Lexicon by Max Barry

Lexicon 

From Book Description:   Lexicon is a brilliant thriller that explores language, power, identity, and our capacity to love—whatever the cost.

I'm not sure about the novel actually exploring language--in spite of the book's premise.  Language/Lexicon is only explored in the sense of the power words can yield, but not in any particular detail.  Nor can I truly get into the power of nonsense words that aren't magic.  That distinction is emphasized but not really clarified.  Frrrrkkkiki.  Or whatever.

These nonsense words are so powerful that speaking them can hypnotize the victims, making them totally amenable to the power of suggestion and manipulation, even to the point of suicide.  Just accept it.  Oh, and no ethical element at the Academy or after graduation.  Just follow the rules and carry out your mission.

The background of the Academy is never given.  The graduating students are given the names of poets and then...well, never clearly explained to the reader (or to the graduates as far as I could tell), sent off to help the head of the American branch of poets prepare to rule the world?

I had looked forward to this novel with incorrect expectations, and the first few pages were very promising.  (Another unexplained detail--the eyeball thing).  I read with a kind of detached interest, but ultimately was disappointed.  I know there will be some who adore this book, but it didn't work for me.

High body count.  

NetGalley/Penguin Press, HC

SciFi/Fantasy?  June 18, 2013.  Print version:  400 pages.

• ISBN-10: 1594205388

Categorically Speaking

Who knows exactly what makes a book a 5 out of 5 star book?
And a 5 out of 5 book for me may not even make your radar.
It is also true that there isn't a gold standard
even in a personal evaluation,
no confirmed paradigm that makes a book awesome for me.

Among my 5 out of 5 books:
A Secret Garden,
Heart of Darkness,
The Hobbit,
Pride and Prejudice,
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
Megan Whalen Turner's The King's Thief series,
Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy,
Hamlet,
Anne of Green Gables,
David Weber's Honor Harrington series,
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,
The Sound and the Fury.

What a strange conglomeration.
And I could continue with others 
that fit no pattern other than that they made me laugh,
or cry or think or all of these.
They are classic, fantasy, YA, juvenile, science fiction, mystery,
funny, or serious.

Yesterday, I added another one to my favorites.
The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain.
Thanks to  Meryl Zegarek P.R. and Gallic Books
for sending me this one!

I received this in the mail the other day,
and left it on the snack bar because I have so many books to read.
Yesterday, I picked it up and finished in a whirlwind of smiles.
I LOVED IT!
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Sometimes it is fun to slip some books into different categories. 

 I've finished all of the following, but some posts are scheduled 

and some are in draft form.

Featuring Paris or France:

The Bones of Paris by Kathy Reichs (scheduled)

The Three Lives of Tomomi Ishakawa  by Benjamin Constable 

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst

Death in the Vines by M.L. Longworth  
The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain

Featuring cults:

Gated by Amy Christine Parker (draft)

Always Watching by Chevy Stevens  

Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic:

Gated (draft)

The Scourge 

Gameboard of the Gods 

Viral Nation  

Perception  

There Comes a Prophet  

Featuring Magicians:

The Ambitious Card (scheduled)

Now You See It (scheduled)

Imaginary Animals:

The Three Lives of Tomomi Ishakawa 

Foreign Affairs 

Automata:

Circle of Shadows 

The Red Queen Dies (draft)

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I've had 2 books lately use the word anomie.  I rarely run across a word that is entirely new to me, and to have it in two books within a couple of days was interesting.

-----------
What is going on in your world of books?
Any recent reads that go beyond good or really good
and make it into your awesome category?

Or books that you had high hopes for but disappointed?

Claws of the Cat by Susan Spann

Claws of the Cat  is set in 16th century Japan and features Hiro, a Ninja detective, and Father Mateo, a Portuguese Catholic  priest.  It is the first in a new series, and I look forward to more.

Hiro has been sworn to protect Father Mateo, who is not always familiar with cultural norms and occasionally makes egregious social errors.

A young entertainer at a local teahouse requests Father Mateo's aid when she is discovered beside the body of a murdered samurai.   Hiro doesn't want to get involved, but Father Mateo's attempts to aid the young woman end up with the pair required to find the real murderer within three days, or the young woman, Father Mateo, and Hiro will all be subject to the revenge of the dead man's son.

An atmospheric mystery with plenty of suspects, intriguing glimpses of Japanese culture, and interesting, likable protagonists.

Do you have a favorite Asian mystery/detective series?

Net Galley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books.  Will be released in July.

Historic Mystery.  July 16, 2013.  Print version 288 pages.
 ISBN-10: 1250027020

Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie

Foreign Affairs--oh, what a wonderful discovery!  This is my first book by Alison Lurie, and it won the 1984 National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1985. 

