Review: The Ruby Red Trilogy

Ruby Red

Sapphire Blue

Emerald Green

by Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell

Young adult or adult, stay away from these stories if you’re not into conspiracy theories.  But… this series is fun, uneven, but fun. I couldn't find a way to review each book separately, so my review is about the story line which arcs over three books. The Ruby Red trilogy is an odd mash-up of romance, conspiracy, sci-fi, history, and downright silliness. Not all of these elements come together coherently. The protagonist – Gwyneth – seems younger than 16 years-old, which would appeal to tweens. However,  the whiplash between time-travel, intertwined bloodlines, and conspiracies is too complicated to for the 10-14 year-old set. I suppose, the “young adult” label is a compromise to land these books somewhere between teeny-bopper and full-fledged science-fiction.  

This hasn't cleared up anything, has it?

My main criticism is that this does not need to be a trilogy. If edited down to two books, this would've made a lean, tasty thriller. (If you’re already bogged down while reading these books, feel free to skim! There’s a lot of repetition that could be glossed over.) Where did this series succeed? For its flaws, I’m left admiring the author and her imagination. The cliffhangers could be abrupt, but that's exactly what propelled me through each book. Here it is - almost 3 a.m. - and I am considering rereading the whole darn thing! I might skip book #1 and dive back into books #2 and #3, but the trilogy’s epilogue left me breathless about a character introduced in book one. What is a girl who can’t get to sleep suppose to do? 

Review: Orphan Train

Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline

Like many of the reviews, I felt the modern relationship lacking. But the history behind this book is fascinating. Still, it's a good introduction to a little known period in our nation's history. (Originally posted at GoodReads.com.)

If you ever get a chance to see Kline live at an author's event, do so! She is personable, knowledgeable, and seems to love meeting people and talking books. I met her on my last day of work at my previous job (shout-out for Central Lakes College Theatre in Brainerd, MN). She was one of the most engaging authors I've met - both onstage and off.

Review: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

What a chore. I've enjoyed the movie adaptations. I've seen of several of Jane Austen's works. Maybe that's why I thought I'd enjoy reading this book. The main characters were interesting, so I can't quite but my finger on why I didn't like it. Maybe it's my current state-of-mind, but I won't read Austen for pleasure again. Normally, I the sort of person who prefers the book to the movie, but not in this case. I wouldn't have made it past the first 100 pages had I not rented the 1995 BBC / A&E mini-series. It's an excellent adaptation and the movie kept me engaged enough to finish the book. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus
by Sarah Dunant

A lot of interesting elements at play in this book, but the story as a whole did not come together for me. It took a few days to get hooked, so it was a slow start. The mysterious plot twists and gruesome history of Florence carried my interest throughout. It felt like a Jack-the-Ripper novel set in Italy, but neither the plot nor its conclusion is a full-fledged murder-mystery. Plus, the main characters were too mysterious. I did not get to know them enough to care. The narrator, her mother, and her lover were interesting but something about them felt like outlines. They were characters never completed especially when compared to the detailed backdrop of Italian history. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures

by Tracy Chevalier

I can see why this story can be thought of as boring – it is a subtle story. It's about friendship that exists in the absence of the friends themselves. It describes the tedious effort it takes to work with fossils and that it takes to make a friendship between introverts. The title, Remarkable Creatures, refers to the ‘monster' fossils excavated from English beaches in the early 19th century. It also refers to the two main characters - Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. Mary's a small town oddball yet widely known as lucky and, eventually, talented fossil hunter. Elizabeth is a fellow oddball but is well-read and well-connected. The characters of Mary and Elizabeth are real characters, known to history because the dinosaur and fish specimens they contributed to British and French science institutions. But the core of Chevalier's story is their friendship and their loneliness. In this story, evolution is a both a theme and a force. As a theme, evolution is introduced into public opinion as Mary's fossils spark discussions about extinction. As a force, evolution exists in Elizabeth's and Mary's private relationship. Their friendship evolves – they part ways but can't forget each other - and each woman's reputation changes as they carry out separate (yet connected) lives. There are layers in Chevalier's style and they can be hard to spot – much like the fossils and geology in which her story is rooted. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

