Book Review: The Orchardist by Amanda Chopin
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 27, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Orchardist by Amanda Chopin on Blogcritics. About: The Orchardist by Amanda Chopin is a novel taking place in Washington State at the early part of the 20thCentury. This is Chopin’s first book and is a majestic debut, a new book which reads like an old friend. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 448 pages Publisher: Harper Language: English ISBN-10: 006218850X My rating for The Orchardist – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format Thoughts: The Orchardist by Amanda Chopin is a beautifully written and haunting novel, a mood not usually captured by first time authors. The prose is lyrical and the characters enchanting, even though they might not be likeable they grow on the reader and make one invest in their future. The reason I requested to be on the tour for this book is actually quite nostalgic. Many years ago, what seems like 100 years ago (and unfortunately, what seems like 100 lbs. as well) I walked along the Inca Trail in Bolivia(slightly less famous than its Peruvian counterpart which I walked several weeks later). After a few days we…

Book Review: The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer
3 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 23, 2012

Dr. John Petrie, a physician and our narrator, meets his friend Denis Nayland Smith who served as British police commissioner in Asia. Smith seems to know all things Asia and the innate ability to get all the support he needs from British government officials. Petrie is, of course, knowledgeable in medicine, forensics, chemistry and an ace with a pistol – for good measure.

Book Review: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva
5 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 22, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva on Blogcritics. About: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva brings back Israeli spy Gabriel Allon in this seventh installment. This time we find Allon as a weary, tired agent ready to hang up his holster and, unwillingly, accept his fate in management. 385 pages Publisher: Putnam Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0399154221 My rating for The Secret Servant – 5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Daniel Silva Thoughts: I found The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva (web­site) to be a more current, at least in atmosphere, of the Gabriel Allon series. As usual with the rest of the series, the book is difficult to put down, a fast paced adventure and thriller which brings back familiar characters. The characters age with the books, which I like. None are superheroes, but people with issues and problems who only justify their acts to themselves by holding a high moral ground. However, this high moral ground must be broken from time to time which leaves them feeling confused and filled with regrets. The book is filled with many characters, bumbling politicians, Islamic extremists, non-extremists Islamic people and other hot button issues from current day world. However,…

Thoughts on: War & Peace Book 2 – Part 5
Fiction , Historical Fiction , Latest Posts / August 21, 2012

Pierre is getting depressed more and more with the challenges life throws at him especially when he realizes that Freemasonry is not giving him a new meaning. He realizes that he doesn’t like the person he is becoming and tries to tell himself that this is not the case, he is not becoming “that” person. However, the questions still torture Pierre.

Guest Review: Loki’s Daughters by Delle Jacobs
Fiction , Guest Posts , Latest Posts / August 20, 2012

Buy this book in electronic format (free for Amazon Prime members) I am usually not a fan of romance novels. I mean, I enjoy a good Austen or even an action-romance, but historical romance? Eh, it didn’t sound like something I would really like. However, I had my new Kindle and no extra money to burn, so I was shopping through the free books. After passing over some real gems (yeah, right) I came to Loki’s Daughters by Delle Jacobs. It didn’t sound as terrible as the rest of them, and it was free, so I downloaded it. I have read it three times since then, at least. I’m not saying it is the best book I’ve ever read. I’m not even saying it is up there with the greats. But, somehow, it is very compelling. The story is one of Vikings and Celts. When every man of fighting age is dead, a Celtic village is left in the hands of a young woman, who is also trying to care for her sister with failing eyesight and her young nephew. They live in fear of Viking invasion, as the last one proved devastating to all involved. Then, one stormy evening,…

Book Review: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 16, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck on Blogcritics About: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck is a short novel taking place mostly on a submarine. The doomsday scenario, a threat to the State of Israel, is the “ripped from the headlines” type of novel. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one eCopy of this book in PDF format— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 263 pages Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. Language: English ASIN: B008HEFVI2 My rating for The Last Israelis – 4 Buy this book in electronic format Thoughts: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck (website | Facebook) could be considered a military thriller, there are some plot twists and action, however the author approaches the story more on an intellectual side. The setting is a chance for the author to engage in intellectual debates between characters of different backgrounds. The novel does have good characterization; the author builds up each character so there is some background to the debates and the reader understands who each person formulated their ideology over a lifetime of various experiences and family history. What follows is a very interesting and balanced look at Israel…

Book Review: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
3 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 13, 2012

About: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway is a work of realistic fiction. The novel is a quick but somber read and takes place during the 1990s siege ofSarajevo. 256 pages Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover Language: English ISBN-10: 1594489866 My rating for The Cellist of Sarajevo – 3 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Steven Galloway Thoughts: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway is a book which is has all the right parts but for me, didn’t come together. The imagery is astounding, the characters are believable and the story telling is both haunting and poetic. After 250 pages (or so) of build up there is … nothing. The tension in the book is felt on every page, as someone who followed the events in 1990s I certainly understood the story and the context for which it was told. However, even if one is not familiar with the context, the much larger universal themes and values in the book, such as human life, decency and appreciation of the small things in life are represented. As you can tell, I really don’t know what to think of this book – it is by no means bad, but a very elegant…

Guest Review: The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
Fiction , Guest Posts , Latest Posts / August 9, 2012

Reviewed by Ren Zelen Buy this book in paper or electronic format While Vampires and Zombies have been jamming the highway to the bookshelves and multiplexes, Werewolves have largely been left to idle by the side of the literary road. With Glen Duncan’s protagonist, Jacob Marlowe, you get more than you bargain for: not just a man but a werewolf, not just a werewolf, but an existentially philosophical one. The novel is, ostensibly, a diary. The tale begins after a ‘feed’ “Two nights ago I’d eaten a 43-year-old hedge fund specialist,” Marlowe states with what will be his trademark insouciance, “I’ve been in a phase of taking the ones no-one wants.” We learn his backstory, a 19th-century costume tragedy, by means of his journal entries, composed in breaks between violent action and meaningless fornication. Two centuries of living have endowed him with a vast reserve of cultural expertise and a linguistic style that moves between the wisecracking cynicism of his noir namesake and the syntactical flourishes of the 19th century literary gentleman. Marlowe imparts the contents of his inner life and his impressions of the modern world in a series of dryly succinct verbal morsels: the topography of Wales is…

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