First Line:  On a cold blowy February day a woman is boarding the ten A.M. flight to London, followed by an invisible dog.

I loved this book.  It is witty and serious, a light sauce over a rich dessert full of complex flavors.  

I loved the characters and their gradual enlightenment:  Fred, the handsome young professor, recently separated from his wife and finding his research in London a lonely proposition;  Vinnie, in her fifties, small and plain, but a determined Anglophile whose research grant gives her five months in England.  Vinnie and Fred are colleagues from the same American university, but their age difference and divergent interests mean they are acquaintances, not friends.  Lurie keeps their stories separate for the most part, but she does intend for the reader to note the contrasts in all manner of ways.  

Vinnie surprised me.  She undergoes a genuine transformation in her world view.  Her way of dealing with difficulties in her life amused me, and I found her, with all of her flaws, delightful.

Highly recommended!

NetGalley/Open Road Integrated Media.

Literary Fiction.  1984; 2013.  Print version:  304 pages.

• ISBN-10: 0812976312

Data Runner by Sam A. Patel

Data Runner is a fast-paced YA debut novel by Sam A. Patel.  Data runners are couriers who transmit information securely by means of chips implanted in their arms.  The job is risky as interceptors or destructors are often after that same sensitive information.  

Jack Nil needs money to clear his father's debt and decides to take  an offer from a company that runs data.  Jack's parkour skills and keen intelligence are the reason he has been recruited, and he will need those qualities in this hazardous new job.

The characters could have been better developed, the plot more realistic, and the world building better clarified, but the action keeps this novel going.  The novel feels as if the author was rushing to get his ideas down, but skimped some areas that would have added depth.  

The use of parkour is an innovative addition to a familiar theme; I was unfamiliar with parkour, but found the sport fascinating.

From Wikipedia:  Parkour (French pronunciation: ​[paʁˈkuʁ]) (abbreviated PK) is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle course training.^[1][2][3] Practitioners aim to move quickly and efficiently through their environment using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves, negotiating obstacles in between. They try to maintain as much momentum as possible without being unsafe. Parkour can include running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement and more, if they are the most suitable movements for the situation.^[4][5][6]

You can get a better idea from the videos below.




!

NetGalley/Diversion Books

Science Fiction/Dystopian/YA.  June 25, 2013. Print version:  320 pages.

The Three Lives of Tomomi Ishakawa by Benjamin Constable

The Three Lives of Tomomi Ishakawa  

Book Description:  What writer Benjamin Constable needs is a real-life adventure wilder than his rampant imagination. And who better to shake up his comfortable Englishman-in-Paris routine than the enigmatic Tomomi “Butterfly” Ishikawa, who has just sent a cryptic suicide note?

She’s planted a slew of clues—in the pages of her journal, on the hard drive of her computer, tucked away in public places, under flowerpots, and behind statues. Heartbroken, confused, and accompanied by an imaginary cat, Ben embarks upon a scavenger hunt leading to charming and unexpected spaces, from the hidden alleys of Paris to the cobblestone streets of New York City.

I thought I'd love this one, the book description sounds so intriguing.  The first few pages charmed me, and I liked the idea of the clues, but somehow even those didn't quite measure up.  I wanted to like Butterfly, but even though her voice was alluring, the content of the clues, journal pages, notebooks became less and less pleasant.  Benjamin Constable was not particularly likable, either.  Sometimes he simply grated on my nerves.  By the conclusion, I really didn't care what happened to either of them or whether any of it was real.

Pros:  The cover is beautiful.  The concept was interesting.  Cat was my favorite character, and Cat was definitely imaginary.

Cons:  Too clever by half.  Like cotton candy--pretty to look at, not very filling.

NetGalley/Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books.

Fiction.  2013.  Print version:  352 pages.

• ISBN-10: 1451667264

Circle of Shadows by Imogen Robertson

Another interesting escapade featuring Harriet Westerman and her friend Gabriel Crowther the anatomist.  Circle of Shadows is set in Maulberg, a fictitious dukedom in Germany, in 1784.  When a strange and apparently senseless murder occurs in Maulberg, Daniel Clode, Harriet's brother-in-law is arrested,  as Daniel was found with the body, incoherent and bleeding.  Given the circumstances, few doubt his guilt, and unless the guilty party can be found, Daniel will be executed.  Fortunately, connections in England that affect Maulberg's finances allow for delay, and the English contingent rushes to Maulberg to see if they can discover the real murderer and save Daniel's life.

