Just Finished
"4th of July is the 4th book in the Women's Murder Club mystery series (do you see the clue that tells you it's the 4th?.. ;0)) by James Patterson ably assisted by Maxine Paetro. For some reason it's been sitting on my bookshelf gathering dust for 10+ years. I'm glad I finally dusted it off because it was entertaining, action-packed and full of tension.
Lt Lindsay Boxer of SF Police Department is relaxing on a Friday evening with her best friends, Claire (SF Coroner) and Cindy a SF news reporter, when one of her detectives calls her asking for assistance. Lindsay has had a few drinks but knows she's still capable of doing her job so she meets her ex-partner Jacob outside of the restaurant and they head to San Fran's Tenderloin district. There have been murders in the area and a suspect car is now outside of a hotel. When the two show up, the driver of the car leads them in a high speed chase and crashes into a pole. When Lindsay and Jacob approach the car they realize that the driver and passenger are teenagers, so they put away their pistols and provide assistance. But the whole things turns ugly with the two teenagers shooting both Lindsay and Jacob and Lindsay, badly wounded, firing back, killing the girl and severely wounding her younger brother.
Although cleared by the PD of acting improperly the family of the two teenagers files a lawsuit against Lindsay and the City. Lindsay is put on administrative leave pending the trial and she goes to her sister's home down the coast for recuperation. While there she becomes involved in a series of murders that might be related to a cold case of hers from 10 years previously. Reluctantly, the local police chief accepts her assistance.
So you have two ongoing activities; Lindsay's trial which means she is obliged to return to Frisco regularly and also the murders in the other town. We get to meet a new member of the Murder Club, Yuki, the young attorney who becomes Lindsay's lawyer. It's a very exciting story; we meet the murderers as they stalk and kill new victims; there are many suspects and also new friends; and of course, Lindsay must deal with her trial, public anger and her own guilty feelings.
Patterson has a unique writing style, each chapter is very short, often only two or three pages. While this can be irritating, it's a skillful technique, as when you know there are only two pages in the next chapter it keeps you checking out and suddenly you are at the end. Cheeky, eh! Patterson and Paetro weave an intriguing mystery and thriller that keeps you turning pages to see what will happen next. Lindsay is an excellent protagonist and I love her dog and her friends. All in all, while it wasn't a deep story, it was still entertaining and fun to read. I do have #5 on my bookshelf, maybe I'll read it a bit quicker. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Two husbands and a funeral!
The morning of Agatha's marriage to James Lacey dawns bright and clear. But the storm clouds of the day before would have been more appropriate when Agatha's first husband, Jimmy Raisin, turns up at the church just in time to keep her from committing bigamy. The ensuing uproar - Agatha tries to strangle Jimmy, whom she had thought long-dead anyway - embarrasses James, who breaks the engagement.
When Jimmy is found murdered the next morning, Agatha is the perfect suspect. Since the easiest way to clear her name is to find the real murderer, Agatha convinces James to help her investigate. But will their subsequent close proximity - which has them, ironically, pretending to be man and wife - be enough to win James second time around?"
The Science Fiction Novel - Young Adult
As I've worked through my Goodreads' bookshelves, I've bypassed a couple of authors. They write young adult Fantasy series and I felt that this didn't fit my script. But as I thought more about it seemed that it was important to include these authors / series in my look at the Science Fiction novel. It is series like these and so many others that draw in young readers and I believe make them try out more adult series. I think of the Tom Swift series that was out in the 60s. I won't mention it as I haven't read it but if you are interested in science fiction books for youngsters, check out this link to the Tom Swift Jr series.
For this post, I'll look at three series. Two fit more into the Fantasy category and I would classify the third as steampunk or alternate history. So let's take a look.
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| Susan Cooper |
I have so far read the first book in this series and have the next sitting on my bookshelf and will get to it this year I am sure.
"What an excellent story! Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book in English author Susan Cooper's young adult The Dark is Rising fantasy series of 5 books. People of a certain age might remember those 60's TV shows featuring precocious kids involved in all sorts of adventures. Well, this is a reminder of those excellent shows.
Three young kids, Simon, Jane and Barnie Drew go on a summer vacation with their parents and Great Uncle Merry (or as they call him gumerry) to the Cornwall coast. Their parents have rented a house, the Grey House, from an old sailor and gumerry is staying with them.
What these three great kids don't know is that they will become involved in a search with their Great Uncle for the Grail of King Arthur. And this search will be contested by forces of the dark who also want the Grail for their own reasons. The kids find a secret room in their rental house and find a old map, which will guide them in their search. It's a dangerous search and they don't know who their enemies are and Merry isn't always about to help them. Of course they do have the sailor's dog, Rufus, faithful and with strange insights.
The story moves along at a nice clip and we get exposed to the kids' ingenuity, intelligence and bravery as the search for clues to guide them to the Grail. Their parents play very little role in this entertaining story, leaving the children free to wander about the area, deal with the 'bad guys' and have fun and adventure.
This was a completely entertaining story, lovely kids, interesting locale and lots of action. I can't wait to try the next installment, which currently resides on my bookshelves. (4.5 stars)"
"'When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back, three from the circle, three from the track; wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; five will return, and one go alone.'
With these mysterious words, Will Stanton discovers on his 11th birthday that he is no mere boy. He is the Sign-Seeker, last of the immortal Old Ones, destined to battle the powers of evil that trouble the land. His task is monumental: he must find and guard the six great Signs of the Light, which, when joined, will create a force strong enough to match and perhaps overcome that of the Dark. Embarking on this endeavor is dangerous as well as deeply rewarding; Will must work within a continuum of time and space much broader than he ever imagined."
