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: Chocolat

I am a big fan of the movie version of Chocolat, so I finally decided to pick up the book. The book has the same magical feel as the movie, and the early chapters seem to follow it pretty closely. There are some differences, including that the kangaroo called Pontouf in the movie is a rabbit named Pantoufle in the book. Also, Roux has a different romantic involvement than in the book and the ending is not quite as concrete or quite as happy. Overall, I enjoyed the book, which tells the story of Vianne Rocher and her daughter and how they use their own brand of magic and chocolate to turn a small French town on its ear. I must say, though, that I like the movie better. I'm a sucker for a tidy, happy ending--what can I say?

Bookish Review: The Kitchen Daughter

The Kitchen Daughter is the story of Ginny, who deals with the death of her parents and the pressure her sister puts on her by escaping through her cooking. Ginny has Asperger's Syndrome, so she has trouble dealing with other people, but in the kitchen, she finds peace--or at least, she used to, before her dead loved ones start appearing to her when she cooks their recipes. The book is a fairly quick read, enjoyable to those of us who like to escape in the kitchen. The book does include recipes (I've got the "Midnight Cry Brownies" in the oven right now--we'll see how they turn out) and Jael does a reasonably good job of getting inside the head of someone who has Asperger's (at the beginning of the book, Ginny doesn't realize she has Asperger's, though she knows she is different). The relationship between Ginny and her protective sister also rings true. Yes, there are ghosts, but their appearance is mostly Ginny trying to make sense of her life and who her parents really were. An enjoyable read, overall.

PS- How fun is the cover? Props to their production team--a very clever idea.

Disclaimer: I received an advance electronic copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of review. Free access to the book did not affect my opinion. For more information on Simon & Schuster's eGalley program, please visit www.galleygrab.com.

Bookish Review: Sorcery and Cecilia

Sorcery and Cecilia, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot is a Regency romance with a touch of magical realism. It is also an epistolary novel (what is it with me and those lately?). The story is written in letters between two cousins, set in Regency England, except wizards are real and recognized and magic is not a fantasy. The cousins get swept up in a battle between wizards--luckily, one of them shows an aptitude for magic and with a little scheming, they manage to save the day and both find love--surprise!

Enjoyable romp--fans of the Pink Carnation series should enjoy.

Bookish Review: The Monsters of Templeton

This book is a bit of a love letter to Cooperstown, NY, and a fictionalized version the Cooper family (Think James Fenimore Cooper). I have only been to Cooperstown once, but it was fun to read a book that was so tied into the fabric of the town. The book features the creature that is supposed to live in the lake. Willie returns to her hometown in disgrace and extreme crisis. SHe has gotten herself into a situation where she thinks she will not be able to finish her graduate degree and her mother's dreams for her will be dashed. She comes home to find that her hippie mother has found religion--and a pastor to date, to boot. Her best friend is dying from lupus, and and her mother reveals that the story of her paternity is completely false. As she searches for the truth of her parentage and digs deeper into her family tree, the story of the town and the family unfolds through different viewpoints. Groff has a very interesting writing style, and the way the story is told adds interest.