Marcie's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 153) (sorted by: review) (cover view)

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American Assassin (Mitch Rapp #11)

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Flynn, Vince *

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4.23

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3 of 5 stars

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They need to hire me to proof for them. I’ve come across more than a few books with an unacceptable amount of typos here lately. Is no one reading thi...more

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Sep 03, 2011

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Lord John and the Private Matter (Lord John Grey, #1)

author

Gabaldon, Diana *

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3.49

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4 of 5 stars

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I resisted reading any Lord John stories for a very long time, despite being a huge Gabaldon fan. I just couldn't get behind a gay lead, didn't unders...more I resisted reading any Lord John stories for a very long time, despite being a huge Gabaldon fan. I just couldn't get behind a gay lead, didn't understand the appeal or potential of this character. I didn't get it, without even trying it. Recently I saw Gabaldon at a sci-fi convention, and to get in the mood for it, I dug out this book, which I had snagged at a library discard sale for a buck or so.

I get it now. He's delightful. Imagine a slight, blonde, aristocratic, rich, devastatingly smart and witty professional soldier, a Major in Her Majesty's service in 1757, who finds himself up to his impeccable chin in murder, mayhem, and mystery. It's like both William Powell and Myrna Loy (of the old Thin Man movies) rolled into one character, with a touch of television's Monk thrown in.

Fun! He is so particular about his clothes and appearance and there's this running subconscious dialogue interspersed with the bigger external picture unfolding in his head that goes something like this: "Ah, ha, so the Scanlons have flown the coop which must be a big clue!...and I seem to have lost a button on my waistcoat." He is always picking at a loose thread, flicking lint on his shoulder, noticing every detail around him. You can just picture his futzing.

He is also very adept at the dry one-word reply – indubiously, quite, likely, mayhaps. I really enjoyed it, and should have had more trust in her unbelievable writing talent. Interestingly, the one "sex scene" involving Lord John was very well-done, compelling, and poignant and definitely germane to the story. He simply loses himself, tastefully fades to black, and whispers "Pretend…I am not here." And I truly believe he wishes it were so.

Contrast his fastidious personal quirks with his loathsome outward duty, and you've got a very entertaining setup. He is the only one in the room who will sink his fingers into the mushy scalp of a corpse for a clue or carry around the reeking blood-soaked remnant of a garment with which to confront the bad guy. Then there's his fiercely protective little side kick, a ragamuffin English boy who follows him around and insists that he be his valet. The little boy is just as comical, giving "me lord" the steely eye as he makes him drink MANY egg whites as a poison antidote and tries to mend his endlessly destroyed clothes.

I can't wait to read more Lord John. Undoubtedly.
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date read

Aug 03, 2008

date added

Jul 27, 2008

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Son of a Witch (The Wicked Years, #2)

author

Maguire, Gregory

avg rating

3.39

Marcie's rating

5 of 5 stars

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This book was so satisfying. Liir, son of Elphaba, comes into his own and after 266 pages, he begins to do incredible things to help other people, lea...more This book was so satisfying. Liir, son of Elphaba, comes into his own and after 266 pages, he begins to do incredible things to help other people, lead, unite, take the helm of his mother’s legacy. And it’s so realistic because he does it while still in a state of confusion and self-doubt, obstacles he never really overcomes (neither did Elphaba really). I love how everyone says to him “if only Elphaba was here to see this…” The Bird Congress aka Witch Nation (charged by Liir to be the eyes of Oz and share info with other species and humans to foil future despots), rides in the shape of a witch on a broom, and Liir rides in the position as the Eye of the Witch.

I loved it when he asked Nanny if she thought Elphaba will have a history and she said “She does already, ninnykins! I just saw her flying up the valley. Her cape went out behind her, a thousand bits in flight (the thousands of birds). Nearly touched the peaks to the left and the right. If that’s not a history, what is?” So, Liir GIVES her a history. I also like how sarcastic he becomes in the middle of the book, like his mother, after life kicks him around a lot, he lies in a coma, etc. At one point he says, “What condition? I’ve been in this condition my whole life. It’s the only condition I know. Bitter love, loneliness, contempt for corruption, blind hope. It’s where I live.” I also love how he becomes a man of wry humor and charm, accepting his fate of never knowing the answers. He tells Elphaba’s monkey “She always liked you better” and smiles at him. The monkey says “Considering who she was, is that a compliment or an insult?”

