North and South by John Jakes

You may best remember North and South as a television miniseries in the early 1980s starring Patrick Swazye and his mullet. I'm not sure mullets were prevalent in civil war era America but they sure were prevalent on The Swazye in the '80s. God rest his soul. I can remember my mom reading all three books in the trilogy and I remember our family watching the miniseries. It was quite the television event at the time. Being 10 at the time of the miniseries airing, I naturally don't remember much of it so when I came across it awhile ago in my mom's book collection, I asked to borrow it.

Ye Olde Mullet

North and South chronicles the lives of two families - the Mains (Hey, that's my family's surname! Cool! Now I'm even more interested!) of South Carolina and the Hazards of Pennsylvania. The Mains run a successful rice plantation and - you guessed it - own many slaves. The Hazards own a large ironworks factory and don't own slaves. Orry Main and George Hazard meet at West Point and despite their cultural differences, become fast friends. They later fight in the Mexican/American war together where Orry loses an arm in battle and George saves his life.

After the war, Orry returns to South Carolina to run the family's cotton plantation and wallow in misery due to his lack of a left arm and the fact that the woman he loves has married a local a-hole. George returns to Pennsylvania to run the ironworks, raise a family and presumably smoke cigars. Seriously! He is always smoking a cigar in the book. Jakes features George's cigar smoking so prevalently that I can only assume he's setting the character up to die of lung cancer in one of the following books.  Don't tell me if he does.  I want to be surprised.

Tensions rise between the northern Americans and southern Americans as the slavery issue heats up and the country draws closer and closer to civil war. Through it all, Orry and George are determined to keep theirs and their families friendships intact.

Jakes did his research for North and South. I learned a lot about the lead up, characters involved and the circumstances surrounding the civil war. Jakes even inserts some key real-life characters into the story to interact with the fictional characters including Robert E. Lee and President Lincoln himself.  However, some of the history seems forced or awkward.  Characters will spontaneously begin debating issues unrelated to what was currently happening in the book or random characters will appear out of nowhere to provide exposition.  And Jakes also conveniently positions his characters so they can basically Forrest Gump their way through the civil war.  Oh look, two of the characters are conveniently at West Point when Robert E. Lee was the head master.  Oh look, one of the characters is conveniently stationed at Fort Sumter when it is fired upon.  Oh look, two of the characters happen to be on a train that is detained during John Brown's raid in Harper's Ferry, Virginia.  It all just felt contrived.

That being said, this is basically a 735 page Harlequin romance with some history thrown in. There is a LOT of bodice ripping and passionate embracing going down.  And the dialogue is equally cheesy.  I really just got the feeling that Jakes isn't that good of a writer.  Yes, he was able to create an elaborate world with many, many characters rooted in historical events.  He just didn't do it skillfully.  Margaret Mitchell did it a helluva lot better.

And my biggest problem with the book (which might be a little spoilery):  735 pages; one huge, lengthy book and the war hasn't even started yet!  Come on!  Yes, I get it.  There was a lot of lead up to the war.  We didn't just go to war overnight.  But let's get to the point already.  Which means, I guess I have to read the second in the trilogy, Love and War, which by the name alone almost guarantees more bodice ripping.

I'm giving North and South two and a half bows.

It wasn't awful. There are some scenes that are quite griping and the history is solid.  But it is also fairly ridiculous and cheesy. I'll at least read the second book.  But not right away.  I need some palate cleansing first.  Until next time, happy reading fellow book nerds!

Hello! Is This Thing On?

Hello again!  Long time no see.  Let's sit down and chat awhile, catch up on things, shall we?

Yep, it's been about eight months since I last posted on this blog.  There's been some pretty heavy stuff going on in my life that has drawn my attention away from just about everything except breathing.  My father was in a serious car accident and hospitalized for nearly two months.  He's doing much better now, recovering nicely.  I have been diagnosed with a particularly annoying and time consuming digestive disease that has required many tests, medications and a short stint in the hospital for myself as well.  I have also made some career changes.  I'm still an accountant by day (at least until I write the Great American Novel) but have taken a position as controller with a new company.  "Controller" is just a fancy word for someone who runs an accounting department for a small company.  Needless to say, this new job comes with some pretty hefty responsibilities and stress.  Things are settling down now, however.  Day to day life is starting to return to normalcy.

