Unsurpassed YA author of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" Laini Taylor Will Mesmerize Readers!

Publisher:  Little, Brown & Co., LBYR

Genre:  YA, Paranormal

The Dame's Review:

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor ~ An Angel Fell In Love?

Published by:  Little, Brown & Co., LBYR

Pages:

Genre:  YA Fiction, Adult Fiction

A publishing sensation nearly before it hit the bookstands, "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" is a stand-out example of the finest writing in YA fiction to date.

Laini Taylor is an extraordinarily gifted writer.  It wouldn't be over-stating to say that she is "one-of-a-kind" in the YA genre. She reminds me a great deal of Anne Rice as she developed her Vampire series, only (and it pains me to say this because Ms Rice may never have a more devout fan than I am) she's an infinitely better writer. I can only believe that Laini will get better as she progresses in her writing career and that will just blow everyone's mind.  She is TBR: To Be Read.

Ms Taylor's gift for wordsmithing is nothing short of exotic and artistic in the finest sense of the words.  Descriptions of place, and her time-bending are lush.  Her settings are so lavish, so sensory that every word is golden.  I have only read books like this from classical authors, and from great novelists of our Age.  Simply a gorgeous book to read from word to precious word. 

The setting of Prague is so dripping with mystery and "smoke" as it is, and then she adds "The Art Lyceum of Bohemia" and I'm completely at her mercy!  A fine arts student can never resist such a location for a novel.  The main character, Karou, a lavishly blue-haired, unconventional young art student plucks us from the gut from the first seconds open this book.  Laini isn't kidding with us, this is a wonderful and special book.

The concept of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" is only original in the way Laini tells the story since we've often heard the mythological references and read similar storylines.  But where Ms Taylor is far removed from the crowd is in her ability to swing those time-told stories into a fine art of a novel.  It's as if we've never heard of "Brimstone" devil-creatures before.

You must get this book and read it because it's not to be missed at all.

*One personal thing I need to share is that I found it very difficult to read this book from the perspective of my faith.  I don't want to read books about demons, nor do I want to promote them.  I didn't know "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" was such a book until I got into it.  In my years of reading and caring about what young adults and older readers, even, are exposed to, I have tried to be dedicated to separating myself and my reviews from demonic, satanic loving, succubus and incubus loving literature.  It really goes against my personal faith and I want no part of it.

So, this has been a book I've struggled with giving a review for at all.

But in the long-run, and because I do not believe in banning books for any reason, I share this review.  I can only hope that good wins out and that the light will come forward in Ms Taylor's continuing series.

As I've said, she is a profoundly gifted writer, in my humble opinion.

5 painterly stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

To Read the first 5 Chapters Yourself Visit:  http://www.daughterofsmokeandbone.com/

Summary from Amazon:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

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"Between the Sea & the Sky" by Jaclyn Dolamore~ Mermaids in Love

Published by:  Bloomsbury

Pages:  240

Genre:  YA, 14-up, fantasy



The Dame's Review:

Gentle story replete with all the fantasy of mermaids' culture in their seaside home, this book will take you back to the classic tale of "The Little Mermaid."  Jaclyn Dolamore writes like a dream, lending her fantasies to the cause of siren songs, wrecked ships, castaway treasures, stranded pearls and sailors' tall tales throughout time.  This is a star-cast book, replete with angels and mermaids that steal your heart.  And, it's age appropriate as well as being beautiful and romantic.

Let's not forget the fantastic/gorgeous cover of this book.  Widely compelling to YAs, the cover was already a draw even before much was known about the story!  A lot can be surmised about the story inside, and the beautiful rendering of a mermaid swimming to the surface is a fantasy that many a young woman has wished she could be.  I loved the photography and wish every author could understand how important this element is to selling their book.  Many don't "get" that, and it's a shame because they miss a good deal of the market.  Not like it used to be when we felt guilty if we did "judge a book by the cover," YAs and even adults now have dropped that old adage.

Jaclyn Dolamore has delivered a book that has the perfection of a bridal cake.  So delicious, so on tone and texture that you'll want to eat it up in one sitting.  This is a novel for reading at seaside, or when you want to remember those days of summer...at any age. 

I'm so happy to entertain Ms Dolamore in the following interview!

