Rules of Civility



Rules of Civility by Amor Towles



Grade: A

Profanity: A little, including a few scattered F-bombs

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): A few sexual innuendos, but nothing graphic

This was October's Book Club pick. I am a bit fascinated with the 20's/ 30's era, so I figured I'd enjoy this book... And it didn't disappoint. : )  Here is my back cover summary:

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker, happens to sit at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel her on a yearlong journey toward the upper echelons of New York society -- where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.

While other members of my Book Club complained that it was hard to get "into" the story in the beginning, I enjoyed it from start to finish. That may be because of my inner "wish-I-had-moved-to-New-York-and-lived-a-glamorous-city-life-when-I-was-younger" self though. Katey's life, while filled with it's fair share of drama and sadness, is never a dull one. I really enjoyed her character and the way she interacted with everyone else in the book.

While I wouldn't call the ending "happily-ever-after" per se, I was fairly pleased with it. There are several twists and turns in the book that I didn't see coming, so Towles did a great job in keeping me interested. I think it flowed well, and I chuckled often... mostly at Katey's wittiness. There are a few sad moments, but nothing that brought tears to my eyes. And there are a couple semi-scandalous moments, but nothing that made me blush. ; )

I really enjoyed reading Rules of Civility and do recommend it, especially if you're a Great Gatsby fan. (SO excited for the movie!!!) I think it had a slight hint of The Bell Jar too... Have you read it? What did you think?



Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel 

Grade: A

Profanity: Very little

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): A little gore but not too graphic

This was our September Book Club pick. And I really enjoyed it. But, for those of you who have not read the book, I will put a WARNING at some point in this review, and you MUST NOT READ PAST IT UNTIL AFTER YOU READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!! Hmmm... maybe I should put more emphasis on that. No? Okay... But seriously, don't read past the warning. Here is the synopsis on the back of my copy:

 

A boy of many faiths. A 450-pound Bengal tiger. A shipwreck. A lifeboat. The Pacific Ocean.

 

With more than six million copies in print, Life of Pi has become a modern classic, combining grand storytelling with a profound exploration of ageless themes: faith and truth, fact and fiction, man versus nature, and innocence and experience.

 

Ok, so that wasn't much of a summary... Basically, it's the story of a young Indian boy who gets stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger. It's very lovely at times, and has both comical and sad moments. And I thought it was very eloquently written. Martel did an excellent job of painting images in my mind, which I love in a book.

 

The novel sometimes delves into different aspects of religion, and while it's not the kind of book to make you question your own religious beliefs, it does perhaps shine light on how some religions are more closely related than you might think.

 

On a personal note, during the time I was reading this book, Matt and I went to see some movie. One of the previews happened to be for the Life of Pi movie, and when I realized what it was (during a loud part of the preview) I yelled over to Matt, "That's Life of Pi!!!" Well, it just so happened that the preview went silent right at the moment I yelled... So yeah, that was a bit embarrassing. : )  Matt (and a few other patrons) laughed at me, and, of course, I laughed at myself. I do that quite often. (Ha, ha.) (See?!)

 

Ultimately, I do recommend reading this book if you haven't done so. I'm anxious to see the movie when it comes out now, but I will tell you that you should definitely read the book before you see the movie. I'm not sure what all they will change from the novel, but no matter what, I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU READ THE BOOK BEFORE YOU WATCH THE MOVIE IF YOU PLAN ON READING THE BOOK!!!

 

*WARNING: DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!

 

I'M SERIOUS... DON'T DO IT!

