Book: The Rainborowes: One Family’s Quest To Build A New England by Adrian Tinniswood

Expected Publication Is September 8, 2013 by Basic Books|Expected Number Of Pages: 367

Series: None

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction- History

Goodreads|Check Out Adrian Tinniswood’s Website

Goodreads Summary: The period between 1630 and 1660 was one of the most tumultuous in Western history. These three decades witnessed the birth of New England and, in the mother country, a chaotic civil war that rent the very fabric of English social, political, and religious life. At the center of this turbulent time was an outsized family: the Rainborowes. Shipmasters and soldiers, entrepreneurs and idealists, they bridged two worlds as they struggled to forge a better future for themselves and their kin. In The Rainborowes, acclaimed historian Adrian Tinniswood follows this singular clan from hectic London shipyards to remote Aegean islands, from muddy Boston streets to the bloodiest battles of the English Civil War, revealing their indelible mark on both America and England.

A feat of historical reporting, The Rainborowes spans oceans and generations to describe a family—and a people—struggling to find its identity.

I have really mixed feelings about The Rainborowes.  It is interesting to see this family in the context of a very tumultuous time, and on two different continents.  But I also felt like the book had a jumble of names and dates and events that was hard for me to keep track of.  It just seems like the Rainborowes had a lot going on and were really involved in important events, and I wish I had taken notes so I could keep better track of everything.  I think me not keeping up with everything was pretty much my fault, since I didn’t pay as much attention as I could have.  I did find myself going back a few pages a few times, because I felt like I missed something important.

I think another reason why I have mixed feelings is that I wasn’t expecting a book about the family and how they fit in to what was going on around them.  While it is the best way to talk about this very large family, I think I was expecting more about them.  I liked some of the details about life in New England, especially some of the details about the churches they attended, but there were times when the book got bogged down in the details.

I think the thing I liked the most about The Rainborowes is that I was reminded of how there are people and families throughout history that played a really important part in things and yet they don’t get the recognition they deserve.

The Rainborowes also felt a little over the place, and just when I got used to reading about one side of the Atlantic, the book would switch locations, and we’d be on the other side of the Atlantic.  It did seem pretty linear, but there was something non-linear about it at the same time.

Final Thoughts:

I’m not sure what else to say about The Rainborowes.  It is an interesting look at a family I had never heard of before and how instrumental they were on both sides of the Atlantic, but the book got weighed down in the details at times, and I had trouble keeping track of the many people in the book.  While interesting, I don’t think it’s the book for me.  The Rainborowes gets 2 stars.

Book: Magic Words: From The Oral Tradition Of The Inuit is translated by Edward Fields and Illustrated by Mike Blanc

Expected Publication is September 1, 2013 (Today!) by Vanita Books|Expected Number Of Pages Is 24

Series: None

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

You can find Magic Words On Goodreads

Magic Words is an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which has not influenced my review in anyway

Goodreads.com Summary: Magic Words describes a world where humans and animals share bodies and languages, where the world of the imagination mixes easily with the physical. It began as a story that told how the Inuit people came to be and became a legend passed from generation to generation. In translation it grew from myth to poem. The text comes from expedition notes recorded by Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen in 1921. Edward Field got a copy from the Harvard Library and translated it into English.

I really liked Magic Words!  It’s such a great poem, and I like that it’s a part of the tradition of story-telling.  It translated really well, and if I didn’t know it was a translation, I don’t think I would have picked up on that.  I really liked how the story was so lyrical and poetic, and I want to know more about the Inuit after reading Magic Words.  I also liked that there were a couple lines at the end about how there was no explanation, because that’s just how things were.  It’s just so interesting that there’s this whole story that’s basically summed up with that’s how it is.

The illustrations were absolutely beautiful!  I loved the colors and the shapes and they brought Magic Words to life.  They go so well with the story, and there’s a lot to look at.  It’s totally worth it for the illustrations alone!  Although the story is an interesting part of the oral tradition of the Inuit, and I think it would be a good choice if you’re teaching kids about other cultures.  I also liked that it’s about how everyone got along and there was no difference between anyone, whether they were animal or person. Another cool thing about Magic Words is that at the end of the book, there’s a list of all of the animals who made an appearance in the book, so I think it could also be a great way to talk to kids about animals.

Magic Words is a great picture book, and it gets 4 stars.

