Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Rating

* * * *
The book's description from the publisher's website:

Martyrs to hypochondria and general seediness, J. and his friends George and Harris decide that a jaunt up the Thames would suit them to a T'. But when they set off, they can hardly predict the troubles that lie ahead with tow-ropes, unreliable weather-forecasts and tins of pineapple chunks not to mention the devastation left in the wake of J.'s small fox-terrier Montmorency.  

Three Men in a Boat was an instant success when it appeared in 1889, and, with its benign escapism, authorial discursions and wonderful evocation of the late-Victorian clerking classes', it hilariously captured the spirit of its age.

I forgot just how funny Three Men in a Boat was (I had read it once before but remembered nothing). It's a kind of a travelogue, with three friends rowing down the Thames but really, it contains historical commentary that's clever and hilarious (the courting of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn) and anecdotes from the lives of all three men (and some from the dog, Momntmorency).

Three Men in a Boat is a staple of wit, cleverness and sarcastic humor. That's more or less widely known. But Jerome K. Jerome wrote a classic that holds quite a few surprises. Besides it being a book filled with hilarity, Three Men in a Boat is a tale that contains surprising insight into the nature of man and the insight's timelessness. Many a comment applies to the society of the 21st century just as much as it did to the 19th century, when the book was written, and it will apply to societies centuries to come.

How they [people] pile the poor little craft mast-high with fine clothes and big houses; with useless servants, and a host of swell friends that do not care twopence for them, and that they do not care three ha'pence for; with expensive entertainment that nobody enjoys. with formalities and fashions, with pretence and ostentation, and with - oh, heaviest, maddest lumber of all! - the dread of what will my neighbour think, with luxuries that only cloy, with pleasures that bore (...) It is lumber, man - all lumber! Throw it overboard. It makes the boat so heavy to pull, you nearly faint at the oars." (p.29-30)

Another surprising thing was how beautifully Mr. Jerome could write. I was shocked a few times when after some comical adventure or two, the narrator would say some really wonderful bits. It was completely unexpected and made me appreciate the whole novel even more.

It [sailing] comes as near to flying as man has got to yet (...) The wings of the rushing wind seem to be bearing you onward, you know not where. You are no longer the slow, plodding, puny thing of clay, creeping tortuously upon the ground; you are a part of Nature! Your heart is throbbing against hers! her glorious arms are around you, raising you up against her heart! Your spirit is at one with hers; your limbs grow light (p.140)

There is one thing that I didn't appreciate so much. It's the subject of rowing, towing and sailing that described the technical side of it all. I simply didn't care for it and it made the story drag a little at places. But of course, there was always something funny or even profound (yes, profound) following that made reading the slightly boring parts worth it.

~~~~~~

FTC: I bought a copy of Three Men in a Boat.

It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare

The book's description from the publisher's website:

He’s lost, trapped, doomed for all eternity…
Rich, titled, and undead, gentleman vampyre James Maitland, Lord Kettering, fears himself doomed to a cold and lonely existence—trapped for decades in an abandoned castle. Then, beautiful Scottish witch Blaire Lindsay arrives, and things begin to heat up considerably…
Unless he can persuade her to set him free…
Feisty Blaire Lindsay laughs off the local gossip surrounding her mother’s ancestral home—stories of haunting cannot scare off this battle-born witch. But when she discovers the handsome prisoner in the bowels of the castle, Blaire has no idea that she has unleashed anything more than a man who sets her heart on fire…

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this paranormal historical romance a lot. Those of you who visit often probably know that I am not particularly crazed about this genre. But I also do give it a try from time to time because I believe that in literature you can find all kinds of gems and reading is one activity, hobby, passion (put your own here), that should be limitless. Anyway, It Happened One Bite turned out to be such a little, unexpected gem and I was very happy to lose myself in the story Blaire, her coven of witches and handsome Lord Kettering.

I am not exactly sure what it was that separated this particular romance from others this type, but I know that the writing was catchy and allowed me to get involved in the story enough to want to keep reading the book until the last page was turned. I was even glad to find out that there are more books by the author featuring the young and feisty witches. It Happened One Bite is simply a very fun, entertaining read. It doesn't have over-the-top sex scenes which I appreciated (there are enough of them there but just the right amount), the characters of Blaire and her older brother are extremely likable and most importantly, there were quite a few humorous scenes there which was an icing on the cake. If you're looking for a light and interesting story to get lost in for an evening or two, this book is definitely it.

