Darlene's Digest

The Suitor by Mary Balogh My rating: 3 of 5 stars I've been reading a lot of angsty erotic romance lately and this was the perfect break. Light and sweet, like a fresh watermelon sorbet. The Suitor is a short story that's a set up for The Arrangement , Balogh's upcoming release. We met Viscount Darliegh in The Proposal , a blind veteran of the Peninsula War, recovering with other wounded souls at a friend's estate. Now a nubile young woman is being thrust in Darliegh's direction as a marriage prospect, and she wants nothing to do with him as she loves another. It's a gentle story of a redemptive love, and it reminded me of so many classic Regency love stories. No pirates, dukes who are spies, rakes or rogues, just nice people finding each other and courting within the confines of The Season. I liked it, and look forward to the next book. View all my reviews

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith My rating: 4 of 5 stars I don't care who wrote it, I really enjoyed this mystery by "Robert Galbraith" and I look forward to more Cormoran Strike adventures. The whodunit kept me guessing up until the end, the characters were vivid and memorable, and the writing was excellent. The only reason I gave it four instead of five stars was the abrupt POV shifts in the middle of scenes. I know that's becoming far more common these days, but it's still something that annoys me as a reader. View all my reviews

A Dangerous Fiction: A Mystery by Barbara Rogan My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's cliched to say "I couldn't put it down!", but that's how I felt about A Dangerous Fiction . Rogan brings an insider's keen view, pulling the reader into the New York publishing milieu with all of its jealousies, intrigue, excitement and larger-than-life personalities. At the heart of the story is a woman's need to uncover the truths about her own life, even as she's the target of malevolent foes she can't identify. Danger, suspense, romance and the deep bonds of friendship-- A Dangerous Fiction has it all. (Disclaimer--I received an advance review copy of this novel from the publisher) View all my reviews

“Apparently Miss Kahn wasn’t quite as phlegmatic on the idea of arranged marriage as I was. When her parents told her what they planned, she immediately dashed off a vitriolic letter, informing me that it is a new century, and she lives not in the ghetto in Europe, but in a country founded on principles of freedom. She added she had no intention of marrying, how did she put it? ‘A swarthy Spanish pirate of low ways and poor prospects.'" -- Captain Sinister's Lady To translate the post title into English, "Happy 15th Day of the Month of Av!" Why is this day different from all other days? It's the day specifically marking romance and love in the Jewish calendar. Tu B'Av (15th of Av) is a minor festival that's grown in prominence in recent decades, largely because enterprising folks in Israel found a way to monetize it. It's now celebrated much the way Valentine's Day is celebrated in other societies, but the festival dates back--waaaaaay ...

Sanditon: A Novel by Jane Austen My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The first 11 chapters are from Jane Austen's own hand, her final, unfinished novel. The remainder was penned by "Another Lady" in 1975, the author Marie Dobbs/Anne Telscombe. Miss Dobbs finishes the novel based on Austen's bones of the beginning, and appears to hold the mantra, "What would Jane Write?" in her mind while finishing Sanditon . Sanditon will be enjoyed by fans of Georgette Heyer, as well as Austen fans. There's a quietly manipulative hero, a heroine of backbone and intelligence, and enough oddball characters in the tiny seaside village of Sanditon to be instantly recognizable by fans of both authors. It's a classic Regency romp, and I recommend it. View all my reviews

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have become such a Seanan McGuire fangirl! Her newest urban fantasy series clinched it for me when I laughed out loud at the Aeslin mice. Best secondary characters ever! Discount Armageddon combines dance moves, monsters, zoology (sort of) and romance on the mean and grimy streets of New York as it follows Verity Price through her life as a cryptozoologist, part of an unusual family of humans dedicated to studying the things that go bump in the night. I look forward to further adventures of the Price's and their interesting acquaintances, and would recommend this series to anyone who thinks the whole paranormal urban fantasy thing's been done to death and there's nothing fresh to say. View all my reviews

The Double Cross by Carla Kelly My rating: 4 of 5 stars My only complaint about Carla Kelly novels is sometimes her heroines are so perky and full of goodness that I just want to punch them. Of course, when I factor in what horrific lives so many of these women have before they meet the hero, I get ashamed of myself and just enjoy the read. Paloma Vega is a classic Kelly heroine, but the setting for this tale is the Spanish Southwest in the 18th c., an unusual setting for a historical, but familiar ground to Ms. Kelly. Her first novel was set in Spanish America, and she returns to the New Mexico/Texas area with this tale of plucky Paloma and Marco Mondragon, a government brand inspector who keeps track of cattle, landowner records, and by default ends up acting as a quasi-lawman/magistrate on the frontier.  Widower Marco wants a dog to warm his bed at night but ends up with Paloma (and a dog) and learns how to open up again and take a chance on love. All snarky comments aside, o...

