The Beginner's Quilt

I received an advanced review copy of The Beginner's Quilt from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book will be released next month. I love Wanda Brunstetter's novels. She writes Amish fiction and has 147 books under her belt. The Beginner's Quilt is a prequel to Brunstetter's Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club series. This installment of the series focuses on Emma Bontrager's lack of interest in  performing household tasks such as cooking, sewing, and cleaning. Her mother hasn't been able to teach her daughter these skills because Emma is always busy with the outdoors. The story shows her transition to domesticity. Emma's mother hopes that she will learn how to be an Amish wife.

Emma is a tomboy who loves fishing, baseball and any outdoors activity. Her mother sends her to her grandmother’s house in Arthur, IL for the summer in order to learn to cook and sew. Emma's grandmother is a great cook and seamstress. She soon meets grandma's friend Ida Mae Yoder who is an accomplished quilter. After admiring one of Ida Mae's Quilts she is offered lessons. Emma accepts immediately and begins making a quilt from the tree of life quilt block. Her new interest blossoms into a passion and after a few successes in the kitchen, Emma concentrates more and more on learning new recipes.

Emma is shy and has many inhibitions. When she meets Ida Mae's son Ivan, Emma feels an attraction but isn't cognizant of it. She only knows that she is tongue tied around him. Ivan, on the other hand, is bold in speaking and asserting his desires. They are complete opposites. After finding their footing as a couple something awful occurs that ends up separating them. Both are learning how to practice forgiveness while they journey through their time together.

This story is strictly romance. There are no modern problems involved in the plot which we have seen from earlier Brunstetter novels. It is a relaxing story to read. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Infinity Particle

In this gorgeous graphic novel by Wendy Xu, a young inventor falls for a lifelike AI robot and confronts questions of freedom and autonomy.

The publisher's summary:

Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin’s assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots—she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there’s something about Kye that feels almost too human.

When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye’s growing independence and won’t allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn’t he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye’s future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free—even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for.

The plot premise is timely. We are just beginning to discuss the challenges AI poses as well as how it can be used to improve life on Earth. In this story, the author had secondary characters that were Asian, Muslim, disabled, African and white. She covered most of the protected classes! There was only one male character and he is the AI created robot that Clem fell in love with. All the inventors were women.

Clem had disagreements with Kye's creator Marcella concerning whether robots are their own people who should be treated with respect and allowed to have their own thoughts and interests. Marcella I was not happy about the romance between Clem and Kye. I  loved that one strip showed a character walking down a staircase and another person in a wheelchair using an adjacent ramp. None of the characters suffered any discrimination on Mars but they did talk about the challenges of life on Earth.

The art in this book is breathtaking and really pops in its minimal blue color palette. The pace was nice and fast but I expected that the plot would be more sci-fi with discussion on creating AI creatures. However, it was predominantly a romance story. That part was a disappointment to me. 

The novel was entertaining and a relaxing read. I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

Barnstormers

Barnstormers was published in Summer and Fall of 2022 as a 5 part Comixology Original. It was written by Scott Snyder with Tula Lotay drawing the scenes. Barnstomers is an adventure and romance story that is set in 1923. The barnstormer era in American history had WWI pilots offering civilians joyrides in the sky for a small fee. One of those pilots was Preston Pike, who has flown his way across the U. S. Southeast scrounging for customers. When a telephone operator tells him that there will be a big crowd waiting for him in nearby Barnville, Preston races over.  Instead of eager clientele, he finds himself crashing into a wedding and the bride to be decides to make a getaway in Preston's plane. Along the way, the two of them bond and become romantic with each other.

This was an enjoyable story that is quick to read.  I thought it was awesome that the bride decided to bail on her wedding. She had an arranged marriage with a man she did not love and when the plane crashes into the reception area she believes it is a sign to run. The style of the illustrations is modeled after adventure comics from the 1920s which I thought was fitting. The bright colors used by Dee Cunniffe gave the story a relaxed feel.

The final issue will not be released until tomorrow, April 4, 2023. 

Always Never

Always Never is the story of two old friends who spent one night together 40 years ago. The story is told in reverse order with the first pages devoted to their reunion. Each chapter a prequel until the final chapter which shows them meeting for the first time. The book consists of one volume. It was originally published in France in 2020 but was published in English in May 2021.

The story begins with Ana and Zeno finally retiring and giving their romance a chance to bloom while they both still have time left. Each chapter steps further back and shows the two lovers touch and go courting through phone calls and letters. Ana didn't wait long after Zeno left to find herself a husband. Zeno was a drifter who spent time on boats while he worked on his dissertation.  He left behind a family owned bookshop that Ana wanted to destroy for a public works project. It took Zeno 40 years to complete the dissertation and as soon as he finished it he looked up Ana. Ana had just retired as the mayor of an Italian city that is remarkably similar to Venice. 

