Origin of "The Reading Rutabaga"

Not me as the person. This is the story of the title. Compared to most all of the reviews I’ve posted so far, it’s a short story.

            Some have asked me how I came up with the Reading Rutabaga. It began with the Rutabaga. As a sophomore in college, I called my friends’ dorm room (they happen to be twin sisters). Jessi picked up the phone.

            “Hello?” she asked.

            “Hi. This is Rutabaga,” I greeted her.

            And as far as obscure-inside-joke-nicknames-that-very-few-know-about go, the rest is history where Rutabagas are concerned. [I do, by the way, like eating actual rutabagas.] [I’d also like to note that I’m glad the first edible that popped into my head that night was rutabaga and not brussel sprout or garlic. I don’t have anything against brussel sprouts, and I love garlic, but The Reading Brussel Sprout or The Reading Garlic just don’t seem to mesh as well. Ha!]

            Once I decided I was going to go forward with blogging, I tried some serious thinking of a blog name. It didn’t go so awesomely at first. Either nothing came or what crossed my mind simply did not seem to fit me right. Then I thought to myself …

            Rutabaga.

            And from there: I know I love to read books, and since I planned this blog to be about books I READ, I figured … “The Reading Rutabaga.”

            And there you have it -- the origin of The Reading Rutabaga (title -- not the person)!

"Spotlight" and "Glamour"

“Spotlight” (October 2010) is Book 4 in Melody Carlson’s On the Runway series. “Glamour” is Book 5 (February 2011). The teen fiction series spotlights sisters Paige and Erin Forrester. It is told from the viewpoint of Erin, recently out of high school. She finds herself in the bustling world of fashion thanks to her very fashion-conscious sister, Paige, who is a year older.

            Paige is a fashionista and self-proclaimed fashion expert. She is the host of her own popular reality show: “On the Runway.” Tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, Paige looks like a model herself and studies fashion as diligently as students attending Juilliard practice their talents. She thrives on being in the spotlight so much so that if she feels focus on her is becoming stagnant, she will do something to stir chatter up. Erin has determined her sister to be an attention addict. And, with all the attention going to her head, Paige can be a hoity toity, spoiled young brat.

            Erin, in some ways, is a complete opposite of Paige. She’s brunette and petite and would rather be behind the camera than in front of it. Unlike her sister, news of the fashion world is not of much interest. She avoids blogs, fashion chats and reality TV. She is a Christian-centered girl, though she admits that her faith is ever a work in progress. This is especially true in dealings with her sister, who is quite the prima donna.

            In “Spotlight,” the show is off to London to take in British fashion. Their trip begins on a sour note outside the May Fair Hotel with an encounter with the British paparazzi, many of whom are assumptive, supercilious and downright rude. Suddenly the British tabloids are targeting Paige in a libelous way. Do their untruths affect Paige’s outlook that any publicity is just publicity? What can Erin do to help?

            [SPOILER ALERT] Paige’s engagement has gotten the fashion world buzzing in “Glamour.” She is over-the-moon happy. The girls are also celebrating with their mom, who is newly remarried. Erin; however, feels like the odd girl out. She is struggling with her feelings for her friend, Blake. She is uncertain whether she wants to be more than friends

            The two girls, as different as night and day, but always sisters, find themselves in the Bahamas this time around for their TV show “On the Runway.” Erin is going to find that she really enjoys eco fashion and steps up in front of the camera to conduct those interviews. Is she finally finding her niche since she deferred her time at film school to help with the show?

            I chose these books not knowing anything about the series or author. I was surprised to learn of their Christian theme. Yes, Erin does pray, goes to church and works to live a faith-filled life, but she also struggles. Carlson does a nice job meshing the busy, high octane world of fashion with Erin’s Christian values and ideals.

            The first books in this series are: “Premiere,” “Catwalk” and “Rendezvous.” The sixth and concluding book in the series is “Ciao.” In addition, I did not feel frustratingly lost not having read the first three books, but I would encourage others to start from the beginning if they have an interest in this series.

"My First Book of Spanish Words"

“My First Book of Spanish Words” (July 1, 2009) is geared toward Preschool through second graders (as noted on the back cover). It is authored by Katy R. Kudela with translations by Translations.com.

            As the title implies, the book presents readers with a number of English words with their Spanish counterpart and pronunciation. There are various sections, and each section features a two-page photo spread with multiple English and Spanish words relating to the topic.

            For anyone who has taken a Spanish course, the words in this book will seem old hat. However, it is a very nice teaching tool for young kids. The pictures, which are photos and not drawings or paintings, are very clear. You, as an educator, parent, grandparent, older sibling, babysitter, etc., will have no problem pointing at a picture and know the child knows which picture or object you’re pointing at. This book would also be a great teaching tool for anyone looking to begin learning a new language. It is not an in-depth book, but the pronunciations are easy to understand.

            For anyone looking for an advanced book on Spanish words, this is not your book. However, I believe that this would be a wonderful book for educators to have in their classrooms, whether as a language tie-in to a cultural unit or if you work in an English Language Learners (ELL) classroom where the language most often heard besides English is Spanish.

            This book is a nice teaching tool, but again, it is not in-depth. Additionally, the book does not go into the vowel sounds of the Spanish language, nor does it explain their special alphabet characters (like the double ll or the ñ, the n with the tilde mark over the top).

Three Christian Amish Fiction Stories

“The Judgment” by Beverly Lewis

            Note: This review may contain spoilers. It is the second book in a trilogy. Please be advised if you haven’t read the first book.

            Beverly Lewis continues her story of two Amish sisters in late 1985 in “The Judgment” (Apr. 5, 2011), the second book in her The Rose Trilogy. (“The Thorn” is the first book, while “The Mercy” is the third.) It is part of a Christian fiction trilogy. Lewis is a strong writer of Amish fiction.

            Rose Kauffman has a lot on her plate: too often she worries about all of the pain her mother is in, her sister’s deteriorating marriage, the care of a friend and houseguest who has a young mind, her engagement to a man she might never love and her love of a man she can never marry.

            More than she cares to admit, Rose misses her friend, Nick Franco, the foster son of their neighbor and the district’s bishop. Nick is blamed by the church membership to be the cause in the death of his brother, the bishop’s and his wife’s only biological son. Instead of defending himself or admitting to anything, he fled to Philadelphia. Those in the district have dubbed him a bad seed who was never up to much good, and it seems only Rose knows of his gentle, endearing side. Why can she see him as others cannot? And can she convince him to return home?

            Rose’s older sister, Hannah Orringer (known as Hen), continues to struggle with her failing marriage to her Englischer (non-Amish) husband, Brandon. How will she get through to Brandon? Is it even possible?

