L.E. DeLano's Blog, page 10

A To Z Book Review: Fairy Tale by Stephen King

My letter “F” pick for this year’s A to Z Challenge was FAIRY TALE by Stephen King.

As usual, Stephen King has written a tome, and the writer in me stands in flabbergasted awe at the sheer extent of his imagination, his carefully crafted prose, his gift for creating captivating characters. Fairy Tale isn’t your usual Stephen King tale, yet it is absolutely, authentically his.

In the story, we get to know young Charlie Reade, an honest, if currently aimless young man who befriends the elderly and reclusive Mr. Bowditch and his beloved dog Radar. Through a heartfelt and interesting slow build that culminates in the death of the elderly curmudgeon, Charlie takes custody of Radar and inherits Mr. Bowditch’s house and belongings, including a literal pot of gold and the creepy, padlocked shed in the backyard (I’m not kidding when I say “slow build” – it’s nearly one hundred and fifty pages before something otherworldly happens).

Aided by a final audiotape tell-all by Mr. Bowditch, Charlie discovers the secret passage under the shed that leads to the magical land of Empis, where he encounters all sorts of fairytale characters and monstrous creatures, and becomes the hero who aides a princess in freeing her kingdom from a horrible curse/plague. That’s as much detail as I will go into because, guys – this is Stephen King. There are so many twists and turns and moving parts in this tale it would take me six separate blog posts to break it all down for you.

This isn’t a book report, and FAIRY TALE is no classic fairy tale. As always, Stephen King built a world I want to explore with a protagonist I want to be friends with, side characters that captivate, and monstrous things and situations that kept me awake at night. The narrative, despite its meandering pace, held my interest to the last page and beyond. It’s a solid five stars from me.

Join Me At Aaron’s Books This Friday!

If you’re near East-Central PA this Friday and you’re looking for a place to find some great children’s, middle-grade, or YA reads, head to Lititz, PA for Lititz Second Fridays and stop by Aaron’s Books at 35 East Main Street between six and eight p.m. They’ll be hosting authors from the local chapter of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and yours truly will be among them. We’ll all have books to buy, swag to share, and pens ready to sign copies.

While you’re inside be sure and peruse the rest of the store – Aaron’s has something for everyone! Then walk the streets of a quaint little town and enjoy the hospitality of all the local merchants. You’ll have a great evening.

Hope to see you there!

A To Z Book Review: Evershore by Brandon Sanderson

My letter “E” book for the 2023 A to Z book challenge was EVERSHORE, by Brandon Sanderson. This is a companion book to the SKYWARD series (which I highly recommend) and it did not disappoint. While the series protagonist, Spensa Nightshade, is off spying on opposing alien forces in STARSIGHT, then running from the terrifying Delvers in a bizarre alternate dimension known as The Nowhere in CYTONIC, her fellow Skyward Flight squad members from book one are desperately in search of a way to attain hyperspeed and leave their prison planet, all while battling the domineering Superiority, who is determined to exterminate the human scourge.

EVERSHORE is one of three companion books that give a record of Skyward Flight’s time and activities behind the scenes. This book centers on Jorgen, Skyward Flight Leader and Spensa’s love interest, as he rescues the admiral and tries to forge an alliance with the Kitsen against the Superiority – all while trying to control his erratic new-found Cytonic powers.

None of that will mean a thing to you if you haven’t read the series, so go ahead and do that if you haven’t already. You’ll be very glad you did. Sanderson (aided by Janci Patterson), as usual, skillfully crafts a universe we want to be a part of with compelling, valiant, multi-faceted (and frequently hilarious) characters. Jorgen’s character has had the most growth of the group, and this book just cements my desire to see where he goes and how this story ties up. I’m giving this four stars – mainly because I feel all these companion stories would have been better served woven into the main narrative. I feel like we missed something not seeing them as part of the main series books.

What’s Up Wednesday: Juggling Novels

I know, I know . . . long time, no blog. I’ve hit a rough patch these last few months life-wise, and that also came with the realization that my latest manuscript was crap. This self-doubt is not a new thing for any writer, but in my case, it really demanded a complete overhaul, so I’ve been slogging through.

Along the way, a perfectly outstanding book idea ran into my mind and began waving its arms for attention. I realized that a previously shelved manuscript can be revamped into this new and wondrous thing, so I’m working on that, as well. In fact, it’s taking a good deal of discipline not to abandon manuscript number one in favor of this, but I’m determined to see that one through as I’m really close to done.

In the meantime, I’m prepping for a spring writing retreat with the Society of Children’s Book Writer & Illustrators (SCBWI), followed by the Pennwriters (Pennsylvania Writers) annual conference. Then we roll into book festival season, and I’ve got a few on the roster. You’ll see me (and my books) at:

IABX Children’s Book Expo – Roselle, NJ on June 10, 2023

Festival of Books in the Alleghenies – Ebensburg, PA on Sept 16, 2023

Books Books Books – Lititz, PA on September 23, 2023

Collingswood Book Festival – Collingswood, NJ on October 7, 2023

The Write Women Book Festival – Bowie, MD on October 14, 2023

I hope to see you there hopefully with all my marbles and a completed manuscript or two!