The artwork consists of line drawings with bright color schemes. The drawings have a French flair even though the story takes place in Italy. The color scheme changed according the location that scenes were happening in. Pages depicting sunny days are colored in orange, a greenhouse location is colored in green and night time and rainy scenes are done in blues and purples.

Always Never is a fun senior romance. Highly recommended.

Sabina

Sabina is a historical fiction novel set in Florence beginning in 1477 when Sabina Rossi is twenty-years-old. The Rossi family is a noble Tuscan family who have become penniless. When her father arranges a marriage for her with an older but wealthy man, Tommaso Caravelli, he is trading her gorgeous looks for a dowry. However, Sabina is in love with Marco Alfani, a poor boy her age whom she has been sleeping with. Marco's request for her hand in marriage is denied by her father as Sabina has already agreed to marry Tommaso. After her marriage Sabina tries to live a respectable life. Her brashness could get her into trouble but her good looks seem to smooth things over with Florence's elite Medici family, especially Lorenzo de Medici. After her new husband suddenly dies, Sabina finds herself extremely wealthy with plenty of options on how to live her life. The question is will her headstrong nature take over or will she adapt to living in a man's world? This story is a three generation saga that ends with Sabina's death at age 80 and includes her daughter and granddaughter.

I LOVED this novel! The setting descriptions were delicious, from the bucolic surroundings to the grand architecture and exquisite fabrics that adorn the walls of homes and churches. The reader feels like they have been transported to Renaissance Italy.  The characters were extraordinary.  Sabina is a great heroine. She begins life as a spoiled girl but grows up learning how to live as she wishes under the restraints of fifteenth century Florence. Her sister Cecelia is her opposite. Cecelia becomes a nun after her husband and son pass away. She is subserviant whereas Sabina is willful. These two sisters still manage to get along despite their different lifestyles. You know that one will always back up the other. Marco is interesting. He enters the story as a lustful boy but later enters the priesthood and becomes lustful for power. His desire for sex has never waned though. The men whom Sabina has relationships with are dreamy. I am personally not opposed to meeting Tommaso Caravelli, Lorenzo de Medici, or Sabina's other men. She chooses them well. All have plenty of money to lavish upon her, are good in the bedroom and do not care that she is an independent woman with a sassy tongue.

Historical fiction and romance fans simply must read Sabina! Passion drips off its pages; passion for sex, romance, art, political power, religious power, and personal possessions. 5 out of 5 stars!

The Bones of Grace

The Bones of Grace is the third book in the Bengal Trilogy.  I had not previously heard of the trilogy when I saw this book at my public library so I have not read the first two books.  Because I had some difficulty with how the story was told I will not be reading them.

The inside front cover blurb summarizes the book as follows:  "On the eve of her departure to find the bones of the walking whale-the fossil that provides the missing link in our evolution-Zubaida Haque falls in love with Elijah Strong, a man she meets in a darkened concert hall in Boston.  Their connection is immediate and intense despite their differences: Elijah belongs to a prototypical American family; Zubaida is the adopted daughter of a wealthy Bangladeshi family in Dhaka. When a twist of fate sends her back to her hometown, the inevitable force of society compels her to take a different path: she marries her childhood best friend and settles into a traditional Bangladeshi life..."

I did not continue with the blurb summary because I did not read any further than the above part of the story. It is told from Zubaida's perspective but is only told through her thoughts and her thoughts are not written in a straight storyline.  The storyline jumps back and forth without chapter breaks.  I do not even remember if the storyline changes by paragraph. All I know is that I could not follow the plot with Zubaida's random thought process.

While I have a rule to stop reading a book if I cannot get interested by the 50th page, I read to page 175 (out of 407 pages) because the plot seemed so interesting and I thought that the book would get better.  It didn't.  It is unfortunate as I had high hopes for the book because it is about Bangladeshi culture.  

The Empress of Bright Moon

The Empress of Bright Moon is part 2 of a duology on the early life of Empress Wu, China's only ruling female.  The story picks up where part 1, The Moon in the Palace, ended with a dying Emperor Taizong and his son Pheasant,  formally Emperor Gaozong, being declared as his heir. Pheasant is in a relationship with Wu Mei, our protagonist.

When Pheasant becomes Emperor his uncle advises the court that Taizong made a will before his death installing the uncle as Regent over Pheasant even though Pheasant was an adult.  Pheasant is married to Lady Wang, now Empress Wang, who has been barren during their 7 year marriage. Empress Wang has become a bitter woman and treats the concubines abysmally, especially Mei whom she is jealous of. Mei has been able to produce 2 children for the new Emperor and is not only her rival but a rival of the new Regent. Mei is promoted to the Most Adored title (the Emperor's favorite) early in the story and is given another new title that is higher than the other high ranking concubines, Luminous Lady.  There are concubines titled as Talents, Graces, Beauties and Leading Ladies.  Mei struggles to obtain power as she battles her 2 rivals.

