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 This is a collection of short stories and poems that Neil Gaiman has either written for publication elsewhere or had lying around for other reasons and collected in this volume. The stories are extremely varied, many are dark and involve magic (as one might expect), and there are even a few fairy tale retellings. A few of the stories pay homage to other writers and the explanations for these are given in the introduction, which is extremely helpful as one goes on.
I found this collection to be a bit of a mixed bag. I really enjoyed a lot of the stories, but I’m not a huge fan of poetry, and these didn’t strike me as particularly good. This may just be my own personal defect, but I enjoyed the prose short stories much more. I found myself at a disadvantage occasionally because I hadn’t heard of the author Gaiman was imitating or honoring, but for the most part these were interesting selections.
I haven’t read Gaiman in a while and I was surprised by how sexual some of his stories were, too. One was particularly explicit, describing virtually everything that goes on in a bedroom scene, and I hadn’t really expected that at all. Another one is about a man obsessed with finding a girl photographed naked in a magazine, always aged nineteen no matter when the pictures appear. I didn’t remember if this was typical of his work or if he’d just made exceptions here. A lot of the stories were creepy and had dark or ambiguous endings. As I was going along, I thought this would be perfect for the RIP challenge, even though it’s a long time until the next one.
I don’t really have any deep thoughts about this collection, but I think it speaks volumes that while I normally take forever to read short story collections (I’ve had a different one going for a couple of weeks), I finished this one in a couple of days. The stories are often very short, two to three pages, and Gaiman writes well. The stories go oddly well together, often picking up on themes, like magicians’ magic (hence smoke and mirrors) and using various bits of mythology to make his reader think.
Overall, Smoke and Mirrors is recommended, especially if you enjoy short stories and creepier fantasy.
I am an Amazon Associate. I borrowed this book from my local library.
 Raised to a rigorous Norman standard, Judith, niece to the new Norman king of England, William the Conquerer, is alarmed at her unexpected attraction to an English lord, Waltheof of Huntingdon. The attraction is more than mutual, and Waltheof immediately petitions for her hand in marriage. Witnessing their peculiar attraction is young Simon de Senlis, son of the king’s chamberlain, who is injured by Judith’s boldness in choosing a horse she can’t handle. While Judith and Waltheof are undeniably attracted to one another, setting aside their differences for the sake of their marriage is perhaps more than this couple can bear.
I love Elizabeth Chadwick’s books. Her medieval settings are rich with color and life, while her characters could stroll off the page remarkably easily. Even with this detail, however, which I know she meticulously researches, all of her novels are driven by their characters and their complex relationships with one another. I thought this book was a simple romance, but it turns out to be a multi-generational story of forgiveness for all of the characters. They are for the most part historical characters and Chadwick fleshes out the bare bones of their recorded lives to give us a living, breathing story that is a pleasure to read.
It’s hard to pick out what I appreciate the most here. Despite its five hundred pages, the story simply flew by, and a great deal happens over the course of the narrative. The book is never boring or slow despite the length and I was in fact eager to see what happened next, because things did not go at all as I’d predicted. I wondered how she was going to fill 500 pages with one romance, but of course there is more than that; two romances and even a crusade. Chadwick slips in little historical details over the course of the book, like the way the Normans cut their hair as opposed to the English, or the metal bands that Waltheof wears around his wrists from his Viking ancestors.
The characters are real and as frustrating sometimes as they are lovable. I wanted to shake both Judith and Waltheof as they struggled so much over their differences, but they truly came from different cultures. Simple attraction couldn’t overcome the vast difference in what they wanted from their lives and what they thought was appropriate, and this could be as true of any twenty-first century couple as it is of this eleventh century one. Their descendants are very charismatic and in fact more appealing than Judith and Waltheof, which brought the story to a very enjoyable conclusion.
