Georgette
Fun fact: I attended my first life drawing class not long before I found this eARC. The class was eye-opening and although my drawing skills are basic at best, I had a lot of fun and it got me thinking about how to look at a model and transfer what I see onto paper.
Chris Legaspi's Life Drawing for Artists was exactly what I needed to answer those questions, plus other questions I haven't thought of yet. Starting off with the basics such as material and the theoretical aspect of why we draw from life, the book then talks about shapes and gestures, how to find lines and how to put shapes together. Legaspi talked about how to work with light and shadow, before moving on to how to get the best out of your very brief one/two-minute poses and how to work on 20-minute poses.
Useful to enlighten the process for newbies and hone the art for old hats, this is an essential step-by-step guide into the world of life drawing.
This eARC was courtesy of NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group ??? Rockport Publishing.
“there is a man
I can only talk about in metaphor,
the way his tattoos make
an avalanche of my mouth”
There's very few (if not none) of Button Poetry's books that aren't about some kind of excruciating life experience or another, but that's what makes the medium so compelling as an outlet. Abusive relationships, grief and suicide were laid out in both the usual classic/tired metaphors as well as more contemporary ones (ie Harry Potter, Survivor, Disney). A bit hard to get into at first, but it eventually pulls you in. I won't go as far as to call it riveting from cover to cover; some of the pieces started sounding the same and I skimmed over it thinking I might have already read that page. Loved the one addressing audience members who are tired of hearing yet another rape poem.
Thank you Button Poetry and NetGalley for this eARC.
Let me start with this: “A Letter to Sarah Contemplating Superpowers” just flat out made me bawl. Being a spoken word poet myself, I went looking for the video on YouTube, which is a far more visceral experience than just reading the words.
I wish we didn't live in a time where we get taken by surprise when someone we know, a friend, a loved one, turns up dead by their own choice. But we live in a time where a lot of us do to various degrees. What can we say to that, other than:
“If I could travel through time, I would go back
to the moment before it was too late.
Right before you wrote a suicide note that started
Dear Jared:
I???m doing this now because I know you will be the one to
find me. Of all of my friends, I think you???re the one who???s
strong enough to take it.
What made you think I was strong enough to take this?”
There was a lot of poems about this topic. I'm not sure if they were about the same person or if Singer had to experience more than one. But if that sampler wasn't enough to clue you in, ‘Forgive Yourself These Tiny Acts of Self-Destruction' is in part, raw with pain and in other parts, breathtaking in how an image was woven out of words.
The other piece that stood out for me was ‘Artifacts', excerpt:
“Why do you think rich men buy the
instruments of famous musicians
and put them behind glass instead of playing them?
To protect a valuable object? Do you see their
families in cases? Their egos? Their legacies?”
I can't relate to his poems about being Jewish, but I can appreciate how poetry allows us to talk about things we each experience differently.
This eArc was courtesy of NetGalley and Button Poetry.
This book makes no apology for being loud and taking up space. As someone in the plus range myself, Plus+ is an inspiring walk through the dress style of many plus size women, a demographic often told they are not relevant simply for existing. This book shows that looking good isn't limited to those in the size zero range. If the industry doesn't provide, then we'll do it ourselves.
Anjou Kiernan's The Ultimate Guide to Witchcraft is one of the most accessible “Witchcraft 101” books I've come across, helped along by the gorgeous photos in the theme of her popular Instagram account. It covers all the topics you'd associate with witchcraft - crystals, herbs, astrology, cartomancy, spells, how to work with seasons and lunar phases, etc - serving as a good launchpad if you are looking for an overview of the practice.
The topics are arranged to demystify misconceptions first, followed by the gradual layering-on of various aspects that tend to overlap with or can be incorporated into another aspect. Kiernan also pointed out early on that this is a guide; practitioners are free to pick and choose what works for them ... something that I personally find appealing about this practice.
