Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 13
November 11, 2015
The Heartless City by Andrea Berthot
This the second book that I've read from the publisher Curiosity Quills. The first one, Alice Takes Back Wonderland by David D. Hammons, was such a delight that I had high expectations for The Heartless City by Andrea Berthot. I reviewed Alice Takes Back Wonderland on Book Babe here. More recently, I received a free copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
Like the first Curiosity Quills book that I tried, The Heartless City is also derived from a classic novel. It's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, a precursor of every modern horror novel in which a man turns into a monster. The Heartless City isn't a retelling of Stevenson's work, but an imaginative extension of his concept. I would categorize it as YA dystopian alternate history. It takes place in a terrifying Victorian/Edwardian London that never was.
Why am I reviewing this dystopian novel based on a famous horror story when I've often stated quite emphatically that I don't read horror and that I'm not fond of dystopias? I just had a feeling when I read the description that this wouldn't be the sort of book I mean when I say that I detest those genres.
The next question is why I would review this book for Book Babe. There is a male protagonist, but he encounters a dance hall waitress by the name of Iris Faye, who is a great deal more than she appears to be. The plot actually revolves around Iris, and she is a very strong female protagonist.
So what happened to London in this alternate timeline? After the death of Dr. Jekyll, a drug that turned men into Hydes became widely distributed. Many Londoners of all classes were becoming monstrous Hydes. Queen Victoria and Parliament fled the city. London was quarantined. A quarantine is normally established to contain an epidemic of a contagious disease. The Hyde phenomenon was neither. The Hyde drug needed to be deliberately injected in order for someone to become a Hyde. In Berthot's version, the Hydes lack compassion and therefore consume human hearts. This makes them monsters who are somewhat akin to those trendy zombies. Zombies can't think for themselves and therefore consume human brains. No one can tell these lumbering creatures that eating hearts or brains won't help them.
Enter our heroine Iris Faye, the only girl who dares to walk alone through the streets of this London after dark. How does Iris survive? Who is she really? The answers to these questions would be spoilers. It takes the entire book to answer them fully.
As in many YA novels, there is a romance element. It is the expected romance between the two teen protagonists. Romance fans will be happy to know that despite all obstacles, there is a HEA ending for them. Male protagonist Elliot Morissey is the son of the Lord Mayor's personal physician. He is grief-stricken by the death of his mother at the hands of a Hyde. A girl who doesn't fear the Hydes is a revelation to him. He is fascinated by Iris, and she helps him find the courage that he never knew he had.
I have to admit that I was also fascinated by her. Once I had the explanation for the mystery that was Iris, I had to work it out in my mind. Was the resolution scientifically feasible? I'm still not sure. I have arguments for and against it written in my book journal. Since there is a possibility that it might be plausible, I'm willing to consider this novel science fiction rather than fantasy. Other readers may think otherwise. YMMV, folks.
Iris is the name of the goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology. The rainbow is a sign of hope. I found this to be a hopeful book and it was largely because of Iris.
Like the first Curiosity Quills book that I tried, The Heartless City is also derived from a classic novel. It's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, a precursor of every modern horror novel in which a man turns into a monster. The Heartless City isn't a retelling of Stevenson's work, but an imaginative extension of his concept. I would categorize it as YA dystopian alternate history. It takes place in a terrifying Victorian/Edwardian London that never was.
Why am I reviewing this dystopian novel based on a famous horror story when I've often stated quite emphatically that I don't read horror and that I'm not fond of dystopias? I just had a feeling when I read the description that this wouldn't be the sort of book I mean when I say that I detest those genres.
The next question is why I would review this book for Book Babe. There is a male protagonist, but he encounters a dance hall waitress by the name of Iris Faye, who is a great deal more than she appears to be. The plot actually revolves around Iris, and she is a very strong female protagonist.
So what happened to London in this alternate timeline? After the death of Dr. Jekyll, a drug that turned men into Hydes became widely distributed. Many Londoners of all classes were becoming monstrous Hydes. Queen Victoria and Parliament fled the city. London was quarantined. A quarantine is normally established to contain an epidemic of a contagious disease. The Hyde phenomenon was neither. The Hyde drug needed to be deliberately injected in order for someone to become a Hyde. In Berthot's version, the Hydes lack compassion and therefore consume human hearts. This makes them monsters who are somewhat akin to those trendy zombies. Zombies can't think for themselves and therefore consume human brains. No one can tell these lumbering creatures that eating hearts or brains won't help them.
Enter our heroine Iris Faye, the only girl who dares to walk alone through the streets of this London after dark. How does Iris survive? Who is she really? The answers to these questions would be spoilers. It takes the entire book to answer them fully.
As in many YA novels, there is a romance element. It is the expected romance between the two teen protagonists. Romance fans will be happy to know that despite all obstacles, there is a HEA ending for them. Male protagonist Elliot Morissey is the son of the Lord Mayor's personal physician. He is grief-stricken by the death of his mother at the hands of a Hyde. A girl who doesn't fear the Hydes is a revelation to him. He is fascinated by Iris, and she helps him find the courage that he never knew he had.
I have to admit that I was also fascinated by her. Once I had the explanation for the mystery that was Iris, I had to work it out in my mind. Was the resolution scientifically feasible? I'm still not sure. I have arguments for and against it written in my book journal. Since there is a possibility that it might be plausible, I'm willing to consider this novel science fiction rather than fantasy. Other readers may think otherwise. YMMV, folks.
