Total Brain Candy (Just When I Needed It!)

Be forewarned...if you are looking for deep, meaningful reading, The Bourbon Kings is not the book for you. But if you are interested in good escapist fiction that sucks you into the lives of privileged, spoiled rich people, you're going to be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

First, let's be clear: There is nothing paranormal about The Bourbon Kings, unlike Ward's uber-successful Black Dagger Brotherhood series. This first book in the series instead relies on a deeply dysfunctional family whose ancestors began the Bradford Bourbon Company; a family that features one daughter and three brothers with deep-seeded scars at the hands of their strict, unfeeling father and emotionally distant mother. The main character is Lane, third son, who has had nothing to do with his family for over two years; he's left the old Kentucky home of Easterly and lives in New York, playing poker and avoiding life. But with a phone call that the woman he feels is his true mother is dying, Lane takes a flight back and ends up staring down his demons:  his father, the family business, the woman he loves, and a wife who somehow is still living with the family despite the estrangement between them.

The points of view shift around a bit in this novel, with Lane and Lizzie (the woman he loved and lost), taking the most pages as family secrets, lies, and outright cruelty take center stage. But there are also chapters from Edward, the oldest brother, now physically incapacitated and well on his way to being a full-on alcoholic; Gin, the youngest sister whose libido attacks first and asks questions later; and Sutton, the daughter of the rival bourbon company. I found myself fully engaged each time the point of view moved, ready to find out what atrocity was looming and whose life was about to implode next.

Sure, the storyline is overly dramatic but there's some base satisfaction to be had in knowing that the rich have problems, too, and Ward deals them out in spades. As Lane tries desperately to win Lizzie back, other ugly truths begin to rear their heads, and he realizes the family's problems go way deeper than his being married to a someone he hates. There are several mysteries thrown in, and some flashbacks give insight into what put the dys- into dysfunctional. Life is complicated and overwrought and yet you cannot look away.


There are a few negative points, including the way Ward "borrows" things like the Kentucky Derby and renames them...Yes, I'm aware she probably needed to do so to avoid getting in trouble, but it's still annoying. There are also some misunderstandings that are silly, and everything is over the top. But it's that very thing, the over the top bit, that pulls you in and keeps you turning those pages to learn more.

I admit I'm hooked. It's the whole Dynasty vibe, and it's got me loving the fun. Don't pick it apart; just give it a go for what it is and enjoy the ride.

Blogger isn't letting me upload the photo...so I'll give you a link instead.

http://www.amazon.com/Bourbon-Kings-J-R-Ward-ebook/dp/B00OQSF90S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441069691&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bourbon+kings+jr+ward
~taminator

If I Stay

If I Stay is a rather short book, less than 200 pages, but it's packed full of emotion so deep and events so blinding, it doesn't need any more. Having inhaled this story, I can say that I'm an emotional wreck blown away by the impact of the words. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long, long time.

Not giving anything away, this is the story of Mia, whose nice, ordinary family is torn apart by a horrific car wreck one very normal day. Mia tells the story as she "exists" outside her body from the moment she wakes from the wreck; she watches what happens in the hospital and comes to realize it's going to be up to her whether or not she stays in this world or goes on. She's there when her family visits, when her best friend arrives, and when her boyfriend breaks the rules in order to see her in the ICU. She has to accept the unacceptable and decide if it's all worth it. Intermingled in the tale of what's happening to Mia now are flashback stories showing her relationship with Adam, her dedication to her cello, and times she had with her parents and younger brother. Heart-wrenching stories, stories that show that sometimes what seems most normal is actually incredibly special and not to be taken for granted.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved Mia's voice, and most of all, I loved the people she loved. My heart broke so many times, but in so many wonderful ways. Many readers (myself included to some degree) will feel most strongly about younger brother Teddy, but I truly was most moved by Gramps. When he speaks quietly to Mia, I could feel every word. This book is a beautiful, horrible, astounding monument to the ordinary lives of people and what it means to be truly alive. Highly recommended.