It's no secret that people are looking into ways to get in touch with their spirituality and that witchcraft is rising in popularity, maybe because it demands us to listen to the natural world around us and to take time out for focusing our minds. This book is timely and will make a lovely addition to a budding witch's library.
This eARC was courtesy of NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group ??? Fair Winds Press.
A beautiful, whimsical tome that is both a handbook and a guide to the use of what nature provides us to help and heal. While I ended up skimming most of it before it got archived, I liked what I saw. On my to-buy list.
Cabot Howard is not a nice man.
I go into most stories expecting to root for the protagonist, but this hits a little too close to what???s happening in the world right now ??? a pandemic caused by airborne viruses, a lingering paranoia, deniers who are too full of themselves to be part of the possible solution, and no traffic on the roads. In any case, this is my first encounter with pandemic fiction resulting from COVID-19, a genre we will no doubt see more of in months and weeks to come.
Anyway, we find Cabot racing his fancy car to his ex-wife???s hometown because Leana took off with their son ???without his permission???, which is already a red flag on many levels. He wants Porter back, of course, but things take a turn for the weird when he gets to Rookfield. Sure, the adults are wearing masks and he doesn???t get any service if he doesn???t put one on, but what???s with all the kids wearing full-face Plague Doctor masks? And what???s with the town???s bird obsession?
I won???t exactly call Rookfield a pleasant read. Cabot???s headspace is a cringe-worthy place to be idling in while he attempts to barge his way through people who don???t like him and don???t want him around. But the author keeps his protagonist just interesting enough for you to go along for the ride to see if this will end in redemption or comeuppance.
And the strangeness of what???s actually up in Rookfield also proved to be a great hook, or even THE hook, which unfortunately leaves us wanting at the end. I want to know more about how the town and its residents fell into this creeptastic scenario. Should Rookfield be a novel instead of a novella, we might have learned more about this strange little backwoods town and its avian secrets. Something for another book, perhaps?
Gordon B White isn???t an author I???ve read before, but this isn???t surprising since my reading habits have stayed local lately. I came across his tweet quite by chance, and the genre was right. It???s been a hot minute since I reviewed anything because my iPad 2 finally died, and I can???t afford a new reading device. Turned out that my new (bigger!) phone worked well enough. So, more reviews forthcoming?
This ARC was courtesy of author Gordon B White in exchange for an honest review.
Audiobook and couldn't even make it all the way through all the hokey. Some people like being told the obvious. For people like that, there's this book.
The music and sound effects made it somewhat bearable. All audiobooks should have a soundtrack/score.
Beloved children author Roald Dahl wrote a series of delightful, dark humour for teen readers and eleven of them are compiled in Skin and Other Stories. [return][return]Dahl once said, “The success to a short story is simple, it must have a beginning, a middle and an end. The reader must never want to put it down.”[return][return]There is no reason to put down this book too early. A single story, if not the entire book, is short enough to finish in one sitting.[return][return]Take for instance, the story “Skin”, where an old man finds that the tattoo on his back is worth well over a million pounds because the one who did it for him is now a famous painter. He received offers for it but how do you sell something that's etched into your skin?[return][return]Creative murder is the theme for “Lamb to the Slaughter”. Mary Maloney didn't take the news that her husband is dumping her ver well, so she kills him... with a frozen leg of lamb that the police never found. Although they did have a very nice dinner while at the scene of the crime.[return][return]In “The Sound Machine”, a man named Klausner invents a most remarkable machine. It can detect the sound of plants crying. That's probably enough to make anyone seem mad.[return][return]And the whimsy continues - a child who decided that certain colours in the carpet will certainly eat him, a surgeon who received a diamond as a gift and has to hide it somewhere, and so on.[return][return]A few of these stories start with a lot of preface before it gets to the point, which is usually rather short and turns the entire story around. Oh, the characters here don't usually do the morally right thing. They do something unexpected, if not blatantly wrong.[return][return]One could say Dahl has a sick mind, but the rest of us would love the irony. After the first couple of stories, I found myself already anticipating what kind of twist of he has in store next.[return][return]Some younger children will need some of the stories here explained to them, but teens and adults should enjoy it just fine.[return]return
Christopher Boone is 15 years old, a mathematical genius, and autistic. He can???'t tolerate the colours yellow and brown. He groans to calm himself down and does maths puzzles to relax. He doesn't understand emotions, cannot tolerate being touched and is unable to take too much new information in at a time.
