Review Rewind of: Jaclyn's Ghost

Last month Dorlana Vann's book Jaclyn's Ghost was published, along with her book Passage to Mesentia, in paperback. To help celebrate I thought I would re-post my review of Jaclyn's Ghost which I read while I was blogging in 2008. What follows is my review and an interview with Dorlana.

Jaclyn's Ghost is a very well written love story about Jaclyn Jade and Logan Smith. At the beginning of the story Jaclyn realizes, with the help of Logan, that she is dead. More specifically, she's a ghost. Logan died in the 1920s when the site of Sunset Apartments was a hotel. Dorlana Vann lends a great twist to the question of "where do we go when we die". "Hell" is really Earth, were we repeat our past mistakes or learn from them with each subsequent life. I really liked this take on it, of course I already think that our souls live more than one life on this planet. I've given Jaclyn's Ghost 'only' 4 stars out of 5 because with the paranormal and mystery elements it's not for everyone.

"Jaclyn stared at the stranger. Nothing made sense. He wore a black jacket over a double-breasted vest and dress pants. Clearly bought off the rack, but still, it was a bit much for a burglar. She wondered why he hadn't left when he had the chance."

Dorlana Vann was kind enough to let me interview her. Here are my (probably silly) questions and her answers. Nothing was cut or edited in any way except (!) where I have things written in [ ]s. That is stuff I have added as I typed this. =)

~Kylee's Book Blog: I read in your interview on Studio 3B Author Spotlight that you get a good chunk of your writing done in the early mornings. Do you have any superstitions or rituals when you are writing? Is there anything in particular that inspires you?
Dorlana Vann: All I need is a cup of strong coffee and complete quiet. My inspirations simply come from the types of stories that I like; I enjoy adventures, fairy tales, love stories, the supernatural, suspense ancient civilizations and treasure hunts.

KBB: If you had to describe your writing to someone in only 3 words, what would they be?
DV: Quirky, Supernatural, Fun

KBB: What does your family think of your writing?
DV: They are my biggest fans and my biggest critics. I can always count on them to tell me exactly what they think – even if it isn’t pretty. They are very supportive and helpful.

KBB: What kinds of TV shows do you watch?
DV: I’m kind of a reality show junkie: American Idol, American’s Next Top Model, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and The Apprentice are my favorites. My all time favorite TV show is Angel – vampires and great dialogue, what more could you ask for? I hated to see it go.

KBB: What is the one item that you could not live without? What is your favoite junk/comfort food?
DV: At this point it would have to be my computer. I know it's the obvious anwer, but so true. And I love dark chocolate and cake... any kind of cake.

KBB: Where can my readers buy your books?
DV: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook66597.htm?cache [to make it easier, I have linked the image of Jaclyn's Ghost, both in this review and in the Featured Selections, to this address]

KBB: What are you working on currently?
DV: I’m working on my next book, Passage to Mesentia. It is another paranormal mystery, but it is a little darker than Jaclyn’s Ghost. It will be released in ebook Jan 2009 and then will be in a 2 volume print book under Tease Publications Dark Tarot Series for the Death Card around March 2009. Here is a blurb:

After Wade and Bella find Bella’s archaeologist parents murdered, they are approached by a mysterious stranger who is searching for an amulet. He claims Bella’s parents smuggled it out of Cairo for him and convinces them to follow her parent’s clues to its whereabouts before its ancient curse is used for evil.

KBB: Any other plug you would like me to give? [I think all new writers deserve a lot of chances to advertise their groups and such]

DV: My writers group, Humble Fiction Café, has just release our first anthology, Split. You can find all the information and read one of my short stories from the book on my website – www.dorlanavann.com

Visit my blog (www.dorlana.blogspot.com ) Supernatural Fairy Tales, to read fairy tale inspired short stories, poems, and articles.

What are you paranormal and mystery fans waiting for? Click and buy!

