Elsewhere Online: May 2014

As you know from my Stacking the Shelves posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.

Title: Irenicon
Author: Aidan Harte

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Stealing the Moon & Stars

Stealing the Moon & Stars

by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens

published by Camel

2014

ISBN 978-1-60381-984-8

Why Read?: Review

Challenges:  E-Book, 100 Books in a Year

In Stealing the Moon & Stars by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens, private investigator Jordan Welsh is called into the Moon & Stars Children's Cancer Foundation to find out who has been embezzling from the organization.  She immediately racks up a few candidates, but she'll need the help of her business partner (and love interest), security specialist Eddie Marino to crack the case.  Of course, things are bigger and more dangerous than Jordan realizes at first, and it turns out that there is more to Eddie than she ever imagined.

The suspense part of Stealing the Moon & Stars was good - not hard-boiled, but just a solid PI mystery.  The romance, though, left me wanting.  Many of the interactions between Jordan and Eddie lacked the correct tension, and Jordan's thoughts concerning him seemed confusing (I honestly thought they were a steady couple at first).  Things do heat up, but the beginning just felt off.  The characters also hit me the same way.  Jordan, especially, takes some time to get to know as I can never connect with a main character who first comes off as the type of woman I cannot stand.  This, though, is where Smith and Steffens do a great job of proving that appearances can be deceiving.

As the first in the Jordan Welsh & Eddie Marino series, Stealing the Moon & Stars has a lot to recommend it.  I look forward to see what Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens have in store next for this duo.

Rating:  3/5

Stacking the Shelves: 5/18-5/24

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Hexed by Michelle Krys

The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton

Bad Luck Girl by Sarah Zettel

Divided by Elsie Chapman

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins

Get Jiro!

Title: Get Jiro!
Author: Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, & Langdon Foss

Publisher: Vertigo
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2827-9

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Graphic Novels, Dystopia, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  Imagine a world where food is the only business left.  This is the premise for this highly imaginative dystopian.  Foss's artwork is not exactly my thing - one of the main characters just does not look right to me - but Bourdain (yes, that Anthony Bourdain) and Rose's storyline is exciting and not too unrealistic.

Rating: 4 stars

Out of Picture 2

Title: Out of Picture 2
Author: Daisuke Tsutsumi & Michael Knapp

Publisher: Villard
ISBN: 978-0-345-49873-1

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Graphic Novels, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This is a wonderful collection of sequential art short stories in a variety of styles.  My favorites - both for artwork and story - are "Crawdaddyo" by Lizette Vega, "The Carnivore" by Vincent Nguyen, and "Plane Food" by Willie Real.

Rating: 5 stars

Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves

Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves

by Dianne Ascroft

published by Davog

June 2012

ISBN 978-1-907530-24-1

Why Read?: Review

Challenges:  E-Book, 100 Books in a Year

The six stories that Dianne Ascroft presents in Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves are true slices of life for her Irish characters.  Some are contemporary, some historical, but all are definitely Irish.

The one problem with “slice of life” tales is the lack of a major climax, and with short stories, this is particularly felt, making the reader wonder what the point was.  The story with the best flow is “Much More Than a Dancer”, but this suffers from stilted inner thoughts that sounded much more like telling than showing.  “Just a Cough” was also one I liked for the wonderful man versus nature conflict, however, the title led me to expect a much different – and more climatic – ending.

What Dianne Ascroft excels at is creating the feel of Ireland.  If you are looking to be transported to the Irish countryside for a few minutes, then Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves is your ticket there.

Stacking the Shelves: 5/11-5/17

First Reads from Goodreads:

Enduring Courage by John F. Ross

Bought on Amazon:

The Twelfth Tablet by Tom Harper