Iris is the name of the goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology. The rainbow is a sign of hope. I found this to be a hopeful book and it was largely because of Iris.
November 7, 2015
Suffragette: Review of a New Movie
I subscribe to an e-mail list for the Landmark movie theater chain. Suffragette was mentioned as an upcoming movie in October. I got excited. Then the theater near where I work put it on the marquee as coming soon. I saw that announcement on the marquee every time I passed that theater after work. I love books and movies about suffragettes, so I've been very impatient. It opened at that theater yesterday and I went to the first showing.
Suffragette is a British film about the late 19th and early 20th century women's suffrage movement. It's the first movie which contains scenes that were actually filmed in the Houses of Parliament according to the article about the movie on Wikipedia.
The central character is laundress Maud Watts played by Carey Mulligan. Another important character is Edith Ellyn played by Helena Bonham Carter. There is also an appearance that amounts to only a bit more than a cameo by Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst.
As a movie I thought it was very good. There was nice cinematography plus accurate period sets and costumes. I thought that the performances were effective. Americans will probably be seeing this movie on PBS eventually. If my tone sounds less than enthusiastic, it's because I was disappointed. I imagine that most members of the audience for this film probably wouldn't feel that way.
From a historical point of view, I felt that Suffragette was both simplified and distorted. It chose to focus on Emmeline Pankhurst's wing of the British suffrage movement, but the movie was supposed to be telling the story of working women involved in that movement. Emmeline Pankhurst's daughter Sylvia was the one who actually spoke to working women. Yet she only received a brief mention in this movie. As a socialist and labor activist, Sylvia thought it was important to help these women and deal with their issues. So she was more than an advocate for women's suffrage. She cared about working women, and wanted to improve their lives. She was also a pacifist who was opposed to Emmeline Pankhurst's violent tactics. There's a brief biography of her on a Sylvia Pankhurst Website.
I first learned about the role that Sylvia Pankhurst played in the suffrage movement when I read Suffragette Autumn, Women's Spring which I joint reviewed with Tara on Book Babe here. This novel by Ian Porter focused on a working class perspective of the Titanic disaster and the British women's suffrage movement. I absolutely loved it and wholeheartedly recommend it. Porter portrayed Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel as rather prejudiced against people of working class backgrounds. So from the perspective of someone who read Porter's book, I thought it was extremely ironic that a movie that wanted to focus on these women would show us Emmeline Pankhurst as their leader, and virtually ignore Sylvia Pankhurst.
I was further disenchanted by Suffragette when I read the background on the real woman who supposedly inspired Helena Bonham Carter's character. Edith Ellyn, the fictional character who appeared in the movie, was apparently a doctor who worked in a dispensary in a working class neighborhood. She was supposed to have been inspired by Edith Garrud who was one of the first women to teach martial arts. She ran two jujitsu dojos with her husband, and she taught jujitsu to a women's corps of body guards who fought hecklers at women's suffrage rallies. There was a very short scene of Edith Ellyn teaching martial arts in the movie, but there was no emphasis on martial arts in the film. Edith Ellyn was a likable character, but not especially interesting. Edith Garrud was absolutely awesome! I would have loved to have seen her in Suffragette.
Martial artist Tony Wolf wrote a trilogy of graphic novels about Edith Garrud and the women she trained to protect suffragettes. The series is called Suffrajitsu. There was a recent article on BBC.com in which Tony Wolf discusses Edith Garrud at Suffragette Bodyguards which shows photos of her training of suffragettes. He also informs readers about Suffrajitsu.
Here is the cover of the first Suffrajitsu graphic novel.
I really want to read this, but unfortunately my Kindle doesn't display color graphics. So I'll have to wait until I have enough spare cash for the print version.
I'm not sorry that I saw Suffragette, but I probably wouldn't have rushed to the theater to see the very first showing if I had known that it wouldn't meet my expectations. Perhaps one day there will be a movie about Edith Garrud. I will be the first on line to see it.
Suffragette is a British film about the late 19th and early 20th century women's suffrage movement. It's the first movie which contains scenes that were actually filmed in the Houses of Parliament according to the article about the movie on Wikipedia.
The central character is laundress Maud Watts played by Carey Mulligan. Another important character is Edith Ellyn played by Helena Bonham Carter. There is also an appearance that amounts to only a bit more than a cameo by Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst.
As a movie I thought it was very good. There was nice cinematography plus accurate period sets and costumes. I thought that the performances were effective. Americans will probably be seeing this movie on PBS eventually. If my tone sounds less than enthusiastic, it's because I was disappointed. I imagine that most members of the audience for this film probably wouldn't feel that way.
From a historical point of view, I felt that Suffragette was both simplified and distorted. It chose to focus on Emmeline Pankhurst's wing of the British suffrage movement, but the movie was supposed to be telling the story of working women involved in that movement. Emmeline Pankhurst's daughter Sylvia was the one who actually spoke to working women. Yet she only received a brief mention in this movie. As a socialist and labor activist, Sylvia thought it was important to help these women and deal with their issues. So she was more than an advocate for women's suffrage. She cared about working women, and wanted to improve their lives. She was also a pacifist who was opposed to Emmeline Pankhurst's violent tactics. There's a brief biography of her on a Sylvia Pankhurst Website.
