Index of Reads - Anthologies & Collaborations

Anthologies
Anthology - A Regency Christmas III
Anthology - A Regency Christmas IV
Anthology - A Regency Christmas V
Anthology - A Regency Christmas VI
Anthology - A Regency Christmas VIII
Anthology - A Regency Christmas Carol
Anthology - A Regency Christmas Eve
Anthology - A Regency Christmas Present
Anthology - A Regency Valentine
Anthology - A Victorian Christmas
Anthology - A Western Winter Wonderland
Anthology - Angel Christmas
Anthology - Irish Magic
Anthology - It Happened One Night
Anthology - Midnight Scandals
Anthology - Mischief and Mistletoe
Anthology - Mistletoe Kisses
Anthology - Once Upon A Dream
Anthology - Santa Baby
Anthology - The School For Heiresses
Anthology - To Love and To Honor
Anthology - Tokens of Love
Anthology - From The Heart
Anthology - Regency Christmas Magic
Anthology - Regency Christmas Spirits
Anthology - A Homespun Regency Christmas
Anthology - Regency Christmas Wishes

Collaborations
Crusie, Jennifer; Dreyer, Eileen & Stuart, Anne - The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes
Crusie Jennifer; Mayer, Bob - Agnes & The Hitman
Stuart, Anne &Wilson Gayle - Night and Day

Austenland - Shannon Hale

I was really curious about this book. Having been on an Austen mood lately (books, movies, TV series...) I thought this was probably a really fun and entertaining book.

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

So Jane goes on her vacation but from the beginning it is clear that she doesn't feel she belongs there. She keeps analysing everything and everyone and naturally that prevents her from fully enjoying the fantasy. Then we start to discover that the fantasy is not as innocent as at first it seemed. In fact all the guests are women, living as Austen's characters, but the men are all actors paid to play the part... and something more the guests might want. I thought that was weird, nothing could farther away from an Austen fantasy than that. Even when Jane believes she is falling for the gardener she later finds out he is nothing more than another actor. I definitely didn't like this side of the story... I was expecting a serious re-enactment by all players involved and although everything seemed like a serious recreation this aspect of things ruined it for me.

Jane was actually a nice character and she deserved better than the two suitors she finds here. One seemed a regular good guy but in the end it was a lie and another was Mr Darcy's reincarnation that ended up deciding to take fate in his own hands. That might have worked but she rushed the ending. The story was flowing and suddenly it's like she decided to end the book in 2 or 3 pages. Very weird!

Grade: C+

New Additions to the TBR Pile

Two more this week, I think I've read something by Chance before but Donohue is a new to me author.

Megan Chance - The Gentleman Caller
Emma Donohue - Slamerkin

Evermore - Lynn Viehl

I had a few problems with the previous story and I'm afraid things don't get better with this one.

Jayr is proud to be the only female ever permitted to serve as seneschal to a Darkyn lord. But in her centuries of service to Master Byrne, she has fallen in love with him. Now, Byrne plans to step down and hand over the Jardin to another Kyn lord-a move that threatens not only Jayr's position, but her very life...

Like in the previous book, Night Lost, I wasn't all that interested in the main characters. That was a bit weird for me because the do mention their medieval origins more in this book than in others and since medievals are my thing that could have helped but the truth is that I never felt I knew them enough to sympathise with them. Nor do we get to know the whole story, how did they went from that field in Bannockburn to being Master and Seneschal and why didn't those feelings emerged sooner. If I had known all that I guess I could have felt more about them.

And like in the previous book I found the secondary characters much more interesting. I wanted to know what was going on with Nottingham and Robin, what was the story behind them. Of course these are character we've all heard of before so it's much easier to be interested if you like the Robin Hood legend. The thing is that final twist really REALLY annoyed me, not only is the man a liar but he also let's others take the blame for him. Not hero material on my book so I'll be looking forward to see what Viehl does with him in his own book.

