DNF Explanation: Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

Pages: 313
Released: January 2, 2018
Publisher: Berkley Books (Penguin Random House)
Received: E-ARC from publisher, via NetGalley
DNF: 31%

Jennifer Ashley is probably better known for her romance novels, but she does branch off occasionally and that's when she piques my interest. My one experience with her was her historical fiction take on Elizabeth I and I was pretty impressed with her storytelling, characterizations, and historical detail. So I had high hopes for Death Below Stairs.

The good? Just like in her Elizabeth book, Jennifer Ashley focuses on a historical craft and brings it wholly to life. In the Elizabeth book it was fashion and sewing, but in Death Below Stairs it's all about the food. The main character serves as the cook in a fancy British house ala Downton Abbey and the descriptions of the dishes she makes are detailed and divine. Honestly, I would have enjoyed the book if it was entirely about the cooking. The Downton Abbey feel of the upstairs, downstairs relationships and the big house was charming and thoroughly enjoyable.

So why the DNF? Mainly two reasons: I didn't like the main character and I didn't like her romance. The character of the main character didn't ring true to me and she was far too Strong Female Character for her own good. In an early scene she boldly sasses the master of the house while standing in defense of one of the servant girls who he occasionally likes to get handsy with. Now, don't get me wrong, she was in the right and the master of the house was very much portrayed as the Villain of the Piece, but it all felt so contrived. She also ran off half-cocked, which is behavior that would be more likely to get her fired than not. Which, a woman in her position would know and therefore not likely behave in such an eye-roll-inducing way. I know these traits are supposed to make us root for her, but it really just made me shake my head at her and find her off-putting and not realistic.

And then there's the romantic lead. He's a scoundrelly guy with Secrets who engages in work that isn't exactly above board. He has a network of spies and secret handshakes and disguises and he felt like such a contrived caricature and I just could not care less about him. He and the main character apparently have a history together, which is hinted at very strongly (which, really, the purpose was to hamfistedly direct the reader to the prequel novella) and yet he keeps so many secrets from her. I imagine this is supposed to make him seem dangerous and mysterious and therefore alluring, but I feel like I'm too old for that crap and I just want him to cut the childish games and be trustworthy, honest, and stable for her.

To be fair, much of this is simply a case of "wrong reader" as opposed to any real flaw in the book. The romantic lead is very much the adult version of the Dickensian street scamp, and that's a character I tend not to like very much.

Anyway, then, underneath all this, there is a murder mystery. I was interested in following this part of the story, but between the unappealing main characters and historically unrealistic vibe, I found it hard to stick with the story.

Bottom line

Readers who click with the main character and romantic lead should find enjoyment with Death Below Stairs. There are a lot of elements here I can get on board with and I want to love this series, but I think it's probably just not for me.




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Book Review: The Guests on South Battery by Karen White

#5 in the Tradd Street series
Pages: 352
Publisher: Berkley
Released: January 10, 2017
Rating: 4.5 out of 5, Special Shelf
Goodreads

Ok, so here's some backstory. I adore this series. Favorite ever, reread a bizillion times, re-listen on audio, feel like the characters are real, adore. The series wrapped up perfectly with book four and then there was a break between book four and book five and I was so worried that the series was going to get stretched beyond its natural ending and things would go downhill.

So. I saved this book for winter break so I could get the full distraction-free experience. And it was both more and less than I was expecting it to be.

Let's get the bad out of the way first? So, yes, the series maybe should have ended with book four. This did seem a little dragged out and we did a lot of retread over things that had been established in the previous four books rather than creating new. It did feel like this book was propped up more by the past than it was standing on its own two feet.

The mystery was good, but also disappointing. I don't pride myself on being a super-sleuth and figuring out mysteries long before they're revealed. The mysteries of the first four books did, well, take me by surprise maybe isn't the right phrase, but they slowly unfolded over the course of the story.

