A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

Second in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings picks up right after A Game of Thrones. Martin continues to throw surprise after surprise at the reader and I fully admit that this book was the first one that I peeked ahead to see if a certain character was going to show up again.
I like that Martin gives the reader the feeling that certain characters are destined for greater things, I like that he writes characters the reader can hate so violently as well as characters it is very easy to become attached to, plus characters one isn't entirely certain what to make of.
It's been 2 and a half books since I finished Clash of Kings, so forgive the poor review. It's fantastic, spares nothing, gets into the grittiness of war, and made me desperate for A Storm of Swords, which only recently was returned to the library (which is the only reason 2.5 books have been read since finishing Clash of Kings), and I look forward to starting it.
Wonderful, engrossing, and these books really need to be read in quick succession. I can't imagine how fans have waited so long between books!

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

Lord Stoneville is the eldest of 5 grown siblings, his parents died when he was young, and since then the Sharpe siblings have been looked after by their feisty brewery-managing grandmother. It comes as a shock to all the Sharpes when Gran tells all 5 they have 1 year to be married or she's cutting them all off.
Oliver, Lord Stoneville, does not want to be married and thinks he can end his grandmother's threat by bringing home a most inappropriate woman as his intended. Maria Butterfield, an American, is searching for her missing fiance, and the path leads her and her cousin Freddy to a brothel. Which is where Oliver finds her and saves the pair from being hung as thieves. Not doing it just out of the goodness of his heart, Oliver forces a promise from Maria to act as his fiance in front of his grandmother. She agrees in order to not be sent to jail and to secure Oliver's help in finding her fiance.
Being a romance novel, mishaps occur, misunderstandings take place, seduction happens, and the pair that seem mismatched ends up together. I didn't think Jeffries writes with the same sense of humor as Julia Quinn, but I enjoyed the book. The historical setting is good, the story good, the supporting characters interesting (each of the Sharpe siblings will have his or her own book, and 2 additional have been published), and ending happy. I enjoyed it, a good light read and I look forward to reading the rest.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

Maggie Blair is a naive girl living with her grandmother on a small island off the coast of Scotland. Maggie's mother died after giving birth to Maggie, and her father died when she was still very young, so she has been living in a tiny cottage with her gruff grandmother ever since. Elspeth knows how to use herbs, is an excellent midwife, and uses charms to help people. Though more often than not, Elspeth ends up cursing people (just to try to scare them) to keep them away. In 17th century Scotland, however, curses and charms can get you accused of being a witch. Which is exactly what happens to Elspeth, and Maggie is swept up along in the imprisonment and trial of her grandmother. A nasty serving girl named Annie give testimony against Maggie, claiming Maggie practices witchcraft as well, which gets Maggie condemned along with her grandmother.
Maggie escapes (I won't tell you how) and manages to get to her father's brother's home on the mainland. Uncle Blair is married with four children, and a wonderful farm. Maggie feels a little out of place at first, but it grateful to have somewhere safe to be. Her uncle is a Covenanter, someone who believes the King of Scotland should not be the head of the church (as the King is in England) and this causes great turmoil in the area. Uncle Blair refuses to attend the village church because the minister has been chosen by the King. I feel that the idea of the Covenanters was not fully explained within the story (there is an afterword but it comes a little late). Uncle Blair believes so strongly in his beliefs that he is arrested and taken from his family (and the family's storeroom is sacked and ruined). Maggie feels guilty as there is so little food left to feed the family and decides to go in search of Uncle Blair. She has a companion on her journey north into Scotland who helps her make the journey. She finds Uncle Blair months later, imprisoned, and does not know how to help him. So she works. Maggie ends up relying on other people to make things happen--it's her grandmother who gets her out of the witch trial, her friend Tam who helps her north to find Uncle Blair, and a soldier to help Uncle Blair get home.
Maggie is constantly questioning her faith and whether or not she will end up going to heaven, should something happen to her during her adventures, and while that is a valid question for Maggie to ask (especially since she was not really raised with religion), when she asks it, the questions seem like afterthoughts, as if the author was reminded, oh, Maggie should be asking about her faith.
I like the adventure part of the story, I like Maggie searching for a new home, I like who she finds along the way, I think that's a clever way for the story to go. However, there is so much to the story, it feels stuffed full of plot, and when the end comes, it is tied up so quickly. I think the ending is a little unrealistic, but I appreciate the positive outcome for the "good" characters and the not so positive ending for the "bad" characters.
The Betrayal of Maggie Blair is an interesting story; Maggie is a naive character (which goes well with the time period the story is written in), the journey part of the story is gripping, and most of the other characters are well drawn. A book for older teen readers (patient older teen readers), Maggie's story is good for those interested in the drama Maggie goes through.

