Christine by Stephen King

Book Details
Christine by Stephen King
Paperback, 528 Pages
2004, Signet
ISBN: 0451160444

Synopsis
It was love at first sight. From the moment seventeen-year-old Arnie Cunningham saw Christine, he knew he would do anything to possess her. But Christine is no lady. She is Stephen King's ultimate vehicle of terror.

Review
I saw the movie version of Christine at least a decade ago and I absolutely hated it. It was dull and honestly, I don't think I understood what was really going on. I just kept thinking, if you'd just stop putting gas in that car all of your problems would be solved.

Finally mustering up the courage to read the book, I found Christine to be a wonderful surprise. It was long and detailed, but these details made up the back story that was sorely missing from the movie. This was well done, well explained supernatural horror. Even with all the car talk, something I know nothing about, I still found myself embroiled in the story.

Dennis, the narrator in Christine, comes across as a very sympathetic character. I found myself caring about him and his well being - far beyond Arnie, Christine's owner and the obvious focal point of the story. With Arnie, there was always the question of how conflicted he was. How much of his actions and personality was really him and how much was Christine's influence?

There were some great surprises in Christine, but I truly loved the focus on being a teenager in high school in the late seventies. The young love, angst, isolation and insecurity that drives teens to do unpredictable things. That's what made Arnie actions so hard to decipher.

Christine is much, much better than its movie adaption and quite a bit more scary as well. Even if you disliked the movie as I did, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving the book a try.

Rating

Links

Stephen King's website

Dying Light by D. Scott Meek

Book Details
Dying Light by D. Scott Meek
Paperback, 236 Pages
2010, Canonbridge LLC
ISBN: 1935705075

Synopsis
In the near future, a new world order society mercilessly eradicates the last victims of the Blood Virus. "Vampyres", constantly in fear of discovery and persecution, live and walk among humans as ordinary people with an extraordinary reality and a haunting past; a deal to save the last vampyres is struck, but intrigue and betrayal ensure that while the sun will rise tomorrow, no one knows who will live to see it. Dying Light is the first in the new sub-genre of science fiction entitled "post-dystopia". Author Scott Meek deals with the science of stem cell research and blood borne diseases, the future as it might have been, and takes the reader into the realm of a new society.

Review
Reading Dying Light felt like reading a movie in many ways. Many things felt glossed over or missing completely. It seemed as though the reader was either supposed to infer the meaning of many events, or possibly the vague hinting was supposed to entice the reader to continue on. Either way, the lack of pertinent details left me wondering what exactly had happened and what, if anything, it had to do with the the current action. Ultimately, I was left with the feeling that I was wasting my time.

I continually felt a likeness to the movie Underworld, just without the werewolves. Charlotte reminded me so much of Selene that I could picture on one else but Kate Beckinsale. Somehow Michael had betrayed the vampyres (or maybe he didn't - it wasn't exactly clear) and Charlotte is sent to kill him. But *spoiler alert* Michael is Charlotte's husband and she loves him, wanting to save him against her master's wishes. Oh, but he seems to have a minor case of amnesia, so even he isn't sure what's going on.

There is also some political stuff going on, where the ruler of the USA (she isn't the president, but the premier) and the leader of the vampyres (who seems to have been the vice president for a day about 400 years ago) are in negotiations to bring peace among their people. See, the vampyres are persecuted when they really haven't done anything wrong - besides kill humans for food.

There are some flashbacks that don't always specify what characters past we're looking at. There's some current scenes that don't seem to relate to the plot at all. There is a large build up to what will come of the negotiations and then nothing. The book ends in a way that isn't exactly open ended but in it's attempt to be shocking negates any forward momentum the book managed to gain.

Dying light isn't dull by any means. It's got lots of action and the story races quickly to its disappointing conclusion. It's an easy read as long as you aren't looking past the surface for any meaning, answers or sense.

Rating

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Book Details
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri
Paperback, 320 Pages
2009, Signet Classics
ISBN: 0451531396

Synopsis
Belonging in the company of the works of Homer and Virgil, The Inferno is a moving human drama, a journey through the torment of Hell, an expression of the Middle Ages, and a protest against the ways in which men have thwarted the divine plan.

Review
My first reading of Dante's Inferno was in high school. I would have never made it through the story had it not been for a very good teacher holding my hand throughout.

The Inferno is an epic poem. Poetry isn't my thing to begin with. Epic just makes it more intimidating. Factor in that the poem is ancient and is translated from its original Italian and I want to run away screaming.

The story hidden inside the poem is what makes me admire the greatness of The Inferno. Let's face it, Hell is interesting. No matter what a story is about, setting it in Hell makes it something more. While the journey through Hell and the look at the specific people there and the tortures put upon them was impressive, the truly remarkable thing about The Inferno is the unexpectedness of it. You think you know Hell? You'll never guess what you'll come across in The Inferno. Having been written hundreds of years ago, the sheer fact that a reader in today's age can be surprised by what they find in this book is amazing.

I highly recommend reading The Inferno. I also recommend using the Cliff Notes while reading. Without that wonderful teacher explaining the harder to decipher parts, I would have missed out on the brilliance of this story.

