Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo

Three cousins with birthdays all on the same day have grown up and found that at 28, life is not what they thought it would be.  Lizzie is a soccer star with dreams of the Olympics until she badly injures her leg.  Elyse has started a variety of careers, but can’t seem to find success in either life or love.  Isobel was a famous child actress, but has not been able to find much success as an adult.  All three cousins get together in Lizzie’s hometown of Memphis to help her to restore her Grandmother’s house, the three story Spite house.  

The novel explores the restoration of not only the house but of the three women’s lives.  The book is split into three sections as in the “three story” house with each woman getting a turn as the narrator of the story.  I enjoyed this unique take on the tale.

I will admit that it took me a bit of time to immerse myself in the novel.  I felt it was rather jumpy at the beginning. For instance Lizzie would get ready to go on a date with TJ (yeah she is dating!) and then it would suddenly skip to a few days later.  My greatest annoyance with the skipping was the Lizzie learned a shocking secret about her family and then it didn’t give the reader any details.  I was fascinated as the book ended though that in the extras in the back of the novel was included a short story that was the basis of the book.  The short story about the construction of the Spite House and Lizzie’s grandparents gave the back story that I was so yearning for and answered all of my questions.  I was glad it was included.

As the book continued, I found myself more and more immersed in the story of the characters and wanting to know how it would end.  Santo created wonderful characters and a wonderful story for each of the characters.  I wish it could have continued on, but I was happy with the extras included in the back especially the short story about Lizzie’s grandparents.  The acknowledgements and book club questions were wonderful as well.

Overall Three Story House was a wonderful character story as well as a great story of a house, its history, and its restoration.

Book Source:  Review copy from William Morrow – Thanks!

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

 Title: The Book of Life

Author: Deborah Harkness
Read by:  Jennifer Ikeda

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: approximately 24 hours (19 CDs)
Source:  Kewaunee Public Library – Thanks!

 The Book of Life is the third and final novel of the All Souls Trilogy.  The Trilogy tells the story of Diana Bishop, a Yale history professor that stumbles across Ashmole 782 or The Book of Life while doing research in England and sends creatures such as witches, demons, and vampires after her.  One of these vampires is Matthew Clairmont, a science professor at Oxford.  The attraction between the two is undeniable and they go against the covenant that prohibits marriage between different creatures.  Breaking this covenant makes many wonder about the separation of creatures and also sends others after them for breaking the status quo.

The Book of Life continues the story and brings Diana and Matthew “back to the future” in the current day.  They are reunited with their beloved family and friends from book 1 (A Discovery of Witches) and I must say I vastly enjoyed seeing these characters again.  Diana is pregnant with Matthew’s child and this brings a whole new set of problems into the mix.  First of all, how can a vampire and witch have a baby?  This is also against the covenant of creatures. This also brings into play Matthew’s “bad seed” son Benjamin who has had an obsession with having a baby with a witch for hundreds of years.  He wants to know how his father did it and wants to possess Diana and her offspring himself.  Matthew and Diana and friends must stop Benjamin from his continued torture of creatures as well as change the minds of the convent on the separation of creatures.  They are all still looking for The Book of Life as well and the answers to how creatures came about and how they can reproduce together. There is a lot going on!

Overall, I loved how the entire trilogy showed Diana’s growth from an academic who thought she had no powers, to a witch in training in Elizabethan London, to a powerful witch that can defend her family and take on the covenant in book three.  I loved her transformation.  I also loved that although Matthew is protective, by the end it is Diana who is protecting him and saving the day.    This is an awesome trilogy and I highly recommend it.  It has fantasy, romance, and historical fiction.  It is just the right set of books for someone like me.  Also if you are a fan of the Outlander series, I would recommend trying this trilogy out.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel as I did for books 1 and 2 as well. Jennifer Ikeda is a wonderful narrator with a unique voice for each character.  Her narration greatly enhances an already intriguing story and makes it a true listening pleasure.  This was a perfect book to listen to with Halloween approaching, but it’s a good book to listen to any time of the year.

