Review: One Season of Sunshine by Julia London

Adopted as an infant, Jane Aaron longs to know the identity of her birth mother and why she gave her up. Her only clue is the name of the small Texas town where she was born, so she’s come to Cedar Springs for answers.

Handsome ad executive Asher Price lost his wife, the beautiful, mysterious Susanna, in a terrible car crash eighteen months ago. When he hires Jane as the nanny for his two children, sparks fly. Jane finds herself falling in love with both Asher and his children, but begins to suspect that Susanna was not the perfect mother and wife the family portrays her to have been.

As Jane gets closer and closer to finding out the truth about both her own and Susanna’s past, devastating secrets begin to emerge that may be more than anyone can bear. Will the truth bring Jane and Asher closer together or tear them apart forever?

One Season of Sunshine by Julia London is supposed to be a contemporary romance, and in many ways it is, but there's more to it. I would say this book is a combination women's fiction/contemporary romance.

Jane is a 30-year-old woman who was adopted at birth and is driven to find her birth mother. She has a great life -- a wonderful, loving family, a great career as a teacher, and a loving boyfriend in Jeremy. Yet she leaves it all behind and moves to Cedar Springs, the small town where she was born, to find out who she really is. Jane can't seem to move on with her life until she uncovers that piece of her that seems to be missing. After her move to Cedar Springs, Jane lands a temporary job working for Asher Price as a live-in nanny to his two children, Riley a 12-year-old girl and Adam a 5-year-old boy. The children lost their mother Susanna in a terrifying car accident and Asher owns a business that demands much of his time. He leads a life full of guilt and loneliness. Things progress from there.

This is an all around difficult story with likable and not-so-likable characters. London is actually quite ambitious in her exploration of serious subjects in this book: adoption, death of a spouse, bipolar disorder, guilt-ridden father, traumatized children, dysfunctional families and a romance to tie it all up. First we have Jane, whose sole purpose seems to be "finding herself" no matter the cost. She is portrayed as a woman who at times seems lost, ambivalent and often self-centered while on her quest. Throughout her journey Jane knowingly hurts the people who love her, and while her needs are understandable, her actions are often questionable.

We then have Asher, his traumatized children and his marriage to Susanna. All three are key to this story as are the characters. Asher is portrayed as a man who adores his children but who is pulled in all different directions due to his business commitments. He carries more baggage than an Airline on an overbooked flight. Asher feels guilt because he can't be there with his children who are obviously traumatized by their mother's death and his continued absence, he is lonely and depressed after a horrible and unsatisfactory marriage, and he's surrounded by self-centered people who are detrimental to his children's welfare. There are a lot of toxic people surrounding this family.

Susanna, although dead, is definitely a big part of this story. Through her character, London explores the long-term effects that bipolar disorder has on the family. The children, especially Riley whose character is well defined in this book, are featured prominently and their problems are well integrated both with the overall story and the romance.

Frankly I didn't know how Jane and Asher were going to work things out until the end. The romance between them took a while to get going, although the attraction was there from the beginning. The romance itself worked for me on some levels because London didn't give these flawed characters an easy romance or an easily obtained happily ever after.

One Season of Sunshine turned out to be one of those books full of flawed characters, questionable actions and complex subjects, yet I read it in one sitting and became invested in both the story and the characters. I wanted to know what happened to them all and once I finished the book they stayed with me for a while -- that was unexpected. Definitely an interesting read.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: None
Released: June 29, 2010
Grade: B

Visit Julia London here.

Mini: Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry

This was a category romance with the friends-to-lovers trope, a favorite trope and a triangle -- not a favorite romance device for me -- so this was a mixed bag. I'm really loving Mayberry's writing and in some ways this was no exception -- she puts together a good book in a few pages.