Rating

Interview with Janet Mullany

Janet Mullany, author of Jane and the Damned, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to answer some questions.

Janet Mullany is an award-winning, multi-published author who writes books set mainly in Regency England. Her first book, Dedication (2005) won the New Jersey Romance Writers 2006 Golden Leaf Contest. The Rules of Gentility, a funny, chicklit style Regency, won the 2008 HOLT Award (Virginia Romance Writers) for Best Romantic Comedy. She's contracted to Little Black Dress Books, UK, for three more funny Regencies, the first of which, A Most Lamentable Comedy, will be released in July, 2009. In 2010, she makes her paranormal debut with a book about Jane Austen joining vampires to fight a French invasion (HarperCollins), and a novella in an anthology based on paranormal re-tellings of Austen's novels (Harlequin). Janet's novella is a
contemporary based on Emma, about a paranormal dating agency in Washington, DC.

Janet is originally from England but now lives near Washington, DC. Her day jobs have included working as an archaeologist, performing arts administrator, classical music radio announcer, and editor/proofreader for a small press.

Reading with Tequila: While many have recently taken classic authors like Jane Austen's characters and mixed them with monsters, you chose to feature the author herself. Why Jane Austen?

Janet: It was my editor's idea and she thought I could handle Austen. I think it's a question of branding--anything connected with Austen is so popular and there are all sorts of literary Austen spin-offs, sequels, prequels and so on. I wasn't the first writer by any means to represent Austen as a vampire. Michael Thomas Ford's Jane Bites Back represents her as the owner of a bookstore who deplores all the Austen triviality and whose latest novel keeps being rejected. I didn't allow myself to read that until I'd finished the book although I think we have completely different approaches.

RWT: I don't know much about Jane Austen beyond her novels, but in Jane and the Damned, Jane proves to be strong-willed and completely unconcerned by what others think of her. Was this an accurate portrayal of who she was, or is this just how you envision her?

Janet: The more I find out about Austen, the more enigmatic she becomes. I think she certainly was strong-willed but she also had a very strong sense of duty to her family. When Jane becomes a vampire her humanity and her loyalty to her family are challenged, but she has the normal vampire appetites for blood and sensual experiences. As a vampire she loses what makes her happiest--her ability to write, and that again is something that is part of her intimacy with her family.

RWT: Instead of sticking with the usual maker/fledgling vampire relationship, you introduced the concept of a bearleader who is responsible for educating the neophyte in vampire ways. Do you think a bearleader would be helpful for all vampires, or just to navigate the sticky etiquette situations of Austen's era?

Janet: Generally the Creator acts as Bearleader, but in this case Jane's Creator abandons her because he has obligations to the Crown. So Luke takes over as Bearleader. But definitely part of the Bearleader/Creator's responsibility is to guide the fledgling through the baroque etiquette of the Damned and to introduce them into polite Damned circles. The Damned like to live in groups, rather as in Austen's novels where you have extended families living together, relatives by marriage as well as by blood, and although Damned and fledglings always stay close, for a fledgling to join another household they would have to carry letters of introduction.

RWT: What can we expect in the future from you? More Jane Austen? Other classic authors mixed with paranormal creatures?

Janet: This month I also have a novella in the anthology Bespelling Jane Austen, headlined by Mary Balogh, paranormal spins on Austen. I'm finishing up the second book about Jane and the Damned, set in Chawton in 1810 which is where she wrote her major works and that will come out sometime in 2011. I also have a Regency chicklit coming out from Little Black Dress (UK) in March of 2011, Mr. Bishop and the Actress, and the first of two erotic contemporaries for Harlequin Spice in August 2011. So I'm busy!

About the Book

Jane Austen
Novelist . . . gentlewoman . . . Damned, Fanged, and Dangerous to know.

Aspiring writer Jane Austen knows that respectable young ladies like herself are supposed to shun the Damned—the beautiful, fashionable, exquisitely seductive vampires who are all the rage in Georgian England in 1797. So when an innocent (she believes) flirtation results in her being turned—by an absolute cad of a bloodsucker—she acquiesces to her family’s wishes and departs for Bath to take the waters, the only known cure.

But what she encounters there is completely unexpected: perilous jealousies and further betrayals, a new friendship and a possible love. Yet all that must be put aside when the warring French invade unsuspecting Bath—and the streets run red with good English blood. Suddenly only the staunchly British Damned can defend the nation they love . . . with Jane Austen leading the charge at the battle’s forefront.

Reading with Tequila's review of Jane and the Damned

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Book Details
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Paperback, 320 Pages
2000, Roc Trade
ISBN: 0451457994

Synopsis
It has been over thirty years since the publication of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the science fiction classic that changed the way we looked at the stars--and ourselves. From the savannas of Africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of Saturn as man ventures to the outer rim of our solar system, Arthur C. Clarke takes us on a journey unlike any other.

This allegory about humanity's exploration of the universe, and the universe's reaction to humanity, was the basis for Stanley Kubrick's immortal film, and lives on as a hallmark achievement in storytelling.