Not so with book five. Here I pretty much figured out all of the Big Reveals as soon as the first clue was dropped. That was disappointing, since half of the fun of these books has been unraveling the mystery. I also always thought the mysteries were clever, and while I do still like these mysteries, the delivery left something to be desired. The connections to Mellie's life also felt forced and unbelievable. How many secrets and ghostly connections can one family have?

And then there was that whole thing with Jack. The whole thing was treated as if it were a growth moment for Mellie, but I don't think she was wrong. I do think Jack was wrong, but it wasn't presented like that. The whole thing made me think less of him, and I really don't want to think less of Jack.

Ok, deep breath. Now that that's all out of the way, on to the good! The book still gets high marks from me because despite all my quibbles, this is still very much a Tradd Street book.

I still adore all the characters, I still love spending time in the old houses, I still love being transported back to Charleston, and I still love the ghostly mysteries. There's also the addition now of Mellie's children and I never thought I'd find fictional babies adorable and wonderful, but Karen White has me (semi) convinced that I want some of my own now.

Bottom line

Yeah, this could have been better. And, yes, it's definitely showing signs of a series that has run its course. But, the ending strongly suggests that we're in for at least one more book, and that's good because despite everything, I'm not ready to let go yet.

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Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Pages: 336
Publisher: Del Rey
Released: January 10, 2017
Received: ARC from publisher via NetGalley
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I kept hearing all sorts of things about how beautiful and lyrical this book was and that usually means I'm equally intrigued and worried about being bored. I like beautiful books. I also know that waxing poetic about how beautifully written a sentence is can also be code for "dull."

Lucky for me, this was the kind of beautiful that is also absorbing and captivating. The chapters are on the longish side and usually that's a bad thing for me, but it didn't bother me in this book. Mostly because I was so, well, absorbed.

The book starts out in one direction and then slowly winds toward the main thread of the story. It first introduces side characters and background characters and normally this would really frustrate me because I hate books that take forever to get going, but in this case it worked for me. Again, chalk it up to the absorbing writing? Probably. It was almost like little fairy tales building on one another to create a bigger fairy tale.

And, yes, this is definitely one of those fairy tale type books. The characters have the depth and nuance of fairy tale characters, which somehow manages to be both shallow and deep at the same time. Sometimes things happen in illogical ways but it works because it's a fairy tale story and sometimes you just need to go with things in these types of stories. The plot winds together slowly and sometimes disconnected, but always methodically and building inexorably toward the final showdown between good and evil.

Bottom line

Beautiful, absorbing, captivating, atmospheric. This recalls childhood stories with all of the magic a good storytelling can impart.

Recommended for readers who enjoyed: 

 

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Mini Reviews: Two Middle Grade Series Starters

Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sign me up, count me in, whatever it takes I'm invested in this series (why isn't book 2 on Goodreads?!). Addison Cooke is two parts Theodosia and Kat, two parts Indiana Jones, two parts The Mummy and all parts fun. From page one it's a rip-roaring adventure as our intrepid group chase their kidnapped relatives into the heart of South American jungles, mingle undercover at mobster parties, explore ancient booby-trapped tombs, and follow clues on a hunt for buried treasure. This combines with amusing prim and proper quips and Addison always staying cool under fire. Highly recommended.

Half Upon a Time by James Riley
Received: Library
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I read this so long ago (ok, it was January 2015, but that feels like forever ago), and I still don't have much to say about it. It's not a bad book. It's not an amazing book. It's kind of just a book. A very been there, done that kind of fractured fairy tale that doesn't do anything offensive or bad, but doesn't really make its mark in any defining way either. At least, it didn't for me. I had super high expectations for it, so my general feelings toward it are tinged with disappointment. If I hadn't set such high hopes, then I might have enjoyed it more for what it was, which is still just ok, but at least it would have been a happier ok, if that makes sense. I haven't picked up the rest of the series yet and while I wouldn't mind reading the next book, I'm also not dying to jump into it either. Other books are taking priority and I'd say there's 50/50 odds of my finishing this series.




