The Tale of Two Nazanins

The Tale of Two Nazanins by Nazanin Afshin-Jam
Biography
This story is about two very different Nazanins. The Candaian Nazanin Afshin-Jam is a runner-up to Miss World. She is Iranian-born and in the world of fashion and music. She competed for Miss World in China and was wondering how she could make a difference using her media attention. Upon the hundreds of e-mails she received was one from an Iranian teenager named Nazanin who was in prison because she had killed a man.

The Iranian Nazanin Fatehi has grown up in poverty. She wants only to learn to read and become a teacher. She has gone to school sporadically because she must help her mother to raise the other children or to take care fo her father when ill. Nazanin is caught up in a violent situation when she is cornered in a field with some young men who are going to rape her. She defends herself with a knife and stabs the man to death. She is imprisoned and sentenced to death.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam must battle the United Nations and a myriad of other organizations to get the Iranian government to stay the execution. The perseverance and sheer work effort finallly pays off.

We hear of these Muslim-based countries and their treatment of women. This story is but one but really brings home how little value is placed on the life of a female.

First Line: "I was sitting at the computer desk, wedged in between the kitchen and the dining room in the downtown Vancouver condominium belonging to my sister and her husband."
Rating:
(4.0/5)

The Shanghai Murders by David Rotenberg

The Shanghai Murders by David Rotenberg
Mystery

Inspector Fong Zhong of Shanghai gets a case where the body has been cut in to many pieces and the killer is nicknamed the Dim Sum Killer. Visiting the crime scene, Zhong notices that the body parts are pointing to different items, including the victim's wallet, which wasn't initially found at the scene. The victim winds up being a cop from New Orleans. Once his wife Amanda is notified, she is relieved because she had a poor relationship with her husband but decides to fly out to retrieve his body. Meanwhile, Zhong is being investigated himself, after the death of his wife.

There are many elements in this book that are just too convenient to feel anywhere close to something that could happen. Zhong and Amanda fall in love after a few days? I don't think so. Many parts of the book are also never fully explained. The last 3rd of the book was a struggle to get through and seemed to keep getting worse and worse.

There are three other books in this series, which I have, but will be passing along because I have no interest in reading them now.

First Line: "The body in the Hua Shan Hospital's morgue table looked as though it had all the right pieces - but they seemed to be in all the wrong places."

Rating:
(2/5)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Fiction/Literature

The Cirque des Reves only opens at night, popping up in locations unannounced. It captures the imagination of many that visit. All the tents are black and white, with acrobats, a tarot card reader, an illusionist, and many other attractions. What many of the visitors and even most of the participants themselves don't know is that there is more going on at this circus than meets the eye.

Celia is a young girl with special talents. Though she has problems controlling them, she can move objects. Her father, world-famous Prospero, teaches her how to control and hone her skills. Then, Propero offers Celia up to his opponent Alexander in a game. Alexander must pick someone to compete against Celia, showing their magical abilities until one wins. The details are unclear.

As Celia grows older, she becomes the illusionist for the Cirque des Reves. Her opponent also works for the Cirque, but as an assistant to the man who starts the circus. His name is Marco. He learns quickly that Celia is his opponent but Celia doesn't find out for a while. The two create new tents in the circus, full of magical things, to compete against each other. They also grow to love each other, which will make the competition very complicated.

This book draws you in at the very start and takes you on a ride. I really enjoyed Morgenstern's story telling. The circus she created truly was magical and the reader really wants to know the intricacies of each tent in the circus, which are incredibly imaginative.

There were some character issues that had me confused. The two main characters, and opponents, Celia and Marco fell in love very quickly. Why? It was too quick and too convenient, which made it feel very fake. There were some weird character issues like this throughout the novel, though this didn't detract overall from the story.

First Line: "The circus arrives without warning."

Rating:
(4.5/5)

Hpw I Came to Sparkle Again

How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren
Chick Lit
This is a story of three people searching to heal from loss and find love and understanding.

Jill Anthony has just suffered a miscarriage when she returns home to find her husband in the arms of another woman. She flees to where she spent her young adult years, Sparkle, Colorado. Her husband not knowing what has happened cancels her credit cards and Jill now also has financial difficulties. She gets a job working with the ski patrol and babysitting Cassie.

Cassie has lost her mother to breast cancer and is trying to cope. She is so sad but doesn't want to upset her dad. She feels that her mother is sending her messages from heaven for her to find heart-shaped rocks. She does not get along with her babysitters but her father, Mike thinks that Jill will be the last one. The other alternative is to send Cassie to Arizona to her grandparents.

Lisa is Jill's best friend but her life isn't going anywhere. She has had a steady stream of male friends with no lasting relationships. She is getting off that 'race track' and ready to actually look for and accept love.

Jill escapes to Lisa's place and ends up moving in to the Kennel next door. The Kennel is a sort of frat house for the mountain employees. Woman, sex and drugs abound.

The plot line of this book is totally predictable. What makes this book very enjoyable is the way McLaren has written the characters. They are fresh, quirky and lovable. McLaren has a knack for character development. I loved this light feel-good read

First Line: "It was fair to say Jill Anthony's first day back at work had been a disaster - so much so, in fact, that her supervisor had sent her home early."

Buy this Book
Rating:
(4.0/5)

Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt

Forty Word for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
Mystery

Algonquin Bay, Ontario police detective John Cardinal has been searching for two different missing kid cases. When multiple crimes of the same nature happen in such a small town, everyone wants to know what is happening. However Cardinal is suspected of tipping off a criminal and is reduced to burglary investigations.

When the body of one of the missing kids, Katie Pine, is found encased in ice in a mine shaft of an island in the middle of a lake, Cardinal is called back up to investigate. He's partnered with Francophone Lise Delorme, who also happens to be investigating whether he's a crooked cop.

Cardinal pieces together the evidence found at the crime scene and finds that there was another teen that went missing in Algonquin Bay but wasn't reported because he was from Toronto and it wasn't known he was travelling to Algonquin Bay. He soon finds that body too and the hunt is on to find the killer.

This book is truly Canadian. It takes place in a small town Northern community and everything about it is very Canadian. Blunt also has a great sense of humour and there are some pretty entertaining parts of the book. I really like Blunt's writing style. It's quite fluid and very easy to read. I had read the 2nd book in this series first. This is the first book in the series and I'm eager to read the 3rd one.

First Line: "It gets dark early in Algonquin Bay."

Rating:
(4/5)

Key Lime Pie Murder

Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Cozy Mystery

Hannah Swensen, small town baker is going to be judging food at the Tri-Country Fair.  Hannah is caught on the midway after it closes and sees her fellow judge, Willa Sunquist murdered.  Sunquist was the home economics teacher at the high school.  Hannah must, of course, investigate.

The arrogance of Hannah and her abilities to solve crimes is sometimes too much but she does get the 'job' done.  There is the usual cast of characters: Hannah's two boyfriends (Norman and Mike), her two sisters (Andrea and Michelle) and her meddling and bossy mother.  Hannah's cat is also not eating properly and this is almost another detective story in itself. 


First Line: "At precisely eight forty-five on the second Monday morning in June, Hannah Swensen took a number from the deli-style dispenser mounted on a pole next to the secretary's desk and plunked herself down in one of the nondescript chairs in the nondescript waiting room to wait her turn."
Rating:
(3.0/5)

Mortal Causes - Ian Rankin

Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin
Mystery
Inspector Rebus is back with another mystery. This time he gets called to an underground city where a man has been shot 7 times in a military style. Rebus starts the investigation but gets pulled between his own office and the terrorism/drug squad who suspect that one of the loyalist groups may be behind the murder. When Rebus finds out that the murdered man is the son of his enemy, "Big Ger" Cafferty, he knows he's going to hear from him.

This is the worst Rebus book I've read so far. There was a variety of problems with it. The first was that there was very little character development for Rebus. There was a girl that he kissed once and then became obsessed over but I didn't feel this drove Rebus' character anywhere. The second was that I wasn't much interested in the loyalist groups that Rebus was looking in to. There were too many acronyms, too many groups and it got confusing.

Hopefully the next Rebus book is better.
First Line: "He could scream all he liked."
Rating:
(3/5)

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
Teen
At the start of WWII, families in London sent their kids to the English countryside as evacuees to keep their children safe. William is one of the children that was placed in small country town of Little Weirwold with Tom and his dog Sammy. Will is timid and small, having been physically and verbally abused by his mom. Tom is a widower who lost both his wife and son many years ago. Tom helps strengthen Will with food and love and helps him learn to read and write. At the same time, Will helps Tom become less of a recluse and enjoy life a bit more.

This book is heartbreaking. Will is such an innocent kid but is so traumatized by his mother's treatment that it's impossible not to feel deeply saddened by his condition. Magorian did a fantastic job not only of showing how a child can overcome abuse but how a man can break out of his depression and learn to love a kid that just happened in to his life.
First Line: "'Yes,' said Tom bluntly, on opening the front door."
Rating:
(4/5)

Cherry Cheesecake Murder

Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Cozy Mystery

In this book of the series about small town baker, Hannah Swensen the movies are coming to town. There is a movie being shot here. When the director shoots himself with a proper gun that was just checked for safety Hannah just has to investigate.

Who could have or would have wanted to change the prop gun for a real one? Hannah and her sisters start their 'snooping' and of course, solve the crime before the police.

What is wrong with this book: The way Hannah has decided to not accept her two proposals for marriage is degrading for the two gents and why they would ever bother with her again is another question, especially when she seems also infatuated with the writer and former classmate, Ross. How can the police be this stupid? Hannah's mother who is supposed to be interfering should interfere and tell her daughter to stop the dangling act between Norman and Mike.

What is right and why I seem to be a masochist: I love Tracey, Andrea's daughter, this is a fluffy read, I like the setting and it is easy to solve the crime. I also like the smattering of recipes.

First Line: "Cut."
Rating: (3.0/5)

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
Fiction

Thursday Next, the literary detective, is back in her second novel investigating literary crimes. Her Special Ops team is investigating a possible never-before-found play by Shakespeare. While investigating its legitimacy, Next gets another visit from mega-corporation Goliath. If Next doesn't help them get their ex-CEO out of The Raven, they are going to eradicate Next's husband.

Next eventually finds a group that can jump in and out of books as they please called Jurisfiction. She is apprenticed to Miss Havisham from Great Expectations to teach her the ropes. Once again, there's a heck of a lot for Next to solve, accomplish, and do in this novel.

You definitely need to have read the first book to understand this one! I read this book right after the first one and enjoyed them both equally. This book seemed a little less crammed than the first novel and I enjoyed the ending quite a bit more. This book is charming and a fun read.

First Line: "I didn't ask to be a celebrity."

Rating:
(4/5)

Peach Cobbler Murder

Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke
Cozy Murder


Hannah Swensen's, The Cookie Jar bakery is in trouble. Shawna Lee and Vanessa Quinn have opened up the Magnolia Blossom Bakery and all of Hannah's business has gone there. She is hoping it is just a passing fancy. She also hopes that Mike really isn't seriously interested in Shawna Lee.

Hannah's partner Lisa's wedding is here. Basically the whole town is invited and everyone has contributed desserts. In between the service and the reception, Shawna Lee is murdered. Who had the time and motive?

Hannah's mother's relationship with Winthrop is progressing much to the chagrin of Hannah and her sister, Andrea.

I like this book much much better than the last one of the series. There seemed to be a tad more substance although remember this is a cozy mystery. Hannah and her stringing along of Mike and Norman is awful. Mike should not have spent so much time with Shawna and Norman is taking things too slow for me. As for Hannah, decide already.

First Line: "Dick Laughlin just went in"

Rating:
(3.5/5)