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No Greater Sacrifice

5 Dec

No Greater Sacrifice by John C. Stipa

When Renee d’ Arcadia, archaeologist learns that she is terminally ill, she decides it’s time to take any chances she can get. Grasping at straws, she starts a quest to learn the secrets of the legendary Eleusinian Mysteries, a purification rite that might just provide her with the lifeline she needs. Never did she think that a trip to Greece would place her at the center of a dangerous plot, or bring her closer to sexy David Arturo.

Part adventure, part rollicking romance, and part ancient history lesson, Stipa’s novel is a sort of Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones with a dash of mysticism.

I don’t read much in the adventure/thriller genre, but when I do, I like to be absorbed by the story. This was a quick-paced and engaging read. I especially appreciated that Renee was not the sort of damsel-in-distress female sidekick that is so often introduced in such novels, but a strong, determined woman capable to getting herself in and out of scrapes.

I received my review copy of No Greater Sacrifice from John C. Stipa.

You can find a copy of the novel on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles

Shades of Milk and Honey

22 Oct

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Jane Ellsworth has settled into the quiet life of a soon-to-be spinster. She busies herself with the feminine arts–music and glamour–knowing that these are the only things that recommend her as she lacks the conventional beauty sought by gentlemen. Her sister, Melody, is beautiful and passionate, sparkling at every ball, but has no talent for the arts that her plain sister wields. When Melody’s passionate nature gets the better of her, the two sisters become antagonists and Jane gets caught in the middle of a tangled affair involving several parties, her own passions coming to the fore when she acknowledges the jealousy and negative energies that mar her feelings towards her sister. As Jane learns to harness her feelings for art, she learns more about herself and the talents she possesses.

Shades of Milk and Honey is the sort of book that needs to settle a bit before I can truly say whether I enjoyed it or not. This is such a gentle, well-mannered sort of book, I liken it to a soft, pink-hued vapor, something ephemeral and bright that passes you by. That’s a frilly way of putting it, but it’s the kind of book that leaves me feeling as if I didn’t quite get it, but that it’s not the sort of book that you can get with one reading. In many ways, it reminds me of Robin McKinley’s Chalice; there’s a quiet magic to it that I don’t quite understand. But that’s alright, I enjoyed the parts that I did understand.

There is magic in this book, but it’s more akin to Jane Austen than any fantasy novel I’ve ever read. That is one thing that Kowal does really well–this book feels like a Regency novel. She really captures the nuances of language that mark a true novel from the era. I started the novel expecting it to be similar to the Sorcery & Cecilia series, but it was more like reading Sense and Sensibility.

I can’t say whether I am satisfied with the story; it felt too brief, for one thing. At times, it seemed too similar to Austen, as if I could spot the Austen characters that served as a references/influences for Kowal’s characters. It’s an unexpected sort of book.

Ruthless and the three volume novel

17 Oct

Ruthless by Anne Stuart

I was in the mood for some literary meringue… a tasty treat without much substance. Ruthless had a bit more substance than I expected, but it definitely fit the bill. I haven’t read much romance, as I’ve noted in the past, but I’ve been moving beyond my usual genres in an effort to defuse some of my literary snobbishness. There’s not much I can say about Ruthless, other than that it was a quick, enjoyable read. It is what it is–a romance novel with a fast plot, a dash of mystery, a bit of banter, a dark hero with an inscrutable past, and an unlikely heroine who redeems him against his will (and her better judgment). There was sex, but nothing so graphic that it would put off readers who don’t enjoy such scenes. The novel is part of a trilogy, but it seems that the volumes can be read individually.

Speaking of three-volume novels, I am suddenly reminded of one of my favorite scenes from “The Importance of Being Earnest”… so I leave you with some Wilde.

Miss Prism: Do not speak slightingly of the three-volume novel, Cecily. I wrote one myself in earlier days.

Cecily: Did you really, Miss Prism? How wonderfully clever you are! I hope it did not end happily? I don’t like novels that end happily. They depress me so much.