I first learned about the role that Sylvia Pankhurst played in the suffrage movement when I read Suffragette Autumn, Women's Spring which I joint reviewed with Tara on Book Babe here. This novel by Ian Porter focused on a working class perspective of the Titanic disaster and the British women's suffrage movement. I absolutely loved it and wholeheartedly recommend it. Porter portrayed Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel as rather prejudiced against people of working class backgrounds. So from the perspective of someone who read Porter's book, I thought it was extremely ironic that a movie that wanted to focus on these women would show us Emmeline Pankhurst as their leader, and virtually ignore Sylvia Pankhurst.
I was further disenchanted by Suffragette when I read the background on the real woman who supposedly inspired Helena Bonham Carter's character. Edith Ellyn, the fictional character who appeared in the movie, was apparently a doctor who worked in a dispensary in a working class neighborhood. She was supposed to have been inspired by Edith Garrud who was one of the first women to teach martial arts. She ran two jujitsu dojos with her husband, and she taught jujitsu to a women's corps of body guards who fought hecklers at women's suffrage rallies. There was a very short scene of Edith Ellyn teaching martial arts in the movie, but there was no emphasis on martial arts in the film. Edith Ellyn was a likable character, but not especially interesting. Edith Garrud was absolutely awesome! I would have loved to have seen her in Suffragette.
Martial artist Tony Wolf wrote a trilogy of graphic novels about Edith Garrud and the women she trained to protect suffragettes. The series is called Suffrajitsu. There was a recent article on BBC.com in which Tony Wolf discusses Edith Garrud at Suffragette Bodyguards which shows photos of her training of suffragettes. He also informs readers about Suffrajitsu.
Here is the cover of the first Suffrajitsu graphic novel.
I really want to read this, but unfortunately my Kindle doesn't display color graphics. So I'll have to wait until I have enough spare cash for the print version.
I'm not sorry that I saw Suffragette, but I probably wouldn't have rushed to the theater to see the very first showing if I had known that it wouldn't meet my expectations. Perhaps one day there will be a movie about Edith Garrud. I will be the first on line to see it.
November 4, 2015
A Brief History of Elizabeth Stuart: A Guest Post from Nicola Cornick
History is selective. It remembers some characters whilst others become lost over the years. Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia was hugely powerful in her own time and she deserves her rightful place in history. Instead she has almost been forgotten.
Elizabeth Stuart was born in 1596, the daughter of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. At the age of 16 she made a political marriage to Frederick the Elector Palatine, a German Prince, a match designed to strengthen the Protestant cause in Europe. Elizabeth, beautiful, charming and sweet natured, was known as the “Queen of Hearts”. She went to live in Heidelberg and when her husband was offered the throne of Bohemia in 1619 she encouraged him to accept it. A year later he had been defeated in battle and the family were forced to flee into exile.
The "Snow King and the Winter Queen" - so called because their reign had lasted a single winter - sought refuge in the Netherlands, in The Hague. Frederick died in 1632, leaving Elizabeth a widow with thirteen children and an uncertain future. She became one of the foremost powerbrokers in Europe, taking her family’s affairs into her own hands and continuing to lay claim to the disputed territory that was her eldest son’s inheritance.
During this phase of her life Elizabeth worked ceaselessly to gain financial, military and moral support for her cause, enlisting the reluctant support of her brother Charles I and gaining the respect of politicians and diplomats across Europe. Her surviving letters show her to be a woman of strength and determination, as well as a key cultural, political and religious leader. She was successful in having her elder son reinstated in his principality in 1648 and her grandson George became the first Hanoverian King of England.
It was rumoured that after Frederick’s death, Elizabeth secretly married William, Lord Craven, who had been one of her most constant military and financial supporters through the years of her exile. It is this story that is at the centre of my new book, House of Shadows. Certainly William was utterly devoted to Elizabeth and when they returned to England in 1661 he provided a house for her to live in and started to build Ashdown House for her. The mirror that features in House of Shadows is my invention but there was a cursed pearl which features in a painting of Elizabeth that hangs in Ashdown House to this day and was part of the inspiration for the book.
House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick is out 5th November (Mira, original paperback £7.99)
***
London, 1662:There was something the Winter Queen needed to tell him. She fought for the strength to speak.
‘The crystal mirror is a danger. It must be destroyed – ‘
He replied instantly. ‘It will’.
Ashdown, Oxfordshire, present day: Ben Ansell is researching his family tree when he disappears. As his sister Holly begins a desperate search, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an ornate antique mirror and to the diary of Lavinia, a 19th century courtesan who was living at Ashdown House when it burned to the ground over 200 years ago.
Intrigued, and determined to find out more about the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly’s only hope is that uncovering the truth about the past will lead her to Ben.
For fans of Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton comes an unforgettable novel about three women and the power one lie can have over history!
