Currently Reading

Have I ever mentioned just how much I believe 2014 is not my year? Well, if I haven't, let me you tell that it's definitely not! I believe that I've been worse off in so many areas this year than I have in a long time. But you know what? I'm also stubborn. This year won't keep me from making progress on any of my goals!

I'll be honest. My lovely other half brought home a flu bug last week. Although I fought hard not to catch the dang thing, I've wound up sick anyway. Therefore, I've made progress on a few books but only finished one in the past week. It's also put me behind in posting. I may or may not have a review Friday. I'm really pushing myself over the next couple of days to finish one, at the very least.


I'm trapped in the lines of these books;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Guilt by Degrees (Rachel Knight #2) by Marcia Clark
Killer Ambition (Rachel Knight #3) by Marcia Clark
Prime Deception by Carys Jones


Escaped the clutches of these;
Guilty by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark


I know a few of these books have been on my list forever. They're printed books that I am reading at my leisure. They're not ones where I have to meet a deadline. One or five pages is what I average on those particular books at the most right now in order to finish the others. It makes me sad, but what can I do but try?

On that note, I'm off to get in the saddle. Got a few more minutes to sneak in some pages!
Until next time,
Kay B

Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark

Release Date: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Series: Rachel Knight, Book 1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Not only did Rachel Knight call Los Angeles home, but she worked her way up the chain in the D.A.'s office until she became part of the special unit assigned to try high profile cases. She and her colleagues compared notes, critiqued arguments for one another, and shared both wins and losses. Nothing she encountered could have prepared her for the shocking death of someone so close to her.

Rachel found herself buried under an extra heavy caseload while secretly investigating a case that could end her career. Each discovery drew her deeper into a world of drugs, gangs and danger, but it's a price she'd pay to find the truth. Will she be able to solve both cases before it's too late? Will she still have her job - and her life - at the end?

Review:
This book was offered for a limited time at NetGalley and was the first work of fiction published by Marcia Clark, a prominent attorney in Los Angeles that has handled some high profile cases as well. Within its pages was a fiesty prosecutor named Rachel Knight who found herself mixed up in a whole lot of trouble after a colleague wound up dead. Not one to go by the book unless forced, Rachel pursued her case while secretly trying to find answers about her friend and his life. After everything that Marcia Clark's seen and heard during her time in the D.A.'s office, it didn't surprise me to see the characters and settings in her book.

Much of the action revolved around Rachel and her search for the truth in more than one case and was told from her point of view. There was definitely a core group of people who rotated in and out of the picture, each with their own quirks. Because the story was set in Los Angeles, I wasn't surprised to see familiar names and places within the story. I also wasn't surprised to see time and attention given to what clothes Rachel and others were wearing or the constant dieting that was thrown into the mix. The book delivered on those assumptions, if I'm honest. That's not to say that the characters were one-dimensional at all. There was a bit of depth to each one. With this being the first of a series, it provided a good amount of groundwork for whatever comes next.

I did have to fight to finish this book in a few spots. The pace began steadily and maintained its movement until I was nearly a third of the way into the story. For whatever reason, I felt the story slow and struggle to pick back up. Once it did, the action and revelations began to help push it along until it hit another slow patch for me. I was happy to find that the book did end on a high note in terms of pacing and storytelling. Honestly, I'm not sure if it was the many layers of the case that threw me off or if it was simply a lull in action that made it seem slow. Maybe it was the lack of drama in the courtroom that threw me off. At times it seemed like Rachel was more of a cop than your typical image of a prosecutor.

All in all, the story was complete, engaging in many areas and giving a glimpse of the other side of Los Angeles. Not a bad offering at all for her first book, I am hopeful for the others in this series which will be coming up over the next few weeks. There's a lot of layers in this book but it does reward those who stick with it to the end. I am glad to have taken a chance on this one. If you're looking for a different type of prosecutor that's tough as nails or someone who doesn't just go with the flow of the system, then Rachel Knight is your kind of prosecutor. Pick up your copy and enjoy her sassyness!

Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark is currently available at many local and online retailers. It can be purchased in hardcover, paperback, audio-book and Kindle versions. The link below will bring up the book's page at Amazon.
Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark

The City: A Novel by Dean Koontz

Release Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Bantam

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Jonah Bledsoe grew up in a time of turmoil and upheaval that the country shared during the late 1960s. Not only was this a distressing time for him and his family, but it was also a time of wonder and magic for the young boy. As a young black boy being raised by a single mother, Jonah was happy to share a talent for music with her and his grandfather.

He grew more aware of the strangeness of his surroundings after a visit from a mysterious woman who claimed to be something much more than human. Her visit awoke something inside the young boy and lead him down a path too dangerous for an adult, let alone a ten year-old child. But his connection to the events that unfolded grew deeper with each revelation. Will he escape the fate presented to him in dreams? What will his story hold for us?


Review:
A longtime lover of Koontz's books, I was excited to see this novel being offered for review at NetGalley. I was thrilled to have been given the chance to read it. From the first chapter it became clear that this wasn't the usual book one would expect from Koontz. Aside from the fact that there is little in the way of actual horror or other themes routinely present in his works, this novel was more like the transcript of a man telling a remarkable story from his past. The reader was given a seat next to the storyteller himself instead of learning the information third-hand from another person's point of view.

