Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
By Karen Abbott
Harper, 2014. 528 pgs. Nonfiction.

This book takes on the challenge of telling four important stories of the Civil War that involve brave women fighting for their cause. Whether Northerners or Southerners, these women were either outright belligerent to the other side, or secretly assisted where they could. Belle Boyd is a courier and spy that seduced men on both sides while exchanging messages for Confederate officers. Emma Edmonds took on the identity of Frank in order to hide her true self on the front lines. Rose O'Neale Greenhow gathered intelligence for the Confederacy, and Elizabeth Van Lew used her Southern reputation to spy for the North.  The stories go from bloody battles to running through fields to relay a message of armies coming.

The book was equal parts exciting and educational at the same time while approaching each story from unbiased perspective. The women were strong and took on near impossible tasks for both sides of the Civil War and the author took great care in not picking a side, but really showing how important these women were. It was a fascinating book and a quick read for the 500 plus pages. Any history fan will like this, and anyone looking for stories about women placed in an unusual setting will like the way they changed history.

EW

The Hollow Ground

The Hollow Ground
By Natalie S. Harnett
Thomas Dunne Books, 2014. 336 pgs. Fiction.

Bridig Howley is growing up in actual hell on earth. The small mining town in Pennsylvania is constantly under siege of underground coal-mine fires. They are always waiting for homes and roads and parts of their town to disappear. Not only is Brigid's actual home in danger, her family is on edge as well. Her father can't work since he was involved in a mining accident (that also claimed the life of his brother) and her mother is over the coal dust and poverty. When they have to move in with her grandparents a dark tragedy is revealed and Brigid has to learn to stay strong for the pieces of her family she can keep together.

This story is beautifully written about a unique protagonist and a harsh environment. The details made me feel just as desperate as the Howleys. There is a mystery that brings up past loss and heartbreak and as Brigid learns to deal with it, she makes such a strong character in this really bleak world. I really enjoyed this setting as it was different from other books I have read lately, and the story came together so nicely in the end. I would recommend it to anyone that likes historical fiction or strong main characters.

EW

Shutter

Shutter
By Courtney Alameda
Fiewel and Friends, 2015. 384 pgs. Young adult.

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat, which is a person who can see the undead is a prismatic spectrum. Definitely pick up the book if you are thinking, what in the world is that? It's worth it. She is one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing family and the family business is to catch the spiritual undead. She uses her camera to get their energy on film. When a ghost hunt goes wrong, Michelline and her crew are cursed with a soulchain. She has seven days to get rid of the curse to save her friends and herself, and the story that follows is just crazy fun and scary good.

Courtney Alameda debuts with a fantastic horror book. The characters are original and the story line is completely different from all the young adult I have read lately. Michelline kicks butt and the rest of the characters are either ones I would love to meet, or ones I would hope to stay away from. The pacing is great, and I read it all in a few hours. If you want something scary and fresh, this is the book for you.

EW

The Lost Sisterhood

The Lost Sisterhood
By Anne Fortier
Ballantine Books, 2014. 608 pgs. Fiction.

Diana Morgan is a lecturer at Oxford University and is an expert on Greek mythology. She is obsessed with the Amazons and her grandmother claimed to be one. Diana is offered a job interpreting ancient text in a recently uncovered temple. She discovers the history of the first Amazon queen and their journey to free her kidnapped sisters. There are so many characters and groups involved in the present as well as past as the narration switches from Diana's sometimes dangerous search for the Amazons, and Myrina's quest for her sisters and a place of their own.

The story is long and has a lot of historical detail, and as mentioned above, characters. The book is interesting, but it does drag at times and the dangerous situations Diana gets in are hard to believe. If you like Ancient Greek history, archaeology , or are interested in a story of the Amazons, this will give you all that.  The beginning starts slow and the end throws in some romance that makes for a sweet ending but may not suit the entire story overall.

