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.