Teaser Tuesday - Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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I'm almost finished with Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton. I've loved it so far, and keep finding myself reading slower and smaller chunks at a time to make it last longer.  Nonetheless, all good things must come to an end, and this might be our last Tease from this novel...

The Tease:

"Angela had gone only about a hundred meters along the river when she realized someone was following her. She wasn't surprised. The whole Ravi-being-safe-thing was a big stretch. Two options: This was either the monster or the saboteur.
Either way, she was ready to settle this."

 - Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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I'm reading Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton, and liking it a lot!  The main portion of the story is a murder mystery - and the death may be connected to a previous murder years before.  In this scene, Angela remembers an event from her first visit to the planet of St. Libra twenty years ago...

The Tease:

"Barclay North was waiting in the big open-plan lounge, with its balcony overlooking the deserted beach.  Angela gave him a coy grin.  "Hi," she said, all husky-voiced."

 - Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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I'm reading Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton, and I'm quite enjoying it.  The main portion of the story is a murder mystery - and the death may be connected to a previous murder years before.  In this scene, the prisoner Angela and here escort travel through the gate from Earth to St. Libra to begin their search for the alien she claims is responsible for the murders she was accused of so long ago...

The Tease:

"Angela was already searching the sky.  "There," she said simply.  Paresh followed her gaze.  St. Libra's sky was a clean deep turquoise, and somehow seemed to be a whole lot higher than Earth's.  He barely noticed that.  Slicing right across the northern sky like some kind of magical veil was the planet's phenomenal ring system."

 - Great North Road, by Peter F Hamilton

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - Lady of Ashes, by Christine Trent

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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So I've finished Rise of Empire by Michael J Sullivan, and I think I'm going to take a bit of a break before I move on to book 3 in the series.  This week I've begun a new novel, and I'm breaking all the rules today because not only is my Tease more than two sentences, there's going to be two Teasers! 

The Tease:

From the Prolgue:
"I killed a man today, and although it I didn't mean to do it, I must confess that it wasn't unpleasant at all.  I suppose some might call it murder, but is it really murder if the victim deserved it?  If he was especially irritating?"

From Chapter One:
"Violet Morgan often wondered why she was so skilled at dressing a corpse, yet was embarrassingly incompetent in the simplest household task, such as selecting draperies or hiring housemaids.  If only they hadn't moved to fancier lodgings in a more elegant section of London, she wouldn't be burdened with having to learn a myriad of rules for keeping a proper home."

 -Lady of Ashes, by Christine Trent

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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...Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five...
Frank Green, 1869

The Tease:

"There was little pretense now - no formal veneer of conversation.  They were five enemies linked together by a mutual instinct of self-preservation."

 -And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

What's your Tease?

Book Review - Notorious Nineteen, by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum Novels, by Janet Evanovich
1. One for the Money    10/18/2007
2. Two for the Dough    11/19/2007
3. Three to get Ready    11/24/2007
4. Four to Score           11/25/2007
5. High Five                 11/26/2007
6. Hot Six                    12/6/2007
7. Seven Up                3/10/2008
8. Hard Eight                3/11/2008
9. To the Nines            3/16/2008
10. Visions of Sugar Plums    3/14/2008
11. Ten Big Ones          3/17/2008
12. Eleven on Top         5/2/2008
13. Twelve Sharp          5/12/2008
14. Lean Mean Thirteen        5/13/2008
15. Plum Lovin’                5/14/2008
16. Plum Lucky                5/15/2008
17. Fearles Fourteen        8/18/2008
18. Plum Spooky                TBR
19. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen    9/25/2009
20. Sizzling Sixteen             11/4/2011                   (My Review)
21. Smokin' Seventeen        11/11/2011  * * *      (My Review) 
22. Explosive Eighteen         2/1/2012     * * * *   (My Review)
23. Notorious Nineteen        4/5/2013    * * * *

From Goodreads:
"#1 bestselling author Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels are: “irresistible” (Houston Chronicle), “stunning” (Booklist), “outrageous” (Publishers Weekly), “brilliantly evocative” (The Denver Post), and “making trouble and winning hearts” (USA Today).

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory. . . ."


My Thoughts:
Wow - Number Nineteen!  Who would have thought that this series could go on for so long?

