Bookish Review: The Cuckoo's Calling

I think the cat's out of the bag and we all know this book was really written by J.K. Rowling. I have to say, I vastly preferred this one to her other post-Potter tome, A Casual Vacancy. I have to wonder if she used the pseudonym on this one because she thought it would sell anyway, and she thought the other one wouldn't. At any rate, I found this to be a very enjoyable read, and I hope it is the start to a series--I really liked the characters and it was a solid mystery that kept me guessing. I would not have guessed Rowling wrote it, I don't think, but it is certainly well-written and I am glad she decided to step into this genre. I happen to enjoy the down-and-out-PI-just-needs-one-big-case kind of mystery, especially with his surprisingly clever temp/sidekick. Really good, and I hope there is a "next one" soon.

Bookish Review: Belladonna

Belladonna is historical fiction for tweens/teens. At least one of the characters is a real historical figure, but not one that I was familiar with. Set in 1757, a young Englishman stumbles upon a mysterious French girl in the English countyside. He is soon captivated by her and gets involved in trying to help her reccover her horse. As time goes on, she involves him in new opportunities and schemes and the path of his life is forever changed. An interesting and fun read, which horse lovers in particular will enjoy.

I got my hands on an ARC of this somehow, for which I thank the publisher, Candlewick Press, but the free copy did not affect my review.

Bookish Review: Her Fearful Symmetry

Her  Fearful Symmetry is a book about secrets, ghosts, and twins. Elspeth and Edie are twins who have been separated most of their adult lives. Elspeth has never met her twin nieces, but nonetheless leave them her fortune and her London flat when she dies--but she stays in the flat, too. One twin desires to separate herself from the other, to discover her own life, whereas the other wants nothing more than for them to be together forever. Valentina decides the only way to escape her twin is to fake her death, and ropes her ghostly aunt and her aunt's former lover (also her current love interest) into going along with her plan. But all does not go as planned...

An interesting and fun read, but unsatisfying ending.

Bookish Review: Good Night, Mr. Holmes

Good Night, Mr. Holmes weaves a mystery using characters (and some overlapping plotlines) from the Sherlock Holmes books. The story focuses on Irene Adler, with Sherlock and Watson as ancillary characters. As a big fan of the new BBC Sherlock mini-series, I was looking forward to reading this, and I was not disappointed. Irene has her own "Watson" in Nell, who helps her in her cases and chronicles the story. The book uses the plot from the Sherlock story A Scandal in Bohemia, but extends it and includes other mysteries. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to more from the author.

Bookish Review: Advent

I really enjoyed reading Advent. I think they are  promoting it as an adult novel, but the main protagonist is 15, so I think teens would enjoy it too. It is a twist on the legend of Dr. Faustus. As Faust is  trying  to wield all of the magic in the world, his ship sinks and he is buried, powerless.

Hundreds of years later, a young boy sees things that he is told are not real. He is sent by his parents to stay with his aunt, when weird things continue to happen. Soon, Dr. Faustus is unleashed on the world again, magic is back, and ordinary people start to see extraordinary things. A few powerful children willl have to fight Faust as he attempts to control all the magical power in the world--no matter the cost.

This is the start of a trilogy, and was quite a compelling read. Recommended.

Atria Books sent me a free galley copy of this book for review. Their generosity did not affect the content of the above review.

Bookish Review: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches is the story of Diana, an American witch in England, who tries to ignore her powers and  live life as  a normal human. However, when she inadvertently summons a magical tome that has been lost for centuries she attracts the attention of witches, vampires, and daemons--and such a gathering of magical creatures starts to attract human attention as well. One vampire in particular starts paying special attention to Diana, but she soon realizes he's a friend, not  a foe, and all her beliefs about magic and supernatural creatures may be wrong. But  witches and vampires are not supposed to be friends--so this starts a whole new mess of trouble...

An enjoyable romp; good vacation read. First  in a trilogy.

Bookish Review: Seven Sorcerers

Seven Sorcerers is the start to a series, so don't expect a very tidy ending. This middle-grade novel involves a girl, Nim, who wakes up to find that every trace of her brother has disappeared and she is the only one who remembers him. He's been snatched by a bogeyman, and she is the next on the list. She joins up with another kidnapped child who managed to escape the bogeyman's grasp and goes on a quest to find her brother and return everyone's memories of him and her. They travel through a magical world fueled by human's hopes and fears that is slowly dying, encountering magical creatures and danger along the way. Nim is a very likeable character, and it's a pretty good read. Recommended for fans of Fablehaven. (It is not, as one person told me it was supposed to be, "the next Harry Potter.")

Bookish Review: One Day

One Day is a book that was made into a movie; I watched the movie first, I am sorry to say. I can't resist Anne Hathaway. At any rate, I have now read the book, too! First, I'll tell you that the movie actually sticks remarkably close to the plot of the book, which doesn't often happen, so well-done to the filmmakers. The story is about Emma and Dexter, two college acquaintances who hook up on the night of graduation and then become friends. The story is told by focusing on the same date every year and tracing their friendship, more-than-friendship, not-even-friendship saga. It is pretty well-written and enjoyable, but bittersweet, as might be expected. Both the book and the movie are recommended; read the book first. 

