Darlene's Digest

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce My rating: 4 of 5 stars A lovely and warm story of a young woman "keeping calm and carrying on" in London during the Blitz. Emmeline longs to be a Serious Journalist (she capitalizes--a lot), maybe even a war correspondent, but her first job at a real newspaper is working with an "agony aunt", a dragon of a woman who terrifies all around her and dispenses advice that's...well, it's not very helpful. Emmeline also works shifts at the Fire Brigade, answering the phones as the crews rush out during the nightly bombing raids that target London. This is a charming and moving debut novel about The Greatest Generation, which included those on the home front doing dangerous and vital work while struggling with rationing and nightly air raids. It's also about the value of friendship, and having an understanding listener when life hands you lemons. I enjoyed it very much and hope to see more from th...

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith My rating: 4 of 5 stars Wonderfully plotted, engrossing, with a cast of characters that, as is so often the case with Galbraith's writing, seem to step right off the page. The mystery kept me turning pages late into the day and had me guessing right up until the end. We also get to see more development in the relationship--work based, but edging toward more--between Strike and Robin. It's a slow build and that adds to the satisfaction. I know Galbraith isn't a speedy writer, but these Strike mysteries are worth the wait and I look forward to another in the future. View all my reviews

Seeing Miss Heartstone by Nichole Van My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love being delighted by a new-to-me Regency author. Seeing Miss Heartstone shows that the Regency romance is alive and well, and doesn't depend on out-there plots or protagonists to be a satisfying read. It starts with what appears to be a conventional marriage of convenience trope, but then takes off in a new direction as an epistolary novel with characters who are flawed, yet perfect for each other. I enjoyed it immensely and will look for more from this author. View all my reviews

Frolicking Bears, Wet Vultures, and Other Oddities: A New York City Journalist in Nineteenth-Century Florida by Jerald T. Milanich My rating: 4 of 5 stars A glimpse into a land of flowers that no longer exists, where fish and wildlife thrived and tourists would steam upriver on the St. Johns randomly killing alligators as they passed by. One could say it's the price of progress and development, but I enjoyed this look at where we came from. One point in the book that's been made somewhat better by progress is mosquito control, and when we talk about the good old days in Florida it's also important to remember those were the days of Yellow Fever and malaria, so some things have improved and it's no wonder that the man credited with inventing air conditioning is honored with Florida's official statue in the nation's capitol. I do recommend this collection to those who wish to know more about Florida's history in the Reconstr...

They kept walking and after a while the tension in Julia’s head eased and she could enjoy more of the sight of a Florida she hadn’t seen, the busy autumn world of returning northern birds and squabbling natives, staking their claims to the insects and nesting areas of the pinewoods. Washburn walked through the woods with confidence, but kept his rifle cradled in front of him. When she came up beside him, she saw his eyes were moving over the terrain, scanning it for danger. The trail was wider here and they could walk abreast rather than with Julia trailing behind. --Smuggler's Bride   Autumn is my favorite season for hiking in the Florida woods and I set out yesterday for an afternoon trek through San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park , one of the last stands of mature forest in the state. If you've only visited Orlando or South Florida, this is a sight to see if you've ever wondered about "the other Florida." Hiking is a good opportunity to think and ...

The Duke's Wager by Edith Layton My rating: 5 of 5 stars This novel has long been one of my favorite Regencies and I re-read it at least once a year. The hero is unforgettable, the antagonist is wonderfully satisfying and the heroine is a woman doing her best to survive with nothing. The writing sings and the secondary characters stand out. Ms. Layton was taken from us far too soon, but her novels are worth tracking down and reading not just for the pleasure of it, but for what amounts to a little master class in writing Regency romance. I highly recommend her work, but especially The Duke's Wager . View all my reviews

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely My rating: 4 of 5 stars Snappy dialogue, fun characters, family dynamics and the fake boyfriend trope add up to a perfect weekend or beach read. The action is hot and the story satisfies, and sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for. View all my reviews