The novel centers around a young boy named Jonah Ellington Basie Hines Eldridge Wilson Hampton Armstrong Kirk Bledsoe, or simply Jonah as I will call him. Yes, the long name was explained within the book and it added to the character instead of hampering him in any way. Both music and a person's beliefs were characters as much as Jonah and his family were in this story. The passion and childish innocence helped shape the events that came to pass. I believe that the mystical or supernatural element within the story was very real for Jonah and therefore, it allowed him a certain degree of fearlessness to know that something so large and with such deep knowledge would be there with him. I felt that the characters central to the story, Jonah's core group of family and friends, were well fleshed out and added another emotional layer to the story overall.

For much of the book, the pacing was slow but steady. There wasn't a large buildup with a huge letdown for me. I think that knowing this was being written as a transcript of events which happened to Jonah as he spoke them helped me to keep pushing my way through the story when the action began to slow. A lot of the action was psychological for a great deal of the book. Things came in dreams for Jonah or intuitive feelings whenever he was around something or someone. When events unfolded in the physical realm, they were executed in real time. By that I mean they didn't drag on for pages as some would have it do. Instead the action happened and the consequences followed in short order.

Many people didn't like this book, but I have to say that I did. While keeping in mind that it was a record of events being spoken by Jonah, the sense of "rambling" that I got was easily explained. It didn't dampen the story for me. It took a few chapters for me to become engrossed with the story, but once it had its hooks in me, I wanted to see how things ended. It was a solid story from beginning to end. If you like a bit of history mixed with excitement and the thrill of childhood wonder mixed together, this book will satisfy that need!

The City: A Novel by Dean Koontz is currently available at all major retailers, both online and local bookstores. It can be purchased in a variety of forms including hardcover, audio-book and Kindle formats. Use the link below to visit the book's Amazon page.
The City: A Novel by Dean Koontz

Currently Reading

Now, this was a week where I felt more like my old self! I wish that the past few months had been this productive in all areas and not just in reading. Here's to hoping that this trend continues!

The weather had been cool and fall-like for the past few weeks. It has now decided to announce that summer's not finished just yet and therefore, it has unleashed humidity and storms in our area. Could this be the reason behind my sudden boost in activity? I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm grateful for it nonetheless. The humidity doesn't help my breathing. That's not a plus. However, I am thankful for my a/c, so I will just keep on keeping on.


Atop the pile this week are;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Guilty by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark


I've finished the following:
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin
The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark by Meryl Gordon
The City: A Novel by Dean Koontz 


If the storms aren't too bad, I may be able to slip in a few more pages tonight and knock a few more books off the TBR pile. I've had some great authors send requests for reads/reviews in the past week and I'm excited to get to those books. Remembering to keep to my list is hard to do at times. I want to skip some and go straight to the exciting ones. But that's definitely not fair to those who have dutifully waited for my attention. Do you keep a strict TBR list or is it more of a fluid to-read situation?

Until next time,
Kay B

The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark by Meryl Gordon

Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Being the youngest child of a copper magnate and living to be over 100 years-old,
Huguette Clark grew up in a world surrounded by glitz, glamor, and everything else high society that the 20th century had to offer. Once century drew to a close, the once vivacious socialite had withdrawn from society and enshrined herself in memories with only the most trusted people surrounding her. Life continued this way until the other descendents called her life into question.

Following a reunion of William Andrews Clark's many descendents, relatives began to worry about Huguette and the way she was living. As they started looking into her world, secrets and scandals found their way from the depths they were buried. But what was the reason a promising, young artist full of life would turn away from the world and keep to herself?

Review:
I stumbled across this biography while looking through NetGalley's book listings. Curious about the lifestyles of the wealthy as the next person, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this book wasn't the usual privilege-filled story about Huguette Clark's life.The author used mountains of documents, personal interviews and Huguette's own words to form the biography. As I read through the pages, it was akin to getting to know a new friend rather than read a starched-stiff novel about someone who lived long ago. Seeing how debilitating immense wealth can become made me feel sad for Huguette.

Because she outlived a majority of her family, it was easy to forget that the names reflected people who actually lived and loved Huguette. They weren't complex characters in a story, moving at the whim of the author's pen. Each had a real life filled with all the difficulties and experiences that you or I might have to endure. That's not to say everyone was your everyday sort with a routine of work, family, home. There were lots of interesting, eccentric people in her family. Living through an entire century also ensured that Huguette had a front row seat to the vast changes that spanned the country and the globe. The living descendents of William Andrews Clark were, and are, as varied as their ancestors and continue to keep his legacy of art, culture and wealth alive.

