Author: Keri Arthur
Title: [The Darkest Kiss]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Supernatural
Acquisition:
Date: October 26, 2011
Rating: ****
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
83. 
Author: Edith Wharton
Title: Ethan Frome
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Classic
Acquisition:
Date: October 18, 2011
Rating: ****
I have long intended to read Edith Wharton, and when I read a review of Ethan Frome here I decided it would be a strong place to start, and downloaded a copy for my Kindle. And, surprise of surprises, I actually managed to get around to reading it.
What I find most striking about Ethan Frome is not the story itself, which is fairly simple, but Wharton's ability to inspire such strong emotions in the reader. Like the narrator, I found myself captivated by the stooped figure of Ethan himself, and I, too, soon felt a burning desire to discover the "mystery" of his condition. When faced with Ethan's life I was horrified, repulsed at times, and ever grateful for my own existence. I felt nearly instant loathing for Zeena Frome, and suspense every time Ethan set out - sure that this would hold the answer. The conclusion startled me, but did nothing to alleviate the negative emotions the narrative itself inspired, leaving a lasting impression on me as a reader.
Author: Edith Wharton
Title: Ethan Frome
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Classic
Acquisition:
Date: October 18, 2011
Rating: ****
I have long intended to read Edith Wharton, and when I read a review of Ethan Frome here I decided it would be a strong place to start, and downloaded a copy for my Kindle. And, surprise of surprises, I actually managed to get around to reading it.
What I find most striking about Ethan Frome is not the story itself, which is fairly simple, but Wharton's ability to inspire such strong emotions in the reader. Like the narrator, I found myself captivated by the stooped figure of Ethan himself, and I, too, soon felt a burning desire to discover the "mystery" of his condition. When faced with Ethan's life I was horrified, repulsed at times, and ever grateful for my own existence. I felt nearly instant loathing for Zeena Frome, and suspense every time Ethan set out - sure that this would hold the answer. The conclusion startled me, but did nothing to alleviate the negative emotions the narrative itself inspired, leaving a lasting impression on me as a reader.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
82. 
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Title: No Mercy
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Acquisition:
Date: October 11, 2011
Rating: **
The plot is clumsy and lackluster, and the book as a whole is awkward and amateurish. I can accept the formulaic nature of the genre, but it seems like the author isn't even trying.
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Title: No Mercy
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Acquisition:
Date: October 11, 2011
Rating: **
The plot is clumsy and lackluster, and the book as a whole is awkward and amateurish. I can accept the formulaic nature of the genre, but it seems like the author isn't even trying.
Friday, October 7, 2011
81. 
Author: Jenn Bennett
Title: [Kindling the Moon]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Acquisition:
Date: October 6, 2011
Rating: ***
Kindling the Moon is another in the countless urban fantasies flooding booksellers thanks to the success of YA of the same genre. In this particular novel, the reader is introduced to Arcadia Bell, a magician (because no self-respecting practitioner would ever call herself a witch, she says) with rare abilities thanks to a spell cast by her parents at her conception. When Arcadia is a teenager her parents are labeled as serial killers, splitting the family and sending everyone into hiding. And eight years later the grave dust is kicked up again.
Kindling the Moon is not a fantastic book, and is certainly not the best of the genre I've read this year. However, it was a comforting read for one with a great interest in the genre, and it beat the hell out of some of the horrible fantasy/romance crossovers I've read in recent months.
Author: Jenn Bennett
Title: [Kindling the Moon]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Acquisition:
Date: October 6, 2011
Rating: ***
Kindling the Moon is another in the countless urban fantasies flooding booksellers thanks to the success of YA of the same genre. In this particular novel, the reader is introduced to Arcadia Bell, a magician (because no self-respecting practitioner would ever call herself a witch, she says) with rare abilities thanks to a spell cast by her parents at her conception. When Arcadia is a teenager her parents are labeled as serial killers, splitting the family and sending everyone into hiding. And eight years later the grave dust is kicked up again.
Kindling the Moon is not a fantastic book, and is certainly not the best of the genre I've read this year. However, it was a comforting read for one with a great interest in the genre, and it beat the hell out of some of the horrible fantasy/romance crossovers I've read in recent months.
79. 
Author: Kim Taylor
Title: [Bowery Girl]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Acquisition: Recommended by Linda (Whisper)
Date: October 2, 2011
Rating: *****
Bowery Girl is a heart-breaking narrative of the life of Mollie Flynn, a "Bowery Girl" who supports herself as a pickpocket in New York City. She spins her world around her friend Annabelle Lee, a young prostitute, who saved her from sleeping on the streets when Mollie was just a girl, and gifted her with both her name, and a dream to make it to Brooklyn for a better life. As they wait for the bridge to be built between New York and Brooklyn they dream, they scheme, and they fall victim to their own lives. Mollie is an engaging protagonist, and she carries well the story of poverty that haunts her neighborhood. Highly recommended.
80.
