Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville Series

For the Carry Vaughn Kitty Norville series review, please visit my husband's blog at www.booksjosephreads.blogspot.com .

Love and Other Natural Disasters

Summary: Eve is eight months pregnant and in the middle of a Thanksgiving celebration when she discovers that her husband Jonathan has developed an intimate relationship with a woman over the past year. Jonathan asserts his innocence (an affair involves physical intimacy, and he didn't have any), while Eve feels deeply betrayed by the emotional connection he shared with someone else. What Jon has done seems so terrifyingly out of character that Eve finds herself questioning her entire reality. Did she ever really know Jon at all? Was their happiness together a lie? Is emotional intimacy more forgivable than sexual intimacy? And can their marriage survive? -- 5 Spot

I must say, had I just heard the title of Holly Shumas' book, Love and Other Natural Disasters, I might not have wanted to read it. (In a way it reminds me of a self-help type book.) But, given the synopsis, it seemed interesting. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I would say within about 24 hours I had finished this book, it was that good!

The main character, Eve discovered that her husband was having an emotional affair with one of his co-workers. Now, this might not have been as bad if she weren't 8 months pregnant. But, given her situation, that made it that much worse. The book is based upon how she goes about dealing with this affair. I have to say, I'd never heard of emotional affairs before, and it made me wonder just how many of these really do occur. I found myself cheering on Eve at times, and others for Jonathan. While I don't want to give away the ending, I must say I was left asking questions.

I really enjoyed the book, and you could tell that the author knew her stuff. After all, she is a marriage and family counselor, and I'm guessing that she's well familiar with situations like these. The writing was just like a friend was telling you the story, so you weren't held back by looking every other word up in the dictionary. (Don't laugh, it's happened before!) If you'd like to find out more about Holly Shumas, you can check out her website.

I want to thank Miriam from Hachette Books for sending a copy to review. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading other books by Holly!

If you would like to see what others thought of the book, check out the links below:

http://www.writeforareader.edublogs.org
http://www.bermudaonion.wordpress.com
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://ablogofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.acircleofbooks.blogspot.com
http://athomewithbooks.blogspot.com
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com
http://www.skrishnasbooks.com
http://enroutetolife.blogspot.com/
http://www.anovelmenagerie.com
http://printedpage.us
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://bookopolis.blogspot.com
http://www.bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com
http://exlibrisbb.blogspot.com/
http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://www.marjoleinbookblog.blogspot.com
http://linussblanket.com

The Flavor Bible

Today's book is not a cookbook, per se, as it doesn't include recipes, but sure is a pretty nifty book to have on hand in the kitchen!

Summary: Great cooking goes beyond following a recipe--it's knowing how to season ingredients to coax the greatest possible flavor from them. Drawing on dozens of leading chefs' combined experience in top restaurants across the country, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg present the definitive guide to creating "deliciousness" in any dish. Thousands of ingredient entries, organized alphabetically and cross-referenced, provide a treasure trove of spectacular flavor combinations. Readers will learn to work more intuitively and effectively with ingredients; experiment with temperature and texture; excite the nose and palate with herbs, spices, and other seasonings; and balance the sensual, emotional, and spiritual elements of an extraordinary meal. Seasoned with tips, anecdotes, and signature dishes from America's most imaginative chefs, THE FLAVOR BIBLE is an essential reference for every kitchen. -Hachette Book Group

I was so excited to receive The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not much of a chef, but I do like cooking. I enjoy playing around with different flavors, mixing different spices with things to see how they'll taste. This book is awesome with that! One of my favorite treats is pumpkin seeds. Now, I know, they're really only a fall time treat, only available when there are pumpkins available to carve. I have found that you can order them online now, and I might just be doing that. One of the suggestions in the book was caramel. I love caramel, and I love pumpkin seeds. I sure would love to try caramel pumpkin seeds to see just how yummy they are. Stay tuned. I'll let you know if I do try it. Another 'recipe' that I found that I'm looking forward to trying is Balsamic-Caramel Chicken with Brocolli and Walnuts. (Can you tell I like caramel??) While there's not a recipe for it, just the thought of the flavors sounds yummy. Oh man. My stomach is grumbling, and I just ate lunch!!

Again, I want to thank Hachette Books for this book. I hope you get a chance to try it out yourself-you might find some new combinations of flavors that become your favorite!

