Library of Clean Reads: Fiction

Showing posts with label Fiction. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Rally 'Round the Corpse: An Abel Adventures Mystery by Hy Conrad

Rally ‘Round the Corpse: An Abel Adventures Mystery by Hy Conrad
Seven Realms Publishing
ISBN:978-0983735045

Published May 29, 2012
Trade Paperback, 337 pages

I thoroughly enjoyed this don’t-take-yourself-too-seriously murder mystery. It’s a light, witty novel with just the right amount of humor.

Amy and her mother, Fanny, run a travel agency specializing in adventures. The Monte Carlo to Rome Mystery Road Rally is a travel adventure/murder mystery game offered to well-heeled tourists, “people pampering themselves to the tune of two weeks and many thousands of dollars”. Actors provide clues to the mystery that the vacationers use to solve the puzzle (it reminded me a bit of The Amazing Race).

It’s all great fun until the eccentric creator of the puzzle, the only one who knows the solution to the game, is murdered. “Murder most foul” takes place a second time – Georgina who is both a traveler and a key player in the story is found dead. Amy gradually realizes that the fictional mystery game is based on an actual unsolved murder! As in all murder mysteries, the guilty finger points to a variety of culprits. The reader is completely surprised when the real murderer is revealed. Throw in a love angle and the reader is set for an engaging read.

There are some funny descriptions, such as. “her lilac perfume seemed strong enough to stir the flag into a flutter”; “Amy thought of her double bottom drawer as a black hole, sucking in anything and everything….it was an informal storage system, but it filled the gap between the formality of her files and the abyss of the wastebasket.” An NYPD cop who is also a traveler says things like, “what the Hector?” instead of the usual expletive.

This quick-read novel is an excellent choice for mystery fans!

Note: This book is rated P (mild) for a few mild expletives.

Reviewed by Sandra

Disclosure: Thanks to Hy Conrad for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson (TLC Book Tour)

All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson
ISBN 978-0-06-208160-5
William Morrow
Published: January 2012
Trade Paperback, 302 pages

When I read the dedication "for all the daughters, forgotten and unloved" I was hooked!

A friend recently told me that he would never be interested in a book about women. The author of this book is a man writing in the first-person perspective of a woman and is entirely interesting with an authentic “voice”.

Xiao Feng looks back on her life and is recording the events for her estranged daughter. As the story begins Xiao Feng is a beautiful, innocent 17-year old Chinese girl who is forced to marry the rich fiancé of her recently deceased sister. All the arrangements for the wedding are in place, the dress is ready, gifts exchanged, guests invited and the only thing missing is a bride. The marriage MUST take place. So Feng is handed over to replace her sister. The marriage will accommodate that ancient philosophy of "face". "Face is everything," says Feng's mother. "It would be considered a terrible loss of face if a marriage did not take place," she states. This is 1930's China, "old China" and daughters are expected to obey their parents and forego their own desires.

Thus Feng is thrust into a horrible family ruled by Father-in-law and his two wives who are interested in rigidly maintaining tradition and family honor. The first order of business for Feng, of course, is to produce a male heir. She extracts a promise from her maid that if a girl is born she doesn't want to see it and that the baby should be given to a peasant family to face a life of hard work. The maid begrudgingly fulfills her promise. Feng wants revenge for how she has been treated by her husband and his family.

Time passes and Feng becomes absorbed in her rich surroundings and useless, self-centered social life, but she never forgets her daughter. A second child, a son, is born, whom she adores and her position in the family is finally cemented. Years pass as her son grows into a capable young man. A new maid is hired to care for him. Then events take an unexpected, dramatic turn in the family provoking Feng to flee. She finds help and support from an old acquaintance and begins her new life working in a Communist commune sewing buttons on Mao jackets as Chinese society moves toward Mao's great revolution that will change life forever.

Essentially this is a sad story. Tradition-bound attitudes regarding the relative unimportance of girls lead to cruel and inexcusable actions. Family relationships are damaged. Adherence to philosophies like “face” can influence events so dramatically that inevitably calamity ensues. Allowing hatred and revenge to dominate in one’s life can produce irreversible results.

All the Flowers in Shanghai helps the reader to learn something about China’s traditions, recent history and will be enjoyed by people who are concerned with the plight of women in general and Chinese women in particular.

Note: This book is rated S = Sexual descriptions. There are a number of explicit sexual scenes in the book.

