Apartment 6

Apartment 6 was just published two months ago and it is one heck of a spellbinder. This gripping psychological thriller opens with a five-year-old Meagan trying to help her mother who has been physically abused by her husband. The story then switches to the present day with an adult  Meagan trying to cope with her abusive husband Rob. The novel alternates between twenty years past and the present.

The publisher's summary:

"Do you have the courage to escape?  Be careful what you wish for.  When Meagan was five years old her mother was viciously attacked and murdered.  Now as an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship.  Meagan is so desperate to escape but doesn't have the courage to leave.  So, when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection.  But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path.  Just how far would you go to protect someone?  Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits."

This book was written in Hitchcock style. Every chapter ended with an eerie, suspenseful cliffhanger. The tension begins with the first chapter and continues through the unexpected ending.   If you decide to read it, prepare yourself with some snacks and a beverage because you won't be able to put it down.  I am still spellbound 3 days after reading this book.  It is that good.

5 out of 5 stars!

Song of the Siren

C. P. Lesley's Song of the Siren is the first book in her Songs of Steppe and Forest series. It takes place in16th century Poland/Russia and covers the life of Juliana Krasilska.  The publisher's summary of the plot is below:

"Since childhood Lady Juliana has depended on her allure for survival.  So when a sudden, debilitating illness robs her of her looks, her sense of place in the world is shattered.  The court that once idolized her spurns her.  Who is she, if not the siren of men's dreams? Enter Felix Ossolinski - scholar, diplomat, Renaissance man. A riding accident in his teens forced him to redirect his energies from war to the life of the mind, and alone among the men of the sixteenth-century Polish court he sees in Juliana a kindred spirit, a woman who has never appreciated her own value and whose inner beauty outweighs any marring of her face. At Felix's suggestion the Polish queen offers Juliana a way out of her difficulties:  spy for the royal family in return for a promise of financial independence.  Facing poverty and degradation, Juliana cannot refuse, although the mission threatens not only her freedom but her life. Felix swears that he will protect her. But no one can protect Juliana from the demons of her past."

I loved this novel!  Part of the attraction is that it takes place in Poland, Lithuana and Russia. There are not many historical fiction books that take place here and it added a new excitement for me. It is always enjoyable to find a new place to read about other than the usual books taking place in Italy and England. While it is my first book of Lesley's that I have read, I did not need to have read her prior books concerning the Juliana character in order to follow the plot.  In addition, Carolyn Pouncey, who writes as C. P. Lesley, is a historian by trade and her knowledge of this era was abundantly evident. She wrote into the story plenty of background information on the political climate in Poland, Lithuania and Russia. Several historical figures were also woven into the story. 

I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series!  4 out of 5 stars.

The Violinist of Venice

The Violinist of Venice is about the world renowned composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi and his fictional student Adriana d'Amato.  Forbidden to play music by her wealthy merchant father, Adriana secretly visits Vivaldi at night to ask him to teach her to play the violin. He agrees but after a few lessons they quickly fall in love and begin to make love after each lesson. Adriana has to sneak around her strict father to practice her instrument and continue to visit Vivaldi. Her father is showing her off to several noble Venetian families in hopes of arranging a marriage for her. Adriana wants Vivaldi but is he willing to give up the priesthood for her? That will mean giving up his ability to work in music as well.

While this book has been described as "a story of Vivaldi," the main character is actually Adriana. It covers thirty years of her life, most of it lived without him but still pining for him. However, his music is prevalent throughout the novel. The author has written into the plot plenty of information on violin techniques and on how to compose music. Both characters are shown playing the instrument exquisitely and the reader can hear the music coming off of the pages. Pardon the pun, it makes the book sing.

Writing a musical romance was a brilliant idea. Perhaps the author has a series here where she can feature a different musician in each novel. 5 out of 5 stars!

Fasting Feasting

The title of Anita Desai's 1999 novel uses food as a metaphor.  The first half of Fasting, Feasting takes place in India where food is celebrated. The second half takes place in America. There are two families who are primarily featured in the book.  The Indian family, which includes Mama, Papa, Uma, Aruna and Arun, use food as a way to commune with each other and with their friends. When son Arun travels to Massachusetts to attend college, he stays in a dormitory during the school year and with the Patton family during summer vacation. The Pattons are a typical American family who use food as an isolation tactic, never sharing a meal.

