Baroness Emmuska Orczy - "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

     If you're in the market for a good historical fiction, filled with lords and ladies, crafty disguises, sneaky spies, dire situations, and ingenious escapes, then I recommend you check out this much beloved classic!  This tale has been retold in various movies, and stage productions, but in my humble opinion, the book is always better ;) 

     Our tale opens in 1792, "the year of grace" with a captain in the army of the republic bragging about how none of the sneaky members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel have gotten any royal refugees past his barricade because of his keen eyes!  Shortly after, a loathsome, haggard old woman takes her vegetable cart through that very same barricade to visit her grandson with smallpox.  Lo and behold, that very same "woman" was in actuality the man, the myth, the legendary Scarlet Pimpernel himself! 

     According to Baroness Orczy, during the French Revolution, there was a band of English spies who risked life and limb to smuggle those who were headed to Mme. Guillotine out of the country to their neighboring refuge, England.  This group consisted of about 20 young, gallant, and even wealthy English gentlemen who were lead by one resourceful and daring genius who called himself The Scarlet Pimpernel (named after a small red English flower).   

The Scarlet Pimpernel

     Some of the main characters are Sir Percy Blankney, Marguerite (his wife), Armand St. Just (her brother), Chauvelin (a malicious French spy), Andrew Ffoulkes, and a hoard of other minor characters.   Marguerite is a young French woman who is hailed as the wittiest woman in Europe, and everyone is surprised when she marries Sir Percy as he is said to be somewhat dimwitted and foppish (a lovely English term used to describe vain man who is mostly concerned about their appearance and dress).  With Sir Percy's vast fortune and lovely wife, he is touted as one of the luckiest men around, as well as one of the most popular and fashionable as he is always impeccably dressed for every occasion.  Marguerite and Percy have been married about a year at this point in the story and their love has grown cold, she feels trapped in a marriage that began wonderfully, but due to an earlier indiscretion on her part, they grew apart.  She tries throughout the story to re-ignite that love.

     One of the biggest plot lines that comprises this story is that of the rescue of The Comte de Tournay.  At the beginning of the story, Sir Andrew delivers The Comtesse de Tournay and her two children to the Fisherman's Rest, a little inn near the coast of Dover, England.  As this plot is unfolding, Chauvelin makes his way to England in an attempt to solicit information regarding The Scarlet Pimpernel so that the next time our hero sets foot upon French soil, he can be arrested and escorted to the Guillotine.  As fate would have it, Chauvelin discovers information about Armand St. Just and uses it as leverage against Marguerite.  He offers her a deal: She finds out what she can about The Scarlet Pimpernel and his identity, and Chauvelin will personally see to it that Armand gets out of France safely.

     What happens????? You'll just have to read it to find out!  This is certainly an action packed story that boasts some pretty tense moments throughout.  There is a fair amount of mystery and suspense within these pages as well.  I do have to say, that it took a chapter or two to really grab my attention, but from that point on, it was a page-turner, through and through!!!!

Jim Butcher - "Storm Front"

     Question: what kind of story do you get when you add 15 years to Harry Potter's age, mix in a little sci-fi, stir in some strange murders, gently fold some of Dean Koontz style + dry humor in, and set it in modern-day Chicago?  Answer: The Dresden Files, a series by Jim Butcher.  I knew I would like the book a) when one of my best girlfriends (who openly admits that Star Trek is cool) thrust the book into my hands AND b) when I read the mini-bio about the author on the back flap... "A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane.  He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog."  along with this photo:

Go ahead, admit it... YOU LOVE HIM!!!!!  I know, I know, I do too :D  and you may not have even read the book yet.  Is your appetite whetted yet?  Oops, did I just let my inner-geek show????

     Harry Dresden is a wizard who has literally set up shop in Chicago as, well, I'll just let you read for yourself:  "HARRY DRESDEN – WIZARD  Lost items found. Paranormal investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates. No love potions, endless purses, parties, or other entertainment."  He's serious and dry witted with a side of quick thinking and honesty to boot.  The story opens with a brief introduction to our main character, Harry.  The next thing you know, he is called in by the Chicago P.D. to help investigate a pair of gruesome and certainly paranormal murders. 

     This is a geniusly written novel, and I love how Mr. Butcher mixes the extra-ordinary in with the ordinary to create a tale that is comfortable and doesn't force tooooo many mental exercises, but also allows the reader to expect the unexpected.  Even though it's a pretty serious story, I found myself giggling too.  It was the kind of book that kept me thinking about it when I was at work, and all I wanted to do was be at home in my fuzzy socks with my nose firmly in place within the pages of this book.  There were twists and turns, trolls and mob bosses, potions and VW Beetles, faery's and Chicago pizza; I told you, this tale has it ALL.  The author does an astounding job of placing the supernatural into the mundane.  

