"Only Time Will Tell" by Jeffrey Archer

Book Details:

Title: Only Time Will Tell

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Published: anticipated September 2011 by St. Martin's Press

ISBN: 978-0-312-53955-9

Genre: Drama

Pages: 386

Rating: 5 of 5

Read in: 6 days

My Review:

Harry Clifton is the only child of a deceased dock worker and a waitress, though it doesn't take long for his intelligence and choral talent to shine through and he's whisked away to some of the best schools in England- those rarely attended by anyone in the lower class. He grows up blissfully ignorant of the scandals surrounding his entire existence, as hints that expose several deep-rooted lies begin to fall into his lap. The story takes place in World War II era England- a dramatic, violent backdrop for an equally tumultuous series of events. Harry must learn to accept the truths he discovers, among them are the circumstances of his father's death, his uncle's imprisonment, and his true parentage.

I was amazed at how quickly the book sucked me in. Archer's multigenerational points of view naturally develop the plot more and more with each character's side of the story. The reader gets to experience the conflict from not just the eyes of the primary protagonist, but from five other major characters of varying age, social class, and occupation and learns each character's deep, dark secrets firsthand.

Being the first book in The Clifton Chronicles, documenting Harry's life from 1919 to 1940, I immediately craved its sequel as I finished the last page, desperate to know what happens to Harry Clifton as another great event begins to unfold. Archer's chosen ending to this installment leaves the reader in awe of what could possibly happen next! A job very well done! Giving Only Time Will Tell five out of five stars still doesn't seem to do it justice.

"Cavemen, Monks, and Slow Food: A History of Eating Well" by Devra Gartenstein

Book Details:
Title: Cavemen, Monks, and Slow Food: A History of Eating Well
Author: Devra Gartenstein
Published: 2011 by Quirky Gourmet Productions
ISBN: 978-0-615-43727-9
Genre: Nonfiction- Food & Drink
Pages: 227
Rating: 5 of 5
Read in: Way too long


My Review:
Aside from presenting a history of human eating habits, Gartenstein opens the reader's eyes to the substandard conditions that surround all aspects of what we eat today and compares it to the simple, organic foods our ancestors enjoyed. She also provides knowledge and information the reader may find useful in altering their own diet to benefit themselves, the people working hard to produce their food, and the environment. While it doesn't seem to be a deliberate jab at today's food industries, the author doesn't spare any feelings and admirably lays out all of the cold, hard facts for anyone willing to listen- whether it's what we want to hear or not.


I was impressed by the author's expansive history of not only the common, dominant civilizations of each era, but also of lesser known groups, such as the Akkadians and Harrappans. Not much about these cultures is common knowledge, but Gartenstein did not overlook the effects even these people had on the cuisine of their time. She also references lesser-known documents and  laws that shaped the landscape of human appetites.


The author left no topic unexplored. From hunting to farming, food processing, advertising, and legislation. The author weaves a wonderfully intricate web that shows the steady flow of how mankind went from starving hunter-gatherers to comfortably overfed and taking food for granted. 


The only flaws I could find in this book were typographical. Every topic is well-researched and connections from one age to another show the natural progression of human diets all over the world.  I highly recommend it to anyone at least a little interested in knowing exactly what we eat today and how it compares to the foods of times long past. I give this book five stars. 

"Glow" by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Book Details:
Title: Glow
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Published: anticipated September 2011 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-59056-7
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction
Pages: 307
Rating: 5 of 5
Read in: 6 days


My Review:
Amy Kathleen Ryan takes young adult novels where few have previously tread- deep into outer space. The first book in her new series, Sky Chasers, Ryan offers her readers a look into a dog-eat-dog future of desperation, uncertainty, and just a little bit of faith and hope. Two young lovers traveling across the universe on the Empyrean, one of two space ships on a mission to revive the human race on a planet called "New Earth", are forced to grow up when thrown into violence and unimaginable danger at the hand of the captain of their sister ship, the New Horizon. Although written for a teenage audience, it's graphic and violent and features more adult themes such as duty to society, religious faith, bravery in the face of opposition, and questions the morality of advanced human fertility practices. While I saw the necessity of religion in the overall plot of the book, I did find it to be a little too preachy in a couple places.