Quinn and Amy have known each other since they were born -- neighbors in a small Australian town. Amy develops a crush on Quinn at age 14 and she's pretty sure he feels the same way until Lisa moves to town. Lisa becomes their friend and she and Quinn become high school sweethearts and eventually marry. Amy spends 16 years secretly in love with Quinn, her friend Lisa's boyfriend and then husband. It's so uncomfortable and painful for her that she decides to distance herself from her best friends. A year after Quinn and Lisa separate and while they're going through a divorce, Quinn returns to town to help Amy achieve her dream and things change. Quinn is definitely attracted to Amy but things get complicated when Lisa comes back to town.

I liked the main characters and Mayberry again fleshes out her characters and the story. I enjoyed Amy and Quinn's rediscovering their friendship and going from friends to lovers. As always with a Mayberry book, there's sexual tension and build-up and she knows how to write those sensual scenes.

However, although there's no question that Quinn had deep feelings of friendship and then lust for Amy, I did have a tough time buying the true love part of it all -- the "you are the love of my life" and "I want to marry you" love. I don't know... I wasn't quite sold on that. For me, it had a lot to do with the length of time Quinn was involved with Lisa, and the fact that he didn't give Amy a second thought in all that time -- that pesky triangle. The timeline used to develop Amy and Quinn's romance was also a factor.

Although I enjoyed some aspects of the story, first my reservations about Quinn's feelings took away some of that enjoyment, and later Lisa's return and actions gave Her Best Friend a sense of predictability that made this read a mixed bag for me.

Genre: Super Romance/Contemporary
Series: None
Release Date: April 13, 2010 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B-

Visit Sarah Mayberry here

Review: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day

R.W. Day's beautiful prose, characterization, the post-apocalyptic fantasy world she created and the young adult, coming-of-age story in A Strong and Sudden Thaw caught both my attention and imagination from page one and I couldn't put the book down until it was done.

Approximately one hundred years after the Ice nearly ended civilization, the people of Moline, Virginia are still recovering from the catastrophe. The cold and snow still plague the north, but Virginia is a place where people can live, if not thrive. In some respects there's a regressive quality to life in Moline, as the people lead a life comparable to that lived in early 1800's America, with no electricity or running water, a one-room school house, a healer instead of a doctor, and the communing having adopted hardworking and god-fearing conservative values that at first glance seem quite familiar, but that later are revealed to be reactionary and extreme.

Using a beautiful narrative voice I fell in love with, A Strong and Sudden Thaw is told from David Anderson's point of view. David is the son of a Moline farmer and almost 17 years old. In Day's world, as in olden times, when David turns 18 he'll be considered a man in his community. When we first meet him, he's conflicted about his future and his straitlaced mother's plans to marry him off to the schoolteacher's daughter. David is part of a beautiful family -- all of them key secondary characters that complete this story.

David meets the new healer's assistant, Callan Landers, during a visit to the healer's house and they forge a bond through their love of reading and books. As the friendship grows, David slowly begins to feel a confusing attraction for Callan. During one of his visits to Callan, while accompanied by Elmer, a combination town bully and liar, he's shocked when he surprises the local artist, Taylor, performing oral sex on Callan. Elmer immediately runs to the authorities and Taylor and Callan are arrested for sodomy.

Following a painful trial, Callan is paroled with the condition that he will have no further personal contact with David. This is where David's loyalty and strength of character come to the forefront and we begin to see real character growth. He finds ways to see his friend Callan, and during this time both discover their love for each other. But a relationship between them is dangerous, if not impossible, and as they face dangerous situations and self-doubts, they also discover other sinister events that will have a profound effect on the people of Moline and their surroundings.

David is a well-defined central character. The reader follows David as he struggles to discover his strengths and becomes who he wants to be, an honest, independent-thinking David. Callan is also a well-drawn character, although as seen from David's point of view he doesn't come across as clearly defined. Besides David's family, Day develops other secondary characters within Moline's community to give this story depth.

Although R.W. Day maintains the focus of the story on David and Callan, there's a lot more to this book. The people of Moline are dealing with different threats: a pair of dragons have mysteriously appeared and are killing livestock and small children; the local representative from the Department of Reintroduction and Agriculture denies the existence of the dragons and refuses to help; and a neighboring town is suddenly abandoned without explanation. Day integrates all these threads, including Callan's sodomy arrest and trial, to create a cohesive story.