     Although it contains faeries, wizards, and the like, I would not by any means call it a kid's book!  It's most definitely a grown up "fairy tale."  It's got the elements of the classic white magic vs. black magic, but is much more complex that just that.  As I mentioned above it hints at Koontzesque elements of the macabre.  I highly recommend this book (maybe even the whole series, I bought the next 2 novels the day after I finished book one) for a quick, exciting, "something out of the ordinary" kind of read.

Cheers Mr. Butcher!

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

 

 

Janet Evanovich - "Fearless Fourteen"

     At this point in my literary life there are only two more Stephanie Plum novels available for my viewing pleasure.  (Three if you count the "seasonal" novels.)  So until I find out that Mrs. Evanovich has written another for my consumption, I'm trying to make these last two Plum-tasty books last, and I find that to be a bit of a challenge as I tend to begin reading them and find that they're over in a mere matter of days :(

     Stephanie, Morelli (yum), Ranger (sigh), Lula (of course), Rex, Bob, Connie, Grandma Mazure, and a few other zany characters find their way into "Fearless Fourteen."  This episode starts when Stephanie goes to apprehend an FTA (failure to appear - to court) named Loretta.  Loretta, who also happens to be one of Morelli's cousins, is willing to go in without a fight, but only if Stephanie promises to collect her teenage son from school while she's going through the process of getting re-bonded.  For sake of ease, Stephanie commits to do so.  Guess how long the paperwork process lasts for poor Loretta?  Guess who's now stuck "parenting" a teenage boy who is obsessed with an online RPG (role-playing game) called Minionfire?  You guessed it, 1. a long time, and 2. Stephanie.

Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum)

     In the midst of all of the "usual" in Steph's life, she find herself helping Ranger and his cronies to work private security for one of the biggest entertainers and Divas of all-time, Brenda (think of a Cher + Dolly Parton in Paris's wardrobe).  Brenda is a handful to say the very least!  She's got a bad attitude, a crush on Ranger, a nasty temper, and a penchant for hogging the spotlight, and not being on time.  While juggling all of these items, Stephanie and her crew are thrust into solving a ten-year old bank robbery.  She is involuntarily involved in the solving of the case because the robbers (and the rest of Trenton, for that matter, seem to believe that the money is buried in Morelli's house)  Does this poor girl EVER catch a break?!?!?!

     I was a little disappointed that not one car got blown up.  I suppose the fact that Bob the hungry dog got spray painted will suffice.  Overall this was much better than the previous few books in the series.  I was giggling quite a number of times throughout Ms. Plums escapades.  I find these books comforting to me like a favorite pair of shoes.  You know, the kind that aren't too dressy, they're not too casual, and even though they may not always be practical or all that "flashy", they're the most comfortable one's in your closet, and sometimes you are simply compelled to wear them despite their lack of appropriateness for the outfit.  Okay, maybe you don't know what that's like, but it's the best I can do for now.

     Check out this book if you need a quick read with a few laughs and are expecting the unexpected.  Bye for now...

Louisa May Alcott - "Little Women"

     Long time, no blog, I know, but here is the latest edition, and it's hot off the press too!  I've just finished Louisa May Alcott's famous classic, "Little Women."  I read it when I was a kid, and have enjoyed the movie over and over so I figured it was time to revisit this much beloved book.  I don't even know if I can do this book justice here in my humble blog.  It's so good, and I'm afraid there's nothing I can say here that will express the greatness that is this story.  Seriously?!?!?! What does one write about "LITTLE WOMEN"??? I'll give it a go regardless...

     This lovely little gem tells the story of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March.  It is both written, and set in the 1860's during the Civil War.  The story starts in the winter while their father, Mr. March, is away doing his duty with the Union army as a chaplain, and the five March women (the four girls and their beloved mother, "Marmee") are home waiting for his return.  The family is suffering financial poverty, and the book tells of how they all learn to make do with what they do have.  The story begins when the girls are young, Meg is about 16, Jo 15, Beth 13, and Amy is 10 or so, and it follows their lives throughout their, "coming of age." 

    Each of the girls has their own passions that are explored throughout the length of the novel.  Meg is a very prim and proper young lady who longs to have a carefree life, and to be able to "live in the lap of luxury" as some of her wealthier friends do instead of have to work as a governess.  She's very conscious of others' view of her.  Jo is a tomboy who fancies herself a playwright, actress, "man of the house," adventurer, poet, and author.  Beth is quiet and caring; she's a homebody, the mother to a family of dolls, the care-taker of cats and their kittens, and a gentle domestic servant of the household.  Beth is the musician in the family; she loves to play her piano, and continually longs for new music to learn and play for the family.  Amy is a precocious little blond girl who wants to marry a wealthy man and be a gracious and elegant gentlewoman in the upper echelons of society as well as a great artist.

Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

    The story tells of both the public and private lives of all of the characters, and I found myself getting attached to them all.  Each girl's story is about their own struggles they face as they experience the rites of passage one encounters on their journey to womanhood.  It's an interesting peep into what life was like for girls in that era.  So much has changed since then, some things for the better, and others...not so much. 

     There is a very strong "message of morality" woven throughout the book, and for the most part it is truly, "woven into" the story as opposed to being preached outright.  The girls all make decisions throughout their coming-if-age and are all experience the consequences.  These little women are encouraged to live rightly and to become good women. 

     As I said before, there's no way I can do justice to such an enduring classic, and I haven't really, so I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the past, and what it was like to live as a woman then.  As cliche as it may sound, reading this made me want to be a better person.  It contains a truly heartwarming tale, and I'm so glad I re-read it to refresh my memory.

     Enjoy the classics; they're "classic" for a reason ;)
    

Francine Rivers - "Unafraid"

     She's most certainly done it again!  This is the fifth book in the "Lineage of Grace" series by Francine Rivers based upon the five women listed in Matthew's account of the genealogy of Christ.  I've read the other four books in the series, but this was my favorite.  This is the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus as told from her perspective.  It is based on the Biblical account of her life as well as some of the events in Jesus' life.  Mrs. Rivers prayerfully takes artistic license throughout the story to create dialog, character feelings and motivations, and the like to create a poignant picture of what Mary's life of obedience very well might have been like. 

     Mary was an average, poor peasant girl in Nazareth, but she chosen by God to bear his son, Jesus, the Messiah.  She was probably about fourteen years of age when an angel appeared to her and delivers the message that God had chosen her as his vessel.  She was betrothed (engaged) to Joseph at the time.  Could you imagine having to tell your fiance' that although you are a virgin, that you are pregnant with God's baby.  GULP!  Although there is not too much mentioned in the Bible about Mary's life, Mrs. Rivers delivers a beautiful telling of this woman's tale. 


Unafraid: Mary (The Lineage of Grace Series #5)

      Mary (and Joseph for that matter) is a inspiring example of obedience regardless of the cost.  She said "yes" to what God asked of her.  She said "yes" to being willing to become pregnant as an unwed woman in a culture that stoned adulterous people.  She said "yes" to following her husband from place to place when God told him to go regardless of the seeming absurdity of it.  She said "yes" (though with some difficulty) to releasing Jesus into his season of ministry even though it meant having to wonder who would provide for her and her family.  Astounding! 

     I pray I have the courage to say "yes" to what God asks of me.  Mary had "built a history" with God in her faith by trusting Him in the everyday little things.  As she chose to follow God in the little things, He asked bigger and bigger things of her.  Because she had seen His faithfulness in earlier examples throughout her life, she trusted Him with the big things too.  Kinda' like "practice makes perfect;" practice saying "yes" and trusting and it becomes easier to do over time.  He always showed Himself faithful to her even when things didn't turn out as she expected.  Does it EVER happen that way?

     Please read this book, it is TRULY inspirational, and in my case brought about a renewed fervor to examine my life and the choices I make.  God has blessed Francine Rivers with a talent, and she in turn, honors Him with it.  Lovely!

     I encourage you to read this and then step back a little, and see what God does.

 

Emily Giffin - "Baby Proof"

     I've had this book on my shelf for who knows HOW long, and I finally got to!  I have read two of Mrs. Giffin's other books, "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue."  I stumbled upon her work when I was the cafe' girl at Barnes & Noble quite a few years back.  There was an ARC (advance reader copy - A copy of the book that is given to the store before the book is actually released so the staff can familiarize themselves with it.) in the break room that I got to read, and I really liked it.  Thus was my introduction to Emily Giffin's talents.

     In this story our protagonist is Claudia, a 30ish woman, and editor for a small publishing house, who, from very early on in her life, KNEW that she just never wanted to have kids.  She relishes the idea of a life of total freedom, and a completely unfettered lifestyle.  All of her boyfriends have not been able to make a future with a woman who does not want kids, until she meets Ben...  He shares her sentiment on the subject of procreation as well as a great many other ideals; he is her soul mate.  They wed and are blissfully happy until one day Ben realizes that he wants a baby.  Claudia feels betrayed and refuses to have a baby just because of Ben's "passing" whim.  At some point Claudia must make a decision: have a baby with Ben, or don't have a baby and be without Ben.  I'll let you put two and two together (or you can read the book...) and see that a split is "inevitable." 
   
