Impressions...

January 2012: Reads + Updates

2012-02-01T21:03:00.003-05:00

Fra Angelico
La Anunciación (detalle)
h.1425-1428. Madrid,
Museo Nacional
del Prado

It's time for last month's recap. January was a good reading month and a great way to begin the year.

January was surprising in that I read more than expected, blogged more than expected, and all of it while having a heck of a busy month! As you will see below, I read lots of science fiction and really enjoyed myself! I posted an overview, a mini and one movie review in this category. The experience of reading "almost" a whole series in one sitting (I'm missing the last book) was fun.

Of the books read and reviewed in January, I really enjoyed The Thorne and The Blossom: A Two Sided Love Story by Theodora Goss. That was a beautiful little love story with a rather unique format. Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis was not a disappointment and boy... was I glad about that! Particularly since the second book of the Lucky Harbor series was a favorite last year. And while reading reviews posted by other bloggers for the 2012 TBR Challenge, I found two books that I purchased and read immediately: His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman, reviewed by Phyl, and Because of the List by Amy Knupp, reviewed by Lori. I really enjoyed both books! Thank you for the recommendations ladies. :)

Recap:

Total Books Read: 20
Contemporary Romance: 7
Science Fiction: 6
Erotic Romance: 2
Urban Fantasy: 1
Fantasy: 1
LGBT: 3 (Romance: 1, Erotica: 1, Poetry: 1)

1.   Frat Boys: Gay Erotic Stories Anthology edited by Shane Allison: B-
2.   Old Man's War (Old Man's War #1) by John Scalzi: B
3.   The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War #2) by John Scalzi: C+
4.   After the Coup by John Scalzi: C-
5.   The Butcher of Anderson Station: A Story of the Expanse by James S.A. Corey: C+
6.   Light the Stars (Cowboys of Cold Creek #1) by RaeAnne Thayne: C-
7.   The Thorne and the Blossom: A Two-Sided Love Story by Theodora Goss: B+
8.   Lover's Leap (Eternity Springs #4) by Emily March: C+
9.   Pricks and Pragmatism by J.L. Merrow: C+
10. Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor #3) by Jill Shalvis: B+
11. The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi: C
12. The Last Colony (Old Man's War #3) by John Scalzi: C
13. Magic Gifts (Kate Daniels) by Ilona Andrews: B
14. His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman: B+
15. Because of the List by Amy Knupp: B
16. The Summer Garden (Chesapeake Shores #9) by Sherryl Woods: B
17. The Horizontal Poet by Jan Steckel (Upcoming Review)
18. Sweet Stuff by Donna Kauffman (Upcoming Review)
19. Love's Fortress (Brother's in Arms #7) by Samantha Kane: C
20. Love's Surrender (Brother's in Arms #9) by Samantha Kane: C-

Upcoming Reviews:

Reading at the Moment:

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman: I began reading this book for my Internet Book Club in January, but unfortunately was not able to finish it in time. That last week of migraines killed my reading momentum. However, so far I'm enjoying this read! I loved Hoffman's Practical Magic, but this book is different. The book is composed of short stories that are tied to one another. Hoffman's prose is quite beautiful and I'm enjoying how the short stories are connected by making the town of Blackwell the central figure. So far, Hoffman's usage of magical realism is subtle and rather beautiful. I like how she ties it to nature instead of culture. But, I still have to finish the book to figure out what it is that she's trying to convey with the whole.

He Will Laugh by Douglas Ray: I received this LGBT collection of poetry for review and began reading it last week. However although the book is thin, because it is poetry I tend to take my time with each poem, so this book will be read slowly and carefully. I'm about half way through and can tell you that so far there are poems or lines from certain poems that have stayed with me for days now. That's good news. :)

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That's my update and my recap for January. How was your month? Did you find any gems? Any great new releases you would like to recommend?

This 'n That: Blogger Friend & LGBT News + Reading Update!

2012-01-29T14:37:00.002-05:00

What has everyone been up to this past week? I've had one of my disabling migraines, believe it or not, and have been bedridden for most of the week. I guess stress and everything else got to me, finally! Thankfully, I'm up and running again.

A few things happened this past week that made me happy though, and I'd like to share them with you.

Did you all know that our old blogger friend and all around great reviewer Brie dusted off Musings of a Bibliophile and she's back after a long hiatus? If you didn't know, well... now you do! Go on over and give her a big welcome back! I know we all missed her insightful and thorough reviews. From me to you:

Welcome back, Brie!

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Then there's the release of the 2012 Over the Rainbow List. This is a list of 74 books chosen by the GLBT round table of the American Library Association. Here's a quote on their mission:

"The committee's mission is to create a bibliography of books that exhibit a commendable literary quality and significant authentic lgbt content and are recommended for adults over the age 18."

Now, I love this list because I can gather titles that I missed reading last year -- I'm always gathering titles. However, I was also rather happy that I not only recognized a few of the titles in that list as books read, but three of those titles made it to my top 10 LGBT books of 2011: The Abode of Bliss by Alex Jeffers, The German by Lee Thomas, and Wilde Stories 2011 edited by Steve Berman.

There are two other books in that list that I read. The young adult graphic novel a+e 4Ever by Ilike Merey was honored as one of the ALA's top ten favorite LGBT books. I read and chose to highlight instead of reviewing this graphic novel about young adults dealing with gender identity and sexuality issues. However if you check out this book, I'm sure you'll find that it has been garnering excellent reviews. And for those of you, who like me, loved A Companion to Wolves, its sequel The Tempering of Men by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear was also chosen under Speculative Fiction! So if you're interested, take a look at the whole list. I've already made my list. :)

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I'm also happy to report that January has been a great reading month so far. Even with last week's bout with migraines. I read three science fiction novels and four science fiction novellas! With one exception, the rest of them were by John Scalzi, an author that I've been putting off reading for quite some time. So now that I've cleaned out some of his books from my TBR, I'm ready to begin reading the very popular Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'll be concentrating on that series in February. So bear with me and my science fiction obsession for one more month.... *g*

What am I reading at the moment? Right now I'm reading a book for the Internet Book Club I joined with Mariana and a few others, The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic... remember that movie?). So far so good! I have a few books by Hoffman in my TBR, but decided to recommend one of her 2011 releases.

Review: The Summer Garden (Chesapeake Shores #9) by Sherryl Woods

2012-01-28T15:10:00.001-05:00

Falling for "Maddening Moira" O'Malley was the unexpected highlight of Luke O'Brien's Dublin holiday. So when she pays a surprise visit to Chesapeake Shores, Luke is thrilled…at first. A fling with this wild Irish rose is one thing, but forever? Maybe someday, but not when he's totally focused on establishing a business that will prove his mettle to his overachieving family.

Given Luke's reaction, Moira has some soul-searching of her own to do. Scarred by her father's abandonment, she wonders if Luke, with his playboy past, is truly the family man she longs for. Adding to her dilemma, she's offered an amazing chance at a dream career of her own.

Deep down, though, Moira knows home is the real prize, and that love can be every bit as enchanted as a summer garden.

The Summer Garden is the final book in the Chesapeake Shores series by Sherryl Woods. I imagine that fans and lovers of the O'Brien family are sad to hear about this last release. Fortunately for them, Sherryl Woods makes it a great ending.

During the O'Brien's trip to Dublin at Christmas time, Luke met "Maddening Moira." He's back home and making plans for a future, hoping to prove himself to his family by making a success of the pub he plans to open at Chesapeake Shores. Moira is in thoughts, but she's back in Ireland. He's in for a surprise though, Moira is about to land on Chesapeake Shores with her grandfather Dillon. Gram invited the love of her life to visit and these two are not only planning to spend time together rekindling their own romance, but they're hoping that Luke and Moira's romance will take a positive turn.

Moira isn't the sweetest girl in the world, and the O'Brien's as a family didn't fall in love with her while they were in Ireland. She's moody and has a bit of a temper that Luke has the knack of defusing with charm and understanding. He likes her direct manner and fell for her in Ireland. Luke is very happy to see Moira again, but he's distracted and quite busy trying to get his new business going too. He has a plan and a timetable to keep, and a deeper relationship with Moira is not part of that timetable at the moment. Maybe in the future.

Moira on the other hand is ready for Luke now! She's not exactly sure what she wants to do with her life and dithers back and forth between her newly discovered talents as a photographer and her secret wish for a family, with Luke. Moira is not a patient woman and let's Luke know what she wants, but when he doesn't exactly react the way she expects him to right away her insecurities take over and... well... the drama begins, particularly when the meddling O'Brien's get involved!

There's a lot of meddling in this story by the O'Briens. They are a chaotic crew! The whole clan makes an appearance in this story, and all have something to contribute as they get involved with Luke's new business at the pub, his mistakes with Moira, Moira's overreactions, and let's not forget Gram and Dillon's rekindled romance! Luke is used to his family, and Moira quickly learns to appreciate them and falls in love with the whole clan in the process, just as they begin to fall in love with her. Gram knows how to put her family, especially Mick, in their place, and is not above meddling either. She gives plenty of advice and knows how to set things up for herself and the younger couple without making it look like manipulation. I really liked Gram!

Sheryl Woods created a wonderful family in the O'Briens. They are chaotic, meddling, loving, competitive and the reader can't help but fall in love with the whole family as the drama and the chaos escalates. I love Gram and Dillon's "at last" type of romance. It is sweet and it seems to me quite realistic in that they both just want to spend whatever time they have left with each other. Lovely.

Luke and Moira's romance I think needed more time to brew. This is a young couple that finds each other just as they are figuring out exactly what it is that they want out of life. Neither is really sure what that is at the moment, and they both vacillate back and forth about the future. As beautiful as the whole story turns out in the end, I couldn't help but feel that with a bit more time they (Luke in particular) would have come to the right conclusion without all the pressure exerted by Moira, family members and circumstances. But well, maybe that was the point... they would have been perfect in the end anyway?

There is a beautiful epilogue that ties up this story and the whole series with Grams thoughts at the end. I think that fans of this series and of the O'Briens will love it!

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chesapeake Shores
Publisher/Release Date: Mira/January 31, 2012
Source: ARC Planned Television Arts, Ruder Finn
Grade: B

Visit Sherryl Woods here.

Chesapeake Shore Series:
The Inn at Eagle Point, #1
Flower on Main, #2
Harbor Lights, #3
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas, #4
Driftwood Cottage, #5
Moonlight Cove, #6
Beach Lane, #7
An O'Brien Family Christmas, #8
The Summer Garden, #9

Review: Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor #3) by Jill Shalvis

2012-01-26T09:09:00.002-05:00

Breaking rules and breaking hearts

Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways.

Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?

I enjoyed the first book in Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series and loved the second. The third installment Head Over Heels, is a great follow up to those two first books.

Chloe is the youngest of three half-sisters who inherited the Lucky Harbor Inn. She's also the one who seemingly inherited some of their mother's free spirit and love of adventure. Her biggest struggle so far has been committing to living in one place, and although she loves the town and is helping her sisters get off to a good start by renovating the Lucky Harbor Inn, she still takes off whenever the bug hits. Chloe's other problem is that she loves to get involved in troubled situations, and in a small town like Lucky Harbor trouble means face-to-face time with sexy sheriff Sawyer Thompson.

Something has been brewing between Chloe and Sawyer ever since the sisters came to town. Sawyer knows Chloe can't pass up a challenge or a scrape, and by now he knows her pretty well since he has been keeping a close eye on her. Maybe too close an eye. Chloe's personal challenges and adventurous spirit call to the straitlaced sheriff's own dark, wild side, and the chemistry and sexual buzz that surrounds every encounter between them is driving Sawyer to distraction.

As in most of Shalvis' contemporary reads, Head Over Heels oozes sexual tension. Chloe and Sawyer's relationship is certainly built on a sizzling chemistry from the beginning that goes on to drive both of them crazy -- and the readers to want more of the same. Excellent. The romance or love between them is another matter altogether, that is slower to develop and tougher for either of them to admit.

On the surface the conflict between this couple is one of "we don't fit," but beneath that surface the real conflict is, "we are not good enough." Why? Yes, it's true that they seem to be different: she's wild and he's the law. However, truthfully once all the cards are on the table, they're a lot more alike than either of them want to admit. They both struggle with insecurities and/or past histories to come to that all important happy ever after.

Throughout the story some of Chloe's behavior comes off as immature due partly to her insecurities, and the over protective behavior by her two sisters comes off as over the top. Her sisters' reactions to her business proposal are understandable to a certain point, and thinking about Chloe's past deeds as the "wild child," also understandable to the reader. However, it still bugged me that Chloe's sisters had such little faith in her, particularly since she had been keeping up her own business all along. They couldn't see past the "wild," or the "child."

Sawyer on the other hand shows his protective side to Chloe without making her look or feel like a little girl. He treats her like a woman all the way. The sheriff is a man with a past history of wild behavior who has worked hard at redeeming himself by strictly following the law, but although he doesn't like to admit to it, he also knows how to show love and compassion.

I enjoyed the romance and the chemistry between Chloe and Sawyer in Head Over Heels. Sawyer is an excellent, passionate lover who cares about his partner and turns out to be a lovely, lovely man. He particularly shows this side of himself in the way he treats Chloe's chronic asthma. Actually one of the things I liked most about Sawyer is that he loves Chloe just the way she is -- free spirited and adventurous. And Chloe? She loves her straight laced, passionate sheriff (and his handcuffs) just the way he is too. These two people are both understanding, passionate, and more lovable that either believe they can be.

The sisters and Sawyer's friends, Jax and Ford, return as secondary characters in this story. The guys have a great relationship full of fun, "guy-like" moments. The townspeople again play a peripheral role that adds to the romance, however, for some reason as a whole their contribution did not strike me as amusing or well rounded as in the previous stories -- and I missed Mia as an important part of the family. There is a secondary storyline with a drug investigation that involves Sawyer and in the end Chloe, plus a personal thread relating to Sawyer's personal relationship with his father. I found both to be appropriate to Chloe and Sawyer's conflict and need for a resolution.

I enjoy Jill Shalvis' contemporary romances and Head Over Heels is no exception. It's a great addition to the Lucky Harbor series. I look forward to reading the continuation to this series.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Lucky Harbor
Publisher/Release Date: Grand Central/November 22, 2011 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: B+

Visit Jill Shalvis here.

Series:
Simply Irresistible, Book #1
The Sweetest Thing, Book #2
Head Over Heels, Book #3
Lucky in Love, Book #4 - Coming up June 1, 2012
At Last, Book #5 - Coming up July 1, 2012
Forever and a Day, #6 - Coming up August 1, 2012

Overview: Old Man's War Series by John Scalzi (Old Man's War #1, The Ghost Brigades #2)

2012-01-24T13:47:00.003-05:00

John Scalzi's first novel Old Man's War was first published in 2005 and made it as Hugo Award Finalist in 2006. The sequels followed in order, The Ghost Brigades in 2006, The Last Colony in 2007, and Zoe's Tale in 2008. There are also two novellas set in the same world, The Sagan Diary (written before The Last Colony) and After the Coup.

Old Man's War - First Edition Cover

Overview:
In Scalzi's world humans finally figured out interstellar space travel and have moved on to colonize other planets. The problem is that humans are in competition with a vast amount of hostile alien races for the same pieces of real estate (planets), and war and conflict are constant and inevitable as there are only a limited amount of planets that are livable. Negotiations are limited to land-grabbing by way of war as they race through the known universe expanding and colonizing. Humans are represented by the powerful and controlling Colonial Union (CU) and the Colonial Defence Force (CDF) is out there to help protect human colonies.

Colonial Defence Force: The CU recruits their CDF soldiers from planet Earth. These old men and women have accumulated a lifetime of knowledge and skills that saves the CDF time while training. The idea also is that the life-time experiences will help these future soldiers make the correct decisions while in battle, and having had an emotional connection with family and loved ones throughout their first lifetime, these soldiers will stay sympathetic to the human cause throughout the upcoming years of war and death. Plus, these old people have nothing else to look forward to but the pain of old age and death -- they make perfect recruits. They are offered a future as soldiers by way of a two to ten year contract, and once finished with their service, if they survive the wars, a new life in a colonized planet.

Special Forces: The CDF also has their own Special Forces. These soldiers are not recruited. Special Forces or Ghost Brigade soldiers are made from the DNA of dead humans and different alien races, and using the BrainPal technology (see below) they are given a consciousness which allows them to function as humans -- albeit with super-human capabilities -- but with the specific purpose of being a soldier. However, they are not readily accepted by other humans and as a result they keep to themselves. They are the Frankenstein monsters of the CU.

Space Travel and Technology: To travel through space, humans use the Skip Drive. Scalzi goes into detail about the extent of what humans know about this technology, as well as its limitations. Besides the Skip Drive, there are other key technological advances that humans developed and saved their attempts at colonization. The two most important are the ability to successfully grow an engineered matured human body in a matter of months, and the ability to transfer consciousness from one body to another as long as the two brains are identical. These two developments combined allowed humans to successfully "produce" super soldiers (CDF and Special Forces) that could then do battle against hostile alien forces.

The two other key technological developments are the BrainPal and nanotechnology. The BrainPal is an neuroimplant that allows CDF and Special Forces soldiers to send information directly to each other -- from one BrainPal to another -- as well as to download information instantly as needed, i.e., translating alien languages, etc. The soldiers are not only able to communicate with each other through the BrainPal, they can also see through each other's eyes, and even feel each other's emotions. Nanotechnology is used everywhere. As examples: Nanobots are used to make the soldiers unitards and used like armor, the soldiers' blood (SmartBlood) is composed of nanobots, the soldiers' bodies self-heal and re-grow lost limbs, and even their weapon (MP-35) can self-repair.

Alien Races: There are many alien races introduced by Scalzi throughout the story. However, there are only a few that are slightly developed -- none with real depth: the Consu, Rraey, and the Obin. The Consu are the most advanced and complex race in the known universe and although they do battle with humans, their motivations remain a mystery. The Rraey are cannibalistic, acquisitive and aggressive but less techno-savvy than humans and the Obin are technologically advanced, but possess no consciousness or awareness. All three are at war with humanity as are the rest of the aliens in this series.

Old Man's War (Book #1)

In his first novel, Old Man's War, Scalzi begins by introducing his main character, John Perry and setting up the world building. When John Perry and his wife Kathy were 65 years old they signed a letter of intent to join the CDF, however his wife died and on his 75th birthday Perry visits his wife's grave and then goes on to join the army. Perry figures the odds are not so bad, if he's going to die anyway, he might as well die young and doing something worthwhile.

I liked the premise. The first part of the book is the best in my opinion. This is where Scalzi introduces the main character John Perry, the cast of secondary characters that later on become important to him throughout this story, and where you'll find the first blocks for the world building. I loved John Perry's sense of wonder and naivete as he and his new friends take a leap of faith and go on to an unknown future. The sense of freedom and vitality that seems to overcome the geriatric volunteers, combined with excitement and fear as an unknown future looms ahead of them, is intoxicating to them and makes the reader want to know what lies ahead.

The second section of the book is where I began to have problems with the story. After Perry undergoes his transformation, he begins the all important military training and eventually goes on to war. The military training section is brief, lacking in in-depth detail, and I thought it at best quite sketchy. As the action and the story continues, and there is plenty of action, I became torn. It is a fast paced story, with a nice flow and a central character whose actions we follow from beginning to end, but it just seemed to me that although there are plenty of details at the beginning of the book: the skip drive, nano technology, etc., when it comes to developing alien hostile races and secondary characters, true depth is sacrificed to both the action and pace.

I enjoy military science fiction, and that's exactly what Old Men's War is. Of course there's also the moral ambiguity as a central theme. Scalzi doesn't over-philosophize in Old Men's War though, he has an easy-peasy, flowing writing style that is quite reader friendly, and in this first book he gets his point across without beating the drums to a pulp.

The Ghost Brigades (Book #2)

The Ghost Brigades is the second book in the Old Man's War series, and although it's set in the same world, very few characters from the first book make an appearance. This story focuses on the Special Forces soldiers and how they are "produced," how they function and how they feel about their roles as soldiers.

Jared Dirac is made, not born. The difference between him and other Special Forces soldiers is that he is a superhuman hybrid made out of the dead scientist Charles Boutin's DNA and consciousness. The scientist was a traitor to humanity who gave away key information to three hostile alien races who are now allied and planning to attack the Colonial Union. Jared is an experiment and if that experiment works then Boutin's motivations for betraying the Colonial Union will be known; if the experiment doesn't work, then this superhuman hybrid will be given to Special Forces as a soldier. There's no loss for the CDF, right?

The Ghost Brigades begins with plenty of moral ambiguity as you can see by my summary. It actually goes on to become even more so as the story moves along. The experiment doesn't really take at first and Jared Dirac is relegated to Special Forces. The reader goes through the whole process of experiencing life and events for the first time with Jared. That's the focus of the story, Jared's experiences, his loses and where they eventually take him as a "person" and a soldier. The consequences of the experiment and who pays the final price. The question of the individual's rights, choices, and consciousness are all touched upon in the Ghost Brigades. Scalzi gives most of his focus to this subject.

Don't misunderstand me, there's plenty of action in The Ghost Brigades, and as in Old Man's War you'll find battles, war and carnage. Under Jane Sagan's command (Old Man's War), he experiences both loss and pain and eventually Boutin's memories begin to surface. As they battle the aliens to break the alliance, and Jared fights his and someone else's emotions and memories, finding the answer to whose consciousness makes the person becomes the key to this puzzle.

Scalzi has that flowing style that makes a long book go in a flash. My biggest problem with this particular story was the lack of connection I felt with most of the characters, and again the lack of depth and certain background detail that well... just left me wanting more. Plus, the fact that the action, Jared's character development, and the mystery are not woven well, instead they are separated into sections.

The 2012 Science
Fiction Experience

Conclusion: I'm not going to make any specific comparisons as I'm sure those have been done to death by now, but I do have to mention that although Old Man's War is very much Scalzi's, it is also obvious that it's a tribute to Heinlein (Starship Troopers) and Haldeman (The Forever War). This month I actually read the first three novels, including The Last Colony, plus The Sagan Diary and After the Coup, but decided to just focus this post on the first two books.

The first two books in this series are the best ones in my opinion. Although I'm sure for hardcore science fiction readers out there these stories don't sound fresh, Scalzi's style certainly made me appreciate them as such. That first section of Old Man's War is an absolute winner. I loved his take on the Skip Drive and how that works, as well as his attempts at explaining how consciousness can be transferred onto an engineered body. I loved that the soldiers are green and there are plenty of battles and fights to go around. Plus I certainly enjoyed Scalzi's flowing and fast paced writing style.

Unfortunately, there's also those other details such as characterization and developing background stories that were left hanging that I missed. A missed opportunity in my opinion are the hostile alien races which are pretty much two dimensional and left unexplored for the most part throughout the series. Characters also came to what seemed to be deep realizations throughout the course of events and then dismissed those conclusions without a second thought -- I didn't get that. And although Scalzi gives John Perry a strong female love interest, and follows through on that relationship in The Last Colony, I found the dialogue and interactions between those two wooden and lacking emotion.

Finally, overall this was a fun series even with its weaknesses. I loved the space opera military battles, the gruesome deaths, (one inch aliens, really? really?) and the sense of wonder that humans experience when out in space for the first time, mixed with all the rest of the techo-babble... it was a wonderful adventure.

