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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Review: Medici's Daughter by Sophie Perinot

Title: Médicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois
Author: Sophie Perinot
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 1st December 2015
Pages: 384
Book Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Synopsis: Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot’s intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family.

Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot's heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother's schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot's wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.

Médicis Daughter is historical fiction at its finest, weaving a unique coming-of-age story and a forbidden love with one of the most dramatic and violent events in French history.

My Thoughts:

I love historical fiction and France's history in particular is rich, vivid and endlessly fascinating. I've read a few novels focused on the formidable Catherine de Medici but this was my first look at the early life of her daughter Marguerite and my first Sophie Perinot novel. Definitely a positive experience.

The story is told from the first person perspective of Marguerite (Margo) and her relationships with her Valois family are front and centre. Mother Catherine de Medici, brothers King Charles IX and Henri Duc d'Anjou (Anjou) ... what a viper's nest.

In this coming-of-age story we follow Marguerite from relative obscurity and innocence to a place at court, in love with the unsuitable Henri, Duc de Guise, a pawn in her family's power struggles and finally in political alliance her marriage to Henri, King of Navarre.

He smiles again, then looks at me questioningly. "Whatever possessed you to wear that awful wig?"

"The same demon, Sir, that goaded you to wear yellow."

"Your mother then."

I can't help myself: I laugh.

There is a real sense of Marguerite's growth as the novel progresses, fueled by the machinations and ill-treatment by her family, naivety fast becomes awareness and intelligence and a strong moral compass hold her in good stead challenging her family in doing what she believes is right.

Set during the throes of the Wars of Religion and culminating in the horrific Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre the slaughter of thousands of Heuguenots (Protestants) viewing this through Marguerite's eyes added a different perspective.

Well written and researched, Perinot does justice to the colorful and bloody history and its players.

I thoroughly enjoyed Médicis Daughter. Now to hunt down The Sister Queens, I don't think you can OD on French historical fiction.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Short & Sweet Review: All I Want by Jill Shalvis

Title: All I Want
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Animal Magnetism #7
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: 6th October 2015
Pages: 304
Book Source: Own purchase

Synopsis: Pilot-for-hire Zoe Stone is happy to call Sunshine, Idaho, her home base. But her quiet life is thrown for a loop when her brother’s friend Parker comes to stay with her for a week. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife special agent is a handsome flirt with a gift for getting under her skin. And the situation only escalates when Parker hires her to fly him around the area while he collects evidence on a suspected smuggler.

Now she has to live and work with the guy. But when they’re in the air, she sees another side of him. He’s driven, focused, and sharp. And while he enjoys giving commentary on her blind dates, she quickly realizes with a shock that it’s Parker who gets her engines going…

My thoughts:

I'm making this short and sweet.

I love this series ...

it's humour, heat and heart in one warm-fuzzy package.

What more could you want?

animal cuteness ... check

Oreo the Bernese mountain dog rescued in book 5, two crazy kittens and more laugh out loud moments with Peanut the potty-mouthed parrot.

Sexy alpha males with marshmallow hearts ... check

enter hot-as-hell special agent Parker James who is nice to Zoe "I've got this" Stone and her adorable dog, saves kittens, fixes stuff and takes down bad guys.

smokin' hot chemistry, fun banter, lashings of sarcasm, snerk funny and aww sweet moments ... check

low angst ... check

If that's not enough, there's sex.

lots of sex

lots of wild monkey sex

what's not to like??

go on ... you know you want to :)

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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Audiobook Review: Outback Midwife by Beth McRae

Title: Outback Midwife
Author: Beth McRae
Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Publication Date: 13th July 2015
Narrator: Caroline Lee
Time: 9hrs 2mins
Book Source: Library borrow (Borrowbox)

Synopsis: Call the Midwife meets In the Middle of Nowhere in this heartwarming memoir of an adventurous Aussie midwife's life 'catching babies'.

Outback Midwife is the story of Beth McRae's 40 years as a midwife, from her terrifying first day witnessing a birth as a naïve student nurse to her training as a midwife – the days when the words ‘birth plan' were unheard of and what women wanted was a long way from being part of any plan - to the outback.