I like Harriet and Crowther a great deal, but in this novel other characters play larger roles as well.  The infamous castrato  Manzerotti appears at court, causing Harriet much personal distress, but his character is fascinating.  I liked District Officer Krall, Jacob Pegel (the young man employed and mentored by Manzerotti in his spy operation), and the brothers who produce the marvelous automata for the Duke and other wealthy clients.  A series featuring Manzerotti and Pegel would be interesting.

The plot is a little fantastic, but the characters carry the show. This is the 4th novel in this series, but I missed the second one and will be checking my library.  It is not necessary to begin this series with the first novel; each novel can stand on its own.  That said, my favorite is Instruments of Darkness, the first novel, that establishes the relationship between Harriet and the reserved and antisocial Gabriel Crowther.

The Westerman/Crowther Series in Order:
Instruments of Darkness
Anatomy of a Murder (TBR)
Island of Bones
Circle of Shadows

NetGalley/Penguin Group, Viking.

Mystery/Historical fiction.  June 13, 2013.  Print version:  384 pages.

• ISBN-10: 0143120409

Scheduled and a Freebie

I have eight reviews scheduled for the next four months 

so that they will be closer to their release dates:

Now You See It by Jane Tesh - mystery

A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway - mystery, steampunk

Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs -mystery, crime

A Fatal Likeness by Lynn Shepherd - historical mystery 

The Ambitious Card by John Gaspard - mystery

The Bones of Paris by Laurie R. King -mystery

The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen - magical realism

Claws of the Cat by Susan Spann -historical mystery

I also have six reviews (in various stages of completion) in draft form.
Gotta' get'em done!

------------

Just saw on Cayenne Lit that you can get a free download 

of Saffron Dreams until June 14.

I read and reviewed it in 2009.  Excellent.  You won't regret reading this one.

Strange Bird by Anna Jansson

Strange Bird  is an ARC sent by Meryl Zegarek.  The book is the first in Jansson's series featuring detective Maria Wern to be translated to English.  (Translation by Paul Norlen.)  

I'm already a great fan of Scandinavian crime novels, and more than happy to add a new author to my list.

Opening lines:
"Ruben Nilsson stepped into the summer twilight to tap his pipe out against the railing of the porch.  If he had known how few hours he had left to live, perhaps his priorities would have been different."

Gotland, Sweden's largest island, is about to feel the effects of a pandemic.  Ruben Nilsson raises homing pigeons and has been preparing for an upcoming race, but when he discovers a strange pigeon, Ruben includes it in his flock.

Bird flu has found its way onto the island and the deaths will begin to mount.  Ruben's neighbor is a cook at a soccer camp, soon the children and their coach will be at risk.  A friend of Ruben's is a taxi driver--and a busy one.  The threat expands.  

In addition to the panic inspired by the flu, Maria has a murder case to pursue.  Both the effects of bird flu on the island and the murder investigation are riveting.  The book is certainly a suspenseful page turner.

The characters are well-rounded and believable.  The plot has implications for both national and local governments concerning the possibility of a flu pandemic of any kind.  The Spanish flu of 1918 infected 500 million people world wide and killed 50-100 million of them; it is considered one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. In a world where travel is so easy and so frequent, a flu virus would have easy access to world populations.  And flu viruses mutate so vaccines present a problem.

I found this quote one a crime website:   
"It is well written, well thought out and unpleasantly believable. One of my favorite Swedish crime novels."     Dagens Nyheter

That pretty much sums up my feelings.  Highly recommended!

Scandinavian Crime.  Sept. 10, 2013.  334 pages.
ISBN-10: 9187173956

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway

The River of No Return was an ARC published by Dutton.

Book Description:  “You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.

In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that her very life depends upon the secrets Grandfather never told her. Soon enough Julia and Nick are caught up in an adventure that stretches up and down the river of time. As their knowledge of the Guild and their feelings for each other grow, the fate of the future itself is hanging in the balance.

Part time travel, part romance, part historical fiction, The River of No Return did not work well for me.  I've tried a number of time travel novels, but for some reason, most simply don't deliver a scenario that makes any kind of sense, and although I'm not opposed to a little romance in a novel, I don't really care for romance novels. 

While the book will appeal to many readers, it was a bit ho-hum for me.  When I finished the 464 pages and discovered it was the first in another trilogy (aren't there a lot of those out there?), I knew it was not one that I would pursue.  It isn't that I don't like long books, I love them.  Or that I don't like trilogies, I do.  This particular one simply didn't interest me enough to seek future installments.

Time Travel.  2013.  464 pages. 

• ISBN-10: 0525953868

  

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Meade

The Gameboard of the Gods


Book Description:  In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). 