Author: Ken Kesey
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: Work Text
Date: October 3, 2011
Rating:
Author: Kim Taylor
Title: [Bowery Girl]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Acquisition: Recommended by Linda (Whisper)
Date: October 2, 2011
Rating: *****
Bowery Girl is a heart-breaking narrative of the life of Mollie Flynn, a "Bowery Girl" who supports herself as a pickpocket in New York City. She spins her world around her friend Annabelle Lee, a young prostitute, who saved her from sleeping on the streets when Mollie was just a girl, and gifted her with both her name, and a dream to make it to Brooklyn for a better life. As they wait for the bridge to be built between New York and Brooklyn they dream, they scheme, and they fall victim to their own lives. Mollie is an engaging protagonist, and she carries well the story of poverty that haunts her neighborhood. Highly recommended.
80.
Author: Ken Kesey
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: Work Text
Date: October 3, 2011
Rating:
Monday, September 26, 2011
78. 
Author: Tracy Kiely
Title: Murder Most Persuasive
publication: Paperback
Pages: 293
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Acquisition: LT Friends are lovely
Date: September 26, 2011
Rating: ****
Murder Most Persuasive opens with a funeral, but this particular death is not the one that causes concern; rather, it is the body that is found under the family's old pool that sets this narrative in motion. Keeping her tongue firmly in an Austen novel, Elizabeth Parker barely manages to navigate her family while trying to save them from suspicion of murder. In the end it's not Jane Austen, but rather Ben Stiller, that inspires the resolution, and Kiely does an admirable job drawing out the conclusion until things can be satisfactorily summarized. With plenty of pop-culture references, Murder Most Persuasive is not a book that will age well, but for the time being it is an enjoyable cozy.
Author: Tracy Kiely
Title: Murder Most Persuasive
publication: Paperback
Pages: 293
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Acquisition: LT Friends are lovely
Date: September 26, 2011
Rating: ****
Murder Most Persuasive opens with a funeral, but this particular death is not the one that causes concern; rather, it is the body that is found under the family's old pool that sets this narrative in motion. Keeping her tongue firmly in an Austen novel, Elizabeth Parker barely manages to navigate her family while trying to save them from suspicion of murder. In the end it's not Jane Austen, but rather Ben Stiller, that inspires the resolution, and Kiely does an admirable job drawing out the conclusion until things can be satisfactorily summarized. With plenty of pop-culture references, Murder Most Persuasive is not a book that will age well, but for the time being it is an enjoyable cozy.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
77. 
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: [Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow]
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition:
Date: September 22, 2011
Rating: ****
While not one of the Princess of the Midnight Ball books, George's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow follows a similar pattern, as she weaves Greek mythology with "Beauty and the Beast and adds a Norwegian twist to satisfy her personal taste for the unique alphabet of the language. "Pika," the protagonist, is not quite as strong as the princess characters, but there is an honest to her voice that makes her story very compelling.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: [Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow]
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition:
Date: September 22, 2011
Rating: ****
While not one of the Princess of the Midnight Ball books, George's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow follows a similar pattern, as she weaves Greek mythology with "Beauty and the Beast and adds a Norwegian twist to satisfy her personal taste for the unique alphabet of the language. "Pika," the protagonist, is not quite as strong as the princess characters, but there is an honest to her voice that makes her story very compelling.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
76. 
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: Princess of Glass
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 18, 2011
Rating: ****
Princess of Glass is George's retelling of Cinderella, starring Princess Poppy, out on her own as part of a diplomatic match-making sceme cooked up by various monarchies. I appreciate a princess with a bit of spunk, and enjoyed the swearing-and-gambling Poppy to any Disney princess; likewise, I found George's twists to be original and engaging.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: Princess of Glass
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 18, 2011
Rating: ****
Princess of Glass is George's retelling of Cinderella, starring Princess Poppy, out on her own as part of a diplomatic match-making sceme cooked up by various monarchies. I appreciate a princess with a bit of spunk, and enjoyed the swearing-and-gambling Poppy to any Disney princess; likewise, I found George's twists to be original and engaging.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
75.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 16, 2011
Rating: ****
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a charming retelling of a classic fairytale. George's novel is well-developed and well-paced, with interesting characters. Recommended for fans of the genre.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 16, 2011
Rating: ****
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a charming retelling of a classic fairytale. George's novel is well-developed and well-paced, with interesting characters. Recommended for fans of the genre.
74. 
Author: Anonymous
Title: The Mistress Contract
publication: Paperback
Pages
Genre: "Nonfiction" - Memoir?
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 14, 2011
Rating: *
The Mistress Contract, published anonymously, is purported to be the true, recorded conversations between a wealthy businessman and his contractual mistress. The document that begins their arrangement is published with the text, and remains, sadly, the most interesting aspect of the book. What follows is a collection of pretentious philosophical blatherings, recollections, and conversations spoken by characters who sound more like automatons than actual people. While the publicity package attempts to categorize this little book as edgy - and too scandalous for the attribution of names - the actual material falls far short. Not recommended.
Author: Anonymous
Title: The Mistress Contract
publication: Paperback
Pages
Genre: "Nonfiction" - Memoir?
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 14, 2011
Rating: *
The Mistress Contract, published anonymously, is purported to be the true, recorded conversations between a wealthy businessman and his contractual mistress. The document that begins their arrangement is published with the text, and remains, sadly, the most interesting aspect of the book. What follows is a collection of pretentious philosophical blatherings, recollections, and conversations spoken by characters who sound more like automatons than actual people. While the publicity package attempts to categorize this little book as edgy - and too scandalous for the attribution of names - the actual material falls far short. Not recommended.
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