~taminator40

PANIC

Panic is a game thought up in the small town of Carp, New York, about 4-5 years before. All graduating seniors are eligible to play (after having been coerced to provide a $1 a day into the pot for the entire senior year). This year's pot is $67,000 which could not only be life-changing, but could get someone out of Carp for good. The problem is, Panic is a dangerous game and there is a very real possibility that lives could be lost when the challenges include walking between two towers with no safety net, staying in an abandoned house overnight, and much, much worse.

To Heather, however, the challenges would be worth it if she can only win. Staying in the abusive, neglectful household of her mother with her younger sister is no longer an option, so she becomes determined to finish Panic.Along with her friend Natalie and Dodge, a boy out for revenge, Heather steels herself in order to try to make it to the final challenge--Joust, where the last two people drive at one another. The first to swerve loses.

There's so much going on in Panic and I won't try to do it justice by recounting all the stories. Despite being unsure if I even liked any of the characters for a while, I found I could not put this book down. The idea of a deadly game is not really out of the realm of possibility, even if I thought the adults were too clueless overall to be realistic. Surely if the game's been going on for so long, someone would have figured out how to put a stop to it; I really felt that even the police were overly dull, especially after some characters end up in the hospital. I also disliked the ease with which the characters used alcohol; maybe that works somewhere in real life, but it wasn't necessary to the story and could have been left out altogether.

When I first started reading, I felt sure this book would end up at maybe 3 stars because, as I've said, the characters aren't very likeable (and really don't ever get much better). It's just that the story swept along at a clip that kept me turning the pages. Oliver is a master at world-building but even better at plot building; as the story moves, layers are revealed and connections are made that pull the reader further and further under the wave. If this book has a dearth of people to cheer for, it more than makes up for it by having a thoroughly compelling storyline that just begs for the big screen treatment.

~taminator40

Impossible To Put Down

My last book of 2013, my first review of 2014…things are good so far! And in other news, I just realized that this is the very first review of this book on Amazon. That *never* happens to me. Cool beans.

Laurie Halse Anderson's The Impossible Knife of Memory has all the hallmarks of a young adult novel: boy/girl relationship, troubled parent, good friend with her own issues. If you left it at that, it would be the same old story that fills so many YA novels. Thankfully, Anderson's writing and her sense of character make this book a cut above the rest.

Hayley's job is to make sure her father stays sane and doesn't hurt himself. Or at least, that's the job she's been saddled with and she doesn't know any other way of life. Her father is a veteran suffering from PTSD; as a result, when he isn't drinking or doing drugs, he's running away to try to dull the pain. This year, her eighteenth, he's taken her home to her grandmother's house and enrolled her in school (something she hasn't been attending since riding shotgun with him while he was a truck driver). Suddenly Hayley has the school officials looking at her, expecting her to do and be things she's not used to, and her father's condition is a minefield of issues. At least Hayley has a friend in Gracie and a boyfriend named Finn; there are people out there who care what happens to her. But holding it all together may end up being too much for all of them.

Hayley's situation had me so angry I couldn't see straight; sadly enough, there are plenty of kids out there who must be the parent to their own parent, and her problems just keep multiplying. I watched as events spiraled out of control and became completely absorbed in Hayley's desperation as she tried to make everything work out while keeping her walls up. Anderson makes the story work without becoming too overwhelming or too neat; it would be interesting to see what happens as Hayley's life progresses. This glimpse into what a child of a PTSD vet may endure is illuminating and riveting, and Anderson remains one of the best young adult writers around.

~taminator40

Goodnight Tweetheart!

Let me declare myself a fan of Teresa Medeiros for ages, though I admit that I've mostly just read her historical romances. But when reading buddies I trust implicitly began lauding Goodnight Tweetheart, I decided I'd have to give it a go. I expected it to be light and fun, full of wit; what I didn't expect was to become so wrapped up in the lives of the two characters that I stayed up way later than I should have in order to finish this delightful story.