Evidently, Richelle Meade has a large following of devoted readers, but this is the first book of I've read, and I've wondered how to review it...

I wasn't enchanted with either of the main characters, Justin March and Mae Koskinen.  Justin, a former religious sect inspector, uses alcohol, drugs, and sex to reduce tension.  Mae is a genetically enhanced RUNA soldier.

The world that Meade creates was never quite clear to me; it felt incomplete and confusing.  Although religious conflict and a deadly virus are given as reasons for the contemporary government, political, and social environment, the reasoning is vague and so is the resulting society.  

I usually enjoy the incorporation of mythic references, but the presence of all of the gods in this futuristic world is disconcerting.  Religions are closely monitored and frequently disbanded, and yet all kinds of gods from every culture (and some amalgams of traditional gods) all capable of interfering with human activities.   

And there is a serial killer.

Reviews appear to be about evenly divided.  Some love the book; others are disappointed.
I find myself in the second category.

ARC 
Dutton Publishing

Science Fiction/Dystopian.  June 2013.  464 pages.

• ISBN-10: 052595368X

Always Watching by Chevy Stevens

Always Watching is the first book I've read by Stevens, but she has written two previous books with the character Nadine Lavoie, a psychiatrist who initially had a private practice, but has moved to Vancouver and taken a position in a psychiatric hospital.

When a young woman who attempted suicide is admitted to the hospital, Nadine discovers that the young woman and her husband have recently left a commune whose name and leader Nadine recognizes.  The name Aaron Quinn evokes memories from Nadine's childhood and the time her disturbed mother whisked Nadine and her brother to the same commune for eight months. 

When a young woman who attempted suicide is admitted to the hospital, Nadine discovers that the young woman and her husband  have recently left a commune whose leader Nadine recognizes.  The name Aaron Quinn evokes memories from Nadine's childhood and about her disturbed mother's whisking Nadine and her brother Robbie to the same commune for eight months nearly 40 years ago.  

As these memories begin to work their way to the forefront of her consciousness, Nadine realizes that there are also a number of things which she is still unable to remember, and she believes there may be a connection to her claustrophobia.  When she questions her mother and brother, neither seem to be interested, but Nadine is persistent and she tracks down some former members of the commune.

Will Nadine's persistence in the uncovering the past put her in present danger?

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press.

Psychological Thriller.  June 18, 2013.  Print version:  352 pages.

• ISBN-10: 0312595697

The Scourge by A.G. Henley

The Scourge is a YA dystopian novel set in a world where the inhabitants are divided into Groundlings, who live on the ground, and Lofties, who live in the trees.  An interesting idea, but not sufficiently developed.  Apparently, the Lofties depend on the Groundlings only for water, and although agricultural activities are not discussed for either group, surely the Lofties need more than water.  The Groundlings depend on the Lofties for protection from the scourge, zombie-like creatures who terrify both groups.  From the safety of the trees, the Lofties can fire their arrows at the creatures, but the Groundlings have to retreat to a cave because the Lofties won't let them into the trees.

The balance seems exceptionally uneven; the only explanation given is tradition, which doesn't really clear up the details of why their living arrangements are not more cooperative and codependent in areas other than water and protection. So...while I liked the idea of two different societies divided by their dwelling places, the relationship between them felt sketchy and indefinite.

Plot:  Fennel is a sightless Groundling, the Water Bearer, who is the only one able to move among the creatures safely.  Her "Keeper" is  a Loftie named Peree, who shoots any creature that may become threatening as the blind girl hauls water for both groups.  Why only one Loftie  as a protector?  Shouldn't all the Lofties be active in defense of the Water Bearer who provides water to sustain both societies during times when the scourge are present?

The first part of the novel was intriguing, and I liked the building of trust between Fennel and Peree.  The latter part of the novel didn't interest me as much, but does give the explanation of the scourge. The concluding chapters also unravel some of unusual relationships among families and other secrets among both Groundlings and Lofties, but ending feels abrupt.

I think YA readers will enjoy the novel, especially the relationship that develops between the Water Bearer and her Keeper.

Finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award (YA Category)

NetGalley

YA/Dystopian.  2012.  Print version:  243 pages.

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Billy and Me is an ARC published by Penguin. I don't often read books in the Chic Lit genre, but I've read some over the years--some are really good, and some are so predictable that reading is almost unnecessary.  Billy and Me is the debut novel of Giovanna Fletcher (wife of Tom Fletcher of McFly).

Plot:  Shy Sophie catches the attention of a young actor.  They fall in love and begin living together.  Billy's career blossoms. Being the partner of a celebrity is difficult and full of false values.  Will their relationship survive?  And so on.

 Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the novel is that Giovanna Fletcher is the wife of Tom Fletcher of McFly, and the novel appears to have semi-autobiographical elements.

Very readable, but not really my kind of novel. It will certainly find an audience with McFly fans.

Romance?  2013.  416 pages.

• ISBN-10: 1405909951

The Disappearance by J.F. Freedman

 The Disappearance -- A fourteen-year-old girl disappears from her bedroom and eight days later, her body is discovered.  Despite the efforts of her wealthy and influential father, the culprit remains unknown.

A year later, a family friend is arrested (in what seemed an obvious set-up, at least to me).  An outraged community wants justice, but Luke Garrison, a former D.A. with his own demons, finally agrees to take the case.  

Lots of red herrings in this one and lots of secrets to uncover.  I didn't particularly warm to the protagonist, Luke Garrison.  I read with interest, but ultimately wasn't quite satisfied, even though the guilty party was not someone I suspected.  

NetGalley/Open Road Media.

Mystery/Suspense/Legal Thriller.  May 2013.  Print version:  496 pages.

• ISBN-10: 0451197429

 

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst

Mission to Paris is the second novel by Alan Furst that I've read, and both of them were excellent.  The Boston Globe described Furst as "the grandmaster of the historical espionage genre,"  I'd certainly put him up there with le Carre, Follet, and Ludlum, although Furst's style is different and his focus is on the period right before or during WWII, a period I enjoy reading about.  This novel takes place shortly before the fall of France.

Set in 1938, Paris is full of tension:  the climate is an odd mix of desperate fear of a German occupation, an insouciance of deliberate unconcern, and a forlorn hope for an appeasement that will spare France.  The devastation of WWI is still fresh for the French, and while no one wants war, some realize that it is inevitable to preserve their way of life, while others sympathize with fascist philosophy.

Furst, who lived in Paris for a number of years, does an excellent job of setting the scene both physically and emotionally.  Fredrick Stahl, Furst's protagonist, is an American actor who has arrived in Paris to make a movie.  Jack Warner himself was behind the move, which apparently puzzles a few people, but Stahl, who had lived in Paris in the twenties, loves Paris. He cannot, however, avoid the atmosphere of worry and tension that permeates the city.

Born in Vienna (although he  left at sixteen), Stahl already has a strong distaste for the Nazis, but is unaware of how the Germans have already infiltrated the Parisian scene, paying influential officials to espouse Rapprochement, a policy of keeping cordial relations with Germany (and subversively, preventing armament or preparation for war).  When first approached socially by German representatives, Stahl is careful, but he becomes resentful of efforts to turn his words into propaganda.

The wooing of Stahl by the Germans is first by inducements, then by implied threats.  What if he uses the opportunities to gain vital information?  He is an actor, after all.  And so Stahl take a step toward espionage....

Suspenseful and well-written, Furst makes the most of the background and of his characters.  An engrossing read for those who love spy novels or novels about WWII.

NetGalley/Random House.

Suspense.  2012 & 2013.  Print version:  272 pages.

• ISBN-10: 9781400069484

The Last Conquistador

The Last Conquistador by Michael Elias.  I really thought I'd like this one based on the description, but it got way to fantastic for me.   (I know.  That IS saying a lot).

 The novel started out well with the discovery by archaeologist Nina Ramirez of two mummies of children on a Peruvian mountain top; I like archaeology and am interested in the Incan civilization.

The discovery of an intact Incan civilization, complete with pyramid, deep in the jungle and hidden by an overhead canopy, however, was far beyond my ability to "suspend disbelief."

The Incans did sacrifice children, but usually by a blow to the head (they were drugged) or simply leaving them to die of exposure on the mountain tops.

Adam dePalma, the FBI agent, is a descendant of Pizzaro, and all of the Incans recognized him immediately as he looks exactly like Pizzaro!

The characters were cardboard, but little in this novel was believable, so it didn't matter much.

A silly novel.  Silly me--I read the whole thing.

NetGalley/Open Road Media

Suspense?  June 25, 2013.  Print version:  286 pages.

Aurora: Darwin by Amanda Bridgeman

Aurora: Darwin is Bridgeman's debut novel and the first in a projected series.

When Captain Saul Harris is summoned from leave and given a new mission, he is already a little uneasy.  He and his crew are to visit a black ops space station with communication problems and determine if that is all that is wrong. Harris and his crew are not usually sent on minor assignments involving communications. The details of the mission leave a lot of questions unanswered and Captain Harris a little concerned about all that is not being said.  He is being deliberately kept in the dark about the situation, and to add to his discomfort, he is ordered to take on three new crew members--women.

