The Book Diva's Reads

Appalachian Serenade was a fast-paced, heart-warming, and inspirational read. Delilah Morrissey is starting life over at age thirty-four. The year is 1945. The war is over. Delilah is a widow, with no home, and no job. The only thing she could do was leave Chicago for her home in West Virginia. Feeling like a proverbial third wheel in her married sister's home, she stumbles across a job helping Robert Thornton out in his general store. Robert and Delilah are both looking for something more in life, but aren't quite sure how to get it. Robert has resigned himself to being sterile and never having children, but he knows that it will all work out in the end. Delilah wants nothing more than to have children and overlooks the man right under her nose rather than admit there is a chance for them to have a meaningful relationship. Ms. Thomas has done a wonderful job presenting a story that answers the question of how do you know what God has in store for you if you don't know what you want for yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction read set in small-town West Virginia. The author captured the feel of the small town community, where everyone knows everyone else's business and is quick to offer advice and assistance when it is deemed appropriate. This was the first book I've read in the Appalachian Blessings series, but I can't wait to read more.

3.5 star read

Lorelei Clark is interested in becoming the best classically trained soprano she can become. She spent much of her childhood devoted to singing and becoming a better artist. When she was offered the opportunity to study at a small but prestigious conservatory in Maine she was ecstatic. Her mother was anything but happy and refused to even talk to Lorelei before and after she left for college. Lorelei's father had always been her most devoted supporter, and when he dies in a freak accident in her arms she is devastated. After her father's funeral she returns to school but her mind simply isn't on her studies. When she receives a letter from a maternal aunt, inviting her to come to Cape Cod, Lorelei thinks this may be the answer to her prayers. Within a few scant months, Lorelei had started college, suffered the traumatic death of her father, reconciled with her mother only to separate from her once again over a difference of opinion on Lorelei's future. Perhaps this visit to long-lost relatives to the Cape will provide just the distraction Lorelei needs and allow her to focus on her future.

Little does Lorelei know that her entire life will change after she arrives at her aunt's home in Cape Cod. First Lorelei is introduced to an aunt and cousins she never knew she had. Second she is told that her family lineage includes sirens. Her love of singing and water are part of her siren nature. To say that this is a little hard to swallow is putting it lightly. Adding insult to injury, Lorelei is told that she has to go on a mission to assist in the transition from life to death for a group of merchant marines on a cargo ship. This may be the biggest trial that Lorelei faces in life...or is it?

Serenade is not just a coming of age story, but a story of family, heritage and the idea of free will. Ms. Kiebel has deftly incorporated the mythic sirens into a story that also includes messengers, banshees, an Idis, the Elysienne, and even Valkyries. I found Serenade to be a rather fast-paced read. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first read the blurb and saw that the story included the rather fantastical element of sirens. Serenade is part coming-of-age, part fantasy, part heroic quest, and part self-realization/awareness with a touch of romance thrown into the mix. If you're looking for something a little different and enjoy reading YA or NA books, then you'll definitely want to add Serenade to your TBR list. (Trust me, you don't have to be a young/new adult in order to appreciate this story.) I can only hope that there will be more Lorelei stories coming in the future.

3.5 star read

Eleanor "Elly" Jordan is a successful small business owner. Last year she had to design the flowers for her ex-husband's wedding to his mistress. She kind of fell in love with her neighbor, an up-and-coming musician only to break things off with him before taking their relationship to the next level. She's learned to love her employees, especially Snarky Teenager, and considers them her extended family. Now she must decide if she can take her business to the next level and open a branch as well as allow Snarky Teenager to manage the new branch store. If that isn't enough to take into consideration, she's realized that she's in love with Keith the deli owner, and she's been contacted by a relative she never knew she had. And just to truly cap things off, she's been given the opportunity to be the florist for a celebrity wedding on a wedding reality show. Last year pales in comparison with all Elly has to deal with this year. Can she deal with the stress of a new family member, allowing her relationship with Keith to grow even though she feels he's keeping secrets from her, trust that Snarky Teenager can be relied upon with the new storefront, and handle the pressure of designing flowers for a reality television show? Only time will tell . . .