Beth's career of catching babies takes her from the city to the bush, bonding with people from all walks of life at one of the most important moments in their lives. But there was one more frontier she was determined to conquer.

At a time when most people are thinking about slowing down, Beth decides to move to a remote Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land to embark on a whole other adventure.

My Thoughts:

I loved Outback Midwife. As a former nurse I'm drawn to nursing and midwifery stories, and not only is Beth's memoir an entertaining read with humorous and heartbreaking anecdotes but with 40 years experience as a midwife, it's like getting the history of midwifery in Australia without the dry history lesson.

Beth's nursing training, the slow changes to prenatal care, birth and neonatal practices over the years made me both giggle and cringe in acknowledgement. I also identified with the tragic loss of her baby daughter at 26 weeks, it echoed how little had changed when my own baby died.

I loved reading about her time in remote aboriginal communities, especially Beth's last posting to Maningrida in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. We lived in Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory for 5 years and briefly visited Maningrida so Beth's time there brought back memories ...

The cultural differences, respect for ancestors and aboriginal family structures, friendships formed out of acceptance and respect. Beth was accepted by the community, included in "women's business" and learnt as much as she taught.

Remote area nurses provide life-altering and often life-saving care in isolated and challenging conditions, their experience is invaluable but you can feel reading this that Beth feels the privilege is all hers, she is passionate, candid and humble.

Beth completed her contract in Maningrida in June 2015, returned home to Wodonga planning to spend time with family and enjoy her grandchildren and she is now looking for her next adventure.

Caroline Lee is a one of my favourite narrators ... brilliant in The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and The Lake House by Kate Morton. And her narration in Outback Midwife is just as compelling.

Thoroughly recommend this one

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Thursday, November 05, 2015

Review: Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly Macmillan

Title: Burnt Paper Sky
Author: Gilly Macmillan
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publication Date: 5th February 2015
Pages: 320
Book Source: own purchase

Synopsis: Rachel Jenner turned her back for a moment. Now her eight-year-old son Ben is missing.

But what really happened that fateful afternoon?

Caught between her personal tragedy and a public who have turned against her, there is nobody left who Rachel can trust. But can the nation trust Rachel?

The clock is ticking to find Ben alive.

Whose side are you on?

My Thoughts:

I love psychological thrillers but I did begin this one tentatively. Whilst it's fiction, any child-related crime adds a depth of reality that is hard to cope with. Child abductions scare me to death and when 8 year old Ben Jenner goes missing, Rachel Jenner faces every parents' nightmare.

'In the quiet, my eyes followed the lines of the surrounding tree trucks upwards until I glimpsed the sky above, and I could feel darkness starting to push in as surely as fire creeps across a piece of paper, curling its edges, turning it to ash.

In that moment, I knew that Ben wasn’t there.'

Yes this was a special kind of hell to read but it was also riveting and bloody brilliant. I'm astounded it's Gilly Macmillan's debut novel.

The main narrative focuses on Rachel Jenner's recollection of her son's disappearance and investigating Detective Jim Clemo's, reports and sessions with his treating psychologist. But the narrative is supplemented with transcripts from social media posts, online newspapers, journal articles and missing children websites. It's an unusual mix and it really works.

Burnt Paper Sky is a highly emotive read, and not just for the obvious impact of a missing child but the 'trial by media'. The vilification heaped on Rachel by the media and public was appalling. Every facial expression, phrase, action, scrutinised and judged with ignorance and maliciousness.

Burnt Paper Sky is wonderfully layered. Tight, pacy and smart and OMG the tension, it kept me guessing. I read this in one sitting desperate to know what happened. Make sure you lock the door and start this one with a chunk of free time because you won't want to put it down and you'll want to hurt anyone that interrupts.

A heart-in-mouth read ... start to finish.

Gilly Macmillan is an author to watch out for and I'll be standing in line for whatever she dishes up next.

Note: this will be released in the US as What She Knew.