The remaining books in the series are -
- Greenwitch (1974)
- The Grey King (1975)
- Silver on the Tree (1977)
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| Michael de Larrabeiti |
"I read this book back in the mid-'80s and remember enjoying very much. I wanted to read again as I've ordered the third book in this series and wanted to refresh my memories. Basically an adventure where a group of Borribles (edgier Borrowers) are tasked to take a trip into Rumble (furry ratlike creatures) territory to cause much havoc and prevent a Rumble invasion into Borrible territory. The story is set in London and an adventure like this will grant the tasked Borribles a name. The eight will be given the names of the eight Rumble leaders they kill in their adventure. On the way, they encounter plotting Borribles who want the treasure that will be acquired, Borrower kidnappers, who like to use Borribles for their dirty deeds and of course, the Rumble kingdom. A fast-paced adventure that is easy to read. It's not necessarily a child-friendly adventure, but good for teens and adults. The Borribles is an interesting adventure and worth giving a try. Not as good as my memories but still entertaining. (4 stars)"
"What is a Borrible?
Borribles are runaways who dwell in the shadows of London. Apart from their pointed ears, they look just like ordinary children. They live by their wits and a few Borrible laws—the chief one being, Don’t Get Caught! The Borribles are outcasts—but they wouldn’t have it any other way….
The Borribles Go For Broke
On the Great Rumble Hunt, Chalotte, a Borrible from Whitechapel, very nearly lost her life—and good friends had been left for dead—all because of the Rumble Treasure Chest. To Chalotte the treasure was evil and she had sworn never to go on another adventure. But when Chalotte and the other survivors discover that Sam the horse is in danger they know they have no choice—Borribles always help their friends. Their attempts to rescue Sam lead them into the second Great Borrible Adventure!" (4 stars)
"The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis by Michael de Larrabeiti is the third and final book in the Borrible trilogy. I'd read the first two many years ago and, at the time, didn't realize there was a third book. I found it just last year and after rereading the first book, decided to give this one a try.
Borribles are children who never grow up; distinguished by their pointed ears. They live in the shadows, surviving by nicking food and goods for their homes. This third book continues the journey of the Adventurers, 10 Borribles we meet in the first book, who were involved in the Great Rumble Hunt. The group are chased by the London Police, a special group, the SBG, led by the nasty Sussworth and his assistant Hanks.
The Adventurers are trying to avoid them and also to get a horse, who helped them in their adventures, to a place of safety so he can live his final years in peace. Sussworth's plans for Sam, the horse, are to catch him and take him to the slaughterhouse. He also wants to catch the Borribles and have their ears snipped; this makes them forget about Borrible life and also grow up. The story follows the Adventurers all across London; we meet further enemies and also new friends, other groups of Borribles. It's not necessarily a light and fluffy fantasy; you'll find it very gritty at times. A sad and also happy ending to the trilogy. Glad I found it. (3 stars)"
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| Scott Westerfield |
"This was a fascinating story, that I bought by pure luck. I saw it on the shelf of my local used book store, the cover looked interesting and so did the plot summary. It's set at the beginning of WWI. One of the main protagonists is young Alek, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose parents have just been murdered in Serbia by German/ Austrian factions trying to instigate WWI. The other is a young British girl, Deryn Sharp, who disguises herself as a boy to join the British air force, so she can become a midshipman. By chance she finds herself on one of many Darwinist creations, the leviathan, a creature manipulated by pulling various animal gene lines, and creating a zeppelin type machine. If I forgot to mention it, this story is an alternate history, or as mentioned by the author, steampunk. The whole concept is fascinating, the development of the story well-crafted. I liked both of the main characters, Deryn and Alek, as well as the supporting cast; Alek's faithful friends who help him escape German assassins and also the British boffin, Nora Barlow and her Tasmanian tiger, Tazz. Even the illustrations in the book, at least in this particular edition, were excellent. All around an excellent story. Of course, there are two further books, to carry on the adventure. I will be getting them. Highly recommended! (4 stars)"
"What an entertaining interesting story. A young adult alternate reality; this is the sequel to Leviathan and the 2nd book in the trilogy. Westerfield had created a fascinating world set during WWI. I think the main characters are super, Deryn (Dylan) Sharp and Alex and the supporting cast greatly enhance the story. I enjoyed the first book so much and this second didn't let me down at all. This story is set in Turkey with the continuing adventures of the Royal Navy airship Leviathan involved in adventures in both the skies above Istanbul and on the ground. The final story is Goliath, which I think is set much further east. I highly recommend and think anyone would enjoy. (4 stars)"
"Goliath is the third and final book in the Leviathan trilogy, an excellent series of YA fantasy/ steampunk. Set during WWI, it features a war between the Darwinist states (UK, France, etc) and the Clanker nations (Germany, Austro/ Hungary). The Darwinists use modified creatures as their war weapons; Leviathan is a whalelike creature that acts as a Zeppelin and its weapons feature strafing hawks and flechette bats). The Clankers use mechanical weapons.
Into this mix is thrown Alek, the son of the assassinated ruler of Austro-Hungary, who has been rescued in the 1st book by the RAF ship, Leviathan. You also have Deryn, a young girl disguised as a boy (Dylan) so she can fly in the airship, and their budding relationship and you've had a wonderful series.
In Goliath, the Leviathan finds itself traveling over Russia to rescue mad inventor, Tesla, who claims to have a weapon to end the war (Goliath) and the continued journey and adventures over the US and Mexico. You will meet new characters, including Tesla, and interesting adventures. Goliath has everything and is an excellent page turner and end to this enjoyable trilogy. Lots of adventure, great characters and budding romance await you. You've got to try this excellent series. (4 stars)"
So there you go, my first stab at Young Adult Sci-Fi / Fantasy. More to follow in upcoming entries. Enjoy the rest of your week.
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