October 31, 2015
Almost Invincible: Mary Shelley's Ambivalent Rebellion
As we celebrate Halloween, readers might want to recall an iconic gathering at Villa Diodati in Switzerland for the purpose of reading spooky stories. Two literary luminaries, Lord Byron and Mary's future husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, were participants. Another contributor to the evening's entertainment who is not so well known was Byron's physician, John Polidori. That night isn't remembered for what Byron and Shelley wrote for that occasion. Nor is it remembered for what Polidori wrote, though perhaps it should be. His novel The Vampyre that emerged from that dusk assemblage is a landmark work for those who are interested in the history of vampire fiction. Yet that confluence of creativity draws people's interest because Mary Shelley first imagined the book that became Frankenstein. Suzanne Burdon opens her Mary Shelley novel, Almost Invincible, with a re-creation of that remarkable evening.
A while back I reviewed The Lady and Her Monsters on my old blog. It was a non-fictional history of the literary and scientific background behind Frankenstein. So Almost Invincible is not the first book dealing with Mary Shelley that I've blogged. It's a biographical novel that focuses on her marriage, but I thought it was appropriate to begin this Halloween review with a mention of Mary Shelley's best known work.
After reading Almost Invincible, I've come to the conclusion that Mary Shelley was truly caught betwixt and between her heritage as the daughter of the radical and unconventional Mary Wollstonecraft and her upbringing in the Godwin household run by the second Mrs. Godwin, Mary Jane Clairmont, who was obsessed with respectability. Mary ran off with Shelley, who was then a married man, but she worried about the scandal that ensued. At one point, she complained to Shelley that his metaphorical umbrella that protected him from malicious talk didn't shield her. It seems to me that if Mary wanted to share his metaphorical umbrella, she needed to shelter under it. Shelley's protection was a mindset that the opinions of conventional people didn't matter to him. Stepping under his umbrella would mean that Mary would have to adopt that mindset, and she seemed incapable of doing so. The only explanation is that Mrs. Clairmont-Godwin had influenced Mary far more than she had managed to influence her own daughter, Claire. Mary recognized that her father, philosopher William Godwin, had become a hypocrite who no longer supported the social radicalism that he advocated when he and Mary Wollstonecraft were a couple. Yet she didn't perceive that she was equally inconsistent.
The title of the novel is taken from Godwin's evaluation of his daughter, but Mary was by no means invincible. She was hurt by Claire who she viewed as a rival for Shelley's affection, and she was very wounded by the deaths of all her children except for Percy. In fact, I thought that Claire was far more resilient because she lacked Mary's emotional sensitivity. Claire was unsympathetic, but I thought she was stronger than Mary. Claire's response to loss was anger. She refused to completely surrender herself to grief, and was able to move on with her life.
What I liked most about this book were the references to what was happening during the period. For example, in Villa Diodati Byron and Shelley discussed the increasing unrest due to serious climate change. It was known as "The Year Without a Summer" which was caused by a volcano eruption in Indonesia in 1815. There is an excellent article about it here by Gillen D'Arcy-Wood. It includes descriptions of the uncanny weather that Mary wrote in correspondence with her half-sister Fanny Imlay. These reports of extreme climate in 1816 eventually found their way into Frankenstein.
Another compelling example of historical context in this novel occurred when Mary, Shelley and Claire traveled through France in 1814. Burdon describes the devastation and misery of the Russian invasion and occupation that had taken place at that time. For more information, see an article about it on the Napoleon Society website here.
So although the main focus of Almost Invincible was on Mary's relationship with Shelley, Burdon did provide a frame of reference which shows us the truth of their times.
A while back I reviewed The Lady and Her Monsters on my old blog. It was a non-fictional history of the literary and scientific background behind Frankenstein. So Almost Invincible is not the first book dealing with Mary Shelley that I've blogged. It's a biographical novel that focuses on her marriage, but I thought it was appropriate to begin this Halloween review with a mention of Mary Shelley's best known work.
After reading Almost Invincible, I've come to the conclusion that Mary Shelley was truly caught betwixt and between her heritage as the daughter of the radical and unconventional Mary Wollstonecraft and her upbringing in the Godwin household run by the second Mrs. Godwin, Mary Jane Clairmont, who was obsessed with respectability. Mary ran off with Shelley, who was then a married man, but she worried about the scandal that ensued. At one point, she complained to Shelley that his metaphorical umbrella that protected him from malicious talk didn't shield her. It seems to me that if Mary wanted to share his metaphorical umbrella, she needed to shelter under it. Shelley's protection was a mindset that the opinions of conventional people didn't matter to him. Stepping under his umbrella would mean that Mary would have to adopt that mindset, and she seemed incapable of doing so. The only explanation is that Mrs. Clairmont-Godwin had influenced Mary far more than she had managed to influence her own daughter, Claire. Mary recognized that her father, philosopher William Godwin, had become a hypocrite who no longer supported the social radicalism that he advocated when he and Mary Wollstonecraft were a couple. Yet she didn't perceive that she was equally inconsistent.
The title of the novel is taken from Godwin's evaluation of his daughter, but Mary was by no means invincible. She was hurt by Claire who she viewed as a rival for Shelley's affection, and she was very wounded by the deaths of all her children except for Percy. In fact, I thought that Claire was far more resilient because she lacked Mary's emotional sensitivity. Claire was unsympathetic, but I thought she was stronger than Mary. Claire's response to loss was anger. She refused to completely surrender herself to grief, and was able to move on with her life.