Buy Death: Passage to Mesentia and Jaclyn's Ghost by Dorlana Vann:
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Review of: Strange Angels

Author: Lili St. Crow
ISBN: 9781595142511
Pages: 304
Published by: Razorbill (May 2009)
Genre(s): Paranormal, Young Adult
Grade: C+
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 -

My first impression of Strange Angels is that it is pretty similar to (one of my favorite shows) Supernatural. In the 1st season of Supernatural we learn that the brothers were raised my their ex-Marine father because their mother was killed when the younger one was just an infant. The boys and their father have gone on to hunt and kill demons, ghosts and other "bump-in-the-night" things. In Strange Angels Dru is an only child and a girl, that was about the extent of the differences.

Over all, I enjoyed the 'meat' of Strange Angels. Given that it is paranormal YA, the plot is believable. There is a second book int the series coming in the Spring of 2010 and I will be on the look out for it; I'm willing to the series and author another shot.

My 'issues' with this book: For a book labeled YA I think there is too much swearing and drinking done. Dru is 16, disdains smoking, but thinks nothing of adding Jim Beam to her Coke? Also certain parts felt formulaic. More than once things 'unreel' before her (stairs and roads).

What follows in my 15yo old daughter's review of Strange Angels. It is all in her own words; I didn't change a thing. We decided not to put her name out here into the wilds of the internet. Since she is often hyper, some of her friends have taken to calling her Candi, so that is the name she will use on the reviews that she writes for me. =)

Strange Angels by Lili St Crow was, in my opinion, a thrilling book. It had me hooked until the very last page and left me wanting more. It had a delicate balance of high heart pounding action and a slight taste of teenage romance. The fight scenes were so elaborately described, they appealed to all of my senses. I could feel the burn of the zombie goo and smell the rotting stench of it's body. It leaves a vivid picture in my head even weeks after reading it. ~Candi

Buy Strange Angels by Lili St Crow:
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Review of: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Author: Katherine Howe
ISBN: 9781401340902
Pages: 371
Published by: Hyperion Voice (June 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Grade: A
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Spring Reading Thing 2009 - 2009 Pub Challenge

Please note: All quotes and page numbers come from the ARC and there fore may vary from the completed, finished version. I waited until the last minute to try to verify them with the publisher and was unable to verify them so close to the date I promised my review would be up.

Part love story, part mystery, part historical fiction... I loved (!!!) The Physick book of Deliverance Dane by new author Katherine Howe.

The Physick book of Deliverance Dane follows graduate student Connie Goodwin and her dog Arlo in the 1990's, Deliverance Dane and a few of her descendants. In the 1690's Deliverance is accused of being a witch.

While Connie is attempting to clean out her deceased grandmother's home in Marblehead Massachusetts she finds a key hidden in an old Bible belonging to the family. It isn't just a plain, old key though.

It was a key. Antique, about three inches long, with an ornate handle and hollow shaft, probably designed for a door or a substantial chest. She turned the key over in the soft light from the lamp, wondering why it had been hidden in the Bible. It seemed too bulky for a bookmark. As she warmed the small metal object in her hands, puzzling about what it could mean, she noticed the tiniest shred of paper protruding from the end of the hollow shaft.

After finding the key with the slip of paper inside (a slip of paper containing nothing except the words "Deliverance Dane") Connie begins investigating what her advisor thinks maybe the name of a person. Connie comes across not a few obstacles on her journey, including meeting Sam the architectural preservationist she can't stop thinking about. Sam becomes more help than hindrance though.

I'd like to share with you one bit from The Physick book of Deliverance Dane that really struck a chord with me:

"Yeah, but it speaks to how alienated we all are from history," Connie grumbled, blue eyes darkening. "For generations the witch trials were such an embarrassment that no one would discuss them. A proper history of them wasn't even written until the end of the nineteenth century. Now look at it -- it's a carnival."

Connie looked around at the relaxed people milling about the esplanade, gazing into the windows of costume shops and card readers. She tried to imagine other violent, oppressive periods of history that had similarly been transformed into a source of amusment and tourism but could not think of any. Did Spain have Inquisition wax museums, showing effigies of people broken on the rack?

This one is going on my "Keeper" shelf and I hope to have the money to buy the finished book once it comes out June 9th!


