Genre – Page 6 – The Spine View

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

I wanted to read the book, The Queen’s Gambit, before I watched the Netflix series, this was the driving force for me. It was published in 1983, and since that time it has probably languished on shelves everywhere, until recently. I knew of the author, Tevis, from the film The Color of Money. So I was not surprised that another of his works is now on film. What did surprise me was how much I was drawn into the world of chess and how I loved the main character Beth.

Beth Harmon is an orphan and a chess prodigy. We follow her life at an orphanage in Kentucky where she lives until she is adopted by a family. Shortly after the adoption, her new father deserts them. These events, along with her genius, shape who she will become as an adult. She will struggle to connect with people and find her place in the world, all the while she is rising to stardom in the male dominated world of chess.

Beth is a complex character. As she grows up and we delve deeper into the character, the author builds one subtle layer on top of another. At times, she is a contradiction. She is strong, yet also weak and driven by the one thing she truly understands, chess. The author’s character development is so perfect as to supersede the plot by leaps and bounds.

The plot, however, is not lacking either. Beth sets out at a very young age to be the world chess champion. This one goal not only defines her, it consumes her and she has many obstacles thrown in her way as she works toward this goal.

The last thing I would like to point out is the prose. Yes, there is an awesome character and a great plot and it is all held together by the wonderfully, descriptive prose. So elegant and readable. The story would not be half as captivating without the stunning prose. It made all the difference.

At the heart, this is a coming-of-age story. The author uses chess at a plot tool but it could have easily been something else. The story examines the price Beth pays for her genius. How it makes her a loner and how she uses drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. The story also delves into depression and the how to survive and even thrive in a world dominated by men.

I recommend this to people who love a character driven, coming-of-age story. It will especially appeal to those who love the game of chess. In addition, this would make an excellent choice for a book club because there are so many topics to discuss that are still relevant today.

The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes

The Last Watch, by J. S. Dewes, has a Battlestar Galactic vibe. If you crossed that, with something like, The Expanse it would make a fairly accurate description of this epic space adventure. It is an excellent blend of characters and action that makes it a thrilling read and has established Dewes firmly in the category of authors to watch in the Sci-Fi world.

Told from two POVs, Cavalon Mercer the disowned royal heir and Adequin Rake the commanding officer of the decommissioned battlecruiser, now jail of sorts, Argus. The ship sits on the edge of the universal, literally. The edge, called the Divide, is the point where the universal has quit expanding. The job of the Argus and her crew, along with similar other vessels, is to guard the Divide against their enemy the Viator.

There is just one problem, the universe has started to collapse and it will swallow everything in its path. There is no one else at the Divide and no way to reach the Core to get help. Therefore, this ragtag bunch of criminals and misfits maybe the only way to stop disaster.

Though this is a debut novel, it reads with much more sophistication than I expected. The characters are well rounded and the author gets you inside their heads so that you not only understand them, but you have empathy for them. Even the minor characters you understand their motives and actions. For example, you know why Griffith is serving aboard the Argus. It was no surprise to me what he revealed to Rake at the end, though she refused to see it. However, I think deep down she knew and was just afraid to admit it to herself.

The plot was fast paced and I found myself caught up in the action. In a couple of places I was biting my nails over the suspense. I also liked the twists and most were unexpected. However, one negative thing, though minor, I suspected some of the things that happened in the end. Yet, I felt this did not detract from the story in the slightest.

There are so many directions the next book could go in. I really want to find out more about the other characters, like Puck. I want to understand the underlying politics better and lastly I want to know more about the Viator. I am so looking forward to book two. Not looking forward to the wait! I want the second book NOW!

This is an all-around great opening to a series and I highly recommend this book for all loves of Sci-Fi. It will especially appeal to those that like Space Opera. I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker

If you are in the mood for a light read that goes quickly, look no further than A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker. It is a charming cozy mystery with a paranormal twist.

The main character, Becky, is a medium that lives in the small town of Asheville. As a medium, she assists the spirits of the departed who need a little help in moving onto the next life. She truly enjoys being helpful to them. However, her siblings do not feel the same as she does. They refuse to recognize that they also possess the same ability, inherited from their mother, and thus avoid her at times.

No one is avoiding Becky on her 26^th birthday, this includes Josh’s, her boyfriend from high school, ghost shows up. He went missing 10 years ago to the day and no one ever found out what happened. You can imagine what a shock this all is to Becky. She feels she must do whatever is necessary to help Josh move on. However, to do this she will have to figure out how he died.

