largest independent news web sites. He is also a Christian. He has a viewpoint and doesn't think he should apologize for it.

I didn't finish this book because, as I said, it is too depressing for me to do so at the moment. That doesn't mean I won't finish it one day. Nor does it mean it isn't going back on my shelf. I will and it will.

Book Review: Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
Putnam
338 Pages
Copyright 2008

Silks is the second collaboration between Dick Francis, who authored 40 books on his own, and his son, Felix. The story is vintage Francis – a compelling mystery set against the English racing industry.

Amateur Steeplechase jockey and London Barrister, Geoffrey Mason finds himself defending professional jockey Scot Barlow for the sensational murder of another jockey. Mason, who has information that could be pertinent to the case, keeps silent and defends Barlow after being threatened by a former client, one that had been sent to prison for a brutal assault. The client’s sentence is overturned on appeal and allegations of jury tampering by another Crown Attorney. Mason, at first, has no intention of taking the case much less losing it as he is being instructed to do, until he receives photographs of family and friends taken from inside their homes and their places of business. He then takes the case but finally decides he will not be intimidated and sets out to win... and to stop those who would harm the people he loves.

This is the first of the collaborations that I’ve read and I’m not sure I’ll read another. There are flairs of the old Dick Francis in the story but I didn’t like the hero all that much, especially when it came to the end of the story. I did enjoy the courtroom setting and I learned a few things about the English system of jurisprudence that were interesting. Like, there’s a difference between an attorney and a barrister and that a barrister can work both sides of the aisle, so to speak – he can prosecute a case or be assigned to defend it. The big courtroom climax, however, seemed abrupt and trite and then, the ending of the book left me intensely disliking Mason. I understood his actions but I certainly didn’t like them or him.

Recommendation: It isn’t a bad book but I’ve definitely read better. If you’re interested in a good horse based mystery, I’ll suggest you read some vintage Dick Francis. His stories were superior to this collaboration

Book Review: THe Memory of Water by Karen White

The Memory of Water by Karen White
New American Library (A Penguin Group)
315 Pages
Copyright 2008

The Memory of Water is the story of two sisters, Diana and Marnie, who grew up in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Their parents are free spirits, not marrying in order for Diana and Marnie to carry their mother’s name – Maitland. Their mother is a neglectful woman, leaving the girls to fend for themselves, looked after by the more stable people in their small town... until the night their mother takes them out in a sailboat during a raging storm. The mother drowns but the girls are saved, at great cost to themselves.

Ten years later, Marnie finds herself back in Lowcountry in response to a call from Diana’s ex-husband, Quinn. It seems history is repeating itself – Diana has taken her son, Gil, out on a sailboat into a storm. Both survived but with scars that promise to damage the rest of their lives beyond repair. Diana is keeping secrets; secrets from everyone around her. Gil has stopped talking. No one knows what happened on the boat to render him mute, but Quinn hopes Marnie can help.

Marnie returns and finds it necessary to confront herself, her sister, and their past. What happened to make the two girls, once as close as any two people can be, not speak to each other for ten years? What happened the night their mother died, memories that are locked away in Marnie’s memory? What happened on the boat to steal Gil’s voice and his love of art away from him? And, the biggest question of all – can Marnie, Quinn, and Diana work together to save Gil?

The Memory of Water is told in alternating viewpoints – Marnie, Diana, Quinn, and even Gil each takes a turn to talk about events, both past and present. Marnie is a strong woman but has been dramatically changed by her mother’s death and the loss of her relationship with her sister. Diana is angry. She’s angry with Marnie, Quinn, and herself. Quinn is struggling to do what’s best for his son, his tragic ex-wife, and the tragedies of his own past. Gil struggles with a secret so large it has left him mute because he has been raised not to tell lies so he falls silent.

Their words, thanks to Karen White, flow beautifully and are heart-wrenching at times. The people are complex and so are their relationships. I loved the way Marnie related to Gil. Quinn is a good man in an almost impossible situation, and Diana, in spite of being so tragic, clearly loves her son and wants what’s best for him.

I love the way Karen White uses words. Here are some random examples of the writing that I found so beautiful:

Almost reluctantly, I fell in love with this place. I’m not sure if it was only because anywhere other than where I’d come from seemed a likely refuge, and this was the first place I’d stopped. I remember driving down Highway 10 and pulling off to the side of the marsh. The tall sawgrass undulated in the wind, like a heavy sigh from a tired earth and I knew then that I had found a place to lick my wounds and build a life.

And:

I felt my heart tremble like a butterfly in my chest, but it wasn’t because I was scared. It was because when Aunt Marnie said the word “sailing,” it came dressed with sunshine and the smell of salt water in your face and all the happy memories of being on a boat beneath sails with only ocean around you. It made me remember everything I had forgotten about sailing—all that I used to love doing. And in that one word, Aunt Marnie told me that she had loved it once, too. I nodded and she touched my head, lifting the hair off my forehead.

