Review: Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman

In Vintage: A Ghost Story, Steve Berman writes a chilling tale of ghosts, mixes it with urban myth while capturing Goth youths' subculture, bittersweet first love, teen angst and the small town setting perfectly. A haunting and touching coming-of-age story full of dark humor that encompasses not only the unique struggles of gay teens, but the awkwardness, fears, anxieties and a sense of wonder that all teens can relate to.

The story is told in the first person point of view from our main character's perspective, an unnamed teen. It all begins at midnight on a chilly autumn night on a lonely New Jersey highway. Our young man encounters a gorgeous boy dressed in 50's clothing and after a short conversation the boy seems to just... disappear. This gorgeous apparition dazzles our main character, a shy and insecure young man. He finds out that Josh is an urban myth, the ghost of a young man who died decades ago and has hunted the same stretch of highway ever since. Curiosity, a wish to see beautiful Josh again, and the beginnings of a crush push our character to return the next evening to the lonely highway with his best friend Trace as he hopes for another encounter. He gets his wish... and more. Josh follows him home and our chilling story really begins.

What did I like about this book? It is fast paced, chilling and a real ghost story, no question about it. Josh is not the only ghost to populate this tale and as you can imagine some are nicer than others. There are Ouija boards, an exorcism and a scene in a cemetery that gave me the creeps! There's an offbeat cast of friends who give this story depth and definitely help with the chilling effect -- Second Mike definitely stands out in that respect. Trace, a gorgeous multi-faceted Goth goddess is also a key character in this tale. Liz and Maggie, a young teen lesbian couple, provide a good balance to our main character's personal struggles.

But there's more to Vintage than the chills and thrills. Real-life issues that affect teens are also addressed, some with a light touch and others with a bit more depth. Our cast of characters, from our unnamed young man to his friends, are either plagued by self-consciousness, low self-esteem, peer pressure and/or family issues, as the gay characters have their own added pressures. The social issues and the ghost story are well integrated, as one doesn't overwhelm the other. The characters' struggles and part-resolution become an integral part of the overall speculative urban myth that Berman creates.

Berman's writing style has a lot to do with my enjoyment of this story. Although there are minimal details when it comes to the background and history of the characters themselves, their essence and the most essential part of their past history are captured without lots of unnecessary detail. The same can be said for plotting, the substance is there but it's all done in a precise, sharp and minimalistic style that I enjoyed thoroughly.

Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman is a young adult book originally released in 2007, and re-released through Lethe Press Books. A finalist for the 2008 Andre Norton Award for best young adult speculative fiction by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and in the category of Best Novel for the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards, this is a book that had been on my reading radar for a while and after reading it, I can see why it has received so much attention. I definitely recommend it.

Gender: LGBT YA Horror
Series: None
Source: Lethe Press Books
Grade: B+

Visit Steve Berman here

Book Haul! Some 'Ole Skool' Romance & Other Surprises

I got some of that 'ole skool' romance! Well, actually thanks to fellow Jersyan and blogger Mariana from Hips Like Mine, who was very generous indeed, I was able to replace some oooold favorites I read and gave away a long time ago due to my back and forth cross-country moves, including The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I was also lucky enough to acquire books by some authors whose backlists I've been attempting to collect for a while. The haul is so extensive that I didn't think listing them would be plausible, so I decided to take some pictures instead. 

Johanna Lindsay's Ole Skool Romance

I'm excited about Angel, A Heart So Wild and the five novels from the Malory series. There's the great, the good and the... hmm... in that bunch -- The Pursuit is in there, lol! 

Elizabeth Lowell Mira Contemps, Historicals & Romance Suspense, 

more Lindsays

Julie Garwood Historicals & Romance Suspense, plus Lucy Monroe Contemps

Sooo excited about Ransom, One White Rose & One Pink Rose by Garwood.

Linda Howard Silhouettes and Romance Suspense

I'm excited about ALL the Linda Howard books, specially the Silhouettes! The Cutting Edge, Against the Rules, Come Lie with Me, and I did get another book from the McKenzie series on print (I have the digital copies). 

Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy!

I'm really excited about this one (dying to read it), although it's a fight to see who keeps it, lol! My daughter who went to Mariana's house to help me with the books is challenging me for this book. I missed it on my original list and she said she saw it first, so she might have a point. But, I think I'll win custody of it, although of course generous person that I am, I would let her read it too. Hmmm... we'll see who wins this one. :D

Nora Roberts' original Silhouettes!