Buy The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe:
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Review of: The Unfinished Clue

Author: Georgette Heyer
ISBN: 9781402217968
Pages: 336
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark (March 2009 [first published 1937])
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Cozy
Grade: A-
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09

The Unfinished Clue is a wonderful 'English country-house' who-dun-it by Georgette Heyer (like Behold, Here's Posion). The victim in this case is General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith. The General is murdered the Monday after a, shall we say, stressful weekend "house party". There is no shortage of suspects even if you do not consider the fact that someone may have come into his study from the open French-doors.

Possible suspects include:

• Captain Francis Billington-Smith, the General's nephew who is at the house party hoping to find the General in a good enough mood to pay off his most recent gambling debt
• Basil Halliday, the General was obviously flirting with Basil's beautiful wife Camilla, who did nothing to discourage this attention
• Stephen Guest, he has been in love with the General's wife Lady Fay Billington-Smith (from afar) for 2 years

Given the General's bullying disposition these are just 3 possible murderers on a very long list of suspects. There is an added element to The Unfinished Clue. Lady Fay's younger sister, Dinah Fawcett, is also visiting on the fateful weekend. Cool, calm Dinah is thrown a bit off center by the Inspector from Scotland Yard who is called in by the local police to help solve the murder of General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith.

At first glance, it should have been a lovely English country-house weekend party. But it's the guestlist from hell, and the host, Sir Arthur Billington-Smith, is an abusive wretch who everyone at the party Turns out to have a reason to hate. When he's found in his study, stabbed to death and clutching a torn check in his hand, the unhappy guests and estranged family find themselves under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard's cool-headed Inspector Harding.

Buy TITLE by Author:
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GIVEAWAY: Testimony

Author: Anita Shreve
ISBN: 9780316067348
Pages: 352
Published by: Back Bay Books (May, 2009 this ISBN)
Genre: Fiction

About the Book: At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

This would be a great book for Book Clubs. It contains a Reading Group Guide. You can also download this guide.

About the author: Anita Shreve is the critically acclaimed author of fourteen novels, including Body Surfing, The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club, and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England's Orange Prize. She lives in Massachusetts.

Five (5) lucky blog readers will get a copy of Testimony courtesy of Valerie Russo! Just leave a comment here. If you do not have an e-mail link on your blogger profile, please leave an email address in your comment. I will close this post to comments on the morning of Friday May 22nd. I will use random.org to select the winners. Per publisher's rules this giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada only. No PO Boxes.

GOOD LUCK!

Buy Testimony by Anita Shreve:
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Review of: Girls in Trucks

Author: Katie Crouch
ISBN: 9780316002127
Pages: 272
Published by: Back Bay Books (April 2009, paperback)
Genre(s): Fiction, ChickLit, Southern Fiction
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Spring Reading Thing 2009



My First thought when I reached the end of Girls in Trucks was that it needed to be longer. Not in the way you might think. Not in the "I was so in love with the characters that I wanted it to go in forever" way. I wanted it to be longer because I didn't like way it ended. I tend to think of 'chick-lit' as all having an 'And they lived happily ever after' ending. After sitting with my thoughts for a couple of days I realized something. Books don't all have happy endings. Neither does life.

Girls in Trucks does not present us with an ending all wrapped up and decorated with a bow. But it's not a bad ending. Sarah and her man do not ride off into the sunset, but there is a happiness there. Is it a somewhat mindless, Scarlett O'Hara (I'm paraphrasing here.) "I'll think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day ending? Maybe.

Girls in Trucks is in no way a bad book. I enjoyed the time I spent with Sarah, her sister Eloise and Sarah's friend Charlotte. Even if I did want to slap Sarah at times and tell her to get a clue.

Buy GIRLS IN TRUCKS by Katie Crouch:
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Review Rewind of: The Wednesday Sisters

Below is my original review of The Wednesday Sisters, posted May 30, 2008.

Title: The Wednesday Sisters
Author: Meg Waite Clayton
ISBN: 978-0-345-50282-7
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Ballantine Books (division of Random House)
Price: $23.00
Release Date: June 17, 2008

Friendship, loyalty, and love lie at the heart of Meg Waite Clayton’s beautifully written, poignant, and sweeping novel of five women who, over the course of four decades, come to redefine what it means to be family.