No really, who thought that?  Well, while certain things about the series may be getting a bit long in the tooth, I have to admit that Notorious Nineteen was quite a bit better and definitely more enjoyable than the last two books in the series.  All the expected elements are there where they should be, like comfortable slippers beside the bed - Grandma Mazur is crazy yet oddly helpful, chicken gets eaten, Joe is hot, Ranger is hotter, etc.

But somehow - and I totally can't put my finger on why, exactly - Notorious Nineteen ends up being funnier and much more entertaining than the previous few novels.  Evanovich may have found a new enjoyment and life in her characters, perhaps, but whatever it is, I liked it. 

Overall I continue to enjoy this series, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys light-hearted mystery romps with a touch of romantic comedy.  I still hope the series tops out at 20, but if not, I at least hope that Evanovich continues having a little more fun with the series.

Teaser Tuesday - Notorious Nineteen, by Janet Evanovich

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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So now that I've finally finished A Memory of Light, this week we get a tease from a new book, for the first time in quite awhile.  So, the Stephanie Plum mysteries are up to number nineteen, eh?  Let's see what Stephanie is up to!  Hmmm...Looks like she's having a conversation with Ranger...

The Tease:

""I have good news and bad news," Ranger said.  "What do you want to hear first?"
"The good news."
"Actually I lied about the good news.  It's all bad.""

 -Notorious Nineteen, by Janet Evanovich

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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Last night I finished Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness.  I know I'm a little behind in reading it, but it was really quite good.  So before I start my next read, let's have one more Tease from Shadow of Night.

The Tease:

 "My attempts to reach the Old Lodge's future from its past were unsuccessful.  I focused on the look and smell of the place and saw the threads that bound Matthew and me to the house - brown and green and gold. But they slipped out of my fingers repeatedly."

 -Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness

What's your Tease?

Book Review - The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry

Cotton Malone Series, by Steve Berry
1. The Templar Legacy     06/09/2009     * * * *

From Goodreads:
"The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes . . . until the Inquisition, when they were wiped from the face of the earth, their hidden riches lost. But now two forces vying for the treasure have learned that it is not at all what they thought it was-and its true nature could change the modern world.
Cotton Malone, one-time top operative for the U.S. Justice Department, is enjoying his quiet new life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen when an unexpected call to action reawakens his hair-trigger instincts-and plunges him back into the cloak-and-dagger world he thought he'd left behind.
It begins with a violent robbery attempt on Cotton's former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, who's far from home on a mission that has nothing to do with national security. Armed with vital clues to a series of centuries-old puzzles scattered across Europe, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune-hunters through the ages by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to have been lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the fourteenth century. But she's not alone. Competing for the historic prize-and desperate for the crucial information Stephanie possesses-is Raymond de Roquefort, a shadowy zealot with an army of assassins at his command.
Welcome or not, Cotton seeks to even the odds in the perilous race. But the more he learns about the ancient conspiracy surrounding the Knights Templar, the more he realizes that even more than lives are at stake. At the end of a lethal game of conquest, rife with intrigue, treachery, and craven lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world-and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees."

My Thoughts:
Cotton Malone is a retired CIA agent who has retired to Copenhagen to open a bookstore, and is, for the most part, living quite happily in his new home.  But that all changes when his old boss blows into town for a visit, and suddenly Malone finds himself swept up in a desperate chase across the city and eventually across Europe, as he deciphers secret clues to try to stop the plans of a crazy man who also happens to be the Grand Master of a new secret Templar cult. 

The pace moves at breakneck speed, for the most part, although as so often happens, there is a section in the middle that I felt got a little bogged down.  Full of murder and mayhem, blackmail, kidnapping, betrayal and seemingly impossible escapes, The Templar Legacy is quite good, considering that the first novel in a series usually leaves a bit to be desired.  Characterization is a bit weak, I suppose, as it's a little difficult to get to know a character while he's running for his life, but that's a small quibble and something that does get better as the series continues.  The subject matter feels impeccably researched, and the reader may accidentally find themselves learning quite a bit of early Christian and European history without even noticing.

Similar in tone to Dan Brown's Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, but smarter, with a heavy dose of James Bond thrown into the mix, many will find this novel to be controversial in scope and subject matter in terms of religion and Christianity.  Nonetheless, I highly recommend The Templar Legacy.  It's a fast, fun, fact-filled, fascinating, and fulfilling novel.  If you like Dan Brown's novels, and aren't afraid of controversial ideas in your fiction novels, then I think you'll enjoy The Templar Legacy.