Okay, now for the real discussion... The ending. Which story did you think was the real one? Being the happily-ever-after optimist that I am, I of course choose to believe that the "with animals" tale is what really happened. I did some research and found a great interview Martel did with ABC News that I think helps back up my theory as well (click here for the full interview). Here are two of his responses that most influenced my choice:

"... I leave it to the reader to choose which is the better story. It can go both ways. Pi survived with Richard Parker and then, confronted with the skepticism of the Japanese, and wanting his suffering to be validated, to be accepted, he creates another story, the story without animals. That's one reading. Or Pi and his mother and the French cook and a Taiwanese sailor survive, it turns into a butchery and Pi invents the story with animals presumably to pass the time and to make acceptable the unacceptable, that is, the murder of his mother by the Frenchman and Pi's killing of the Frenchman. Both stories are offered, one is on the outer edges of the barely believable, the other is nearly unbearable in its violence, neither explains the sinking of the ship, in both Pi suffers and loses his family, in both he is the only human survivor to reach the coast of Mexico. The investigators must choose and the reader must choose. When the investigators choose the story with animals, Pi answers "And so it goes with God." In other words, Pi makes a parallel between the two stories and religion. His argument (and mine) is that a vision of life that has a transcendental element is better than one that is purely secular and materialist. A story with God ("God" defined in the broadest sense) is the better story, I argue, just as I think the story with animals is the better story. But you choose."

"... The most frequently asked question: What does the island mean? It means what you choose to see in it. My narrative strategy in writing this book was to write a story that was progressively harder to believe. Will you believe that a boy could survive with a tiger? Yes? Good. Will you believe that the boy could go blind, the tiger could go blind and they could meet another blind man in another lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific? Yes? Great. Now will you believe in this crazy carnivorous island? I figure most readers will not believe it. Their suspension of disbelief will break down and readers will start making excuses for Pi: He's starving and hallucinating. In other words, reason will kick in. That's fine with me. But I hope that when readers get to Part Three of the novel and read the other story, the one without animals, that their revulsion at that story will be such that they, like the investigators, will choose the first story as the BETTER story. But I wanted that better story to have something unbelievable about it. I wanted it to get beyond the reasonable and the plausible. BECAUSE every great thing in life — be it religion, love, any ideal — has an element of the unreasonable to it. We are not computers. We need the pull of the unreasonable to get us through life. The island represents that unreasonable element in the first story."

What do you make of those responses from the author? Did it change your opinion at all? Personally, I think the "with animals" story is the more believable. If you choose to believe the "without animals" story, you probably think Pi imagined both the encounter with the Frenchman and the algae island. But then, how did the meerkat bones get in the lifeboat? Or do you think Pi's insistence that the bones (which the two investigators admitted were there) be checked to verify that they were in fact meerkat bones was just a bluff because he didn't think they'd actually have them examined?

I suppose there are different ways you can interpret the story that are arguable... I normally am not a fan of novels who leave the ending up to the reader. I always go with the more positive interpretation, which often is the opposite of what everyone else in my Book Club chooses. They usually laugh at what they consider my naivety, but I happen to hold it in high regard. What's wrong with choosing to stay on the positive side of things? : )

I'd love to hear what you think about the novel and which version you choose to be the real story. But please shoot me an email instead of leaving it in the comments, just in case someone who hasn't read the book peruses them. ; ) My addy is april.a.payne@gmail.com.

The Hangman's Daughter

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch

Grade: B+

Profanity: Very little

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): Murder and some sexual references. Nothing too gory or explicit.

 

This was my choice for our latest Book Club. I picked it up in the book store a few months ago just because I liked the cover. I did read the summary before I purchased it though to make sure it sounded interesting. ; )   This is what it said:

 

Simon turned the boy on his belly. With a vigorous tug he ripped open the shirt on the back as well. A groan went through the crowd.

 

Beneath one shoulder blade there was a palm-size sign of a kind that Simon had never seen before -- a washed-out purple circle with a cross protruding from the bottom.

 

For a moment, there was total silence on the pier. Then the first screams rose. "Witchcraft! There's witchcraft involved!" Somebody bawled: "The witches have come back to Schongau! They're getting our kids!"

 

The Hangman's Daughter is set in 17th-century Bavaria, a state in Germany. The original novel is actually written in German... My version was translated into English by Lee Chadeayne. I worry a little when I read translated books that some of the story/ meaning of certain things gets lost in the process. But I didn't really get that feeling with this book.

