Best books of 2012 - Cinder

Another really good YA fantasy novel - the classic fairy tale of Cinderella in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Cinder (Lunar chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Meet Cinder, a beautiful girl who, due to necessary surgeries after an accident, is now a cyborg. Orphaned as a young teenager and after the death of her foster dad, she finds herself with a step-mother who treats her like a servant. Yes, there is also two step-sisters. Cinder is a talented mechanic and happens to run into Prince Kai (whose father is the Emperor of New Beijing) who needs her to repair an android. I followed the fairy tale with familiar twists told in a very unique way. It was fun to read how the pumpkin coach is translated in this version. Unusual aspects include the Lunar people, who threaten the very existence of Earth, and a mysterious plague. I reached the end of the book gripping the arms of my chair and felt very sad that the next book in a planned series quartet, Scarlet, is not yet published. Something to look forward to in 2013!

Best books of 2012 - Shadow and Bone

I love this time of year - when "Best books of the year" lists are posted. So here goes. My best book list will be a series of blogs. The beginning of my list is a wonderful Young Adult (YA) fantasy novel.

Shadow and Bone (series - The Grisha #1)  by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone is a great example of a young adult fantasy novel that will appeal to a wide audience.

It always amazes me when an author can create a whole world with elements of what the readers may know and mixes in elements of magic and terrible creatures. I can imagine the war-torn country of Ravka filled with the familiar elements of Eastern European folklore.  The characters are so engaging and well-drawn, it’s hard to pick a favorite.  However, the book is predominantly the story of friendship and love between Alina and Mal, orphans with special skills that have gone undiscovered until now; all of the other characters revolve around them. When Alina’s magical powers come to the notice of the mighty and power hungry Darkling, she must decide what is true and worthy.  Enjoy this captivating novel and then wait with me for the next installment!

Laurie R. King and my top ten women mystery writer list

Garment of Shadows

Novelist Laurie R. King has rightly earned her standing in my top ten list of women mystery writers and her latest offering is one of the reasons why. Who else can combine the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes with a woman, Mary Russell, who is not only his wife but also his equal in detecting skills?  Then she places them in the fascinating historical setting of the Morocco of 1924, with France and Spain and native insurgents involved in colonial wrangling in the region. The novel opens with Russell discovering that she has no memories and needs to solve the mystery of her own identity. And so the adventure begins.

I love her prose such as, “It would be a plan as tangled as the streets of the medina, a garment woven of lies and half truths, of truths that look like lies, and lies that appear the truth. A garment suited to the half-light, its precise outline impossible to discern.” Beautiful!

While this is book #12 of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mystery series, this new novel could be read as a stand-alone. My advice is to start a reading journey with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice where the story all begins.

The complete list of books in the series can be found at the author's website at

http://www.laurierking.com/

Stay tuned to hear about the other women mystery writers on my list!

Another novel from Tana French!

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Once again author Tana French takes her readers on a roller coaster ride of emotion and suspense. Having played a secondary role in a previous Dublin Murder Squad novel, “Faithful Place,” Detective Michael “Scorcher” Kennedy takes the primary lead in a gruesome murder case.  

Mikey, as he is known to his family, starts working with his new rookie partner, Richie,  teaching him the ropes as they delve into a incident that has left three family members dead and one survivor in the hospital. The scene of the crime is a beach area outside of Dublin called Broken Harbor and the reader senses immediately that the lead detective has bad memories of the place. 

Not only that, he has family troubles with a mentally unstable sister who shows up in need of attention just as the investigation starts to heat up. Layers are peeled away with each chapter, guilt and motives are revealed in characters, and stories are uncovered from the past, both distant and recent. This stunning novel blurs the lines between chaos and order, good and evil, loyalty and betrayal, as it leaves the reader both unsettled and satisfied. 

Other novels by Tana French also recommended

In the woods  

The likeness (still my favorite) 

Faithful Place

Debut novel with amazing young narrator

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

By Karen Thompson Walker

Published by Random House

I received an advanced reading copy on NetGalley

With the passing of the days, who hasn’t wished that their day couldn’t extend past the normal 24 hours, just to get some project completed or have more time to spend with loved ones? In this debut novel, author Karen Thompson Walker explores the scenario of the earth’s rotation slowing a little bit each day. At first, according to the eleven-year-old narrator, Julia, no one really notices the difference of a little extra sunlight. “We did not sense at first the extra time, bulging from the smooth edge of each day like a tumor blooming beneath the skin.”  As the novel progresses, the lengthening of days and nights – known as the slowing - becomes an issue of huge scientific proportions with results such as crops getting too much light and birds losing their sense of direction due to the change in the earth’s magnetic core. The impact upon society is subtle at first with the decision by the government to determine the official length of a day – 24 hours or sundown to sundown? The decision is made to revert back to “clock time” (24 hours) no matter where the sun is positioned. However, some want to let their bodies adjust to the earth’s slowing by staying on what they refer to as “real time,” keeping in touch with their circadian rhythms. These are but a few of the issues that swirl in the mind of young Julia, who carefully watches the effects of stress on those around: her parents, the neighbors, and fellow students. She not only has to deal with puberty, but with a coming of age in a unique time of crisis. She is able to see the small things in life – a fondly remembered relative, a first kiss, a love that resolves to persevere – as daily miracles in a time of uncertainty.  Julia’s honesty and freshness is reminiscent of Anne Frank in her attic. I recommend this novel written with such luminous prose that leaves the reader aching for more.

I love words

To be published - July 3, 2012

Grammar's Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time

By Mignon Fogarty

According to the Grammar Girl author, Mignon Fogarty, I can use the phrase:  "you have got to read this book." Being a word person myself, I appreciate the clever way each troublesome word or phrase's history is explained and advice given as to its usage (or non-usage). Most appealing are the quotes from popular TV shows or movies used to illustrate her points on correct grammar. Teens will be able to identify with modern English examples, making grammar fun - or I can even say grammar is the "funnest."  Recommended to middle and high school language arts teachers and curious teens alike.

Another book by Grammar Girl to check out:

Grammar Girl's 101 misused words you'll never confuse again  

New Year's Resolution and Inspiring Biographies

To begin the new year, I have made a new year's resolution to post to my blog at least twice a month!
When it comes to non-fiction, my greatest love is biography. I am intrigued and inspired by biographies - here are two titles that were memorable.


Unbroken : a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption  by Laura Hillenbrand
Written by the author of Seabiscuit, this biography chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini who was a troubled teen and then discovered his talent for running. Part of the US Olympic team, he competed in Berlin and was in training when the U.S. entered World War II. Zamperini was on a B-4 bomber that was shot down in the Pacific and survives a 47-day ordeal adrift on a life raft, only to be imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp. His story is one of resistance, survival, and redemption. Be warned that the narrative tends to be detail laden, but the life of Louis is worth the telling.

Another WWII biography features someone who might be more familiar to readers - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who was part of the German Resistance during the Hitler regime. Bonhoeffer : pastor, martyr, prophet, spy : a righteous gentile vs. the Third Reich by Eric Metaxas. The biographer recounts the story of a man in pursuit of God, as well as his passion for Christian community. This book is a combination of the revelation of Bonhoeffer's character, mixed with an extensive survey of his theological writings. Exhaustive research makes the narrative cumbersome at times, but the reader will bear with the author's style to glean the richness of an outstanding German Christian in times of great turmoil.




Both books - highly recommended!