Review: In the Woods by Tana French

by Carol15 Comments
I was meant to read this book. Honestly In the Woods had everything I adore – a murder mystery; moody, quirky characters; long, descriptive sentences; a unique setting that becomes a character in and of itself. First the mystery. A twelve year-old girl is found dead at an archaeological site that is about to get bull-dozed to make way for a new road. She was popular and had recently been accepted to ballet school, but her father is an outspoken opponent of the highway. The clues are there, but it’s a meandering investigation for the detectives in charge of the case. There are a lot of dead ends and many potential suspects. I liked how the story took it’s time, explored all the options. For a thriller, I found it a slow read, not because I was bored, but because the writing forced you to rake your time. It wasn’t one I could have rushed through. There is a second mystery, too....
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Abandoned: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

by Carol10 Comments
I had to give up on Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I adored her The Cinderella Deal, and expected a similar type romance, fun and predictable. On the one hand, I was right. The two main characters Min and Calvin are so cute together. Of course, neither thinks the other is right  for them, but we know different. They enjoy each other, bantering, playing, relaxed even though Min thinks he's only dating her because of a bet. It would be quite an enjoyable story if Crusie had kept these two and Calvin's friends and dumped all of Min's friends and family. They are the reason I had to abandon this one. Min's family is just mean to her. First, they think she's overweight and are constantly harping on it. Thank heavens Calvin loves how much she relishes food and gets her to eat all kinds of goodies, from chicken marsala to brats to donuts. And they give the impression that they think...
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Teaser from The Kitchen House

by Carol7 Comments
"What the color is, who the daddy be, who the mama is don't mean nothin'. We a family, carin' for each other. Family make us strong in times of trouble. We all stick together, help each other out. That the real meanin' of family." (pg. 160, The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom) Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. On an unrelated note, it's seems like spring outside today. Yay! There are even daffodils just starting to peak out of the ground in my flowerbed. I purchased my copy of The Kitchen House....
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Review: Like Clockwork by Bonnie Dee

by Carol9 Comments
Like Clockwork by Bonnie Dee Ah, steampunk romance. This one has great elements. The setting is an alternative London, 1898. A slasher is on the loose, killing women and keeping their hearts. Automatons have taken over many of the jobs previously held by the lower class, from manufacturing workers to household servants. The unemployed are angry and things may turn ugly in the city. Victoria is a scientist, part of the team responsible for creating the automatons, but she sees them being used in ways that aren't not what she had expected and she's concerned by the number of these machines that have malfunctioned. Dash is one of the unemployed. He kidnaps Victoria, hoping to use his group's cause, getting rid of the automatons, giving real people jobs again. He's surprised when she agrees with him and offers to help without having to be forced. Dash and Victoria are attracted to each other and against her better judgment, Victoria decides to pursue the...
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Friday’s Tale: The Boy Who Wanted the Moon retold by Donna L. Washington

by Carol9 Comments
"The Boy Who Wanted the Moon" retold by Donna L. Washington This tale from the Congo starts with a very spoiled little boy. He is a prince, the son of a great king who gives him everything he wants. At 6, he has his own house, gorgeous clothes and is carried around on a chair instead of having to walk. The king made this boy the king of all the children, and the young prince made the other children sit in the marketplace watching him eat, nap, whatever. One day, the prince states that he is the greatest child and has everything. A little girl in the crowd speaks up, telling him that he doesn't have the moon. The boy, of course, gets his heart set on having the moon, and the father, indulgent beyond reason, sets about getting it for him. It takes 10 years, but finally a scaffold is built to the sky and the king, prince, and their subjects...
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