What I Read in June 2015

I've got some catching up to do on my reading notes, so please bear with me...

June marks the start of Summer Learning at my Library and while it seems like everyone else is kicking their reading time into high gear, I take a vacation. Sometimes it is nice to give your brain a chance to reset a little bit. I am pleased to report that my June reading was happily vampire-free.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Adventure Historical Fiction
Determined to discover the secret identity of the English spy who consistently thwarted Napoleon's efforts (and ignore her own floundering love life), historian Eloise Kelly sets off for England for an unexpected whirlwind of historical romance and adventure.

For an adventure novel, this had a heavy dose of romance. I thought the anachronisms were charming and found the whole thing delightfully entertaining. At the end, Willig even has a note that says (paraphrasing): "I'm an historian and I know a bunch of this stuff is wrong. Here's what is inaccurate and here is how it actually was in the time... But, come'on, wasn't the story fun?!" I have the next two on hold for me through the library. (Since this was written, I've read book two and I'm looking forward to book three).

The Bachelor Prince by Debbie Macomber
Women's Fiction
To save his country from financial ruin, Prince Stefano travels to Seattle, Washington to meet and marry an American heiress.

I appreciate that others may enjoy this book and will happily encourage readers seeking fast-paced, gentle romances with generally affable characters for a brief escape from day to day life to seek out this story.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Emerging Authors Fiction
The children of two immigrant families find friendship and first love in Seattle during World War II in this novel of reflection and understanding.

I don't think I like "emerging authors" as a genre... I mean, the book, I liked. But a category called "emerging authors"... what does that even mean? "Literary Fiction by Authors Who Have Only Published a Few Books"? I'm not convinced that that is a genre. I'll need to do some more research on this category.

This was a 'Community Read' for my library system a few years ago (before I started working there) and I can see why it was a popular choice. It has local interest (Seattle and Bainbridge Island), historical (World War II and contemporary fiction, multi-generational and international without being a saga, enough story to move it along, but compelling and complex characters to keep the reader invested.

The Well by Catherine Chanter
Ruth and her husband flee from personal scandal and find a superficial refuge at the Well, but tragedy finds them even on a bountiful farm in a country plagued by drought.

The Well did not shape up to be the suspenseful novel I anticipated. I'm a little surprised how effectively Chanter avoided including the dark, moody atmosphere of the Well as a setting, the tension of the bizarre religious sect that converts Ruth, or the threat of real danger from any of the people around the Well. For being such a dark premise, this anxiety-free book managed to keep me interested, but felt very light and reflective. I liked it, I think, but it wasn't what I thought I was going to read. I mean, just look at that cover. If that doesn't say "menacing" I don't know what does, but this book doesn't menace, so much as it does linger and regret.

A Lonely Resurrection by Barry Eisler
Espionage Thriller
Despite his intention to retire, Tokyo hitman John Rain joins the world of Japanese Pride Fighting to take down a deadly opponent.

I don't know if I was just in exactly the right place, the right time, and the right frame of mind for A Clean Kill in Tokyo (the first book of the John Rain series), but I didn't enjoy book two as much. It may be because there weren't as many surprises -- I expected a thorough, detailed and accurate Tokyo setting and the political intrigue involves some of the same players without new insight -- and so I just wasn't quite as tickled to find this book as I was to discover the first one. Maybe there were just too many exotic dancers being treated callously by the jaded men around them (or maybe I preferred the female lead of the first book?). I'm not sure. I'll continue to pursue the series (Barry Eisler narrates the audiobooks and does a really nice job) and I am interested to see where the story goes.

Note: If you do decide to start this series (or continue reading it) look up the titles before you get the next book on the list. They have been published under several different titles. Example: A Lonely Resurrection is the same book as Hard Rain. Note sure which book is next? Check out sites like GoodReads.com or FantasticFiction.co.uk.