Hello, Jackie.  Welcome to A Bookish Libraria!  I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to allow us to get to know you and your book better through an interview.  I have several questions! 

1) You chose a specific genre, and a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?

Jackie:  Between the Sea and Sky, like all the novels I've sold so far, takes place in a fantasy world that borrows from elements of our real world--in this case, early 19th century Italy. A lot of readers don't even realize where my books are "supposed to be set", which is okay with me. It is what it is. But I've always written historically flavored fantasies. I grew up reading a lot of "high" fantasy that always took place in a Medieval England sort of setting, and I always wondered why every fantasy was based on Medieval England, so nowadays I base it on anything I please! For Between the Sea and Sky I thought Italy would be a good place for a mermaid.

 

 2) Please share with your readers where you like to write.  Do you have a particular space or desk?  What can you see from your desk?  Do you have props you use to write from?  What about special “charms?”

Jackie: I live in a cramped condominium, and my desk is shared with boyfriend, crammed into a corner without any windows, and cluttered with stuff. It's not romantic at all. I'm actually in the process of trying to buy a Victorian-era house that's twice the size with mountain views and maybe next year my office will actually match my head a little better...

LOL  A Victorian sounds like just the place for you!  I can't imagine you with your head in a corner without any windows...

 3) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?

Jackie:  When you think of your favorite books, certain ones will rise to the surface, like cream. What makes that happen is somewhat elusive...but I think that's what makes a book great.

 4) What are your Top 5 all time favorite books? 

Jackie :

Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery

The Little House books (of which my favorite is The Long Winter) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace

The Thieves and Kings graphic novels

A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant 

5) Read any good books in the past 6 months?

Jackie:  Yes! I read a lot. I recently read Freefall by Mindi Scott, which is great contemporary with vivid, memorable characters. I also really enjoyed Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, which is a fun time travel YA. And The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby was one of the best fantasy middle grades I've read in a long time. 

 6) Please share with us the underlying message of your book.  What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?

Jackie:  It's kind of a book about growing up, I guess. Following your own passion even when something else is expected of you. Teenagers deal with a lot of expectations, discouraging them from their dreams, but if I'd listened to those voices I wouldn't be a professional writer now.

 

7) Were you able to keep your original title?  What was it, if not?

Jackie:  Noo, but considering my title for it was "the mermaid book", that is for the best. I'm awful at titles!

8) Is there a song that you “heard” or might best represent your book as a theme song?

Jackie:  Yes, it's "Tu ch'hai le penne, amore", a piece of 18th century Italian opera that translates to, "You who have wings, love". I was listening to an album of Cecilia Bartoli singing this old Italian opera music, already thinking that song was really perfect, and then I saw the translation and thought it was REALLY perfect.

That is so beautiful, Jackie, and so appropriate for your book.  I have to find it in my stacks of classical music.  Love Italian opera!

9) What’s your favorite coffee? ...candy?

Jackie: 

Coffee: I like flavors, but NOT too sweet. I find Starbucks fancy drinks pretty cloying. But I also can't have much caffeine so I rarely buy coffee. I feel like, if you have to get decaf, then what am I paying for?

But I am a chocolate girl, and 72% dark is just right. Especially if it has cocoa nibs in it. Yum. I also adore marzipan. It's almost time for ALDI to start getting in my favorite Christmas treat, Mozartkugeln! They have almond/pistachio/hazelnut marzipan inside and are dipped in both dark and milk chocolate and whenever ALDI gets them in I buy like ten boxes.

OMGosh, Jackie, you make that marzipan sound so good!  I've never had it and now I think you've just corrupted me...  :[    Great, one more thing to add pounds to the waist!  LOL

Thank you for bending to these busybody questions!  It’s been a pleasure from my end of things!

Jackie: Thanks for having me!

I highly recommend this book for lovers of mermaids.  A good book for tweens, YAs and moms who want to remember...