What I liked most about this book were the references to what was happening during the period. For example, in Villa Diodati Byron and Shelley discussed the increasing unrest due to serious climate change. It was known as "The Year Without a Summer" which was caused by a volcano eruption in Indonesia in 1815. There is an excellent article about it here by Gillen D'Arcy-Wood. It includes descriptions of the uncanny weather that Mary wrote in correspondence with her half-sister Fanny Imlay. These reports of extreme climate in 1816 eventually found their way into Frankenstein.
Another compelling example of historical context in this novel occurred when Mary, Shelley and Claire traveled through France in 1814. Burdon describes the devastation and misery of the Russian invasion and occupation that had taken place at that time. For more information, see an article about it on the Napoleon Society website here.
So although the main focus of Almost Invincible was on Mary's relationship with Shelley, Burdon did provide a frame of reference which shows us the truth of their times.
October 29, 2015
Isolation by Mary Anna Evans
I've been a fan of the Faye Longchamp mysteries by Mary Anna Evans for some time, but I've never blogged about any of them. This is the ninth book in the series. So it's about time that I did. These are contemporary mysteries that often have a strong historical element.
I think that Book Babe readers who haven't encountered Faye Longchamp should know about her. Faye is an African American archaeologist who first practiced archaeology by excavating Joyeuse, the island off the coast of Florida where she lived. By excavating on Joyeuse, she was uncovering her own family's heritage. Her family had lived on Joyeuse for generations. Isolation deals very directly with one of Faye's ancestors.
It starts out as a contemporary case. A woman who owns a bar has been murdered. At the same time, a man that is looking for the truth about a Civil War ancestor of his who disappeared, starts asking questions about a woman who was Faye's ancestor. This particular ancestor is significant to Faye. So that's when this mystery starts getting very personal. Faye discovers that everything she loves may be in jeopardy. She will end up having to fight for her family, and for her life on Joyeuse. Books don't get more dramatically intense than this. Mary Anna Evans pulled out all the stops in Isolation.
The strength Faye exhibits is more astonishing because the novel opens with Faye having been depressed for some time over a miscarriage. She isolates herself while she grieves over the loss of her baby. The level of threat that she experiences over the course of the narrative, snaps her out of it. She becomes herself again. A woman who is weak would have no resources to call upon, but Faye is a hero.
One of male heroes in this novel who fights alongside Faye is her husband, Joe Mantooth. Joe is a Native American flintnapper. Flintnapping is a stone age skill. Very few people in the current day practice flintnapping. He is also an expert consultant on flintnapped artifacts for archaeologists. I think this makes him a pretty amazing man. Flintnapping doesn't play a role in Isolation, but I wanted to introduce readers of this review to Joe. He's central to both this book and to Faye's life. I always imagine that Joe looks like the actor Joe Lando as he appeared on the TV show, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman where he played the role of Sully. I imagine that Faye looks like the actress Halle Berry. Faye and Joe make an extraordinary couple.
It would be possible to read Isolation without reading the rest of the Faye Longchamp series, but you would probably be better off getting all the background by starting off with the first book, Artifacts. Live through Faye's adventures as Mary Anna Evans wrote them.
I think that Book Babe readers who haven't encountered Faye Longchamp should know about her. Faye is an African American archaeologist who first practiced archaeology by excavating Joyeuse, the island off the coast of Florida where she lived. By excavating on Joyeuse, she was uncovering her own family's heritage. Her family had lived on Joyeuse for generations. Isolation deals very directly with one of Faye's ancestors.
It starts out as a contemporary case. A woman who owns a bar has been murdered. At the same time, a man that is looking for the truth about a Civil War ancestor of his who disappeared, starts asking questions about a woman who was Faye's ancestor. This particular ancestor is significant to Faye. So that's when this mystery starts getting very personal. Faye discovers that everything she loves may be in jeopardy. She will end up having to fight for her family, and for her life on Joyeuse. Books don't get more dramatically intense than this. Mary Anna Evans pulled out all the stops in Isolation.
The strength Faye exhibits is more astonishing because the novel opens with Faye having been depressed for some time over a miscarriage. She isolates herself while she grieves over the loss of her baby. The level of threat that she experiences over the course of the narrative, snaps her out of it. She becomes herself again. A woman who is weak would have no resources to call upon, but Faye is a hero.
One of male heroes in this novel who fights alongside Faye is her husband, Joe Mantooth. Joe is a Native American flintnapper. Flintnapping is a stone age skill. Very few people in the current day practice flintnapping. He is also an expert consultant on flintnapped artifacts for archaeologists. I think this makes him a pretty amazing man. Flintnapping doesn't play a role in Isolation, but I wanted to introduce readers of this review to Joe. He's central to both this book and to Faye's life. I always imagine that Joe looks like the actor Joe Lando as he appeared on the TV show, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman where he played the role of Sully. I imagine that Faye looks like the actress Halle Berry. Faye and Joe make an extraordinary couple.
It would be possible to read Isolation without reading the rest of the Faye Longchamp series, but you would probably be better off getting all the background by starting off with the first book, Artifacts. Live through Faye's adventures as Mary Anna Evans wrote them.
