Feeling Emotional with Of Mice and Men

This is one classic that I have never read.  So, I was very excited to start this adventure.  Also, I had never heard the synopsis or anything to do with this book other than references to it in movies.  I must say that it did not prepare me for what I read.  

The setting was wonderful and I learned so much from it about the lives of men who worked on ranches.  I love seeing settings that are filled with different types of people and allows me to discover a different time and place.  This setting did that.  

The characters are very vibrant.  Most of the characters were men but each were different in their own way.  They each had their own hardships and worries and that made them each real.  Because of that, I was able to see the world through their eyes and experience their lives.  My heart ached for most of these men and in most cases, I truly liked them.  There were a few characters that I disliked but they were written to be disliked.  So, Mr. Steinbeck did well when he developed these characters.  The story itself was heart-wrenching.  It was a story about dreams and broken dreams and how life intertwines with death.  It really involves all of your emotions which is what a good book does.  The characters and their stories will live with me long after reading this book.  Now, the only thing that I did have a problem with was the language.  I had to remind myself frequently that the book was written in a different time.  After jumping over that hurdle, I was able to enjoy the story.  

Finally, I do recommend this book to anyone who loves a good classic.  It really is a good story that is well-written and is able to make you become emotionally involved.  

My Rating: 4

Book Cover Rating: 4

Taking Some Liberties: My review of Liberty for Paul by Rose Gordon

I have literally just finished Liberty for Paul so it is still very fresh in my mind...Which is a good thing because you'll know that this review is from someone who is still living in the story.  

First, I would like to say that I did read the first book in The Scandalous Sisters Series by the name of Intentions of the Earl.  It was a wonderful story and if you want to read my review on it, you'll find it in the older posts.  That said, I was greatly excited to read this book especially since Liberty and Paul were introduced in the first book and they were very interesting characters.  So, I had great optimism while beginning their story.  

I suppose I'll review the setting first.  England is always an interesting place especially at a time when balls were thrown and marriages were negotiated in very interesting ways.  Thankfully, Mrs. Gordon does give us a very detailed view into English society.  Also, she doesn't just show us the pretty parts of society but also the ugly parts of society too.  So, her setting was beautifully written and diverse.  

The characters are vibrant and interesting.  I was so glad to see that Liberty evolved from being plain to beautiful.  I loved that Paul even before he loved her could see that beauty.  The rest of the characters are vibrant and they have personalities that you can find yourself becoming engaged with.  I was also happy to find that Rose Gordon showed characters who may be dressed well but had horrible personalities or vice versa.  They could wear rags and be the most wonderful people.  It was very refreshing.  

The story itself was well plotted.  I loved it.  The way they misunderstood each other reminds me of the atmosphere of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  They truly do get to know each other and you get to see them fall in love.  By the way, I loved the arguments they had.  It made me laugh out loud quite a bit.    So, there is quite a bit of humor in this book.  

So, I guess I'm saying that this is one of those books that I will reread over and over again.  I love it.  I can't think of one thing wrong with the story, the setting or the characters.  I am looking forward to reading the third book.  I would like to say thank you to Rose Gordon for entertaining me.  It's such a beautiful story.  I recommend Liberty for Paul for anyone who loves a really good romance.  

 

Book Rating: 5 (I would give it more if I could)

Book Cover Rating: 5

Searching for Werewolves with Lori Handeland in Blue Moon

I love werewolf books especially werewolf romances. So, whenever I can get my hands on a werewolf book I do devour them.  Unfortunately, I am often left disappointed.  I am happy to say that this one did not leave me feeling that way at all.  So, this will be an enjoyable review.  

I'll start with the setting.  Miniwa is the perfect setting for werewolves.  It's a small town.  It's a bit of a tourist attraction but it is surrounded by forests and Native American legends.  In other words, there are plenty of dark, shadowy areas to hide in at night and it's a normal little town during the day (Except for the werewolves).  Miniwa is perfect and becomes a character in the book which is what you always look for in a good setting.  

The characters are beautifully written and absolutely believable.  I was very happy that the main character, Jessie isn't the most beautiful girl in the room.  As a matter of fact, she often describes herself as plain and so do other characters.  William Codote is beautiful inside and out but he has a vulnerability that is endearing.  I absolutely adored Edward Mandenauer's character.  Again, Mrs. Handeland is original in that he is an elderly man who fights werewolves.  Other characters such as Zelda, Clyde, Cherry and the rest of the characters in this book are very much characters that you can fall in love with.  

The story took me a minute to get into.  The very beginning dragged just a little but not enough to really bore me.  Once the action began, it kept going and I was able to be a bit more engaged.  The only part, I wish she had slowed down on is the love story.  They went from meeting to involved so quickly that you had to ask how it happened.  Still, it wasn't enough for me to focus on for too long.  The background of these characters is very interesting.  I love History and Legends and I was glad to see those intertwined in the story.  

So, the rating...I will give this book a 4.8 rating just because of the little bit of drag and then, the rush of the romance but I have high hopes that the next book will be more balanced in those areas.  I love the cover.  It's beautiful.  So, the cover gets a 5.  I do recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal romance, werewolf romance or a story steeped in History and legend.  I would like to take the time to thank Lori Handeland for writing such a stellar book.  It's beautifully written.  

Book rating: 4.8

Cover rating: 5

Call Me Investigating with Dani Ripper

I started the first of the Dani Ripper Novels, Call Me with a lot of interest.  The Summary was gripping and I sat down and read Call Me and entered the world of Dani Ripper.  

First, the setting and back story.  It takes place partially in Cincinnati and partially in Nashville.  Since, I am from a town two hours away from Nashville and I'm a bit homesick, I was extremely happy to find that at least some of the setting would be there.  The background of Dani Ripper is interesting and I found that I was engaged with her. 