His precisely planned world goes into turmoil when he discovers Wellington, the neighbour???'s poodle, dead with a garden fork through him. The neighbour in question catches him cradling the dog and had him arrested.
While in the slammer, Christopher resolved to discover who killed Wellington. His father and neighbours objected to this, but he gets encouragement from Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations.
What began as a murder mystery gradually turned into something bigger and more personal than he could imagine. A revelation sent him running off to London, which is nothing to most 15-year olds, but was terrifying for someone who can mentally cave in from information overload.
If it were any other teenager, this book would have been an angst fest. From an autistic savant's perspective, you'll be drawn to look at the world through his eyes.
Despite the fact that Christopher keeps insisting that this is not a going to be a funny book, his literal observations are often side-splitting.
I arrived at this book years late, but it is still worth it. Now here's an award winner I heartily approve of.
(2006)
The Great Automatic Grammartizator and Other Stories[return]Paperback, 264 pages[return][return]The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More[return]Paperback, 213 pages[return][return]Roald Dahl[return]Published by Puffin Books[return][return][return]I recently developed a fascination for the works of Roald Dahl, perhaps years too late. But better late than never. I found the 2001 Puffin Books editions irresistible and decided that it's probably a good investment for my personal library.[return][return]Both books in this column are aimed at teenage readers, but of course, older readers will likely also enjoy them. The number of stories in both volumes total up to 20. Because I'm feeling cheeky today, I'm going to talk about some of the stories but not specify which book it came from.[return][return]Unless it's really obvious... like The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.[return][return]In the beginning of his story, Henry Sugar is a rich and selfish man. His main concern in life is making sure that he stays wealthy. He stumbles upon a strange story in a friend's library, written by a doctor who interviewed an Indian who can see without using his eyes.[return][return]The doctor's story conveniently describes how the Indian achieved this, so Henry followed the instructions. Three years and three months passed before he perfected his yogi-inspired powers.[return][return]But something happened to Henry in that time. He no longer finds pleasure in casinos and the shallow pursuit of riches. Yet he possesses the skill to clean out any casino he chooses to play in. An incident with a policeman gave him an idea, and Henry sets out to do good.[return][return]It's also rather obvious which book The Great Automatic Grammartizator came from. [return][return]Adolph Knipe's invention, the great automatic computing engine, is a success but Knipe is feeling depressed. By night, he is a writer, and not a very successful one either.[return][return]When sent home by his boss Mr Bohlen for a well-deserved holiday, Knipe mourns his failure as a writer before hitting upon an idea. After spending all of his holiday thinking about it, he convinces Mr Bohlen to back him on this and invented what is virtually an automatic story writing engine, able to produce works depending on the target audience. [return][return]Any writer, especially those who've ever gotten a reject slip, could appreciate the wicked humour behind this piece.[return][return]Another one with wicked humour that made me laugh out loud (“LOL” to you Internet people) at the end is “Mrs Bixby and The Colonel's Coat”. Mrs Bixby have been having an affair with someone only known to us as the Colonel. Her carefully concealed trips have been successful so far, until the Colonel gave her a luxurious mink coat.[return][return]There was no way Mrs Bixby will be able to explain this to her husband. She devises a plan on the way home and left the coat in a pawn shop. Upon returning home, she tells Mr Bixby that she found a pawn ticket in the taxi she took, and sent him off to collect. That's where the fun begins.[return][return]A story that I found particularly harrowing to read comes under the peaceful-sounding title of The Swan.[return][return]Precocious Peter Watson is unfortunate enough to be out in the woods birdwatching alone when local bullies Ernie and Raymond came along. They made him their captive and subjects him to the kind of cruelty we associate with people who grow up to become serial killers.