GREY by E.L. James

July 24, 2015
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Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian

The announcement of this new book, a mere 18 days prior to publication, took the publishing world by storm, and that includes bookstores and libraries. I had gotten an email early in the morning so I was aware, but when I got to work a co-worker told me she had been asked for the “Christian Fifty Shades” and thought there was, somehow, a religious version of the book out there! A quick internet search revealed the new book, but that sure was a fun way to learn about it.

I read the Fifty Shades trilogy back in 2012 (and reviewed here) and these were my final thoughts…and they still hold true for Grey. The appeal of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy (and now just a series, I guess) lies with the characters and their great love affair. We can’t help but root for the insecure girl who lands the gorgeous rich guy, and the damaged man she brings out of the dark.

Ana and Christian save each other, inspire each other so that their sum together is greater than their parts. Their torrid love affair, the “mommy porn” aspect is candy to some, inflaming imaginations and libidos, while others will fly past those pages. Nonetheless, Ana and her 50 Shades bring to mind other great loves in literature like Romeo and Juliet, and Scarlett and Rhett, with apologies to Shakespeare and Mitchell. Most romance readers are looking for that, and those that don’t usually read romance are perhaps surprised at how they are swept away with Ana and Christian, enough to overlook the abysmal writing, the lip biting, the smirking. I know I was.

All that said, I got the feeling that James wrote Grey by pulling up the manuscript of the original, and changing the “she thought” to “he thought” and adding in a bit more of Christian’s background. But the writing seemed much better to me, not nearly so repetitive and deplete of those awful series of superlatives and multiple mentions of Ana’s “inner goddess.” So I’m thinking Random House got to put a strong editor on this since it hadn’t been previously self-published.

I liked seeing Christian’s point of view. The character development was better, the story was better if somehow still the same, and I am glad I read it. It probably helped that there were three years between books. Whatever her faults, E.L. James created a hot romance with lots of sizzling kinky sex, and that was all still there. It isn’t nearly as shocking, unless you haven’t read the other books, I guess. If you’re a fan of the series, enjoy. If you haven’t read them, this is a good place to start. And don’t get me started on the movie! (Love to hear your comments about any of this.)

7/15 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch

GREY: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian by E.L. James. Vintage (June 18, 2015).  ISBN 978-1101946343. 576p.

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IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume

July 23, 2015
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Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

I had seen the Judy Blume interviews on TV and knew that this was a book set in the early 1950s, when Blume was a teenager in Elizabeth, New Jersey, when three airplanes crashed in her town within 58 days. But I wasn’t thinking about that on my five hour flight from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco, until the first plane crash (in the book!) As my oh-so-smooth Virgin America flight (thanks, guys!) was an hour or so in, I decided maybe listening to this book wasn’t the best idea I ever had. I set it aside and didn’t finish it until I got home.

Right up front I have to say that I didn’t love this narrator, mostly because of her pronunciation, from the main character, Miri Ammerman, who I heard as “Mary” and couldn’t understand at all – I’ve never met a Jew named Mary – to the synagogue, B’Nai something or other, which after hearing B’Nai pronounced as “Buh Nye” when it has always been “Buh Nay” in New York and Florida, and a few other mispronunciation of Jewish phrases all just sort of confused me and frankly, pissed me off. Someone is supposed to check these things.

But the story, the story! It’s wonderful, and not only because it’s Judy Blume and I don’t think she can write a bad book. The beginning sort of sets the tone and time period; women were mostly housewives, kids were respectful and kept in the dark a lot. We meet our main character, Miri, a 15 year old in Elizabeth, NJ who lives with her single mom, Rusty, with her grandmother and her uncle right next door. Mary’s uncle Henry is a newspaper man, and covers the plane crashes in great detail. Her best friend is Natalie, and Miri guiltily fantasizes about her mother marrying Natalie’s father (with nothing too terrible happening to Natalie’s mom) and having that comfortable, upper middle class life. And then the plane crashes start happening.

The plot is out there, you don’t need me to rehash it. Instead, let me tell you about the wonderful characters that Blume creates here,  unforgettable people who experience incredible tragedy. The survivors and how they dealt with it all. The brothers who lost their mother and their father is an alcoholic, so they live in a fairly nice orphanage – no foster care tragedy here. The families, some torn apart, with real problems and real solutions. The setting of this New Jersey town and how the people there come together because of these plane crashes is completely relatable to all the tragedies that have been in the news lately. The time period is portrayed in an almost romanticized way, yet it always rings true, from 1950’s Elizabeth, then later on, the new city in the desert, Las Vegas.