Miss Prism: The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.

The Girls from the Revolutionary Cantina

10 Oct

The Girls from the Revolutionary Cantina by M. Padilla

I’ve been making an effort to broaden my reading horizons. When I took the multicultural lit course this summer, I realized that my reading has a very Anglo bias. Other than works by some Asian-American writers–Gail Tsukiyama, Lisa See, for instance–most of my reading tends to be white. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is my penchant for British literature. So I’ve been making a concerted effort to read across cultures. Oddly enough, I find that I read a lot of multicultural books when I was a kid, from slave and Native American narratives to Jewish-American fiction and more, I don’t know how much of this was due in part to the curriculum when I was in grade school, and how much resulted from constant desire to know more about other people, places, and times as I was growing up.

That’s kind of a long wind-up, but it goes to show that I’ve somehow become more limited in my reading choices as an adult.  When I saw The Girls from the Revolutionary Cantina listed on the LibraryThing Members giveaway a few months ago, I clicked to enter the giveaway and was really excited when it arrived. I was already reading Latina lit for my class and this seemed like a great chance to try something new. Another explanation… yeah, yeah, I’ll get to the review in a moment :-D … If the Z at the end of my last name isn’t a dead giveaway, my being from South Florida might be a sure indicator that I’m Hispanic. I’m Cuban-American to be precise. I won’t go into a thesis on why I use the term Hispanic rather than Latina when referring to my ethnicity, but I will say that my being a Cuban-American from Miami definitely affects my reading of Latina/o literature, especially Chicano/Mexican-American Cali lit. It’s a very different cultural experience, even the Spanish slang differs. There is a lot of cultural discovery when I read Latina lit, including realizations about my own experiences as a 2nd gen. Hispanic girl.

At first, I did not think I would connect with Padilla’s Girls. Julia seemed a little too self-deprecating for me, and Ime and Concepcion too superficial. Nina and Marta were interesting, but they seemed like minor characters by comparison. I was wrong. I soon became absorbed in the plot and started to connect with Julia and her desire to prove herself as an independent career woman in a society that had little regard for girls from the barrio. I grew up watching novelas with my mom and granma, as do most girls in Miami. Novelas are the Hispanic woman’s primetime entertainment–long, soap series generally involving some sort of love story between treacherous wealthy people. Sometimes there is a Cinderella-story plot featuring a poor woman or man from a village or small town falling in love with some rich person. There is always a rich person, or someone always comes into money and love. You need both, after all for a happy ending. This novel was almost like a novela–the kind of novela I wish were being broadcast, instead of the impossible fantasy stories. Girls has all the challenges, romance, and drama of a Spanish soap, but it’s also a story about finding one’s self and realizing that you can become the person you want to be and still hold on to who you are at heart. It’s an empowering tale. There is no perfect, tie-a-ribbon-around-it happy ending, but it is all the better for its honesty.

Getting off the soap-box… this was a fun, chick lit read that really surprised me–especially when I realized Padilla is a man.

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

3 Oct

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig

I was in the mood for something fun, but didn’t want to pick something from my scattered collection of TBR books. A library trip was in order and Lauren Willig hit the spot.

Visiting her boyfriend Colin’s historical home, Eloise–grad student and history sleuth–takes a research detour when she uncovers the personal correspondence of Lady Charlotte Lansdowne. While not directly related to her dissertation topic on the history of the Pink Carnation, Eloise is intrigued when reads a line about the King’s madness (George the Third, that is) while browsing through the letters. Wondering what Charlotte Lansdowne could have to do with the King’s madness, Eloise becomes absorbed in a tale of decadence, intrigue, and betrayal.

Considered a bookish little mouse by her domineering grandmother and the male members of the ton, Charlotte Lansdowne never expected to find the sort of adventure and romance that she so enjoyed in her favorite novels, but that is just what she finds when her dashing cousin Robert, the erstwhile Duke of Dovedale returns from his self-imposed exile in India. Suddenly, Charlotte finds that even the most unlikely character has the potential to become a romantic heroine.