Review: Drown by Junot Díaz

2012-01-22T15:13:00.009-05:00

Originally published in 1996, Drown by Junot Díaz is a book composed of ten short stories, some of them previously published in literary magazines and other venues. Junot Díaz won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is better known for his work on the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the United States, Diaz follows in the footsteps of other Latin American writers with this collection of short stories. His voice is strong and he obviously knows the subject matter.

In Drown, Díaz focuses on the struggles, frustrations, anger and needs faced by poor immigrant Dominican boys, young men, and adult males, both in the Dominican Republic and in New Jersey. And yes it's important to note that he does focus on the male experience and point of view.

Some of the stories are connected and follow a family, a mother and two boys, from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey after their father sends for them: "Ysrael," "Fiesta 1980," "Aguantando," "Negocios." Other short stories are ambiguous in that the main characters are unnamed and could be attributed to other immigrant young men. "Aurora," "Drown," "Boyfriend," "Edison, New Jersey," "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie." And "No Face," in my opinion the weakest story of the bunch, is related to the short story Ysrael but only because the main character Ysrael is the central focus, but he is not related to the family in the story with that title.

There are a couple of stories that really did it for me, but Drown is the one story that really grabbed me. The unnamed young man in this story avoids a childhood friend returning to the neighborhood, not only because of ambiguous sexual feelings, but also because he feels a failure. Díaz captures a sense of nostalgia and longing as the young man remembers his childhood days with his friend Beto, all mixed up with a sense of failure. The young man's sense of responsibility for a mother who is a ghost of herself, dreaming of being with a man who betrayed her, combined with his need to escape the neighborhood and feelings of entrapment are almost suffocating. Excellent.

For the most part the short stories flowed to create a cohesive whole, although Díaz tended to go back and forth between the Dominican Republic and the US. The one story that really disrupted the flow for me was No Face. I think in this short story about Ysrael, Díaz failed to really touch the reader with this character -- at least he failed to touch me. I see the problem as one of misplacement. This short story really didn't seem to "belong" where it was placed for some reason, and it interrupted the flow of the book for me. Radically so.

Although Drown is a collection of short stories that focuses on the Dominican immigrant's experience, I believe that these short stories also apply to the immigrant experience as a whole, and in that respect it is about immigrants and assimilation. He focuses those stories on how tough it is to emigrate and the difficulties faced while assimilating to a new culture for first and second generations, particularly when in many cases those immigrants wind up in ugly or pretty ghetto style neighborhoods.

These neighborhoods are places that after a while those same immigrants can't seem to leave even as they dream of doing so. The claustrophobia of those places, the hold, the pitfalls, how the whole family can be affected, how the American dream can tarnish by desperation, poverty and poor, uneducated decisions. Díaz touches on all those points. However, he doesn't include success stories in this collection, at least his main characters are not a success. In that sense there is a lack of balance, but then I think that his purpose in Drown is to show the struggle and not necessarily the success.

That lack of balance is also seen when it comes to the female's point of view, as females are portrayed from a distinct male perspective. They are portrayed as either women who somehow remain in a traditional female role even as they struggle against it, or women who are easily seduced. Females are often described as sexual objects or in sexual terms. I found it interesting that as the women aged in these stories they went from being highly sensual creatures who needed their husbands to protect them, to mothers who needed to be protected by their sons. In my opinion, a generalized machista and unrealistic portrayal of women as a whole.

Even with the few problems I had with this book, I believe that for the most part Díaz achieved his goal and he did so with that strong voice I mentioned above. I read Drown for my internet book club, and the discussion was quite interesting. Most of us disagreed rather forcefully with Díaz's portrayal of women in this book. Others disagreed with what was seen as his negative portrayal of the Dominican immigrant and the lack of balance in his portrayal between the struggles and the success. Yet others disagreed that the collection could really be interpreted as the struggles of immigrants as a whole and that it should be seen as focused solely on the Dominican experience. Agree or disagree, reading and discussing Drown with a group was a wonderful experience.

December 2011
Book Club Read

Category: Literary Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Riverhead/May 16, 2007 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: B

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About the Author:
Junot Díaz is a contemporary Dominican-American writer. He moved to the USA with his parents at age six, settling in New Jersey. Central to Díaz's work is the duality of the immigrant experience. He is the first Dominican-born man to become a major author in the United States.

Díaz is creative writing professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao in 2008. He was selected as one of the 39 most important Latin American writers under the age of 39 by the Bogotá Book Capital of World and the Hay Festival. In September 2007, Miramax acquired the rights for a film adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

This 'n That: Reading Update, Romance & Scifi

2012-01-20T19:22:00.004-05:00

Happy weekend everyone! I'm back at work and well... working! Already missing my wonderful, lazy, vacation days and very glad that the weekend is finally here.

My blogging has been spotty these past couple of weeks due to all the beginning of the year craziness, but I have found time for reading. And what have I been reading? Lots of science fiction! Yes... By participating in Carl V's 2012 Science Fiction Experience I've developed a craving for all things sci fi, and I'm the type of reader that obsesses. Sci fi and/or Fantasy can do that to me. :)

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So far this month, I've read lots of Scalzi! From the Metatropolis anthology edited by John Scalzi, I read his novella, "Quiritationem Suis." I also read Scalzi's first novel Old Man's War, and the second book of the Old Man's War trilogy, The Ghost Brigades. I followed that up with a novella set in this same world, After the Coup. Right now I'm reading The Sagan Diary in preparation for the third and last book of the original Old Man's War trilogy, The Last Colony. After I finish that book, I'll write up an overview about the trilogy. What I can tell you is that so far the first book is my favorite, it is definitely quick paced military science fiction with great action and flow. Scalzi also gives the reader something to think about without beating him/her over the head with a hammer, and yes... there's actually a love interest in there! Can you believe it? :)

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Also as a follow up to reading Leviathan Wakes in December, I read the novella The Butcher of Anderson Station: A Story of The Expanse by James S.A. Corey. This novella focuses on an incident that defined the career of (and eventually the man) one of the characters that plays a key role in Leviathan Wakes. Fred Johnson is the leader of the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance) by the time we meet him in Leviathan Wakes. Throughout the book he was referred to as the Butcher of Anderson Station, however that was never explained.

This story goes back in time and focuses on that story, giving the readers and fans of this new series a terrific first person account of exactly what shaped this character. It also gives the reader further insight into how Earth viewed Belters and why Fred eventually turns from hero to traitor. The story feels rather incomplete, though. By the end there's a sense that there's more to Fred, or that there should be more. The political implications are touched upon lightly in this novella, and I'm hoping that the second book of the trilogy will give us more Fred. Of course, to me this was just an appetizer before the main course. That would be Caliban's War (Expanse #2), coming in June 2012.

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And sticking with the subject of sci fi, if you like old style pulp sci fi, you need to check out Carl V's post on Hunt the Space Witch! by Robert Silverberg. I haven't read anything by this author and after reading that post of course I immediately purchased the book. I love pulp, plus hmm... check out that cover!

I also joined the 2012 TBR Challenge, hosted by our Super Librarian Wendy. However, between the Science Fiction Experience and Wendy's TBR Challenge, so far this year I've added more to my reading pile than I've read! How is that helping me? Well, hopefully it will help me gather some great titles instead of duds. Right? Isn't that a wonderful way to rationalize my recent book-buying spree? Check out my recent additions:

Hunt The Space Witch! by Robert Silverberg
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The Breach by Patrick Lee
The God Engines by John Scalzi
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Ghost in the Machine by Barbara J. Hancock (SFR)
His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman (Phyl's Review)
Because of the List by Amy Knupp (Lori's Review)

After reading Scalzi's Old Man's War I experienced a bit of nostalgia, so to re-read a couple of books I no longer own, I also purchased in ebook format two old classics:

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In other news, I broke the sci fi spell I was under by reading a couple of contemporary romances. One of those books was by Emily March. She's a new-to-me author and for some reason I kept looking at her latest release Lover's Leap: An Eternity Springs Novel and going back to it, until I bought it and read it this last week.

This book is part of a series, but it's pretty much a self-contained romance, so it was not too tough reading it and getting into it. It's basically a story about second chances at love, errors in judgment, redemption, and forgiveness. It's an interesting series, although there's something 'quirky' about it. A lot of talk about the 'angel inside' and 'miracles.' I wasn't too taken with this aspect of the book... plus there's this character, Celeste who comes off as kind of "new-agey," who seems to be the center of the whole series. I know there was something about her that I missed. Definitely. For me, it was an okay contemporary romance with a couple of frustrating moments provided by one character that turned out to be particularly immature. Has anyone read the other books in this series? I'm curious because I liked some of the secondary characters.

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I read a few other books, including Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis, but I'll be reviewing those books later on.

TBR Review: Light the Stars (Cowboys of Cold Creek #1) by RaeAnne Thayne

2012-01-18T08:22:00.006-05:00

Wade Dalton was having a very bad day.

His five-year-old had accidentally set the kitchen on fire. His daughter was surly, as usual. The baby hadn't been fed yet. And his mother--aka "The Childminder"--had eloped...with a scam artist. Could it get any worse?

Turned out it could. Because the annoyingly beautiful daughter of said scam artist was now at the door, batting her doe eyes at him and proposing that she be his temporary nanny while awaiting the newlyweds' return. Could he trust her to be under his roof? Could he trust himself with her under his roof?

I've enjoyed reading RaeAnne Thayne stories these last few of years. In 2009 I read Dancing in the Moonlight, Book 2 of the original Cowboys of Cold Creek trilogy, and soon thereafter I purchased and read most of Thayne's back list. I still have a couple of them in my TBR. Light the Stars, Book 1 of the trilogy, was one of them.

I really like the way the story begins. It kept me reading:

On his thirty-six birthday, Wade Dalton's mother ran away.

She left him a German chocolate cake on the kitchen counter, two new paperback mysteries by a couple of his favorite authors and a short but succinct note in her loopy handwriting.

Honey,

Happy birthday. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate with you but by the time you read this we'll be in Reno and I'll be the new Mrs. Quinn Montgomery.....

Wade Dalton owns and runs the Cold Creek Ranch, on top of that he's a widower with three children. His mother eloping with a stranger is a big concern, but having to care for the house and three small children on top of the ranch responsibilities leaves him angry, confused and feeling more than a little helpless. His mother has been taking care of his children for so long that Wade is clueless about them or how to care of them.

In comes Caroline Montgomery, the new groom's daughter. Caroline was Marjorie Dalton's life coach. Unfortunately, Marjorie somehow met Caroline's scheming father and the two eloped together. Hoping to stop the marriage and what she suspects is another grift planned by her father, Caroline rushes from Los Angeles to Cold Creek, but arrives too late to stop the elopement.

Instead she finds a furious and suspicious Wade Dalton as he tries to deal with two little boys and a crazy situation. Feeling guilty over her unwitting role and her father's possible actions, Caroline basically pushes her way into Wade's life and volunteers to take care of the children until Marjorie returns. After much ado, he agrees and pretty soon she's close to the children and tempting Wade out of his celibate status.

The relationship between Wade and Caroline begins with suspicion oozing from Wade and guilt from Caroline. As they share family moments, Caroline realizes that Wade doesn't really know his children and as she makes him aware of these facts their attraction for each other grows. Wade reluctantly admits the attraction, basically because he has only been in love once and that was with his now deceased wife. He uses his suspicions of Caroline to keep a distance between them and goes the distance to the end. On the other hand, initially Caroline is giving with Wade and the children out of guilt for what she sees as her role in her father's possible future criminal plans, and pretty quickly falls in love with both the children and the father.

There's very little warmth to Wade since he spends most of the story coming off as an angry bear, and although there's plenty of warmth to Caroline, she somehow comes off as pushy particularly since their time together is so short. The timeline doesn't help to make this relationship really workable or believable. The connection between these two characters is tenuous and that's probably due to Wade's angry personality and the fact that he suppresses and negates his feelings for most of the story.

I really enjoyed the ranch setting and the wonderful extended family. Wade has two brothers, Jake and Seth, and his children who play an integral role in this story are quite cute, particularly the two little boys. The Daltons had an interesting childhood and that is touched on in this first book of the trilogy. Secondary characters are kept to family members and they play peripheral roles in this story, so the focus stays firmly on the couple and the family.

The stories I've read by Thayne have had some depth to them, and although in this instance I still enjoyed the writing style, Light the Stars is not one of those stories, and in that respect it was disappointing. This is an enjoyable read up to a point, but it turned out to be standard fare with an aggressively suspicious hero, and a heroine that's not only quite forgiving of his crankiness and unfair behavior, but actually seemed to yearn for it once things came to a head between them.

I think it is fortunate that I read the second book of this trilogy first. Regardless, having read Thayne's other works, I still look forward to reading Seth's story, Dalton's Undoing, the 3rd book in this trilogy -- another book that I also have in my "to be read" pile. Maybe this year!

Category Romance
January Review

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Cowboys of Cold Creek
Publisher/Release Date: Harlequin/May 24, 2010-Kindle Ed.
Grade: C-

Visit RaeAnne Thayne here.

Original Cowboys of Cold Creek Trilogy:
Light the Stars, #1
Dancing in the Moonlight, #2
Dalton's Undoing, #3

Sunday Feature: The Thorn and the Blossom: A Two-Sided Love Story by Theodora Goss

2012-01-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

The Thorn and the Blossom is the story of two star-crossed lovers.

Evelyn Morgan is a young American student studying at Oxford when she walks into Thorne & Son, a bookstore in the Cornish village of Clews. Little does she know, but she is about to meet the love of her life. And when Brendan Thorne hands her a medieval poem called The Book of the Green Knight, he doesn't know that it will shape his future forever. After that first meeting, they don't see each other for years -- yet neither ever stops thinking about the other. It's as if they are the haunted lovers in the old book itself.

I was offered The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss for review and frankly, besides the fact that this is a story about star-crossed lovers with a mystery, the format really caught my attention. This is a two sided story printed in an accordion-fold binding. The story is told from Evelyn's perspective on one side of the book and as you turn it around, you can read the story from Brendan's perspective on the other side. You can see how that works here. The result is quite interesting.

The book itself is gorgeous. It comes in a hard slip case (the cover you see above), and I think it would make a beautiful gift or just a great keeper for your bookshelf. I love it. Reading it was a bit awkward at first because the book doesn't have a spine and it has to be held a certain way, but after a while I found a way and it worked fine, particularly because the book is not heavy.

Although this novella is short (38 pages for Evelyn's story and 39 for Brendan's) I loved the fact that, using this method, by the time the end comes around both characters' motives or motivations are well-known to the reader even though both sides of the story mirror each other. Using that different perspective and developing each character in depth makes a big difference to the reader's experience. I began the book from Brendan's point of view and then went on to Evelyn's, but I do wonder how it would be to begin the story the other way... would the experience be different? Interesting.

The story itself is beautifully written by Theodora Goss. This is a combination of the contemporary and the mythological, as Evelyn and Brendan's story seems to mirror that of Sir Gawan and Elowen which is found in the medieval poem The Book of the Green Knight, simultaneously giving the reader a sense of a concrete present and a magical atmosphere. It's a wonderful combination. Goss packs a lot into this little book, yet I couldn't help but wish the story had been just a little bit longer.

The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss is a beautiful little book with an interesting format that works quite well with Evelyn and Brendan's sweet and magical love story.

Category: Fantasy
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Quirk Books/January 17, 2012
Source: ARC Quirk Books
Grade: B+

Visit Theodora Goss here.

About the Author: Theodora Goss won the World Fantasy Award in 2008 for her short story "The Singing of Mount Abora." She has been a finalist for the Nebula, Crawford, Locus, and Mythopoeic awards and has appeared on the Tiptree Award Honor List. Her writing has been showcased repeatedly in "Year's Best" anthologies. She lives in Boston, where she teaches literature at Boston University.

Review: The Proposition by Judith Ivory

2012-01-15T11:10:00.001-05:00

No man, gentleman or otherwise, has ever looked at Lady Edwina Bollash the way the brash, handsome man standing before her is doing now. Edwina has accepted the challenge to transform incorrigible Mick Tremore into a gentleman in just six weeks. And although the linguist is sure she can rise to the task, she isn't at all certain she won't swoon under his frankly sensuous gaze before her job is done.

Mick has lived outside of London society long enough to know that appearances can be deceiving. Edwina might look all buttoned up—the perfect English lady—but there is unleashed passion existing just below her placid facade (not to mention a great pair of legs!). And as she prepares him to take his place in society, Mick prepares Edwina to take her place in his heart...and in his bed.

Published in 1999 by Avon, The Proposition by Judith Ivory is one historical romance, that in my opinion no matter the current trend in romance preferences, stands the test of time and will always find new fans.

Why is that? Well, she came up with two unusual protagonists, particularly our hero. First we have Mick Tremore, a rat catcher. He's handsome, fun, funny, brash, raunchy, uneducated (but highly intelligent), and not unhappy about his situation. Instead he's quite proud of himself and of what he has accomplished throughout his life. Although obviously poor, Mick's rat catching business is successful and has allowed him to take care of what's important to him -- he is good at his job. Mick is a lovely man. Of course you know I fell in love with Mick, his personality, and the outward symbol of his virility -- his beautiful mustache.

Then we have Lady Edwina Bollash. Like Mick, Edwina is also highly intelligent, except that she is a lady whose means have been reduced by circumstances and being considered plain in appearance by society has little to no chance of finding a husband. She certainly thinks of herself as unattractive. Now she's the tough to nut to crack, and the character with the contradictory personality in this story. I say contradictory because Edwina is an independent woman who makes a living as a linguist and outwardly seems knowing and confident, but as we slowly find out turns out to be insecure about her looks and a product of the times and her environment. Mick describes her as a "good girl who always wants to do the right thing to please others." That's exactly who Edwina turns out to be when we first meet her and before Mick works his magic on her. And magic he is.

Our story begins in a dressmaker's parlor with a mouse, a rat catcher and a pair of long beautiful legs peaking from under a dressing room. Our rat catcher is crude, dirty, but very handsome under all that grime. The ladies, from the maids to the posh ladies at the dressmakers, are taken by Mick's charm and handsome looks, and unfortunately (or fortunately) for him, his day quickly takes a turn when the maid's family catch her in the midst of seduction. A melee ensues and our heroine Edwina ends up saving Mick by translating the barely understandable language he uses to communicate, a mixture of Cornish and something else entirely.

Judith Ivory uses Pygmalion as the central basis for romance in The Proposition. Basically Edwina and Mick accept the proposition as set by two gentlemen who bet that Edwina can or can't transform the crude and rough Mick into a gentleman in six week's time by changing the way he speaks and behaves. The big test comes at the end of those six weeks when he's supposed to attend a ball to fool society. What happens during those six weeks is a beautiful thing. When I finished reading the story I wondered who exactly transformed whom in this romance. Mick's passion for life and seductive personality have as much of an influence on plain, naive, snobbish Edwina, as Edwina's vocal exercises have on Mick. It's a mutual transformation.

Why not an A then? Well there's the ending and a fairy tale aspect introduced into the story that well... I don't want to spoil for those who have not read this book yet. But, although this segment of the story made it all work out beautifully for Edwina and Mick and gave them both a wonderful happy ever after, in a way it was kind of a let down for me. I was hoping for that section of it to be just as different as the rest of the story and characters, and it turned out to be predictable. Regardless, I enjoyed Mick and Edwina's journey so much that by the end I was quite happy with their story. Tra la la...

Favorite scenes: The opening scene. The plant song scenes. The leg scene in the library. All the scenes where Mick's mustache is featured! Edwina's dancing scene. :)

The Proposition by Judith Ivory. Why did I wait so long to read it? It's a wonderful romance with memorable characters and moments, beautiful writing and for me it's a definite keeper.

Category Romance: Historical Romance
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Avon/December 8, 1999 (Digital edition available)
Grade: B+

Visit Judith Ivory here.

2012 Science Fiction Experience: Science Fiction "B Movies"

2012-01-10T10:06:00.002-05:00

Joining the 2012 Science Fiction Experience has made me crave not only books, but also science fiction movies! Now, I'm not talking about the best of the best here... I do love those: Star Wars (the original series), Blade Runner, The Matrix, Alien, a few of the Star Trek movies, etc. I also happen to have a secret passion for "B" movies. You know... the ones that get the dreaded "Rotten Tomatoes" ratings every year, the ones that the critics hate and that serious science fiction fans can't stand to watch? Those.

So, I began by watching some of those movies that I know are flawed (some of the seriously flawed), but that for some unknown reason I get stuck watching anyway. It's interesting because here and there these movies all offer something to science fiction fans. I looked for that this time around instead of doing what I usually do -- talking through most of the movies, pointing out what's wrong with them to my poor husband (who does the same thing to me), or just laughing at the most inappropriate moments, it's fun!

The first movie I watched was Pitch Black. Pitch Black was directed by David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel. Why do I watch this movie? I enjoy the action, the fact that in effect it has that sci-fi/thriller/horror edge to it with the aliens providing the gore, while some of the humans provide the real horror through their questionable actions. They prove to be the true monsters to be conquered by the oh so very dark hero, Riddick. Of course the thriller aspect of the film is still provided as those same humans are pitted against the aliens. It's nothing new or fresh in science fiction, but I do enjoy that type of story line within this genre.

Now, when it comes to the actual sci-fi details and world building, the story is lacking and the action aspect of the film takes precedence over character depth or specific details. This is where Pitch Black falls under the "B movie" category for me. A great science fiction film is all about the details, and those are missing. For example right at the beginning of the movie the pilot (Caroline Fry) crash lands the ship on the planet after they are hit by debris from a comet. However there's no way she could have survived the crash as all the windows of the ship burst right on her face as they are entering the planet's atmosphere at top speed. Later on, Fry should not have survived her foray into the alien's cave either, but obviously it wasn't her time to die yet.

There's also the planet itself and the fact that seems to be very close to three suns, with desert-like weather and blistering temperatures. The survivors are not prepared for a trek through this blistering desert. They don't have the right gear, nor do they have water... yet they survive a long trek by drinking alcohol without any outward effects. And then there's Riddick, the questionable hero of the piece. He obviously has abilities that are beyond those of a mere human. For example, he can see in the dark, but the rest is basically implied. In Pitch Black, Riddick is just a very dangerous criminal who somehow can survive in the dark when others can't, can smell when someone is bleeding (even though this is not apparent), and can even fight the native aliens and win, but how he does this is never explained. Ever. Not even at the end of the movie.

There are also lots of cliches used in the film. Most of what happens is foreshadowed. You know when someone is going to bite the dust, or make the stupid move that's going to get someone killed. This is not a movie I recommend as a great example of a science fiction film. However, as an action film with some of that science fiction flavor it can be highly entertaining to watch on a Sunday afternoon.

There's a sequel to Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick where Riddick's abilities are explained. I've also seen that film, but that would be another post. :)

I did watch two other movies in the "B movie" category:

Soldier is a 1998 science fiction-action film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The film stars Kurt Russell as Sgt. Todd, a soldier trained from birth. This was one of the biggest flops ever in the history of film! There's some military sci-fi action in this film with a bit of social sci-fi. The problem is that neither is really developed and the film devolves into an action film that doesn't really make a point either way.

