The Mysterious Lady Law

The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton
Carina Press, 2011
104 pages
Steampunk
Ebook Challenge; British Books Challenge
3.5/5 stars

Source: Netgalley

Summary: Lady Harriet Law has solved over 600 cases so when she offers her services pro bono to Julia to investigate the murder of her sister, Julia eagerly accepts.  But the solution offered is suspiciously pat and Julia with the aid of new beau constable Al Grant will investigate for herself the mysterious Lady Law in this steampunk novella.

Thoughts: I have been very interested in steampunk after seeing loads of reviews of awesome books so I hoped this would serve as another step into the world of steampunk.  I enjoyed what I read but felt that something was lacking.  I'm not sure if it was the length or the mystery but I was not completely satisfied.

I did love Julia, a dancer and waitress trying to make do with her sister in London and hoping for love who is terrified when she arrives home to discover her sister murdered.  She is pleased to make the acquaintance of Al Grant of the police who seems interested and might finally fulfill that hope of hers but she also wants to know why her sister died.  Lady Law's offer seems too good to be true.  When Julia is attacked later, she becomes even more frightened.  The action in the scene where she was attacked was a bit confusing; there was various machinery that was beyond my ability to picture.

The other part of the puzzle is Horace Holly whose protege was friendly with Julia's sister and who was also murdered.  As his path and Julia's intersect, they begin to figure out Lady Law and her (I feel) nefarious movements.  She has a very steampunk answer behind her ability to solve all of those mysteries.  However I was hoping for a different ending so perhaps therein lies my dissatisfication.

Regardless I would still recommend this for people looking for a quick steampunk read although perhaps not as an introduction.

Cover: I really like the cover-I think it's very beautiful with the airships and what I believe is Big Ben.

Love Remains

Love Remains by Kaye Dacus
Barbour, 2010
315 pages
Romance; Contemporary; Christian
Read as part of Ebook challenge
4/5 stars
First in Matchmakers Trilogy

Source: Through Netgalley

While this is a dreaded reunited first-loves book, I actually really enjoyed it. I usually find Kaye Dacus's books adorable and with characters that make me happy and this was no exception.
Zarah is as shocked as anyone when she sees her first love Bobby at a church singles' event.  They had shared a brief love when she was 18 and forbidden by her military father to date any enlisted men and Bobby was 20 and in the army.  They were separated by her father: Zarah thought that Bobby ditched her so as not to jeopardize his career while Bobby thought that Zarah chose college over him.  Each has not had any significant relationships since then but both are still hoping.

Of course they are constantly thrust together because they are active in the same church and their grandmothers are best friends.  In fact those grandmothers have decided to become matchmakers in order to ensure the birth of great-grandchildren.  Additionally Bobby's new job in Tennessee crime investigation brings him closer to Zarah because she is one the suspects.  Besides those factors, Bobby knows he still cares for Zarah and Zarah admits to the same.

The biggest issue separating the two is how her father interfered in their relationship initially and her own father issues.  Throughout her childhood, he constantly belittled her and destroyed her self-worth.  Probably my favorite part of the book was when God spoke to her and claimed her as His daughter. While her earthly father lets her down, her heavenly father will always love her and be there for her.

There is somewhat of a mystery as Bobby tries to figure out who has financial improprieties under his or her belt but it's not the largest part of the story.  Side characters provide additional fun including Zarah's friend Caylor who looks like she will be starring in the second book, The Art of Romance.

Overall: Another great read from Dacus!

Cover: Zarah does have big curly hair but I'm not sure this cover is the most accurate representation of the story within. I'm just not sure that I like the book being held by Zarah.

Promise

Promise by Kristie Cook
Smashwords, 2010
264 pages
YA; Contemporary; Paranormal
Read for Ebook challenge
2/5 stars

Source: Free ebook

Summary from goodreads: "Alexis Ames decides to learn who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their secrets closely. After meeting Tristan Knight and discovering that he s not normal either, the secrets begin to unravel. Their union brings promise to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy. Because they are a match made in Heaven and in Hell."

I think the simplest way to sum this book up would be that it is very like Twilight which, coming from me, is not a compliment.  If you like Twilight, you would probably like this book.

However I thought there were too many points that reminded me negatively of Twilight:

• Multiple descriptions of the incredible attractiveness of the guy and the comparative plainness of the girl
• Guy far older than girl; he looks between 19 and 24 despite being born in the 1700s
• Girl's attainment of powers will render her very powerful but until then, she's pretty vulnerable
• Girl unaware of most of the mythology and thus reader is also unaware
• Long lead-up to the action-filled parts
• Youthful marriage and strenuous honeymoon 
• Repetition of certain words, in particular "promise"

I started off intrigued but once she meet Tristan, I thought the book went way downhill quickly.  I think these kinds of books are not to my taste; I prefer straightforward contemporaries without the paranormal aspect in general.

Cover: I like the purple of the flower but not the cover as a whole.