5 pearly stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

PS:   For amazing mermaid jewelry please visit on Etsy:

$35.00

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"Mephisto Covenant" by Trinity Faegan~Controversial YA Fiction

Published by: Egmont

Pages: 448

Genre: YA Fiction, Paranormal

Age Group: 18 and up



Overview:

 

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over.  But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

 

 

The Dame's Review:

 

I want to address first of all the type of author I believe Trinity Faegan to be. She has an imagination and a sense for the mythological that connects to contemporary YA consciousness. I believe her identifying this connection will result in her book being very commercial. I also think whomever assisted in the selection of this novel's cover along with Ms Faegan, will make the book a best YA fiction seller this fall and winter. Beautiful book covers matter in the utmost to YA readers.

Ms Faegan spins a good yarn that may compel us to read on about her protagonists Sasha and Ajax, but it isn't actually good enough to be classified as literary fiction. There are gaps in her
characterization that weaken her writing but may easily be remedied.

What sadly highlights this weakness in Ms Faegan's writing is having to fall back on extremes such as; ultimately, a sex scene that gratuitously fills in the gap by explicit, certainly more than is necessary, sex that really doesn't enrich the story but may help keep the heat up enough to get the pages turned. 

I believe this type of sexual material isn't the best use of YA fiction, and it may actually cause the genre to be rocked from its intent to be appropriate for an age group of 14 and older. Not a prude, just that I prefer substance over slush and regard for the audience one is "speaking" to.

I also have difficulty giving high marks to a book that honors Satan, describes a girl who may have to lose her immortal life to save a boy who is a minion of Satan, and this all wound up in a world inhabited by dead, hateful souls. Actually, some of it is almost laughable when you write it down like this.

I realize that this novel appears to bring in Sasha as a foil to the "crowd" who are attempting to overthrow God. I'm wondering if it was a thinly veiled attempt to engender interest in the more salient elements of satanic mythology and sexual encounters to rev-up the now ordinary "milktoast" love scenes such as those in "Twilight." What is this recent interest in the indwelling of Satan and his demonic hordes, anyway?? Scary. Maybe we need to take a moment to examine that.

Aside from all the above, Sasha and Ajax could be converted to less demonically entrapped figures in the next book of Trinity Faegan's series. And, her writing may tighten up with a new book. I hope so. I believe she has it in her. I simply want to convey the serious concerns I feel about influencing younger YA readers in these directions.

I cannot recommend this book to YAs and parents without reservation. I think 18 yr. olds and grown ups are able to make their own decisons; however, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"...and I bet you anything Trinity knows exactly what I mean!

2 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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American Historical Fiction Award for~"The Personal History of Rachel DuPree" by Ann Weisgarber

Published by:  Penguin Books

Pages:  321

Praised by Alice Walker and many other bestselling writers, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree is an award-winning debut novel with incredible heart about life on the prairie as it's rarely been seen. Reminiscent of The Color Purple, as well as the frontier novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather, it opens a window on the little-known history of African American homesteaders and gives voice to an extraordinary heroine who embodies the spirit that built America.

The Dame's Perspective :


Rarely have I experienced a historical novel such as this one.  Ms Weisgarber has chosen to champion black women in the undeveloped and barren wilds of the Badlands, and she does it with a sensitivity that will break your heart, sparking feelings you didn't know you possessed.  "The Personal History of Rachel DuPree" is a mightily rendered novel, it left me wondering how I could have held my breath such a long time.


One thing was certain and universal throughout this book and that was the push-pull of relationship between man and woman.  So many have experienced this expectation of the "bargain" for a marriage that hinges upon love and trust often weighed heavily on the woman's side, only to feel that "hinge" rusting away over years of hardship and childbearing.  It is particularly present in this novel, handled in profound and bittersweet passages that show the anxieties of a mother's love and protective life-blood vrs. a man's drive to save his land and work.  I felt Rachel's heartaches, her loneliness at times, and her isolation in choosing to do what was the best for her children; and, ultimately, for herself. While she, too, believed in working and culling out their stretch of land, it was secondary to her children.

Rachel is a character so perfectly described and drawn that she's sure to be remembered in the vein of all great heroines.  She's the epitome of not just black (Negro) women, but the best in the feminine spirit that causes us to rise above hardship and strife to claim our rights as women of valour, and mothers who make a difference in the world. She makes us proud to be women.


That Ms Weisgarber chose this time period and these characters to write her book  shines in its originality. I believe it's a gift that will keep living in the hearts and minds of many.  Actually, I expect it will end up in the classrooms and colleges that reach for exceptional reading material of this period and of women who exempify those who made our country what it was meant to be.

