Recent Reads {North By Northanger}

North By Northanger (Or, the Shades of Pemberley) by Carrie Bebris - Darcy and Elizabeth have a tough time finding peace and quiet. After the exhausting London season they've just endured, they only want to enjoy a quiet holiday at Bath before heading home to Pemberley to await the birth of their first child. While in Bath, however, they receive an invitation from Captain Tilney to visit him at Northanger Abbey on their way home. Apparently, their mothers were once good friends and Captain Tilney would like to renew the acquaintance. Their reception at Northanger Abbey is extremely odd, and within moments of their arrival they are wishing to be headed home. They do cut their visit with the Captain short, but at their next stop they are detained and find themselves accused of having stolen diamonds from the Abbey. Darcy must even spend some time in the jail. It appears that someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to implicate the Darcys. Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures, and Elizabeth contacts Lady Catherine DeBourgh for just such a favour. It is a mixed blessing indeed, for Lady Catherine does succeed in having Darcy released from the prison so they can return to Pemberley - but at the cost of the couple being subject to her as their chaperone. They continue to work to clear their names while at Pemberley, as they unravel clues about the friendship between Darcy's mother and Mrs Tilney. And all the while, Lady Catherine is trying Elizabeth's patience sorely. 

This Darcy and Elizabeth mystery relied far less on supernatural occurrences or fantasy elements, but there is plenty of intrigue and deception; and Elizabeth's wit and good humour are greatly tested as her pregnancy advances and she must deal with stressful events and people, including Lady Catherine, Mrs Bennet, and her sister Lydia Wickham.

My comments from a previous read: North By Northanger

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, The Matter at Mansfield, Suspense and Sensibility,  Pride and Prescience

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {A British Bride by Agreement}

A British Bride by Agreement by Therese Stenzel - This is not my usual choice, because it is a contemporary setting, but at the time this book was free for Kindle and the description sounded interesting. I was a little surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. The main character, Emma, has recently been widowed and finds that her late husband had gambling debts that will completely ruin her. She is loathe to return to her own family in Great Britain, fearing that her parents will try to exploit her as they have in the past and wanting to distance herself from their unscrupulous business practices. As a result, she has to give serious consideration to the proposal from her late husband's employer, the very wealthy Jonathan Steller. Jonathan is an honorable Christian man, but he is looking for a wife that will help him in his ambitions in the company business. The two do come to an agreement and marry, and although each also longs for a deep, loving relationship together, there are many obstacles and misunderstandings that seem to conspire to keep them from it.

Towards the end of the book, I felt that the storyline became untidy and that the resolution was rushed and not believable. There were a couple of abrupt insertions of character motives or subplots that were confusing and had me paging back to see if there was something I'd missed previously - and there wasn't - and at the end I thought there were details missing in the final showdown that were confusing.

Overall, for a light and clean romance, this story did fit the bill, and I am willing to give other titles by this author consideration for my reading list.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Beauty and the Beast}

Beauty and the Beast (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James - Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale that I particularly like because of its message of judging people based on character rather than appearance. And I admit, the Disney version remains my favorite of their princess movies. I also really enjoyed this telling of the classic tale, in which the handsome but arrogant Prince Alexander is cursed to be transformed into a beastly wolf at night. He has one year in which to have a lady love him in his werewolf form or he will become a beast forever. The 'beauty' is Cecelia, and as we meet her she is looking forward to receiving a proposal of marriage from a nobleman who has been courting her. Unfortunately, this man has no intention of marrying her because she has no title, and instead tells her of his upcoming wedding to someone else. Everyone in the village has been expecting Cecelia's engagement to him, so she becomes the object of ridicule and spends more or her time alone in the woods. On the night that she goes there to cry over her embarrassment and betrayal, Alexander (as the wolf) happens upon her and tries to comfort her. Of course she first reacts with fear, but to his surprise she seems to accept his offer of friendship, and he begins to hope that she will be able to break the spell. During the daytimes, Alexander visits her as the prince, and tries to make amends for his previous boorish behavior towards her, and expresses his interest in courting her. Cecelia does not quite trust him, but is inexplicably drawn to him as well; and must sort out her conflicting feelings about him and her relationship with the wolf.

I actually enjoyed this story more than the first in this collection that I read, because the characters were more well-rounded and both of the principles had to undergo change and growth in order to advance the story. I thought it was an interesting twist to have the curse affect the prince only at night, because even while he was winning Cecelia's affections as himself, he also had to consider that it was his beast form that she had to love in order to break the spell. He was, in effect, competing against himself for her affection which set up some interesting conflict.

By the same author: Sleeping Beauty

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {The Map Across Time}

The Map Across Time by C.S. Lakin - This is Book Two in Lakin's 'The Gates of Heaven' series, and although I didn't read it quickly, I was much more drawn into this story than the first one, The Wolf of Tebron. The series of novels are essentially fairy tales for adult or young adult readers, and include elements of mythology, fantasy, magic, and Biblical references.