Abby Donovan is one of the "chosen": her debut novel was selected by Oprah for her book club a few years back, resulting in fame and fortune and incredibly high expectations for her second novel. Abby, however, finds herself filled with doubt about her abilities and cannot get past Chapter Five in her next book, but she gamely goes along with her publicist's idea to "get out there" by using a Twitter account. What she didn't expect was to begin a friendship with one Mark Baynard, a follower who offers to show her the ins and outs of tweeting. Mark's a professor on sabbatical, and through their 140 character interactions, Abby discovers the faraway places Mark is visiting and also how she's been allowing her fears to hold her back. Filled with flirtation and humor, the pair's tweets soon lead them to "date", but is it possible that all isn't as it seems?


I loved this book! What might have started out light and silly quickly evolved into much deeper, more complicated emotions as Abby and Mark begin sharing more levels of friendship. Once the "twist" was revealed, I was absolutely hooked. This book will have you laughing and crying, and breathlessly racing alongside Abby on her journeys of self-discovery. Loved it, loved it, loved it, and can highly recommend it.
 
~taminator40

A Couple of Good Ones

Yep, I'm back...with two good ones to recommend! I'd love to say I've been in Hawaii or lounging in the Bahamas but the truth is, I've been battling the demons of middle school (otherwise known as our sixth grade) and spending way too much time playing on the iPad. Oh well. My two recent reads, however, are both so delicious, I'm anxious to share them with you.

First up is Outside In by Maria V. Snyder:

Trella, a former scrub in her world of Inside, has led a revolution for her fellow scrubs for more equality in their way of life. In addition, she's discovered Gateway, the door to "Outside"--(possible spoiler) which has turned out to be outer space. Now, in the sequel to Inside Out, Trella's ready for her life to resume and for others to take care of the daily running of their world. But it doesn't take long for Trella to realize that something is not only not right about the new system of governing; it's scarily wrong. What is actually lurking Outside?


Outside In grabbed me once again from the opening pages; Trella, Queen of the Pipes, is determined to discover the ceiling of Inside, but her position as leader of the rebellion keeps her in meetings and away from Riley, her newfound boyfriend. In addition, Trella finds herself spending more time with Dr. Gifford than she'd anticipated, with the possibility of of their being related hanging over them both. When bombs begin going off, Trella suspects members of the former leaders of Inside, the Trava family, and she finds her own life in danger when she tries to protect those she cares about. But when someone known as The Controllers takes over the computer system Inside, Trella and her friends realize that maybe the danger isn't just Inside...what if Outside wants in?

Ms. Snyder has written a terrific sequel to the compelling Inside Out, with Trella once again at the center of circumstances beyond her control and expectation. While Trella is battling unseen and unknown forces, she's also battling herself and her relationships with Riley, Dr. Gifford, and her friends as she comes to grips with her role Inside. Toward the end of this novel, I literally could not put it down, though I was a little disappointed with the tying up of the threads very quickly. But the terrific storytelling with its twists and its uncertainties of whom to trust more than makes up for the rushed ending. Ms. Snyder brings you Inside and makes you experience the sensations Trella experiences while managing to keep Trella real and thoroughly believable. I am very hopeful that Trella's story isn't at an end because I've come to love the world of Inside and its inhabitants. This is one fan who will be searching out more works by Ms. Snyder and hoping fervently to go back Inside once more.

Additional note: Outside In is a young adult book, and a well written one at that. The relationship between Trella and Riley is both emotional and physical, and always tasteful. The physical relationship adds depth to the characters and Ms. Snyder does not shy away from it. I found it a natural extension of their feelings and can recommend this book without hesitation to those who are ready to read about this aspect.


Now for book number two, one I'm sure you are going to hear a lot about in the coming days: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult.

Zoe and Max Baxter have struggled with infertility for years, going thousands of dollars in debt and experiencing all sorts of trauma as they undergo IVF. At long last, Zoe becomes pregnant and seems to be carrying to term when an unthinkable tragedy occurs. In the aftermath, Max decides he just cannot do this anymore; he walks away from his marriage to Zoe, leaving her alone to pick up the pieces of her life. To add insult to injury, Zoe discovers she has cancer and must undergo a hysterectomy; without her friendship with new friend Vanessa, Zoe feels certain she would not survive. As the two women grow closer, however, it becomes evident to both that their relationship is much deeper than they had realized, and while Zoe can no longer carry the frozen embryos left behind from her marriage, Vanessa can. All that is needed is Max's consent for Zoe to use the embryos.