October 26, 2015
Spotlight & #Giveaway: Clutch
Clutch: A Novel is the laugh-out-loud, chick lit romance chronicling the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courage to discover the “Clutch” or someone she wants to hold onto.***
Excerpt:
Mimi Johnson was casually dressed in a brightly-colored blouse with enormous turquoise jewelry and equally-oversized glasses. Despite that largesse, the only thing truly bigger than her personality (and her bosom) was her handbag. It was always perfectly matched to her clothing, shoes, and jewelry. She was like a walking Chico’s advertisement, if you added forty years, forty pounds, and a Virginia Slims cigarette. From her Mary Poppins-like bag, she pulled out a box, impeccably-wrapped in glossy pink paper with a white grosgrain ribbon bow. A cigarette teetered between her two fingers while she produced a lung-hacking cough.“Open it… …sweetie. Open it,” she said to her seven-year-old great niece, Caroline, a beautiful and vibrant girl with long blonde hair and oversized blue eyes.Alive with anticipation, sweet young Caroline eagerly took the box and smiled up at Mimi. She gingerly removed the ribbon, planning to save it for later. The glossy paper was less of interest and she ripped through it quickly. She opened the box and gently lifted out a hot pink purse, adorned with pale pink flowers and rhinestones. An enormous smile overcame her. Caroline nearly set her own hair on fire from Mimi’s cigarette as she bounded into her aunt’s arms.“Oh, thank you, Aunt Mimi. It’s lovely.”And that was when Caroline’s love of handbags began. From big and loud ones that would make Mimi proud to unimposing wristlets, from bowler bags to satchels; it didn’t matter if they were made of canvas or calf-skin leather, were distressed or embellished with metal studs. Hell, she didn’t care if you called them pocketbooks or purses. She just loved them all – almost as much as she loved Mimi.By the time she was a junior in high school and well on her way to being class valedictorian, it was the hundreds of bags Caroline owned that helped her conceptualize her ticket out of her suffocating small Georgian town. She would design handbags. And it was Mimi who was her steadfast cheerleader.“Caroline, sweetie… …you find something you love and you just hold onto it.” It had never mattered if Caroline was asking Mimi’s advice about a friend, lover, or career. The advice was always the same: “Find something you love and hold onto it.”Mimi’s words ever-present in her mind, Caroline headed to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and spent four years in Los Angeles learning everything there was to know to pursue her passion. Then, right out of college, she spent three years working in the design and marketing departments of two of the world’s leading high-end handbag designers.She was schooled in beauty and how to accessorize the perfectly-coiffed women on the way to their Botox appointments. But Caroline was pulled by the nagging feeling that the very person who had inspired her career, Mimi, could never afford the bags she designed, even if Caroline used her generous employee discount on Mimi’s behalf. And God forbid Mimi would ever accept one as a gift, always preferring to give rather than receive. But Caroline believed there was no reason for anyone to be denied the ultimate in accessories. She saw an untapped market of designing beautiful and affordable bags, but she just wasn’t sure she was start-up potential. Again, it was Mimi who nudged her to learn the business side of things and apply to MBA programs. When Caroline was accepted to Harvard Business School, Mimi of course encouraged her.“You’ve got this, sweetie. ,” she said. “It’s in the bag.”
***Caroline was sitting in Financial Reporting and Control on her first day of Harvard classes (and yes, the class turned out to be as boring as it sounded). That’s when she first eyed Mike, who was wearing a faded pair of Levi jeans, a washed-out vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt, and Converse sneakers. He oozed charisma. Turning her head away from him and back toward the front of the lecture hall, Caroline thought that if he were a handbag, he would be a grey leather tote – confident and dependable, but not trying too hard.Mike surveyed the large lecture hall as he walked in, a Starbucks coffee cup in each hand. After descending the steps slowly, he took a seat next to Caroline and planted one of the white and green cups on her desk.Flashing a wide, dimpled smile, which she mused he reserved for getting girls to drop their panties, he said, “Here. You look like you’re going to need this.”“Thanks,” she replied in a suspicious tone, turning her head sideways to look at him and raising an eyebrow.“I’m Mike,” he said, again flashing a smile and reaching out for a handshake.“I’m Caroline. Thanks for the…”“Latte.”“Latte,” she confirmed. “Thanks. But just so you know, I’m not gonna sleep with you,” she said in an apparent attempt to establish up front she wasn’t taken in by his obvious charm.“I know,” he replied matter-of-factly.Before she could respond, Professor Beauregard, a stout man with excessive eyebrows, spoke up.“Please take note of where you are seated. I will send around a seating chart for you to mark your spot. This will be your seat for the remainder of the semester.”“Looks like we’ll be seatmates,” Mike said, grinning at her.“Looks like it,” she replied.
***About three months into the first semester, Caroline learned that her fun-loving, easy-going new best buddy Mike wasn’t exactly who he appeared to be.A blanket of white snow dusted the Harvard grounds and it was a particularly slow day in another mutual class, LEAD – Leadership and Organizational Behavior. Professor Moss, a frail man who weighed less than his years, was droning on and on about establishing productive relationships with subordinates or something to that effect. He initiated a discussion about what works better – the carrot or stick approach.“Mr. Barnsworth,” he called, referring to his seating chart and scanning the room until he found Mike in the fifth row. “What are your thoughts?”“Well, it seems to me that good management is all about empathy and being able to enthuse and inspire your staff. You know, appreciating them and respecting them. Showing you care,” he said, placing his hand over his heart in a gesture of true compassion and concern. “And if they can’t get that through their thick skulls, you fire ‘em,” he continued, drawing his finger across his throat.Several students sitting around them started to chuckle while Caroline stifled a laugh. Mike looked around the room and nodded his head, soaking in the appreciation of his sense of humor.“Mr. Barnsworth,” said Professor Moss in a menacing tone, “I would have expected a better answer from you, considering your family history.”Confused by the conversation unfolding before her, Caroline leaned over and whispered to Mike, “What is he talkin’ about?” Mike put up a hand to quiet her.“Later,” he hissed.Twenty minutes later, the two shared a bench outside Baker Library, the chill of winter causing Caroline to pull her scarf closer around her neck.“What was that all about?” she asked, scrunching up her nose in confusion.
