Book Review: Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

*Trigger warning - animal abuse.

I stopped reading this book some time last year, but didn't remember why. When I saw the next book in the series was coming out, I though, "ooh, I need to catch up before starting Smoke Bitten (which came out last month). I got the book at a neighboring library and settled back into the Urban Fantasy world of coyote walker/mechanic Mercy Thompson, and all the characters I've gotten to know over the years I've been reading the series.

Not too far into the book, I remembered why I stopped. There is a very graphic scene of animal abuse (puppies and kittens) which is done by some evil/bad witches to increase their powers.

Authors: if you decide to add animal torture to a book in a series, you are going to risk losing new fans and alienating old ones. I realize that it must be hard to come up with new plot points and conflict/tensions in a long-running series. But this is not the way to do it.

I skimmed that part of the book, and will say that, for the most part I enjoyed the rest of it. I have read this series since the first book came out, and if you are an Urban Fantasy fan, you will love it. I have recommended it to men and women both at the library, and never heard a negative comment about it. If you want to know more about the series, please see my review of Moon Called here: https://kellywellread.blogspot.com/search?q=mercy



In this latest book, Mercy and her pack discover that someone has been raising zombie animals, and proceed to investigate this unusual state of affairs. Which is when we get to the evil bad witches and their black magic with baby animals. After moving on from that part of the book, it proceeds fairly smoothly in the same manner of the rest in the series. Great dialogue, action scenes, and family dynamics among the pack.

I have the next book in the series, and do look forward to reading it. I don't give up on an author or series just because I'm disappointed with both, one or two times in 10 years. But, as I said, this is not the best way to add shock value to your story. I don't really know of anyone who would enjoy reading such extreme animal abuse - if they did, I'd run in the opposite direction, for sure.

Hoping the next book will be better.

Book Review: The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni

Trussoni, Danielle. 2020. The Ancestor. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, an imprint of HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0062912756. $27.99 USD.

Brief annotation: After taking a DNA test, a woman unexpectedly learns she has inherited an Italian title and estate. Travelling to a remote area in the Alps, she finds out more than she bargained for about her family history. The clever foreshadowing, fantastical elements, and sense of dread invoked in The Ancestor make it a page turner.

It's a challenge to review this unique new novel from Danielle Trussoni without giving away too much. There's quite an unexpected twist that I never saw coming, and I would not want to spoil it for any potential readers! But I can say a few things that will give readers an idea of what's in store if they choose to read it.

Alberta "Bert" Monte is having a tough time after a series of miscarriages, and is separated from her husband in a marriage that's on its last legs. She even took a DNA test to try to determine if there was a genetic reason why she could not bring a child to term, but the results never arrived, and she forgot about it.

When she receives an official letter written in Italian addressed to "Alberta Isabelle Eleanor Vittoria Montebianco, she opens a door to a strange family history she knew nothing about. That history includes a mysterious ghost town in the Italian alps, a Gothic castle and compound with enigmatic caretakers, something, or someone, hidden away in a tower on the estate, and a secret so incredible that it's only whispered on the cold wind.

The author has done a fantastic job with foreshadowing, and I remember being in the staff lounge at the library on my dinner break one evening and kind of singing, "Uh, oh: someone's gonna DIE." My colleague looked at me funny. There is also a very real sense of dread and foreboding throughout the book which kept me turning the pages.

The Ancestor is a novel that's hard to classify, genre-wise. It's a gothic thriller and mystery, with elements of horror and the fantastical. I'm not sure where to shelve it at my library, but I bought copies, and will look forward to recommending this one to readers looking for something a bit different.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Center, Katherine. 2019. Things You Save in a Fire. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 987-1250047328. $26.99 USD

I was fortunate to hear Katherine Center speak at a librarian conference last year and get a signed copy of this title. She is delightful, and so enthusiastic about reading and books. I've had it on my TBR for a while, and having had trouble focusing on fiction during the COVID19 pandemic, this seemed like a good choice to help me get my reading groove back!

It had both more depth and more melodrama than I expected, but overall I enjoyed this fast-paced, absorbing read about a tough-as-nails female fire-fighter who experienced, and eventually overcame, some major losses in her life.