EW

Leaving Time

Leaving Time
By Jodi Picoult
Ballantine Books, 2014. 416 pgs. Fiction.

The newest book of this bestselling author is completely unique from her other works. Picoult addresses family relationships, romantic relationships, and even human and animal relationships in this touching story of a girl looking for her mother. The story is told from the multiple view points of a 13 year old girl searching for a long gone mom, a psychic that has lost touch with her abilities, a detective that failed at being a cop, and the journal entries of Jenna's mother. The setting is mainly an elephant sanctuary in New England and is full of touching moments with the elephants and their handlers. The answers they get from their investigating aren't necessarily the ones any of them wanted, but it helps them heal in ways they had given up on.

The book is full of facts about elephants, accurate descriptions of research life in Africa and on a sanctuary, and emotional turmoil as all the characters face hard truths. I love elephants, so really enjoyed the author's descriptions of their behaviors and how they interacted with the people that cared for them. The diary entries combined with the present day search created a subtle mystery and I wanted things to turn out for everyone by the end. Picoult writes a fascinating book about motherhood, mourning, and loss. This was definitely one of my favorites from her.

EW

Not My Father's Son

Not My Father's Son
By Alan Cumming
Dey Street Books, 2014. 304 pgs. Biography.

Alan Cumming started working with producers on a popular reality show about discovering famous people's heritage. When he starts to dig in to his past, he starts to also confront issues and facts abut his own father. Alan's success and life have finally normalized for him for the most part, when a family secret about his grandfather brings out more than he ever thought. His painful childhood is narrated, alternating with the present, and this is done smoothly and with enough suspense that I finished the book in one day.

I have become a fan of Alan Cumming after his work on The Good Wife. I thought this book sounded interesting because it focuses on a very specific part of his life. He reads the audio in his wonderful Scottish accent which makes this book even more enjoyable. His emotion, love of his mom and brother, and anecdotes about his work all combine with his awful experiences with his father. He tries to accept everything as he learns of his past and the heartbreak in this book is equal to the times I laughed.

EW

Winterspell

Winterspell
By Claire Legrand
Simon & Shcuster Books for Young Readers, 2014. 464 pgs. Young adult.

Claire Legrand has rewritten a magical version of The Nutcracker by creating an entirely new world and characters based off the ballet. When Clara's mother is murdered in a steampunkish version of New York City, she wants to find out who is responsible. Her father is a gang lord but not helpful or concerned, and Clara can't take the gang or the disintegration of her city. This leads her on an adventure to a world filled with mages and fairies and some pretty intense and scary moments. She is joined by her godfather's nutcracker statue that has turned in to a man, and meets some delightful friends on her way. Clara's struggle for what she has to do is palpable and I couldn't wait to see what Clara decides to do in the end.

The book reads a lot like an enchanting movie with strange robots, evil characters, and a heroine you can't help but love. The combination of the two worlds and Clara's involvement in both was exciting. I liked that this was taken loosely from The Nutcracker but was completely different. I also got to Skype with Claire for the teen book club and she is so awesome. If  you like fantasy, winter, action, or want to try something different, try this. There are some pretty steamy moments, so if romance isn't your thing, just be warned.

EW

The Aftermath

The Aftermath
By Rhidian Brook
Vintage, 2014. 352 pgs. Historical fiction.

This novel takes place in Hamburg after Work War II. The plot follows Colonel Lewis Morgan as he tries to make a home for his wife and child as the British army rebuilds the city. Morgan decides to allow the family that owns the home to stay, where procedure usually forces the family out. The Hamburg that Brook has built is completely destroyed and pitiful with homeless children begging for food, the people that have stayed to clean up rubble for food vouchers, and the British soldiers that have been brought in to "help".  The two families being blended is the main source of the strife and the grief they are all experiencing is for different reasons but is just as sad and lonely.