[return][return]First, they tied Peter to the train tracks and let him believe that he'll be run over. Finally, they shot a swan, cut her wings off and tied them to Peter's arms. They made him climb a tree as high as he could go and made him jump. [return][return]The surprise came when Peter discovers that he is one of those souls whom bullies will never break.[return][return]Dahl delights with his humour, yet some stories contain a sensitivity that moved me. As an extra bonus, one of these books contain Dahl's account on how he got his luck break into writing, as well as his very first published piece. Both of these pieces offer a glimpse into how this surprising man accidentally became one of the greatest authors in modern literature.[return]return
After putting his latest nemesis in prison, Alex Cross is ready to resign from the Washington Police Force and perhaps, at long last, pursue a possible love interest. [return][return]Before that could happen, John Sampson turns up at the house with a plea for help. His friend and mentor, Sergeant Ellis Cooper from the army base camp, is standing trial for the savage murder of three young military wives.[return][return]Everyone who knew Cooper couldn t believe it, but the evidence is stacked firmly against him. Cooper is found guilty and executed before Alex and Sampson could do anything about it.[return][return]The duo did find cases where several Vietnam veterans were tried and executed for crimes that seem completely out of their character. It would appear that Cooper was only the tip of the iceberg. They also found strange irregularities, like a witness who was left out of the trial altogether. Clearly, the army is trying to cover something up, perhaps something that happened years ago in Vietnam.[return][return]While Alex and Sampson scurry around like good Washington detectives, the POV swivels to the real killers. There are three of them, all Nam vets and severely cracked in the head as only brilliant serial killers can be. It gave us some background on them while hinting on the fourth blind mice who is ordering all these executions .[return][return]James Patterson is the master of action flick novels. Once might accuse him of penning something that can easily make the transition to big screen, and I have to admit that I see Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross whenever I read a Cross novel. He s obviously not serious high-browed literature, but if a book has you sitting up till the wee hours of the morning, then the author probably accomplished what he set out to do. [return][return]But there is such thing as too much of a good thing. While the plot ran its course with the usual Patterson trademark, I found myself more interested in his personal life. There the efficient and irrepressible Nana, the three lovable kids, and what s this? A love interest? Folks who have followed the series would know what heartbreak that caused the last time, and are just waiting for something to go wrong before the end of the book.[return][return]But does it? I guess I ll leave that to you to find out.[return]return
The story begins with When the Wind Blows .[return:][return:]Frannie O Neill is a veterinarian in a small Colorado town, working tirelessly at her job in a bid to numb the pain and confusion over her husband s unsolved murder not very long ago. While driving home late one night, she makes an incredible discovery in the form of a young girl, fleeing from her. The girl had wings.[return:][return:]Kit Harrison, an FBI agent who earned the nickname Mulder for being as eccentric as the character in the TV series, turns up as Frannie s new tenant. He is supposed to be on a holiday, following a personal tragedy, but is simply unable to let his current case go. His investigations brought him into town and to Frannie because there is a possibility she was involved.[return:][return:]Sparks fly between Frannie and Kit. She tells him what she saw in the forest, and they go searching for the girl. They find her and her horrifying world unfolds for them.[return:][return:]Max is the product of a secret experiment at what she refers to as the School. She and the other bird children alpha male Ozy, blind Icarus, Max s brother Matthew and twins Wendy and Peter - were specially designed . They have IQs that go off the charts. They are mature for their age, possibly aging like birds rather than like humans. [return:][return:]Max and Matthew escaped at the first opportunity and became separated. The School wants them back before anyone sees them. [return:][return:]As the hunters close in on her and her newfound friends, Max finds herself drawn back to the School in search of Matthew and the others.