He poisons all the Emperor’s dragons, which in turn saves lives, achieves revenge on Cherrystone, frees the skies for the birds, unites two warring tribes who thought each other was doing the dragon-stuff. He thinks of a way to draw out the voices of the dead, which allows the She-Elephant to die properly. He still does not know if he is Elphaba’s son until the last sentence when he holds up his newborn daughter in the rain to clean her (after finding her dead, wrapped in Elphaba’s cloak, and he revives her). Her skin is green.

NOTE: How Maguire is successful in using “perception” of different witnesses and participants to alter our “perception” of the well-known Oz Story is through characters who must act without “knowing all the answers” or “having enough information.” We all face that in life. There are those who do not act because of this lack of enough info, are held back, they are cautious, and they never do anything meaningful. And then there are those who do take risks and act (you will never have all the answers or enough info) and thus make/ change history. In the traditional Oz Story, all the risks Elphaba take are mis-perceived. So, it’s fascinating how he again uses this same tool for the story of Liir, and everything he does could be perceived as bad…but it’s not. Thus, the immense satisfaction. And then you get pieces of additional info that determine he was on the right track, confirm his decisions and actions. No misperception, redirection, just the story of a regular Joe-schmoe who does amazing things. “If only Elphaba was here to see this…” I’m talking about more than a mother’s pride and personal vindication. I’m talking about a righting of the wrongs in the world that her son engineers.

And again, I wonder if the son will love the granddaughter properly, being her only caretaker. Obviously yes, because of the way he cared for her immediately, again righting wrongs his mother committed against him. What kind of person will the granddaughter be, what legacy will she leave on the world? How will she carry the burden of Elphaba, the burden of being green. Will Liir ever find Nor?

Green: fresh as spring, dewy, not rotten. The first color I learned about in literary symbolism. The green light of Daisy’s house that Jay Gatsby stares at across the water all the time. It meant HOPE, renewal, fresh new growth, a new beginning.
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Dec 16, 2007

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Wonderful Tonight

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Boyd, Pattie

avg rating

3.56

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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Gee, I wouldn't have left George Harrison for Eric Clapton, even if he did win the "guitar duel" for me. :) And, wow, Pattie Boyd had great shoes.

Seri...more Gee, I wouldn't have left George Harrison for Eric Clapton, even if he did win the "guitar duel" for me. :) And, wow, Pattie Boyd had great shoes.

Seriously, once I recovered from the realization that this wasn't a kiss-n-tell (damn!) (insert Slowhand jokes here), I have come to see Pattie's story as an interesting extension of a recent conversation with my own girlfriends -- you know who you are, shout out to the female half of the Six O' Cups!

It began with gender roles in traditional male/female relationships, with the female fulfilling the Keeper of the Fun role, and when we know the men are wrong, clueless, and/or depressingly real (as opposed to Fantasy Prince), we punish them by witholding the fun in the relationship. Then the point was made that women can become immersed in work, children, etc. and the male coax her to come up for air to see a movie or go out to dinner, that gender is irrelevant. I conclude we all have roles we fill in all our relationships.

So, I'll never know if George or Eric was the better kisser, but Pattie does share a lot about the roles in her relationships -- her most obvious being Famous Rock Star Muse. In Eric's eyes, she was Layla, the un-gettable, never-to-be dream. When he got her, he wrote in a poem that she was the butterfly and that he'd destroyed her wings. She became his Victim. To George, she was simply Something. They married very young, and she was his playmate, sister, innocent love, witness to the insanity his life became. They were all Naughty Children, not having children themselves to force them to grow up (she later discovered she's infertile), every aspect of life handled by the Father-Manager, paying all the bills, giving allowance, arranging all travel. Problems come in when one of the partners allows someone else to fill that "role" or stops playing that role by their own hand.

The book was fascinating in one regard, to glimpse into the life of a wife of a rock star, with all their creative, unstructured mania. She left one who chants all the time for an ex-heroin addict who drinks all the time. They were both unfaithful sexually to her, and she realizes she rationalized all that. But what really would hurt her is when they would take away her role she played in their life -- even if it was playmate or journey companion.

