Saturday, a Day to Catch Up...

Omigod! It's been 3 days since I last posted here. Did you miss me? 

My sideburns in a few more days

Let's start with some initial comments / observations. Yesterday and this morning we had snow. Now nothing that lasted, but it was sort of weird to see it. Today it was snowing when I came downstairs at around 0900, then switched to a misty drizzle and now it's sort of sunny. I've had a few conversations with friends at Goodreads and most of seem to be having difficulty keeping track of the day of the week. I don't follow a schedule at the best of times, now that I'm retired but it does seem to have become more difficult now that we're going out only once or twice a week. I'm relying on garbage day and the TV schedule to keep track but what in the world will I do when the recent season finishes!!! Oh yes, the longer we remain indoors, my hair is getting shaggier (not on top of course) but I expect that in another couple of weeks I'll have Isaac Asimov sideburns and a ponytail. 😜

So let's see, how about a book update and another look at the Science Fiction novel. I've finished my first book of April, most enjoyable too. Two books arrived in the mail on Friday, relieved proof that the mail is still coming. I'll update those books for you.

New Books

1. The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton (Lara McClintoch Archeological mystery #1). I've read a few of this series already but I've finally managed to get a copy of the 1st book in this series by Canadian author, Lyn Hamilton.

"Lara McClintoch, her marriage ended and her antiques business sold, eagerly embarks on a trip to Mexico to help an old friend solve a mystery. On arrival, her friend puts off their meeting and then disappears. After Lara witnesses a brazen robbery of a valuable statue of the ancient Mayan civilization and stumbles on a corpse in a museum of antiquities, she becomes a police suspect. Afraid of the police and unsure whom to trust, Lara follows clues pointing to black marketeers and zealous revolutionaries. This dangerous trail takes her to remote archaeological ruins, lush jungles, and bustling streets filled with revelers. Lara engages in a thrilling battle of wits and courage to unmask a killer and stop a tomb-robber in the shadowy world of Xibalba, the Lords of Death."

2. Flashpoint by Lynn S. Hightower (Sonora Blair #1). Hightower is another whose books I've read before and enjoyed very much. Like Hamilton, I've had some difficulty finding the first books in both her Sonora Blair and Lena Padget series, until recently that is.








"A single mother of two children and a police specialist with the Cincinnati Homicide Division, Sonora Blair is still awake in the middle of the night when the call comes in. Mark Daniels has been found in Mount Airy Forest handcuffed to the steering wheel of his car, doused with accelerant, and set on fire. As the hideously burned college student lies dying in the ER, he describes his killer: blond, female, and a total stranger. But Mark may not have been the intended victim.

Evidence points to a sexual fixation on his older brother, Keaton, a teacher currently separated from his wife. Then the murderer—who has been dubbed "Flash" by the media—calls Sonora one night, taunting and mocking her. As the investigation heats up, the harassment continues. The female psychopath knows intimate details about Sonora's family and her past. As the criminal's monstrous plan becomes chillingly apparent, Sonora must risk everything to corner a cunning killer."

Just Finished

1. The Devil You Know by Mike Carey (Felix Castor #1). I enjoyed this book very much.










"The Devil You Know is the first book in the fantasy / mystery series featuring exorcist, Felix Castor, by English author, Mike Carey. Think of Jim Butcher's Dresden books if you want an idea of the style of this story.

Castor is an exorcist who lives in a dystopic London, where ghosts abound and other supernatural creatures. It's not quite the same as Dresden's Chicago but there are intimations and similarities. Castor has kind of retired from the exorcism business after his last case resulted in his best friend being possessed by a demon. Rafi is now in an insane asylum, possessed by Asmodeus. Castor lives with the third member of their friendship, witch Pen. We don't find out a great deal about Pen, except she is a loyal, good friend and I hope plays a bigger role in the next stories. (mind you, she does play a significant part in one portion of this story)

Castor is brought out of retirement to exorcise a ghost making appearances at the Bonnington, a London museum. He finds himself delving more into the ghost's reason for being, why she is haunting this particular place, how she died, etc. His investigation will bring him up against many foes, a local pimp / owner of strip clubs, Loup garous, another exorcist and even fighting for his life against a succubus called up from Hell.

It's an excellent story, tense, action-filled and with interesting exploration of the supernatural. Castor is a gritty, intelligent, imaginative character. The story isn't perfect. Characters appeared with little back story and sometimes left me wondering if I'd missed something. But that was a minor complaint as overall I enjoyed the story and characters very much. I found it difficult to put the book down and at the end which was very satisfying, there were sufficient teasers to make me look forward to the 2nd book. I'm glad to have discovered this series. (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Satan's Lambs by Lynn S. Hightower (Lena Padget #1). This is the first book in Hightower's other mystery series.

"After her brother-in-law kills her sister and her nephew, Lena becomes a PI and advocate for abused women and children whom the police and the legal system neglect. Hired to find a missing child who has been kidnapped by a brutal cult, Lena races against time to save the child's life."

The Science Fiction Novel - Newbies Pt 3 / Young Adult Pt 3
I'll look at two authors in this segment, both newbies to me.

Veronica Roth

1. Veronica Roth (Divergent). Roth is an American author, born in New York City in 1988. (Ed Note. Now some of these authors are younger than my daughter.. lol) She is best known for her Divergent trilogy, written from 2011 - 2013. She has also written other series, but I'm focusing on this one. The first two books in the series made it to the big screen. The last one was scrapped as a movie and was supposed to be turned into a TV series. This hasn't happened yet. I currently have the first book on my shelf and will read this year, I hope.

a. Divergent (2011).











"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her."

Veronica Roth's complete catalogue can be found at this link.

Melissa de la Cruz

2. Melissa de la Cruz (Witches of East End). Melissa de la Cruz was born in Manila, Philippines in 1971. She immigrated to the US at the age of 13 with her family. Her first novel, Cat's Meow, was published in 2004. Since then she has been a prolific writer. I am focused her on her series featuring a family of witches, the Beauchamp Family. My wife and I quite enjoyed the TV series based on the books. I've since found the first book in this series, the Witches of East End (2011).

a. Witches of East End (2011).











"The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them."

You can check out all of Melissa de la Cruz's work at this link.

There you go folks. I hope you are having a great weekend.