Book Review: The Perfect Bargain by Jessa McAdams

The Perfect Bargain is a contemporary highland romance by Jessa McAdams. As if being newly single isn't brutal enough, Sloane Chatfield's friends are constantly setting her up. When Sloane insists she's waiting for a certain sexy fictional Highlander to come along, her friends surprise her with a trip to Scotland to find her a new boyfriend. If she can find a Highland hunk to "break her heart" before her friends arrive she might be able to have some peace. Galen Buchanan is struggling to keep the family pub afloat. He is running out of money, and now there's an opinionated American lass parked at his best table, driving him mad. When Sloane asks Galen to be her pretend Highland boyfriend, and offers him enough money to save the pub. It's only for a few days, he figures. What's the worst that could happen?

The Perfect Bargain is a fun romance that take a woman that is more than a little disappointed in her former fiancee, and looking to run from her problems, and her interfering friends for awhile. She has a plan, but when it goes astray her back up plan includes the hunky bar owner with some serious financial issues. Nothing could go wrong, right? I liked that Galen and Sloane bantered back and forth, I love a couple that is comfortable enough with themselves and each other that they can bicker. I also liked that while Sloane is wealthy, she works hard and does not look down on those that do not have things as good as she does, in fact her work is all about charities and helping others. Galen might love the bar, but his reason for running it is more about family and doing what he thinks is right rather than the bar itself. The inclusion of the tiny village, Galen's family, and Sloane's group adds some fun characters and interesting conflicts that occasionally had me cringing or looking away in sympathy for the characters. I think the characters really made the book.

The Perfect Bargain is a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed the characters and their interaction. It was a great weekend read, one that I pretty much inhaled in a day.

Book Review: The Shadows Fianna Trilogy by Megan Chance

The Shadows is the first book in the Fianna Trilogy by Megan Chance. Grace Knox is about to turn seventeen, and the world of Victorian New York society should be opening to her, instead, Grace’s world is closing in. The family business is gone, her brother is drinking and gambling,  her widowed mother cannot cope, her grandmother is slipping into madness, and now Grace is having disturbing dreams of ancient battles. Grace’s only hope is to marry Patrick Devlin and let his fortune save them all. Then Grace meets Diarmid, an Irish stableboy. Being with him means losing everything. But the secrets and mystery surrounding him are too compelling to ignore. Soon Grace is drawn into his world of legend and heroes, magic and prophecy.

The Shadows is the solid start to an intriguing series. I liked the premise and the combination of historical feel and Irish mythology. Grace is a reliable and reasonably pragmatic girl, though she does occasionally get a little romantic minded. She wants happiness and to save her family from destitution, and it seems that Patrick is the best choice to reach both goals. I like that Grace questions motives and feelings rather than just taking everything said at face value. The story becomes more interesting and complicated with the addition of Diarmid and the tasks everyone has ahead of them. There was a lot of build up for the problems and battles ahead, but some resolution and revelations when the book ended as well.

The Shadows captured my imagination and made me interested in reading more Irish mythology and continuing the series. It was a solid foundation for what could turn out to be a great new series.

Megan Chance is the award winning author of several adult novels, including Bone River. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at www.meganchance.com.

Great Books Set in Connecticut; Novels and Non-Fiction in the Nutmeg State

It is always fun to read a book and recognize the landmarks and locations discussed on the pages. Even if the exact locations are not ones I pass by everyday, or even actually exist, often the feel of the state is still strongly felt. This might not be the case for larger states, but we Connecticut residents can often recognize the inspiration of our state in writing. Here are some books that make me smile because of the familiar settings in Connecticut.

In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Repairing the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time by A. E. Hotchner and Paul Newman is a perfect non-management book. The late Paul Newman is a hometown hero for most Connecticut residents. He used his fame and wealth to do as much good as he could. This book gives readers a glimpse into his compassion and style as well the partnership that built Newman's Own, an all natural food company. The book is a fun, playful read that informs and inspires.

The Sleeping Father by Matthew Sharpe is full of acidic humor and tragedy. Sharpe tells the story of a family trying to deal with betrayal and the father's stroke, which was pharmacologically induced. There is fear induced humor and satire in this character driven novel which keeps the sadness and humor of the story perfectly balanced. The story is set in a fictional town in Connecticut.

Summer Light by Luanne Rice illustrates the bonds of family you might expect to be shattered and the joy of finding the person you are meant to be with forever. The story is complete with struggles, tragedy and triumph not just a love story that follow the expected path. Set in a Connecticut shoreline town the book makes a great summer or beach read and captures the atmosphere of New London County perfectly.