A Strong and Sudden Thaw was a page-turner full of adventure and one that drew deep, conflicting emotions as the author swept me to the end and a partial resolution to the conflicts. Although those resolutions are satisfactory, it is obvious that there will be a continuation to the overall story arc. The sequel Out of the Ashes will be releasing soon and I personally can't wait to read it.

Genre: LGBT YA Sci-Fi Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
Sequel: Out of the Ashes (coming soon)
Re-released:  January 30, 2009 by Lethe Press
Grade: A-

Visit R.W. Day here.

July 2010 Reads + Two Minis

Was July the longest month of the year so far or is it me? Maybe the torturous heat, haze and humidity that came along with the sunshine had something to do with it. I had lots of distractions this month, after all it is summer and even with the over-the-top heat, there were gatherings and events to attend. Nice! As a result of all the activity, I've been reading -- indoors and outdoors -- but I'm still behind on my reviews. I think the sun fried my reviewing mojo! Or at least slowed it down, lol.

July was a great reading month for me quality-wise. I read 6 new releases this month and I'm happy to report none of them were huge disappointments, in fact they were all enjoyable. Here's my summary of reads for the month:

Total books read in July: 15  (Click here to see full list of books read & grades)

My favorite reads of the month?

• Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas: A-
• A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day: A- (Upcoming Review)
• Demon Blood by Meljean Brook: B+
• Caught Running by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux: B+ 

I really liked this book! A book with tons of head hopping going on... back and forth... that I didn't seem to mind, why? Well, Jake and Brandon are great characters and theirs is a wonderful story, it's that simple. Jake's the high school P.E. teacher, baseball and football coach and Brandon is the science teacher. They went to high school together and one was the jock and the other the nerd, so there's a history there. I love the way Jake and Brandon get together -- neither is what you would expect. Urban and Roux did not give this couple "magic gaydar" so the friendship and attraction develops before the hotness begins. Both characters are likable, although Jake is definitely a favorite with me. This is an M/M book that, although flawed, is already a favorite and will go on my list of comfort reads. Great story and characters, both central and secondary -- added bonus, baseball! Thanks to Tracy, Mariana and AA for recommending it. ;P  

My biggest disappointment?

• Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville: B-

I had high expectations for this book, and in my opinion that can be a recipe for disaster. In this case, I found Zero at the Bone had many good qualities to recommend it and not all my expectations were dashed -- good action, love, angst galore and good character development -- so it wasn't a great disaster, but still... a disappointment. The uneven/choppy pacing that yanked me out of the story more than once, a character whose personality got on my nerves the more I read the book, and an ending that was not only never-ending, but that seemed out of place, awkward and ambivalent, frustrated me to no end. Endings can make or break a book for me, and unfortunately this ending spoiled a lot of what I did enjoy.

Anezthezea's 2010 M/M Romance Challenge 

What about you? How did your reading month go? Any favorites?

New August 2010 Releases I Can't Wait to Read!

Well, this has been one hot summer, the temperatures have been scorching and the hot new releases just keep coming. In July, I chose six new releases I couldn't wait to read and thankfully most of them were great reads! I did miss highlighting two must reads for me last month, Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley and A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James, both historical romances.

In August, there are six new releases I'm looking forward to reading. I've already read and enjoyed one of them, Sureblood by Susan Grant, a sci-fi romance, so that leaves five. Here are the summaries and release dates for all of them:

Sureblood by Susan Grant
Release Date: August 1, 2010
 (Review here)

Five years ago rival space pirate captains Val Blue and Dake Sureblood stole one incredible night together. But their brief, passionate history ended with the assassination of Val's father and the condemnation of Dake's clan. Now Val struggles to prove her mettle—to herself and to the dissenters amid her own people. Every successful raid is a boot heel ground into the burning memory of Dake Sureblood—and their secret son is a constant reminder of their shared past….

