"Quatrain" by Shraon Shinn

A few years ago, my good friend at Half Price Books sent me a little paperback called "Archangel" by the author Sharon Shinn. I was flummoxed as to why, since I had seen this same title several times in my years there at the store; the darn thing never seemed to sell. I certainly never felt the urge to read it, either, so I was just going to skip it. But the good friend insisted that I at least try it, saying it was a very, very good book, and not to be put off by the blah cover art, the list of characters on the inside, or the map of this strange world the author had created. Sigh. I finally gave in - and doggone it, she was right. That was a fabulous book, and I loved it so much that I read the other four books in the series. As you can guess, when I learned that Shinn had put out this work of novellas that re-visit some of her worlds, including Samaria from "Archangel", I couldn't wait to read it. I'm going to review the stories for you in the order I read them, rather than the order they appear in the book. Stick with me, and you'll see why...

I did what I almost always do and started with the shortest of the four (not that it's that much shorter, just a few pages, but this is a weird quirk I have - reading shortest to longest). "Gold" tells the tale of Crown Princess Zara, a young girl who is sent away from her father's castle to keep her safe from an impending war. She is sent to the kingdom of Alora while her brother is sent elsewhere; her parents know that it's better to split up the children in such a troubled time. She travels to Alora with Orlain, a good young man (not of noble birth, though) whom she has a crush on. Once in Alora, Zara must keep her wits about her; often humans visit the aliora only to stay forever with them, enchanted by the strange yet beautiful beings. Zara's mother has mixed her a month's worth of potions that she must drink every night so as not to fall under the aliora's spell. Does Zara do as she's told? Does she fall for the handsome aliora named Royven? Will she return to Castle Auburn when it's safe again? Sadly, there are no surprises here. In fact, this is by far the weakest story of the four, so much so that had this been my introduction to Shinn, I would have stopped right there and sent the book back. Thank goodness I knew better! However, I can say that I will not be looking for the "Summers at Castle Auburn", the book that introduced her readers to the aliora. I thought they were just too cliche - the uber-beautiful fae that can make you forget all your troubles (indeed, even your former life) and want to stay in their world forever. Barf.

Things picked up with "Blood", the second novella in the book. This is more like it - two clashing cultures, one patriarchal, the other matriarchal. A man and a woman from each culture meet and form a bond, not necessarily a romantic one, but a close one nevertheless. Kerk is a gulden man who lives with his step-mother, her husband, and their children. His own mother left Gold Mountain when Kerk was a child; his father remarried, then died. His step-mother made some wise moves so that Kerk wouldn't end up homeless, and it's obvious that she loves him, but he still longs to find his biological mother. His memories of her are faint, but he knows where she fled - the Lost City. It is there that he meets Jalciana, an indigo woman who has been helping the gulden women who flee their abusive husbands. Jalci is rich and privileged, and as an indigo, she has the power and the prestige. She offers to help Kerk find his mother, but tells him it won't be easy - the Lost City is called that for a reason. Women who have run their don't want to be found; their new lives are too precious to them. Kerk and Jalci form a bond, one that you'd love to see turn into a full-blown romance. Wisely, Shinn leaves us hanging on that count. And as she did in the Samaria books, neither culture is all-good or all-evil; she infuses each with the subtle nuances that keep from devolving into caricature.

"Flame" introduced me to the world of the Twelve Houses, and to Senneth, a mystic who can control fire. Not only can she create it, but she can also control it, including killing it. It's a very handy talent, letting her do things like warm the air around her so that she's never cold, bring a cup of tea up to temperature (something I'd love to be able to do), etc. But in this world, it's always dangerous to reveal your talents - mystics scare the common folk, often risking death from the villagers. Senneth is drawn into a more "normal" life by a well-meaning friend. She's given a nice dress, a haircut, and is thrown a small dinner party by said friend. There she meets a group of people from a nearby village, including Degarde, his sister Julia and her daughter Halie, as well as Albert and his wife Betony. When Albert starts discussing his difficult business dealings with the Lirrenfolk, Senneth offers him advice. Albert is so impressed he asks her to come along with him to "help", which she eventually (and very reluctantly) does. While visiting with Albert and her new "friends", small fires start in the village. Senneth puts them out, saving the town, but of course, at a price - there are those in the town that claim she is the one starting the blazes. Can she find the real culprit before she faces greater danger? A very solid if somewhat non-exciting story.

