Book Review #35: Traveling Left of Center by Nancy Christie

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A collection of 18 short stories, Traveling Left of Center by Nancy Christie takes you on a journey through the human condition. Christie is a masterful writer fully developing characters in just a few short pages. There is a quote in "Skating on Thin Ice" that summarizes this collection quite nicely.

I have since learned that thin ice is not only a condition of winter, not confined to stretches of frozen water. There is thin ice everywhere--between lovers and friends, between reality and obsession, between hope and despair.

The quote also probably explains why even though none of the stories in this collection are especially happy; they are not extremely depressing either. Each story was like getting a glimpse into some poor soul's life, almost like a commercial or snapshot, and then stepping away. Each snapshot was fully told and I could move on and I believe the characters moved on, for better or for worse.


My favorite stories in the collection

• "Alice in Wonderland"
• I had a chance to review this story earlier this year. Read my full review.
• "The Clock"
• The poor husband in this story gets his revenge. It reminded me of some of the episodes of The Twilight Zone.
• "Exit Row"
• Oh, the horrors of flying and being stuck with someone you hate! How would you escape?

Overall, I would give Traveling Left of Center by Nancie Christie a thumbs up. While I liked some stories better than others, each story is unique, well-rounded and gives a tantalizing peak into difficulties of the human condition.

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About Nancy Christie
Nancy Christie is a full-time writer whose passion is fiction. Having written for numerous magazines and journals, her short stories can be found in literary publications such as Full of Crow, Fiction365, Red Fez, Wanderings, The Chaffin Journal and Xtreme. Christie is currently working on several other book projects, including a novel and a book for writers. She is the founder of Celebrate Short Fiction Day. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Nancy teaches workshops at writing conferences and schools across the country and hosts the monthly Monday Night Writers group in Canfield, Ohio.
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I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a honest review.

Book Review #34: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

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Apparently the end of the world will happen in the Midwest. More specifically the end of the world will happen in Iowa. Andrew Smith's novel, Grasshopper Jungle, is set in a fictional town in Iowa and is told from the point of view of a teenage boy, Austin, who only really thinks about two things...food and sex. So if you are easily offended, you may want to avoid this book because there is an awful lot about sex that some people might find offensive. "You know what I mean."

I liked Grasshopper Jungle. More specifically, I liked Austin Szerba, the historian. I admired Austin's observations about history and how he is connected to it. Austin shares a lot of his family history and the history of the inhabitants of his hometown in an effort to show how everything in the universe is connected.

"...I knew my accounts were ultimately nothing more than an abbreviation. ... But no historian could ever put everything that happened in a book. The book would be as big as the universe, and it would take multiple countless lifetimes to read. History necessarily had to be an abbreviation." page 67

I wasn't so much a fan of Austin Szerba, the sexually confused teen. After a while, I became annoyed with Austin's and Robby's, his best friend, constant smoking, fowl language and bad attitudes. Perhaps that is a sign I am old. I just wanted Austin "to figure it out." However, I have never questioned my sexual orientation so I recognize that it is a little unreasonable for me to be asking a fictional teenager to just figure it out and get on with it.

Grasshopper Jungle is an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that doesn't take itself too seriously. There were many laugh out loud moments for me. While the future may look bleak and may involve Unstoppable Giant Praying Mantises that are very hungry and very horny, it reminded me that even in the bleakest and most confusing situations laughter can be the best medicine. Grasshopper Jungle receives a thumbs up.

Book Review #31: Voracious (Bad to the Bone #2) by Jade Eby

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Are you read for another wild ride with Lacey? In just 35 pages, Eby once again packs in tons of page turning action. "Voracious" picks up just seconds after "Capricious" ends and Lacey's situation hasn't improved, but she is determined make things go her way. Using the skills she learned as a stripper, Lacey attempts to take control of the situation, but luck is never on Lacey's side. I don't think I understood just how helpful those skills would be until Lacey was face-to-face (okay, so maybe it was a little more intimate than face-to-face) with Jose, Robbie's Right Hand Man.

Head over to Amazon.com, pick up and read "Capricious" and "Voracious". Then add the next stories in the Back to Bad Series, "Malicious," "Audacious" and "Tenacious" to your to-read list. You won't regret it!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review #30: Shattered Veil (The Diatous Wars #1) by Tracy E. Banghart

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I was very excited to receive an Advanced Readers Copy of Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart. The story really sucked me in once I started reading it and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed the story of Aris from start to finish and I think there is a little bit of Aris in all of us young and old.