Max, on the other hand, finds himself struggling on his own after his divorce; a recovering alcoholic, he turns back to the bottle to cover his feelings of loss and inadequacy. When an accident causes him to re-evaluate his life, he turns to his older brother Reid and Reid's church, Eternal Glory. Eternal Glory is very conservative yet loving, and Max easily slips into its tenets and literal interpretations of the Bible. When he receives Zoe's request to use the embryos with her lesbian partner, Max just cannot feel this is God's plan and instead comes up with one of his own: he will take custody of the embryos and give them to his brother and his wife, who are also struggling iwth infertility. The court case that ensues is ugly, dragging all parties through the mud in an attempt to determine what will be the best family for the potential children.

Picoult knows how to select a hot button issue, and once again, her writing is compelling and her characters real. Having Zoe as a music therapist gives the story a unique perspective; will her stability be better for the children despite her turn into lesbianism? Picoult explores all the common ins and outs of gay issues: Are gay people born that way? If so, how is it that Zoe has not been gay before she met Vanessa? Will the children be ostracized by having same sex parents? Are church going people better options than two loving parents, one of whom is biologically related to the embryos? What is fair? Told in alternating points of view, we get to know the inner reflections of the three main characters, making judgments of their failures all the harder.

My biggest issue with Sing You Home is that it seems Zoe's side is all good, and Max's side, particularly the religious aspect, is all bad. Max himself is conflicted and at the mercy of his brother and his church, while Zoe only wants to work with troubled patients and be a mother. Much of the story is fairly predictable, with Max's legal team as over the top as any in today's headlines. Though we do find that Zoe and Vanessa have some skeletons in their respective closets, it still seems as though Ms. Picoult has gone out of her way to make conservative Christians seem foolish and gullible.

Beyond my gripe written above, however, I have to say I found the pages flying by; my sympathy for both Max and Zoe tugged at my heart because I was able to see both sides of the issue. Picoult has a gift for capturing legal scenes and the drama therein; she has obviously done her research and is able to breathe life into the human spirit. I'm not sure I buy into the final twist, but it's classic Picoult. Her writing is definitely encompassing, and her ability to anger, enthrall, surprise, and even betray the reader will keep me reading her books. Sing You Home is well written and straight out of today's headlines. 

~taminator40

A New Favorite Author, I'm Pretty Sure



First I'll admit it...I am a newbie to Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Despite owning maybe three of her previous novels, this bibliophile just hadn't made the push to pick one up until Call Me Irresistible arrived. And now that I've finished it, I can promise you this: I'll be rooting out those other books and putting them on a special shelf so that I can easily grab one the next time I'm in a slump or I need a pick-me-up.



Apparently incorporating several characters from previous books, Call Me Irresistible is the story of Meg Koranda, daughter of famous parents and perennial floater through life; Meg arrives in Wynette, Texas, to be in the wedding of her best friend Lucy, but it only takes her a few moments to know that Ted is not the man for Lucy, despite all his stellar reviews and overall goodness. When the two break up, Meg's blamed by all and she's eager to leave town, but unfortunately her parents and family have chosen that time to force her to stand on her own two feet and she no longer has the means to leave. Being the town pariah is bad enough, but when Meg encounters Ted, sparks fly, though neither will admit it. Mixed into the mess is millionaire Spence Skipjack and his daughter Sunny; Wynette's desperate to land Spence's money to build a new golf resort, and his interest in Meg and Sunny's interest in Ted further complicates everything. Fireworks ensue.




Fun, fun, fun...light and breezy, there's nothing deep or soul searching in Call Me Irresistible, but it certainly came along at the exact moment I most needed this sort of book. The "romance" (if you can call it that...the two lovebirds keep insisting there is none) experiences its bumps and turns, though of course it's all very predictable. I did get a little bogged down trying to sort all the townspeople though that's probably my fault for not having read previous books beforehand. But Phillips' light style makes this an easy read, and even if I did get a little frustrated with all the denials of interest, I can definitely say I'll be dipping back into Phillips' works. I think I've found a new favorite author.

