Dandelion Summer, By Lisa Wingate

Title: Dandelion Summer
Author: Lisa Wingate
Length: 381 pages
Publishing Company: New American Library
Publishing Date: 2011
Summary:(from book) All her life, Epiphany Jones has been tossed like a dandelion seed on the wind. Now, with the death of Mrs. Lora-the family friend who took Epie into her home-the sixteen year old must move to Dallas to live with her indifferent mother and new stepfather. Trapped in the low-rent area of Blue Sky Hill, Epie doesn't fit in-and soon finds herself on the wrong side of the law. To make restitution, she's sent to work in another place she's not wanted: a home on the upscale streets of the Hill.
When J. Norman Alvord learns that his daughter has hired a teenager to stay with him in the afternoons, he's determined the nix the arrangement. Widowed and suffering from heart trouble, Norman wants to be left alone. But in Epie's presence, Norman finds a mystery, Deep in his mind, lies memories of another house another life, and a young, black woman, a housekeeper who saved him....
As summer comes to Blue Sky Hill, two residents from different worlds will journey through a turbulent past and find that with an unexpected road trip through sleepy Southern towns come a life changing friendship...and clues to a family secret hidden for a lifetime.

My Thoughts: What a wonderful book! It was full of warm fuzzies and good messages and lots of mystery.  I loved it, just like all the books my Grandma gives me to read. The name Epiphany Jones is charming and I loved her spunk and courage. J. Norman was just awesome. I loved the switches between POV and the different details and opinions you would receive depending on who was speaking.  
Things To Be Cautious Of: Epie gets involved with a bad boy from school and he wants to do a little more than make out. She resists.
What I Learned: Family is very important and knowing where you come from is a wonderful thing to have.
 
 

The Musician's Daughter, Susan Dunlap

Title: The Musician's Daughter
Author: Susan Dunlap
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publishing Date: 2009
Length: 317 Pages
Summary: (From book) Amid the glamor of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy's court in eighteenth century Vienna, murder is afoot. Or so fifteen-year old Theresa is convinced when her musician father is found dead on Christmas Eve, his valuable violin missing and the only clue to his death is a mysterious gold pendant found around his neck. 
Her father's mentor, the acclaimed composer Franz Joseph Haydn, takes pity on Theresa and makes her his copyist, giving her an income so that her family will not go hungry. 
Determined to solve the mystery of her father's death, Theresa is stunned to learn about the secret life he led-along with a trail of blackmail and extortion that extends from the splendor of the imperial halls to the shadowy tents of a Gypsy camp. Yet it's the stirrings of love for a man she only thought she knew that might prove the most astonishing discovery of all.

My Thoughts:  Well, for starters, I bought this hard cover book for four dollars at the used book store. I actually put this one aside to devour the last book I just reviewed. It's not that this book isn't good, it was just....hard to get into.  Maybe it was the fact that everyone's names are so hard to pronounce and half the time they aren't calling Theresa her real name, but some term of endearment (I think) so it's very confusing. I wouldn't really label this a mystery or historical fiction. I didn't understand any of it.
And this romance they hint at isn't much of a romance at all-it's more like she has this hopeless crush on a guy much older on her. I didn't feel much of it returned on his part.
I like the Gypsies though. I've written a bit of a gypsy before and have always found them fascinating, beautiful people.
Things To Be Cautious Of:  Ugh...The Lord's name is taken in vain once, she talks about becoming a woman, she uses her low cut dress to advantage (not willingly), her uncle is a pervert, this old guy thought she was a 'lady of the night' *gag* and light mentioning of prostitution.  Someone is shot, not fatally, and a person is to be executed; mentioning of torture and torture methods...
What I learned: I'd much rather be the rockin' cool gypsy girl.

