Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, # 1)

by Lian Hearn

The debut novel of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor, is set in a feudal Japan on the edge of the imagination. The tale begins with young Takeo, a member of a subversive and persecuted religious group, who returns home to find his village in flames. He is saved, not by coincidence, by the swords of Lord Otori Shigeru and thrust into a world of warlords, feuding clans, and political scheming. As Lord Otori's ward, he discovers he is a member by birth of the shadowy "Tribe," a mysterious group of assassins with supernatural abilities.

The Otori series was literally thrust into my hands by a friend. I was intrigued by the premise, but not necessarily eager to start Across the Nightingale Floor. However, I was soon captivated by Hearn's Japan, Takeo's potential and Shigeru's mystery.

I enjoyed this book immensely and, although Takeo was an almost flawless protagonist, fell in love with him immediately and really wanted him to succeed. I was also rooting for Kaede and Takeo's romance to work out. The plot was fantastic and I think Hearn wove the story together beautifully. There were many sides to this book, as there were many dimensions to the characters.

There are things about this book, both good and bad, that I'd like to expound on, but my overall impression is simple: Across the Nightingale Floor was a stand alone book that definitely made me eager to dig into the sequel.

The Ghosts

by Antonia Barber

When Lucy sat in the attic, she thought she heard the sound of voices calling...

That's when she started to believe the rumors in the village that the old house was haunted. But no ghosts appeared - until the day Lucy and her brother Janie stood in the garden and watched two pale figures, a girl and a boy, coming toward them. That was the beginning of a strange and dangerous friendship between Lucy and Jamie and two children who had died a century before. The ghost children desperately needed their help. But would Lucy and Jamie have the courage to venture into the past - and change the terrible events that had led to murder?

My sister owned a copy of this book at one time and I remember reading it when I was a young adolescent and thinking it was the bees knees of murder mystery novels, a genre I've never really gotten into, with the exception of a brief initiation into the world of Nancy Drew. For the last year or two I've occasionally thought of this book and have tried to track it down with only that old edition cover art to go on. A couple of months ago I was finally met with success on Amazon.com and waited in great anticipation for my find to arrive.

I have to say, the book failed to live up to my memory of it. Not that it was a crappy book, I guess I was just expecting the Juvenile Fiction story that my juvenile self read to grow with me into adulthood. That being said, I did enjoy the book. Barber created a beautiful ghost story, full of missed opportunities, heartache and regrets. The four children each have very distinct personalities that add immense dimension to the plot. The adults in the book provide an interesting foil for those personalities; the reader, if looking, is able to see the children's innocence and the adults manipulative, self-serving side-by-side, as well as those characteristics that will, inevitably, turn that innocence into those, if less malevolent, more adult qualities.

The writing is simple and genuine. The story is well developed, although I will say it might have been rushed just a little. There are many strands of plot that are all feeding into the main story, creating the mystery, and Barber could have taken just a little more time to go into some of those sub-plots and motivations. I liked the way Lucy and Jamie were able to enter Sara and her brother's world, feeling how they felt as ghosts.

The Ghosts really is a good, quick read and I know this is one I will pick up off my bookshelf every now and then to peruse again.

The Shape of Mercy

by Susan Meissner

“We understand what we want to understand.” Leaving a life of privilege to strike out on her own, Lauren Durough breaks with convention and her family’s expectations by choosing a state college over Stanford and earning her own income over accepting her ample monthly allowance. She takes a part-time job from 83-year-old librarian Abigail Boyles, who asks Lauren to transcribe the journal entries of her ancestor Mercy Hayworth, a victim of the Salem witch trials.

Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. As the fervor around the witch accusations increases, Mercy becomes trapped in the worldview of the day, unable to fight the overwhelming influence of snap judgments and superstition, and Lauren realizes that the secrets of Mercy’s story extend beyond the pages of her diary, living on in the mysterious, embittered Abigail.

The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?

I am incredibly remiss that it's taken me so long to get to this review. I obviously have a hard time remembering details unless I put my thoughts into words fairly quickly, and I really wanted to catch those subtleties in this book. Luckily, it is one that I could read again.