The Healer's Apprentice

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
Zondervan, 2010
243 pages
Fairy Tale; YA; Historical; Romance; Christian
3.5/5 stars
Read for ebook challenge

Source: Free ebook from Barnes & Noble

I did not realize that this was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty so that was a pleasant discovery for me.  I also did not realize how much Christian content there was, a not unpleasant discovery but the way it was deployed was less pleasing to me, more on that later.

Rose is the daughter of a poor woodcutter but has been fortunate to be taken in by Frau Geruscha as her apprentice in the healing arts.  She has also caught the eyes of Lord Hamlin and his younger brother Lord Rupert.  Sadly Lord Hamlin is already betrothed to a duke's daughter who is under threat from an evil magician but he struggles with his feelings toward Rose, knowing they are inappropriate as he is unavailable. I approved of his efforts to forget Rose but far too much time was spent on that struggle.  Instead Rupert pursues her, attempting to overcome his womanizing ways.  Rupert's wooing did not appeal to me, especially in light of the strong character of his brother.

The Christian content comes in to play as the characters pray to God and rely on His providence for the future.  The climax of the story is that Rose ends up afflicted by demons and the solution is found in God; that answer paled in epicness to, for example, Disney's "Sleeping Beauty."

Overall: An interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty but not my favorite.

Cover: I picked this book solely because of the cover (I especially love the font for "Healer's" and the dress) so obviously I think it's pretty solid.

Follow Friday and Book Hop

What is/was your favorite subject in school?

While I am a history major, I've recently been thinking that I almost always preferred math except for my year of calculus; algebra I & II, geometry, pre-calc, and statistics were some of the best classes I ever took.  However I also realize that I loved them so much because I had amazing teachers-that certainly makes a big difference!

What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?

 Super easy-Wither by Lauren DeStefano.  Because I'm kind of shallow that way, I'm anticipating it solely because of the cover-one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen.

I'm also looking forward to the new Elizabeth Scotts, Sarah Dessen, and loads of other YA.

The Jesus Inquest

The Jesus Inquest by Charles Foster
Thomas Nelson, 2010
262 pages
Non-fiction; Christian
Read for ebook and British Books Challenges
4/5 stars

Source: Received a free egalley from Thomas Nelson via booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

I hope I can review this book well because I am a very amateur scholar of Christianity.  Additionally I am a Christian so arguments against the resurrection do not sway me although I was very interested to read what the specific arguments were against.

Each chapter is divided into two parts as X argues against the resurrection and Y follows up with a rebuttal in favor of the resurrection.  Foster is a barrister in England and thought that this method would serve as a chance for X and Y to interact fairly.

The chapters trace the full resurrection sequence: death, burial, empty tomb, and post-resurrection appearances.  Each calmly argues his position, which is one of the best parts. I feel like if you watched a debate between a diehard atheist and a true believer, it could get virulent but as a book, it was more low-key and I had time to digest and consult the footnotes.

I was very interested to see the points against the resurrection because as a believer, it's not something I really consider.  Some of the arguments seemed ridiculous to me, ideas that were conspiracy theories and were complicated unlike the simplest solution (to me) of Jesus died, was resurrected, and then ascended to heaven.  The story is simple because it's true.

Overall: A well-written exploration of the resurrection: for and against the rising of Jesus Christ. Recommended for the curious non-believer and believer alike.

Cover: I don't think this cover would encourage me to read this book as I don't really like the black and white with the yellow box on the front.

The Deeds of the Disturber

The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters
Atheneum, 1988
289 pages
Mystery-Fifth Amelia Peabody book
4/5 stars
Read for Cozy Challenge

Source: Library

Although I read the first four Amelia Peabody books out of order, I was determined that I would read the rest as they were written.  When I was last at the library, I remembered to look up what the fifth book was called and luckily it was on the shelves.

This book is different from the previous because the setting is London rather than Egypt.  I really liked that change especially as I'm a bit of an Anglophile but not an Egyptologist.  Still I enjoy following Amelia, her husband Emerson, and their startlingly precocious son 'Ramses.'  Other recurring characters include Irish newsman Kevin O'Connell (who I quite adore), butler Wilkins, and Emerson's brother and wife.  New characters also appear: newswoman Miss Minton, mysterious woman from Emerson's past Ayesha, new butler Gargery who is quite in raptures over Emerson, and Amelia's niece and nephew plus more people intimately involved in the mystery.

That mystery begins when a watchman dies before a "haunted" mummy case at the British Museum followed by another death and the appearance of a man dressed as an ancient Egyptian priest to terrify the observers.  As always Emerson rails against Amelia involving herself but both set off on the track of the murderer with many amusing complications.  While I usually love the tone of the books, I found it somewhat overwhelming.  Amelia's writing, the story is supposed to be adapted from her journals, works best for me in small doses so I will wait awhile before I pick up the sixth book.

Cover: Um, it fits but I really don't like it.  The mask doesn't make any sense until almost the very end.