Have you read The Templar Legacy?  What did you think?  Did you find the ideas regarding Christianity too controversial?

Teaser Tuesday - Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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Matthew and Diana have traveled to Prague, where they not only find themselves in more danger than ever, but also finally find the mysterious manuscript that originally brought them together...But their problems are far from over, and possessing the book may be more dangerous than searching for it.

The Tease:

 "Maybe my questions don't need answers as urgently as I thought they did."
To prove his point, Matthew put the book on the floor, out of sight.
"I thought it would tell me who I am and why I'm here.  Perhaps I already know."
I waited for him to explain.
After all my searching, I discover that I am who I always was: Matthew de Clermont.
Husband.  Father.  Vampire.  And I am here for only one reason: To make a difference.""

 -Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness

What's your Tease?

Book Review - The Third Secret, by Steve Berry

The Third Secret, Steve Berry  10/18/2005  * * * *

From Goodreads:
"Explosive in both its pace and its revelations, The Third Secret is a remarkable international thriller. Bestselling author Steve Berry tackles some of the most controversial ideas of our time in a breakneck journey through the history of the Church and the future of religion.

Fatima, Portugal, 1917: The Virgin Mary appears to three peasant children, sharing with them three secrets, two of which are soon revealed to the world. The third secret is sealed away in the Vatican, read only by popes, and not disclosed until the year 2000. When revealed, its quizzical tone and anticlimactic nature leave many faithful wondering if the Church has truly unveiled all of the Virgin Mary’s words–or if a message far more important has been left in the shadows.

Vatican City, present day: Papal secretary Father Colin Michener is concerned for the Pope. Night after restless night, Pope Clement XV enters the Vatican’s Riserva, the special archive open only to popes, where the Church’s most clandestine and controversial documents are stored. Though unsure of the details, Michener knows that the Pope’s distress stems from the revelations of Fatima.

Equally concerned, but not out of any sense of compassion, is Alberto Cardinal Valendrea, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. Valendrea desperately covets the papacy, having narrowly lost out to Clement at the last conclave. Now the Pope’s interest in Fatima threatens to uncover a shocking ancient truth that Valendrea has kept to himself for many years.

When Pope Clement sends Michener to the Romanian highlands, then to a Bosnian holy site, in search of a priest–possibly one of the last people on Earth who knows Mary’s true message–a perilous set of events unfolds. Michener finds himself embroiled in murder, suspicion, suicide, deceit, and his forbidden passion for a beloved woman. In a desperate search for answers, he travels to Pope Clement’s birthplace in Germany, where he learns that the third secret of Fatima may dictate the very fate of the Church–a fate now lying in Michener’s own hands."

My Thoughts:
So, it's been awhile since I read this novel, but I still remember how much I liked reading it.  It isn't my favorite of Steve Berry's novels - I much prefer his Cotton Malone series - but reading The Third Secret was fascinating and enjoyable.  As usual Mr. Berry has done what I can only imagine was a massive amount of research, which makes the story feel complete and authentic, and also manages to be informative about the history and workings of the Vatican without ever feeling boring or educational.

Suspenseful and exciting, the story is full of political intrigue, action, murder, with a little of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.  The writing is solid and the pacing is good, though there is a bit in the middle where it bogged down a bit, for me at least.  But overall, even though this isn't my favorite of his novels, I do strongly recommend it as an enjoyable read.

Have you read The Third Secret by Steve Berry?  What did you think?

Teaser Tuesday - Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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Matthew and Diana seem to have settled down in London.  Matthew keeps busy with his spy duties, and Diana has finally found someone to teach her to control her magic.  Everything appears to be going well, until the unthinkable happens, and the Queen of England summons them both to court.

The Tease:

 "Henry tells me you are expected at court this afternoon.  You have nothing to wear."  With an imperious finger, Mary directed still more of her crew in the direction of our bedchamber.
"I was going to wear the gown I was married in," I protested.
"But it is French!" Mary said, aghast. "You cannot wear that!"

 -Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - Blue Remembered Earth, by Alastair Reynolds

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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Still very much enjoying this novel.  In this scene, Geoffrey and his sister Sunday, along with some friends, are contemplating the wisdom of following the clues that their grandmother left before she died, and their own ability to do so.

The Tease:

 "Jitendra was recharging their glasses. "It could be called Happy Smiley Fun Moon and it wouldn't make it any easier to get to.  Look, it's a nice idea, all this adventuring, but we need to be realistic.  We can't afford Mars.""