I'm the type of reader that has to read all of the books in a series before reading the book I need to review. So I spent a glorious Saturday afternoon and evening reading Elly In Bloom then Elly In Love. I found both to be delightful, heart-warming, and fast-paced reads. It may not be necessary to read Elly In Bloom before reading Elly In Love, but it definitely helped with understanding the trials Elly has dealt with over the past few years. First her mother dies, then she catches her husband in flagrante delicto with his mistress in their marital bed, she leaves her hometown and state to wind up in Missouri and opens a floral business. Posies is not just any floral business but one that specializes in weddings. It is a small boutique florist and Elly only has a handful of employees: her best friend and fellow floral designer - Kim, her part-time worker/high-school student - Snarky Teenager (her actual name is never revealed), and her latest hire, Anthony. These four artistic and creative people comprise the Posies workforce and they do a darn good job, small or large. Now that Elly's business has become famous, Posies is the "it" florist for the Missouri elite. Although business is booming, Elly's life is still in upheaval. She loves Keith but knows he's hiding something and she can't let the relationship develop any further until he stops being secretive.

Ms. Oakes has done a wonderful job of pulling the reader into Elly's world, or at least she did with this reader. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next with Elly, Keith, and Snarky Teenager. I found the stories to have just the right amount of romance, touches of humor, and angst (teenage and adult) to make it realistic. We're given glimpses into the lives and backgrounds of Kim, Dennis (Elly's half-brother), Keith, and Snarky Teenager. Those glimpses are just enough to make their interactions and behavior realistic and compelling. It was nice to read about someone that has everything going for them and yet they still have doubts and concerns about doing the right thing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Elly in Love and can't wait for the next book in this series, Elly Inspired.

3.5 star read

If you think you have problems imagine this: you're still grieving the death of your mother, you come home from lunch and find your husband having sex in your marital bed and he tries to make you believe it's all your fault. That was the life of Elly Jordan. Fast-forward two years and she's relocated from Georgia to Missouri. She's now the proud owner of a boutique floral business and a dog. She gets to work with her best friend and one other part-time employee referred to as Snarky Teenager. Her business is successful and about to be put on the map due to a $45000 wedding floral contract. Although stressed to the max, everything is looking up until she finds out she's doing the flowers for her ex-husband's wedding to his mistress. Yes, that mistress. Ms. Oakes combines humor with warm, touching, and highly realistic action to make Elly Jordan seem like the girl next door (no, not the supermodel/cheerleader girl next door but the real girl next door). I enjoyed reading Elly in Bloom and found it to be a fast-paced read. Come on...how can you not like a book that has a character that is only referred to as Snarky Teenager?

3.5 star read

4.5 star read

Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont have been through quite a bit over the past two books in the All Souls Trilogy. In the first book, they meet and fall in love. In the second book, they must walk through time in order to find a teacher for Diana in preparation of their battle with the Congregation (governing board that oversees daemon, vampire and witch activities and relationships). In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew are back in contemporary times and have a lot to deal with: the Congregation, Diana's pregnancy, their blended vampire-witch family, and the ongoing search for Ashmole 782. The big question is just what is Ashmole 782? Can it answer the questions on the origins of daemons, vampires, and witches? And what is most important, will the answers stop the Congregation from their anti miscegenation charges and protect the lives of Diana and Matthew's children?

I actually spent the weekend re-reading the first two books in this series before reading the final book. I enjoyed becoming reacquainted with Diana, Matthew, Marcus (Matthew's vampire son), Miriam (Matthew & Marcus's vampire co-worker), Sarah (Diana's aunt), Ysibeau (Matthew's vampire mother), Hamish (Matthew's best friend and a daemon), Marthe (Ysibeau's friend and housekeeper), Baldwin (Matthew's vampire brother), Gallowglass (Matthew's vampire nephew), and more. Matthew is overly concerned with the progress of Diana's pregnancy (what expectant father isn't concerned about the health, safety and welfare of his spouse and offspring?). Marcus has done an admirable job in Matthew's absence of leading the Knights of Lazarus and enlisting the assistance of more vampires, some daemons and witches, and even a few humans. Diana's best friend, Christopher Roberts - a researcher and professor at Yale, makes a reappearance and plays a much larger role as he helps Matthew and Miriam perform genetic testing on the missing pages from Ashmole 782 and on daemons, vampires, and witches. Marcus has fallen for the Sotheby's agent, Phoebe Taylor, and they are now engaged. There are many surprises in The Book of Life with regards to people that Diana and Matthew interact with, and rather than spoil the surprise you'll just need to trust me on this one.