Review: The Kneebone Boy, By Ellen Potter

Title: The Kneebone Boy
Author: Ellen Potter
Publisher: Feiwel And Friends
Publishing Date: September 14, 2010
Length: 280 Pages
Summary: (From Book) The Hardscrabble children are weird.
Otto doesn't speak.
Lucia is shamelessly candid.
And Max likes to sit on the roof of their house.
Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids you like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt who’s away on holiday, the Hardscrabble children take off on an adventure that begins in the seedy streets of London and ends in a peculiar sea village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal. . . .
My Thoughts: Quirky, odd, unpredictable and very much enjoyable. Like all children's fiction, the story is a lot deeper than it appears on the surface.

Review: Cankered Roots, G.G. Vandagriff

Title: Cankered Roots
Author: G.G Vandagriff
Publisher: Deseret Book Company
Publishing Date: 1994
Length: 224 pages
Summary(from book):  Alexandra Campbell steels herself to face the disapproval and possible rejection by her parents as she tries to uncover the "family secret"-the truth about her grandfather, whose death seems to mark the beginning of everything that has gone wrong in her family. What does doesn't intend, however, is that her quest will lead to the murder of her father.
In spite of shock, guilt and grief, Alex quickly grasps the realities of the situation-the murder was the result of her genealogical detective work, and therefore the mystery is entwined with her family tree and the secrets no one would reveal. With the help of close friends, her own unique skills, and a touch of karate, Alex uncovers a seventy year old tale of deception, impersonation and blackmail.
By confronting the real truth about her heritage, she finally unmasks the murderer and faces her own worst fears. In doing so, she finds her way at last to understanding and then forgiveness. And in the wake of forgiveness comes the peace of an unexpected healing.
My Thoughts:
....Oy. Please forgive me, I skipped part of this and just read the last few pages. I got so bored.  The plot didn't move very quickly and was cluttered by lots of confusing plot threads and over used similes. (At least two a paragraph at times)  I forgave the author for the confusion in her other book after hearing about her incredible story, but now I'm just wondering if this is how she writes. I don't mean to be harsh, but it is seriously a chore to work through her novels. And they aren't even very lengthy.
Cankered Roots is the first in a series of genealogical mysteries; two subjects  that fascinate me, but with how much I struggled to connect to this one, I doubt I'll read further.
There also seems to be a lot of cliches' in her writing. The female main character marries a European and they die too soon and leave the widow heartbroken and defending on her own inner strength. Don't get me wrong, but when all of her novels have a similar theme, I'm going to lose interest.
Kudos to the author for overcoming her trial in life and for living her dream, but as for this book, I don't think it's my cup of tea.

Review: The Arthurian Omen, G.G. Vandagriff

Title: The Arthurian Omen
Author: G.G. Vandagriff
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publishing Date: April 2, 2008
Length: 322 pages
Summary: (from book)  Is the story of King Arthur history or myth?  A Celtic scholar is brutally murdered when she discovers a clue to a priceless fifth-century manuscript that could prove the identity of King Arthur. Determined to find the ancient relic and avenge her sister's death, Maren Southcott begins a quest that immediately puts her own life in danger.
In the tradition of Mary Higgins Clark, The Arthurian Omen weaves a tale of mystery and suspense as pursuit of the manuscript winds through the medieval castles and monasteries of Wales. 
Stalked by a psychopath with delusions of a Welsh revolution, Maren is shaken to the core when a new crisis threatens to destroy the one person s he loves most. Can she find the manuscript before the murderer strikes again? Or is the manuscript-and the legend- better left buried in the past?
My Thoughts: This book, to put it in Welsh, was bendigedig. The author's story even more so. She suffered a health problem that left her with no memories and lacking the ability to write. Due to a miraculous recovery, she gained her ability to write back, but her memories are still gone. Her husband found an old computer file that was the first few pages of this book and she finished the manuscript from there. It's nothing less than a miracle.
The writing was a bit confusing at times, due to the several character's involved, but understanding the author's background, I can let that one slide.
The story was fascinating. I have a deep love for mysteries and folklore and this one did not disappoint. The story weaved in and out with several plot twists and I honestly did not see the end of this one coming. I spent the entire novel believing the wrong character to be the culprit.  I love a story that surprises me.
This book made me want to speak Welsh, and I had to Google a sound recording of the language to hear how beautiful it is.
I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the emotional pull I felt along the storyline. The author has a love for genealogy and you can tell that in the importance laid on family ties. The book felt well researched and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
Things To Be Cautious Of: This was a suspense novel, and there is mention of several murders, and brief, non detailed violence.