            Their mother, Emma, struggles with back pain suffered after a buggy accident a decade ago. She cannot move her legs and is wheelchair-bound. She finds comfort with their houseguest Beth Browning, a young woman with the mind of a young child. Beth has a loving heart and is very concerned and attached to Emma’s struggles. Can Beth somehow help Emma? Is there help out there for her?

            The middle novels in a trilogy are tricky ones. They are weighted with the responsibility of tying plots together from the first novel without revealing too much, yet needing to set things up for the final installment. As usual, Lewis works her writing skills to balance the novels out. Things continue on from the first book, but there is enough storyline left to wonder how things will turn out for the various characters. I, for one, am openly wondering: Will Nick return? Can Nick and Rose be together? Will Hen’s and Brandon’s marriage be saved? Is there help out there for Emma?

            When it comes to Amish inspirational fiction, Lewis is a favorite of mine. I encourage you to keep up with her books if you already read them or try them out if you’re interested in something new.

“Lydia’s Charm” by Wanda Brunstetter

            Wanda E. Brunstetter writes the Amish charm she’s known for in her fiction Christian inspiration book “Lydia’s Charm” (September 2010), set in Charm, Ohio.

            Central character Lydia King is a young widow when she moves with her son to Charm to be close to her mother and help her mom with her ill-in-health grandfather. Lydia is a very thoughtful, kind and hard-working woman/mother who wants to please her seemingly rigid mom, make her son happy and help bring in income when their financial situation is tight. The latter instance prompts her to look for a job and land one as a waitress at the pleasant-sounding Grandma’s Restaurant, which stays steadily busy from the summer into the fall during tourist season. Her move causes quite a stir between two men: one, a recent widower and another, who’s determined never to marry.

            Enter Menno Troyer, who owns the woodshop in town. A widower for six months, he is struggling with the demands of full-time work and running a household complete with four boys – ranging in age from five to twelve – of the unsurprisingly rowdy, busy, mischievous, full-of-energy-and-troublemaking sort. He is not ready to love again, but he feels almost desperately that his sons need a mother in their lives again. Will he deem Lydia to be a suitable mother figure for his sons?

            On the other end, 28-year-old Levi Stutzman has never been married and has never been a father. His family is extremely important to him and takes precedence over anything else in his life, including the thought of marriage. Rather overprotective, he thinks that his family must need him to help at the general store they own, when they really want him to have his own life and create his own family. His abundant concern stems from his being the only one in his family of regular height: the rest of his family – mother, father, two brothers and two sisters – were born with dwarfism. What will it take for him to realize that, truly, his parents and siblings can do just as much as he can, with only slight modifications? And will that realization open him up to the notion of falling in love? If so, could 26-year-old Lydia be Levi’s “the one?”

            “Lydia’s Charm” is a charming (pun intended) novel of loss, love and letting oneself be loved. Although its genre finds itself in the inspirational fiction category, it is not weighed down by its Christian nature. Surely, it is present, in its encouragement for the characters to put their trust in the Lord, especially at times of immense grief and struggle, but it is never in-your-face.

            Not having read many books by Brunstetter, I found this novel to be heartwarming and enjoyable amidst its moments of sorrow. I also enjoyed her take on an Amish perspective: their way of life along with the closeness of their families and their community.

“The Bridge of Peace” by Cindy Woodsmall

            It’s back to Amish country in Cindy Woodsmall’s “The Bridge of Peace” (Aug. 31, 2010), the second in her Ada’s House trilogy. It is a Christian fiction novel.

            Lena Kauffman is a 23-year-old Old Order Amish schoolteacher. All of her young life, she has dealt with a very noticeable birthmark on her cheek. She has dealt with whispers, stares and unkind words associated with the birthmark. She feels she has moved past the attention associated with the mark, but has she? Does she let the mark hinder how she thinks people view her outward appearance and pass judgment on who she is on the inside?

            Lena is a young woman filled with both stubbornness and undaunted kindness about and toward others. She also likes to have a bit of fun, playing pranks on family and friends. Despite her good nature, one student in her class is showing her little more than outright contempt and disrespect. Then there are the occurrences happening at school which cause the school board members to question her teaching ability, despite the fact that she is in her fifth year of teaching and has overall done a wonderful job with her students. Indeed, she would do flips if it would help her students better learn their subjects.

            One of the board members, Grey Graber, is grieving his marriage. His wife, Elsie, is totally closed to him, and he has no idea why. And unfortunately, Grey is about to grieve even more when tragedy strikes. Lena and Grey have been friends for a long time, and Grey is the best friend of Lena’s older brother, Allen. As deceptions roll in, clouding truths, Lena and Grey find their relationship in a precarious spot. They will have to face their heart-wrenching secrets. Grey tells her, “I’ll build us a bridge … in every way possible,” but can he?

            I enjoyed reading “The Bridge of Peace.” As in other novels I’ve read by authors who center their stories in an Amish setting, I could sense the closeness of community and faith that is often associated with the Amish. There is closeness everywhere in families and cultures all over, but for this review, I am noting a seeming constant in inspirational novels with central Amish characters. What I noticed in this book that I haven’t in other Amish-based novels is that Woodsmall fits in quite a bit of humor. Not that I think other Amish characters-based novels I’ve read totally lack humor, it is that Woodsmall really includes it. Or at least, it worked easily for her to include it with Lena’s joking nature and prankster ways.

            The final book in the Ada’s House trilogy, called “The Harvest of Grace,” was released on August 9, 2011. The first book is called “The Hope of Refuge.” If you have read the second book, I hope you enjoyed it. If you haven’t had a chance to read this book, I encourage you to, but start at the beginning of the trilogy.

A Few Middle-Grade Books

“A Girl’s Best Friend” by Catherine Stine.

            Written by Catherine Stine for the “Innerstar University” series of American Girl stories, “A Girl’s Best Friend” (Nov. 15, 2010) is a book geared for girls ages 8 to 12. It was illustrated by Thu Thai for Arcana Studios.

            The main character of “A Girl’s Best Friend” is … you! Essentially you, the reader, are the star of the book. The book has a colorful map of the Innerstar U Campus. You as the protagonist in this story will learn that your dorm room is in Brightstar House and no, you do not have a roommate. Your character in this story is also a pet lover; you like cats, but you especially love dogs; therefore, you’ll note on the map where Pet-Palooza is located, which is one of the corner buildings in the Shopping Square. You and your friend, Isabel, have just graduated from a pet-sitting course, so you can now volunteer at Pet-Palooza, a daycare center for animals, which you are really looking forward to. You will melt when you meet Pepper, an adorable husky pup with sky blue eyes. Pepper is the central pet in this book.

            The sneaky thing about the story is that the story can change. How can that be? Well, “A Girl’s Best Friend” is not only a story that stars you, it also comes with over 20 endings!  I counted 21 and there is a code in the book to unlock even more ending possibilities online! There is a lot of page turning, though not usually simply to the next page. Often you may skip ahead two or five pages. You may even skip ahead ten or fall back fifteen pages. You never know until you try out the book!

