Sea ~ Heidi R. Kling

“Still haunted by nightmares of her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to Indonesia with her father’s relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post traumatic stress disorder—something Sienna knows a lot about. Since her mother’s plane went missing over the Indian Ocean three years before, Sienna doesn’t do anything if it involves the ocean or planes, so this trip is a big step forward.

But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage, and just so happens to be HOT. When Deni hears a rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn’t think twice about running away with him to the epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they find there could break both their hearts.” [Publisher's Summary]

Simply put, Sea was all kinds of wonderful. I knew then that writing a review straight-away wasn’t going to work; I purposely put it off, and now days later here I am. The thing is, I wasn’t immediately prepared to look at why I enjoyed it so much. I’m still not. And so this post is going to be…personal? Yes, that’s the right word, because reading Sea turned into a highly personal reading experience.

As the summary gives away, Sienna is living in the aftermath of losing her mother to a plane crash. Her life revolves around inhibitions provoked by that one day, that one piece of world-changing news. And anyone who has a fear – whether it be paralyzing, born of a tragic event, or irrational – will empathize with Sienna’s situation. From the first page Sienna reads as an authentic character; her responses ring true, and her narrative flows easily even when she struggles with her phobias and subsequent emotions. Because of that the connection the reader forges with her is almost unconscious. One minute she’s a stranger, the next she displays shades of yourself or your best friend at that age. And so I was on-board the moment I met her.

After the reader gets a feel for her situation, Sienna is thrust into facing her fears head-on when her father asks her to accompany his international relief team on a mission to an Indonesian orphanage. In the company of children plagued by the living nightmare of outrunning or otherwise surviving a tsunami is where the heart of the story lies. And in a quiet, deceptively subdued way, it shook me up. My heart ached and my head went off to confront the fact that, yes, children were left homeless and alone after the tsunami in 2004 and so many others didn’t make it. I realized it before, of course, but…I don’t know what to say. It just struck me again, I guess. But saying that…This book isn’t sad in that way. Deni, the character Sienna falls for, is a fighter; he’s determined to rebuild his home, his life, while holding close the memories of what he lost. So this story is about hope and survival and helping where one can.

And there’s the romance. It was lovely and touching and imbued with honest feeling. It even sparked a few memories of my own.

My most basic point is that I liked Sea very, very much and I can’t wait to see what Heidi R. Kling will do next.

A Summer of Historical Fiction

This summer is going to find me reading quite a bit of historical fiction. Prompted by the genre study I participate in for work, I need to read an elective title alongside William Martin’s Back Bay. It can be from any time period, set anywhere in the world, and can even roam into fantasy or romance so long as it’s based in an actual historical setting or around actual events. So I bought Martin’s book and immediately began to look into what I might read for my secondary title; the list I’ve started to compile seems never-ending. Which means, whim allowing, I’ll likely end up reading several rather than just the one. Here are a few that’ve caught my eye.

The Sixth Surrender by Hana Samek Norton
“In the last years of her eventful life, queen-duchess Aliénor of Aquitaine launches a deadly dynastic chess game to safeguard the crowns of Normandy and England for John Plantagenet, her last surviving son.

To that end, Aliénor coerces into matrimony two pawns-Juliana de Charnais, a plain and pious novice determined to regain her inheritance, and Guérin de lasalle, a cynical, war-worn mercenary equally resolved to renounce his.

The womanizing Lasalle and the proud Juliana are perfectly matched for battle not love-until spies and assassins conspire to reverse their romantic fortunes.

Populated by spirited and intelligent women and executed in flawless period detail, The Sixth Surrender is a compelling love story that heralds the arrival of a major new talent in historical fiction.”

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance by Sara Poole
“In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness.

Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul.

Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father’s killer from the depths of Rome’s Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends.”

For the King’s Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick
“A captivating story of a mother’s love stretched to breaking and a knight determined to rebuild his life with the royal mistress, For the King’s Favor is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.

Based on a true story never before told and impeccably researched, this is a testament to the power of sacrifice and the strength of love. When Roger Bigod, heir to the powerful earldom of Norfolk, arrives at court to settle an inheritance, he meets Ida de Tosney, young mistress to King Henry II. In Roger, Ida sees a chance for lasting love, but their decision to marry carries an agonizing price. It’s a breathtaking novel of making choices, not giving up, and coping with the terrible shifting whims of the king.”

I’m also thinking of perhaps straying into YA and reading one that I currently have and am looking forward to getting to:

The Queen’s Daughter by Susan Coventry
“Joan’s mother is Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, the most beautiful woman in the world. Her father is Henry II, the king of England and a renowned military leader. She loves them both—so what is she to do when she’s forced to choose between them? As her parents’ arguments grow ever more vicious, Joan begins to feel like a political pawn.

