Jane Lindskold is a reasonably new find for me. I browsed into her Firekeeper Saga and loved it. Since then I have slowly been working through her other novels. I like her writing style. I find the stories comfortably predictable enough to satisfy my 'potato-chip fiction' need, while still with enough surprises to keep me entertained. She grew up near D.C. with both parents as attorneys. You can see the influence of that in how she deals with politics in her books- not our world politics necessarily (like an Ayn Rand) but the character's world politics.
The Firestarter books are about a young woman raised by wolves who ends up back in human society dealing with the politics there. Loved these!
The Land of Smoke and Sacrifice novels are really interesting. They're novels based on the Chinese Zodiac and the real game of Mah Jong (not just the matching tiles thing we play on the computer). Only a couple of the books are out so far.
I haven't read many of her other novels. I LOVED Child of a Rainless Year and couldn't get through The Buried Pyramid so I guess I have no definitive answer on the quality of her other books. Be aware her novels are usually pretty lengthy. All over 200 pages, with the Firestarter ones closer to 500-700 pages each.
Here's her bibliography (c/o Wikipedia):
*once again title in red I have read
Just read this and loved it. I've been reading a lot lately and need to recommend some favorites but this will have to do.
Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed
It's about a dachshund named Sam, a girl named Heidy, an evil poodle named Cassius and a pound full of crazy dogs. I loved it! Funny with some sad mixed in.
Update: I seriously thought I had already done a Favorite Author Friday about Neil Gaiman!!! Now I feel awful I didn't list his other books I love and go more in-depth about how blasted cool he really is. I will try to rectify this soon. This week I listened to Neil Gaiman read The Graveyard Book. It was magnificent. Not only was the story beautiful and different but his reading of it was amazing. He did it on his book tour, reading a chapter or so at a time to each different group. PS Isn't he hot!!! I read his blog regularly. The basic story is that a toddler's family is killed but he ends up safe in a graveyard where its normal inhabitants raise him. It's a children/young adult book but is a little scary which I think kids like more than we often give them credit for. I defiantly recommend it- in fact, go listen right now!!!
This morning as I was thinking about writing this post I heard a song on the radio that had a small part about a graveyard. I thought, that's perfect- I'll include that in my post. Then I looked up the video on youtube and really listened to the words. It is so good and so sad. I already loved Death Cab for Cutie but this made me love them even more! Being from California wild fires are a huge issue every year. Enjoy.
if the mention of Harry Potter makes you sick you may skip this post. First let me say this past week/weekend Nate and I rewatched all the old Harry Potter movies. I enjoyed it and yet it reminded me why after loving the books, it took me years to watch any of the movies. I just struggle with book to movie adaptations. However it was fun to rewatch them all quickly in a row (I always reread a book series right before the next book comes out). On to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince... I liked it. It is maybe my least favorite of the books but was probably my favorite of the movies (my favorite book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- which is by far my least favorite movie). It was dark, but so is the book. I think they kept reasonably close to the book and the acting has definately improved (which you expect of actors starting young in a series). Without getting spoiler-ish I can just say overall I was very pleased. Now I talked about it with my friend Bryan at lunch and he was not a fan. It was his least favorite of the movies. Here's the difference- he hadn't read the books. He is judging solely on the movies. So my question is whether you've read the books or not and then, what your feelings on the latest movie are. I wonder if opinions will be similarly devided based on familiarity of the books themselves...
So lately I've been rereading some old favorites (this is what you do when you're trying to cut down on spending). One such favorite I'm rediscovering is Dick Francis.
Dick Francis was a champion jockey in Britain. When he retired he began writing thrillers, utilizing his knowledge of the racing world. I love his style! His protagonists generally have a couple things in common: brains and 'stiff-upper lips' emotionally. They're marvelous! They're not necessarily brilliant they just think clearly, especially in bad situations. I really admire that.
Dick Francis now writes in conjunction with his son, Felix. I haven't read any of the newer books they've written together but I will now make it a point to do so.
On a side note, his website is amazing. Very simple and easy to navigate but with all good information about the books. My favorite part was that aside from listing books by title he's also had his books listed by protagonist. Wonderful! Have you ever read a book and you can remember the main character's name but not the title? I certainly have. Also this make it easy to see if sequels have been written about your favorite hero (I discovered one I didn't know about for my favorite, Sid Halley).