            What sort of main character will you be? Will you choose the most logical path from the get-go, the one where you make responsible choices with no procrastination? Or will you divert on occasion because you think you’re making the best choices but maybe they aren’t? What will happen when you reach THE END?

            There is much jumping between multiple pages, but there are cute pictures to accompany portions of the story. The author did a nice job coming up with endings, for they all teach or remind us of something. It may remind us how good it is to be a responsible friend to our human and our animal friends. It may also remind us of the importance of being honest and not assumptive about others. Above all, it reminds us to be a good and trustworthy friend!

“Bless This Mouse” by Lois Lowry.

            From two-time Newberry Medalist Lois Lowry comes a new tale for younger people called “Bless This Mouse” (Mar. 21, 2011). It is geared for eight- to eleven-year-olds. The book’s illustrations are by Caldecott Medalist Eric Rohmann.

            Hildegarde is the Mouse Mistress of Saint Bartholemew’s. It is her responsibility to keep the church mice – all 219 of them, not including herself – safe and hidden from Father Murphy, others who work at church, churchgoers, but especially, the Altar Guild ladies! Hildegarde even has Sunday morning duties – she leads all the church mice in confession while perched on the furnace oil tank. The mice all sing.

            Unfortunately, Mouse Vivian let her entire litter “exercise” right before a Sunday service. They’re five weeks old: adolescent mice. As Hildegarde’s friend, Roderick puts it, “Awful bunch. Poorly behaved,” not to mention that they were all spotted … by the entire Altar Guild.

            This prompts another Great X. It is every pest and rodents’ nightmare. It means that the exterminator will be paying the church a visit. The previous Great X hadn’t happened for some time now, so none of the youngest mice know what it’s all about.

            They move outdoors for a couple nights. The youngsters think it’s rather exciting until they are warned to watch out for owls. No rhododendron leaves, either! There is exploring and the befriending of field mice, though Hildegarde is quick to differentiate between the likes of a field mouse to her clan’s church mouse.

            A very wise old mouse called Ignatious informs Hildegarde of the “special traps” that the exterminator brings. There are no enticing bits of cheese on a trap of springs and metals. They smell nice, though. The smell, he tells her, lures mice. It doesn’t look like a trap, for it’s a simple piece of cardboard, but it’s very sticky as it’s covered with glue. Hildegarde is horrified at the thought of those traps and any of her mouse clan getting stuck to it and starving. When young Harvey finds the invoice from the exterminator, Hildegarde, Roderick and Ignatious discover that there are 52 glue traps (yes, they sing and read). They send in their bravest and best sniffers to seek out all the traps and cover them. How do they cover the glue traps? Will they find them all before the mice return to Saint Bartholemew’s?

            I found “Bless This Mouse” to be a charming little tale. How many times have we come across a mouse at church (whether in a trap or scurrying away)? This puts the “challenges” of being a church mouse in a cute and complicated (for the mice) light. I hope you will give this book a chance and read it to your kids or grandkids.

“The Dead End: A Poison Apple Book” by Mimi McCoy.

            “The Dead End” is a “Poison Apple Book” by Mimi McCoy (May 1, 2010). Poison Apple books are paranormal publications by Scholastic for the preteen/teen set.

            Have you ever made what you thought were the perfect plans, only to have something totally unexpected crop up or have the plans disintegrate before your eyes? If so, city girl Casey Slater knows how you feel. Twelve-year-old Casey is all excited for summer vacation, for Casey and her best friend, Jillian, have major plans to, like, hang out every single day, meet two boys who are best friends who will be their boyfriends, and go to the beach.

            Fast forward a few weeks to the start of summer vacation. Spending days at the beach? No. Seeing Jillian every day? No. Taking in the usual fares of city life in New York? No. Heading toward a creepy house on Drury Road in a remote place in New Hampshire? Yes.

            Casey encounters strange happenings early in her arrival at the house in fictional Stillness, NH, though Casey is the only one they affect. Her parents are oblivious and eventually aggravated by the stories they believe their daughter is making up.

            In a stack of old books, Casey finds the diary of Millie, who wrote in it for a summer in 1939. Like Casey, she encountered strange happenings. Casey continues to read Millie’s diary and by now thinks of Millie as a friend. After all, Millie would’ve understood what Casey was experiencing in the old house; she would’ve been able to empathize, would’ve believed her. She meets a neighbor boy named Erik Greer who’s about her age. He brings over a hotdish (they say casserole) as his mom’s way of welcoming them to the area. She eventually runs into him again and tells him about the occurrences once he admits that people think her house is haunted.

            Once, when Casey stops by the Greer residence, Erik introduces her to his siblings, mom and grandma. Meeting his grandma is startling, as she calls Casey, Millie, and Erik, Charles. Why? What is her connection to Millie’s past?

            The idea of a creepy old house is nothing new, nor is the premise that botched summer plans are the worst thing ever for a preteen. However, the character is believable in that you picture her as a preteen. She doesn’t speak in a voice that sounds too mature for her age. I found it to be a fast read and encourage others to check it out. What will you learn about the dead end house on Drury Road?

"The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven" Review

“The boy who came back from heaven” (July 1, 2010) is a nonfiction book by Kevin and Alex Malarkey. In 2004, on returning home from church and a quick jaunt in the park, Kevin and Alex (age six at the time) were in a horrific car accident. There was the piercing sound of metal ripping metal and then silence.

            Kevin was thrown from the car that day, though Alex asserts that angels carried him from the car, which is why he remained mostly unscathed. Meanwhile, Alex lay motionless in the back. An x-ray showed (the x-ray photo is in the book, along with other photos of Alex, his family, etc.) that his skull had completely detached from his spinal cord; he had been internally decapitated. It eventually healed itself, but it was through no medical procedure. Was it divine intervention? Or the sometimes incredible ability for young kids and their young tissues and muscles and cells and bones to heal amazingly well?

            Alex was in a coma for two months. During this time, there were constant prayers from any number of relatives and friends, from strangers near them and off in other countries. While in the hospital, Alex never went a moment without someone nearby – and probably right in his room – praying for him.

            When Alex awoke, he was met with his new physical challenges, for he could not move from the neck down. He found himself a quadriplegic, but he maintained a bright outlook and normally gave encouragement to others as opposed to them bringing him encouragement. He also found that he had to teach himself to form words out loud again. They were all in his head – and there was so much he wanted to share – but his vocal chords had to be re-trained.

            Alex longed to tell his parents about the time he spent in Heaven being with Jesus, conversing with God and seeing/visiting with angels. He wanted to tell them about demons and how ugly and scary they are. Plus, they are in a constant spiritual war against angels, and demons are always trying to mess with people, which is why “we need Jesus in our hearts to fight the demons.” He even describes the devil as “the ugliest thing imaginable.” It is a very detailed and monstrous description. Have you read it?

            It is up to you to decide if you believe the accounts of Alex, who insists he still visits Heaven from time to time. Alex’s accounts and the details he’s shared are interesting and, I suppose, insightful. On the other hand, you could read the book and declare that the Malarkeys are full of malarkey or presume that Alex has a very creative imagination. Like I said, though, it is up to you to decide if you believe Alex’s accounts or not. What will you believe?

            As impressive as his accounts are, I will express some disappointment in the book. If you’ve read this book, did you notice this as well? The title is “The boy who came back from heaven,” but Alex’s accounts are mostly at the end of the chapters with smatterings of his otherworldly experiences thrown in. At times I felt it was mostly about Kevin’s financial woes, his struggles with his faith, feeling like a failed parent, back to his financial woes, and Alex’s experiences are included sometimes as an afterthought and at the ends of chapters.

            Also, what do you make of this discrepancy? One sentence reads, “Alex knows where his boundaries lie, which subjects he is not to reveal.” On the very next page there is a sentence in the first paragraph, “It can be difficult for him to determine what falls into those limited areas and what he can reveal.” Editing error, perhaps?

            Alex’s bits and the support of many are moving. He has a closeness and connection to God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit/Heaven/angels that we and others only wish that we had. His childlike faith is so strong, it’s palpable. What have you witnessed of childlike faith?

Blog Post Author's Note: Later in the year that I published this post, it came to light that the youth did not go to Heaven. It appears that the story was fabricated in large encouragement by the boy's father. So, the discrepancy I noted in my original post wasn't without merit, as it seems that even Kevin Marlarkey couldn't keep his lies straight. "Marlarkey" indeed!

"Torment: A Fallen Novel" Review

The second book in a planned tetralogy, “Torment” (Sept. 28, 2010) is a Fallen novel by Lauren Kate. It is a young adult fantasy novel involving angels, demons and, particularly, a mortal 17-year-old girl who is definitely not a usual teenager by anyone’s definition.

            Growing up, Lucinda “Luce” Price saw what she referred to as “Shadows” from a young age. She is informed that they are actually called Announcers, but she coins them Shadows because she would normally see them hiding in actual shadows. They are wet and cold and damp. They often have a musty or other unattractive smell. Oh. And they have messages to tell her, pieces of her past, whether a recent past or a longer ago past.

            By the way, Luce is on her umpteenth reincarnation. The trouble is, she cannot remember her past lives, but they are extremely important. Here is where the angels come in. Actually, one specific angel. Daniel Grigori is a fallen angel on the angel side. He has loved Luce for eons and has watched her leave him – rather dramatically – time after time, generation upon generation, always in her seventeenth year. There must be a beginning to their story, a very first time that Daniel saw Luce, but when was it? Where can Luce find the answers she so desperately seeks and feels she needs to know? And why did Daniel choose her, a mortal?

            No pressure, but she also has factions who would like to harm her. One group is known as the Elders, though not much is explained about them, except one – Miss Sophia from the first novel – tried to kill her. Luce does not understand why they are out for her. Then there are the Outcasts, mentioned in the book as “spineless, waffling angels” who have been shunned by both gates. The Outcasts’ one great strength is a starshot. What is a starshot?

            A truce is going on between angels and demons. Thanks to an Announcer, she sees that Daniel and Cam Briel are working together (it is understood that Cam was a major antagonist in the first book). Cam is a fallen angel on the demon side. Utterly baffling to Luce. And what is this about a truce timeline?

            Whatever it is, Luce is in danger. She is shuffled from one school near her parents in Georgia to a school for gifted students called Shoreline, though its main purpose is to house Nephilim, half angels or half humans, depending on how you look at it, in California. Her roommate, Shelby, is one. She puts up a tough front, but she’s got a kind-hearted side. Yoga enthusiast. Miles is also one. He becomes a friend to Luce: he’s also the easygoing, laidback guy that Daniel, the love of her many lives, is definitely not.

            Luce thinks Daniel is way overprotective about staying on campus. She even eventually gets grounded all in the name of her protection. She doesn’t get it for most of the book, going out anyway, but Daniel is determined to protect her. Can he keep her safe always?

            If you enjoy reading fantasy and paranormal novels, this series may be up your alley. Instead of wizards and dark wizards or vampires and werewolves, there are angels and demons (and there always seem to be humans in there somewhere). I do advise, though, that you start at the beginning of the series. Context clues may help in figuring out parts of the characters and back story, but I definitely felt like I was missing bits and pieces. It wasn’t like other stories I’ve read where I can simply get by starting at the third book, or even the seventeenth book, in.

            Avoid this book if you’re disinterested in saving-the-pretty-girl-who’s-super-important-to-the-world-in-a-possible-love-triangle stories. Otherwise … enjoy!

Note: The final book in this tetralogy, Rapture, was released in June 2012. I now have the four books so that I can read them from the series’ beginning to its end, though I haven’t yet. Don’t be surprised if I some day review the final book or the tetralogy as a whole!

"Envy: A Luxe Novel" Review

“Envy” (Sept. 29, 2009) is a Luxe novel from Anna Godbersen. “Envy” is the third book in the series. There are four books in this series. The books are young adult romance fiction in a historical setting.

            “Envy” takes place in early 1900 in Manhattan and follows some of the city’s most enviable residents for their wealth, beauty and gossip-worthiness. There have been falls from wealthy grace and relative newcomers to wealth. There is unintentional betrayal, a dramatic homecoming and plenty of scheming. With all the drama, there is no end to the vicious cycle that constantly feeds the rumor mill.

            Sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland lived a lavish life until the untimely and unexpected death of their father. Left with little of their original wealth, they have perhaps fallen out of favor with others whose circles they previously followed, but they aren’t out of the gossip’s eye. Elizabeth faked her death so she could marry the one she truly loved, although she was engaged to the most eye-catching bachelor in Manhattan. She also has a secret. What is it?

            Younger sister Diana is doing her best to represent the Holland family at social events. She is in love with a young newlywed (and he’s in love with her), but someone else is giving her attention. Is the other young man courting her of his own volition?

            Newlyweds Henry and Penelope (Hayes) Schoonmaker are the city’s most celebrated couple. They’re fabulously wealthy, appealingly young and remarkably attractive. They signify the “perfect” high society couple. Except Henry holds little more than abhorrence for his scheming, deceitful, fake-smiled wife. Penelope wanted Henry and went to great lengths to make him hers. And blackmail was not below her. What will be the outcome of their tenuous nuptials?

            Lina Broud has gone from bottom-of-the-totem-pole housemaid to social climbing society girl Carolina Broad. She presents a remarkable tale of growing up on a ranch out west and moving to Manhattan after her father’s passing. Noting that she worked as a housemaid for the Holland family, she uses the ranch fib to cover her actual personal history. She forced a friendship by dishing information about the Holland girls to devious, conniving Penelope. Once thrown out of the Holland house, she comes under the care of a very affluent man. When he passes suddenly, what happens to Carolina?