For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett, and Ally have met every Wednesday at the park near their homes in Palo Alto, California. Defined when they first meet by what their husbands do, the young homemakers and mothers are far removed from the Summer of Love that has enveloped most of the Bay Area in 1967. These “Wednesday Sisters” seem to have little in common: Frankie is a timid transplant from Chicago, brutally blunt Linda is a remarkable athlete, Kath is a Kentucky debutante, quiet Ally has a secret, and quirky, ultra-intelligent Brett wears little white gloves with her miniskirts. But they are bonded by a shared love of both literature–Fitzgerald, Eliot, Austen, du Maurier, Plath, and Dickens–and the Miss America Pageant, which they watch together every year.

As the years roll on and their children grow, the quintet forms a writers circle to express their hopes and dreams through poems, stories, and, eventually, books. Along the way, they experience history in the making: Vietnam, the race for the moon, and a women’s movement that challenges everything they have ever thought about themselves, while at the same time supporting one another through changes in their personal lives brought on by infidelity, longing, illness, failure, and success.

Humorous and moving, The Wednesday Sisters is a literary feast for book lovers that earns a place among those popular works that honor the joyful, mysterious, unbreakable bonds between friends.

I loved this book from the second paragraph. The book is mostly told from Frankie's point of view, but each of the other 'sisters' gets their turn. For reasons I will keep to myself for now (wouldn't want to spoil anything) I most identified with Ally. Though there was a connection with Frankie as well. I finished The Wednesday Sisters 4 days ago and those women are still with me and I think they will remain for quite awhile.

This isn't only a book about the relationships these women have with each other, but also about their relationships with BOOKS! Each of these women's favorite book has an influence on the way that they see life; the color of the glasses that color their world view.

Being that I was born in 1976, I was born after the main part of The Wednesday Sisters is finished. However, Meg Waite Clayton did a great job of giving the reader enough information to understand our culture at that time (1968 to 1974).

There are so many things that I want to say about The Wednesday Sisters, but I don't want to give away all of the best/juicy parts. This is a must read!

As you can see I really loved this books. Now, almost a year later, Frankie, Ally, Kath, Linda and Brett are still with me. I still think about them.

Now for something NEW!

Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters, is hosting a "Tea and Talk" on GoodReads tomorrow, Tuesday May 5th, to celebrate the release of The Wednesday Sisters in paperback! Come join Meg, me and 30+ others that have said "yes" to attending this virtual event.

Those of you in a book club with either mostly women or all women will want to check this book out as a possible group read. With Mother's Day just around the corner, I'd like to suggest picking up a copy of The Wednesday Sisters for your mom, sister, favorite aunt, etc.

Buy The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton:
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Review of: Follow Me {and Blog Tour}

Author: Joanna Scott
ISBN: 9780316051651
Pages: 432
Published by: Little, Brown and Company (April, 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction
Grade: A
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - 2009 Pub Challenge - Spring Reading Thing 2009

My thoughts are at the very bottom of this post as they contain mild spoilers. They are under the purple dots.

From the publisher: On a summer day in 1946 Sally Werner, the precocious young daughter of hardscrabble Pennsylvania farmers, secretly accepts her cousin's invitation to ride his new motorcycle. Like so much of what follows in Sally's life, it's an impulsive decision with dramatic and far-reaching consequences. Soon she abandons her home to begin a daring journey of self-creation, the truth of which she entrusts only with her granddaughter and namesake, six decades later. But when young Sally's father--a man she has never known--enters her life and offers another story altogether, she must uncover the truth of her grandmother's secret history.

Boldly rendered and beautifully told, in FOLLOW ME Joanna Scott has crafted a paean to the American tradition of re-invention and a sweeping saga of timeless and tender storytelling.

Author Info: Joanna Scott is the author of nine books, including The Manikin, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Various Antidotes and Arrogance, which were both finalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award; and the critically acclaimed Make Believe, Tourmaline, and Liberation. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Lannan Award, she lives with her family in upstate New York.