I’ve really enjoyed all of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books so far, and The Winter Mantle is no exception. I highly recommend any of her books for engrossing historical fiction.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 Valentine Roncalli loves her work with her grandmother, making handmade bridal shoes. The Angelini shoe company has been in business since Valentine’s great-grandfather came over from Italy, but now it’s in trouble. Valentine’s family is putting pressure on her Gram to retire, and Valentine realizes at her sister’s wedding that without the shoe company, her life is at a stalemate. She has ambitions to design shoes, not just use her great-grandfather’s patterns, but without a company, she would have nowhere to go, and she is alone. Valentine meets handsome restaurant owner Roman Falconi in an embarrassing, accidental way, but soon their romance takes off. The only trouble is, how is she to maintain a relationship with a busy man while trying to save her family’s shoe company at the same time?
I will admit that I initially found this book a challenge to get into. The lush descriptions of the wedding, of Valentine’s work, and her laments about her state in life were all well-written, but to be honest isn’t really what I look for when I read. And her descriptions of her huge Italian family reminded me all too much of mine, who started nagging me about boyfriends when I was in my teens, and didn’t stop until I actually had a man to show them, despite my relative youth. Then Valentine met Roman, things perked up, and I got involved in the story and became a champion of her cause.
What I appreciated most about this book was that Valentine is a very independent woman. She starts off worrying about her situation and unsure of how to fix it, but as the book goes on, she grows and learns from her experiences. She figures out what she has to do and relies on her strengths, not those of anyone else, to accomplish everything she needs to do. Her worldview is totally changed, and she emerges an even more interesting person than before. She is definitely a woman to emulate. While I didn’t always like where the story went, I loved Valentine’s approach to her life as well as her determination and her passion.
The romance is a fairly decent portion of the book and, I felt, was appropriate to Valentine’s situation. She has to make choices in regard to Roman and her working life and I felt that it was very appropriate to what a woman so absorbed in her job would struggle with. I wouldn’t really describe this book as a love story, but the romance is a fairly nice and real complement to Valentine’s struggle with the shoe company.
While I liked this book, it still didn’t really feel like my type of book. I enjoyed it, but the constant focus on shoes and designers wore on me by the end. Yes, I am aware that this is the premise, but I was far more interested in the characters. I almost wanted pictures so I could at least envision what the heck she was doing in her workshop. The many descriptions were nicely written, but bogged the book down for me. I didn’t ever really feel compelled to go back to it after I’d put it down. I think, perhaps, that this genre is just not for me, and while I can see the appeal for others in the reality, sweetness, and laughter contained in Very Valentine, it didn’t tick all the boxes for me.
I am an Amazon Associate. I borrowed this book from the library.
 Sookie’s cousin Hadley has died and Sookie needs to go to New Orleans and sort out her apartment. First, however, Sookie begins to date were-tiger Quinn and learns that someone doesn’t want her investigating Hadley’s apartment. Her life is threatened more than once, and once again Sookie has to wonder who is out to get her this time.
I feel like my every review for a book in this series is the same. Again, I really enjoyed Definitely Dead. I haven’t noticed any real dip in quality, although I’m assuming it will happen eventually. Sookie’s suitors are diminishing in number. She gets rid of two of them permanently and she makes a discovery about a third in this book that really had me hurting for her. After six books, it’s so easy to care about Sookie, and it makes her struggles harder but more engaging reading.
I did enjoy the character of Quinn, though, and I was glad Sookie chose someone to actually date. The way he treats her in this book is so sweet and a nice contrast to the men’s previous treatment of her.
I didn’t like that there was a short story between this book and the last one. It wasn’t really necessary to read it, but I did feel lost as Sookie mentioned various things that had happened and I’d missed. I thought at first that I was on the wrong book before I realized it was a novella that I can’t get over here unless I buy the collection of them in hardcover. I understand why they do that sort of thing, but I prefer to be able to go from book to book without getting confused.
I’m eagerly awaiting the acquisition of book seven from my library now. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Sookie next. I am really enjoying this series and I anticipate this challenge will be one I am actually capable of completing.