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Amelia is looking forward to a summer in the city of Baltimore, far from her tiny home of Broken Tooth, Maine. Staying with relatives, it is the goal of Amelia's summer to come away engaged to a young man (or such is her brother's goal in sending her there). In 1889, Amelia knows there are few options open to her besides marriage, and so goes with the excitement of a trip before her, and summer away from her father and sister-in-law (her parents being dead).
Amelia finds a great friend in her cousin Zora, who has a bit of a mind for trouble as well. The two finish school and then the real joy of the summer begins; two young women, free from classes, looking forward to their futures.
Zora is excessively fond of Thomas Rea, the doctor's son, and knows that she and Thomas cannot marry until he is finished with school, for he must have a way to support a wife. Amelia is immediately taken with a Fourteenth (a young man hired to make a dinner table sit 14 instead of an unlucky 13), Nathaniel Witherspoon, starving artist. It is not the match Amelia is expected to make. Stolen moments throughout the summer, however, bring the two closer together.
Sounds like just another period young adult romance, no? It's definitely more.
The book opens with Amelia being locked in the attic of her brother's house in Maine in the fall of 1889, after her trip to Baltimore. She reveals dark details of why she has been locked up, why she was sent away from Baltimore, and the agony Amelia is living in, trapped.
Mitchell then flashes back to the summer of 1889 and Amelia's arrival and introduction to the family she will be living with. Witty remarks endear Amelia to Zora immediately, and not long after Amelia arrives, she has the strangest vision as she stares into the sunset from the parlor, a vision of Zora & Thomas dancing together. When this comes true, Amelia confesses to Zora and the two begin sharing Amelia's abilities with their friends. Once the word spreads, a number of young women are clamoring for Amelia to tell their futures.
It's fun, at first, but then Amelia begins to see darker futures, mundane futures, and when she starts writing down what she sees, she dreads the visions. Once, she thinks she is able to avert tragedy, but it can never be so easy as that, as Amelia reminds us when she cuts back in from the present.
Nathaniel is not quite what he seems either, able to seemingly suddenly appear when Amelia thinks of him, calls to him. He is mysterious and entirely inappropriate for her, but the two appeal to each other more than either can explain.
When the first tragedy strikes, Amelia is shocked, as it's a future she thought she had prevented. The trouble is, Amelia could not see how this one future plays into the rest of the futures surrounding her and her world begins to tumble down. The sad events happen quickly and discover why Amelia is sent home.
The story, beginning with Amelia in Maine after the events have taken place, leave the reader constantly wondering just what happened to have her returned home, and ruined. It is an easy story to read, one that keeps the reader intrigued and involved, and the sad Gothic nature of it make the reader wish for a happy ending. A different than expected ending occurs, one that works well with my reading tastes. All in all, The Vespertine is a book I would recommend to young adult readers who like historical fiction and a bit of supernatural. It reminded me a little of Libba Bray's A Great & Terrible Beauty, but The Vespertine does not delve as much into the supernatural world as Bray's trilogy. A worthwhile story that leaves the reader with chills.

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Book three of the Parasol Protectorate (and that term is finally used in the book, hee!) finds Alexia back with her mother, stepfather, and half-sisters. And fairly miserable. After being cast out by Conall once he discovered she was pregnant, Alexia made her way back to Woolsey Castle, packed her things, and removed herself to her past home. The bosom of her family is not very happy to see her back, blaming Alexia for Evy's failed engagement.
So with the trusty Floote and Madame Lefoux, Alexia escapes her family (and the vampires trying to kill her) for the Continent. Her goal is not only to get away from her family and society (even Queen Victoria has cast her out; Alexia is no longer muhjah, as Queen Victoria respects family greatly and the rumor that Alexia strayed outside of her marriage is not looked upon kindly by the Queen), but to prove to her very stubborn husband that he is in fact the father, so that Alexia will be discovered to be Blameless.
They are heading to Italy, where Alexia's father is from, also home to the Knights Templar the group that does not tolerate ANY supernatural being. So when Alexia arrives in Italy with Floote and Madame Lefoux, the Templars are kind enough to save them from the pursuing vampires, but Alexia soon discovers they will have nothing to do with her--won't speak to her, won't look at her, won't touch anything she has touched (in fact it all has to be destroyed). Floote is immeasurably helpful, having worked with Alexia's father and the Templars for years. Floote, as always, knows more than he's telling Alexia.
It takes Alexia awhile to come to terms with the Infant Inconvenience (as Alexia has taken to calling the baby); she never thought she was going to have a baby, especially once she married a werewolf, and the fact that the baby has separated her and Conall makes her look less kindly on it. But when she discovers that being a preternatural means she most likely won't carry the baby to term (preternaturals are repulsed from each other, like two magnets and there have been no records of a female preternatural carrying a baby to term), she begins to get a little discouraged, though still determined to prove Conall wrong.
But a funny little German, Dr. Lange-Wilsdorf, may have discovered the baby has a chance and also why the vampires are so desperate to have Alexia terminated.
Blameless is the most action-filled book so far, with werewolves fighting vampires and Templars and little bits of Alexia's father's history being revealed, and the relationship between Conall and Professor Lyall (one of the best characters by far), the severed hand the Templars keep in case of emergency, and Alexia being used as bait, plus everything else I'm leaving out (Ivy, Biffy, Lord Akeldama). Wonderful fun. Ends nicely, but also ends the reader wanting more and the next book is not due to be published until July 2011. Blast!