Her creative outlet was cooking and she poured through cookbooks and never bought anything ready-made, so she shopped for ingredients every day, and threw her heart into it. And then George would say something like "No, Kumar (one of the countless hangers-on that came and went) is going to cook something Indian for me." That would devastate her. It took this lady a long time to find herself. Both Eric and George refused to let her continue working as a model. She was to fill the role they needed her to. Eric needed a 24/7 Nursemaid and Rescuer. How tedious.

I have this whole new perspective on the Beatles as people. George told her, when she left him for Eric, that if she ever needed him for anything, he would be there, that he would always be there to take care of her, no matter where she went or who she was with. What selfless, generous love. How heartbreaking that he would shut her out for months while he was meditating or whatever.

They had a bungalow they lived in for years and they kept spray paint cans outside and would have everyone who visited add to the exterior walls their creative touch. So the place looked like a sweet crazy grafitti mural dive from the outside. Then they found a castle pile of stone to restore that became a "project" -- George had become obsessed with privacy and security, some incident with a fan had frightened him (how prophetic), he couldn't do anything normal like go to the pub or go bowling or see a movie without mobs. So, he proudly shows his restored treasure, his find, the thing he lovingly researched to accurately restore to former glory, to John and Yoko, and John being the cynical, jealous prick says "It's so dark I don't see how anyone can live in it." Then George suggested John take off his sunglasses. Ar-ar.

Also interesting is who John was with first wife (Jerk, Selfish, Sexist Pig) and who he was with Yoko (Student, Worshipper, Servant). Everyone hated her! But what an amazing teacher she was for him -- this fiercely intelligent, artistic, Japanese Royalty chick wasn't about to take his crap and forced him to grow up and evolve.

So, how does it end for Pattie? Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who is so brilliant, exciting, forceful that there is no "room" for you, in the shadows? She is now playing the starring role in her own life.

I've only seen Gene Simmons' show Family Jewels once, but loved how his wife and kids consistently knocked the wind out of his sails, cut him down to size, to ensure "room" for themselves, the ones he loves and needs. It's actually healthy and happy. People fascinate me.(less)

date read

Mar 16, 2008

date added

Mar 17, 2008

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By The Rivers Of Babylon

author

DeMille, Nelson *

avg rating

3.74

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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I really enjoyed this book, and I almost didn’t make it through the first 50 pages. I’m so glad I stuck with it. Premise: two Concordes take off from...more I really enjoyed this book, and I almost didn’t make it through the first 50 pages. I’m so glad I stuck with it. Premise: two Concordes take off from Israel full of diplomats and dignitaries on their way to the UN in NY to an unprecedented conference to finally bring peace to the Middle East for good…oblivious to the bombs planted in the tails during plane production.

My main gripes about the first 50 pages:
1. Had to make notes in order to keep the characters straight, I couldn’t keep my Chaims, Ephraims, and Moshes straight. Gave up after 16 characters, and then they started dying off, boiling down to the ones I needed to remember!
2. Felt like I had read the same book before, an airplane disaster book he wrote called “Mayday.” If the plane blows up at Mach 2.2 at 15,000 feet, everyone gets brain damage, yada-yada.
3. Felt formulaic like disaster movies from the 70s. DeMille was quick-cut editing every three paragraphs to another character and his situation. Characters felt flat and stereotypical once I began taking notes and assigning one-word adjectives to them (ultra-religious, cocky, sly, bleeding heart, nervous, etc.) Predictable!

Then the story took an unexpected left turn!.. exactly the same time as the plane, when the hijacked passengers decided to fight back last minute and land the plane not precisely where the hijacker demanded. The setting is fantastic – between the Tigris and Euphrates, on the archaeological ruins of Babylon, near modern Baghdad. We’re talking ancient Mesopotamia.

The question becomes: Can a group of 50 very intelligent and resourceful, untrained PEACEMAKERS with a few professional warriors and a few weapons defeat a group of 150 well-trained, heavily armed, “baby Tigers” (the war orphans raised in the Islamic training camps) led by an insane terrorist. The choice of site is ingenious, considering the primitive, low-tech weapons, tactics, ruses, and strategies the diplomats fashion to defend themselves, once they begin searching their memory banks for every detail of every historic battle they could remember. I delighted in all the creative uses they devised for common things found on a plane.

Besides a military history lesson, you know we’re in for an exploration of what it means to be someone who worships God, Allah, or Pazuzu throughout the ages. Fascinating stuff about the history of Judaism and the different “sub-groups” of Jews, such as the remote tribe who still have not left Babylon, or the “fifth wave” descendants who came to Israel with their money and education before WWII and the Holocaust.