[return:][return:]Not too surprisingly, Max is a part of the case that brought Kit there in the first place, the reason why his superiors wanted so badly for him to let the whole thing go.[return:][return:] When the Wind Blows captures the imagination because there are many of us out there who wish we could fly. Like Jurassic Park, the events described here are in the realm of biological possibility and this is a book published in 1998.[return:][return:]The adventure continues with the 2003 sequel - The Lake House .[return:][return:]The children are now living with their biological parents, but there is no happily ever after. Their parents don t understand them, but sell interviews and endorsements. Their schoolmates pick on them for being different. The rest of the world is just trying to adjust to the fact that the freaks exist.[return:][return:]They want to return to Frannie and Kit, whom they consider their parents. Frannie and Kit sue for custody, but the odds are firmly stacked against them. The devastation is too much for the vet and the FBI agent. They part ways, returning to their individual lives and drowning their sorrow in work.[return:][return:]But Max, who was put to work in the School, knew that there is another horrible medical experiment taking place in a lab somewhere in America. When hunters come for her one night, she and Matt flees the house. They collect the other four and together, they return to Frannie. She calls Kit.[return:][return:]With the very unusual family reunited, the only thing left to do now is to coax Max into telling them what she knows. Her years at the School conditioned her into not revealing any secrets. But with her astronomical IQ, a photographic memory and biological make-up, she is both an asset and a danger to the evil unfolding at the Hospital.[return:][return:]Patterson is fond of short, abrupt sentences, which works to the narrative s advantage most of the time, especially in his fast-paced Alex Cross series. However, I found phrases like The flock! The tribe! The family! a bit irritating this time around. The only thing missing from that sentence is a Yay! [return:][return:]There is a successful Young Adult spin-off called Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment based on a slightly older Max. I m waiting for it to come out in mass paperback.[return:][return:]In general, Patterson is a quick read because his short, tight chapters and masterful hooks just keep you hurrying along to see what happens next. He is not just incredibly prolific; he is extremely versatile as well, although it shows better in books like Suzanne s Diary for Nicholas , where he writes from the perspective of a woman better than most woman authors do. Yes, I m a big fan.[return:]return:
The story begins with When the Wind Blows .[return:][return:]Frannie O Neill is a veterinarian in a small Colorado town, working tirelessly at her job in a bid to numb the pain and confusion over her husband s unsolved murder not very long ago. While driving home late one night, she makes an incredible discovery in the form of a young girl, fleeing from her. The girl had wings.[return:][return:]Kit Harrison, an FBI agent who earned the nickname Mulder for being as eccentric as the character in the TV series, turns up as Frannie s new tenant. He is supposed to be on a holiday, following a personal tragedy, but is simply unable to let his current case go. His investigations brought him into town and to Frannie because there is a possibility she was involved.[return:][return:]Sparks fly between Frannie and Kit. She tells him what she saw in the forest, and they go searching for the girl. They find her and her horrifying world unfolds for them.[return:][return:]Max is the product of a secret experiment at what she refers to as the School. She and the other bird children alpha male Ozy, blind Icarus, Max s brother Matthew and twins Wendy and Peter - were specially designed . They have IQs that go off the charts. They are mature for their age, possibly aging like birds rather than like humans. [return:][return:]Max and Matthew escaped at the first opportunity and became separated. The School wants them back before anyone sees them. [return:][return:]As the hunters close in on her and her newfound friends, Max finds herself drawn back to the School in search of Matthew and the others.[return:][return:]Not too surprisingly, Max is a part of the case that brought Kit there in the first place, the reason why his superiors wanted so badly for him to let the whole thing go.[return:][return:] When the Wind Blows captures the imagination because there are many of us out there who wish we could fly. Like Jurassic Park, the events described here are in the realm of biological possibility and this is a book published in 1998.