Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop PG-13

Perusing the shelves at the library, I overlooked this book on at least four occasions before finally deciding to read it.  For me, the turn off was the use of names like Lucivar & Daemon. But I did eventually read the book and discovered that I like Anne Bishop novels. 

Bishop has an ability to write characters that come alive off the page. The first book in a trilogy, Daughter of the Blood is about two brothers of a long-lived race who have been tormented and enslaved by the current queen & witch in Terreille.  They are in the room serving lords and ladies when a broken witch tells of the coming of the Queen of the Dark Realm.

The Queen of Darkness turns out to be a true heroine and a compassionate person. While none of the main characters are tame, in the moral code of right and wrong, they actually represent good. The whole realm is dark, and the brothers murder in self-defense. The enemy of the brothers and the coming queen is a pair of deranged women whose power enslaves the brothers for hundreds of years.

One of my favorite elements of the book is the introduction of the kindred.  They are animals with the power to communicate and provide comic relief and joy to the story. I'm not one to like incredibly dark topics, and this book does deal with some very harsh topics and sensitive issues including rape which would not be suitable for a younger audience. This is probably the darkest book I've read that I can say I liked reading.

Life’s That Way: A Memoir by Jim Beaver

Jim Beaver is an actor who has played the rolls of prospector on Deadwood and a demon hunter on Supernatural among others.  When I stumbled across his book at the library I picked it up to flip a few pages. For me to pick up a book is not unusual.  I’ve perused the aisles of biographies and promptly put back dozens of books. Usually it’s more of a walk-through on my way to another shelf. But this one captured my interest and I found myself immediately drawn into the story.

Jim tells the story of his wife’s battle with cancer. He shares some very deep and personal moments.  Let me warn you in advance, have a box of tissues on hand because you’ll probably start crying. And you’ll no doubt cry through more than one chapter.  It’s basically the story of what happened, how they discovered her cancer, his and his family’s reactions to it, and how it affected the family.

This is a true story and it will make you cry. A book totally outside my normal genre-reading, I found myself completely engaged. A page-turning memoir…I really never would have expected it.  So here it is, by Jim Beaver… Life’s That Way: A Memoir.

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis is famed for the Chronicles of Narnia, which is one of my favorite series, although I'm afraid I might have outgrown them.   Till We Have Faces is a more mature book and a powerful story.

The story is a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth from the perspective of the half-sister who was blamed in the myth as a jealous woman who disliked Psyche and set her up. In this first-person tale, Orual justifies her actions to the gods and explains her side. The result is a fascinating and unique story.

What I enjoy the most about Till We Have Faces is that Orual's character is so very likeable even with her flaws. She is told she is ugly as a child, but she is able to put up a good argument that she truly loves her sister who is beautiful. The beginning of the book is spent on Orual and Psyche's childhood and their teacher, the Fox, and how Psyche came to be sacrificed to Cupid. I don't like to give away endings, so I'll leave it there.

An elegant story with a strong emotional thread, this is a wonderful book.

The Monster at the end of this Book by Jon Stone

I've been remiss in the picture book category and thought it might be time to mention the single best picture book ever written. The Monster at the end of this Book might be for kids, but it's the kind of book that an adult can enjoy reading to the little ones.

It's clever and funny and what I would call a page turner for children.  I suppose if picture books were categorized, this would be a mystery.   I loved it when I was little and I have the feeling in a hundred years, it will still be in print.




 

Phule's Company by Robert Aspirin

Let me first say that I enjoy all of Robert Aspirin's books. He cracks me up. I enjoy the Myth Series and may at some point do a post on that, but even as a Robert Aspirin fan, I stumbled onto Phule's Company several years after it was first released.

 In Phule's Company, a lieutenant is punished with the command of a company of men who have been shuffled off to the most undesirable placement in the legion, Haskin's Planet. The captain and colonel gave the command of the company of "losers and problem cases" to the lieutenant who is the wealthy son of the owner of Phule-Proof Munitions, hoping to entice him to resign. He happily accepts the promotion.

But Phule didn't know he was supposed to fail. And he didn't do things the way everyone expected. With plenty of laughs along the way, Phule finds the special abilities his troops possess and teaches them a new way of looking at things. They learn to work together and when problems come, surprise everyone with their success. A fun and entertaining read. One I can highly recommend.

The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide to Perfecting Your Work by Robert J. Ray

I'm rather picky when it comes to books on writing. I've read magazines, books, and articles and a great many rely on the same cliched advice. And I think, "Yeah, I've seen this before." The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel takes a refreshing step toward practical advice in editing work and provides unique tools in revising a novel. (The author looks at content editing rather than copy editing. His book covers the larger scope.)

The book goes into detail on how to plan subplots, how to organize scenes, building tension, and fixing scenes.  He suggests spreadsheeting to help clarify holes and places to expand.  I've used techniques from this book on multiple occasions even when I was stuck in the writing phase.  There are side bars with tips, checklists, and several examples of the grids he uses.

As books on writing go, this is one of the best.

The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul

John Saul knows how to write a chilling book.  The Manhattan Hunt Club opens with a brutal attack on a woman.  The man who tried to help her, Jeff Converse, was falsely accused and is wrongly convicted.  His sentence is light, only nine months. On his way to Riker’s Island, the van Jeff is riding in is hit and someone pulls him out of the van and sends him into the tunnels.

Jeff is then shoved into a cell with a serial killing crazy who doesn’t remember his killings.  Meanwhile his father and girlfriend, neither believing the official story of his death, join forces to try to find him. Taking place in the subterranean world of New York City, the effect is a cold and dark world. Jeff and Jagger, the serial killer, are told that they are going to be in a hunt...as prey. If they can get to the surface, they will live.

The odds are stacked against them. And the hunters are coming.

The Manhattan Hunt Club touches on an interesting array of themes and politics, from the homeless (or houseless) to vigilante justice. But it’s done with such finesse that the themes don’t overshadow the entertainment value the book has to offer. 

The idea might be familiar, but the treatment is unique.  Somewhere between mystery and horror, The Manhattan Hunt Club is a great read!

(Links will take you off site to Amazon...)