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 Though Carrie Manning is the daughter of a Tony award-winning Broadway playwright and granddaughter of a famed Broadway actress, she knows very little about her family. Her austere mother, Rose Manning, has devoted her life to charity and seems to have put her past completely behind her. When Rose dies, Carrie finds herself lost at thirty-seven. She can’t settle on a career, abandoned the man she loved three days before their wedding, and is now bereft of the mother she’s spent the last year caring for. Carrie sets out on a quest to find her past, to discover not only her mother’s history but that of her glamorous grandmother Lu Lawson and her Italian immigrant great-grandmother Mifalda.
I really enjoyed this multi-generational novel. All of the women are vastly different but each believable in her own way. Mifalda is strict and old-fashioned, but still loves fancy clothing and wants what she believes to be the best for her daughter and granddaughter. She has the beginnings of independence, but she’s been taught to smother her true inclinations in order to further her children’s lives. Lucia, better known as Lu, can perceive her mother’s unhappiness, and with her extraordinary musical talent, is determined to find a life for herself outside of marriage, and her determination allows her to succeed. Rose grows up as a spoiled girl, but she too shares her mother’s determination and insistence on getting what she wants. Carrie, in the present day, has no idea what she wants or what to do with herself, having lived in her mother’s shadow her entire life. Each strand of the narrative combines to give us a full picture of both how far this family has come and how far they have regressed.
The ending of the book was not quite as spectacular or shocking as the back cover implies, but I think it fit perfectly with that particular character’s personality. This is not a book that speeds along with excitement or has a shocking revelation. It’s a slow unveiling, learning who these women are through their stories, which is engrossing and fascinating. I had a hard time putting this book down once I got involved in it.
I would definitely recommend this book to another woman. It’s not only a wonderful story but a demonstration of how far we’ve come since the first half of the twentieth century. I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers’ program and I was so pleased to discover that for once, the algorithim selection got it right. I enjoyed every word.
Buy Serendipity on Amazon.
 When Owen Archer loses the sight in one of his eyes, his military career under the duke of Lancaster is over. Or so it would seem, until the duke employs him in other ways. Once the old duke dies, Archer is unsure of his future. He’s recruited by the Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor, Thoresby, to investigate a pair of murders in St. Mary’s Abbey, just outside York’s city walls. One of the victims is Thoresby’s ward and Thoresby isn’t content with the cause of death. He sends Owen to figure out what’s really happened by apprenticing him to the apothecary and giving him an entrance into the world of medieval York.
This may have been the only time in my entire life that I have not needed the map on the first few pages of this book. I’m absurdly familiar with medieval York and given that my classes are held on top of the former grounds of St. Mary’s Abbey, this book had a special thrill for me. I loved the medieval atmosphere. These characters walk through places I go every day and it’s exciting to imagine it as they would have seen it.
I liked those characters, too. I can see a bit of Owen Archer’s legendary appeal, about which I have heard much. (I read this on the recommendation of Nan Hawthorne, by the way!) I enjoyed the ambiguity about many of them, particularly Lucie, and how the truth was eventually revealed. Even the supporting characters like Bess didn’t fall flat. The Archdeacon made me feel very uncomfortable, but I think that was the point.
As far as writing goes, I felt it was a bit plain. I could certainly imagine medieval York, but it’s hard for me personally to say whether I had such an easy time because I’ve tried before and am very familiar with the city or because the author did a brilliant job imagining it. It’s hard to say, but I do think the prose was the weakest point. The story was good enough for it to vanish, as should happen, but I found it hard to immerse myself at the beginning before the plot got rolling.
I would recommend this to other people who like their historical fiction set firmly in the middle ages and probably to those who like medieval mystery as well. As for me, I’m looking forward to the next in the series. Though it is out of print, you can buy The Apothecary Rose used on Amazon.
 Here’s the question:
Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…
- Are you currently reading more than one book?
- If so, how many books are you currently reading?
- Is this normal for you?
- Where do you keep your current reads?
Yes, I actually am, but I’m really not. My fiance really wants me to read House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, so I started that maybe three weeks ago, but I haven’t gotten past the halfway mark yet. I really don’t like it, but I feel like I should continue since he wants me to so much. I’m really reading The Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higginbotham.