Ambushed and captured before he can clear his name, Dake Sureblood returns from a hell like no other to expose the true killer of Val's father. But as the identity of their enemy becomes chillingly clear, the former lovers must put aside their mistrust and join forces to protect their clans and their precious son.

**********

Burning Up Anthology
Release Date: August 3, 2010

Bring these four authors together and it's sure to ignite a spark...

Angela Knight pairs a vampire warrior and his seductive captor in a battle against demonic predators.

Nalini Singh returns to the world of her Psy-Changeling series as a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector-and lover.

Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in her story of a wounded soldier rescued by an enigmatic young woman.

Meljean Brook launches a bold new steampunk series about a woman who strikes a provocative-and terrifying-bargain for freedom.

**********

Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale
Release Date: August 15, 2010

Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements.

But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions.

However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a Dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors of forbidden seductions, murder and damnation. His enemies are many and any one of his secrets could not only end his life but Kiram's as well.

**********

Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark Series,#8)by Kresley Cole
Release Date: August 24, 2010

A DANGEROUS DEMON SHE CAN’T RESIST . . .
Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he’s pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A MADDENING WITCH HE ACHES TO CLAIM . . .
Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

TRAPPED TOGETHER IN A SAVAGE PRISON . . .
In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

**********

Sin Undone (Demonica Series, #5) by Larissa Ione
Release Date: August 24, 2010

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN'T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

**********

Burning Up by Susan Andersen
Release Date: August 31, 2010

Though it's been years since the infamous Macy O'James stepped foot in Sugarville, Washington, everyone remembers what she supposedly did. The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment.

Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate enough sparks to burn down the town, he's a law-abiding, line-toeing straight arrow. So not her type.

But maybe—just maybe—he can change her mind about that.

Poetry: Love Sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett-Browning (March 6, 1806 – June 29, 1861) was one of the most prominent English poets of the Victorian era. She was contemporary to such well-known poets as Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Woodsworth and the man who would later become her husband Robert Browning.

Elizabeth was born in County Durham, England. She was allowed to attend lessons with her brother's tutors and later became a highly educated woman, mostly through her own efforts. At age 20 her health was weakened by an undiagnosed illness of the lungs that quickly made her an invalid and plagued her for the rest of her life -- an illness that led to a life-long addiction to opiates.

Her early works were published from 1820 - 1844, beginning with The Battle of Marathon: A Poem and ending with Poems, a highly acclaimed and well-received book of poetry published in Britain and the United States.  Later in life, Elizabeth's writing was influenced by social issues affecting her times, including women's roles in Victorian society. This influence can be found in Casa Guidi Widows (1848-1851) and Poems Before Congress (1860) where she took a stand against social injustice, including slavery, child labor, and anti-government subversive movements in Italy. Her poetry writing style influenced American poets Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson.

Though Elizabeth was an accomplished poet and had what was considered a good body of work before she met Robert Browning, and she later wrote socially conscious works, including her well-known verse novel, Aurora Leigh (1857), she is best remembered for "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850). These are a series of love sonnets Elizabeth wrote while Robert courted her. 

Today I've decided to share two of these sonnets with you. These are both popular, well-known and beloved by many (especially Sonnet No. 43). I hope you enjoy them.

Sonnet No. 14: "If thou must love me, let it be for nought"

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

Except for love's sake only. Do not say

"I love her for her smile... her look... her way

Of speaking gently, for a trick of thought

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought

A sense of ease on such a day"

For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may

Be changed, or change for thee, and love, so wrought,

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheek dry,

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

But love me for love's sake, that evermore

Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷

Sonnet No. 43: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Review: Demon Blood (Guardian Series, #6) by Meljean Brook

Long before she was transformed into a Guardian and trained to fight demons, Rosalia knew darkness all too well. Raised by a demon, Rosalia learned to guard her heart—and her soul—until she found a man worthy of her love. Once, she thought that man would be the powerful vampire, Deacon…until he betrayed the Guardians.