About the author:
Duncan Jepson is the award-winning director and producer of five feature films. He has also produced documentaries for Discovery Channel Asia and National Geographic Channel. He was the editor of the Asia-based fashion magazine West East and is a founder and managing editor of the Asia Literary Review. A lawyer by profession, he lives in Hong Kong.

Visit Duncan Jepson's website www.alltheflowersinshanghai.com.

Reviewed by Sandra

Disclosure: Thanks to HarperCollins and TLC Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins (Rated: V)
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0439023498
Published Sept 1, 2009
Hardcover, 391 pages

After reading The Hunger Games, I just had to read the second book in this trilogy. How could I not, after the explosive beginning that gripped me from start to finish? If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, then don’t read Catching Fire yet. It really is a continuation of where the first book left off. Wondering whether to begin this trilogy at all? Read my review of The Hunger Games. It might help you decide if you want to read it.

Things have changed after the Hunger Games, especially after their unheard of and historic ending. Katniss and Peeta return home but victory is bittersweet. Katniss’ relationship with Gale is no longer the same and Katniss doesn’t really know where she stands in her relationship with Peeta. The Capitol is angry and a rebellion is brewing. What’s going to happen? I won’t say, of course, but the stage is set for an explosive ending I’m sure, which is why I can’t wait to read Mockingjay, the last book in this trilogy to see how it all ends.

The suspense builds toward the middle of the book, and as is Collins trademark, there are twists and turns so that you aren’t certain of what will happen until the very end. The characters stay true to who they are, and new ones are introduced. The title suits the story well and is understood only if you’ve read the first book. The ending drops a bomb, leaving the reader suspended and wanting to keep reading. Nothing will be the same from now on. I am desperately hoping Mockingjay will bring it all to a satisfying finale.

If there was violence in the first book, this one has perhaps more because the stakes are higher. Again, as I stated in my review of The Hunger Games, I wouldn’t recommend this for young teens, especially if they are sensitive by nature. It’s not gory violence but psychologically disturbing at times. In a recent interview with Scholastic, Collins is asked this question: The trilogy’s premise is very brutal, yet is handled so tastefully. Was this a difficult balance to achieve?

She answers: "Yes, the death scenes are always hard to write. It’s difficult to put kids in violent situations—Gregor (the protagonist in The Underland Chronicles) is in a war, Katniss is in a gladiator game. Characters will die. It’s not fun to write, but I think if you can’t commit to really doing the idea, it’s probably better to work on another type of story.

Given that, you have to remember who you’re trying to reach with the book. I try and think of how I would tell a particularly difficult event to my own children. Exactly what details they need to know to really understand it, and what would be gratuitous."

I think this clarifies her intentions for writing a story with thematic violence. Apart from that, the story kept me hooked. I look forward to reading the next book, no doubt about it.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. I was not told how to rate or review this product.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

After All, You're Callie Boone by Winnie Mack

After All, You're Callie Boone by Winnie Mack (Rated: C)
Scholastic Canada Ltd
ISBN: 978-0-545-98623-6
Published March 1, 2010
Trade Paperback, 180 pages
Ages: 9-12

This is another book I truly loved reading to my 9 year-old daughter. What makes this book so appealing is that its themes are just as valuable to a parent as to a child—friendship, family values, doing your best is just as good as winning. What a bonus! Written with insight, humour, and lots of family interaction, author Winnie Mack—a writer of many adult novels under another pseudonym— has given us a great debut novel for young readers.

Callie Boone is a likable kid, almost twelve, and experiencing the worst summer of her life. Her best friend ditches her for someone more “awesome”, her family is the weirdest on the block and she may never live down her recent humiliation at the community pool. But then a boy named Hoot moves next door and teaches her the true meaning of friendship and family appreciation.

Callie has a great relationship with her Dad who takes her regularly to diving practice and nurtures her dream to one day perform at the Olympics. But her Mom is an ex-drill-sergeant and always seems to be on her case. As the summer comes to an end, Callie will learn that relationships are two-way and require time and effort. Unlike some middle grade books that introduce boys and dating, in this story meeting Hoot is not about discovering the opposite sex but rather discovering a true friend. His friendship becomes important to Callie, especially when she has a hard time dealing with some family issues. For me, as a parent, this was a great message to a generation that begins to discover their sexuality too early.