Book: Unbroken by Rachel Caine

Published February 2012 by Penguin|Pages: 320

Where I Got It: Nook store (e-book!)

Series: Outcast Season #4

Genre: Adult Paranormal

Goodreads|You can find Rachel Caine On Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: For millennia, Cassiel was a powerful Djinn–until she was exiled to live among mortals. Now the threat of an apocalypse looms, and Cassiel is in danger of losing everything she has come to hold dear… 

As the world begins to fall apart around her, Cassiel finds herself fighting those she once called her own: the Djinn. With Weather Warden Luis Rocha and the rescued child Ibby by her side, Cassiel struggles to find a way to protect those who are in her charge and come to terms with the leadership role she never asked for. 

Cassiel is opposed by Pearl–a powerful Djinn bent on raising an army of kidnapped Warden children to bring about nothing less than the end of the world. It will take everything Cassiel has to stop the Djinn from starting a war that will wipe all of humanity from the face of the earth. She knows that this might not be a battle she can survive, but protecting those she loves is worth any cost…

After finishing Total Eclipse, I decided it was time for me to revisit Outcast Season and actually finish it up.  Unbroken is the last book in this series, and there is some overlap with the last book or two of Weather Wardens.

I really liked seeing some of those events from Cassiel’s perspective, especially as she’s a former Dijinn.  It was also nice to see some of the characters through Cassiel’s eyes.

There is a lot going on in Unbroken, and it was so hard to put down that I finished it in day!  I liked seeing Cassiel’s journey, and how becoming human helped her realize what she needed to do in order to save humanity.  Also: she’s pretty much on her own, with only Luis, Esmeralda and Ibby for a good chunk of the book.  She has to draw on Luis’ abilities as a Earth/Fire Warden, and Ibby using her own abilities…poor Ibby!  She started off the series as such a happy child, and now, she’s pretty broken and scarred from everything that’s happened.  She did have an interesting friendship with Esmeralda, and I really liked seeing their relationship in this book.  Also: I like that there’s such a contrast in how Ibby acts.  Sometimes, she’s still a 6-year-old-girl, other times, she acts much older.  It’s definitely interesting to see how there are all of these different things going on with Ibby because of what Pearl did.

Speaking of Pearl: I totally loved that Pearl has her own thing and she has this whole plan to become the new Mother Earth. and I really liked how that lined up with the events of Weather Wardens.  It’s definitely not necessary to read Weather Wardens first, because Outcast Season has it’s own storyline that also happens to be going on at the same time as Weather Wardens.  I will say that reading Weather Wardens first helped, in terms of timeline and the parallels of Pearl and the whole thing with Bad Bob and Mother Earth waking up.

Unbroken is everything I could have wanted in the last book for the series, and Caine did such a great job with wrapping things up.  You definitely see the damage that’s been done, and there are a lot of people who didn’t make it through the craziness that is Weather Wardens and Outcast Season.  Unbroken really ties the two series together, and the great thing about Unbroken is that you do see what’s going on. While Weather Wardens focuses on Joanne, and her fight to save the world, you also don’t see what’s going on all over the place. Which is why Unbroken is so great- because you actually see  some of the craziness and destruction, instead of just hearing about it.

It was a little weird reading Unbroken, knowing how things ended, and even seeing a glimpse of the future in Total Eclipse.  But there’s something about Cassiel’s journey and wanting to know how things turned out for her.  While we don’t get an epilogue for her story, I still think the ending was a wonderful one for Cassiel.

Part of me also wants to know what happens with all of the kidnapped Warden children, and if they turn out okay.   Should Caine ever decide to revisit this world, I think she has a really interesting story with the Warden kids.

Final Thoughts:

I feel like I haven’t talked about Unbroken except in regards to the rest of the series and how it related to Caine’s Weather Warden series, but for me, it’s hard separating the two.  But I loved Unbroken, and I loved seeing how much the characters changed, and how you don’t need special abilities in this world to make a difference.  Unbroken gets 5 stars.

Book: Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine

Published August 2010 by Penguin|Pages: 320

Where I Got It: Nook store (e-book!)

Series: Weather Warden #9

Genre: Adult Paranormal

Goodreads|You can find Rachel Caine On Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin, her husband, the djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that destroys the magic that keeps the world alive. The poison is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic upon those who have never had it, and removing it form those who need it. It’s just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos-and doom.

I’m really sad to see this series end, because I really loved it!  Total Eclipse is a pretty good end to the series.