            The novel includes a trip to Florida. Originally meant to be a fishing trip for Henry and his best pal, Edward “Teddy” Cutting, it turns into a vacation escapade with Penelope, Carolina, Penelope’s brother Grayson Hayes, Carolina’s crush Leland Bouchard and the Holland sisters. It involves a lengthy train ride in train cars owned by the Schoonmakers. It will be a trip to remember, but in a positive way? Or a negative?

            Despite not reading the first two books in the series, I did not feel lost starting at the third book. Surely, if I’d read the first two, I would’ve gotten more of the back story on the main characters, plus actually read of events leading up to the Schoonmaker wedding and Carolina’s climb from housemaid to socialite. Perhaps I would also know about Elizabeth’s true love, Will Keller, and more detail of their father’s passing. Start at the beginning of the series if you have the chance and interest.

            This will not be a read for everyone. As previously mentioned, it is a young adult romance. It’s also in a historical setting involving many garments and outfit changes (for women, likely into another heavy, too-stuffy dress). However, if you like “Gossip Girl” (the TV series) and soap operas, there’s a good chance this series may interest you. “Envy” reminds me of the beauty, glamour and class in Manhattan like Gossip Girl’s Manhattan, but with the backstabbing, conniving, deliberate drama of a daytime soap opera, and instead set in 1900 and not in the 2000s. Instead of slang you’ll read prim dialect. Tea, anyone?

A Selection of Picture Book Authors (4)

A Selection by Jackie Urbanovic.

            “Sitting Duck” (Nov. 12, 2010) is a fiction children’s book by author and illustrator Jackie Urbanovic.

            In “Sitting Duck,” Max the Duck is getting ready to babysit Brody the Dog’s niece, Anabel. Another dog, Uncle Dov, also joins the babysitting group, though the remaining furry friends (dogs, cats, a few birds and a bunny) hightail it and leave very quickly. What are they so afraid of? As Max puts it, “How much trouble could a puppy get into, anyway?” Needless to say, Anabel keeps Max, Brody and Dov very busy.

            Another book by Urbanovic is “Duck and Cover” (Jan. 27, 2009). In the story, an alligator goes to Irene’s (the animals’ caretaker) house seeking a place to hide. Harold the Alligator is hiding from the zoo detective, for he has been accused of having a “snack” which was supposedly “someone’s pet.” The animals in the house are terrified by the sight of an alligator, but especially petrified after hearing that bit of information.

            Max is afraid, too, but he knows what it is like to be alone with nowhere to go, so he approaches Harold and pleads with Irene to let him stay awhile. Irene is convinced, and the animals set to work on trying to find a place or a way to hide Harold. Where or how do they try to hide Harold? Does it work?

            The duck story which began them all for Jackie Urbanovic is “Duck at the Door” (Jan. 23, 2007). It is a quiet, cold winter day when there is a “Knock, knock, KNOCK!” on the door. The dogs, cats, birds and a bunny wake up Irene in the middle of the night. She goes to the door and finds Max the Duck, all cold and snowy. They asked why he stayed. Young friends, where do ducks like to go for the winter?

            Urbanovic’s “Duck” stories are fun and enjoyable to read to and with youngsters. Geared for ages four to seven, I think children will enjoy her colorful pictures and friendly-faced animals. They will feel like they’re reading about new friends.

 "Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants!" by Diane deGroat.

            Diane deGroat is an author and illustrator. She is well-known for her Gilbert stories. Gilbert is an opossum (or possum). Gilbert and his friends are in the first grade. “Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants!” (Feb. 22, 2011) is a children’s picture book, directed toward children ages four to eight.

            In “Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants!” Gilbert is stumped. The weather outside is gorgeous and sunny with a blue sky and nary a cloud in sight. Still, Gilbert is stumped, for his teacher, Mrs. Byrd (a bobwhite quail, according to the FAQ section of her website), has asked the students to write a poem about springtime. He is so befuddled about his lack of ideas that he is wiggly and squirmy.

            In the story, Earth Day is coming up soon. Mrs. Byrd asks the class what they can do to help the planet. The students have many good ideas. Once they’re back in the classroom, Mrs. Byrd asks everyone to come up with their own Earth Day project. What does Gilbert come up with?

            Diane deGroat has a terrific message for everyone in this book. It is not just about Earth Day, but about how to be a “greener” person. She threads the message into this story with a possum as the main character. Her illustrations are colorful, and the characters are cute. I recommend this story to all kids. Diane deGroat may have written the story with a young person’s viewpoint in mind, but the message is for all of us.

A Selection by Mo Willems.

            Mo Willems, the author known for his Pigeon series of books, also brings readers his newer series CAT the CAT (2010). Willems is both the author and illustrator of his books.

            “CAT the CAT, Who is THAT?” (Feb. 16, 2010) is the story of an energetic cat who introduces readers to some of her animal friends. She meets a mouse, a duck, a fish and a yellowish creature with two antenna eyes, four arms, three legs and a tail. “Blarggie! Blarggie!” it greets her. Will she befriend him? Why is it nice to make friends who may not look like you? Kids, if you meet a new classmate, how do you treat her or him?

            “Let’s Say HI to Friends Who FLY!” (Feb. 16, 2010) is the story of an exuberant cat who asks more of her animal friends whether or not they can fly. She then proceeds to cheer each friend on as he or she demonstrates flying ability. In this story, reading friends will meet a bee, a bird, a bat and a rhino. A rhino! How does a rhino fly? How do you fly? By airplane or helicopter? Or perhaps you haven’t flown yet?

            “What’s Your Sound, HOUND the HOUND?” (Apr. 27, 2010) tells us the sounds that even more of the lively cat’s animal friends make. She asks for sounds from a hound, a chick, a cow and a bunny who doesn’t want to make a sound.

            Mo Willems’ CAT books are geared for infants and children in preschool; in other words, very young readers. They are short books filled with simple, colorful pictures. The books would be fun to read with young children. They are easy enough that soon the child may be reading the story back to you!

            I noticed a fun tidbit in each of the stories. Did you recall or know that Willems is the author and illustrator of the Pigeon series? With that in mind, can you find the pigeon in each of the stories? The pigeon could be anywhere …

            Willems’ work is not solely in children’s literature. According to his blog, he has also worked in television, theater and animation. He has earned 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals, 2 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors, 2 Carnegie Medals in Literature and 6 Emmys. If you’re not familiar with Mo Willems’ books, I hope you will be encouraged to peruse them at your local library or nearby bookstore.

