{Review} Zaremba: or Love and the Rule of Law by Michelle Granas

ISBN #: 978-0988859203

Page Count: 518

Copyright: January 28, 2013

Publisher: Michelle Granas; 1st Edition

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

In Warsaw, a shy and high-minded polio victim lives a live of seclusion caring for her odd family until a chance encounter plunges her into the intrigues of dirty politics. Zaremba, a wealthy businessman, is about to be arrested on trumped-up charges and only she can save him. Swept along by events, Cordelia finds her feelings increasingly involved with a stranger for whom she is both rescuer and victim. When Zaremba is implicated in terrorist activities and disappears, Cordelia is painfully uncertain if she has been abandoned and must overcome surveillance, corruption, the media, and mounting humiliations and difficulties to learn the truth.

This is a story about love between a man and woman, but also love of family, country, and justice. Although set in Poland, where the CIA had a black site, it is a story that could happen anywhere, in a world where young democracies struggle against the temptations of covert operations and older democracies sometimes lead them astray.

Kathy's Review:

This is a rather lengthy novel which depicts a series of life-changing random encounters between Cordelia and Darek Zaremba. A strong woman who has to overcome a physical disability in order to care for her eccentric and mentally ill family, Cordelia gets caught up in a plot to implicate Zaremba in criminal activity. As she gets to know him, she realizes he could never be capable of what he's being accused, and sets out to find the truth.

I was much more interested in the romance between these two unlikely characters than I was about the politics that was going on in the novel. Maybe it's because it takes place in Poland, so it didn't quite hit home with me. I also liked her odd family, and how she really held things together.

While the characters were intriguing, and the plot was nicely done, I didn't feel this book merited being 500+ pages long. With some careful editing, I think this story could have been told in about 300, or perhaps less. Its length is daunting, and it's not gripping enough for the average reader to invest the amount of time it takes to read a novel of this size. However, I commend the author for this imaginative political thriller/love story.


*A physical copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Meme} Book Blogger Hop

Oh my goodness! Can you believe it's already September?!!! Christmas will be here before you know it! So, anyway, welcome to the first installment of September's Book Blogger Hop, kept alive by Billy from Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

This week's question:

What got you started as a blogger? Everyone has a story/reason, what's yours?

Kathy's Response:

I felt that blogging was a perfect way to share my writing style with a large amount of people. I had majored in journalism in college, but did not pursue a career in that field. I missed having an outlet to write, and blogging filled that gap perfectly.

Mandy's Response:

I don't have a story like Kathy's. I started blogging because I wanted a place to write down my thoughts that didn't require pen and paper. Then, when that didn't pan out, I started a new blog. A blog about books. The rest, as they say, is history.

{Review} Lions of Scotland: Lords of Hume Castle by Thomas E. Greenlaw

ISBN #: 978-1475155815

Page Count: 712

Copyright: May 2, 2013

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Since the beginning of recorded history few people have fought longer and harder for their freedom and independence than the inhabitants of the diminutive nation of Scotland. From their earliest history they fought; Scots with the Picts; Scots with the Romans; and Scots with the English.

Though outnumbered ten to one, for three centuries they fought against the English enduring many massacres, including King Edward I's annihilation, in 1296 A.D., of all the men, women and children of the town of Berwick, then held by Scotland.

By the start of the sixteenth century, the Cheviot Hills provided a clear line between the two countries, a line repeatedly crossed by raiders (reivers) on both sides, and many a skirmish escalated to a bloody battle. This relentless fighting continued until the Union of the Crowns, in 1603.

Scottish ability to resisted their numerically superior enemy was enabled by the powerful families of the Borderland, like the Scotts, the Kerrs and especially the family of Humes led by the Lords of Hume Castle.

This is the story of the Humes' interminable struggle; their victories and defeats, their loves and hates; their joy and despair during a bitter time of indecisive rulers, a decadent Catholic Church, witchcraft and unthinkable treason, treachery and murder.

Mandy's Review:

I've never heard of the Humes before reading this novel. Their story, while historically accurate concerning dates and who was reigning, is depicted fictionally in Lions of Scotland. Despite its length, the Humes' story was very engaging and easy to read.

There were a couple things that could have been changed to take this book from good to great. The first is the dialect. The Humes were a Scottish clan. I would have loved to see the Scottish dialect depicted in this novel. Even though it can be a little difficult to read and understand, it would have lent an authenticity to the Humes' story. As it stands, the book changes back and forth between the Scottish dialect and the English dialect, which can be slightly confusing when you're really into the story and the dialect changes all of a sudden. The second change is the length of the novel. Not many people are willing to read a novel that is over 700 pages. It's a little intimidating. Perhaps if the novel were split into two books it would have greater success. Part One would be the perfect amount for the first book leaving Part Two as the second book. That would make the Humes' story much more manageable to consume. I think an editor could easily make these corrections.