I am an Amazon Associate. I borrowed this book from the library.
 When her dear family friend Greg is killed in mysterious circumstances, Kate Daniels goes on the hunt for his killer. She is a mercenary, if a poorly-paid one, with impressive magic skills and a tough attitude. Kate doesn’t expect to be drawn into a dangerous rivalry between vampires and shapeshifters, but she might just be up to the challenge as she searches for the enemy who is intent on turning these two powerful groups of society against one another.
This was markedly and interestingly different from the urban fantasy I’ve been reading lately. Yes, it has the traditional kick-butt heroine, as well as a large contingent of typical supernatural creatures, like vampires. But this world is not a familiar one, even if the book is set in Atlanta. For one thing, the magic is only up sometimes, and while it is average human technology often fails to work, until everything returns to normal before the next wave of magic. For another, these creatures are not sexy. Vampires are properly disgusting, their bodies morphing into hideous wall-crawling creatures as their minds completely vanish. They’re controlled by external people, who can even speak through them. Shapeshifters are similarly disgusting, their most powerful form lying between human and beast, and when they change they end up sweaty, naked, and shaking in human form.
I’ll admit that when I started this book, that world was not what I expected. I expected the magical creatures to be as sexy as they are in the rest of the books I’ve read. As I got accustomed to the world, however, I began to like this darker version of an urban fantasy world. It felt like something different, and while I obviously still love Sookie Stackhouse and Mercy Thompson, it was nice to be in a world where blood sucking is disgusting as I always thought it should be.
The beginning of the book was a little too consumed with info dumping to my taste, and Kate is snarky to the point of pushing people away, but somewhere around halfway through I really started to enjoy it. The plot picked up, I had a suspect for the bad guy, and there are some entertaining diversions. This is a good story, and I’m looking forward to more in this world when I don’t have to be informed all about it before I can begin to be engaged.
Magic Bites is a different, but still very engaging, version of urban fantasy. It appeals to my gritty fantasy side but would probably still appeal to fans of books with tough heroines and engaging storylines. Recommended.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 Francis Evelyn “Daisy” Maynard was left an extremely wealthy heiress when, as a toddler, her father died without having any sons, and her grandfather took a liking to her and gave her his fortune. As a result, Daisy was bound to be in demand in society, and her beauty and vivacious personality merely sealed the deal. Despite an offer from Queen Victoria’s youngest son, Daisy married Lord Greville, heir to the Earl of Warwick, and began a high profile life, sensational not only for the many and passionate affairs she had with some of the most prominent men of the day, but also for her political and social involvement.
I knew I wanted to learn more about Daisy when I visited Warwick Castle and saw the exhibit given over to her. The rooms are as they would have been when she gave a house party in the 1890’s. There are wax statues, eerily realistic, of Daisy, her husband, and many guests, among them the Prince of Wales at the time, later Edward VII. The little blurbs gave out some information, but not enough for me, and this book very satisfactorily filled the gap. With very effective use of original letters, newpapers, and other primary sources, Anand writes knowledgeably and compassionately about Daisy Warwick without judging her for her many infidelities.
The book is split into roughly two sections, as Daisy’s life probably was. The first half is mainly devoted to her childhood, marriage, affairs, and children, with some detail of her many humanitarian activities shared throughout. Daisy’s letters to her lovers as excerpted here are fascinating and there is enough period detail given for us to realize that while she seems promiscuous to us, she wasn’t remarked on as that spectacular in her class. It seems that everyone was having affair after affair, and she must have thought that this was normal, although I was a little sad that what seemed like a budding love story with her husband quickly fizzled on their marriage. This part is very interesting for its picture of the aristocracy during Daisy’s younger life and for her relationships with the men, one of whom in particular it seems she genuinely loved.
