Books Read - June 2016

Barron, Stephanie

• Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor ***

Fiction.  Jane Austen visits Scargrave Manor to attend a party celebrating the marriage of her good friend, Countess Scargrave.  Unfortunately, the household is in an uproar when the new groom, Earl Scargrave dies of poisoning, and the Countess is the number one suspect.

Battista, Jeanette

• Jackal Moon ****

Fiction.  Second in the Moon series.  Kess is called back to Miami after her brother was murdered, and she has to deal with keeping the clan going while also repelling the werehyenas who wish to take over the city.  The Keepers are involved, and Laila is on her first assignment for them.

Blake, Deborah

• Midsummer *****

Non-fiction.  Lore, recipes, crafts, and rituals of Midsummer.

Carroll, Lewis

• Through the Looking Glass **

Fiction.  Alice leaps into a looking-glass and finds herself in another world.

Choo, Yangsze 

• The Ghost Bride *****

Fiction.  Li Lan was of marriageable age, but her father had long since taken to opium and quit associating with other fathers with eligible sons.  One day a visitor arrives, a wealthy merchant, whose son had recently died.  He asks Li Lan’s father for her hand in becoming a ghost bride to his son.

Goudge, Eileen

• Woman in Black *****

Fiction.  Three women’s lives intersect at crucial moments, after which nothing is the same.

McKinley, Robin

• Chalice ****

Fiction.  Marisol has been chosen as Chalice to her demesne, but they are still without a Master.  The chosen Master had been sent away to become a Fire Priest, and it is uncertain whether he will be able to transform into Master.  The earthlines are in an upheaval, as the future of the demesne is in question, and it’s up to Marisol to bring things back into line.

Painter, Sarah

• The Language of Spells *****

Fiction.  First in the magical realism series set in Pendleford, England.  Gwen’s great-aunt, Iris, has left her a house in the town that Gwen had lived in during her teen years.  The women of their family line, the Harper’s, have special gifts, though Gwen has tried hard over the years to forget about hers.  Upon her return, her gift grows in power, but she’s still not sure if  it’s a gift or a curse.

Peltier, Leonard

• Prison Writings *****

Non-fiction.  Published in 1999, these writings of Leonard Peltier tell of his life and how he ended up accused of a double murder and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus seven years.

Roberts, Nora

• Blood Magick ***

Fiction.  Last it in Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy set in Ireland.  A curse has haunted a family for centuries, and it’s up to three members of the family and their friends to destroy a demon.

Seton, Anya

• Katherine *****

Fiction.  Historical fiction about the life and love of Lady Katherine Swynford, who marries a knight she does not love, but whose death frees her to be with the love of her life.

Sparks, Nicholas

• The Choice ***

Fiction.  Travis’ new neighbor introduces herself while accusing his dog of impregnating hers.  By the time she quits ranting, he is quite taken with her.  He invites her for a day parasailing with his friends, and despite the fact that she has a boyfriend who probably wouldn’t approve, she agrees to go, and their romance is kindled.

Books Read - May 2016

Dalai Lama

• How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life ****

Non-fiction.  Teachings on how to live a meaningful life.

Endo, Shusaku

• Silence ****

Fiction.  Fictionalized story of a Portuguese priest who travels to Japan to serve the Christians there in the seventeenth century, during a time when the Japanese are trying to get rid of Christians.

Galenorn, Yasmine

• Once Upon a Curse *****

Fiction.  Seventeen dark fairytales by seventeen talented authors.

Gauding, Madonna

• The Meditation Bible *****

Non-fiction.  Introduction to meditation followed by 140 meditations for numerous occasions.

Hunter, Ellen Elizabeth

• Murder on the Candlelight Tour ***

Fiction.  Ashley Wilkes makes her living as a vintage house renovator.  Her own victorian is being featured on the annual Candlelight Tour in Wilmington, N.C..  After the tour, Ashley hears sounds coming from her library, and finds her good friend and history professor, Binkie, holding the fireplace poker.  At his feet lies a dead body.  She knows he is innocent, but can she prove that to the police when Binkie’s are the only fingerprints on the murder weapon?

Semple, Maria

• Where’d You Go, Bernadette **

Fiction.  Bee’s mother is having a breakdown, and Bee and her father are trying to save her from herself.  Things don’t go well, and suddenly Bernadette disappears.

Books Read - April 2016

Ash, Maureen

• Shroud of Dishonour *****

Fiction.  Fifth book in the Templar mysteries set in England.  Sir Bascot de Marins is waiting to deploy to Portugal to fight the Moors, but the Preceptor belays any departures when a harlot is found dead inside the Templar enclave.  With arrows pointing toward a brother Templar as the murderer, the Preceptor asks de Marins for his help in solving the murder.