The Shape of Mercy is an interesting story with a myriad of themes. Although it is a powerful story told partly through the eyes of a woman accused of being a witch during the Salem trials, the story of Lauren, fighting against herself, is one that many of us could relate to. I thought it was interesting that Lauren continued to look down on people in her own upper-crust class, believing that she was nothing like them, while consistently displaying otherwise in the book. Unfortunately, she couldn't just accept herself and learn from her mistakes, she continued in abject denial. I thought the argument between Lauren and her roommate should have been pretty eye-opening for her, but she continued in her objections.

I liked the character Raul. Although I thought the love story was a little lacking and never really understood why Raul liked Lauren, other than the fact that he was obviously a much more self-aware and forgiving person than she was. He was a very sweet and likable character. Although I liked the balls that the roommate had (I can't remember her name) she was pretty immature and, unlike Raul, unwilling to forgive. Abigail was a pretty dynamic character and I enjoyed getting to the bottom of her motivations and relationships. As for Mercy, I was totally caught up in her world. Meissner did an excellent job in conveying the depth, pain and gravity of Mercy's story in the diary entries, which didn't leave me feeling like I'd missed anything. I adored the love story in Mercy's life; the innocence, the sacrifice. I also wanted to kick the crap out of those lying little girls that started that whole mess in Salem.

I really enjoyed this book. Meissner's writing was well thought out and the story was a great combination of history and fiction.

Bound

by Donna Jo Napoli

Young Xing Xing is bound. Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society. But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.

I've been a fan of Napoli's unique retellings, from Zel, a take on Rapunzel, to Sirena, a vivid depiction of Aesop's fabled sirens. While visual and marked by Napoli's signature historical viewpoint, Bound fell a little short for me.

In general, I liked the book. It was a quick read and gave a very interesting peek into the world of foot binding. Xing-Xing's stepmother had that perfect combination of ignorance and conniving, while Wei Ping brought something new to the role of ugly stepsister in the form of innocence that endeared her to me in a small way, despite myself. I enjoyed the poetry throughout the book and felt it enhanced the cultural setting.

There were several quite grisly scenes, also characteristic of Napoli's style, which always remind me of the origins of these Grimm tales. I did enjoy the read, but Bound doesn't warrant a repeat for me.

Warrior

by Marie Brennan

When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. But what happens when the doppelganger survives? Mirage, a fierce bounty hunter, lives by her wits and lethal fighting skills. She always gets her mark. But her new mission will take her into the shadowy world of witches, where her strength may be no match against magic. Miryo is a witch who has just failed her initiation test. She now knows that there is someone in the world who looks like her, who is her: Mirage. To control her powers and become a full witch, Miryo has only one choice. To hunt the hunter and destroy her.

Warrior was a great concept, poorly executed. It took me way too long to get through this book. I wanted to get into it, but there was too much idle, pointless, trying-to-get-there. It was hard to move between the perspectives of Mirage and Miryo from chapter to chapter as well. Basically, it was just a lot of sleuthing without a lot of action.

I liked the characters and was rooting for the two women to find a way around killing each other. I appreciated that, while loyal to each other, the Hunters within the same schools did not take trust for granted, or blindly give it. I loved the fact that, while two halves of the same whole, Mirage and Miryo were two separate and unique individuals.

Overall, the story was good, if slow, the characters ingratiating, the setting unique.

The Awakening and The Struggle, The Fury and Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries #1-#4)

by L.J. Smith


I became addicted to The Vampire Diaries on the WB last Fall, and when I realized that the show was bast on a book series, obviously I knew what I had to do.

The first thing I like about the VD series is that the four books are contained in two volumes. Bonus. Secondly, there was HUGE character development. Elena really irked me at first. She came across as vain, selfish and materialistic. The first book found her inner monologues describing her outfits. However, as the series progressed, her desire to become the person that Stephan saw became more and more apparent and her personality warmed as well. I found myself rooting for her, if not exactly relating to her.