While Shattered Veil on the surface may seem very superficial--a young girl bucks the system to follow her true love--Aris doesn't necessarily take the path one might suspect or that might seem predictable based on other young adult novels out there. My favorite thing about Aris is that she was willing to examine herself at almost every step of her journey and recognize that things needed to change--either herself or the world around her. She challenged my own thoughts about how one goes about affecting change in the world.

While this is just an introductory book in the series, it doesn't get bogged down in the details. You learn a bit about the world, Atalanta, and its villages and how the war is affecting them. There are few key players that are involved in the plot and just enough is shared with the reader to keep the plot moving forward with a whisper of a history that existed before one opened the pages of Shattered Veil. I particularly wanted to know more about Dianthe and Nyx. There is something there and just for a moment you think you'll learn more and then the story moves on.

“Allow? Shouldn't women decide what they'll allow for their own bodies, not a government acting out an antiquated, unnecessary law?”

On a deeper level, I wonder if Banghart has some strong opinions on women's rights. There are a few quotes, like the one above, that seem very pointed toward the government and their roles in directing how a woman should/should not use her body. It made me think about recent stories in the news about birth control as well as a woman's role in the military. The statements are bold, they fit within the scope of the story, but if you are up on current events, it is easy to see a correlation between the story and the real world.

I give Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart a thumbs up. I love Aris and the world of Atalanta. The book takes you on a wild, unexpected journey that keeps you moving forward until you get to the very end. I look forward to the next book in the series and hope to learn more about where Aris goes next AND a bit more about Dianthe and Nyx.

Book Review #27: The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift

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I discovered The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift while wandering around our local Barnes and Noble shortly after Christmas. The novel was the only book facing out when I rounded the corner from the horribly organized Young Adult section into the General Fiction Adult area. The cover immediately caught my eye--a young lady in a hood cloak with an amazing red dress. After reading the back of the novel, I knew I had to use the last of my remaining Christmas gift cards to purchase this book.

The Gilded Lily is a mystery novel that includes characters from Swift's first novel. However, you don't have to read the first novel to understand what's happening in The Gilded Lily. There are hints of events that happened in The Lady's Slipper, but it isn't key to the story told in "Lily."

My favorite part of this novel were the two main characters, Ella and Sadie. Their personalities are richly drawn and you can feel them struggle to make it in the slums of London with little money. I was particularly drawn to Sadie. She was a hard worker and empathetic to everyone around her. She wanted to do what was right, but her sister, Ella, was a bit of a scamp who lead Sadie astray many times. Honestly, I wish the story had been focused more on Sadie. However, Ella's plight and actions really were the driving force behind the plot and gave purpose to Sadie's actions and reactions. I also had a soft spot in my heart for Dennis, the young boy that Sadie and Ella rented an apartment from. He was a true gentleman to Sadie and a reader who shared his love of stories with Sadie.

The rich characters were a huge plus for a mystery plot that was quite predictable. The girls' adventures in the city as they tried to avoid trouble and stay under the radar kept me reading until the end. This is a mystery novel where everything does get tied up neatly in the end which did get a bit saccharine for me after living on the streets with Ella and Sadie for 400+ pages.

Overall, I would give The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift a thumbs up. The streets of London and the characters create an atmosphere that draws you in and won't let you go until the final page is turned.

Rewind Review #02: The Break-Up Psychic by Emily Hemmer

A lighthearted romance novel about letting go and seeking love. Delightful!

This book follows the basic romantic comedy premise of a young girl down on love finding love when she least expects it. The main character's personality, due to Emily Hemmer's strong writing skills, jumps off the page even if the story is predictable. In contrast to many books in this genre, the main character, Ellie, is bright and vivacious. She's a girl you would want to be friends with. I think may female readers will identify with Ellie's go-get-'em attitude even when things don't seem to go her way.

This isn't a genre I read often. Once or twice a year, I find a I need a book like this to brighten my dark young adult dystopian and adult historical fiction reading ways. With Charlaine Harris bringing the Sookie Stackhouse series to an end, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on Emily Hemmer for when I need lighter reading fare.

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Book Review #26 + Blog Tour: Fury by Charlotte McConaghy

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"What was once known as a normal human emotion can now be categorized differently--namely, as a disease that is contracted upon the development of the brain in early childhood. ...Humanity, as a race, would function at a far superior level, both physically and socially, if this disease could be cured." Fury, page 44.