Finally, we come to the best, which is why I saved it for last, both in this review and in my reading order. I knew I wanted to wait to read about Samaria again, sort of draw out the anticipation, and I was right to do so. "Flight" was like visiting old friends - delightful. Salome lives and works on a farm, taking care of her almost-grown niece Sheba. She has a dull but good life. So she is none too happen to learn that angels have heard the pleas for a weather intervention (you'll have to read the series to understand - for now, just go with it); not only have they stopped the rain, they have decided to stay and attend a celebration dinner. Salome had her fill of angels when she was young, and these angels in particular make her dread the evening. She tries to stay in the kitchen as much as possible so as not to see any of them, but all her caution is for naught - she runs into the Archangel himself, Raphael, when she sneaks into the kitchen for a midnight snack. Salome warns Raphael away from Sheba, indeed, away from all the young girls at the farm; he just laughs. The angels do leave, which relieves Salome greatly, and she and her niece make plans to go with friends from the farm to a festival in nearby Laban. Unfortunately, there are angels there as well, including one that Salome knows very, very well from her past - Stephen. It's a bittersweet reunion, and there's trouble almost as soon as they reconnect; Sheba goes missing. Salome knows exactly where she is, and she must ask Stephen for help in rescuing her. This is Shinn at her best, and I fell back into the arms of the angels with a great gladness. In fact, I want to go back and read the books again, try to find the first time that Salome is introduced, because I'm almost certain that I've read about her before. Not from her first-person narrative, but through the eyes of another character, I'm sure. What a wonderful way to end this book - I knew there was a reason I saved it for last! (sort of like dessert...)

Overall, this is a solid offering of Shinn's work, all but the story "Gold", which you could easily skip over. The other three are enough to make me want to read the books that started them, or re-read them, as the case may be.

Uncle Stevie says...

We just got the newest edition of Entertainment Weekly here at the library yesterday afternoon, and it include Stephen King's "Best Books of 2009". I love end-of-year lists, and of course, I also love Uncle Stevie, so I was curious as to what would make his best-of list. I was familiar with most of the titles (in fact, hubby dearest has read one of them, #10), but what really surprised me was his #1 pick. I'd already read it! And not because he picked it! I won't tell you what it was - that would ruin the surprise. And you can't find the answer in this blog anywhere either. I just checked and it turns out it was one of the books that I did not review.

Yes, I'm a slacker. I don't review all the books I read. So sue me!

What I really wanted to share with you, dear readers, is Uncle Stevie's recommendation for an upcoming novel, one that he says will just absolutely blow us away. The book is called "The Passage" and it will be released June 8, 2010. King is calling it an "epic vampire novel", saying it's "your basic don't-miss reading experience". Hmmm..... I do love me a good vampire book. I'll have to keep my eyes out for it, try to make sure we get copies for the library. I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be like "The Historian"; I wanted to read this one so badly, and when I got it, I just could not get into it. Found it boring, boring, boring. However, the Bookbabe's dad just read it, and he says to stick with it, that there's a lot of really interesting historical stuff, and yes, finally you get to the juicy vampire bits.

We'll see. I have a lot of books on my to-be-read pile right now!

"The Spy Who Haunted Me" by Simon R. Green

"Eddie Drood, at your service. For generations my family has been shedding some light on the forces of darkness, keeping humanity safe from the wicked, the nasty, and the generally not-nice inhuman predators who feed on people's fear and misery. No one kicks evil arse better than us Droods - especially yours truly. In fact, my arse-kicking skills have come to the attention of the legendary Alexander King, Indpendent Agent extraordinaire. The best of the best, King spent a lifetime working for anyone and everyone, doing anything and everything, for the right price. Now he's on his deathbed, and he's looking to bestow all of his priceless secrets and knowledge on a worthy successor. King has selected six of us for this potential honor. He's made it a contest, challenging us to solve five mysteries all around the world, figuring that along the way we'll all try to eliminate the competition, backstabbing one another until only one remains. My competitors include agents from the CIA, the Fae Court of Shadows Fall, even the Nightside. But I've got to win at all costs, because King holds the most important secret of all to the Droods: the identity of the traitor in our midst."

