I haven't been blogging here for way to long. Life has gotten the best of me and I haven't slowed down to update the blog with books I've completed. As of next week I will have moved three zip codes and two states in the last nine months. I have not read as much I would have liked to and with this final move plan on settling in and making reading a priority again!
My favorite book of 2011 is Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace.
Some of the other books I will eventually get to posting about are:
The Glass Series by Maria V Snyder
Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell
In The Company of A Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Mozart's Wife by Juliet Waldron
Keys to the Castle by Donna Ball
Sherlock Holmes A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Glassblower of Murano
The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato
Venice, 1681. Glassblowing is the lifeblood of the Republic and Venetian mirrors are more precious then gold. Jealousy guarded by the murderous Council of Ten, the glassblowers of Murano are virtually imprisoned on their island in the lagoon.
But the greatest artist of their number, Corradino Manin, sells his methods and his soul to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, to protect his secret daughter…
Centuries later his descendant, Nora Manin, escapes an unhappy life in London, determined to apprentice as a glassblower in the city of her ancestors. Passionate and gifted, her famous last name places her in danger within the ancient foundries when timeless rivalries rise to the surface.
Venice, 1681. Glassblowing is the lifeblood of the Republic and Venetian mirrors are more precious then gold. Jealousy guarded by the murderous Council of Ten, the glassblowers of Murano are virtually imprisoned on their island in the lagoon.
But the greatest artist of their number, Corradino Manin, sells his methods and his soul to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, to protect his secret daughter…
Centuries later his descendant, Nora Manin, escapes an unhappy life in London, determined to apprentice as a glassblower in the city of her ancestors. Passionate and gifted, her famous last name places her in danger within the ancient foundries when timeless rivalries rise to the surface.
This book was fair. I found it to be predictable and mushy (even for me) which is saying a lot. It seems like the author is forcing things too fast and doesn't develop the relationships enough. On the other hand it was interesting to learn about Venetian glassblowers and glassblowing in general. I love the topics the author chooses to write about, maybe I would enjoy another one of her books.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Borrower of the Night
Borrower of the Night- Vicky Bliss Series #1 by Elizabeth Peters
A missing masterwork in wood, the last creation of a master carver who died in the violent tumult of the sixteenth century, may be hidden in a medieval German castle in the town of Rothenburg. The prize has called to art historian Vicky Bliss, drawing her and an arrogant male colleague into the forbidding citadel and its dark secrets. But the treasure hunt soon turns deadly. Here, where the blood of the long-forgotten damned stains ancient stones, Vicky must face two equally perilous possibilities. Either a powerful supernatural evil inhabits this place . . . or someone frighteningly real is willing to kill for what Vicky is determined to find.
A missing masterwork in wood, the last creation of a master carver who died in the violent tumult of the sixteenth century, may be hidden in a medieval German castle in the town of Rothenburg. The prize has called to art historian Vicky Bliss, drawing her and an arrogant male colleague into the forbidding citadel and its dark secrets. But the treasure hunt soon turns deadly. Here, where the blood of the long-forgotten damned stains ancient stones, Vicky must face two equally perilous possibilities. Either a powerful supernatural evil inhabits this place . . . or someone frighteningly real is willing to kill for what Vicky is determined to find.
| I am biased about this book. It wasn't the best book I have ever read, but it was a fun mystery about one of my favorite places. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. Rothenburg is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. From the wall around the town, to the red tile roof tops and the amazing architecture this town embodies a time of the past. The book was written in the 1970's, so some of the terms are outdated. But it makes me feel like I am there and I love that! Great clean mystery book. Inside the walled part of the old town  The Plönlein (Little Square) is one of the most photographed spots in the world  The Rathaus or town hall  |
Study Series
Study Series- 3 books by Maria V Snyder
The first in the Study Series (originally the Yelena Zaltana Series), Poison Study, follows a young woman named Yelena. In prison awaiting a death sentence, she is given the choice of facing her immediate sentence, or becoming the food taster for the Commander of Ixia, ensuring his food is not poisoned.
The second in the series, Magic Study, is about Yelena's fight to find and accept her place in her native Sitia. Though she misses her lover, she pushes onward. However, magicians plan to kill her while an evil called 'blood magic' spreads throughout Sitia as the murders of young women continue. It's up to Yelena to stop this evil magician.
The third in the series, Fire Study, follows Yelena as she discovers her true place in Sitia. She learns she is a 'Soulfinder', able to capture and release souls. When an evil Daviian Warper (a user of 'Blood Magic') and his henchmen come looking for her, she decides to fight fire with fire. By Wikipedia.
The first in the Study Series (originally the Yelena Zaltana Series), Poison Study, follows a young woman named Yelena. In prison awaiting a death sentence, she is given the choice of facing her immediate sentence, or becoming the food taster for the Commander of Ixia, ensuring his food is not poisoned.
The second in the series, Magic Study, is about Yelena's fight to find and accept her place in her native Sitia. Though she misses her lover, she pushes onward. However, magicians plan to kill her while an evil called 'blood magic' spreads throughout Sitia as the murders of young women continue. It's up to Yelena to stop this evil magician.
The third in the series, Fire Study, follows Yelena as she discovers her true place in Sitia. She learns she is a 'Soulfinder', able to capture and release souls. When an evil Daviian Warper (a user of 'Blood Magic') and his henchmen come looking for her, she decides to fight fire with fire. By Wikipedia.
My favorite book in the Study Series was the first, Poison Study. All of the books ran together pretty well. The books had a strong female heroine, Yelena. The only thing is it seemed like deja vu sometimes. It was a pretty much a love and war series. Lots of fights and the last book had a lot of lovin too, although thankfully not graphic. I enjoyed the stories. I listened to this series on my Zune, good to pass the time doing house chores! Maria V Snyder has quite an imagination.
Diamond Ruby
Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn meets Ragtime in this novel set in the Roaring 20's about a girl who can out-pitch any major league baseball player.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn meets Ragtime in this novel set in the Roaring 20's about a girl who can out-pitch any major league baseball player.
| I LOVED this book! I am going to say it again, I LOVED this book! I never expected to since it is about 1920's New York and a lot of baseball. I am glad I didn't let that put me off. I would have missed out on one of my new favorite books of all time. All spectrums of emotion are incorporated in Diamond Ruby which makes it meaningful. Incredible female heroines created by a male author ;) I look forward to more books by Joseph Wallace. |
Juliet
Juliet by Anne Fortier
Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved Aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.
This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.
But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it?
Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved Aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.
This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.
But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it?
Revolution
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.
This book took a little while for me to really get into it. But once I did, I enjoyed the theme set during the French Revolution interweaving with a modern-day New York girl. I appreciated the musical aspect Donnelly writes into the story, even though I am not musically inclined! Combining music and history worked! It is a quick read and made me feel grateful to live now and not during that time in France. I would read her other books.
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.
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