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine is the 5th novel in Willig’s Pink Carnation, Regency spy series. I didn’t realize this until I started reading the book, but I found that I had no problem following the storyline despite the series order snafu. For the most part, references to prior installments in the series were minor and did not affect my enjoyment if the book as a single installment. Also, while it’s been a while since I read The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, I didn’t find that I needed to refer to the first installment to follow Eloise’s story.

I thought Charlotte was a great character. She’s bookish, smart, and knows her own mind. She’s the sort of person who is frequently underestimated by her peers simply because she doesn’t participate in the usual comings and goings of fashionable society. But most of all, I liked her because she reminded me of …well… me. She’s the sort of whimsical and imaginative person that people overlook because they assume she is a bit oblivious to the happenings of the great, busy world. Except, she’s not. Charlotte is an unlikely heroine because she is the sort of person that no one would ever consider observant enough to bother with, though she is eminently observant of her surroundings. It was her ability to surprise everyone with her intelligence and intrepidness that made this a great read for me.

I am definitely going to look for the other books in the series now that I have skipped ahead. I would love to get to know Henrietta and Miles further, as well as that troublesome yet charming Frenchman.

Blameless

16 Sep

Blameless by Gail Carriger

The Parasol Protectorate has become my new favorite series. I’ve said it before–I’ve steered clear of series books for a while, but I am completely taken with these. If I had to describe them in a sentence, I would say they are: Supernatural Victorian steampunk comedy romance with a dash of mystery and parasol proddings.

I’m sure my b-chan thinks I’ve become a bit barmy over this series :-P , but even he has been intrigued by my willingness to drive for miles because I must have the next book now! (woe is me… the next part won’t be released until July 2011! It’s HP-type anticipation all over again.)

One of the things that I love about this series (and there are lots of things that I love about this series) is that while it is a supernatural steampunk romance, it is so much more than the sum of its parts. I like the idea of steampunk (I’m a techie, I’m a Victorian geek, steampunk just fits), but I’ve had trouble finishing some works because it seems like the author gets off on explaining how whatever gadget/contraption/element of society works, rather than developing plot and characters. I’ve not had this problem with Carriger’s series. From the Loontwills’ upper-class-twittery to Floote’s taciturn loyalty, Alexia & Co. arrive on the scene fully formed and armed with witty repartee.

These books make me laugh, and that’s not something that often happens when I read. I may be amused, but I don’t often get a fit of the giggles while reading at the uni’s library and/or coffee shop, thereby earning me evil glares from high-strung undergrads.

I’ll end this ramble here…

To avoid being Spoilerific, I’ve placed my synopsis under the cut tag… so read on if you don’t mind a few teensy spoilers.

Avast! There be SPOILERS ahead!

(more…)

The Hollow

11 Sep

The Hollow, Part 1: Lucinda by John Scudamore

I received a copy of The Hollow to review for The Historical Novel Society Online. I generally choose books that might interest me when the selection list goes around, and this one was described as an Austen-like romance with timeslip elements. I though, I like timetravel fiction. I like Austen. I’ll choose that one as one of my possibilities.

When it arrived, I was duly intrigued by the cover and the back blurb. I started reading it right away.

While not perfect, I was pleasantly surprised by the novel and found myself absorbed by the Scudamore’s treatment of female sexuality. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

If I had to describe this book in one sentence, this is what I would say: It’s a Regency Romance that is more Sarah Waters than Jane Austen.

It’s not perfect, there are anachronisms in the language and description, but the dialog is interesting and raises all kinds of thoughts about female self-discovery for all its lack of perfect, Regency polish.

The narrative follows the sexual awakening of Celia and Lucy, cousins and friends learning how to navigate the strictures that society places on ladies of good breeding. Joined by Alice, Celia’s faithful and knowledgeable maid, these two begin to learn about all those things that make them “tingle”.