Something is very wrong in the kingdom of Sherbourne. The king has long been greedy, and now is obsessed with finding the legendary firebird. The kingdom itself is beginning to fall apart, but the king doesn't seem to notice. Adin and Aletha, the twins who are prince and princess, see that something must be done, and Adin sets out to find the firebird himself, despite the fact that he is crippled. He meets a mysterious hermit that tells him how to find an enchanted map that will take him back in time so that he can undo the curse upon the kingdom. Aletha has no idea where he has gone, but later follows him. Disaster and mishaps force them both to make difficult decisions, even after they find each other in the Sherbourne of the past.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this inventive plot, and although some outcomes were predictable, there were many surprises as well. The only thing I really didn't appreciate was the liberal use of words and phrases in the mysterious lost language of Sherbourne, as the twins' wise old nurse and many other characters sprinkled these words into their dialogue. I found out later that the words were based on Hebrew, which adds to their symbolic meaning, certainly, but I felt that they were overused and became confusing when used so often without always providing adequate context for the reader to understand.

Overall, this was a very good read, and although the second in a series, it's not necessary to read the first in order to enjoy this one.

By the same author: The Wolf of Tebron

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Sleeping Beauty}

Sleeping Beauty: Faerie Tale Collection by Jenni James - I have never outgrown fairy tales, and honestly, I hope I never do. Fairy tales may be simple and idealized stories, but they teach us that good triumphs over evil, and I think we need that reminder. Jenni James has written a series called Faerie Tale Collection that takes classic fairy tales and tells them with some new twists and backgrounds. James writes largely for a teen audience, and although this book wasn't specifically labelled as young adult fiction, it certainly fits that category. This telling of the classic tale of the beautiful princess asleep because of a spell that can only be broken by the kiss of her true love adds some fantasy elements and background to the characters that is quite different from the 'Disney-fied' version that most of us are familiar with.

The sleeping beauty is Aleyna, and she has become queen while under the spell. The villain is Villeria who has tried to claim Aleyna as payment for protection the kingdom for many years. When Villeria tries to steal Aleyna, her protector (a unicorn named Ezralon) had already woven a spell that would not allow anyone to claim her unless they truly loved her. In Villeria's rage, she destroyed everyone in the kingdom, and Ezralon placed a sleeping spell on Aleyna until her true love would come. She exists in a dream state, not realizing that everyone she knows is dead and her kingdom is in complete ruin. Meanwhile, Prince Darien is convinced by his friends to explore this ghostly kingdom in order to prove that he is no longer afraid of specters and spirits. Naturally, it is love at first sight, even though Aleyna is not fully awake. This gives the story a new look, as the principle characters actually interact and have a basis for caring for each other, rather than the prince coming in and kissing a practically lifeless girl for no reason other than that she is pretty!

The story is relatively short, and easy reading. I found the characters to be somewhat flat, and was a little annoyed by the breathless infatuation of Aleyna and Darien, although it's understood that their attraction to each other is a driving force of the story. Slight spoiler alert: An added twist is that Darien and Aleyna were part of some council prior to their birth, in which they agreed to this destiny to defeat Villeria, but would not be conscious of any of this from their birth until they meet again. So, in light of that, their immediate fascination is part of the magic in the plotline. One other minor thing that irritated me was the frequent use of the word "gel" instead of "girl", which I thought was affected and unnecessary. That said, the story was an interesting read and I'm looking at a couple of James's other titles too.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Treasures - The High House - The False House

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

This week for Tuesday's Treasures, I am sharing a pair of books that have become favorites of mine - The High House and The False House by James Stoddard. A number of years ago, on a discussion forum, there was an informal poll question about what was a favorite work of fiction. Among the responses was one lady who mentioned The High House as her very favorite book, and one she had read over and over. Her description of it intrigued me and I hunted down a copy of it through an inter-library loan (I think there was ONE copy in our entire state library system!) and absolutely loved it. Of course I needed my own copy, and  was fortunate enough to find these used paperbacks (probably on half.com although I don't remember for sure).


The High House could be described as fantasy or allegorical fiction, and reads almost like a fairy tale. It tells the story of Carter Anderson, who is introduced as a young boy. He lives in an extraordinary house full of mysteries, secret passageways, and unusual guests. His beloved father is the Master of the house and maintains not only the house, but the universe as well. When young Carter unwittingly becomes the target of the enemy - a faceless anarchist known as The Bobby - his father sends him away from Evenmere to keep him safe. Years later, Carter must return to Evenmere and become Master himself, because his father has disappeared and is presumed dead. The story is Carter's journey to find out what happened to his father, and begin to understand the mysterious workings and kingdoms of the house and his own responsibility for keeping Chaos and Entropy from overtaking Evenmere and the world.

In the sequel, The False House, Evenmere has come under a new threat when the anarchists kidnap a young girl and use her powers along with a stolen cornerstone to start raising a new, false house. Carter and his younger brother must search for the girl and for the stolen keys so they can restore Order to the house and universe. To complicate matters, there seems to be a traitor among them.