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Series Review: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

#1 in the Alex Craft series
Pages: 325
Released: September 21, 2010
Publisher: ROC
Received: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5stars
Goodreads

At this point I've read the first three books in the series and they've all blended together in my memory so this is really more of a review for the series thus far than for any one book in that series.

Paranormal romance/urban fantasy books and me have a weird relationship. In general, I really don't like them. There's this gritty feel to them that just bothers me and I usually feel dragged down by the desperate- but-tough main character and her aloof, mixed-signals love interest.

But every once in a while, I'm in the mood for a book in this genre. I haven't been able to pin point yet what makes some of these books work for me when most of them don't at all, but oh boy, when they work for me, they work for me. I flew through this series and only stopped because the fourth book hadn't been published yet.

So, what do you get with the Alex Craft series? A desperate-but-tough main character, but there's something about her that's endearing. She's tough, but she's not kick-butt-tough. She isn't the kind of badass lady who can take on the world with her giant shoulder chip. She's more subdued and fully aware of her limitations, which made me want to protect her rather than roll my eyes at her.

She also just seems nice. But that's the thing about a lot of the characters in this series: they're just nice (and I mean that in a good way). I like them, I'd hang out with them, and I care about what happens to them. They make me smile (especially Alex's ghost side-kick). This is the biggest thing the series has going for it for me.

But, the other thing that keeps me reading are the mysteries. Each book has a self-contained mystery (usually a murder) and an overarching series mystery, and all the mysteries were well-crafted. Clues were given out at just the right pace and each time I was invested in trying to figure out what was going on.

The magic system was also pretty engaging. I was just as interested in figuring out the world and magic rules and possibilities as I was in figuring out the murder mysteries. Alex knows a lot and sets the stage, so I felt pretty grounded in the world right away, but Alex is also discovering new things about her own magic and the greater magical world and I enjoyed sleuthing with her on this front, too.

The romance is probably the biggest point loss for me since we get the dreaded love triangle. I'm also not a fan of how either of the love interests treats Alex. The set up for why she can't be with them is so contrived and at three books in I'm getting pretty tired of it all. I'd like to see Alex forget about them both and just find herself a nice, stable man without baggage. That said, when things are working out between Alex and her romantic interests, the chemistry is definitely there and I'm convinced she should stay with them.

Bottom line

When I'm looking for something light, engaging, fun, and nice this is a good go-to series.

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DNF Explanation: Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Read to page 195 of 352
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released: February 12, 2013
Received: Library
Goodreads

I wasn't blown away by Maurissa Guibord's debut Warped, but I liked it well enough to give her sophomore novel Revel a try. At this point I think she just might not be the author for me, because while Revel definitely felt more polished, I didn't click with it enough to finish.

In the plus column were the unique mythology and paranormal creatures. The exact nature of the creatures and their history with the islanders is shrouded in mystery (at least, shrouded from main character Delia because the rest of the creepy islanders know all about it). Piecing together this mythology held my interest and is pretty much the only reason I kept reading (the plot is seriously slow).

At least, it held my interest until Delia started getting some answers and those answers left me...turned off. Getting the answers also turned the focus of the plot from unraveling a mystery to getting consumed by romance. I like my books with a touch of romance, but when the romance becomes the focus I start to yawn. Especially when it's insta-love. With a love triangle. And when the romance is more creepy and bland than swoony.

So, DNF. And, looking now and realizing this is a Delacorte book, I'm not really surprised. We don't usually get along.

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Book Review: Red by Liesl Shurtliff

Pages: 256
Released: April 12, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Goodreads

It's hard to go wrong with a retelling, especially when you play it safe like Liesl Shurtliff has done. The elements of the original Little Red Riding Hood are cleverly woven into the story, but the original is pretty bare bones and so most of this story takes a wholly original approach.