Changeless by Gail Carriger

The second book in the Parasol Protectorate series (the first being Soulless), Carriger's Changeless brings us to Woolsey Castle, home to Lord and Lady Maccon (the former Miss Alexia Tarabotti). Alexia has become accustomed to keeping werewolf hours and content in her marriage to Conall and her work as Queen Victoria's muhjah (the preternatural serving on the Shadow Council who works with the Dewan [the loner werewolf representative] and the Potentate [the rove vampire representative] to advise the Queen on matters supernatural).
She is not happy, however, to find a regiment camped on her front lawn, but seeing as a number of the soldiers are werewolves, they come to stay in Woolsey Castle (where the werewolves will reside) as a troop before dispersing. One of the soldiers, a rather presumptuous young man, makes a poor impression on Alexia--without realizing she is the new Lady Maccon. Much to Alexia's dismay, Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings is Woolsey Pack's Gamma.
Never a dull moment for Alexia, Conall runs off to Scotland to deal with his old pack--now Alpha-less after the death of one of the soldiers. Of course, mystery abounds and strangely in certain areas supernaturals suddenly turn mortal. Whatever is causing this strange happenstances is on the move--to Scotland, where Conall has gone. To save her husband (from what, she's not sure) Alexia follows him to Scotland--with Conall's claviger Tunstell, Alexia's maid Angelique, Alexia's sister Felicity (sour because other sister Evelyn is engaged), engaged friend Ivy (still smitten with Tunstell and jealous of Felicity's attentions to him), and inventor and new acquaintance Madame Lefoux (though her appearance is strictly coincidence).
After a few sticky moments on the dirigible to Scotland (Alexia hanging off the side of it, but no bother), the large party lands in Scotland and makes its way to Kingair Castle, where Conall is. To be welcomed (sort of) by Conall's great-something-granddaughter. Which is news to Alexia. The soldiers of the Kingair Pack are in residence as well, and more strange happenings occur while there. Much of the trouble stems from a mummy the soldiers brought back from Egypt, something Alexia is repulsed by (for interesting reasons). Since the Kingair Pack is Alpha-less, and Conall has returned, but not to be Kingair's Alpha, there is a great deal of trouble about that as well.
The problems are solved, of course, the day is saved, those trying to murder Alexia are thwarted (for now), and all is right once more. Until it is discovered Alexia is pregnant and Conall--being mostly dead--knows he cannot be the father and casts Alexia off.
Oh dear.
Fantastic storytelling. As I said with the first one, I did not think I would like these books, being not much into the supernatural scene, but the best part of the Parasol Protectorate books is that the supernatural are everyday, so it doesn't bother me much. Alexia is a phenomenal heroine (I love her curvyness, her attitude, her determination, her independence!), Conall is gruff and wonderful, Ivy is dopey and brilliant, Tunstell humorous, Floote humorless, and Madame Lefoux and intriguing character. The slant on history is great, the storytelling great. The books are just a whole lot of fun.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

The author of The Luxe series has begun a new series set about 30 years later. Bright Young Things opens in late spring of 1929, when best friends Letty and Cordelia have finished the school year and are ready for new adventures in the world. While their guardians may have plans for them, the girls have different ideas. Living with her strict aunt and uncle, Cordelia is convinced her father is the famous bootlegger Darius Grey who currently resides in New York. Letty wants to be a singer and knows New York is the place to be. So the two sneak out of their Union, Ohio town and take an eastbound train to New York City.
Everything, of course, does not go according to plan. Barely a full day in New York and Letty and Cordelia get in an argument and the two separate, Cordelia to find her father and Letty left to be alone and fend for herself.
Letty is not left alone long, thanks to a worker at the speakeasy she just visited and so Letty gets a job as a cigarette girl. Cordelia does find her father and is quickly (and easily) accepted into the family fold, which includes older brother Charlie, who is dating socialite Astrid Donal.
Astrid, whose mother is on her third marriage, is a privileged young woman who stays out all night and sleeps til noon and uses her charms (and pouts) to get Charlie to do what she wants. She really does love Charlie (so she claims) and it's a very tense relationship with a many break ups and reconciliations but they do care about each other. Astrid takes to Cordelia right away and Cordelia is pleased to have a new friend, since she doesn't know what has happened to Letty.
Letty is getting along all right and has met a very kind young man, Grady Lodge, who takes her out and shows her the city. Letty also acquires Good Egg, a greyhound whose racing days are over. When Cordelia and a young man she meets (and is expressly asked not to spend time with) return to the club where Letty works as a cigarette girl, Letty can't stand the idea of not being a success as Cordelia is in her new clothes and with her posh gentleman friend. So Letty gets up on stage and belts out a song but before she and Cordelia can be reunited, Cordelia is whisked away.
What I found predictable about this book are the bad turns of events that were so obvious to me (and perhaps it has to do with reading Godbersen's Luxe series and knowing there's always going to be something to bring the story down) that I just wanted her to get to that point. I will say it ended on a better note than some of The Luxe novels, so I'm hoping this series might have a better ending than the other one. I can't help it, I like happy(-ish) endings. I didn't think Bright Young Things was as engrossing as The Luxe books, but I don't doubt that the story will pick up in the next title (as I'm sure there will be a next title as there are too many loose threads to end the book just as it is, not to mention the impending collapse of the stock market in October of 1929). Though I wasn't as hooked as with previous Godbersen books, she can certainly tell a story that teenage girls will love to read.