The book started a little slow for me because it centered around the Clarks living today and the reasons how and why they became concerned about their Tante Huguette. However, the pace picked up rather quickly as revelations about the family and those who worked for them came to light. Once I reached the point where the history of the Clarks was explored, I was intrigued by the man who made something of himself and interested in what happened to those who came after him. With each turn of the page, I felt myself drawn more and more into Huguette's world, wondering just how many people cared for her rather than the bank she became in their eyes. It made me sad to see someone with a very generous heart who simply wanted to create while being loved be taken advantage of as Huguette was in the last decades of her life.

I would have to say that this biography was eye-opening for me in several ways. Often times inherited wealth is seen as something everyone dreams of and others feel entitled to have. Unfortunately, the traps of such wealth bring many dangerous, problems and perils with it. While there are always more than one side to a story, I thought this biography did a good job of laying out the history of the family while trying to explore the reasons behind Huguette's behavior in her later years. It's much more than simply the life and times of a wealthy, eccentric elderly woman. If you love reading about lives from long ago or curious about the unusually private life of one of the wealthiest women in the US, I would pick up a copy of this book!

The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark by Meryl Gordon is currently available for purchase at several online retailers in hardcover, Kindle and audio-book forms. The link below will bring up the book's Amazon page.
The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark by Meryl Gordon

August's Hopes and Dreams

And here's the personal monthly post at the halfway point of the month!

*sighs*

I don't think 2014 is my year. Honestly, the number of setbacks are starting to overcome the achievements. While that is the present situation, I know that this luck of mine goes in cycles. Good things will begin to happen for me soon. That's my hope, at least.

More books on my TBR pile and projects I want to finish are slowly being knocked out. I have quite a few interesting reads coming up that I am excited to share soon. The crochet project for the year had stalled a bit. My health kept me from doing things as fast as I used to do them, so I was behind and about to give up. Then a couple of packages arrived, filling me with hope again. Thanks to those who shared their talents with the B-B Project!

The only area of my life that has stalled almost completely would be now be my writing. I've tried a number of things to get it going again. Unfortunately, nothing has worked as of yet. I still have deadlines to meet and nothing's coming out of this brain of mine. I often wonder if other authors go through those periods of time? Do they have months or years where nothing comes out? Are there times when the creative flow seems to never stop?

Hopefully the year will settle down as it nears the end. I'm excited that we're getting closer to Fall for several reasons. A friend's wedding, many birthdays, my kiddo returns home and so much more will be on my plate. Here's to a better month!

Until next time,
Kay B

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin

Release Date: March 4, 2011 (First published August 6, 1996)
Publisher: Bantam
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire series, Book 1

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
In a world where summer can last for years and winter is harsh for even the most hardy of person, Westeros was home for families who traced their lineage back to the founding fathers. Knights and nobles traveled the land while their peasants kept the grand houses running. When the King came calling at Lord Stark's household, he could hardly refuse with their bond a deep as siblings. It was during the King's stay that Stark's world changed forever.

Soon the Stark family has been scattered upon the winds as some travel in company of the King and others had their own agendas to fulfill. Secret deals and bloodied hands tested the most stalwart of nobles. After the kingdom sees the death of one king and the rise of another, the cold winds of winter began to sweep through the land. Prophecies long forgotten by many started to unfold before the eyes of the current generation. Where will it leave the land of Westeros? Will all the answers ever be found?

Review:
I reviewed Book III of this series last year as I had bought up to that particular book. Now that I own the complete released set which includes all five books, I decided to read the series from the beginning. To keep from repeating myself, I won't be reviewing the third book but I will read it again so I can keep track of the intricate layers of theory and revelation going on within the saga. Truth be told, I actually read the second book years ago without realizing it was a series. It wasn't until word about the television show began to spread that my interest was piqued once again.

The first book in the series set the groundwork for the world in which the characters lived. Many of the characters were enmeshed in centuries old prophecies and allegiances that weighed on them in their present day. There was no central character for the entire book to revolve around, but each chapter was headed by a different person. All manner of people filled the world of Westeros. Rich, poor, honorable, dishonorable - nearly every part of society was present in the different areas of the book. Those we thought admirable have a bleaker, darker side that slowly revealed itself. The grey areas made the large book enjoyable for me.

With a lot of ground to cover and such a large cast of characters, it wasn't unexpected for the pace to be slow in some areas of the book. I did find myself skipping a paragraph here or there when the descriptions of the areas went on a bit long, but ultimately went back to read them because I had missed something. When the intrigue or battles began, there was a feeling of anticipation within the writing as events headed toward conflict. Now, with so many pieces in the game, it will be interesting to see how the entire saga concludes in the future books.

Overall, I liked this book even if I struggled through the slow parts of the story. I'm curious to re-read the other books and find more of the secrets that I missed the first time through the stories. Even though many have voiced their favorite houses or characters, I'm still undecided with this book. I loved how sassy Tyrion was but also how deep honor was ingrained in Eddard's character. Maybe the second book will help me to narrow down the field. If you're a lover of long, sweeping sagas or enjoy a large-scale adventure novel, this will be the series for you to begin - whether you've seen the show or not.

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin is currently available both online and in many local retailers across the globe. The book can be purchased in hardcover, paperback, audio-book, and Kindle formats. Clicking on the link below will bring up the book's Amazon page.
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin