I confess.
I did it.
It was an accident, but still, I broke a cardinal rule of book reading.
I read the last chapter first.
I blame it on the e-book format and I should probably have to re-shelve library books for the next week as penance. 
Would I recommend it? Don’t read the last chapter first because that will spoil everything but also don’t let the first few chapters get you down. Give it a little time and you’ll fall in love with the grumpy old Swedish man called Ove, I did.
Is it cliche to compare a book that features coffee with a coffee shop? I hope not…
This book is told from a variety of view points and as they are introduced, the characters swirl through the plot like the steam and scent of coffee in eddies of breezes, mingling and changing as they meet. Just as if you were to follow your nose walking through your favorite local coffee shop, the scent of some of the characters drew me in. I wanted to know more about the woman who reads the future in coffee cups and I drank those stories up looking for seconds. Others pushed me back, the real estate agent was not what I hoped for, nor what I was expecting. Yet others, like the homeless man, changed on closer inspection, the difference between the initial scent of a cup and the surprising flavor on the tongue.
And I think the cover is wonderful. Judge books by covers sometimes- it totally works!
These people living in an Australian city have nothing but coffee in common, until they all drift toward the ceiling, swirling, changing and intersecting. Once that happens, once all the characters intersect, some in big ways some smaller you are left with an overall ambiance that is better than any of them individually.
Would I recommend it? Yes and I don’t even drink coffee.
(Also the book has undergone a rewrite and additional editing since the first reviews posted on Amazon, don’t let them scare you off!)
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lets just start off with a definition of “off-piste” because I’ll admit I had no idea what the title of this book (novella really) was referring to.
Google to the rescue!
I know there are people out there who always want their books to be really realistic and not all convenient with enough happily ever afters to go around.
I’m totally not that person.
I like happy endings, I like Christmas, I like this book (err- novella).
Actually, I love Christmas but it is also the part of the year that we spend lots of time with our family. Time where you look around and think that they are all crazy and you wonder how anything, much less everything is going to work out. (Sorry family.)
But then! Then, you read a book like this fine novella and think- “Well, her daughter is dating her best friend’s previous lover and father of her baby and they are all going on a fancy schmancy Christmas skiing trip in Italy together, even though she hates skiing and it all works out for them,” my totally normal family will be fine.
Would I recommend it? It’s goofy and funny and crazy and scandalous and *spoiler alert* ends happily. While I know there are scrooges out there who don’t approve of such things, I thought it was an excellent quick (Did I mention it was a novella? You can totally fit in in your reading schedule this month!) Christmas read!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I discovered this book because I’m a proud member of Rosie’s Book Review Team!
The Prince’s Son is, of course, the sequel to The Prince’s Man.
I read The Prince’s Man last year and found it to be a solid book:
“This newly created world is firm, there are no gaps or jumps of reasoning. One creature, idea, magic or bit of history flows right into the next. Characters that appear substantial at the beginning of the book do nothing but grow and evolve as their backstory unfolds behind them.
This is solidly written fantasy tale.” -myself on The Prince’s Man last year
This sequel, built as it was on such a solid foundation, continued to impress me.
The first book was very much a web of spies and lies and political maneuvering that really had me hooked. In this book what struck me was the character growth. I loved the way the characters from the previous book grew between books and how the whiny lady at the beginning (that I could barely stand reading about) turned into the character than I’m most excited to read about in the next book. While there is a precedent in fantasy for the original whinging characters to turn into fantastic heroes by the end, it’s a trend that can feel forced enough to be questionable. Not in this book. When you build your characters with a backstory and foundation as solid as Deborah Jay has, their growth and change isn’t something to wonder over but something to enjoy!
Would I recommend it? The Prince’s Son can be read as a stand alone, you don’t have to read The Prince’s Man first, but I think you should. What would happen to order in the universe if everyone just started reading books all willy nilly and out of sequence? Chaos I tell you, chaos! Either way, if you choose to be an agent for chaos or read the books in a sensible order like proper purveyor of peace, if you are a fan of fantasy I recommend this/these books!
I was given a copy of this book from the author in exchange for Beta reading it, which was basically the best nerdy book lover experience ever! After reading the final copy I also agreed to post my own honest review. Thank you Deborah Jay for letting me be a part of the experience!
This series starts with a young woman who was clearly caught up in all sorts of craziness. She has no family, blue hair, wicked fighting skills and delivers teeth to a bunch of chimeras on the other side of a magical door. Yet for some maddening reason knows nothing about anything.
I rolled my eyes.
Clueless protagonist, classic fantasy tale set up. Fine, it works, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
And then she meets the guy…He is of course super tall, super gorgeous, super mean looking, and, oh yes, an angel who’s in the process of trying to kill her. Of course he doesn’t because a thread of warm, fuzzy feeling pierces his cold, rotten heart once he gets a good look at her.
*cue eye rolling*
But…
Perhaps it was that I am always a sucker for a fantasy/romance/young adult or perhaps it was that the clueless protagonist and the otherworldly gorgeous man thing just works.
Or perhaps it was that once we got into the story and the main character got clued in (Not how I expected either!) and we learn more of the back story, everything was just different enough from the norm that I was willing to leave my eye rolls behind and fall headlong into the tale.