Review
I didn't love 2001: A Space Odyssey, but space travel in general doesn't really do it for me. The original concept, taking into account when it was written and how far we've come since then, is well beyond anything conceivable and I believe that is one of the main reasons this book is so highly regarded.

Unfortunately, this book is all concept. The pacing is slow and the story drags for the majority of the book. What should have been terrifying never really effected me as it should have. The characters were hard to become emotionally attached to and most of the time I found myself rooting for the "villain" to win so the book would come to an end. Even the actual ending of the book felt like a disappointment.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a classic science fiction novel and hugely loved by most. While I can see why it's been enjoyed by the masses, I just couldn't garner the enthusiasm others have had. I appreciate how imaginative and unique the book would have been considered in the sixties, but given a first time reading in the present day, it failed to impress me.

Rating

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Book Details
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Paperback, 624 Pages
2003, Harper Perennial
ISBN: 0060558121
Series: Book 1 of American Gods

Synopsis
Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming -- a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.

Review
I have an unending fascination with mythology of all origins, so American Gods was a delightfully fun treat for me. The mix of present day America and mostly forgotten deities struggling to keep their tether to this world kept the story fresh and as relateable as fantasy can be.

The focus on both new and old, past and present made American Gods a highly creative novel on a grand scale. Far from fluffy and not quite trying to be as humorous as other novels by Gaiman such as Good Omens, this book is thought-provoking and apt to leave readers not well versed in gods struggling to remember which is which. The highly intelligent writing is well balanced with some of the grittier scenes.

American Gods may be a bit of work to get through for those who only know the "big" gods, but the story is well worth the effort. My only complaint is that the build up overshadows the climax a bit. The end didn't live up to the journey it took to get there. It's very good, just not as epically marvelous as Gaiman fans have come to expect.

Rating

Links

Neil Gaiman's
Website
Twitter

Cujo by Stephen King

Book Details
Cujo by Stephen King
Paperback, 320 Pages
1982, Signet
ISBN: 0451161351

Synopsis
Left to fend for herself by her workaholic husband, Donna Trenton takes her ailing Pinto to Joe Cambers's garage for repairs-only to be trapped with her son, Tad, in the sweltering car by the Cambers's once-friendly Saint Bernard, Cujo, now a monstrous and rabid killer

Review
I saw the movie adaption of Cujo a few years ago and thought it was just kind of okay. With that kind of enthusiasm, I didn't expect much from the book. While the story isn't hugely scary (I have no fear of dogs, nor rabies), the book goes much deeper than the movie did, making the whole story more well-rounded and the ending that much more traumatic.

I'm confused as to how certain things mentioned in the book relate to the overall story. 4 year old Tad has a monster in his closet. It's made very clear that the monster isn't imaginary. But what did that have to do with Cujo going rabid? The same can be said for the town's previous killer Frank Dodd. He was mentioned numerous times, to the point where you expected him to have been reincarnated as Cujo or something similar. Was it just to show that bad things had happened in Castle Rock before? Any Stephen King fan knows, if something horrific is going to happen anywhere in the world, it's most likely going to happen in Castle Rock. So, what exactly was the point?

And could we have possibly had chapter breaks? This 300 plus page book had no chapters. While not a big deal to most, I found it unnerving. 

On the surface, Cujo is a killer dog story. But really, it's a story of a mother's fight for survival and the survival of her child. The long struggle, trapped by Cujo, shows the psychological fear of trying to figure out what to do to protect the child. The book includes much more in the way of backstory for the characters. We see the precarious place Vic and Donna's marriage is in, the trouble with Vic's job, the horrendous marriage of Joe and Charity and their fears about how their own son is growing up.

Cujo probably won't be considered truly horrific by most and has a few glaring loose ends that confuse more than annoy. It does, however, have an impressive psychological impact and will leave even the most hardened horror fans shaken.

Rating

Links

Stephen King's website

The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman

Book Details
The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman
Hardcover, 480 Pages
2010, Tor Books
ISBN: 0765325527

Synopsis

A fantastical reimagining of the American West which draws its influence from steampunk, the American western tradition, and magical realism

The world is only half made. What exists has been carved out amidst a war between two rival factions: the Line, paving the world with industry and claiming its residents as slaves; and the Gun, a cult of terror and violence that cripples the population with fear. The only hope at stopping them has seemingly disappeared—the Red Republic that once battled the Gun and the Line, and almost won. Now they’re just a myth, a bedtime story parents tell their children, of hope.

To the west lies a vast, uncharted world, inhabited only by the legends of the immortal and powerful Hill People, who live at one with the earth and its elements. Liv Alverhyusen, a doctor of the new science of psychology, travels to the edge of the made world to a spiritually protected mental institution in order to study the minds of those broken by the Gun and the Line. In its rooms lies an old general of the Red Republic, a man whose shattered mind just may hold the secret to stopping the Gun and the Line. And either side will do anything to understand how.