I'd like to thank Miriam at Hachette Book Group for sending me this book to review. Okay, this tour is pretty big. I'm going to link to the five blogs listed before me and the five listed after me. If you'd like to see a list of all of the participants, visit this post @ Drey's Library.

• Allison's Attic
• Diary of an Eccentric
• Seaside Bookworm Blogger
• Linus' Blanket
• Morbid Romantic
• Savvy Verse & Wit
• B&b ex libris
• Bookin' with Bingo
• http://www.xanga.com/bravehsgirl
• So Many Books, So Little Time

Buy Follow Me by Joanna Scott:
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My thoughts: Follow Me had me engaged right from the start. I felt a strong connection to Sally Werner. Something I don't share to often is that I had my oldest daughter at 17. When she was still new and wrinkly I had a similar gut reaction/desire as Sally. I didn't do what Sally did. I had great support from my mother and in time I learned to adapt to being a 17 year old single mom.

However, Sally doesn't have such a support system in 1946, at age 16, when she becomes pregnant. Sally Werner ran. Sally Werner ran to Fishkill Notch and became Sally Angel.

GIVEAWAY: Girls in Trucks

Author: Katie Crouch
ISBN: 9780316002127
Pages: 272
Published by: Back Bay Books (April, 2009 this ISBN)
Genre(s): Fiction

From GoodReads: Sarah Walters is a less-than-perfect debutante. She tries hard to follow the time-honored customs of the Charleston Camellia Society, as her mother and grandmother did, standing up straight in cotillion class and attending lectures about all the things that Camellias don't do. (Like ride with boys in pickup trucks.)

But Sarah can't quite ignore the barbarism just beneath all that propriety, and as soon as she can she decamps South Carolina for a life in New York City. There, she and her fellow displaced Southern friends try to make sense of city sophistication, to understand how much of their training applies to real life, and how much to the strange and rarefied world they've left behind.

When life's complications become overwhelming, Sarah returns home to confront with matured eyes the motto "Once a Camellia, always a Camellia"- and to see how much fuller life can be, for good and for ill, among those who know you best.

I apologize for not also posting my review as well as the giveaway. I hadn't finished writing my review before waking up this morning with a migraine. I will tell you that I am giving it a "C" and that I will have my review posted as soon as I can.

Five (5) lucky blog readers will get a copy of Girls in Trucks courtesy of Valerie Russo! Just leave a comment here. If you do not have an e-mail link to your profile, please leave an email address in your comment. I will close this post to comments on the morning of Thursday April 30th. I will use random.org to select the winners. Per publisher's rules this giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada only. No PO Boxes.

GOOD LUCK!

Review of: Alanna

Author: Tamora Pierce
ISBN: 9780689878558
Pages: 240
Published by: Simon Pulse (January, 2005 - first published 1983)
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy
Grade: B-
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Spring Reading Thing 2009 - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge

Alanna: The First Adventure is the first book in a 4 book series by Tamora Pierce. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the rest of them. Alanna goes from 10 to 13 years old in Alanna: The First Adventure. I bonded to her almost immediately. She's really committed to her plan of getting training in being a knight and then telling them all that she is a woman. I feel like I NEED to find out how/if she accomplishes this.

Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden--a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the crown prince, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil... somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her gender a secret?

Buy Alanna by Tamora Pierce:
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Review of: Madame Bovary

Author: Gustave Flaubert
ISBN: 9781593080525
Pages: 368
Published by: Barnes & Noble Classics (March, 2005; first published 1857)
Genre(s): Fiction, Classics, 19th Century, French Lit
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 -


Not really a review, more like my thoughts. After reading some of the things written on SparkNotes about Madame Bovary, I realize that I miss some of the deeper meanings and themes of the book. I did really enjoy it though. I found myself empathizing with Emma. I can't really pinpoint what it was I was feeling connected to, but there was definitely something. This is one classic that I will read again.