As usual Alexandra and Cyprien provided some of the entertainment although she is starting to seem like the only one who can get to the truth of things and Cyprien seemed very defenceless here and maybe not that accurate when separating the good guys from the bad guys. I find myself thinking that after having had their own book in the first of the series they tend to hijack all the other books because I always find myself mentioning them in my reviews. In a way this series is as much about the main characters as about Alexandra and her attempt to discover what happened to the Darkyn and if the process can be reversed.

I missed having the High Lord Richard Tremayne in the story and I wish she would write more about him. We know all about his health now so can we have his love life sorted out?

Viehl has a nice writing style and she is great at describing characters and maintaining a fast paced, suspenseful action. One really wants to keep reading and find out what's going to happen. That's why although I struggled with the problems I mentioned I'm still looking forward to the next one. Unfortunately more for what I think will be the secondary story than the main romance but Viehl did a really good job in creating the Darkyn world and I seem to never get enough of that.

Grade: C+

And today...

I'll be helping L. with his candles...

Today I'll be busy blowing some candles...

... and this is the cake!!

What's a Ghoul To Do? - Victoria Laurie

I've greatly enjoyed Victoria Laurie's book about Abby Cooper and that's why I was curious about this series. It has some similarities to Abby's story but I didn't enjoy it as much.

M.J., her partner Gilley, and their client, the wealthy, de-lish Dr. Steven Sable, are at his family's lodge, where his grandfather allegedly jumped to his death from the roof-although Sable says it was foul play. But the patriarch's isn't the only ghost around. The place is lousy with souls, all with something to get off their ghoulish chests. Now M.J. will have to to quell the clamor-and listen for a voice with the answers...

The heroine, M.J. is a psychic medium, she speaks with dead people and helps them cross to the other side. If they are still around it's usually because they have some unfinished business and are usually bothering someone. So M.J. is actually a ghosbuster!

M.J. has a friend and partner in Gilley who helps her busting the ghosts but also with the financial aspect of the business. Gilley is very happy when they find a new client in Dr Steven Sable, a hunk that M.J. can't help being attracted to, who wants them to find out what really happened to his grandfather.

I like that Laurie describes the heroine and her work in such a down to earth manner. We get to know what she feels, what she does, her worries about dealing with ghosts. That was interesting although I felt there was a bit too much psychic stuff than what I usually enjoy.

She adds a bit of romance with the Dr Sable character. I thought he was the least believable of the main characters. He is fluent in several languages but makes some basic errors in the English language. It didn't sound right!

Other than those minor problems it's a fun and light mystery, with a chick littlish feel, really fast paced and entertaining to spend a few hours with. It was just a bit too light for me.

Grade: C-

Marriage à La Mode - Elisabeth Fairchild

I think that one can find really sweet stories, true gems, in these Signet Editions. The line has been discontinued but whenever I find one I know I'll have a few hours of delightful reading.

Dunstan Hay, Earl of Erroll, becomes fascinated with a mysteriously veiled lady while visiting Tunbridge Wells. Behind the veil, he finds Lady Melody Bainbridge, a woman beaten and bruised by a husband she is seeking legal separation from. Melody is intrigued by the well-spoken and gentle manner with which Dunstan treats her. Dunstan, a confirmed bachelor, begins to lose his objections to attaching himself permanently to a female at the same time as he begins losing his heart to the courageous young lady. However, Melody's brutal husband is not totally out of the picture. He continues to torment Melody and tries to force money out of Dunstan by filing a countersuit against Melody for adultery. To free the woman he loves of such an evil being, Dunstan is willing to do almost anything. Will he be successful in removing Melody from such twisted clutches? Will Melody ever be free to marry the man she has come to love?

This book has an original plot. Set during the reign of King George VI Fairchild establishes a parallel between the attempt the king made to divorce his queen and the situation the heroine was suffering through trying to divorce her husband. In both cases the women's rights are gravely injured and are very different from the husband's. Fairchild shows a very sympathetic heroine to Queen Caroline's plight.

Other than that I found the main characters to be interesting and engaging, especially the hero who searches for a way to free the heroine and hopefully in a way that she can remarry. That can only be obtained in a somewhat tortured way as at the time divorced couples could not remarry. I found the way that their relationship, and later courtship, develops really nice and sweet.