Cassie Hanwell is an fearless, ambitious fire-fighter in Austin, Texas, who has worked hard to develop a place for herself and gain the respect of the male-dominated fire station company she works for. She's being presented an award for bravery at a formal dinner with a number of fire-fighters and city employees when she unexpectedly loses her cool and bashed a city councilman on the head with her award when he tries to cop a feel. We find out fairly quickly that there is some history between them, but the facts about that are not revealed until much later. The trauma we slowly learn that Cassie experienced as a teenager is a driving force in the book.

When her estranged mother contacts her needing help for a year in Maine due to an injury, Cassie initially refuses. She doesn't owe this woman who abandoned her as a teenager anything. But when Cassie's captain tells her she needs to remove herself from Austin for a while due to the repercussions of the assault on the councilman, and a fire-station is found in Maine who will take her on, Cassie reluctantly agrees to move in with her mother and help out, but grudgingly.

The rest of the novel is an fascinating look at what a female fire-fighter goes through to prove herself in an all-male station. Cassie is a strong character, who doesn't allow herself to feel much. She basically has to come across as one of the guys, and she does this very, very well by, among other things, beating the men at pull-ups and later a challenging obstacle course.

Cassie is consummate professional throughout the book, which makes some things that happen toward the end of story surprising. When Cassie finally allows herself to "feel" her emotions, she does a LOT of feeling. It didn't quite match up with the first 3/4th of the book. Additionally, some of the sudden changes in the antagonist's character I felt were wrapped up a bit too neatly. But these minor issues didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the story and the slow-burn romance Cassie develops with another fire-fighter.

Ultimately, Cassie must face her past, both her teenage trauma and her anger toward her mother, to heal and gain a chance at a life and a love she never thought she'd have.

I was fortunate to recently receive a galley of the author's next book from the publisher (What You Wish For, coming in July) and will look forward to reading it, too. Especially since the main character in the new book is a Librarian! Katherine Center is a great writer, and I enjoyed spending time with the characters she crafted and the world she created in Things You Save in a Fire.



Happy Reading!

Book Review: Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator by Michael Scott Clifton ~ Lone Star Literary Book Blog Tour

EDISON JONES AND THE ANTI-GRAV ELEVATOR

by

MICHAEL SCOTT CLIFTON

Genre: MG-YA / Action & Adventure / Men's & Boys'
  Publisher: Book Liftoff
  Publication Date: February 11, 2020

Number of Pages: 282 pages
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Twelve-year-old Edison Jones is a prodigy with a passion for technology and inventions. Paralyzed from the waist down since the age of five, he hasn’t let his disability slow him down. Then his world changes overnight when his grandfather, a billionaire tech company owner, decides to enroll him in a public school. Algorithms, quantum physics, and digital engineering are easy. Finding his way in the bewildering world of boys and girls his own age is quite another thing . . . the biggest challenge of his life.

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I don't read a lot of YA novels anymore, as I select all the adult fiction at my library and have to stay knowledgeable with what's being published in that category. But I was intrigued by Michael Scott Clifton's new middle grade/young adult novel, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. The opening scene is one of the best I've read in quite some time, with the gripping descriptions and creative use of onomatopoeia. 

Being somewhat plugged into the publishing industry, I know that there has been a positive trend lately to try to offer more novels featuring characters with disabilities, and the author has created a wonderful main character in Edison, who was left paralyzed after a car accident when he was very young. 

It is clear from the very beginning of the book that 12 year old Edison is extremely intelligent - a genius actually. He has been home schooled by his grandfather, Stanton, since his parents were killed in the accident, and has had access to many advanced technologies and laboratories at Stanton's company. But the decision is made that sheltering Edison from the "real world" is harming him more than helping him, so as the novel opens, Edison is starting 7th grade at the local public school. It's intriguing the way Edison plans to get around though: he has modified his wheelchair into a hover craft of sorts, and the descriptions of all the advanced things the chair can do are fascinating. 