If you're looking for a novel that makes history come alive, Lions of Scotland is for you. With all of the battles, intrigues, complicated love stories, and deceits, this novel is sure to appeal to many people.

*A physical copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} What Maisie Knew by Henry James

ISBN #: 978-0143124634

Page Count: 320

Copyright: May 1, 2013

Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint Edition

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

After her parents' bitter divorce, young Maisie finds herself shuttled between her selfish mother Ida and her vain father Beale Farange, who value her only as a means for provoking each other. When both take lovers and remarry, Maisie - solitary, observant, and wise beyond her years - is drawn into an entangled adult world of intrigue and sexual betrayal, until she is at last able to cooperate in choosing her own future.

A subtle yet devastating tale of a crumbling relationship told from a child's-eye view, What Maisie Knew remains as relevant and vital today as it was when first published more than one hundred years ago.

Mandy's Review:

Divorce is difficult on the children involved, especially when the parents use the child(ren) as leverage in their disputes. Maisie is used by her parents. She'll live for a time with one parent becoming familiar with her routines and hearing all of the secrets being discussed. Then, when the parent Maisie is currently living with wants to irritate the other parent, they take Maisie to the other parent's residence. Nothing satisfies Maisie's parents more than to "dump" Maisie on one another knowing that it causes a disruption to their lives. Poor Maisie doesn't seem to have a loving parent to save her life. Throughout the entire story, Maisie is tossed back and forth between the two families. Nobody really seems to love Maisie, they only seem to love how she can be used.

I think I've realized that literary classics are not for me. It takes me a few chapters to even get involved in the story. By then, I'm able to look past the language and see the story for what it is. What Maisie Knew kept my interest for the first half of the book, but then the writing style overshadowed the story it was supposed to be telling. I struggled through the rest of the book. Just because it's not for me, though, I think that lovers of literary classics should give this story a try ... especially since there is a movie being made (has been made?) about it.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** This is #792 on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list.

{Review} Welcome Home, Mama and Boris by Carey Neesley

ISBN #: 978-1621451150

Page Count: 224

Copyright: August 29, 2013

Publisher: Readers Digest

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

A fallen soldier, a grieving sister, two strays, and one question: How to extract the dogs from a war zone and bring them safely to a new home in the United States?

Part memoir, part suspense story, Welcome Home, Mama and Boris draws readers into the turmoil of a sister struggling to accept her brother's death and finding solace in rescuing the animals he had befriended on the streets of Baghdad. Saints and saviors emerge one by one, and as the operation gains momentum, Carey feels Peter's guiding hand behind it all and comes to believe that angels truly live here on earth.

Mandy's Review:

I'm a sucker for dogs. They are my favorite animal of all-time ... so how I wound up with cats as pets, I'll never understand. Combine dogs with an American hero and you have a book that I couldn't resist.

Peter and Carey were close growing up, so close they felt like twins. When Carey became a single mom, it was Peter who stepped in and became a father to Patrick. When Peter decided to enlist in the Army, Carey was understandably upset but she made up her mind to be as supportive to Peter as he had been to her and Patrick. During his tours, Carey would send care packages and letters to Peter but what really helped Carey keep her sanity were the weekly phone calls on Sunday. It's during those phone calls that Peter tells her about the dogs that he's befriended. Over time, the dogs become Peter's pets and he discusses with Carey how to get them from Baghdad to America when his tour is over.

Then, on Christmas Day, Carey receives the worst news possible: Peter has died, not in battle but, ironically, in his sleep. It's during the planning and preparation of Peter's funeral that Carey remembers the dogs, Mama and Boris. Through some intricate planning and the help of strangers, Mama and Boris finally make it home to Michigan. Their success inspires Carey to help other soldiers and their families with the same dilemma.

Welcome Home, Mama and Boris is a heartwarming, touching story, but it did make me wonder ... There are so many other soldiers' families who are going through the same thing, if not more, and yet their story hasn't been told. Was Carey and Peter's story told because they had national media coverage while trying to get Mama and Boris to America? Nothing against Carey, Peter, Mama, and Boris, but I want to know the other soldiers' stories. I want to know about the soldiers and their families that the majority of America doesn't already know about. I did appreciate the websites listed for the organizations that helped Carey bring the dogs back. Perhaps this is the beginning of our being able to hear about all of the other military family stories. I hope so.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the publicist in exchange for an honest review.