Last Night with the Earl by Kelly Bowen My rating: 4 of 5 stars I very much enjoyed this tale of bullying, an artist who paints boudoir portraits, and a wounded war veteran dealing with his return home. Bowen is now on my auto-buy list as I catch up on her backlist, and I'm finding her stories satisfying. I especially liked the resolution of issues with secondary characters in this novel, the appearance of characters from other series' Bowen's written, and hope to see more of these characters advance to their own stories in the future. View all my reviews

Archangel's Prophecy by Nalini Singh My rating: 4 of 5 stars There are a couple things an author can do to keep a long running series fresh. One is to introduce new and interesting characters, and Nalini Singh does that very well with both her Psy-Changeling and her Guild Hunter books. The other is to raise the stakes on your protagonists. Archangel's Prophecy will leave some readers dissatisfied but only in the sense that they'll be anxious for the next installment, and that's a good thing. Keeping the tension ramped up helps with a series about near-immortal archangels, vampires, and the mortals who love them. There are some world building details that niggle at me--if there's no organized Western religion as we know it, would these civilizations have developed so closely parallel to our own? And, what happened to the Native Americans? Were they never a part of this world? But, 11 novels and some short stories/novellas in, the ...

Today for the first time in months I opened the file for Book #9, [working title] FLORIDA GOLD. I'm 8K into the story and I surprised myself because....it's pretty good. Huh. Since WHAT THE PARROT SAW is now in early production stages I can get back to what I was working on before. However, one of the notes I have is to take a field trip to the coast to Faver-Dykes State Park and the Bulow Plantation Ruins . Now that the weather's cooled off and the mosquitoes have calmed down that kind of hiking around in the woods is a lot more attractive. Plus, I now have a Florida State Parks Annual Pass, so it's a win all around! San Felasco Hammock State Park Faver-Dykes is undergoing renovation until December so I have time to plan my road trip. Maybe I'll take a couple days and stay with friends on the coast. One of the things I love about my job, as it says in my bio, is taking a day off, putting the top down on the convertible, driving to the beach, and calling it...

More shots rang out, going wide of where Rand stood. He stuck his head around the tree and the smoke from [redacted] gun was enough to give Rand something to sight on, and get off a shot of his own before he ducked back. The muzzle flash compromised his night vision and he waited a moment before looking back around, in time to see a silhouette at the river edge—and a darker silhouette moving swiftly through the water. “Get away from the river, there’s a gator coming after you!” “You can’t fool me that way, Wash—” A piercing shriek split the night, followed by a large splash. --SMUGGLER'S BRIDE   This was a Sunday where I needed to get away from the 24-hour news and social media cycle of tragedy and politics. I headed out to my favorite city walking trail at Sweetwater Wetlands Park , where nature and the city meet through reclaimed wetlands. It was a perfect day for a trek and I was rolling along, enjoying the wildflowers and egrets, ibis, ducks and cranes in abundan...

Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry My rating: 4 of 5 stars I liked this latest entry in the William Monk mysteries because of its focus on the men of the River Police. They're an interesting group, but one of them may have betrayed his comrades and Monk needs to figure out who the traitor is while focusing on their solving a kidnapping and murder. View all my reviews

Regular readers of this blog may recall that Diva #Dachshund Dodi was entered in the Halloweener Derby last year, an annual fundraiser sponsored by Climb for Cancer Foundation. Her performance was memorable. We practiced for weeks, racing up and down the hall at the squeak of her favorite ball. She was in top form, fighting trim. Comes the day of the race Dodi is weight matched against another doxie, I'm at the finish line with treats and toys to lure her, the announcer says "Go!" and they're off like a shot. One dachshund, anyway. Dodi sits on her furry little butt and looks around. People are yelling and laughing and I'm at the finish line calling, "C'mon, Dodi! Treats!" and she just sits there enjoying the view. I must admit, it was mortifying. But I was willing to try again. We signed up for the race, began our training regimen (cue "Rocky" theme...) and I knew this year she'd bring home the gold. A year older, a year ...