Definitely one of DeMille’s best. Gosh, what a page-turner. We lost electricity the night I finished it by flashlight.
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Jun 08, 2008

date added

Jun 07, 2008

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The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House

author

Olson, Barbara

avg rating

3.67

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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I was hoping for a well-researched, well-documented, well-written, even treatment of the Evil Regime, perfect for an agenda-less Joe Schmoe like mysel...more I was hoping for a well-researched, well-documented, well-written, even treatment of the Evil Regime, perfect for an agenda-less Joe Schmoe like myself -- this ain't it, though. I was intrigued frankly by the fact the author perished on the hijacked plane that went into the Pentagon.

But, boy, did it bring back the swell memories. How could I have forgotten the Arkansas state troopers whose job it was to round up women for the Big Guy? Or the fact that we had as our Commander in Chief a draft-dodger who didn't inhale or quite grasp the meaning of "is"? Classics! Or Paula Jones or the Flowers chick or the weird "non" impeachment? And Roger! How could I have forgotten "Headache" (Secret Service code name for the POTUS' brother). So, it all came rushing back to me...and I got depressed.

I had not forgotten Travelgate and Whitewater and Monica, though. Wow, it was a busy 8 years for the Clintons!

Anyway, the real title of the tome should be Pardongate or Pardons for Sale or Pardon my Pun. Here's one: Mr. and Mrs. Kaye (who got Monica her intern slot) gifted the Clintons in their final days with a travel cigar humidor (valued at $9K). I'm laughing so hard I can't contain myself -- not.

So, Olson spent a chunk of her short life (how depressing), unraveling the HUNDREDS of pardons (and their obvious political connections) that the Clintons sold in their final days. How did they find the time between all the gifting and looting of the White House? They had a lot of debt to pay off and future New York votes to buy.

These people are classless and shameless. Please, God, let McCain win in November so we American People can avoid further humiliating scandals.

Bottom line: It's not possible to write of the Clintons and be even-handed. Hillary arouses such fear and hatred in me as I can clearly see the twisted evil in her. Just by the sheer will of her personality alone she stares down accusers until they flinch, she makes wrong-doing seem okay. She fails to see the fuss and forces her perception down everyone else's throat, AS HER STRATEGY to deal with all their wrong-doings.

Some day I will proudly cast my vote for the first female POTUS, but is it too much to ask for a little more Maggie Thatcher, Golda Meir, hell, Ann Richards? Give me SOMETHING I can believe in.

I am most upset by my own acceptance of corruption, greed, and force as "politics as usual." Politics is such a cesspool today that we all roll our eyes and ACCEPT IT. It's all so depressing. Quick, give me a book to read so I can escape from this reality.(less)

date read

Mar 17, 2008

date added

Mar 18, 2008

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First Lady (Wynette, Texas #4)

author

Phillips, Susan Elizabeth *

avg rating

3.85

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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Cute premise. Widowed First Lady is coerced into sticking around in that capacity for the next unmarried president. After a while she just flips out,...more

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Dec 27, 2008

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Return with Honor

author

O'Grady, Scott

avg rating

3.88

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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Interesting details. He ate a bunch of ants, munched leaves, drank the sweat out of his socks...all expected, but the details that fascinate me concer...more Interesting details. He ate a bunch of ants, munched leaves, drank the sweat out of his socks...all expected, but the details that fascinate me concern modern warfare.

A USAF pilot carries a "blood chit," which is a promissory note from the US government promising to pay money to whoever offers assistance to a downed pilot (in 11 different languages no less)...and his "Geneva card," which states that he expects to be treated humanely according to guidelines set by the Geneva Convention. It's like trying to stop a rapist wielding a knife who broke into your house by telling him "Stop. You can't do this to me. It's AGAINST THE LAW."

I can see the courtroom and the lawyers now..."Did you tell him you did not wish to be raped?" or "Did you tell him you did not wish to be tortured and beaten as a captured prisoner of war? Well, how was this Bosnian shepherder supposed to know? Did you speak in Croatian?"

Ironies, ironies. Scott O'Grady spent years studying his ass off, attending different schools, trainings, assignments all over the world, simulations, flies a $20 million science fiction machine...the average age of the Marine unit sent in to get him: 19. What did they have: Lots of GUNS. And I'm not talking about a little 9 mm Beretta tucked under their left arm pit.