Desire Lines by Christina Baker Kline

When Kathryn Campbell celebrated her high school graduation around a bonfire with her group of closest friends in 1986, she never expected that her best friend Jennifer would walk into the woods that night and would never be seen again.  After a frantic summer search, Kathryn tries to move on with life, but Jennifer’s fate and the many questions that remain linger. This makes it hard for her to move on.  After her marriage fails, she moves back to her hometown of Bangor, Maine and in with her mother.  She is just in time for her 10-year high school reunion.  She gets an assignment from the local paper and her friend Jack to look into Jennifer’s disappearance 10-years later.  The secrets she discovers may well help her to find her final conclusion and peace.

I enjoyed this book immensely.  I loved the overall mystery and how it influenced Kathryn’s life.  She can’t move on until this mystery is solved.  I also loved the setting in the 1990’s.  I graduated from high school in 1996 so having the main action set in that year 10 years after the kidnapping was wonderful.  I will admit that I guessed what may have happened early on, but that the actual circumstances of the event kept me guessing until the end.  I also loved learning about orienteering in this novel.  Jennifer was really into orienteering and it sounds like a great sport.

Overall, if you are looking for a great suspense novel to curl up to in these fall days, I highly recommend Desire Lines.  I also must mention that I LOVE the cover.  I think the red leaf and trees are just beautiful and go well with the novel itself.

Book Source:  Review copy from William Morrow – Thank-you!

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Back in 2005, I was expecting my oldest son Kile and sick with Hyperemesis Gravudarum (now made famous by Duchess Kate).  It was not the best summer and I was in survival mode.  Luckily my good friend Laura Hivala recommended Sophie Kinsella and the Shopaholic novels to me.  I knew whatever Laura recommended would be good so I quickly checked them out of the library. They left me laughing and entertained me vastly that summer.  I saw an advertisement for a new Shopaholic novel and was distressed to realize I’m a book behind as Mini Shopaholic was published in 2010.  My friend Laura sadly passed away at a very young age of 32 in 2010 and I missed that a new book was published.  Reading Mini Shopaholic this past week made me laugh and think about Laura again.

Becky Brandon is back and her daughter Minnie is now two years old.  Becky is having a hard time with the economic down turn and her husband Luke has challenged her to wear all of her outfits three times before shopping again.  This makes it so she can’t buy a new outfit for 10 months, which is almost more than she can bear.  Luke is also sure that Minnie is out of control for a two year old and has a variety of ideas on how to keep her on track.  Becky and Luke are living with her parents and hoping that they will be able to finally purchase a home of their own (their last four offers fell apart).  Becky wants to plan a surprise birthday party for Luke, but her family and friends are sure she won’t be able to keep it under wraps and Becky worries that she can’t afford it.  Will Becky be able to plan the surprise party and keep life under control? 

I love the characters and humor of this book.  With Becky now a mother it gave me new laughs as I’m at the same point in my life.  It was another fun book in the series and I look forward to what comes next.  I also identify with Becky, although my obsession is for the possession of books and not high fashion.

Book Source:  The Kewaunee Public Library

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Title: Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen
Read by: Johanna Ward
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Length: 16.8 hours
Source: MP3 Audio through Wisconsin Public Library Consortium – Overdrive on my Droid

It’s been two hundred years this year since Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park was published.  I decided to celebrate by spending the summer listening to an audiobook version of the book.  I will admit that like many others, Mansfield Park is my least favorite Austen novel.  But as the least favorite Austen novel, it is still an Austen novel and I find it very enjoyable.  I have also learned to appreciate it much more as I get older.

Three beautiful sisters each made a vastly different decision in life.  One married a naval man for love, one married a man with a great estate, and the third married a vicar.  The marriage of love produced many children, but not the means to care for them.  The oldest daughter, Fanny Price, is sent to live with her wealthy Aunt, Lady Bertram at Mansfield Park, as a young girl.  Life is lonely at first, but Fanny soon becomes friends with her cousin Edmund and an invaluable companion to her Aunt Bertram.  Her Aunt Norris tries to make her life uncomfortable, but no one can deny that Fanny is a good and decent person.  Her decency is tried when she grows older and her cousins Maria, Julia, and Tom all engage in bad behavior.  They are egged on by their new neighbors, Henry and Mary Crawford.  To make matters worse, Fanny realizes she loves her cousin Edmund, but that he is infatuated with the vivacious Mary Crawford.  Will true love and decency prevail?