Berry, Steve

• The Third Secret *****

Fiction.  Colin Michener is the papal secretary to Clement XV, whom he also counts as a mentor and great friend.  Clement is dealing with some great secrets that can topple or save the Catholic Church, but he needs Colin’s help with seeing that the Church comes through troubling times as a true reflection of God’s plan.

Bevill, C.L.

• Bubba and the Wacky Wedding Wickedness ****

Fiction.  Bubba and Willodean are getting ready for their wedding.  It seems Miz Demetrice has invited the whole town, as well as agents from the FBI and Homeland Security.  The wedding plans come to a standstill when Bubba finds a dead body in his living room.  And then loses it.

Galenorn, Yasmine

• Earthbound *****

Fiction.  Novella in the Otherworld series.  The D’Artigo sisters aren’t faring so well at the YIA, and they’ve been transferred to Earthside to liaise with Chase Johnson who heads up the OIA.  The girls are nervous at traveling to their mother’s home for the first time, and it’s a steep learning curve they face as they learn all about technology and life in Seattle.  Assisting them is Iris Kuusi, a house sprite, who helps them find a new home and gets them settled in their new jobs.  Delilah and Menolly think this might be a vacation for them, but Camille is worried that dark forces might be gathering in their near future.

Glaze, JH

• The Spirit Box ***

Fiction.  A woman buys an unusual box in Paris and returns to the U.S.  Years later, she has died and left her own antique shop to her son, Walt.  Walt has been having dreams about a particular box, and when he finds it in his mother’s shop, he can’t believe his luck.  When the box begins talking to him, his life changes forever.

Marquis, Melanie

• Beltane *****

Non-fiction.  Lore, rituals, recipes, and crafts of Beltane.

Miall, Antony, David Milstead

• The Xenophobe’s Guide to the English **

Non-fiction.  Semi-humourous take on the English and their quirks.

Michie, David

• The Dalai Lama’s Cat *****

Fiction.  The life of the Dalai Lama’s cat as told by herself.

Randisi, Robert J.

• Curtains of Blood ****

Fiction.  Bram Stoker is the manager of the famed Lyceum Theatre in London, working closely with his idol, theatre owner Henry Irving, who is starring in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Jack the Ripper has begun his murderous spree in Whitechapel, and the police are working hard to catch him.  Bram is surprised at work when a police detective approaches him to tell him to shut down the play.  It’s possible that the character of Mr. Hyde might be encouraging Jack to continue killing.  Bram is shocked when Henry immediately agrees to close the play, and even more shocked when he realizes that the police suspect Henry of being the murderer.  Jack fascinates Bram who begins hunting for Jack.  Not to capture him, but to find out what makes him want to kill.  Jack is warned that Bram is seeking him and turns the tables on him by hunting Bram.

Reiki Attunements and Lani's Passing

On March 31, 2016 I received my Reiki attunements from Lisa Powers.  I'd been wanting to study Reiki for years but only now acted on it.  Ever since Lani died, which I'll explain in a moment, things have been changing in my life.  I'm now studying things I've wanted to learn for years, and it feels great.

Every year on my birthday (and on hers and on Mother's Day) I called my birthmom, Lani.  I've only met her once, but we kept in touch through the mail and via phone calls.  This year, however, six days before my birthday Lani died.  She had gone into the hospital on Friday, February 19, with internal bleeding, and she had a small heart attack.  They were going to take her into exploratory surgery on Saturday to find out where she was bleeding from, but she wasn't stable enough for the procedure.  I found out when my sister, Christine, contacted me on Sunday.  I was waiting to hear back from her on Monday, but when she called it was with the worst news.  Lani had passed away on February 22.  

This woman who had been such a huge part of my life, even before I knew who she was, was gone.  But I don't feel sad.  I feel closer to her than ever.  Before, we were separated by geography.  Now, she is right here with me.  I can still see her smile and hear her laughter.  I love her, and I know she's watching over me.  And smiling.

  

Books Read - March 2016

Brown, Carolyn

• The Ladies’ Room *****

Fiction.  Trudy is attending her great-aunt Gert’s funeral, when a trip to the ladies’ room changes her life forever.  Off with the old and on to the new.

Connor, Kerri

• Ostara *****

Non-fiction.  Exploring the history, rituals, and new celebrations of Ostara.

Field, Greg

• Red Dirt White Bones *****

Fiction.  First in the Replacement Girl mystery series set in Hawai’i.  Detective Kai Akuna-Aki is having a rough time at work after the death of his partner.  He meets young and precocious Ka’ena Reynolds, who is looking for some stability in her life.  She wants to find out who killed her older sister, and Kai’s the person she turns to for help.  As his last case on the police force, Kai agrees to help her, putting his job and reputation on the line.