I enjoyed this innovative take on a cozy mystery. I know there are other cozies out there that are similar, but this one is just done really well. The author didn’t haphazardly add the paranormal elements. The elements were well thought out and added a little something extra. In addition, I felt they helped moved the plot along. Also, the author did not leave any cliffhangers. Yet, there are a lot of places Becky’s story can go from here. For Example, I hope in future books she will help her siblings with their gifts.

I also liked Becky’s character a lot. It suited the story nicely and the author did a good job with the character development. I would have liked just a little more development on Becky’s siblings. I think this may have been intention since it leaves some things for future books.

I also want to mention that I live is Asheville and have for over 40 years. Therefore, a person can’t just write nonsense about the area unless you want me to call you out on it. I am happy to report there was no nonsense in this book. The author was spot on in describing the city and its’ atmosphere.

I like it when a book surprises me or gives me something new and different. I recommend this book to readers of cozy mysteries. I think you will find it as enjoyable as I did. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

While the author asked me for a review, I used my Kindle Unlimited to read this book.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

I have been waiting on the edge of my seat ever since I found out there would be a sequel to Ready Player One. All that waiting for nothing, just terribly disappointed with Ready Player Two. I am so disappointed I almost don’t know where to start because almost nothing worked for me in this story. Ugh!

Let’s talk about Wade first. His character totally changed in the second book. All he did was whine until something like the last 10 pages. He was also rather shallow and self-absorbed in this story. I get that the author wanted to “grow” the character, but it felt like Wade actually regressed. He was no longer the poor kid from the ghetto that everyone could root for. Instead, he acted like the spoiled rich kid that was not getting his way. The result was I was not able to connect to his character any longer.

I really loved the 80s cultural references in the first book. However, in the second book I hated them. I felt like Cline just went through all the 80s and picked as many as he could and haphazardly put them onto the page and wove the story around them. What was he thinking? This is a classic example of the saying, “less is more”. I especially felt this way when the story reached Prince’s (the pop singer) world. It was way overdone.

Then we get to the plot. Why, oh why could we have not explored some new territory here? But no, we had to have another egg hunt. You would think at least Cline could get that part right. Wrong… so very wrong. Not only where there way too many 80s references, there was also the idea that no one could solve the first riddle, including Wade, for several years then all of a sudden he can solve all of them in just a few hours. Granted he got help with all of them, especially the first. What happened the genius riddle solver from book one?

There is some good news here. I read a couple of five star reviews; therefore, some people loved it. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. In fact, it appears that I am in the majority. In summary, I found this one to be a hot mess.

Voices From the Past: A year of great quotations by W. B. Marsh

I am a history buff and Voices From the Past by W. B. Marsh is the perfect book to satisfy that craving for history and knowledge. As the title suggests, it is a quote per day from well-known historical figures such as Napoleon and Julius Caesar. Each quote is followed by a brief history lesson on the origin of the quote.

On the aesthetics side, I loved that the book is well indexed. Several times I used it to look up quotes I had read and wanted to refresh my memory on. The layout is nicely done also. I particularly liked that the book has a satin ribbon to mark your place or a particular quote you like.

As for the quotes themselves, I found them interesting and they represented a large span of time. The author put a lot of thought into the ones that were included in this book. Quotes are a dime a dozen. All you have to do is look on any website about quotes and it will usually contain thousands of them. However, as a rule, they do not have the interesting historical tidbits behind them. And the tidbits is what makes them so fascinating and why I enjoyed this book so much.

I highly recommend this book for any quote and/or history lover. It would make a great gift. Also, it looks nice on my coffee table and has started a few conversations.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via LibraryThing’s early reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Seven Perfect Things, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, was the perfect holiday lift I needed. A story of a young girl and her love for a littler of abandon puppies she is determined to raise. Truly heartwarming.

Abby, a thirteen year old girl, happens to witness someone through a sack of something into the river. When it wiggles, she dives into the river to rescue a litter of seven puppies. Her Dad will never let her keep them so she takes them to the local Animal Shelter to surrender them in the hopes they can find them a home.

When she arrives at the shelter the worker quickly informs her of the reality of pet overpopulation. In short, it is highly unlikely these puppy will be adopted. The shelter will only hold them a few days before they will be euthanized.

Out of options, she recalls an abandoned cabin on the outskirts of town. She takes them there and cares for them without her Dad knowing. Now she is able to take her time finding them a home. She settles them into the shed on the property and starts the task of feeding and caring for them.