And one more beautiful, dark passage:

But sometimes, in the darkest part of the night, even m painting failed me, and I felt compelled to sneak down the stairs and out of the house in search of something–of what, I wasn’t sure. I always found myself at the water’s edge on the dock or the beach, or sometimes I’d drive into town and wander the wharves where the fishing boats were kept at night, their long, net-holding arms stretched out in silent sleep against the darkened sky. I stared into the black waters for a long time, imagining the cold, wet feel of it against my skin and wondered what it would be like to step forward until the water covered me like a cool blanket, rocking me to sleep until no more air filled my lungs. There would be no more pain, no more medicine, no more hate. And no more fear. I longed for refuge, but could only stay on the solid wood of the dock, staring at the water as if it were behind a locked door and I couldn’t find the key.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a story enmesh me so thoroughly in a place I’ve never been before. I found myself wanting to visit the Lowcountry, which is my ultimate compliment to an author. Karen White made it so real I want to experience it myself.

One final comment. I don't normal use bookcovers for my reviews but I had to add this one. It's what drew me to the book and there's something... compelling about it and I felt the need to share it.

Recommendation: This is a story about relationships, about human nature, about family, and about the pain those things cause in a person’s life. It’s about mothers and their children. And it’s about secrets and coping with tragedy and it’s all beautiful written. It’s well worth the read.

If you're interested...

There's a new documentary out titled "Not Evil Just Wrong". It has to do with the whole global warming/climate change controversy. I've got three things to say about it and then a link for anyone interested. If anyone is interested in a civil debate on the topic, I'd be happy to oblige.

1. The earth's temperature has remained unchanged for 11 years.

2. A British judge ruled there were nine significant errors in Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth".

3. When Phelim McAleer, the man behind "Not Evil Just Wrong" tried to question Al Gore about those errors at a recent appearance, his microphone was shut off.

The site Big Hollywood, by Andrew Breitbart, will be carrying a live streaming feed of "Not Evil Just Wrong" tonight at 8:00 p.m. est.

If you have questions about global warming/climate change check it out. If you don't have questions and saw "An Inconvenient Truth" check the opposing viewpoint out. Listening to the other side of an agrument is never a bad thing.

Late night sifting thoughts...

Time for a little babbling before I head off to bed.

Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. I love the bite in the air and the color in the trees. I even like the first snowfall. There's a smell in the air that makes me feel all that much more alive.

I did something today that I haven't done in a very long time. Hardly at all this summer. I took my dog for a walk. Doesn't seem like much of a miracle, does it? Well, it seems like it for me. My knees have been bad since last winter. It's a combination of arthritis and other problems that has made walking painfully out of the question.

Today, however, I saw the blue sky and knew I needed to get out. We only walked a mile but it felt so wonderful! Riley, as usual, trotted ahead of me but she didn't go very far before she stopped and looked back. I'm not sure if she was saying hurry up or I'm so glad you're here with me! Whichever, I hope it's the start of a daily thing again, at least on those days that are welcoming.

This was also a sad day for my little corner of the world. A young man that grew up in this area was killed in Afghanistan. He died in the battle you may have heard about - the one in which eight soldiers were killed. Sgt. Christopher Griffin was one of them. This county is one of the largest counties in the country, not to say the state, yet we are a small town kinda place. We've been lucky when it comes to our young people that have chosen to serve. This is the first who has laid down his life. I know his parents - not well but still. It's personal this time and it made me think. I was in high school at the end of the Vietnam War. My older brother, in 1970, had a draft number in the low 30's. I can remember him telling my parents that if they were going to call his lot, he was going to enlist. I was proud of him for that. I also had three cousins who served during that war. Yet, this time it seems worse, somehow. Maybe because the brave souls fighting are young people I've know since childhood. One young woman, a friend of my niece, attended West Point and served in Iraq, along with her brother. I have a hard time reconciling the idea of the kid who spent sleepover nights at my house drivng me to distraction with my niece with the young Army officer putting her life on the line in service to this country. Vietnam was a war fought by my contemporaries. This war is being fought by what feels very much like my children. How in the world do the parents handle it?

Okay, enough somber. I'm going to celebrate the day that was and the joyful moments I shared with my faithful friend. I'm also going to remember the young man laid to rest today, thankful for his sacrifice.  The photo above is one of my nieces taken several years ago.  Their mother literally kicked them out of the house, telling them to go out and do... something.  They chose to make a snowhorse.  I'm going to celebrate their lives and their joys.

Life, as always, goes on. The trick, I'm learning as I grow older, is to take every joyful minute you're given and keep it close to your heart.

Trish is giving a book away!

