Washington Avalanche 1910 by Cameron Dokey

In 1910, there was a train stop called Wellington (known today as Tye) and on Feb 23 of that year, record breaking snowfall hit the Cascade mountains surrounding it.  There was approximately a foot of snow every hour and up to 11 feet recorded in just one day.  Two trains, #25 (Fast Mail) and #27 (passengers) were on their way towards Seattle when the snowfall caused them to be trapped for nine days at Wellington.  The extreme weather resulted in an avalanche that took 96 victims.  Only 23 survived.  Is the heroine of this story, Ginny, going to be one of them?



Wellington before Avalanche



She is on #27, attempting to escape from her evil stepbrother in Spokane.  On this train, Ginny is rescued by Virginia, another young frightened woman.  How does Ginny thank her newfound friend?  Steals her boyfriend.  Yep.  What begins as a "harmless" exchange of names in order to "inspect" the unknown fiance of Virginia (whom she has never met, but just happens to be on this train as well) turns into "love at first sight" and ultimate betrayal.  You-know-what happens and I get that, but this Ginny gal takes things WAY too far and I found myself disgusted with her.  I mean, my gawd, let the real Virginia have some happiness for a change. 



After



Anyways, the book was really informative about the avalanche and what the passengers went thru, but there were far too many convenient coincidences for Ginny, and the heroine ended up being very unlikeable, and the ending... again, WAY too convenient for Ginny, but I'm not going to say why.  I just didn't like it at all.

I got these pictures from Wiki.. for more pictures, check out the following website: http://www.avalanche-center.org/phpBB2/v/wellington/

 This was a library book.

The Coolest Birthday Cake Ever

I'm totally veering off the subject of books here, but this cake my husband got me for my birthday was just WAY too cool not to share. 

And of course, I must take this opportunity to remind all my female followers: WE CAN DO IT!!! :)

Giveaway And Review: Solid by Shelley Workinger

The term "military brat" gets a whole 'nother meaning in this YA "paranormal" novel.  You got a group of Army brats with a very interesting story.  When their mothers were pregnant, a crazy Army doctor managed to mess with their baby chromosomes.  The result:  A group of 95 teenagers that are super jocks or have the ability to make invisible walls, or make themselves invisible or star like. 

The secret comes out when all these Army babies are seventeen and they are sent to a secret camp so their ablilities can better be explored.  The narrator is Clio, short for Calliope.  Her dad was an Army soldier killed years ago.  She has felt like an outcast until now.  At the base camp she not only learns about her abilities, but makes friends.  There's Jack, Miranda (very annoying girl!!), Bliss, and Garrett.  All these friends start to realize there is more going on in the camp than meets the eye.  Why does the internet not work?  Why can't they call their parents?

I enjoyed the story and found it very plausible.  You never know nowadays!  LOVED the heroine and her sarcastic remarks.  My fave is when she discovers the medical building requires her to scan her finger before entering, "..so much for a place to run to in an emergency - you could bleed out trying to get in.  You'd really be screwed if the emgergency was a severed hand."

My only complaint:  The cool stuff with their abilities started late into the story and the ending was somewhat rushed.  However, there is a sequel to this, so I imagine it was done this way on purpose, to keep the reader in some suspense. 

I recieved this in ebook format from the author.  The author is also giving away a signed copy to a lucky winner on Halloween 10/31/2010.  Leave a comment with your email address to enter the contest. Good luck! :) (And as usual, winners will be chosen from Jazzy's dog bowl.)

The Countess of Bathory: Book Comparison

Picture of the real Countess of Bathory.. She was really quite pretty.

A recent release by Rebecca Johns is the most recent of the Countess of Bathory books I have read.  Sadly, it only warrants a two star rating.  It was boring.  It could be about ANY woman living in 1600s Hungary.  There is none of the depravity that the Countess went down in history for.  Though I respect that the author was attempting to portray her in a sympathetic light, that is not what people want when they pick up a book about Elizabeth Bathory.  She doesn't do anything appalling until halfway thru the novel.  (Pours honey on a servant and allows her to be devoured by bugs.)  She does not marry until almost Part II and three childbirths, the plague, the loss of 2 children, and ten years of marriage is summed up in a mere three or four paragraphs.  This was simply a disappointment. I will say, however, the first person narrative was well done.  I liked the style of it. Thankfully, it was an ARC given to me by a friend.

The second Countess of Bathory book which warranted a three star rating from me is Bathory: Memoir of a Countess by A. Mordeaux. I read this in April of 2009 and rated it a 3. Here is the review: This novel is certainly not for the easily offended or faint of heart. The murder scenes are gorey and violent and the sex is rather perverted.. and there is a lot of it. I think there was more sex than murder which says a lot considering the Countess of Bathory supposedly murdered 600 or more people. This novel begins with her as a young girl (I am unsure of age as she is sleeping on her nanny's bossum one moment and the next she is losing her virginity) and all around her there is violence. Her father, mother, brother, everybody except servants is killing, raping, or torturing someone. Even as a young girl, the Countess seems to enjoy it tho. She marries and graduates into the same vile behavior. However, she begins to murder "noble" girls instead of just servant girls, leading to her eventual imprisonment. She had an obsession with growing old and was jealous of young girls and if this book is to believed, she had an extensive and varied sexual appetite.  Thus, whereas The Countess had too little depravity consiering the subject, this one had too much.