In the meantime, Elliot, having just lost his wife to a long battle with cancer, decides to retreat to his hunting cabin he has not visited in years. When he arrives he discovers it is occupied by a girl and a litter of seven puppies. This is not the peace and quiet he was expecting and needing to help him grieve. However, he is impressed with Abby’s tenacity and decides to help her with the puppies. One thing leads to another and he finds himself offering his help to more than just a litter of puppies.

This book is all about the characters which I loved, well except for Stan. Abby will especially capture your heart. She is kind but also strong and brave as well as resourceful. Mary too is strong, though she does not realize it at first. She has been beaten down for so long it is surprising that she has the will to try to escape her circumstances.

The plot was good and the puppies made the story extra sweet. They added that special element that made the book extra special. There was just the right amount of drama to move the story on and it kept my interest. I appreciate that the author didn’t add a romance element to Mary and Elliot. Elliot was not ready for that and it would have felt forced.

While this is a somewhat predicable story, I can’t deny the fact that it gave me the warm fuzzes while reading it. This has been my year for these types of stories. I have found myself gravitating towards them all throughout the year. If you need the warm fuzzes, this is the book for you.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

This is a super cute Christmas romance story with a side of Groundhog’s Day thrown in. Maelyn, the MC, is spending Christmas with family and close friends at a cabin in Colorado. A long standing tradition. However things go horribly wrong this Christmas. On the way back to the airport she makes a wish for the universe to show her what will make her happy.

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for,” because immediately after the wish a car runs a red light and plows into the car Maelyn is riding in. When she wakes up it is no longer December 26th but December 20th and she back on the plane headed to Colorado and the cabin. She must figure out what will make her happy.

Cheesy…yes. Predictable… totally! Yet I still enjoyed it. The characters are what make this story. The plot had a great pace and even the minor characters were well done. I appreciated all the flaws of Maelyn. The author was very authentic with her handling of this character.

I can see this appealing to lovers of romance and contemporary fiction. This would make a good choice for a book club because there are a lot of life lessons that the main character must learn to move forward.

The Girl From Far Away by Jennifer Austin

Pub. Date: 31-July-2020
Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Girl From Far Away by Jennifer Austin is a YA fantasy story that has elements of Science Fiction also. It was an interesting take on alternate worlds and has an XMen feel to it. An enjoyable read.

The story is told from two points of view. The first is Jess’s and she is from Earth. The other POV is Ella’s whom lives on an alternate earth, called Biack, which has more advanced technology. The two characters are linked somehow (there was never really a good answer on this and I’ll talk about this later) because they both experience the others life through their dreams.

Jess’s life has been difficult. She has lived with an abusive stepfather and a mother who appears to be an absentee parent. Also, it turns out her friends are not much of friends. Her brother is the only person she is really close to and he is no longer around after a run in with their stepfather. On the other hand, Ella has lived the life of privilege as the daughter of the King and she will one day become the Queen of Biack.

It has been foretold that Ella and others will be born with special abilities and they come in a time of great need for Biack. Jess discovers she has a special ability when the “falls” into Biack. She is disoriented but found and quickly befriended by Ella. Yet Jess does not trust easily and ends up in the hands of the Red Shirts an organization that is trying to start a coup. She will have to learn to trust before she can be saved.

I liked the characters in this book. Not only did they feel real but the actions and dialogue were correct for the age. I especially enjoyed the character of Jess. The author did a great job of rounding out her character and I understood her. However, I wished we had gotten more character development for Ella and the some of the secondary characters. The roles they played warranted it and further development would have enhanced the story. I have a feeling that this was intentional because the ending was such that I can see a sequel in the future. If the author spilt all the beans now there would be nothing to look forward to.

The beginning, roughly 20 pages or so, was a little slow. Once you get a little deeper into the story there is a lot more action and the pace picks up a bit. I never got bored with the plot. There was enough meat there to keep me interested and the subplot worked nicely, though it didn’t really get resolved.

In addition, there were also things hinted at but never really explained. Like theories on how the kids’ special abilities were acquired. The story just says they were born with them. I wanted to know if it was a mutation maybe because of the radiation from the sun or if it was believed to be something else that caused it. Again, I have a feeling this is intentional for the reasons I have already mentioned. Intentional or not, I missed it and wished there had been a little bit more world building.

