Archive | November, 2024

Book Reviews- Oct 2024

27 Nov

As soon as I got caught up on monthly book reviews, I got behind again. Oy. Well, at least I realized it while we’re still in November!

Let’s get right to it!

The Flight of the Falcon by Daphne Du Maurier – Armino Fabbio is a guide for Sunshine Tours and is satisfied with his humdrum life of leading tourists around, when he’s circumstantially involved in a murder of an old peasant woman on the streets of Rome. When he learns that the woman was his family’s faithful servant, he returns to his hometown of Ruffano. Once there, he’s haunted by the phantom of his brother, Aldo, that was shot down in flames in 1943. But the town seems to have forgotten its violent past – that of Duke Claudio, known as The Falcon, the twisted and cruel man that preyed on the people of Ruffano. But as the days pass, the parallels of past and present are ever more evident…

~This is the third Du Maurier book that I’ve read. I enjoyed the beginning a lot but as the book progressed, I got confused and then frustrated with the choices Armino was making. I finished it with a firm feeling that I wouldn’t read it again, but after a few days, I thought maybe I would… Now, weeks later, I’m undecided. There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming that kept it from being predictable, I think I just didn’t like the direction some of them went, ha! So, a hesitant recommendation for this one, I suppose.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – Follow Mole, Rat, Badger and Mole through their lives- whether it’s lounging by the River Thames, going on a great adventure or a comical caper.

~I read this a few years ago and it was enchanting to once again be immersed in the beautiful world that Grahame created. I adore Mole and Badger so much. I love the descriptions of their world- the season changing, the wood…etc. I highly recommend this not only as an idyllic story but also as it has several nuggets of life wisdom spread throughout.

Silver Canyon by Louis L’amour – Matt Brennan rode into Hattan’s Point and decided he wanted to put down roots. But a land war is brewing between the big ranches of the area and he’s warned to get out of town immediately. But Matt’s never backed down from what he wants- and he wants a ranch and the hand of beautiful Moira Maclaren.

~I always enjoy a L’amour novel – the fights are written with enough pizazz to be interesting and short enough that you’re not skimming ahead to get to the end of it. The romance was sweet but I felt that if the whole story had been longer, this part, perhaps, would’ve been more fleshed out. I liked that Matt kept getting into some serious trouble and having to figure his way out of it again. This wasn’t one of my favorites of his, but it was an enjoyable short read.

The Library of the Unwritten (Hell’s Library #1) by A.J. Hackwith – This is where all books that weren’t written, reside. And it’s the Librarians’ job to organize and repair all books. And, of course, retrieve any books that go wandering… Claire Hadley, Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing, must retrieve a Hero that has gone in search of his author. She takes along her assistant, former muse Brevity, and a reluctant courier demon, Leto. But the simple retrieval turns into anything but, when the angel Ramiel attacks them, demanding they give him the Devil’s Bible… a book that has the power to reshape heaven, hell…and the earth. It’s up to the librarian to find this powerful weapon before it can be used in the battle between heaven and hell.

~Now, just to be perfectly clear here- this is a fantasy series. *ahem* With that out of the way, I’m not sure I would’ve picked this book up if a friend hadn’t strongly recommended it. As she’s rarely ever wrong on book recommendations, I went ahead and started it, even though it seemed way out of my normal. Well. This was well written and the twists and turns in the plot were mostly out of left field, that I had a hard time putting it down. There were parts that dragged, but I liked that characters overall, enough, that it didn’t ruin it for me. What I wasn’t a fan of, was the…what’s the word – pansexual- thing spattered throughout. Thankfully, it was written in a way that wasn’t off-putting enough that I had to stop reading. With that caution, I can recommend this book without reservation for the writing, the fun take on a library and its caretakers.

The Archive of the Forgotten (Hell’s Library #2) by A.J. Hackwith – The Unwritten Wing was saved, but hundreds of books were destroyed and Claire and Brevity both feel their loss. But as they’re trying to find their routine again after all the changes, a new threat appears. A strange ink appears in the Arcane Wing. Claire and Brevity are immediately at odds in their approach to deal with this new threat; a representative from the Muse Corps arrives to offer assistance; Hero and the angel Rami go searching in another realm for the answer… The true nature of this strange ink could change the afterlife entirely.

~After finishing book 1, I immediately requested this one from the library and devoured it. I was a little miffed at some of the character’s choices, especially the first half of the book. But, I really loved the reveal of what the ink was and how the characters chose to deal with it. There was a little more of the romance that I mentioned in my review of the first book but it was still so…nicely done. It’s weird to skirt around this topic a bit, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But what I did appreciate about it was that the attraction wasn’t just a physical-instant-love-throw-all-caution-to-the-wind type of thing. It was rooted in knowing the other person. Again, with that caution of the nature of the romance, can recommend.

Currently Reading:

Uprooted by Lyn Julius

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (at 55% of a 69 hr audiobook)

Dragonsteel Prime by Brandon Sanderson

Conagher by Louis L’amour

God of Lost Words (Hell’s Library #3) by A.J. Hackwith

I hope you found something to add to your TBR! What have you been reading lately?

~Laura

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Writing Prompt- A Silent Storm

14 Nov

I haven’t written from a prompt in so long that it was nice to do this. It is fairly rough- as most all of these are that I share with you. I don’t edit much at all, and maybe one day I’ll look back and regret that but for now, I like that it’s something I’m able to do without too much work or editing or whatnot.

She sat on the edge of the wooden stool, fingers gripping the windowsill as she watched the darkening sky. Clouds had been rolling in and were slowly blocking out the blue she loved so much. She lowered her gaze to the ground, where squirrels and birds were dashing to their hidey-holes in trees. The farm dogs ran to the house, tails tucked between their legs, panting as they hurried inside. Even her father was coming in early, driving the tractor down the lane toward the shed they’d built for it last year. As if in response to the passing of the slow machine, the trees started waving in the wind, gently, gently.

Turning from the trees, she checked on her mother in the kitchen. She’d already helped lock the windows and doors, all but this front door where her father would hurry in with a worried gaze and a reassuring smile. Her mother was checking dinner, then would go stoke the stove. She smiled as her mother did just that. Her mother liked routine. Feeling vibrations in the wood floor, she turned to see her father cleaning his boots off on the front porch. She waited until he was ready and opened the door for him. And as she’d known he would, he looked worried but smiled at her so that the fear rising in her breast eased a little. She locked the door while he hung his coat up and moved to stand in front of the fire.

She turned back to the window, the dogs on either side of her, and watched the trees whipping back and forth in the wind and the rain… the rain was just as angry as the trees as it battered everything outside. A rhythmic tapping on the floor made her turn back around. Her father was sitting down in the rocking chair, smiling at her. Relieved that he hadn’t forgotten, she slipped off the stool, her bare feet hitting the wood floor one after the other, and hurried to climb into her father’s lap. He tucked a quilt over her and started the chair rocking as they watched the storm outside.

As she relaxed in the warmth of her father’s embrace, the stress that had been building in her chest eased even more. Storms were unnatural things – so violent and angry and yet, silent. Storms should rage and hurt one’s eardrums with the sound of the wind and rain and lightening. Instead, they remained silent- except for the occasional shuddering of the house from a particularly strong gust of wind. But the rocking chair kept up its rhythm, and her father’s arms were strong about her and she could feel that he was talking with her mother by the vibrations from his chest. And she pulled the quilt up around her shoulders as they rocked, gently, gently.

(the writing prompt was ‘describe a thunderstorm without using the sense of hearing’)

I hope you enjoyed this, thanks for stopping by SGL,

Laura

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