When her parents marry her off to the king of Sicily, Joan finds herself stuck with a man ten years her senior. She doesn’t love her husband, and she can’t quite forget her childhood crush, the handsome Lord Raymond.

As Joan grows up, she begins to understand that her parents’ worldview is warped by their political ambitions, and hers, in turn, has been warped by theirs. Is it too late to figure out whom to trust? And, more importantly, whom to love?”

Or I could perhaps go for a mystery. This one is calling my name:

The Montmartre Investigation by Claude Izner
“Paris, November 1891: The body of a barefoot young woman dressed in red is discovered on Boulevard Montmartre. She has been strangled and her face horribly disfigured. That same day a single red shoe is delivered to Victor Legris’s Parisian bookshop by a goatherd. Suspecting more than just coincidence, the charming bookseller sleuth and his assistant Jojo are soon searching for the identity of both victim and murderer. Then, a body is discovered in a wine barrel at the same time as a famous performer from the legendary Moulin Rouge is strangled in her apartment. Victor’s investigation takes him and Jojo into the dark alleyways and bustling cafes of the hills of Montmartre, on a trail of evidence that seems to point to a case that shocked the population of Lyons years ago”

And that’s not even considering all of the romance novels and historical fantasy titles on my radar. I think it really is going to be a summer of historical fiction.

Deception ~ Lee Nichols

“When Emma Vaile’s parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she’s left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother’s very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma’s knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family’s museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett. But the eerie visions she’s been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can’t explain—it’s as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.” [Publisher's Summary]

Publishing Deception now, when summer has just dug in its fingertips, seems like a disservice to the wonderful atmosphere Nichols created. I would have much rather spied leaves fallen, turned russet and red and gathered in high piles on the lawn outside my window, felt the first brush of winter’s chill outside my door, as I read; late fall would have been the time to settle in with it. Even so, I enjoyed it.

First I must admit: I am a New England girl through and through. I approach books set in my neck of the woods with a not entirely rational sense of trepidation. (That’s another post, not this one.) In this case, I enjoyed Nichols’ take on the quintessential New England town, and in fact live rather near one that could have been used as a model. While not overly bogged down in detail, the setting is rich and adds to the texture of the story. Plus, there’s the conjuring of my favorite season: fall.

Odd that my favorite characters were all ghosts, considering that we see very little of them (oh, pardon that awful pun!) The reader learns little about their past lives, but they have so much personality and I’ve found that I have a particular soft spot for little urchin boys who say “mum” earnestly and with genuine sweetness even when they’re addressing someone only ten years their senior. So, yes, the four ghosts that Emma encounters in her new home charmed my socks off. As for Emma, I liked her. Despite what was happening to her – seeing things, being left by her parents and uprooted by a guardian she’s crushed on for years – she takes it all mostly in stride. It was refreshing, actually, that she didn’t question or bemoan her fate every other page. The other characters – including Bennett, the crush/guardian – were somewhat cookie cutter and ranged from the wealthy prep kids to the nurturing nanny-type.

For once I wasn’t invested in the story because of the characters so much as the atmosphere/tone/mood of it. The ghosts and mystery angle lent the proceedings a suitably eerie undercurrent, the setting made me long for a cozy cardigan and cup of tea, and all of it made me yearn for a New England Halloween.

Overall, enjoyable and engaging.

I ♥ This Art: Sculptor

I ♥ This Art is a weekly feature on Tempting Persephone. Art, no matter the medium, buoys my spirit up. Each week I’ll spotlight a piece that speaks to me, makes me want to know more, or taps into some emotion or sentiment.

“Sculptor” by kir-tat

Laini Taylor’s new book; I need it

Now. I need it right now. Because when it comes to Laini Taylor’s gorgeous prose patience deserts me. After all, the tentative title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Right? And then the little bit that Publisher’s Weekly spills regarding the plot:

“…is about a pair of star-crossed lovers kept apart by the fact that one’s an angel and the other’s a demon; also woven into the tale is the story of the devil’s adopted daughter, a blue-haired art student in Prague.” [from Grow Wings]

They had me at “is.” If you’ve got a spare moment read the entire post on her blog; she talks a bit more about the story after the PW bit. And you know what the best part of it is? Laini Taylor herself is so delightfully excited about this story, it races through her words like wildfire, spreading rapidly. My own excitement was upped tenfold just because it was obvious how much she is loving writing it.

The only downer? Another Dreamdark book isn’t in the cards any time soon. Which is so, so sad. Those books are fantastic and the characters have burrowed into me so deep, it’s almost painful not knowing how their story is going to continue on. I missed Magpie and Talon the second I put Silksinger down. I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that the wait isn’t too long.

