The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
Historical Fiction

A short time in to Queen Elizabeth's reign, a stranger shows up at her door with a diary. The stranger claims to have been one of Queen Anne Boleyn's ladies in waiting during her last days as she waited in the Tower of London for her death. Elizabeth only knows what others have told her about her mother. This diary gives her a look in to her mother's most private thoughts from before her courtship with Henry, her engagement, marriage, and subsequent demise.

The book gives a great history lesson of both Anne and Elizabeth's early days. Having watched the TV show The Tudors, I already had a rough idea of the history and recognized most of the names that Anne wrote about. I think it would have been harder to pick up on who was who without this background.

The most enjoyable part of the book was how Elizabeth was affected by reading the diary. She didn't know much of her mother and seemed to learn a lot by her mother's past experiences and mistakes. Elizabeth draws on this to help her make an important decision that parallel's Anne's life.

First Line: "'God's death!' roared Elizabeth."

Rating:

(4/5)

Shadow Prey

Shadow Prey by John Sandford
Mystery

Sam and Aaron Crow have a motive when they send out three Indians equipped with ceremonial obsidian knives to kill a person in NY, one in Oklahoma and one in Minnesota. The motive is that each of these people have committed injustices against Indians.

Lucas Davenport and Lily Rothenberg, a NY cop, must determine what is going on before an important FBI person is murdered.

The Crows have a son, Shadow Love. He is a psychopath who has his own agenda and it involves Lucas and Lily.

Sandford writes a gritty police mystery. Lucas is a rich cop who invents and sells games during his off hours. Lily is the perfect reluctant love interest.

First Line: "They were in a service alley, tucked between two dumpsters."

Rating:

(4.0/5)

The Shop on Blossom Street

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Women's Fiction

Lydia Hoffman has opened up a yarn shop on Blossom Street. She wants to affirm her life now that she is cancer-free. In order to gain some business Lydia offers beginners a lesson on "Knitting a Baby Blanket". Three ladies show up.

Jacqueline who is a high society snob dislikes her daughter-in-law and now finds out she is to be a grandma. This blanket will show 'good faith'.

Carol who has been through two IVFs is about to begin another set which will be her last. She believes this is a sign of a pregnancy without mishaps.

Alix who was caught with her roomie's drugs will do this for community service. Maybe knitting is a way to control her anger.

Each of the ladies is completely different and they end up learning about themselves and forming deep friendships.

First Line: "The first time I saw the empty store on Blossom Street I thought of my father."

Rating:

(3.5/5)

The Cellist of Sarajevo

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Literature

This novel tells the story of three people trying to survive in Sarajevo during the siege.

One day a shell lands and kills twenty-two people waiting in line for bread, as the cellist watches from a window in his apartment. He vows to sit in the hollow where the mortar fell and play Albinoni's Adagio once a day for each of the twenty-two victims. Arrow, a female sniper, is asked to protect the cellist from a hidden shooter who is out to kill the cellist. Until now Arrow has been able to pick her own targets. She is now assigned a target and her whole life changes.

Kenan must navigate the dangerous streets to order to get water for his family and an elderly neighbour. At each intersection Kenan is paralyzed with fear as he watches people crossing get picked off by the snipers in the hills.

Dragon is out on the streets to go and get a free meal if he can only get there. His family has escaped the city. As he waits at an intersection he meets an old friend only to watch her get gunned down.

This novel brings the horrific and scary aspects of war and strife to the forefront. It is truly amazing what the people of Sarajevo endured. I found the ending of the book unsatisfying as there really was no ending.

Aside: It is very interesting that a Canadian author with an 'English' last name is writing so intensely about a war in Sarajevo.

First Line: "It screamed downward, splitting air and sky without effort."

Rating:

(4.0/5)

Taft by Ann Patchett

Taft by Ann Patchett
Fiction/Literature

John Nickel gave up his musical career to become a bar owner in Memphis, trying to prove to his girlfriend that he could support her and their child. Despite how hard John tried to prove his worth to her, she left for Miami, taking John's child with her.