Here are a couple of my favorites with blurbs from his site:
Odds Against Amazing what bodily injury could do for a man. A fall from a racehorse had left brilliant jockey Sid Halley dangerously depressed, with a wrecked hand and the need for a new career. And now a bullet wound was helping him find one. He'd been with a detective agency since his racing accident, but it wasn't until some two-bit hoodlum drilled a slug into his side that he was sent out on a case of his own. That was where he met Zanna Martin, a woman who just might make life worth living again. But it was an even-money bet that he'd be killed before she had the chance...
Whip Hand Sid Halley had one good hand and another made of metal. Five hundred pounds of horse had landed on him, directly ending his career as a brilliant jockey - and indirectly ending his marriage to the woman he loved. He had become a private investigator, quite a good one, though his new life could never erase the haunting memories of his past glories. But it was only when the wife of one of England's top trainers came to beg his help in preventing some foul play at the track that Sid Halley began to know what being haunted really was...
Twice Shy Twice Shy is different from any other book Dick Francis has written - because instead of just one point of view, there are two narrators. One is Jonathan Derry, a mild-mannered Physics teacher who through a turn of fate ends up in possession of a computer program that can predict which horse will win a race. The second is William Derry, Jonathan's younger brother, who is working as a manager of an American millionaire's English horses. The second part of the book takes up about ten years or more after the first. Everything centres around the computer program - what it does and who wants to get their hands on it?
Shattered When jockey Martin Stukely dies after a fall at Cheltenham, he accidentally embroils his friend Gerard Logan in a perilous search for a stolen videotape.
Logan is a glass-blower on the verge of widespread acclaim for the originality of his work. Long accustomed to the frightful dangers inherent in molten glass and in maintaining a glass-making furnace at seldom less than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, Logan is suddenly faced with terrifying threats to his livelihood, his courage and, finally, to his life, as he seeks to find the truth. The final race to the tape throws more hazards in Logan's way than his dead jockey friend could have imagined.
Here's a bibliography (from wikipedia):
***I've colored in red those I know I've read. Due to similarities in plot line (i.e. horses, jockies) it's actually difficult to remember from the short blurbs if I've read each book. I know I've read and enjoyed more than I have marked but...***
The Sport of Queens 1957 autobiography
Dead Cert 1962
Nerve 1964
For Kicks 1965
Odds Against 1965
Flying Finish 1966
Blood Sport 1967
Forfeit 1968
Enquiry 1969
Rat Race 1970
Bonecrack 1971
Smokescreen 1972
Slayride 1973
Knockdown 1974
High Stakes 1975
In the Frame 1976
Risk 1977
Trial Run 1978
Whip Hand 1979
Reflex 1980
Twice Shy 1981
Banker 1982
The Danger 1983
Proof 1984
Break In 1985
Bolt 1986
Hot Money 1987
The Edge 1988
Straight 1989
Longshot 1990
Comeback 1991
Driving Force 1992
Decider 1993
Wild Horses 1994
Come to Grief 1995
To the Hilt 1996
10 LB. Penalty 1997
Field of Thirteen 1998 short stories
Second Wind 1999
Shattered 2000
Under Orders 2006
Dead Heat 2007
Silks 2008
Even Money 2009
So anyway...in general I would recommend him to anyone.
Rae, nicknamed Sunshine by her stepfather, is the baker at her family’s coffeehouse. She’s happy getting up at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls for the breakfast rush, and dealing with people and food all day. But one evening she needed somewhere she could be alone for a little while, and there hadn’t been any trouble out at the lake for years.
She never thought of vampires.
Until they found her.
I really need to read this book later when I’m not pregnant. It was written in a style very close to stream of consciousness, which isn’t my favorite style. However my real problem was that everything wasn’t wrapping up etc. like I wanted. Normally that’s not a huge problem, you know being actually surprised by a book but right now it was almost depressing to me. I would definitely recommend it and will read it again when I’m not so unstable…
The Smile – Donna Jo Napoli
From Amazon.com:
The identity of the woman the world calls Mona Lisa has ignited speculation since Leonardo da Vinci created her portrait and left it untitled, unsigned, and undated. In this richly embroidered romance set in Renaissance Florence, Napoli imagines the young life of the woman behind the famous smile. Thirteen-year-old Elisabetta, the daughter of a wealthy silk merchant, is starting to think of marriage when Leonardo da Vinci, a family friend, introduces her to young heir Giuliano de’ Medici. Political turmoil that escalates into war threatens the young romance, though, and Elisabetta is caught between her passionate attachment to Giuliano and her dutiful obligations to her family.
Same as my comments for Sunshine. This book was beautifully written, the characters were amazing and yet I was sad when it ended. Not just sad but unfulfilled. Obviously my pregnancy hormones want Disney-style endings.
The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse – Rick Riordan
From his website:
What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes — like Theseus, Jason and Hercules?
What if you were one of those children?
Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.
OK this is possibly the level of intellectual stimulation I can stand right now because I loved these! I picked up the first one the beginning of this week and bought the next two a day later (there are 5 in all).
I have always loved greek and roman mythology (see side *note/story at bottom) and these books are really effective at teaching the myths and drawing you into the characters at the same time.
I loved the website and while I was on it I found the following. Has anyone read this book/series? Is it good? It sounds way cool.
The Maze of Bones - Rick Riordan
Amy and Dan Cahill know their family is big, but they don’t realize how big until their grandmother Grace’s funeral. Relatives arrive from all over the world by special invitation. In Grace’s last will and testament, she issues this challenge:
For your inheritance, you may have the first of thirty-nine clues. The first team to successfully put together the clues, which are scattered across the world, will discover the secret of Cahill power and become the richest, most important people in history.
Or you may take one million dollars in cash right now and walk away.
Amy and Dan take the challenge! Soon, they are catapulted into a dangerous round-the-world race for the thirty-nine clues. They will explore every continent, and delve into the strangest, darkest chapters of world history to find the secret origins of their family. Other teams will try to eliminate them by any means necessary, because in this treasure hunt only one team can win, and there are no rules.
The 39 Clues will feature ten action-packed books. The first, The Maze of Bones, is written by Rick Riordan, who also designed the story arc for the entire series. The 39 Clues experience also includes trading cards and a huge on-line game which will allow you to become a member of the Cahill family and compete for amazing prizes! Each of the 39 Clues books will be written by a different author. The second, One False Note, is available as of December 2, 2008, and was written by Gordon Korman. Check the 39 Clues website for further information about the series.
*OK so in 6th grade we did a big unit on Greek/Roman Myths. I loved it. At the end of the unit we had a Greek and Roman Fashion Show. All the girls wanted to be Aphrodite except me- I wanted to be Athena. So, of course, I was picked to be Aphrodite. It’s one of the only costumes my mom has ever made that I didn’t scream about not being movie set quality. It was an sleeveless sheath style dress in really silky blue material and trimmed with a cool design in gold thread. Way to go Mom!
Don't make fun but I got super excited when I saw this poster. New Moon was probably my favorite book in the series. Even though Bella was at her whiny-ist I was just so excited to explore a different relationship than the of-course-they're-going-to-get-together-in-the-end romance. I can't help it. While I knew Edward and Bella were going to end up together I preferred the happy Jacob to the brooding Edward- my choice of husband is proof of that. I know in the movie they'll up-play the 5 minutes Edward was in the story but I'm excited anyway.
Rereading "Savage", a short story by Kelly Armstrong that prequels her Women of the Otherworld series. It cracks me up...
"Before we left the motel, Jeremy had spent a lot of time making phone calls. Not that I understood what he was doing. For whatever reason, I had holes in my memory such that I’d know perfectly well what a car or money was for, but objects like telephones and toilets were unfathomable mysteries. So, at the time, it seemed to me that Jeremy was spending a lot of time with a piece of plastic pressed against his ear, talking to himself. Which was fine by me. We all have our eccentricities. Jeremy liked talking to plastic; I liked hunting and eating the rats that ventured into the motel room. Or, at least I did like hunting and eating the rats, until Jeremy caught me, and promptly kiboshed that hobby. Some of us are less tolerant of eccentricities than others."