The Book of Life does answer almost all of the questions that were raised in A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night. The action in this book takes place in both Europe and the United States, primarily at Yale University in Connecticut, but also in England, France, Germany, Poland, and Italy. It was nice to read about the maturing relationship between Diana and Matthew, as well as see their integrated families continued interaction and support for one another. There are deaths (no I'm not telling you who dies) and births (well, you knew Diana was pregnant). There are battles (not on a battlefield per se), large and small. In addition to the external battles that must be fought, Matthew must contend with his blood rage and the possibility of his birth children carrying this trait. The Book of Life, for me at least, seems to be much more than the culmination of Diana and Matthew's quest for the truth of where they came from, but a spotlight on the notion that no one has the right to say who we can love. Ms. Harkness grabbed me from the very first page and I only put down the book to fix my meals (yes it is that good). As with the previous books in this series, The Book of Life is an excellent story that mixes a contemporary story with history, a bit of magical realism, add a touch of romance, and a noble quest, and you end up with one truly amazing read.

Did I enjoy The Book of Life? YES! Can I recommend it to others? Again, the answer is Yes! What did I like about this book? Everything. What didn't I like about this book? The only thing I don't like is that this is the end of Diana and Matthew's story. I had a hard time sitting down to write this review, not because I didn't like the book, but simply because it took me almost 12 hours to get used to the idea that I've said "goodbye" to Diana, Matthew, and the rest of the Bishop-de Clermont family and friends. There may be some that categorize this series as fantasy (and yes it does have some fantastical elements), but it is so much more than that. If you enjoy reading well-written stories that deftly blend contemporary and historical fiction, incorporate romance, the paranormal, and more, then you'll definitely want to read the All Souls Trilogy. If you've read the first two books, then you already know you want to read The Book of Life. I recommend waiting for the weekend to read this book since you won't want to deal with any interruptions while you're reading (again, yes it is that good).

This book doesn't seem to fit nicely into any one genre, whether it is romance, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, or even paranormal-fantasy. The fact that the majority of characters are witches, vampires or daemons is important enough to the main storyline (where did these three creatures come from and how?), but the lives of the main characters is the central theme.
Meet Diana Bishop, Ph.D., historical scholar specializing in alchemical history and a witch, a reluctant witch that craves to be "normal." Her love interest is Matthew Claremont, Ph.D., M.D., neuroscientist, geneticist (actually a true renaissance man) and vampire. Throughout the first half of the story Diana and Matthew appear to fight their attraction but build upon their timid friendship in the second half by falling in love and fighting for the opportunity to be in love. This fight, along with the discovery that Diana is not your typical witch genetically speaking, are the two big themes throughout the story. Diana, Matthew and their respective families must fight against the creature hierarchy that states that witches cannot be with vampires or daemons and vice versa. Is this done as a means of protection for the species or out of fear?
The other major theme is the discovery of a book that may shed light on the origins of these creatures and provide information on their demise. Needless to say the witches feel that this should belong to them, while the daemons and vampires are just as territorial on ownership. All three creatures fear the book falling into the wrong hands and are willing to fight to retrieve it.
These are not your typical vampires and daemons. The daemons in this story are artistically creative creatures that lean towards being slightly off psychologically speaking. Daemons apparently are born to human parents and don't "come into" their powers until puberty or around puberty. Witches are born to witch parents (one or both may be witches) and come into their powers around age seven. Vampires are humans that are reborn as vampires and require blood to survive, but these vampires are capable of being out during the day or night, can eat some foods (a basic raw foods diet), like to drink (alcohol), and are long-lived. Vampires are apparently infertile after being reborn or so they are led to believe.
Diana appears to be the strong, independent type throughout much of the book but she has her moments where she becomes weak and weepy. Granted they are due to a separation from her chosen mate or after being kidnapped, tortured and imprisoned, so she has just cause. Matthew is a typical alpha-male and has difficulty dealing with Diana's independent streak. The story wouldn't be complete without a cast of supporting characters. Sarah Bishop is Diana's aunt and surrogate mother-figure after Diana's parents are murdered. Her life-partner is Emily Mather, another witch and surrogate mother-figure to Diana. Ysabeau de Clermont is the vampire that "made" Matthew and is the matriarch to the de Clermont/Clairmont/Montclair family. Hamish Osborne is a daemon, financial whiz and perhaps Matthew's best friend. Marcus is a vampire and scientist and considered to be Matthew's son.
Suffice it to say that there is a lot going on in this book and most of the action seems to take place over a few months, if not weeks. Sadly, the author leaves you hanging at the end. I presume there will be another book that will resume where this book ends. Don't despair, the lack of resolution at the end does nothing to detract from the story.

3.5 star read

2.5 star read

4.5 stars

Emily Shepard didn't have a perfect family life. Her parents drank too much, especially her father. They fought, usually about the drinking. But they provided Emily with everything a girl could ask for: a great education, travel, a wonderful home, and love (in between the drinking and fighting). All that changes when the nuclear power plant that her father is responsible for melts down and explodes. Suddenly her world is turned upside down and her parents are considered the biggest losers in the world. Is it any wonder that Emily decides to run to escape the chaos after this disaster?