Lester Higata's 20th Century by Barbara Hamby

I don't normally seek out collections of short stories to read, though perhaps I should. What caught me about this title as I read a review in ... some review journal, was that all the stories are interconnected and take place in Hawaii. I like Hawaii and will read pretty much any fiction set in Hawaii. So, Lester Higata's 20th Century made its way onto my reading pile. I really enjoyed it.
This was one of those stories that just happen--it's not about action and chases and moving quickly from one point to the next, but about snapshots in the lives of these characters that move backwards in time. Which was pretty cool and unexpected.
The first story begins shortly before Lester's death. And I mean shortly as in a matter of minutes, not days or months, but as soon as he finishes talking to his dead father. Lester's father tells him about the afterlife which is different than what Lester was expecting, so he's a little intrigued by it. The reader is introduced to Lester's wife Katherine and daughter Linda. Son Paul is not around, but pops up in other stories. It's just a very comfortable story and sets up a great place for Lester's past to be told.
The brilliant thing is the stories are not all about Lester and not all from Lester's point of view. Family members, neighbors, acquaintances are the protagonists in the various stories, each finding a way to weave in with the previous stories and the ones following. More than just the stories happening, there's usually one powerful but brief moment in the story that reveals something about each of the characters and those are great moments. The stories are like our lives--days go on and on but there are moments and days and interactions with people that we remember always, even though the rest of our lives become clouded blurs. The stories are quietly powerful and give the reader plenty to think of. If you need a break from fast paced or plot-driven stories, Lester Higata's 20th Century is a fantastic foray into characters and how the stories of people's lives all have their intriguing moments.

Evil for Evil by James R. Benn

Ok. I don't read very many mysteries. I just have a hard time getting into them and I often don't care about the mystery and solving it. But I love James Benn's Billy Boyle series. Freaking love it.
The fifth book in the series, Rag and Bone, was recently released, but I had yet to read Evil for Evil, the fourth book in the series so I finally sat down and picked it up. It simply reinforced why I like this series so much. There's the history of World War II (which I find interesting but admittedly know very little about), there's the characters who are all well drawn and fleshed out, and the crimes that Billy solves to keep the Allied Forces together(think "Foyle's War" but for the entire Allied Forces, not just England).
In Evil for Evil, Billy finally has a chance to visit Ireland--a working visit, of course. 50 Browning Automatic Rifles have been stolen from a US base in Northern Ireland and the British command is concerned that the IRA has stolen the BARs. Billy's Irish-American Catholic family is heavy on the side of a united Ireland, so Billy resents--just a little--that the Brit who sends Billy to Ireland automatically assumes it was the IRA who stole them. The truth is in fact much more complicated that IRA vs the Red Hand. Which is something I love about these novels, the fact that the answer is not so easily cut and dried. I like reading Billy puzzle over putting the pieces together because you can be sure that I don't want to do it (I'm a lazy mystery reader). Two dead US servicemen, a crooked captain, a beautiful Irish woman working for the British, a surprise visitor from the US, and a wooden pig later, Billy's solved the crime. But he's also come to terms with Diana's desire to return to duty (not to mention his own), and how the question of Ireland is so much more complicated than it seems from Boston.
James Benn is fantastic. Billy's journey through the war it touching, exciting, and informative (and it makes me want to go look up articles about WWII). I can't wait to read Rag and Bone.