After losing everything to the lies of a demon, Deacon lives only for revenge—and is taken aback when Rosalia offers to help. A vampire who has nothing—who is nothing—isn’t worthy of her attention. But Rosalia wants to do more than just look, and the explosive need between them can’t be held in check. And when Deacon’s vengeful quest creates a dangerous alliance of their enemies, she will be his only hope…

Well... and my love for Meljean Brook's Guardian series continues. I loved the last book in the series, Demon Forged, where the overall storyarc moved forward quite spectacularly. In Demon Blood, Brook slows down the pace and focuses the story on the central couple's romance. Rosalia and Deacon turned out to be a great couple and I loved their story.

As in all the Guardian series installments, the plot in this book is quite involved. Brook develops the romance as Rosalia and Deacon agree to go after a group of Belial's demons that are infiltrating Europe's vampire communities in an attempt to exterminate them. They work as a team and in the process discover a more sinister plot involving Anaria and the nephilim. In the meantime, Taylor is not adapting well to sharing her body with Michael's consciousness. There are some horror-like moments as the dual personalities inside Taylor fight for control. I was happy with the way things ended because quite frankly for a while there Michael was not in my good books.

Throughout the centuries as a Guardian, Rosalia's spends her time among humans and vampires, not Guardians, and as a result she often pushes boundaries and comes close to crossing lines. Initially Rosalia seems to be a straightforward woman with a plan, instead she turns out to be a strong, complex character. More than once I thought her actions throughout this story were questionable, if not downright rule-breakers for Guardians. Her capacity for love and sacrifice are immeasurable. However, she's no sacrificial lamb, she's the type of woman who takes action and does whatever becomes necessary for those she loves. A strategic genius, Rosalia has great talent for manipulation and she uses that talent to her advantage. The more I read Demon Blood, the more I liked Rosalia.

As for Deacon, well... I liked him as soon as he was introduced. Though he initially appears complex, unlike Rosalia, his is a more straightforward character. Deacon is a vampire who loses everything -- his loved ones, his reputation and his self-esteem -- survives, and has nothing left to lose but his life. His plan is to take revenge against the demons that exterminated his family and lovers, or to take as many of them with him as he can before he dies. As far as he's concerned, no matter his positive actions in the past or the present, the fact that he failed to save his community makes him unworthy of love or admiration. Deacon wasn't counting on Rosalia.

My first impression of Demon Blood was that the story was all about the love. Rosalia and Deacon's love for their communities, love for the human race, love for vampire communities, mother love, and love for each other -- and of course sacrifice. Both characters, but particularly Rosalia, are willing to sacrifice a lot for those they love. But don't get me wrong, it's not all about love and sacrifice, this story is also quite sexy! Meljean Brook knows how to create sexual tension and chemistry between the couples and there's plenty of that going on in Demon Blood, as well as some sizzling hot sexual scenes between Rosalia and Deacon.

By the end, my qualms about Rosalia's questionable actions and how they affected Brook's worldbuilding were pacified and I was content with the resolution to the overall storyarc, although I do wonder what will happen with Anaria now, but we'll see how that plays out in future installments. I loved both the romance and the characterization in Demon Blood, and as always I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Guardian Series, Book 6
Release Date: July 6, 2010
Grade: B+

Visit Meljean Brook here.

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (Re-read)

This was actually an unplanned re-read. :) My husband asked me some questions about the end of this series and having read this book in 2007 when it first released, I remembered the overall plot but the details escaped me. I began skimming the book looking for the answers he wanted and when I couldn't find them... well... I got caught up and re-read the whole book! Definitely not planned since this book is 759 pages long! But, I'm glad I re-read it, now I'm ready for the upcoming movies and the details are fresh again. :D

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is the last book of J.K. Rowling's amazing YA Fantasy series and although it is the one with all the answers and it provides an incredible finish, it is not necessarily my favorite.

The story picks up right as Harry is about to turn seventeen and the protection spell that has been keeping him safe throughout the years is about to expire. A rush by the Order of the Phoenix to keep him out of the hands of the Death Eaters and away from Voldermort is on... and the book begins with a bang! Lots of action, permanent changes and more losses for Harry.

