fiction – Page 3 – The Spine View

Leonard (My Life as a Cat) by Calie Sorosiak

After reading Leonard (My Life as a Cat) I will never look at a cat the same way. In fact, I just might have encountered an alien or two in my life time. Knowing the cats that have owned me, they no doubt think I’m the alien!

Leonard has an immortal life as a corporal being on a planet far from Earth. He has been anxiously awaiting his 300^th birthday. Three hundred is very special to his species as they are allowed to travel across the cosmos to Earth and for one month assume the body of any creature. Leonard chooses to be human and wants to be a park ranger at Yellowstone National Park. He has planned everything out, down to the smallest detail.

Then in the briefest moment of inattention on his trip to Earth, his well laid plans go awry. He crash lands in a tree during a tropical storm in South Carolina. He is miles and miles away from Yellowstone, which is both his drop off and pick up point. How will a cat get to Yellowstone? Fortunate for Leonard Olive rescues him and he embarks on an adventure more exciting and fulfilling the one he planned for himself.

This is a delightful, middle grade story. The plot is about what happens with things don’t go as planned. However, the message of the story is one of love, friendship and how they save us. The character of Leonard was quirky and perfect. His desire to experience things like movies and bowling made for some humorous moments. It also contains some excellent life lessons, such as it is okay to be different. I ask you, what is wrong with a cat walking on a leash?

I was originally drawn to this book because I am an animal lover. Yet, it is a story for all types of readers. I highly recommend this one for everyone who wants a funny, feel good story full of life lessons. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

I have been waiting for this book and now it is finally here. I can’t help but be excited! I have wanted to know more about Cassian since he was first introduced into the story. Now that his story is intertwined with Nesta’s, I am more intrigued. Note that I have not a Nesta fan; yet, I am coming around to like her, a little bit anyway, after this book.

Nesta is angry with being forced into the cauldron and becoming High Fae. She is angry with her sister Fayre, she is angry at Cassian and most of all, she is angry at herself. She has a lot to be angry about and all this angry is destroying her from the inside out. She turns to drinking and men to deal with it all. Yet, we know she is not dealing with it and so does Fayre.

After Rhysand and Fayre receive an astronomical bill for one of Nesta’s particularity bad night of excesses, Fayre says enough and cuts off Nesta. No more funds to act like the spoiled brat she has become. Instead, Nesta will live at the House of Wind and will train every morning with Cassian and work every afternoon in the library. Will this be what Nesta needs or will it only lead to more trouble?

The best part of this book is the character development. Kudos to the author for taking a character I love to hate and turning her into something so different I couldn’t help but reverse my opinion of her a little bit. As I said earlier, I am still not on Team Nesta, but I do feel much different about her. I understand her better and can see how she became the spoiled brat and how her nature has worked both for and against her. I loved that in this book she has learned how to control the aspects of her character that even she does not like. She still has a ways to go, but I feel she has finally found her place and she is beginning to accept herself and love herself. This needed to happen for her to move on.

There is not a lot in the way of plot in this book. It is totally a character driven story and that is okay. The descriptive prose and the characters more than made up for this. There are also no big plot twists. However, there are a few unresolved things so I know there will be more in the future. I am totally excited about more books in this world because I am just not ready to let these characters go yet.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of fantasy, especially epic fantasy. However, you need to read these books in order. The story continues to build upon past events and you will not grasp everything going on if you have not read the prior books. If fantasy is your thing and you have not read this series, you are missing out on an exceptional tale.

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

I wanted to read the book, The Queen’s Gambit, before I watched the Netflix series, this was the driving force for me. It was published in 1983, and since that time it has probably languished on shelves everywhere, until recently. I knew of the author, Tevis, from the film The Color of Money. So I was not surprised that another of his works is now on film. What did surprise me was how much I was drawn into the world of chess and how I loved the main character Beth.

Beth Harmon is an orphan and a chess prodigy. We follow her life at an orphanage in Kentucky where she lives until she is adopted by a family. Shortly after the adoption, her new father deserts them. These events, along with her genius, shape who she will become as an adult. She will struggle to connect with people and find her place in the world, all the while she is rising to stardom in the male dominated world of chess.

Beth is a complex character. As she grows up and we delve deeper into the character, the author builds one subtle layer on top of another. At times, she is a contradiction. She is strong, yet also weak and driven by the one thing she truly understands, chess. The author’s character development is so perfect as to supersede the plot by leaps and bounds.

The plot, however, is not lacking either. Beth sets out at a very young age to be the world chess champion. This one goal not only defines her, it consumes her and she has many obstacles thrown in her way as she works toward this goal.