Red, as a character, is equal parts likable and forgettable. I'm fine with that, because that means I had a nice character to journey with along the story, but once the story was over we effectively parted ways. The side characters were developed similarly: nice and enjoyable during the story, but not memorable.

The plot also followed that same path. It was just enough to keep me engaged, but not quite enough to stick with me after the story was over. I think the target audience will be even more engaged than I was, and the nifty quest-ish stops along the way will probably stick with younger readers more effectively.

Though, there was this one scene along the journey that really has stayed with me. It was creepy, sad, romantic, and terrifying all rolled into one and could easily stand alone as a short story in its own right. For those who have read the book, I'm talking about the memory water scene. While most of the other lessons Red learns along the way are your standard fare coming of age, growing type lessons, this scene provided something meatier and more adult to contemplate.

If Red is any indication, Liesl Shurtliff's series of standalone fairy tale retellings are a solid contribution to the genre that should appeal to the target audience of middle-graders, but also provide something for YA and adult readers. Recommended, especially for fans of authors like E.D. Baker.

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Book Review: The Afterlife Academy by Frank L. Cole

Pages: 288
Released: September 8, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

A good, solid middle-grade book that should appeal equally to boys and girls. I'm already starting off this review pretty paint-by-numbers, but that's kind of because this is a pretty paint-by-numbers book. Which isn't a bad thing. See, here's what you get:

• Feisty ghost sidekick
• Shy living boy who geeks out in all the right ways and finds his inner strength and confidence
• One-note villains who aren't complex, but also don't need to be
• Steady pacing that isn't breakneck, but isn't slow either
• Super short chapters
• Clever, but not overly complex world-building
• A Big Reveal that isn't super predictable

So, you can see how The Afterlife Academy doesn't really break new ground or stand out in any amazing way. But, it also doesn't stand out in any bad ways, either. The characters, plot, and world were also fleshed out enough to hold the interest of an adult reader. This may sound like damning with faint praise, but I think the exact opposite is the case. This is a dependable book. The kind of book that will deliver a solid, fun story. 

The Afterlife Academy is a good contribution that deserves a spot on gift lists and library shelves. This is a standalone, but it has a solid enough base that I could easily see it going on to become a steadily successful series. Recommended, especially for Rick Riordan fans.

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Book Review: In the Shadow of the Crown by Jean Plaidy

Pages: 406
Published: May 18, 2004 (originally 1989)
Publisher: Broadway Books
Received: Own
Rating: 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

Oh Mary. This is not a happy story, though it is one sympathetic to Mary. Plaidy starts the book when Mary is a beloved child and all is more or less well between her parents Katherine and Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn comes on the scene early on though, and of course it's all downhill from there.

In typical Plaidy style, this is pretty much a rundown of events, complete with repetitive phrases, non-fiction-ish narrative, and thinly developed characters. All of which I'm ok with.

I already know this story and have read the events of Mary's life through multiple other books, so I'm not sure at this point how In the Shadow of the Crown would come across to readers unfamiliar with Mary's history. I didn't come across any cringe-worthy inaccuracies and the events seemed pretty balanced with good pacing though, as often seems to be the case, more focus on her pre-queen years.

The queen years were where I was truly gutted and Plaidy broke out of her play-by-play style and actually developed a character for Mary. This part was so hard to read because Mary is so hopeful and in love, and her husband and court are not at all nice to her. Watching her continually make a fool of herself, when all she wanted was someone to finally love her, was painful to read. My heart broke for her as she pinned her hopes on her husband, kingdom, and dreams for a child and then it broke further as she eventually came to terms with the realities of these situations. This part was well done.

Bottom line

Plaidy has proven to be a solid historical fiction choice, and this was one of  her better books. Mostly it's typical Plaidy, but she slowly grows Mary as an individual with the final chapters solidifying Mary as one of Plaidy's more richly drawn historical figures.