As the powers of the Dark Lord gain strength so does his power over the Ministry of Magic, life deteriorates for the general population and specially for Harry's friends and the Order of the Phoenix. Muggles, muggle born magicians and their friends are particularly in danger and begin to disappear. In the meantime, Harry, Ron and Hermione stick to Dumbledore's plan to continue searching for Horcruxes in an attempt to weaken and destroy you-know-who. Terrible stories and rumors about Dumbledore and his family circulate and Harry begins to doubt Dumbledore's real intentions, his love and true character.

Once the three friends are forced to leave on their journey, the story meanders with Harry, Ron and Hermione going from pillar to post trying to figure out things without much success. Of course, everything they do and the little they do find out has a purpose and eventually it all makes sense and becomes part of the big puzzle, but in the meantime the whole process slows down the pacing in this story to a crawl. At this point, the book becomes a tough read for quite a while and this is a long book... but once you get past that, the fun begins again. I do recommend that during this slow time, even when tempted, you not skim because you'll miss important details as Harry chooses between what is right and what is easy once the Deathly Hallows come to light.

The pace picks up during the second part of the book as the pieces of the puzzle begin falling into place. This is a re-read for me, and it still amazes me how Rowling ties up so many threads and uses seemingly insignificant details from all the books in this series to come up with the final answers. I must admit to being a bit disconcerted about those answers in the end. They were quite "brilliant" actually... brilliant in their simplicity and always there, really. But I know I didn't figure out those answers until I read them, and that I really appreciated.

What else did I love about the book? The characterization. How can I not appreciate character growth and development? I figure when you feel as if you know characters inside out by the end of a series, that's great development and that happens with more than just the central characters in this series -- Dumbledore and Severus Snape are great examples. Secondary characters are so incredibly important to this series' great success. In this book, Neville is also one of those minor characters whose growth I most noticed and appreciated. He is such a key character and one I think is often overlooked.

The second part of the book is action packed, there's a great battle with sad losses and great victories, all of it quite spectacular. In the end I couldn't help but feel for Harry... all those losses and all that sacrifice along the way from childhood to young adulthood. I wanted happiness, peace, love and a family for him, he deserved that and more. Rawling does give the reader a glimpse into Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's futures that I found sweet and a little nostalgic. A classic young adult series, no question about it. Brilliant!

Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: Harry Potter Series, Book 7
Released: July 2007
Grade: B

Nath's 2010 Re-read Challenge
Orannia's 2010 Big Book Challenge

Favorite Harry Potter books:

• Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Quotes & Thoughts: Summer, Baseball and Steve Kluger

Summer! For me, summer is nothing without the game of baseball.

I don't usually blog about sports, although I'm a huge sports fan, and baseball is my all-time favorite sport. There's nothing like a hot, lazy Sunday afternoon baseball game. I prefer looong games during sunny days and weather I'm watching them on television or at the ballpark, alone or with lots of company, it doesn't matter to me it's still heaven.

I love to read a good book with the sounds of a baseball game as background. I'm a bit (a lot) superstitious, and when my favorite team is playing and working on a win or a comeback, there are times when I'll look up from my book ONLY after that hit, home run, or strikeout happens -- and of course I won't remember what I was reading because I'm really paying attention to the game. My heart beats a mile a minute, and it's both an agony and a pleasure!

As a reader and a sports lover, it's interesting that I rarely mix the two. But recently, I've read a few books that integrate the game of baseball. Of those books, it is not surprising that the two that truly stand out are Steve Kluger's Almost Like Being in Love and Last Days of Summer. Why? Mr. Kluger obviously has a deep understanding of the game, and it seems as if he finds a way to integrate baseball into all his stories in one way or another. I have his entire backlist in my TBR, although I haven't yet read them all. Actually, Mr. Kluger is a Boston Red Sox fanatic, (see his website), so you know I must really love his writing... because well.. I happen to be a Yankees fan, and if you follow baseball you know what that means -- lots of rivalry there to put it mildly. ;P

In Almost Like Being in Love, a GLTB romance, one of Kluger's characters Craig (a jock) influences the other, Travis (a nerd), to the point where Travis lives his life while relating everything to baseball and its rules. He becomes a history professor at USC, and even there Travis relates history to baseball. I loved it! I think one of my initial thoughts and comments when I read this book was: "I'll never think about Alexander Hamilton again without thinking about baseball. Ever!"

