The Voice (Ephemera Book 4--A Novella) Kindle Edition --by Anne Bishop

 ASIN:  B0071GEUXE

Publisher: Ace (February 7, 2012

Language: English

File size: 1009 KB

Text-to-speech: Enabled

Print length: 60 pages

5 Stars

 

I read The Voice, when it first came out. I was delighted to find it at the end of The Bridge in my version. Like another reviewer stated, reading it now, at the end, it held a lot more nuance. Meeting Nalah, Kobrah and the trauma she endured, the unnamed Shaman, Danyal who is prominent in Bridge of Dreams, and The Voice. This is a well-crafted, haunting story.

 

It can probably be read as a stand-alone, but I’d read it either at the beginning or ending of the trilogy, and it fleshes out some of the characters in the books. 

 

Note to Anne Bishop: PLEASE write more Ephemera books. Please, please, please.

Shards of Honor (The Vorkosigan Saga, Book 1 of 16) Kindle Edition --by Lois McMaster Bujold

 ASIN: B005BH9T86

Publisher: Spectrum Literary Agency, Inc (July 6, 2011

Language: English

File size: 917 KB

Text-to-speech: Enabled

Print length 295 pages

5 Stars

 

If your book club needs some excitement, suggest this book. It’s a fun story, well told, with a bit of space opera, romance, conflict, and an ending. It is the first book in a series, and I appreciate the ending, not a cliff hanger to get me to buy the next book. I seldom buy the next book when I come across an ending like that. I have, however, books 2, 3, & 4 of the Vorkosigan Saga  waiting in my Kindle as I write this.

 

Bujold is a masterful storyteller and this is a master story. There are several quips scattered throughout, which bring smiles to chuckles to laughs out loud. The characters are believable. The good guys are just that, and the bad guys are evil. And, it’s fiction and I love it. Lots of action, no nightmares, so it makes a great bedtime read.

 

The afterward at the end, seems a bit like a set up for another book, but I’m not sure. It was interesting, and a nice ending. I think people who are, at best, iffy on science fiction will enjoy this book.

 

Shards of Honor was the book for this month’s read in the book club to which I belong. I can hardly wait until we meet to discuss it. There is a damaged hero in this book that I hope surfaces in the later books. 

The Echo of Old Books: A Novel (Kindle Edition) by Barbara Davis

 ASIN: B0B9RNFT45

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (March 28, 2023)

Language: English

File size: 7ǎ53 KB

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

Print length: 413 pages

5 Stars

 

This book is delightful! It’s listed in Women’s Historical Fiction, Laster in Life Romance, and Magical Realism. 

 

Ashlyn is a young woman who had a rough childhood and tragic marriage. The last thing she wants, of getting involved with another man. So, of course, there’s a man. She owns a book store and bindery, so, naturally, she and he meet over two intriguing books. His father had them and both his parents are now dead and he inherited the house, and was cleaning out his father’s stuff. 

 

There is no copyright page in either book, one is obviously written by a man, the other by a woman. They tell the same story of instant love and romance and terrible break up. They both use fake names, and Ashlyn becomes more than intrigued, and begins to play detective. She bothers Ethan and he goes through the books and it’s his family. He’s sure of it. His family is not close for reasons that are told.

 

Are Belle and Hemi (the authors of the books) still alive? Can they find them?  Okay, it’s a romance, Ashlyn and Ethan know it does not end happily ever after for Belle and Hemi, and can’t because the man they track down as Hemi, Steven, died a few years ago. But Belle might like the books.

 

This book has everything—an overbearing and very rich father who will marry his daughters to whoever will give him the best deal. Or get rid of them. A writer who, to me, looked like Cary Grant. A sister who would make an almost perfect Evil Stepmother from any Disney movie you can name. The chapter headings give you the name of the protagonist for that chapter, and the year. Belle and Hemi are in 1941, Ethan & Ashlyn are in 1954 (I think. I don’t do numbers, so forgive me if I’m off) and later.

 

I had a hard time putting this book down, but there are times when my eyes burned, and tears rolled, and it was past my bedtime. For about 4 nights. Great book. Marvelous. Brava! Ms. Davis, Brava!!.

The Machine Dynasty Trilogy --by Madeline Ashby

This trilogy is comprised of vN, iD, and ReV. I apologize that I am not enough of a computer person to use the “correct” fonts and size for the titles. I think it makes a difference. It is extremely helpful/important that you read the Forward and Introduction to Book One, vN. They explain the time, and the reason vN is used instead of the more familiar term of robot. The trilogy was a gift from a friend, and an eBook, which is one reason I went straight through the three books without coming up for air.  

I think this is both a hard sci fi and a fantasy series, well combined. Humans and vN co-exist, vN have been wired so if they see a human in trouble, they melt down. Not really the three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov, but something equally fun. 