This was a great historical novel with a different viewpoint. I see few books that are after the War or told from a rebuilding stand point. The idea that these two families have to learn to live together in a devastated city, as well set aside the very differences that ruined the city, makes for a tense read. Each character had a story to tell and the author does a great job telling it.

EW

Texts From Jane Eyre

Texts From Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters
By Mallory Ortberg
Henry Holt and Co., 240 pgs. 2014. Nonfiction.

If you want a quick couple hours read with not a lot to a plot, you must read this. Unless you are a literary purist. You may not like Amy texting Beth about how she is so dramatic about dying. There are texts from Moby Dick characters, The Great Gatsby, Gone With the Wind, and more. You have not experienced Scarlett O'Hara until you have read her texts to Rhett Butler. The conversations range from the bizarre to the accurate as each character interacts with someone else, or sometimes, like any texter, waits for a response by texting more.

I was hysterically laughing so often, that I ended up reading them out loud to anyone that listen. When John Keats starts texting about how pretty an urn is, I almost had to put the book down to catch my breath. This is purely entertaining, and expect some swearing as they are placed in modern text conversations and not their original characters. The conversations were humorous, and the book just an easy, fast read. If you love literature, you will appreciate the author's knowledge of their behavior and how she moves them in to a text speech so easily.

EW

Compulsion

Compulsion
By Martina Boone
Simon Pulse, 448 pgs.  2014. Young adult.

This young adult novel drew me in based on the description of the Southern Gothic setting. Barrie is a teen from San Francisco that is sent to live on her family's estate on Watson Island in South Carolina after her guardian's health rapidly declines. Her parents have both passed away and she doesn't know much of their past, but after arriving on the island she discovers they both harbored some secrets.  Barrie sets out to help her aunt, find out about her family, forgive her mother, and of course fall in love. In the meantime she also picks up on her magic abilities that are passed down from generations.

The romance, magic, paranormal twists, and mystery were a good combination for a young adult book, even thought the plot became somewhat complicated and the teen angst more than what I can usually handle. There are magical creatures that ruin her aunt's house, headaches that keep Barrie from leaving the island and a whole lot more that really seemed like it would go a different direction. I have high hopes for the second book as this one did have a lot I enjoyed, but just seemed to be too much in one book. If you like paranormal books or even the South or romance, you would probably like this one.

EW

The Silkworm

The Silkworm
By Robert Gilbraith
Mulholland Books, 464 pgs. 2014. Mystery.

Owen Quine is a novelist who goes missing and his wife asks private detective Cormoran Strike for help finding him. At first it was more because she figured she knew where he was, and was just avoiding the family. However, it soon turns out to be a grisly murder that is related to his not-yet published book. The novel would create a lot of problems for a lot of people if published, so Strike starts to investigate who would brutally murder him.

I actually liked this one so much better than the first. The pacing and the content was more entertaining to me, and I think I just grew to like the characters more. Comoran Strike is a gruff, sometimes cranky person but puts his whole heart in to his investigations. I liked the role his assistant, Robin, played in this one and I liked that it got more in to their personal lives. It was a good mystery, and the audio was great!

EW

They All Fall Down

They All Fall Down
By Roxanne St. Claire
Delacorte Press, 352 pgs. 2014. Young adult.

First off, let's talk about the cover. The cover really drew me in to read the description and get this book. It is unique in the plot that ten girls are chosen for something every year at their high school. When this list is published, Kenzie believes she was not supposed to be on it. She is not like any of the other girls and she definitely has no idea what his list means. It is a hot list basically, but with a twisted history. The mystery and the danger of being on this list create a suspenseful teen novel as Kenzie tries to save herself and at the same time, figure out which guy is for her.

I had high hopes for this book. I enjoyed a lot of the creepy parts of the story as far as what the list meant and how Kenzie was in danger. I liked the angst even of deciding between two boys. I could not get past some of the more unbelievable moments. And I am pretty easily entertained. There were too many parts that I just was not buying. It was however a very quick read, had some nail biting situations, and the main character was likable. Just go in knowing that some parts (especially the end) may not be what you expected.