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

When we last left Alek and Deryn in Leviathan, they were aboard the Leviathan (the giant living flying whale) and on the way to Istanbul on top secret business to deliver some mysterious eggs to the sultan.
As Behemoth begins, Alek and his fellow Austrians are maintaining their Clanker engines that they've attached to the Leviathan to get out of the Alps. It's a tenuous sort of peace between the British and the Austrians, if only because each knows they could not have escaped without the other, but Count Volger knows that once they arrive in Istanbul, they'll have to escape from the Leviathan, to find safety and wait out the war.
Deryn has successfully kept her secret (that she's a girl disguised as a boy to serve on Leviathan) and finds herself growing closer to Alek. And, heaven forbid, feeling like a girl towards him. She's still terrified that someone will find out (and someone DOES, but I won't say who) and she'll be kicked off the ship. She gets sent on her first command mission (which is a success and yet goes miserably).
The Austrians escape the Leviathan (something else that is a success yet goes miserably) and Alek becomes involved with anarchists, who desire to overthrow the sultan. He also meets Lilit, one of the anarchists, and a very intelligent and well trained young woman (she can pilot a walker). And an American reporter, who's too clever by half with recording bullfrog.
Deryn of course manages to be a part of this group and also comes up with a brilliant idea to help save the day. But all operations are not without loss. The Leviathan comes to the rescue once more; could this be the parting of Deryn & Alek?
Behemoth is full of action and adventure, lively moments as well as thoughtful ones, and great imagination. Perhaps one of MY favorite things about Scott Westerfeld is his portrayal of strong, independent, intelligent young women. There's a great deal of young adult literature out there starring female characters who are not so fantastic. Yes, Deryn is disguising who she is, but that doesn't change the fact that she's just as capable as the rest of the middies, and Alek. Westerfeld's character development and imagination for stories is amazing, and I eagerly look forward to the final book in the trilogy!

Maid to Match by Deanne Gist

When I read the review for Maid to Match by Deanne Gist, what caught my eye is that the book takes place at Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina. I have visited Biltmore Estate and have been fascinated by the Vanderbilt family for ages so this book seemed a natural fit.
It's 1898 and Tillie is a maid in the vast Biltmore Estate, a high ranking maid, and it has just been discovered that the new Mrs. Vanderbilt's French maid wants to go back to France. This is Tillie's chance to see the world; being a lady's maid opens so many doors for her--travel, nice clothes, books, leisure time--and she and her mother have been preparing Tillie for this happenstance since Tillie was young.
Of course, it's not as easy as just saying she wants it--Tillie is in competition with another high ranking young maid, and Mrs. Vanderbilt has determined to give both young women a chance to prove themselves. When a large party comes to visit the Vanderbilts, Tillie is assigned to a young woman not much older than herself, who gives her a taste of just how much work it is to be a lady's maid and Tillie is run ragged.
Complicating matters further is Mack, the new handyman, who is gruff but kind and to whom Tillie is attracted to. Unfortunately, only single young men and women can work at Biltmore and Tillie knows if she marries Mack, she ruins her chance at becoming a lady's maid. She is torn between her wish to fulfill what her mother wants for her and what Tillie thinks she wants for herself, and the chance to have a family of her own and to be truly happy.
There are obstacles and stubbornness, but this sweet story ends happily for all concerned. I have never read anything by Deanne Gist before, so I wasn't entirely certain what to expect; there tended to be more discussion of God and faith than I am used to in my fiction, but it did not deter from the story. Definitely an enjoyable light read with feel-good ending.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

I thought I would expand my romance knowledge by trying a different author--Lisa Kleypas has written a series of five books about the Hathaway siblings in 1850's England. I'm a sucker for series and as I enjoyed Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series so much I thought I would try another sibling series.
Amelia Hathaway is the responsible Hathaway sibling. At 26 she feels she is firmly on the shelf and since her parents died years ago, has been raising her siblings, including her older brother Leo. Winnifred, Poppy, and Beatrix are well behaved young women (for the most part); Beatrix is just 15, Poppy 19, and Win is a few years older. Leo has recently inherited a title that certainly helps the Hathaways--Leo had been studying to be an architect but it would have been difficult to maintain all five siblings on such a meager salary. Leo is now Lord Ramsay, and he's run amok--gambling, drinking, and who knows what else. He disappears for days at a time and during one of his disappearances Amelia meets Cam Rohan, a Gypsy who lives and works in London. The Hathaways are not unfamiliar with Gypsies--Merripen, not a servant but not quite a member of the family, has been living with the family since the Hathaways' father saved his life when Merripen was 12. Cam helps Amelia and Merripen track down a very drunk Leo and Cam steals a kiss from Amelia during the course of the evening. Very exciting for Amelia, but she figures she'll never see him again.
But of course, we readers know that's not the case. Amelia sells the tiny house she and her siblings live in and move to Ramsay House in the country. Ramsay House is in tatters and the Hathaways have little money to spend on it. Their well to do neighbors, Lord and Lady Westcliff, have Cam Rohan as a guest and of course he's fascinated by Amelia. Things can't go easily with the Hathaways and Cam comes to the rescue more than once. Amelia is also startled to discover her old flame, Christopher Frost, is in the area. Christopher left her for the daughter of his boss but it turns out they did not get married. Amelia has been determined to remain single and independent, but will one of these men convince her to change her stubborn mind?
Kleypas does not write with the same sense of humor and lightness as Quinn, and her stories are a little darker, a little more dramatic, and the first one had a touch of the supernatural. (Which is not something I normally enjoy, but it was not an overwhelming part of the story, so it was all right.) What I did like about this book is that Kleypas developed all of the Hathaway siblings in the course of the book instead of focusing solely on Amelia. It was nice to get a formed picture of all five siblings instead of just a generalized outline. A little more dramatic than I first envisioned, but it is definitely entertaining and a quick read. I think I might have to pick up the next once, once I finish the current stack of books I have waiting for me.