This was just pure greed from a Nora fan. I already have these books, but the original Silhouettes? I saw these books, my eyes glazed and I just had to have them. Specially Irish Rebel, one of Nora's first Silhouettes (I'm not quite sure if it was her first?), and The Heart of Devin McKade, my favorite book in the McKade Brothers' series. 

J.D. Robb's In-Death Books!

And except for very few books, tons of In-Death books for my Challenge! Of course, if you notice these are not on my bookshelves and that's because my daughter won custody of them. She's reading them much faster than I am, and frankly there's no room for them on my shelves. So, I'll "borrow" them as I go along.

Thank you Mariana for your time and generosity! Such fun!

Lavyrle Spencer: Morning Glory and Years

After reading and loving The Endearment, last week I decided to read two other Lavyrle Spencer books, Morning Glory and Years. I was not disappointed, they were both gorgeous books.

What I'm finding is that this author excels at both writing a story and at character development -- and I mean central and secondary characters. There's no such thing as an underdeveloped thread in a Lavyrle Spencer book, or a two-dimensional character, although I did find a few stereotypical ones along the way.

Both books are Historical Romance/Americana. Morning Glory is set in Georgia during WW-II and Years in North Dakota during WW-I.

In Morning Glory the male protagonist, an ex-con and murderer, falls in love with a widow who has two children and is pregnant. He is drifting around the country looking for work, but he has a record and times are tough. She has land, two children and is pregnant with no man. She places an ad on the newspaper seeking a husband and he answers. There's a theme to this book where the hero falls in love with the "mother/woman" that was both lovely and unexpected.

In Years the female protagonist is an eighteen year-old young woman who becomes the teacher of a one-room school house to a farming community in North Dakota. This is a May/December story, and in contrast to Morning Glory, the theme is that of the male protagonist falling in love with the "girl/woman." I loved reading these books one after another and experiencing the contrast between the two different themes.

I cannot say enough about Spencer's talent for narration and dialogue, or her inclusion of details (both historical and otherwise). Her characters become real after a while and it's tough to let them go.

Morning Glory and Years are both gorgeous stories with unforgettable characters and settings. Both these books were A reads for me, although I must admit to having a slight preference for Years, but then I'm sucker for May/December stories.

I have other books by Spencer in my "to be read" pile and it's tough not to continue reading her books. I'm torn and don't know which one to pick up next: Twice Loved, Spring Fancy or The Hellion.

What do you Spencer fans suggest?

KMont's 2010 Year of the Historical Challenge

Mini-Impressions: Straight from the Hip & Hot on Her Heels by Susan Mallery

Here are a some Mini-Impressions from my latest reads. I would like to thank both Nath and Tabitha for sending me all four books in this series. :)

Straight from the Hip (Titan Sisters Series, Book 3) by Susan Mallery

First, I read Straight from the Hip, the third book in the Titan Sisters contemporary romance series by Susan Mallery. This was an okay read, but still not great. This is Izzy's story, the dare devil in the family. She was partially blinded during an explosion while working on an oil rig during the last book and is now dealing with the blindness. She wallows for a good part of the book in self-pity and seems to be afraid of everything, something that is surprisingly not like the Izzy we had seen in previous books. The hero in this book is sexy, but guilt-ridden, doesn't think he deserves to be loved and is on a self-punishing trip. A woe-is-me pair. 

Again as in the other books, the dialogue is good in this story and I like the way Mallery writes, but I have a problem liking the characters. Evil brother Garth was still the most intriguing character in this book and I couldn't help but hope that he would stay that way. Grade C

Hot on Her Heels (Titan Sisters Series, Book 4) by Susan Mallery

I decided to just finish the Titan Sisters series by Susan Mallery since I already had the book and went on to read Hot on Her Heels. This is Garth's story, the evil half-brother who has been making every one's life miserable throughout the whole series, and Dana the sisters' girlfriend. This is where Garth and the sisters resolve the conflicts, particularly the "daddy" issues that have been plaguing them all. 

In my opinion this is the best book of the whole series. I really liked Dana. She is tough and direct and even though she had a crappy, abusive childhood, she didn't spend the whole book whining about it or feeling sorry for herself. I also really liked Garth and that was a surprise since he was the villain for most of this series. He is still a cold customer, but an interesting one with different dimensions to him. I like that he's sexy and while he's now likable, he doesn't really lose all his edge. Good ending to an otherwise mediocre series. Grade B

Visit Susan Mallery here. 