The last thing I would like to point out is the prose. Yes, there is an awesome character and a great plot and it is all held together by the wonderfully, descriptive prose. So elegant and readable. The story would not be half as captivating without the stunning prose. It made all the difference.

At the heart, this is a coming-of-age story. The author uses chess at a plot tool but it could have easily been something else. The story examines the price Beth pays for her genius. How it makes her a loner and how she uses drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. The story also delves into depression and the how to survive and even thrive in a world dominated by men.

I recommend this to people who love a character driven, coming-of-age story. It will especially appeal to those who love the game of chess. In addition, this would make an excellent choice for a book club because there are so many topics to discuss that are still relevant today.

A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker

If you are in the mood for a light read that goes quickly, look no further than A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker. It is a charming cozy mystery with a paranormal twist.

The main character, Becky, is a medium that lives in the small town of Asheville. As a medium, she assists the spirits of the departed who need a little help in moving onto the next life. She truly enjoys being helpful to them. However, her siblings do not feel the same as she does. They refuse to recognize that they also possess the same ability, inherited from their mother, and thus avoid her at times.

No one is avoiding Becky on her 26^th birthday, this includes Josh’s, her boyfriend from high school, ghost shows up. He went missing 10 years ago to the day and no one ever found out what happened. You can imagine what a shock this all is to Becky. She feels she must do whatever is necessary to help Josh move on. However, to do this she will have to figure out how he died.

I enjoyed this innovative take on a cozy mystery. I know there are other cozies out there that are similar, but this one is just done really well. The author didn’t haphazardly add the paranormal elements. The elements were well thought out and added a little something extra. In addition, I felt they helped moved the plot along. Also, the author did not leave any cliffhangers. Yet, there are a lot of places Becky’s story can go from here. For Example, I hope in future books she will help her siblings with their gifts.

I also liked Becky’s character a lot. It suited the story nicely and the author did a good job with the character development. I would have liked just a little more development on Becky’s siblings. I think this may have been intention since it leaves some things for future books.

I also want to mention that I live is Asheville and have for over 40 years. Therefore, a person can’t just write nonsense about the area unless you want me to call you out on it. I am happy to report there was no nonsense in this book. The author was spot on in describing the city and its’ atmosphere.

I like it when a book surprises me or gives me something new and different. I recommend this book to readers of cozy mysteries. I think you will find it as enjoyable as I did. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

While the author asked me for a review, I used my Kindle Unlimited to read this book.

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Seven Perfect Things, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, was the perfect holiday lift I needed. A story of a young girl and her love for a littler of abandon puppies she is determined to raise. Truly heartwarming.

Abby, a thirteen year old girl, happens to witness someone through a sack of something into the river. When it wiggles, she dives into the river to rescue a litter of seven puppies. Her Dad will never let her keep them so she takes them to the local Animal Shelter to surrender them in the hopes they can find them a home.

When she arrives at the shelter the worker quickly informs her of the reality of pet overpopulation. In short, it is highly unlikely these puppy will be adopted. The shelter will only hold them a few days before they will be euthanized.

Out of options, she recalls an abandoned cabin on the outskirts of town. She takes them there and cares for them without her Dad knowing. Now she is able to take her time finding them a home. She settles them into the shed on the property and starts the task of feeding and caring for them.

In the meantime, Elliot, having just lost his wife to a long battle with cancer, decides to retreat to his hunting cabin he has not visited in years. When he arrives he discovers it is occupied by a girl and a litter of seven puppies. This is not the peace and quiet he was expecting and needing to help him grieve. However, he is impressed with Abby’s tenacity and decides to help her with the puppies. One thing leads to another and he finds himself offering his help to more than just a litter of puppies.

This book is all about the characters which I loved, well except for Stan. Abby will especially capture your heart. She is kind but also strong and brave as well as resourceful. Mary too is strong, though she does not realize it at first. She has been beaten down for so long it is surprising that she has the will to try to escape her circumstances.

The plot was good and the puppies made the story extra sweet. They added that special element that made the book extra special. There was just the right amount of drama to move the story on and it kept my interest. I appreciate that the author didn’t add a romance element to Mary and Elliot. Elliot was not ready for that and it would have felt forced.