The interesting factoid about this film? The screenwriter David Peoples "considers Soldier to be a "sidequel"/spiritual successor to Blade Runner." Ahhh, nope! Sorry, but I don't see it.

Push is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Paul McGuigan starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Gretsch and Djimon Hounsou. The film focuses on a group of people born with various superhuman abilities: Movers (Telekinetics), Watchers (Foreseers), Pushers (Mind Controllers), Sniffers, Shadows, Shifters, etc...

The main characters, three young adults band together in order to take down the "Division", a government agency that is developing a dangerous drug to enhance their powers, hoping to create an army of super soldiers. This was an interesting movie with a good premise I enjoyed, even as I watched the dead end action scenes that had no real purpose and its inconclusive and sequel-bating ending. This movie is like an episode in an ongoing series with no real conclusion. Incomplete.

That's it for my science fiction "B" movie watching. That was fun!

Joining In: The 2012 Science Fiction Experience

2012-01-05T19:40:00.007-05:00

The 2012 Science Fiction Experience is not a challenge, it is an experience. Hosted by Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings, this will basically be two months worth of discussions about science fiction that will go from January 1st through February 29, 2012.

Carl is making this experience fun and I think cool! I love that the discussions include science fiction books, movies and television shows watched. I'm looking forward to not only reading some books that I've accumulated, but hopefully joining in on some of the discussions. Hopefully, I will gather a great list of titles for future reading too!

I'm not sure which books I'll read yet. These are the books that I already own and that are in my list of possible reads:

However, I do have a few others! We'll see.

I'll be keeping my list of books read at the bottom of this post.
Wish me luck!

Posts:

Joining In: TBR Challenge 2012

2012-01-05T19:40:00.006-05:00

The TBR Challenge 2012 hosted by Wendy of The Misadventures of Super Librarian is one that I definitely need to join this year. I've been accumulating books and that pile grew more than it went down this last year. Time to cut it down a bit (even if it is by 12 books!).

This challenge has simple rules. Choose one book per month that has been lingering in that old TBR pile, read it, and either leave a comment at Wendy's blog on the scheduled date, or review it.

Wendy is also providing some theme suggestions each month for participants, but this is not written in stone. I'm actually loving that aspect of the challenge, because now I'll have to start hunting my TBR to find books that match her themes, and I can't wait to see what I find in there. Hopefully some good reads.

This post will serve as my summary page for the Challenge.

Monthly Review Dates And Theme Suggestions:

January 18 - Light the Stars by RaeAnne Thayne: Category romance
February 15 - Recommended Read (recommended by a fellow reader)
March 21 - Series Catch-Up (book from a series you're behind on)
April 18 - New-To-You Author
May 16 - Old School (Publication date prior to 2000)
June 20 - Western (Contemporary or historical)
July 18 - How Did This Get Here? (book you can't remember how/why you put in your TBR!)
August 15 - Steamy reads (Erotic romance, erotica, spicy!)
September 19 - Other genre besides romance
October 17 - Paranormal or romantic suspense
November 21 - All About The Hype
December 19 - Holiday themes (Christmas, Thanksgiving, it's all good!)

Wish me luck!

2011 Moments and Final Recap!

2012-01-03T19:41:00.001-05:00

Well, my overall recap for 2011 is here at last! It was a very good year! I read more than expected considering my crazy work schedule and family's health problems, but best of all I read some excellent books along the way and had a good time too.

Favorites:

2011 Year-End: Favorite Books: All done!
LGBT 2011: Favorite Books and Authors: All done!

Best Moments of 2011: Meeting friends (old and new), bloggers, and authors.

Favorite Posts/Reviews:

The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa - Talk about obsession, I actually wrote THREE posts about this book: The review, plus two posts at my side blog Quotes & Thoughts, with my favorite of those two being Sex and Power in the Feast of the Goat.
The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam by Alex Jeffers: I loved this book and writing the review was a pleasure, but then came the cherry on top. I'm not a fangirl, far from it, but when Mr. Jeffers came by and left a comment on my review, there was a flutter of the fangirl about me for a minute there... I admit it! LOLOL!
John Donne - The Good Morrow: This was a totally self-indulgent post that went up after I spent weeks perusing some of my favorite works by Donne. If left up to me I would probably have posted about ten pages on his poetry and essays, but I figured you would all be snoring by the time I finished. LOL! Instead my post became a very small summary. To all those Donne-crazed fans who came by and made it my second most visited post of the year, a BIG thank you!! ;P

Worst moment of 2011:

Deleting ALL the numbers for previous years from my Stat Counter! Yes... in January 2011, I accidentally deleted my Impressions "project," lost all my numbers, and was not able to recover them. My numbers started anew as of the second week of January. Again! Oh... the idiocy!

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2011 Challenges:

As far as Challenges go, I only joined two in 2011: I continued the In-Death Challenge hosted by The happily ever after... where I failed miserable by not reading any books during the whole year! I mean, not ONE -- see my summary page. Fail! [Hangs head in shame]

I also joined the 2011 Book Club: The Women of Fantasy hosted by Jawa Reads, Too! I did a better job there. I chose four books to read for the year. Unfortunately as you will see on my summary page, I completed one book and "DNF" (did not finish) two of the books. The book club did not continue with reading and discussions after June, so the fourth book is still in my TBR.

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Numbers

Total books read: 202

Total Posts: 153

Total Reviews/Minis: 156
Books by Categories:
LGBT (Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Thrillers, YA): 57
Contemporary (Romance/Fiction/Erotica): 48
Historical: (Romance/Fiction): 44
Paranormal Romance: 11
Urban Fantasy: 11
Fantasy/Speculative Fiction: 10
Science Fiction/Science Fiction Romance: 8
Mysteries: 5
Misc (Fiction/Children's/Poetry/Non-Fiction): 7

During 2011, I kept better records at Goodreads than I did at my blog. I actually had to reconcile my books read titles and numbers between the two sites! LGBT is my highest number for the year and that is a surprise (TY 57 vs. LY 36), especially since I read very few books in that category during the first half of the year. And I'm quite happy with the increase in the historical romance numbers (TY 44 vs. LY 26). I didn't quite reach my personal goal of reading 12 books for the year in the Fantasy category, but did increase the number (TY 10 vs. LY 2).

Observations:

A noticeable change from 2010 to 2011 is the fact that I read more new releases and less books from my TBR or "to be read" pile of books. As a matter of fact, I added quite a bit to that pile!
In 2011 I also accepted more books or ARCs for review. That's unusual for me, but even through all the stressful family emergencies somehow I found the time to keep up with most of the commitments I accepted during the year, and discovered some favorite reads and authors there! So, it turned out to be a good overall experience.
This was the year of the anthology for me too. I read approximately 15 anthologies that included everything from 3 to 29 novellas or short stories! That's a record for me.
And last, but not least, I joined Twitter after much bellyaching. I still don't really use it much and only think of using it after the fact, but I'll get there, someday. *g*

That is it!! Now I'll look forward to 2012, and start fresh with the new year. :)

December 2011: Reads and Minis

2012-01-02T12:16:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope your holidays were fabulous!

Here's my last monthly recap for 2011. It's a long one. I read more than expected due to the fact that I was on vacation for over a week and just relaxed. Some of those reads are short, but I did manage to get in some full-length novels in there as well.

One of my top reads for the month made it to my top ten favorite reads for the year, one was an honorable mention, and the other two were read during the last week of the year! I ended the year with a bang, just the way I like it.

Here are my reads for December, 2011:

Total Books Read: 23 DNF: 1
Contemporary: Romance, Erotica - 5
Historical Romance: Novels, Short Stories - 6
Paranormal Romance: 1
Science Fiction: 1
Fiction 2
Non-Fiction: 1
LGBT: Fiction, Romance, Mysteries, Erotica - 7

My top reads for December:

Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey: A

Leviathan Wakes! Yes! This is a science fiction opera with all the action and science fiction details any reader would expect of just such an endeavor. Yet for me, the characters in this fantastic space adventure are the ones that lifted it from being a just another tale about ships and chases through the stars. Miller, the pulp fiction noirish style, cynical detective, obsessed with finding one girl and relentless in his pursuit. And, Captain Jim Holden a rather naive, gung ho Captain with a rag tag crew who in his pursuit of revenge finds a truth bigger than the known universe. A mystery/thriller in space with amazing characters and fantastic science fiction details. What else can a geeky girl like me ask for? This book made it to my top ten favorite reads of 2011.

War by Sebastian Junger: B+
We the Animals by Justin Torres: B+
The Proposition by Judith Ivory: B+

The enjoyable Bs:

Drown by Junot Diaz: B
Detours by Jeffrey Ricker: B
Adam by Jacquelyn Frank: B
The Rake's Christmas by Edith Layton (A Regency Christmas VII Anthology): B
The Surprise Party by Mary Balogh (A Regency Christmas VII Anthology): B
The Art of Dying by Josh Lanyon and Jordan Castillo Price: B
Best Gay Stories 2011 edited by Peter Dubé: B-
The Christmas Ghost by Sandra Heath (A Regency Christmas VII Anthology): B-
Lone Star by Josh Lanyon: B-
Winter Knights by Harper Fox: B-

Here come the C's:

Sweetwood Bride by Pamela Morsi: C
A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman: C
Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen: C
Cowboy Come Home by Janette Kenny: C
The Birches by Xavier Axelson: C
Three to Tango with Emma Holly, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Bethany Kane: C
Risque Business by HelenKay Dimon: C-
Terms of Surrender by Leslie Kelly: C-
Submission (Deviations #1) by Chris Owen & Jodi Payne: C-

I love Chris Owen's writing style and own this series. Unfortunately, I "DNF" (did not finish) this book the first time I tried reading it a couple of years ago. I know a lot of readers love this series, so I decided I would try it again and finish it this time. Frankly, I had the same reaction this time and for the most part the book seems rather clinical and flat, lacking real emotion and passion. At least that's the way it read to me. I didn't connect with the characters at all. However, this time I continued to the end. There does seem to be a bit more of an emotional connection between the characters on that last third of the book, but by that time it was a bit late for me as a reader to connect with them. Obviously this book/series is not for me.

And one lonely DNF (did not finish): I usually don't include DNF's with my list. However in this case I wanted to give the book a chance and read over half of the book before simply realizing that the book is just not for me.

The Hunter by Theresa Meyers - DNF (Read 55% of the book)

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That's it for December! I'll be writing a few reviews for my December reads. We the Animals by Justin Torres was a huge surprise and one that I'll be talking about. The Proposition by Judith Ivory was a delightful read full of mustaches, legs, ferrets and some wonderful characters. Drown by Junot Diaz is a fiction book I read for my Internet Book Club, and of course there's Jo Goodman's first contemporary romance, A Place Called Home, and Jacquelyne Frank's paranormal romance, Adam -- the last book of her Nightwalkers series, #6.

Did you find any gems in December?

Happy New Year! 2012... Yikes!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.006-05:00

Happy 2012!!!

Wishing you all, health, happiness, success and

all the best for the New Year!

Hilcia

My Life According to Books I read in 2011

2011-12-29T13:11:00.002-05:00

And, because I'm on vacation and having fun this year, I decided to go ahead and join Christine with this fun, fun post that she has been posting for the last three years at The happily ever after... This is the first year I have the time to participate, so I'm going to play!

Basically it's very simple, answer the questions below with titles of books read in 2011. They have to be appropriate to the questions, of course. It gets tough... because you're not supposed to repeat your own answers. ~~that others post~~. ~~I've only just read Christine's! So, I hope I'm not repeating anyone else's answers at this point~~. Here goes!

Describe yourself:
A Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear

How do you feel:
Unlocked by Courtney Milan

Describe where you currently live:
Embassytown by China Miéville

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
The Abode of Bliss by Alex Jeffers

Your favorite form of transportation:
Love and Rockets by Gavin Atlas

Your best friend is:
Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell

You and your friends are:
We the Animals by Justin Torres

What's the weather like:
In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Flemming

What is life to you:
A Lot Like Love by Julie James

Favorite time of day:
Winter Knights by Harper Fox

Your fear:
Drown by Junot Díaz

What is the best advice you have to give:
Chill by Elizabeth Bear

Thought for the day:
Never Cry Wolf by Cynthia Eden

How I would like to die:
Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen

My soul's present condition:
Dangerous Ground by Josh Lanyon

That's it! I had a tiny problem with transportation -- my answer is the title of a book I didn't review, so no link for that title. AND, although I had two different titles to answer "Your Fear," both were for books I just finished reading this week!

That was fun. Thank you, Christine. :)

Review: Cowboy Come Home by Janette Kenny

2011-12-28T13:18:00.000-05:00

Trey March never wanted to see Daisy Barton again. But there she is, in over her pretty little head running the JDB Ranch—and standing between him and the small fortune he's owed. Now if he wants to get his due, he'll have to save the ranch first. . .working side-by-side with the only woman he's ever loved.

Without her overprotective father to guide her, Daisy's trying to stand on her own at last. But a sinister foreman with a grudge seems determined to cut her down at every turn. And Trey, the one man she can count on, is the same man she could never trust herself to resist. . .not even now, when her heart—and her life—are at stake.

Cowboy Come Home by Janette Kenny is the third and last book in the western historical romance Lost Sons trilogy.

After months recuperating from being roped, dragged through the dessert and left for dead, Trey March returns to the JDB Ranch to collect his horses and the money Barton owes him. The last person he wants or expects to see is Daisy Barton, after all she's the reason he almost lost his life and besides she should be married to her rich rancher fiancé by now.

Circumstances have changed drastically in six months. Trey finds that Barton is dead and Daisy now owns a ranch that is systematically being run into the ground by the shady, murderous foreman who tried to kill him, and the drought is doing the rest. Daisy is floored when she sees Trey at her door! How dare he show up after running out on her six months ago? Daisy is way over her head, working with a foreman she doesn't trust and in a situation that turns more dire by the day. She promises Trey that if he stays two months and runs the ranch, she'll fire the foreman and pay the debt owed him so he can go. He reluctantly agrees, and that's when things really take a turn for the worst.

Trey and Daisy have a history of passion and for Daisy one of love for Trey. So, as they fight to save the ranch Trey and Daisy also fight their own personal battle. They are so different. He is just a ranch hand and she the coddled daughter of a rich cattle baron. Their passion brought them together before when the two agreed to a one time only sexual encounter, and ended up having a passionate illicit affair that lasted months. Still, Trey figures there's no future for them, even after Baron died he doesn't think a cash poor, affection starved orphan like himself is good enough for Daisy. As they begin sharing a home at the Barton's Circle 46 Ranch, their passionate affair is renewed, but Daisy wants more from Trey than just sex, she wants love. Trey is willing to give her marriage, but won't lie or say he'll give her something he doesn't even understand.

If this was the whole story, then I would say yes... this is an action filled western romance where the main conflict between the protagonists is initially based on misunderstandings, but one that eventually works itself out with the benefit of passion and slow building love and understanding between Daisy and Trey. I enjoyed this part of the story. There is sexual tension and passion between Daisy and Trey, plus lots of western style action to keep me entertained. However there's more, and that more is what really didn't work so well for me.

As I said above Cowboy Come Home is the last book of a trilogy. I didn't know that fact when I picked up this book as it's not mentioned on the cover, or anywhere else. So it was a surprise to me when about half way through the book, the story shifted, and the plot changed direction. Kenny continues to develop the romance until the end, but the external conflicts become totally different. Daisy and Trey's past histories take central stage. Trey is an orphan and Daisy suffers from partial amnesia from a fall she suffered as a child. Things begin to unravel for both of them and the last third of the book is taken up with Trey's adopted "brothers" from the orphanage and their wives (the first two books) coming into the picture, and some highly coincidental and convenient resolutions to solve long-time personal mysteries.

I'm a bit torn about Cowboy Come Home. Having read this book on its own, for me, the shift in direction made a difference to my overall enjoyment of the story. However to be fair, I would say that I think reading those first two books in the trilogy is essential to making that emotional connection to the characters that eventually make their way into this story. And for fans, there is that happy ever after to the Lost Sons trilogy.

Category: Historical Romance/Western
Series: Lost Sons Trilogy
Publisher/Released: Zebra Historical/November 2011
Source: Kensington Publishing
Grade: C

Visit Janette Kenny here.

Series:
A Cowboy Christmas
In a Cowboy's Arms
Cowboy Come Home

2011: Favorite Quotes

2011-12-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

I love quotes! I collect them just as I collect books. I've done this for years. I highlight them, bookmark them, think about them. I have little post-its and sticky notes all over my books, and a notebook of favorite quotes. Sometimes I re-visit them and depending on depth even have to write something about them!

Here are nine favorite quotes, and an excerpt from a poem, I collected this year.

Romance:

"Because" ... "ye've bewitched and bespelled me, my sweet Silence, didn't ye know? I'll agree that the sky is pink, that the moon is made o' marzipan and sugared raisins, and that mermaids swim the muddy waters o' the Thames, if ye'll only stop weepin'. Me chest breaks apart and gapes wide open when I see tears in yer pretty eyes. Me lungs, me liver, and me heart cannot stand to be thus exposed." -- Mickey -- Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt
"The scent of you," he said so softly. "Heaven help me, the scent of you." -- Clevedon -- Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase
"To address your question fairly, Miss Eversea... while I understand my broken engagement is a popular topic of conversation among the fashionable set, one must consider the possibility that the end of it was serendipitous for both Lady Abigail and I. And that thus freed our hearts might now love more appropriately and happily." Take that, Miss Eversea. He was rather proud of that. That epic, steaming mound of balderdash. -- Alex -- What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long

Urban Fantasy

"The Beast Lord walked out of the warehouse. The screen went dark. My knight in furry armor." -- Kate Daniels -- Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Science Fiction

"The beautiful thing about losing your illusions, he thought, was that you got to stop pretending." -- Miller - Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Historical Fiction

"In New York nobody looks at a woman with that arrogance anymore. Measuring her, weighing her, calculating how much flesh there is in each one of her breasts and thighs, how much hair on her pubis, the exact curve of her buttocks. She closes her eyes, feeling slightly dizzy. In New York not even Latins—Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans—give such looks. They’ve learned to repress them, realized they mustn’t look at women the way male dogs look at female dogs, stallions look at mares, boars look at sows.." -- Urania -- The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

Gay Fiction

"All men have macho in them. Even gay ones, but there are varying degrees, and while most forms of macho are lethal to the progression of the world and society, there are some acceptable levels, very low levels, that can sometimes be useful." Chulito by Charles Rice-González

Gay Speculative Fiction

"I squeeze it in my grasp and it shrinks to a twirlable size, sits comfortably between my fingers, a pen. There is no need for any statement of authority more grand than this, I think, not in this day and age. What was comfortable in one era as a humble reed with a wedge-shaped end, will be comfortable here and now as simple ballpoint. It is the most important of all these objects of power, I think -- though I am prejudiced, I suspect -- the original of all tools for shaping order and chaos." -- "Oneirica by Hal Duncan" -- Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman

Non-Fiction

"Combat isn't where you might die -- though that does happen -- it's where you find out whether you get to keep on living." War by Sebastian Junger

Poetry

"Before Cortés lops off a messenger's

hands and has another trampled,

before the branding and burning,

there is wonderment

and, for a moment, endearment

as Cortés dances, off beat, around

the long neck of his field piece." --

Excerpt from Cortés and Cannon

Empire by Xochiquetzal Candelaria

End of Year Reading: Justin Torres and...

2011-12-26T12:41:00.003-05:00

Day after Christmas... is everyone shopping? I'm on vacation and yes I'll be shopping later. *g* In the meantime, I've been reading! Yes, between Friday after work, the crazy and lovely Noche Buena and a lovely and lazy Christmas Day, I read. This year it wasn't my turn to cook, bake, or do the honors. That fell to one of my lovely sisters-in-law and one of my brothers. *g* So, I'm enjoying a relaxing holiday season.

What did I read? A couple of GREAT books from my "to be read" pile that I left as end-of-year reads. The first book I read Friday night, and the one that really impacted me the most?

We The Animals by Justin Torres

I would say, why oh why did I wait until the end of the year to read this little book? On the one hand I want to kick myself for waiting, but then... it was the perfect time to read it too. We the Animals is not a perfect book, but my goodness this debut novel by Justin Torres certainly makes an impact! I will probably review it or talk about it in January because I think I have to, but yes... a little gem. (2011, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Then of course I picked up some Christmas related romance novellas, and I went with these:

A Regency Christmas VII

From this anthology, I read The Christmas Ghost by Sandra Heath, The Rake's Christmas by Edith Layton, and The Surprise Party by Mary Balogh. These short novellas were perfect. They got me into the holiday spirit as I readied myself for our lovely Christmas Eve celebration with family and friends. (1995 Signet)

Lone Star by Josh Lanyon & Winter Knights by Harper Fox

As part of the Men Under the Mistletoe anthology, both of these stories are second chance-at-love stories that take place during Christmas and both of them have that bit of the "miracle" about them. Josh Lanyon's Lone Star, is the story of two childhood friends, a ballet dancer and a Texas Ranger, whose love ended a long time ago when they were young men. His story has a western flavor because of setting, although not necessarily a western theme. A Lanyon-style romance without a mystery to solve at the end. Harper Fox's White Knights is a contemporary Arthurian tale set in Northumberland. As always I enjoyed her characters' struggles and darkish writing style. There are second chances, and then there are second chances... and Fox's characters certainly find out what the term means in this Christmas story. (2011, Carina Press)

And I finished a couple of anthologies I began reading earlier:

Best Gay Stories 2011 edited by Peter Dubé

This is an anthology I began reading a couple of months ago and kept on reading slowly. There are some excellent novellas in here. One of my favorite stories by Sandra McDonald is included, and of course other writers whose works I've come to really enjoy as well. I actually became interested in reading the anthology after reading the "blurb" and Mr. Dubé's focus for this anthology. (2011 Lethe Press)

When we tell our own stories, it becomes clear that we’ve moved well past the sentimental coming out story, the boy-meets-boy romance, the dangers and pleasures of sexual adventure, and we’ve done it without having to abandon them--because those things still happen and are still important. But we’ve found new ways of thinking about them, and have more experience to share, a deeper understanding of them, and we’ve added an array of other stories, from other parts of our lives, and dreams, and troubles to them. We’ve moved past the “gay story” and towards “gay stories.”

The other anthology I finished is erotica!

Three to Tango with

Emma Holly, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Bethany Kane

This is another anthology I began reading a while back and just finished off! Now, I can tell you that I most definitely have favorites from this collection of novellas where threesomes (M/M/F) give it its name. For me those two stories are Dirty/Bad/Wrong by Lauren Dane and Flipping for Chelsea, the hot, hot story by Emma Holly. Of course, Megan Hart's Just One Night and Bethany Kane's On the Job fit the name of this anthology to the "t" and they are enjoyable as well. So you can pick and choose, but all are good erotic reads. (2011, Berkley Heat)

So, that was my weekend/holiday reading! These were all short reads, but a good beginning to my vacation reading and a great way to end the year! I have one more week to go, let's see if I find any other little gems before then. :D

Christmas Eve Traditions... La Noche Buena

2011-12-24T11:40:00.001-05:00

It's Christmas Eve, and tonight my family will get together for our traditional "Noche Buena" dinner.