"As I huddled in those woods, I didn't feel like Captain O'Grady, fighter pilot. I was just a scared guy named Scott, getting by on his wits, discovering more about himself each day. I gained a new sense of self-worth, and it had nothing to do with medals or decorations."

He lost 25 pounds in six days of escape and evasion.

Love the anecdote about the Marine unit sergeant. A colonel, lt colonel, and sergeant major led the Marine mission, meaning they STAND by their most exposed troops, really leading it. They're in the helicopter flying out, taking fire from all sides, and a bullet ricochets off the sergeant's canteen O'Grady just handed back to him. A young Marine picks up the casing and shows the sergeant who waves it off and tells him "you can keep it." I can't help but smile imagining bullets bouncing off this crusty old bastard.(less)

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Jan 11, 2009

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Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars, #2)

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Phillips, Susan Elizabeth *

avg rating

4.06

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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Ehh. I've read so much better by her. It was okay.

For my personal notes to remember whether I've read it: Ugly duckling is assigned to be assistant to...more

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Dec 23, 2008

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Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, #1)

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Cornwell, Patricia *

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3.94

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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Recommended by my local librarian friend...she wouldn't let me just checkout "Scarpetta," the latest in this series, no-o-o-o, she makes me start at t...more

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Dec 31, 2008

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The Black Box (Harry Bosch, #18)

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Connelly, Michael *

avg rating

3.98

Marcie's rating

5 of 5 stars

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No one in the world does the crime detective novel better than Connelly's Harry Bosch series. Period. Thought I'd glance at the first few paragraphs j...more

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Jan 02, 2013

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The Crazy Ladies of Pearl Street

author

Trevanian

avg rating

3.72

Marcie's rating

5 of 5 stars

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After reading other reviews of this book on this website, I feel that I must defend it. First of all, no one should read this book UNLESS they are a T...more

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Jun 27, 2009

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This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars, #5)

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Phillips, Susan Elizabeth *

avg rating

4.10

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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It was so hard to first get into this book, transitioning from a heavier novel (that required a dictionary close at hand). It was SO sweet and light a...more It was so hard to first get into this book, transitioning from a heavier novel (that required a dictionary close at hand). It was SO sweet and light and even a little nauseating in the beginning...and then suddenly it happened.

I became the heroine, suffering a miscarriage, deeply depressed, not bathing nor working, sleeping constantly...who cares about mail or phone calls.

But this is a romance novel, so she is whisked to an enchanting woods (summer camp) where she is enlisted to help save, re-invent, and manage a charming B&B (complete with single-unit tiny Victorian gingerbread houses scattered in the woods). She is awakening at 5:30 am to cook breakfast pastries for the guests, serving tea at 5 pm in the main parlor, running the accounts, fetching supplies in town.

She nestles into one of the cottages with a screened back porch where she draws and writes her children's books, reads, and heals. (The back-and-forth between the book's action and the excerpts from the heroine's children's books and "teenage girl" magazine articles she writes to support herself was annoying at first, and then brilliant strokes of perfection by the end.) She's also swimming, canoeing, diving off cliffs, recruited to play in games with the kids. And of course, falling in love.

Next thing you know, I'm grinning, then laughing. The scene of the impromptu softball game between the "Jocks" and the "Last Kids To Be Chosen in Gym Class," and how the latter use every psychological trick to win, is PRICELESS.

SEP is the best romance novelist at work today, and wow, has the genre changed and grown up in her deft hands. There's no bodices to rip. Her heroines are overcoming real rapes, terrible childhoods, biting criticism, low self-esteem, the stress of imposed perfection, promiscuity, prudishness, spoiledness, etc. And there's always a side-line couple battling their problems to get together also, and they're the older parent or in this case, a 50-year-old actress who has put on a few pounds. Romance is not just for the young and beautiful, SEP insists. (I remember one sex scene a few books back with the older characters and it was HOT. Really well done. SEP is never vulgar, though, intelligent and just the right mix of tasteful and...interesting.)

SEP's heroines wear bunny slippers and granny-panties and sometimes socks that don't match and red plastic hair barettes and one had red, frizzy hair. Imagine that 50-year-old overweight actress kicking off her leopard pumps and sliding into home base.