While this is a somewhat predicable story, I can’t deny the fact that it gave me the warm fuzzes while reading it. This has been my year for these types of stories. I have found myself gravitating towards them all throughout the year. If you need the warm fuzzes, this is the book for you.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

This is a super cute Christmas romance story with a side of Groundhog’s Day thrown in. Maelyn, the MC, is spending Christmas with family and close friends at a cabin in Colorado. A long standing tradition. However things go horribly wrong this Christmas. On the way back to the airport she makes a wish for the universe to show her what will make her happy.

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for,” because immediately after the wish a car runs a red light and plows into the car Maelyn is riding in. When she wakes up it is no longer December 26th but December 20th and she back on the plane headed to Colorado and the cabin. She must figure out what will make her happy.

Cheesy…yes. Predictable… totally! Yet I still enjoyed it. The characters are what make this story. The plot had a great pace and even the minor characters were well done. I appreciated all the flaws of Maelyn. The author was very authentic with her handling of this character.

I can see this appealing to lovers of romance and contemporary fiction. This would make a good choice for a book club because there are a lot of life lessons that the main character must learn to move forward.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has become my favorite book by V. E. Schwab and my favorite read this year. It is an absorbing story that is brilliantly written and absolutely flawless is execution.

Addie LeRue is born in 1741 in a small, rural French community. Her dream is to travel to bigger cities and experience the greater world. These dreams are far more than a simple girl can ever aspire to. Her circumstances, and the times, will see her wed to someone she does not love. She will die young, worn out by domestic life and children she does not want.

Addie is desperate to avoid this fate. So desperate in fact, she makes a deal with a dark god whom goes by the name Luc. The deal she strikes is simple, she wants her freedom and in return the god will get her soul when she is done with it. Luc agrees and the deal is sealed with blood.

The deal turns out to be not everything Addie bargained for. She has gained her freedom, in a sense, but the cost was high and much more than a soul. In truth, she has just traded the shackles her situation has placed on her with ones that tie her deeply to Luc. In addition, she quickly finds out that no one can remember her. There is one perk to this deal, she no longer ages. In essence she is immortal. Thus begins the second life of a forgettable girl named Addie.

The prose was fabulous. It had an almost sensual quality to it. I once read an author’s advice about how a setting should be treated as a character and thus requires time to be spent discovering that setting. Schwab has assuredly done that here. I could smell the dirty streets of the Paris of the past and feel the energy of New York City as it is viewed from a rooftop.

This is not a novel that the plot skips along carefree in an almost haphazard way. It moves slowly and purposefully in a well thought out way. Much the way a river winds through its course, sometimes swiftly and sometimes with languid ease, on its journey to the sea. It is the trip that the reader should savor here, it is entertaining and deeply satisfying.

The story is totally character driven. To keep the reader reading, I feel that the author walks a fine between keeping the reader’s interest and boring them to death. Because Addie lives such a long life it would be easy to lose the reader in too much detail. However, Schwab has managed to straddle that line to perfection. For example, Addie’s feelings of loss and loneliness come through elegantly. I felt it especially in one particular Paris scene in which Addie sees the first man she ever loved when he is much older. It was one of those moments when she truly recognizes and acknowledges what she has given up. There are many more scenes like this that the author uses them to entrance the reader.

I could go on and on in my praise because there is a lot to love about this story. In short, this is by far Schwab’s best work. A stunning piece of fiction!

Obvious I loved this book. It should be on everyone’s to-be-read-list. In addition, this book would make a great pick for a book club. There are so many layers and themes in this book that the topics for discussion are nearly endless.

The Flip Side by James Bailey

The Flip Side by James Bailey is a laugh out loud, with just a touch of melodrama, romantic comedy set in the UK. It was highly entertaining and very funny. A great debut that should be on everyone’s to read list for the holidays.

The story begins with Josh, the main character, proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Jade, on New Year’s Eve while taking a romantic ride on the London Eye. However, all does not go according to plan. She not only says, “No”, but she then proceeds to tell him she has been cheating on him. To make matters worse, Josh has been living in her flat. Therefore, he has lost his home and his girl all in one night. But wait! It gets even better! His ex-girlfriend’s father is his boss and that means he lost his job too. Nothing like kicking a guy when he is down.

With limited financial resources and out of options, Josh is forced to move back in with his parents while he looks for another job. The welcoming committee when he arrives home is anything but appreciated. His parents had planned a congratulatory engagement party that feels like a funeral to him. When he takes a minute to escape and talks with his Pap an idea forms. To date, all his well laid plans have not worked out. So why not let chance rule his decisions for the next year? This is how the flip a coin for all decisions starts out.