What Emily doesn't know at age sixteen is that you can't run away from life. She quickly learns that her privileged life hasn't really prepared her for a life on the streets. She also learns that when you're down-and-out you're willing to do almost anything in order to survive. Emily learns that prostitution at the local truck stop can provide her with quick cash. She learns to work the system in order to get a bath, where you can hangout during the day, which shops she can shoplift from and which ones she can't. She makes up a life for herself and tries to drown her sorrows, fear and grief in drugs and self-mutilation. Over the course of nine months Emily learns how to survive on the streets and becomes a big sister/mother figure to another runaway, nine-year-old Cameron. Emily's carefully constructed life quickly disintegrates when another tragedy strikes. Will she be able to survive this latest tragedy or will she completely self-destruct?

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is presented in the form of journal entries by Emily as she reflects on her life after the power plant accident. Emily hints at the notion that she may have a mental health issue and she learns to self-medicate with drugs while on the street. Her reflections on the power plant accident, her journey to Burlington, her struggles to remake herself, the prostitution, the self-abuse or cutting, the stealing, the drugs and the friends she makes and loses could make for a disheartening story. However Chris Bohjalian is a master at telling a story that truly plucks at your heartstrings and uplifts at the same time. Emily's story could be the story of almost any teenager left without family or friends after a natural disaster, the only difference is her father is blamed for this disaster and it is by no means natural in origins. This wasn't an easy read and it shouldn't be given the themes that are discussed. Seriously, nuclear meltdown, radiation contamination, mass population exodus, teenage prostitution, teenage drug abuse, homelessness, and child and teen runaways aren't exactly light topics. Nonetheless, Mr. Bohjalian has crafted a story that deals with these dark themes and still provides the reader with a sense of hope that things will work out in the end. This isn't a story about good versus evil, but simply a story about self-awareness, self-acceptance, and survival. If you want to read a moving story that will make you think for hours, if not days or weeks, after reading it, then run out and buy a copy of Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands now. Trust me, this is a great read!

2.5 star read

3.5 star read

Dan Little is a paranoid schizophrenic living on the streets. He used to have a wonderful career as a lawyer, had a loving wife, and a supportive family. He's now divorced, homeless, self-medicates with alcohol, constantly hears voices, and no longer has any contact with his mother or brother. When Dan stumbles across a body on the seawall in Galveston and steals a bracelet from the body, he is arrested for the murder. His younger brother Wayne Little, an up-and-coming attorney in Houston hears the news he vows to remain dissociated with his brother until he discusses the issue with his friends, Duke, Claudia, and Rita. Once Wayne begins to look into the case, he realizes that his brother, if guilty, should not be held accountable due to his mental illness. With the help of Duke and Claudia, fellow attorneys, and computer investigator Rita, Wayne quickly comes to realize that the only hope for his brother is a plea of not guilty by reason of mental defect or the infamous insanity plea. What Wayne quickly finds out is the insanity plea in the state of Texas may not be a valid defense even with years of documentation proving mental illness. Will Wayne and his friends be able to research the senseless killing in Galveston and link it to other killings around the United States and Mexico before it's too late?

I found The Insanity Plea to be a quick and enjoyable read. Part legal thriller and part psychological thriller, this story spotlights the problem with the mental health system in our country as well as the lack of uniformity in the use of the insanity plea. Dan's mental illness is shown without any apologies. It shows how disturbing and destructive some mental illnesses can be on the friends and family as well as the individual. This isn't a mystery because you know who the murderer is throughout the book, but reading about the murders and the rationale for them by the murderer was just as interesting as reading about Dan's struggles with his disease. There are good guys and bad guys in this story (read the book to find out who the bad guy is . . . he wears the perfect disguise). All of the characters and scenarios I found to be wholly realistic. Mr. Thompson has crafted a story that kept me turning the page simply to find out what happens next (I love that in a thriller). Although there are obvious shades of grey in the legal system, The Insanity Plea, does an admirable job in showing that some of these gradations are insensible. If you enjoy reading legal thrillers, psychological thrillers, or just plan thrillers, you'll definitely want to add The Insanity Plea to your TBR list. The Insanity Plea is the latest thriller by Mr. Thompson; I look forward to reading his previous books and hope to see more from him in the future.