Buy Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert:
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Review of: King's Fool

Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes
ISBN: 9780356017556
Pages: 304
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Grade: A+
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review 09 - since this book has been published in the US before it DOES NOT qualify for 2009 Pub Challenge
Release Date: April 1, 2009

I’ve wanted to learn more about Will Somers since reading Philippa Gregory’s books about the women in Henry VIII’s life. How interesting it would have been to be within Henry VIII’s inner circle, but not to be considered a threat by such a powerful man.

Will Somers was in just such a position. Born in Shropshire, England Will Somers was the only son, only child actually, of a churchman father and a Welsh mother, she died of the plague when Will was only four. Will had pretty happy life until his beautiful singing voice broke at 14; his father taught the choiristers and this seemed to be their big connection. Soon after, Will moves in with his Uncle Tobias, a farmer. On his uncles' farm is where Will Somers meets Richard Fermor, a wool merchant. Meeting and becoming part of the household of Master Fermor is only the first of some very big events in the life of Will Somers.

From the back of the ARC I received:

When country lad Will Somers lands himself the plum position of jester to the mercurial King Henry VIII, he has no idea that he's just been handed a front-row seat to history.

With a seat near the throne and an ear to the floor, Somers witnesses firsthand the dizzying power struggles and sly scheming that marked the reign of the fiery Tudor King. Somers watches the rise and fall of some of the most enigmatic women in history, including the tragic Katherine of Aragon, the doomed Anne Boleyn, and Mary Tudor, who confided in the jester as she made the best of the fragile life of a princess whom everyone wished was a prince...

Based on the life of the real Will Somers, King's Fool is infused with Margaret Campbell Barnes's trademark rich detail and historical accuracy. This intimate peek into the royal chambers gives readers a unique view into one of the most tumultuous periods in English history.

As you can most likely guess from the grade I gave King's Fool, this book did not disappoint! I want to thank Danielle Jackson of Sourcebooks for sending me the ARC to read and review.

For more information about my Hyacinth Award.

Here are other reviews of King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes

• The Tome Traveler's Weblog
  
• historical-fiction.com
• Kittling Books
• A Hoyden's Look at Literature

Buy King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes:
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Review of: Specials

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865404
Pages: 384
Published by: Simon Pulse (April, 2006)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge


Specials is book #3 in a 4 book series (#1 Uglies, #2 Pretties & #4 Extras). In Specials Tally, Shay, Fausto and others from the Crims clique have been made into Specials. But not just any Special, this group is called Cutters. All Specials have what is described as 'cruel beauty'. Tally is described this way in the first chapter "...all those operations had filled her with icy new muscles and reflexes tweaked to snakelike speed." Some of the things those operations gave to Tally, Shay and the other Cutters: bones made of aircraft ceramics and muscles sheathed with self-repairing monofiliments, flash tattoos and razor-sharp teeth and finger nails. They particular group are called Cutters because they do just that. In order to feel anything, they cut themselves.

Tally (especially) seems to only feel comfortable 'in her own skin' when she is a position to feel superior to someone or a group of people. Anyone who is Ugly or just not Special seems to make her almost physically sick, especially her sometime boyfriend Zane whose brain was damaged due to taking meds he wasn't supposed to take.

Well, I don't want to give away the whole book! I worried about issue of cutting in the book, but the way that Tally relates to cutting changes throughout the book and I like that. I hope the young people that read this realize that cutting is a wrong and dangerous way to deal with their feelings. Tally has a lot to deal with in Specials. A lot goes right and very wrong for her. She has to learn to deal with it all in the right ways; she accomplishes this in my opinion.

I've become a little ambivalent to the characters in this series. I think I will read Extras at some point; just not anytime soon.

Special Circumstances

The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a super-amped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

Buy Specials by Scott Westerfeld:
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Review of: Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865398
Pages: 384
Published by: Simon Pulse (November, 2005)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge


Pretties is the second in a four books series (#1 Uglies, #3 Specials, #4 Extras) by author Scott Westerfeld. As I stated in my review of Uglies, I became aware of this series through my oldest daughter. Pretties picks up a few months after Uglies ends. Tally is now pretty and living/partying in New Pretty Town. Other than that it almost felt like I was reading Uglies again. However, I found myself zipping right through this one (and the next) in just a few days. Again, I had to know what happened to Tally, Shay and the rest. Not sure what that says about me...