Merely Magic by Patricia Rice

The book's synopsis from the publisher's website:

Magic is her birthright…
The daughter of one of the strongest magical lineages, Ninian Malcom Siddons is a powerful witch. Determined to only use her magic for good, she lives a simple, solitary life as a healer in her village, where she meets Drogo.

A man of science doesn’t believe in anything he can’t see…
Lord Drogo Ives believes only logic and science can explain the wonders of the universe and doesn’t believe the local folklore about Malcolm witches and Ives men, until he meets Ninian.

Despite the odds against them and their (many) differences, the bond between Drogo and Ninian grows stronger each moment they are together... until the chaos and danger surrounding them forces each to decide: their love… or their lives…

There really isn't a lot of magical happening in this book but it is a solid historical romance that is appreciated by many fans and I'm sure will be by many more. There is a ghost in there and a legend that is coming true as the romance between the Malcolm and the Ives grows, so I suppose one may even categorize it as a slightly paranormal romance. Regardless of which genre Merely Magic fits in, it's a fun read, with some steamy love scenes that will satisfy those readers who pick up books for romantic excitement. There's definitely a lot of that.

I appreciated the female characters, especially that of Ninian's, decidedly more than the male ones. Ninian is a very likable woman, fierce when she needs to be and protective of her village people and her heritage. She's not easily influenced or intimidated into submission. Ms. Rice definitely didn't make Ninian one of many. Drogo however is a little too predictable for me. His reluctance to acknowledge Ninian's attractiveness, his almost animal desire in bedroom and then aloofness outside of it were off putting to me. Merely Magic is a nice read though. If you're looking for an escape from your daily life, especially those dreary winter days, this novel will provide you with one. Historical romance fans will especially be happy to dive into this one.

*******

Special thanks to Sourcebooks, Inc. for sending me a copy of Merely Magic by Patricia Rice for review.  

2-in-1: Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman & The Outer Banks House by Diann Ducharme

1. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

Set on the coast of Maine over the course of four summers, Red Hook Road tells the story of two families, the Tetherlys and the Copakens, and of the ways in which their lives are unraveled and stitched together by misfortune, by good intentions and failure, and by love and calamity.
A marriage collapses under the strain of a daughter’s death; two bereaved siblings find comfort in one another; and an adopted young girl breathes new life into her family with her prodigious talent for the violin. As she writes with obvious affection for these unforgettable characters, Ayelet Waldman skillfully interweaves life’s finer pleasures—music and literature—with the more mundane joys of living.

Red Hook Road is a wonderful novel. Exactly the type of contemporary American fiction that I appreciate the most. The writing is like a song, flows easily and beautifully, despite the many descriptive passages. There is a lot of them, mostly as insight to people's thoughts in the wake of a terrible tragedy that forces all those affected to be more introspective. Although it's not really mentioned, the closest family of the couple got a 'wake-up' call on how short and unexpected life really is. In face of that fact, how each of them tries to go on is very engaging, especially for someone with a little bit of voyeuristic nature like me.

It may all sound boring to some of you, but believe me, Ms. Waldman made sure the novel was anything but. Somehow (I'm sure her talent had something to do with it), Red Hook Road turned out to be fascinating, without a boring passage in there. And even though it's heartbreaking, it's also a story that gives hope which I always appreciate, as there can never be too much hope. (Psst...don't tell, but I think I might even prefer Ms. Waldman's style to her husband's, Michael Chabon).

2. The Outer Banks House by Diann Ducharme

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

In 1868, on the barren shores of post-war Outer Banks North Carolina, the disconnected Sinclair family moves for the summer to one of the first cottages on the ocean side of the resort village of Nags Head. In the simple and isolated Outer Banks house, they see their deepest desires manifested in dramatic ways.

Nolan Sinclair, the once wealthy and powerful planter from Edenton, North Carolina, is fearful of losing his plantation in the Reconstruction aftermath of the Civil War. In a desperate act of assertion, he moves his family and servants to the unusual house on the sand. There, on the porch of the cottage, his 17-year-old daughter, beautiful, book-smart and boxed-in Abigail, is encouraged to teach her father’s fishing guide, good-natured, ambitious and penniless 19-year-old Benjamin Whimble, how to read and write. The two come to understand, and then to love each other, despite the demands of their parents, the pursuit of prim and proper medical student Hector Newman, and Ben’s longtime relationship with sour-tongued net-mender, Eliza Dickens.