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Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Nonna's Library: Be Brave, Pink Piglet! by Phil Cummings, Sarah Davis

Title: Be Brave, Pink Piglet
Author: Phil Cummings
Illustrator: Sarah Davis
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publication Date: 29th September 2015
Pages: 24
Book Source: Hachette Australia

Synopsis: A timid little piglet learns to be a brave explorer, confronting his fears and finding hilarity along the way - but still loves coming home to Mum. This warm and lively story will delight youngsters and parents alike with Phil Cummings' adorable characters and superb artwork from Crichton Award-winning illustrator Sarah Davis.

Nonna & Mia's Thoughts:

From the pile of picture books that arrived this year, Be Brave, Pink Piglet jumped out as my granddaughter's favourite. It's also one of mine, a bonus that's made reading it 100+ times an absolute pleasure :)

A little pig heads off on his very first adventure alone, finds courage with each new experience and returns home to his loving and supportive mum. Be Brave, Pink Piglet is a delightful, endearing story about the rewards that come of trying new things even though you may be afraid.

Mia was drawn to the cover of Be Brave, Pink Piglet (who wouldn't be, look at all that cuteness) she asks for the story time and time again and it holds her attention every time. She interacts, naming the farm animals the little pig comes across, making each of the animal noises, kissing little pig and giggling at his antics.

The illustrations are bright and beautiful and little pig's facial expressions are adorable, actually all the farm animals have very expressive faces. Both Mia and I fell in love with brave little pig.

There's not a lot of text which makes it perfect for young children and with the gorgeous artwork and important message Be Brave, Pink Piglet is a delight.

I'm sure this will be favourite addition to any young child's bookshelf.

Recommend: age 1-5 years

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Friday, October 30, 2015

Audiobook Review: Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

Title: Menagerie
Author: Rachel Vincent
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: 29th August 2015
Narrator: Gabra Zackman
Time: 10hrs 57mins
Book Source: own audio

Synopsis: When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town. But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival.

Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions" - mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons, and kelpies - are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

My Thoughts:

I love Rachel Vincent, met her at ARRC in 2013 and I did the #fangirl thing. I love her writing so of course I wanted to read her latest but I was worried about clowns. You know ... travelling carnival, macabre circus, will there be clowns?? Clowns scare the crap out of me, they are creepy and most probably evil. I'm also one of those people who find circuses morally repugnant. However, my love for Rachel Vincent's writing and my big-girl-pants beat out clown fear. So fear not fellow clown phobics ... no clowns in Menagerie!

And OMG it's freakin awesome.

I seem to have hit the audiobook jackpot this year. Gabra Zackman nails the narration, pacing, distinct voices and personalities for an array of characters. I hope Gabra narrates future installments.

After the Reaping, cryptids and human/cryptid hybrids (oracles, weres, ogres, minotaurs, mermaids, selkies, succubi, fae) are hunted, caged, enslaved, tortured, exploited, starved and stripped of every basic human right.

Delilah Marlow reluctantly visits Metzger's Menagerie on her 25th birthday. Her horror at the treatment of Cryptids and specifically the torture of a werewolf girl, unleashes something in her and hours later Delilah finds herself chained on the other side of the bars at the mercy of keepers hell-bent on stripping every shred of humanity from her.

Menagerie is dark and brutal and superbly imagined, the complex world building blew my mind. But it also ripped at my heart. It might be fantasy but the parallels of abuse and injustice, the exploited, ostracised and oppressed in our own world are obvious.

Menagerie is tight, and raw and tense and beautiful despite the horror. It's everything I've come to expect from Rachel Vincent's writing ... and more. I loved the multiple POV's. I loved Delilah and handler Gallagher. I loved many of the fierce, fragile and damaged cryptids, werewolf Claudio and daughter Genni, minotaur Eryx .

Be warned, the torture, abuse and violence is disturbing and difficult to read at times.

But when the violence turns and some less-than-human humans get what they deserve, there's me cheering ... YEAH bring it on!! #karmasabitch hmm guess I sound a little disturbing.

The ending is great. Rachel Vincent could have been totally evil here. I know this probably makes little sense but it's an ending that left me satisfied and yet frothing at the mouth for more. Write faster Rachel Vincent.

I could keep going with superlatives ... or you could just take my word for it and read it. Menagerie is a favourite read this year. It might even be THE book of the year!

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