And in the meantime, there will be Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

(Just popped over to Stephanie Perkins’ blog this morning. She has a post about Taylor’s new book and…and…she’s read it! And the things she has to say about it! Go read.)

The Man with a Load of Mischief ~ Martha Grimes

“At the Man with a Load of Mischief, they found a dead man with his head stuck in a beer keg. At the Jack and Hammer, another body was stuck out on the beam of the pub’s sign, replacing the mechanical man who kept time. Two pubs. Two murders. One Scotland Yard inspector called in to help. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jury arrives in Long Piddleton and finds everyone in the postcard village looking outside of town for the killer. Except for Melrose Plant. A keen observer of human nature, he points Jury in the right direction: toward the darkest parts of his neighbor’s hearts…”[Publisher's Summary]

Prompted by author Lauren Baratz-Logsted‘s answer to a question I recently put forth to her, I picked up the first of Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury novels, and I might add eagerly at that. If you need a refresher, this is what she had to say about the Detective Chief Inspector: “[he's a] tall man of the law with the killer smile… And yet he is so sad in a way.” That’s a hard-to-resist description, don’t you think? And besides, it was about time I got back to the mystery genre, which I once read widely and love still.

Richard Jury is just as Lauren said he was. His solitary life has been devoted to his work; he’s respected by his peers at New Scotland Yard, but upon leaving his office he returns to an empty flat. He feels that emptiness keenly. And he has a sense for it in others. His empathetic nature aids him well on the job. There was this scene, midway through, that captured both his compassion and his charm:

“A drink, then, love?” Jury shook his head. “Well, you’ll have to excuse me, love. It’s not often I get a shock like this. Let me tell you, when I went out there – ” and her head fell in her hands.

“Of course. I understand, Mrs. Willypoole. I’d like a look first at the garden, and then to ask you a few questions.” She didn’t seem to hear him, and he decided that unless he wanted an unconscious witness, he’d better not come on quite so pompously with her. He leaned on the bar and tried to match her tone. “Can’t say I blame you. But listen, love, go easy on that,” and he flicked his nail against the bottle. “I’m going to need your help.” He winked.

She looked up at him and set down the glass. “Hetta’s the name.”                                                                                    [p. 105]

I enjoyed many things about Jury: he didn’t take his position so seriously as to actually be pompous (his comment in that snippet above only serves to reinforce that that is so,) he is compassionate but will not suffer fools, as the say, and his intelligence doesn’t hold him from seeking the counsel of others. He really can be very sweet and self-deprecatingly charming. And beneath his lonely, justice-driven exterior? Well, this hints at what you might find:

Her eyes widened. “Well, really, Inspector Jury! And what reasons would you allow for marrying?”

Jury was out of his chair and over at the window now, staring out at the snow sifting down in the light of the street lamp. “Passion! Besottedness! Sex, if you like. Not being able to keep your hands off someone, or think about anything else!” He turned from the window. “‘Caring’ – what a bloody washed-out word that is!…”                                                   [p 187]

Richard Jury is a thinking man’s man, but there’s plenty there for ladies to admire as well.

In general, Martha Grimes’ characterization is excellent. The secondary characters, suspects and colleagues alike, come to life with quirks, defined personalities, and the knowledge that they have lived their pasts thoroughly. I won’t go into any of them in any kind of detail – even if I want to – because there are simply too many of them, and several are wonderful enough to have this post going on for some while yet. Just know Jury is not a fluke.

Grimes also excels at atmosphere; I get the sense that she knows England, understands it in all of its seasons, and she brings that knowing to the page. The events in this first novel ring around the Christmas holiday and snow is falling freely; Jury delights in mucking up an expanse of unbroken snow on more than one occasion, and through him you can not only see it, but you can hear it, can practically smell it. Then there are the descriptions of mundane items such as furniture, cars, clothing…It all comes together to create a rather marvelous world, especially one in which to set a murder or two. Or four.

As for the mystery, it was well done. The reader can see Jury working it out, but is never privy to his exact thoughts, which meant the crimes were not easily solved or guessed at. There are enough plausible suspects to actually make it a mystery, and yet when the killer is revealed the motivation is there and it’s believable. The characters are smart enough to see – and name – a red herring for what it is, and those that quoted Holmes endeared themselves to me immediately. (I should mention, too, that the characters that populate this novel, several of them, are up on their literature. The quotes extend beyond Conan Doyle and veer often into the territory of poets. It was nice, not pretentious or cloying.)