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) is when we have our big celebratory dinner with all the trimmings. All our family and friends who don't have close family in the area eat, toast, and dance (yes, dance) and celebrate while teasing the kids as they wait on pins and needles for Santa to show up after midnight. Of course, we borrowed Santa. Traditionally, Santa Claus was not part of our culture.

It used to be that the kids had to wait until January 6th, El Dia De Los Reyes or Three Kings Day, to receive presents. I remember leaving water and grass for the camels, and something special for "my" King -- we each chose our own. I used to love that anticipation when I was a little girl.

The celebration is usually done by midnight when adults exchange gifts and children (if they're awake) receive a token. They still have to wait until Christmas morning to find out what Santa left for them. Some adults go to a midnight service, others celebrate a bit longer, and still others will go home to get ready for Christmas day. It's a long night! A beautiful night that we look forward to all year long, and a cultural tradition that we have passed along to our children throughout the years.

Here's a great book I found about this tradition. It's a children's book and quite appropriate:

La Noche Buena: A Christmas Story by Antonio Sacre, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

Nina is visiting her grandmother in Miami for Christmas. Usually she spends it in snowy New England with her mother and her family, but this year is different. She isn’t certain what to make of a hot and humid holiday, until she learns the traditions of her father’s side of the family from her Cuban grandmother. She helps prepare for the evening and takes part in all their traditions—the intricate cooking for the feast, the dancing, the music, and the gathering of relatives and neighbors. It all comes together for a Noche Buena that Nina will never forget.

Antonio Sacre and Angela Dominguez have created a wonderful story that everyone who celebrates Christmas will enjoy. The book includes a glossary of Spanish words.

About the author
Antonio Sacre is a Cuban-American writer, storyteller, and performance artist. He lives in Los Angeles. Visit him online here.

Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City and lives in northern California. She illustrated Ava Tree and the Wishes Three and Carmen Learns English. Visit her online here.

Twas the Night Before Christmas,

When all through the house

There were sounds of laughter,

Rumba, Mambo, Son

and joy all around.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hilcia

2011 Year-End: Favorite Books

2011-12-22T08:49:00.009-05:00

2011 is a year I'll remember for my inconsistent reading pattern. Some months I read like gangbusters and others I barely had the time. But I'll also remember it because if there were good reads during the first part of the year, reading-wise the second part turned out to be even better.

As always my list is compiled from books read by me during the year. I know there are many great books out there that I didn't get to! So many books! I chose my top reads from the 2011 releases only and then from those awarded top grades throughout the year. However because I do read many back list titles or books released during previous years, you will also find a short list at the bottom of this post with my favorite reads. It's only fair as there are quite a few A's in there!

I'm an eclectic reader and that's reflected throughout my 2011 choices. This year's list is comprised of books from the following genres: Historical Romance, Gay Fiction, Science Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Poetry and Contemporary Romance. Please note that this year I again posted a separate "LGBT Favorite Authors and Books" list. It is a different type of post geared towards favorite writers and their works, however you'll also see two of those books included here... without them my overall list would have been incomplete.

TOP 2011 READS: (Click on titles to read reviews)

1.   Historical Romance: Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt
(2011 Grand Publishing): A
2.   Gay Fiction: The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam by Alex Jeffers
(2011 Ticture): A
3.   Historical Romance: Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase
(2011 Avon): A

4.   Science Fiction: Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey
       (2011 Orbit): A
5.   Paranormal Romance: Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling, #10) by Nalini Singh
(2011 Berkley): A
6.   Poetry: Empire by Xochiquetzal Candelaria
(2011 Univ. of Arizona Press) Grade: A
7.   Contemporary Romance: The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis
(2011 Forever): A
8.   Gay Mystery/Thriller: The German by Lee Thomas (2011 Lethe Press): A-
9.   Contemporary Romance: The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas
      (2011 Berkley): A-
10. Historical Romance: What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
(2011 Avon): A-

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TOP 5 CHOICES: BOOKS RELEASED PRIOR TO 2011

Historical Fiction: The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa (2011 Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1 ed. Kindle -- transl. first released in 2003 by Faber & Faber): A
Contemporary Romance: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (2004 St. Martin Press): A
Gay Fiction/YA: The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay (2010 Bold Stroke Books): A
Science Fiction Opera: Dust (Jacobs Ladder #1) by Elizabeth Bear (2007 Spectra): A-*
Historical Romance: Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty (2010 Carina Press): A-

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5 BOOKS I LOVED AND WILL REMEMBER REGARDLESS:

Science Fiction: Embassytown by China Miéville (2011 Del Rey): B+
Non-Fiction: War by Sebastian Junger (2010 Twelve) Non-Fiction: B+
Historical Romance: The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser (2010 Carina Press): B+
Fantasy: A Companion To Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear (2007 Tor): B+
Contemporary Romance: A Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D'Alessandro (2011 Berkley): B

What do I find interesting about this year's list? For the past couple of years Urban Fantasy or Fantasy have been my first choice. This year it was a historical romance and that's a big change. Also a couple of favorite writers didn't make it to the top of my list, although I enjoyed their new releases. Eight of the books chosen by me, from all categories and release years, are from new-to-me authors whose works I read this year. That always makes me happy!

Well that does it for 2011! What book made it to the top of your 2011 list?

LGBT 2011: Favorite Books & Authors

2011-12-20T14:08:00.007-05:00

It is that time of the year! Time to choose favorite LGBT authors and works for 2011. But first, to all of you who love this sub-genre and stop by, whether you comment or lurk, a big thanks for your support and readership throughout the year.

As you know, I'm an eclectic reader and as such my reading preferences do not remain static. Last year my interests veered towards gay speculative fiction, however although I read spec-fic this year and continue to love it, in the end gay fiction really won the day. Of course I also read romances along with mysteries, thrillers, young adult, and a few erotic tales.

I've read some excellent LGBTQ books throughout 2011, and choosing favorite authors and their works has not been an easy task for me. I am highlighting five authors and their works by categories, however for each category under "Other Favorites" I've also listed the rest of my top choices for 2011.

ALEX JEFFERS- Gay Fiction

Alex Jeffers wrote my absolute favorite gay fiction book this year, The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam (Tincture, 2011). This book has everything that I look for in a work of fiction and more. It has plot, purpose, characterization, excellent use of language, literary merit, depth and more, more, more. Reading the book was pleasure that I'll enjoy again and again.

As I was writing my review of this book, I remember thinking that if I re-read this novel and wrote another review a year later it would probably be totally different because there's just so much there. I know it happened when I re-read Jeffers' fantastic novella in letter form Do You Remember Tulum? (Lethe Press 2011-Kindle Ed.). When a writer has so much to offer a reader each and every time they pick up his works, there's no question as to where he belongs. This year for me that's at the top. You can read my review by clicking on the title of the book above, however I'm also going to direct you to a recent review of this book by the writer George Seaton at the Out in Print blog where he includes quotes and passages. I read it and loved it!

Other Favorites:

Kathryn Shay: The Perfect Family (Bold Stroke Books - 2010)*
Elliott Mackle: Captain Harding's Six Day War (Lethe Press, 2011-Kindle Ed.)
Timothy Wang: Slant (Tincture, 2011)

LEE THOMAS - Mystery/Thriller

I love mysteries and thrillers and in The German (Lethe Press, 2011-Kindle Ed.), Lee Thomas wrote a fantastic mystery and thriller with a touch of horror that just had more to say. This novel hooked me from the moment I read the prologue. I absolutely love how this new-to-me author constructed the story. His multi-layered exploration of deep rooted prejudices and fears taking place against a historical background and in a small town setting gave this thriller depth. The fact that on different levels these same prejudices and fears can be equated to those found in contemporary times makes the story plausible to an certain extent, giving the circumstances a chilling factor. There's no way I'm not reading more works by Lee Thomas if they are all of the same caliber. Excellent, I loved it!

Other Favorites:

Josh Lanyon: Snowball in Hell (Doyle and Spain #1) (Carina Press, 2011)
Josh Lanyon: Mummy Dearest (XOXO Files #1) (Samhain Publishing, 2011)

STEVE BERMAN (Editor) - LGBTQ Anthology

I read a few LGBTQ anthologies this year, some better than others. Anthologies are a great way to find new writers. This is a proven method that works for me. The downside of anthologies is that somehow there are almost always highs and lows. Having said that, you'll understand my choice for top pick for LGBTQ Anthology editor in 2011.

This year Steve Berman edited two anthologies that made the grade for me. In the Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up (Bold Stroke Books 2011) anthology I could tell as soon as I began reading each little story and personalized account that both the contributing writers and editor put their hearts and souls into the whole product. In fact, this book meant so much to Mr. Berman, that he started a fundraiser campaign to donate this worthwhile book to school libraries around the country. Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction (Lethe Press 2011) is the second anthology. Let me tell you, this anthology includes some excellent gay spec-fic short stories. It offers everything that I love about this sub-genre. Plus, again there are excellent new-to-me writers in there that I'll be hunting down throughout next year for new releases. Kudos to Mr. Berman for gathering such excellent writers and stories for both collections.

Other Favorites:

Charles Rice-González and Charlie Vázquez (Editors): From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction (Tincture, 2011)

On the romance front I'm making distinctions. A couple of my favorite authors are tough to qualify because they are either fiction with a clearly defined romance or a romance with fiction qualities.

CHARLES RICE-GONZÁLEZ - Gay Fiction/Romance

I was first introduced to Charles Rice-González's work this year when I read the From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction anthology. As a writer, he contributed one of my favorite short stories "Michael Moves to Faile Street." As co-editor, Rice-González together with Charlie Vázquez also gave the reader an excellent overall view of the gay Latino sub-culture. So it shouldn't be surprising that right after I read that book my search for gay fiction novels by some of those same Latino writers began in earnest. That's when I found this author's full-length debut novel Chulito (Magnus Books, September 2011 - Kindle Edition). I love this author's down to earth depiction of his characters, and both his understanding of the Latino culture and the way he approaches issues that affect the gay community from the gay Latino's point of view. I also love the fact that he conveys emotional connection by way of romance, love, angst, yearning, deep friendships, and more. So yes, this is an author that reached me this year and one I'll continue to look for in the future.

HARPER FOX - Gay Romance

I read quite a few gay romances in 2011, although you'll find few reviews! For some reason I had a tough time finding gay romances that really hit the spot this year. However, there is one author who stood out for me, and that is Harper Fox. I've read a total of four books by her, two of them this year, Driftwood* (Samhain Publishing, 2010) and The Salisbury Key (Samhain Publishing, 2011). They are all winners. I love her writing style and characterization, as well as the romances. I need to catch up and read The Midwinter Prince and Last Line. However, one thing I know is that I will continue to read her work.

Other Favorites:

Victor J. Banis: Coming Home (MLR Press, 2010)*
Samantha Kane: Cherry Pie (Loose ID, 2011)
Xavier Axelson: The Incident (Seven Windows Publications, 2011)
K.A. Mitchell: Collision Course (Samhain Publishing, Ltd, 2008)*

* (Books published prior to 2011)

How about you? Who were your favorite LGBT authors of 2011? How about your favorite books?

Minis: Jeffrey Ricker, Leslie Kelly, Susan Andersen, Pamela Morsi

2011-12-17T13:32:00.006-05:00

Is everyone else overwhelmed this December? I am. It seems as if there's no time left for breathing, let alone reading or blogging. Business and the holidays -- a crazy combination. I am getting ready to go on vacation. One more week to go, and then ten whole days off! Hopefully during that time, I will have time to read all those books I planned to read and that I piled up on my table. But enough whining already!

Again, this week I began reading a couple of books and have not been able to finish them. It has been frustrating! A frustrating month. I don't even have a review ready today... sigh. So I figured I would give you an idea of what I've read so far this month which totals five whole books! (ETA: Guess I wasn't done whining)

I began the month on a high note by reading Jeffrey Ricker's gay fiction debut novel Detours. This story is rather interesting in that it begins with the main character saying a hopeful good bye to the man who might be the love of his life two weeks after they meet, only to go home and become involved with another man right after he finds out that his mother died unexpectedly. From there the story really becomes a kind of road trip where this character comes to terms with his life, past and future, as well as his mother's passing, all while accompanied by his mother's ghost. Detours turned out to be engrossing, amusing, and in many ways deeply moving.

Gears changed when the month became complicated and I picked up Terms of Surrender by Leslie Kelly. This is a Blaze and as such it's up there on the hot sexin' scale. I enjoyed it up to a certain point, but there were too many circumstances where plausibility became a problem. Marissa is a psychologist, an anonymous blogger on the side and a published author. She gets a job as a lecturer on an Air Force base and falls for Danny, a man who she thinks is a mechanic but turns out to be a pilot. There's the misunderstanding trope, the baggage, and the "I hate what you do for a living, but I'll do you anyway" theme going on in this book. These two were ripping their clothes off all over the base and everywhere else, but... Mari still had a problem with Danny's job, not the man himself. The story had its moments, but that's about all I can say.

Then I decided to continue hitting my contemporary "to be read pile" and read Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen. I loved Playing Dirty, the third book in this contemporary trilogy, but unfortunately I had problems with this book. Let's see, I like the premise of the story itself, where Poppy and Jason's romance grows while they help unruly teenage "taggers" pay for bad behavior by working in a community project. It's one of those romances that begins with lots of suppressed heat that comes off as hostility and eventually it turns into hot steam. Why the problem then? A couple of problems with the characters themselves, beginning with Jason who calls Poppy the "Babe" from beginning to end. This irked me to no end! I'm sorry, but he really comes off as a chauvinist pig, insecure or not (he carries tons of personal baggage and doesn't think he's good enough for her). Then Poppy goes around feeling "diminished by him" but still allows him to run over her, through her and around her -- until almost the end. This was okay, but not my favorite read in this trilogy so far. :(

As the month continued I totally went 180 degrees in my reading and picked up War by Sebastian Junger. This is a non-fiction read and not my usual choice of read during the holidays. However, again I was looking through my "to be read pile" and there it was... staring at me for the 100th time. I began skimming and couldn't stop reading. I already wrote a mini-review for this book, so I'm not going to go on about it. I'll just tell you that reading this book floored me and I do believe it is one of the reasons I couldn't continue to read anything else for while. The documentary really drove the whole thing home too. Great work!

When I read War, I had already begun reading Sweetwood Bride by Pamela Morsi. I love this author, however, unfortunately this is not my favorite read by her. Eulie lies by saying she's pregnant and the community of Sweetwood, Tennessee forces Mosco to marry her. In fact, all they have shared is a sweet peck by the river. What Eulie really wants is to garner a secure future for her five siblings. Mosco has dreams! He dreams of going to Texas after he's done fulfilling his duties to his crippled uncle Jeptha, and a wife and children are not part of his plans. As much as I enjoy Morsi's writing, her deep character development and stories, I'm afraid that I just could not for the life of me get behind what Eulie did to Mosco. She forced him into a relationship and killed his dreams forever. I don't care if they fell in love, I just couldn't get past that initial feeling that Eulie was a selfish girl/woman. Even to the end I feel that Mosco wanted to get on that horse to ride west.

So, that's it... those are the books I've completed in December so far. I have read a few short stories here and there from Christmas anthologies. I also began reading A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman and The Hunter by Theresa Meyer, but have not finished them. Hopefully this weekend!

Minis: The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas, War by Sebastian Junger

2011-12-13T13:37:00.002-05:00

Here are two very different reads, one is very comforting as you can see by the title, the other is not. However, both are excellent books and have much to offer. As different as they are, one made me think of the other.

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

Harmony, Texas is a town full of great characters perfect for heartwarming stories and touching romances. In The Comforts of Home, Jodi Thomas reached an almost perfect balance for me in her telling of those stories and the creation/development of those romances. As in Harmony, there's more than one story being told, and the small community as a whole becomes part of that telling. Old friends return and new characters are introduced to provide freshness to this contemporary series.

Highlighted in this third book is Ronelle, the ultra shy, almost invisible Harmony postal worker, and Marty Winslow, an ex-skier going through a tough and dark period of adjustment after an accident that left him in a wheelchair. Theirs is a beautiful growing relationship that signals a rebirth for both Ronelle and Marty, where they begin to see each other strictly as a man and a woman. I thoroughly enjoyed them. Then of course there are Reagan and Noel, who is back in Harmony. These two young people are growing up and it's a wonder to see how far Reagan has come since that first introduction. And of course one of my favorite characters, Tyler is also back playing the knight in shining armor and hoping to finally talk his Kate into a happy ending. Ohhh, and I loved Denver's yearning and love for Clare and his hopes for more than just the secretive explosive affair they've been conducting for over a year.

Of course I hoped for more of an ending to some of these wonderful stories, and felt lucky that there's a happy ending to two of them. The fourth book of the series, Just Down The Road is releasing in 2012, and I'll be waiting for it impatiently. I need to know what happens to the wonderful people of Harmony. Grade A- (Berkley, November 1, 2011-Kindle Edition)

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War by Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger's prose and writing style in War was gripping enough to basically haul me into reading this book in one sitting. His focus is on the brutal experience of soldiers/grunts, and the bond created while in combat. How not only their training, but that bond keeps them fighting and going back into danger, and how the excitement of combat effects their lives there and later on. All are thoroughly examined while Junger follows a single platoon from Battle Company through a harrowing and brutal 15-month tour in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley (2007-2008).

Mr. Junger is surprisingly and refreshingly apolitical in his approach to the story as are the soldiers. Well documented are the battles and patrols, the men's deprivations, loyalty, grief, love, edginess, tension, as well as the excitement and highs from combat and the boredom that sets in throughout their time in the Valley. The soldiers become individuals to the reader, and after a while I wanted to put faces to the names. Of course I had to watch Restrepo, the 2010 Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary by Sebastian Junger and the late Tim Hetherington to do just that. It helped watching the documentary after reading the book.

My one problem with the book itself is in the way it's organized, it doesn't flow well at times and at others it becomes repetitive. Particularly when Junger is using sections of his research about combat soldiers to make his point. Regardless, War is a fascinating read as the reader gets a journalist's perspective on the soldier/grunt's daily experience of combat, and much, much more. Grade B+ (Twelve, April 23, 2010-Kindle Edition)

Review: The Love Charm by Pamela Morsi

2011-12-10T14:49:00.005-05:00

The Love Charm by Pamela Morsi is one of those oldies but goodies I love to read and review every so often. I review what I read at Impressions..., and often the books reviewed are back list books by great writers. I've been catching up with Ms. Morsi's Americana historical romance novels and this 1996 release is one of them.

I've been collecting her works in print, and until recently was not lucky enough to get my hands on a copy. However, for those of you who do want to read this book and can't get your hands on a print copy, please note that the digital edition of the book became available in May 2011.

The fairest in all Louisiana...

Aida Gaudet has charm and fire enough to enflame the desires of any man. Like a hurricane descending upon the bayou, her unparalleled beauty has thrown a humble Acadian town into turmoil--setting neighbor against neighbor in competition for her attentions. But Aida wants what no one yet has offered her: she wants to know true love.

A steadfast pillar of a tight-knit community--someone to trust in times of trouble--Armand Sonnier also feels Aida's fire. And he, too, burns for this rare, radiant jewel who can never be his, for she is promised to his closest friend.

But the bayou moon can work many strange sorceries--compelling even a rational young man to take irrational risks... as it strengthens his resolve to win an enchantress's restless heart with passion, determination, and a cup of voodoo magic.

The Love Charm by Pamela Morsi is another book full of the type of characters that I've come to expect from this writer's stories. These are hard working, everyday people who find love while going about their ordinary daily lives. She sets this story in a small Acadian town smack in the middle of the Louisiana bayou, and in true Morsi style she provides the necessary details to set the type of atmosphere that takes and keeps the reader straight to place. The time is 1820, however, although I knew that I was reading a historical, I lost track of the exact time when this novel is set, possibly due to the remoteness of the location and the sub-culture that Morsi explores with such success. Regardless, as expected, Morsi's characters and romances (there are three) take center stage.

The central romance is that of Aida Gaudet and Armand Sonnier. Aida is considered the most beautiful woman in Louisiana and is initially engaged to Laron, the best looking man in the bayou. She is viewed as a somewhat scatterbrained, superficial woman by the community, and that includes Armand and even herself. Armand Sonnier, the most educated man in the bayou and Laron's best friend has loved Aida from afar since they were no more than children. But he's never been able to take action because of what he sees as his one flaw -- he's handsome but short for a man. His stature keeps him from going after what he wants, Aida.

Their romance encompasses the whole book, and although it's full of misunderstandings caused by their personal insecurities, with a little help from a love charm, a friend, and true love, Ms. Morsi delivers in the end. As an aside, this is the first romance I read where the male protagonist is quite short, shorter than the female. For example, Aida mentions a few times how shocking and unusual it is to meet a man's gaze straight on... plus, she mentions seeing the part of his hair when they are dancing together. This aspect of Aida and Armand's romance is really well done, but that should not be a surprise. Morsi loves to create characters that stand out and of course she makes it work!

There are two secondary romances, although I hate to call them that because they pack such an emotional punch and make such an impact that one of them is actually my favorite in this book. Aida's fiancé Laron is a gorgeous man with all the physical goods, but there's so much more to him. Laron has been conducting a long-term affair with Helga, the "German widow," who lives just outside of the Acadian community. She and her three children adore Laron for good reasons, and as the story moves along it's obvious that the love these two people share is deep and true. Morsi spared no emotions when writing this couple's romance - highs, lows and in-betweens. I fell in love with Laron and Helga.

And then we have Armand's oldest brother Jean Baptiste Sonnier and his wife Felicité. Ohhh, this was good! This was just SO good! Jean Baptiste and sweet Felicité were married when very young, and she has been pregnant almost every year since then. Jean Baptiste says he loves her, but he's tired of the fact that his wife is always fat and the responsibilities of marriage are dragging him down. Jean Baptiste is envious of Armand, Laron and all the other single young men who are having fun while he's dragged down by all the babies and the "fat" wife! With a little help from a friend sweet Felicité gives Jean Baptiste exactly what he deserves. Yes!!!! What a great scene! I loved the final resolution for this couple, just loved it.

In summary, The Love Charm by Pamela Morsi is a solid historical romance that contains all of the writer's best traits: excellent characterization, atmosphere, wonderful setting and inspired writing. She again includes a whole community of characters to complete the story and give it depth without taking the focus away from its main purpose, romance. What I'll remember about The Love Charm is that, although I enjoyed the central romance which is pivotal to the story as a whole and has the distinction of including a short male protagonist, a secondary romance became my favorite and the other one has one of the best resolutions I've read in a while. All in all a solid, enjoyable read for me from Pamela Morsi.

Category: Americana Historical Romance
Series: None
Publisher/Released: Avon Books/November 1, 1996
Grade: B

Visit Pamela Morsi here.

What Am I Reading? The Hunter by Theresa Meyers, Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, and...

2011-12-09T13:46:00.004-05:00

Hey y'all, I disappeared this week! It has been all about work, work, and no play this last week. And I mean work. I haven't even had time to read, and that should really say it all because that's rare unless I'm suffering from reader's block.