I have loved both of the books in the duology and am thinking about re-reading them soon.  They are that good. The female characters are strong but there are less of them in book 2.  The plot is mainly about Mei's problems with the Regent and Empress Wang as well as Pheasant's struggles with his Regent and the court in general.  The other high ranking concubines are not as central to the plot as they were in book 1.  Both books are well researched.  The political intrigue during the Tang dynasty and in the palace are represented well.

A must read for historical fiction fans.

The Moon in the Palace

This book is part 1 of the Empress of the Bright Moon duology.  It takes place in 7th century China and is a fictionalized account of the early years of China's Empress Wu, the only ruling Empress in China's history.

13 year old Wu Mei is excited to be chosen as a concubine for Emperor Taizong.  She believes that she can help her family regain its standing if she is able to impress the Emperor and become his Most Adored ie, his favorite.  It is hard to be summoned by the Emperor as there are many concubines and a bedding schedule that must be followed. Being young and unfamiliar with court rules and politics she is taken advantage of by another concubine named Jewel who takes Mei's place after Mei is summoned by the Emperor and soon becomes Most Adored.

Mei meets a boy at court called Pheasant and falls in love with him.  They secretly arrange to meet on several occasions. However, Mei continues to pursue the Emperor and receives several promotions and demotions that seem to be controlled by Jewel.  One evening while she is in the Emperor's bedroom she is seen by Pheasant.  Mei discovers that Pheasant is one of the Emperor's sons and is embarrassed by her actions. Still feeling a need to help her family Mei plays court politics to her advantage but continues to be challenged by Jewel.

I was spellbound by this story and read it in one sitting.  It was impossible to put down and I was up at 2 am trying to finish reading it.  The story is primarily about the political machinations of the Emperor's concubines as they befriend, betray and befriend each other again in order to gain power.  As such, there is alot of court intrigue as they battle each other to become Most Adored or even the new Empress.

What is unusual about the story is that there are many strong female characters. These concubine are no dummies and are more than adept at court politics. Other interesting aspects of the book are the rules concerning the Emperor's wardrobe and the running of the silkworm houses.  I especially enjoyed the information on how to raise silkworms.

All in all, The Moon in the Palace was a great read.

The Hawaiian Quilt

I love Hawaiian quilts so when I saw this book on the shelf of my public library I had to check it out.  It is an Amish fiction novel but is more about Hawaii and its traditions than Amish traditions.  Die hard Amish fiction fans may not like this book as well as some others.  It is not about Hawaiian quilting either so it's title is a little off the mark.

Mandy Frey and 3 other girlfriends decide to take a cruise to Hawaii before deciding whether to join the Amish church.  Mandy leaves behind boyfriend Gideon whom she is considering marrying.  While visiting Maui Mandy and her friend Ellen miss getting back to the cruise ship before it leaves for another port.  They are stranded on Maui but get to know a couple who takes them in while their families come up with the funds to bring them home.  Mandy meets a boy there and is not sure whether she is fascinated with him or with the island vibe.

While I do not read romance fiction, I did enjoy this novel.  There was a lot of Hawaiiana to keep me captivated and the romance aspect intrigued me.   I may try some other Amish fiction books to see how I like them.

The Forbidden Daughter Book Review

I read The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal for the New Authors Reading Challenge.  It is a novel about how the selective abortion of female fetuses has been used by those who care about the old ways in order to produce only male heirs.

Isha Tilak and her husband Nikhil have one daughter, Priya.  Priya is treated abysmally by her grandparents compared to her male cousins but the family does not address the issue. When Isha becomes pregnant for the second time, an ultrasound is performed to check on the baby's health but also to check the baby's sex.  When Isha is found to be pregnant with a second girl her ob-gyn offers to perform an abortion.  In addition, her in-laws insist upon it. Selective abortion is not legal in 2006 India and Isha's Doctor, Dr. Karnik, has broken the law by offering to perform an abortion.  Nikhil is outraged and gathers information on Dr. Karnik but is unable to use it after he is mysteriously killed while at work.  Isha's in-laws blame the killing on the curse of the new baby but she is convinced it has something to do with Dr. Karnik's solution to her problem.

The Forbidden Daughter is a beautifully written book about modern Indian culture.  It gives an interesting look into the continued importance of having a male heir in today's society.  The author took on a tough subject and made it a captivating read.  I was spell bound by the main character Isha's decision to forgo her Brahman airs and go out on her own in order to raise her daughters. She overcomes the notion of how a well-bred woman should behave and becomes an independent woman.