Review
What stood out in The Half-Made World for me was the characters. Liv was an amazingly deep character. At face value, she's a psychologist interested in studying the minds of the mentally ill, which is interesting in itself. What makes her all the more fascinating is her backstory - everything that lead up to her treating patients. Creedmoor's non-static personality, the way he volleys back and forth trying to find himself all his life makes him interesting as well. His constant struggle against his master shows he's more than just a bad guy living a bad guys life. Lowry, as part of The Line, has a very different background than these other two main characters. His rigid upbringing and overall personality make him difficult to like, but even he seems to struggle with what is expected of him. By far, the most enigmatic character is the General, who's mind has been lost, but still holds the key to victory.

The world itself was a little confusing. I found it hard to grasp exactly how the world was half-made. It seems like the unpopulated west at first glance. As things went on, it becomes clear that part of the world is shifting, changing, trying to decide what it is going to become. This is kind of a foreign concept that I couldn't really picture. Added to that, hillfolk - faerie type people, that have the ability to come back from the dead. This addition seemed out of place, but when taking into account The Line with it's immortal engines and The Gun with it's possessed weapons, the idea of magical hillfolk don't seem too far flung.

The overall plot was interesting, but the focus on the seemingly never ending war was lost on me. War, in any form, even with fantasy aspects, is in no way my thing. The first half of the book, with Liv's departure from civilization, Creedmoor's rejoining the fold of The Gun and Lowry's rise in position with The Line, was gripping. Once the chase was on, with everyone trying to get the information locked in the general's mind, I started loosing interest. Liv, Creedmoor and the General stumbling around the undeveloped portion of the world for a huge amount of time was both confusing and dull. There was a noticeable lack of resolution at the end of the book that made me wonder what the point of the novel really was.

The Half-Made World is a long, very involved book and completely unlike anything I've ever read before. It started out fantastic, but lost me about halfway through. This book may be better for those who either have an interest in the war background of the story or those who can better imagine the half-made portion of the world than I could.

Rating

Links

Felix Gilman's
Website
Facebook

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Book Details
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Hardcover, 464 Pages
2010, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 1442402326
Series: Book 1 of Benny Imura

Synopsis
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

Review
Rot & Ruin is a post-zombie apocalypse dystopian novel that has it's fair share of both gore and heart. In his small, fenced-in town, Benny is 15 and therefore considered an adult. He must find a job or his food rations will be cut in half. Benny doesn't want to work hard, but he doesn't want to be bored either, making his search for adequate employment virtually impossible.

When he's exhausted all other potential job opportunities, he agrees to apprentice under Tom, his half brother, as a bounty hunter. What he find, out beyond the fence in the Rot & Ruin, is not just zombies, but the horror of men in a lawless world. Other bounty hunters, much more vicious than Tom, rule that land and Benny finds that he's unable to just let things continue as they are.

Rot & Ruin is about a boy growing up and realizing that the world around him is not what he always assumed. As Benny learns about his brother, who he previously thought of as a coward and the reason his mother is dead, he finds that people can be very different than they appear. This novel is about friendship, love, evil and finding the hope for something better in the world.

Rot & Ruin is a wild, crazy adventure that kept me glued to its many pages. The story flowed seamlessly. This was a phenomenal book and an absolutely brilliant start to a series. The setup for the sequel has me on the edge of my seat. Rot & Ruin is a must read for zombie fans!

Rating

Links

Jonathan Maberry's
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Infected by Scott Sigler

Book Details
Infected by Scott Sigler
Paperback, 400 Pages
2008, Three Rivers Press
ISBN: 030740630X
Series: Book 1 of Infected

Synopsis
A terrifying thriller that will crawl beneath your skin . . . and leave fresh blood on every page.

A mysterious disease is turning thousands of ordinary Americans into raving, paranoid murderers who inflict brutal horrors on strangers, their own families, and even themselves. And one morning, ex–football star Perry Dawsey awakens to find mysterious welts growing all over his body. Soon Perry finds himself acting and thinking strangely, hearing voices, fighting uncontrollable rage . . . he is infected. Worse, the disease wants something from him, something that could alter the fate of the human race.

Review
Infected is a crazy, impressive concept that's written from every possible viewpoint. An infection like nothing the world has ever seen before begins taking over people's bodies. Through Perry, we see the infection through the eyes of someone who has it. Through Margaret, we see it from the medical standpoint. Through Dew, the government's though process. We even experience the infection from the standpoint of the infection itself. It's fantastic to see everything going on from these different angles, but it makes it a little hard to feel any true connection to any of the characters. I cared deeply about where the story was going, but wasn't concerned if any of the characters lived or died.

The infection consists of triangular shaped growths on the body. Those infected become paranoid and eventually both homicidal and suicidal. It's very interesting how the infection gets to the hosts psychologically. To fight the infection, Perry not only has to fight the physical manifestation, but also the demons from his past the infection dredges up. The book focuses a lot on Perry's struggle and the most horrifying and grotesque scenes stem from him battle with the infection.

What is the infection? What does it do? When did it come from? These are the questions that are answered. Somewhat. Infected gives you just enough information to be satisfied, but holds back a lot of the details, presumably to be divulged in the sequel, Contagious.

Infected is an intelligent, monumentally creepy book with a vast array of possibilities left open for the future. This is definitely a book that could give you nightmares.