SEP has lots of messages inside her sweet confections. As the characters search for answers, they are fighting their way back into the light. When I pick up a romance novel, I want to be transported into the light, too. And SEP gets us there. If we would all just listen to her, we would be in love...and happy and healthy and laughing.

One of her characters in another novel stated that romance novels are one of God's good gifts. SEP novels are definitely one of God's good gifts.
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Jul 04, 2009

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Matchless: A Christmas Story

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Maguire, Gregory

avg rating

3.33

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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My Thoughts After Reading:

I adore Maguire.

Life is precarious, like the spark of a matchstick.

The author refers to this work as "an illumination of Han...more

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Jul 19, 2011

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Bloodsucking Fiends (A Love Story, #1)

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Moore, Christopher *

avg rating

3.90

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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The interesting thing about this book is how clearly it illustrates the evolution of a writer and his novel-crafting skill. This is NOT the same guy w...more The interesting thing about this book is how clearly it illustrates the evolution of a writer and his novel-crafting skill. This is NOT the same guy who later wrote Lamb or Angel or Dirty Job…

I looked it up: this was his 3rd (1995) of 13 published works. I had experienced Numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11. Lamb, Angel, Dirty Job, Fool, Lust Lizard, Fluke, all meet and exceed the challenge of using seriously unfunny subjects (religion, death, Shakespeare, mental illness, science) by a Master of Humor. So, what’s up with these other, three Vampire novels (Fiends, You Suck, Bite Me)…maybe the two sequels written later in his career will be more masterful.

Specifically, the problems with Fiends are:
1. Pronoun Clarity: “He” who? Which he? Who in the hell is Moore talking about??
2. Clueless Metaphors: No clues in the prose left me sometimes scratching my head, you know, like reading an Emily Dickinson poem. I remember having to read “It Sifts from Leaden Sieves” in high school and being pissed when the teacher explained Emily was talking about snow. Geez. Could we be more cryptic? I had finished the book and was glancing through the “Book Club Questions” in the back when I finally understood the “Pyramid” was the building in which Jody worked. I was really confused in the beginning scene with an Emperor and a Pyramid…it soon becomes clear that the Emperor is a street bum, but the Pyramid I never got. At first I thought the Emperor might be how the Vampire refers to himself. Confusion!!! Arggggh!
3. The humor with the Animals (night crew at the Safeway grocery store) is so strained…Moore is trying too hard to be wild and waaaaacky! It feels forced, juvenile, desperate. The pacing is clunky as we go around the room and each Animal character mouths his jokey one-liner contribution to the scene. I don't want to see or feel the mechanisms behind the beautiful curtains, you know.
4. The characterization, relationship between, and dialogue of the two homicide detective partners feels trite, stereotypical, nothing fresh here!

I read that he felt he was writing a 3-act screenplay that would be easily adapted into a Hollywood vampire comedy film. Blech. That much is apparent.
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Jan 07, 2013

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Glitter Baby (Wynette, Texas #3)

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Phillips, Susan Elizabeth *

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3.59

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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Literally could not put this stupid romance novel DOWN. Awesome.

I really enjoyed reading SEP's first published novel, to see how she approached the pr...more Literally could not put this stupid romance novel DOWN. Awesome.

I really enjoyed reading SEP's first published novel, to see how she approached the problem of reality vs. romance, too much reality, too little? What's the right balance? As an intelligent woman writer, she wanted to write romance with real significance. Of course, she masters the balance in her later novels. But, I love this "imperfect" effort and all the criticism of it I read on this website.

It's not a romance, but more of a journey of a young woman to realize the strong woman she is meant to be, it therefore must be "woman's fiction," says one review. It's too gritty, too realistic, it's icking me out!, says another.

All the themes are there, that she will eventually explore to perfection in later works, with just the right tone. But this one has the incestuous "father," the celebrity-f***er mother who pimps her out, the "weak" anti-hero lover. SEP is unraveling the mystery of what is sex and what is romance? Do they really co-exist?...and how. So, this one is more about sex, less about romance...SEP will get the recipe just right later. Not to say that this book isn't fabulous! As woman's fiction (wink).

