Review – Poison

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Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance

By Sara Poole

St. Martin’s Griffin

ISBN: 9780312609832

3.75 stars

In an attempt to branch out in my historical fiction reading, I’ve been auditioning time periods outside of 14th – 19th Century England which encompasses a large portion of my historical fiction reading.  On finding out Poison was set during the Italian Renaissance, I quickly added it to my list.  It also helped the Borgia family had a role as I find their abhorrent behavior highly fascinating.  Unfortunately, it didn’t impress as I wanted it to.

Francesca Giordana is grieving the death of her father, a man whose murder remains unresolved and a man who happened to be the poisoner of Rodrigo Borgia — a notorious and well-known man in the city of Rome.  In an attempt to keep her place in the Borgia household following her father’s death, Francesca makes a bold move by killing the new poisoner in a most unusual way causing Borgia to hire her on the spot.  Unfortunately for Francesca, Borgia has a plan to become Pope and it involves her abilities as a poison master to bring about his Papal reign.  Her involvement in the conspiracy to kill Pope Innocent will send in her into the depths of the Jewish Ghetto and the bowels of the Vatican endangering everyone she loves.

There was a good combination of elements: conspiracy to poison Pope Innocent for Borgia to have a chance at the Papacy, the murder of Francesca’s father, and a high up attempt to expel the Jews out of Rome by a mad priest bent on having his demented way.  In some ways it felt as if the story was moving in too many directions though.  I enjoyed the plot to poison Pope Innocent and Francesca’s role in it but all her other interests were too much and it began to burst for me.  At the end of the story, some plots were wrapped up but several others were still in play for the sequel which I’m actually all right with.

Another problem I had was the dialogue — it felt entirely too modern for the time period and at times I wanted to google the language used to see if it was appropriate.  Francesca was another issue for me.  She is a poisoner yet faints at the sight of blood.  Yes, I get trying to have her be the poisoner with a heart but she was too much for me.  If you’re going to plot killing people, willingly and knowingly, get rid of the heart or at least compartmentalize your feelings.  You can’t have it both ways; it’s not believable.  The second problem was her love life.  Sadly, the love element which was small was something I wanted more of and it was only hinted at here.  I’m guessing it will come about in book two, The Borgia Betrayal.

If you’re familiar with the Borgia family this isn’t bad but I think I was expecting something entirely different.  Even though I wasn’t totally sold on the book, it was a fast read and if you’re looking for historical fiction set in the Renaissance, it’s a nice change of pace.

Today’s Book – Actually Several

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Since it’s June 30th, I thought I’d take a look at what I’ve read so far this year and mention a few of the books I loved.  As it stands, I managed to read 50 books in the first six months of this year and finish 47.  Three were DNFs and that’s about right for me.  I don’t abandon many but a few don’t make it all the way to end each year.

January

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – A solid ghost story with excellent creepiness factor.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – A nice addition to the vampire inundation we’ve been under.

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen – A new to me author in the beginning of the year and one that’s made it onto my favorites list already.

February

The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick – I adore her writing and this was another satisfying read.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach – Another author I adore.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – Possibly the best book I’ve read in a long time.

March

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen – She entranced with Garden Spells and did the same with this one.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis – Funny science fiction; I have plans to read several more of her books before the year ends.

April

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville – Love him.  Read this book and you’ll love him too.

A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin – See Un Lun Dun.

May

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen – Oh Miss Jane, you never fail to impress me.

The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma – Excellent companion for the long plane ride to Ecuador.

June

The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn – My first time with this series but not the author; I’ll be buying more this year.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary – Excellent read and the kind of strange fiction that I love to dive into.

Read anything great you’d love to share?  My TBR list is not nearly long enough!  Actually, it is, but I’m willing to add more.  🙂

Short Story Review – The Abandoned

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The Abandoned

By Amanda Stevens

Mira

EAN: 9781426888861

3.75 stars

Ree Hutchins is on-duty at the mental hospital when her favorite patient passes away.  Never a believer in the supernatural, and certainly not ghosts, Ree can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right; especially after overhearing a conversation involving a doctor she admires greatly.  Ree spends her days trying to understand what she overhead at the hospital and hoping the creepy feeling she’s experiencing will fade.  Finding herself in a cemetery late one night with no recollection of how she got there, Hayden Priest, an amateur ghost hunter, comes to her rescue in more than one way.