As nervous as Edison is to start school with kids his own age, he luckily meets some fellow students who become his friends throughout the book. And in these interactions with other 7th graders, Edison learns a lot about himself: he has much to be grateful for, in spite of his disability; he has something to offer to the world with his intelligence and creative thinking; and he has more of an ability to help others than he ever thought he could. At times, I felt that the author needed to "show me, don't tell me" better with his writing; but overall, the characters were well-developed and the pace was such that I wanted to keep turning the pages, especially at the exciting end of this well-written book.

There is a lot of science and technology explored in this novel, and I admit I didn't understand all of it! But it would be a great book to put into the hands of mature middle grade and teen readers who are interested in STEM. Budding scientists and those fascinated by space flight and advanced robotics should enjoy this one and look forward to more adventures with Edison and his friends.

I only have a few criticisms, and those are minor. The first page of each chapter is printed on gray shaded paper with images, and that made it a bit of challenge to read in print. And although the writing is excellent, I felt that some of the vocabulary was well above the intended audience. The characters are all fully fleshed out, but do fall into stereotypes: the jock, the brainy girl, the cheerleader, and the bully, for example. The story really shines, however, when it shows Edison overcoming some of the limitations he has put on himself. Overall, this was a unique, action-packed story, with exciting twists and turns, and I will be happy to recommend it.

Multi award-winning author Michael Scott Clifton, a public educator for over 38 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator, currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas, with his wife, Melanie, and family cat. An avid gardener, reader, and movie junkie, he enjoys all kinds of book and movie genres. His books contain aspects of all the genres he enjoys: action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance. His fantasy novels, The Janus Witch and The Open Portal, received 5-Star reviews from the prestigious Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, and he has been a finalist in a number of short story contests, with Edges of Gray winning First Place in the Texas Authors Contest. Professional credits include articles published in the Texas Study of Secondary Education Magazine. Clifton’s latest book, The Open Portal, won a Feathered Quill Book Finalist Award, and launched the fantasy book series, Conquest of the Veil. 

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4/9/20 Review Chapter Break Book Blog 4/9/20 BONUS Post Hall Ways Blog 4/10/20 Review All the Ups and Downs 4/11/20 Review Reading by Moonlight 4/12/20 Review The Clueless Gent 4/13/20 Review That's What She's Reading 4/14/20 Review Sybrina's Book Blog 4/15/20 Review The Page Unbound 4/16/20 Review Kelly Well Read 4/17/20 Review Missus Gonzo 4/18/20 Review Book Fidelity

Book Review: The Last Summer of Ada Bloom by Martine Murray

Murray, Martine. 2020. The Last Summer of Ada Bloom. Portland, OR: Tin House Books, distributed by W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-1947793613. $15.95 USD.

I will tell you right off the bat that any review I write of this book will not do it justice. I am particularly fond of coming-of-age novels, and have been since reading To Kill a Mockingbird all those years ago; so you can imagine that when I discovered that the main character, Ada, has hints of Scout Finch about her, that this book would be a surprise to me and something I enjoyed.

Set over one long, hot, dry summer in a small Australian town, it centers on the Bloom family, Martha and Mike, the parents, and Tilly, Ben, and Ada, their three children. The novel is book-ended by scenes at an old windmill that Ada finds at the beginning of the novel, and the symbolism of that is an example of the careful and thoughtful way the author has crafted her writing. Secrets are slowly revealed, and the innocence of each character is lost in some way by the end of the story. Though not always an easy read, nevertheless, this book is one I closed with a satisfied sigh, grateful to have been immersed in its pages for a little while.

The novel is light on plot, but is instead a deep examination of a family on the verge of falling apart, the slimmest strands holding them together. Ada is around 10 years old, and her life is set "just so." She roams the area around her house, with their three-legged dog, PJ, poking things with sticks and conversing with the trees she has named William Blake and Emily Dickinson. But things are changing in the family, and one act of betrayal will set in motion a narrative where cracks are revealed in all of their lives.

I loved the character of Ada Bloom. Her thoughts are beautifully rendered, and she's the best part of the book, other than the outstanding writing. Her older sister, Tilly, is also fully-developed, and reading the ups and downs of their relationship is something else I really enjoyed.  Ben is less developed, but the fact that he's his mother's favorite plays an important role in one of the unexpected twists in the novel.