EW

Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die
By Danielle Paige
HarperCollins, 2014. 464 pgs. Young adult.

Dorothy has become an evil tyrant after she returns to Oz. Amy Gumm, from Kansas herself, knows the stories and movies, and thinks they end where they end. When she is taken by a tornado to a ruined, desolate Oz, Amy is shocked to learn where she is. The roles of good and evil are not what they were in the classic Baum books or the Judy Garland movie. Paige is so detailed in her monsters, her magic, and Oz itself. It is full of action and twists as Amy tries to help the people of Oz conquer Dorothy and Glinda.

I was hesitant about reading an adaptation of one of my childhood favorites. I didn't want it to be ruined forever if it didn't work. This book worked. Paige is a debut author with this book, and it is one of my favorite books I read this year. The voice is fantastic, Amy as a main character is funny and strong, the setting was perfect, and the retelling made it so fascinating. I really could not put this book down and then suggested it to so many friends and they have loved it just as much. Anyone who likes twisted fairy tales or magical mayhem would like this book.

EW

Atlantia

Atlantia
By Ally Condie
Dutton Juvenile, 320 pgs. 2014. Young adult.

Atlantia is a city deep below the ocean. The glass domes protect the citizens, but at the same time leave them cut off from the Above. The Above is supposedly a death sentence for those who go, provides for those below with food and each year, teens have to choose to stay or go Above to help those in Atlantia survive. Rio and her twin sister, Bay, decide they want to stay in Atlantia and Rio is devastated  when Bay decides last minute to go Above. This leads to Rio questioning what she has been taught all these years, and if staying in Atlantia was the best choice. Rio finds her questions answered and also some challenges as she tries to save her city, her sister, and discover the truth.

I had the chance to meet Ally Condie at the release party for this book, and finished the book within a couple days. I really enjoyed the underwater concept and the details that Condie used to describe Atlantia. The teen troubles and romance are there, but like her Matched series, the main character is strong and witty and can hold her own.  I actually really liked the mystery to the story, as well as the ending. This is an easy read for dystopian fans, and anyone who wants a different world to read about.

EW

Zac and Mia

Zac and Mia
By A.J. Betts
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014. 304 pgs. Young adult.

Zac is a 17 year old cancer patient recovering from a bone marrow transplant in a secluded hospital ward. When a loud patient his age moves in next door he becomes curious. Zac has experienced cancer long enough to know a lot about it but his neighbor, Mia, makes him start to rethink about odds and survival statistics. Their friendship develops over several months and through heartbreaking meet ups, the hope and frustrating emotions that go with surviving are real and raw.

Zac became one of my most favorite characters ever. His love of statistics, his want to not disappoint his family by dying, and his interest in forming a friendship with Mia who is so entirely upset over her disease, makes him such a well rounded teen. I really enjoyed the entire family, the story of Zac and Mia, and the voice of the novel overall. There is some swearing but it takes places in Australia which makes for some fun cultural references.

EW

In the Kingdom of Ice

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeanette

By Hampton Sides

Doubleday, 2014. 480 pgs. Nonfiction.

George Washington De Long was a young naval officer that led the expedition of the Jeanette  in 1879, to discover more of the Arctic, which explorers had become obsessed with. 32 men were funded for this particular exploration and even though well prepared and ready for the ice, they did not make it to their destination after being caught in a pack of ice two years in to the journey. The majority of this book discusses the travel and adversity of the cold, unforgiving Arctic, after the Jeanette sinks and leaves them stranded.

The audio book was a fantastic listen and played out like a fiction thriller book. From lack of food, freezing limbs, getting lost, and lost again, there were so many plot twists and nerve wracking moments I couldn't stop listening. Anyone that likes adventure stories, exploration, or even feeling very cold,  would like this book. The perseverance and hope was another thing that made me want to finish the book so I can see who survived.