A To Z Book Review: Daughter Of The Burning City

My letter “D” book pick for this year’s A to Z book Challenge was DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY by Amanda Foody.

Like her earlier ACE OF SHADES trilogy, Amanda builds a wonderful, wild, fantastical world where magic is seamlessly woven into a cast of morally grey characters and their business dealings. I was absolutely captivated by the always-moving Gomorrah Festival and it’s troupe of magical entertainers who turn out to be–and this was clever and very intriguing–elaborate, sentient, free-thinking, living and breathing magical conjures of the book’s protagonist, sixteen year-old Sorina, who was born without eyes but can magically see.

The book grabbed me immediately as Sorina’s beloved, created troupe of performers are being systematically murdered–possibly by the secretive (and seductive) Luca, who is new to Gomorrah, but deals in gossip–a necessary skill for Sorina to tap into as she tries to hunt down the killer.

From there, things went downhill for me. I guessed the true villain within the first two paragraphs of their introduction, but some plot twists and motivations had me scratching my head and backtracking to read them again. I will say I did not guess the big reveal at the end of the book, but I have to follow that up with “I wish I’d never read it.” It ruined the story for me, and twisted what was clearly supposed to be a happy ending into something uncomfortable for me. And like her earlier works, the author throws so much energy, creativity, and thought into world building and the premise of fantastical characters, but their personalities and interactions are predictable and not always compelling. I was wavering between two and 1/2 and three stars because I hated the ending that much, but I’ll keep it at three stars for her terrific worldbuilding and promising premise.

A to Z Book Review: Chain of Thorns

My letter “C” pick for my A to Z book list was the much-anticipated finale to Cassandra Clare’s Last Hours trilogy, Chain of Thorns. Set in the Shadowhunter universe, it picks up from where book two left off, and we follow James and Lucy Herondale (children of Will and Tessa from the Clockwork trilogy), Anna and Christopher Lightwood (Gabriel and Cecily’s children), Thomas Fairchild (Gideon and Sophie’s child), and Matthew Fairchild (Henry and Charlotte’s child), all now in their late teens and early twenties, collectively known as the bad of Merry Thieves – mostly for their mischievous antics. Add into the equation one Cordelia Carstairs (around whom the book revolves), her prig of a brother, a resurrected ghost, Brother Zachariah (a.k.a. Jem Carstairs) two greater demons at war, and an inquisitor who’s out to discredit those troublesome Herondales and Lightwoods, and you’ve got a non-stop adventure sprinkled with humor, heated scenes, and a few sob-inducing gut punches along the way.

I’m not going to go into too many detail here, as they would be spoilers for the earlier books in the series, but suffice it to say that Cassandra Clare remains a literary goddess. She’s created a universe that’s rich and diverse with an adventure around every corner. I am in awe of the seamless way she drops back 100 years to weave us a new tale (without any continuity breaches, I might add), then springs forward with something entirely different in that same universe, each time introducing us to vivid and compelling new characters and richly painted details of Shadowhunter lore. Her books remain favorite re-reads, and this one will add to that list. Five stars.

A to Z Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days

My letter “B” pick for this year’s A to Z reading challenge was BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS by Shannon Hale.

This lovely, lyrical tale weaves the story of Dashti, a dirt-poor Mucker girl who makes her way to the city looking for work only to find the palace in an uproar. Lady Saren, the youngest child of the resident lord is in the middle of a fight with her father over a pending betrothal, and when Dashti presents herself as a lady’s maid (after all the other servants have mysteriously fled), Lady Saren demands her vow of service. Dashti, being a devout servant of the ancestors, immediately swears to serve her and never leave her, as Lady Saren is Gentry and therefore blessed by the ancestors.

Dashti learns to regret that vow as Saren’s father bricks them both up in a tower, vowing to keep them there for seven years unless Saren agrees to marry Lord Khasar, a vicious warlord and head of a neighboring kingdom bent on conquering the world. Saren claims to be secretly betrothed to Khan Tegus of the kingdom Song for Evela.

Dashti soon realizes her lady is in a fragile state of mind, and begins keeping a journal of their days in captivity. Khan Tegus makes a series secret visits, and a clearly enamored Dashti speaks and jokes with him through the small opening in their door pretending to be Saren, who is too afraid and broken to speak. Tegus can’t stay but swears he will return and get them out. Unfortunately, their next visitor is the horrible Lord Khasar who slaughters their guards and razes the kingdom to the ground in retaliation as Saren still refuses to wed him.