Speaking of mothers, Martha was my least favorite character, and I wasn't much of a fan of the dad, Mike, either. They are deeply flawed characters, selfish and self-absorbed, and sometimes it was hard to read their stories. But each of the characters has a chance to examine deep crevices inside themselves, and they process the events of the book in a way that was understandable, if not completely satisfying.

I mentioned the writing, and here is where I will fall short in my review. I cannot write like this author does. I haven't read many that I would say can. My advanced reader copy (courtesy of the library marketing department of W.W. Norton) is highlighted, underlined, and dog-eared.  I will just give one example from Ada's voice and I think it will explain the appeal, for me, at least:

She drifted into a tender, sad mood because of the way the light and dust slowed time to a halt and opened up a soft hole of memory. And she had a sense that something had happened and would never happen again...It was the dying light that made her sad, because time died over and over again. Each day threw out its last lone note of beauty like a plaintive howl, and then it was finished.

There are pages and pages of this kind of writing that just wrapped itself around me, making me so appreciate the written word. I had been unable to read for weeks after the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic, too distracted and anxious and scared to focus on reading fiction. But when I finished The Last Summer of Ada Bloom, and turned the last page, I let out a sigh I didn't realize I had been holding.

I highly recommend this book for those who love literary fiction and exemplary writing. It may not appeal to everyone, because as I mentioned, some of the characters are fairly unlikable. But that's the way reality is: we are not always given the best parents; betrayals and tragedies occur and we have to process them; there is no stopping childhood - we have to grow up. But Martine Murray has a way with language, and I feel that I was carefully tended to by her as I was reading. "This," I thought, as I closed the book "this is why I read."

I've read a number of remarkable books published by Tin House over the last few years. I can also recommend A Key to Treehouse Living by Elliot Reed, another coming-of-age novel, but written in glossary form; Costalegre by Courtney Maum, loosely based on the lives of Peggy Guggenheim and her daughter Pegeen; and Biloxi by Mary U. Miller, in which you will meet curmudgeonly Louis and his rescue dog Layla, and be glad you did.

Happy Reading. And wash your hands.

Notable Quotable from Execution in E by Alexia Gordon ~ Lone Star Literary Book Blog Tour

EXECUTION IN E

A Gethsemane Brown Mystery, Volume 5 

by

Alexia Gordon

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press
Date of Publication: March 24, 2020

Number of Pages: 252

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Romance is in the air. Or on the 'gram, anyway.

When an influencer-turned-bridezilla shows up at the lighthouse to capture Insta-perfect wedding photos designed to entice sponsors to fund her lavish wedding, Gethsemane has her hands full trying to keep Eamon from blasting the entire wedding party over the edge of the cliff.

Wedding bells become funeral bells when members of the bride’s entourage start turning up dead. Frankie’s girlfriend, Verna, is pegged as maid-of-honor on the suspect list when the Garda discover the not-so-dearly departed groom was her ex and Gethsemane catches her standing over a body.

Gethsemane uncovers devilish dealings as she fights to clear Verna, for Frankie’s sake. Will she find the killer in time to save Frankie from another heartbreak? Or will the photos in her social media feed be post-mortem?

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 A writer since childhood, Alexia Gordon won her first writing prize in the 6th grade. She continued writing through college but put literary endeavors on hold to finish medical school and Family Medicine residency training. She established her medical career then returned to writing fiction. Raised in the southeast, schooled in the northeast, she relocated to the west where she completed Southern Methodist University’s Writer’s Path program. She admits Texas brisket is as good as Carolina pulled pork. She practices medicine in North Chicago, IL. She enjoys the symphony, art collecting, embroidery, and ghost stories.

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3/24/20	Notable Quotable	Kelly Well Read
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3/25/20	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/26/20	Excerpt	Max Knight
3/27/20	Review	Momma on the Rocks
3/28/20	Top Ten List	All the Ups and Downs
3/29/20	Playlist	StoreyBook Reviews
3/30/20	Review	Forgotten Winds
3/31/20	Series Spotlight	Jennifer Silverwood
4/1/20	Review	That's What She's Reading
4/2/20	BONUS Review	Missus Gonzo
4/2/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight

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