The Barbarians Are Coming was the first novel by David Wong Louie. We see the details of family dynamics for a Chinese-American family in Connecticut, particularly the son's struggle to be American and ignore most of his heritage. Instead, he buries himself in his chosen career, denying what connections that could be made through cooking. This is a deeply affecting novel about fathers and sons, and the struggle to be true to yourself and your family or culture.

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy is an unexpected treasure. A story of two women that connect over the phone at just the right moment in their turmoil filled lives leads to the unique opportunity to trade homes for the summer, one in Connecticut and on in Dublin. We see the reality of life, relationships and hope. This is an original and well-crafted tale that entertains and moves the reader.

We'll Meet Again by Mary Higgins Clark is a murder mystery as well as a drama about best friends. One is convicted of murdering her husband and the other is a true crime reporter. A Connecticut socialite is the main character. She is released on parole and spends her free time trying to solve her husband's murder while readjusting to life.

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb is not a light read, not fun or fluffy like most of my favorite and most recommended reads. It is a multi-generational story that is heartbreaking. It is full of family secrets and mental illness and the struggles that come from them. Locations from upstate Connecticut are as much a character of the book as any of the family members.

Explore these fantastic reads and get a little feel for the state of Connecticut, or if you are a fellow resident enjoy the feel of home. Nothing is better than reading a great book, except one that makes you feel at home in its settings.

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is the 5th book in the Kitty Hawk series by Iain Reading. I absolutely love this series, but highly recommend reading it in order. that is more important with this installment than any of the previous books.  The other books could all pass as stand alones, but knowledge of the previous adventures really makes this one.

In this volume our teenage seaplane pilot and amateur detective Kitty Hawk continues her epic flight around the world. After meeting up with an old friend in the eternal city of Rome, Kitty Hawk unexpectedly stumbles (almost literally) into a bizarre mystery involving creepy disembodied voices, secret hidden rooms, unbreakable mathematical codes, ominous chain-smoking strangers and an array of plundered artworks by such famous masters as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. With the help of friends both old and new, Kitty Hawk follows a trail of cryptic clues that leads her on a breathless tour across a quintessentially European landscape, from ancient Roman Italy to the darkest corners of Germany, Austria, and beyond. As with the previous books in the series, this new installment is filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history.

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is fast paced and intriguing mystery. Kitty and Charlie (who we first met in book 1) meet up in Rome and find themselves deeply embroiled in a new mystery. Missing masterpieces are noticed on the walls of a new friend's home. Soon a mysterious radio message, thieves, car and scooter chases, and a grand tour of several European cities keep the characters and the readers on the edge of their seats. I love that readers get to learn bits of history and obscure knowledge as we follow along with Kitty on her adventures. I also liked that this installment had a little less of Kitty talking to herself, and more of her thinking about some of the darker moments of our global history. I also like that readers that get really involved can easily google along and follow up with the resources and information included at the end of the book.

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is another fantastic installment to Kitty's adventures. if you enjoy mysteries, particularly those that teach real history along the way, this is a must read series. Middle grade readers through adult readers can fully enjoy this series and sleuth along with Kitty. I am both eager to see how Kitty's trip will end, and sad to know that it will.

There are currently 5 books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold, Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost, Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue, Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic, and Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces. 

Book Review Recorder and Randsell vol.1 by Meme Higashiya

Recorder and Randsell vol.1 is a graphic novel by Meme Higashiya. Miyagawa Atsumi and her younger brother Atsushi seem like your typical siblings. Atsumi is a high school sophomore dealing with exams, Atsushi is a 5th grader who only wants to run off and play with his friends. School's hard enough as it is, but things are a little harder for these two. Atsumi is so small that she still mistaken for a little kid, while Atsushi is so tall people assume he's a full-grown man. 

Recorder and Randsell is a fun graphic novel that I was able to enjoy. I liked that the siblings were so different from each other, they obviously cared about each other and wanted to fit in to the world around them. Their desire to fit into the world is universal, and I liked that this was shown in both serious and humorous ways as the siblings navigate life. I found the entire work to be charming and entertaining, although I was occasionally confused. I often read a page a couple times to figure out the right reading order, and did not always feel confident in my opinion.  a few pages had me reading right to left, and then trying left to right (the traditional manga format) and was not always satisfied with one or the other consistently.

Recorder and Randsell is a entertaining and charming read. Despite my mild frustration, I still enjoyed the feel, style, and mood of the graphic novel and am interested n exploring it further. 

Book Review: Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, Meg Hunt

Interstellar Cinderella is a picturebook written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Meg Hunt. This steampunk take on Cinderella features a strong young girl that is a mechanic ace. With a little help from her fairy godrobot, Cinderella is going to the ball. When the prince's ship has mechanical trouble, someone will have to zoom to the rescue!