This was my first book set in the post-Civil War time and even though it sparked my interest to read more, as it sounds like a difficult but fascinating time in American history, The Outer Banks House didn't really 'start the fire' for me. It is an ambitious subject, or many subjects, Diann took on in this book, including the Ku Klux Klan, the fate of freed slaves, even the change in status for plantation owners, who now have to deal with no free workforce and inevitable loss of money, prestige, so on and so forth. It's plenty of issues to write about and the book is only 300 pages. In my opinion it's not long enough and as a result some of these things felt superficial or slightly neglected.

On the bright side, I enjoyed the characters of Abigail and Ben and their budding romance. It didn't feel fake or forced to me. Abigail was a very likable girl who despite her upbringing managed to still know right from wrong and stand up for what she believed was right. I always admire that in characters. I'd like to read more of this couple and where life leads them and how they find their place in this post-Civil War world where nothing seems certain, especially in the South.

2-in-1: The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor & Matched by Ally Condie

1. The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

1786, Jerusalem College, Cambridge

They say Jerusalem is haunted by Mrs Whichcote's ghost. Frank Oldershaw claims he saw her in the garden, where she drowned. Now he's under the care of a physician.
Desperate to salvage her son's reputation and restore him to health, Lady Anne Oldershaw employs her own agent - John Holdsworth, author of The Anatomy of Ghosts, a controversial attack on the existence of ghostly phenomena. But his arrival in Cambridge disrupts the uneasy status quo. He glimpses a world of privilege and abuse, where the sinister Holy Ghost Club governs life at Jerusalem more effectively than the Master, Dr Carbury, ever could.


But Holdsworth's powers of reason and his knowledge of natural philosophy have other challenges. He dreams of his dead wife, Maria, who roams the borders of death. Now there's Elinor, the very-much-alive Master's wife, to haunt him in life. And at the heart of it all is the mystery of what really happened to Sylvia Whichcote in the claustrophobic confines of Jerusalem.


Why was Sylvia found lying dead in the Long Pond just before a February dawn? And how did she die? Indeed, why was she at Jerusalem, living or dead, in the first place?

It was an okay book for me. It took too long to get into the whole murder mystery and despite there being more than one secret to reveal, I just couldn't get myself very interested. The Anatomy of Ghosts is considered a literary thriller and maybe I'm just not that big of a fan of this particular genre. There is definitely a lot more to the story than simply solving the murder case. The whole little society of scholars living on the grounds of Jerusalem College (a fictitious part of Cambridge University) seems to be almost drowning in secrets. The characterization is not bad really. No one's character seems to be really spotless and the ones that do, turn out quite the opposite at some point in the story.

I actually liked the ending quite a lot and this is what redeemed the whole novel for me. The action picked up as the mysteries started to get revealed, one by one and I didn't see the outcome of the murder coming at all. Fans of literary thrillers will probably like The Anatomy of Ghosts a lot, as well as history fans since it was interesting to read about the life in Cambridge in the 18th century. But if you're just looking for the swift plot and quick action, it's probably not a book for you.

2. Matched by Ally Condie

The book's synopsis from the book's website:

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one… until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow — between perfection and passion.

It was a nice read, very quick, it can be easily read in one day, if the time allows. The concept of the dystopian society where everything is controlled, including the nutritional content of the food one eats, and no one stands out is interesting and scary. I hope it will never come to that in real life (I think that teenagers, if no one else, would rebel sooner or later, unless there's something in the food that makes them docile and not interested in asking questions and seeking answers). Ms. Condie did create a convincing, if frightening, reality.

What I didn't like was the love triangle. I think this part of the plot is what usually keeps me away from the YA books. Call me a bitter cynic or something, but the sappiness of it all just put me off and was the barrier keeping me from fully enjoying the story. And Cassie was another problem. Her cowardice throughout most of the book was annoying and I'm just glad she showed some guts in the end. All and all, it was an all right book and young readers will definitely enjoy it.

2-in-1: Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King & The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans

1. Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

Margaret, a young Saxon princess, is shipwrecked with her family on the coast of Scotland and forced to accept sanctuary from the recently widowed warrior-king Malcolm Canmore of Scotland.  Malcolm sees a political prize in Margaret, and promises to help her brother, the outlawed rebel Edgar of England, in return for his sister’s hand in marriage.