This is a good solid debut YA story. I have no doubt that it will appeal to lovers of YA. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has become my favorite book by V. E. Schwab and my favorite read this year. It is an absorbing story that is brilliantly written and absolutely flawless is execution.

Addie LeRue is born in 1741 in a small, rural French community. Her dream is to travel to bigger cities and experience the greater world. These dreams are far more than a simple girl can ever aspire to. Her circumstances, and the times, will see her wed to someone she does not love. She will die young, worn out by domestic life and children she does not want.

Addie is desperate to avoid this fate. So desperate in fact, she makes a deal with a dark god whom goes by the name Luc. The deal she strikes is simple, she wants her freedom and in return the god will get her soul when she is done with it. Luc agrees and the deal is sealed with blood.

The deal turns out to be not everything Addie bargained for. She has gained her freedom, in a sense, but the cost was high and much more than a soul. In truth, she has just traded the shackles her situation has placed on her with ones that tie her deeply to Luc. In addition, she quickly finds out that no one can remember her. There is one perk to this deal, she no longer ages. In essence she is immortal. Thus begins the second life of a forgettable girl named Addie.

The prose was fabulous. It had an almost sensual quality to it. I once read an author’s advice about how a setting should be treated as a character and thus requires time to be spent discovering that setting. Schwab has assuredly done that here. I could smell the dirty streets of the Paris of the past and feel the energy of New York City as it is viewed from a rooftop.

This is not a novel that the plot skips along carefree in an almost haphazard way. It moves slowly and purposefully in a well thought out way. Much the way a river winds through its course, sometimes swiftly and sometimes with languid ease, on its journey to the sea. It is the trip that the reader should savor here, it is entertaining and deeply satisfying.

The story is totally character driven. To keep the reader reading, I feel that the author walks a fine between keeping the reader’s interest and boring them to death. Because Addie lives such a long life it would be easy to lose the reader in too much detail. However, Schwab has managed to straddle that line to perfection. For example, Addie’s feelings of loss and loneliness come through elegantly. I felt it especially in one particular Paris scene in which Addie sees the first man she ever loved when he is much older. It was one of those moments when she truly recognizes and acknowledges what she has given up. There are many more scenes like this that the author uses them to entrance the reader.

I could go on and on in my praise because there is a lot to love about this story. In short, this is by far Schwab’s best work. A stunning piece of fiction!

Obvious I loved this book. It should be on everyone’s to-be-read-list. In addition, this book would make a great pick for a book club. There are so many layers and themes in this book that the topics for discussion are nearly endless.

The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons

Pub. Date: 25-Aug-2020
Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Memory of Souls is the third book in this epic fantasy by Jenn Lyons. It was definitely worth the wait for this book. An amazing adventure story and without a doubt my favorite so far.

As with the first two books in the series, the story is told as a narration of events. Kihrin and Thurvishar are attempting to record the current events as they occur. The account picks up right where the previous book leaves off. Our heroes now know that the god Vol Karath is awake, though he is still imprisoned. They also know that at least one of the chains that binds him has been severed.

Even from his prison Vol Karath is able to cause massive destruction and chaos. The eight immortals have tasked Kihrin, Teraeth, Janel and Thurvishar with persuading the Monal Vane’ to give up there immortality. There is a ritual, once performed, will make them mortal and in the process strength the chains that hold Vol Karath. This ritual is the one that made the other immortal races mortal.

The Vane’ are strongly against this but if Vol Karath does escape, the entire world will be destroyed. Yet, everything has a cost and boy is that the case in this book.

I would love to say more about the plot but then I would be giving away some of the best parts. I want readers to be as surprised as I was with some of the events. For example, I learned a lot more about Kihrin, Janel and Teraeth’s past lives and it was very revealing and ties some stuff together for me.

This is probably one of the most complex series I have ever read. Not only is the world building complex but the characters are also. For the most part I loved it, but there were a few times when I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. Especially with all the reincarnations and body changes going on. I had to go back a couple of times and reread parts to cement everything in my mind. I wished I had taken notes as I went along then it would have been easier.

The characters are richly developed in this series and before I even picked up this book I thought that the author could not do much more to enhance them. She proved me wrong. There were new tidbits and interesting secrets that were revealed throughout the book. I loved how she parses them out and keeps the reader engaged. This is what makes this series so captivating. I can honestly say there is never a dull moment.

I recommend this book, and the whole series, to lovers of epic fantasy. For those readers that love an intricate and complicated plot with memorable characters, I think you will especially appreciate these books.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.