So, Trish, from Trish's Reading Nook is giving away a copy of The Lace Reader.

It's a book she, in her words, gushes about. In my opinion, that makes it worth reading so drop on by via the above link and get in while you can.

Thoughts on a day

I've just finished the book The Memory of Water by Karen White and it is, without a doubt, one of my favorites of the year. The language is lush and vibrant, the story heatwrenching and pulse-quickening.

This, however, isn't a post about the book. That will come in a couple of days, after I've had some time to let it settle.

This is a post about mothers.

The Memory of Water is about children and their relationship with their mothers. There's a line in the book that says something about how a child, no matter how old, will always want their mother with them during the important times of their lives.

I don't think a truer word has ever been written by anyone.

You see, today is the day six years ago that I lost my mother. The details aren't important but as I was finishing the book, I was more accutely aware of her absence than I had been in some time. Now, I'm thinking about the times between that day six years ago and this day that are the most important to me... and I realize there has always been an awareness of what's missing, even if it wasn't spoken of. I have wanted her there. I still do.

Life goes on, of course, but for the moment I find myself missing a very large piece of my life... and I thank Karen White for her beautiful words. The memories they raised are ones I wouldn't give up for anything.

Book Review: Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Hyperion
556 Pages
Copyright 2006

Peter and the Shadow Thieves is the second book in the Starcatchers trilogy. The trilogy is the ‘pre-story’ of Peter Pan. There are, of course, differences from J.M. Barrie’s classic tale but nothing that spoils either adventure. Barry and Pearson do an excellent job with the material and Greg Call provides amazing illustrations.

In the first book Peter and The Starcatchers, Peter is an orphan put on a ship with other boys from their orphanage. On that ship is Molly Aster, daughter of a Starcatcher. Through her, Peter learns about starstuff – magical dust that falls to earth from the stars and gives those it touches magical abilities. It is starstuff that gives Peter his immortality and his ability to fly.

In Shadow Thieves, a new menace arrives on Mollusk Island, where Peter and the Lost Boys have chosen to stay, along with a trapped Captain Hook and his pirate crew. It comes in the shape of Lord Ombra, a dark, shadowy figure with the ability to steal a person’s shadow and gain control over that person as a result. Ombra is one of ‘The Others’, a group of evil men seeking to gain control of the starstuff so they can rule the world. After discovering that the starstuff is no longer on Mollusk Island but in London with Lord Aster, Ombra and his pirate lackeys head for London... with a stowaway onboard. Peter, and a reluctant Tinker Bell, head for London to warn Molly and her father of the danger.

I came across Peter and the Starcatchers completely by chance. I was in the local bookstore in one of those moods – my normal reading choices weren’t appealing to me and I was restless. The salesclerk recommended the book to me and I was completely surprised by it. It was a wonderful tale of adventure, danger, and friendship. I bought the second book immediately but for some reason it didn’t click with me when I first picked it up. So, it sat on my shelf until something told me it was time.

And boy, was it. I read this one in two days. It, like the first one, is a great adventure, filled with danger, pirates, good guys, and evil. Peter is still a boy, still on Mollusk Island and perfectly happy with his life... until Ombra shows up and Peter knows he has to warn Molly. Molly, unlike Peter, has grown some and has a hard lesson to learn – the lesson that doing the right thing can sometimes come at a very great cost.

Recommendation: This is listed as a young adult book but it is fast paced enough to keep anyone’s interest. There’s plenty of pirates and adventure to keep the interest of most young people, but there is also violence and death to be kept in mind. If you’re looking for a grand adventure to share with your kids, I suggest you give this series a look.

September Wrap-up

Wow. What a great month. I managed to read a total of 12 books last month! That's a total of 4,255 pages, or a whopping 142 pages a day!! I have no idea what got in to me but I sure hope it sticks around. Here's my list:

79. Night Work by Steve Hamilton
78. Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre
77. Redemption Alley by Lilith Saintcrow
76. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
75. Relentless by Dean Koontz
74. Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell
73. Shadowfall by James Clemens
72. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
71. The Hollow by Nora Roberts
70. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
69. Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
68. The Good, The Bad, and The Undead by Kim Harrison

My favorite, far and away, was Interred With Their Bones. Second would be Shadowfall, which was a great fantasy treat. Hunting Ground was another solid effort by Patricia Briggs and Night Work was a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I'd like Hamilton's stand alone quite so much. And Kim Harrison is a wonderful new find. I can't wait until I get the rest of her books. And, I guess I need to admit that romances aren't all that bad... at least not when they're written by Nora Roberts.

And on another wonderful note, I have now read 79 books so far this year, which puts me three ahead of last year and surpasses my total for the previous year, also... and it's only October! I'm excited to see how many wonderful adventures I'll end up taking this year.

So, how was your month?