My review of Specials will be more in-depth. Quite frankly, I am writing this about 3 months after I read Pretties. I'm going to skip through Specials and re-read some of the chapters to refresh my memory.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

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Review of: The Smart One

Author: Ellen Meister
ISBN: 9780061129629
Pages: 384
Published by: Avon A (August 2008)
Genre(s): Mystery, ChickLit, Humor
Grade: B+
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09



When I first got this book I was excepting your typical chick-lit, which I enjoy now and then. I personally need to read something light and fluffy after something heavy and dragging just to get my head back on straight. The Smart One was perfect for that. Up until the industrial drum was discovered in the neighbors basement. It is a great read! Bev, Clare and Joey are really funny (though I don't think Clare realizes how funny she is).

There are elements of quite a few genres in The Smart One. Definitely chick-lit, but also, mystery, romance, family strife, humor, and suspense. In my opinion, any fan of chick-lit or romance will really enjoy The Smart One by Ellen Meister. Below is the blurb from the back of the book.

Bev is the Smart One, who finally leaves her artistic ambitions in chalk dust (and her humor-impaired husband in the arms—and legs—of his nubile protégée) to become a schoolteacher. Clare is the Pretty One, who married well and seems to be living a designer version of the suburban dream. Joey is the Wild One, struggling to stay clean and sober now that she's used up her fifteen minutes of fame as a one-hit-wonder rock star.

They love each other but mix like oil, water, and hundred-proof gin . . . a combination that threatens to combust over family tensions, suspected infidelities, a devastating accident, a stunning confession, and the sudden reappearance of their handsome, now all-grown-up former neighbor, Kenny Waxman, who's back in town making his mark as a TV comedy writer.
It seems they'll never understand where their differences begin and their own destructive tendencies end. Then it happens: the sisters discover a decades-old body stuffed inside an industrial drum and begin a bold, heartbreaking, and sometimes hilarious journey that will either bring them together . . . or tear them apart for good.

Renee Giroux at IJustFinished sent me a copy of The Smart One for review. Thank you, Renee.

Buy The Smart One by Ellen Meister:
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Review of: The Family Bones

Author: Kimberly Raiser
ISBN: 9780615246253
Pages: 192
Genre(s): Paranormal, Thriller, Fiction
Grade: B-
Challenge(s): none





From the back of the book:

Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying.

I think the best way to describe this book is 'spooky'. I'm not a squeamish reader, but I had to read this book during the day. I started it early this month, during the afternoon. I'm the type of person who HAS to read in bed before going to sleep. I could not read The Family Bones before going to sleep.

There are some really great elements to The Family Bones: children in danger, disappearing/reappearing tunnels, a well. Not to mention all of the mystery and suspense. It didn't take me long to get swept up in this book. From page 1 Kimberly Raiser had me with:

The well on the back of the property always scared me as a child. It was so deep, and so completely absent of any light. The neighborhood kids used to tell me horrible stories about the old man who used to live there before my grandparents did. How he used to drown cats deep in the well and how their bones would rise during the full moon to look for the old man that drowned them.

And that's just the first 4 sentences of The Family Bones! It only gets better, scarier, spookier from there. If you would also like to read this. I'll send my copy (only read once, by yours truly) to the first person (with a legit e-mail address) to comment below.

(Full disclosure: Kimberly Raiser sent me this book as a free review copy. If you have any questions/concerns about how this may have affected how I feel about the book, please go here and read the PLEASE NOTE part.)

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Review of: A Different Kind of Christmas

Author: Alex Haley
ISBN: 9780385260435
Pages: 101
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Grade: A+
Start date: 12-6-08
End date: 12-10-08
Challenge(s): Winter Holiday Reading Challenge

Alex Haley's Roots is one of the world's most beloved and important books. In A Different Kind of Christmas, the intense drama of a white Southerner and a black slave who work toward a mutual goal, Haley once again gives us a moving story of physical and moral courage, and an unforgettable tale of spiritual regeneration. Rendered with a matchless sense of time and place, a poetic humanness, and a rich, robust humor; A Different Kind of Christmas will delight and inspire reader of all ages and faith for generations to come.