Fury: Book 1 of The Cure
by Charlotte McConaghy
348 pages,
Published March 25, 2014
by Momentum Books,
Pan Macmillan


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I devoured Fury by Charlotte McConaghy. I received my review copy and inhaled the book in three days. Then lamented the fact I wouldn't be sharing my thoughts about the book until June! I then promptly went to GoodReads and recommended it to a BUNCH of friends with the note that if they felt there was something lacking in the Divergent series (or even if they were fans) they NEED to read Fury.

Josephine's story is told in a series of flashbacks until the current timeline catches up with the past from three different points of view--Josephine, Anthony (her therapist) and Luke. They live in a dystopian world where anger is considered a disease and the result of a world without anger is lopsided emotionally. Each character has their own voice, thoughts and opinions about the Cured world. McConaghy does a marvelous job of making each character unique and uses each one to advance the storyline in a way the begs the reader to turn the page.

The absence of anger in some humans and the presence of it in others is the driving force of the plot. It brings the characters together, for better or worse, and creates friction and chemistry. The government also plays a bit of a part in the novel, but the main goal of book one is to allow the reader to become familiar with the main characters and a world without anger. There is just a touch about the political dissent that the Cure has brought about (just enough to whet your appetite). That whiff of the larger game is laid out as one reaches the dramatic conclusion and may have some screaming, WHEN DOES BOOK 2 COME OUT?!

McConaghy has created a world that is intriguing and characters that are real. The book moves at breakneck speed and comes to an end with a moving cliffhanger. I give Fury by Charlotte McConaghy a thumbs up and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Note: The relationship between Josephine and Luke does become physical on a level that some may deem inappropriate for a younger audiences. At times, it was, for me, reminiscent of scenes I've read in racier Harlequin Romance novels. While I was not offended, I know some might so if you don't like racey bits in your books, you might want to pass on this one.

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About the Book

In the tradition of Divergent comes a novel about a world where negative emotions are stolen ... and only those with fury can stand up and fight.

Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes naked and covered in blood that is not hers on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.

Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different to the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.

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About the Author

Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.

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Note: Something happened with the original post and the Blogger default comments appeared rather than IntenseDebate. I took a screenshot of the Blogger comments before fixing the post.

Book Review #25 + Blog Tour: Citadels of Fire (Kremins #1) by L.K. Hill

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"Life is a mystical and tragic thing. It is a journey often full of fear, when it ought to be full of hope. It's fascinating to look back on your life and feel as though most of it was a precursor to the rest of it; to what was always supposed to be." Inga, Citadels of Fire.

Citadels of Fire by L.K. Hill is a novel set in Russia during the 1500s. For a bit of context, Ivan the Terrible was in the process of becoming a shining political star, or tsar rather, during this period. The novel focuses on two young people, Inga and Taras, trying to make their way in the world during this turbulent time. Their optimistic views of the brutal world ties them together despite the differences in their social standings.

I am almost complete stranger to Russian history. I know very little and what I do know is mainly about the demise of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. I'm always a bit anxious about jumping into a new time and culture in history. Will I have to do a lot of research on my own to understand what's happening? Will the author provide pages of boring, dry history to bring me up to speed? There is no need to fear with Citadels of Fire. All those worries were put to rest after the short introduction and a bit of reassurance by Dr. LaRue Larkin, Associate Professor of Russian History at Weber State, I felt like I was in good hands.

Ms. Hill is a patient teacher throughout the novel. She does an excellent job explaining the class structure and enough of the political intrigues of the Russian court of the time. The explanations are woven seamlessly into the plot so the reader is learning along with the characters. This allowed for just enough information to move the plot forward without dragging the story or the reader down.

I enjoyed how Ms. Hill introduced the characters and allowed the reader to watch them grow and change with the obstacles they faced. The only downside to this is that for the first several chapters you jump several years. Sometimes I would forget that we had jumped forward in time to a new point in the characters' lives and be a little bit lost. I often wished there was a header at the top of the page listing the year or more of a statement of how old the character was at that point in time.

My favorite part of the story was the subtlety and beauty of the romance. The lack of love between Inga and her father is brutally felt in the first chapter. The true love between Taras's mother and father leaps off the page along with the mystery of their arguments and quick decision to leave Russia. There is an old love that remains a secret, and serves as a lesson. Ms. Hill leads the reader to the reveal of who used to be in love without it being overdone and trite. And the new love between Inga and Taras develops in a such a natural way that at times I could feel myself wanting to scream, "JUST KISS HER ALREADY!" In other words, no insta-love here.

Citadels of Fire grabbed me from the opening lines. It's a historical fiction, romance, military, mystery novel. Most of the loose ends are tied up at the end of book one, but there is just enough of a cliffhanger and setup for the next book to leave you wanting more. I look forward reading more novels in this series and give Citadels of Fire by L.K. Hill a thumbs up.