Review: Hourglass, Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Publishing Date: June 14, 2011
Length: 390 pages
Summary: (From website) One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

 For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there; swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. 

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. 

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened? 

My Thoughts: First off, the cover is gorgeous. I was drawn to it immediately. I first saw this book when it came out, but didn't read it because it was filed under the paranormal genre. I stumbled across the book again on a book blog website and found out that it is a time slip book. Now, I confess, I have a soft spot for time travel books and love reading them. I figured that they were calling the time travel 'paranormal'  so I went and bought it yesterday and read it in an afternoon. 

Emerson, the female protagonist, is character with a very deep past and very independent. I admired her as a character and found her interesting.  She has a weird condition where she sees images. People think she's hallucinating, and it feels slightly paranormal as the images are people and mistaken for ghosts. I didn't like that part at all. But it turns out to be a pretty cool key to the whole time travel thing. 

Michael, the heart throb of the book, has a lot of history that I'm fascinated by and would love to learn more about. The plot line for the book was amazing, and the author (who looks just like Carrie Underwood) executed it beautifully. But there is always downside. I wish there was never a downside.

I try not to read a lot of YA; especially recently written, popular YA because of the content and I did research this book on a content review site to make sure it was clean before purchasing. I could handle the few swear words, nothing more than what you hear on TV, but the one main reason I hate YA fiction is because of the gag worthy, over the top, borderline uncomfortable, unrealistic romance. I mean, seriously.

Of course the first boy she meets is the one she falls in love with. Of course he totally loves her and has abs like Taylor Lautner. Because, heaven forbid he's built like a gawky, normal teenage guy. I have nothing wrong with romance, in fact, I am a sucker for well written love stories. But when two characters are defined as a couple not even half way though the book and kissing before the climax, I feel a lot of character development is lost.  Are all YA's this way?  And the emotion written into the scenes is way too intense. There are somethings I will never be old enough or want to read.  Granted, it wasn't too much detail, but it was like ignoring the elephant in the room. 

Michale's friend is an openly dirty person and has several remarks and scenes with Emerson that I found to be unnecessary and taking away from the beauty of the plot line. The sneak peek for the sequel in the back  of the book opens with a scene and this character and starts off dirty. Such writing has really made me lose all interest in ever reading the sequel to the book; which is a shame, considering how interesting the plotline.

Things To Be Cautious Of:  And this is the part where I wonder if the content review sight for literature is just blind or incredibly tolerant. Swearing. (several 'dang,' a few 'heck' one B_ and an unfinished Sh-)   Romance content: Feelings of physical tension between the two main characters, two kissing scenes, but without much detail. One of the characters has a shady life and hints suggestively at things to the female character. 

Review: Midnight in Austenland By Shannon Hale

Title: Midnight in Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publishing Date: February 2, 2012
Length: 272 pages
Summary: (From book) When Charlotte Kinder decides to treat herself to a vacation, she happily leaves behind all the complications of her life in America and heads to Austenland. The country manor Pembrook Park offers an immersive  Jane Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors to provide just a suggestion of romance.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte can't be sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Could that have been a real dead body in the attic? And could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love? 
My Thoughts: I have read a few of Shannon Hale's books and I have thoroughly enjoyed  them. When I heard that she was writing a sequel to her lovely Jane Austen tribute, Austenland, I counted down the days until I could pick up a copy. The setting of the book is the same as the first book, but with a few new characters and a few loved old ones from the first book. The plot for this book was a little darker in the fact that this was a mystery with a few twists.  The story line was clever, but it lacked some of the humor that made the first book so enjoyable. Two parts in the book however made me laugh until I cried so that made up for it.
This is adult fiction, so there are somethings to look out for. I admit, I wish I'd known about it. I am not bothered by a few swearwords (Heck, dang, dastard. All used very little) But the suggestive content at times were a bit nauseating.
All in all it was a cute story, but the first book is by far my favorite.