Rating

Links

Scott Sigler's
Website
Twitter
Facebook

What Are Your Book Blogging Goals?

I'm a goal oriented person. I can't seem to find motivation to do much of anything unless I have some fantasy end result in mind. It's why I'm lost without a daily to-do list. The only reason I get anything accomplished throughout the day is because I dream of actually finishing the list, just once.

It seems, we all started book blogging for the same general reason - to share our love of books and find like-minded people to discuss them with. I consider this the first goal of book blogging. Usually within a few weeks of starting a book blog, you find "the community" and achieve this goal. You find some other blogs, other people find you, comments start flying and viola - you're sharing and discussing.

For those who want to take the next step, this usually means getting your name out there. While marketing and branding seem to have a type of stigma attached to them when talked about in relation to blogging, that's basically what we all do on some level. We are the voice behind our blogs and in some way, we become our blogs. You have no idea how many people actually thing my name is Tequila. I think it's funny. And also a sign that I'm doing things right.

By becoming recognizable in relation to our blogs, we become part of the brand. Whether we're talking on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or LibraryThing, at a convention like BEA or ComicCon networking or handing out business cards, or even just leaving a link in the signature line of an email, we're always marketing ourselves and therefore our blogs. This is a good thing. You want to become a trusted source of book-related information and opinion. The goal here is is that when you talk to someone you've never met before and say "I'm a book blogger from {insert blog name here}", you get a positive response. They've heard of you. They have read you. They're a fan of yours. It's an awesome feeling that validates all of your hard work. It opens doors to more established bloggers, publishers, authors, agents, PR people and others because they already know who you are and what kind of work you do.

What idea of what comes next is where book bloggers usually differ. Most non-bloggers I speak to believe that the end result of book blogging is to monetize and eventually get rich off of it. I call this the "Julie & Julia Syndrome." That's all non-bloggers know. Some girl had an idea, made a blog, wrote a book, got a movie deal and is now famous and, at least theoretically, rich. As far as I'm concerned, making money from book blogging is a pipe dream. Sure, you'll make a few bucks from affiliating with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, or the like, but we're talking dollars. Not even tens of dollars in most cases.

I know lots of book bloggers have dreams of using their blogs as stepping stones to careers in writing, publishing, PR or something else related to books. This is an admirable, and quite possibly achievable goal. But, it's not my goal, and I'd imagine not the goal for the majority of bloggers. Which is good for me, because I doubt I could even spin my blog in a way that would get me a job at the local Barnes & Noble.

So really, I'm left wondering, what's the goal once you have an established blog and loyal readers? Once you have publishing contacts? Once you've made $3.21 in the last 6 months from affiliate sales and realize you just don't have the time, creativity or motivation to write a novel that anyone other than your mom would read? I ask because I'm curious what everyone's idea of the next level is.

My "abstract, can't possibly figure out how to make them happen, but still in the realm of possibility I think" goals are:

- To meet Stephen King, Laurell K. Hamilton, Bentley Little, Kathy Reichs, J.K. Rowling and any other major (to me) authors that have written books that profoundly changed the way I look at both books and the world.

- To interview above mentioned authors.

- To write a column for a newspaper or magazine. Something along the lines of "And Average Girl's Take on the Book World (with Tequila)."

- To vlog. (This would have been easy if I actually had a webcam. Maybe after my birthday? hint hint)

- To be invited to speak at conferences, giving the readers/bloggers point of view ala Sarah Wendell. Seriously, how awesome is she?

- To write a monthly Reading with Tequila newsletter. I have ideas, but the logistics of how to actually implement them are lost on me right now.

- And the ultimate dream, to turn Reading with Tequila from a book blog, into a highly regarded website. Like RT Book Reviews. With forums. And a magazine. And it's own conference.

What are your book blogging goals, both the smaller, easily achievable ones and the huge, seemingly impossible ones?

Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

Book Details
Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
Paperback, 208 Pages
2004, Berkley
ISBN: 0425129608

Synopsis
A flirtatious young bride is strangled to death while vacationing, and only Poirot can unravel the woman's strange secrets.

Review
Evil Under the Sun threw me through a loop. I wasn't even close when it came to figuring out what was going on. So many tiny details mixed with an abundance of obvious possibilities made this book  a wonderful mystery from beginning to end.

Poirot wasn't the least bit annoying in Evil Under the Sun. You know how he can get with his "little gray cells." This was one of the times when he's on vacation and actually seems to mean it for the majority of the trip.

I wasn't thrilled with the way the victim was blamed for her own death due to the way she lived her life. I was equally unhappy with the defense that she was not the brightest girl in the world, so she shouldn't be held responsible for her actions. I'll admit to strongly disliking the victim, but the concept of "she was asking for it" was insulting. It was also stereotypical of the time and must be viewed as such.

Evil Under the Sun was a great mystery with an ending you'll never see coming. This was definitely one of the better Poirot novels.