 -Blue Remembered Earth, by Alastair Reynolds

What's your Tease?

Book Review - The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith

Ancient Egypt Series, by Wilbur Smith
1. River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt (Have Not Read)
2. The Seventh Scroll  07/08/2012 * *
3. Warlock: A Novel of Ancient Egypt (Have Not Read)
4. The Quest (Have Not Read)

From Goodreads:

For 4,000 years, the lavish crypt of the Pharaoh Mamose has never been found...until the Seventh Scroll, a cryptic message written by he slave Taita, gives beautiful Egyptologist Royan Al Simma a tantalizing clue to its location.  

But this is a treasure cache others would kill to possess. Only one step ahead of assassins, Royan runs for her life and into the arms of the only man she can trust, Sir Nicholas Quenton-Harper-a daring man who will stake his fortune and his life to join her hunt for the king's tomb. Together, they will embark on a breathtaking journey to the most exotic locale on earth, where the greatest mystery of ancient Egypt, a chilling danger and an explosive passion are waiting.

Steeped in ancient mystery, drama and action, The Seventh Scroll is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.

My Thoughts:
I'm not even sure where I got this book from - I think it might have been out of a bag of books that my mom gave me.  I'd never heard of the author before, and didn't even realize it was part of a series until I looked it up on Goodreads when I was about halfway through the novel.  But even though The Seventh Scroll is actually the second book in a series, it works as a stand alone novel.

Mostly, I enjoyed The Seventh Scroll.  The character of Royan was entertaining to read and easy to relate to, for the most part.  Overall it's a decent story, and parts of it were fascinating.  Many other parts were boring, dull, poorly written, overly descriptive, super predictable, and a few were actually cringe-worthy.  And something that bothered me immensely, the POV changes randomly, sometimes even in the middle of a paragraph.  I love multiple Points of View, but I'm of the opinion that the POV change needs to happen at a chapter break, or at least a section break within a chapter.  But in The Seventh Scroll, the POV seems to change completely randomly, and didn't always makes sense to me.

As I read through the many reviews from other people, though, I almost wonder if I'm missing something.  Many others seem to love the author and this series, and rave on and on about how good it is.  I didn't hate The Seventh Scroll, but I didn't love it either.  It's a good read, and starts well, but the middle part of the novel loses momentum and never quite picks it back up again.  By the time I muddled through to the end I just wanted them to find the treasure and be done already.

I'm giving The Seventh Scroll two stars.  I feel vaguely bad about doing so, but I'm also not quite willing to go to three stars and say I liked it.  It was ok.  I probably won't try any of the rest of the series, even though the first book in the series, River God, seems to get rave reviews. But I think I'll pass, for now at least.

Have you read The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith?  What did you think - am I way off base?

Teaser Tuesday - The Seventh Scroll

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

----------

Royan and her business partner Nicholas have traveled from England to Ethiopia in search of a lost Pharaoh's tomb written about in an ancient scroll. They have searched the Nile river for clues to the secret location, and have found carvings in a cliff wall that may lead them closer to their goal.  They've also been shot at, nearly died in an explosion, and kicked out of Ethiopa.  Now back in England, they plan to return and try to claim  the Pharaoh's treasure before the man who killed Royan's husband, Herr von Schiller, can steal it from them.

The Tease:

 "Von Schiller had gone ashen pale as he listened.  Sweat beaded upon his forehead, and his voice was hoarse and chesty as he asked, "A royal mummy?""

 -The Seventh Scroll, by Wilbur Smith

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - The Seventh Scroll

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

----------

Royan and her new partner Nicholas have traveled from England to Ethiopia in search of a lost Pharaoh's tomb written about in an ancient scroll. They have searched the Nile river for clues to the secret location, and have found carvings in a cliff wall that may lead them closer to their goal.

The Tease:

 "Swimming on downwards, he found another niche, then another.  Four rows of niches, twenty-four feet below the surface.  His ears were popping and squeaking as the pressure squeezed the air out of his Eustachian tubes.  His eyes were wide open, but the waters below him were dark and turbid."

 -The Seventh Scroll, by Wilbur Smith

What's your Tease?

Movie Review - The Raven

The Raven (2012) * * * * *
Director: James McTeigue
Stars: John Cusack, Alice Eve and Luke Evans

From IMDB:

"When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality."