It was pretty fast-paced, and while it was hard to put down at times, I really wanted to stretch it and enjoy it.  The last couple chapters were not what I was expecting, and I was sort of expecting…not what happened.  It does make sense, and it’s totally believable, but not what I was expecting.

I was expecting more overlap with Outcast Season- which is a spin-off of this series- but we only get a glimmer of connection between the two series.  But it’s actually okay that there isn’t, because Outcast Season is a different perspective of the events of this series.

Back to Total Eclipse: there is a point where all things seem lost and hopeless, but as it turns out, things, there was a larger plan that you don’t even think about until the last couple chapters.  Speaking of which, I was a little surprised that things were wrapped up nicely.  It’s like, you spend 9 books reading about characters who can’t catch a break and have so many horrible things thrown at them, and then the last couple chapters happened.  And all of a sudden, things magically work out, and then you get to the epilogue- which happens almost 10 years later- and things are pretty much back to normal.

It was nice that things worked out okay in the end, and that things are good for the characters.  And it’s nice to know that there really was a larger plan in mind for some of the characters, because things that happened before make so much more sense now than they did throughout the book.  It’s not that the last couple chapters are bad, because they’re totally not.  They’re just not what I was expecting. Still, Caine did a great job at tying up most of the loose ends, and you really couldn’t ask for a better ending.  Seriously.

Final Thoughts:

Total Eclipse is such a great ending to this series, and while I’m a little sad to see it come to end, there’s always re-reading and there’s also Outcast Season to read. There’s a lot going on, and Caine did such a great job with wrapping things up and keeping me interested.  It was also nice to see that everything worked out relatively well for everyone, even with a few losses along the way.  Total Eclipse gets 5 stars.

Book: A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury

Published June 2013 by Atheneum Books For Young Readers|Pages: 288

Where I Got It: Borrowed from a friend!

Series: None

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Goodreads|Check Out Jennifer Bradbury’s Website

Goodreads Summary: As the partition of India nears in 1947 bringing violence even to Jalandhar, Tariq, a Muslim, finds himself caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet, a Sikh girl, and Margaret, a British girl whose affection for him might help with his dream of studying at Oxford.

A Moment Comes was a really interesting read for me, for a few different reasons.

One: It’s set during the partition of India, which is something I never heard of until I read this book.  So it was really cool to read something about a period of time I never even knew about.

Two: I love that it’s set in a time and place that I don’t normally read about.  I like historical fiction, but I feel like a lot of the historical fiction I read is in England/Europe/the U.S.  So it’s nice to read something different, as far as historical fiction goes.

And three: I really like that it’s historical fiction that’s for older teens.  I’ve come across quite a few historical fiction books aimed at the younger end of the YA continuum, so it’s nice to read something that’s at the other end.

As for the book itself, I really enjoyed the three narrators.  I don’t always like multiple narrators, but it worked so well for this book, because you get to see all of the involved parties, and what it was like for everyone involved, instead of getting one side.  My only complaint is that there weren’t a lot of chapters told from Anupreet’s perspective, and she mostly appeared whenever Margaret was narrating.  While the book is more about what’s going on in India than any sort of potential romance between any of the characters, I didn’t really get the sense that Tariq was interested in Anupreet.  There is a point where he does something incredibly brave in order to protect her, but I didn’t get any forbidden interest vibes.  Although…she does seem surprised by his interest in her, so…there is that.

You also get glimpses of some of the attacks/violence/camps where people living and how the characters are reacting to what’s going on. I also like that Margaret, Anupreet and Tariq are all so different.  Like I said before, I wish we saw a little more of Anupreet, because I feel like Margaret’s story- as well as Tariq’s- were very well-represented, but we mostly see Anupreet through the eyes of Margaret.  We do get enough of her story and enough of her experiences but part of me wants a little more.

I also liked the glossary at the end of the book.  It defines the words used throughout the book, as well as mentioning the places and food of India.  I also liked the author’s note, and how Bradbury had a Fulbright scholarship in India, and learned of the partition.  And she does explain that the events that happened in Jalandhar, happened all over India.

Final Thoughts: I really liked A Moment Comes!  I definitely want to read a little more about the partition, and I was hoping for more than a couple books listed in the author’s note, because I think it would be interesting to see what books Bradbury used.  A Moment Comes gets 4 stars.

Book: Ariel Bradley, Spy For General Washington by Lynda Durrant and Joe Rossi

Expected Publication Is September 1, 2013 by Vanita Books|Expected Number Of Pages: 32

Series: None

Genre: Children’s Historical Fiction

You can find more about Ariel Bradley on Goodreads

Ariel Bradley, Spy For General Washington is an E-ARC from netgalley.com, which has not influenced my review in any way

Goodreads Summary: Ariel Bradley is Washington’s boy spy who pretends to be a country bumpkin (a “Johnny Raw”). He ‘stumbles’ into General Howe’s camp “looking for the mill” his father has sent him in search of. In reality, he is assessing the strength and numbers of the British and their Hessian (German) allies. After he is sent on his way by the unsuspecting English, he reports this to General Washington and his staff. This information proves key in what became known as the Battle of White Plains.

I don’t normally read children’s books, but Ariel Bradley looked really interesting.

One thing I liked about this book is that Ariel Bradley was a real kid who helped out George Washington by pretending to by a country bumpkin.  I was actually expecting it to be a full-on picture book, for some reason, but it’s actually a chapter book, and I think it would be good for kids who are just starting out on chapter books.

Lynda Durrant did a great job at making Ariel’s story interesting and and fun, and even I want to know more about Ariel Bradley!  I also liked that a glossary and list of important people were included at the end of the book, which is great for kids who may not know what an icehouse or a mill is.

I do wish there were some illustrations throughout the book (and it’s possible there will be some illustrations in the print copy) but that might be because I got Ariel Bradley through netgalley.  If they’re anything like the cover, then I think the illustrations would be great.  And while this book focuses on this one event, I wish we got a little bit more about Ariel’s life.

Final Thoughts:

I liked Ariel Bradley, and I think it would be a great book for kids who like history or for kids who are just starting to read chapter books.  Ariel Bradley, Spy For General Washington gets 3 stars.

Book: The Land Of Dreams by Vidar Sundstol, translated by Tiina Nunnally

Expected Publication is September 1, 2013 by University of Minnesota Press|Expected Number Of Pages: 330

Series: Minnesota Trilogy #1

Genre: Adult Fiction/Mystery

Check Out The Land Of Dreams On Goodreads

Goodreads Summary: Winner of the Riverton Prize for best Norwegian crime novel and named by Dagbladet as one of the top twenty-five Norwegian crime novels of all time, The Land of Dreams is the chilling first installment in Vidar Sundstøl’s critically acclaimed Minnesota Trilogy, set on the rugged north shore of Lake Superior and in the region’s small towns and deep forests.

The grandson of Norwegian immigrants, Lance Hansen is a U.S. Forest Service officer and has a nearly all-consuming passion for local genealogy and history. But his quiet routines are shattered one morning when he comes upon a Norwegian tourist brutally murdered near a stone cross on the shore of Lake Superior. Another Norwegian man is nearby; covered in blood and staring out across the lake, he can only utter the word kjærlighet. Love.

FBI agent Bob Lecuyer is assigned to the case, as is Norwegian detective Eirik Nyland, who is immediately flown in from Oslo. As the investigation progresses, Lance begins to make shocking discoveries—including one that involves the murder of an Ojibwe man on the very same site more than one hundred years ago. As Lance digs into two murders separated by a century, he finds the clues may in fact lead toward someone much closer to home than he could have imagined.

The Land of Dreams is the opening chapter in a sweeping chronicle from one of Norway’s leading crime writers—a portrait of an extraordinary landscape, an exploration of hidden traumas and paths of silence that trouble history, and a haunting study in guilt and the bonds of blood.

The Land Of Dreams was okay for me.  it was a little hard for me to get into, and there were places where the book moved a little too slow.

I went into The Land Of Dreams expecting more of the murder that Lance stumbles on while working.  I think a lot of why we don’t get a lot of the murder is the fact that Lance doesn’t have a big role in the investigation, but he does get updated somewhat regularly on the investigation.  I was also expecting more of a connection between what happened to an Ojibe man a century earlier and the murder of a Norwegian tourist, but it’s possible that particular mystery will be unraveled in the books to come.

We get a lot of Lance’s thoughts and some of the local history, which bogged down the book for me.  As much as I love seeing local history in books, it just didn’t work for me in this particular novel.  I was also expecting it to be a lot creepier and haunting that what it was. However, since this is the first book in a trilogy, it’s totally possible that it’ll get really creepy in the other two books.

There is very much a small town vibe, with an assortment of characters.  Sadly, none really stood out to me, except for Lance and Eirik Nyland.  I thought Nyland was interesting because he was flown in to help with the investigation of the Norwegian tourist.  And Lance being the town historian was interesting, and I think there’s a lot of potential.

It wasn’t until I finished the book that I realized this copy is a translation.  It’s actually a pretty good translation, and nothing seemed to be lost in translation.

Final Thoughts:

The Land Of Dreams isn’t for me, but I did like that that local history was really important, and that Lance was very interested in the area’s history.  The Land Of Dreams gets 2 stars.

Book: The Truth About You And Me by Amanda Grace

Expected Publication is September 8 by Flux Books|Expected Number Of Pages: 235

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Goodreads|Check out Amanda Grace on Twitter or her blog!

The Truth About You And Me is an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which hasn’t influenced my review in any way!

Goodreads Summary: Smart girls aren’t supposed to do stupid things.

Madelyn Hawkins is super smart. At sixteen, she’s so gifted that she can attend college through a special program at her high school. On her first day, she meets Bennet. He’s cute, funny, and kind. He understands Madelyn and what she’s endured – and missed out on – in order to excel academically and please her parents. Now, for the first time in her life, she’s falling in love.

There’s only one problem. Bennet is Madelyn’s college professor, and he thinks she’s eighteen – because she hasn’t told him the truth.

The story of their forbidden romance is told in letters that Madelyn writes to Bennet – both a heart-searing ode to their ill-fated love and an apology.

When I saw the summary for The Truth About You And Me, I knew i had to read it! There’s something about student-teacher romances that are sort of intriguing.

I liked that it was a couple letters written by Maddie to her professor.  What was interesting about Maddie writing the letters was that she wanted so desperately to explain what she was thinking and what it was like for her while she fell for Bennet. She very much believed that she was in love with him.  And she wrote the letter to get him out of jail, because she thinks it wasn’t completely his fault.

That brings up a really interesting point.  I mean, she was 16, never mentioned she was 16 (even though she meant to) and she wanted it to be known what really happened. Also: he (understandably) assumed she was 18/19, but also was horrified when he realized/found out she was 16.  And: she was of consenting age. Well, except for the fact that he was her professor, and it is mentioned that he’s in a position of authority.  Well, according to an unknown source that Maddie found when she googled the age of consent.  She seems aware enough to google it.  But as much as I hate to say this: she was also dumb enough to not tell him she was 16, and to go through with it anyway, even while “knowing” he was her professor.

I found all of that so interesting though.  I wasn’t expecting Bennet to be horrified, and he’s about 9 or 10 years older than her, so while the age difference is pretty noticeable for the two of them, I was also sort of expecting him to not care.  So kudos to Grace for doing something unexpected!

So, Letter #1 is meant for the police, and letter #2 is what happened when he took her home.  Part of me wanted to see a bit more of the time they spent together, but I also liked that she poured out her feelings and how it was love at first sight.  I liked that the entire book was comprised of two letters.  And that they actually read like letters and weren’t broken up.  However, because the story is told we letter form, we’re told what has happened, instead of actually seeing it.  Which, I suppose, is the what Grace was going for, since Maddie is telling her side of the story.

The ending (which is the last letter) was a little expected.  It’s not surprising that they end up running into each other while hiking two years later, but what was surprising was that there’s a mutual agreement of how it ruined Bennet’s life.  There’s no happily ever after- well, not for Maddie and Bennet- but it is nice they had a chance to talk for a few minutes.  Although…he quit before the school could investigate what was going on, and moves across the country without facing any other consequences other than talking to the police.  Who, by the way, didn’t press charges because it wasn’t a clear case, and Maddie and Bennet insisted that nothing happened.

Bennet didn’t make a big impression, which is a little strange because Maddie’s writing the letters because she thinks he’s in jail and wants to get him out and because she wants to explain happened.  But interestingly enough, The Truth About You And Me is more about that than their romance.

Final Thoughts:

I really liked The Truth About You And Me!  I like that the story was told in two letters, and that Maddie wanted to share what it was like for her to fall in love with one of her professors.  While Bennet taking Maddie home after learning she was 16 (and his reaction to learning how old she really was) was refreshing and unexpected, he also seemed to face relatively few consequences.  The Truth About You And Me gets 4 stars.