I enjoyed listening to this novel and I love it more each time I listen to or read it.  Each character could be someone that I know today – I especially love Mrs. Norris.  She is so terrible and always thinks she needs to be in everyone else’s business.  I think the problem I (and many other people) have with the novel is the fact that the Crawfords are by far the liveliest and most interesting people in the book.  This is a problem when they are not the hero or heroine.  I will admit that I often wish that Mary and Edmund paired up as well as Henry (before the scandal) and Fanny.  I do enjoy that Fanny has a great hidden love for Edmund and that good prevails . . .yet a small part of me wants the Crawfords to liven up Fanny and Edmund’s lives. 

I really enjoyed this as an audiobook.  It was a fun way to enjoy the novel and livened up my chores.  I love Jane Austen, and Johanna Ward was a pleasant narrator.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

Title: I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Read by:  Jan Maxwell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: 7.5 hour (7 CDs)
Source:  Review Copy from Simon & Schuster – Thanks!

I’ve Got You Under My Skin was the best Mary Higgins Clark that I’ve read / listened to in years.  I’ve been a Mary Higgins Clark fan since I was a teenager and was able to listen to her speak and get an autograph around ten years ago at a Milwaukee Public Library event.  I learned at that event that I can admire authors, but have a hard time thinking of anything to say once it is my turn for an autograph.  I become instantly tongue tied when faced with someone I admire.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin is a riveting mystery that is great for making my long drive to and from work go by swiftly.  The novel starts with the brutal murder of a young doctor in front of his three year old son, Timmy.  The murderer tells young Timmy that his mother is next and then it will be him.  Five years later, Timmy’s mother Laurie is putting together a reality show that features cold cases and a recreation of the events by those involved.  Her first show will be based on the murder of wealthy Betsy Powell the evening of a lavish graduation gala that she held for her daughter Claire and three of Claire’s friends.  The graduates have lived with a cloud of suspicion over them for the last twenty years and all are more than happy to accept money both from the production and Betsy’s husband to have a chance to clear their names.  The story is split between the Betsy Powell mystery and Laurie’s mystery.  I liked how the two stories intertwined and kept me guessing on who the murderers would be and also what they had for motives.

I haven’t read all of Higgins Clark’s novels, but of the ones I have read the past ten years or so, this is my favorite.  The characters were great and the storyline was crisp.  I also like how there is no vulgar language or sex scenes.  It’s also very impressive that Mary Higgins Clark is now 86 years old and still manages to write such great novels.   This mystery was perfect as an audiobook and Jan Maxwell was a wonderful narrator.

Overall, if you are looking for a good mystery on audio, I’ve Got You Under My Skin is an excellent choice that will keep you intrigued.

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold has been on my “to read” list for eighteen years.  I’ll admit that I didn’t hear of this bible of environmental science until I started at Michigan Tech in 1996.  In our Intro class, my friend and future roommate, Corinna, told me all about A Sand County Almanac. Her enthusiasm had me put the book on my “to read” list.  I don’t know why it has taken me so long to read it!  Now I teach environmental science and we talk about Aldo Leopold, which led me to decide over the summer to finally read the entire book.  It did not disappoint.  A Sand County Almanac is a beautifully written love letter to the natural world and all who love it.

Part I is split into monthly writings about nature on Leopold’s sand county farm in central Wisconsin.  He brilliantly discusses the history of the area through the chopping down of tree.  I found it very interesting scientifically, but also because I now live in Wisconsin.  I read parts of this section out loud to my family and they enjoyed it.  It made everyone think.  Part II is the Quality of the Landscape where Leopold talks about the landscape, ecology, and natural history of various parts of the US including Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Southwest.  Part III is Leopold’s musings on various topics, including my favorite, “The Land Ethic.”  

The book included wonderful drawings by Charles W. Schwartz.  They went along perfectly with the readings and enhanced my reading pleasure.  My kids enjoyed flipping through the book and looking at them as well.

Some of my favorite quotes from A Sand County Almanac were:

“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.  These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot.”

“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

I kept the copy from the library to use as a prop for my Intro to Environmental Science class and I think I got a few people interested in reading it.  I need to purchase my own copy!

Overall, an excellent book about nature and conservation – it’s a must read for all!  I wish I wouldn’t have left it on my TBR list for so long.

Book Source:  The Kewaunee Public Library