My Thoughts:
This movie is bloody brilliant.  Go see it now!

What?  You want more?

(sigh)

Ok here's the deal.  Bob's been wanting to see this movie for weeks, and while I thought it might be interesting, I wasn't nearly as excited about it as he was.  But it turns out that The Raven is totally amazing.  John Cusack (whom I adore) was completely brilliant as the washed-up has-been Poe, who is having an illicit affair with Emily Hamilton, the love of his life, when suddenly an insane person begins committing grisly murders that are based on Poe's stories.  Detective Fields, played by Luke Evans, notices the connection to Poe's horror tales and drags Poe in as a consultant.  But when the psychotic killer kidnaps Emily in a shocking and dramatic fashion, Poe and Detective Fields must race against the clock to solve the mystery in time to save young Emily's life.

One of the great things about the film is that even though Emily is kidnapped, she isn't a shrinking-violet or damsel-in-distress type at all, and fights back against the kidnapper in some ingenious ways, which was thrilling to watch.  Rather than waiting around for some man to show up and rescue her, she does everything she can to rescue her own damn self, and at one point very nearly succeeds.  Alice Eve plays the role of Emily, and does a darn fine job of portraying a strong woman who isn't afraid to fight back.

The film mixes multiple genres easily and almost defies definition - is it comedy horror, or mystery thriller?  Yes, totally.  Police procedural / romance?  Sure, there's some of that too.  The narrative weaves in and out of all these smoothly and seamlessly while telling the story from several perspectives, which has the advantage of making the viewer doubt who the killer is and keeps one guessing until almost the very end.  It is, simply put, a bloody brilliant movie!

And I should mention that it is bloody in several places.  Most of the "icky" isn't any worse than what one would see on TV in shows like "Bones" or any of the "CSI" shows, but there is one scene specifically that made me squeamish, and that's where the killer is imitating the Pit and the Pendulum.  It's straight up gross, I'm not gonna lie.  Thankfully, it was also very short, and most of the horror derives from the suspense and anticipation than the actual gory act of the death itself.

Other than that it was a great movie, and I loved it far more than I expected I would.  John Cusack seriously shines in the role, and I highly recommend The Raven, even to folks who might not normally be a fan of the horror genre.  Give it a chance and there might be something there you'll like.  Just watch out for giant falling metal blades.

Have you seen The Raven yet?  What'd you think?  Let me know in the comments!

Book Review - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine Series, by Ransom Riggs
1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, 02/07/2012, * * * * *

From Goodreads:

"A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

My Thoughts:
So, as I'm sure you noticed, I gave this book five stars.  The short version is that I gave this book 5 stars because it's a really good book.  However that by itself is not the whole story.

You see, the blurb is misleading.  The book that the blurb is talking about might be an interesting book, but as you begin reading Miss Peregrine you soon realize that the story you are reading isn't the same one the blurb is describing.  Oh, it's close.  It's sorta right.  But just for example, when Jacob finally gets to the island, you quickly realize that the island isn't deserted.  In fact there's a whole village of people living there.  Also, while the orphanage can technically be described as abandoned (really it was more like, destroyed), the Peculiar Children who lived there weren't quarantined.  So the blurb sets up certain expectations that the story itself really doesn't quite live up to.  And I notice that a lot of people use this as a reason to hate on the book itself and give it bad reviews.

However, if you ignore the blurb, it's really kind of a brilliant story.  Jacob is a likeable character, and is easy to identify with.  Having listened to his grandfather's monster tales all his life, Jacob begins to realize as he grows older that his beloved relative may be more than a little bit crazy.  But he soon realizes that it's possible grandpa wasn't as crazy as the rest of the family believes, and when Jacob finds a collection of disturbingly odd photos together with an old letter he decides that it's time for him to find out for himself the truth of his grandfather's past.  Which leads him to the decidedly odd and creepy but definitely NOT deserted island off the coast of Wales and the aforementioned destroyed orphanage.

But the mystery doesn't end there, and the story gets ever more weird and creepy as it continues.  With the liberal use of the haunting and eery photos that Jacob discovered, the novel creates a delightfully twisted story of a young man searching for the truth of his family history and his desperate attempt to prove that he is not insane.  It's a highly enjoyable read, and while the pacing does drag a little bit in several places, the ending was worth it in my opinion.

What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment below!