I enjoyed Jury and his first novel so much I went out and purchased the second right away; I’m reading it now. (And I’ve got the third on stand-by.) If you enjoy a solid police procedural, a smart, thoroughly likable detective, and a strong English setting, you should check out The Man with a Load of Mischief too.

For more on Grimes’ Richard Jury, check out Lauren’s recent article “My Kingdom for a Series.” (Just don’t be surprised if she makes it impossible for you to not read these books.)

One Question Interview with Lauren Baratz-Logsted

I’m very happy to be providing today’s question for Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s One Question Interview Tour. And, I’ve got to say, I love her answer because 1) it’s awesomely put and 2) it made me want to pick up the series involving the character she gives as her answer. So here it is, my one question:

If you could bring any character – not your own – to life for a day, who would it be and why?

And the answer…

“What an excellent question! At first glance I thought it was really hard because I read it as which character would I like to bring back to life for a day. And I immediately thought, ‘I only get one??? Who to save: Beth from Little Women, Phineas from A Separate Peace, Gatsby from his whole little problem with that swimming pool? I can’t choose – I can’t play God, not like this!’ But then I saw what you were really asking. Once I’d calmed down the answer was easy: Superintendent Richard Jury of New Scotland Yard C.I.D. from the Martha Grimes mystery series that’s been going on since the first was published in 1981. You could say I have a thing for the tall man of the law with the killer smile – women, and even little girls, in the books are always going gaga for Jury, as he is mostly called. And yet he is so sad in a way – his father died fighting in the war and his mother was killed during the last blitz of London when Jury was still very young, you know. (Note: Jury’s about 40 years old when the series starts and now, nearly 30 years later, he’s still about the same age, perhaps a few years older, certainly no more than 50 - kind of like Nancy Drew never aging – so it’s not like I’m slavering over a geezer here or anything.) So that’s who I’d like to have come to life for a day: Richard Jury, so I could take away his pain, primarily by employing my insane wit.”

Why’d she have to go and mention that he has a killer smile? And that he’s sad. That’s completely unfair. And there goes another hold on my library card…
Scratch that. I’ve now read the first Richard Jury book. Review soon!

Look for Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s new novel, The Education of Bet, next month.

When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.

So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined. [Publisher's Summary]

Saturn Apartments, Vol 1 ~ Hisae Iwaoka

Mitsu’s father died while washing windows on the lower level of the apartment complex that rings around the Earth, circling it “at an altitude of 35,000 meters.” (p 2) Left alone, Mitsu takes up his father’s job, determined to pay his way rather than rely on the kindness of friends and neighbors. With the curmudgeonly help of a veteran window washer, Mitsu settles in to his new life, but feels the pull of the Earth’s surface. And he wonders what his father saw, where he landed, that day he fell…

Mitsu, aside from being adorably drawn, bears his loss, his solitary life, with unwavering determination. The respect he shows others and the manners that rule his actions and words betray his innocence; he roused up every nurturing instinct I have. But there’s strength in him, too, and the need to take care of himself. Hisae Iwaoka, with very little text, managed to imbue not only Mitsu but all of her characters with depth and motivation.

And the story isn’t just about Mitsu; there’s Jin, the veteran window washer, who loves his sick wife so much he risks his job to stay home with her when her medicine has run low; there’s a couple about to be married and they share their history with Mitsu; there’s an inventor who learned by trial and error that robots can’t replace human industry; and more still. To the last page Saturn Apartments is engaging.

Then there’s the art! I loved it and was, in fact, drawn in by the cover immediately upon seeing it. Here’s a sample of the interior art:

You can see another twenty or so pages here.

The first volume of Saturn Apartments was very sweet and completely enjoyable. I will most definitely be picking up volume two when it’s released this November.

I ♥ This Art: Summoner Library

I ♥ This Art is a weekly feature on Tempting Persephone. Art, no matter the medium, buoys my spirit up. Each week I’ll spotlight a piece that speaks to me, makes me want to know more, or taps into some emotion or sentiment.

“Summoner Library” by asuka111

Curious about…Jane by April Lindner

“Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there’s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane’s much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.” [Publisher's Summary]

Of the romantic classics, Jane Eyre wasn’t my favorite. I enjoyed it for its tone, the atmosphere, but I never fully got behind Jane and Rochester. Later on when I read Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea my feelings on the matter were cemented. But I have to admit, this retelling is tempting. Outrageously so.

Part of the appeal is the cover; I love it. The overcast sky, windswept hair, the clothes, and the high grass. Even the simplicity of the title. It invokes a mood at once thoughtful and absent.

And, too, I really have to wonder what Nico’s secret is here. Surely he must be too young to be hiding a wife in the attic…

So will I be reading Jane when it’s release by Poppy this October? Definitely. How about you?