Corporal Carrie Welles is one of the women--thrilled to have her first opportunity on space duty. She is delighted to be included on the mission and eager to depart, but Welles and the other two women are not going to be easily accepted as part of the crew.

   On arriving at their destination,  Captain Harris' uneasiness increases.  Although the premise of the mission is simple, the dark station gives him pause, making him especially cautious.

"The lights are off.  But somebody is at home."

Fast-paced and exciting, suspense builds as the crew fights something they never expected.  The initial reservations of the men concerning the women as part of their crew lessens, and a sense of camaraderie and mutual dependence develops.  They must work together to survive.

The lack of military discipline, especially on the part of Carrie and a couple of soldiers toward the end bothered me, but the novel was a fast and enjoyable read.

An interesting debut novel by Amanda Bridgeman...with more to come.

NetGalley/Pan Macmillan.

Science fiction.  May 2013.  Print version:  523 pages.

Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

Viral Nation  is a YA dystopian novel that envisions the world after a pandemic, in this case a virus that has killed off most of the population. 

 Have you noticed how many dystopian novels are being written?   I've always enjoyed dystopian, post-apocalyptic novels, but the number of novels about societies attempting to recover after some cataclysmic upheaval in society and infrastructure has certainly increased.  I suppose it tells us something about our subconscious fears concerning infectious/contagious diseases, climate change, terrorism.

The virus that takes the majority of the population is one that works quickly, and a vaccine is discovered just in time to save enough of the remaining population to allow them to gather together and try to start over.  

Viral Nation begins with the  birth of Clover, the protagonist.  Clover, her brother West, and her father received the vaccine and survived.  Then the book skips the parts about what to do about the millions of bodies and reorganization efforts, moving instead to  a sixteen-year-old Clover's admission to the Waverly-Stead Academy.  Clover is brilliant, but she is autistic in the high functioning range (Asperger's), and her quirks are many, making her an easy target.  West, however, does his best for Clover in the absence of their father, who has taken a position that has him living in a dorm.

When Clover's admission to the Academy is rescinded, she is sent instead to become a Time Mariner.  (I always have trouble with time-travel novels which never quite work for me, but time travel is an important part of this novel.)

Clover and West are likable and get the most effort at characterization.  Most of the minor characters are thin, whether good or evil, not exactly mere stereotypes, just not very fleshed out.

NetGalley/Penguin Group.

Dystopian/YA.  July 2, 2013.  Print version:  320 pages.

Fool's War by Sarah Zettel

Fool's War offers me a "new" author of science fiction...new to me, but obviously not to everyone, as Fool's War was originally published in 1997 and was Zettel's second novel.  One of the best science fiction novels I've read in a while;  I will be looking for more of Zettel's work in both science fiction and fantasy genres.

Book Description:  Four centuries after humanity has colonized the galaxy, information freight companies are used as an alternative to electronic communication. On one of her frequent trips into deep space, Katmer Al-Shei, owner of one of the smaller information companies, is accused of smuggling artificial intelligence. When Al-Shei tries to clear her name, she uncovers conspiracy after conspiracy, all set against the backdrop of a looming war.

 I really enjoyed the novel and the characters.  The plot involves the fear of artificial intelligences (regardless of how useful) and the possibility of theses AI's going rogue.  HAL from the Space Odyssey films is referenced more than once, and other AI's that have spontaneously caused death and destruction are dreaded by the colonists because so much of human life in space is sustained by the work of computers.  But what differences exist between AI's that have developed the ability to think on their own and human beings?  And what if, among thinking AI's, a contingent forms that intends to put prejudicial humans in their place by any means necessary?  Who to trust?  How to  survive?

Recommended for science fiction fans, but the characters are interesting and well-drawn, and the plot suspenseful, so I think many readers would enjoy the novel.  Even without the idea of computers developing into thinking individuals, our dependence on them makes any catastrophic failure of the system a genuine calamity; the plot gives food for thought.

Author Profile from Goodreads:

Her (Zettel's) debut novel, Reclamation, won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her second release, Fool’s War, was a 1997 New York Times Notable Book, and the American Library Association named Playing God one of the Best Books for Young Adults of 1999. Her novel Bitter Angels won the Philip K. Dick Award for best science fiction paperback in 2009. Her latest novel, Dust Girl, was named as one of the best young adult books of the year by both Kirkus Reviews and the American Library Association. Zettel lives in Michigan with her husband, her rapidly growing son, and her cat, Buffy the Vermin Slayer.

Zettel writes as authors C.L. Anderson and Marissa Day.

From NetGalley/Open Road Media.

Science Fiction.  1997, 2013.  Print version:  464 pages.