There are not many secondary characters, the only major one is the Earl of Erroll's mother who at first doesn't seem very happy with the fact that her son as chosen such a scandalous bride. There seems to be a mystery attached to his cousin and his wife (Erroll's former beloved) and I was left wondering if they have their own book.

Grade: B

The Dangerous Gentleman - Julia London

It's been a while since I've read a Julia London book. So long, in fact, that I forgot which book I read and can only remember that I did and that’s why I put this one in the TBR pile.

It was strictly business as Adrian Spence claimed the woman his brother desired. A hasty wedding, and Lilliana Dashell was his-sweet revenge on the father who disinherited him and the brother who let it happen. Their wedding night is a revelation as passionate, innocent Lilliana ignites fires Adrian tries desperately to deny. By day he is a stranger. By night he is the lover of her dreams, and she a shameless wanton in his arms. But Adrian is determined that no woman will ever possess him. And Lilliana knows that her only hope of taming this very dangerous gentleman is to unlock his deepest mysteries and open his shuttered heart to love...

I really liked how this one started. I like Marriage of Convenience stories, I like Marriage In trouble stories and sometimes I even like Revenge stories. This one seemed to have all three. Besides that I really liked both the hero and the heroine. I even understood them (although revenge like this might backfire and leave someone very unhappy). I found them interesting and wanted to know more about them. The problem was that there are too many misunderstandings, the hero has too much baggage to carry (like being abused by his father since birth), some of which he doesn't even know about (the truth is worse than he thinks).

So it started very well but it got to a point where it was too much! Too many misunderstandings, too much manipulation on the brother's part, too little action of the hero dealing with it... I liked the twists of the story, what we find out about the past but they just suffer for too long.

And in the end nothing really bad happens to the villains. It’s like the main characters suffered throughout the whole story and the villains just loose some money and property. Definitely not enough!

I found it well written and I will read London again but I sincerely hope her other characters wont have to suffer so much to get their happy ending!

Grade: C+

Happy Easter

New Additions to the TBR pile

One day early here is the only new arrival of the week...

Philip Pullman - The Tin Princess

This is book 4 in the Sally Lockart series and I' still waiting for nº 2 and 3. I'm trying my best not to peek because I'm really curious about Adelaide.

Catching up...

on TV series! I forgot to mention Bones on my post about series...

Mistress of The Revolution - Catherine Delors

This was a difficult review to write. I enjoyed the book very much and I wanted to do it justice but sometimes there are so many things you appreciate that you get overwhelmed when it comes to writing the review.

This book reads like a memoir, the heroine is looking back on her past and telling us about her life. There are only a few occasions in which we are brought back to the present and actually know her as an old woman.

This is a book about a very sensitive period in history. The French Revolution gave us the ideals we still live by today but at the same time it was a period of such blood shed that sometimes, when I read about it, the good parts pale in comparison.

The book starts as Gabrielle de Montserrat is brought to her family to live after a few years living with a nurse and then a few more in a convent completing her education. Her family belongs to the impoverished aristocracy and it is understood that she will be expected to marry well. However Gabrielle ends up falling in love with a young commoner - Pierre Andre Coffinhal - and to prevent them from being together her brother marries her to a man thrice her age when she is only 15. Said husband will mistreat her before finally dying and leaving her penniless and with a little daughter. Without any other options she accepts to go to Paris and live with an old relation. There she will be in touch with the court life and the last moments of the Old Regime. Her story is not uncommon when it comes to the history of women in general. Dependent on men to provide for her, as due to her status work can't be considered, she becomes the mistress of a rich men. Her position as Lady In Waiting to the Countess of Provence will allow her to get to know the most important personalities in the political scene. After the monarchy is abolished she is reduced to a "ci-devant" (an ex) Baroness and in a world where titles are no longer tolerated she finds herself imprisoned and in constant danger of being tried and killed just because she was an aristocrat. As the situation collapses she asks for the help of Pierre-Andree who has risen to be an important member of the Revolutionary Tribunal and a close friend of Robespierre. The relationship that they develop will allow Gabrielle and us to follow the period of the Terror and its political changes especially it what concerns civil rights. From its beginning till the moment when the leaders of the revolution end up being led to the guillotine themselves.

