Monday, October 7, 2013

Musing Monday, October 7, 2013


Musing Mondays (http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/) asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
MusingMondays5• Describe one of your reading habits. • 
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

 I just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — so hear it is!

Like many of you I email have several authors and fellow bloggers who live outside the United States.  One lives in Malaysia and in a recent email from her I found this at the bottom. 


**COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: This email has been intercepted by several government intelligence agencies**

It turns out she put it there as a joke but I wondered how many of us my have our emails looked at because we are in touch with people all over the world.   

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait by Grace Burrowes


Historical Romance

What Goodreads Says:

Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait (The Duke's Daughters, #5) (Windham, #8)"A freshly wrapped Regency Christmas romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes.
What Lady Jenny wants for Christmas...
For Christmas, soft-spoken Lady Jenny Windham craves the freedom to pursue her artistic ambitions, though it will mean scandalizing her ducal parents and abandoning all hope of a family of her own. She confides her plans to successful artist Elijah Harrison when he's commissioned to paint a portrait of her small nephews, because assisting Elijah will bring Jenny that much closer to her heart's desire—won't it?

...Will break both their hearts.
Elijah Harrison finds in his unlikely assistant not only an inspiring muse and unappreciated talent, but also a lovely and passionate woman. If Elijah supports Jenny's career, his own professional interests will suffer, but more significantly, he will lose Jenny forever. Both Jenny and Elijah must choose between true love and a lifelong dream.

Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait is book #5 in the Duke’s Daughters and book # 8 in the Windham series.  There are 8 living Windham children so this is the last book about the family.  Don’t despair through there are friends and in laws enough for more stories.  In fact the main male in the story, Elijah Harrison, has a whole group of younger brothers and sisters that are ripe for stories. 

The romance in Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait is about as expected.  It has two likeable people who should be made for each other.  There are problems of course but they just did not seem to be that serious.  In fact I just had a hard time believing what was keeping Jenny from accepting Elijah. Elijah's problems with his family did not seem that earth shaking either.  The tension in the story was never that high.

Jenny’s family was working hard to get the two together.  Some of their efforts brought a smile to my face.  Of course there was an HEA and it was good to see the last Windham married and settled.  Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait was a nice addition to the series.  It was not the strongest story of the eight, but it was a nice read and a good fit in all the Christmas stories that are coming out right now.

If you are a fan of the series this is a must read.  It will stand alone but because it is not the strongest story in the series I recommend you do not start here.

Sourcebooks released Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait by Grace Burrowes in 2013.

I received an ARC of Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait from Netgalley.

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery

Contemporary Romance

What Goodreads says:

Christmas on 4th Street (Fools Gold #12.5)"There's nowhere better to spend the holidays than with New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery in the town of Fool's Gold, where love is always waiting to be unwrapped... Noelle Perkins just got a second chance at life, and she intends to make the most of every minute. That's why she ditched a frustrating legal career to open her own store in Fool's Gold, California. The Christmas Attic celebrates everything that's magical about her favorite season. Business is booming, and as a bonus, gorgeous army doctor Gabriel Boylan has offered to help out during the holiday rush.

Gabriel's memories of Christmas past contain more sour grapes than sugar plums, thanks to a drill sergeant father who ran his home like a boot camp. Spending the holidays with his family while he recuperates from injury sounds as appetizing as last year's eggnog. Still, there are some enjoyable distractions in town, including sunny, sexy Noelle...and the red-hot mistletoe kisses they can't stop sharing.

Gabriel didn't think he was made for happily-ever-afters. But when fate hands you a love as sweet and surprising as this, only a fool could refuse."



Fool's Gold, CA only lives in books but along with Whiskey River, Virgin River, and Thunder Point I am hooked on all the books that feature the residents.  Fool's Gold has quite a few residents that are ripe for stories and of course there could be a new arrival that will find romance.

This time the new arrival is Gideon Boylen's twin brother Gabriel.  The two are twins but not identical and they have very different personalities.  Gabriel is still Army but a Doctor.  He is in Fool's Gold for Christmas because he cut his hand and needs to heal.  He is also burned out and does not want to get close to anyone for fear they will die.  He also has problems being with his family.  Noelle Perkins is the owner of The Christmas Attic.  Her attitude is just the opposite.  She has a second chance at life and is trying to live it to the fullest.  Of course they are attracted and Gabriel does not know how to handle the attraction.  Of course there is an HEA and a surprise at the end. 

This is another feel good romance set in Fools Gold, CA.  Prepare to sit back and enjoy the visit.  You will meet old friends and see the possibility of new ones.  If you have not read the series before you are in for a treat, you get to meet all new friends.

Harlequin published Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery in 2013.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Book Beginnings October 4, 2013

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

My book beginning is from the current Science Fiction Book Club choice.  The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi  is an award winning book but many of the reviews I read on Goodreads said it was just depressing.  We will see if I finish or just quit like some.

"No! I don't want the mangosteen."  Anderson Lake leans forward, pointing.  "I want that one, there.........The one with the read skin and the green hairs."