When Malcolm brings a female bard, Eva, to court as a hostage to ensure good behavior of her kinswoman, his conniving enemy Lady Macbeth, Margaret, and Eva expect to resent one another.  Instead, they discover an unlikely bond as outcasts of a sort–Eva a wild Celtic spirit captive among her enemies, Margaret suppressing her passions as she endures increasing pressure as a queen and a mother of princes.

Torn between loyalties, Eva must betray the king and the new queen in order to honor her devotion to the former queen.  Thrown into Malcolm’s dungeon, charged with witchcraft and treason, Eva soon learns that Queen Margaret–counseled by the furious king and his powerful priests–will decide the fate of the young bard and her mentor, the troublesome Lady Macbeth.

I liked Queen Hereafter because it introduced me to Queen Margaret of Scotland of whom I had known nothing before this book. Nor did I know much about the medieval history of Scotland. Thanks to Ms. Kings, my spark of interest has been ignited and I now want to really put my effort into finding out more about Scotland and her people. Enough about that. Let's go back to the book itself. I really enjoyed Queen hereafter, it was very intriguing to read about the saintly life of Margaret (who is also a saint now) and about how her successful efforts to bring refinement into the court life.

The way the author writes about her, it's really impossible not to like Margaret. And that brings me to the biggest disappointment. Queen Hereafter was simply cut too short for me. In the afterword, Ms. King talks about the rich life on Margaret and how it would make for a door stopper of a book. Honestly, I wish it were one. It would have been such a better story. I wanted to read more about Margaret, Malcolm and their family of future kings of Scots, instead, I felt I was given just a morsel and now I'm craving for more.

2. The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans

The book's synopsis from GoodReads:

Set in 1850s London, at the height of Victoria's reign, Posie Graeme-Evans' glorious fourth historical novel tells of a woman ahead of her time. Ellen Gowan is a famous dress designer for ladies of high society and one of the very few women in England who owns her own business. But her life wasn't always one of such privilege.
The only surviving daughter of a Cambridge scholar-turned village minister and a beautiful woman who was disowned by her family for marrying for love, Ellen had a childhood plentiful in affection, if not in currency and dresses made of fine silks. Tragedy strikes on her thirteenth birthday, when her father dies suddenly, leaving Ellen and her mother penniless and dependent upon the kindness of her mother's estranged family. 

And so begins Ellen's road to to success paved with humiliation, deprivation but also with good people, friends who love her, care for her and want to help. One request to all who want to read this book: do not read the description provided by the publisher because you might as well just stop there. It pretty much tells the whole story almost from beginning to the very end. It was very disappointing to me to keep reading, nearing the end and realizing that I already knew all that from the synopsis with a few little events not mentioned (even the GoodReads description is like that so I only provided the first two paragraphs).

Besides that failure of a synopsis, The Dressmaker was quite all right. The story wasn't boring, it kept me engaged and interested in Ella's fate from the beginning till the last page. I thought I would be bored with the details of dresssmaking but that wasn't bad either, it was actually fun to read about the process. The story is set in the Victorian England so while a lot of people were getting rich, there also was a lot of despair present, especially in the way women were treated, as possessions and with no rights, other than the ones bestowed upon them by men. All the more praise to Ellen then for having the strength of character and enough perseverance to survive and be successful in this world of men. My only problem (besides the infamous synopsis) is that the story ended too neatly and very improbably. Maybe it's the cynic in me but what happened was just too predictable and I wish it had ended differently. Not necessarily in any kind of tragedy, but just not the way it did (I can't divulge more because it would spoil the book).

2-in-1: Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso & The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

1. Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso.

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

Rob Shields has just lost his wife and son. Battling depression, denial, and an irrational fear of darkness, Rob travels to the small town of Mayfield, MD to check out a house he has inherited from his great aunt Wilda, a woman he has never even met. There in Mayfield strange things begin to happen that lead Rob to believe his son, Jimmy, is not really dead. After a restless night and eerie dream, Rob is convinced the answer to the mystery surrounding Jimmy’s disappearance and alleged death is to be found in a village called Darlington, a town found on no map.