This is a prequel to The Restorer which I really enjoyed.  (My review is here if you’re interested.)  It’s a short story but because I’d read The Restorer first, I had very high expectations.  I tamped the expectations down and enjoyed the story more at the end than at the beginning.  In ways, it felt as though I was waiting for more and that was because I knew the other later story that came from this one.  Stevens was definitely honing her story idea here.

As part of my 2011 reading, I’ve been trying to read more short stories, something I don’t often do because in certain ways I feel cheated.  I get attached to a story or a character and then it ends quickly.  I’m slowly learning to overcome this so even though my review seems only lukewarm, it’s not intended that way.  That has more to do with my non-ability to read a short story without being picky.  If you’re looking for a quick little ghost story, give this a try but do it before The Restorer if you have that on your list.  It’s an enjoyable story.

Book Blues

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I’ve been in a slight reading slump the last week.  It could be the weather which has been nice for DC this time of year and has put me in a summer mood or it could be my picks.  I’m not sure and I’m struggling with what to write about which is part of the reason why I haven’t posted anything the last few days.  Looking back over my list, I’ve read some great books in 2011 but the last week has been lacking.  I wanted to go back to some classics, something I’ve been meaning to do all year, but several books failed to interest me — some for size, some for content.  By week’s end, I decided to abandon the book I was reading, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, for something else.  That something else turned out to be Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  Not a classic by any means but highly readable for someone who seemed to want nothing more than brain candy on a Saturday afternoon.  It happens to us all sometimes…

For a change of pace (I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy which I love but I need a break from vampires and other such creatures) and a way to keep my classics intake up, my next choice was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  It’s been years since I’ve read it and I thought it would be a good re-read.  Somehow I’m finding myself annoyed by the March girls.  How did this happen?!  All of them are whiners, yes you too Beth, and Marmee is too perfect.  Way too perfect I tell you!  This makes me sad.  I’m going to push on to the end though because this book has always been a comfort read for me and I can’t leave it feeling the way I am.  I believe it’s a general reflection on the state of my hectic life right now and I’m guessing that when work calms down, projects come to a close, and I can breathe again, that all this foolishness will pass.

So for sticking that out with me, I’m passing on some links which amused me and kept me in love with books even though I didn’t have one to read.

Alan Rickman’s goodbye to Harry Potter letter.

Tony Blair would take Tolkien to a desert isle? Yes, yes he would.

The Hollywood Reporter put together a list of the five best beach books.  I don’t know how this happened, as it hardly ever does, but I want to read all of these books.

2011 Locus Winners. Several books are on my list and several more will be added.  I’ve read more science fiction this year than last but I still feel woefully behind when it comes to this genre.  I was thrilled to see Kraken by China Mieville win best Fantasy novel.  I loved that book!  Two Connie Willis books, Black Out and All Clear will be read this year too.  And A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and Shades of Milk and Honey are also high on the TBR but, let’s face it, they’ve been there since 2011 started so who knows when I’ll get to them but I will.  I make no promises but considering the sorry state of my reading, these two may jump the list.

Why do we love Jane Austen?  It’s because of tough love.  And she’s an excellent architect too.

Game of Thrones adds new people to the cast for season two.

And since we’ve already mentioned the Lord of the Rings, some pictures from The Hobbit movie.

Writers dish on titles.

Independent bookstores charging for author signings.  This one made me sad even though I understand why it’s happening.

Review – Northanger Abbey

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Northanger Abbey from The Complete Works of Jane Austen

By Jane Austen

Douglas Editions

BN ID: 2940000816981

4.5 stars

On a quest to finish reading all of Austen’s works this year, I bring you my Northanger Abbey thoughts.

Seventeen year-old Catherine Morland is excited to be on holiday with family friends, Mr. and Mrs. Allen.  Her first visit to the resort town of Bath, she befriends Isabella Thorpe, a young woman much like herself with many of the same interests and the two becomes quite close in a very short time, attending balls and gossiping about the town’s visitors.  While waiting for her love interest, Henry Tilney, to return, Isabella’s brother John Thorpe begins to pursue Catherine.  She manages to keep him at bay and at the same time make friends with Henry’s sister, Eleanor, who invites her back to their estate — Northanger Abbey — for an extended visit.  Catherine, a reader and enthusiast of gothic novels, lets her imagination run wild envisioning the Abbey to be more thrilling than the tranquility it exudes and she starts looking for exotic explanations for simple human reactions to tragedy.

