Tragedy and Silk

News on the Home Front by Christopher Geoffrey McPherson

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Set against a worldwide canvas that includes New York, Paris and Germany "News on the Home Front" tells the story of two women who have been friends since their childhood in West Lake, Maryland. The world war has torn apart their lives leaving each trying to find a way to put it back together. It's been a difficult few years with rationing and shortages starting to take their toll. Carole's boyfriend, Philip, is off to fly for the Army; and Irene has taken a job at the nearby aircraft factory. Carole promised Philip that she would wait for his return from the war -- but circumstances begin to conspire against her. She's waited her whole life for him, but can she make it until the end of the war?


Review: A tale of two privileged women during World War II.

Some reviewers on Goodreads that this book reads like a soap opera and parts of it certainly do. At its heart however, this is historical fiction and does deal with serious issues including death, dying, rationing, food shortages, loss of family, and soldiers overseas. These serious issue are sometimes made less serious than they are due to the sometimes soap opera like feel and the fact that the story is told about two rich white women. Yes, I know that Carole and Irene both suffered, but it lacks emotional impact.

You can really see the disjointed perspective of the war when Irene, who has lots of money, complains about having to pay excise tax, rations, and having to save her toothpaste tube so she can get more toothpaste. Irene works in the factory even though she doesn’t have to and the reader is supposed to get the impression that Irene really likes her work and feels like she is making a difference, but is fine with leaving work to help out her friend. Despite that, Irene was a good friend when Carole needed her the most and was willing to step up.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in historical fiction about World War II focusing on those left behind in the United States.

He Doesn't Love You!

The Queen's Pleasure by Brandy Purdy

Summary: When young Robert Dudley, an earl's son, meets squire's daughter Amy Robsart, it is love at first sight. They marry despite parental misgivings, but their passion quickly fades, and the ambitious Dudley returns to court. Swept up in the turmoil of Tudor politics, Dudley is imprisoned in the Tower. Also a prisoner is Dudley's childhood playmate, the princess Elizabeth. In the shadow of the axe, their passion ignites. When Elizabeth becomes queen, rumours rage that Dudley means to free himself of Amy in order to wed her. And when Amy is found dead in unlikely circumstances, suspicion falls on Dudley - and the Queen...Still hotly debated amongst scholars - was Amy's death an accident, suicide, or murder? - the fascinating subject matter makes for an enthralling read for fans of historical fiction.

Review: A much too long historical fiction novel about Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart.

There was actually very little sex which was surprising considering what I’ve heard about The Boleyn Wife, from my experience with The Tudor Throne, and the book’s title. The book also focuses heavily on Amy Robsart, which would have been fine if the damn book hadn’t been so long and if Amy was actually a character worth anything. I understand that she fell hard in lust (most certainly not love) with Robert Dudley and that the lust quickly faded. I thought she would have figured out rather quickly that Robert did not love her anymore. Instead she spends the whole book still “in love” with him and always trying to get him to come back to her.

Her pining takes up a surprising amount of the book and it downright boring to read. Robert Dudley was also an ass. I always like the idea of love between Elizabeth and Robert, but in this book, it’s only love due to his great ambition. Elizabeth has the right of it when she questions whether Robert would still love her if she wasn’t queen. I am not sure how ambitious he was in real life, but he was ambitious almost beyond believing along with constantly verbally and physically abusing his wife. Elizabeth was the only character actually worth a damn.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in the scandal of Amy Robsart's death.

Hell in a Handbasket

Angela's Coven by Bruce Jenvey

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: Reggie Sinclair is an aging British rock star living in New York City who has just found out he is terminally ill. He also has a very dark secret: When he was still an undiscovered teenager, he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his great fame and success. As his life draws to an end, he prepares to face the inevitable until he stumbles upon a very enchanting, modern-day witch named Angela, and her untraditional coven.

Angela gradually introduces Reggie to her world of old school Witchcraft with its roots in alchemy and ‘natural chemistry’ dating to the Dark Ages. As their relationship grows, they devise a plan to break Reggie’s contract and save his soul.

This is a story of the struggle between good and evil with a cast of characters that ranges from guardian angels to young witches-in-training. Together, they have to come to terms with the uncertainties of love, loss, and life decisions to save Reggie from an unbearable eternity. Here is a plot filled with unexpected twists and surprises to the very last page that will also cast an entirely different light on anything you may have ever considered as faith!

Review: A humorous and tragic tale of selling your soul to the devil.

I liked Reggie Sinclair. He was funny and had a great sense of humor. Sometimes though, it did feel like he was trying too hard. I also get that people do really seem to like him. And then of course the beautiful witch falls for Reggie. It feels a bit too much like wish fulfillment. Love comes for Angela and Reggie and although I am happy they found each other, it happens much too fast. I do really like Reggie’s decision at the end of the book when it came to Angela. It was unexpected, but it was the right decision.

I know Reggie sold his soul to the devil and that is bad, but Hell, Satan, Ajax, and the hatred of Shakespeare are much funnier than they probably should be. I could almost think of Hell as a bumbling place even though people do die during this book in the course of their mission to break the contract. Reggie’s lineage adds some extra spice to the book. I didn’t like how immature the witches were. They aren’t children yet were acting no better than teenagers. A little more seriousness would have been good.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy humorous supernatural novels.

Natural 20

Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It by David M. Ewalt

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. 

Summary: The Hobbit meets Moneyball in this definitive book on Dungeons & Dragons—from its origins and rise to cultural prominence to the continued effects on popular culture today. Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: The game has had a profound influence on our culture. Released in 1974—decades before the Internet and social media—Dungeons & Dragons is one of the original ultimate nerd subcultures, and is still revered by more than thirty million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game is revealed by an award-winning journalist and life-long dungeon master.

From its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game industry, Of Dice and Men recounts the development of a game played by some of the most fascinating people in the world. Chronicling the surprising history of D&D’s origins (one largely unknown even to hardcore players) while examining the game’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences. An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and memoir, Of Dice and Men sheds light on America’s most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.

Review: An interesting tale of the history of Dungeons and Dragons with some role playing stories thrown in.

I was interested to read this book because I am a nerd along with my husband and our friends. I’ve been witness to a number of Dungeons and Dragons games along with other role playing games like Dark Heresy (a Warhammer 40k role playing game). I’ve tried D&D, but it wasn’t for me. I still love the idea of the game and I do enjoy reading the novels that take place in D&D settings like Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms. Who doesn’t love wizards, magic, and dragons?

The book itself is on the short side and is as much of a story of the author’s experience with D&D as it is the story of D&D. The story of D&D had more turns than I expected. I really enjoyed learning a little about the history of games, especially war games. Beyond the author’s experiences with D&D, he includes stories of D&D campaigns. While those are interesting, they add very little to the book although the book would be even shorter without them. I also didn’t like how the author was so quick to bring up stereotypes and assuming something of every nerd. Also, obsession is unhealthy, regardless of what the obsession is.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in "nerd culture", Dungeons and Dragons, or tabletop role playing games.

The Smell of Decomposition in the Morning

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab - The Body Farm - Where the Dead Do Tell Tales by William M. Bass, Jon Jefferson

Summary: Forensic science and murder investigations are among the most fascinating topics of our time. Dominating television and print media every season, both as fiction and nonfiction, the subject could not be hotter. As one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists, Dr. Bill Bass is the premier guide to this unusual world.

Nowhere is there another lab like Dr. Bass's: on a hillside in Tennessee, human bodies decompose in the open air, aided by insects, bacteria, and birds, unhindered by coffins or mausoleums. At the "Body Farm," nature takes its course with corpses buried in shallow graves, submerged in water, locked in trunks of cars. As scientific stand-ins for murder victims, they serve the needs of science-and the cause of justice.

For thirty years, Dr. Bass's research has revolutionized the field of forensic science, particularly by pinpointing "time since death" in murder cases. In his riveting book, he investigates real cases and leads readers on an unprecedented journey behind the locked gates of the "Body Farm." A master scientist and engaging storyteller, Bass shares his most intriguing cases: his revisit of the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder fifty years later; the mystery of a headless corpse, whose identity astonished police; the telltale bugs that finally sent a murderous grandfather to death row-and many more.

Review: A collection of tales with each one focusing on a specific case and some facts about Dr. Bass thrown in.

I really thought this book would be a good read or at least an interesting read. I love bones, the body, diseases, and how much forensics can tell us. I know that forensic anthropology along with forensic science would be nothing like they show on tv (although it would be cool if it was). Still, I was expecting some fascinating history and gruesome cases. Most of the cases are interesting enough, but their telling gets interrupted by Dr. Bass telling us another tidbit of his life or personal history.