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn tells the story Mary Finn and James Nelligan, about ten years apart in the late nineteenth century.

Mary is the oldest of 5 children who, when her father remarries, is sent away to an inn to work to be out of her stepmother’s hair. She doesn’t like working at the inn and when a well-bred woman with no idea how to take care of her child come into the inn, Mary takes care of the baby and is then invited to join the staff of the young woman’s home. So Mary comes to London and meets Caden Tucker, a soldier in London.

James is an orphan, who was raised in the country for the first 6 years of his life before being returned to the home for orphans in London. Having been raised in a home and calling his foster mother Mama, James has a difficult time adjusting to life in the home (with all the rules that come with it).

There are two other narrators thrown in, Eliza, who works with Mary at the home in London and Oliver, a history teacher at the Foundling Hospital where James lives, who provide a different take--and also cause problems--on the story.

It's a tale of a fallen woman and the chances she takes, the heartbreaking decisions she makes, The chapters are brief, end on cliffhangers, and want you to keep reading. It’s not a very long book, but a very rewarding quick read. It’s a little dark, but has a surprisingly touching ending.

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

I have finally finished reading Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series. The last of the books is about Gregory, seventh child of eight, and the youngest son. He's determining what kind of purpose his life shall have (army? or clergy? he's a terrible shot, so that narrows the options) at his brother Anthony's house party in the country. He would like to fall in love one day, and knowing that all seven of his siblings managed to make love matches, Gregory is a bit of a romantic in hoping he'll have the same opportunity. The woman just hasn't come about yet.
And then--most dramatically--he sees her. The back of her neck to be precise. Miss Hermione Watson, as he is introduced to her, is all that is lovely and beautiful and he falls in love immediately. It matters not that her heart is taken by another young man, it matters not that her friend Lady Lucinda Abernathy is a bit of a pest (even though she is trying to help him win Hermione), it matters not that they have nothing in common.
Nothing matters until Miss Watson is caught with a young man in a most compromising way. So they must marry (not the young man she originally thought had taken her heart) ending Gregory's brief lapse into love.
Surprisingly, he's not as affected as one would think. His no longer addled brain realizes how very little he had in common with Miss Watson and how unhappy they should make each other. Her friend Lucy on the other hand is different, and as with many romances, Gregory and Lucy fall in love.
And, as with many romances, it is not that easy. Lucy becomes officially engaged to a young man because it is the wish of her family, and no matter what Lucy & Gregory may feel for each other, they cannot be together. Especially once Lucy finds out there's a little blackmail involved.
That summation of the novel makes it sound so much more dramatic than it really is--as with all of Quinn's Bridgerton series, there's humor and wit and it's an overall entertaining read. I only wish there had been a bit more of the other Bridgertons, as a sappy way to say goodbye. Good read and though she's excellent about not giving much away about the stories of the other siblings, it's best to read the series in order.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

In the interest of full disclosure, I admit I was wary about reading this book. It's about vampires and werewolves. Two things that are definitely not my scene. I enjoy fantasy, but more of the high fantasy than the paranormal/supernatural fantasy. But a very good friend recommended this book to me and it is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Carriger, and I'm a sucker for series. So I read it.
I loved it.
It's another 19th century London setting, and Alexia Tarabotti is on the shelf (she's not married and is around age 30). She has two half sisters who are twittering nitwits, but she is very nice to them. Her mother (who remarried) is concerned with propriety and is still very desperately looking for a husband for Alexia. Alexia is not overly concerned. In fact, she would rather stay single.
There is something special about Alexia, something inherited from her deceased Italian father. Alexia is a preternatural: she is soulless, and thus able to turn vampires and werewolves (prevalent and accepted in society, so long as they follow the rules) mortal with her touch. Her family is not aware of this power; the government agency that handles the supernatural beings of England is aware of her, but her state is kept quiet and low-key.
Lord Maccon knows, though. He is the Alpha of the London werewolf pack. Alexia always seems to be getting in his way, especially when it comes to any investigations regarding supernaturals. When the reader meets Lord Maccon, it's because Alexia has accidentally killed a vampire. (He was very rude and didn't seem to know the proper etiquette when in public, like not lunging at and trying to feast on a person.) Alexia would love to work for the government, but of course, Lord Maccon does not think it appropriate, Alexia being a woman and all.
Carriger does a great job of establishing the normalcy of vampires and werewolves being accepted in London society (interestingly, they are not in America), down to the fact that places that cater to werewolves have cloakrooms with spare clothes, because of course, when men are werewolves, they are not wearing clothes. Scandalous! She does a brilliant job of describing the transformation into werewolf as well.
The main meat of the story is the mystery: rove vampires and werewolves (those not belonging to hives or packs) are missing all over England. It turns out they've been kidnapped by a mad scientist--seriously, a mad scientist--whose intention it is to rid the world of vampires & werewolves altogether. Alexia lands right in the middle of it and is being used for nefarious reasons as well.
The humor is great in this story; the exchanges between characters witty (even though Alexia hates her friend Ivy's taste in hats); the pacing good and the action sequences pretty intense. The romance isn't bad either. I eagerly await my library to get Changeless, the second book, so I can catch up with Alexia.