Don't Talk to Strangers is the third book in the Keye Street series by Amanda Kyle Williams. Keye is a deeply flawed woman. A recovering alcoholic that was fired by the FBI, she now spends her time as private investigator, bond recovery agent, and consultant. Keye is Chinese-American, adopted by a white Southern family, and has a black, gay adopted brother. (I know, it sounds like the beginnings of a reality television program.) This book begins with Keye dealing with the temporary sharing of her loft with her lover/significant other, Aaron Rauser. She is also dealing with the co-mingling of their pets, her cat and his dog. Her cat, White Trash, is systematically terrorizing Rauser's dog Hank (Keye takes a perverse pleasure in seeing this happen over and over again even though she feels badly for Hank and soothes his ego after the attacks). Keye is also training a new employee at her detective agency – Corporate Intelligence & Investigations. Latisha Eckhart is the daughter of the owner of one of Keye's primary bonding agencies, Tyrone Eckhart of Quikbail. To add to Keye's overall angst, she must also contend with her moody, pot-smoking, computer hacking partner, Neil Donovan. (On second thought reality television couldn't do Keye and her people justice.) Just when Keye feels as if she's in over her head with the training and relationship issues, she receives a call from a small-town sheriff's department asking her to consult on a child abduction/murder case. Of course she says yes and travels to Whisper, Georgia to provide a profile on a killer. Just as Keye is introduced to the sheriff and the dump site of the murdered girls another abduction takes place. Can Keye help to nab a killer before another girl is tortured and killed?

To say that I enjoy reading the Keye Street series is a major understatement. Every time a new book in the series comes out I take the opportunity to reread the previous books before reading the latest addition. Yes Keye is deeply flawed, but then who isn't? Yes she finds herself in some strange situations, but that's just one of the reasons why I like her so much. Don't Talk to Strangers spotlights Keye's tendencies to sabotage things that are going well in her life, and it was fascinating to read about her attraction to Sheriff Meltzer and her struggle to remain true to Rauser. What was even more fascinating were the glimpses Keye provided into the psyches of pedophiles and killers. I thought that all of the characters in Don't Talk to Strangers were very realistic and it was very easy to dislike the temperamental deputies that felt threatened by Keye, as well as really bad guys - the convicted pedophiles. I found Don't Talk to Strangers to be a fast-paced and gripping read that I finished in one sitting (and yes I stayed up late to finish reading it). The story has just enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested from beginning to end. And the end is completely unexpected (trust me on this one and read it for yourself). If you enjoy great writing, wonderful characters, realistic action, and mystery-suspense-thrillers, then you'll definitely want to add Don't Talk to Strangers to your TBR list.

P.S.: If you haven't read the previous books in this series, then you'll want to read them as well: The Stranger You Seek and The Stranger in the Room.

Take the city of Atlanta, mix in a serial murderer with an Asian-American private investigator who's an alcoholic and former FBI agent that was adopted as a child by a white-bread Southern family and what do you get? You get Keye Street as the main character in the new suspense thriller The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams.

To say that Keye is not your typical Southerner is a bit of an understatement, at least if you base it on physical appearance. In actuality Keye is Southern to the core in so many ways and in others is quite rebellious . . . which is probably a Southern thing in and of itself. She has disappointed her mother because she isn't married and providing grandchildren, which is possibly a Southern thing (or perhaps just a Mother thing). Keye also feels she's has disappointed her family by being asked to leave the FBI due to her alcoholism, winding up divorced (definitely a good thing but disappointing still), and not living up to her true potential by becoming a private detective. But Keye is quite good at what she does and she has several true friends that she can depend on, including Atlanta police department homicide detective Lieutenant Aaron Rauser. Keye spends her time working for law offices and bail bond companies until she is pulled into "consulting" with Rauser on a serial murder case. The big question is can she provide the profile necessary to help in this investigation? Does she still have the necessary focus to help or will she be a hindrance? When Keye's involvement is made public, the question soon becomes can she help the investigation before she becomes a victim?

The Stranger You Seek is a great suspense thriller that kept me on tenterhooks until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of subtle humor and laugh-out loud moments with the more serious, investigative scenarios. Ms. Williams' descriptions of Atlanta and its various neighborhoods made me nostalgic (I lived in Atlanta for 18 years and miss it daily). This was a book that I simply had to read cover--to-cover without putting it down. It grabbed hold and didn't let go until the last page. If you enjoy excellent writing and the suspense thriller genre then run out and pre-order The Stranger You Seek today, release date is 08/30/2011. And when you finish reading it don't despair, there's more Keye Street coming; look for Stranger in the Room in Fall 2012 and Don't Talk to Strangers in Fall 2013. I've added both titles to my "got to have it" list . . . can you tell I liked this book?

2.5 star read

2.5 star read