I found it strange at first that Gabrielle could mention so many horrifying things in a detached manner. But then it struck me that she is looking back into the past, some events are long gone and we are watching them through her eyes. The first person point of view also helps with that. It’s an interesting way of telling the story and I also found it important in a different level. She manages to convey both the old world and the new society that comes out of the revolution without being judgemental. It’s through Pierre-Andre’s character that we have most of the analysis and condemnation of the old regime and the defence of the new order. Gabrielle has a more feminine approach to reality with worries about family and friends which make her observations very interesting in a different way. I felt that last part of the book was the stronger one and why I ended up loving it so much.

The romantic element is strong but this is Gabrielle's story, not a romance, and in the end she survives and becomes stronger. When she reaches the end of her story she is in London and thinks about how twenty three years later the émigrés are returning to France as the Bourbons were restored to the throne. She, however, will never be able to go back…

The characters are interesting and I felt that the more I knew them the more I wanted to know. The historical background is really well done. We get a true feeling of the period without it taking centre stage.

One final note to say the book is populated by real people, who actually existed – starting with Coffinhal - and I really liked that.

Grade: A

Shadows and Strongholds - Elizabeth Chadwick

This book is part of the Read Along Challenge I'm doing with A. and A. I have already read Lords of The White of which this one is a prequel and I was eager to start this one.

A Mediaeval tale of pride and strife, of coming of age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power. An awkward misfit, loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother, nine-year-old Fulke FitzWarin leaves his family to be fostered in the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Here Fulke will learn knightly arts, but before he can succeed, he must overcome the deep-seated doubts that hold him back. Hawise is Joscelin's youngest daughter and she befriends Fulke. As they grow up, an implacable enemy threatens Ludlow and as the pressure mounts, their friendship changes until one fateful day they find themselves staring at each other across a divide. Not only does Fulke have to overcome the shadows of his childhood, he faces a Welsh threat to his family's lands, and the way he feels about Hawise endangers all his hard won confidence. As the menace to Ludlow intensifies, he must either confront the future head on, or fail on all counts, not knowing if Hawise stands with or against him.

I think Chadwick's biggest virtue as a writer is the way she writes her characters. She actually make them come alive without using the usual ploy of giving them modern ideas for better identification with the reader. They remain true to their time and traditions but at the same time they express feelings and have virtues and faults that are in temporal and give them further depth. She also has a wonderful sense of setting and period which makes for very believable stories.

The book tells the story of a young boy, fostered in a Lord's house so he can "spread his wings" and become a leader of men and head of his family. In this new environment he will face some challenges, learn to be a knight and meet different people. Far from his harsh grandmother and his father and close to Joscelin de Dinan, whom he admires, Brunin learns what it takes to be a knight and face the challenges of 12th century England divided by a civil war that made Lords change sides and win or loose castles according to the king's will. Surrounding Brunin are the Lady Sybilla, Joscelin's wife, Hawise, their daughter, and Marion, whose behaviour will have a big influence in their future. Brunin develops a special friendship with Hawise which will be the foundation for their romantic relationship.

Chadwick mentions at the end how she felt compelled to write the story of Fulke Fitzwarin’s parents after she had finished Lords of The White castle. Fulke Fitzwarin was a medieval outlaw who had his story written down in the 13th century and may well be one of the origins of the Robin Hood legend.

Grade: A

Shorter Week

I'll only work 3 and a half days this week because it's Easter. Can it get better? Yes! Next week I'll only work 3 days!!!

Night Lost - Lynn Viehl

Another one in Viehl's Darkyn series. I had some trouble grading this book as I devoured the parts about Richard and Alex but wasn't really interested in the parts about Gabriel and Nick.

A NOBLE PRISONER...