It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn

One of my co-workers told me about the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. The series is about the love lives of 8 siblings in 19th century London, all very popular and each with his or her little quirks. It's a clever, witty series with just enough romance thrown in without it being overwhelming.
It's in His Kiss is the 7th book in the series, focusing on Hyacinth Bridgerton, the youngest in the family. Hyacinth is 22 and in her 4th season. She has been proposed to 3 times her first season, twice her second season, and once the past season. So far, there are no takers for this season. Hyacinth is outspoken, opinionated, and loves a good battle of wits. She is not the type of young woman to allow a man to tell her what to do or to be coy and demure. Perhaps this has something to do with her husband-less state?
Lady Danbury (who makes an appearance in all of the Bridgerton novels, an opinionated old woman who wields a mean cane) has a grandson, Gareth. Gareth and his father do not get along at all and due to sad circumstances, Gareth becomes his father's heir. Until his father kicks it, however, Gareth is practically penniless. Lady Danbury dotes upon him though (and Gareth is very good to his grandmother) and would like to encourage her young friend Hyacinth to entertain the idea of perhaps becoming affectionate with Gareth.
Being a romance, these two main characters do get involved, but not entirely in the way one would think: it begins with an diary in Italian and the promise of hidden jewels. And a very poorly written romance novel.
Quinn's Bridgerton series are fantastically fast reads; the characters are engaging, the details good, and the plot entertaining with a dash of seriousness and a whole lot of humor.

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

Splendor is the final book in The Luxe series, following the lives of Elizabeth, Diana, Lina, and Penelope. It would appear as if all young women are headed for happy endings: Lina is wealthy and in love with Leland Bouchard, Diana is on her way to finding Henry, Penelope has met a real prince, and Elizabeth is safely married and getting ready to give birth to her child.

Of course, none of the novels in this series have led to fully happy endings and the trials and turmoil that have been a part of these women’s lives continue. Lina is paid unexpected visits by Tristan, Diana is as restless as soul as always, Penelope lives scandalously, and Elizabeth discovers that the man she married may not be entirely what she expected.

The rich setting of these books, the wealth and the style of the characters and their expectations I have always enjoyed and this final book continues to live up to that standard that Godbersen has set. It had a bit of a sad ending, but I was expecting that after reading the previous three, and really if after reading the previous three you thought everything was going to end happily would be sorely mistaken. If you are intrigued by the storylines and invested in the characters, you will definitely want to read Splendor to know the complete story.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Yes, yes, everyone has read and reviewed Graceling, but I finally got around to it. And enjoyed it! Though am looking more forward to the book about Bitterblue than I am Fire.

Graceling is set in a world where some people are born with Graces, or a natural ability to do something uncommonly well. Some people are born with the Grace of cooking, or swimming, or fighting, or singing. Katsa, niece to the King of Middluns, one of the Seven Countries, is born with the Grace of killing.

This Grace weighs heavily on the 16 year old girl, whose main purpose is to injure, maim, and kill at her uncle’s command. Katsa does not take easily to this and so has started a Council to help innocent and wronged people. While on a mission for the Council, Katsa meets a man with a fighting Grace and from their tentative friendship, she begins to discover more about herself.

Graceling is an excellent fantasy novel, filled with adventure, action, a quest, and a little bit of romance. Cashore has created memorable characters (especially, in my opinion, in Bitterblue, who is star of Cashore’s third book, yet to be released) and in interesting world. In our world we like to think our differences are celebrated, but in Katsa’s world people with Graces are seen as freaks and meant to be used by the kings of their countries.

A Spy in the House by YS Lee

A Spy in the House by YS Lee takes place in London in 1858 and centers on Mary Quinn, a young woman with remarkable talents. Mary is given a choice when she is 12 years old: hang for being a thief and a beggar, or attend a charity school. The 12 year old is determined after a rough life that she’s prepared to die, that there’s not much hope for her, but when actually given a choice (and an escape), Mary becomes a new pupil at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls.

Fast forward 5 years. Mary is now 17 and a junior teacher at the Academy. She has tried training in a number of professions available to women at her time, and each leaves Mary feeling something is missing. The two headmistresses of the Academy meet with Mary and reveal to Mary they are members of the Agency, a group of woman who assist the police (and other private inquirers) by placing female agents in positions close to suspects. Mary is shocked, but is excited by this prospect.