Definitely recommended for Mary fans, but also for historical fiction fans in general who don't mind Plaidy's drier style.

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Book Review: Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip

Pages: 262
Received: Own
Rating: 3/3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Dense and dreamy, this book contains a very simplistic and nice fairy tale-like story dressed up with a lot of fancy language and imagery. It is on one hand evocative and mood-setting, while on the other hand bloated and annoying.

I'm not a reader who likes the "dreamscape" feeling, so I really didn't like McKillip's foggy, dreamy wanderings into the vague fairy world. I don't feel like I have a firm explanation on why some things happened the way they did, or even on what exactly happened in a few cases. I feel like there was a lot of "Because, fairies" and not much else of substance provided.

I don't like that, and that intangibility will make this a story that does not stick with me very long, like a dream that already starts disappearing and not making sense as soon as you wake up.

I also don't tend to love the cruel whimsy of fairies, so there's that working against it too. Also, I hated the romantic betrayal. I know, I know, it was a spell or...something? But I don't like cheating, even when it's fairy-induced.

I did appreciate the story and images of winter. The feeling of snowfall, simultaneously beautiful and oppressive has lingered with me.

Bottom line

I felt like I, too, was under a spell when I was reading this. I was sucked in and sped through in a single sitting. The story had a hold on me and I did enjoy it, but I'm also glad it was short. I appreciate Patricia McKillip and I'll give a few more of her books a try.

Authors like Juliet Marillier and Sharon Shinn have a similar style where they use words and imagery to carefully craft a stunning story, but I think those two authors provide more meat to their stories and characters, whereas this book felt like the heavy words and imagery were used to mask and prop up a thin story with stock characters.

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Book Review: The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy

Pages: 393
Received: Own
Goodreads

Ok, so my own bias affected my ability to love this book. See, I don't like Anne Boleyn, or, rather, I love her as a villain. I liked her in the Showtime version. Sultry, confident, clever, cruel, ruthless, cunning, social climbing, manipulative, and yet still a victim of her horrible family.

I did not like Jean Plaidy's interpretation as a sweet, good, reluctant lover of the king, left pining for a quiet life with another man. She was so judgmental of her sister Mary for sleeping around both the French and English courts. Which, yeah, I get that, but I don't want Anne to be the judgy moral prude sister. The only thing Plaidy retained was Anne's quick temper, and even that seemed muted.

I did like that we got to spend some time with a young Anne during her time in the French court. Her perspective of the French king and Mary Tutor (sister of Henry) was fun to read.

Plaidy is also always good for her historical recounting, often coming across more like narrative non-fiction than fiction with the main character taking a significant part of the narrative to recount the historical goings on of the time. I can see how readers could get really bored with this style of telling not showing, but I actually like it.

What I don't like about her writing style are the constant repetitions. If all these repeated points and phrases were removed, you probably could eliminate almost 100 pages!

All in all, I liked some things and Jean Plaidy is still a solidly ok historical author that I will continue to read. But, my gosh, her portrayal of Anne was just not something I could get behind.

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Book Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Pages: 435
Publisher: Del Rey, Random House
Released: May 19, 2015
Received: Library
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Mmmm this book was a delight in storytelling. That said though, it has some rough spots for me.

Sadly, the characters are the biggest points off for me, and I live for characters. While I liked Agnieszka, there was a something about her that kept me from truly loving her. All the ingredients were there and her character journey is awesome. But. Something. I do think I'll like and appreciate her more on my second read (and, yes, there will be a second read, and a third, and a fourth, and so on).

The Dragon was a big disappointment. He's too jerky for me to get behind and not fleshed out enough for me to like him beyond his prickliness. I needed more depth from him, and I didn't get it. I was really looking forward to his character, so this was crushing.