Tegus never does return and the girls remain trapped for the next two and a half years, with rats eating through their supplies and Saren’s mental health deteriorating to frightening levels. Dashti finally finds a way to break them out, and they make their way to the kingdom of Khan Tegus for refuge.

The plot from there has so many twists and turns, it would take several more paragraphs – and heavy spoilers – to detail it all. Suffice it to say, it held my interest, but there were a few instances of plot convenience that stuck out to me, and Dashti’s blind insistence to serve her lady and the sacred ancestors gets to be a bit much at times – even though it ends up saving the day at the end. Overall, it was a lovely tale. The worldbuilding was rich, the magic captivating, and the main characters fully fleshed out. Four stars.

A To Z Book Review: All The Bright Places

The great A to Z book challenge of 2023 is underway, and I began with a solid gut-punch.

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven is the story of Violet Markey, a high school senior who’s still reeling after the death of a beloved older sister, and Theodore Finch, a colorful character who seems to be constantly re-inventing himself. Finch is known especially for doing all manner of outrageous things, not the least of which is standing at the top of the high school’s bell tower and appearing as though he’s going to jump – a regular occurrence.

The book begins at Violet and Finch’s first face-to-face encounter, which is far from the standard YA meet-cute. Violet ascends the bell tower in a state of grief only to find that Finch got there first. He ends up talking her down, and from there an unlikely – and wonderfully quirky – friendship blooms, eventually leading to a full-blown relationship.

Of course, her parents and her popular friends don’t want her dating “Finch the Freak” (and not without some valid reasons) but our star-crossed lovers both recognize how much better they are together and how much healing they’ve experienced because of each other’s influence.

From there, we don’t settle into a warm, fuzzy YA love story, despite Finch adorably referring to Violet Marky as “UltraViolet ReMarkey-able” and Violet’s willingness to open the closed parts of herself to the charismatic tornado that is Finch.

Unfortunately, the tornado is only the edge of the chaotic storm that is Finn’s inner monologue. The book begins as a study of navigating Violet’s grief and loss, and then devolves into a heart-wrenching front row seat to Finn’s past (and current) trauma and deteriorating mental health. You’ll be sucked into the whirlpool and feel like you can’t take a breath to the final page. This was a hard and beautiful story, and one that needed to be told. Five stars (and several dozen tissues).

A to Z Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

My letter “M” pick for the A to Z book challenge was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

This book was amazing. The general premise is that the main character, Nora, has had a run of bad events after a life fraught with setbacks and disappointments. To that end, she’s swallowed a handful of pills and is now hovering between life and death in the Midnight Library, a place where she can check out alternate versions of her life story and choose to live them instead. In this multiverse of possibilities, Nora gets to live varying versions of her life, based on all the choices she regrets having made – or never having made.

We watch Nora live as a champion Olympic swimmer, a glaciologist combatting climate change, the lead singer of a rock band, and other, more simple lives, trying them – and varying romantic relationships – on for size and ultimately deciding they just don’t fit. The lessons Nora learns about herself and her choices teach her valuable and often unexpected things about the power of shaping your own life and weathering personal storms.

All these stories are told in charming, often heartfelt and sometimes hilarious vignettes that richly color Nora’s kaleidoscope of a life. By the end I was solidly rooting for Nora to make the decision she very much needed to make -the decision to live.

This book gets five stars from me, and will keep a treasured place in my memory.

A To Z Book Review: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

1/2

My letter “L” pick for the A to Z reading challenge was The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. This haunting story takes us to a tiny, remote island off the coast of Australia – not much more than a chunk of rock, really. Therein resides the lighthouse keeper, a man named Tom, still working through his battle demons from WWI. He meets and falls in love with Isabel, a girl from the mainland, and together they make a life for themselves on the island.

Despite the remoteness of their living arrangement, they’re happy until a string of miscarriages and stillbirth devastate Isabel’s hopes of being a mother. Providence steps in, and a boat washes ashore with a dead man inside – and an infant girl. Tom goes against his better judgement and allows Isabel to keep the child and pass her off as their own. Happiness returns, and Isabel is a devoted mother to the baby they name Lucy, and Tom falls in love with fatherhood. A trip to the mainland for Lucy’s christening throws it all in a twist when Tom hears of a woman named Hannah, whose husband and infant daughter went missing and are presumed dead.

Tom’s guilt eats away at him, and he begins secretly sending anonymous letters to Hannah, assuring her that her daughter is safe and happy. This all unravels as Tom sends a bit too much info, tipping off a third party who keys Hannah into the truth. Isabel feels betrayed, Lucy is torn between two families, and anguished, very understandable human emotions whirl all around.

This book left me with a feeling of melancholy I just couldn’t shake, despite its peaceful (if not necessarily happy) resolution. The prose felt a bit stilted in places, but the unwinding of all these twists and turns kept me interested in knowing how they were ever going to get through this hopeless situation. A good read and very nearly a great one. Three and a half stars.