With the first World War, everything changed, and Daisy changed with the times. She became a socialist and an activist for both the socialist party in Britain and the Labour party, which was emerging as a force at the time. She had a curious juxtaposition between her life as an aristocrat and her campaigns for worker’s rights, her work to build schools and encourage education, and so on. She even campaigned to be an MP. This is a fascinating picture of a Britain that was changing hugely. Not only were heirs to great families dying off, leading to more land for more people, but ideology itself was changing. Daisy got married in a church in a huge ceremony, whereas her youngest daughter was married in a registry office, which had become perfectly appropriate for a countess’s daughter over the years.
I found this book to be a fascinating picture of both a woman who, while firmly living in her own social class, strove to do more for the world and of a changing Britain at the turn of the century and beyond. Very highly recommended. And Daisy would be a fantastic choice for the Women Unbound challenge, which I’m counting it for.
I am an Amazon Associate. I borrowed this book from my local library.
 Percy hasn’t even made it through his eighth grade year before he’s embroiled in another difficult magical situation. He and his friends Annabeth and Thalia attempt to save their friend Grover from a boarding school in Maine. In the process, they discover two new half-bloods, essential for the failing camp, but they also realize that a new enemy is after them. Following a prophecy, Percy goes on an adventure to save the world – and their friends – once again.
This is my favorite of all of these books so far. I’ve actually become fond of these characters and I enjoy the fact that the books are getting somewhat more serious. They’re still clearly written for children, but now I feel that I can more fully appreciate them, too. There are new tensions arising as the kids are starting to grow up, most particularly in my mind a romance situation between Percy and Annabeth, although neither of them seem to realize it just yet.
Besides that, I can more clearly remember eighth grade than sixth grade, and I think the books will continue to improve as the characters grow. Or maybe Riordan is just getting better at broader appeal. It’s hard to say.
This book is as full of action as the first two. Right from the first page, Percy and his friends are tossed into a suspenseful adventure, with some new characters added to balance out the absence of a couple of the older ones. We learn a little more backstory as well about the gods and a few of the characters, which was all very interesting and never slows the story down.
The Titan’s Curse was an enjoyable, very speedy read with some unexpected turns. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 Thomas Cromwell’s star is ascending. From the docks of Putney, where his father beats him, to the grandest palaces in England, Cromwell’s rise is nothing short of amazing. A clever politician, hardened by years abroad, Cromwell knows when to leave Wolsey’s sinking ship and head to the king’s side, where he is the one who most helps him divorce his wife so that he can marry Anne Boleyn. Through both personal tragedy and public glory, Cromwell is an enigmatic character, and Hilary Mantel has given him the story he deserves.
I’m not sure how I feel about this Booker Prize winner. It has both its good and its bad points. I do think it was written well. I was forewarned about the excessive use of “he” and whenever I couldn’t track the direct reference, I assumed that the author was talking about Cromwell, so that didn’t bother me. I didn’t like that it was written in present tense, though, because it kept jumping out at me and reminding me how much I dislike present tense. Moreover, the book was often boring, and dragged on excessively, especially for someone who knows the Tudor period far too well. It follows the history, but that doesn’t always make for a particularly exciting story.
On the other hand, this is possibly the best picture of Tudor England I have ever read. For some reason, Mantel could transport me there better than anyone has before. I loved that she focused on Cromwell, someone who is often in the background or villainized, and made him into a genuine person. He had such a varied background that Mantel could write about the poor as well as the rich. She could write about the middle class, which Cromwell occupies for a while. She gives us a picture of all levels of society, and we can greater see the contrast of the elegant man in the king’s glittering court to the poor boy with his beaten face pressed into the mud. The detail in this book is astounding, and admittedly is part of the reason it dragged, but creates a whole picture of a world that could easily be foreign.
I also really liked Cromwell, surprisingly. His character was well-rounded and I felt like he was a person I could relate to in a world that I couldn’t. He’s a very clever man, but he also experiences grief and joy just like the rest of us. I think many people could see themselves in his character because he feels like a human being, not a character on the page. Cromwell’s character is, in my opinion, what makes this book great, despite the fact that the plot is so very meandering.