I’m generally a one-book kind of person. I start two, but I choose one and the one I like less gets consigned to the “currently reading” tag on LT until I persuade myself to finish it or decide to give it up, whichever happens first. It often says I’m reading more than one, but I’m almost always actually reading one and should be reading the others instead. Sometimes if I’m away from my current read I’ll start a new one, but it doesn’t happen all that often.
I keep my books wherever is handy at the time, I don’t really have a specific spot. I’ll bring it wherever I am.
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Also worth noting, my university has decided to cut off certain aspects of the internet this weekend and I’ve noticed that the admin section of my blog is running painfully slowly. I also can’t use VoIP which means I can’t even talk to my parents, and we’re really irritated about that, but it’s Easter weekend so not much I can do. I’m not sure what else will stop working, so if I’m a little less present than normal, I do apologize.
 On the same day that Anne Peabody is married to a man she could never love in New York City, news arrives that the Stamp Act has been repealed. A young, joyous patriot, Jack Hampton, sweeps her in his arms and kisses her spontaneously, a kiss she never manages to forget. Years later, the Revolutionary War is on, Anne is now the Widow Merrick, and Jack’s joy has hardened. To maintain her livelihood, Anne must continue to print the Loyalist tracts supported by her husband. One night, Jack and several other patriots force their way into her shop and discover what she has been printing; they ruin her press and her books and set Jack to keep watch on her in the new coffeehouse she opens to keep her income. On closer acquaintance with Jack, Anne begins to realize that she must think for herself and assert her own independence just as her country struggles for its own.
I’ve been excited for this book more or less ever since I finished Midwife of the Blue Ridge, the author’s last book. I was even happier when she offered me a review copy of The Tory Widow, which was officially released yesterday. I knew I was in for a good read, and I was even happier when I wasn’t wrong; I do sometimes worry that a second novel won’t match the first, but that thought has no justification here.
This is a historical fiction novel with a strong side of romance. I never mind romance and I really enjoyed the historical part of this book. New York City changes hands several times between Patriots and Loyalists and Anne adapts successfully to each situation. She’s very determined and she improvises ways to keep her business running while remaining faithful to her own beliefs, once she’s established them. Jack is a bit of a scoundrel, but he’s a patriotic scoundrel and I enjoyed watching him warm to Anne and her “supporting cast” of Titus and Sally and vice versa. In particular I enjoyed the variety of supporting characters, like the prostitute Patsy, Anne’s brother David, and Scottish Sally.
I liked the glimpse into historic New York and the book has little maps so we can figure out where Anne’s shop is located and where important scenes occur throughout the book. It’s hard to equate the maps with current New York, but it’s certainly fun trying. I just loved the descriptions of the printing press. I have no idea how an 18th century printing press works and the window into such a profession was fascinating.
Overall, I found this book to be very solid. It’s a good, enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy historical fiction.
Buy The Tory Widow on Amazon.
 Questions: Do you have a LT widget on your blog? If so, what is your favorite thing about it? Have you had a chance to go see the all new widget building page, and if so, have you built a new widget? If so, what do you like about it?
I did build a new widget. You can see it over on my right sidebar. I keep up with the LT blog, so I went to play with it almost immediately. This widget is much nicer in many respects. I like the addition of my Amazon Associates code. I like the changing covers, although I’ve noticed it only cycles through three different “pages” of covers. That’s still better than just a static widget, though, and who really stares at it long enough for the same books to come up (except me)? I even like that the loading image can be a book turning pages. It seems much more customizable though I haven’t changed the basics much.
I also think it just looks prettier, don’t you?
 Lady Daphne Pembroke has been a scholar all of her life, except when her late husband didn’t allow her to be one. She publishes under her brother Miles’s name and all her brilliance is attributed to him. When Miles is kidnapped, Daphne is frantic with concern and determined to do something. She rescues Rupert Carsington from jail and decides that he will be the brawn behind her brains on the quest to rescue Miles. As the story progresses, they find that she has more courage and he has more intelligence and resilience than either of them ever expected, and from these discoveries, respect and love grow.