I was captivated by the mystery of the antagonist and oddly impressed by Smith's willingness to kill off so many characters, involving so many bloodbaths, no less. The dynamics between Elena and the Salvatore brothers, and the brothers themselves, were interesting to decipher.

The writing wasn't fantastic, but the face-paced plot made it more than bearable. I was irritated by Elena's sidekicks, but realized the need for them in the last book. That last book should really have its own review, but I'm lazy, so I'll just say that I was left with some unanswered questions and a faint sense of regret for even reading it.

Overall, the series was entertaining, but I won't be spending time on a second read.

Tempted

by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Another from the House of Night Series. It's a compulsion; I MUST finish what I started.

This will be a short one. Same old, same old, for Mom and Daughter Cast. Bad writing, not enough development for the plot to take up an entire book and irritating teenagers. I will say that the last chapter actually made me excited to read the next book, so I'd say that's progress.

The Actor and the Housewife

by Shannon Hale

Sigh. Shannon Hale REALLY needs to stay away from writing about the 21st Century.

This book bugged me so much. I desperately wanted to like it, but it was ridiculous. The cheesy and predictable cliches about Mormonism, the preachy, holier than thou attitude made it necessary to read next to a garbage can in order to keep the puke off my rug. Don't get me wrong. I'm active in the LDS church and I think it's admirable that Hale gives voice to fictional characters in "real" life without compromising her values. However, she went the easy route and offered the often perceived self-righteous within their imperfection Mormon, which is really quite sad as she could be using her acclaim to stomp on those stereotypes. Ugh.

The characters were one-dimensional, the plot laughable, and the writing itself was hardly sub-par.The whole thing was so contrived! Near the end of the book, when the alleged point of the relationship between the actor and the housewife comes to light, I literally rolled my eyes. The entire relationship was ridiculous; the person she portrayed as the goody-goody Mormon housewife would, in my humble opinion, never demean themselves by having such a personal relationship with the actor. (Don't miss the sarcasm there.) At this point, I can't even remember the names of these lackluster characters.

A Curse Dark As Gold

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark As Gold is take on the classic fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin. We all know what a pushover I am for books like these, especially ones that are less often spun.

I will admit that I'm a bit behind in my reviews, so, while I'm sure I had a few distinct impressions about this one, I'm not exactly sure what they were. I did enjoy that the dark story remained true to its original vein and that, while there was a good amount of creepy, curse-y and paranormal happenings, it didn't get to be too unbelievable. I also liked that there were multiple antagonists, both realistic and supernatural. This facet made the story more complex as I tried to sort out if and how certain events were connected. The setting, in England at the pivotal beginning of the Industrial Revolution, also complemented the story well, marrying the primitive, seemingly sinister with the glorious promise of new horizons.

I enjoyed the romance that was woven into the story, but it really irritated me that Charlotte refused to confide in her husband, choosing omission and deception instead, (that never goes over well) especially when she chooses to give her uncle, an over the top dandy she's never met before, so much credit. Overall, the characters were wonderfully developed and there were many personalities within the story.

The Mermaid's Madness

by Jim C. Hines
The Mermaid's Madness is a companion to The Stepsister Scheme. I say companion, because it doesn't necessarily continue any plot from the first book, although it does continue shortly after the conclusion of The Stepsister Scheme.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters better. I loved the plot of this second book and the way it continues on in revealing the truth behind beloved fairy tales. Adventure, intrigue, romance and sacrifice were all prevalent in this story. It was fun and engaging, heartbreaking and tragic. I can't wait for the next installment!

A Company of Swans

by Eva Ibbotson

Ms. Ibbotson, you've outdone yourself.

I am a huge fan of Eva Ibbotson and I think I'm close to having read all of her books. This one is by far my favorite. It kept many of Ibbotson's trademark themes, but it was the largest departure from her other books.