Note to self: Heroine does a stint in the middle of the book as a "secretary" for a touring rock band. Since I've had this gig myself, I couldn't help but smile at how much she got right. (The lead singer constantly checking his stock portfolio, the other who's really gay and/or all of the secrets they must keep from the world, the atmosphere of constant crisis and ringing phones and the bull**** tasks to be done at 1 a.m....) SEP is so fun and brilliant, i.e. the lead singer with the bright red star on his crotch (sex vs. romance), who is selling sex and reinvesting the profits and pining for the woman who thinks he's a pig.

Another fun thing: The "recreation" of the Robert Redford-Katherine Ross strip scene at gunpoint in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" with her heroine and hero...and how different reality is compared to fantasy! Well, hell, reality SUCKS! Here's to ROMANCE! Yeah, SEP! For doing her part, to keep it alive.

Freakin' awesome!(less)

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Jul 27, 2009

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The Great Gatsby

author

Fitzgerald, F. Scott

avg rating

3.79

Marcie's rating

5 of 5 stars

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I’ll resist the urge to write a paper comparing and contrasting the drunken party scene in Myrtle’s NY apartment with the drunken party scene in Holly...more

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Sep 02, 2012

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Tough Customer (Mitchell & Associates #2)

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Brown, Sandra *

avg rating

3.85

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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I haven't read a Sandra Brown in years. She used to be one of my faves. I saw this new one on the library shelf and thought, why not? 639 pages of lar...more

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Aug 03, 2011

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Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, #11)

author

Harris, Charlaine

avg rating

3.73

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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Monkey sex?

Apparently Eric the vampire-boyfriend likes monkey sex on the front porch swing. No, that wasn’t weird at all.

“And I shrieked out loud, my...more

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Aug 14, 2011

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Beautiful Ruins

author

Walter, Jess

avg rating

3.78

Marcie's rating

5 of 5 stars

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Yes, yes, it's a 5-star book, but I have such mixed feelings. The book is depressing! The title tells it all -- it's beautifully done, but the subject...more

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Sep 28, 2012

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A Dirty Job

author

Moore, Christopher *

avg rating

4.09

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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Tragic. Heart-shattering. Disturbing. Yet, a fascinating story. Upsetting.

Most humor has at its core something dark -- indignity, anger, irony, sarcas...more

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May 19, 2009

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The Twelve Clues of Christmas (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #6)

author

Bowen, Rhys *

avg rating

3.98

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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Balderdash! I wish I had discovered this book at the library a month ago, mid-December. It's perfectly charming -- a Christmas-themed parlor mystery!...more

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Jan 09, 2013

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Bitter in the Mouth

author

Truong, Monique

avg rating

3.45

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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There’s only one word for this book: compelling. Truong is a huge talent.

Once you become accustomed to the “foreign language” the narrator-protagonist...more

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Jan 14, 2011

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Evil at Heart (Gretchen Lowell #3)

author

Cain, Chelsea

avg rating

3.97

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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It’s been a while since I read the first two novels in Chelsea Cain’s twisted love saga of serial killer Gretchen Lowell and homicide detective Archie...more

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May 21, 2011

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The Night Season (Gretchen Lowell, #4)

author

Cain, Chelsea

avg rating

3.81

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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No Leo? WTF? He doesn’t really appear in the book, just his flowers he keeps sending Susan. I’m getting kinda attached to these characters and don’t l...more

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May 29, 2011

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And the Pursuit of Happiness

author

Kalman, Maira

avg rating

4.30

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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This is a beautiful book, 471 pages of the author’s private thoughts, observations, and favorite trivia about our country, each page bursting with her...more This is a beautiful book, 471 pages of the author’s private thoughts, observations, and favorite trivia about our country, each page bursting with her bright child-like paintings, sketches, and photographs. She travels to Monticello, the Pentagon, Capitol, White House, Supreme Court, etc. The font is really nice.

But, it’s an odd book. Who is it for? On the inside back cover, I read that the author writes and illustrates children’s books. Ahhh. At first I thought a child wrote it, or an adult with a child-like mind. Then it clicked into place. It feels dreamy, with an air of innocence.

It certainly offers many very sweet nuggets, such as the trivia that Thomas Jefferson changed the words Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Property to the Pursuit of Happiness. She also poses the question of why does the president swear his oath of office on the Bible, why not the Constitution.

I also enjoyed the many connections drawn between yesterday and today (the aristocratic Salisbury political refugee family with Salisbury steak), macro and micro viewpoints (the types of trees near famous sites, a page from Jefferson’s slave roles), and abstract and concrete concepts (war and soldier No. 53).