Gabriel Seran has fallen into the hands of the fanatical religious order known as the Brethren. Though abandoned by his fellow Kyn, he remains honor bound to protect their secrets from his interrogators. Blinded, nailed to a cross, and sealed in a chapel cellar beneath a ruined château, Gabriel faces an eternity of suffering.

AN OBSESSED THIEF...

Nicola "Nick" Jefferson has been traveling across Europe, looting churches of their precious artwork and fencing the treasures to make her living. At each destination, she liberates the captive vampires, hoping they'll provide her with information leading to the one artifact she so desperately craves: the Golden Madonna.

A FATEFUL COUPLING...

Gabriel and Nick have met before in each other's dreams. Bound together more than coincidence, their destinies intertwine even as their passions ignite...

At the end of the last book of the series Richard, the High King of the Darkyn, kidnaps Alex, Michael Cyprien's Sygkenis. Alex is a reputed doctor who has already found some answers regarding the Darkyn's race and Richard has a medical condition that he wants her to treat. His body is suffering a mutation into an animal species that will eventually kill him.

I must confess that I have been curious about Richard and his problems for sometime now. He has been a secondary character in the earlier books, always surrounded with an aura of mystery and power and that makes him really attractive from this reader's point of view. I keep wishing Viehl would write a book about him but it doesn't seem to be happening soon.

So as I've been really curious about him, and because Alex usually steals the show even when she is only a secondary character, I paid much more attention to them than to Gabriel and Nick. These two never really interested me, we already had a book about a badly tortured Darkyn with Thierry Durand and Nick seemed more interested in abandoning him than preparing a future with him. I'm not sure where Viehl is leading us or if she is setting up things for future books but she does spend a long time with characters and events other than the main couple for which I was really grateful. Viehl ends up joining the two stories and surprised me with an interesting twist. However I felt the book was very uneven, very good with the High King's story and not so good with the rest...

Grade: B-

New Additions to The TBR Pile

Emma and The Court of Love are actually old favorites while Craig and Lehane are new to me and Riley a new to me series.

Jane Austen - Emma
Denee Cody - The Court of Love
Charmaine Craig - The Good Men
Dennis Lehane - Mystic River
Judith Merkle Riley - A Vision of Light

And more decisions...

Ended up watching S&S yesterday and for today I'm choosing something modern...


Dr House


Dexter


Californication

Decisions, decisions...

What to watch next...


Sense & Sensibility


Cranford

Key Lime Pie Murder - Joanne Fluke

I couldn't resist picking this one up as the last one worked so well for me.

It's Tri-County fair time and Lake Eden, Minnesota, is buzzing with more than mosquitoes. Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar, is hot on the trail of a killer whose perfect carnival prize would be getting away with murder...
It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the fair; she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters.

With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. As the lights click off, she realizes that she's not alone among the shuttered booths and looming carnival attractions. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping;only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why? Before long Hannah is sifting through motives and a list of suspects which include a high school student Willa flunked, the hot-blooded brothers of a disqualified beauty contestant, a rodeo cowboy, a baking competitor who failed to win her yearly blue ribbon, and the college professor Willa was dating.

As fair week draws to a close, Hannah cranks up the heat, hoping that the killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last...

Unfortunately this one didn't work so well. One of the things is that it takes too long for the murder to happen. If we didn't know who is going to be killed that would be fine but we do know so we really don't need to spend all that time getting to know a character we know is going to disappear. I felt the same way about the last book but since I enjoyed the rest I didn't even mention it in my review but here it really bothered me.

Then in the book we have a bit more of the Mike / Norman thing. Did I mention I don't like that? Did I mention I like Norman better than Mike? This book did not change my mind. And I want her to decide and get on with her life!

Hannah seemed to have some silly moments. Eavesdropping just in time to hear Mike explain why he seems to cold to victims. Meeting the bad guy and leaving her cell phone on so he can hear her sister telling her he is the bad guy... that was just weird. I sometimes don't hear the phone ringing in my bag much less someone talking. And then that finale with the carnival ride. It almost seemed like a joke...

On the whole I suppose it wasn't terrible. It's just that it wasn't very good either and nothing really stands out.

Note to self: don't read two Hannah Swensen books in a row.