[return:][return:]The adventure continues with the 2003 sequel - The Lake House .[return:][return:]The children are now living with their biological parents, but there is no happily ever after. Their parents don t understand them, but sell interviews and endorsements. Their schoolmates pick on them for being different. The rest of the world is just trying to adjust to the fact that the freaks exist.[return:][return:]They want to return to Frannie and Kit, whom they consider their parents. Frannie and Kit sue for custody, but the odds are firmly stacked against them. The devastation is too much for the vet and the FBI agent. They part ways, returning to their individual lives and drowning their sorrow in work.[return:][return:]But Max, who was put to work in the School, knew that there is another horrible medical experiment taking place in a lab somewhere in America. When hunters come for her one night, she and Matt flees the house. They collect the other four and together, they return to Frannie. She calls Kit.[return:][return:]With the very unusual family reunited, the only thing left to do now is to coax Max into telling them what she knows. Her years at the School conditioned her into not revealing any secrets. But with her astronomical IQ, a photographic memory and biological make-up, she is both an asset and a danger to the evil unfolding at the Hospital.[return:][return:]Patterson is fond of short, abrupt sentences, which works to the narrative s advantage most of the time, especially in his fast-paced Alex Cross series. However, I found phrases like The flock! The tribe! The family! a bit irritating this time around. The only thing missing from that sentence is a Yay! [return:][return:]There is a successful Young Adult spin-off called Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment based on a slightly older Max. I m waiting for it to come out in mass paperback.[return:][return:]In general, Patterson is a quick read because his short, tight chapters and masterful hooks just keep you hurrying along to see what happens next. He is not just incredibly prolific; he is extremely versatile as well, although it shows better in books like Suzanne s Diary for Nicholas , where he writes from the perspective of a woman better than most woman authors do. Yes, I m a big fan.[return:]return:
I picked up Dance Upon the Air from my favourite bargain bin and found it full of corny stuff that I enjoy. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's a trilogy, and I have to track the other two down.[return][return]The Three Sisters Island Trilogy opens with a prologue of three witches Earth, Air and Fire - who used their power to create a sanctuary from prosecution during the Salem witch trials. They found refuge on the island, but each witch went on to enter relationships that ultimately led them to their deaths. Their descendants must break the curse or the island will sink back into the ocean.[return][return]Dance Upon the Air sees a timid Nell Channing arriving at island three centuries later. She is immediately “adopted” by Mia Devlin, the proprietor of Cafe Book. Mia hires her to cook at the cafe and helps her settle into a little cottage. Sheriff Zack Todd begins courting her. For the first time, Nell felt safe and secure, with friends and a life to call her own.[return][return]We gradually learn Nell s secret; she faked her own death to escape her abusive husband. When Evan Remington discovers that she is not dead after all, he bears down on her hard and fast, threatening everything she has come to love.[return][return]I found book two in a local bookstore. This didn't surprise me because our bookstores are good at stocking the orphan “middle” book(s). It also didn't surprise me that days of searching didn't turn up book three.[return][return]In Heaven and Earth, the focus switches to Ripley Todd, the quick-tempered deputy sheriff and Nell's sister-in-law.[return][return]While Nell freely embraced her powers and Mia never abandoned hers, Rip made a conscious decision to walk away. This happened many years ago when Mia had her heart shattered by Sam Logan, another name that gets a lot of mention.[return] [return]Rip s troubles began when paranormal researcher MacAllister Booke arrived; sniffing around at the island s purported paranormal activities. He is intrigued by Rip, and pursues her for both business and pleasure. She falls for him, but not without protesting as much as a maiden in a Victorian romance novel.