The theme of the novel is family relationships. The Indian family contrasts sharply with the Pattons. Their story is mainly concerned with Uma, the oldest, who is used as a servant by her parents. She has not been able to make a successful marriage so she stays at home with her parents raising her brother Arun, ordering around the cook and has plenty of house cleaning to do.  Arun, on the other hand, does not seem to fit in anywhere. He prefers to be alone, his own isolation tactic, after a lifetime of having to do whatever his family decides that he will do.  The Pattons, by contrast, have no bonds of connection.  Each member of the family does whatever they want to do and whenever they want to do it.

Fabulous reading!  5 out of 5 stars.

Ruthless

Ruthless is the story of Agata, a fourteen-year-old girl from Verona who has been forced by her father to marry Nunzio.  After a year of marriage with no child yet conceived, Agata's father-in-law, Alvino, decides to bed her himself. When he later is caught by Nunzio, Alvino defends himself by claiming that Agata is a witch. In order to avoid a witchcraft trial Agata flees to Venice where she is forced to become a prostitute in order to survive. In Venice Agata learns that in order to survive she must be ruthless in her dealings with men.

Agata's story was compelling but it did not resonate with me as much as other books that I have read by this author.  Part of the novel was about the Lord of Verona and his politics. While Agata did have a relationship with him, she was never involved with the politics of Verona or Venice.  The parts of the book concerning the Lord's political issues seemed out of place. When the story stayed on Agata's plight it was entertaining.

3 out of 5 stars.

Book of the Month: February

My best book for February is Saga: Compendium One. This comic book is a science fiction and fantasy comic strip that has been serialized for the past seven years. The compendium contains strips 1 through 54.

I just loved this book. I was hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting it down. With 1300 pages to read I did have to take breather while reading it but I still got it done in 2 days.

Rosewater and Soda Bread

Rosewater and Soda Bread is the story of three Iranian sisters who lived in a small village in Ireland. The lives of Marjan, Bahar and Layla Aminpour are continued from Pomegranate Soup, the author's first novel. Unfortunately, author Marsha Mehran died a recluse six years ago at the age of 36. The Aminpour sister novels were intended to be a seven book series but only two were published.

The book begins one year after the sisters arrival in the tiny Irish town called Ballinacroaugh. Their restaurant, The Babylon Cafe, is a huge success, offering customers the spicy, fragrant fare of their Persian heritage. Marjan, the oldest, is mainly in charge of the cafe with middle sister Bahar waiting on customers. Layla is only 14 but helps with cleanup and waiting tables. When Marjan's friend Estelle finds a young woman unconscious and bloodied, the woman's pale skin, webbed hands and awful secret send the villagers into an uproar.

I loved this story! The unfolding of the young girl's secret fit seamlessly into the setting of the cafe where food is always being prepped. Food is a big theme here. Almost every page contains mouthwatering descriptions of how to blend ingredients together into a perfect recipe. The reader always finds the sisters in the kitchen blending their magic while discussing the day's events. It took me back to a time when I was very young, spending time with my mother as she made dinner.

The characters were engaging, from the sisters to the secondary Irish characters who made the village a pleasurable place for the sisters and readers alike. Some were definitely stereotypes of Irishmen but these characters brought a sense of neighborliness to the story. Again, the author took my mind back to my youth and the small Illinois town that I grew up in. All small towns are alike with everyone knowing your business but you don't care because when you're down your neighbors will take care of you.  I laughed at the older women who participated in the weekly Bible study but gossiped about their neighbors instead. I know these church ladies well.

Rosewater was an enjoyable read. 5 out of 5 stars!

The Spymaster's Brother

The final book in the Francis Bacon Mystery series by Anna Castle centers around the protagonist's brother, Anthony Bacon.  When the story opens Anthony has returned to England after living in France for 13 years. While he was in France Anthony built a huge intelligence network throughout Europe. He and Francis are seeking a wealthy patron and offer Anthony's services to the highest bidder. Since he is suffering with severe symptoms of gout, Anthony has trouble walking unassisted and with his self care. When a dead body is found next to Anthony's coach, Francis thinks his brother killed someone because the dead man had been spreading vicious rumors about Anthony that could ruin his reputation and the value of his network. Francis's sidekick Tom Claraday believes Anthony's secretary committed the murder and the two of them set out to find the killer.