Grade: C+

Boston Legal

A. recommended this series to me and I can only say it's another winner!

What A Woman Needs - Caroline Linden

I am definitely becoming spoiled but all the good books I've been reading lately and I find that my tolerance for silly plots is not as big as it once was?

In this book the hero is courting an innocent young girl who sees him as her ticket to a life in London. Because she is a rich heiress and he is penniless her guardian, Charlotte, assumes the hero must be a fortune hunter (which he is) and sets out to not only forbid the match but to totally ruin him. To prove he is not an honourable gentleman she first tries to seduce him and when he (not knowing who she is) responds to that she humiliates him and spreads some horrible gossip about him so no one will receive him in the future. Despite all this when her ward disappears without a trace Drake, the hero, sets out to help Charlotte find her. The same woman who believed horrible lies about him and spread the word everywhere... So although she ruined his life socially he still wants to help her... and although she believes the worst from him she still feels he can't be all that bad. Does this make any sense? And why didn't he just tell her the truth about that gossip? It's not like he didn't have the opportunity with him breaking into her house and then she breaking into his bedroom. And after they arrive in London and she stays at his parent's house it's his own mother (who seems loving and caring when speaking to her son) who tells Charlotte that Drake is weak and incapable of facing responsibilities. He will never marry her and he has always been a disappointment to his father! Wow, with a mother like this who needs enemies...

After this I decided this one qualified for DNF status!!

But I persevered and read it till the end. There was a mystery about something Charlotte was in possession of and that was what led to Susan's disappearance but it wasn't all that interesting to me. And both Drake and Charlotte kept behaving like children who could have solved half their problems if they just talked to each other. And the same could be said of his parents who, it seems, had their own dose of misunderstandings to deal with.

Grade: C-

I have the second book in the series in my TBR pile and I'm hesitating between getting rid of it unread or just pick it up next and be done with it...

Cherry Cheesecake Murder - Joanne Fluke

Another story in the Joanne Fluke's culinary mysteries series that I've been enjoying. I had been a bit disappointed in the latest entries but I'm happy to say I found this one a very enjoyable read.

Hannah Swensen and her bakery, The Cookie Jar, bask in the glow of Hollywood glamour when Main Street becomes a movie set. And although tensions simmer as the cameras roll, no one expects the action to turn deadly...until it's too late...There's no such thing as privacy in Lake Eden, but Hannah never thought things would go this far. Everyone has been telling her what to do ever since she got not one but two marriage proposals. The votes are evenly divided between Detective Mike Kingston and town dentist Norman Rhodes.

One of the high points was that the Mike/Hannah/Norman triangle was not much in evidence. After they both propose to her in the last book this story begins with half the town phoning Hannah and telling her who she should pick. That was weird and ridiculous instead of funny but fortunately Hannah solves that problem by telling them she will choose in her own good time and not be pushed into a decision! Go Hannah!

Another good thing was the mystery itself. A Hollywood crew decides to shoot a movie in town. The whole town is recruited to help or take part in the movie and Hannah even finds some old college friends among them. I really liked the interaction between all these people and how Hannah dealt with her friends, one of them comes as bit of competition form Mike and Norman but since it wasn't a big of the story I thought it was ok. But soon the movie director shoots himself while rehearsing a scene and Hannah decides to investigate. He wasn't exactly the most beloved person on set but nobody seemed to have an outright motive to do him in. There weren't many clues but the mystery solution was nice and cosy as usual in this type of story, I did not guess the culprit and while it wasn't totally surprising it was a tidy and light solution.

Bakers will probably enjoy all the cookie's recipes the book has to offer.

Grade: B

New Additions to the TBR pile

This week's arrival:

Elizabeth Chadwick - Daughters of The Grail
Joanne Fluke - Key Lime Pie Murder
Baroness Orczy - The Scarlet Pimpernel
Jean Plaidy - Uneasy Lies The Head
Deanna Raybourn - Silent in The Grave
Deanna Raybourn - Silent in The Sactuary
Anne Stuart - A Rose at Midnight

The Stuart will be a reread, I read it a few years ago when I started reading romance and traded it right away. I had been thinking about getting a new copy to read and finally found one.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

You Are a Jam Cookie

On the outside, you project a straight-laced, innocent vibe. But on the inside, you're complex, exotic, and full of flavor.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

I love cookies! I just wish they weren't such a diet killer! To make matters worse I'm reading a book which includes cookie recipes...