I've been halfway through Sweetwood Bride by Pamela Morsi for over a week now, and still haven't finished it! That's a shame because although the story is not a favorite so far, it is still Morsi worthy. :)

I'm also in the process of reading a gorgeous science fiction opera book that has been in my TBR since June when it first released! I'm highly enjoying it and can't believe I waited so long to start on it. Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse) by James S.A. Corey is a mammoth 592 page book with unforgettable characters, incredible action (so far), and great science fiction details. This is science fiction, though... not sci-fi romance. It has been a while since I read straight sci-fi and forgot how wonderful it can just... be. I promised myself this book would be finished before the end of the year, and it will! It's a personal challenge, lol.

I have been carrying another book around with me this whole week though... and I've read a total of five pages! The thing is that this book really caught my eye and I can't wait to get into the meat of it... so, I. am. so. frustrated! You ask... "why aren't you reading right now instead of blogging?" Well, I only have a few minutes break and want the time to enjoy the book... I don't want to read it two pages at a time. I hate doing that.

Which book is it? Well, it's one of those books that arrived on my doorstep late November. Here it is:

The Hunter by Theresa Meyers

Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.

Except when he summons his demon, he doesn't get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who's willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly's secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can't. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what's adventure without a little risk?

Why this book? Well, how could I resist? It's a combination western, steampunk, paranormal romance! Can you imagine me passing up a cowboy hero in a steampunkish western set up? Hmm... nope! I love the cover too! I love that clockwork horse in the background. The Hunter is Book One of The Legend Chronicles, so if I like this book where foes are vampires and the heroine is a succubus, then there's a new series in the offing for me!

ETA: How could I forget this note... there are three brothers, this book is about Colt, but the other two brothers' names are: Winchester and Remington -- they all share names with famous brands of guns or rifles. I love that detail. ;P

I hope to catch up with my reading, as well as post a few reviews! For now... thank goodness it's Friday!

Review: The Book of Want by Daniel A. Olivas

2011-12-05T19:54:00.009-05:00

When Moses descended Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments, he never could have foreseen how one family in Los Angeles in the early twenty-first century would struggle to live by them

Conchita, a voluptuous, headstrong single woman of a certain age, sees nothing wrong with enjoying the company of handsome—and usually much younger—men . . . that is, until she encounters a widower with unusual gifts and begins to think about what she really wants out of life.

Julieta, Conchita's younger sister, walks a more traditional path, but she and her husband each harbor secrets that could change their marriage and their lives forever. Their twin sons, both in college, struggle to find fulfillment. Mateo refuses to let anyone stand in the way of his happiness, while Rolando grapples with his sexuality and the family's expectations. And from time to time, Belén, the family's late matriarch, pays a visit to advise, scold, or cajole her hapless descendants.

Ahh... The Book of Want! This is Daniel A. Olivas' first and I believe a wonderful debut novel. Using both social and magical realism, Mr. Olivas relates the story of a Mexican-American family covering three generations.

Olivas sets the story in Los Angeles with some of the back story taking place in Mexico. The novel begins with a prologue set in Mexico where he introduces Belén the matriarch of the family and her young daughter Conchita, the rest is divided into ten related, self-contained chapters, and ends with an epilogue.

The story focuses on two sisters, Conchita and Julieta. Conchita is a sixty-two year old woman, great looking and single. She loves being single, adores younger men and has had plenty of them in her life without a care for what anyone thinks of her. Although lately Conchita's age has become a problem:

"But now, when it came to her dating life, with each passing year, men's interest in Conchita has dwindled. Though still possessing a voluptuous figure, creamy-brown skin, and large, inviting eyes, few men under the age of fifty even acknowledged her presence. And Conchita had no desire for men her own age because they looked ready for the trash heap. It was galling. If she were a famous male actor, she could have her pick of younger partners!"

Slowly, however, Conchita's interest for her widower neighbor Mr. Rojo helps her reassess her life. Mr. Rojo certainly holds her attention with his mysterious ways and eventually shows Conchita that the seemingly impossible can happen. One of the most amusing chapters in the book, "How to Date a Flying Mexican," is related from Conchita's perspective -- hilarious and so well done!

Julieta is the traditional sister. She has been married to Manuel for years and together they have college-aged twins Rolando and Mateo. In this family everyone has secrets! Manuel's suspicious activities and big secret could end the marriage, and Julieta is keeping a secret of her own. Rolando in the meantime struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality, just as self-centered Mateo who thinks he can have everything he wants learns a few lessons. This family is firmly rooted in the present with daily, contemporary issues and struggles that are surprisingly well addressed in this short, ambitious book.

But hey, I don't want to leave out Belén. Belén is Conchita and Julieta's mother and has been dead for a while, but remember this is magical realism we're talking about so that's of no consequence here. She visits her descendants to advice and harass them about their decisions and eventually Olivas takes us back to Mexico for her story, providing the readers with this family's background. Interestingly enough, although Belen's story is fascinating and she's an integral part of the generational and cultural family tapestry created by Olivas, I found that going back in time after relating the first five chapters in the present interrupted the story's flow.

It's also interesting that although I love the story as a whole, I still think of the different chapters singularly. Chapter 10, Want: A Symphony is brilliantly done in its simplicity, yet there's a small section of it that didn't quite work for me. This is where Olivas ties all the story lines with small accounts or episodes by using text messages, interviews, or just dialogue between the characters. What didn't work so well for me? Interviewing the characters pulled me out of the story and dispelled some of the magic that Olivas so beautifully creates throughout most of the book.

There's a correlation between The Book of Want and the Ten Commandments, however not at all in a religious way. Happiness, love, acceptance, sorrow, friendship, and of course want are all subjects covered in this 121 page book by Mr. Olivas. For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel A. Olivas' approach to this family's story. I was particularly taken with the way Mr. Olivas focuses his use of magical realism closely to the Mexican-American culture while social realism encompasses the story as a whole, and through it all the humor and wit that abounds from beginning to end makes The Book of Want a delightful read.

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About the Author: Daniel is the author of six books including his first full-length novel, The Book of Want, which was published by the University of Arizona Press in March 2011. He is also editor of the landmark anthology, Latinos in Lotusland (Bilingual Press, 2008), which brings together 60 years of Los Angeles fiction by Latino writers. Daniel's writing has been widely anthologized (including in two Norton anthologies). He blogs each Monday on La Bloga, the blog dedicated to Chicano and Latino literature.

Daniel, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, grew up near the Pico-Union and Koreatown neighborhoods of Los Angeles. He now makes his home in the San Fernando Valley with his wife and son. Daniel received his degree in English literature from Stanford University and law degree from UCLA. He is a supervising deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice in the Public Rights Division.

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Category: Literary Fiction
Series: Camino del Sol: A Latino and Latina Literary Series
Publisher/Release Date: University of Arizona Press/March 4, 2011
Source: University of Arizona Press
Grade: B

Visit Daniel A. Olivas here.

November 2011 Reads + Minis: Joanna Bourne, Xavier Axelson and more...

2011-12-03T12:17:00.004-05:00

November is over! The month just flew by, didn't it? I don't think I accomplished half of what I wanted to do. There were stressful and frightning moments along the way, but also some really wonderful times with family and friends.

Reading-wise the month was definitely a good one. I read a mixture of contemporary, historical, and gay romances, plus some gay fiction -- must of them really enjoyable reads! So it's a tough month to choose favorite reads because for different reasons in one way or another most of them had so much to offer. You'll see mostly Bs below, and that's because for the most part I chose to read what turned out to be solid books in November. I was lucky that most of the new releases and TBR reads suited me just fine!

In addition to the books I'm listing, I also read a few of the novellas included in the Christmas anthologies my friend sent me last month with the Mary Balogh books. However, I'm not including them with my November reads because I want to finish the whole anthologies first. :)

November reads:

Total books read: 14
Contemporary: 4
Historical Romance: 4
LGBT: 6 (Romance: 4 YA/Mystery: 1 Fiction/Romance: 1)

Top Reads

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas: A-
The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne: B+
The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers: B+
The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne: B+

I read this book in preparation for The Black Hawk (because that book looked so good!), and I wanted to get some background on the main characters, Justine and Hawker. Well, surprise, surprise The Forbidden Rose turned out to be quite a read! I was immediately caught up in the romance, the adventure and most of all with Joanna Bourne's prose.

I loved how Bourne weaved romance and adventure with some history. Loved, loved how she fictionalized Robespierre's downfall and all the twists and turns that took place in the spy plot. Very well done! The characters are outstanding as are the circumstances that surround them. Doyle and Marguerite's romance turned into an exciting sensual adventure that I couldn't stop reading. Why not an A then? For me there are a few instances where circumstances become quite convoluted (the jailbreak for example), but where the danger factor turns out to be minimal, so that those scenes end on a flat note after all the build up. Of course I couldn't help but fall in love with young Hawk and Justine -- I mean talk about excellent, intriguing, secondary characters. I finished this book and rushed to read The Black Hawk.

All those wonderful Bs!

Chulito by Charles Rice-González: B

Although I already reviewed this book, I have to mention (again) that this story really grabbed me. And this is where choosing favorites this month was quite tough for me. Why? Well, although a B grade to me means that it's a solid read with few issues, this book is also the one that stayed with me the longest. So don't let the grade or whatever minor personal issues I found mislead you, this is a great, great read! And for those of you who emailed me and want to know (I left this out of my impressions/review), there is a "happy ending" to this story. *g*

The Love Charm by Pamela Morsi: B
Mystery of the Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron: B
All They Need by Sarah Mayberry: B
The Incident by Xavier Axelson: B

The Incident by Xavier Axelson is one of those books that is tough to qualify and I thought I would begin by just giving you a quick idea of what it's all about. Officer Michael Carmac made a split-second decision while in the line of duty that haunts him. He drinks and the one person who kept him together throughout the whole mess was his partner, Officer Bertram Angel. As time goes by, Michael discovers that his needs for more than support and friendship from Bertram are tougher to hide. But losing a friendship that means so much to him because of his desire is not an option.

This is not a long story, yet I found that it has the qualities of both romance and fiction. Both characters are quite compelling, particularly Carmac whose situation is heartbreaking. Axelson delves deep into this man's painful and guilt-ridden, lonely life. The relationship between Bertram and Carmac is complex and beautifully realistic in the way that it is related. They have been friends as well as partners for years, and Bertram is the one person who has always been there for Michael -- the one he leans on maybe too much. This is a romance with a happy ending, but it's not a typical gay romance, and that is due mainly with Axelson's approach and execution. This is another solid and enjoyable B read for me. (Seventh Window Publications/August 13, 2011)

Muscling Through by JL Merrow: B

This is a quicky. I enjoyed this gay romance for its point of view! Al's simplicity of thought and uneducated background expose the truth behind people's cruelties and flaws. There's more to him that what's obvious at first glance. There's a great lesson here -- treat people for who they are, not "what" they are or appear to be. I love that Larry truly sees and loves Al. (Samhain Publishing/July 19, 2011)

A Spirit of Vengeance by Angela Benedetti: B

This is a Single Shots Classic I've had in my TBR for a long time and it's a very short story. I've enjoyed Angela Benedetti's writing in the past and I know I will continue to do so in the future. I don't know if I mentioned it here before, but the pacing and momentum experienced when reading her stories, always make them fast paced reads -- I love the tempo in her writing. In A Spirit of Vengeance I did find that, however the emotions, the grief and love were also a huge part of what kept me reading. Do I have a complaint? I always want more! I wanted it to be longer... *g* (Torquere Press, September 29, 2009)

By The Book Nancy Warren: B-

And some really good Cs!

The Next Always: Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy by Nora Roberts: C+
Christmas Eve at The Powers That Be Café by Xavier Axelson: C

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NOTE: The holidays are almost here and I can tell because my UPS guy showed up with the package containing my books for review (for the month of November) on November 29th! That's unfortunate because some of the books in that bundle really caught my eye. I will be reading and reviewing them in December since they look good.

So in November, what book made it to the top of your list? I had a tough time choosing, and as you can tell by my notes above, I enjoyed most of them. Any great, unforgettable reads?

Review: The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers

2011-11-29T20:03:00.004-05:00

So yes, I read The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers as soon as it released. In case you don't know this yet, Ms. Chambers is long-time romance blogger "Tumperkin." I knew she had a book releasing and meant to read it because of course I've been curious. However, interestingly enough this book was with my recommendations at Amazon and I placed it in my "Wish List" without realizing it was "Tumperkin's" book! I can be so clueless at times! But since it caught my attention all on its own, I'm sure Ms. Chambers won't mind too much.

London, 1810
Former actress Georgiana Knight always believed she and her brother were illegitimate—until they learn their parents were married, making them heirs to a great estate. To prove their claim, Georgy needs to find evidence of their union by infiltrating a ton house party as valet to Lord Nathaniel Harland. Though masquerading as a boy is a challenge, it pales in comparison to sharing such intimate quarters with the handsome, beguiling nobleman.

Nathan is also unsettled by Georgy's presence. First intrigued by his unusual valet, he's even more captivated when he discovers Georgy's charade. The desire the marriage-shy earl feels for his enigmatic employee has him hoping for much more than a master-servant relationship...

But will Nathan still want Georgy when he learns who she truly is? Or will their future be destroyed by someone who would do anything to prevent Georgy from uncovering the truth?

Joanna Chambers uses a true and tried trope for her debut historical romance novel The Lady's Secret, the one where the male protagonist falls in love with the cross-dressing heroine. Oh yes, you might say we've seen this done before, particularly in those old medievals where the girls attempted to hide waist-length hair and some impossible-to-hide female attributes. However, that's not what you'll find in this book at all, instead you'll find that Chambers makes some of those impossibilities possible and makes this trope her own with details, details, details.

Georgiana grew up in a theater and works as a stagehand. She tried her hand as an actress, but stage fright kept her away from following in her mother's footsteps. However, these are skills that serve her well when the time comes for the biggest role of her life. Georgy and her brother Harry know they are the true heirs to the Earl of Dunsmore fortune and title, but before they can claim either proof that their dead parents were legally married must be found.

As Harry travels from parish to parish trying to find that proof, Georgy plans to take their investigation further by going through the Earl of Dunsmore's own home, hoping to find something there. Her plan is to pose as a servant but there are no openings. The opportunity presents itself when Lord Nathaniel Harland, who is in need of a personal valet, is heard to be invited to the Dunsmore's Christmas celebration. Georgy disguised as a valet applies and is hired for the position and the deception begins.

Now think of what it means to be a personal valet. It's not just dressing the man, it's performing all those personal, everyday tasks for him that create intimacy -- shaving, supervising his bath, bringing him breakfast in bed, taking care of him when he's sick, sharing his personal space and all the small intimate details that reveal the man behind the Lord. This is what Georgy shares with Nathan before he even realizes she is a woman.

The key words above are "intimate details." Joanna Chambers truly gives the reader that sense of intimacy between the two characters during this time. And details also take center stage when it comes to Georgy's masquerade. I admit that I kept looking for those moments when you say "aha! the girl gave herself away"... but no, in Georgy, Chambers creates a female character that truly fits her role perfectly. I'm not just talking about Georgy's physical attributes, but the way she carries herself as well. Chambers doesn't place her character in impossible situations either. I don't want to give away too many details or spoil it for the readers, but if you decide to read the book you'll know what I mean.

Besides the fact that the female in the story fits her role as a valet beautifully, one of the reasons this plot works so well is because the deception doesn't go on for too long, and once Georgy is discovered the romance really takes off. However, before she's discovered the intimate scenes serve to build up sensuality -- the head massage scene in particular comes to mind. Too good... just too good!

Nathan is not necessarily attracted to Georgy when she's the valet, but well... there's something about "George" that doesn't quite seem right to Nathan. Once Georgy is unmasked, all that intimacy makes for some excellent, sizzling sexual tension between Georgy and Nathan. I really liked this couple. It's all great fun!

The plot takes place in different settings: London, the Earl of Dunsmore's country home, and later on Nathan's own country estate. I loved the scenes in London and everything that happened at the Earl of Dunsmore's home. The Christmas get together for the servants was a wonderful scene. It's interesting experiencing a romance from both points of view at the same time: the upstairs and downstairs. My one quibble is the couple's behavior while they stayed at Nathan's country estate. As for the rest, well... for me the final resolutions to the conflicts were all satisfying in the end.

The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers is a historical romance that I'll remember for the way the intimate atmosphere heightened the romance between two great characters, and for a true and tried plot that stood out because the author really took her time with the details. I enjoyed Ms. Chambers debut novel from beginning to end and will definitely read her next book.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: None
Publisher: Carina Press/November 7, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B+

Visit Joanna Chambers here.

Contemporary Minis: Sarah Mayberry, Victorial Dahl and more...

2011-11-27T15:02:00.003-05:00

Happy Sunday! I hope all who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful long weekend! I certainly did. Today I've grouped four recent contemporary romance reads from Harlequin and am sharing them via mini-impressions -- two recent releases and two older ones. The grades range from B+ to B- so they all turned out to be enjoyable reads for different reasons.

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All They Need by Sarah Mayberry

I really enjoy Sarah Mayberry's contemporary romances, but I was hesitant to read All They Need because well... it deals with Alzheimer's and that kind of hits home. However, Mayberry seems to explore these serious subjects with sensitivity and in the end that's what changed my mind. It was an emotional read for me and of course that touch of realism hit me hard, but the romance balanced it out. That's what Mayberry does so well.

Mel and Flynn's romance develops nice and slow. Flynn is a heck of a guy. At times I thought he was too perfect, but that's not necessarily true. I think it's good that he shows his self-absorbed side at the beginning because for the rest of the story, he's pretty much understanding, sweet, passionate and loving. Mel? Well, Mel has been traumatized by her marriage and the psychological abuse her ex-husband dished out during all that time. She's not ready for a long term relationship, and although she allows passion to rule her relationship with Flynn, her heart and head are another matter. That becomes the real conflict between them. Lack of trust and real emotion. I had a couple of issues with this romance, mainly to do with Mel's change of heart and unseen character growth. However overall, I found this to be another solid contemporary romance by Ms. Mayberry. (Harlequin, November 1, 2011): Grade B

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Real Men Will (Donovan Brothers Brewery #3) by Victoria Dahl

I liked Eric Donovan when I first met him in Good Girls Don't. I know... I know... he was tough on the kids (and kids they were, and to me they still are at the end of this series if you go by their immature and self-centered regressive behavior), but to me both those kids needed a good kick in the butt. True, he didn't always handle things correctly, but then when taking into consideration the circumstances he did the best he could and should have been admired for it. His siblings didn't really seem to appreciate Eric's position and that was a real shame. But anyway... enough about the frustrating sibling relationship and on to the romance.

I was happy that Eric found himself a woman, and Beth was definitely good for him. Their relationship began as a one night stand based on a lie, and later on continued as a steamy and sensual sexual relationship between adults that slowly developed into more. These two people had baggage and they both had to struggle to make a complex relationship a success, so as it turned out it was even sweeter when at the end it did. This was a highly enjoyable contemporary for me because I really liked both central characters and their romance. (HQN Books, October 25, 2011): Grade B+

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I also read two contemporary category romances that are older releases, but turned out to be quite fun! The first one is Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilly (Blaze #388), the second book in the Those Sexy O'Sullivan's trilogy and Daniel O'Sullivan's story. I was really surprised at how good and sexy this story turned out and I liked it more than the first book. Why? Well, mainly because Daniel is a widower still grieving for his wife who died during the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 and he was so reluctant to let her go. However, in this book (as opposed to the first one where the male was the only reason for my grade) the female character, Catherine Montefiore, made a difference and provided balance. She turned everything around and made this story really work for me. I found this one to be a sexy, emotional and satisfying read. (Harlequin, April 1, 2008): Grade B

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The other book is By the Book by Nancy Warren (Blaze #85). Now this one was fluffy, fun and just what I needed to read at the time. Shari decides she's going to have a hot date and maybe a night with the hunky downstairs neighbor, but when she sees that he sent for a book with the title "Sex for Total Morons" she changes her mind. Luke is not about to let her, so he asks her to help him get through part of the book, and hmm.. she becomes his tutor -- just for the first few chapters. Riiiight! Of course, we all know who wrote the book, yes? This one turned out to be a book where characters have lots of preconceived ideas on all sides, with lots of fun dialogue, funny situations and sexy circumstances. As I said above, fluffy, fun and read at just the right moment. (Harlequin, May 1, 2003): Grade B-

Happy Thanksgiving and some Pamela Morsi Americana...

2011-11-23T20:33:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. I'm getting ready for my family get together tomorrow. Everyone in my family is going to be here. My brother is traveling from Florida, so all my brothers, their wives and children will be present this year. Nice! I just got home from work, but the cooking and baking are already underway. Of course we'll be having the traditional American meal of turkey with all the trimmings. It's a wonderful holiday, and I wish all of you celebrating tomorrow a Happy Thanksgiving with your families.

And because this blog is all about books and reading, I would like to follow that up with the nice surprise I had when I arrived home today. Last year I read and loved some excellent Americana historical romance. I fell in love with quite a few authors. One of those authors is Pamela Morsi. Well, I finally found some of her back list books, ordered them and they are here!

I loved, loved Simple Jess. It was my very first Pamela Morsi read (the way the same friend who sent me the Balogh books, introduced me to Ms. Morsi's works by sending me that book. Isn't she the best?). The Marrying Stone is the book that comes before Simple Jess in sequence and I've been wanting to read it for about a year now. It's the romance between Jess's sister Meg and Roe Farley. I can't wait to go back to Marrying Stone Mountain in the Osarks!
Here Comes the Bride is another book that I've had in my sights for about a year now. This is the romance between Augusta Mudd and Rome Akers and this one is set in a small town in Texas. The description of the book reminds me a little bit of Courting Miss Hattie (my very favorite Morsi read) and I can't wait to read it. :)
The Love Charm is another book I've had on my wish list for a long time. The setting alone sounds too intriguing to pass up. The story is set in19th Century Louisiana and the characters are Acadian. There seem to be a few romances going on at the same time in this story, but the main characters are Armand Sonnier and Aida Gaudet.

Sooo, I have lots of great books to read! I wonder which books will call to me in the next couple of weeks. Notice that all of them are historical romances. Interesting.

Besides Pamela Morsi, I enjoy works by Lavyrle Spencer and Cheryl St. John. How about you? Who is your favorite Americana historical romance writer?

Book Haul! Mary Balogh Heaven & A Special Thanks

2011-11-21T13:19:00.002-05:00

It's that time of the year! This is Thanksgiving week and the Christmas holidays are approaching fast. For me that means reading Mary Balogh historical romances. A few years ago, a friend introduced me to this habit of hers... she has been reading and enjoying Balogh's Christmas stories for years! Well, I find that I not only love to read Balogh's holiday books, but all her stories do it for me during this time of the year. In 2009 A Matter of Class was one of my favorite December reads, and last year A Christmas Promise was also a hit with me.

Anyway going on to that haul... that same friend and I have been swapping books for a few years now, and this year she really, really indulged me! This weekend I received a little package consisting of Mary Balogh backlist books I've yet to read. Here are my precious for this season:

A Regency Christmas VII is obviously a Christmas anthology. This is the 1995 Signet edition, and it contains the following stories: "The Christmas Ghost" by Sandra Heath, "The Rake's Christmas" by Edith Layton, "Lady Bountiful" by Laura Matthews, "A Mummer Play" by Jo Beverly and "The Surprise Party" by Mary Balogh. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading this anthology for the holidays!
The Gifts of Christmas is another anthology, this one a 1998 Harlequin edition containing three longer, thematic stories. "A Handful of Gold" by Mary Balogh, "A Drop of Frankincense" by Merline Lovelace, and "A Touch of Myrrh" by Suzanne Barclay. It's the three kings! This is another must read for me. :)
Then there's Longing! The 1994 Topaz edition. This novel is set in Wales and it's the story of Sian the illegitimate daughter of a lord and Alexander, Marquess of Craille, a widower with a daughter who hires Sian as his daughter's governess. I love the fact that this story is set in Wales, there's mention of ironworkers, poverty, passions, desire and well... I can't wait to get started on this one!