I am sorry I didn’t read the print (or Kindle) version and probably will on my next vacation. In the Unlikely Event was a completely fascinating and emotional read and listening to it (albeit briefly) on a plane gave me sharp recognition of where the title came from, even with the Virgin America music video version of the pre-flight safety instructions: “In the unlikely event/ We need to get you outside/ Your exit is equipped/ With an inflatable slide.”

If you like a good character driven story, good writing, and an interesting premise, then you will love this book as much as I did. Just read it, don’t listen to it.

 

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume (Audio book.)  Random House Audio; Unabridged edition (June 2, 2015).  ISBN 978-1101914045. 11 discs.

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WHO LET THE DOG OUT? by David Rosenfelt

July 22, 2015
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An Andy Carpenter Novel (Book 13)

Andy Carpenter is a very wealthy man due to a large inheritance and is also a lawyer. He works at the law as little as possible as his interests lie mainly in his partnership with Willie Miller. In a previous book, Andy had saved Willie from death row and proved his innocence. The two formed the Tara Foundation, which is involved with saving dogs.

Willie calls Andy and tells him that there has been a break in at the foundation. It turns out that the only thing missing is a rescue dog they named Cheyenne. With the help of a chip that is placed in the body of all dogs, they have Cheyenne traced to a location in downtown Paterson, New Jersey.  When Willie and Andy go to that location they find the dog, and a dead body of someone obviously recently and brutally murdered.

The two notify the police and take Cheyenne back to the Tara Foundation thinking that their part is now over. But Andy’s curiosity keeps him looking at the case, and when the police arrest a man named Tommy Infante and charge him with the murder, Andy has his doubts. He takes Infante on as a client and in looking for evidence to clear him finds that the murder is just one cog in a much larger and more dangerous wheel.

The story is told in first person by Andy Carpenter and showcases the wise cracking personality he has. His wife Laurie helps with advice. The usual associates are there – his secretary who is practicing for a crossword puzzle tournament and Marcus, a man of very few words but the ability to take care of the physical work. He also has contacts that help him with the local police and the FBI.

Each of the Andy Carpenter books is an enjoyable treat into some brilliant legal work coupled with a lot of humor, and the presence of dogs. All are fast reading and keeps the reader awaiting the next one in the series.

7/15 Paul Lane

WHO LET THE DOG OUT? by David Rosenfelt. Minotaur Books (July 21, 2015). ISBN: 978-1250055330. 336p.

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FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER by Susan Spann

July 20, 2015
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Shinobi Mysteries (Book 3)

The morning starts out regular enough as Hiro and Father Mateo make their way for their favorite noodle vendor, but the day takes a turn when they witness Ginjiro the brewer being arrested for murder.

A fellow brewer has been found dead in Ginjiro’s alley, apparently beaten with one of Ginjiro’s own flasks. Just hours before, patrons at Ginjiro’s brewery witnessed the two of them arguing and overheard Ginjiro threaten the dead man. With such damning evidence, Ginjiro’s guilt is the simplest conclusion. But Hiro and Father Mateo aren’t so certain. The two are given just a few days to try and find the real killer before Ginjiro is put to trial and almost certainly hanged, but will it be enough time to prove their friend’s innocence?

Susan Spann’s Shinobi series is an excellent blend of history and mystery. With feudal Japan as the backdrop, Spann explores the intricacies and politics of the era, weaving those details into well-conceived plots of murder and more.

Though Flask is technically the third in the series, it does stand quite well on its own. There are a few mentions of previous investigations on the part of our heroes, but nothing that would ruin Claws of the Cat or Blade of the Samurai should you decide to go back to those later.

7/15 Becky LeJeune

FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER by Susan Spann. Minotaur Books (July 14, 2015).  ISBN 978-1250027061. 304p.

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THE BLUMHOUSE BOOK OF NIGHTMARES ed. by Jason Blum

July 18, 2015
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THE HAUNTED CITY

Horror fans, have you ever wondered what happens when some of the bigwigs in the industry get together and pen a collection of short stories? Apparently someone has and the result is the new Blumhouse Book of Nightmares release. The theme is “The City” and the only stipulation was that the contributors had to write something that fit within the theme. Beyond that, the stories vary wildly. From haunted houses and gypsy curses to Nazis and demon hunters, these tales run the gamut of horror.

The contributors themselves are people whose work you already know even if you don’t know them by name – authors like Sarah Langan and Michael Olson, actors like Ethan Hawke and Jeremy Slater, and the minds behind Sinister, The Lazarus Effect, Hostel and more – and of course they’re all brought together by Jason Blum and Blumhouse.