Both stories are loaded with adventure and fantasy elements, and make for exciting reading. I have read them both several times, and made The High House a family read-aloud some years ago. In fact, as I was pulling out the books in preparation to share this post, Spencer and Landon saw them and remembered that, and I suggested in passing that maybe they would like to read them again on their own. And this suggestion didn't meet with any resistance. Now I'm not saying that they will fight over who gets to read first, but neither of them are particularly fond of reading, so for them to receive my comment and actually consider it means that they probably enjoyed the book the first time around. (I'll let you know what happens. They're both going away for a few days, so I'll let it simmer in the back of their minds till they get back and then see what's what.)
    
I highly recommend these books to young adult and adult readers alike, especially those who enjoy fantasy and allegory reminiscent of C.S. Lewis' Narnia series.

You may be able to find these at the library, and they are both available on Amazon: The High House; The False House. I found the author's website here: James Stoddard

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Treasures - The Cuckoo Clock

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

This is one of those link-ups that I keep meaning to do and somehow don't get to it. This week I'm getting to it! Which doesn't necessarily guarantee that I'll do it regularly, but at least I'm starting.
Tuesdays Treasures is a weekly link-up at Every Bed of Roses, started as a way of sharing great books. There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so this is a chance to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post to the link-up.
That's the introduction - now let's go to my bookshelf! Well, actually... Kennady's bookshelf.

The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs Molesworth - I found this book when I was a young girl, maybe 9 or 10 years old. It was in a bookshelf at my Grandma's house, and I'm not sure where she got it.  It's possible that my Aunt Linda (who loves second-hand bookstores and old books) picked it up at a sale. I remember reading it through every time I visited Grandma until I eventually took it home with me.  Of course I didn't read it any more once I was a 'mature' teenager! Several years ago I found it among my things stored at Mom's and brought it home with me, wondering if maybe Kennady would like it.  We spent a number of enjoyable evenings together with this delightful vintage book, taking turns reading aloud to each other.

The story is about a little girl who must go live with two elderly spinster aunts. She is lonely and bored (apparently the complaint of boredom from children is not new!), but the cuckoo in the clock becomes her friend and teacher, and takes her to visit inside some of the intriguing objects in the aunts' house. The cuckoo also guides her in courteous behavior and diligent attention to her studies.

The illustrations are charming too.

Mrs Molesworth's books are rather difficult to find in libraries or bookstores, but they are out there. I did find an edition of The Cuckoo Clock available on Amazon, and a number of her books are available for free at Project Gutenberg. The Cuckoo Clock is apparently one of her lesser-known works, yet it is the only one of her books that I have read! Perhaps I should change that.

I first wrote about this book a few years ago.

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Suspense and Sensibility}

Suspense and Sensibility (Or, First Impressions Revisited) by Carrie Bebris - The second story of the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mysteries finds Darcy and Elizabeth enjoying the quiet of Pemberley, but not for long. They agree to sponsor Elizabeth's sister Kitty for a London season, and of course the goal is to find a husband for her. It doesn't take long before the seemingly perfect match comes along. Young Harry Dashwood is charming and wealthy, and most importantly, he is devoted to Kitty and the engagement is soon announced. Unfortunately, while wedding preparations begin, Harry's behavior changes dramatically, and gives the London elite plenty of fodder for gossip - none of it flattering. The Darcys do their best to protect Kitty's reputation from irreparable harm and the engagement is broken, but Elizabeth suspects that something supernatural may be the explanation for Harry's suddenly altered personality. She must convince Darcy to help, and they solve another mystery with fantasy elements.

Once again, Bebris combines excellent character development with an entertaining, supernatural mystery. It's particularly enjoyable to have the Darcys interacting with the characters from Sense and Sensibility.

My comments from a previous read: Suspense and Sensibility

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, The Matter at Mansfield, North By Northanger,  Pride and Prescience

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Pride and Prescience}

Pride and Prescience (Or, A Truth Universally Acknowledged) by Carrie Bebris - Now that I'm reading this series for the second time, and having read many other Jane Austen-inspired sequels and retellings in the meantime, I have come to the conclusion that Carrie Bebris is my favorite author in this genre. Her characters, dialogue, and narrative are so consistent with Austen's that I am even willing to accept the more fantastical elements of the story.

In this sequel, Caroline Bingley manages to steal some of the spotlight on Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding day, by announcing her own engagement and upcoming nuptials. In the first couple of meetings Darcy and Elizabeth have with the newly married couple, they are surprised and even somewhat dismayed at Caroline's behavior and quite unusual circumstances. A storm and some curious accidents force the Darcys to spend several weeks at Netherfield with the Bingleys, the Hursts, and Caroline and her new husband; and the situation becomes more dangerous. Darcy and Elizabeth are the only ones to fully appreciate the possible threats, and even so they do not agree on the forces at play.

Bebris delivers a rather gothic mystery, but does so in a style wonderfully similar to Austen's. A very entertaining read!

My comments from a previous read: Pride and Prescience

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, The Matter at Mansfield, North By Northanger, Suspense and Sensibility

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/