It was an interesting christian thriller. Fast paced and a quick read, it will be liked by fans of this genre. I wouldn't recommend it to people who normally don't read christian books because God does play a strong role in there.  Personally, I didn't mind, I can even say I enjoyed that part of the book (I did after all choose to read it because it's christian fiction). I was only disappointed by two things: there were some loose ends which left me a little frustrated and I'm left wanting a little more inspirational depth.

2. The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

The book's synopsis from GoodReads:

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is the story of an unusual woman, Agnes Sparrow. No longer able or willing to leave her home, where she is cared for by her long-suffering sister Griselda, Agnes has committed her life to the one thing she can do—besides eat. Agnes Sparrow prays and when Agnes prays things happen, including major miracles of the cancer, ulcer-healing variety along with various minor miracles not the least of which is the recovery of lost objects and a prize-winning pumpkin.
When a stranger comes asking for a miracle, Bright's Pond is turned on its head and Agnes's feet of clay are exposed, forcing the town to its knees.

That was another interesting read which I enjoyed slightly more than the one above. The concept is interesting, although I'm not sure I enjoyed Agnes all that much. I actually liked her sister, Griselda and some other residents of the town a lot more than the main character. But, nobody said that Agnes was supposed to be likable anyway. I think the funnest part of the whole novel was the dynamics of a small town. I live in one myself so I can completely identify with some of it, whether good or bad. How the town has a life of its own and how the residents do come through in the end despite their bad sides is what in my opinion really makes this book worth looking into.

2-in-1 - The Walk by Richard Paul Evans and A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow

1. The Walk by Richard Paul Evans.

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

This is the first book in The Walk series, a story about the physical and spiritual journey of Alan Christoffersen.
What would you do if you lost everything—your job, your home, and the love of your life—all at the same time? When it happens to Seattle ad executive Alan Christoffersen, he’s tempted by his darkest thoughts. A bottle of pills in his hand and nothing left to live for, he plans to end his misery. Instead, he decides to take a walk. But not any ordinary walk. Taking with him only the barest of essentials, Al leaves behind all that he’s known and heads for the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share with him, will save his life—and inspire yours.

The Walk is my first experience with Mr. Evans. Because of all the hype and praise I encountered about this book and this author, I expected a lot from them both. Unfortunately, my expectations weren't all met. And I do realize that it's not all the book's fault. It was an inspiring story, in a way that it actually made me want to go for a long walk (not around the block kind of walk) again. Yes, I wrote 'again'. When I was seventeen, I went on a pilgrimage to a holy place in Poland. It lasted 15 days and we walked every day for about 30 miles. It's a huge event and hundreds of people so it annually from all over the country. I loved every minute of it, even though I had to put up my own tent and take it down and carry it on my back every day. I haven't experienced anything like it ever since. Therefore, I understood how Al's walk was what he needed to learn and heal. His experiences made me yearn for my own from years ago. And while I enjoyed the writing and the story, it just didn't affect me as an eye-opening experience nor did it play on my heartstrings, at least not as much as I expected it to. I liked The Walk, I just wasn't in love with it.

2. A Very Private Grave (Book one in The Monastery Murders) by Donna Fletcher Crow.

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

Felicity Howard, a young American studying for the Anglican priesthood at the College of the Transfiguration in Yorkshire, is devastated when she finds her beloved Father Dominic bludgeoned to death and Father Antony, her church history lecturer, soaked in his blood...
A Very Private Grave is a contemporary novel with a thoroughly modern heroine who must learn some ancient truths in order to solve the mystery and save her own life as she and Father Antony flee a murderer and follow clues that take them to out-of-the way sites in northern England and southern Scotland. The narrative skillfully mixes detection, intellectual puzzles, spiritual aspiration, romance, and the solving of clues ancient and modern.

This book I also just liked. There were parts of the story that just dragged on for way too long and kept the pace very slow. It's not necessary a good thing when it happens in a murder mystery book.  I did appreciate the interesting, if obscure to me, history of the Church in England but I think that Ms. Crow just presented some of it in a very dry, almost academic way that became unappealing to me and made me wonder if I should just give up on the book altogether. The reason I didn't, was that I was intrigued by the murder plot and I liked the investigative part. And even though it is categorized as a christian fiction, it's really a cozy mystery and can be read by people who normally don't go for the christian genre. I also liked Felicity, she is a very spunky young woman and because of her, I am looking forward to the next adventure and hoping that this one will have a little more action and less 'academic theory'. If you're interested in more about this book, you can read the first chapter here.