Truly (1996 Berkley edition) is another romance set in Wales! This time between a wealthy lord and a minister's daughter. It looks like I'm going to be enjoying historical details about Wales along with a sweeping romance full of adventure.
Silent Melody (1997 Berkley edition) is the second book in the Georgian set, the first book is Heartless. I haven't read the first book either, so I have no idea if that will make a difference to my enjoyment. However I do love books set in the Georgian period, plus the story sounds fascinating! The heroine in the story is deaf/mute and I can't wait to find out how Balogh handles the story and romance.
And well... Unforgiven (1998 Jove edition). This is the third book in the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' series. I read the first book, Irresistible and really enjoyed it, but have not been able to get my hands on the second book, Indiscreet! Believe me, I'm ecstatic to finally get my hands on the third book!

I'll have to pick and choose which of these books to read, if not all of them! On this Thanksgiving week when we give thanks for everything we've received and for all our blessings (and this year I have to give lots of thanks), I would like to specifically thank my friend for her generosity throughout the years. But today? Well, today I'm a happy reader!

...On Chulito by Charles Rice-González

2011-11-20T14:18:00.015-05:00

I was able to finish reading one book last week while surrounded by stressful family situations, mainly because that book just wouldn't let me go even through all my worries and stress. That says something about a book, yes? Of course, this is by no means a perfect book, plot-wise there are a couple of questions that are not answered by the end, but this is a minimal complaint from me compared to what it offered.

That book is Chulito by Charles Rice-González. This author co-edited and included a story in the From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction anthology that I reviewed recently. However, Chulito is not a pure fiction read, although the excellent writing and the in-depth exploration of characters and their motivations certainly places it in that category. Chulito takes center stage in this story as he comes to terms with his sexuality and his developing romance with childhood friend Carlos. So there's a coming-out story with a romance between two young adults -- sixteen and seventeen years of age -- with sexual content and mild violence included. How the author goes about telling his story? Well, that's what this is all about.

There are quite a few aspects of the book that grabbed me from the beginning. Rice-González develops the romance and especially Chulito's slow journey toward coming to terms with his sexuality by using the South Bronx as the backdrop for his story, so his characters are for the most part Puerto Rican kids from a Latino neighborhood. First, he really captures the neighborhood's atmosphere -- both the sense of belonging and the claustrophobia felt by the residents of Hunt's Point. Second, his focus and grasp of Latino macho culture is excellent. The author depicts how the extreme macho Latino's attitude manifests itself toward women. However where the author really succeeds is in his main focus which is in showing how the gay sub-culture is viewed and the effects that macho attitude has on gay Latinos.

Rice-González explores this macho culture from the inside out by making Chulito a Latino "thug in the making," one who has to make a decision between being what it's expected of him in front of his "boys," or being true to himself and his very confusing feelings for his childhood friend Carlos. As you can well imagine, this is not an easy decision for Chulito to make, not when he has been brought up to believe that being a "pato" means rejection and possible violence from the very people that mean so much to him.

Carlos represents the smart, educated Latino young man who left the neighborhood to go to college. He's also gay, out, proud and ready to leave the neighborhood, except that he himself is pulled back not only because his mother and Chulito live there, but also because of that sense of belonging. Carlos is an admirable character in this story, not only because he is 'out' in the neighborhood and doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, but because he refuses to compromise his beliefs. Interestingly enough, to a certain degree even Carlos can't help but be attracted to and admire the beauty of Latino men. The macho attitude is a big turn-on for him, Chulito's in particular.

There's a section in the book where Chulito is dreaming and Rice-González conducts an in-depth exploration of the different degrees on the "macho" scale. This is also where the author begins to bring some balance to the equation.

Then they had a quote from the woman who invented the Macho Meter: "All men have macho in them. Even gay ones, but there are varying degrees, and while most forms of macho are lethal to the progression of the world and society, there are some acceptable levels, very low levels, that can sometimes be useful."

There are female characters included in the story and Rice-González mixes it up by portraying sad, dysfunctional and healthy relationships between men and women to round up this story. There are also examples of different types of males used across the board. From the drug dealer Kamikaze and the would-be macho thugs hanging on the corner, to ex-convicts and the hard working men who populate the neighborhood.

Also key to this story are the gay characters that live in the neighborhood: Julio or La Julia owns the local travel agency and serves as an example and mentor to the younger men. Puti is the sad and lonely local drag queen. Lee from the Chinese restaurant, and one of the best characters in this story, Brick. Brick is a tough ex-drug dealer who got out of the game and whose best friend is Julio. He's flawed with positive and negative sides to his character, but serves as a great example of the Latino uber macho whose masculinity is not threatened by his close friendship with a gay man. Overall there's a wonderful mixture of characters.

Rice-González takes his time developing this story. Chulito's background, feelings, the challenges he faces on a daily basis are all explored in-depth. His life in the neighborhood as a runner for Kamikaze, the local drug dealer and Chulito's mentor. The relationship he has with his "boys" from the neighborhood. The deep love he shares with his mother Carmen and the resentment and indifference he feels for his dead father. Coming to terms with his sexuality is not an easy step or a ride in the park, and his romance with Carlos is riddled with deep disappointments, betrayal, tenderness, passion, yearning (like you wouldn't believe), angst, and deep love.

Ever since I read From Macho to Mariposa I've been looking for other books to read by gay Latino writers and well... I thought this book might be the perfect beginning. It was. Chulito is a great mixture of gay fiction and romance with a focus on the gay Latino experience. I highly enjoyed Charles Rice-González's writing style and his down to earth, no holds barred depiction of characters, culture, sub-culture, circumstances and setting in Chulito. I will keep my eye on this writer, hopefully there will be more books like this one from him in the future.

Category: LGBT - Gay Fiction/Romance
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Magnus Books/September 23, 2011- Kindle Edition
Grade: B

Visit Charles Rice-González here.

ETA: This was not meant to be a review, just my thoughts or impressions on the book (see post title). But, I think it turned into a review in the end, so I gave it a grade... Solid with some excellent qualities!

Review: Mystery of the Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron

2011-11-19T16:45:00.004-05:00

Twin brothers Denny and Steven Anderson love helping people and fighting crime alongside their sheriff dad on sun-drenched Fisher Key, Florida. Steven likes chasing girls. Denny longs to lose his virginity, but doesn’t dare tell anyone he’s gay. Steven has a secret of his own. He lied to everyone, including his own brother, about being accepted into SEAL training for the U.S. Navy.

On the day they graduate high school, the twins meet the handsome new guy in town, a military veteran with a chiseled body and mysterious past. Meanwhile Brian Vandermark, a gay transfer student from Boston, finds himself falling for closeted Denny but hampered by his shyness. When an antique yacht explodes in Fisher Key harbor, all three boys are caught up in a summer of betrayal, romance, and danger. It’s the Mystery of the Tempest¬—and it just might kill them all.

Set in the Florida Keys, Mystery of the Tempest by Sam Cameron is a fast paced LGBT young adult mystery that turned out to be engrossing and entertaining enough that I read it through in one sitting. The main characters, Anderson twins Denny and Steven, are the main focus of the story as they solve a mystery that revolves around the explosion of the antique yacht The Tempest and reveal important personal secrets in this fast moving story.

Denny and Steven are known throughout the island for helping their father, the island's sheriff, solve crimes. So it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone when the twins are smack in the middle of the events that lead up to explosion of The Tempest, or when they follow up afterwards by attempting to figure out what really happened. Soon things become complicated when the boys realize that they are being followed, "accidents"pile up around them, and as everything unravels, lies by friends and family betrayals come to light.

Events taking place in the boys' personal lives further complicate matters. The boys are identical twins but there are differences between them. Stephen is the athlete who dreams of becoming a Navy Seal and Denny is the straight A student with dreams of becoming part of the Coast Guard. But the biggest difference between the two is that Stephen likes girls and Denny likes boys. Stephen's girlfriend Kelsey is ready to go forward with their relationship and agrees to sex after their high school graduation, but Denny is deep in the closet which makes him a frustrated virgin with no hopes of a change in status in the near future.

Everything changes on the night of their high school graduation. Not only does The Tempest blow up, but Denny and Stephen meet a couple of people that will have substantial influence in their lives. There's the gorgeous ex-Navy Seal hanging around Fisher Key that sets Denny to drooling and daydreaming, and then there's the mutual attraction between Denny and Brian Vandermark, the shy young man recently transferred to school from Boston. Of course all the secrets the boys are keeping from family, friends and each other further complicate matters.

Stephen lied to Denny and everyone about his future plans and doesn't know how to reveal the truth. Denny was accepted by the Coast Guard but is keeping the fact that he's gay a secret from everyone except Stephen. As the summer progresses and events become more complex around the boys, their secrets and lies become heavy burdens to carry. This is frustrating for Denny as he and Brian become more attracted to each other every day, and for Stephen who can't share his worries about future plans and whose girlfriend is not what he expected.

Using the third point of view every other chapter is narrated from Stephen, Denny, and Brian's perspectives, making this a well rounded story where all central characters' views are well represented. I particularly enjoyed the young adults' voices and the fact that they're portrayed as young adults, not grown-ups. The dialogue is contemporary but not overdone and the characters' concerns are quite appropriate to circumstances, age and time.

The mystery in this story is enjoyable although I did figure it out before the end. However, the most enjoyable aspects of the story for me were the personal issues to the boys' stories, as well as their revelations. How Denny comes to terms with his sexuality and deals with his frustrations are well addressed issues by the author, as is Stephen's personal situation. I liked that lying about his future and the newness of a sexual relationship with his girlfriend deeply affected this character. And speaking of time-appropriate portrayals, I specifically enjoyed Kelsey's character. Here's a young girl who sets a high bar for sexual interaction based on what she's read and posts all her likes and dislikes on Facebook. If I have one niggle about this story is that when reading this book there's a sense that there have been previous stories about the Anderson twins, however I could not find any other books in this series.

As opposed to many young adult reads, adults are present in this story. Stephen and Denny's parents are not central but are there to support them and Brian's parents are very much a part of the story, but none of them take the focus away from the young adults as central characters. The secondary characters in the story are a good mix of young adults, adults, males and females, with males making the bulk of the significant cast of secondary characters.

This is a different type of read for me, a young adult gay contemporary mystery. Sam Cameron is an author whose short story, "Day Student," I enjoyed in a recently reviewed anthology. In Mystery of The Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure, I again enjoyed the way this author captures young adults' voices, particularly the brotherly relationship between Steven and Denny, as well as youth's insecurities and strengths presented through the portrayal of Brian's character and his relationship with Denny. I do love mysteries and this one turned out to be an enjoyable, fresh read for me. Recommended.

Category: LGBT - Gay Young Adult Mystery
Series: Fisher Key Adventures
Publisher/Release Date: Bold Stroke Books/November 17, 2011
Source: Copy of book received from author
Grade: B

Visit Sam Cameron here. Read an excerpt here.

This 'n That: Catching Up, Kindle Fire Likes & Concerns

2011-11-19T14:02:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Last week I posted almost every day and was rolling and this week I was only able to post one review. Well, yes... this year continues to plague my family with lots of emergencies. My dad was hospitalized for an emergency heart-related procedure. Although it was quite stressful at the time, the good news is that all is well, thank goodness! I am lucky enough to have three wonderful supportive brothers, a husband, sister-in-law and daughter that are there to help deal with the stress. My boss has been quite wonderful in allowing me the time to deal with all the family situations that have cropped up this year as well. Kudos and thanks to her! We are all trying to relax this weekend and hopefully will catch a break for a little while so we can be ready for whatever lies around the corner.

Throughout last week I did have a few distracting, happy moments provided by the arrival of my very special birthday present -- the Kindle Fire. Let me see... so far I have great news and some reservations about this wonderful toy. And it is quite a toy! It's a combination eReader and Pad (very similar to the iPad).

Reading and Device Features I like:

Size -- it's the size of a paperback and it fits in my bag easier than my other Kindle (K2).
Bigger reading screen that allows me to read in portrait or landscape formats by just turning the device.
Easier and faster paging.
Color covers for books arranged on shelf - makes it feel as if you're picking them off your own bookshelves. Seeing those beautiful covers makes me want to read books that have been in my old Kindle TBR FOREVER.
The books keep the "New" label until they are opened and read. When sorting books by "most recent", the new books always appear first along with the books just read or recently opened. Love this!
Cloud: Downloading books to the cloud allows me to download them to multiple devices (to both Kindles + my computer) and it allows me to see all my books, but download only what I want to read in a particular device. Love this feature!
Highlighting and Dictionary features are better than in old Kindle. Plus, there's the option of going directly to Wiki.
I love the touch screen (no breakable knobs parts), but there's a catch to this (see below).
Amazon Prime Member Free Library -- WOW, love books in that library.

Other features I love:

Music! Uploaded all my music to the Cloud
Newsstand -- Already have magazines and newspapers in there
Videos -- Great stuff! No videos yet.
Docs -- Can have documents in there. I still don't have any
Apps -- There are free apps and interface with Facebook, Twitter, and other sites. Can download more! I especially love that I was able to load all my email accounts and am able to read and answer them from the device. I also loaded my office calendar into the device already -- yeah, well.... *g*
Web -- Fast and easy... I've bookmarked all my favorite blogs, Goodreads and other sites.

Reservations or Concerns so far:

Books can't be sorted by collections. This is a great feature available in other Kindles. If this feature is available for the KFire, I haven't figured out how to use it yet.
No PDF Files! The Kindle Fire does NOT read PDF files. The other Kindles read PDF files that are loaded free of charge via USB cable. For the KFire they have to be sent to amazon via email for "conversion" so they can then be read. I have loads of books in PDF format still unread. Why change this feature at this point in the game?
WiFi, not 3G: Books, magazines, music, etc... are downloaded to the device via WiFi services or USB cable. This is easy enough at home or if you have passwords for specific locations (office/friends & family's homes) or free public access, but if there are dead zones or there's no free public access there's no using the Web or multiple apps.
Screen is backlit: The screen to the reader is back lit just like a computer, which is great for reading in dark places. BUT, I haven't read a complete book yet so I'm not sure if this is going to affect my vision or give me a headache. This is a concern for me even though I've been told it's all good.
Glass-like screen: The screen is glass-like which makes it fragile and breakable (see warranty for this). I have a great case for it with a hard back but it's a concern for me since I take my Kindle everywhere with me. Also because it's like glass, it is reflective (unlike the old Kindles), it's not too bothersome but something I need to get used to.
Battery Time: Charge on the battery only lasts for eight hours of straight reading and it takes four hours for the device to charge fully. Now, I know this is a long time for someone to read, but I read for eight hours straight (and more) on the weekends and if you're listening to music, running other apps, or have the WiFi on at the same time the battery runs down fast.
Distractions: I know this is a new toy, but so far I find that having all the different apps together with the reader distracts me from reading. My concentration has been shot! I begin reading a book but then I want to look or hear or see something else -- a bit too much stimuli! Maybe this will change later for me.

So you ask, have I finished any books in the Kindle Fire yet? Well yes, I finished the one book I was reading when the device arrived, Chulito by Charles Rice-González, and I'll be posting all about this book later on. However, I've not been able to read any other books even though I've begun a few of them. Hopefully this weekend that will change.

Review: The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts

2011-11-13T13:56:00.002-05:00

The Next Always: Inn BoonsBoro is the first book in Nora Roberts latest romance trilogy. This trilogy is set in BoonsBoro, Maryland where the three Montgomery brothers, Ryder, Owen and Beckett are in the process of giving the historical Inn BoonsBoro a major overall.

The Inn is described almost as a character who views the town as it changes throughout time and comes alive as it changes throughout this story, and of course as in many old buildings with such history, this one has its own ghost in residence. Both the Inn and the resident ghost seem to like the changes the Montgomery brothers are making. This might be because the gorgeous Montgomery brothers share a dream, know what they're doing and how to go about getting results. Ryder is the constructions expert, Owen the administrator and go to man, and Beckett the architect of the family, but all three of them can put on a tool belt and wield a hammer with the best of them.

Beckett dreams of seeing his designs come alive as the Inn is restored and secretly yearns for Clare. He fell in love with her when he was fifteen and was heartbroken when she fell in love, married and left town with Clint Brewster. After Clint was killed in Iraq, Clare returned home and opened the local bookstore, Turn the Page, to make a life for herself and her three boys. She sees Beckett as an old friend and he turns into a tongue-tied fifteen year old whenever she's around. Everything changes between them after Beckett gives Clare a tour of the Inn and they share a charged moment and an almost-kiss.

Clare sees herself as the mother of her three boys and doesn't really have much time for being a "woman." She's the only one surprised by Beckett's attraction to her and by her response to him, but why shouldn't she be attracted? He's gorgeous, single and as her best friend Avery says, he's been crazy about her for years! Huh?! Clare is clueless. This is a woman totally focused on her daily life -- children, business, home life -- and nothing else. While married to Clint who as a soldier was away for most of their marriage Clare learned to depend on herself and to take care of everything, so that's what she does on a daily basis. Even when drowning from stress, she turns away friends and family willing to help her cope.

Clare and Beckett begin dating as Clare's attraction for Beckett grows. Her children are very much a part of her life and Beckett slowly begins the process of incorporating himself into that life. However, Clare's focus on her daily life and Beckett's focus on the Inn's reconstruction constantly interrupt this romance. They have to schedule minutes to see each other and then are ruthlessly interrupted by friends and family who don't seem to believe in privacy. Clare makes the time to meet with her girlfriends and doesn't miss one single celebratory meeting with them, but always seems to be too busy to meet Beckett. I found that weird to say the least, hmm...

From the beginning this just felt like a one-sided love affair, and it took a long time for me to feel a real connection between Clare and Beckett as a couple. I actually felt more of a connection between Beckett and Clare's boys, and in a way feel that in the end Clare fell in love with Beckett because of that connection. Heartwarming, but not very romantic.

Nora Roberts builds a wonderful relationship between the brothers, both the Montgomery brothers and Clare's boys, the Brewster brothers. I loved those relationships. There are other secondary characters that really make an impact in this story, but of those my favorite has to be Clare's best friend Avery, the owner of the local Italian restaurant Vestra, who speaks her mind no matter what and steals every single scene. I looked forward to all her appearances in the book. There is also a ghost included in this story, and although that plot line affects both the romance and the ending, I thought it was pretty much meaningless as there's really no explanation for the ghost's presence. Maybe in the next book? There's also a villain in this story and I like the way Roberts works in the reality of that situation with light fiction.

And speaking of Vestra, Roberts also does an excellent job of portraying the small town of BoonsBoro, Maryland. Maybe it's because she has taken the town and businesses out of her own life experiences, but they all come alive for the reader. I love her description of the small town, its people and businesses -- Turn the Page Bookstore, Vestra Restaurant, and of course Inn BoonsBoro. Roberts' description of the Inn with its reconstruction and decorations are detailed and you can just feel the love and care that goes into every single detail shared in this book. The small town atmosphere and secondary characters also make an impact when reading the story -- mother Montgomery is a ruthless riot!

Overall The Next Always by Nora Roberts was an enjoyable read for me. I love the small town atmosphere and Roberts' characterization usually works for me, especially when it comes to building relationships between family and friends. It does in this book too. Unfortunately, I found the romance to be lukewarm with an unfinished and rather abrupt ending right after Beckett and Clare's big moment finally comes along. I do think this is a good beginning to Nora Roberts' latest romance series and won't be missing the next book in the series, The Last Boyfriend.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Inn BoonsBoro, Book 1
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/November 1, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: C+

Visit Nora Roberts here.

New Releases: November 2011

2011-11-12T11:20:00.007-05:00

I'm late with my November releases post, and there were quite a few books that released at the beginning of the month that were "must" reads for me! Of course, I've read a couple of the earlier releases already, but here's a list of the whole month for you.

November 1st was a good day for new releases:

The latest contemporary romance by Nora Roberts, The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) series. The beginning of a new romance series about the three Montgomery brothers who find their happily ever afters while rebuilding a historical Inn in BoonsBoro, Maryland. I love Nora Roberts' books, so I couldn't miss this book!

The Comforts of Home (Harmony #3) by Jodi Thomas is the continuation of her Harmony series. I enjoyed Welcome to Harmony and couldn't wait to find out what happens to the people in that town. Jodi Thomas has a way of creating fictional characters residing in a small town setting and making them come alive with their secret heartaches, loves and dreams. I'm thinking this book is a perfectly heartwarming read for November, especially with the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2) by Meljean Brook! A highly anticipated book and the continuation of Brook's Iron Seas steampunk series. I loved both the novella introducing this series Here There Be Monsters (Burning Up Anthology), and the first book in this series, The Iron Duke. Now this is the story of Yasmeen, the infamous captain of the Lady Corsair! I began reading it, but had to put it aside... [sigh] I can't wait to read it.

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Now, I'm waiting for:

Detours by Jeffrey Ricker releasing November 15, 2011 (Bold Strokes Books). I first read Mr. Ricker's work in the Fool for Love anthology and enjoyed his story. Since then I've read a few of his short stories and continued to enjoy his work, but I've been looking forward to reading a complete novel by this author.

Joel Patterson should be happier than ever. He's just returned from a two-week vacation in London, where he met Philip, who might be the man of his dreams. Instead, Joel's heading to Maine for his mother's funeral. He quits his job to fulfill one last request for his mother: unload his parents' albatross of an RV by delivering it to an old family friend—in California.

Somehow, Joel's high school "friend" Lincoln has invited himself along on the ride—and into Joel's bed. The other person who's invited herself along? The ghost of his mother, who still has plenty to say about her son's judgment (or lack thereof). Joel has to get the RV to San Francisco, get rid of Lincoln, and get back to Philip. It would also make him feel better if he learned what's keeping his mother tied to this earthly plane. However Joel manages it, the route is likely to be anything but straight.

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History's Passion: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall by Richard Labonté releasing November 15, 2011 (Bold Strokes Books). Labonté is a favorite LGBT editor and so are three of the four authors included in this anthology. I'm not about to miss it. Here's a short version of the book summary:

Four acclaimed erotic authors re-imagine the past... welcome to the hidden queer history of men loving men not so very long—and centuries—ago.

In "Heaven on Earth," Lambda Literary Award-winner editor and author Simon Sheppard evokes a noirish Depression-era setting for Wichita rich kid Eli: Bonnie and Clyde meet Leopold and Loeb. In "Camp Allegheny," Lambda finalist Jeff Mann recounts a clandestine Civil War romance between two Rebel soldiers. In "Tender Mercies," Dale Chase imagines the world of young Luke Farrow, a failure at prospecting during the California Gold Rush. In "The Valley of Salt," David Holly blends legend with lust in the beautiful city of Gomorrah more than 3,000 years ago.