So I’m unsure as to whether or not I can recommend Wolf Hall. If you’re in the mood for a fast read, stay away. I suggest instead taking it slowly and appreciating the world that Mantel creates. I hear Mantel is writing a sequel and I know I still want to read it.
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book from the publisher for review.
 This collection of short stories introduces Bertie Wooster, a young somewhat foolish gentleman dependant on his aunt for money, and his gentleman’s gentleman, Jeeves. Jeeves is incredibly clever and throughout these stories manages to solve every predicament that Bertie finds himself in, often with some benefit to himself. These stories range from how Jeeves was hired by Bertie to a story written in Jeeves’s own voice.
I have often heard the name P.G. Wodehouse come up in terms of comic writing. Jeeves and Wooster are a comfort read for many. These stories are indeed light and funny. There is a lot of British slang, but it’s nothing that makes the story hard to understand if you’re familiar with British culture in what seems to be the early 20th century.
The stories get predictable after a while. One of Bertie’s friends, or Bertie himself, gets into trouble, and Jeeves is called upon to work his magic and save the day. Often Bertie is defying Jeeves in some way, by growing a moustache or wearing a strange tie or ordering shirts Jeeves doesn’t think are appropriate. In the end, Jeeves always gets his way, and often extra money, too, adding to the comic value. Their predictability doesn’t lessen them, but it certainly makes me realize why these are comfort reads. They’re funny, but there is no suspense or real surprise involved.
I’d be remiss in this review if I didn’t mention the TV show Jeeves and Wooster. Having now read this little book, and eager to read more, I made an effort to also watch the show. If you’re familiar with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, Wooster and Jeeves respectably, it’s amazing how well they fit the characters. When I started reading this book, I’d never actually seen the show, but I could still envision each of them in their respective role in the book. When I watched the show I realized I had been picturing them in the precise way that they played the parts. The stories are still recognizable on screen, if often combined to make an hour-long episode
I can recommend both this book, Carry on, Jeeves, (as well as the other books) and the TV show if you like light, slightly over-the-top British humor. I definitely enjoyed them both.
I am an Amazon Associate. I borrowed this book from my local library.
 The Duke of Sale, a fragile child, has never known his parents. Instead, his life had mostly been run by his well-meaning uncle and servants, who are convinced that if he deviates from their instructions, disastrous consequences will ensue. Tired of being managed and determined to find out if he’s a man or a mouse, Sale ventures off to prove himself. Conveniently, two young people emerge as needing his protection, and after a variety of hijinks, Sale begins to discover who he is and what he values in his life.
I love Georgette Heyer’s books. This one was, as I expected, just delightful. It is primarily a journey of discovery for the Duke of Sale, who is a charming character. His relatives ignore his wishes and mollycoddle him, annoying him just as much as they annoy us. As a reader, I was thrilled for him when he broke their bonds and went out into the world to see what it was like.
I love how funny Heyer is, too. She’s renowned for writing romances, but this is so much more than that. Sale’s adventures are genuinely entertaining and I read this book with a smile on my face. Tom, a young boy he somewhat rescues, is such a character. He acts just like a boy of that age and even though he annoys everyone around him, he’s so true to life. Belinda, as a contrast, is too silly for words, but even as she is unrealistic, she is also absolutely hilarious. She’s neatly countered by Sale’s fiancee, Harriet, a charming and sensible woman that I wanted Sale to fall in love with as soon as possible. Sale and Harriet are engaged due to an arrangement between their families, but I immediately wanted it to be something more as soon as they encountered one another in the book.
Heyer’s language would probably give someone new to her pause, because it’s quite old-fashioned, but I find it charming. Once I’m reading, I almost don’t want to go back to modern language. After a few pages, I’m sure anyone would get past their qualms and settle in to enjoy the story and characters for themselves.
I definitely recommend The Foundling. This is such an enchanting book. I really can’t wait to read more by Georgette Heyer.
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book from the publisher for review.
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