Samurai Summer by Ake Edwardson

Samurai Summer is a YA novel by Ake Edwardson, three-time winner of the Swedish Crime Writers Academy for his Inspector Winter series for adults ( I recently read and reviewed Room No. 10). This is Edwardson's first YA novel; translator Per Carlsson  also translates the Inspector Winter series.

The setting is Sweden in the 1960's.  The novel doesn't state the time and place initially, so I was curious and a bit confused, but the hints eventually materialize.

Book Description:  Looked at from the outside, the annual summer camp in the countryside might seem idyllic. But for Kenny, a boy with a Samurai's soul, it is no more than a prison camp, guarded by a sadistic woman who is sometimes helped by her terrifying adult son, Christian. Kenny and his "samurai" friends sneak out to the forest to build a secret castle that proves to be a needed compensation for the emotional deprivation each teen experiences at home. But when Kenny returns to camp, he befriends a female camper named Kerstin. She is a tall, fast-moving girl who is easy to talk to and begs to see the castle. But then suddenly she disappears, and Kenny realizes something terrible must have happened to her. Something that points to the old woman who runs the camp but even more so to her aberrant son.

There were a number of things I liked about this novel, although there were a few things that remained vague and a little unsatisfying.  Very different style from Edwardson's adult series--Room 10 deals extensively with Winter's thought process; yet,  except for the confusing time/place at the beginning, Samurai Summer is a quick read with an interesting protagonist in Kenny.  Kenny and his friends' interest in the history and lifestyle of  Samurai warriors seems fitting for their age and circumstances.  Their fantasy allows them a sense of power over situations beyond their control--as all of the campers come from less than ideal home lives, financially and emotionally.

Young readers will enjoy this story that proves that adolescent fantasy can go a long way in helping confront the realities of life.

A Net Galley ARC/Amazon Children's Publishing.

YA/Mystery.  publ.  date June 25, 2013.  ISBN-10: 1477816542

Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth

Grey Mask was originally published in 1928 and is the first of Wentworth's Miss Silver mysteries.

Book Description:  Charles Moray has come home to England to collect his inheritance. After four years wandering the jungles of India and South America, the hardy young man returns to the manor of his birth, where generations of Morays have lived and died. Strangely, he finds the house unlocked, and sees a light on in one of its abandoned rooms. Eavesdropping, he learns of a conspiracy to commit a fearsome crime. 

Never one for the heroic, Charles's first instinct is to let the police settle it. But then he hears her voice. Margaret, his long lost love, is part of the gang. To unravel their diabolical plot, he contacts Miss Silver, a onetime governess who applies her reason to solve crimes and face the dangers of London's underworld.

If you enjoy classic "whodunits" from the 1920's - 1930's, you will enjoy this novel.  Wentworth is in the company of other Golden Age of Detective Fiction authors including Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Josephine Tey, Ngaio Marsh, and Edmund Crispin, among others.  I mention these authors because they are authors I've read and enjoyed.  The novels are dated and are definitely contemporary to the time and place and have a particular style.  It is a style that has always appealed to me and the "rules" that guide these novels are one reason I like them.

An author that I haven't read, Ronald Knox, created the following 

Decalogue of rules for this type of mystery:

The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know.

All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

No Chinaman must figure in the story.

No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

The detective himself must not commit the crime.

The detective is bound to declare any clues which he may discover.

The "sidekick" of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal from the reader any thoughts which pass through his mind: his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.

Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

:)  I like the list, even the Chinaman ban, a dig at Sax Rohmer and his Fu Manchu character and the Yellow Peril.  I read quite a few of Sax Rohmer's works for Carl's R.I.P. challenge a couple of years ago and enjoyed them, but the Fu Manchu character is definitely a negative stereotype that Knox found unworthy.

Another author, S.S. Van Dine, composed a list of 20 prerequisites which were published in 1928.  Many are the same as the ones Knox presents but more detailed. Two of my favorites from his list:

   7. There simply must be a corpse in a detective novel, and the deader the corpse the better. No lesser crime than murder will suffice. Three hundred pages is far too much pother for a crime other than murder. After all, the reader's trouble and expenditure of energy must be rewarded.   

17. A professional criminal must never be shouldered with the guilt of a crime in a detective story. Crimes by housebreakers and bandits are the province of the police departments — not of authors and brilliant amateur detectives. A really fascinating crime is one committed by a pillar of a church, or a spinster noted for her charities.


I enjoyed this mystery and although Miss Silver has only rare appearances, Wentworth must have developed the character in the next novels featuring the retired governess.  I'm more than willing to find out!

Has anyone else read a Miss Silver mystery?  Do you like other authors from this period?