Long time, no reviews. I apologize. I've been busy with the holidays and all, but I have been reading books, and I look forward to sharing everything with you!

First up: Cooking.

Now, I'm not much of a chef, and if you know me, you know I prefer eating out to eating in. I'd say mostly that's because I can never seem to cook something that I really like. (Or that Joe likes.) I do take the chance now and again, otherwise I stick with favorites. Over the holidays I had the chance to review a couple of cookbooks, (I just received another one, to be reviewed soon), as well as a book that talks about what flavors work well together.

The first book I'd like to talk about is Amy Sedaris's I LIKE YOU.

Summary: I LIKE YOU is an "entertaining guide to entertaining" and includes recipes, complete meal plans, decorating suggestions, music choices, conversational ice-breakers, and hospitality tips to create the perfect evening at home. The book has scrapbook feel, including color as well as black and white photos, illustrations, and craft patterns. Whether it's an intimate night for two or a ladies' luncheon for twenty, Sedaris offers her own advice to make guests feel welcome and the host look good. I LIKE YOU is the essential handbook for full-scale entertaining the Sedaris way. The inspiration for I LIKE YOU comes from Sedaris's own domestic expertise. A notorious baker and cook, her famous cheese balls can be bought at Gourmet Garage and her cupcakes at Joe Coffee in New York City. Sedaris covers all aspects of home entertaining. Sample chapters include: A Greek Dinner Date; Grieving; Entertaining Children; A Rich Uncle Comes to Visit; Baby Shower; The Elderly; Cooking for Oneself; Picnic; and a variety of courtships, such as dating a hunter, a dieter, or an alcoholic. All chapters contain tips, hits and misses, and end with a critical evaluation of the event or a letter from a guest. -- Warner Books Press Release

As a warning, do NOT look through this book if you're hungry! Even though I don't cook all that often, I do love looking at the pictures and deciding what I would love to try to cook. (Although every time I DO try something, it never ends looking like the pictures.) The pictures in the book are so appetizing. I should remind you though, that Amy is a comedian, and many of the chapters are more for humor than for food. I really did enjoy this book, and look forward to some time in the kitchen trying the recipes, converted to gluten free, of course.

On a different side of the cookbook scope, I also got to check out Katie Brown's Katie Brown Celebrates.

Summary: In KATIE BROWN CELEBRATES, Katie gives readers a reason to host a party every month of the year. From a festive New Year's Eve dinner to a lavish Christmas brunch, from the perfect child's birthday party to a down-home family reunion, readers will delight in Katie's signature approach to making any celebration simply wonderful. With delicious recipes, straightforward craft projects, and tips for casual entertaining, Katie shows how any host can make a delicious meal and create gorgeous ambiance without the hassle. KATIE BROWN CELEBRATES is a must-have for anyone who ever gives--or has ever thought of giving--a party. -- Little, Brown and Company

This book is a bit more sophisticated than Amy's book, but the pictures are just as mouth watering. I have found a few recipes that I would like to try- the top of the list is a quiche-like item that is wrapped with bacon. (It's listed as Turkey Bacon Eggs in December.) I like how Katie also includes ideas for parties every month, and even how to make the decorations! It makes me want to have a party my next weekend off! (Ok, maybe the one after that.) I would like to thank Hachette Book Group for sending the books for me to review. Look for actual pictures of my results in later posts.

The First Mother's Fire

Yet another review from my husband. I should have some new reviews up shortly...

[Synopsis from book cover] Unemployed after graduation, Kenneth McNary seeks inspiration on the Appalachian Trail. He never suspected that it would find him first. Ken is transported to a fairytale world by a god-like sentience and is tasked with uniting the world's denizens for a coming war -- a war with eternal consequences for every soul consumed by the Enemy. While grappling with metaphysics and the dangers of his strange surroundings, Ken learns that the few humans inhabiting the realm are meek slaves to near-immortal beings who have lost their magic. Complicating this situation is a mysterious new race of magic wielders and the reappearance of subterranean, flesh-eating creatures long thought extinct. To survive the perils and embrace his destiny in a land hostile to humanity, Ken must discover the Fire within. But he faces two problems: he is a novice pitted against masters, and the magic may kill him before the masters do!