 

The title is a little misleading though... While the hangman's daughter plays a chief role in the book, I'm not sure why it's named for her. The 2 driving characters are the hangman himself and a young doctor who has a thing for the daughter.

 

The Hangman's Daughter is sort of a murder mystery. Clues are given to point in different directions throughout the story, and while I had my suspicions concerning certain people, I didn't have the culprit pinpointed until the big reveal.

 

The story flowed very well for me and kept my interest the whole time. I enjoyed the characters... Potzsch made it easy to love the good guys and despise the bad guys. But he left room regarding certain characters for you to decide which side they were on... the good side or the bad side. I think it roused questions of moral values vs. political duties.

 

I also found it interesting that Potzsch is an actual descendant of the Kuisl family, a well-known line of hangmen and the main characters in the book. When asked what initially inspired Potzsch to write this story, he said:

 

As a descendant of the executioner's dynasty Kuisl, I have been fascinated by their history since my childhood. Engaging myself with the Kuisls makes me feel connected to a greater lineage. In addition, executions are a fascinating topic often treated with undue prejudice. In this respect my books are a defense of my ancestors' honour.

 

The book held lots of action and suspense, so I think boys and girls alike would enjoy it. Due to the violence though I wouldn't recommend it for the kiddos. I really enjoyed reading it, and I just ordered the follow-up novel, The Dark Monk, so we'll see how it compares to this one.

The Books of Mortals: Forbidden



Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee



Grade: B+ 

Profanity: None

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): Some sexual references and violence, but nothing graphic

Wow, I'm so behind on these! But I figured it'd be easier to start with the most recent and work my way back then to start from the beginning... So here we go:

This book was my Book Club's pick for the month of June. We had read another of Dekker's books (Thr3e) previously, and I enjoyed that one okay, so I figured this one would be okay too. Dekker is considered a Christian writer, but his work is mostly (if not all) fiction... So basically he tells fictitious stories that have an underlying Christian theme or message. And with Forbidden I found quite a bit of symbolism as well. I haven't read any other Tosca Lee books, but I liked Forbidden more than Thr3e, so I approve of the collaboration. : )

I really enjoyed reading Forbidden. So I was quite perturbed when I reached the end to find that it was actually part of a trilogy that HASN'T BEEN FINISHED!!! Bleh! I don't enjoy waiting for books to be published. : (  I hated it with the Harry Potter series, but luckily I didn't pick up the Twilight Series or the Hunger Games series until all the books were out. But I guess patience is a virtue...

The 2nd book of The Book of Mortals series, Mortal, was released a couple weeks ago, but the final book won't be released until next year sometime... So I'm not sure if I want to go ahead and read the 2nd book and wait another year or just wait until the 3rd book is released so that I can read them back to back. We'll see.

Anyway, I was quite pleased with Forbidden. I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. It kept my interest the whole way through, and although it's a semi-long book at 376 pages, I can't recall it ever seeming to "slow down." Here's the summary on the back of my copy:

Many years have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace... and fear. But a terrible secret has been closely guarded for centuries: Every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.

Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a piece of cryptic writing. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life. When decoded, the message will lead him on a perilous journey that will require him to abandon everything he has ever known and awaken humanity to the transforming power of true life and love.

But the blood will also resurrect hatred, ambition, and greed.

Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare to take the ride.

So basically the world is void of any emotion except fear. This came about as an attempt to rid the world of violence and war, and for the most part it is effective. But it leads to the question... Is a life without love worth living?

I enjoyed how parts of Forbidden made me stop and reflect on that question. Sure emotions can seem so frustrating at times, but would I want to live without them? Do the good outweigh the bad? My answer is yes. I am a romantic, after all. ; )

Have any of you read Forbidden or any other Ted Dekker or Tosca Lee books? What did you think?