The overall collection is quite fun. A few of my own personal favorites include Leslie Bohem’s “Geist” an excellent ghost story in my opinion, Eli Roth’s twisted revenge tale “Valdivia,” and Simon Kurt Unsworth’s eerie “Gentholme.”

Table of Contents:

Hellhole by Christopher Denham
Valdivia by Eli Roth
Golden Hour by Jeremy Slater
A Clean White Room by Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
The Leap by Dana Stevens
Novel Fifteen by Steve Faber
The Darkish Man by Nissar Medi
1987 by Ethan Hawke
Geist by Leslie Bohem
Gentholme by Simon Kurt Unsworth
Donations by William Joselyn
The Old Jail by Sarah Langan
The Words by Scott Stewart
Dreamland by Michael Olson
Meat Maker by Mark Neveldine
Eyes by George Gallo
Procedure by James DeMonaco

7/15 Becky LeJeune

THE BLUMHOUSE BOOK OF NIGHTMARES ed. by Jason Blum. Doubleday (July 7, 2015).  ISBN 978-0385539999. 384p.

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SECRETS OF THE LAST NAZI by Iain King

July 17, 2015
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Myles Munro Action Thriller Series

The story opens with the discovery of a well connected Nazi SS commander dead in Berlin in 2015. Werner Stolz guarded the last secret of  Hitler and the Nazis for 70 years. A secret so deadly that if discovered could plunge the world into a fight for power because of it. Military historian Myles Munro and an international team he leads are tasked with piecing together the complex puzzle left by Stolz.

When one of his team is killed, Myles realizes that the stakes are much higher than originally perceived and quite possibly his group includes a traitor. The hunt for the secret and its ramifications broadens all across Europe. What comes out are factors that might be useful in predicting future events. It appears that the Nazis had used the secret to try and ascertain major future happenings. King indicates in an afterwards that the ingredients of the secret were used successfully in the real world for much of recorded history and have applications for our future.

What the secret is and where and when it originated comprise one of the most original and carefully thought out stories that have yet to appear in print. King introduces facts and dates to substantiate his thesis making this a mesmerizing novel with the distinct possibility that it introduces new truths in a world of science previously debunked as fakery. Great thinkers out of the past are introduced as discovering and using these ideas.

Not only a better than average conspiracy book, but one also backed up by research that brings new ideas into the possibility of reality. A book that will thrill and one already followed by another Iain King novel featuring Myles Munro and delving into further proof of the ideas that he espouses.

7/15 Paul Lane

SECRETS OF THE LAST NAZI by Iain King. Bookouture (July 14, 2015). ISBN: 978-1910751107. 454p.

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THE MALL by S.L. Grey

July 16, 2015
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Rhoda left the kid alone for just a few minutes and now he’s gone. Sure, she shouldn’t have taken him to the mall in the first place. But she needed a score and she was only watching the kid as a favor for her cousin. Given her appearance and attitude, mall security isn’t taking her seriously in her search for a white kid, but she knows the guy at the bookstore saw them together and lied about it.

Dan only caught a glimpse of the kid running through the mall tunnels, but it isn’t until Rhoda attacks him in the parking garage that he puts two and two together. Now he’s basically a hostage leading her through the warren of back halls and stairwells after hours in search of the boy. As they wind their way down and down and down, though, Dan realizes that they’re lost. The place still looks like Highgate, but everything looks just a little off. What’s worse, now Dan and Rhoda are getting weird texts from someone who calls themselves management and a large and foul smelling creature seems to be tailing them on their journey.

A parallel world where stores are run by mindless slaves and shoppers literally shop until they drop, The Mall is seriously fun and creepy. The book does essentially poke fun at retail culture, and much of the book has a tinge of dark humor to it, but the deeper criticism also makes the premise that much more scary.

The Mall is the first in the Downside series penned by S.L. Grey (aka Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg). It was first released in 2011 but has only been available here in the US for the past year. I can’t recommend it enough; seek it out, it’s well worth it!

7/15 Becky LeJeune

THE MALL by S.L. Grey. Atlantic Books; Reprint edition (April 1, 2014).  ISBN 978-1848878877. 320p.

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BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber

July 12, 2015
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Blossom Street #10

This is the latest entry into this very gentle series. It encompasses everything Debbie Macomber readers expect; women’s friendship, a sweet romance and knitting. The series is set in Seattle and centers around A Good Yarn, a knitting shop.