I have still been recieving all your author/publisher review submissions and filing them away.  I hope to return to reading and reviewing these submissions again but for the time being, I just want to get back in the swing of things.  If you have sent me a review request, I will be in contact soon on whether or not I will be able to accomodate your request.  I have been inundated with submissions and am unfortunately going to have to refuse some.  Alas, I don't do this for a living and therefore have limited time for reading and blogging.

However, during these last few months, I did not stop reading.  I haven't been reading as much but still reading nontheless.  A few of the titles that I read during my absence from this blog that I may or may not get around to telling you about include Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, and Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan.  I just finished North and South by John Jakes and have already started writing the review for it so look for that soon.  In the meantime, leave me a comment on what all everybody is reading.  I'd love to hear from you again.

Shannon

The Master's Reliquary, Book One - The Man of Signs by Jim Dameron

Hello again, fellow book nerds!  Sorry to have been away for awhile.  Life has been hectic so I have fallen behind on my blogging, as per usual.  Excuses, excuses.  I know.  So let's jump right in, shall we? 

Tonight's blog will feature a book from a new author by the name of Jim Dameron.  The Master's Reliquary, Book One - The Man of Signs is set in the 5th century around about Scotland/Ireland.  We meet the hero of the novel, Brude, a monk in the Brotherhood of the Twelve Monastery.  Brude was a young orphan when the monastery took him in.  Even as a child, Brude found himself drawn to the heavy, beautifully carved reliquary (per Merriam-Webster, a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept - don't worry, I had to look it up too) in the brotherhood's possession and in which they kept their sacred scriptures.  Unbeknowst to Brude, and I believe the entire Brotherhood, the reliquary was a product of Jesus' craftmanship back in his carpentry days.

Brude and a small group of other monks set out across the sea to a foreign land to spread the word of God.  Like every other Christian missionary expedition in history, not all the people they encounter are receptive.  But Brude and the other monks make some friends, thwart some attempts at war and eventually settle down and build a church in the foreign land.

The plot and premise behind the book is quite original, in my humble opinion.  In a sea of chick lit, crappy fantasy and spy novels, The Master's Reliquary defintely stands out.  I'm not sure I've ever seen, let alone read, a "historical fiction Christian" novel set in antient Ireland starring a huge monk covered in bad ass tattoos.  It's a first for me and I'm guessing you too. 

One thing that struck me about this book and in particular about the character of Brude, was the heavy Jesus imagery.  Dameron is clearly trying to draw a corrolary between the life of Jesus and this character.  Brude is a roaming preacher.  So was Jesus.  Brude rises from the dead (kinda).  So did Jesus.  Brude suffers some stigmata-type wounds.  Jesus invented them.  It's very heavy handed and a bit off-putting but not a deal killer.

All in all I would say this book was an enjoyable read.  A solid showing from a new author.  I'm going to give The Master's Reliquary three and a half bows. 

 It was an engaging and entertaining read and I look forward to the second book in the series - which I have already received from the publisher for review so stay tuned for that!  Until then, happy reading book nerds!

*In accordance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for a review posted here on my blog.

Dragon Stones - Book One of the Dragon Stone Saga by Kristian Alva

I'm not usually one to gravitate toward the fantasy genre. Nor do I read much YA (Young Adult). But I seem to be reading a little of both as of late. See here and here, respectively. Recently I finished a book that encompasses both genres: Dragon Stones - Book One of the Dragon Stone Saga by Kristian Alva.

Dragon Stones centers on the story of Elias, a boy of around 15 years old who lives with his grandmother in a land called Durn. Elias and his grandmother are both healers (a kind of herbal medicine doctor) as well as Mages (wizards).