The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Grade: C-

Profanity: Light if any

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): A little violence and murder. Not very graphic though...

This was our August Book Club pick. I love the musical, but I was not a big fan of the book. I had such a hard time getting into it. And it seemed kind of choppy and confusing to me.

There were certain parts I enjoyed... It was funny at times. And there was a section near the end that I thought was very well-written. I won't spoil it, but it takes place in a torture chamber (for those of you who have read it). Other than that, I was quite disappointed though.

I actually don't have a lot to say about this book. Sorry... And though I would definitely recommend watching the play or movie, I can't say that I'd recommend reading the novel.

That's just me though... Have any of you read it? What'd you think?

Next on the list is Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. Hopefully I'll have a better grade and a more thorough review for you soon! : )

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Grade: B+

Profanity: Yes. Not a ridiculous amount but more than enough

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): Yes. A few fairly detailed pervy moments and some violence

I had originally planned on reading this prior to the movie coming to the big screen, but that didn't happen... But since I totally missed seeing it in the theater anyway, I guess that's a moot point.

I had heard good things about Water for Elephants, but I didn't know much about the storyline other than what I gathered from the movie previews I had seen. And although the novel stayed pretty true to what I assumed would happen, there were definitely some surprises along the way.

As a hopeless romantic, I enjoyed the love story side of things... But I was also pulled into the other sides of the story. Although there were several throughout the book, I never felt overwhelmed or had any trouble keeping up with the details. I did have trouble remembering a couple of the female circus performers names when they'd show up out of nowhere in the middle of the book, but it wasn't vital to the story.

I really loved the vintage circus setting of this novel. Gruen did a great job painting a mental picture, which is awesome for those of us with overactive imaginations. ; ) I gathered from the "Conversation with the author" at the back of my copy that she did a ton of research before writing it... And the book I purchased even had several old circus photos throughout it!

The pervy moments I mentioned up top were a little more explicit than I would have preferred... although some made me laugh out loud. (That may mean I've been hanging out with my husband too long though... ha, ha!) But I suppose they went along with the rough, gritty life of a circus worker.

I also enjoyed the back and forth from past to present throughout the book. And I won't give anything away, but I loved the ending! So I would say if you haven't read Water for Elephants, and you don't mind a little adult content, you should give it a try... I'm glad I did. : )

Next on the list is The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, which is this month's Book Club pick. I need to have it read by the 18th... which is about 35 pages a day. I kept up (and even slightly surpassed) the 39 pages a day goal I had made previously, so hopefully I'll fly through this one. ; )

gods in Alabama

gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Grade: B

Profanity: Yes... lots

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): Yes... sex, rape, and murder 

This was July's Book Club pick. (I really need to start reading more than 1 book a month if I'm going to reach my 101 in 1001 goal!!) I wasn't sure what to expect, but the teaser on the back cover had me a little worried:

There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus. I left one back there myself...

I was hoping there'd be more "Jesus" than "big tits," and although that wasn't necessarily the case, I did actually enjoy the book. I will say that there was a whole lot of profanity (which I'm not a big fan of in case you couldn't tell), and a few pretty raunchy parts that made my eyes bulge and mouth say, "Well okay then..." Here's the summary printed on my copy:

When Arlene Fleet heads up north for college, she promises God that she'll stop fornicating and lying, and never, ever go back to her hometown in Alabama. All she wants from Him is one miracle: make sure the body is never found. Now, ten years later, God breaks the deal when a dark secret from her past lands on her Chicago doorstep. With the fickle finger of fate pointing her south, Arlene must return to the heart of redneck country, where a powerful truth can destroy her life... or save it.

Although the book had a few slow moments, the deeper I got into the story, the harder it was to put down... which is always a good thing. There were a few twists and turns too, particularly towards the end, so it kept me on my toes. And though a few of the characters were a little extreme at times, they were all believable.