Harriet is a typical character of the author. She is strong within herself, but not overbearing, almost timid in her interactions. She is pretty, but not beautiful in an obvious way and is outshone by most of the other female characters in the book. That being said, Harriet is special. She is smart and kind and has a gift for dancing. She runs away, not to a European countryside, which one might expect from Ibbotson, but to South America, to dance with a small ballet company. There, she meets Rom. Again, typical in his good looks, his rags to riches past and his money grubbing ex-love. However, Rom is a philanthropist, and a kind one at that. I loved this character. Usually the men in Ibbotson's books are arrogant and conceited and can't believe they are attracted or drawn to in any way someone below their lofty status.

The difference in the love story was pronounced as well. Rom falls in love with Harriet with no mind for any other woman. His greedy, contriving ex spends the entire book trying to get back to him so she can woo him with her feminine wiles and their shared past. Harriet and Rom's true obstacle takes form in Harriet's unwelcome fiance, a cold and controlling Father and a shrewish Aunt.

I love this book and I know it is one I will read over and over again. Ibbotson's prose is, as always, breathtaking, her descriptive imagery unrivaled and her characters compelling and dynamic.

Snow White and Rose Red

by Patricia C. Wrede
Snow White and Rose Red is another take of the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale. I've never read the original story and I've actually never read anything this closely based on the original, so I'm not certain what aspects deter from the Grimm's take.

The book was a little slow for me, but I ended up liking it. I enjoyed the way the villains were almost unintentionally at odds with the sisters. I've procrastinated in writing this review and now a lot of the details of the story escape me. This isn't a favorite, but it was a good read and an interesting story filled with romance, magic and the true love of family.

The Shack

by William P. YoungThe Shack, although on the bestsellers list, is not a book that I would randomly pick off the shelf at the library. I read it on the recommendation of a co-worker that is a self-professed non-reader. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, but I ended up riveted by the story.

This book is the story of a grieving Father. His family has been torn apart by tragedy and he is wracked by guilt and sorrow. He receives a letter from God inviting him back to the scene of his daughter's murder and, despite his confusion and skepticism, returns to the shack.

The story continues as Mack comes face to face with God and gains valuable insight into himself and his relationship with deity. The Shack is a really hard book to thumb down into a review~ at least for me. It contained startling and poignant ideas about religion and the relationship between God and his children. There was ideology that I'd never considered that made perfect sense and, being Mormon, I had to wonder where these things might fit into the doctrine of the church.

The book was touching and painful and extremely tender. Mack was such a genuine character, very real and his struggles and flaws and thought processes seemed very true to human nature. The stereotypes and preconceived notions about God were turned on their head a bit in this book. He appears as a plump black woman and Jesus appears as a young Semitic man, whereas the Holy Spirit appears as an Asian woman who's form is more like an impressionist painting and who appears more like the wind than an actual person. Mack spends time with each of these individuals, learning about trust, coming to terms with his guilt and grief, overcoming his anger at God and finally being able to heal.

The writing was beautiful, the complexity was as straightforward as possible and I thoroughly enjoyed Mack's journey.

A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book

by Frank Warren

A lifetime of secrets is a book not so much read as experienced, not so much written as shared and really not open for critique; people either like the PostSecret movement, or they don't.

The book is a collection of postcards featuring secrets that individuals have sent to Frank Warren. The visual display is captivating and the secrets invoke emotion, passion, longing and a myriad of other emotions. I teared up several times throughout this book. I'm a fan.

Love and Other Natural Disasters

by Holly Shumas

I wish this book had turned out a little more like Happens Every Day. Where Gilles non-fiction might have been lacking technically, it had depth and humor and I wanted to keep reading. Shumas' novel about a woman facing emotional infidelity had the potential to be heartfelt, but fell flat.

One of the largest problems I had with Love and Other Natural Disasters was this: Holly Shumas is a psychologist. I'm assuming her work is the basis for this book. That's about what the story amounted to; a detached look at an emotional event in someone else's life.

The characters as a whole bothered me. The story was flat and dragged without a real direction. I don't feel that the characters really developed or grew. The writing was unimpressive. Basically, it was kind of a pain to read.