In recent years, there was some political upheaval in Durn in which the reigning monarchy was overthrown by an evil usurper name Emperor Vosper. On a side note, for some reason every time I read the name "Emperor Vosper" I always pictured the following in my head:


Flash!  Ahhh Ahhh!

Anyway, Emperor Vosper has taken over control of Durn and is generally up to no good. The citizens are suffering and short of food. There's threat of retaliation if anyone says the wrong thing. It's your run of the mill despotism. But most notably, he's having all the dragons exterminated.

One day, while searching for herbs and such in the forest, Elias comes across a long hidden dragon stone. The dragon's magical power is all derived from a large gem-like stone located at it's throat. There are also dragon riders. These human dragon riders form an intense and life-long bond with their dragons. When a dragon accepts a rider, the dragon stone at its throat is divided in two. The dragon keeps half, naturally, and the rider takes the other half. Most riders wear the stone around their necks but some have the stones permanently implanted in their chests to symbolize the strength of their bond to the dragon. Once bonded, the dragon and rider are a kind of super hero duo, roaming the land righting wrongs and defeating evil.  Oh and the stones allow the dragon and rider to communicate telepathically. Sweet!

The stone Elias finds is a riders stone. Despite warnings from his grandmother, Elias is desperate to better their situation and takes the stone to a local merchant to sell. The merchant alerts the Emperor's goons and soon Elias is on the run.

Unlike other fantasy or YA books I've read, this one is heavy on both fronts. This is not fantasy light like A Game of Thrones. There's magic and dragons and elves, oh my. It's got it all. And the writing and themes are more in line with what I would expect from a YA novel, unlike The Hunger Games or The Book Thief.  Simple writing, nothing fancy, easy for younger readers to grasp.  And nothing too heavy in the way of violence or adult themes.

All in all, Dragon Stones it is a good solid YA fantasy novel.  You root for the good guys (Elias), and you root against the bad guys (Emperor Vosper - even though we don't officially meet him).  There are some plot turns regarding Elias' lineage that will keep you interested.  One gripe however:  the book is quite short and ends abruptly.  I know this is the first book in a forthcoming multi-book saga.  I know there is more to come.  Perhaps the first book could have been longer to better establish the plot and characters.  And perhaps the first book could have ended after more had happened, for lack of a better word.  It cuts off without anything all that significant occurring, which is good for future sales but leaves me feeling cheated on this book. 

That being said, I am going to give Dragon Stones by Kristian Alva three and half bows.  It was good, and as far as my limited knowledge of YA fantasy goes, unique.  But you all know how I hate a cliffhanger and this was the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers.  That's all for now.  Until next time, fellow book nerds, happy reading!

*In accordance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for a review posted here on my blog.

Douchebag Roulette by Marie Simas

This book sounded really promising.  The title alone made me chuckle - Douchebag Roulette by Marie Simas.  Heh.  Douchebag.  One of my favorite words, in all it's variations.  The book was billed as a compilation of humor essays with mature humor and some sexual content.  Awesome!  Count me in!  I'm a big fan of the humor essay genre (see my much published love for David Sedaris) and I don't shy away from the raunchy.  I am no blushing schoolgirl.

The book arrived and much to my dismay, it was only 60 pages.  That's little more than a pamphlet.  There were a mere 11 essays included.  Some were as short as 2 pages long.  So my first thought was, "Why bother?"  Why bother with publishing such a small compilation?  Why not wait until you have more material to fill out the book?  But what do I know?  I'm not a published author.

And then I began reading the essays and I realized it wasn't just the book that wasn't fully developed.  None of the essays were fully fleshed out.  It was like the author had the bare bones of a story but never elaborated or created the depth needed to draw a reader in completely.  In my humble opinion, I feel she really could have benefited from a good writers workshop to bounce the stories off throughout the writing process.  (For those of you who may not be authors or English majors, writers workshops are groups of peers and/or writing professors to whom you read your work and they comment, criticize and suggest revisions as needed.)