Rating

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Book Details
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Paperback, 224 Pages
2005, W. W. Norton
ISBN: 0393327345

Synopsis
The first rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club. Chuck Palahniuk's outrageous and startling debut novel that exploded American literature and spawned a movement. Every weekend, in the basements and parking lots of bars across the country, young men with white-collar jobs and failed lives take off their shoes and shirts and fight each other barehanded just as long as they have to. Then they go back to those jobs with blackened eyes and loosened teeth and the sense that they can handle anything. Fight club is the invention of Tyler Durden, projectionist, waiter, and dark, anarchic genius, and it's only the beginning of his plans for violent revenge on an empty consumer-culture world.

Review
Fight Club is nothing smaller than a worldwide cult phenomenon. Even if you've never read the book or seen the movie and have no clue who Tyler Durden is, you know that the first rule of Fight Club is you don't talk about Fight Club.

The movie was actually a little less raw than the novel, even though it followed the story line closely. By reading the book after having seen the movie, you lose a a lot of the shocks knowing what you know. The book is better, in my opinion, but it losses its impact without the surprises.

Fight Club is disgusting. I would never use soap or eat in a restaurant again if I could help it. The fact that I have to do those things now makes my skin crawl. The book is almost horror based in reality. The horror of human nature.

Fight Club is shocking without feeling as though anything is written for pure shock-value. It messes with your mind, which seems to be Palahniuk's very effective signature. It's guaranteed to make you feel at least a little crazy. Fight Club is a very impressive book greatly deserving its cult following.

Rating

Links

Chuck Palahniuk's
Website
Twitter
Facebook

A Groom with a View by Jill Churchill

Book Details
A Groom with a View by Jill Churchill
Paperback, 288 Pages
2000, Avon Books
ISBN: 0380794500
Series: Book 11 of Jane Jeffry

Synopsis
Jane Jeffry thinks that a remote, rundown monastery-turned-hunt club is an odd place to hold a wedding. But the doubting suburban single mom is being paid to plan the fabulous event, not to say "I do." With overnight guests already arriving, Jane and best friend Shelley must rush to transform the musty, moosehead-lined halls into a matrimonial wonderland, under the scrutiny of the mousy bride-to-be's rich, most demanding daddy.

Then the lights go out, thanks to a violent, unexpected storm. As guests and "help" alike huddle in their flower-bedecked monks' cells, one almost-participant takes a suspicious slippery tumble to a very sudden death. But the marriage show must go on--despite Jane's nagging near certainty that the victim was ceremoniously "helped" down the stairs. And Jane's going to have to come up with a murderer and a motive, even as the first strains of bridal march begin--or else this fantasy wedding could turn into a real killer of an occasion.

Review
I love a wedding themed cozy and A Groom with a View has everything from the initial planning to the reception. Unfortunately, it is also hugely predictable. The killer was obvious when first introduced, well before anyone was murdered. You didn't know who was going to die or why, but it was certain that one specific person was going to be behind it.

A Groom with a View focuses on Jane, Shelley and the wedding. Mel shows up later, but none of the kids were present. There was no domesticity like most of the other books, which I didn't mind but may disappoint fans who enjoy watching Jane juggle single motherhood and murder investigations.

The concept of the mystery was solid and the reasons behind the murder were creative, yet convincing. Nothing could save this book from mediocrity because we could never get in Jane's shoes and try to sleuth out the killer. Knowing how things would turn out throughout the book with the only surprise being the reasons behind the murder makes A Groom with a View less than thrilling.

Rating

Links

Jill Churchill's website

Spotlight Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire)

Charlaine Harris writes mysteries in addition to her Sookie Stackhouse books. She lives with her husband, three children, two dogs, two ferrets, and a duck. An avid reader, mild cinemaphile, and occasional weightlifter, her favorite activity is cheering her children on in various sports while sitting on uncomfortable bleachers.

By now everyone on the planet has at least heard of, if not read, the Sookie Stackhouse series. I had heard fantastic things about the series, but it sat on my shelves unread for years. I actually watched the first two seasons of True Blood, the show based on the series, before actually starting the series. The first two books were very close to the TV show, but as both the series and the show continue, the storylines diverge greatly. They both become rather different, but each is great in its own way.

Important Characters to Know
Sookie Stackhouse - Waitress and telepath.

Jason Stackhouse - Sookie's older brother. Very good with the ladies.

Eric Northman - Vampire. Sheriff of Area Five. Over 1000 years old. Viking.

Sam Merlotte - Shapeshifer. Sookie's boss.

Bill Compton -Vampire. Confederate soldier in the Civil War.

Pam Ravenscroft - Vampire. Eric's vampire child and second in command.

Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire)
(in reading order, links lead to my reviews)

1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World
5. Dead as a Doornail
6. Definitely Dead
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead to Worse
9. Dead and Gone
10. Dead in the Family
11. Dead Reckoning
    

If you like the Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire) series, you should try:

The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Hollows series by Kim Harrison

The Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn

The Queen Betsy (Undead) series by MaryJanice Davidson

Time of Your Life by Joss Whedon and Jeff Loeb

Book Details
Time of Your Life by Joss Whedon and Jeff Loeb
Paperback, 136 Pages
2009, Dark Horse
ISBN: 1595823107
Series: Book 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8

Synopsis
Willow and Buffy head to New York City to unlock the secrets of Buffy's mysterious scythe, when something goes terribly awry. Buffy is propelled into a dystopian future where there's only one Slayer - Fray, the title character of Joss Whedon's 2001 series, the first comic he ever wrote. Their uneasy alliance falls apart, leading to the death of a major character from the TV series, while back in the twenty-first century, the Scotland base falls prey to a mystical bomb courtesy of the Biggest Bad - Twilight!