Review: Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Series, #4) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds is one of my most anticipated books of the year, and thank all the deities it was not a disappointment. If you're reading the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews then you know this is the fourth book in the series. If you haven't read Magic Bleeds yet, then you better hold on tight and get ready for the ride, believe me it's a great one!

Magic Bleeds begins exactly where Magic Strikes ends, with Kate fixing dinner for Curran and when things don't exactly work out as she expects, getting royally pissed. But as glorious as Kate is in her anger, she manages to control herself, barely. Instead, she takes a call from the Order of Knights of Merciful Aids to investigate a fight and winds up at the Steel Horse where the remnants of a bar room brawl left behind a dead shape shifter and a common decease that has been magically turned into a disgusting plague-like mess! The perpetrator is long gone and Kate is off on a new adventure, and what an adventure it is.

As in the first three books, Andrews doesn't make it easy for Kate as she and her friends take on larger than life mythology based foes. Only this time she'll be delving into ancient Hebrew and Babylonian mythology and scrolls to find her answers and there's family to take into consideration.

But Kate also has to work with the shape shifters throughout her investigation and her relationship with the Beast Lord is more hostile than friendly at the moment. The outcome of that one scene at the beginning of the book sets up Kate and Curran's interactions for the rest of the book, and we're in for a bumpy ride and an explosive outcome when it comes to these two.

Did I love Kate in this book? You bet! Her internal dialogue and reactions when it came to Curran had me rolling on the aisles at times. I do love the way that woman thinks. There has been real growth in Kate's character and that can be seen in Magic Bleeds in spades, although the Kate we first met in Magic Bites is still very much there. Curran is also a huge presence in this book. His reactions to Kate were delicious although I must admit to being surprised at the final outcome to their slow building relationship in this book -- not that I was disappointed or anything, just that it was a tad unexpected.

The crew of recurring secondary characters, Kate's friends and some common foes the shape shifters, the mercenary guild, the necromancers, Andrea and Saiman are back making this story flow. Although I would say that the intriguing Saiman definitely stole every scene where he was included. Some new shifter characters are introduced and through them we get a new perspective into the shape shifter's world.

I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't sure how the Andrews writing team was going to up the ante after Magic Burns and Magic Strikes, but there's no question that they accomplished it with Magic Bleeds. There's absolutely no waste to this book. The multiple threads are weaved and gathered and not one is left hanging, the action is non-stop making the pacing a quick one. The dialogue and character interaction keeps the reader involved from beginning to end and the characterization is outstanding all around.

It's no secret that this is my favorite urban fantasy series and there's a good reason for it, it's an excellent one. I can tell you right now that Magic Bleeds will definitely make it to my top ten favorite books of the year!

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels series (Book 4)
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Grade: A

Visit Ilona Andrews here.

Minis: James Buchanan & Chris Owen

Cheating Chance (Taking the Odds Series #1) by James Buchanan

I finally read Cheating Chance by James Buchanan, a book I've had on my "to be read" pile since last year. Now this book I really liked. The story of Brandon, a cop from Riverside, California who leads a double life and is definitely in the closet, and Nicky, a Nevada Gaming Officer who is very much out in the open with his sexuality, but who's on the rebound after ending a three year relationship.

Brandon and Nicky were incredibly hot from beginning to end. The story is set in both Nevada and California and while the two of them get involved in an investigation, their rocky relationship evolves. I loved the details and research Buchanan used in this book about both Nevada Gaming and police procedure. The characterization is wonderful as are the dialogue and the plotting. This book doesn't have a "happily ever after" (HEA), it has a "happily for now" (HFN) and it works. Expect some light D/s and rope work in this book, as well as sizzling scenes. There's a second book, Inland Empire,where this couple's relationship is further explored and where they continue their adventures, I'll definitely be reading it.

Genre: M/M Suspense/Erotica
Published: MLR Press - July 18, 2008
Series: Taking the Odds, Book #1
Grade: B+

Visit James Buchanan here

Carbon and Ash by Chris Owen

Carbon and Ash is a short story and a re-read by a favorite author, Chris Owen. I must admit Carbon and Ash is the one story I re-read most often by this author. Why?

Myles and Todd are both single fathers who love to spend time with their little boys participating in different types of activities -- little league, camping, cookouts, movies and overnights. Myles and Todd also hang out together after these events and by now they have established a routine. Todd is a single gay parent and Myles is straight and divorced, but when we meet them this routine includes an occasional meeting of the two on the couch where they touch each other as a type of release. Myles doesn't think this means much until they both think about dating other people and their routine is disturbed. Myles begins to realize that maybe his feelings for Todd are not so casual.