As for the humor, some of the essays were mildly funny.  Some weren't funny at all.  Simas just appeared to be trying way too hard to be edgy or shocking.  Oooo, she's talking about one night stands and recreational drug use.  Shocking!  Oh no, she's had weird sexual encounters.  Appalling!  Meh.  It all just felt superficial and a bit disingenuous.  A post-Sex and the City tell-all that wasn't really telling anything all that interesting.

One story - the last story - called "Dirty Wal Mart Bingo" was the exception to the rest.  Genuinely funny with a heart warming final twist, the story almost redeemed the entire collection.  It left me with a positive outlook on the book but feeling cheated that the other stories weren't more like the last.

I'm going to give Douchebag Roulette by Marie Simas two bows.  It wasn't quite unreadable but it also wasn't good.  And at only 60 pages, I would be pissed if I had paid for it.  Which leads me to the following:   in accordance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review published on my blog.  That's all for tonight, fellow book nerds.  Until next time, happy reading!

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

OK, so I know I'm quite late to the scene on this series.  And I admit, I am a band-wagoner since the series premiered on HBO.  My friends Cam and Mike have been raving about the books for years.  But what can I say, Fantasy was never my go-to literary genre of choice. However, I'm the first to admit I'm wrong.

A Game of Thrones - Book One of A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin is a sweeping medieval story of court intrigue, power struggles, family loyalty and yes, there are some supernatural creatures thrown in to keep it interesting and fantastical. 

We start with the family Stark in Winterfell which is located in the northern region of Westros.  Eddard (or Ned for short) is the lord of Winterfell and all of the northern realm.  The Hand of the King (a sort of vice-king of sorts) and Ned's best friend has just died and King Robert is currently making his way north from King's Landing to Winterfell to ask Ned to be the new Hand. 

I am going to stop right here and tell you I am not about to introduce each character.  There are way too many and their relationships are too intertwined and complex to accurately explain here.  My writers notebook really came in handy with this book.  I took extensive notes to keep everybody's story clear and separate in my mind.  But, to help us out a bit, Martin has included some reference material in the form of maps and family lineage.  I kept these pages bookmarked on my Nook throughout reading.  Also, the chapters are each written from one of the main character's POV (and titled with that characters name) so at least it's organized clearly.

Anywho, back to the story.  Ned reluctantly accepts King Robert's job offer and heads off to King's Landing with some of his children.  Not comfortable at court and too honorable to actively participate in the back-stabbing politics, Ned makes no friends and acquires some dangerous enemies in the form of the Lannister family - a rich and power family in charge of a southern realm of Westeros -  and most notably Cersei Lannister, King Robert's power hungry queen.

Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea in the Free Cities, we meet Daenerys Targaryen and her brother Viserys.  The Targaryens were the ruling family prior to King Robert's war to win the Iron Throne.  The Targaryen king and most of his family were killed, but Daenerys and Viserys were able to escape with their mother.  The mother died giving birth to Daenerys. 



Daenerys - My favorite character. 
She may only be 13, but don't eff with her!



Khal Drogo - Yum!
And the actor is from Iowa!

Viserys is hell bent on reclaiming the Iron Throne.  To do this, he is selling his sister off to the leader of a barbarian horde by the name of Khal Drogo.  Drogo gets Daenerys for a wife, Viserys gets Drogo's army to reclaim the throne.  Except Viserys is a piss ant and not really suited for ruling anybody with his temper tantrums and foot stomping.  Oh and did I mention Daenerys is something like 13 years old.  They don't call him George "Rape Rape" Martin for nothing.

What unfolds from here is one of the richest, most complex pieces of literature I have ever encountered.  The world Martin creates is truly complex and imaginative.  I can only imagine the level of story-boarding and outlining that Martin had to do in order to create the world of Westeros and it's many characters.  And the series goes on for four more books!  That's mighty impressive.

