Roxanne Reads

I made a promise to myself that I would challenge myself to read some books this year that were out of my comfort zone. I picked this one up a few times and read the back and finally decided to give it a try.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman exceeded all my expectations.

It is a beautifully written story of four women living in 70 C.E. who are brought together in Masada by very different paths. They must come together as the Roman army draws near to lay siege to their town.

I felt like I was there in the desert along for their journey, feeling all their struggles and heartbreak. I was drawn into each back story and felt an instant emotional connection to all the women.

In each woman’s story you get to experience not only the battles but the triumphs each woman experiences. It made me really think about the lengths that women go through to protect those that they love and what they are willing to sacrifice to ensure their survival.

I think this should be on everyone’s “to read” list for the summer!

June 13, 2013
by Roxanne
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Elise Reviews – Chasing Fire

My latest read is Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts.

Rowan Tripp is a smokejumper. An experienced member of the elite Zulies team of Missoula Smokejumpers; she’s been fighting fires since she was eighteen. It’s in her blood. Her Dad is none other than Lucas “Iron Man” Tripp (a legendary retired smokejumper) who runs the local skydiving school. But Rowan’s still having nightmares after losing her partner on an ill-fated jump last season.

This year’s recruits are strong and smart, including “Fast Feet” Gulliver Curry. Gull fights fires in the summer and runs an arcade in the winter. He’s clever, uses big words to match has a big heart. He’s got his eye on Rowan, but she has a steadfast rule: no sleeping with other jumpers.

Chasing Fire

Crazy things begin to happen and people start being murdered! And the insanity seems to revolve around the team: vandalism, shots fired at the team and fires with dead bodies in the middle.

This book was picked for me as part of a Pick-It-For-Me challenge. Nora Roberts usually runs middle of the road for me but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I liked the building romance between Rowan and Gill and the other key characters Lucas “Iron Man” and Ella. I give this book 4 ¾★s, (less the ¼★ because I figured out the identity of the “bad guy” early on). This is to-date, my favorite of the Nora Roberts’s books I’ve read.

June 6, 2013
by Roxanne
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Book Buzz for May 31 – June 6, 2013

May 31

The debate continues…
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/books/books-294732.html

Read Moss Read!
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/05/5-year-old-reads-875-books-in-kindergarten/

June 3

Starting small and growing
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/855579_Landisville-author-editor-takes-advantage-of–digital-revolution–to-start-publishing-firm.html

Paper still preferred for browsing
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/06/02/3029470/world-of-printed-books-still-the.html

June 4

Ripping off readers
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/03/us-apple-ebooks-trial-idUSBRE95210420130603

Books-A-Million raises Big Bucks
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130603-909429.html

It’s time to take children’s books seriously
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/04/childrens-laureate-media-neglect-julia-donaldson

June 5

And the winners are…
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/255355/050613cwbssp.htm

June 6

Making a Newtown victim’s dream a reality
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2013/0605/Online-book-auction-will-benefit-the-dream-of-one-Newtown-victim

The rarer the better
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-a-rare-book-bonanza-in-the-digital-age-common-sense-says-yes-20130605,0,4789673.story

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May 30, 2013
by Roxanne
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Book Buzz for May 24 – 30, 2013

May 24

His books are fabulous and his fan base is huge. With ideas like this, it’s no surprise.
http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desktop/en/us/ambassador/neil-gaiman.html#get-involved?CPID=SOC_TWI1000038

Penguin Books settles with 33 states, consumers in e-book price-fixing suit
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2013/0523/Penguin-Books-settles-with-33-states-consumers-in-e-book-price-fixing-suit

More Tolkien on its way
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-jrr-tolkien-fall-of-arthur-middle-earth20130526,0,7954386.story

Independents flock to e-book shop
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/independents-flock-nbt%E2%80%99s-e-book-shop.html

May 25

Missing pearl found
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/24/lost-pearl-s-buck-novel

May 26

Books by bike
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Books/Chunk-HT-UI-BooksSectionPage-BooksLovers/Bicyle-book-delivery/Article1-1065814.aspx

Books, books and more books
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=All+the+books+you+wanted&NewsID=377741

May 27

A picture is worth a thousand words
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/books/childrens-corner-picture-books-for-children-still-popular-689394/

May 28

Welcome back Bridget
http://www.laineygossip.com/Intro-for-May-28–2013/27008

May 29

And he didn’t even have Google search…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/29/rudyard-kipling-admitted-plagiarism-jungle-book

The Independents bounce back
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/upbeat-news-again-for-independent-stores-as-book-industry-gathers-for-annual-convention/2013/05/28/40f05fc2-c792-11e2-9cd9-3b9a22a4000a_story.html

May 30

Trillium Award nominees announced
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2013/05/30/alice_munro_no_stranger_to_trillium_award.html

Do you have a story to tell?
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/amazon-offers-fan-fiction-writers-a-new-platform/

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May 23, 2013
by Roxanne
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Amanda Reviews – Unspoken

Unspoken

A mysterious envelope containing a photograph of a little girl sends Shelby on a quest to find out who this girl is: a girl she thinks may be her daughter who she believed had died at birth. Shelby must return to her home town of Bad Luck Texas to find out the truth. Dark family revelations, scheme of revenge and secrets. After reading this on the back cover of Lisa Jackson’s Unspoken, I thought, this sounds like my kind of book.

I really enjoyed Jackson’s Bentz/Montoya series so I was expecting something of that caliber, however, while this book had potential, I was left disappointed. There was a little too much romance and not enough mystery for my liking.

Overall, this was a lackluster “mystery” with a terrible ending and a lot of unanswered questions.

May 23, 2013
by Roxanne
1 Comment

Elise Reviews – Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)

Etiquette & Espionage is the first book in the Finishing School series by by Gail Carriger

Etiquette & Espionage

Fourteen year old Sophronia Temminick is the bane of her Mother’s existence. None of her other children have put Mrs. Temminick through trials like Sophronia; who would much rather be tinkering than learning how to be a proper lady. It is Victorian England and Mrs. Temminick is determined to make a proper lady out of Sophronia by enrolling her in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

Quickly, Sophronia realizes that this academy might be perfect for her rather odd pursuits. Oh she’s learning how to execute a proper curtsy and other ways on how to behave like a lady, but she’s also learning the fine art of spying, intelligence gathering and how to disguise one’s true intentions. Along the way, Sophronia makes some friends who help her in her new escapades and of course a few enemies too.

I give Etiquette & Espionage 4 ½ ★s, this book is a quick, easy entertaining read, and Sophronia is clever and courageous. This series is set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, Gail Carriger’s Adult Steampunk series which is also full of fun and cheek. I am looking forward to reading Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) which is slated for release November 5^th, 2013.