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Mystery of the Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron releasing November 15, 2011 (Bold Strokes Books). This is also LGBT, but for a change it's a young adult mystery. I recently read a short story by Sam Cameron in the Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up anthology and loved it, so I was happy to accept this book for review. I've already read it, so expect a review soon.

Twin brothers Denny and Steven Anderson love helping people and fighting crime alongside their sheriff dad on sun-drenched Fisher Key, Florida. Steven likes chasing girls. Denny longs to lose his virginity, but doesn’t dare tell anyone he’s gay. Steven has a secret of his own. He lied to everyone, including his own brother, about being accepted into SEAL training for the U.S. Navy.

On the day they graduate high school, the twins meet the handsome new guy in town, a military veteran with a chiseled body and mysterious past. Meanwhile Brian Vandermark, a gay transfer student from Boston, finds himself falling for closeted Denny but hampered by his shyness. When an antique yacht explodes in Fisher Key harbor, all three boys are caught up in a summer of betrayal, romance, and danger. It’s the Mystery of the Tempest—and it just might kill them all.

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Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor #3) by Jill Shalvis releasing November 22, 2011 (Forever/Hachette Book Group). This is the continuation of her Lucky Harbor series and a favorite contemporary romance series for me. It's Chloe's story and I'm not about to miss it.

Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways.

Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?

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Fate's Edge (The Edge, #3) by Ilona Andrews releasing November 29, 2011 (Ace)! Boy, I've been waiting a whole year for this puppy. I'm loving this series by the Andrews team and can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge, and she's determined to stay on the straight and narrow. But when her brother gets into hot water, the former thief takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack of all trades...

Kaldar Mar-a gambler, lawyer, thief, and spy-expects his latest assignment tracking down a stolen item to be a piece of cake, until Audrey shows up. But when the item falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job, he's going to need Audrey's help...

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A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman is releasing December 6, 2011 (Zebra). I know this book is releasing early next month, but for some reason this contemporary romance by a favorite historical romance writer caught my attention and I'm really looking forward to reading it, so I'm highlighting it now. :D

When Thea Wyndham and Mitchell Baker learn they've been named joint guardians for their late friends' three children, they're little more than acquaintances. Barely polite acquaintances, at that. Something about Mitch's forthright intensity has always left ad exec Thea feeling off-balance, while Mitch makes no secret of his disdain when Thea offers him financial assistance if he'll take sole guardianship. Thea is far from heartless. She's just plain terrified of her new parenting responsibilities. Both she and Mitch are romantically involved with other people. Yet the more time they spend together, the less certain she is of her loyalties. There are complications and mis-steps, tears and laughter - lots of it. And somehow, through it all, the dawning realization that the last place she thought she'd find herself could be just where she belongs.

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Of course there are other books that released or are releasing that interest me. I read All They Need by Sarah Mayberry, a contemporary category romance that released on November 1st. I also read and enjoyed the debut historical romance novel The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers (Tumperkin) which released on November 7th. And on November 22nd Saints Astray by Jacqueline Carey book #2 in her Santa Olivia series is finally releasing. What about you? Any books you can't wait to read in November?

Veteran's Day: Thanking All Who Serve

2011-11-11T10:17:00.001-05:00

Veteran's Day is a day honoring all veterans in the United States. This day coincides with other holidays around the world commemorating Armistice Day -- the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, which took place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Red poppies became a symbol representing veterans because of the poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian military physician Colonel John McCrae. Worn by veterans around the world, in the United States the poppy became the official memorial flower representing veterans in 1922. Have you seen red poppies worn and sold on Veteran's Day? They are sold to honor those who serve, but also to collect monies to assist veterans returning from war and their families. So don't forget to wear your red poppy today to honor those who have served.

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In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae

1872-1918

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

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Today is a day of remembrance and thankfulness in my family. My husband's father and his beloved uncle were both WWII veterans, and his son and our daughter-in-law are also veterans. Today, we thank our loved ones, as well as all those who have served and still serve.

Thank you.

Review: Unwrapped with Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell

2011-11-10T08:19:00.004-05:00

Unwrapped is an anthology with contemporary Christmas stories by authors Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman and Kate Angell.

Blue Christmas by Erin McCarthy

In Blue Christmas, Erin McCarthy sets her story in Kentucky. While on her way to Florida and a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean, Blue Farrow hits a blizzard and another car while driving through a Kentucky highway. Luckily she collides with Christian Dawes, a hunky gentleman and a Santa in the making. They wind up spending an unforgettable night at the No Tell Motel unwrapping each other for Christmas.

I loved this novella by McCarthy. Blue is a bit of a Scrooge trying to get away from all the holiday craziness, but she can't resist the charming Christian. He's not just hunky, but a fun, funny and charming man who loves Christmas and is on his way home to see his family. This is a novella, but both Blue and Christian get to know each other as they spend a night they'll never forget and by the end the reader gets the sense that these two will be enjoying each other's company for a long time to come. A hot and wonderful Christmas novella.

Santa in a Kilt by Donna Kauffman

Donna Kauffman sets her Christmas novella in the isle of Kinloch, Scotland. Shay Callaghan has been in love with Kira McLeod for a long time, but he's not the type of man who can give a woman forever. Kira is the forever kind of woman. Kira has her eye on Shay and after her best friend's wedding decides that she's going to make a move. Soon the two are having a hot affair, but will Shay realize that he's also the forever kind?

I liked Santa in Kilt, although it seems to be part of a series with other characters making appearances and an impact in the story. Shay and Kira's relationship is quite sexy and the fact that they've known each other for a long time helps with the development. However, as I said above there is a sense that this story is part of a series and at times I felt a bit lost while reading it -- as if I were missing something. The Christmas holidays are depicted in a subtle and meaningful way.

Snow Angel by Kate Angell

Allie meets Aiden on the ski slopes during a Christmas vacation and the two of them have a hot and torrid Christmas Eve together. It's an unforgettable night for Aiden, but before morning comes Allie leaves without a trace. Three years later Allie walks into Dutton's department store on Christmas Eve to purchase gifts for her sisters while a blizzard is raging throughout Chicago and when power is lost she has to wait it out with none other than Aiden! She has a lot to explain and he has secrets to reveal.

Snow Angel is the most romantic of the three stories with a man who could not forget a woman he met three years before. I really like Aiden's yearning for Allie and the tribute to his feelings for her is quite beautiful. Allie is a bit tough at times, although she also comes through in the end. Snow Angel is an enjoyable read full of Christmas details.

Overall Unwrapped hits the spot if you're looking for sexy contemporary romance stories set during the holidays. All three stories are engaging with sexy couples, interesting circumstances and wonderful settings.

Category: Contemporary Romance - Holidays
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Brava/ October 1, 2011
Source: Kensington Publishing
Grade: B

Poetry: Walt Whitman, Song of Myself II

2011-11-09T11:07:00.006-05:00

Poet Walt Whitman
May 31, 1819 - March 25, 1892

Song of Myself

Houses and rooms are full of perfumes.... the shelves

are crowded with perfumes,

I breathe the fragrance myself, and know it and like it,

The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.

The atmosphere is not a perfume.... it has no taste

of the distillation.... it is odorless,

It is for my mouth forever.... I am in love with it,

I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,

I am mad for it to be in contact with me.

The smoke of my own breath,

Echoes, ripples, and buzzed whispers.... loveroot, silkthread,

crotch and vine,

My respiration and inspiration.... the beating of my heart....

the passing of blood and air through my lungs,

The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore

and darkcolored sea-rocks, and of hay in the barn,

The sound of the belched words of my voice.... words loosed

to the eddies of the wind,

A few light kisses.... a few embraces.... reaching around of arms,

The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,

The delight alone or in the rush of the streets, or along

the fields and hill-sides,

The feeling of health.... the full-noon trill.... the song of me

rising from bed and meeting the sun.

Have you reckoned a thousand acres much? Have you reckoned

the earth much?

Have you practiced so long to learn to read?

Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin

of all poems,

You shall possess the good of the earth and sun.... there are

millions of suns left,

You shall no longer take things at second or third hand.... nor

look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres

in books,

You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,

You shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself.

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Poetry by Walt Whitman: Poem taken from Leaves of Grass (1855, Kindle edition) (Other editions of Leaves of Grass vary including last one in 1891), Drum Taps (1865), Sequel to Drum Taps (1865), Good Bye, My Fancy (1891)

Review: Tis the Season To Be Sinful by Adrienne Basso

2011-11-08T08:05:00.004-05:00

The Season For Surprises. . .

Juliet Wentworth knew what she was getting into: a marriage of convenience that will save her estate and protect her family long into the future. But she wasn't expecting to find the passion of a lifetime in her new husband's arms. After just one night, Juliet knows a marriage in name only will never be enough. . .

The Season For Seduction. . .

Richard Harper's beautiful new bride has him reeling with desire--and running for cover. After all, falling in love was never part of the bargain. Yet when Christmastime celebrations bring him back to their country manor and back into Juliet's arms, Richard finds his wife is determined--and all too able--to win over his heart, one kiss at a time. . .

Tis The Season To Be Sinful by Adrienne Basso is a sweet, heartwarming, family Christmas historical romance that also happens to be quite sexy! Now, I have to admit that the sexy part of it was a bit unexpected and maybe it shouldn't have been, especially with that title, but I think what really threw me about this book for a while is that all those factors are combined and work quite well.

Ms. Basso uses the marriage of convenience trope to develop the romance between the beautiful widowed Juliet and Richard, a lonely American industrialist working in London. Richard wants to purchase an English estate and needs a society wife to serve as a hostess, but hopes she will also assuage his lonely nights. Juliet as a widow with three children and a controlling brother-in-law who holds the purse strings finds herself in dire circumstances. She needs income from her son's inherited estate and decides to sell it to Richard, however her brother-in-law will not allow it. He needs a wife for business purposes, she needs a husband to ensure a better future for her children. However, although it is clear that these two people make the decision to marry each other for convenience's sake, they are adults and passion also becomes a strong factor in their decision.

This is true for both Richard and Juliet and they are both upfront and quite open about their strong attraction for each other from the beginning making this a refreshingly adult situation. There is no coyness in Juliet's part, on the contrary she's a highly sensual woman and Richard wants her more every day. It takes a while for their actual relationship to take off though and the romance develops slowly. If or when misunderstandings do crop up this couple deals with them by talking and working out the issues one at a time, even as they disagree. Richard's past is explored this way as intimacy takes the place of sex between them. Julia is the first to recognize the change in their relationship, and Richard is the one who fights it. Fortunately she's relentless in her understanding and in the loving way she handles the situations.

The Christmas holidays are grandly represented in this story. As I was reading all the beautiful scenes describing a traditional English Christmas in the countryside, I was reminded of Mary Balogh's holiday stories and well... I love those! These scenes convey the heartwarming traditional holiday season atmosphere and tell the story of a loving family in the making. The secondary characters blend in with this story to help it along with the children, especially the two boys, making a real impact.

So, surprise, surprise, so far Tis The Season To Be Sinful is my favorite holiday read this year. It has everything from a really sexy couple that steam up the sheets, to three wonderful children who add to the story with pranks that provide some really fun moments as well as some emotional ones, and a wonderful representation of the holiday season.

Category: Historical Romance - Holiday
Series: None
Publisher: Zebra/October 1, 2011
Source: Kensington Publishing
Grade: B+

Visit Adrienne Basso here.

Review: Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3) by Elizabeth Hoyt

2011-11-06T10:45:00.007-05:00

Can a pirate learn that the only true treasure lies within a woman’s heart?

“Charming” Mickey O’Connor is the most ruthless river pirate in London. Devastatingly handsome and fearsomely intelligent, he clawed his way up through London’s criminal underworld. Mickey has no use for tender emotions like compassion and love, and he sees people as pawns to be manipulated. Yet he’s never been able to forget the naive captain’s wife who came to him a year ago for help—and spent one memorable night in his bed...talking.

Widowed Silence Hollingbrook is impoverished, lovely, and kind--and a year ago she made a horrible mistake. She went to a river pirate for help in saving her husband and in the process made a bargain that cost her her marriage. That night wounded her so terribly that she hides in the foundling home she helps run with her brother. Except now that same river pirate is back...and he’s asking for her help.

I loved Wicked Intentions and thoroughly enjoyed Notorious Pleasures, Books 1 & 2 of the Maiden Lane historical romance series. However with Scandalous Desires, Elizabeth Hoyt has cemented my love of this series and officially makes it an absolute favorite. I loved this book!

Scandalous Desires opens with Mary Darling having been taken by Charming Mickey O'Connor and Silence demanding her return. It is then that she finds out that Mickey is the baby's father marking her as a target of the river pirate's enemies. Given the chance of staying and caring for Mary, Silence chooses to stay even if it means placing herself in O'Connor's hands again. Mickey has Silence exactly where he wants her, in his palace and at his disposal, or so he thinks. Silence is lovely and kind, but Mickey hurt her terribly in the past and although she'll do anything for the baby, she won't give in to Mickey. The previous year at her request river pirate Charming Mickey O'Connor saved her husband and exacted a terrible price that cost Silence her reputation and marriage. Soon after, her husband died at sea and baby Mary Darling was abandoned at her doorstep. Caring for her beloved Mary Darling helps Silence get through this time of sorrow, and she's not about to let a ruthless criminal like Mickey O'Connor keep her away from her baby.

In Scandalous Desires, Elizabeth Hoyt maintains the excellent atmosphere already established in the first two books of the Maiden Lane series by taking the reader back to the St. Giles slums as the setting for this romance, however she expands that setting by making her central couple inhabitants of St. Giles and keeping the action there.

As opposed to the first two books in the series, there are no aristocrats as protagonists in this story. Instead with Mickey O'Connor's character, Hoyt focuses on the life and personal history of a criminal who grew up in the streets of a slum and rose to power by thieving and killing. Mickey is unacceptable to society even as he is feared, envied and respected for his cunning, wealth and power by a certain element in St. Giles. But where Mickey deviates from the previous male protagonists in this series and where Hoyt pushes the envelope with this male character is in that she makes him a real criminal, with not only a violent history but a present life that is also filled with violence and danger, crimes and killing -- one that he doesn't want to give up.

I wondered how Hoyt would redeem such a character for the reader, or if she could. Of course Hoyt delivers and redeems him up to a point by exploring Mickey's past while he falls head over heels in love with Silence Hollinbrook. Mickey's year-long guilt feelings over how his actions affected Silence's life and his yearning for Silence's tenderness and passion make him a passionate and sweet romance hero. There is an extreme contrast between the acquisitive man who will go to criminal lengths to get more, and the man who needs love, passion and tenderness in his life -- the cynical vs. the vulnerable. Mickey is flawed and quite irresistible!

Silence fights her attraction to Mickey and holds on to what she believes was the perfect love she shared with her dead husband. However, once Silence sees behind the criminal and into the man that is Mickey and falls in love with him, she accepts and embraces that love. In this she is a more traditional female romance protagonist, yet Silence in her own quiet, loving and nurturing way is also a passionate, determined woman once she knows what and who she wants in her life. I admire her for loving Mickey no matter what others say about him, but also love the fact that she sticks to her beliefs when it comes to what it is best for herself and her beloved Mary Darling.

The plot is quite engaging with a mixture of action and quiet moments used to build the romance, and secondary characters that include a crazed criminal as Mickey's enemy, Mickey's gang of river pirates, where there are characters that fall under those gray areas, and of course Silence's family and an appearance by the the Ghost of St. Guiles. There are some violent scenes that set the tone for the overall story and really fit in with the St. Giles setting. I enjoyed all of it, including a brief appearance by Caire and Temperance and the set up for Winter's romance.

Scandalous Desires has everything offered by the first two books in this series: great action and pacing, interesting secondary characters, excellent atmosphere, an action-packed climactic scene, and to top it off an excellent passionate romance between two very different people who love and in the end complement each other perfectly. And don't worry, Hoyt not only uses sexual tension to build up the romance, but she also delivers by including plenty of her signature hot and sexy scenes. I enjoyed everything about this romance!

Now we wait for the next installment in the series and Winter's romance which promises to be an exciting one. I can't wait to read it!

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Maiden Lane Series
Publisher/Released: Grand Central Publishing/October 18, 2011-Kindle Edition
Grade: A

Visit Elizabeth Hoyt here.

Series:
Wicked Intentions, Book 1
Notorious Pleasures, Book 2
Scandalous Desires, Book 3

The Birthday Gift!

2011-11-04T14:07:00.000-04:00

The best ever birthday gift for a reader born under the Scorpio sign this year. The Kindle Fire!!!

Score!!!!

October 2011: Reads + Minis! Lee Thomas, Ilona Andrews, Logan Belle

2011-11-01T15:32:00.004-04:00

Hope you all had a great Halloween!!

I indulged this past October and read quite a few spooky reads. Well, I read lots of books period. Earlier this month I posted some recommendations from favorite Halloween reads I either read during previous months or previous years, but this last month I could not stop myself and kept on with the same theme. I also read a couple of great Christmas books. However what you will notice when you see the grades, is that I read quite a few good books. So my reading wasn't only on the plentiful side, it was also quite enjoyable for me for personally.

Here's my summary for the month:

Total Reads: 23 (+1 Re-read): Print Books: 5 ebooks: 19
Contemporary Romance: 4
Historical Romance: 3
Urban Fantasy: 1
Science Fiction: 2
LGBT: 13 (Spec Fic: 1 Mystery: 6 Gay Romance: 5 Young Adult: 1)
Young Adult: 1

Favorite Reads in October:

Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3) Elizabeth Hoyt: A
The German by Lee Thomas (LGBT Thriller/Mystery): A-

The German captured my attention with its bone chilling prologue set in Germany and once begun, I couldn't put it down. However, this fantastic thriller by Lee Thomas is set in a small town in Texas during WWII where two young men are found skinned and disemboweled with snuffboxes stuffed in their mouths and inside them, notes written in German. You can only imagine how the townspeople react, particularly since there is a small German community residing among them. However, it is when young Tim Randall and his friend Bum spy on Ernst, the German, see him having sex with another man and become convinced that he is the killer that things really turn ugly.

The German is an unforgettable thriller with plenty of tension, excellent pacing and characters. Thomas uses the small town's paranoia to build some incredible tension and keep the reader guessing as to who the killer is, giving The German that great edge that all good thrillers require. However, with its bone chilling prologue and a terrifying torture scene, there is also a strong horror edge to this story. Most importantly, through this suspense/thriller Thomas deeply explores individual and group reactions to different types of fear. Highly recommended.

Embassytown by China Mieville: B+
The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan: B+

Lots of Excellent B Reads:

Real Men Will (Donovan Brothers Brewery, #3) by Victoria Dahl: B+
Tis The Season To Be Sinful Adrienne Basso: B+
Silver Shark (Kinsmen #2) by Ilona Andrews (Sci-Fi/Romance): B+

I've been waiting for a continuation to this world ever since I read and loved the first novella Silent Blade back in 2009, and the Ilona Andrews team rocked it! I love the world building, the characters and the stories they've created for this science fiction romance set so far.

In Silver Shark they continued as they began, with a strong female character who is equal to the male protagonist in strength, excellent plot, pacing and sci-fi details with romance and a passionate interlude that fits in with the story. In this second installment the only weakness for me came with the rather abrupt ending which then goes to an epilogue that doesn't include the two main characters. However, this sci-fi world just became better and even more intriguing. I can only hope that eventually a full length novel will come along. Now, that would really rock my world. :)

Coming Home by Victor J. Banis: B+
Flawless by Carrie Lofty: B
Sex, Straight Up (Those Sexy O'Sullivans, #2) by Kathleen O'Reilly: B
Unwrapped by Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell: B
a+e 4EVER by Ilike Merey: B
The Back Passage by James Lear: B
Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files, #1) by Josh Lanyon: B
Sort of Stranger Than Fiction (Petit Morts) by Josh Lanyon: B
Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane: B
Angels of Darkness by Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Sharon Shinn, Meljean Brook: B-
One Less Stiff at the Funeral (Petit Morts ) Sean Kennedy: B-

And Some Interesting C Reads too:

Fallen Angel by Logan Belle (Erotic Romance): C+

Fallen Angel is the second book in Logan Belle's erotic romance series Club Burlesque. I did not read the first book Blue Angel, so I can tell you that I was a bit lost when it came to some of the characters and exactly how they fit into the story, at least toward the beginning. However, Fallen Angel mainly focuses on Mallory after she decides to give up going to law school to concentrate on a burlesque career, and to earn extra money takes on a paralegal job during the day working for sexy Gavin Stone. In this installment, Mallory's unhappy with long time boyfriend Alec because he keeps pushing their sexual boundaries to include a third party. In particular Violet Offender a new performer in the club. In the meantime, Violet is really interested in Mallory (I mean really, really interested), and she plays the role of a manipulative, vampy, villainous dominatrix to a "t"!! I kind of liked Violet!

Mallory on the other hand is quite frustrating as a character. She doesn't really know what she wants! She goes back and forth between burlesque and law a few times, and yes it's frustrating -- the woman is worse than a weather vane. She's upset with Alec because she suspects that he wants to continue having threesomes, but she'll have a go with another woman and constantly lusts after her boss. Hmm... yeap! So, what did I like about this book? Well, I love the burlesque world that Belle pulled together in this book. It really is intriguing, plus the secondary characters and circumstances had me going throughout the story. There's no way I will miss the next book in this series, if only to find out what Violet will do next and what's going to happen with the clubs! (Aphrodesia - Source: Kensington Publishing)

Critic's Choice (Petit Morts) by Josh Lanyon: C
Private Dicks by Katie Allen: C
Happy Endings by G.A. Hauser: C-
Clouds and Rain by Zahra Owens: C-

Re-read:

Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale: A+

Review: Snowflakes and Stetsons by Jillian Hart, Carol Finch & Cheryl St. John

2011-10-29T11:54:00.002-04:00

Snowflakes and Stetsons is a Christmas anthology with a western historical romance theme that includes stories by Jillian Hart, Carol Finch and Cheryl St. John. This was my first Christmas read of the year and it was a sweet read! I read it early, during a time when I needed some comfort, but be sure to know that this book will be read again this Holiday season.

"The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle" By Jillian Hart

After serving seven years in a Territory prison for a crime he did not commit, Caleb McGraw goes home only to find out that his fiance is dead and that he has a son. That news takes him to Moose, Montana where his six year old son Thomas now lives with the widow Caroline Dreyer where he prevents a robbery and is invited to stay at least until Christmas. Caroline who lost her husband and child, and Thomas who lost his mother are both cheered by Caleb's company, and soon these three unhappy people are making the best of the season. As Caroline and Caleb's attraction grows and she figures out that he is indeed Thomas' father, they grow closer together and share their pain and hopes for the future. But what will happen when Caroline finds out that Caleb is an ex convict and the reason behind his imprisonment?

The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by Jillian Hart is a lovely, heartwarming holiday story about three people who experience deep loses in their lives and find a second chance at that illusive happiness. Although things happen a bit quickly for these two people and Caroline needs a push to see what is clearly in front of her eyes, I love that Caleb deservedly finds a place where he's respected for the wonderful man he truly is, and happiness with Thomas and Caroline.