     Our heroine flees her apartment to the refuge of her best friend's (and former roommate, Jess) apartment and back to the lifestyle of the single Manhattaner.  Throughout her divorce and its aftermath, Claudia has a lot of time for introspection and is able to take a long, hard look at her life before Ben, with Ben, and after Ben.  She moves on with her life with some difficulty, but ends up dating Richard, a publicist for her company and finds herself "moving on."  Or does she???

     I have to say that it took me three days FLAT to read this book.  I admit, I unexpectedly had some time to kill this week, but I really had a hard time putting it down.  I don't know if I could actually call this a "page turner," but I certainly did feel compelled to know what was going to happen next.  I think that's a sign of good writer; they don't have to end the chapter or paragraph with an obvious cliff-hanger, but you still feel an express eagerness to resolve the issue (plot point) at hand, and QUICKLY!  I mean, your head cold explode with possibilities of which way things could go.  Seriously, I've seen it happen... Okay, not REALLY, but it SURE feels that way sometimes.

    The author does an exceptional job of creating very real, very easy-to-relate-to cast of characters as well as slew of situations.  I mean, everyone has had the experience of running into an ex and being at a loss as to why you have ice cream, complete with rainbow sprinkles slinking it's way down your arm while he stands awkwardly and introduces you to his Barbie Doll companion.  We've all been there at one time or another.  Mrs. Giffen really breaks down the emotions one feels when dealing with heartache, introspection, new love, regret, and a myriad of other raw feelings.  I really enjoyed the story and the way she tells it.  Claudia's family is good for a few laughs, as is her roomie, Jess.  I wouldn't say it was a laugh-riot, but there were certainly a few chuckles sprinkled in for good measure.  I found myself really invested in this one.  PMS?  Maybe.  I found myself choking up and being somewhat stressed out throughout the course of the story because I have had similar experiences, and the writing just drew me in completely.

     In conclusion, you should check this one out.  It's certainly falls within the genre of bubblegum literature, but this one has a little substance behind it.  There were some really valid questions and point asked and made, respectively, between the covers that is somewhat of a rarity in this subset of literature.  Let me know what you think.

Baby Proof

     Well done, Mrs. Giffin, now that I find myself in a somewhat sappy mood, I think I'll read some Francine Rivers.  It's about time, don't you think?

Rick Riordan - "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief"

dan

The Lightning Thief (Movie Tie-in Edition)
(Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

     Well, well, well, my young mythology fans, I have JUST the thing for you...  I've been in need of something lighthearted as well as something that would be a quick read.  This was recommended to me by not one, but two of my friends as just what I was looking for, and I do believe that they were right. 

     Percy Jackson is an average New York middle schooler who struggles with dyslexia, tends to get into fights, and only really enjoyes Mr. Brunner's Latin classes.  His best friend is a little whimpy, and strange things always seem to happen to him, and they usually mean he gets kicked out of school every year.  It's not until his class trip to the art museum that things REALLY heat up for him.  I mean, it's not everyday that your Algebra teacher suddenly grows bat wings, fangs, and makes an attempt on your life, although, of all the teachers I've had in my life, I'm fairly certain that it  WOULD be the Algebra teacher that has such capabilities.  (Chemistry teachers aren't far behind either!)

     He discovers after the "Algebra teacher affair" that things are not always what they seem.  For example, his puny best friend, Grover, isn't actually puny, he's a satyr who's job it is to protect Percy until he can get to Camp Half-Blood.  After an exciting series of events, that involve a trip to the beach, a destroyed Camero, and a Minotaur, Percy and Grover reach their "home base" of Camp Half-Blood.  It's at this point that Percy learn's that he's actually the son of one of the ancient Greek gods which is why he has never really "fit in" anywhere.  Upon his arrival, Percy isn't exactly sure which god he's a product of, but will soon find out.  Shortly after his appearance at the camp, Percy is summoned by the camp director, Mr. D(ionysis), and is issued a quest to complete aided by two companions to retrieve what was stolen...

     I loved this book!  It was written in first person from Percy's point of view, and Mr. Riordan did a great job of really getting inside the head of a 12-year-old boy.  Percy has a great character and a cute sense of humor as well as a strong sense of honor.  This book was action packed from cover to cover, and did a fabulous job of teaching Greek mythology to young (or not so young) readers by making these powerful beings of yore literally spring to life.  It was educational and fun to read!  Think of it as the Kix of the literary world: "Kid tested, Mother approved."

     I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did; I'll be reading the sequel soon...