[return][return]When danger looms, the eye-for-an-eye Rip has to be careful not to repeat what her ancestor did break the witch s vow not to harm others. [return] [return]My friend in KL called to let me know she found book three. I was content to wait for her to bring it home, but when I mentioned it to a fellow bookworm here, she said, “I have the whole set!”[return][return]Face The Fire is about Mia Devlin, so far the most intriguing of the three. We've already been through two books with her as an unflappable supporting character, so it was a little startling to discover her human side. [return][return]Like Rip, her story was set in motion with the arrival of a man Sam Logan, who walked out on her years ago and left her an inconsolable wreck. Mia had since pulled herself together and moved on, locking her heart away so she will never be hurt like that again. She still (obviously) holds a candle for Sam, and his return confused and frustrated her.[return][return]But Mia s personal battle with evil has arrived. To triumph and save her island, Mia must resolve her complicated relationship with Sam, who is also a witch himself and completes the elemental theme in the book with his own powers over Water. [return][return]Everyone has their own definition of “light reading” and mine is Nora Roberts. Her characters are interesting and good looking, the sex is hot and the series of situations they get caught in are mostly unbelievable. In short, things like this don't happen to real people, but that's why we read about it.[return][return]Like most Hollywood blockbusters, you don t have to get your brain involved, but anything that helps me de-stress by escaping reality for a while is considered time well spent.[return]return
Before CSI became all the rage and every man became a couch chair forensic expert, there was a time when forensic science and criminal profiling are considered abominations. Fingerprinting had just been discovered and still held little weight in a court of law. Psychiatry is regarded with deep suspicion and women have barely just been accepted into the work force. Meanwhile, a baffling new breed of criminal has entered the American society.[return][return]Narrated in the cynical voice of New York Times police reporter John Moore, The Alienist opens with the gruesome discovery of a body. The victim is a cross-dressing boy prostitute, another abomination that New York society would not acknowledge in 1896. Despite the similarities to several past cases, the corrupted police department refuses to give it any serious consideration.[return][return]The only person who cared enough about what this means is Dr Laszlo Kreizler, a renowned alienist. Prior to the 20th century, people suffering from mental illness were thought to be “alienated” from their true natures as well as from society. The experts who studied mental pathologies were known as alienists. [return][return]Backed by Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt, Kreizler gathered together what was possibly the first CSI team consisting of himself, Moore, Roosevelt's secretary Sara Howard, and two Detective Sergeants who happen to be brothers, Marcus and Lucius Isaacson. [return][return]Playing equally vital roles are Kreizler's servants Cyrus Montrose and Stevie Taggert, both guilty of killing but proven through the argument of psychology that they are reacting to their upbringing and environment. Kreizler defends them in court and subsequently employs them.[return][return]The story is heavily focused on the bold new investigative techniques to track down the killer before he strikes again. Their efforts are frequently hampered by the New York gangs and policemen who are taking bribes from them. There are also important members of society who have their own reasons for not wanting the group to succeed.[return][return]The best part of this novel is the process. Of course they do catch their guy in the end, but that is less satisfying than the journey there. I thought that I was in a hurry to reach the ending, but I've read other comments that said the ending was a bit too rushed.[return][return]I noted with amusement that aside from the makeshift headquarters, most of their brainstorming happens over a meal in an expensive restaurant. [return][return]Like all other Carr novels I've read, his narrator tells the story in flashback, which means there's a lot of foreshadowing that something is about to go wrong. This is less irritating here than it was in Killing Time because The Alienist is indisputably a more superior book.[return]return
A very quick read because it's mostly illustrations. But what lovely pencil sketches. I could have finished reading it at the store but I collect books like this for inspiration.