Kingsbury, Kate

• Death is in the Air ****

Fiction.  Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh is having her hair cut, ,when a German plane crash lands on the beach.  The young German pilot has managed to parachute to safety, but he is quickly surrounded by the townsfolk.  He manages to elude them and is thought to be hiding in the woods.  The next morning Elizabeth learns that a local land girl has been murdered, and the townsfolk believe the German pilot is the culprit.

Lawhead, Stephen

• Hood *****

Fiction.  A tale of Robin Hood as told in the guise of Bran ap Brychan, Prince of Elfael of Wales.  Bran’s father, the king, has been killed, and Bran is expected to pick up the reins of the realm and help save his people from the Ffreinc, who are slowly extending their reign over England.  They want Wales now, but with a warrant out for Bran, all he can think about is escape.  And then he meets Angharad, a mysterious woman who teaches him who he really is.

Maguire, Gregory

• After Alice **

Fiction.  Ada Boyce’s best and only friend is Alice Kingsleigh who had fallen down the rabbit hole.  Ada goes in search of her friend, only to find herself sliding down the same rabbit hole.  In the meantime, Alice’s sister Lydia is searching for Alice.  She teams up with Ada’s governess, Miss Armstrong, who is searching for Ada.

McNeal, Laura Lane

• Dollbaby ****

Fiction.  It’s 1964, and the south is in the midst of the Civil Rights movement.  A young girl by the name of Liberty Bell gets dropped off at her grandmother’s house in New Orleans.  A grandmother she’s never met but was raised to fear.  As her mother drives away, Ibby doesn’t realize it’s the last time she’ll ever see her mom.

Reilly, LeAnn Neal

• Grounding Magic ****

Fiction.  Second book in The Mermaid’s Pendant magical realism duo.  Tamarind, her husband John, and their daughter Sarah, have moved to Cheltham, MA for John’s new job with a start-up medical company.  When Tamarind sees John with his ex-girlfriend, Zöe, her fears for their marriage emerge, and their lives spiral out of control.

Spinella Laura

• Ghost Gifts ****

Fiction.  Aubrey has a special gift.  She can communicate with the dead.  Often the encounters go peacefully, but every now and then they turn evil.  When the remains of a long lost woman are revealed, Aubrey is assigned to assist the lead reporter.  A man has spent twenty years in prison for a crime that Aubrey isn’t positive he committed, and she uses her gift to solve the mystery.

Weir, Andy

• The Martian *****

Fiction.  Mark Watney is abandoned on Mars.  The rest of his crew assumed he is dead, but he is very much alive.  Alone.  Surviving off his skills in botany and mechanical engineering, he is determined to stay alive as long as possible.

Books Read - February 2016

Austen, Jane

• Pride and Prejudice ***

Fiction.  Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters are looking for husbands, but when she meets Mr. Darcy, she can’t think of a worse candidate.  He’s rude and obnoxious and oh so arrogant.  But time goes on, and she sees a  different side of his character, but does he still want to marry her?

Baugniet, Gail M.

• Mystery in Paradise ****

Fiction. 13 tales of mystery set in the Hawaiian Islands.

Blake, Deborah

• Wickedly Powerful *****

Fiction.  Fifth book in the Baba Yaga series.  Bella has parked her caravan in the National Forest.  She’s taking time off after helping firefighting teams up north but is unaware that her skill will still be required in her new location.  Sam is an ex-firefighter who battles with PTSD and survivor guilt after losing his entire team in a fire, including his fiancee.  He now works as a fire spotter, and his and Bella’s paths are about to become entangled.

Chambers, Meg

• Wilde Women ****

Fiction.  Second in thee Winnie Wilde erotic romance series.  Winnie is still seeing Ben, but she meets a handsome doctor on a visit to Florida to spend time with her mother.  Winnie and Gabe hit it off, and they have quite the torrid encounter.  When Winnie has to return to her home in California, Gabe asks her to be in a unique romantic relationship.

Cornwell, Bernard

• The Winter King ****

Fiction.  A tale of King Arthur as told by one of his soldiers who later became a Christian and a monk.

Feehan, Christine

• Magic in the Wind ****

Fiction.  First in the Drake Sisters paranormal romance series.  Damon Wilder has moved to Sea Haven to get away from his past.  He lives almost as a hermit, not wanting to interact with the townspeople...until Sarah comes home.  As if by magic, he is drawn to the house on the cliffs, whose gate remains padlocked against trespassers, until one day he walks up to find the gate standing wide open, as if inviting him in.