Interstellar Cinderella is a wonderful picturebook. I love that this Cinderella is smart, capable, and strong. Instead of loosing a shoe, this heroine loses her wrench, which the Prince offers to potential brides as a test. to marry him they need to fix something for him to prove that they are the mechanic of his dreams. I really loved, seriously loved, her response to his proposal and the intelligent and independent main character of the story. In fact, after cataloging this book I shared it with every fellow library staff member that would listen and it was quickly checked out for an upcoming storytime.

Interstellar Cinderella is a must read. I cannot overstate my love for this picturebook. Even if you do not have any kids in the house, take a moment and enjoy this wonderful new take on Cinderella.

Book Review: The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold

The Imaginary is a middle grade novel by A.F. Harrold, with illustrations by Emily Gravett. Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup’s imaginary friend. Nobody else can see Rudger, at least until the evil Mr. Bunting arrives at Amanda’s door. Mr. Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumor has it that he even eats them. And now he’s found Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. He needs to find Amanda before Mr. Bunting catches him, and before Amanda forgets him and he fades away to nothing. But how can an unreal boy stand alone in the real world?

The Imaginary is a story that took me a little while to get into, but I think that was because I started it just as i was coming out of a reading slump. Once I really got going in the story I was hook. Rudger is an imaginary friend, and we get to see the majority of the story through his eyes. His friend and creator Amanda is a headstrong and highly creative girl that often fails to think of the bigger picture before she acts. Together they can do just about anything, until Mr. Bunting and his imaginary friend ruin everything. Rudger is lost and along, aided by a cat and other imaginaries as he tries to find his way back to Amanda and protect other imaginary friends from Mr. bunting. the story is heartfelt, exciting, and had me caring about all the characters (even the imaginary ones). The illustrations add a special something to the story, but I am a fan for Gravett's work regardless.

The Imaginary is an enchanting and heart warming read that will speak to readers of all ages. young readers can find themselves in Amanda and the interactions of friends, both real and imaginary. Adults will remember their own childhood, and those of the children in our lives. Everyone can find something of themselves here, and enjoy the combination of dark humor, silly fun, and heartfelt moments that just might have you in tears. A great read, and one I wish I had gotten to sooner.

A.F. Harrold is an English author and poet who writes and performs for adults and children. He is the owner of many books, a handful of hats, a few good ideas, and one beard. He lives in Reading, England with a stand-up comedian and two cats.

Emily Gravett is the author and illustrator of numerous children’s books, including Wolves, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award for Illustration; and Orange Pear Apple Bear, a Quills Award finalist and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Emily lives in Brighton, England, with her partner, their daughter, and the family dog.

Book Review: The Perfect Match by E. D. Baker

The Perfect Match by E. D. Baker is a fun follow-up to The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker.  I would suggest reading the books in order to have the best understanding of where Cory, Blue, and the Tooth Fairy Guild stand. Former tooth-fairy-in training, Cory Feathering, is coming into her skills as a matchmaker more and more each day. But as she hones her skills, she's still doing odd jobs around town in order to help people who need it. One day as she's house-sitting for the Three Bears, Cory runs into the infamous Goldilocks. The girl with blonde locks wants Cory to help set her up on a date, but typical, no one is quite right for her. Then, Cory has a vision of Goldilocks with a prince who lives far away in a castle. The only problem? He's getting married to someone else. Luckily, the prince is a huge fan of Cory's band and wants them to perform at his ceremony, which means there might still be hope for Goldilocks. Will Cory be able to act fast and match everyone with their rightful love before it's too late?

The Perfect Match is a fun and well done sequel. I do not recommend skipping the first book, because knowing how Cory and her friends got where they are, and the complications with the guilds is important. I really love Cory's outlook on life and her willingness to pitch in and do what needs to be done. she cares about others, even those she does not really know. The action and complications in her world ramp up and build through the entire book, with lots of satisfying solutions but a great deal of build up for what will follow in the series. I was a little bothered by just how much of this book was build up for the next, but the complications of Goldilocks, the water nymphs, and so on keep the story moving along and very interesting. It was well worth reading, I just wish I had the next book already so that I could find out what happens next.

The Perfect Match is a solid read. If you enjoyed the first book in the series, and Baker's work in general, you will enjoy it. I will say that if you are someone that hates carried over plot lines and complications, you might want to wait until the entire series is published and commit to a weekend (or more) of binge reading.

E. D. Baker is the author of the Tales of the Frog Princess series, The Wide-Awake Princess series, and many other delightful books for young readers, including The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker, A Question of Magic, Fairy Wings, and Fairy Lies. The Frog Princess was the inspiration for Disney’s hit movie The Princess and the Frog. She lives with her family and their many animals in Churchville, Maryland.

Magical Realism as a Genre; What is it and What to Read?