Thursday, October 3, 2013

A Disappearance in Drury Lane (A Captain Lacey Regency Mystery #8) by Ashley Gardner


Historical Mystery
What Amazon says (Goodreads did not have a complete tease for the book):

A Disappearance in Drury Lane (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries, #8)"Winter 1818
As Captain Gabriel Lacey prepares to leave for his upcoming wedding, he's interrupted by his former neighbor, Marianne Simmons, concerned about an actress friend of hers who's gone missing. Lacey agrees to help look for the actress, little realizing that the search will bring him up against dangerous men who think nothing of abduction and blackmail, or indeed of sending incendiary devices to the innocent.

Lacey's compassion tells him to help the actress who is in true danger, but his personal life is changing, and his time for investigation is frequently and frustratingly interrupted. He is also commanded to assist Bow Street in bringing down James Denis, a criminal with whom Lacey now has complicated ties, or risk hanging with him.

The search for the actress takes Lacey from the assembly rooms of the upper classes to behind the scenes at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, where he finds darkness in all corners. Lacey's life and honor are constantly challenged as his circumstances change, and he realizes he can follow no code but his own."

I have followed Captain Lacey since Ashley Gardner (pen name for Jennifer Ashley) received the rights back and published the first book on the web as ebooks.  She has since added both full-length novels and short stories to the series.  A Disappearance in Drury Lane is the latest in the series.  I have been recommending the series since it first came out as ebooks.  I am still a big fan.

All of the main characters are back. Marianne Simmons, Lacey’s old neighbor asked for help just as Lacey is getting ready to leave for his wedding to Donata, Lady Breckenridge.  Lucius Grenville is back as is Bartholomew, Lacey’s valet.  Gabriells, Lacey’s daughter, is back for a visit and to attend his wedding.  Of course no book is complete without Dennis, the sometimes villain.  The center of the story is Abigail Collins, but at first we only know her name as she is the one missing.

The plot takes some really unexpected twists and turns.  While it seems a very simple case, find the missing woman, it turns out there is more to it than expected. Lacey travels outside of London only return when he has been accused of murder.  People are trying to kill him and they even threaten Donota.  That really spells their doom.  

Lacey does not miss his wedding but he is beaten before he leaves London.   The danger does not diminish as the story unfolds.  I loved the plot and the way one clue lead to another.  The picture painted of life in the theater felt very real. 

Each of the characters plays an important part in the story adding to their development.  That added to my investment in each and my enjoyment of the story.  I particularly loved seeing how Captain Lacey changed from the early books.  While he still suffers from depression the bouts are much fewer and he is a much happier person.. 

A Disappearance in Drury Lane is a great addition to the Captain Lacey series.  If can be read as a stand-alone but get the entire series.  You will not be sorry. The first book is only .99 and the rest are 2.99 or less.  You get a lot of book for your money.

JA/AG Publishing released A Disappearance in Drury Lane by Ashley Gardner in 2012.
To read my reviews on previous books in the series do a search on Captain Lacey.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie


Science Fiction/Space Opera
What Goodreads says:
Ancillary Justice"On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.
Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren--a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.
An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose--to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch"
 
Ancillary Justice is a complex book to review.  Even though the book is written in the first person it takes awhile to learn the main character’s name.  You do get hints of what she is or was.  That just adds to the tension and really hooked me into the story.
I usually like to break a book into parts but I find it will not work here.  Things like plot, characters, and world building are all so intertwined they are impossible to separate.. 
All unfold in the story as you need them.  Understanding Breq, the main character, depends on understanding the world she lives in.  The plot unfolds as you learn about Breq.  The world building is disclosed as you learn about the Breq and as you learn about the Breq you learn about the plot.
Even the development of the other characters depended on how Breq is seen in the story.  Much of this was told using small details that added to the richness of the book.  Ann Leckie set out to build a complex world filled with interesting characters and she more than succeeded.  Her eye for detail paid big dividends in the development of the story and the characters.
Part of the reason I kept reading was to learn more about what Breq was doing, who Breq was, why Breq was where she was, when the story was taking place and where Breq was going.  All of this came slowly into focus while a very good story in a new and complex world was being told.
Recently life has been interfering with my reading but every chance I got I picked up Ancillary Justice so I could continue to read.  For me that is the mark of a really good book.
I recommend Ancillary Justice for any Science Fiction fan.  Ancillary Justice is book one in a loose trilogy (That is how it was described in an interview with Leckie in the back of the book).  Breq is successful in a way she did not suspect and that opened up new adventures for Breq.  I am ready of book two and more of Breq and her world.
Orbit published Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie in 2013.
I received an ARC of Ancillary Justice from Netgalley.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Teaser Tuesday October 1, 2013

Hunter and the turtle.  Who is teasing who?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:"
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I am posting on a day that is very sad for me.  My youngest cat died yesterday.  We don't know what he had just that nothing helped.  That is his picture on the post.  After today I will remove it.  It made me very sad when I saw it today.  He will be missed.

My Teaser is From Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie published by Orbit.  Ancillary Justice is Science Fiction and today is the release day.  I am about 17% on my Kindle.  

Ancillary Justice"I had no reason to think badly of her.  On the contrary, her manners were those of an educated well-bred person of good family.  Not toward me of course---I wasn't a person, I was a piece of equipment, a part of the ship."

This came as the not a person was rescuing the person who had been beaten and left out in the snow.  She was acting like a person so it has really caught my attention.