Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Mini-Reviews V and the Blog Blitz!

 
Check out D. L.'s BLOG BLITZ


Everyone knows I like to try new and different things, so today I present to you the BLOG BLITZ. Here’s how I see it working. Sign up on the linky list below, making sure to record your email address, and you’ll instantly become a member of the Blog Blitz Team. Then from time to time, I will select a deserving blog (that must be part of the Blitz Team) and a specific date. I will then email the team members that information and on that date we all will go out of our way to visit that blog and leave an encouraging comment on their most recent post. I'm talking about hopefully a 100+ comments appearing out of the blue in one day!

Copyright-Zan Marie Steadham, March 2009
 
Spring is here and we all need good reads to fill the new season. Here's my latest installments of good books to read.

BEL CANTO Ann Patchett (literary suspense)
This is an excellent book. Blending opera, terrorists, and music into a readable, edge-of-your-seat read is an amazing achievement and Ann Patchett pulls it off with style. The deep, but shifting, third POV is seamless and smooth. I never had a doubt about whose head I was in and why. Must Read!

THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
You can't go wrong with Diana Gabaldon's books! This one is a great read that cuts to the heart of one of her beloved characters, Lord John Grey. Add a neat mystery and Jamie Fraser and it's as good as a read gets.

CHILDREN OF GOD Mary Doria Russell (Literary Science Fiction)
This is the sequel to The Sparrow and it is a wonderful, comprehensive conclusion to the first book. Emilio Sandoz's journey to another world as a Jesuit missionary comes full cycle and the reason for all his pain is gloriously revealed. Must Read!

CROSSING OCEANS Gina Holmes (Christian Women's Fiction)
The main character must make some tough decisions when faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis. Some reviewers thought the Christian content was heavy handed and others didn't see it at all. I think it's just right. Good read.

EMMA JEAN'S BAD BEHAVIOR Charlotte Rains Dixon (Women's Fiction)
Emma Jean's Bad Behavior enchanted me. The main character, Emma Jean, has a snarky exterior that hides a deeply wounded and insecure soul who is searching for the truth of the story of her life. She's delightfully flawed and I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her. Great Read!
See my interview with Charlotte Rains Dixon on February 19.

RESCUE Anita Shreve (Literary)
Rescue is a good story, but the style wasn't my taste. The third person POV was distant, but not omniscient and much of the book was in present tense.

PIRATE CAPTAIN: CHRONICLES OF A LEGEND Kerry Lynne (Historical with Romance touches)
Pirate Captain: Chronicles of a Legend, is not your usual pirate story. It’s a sprawling tale with more layers than a hundred onions. At the center of the tale lies the stories of Cate McKenzie, a woman who hides deep secrets, and Capt. Nathanael Jonathan Edward Blackthorne, a man of mystery and legend.  Good read.
See my interview with Kerry Lynne on March 12.

THE SCOTTISH PRISONER Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
This is even better than BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE and true to its title, it concerns Jamie Fraser and Lord John Grey. If you've ever wondered how these two very different men can be good friends, you must read this book. Besides, we all need a dose of Diana Gabaldon while waiting for the next big Jamie and Claire book, WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART'S BLOOD.

What about you? What are you reading this spring?

10 comments:

  1. Welcome aboard the Blog Blitz.As far as what I am reading...
    How to Conquer the World with One Hand and an Attitude by Paul Berger. Would you expect me to do any less

    I was sent a copy of Letters to Zerky by Bill Raney, a fellow blogger and author to review on my blog.

    And lastly in my quest for self knowledge, My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. That pretty much wraps up my reading for Spring.

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    1. All of those sound perfect for you, especially HOW TO CONQUER THE WORLD WITH ONE HAND AND AN ATTITUDE. If there ever was a title that typified you, this is it!

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  2. How did you know I needed something to read? I was sitting here wondering what to take to my doctor's appointment (without the kids, I'm almost giddy).

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    1. Oooh, Without the kids! You'll even be able to read. ; ) Have fun just doesn't quite fit, though.

      I didn't realize it, but yesterday I went to see the sleep doctor while reading a SF classic about people who don't have to sleep at all. The irony hit me this morning. ; )

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  3. Thanks for another mention, Zan Marie! Since I got my Kindle, I've been reading up a storm. Recently finished Placebo by Steven James, Vanished in the Dunes (I forgot the author's name), and a police procedural. I'm currently reading The Next Big Thing by Jennifer Weiner, and two non-fiction books. I have a Kate Atkinson book and Barbara Kingsolver's latest downloaded to read next!

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    1. You're welcome, Charlotte. You sound like me! LOL! Though I do read only one at a time, but always have back ups waiting in the wings.

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  4. I'm glad you're Blitzing too! :)

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    1. It's going to be fun and a whole lot easier to manage than A to Z, which you will never see me sign up for. ; )

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  5. I'm thinking I might be brave and reread ALL the books before MOBY comes out...
    Loving the Blog Blitz!

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  6. Good list! I just finished Lawrence Wright's GOING CLEAR, which isn't fiction but stranger than. It's the history of Scientology and its founders. Fascinating, in a train wreck sort of way. Looking forward to reading Elizabeth Strout's latest. Her OLIVE KITTREDGE was one of the best novels I've read in ages.

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