"Christmas at Cahill Crossing" by Carol Finch

Beautiful Rosalie Greer is caught in a blizzard on her way to town from a secret Santa shopping trip. It's dark and wolves have her surrounded when Lucas Burnett and his dog, Dog, find her buried under a pile of snow. Lucas takes her to his ranch where as an outcast of society he keeps to himself. He's bitter about the fact that he was a Texas Ranger and helped settle the area, but because of his mixed blood he is not socially acceptable to the townspeople. However, Rosalie is not everybody. She is a respected business owner and despite an initial misunderstanding likes gorgeous Lucas. After he saves her life, she's determined to involve him in the town's events for Christmas and hopefully in her life.

In Christmas at Cahill, I loved both Rosalie's spunky attitude and the fact that Lucas couldn't resist her. Carol Finch brings the whole town into this story, making the Christmas holidays come alive for the reader and including a bit of action by using Lucas' Texas Ranger past. Finch uses sexual tension to build this romance, and later on passion heats up the holiday season in this novella.

"A Magical Gift At Christmas" by Cheryl St. John

U.S. Marshal Jonah Cavanaugh and three other Marshals are on the train to Denver, guarding a gold shipment from a gang of train robbers. Desperate circumstances push Jonah to make the fateful decision to disconnect the mail car from the rest of the train, and let the rest of the train go on to Denver. He decides to guard the car, let the other Marshals deal with the gang and wait for reinforcements. Jonah's plans, however, are complicated when he first finds Meredith Abbott riding her father's Pullman car and on her way to Denver for Christmas, and later finds Hayden and Jillian, two stowaway children, in the baggage section of the car. Jonah, Meredith and the children find themselves in the middle of a blizzard, waiting for a gang of thieves to attack, and hoping for rescue. While the situation is stressful, it also helps to pull them together and as the warmth of the holidays, love and giving make way into their hearts both Meredith and Jonah realize what's really important in life.

I really enjoyed A Magical Gift At Christmas. Meredith and Jonah are strong characters, and the children make great secondary characters in this novella. The train robbery, shootouts and action give this story a real western flavor, yet the wonderful heartwarming, family atmosphere that St. John is known for is right there to enjoy. The Christmas theme is well represented in the middle of all the action, and a romance that begins with admiration and respect as its base, has a sweet, sweet ending.

Category: Historical Romance/Western - Holiday
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Harlequin Historical/September 20, 2011
Source: ARC received from author
Grade: B

Review: Flawless (The Christies, Book 1) by Carrie Lofty

2011-10-27T12:25:00.005-04:00

Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies’ man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire . . . and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.

Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne’s dilemma: She must earn her father’s inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa. Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?

After reading and loving Carrie Lofty's Song of Seduction, her historical romances have become a "must read" for me. I'm happy to report that I've yet to be disappointed by one of her books. In Flawless, I again love the fact that Lofty uses a different setting, in this case the diamond mining industry in South Africa. This time the setting is used more as background to give the novel historical context and helps to establish that all-important atmosphere. However, perhaps what I enjoyed the most about this novel is Lofty's depiction of the main characters, Miles and Vivienne, even with their flaws and frustrating qualities.

I really enjoy how Lofty portrays her characters and the fact that they're exciting and yet fit both time and place in both action and manner. Miles and Vivienne are both products of their upbringing and the society of their times. He is the rakish and wastrel son of an English earl, whose upbringing teaches him that no matter his actions a male aristocrat can get away with almost anything. He marries Vivienne for her fortune and a passion that seems to grow with time. However during their marriage, he's very much the aristocrat about town who uses Vivienne's money for gambling and other pleasurable pursuits without compunction or apparent care for her. Tired of it all and caring little for society's judgment, Miles eventually goes too far.

Vivienne on the other hand is the adopted bastard daughter of a self-made man. Born in France, reared in New York and married in London, Vivienne is also a product of her upbringing and the times. Hers is a marriage of convenience that turns into one of passion, but passion is not enough for Vivienne. She needs more from a man. Vivienne wants and needs respectability and safety, and she can find neither of those things with Miles. She also needs a man she can respect and she can't respect Miles, so when he goes too far she leaves him and goes home to New York. But when her father dies and leaves a conditional inheritance in his will Vivienne finds that she will need her husband after all, and Miles ceases the opportunity to solve a few of his problems, most importantly Vivienne and his marriage.

Flawless is a character driven novel with romance as a focus and a background that helps the story along by providing atmosphere, but one that is not as full of historical details as expected. The secondary characters are also helpful, but not truly developed or explored to their fullest. As central characters, Miles and Vivienne are strong and they do carry the novel quite well, with their personal issues as the main conflict, sexual tension that is off the charts and a true passion that manifests itself both internally and externally.

Lofty succeeds in this novel by making two flawed characters, especially that of Miles, understandable and sympathetic to the reader. Vivienne, although easier to understand, can be a bit more frustrating for what may pass as stubbornness and lack of trust, yet she truly reflects her times when it comes to a female's point of view. She is a woman who needs to stand on her own because she doesn't really have any one else to do it for her, (at least that is her initial belief) yet cannot because society won't allow her to do so. Her frustrations feel real in that respect, as do her initial doubts about Miles' supposed change in character.

Having read two of Lofty's previous historical romances I expected a bit more exploration of historical background and further development of some of the more interesting secondary characters, however I enjoyed the romance from beginning to end. Lofty's prose and her approach to a historical romance remains a favorite for me, and without a doubt I look forward to the other books in this series.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: The Christies, Book 1
Publisher/Released: Pocket/September 27, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B

Visit Carrie Lofty here.

Retro-Review: Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale

2011-10-25T08:23:00.005-04:00

Here is one of my favorite books read in 2009, and one of the two books ever graded an A+ by me. Ginn Hale's Wicked Gentlemen remains one of my favorite books to date, and there was no change in perspective when I re-read it in November 2010, and again this month. The sequel to this book, Lord Foster's Devils, remains one of my most anticipated books. I hope it releases soon.

Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction.

And Belimai Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai's company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation.

From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life.

His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well. Such are the dangers of dealing with the wicked.

Using heavy atmosphere, unforgettable characters and excellent prose, Ginn Hale builds a world in Wicked Gentlemen that grabs you from the beginning and stays with you even after you turn that last page.

Hale builds her world through the first half of the book and using names like "Brighton House of Inquisition," "White Chapel," and "St. Christopher's Park" in Crowncross, the Holy Capitol and"High Tangle," "Low Tangle" "Underchapel Parish," and "Good Commons," in Hopetown (also called Hells Below), we get a sense of an alternate London and its surrounding Parishes. A familiar setting becomes otherworldly and dark.

Hale's Prodigals are descendants of the original fallen Demons who abandoned Damnation (or hell) by signing the Covenant of Redemption. It was the promise of Salvation for themselves and their descendants that made them leave their dark kingdom below. After three hundred years the Prodigals are no longer magnificent and that promise is now a double edged sword.

At the beginning of Wicked Gentlemen, Belimai Sykes seems almost familiar, someone reminiscent of an Arthur Conan Doyle character. The setting where we first meet him is a dark library in his home, in what seems like an alternate dark London with gaslights on the streets. Almost immediately, as part of his personality, we encounter a dry, almost morbid sense of humor and are exposed to his shameful addiction. All these facts together with his occupation, that of a detective, help with this sense of familiarity. However as we go along, although these characteristics are very much a part of Belimai, he emerges as a unique and arresting individual.

The first part of the book -- "Mr Sykes and the Firefly" -- is told through Belimai's point of view and as we get to know his thoughts, we see he is not exactly the nicest of creatures. Indeed with a bit of a twist, Belimai would make an excellent villain. I found him to be an enjoyable, cynical, dry, self-destructive and flawed character.

The moment when Belimai meets Captain Harper is sharp, focused and dark. I loved the exchanges and chemistry between these two -- neither one a nice man/creature, neither one an easy character to like at first. If Belimai is a Prodigal and a demon, then Harper is an Inquisitor and his biggest nemesis, and that is exactly what it sounds like. As in the olden days in this world an Inquisitor is charged with righting religious wrongs, usually through torture. In Hale's world he also dispenses justice and becomes a combination priest and policeman. The Inquisitors in this case are usually in charge of making sure Demons are purified and stay that way. Belimai explains it best:

Harper stood and opened his long black coat, I caught sight of the white priest's collar at his throat as well as the pistol holstered beneath his left arm.

That pairing fit the Inquisition perfectly. The white band proclaimed the captain's authority to judge and redeem the souls of those awash with sin. The pistol embodied the very earthly duty of each man of the Inquisition to enforce and uphold the law. Salvation became far more appealing when damnation was faced at gunpoint.

Belimai and Harper's personalities emerge slowly as they solve a dangerous mystery together and quite a few interesting secondary characters are introduced. A more intimate relationship between Belimai and Harper is also building at this point and the development is slow and well done. This mystery is successfully solved within the first part of the book as Hale continues her world building, character development and introduces a new mystery in the second part of the book.

The second part -- "Captain Harper and The 62 Second Circle" -- picks up at the end of part one and it is told in third person through Harper's perspective. This is where we really get to know what this man is capable of -- his strengths and weaknesses. Harper believes in justice but doesn't have the heart of a zealot. There's a lot to discover and I loved the mystery and darkness in him. The conflict presented in this part of the book was quite intricate and I was happily surprised by the resolution at the end.

The intimate relationship between these two individuals is key to the story. There is sexual tension and there are two encounters between Belimai and Harper, but it is the growing feelings they have for each other and the realization that there could be more for them that really made that part of the story special for me.

In Wicked Gentlemen, Ms. Hale presents a complete book with all the ingredients I look forward to in this type of story; from the world building to characterization, plot and prose, this was a winner for me. There will be a sequel to this book and I'll be waiting impatiently for it.

Category: LGBT Gay Speculative Fiction/Steampunk
Series: Book 1
Publisher/Release Date: Blind Eye Books/October 2007
Grade: A+

You can find this book here.

Series:
Wicked Gentlemen, Book 1
Lord Foster's Devils, Book 2 (Release date - to be determined)

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile August 17, 2009

This 'n That: I'm back, YA LGBT Books Charity Campaign, Vacation

2011-10-23T09:10:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! My computer was resuscitated. I've no idea what happened, but my husband found help and somehow gave it CPR and got it to work again. It's still going in for a nice check up at the Apple store, though.

I've missed almost a whole week of returning emails and posting, although admittedly that had as much to do with cleaning up at work as I get ready to go on my week's vacation, as it did with computer problems. Lots of late nights and exhausting days. But I did finish reading ONE whole book! The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, the second book in the young adult fantasy series Heroes of Olympus series. I'll be reviewing that book!

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In the meantime while away, I found out that Steve Berman editor of Speaking Out, the young adult anthology I reviewed recently, is starting a charity campaign to donate books to school libraries. I love it! This is a wonderful project and one that I wholeheartedly support. There is such a need out there for books like Speaking Out, and there's just not enough inspiration (or literature in schools) for LGBTQ kids. Here are Mr. Berman's own words on the matter:

"According to GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), a 2009 National School Climate Survey revealed that nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students suffer harassment in school because of their identity.

While there has been renewed calls for legislation to fight homophobia and bullying, while there have been countless videos of "It Gets Better," kids are still dying by their own hand. And some kids are seeing the It Gets Better campaign as a bit empty--they want to know when does it get better.

I edited Speaking Out: LGBT Youth Stand Up to offer teens stories that aren't about coming-out but rather about living life openly as well as overcoming intolerance and bigotry. I wanted to inspire readers, to help them realize that they are not alone or powerless, that their voices can be heard."

Of course as with all campaigns, the more awareness, the more people who see the campaign, the better! So you can spread the word, make a contribution to Mr. Berman's charity campaign or both! Here's the link where you can find out more about this campaign and/or make a contribution:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Buy-Libraries-a-Book-for-Gay-Kids

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And last, as I mentioned above I'm going on vacation! Yesss! I mentioned before that I would be around, and later there were plans to leave for a few days for places unknown (lol!), but due to a (another) health-related family emergency that cropped up yesterday, I will be hanging around the area after all. My husband and I will be taking advantage of living across New York City for the week, and will be celebrating his birthday too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY!!!

Computer problems! Reading Update

2011-10-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

Well, when it doesn't rain, it pours... and it's pouring! My iMac desktop crashed with a vengeance on Monday and I can't get the reinstall program to work. Sigh... it's only three years old and it has all the latest and greatest updates.

I'm taking it to the Apple Store so, hopefully, they can repair it, but that won't happen until the weekend. In the meantime, I'll have to borrow a computer here or there if possible, if not I will post something for you all on the weekend.

Since I have a minute right now, I figured I would do a quick recap on what I'm reading at the moment:

Well, at the moment I'm reading:

Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3) by Elizabeth Hoyt! Yay! It's out!
The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus Series #2) by Rick Riordan -- I'm really, really enjoying this book so far. I'm finding it more entertaining than the first one, and of course it's wonderful having Percy's "voice" back.
Down These Mean Streets edited by Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin -- This is a wonderful anthology where the focus is urban fantasy, the noir private investigator and the paranormal -- a combination of both (UF). But some stories have an emphasis in one or the other. I'm finding the stories quite interesting so far. Not quite what I expected from this wonderful duo.

I do have next week off (from work), so hopefully all the wrinkles will be taken care of at that time. I don't have travel plans for the week, but I do have plans *g*... lots of relaxation, hopefully. I will be around. Hopefully with a computer that works!

Review: Embassytown by China Miéville

2011-10-16T13:18:00.003-04:00

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak.

Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.

When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties—to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her.

China Miéville throws the reader without warning into his science fiction world of aliens, dopples, "immersers" and humans isolated in the Arieka planet at the edge of the known universe from page one of his book Embassytown. The story is structured in a biographical format from Avice's perspective in first point of view moving between the present and past throughout the first half of the book until the timelines meet, as Miéville slowly unravels his world from the vernacular to customs, to actions and characters.

There's nothing complacent or superficial about a Miéville novel, although of course there's a surface story. In this case we have a human colony that inhabits Embassytown in the planet of Arieka, and where there's eventually a breakdown between them and the indigene alien population or "Hosts" they've depended upon for survival for centuries. The break when it comes is violent with the humans' demise an almost certain fact. Avice has a front row seat and witnesses the unfolding debacle, as both an observer and information gatherer, that develops when the Bremen send in their own outsider Ambassador(s) to Embassytown. She likes to gather information, but although she's an "immerser" and has travelled the universe as part of starship crews outside of Embassytown, she doesn't like to take action. However survival is important and eventually Avice takes her place with a band of humans and attempts to save the Ariekei and Embassytown.

However, this is Miéville we're talking about and there's so much more to the story. There's much emphasis placed on language or "Language" and the effect that references, signification, similes, and eventually metaphors have or eventually come to have on the alien race -- the differences between speaking and that of real understanding, grasping, knowing. That knowing and real understanding applies to more than language though, and not just to the alien race but also to humans. That is because ignorance and dependency are also two strong subjects that apply to both humans and aliens in this story.

Miéville's aliens are intricate and mesmerizing. I've never read anything like them and for a science fiction fan they can become an addiction (I was blown away by his aliens in Perdido Street Station). There is certainly nothing human-like about the Hosts or their environment in Embassytown. Interestingly enough as alien as they are depicted, the Ariekei ultimately represent an indigenous population that has been colonized. As such, although initially they seemingly retain power, they'll never be the same again because of their interactions with the human (or an outside) race. However, it is through their interactions with humans, or perhaps because of the contrasts shown, that the aliens in this story are most effective.

The humans also have an intriguing society where ignorance and dependency, weather chosen or cultivated, are both central to their world. The planet depends on the Bremen to bring them products and news from the outside world. The people of Embassytown are solely dependent on the Hosts for everything, from the air they breath, to food, to the space (town) where they live -- yet they happily remain quite ignorant about the Hosts and the planet as a whole. They are also dependent on Ambassador(s) to be the go between for them with the Hosts, placing Ambassador(s) at the top of the hierarchy. Plus, the majority of people remain ignorant (or don't want to know) how things really happen -- political intrigues, power plays, abuse of power or cruelties that include inhuman acts -- as long as their lives continue to move in the right direction.

Does any of this sound familiar? This is one of the aspects of science fiction that I love the most -- how a writer takes and bends current or historical events and places them in what seems like a completely alien world and makes it work.

Avice makes an interesting biographical narrator. As a result some of the information given by her is personal, sometimes relevant to the overall story and other times only relevant to Avice's character with her personality shaping the story, including her indifference to people or dismissal of events. The way Miéville uses Avice's memory, which of course is colored by distance and personal baggage, is quite effective.

Overall, Embassytown by China Miéville is a fascinating science fiction read where the writer throws the reader into his creative world and slowly reveals it through the first half of the book, with some much appreciated literary content in the middle of it all, and lots of action and somewhat expected results through that second half of the book. This science fiction read might not be for everyone, but as with my previous read by this author once begun I certainly couldn't stop reading it until that last page was turned.

Genre: Science Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Released: Del Rey/May 17, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B+

See biography and list of Miéville's books here.

October 2011: New Releases

2011-10-12T19:50:00.001-04:00

Holy great release month! There are lots of books being released this month. I'm looking forward to reading quite a few of them. The list is long and extended.

October 4th alone was a great day for releases. Let's see, here are three books I already have in my possession, although there were a couple of others that I purchased and am not highlighting or decided to get later... one of these books I've already read and reviewed:

Angels of Darkness Anthology with Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn
The Son of Nepture (Heroes of Olympus, #2) by Rick Riordan
Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Upcoming Releases I'm really looking forward to reading:

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt
Release Date: October 18, 2011

Finally, Silence's story in the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt! I'm loving this series and will absolutely read this book as soon as it hits the shelves.

The Famous Heroine/The Plumed Bonnet by Mary Balogh
Release Date: October 25, 2011

This two/fer release by Balogh looks very tempting to me. It's very rare that I miss a release by Mary Balogh, and if I can't find the original books, I will definitely buy this one!

Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl
Release Date: October 25, 2011

This is the third installment in Victoria Dahl's Donovan Brothers Brewery contemporary romance series and another definite read for me. I still have Bad Boys Don't in my TBR, but hope to read it before this one releases. I liked Eric! :)

Holiday Releases
Then there are all the new Holiday books (yes I said Holidays!) that I received for review and that are releasing in October. I always remember that every year there are friends who ask about Christmas or Holiday books, so here are a few new ones. Of the following there are a few that I will be reading and two that I've read or am reading at the moment:

A Texas Christmas with Jodi Thomas
It Happened One Christmas by Kaitlin O'Riley
Season for Temptation by Theresa Romain
Tis the Season To be Sinful by Adrienne Basso
Christmas At Timberwoods by Fern Michaels

Here's one contemporary, and if you like a little heat for your holidays, one erotic romance:

Unwrapped with Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell
Silent Night, Sinful Night with Sharon Page, Melissa MacNeal, Chloe Harris

I had so many new releases this month that I decided to link you to Goodreads for the book descriptions, otherwise the post would have been too long.

So, what about you? What new releases are you looking forward to reading in October?

Review: Angels of Darkness with Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn

2011-10-10T12:39:00.004-04:00

The Angels of Darkness anthology was a must read for me, as it contains stories by three favorite authors, leaving only one new-to-me writer and series in the mix. It's a mixture of urban fantasy and paranormal romance with dark angels, guardians, vampires, and of course good and evil.

Nalini Singh's story Angel's Wolf fits in with her Hunter Guild series, and with its happily ever after it further solidifies my belief that this series is leaning more toward paranormal romance and moving away from urban fantasy. This is a romance between the vampire Noel who in an earlier installment was torn into a bloody pulp at the Refuge, and Nimra the Angel who rules the Louisiana territory.

Noel is assigned to Nimra's court to investigate an attempted assassination by someone close to her and while investigating her closest friends and allies the two fall in love. Noel falls rather quickly for this angel who begins the process of healing his deep psychological wounds, and Nimra is taken with the arrogant and rather forceful Noel. Although we are told that as an Angel Nimra is terrifying, there is really little proof to this claim. Instead Nimra is shown to be a rather sweet and quite human-like angel who needs love and gives love and tenderness to those who are under her care. Noel's character was more daunting in this story. The romance is enjoyable and engaging, but not terribly dark or exciting. Grade B-

Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews is an excellent beginning to a new series by this writing team. I love the world building in this novella with it's touch of science fiction, genetic experimentation and mutations, that allows for travel or ripping between the known universe and pieces of that universe. There's a war with humans unknowingly in the middle and in danger of extermination if the Ordinators win. This is the world that Karina and her daughter Emily are pulled into one sunny day on their way back from a school field trip -- a violent world of monsters, blood and war.

Karina is poisoned and dying when a monster and three men come to the rescue, she's given a choice: die or become a blood slave to the monster and she and her daughter Emily will live. She agrees. This story is full of interesting characters, including Karina whose rather violent and touching relationship with the monster that is Lucas develops as the story moves along. The world, characters and plot are all dark(ish) and rather violent. This is different from the Andrews writing team's two other series but I think it's just as great! I want more. Grade B+

Sharon Shinn's Nocturne, the story of an angel set in her religious-based world of angels, humans and the god Jovah focuses on two wounded souls. I enjoyed the interesting world building, which I think is explained well enough to pique the interest of a new reader like me. Moriah, the daughter of an angel and an angel-seeker is running and hiding from the angels and a powerful lord. She is working at a school tucked away from everything, out in the desert. She feels safe there even after her curiosity takes her to the head mistress house and Corban, a wounded angel. I really wish that the characters in this story had been as interesting as the world itself, but I'm afraid they just didn't work out for me. Corban pitied himself incesantly and I don't understand how Moriah could stand him after a while. And although there's actually a sex scene in this story, there's a sense of detachment to it and to the ending that left me cold. I do wonder, however, if other stories in this series are better. Grade C

Meljean Brook's novella Ascension is set in her Guardian world. I love the fact that Brook didn't waste the pages in this novella, as she develops a romance plus further explains the world building in this paranormal romance series. Marc Revoire is in charge of guarding the Midwest and senses that there's a demon at work in the small town of Riverbend. Radha comes to Riverbend to ensure that Marc is well after she last saw him alone and distraught as Caelum fell to pieces. Centuries ago, Radha and Marc shared a deep friendship but it all fell apart when they became lovers, and Radha hasn't spoken to Marc since. Now the two of them team up to find the demon and in the process work out their relationship.

I liked both characters in this novella and the way they talked through long standing issues that stood in the way of their passionate love for each other. More so, I'm quite happy about the fact that Brook finally explains the reason behind the Ascension that left the Guardians so vulnerable. In explaining his reasoning for staying behind, Marc also explains quite well some of the Rules and how they apply to Guardians -- it clarifies a few points in a simple and direct way. So, although I thought the demon hunting part of the story was a bit weak, this story as a whole worked for me. Grade B

Overall this is a good anthology with one story that really fits the title "Angels of Darkness" quite well, and three where the angels are not so dark. However, the excellent, creative world building found in all four stories makes this anthology worth the read. I enjoyed it.

Category: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Series: See below
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/October 4, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B-

Series:
"Angel's Wolf" (Guild Hunters, #4.5) by Nalini Singh
"Alphas: Origins" (Alphas Series, #0.5) by Ilona Andrews
"Nocturne" (Samaria Series) by Sharon Shinn
"Ascension" (The Guardians, #7.5) by Meljean Brook