While the romance did give me hate-turned-love, it failed to give me sparks, toe-curls, or heel-pops (see disappointing Dragon). I'm not convinced he's worthy of Agnieszka. Part of me thinks she would be better off on her own, while part of me is disappointed at that idea because then she wouldn't get a happily ever romance. But, I think my torn feelings all go back to the Dragon being an unworthy happily ever after. I don't feel satisfied.

Then there was the pacing, which, at times, did not make me happy and pulled me out of the story. I could have done without the slow start (almost DNF-ed because of it) and the jarring jump from the tower/wood setting to the court setting. This last wasn't a bad thing, but it was unexpected and I don't like that and the transition could have been smoother.

But, even with all that, this is a Special Shelf book.

It's the Wood. It all comes back to the Wood. This palpable, living, breathing character in its own right. This menacing, creeping, constant presence that made me feel equal parts dread and intrigue. Figuring out how it works, what it is, and why it does what it does. Visualizing its actions, magic, and attacks. This kept my eyes glued to the pages, wishing I would never run out. The Wood has all the depth, backstory, and nuance that the Dragon lacks.

Also, the magic. This ties in with the Wood, but it also stood separate and in both cases I was enthralled. I was entranced by the descriptions, but I also loved how character growth was intertwined with magical expression. Characters wield magic and are changed by magic, victims of magic and allowed to be their true selves through magic.

This was a book I could touch and feel and become so totally absorbed in that the real world disappeared around me. I've thought back on the story many times since finishing it and it still keeps pulling me back. This was an experience I'm glad I had.

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DNF Explanation: The Vatican Princess by C. W. Gortner

Pages: 400
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Released: February 9, 2016
Received: ARC via NetGalley
Rating: DNF at page 259 (64%)
Goodreads

I keep starting and erasing this review. I'm struggling because on one hand, I really, really wanted to love this book. I've been a big C. W. Gortner fan and I'd been looking forward to his take on Lucrezia for years. On the other hand, I did DNF it.

I think it all boils down to C. W. Gortner's portrayal of Lucrezia. She's too innocent, young, and dumb. Her attempts at scheming are childish and uninteresting. I wanted her to be calculating. I wanted her to be stronger. I wanted her to be someone I could root for, but instead I ended up feeling mild dislike.

And, now that I think about it, the other characters suffered similarly. For such a passionate, polarizing family, these characters came across as thin caricatures, not capable of evoking strong feelings in me or leaving any kind of lasting impression. Borgia himself was a weak, easily fooled old man. Ceasare was a stereotypical, boring Byronic hero, with none of the allure or intrigue I was hoping to get. Juan was just one-note evil.

Lucrezia kept hovering on the outside of the Borgia family schemes, but I never got to dive into them and it was hard to imagine the characters I was shown would be capable of any kind of interesting plotting. This made for a boring, frustrating read.

I kept waiting for something interesting to happen or for Lucrezia to take some control of her story, but that never happened. I get that she was a political pawn for her family and didn't have a whole lot of control, but she didn't even have any agency in her thoughts. Events just happened to her and she stumbled blindly through her life with this stupefying wide-eyed innocence, which makes little sense considering her family.

Maybe this is because Lucrezia is younger during the parts I read and she will grow to be a stronger person? I keep trying to make excuses because I so want to like this book, but I feel like I'm grasping for excuses.

Lucrezia also stumbled into a large number of graphically sexual situations. I guess that's fine in a Borgia book, but it felt like this book couldn't decide what it wanted to be: a revisionist redemption novel for pure innocent Lucrezia, a salacious sexfest, or a serious historical novel. I don't think it really succeeded in any of those areas and the combination didn't really work. The graphic parts also seemed almost boring and repetitive because they were used to show how evil the villainous characters were, and it was all very cackling and one-dimensional.

This may be a case of high hopes dashed. I fell in love with C. W. Gortner's The Queen's Vow and The Last Queen, about Isabella and Juana, two tempestuous queens with drama-filled lives. Neither woman is easy to like, but C. W. Gortner really showed the nuances of their characters. There was so much depth and historical detail packed into those books.