"Chicks Run Wild" by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

            “Chicks Run Wild” (Jan. 25, 2011) is a children’s picture book for two- to six-year-olds written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen with illustrations by Ward Jenkins. The story is written in rhyme and is about a hen and her five energetic chicks.

            As on other nights, the chicks are all tucked into their matching beds in one big bedroom. Their mama tucks them in and “Mama kisses each dear child, but when she leaves … those chicks run wild!” Those chicks aren’t ready to sleep yet, for they have energy to spare! They’re young and undaunted by bedtime. They wiggle and giggle, jump and thump. At least, they do so until they hear their mama coming toward their room.

            “Chicks Run Wild” is a cute little tale of chicks (kids) not wanting to go to bed when they are told. It would be a fun bedtime story that I think will have children giggling about the chicks’ funny antics. Bardhan-Quallen’s rhyming text is catchy, and kids will pick up on that, hopefully making this book a new favorite. In addition, Jenkins brings wonderful pictures to the story. I love his detail on the last page where Mama has a quiet house to herself and the various expressions on the faces of Mama and chicks. Jenkins really captures what is going on as you read Bardhan-Quallen’s text.

"The Silver Boat" Review

From Luanne Rice comes a story of love, pain, searching and family myth in “The Silver Boat” (Apr. 5, 2011). This book is an adult fiction novel set mostly on Martha’s Vineyard, but it also includes a mission to Ireland.

            “The Silver Boat” centers primarily around three close sisters who have dealt with pain and grief in their own unique ways. Their grief swells from the abandonment they felt when their father set sail in a solo transatlantic mission to get from Martha’s Vineyard to his home country of Ireland. He planned to search for a certain document and vowed not to return until he located it. Twenty-eight years later, and he hasn’t come back. The only communication they had from him was a phone call when he’d first arrived in a port in Kerry, Ireland. The sisters’ mother had passed away the previous fall, so the loss of a parent is quite raw again as they gather in the early spring at their childhood home on Martha’s Vineyard.

            Darrah “Dar” McCarthy is the oldest sibling. Closest amongst the sisters with their dad, she finds steely determination to find out what really happened to their father. Never married, she receives comfort, friendship and commitment from longtime friend Andy Mayhew. She is the sister who excels at being able to read emotions in her sisters. She deals with the unknown regarding her father by throwing herself into the drawings for her graphic novel. They concentrate on a character named Dulse.

            Dulse is a water spirit who’s motivated by grief and desire. This makes her very powerful, so much so that she is able to bring her sisters – Heath and Finn – back to life after they’d been turned into “Rosa rugosa” (beautiful beach roses) by their maternal grandmother (who seemed to lack respect for their father).

            Middle sister Rory McCarthy Chase is in the throes of a love-hate relationship with her cheating husband Jonathan, who’s left her for a much younger gal. She still loves him because she’s loved him so long and for the kids (two kids with him, plus a daughter from a previous marriage), but she despises him for having an affair. She despises herself to some degree as well, being compulsive at times when she checks her husband’s e-mail with the password she’s known for years or checking his cell phone’s call log on their billing statements. Can she move forward without thoughts of her husband weighing her down?

            The youngest, Delia McCarthy Monaghan, is a married woman worrying a lot about her son, Pete. Pete left a couple years back for Alaska to try to make a living by fishing. He has never met his two-year-old daughter, Vanessa. The grandparents are mostly raising their granddaughter with Pete gone and Vanessa’s eighteen-year-old mother about to have another baby. Delia yearns to have Pete back, especially for Vanessa, but her husband, Jim, doesn’t seem to want him around. He appears to have written him off as an irresponsible alcoholic and drug addict. Will Pete come around and return to finally meet his daughter? Can Jim and Pete reconcile?

            The sisters learn much in Ireland. They reach Cobh (pronounced like Cove) in their search to learn what happened to their dad, Michael McCarthy. Will they find the answers they seek? Is their dad still alive? If so, why didn’t he return?

            Rice’s writing on “The Silver Boat” is cohesive and gently paced, and it did not leave any questions unanswered in my mind. This is a novel to read if you’re already a Rice fan or enjoy novels that are heartwarming yet heart-wrenching. Consider picking up the book if you’re simply looking for a new read. If you prefer more action/adventure or scenes from the paranormal, this book will not give you that.

"Smokin' Seventeen" Review

Janet Evanovich continues her Stephanie Plum novels with the seventeenth installment, “Smokin’ Seventeen” (June 21, 2011). It is an adult fiction, crime/romantic/adventure novel set in New Jersey.

            Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum never seems to have a dull day. Her life in “Smokin’ Seventeen” is not an exception, either. After all, how often is it that someone has not one or two, but three people who would really like to bring about one person’s demise? With any luck as a bounty hunter, hopefully not too often, so apparently it is not Stephanie’s lucky day or week or month.

            Someone is dumping bodies on the currently empty lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, where Stephanie works. The backhoe operator inadvertently finds one of the bodies in a shallow grave on the lot, which is under construction after a fire destroyed it. Another day someone comes across another body, but it was in a different part of the lot and in a deeper grave. Cameras are installed and too soon after that, a third body is dumped, though the killer doesn’t bother with burying it. Stephanie watches the video of the dumping seeing the tall man in the Frankenstein mask, and he reminds her of someone, but she can’t put her finger on it. Worse yet, on the third body, he attached a note: “For Stephanie.” What does the killer want with her?

            Stephanie goes through vehicles at an alarming rate. At the beginning of the book, she has a “seen-better-days” Ford Escort. It gets an insult spray-coated on it before it’s stolen. She’s given a Jeep Cherokee by Ranger from Rangeman’s fleet of vehicles. That one ends up with a dead man “For Stephanie” behind the wheel in her apartment’s parking lot. After that, Ranger grants her a Shelby, which is a very sweet ride until it gets blown up. Her final car of the book is a new, black Ford Escort. How long will it last? (“Explosive Eighteen” comes out Nov. 22, 2011.)

            A fifth body is found stuffed in the trunk of the deceased’s car, which was placed in Pine Barrens, a heavily wooded area. While the placement of bodies may differ, the modus operandi with which the killer kills does not. Can Stephanie figure out who the killer is before he kills again?

            There are many colorful characters in the Stephanie Plum novels, those characters who are regulars and those who play minor roles in the book (usually characters who have to be hauled in because they missed their court dates). Two prominent men are Joe Morelli and Ranger. Morelli is Stephanie’s on-again/off-again boyfriend and Ranger is a fellow bounty hunter and “interest.”

            There are co-workers: Lula, the file clerk and Stephanie’s occasional bounty hunter partner, who prefers clothes which are too tight and tall-heeled designer shoes; Connie, the receptionist who can get information on just about anything or anyone; and Vinnie, owner of the bonds office and Stephanie’s cousin. Also look for Grandma Mazur, Stephanie’s maternal grandmother; Stephanie’s parents; Dave Brewer, a man with a possibly sketchy past who Stephanie went to school with and her mom now wants her to date/marry; Mooner, who owns the motor home the office is working out of; Morelli’s dog, Bob; Rex, Stephanie’s roommate, a hamster; and Grandma Bella, Morelli’s grandmother, a peculiar woman whose main threat involves giving “the eye.”