Reluctantly, Mike began to speak. “My full name is Michael Frederick Barnsworth the Third.
About Lisa Becker
In addition to her new book, clutch: a novel, Lisa Becker is the author of the Click Trilogy, a contemporary romance series comprised of Click: An Online Love Story, Double Click and Right Click. She’s written bylined articles about dating and relationships for “Cupid’s Pulse,” “The Perfect Soulmate,” “GalTime,” “Single Edition,” “Healthy B Daily” and “Chick Lit Central” among others. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California with her husband and two daughters. To learn more, visit www.lisawbecker.com.
Books: Click: An Online Love Story, Double Click, Right Click and clutch: a novel
Find Lisa: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Web | YouTube
Giveaway
One commenter of this post will win an ebook copy of Clutch. Giveaway lasts for two weeks. Please be sure to leave your email address in the comment so you can be contacted. And DO answer this question: what was your funniest date ever?
October 24, 2015
Shomeret's Not Changing Much on Book Babe
I began posting on Book Babe because my friend Tara needed help with coverage and I loved Book Babe. I still love Book Babe and I want to preserve it. I have a personal blog called Shomeret: Masked Reviewer. It reflects my tastes and personality. I don't want Book Babe to be a clone of my blog. I want it to continue to be a blog that focuses on fiction with strong woman protagonists. That's the hallmark of Book Babe. I will review non-fiction and fiction focusing on male protagonists on Shomeret: Masked Reviewer.
Another continuing theme of Book Babe is Strong is Sexy. Like Tara, I'm sex positive and I genuinely believe that a strong woman is also sexy. Are you still with me, readers? I hope you are.
One thing that I do want to change is the inclusion of ratings. I admit that I'm not a big fan of ratings. I've always thought that the content of a review reflects the opinion of the reviewer more completely and more accurately than a rating. So I will no longer rate books on Book Babe.
I support Tara in her choices about her life. She is a gutsy feminist whose determination to be who she is has impressed me. She will always be welcome to post on Book Babe. I wish her well.
Another continuing theme of Book Babe is Strong is Sexy. Like Tara, I'm sex positive and I genuinely believe that a strong woman is also sexy. Are you still with me, readers? I hope you are.
One thing that I do want to change is the inclusion of ratings. I admit that I'm not a big fan of ratings. I've always thought that the content of a review reflects the opinion of the reviewer more completely and more accurately than a rating. So I will no longer rate books on Book Babe.
I support Tara in her choices about her life. She is a gutsy feminist whose determination to be who she is has impressed me. She will always be welcome to post on Book Babe. I wish her well.
Lost in America - Episodes 1-3 by Laura Fitzgerald
This book grabbed me from the beginning. It had a unique plot and as the story went on, I couldn't put it down and needed to know what was going to happen. I wasn't crazy about the heroine, Kendra. She just wouldn't listen to anyone, but she did it with well intentions to figure out the truth and protect her mom. Kendra has a strong need to keep her mom safe after she lost her father and her mother lost her husband on the day of 9/11.After almost dying herself, Kendra is given a gift called Insight, where she can see things that happen in the future and try to stop it. Such as kidnappings, rapes, murder, etc. There are several people telling Kendra to trust them, but she isn't sure who to trust. And I can't blame her. By the time episode 3 ended, I was as confused as she was.
This book ends with a cliffhanger. I was under the impression the series was complete, but it is not. I checked the authors website and Amazon, but did not come across when book 4 will be out. :insert frown face: because I am dying to know what happened.
For now, I will be keeping an eye out for the book and hope that it is released soon.
Lacey's Rating
About The Book
New Adult Thriller - How far would you go to save your mother's life?
It's the near future, and the next big thing is already here. Smartphones, tablets, even TVs have been replaced by Butlers, your own digital personal assistant who knows you intimately. It's killer technology ... really, it is.
Billed as "luxury for the little guy," your Butler knows your clothing sizes, your favorite pizza toppings, the music you like, and gets you whatever you want at your command. Your Butler is always there for you. Watching. Waiting. Listening. It knows everything about you, and so does the company behind it.
That's where the danger comes in.
Meet Kendra Sinclair. She'd be the first to tell you there's nothing special about her, until she uncovers a massive conspiracy designed to kill millions of people, including those she loves most. Kendra's the only one who can stop it ... unless the bad guys stop her first, which means she needs to get Lost In America.
But how can she, when privacy is just an illusion?
AMAZON
October 23, 2015
A Huge Change to Book Babe
Many of you have probably noticed that Book Babe's had a major change of late. The posts went from everyday to one a week. Book Babe nearly stopped reading.I feel it's past time I told everyone why.