FTC Disclosure: I bought The Walk by Richard Paul Evans.

I received A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow from FIRST.

2-in-1: A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons & Cabal by Clive Barker

1. A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons

A book synopsis from the publisher's website:

A once-respected college professor and novelist, Dale Stewart has sabotaged his career and his marriage -- and now darkness is closing in on him. In the last hours of Halloween he has returned to the dying town of Elm Haven, his boyhood home, where he hopes to find peace in isolation. But moving into a long-deserted farmhouse on the far outskirts of town -- the one-time residence of a strange and brilliant friend who lost his young life in a grisly "accident" back in the terrible summer of 1960 -- is only the latest in his long succession of recent mistakes. Because Dale is not alone here. He has been followed to this house of shadows by private demons who are now twisting his reality into horrifying new forms. And a thick, blanketing early snow is starting to fall ...

This was my first book by Dan Simmons and to sound as cliche as possible, it will not be the last. I was very surprised by the lyrical quality of A Winter Haunting, which really made this horror/ghost story a little more special. And also a little more frightening. It's a modern Gothic story in my opinion and even though there are a lot of descriptive passages and mostly the main character's ruminations, it reads smoothly and is not boring at all. One little fact you should know, A Winter Haunting is apparently a sequel to Summer of Night. I didn't know that previous to reading the book but it made no difference. A Winter Haunting can easily be read as a stand-alone. If you want a nice, spooky ghost story with Gothic in it, I think you should try this one. It's not long and windy and is probably a good introduction to Dan Simmons's style of writing.

2. Cabal by Clive Barker

The book's synopsis from GoodReads:

Is he a madman or an innocent? A mass-murderer or a fugitive from injustice? Aaron Boone-wracked by unbearable guilt for crimes he cannot remember; loved by a woman who will stop at nothing to save him; and pursued by a twisted killer-is driven into a netherworld of the living dead, a world of creatures who thrive on darkness and flesh. 

I didn't like this story too much. It was very bizarre and granted, there were some gory scenes in there, but something just didn't click for me. Maybe the length of the novel is to blame (it really was a novella). I am thinking that Mr. Barker is not very good at writing short stories or I'm just not the type of person to like them. There simply was no time for me to develop any kind of feelings for the main character, let alone all the supporting cast. Everything felt rushed and I felt detached from the story. I also am growing a little bit bored with the general theme permeating the horror novels I read showing the reader how people are the real monsters capable of horrible evil and the imagined monsters or creatures that live underground are really not that bad in comparison. I thought it original the first time but Cabal had the misfortune of being the third or fourth one in a row. I know Mr. Barker has a strong following in the horror world but I will not belong to it, I'm afraid.

FTC: I bought both books.

2-in-1: The Right Hand of Evil by John Saul & Blood Games by Richard Laymon

1. The Right Hand of Evil by John Saul

The book's description from the author's website:

When the Conways move into their ancestral home in Louisiana after the death of an estranged aunt, it is with the promise of a new beginning. But the house has a life of its own. Abandoned for the last forty years, surrounded by thick trees and a stifling sense of melancholy, the sprawling Victorian house seems to swallow up the sunlight. Deep within the cold cellar and etched into the very walls is a long, dark history of the Conway name--a grim bloodline poisoned by suicide, strange disappearances, voodoo rituals and rumors of murder. But the family knows nothing of the soul-shattering secrets that snake through generations of their past.They do not know that terror awaits them. For with each generation of the Conways comes a hellish day of reckoning...

Simply put, if you're looking for a scary book, this is it. I have to say that I don't get spooked easily but The Right Hand of Evil came pretty close to doing just that. Granted, it's not an awesome, scariest book I've ever read but it was a nice read that sent some chills up my spine. And I think it will do the same for you, especially if you like stories with haunted houses in them, because there is a haunted house in this story. haunted by pure evil as a matter of fact.

2. Blood Games by Richard Laymon

The book's description from the publisher's website:

They meet for one week every year, five young women, best friends since college, in search of fun and thrills. Each year they choose a different place for their reunion. This year it's Helen's choice, and she chooses the Totem Pole Lodge. Bad choice. The Totem Pole Lodge is a deserted resort hotel deep in the woods with a gory, shocking past. Helen has a macabre streak and she can't wait to tell her friends all about what happened at the lodge and why it's now abandoned. But Helen and the others are in for a nasty surprise. The resort isn't quite as deserted as they think. And not all the gruesome events at the Totem Pole Lodge are in its past. The worst are still to come....