            As for some of the others, look out for a man who thinks he’s a vampire, a bear on a leash, a man who wants to off Stephanie since she offed his brother years back, a big man missing a pinky toe, and a woman who repeatedly tries to run her over in her black Lexus.

            You will not be totally lost if you didn’t read the first sixteen books. This was my first book from the Stephanie Plum series. The major characters are introduced all over again. The book had an element of chase (bounty hunting) and be chased (three who want to off Stephanie), but it also had moments of lust and passion. If you’re interested in Stephanie’s life about to go up in smoke, try “Smokin’ Seventeen.”

Note: Since I wrote this review last year, Explosive Eighteen (Nov. 22, 2011) has been released and Notorious Nineteen is planned for release on Nov. 20, 2012. Smokin’ Seventeen is still currently the only book of the Stephanie Plum novels which I’ve read.

Are you a fan of this series? If so, which of the books tops your list?

"One Summer" Review

Since I did not know much about author David Baldacci, I pictured him to just be a novelist of thrillers and crime fiction. I was pleasantly wrong about that. In “One Summer” (June 14, 2011), Baldacci gives readers a moving, domestic fiction novel about a family falling apart, picking up the pieces and learning to love again after a tragic loss.

            Christmas is approaching, and patriarch Jack Armstrong is doing all he can to hold on until Christmas is over. He is dying from a disease doctors tell him is always fatal. Given mere months to live, he knows he will never walk his daughter down the wedding aisle, he won’t send off his middle child to college, and he will long be gone by the time the youngest graduates from high school. But he is determined to hang around through Christmas, living on an oxygen line and bedridden. He catches all the glimpses he can of his family: the love of his life, Lizzie; their daughter, Mikki, a rebellious 16-year-old who’s not close to her dying father; son, Cory, a 12-year-old thespian; and son, Jack Jr. (known as Jackie), who’s 2.

            Life throws them a major curveball when Lizzie dies in a car accident. The parent who everyone expected to be around suddenly isn’t, and Jack seems mere days away from being gone, too. Anticipating that the children will soon be orphans, Jack’s mother-in-law, Bonnie, splits up all three children and puts them with various members of the maternal side of the family (Jack has no living relatives). Jack is left in Cleveland to die alone without any family around, much to the dismay of Bonnie’s husband, Fred, and of course, Jack.

            Miraculously, Jack discovers he has started to breathe on his own again. Soon he’s trying to support his own weight without anyone’s help. Instead of going to hospice prepared to die, he works up to going to a rehab facility. His good friend, fellow military man and co-contracting business owner, Sammy Duvall, helps him train to gain physical strength back. As soon as he’s discharged, Jack goes to retrieve each of his kids, starting with Lizzie, who’s with her grandparents in Arizona.

            Jack struggles to balance time between working to support his family as a single parent and actually spending time with the kids. Sadly, he puts work ahead of the kids and almost misses Jackie’s birthday. He is reminded of it not-so-gently by Mikki, who clearly thinks he is failing as a parent. Jack is not even aware that Cory is being bullied at school until Mikki informs him of that, too.

            When Lizzie’s stylish, eighty-something-year-old grandmother, Cecilia Pinckney, passes away, Jack is shocked to learn that she has left him the old Pinckney house on the South Carolina coast. The house is referred to as ‘The Palace,’ and it is where Lizzie grew up. She had wanted to take the kids there for the summer, and Jack had never seen it, so in her memory, he packs up the family and heads to South Carolina. Sammy goes along as well and brings his dog, Sam Jr.

            Jack and Sammy find work in the small beach town, but Jack still struggles to primarily be a dad. He has also become obsessed with fixing ‘Lizzie’s Lighthouse’ as she had painted on a sign in her youth. And he has caught the eye of a lawyer-turned-diner-owner named Jenna Fontaine.

            “One Summer” explores the struggle that the Armstrongs (especially Jack and Mikki) go through to piece their broken family back together. There will be obstacles for all of them, one of which is big enough for Jack to wonder if his second chance with his family is prematurely ending. What will the outcomes be? How can he let go of Lizzie? Can he learn to love again?

"Escape" Review

Leading busy lives dominated by technology seems to be the running theme for too many individuals and families these days. It is this theme that Barbara Delinsky had in mind when she penned her adult fiction novel “Escape” (July 5, 2011).

            Emily Aulenbach is a fit, young, thirty-something. She is a lawyer married to a lawyer, both living and working in Manhattan. She had once dreamed of working with clients face-to-face and representing the victims in courtrooms. Instead, she is sitting in one of many cubicles with a headset attached to her head and is currently taking information from victims who drank tainted bottled water.

            Things are getting to her, but it isn’t simply her boss or her work environment. It’s her sister nagging Emily about doing all the planning for a sixtieth birthday party their mother does not want. It’s her Manhattan friends who aren’t really her friends, at least, not the type of close friends she misses having. It’s even her husband, James, with whom she doesn’t connect to like she used to. In fact, she herself has been so consumed with time – her watch, her Blackberry and her computer – that she doesn’t have time for anything else. TV? Ha. Sleeping in? What is sleep? Kids? She wishes (and they have been trying).

            One morning, everything is rushing in on her like a torrential downpour. In her thoughts she asks, “Did you ever consider disappearing – leaving family, friends, even a spouse – ditching everything you’ve known and starting over again?” She answers no, but then this particular morning comes around and before noon, she finds herself back at the condo in Gramercy Park throwing clothes in a suitcase and going … where?

            After a couple stops that she isn’t feeling, she ends up in Bell Valley, a small, fictional, New Hampshire town. It’s a town she knows, having spent a college summer there. Her best friend, Vicki Bell Baudry, lives there with her husband and their daughter, Charlotte. They run the Red Fox bed-and-breakfast. She is also very fond of the Refuge, where abandoned, hurt animals go to recuperate and hopefully be adopted.

            While in Bell Valley, she reconnects with Vicki Bell, who felt Emily had abandoned their friendship. She also reconnects with the Refuge, Jude – a former love from a decade ago and Vicki’s brother, and even Vicki’s and Jude’s mom, Amelia. She needs to figure out her life. She’s obviously miserable, but has running away helped her find the answers she needs? Can she reconnect with James? Or will something flame up when Jude returns to Bell Valley?

            Emily eventually meets Vicki’s baker, Lee, and hears her sad and interesting story. It even involves shady dealings that cost Lee money that should’ve been hers. It is her dream to open a bakery. Can Emily help Lee recover what she has lost so that she doesn’t live in fear? Can James help and could it stoke the fire that’s gone out in him due to the law firm he is at?