This time the story centers around Lauren Elliott, who works in a nearby fine jewelry establishment. Lauren and Todd, the handsome and ambitious TV newscaster, have been dating for a few years and Lauren feels like they should be ready to move on to the next step – marriage. But Todd wants to wait until he gets that coveted anchor spot, so Lauren decides to break it off.

Bethanne and her husband Max are separated – not because they don’t get along, but because they are newly married and he owns a business in partnership with Rooster in California; Bethanne’s business is in Seattle. And her ex has decided that maybe he made a mistake and wants her back.

Lauren meets Rooster at A Good Yarn, he’s a biker and totally out of her comfort zone but she decides maybe she needs to make a new list of what she wants in a man.

There is additional intrigue when baskets of yarn are found around town with notes to knit a scarf that will be donated to the homeless shelter, and the knitters are asked to turn in the finished product to A Good Yarn. But the proprietor, Lydia, doesn’t know anything about it, although she is certainly enjoying the good will and increase in business.

These women form a bond with each other and with the men in their lives, leading to a satisfying ending. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was completely captivating and entertaining. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

7/15 Stacy Alesi

BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (March 31, 2015). ISBN 978-0345528865. 432p.

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THE ASSASSINS by Gayle Lynds

July 10, 2015
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The Judd Ryder Books

After a time away from writing for personal reasons Gayle Lynds returns with an intricate story about six assassins seeking a prize worth many millions of dollars. The six found a common ground when they did a job for Saddam Hussein and were not paid half of the agreed upon fee due to his death. They settled upon stealing an ancient tablet with cuneiform symbols upon it valued at millions of dollars that is being exhibited at a museum in Baghdad. The theft was successful but the tablet accidentally dropped and broken into pieces while the six flee the scene.

Years later when Judd Ryder, formerly a spy for the U.S. is walking home from work he spots a man that looks exactly like him coming from Judd’s house. As Ryder approaches him the man is killed by a hit and run accident.

Investigating the incident Judd learns that the key to his doubles killing and to the events surrounding the theft of the tablet from the Baghdad museum lies with an assassin active during the cold war known as the Carnivore. He was one of the six killers that stole the tablet, and the other five are seeking him in order to finally put the pieces together and possibly sell it for the money Saddam owed them. Judd and a CIA trainee, Eva Blake were known to have seen the Carnivore a short while ago and are sought in order to get the information needed to catch him.

The chase pitting the assassins against each other and seeking Judd and Eva is played out on an international stage going from Washington D.C., Marrakech and Baghdad and is explosive in the speed of the action. The many details are held together neatly by Gayle and make for a very welcome return to the literary world for her.

7/14 Paul Lane

THE ASSASSINS by Gayle Lynds. St. Martin’s Press (June 30, 2015). ISBN: 978-0312380908. 416p.

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A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James

July 8, 2015
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I am really enjoying Julie James’ FBI/US Attorney series. I’ve read the first one, Something About You,  book 3, About that Night, book 4, Love Irresistibly, and book 5, It Happened One Wedding. I finally got hold of book 2; thank you library! Need I say I did not read these in order? Probably not, since I’m finally reviewing the second book in the series.

This is a terrific series, and one of the things I like best is that they don’t need to be read in order. But if you are one of those people that feel the need to do that, there are delicious little nods to the previous books, so go for it and enjoy.

The series centers around the Chicago U.S. attorneys’ office and the FBI agents that they work with so closely. A Lot Like Love is about FBI agent Nick McCall and the billionaire heiress Jordan Rhodes. Rhodes made an appearance in About that Night as her brother, Kyle, AKA the “Twitter terrorist” is at the center of that book. But that’s the next book in the series, so never mind…

Nick McCall has been working undercover for years, precluding any sort of relationship. His newest assignment is to help out a rookie, but when the rookie gets sick, Nick has to go undercover again. This time he’s Nick Stanton, wealthy businessman who is Jordan’s date at the swankiest charity gala of the year.

In reality, he is there to infiltrate the owner’s office and plant a few bugs that will hopefully tie up a big money laundering sting. Nick and Jordan take an instant dislike to each other; he has no use for high society, and she finds him sarcastic and thug-like. But when Nick finds out he’s being followed, he knows he needs to play the boyfriend full time.

Chicago is the setting once again, with a side trip to beautiful Napa valley. Believable characters and a suspenseful storyline make for a great read – the hot sex is just the icing on the cake. Hope there’s another book or two left in this series, I am seriously hooked.

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James. Berkley (March 1, 2011). ISBN 978-0425240168. 304p.

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