EW

Yes, Please

Yes, Please
By Amy Poehler
Dey Street Books, 325 pgs. 2014. Biography.

Amy Poehler is hilarious. At least I think so. The audio book is read by Poehler and she adds to the audio by including Carol Burnett, Patrick Stewart, Seth Meyers and more as guest narrators. She goes through her comedy history and her career in the book. She also gives sweet stories of her sons, her family, and friends. There are essays and letters included, and even some clips from shows. This book is not only funny but inspirational and full of advice and her mantras. The book does include photographs, so depending on if you would rather hear her read or see photos, both were fun.

Just a warning, she swears. A lot. And there are also some stories with sexual content. Her cute personality and funny jokes may make her yelling and swearing even funnier, but this book may not be what you expected. I laughed more than I have in a long time though and really enjoyed her outlook on life. This book gave me so many quotes to remember.

EW

The Good Girl

The Good Girl 
By Mary Kubica
Harlequin MIRA, 352 pgs. 2014.


This is yet another supposedly Gone Girl  fan must read. I will say this one was really fantastic. Mia is a stubborn daughter of a prominent Chicago judge and one night decides to leave a bar with a stranger that calls himself Colin. After getting to his apartment, things turn in to a nightmare as Colin ends up kidnapping her for ransom. However, when Colin decides not to take Mia to the men that hired him everyone seems confused. He ends up taking her to a small, dark cabin in the woods and they spend a frigid few weeks together. Mia is scared, alone, and always cold. Colin is unsure, angry, and their relationship is so odd. The story is told in alternating chapters of Mia, her mother, the head detective, and Colin. It also alternates with before and after which was actually a fascinating way  to see what led to the kidnapping and what happened after.

I can not say enough about how the voice of the narrators is what made this book. It was a unique way to approach the unreliable narrator and I can honestly say I did not know what was happening up until the very last page. I had lots of nail biting moments, lots of times I really wanted to yell, "wait, what is happening??" , and even more that I really couldn't believe what may have been happening. The suspense was built perfectly with the added timeline change. This one was cleaner compared to Gone Girl.

EW

Dear Daughter

Dear Daughter
By Elizabeth Little
Viking, 2014. 384 pgs. Fiction.

This was another Gone Girl like, unreliable narrator that I had to try. Janie Jenkins is a former high society celebrity that likes to make a name for herself in not so positive ways. At the height of her fame she is arrested for the murder of her mother. When she is released ten years later on a technicality, she hides her true self and runs to her mother's hometown because Janie swears the killer can be found there. She uncovers her mother's past by talking to local townspeople and through clues left by her mom. Janie uncovers information about her past during her private investigating.

Through some twists and turns, Little has created a mystery worth reading. I was left thinking about whether the daughter actually murdered her mom or not. The characters were not likable in a good way since I couldn't trust anyone or believe their stories. The story was original enough to be exciting and Janie was a great, pushy protagonist.

EW

California

California 
By Edan Lepucki
Little, Brown, and Company, 400 pgs. 2014. Young adult.

Cal and Frida live in a small world of just them. They have left Los Angeles after the city has become a ruined, dangerous place to be. This book is post apocalyptic but there is no background to the how and why the world has been destroyed. There are hints to terrorist groups, electricity and internet becoming too expensive then unattainable, and natural disasters that kill entire cities of people. There is a lot going on, but at the same time the story is just about these two and how they survive. When Frida finds out she is pregnant, her view on their solitary life changes and she wants to know what is outside of their little homestead. They go on a journey to find a community they know little about.

I really enjoyed this book because it was different from other end of the world books. It was not about how the world loses the security that we have now, or a disease, or a war. It was about the after of all this. A lot of times in these post apocalyptic books, there is still struggle to survive. But this had a twist on having communities and groups that were doing just fine. There was a little mystery and some surprises and it actually ended well for the main characters.

EW