The Queen's Weapons (Black Jewels Book 11) --by Anne Bishop

 Fiction / Fantasy

541 pages / 2126 KB

5 Stars

 

 

This is a coming of age book for Jaenelle Satien, with her cousins and school mates along for the ride. It is about a young aristo antagonist with delusions of grandeur of becoming the next Dorothea and welcomes Jaenell Satien into her coterie. She’s smart enough to set the wheels in motion, but not smart enough to outthink or out wit Daemon Sadi. She is sure if she were ever to dance with the Sadist, she’d win. Oh, child…

 

Surreal and Daemon are mostly clueless on how to raise a teenaged girl. Well, what first time parents of same aren’t? Surreal loves her, but isn’t sure how to show it, especially against such angst (OMG, without the magic, that was me against my mother! Thank goodness my mother wasn’t a trained assassin!), Daemon and Surreal continue to figure out their relationship, while doing their best to protect Jaenelle Satien and keep her safe. 

 

I promised myself one chapter a night. Uh-huh. Read one chapter the first night. Read about four hours on day two, and read all day on day three until finished. I know better. Really, I do. Ms. Bishop’s book are worse than certain potato chips—I can’t eat just one, I can’t read just one chapter of her books!

 

If you are not familiar with this series, I strongly advise you to start at the beginning. Once through the trilogy, I think you can skip around, but there is a lot of back story there for the later novels.

For my reviews of other Anne Bishop books, go here

Breakfast in Palestine-- by Dixiane Hallaj

 Nonfiction / Memoir

202 pages/

5 Stars

 

I love a good memoir, I love history, and I love good food and recipes, and this delightful book gives me all. 

 

Ms. Hallaj lived with her husband and (at the time) two children in Palestine. This book gives us a beautiful look into her sudden extended family from a vastly different culture. She was welcomed with open arms, and accepted into the family, where she learned a new language, a new culture, and a vastly different kitchen.

 

Neon pink pickled turnips for breakfast? But of course! Hummus? Naturally, this is the Middle East, after all. Not only does Ms. Hallaj give us stories about the foods, and recipes adapted to American kitchens, she gives us history with flavor.

 

She also provides links at the end of each chapter for more information on the recipes and histories. 

 

If you are an armchair traveler pining for a place and time to visit, if you are a moderately adventurous cook, if you just want to feel good about your fellow human beings, read this book. Totally delightful

When the Living Sing --by Yalie Kamara

 Nonfiction / Poetry

Chapbook

5 Stars

 

I recently had the opportunity of hearing Yalie Kamara read a poem, 100 Blessings, that blew my socks off. I contacted her and asked what book it was in. Alas, it hasn’t yet been published, but she told me of her book, When the Living Singwhich I immediately ordered. 

 

Kamara is a Sierra Leonean-American native of Oakland, California. She brings her bi-cultural background to the table, in poems that glow in their songs. From Eating Malombo Fruit in Freetown, 1989 to Mother’s Rules and number five, exhorting her to learn the language of her lover so when he takes her home to meet his family, they won’t be trying to sell her for “…6 goats and 3 mules during your first trip to their homeland.” Her poems about family make me want to adopt them. Each and every one! Except maybe the lovers family.

 

The only problem is the book is too short.

 

If you like poetry that glows, poetry that sings, poetry of great beauty, by this book. Published by Ledge Mule Press.

 

Paris in Ruins --by M. K. Tod

  

Fiction / Historical (Prussia/Franco war 1870)

 

5 stars

 

Two families of privilege are followed through the Siege of Paris in 1870-71 and the subsequent sedition through the eyes of a daughter of each family, Camille and Mariele. The families are what probably would be considered upper middle class in today’s America.

 

Camille has always marched to her own drummer, and when she meets Andre and he offers her an opportunity to spy for France, she does so. She is first and foremost a woman of France and a woman of Paris. While the mistress of her father’s home, she also volunteers at the theater that Sarah Bernhardt, the great actress, has turned into a hospital, where she starts by reading to the wounded, and ends up being a nurse of great value.

 

Mariel is engaged to Camille’s brother Bertrand; a docile thing, she finds her own steel as the siege comes, and Paris is attacked. She works at the Church where another of Camille’s brothers, Victor, is a priest by helping take care of the children during the day. Later, she accompanies one of her brothers, a medical student to learn nursing and be there for him. She truly became a roaring mouse.

 

Because this is a story of war, there is violence, but none of it is gratuitous. There is some death, but such is war. If you read this, as I did, before turning your light off at night, I don’t believe it will give you nightmares. But will give you some beauty to ruminate on as you drift off to sleep. Yes, there is beauty in this book.

 

I do not normally read war stories, but I trusted this author, and am glad I did. I had forgotten this bit of history, if I ever knew it, and this story did an excellent job of (re)introducing me to a bit of European history I didn’t remember.

 

I highly recommend it. Well written, hard to put down, and a most satisfactory end.

Queen of Blood: Book One of The Queens of Renthia --by Sara Beth Durst

 Fiction / Fantasy (YA plus)

361 pages / 1334 KB

5 Stars

 

 

Wow! Just wow! This is one of the most intriguing worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. It is so obviously not our earth, but is as equally obviously recognized, with just enough tilt to the axis to keep you a tad off balance. What a marvelous read!

 

The spirits and humans live in an uneasy truce, that is now and then broken for a variety of reasons. Both humans and spirits are necessary, and both have established their own niches in the ecosystems. As nature on our earth is neither good nor evil, it just is, so is nature in this series. Balance must be maintained. And that is not always easy.

 

The story is an old one. The current queen is not as good as people think, she’s traitorous and must be deposed, but how? By whom? At what cost? Read the book to find out ;-)

 

I can hardly wait to return in book 2, The Reluctant Queen. Trust me on this, if you like fantasy, buy all three at once so you won’t have to wait between books!

Friday Night Bites: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Magic Market Mysteries Book 2 —by Erin Johnson

 Fiction / Paranormal Mystery

258 pages / 2033 KB

5 Stars

 

Jolene, Peter, and the truth-sniffing Daisy are back for another fun romp through Darkmoon. If murder and mayhem can be fun. This time, or intrepid pet psychic needs to solve the murders of two women dead by spider bite, and the spider was the familiar of one of the women. When the witch dies, so dies her familiar.

 

Daisy the Dog still dislikes Jolene intensely, and the feeling is pretty mutual. Fortunately, the spider is already dying by the time we meet her (him?), and there are plenty of people who want the witch dead. But the Fashion Designer? Not so many. Or, are there?

 

No nightmare if read at night before turning the light off. Just a fun read with fun characters.