Here's an example so you can see what I mean:

University of Southern California
Semester: 1998 From: Travis Pucket  Class: American History 206

BOOK PROPOSAL
"Alexander Hamilton and the Designated Hitter"

Issue: Once we'd won our independence from the Crown, how were we going to set up house?

Objective: Proving that baseball and the United States Constitution were founded on the same set of rules, as outlined in The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton.

Argument: (extract)... If it hadn't been for the fact that conservative rich guy Thomas Jefferson (National League) and free-wheeling loud-mouth Alexander Hamilton (American League) detested one another on sight, the Founding Fathers might never have stumbled upon the same secret the populace had discovered years earlier on a rounders field: the dynamic upon which to build a true democracy and, incidentally, a Boston Red Sox legacy as well.*

*See, Carlton Fisk's home run off of Pat Darcy on October 21, 1975.
("We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.")

In Last Days of Summer, Kluger uses a combination of fiction and history when it comes to baseball. Set in New York during WW II and featuring the New York Giants as the central team, the story is chuck-full of baseball lore and references. Kluger's love of the game is more than evident in this gorgeous story about a rough, well-known baseball player and a smart-aleck(y), adventurous boy whose determination becomes legendary. Of course setting the story in New York City, Kluger also features "dem bums" the Brooklyn Dodgers as the Giants' main competitors, and of course the New York Yankees, although interestingly enough for the most part he seems to gloss over the Yanks... hmmm... I wonder why? [grin].

This book is not only a gorgeous read for all the reasons I detailed on my review, but if you're a baseball fan and a lover of its history, then it's just fun. If you (like me) can get lost researching stats, confirming exactly where Kluger uses fictional information and/or where he uses baseball history, then you can definitely have some fun with this book. As I mentioned, I'm a bit of a baseball freak (geek), so I've had tons of fun (and I'm not done yet) going through some of the stats, names and information Kluger uses in this book.

Of the historical baseball facts Kluger uses in Last Days of Summer, I'm going to highlight a favorite (my choice should not be a surprise -- my husband who's a diehard Dodgers fan didn't love my choice... oh well!). It is a newspaper-like article and stats page (pages 192 & 193) from Game 4 of the 1941 World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees:

Dodgers Snatch Defeat
From Jaws of Victory

Game 4 Upset When
Mickey Owen Drops Strike 3

(excerpt)... Brooklyn hurler Hugh Casey let loose with a perfect breaking curve to Yankee right fielder Tommy Henrich, who sung on strike three -- and whiffed. And that should have been the ball game. But the Brooks' usually topflight catcher Mickey Owen had other ideas when he missed the ball entirely -- and by the time he'd retrieved it from the Dodger dugout, Henrich had made himself at home on first. But that was only the beginning....

Yankees went on to win Game 4 by a score of 7-4 and the 1941 World Series. Hmmm... Charlie and Joey were NOT happy and of course they disagree as to what reaaaally happened, an argument that goes on between the two throughout the whole book. I love this story... just love it.

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And of course since Carlton Fisk was mentioned above and bringing this post around to current events, I just HAVE to mention Jorge Posada! The current Yankees catcher who reached 1,000 RBI yesterday, having played 1,660 games throughout his career (NYY 1995 to present).

With that 1,000 hit, he joined an amazing group of catchers: Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk* and Ivan Rodriguez as the only catchers in Major League Baseball history to hit 250 home runs, 350 doubles and a record 1,000 RBI. You go Jorgie!

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So what's your favorite sport? Do you have one? Any favorite sports (or baseball) related books that you would recommend?

ETA: Other recently read baseball related books:

• Double Play by Jill Shalvis
• Carbon and Ash by Chris Owen
• Caught Running by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux