Book Review: Already Home by Susan Mallery

ISBN:978-0778329510
Publisher: Mira
Paperback: 368 pages
First Line: "What do you think?" Jenna Stevens asked, doing her best to sound confident.
One Word Review: Delightful

Publisher's Description:

After nearly a decade as a sous chef in a trendy eatery, Jenna is desperate for a change. She's supported her ex-husband's dreams for so long that she can't even remember her own. Until she sees a for-lease sign near her parents' home and envisions her very own cooking store.

Her crash course in business is aided by a streetwise store manager and Jenna's adoptive mother. But just as she's gaining a foothold in her new life, in walk her birth parents - aging hippies on a quest to reconnect with their firstborn.

Now, Jenna must figure out how to reconcile the free-spirited Serenity and Tom with her traditional parents, deal with her feelings for a new love interest and decide what to do about her ex's latest outrageous request. In the end, Jenna will find that there is no perfect family, only the people we love...

Having never read anything by Susan Mallery, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this novel. I was initially intrigued by the cover. It's gorgeous. I tend to find myself choosing books based on the beautiful cover design, and often it's disappointing. Not so with Already Home. I loved just about everything about this novel, the engaging story, the well-written (and often flawed) characters, the little cook shop. Oh, how I wanted to pop into Grate Expectations and chat and cook with Jenna and Violet. While some of the plot points were a tad predictable, I found the book as a whole to be completely enjoyable and one I had a hard time putting down. And I can't wait to try some of the author's recipes, which you can find on her blog.

From just a quick glance at some of the other titles under Ms. Mallery's belt, it appears she's typically a romance novelist. Like I said, I've not read her other work, so I'm going strictly by titles and cover art, and I could be wrong. But in any case, it does appear she's branching out with Already Home. It's got romance, but I wouldn't call it a romance novel. There's too much substance to attach that narrow a label. If you enjoy really good women's fiction, this is definitely one to put on your to read list.

Book Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Buy this book on Amazon.

First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader

ISBN: 978-0765321701
Publisher: Forge Books
Hardcover: 400 pages
Genre: Fiction
First Line: Alli Carson sat in the back of the armor-plated limo, sandwiched between Sam and Nina, her Secret Service detail.
One Word Review: Timely

When President-Elect Edward Carson's 19 year old daughter, Alli, is kidnapped just one month before his inauguration ceremony, he implores his friend, ATF agent Jack McClure, to help find her. Jack must deal with a multitude of obstacles during the desperate search for Alli and her kidnapper, including his own dyslexia, a current president who doesn't appear to want Jack to succeed, and the anguish he feels over the recent death of his own daughter.

First Daughter captures its reader from the few paragraphs. The story starts off with a bang, and continues with a fast pace and a tightly woven plot. As Jack searches for Alli, we catch glimpses of his past. It not only adds depth to his character, but also adds another element of surprise and anticipation. There are many political and religious questions addressed throughout the book. It would have been easy to turn this otherwise solid book into a monologue of what the author believes, but it doesn't read that way at all. Instead, it allows the reader to ask themselves how they feel about the concept of the separation of church and state in the United States. It's certainly a timely topic considering the state of the government today.

What Lustbader does best, in my opinion, is develop the character of Jack McClure. If, as I would imagine, this turns into a series, it'll be all the better because we've already been introduced to Jack and have shared his secrets and fears. Imagine a dyslexic Jack Bauer with a little bit of Alex Cross and a dash of Jack Ryan, and you'll get a sense of Jack McClure. He's made all the more human through his flaws, and it's what, I think, people will love about him.

First Daughter is a first rate political thriller that will grab you from the beginning and keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Gilding Lily by Tatiana Boncompagni

ISBN: 978-0-06-145101-0

Publisher: Harper Collins

Paperback: 320 pages

Genre: Fiction (Women's Fiction)

First Line: Sweeping up the main staircase of the Ludwig Collection, the Upper East Side cultural landmark and ultimate beneficiary of that evening's Spring Showers-themed fund-raiser, Lily Grace managed to ruin what would have been a perfectly splendid entrance by stomping on the hem of her sea green silk gown and falling down in the middle of the stairs.

One Word Review: Sumptuous

Tentative Release Date: September 2008

One would think that Lily Bartholomew has it all - the right husband, the right NYC apartment, the right connections, and a baby she adores. Then, why does everything seem to be falling apart at the seams. Catty New York society 'friends,' an even cattier mother-in-law, a dwindling bank account, and an often absent husband are just some of the hurdles that Lily faces as she attempts to reclaim her social standing as a Top Girl.

To be honest, when I first started this book, I had some preconceived notions. I figured it would be a lot of glitz and glamour with little substance. I'm happy to say that I was completely off the mark. Tatiana Boncompagni's (say that three times fast) first novel is genuine and well-written, witty and also compassionate. I loved Lily. She was real and honest, not perfect, but completely believable. Her insecurities and feelings of doubt in the face of not-too-subtle insults from the socialites and her monster mother-in-law, had me rooting for her from the beginning. At times, I felt I would have liked to see a little more backbone in her confrontations, but I think her actions were true to the character Boncompagni created.

Reading Gilding Lily was like being a fly on the wall of all the biggest events of high society. It was a completely decadent and voyeuristic experience,. Being so far removed from that sort of life, it was was fascinating being able to slip on those thousand dollar shoes for a while and see how the other half live.

Tatiana Boncompagni has truly outdone herself in this wonderful debut novel.

Buy the book on Amazon.

The White Mary by Kira Salak

ISBN: 978-0-8050-8847-2
Publisher: Henry Holt
Hardcover: 368 Pages
Genre: Fiction
First Lines: The black waters of Elobi Creek show no sign of a current. It is another dead waterway, Marika tells herself, one that will breed only mosquitoes and crocodiles. Another waterway that somehow reflects - in the darkness of the water, in its stillness - all of her feelings.
One Word Review: Gritty
Tentative Release Date: August 2008

Marika Vecera is a young but accomplished journalist. She's spent her adult life traveling to remote and dangerous areas in search of her next story. After a particularly brutal assignment in the Congo, Marika returns to her home in Boston to learn that a fellow writer she's long idolized, Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Lewis, has committed suicide. Amidst a series of self-destructive escapades, Marika decides to write his biography. While researching her story, she discovers a letter from a missionary claiming to have stumbled upon Lewis in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Her journey to discover the truth is ultimately a journey of self-discovery.

Kira Salak is herself an award-winning journalist who has obviously spent a great deal of time in the areas about which she writes. Her vivid depictions of Papua New Guinea are so intense, you'll feel as though you're trudging through the jungles, machete in hand, right along with Marika. It is this quality that I feel really makes this book worth reading.

Descriptions of Marika's travels are interspersed with flashbacks of her downward spiralling love life. While I suppose these chapters give the reader a further glimpse into Marika's psyche, I think they also serve only to make her a far less sympathetic character. She's not someone I would ever want to know. In fact, I found her a bit too self-righteous in all her faults. I could easily have done without back information on all of her sexual exploits.

Fortunately, the guts of the book center around Marika's search for Robert Lewis and her experiences in PNG. Salak is obviously a talented writer and her ability to keep the reader interested creates a story that is truly captivating. I think I would have preferred if it had been written more as a memoir with more focus on the travels and less on Marika's internal conflicts, but overall, I thought it was a great debut novel (Salak has written other works of non-fiction). It's not light reading, but it's full of adventure and excitement and a good read overall.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

ISBN: 978-0-385-52494-0
Publisher: Doubleday
Hardcover: 480 Pages

Genre: Fiction
First Line: Accidents ambush the unsuspecting, often violently, just like love. (Taken from an advanced release copy - possibly subject to change)

One Word Review: Prodigious

Tentative Release Date: August 5, 2008

I often feel as though I'm always a little bit late to the party. I'm rarely, if ever, the first to read books that become 'must-reads,' more often than not it'll be in paperback form before I ever pick it up. It's not by design on my part. It just seems to be the way things go. So, with The Gargoyle I've sort of felt rather privileged that I'm somewhat ahead of the reading pack, so to speak. Not to say that there hasn't already been much tongue-wagging over this amazing debut novel, but as it's still yet to be released, I'm allowing myself a small amount of pleasure over the fact that I will be the one saying, "You should read this book..." And I do mean, you should read this book.

On the face of it, it's hard to determine just what makes the tale so special. It's the story of an unfortunate young man who's been badly burned as a result of a horrific car accident. As he's biding his time in the hospital with thoughts of suicide, he encounters an unusual woman who claims to be his lover from a past life in fifteenth century Germany.

I would say The Gargoyle is a love story, but it doesn't really capture the full scope of the work. That, and I'd hate to turn anyone off based on the idea that it's anything remotely resembling a gooey mush-fest. It's anything but. It's moving and honest, and at times brutal. It's also nearly impossible to put down. What is most astonishing, in my opinion, is that this is Andrew Davidson's first novel. His writing style is compelling yet easy to read, his characters are well-written, and his attention to detail is amazing. He evokes images that are at times almost too much to witness. The Gargoyle is by far one of the best books I've read this year, and I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

The Collectors by David Baldacci

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Audiobook (Unabridged): 12 hours and 46 minutes
Narrator: LJ Gasner, with Aimee Jolson and Richard Mover
Author Website: http://www.davidbaldacci.com/

First Line: Roger Seagraves walked out of the U.S. Capitol after an interesting meeting that, surprisingly, had little to do with politics.

One Word Review: Witty

Right on the heels of the assassination of the U.S. Speaker of the House, a reclusive librarian dies mysteriously in the rare book room of the Library of Congress. "Oliver Stone" and the other members of the Camel Club set out to discover the truth about both events all the while trying to keep out of harms way.

After having read and loved The Camel Club, I was eager to read the sequel, The Collectors. While it is still quite good, unfortunately, it doesn't quite measure up to its incredibly clever predecessor. The main story line is interesting enough, and the 'bookish' plot is something most bibliophiles will appreciate. But Baldacci has basically created two separate stories here and fused them together via one character, turning it into one somewhat disjointed novel. There is a subplot surrounding an ambitious scheme to con a dangerous casino owner that doesn't fit well enough with the Camel Club cohorts, in my opinion.

Aside from that, though, The Collectors is pretty flawless. Eccentric and quirky characters along with clever dialogue and exciting action sequences combine to create a really entertaining reading experience.

As this is a review based on the audio book, I feel I should mention that I found the narration to be unpleasant. The secondary 'players' were adequate, though annoying at times, but the main narrator, LJ Gasner, has a voice that just did not work for me. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what the problem was, but I struggled throughout the book. And, I feel that I would have enjoyed the experience more had I read the book myself.

One final note. Although The Collectors is certainly sufficient to stand on its own, I would suggest reading The Camel Club first to familiarize yourself with the cast.

The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden

ISBN-10: 1401322700

Publisher: Philomel

Hardcover: 336 pages

Genre: Women's Fiction

Author Website: http://www.maryannmcfadden.com/

First Line: The sky was still dark, as it was every morning when Joanna Harrison began walking the two-mile route that serpentined through the development where she lived .

One Word Review: Beachy

I'd like to say that the copy I read was an advanced reader's edition, and it is possible that certain elements could be alterred before the final printing.

Joanna is a lonely and neglected housewife who decides to leave her life in New Jersey behind and travel to Pawley's Island, South Carolina. There she attempts to rediscover who she is while she deals with the aftermath of her decision in the wake of futher drama.

The Richest Season is the debut novel of Maryann McFadden, and reading it with that in mind leads me to think she could certainly make a name for herself as a writer. She definitely has a knack for allowing the readers a glimps at the locations of her story, and she writes in a way that is easily readable and vividly descriptive.

However, I was slightly underwhelmed with the story. While her writing style is quite good, I felt that the tale itself was only just okay. I also found several instances where there were repetitive phrases - such as two separate characters taking baths at different points in the book, and each slides into the bathtub with an escaped moan (not a direct quote, but the general principle). I feel that a little more ardent editing would fix that, however, and in the final copy, it may in fact be a non-issue.

If you're looking for something to tote to the beach, this might be a pretty good choice. Other than that I'd say that McFadden is definitely someone to watch in the future as she comes into her own.

The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver

The Bone Collector has been sitting on my 'To Be Read' shelf for a while now. I don't really even remember buying it. Anyway, I was looking for something to read, and I've been doing a lot of children / young adult books lately, so I decided to take a break with something decidedly adult. It was either this or The English Patient, and I'm just not there emotionally right now. So, The Bone Collector it was. I had read about 20 pages when I had this feeling of familiarity. Aha! This was that movie from several years ago with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Well, crap. Ok, so what do I remember about that movie? Hmmmm....not much. I remember not feeling that it was extrordinarily wonderful. I remember caves or tunnels or something dark and dank. Yeah, that's about it. Well, ok, so I'll keep reading, but I'm not expecting much.

I have to say that I was really surprised by this book, in more ways than one. First of all, it was far better than I had figured. The plot was superbly written, the pacing was perfect - it didn't feel rushed nor did it lag in places, and the characters we were supposed to root for were believable and endearing. The other thing that surprised me was the ending. Rarely do I read a 'mystery' that ends with an 'ohhhhh, so that's who it was.' Generally, I've got it figured out pretty early on. I wouldn't necessarily use the word shocked, but I will say that I was far from disappointed in the ending. Deaver has masterfully crafted a magical blend of page-turning action with a smartly written plot. Because the story focuses on a great deal of forensic science, there were probably aspects of the book that were a tad dated (it was first published in 1997), but to a non-criminalist they don't really stick out.

Most books that I'd qualify as thrillers generally go the way of something to read for fun - not much on substance, but high on entertainment. The Bone Collector had huge helpings of both.

Into the Dark by Peter Abrahams

I love the Echo Falls books by Peter Abrahams. LOVE them. Into the Dark is the third installment in this series that started with Down the Rabbit Hole and was followed by Behind the Curtain. These novels, written presumably with teen and young adult readers in mind, center around Ingrid Levin-Hill, an intelligent young girl who is a Sherlock Holmes aficionado. When faced with a mystery, she asks herself how Holmes would handle the situation. In this newest book, Ingrid finds herself dealing with seemingly insurmountable family problems - not the least of which is that her beloved grandfather has been accused of murder.

Abrahams, who's written several well-known popular fiction titles, seems to have a talent for writing for younger people. His characters are believable and well-written. Ingrid is a fantastic heroine. She's smart and funny, compassionate and brave - everything a heroine should be. While I won't say I was totally shocked by the ending, the plot was well-conceived and there was enough action and suspense to keep me reading late into the night. We also see a lot of growth in not only Ingrid but in her family's situation as well in this book. There are numerous issues amongst her parents and brother that make her situation all the more realistic. All I can say is that I hope there's a fourth book on the horizon.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking- Glass by Lewis Carroll