When it comes to the characters, I really did like Dani.  However, the rest of the characters were hard to find believable.  I kind of liked Sophie but not enough to see the relationship between Sophie and Dani.   I kind of liked Ben but not enough to see that relationship either.  So, I tried but the only one I could find believable besides Dani was Detective Aub and he wasn't in the book enough to keep me interested in the characters.  

The plot was interesting and I did find myself interested in the actual story line but I did feel that it should have had more detail in parts but for the most part it did keep me engaged.  So, I enjoyed the story.  

So, I would recommend this story to people who want to read a detective's novel even though the characters left me feeling a bit disappointed.  

My rating: 2.9

Cover Rating: 3

Getting Familiar With Murder with Classmate Murders by Bob Moats

When I decided to read this book, I wasn't too sure about it.  Still, I tend to finish what I begin and so, I began the book with a bit of skeptic caution and I am happy to say that I did finish it and it was different than what I thought it would be.

First, the setting of the book is nice and it definitely shows you both the classier world and the underground of a city.  This is what I expect from a good mystery.  You want to see both worlds and Bob Moats does do that.

The characters have a sense of humor and that balances well with the darkness of the book.  In other words, you aren't kept in a perpetual state of gloom even though there are murders galore in the book.  I would also like to state that all of the characters are wonderful.  Yes, that includes the always grouchy Trapper.  I even have a favorite.  I also must thank Mr. Moats for including a positive spin on bikers.  I'm married to one so you won't be surprised to learn that Buck is my favorite character. Also, I am so happy to find older main characters.  Sometimes, people forget how refreshing that is.  

The story is great.  I loved the premise of it and it kept me engaged with each new development.  I found that the story never really dragged and I was always interested.  

Now, for the only unpleasant part of this review.  This is the only reason that this story did not get a five star review.  The story really does need editing.  If Mr. Moats reads this I would be happy to point him to the right direction because I do believe the talent is there.    Usually, I do not say anything about editing but this story needed it so much that it was distracting.  However, I still loved the story and Mr. Moats talent of storytelling is there.  

I would recommend this book for lovers of a good murder mystery.  I would not recommend this for people who are easily distracted by grammar.  

My Rating: 3.8

My Book Cover Rating: 4

Getting Spooked by Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Every now and then, I love reading the classics.  I will confess that I have read this book before.  I was twelve then.  Since it's been over twenty years, I decided to read it again and review it for you while my mind is fresh with the story.
First, I would like to say if you are expecting the written retold story of the movie starring Johnny Depp or the television show, you will be disappointed.  This is far from those tales.  I would never want you to expect something else because I believe it makes you bias against the original story.  So, please keep that in mind as you read my review.
The story itself is beautifully written.  The words are very visual and make it easy to imagine what Mr. Irving describes.  The setting is interesting in that it is as much a character in the story as the people.  The trees and the building within the town are described in wonderful detail and you begin to understand the town's characters from its buildings and landmarks.  The setting does exactly what it is supposed to...Enchant you.
The characters are diverse and beautiful in their own way.  From Brom Bones to Ichabod Crane to the lovely Katrina, the characters are displayed with such interesting characteristics that they become very real in your mind.  They aren't perfect.  They all have flaws and it's endearing.
The story itself is wonderful.  I loved the spooky mischief of it.  It's well-told and very engaging.  The only thing that bothered me is that it is very short.  I do believe that it could have been longer but I still adore the story.  I do not recommend this book for someone looking for a long read but if you are looking for a short read, this book will be perfect.  I also recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good ghost story.  You won't be disappointed.


My Rating: 4
There is no cover for this book on my Kindle so I am not able to rate that.  :)

My Halloween review of Maggie Shayne's Twilight Guardian

I was happy and anxious to read Maggie Shayne's Twilight Guardians which is her first book in her series Wings in the Night Reborn.  I was happy because I was so eager to revisit the beautiful world that Maggie Shayne created in her Wings in the Night series but I was anxious because I have hoped since Wings in the Night ended that she would revisit this world and I was afraid of getting my hopes up.  Well, it turned out that I had nothing to worry about.  She delved back into the world and I was excited to see some of the other characters return because that meant they survived the vicious slaughter of their kind.

The first thing that I noticed was that the book begins a few years after the vampires were nearly wiped out in the last book of Wings in the Night.  Though I still worry for the main characters of the Wings in the Night series, I was happy to see that some of them still survived though in a much darker world than what the original series was set in.  Though I hope to see the other vampires I grew to love in books to come, there is a bigger threat than ever before and of course, that threat comes from the DPI which is a government agency dedicated to wiping out vampires.  So, the world is even more frightening and more interesting before.  

The characters are excellent as always.  I can understand Charlie or Killian and I can admire them.  These characters are real in a way that you can see why they would react the way they do even if you don't necessarily agree with their actions.  Maggie Shayne makes you fall in love with her vampires and she makes you really dislike the DPI.

So, I love the characters and the setting but Maggie's writing style is absolute magic.  She can enthrall you with words and make you see these plots unraveling or a character's looks and attitude.  She has a love of words and it shows with each word that she writes.  This beautiful and engaging story captured me and I was washed in each emotion as I walked with Charlie as she moved from being a fragile and naive girl to a very strong woman.  

So, I'll end this by saying that I truly do not find one thing that bothered me about this book besides the fact that I want to read another one and I have to wait for Maggie to work her magic once again.  So until then, I will recommend Twilight Guardians for adults who love magical writing, vampires and romance.   

My Rating: 5+

Book Cover Rating: 5+  (This is a seriously beautiful cover)