Green is back with his third Eddie Drood adventure, and it's a great one. As Eddie says, he's one of six contestants chosen by Alexander King to receive the grandest of all grand prizes: all the secrets that King has accumulated in his years of spying. Eddie's competitors are known to him, some more than others. There's the Blue Fairy, once a friend of Eddie's, dragged into the Hungry Gods war, and now persona non gratis among the Droods for stealing one of their golden torcs. Honey Lake is tall and beautiful, and she's CIA. Lethal Marmony from Kathmandu ("call me Katt") is just as beautiful as Honey, and just as deadly for other reasons. Peter King, industrial spy, is also Alexander King's grandson. And then there's the last contestant, the one I was happiest to see, Walker. Yes, that Walker - from the Nightside. WOW! I love it when an author has crossovers between series, and Green has had a bit of that before, but this was just fabulous. Walker explains later in the book why he's there and not John Taylor, the other most famous Nightside resident, and I have to say, it totally makes sense.

Once the field is set, the contestants are given teleportation bracelets and told they must solve five mysteries, ones that end up being fairly famous. Like, the Loch Ness monster, Roswell, etc. The resolutions are interesting, and yes, they start trying to kill each other off pretty quickly. (One of the nice things is Green's use of pop culture - there's a quick but brilliant reference to the movie Highlander.) The action is quick-paced, driving the story along. There isn't much new here as far as character development, unless you count Walker, who we've never really known much about to start with.

My only complaint with this work is Green's constant "I'm a Drood" line from Eddie. He does almost everything he does "because I'm a Drood", he tells his fellow spies, over and over again. After a while, it felt very cliche and even annoying, sort of like when your mother would tell you not to do something, and if you asked why, you got the pat Mom-ism "Because I said so!" It's an answer, but it's not, not really. There are a few sections where I'm also pretty sure that Green used the exact same descriptive paragraph, word for word, rather than come up with something new. Now, he's done that before, such as the descriptions of Hawk and Fisher in each of those books. However, it's not nearly as noticeable when you're talking about different volumes of a work, rather than in the same work farther along towards the back of the book. Just felt a bit like Green was getting lazy.

Overall, I have really enjoyed the Eddie Drood series. This book would also work well for fans of action-adventure yarns, spy thrillers, fantasy.... well, pretty much anyone that likes a good read!

"Ruby's Diary: Reflections of all I've Lost and Gained" by Ruby Gettinger

If you've been watching "Ruby" on The Style Network, most of this book will be very familiar to you. It's still worth reading, though, as it gives a bit more insight into the mind of someone struggling with weight.

Ruby Gettinger, for those not familiar with her or the show, has almost always been on the "larger" size. At her heaviest, she was over 700 pounds. It never kept her from going out and living her life, though; she just couldn't do a lot of things that most of us take for granted. She's always had a lot of friends and has even had a boyfriend (Denny) but she wanted more out of life. It took a doctor's visit to really wake her up - he told her that if she didn't start trying to lose the weight, she'd most likely be dead within a few years. She had high blood pressure, diabetes, and other assorted weight-related health problems. She decided she was seriously going to diet this time. She asked her friends to start filming her, mostly so they could somehow show people what the struggle is like. Along came someone who thought it would make a great reality show, and now they're starting the 3rd season on Style.

What I like about Ruby is that she IS real. Yes, she has a team of experts helping her on this journey, and yes, I'm sure a lot of it is being paid for by the good people at the network. But only Ruby can be the one to actually lose the weight, and as she has shown on the show and here in the book, that doesn't always happen. There are days were she doesn't want to eat the prepared meals (she talks about how much she misses her spaghetti!) nor does she want to exercise. She tries to "be good" when she's on a trip, and she thinks she's done a good job, too. However, when she weighs in next, she learns that she's gained a couple pounds. When she goes over what she ate, the nutritionist points out all the "wrong" foods she's eaten, and it's not what you think. Calories DO count, people, regardless of where they come from!

Some of the prejudice she's encountered during her life are just awful. Sadly, I sometimes saw myself in that bunch of idiots - I think we all feel that way towards someone at some point in our life. Maybe we do it to feel better about ourselves, or maybe we're just going along with what is accepted behavior (slamming fat people is still OK with most, no matter whether it really is or not). The book made me realize that I need to really stop and get to know someone before I judge them. Trust me, not easy to do. And also trust me when I say that if I find reason to think you're an idiot, I'll go ahead and think it! LOL!

Ruby is truly a wonderful person, and someone I would like to meet someday. She's been doing a lot of touring with this book and with the show, so who knows? Anyone who's ever gone on a diet and "blown it", anyone who's struggled to lose weight, anyone really could pick up this book and appreciate Ruby's story.