Knit One, Kill Two - Maggie Sefton

I really like cosies and I really like crafts so this seemed the ideal book for me. However in the end I'm feeling very disappointed by it.

Despite the fact that her aunt was an expert knitter, Kelly Flynn never picked up a pair of knitting needles she liked—until she strolled into House of Lambspun. Now, in the first in a brand-new series, she learns how to knit one, purl two, and untangle the mystery behind her aunt's murder.

Kelly Flynn would be the first to admit her life in Washington, D.C. is a little on the dull side. But coming back to Colorado for her beloved aunt's funeral wasn't the kind of excitement she was seeking. The police are convinced that her Aunt Helen's death was the result of a burglary gone bad, but for the accountant in Kelly, things just aren't adding up. After all, why would her sensible, sixty-eight-year-old aunt borrow $20,000 just days before her death? With the help of the knitting regulars at House of Lambspun, Kelly gets a few lessons in turning out a sumptuously colored scarf and in luring a killer out of hiding.


I thought the action takes too long to find an interesting pace. In the first chapters it just drags. Kelly arrives for her aunt’s funeral and discovers the aunt had taken a big loan on the day she died and that said money and an heirloom quilt had disappeared. I wasn't particularly interested in Kelly or her aunt; they never really came alive for me. Things became more interesting when we are introduced to the mystery from the past, I love it when books take us on a visit to the past of the characters, however in the end that was very disappointing too. Nothing really came of it as Kelly does confront her aunt's killer but in an indirect way. Meaning she discovers his relation to her aunt true but that didn't have to make him the killer. It was just one big coincidence. And her aunt's reaction to said person seemed really odd, cold and unfeeling. On the whole the mystery plot just did not convince me.

Regarding the knitting, Kelly learns to knit after she arrives. She never tried it before even though it was one of her aunt's favourite things. Throughout the book there are several knitting scenes in which Kelly learns to knit in the yarn shop. I'm not sure if this common in the States but here people don't usually knit on yarn shops. That could have created an interesting atmosphere though, like a knitting club but the characters didn't seem very interesting and strong and now I can't even remember who was who.

Kelly is apparently to have a love interest in the future in Steve. That relationship could have brought some depth to her character but it never takes off.

Grade: C

I do like the covers very much; I think they (this and the others in the series) really look cosy!

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Ingredients
2 chicken sausages, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 cups coarsely chopped zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup shredded cheese


Preparation
Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add sausage; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and pasta; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano, and beans; cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until pasta and zucchini are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.


I found this recipe in the Cooking Light website via Elvira's Bistrot and it was our dinner last night. Cooking Light seems like a really interesting site and I think I'll try some other recipes they have there.

The Ruby In The Smoke - Philip Pullman

I started this book with great expectation having heard so much about Pullman and his His Dark Materials books. Besides it is set in Victorian London and I love those stories.

Have you ever heard the phrase The Seven Blessings?
That question causes a man to die of shock, and propels Sally Lockhart into a desperate adventure that will expose the deepest secrets of the corrupt and murderous opium trade.
Sally is sixteen when the story begins, orphaned and alone. She's had an unconventional education: her knowledge of English Literature, French, History, Art and Music is non-existent, but she has a thorough grounding in military tactics, can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol. When her father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, Sally soon finds herself in terrible danger too - and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke.

I found he has a great way to describe characters and setting, I could almost see Sally and the Garlands and Mrs Holland going about the streets of London. However I think there were some problems with the plot. It's supposedly a mystery however I never felt a suspense thrill, it mentions opium dens and shady characters but only in some few selected scenes did I feel that dark atmosphere. Sally never really interested me much, she is supposedly the sleuth that is going to discover everything but I felt that we get as much information from the villains if not more than from Sally. She was more worried in trying to remember the past and to know why her father was killed than actually looking for the lost ruby or helping save Adelaide when that was needed. I could never really warm up to her. On the other hand I really liked Jim and Rosa and would really like to know what happened to Adelaide.