"The Personal History of Rachel DuPree" makes me ashamed in a way that we haven't explored and honored black womens' contributions in opening our frontiers before this!



5 well-deserved stars



Deborah/TheBookishDame




*Happily, I want to credit:

for allowing me to read this book.

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"Come Back To Me" by Melissa Foster~ Unforgettable Novel About American Soldier in Iraq

Published by:  Greenforge Books

Pages:  316

Summary:

Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret--only she's never given the chance. Beau's helicopter crashes in the desert.

Tess struggles with the news of Beau's death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.

What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.

The Dame Reviews:

For every war in history, there's been a love story that captures the hearts of those in battle and those left behind.  Melissa Foster has written that story.  The love story of the war in Iraq.

Ms Foster knows how to capture the feelings and thoughts of people and to translate that to the written word into her characters.  This is a mighty gift for a writer.  It is, in fact, the essence of powerful writing and the thing that authors long to achieve.  When authors are asked what makes a good book, or what's the single most important factor that they want to achieve in writing; hands down they respond "writing good characters."   Well, Melissa Foster's forte' is just that.  I can give her no higher praise.

You have read the essence of her book in the summary above, and probably watched the video, I hope.  It's the story of two young people who have just started a life together and who love each other with all their hearts. The story of not giving up when the worst thing in life has happened to them.  It's the story of hope over every possible reason not to believe in it.  It's the story, then, of the best in the human spirit.

I've said it before about Ms Foster's novels such as "Megan's Way," which has won so many prestigious awards and is in production for a movie, and for "Chasing Amanda," which has also won a basketful of awards; her writing is just stellar.  You can't find a bunch of books you'll love more and that will change your perspective on things.

An unforgettable book, this is one for you to read this weekend!  She's an author who's been compared to Jodi Picoult.

Melissa Foster is also on Facebook where you can find a great following because she believes in helping other authors, and links to her organization:  The Women's Nest.

5 bold and beautiful stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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"Cross Currents" by John Shors ~ Ko Phi Phi in Resurrection

Published by:  New American Library~Penguin Group

Pages:  317

Genre:  Fiction



Summary :



Thailand's pristine Ko Phi Phi island attracts tourists from around the world. There, struggling to make ends meet, small-resort owners Lek and Sarai are happy to give an American named Patch room and board in exchange for his help. But when Patch's brother, Ryan, arrives, accompanied by his girlfriend, Brooke, Lek learns that Patch is running from the law, and his presence puts Lek's family at risk. Meanwhile, Brooke begins to doubt her love for Ryan while her feelings for Patch blossom.

In a landscape where nature's bounty seems endless, these two families are swept up in an approaching cataclysm that will require all their strength of heart and soul to survive...
 
 
In This Book :
 
I'm a long-time fan of John Shors, having jumped head first on his fan-wagon when I cracked the opening pages of "The Marble Sky."  I had never read anything quite like that novel.  It was simply spectacular and I recommend it to everyone. Since that novel, Shors has continued to produce incredibly stellar work; most recently the slightly heartbreaking and amazingly soulful "The Dragon House" about a children's shelter in Viet Nam. (I reviewed it here last year)
 
My expectations, then were very high for "Cross Currents."  So when it was a bit slow in the uptake for John's usual book it was frightening for someone who loves his work like I do. There was too much information about the children of the Thai family on which the novel focuses for me.  I didn't really care about the minute details of the family's day-to-day activities.  I was ready for the "Shor Show" that I knew he was able to produce!!  I nearly put the book down and wondered what happened to --why was this novel so different?
 
What happened was what happens to all good fans of a favorite author:  I refused to give up on the novel.  I kept picking it back up and I kept reading.  Soon the story began to really develop the American character, Patch, giving him a depth of angst, heart and unselfishness. When his brother and girlfriend come to Thailand's island of Ko Phi Phi to see him; and Ryan wants to convince Patch to take a difficult, untenable turn in his life, the plot really heats up.  Suddenly, this book was reading like a true Shors novel!
 