I'm not quite sure how it happened that I'd never read Alice in Wonderland before. You would think that it would be required reading in our public schools. And, lest you think I simply skipped that assignment, I can think of only one assigned book that I neglected to read while in high school, and sadly, that honor goes to Crime and Punishment - so sorry Mr. Dostoevsky, but I just couldn't get through it. But back to Alice and her many adventures. I've seen the Disney movie dozens and dozens of times - it was one of my favorites when I was a child. I especially loved the Cheshire cat, who in the book isn't quite as ruthless as he was portrayed in film. If you've never read either story, they really are something. I thought the nonsensicalness (I was certain that couldn't be a word, but spellcheck assures me that it is) would be annoying, but I didn't find it to be so.
The edition I have contains both books and the original illustrations by John Tenniel - which are something in and of themselves. First, I'll take a look at Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It starts off with a particularly spectacular poem.
...And ever, as the story drained
The wells of fancy dry,
And faintly strove that weary one
To put the subject by,
"The rest next time - " "It is next time!"
The happy voices cry.
Ahhh....sweet words to anyone who reads aloud to their children. And so it begins, this tale of Alice, a bright and inquisitive young girl (who, too, isn't quite as annoying as the Disney folks would have us believe) and her dreamy trip down the rabbit hole. One thing that struck me as I was reading was that it doesn't read like a novel. It's more like a collection of short stories that happen to be about the same girl. Within each 'story' she meets new characters, each one a little more odd than the last. Well, maybe none quite so odd as the Duchess with her pig baby, but still. As a whole it was loads of fun. Simple and sweet, with some terrific poetry thrown in to boot.
Through the Looking-Glass was not what I was expecting. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. It's not so much that I didn't care for it, but I think more that I read it on the heels of Alice's Adventures, and I think by then I was getting a bit tired of the absurdity of the environment and characters. While perhaps more interesting, I didn't enjoy the characters Alice met in this other-world nearly as much as those of Wonderland. Perhaps it was because more of the Wonderland characters had been immortalized in my mind as a child by Walt Disney. I can't really say. All I know is that by the end, I was ready to be done with it. Smushed (not a word, but I feel it should be) together in one installment, I'd give them 3 1/2 stars out of 5, but as a stand-alone, Wonderland ranks up in the 4 1/2 range.

The Last Oracle by James Rollins

The Last Oracle, by James Rollins, is the latest in a series that follows the men and women of Sigma Force, a science-minded group of former Special Forces soldiers. Set against a backdrop of the nuclear devastated area of Chernobyl, it shows just how far some are willing to go to achieve their goals.

As an intellectual thriller, The Last Oracle works. It's smart enough to be enjoyable without being too cerebral. Some of the action sequences were a bit over the top - lots and lots of shooting with very few injuries on the part of the Sigma Force team (think Bruce Willis in Die Hard , who's constantly being shot at, yet never really getting hit). However, the plot was well-planned and executed, with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, and with an ultimately satisfying conclusion. I found the afterword in which Rollins gives insight into his inspiration to be particularly fascinating.

This was my first experience with James Rollins' Sigma Force, and it can certainly be read as a stand-alone novel. However, I think following the characters from the beginning would add another level of enjoyment to an already fun read.

P.S. I Love You

Holly and Gerry had a 'perfect' life together. That perfect life got turned upside down when Gerry was diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor. Thus begins the story of love and loss depicted in P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern.

I probably would never have picked this book off the shelves were it not for the movie that was made from it. It looked like something I'd enjoy, so I decided to read the book first. It started out very strong - sweet and sad, with some really tender moments. And it finished pretty well, too. Somewhere in the middle, though, I started thinking that the film might possibly be better than the novel. It's not that anything happened or didn't happen to make it unenjoyable. It's more that there was so much shoved into the story that was fairly unnecessary. It easily could've been condensed by 100 pages and been just as good. That being said, it was still very well written - the characters were believable, the plot was pretty well-paced (just a bit wordy at times), and the ending was actually a bit of a surprise. All in all, I thought it was a very satisfying read. Now, I can watch the movie and see if they did it justice.

Buy this book on Amazon.

Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank

I received an ARC of Bulls Island as part of the Early Reviewers program at Library Thing. Because of this, and other perhaps less idiotic reasons, I had high hopes for this one. I wanted to be able to write a glowing review. Unfortunately, it was not to be. There were so many things that bothered me with this novel, not the least of which was an incredibly long prelude. There was so much fretting by the main characters concerning what would happen when the story actually got started that I can only describe it as a 140 page pity party. While I'm on the subject of the main characters, I have to say that I felt absolutely no sympathy for these two completely self-involved narcissists. I know I was supposed to be rooting for them, but they were both so unlikeable. Top all this off with an abrupt writing style and oddly forced dialogue that at times seemed like ill-advised public service announcements, and you've got a book that was a chore to finish. I will say that of the Library Thing reviews, I seem to be fairly alone in my opinion. Most of the other people seemed to really dig it. So, perhaps it's just me.