I just finished reading W. L. Hoffman’s work The First Mother’s Fire, which is book one of what will be The Soulstealer War series. Hoffman, a law professional by day, has been a science-fiction and fantasy lover all his life and while toiling away at law school, the foundation for The Soulstealer War was born. Years later he penned his ideas to paper and created The First Mother’s Fire, which is his first literary attempt, and as such, is impressive.

Kenneth McNary is a law graduate deciding what to do with his future by taking a few months off to hike on the Appalachian Trail. He has certain traits he has inherited from his family: from his father he grew to be an analytical and logic-minded man, from his Uncle Dale, he learned to be an outdoorsman with survival skills, and from his Grandma Gwen he learned about faeries and other alternatives to mainstream religion. These three people are important in Kenneth’s life and helped make him who he is. One aspect of Kenneth that wasn’t taught is his sixth sense, something that kicks in when he is in danger (which has saved him many times from possible death). All this is important because Kenneth is about to be thrust into a scenario which is out of this world. Weir is a much older parallel world to Earth which can be accessed with the right magic through portals. The Elder Race, created by the First Mother, have lost most of their magic in Weir and blame the humans for their insipid ways. Magic is not gone from Weir, though, the Nosferu, a new race, have much magic and claim to want to save Weir and its inhabitants. Kenneth learns through the First Mother herself, who has not been in communication with the Elder Race for a long time, that the Nosferu are evil and use their magic to destroy. She gives him the task of seeking out and defeating the Nosferu. Kenneth goes through the portal and quickly befriends Aldren of the Elder Race and realizes that the First Mother not only has given him a task, but has given him special powers to achieve that task. However, Kenneth also learns that this task will be harder since the Elder Race holds humans in disregard and enslaves them. The First Mother’s Fire continues to tell the tale of how Kenneth deals with the cards dealt him and how he wins the respect of some, while becoming a bitter enemy to others.

I enjoyed Hoffman’s descriptive storytelling and the world he used to explore his various themes. The world he created is very satisfying. Weir as the older “inner” world filled with magic and history, and Earth as the newer “outer” world corrupting nature with no respect for magic. I think his character development is superb; he gives us both physical descriptions of the different races and also lets us into their mindset of why they believe and act the way they do. He uses his magic system to help explore the themes of environmentalism and religion. Weir’s world is based on magic from the First Mother and is tied to nature; the first tree that Kenneth camped under protecting him was a great example of the nature aspect and is something I enjoyed immensely being more aware of today’s lack of respect for natural resources. The souldrinking concept of the Nosferu was very entertaining, but The Soulstealer’s Doom black armor was perhaps the best use of a magical device to test the protagonist’s inner strength.

Although Hoffman’s approach is novel, his themes are similar to many science-fiction/fantasy books. Good verse evil, free will verse destiny, compassion verse greed, logic versus creativity, meaning of life and death and the compassion within. Hoffman plays no tricks with these; you absolutely know he is questioning and exploring, logic, compassion, religion, destiny.

One of the few criticisms I have with that is that it could be more subtle, especially when dealing with Kenneth’s italicized thoughts. At one lengthy soliloquy I found myself skimming the paragraph. Some more mature fantasy readers might feel like they’re getting cheated since they are not able to discover them on their own. What makes up for this weakness is the way he shows the inner struggle of Kenneth.

My only other criticism is a criticism of many fantasy books--serialization. While I’m not sure what Hoffman’s plans are for Kenneth, or how many books it will take to get there, I do know that upon finishing the last paragraph I turned the page looking for more. The end of book one didn’t seem climatic enough for me to warrant the end. That being said I’m a big fan of many series that have this same problem, the books themselves are not standalone novels, but the series are extremely gratifying – and I recommend this book to fantasy readers of all ages.

Ender in Exile

I, myself, am not a huge science fiction fan. Yes, I read some science fiction, but it's usually along the lines of young adult or kids sci-fi. You know, like Harry Potter, or Discworld. Anyway, recently I had an opportunity to review a science fiction book, and instead of passing the opportunity by completely, I passed the book along to my husband, Joseph, an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy books. Until he gets his own blog up and running, he has agreed to post his reviews on mine. Below is his review of Ender in Exile, by Orson Scott Card--enjoy!

Recently, I had the opportunity to read Orson Scott Card’s latest work, Ender In Exile – my thanks to Julie from FSB Associates for supplying the book. Ender In Exile is one of many in the Ender series; it is a direct sequel to Ender’s Game and although written after the other Ender books, chronologically takes place during the last two chapters of Ender’s Game. If you have not read Ender’s Game, stop what you are doing and read it immediately. To me, it was in the ranks with Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Clarke’s Childhood’s End, and Asimov’s Foundation; some of my favorites.