This series has been highly entertaining. I love the two sleuths, Francis and Tom. They work well together and their different personalities do not hinder their investigations. It actually helps them determine the identity of killers. While reading the Spymaster's Brother, I became so intrigued about Anthony Bacon's life that Internet research into his life occasionally interrupted my reading of the book. His life story is fascinating. It was intriguing enough to overshadow my enjoyment of the book. I feel my independent research was more interesting than the plot. Had I not checked out Anthony's life story, the story probably would have been another entertaining read for me.

The period details are another enjoyable part of the series. The author wrote the setting descriptions well enough for me to want to visit England, especially Cambridge where Tom Claraday was at school in the early books in the series. Ms. Castle's knowledge about the Elizabethan time period shined throughout the series. I hope she continues to write historical fiction.

4 out of 5 stars. Anna Castle take note, a series based on Anthony Bacon and his assistant living in France building that spy network would be great reading. 

Year of the Rabbit

Year of the Rabbit is Tian Veasna's graphic memoir about life growing up under the bloody reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. He was born three days after the Khmer Rouge came into power and escaped with his family into a Thai refugee camp at age five. They eventually settled in France. The story covers the experiences of his mother Lina, father Khim, the baby Chan and their extended families.  After he became an adult the author interviewed his relatives to obtain information for the book.

The book opens with the families leaving their homes in Phnom Penh for safety. They expected to return in a few days but along their route they learned that the city was being permanently evacuated by the Khmer Rouge. The author, Chan, was born while his parents walked for months seeking safety. A bad decision to use forged travel permits gets them sent to a re-education camp where, for the next five years, they witness firsthand the regime's brutality.

Year of the Rabbit is first and foremost a well told story. The artwork enhances it by bringing passion into the pages. The overwhelming fear and hopelessness felt by the refugees is drawn on each page. What was interesting to me was that as Chan's family ran into old friends during these years, these friends did not stop being their friends. They offered spare food or helpful information. I expected that people would behave the opposite. The capacity of the Cambodian people for good is the amazing part of this story.

Sugar and Spite

After reading two steamy historical fiction novels this month I thought it best to switch to a cozy mystery. Sugar and Spite is the 22nd installment of the Ettie Smith Amish Cozy Mystery series by Samantha Price. This is the first book in the series that I have read.

Amish sisters Ettie Smith and Elsa-Mae Lutz decide to bring a cake as a peace offering to Brunhilde Hoffman whom Elsa-Mae believes is angry with her. Upon entering Brunhilde's candy shop they find her dead body. The cake is accidentally dropped on the floor. Thinking that the cake contaminates the crime scene, they clean it up. Since the Amish people don't like speaking to outsiders, the police ask the sisters to talk to their Amish neighbors about what they know about Brunhilde. Ettie and Elsa-Mae then begin to interview their suspects and gather evidence.

This book is a traditional cozy with no violence or sex described within its pages. The main characters are an amusing set of sisters whose back and forth commentary on everything imaginable will make the reader chuckle. There is no sibling rivalry here. Etta and Elsa-Mae get along well, sweetly nudging each other when their habits annoy the other sister. The plot was more complicated than I expected for a cozy. The sisters find plenty of people who had bad experiences dealing with Brunhilde, both personally and in business, and these issues needed to be fleshed out by them in order to solve the crime.

Sugar and Spite is a relaxing read. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Stolen Girl

The Stolen Girl is part one of The Veil and the Crown series featuring Aimee de Rivery as the heroine. Aimee is a young French convent girl who is kidnapped by pirates and given as a gift to the Sultan of Turkey for his harem.

Aimee Dubucq de Rivery and her best friend and cousin Rose Tascher de la Pagerie are born on the French island of Martinique in 1763. Their story in the book begins when they are 14 and on their way to visit an African witch in order to have their fortunes told. Both are told that they will be queens.  When Aimee is 18, she sails for France to enter a convent but also to spend a month with relatives in Paris who can help her find an aristocratic husband. Rose follows her one year later to marry an aristocrat. They both believe that they are on the path to be queens until life stops working out so well for them.