The Best Used Book Store EVER!

I have been taken to task by my good friend in Indy. She was very disappointed that while I did say to visit your local used book store when searching for Xmas gifts, I did not give a "shout-out" on behalf of Half Price Books. This is where she currently works, and yes, dear readers, it is the used book store where I worked so many years ago, the very same one that I've referred to from time to time here on this blog. In the spirit of Christmas, and really - because I still do believe that they are THE best used book store in the USA - here's all you'd ever need to know about HPB!

They currently have over 100 store locations scattered in the following states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. They buy and sell used materials, basically anything printed or recorded, as well as remainder items. They have it all - hardbacks, paperbacks, children's books, CDs, DVDs, calendars, note cards, little stocking stuffers, etc. We even had some 8-track tapes when I worked there, if you can imagine that! They also have some great cloth bags for sale (or at least, I sure hope they do!).

Please visit their website, http://www.halfpricebooks.com/, for more information regarding specific store locations and hours, as well as everything else about the company. If you're lucky enough to live in a state with a store (or stores), go check them out - you won't be sorry! And no, I have not been paid anything for this endorsement, just in case you're wondering. I do it out of the goodness of my heart, and out of a genuine fondness for my 4 1/2 years with the company. And if Boots should be reading this, PLEASE OPEN A STORE NEAR CHARLOTTE, NC! It's all I want for Christmas...

"Grave Secret" by Charlaine Harris

"Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface... To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contract with other family members. Tolliver wants nothing to do with the man - but he may not have a choice in the matters. Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before. And what she finds out will change her world forever..."

Sadly, this appears to be the fourth and final installment in Harris's Harper Connelly series. I'm not entirely sure why she's giving up on Harper so quickly, and if the reviewer response on Amazon is any indication, they're just as stumped as I am. Sure, Harper's never reached the fan base that Sookie Stackhouse has (especially with "Trueblood" on HBO) but still. Oh well.

Harper and her stepbrother/now lover Tolliver are contacted by Lizzie Joyce, a Texas rancher, to discover how her father died. It was reported as a heart attack but Lizzie has always had her doubts. Unfortunately for her, her sister, and her brother, Harper reveals things about several people buried on the family plot, including how the old man's nurse/caretaker died. Surprise - she died of an infection after giving birth! No one knew she was pregnant, and Lizzie immediately dismisses Harper as a fake. Until she really thinks about it, at which time she contacts Harper and asks her for a few more details, saying that if there really is another Joyce heir, she's got to track him/her down and welcome them into the family.

Of course you just know that this revelation isn't good news for everyone, and before long, Tolliver is shot through their hotel room window (much as Harper was in a previous book, making one wonder why they stand in front of such windows!) There are several plot twists before the mystery is solved, and this time the solution felt a little bit too convenient. The majority of the book, though, concentrates on Harper and Tolliver's relatives, namely their younger half-sisters, the aunt and uncle raising them, Tolliver's brother Mark and his father, and Harper's long-lost sister Cameron. All the mysteries that have plagued Harper since the beginning of this series are solved, some of them neatly, some not so much. There's also the reaction of those same family members to the news that Harper and Tolliver are "together" - and yes, it's basically an "ick" factor, which should be expected. Granted, they are not related in any way by blood, but still, you live with someone long enough, calling them your brother the whole time, and it's going to be hard for people to get past that. In fact, Harper herself keeps referring to Tolliver as her brother, which I personally found icky, even though I was rooting for them to be together!

Overall, it's not the strongest entry in the series, but it was still good. And while it certainly does seem to be the last book, Harris has wisely left it open enough that she could pick it up again later. I really hope she does; I've liked Harper a lot, and I've very much enjoyed how Harris is able to write about someone struggling with a lot of the same things I do, namely how do I keep a roof over my head, the bills paid, handle things like health insurance, etc. Hmmm... maybe that's why it hasn't caught on as well as Sookie - too much reality? Well, that and no vampires!

Ho Ho Hmmmm...........

After browsing Amazon and Barnes & Nobles websites, I gotta tell y'all - there just aren't a lot of new releases this month. Sigh. Then again, most publishers have already rolled out the big names in hopes of customers buying them up for Christmas presents. And they've definitely gotten all the "holiday" titles out to the shelves, too, hardly waiting for us to come out of our turkey-day stupors. Which leaves us with very little else...