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About the Author
L.K. HILL has a degree from Weber State University, and has won numerous writing awards, including garnering first place in the 2011 League of Utah Writer Writing Contest. When she’s not writing, Hill relaxes with her family in Ogden, Utah, while maintaining constant communication with her many followers.
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I received an Advanced Reader Copy directly from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Book Review #24: Snow by Áine Greaney

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This is the first short short I have read by Áine Greaney and while it isn't my favorite short story in my recent reads, it does have some strong elements that kept me engaged with the story until the end.

Ms. Greaney does an excellent job of setting up the location in Ireland. I felt like I could see the street where Delores's family shop is located. And I could feel the cold of a Dublin winter as the snow fell on the late night scene. This small corner of Dublin becomes a character in the story.

The struggle for me was the number of unanswered questions. What happened between Dolores and her father? There's obviously something that caused her to move to America and there definitely a deep seeded guilt (and maybe a reason for her avoidance), beyond her father's illness, forcing her to stay in Dublin when she has a husband and a life back in New York. And then there is the mysterious Ferguson. Why did he buy the place across the way? Has he always been a loner? Why does he fancy Dolores? Heck, why does Dolores fancy him?

But then I tell myself to stop asking questions and enjoy the story for what the author is sharing with me in just a few short pages. And realize, because I am asking questions and wishing to know more, there is a magical, secret conversation happening between me and the author.

Because of her ability to paint a beautiful picture of Dublin during a snowstorm and stirring my desire to know more about the characters in the story, I give Snow by Áine Greaney a thumbs up.

Rewind Review #01: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

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Original Review posted to GoodReads.
Read from July 14 to 17, 2013

This book was INTENSE! Intense on the plot side of things and the juicy romance side of things.

Things I didn't like...

• The main male character being called by his last name. He has a first name, it's a nice first name, use it.
• The radical mood shifts Dean and the obsessiveness of the Sky when Dean's mood would suddenly shift. I felt like I was THIS close to re-reading Fifty Shades of Grey except with teenagers. Which, as a woman in my 30s, left me feeling a bit creeped out.

I'm going to keep an eye on Hoover. She writes a good novel. She has talent. I look forward to reading her other novels.

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Book Review #23: A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek

I picked up A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek ages ago from Amazon.com. You see I can be sucker for horse novels and the title of the novel intrigued me. As an Arabian, my horse can be trouble some days for seemingly no reason at all.

A Horse Called Trouble is a middle grade novel. Reading it as an adult, the plot direction seemed obvious and characters are caricatures. But when I stepped back and thought about how I felt in middle school and high school, this book has quite a bit of depth. We have all been in situations where it feels like everyone has given up on us and then we find the one thing we connect with, be it horses, books, a T.V. show or movie, that really brings the life back. And then we connect with other people who share that same passion and the world comes even more alive. Ms. Volnek did a great job at showing Tara's progress from a shy girl who eventually finds strength in her passion and connection with horses.

My favorite part about the novel were the descriptions of the farm, the horses and the barn. Those descriptions really came alive for me and it felt like I was at out at my local barn. The names of the horses were top notch! The lesson horses had appropriately plain names--Rocky (we have a lesson horse named Rocky at our barn) and Homer. The pedigreed horses had dreamy names--Jupiter, Jupiter's Dream Girl and Jeopardy's Double Trouble. I wanted to meet these horses and ride off into the sunset on each one of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Horse Called Trouble when I stepped back and viewed it through younger eyes. The messages about standing up for yourself and finding your passion run strong throughout the book. The life depicted on the farm in the book was spot on and described with realistic detail. Ms. Volnek knows horses and barns. A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek gets a thumbs up!

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Book Review #22: Ashfall Series by Mike Mullin

About a year ago, my friend and author, Jade Eby, introduced me to the Ashfall series by Mike Mullin. The trilogy takes place in eastern Iowa and northern Illinois after the super volcano that sits under Yellowstone Park explodes burying the Midwest in ash and triggering an extreme winter. For me, this series is gut-wrenchingly realistic.

I live in eastern Iowa and travel frequently throughout eastern Iowa and northern Illinois. My in-laws live in Maquoketa and I've shopped at the Wal-Mart there. I drive over the Highway 13/Highway 20 overpass on the way to see my sister in Minnesota. And in late March, I drove by the Wal-Mart distribution center near Sterling, Illinois and I saw the turnoff on Highway 30 for Stockton.