Bookish Review: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

Flavia DeLuce is one of my favorite characters. First seen in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, she returns in this book to solve another mystery. A precocious 11-year-old, Flavia is ever trying to poison her older sisters, who torment her in many ways, under the nose of their inattentive philatelist father. Flavia misses nothing and her observations and machinations are always entertaining. This one is highly recommended, and I hope to find the time soon to read the others in the series.

Bookish Review: The Leopard's Prey

The Leopard's Prey is part of an interesting series featuring protagonist Jade del Cameron. The book is set in British East Africa (Kenya) in the 1920s. Jade is a photographer, writer, and animal wrangler, as well as an amateur detective. When a man is found murdered on her friends' property and her love interest is accused, she must get to the bottom of the murder. The book has an interesting setting (in terms of time and place) and an interesting protagonist--very independent and unusual for the 1920s, to say the least. It's definitely a book I was able to put down, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Bookish Review: Alice I Have Been

Alice I Have Been is a very interesting read. The book is a fictionalized biography of the real woman who inspired Alice in Wonderland. Melanie Benjamin did a good bit of research into the life and times of Alice, but there are some holes in the truth that seem impossible to fill with certainty due to the destruction of documents by Alice's family. So, Melanie has filled in the blanks with what might have happened. The result is captivating, but also disturbing as she explores what the true nature of the relationship between the little girl and the author really was.

Bookish Review: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

This book is a quick read. It opens in media res--a huge Jane Austen fan finds her transported in time and it is as if she is living in a Jane Austen novel. The book is narrated by the protagonist and you are basically stuck in her head the whole time, which can be a bit taxing. She also behaves rather thoughtlessly at times, going off on rants about women's rights and nearly getting herself compromised several times. She's a bit tiresome in this regard, but the book is a quick read, fluffy and light. It's not bad if you can pick it up on the cheap, but I wouldn't recommend shelling out full price.

Bookish Review: Guardian of the Gate

Guardian of the Gate is Book 2 in the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy (Series?) by Michelle Zink. The first book is also reviewed on this site.

I actually liked this book better than the first. Perhaps it was because I didn't expect the 1st one to be a part of a series, so I was annoyed with the lack of closure. This time, I knew what to expect.

The second book picks up with Lia's quest to end the prophecy and stop her evil twin. She has been in England, trying to strengthen her powers and find the other keys. Alice is also only getting stronger. This book also brings a new love interest, though Lia has not forgotten about James. Lia takes on a new mantle as well, as she becomes next in line as Lady of Altus after the aunt passes away. She will not make her final decision on that until the prophecy is resolved. however. So, the quest continues.

This book doesn't move the action along that much, but it is a pretty fun read.

Full disclosure: I picked up a complimentary review copy of this book at a conference, courtesy of the publisher.

Bookish Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This book received a ton of press, so I was anxious to read it, though I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know, for example, that it is an epistolary novel. I probably would have been reluctant to read it, had I known, since I am always wary of books written entirely in letters, but my fears were quickly assuaged. The story is intriguing and keeps you turning pages (it might even make you want to write a letter!). The main character is a writer searching for inspiration in Britain after WWII. She stumbles upon a friendship with the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and goes to the island to visit, learning about the islanders' war experience along the way. It's a very interesting and touching story, and the letters reveal a lot about the characters writing them and being written about. Recommended.

Bookish Review: The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

This is the 5th book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation Series, and it follows along in the same formula as the others. All of the books are told on two levels: on one, Eloise, modern-day grad student and researcher and on the other, her latest discovery in her research. Eloise is dating a very handsome Brit who is descended from the very spies she is researching for her dissertation. In this volume, Eloise uncovers the story of Charlotte, a friend of some of the other ladies she has studied, and her distant cousin Robert. They, of course, fall in love and discover a plot to kidnap the king in the meantime!

These books are fun and fluffy, quite a quick read, and always have a happy ending. Good fun.

Bookish Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a lovely mystery/crime novel by a first-time (70-year-old) novelist. The protagonist, Flavia de Luce, is quite charming. At 11 years old, she has a love of chemistry, an obsession with poisons, and takes great joy in tormenting her older sisters. When she stumbles across a dying man in their garden at 4 in the morning, she is suddenly caught up in solving the mystery and proving her father innocent of murder. Tied up in the investigation are rare stamps, an apparent suicide from her father's schoolboy days, a jacksnipe, a cream pie, and some strangers in town. Flavia is brilliant and you'll stick with her every step of the way as she plans to outsmart the inspectors and solve the mystery for herself. Luckily, this is only the first Flavia mystery, with more on the way

Book Review: Can You Keep a Secret?

Can You Keep a Secret? is by Sophie Kinsella, author of the Shopaholic novels, coming soon to a theatre near you. This is the first book I have read by Kinsella, and it was much better than I anticipated. The book was, at times, laugh-out-loud funny, which was a bit of a surprise. Now, don't get me wrong--there is nothing deep or life-changing in this book. It is simply a fun, fluffy, fast read. But I think there is a place for books like that, and this one gets a place on my bookshelf.

Emma Corrigan doesn't have a great job, she hates to fly, and she has some embarrassing secrets. On a flight back from a disastrous business meeting, she imbibes too much, and when turbulence makes her certain she is going to die, she begins spilling all of her secrets to the handsome American stranger next to her, expecting never to see him again once they land. But he soon shows back up in her life in an unexpected way and starts turning her world upside down.

Good fun, great beach read. Recommended.