The third Countess of Bathory book and the winner in my opinion (rating a 5) is Dandelions in the Garden by Charlie Courtland. Much thanks to Charlie for providing me with a copy in order to do this comparison. And I can honestly say, the book is wonderful. (I AM NOT JUST SAYING THAT CAUSE THE AUTHOR WAS KIND. TOTALLY UNBIASED REVIEWS HERE!) When I first started reading this novel, my first thought was, "This doesn't feel like the 1600s." And it didn't. The narrator, Amara has a very modern way of thinking and speaking, and I found myself wondering if they really had tabloids and chiming clocks that far back. Once the story went back to the late 1500s however, I became so engrossed in two little girls growing up together and experiencing their first loves, first kisses, first broken hearts, and first forrays into rebellion that I completely forgot about possible lack of historical authenticity and just sat back and enjoyed a very good story.

Amara and Elizabeth grow up together rather neglected and have little to no experience with the world outside their domain. They have a governess and pretty much run free and get into trouble. And what kind of trouble do most teenage girls get into? They fall in love. The problem is Elizebeth is not just any ordinary teenage girl, but the countess of Bathory and her marriage to a Count has been arranged. Despite her attempts, she is unable to avoid marrying the "harry ogre" and try she does! Elizabeth has shown a fiery side even before her wedding day and on her wedding night, she finds a new power within herself: the power to get her way. There is no stopping her from that point on. Is Elizabeth evil? She does some bad things, but I wouldn't say she is evil.. not in this take on her life. She simply DOES what we all THINK about, but don't have the courage to do. When servants gossip behind her back, she not only stops it, but ensures it doesn't happen again. Is she sexually promiscuous? Yes, but she desires to CHOOSE her lovers, not bed the man other's chose for her. And honestly, there isn't a woman in this world that doesn't desire to kill the woman that steals her man...

The book is mostly about Amara tho. Amara is a delightful narrator, full of charm and wit. Amara experiences spurned love of her own while growing up in the Countess's shadow. However, when a knight named Draco enters the picture, she has a chance at happiness. BUT, throwing daggers at fence posts and declaring that it is his head is NOT the way to a man's heart! LOL

I have two minor quibbles. 1. Upon first marrying Francis, Elizabeth's main goal in life was to keep him out of her bed. It obviously happened sometime tho and as perverted as everyone is going to think I am, I wanted to know when that came about. She made so much ado about it... so what made her finally give in? Towards the end of the novel, I said, "What?? When did she give up that fight? Did I accidentally miss a paragraph somewhere?" (And NO, I did not skip or skim.) Then again, perhaps Amara is simply not privy to everything. 2. There is a fabulous and exciting rescue scene involving both Elizabeth and Amara dressing up as Turks. For some reason, this was told by the "modern" day Amara, rather than being part of the real story. I would have liked to EXPERIENCE this scene more.

Neither of those two quibbles prevented me from thoroughly enjoying this novel tho. I could not put it down. I was absolutely delighted with it and laughed and smiled throughout the entire reading of it.   The sequel makes a fine conclusion.  See Review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/09/hidden-will-of-dragon-countess-of.html

An oil painting of the real Countess of Bathory.

Murder at the Arlington by Kathleen Kaska

This is the first in a historical mystery series taking place in the 1950s following spunky Sydney, girl reporter as she travels to different historical hotels.  This one finds her at the Arlington (est 1924) in Rock Springs, Arksansas.

Sydney thinks she is just doing a travel story.  Not so!! Upon checking into the historical hotel, rather than immediately getting a mineral bath and massage (that comes later) she finds a dead body in her bathtub.  Of course, Sydney is very nosy.  She is a reporter.. and a really sassy one I would like to add.  I loved her.  She is witty, funny, sarcastic, and dresses in a suit and fedora complete with a fake red mustache when she needs to. 

Gossipy housekeepers, gangsters, a sexy detective, a suspicous hotel manager, and her cousin Ruth keep Sydney on her toes as four dead bodies pile up at the Arlington.  There are truck chases, hooch causing forest fires, and Sydney is abducted in her pajamas as she visits numerous tourist spots in Hot Springs.  She visits the Oaklawn Race Track, gets shot at on Music Mountain, falls off a bridge over the Ouachita River, and just about everyday, goes to the famous Bathhouse Row. 

I thought it was great.  It was a whodunit and I didn't know whodunit till I had ten percent of the novel left.  The heroine is my kind of gal, full of fun and spunk and constantly sneaking out from under "house arrest."  I could have done without Grady and his lame jokes though.  They didn't add to the story in any way.

Favorite quote:  "I almost got married once, but I decided that sharing my money wouldn't be much fun."

I bought this book on Amazon kindle.

Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

The first thing I saw when I opened this book was this..

Q:  What do you get when you cross Avon Ladies...

Let's give a shout out to our Avon ladies.  This is mine.
The book heroine's mom also pops up a lot and had me thinking we should give a shout out to our mothers.
This is my mom too.  Hi, mom! Thanks for all the Avon stuff and just for being there!



...with Charlie's Angels?

A:  This really fun book!!!

I loved this.  I can't say I learned anything groundbreaking or shed a tear but I did laugh and I was entertained.  I love the idea and I love the way it was implemented.

Nikki Lanier is an unemployed 25 year old woman still living with her mom.  So when she wins a starter kit for selling Carrie Mae cosmetics, she's not overjoyed, but basically is like, "well, what the heck... what have I got to lose?"  (That's not a quote, but my words.)

Well.. let's just say Nikki is not cut out for sales and making a woman eat her lipstick ends up leading to a promotion.  (Oh! If only we could all get promotions for making people eat.. stuff.. You can tell what I'm thinking but won't dare say!)  Nevertheless, Nikki finds herself taking driving courses, cocktails classes, and shooting at balloons.  It's like basic training, but the women in training aren't military, CIA, or FBI.. They are Carrie Mae makeup ladies! 

You see, the makeup line is the outside.  The inside is a group of highly trained female operatives with mace body sprays, exploding cell phones, and "bug" earrings that travel around the world and help women in need.

Nikki's first assignment:  track down a missing woman in Thailand.  She is assigned to a total bad a** chick as a partner, travels to Thailand, has run ins with elephants, human traffickers, angry cab drivers, and runs into a super sexy guy she met once in Canada.. Hm.. Could his appearance be connected to her current case?

I frowned when Nikki stole someone's dirt bike.. I would like to have read that she had reimbursed the owner in some way.  Those things aren't always cheap!!  Otherwise, I really loved this book. 

Laugh out loud moment:  (Those that watch Speed Tv with the hubbies will know what this means.  For those that don't, here's a quick explanation:  Sometimes in motorcycle races, the bikes will have a sidecar thing with a person leaning or hanging out of it to help the rider turn sharper without losing speed.  That's called a monkey.)  When Nikki is driving a stolen cab and her partner Val is a passenger and they are chasing someone and a sharp turn comes up, Nikki says to Val, "Be my monkey!"

Val's response:  "Be your own monkey, b*tch!"

Women with attitude and hidden weapons in their makeup.. Way cool!  When is the sequel?

I bought this book on Amazon.

Countdown: Queens of England

This month's Countdown is Queens of England.  What is Countdown?  It's a feature I started for my blog in which once a month, I post a list of 5 books of the same topic, genre, country, or subject matter.  There's a 5 star read (which I thought was superb), a four star read (I liked it, but there was an issue), a three star read, (it's ok but had some issues and I'm not recommending it to 5000 people), a two star read (I didn't like it), and of course, the dreaded one star read (I hated it.)

5 star read:
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

First published in 2001.  Fictional account of the lives of Mary and Anne Boleyn.  Anne was Henry VIII's second wife and yes, one that had her head chopped off.  You either love it for the writing and the scandal and the juicy narrative of Anne Boleyn's sister, Mary or you hate it for its historical inaccuracy.  I loved it.








Four star read:
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

First published in 2006.  It is a fictional account of Lady Jane Grey who was placed on the English throne for 9 days.  She didn't want to be there, but royal connections and family placed her there in an attempt to prevent the rightful heir, Bloody Mary from taking it.  It didn't quite "blow me away" but I liked it.







Three star read:
The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes

First published in 1953.  Fictional account of Elizabeth of York who combined the white and the red roses of England and birthed a new dynasty.  Good story, but the first person narrative didn't work in this case what with Elizabeth being stuck in a monastry throughout pretty much the entire novel.  Everything exciting happening is TOLD to Elizabeth and something def got lost this way.






Two star read:
The Forgotten Queen by Haley Elizabeth Garwood

First published in 1998.  This is the only book by Garwood I didn't like.  Fictional account of the Empress Mathilda and her attempt to wrestle her throne from her cousin Stephen.  This was too preposterous for me.  Mathilda beds her cousin while acting like a petulant child and stomping her foot most of the time.  Nothing queenly about her at all.  And the love talk... ugh.







One star read: 
I, Victoria by Cynthia Harrod Eagles

First published in 1995.  Fictional diary/journal account of Queen Victoria.  Some people really like this one and I encourage everyone to judge for themselves.  For me, it was a DNF.  Victoria gets sidetracked way too much and goes on and on about palace decorations and her aunt's indigestion.  I don't like books made 200 pages longer with irrelevant details.