Since I live in the area and have visited many of the towns Mullin features across all three books, this is the most realistic apocalyptic fiction book I have ever read. He shaped the post-volcano world in such a way that my imagination would start to run wild and I started to ask myself questions as I read each book. What would I do if the super volcano erupted tomorrow? Where would I go? What skills do I have for roughing it?

Another part of what made the series incredibly realistic are the characters. Even the secondary characters like Alex's family and the other people that become integral to moving the story forward are people you want to get to know on a more personal basis. Rita, Worthington's librarian, is strong and determined to keep the library running despite the devastation. She understands that knowledge of all kinds is vital even in a society that is disintegrating. Doc McCarthy, Warren's town doctor, shows tremendous staying power and strength as he watches his patients die from illnesses that had easy solutions in the pre-eruption world. I found my heart aching for Doc and I cheered for Rita.

And of course, the main characters Alex and Darla are A+ teens. They are not too whiny or full of themselves. Their complaints and struggles make sense. Mullin does a wonderful job at using the new world to shape Alex and Darla into people you grow to love and care about. They don't resist being molded in light of their new surroundings. Their experiences, in a world that is falling apart with every step they take, just as they start making headway at creating a new life, in the post eruption world is devastating, heartbreaking and in the end, full of hope. You want them to win. You become their cheerleaders.

Ashfall is a strong setup for the other two books; introducing the main cast of characters, the key locations and the major threats in the post-eruption world in a way that doesn't drag and keeps the action moving forward. Ashen Winter is a great bridge book that allows the characters to grow into their new roles in society and discover what really matters in the here and now when death can be just a heartbeat away. The most powerful moments in the series happen at the end of Ashen Winter, and throughout Sunrise. Near the start of Sunrise, there is a moment that had me crying in my Cheerios (yes, I was reading while eating breakfast). Sunrise is a tense, gut-wrenching series finale. There is more at stake in the final novel and Mullin keeps you guessing if there is any hope remaining for Alex, Darla and the town of Warren until the very end. The Ashfall series by Mike Mullin gets a thumbs up.

Ashfall:

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Ashen Winter:

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Sunrise:

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Book Review #21: Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson

This year the Linn Area Reads program chose Running Away to Home: Our Family's Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came from and What Really Matters by Jennifer Wilson. I have never read one of the Linn Area Reads book before and was excited when I learned of their choice this year.

Before I dive into my review, I wanted to share a little bit about the Linn Area Reads program. Founded in 2003, the project is sponsored by the Metro Library Network and Barnes & Noble. A book is selected each spring that will encourage discussion among the community. You can learn more about the project and the events associated with this year's selection on their website.

By adding Running Away to Home to my to-read list once the selection was made, I realized I might set a record for the number of non-fiction books I'll read this year. I normally stick to fiction as many times I find non-fiction dense, boring and a little too real. Within the first few pages of the Running Away to Home I was sucked in and before I knew it an hour and half had passed along with about 80 pages. My cats were milling around my reading chair meowing at me because it was past my bedtime. This book had me hooked.

Wilson does a great job of setting the scene for her family's decision to move to Croatia and keeping the story moving through the ups and downs of such a dramatic decision. You see the outcome of the decision for each member of the family as the story progresses. For me, it was very easy to identify with her and her husband and their goal of finding family (past and present) and finding themselves. I could see myself and my family in Jennifer's and as the story progressed, I became of bit jealous of her journey and her tenacity. I now have a renewed interest in tracing my maternal roots.

Running Away to Home is a quick read. It's a memoir of self discovery and family. I think many readers will be able to identify with Jennifer's journey to Croatia and what she discovers there. Oh, and there are family recipes at the end of the book! Running Away to Home gets a thumbs up.

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Book Review #20: Capricious (Bad to the Bone #1) by Jade Eby

Capricious is the latest short story by Jade Eby that was released in mid-January 2014. I had it on my list of must read books for 2014 back in early January and it did not disappoint.

In just 32 short pages, Eby paints a tragic picture of the main character. Lacey is in a tough situation and she is forced to go back to an old "friend" for help. The story takes an unexpected turn in the end that will have you screaming, but it is worth the ride.

Eby does a great job showing the desperation of the characters and creating locales that seem very real. I've never stepped foot in a strip club, but with the vivid descriptions in the story, I could probably fake it if someone asked me and I wanted to seem cool. Jade also does a great job of building the suspense that doesn't get downplayed or overplayed in the end. It's a sweet spot that some authors who write this type of story can easily miss.

This is the second story by Jade that I've read. This one, like the first, gets a thumbs up. I'm looking forward to her second full length novel, The Finish, coming out later this year.

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