I relay all of this to you simply to let you know that this may be a novel you'll have to give a chance.  It's a wonderful story.  What John was doing in the beginning was causing us to get to know the local family that his American protagonist came to love.  He wanted us to understand the character and culture of the island people whose lives were destroyed in the Ko Phi Phi tsunami. In "Cross Currents" there are characters you'll fall in love with who have  depth of feeling and intensity of humanity. 
 
When the tragedy of the tsunami devastates Ko Phi Phi you'll be crushed in the throes of the ocean  with a horror only akin to that that must have been felt by those trapped on the island that day.  I could not believe how vividly Shors showed me those moments!  I could see it so clearly and winced with sympathetic agony when his characters were torn and thrown in the impossible turbulence.
 
This is a powerful story full of the passion of human kindness, true love and personal sacrifice.  This is a real John Shors novel.  I'm happy to recommend it to you as strongly as I do his other books.
 
5 stars for life!
 
Deborah/TheBookishDame

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"Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen" by Donia Bijan is Breath-taking

Published by:  Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

Pages:  250

Genre:  Memoir

Summary:

For Donia Bijan’s family, food has been the language they use to tell their stories and to communicate their love. In 1978, when the Islamic revolution in Iran threatened their safety, they fled to California’s Bay Area, where the familiar flavors of Bijan’s mother’s cooking formed a bridge to the life they left behind. Now, through the prism of food, award-winning chef Donia Bijan unwinds her own story, finding that at the heart of it all is her mother, whose love and support enabled Bijan to realize her dreams.

Donia Bijan graduated from UC Berkeley and the Cordon Bleu.  After presiding over a number of San Francisco's acclaimed restaurants and earning awards for her French-inspired cuisine, she ran her own restaurant, L'Amie Donia, in Palo Alto for ten years.

The Dame Savors This One:

This is a memoir to savor.  It's a breath-taking account of a young woman who lived the life of a cherished and richly encompassed child of the world at large.  I became spellbound by Donia Bijan's life story immediately, and found myself holding my breath as I grasped her book, not wanting to read it slowly, but speeding through its pages like a delicious crepe filled with Turkish coffee ice cream.

While Ms Bijan's memoir is captivating in and of itself, her exotic recipes included at the end of chapters are both slightly tipped with the savory and screaming to be tried in one's own kitchen.  I can hardly wait to try her Cardamom Honey Madeleines.  Proustians everywhere know of his love affair with Madeleines to begin with, so her distinctive twist of cardamom with trying out farmers' market honeys makes this recipe irresistible to me. We have a great farmers' market in Naples.

Not to mention that I have a fabulous Madeleine pan I've never used!

What I found intriguing among so many things about this memoir is the tone of her literary "voice."  I suppose I expected a lilting celebration of food and family...a "warm and inviting kitchen" experience as expressed on the cover review.  Instead, Ms Bijan's telling of her past life as a refugee from revolutionary-torn Iran, to the shores of a hip and culturally shocking San Francisco, and an unimaginably glorious but difficult training in the bowels of kitchens in Paris, France, is somewhat maudlin.  It's reflective.  I found it a surprise, and a powerful memoir for that reason.

Food, studying the art of food preparation and restauranteering isn't what's important in her memoir, it seems to me.  What is important is the underlying story of trials, family obligations and examples of dedication to others, of loving and sharing gifts through food, of finding wholeness within the simplicity of homemade and close-to-home foods and ingredients that are discovered.  Food was the life-blood of Donia's family. It is also the foundation of her heritage,where she is today, and where her son and future generations are going.

It was significant to me that her mother was not only a central figure in Donia's learning the importance of food and cooking, but she was a strong role-model: a midwife, a women's liberation advocate, a tireless volunteer in wartime, a teacher, a woman of grace and celebration, a needlewoman, a mother and devoted wife.  Her mother didn't show her the example of taking the easy road in life, of failing to show up and give ones best efforts.  It's obvious in Donia's life.

I highly recommend this book of many trips through a life that's magical and meaningful.  There is much I've left out because there's so much in this memoir, beautifully told, never boring--quite the opposite--like a teatime set with Brussels lace on a silver tray holding lemon tea steeped in a china pot draped in a knitted cozy...side served with a plate of freshly baked cardamom Madeleines; this book will be in your hands until the last perfect word is read.

5 delicious starry nights

Deborah/TheBookishDame

*Note:  This review is kindly brought to you through the auspices of:

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