So says the inside of the dust jacket. Here I am reading this for the first time, 20 years after it's first printing, a white, non-Christian. I cried when it was over. Not a lot, but it definitely affected me.

Fletcher Randall, son of the owner of "North Carolina's 4th largest plantation", is a sophomore at Princeton when we meet him. After meeting and spending some time with 3 Quaker brothers, Fletcher becomes disillusioned with what he was brought up considering 'normal'; that people can be your property. Fletcher eventually becomes involved with the Underground Railroad (UGRR). Fletcher spends part of one of his Christmas breaks helping the UGRR in a surprising way. I'm trying not to give away too much. It's a 101 pages, pick it up, read it and I think you'll find that it picks you up in return.

As you might expect, this book is receiving my Hyacinth Award.












Buy A Different Kind of Christmas by Alex Haley:
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Review of: A Homespun Regency Christmas

Author: Carla Kelly, Emma Jensen, Sandra Heath & Amanda McCabe
ISBN: 9780451227096
Pages: 288 (327 if you include the four excerpts at the end)
Genre(s): Romance, Regency, Historical Fiction, Anthology
Grade: B
Start date: 11-24-08
End date: 12-3-08
Challenge(s): Winter Holiday Reading Challenge



A Homespun Regency Christmas is an anthology. I was hesitant to pick it up since I was burned* by the last anthology that I read. I really wanted to get in the Christmas spirit and hadn't been disappointed by a Signet Regency yet, so I bit the bullet. I STILL haven't been disappointed. =) Each story is around 70 pages. I'll review them in the order they appear in the book.

An Object of Charity by Carla Kelly - "A lonely naval hero assumes the responsibility if an orphaned brother and sister -- and discovers unexpected salvation in the young girl's giving heart." Captain Michael Lynch has lost this first mate, David Partlow, in a terrible accident at sea. Sally Partlow and her younger brother, Thomas (niece and nephew to David) have lost their father and have traveled from the Highlands of Scotland to Portsmouth, England to enter their Uncle David's care.

The Wexford Carol by Emma Jensen - "An enterprising woman throws a party to save her family home from being razed -- only to fall for the seemingly coldhearted man behind the demolition." Set in Ireland, this is the story of Elizabeth Fitzhollis, her family home and Captain Lord Rhys Edward-Jones. The premise is a bit convoluted, but it all comes together at the end. At the end there is a letter that was written before the actual story starts that explains the confusing bits.

Mistletoe and Folly by Sandra Heath - "A nobleman crosses paths with the young woman who years before broke his heart when she married a wealthier man." Another set in England. The story of Sir Richard Curzon and his past love Mrs Robert Beaumont (formerly Miss Diana Laverick). There is an element of intruige added to the mix in this story. This is the only one without a (current or former) captain of a ship. Still really interesting.

Upon a Midnight Clear by Amanda McCabe - "A moonlight encounter unexpectedly changes the lives of an emotionally scarred sea captain and the daughter of a freed slave." I'm not sure why, but this one was by far my favorite of the 4 (they are all good though). Maybe it's how much these people are so sad, so desperate for comfort. Both Antoinette Duvall and Mark Payne think they are settled and 'happy' in their lives, but really each needs something more. Something to, for lack of a better phrase, complete them.

*(see the book I read Jan6 - 9)

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Review of: A Wrinkle in Time (sort of)

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
ISBN: 9780440498056
Pages: 256
Genre(s): Children's Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy Fiction
Grade: A
Start date: 11-20-08
End date: 11-24-08
Challenge(s): (Genre Challenge) Fantasy



I don't feel like I need to review A Wrinkle in Time. So many have already read it, so many will read (and reread) it. I will say that I enjoyed it more now than when I was 9 or 10 when I first read it. I have the next 3 in the series and will read them at some point. =) I will also continue to look for An Acceptable Time, which is the 5th book.

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