I know that a lot of what he tells is about the history of forensic anthropology and does relate to the case being told. A lot of it is extraneous and adds nothing or little value. I am sure Dr. Bass is a great forensic anthropologist (he is certainly quick to tell us that), but I didn’t like him much as a person. He talks about killing snakes, gets married fourteen months after his first wife dies (something I can’t imagine doing on a personal level), and is always quick to tell us about how great he is.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in forensic anthropology.

Ghosts and Cookies

The Last Seer and the Tomb of Enoch by Ashland Menshouse

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Do you believe?
Can a ghost haunt more than your home? Can a Sasquatch track more than footprints?
Aubrey Taylor's quaint and cozy life in the subdued, Appalachian town of Lake Julian had never been exceptional. Shouldered by his lifelong friends, Buzz Reiselstein and Rodriqa Auerbach, he quietly endured the puerile punishments of a persistent pack of pesky bullies that included the most-feared kid in school, Magnos Strumgarten, and his own obnoxiously, well-accomplished brother, Gaetan. Comfortable in his humdrum niche of the absolutely average, Aubrey never pushed back.
Until...fate dug a little too deep...and the unseen darkness of unspoken places rattled his mediocrity.
When spurious specters and elusive mountain men battle for a tomb of Watchers, buried in ages past, only those who choose to look beyond the surface feel the grip of the ancients' revenge. Unusual disappearances, a colorful cadre of insightful townsfolk and a whirlwind of blunders and mishaps exposes the struggling forces that transform Aubrey and his friends into more than spectators amidst the oldest war of all.
Prepare yourself to see the unseen as you've never seen it before.

Review: An enjoyable young adult supernatural adventure that suffered from being too long and too much description.

The first thing that I noticed was the length of this book. I am used to some young adult novels being over 500 pages, but those 500 pages are quite easy to read so I was expecting a fairly quick read. The Last Seer and the Tomb of Enoch was a pretty quick read although not as quick as I was expecting. The book was bogged down with too much description and too much additional information. While everything in the book did contribute to the telling of the story, I felt like a hundred or so pages could have been cut out of the book.

The mythology was fascinating although sometimes it could be confusing. My favorite part was the explanation for Big Foot and why people can never seem to find them despite sightings. Like some other supernatural and fantasy books I’ve read recently, this book was an enjoyable blend of magic and technology. I loved Buzz’s inventions, especially the Buzz Beetle. The characters were likeable enough and their banter was quite funny to read. The ending does wrap up rather quickly and leaves an opening for a sequel.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy young adult supernatural novels.

Evidence Please

The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era by Norman F. Cantor

Summary: There may be no more fascinating historical period than the late fourteenth century in Europe. It was a world in transition, soon to be replaced by the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration - and John of Gaunt was its central figure. Norman F. Cantor, the best known and most popular historian of the Middle Ages, brings Gaunt to life in his newest work, The Last Knight." John of Gaunt was the richest man in Europe, apart from its monarchs, and he epitomized and surpassed the ideals of the late Middle Ages. From chivalry - he was taught at a young age to fight on horseback like the knights of old - to courtly love - his three marriages included two romantic love-matches - he was an ideal leader. He created lavish courts, sponsoring Chaucer and proto-Protestant religious thinkers, and he survived the dramatic Peasants' Revolt, during which his sumptuous London residence was burned to the ground.

Review: A barely there biography of John Gaunt along with sweeping generalizations and many references to homosexuality and billionaire capitalists.

I am very interested in medieval history along with medieval literature. I want to study the medieval period for my PhD. I plan on starting to read more about the medieval period along with medieval scholarship. The Last Knight seemed like a good book to read to get an idea of the late medieval period. Unfortunately, some reviews on Goodreads warned me that the book might not be such a great read. Reading the book only confirmed the poor quality of this book.

The author has won awards and honors and is has written a number of bestsellers. For someone who has researched and written about scholarly subjects, I found his scholarship lacking. The author's biography on Goodreads puts it best: his books generally received mixed reviews in academic journals. He makes grand sweeping generalizations and provides little to no evidences, assumes to know what John Gaunt was thinking and feeling, and often harps on homosexuality and billionaire capitalists. I did learn some interesting information about the medieval although I plan on reading more accurate books to gain more knowledge and understanding.

Rating:

Recommendation: I can't recommend this book due to the faulty and misleading content.