            As far as language is concerned, it is mostly clean. Content is mild. The story itself, though, is at times an emotional rollercoaster (guilt, happiness, giddiness, sadness, frustration, more guilt, freedom) and just enjoying the moment. Oh. And coyotes. Emily apparently connects with coyotes.

            Overall, it is an enjoyable read. The plot may be familiar – someone doubting what they are currently doing and having something of an early-life crisis – but Delinsky puts in a few twists. Her characters, though, seem quite real. In a large city, they could easily be the neighbors you don’t have time to know. Or, in a small town, they are the neighbors you would never have because you actually know everyone in at least a three-mile radius.

            Barbara Delinsky wrote this novel knowing that most, if not all, need an escape. Do you?

"The Sixes" Review

(A) What sort of Hall is it that masquerades as a professor at a small college in Pennsylvania, and (B) what are pretty, smart, athletic and cunning? (Answer A) It’s Phoebe Hall, and her Manhattan life as a renowned celebrity biographer is in shambles after being falsely accused of plagiarism. (Answer B) The others are the rumored high society mean girls of fictional Lyle College in a secret-yet-not-so-secret society known as the Sixes. “The Sixes” (August 2, 2011) is a psychological thriller by Kate White.

            Phoebe chooses Lyle as her quiet destination upon a teaching offer from her former boarding school roommate and good friend, Dr. Glenda Johns, who is president of the college. Phoebe’s been in Lyle a mere two months when a student, Lily Mack, goes missing. She had spoken to Lily once two weeks before, but the girl seemed distressed. Now Phoebe was mentally kicking herself for not trying to figure out why the girl was in such distress. The next morning, the girl’s body is found washed up on the banks of a nearby river.

            And Lily’s isn’t the only body.

            As Phoebe’s devoted her professional life to the details of celebrities to create bestselling biographies, she is used to being in research mode. Glenda taps into Phoebe’s researcher-sense and prompts her to go on an “information-gathering mission” for the campus. There have been a lot of sixes turning up: at times, it’s the actual number, but other times it’s represented by six of something (e.g. checkmarks or lawn chairs).

            Once Phoebe begins asking suspected Sixes members questions, nasty pranks on Phoebe come to light. They involve things that aren’t too extreme like a bowl of six apples, but they escalate. Nevertheless, by now she is so invested in her research, she wants to continue, especially realizing the Sixes do exist, and that Lily, the deceased girl, was involved with the group. Were the Sixes involved in Lily’s murder? Is there a serial killer on the loose as the snooty, ego-high, Dean of Students, Tom Stockton, believes? Could the murderer even be the handsome psychology professor, Dr. Duncan Shaw? What is his possible connection to everything?

            Delving into this horrific case also brings to light negatives from her past. What happened to her when she was a boarding school student? (One word: Fortuna.) And can she finally work through it after all these years?

            There are plenty of other interesting, likely suspicious, tidbits that Phoebe uncovers. Glenda’s husband, Mark, has never been close to Phoebe, but now he is downright rude to her. Phoebe accidentally realizes that he has issues of his own. There’s also campus security head, Craig Ball, with his iffy scare tactics on students and Val Porter, a professor who has something to confess.

            If you like psychological thrillers and murder mysteries, you’ll want to read this stand-alone novel. Though Phoebe is the main character, there are a lot of supporting characters. On slim occasion it was tempting to mix up characters. For my part and for whatever reason, I kept wanting to confuse Tom Stockton with Craig Ball and vice versa, though I blame that entirely on the image that they both seemed impertinent. And to note, if it’s a concern for you, there are the occasional language vulgarities and scenes of intimacy, though nothing overly graphic.

            White takes this secret-society-psychological-thriller idea and runs with it. Will you fit the pieces together before Phoebe does? Can Phoebe piece them together to save her life? Remember, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

"The Throne of Fire" Review

If I were, say, looking for a story involving glowing hieroglyphs, would I find them in this book? Yep. Mad, evil, cunning, and/or slightly helpful gods of the Egyptian sort? You bet. A quest to save the end of the world? Of course. A helpful hippo nurse who runs a rest home? Yes … even that, too.

            If you like adventure and haven’t read Rick Riordan’s The Kane Chronicles, then I encourage you to get started. The “Throne of Fire” (May 3, 2011) is the second book in this series. “The Red Pyramid” is the first. Ignore the idea that this adventure/fantasy/mythological fiction series is aimed at 9- to 11-year-olds; it is a read for anyone of any age. Riordan is already well-known for his Percy Jackson series and the newer Heroes of Olympus series. I recommend all of those books.

            Siblings Carter and Sadie Kane have been busy. They recruited and were training 20 new magicians (all descendants of Egyptian pharaohs, so the story goes) when things went awry. It’s just another day for the Kane family when Horus – the war god – tells Carter in a dream that they need to find the three scrolls of Ra – the sun god – figure out how to read them, bring him back and awaken him, all while traveling in a boat with sinister orbs (they don’t like Sadie) through the Twelve Houses on the River of Night. Oh, and they need to prevent Apophis from escaping his prison and thus save the world so he doesn’t eat the sun.  No pressure, right?

            But, back to the scrolls. They have less than five days to find three scrolls, none of which they know by themselves where to look for them, plus they’re protected by powerful spells, enchantments and probably harm-inducing creatures. They travel from Brooklyn to Russia and Egypt into the Duat and eventually back to Brooklyn … all in under a week.

            Their Uncle Amos returns to Brooklyn House, well-rested and Set-free. When Carter and Sadie go off to search for and retrieve the scrolls, he takes charge in the continued training of the recruits. There are other familiar characters, including the Egyptian gods, mortals and creatures like Horus, Bast, Anubis, Zia, Michel Desjardins, Khufu and Philip of Macedonia. There are numerous new faces as well: Vladimir Menshikov (look out for him!), Bes (a god) and Ra (though he’s not what you might expect from a god), Walt, Jaz and Felix (Brooklyn House recruits). Also, a Roman ghost with a big chip on his shoulder.

            “The Throne of Fire” is, like Riordan’s other tomes, a busy adventure.  There are not dull moments in this book, and about the time you think there might be a lull, BAM!, something else hits you … or one of the book’s characters.  The River of Night might sound like it’s built from a character’s nightmares, but assuredly, it is not.  Not that plummeting into a river of fire sounds enjoyable, but there is a function for it.

            The book raises new questions for me: What will be Walt’s fate?  What will come of Ra?  What is Anubis’ “side project?”  What sort of chaos is Apophis trying to stir?  I expect these answers and more will be resolved in the last book.

Note: Since this review was written, I have read the final installment in The Kane Chronicles. I’m not sure if I’ll get to reviewing that, so in case I don’t, I still recommend this trilogy!