By taking her characters out of the world we know and placing them into the fantastic unknown of deep space, Ryan had the opportunity to carve her own world out of uncharted territory. She fully took advantage of this situation and puts the reader directly into her own interpretation of life in a space ship- from the design and structure of the ship itself to the social structure, hive mind, and a level of desperation that we don't always get the chance to feel with our feet planted firmly on planet Earth.


I was very impressed by the level of passion in the characters' emotions. I felt equally as angry as Kieran for being held prisoner for crimes he feels he did not commit, and as hurt and devastated as Waverly, defiled and held against her will aboard a captive vessel. I found that Ryan's descriptive writing style, especially while conveying a character's deep inner feelings, ignited real emotion in myself- it actually felt like I was the one being wronged rather than simply reading about events in the life of a fictional person. I wanted to jump into the pages and deal out the justice the protagonists so badly wanted.


As in any other novel catering to a young adult audience, Glow is also a love story. Thankfully, it's a more realistic romance than other books of the genre. The author  doesn't dwell as much on the blind romance of two teenagers, paying fair attention to the more pressing conflicts in the story. Waverly, a nearly 16-year old girl, maintains rational thinking and isn't blinded by her young love for her betrothed, Kieran. This balance reminds the reader that while there is a little romance, there are more critical issues at hand to be dealt with. I greatly appreciated the lack of mushy love scenes and professions of undying love, as those would naturally be absent in the situation these kids are thrown into, though it is by no means void of heart-felt moments of love and yearning.


I don't give five stars very often, but I feel this novel really deserves it. The end left me wanting more but, alas, I must wait. It's one of the best books I have read this year and I truly look forward to the release of its sequel!

"Jane Was Here" by Sarah Kernochan

Book Details:
Title: Jane Was Here
Author: Sarah Kernochan
Published: 2011 by Grey Swan Press
ISBN: 978-9800377-2-2
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 296
Rating: 4 of 5
Read in: 7 days


My Review:
I received my copy of this book through Goodreads' First Reads program. While it took me a bit to get into the story, in definitely will not let the reader soon forget it.  A very intriguing set of characters and a multi-dimensional plot will eventually win over any fan of mystery or historical fiction.


To be honest, I hated most of the characters, but I think (I hope!) this is what the author was going for. Every character is actively portrayed as heartless and selfish. Only when Jane comes to town does any real emotion show among the characters, though only towards Jane. It's as if Jane IS the very heart of Graynier. Also, all of her present-day characters are horribly corrupt and crude, and most of the 19th century characters possess unfavorable traits. Marly Walczak, for instance, is the "town whore" and mother to an illegitimate daughter quickly following her mother's example. Marly also happens to be the reincarnation of Graynier's founder, taking on symptoms of his suffering and death from tuberculosis during her own suffering with cancer, suicide attempt, and eventual death in a fire. Whores, a drunk, a thief, a drug dealer, a man who feels no love for his child, a runaway, out-of-control children- present-day Graynier has them all. As well it seems it should given it's dark past. Many characters seem to take on habits and characteristics of their earlier counterparts. Gita Poonchwalla is considered a kleptomaniac, stashing stolen items under her bed. In her previous life as Jane's sister Rebecca, habitually stole money from her father. Both meet their fate at the bottom of Pease Pond.


The story line is very inventive. Strange and unfortunate things begin happening in the small Massachusetts town of Graynier upon the arrival of a young woman who speaks and acts as if she has jumped straight out of the 1800s. And indeed, she kind of has. She seems to be the missing link that kept the old souls calm and stirred them up upon her arrival. "Jane" volunteers no information about herself as she walks right into the home Brett Sampson is renting while spending the summer with his estranged son. She simply makes herself at home, demanding that this was her home two centuries before. She has a strange pull on Brett and so begins the quest to uncover the truth about the town's dark, horrifying past, and the inhabitants whose souls seem forever bound to this cursed place. The plot is very involved and deep, and Kernochan leaves plenty of hints and clues as to the true identities of the characters, but doesn't always come out and say it, giving the reader the satisfaction of independently putting a few pieces of the puzzle together.