Northanger Abbey is Jane Austen’s take on a gothic novel.  Each time I pick up one of her books I have a certain expectation —- there will be a heroine, a love interest, a blossoming love story, a love-laced blunder, and true love found at last.  All of that happened but there was a little more to this one; the gothic tale.  I’m not familiar with the novel The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliff which the main character Catherine adores, however, since reading this book I have downloaded it to my Nook and plan to take a look soon.  It’s really a wicked little jab at these horror stories and Catherine’s love of these types of books and her insistence on how well-written there are goes against the proclamations of others and is obviously Austen’s opinion of this genre made very clear.

As for characters, she once again delivers.  Catherine — a naïve, very likable person unwilling to believe a friend could do her wrong or that a dark side of life can exist.  She’s really lovely if somewhat absorbed in a world of fantasy.  I also very much enjoyed John Thorpe.  He’s brash, annoying, disagreeable, unlikeable, and spot on.  In no way do you want Catherine to acknowledge him let alone fall in love with him.  Henry, for me, was slightly boring (he’s no Mr. Darcy but who is?) but I found him endearing and a good fit for Catherine.

I waited a long time for the story to move to Northanger Abbey and was slightly disappointed with it, much like Catherine herself, but I loved her enthusiasm in uncovering what she believes to be the truth about the old Abbey.  It did follow a regular arc I’ve come to expect and love from Austen and I found Northanger Abbey to be a worthwhile addition to her collection and one I think I might read again.

Mansfield Park is next in my Austen reading but I probably won’t slip into it until later this year but I’m looking forward to it.

Today’s Book – The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

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I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy lately, not unusual for me but since I downloaded a bunch of classics to my Nook over the past few weeks, I thought it might be time to take a look at one.  The Woman in White won out, mostly because 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea popped up as 1,098 pages on my Nook and I didn’t want a book that long right now.  I have George RR Martin’s A Storm of Swords waiting for me and though I love a good chunkster, I wanted something slightly more manageable.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to spend much time with this tome but I am enjoying what I have been able to read.  It’s got a dark, gothic feel to it which is good since I’m sure to come off the fantasy high someday soon.

Having skipped over Collins many times even though people have said good things about his books, and especially this one, I’m somewhat surprised to find myself liking it.  Collins’s association with Charles Dickens, an author I have yet to appreciate, kept me away in fear that I would be stuck in Dickensonia.  Thankfully, that’s not the case.

I searched for a video to share but didn’t come up with anything interesting but I did find this excerpt from an audiobook produced by the BBC.

Review – Dawn of Avalon (short story)

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Dawn of Avalon: Morgan and Merlin — The Beginning

By Anna Elliott

Smashwords Edition downloaded to Nook

3.75 stars

Oh, my soft spot for all things King Arthur.  After having finished a rather long book, I thought it would be a good idea to read a few short stories to get myself back into a reading groove.  And of course, I also thought I’d return to a love of mine — Arthurian stories.

Morgan Pendragon has disguised herself as a boy and offered her services to King Vortigern.  She ends up working as a healer in his dungeon to get close to a certain prisoner; a man who can tell no one who he is, where he comes from, or which side he’s fighting for.  When Vortigern gets nothing from him after days of torture, he decides to sacrifice the man to appease the gods in an attempt to hold off Uther Pendragon’s impending invasion.  Morgan, not willing to watch him die, helps him to escape and finds out he’s more than just a soldier.  He’s a man with magical abilities — a man named Merlin.

Morgan and Merlin are some of my favorite characters from Arthurian stories.  Morgan was slightly different; softer, less hostile, less magical, and for me not nearly as interesting.  It’s not a bad thing, I just have a general standard in my head for the character of Morgan and she’s a meaner and harder figure but this Morgan did fit this particular story better.  As for Merlin, I usually think of him as very self-assured and able to make decisions supernaturally so his being helpless again took me out of my comfort zone.  He needed Morgan to survive both physically and emotionally, but again, it fit with the story being told.  All in all it, was good and I might look up a few more things by Anna Elliott particularly Twilight of Avalon.  Dawn of Avalon is the short story that serves as the prequel to that book.

Teaser Tuesdays – The Woman in White

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.  The idea is to give everyone a look inside the book you’re reading.

Play along: Grab your current read; Open to a random page; Share two teaser sentences from that page; Share the title and author so other participants know what you’re reading.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Teaser so I thought I’d play this week.  I started The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins last night.  Interesting, and not at all what I expected.

“The very night before I arrived at this house, I met with an adventure; and the wonder and excitement of, I can assure you, Miss Halcombe, will last me for the whole term of my stay at Cumberland, if not for a much longer period.”

“You don’t say so, Mr. Hartright! May I hear it?” (page 70 of 590 on Nook)