For a nonfiction account of Mary Anning’s life, check out The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World by Shelley Emling

Review: The Sweet Trade

The Sweet Trade

by Elizabeth Garrett

An enjoyable, romanticized read about pirating in the West Indies. The characters are historical figures - Anne Bonney, Mary Read, and Calico Jack Rackham. Plus, the Caribbean locale has got to be counted as a main character as well! But, I'm on the fence about the story. I liked it but did not love it... probably because I identified with Captain Jack too closely - burnt-out and panicky. The book has a little bit of everything and that may be its downfall. It's has lots of action, but probably not enough minute historical detail about daily life to make HF-buffs satisfied. There's romance and sex, but again, not saucy enough to make Romantic / Erotica fans swoon. I loved that there were two female protagonists - both different from one another but not at odds. Their relationship had ups and downs throughout. Much like the book itself. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The American Family Robinson

The American Family Robinson
by David W. Belisle

Kinda liked it. Kinda didn't. Liked how this 1854 book felt like a Jules Verne novel especially with the reoccurring clues of an ancient lost race (possibly Norsemen?) in North America. On the fence about the overriding theme of Manifest Destiny. It was interesting to read about it from a 19th century perspective, but at times it felt like propaganda. Could've majorly done without the sanctimonious depictions of Native Americans. As a whole, the Indians in this book were described as "savages" and are all feared to be cannibalistic. One of the main characters is a chief named Whirlwind who is lost with the rest of this group of white pioneers. He is considered a "civilized" Indian because he turns out to invaluable to their survival, and he calls the white trapper in the group his "brother." From the author's perspective, Whirlwind is better than the rest of the Indians, but still not good enough to court a white woman. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition

Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition: The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton's Polar-Bound Cat
by Caroline Alexander

A cheeky read from the cat's perspective of being ice-bound. If you're not familiar with Shackleton's journey, this book is incomplete on details. Footnotes attempt to fill the gaps, but they are hard for me to read since it interrupts the flow of the narrative. This would be a good way to introduce to middle-school kids to Shackleton's expedition without the real torment of being stranded that is ever-present in the (real) memoirs of other crew members. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: A Reliable Wife

A Reliable Wife

by Robert Goolrick

Two words: erotic and morose. A book that is popular to recommend but definitely not for everyone. The sexuality is overwhelming - maybe that's your thing and maybe it isn't. The story is about the tension of revenge vs. reconciliation, and a woman-with-a-past is caught between those two forces. At times, I could predict where the plot was going, but overall, a complex enough style to keep me riveted. Kept me up late into the night to finish it and left me dwelling on the characters. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Lion of Ireland

Lion of Ireland

by Morgan Llywelyn

A long, but satisfying read. I'm surprised I admired the main character's parenting skills with his oldest son. Made me wonder what sort of research the author did to flesh out that particular relationship. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: One Thousand White Women

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd 

by Jim Fergus

A so-so, alternative-history book. Three things fell flat for me... 1) The way the accents (Irish and Southern) were written made me gloss over their dialogue. 2) Too many characters to fully flesh out any one woman. 3) The low points in this story's plot (torture, rape, battle, etc.) far outweigh any moments of tenderness or happiness. With that said, I did find it good enough to add Fergus' other fiction, The Wild Girl, to my TBR pile. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSoup.com.)

Review: The Birchbark House

The Birchbark House

by Louise Erdrich

Having never read either series, I coincidentally read this book just after finishing the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I loved it - hands down. Louise Erdrich's series is a wonderful blend of realism and fantasy that weaves day-to-day details of Ojibwa life with supernatural/spiritual flourishes. Also to the author's credit, this and the following two books, The Year of the Porcupine and The Game of Silence, are not without sadness. It would make a good project to read Wilder's Little House on the Prairie in comparison to Erdrich's The Birchbark House. Both fictional stories take place in the late 19th century and are written from a young girl's point-of-view. Both stories take place during the time of pressuring Indians out of their homeland to move onto reservations. This tense theme lurks in the background without overshadowing each simple, heartfelt story. I cannot wait to find out if there will be a fourth book! (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)