~taminator40

A Couple of YA Reviews

First up...Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock...

In the third book in Catherine Gilbert Murdock's series based on D.J. Schwenk, D.J. is back at school after dealing with her brother Win's terrible accident and ready to just play basketball. She's broken up with her boyfriend Brian; all she really wants is to have life return to normal for her junior year of high school. But life's funny like that sometimes: what you want most seems just out of reach, and is it really what you want after you think about it?

D.J.'s always been a stand-out athlete, and this basketball season quickly proves that she hasn't lost anything by not playing the previous year. It doesn't take long before colleges begin to show interest in her skills and the idea of being good enough to play in a Big Ten school freaks D.J. to the core. Life would be fine with her if she played for a local Division III team where the pressure wouldn't be so great and she wouldn't be the star of the show. And why on earth is she having to deal with this her junior year? Rather than being able to put her basketball worries behind her, things ramp up when Win becomes involved, pushing D.J. to think beyond herself and go for the big scholarships. But D.J. is petrified at the thought of playing before thousands of fans; so scared, in fact, that she almost becomes physically ill while watching a friend blow a big shot at U of M. D.J. has got to come to grips with what she wants and what she is actually ready for, and this applies to her love life as well, with both Brian and Beaner fighting for her attention.

This book was a fast read, and well-written. The nervous D.J. is very realistic and her fear is palpable. Typical of a teen sensation, she's unsure about her future and unclear about what she wants. In general, this is a book whose voice comes through easily; we get inside D.J.'s head and worry right along with her. I did find myself more than a little irritated with D.J. as she thinks she wants to throw away some great opportunities, but I could see where her fear was coming from. What I didn't really care for was the side story of Amber and Dale's relationship, which seemed a bit cliched in my opinion, and a bit unnecessary with everything else going on. Other than that, I can recommend this installment in the series wholeheartedly; D.J. is a funny, smart, determined young lady who has won a place in my heart with her self-effacing comments. Recommended.

Next up is Ruined by Paula Morris...

Rebecca Brown is puzzled when her father, who has raised her by himself since she was two, suddenly has to go to China on business for the better part of a year and his solution as to where Rebecca will stay is to leave her in New Orleans with a friend of the family, "Aunt" Claudia, a woman Rebecca doesn't remember meeting. New Orleans is a long, long way from New York City in more ways than one, and Rebecca's new school, Temple Mead, is filled with snobby girls whose families date back for generations. Not to mention the fact that the shotgun style house Aunt Claudia and her daughter Aurelia live in is just across the street from a very old cemetery and very close to the old family homes of the rich girls in school. To say Rebecca feels like she is an outsider is an understatement, but she's determined to make the best of things, even hoping to make friends with the mysterious homeless girl who apparently lives in the cemetery.

Ruined is indeed a ghost story, but it's more than that as well; it's the story of how generations of families can hold sway over even a modern city, and how the spectre of murder can still wreak havoc many years after the deed. Once Rebecca determines that Lisette, the odd girl from the cemetery, is actually a ghost, the story picks up as she begins to unravel the tale of what happened many years before and has been kept secret since. Even the appearance of handsome Anton Grey cannot hold Rebecca's attention for long as she faces the two girls in school who would like nothing better than to see Rebecca gone...in one way or another.

I liked this story and found the pacing to be quick, with Rebecca's disbelief turning into horrified truth very well done. Rebecca is a strong girl who doesn't suffer fools gladly, and her loyalty to her aunt and cousin is tremendous. I did find the whole climax a bit unbelievable (though we are dealing with ghosts here) since I couldn't imagine so many people so willingly going to such lengths to protect someone from an evil curse. The insertion of Hurricane Katrina and its ravages gives the story a timely feel but makes me worried that the book will age quickly in just a few years. Finally, the idea of Rebecca's father doing what he did is really too much for me, but it did bring a satisfactory conclusion. But this is a good ghost story, filled with atmosphere and the spirit (pun intended) of New Orleans. Romance and ruins; what more could a teenager want?

~taminator40