"Divine Misdemeanors" by Laurell K. Hamilton. The 8th book in LKH's Meredith Gentry series. Looks like the woman is still pregnant with twins, still refusing the throne, etc. I've never read any of these, mostly because my sister warned me that they had a LOT of sex in them, and I tend to prefer books with plots.

"Alone" by Loren D. Estleman. This is his 2nd Valentino mystery, and according to my husband, the guy can write. Better yet, Hubster recommends picking up some of his westerns, which are very historically accurate. If you like that sort of thing.

"U is for Undertow" by Sue Grafton. Yep, she's almost made it through the alphabet with her heroine, Kinsey Millhone. I saw a review and they asked Grafton what she planned to do after "Z" comes out; she said she was going to take some time off and take a long nap. Can't say as I blame her! I am sort of bummed about the title - I was hoping for something along the lines of underhanded, or maybe undertaker. Then again, it's not my series, is it?

"The Paris Vendetta" by Steve Berry. Still haven't read anything by him, but have one very good patron who just thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. His recurring character is Cotton Malone, and this is the fifth book in the series.

"Burning Shadows" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. This is either the 21st or 22nd book starring vampire St. Germain (it's not very clear on the B&N site). I read the first book in the series, and I've never picked up another one. It wasn't bad, just a bit dry for my taste. I will say this - it's obvious that CQY does a lot of research to the historical feel of the book. She probably would appeal to someone who remembers Anne Rice's style in the first few vampire books.

"KISS Kompendium" by Gene Simmons. OMG, this thing looks so cool! This would be well worth the investment for anyone who was or still is in the KISS army - in other words, an awesome Xmas gift. I really, really wanted us to get a copy for our library system, until I saw the price tag. Sorry, but at a list price of $75, we just can't afford it, both to buy it, and to keep it from walking out the door. Still, it's nice to dream!

"Deeper than the Dead" by Tami Hoag. I think it's pretty safe to say that Hoag is finished with her romance career; this title is all about a serial killer, probably the least romantic topic I can think of. What I'm more interested in is the Publishers' Weekly review that says there are some "unresolved plot threads" - is this what lead to the delay of almost a year in its release? We first had news of its release LAST YEAR, and it's just now coming out. I'll have to see what dirt I can dig up, no pun intended.

"Witch & Wizard" by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet. It's another month, so it's another Patterson book. This is another Young Adult offering, and I'll let you in on a little secret - Charbonnet wrote the book. The idea is usually "provided" by Patterson, with him "helping" out the other writer, and of course, having the final say-so before it's published. I guess it's not the worst thing in the world because he's at least giving the other author credit on the front of the book. And it has led to the authors getting their own book deals, such as Andrew Gross (who some of our patrons have said is better than JP!) But it's still aggravating to have a new "Patterson" book every bleeping month!

"Days of Gold" by Jude Deveraux. Popular women's fiction author puts out yet another book. Look for it to be a bestseller.

"Sizzle" by Julie Garwood. See the above title - ditto!

"Shades of Grey" by Jasper Fforde. Fforde wrote the immensely popular Thursday Next series (OK, popular among those of us that can appreciate the literary humor involved!). He's moving on to a book about a world ruled by the Colortacracy, a group determined to keep colors in line and/or denied to the people. Looks to be a bit like the movie "Pleasantville", but expect a lot more of the very intelligent humor we expect from Fforde. Can't wait!

"Too Much Money" by Dominic Dunne. Hmmm.... two dead authors this month, proving yet again that it's no impediment to one's career. Murder, mystery, and - yes - rich people.

"Nanny Returns" by Emma McLaughlin. As popular as "The Nanny Diaries" was, I'm surprised that the publisher chose to release this sequel this month. Feels like they're burying it, which isn't a good sign. Then again, maybe they wanted a month with very little competition.

"Steve McQueen, King of Cool: Tales of a Lurid Life" by Darwin Porter. A good-looking bio about one of the most famous/infamous "manly" men of Hollywood.

And that's about it, dear readers. Like I said, not a whole lot here, is there? Well, in any case, please hit the stores and buy books for your friends and loved ones. Since this is not what one would call a flush year for most, definitely stalk the aisles of your local used book store - you're sure to find some hidden gems, and you can save yourself a lot of money. Have a wonderful holiday, and yes, there will be reviews, I promise! Just have to get my loose ends tied up at work, then I can focus on y'all!