Synopsis from book cover: At the close of Ender’s Game, Andrew Wiggin - called Ender by everyone - is told that he can no longer live on Earth, and he realizes that this is the truth. He has become far more than just a boy who won a game: he is the Savior of Earth, a hero, a military genius whose allegiance is sought by every nation of the newly shattered Earth Hegemony. He is offered the choice of living in isolation on Eros, at one of the Hegemony’s training facilities, but instead the twelve-year-old chooses to leave his home world and begin the long relativistic journey out to the colonies. With him went his sister Valentine, and the core of the artificial intelligence that would become Jane.

The story of those years has never been told. Until now.

Ender In Exile was a very good book that primarily explored the details of Ender’s life after the war with the Buggers. Card managed to put some of the themes of Game under a microscope in Exile. While Exile has less action than Game, Card makes up for it by delving into the psychology of Ender. We see how Ender uses the same manipulation that Graff had used on him to achieve his goals. We see that Ender is just as good at political strategy as military via his battle with Admiral Morgan. We see that Ender has keen insight into others as he manipulates Alessandra so that she may be free of her mother. Most of all, we see Ender accept the guilt of Stilson, Bonzo, and the entire Bugger xenocide and take responsibility for his actions. Card develops existing characters like Graff and Valentine excellently, while adding interesting new characters like Alessandra and Sel Menach. Valentine is perhaps the most important person in Ender’s life, but I’m not sure he knows it. She is his conscience and I think is the one person keeping him connected to the real world while he is obsessing over the Formic world. I was at first surprised when Ender finally broke down and made contact with his parents and resolved his relationship with Peter, but then I realized he could only do those things after he found what he was looking for. Card did a beautiful job detailing the events of Ender after the battle and for fans of Ender’s Game it is greatly appreciated. My only criticism is actually a compliment to Card; he created the new characters so powerfully, I would have loved to learn more about Vitaly, Alessandra, Sel Menach, and Abra. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed Ender’s Game.

Misadventures of the Wanna-Be Rich and Famous

Oliver Booth wants nothing more than to join the ranks of Palm Beach's high society. But with his arrogant personality, garish wardrobe, and incompetent stewardship of an antique shop filled with gaudy reproductions, he doesn't have a chance. Oliver's luck takes a turnabout when the society doyenne Margaret Van Buren sends him and his assistant, Bernard, to Paris on a shopping spree to furnish her new estate.

What ensues is a series of hilarious, Voltaire-esque misadventures as Oliver bumbles his way through the milieu of the elite. A satirical look at the lengths some people will go to in order to enter the insular circle of the privileged, David's Desmond's novel is a witty glimpse into a world few of us know. (-Greenleaf Book Group Press)

This was a quick read that had me wanting more! While I've never actually been to Palm Beach or to Paris, I honestly felt like I had spent time there after finishing this book!

The book starts out in Palm Beach, with Oliver Booth trying to make himself a bit more important that he really was. He owns an antique store but it's not on the main drag of town, Worth Avenue, so as a result he doesn't see much traffic. (Not that he would anyway-he has reproductions that still have the Made in Mexico stickers on them!) After an unfortunate incident at the Morningwood Country Club on New Year's Eve, Oliver finds himself in an unusual situation. He is asked to go to Paris, along with his assistant Bernard (also a waiter at Morningwood), and find furnishings for the guest house for Margaret Van Buren-one of the Palm Beach Society's elite. The trip is, to say the least, hilarious, and it has Oliver in an even more interesting situation, one he would definitely NOT want to have appear in the Shiny Sheet in Palm Beach.

I really enjoyed reading this book; I felt as though I was looking into the lives of the rich and famous. The characters were rounded, and I felt as though I knew Bernard and Oliver personally. I was a bit worried when I first started the book though-I noticed that Desmond was using larger words than necessary. I realize that it gives the air of importance and richness, but I wasn't sure it was necessary. By the middle of the book, however, either I stopped noticing it as much or it slowed down, because I flew through the book, just wondering what was going to happen next.

I definitely would recommend this book-I think everyone wonders what life of the elite is like, and this does give a taste of it, even if it is just an amuse bouche.