Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

Historical Fiction

While the story was entertaining, this is a far cry from the historical fiction genre.  Yes, it takes place during the Civil War and yes, it is fiction.  But the story is not based on a historical figure, there was never an asylum on Sanibel Island - I've been there, I know ;-), there weren't references to any actual battles in the Civil War.  So while some of the plot points may have occurred during the Civil War era, Hepinstall didn't refer to any specific battle, location or figure - everything was very generalized.

Beyond the misclassification of genre, I did enjoy the story.  There was some suspense, not quite thriller, but intrigue; quirky characters (it is an insane asylum!), romance and drama.

Quote:  "...it was like going back in time, back in the days he rehearsed what to say to her, back when her beauty moved him so, it was not possible to imagine a future in which he did not worship her completely.  That was the folly of youth, to believe someday they would grow old but still love with their younger hearts"

Series
 
           O Jerusalem.  
5th in Laurie King's series with Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell.
As usual Ms. King makes you feel like you are with the characters. In this book we are in the dry, hot , dusty, and slow moving desert!!  Sometimes a little too slow, but we are in the desert and nothing moves very fast there and as always a murder to be solved. It wouldn't be Sherlock Holmes without one.
 

RESCUE INK with Dennis Flaim

New Author

What a fantastic group of guys (well, except one, Johnny O was convicted this year of felony grand larceny for stealing more than $15,000 from Rescue Ink - such a shame.)!  This was a fast read, that was funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once.  I know this will be one worthy non-profit I will be donating to this year!

Quotes:  "The biggest problem...is how disconnected we are as a society... 'We are so willing to rat and tattle anonymously, because we can hide behind computers and cell phones.  Where is the compassion that our grandparents had?'"

"Think what you will of them, these guys are proof that a fresh start is possible for anyone, that redemption is attainable.  Even if you have a rap sheet, even if you've got a past that needs a fair share of redacting before its' ready for prime time, you can re-create yourself."

Justice Hall by Laurie R. King

Series

Sixth in the Russell/Holmes series and this one was a faster pace that the previous book (they had cars!). I enjoyed the repeat characters in a totally different setting and of course Ms. King's subtle sense of humor.

The Edge of Normal

ARC Review

It's been a long time since I've stayed up to the wee hours to finish a book!!  While it started slow for me, it gained momentum and certainly ended with a bang!  What a horribly evil antagonist!! The alternating chapters between the antagonist and protagonist kept the story flowing to the climatic ending.  Looking forward to more by Ms. Norton!

Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

Guilty Pleasure

Fourth in the deeply disturbing and diabolically delightful series of Dexter the serial killer.  Always a fun read following Dexter and his Dark Passenger who always has aliases (Luke Darkwalker).  In this latest episode Dexter is now married and after the series of books I've read with cheating spouses it was refreshing to read about a faithful husband - so he kills people...they can't be perfect!
Looking forward to the next chapter in Dexter's demented life!

"A" author

Story about love and loss.  Meg's only child is killed by a drunk driver, a long ago friend of Meg's.   Meg and her husband leave their hometown and live on a boat while their hearts and lives try to heal.  We learn of many issues that make healing difficult.   Very heartwarming story, well written. 

Guilty Pleasure


This was a typical James Patterson.  Dead bodies, corruption, and Alex Cross in the middle of all of it.  Set in Washington DC with a serial killer on the loose and of course drama at the Cross household.
 A good thriller as always.

Brick Lane by Monica Ali

"A" Author

I really wanted to like this book, but the entire time I was reading it I just kept thinking that there were so many other books I would rather be reading!  I never connected to any of the characters and the story itself dragged.  I drove through the mundane simply to say I finished the book.  In the attempt to find something worthwhile, I've posted a couple quotes from the book.

QUOTE #1:  "I have given him victory...She felt it a momentous thing.  By raising her hand, or not raising it, she could alter the course of events of affairs in the world of which she knew nothing." (as most voters today, eh?)

QUOTE #2: "Sometimes I look back and I am shocked.  Every day of my life I have prepared for success, worked for it, waited for it, and you don't notice how the days pass until nearly a lifetime has finished.  Then it hits you - the thing you have been waiting for has already gone by.  And it was going  in the other direction.  It's like I've been waiting on the wrong side of the road for bus that was already full."

QUOTE #3: "'...there are two kinds of love.  The kind that starts off big and slowly wears away, that seems you can never use it up and then one day is finished.  And the kind that you don't notice at first, but which adds a little bit to itself every day, like an oyster makes a pearl, grain by grain, a jewel from the sand...All the little irritations...Who would think they could add up to anything?'"

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

Guilty Pleasure

A love story, but in the hands of Jodi - not a typical love story.  Though, this one was a bit more bawdy than Jodi usually is (not Fifty Shades of Grey, but maybe Five Shades?).  Like most Jodi stories, you never want to say too much and give anything away.  The characters are real and likable (or not so likable) and the emotions are complex.  Enough said.

Quote #1:  "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage.  It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty.  Someone falls in love first.  Someone puts someone else up on a pedestal.  Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride"

Quote #2:  "She had read another statistic that said women use twice as many words in the course of a day as men do, and she wondered if this was because women were garrulous by nature  or because it took twice as long to make men understand what was being said."

Vacation Read

A sweet read!!  Josie is a 27 year old adult who lives with her domineering mother trying to atone for her less than sweet behavior as a child.  Throughout the story she meets interesting characters like Chloe who has books magically appear when they think she needs them.  My books have often chosen me; has that ever happened to you?

Vacation Read

Kate's daughter's death is ruled a suicide, but is it really??  Kate is a very busy single mom and is doing the best she can, but with today's technology can parents really protect their children from all of the dangers out there.  Heartbreaking to think that what happened to Amelia could be possible.  Kudos to today's parents that face the immense challenges of the 21st Century.

Vacation Read

Troy Chance sees what she thinks is a small child being thrown from a passing ferry.  She makes a snap decision to dive in and save the child. What I thought was going to be a relay race of a suspenseful book ended up being more of a leisurely back stroke.  Still an okay book, and I am looking forward to the sequel which is getting splashing reviews!

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

Vacation Read

I really enjoyed this book!!  It was a good combination of mystery and romance that was suspenseful without gore and romantic without swooning. A bit of a game of clue with all the suspects confined to an old Scottish castle!  Toss in a bit of historical facts about medical cadavers, jigsaw puzzles and oil painting and I learned something all the while I was being entertained.  Looking forward to the next one in the series, due out this September!!

Quote:  "We all must deal with our shadows the best we can. No one can conquer them for us."

The White Road by John Connolly

Vacation Read

Fourth in the Charlie Parker series that we read simultaneously while on vacation.  Gruesome as Connolly always is (which doesn't prevent us from reading on), the forces of good and evil continue to battle.  Though the reader never knows until the bitter end which of these forces will win!  Laced with historical facts about South Carolina and racism, Connolly delivered on wrapping up a complex plot and surprising us again with the depth of his writing.