Galenorn, Yasmine

• Darkness Raging *****

Fiction.  Menolly D’Artigo and her wife, Nerissa, are called to Roman’s office to meet with his mother, Blood Wyne, Queen of the Vampire Nation.  They are informed that they will be marrying Roman and will become princesses, even though Nerissa is not a vampire.  Telazhar continues his Earthside attacks in search of spirit seals, and the sisters and their extended family must be prepared for war.

Gober, Rebecca

• Night Marchers **

Fiction.  First in the Night Marchers series.  Emma is upset when her father uproots her to move from Texas to Kaua’i, but she quickly acclimates to her new surroundings when she meets the boy next door, Tristan, son of the caretaker.  She falls for him right off, but he soon has to leave for the Army Reserves, and Emma is left to explore the island on her own.  Disregarding the warnings about going into the forest at night, she ends up in a nightmare when she encounters the feared Night Marchers.

Kondo, Marie

• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up ***

Non-fiction.  The KonMari Method of tidying and uncluttering a house.

Lu, Marie

• Legend ****

Fiction.  Book one in the Legend series.  Day is a fugitive who steals money to buy a plague cure for his little brother.  June is a daughter of the Republic, charged with upholding the law.  When Day breaks into the hospital to steal some cure, an accident ensures that his and June’s paths with be dangerously entwined.

Mild, Rosemary & Larry

• Cry Ohana ***

Fiction.  Kekoa witnesses the murder of his uncle by his uncle’s business partner, Red Murphy.  Frightened for his life, Kekoa spends the next two years on the street having no contact with his grandmother or his sister.  His life seems to be stabilizing as a Japanese baker and his wife take the boy in, but Red is still on the lookout for Kekoa and is willing to stop at nothing to destroy the boy.

Neal, Carl F.

• Imbolc *****

Non-fiction.  Rituals, recipes, craft, and lore for the Imbolc Sabbat.

Neal, Toby

• Paradise, Passion, Murder *****

Fiction.  Ten tales of mystery set in the Hawaiian Islands written by different authors.

Newmark, Amy

• Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions ****

Non-fiction.  101 tales of how dreams and premonitions have touched and turned people’s lives.

Smith, Seth Grahame

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ***

Fiction.  A spoof on the original P&P.  England has been overcome with hordes of zombies, and the Bennet girls have all been trained in a Shaolin monastery to fight and kill the undead creatures.

Stabenow, Dana

• Fire and Ice ****

Fiction.  First in the Liam Campbell mystery series.  Liam is an Alaska State Trooper, recently demoted from sergeant to trooper and reassigned to the small town of Newenham, Alaska.  As soon as he steps off the plane at the small airport, his first case is thrust upon him as the prior trooper bids farewell and steps aboard his own plane.  A man has been killed at the airport, but the big surprise for Liam is who the man worked for, Liam’s ex-lover, Wyanet Chouinard.

Strayed, Cheryl

• Wild *****

Non-fiction.  Memoir of a woman’s journey to self-discovery as she walks the arduous Pacific Crest Trail.

Books Read - January 2016

Downie, Ruth

• Terra Incognita ****

Fiction.  Medicus Gaius Petreios Ruso is riding north to a fort on the borderlands with his slave, Tilla, walking alongside.  She is returning home to her people.  Along the way, the cavalcade are harassed by a long rider wearing the antlers of a deer.  Tilla is convinced that it is the Stag God, Cernunnos.  When a heavy wagon carrying lead suddenly careens down the hill taking out men and carts, she believes it is the work of the god in retribution for all the injustices done upon her people by the Roman army.  When they reach Coria, Ruso finds himself investigating another murder, one that might be tied to the Stag Man.

Gandy, Alan

• Nina the Naughty Witch *

Fiction.  Graphic novel about the erotic antics of Nina.

Gregory, Philippa

• Earthly Joys ****

Fiction.  John Tradescant is a traveling gardener who works on the most beautiful gardens in England.  He pledges his life, heart, and obedience to his masters.  God, his master, his gardens, and finally his wife get his devotion.  

Huff, Elizabeth

• 150 Prompts for Fantasy Writers ***

Non-fiction.  List of fantasy prompts and other odds and ends of information about writing fantasy.

Kaling, Mindy

• Why Not Me? **

Non-fiction.  Essays about her life.

Llywelyn, Morgan

• The Greener Shore *****

Fiction.  Ainvar the druid has kept the remaining members of his clan alive in the forests of Gaul, but when Caesar’s men begin cutting down and burning the trees, Ainvar leads the Carnutes on a dangerous quest to Hibernia and an uncertain future.

White, Berry

• If You Ask Me *****

Non-fiction.  Betty White’s sixth book about her life and loves.

Wiesner, Karen S.

• Writing the Fiction Series *****

Non-fiction.  How to plan, write, and market the fiction series, complete with case studies of a number of series and examples throughout the book.