What I Read in April 2015

I've been really bad at publishing these "What I've Read" posts in the first week of the month. My goal for June is to click the "publish" button before the 8th!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Lonely Rachel rides a commuter train into London every morning and grows oddly attached to the people she sees in the trackside neighborhoods. When a woman goes missing, Rachel involves herself in the investigation and discovers she may be more than an innocent bystander.

Each and every character is a train wreck (ba dum dum). None of these people are likable. The ones that begin to approach likable are so periphery that it doesn't matter that they have redeeming qualities. And that is precisely what made this book fun.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Supermodel Lula Landry flings herself from her balcony on a freezing winter night in an apparent suicide, but her brother thinks there is more to the case and hires Cormoran Strike, a private investigator and Afghanistan veteran, to find Lula's killer.

An amputee protagonist! An amputee protagonist who is the protagonist for reasons other than being an amputee! While the mystery was not particularly unsolvable or shocking at the end, the diverse, believable (sometimes believably unbelievable!) characters and enjoyable writing made this a great first installment. I'll be seeking out the sequel, The Silkworm.

The City & The City by China Mieville
Dystopian Science Fiction
Two cities, Beszel and Ul Qoma, share the same space on the map, but are governed by two different governments. When a young woman was murdered in one city, but found in the other, Inspector Borlu must tiptoe the delicate boundary between the cities.

Very rarely do I really like books that are dominated by their setting, but The City & The City kept me thinking about it long after I finished it. The story and characters kept me moving through the book, but I just love the idea of two cities that share the same geographical location and have citizens that willfully ignore the other city.

Demons Not Included by Cheyenne McCray
Erotic Romance (also Paranormal Romance)
Half-human, half-elf, and full-time defender and enforcer of Paranorms inhabiting the human city of New York, Nyx must eradicate the demons and save her fellow Trackers -- and her romantic endeavors -- from annihilation.

My thoughts (in order, but summarized) while reading Demons Not Included: "This character is unbelievably skilled in acrobatics and has flawless super-powers, interesting... This book isn't that sexy... oh okay, that's a little raunchy... I get it, her skin is amethyst, not purple... OH. So that's what they mean by 'erotic'... it's over?"

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
New to the neighborhood, dramatic and stuck-up April joins forges a friendship with Melanie. Together, they create an imaginary land of Egypt in an abandoned yard, but odd and sinister things begin happening in Egypt.

I remember reading this in grade school, but I couldn't really remember anything about it. I preferred (and still do to some extent) stories with a strong story element -- things needed to happen and there needed to be a point -- but in The Egypt Game, the story doesn't really build up to anything until suddenly! Here is your exciting ending! I did enjoy watching the children's relationships develop, but the lack of plot-driven chapters made it less memorable for me.

Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
Crime/Caper Thriller
Bernie Rhodenbarr, an independently employed thief, is caught red-handed during a hired heist and finds himself to be an unsuspecting murder suspect. To clear his name (of murder), Bernie must find the real killer before the police find him.

This was written in the 1970s and is showing its age. Though dated (occasionally painfully so, especially when cutting edge technology like voicemail is discussed), Burglars Can't Be Choosers was still a fun, quick read. Fans of The Cat Who... books by Lillian Jackson Braun will probably like these mysteries featuring criminals (rather than feline detectives) as long as they don't mind their cozy mysteries to be a bit raunchy too.

A Clean Kill in Tokyo by Barry Eisler
Espionage Thriller
Vietnam War Special Forces veteran turned Tokyo hit man, John Rain specializes in making his targets' deaths look natural, but soon becomes embroiled in an international corrupt power play when his clean kill draws too much attention.

Barry Eisler is an ex-CIA covert operations agent and lived in Japan for five years. The Tokyo setting doesn't dominate the story or overwhelm his highly principled assassin, but the sense of place is what really made the book for me. Having never been in war, participated in a secret mission, or visted Japan, this seemed pretty authentic to me. The audiobooks are narrated by Eisler and he does a great job. I'm working on getting a copy of the second book in the series, A Lonely Resurrection, on audio as well.