Book Review: King by Right of Blood and Might

Book Review: King by Right of Blood and Might
By Anna L. Walls

Young Prince Harris has been raised in isolation and has no clue how to go about being a king. His father, very much aware of how trapped and innocent his son is, arranges to have him fostered in a neighbouring country. Slowly, Harris learns what he needs to know about ruling a land. After his father’s murder, Harris strives to pull his kingdom back together, even going as far as to personally fight bandits who have taken control over his land and his people.

This fantasy story has some magical elements which adds another dimension and layer to the story. While Walls is a new writer who has self-published this story, and her writing is rough in places, she is an author to watch as she has great potential and has a natural ability to weave a tale that pulls readers into foreign lands. I rooted for Harris and you will too.

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Book Review: All the Tea in Chicago

Book Review: All the Tea in Chicago
By: Susan Blumberg-Kason

I love tea. Chai tea, green tea, you name it, and name it tea, I’ll probably drink it. Yet, I’ve always resisted going for high tea. Or afternoon tea, British-style. I’m not sure why. I suppose it is the idea of paying approximately twenty dollars for tea and a few crustless sandwiches. I did have ‘proper’ tea in England at least a decade ago, but day-old scones with jam somehow didn’t do it for me. However, after reading some of the descriptions in Blumberg-Kason’s book, I am ready to jump on a plane, fly to Chicago and sit down and cough up twenty dollars for tea, chicken salad on walnut bread, crepes with peanut sauce, chocolate canele and more. Much, much more. (She mentions which places gracefully and willing to serve seconds and thirds.) If that isn’t enough to sell you on going for tea, how about the idea of slipping into a seat at a place called Infini-tea or Serenitea?

If you aren’t up for the whole tea and meal deal, there is a section that lists and describes restaurants, shops and tea houses. The guide mentions which places are child friendly (some places even have special tea for children), have wifi, and are wheelchair accessible.) It also contains tea facts and quotes, a list of tea websites, and a glossary. Just reading the guide (thousands of miles from Chicago) I learned that green tea in Japan is often made from a powder (crushed leaves) and that tea fights harmful bacteria and viruses. As well, loose tea is better than bags and there is this crazy new-fangled tea called bubble tea that has tapioca in it. Yum!

There are tea people in this world. Are you one? If so, you’ll enjoy this book, even if you never set foot in Chicago.

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Book Review: Goodnight Nobody

Book Review: Goodnight Nobody
By Jennifer Weiner

Take suburbia, take cookie-cutter, large, new homes, take the scariest uber, super-dee-dooper mom you know and magnify her, then multiply her, put it all together along with some literal backstabbing…and you have the backdrop for Goodnight Nobody.

Kate Klein is a former-reporter who has 3 children who are all 3 and under. Due to a stroller-napping int he big city, she finds herself safely tucked away in the Land of the Lost, i.e. suburbia. It all seems like a typical ‘I don’t fit in, please help me God’ day until she arrives at a playdate to find the uberest super-mommy lying in a puddle of her own blood. Kate slips into detective mode (but only while her children are in playschool) and resolves that come hell or high water, she will solve this crime. Naturally, she ruffles many feathers, freaks out her over-protective husband and maybe, just maybe, collects the attention of a former flame.

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Book Review: The Shack

Book Review: The Shack
By William P. Young

This is one of those books that either speaks to a person, or it doesn’t. I was the latter of the two.

Basically, a man’s relationship with God flounders after the abduction and murder of his young daughter. During an ice storm, he receives a note in his mailbox from God. (Fantastic scene with him skittering about on the ice with the note in hand.) He is asked to come to the shack–the place where the man’s daughter was killed. Curious, he goes to the shack. And yes, God is there. He spends the weekend talking and eating with God. By the end of the weekend, many of his questions are answered and his faith renewed. (“Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship.”)

In some ways, this book reminded me of ‘The Celestine Prophecy’. I think it was the writing style combined with the different slant on spirituality.

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Book Review: Northern Lights

Book Review: Northern Lights
By: Nora Roberts

I have to admit, this is the first Nora Roberts I’ve read, and it’s a big, fat one.

Take one depressed Outsider cop from the lower 48 and toss him into a secluded Alaskan town named Lunacy. He’s the first chief of police they’ve ever had. Take one tough, supremely independent woman who owns Alaska’s a$$. Add in the discovery of a 16-year-old murder. Stir in a bunch of grumpy locals who all seem to have motives and means, and at the same time, don’t.  Voila, you have a rocket full of conflict ready to blast off.

I found it interesting how the character’s changed in this story. There was a definite arc as the cop regained the ground beneath his feet, found his purpose and grew stronger and more determined. On the other hand, the gal starts out tough as nails and slowly allows her softer side to make appearances. It was well played out. And yes, of course the officer got his man (and girl).

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