This book was definitely much better than the last book I read by Loretta Chase. Here, the hero and heroine play perfectly off each other. Chase has written characters whose chemistry practically makes the pages sizzle and not only in the most obvious ways. Their minds work together very well and I loved how their personalities were gradually revealed both to the reader and each other. I was also particularly pleased with Daphne’s brilliance and that except for when her life was in danger, she never let a man get the better of her when she knew how intelligent she was.
Admittedly, the plot here wasn’t all that great. Revelations about the papyrus and the reasons Miles were kidnapped are all fairly obvious from the start. This will only disappoint those who are actually looking for a plot, though. While it’s nice for a romance to have a clever and inventive plot, it’s not really necessary, and clearly here the focus is sharply on the characters.
This was definitely an engaging and entertaining read. I’d recommend it. Buy Mr. Impossible on Amazon.
 When he receives a package with no return address, Clay is at first excited, and pops in the first of a set of 7 tapes. Then he hears Hannah Baker’s voice, which he’d never thought to hear again because she killed herself two weeks ago. Each side of each tape is one reason why she killed herself; each side of each tape tells one person what action of theirs, no matter how small, pushed her on her way towards inevitable death. Clay cared deeply for Hannah and is horrified to realize that he is a reason why. For the space of one night, he loses himself in these tapes, unveiling the story of what pushes an innocent girl over the edge, breaking both his and my heart over again.
This book was almost painful to read at times but I found it to be extremely powerful. High school wasn’t as long ago as I would like and it’s so easy to remember how little words make a huge difference. I’m sure we all felt friendless a time or two, regardless of the reality of our situations, and it’s so easy to feel sorry for a girl who truly has no friends, whose reputation was destroyed on the basis of nothing, and who has been let down every step of the way. Parents, friends, and teachers left her with nowhere to go and to her mind, there is only one solution to end the hurt. Little actions, seemingly harmless, lead to big consequences, and Hannah’s story is heartbreaking, especially given how a smile or word could have made a huge difference in her life.
The dual narrative structure was a great way to put this book together. Hannah’s words and Clay’s thoughts intertwine and we can easily see how her misconceptions weren’t corrected because of Clay’s and her classmates’ fear. We can see firsthand both how Hannah felt about events and how those events shaped people’s perceptions of her the wrong way. Gossip is very harmful and through Clay’s thoughts we can see how that gossip destroyed Hannah’s chances at happiness.
I think this is a very important book to read. Not only is it moving, powerful, and beautifully written, but it conveys an extremely important message that may help save the life of a living person in need.
Buy Thirteen Reasons Why on Amazon.
 From the back cover:
“Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station – and a werewolf in the closet. Sick of lame song requests, she accidentally starts ‘The Midnight Hour’, a late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged.
After desperate vampires, werewolves, and witches across the country begin calling in to share their woes, her new show is a raging success. But it’s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew …”
This is the first in the Kitty Norville series of urban fantasy books. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it. I wouldn’t consider urban fantasy to be my genre exactly, but I really enjoy fantasy in general and thought I’d give them a shot. I was really pleased that I enjoyed this book so much. A great deal of it is set-up for the rest of the series. In the beginning, Kitty is very submissive and the “cub” of her pack. She does a lot of cowering around Carl, the alpha male. I was a little disturbed to realize that this also included sleeping with him whenever he wanted, but it makes sense if half of the time the werewolves think in a wolf mentality and luckily, this isn’t a focus of the book at all.
It made me feel uncomfortable to have such a weak heroine at first. I was worried that I wouldn’t like Kitty and it would be difficult to fully enjoy books about a werewolf I didn’t even like. Fairly quickly, though, with the help of her radio show, Kitty starts to discover her own identity and better link her werewolf and human sides. She comes into her own, and that’s really what this book is about. This book centers on learning about the world, getting acquainted with Kitty and her supporting crew, and setting up future conflicts.