Review
Buffy travels to a New York 200 years in the future in Time of Your Life. The future is apparently not so great. The bulk of the story dragged on as Buffy attempts to discover why she was there. There is some resolution, but nothing explaining the why behind it.

Buffy meets Melaka Fray, the lone remaining vampire slayer in the future. That meant nothing to me, but those who have read Joss Whedon's earlier graphic novels may find Fray's appearance more meaningful.

Kennedy's back and seeming much more harsh than she was in the series, which is saying something. And Dawn is finally becoming a bit more interesting - as an entirely new creature.

Time of Your Life is beautiful. It's definitely worthy of the Buffy name, but it is noticeably slower than the previous installments. I'm completely hooked on this series.

Rating

Love Triangles: Awesome or Overused?

Love triangles. They're everywhere in literature. There's something about a main character being stuck in the middle with two good choices that they can't decide upon that makes readers get excited. We've seen it time and again with the rabid team choosing. Team Edward or Team Jacob? Team Bill or Team Eric? Team Peeta or Team Gale? For many of us, it takes on a life of it's own, becoming almost more important the the books themselves.

When an author is able to invoke that kind of character love, it says a lot about their writing ability. Since love triangles are so prevalent, most of the time it's hard to even care who the main character ends up with. But, when you find a love interest so amazing that you want to physically declare your team on your chest, that's something amazing. The author has done their job. They've made you care about the character beyond his or her specific plot line.

Some books revolve around the love triangle. Take Twilight for instance. If there was no potential for love with Jacob, what would the story have been? Edward and Bella just arguing about sex and whether he would make her into a vampire? I'm not quite sure that could have held the same interest for 4 books that the Edward versus Jacob drama did.

Some books don't need a love triangle. Look at The Hunger Games. Would we have really lost anything if their hadn't been the idea of Peeta versus Gale? The story would have still had the action, heartbreak and suspense that the plot provided. In all honesty, it didn't even seem like there was supposed to be a love triangle. Sure, Peeta and Gale both wanted Katniss, but she didn't need to choose between them. She never wanted a life that involved husbands and babies. And she never really showed any preference or romantic love for either of them. To me, it seemed to be a case of fans picking a favorite and the author changing her original vision to make them happy.

So the way I see it, love triangles can bring something awesome to a story. Or they can completely distract from the actual plot if used unnecessarily. I'll admit to becoming caught up in the Peeta versus Gale drama, but after reading the last book - it was easy to look back and wonder what the point was. What mattered there was the the fight against the capitol.

What's your take on love triangles? What are some of your favorites that make you want to scream your team from the rooftops? Can you think of any examples of love triangles that are completely unnecessary?

Wolves at the Gate by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon

Book Details
Wolves at the Gate by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon
Paperback, 136 Pages
2008, Dark Horse Comics
ISBN: 1595821651
Series: Book 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8

Synopsis
Vampires that, at will, can transform into wolves, panthers, insects, or fog invade the Slayer base of operations in northern Scotland, and not only walk away unscathed, but in possession of Buffy's scythe, the symbol of Slayer power worldwide. Buffy and the Slayer-legion travel to Tokyo in order to learn more about their dangerous new foes, as Xander journeys to Transylvania to solicit the only person they've ever known to possess such power - Dracula!

Review
Wolves at the Gate contains some wonderfully shocking and completely unexpected plot twists. Andrew is back! And so is Dracula! And he's awesome. Dracula exclaiming "Oh balls" is the type of Buffy humor that makes me long for the good old days when I could easily get my weekly Buffy fix. Oh, and Dracula's majorly racist too. And Xander is his boy.

Romance seems to be blooming for more than one Scooby, but by now we know to expect only heartbreak when it comes to love in the Buffyverse. Lots of steamy love and lots of hurt. The action leads us to Tokyo for some Godzilla like action, giving Dawn something to do other than whiny about her giantness.

As always, the artwork is brilliant. The continuation of Buffy translates to this media wonderfully. An absolute must for any Buffy fan.

Rating

The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

Book Details
The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
Hardcover, 432 Pages
2010, Hyperion Book CH
ISBN: 1423128192
Series: Book 7 of Artemis Fowl

Synopsis
Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies - not humans - and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind – and the grips of a giant squid – in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

Review
Artemis Fowl has been a criminal mastermind. He's recently been turning a new leaf and trying to do good things for the world. Now, Artemis Fowl is mentally ill. Artemis develops the Atlantis Complex, a disorder that makes him paranoid and exhibit obsessive compulsive behavior. While an interesting concept, it didn't quite work with the tone the series normally takes and ultimately sucked the fun right out of this novel.