My daughter told me she also liked this book because it was about her favorite topics: friends, swimming and family. We really liked Callie’s family. Through them we were able to see that all families have some dysfunctional aspects, but loving and respecting one another is paramount. The book comes to a satisfying conclusion, and Callie learns to be proactive in dealing with the things she struggles with. This book is perfect for mother and daughter book clubs or as a gift for that growing girl in your family.

Disclosure: Thank you to Nikole from Scholastic Canada for sending us this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Golden's Rule by C.E. Edmonson

Golden's Rule by C.E. Edmonson (Rated: C)
Pleasant Word - A Division of Winepress Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4141-1378-4
Published July 2009
Trade paperback, 220 pages

Meet Maddie Bergamo. Fourteen years old. Young, pretty, and smart. Nicknamed “the Flash” for her quick moves on the basketball court, she dreams of eventually competing at the Olympics, until one day she falls flat on her face when her leg suddenly gives out during a game. This is the first symptom in a line of scary ones that leads to a diagnosis, shattering her world so quickly everything changes overnight.

Then her mother gives her the unexpected gift of a memoir written by her great-great-great grandmother, telling the story of her life as a slave girl. As Maddie lives through the most agonizing and life-threatening days of her life, the diary becomes a strengthening aid to her.

Meet Golden Lea Jackson Pitts. Fourteen years old. Young, black, and a slave. Her story is one of hardship but also hope as she embarks on her journey to freedom. The author deftly alternates between the voices of these two brave girls and how their lives are connected by their adversities and their challenge to cope. I must admit I loved Golden’s voice. She was so authentic and real. I could see her so clearly in my mind’s eye and hear her dialect voice through the pages. Her ordeals and losses touched me deeply. Golden had spirit and strength, dealing with her situations with wisdom and maturity. Despite the sufferings, she developed a beautiful rule by which she faithfully lived and passed on as an inheritance to her progeny—hence the title of the novel.

Reading the yellowed handwritten words of this strong female ancestor, Maddie learns to courageously face what lays ahead of her and also some important life lessons. It gives her a whole new perspective on life, and pride in her multi-racial heritage. Her future goals and what she thought were important takes on a whole new meaning.

Some of the issues that Edmonson touches on—racism, family appreciation, independence, parental attitude, and altruistic giving—are ones that all youths can relate to in one form or another. There are serious scenes in this novel that make the reader ponder on the injustices of this world today and in the past. However, it is far from being morose, but filled with hope and optimism instead.

This wholesome novel has the power to evoke strong emotions in readers of all ages. For teens, it will nudge them out of their comfortable zone to reflect on how they can make good use of their lives, even when an illness hits them. Conversely, it can give today’s youth bombarded with the pressures for sex, drugs and violence the motivation to keep going and to stand up for what is right. For adults, it will remind them that it’s never too late to take stock of their lives and keep their priorities straight, especially when it comes to family.

The author wrote this book for his daughters—a loving way to transmit a powerful message. After I pass the book to my book-loving teen friends, I will store it on my bookshelf, saving it for when I could pass it on and share this touching story with my own daughter.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Billy Had to Move by Theresa Ann Fraser

Billy Had to Move by Theresa Ann Fraser (Rated: C)

Billy Had to Move is not your typical children’s story because it is written from the perspective of a boy who has suffered great loss, and who experiences the procedure of foster care placement and therapy.

It is the story of Billy, who went to live with his Nana (grandmother) when his mother could no longer take care of him. At the age of 7 his grandmother dies, his mother has disappeared, and he is placed in foster care with a kind family. As time passes and he begins to adjust, there is always the question of whether the Child Protection Services will find his mother and he will possibly have to move back with her. Billy then begins therapy and the story ends on a hopeful note.

As a parent, this book certainly opened my eyes to the realities of foster care and the many complex issues these children face when confronting placement. I reread the story several times, and each time I appreciated the way the author’s knowledge of foster care makes this book a great tool for all those involved in the field of Youth Protection Services. The caregiver’s guide at the end of the book is an excellent addition for the caregiver as it points out the issues dealt in the story and the purpose of the book:

“Using Billy Had to Move to normalize some of your child’s symptoms and experiences is the primary purpose of this book. Billy Had to Move can be used as a tool to introduce foster care or therapy. It can also be used to help children recognize that they are not alone in experiencing various types of loss.”