That’s one side of the story… The other side involves the Hollow, a place of evil according to local legend, and the arrival of Manfred–a perfectly ordinary twenty-first century physicist who suddenly finds himself transported to Regency England.

Manfred stirs up plenty of trouble in his ignorance of Regency manners, but his involvement in the plot almost seems like an afterthought. That said, I haven’t read the next two books in the trilogy, so I can’t be sure how his part will evolve in the series, but I was much more intrigued by the relationship between Celia, Alice, and Lucy before Manfred became involved in their affair.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel. This is an independently published novel; there were a few typographical errors, but these were few and far between, so they weren’t distracting. I think this might be more appealing to fans of Sarah Waters and Diana Gabaldon than Austen (there is plenty of steamy, feminine romance).

You can find The Hollow, Part 1 at The Book Depository.

Changeless

5 Aug

Changeless by Gail Carriger

I generally try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but it can’t be helped when reviewing a series like The Parasol Protectorate… one book leads to another, so details are bound to be revealed that might spoil some readers. So this is a great, big SPOILER WARNING!

For those readers wishing to avoid spoilers, I will say that this has become my new favorite series, which is saying a lot as I tend to avoid series books in general unless they are complete… I am waiting for the next book with intense anticipation and feel thoroughly vexed at not being able to have more, more, now, now! Alexia is a wonderfully snarky character, and I love the supernatural elements in Carriger’s London–undead they may be, but they are entirely fresh and original.

Hark! There be SPOILERS AHEAD! Retreat now if you must!

Otherwise, proceed…

Monthly Round-up: July 2010

30 Jul

pink domo!Monthly Round-up for July 2010

Read
Paris 1934 by Paul A. Myers (REVIEW)
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters (REVIEW)
Mistress Pat L.M. Montgomery (REVIEW)
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton (Read the first few chapters via NetGalley and can’t wait to get the published copy when it’s released. Made me shiver in a wonderfully creeped out way.)
Soulless by Gail Carriger (REVIEW)

Currently Reading
Changeless by Gail Carriger
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson (slowly but surely…)
Daily Life in Victorian England by Sally Mitchell

Books I couldn’t finish
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Dickens and I don’t get along. I will give Bleak House a try one day, but till then…

The Monthly Round-up is a regular feature wherein I list the books I read each month.

Soulless

25 Jul

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti, half-Italian, on-the-shelf, and soulless, finds she is under no obligation to observe all the niceties of Victorian society, so why should she hesitate to order tea in another’s home when a proper tea is not forthcoming? Never did she imagine that something as simple as a request for tea and treacle tart could lead to her becoming involved in unraveling a mysterious plot that threatens the order of Britain’s supernatural citizens. Or that she would suddenly find herself  in the company of alluring, Scottish, and infinitely infuriating Lord Maccon, Alpha werewolf and BUR agent. Vampires! Werewolves! and Deadly Creatures! abound, but Alexia is ready for them with her trusty, silver-tipped parasol.

After the surge in trendy vampire fiction, I experienced what I have termed vampire fatigue–a curious condition sparked by exposure to too many black, red, and white jacketed, Twilight-esque books, leading to much scoffing and arguing on the merits (or lack thereof) of damsel in distress heroines and their pretty-boy vampire counterparts. Oh yes, it brings out the worst of my snobby book reviewer personalities.

Soulless is not one of those books. I love Victorian-inspired fiction. The Victorians have always been my favorites, and those who know me put up with plenty of Victorianisms on my part. When I first saw a post on Soulless, I knew I wanted to read it–spinsters, vampires, and werewolves in a Steampunky, alternate Victorian London? Yep, my kind of story.

In many ways, Soulless reminded me of what I loved best about Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer’s Sorcery and Cecilia books–witty banter and a no-nonsense heroine who defies convention. It was a fun romp, and I instantly wanted to grab a copy of Changeless, the second in the series. I’ve avoided series for a while, but I’m looking forward to following this one :) .

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