After her brief training, Mary begins her first assignment, meant to listen & observe. Of course, being the headstrong person she is, Mary decides to take matters into her own hands to make sure she gets the information she is after. It’s a good story of intrigue about the case and mystery about the character of Mary (there’s more to her than even she is willing to admit). A fun, fast moving historical fiction novel that I hope will be the first in a series!

read, read, ready

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox, Persuasion by Jane Austen, The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble, and None But You by Susan Kaye. Those are just the ones I can remember having read recently. There might be more but of course, my list is not anywhere convenient as I write this.
The Glass of Time is a fantastic story. I really enjoyed it (I was worried too much would hinge on having read The Meaning of Night--which I have but am unable to remember much of it--but it does not). Esperanza is a well drawn character with an interesting task before her. How many of us could have a task in which we are required to move from our home to another country, take a position that is beneath us (Esperanza is raised well but is required to become a lady's maid), all without questioning the purpose of being there. For there most definitely is a purpose. Esperanza is to accomplish the Great Task while working as Lady Tansor's lady's maid. Esperanza adjusts to her life in England fairly easily; she is enamored of one of her ladyship's sons (naturally) and most of the characters are well drawn and real. Perhaps Esperanza's implicit and unquestioning trust in her guardian, who sends her to Lady Tansor, is a little naive. But being 19, Esperanza treats it as an game of adventure and soon finds that it is no game. It's an exciting story as orphaned Esperanza discovers more about her past from her mother's journals and stories of her father's journeys through his friends, and when she puts the pieces together, Esperanza discovers who she is. And it's different from what she thought. There's a little in the book that relates to Edwin Glyvver, so those looking for a little more information on him won't be disappointed. Truthfully, parts of the story are rather predictable, but other parts throw the reader a bit of a loop. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Persuasion, book 6 of 6, and I have finally finished reading my Austen novels. It was even before the new year began. As with P&P, there's something wonderfully familiar about Persuasion and coming back to it is like spending time with a good friend. Anne Elliot is still one of my favorite heroines, Captain Wentworth a worthy and realistic hero. Of course he's still hurt that Anne did not follow through on her engagement with him. But he wants no other, and I think one of my favorite lines from literature is Anne saying, "The only privilege I claim for my sex is that of loving longest when all hope is gone" (I'm paraphrasing as I haven't the book in front of me). In my limited experience, that's been true. It's sigh worthy.
The Queen Geek Social Club is a fun book, though I question the motives of one of the characters. There are two other books with Shelby and Becca, and I certainly will read the next two. Shelby is a geek. She's pretty, funny, smart, kind, but just doesn't seem able to make many girl friends. She's a serial dater, dating simply to date, but unable to make a connection with any of the guys she goes out with (most likely because they're only interested in her breasts). Then Becca moves to town and almost immediately, she and Shelby hit it off. Shelby is content to have Becca, her very good friend, and that's all she really needs. But Becca ... Becca is different. She jokes about world domination, and decides to start the Queen Geek Social Club, so that she and Shelby will have others 'of their kind' to hang otu with and have an influence upon school society. Their first project is to feed models junkfood. Yes, they want to feed models Twinkies. At first Shelby thinks it's all a laugh but begins to worry that Becca's not interested in Shelby as a friend, that Shelby isn't good enough, and that she's just looking for a better friend. We've all had those kinds of insecurities. On top of it all, her widower Dad starts dating and she's becoming unusually obsessed with a guy--not something Shelby does. Naturally it all works out in the end, but there are enough questions about what happens next to get me interested in the next book, Queen Geeks in Love. I love my geeky chick lit.
None But You by Susan Kaye is the first part of a two part story of Persuasion from Captain Wentworth's point of view. The first book ends at Uppercross, just after Wentworth has dropped off Anne and Henrietta after the terrible news about Louisa. I enjoyed it because the reader gets to spend a bit more time with Wentworth's sister and brother-in-law as well as some of the occurrences on the Musgroves' side of things, their dread at sister-in-law Mary and the pleasure they take from Anne's company. I think the second book, For You Alone, is due to be released sometime in the spring. I'll keep my eye out for that one.
Finally I'm in the midst (and nearly middle) of reading At Face Value by Emily Franklin, a Cyrano de Bergerac tale starring Cyrie, and intelligent, witty, sometimes occasionally mean (she's really just dishing it back) high school senior with a larger & longer than average nose. She's planning on surgery to shrink it on her 18th birthday, which will be January 1st. It will be interesting to see if she goes through with it and how the relationship budding between her pretty friend Leyla and Cyrie's crush Eddie (everybody else calls him Rox) will work out. Definitely enjoying it so far.
So, until I've piled a pile of finished books, I remain,
the Savage librarian.