What saved the book for me was Foaly. While it's always entertaining to see the small bits where he verbally spars with Artemis, he's right there in the field during The Atlantis Complex. We get to see him in action, being both brilliant and witty.

The Atlantis Complex contains a huge adventure, but most of the characters we know and love felt off. Butler, Juliet, Mulch, almost everyone felt different. Artemis was off on the sidelines for a decent portion of the book, so perhaps the strong focus on the minor characters just couldn't carry the book.

It appears Artemis's illness will continue on to the next book, so fans can only hold out hope that it's building up to something major and, well, better. While not a bad book, The Atlantis Complex didn't meet the expectations I have for the series.

Rating

Links

Eoin Colfer's website

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Book Details
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Paperback, 368 Pages
2010, Tor Teen
ISBN: 0765328089
Series: Book 1 of Personal Demons

Synopsis
If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?

Are you sure about that...?

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.

Review
Personal Demons could not have been a better, more enjoyable read. I'm not usually a fan of angels or demons, but this book had just the right mix of normal teen angst and otherworldly troubles. The battle of good versus evil, focused specifically on one high school girl,

Frannie takes a while to get interesting. Until we learn why everyone wants her soul, I couldn't understand her appeal. She seems so average, with more than the usual teenage baggage. Turns out, Frannie is very far from average and the possibilities in her future are mind-blowing.

Luc and Gabe were a whole other thing. Both characters leapt off the page. You feel for Luc. You feel for Gabe. And because of them, you feel for Frannie. As a devout fan of bad boys, I never thought I would find myself rooting for the "good" guy. But then I fell in love with Gabe from his first appearance in the book.

Personal Demons is simply amazing. The writing is fantastic, the plot is engrossing and the characters, even minor ones, are detailed and come to life on the page. Lisa Desrochers has found herself a loyal fan in me. I can barely contain myself waiting to see what happens next.

Rating

Links

Lisa Desrochers'
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Interview with Paula Marantz Cohen

Paula Marantz Cohen, author of What Alice Knew, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to answer some questions.

Paula Marantz Cohen is a Distinguished Professor of English at Drexel University where she teaches courses in literature, film, and creative writing. She  is the author of four nonfiction books: The Daughter’s Dilemma: Family Process and the Nineteenth-Century Domestic Novel; The Daughter as Reader: Encounters Between Literature and Life; Alfred Hitchcock: The Legacy of Victorianism; and Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (a Choice Outstanding Academic Book). Her novels include Jane Austen in Boca, Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan, Jane Austen in Scarsdale or Love, Death, and the SATs (a Book-of-the-Month Club and Doubleday Book Club selection), and the forthcoming What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper.

Cohen’s essays and stories have appeared in The Yale Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, Boulevard, The Hudson Review, the Southwest Review, the Times Literary Supplement, and other publications. She is the host of The Drexel InterView, a cable TV show based in Philadelphia, and a co-editor of jml: Journal of Modern Literature.

She holds a B.A. from Yale College and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Reading with Tequila: Why do you think there is still so much interest in Jack the Ripper?

Paula: It has so many fascinating elements: the series of grisly, unusual murders, the Victorian setting, the various characters who were (or are said to be involved), and the unsolved nature of the case. It's the sort of thing that people can speculate about in multiple directions: it can be seen as political, sexual, social. It's a perfect vehicle for projection.

RWT: Why did you chose the James family as the investigation team in What Alice Knew?

Paula: I've always had an interest in this family. I have written about and taught Henry James, and am fascinated by the combined philosophy and psychology of William James. I also know Alice's diary. It struck me that they would make an ideal detective team, since each had a distinct strength. Henry had the imagination; William, the knowledge of psychology and medicine; and Alice had the time and the common sense. I wanted to use them to solve the murder but also to explore the family's complex dynamics.

RWT: You included many familiar literary types in this book. Are you a large fan of Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain and the others mentioned?

Paula: Yes. And it was great fun putting them together and having them engage in witty conversation. I found that the dialogue of these characters came very naturally and easily to me.

RWT: Anyone interested in Jack the Ripper has heard the many possible suspects and scenarios. Do you think the scenario you created in What Alice Knew is a likely explanation? Or is it a mostly fictional and improbable solution?

Paula: No, it's a fictional explanation and wouldn't have validity outside the context of the novel. It may be hard to see, but I made up certain crucial pieces of evidence to make my solution fit (though my solution is not definitive, even inside the novel). I have to say that I'm proud of the fact that while reading the book, it's hard to tell what is fiction and what is real evidence.

About the Book

Under Certain Circumstances, No One Is More Suited to Solving a Crime than a Woman Confined to Her Bed

An invalid for most her life, Alice James is quite used to people underestimating her. And she generally doesn't mind. But this time she is not about to let things alone. Yes, her brother Henry may be a famous author, and her other brother William a rising star in the new field of psychology. But when they all find themselves quite unusually involved in the chase for a most vile new murderer-one who goes by the chilling name of Jack the Ripper-Alice is certain of two things:

No one could be more suited to gather evidence about the nature of the killer than her brothers. But if anyone is going to correctly examine the evidence and solve the case, it will have to be up to her.

Reading with Tequila's review of What Alice Knew