So why do I love to re-read this story? It has more than a few of the ingredients I love in a story -- a taste of summer, baseball, family, true friendship, and the meaning of patience and surrender. Who can ask for more in a short story? But for me it's not just the content I love, it's how Owen writes the story. It's how she captures all of the above mentioned with only the necessary detail to deliver a complete story in a few pages.

Genre: M/M Romance (short story)
Series: None
Published: Torquere
Grade: Solid B

Visit Chris Owen here.

Anesthezea's 2010 M/M Romance Challenge

...On Romance of Lust by Anonymous

Romance of Lust or Early Experiences by Anonymous is a Victorian erotic tale published in 1873-1876 in four volumes. It is believed that either William Simpson Potter or Edward Sellon wrote it and it's considered an erotic literary classic. The following is the description for the book:

The novel is told in first person, and the protagonist of the novel is Charlie Roberts. The novel begins with “There were three of us — Mary, Eliza, and myself.” Charlie catalogs his sexual experiences with his governesses, various male and female friends, and acquaintances. The book deals with a variety of sexual activities and taboo subjects.

Interesting finds:

• Use of language and vocabulary

Language and the way it was used made these volumes an unsettling read. The writing flowed and even while describing some of the most erotic or shocking moments in the story the formality of expression used by the writer was often at odds with the subject matter, specially throughout the first two volumes. As the novel progressed and its true focus became clear, the use of erotic terminology deteriorated and became raunchier, however the formality and flow of language remained a constant.

Words most often used: lascivious, libidinous, lubricity, salacious, gamahuche, voluptuousness and debauchery. References to Venus and other Roman and Greek gods and goddesses are used in conjunction with sexual acts and body parts. French, Italian and Latin are used freely, although many of the common names used by Anonymous are still used today. 

• Beauty

As may be supposed, not a bone was to be traced in her upper neck, but all was dazzling in colour and flesh, which is such a beauty in woman. When a woman shows her gaunt collar bones, it is a proof of bad breeding, and a common nature.

• Social commentary

1. Hypocrisy of women and how well they are able to mask their true selves by presenting a false front to society and often to men in general.
2. Society's hypocrisy in general, specially that of the gentry and the aristocracy, i.e., how they are viewed by others vs. how they really are.
3. Husband's selfishness and disregard for their wives sexual needs. Example:

It is these insensate cold-blooded husbands who raise, without satisfying, their wife's erotic passions, and drive them perforce to seek salacious comfort in other arms. 

Controversial finds:

• Taboo subject matter - the above book summary mentions taboo subjects, what it does not mention is that the main taboo subjects addressed in this book are incest and the seduction and deflowering of minors, both males and females. What it doesn't explain when it says "There were three of us, Mary, Eliza and myself" is that Mary and Eliza are Charlie's sisters; or that Charlie is fifteen at the beginning of the book, and his sisters are fourteen and thirteen respectively. Charlie himself is seduced by an adult and later on he takes on and relishes the role of seducer.

1. On the subject of incest through Charlie Roberts, Anonymous writes:

In after-life, I have always found the nearer we are related, the more this idea of incest stimulates our passions, so that if even we be in the wane of life, fresh vigour is imparted by reason of the very fact of our evasion of conventional laws.

Final thoughts:

After reading Romance of Lust or Early Experiences, I will never read a Victorian historical romance where there is a dissolute and corrupt character without thinking of Charlie Roberts. He was portrayed as both and as one who not only relishes but also thrives in corrupting those around him. Charlie has to be the most distasteful character I've ever encountered in a book.

I was able to read the first volume completely and then proceeded to skim through the rest of the volumes, where I basically looked for the information I was interested in finding. The subject matter throughout the rest of the volumes escalated to a point where I could not quite make myself read through the erotic encounters, although I followed Charlie's story through to its unfortunate end.

This is an erotic fantasy, not to my taste and definitely out of my comfort zone, yet in reading it I still found some things that interested me, those few glimpses into Victorian society were definitely a draw for me. The use of language and vocabulary, their idea of what constituted beauty and the social commentary about the times that were included in these volumes made an otherwise uncomfortable and unsettling read, interesting. I would like to conclude by saying that if the writer's purpose was to shock his audience at the time these volumes were published, I'm quite sure he succeeded.