This past weekend I read a great children's book, The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart. I loved this book. It reminded me of the beginning books in the Series of Unfortunate Events series, before things got weird and started lacking direction. The children are not perfect but are extraordinary. The plot was fun and engaging. I really liked it.
"Reynie Muldoon is an extremely bright orphan. He has been bored at his boarding school, and only the specialized education given to him by his tutor, Miss Perumal, has kept him challenged. When she sees an ad in the newspaper that reads, “ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?” she encourages him to attend the test. Reynie is chosen, along with three other students, for the special opportunity - but he has no idea what it is."
While reading about the author in the back of the book (and taking the test to see if I, too, was extraordinary) I came across the information about the illustrator. It was Carson Ellis who also does the illustrations for one of my favorite bands, The Decemberists. What a small world!!!
So in celebration of this I will post one of my favorite Decemberist songs and urge you to listen to it while reading The Mysterious Benedict Society.
PS The second book in the series is on its way out so watch for it!!!
It's true. I really like Twilight. I loved the books, I like the teenage girl focused movie. I like the soundtrack. Overall it's all (as my sister-in-law Josie said) Mormon Porn. There's something very compelling in the story although it's not really a stretch from the average romance. It's just good. It speaks to you. I'll wait to write about Stephanie Meyer until I've read The Host so I know if I like her style no matter what the genre but I'd recommend the books and movie to anyone. I loved the characters in the movie, especially all the minor ones. The background people were way fun in the movie.
So...what are you waiting for??? Go read them or see the movie. Don't take it all too seriously. Just have fun.
And to get you in the mood here's my favorite song from the soundtrack:
OK so normally Favorite Author Fridays are prompted by something I read that week. However, this week I've been either re-reading stuff or reading things by authors I've already blogged about. So I just thought for this week I'd give you a breakdown of what I've been reading:
Bleachers by John Grisham - this is our Book Club book this month and it was way better than I expected it to be. I'm familiar with John Grisham as a lawyer, political thriller writer, which isn't really my genre. But this book was about a high school football player coming home for his couch's funeral. It was wonderfully written and I would definitely call it a Man's Sniffle Book. Loved it.
Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs - I swear this woman can do no wrong to me. I love EVERYTHING she writes. This is the first of a duology, but can be read alone since it wraps up quite nicely. It's about a boy... oh I won't do it justice. Here's a blurb from googlebooks, "To protect himself from his abusive father, Ward of Hurog has spent a lifetime convincing everyone that he is a fool, but now, with his father's death, Ward becomes the new lord of Hurog and must quickly prove himself worthy of the title to keep his throne." Way good. I'll definitely read the 2nd one.
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop - These were a reread. A trilogy consisting of Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows and Queen of the Darkness. "Ancient prophecies have foretold the coming of a powerful witch, one who would in reality be not a mere human female but "dreams made flesh," nothing short of Witch herself. She comes in the form of a tremendously brave little girl, whom we first meet at the age of 12 or so when she comes to Hayll seeking instruction in the Craft from none other than Saetan himself. Human beings don't just come over into the land of the demon-dead, and Saetan quickly recognizes who this young girl truly is and will become. "
I love the premise and story but somehow the ending always disappoints me a little. After I read these Nate read them and felt about the same I do. You get drawn in but 3 books later you're pretty emotional exhausted and just want a darn happy ending for your troubles. You get sacrifice and compromise- probably more realistic but not as satisfying.
However, I just heard there are 4 more books set in the same world, one written as in between the original 2nd and 3rd. I think I'll try them and see if they help me feel more settled. Over all recommended but they do deal with abuse (including sexual) so at your own risk.
Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris - The 5th Aurora Teagarden book. I really like these. They're cute mysteries without too much stress but a lot of real emotions (which are usually less dramatic). I read this one on an hour at Hastings and it was the perfect way to relax for a bit.
Playing with Fire by Katie MacAlister - cute paranormal romance. Very fun if a little questionable. The 2nd one is out and I'll definitely get it. I read all the other Aisling Grey series that led to this series spin off.
Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes - This is the 2nd book in the Kiesha'ra series. It's what I'm currently reading and since it's so small it'll be done today I'm sure. It looks to be as good as Hawksong, the first book in the series.