My favorite piece on Alexis de Tocqueville:

“He spent a year traveling and interviewing people, then wrote a book, aptly titled ‘De La Democratie en Amerique.’ His writing was filled with astute reflections: ‘If one asked me to what do I think one must principally attribute the singular prosperity and growing force of this people, I would answer that it is to the Superiority of its Women.’

However, its repeated leaning to the left annoyed me after awhile. She’s obviously anti-war (who isn’t?, but some of us understand the price paid for the cherry blossom trees) and pro-government subsidy for organic farmers. She talks about “a Democracy of Healthy Eating.” I happen to eat organic. But I don’t need to pay for everyone’s food. Grow your own garden, for Pete’s sake. Regarding immigration, she talks about specific immigrants she encountered at a swearing-in ceremony. She says she has to focus on details because often the big picture is too overwhelming to understand. I can appreciate that sentiment, but do not always agree with the details on which she chooses to focus. I’ve used the same heart-tugging tactic myself, but to buoy my conservative case. This book is a celebration of a utopian America, never mentioning crime, drugs, obesity, taxation…

So, this delightful little, child-like book has quite the insidious hidden liberal agenda. I don’t think it’s intentionally sinister, though, because liberals are child-like in their desire for the government to take care of everyone, and no one ever has to do anything they don’t want to. We can eat candy every day!
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May 31, 2011

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Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

author

Moore, Christopher *

avg rating

3.68

Marcie's rating

3 of 5 stars

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Still not as great as The Stupidest Angel, but it has some awesome moments, great characters, great dialogue. Just too much science...and too much "ma...more

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Jun 19, 2009

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Gone Girl

author

Flynn, Gillian *

avg rating

3.96

Marcie's rating

2 of 5 stars

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I think it's kinda important to like the characters in a book, and by page 100, I did not care who killed who or how. (And by page 50, I was tired of...more

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Mar 21, 2013

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Cave Full of Ghosts: The Billy Bob Tapes

author

Thornton, Billy Bob

avg rating

3.57

Marcie's rating

4 of 5 stars

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I like this "oral tradition" approach to a biography in which I suspect snippets of random, rambling, late-night conversations, between a bunch of fri...more I like this "oral tradition" approach to a biography in which I suspect snippets of random, rambling, late-night conversations, between a bunch of friends hanging out, have been recorded and transcribed. BB is a storyteller by nature, so he tells the stories of his life to trusted friends, then Kinky F weaves in the poems and songs BB has written throughout his life with his writing partner and close friend, Tom E.

I sensed his past before he ever began telling his anecdotes -- I saw it in his face and the angle of his skinny shoulders. He has a hangdog expression in some of his character portrayals that suggests a certain life wisdom like "oh, this shit again." What I didn't know was the OCD and severe dyslexia and how complicated his daily existence is.

So, I knew where he came from, but was curious about where he is now, meaning is he like every other liberal, free-Willy, Hollywood dirtbag who scorns the real people who don't live in the magic bubble of California. I was pleased to discover that he is not. His sentiments lean toward a more conservative, structured world in which hard work and sacrifice are duly rewarded, and there's less opportunity for hate to be expressed in a public forum.

He shares my dismay at the lack of "magic" in today's world (thanks to the rampant consumerism and consumption), the vapid crap movies have become (thanks to the greedy studios no longer interested in financing art), and an upside-down, inside-out society where the audience has become the "star" and the Internet has become God -- the great equalizer for every monkey on a keyboard (facts and real news cannot be found anywhere). Hidden deep in the ramblings is a call to action, and I heard it. Someone with power needs to stand up and say our society has become a violent, sick, lawless, Godless, angry, hate-mongering place where petty, jealous, childish morons feel everything is owed them and use their whining to tear others down and spread malice. I especially enjoyed his insight on modern medicine. Despite what he says, he is a VERY smart man.

I enjoyed his movies before, and I enjoyed this book. I think the man has something to say.

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Jul 30, 2012

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Blue Smoke and Murder (St. Kilda Consulting, #4)

author

Lowell, Elizabeth *

avg rating

3.78

Marcie's rating

1 of 5 stars

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I remember liking EL years ago; now I find her tough-guy writing style so annoying I want to throw the book across the room. She uses very short, abru...more

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Aug 02, 2009

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