BOOK & BLOG |
|
|
December 1, 2009 Books of the Week:
It’s hard to know how to classify Ilona Andrews’ On The Edge. There’s undoubtedly a romance, and that romance is with a bona fide hero – an incredibly handsome fairy prince. But there are so many things that scream ADVENTURE in this book. The protagonist, Rose Drayton, is a hardworking cleaning woman of mixed blood, part human and part fae. Rose has an unbelievable power level, which she developed partly out of pride when she was a teen. Her demonstration of that power backfired in a way she could never have foreseen, and she’s paid for it ever since. She’s raising her two little brothers by herself, and life is hard indeed. When Declan Camarine, a true blueblood, comes to demand that Rose mate with him, she’s repulsed. He is, too. But they come to know each other, because in a time of terrible danger they’re both tested. This was a really satisfying read, and set a number of my assumptions on their heads, which is always a pleasure. Will Thomas’ Some Danger Involved is a classic mystery. In Victorian London, starving young Welshman Thomas Llewelyn, to his amazement, wins the job of assistant to personal enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, a mysterious and religious gentleman who uses surprising methods to get results. In their first case together, the two are hired to find out who crucified a young rabbinical student. I won’t ruin any of the surprises in this well-researched mystery. This is a winner, and there are already several more books in this series waiting for the new reader. If you read one, you’ll want to read more, guaranteed. I’d never read Justina Robson before, and I read a synapses of one of the later books in this series, I went back to buy the first one. Published in England by Gollanz, Keeping It Real features a woman who’s largely artificial, Lila Black. Lila is bionic. She’s been provided with artificial legs and arms after a terrible incident in one of the four worlds that intersect. I know, that sounds confusing, and I found the explanation in the book confusing, but if you just go with it, bodyguard and secret agent Lila has a lot of adventures in a couple of different worlds. Her bionic attachments are cool, but I don’t think Lila is as smart as she might be. However, she’s making a big effort to go with the flow and to recreate herself, and book gallops along at a great pace with a startling occurrence every other page.
Blog Okay, I’ve got nothing. No theme to base a whole blog on. I loved having two of our children home for Thanksgiving, though we only saw them in passing as they zoomed in and out of the house between visits with friends who were also home for the holiday. Unfortunately, this year the holiday was tangled up with family health issues, and my husband had to be gone for a few days. He was needed more elsewhere. He’s coming home, the kids are gone, the lawn got mowed, and I found a few more things that need repair. Maybe I’ll start a handyman-in-residence program. I was sorry to hear that Laurell Hamilton’s TV show is not going to happen. That was one TV hour I would NOT have missed. The Anita Blake character is fabulous, and to see Anita brought to the screen in a good production would have been amazing. I did hear that my friendly acquaintance Ken Bruen is going to have not one, but two, movies based on his books in production soon. Both have stellar casts. I’m glad for Ken, who is a ton of fun and a great writer. “True Blood” will be back in production in a week or two, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this coming season will be as wonderful as the last. With the combined talent of the crew and cast, the writers and directors, I just don’t see how it CAN’T be great. I finished my novella, and I’m about to send it to my editor. I’ve started a short story, which I foolishly agreed to do. Then, Sookie 11. I know most of you are doing a few things to get ready for Christmas, and I ought to be too. At Thanksgiving, the kids helped me get down the decorations and the Snow Village pieces, and maybe this weekend I’ll map out what to do with them. This is topsy-turvy season! Have a great week, and I’ll try to be more regular about blogging. Charlaine Harris |
Past Entries2009 |
© 2009 Charlaine Harris |
|