What am I reading? Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman

Yes, at this moment I'm reading Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman. This is a GLTB young adult speculative fiction book from Lethe Press Books. Here's the blurb and some information:

In a small New Jersey town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face youthful dreams and childish fears. With a cast of offbeat friends, antiques, and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love.

Vintage was finalist for the 2008 Andre Norton Award for best young adult speculative fiction by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and in the category of Best Novel for the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards!

I've been looking forward to reading this book. It's set in my home state of New Jersey and I've heard great things about it. Also, it just so happens that in New Jersey there are quite a few legends and myths about ghosts, weird happenings and of course the (in)famous New Jersey devil, so I'm looking forward to experiencing a few speculative thrills and chills along the way.

What are you reading right now, at this moment? Are you reading something new and interesting or something old and comfortable?

ETA: Read review here.

Review: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

Helen Fitzwilliam has been mistress to the Duke of Lister since age seventeen, and they have two illegitimate children from this relationship, Abigail and Jamie. After years of living in fear, neglect and humiliation, Helen finally finds the courage to take her children and run away from the Duke. With a letter of reference, two bags of clothing, and using false identities, Helen and her children need a place to hide and find themselves in a desperate situation.

Sir Alistair Munroe, a renowned naturalist, has been residing at Castle Greaves as a recluse for five years with one servant as company. He decided to spare society the sight of his horribly scarred face after returning from a three-year journey in the Colonies where he was a victim of terrible torture during the Spinners Falls massacre. There's no question from Hoyt's physical description of Sir Alistair that he is not a sight easy to behold.

On a dark and stormy night, Helen and her children arrive at Castle Greaves in Scotland where she plans on becoming Sir Alistair Munroe's housekeeper. During their initial meeting, Helen is left speechless by Sir Alistair's appearance and rudeness. He doesn't expect anything different from her -- this beautiful woman and unsolicited housekeeper who just shows up at his doorstep. However, due to her desperate circumstances, Helen has no choice but to straighten her shoulders and go forth with her plans, if nothing else for her children's sake.

Alistair and Helen's initial interactions are both highly amusing and sad. Alistair doesn't want a housekeeper, least of all a beautiful one with children -- a lady who is obviously running away from a man and whose children are scared of his scars, an obvious reminder of what he lost. Helen doesn't really want to stay in the dirty, old castle with a beast of a man who is too uncivilized for words and scares her children. The work needed to bring everything up to acceptable standards alone is overwhelming. However she has been left with no choice and in her desperation Helen shows not only courage, but also ingenuity and perseverance. Her perseverance wins the day.

What is it about this book that I enjoyed so much? In re-reading it, I'll say that the answer to that question is that this story is about second chances.

Helen made a terrible mistake as a young woman and became mistress to the Duke of Lister. She had two children with this cold man who thinks of her and her children as no more than possessions. Yet after all those years instead of giving up on herself, she has the courage to leave and to think that she is worth more. She makes her own choices and even after she finds real love Helen stands up for what she wants. In Helen, Hoyt creates a female protagonist who erred, but who found the courage to look for that second chance at life and love.

But there's a second chance for Sir Alistair also. Alistair has no hope for a future due to the way society views his scarred face. He is lonely and has given up on having a life outside of his castle and profession. He doesn't dare hope for a family or love, but on meeting Helen, Alistair has the chance to have both and he flourishes.

I love seeing how Alistair slowly becomes less aware of his scars around Helen and the children and becomes the passionate man who needs her. The way he becomes more of a teacher and a mentor to the children, and eventually their protector, savior, hero and father figure, even though his is the face of a villain. In this story, not only do Alistair and Helen get their second chance at life, but they also provide a second chance for the children to have a family and happiness.

The outside conflicts in this story were resolved rather simply and quickly. To Beguile a Beast is mainly focused on the couple, Abigail and Jamie and everything else is really more of a background story. The Duke of Lister and his pursuit of Helen are used as a catalyst, but don't really take much page time. The ongoing mystery of who was the traitor at Spinners Falls is very much in the periphery, although there's a bit of speculation and set up at the end for the next book.

To Beguile a Beast is not a perfect book by any means. Besides the above mentioned, the secondary characters are glossed over and some of them, as in the Duke of Lister, are two-dimensional, while the main characters are well developed. However, there is something about Helen, Sir Alistair and the children that reached me the first time I read this book and during this re-read. I think it's definitely those second chances at life and love.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 3
Release Date: May 1, 2009
Grade - Original Review: A-
Re-read Grade: B

Nath's 2010 Re-read Challenge - May Read Review