This was one of two pictures I could find of her. Kind of cute I think. Obviously several years old.
If you like fairy tales you'll love Robin McKinley. Even besides her subject matter, her writing style just screams fairy tale. I've read some of her books several times and one of them I can never quite tell if I love the story or not but it still calls to me (Deerskin).
Ok I'll tell you my real mixed feelings about Deerskin. I think I love it but I don't know if I'd recommend it, certainly not to just anyone. It deals with an awful rape (I think they're all awful but this one is really bad). It also deals with a love of dogs, and having 3 I definately understand that.
I love her strong women characters. They start out less than ordinary and become great with the help of, but not controlled by, men. I noticed as I looked at her bibliography I haven't read any of her recent books- I must repent!
She is married to author, Peter Dickinson. Here's a quote from an article about him, "Many of his protagonists are female. He says, "...women are more observant. I think that girls are much more aware of social matters than boys, and therefore make much more interesting observers."" What a cutie.
Bibliography:
Chalise (2008) Dragonhaven (2007) Sunshine (2003) Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits (2002) Spindle's End (2000) Rose Daughter (1997) A Knot in the Grain (1994) Deerskin (1993) The Outlaw of Sherwood (1988) Imaginary Lands (1986) The Hero and the Crown (1985)The Blue Sword (1982) The Door in the Hedge (1981) Beauty: A retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast (1978)
Charlaine Harris does several series of books: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire, Aurora Teagarden, Lily Bard "Shakespeare", Harper Connelly, and has done a couple non-series books. All of her books I would consider mysteries.
I was first introduced to her for her Sookie Stackhouse books, the ones she's most famous for. I love them. I will caution, however, that, as happens with most series vampire books, they're starting to get pretty questionable. The same thing happened with Laurel K. Hamilton. Her first books were really good but slowly they got more and more sexual until they were practically (in my opinion) erotica and I had to stop reading them. I might have to stop reading Sookie Stackhouse books soon. It just happens with the same vampire character in the same world with the same basic cast- all that's left if for them is to have sex with as many people as possible. Very Sad!
Don't let that steer you away from her other series however. I have never not liked a book I've read of hers. She just overall does an amazing job. She creates characters you love and root for and situations that seem real in spite of their obvious fantasy aspects (i.e. vampires). On an interesting note, Charlaine was raped when she was younger and so none of her books will ever have 'forced sex' put in a positive light. If you're familiar with a lot of fantasy/sci-fi books this is a relief to you also.
So here you go. A bibliography broken up by series. Remember ones in red I've read and loved. Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire
The Southern Vampire Mysteries is about a telepathic barmaid in northern Louisiana, named Sookie Stackhouse. Each book follows Sookie as she tries to solve mysteries involving vampires, werewolves and other creatures of the night.
Dead Until Dark Living Dead in Dallas Club Dead Dead to the World Dead as a Doornail Definately Dead All Together Dead From Dead to Worse
Aurora Teagarden
Aurora Teagarden, a diminutive Georgia librarian whose life never turns out quite the way she plans, ends up solving real mysteries. These have all been released before but are being rereleased now.
Real Murders A Bone to Pick Three Bedrooms, One Corpse The Julius House Dead Over Heels A Fool and His Honey Last Scene Alive Poppy Done to Death
Lily Bard "Shakespeare"
The heroine of the Shakespeare books is Lily Bard, a tough and taciturn woman whose life has been permanently reshaped by a terrible crime and its consequences. In Shakespeare's Landlord, the first in the series, Lily is caught at a moment when the shell she has built around herself is just beginning to crack. The books capture Lily's emotional re-entry into the world, while still remaining sound mysteries.
Harper's been struck by lightning and the experience has left her with a strange ability: she can find corpses and see how they died. Afterward, Harper and her step-brother, Tolliver Lang, make their living from finding the dead.
Grave Sight Grave Surprise An Ice Cold Grave
Non-Series
Sweet and Deadly A Secret Rage
*I have not included anthologies she has short stories in* Also, most series information was gotten off of wikipedia.com
It's about a dachshund named Sam, a girl named Heidy, an evil poodle named Cassius and a pound full of crazy dogs. I loved it! Funny with some sad mixed in.