As I've mentioned, the series is in the fantasy genre.  Although, I've heard it described as "fantasy-light".  When I think fantasy, I think of all those cheesy novels - 20 books to a series - with shadowy wizard characters or scantily clad witches or fairies on the cover.  Sort of the Harlequin Romance version of fantasy.  A Game of Thrones is really not that at all.  I can only think of a few details that would actually categorize it as fantasy.  Most notably there are the White Walkers/Others that live north of The Wall (seriously, I'm don't have the time to get into it).  And yes, there are dragons.  I guess a fantasy novel wouldn't be worth it's weight if there weren't dragons.  But they're extinct now.  Or are they...

A word of warning, without giving too much away, Martin is not afraid to kill off his characters so don't get too attached.  I've read stories of viewers angrily writing HBO declaring they would not continue watching the show after a certain character died.  Some of the character deaths are shocking and very unexpected.  But I like a book that can keep me on my toes.  Formulaic is boring.  And rest assured, he never kills off a character whose death isn't necessary to the story.  Small consolation, I know.

This book really got under my skin.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The characters are deeply engaging and complex.  None are completely good and none are completely evil.  Some are tortured, some are honorable, some are loyal and all are power hungry.  To quote Cersei Lannister, "When you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die."  You said it, sister.

I have to give this one five bows. 

I couldn't put it down.  And unfortunately I have some other books I am obligated to read right now or I would be starting on the second book in the series.  On second thought, maybe I'll draw it out and read the second book just before the second season of the show starts.  That way I can spoil the story line for my husband again :)  Until next time fellow book nerds, winter is coming.  Err, um, I mean happy reading!

Releasing Gillian's Wolves by Tara Woolpy

The basic plot of Releasing Gillian's Wolves by Tara Woolpy is going to be familiar to you if you read the news.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards, that pervert Anthony Weiner.  Ring a bell?  See where I'm going?

Our heroine, Gillian of the title, is a devoted housewife, mother of two adult children and wife to a cheating yet much loved US congressman.  Her husband's many affairs are no secret to her but she has chosen to turn a blind eye for the sake of her children, first and foremost, and for the the sake of her husband's career secondly.  The last thing she wants is her family's dirty laundry spread all over the newspapers and cable news shows.

But something snaps inside Gillian when she discovers a hotel key in her husband's jacket pocket one evening.  And a hunch leads her to discover her husband's newest lover is a twenty year old campaign volunteer.  Disgusted and finally fed up, Gillian decides that enough is enough.  It's time to start living life for herself rather than her husband.  And it's time to patch up the wounds her husband's ambition and infidelities have created in her family.

But why do those political wives stay?  Why do we always see them standing alongside their husbands smiling that tight stepford wife smile during those all too often press conferences.  The political husband was caught with a staffer, caught with a man, caught with a goat, whathaveyou.  Releasing Gillian's Wolves lets you in on a little of the "why".  Why?  Because it's often very complicated.  Would you rather live quietly separate yet together with your cheating husband or would you rather have your dirty laundry splashed all over the tabloids?  I can see now, a little, why they stay, especially when there are children involved.

Gillian's story is a story of redemption and courage.  50 years old and never having been on her own, she's scared to death of making a new life, let alone finding love again.  Having always lived your life for someone else, how do you even begin living it for yourself?  You'll cheer for Gillian as she finally stands up to her pig of a husband.  I did.  However, I have to admit, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Maybe it's from reading too much Lisa See and Anita Shreve but I was waiting for a tragedy to strike poor Gillian.  I was waiting for the evil husband to turn on her and make her life hell again.  I was pleased that that wasn't the case with Woolpy's story.  A happy ending is sometimes nice!

I'm going to give Releasing Gillian's Wolves four bows.  The subject matter was interesting and timely.  And it was a fast read.  Great pool reading material!  Happy reading, fellow book nerds!

*Please note, in accordance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a review published on my blog.  But you guys know me.  That didn't influence my opinion.  If I didn't like it, I'd let you know.