The bad guys are really bad, namely the infamous Mrs Holland but it seems she manages to hurt everybody except Sally, who is supposedly the real target! Isn't that odd? Besides the story is slowly revealed, at times too slowly and then in the last chapters everything is solved with a nicely thought twist to explain everything and every character involved.

It seems to me that the idea behind the story was a good one (I keep thinking of Emilio Salgari's stories because of the indian bad guys and the famous cursed jewel) but somehow the final result is not as good as it should be.

Grade: C+

Cooking Light Recipes

Still trying to make low calory dishes here's what we tried last night:

2 big turkey steaks
Salt & Pepper
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 tea spoon of oregano
4 slices of ham (or something similar)
2 slices of cheese
200gr of sliced bacon


Pre-heat the oven at 200º. Season the meat with the salt & pepper, the garlic and the oregano. Spread it on an aluminum foil and put the cheese and the ham on top. Roll it so the cheese and the ham will be on the inside and cover it with the bacon. Then roll the aluminum foil around it and take to the oven for 25 min. Take out of the oven, remove the aluminum foil and take it to the oven for 10 min more till it looks golden. Eat with sauteed vegetables.

It was yummy and check the original recipe here because their photo is much better than mine!

Ghost of a Chance - Yasmine Galenorn

I wasn't sure what to expect of this one but it was marketed as a cozy and I love cozies so I just had to try it.

Emerald O'Brien is the owner of the Chintz 'n China Tea Room where guests are served the perfect blend of tea and tarot reading. She never set out to be a detective, but once word gets out that she can communicate with the dead, there's no turning back...

When the ghost of Susan Mitchell asks for Emerald's help in convicting her own murderer, Emerald can't refuse. Along with her friends-an ex-supermodel and a cop-and her new love interest, Emerald must search for clues to put the killer behind bars-and this tortured soul to rest.

I thought the story was interesting, the plot had some surprising twists and the characters were actually nice and friendly but... I thought the paranormal element was a bit overdone. I don't mind a bit of magic in the stories I read but séances, summoning spirits, evil spirits afoot, strange happenings that hurt characters... well that was all a bit too much psychic for me. It's not my reality and although I respect it I have a hard time buying it as the real thing.

I like my cosies to be set in small towns, to have a nice and tidy atmosphere and a clever detective adding up the clues. Here it's almost the ghost that gives every clues and that, in the end, catches the bad guy. And I thought that the Mr B&U subplot was totally unnecessary to the main story.

Although it didn't work for me I can see how it might work for others more interested in the paranormal elements so that's why I'm rating it within the B range.

Grade: B-

New Additions to the TBR Pile

A bunch of books this week also. I've been mooching and buying non stop as I just can't resist all those lovely stories that have been recommended to me... And there are more to arrive yet... note to self: read faster!

Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
Paul Doherty - The Cup of Ghosts
Denise Domning - A Love For All Seasons
Suzannah Dunn - The Sixth Wife
Joanne Fluke - Cherry Cheesecake Murder
Eric Ives - The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn
Anya Seton - Katherine
Dodie Smith - I Capture The Castle

New Look

I've been thinking for a while about giving my blog a new look. I loved the look I had but it wasn't mine, sometimes I would visit other blogs and they would have the same header and background. I was therefore yearning for one of my own.


I also needed some incentive as it is a lot of work for someone who knows next to nothing of HTML. Yesterday, Alex was kind enough to offer her services by working on an image I love (one of the icons mentioned on the previous post) and I accepted the challenge. We ended up using another image and after an afternoon of arduous work in which both Alex and Ana O. tutored me we managed to put it together.

I'm totally in love with this new look! It's totally my type and it's also personal, just mine! Thank you Alex!

If you're curious the image is part of a painting called Madame d'Haussonville by Ingres