I read this book with my 8-year-old daughter who, at the end of the story, wanted it to continue so she could know how the play therapy was going to make Billy feel better. I understood that she wanted to be reassured he would feel better. She also pointed out that there were “too many words on the page”. I agree that less paragraphs on one page and more illustrations will make this book more user-friendly for children of this age group, especially since the reader needs time to absorb the deep issues brought up in the story.

Canadian author, Theresa Ann Fraser, has written an important book extremely useful to the foster care child, the caregiver, the therapist and the teacher. As such a book is not common, it is valuable for this field and also in all schools since, unfortunately, the number of cases dealt by the Youth Protection Services has become more common. Kudos to Theresa for her insightful assistance through this fine book!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena

Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena (Rated:C)

Author Joyce DiPastena holds a degree specializing in medieval history. It’s no wonder then that she easily transports us to Poitou, France, in the year 1179 with her latest historical romance novel Illuminations of the Heart. It is the era when rivalry existed between King Henry II’s sons, and gallant swashbuckling knights rescued fair maidens from highway robberies and lecherous men.

Illuminations of the Heart is the story of Triston de Brielle, a man who still grieves the tragic loss of his wife, when Siriol de Calendri, an illuminator from Venice, shows up at his castle’s doorstep with a letter from her late brother stating that she is now his ward. Siriol’s sudden presence in his life causes an upheaval within Triston, whose past has left him a sad, volatile and tortured man—a man whose own son fears him. Nonetheless, Siriol falls in love with him, but her striking resemblance to his late wife becomes an obstacle between them. Furthermore, Triston must contend with accusations of treason and murderous revenge from his scheming neighbour, Raynor, who blames Triston for killing his sister.

The action begins right from page one and pulls the reader immediately into the story. DiPastena skilfully creates a web of intrigue, romance and revenge as the story unfolds. At times, though, I found the story to slow down, and as it is 425 pages long, I feel that had it been 100 pages less, the plot would have moved along quicker. Nevertheless, die-hard readers of historical romances will certainly enjoy this well-written novel by an expert in medieval history. In fact, I appreciated the glossary of medieval terms included in the back of the book so that I learned the meanings of such words as hauberk, portcullis and psaltery. Cool, huh?

You will want to pay careful attention to the names and roles of the main and secondary characters as well as others (from the past) mentioned as initially it can be confusing, but it will be important as the story progresses and culminates. The author ties in everything beautifully at the end, and the family tree diagram was an excellent addition toward the end of the novel. It assists the reader in seeing the whole picture and helps us to appreciate the extensive research it took to put this story together.

I’d like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review her book. I look forward to reading your next novel, Joyce!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Pirate and the Puritan by Mary Clayton

The Pirate and the Puritan by Mary Clayton (Rated:C)

If you’re looking for a clean, historical romance filled with adventure, action and history, this one is a fantastic read. We’re taken to 1704 when England’s Navy ships roamed the sea along with pirate ships, one of which seizes a passenger ship and takes captive Mercy Penhall, a mute Puritan.

The captain pirate, Edmund Gramercy, spares her, but not before a bond forms between them. What makes the story so compelling is that a flourishing romance between a pirate and a Puritan is so improbable, with so many obstacles to overcome, that we keep turning the pages to discern how it’s all going to come about.

As the plot thickens and the characters move in and out of each other’s lives, we understand that both must face their past before any life together is possible for them. Gramercy who was forced into piracy and learns to survive using his skills and wits, needs to find a way out, whereas Mercy, who has to endure ostracism, loneliness and the stigma of her mother’s reputation—exposing the cruel ways religious leaders sometimes adopt in the name of religion—must decide if she will allow a traumatizing incident from her childhood to dictate her future happiness.

The strength of this novel is with its characters. Their depth is explored through action and dialogue making this book different from the typical romance where explicit sex replaces character development. The main characters as well as the secondary ones are well developed, and I could easily see them with my reader’s imagination as they are portrayed realistically. The main character is unusual (rendering her remarkable) and her muteness added an interesting element to the story that intensified the plot. I truly liked her and her story.

I would have liked to have known more about Gramercy’s family and why he felt he could not reconnect with any of them. There is also an escape scene whose details were not totally clear to me; however, this in no way detracts from the storyline.

The author weaves a unique tale, well-written, with historical details interwoven in its story and vivid descriptions that bring the reader right in the midst of a Puritan town in the winter of 1704, on the high seas chasing a pirate ship before a brewing storm, and on a new plantation colony in the heat of Virginia.

I loved reading this novel. And I want to thank the author for sending me a copy of her book.