Magical Realism is a fiction genre that goes against the accepted principles of our reality. Things that are commonly accepted as hard facts, like gravity and the flow of time, are contradicted in typical everyday situations. However, do not mistake mystical realism for fantasy or science fiction. In this genre the strange moments are accepted at normal in the world the author has created. Things we might think amazing like a robot strolling down the street or a hail of shoes from the sky are surprisingly credible in the context of the story being told.

Magical realism typically starts off with setting up the reality of the world. Then the story can take on a dream like feel or work with in alternate realities. The story often gives pictures or situations that are simply beautiful (or horrifying) but ultimately not possible in the logic of our reality. Magical realism blends extra ordinary events with everyday lives and people. To get a more vivid understanding of the genre consider tales like Pinocchio where the feat of a puppet becoming a real boy does not seem so impossible. So what should adults interested in exploring this genre start?

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is a perfect example of the genre. The readers are drawn into the everyday lives of a family in turn of the century Mexico. The family relationships and cooking are the grounding forces to keep the story in reality. However, there is magic at work when Tita's food allows those that eat it to feel her emotions and act with her passions. The combination of Tita's desire not to be her mother's server and unmarried for the rest of her life is expected and real to readers, while the magic in her cooking seems mystical it is handled it a way that makes it part of her life rather than an intrusion of fantasy. Beyond being an example of magical realism this is also a fantastic work of fiction and contains recipes to enjoy. I highly recommend the book to everyone.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is another prime example of magical realism. This novel is the history of both the Buendia family and where they live. The story begins with Jose Arcadio Buendia committing murder then follows the perpetrator as he struggles with his obsessions and guilt. The family and city develop with seemingly endless crises, moving in a cyclical pattern rather than moving in a forward direction lost amid shared dreams. The same mistakes and tragedies seem to repeat themselves until the inevitable fate prescribed for the family finally comes to pass. While this might sound fatalistic and depressing, the novel is in fact a compassionate story well worth exploring.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende is another magical realism novel that follows a family. This story follows a family through four generations in an alternate reality that mirrors the political and social events of reality in twentieth century Chile. Here the magical element comes from some of the characters exhibiting psychic abilities. This blend of fiction, magic and some biographical family history from the author combine to create a uniquely satisfying read.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie is a book about a transfer of political power with shades of mythology, faith and folk stories. The story follows Saleem Sinal, who is born in August of 1947 at the exact moment India became independent. His life follows a path that parallels that of his nation, complete with danger, poverty, chaos and greed. The magical element of this story lies in the abilities of all the children that share the moment of birth with Saleem. They each have a heightened sense, and our main character's ability is to literally smell change coming. While the story is not an easy read, the ideas and the history lesson included in the work make it well worth making the effort to finish.

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado is not for the faint of heart. In the example of magical realism we see a women lose her roguish husband when he dies while celebrating at a carnival to excess. She then marries a stable, bland pharmacist that is the ideal husband. However, she misses some sides of her deceased husband and somehow manages to call him back from the dead. She gets to have the best of both her husbands through mystical means. Ghostly hijinks and sexual situations are prevalent in this story.

Other authors you might want to explore in this genre include Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, Italo Calvino, Pete Hamill, and Alice Hoffman.

Book Review: The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star by Jill Murphy is a middle grade book and the seventh book in the series. I had not read the previous books, and while I would have had a better understanding of each character and how they relate to each other, I was perfectly able to enjoy the story regardless.

Mildred Hubble may be the clumsiest witch at Miss Cackle’s Academy, but as a senior student she has been assigned the important task of lighting lanterns and candelabras each evening. Inspired by this responsibility, Mildred tries to stay out of trouble. But there are many opportunities for mayhem when a wish on a star leads to a lovable stray pup who, unlike Mildred’s timid tabby, loves to fly on a broomstick. Can Mildred keep Star a secret and avoid setting fire to the school despite an impending talent competition, the disapproving Miss Hardbroom, and her ever-spiteful classmate Ethel Hallow?

The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star made me smile as I read. Mildred tries her best to be herself, and a good witch. She champions the animals and fellow students that are as awkward or that might feel as much of a misfit as she does. she does not mean to cause any problems, but opportunities to help others and her attempts to stay out of trouble tend to bring even more trouble her way. When she is given the task of lighting and extinguishing candles every day Mildred works very hard and does a great job. In the process she also happens to find a stray dog that she just needs to take care of. In the process she trains the dog to do wonderful things. I really liked that all her efforts to do the right thing, regardless of the rules, turns out to be the thing that saves the day.

The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star is a charming book for every reader that has ever felt left out or behind. Anyone that has felt clumsy or different can see a bit of themselves in Mildred, I know I saw some of myself. This is a fun and charming read that has me thinking I should go back and read the earlier books ion the series.