The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman My rating: 5 of 5 stars As we approach the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI (2014), this Pulitzer Prize winning history deserves a re-read. Tuchman's writing grips the reader as a world marches, seemingly inexorably, to madness and war. World War I may seem like ancient history to some, but its echoes still resonate in the Balkan conflicts, in the European economic woes, and in the violence in countries in the Middle East carved out of the carcass of the Ottoman Empire.  Anyone interested in current conflicts would benefit from learning how the world went up in flames at the beginning of the 20th century. View all my reviews

      Charley didn’t know anything about guns, but the sailors and Mr. Silas Stuart, the mate, seemed impressed with the speed of the “Cannies” at their stations. Naturally, they placed bets on whether the next shot would hit the barrel floating off the starboard bow.       “They’re fast, but accuracy counts,” Stuart said. “Now, if you want to see real accuracy, watch the Americans. ‘Cousin Jonathan’ is so skinflint about outfitting ships I suspect the cost of each ball that doesn’t hit its mark is deducted from the sailors’ pay!”       “Those Yankees will never be able to stand against our big Navy guns,” the cook said with a grin. -- Sea Change The cook aboard the  Lady Jane  was wrong.   The United States Navy was able to stand against the Royal Navy's guns in war, not once, but twice within 40 years.  Each time, the young nation proved itself a force to be reckoned with. We celebrate our ...

“England’s a big place all right, but not as big as it would like to be. Couple a years back they was all fired up over there ’bout Canada rebellin’ and the U.S. givin’ them an assist. There was English ships burned on the border lakes, and it looked like war all over again.” -- Smuggler's Bride Whew!  Glad we could avoid further hostilities with England and our friendly neighbor to the north. Happy Canada Day, and here's another apology for that whole burning York incident. Things just kinda got out of hand during the War of 1812.

Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire My rating: 5 of 5 stars If Ms. McGuire chose to stop writing October Daye stories today, I'd be satisfied. This sixth book brought much of Toby's personal life to a great place, and keep the pages turning with a storyline that revealed much, and didn't leave people's lives dangling. SPOILER ALERT October finally acknowledged what the readers have known all along: She was meant to be with Tybalt, the King of Cats. In addition, her personal life, while still full of danger, has progressed to the point where she has a place and a role in the Fae world. I do look forward to more stories in the October Daye universe, but Ashes of Honor was what we needed to see in terms of Toby's character development and personal growth. View all my reviews

Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby My rating: 4 of 5 stars As the rating indicates, I really enjoyed this debut paranormal/fantasy. The faux Roman setting was different than the usual medieval trappings, the heroine was intelligent, resourceful and not TSTL, and the hero was cunning and brave without being larger-than-life. In fact, as an amputee many sell him short thinking he can no longer be a warrior, but he proves a warrior's greatest asset can be his mind. The other thing I liked about the book was it passed the Bechdel Test ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_... ) The two assassins, Ista and Vitala, have a complicated relationship that does not have a man at the center of it.  I liked that, a lot. I'm looking forward to the next book in Ms. Raby's Hearts and Thrones series. TRIGGER WARNING--discussion of and scenes of sexual assault may be difficult for some readers. View all my reviews

     “‘Walk the plank’? Wherever did you get that idea, child?”      "Mama told me stories of the buccaneers and the pirates who live in the islands. She said my Papa was the fiercest pirate of all!”      He wasn’t about to deny such a sterling character reference.      “Fiercest of all, am I? Hmmm…it occurs to me that if you are going to join the crew of my ship we need to give you a pirate name.”       She stopped skipping and looked up at him, and one would think he’d just handed her the moon on a platter.      “A pirate name! Oh yes, please, Papa!”      They resumed walking and he thought about it, swinging her valise as he walked. She began skipping again.      “Not that there is anything wrong with Mathilde,” he assured her. “It is a perfectly lovely name for a young lady. It strikes me though as not being piratical. Women who are pirates have names that are sim...

“You underestimate the will of the American people, Doctor,” he poked his finger in the air for emphasis. “When you push us, we push back. Hard. John Bull cannot bully America into surrendering now any more than you could 40 years ago. Have you already forgotten the lesson of Fort McHenry?” He rummaged in his desk and pulled out a tattered newspaper, much folded and creased. “My mother sent this to me with the letters, a newspaper from home. A Mr. Key wrote a poem about the battle, Doctor, titled ‘The Defence of Fort McHenry’. Look here–‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’. That’s America, Charley!" --- SEA CHANGE June 14 is #FlagDay, the day the United States honors our nation's star spangled banner.  If you've got a flag, fly it proudly!