Jackson touches some pretty heavy subjects in this novel, but she was also able to bring out many chuckles along the way. However, I think it was because as an Alabama girl myself, I was familiar with the customs and setting of the story. So if you've never been here, you may not enjoy the book as much...

Ultimately, I think gods in Alabama focused more on the power of family than the power of God (although who says they don't go hand-in-hand??). And although I would definitely caution first due to the language and graphic content, I would recommend this to read.

For August's Book Club, we are reading The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. But I'm going to try and squeeze in Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen first. That's 700 pages in 30 days... or about 24 pages a day. I can totally do that! (Wish me luck...)

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Grade: B+

Profanity: Nothing bad that I can recall

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): Some violence and sex-related themes, but nothing terribly graphic

This was June's Book Club pick. I had never heard of it, but being a lover of all things fairy tale, I felt sure I would like it. : )  Here is the synopsis on the back of my copy:

     In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings.... When we grow up we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats.

     We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's exquisite looks?

     Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed - and love unveiled - in the most unexpected of places.

A lot of the girls at Book Club said they weren't that fond of the book, but I enjoyed it... I was a little worried at first, because Cinderella comes across as a total spoiled brat in the beginning, and I didn't want to end up hating her character in other versions of her story because of reading Confessions. But I warmed up to her a little throughout the story...

I felt the plot flowed pretty well, but I definitely think those already familiar with the "Cinderella" story would get more out of the book than those who weren't... It's much, much darker than the normal fairy tale, so if you're looking for a "happily ever after," you should pass this book up.

One of the main themes of the novel is beauty, and whether having it is a good thing or a bad thing. The book really makes you question that...

There's an interesting twist at the ending of Confessions as well. It doesn't really affect the story at all, but it did make me think back over the story to see if I should have caught something...

All-in-all, I would recommend reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. It's not the most cheerful thing, but a little melancholy won't hurt you. ; )



Mr. Darcy, Vampyre

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Grade: C

Profanity: None that I can remember...

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): A little violence... nothing bad

** WARNING: This review is spoiler-ish if you've never read Pride and Prejudice **

So I was getting ready to type up my review of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister when I realized I never posted this one... oops! So here goes. Hope I can remember everything! ; )

Since Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book, and I'm such a huge fan of the Twilight series, I was really looking forward to reading Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. I mean, if you combined Mr. Darcy and Edward Cullen, you would have the perfect man... besides my husband, of course!! (Love you, Baby (who doesn't read my blog so it's all good)) My cousin Summer (who by the way just started her very own blog, so go check it out here) told me about this book, so I went and picked it up several weeks ago and had it in my huge "To Read" pile for a while. But I finally started it, and...

... I was pretty disappointed from the get-go. : (  I know it's not really fair to try and compare this book to Pride and Prejudice, but if you're going to write something based on another book's characters, you should expect that, I think. And the words just didn't flow as smoothly as Pri... ok I'm going to start abbreviating these titles... as smoothly as PP.

Another big problem I had with MDV was the character of Elizabeth Bennet... I mean Elizabeth Darcy. (In case you didn't know, this book takes place after their wedding). Oh, which reminds me that I didn't put a summary up there. Ok, I'll give you what's printed on the back of my copy of the book, which also happens to be the Prologue:

     My dearest Jane,

            My hand is trembling as I write this letter. My nerves are

        in tatters and I am so altered that I believe you would not

        recognise me. The past two months have been a night-

       marish whirl of strange and disturbing circumstances, and

       the future...

            Jane, I am afraid.

            If anything happens to me, remember that I love you and

       that my spirit will always be with you, though we may never

       see each other again. The world is a cold and frightening place

       where nothing is as it seems.

           It was all so different a few short months ago. When I

       awoke on my wedding morning, I thought myself the happiest

       woman alive...



Ok, so back to Elizabeth... She was just such a wuss in this book!! And worse than that... she came across as foolish and ridiculously naive a lot of the time. : ( The PP Elizabeth was strong and independent. She was intelligent and had a quick wit... They were just such different people that it was off-putting for me.