 

Our heroine is a young vN, with a vN mother and a human father. No, not that way. Mom and Dad are married, but vN iterate. When they have ample food (not edible for humans) they start building a ‘baby’ vN, a direct copy of Mom. 

 

There is violence in the books, but nothing horrid or gratuitous. There is sex, but it’s an adult book. I thoroughly enjoyed the books. I read them straight through, and I was unaware of when one ended and the next one began, other than there was a time shift, and a location shift.

 

I truly enjoyed the vN. They were, for the most part, fun. The vN Antagonist, was marvelous. She was totally evil—until she wasn’t. She always was true to herself. And her family. 

 

I enjoyed the world building tremendously. A great escape from the world on which we exist and live. This was my bedtime read, no nightmares. Several chuckles and outright laughs.

Ruler of the Sky, A Novel of Genghis Khan --by Pamela Sargent

Publisher: Open Road Media (April d1, 2024)

Language: English

Kindle: 5031 KB

Print Length: 896 pages

ASIN: B00J90CDT8

3 Stars

 

Not only does this novel give us the life of Genghis Khan, but also his extended family, his wives, his children, his friends, and his campaigns. The story itself is a solid 5 stars, the writing is good, but too much information, hence only 3 stars. I would have liked to focus on fewer main characters, and get to know, and like them.

 

My father would have loved this book. I can almost see him sitting in his reading chair (very comfortable with flat, wide wooden arms), his coffee on the left arm, his notepad on the right, and the book in his lap. By the time he would have finished the book, he would have all the characters names, titles, and when possible, lineage. My father also loved Russian Literature (in English). I am not my father’s daughter.

 

I read an electronic book and being casually familiar with the story and the time, I did not take notes. I wanted to read the story, not prepare to lecture on it. I don’t know for sure, but I think the Mongols, like most other people I’ve read about, used a diminutive name for their friends and family. I wish Ms. Sargent had done so. I assume (silly me) her target audience is primarily English speakers. I would have greatly appreciated shortened names for the most part. I was reminded of the Russian Greats I tried to read when younger. Although her characters did not change names like the Russians, the names were too long and unfamiliar to easily grasp and carry from page to page. For example, Bortai is more familiarly known as Börte, or even Borte.

 

Perhaps the place names she used were the Mongolian names? I truly wished she’d used the more familiar names for English readers. It would have been easier to follow some of the movements. I appreciate the research, truly I do, however, it was almost like reading about a different planet. The story is good, but all the names and minutia did not add to my enjoyment. Actually, they detracted from my enjoyment. As I write this, I realize I didn’t particularly like or relate to anyone in the book. Well, maybe Borte.   

Tales from the Café [Book 2 of 4 of the series, Before the Coffee Gets Cold] –by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

 Publisher: Hanover Square Press; Original edition (October 12, 2021)

Language: English

Hardback: 256 pages

ISBN: 978-1335630988

5 Stars

 

I’m not sure where I first read about this series, but it sounded interesting, so I ordered a book. Thought I was getting #1 in the series, but ordered #2 by mistrake. Fortunately, this book contained 4 short stories, and I think I read somewhere that each book has 4 short stories in it.

 

The premise is, on a side street somewhere in Tokyo is a small, windowless basement coffee shop rumor has it one may travel back in time if they comply with the rules. The first rule is, you may only meet people who have been in the coffee shop. If you live in Tokyo, and wish to go back in time and meet the Emperor, and he’s never set foot in the coffee shop, well, you can go back, but not meet him. There is a rule that you can’t change reality, one that says while in the past you may not change seats in the coffeeshop, and perhaps the most important—you must return before your coffee gets cold, or else. Trust me, it’s the ‘or else’ that will get you! And, I did not give all the rules.

 

Although these are not murder mysteries, I would still call them ‘cozy’—they’re fun, and ‘comfortable’ to read in bed and not have bad dreams. I’m looking forward to reading the other three books.

Quantum Entanglement –Poetry Apocalypse Anthology

 Publisher: Bombaz Press (2023) / 548 S. Spring Street, Ste 1201 / Los Angeles CA 90013

Language: English

Paperback: 160 pages

ISBN: not shown

5 Stars

 

Poetry Apocalypse is a group of poets who frequently meet on a weekly basis to read their works. This is not a critique group, but a reading venue. The poems in this book are by many of the poets who meet and read weekly.

 

Some of the poems will bring tears to your eyes, and some will add more laugh-lines to your face. If you can find a copy, and you enjoy words, I strongly recommend you buy it. The poems (including prose poems) are written by many people, the photos are all by Janie Meine, and they are stunning. Ms. Meine is also one of the excellent poets in the book, and all the poets are excellent.