I picked up Dance Upon the Air from my favourite bargain bin and found it full of corny stuff that I enjoy. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's a trilogy, and I have to track the other two down.[return][return]The Three Sisters Island Trilogy opens with a prologue of three witches Earth, Air and Fire - who used their power to create a sanctuary from prosecution during the Salem witch trials. They found refuge on the island, but each witch went on to enter relationships that ultimately led them to their deaths. Their descendants must break the curse or the island will sink back into the ocean.[return][return]Dance Upon the Air sees a timid Nell Channing arriving at island three centuries later. She is immediately “adopted” by Mia Devlin, the proprietor of Cafe Book. Mia hires her to cook at the cafe and helps her settle into a little cottage. Sheriff Zack Todd begins courting her. For the first time, Nell felt safe and secure, with friends and a life to call her own.[return][return]We gradually learn Nell s secret; she faked her own death to escape her abusive husband. When Evan Remington discovers that she is not dead after all, he bears down on her hard and fast, threatening everything she has come to love.[return][return]I found book two in a local bookstore. This didn't surprise me because our bookstores are good at stocking the orphan “middle” book(s). It also didn't surprise me that days of searching didn't turn up book three.[return][return]In Heaven and Earth, the focus switches to Ripley Todd, the quick-tempered deputy sheriff and Nell's sister-in-law.[return][return]While Nell freely embraced her powers and Mia never abandoned hers, Rip made a conscious decision to walk away. This happened many years ago when Mia had her heart shattered by Sam Logan, another name that gets a lot of mention.[return] [return]Rip s troubles began when paranormal researcher MacAllister Booke arrived; sniffing around at the island s purported paranormal activities. He is intrigued by Rip, and pursues her for both business and pleasure. She falls for him, but not without protesting as much as a maiden in a Victorian romance novel.[return][return]When danger looms, the eye-for-an-eye Rip has to be careful not to repeat what her ancestor did break the witch s vow not to harm others. [return] [return]My friend in KL called to let me know she found book three. I was content to wait for her to bring it home, but when I mentioned it to a fellow bookworm here, she said, “I have the whole set!”[return][return]Face The Fire is about Mia Devlin, so far the most intriguing of the three. We've already been through two books with her as an unflappable supporting character, so it was a little startling to discover her human side. [return][return]Like Rip, her story was set in motion with the arrival of a man Sam Logan, who walked out on her years ago and left her an inconsolable wreck. Mia had since pulled herself together and moved on, locking her heart away so she will never be hurt like that again. She still (obviously) holds a candle for Sam, and his return confused and frustrated her.[return][return]But Mia s personal battle with evil has arrived. To triumph and save her island, Mia must resolve her complicated relationship with Sam, who is also a witch himself and completes the elemental theme in the book with his own powers over Water. [return][return]Everyone has their own definition of “light reading” and mine is Nora Roberts. Her characters are interesting and good looking, the sex is hot and the series of situations they get caught in are mostly unbelievable. In short, things like this don't happen to real people, but that's why we read about it.[return][return]Like most Hollywood blockbusters, you don t have to get your brain involved, but anything that helps me de-stress by escaping reality for a while is considered time well spent.[return]return
The Action Hero s Handbook is a wonderful guide for anyone who s ever wanted to be an action hero. It includes step-by-step instructions in Fighting Skills, Paranormal Skills, Love Skills and general Good Guy Skills. Yes, there are diagrams.[return:][return:]Although most of us will be lucky enough never to have the opportunity to employ most of these skills ( How to climb down Mount Rushmore National Monument anyone?), there are a handful of things that may prove useful at some point of your life& whether you are a guy or girl.[return:][return:]For example, you should discover that public bus you are on has a bomb that will detonate if it slows below 50mph. The book tells you what you should do, who you should report this to, and if necessary, how to drive the bus.[return:][return:]The section on How to save someone from being hit by a speeding car should make you popular. It also explains how you should save yourself if you are still in the path of the vehicle.[return:][return:]As an action hero, you have to be ready for anything, anywhere, anytime. A confrontation consultant advices that we should be suspicious of everyone and everything without letting it show. Be aware of what is going on around you. Use your fear instead of letting it control you.[return:][return:]Make a mental note of all entrances and exits. Keep moving. Pick up useful items after you disarm your opponent. Anyone who play computer games should know the last bit.[return:][return:]The warning in the beginning of the book states two important things: this book is to be used by true action heroes only. Evil geniuses, criminal masterminds and any other variety of Bad Guys are asked to put the book down immediately.[return:][return:]The second thing is that the information in this book comes directly from highly trained professionals. This doesn t mean you should try any of it at home (unless your life depends on it). If you maim yourself trying to be clever, don t come crying to me. [return:]return: