Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

This book is the second book of a trilogy.  The first book was The Discovery of Witches which I spoke about in a previous blog. Just for a summation of the book: Diana Bishop a witch and researcher on alchemy discovers a long lost manuscript.  This manuscript is shrouded in magic and is supposed to explain how humans, witches, and demons and vampires share many genetic similarities.  It also could reveal the secret of immortality. 

Trilogies can be good or bad.  Writing a trilogy or any series regardless of the number of books included in the series gives the author the opportunity to develop characters and add new ones. 

Many authors when writing a series will write so that each book can stand on its own.  What I mean is each book has its own beginning, middle and ending with an emphasis on ending.  Deborah Harkness chose not to end her book cleanly.  Instead she just ended the first book with no ending which of course leaves the reader wanting more.  There is nothing worse than a cliff hanger like that.  But, I thought to myself, I am lucky because the second book is out already.  Thus, I excitedly picked up Shadow of Night. 

When I started writing my blog, it was to recommend books that I have read, liked or loved and would recommend to people who would ask me what to read. I think I will be changing my mind. After all changing direction is a writer's prerogative right? So I am going to start with this book.  I picked it up thinking some of the ideas written in the first book would be picked up in the second book and developed.  Instead she chose to take us back to 16th century Europe and resolve nothing. I must admit, however that the thought of being able to travel back in time knowing you can return to the present is very thought provoking and would be a wonderful adventure..  It would be great to actually see for yourself how people lived in the past rather than just reading about them.  Maybe if I can borrow Dorothy's ruby red slippers they can work their magic and take me travelling back. HA! 

To add insult to injury this book is long, I mean really long.  One thing the author has succeeded in doing is whetting my curiosity about the main characters Diana Bishop and Mathew Riordan and what will happen to them.  I might have to read the last few chapters of the last book. Unfortunately the book is being written as we speak.  The author has no estimated time frame for finishing this book citing artistic issues.  She does assure her readers that she definitely knows what is going to happen in this last book she just needs to write it. So stay tuned.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alzheimer’s and Cancer frighten me.  Heck I am sure they frighten many people.  Unfortunately, I have too much personal experience with both of these diseases.

 Still Alice is about a fifty year old cognitive psychology professor at Harvard University.  She is an expert in her field and is often called upon to present on her area of expertise.  At one such presentation she finds that she cannot recall a word and momentarily loses her train of thought.  Right after this episode she goes for a run, one that she has down countless times.  She follows the same route that she has run countless times.  She stops at the same place that she usually does but when she decides to head for home she realizes she does not know where she is.  She makes an appointment with her physician who delivers the worst possible news.  Alzheimer’s! What irony, a woman who has studied the functions of the brain is now facing a disease she knows all too well. From there the author writes about how Alice copes with this diagnosis.  In addition, she writes about how Alice’s children and husband deal with the diagnosis.

Alice has a plan for how she will deal with this overwhelming change to her life.  The question is can she carry out her plan?  What is extremely interesting about this book is how the family members handle the change in their mother/wife.  It is almost harder on the family members than the actual person because it is the family members that are forced to watch someone who was once so vibrant and sharp change into someone they do not recognize. It's a great read.

I dreamed a Dream  Les Miserables

Once upon a time in the not too distant past I was an insatiable theater goer.  I grew up in a family that felt the same way.  I am not sure how old I was when my parents took me to see my first Broadway show.  Living on Long Island, Broadway was a mere forty five minute train ride on the Long Island Railroad. After seeing that very first show, I had Broadway fever and every year my parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday and every year the answer was to see a Broadway show.  In fact, the best birthday present I ever had was from my husband.  We went to New York for a three day weekend and we saw Five shows. In addition to seeing the amazing Phantom of the Opera, we caught the last performance of Present Laughter with Frank Langella.  At the end of the performance he actually come out on stage and had a discussion with the audience.  A DELIGHT to listen to him talk!

Unfortunately, in recent years I have not been to the theater as much as I would have liked and one of the shows that I actually have never seen live is Les Miz.  I heard a gasp from many of you as you read that last sentence but alas it is true.  And believe me I find it hard to believe myself.  After all Les Miz played on Broadway for an astounding 6,680 over ten years. Where the heck was I and what was I thinking.  So to right this awful wrong I will be one of the millions of people who will be racing to the theater to see the movie version.  The cast alone is reason to see it.  So as many of you out there might be thinking, I am going to try to be one of the millions that go to see it on Christmas Day.  My family and I are pumped up and ready!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

 

 

Things are not always how they seem.  A couple is celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary.  From the outside they look to be a perfect couple, both good looking, living in a big house etc etc.  But the wife disappears on their anniversary and things don’t look too good for the husband because as it turns out he is not a stellar husband. 

Of course suspicion falls on him immediately and of course he proclaims his innocence.  The question. is he just a crappy husband and not a killer or is he a crappy husband and the killer? And if he is not the killer than who is?  This is an interesting mystery.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Once again I was faced with a long drive.  Since I do not have satellite radio, I am at the mercy of the local radio stations that fade in and out as I move from listening area to listening area and state to state.  To pass the time I have been listening to audio books.  What a lifesaver from boredom.  So I am looking for a good audio book, and I run my hand along this shelf containing these books when I find my hand stopping on Discovery of Witches.  Coincidence I think not, however it does make me question why I keep being drawn to books about witches and vampires.  One of my recent blogs was on The Lace Reader, if you haven’t seen it yet go take a look. I just finished the three audio books by Nora Roberts that was the Morrigan Trilogy again Witches and Vampires. 

Maybe I am picking these types of books because of all the hype around the Twilight Saga although I am sick and tired of the whole KPat thing.   I never was a big fan of Sedrick from Harry Potter( I was however, a little sad when he got snuffed out in one of the movies) and Kristen Stewart is just gloomy.  Or maybe it is because I am just drawn to the whole thing having wicken acquaintances.

This book contends that the human race does not exist alone.  Other creatures are here along with us which includes witches, vampires and demons.  The story starts when scholaras part of her reseacrh calls up a "bewitched alchemical manuscript" at the Bodleian library in Oxford. No one has seen this manuscript for many many years.   The discovery of this manuscript stirs things up ALOT!  This book is interesting and fun especially around this time of year when things are so busy and you just want a book that is light reading.  

Be aware that this book is part of a trilogy. I am reading the second book now and will keep you posted.  The second book is the one below.

Notorious Nineteen  by Janet Evanovich

It’s the holiday season.  I have a lot on my plate.  With all the black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping to do it was very hard to squeeze in something too heavy. After all who can pass up on some great retail therapy.

Along comes Janet Evanovich with her nineteenth Stephanie Plum novel. The usual cast of characters are in it, the two hunkie donkeys Ranger and Morelli, Lula and of course Stephanie herself.

 What would a Stephanie Plum story be without Stephanies's car getting blown up and true to form on page 8 her clunker gets consumed by a fireball, caught in the cross fire of the bad guys.  

Stephanie once again is strapped for cash and her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond agency comes through by assigning Stephanie to find this guy Geoffrey Cubbin  who is charged with embezzling five million dollars from Cranberry Manor an assisted living facility.  My Home Health buddies I am sure know how devastating this would be to many of their patients.  Shame on you Geoffrey with a G not a J.

Anyway he got sick in the middle of the night, went to the ER, had his appendix removed and when his wife showed up to take him home he had vanished.  Puff, gone.  Vinnie put up a lot of money for this guy and if he doesn’t show up for court will lose it.  Stephanie has her assignment find Geoffrey.