The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling the Smallpox Epidemic by Jennifer Lee Carrell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Some of us are old enough to remember lining up at school for polio vaccine. It's hard to convey what it meant to our parents to know this childhood terror could be prevented with a simple oral dose of medicine (bless you, Dr. Salk). In the 17th & 18th C., smallpox destroyed populations, upset the balance of power in European courts as it killed rulers and heirs, and terrified communities at the first sign of the distinctive pox. Prior to Edward Jenner making the connection between cowpox and smallpox vaccination, two brave individuals, a Boston physician named Zabdiel Boylston and an English aristocrat, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, risked ridicule, censure and even death threats to spread the idea of inoculation against smallpox. They didn't fully understand the disease, but they did see how people in Turkey, and African slaves, exposed themselves t...

The Sword Dancer by Jeannie Lin My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this book. It's for fans of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Jackie Chan movies, great love stories, and historical romance. I really enjoyed how the characters were drawn, their relationship developing in a thoughtful fashion with true issues and problems, not fake or spurious conflict. It was a real page turner, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Lin. View all my reviews

Wednesday was my last Reading Pals session for this year. I don't think I mentioned that I ended the year with two Pals, a 2nd grader and a 3rd grader. I'd split my sessions between the two young ladies since they were at different levels, and that seemed to work out well.  They left with bookbags filled with new and used books, and they each gave me a lovely hand drawn card to remember them by. I cannot say enough what a delight it is to work with young readers. Even when we had our rough spots--and there were plenty of those--seeing the comprehension and skill levels rise simply from more reading made my day brighter. I've told the Reading Pals coordinators that I'm available to keep reading this summer, and I'll definitely be back in the autumn. Kudos to the United Way and the Alachua County School District for putting this program in place. I ended the year by giving each of my Pals a special bookmark of her own. While I'm not a collector, over the years...

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë My rating: 5 of 5 stars I picked up my copy of Jane Eyre the other day to check on something, and found myself re-reading the entire novel. This is the first time I've re-read it since I began writing novels myself, and I find a new, deeper appreciation for Bronte's skill in crafting her heroine. Jane Eyre has been one of my favorite novels since I first read the Classics Illustrated version as a child. When I read the novel as a grown woman, Jane is a heroine I can admire at a whole new level. She doesn't settle for what society tells her is best, she holds fast to her independence, her dreams, and sets her own course. It's much more than a gothic love story, it's a tale of a woman's growth and strength in a world where she was viewed as having limited options. If you've never read Jane Eyre , check it out. It might surprise you. View all my reviews

The tables of the supper room groaned beneath haunches of venison, pork pastries, shrimp, and fresh mullet. The rice and corn were from nearby farms, and the squashes and vegetables were seasoned with the hot peppers the locals loved. -- The Bride and the Buccaneer   I've been holding steady on my "Eat Local Challenge", managing to eat something local at every meal until this past Memorial Day Weekend. We went to St. Augustine for a friend's wedding (lovely and romantic) and enjoyed some great food. I couldn't be positive I ate local at every meal, like I have at home in May, but I made an effort to patronize local independent food vendors when I wasn't at the wedding festivities. It helped that our hotel was smack dab in the Old City.  I had grouper tacos for lunch, coffee from a small independent shop (locally owned), and I nixed the offer of ice cream from a major chain in favor of a delicious fresh fruit pop from a local vendor. So I feel like...

“You ain’t never had watermelon?” Tom piped up. “No. It is a melon? But how do you eat it?” she said, eyeing the large chunks of fruit. “Show the lady, Tom.” Martha laughed. Tom grabbed a chunk off the middle of the plate and dived in headfirst, snapping off a sizable piece, chewing it with delight, and then spitting the seeds out the door. “You are joking,” Sophia said to Jack. “No, that’s how you eat watermelon. You learn this and soon you will be a real Floridian.” He was grinning at her and reached for his own slice of melon, and never one to resist a challenge, Sophia wiped her hand on her table linen and picked up her own slice. The juice ran down her fingers but she managed to bring it up to her lips without too much trickling down her sleeve. She took a bite and there was an explosion of sugar in her mouth, and a cooling sensation from the juicy fruit. “Oooh,” she moaned when she caught her breath, “this is wonderful!” The Reavers laughed at her response, ...