"Possum hangin’ in the tree,  Raccoon on the ground;  Raccoon say, you stingy rat, Shake them ’simmons down!” Julia paused in her singing and frowned down at the spoon stirring through the cake batter. “Possum hanging in the tree?”  Where had that come from?  “Goodness, I’m becoming countrified!” She chuckled, looking out the kitchen window at the activity in the yard. Rand was doing the morning chores in preparation for their trip to the Iveys’ farm. For a moment she watched him as she stirred, indulging herself in a fantasy that theirs was a normal marriage, two people on the Florida frontier, making a new life together. But it was as much a fantasy as singing raccoons. --SMUGGLER'S BRIDE If it's autumn in North Central Florida, it's persimmon time! They're starting to come into our farmers market, a little late this year because of our extra hot summer, but I snagged a few. These are still at the ripe but firm stage and may not make it to the cake...

Starless by Jacqueline Carey My rating: 0 of 5 stars A lush, gender-bending retelling of the classic Hero's Journey in a fantasy world full of gods and gifts. Khai is a young warrior, honed for a life of service as a Shadow, paired at birth to the Princess Zariya as her protector. Khai's training begins in infancy and it isn't until puberty that the young Shadow learns the truth--she was born female, but raised as an "honorary boy". It changes everything, and nothing. Even though there's never been a girl Shadow, Khai is ready to take on her/his responsibilities and learns that an evil presence created by the gods may destroy everything, including his/her beloved princess. Carey has brought us lesbian heroines before in her Santa Olivia novels, and a bi-heroine in the acclaimed Kushiel series. This time she delves deep into classic high fantasy with a warrior and his/her love, a quest, and a band of brothers and sisters brou...

Saga, Vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: If you're not reading Saga, Vol. 9 , you're not reading the finest graphic novel being published now. And the graphic novel format is perfect for this tale. The combination of art and text couldn't be duplicated in a standard novel, not the way it works here. Start with Volume 1. Read SAGA. Be blown away. View all my reviews

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman My rating: 5 of 5 stars It was fun to re-read this classic by two masters of fantasy. I'm looking forward to seeing the new series on Amazon Prime, but I'll also be intrigued to see how the cast and story is updated. For example, this book had many tongue-in-cheek references to the movie The Omen, and would likely shoot right over the heads of some modern viewers. But it was still a fun read, and highly recommended. View all my reviews

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng My rating: 4 of 5 stars I pulled this off the library "Sizzler" (Hot titles) shelf on a whim because I'd seen it on the bestseller lists for a long time, and because my son-in-law is from Shaker Heights. It was an engrossing read. So many of the characters struck me as people I might have known, their lives and behavior all too familiar, and yet the story unfolded in a fashion that kept me turning pages late into the night. To me, this is the hardest type of novel to write well. A story of largely ordinary people who each have lives worthy of deeper exploration. I understand now what the buzz is about and I'll check out more books by Ms. Ng. View all my reviews

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Circe by Madeline Miller My rating: 5 of 5 stars When I was a youngster, one of my favorite books was D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths . I still have my copy. That's simply my way of saying that reading a re-telling of a classic tale from my youth is not only a pleasure, but to see the myth turned around to be woman empowered and turned away from the male POV is a very special pleasure indeed. What we know of the witch Circe comes from the classic myth told by men, repeated in The Odyssey by Homer and passed down for generations from Odysseus' perspective. Now we get to hear the other story, the story of a powerful woman born of the gods who has to navigate her way through a world of petty Olympian personalities and mortals with limited ideas of what a woman can be. I found CIRCE to be engrossing, powerfully told, beautifully written and wonderful tale of a girl who doesn't fit in, so she makes her own place. I highly recommend it....