The plot was not as interesting and after the radio show got started, I wondered where it was going for about a hundred pages. There are a few murders going on and it gets exciting towards the end, but I definitely feel that this was set-up, although executed particularly well. In this case, since I know the series goes on for five more books and probably more, I don’t mind at all, particularly since I enjoyed the book and didn’t want to put it down. I’m thinking about getting more into this urban fantasy genre, starting now with the rest of the Kitty Norville books.
Buy Kitty and the Midnight Hour on Amazon.
 Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy may have tied the knot, but the story doesn’t end there. With characters so full of passion and determination, they are bound to hit a few stumbling blocks now and then. Their move to Pemberley brings back hard memories for Darcy, who suffered a conflicted and confusing childhood there. Lizzy must help him reconcile with the demons of his past so that they may have the happy future that they deserve.
This was my first Pride and Prejudice sequel. I have been tempted over and over again by a variety of Austen sequels but have refrained until now, fearing that it would never live up to the greatness of the original. Finally, I decided to set those fears aside, accept that it would never be as good, and just enjoy the book that I had to read.
With those goals in mind, I really liked Pemberley Manor. I loved the prose style in particular, which was indeed reminiscent of Jane Austen, and the intensity of the characters’ emotions. They did feel like Elizabeth and Darcy, even though Darcy is developing over the course of the novel. By and large I enjoyed the families and characters that the author added into the universe and thought they fit fairly well, although a certain revelation towards the end was taken too lightly for the time period, in my opinion. I tried not to let that bother me. The added backstory about Darcy did not seem out of place, either.
The plot wasn’t quite as smooth and dragged in places, though. It feels as though a series of incidents happened to the couple to prevent them from happiness and sometimes I wanted to kick them even though I knew their stubbornness was established long, long ago. Darcy isn’t so great at communicating, with anyone it seems, which isn’t a surprise but puts up a variety of roadblocks in front of his own contentment. They establish some sort of agreement each time, but since there are pages left, I knew it wasn’t going to last and worried over the lulls. The last 100 pages were well done and established an effective plot climax which still related to what had happened before and managed to wrap up all the problems nicely.
All considered, I don’t at all regret finally indulging in a sequel to one of my favorite classics. If you’ve ever been curious and would prefer something besides your imagination presenting a follow-up to Pride and Prejudice, this is a worthy place to begin.
Buy Pemberley Manor: Darcy and Elizabeth, for better or for worse on Amazon.
I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?
A year ago, I would have told you that I never visit the library and never really have. We went for a few months when I was little, but that was mostly to get movies. When we forgot the due dates for our videos more than once and our mother had to pay the fines, she decided that we wouldn’t go any more. I don’t really remember minding, strangely enough. When I learned how to drive, I started going again because the lure of free books was strong, but I got my license in the summer and when school started again, I had a lot less time for reading, so I stuck with my own books. I’ve since gone sporadically when a new hardcover comes out and I don’t have the money to buy it.
The library in the town where my parents live is small and doesn’t have a great selection. They’ll have several books out of a series I want to read, but they will be out of order and I’m not going to buy a random book in the middle of a series. I also discovered my worst affliction, which is that I always want to own the books I borrow if I like them. I didn’t really end up saving any money, so I stopped going.
This all changed in the fall. First, I got stressed out, so I decided I wanted to read lighter fare like I hadn’t in years. I already know I’m not going to reread any of those books, so I decided for once to start using the public library. The York Library system is great. They have numerous branches and I can borrow from any of them, so I don’t have to worry about not completing a series. I don’t have an income right now, so I can’t really afford to buy unless someone else foots the bill, and the library is a wonderful solution to my problems. I have a mountain range of TBRs, but if I’m looking for something experimental, I have somewhere to go besides the bookstore.
I don’t really think the bookstore has replaced the library. They’ve tried to make it so, but it doesn’t work for me. I’d feel guilty about sitting in there reading a new book that I know I should buy. Most bookstores are more comfortable than my public library in York, though. Too many people use the library for internet and after 2 hours the library charges patrons, so they have computers and thus people everywhere. I obviously love that the library has such a source of income, but it’s much too busy in there to sit and read, and the chairs aren’t even that comfortable. I usually get my books and run.
So, pleasant memories, not really, but I’m very glad I re-discovered the library.
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