Book Review - Explosive Eighteen

Stephanie Plum Novels, by Janet Evanovich   
One for the Money    10/18/2007
Two for the Dough     11/19/2007
Three to get Ready    11/24/2007
Four to Score           11/25/2007
High Five                  11/26/2007
Hot Six                    12/6/2007
Seven Up                  3/10/2008
Hard Eight                3/11/2008
To the Nines             3/16/2008
Ten Big Ones           3/17/2008
Eleven on Top         5/2/2008
Twelve Sharp          5/12/2008
Lean Mean Thirteen    5/13/2008
Fearless Fourteen         8/18/2008
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen   9/25/2009
Sizzling Sixteen           11/4/2011
Smokin' Seventeen    11/11/2011
Explosive Eighteen     2/1/2012 * * * *

From Goodreads:

"Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo, and someone who sounds like Sasquatch is snoring in row 22. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. The FBI, the fake FBI, and guns-for-hire are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photograph—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.

Over at the Bail Bonds Agency it’s business as usual—until the bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke, Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their “largest” FTA yet, lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment, and everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?!

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii.  And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated."

My Thoughts:
Explosive Eighteen is another riotous romp through Stephanie Plum's life - or what's left of it upon her return from her "vacation" in Hawaii, and I have to say that it was much better than the last few books in the series.  A good plot, decent pacing, and hilarious hijinks all collide to create a fun, funny, and light-hearted reading experience.

Although I really do believe that with the series closing in on 20 novels, we as readers need something new from the author.  The stories are starting to feel more than a little recycled, and Stephanie needs to make a decision between Morelli and Ranger already.  I realize that both men love her in their own ways, but at some point it begins to feel unrealistic that the two men just let her bounce back and forth between the two of them. The stories are becoming predicitable - you know that Lula's going to be on some new diet, Grandma Mazur (who I ADORE) is going to cause a ruckus at a funeral, and Stephanie is going to somehow destroy a car - but not necessarily her own.  It's all great fun the 10 or 15 times, but with the framework of the stories beginning to feel stale, how much longer can it continue? 

However, the central mystery in Explosive Eighteen was not stale, and quite a bit better than some others in the series.  Upon returning home from the airport, Stephanie finds a mystery photo in her carry-on bag, and throws it away.  Suddenly people are crawling out of the woodwork trying to get that photo, now that she no longer has it.  But who is the mystery man, and why does everyone want his photo?

I'm giving Explosive Eighteen 4 stars, because is spite of my issues with the series, this novel felt more fun and humorous, which made it a nice, light, enjoyable read.

Have you read Explosive Eighteen yet?  What did you think?  Let me know in the comments!

Day Five of the Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week: Wrap-Up

Welcome back, my Little Addicts, to the final day of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week."  I had hoped to have finished reading "Timeless" by now and be able to produce a proper review for the book.  I deeply apologize that I have no actual review today.  Unfortunately, fate and life had other plans, and I find myself only halfway through "Timeless."  So all I can say at this point is that it is fabulous, and if you haven't picked or ordered your very own copy yet, you totally should because you will LOVE it!

So, since the review will have to wait until next week, today we will wrap-up the week with a recap, just in case anyone missed anything.

Day One - On Monday we took a brief look at the first two books in the Parasol Protectorate series, "Soulless," and "Changeless."

Day Two - Tuesday is, of course, always Teaser Tuesday here at SunnyReads, so we twisted the meme to our own purposes and had a special Teaser from each of the first four books in the series.

Day Three - On Wednesday we continued our look back at the series by focusing on books three and four: "Blameless" and "Heartless."

Day Four - Thursday was the official release day for book five in the series, "Timeless," although some store fronts and online retailers made the book available several days before this date.  (Apparently this is called a 'soft release,' something that I did not know).  Also the official release day for the "Soulless" manga!  But most importantly, Thursday was my interview with Gail Carriger, award winning and New York Times Bestselling author, and my very first ever Author Interview!  Gail chats about the series and characters in the Parasol Protectorate, and drops a few juicy hints about what we can expect from her two new writing projects!

A very special thanks goes out to Ms Carriger for granting the interview, and I'd also like to thank everyone who helped me with this project, and I hope you all enjoyed "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week!"  I know it was lots of fun for me.

Tune in next week for my review of "Timeless" (I promise!) - and if you've already finished the book and written your own review, let me know and I'll include a link to your review page!  You can email me the link at "SunnyReads (at) gmail (dot) com," or if you prefer, leave a link in the comments.