Would I recommend it? I actually ran across this series on a list of YA books for people who don’t think they like YA. And I have to say, for a young adult book it’s not heavy on the young part. The main characters are more college age and … errr …. up (Nobody really counts how old when you are talking angels…or .. resurrected souls in chimera bodies, right?). Angel ages aside, I would agree, young adult fandom is not required for this one. There is even a pleasing and almost surprising amount of depth for a young adult, fantasy/romance read. You probably should like fantasy though, what with the multi-world thing and the angels and the resurrected chimera (which come in all sorts of animal/human configurations) and the magic and the wishing and all that. Give it a try, even if the first few chapters make you roll your eyes and scoff, give it a chance, it gets better.
Much better!
Hey did you know that not only do I love books but I love sharing books too!?! November’s Book at the Door giveaway is open- come and enter I’d love to send you a book too!!!
I’m so grateful that I was once reeled in by a cute frog on the cover of a book. That book, Madam Tulip, introduced me to Derry O’Donnell and her accompanying, charmingly over the top, literary comrades.
David Ahern’s newest book cover isn’t as cute…
… but that’s alright because I loved it even more!
Would I recommend it? Yes! This is the new series I’m recommending to anyone who loves a humorous mystery! It made me giggle (so many times) and almost gag (there’s an eyeball…) and had me on the edge of my seat (Well, that’s just a lie on my part. I was reading in bed. But it did have me refusing to put the book down and go to bed at a reasonable time) all at once. A perfect fun, quick read!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I discovered this book because I’m a proud member of Rosie’s Book Review Team!
This is one of those books where the good ole boy Nebraska deer hunters get transported back in time and space to early 1900’s Africa.
Yeah… I’ve never read anything like it either and it does sounds a little crazy.
Okay, it might actually be a little crazy, but give it a chance!
Jerry writes with the eyes of a man who appreciates the detail of the natural world. He can bring both the Nebraska sandhills and the African plain to life like only one who’s loved and lived in the outdoors his whole life can. And, it seems, that he has heard enough hunters talking smart and telling yarns that his characters can banter and trash talk with the best of them, as they make their way through all the terrible and wonderful things the Athi Plain (not to mention that smugglers’ caravan they ran into) can throw at them. Even if they are just a couple of modern day rednecks.
Would I recommend it? Ivory and Gold was one of those books that I couldn’t help but smile as I read it. I smile when I tell someone about it and re-reading bits as I write this has me grinning all over again. I smiled for the characters and for the African time in history, and I bet, if you don’t mind a little space-time travel and love a good hunting yarn, you will too!
And the winner of September’s book and first line art is…
…Amy from Photography Journal Blog!
Book Bee and I are getting ready to head to the post office to ship this book and fun artwork from Dan of straydogstrut.co.uk off to Amy.
While we do that you should go find yourselves a copy of the book too. It’s one of those books that when I see it and point it out I can’t articulate much more than an, “Ooooo. Yeah. Read that!” Then once it’s in your hands get ready because, as I said back when I first read the book, this isn’t a casual beach read – you are going to need to pay attention to this one.
And it’s going to be worth it…
Get ready to pay attention!
Because as the main character relives her life over and over again you’ll want to remember who’s who, what was what and when things happened the last times around.
Would I recommend it? Yes, this is a book worth paying attention to!
Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org
Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!
Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know!
“Finis.”
I read the last line, sighed happily and mentally hugged the digital book to my heart (It’s a true downfall of e-readers, they just don’t snuggle like paper does).
This novel flipped between excerpts from Mrs. Darcy’s diary (yes, that Pride and Prejudice Mrs. Darcy) and the 2014 hunt for the lost diary. On the surface that sounds like it could be, well, boring.
It wasn’t.
The chapters switched between time frames in a way that I was never lost in one time yearning for another. I loved the romance, (of the happy sighing kind) and the hard to put down suspense of it all (I know, lost document suspense, believe it!). My only regret is that e-readers just don’t accept hugs like paperbacks do.
Would I recommend it? I have already told everyone who’s been willing to sit and listen that they should read this and you should too! If you’ve ever shown even a passing interest in Pride and Prejudice, historical fiction, sweet romance, contemporary drama or detective stories, try this book! I absolutely loved it and have moved the authors other book to the top of my “to be read” list!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I discovered this book because I’m a proud member of Rosie’s Book Review Team!
Perhaps you’ve read The Bloodless Assassin or The Black Orchid (I know I told you should!). If you have, you’ll already know the main character Rory. But if you haven’t, this truly is (and believe me I’m picky about such things) a stand alone novella about Rory’s life as a young street urchin.
If you’ve read the others in this series you’ll get treated to flashes of insight into what makes Rory tick and fun glimpses of supporting characters as they were years before we really “meet” them.
If you are a new reader you’ll be presented with a page turning story (I read it in one sitting) of a hungry street urchin turned pickpocket. Complete with loss, hard times, friendships and the character depth and growth I’m beginning to happily expect from Celine Jeanjean’s writing. And, you’ll be introduced to the city of Damsport. A city that comes with such depth and detail it gives all of the books an unbelievably firm sense of place and seems to be a character in it’s own right.
Would I recommend it? Was it not yet obvious? Yes! If you haven’t been sure The Viper and Urchin is the right series for you, try this one first! It’s short, it’s minimally steampunk-y (in case that scares you off) and it’s an all around great read. Just don’t yell at me when you are downloading the rest of the series onto your e-reader in the middle of the night!
September’s Book at the Door giveaway is still open! Don’t forget to put your name in the hat for the chance to win a paperback book and first line artwork! Book at the Door: September Giveaway
Behind the Willows 