First, I got a divorce. No, don't say you're sorry, because I'm not. My ex-husband and I shall remain cordial friends forever, but I think divorce was the best choice for us. You either have what it takes or you don't. You're either compatible or you're not.
But with divorce comes stress, division of assets, dogs, houses, furniture, and someone moves, and in this case it was me. So I got a divorce, moved, lost a dog to his care. At the same time, I had to put little Jazzy down. Her heart murmur became bronchial and tracheal collapse and she was struggling just to breathe, to live everyday. This experience broke my heart.
I lost and gained a job.
I met a wonderful man and began what I hope will be a long relationship.That was just my summer.
As fall begins, I am about to possibly say goodbye to Pudgy, who has come down with a mysterious growth (they think tumor) on her urethra. She can no longer pee on her own. She is absolutely miserable with a catheter. All options the vet gave us gave her only 6 months to a year to live, no matter how we treat it.
And while visiting her the other night, I was robbed. The perp took not only my wallet and ids and mace and ipod and all kinds of things (including tampons. I hope he one day accidentally sits on one the wrong way, if you get my drift.) and my Kindle that contains about 200 Netgalley titles or titles authors and publishers sent me. That's 200 titles I can't put on another Kindle due to the anti-sharing crap on the files. I can't redownload them. I can't review them now either, meaning 200 authors are going to be disappointed.
As I sat here realizing this...how much work it would be to get all those books back, I realized I just can't do it. I can't tackle this latest issue too.
So I apologize, but I cannot keep blogging and reviewing books anymore.
Many of you have come to enjoy Book Babe though and all the things it offers. Also many reviews posted previously get enjoyment to this day. I will not archive anything. I will not shut the blog down. Instead I'm happily handing it over to Shomeret. You may still hear from me from time to time, a random book review. But if you're an author expecting a review because I got your title on Netgalley, it's most likely not going to happen now. I am sorry.
Thank you, all, for sharing books and movies and women power with me over the years. It's been a fun ride.
October 20, 2015
Cover Reveal: The Maddox Brothers by Ella Jade and Lacey Wolfe
Two bestselling authors, two sexy alpha brothers in one explosive book!
COMING NOVEMBER 13, 2015
from
Ella Jade andLacey Wolfe
Ella Jade and Lacey Wolfe are excited to announce their joint venture. Each author took one brother and wrote a steamy story to tantalize and entice your senses. The Maddox Brothers is told in two parts, but both books intertwine to give you double the pleasure. Ella and Lacey are bringing you something completely different!
Get lucky with the Maddox Brothers...
Successful brothers Hudson and Liam Maddox are living the lives they’ve always dreamed of. Neither is looking for a relationship, more interested in keeping their single status with the ladies. That all changes when Kennedy and Chelsea enter their lives.
HudsonHudson has been focusing on his career and building a solid business in the real estate industry. The charismatic attorney has recently been named the most eligible bachelor in town. He's never been interested in settling down until he collides with the easygoing Kennedy. She invades his orderly life in a matter of days. Has this carefree younger woman been what's missing in his meticulous world?
LiamContent with his life, Liam has built his own construction business and takes pride from it's excellent reputation. After having his heart broken years ago, he’s decided not to take any relationship too seriously. But then the woman who tore his heart up years ago returns and hires his company for her home renovations. Trying to keep his cool around Chelsea is damn near impossible. All he has to do is complete the renovation and then never see Chelsea again. As if it was that simple.
***
Have you joined The Maddox Brothers celebration event scheduled for November 15, 2015? Lots of prizes, teasers, excerpts and awesome authors are planned.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1506960839616754/
Support our Thunderclap too!
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/32762-the-maddox-brothers
COMING NOVEMBER 13, 2015
from
Ella Jade andLacey Wolfe
Ella Jade and Lacey Wolfe are excited to announce their joint venture. Each author took one brother and wrote a steamy story to tantalize and entice your senses. The Maddox Brothers is told in two parts, but both books intertwine to give you double the pleasure. Ella and Lacey are bringing you something completely different!
Get lucky with the Maddox Brothers...
Successful brothers Hudson and Liam Maddox are living the lives they’ve always dreamed of. Neither is looking for a relationship, more interested in keeping their single status with the ladies. That all changes when Kennedy and Chelsea enter their lives.
HudsonHudson has been focusing on his career and building a solid business in the real estate industry. The charismatic attorney has recently been named the most eligible bachelor in town. He's never been interested in settling down until he collides with the easygoing Kennedy. She invades his orderly life in a matter of days. Has this carefree younger woman been what's missing in his meticulous world?
LiamContent with his life, Liam has built his own construction business and takes pride from it's excellent reputation. After having his heart broken years ago, he’s decided not to take any relationship too seriously. But then the woman who tore his heart up years ago returns and hires his company for her home renovations. Trying to keep his cool around Chelsea is damn near impossible. All he has to do is complete the renovation and then never see Chelsea again. As if it was that simple.
***
Have you joined The Maddox Brothers celebration event scheduled for November 15, 2015? Lots of prizes, teasers, excerpts and awesome authors are planned.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1506960839616754/
Support our Thunderclap too!
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/32762-the-maddox-brothers