Review: The Body at the Tower By Y.S. Lee

Title:  The Body at the Tower
Author: Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: August 29, 2011
Series: The Agency # 2
Length: 337 Pages
Summary: (From back of book) Now nearly a full-fledged member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of the Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary Quinn is back for another action packed adventure. Disguised as a poor apprentice builder and a boy, she must brave the grimy underbelly of Victorian London to unmask the identity of a murderer. Assigned to monitor a building site on the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Mary earns the confidence of the work crew, inching ever nearer to her suspect. But if an irresistible desire to help the city's needy doesn't distract her and jeopardize her cover, unexpectedly meeting up with an old friend--or flame-- just might.
My thoughts: Ok, did I say I love these books? Because I love these books.    Mary is an easy to like character and I love getting to know her. And James Easton. Oh my goodness, can I just marry him? Please? The plot for this mystery was well laid out and I could never quite figure out who the culprit was until the end. The author took her time with research and I appreciate that. It makes the world of difference in a novel. The ending of the book had me so wrapped in, that I didn't hear my family come home and start talking to me until they were practically shouting.
Again, there were swearwords, and the ending of the book was a little traumatizing, but it contains major spoilers and I don't want to ruin it for you.

Review: A Spy in the House By Y.S. Lee

Title: A Spy in the House
Author: Y. S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: February 8, 2011
Length: 335 Pages
Series: The Agency #1
Summary: Orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of twelve, she’s rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison warden. In her new home, Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, Mary acquires a singular education, fine manners, and surprising opportunity. The school is a cover for the Agency – an elite, top-secret corps of female investigators with a reputation for results – and at seventeen, Mary’s about to join their ranks.

With London all but paralyzed by a noxious heat wave, Mary must work fast in the guise of lady’s companion to infiltrate a rich merchant’s home with hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the Thorold household is full of dangerous secrets, and people are not what they seem – least of all Mary.

Packed with action and suspense, and evoking the gritty world of Victorian London, this first book in the Agency series debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits.

My Thoughts: I love this book. I have been waiting for a series like this and am so happy my library actually had this book in stock. I'm planning on going to buy the entire series once the snow lets up enough for me to get to the book store.  I was internet browsing and came across this book and was instantly captivated by the cover.  If there's one thing that I am instantly attracted to, it's books that hint at Victorian London and mystery. This book was wonderful. I loved the fluid change between Mary and James's perspectives. Mary is a strong character with a  enigmatic past and I'm hoping to learn more about her as the series progresses. Truth be told, I actually have a little bit of writer's envy for this book. The plot line is so brilliant and the characters are similar to something that I am working on, that I have just a little bit of jealousy.

The other part of me is ecstatic that such a story like this can be pulled off. Kudos to the author! My favorite part is probably the flirtatious partnership between Mary and James Easton. Their banter was witty and intelligent and I laughed out loud several times throughout the course of the story.  The mystery was intriguing, I did not see one part coming, and I enjoyed the writing immensely and finished the book in one sitting. 
Somethings To Be Careful Of:
Language:  We're talking the lovely British swearwords here. I am not as bothered by these as I probably should be, but here you go:  The word 'bloody' was used a few times; including the expression, "Bloody h__"  The word, "Da__" and its ending of, "Able"  The Lord's name was taken in vain about three times. 
Other Content: Mary mentions that her mother had to fall to prostitution to support their family, a character, Mr. Thorold, is rumored to have gotten one of the maids pregnant, Mary is accused of being Mr. Thorold's mistress.