But this one just seemed to lack both the depth of characterization and the depth of historical substance that those other two books had. I didn't feel transported to that historical time period. Really, it could have been any "olden" time or place. I didn't feel like I learned anything, and I am far from a Borgia scholar. The few details included felt very surface-level and minimally researched. I didn't feel compelled to race to Google and start digging deeper into the history of these people and their time. I didn't feel much of anything and the whole thing had a very "phoned-in" vibe to it.

Bottom line

I guess this one is a miss for me, but I'm not giving up on Gortner just yet. I have a copy of his Catherine de Medici book, and I still have high hopes for it. But for this one, I'm very disappointed.

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Series Review: The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency by Jordan Stratford

I'm a sucker for historical mysteries, spunky heroines, and middle grade mysteries, so it was pretty much a case of love at first sight as soon as I opened the envelope and The Case of the Girl in Grey fell into my hands.

Of course, then I realized it was the second book in the series, so I groaned and contemplated reading the second book first. Which is something I never do. That's a book sin I put right up there with dog-earing, but such was the depth of my desire to dive right into this series (I don't do patience very well).

Thankfully, I restrained myself and turned to the library, and the library came through for me. Sidebar? Much as I love real hold-in-my-hands books, there is nothing like an e-library for perfectly meeting my needs of instant gratification and laziness.

So, needless to say I flew through these books and I'm toe-tappingly annoyed that there aren't any more for me to read because I adore them (auto-buy kind of love). These are the types of books that make me want to use words and phrases like "delightful" and "bosom friends." Jordan Stratford's writing really is a cut above and that makes all the difference. The books are both tiny with super short chapters, and yet there was so much depth and substance. The illustrations peppered throughout fit perfectly and I looked forward to each one. Strongly recommended for fans of the Theodosia Throckmorton series.

Oh, also, the characters in this series are real historical figures, but their ages and timelines have been turned all kinds of topsy-turvey. Normally I should hate this because you know how I feel about messing with history. But, for some reason, I really don't mind it here at all. Maybe it's because Jordan Stratford does such a good job at making these characters that I couldn't imagine them (or don't want to imagine them) otherwise? I don't know. There is a historical note at the end and he's very upfront about all the changes, so young readers won't be led astray.

The Case of the Missing Moonstone
Received: Library
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The cast starts out smaller, introducing first Ada and then Mary and Peebs. Ada is the kind of character that might otherwise annoy me because she's just...odd. But the nuances of her personality and her friendship with Mary make Ada a character with depth, and that depth makes all the difference between "irritating stock character" and "beloved friend." Mary just seems straight out fun and Peebs is the kind of hapless character I just want to hug. The mystery was entertaining and, even though I would have been into the story for the characters alone, the mystery stands up just as well.

The Case of the Missing Moonstone
Received: Finished copy from the publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The cast gets bigger with the additions of both Mary and Ada's younger sisters. I can't say I'm much of a fan of either, but somehow that seemed to work. I found them annoying and yet still entirely lovable. I guess kind of like how little sisters can be.

Still, I didn't love how this did take some attention away from Ada and Mary and their friendship. Taken in the context of the larger series, though, I don't think this will be a problem since we'll have plenty of time to explore all the characters.

The mystery here is just as good as the first book and I was happy to see Charles (as in, Dickens) get to play a part in the sleuthing. I love how the mysteries pay homage to classic Gothic and mystery tales while still feeling fresh and unpredictable. I really can't rave about this series enough.


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Book Review: The Secret Bride by Diane Haeger

Received: Own
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Dear lord, is it that hard to Google??

I don't have too many good things to say about this book. The historical "accuracy" was pitiful. I know, I know, you may think, "But Small, it's historical fiction!" And, yes, I know.

But I don't like historical fiction that takes gigantic liberties with historical fact, especially when a quick trip to Wikipedia would set things straight.