With a title promising a stolen girl, I thought the girl would be stolen early in the book. Aimee isn't "stolen" until 2/3 into the story. However, this anomaly did not affect the readability of the book. The author packed her novel with interesting historical facts such as the prediction of Euphemia David. Euphemia was the African witch who told Aimee and Rose's fortune. The prediction was published in France in 1820 because Rose eventually became Empress Josephine. The latter third of the book is erotic as Aimee gives up her Catholic training to pursue riches as a concubine. Her eyes are on the clothes and the jewels and she will do anything to get them but the truth is that she really likes sex.

The story abruptly ends at awkward place. There is no denouement. The reader is supposed to automatically begin reading Part 2 of the series, The French Sultana. I felt uncomfortable with the ending and it affected my rating of the book. As far as the sexual content is concerned, if I paid attention to the publisher's warning I probably would not have purchased the book. I am not interested in reading explicit sex but it's not the author's fault that I missed the warning. However, when I am searching for books on Amazon I only look at the listed genre. Why should I have to do an Internet search to determine if the book is X rated?

4 out of 5 stars. 

Saga: Compendium One

Saga is a science fiction and fantasy comic book that is based on Star Wars. Compendium One contains serialized comic strips 1 through 54 in a gigantic, 1,328 page, 5 pound book.  Saga was written by Brian K. Vaughn, with Fiona Davis creating the artwork. Vaughn stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that Issue 54 was the halfway point for the comic strip and that 108 total issues were planned for this story. It took him seven years to write these initial 54 issues.

This romance story opens with the birth of Hazel, who narrates the book as an adult character. Saga centers around her life. She is the child of Alana and Marko. Alana was born on the planet Landfall, has black skin and wings. Marko was born on Wreath, Landfall's moon, has white skin and horns. Wreath and Landfall have been at war for a long time as has the entire galaxy. Both Marko and Alana are considered AWOL from their military assignments and are being hunted by their respective militias not only because they are AWOL but because they breeded together. However, it is difficult to run with an infant and this new family runs across a few unusual characters while on the run to find a safe place to live.

Saga covers a few social issues such as interracial marriages, racism, gender identity, and violence. Marko and Alana are not the only soldiers to leave their military posts. The main reason they are being sought is because they broke society's rule against having sex with someone who is not like themselves and having the audacity to have a child together. If they are found, they will be killed but both sides want possession of Hazel. Several of the characters they come across while on the lam have gender identity issues. Some are gay. It seemed bizarre to be discussing this issue concerning nonhuman characters. Fiona Davis did a fabulous job drawing these creatures. They were entertaining to look at but to think of them as transgender, gay or something else was more humorous to me than being social commentary by the author.  There was alot of violence in the book but as far as the illustrations were concerned, this was science fiction violence. The social commentary on violence comes into the plot with Marko grappling with his military past. He hates that he has been violent and wants to promote peace. His problem is that to protect his family he may have to be violent.

I LOVED Saga. I am not a science fiction or fantasy fan but this story gripped me from the beginning and I binge read it this weekend. Unfortunately, Issue 55 is not out yet. The author and illustrator took a year sabbatical on writing this comic and nothing new has been published yet. It's killing me because Issue 54 ended with a cliffhanger. 

Definitely 5 out of 5 stars!

Firefly

Firefly is book 1 of the Warrior Woman of the Samurai series featuring Keiko, the female samurai.  The summary from the publisher reads "There are some who believe that the honor of a samurai is reserved for men.  But they are wrong.  Keiko was born the daughter of a samurai.  But as a mere younger sister, her future was to run errands for her lovely elder sister and obey her father.  Until the day it fell to her to defend the honor of her sister and her family..."

Let me just come right out and say it. I hated this book.  I would call it porn. I bought a kindle copy of the book as it was advertised as being a historical fiction novel but it isn't.  It contains basically one trashy sex scene after another that just happens to take place in ancient Japan. While the heroine trains to become a samurai and falls in love with a ninja, every scene in between these plot actions is sexual, whether is be gay sex, paid sex, or rape and all in glorious detail for your reading displeasure.

Can I rate this -10 stars?  OK.  I will.