Josh’s family and friends thinks he has lost his marbles with this idea. Yet, as the year wears on and Josh is sticking by his decision to flip a coin over choices, they start to warm to it or at least accept it. Leaving things to chance leads to some unexpected results. As you can imagine, some are good and some are not so good. But it does make for a great story. Especially when you consider that it forces Josh out of his comfort zone and in the process he learns a lot about himself.

Like Josh’s friends who warmed to the idea of a coin toss, I warmed to the idea of chance as a good mechanism to move the story forward. Each toss of the coin resulted in some of the most unexpected outcomes that were totally unpredictable. Events that might be seen as hooky or contrived suddenly became believable with a simple toss of a coin.

As much as I came to like the coin toss, the character of Josh is the real star of the story. He has all the best things of the average boy next door kind of guy. I can sum him up in one word, “adorable”. I loved that he was not perfect, made lots of mistakes, and in spite of being 28 still did not know what he wanted. This allowed to author to grow the character throughout the story.

Excellent debut. Loved it from beginning to end. Highly recommend to fans of Nora Roberts and similar authors. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Angel Warrior by John W. Wells III

After I finished reading this book I was thinking about what I liked about books when I was younger (a lot younger). The main thing was adventure. I loved stories that had magic and characters that I pulled for and got swept into their story. This is totally what happened to me when reading The Last Angel Warrior. Definitely a great adventure tale for young (and older) readers!

The story follows Kalib Andrews as he approaches his sixteenth birthday and discovers that there are, among other things, demons and magic in the world. A stranger tries to kill him one evening walking home from his job at the local diner. That same evening he sees a stranger with yellow eyes outside of his bedroom window. Then things get even creepier when a new teacher at school has the same symbol on a charm that they both wear and was a patron that asked too many questions when Kalib served him at the diner. This teacher seems just a little too interested in him. Then did I mention his parents tried to kill him just a couple of days later.

The world is not what Kalib thought it was. Then he finds out he is actually the last Angel Warrior. Whatever that is! Kalib will need to figure everything out soon because there is a prophecy that says he will be killed and his blood used to release a goddess from a prison of magic on his sixteenth birthday.

There was a lot of action in the book. Loved that! You know something big is going to happen from page one. Therefore, I was invested in the outcome from the very beginning. The action and mystery elements are the main star of the story. They are what made the book for me. The author was able to surprise me a couple of times with events I was not expecting. The unpredictability of the story was another plus.

There was not a great deal of character development which I missed a little. Yet I can’t fault the author because the type of development I like would bore a younger reader to dead. So taking into account the intended audience, I think there was enough to hold the story together. I also liked the various characters and how they interacted. The theme of true friendship was subtle but well done.

This story was described as young adult, but it read and felt more like a middle grade tale. Which was OK, since I read both. However, if you don’t care for stories geared toward the younger side of young adult this may not be the book for you. If that does not matter, then I recommend this to you. Lastly, there is no foul language or inappropriate scenes in this book making it suitable for readers as young as 8 provided they are not bothered by a story that is a little scary.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for me honest review.

Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Bluff, by Jane Stanton Hitchcock, gives new meaning to the idea that revenge is a dish best served cold. Maud, the main character, not only serves it up cold but in a big heaping portion! Full of intrigue, wonderful characters and a nasty plot of revenge to pay back the bad guys, this book is absorbing from page one all the way through to the end.

Maud is a 50ish divorcee who is primed and ready for a fight. She has always suspected that Burt Skylar, an accountant to the rich and famous in NYC, swindled her mother out of over 100 million dollars. She has spoken against him for years and has earned the nickname “Mad Maud”. However, she has never been able to prove anything.

Finally all the right cards are in her hand and she sees her chance for revenge. She enters The Four Seasons, one of the swankiest restaurants in the city, and pulls the trigger and shoots Sun Sutherland, a wealthy and prominent businessman, who is dining with Skylar. Did she miss or is there more to this story than meets the eye?

Love, love, loved the character of Maud. She has a brilliant mind and is downright devious. I also loved how she played people like she played poker. Most everyone is totally taken in by the frumpy middle-aged woman act that she carried off better than a Broadway actress. I would hate to get on her bad side and can only pity those she plays poker against. The supporting characters also hit the mark with me. They helped round out the revenge plot nicely.

The plot has more twists than the Mississippi River and it was fast paced. I really appreciate the balance the author was able to achieve between pace and character development. I find that in this type of book one or the other is lacking. Brilliantly done!

I highly recommend this book to readers of mystery and thrillers. In addition, if you love strong female characters you will enjoy Maud and her story.

I received a free copy from the published in exchange for my honest review.