As John gets used to a life of managing a bar, Fay Taft walks into the bar looking for a place to work. John offers her a job and trouble follows. Fay's father died of a heart attack recently, which brought Fay and her brother Carl to Memphis to stay with their aunt and uncle. Carl becomes a regular at the bar, bringing bad customers with him. Meanwhile Fay is reaching out for a fatherly figure and John is the only prominent male in her life.

This book is very easy to get in to, as all Ann Patchett books seem to be. It was interesting how John, a large black man, surveyed his relationship with Fay, a petite white girl, and what it would look like to others. That being said, I found the ending unsatisfying. Though I suspected things would climax the way they did, nothing much resulted from it which left me wanting something more.

First Line: "A girl walked into the bar."

Rating:

(4/5)

The Last Temptation

The Last Temptation by Val McDermid
Mystery

Carol Jordan is now working undercover in Europe trying to catch a mastermind drug trafficker. She is still reeling over her breakup with criminal profiler, Dr. Tony Hill. Carol is working at getting into the confidence of the drug trafficker.

A serial killer is on the loose in Europe, always striking near waterways. The serial killer is psychotic because of Nazi atrocities. Carol ends up being on the serial killers death list.

Carol needs help in order to get 'into' the mind of the drug trafficker. Who can she call? Dr. Tony Hill, who has retired from this line of work, comes to her rescue. She also is investigating the serial killer and who better to help her but Tony Hill.

This book has a lot of twists and turns as McDermid always delivers. A great psychological thriller!

First Line: "Blue is one colour the Danube never manages."

Rating:

(4.0/5)

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
Young Adult

Demons are starting to appear all over the world. It seems that the spell sending the demons to Limbo is eroding. If a human gets hold of a demon who knows what will be revealed or what will be unleashed. Holly Short is brought back by Foaly to help with the investigation. Holly and Diggums had teamed up to do some private investigations. Foaly has some new really neat technological stuff.

Artemis is already on the path to trying to capture a demon. But so is his counterpart, a beautiful 12 year old girl who happens to be his equal in the intelligence department.

The addition of new characters really brings this story to life and I found I liked this book the best so far in the series. Can't wait to see if these new characters stick around for awhile

First Line: "Happy was not a word often used to describe Artemis Fowl's bodyguard."

Rating:

(4.0/5)

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
Young Adult

Artemis Fowl's knowledge of the underground was wiped clean in the last book. Opal Koboi, a really bad gal has cloned herself and broken out of prison. Artemis is trying to steal an impressionist painting in Berlin and now Opal is after him for putting her behind bars. To make matters worse it looks like LEP Captain Holly Short is being investigated for killing her commander and will not be able to ride to the rescue.

This is a light entertaining read. I love Mulch Diggums, the tunnel-making dwarf. He and Holly really banter back and forth. Looking forward to the next one in the series.

First Line: "This article was posted on the fairy Internet, on the site www.horse.gnom."

Rating:

(4.0/5)

Loyalty in Death

Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb
Cozy Mystery

A terrorist group by the name of Cassandra is bombing NYC. Eve Dallas must decipher the taunting letters and try to stop this group. They are killing thousands of people and seem to have no remorse. Dallas must save the people and the landmarks of the city.

A wealthy tools & toy manufacturer is killed by his jealous girlfriend(Lizabeth). She seems to get off light and Dallas still continues the investigation hoping to find some fault in Lizabeth's story. In the meantime Peabody's brother has been commissioned to do some carpentry in NYC for none other than the deceased's brother. Coincidence?? Of course not!

While still a good read, I found the protaganist to be so obvious so there were no surprises. What makes this a good read are the steamy sex scenes!! Including the one with Peabody!!!

First Line: "Dear Comrade, We are Cassandra."

Rating:

(4.5/5)

High Five

High Five by Janet Evanovich
Cozy Mystery

Stephanie Plum doesn't have much bounty work to do so she tries to find her uncle who went missing after going to the garbage company to complain about $2. Soon she find herself being followed and a lot of cars being destroyed.

This is an amusing series and this book (5) still delivers. Stephanie, this time, is hired by Ranger to do some work which in her inevitable way never seems to quite get done as the reader would expect.

Two deliciously sexy men, attitude from Stephanie, a family as crazy as your own, what more can a reader want. Looking forward to six.

First Line: "When I was a little girl I used to dress Barbie up without underpants."

Rating:

(3.5/5)