And I'm not even talking about things like minor smushings of the timeline (which were definitely present— characters were walking around when they should have been dead years ago and others died too soon), but I can give a pass for when it makes for easier storytelling...which kinda sorta might have applied here?

I'm talking about stupid little things like getting Catherine of Aragon's hair color right (it's RED, not black!) or Anne Boleyn's birth order right (yes, there's contention, but modern opinion is she was the younger sister), or the number and birth order of Mary Tudor's sons right (none of her sons made it to the age of her book son, and, yeah, notice I'm using the plural, Ms. Haeger?).

Simple little things that don't require the author to be a master historian but do take enough effort to Google. And, really, I don't think I'm asking too much in that. I am not a super historian and my memory is awful and even I managed to pick up on these things.

You'd think an author who chooses to write in the genre would at least put in some minimal effort to get these things right. I mean, even the author's note was riddled with errors!  

Bonus points: It's poorly written! 

From a storytelling perspective, The Secret Bride was so, so boring. Nothing happened. Their "romance" plodded along with repetitive mentions of feelings but no actual showing of the development of said feelings. No reasons were given for why these two characters fell in love and would risk the wrath of the king.

Character development was inconsistent with history, but also super shallow. Mary and Charles don't feel like real people beyond the page. I couldn't muster up a care for their plight and the side characters were even less developed. Henry VIII's characterization was laughable.

Bottom line

The TV show was about a thousand times better in all major areas: storytelling, accuracy, and character development. And, yeah, I know all about the historical inaccuracies in that show.

I won't be wasting my time nor my shelf space on another book by this author.


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Book Reviews: Mouse Scouts and Grimmtastic Girls

Mouse Scouts series by Sarah Dillard
Pages: 128
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released: January 5, 2016
Received: Finished copies of books 1 and 2 from publisher

This book is on the lower age-range of what I usually review, but it was worth making an exception. Filled with sweet characters, an amusing lesson (gardening!), and cute illustrations, Mouse Scouts is the start to a new series early chapter book readers will definitely enjoy. Each book follows the characters as they earn a new scout badge, making this an addicting series as readers will want to collect all the badges along with their favorite characters. The badges and little lessons in the stories allow for easy classroom integration or family activities. Recommended.
 

Snow White Lucks Out by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Series: #3 in the Grimmtastic Girls series
Pages: 192

Publisher: Scholastic
Released: June 24, 2014
Received: Library

Unlike the Goddess Girls series, the Grimmtastic Girls series has a story arc that carries over from one book to the next. That makes this series difficult to read out of order, but also provides a nice bridge from reading standalone shorter books to transitioning into reading larger series. The plot thickens in Snow White Lucks Out with the main characters wondering if they can trust one another. Snow White is never my favorite fairy tale character, and that held true here, too (I prefer Red). But, Snow has a lot of endearing qualities and her story will resonate with many readers, continuing on the strength of these stories in that there is a character for every reader. Definitely a series I will be sticking with and sharing with others.


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Book Review: The Cat Who Came in off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt

Pages: 160
Received: Finished copy for review from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This book makes me want to use words like "delightful" and "charming." It's evocative of old-timey classics where stories were amusing to both adults and children because they're just good, solid, sweet stories. It makes me think of classic Disney.

(Point of note, the old-timeyness may come from the fact that this was originally published in 1970).

There's a lot of substance to this story, but it never felt cluttered or wandering. There's Miss Minou's troubling cat-to-human predicament, Tibble's imminent firing if he can't come up with non-cat news, and the dastardly Case of the Cruel Society Man.

Plus all the little side stories and characters like the Tatter Cat and her kittens and all of the cats and people around the neighborhood, each with their own darling attributes. And, of course, the messages, which are all feel-good but subtle enough not to feel like you're getting bashed over the head with messages.

This was a fun, sweet story and I am so happy to have read it. I will definitely be passing this one on to many children.


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