NetGalley/Open Road Media

Mystery.  Original publication 1928; 2011. ISBN-10: 088411726X

Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman

Looking for Me by the author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt has much to recommend it, and yet....

What I liked:  great ambiance in the settings of the family farm in Kentucky and in Charlston, S.C.; lovely Southern charm and flowing descriptions; nature and wildlife; the love of junk picking and quality antiques; the feathers and the notes from Josh; gardens; and near the end, Teddi's refusal to sell her father's old Allis-Chalmers tractor.  ( All of the above are things I personally love, and my father gave us an old Allis-Chalmers tractor many years ago that I adored and called Alice.  I also had an antique shop for a while and still love junking.)

And yet...it was about half-way through the book before any real plot developed; there were too many time-shifts; much of the detail, while interesting and well-written either didn't advance the story or slowed it down and dispersed interest; Josh's disappearance did not feel realistic to me (leaving a family and sister he loved with no word or follow-up contact); too many themes going on.  It seemed as if every good idea and description and interest that Hoffman had, she tried to use in one book.

Initially, I loved it.  The minor characters are especially well done, and Hoffman's skill in creating an environment is wonderful. Even nearly half-way through with no idea what the plot was, I was still enjoying the book because I am interested in all of things Hoffman writes about.  My thought was that it was like little essays or anecdotes about avocations and incidents and that I could be satisfied with that.  At a certain point, however, I would have preferred more of  a sense of continuity, a clear direct priority of theme and narrative.

Hoffman writes beautifully about her passions.  Maybe that is recommendation enough.

(Oh, and I thought about Andrew's Kelly, another woman with an innate knowledge of antiques and junk, who can spot the rare bargain and the upcoming trends.)

NetGalley/Penguin Group, Viking.

May 28, 2012.  Print version: 368 pages.

ISBN-10: 0670025836

Death in the Vines by M.L. Longworth

Death in the Vines:  A Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal Mystery  is an excellent choice for both mystery lovers and Francophiles.

Don't pay too much attention to the cover which might lead you astray as to the plot and genre--this isn't a typical cozy mystery.  It is a cozy in the setting and the lack of explicit violence, but the detectives are not amateurs like Miss Marple; they are professionals with experience.  Also, while the setting has some village characteristics, Aix-en-Provence is a small city that retains some of its small-town atmosphere even as it continues to grow.

An intelligent mix of interesting, complex characters and French culture and wine making, the novel's plots and subplots kept me completely involved.  There is no effort to sensationalize the murders as many contemporary novels do.  Murder is considered serious enough without including weird and shocking elements, and Judge Verlaque and Commissioner Paulik are as dedicated to apprehending the murderer  as to discovering the thief of priceless wines and finding an old woman with Alzheimers who has apparently wandered off.  Well, the murders do take priority, of course, but the men are concerned about anything that happens in their district.

In addition to learning about grapes and wines, Aix-en-Provence and its difficulties with rapid growth, French food (drool inducing visit to a restaurant)--I especially liked the section about Citroens. Odd, because I can't tell one car from another and have never been interested in cars at all, but on finishing the book, I went straight to several sites and images of Citroens.  Having a poet describe vintage Citroens could set up new aficionados everywhere.

 We are all so individual in our bookish tastes that I rarely bother to "recommend," but Francophiles (I'm not one, but with novels like this could easily become one) should certainly seek out Longworth's novels.  This is the third novel in the series, and I will definitely look for the first two and will follow the series in the future.

:)  Reminds me that I need to check on Martin Walker's Bruno: Chief of Police series again.

NetGalley/Penguin Group.

Mystery.  Publ. date May 28, 2013.  Print version 304 pages.
ISBN-10: 0143122444

Perception by Lee Strauss and Elle Strauss

Perception is the first in a new YA dystopian series, set in a reasonably near future dealing with effects of climate change and scientific advances that are not always ethically motivated.

Book Description:  Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP--a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they've created between those who have and those who don't. He doesn't like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

An interesting look at the social schisms created by wealth and the opportunity to "buy" extended life and great genes.  I think everyone has some qualms about what science is capable of and how to make moral decisions concerning scientific advances.  

I don't believe that moral and ethical decisions must be religiously motivated, and the book does have a definite Christian perspective that  could have been a bit less emphasized.  Although it only distracts mildly from the story, it came across as a little preachy at times and morality is not an exclusively religious purview.  

An interesting plot with likable characters in Zoe and Noah.  Suspense and mystery and young romance should appeal to the age group for which it was written.  

Net Galley ARC/All Night Reads

Mystery/Dystopian/YA.  2012.  241 pages.