I really enjoyed the format Kernochan uses to develop her story. Divided into three parts, each part focuses on one dimension of the overall plot. Part one introduces the present-day characters and lets the reader view their lives and problems already existing before "Jane" shows up in the small town of Graynier, Massachusetts. Part two is a collection of letters Jane writes to the man she loves, Lysander Trane, in the early days of America. It introduces and follows the characters living in Graynier during the mid-1800s. Finally, the third  part drives home the relationships between the 1800s residents and their reincarnated selves driven back together in Graynier to relive the tragedies of their previous lives. Part three takes what feels like two completely unrelated story lines and seamlessly combines them together. The only change I would have liked to see in the format would be dates on the letters in part two to better track progression of time.


I think the town's historian Elsa Graynier sums up the entire premise of the book toward the very end when she says: "When you get old you know that everything comes and goes and then comes along again." While a little slow-moving at the beginning for my taste, I promise the read is well worth it! Very few other books have left me stunned clear to the conclusion. I give Jane Was Here four out of five stars for inventiveness and story-telling ability. Not many novels are written in present tense, so the author is to be commended for shaking up the literary community with a little variety in writing style. I wouldn't say the book was life-changing for me but it is, without a doubt, one of a kind.

"Shattered Dreams" by Ellie James

Book Details:
Title: Shattered Dreams
Author: Ellie James
Published: anticipated December 2011 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-64702-5
Genre: Teen Fiction
Pages: 342
Rating: 4 of 5
Read in: 7 days


My Review:
I received an advance copy of this through Goodreads and could not put it down! A classic young adult novel, but definitely one of the best I've come across. Slated to be released in December, I feel Ellie James' Midnight Dragonfly series will be a great hit!


The first aspect of the book that pulled me in was the setting. Right from the beginning, the hollow, bleak surroundings set the perfect mood for the entire book. Taking place in post-Katrina New Orleans, most of the city is run-down and abandoned- a perfect place for the extreme level of mystery- murders, family secrets, and a strange ability at the center- that the reader comes across straight through to the end. The city's imagery haunts the reader just as the events that take place in it haunt the protagonist.


The author introduces a very interesting subject through the main character- precognition. Orphaned and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't even know, Trinity Monsour is plagued by the ability to "see" events before they happen. Unfortunately, not many people are ready to accept this as truth, causing many complications when she tries to use this ability to locate a missing girl. I've read plenty of novels starring protagonists with strange abilities, but this was a refreshing first.


I also really enjoyed the character development. I was surprised by which characters the author chose to open up to the reader, especially Pitre and Dylan, because of the minor roles they played through the first half. However, they were skillfully included in the finale.


Every major aspect of a successful young adult novel is present in this first installment of the Midnight Dragonfly series: a misunderstood teenager, romance, big secrets, a little naivety, great personal growth, and an ending that will make the reader's jaw drop. Mostly, I was just happy there weren't any vampires. I give this one four out of five stars and look forward to the second book.

"Sector 64: Coup de Main" by Dean M. Cole

Book Details:
Title: Sector 64: Coup de Main
Author: Dean M. Cole
Published: 2011- Published by Author
ISBN: 978-1-460-96253-4
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 262
Rating: 1 of 5
Read in: 6 days



My Review:
I really enjoy science fiction as a whole, and I really wanted to like this book. However, that did not happen. A barbaric alien race is vaporizing everyone on the planet and it's U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Jake Giard and two of his fellow wing-men to the rescue! Unfortunately, they could not rescue me from falling asleep during most of the book...


My biggest issue with this book has nothing to do with the story itself. The copious amount of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, tense, and grammar errors made me cringe constantly. I started to mark these instances, but they are so common that I soon gave up. I understand that this novel is self-published and probably never graced the eyes of an editor, but I am a firm believer that one should edit one's work before submitting it to the general public. I'm far from perfect in these areas myself, but I do know how to use spell check and failing to catch so many errors makes the entire text seem sloppy and may cause the eyes of avid and critical readers to spontaneously bleed. Lines such as "Let's not waist [sic] Major Pell's sacrifice..." and referring to the "soul" of a shoe make me wonder how much attention the author paid to what he was writing.


The author of this novel, Dean M. Cole, is an Army vet and pilot and he uses his expertise in this area to be highly descriptive when it comes to pilot protocol and physics throughout the book. I appreciated that he is so knowledgeable, but it often left me wondering what he was talking about. I'm not well versed in physics or pilot lingo, so I felt a little left out in some parts. Another word usage problem I found was the unbelievable number of times "buddy" is used. This became a problem before I even finished the first chapter!  


I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters and I think this was because of how weak the majority of them are. For an Air Force fighter pilot, Victor Croft is amazingly faint at heart. He is so scared and anxious almost the entire book, to the point that I was shocked he never broke down and cried. This is pretty unbelievable behavior for a war vet. I also felt that Jake's girlfriend Sandy was completely unnecessary. She played no important role in the book and only caused unnecessary distractions from the plot line.


I did appreciate the basis of the plot though. I loved that the author made the human race descended from wayward aliens. Also, the technology introduced throughout the novel was very fascinating- especially the "Turtle" ship and EVA suits. the author showed great vision and creativity in the invention of these items.


Overall, I found the dialogue to be painfully cheesy and riddled with a vast over-abundance of cliche phrases, such as "assuming makes an ass out of you and me" and "the more things change, the more they stay the same." The characters are flat and not memorable, and a little more original content would have been nice.. I give it a one-star rating.

"Conversations and Cosmopolitans: Awkward Moments, Mixed Drinks, and How a Mother and Son Finally Shared Who They Really Are" by Robert Rave & Jane Rave

Book Details:
Title: Conversations and Cosmopolitans: Awkward Moments, Mixed Drinks, and How a Mother and Son Finally Shared Who They Really Are
Author: Robert Rave & Jane Rave
Published: anticipated November 2011 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-55423-1
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 288
Rating: 4 of 5
Read in: 3 days


My Review:
Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful. I recently received an advance copy of this novel and I'm very glad I did. This mother/son team delivers a very accurate look into homosexual culture, as well as its effect on family life. This memoir contains some extremely eccentric New Yorkers that will keep any reader sufficiently entertained. 

The first thing I really enjoyed about the book was the format. The other part of the book's format that I enjoyed was the authors' alternating voices each chapter. First, the reader gets Robert's story, then mom chimes in afterward to give her perspective. This prevents them from competing for the reader's attention and creates a clear-cut separation of thoughts, opinions, and experiences during each situation presented. A 20-something gay New Yorker's perspective is clearly much different from his middle-aged Midwestern mother's. As time goes on however, we see the differences become less and less as  mother and son connect on deeper levels.


An author can paraphrase and summarize communications between the characters, but the Raves took it to a whole new level, including online messaging transcripts, e-mails, and letters written during the pivotal events in their lives. These give a more accurate look at the relationship between mother and son, and show the evolution of their relationship as they both become more comfortable and familiar with Robert's lifestyle, and become more comfortable in their own relationship to each other.


I especially liked chapter sixteen, titled "The Daughter-in-Law You'll Never Have (Also known to my parents as my best friend Melissa). I laughed out loud several times during this chapter! The crazy antics Robert and his best friend get into during a weekend out in New York City were a welcome change from the chapters of sadness and awkwardness from loneliness, rejection, credit card debt, and trying to "make it" in the real world. I also really liked that Melissa brings Robert out of his shell more than any other person we encounter, requiring him to down massive amounts of sugar and Diet Coke to keep up with her voracious energy and enthusiasm. She's confident and suave, where as Robert is unsure and awkward. A perfectly matched duo to run amok in Central Park and Midtown, chasing guys. 


Clearly, I don't have anything negative to say about this book. The characters are strong and continually develop as life throws more their way. It's not only about a son's homosexuality and how the family changes once they find out, but it says a lot about the love and loyalty of a mother to her child. Despite discrimination and negative responses in a small town, Jane stands her ground on several occasions and speaks out to protect and promote her son and his lifestyle- even to close family friends. I give it four out of five stars.