I will admit that the story itself kept me pretty drawn in the whole time. But the apex didn't seem to come until nearly the end of the book... And the ending was pretty unbelievable. Even for a vampire book.

So I'm not sure if I'd recommend this novel to anyone or not... It wasn't terrible, but there was a lot about it that I didn't like. I have heard that Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary is much better than MDV, so I still plan on reading it eventually... We'll see how it goes!

So, have any of you read this book? What did you think??

Random Harvest

Random Harvest by James Hilton

Grade: A 

Profanity: None that I can remember...

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): None

This book was actually our Book Club selection a few months ago, but I've been horrible with my reading lately and have just finished it. I really loved it though! I was a little worried at first, since it looked like a total romance novel (my cover is different than the one above...). Plus it was originally published in 1941 by an author with whom I wasn't familiar. But I was very pleasantly surprised! : )

 

This is the "summary" printed on the back of my copy:

 

"Wake up, Lazy!"

 

Smithy opened his eyes and looked around. He was surprised to see the girl by the pool. Suddenly she kicked up a spray of water.

 

"Get up or I'll soak you through, sir," she said sternly.

 

"Paula," he laughed as he came toward her, "you look like a mischievous pixie."

 

Bending to help her up, he pecked a kiss at her forehead. Then he gathered her into his arms. "Marry me, darling," he whispered.

 

"But Smithy, you may already have a wife!"

 

Smithy's entire previous life was lost to him because of amnesia. What right did he have to ask a woman to share his future? He would never be free until he could discover the forgotten past.

 

The story takes place in England, and I always enjoy reading in my head with an English accent... ; ) Ha, ha. I don't want to give anything away, because I definitely recommend checking this one out. The characters are well-developed, and the plot flows really well. I never remember being bored while reading it.

 

And it's such a perfect love story... I was both grinning from ear to ear and tearing up by the end of it. I hate that I took so many breaks while reading it though, so I'll probably end up reading it again soon. But for right now, I'm on to June's Book Club selection: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire.

The Silver Spoon

The Silver Spoon by K. T. Archer

Grade: B-

Profanity: Minimal

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): None

February's Book Club choice was The Silver Spoon by K. T. Archer. She is actually a friend of one of our members AND she did my hair for my wedding! : )  Since one of my lifelong dreams is to have a novel published, I was very excited to read a book by someone local who had accomplished that.

The story is about a young woman who finds out her mother is dying of cancer, so she moves in with her to care for her in her final days. In turn, she also cares for her grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's, who had previously moved in with the mother. To make matters worse, there is a lot of family drama with the woman's aunt, her mom's only sister, who seems to only care about getting her hands on a set of silver that belonged to the grandmother.

The book is 259 pages, but it was a very fast read. I actually read it in two days... It was pretty well written; it kept my attention the whole time, and I was drawn into the story easily. As you can imagine, it got pretty sad at times. And the aunt's character continuously infuriated me, so the book did well with drawing out strong emotions... in me, at least. Archer threw in a little comic relief at times, so that helped the book from being a complete downer.

I enjoyed the story line, but it didn't end how I was hoping it would. I don't want to give too much away, but I suspected that there was more behind the aunt's attitude and actions than there ended up being. There was also a mention of an ex-husband that really had nothing to do with the story. It was almost like she just needed to fill the page a little more.

Overall, it was a nice, easy read. And those are good every once in a while. I also believe it's healthy to work the old tearducts from time to time, and this book definitely helped with that.

Since K. T. Archer is a friend of one of our Book Club members, we were actually able to have her come to our meeting this month to discuss her novel. Unfortunately... I just so happened to develop a fever the night we were to meet. Sucks, right?! : (  So I missed it. I was able to score an autographed book though:

And that's it for this review... If you have any questions about the book, or if you've read it and have some further input, feel free to leave a comment! There's a link under the book's photo if you'd like to purchase it as well.

I'm almost done with Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, so look for that review soon...