It's my first Richard Laymon experience and I have to tell you, if you really want to get creep-ed out, this is the author for you and this is the book for you. Nothing supernatural here, just plain, pure human evil . Mix the movies Descent with Hills Have Eyes and you get the idea of what you'll be reading in Blood Games. I felt like I was reading the whole time on an inhale, thinking I won't come up for air again. It's definitely a fun book. The only thing that spoiled it for me were the sexual overtures between the girl friends. I think Mr. Laymon's imagination as to how a few girlfriends spend quality time together went really wild. But other than that (at least for me), it's a solid horror story and I'll definitely be reading more of his books.

2-in-1: Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein & The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott

1. Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein

This is Garth’s debut novel written before The Art of Racing in the Rain. It tells the story of Jenna Rosen and her husband Robert in the aftermath of their son’s untimely and tragic death.  One day Jenna decides to leave her life and go to Wrangell, Alaska which is a hometown of her Native American grandmother. It also located very near the resort where Jenna’s six-year-old boy drowned two years ago.  Now Jenna wants to put all her doubts, pain and past to rest but instead she learns of mysterious Tlingit Indian legend of death, shape shifting and the creation of the world that may open a whole new door of frightening possibilities that Jenna might not be strong enough to deal with. And she still has a failing marriage to fix that she thought she left behind for good.

Raven Stole the Moon is Mr. Stein’s shot at magical realism and while it’s not perfect, it definitely is worth reading. The animals play an important role in this story, just like in The Art of Racing in the Rain and we get to see how human relationships are never easy and how complicated we all really are. The beginning was a little difficult for me to get into as I was questioning where the story was going but I ‘got it’ soon enough and let myself enjoy the book till the end. I also did shed a few tears here and there. Being a mother myself, I couldn’t help feeling sad over Jenna and Robert’s losing of their son. Jenna’s dealing with the death is especially heartbreaking.  All and all, it’s a good story and even if it lacks here and there (I think the problem is that The Art of Racing in the Rain was just so awesome that it invites comparisons which will always, inevitably fail on the side of his debut work), I think you should still give it a try especially if you’re interested in magic realism and Native American mythology.


Please visit the website, GoEnzo.com to watch Garth Stein talk about Raven Stole the Moon. It's very interesting what he has to say.

                          
2. The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott 

This book takes us to post-revolutionary Paris of 1815. It’s also post-Napoleonic as the emperor is on his way to the island of St. Helena as an exile.  Daniel Connor is just beginning his journey as a medical student from Edinburgh. He enters Paris with a quite unfortunate story to tell. His naiveté cost him dearly as he got robbed by a mysterious woman. But instead of money, she stole the corals, letters of introduction and a manuscript of his mentor’s. All of these items were supposed to be delivered safely to the famous Dr. Cuvier. But now that they’re gone, Daniel’s career is in jeopardy and his despair makes him think of turning back in shame to Edinburgh. But Paris enchants Daniel with its free thought. And the thief comes back into his life to show Daniel that nothing is black and white in life and in science. She is indeed a philosopher and a scientist herself but became a coral thief for a deeper purpose than just stealing for profit.

Stott’s first book, Ghostwalk, was a huge disappointment to me, so I honestly didn’t expect much from The Coral Thief either. But I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it still is not a novel that will appeal to everyone. There is a lot of unnecessary passages to seem to have no purpose and stall the plot a bit but overall, the writing is quite good and I really liked Lucienne, the coral thief. There was just something about her, maybe her spirit, her courage or just her personality, that really appealed to me and I think held the whole story together. And one more important thing is that Ms Stott really transported me to 1815 Paris. I felt I walked among the young and restless minds who questioned everything (including the revolution and how far it went and how many lives it cost) and wanted to know more and learn more.

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Make sure to come back on Sunday. I will be giving away my copy of Raven Stole the Moon + a red umbrella you can see on the cover of the book, a courtesy of the publicist.

I received Raven Stole the Moon from Sarah D., Terra Communications for a review.

I won The Coral Thief in the LT Early Reviewer program.