Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

If you haven't read Ms. Mead's Vampire Academy series then please read them. You don't want to start Bloodlines without having read the VA series. I wouldn't say you would be lost but you would be feeling left out. Even having read the other books I was scratching my head a few times trying to place a few of the characters and other bits of information. But I was excited to be thrown back into this world and learn more about some of my favorite characters like Adrian and Sydney. You even see Rose a little bit in the beginning.

Sydney is an Alchemist. Alchemists are a group of humans that try and keep the vampires a secret from the rest of the human population. You first meet Sydney in the VA series when she is helping Rose. Later in that series she gets herself in hot water with the Alchemists when she helps Rose break out of jail and find Jill who is the half sister of Lissa the newly appointed Moroi Queen. In Bloodlines you find Sydney being awakened in the middle of the night. At first she thinks she is finally going to be punished and sent to a rehabilitation center for her part in helping Rose but that's not the case. She soon finds out that Jill has been attacked and they are sending her and few others to a boarding school in Palm Springs, California to put her in hiding and that Sydney will be her roommate. While Sydney's view of the vampires has changed a little since spending time with she doesn't want the Alchemist's to think she is sympathizing with them and now she has to live with one.

Spoilers Ahead Don't keep reading if you don't want to be spoiled!

Ms. Mead put some twists and turns into this novel. I didn't see the spirit bond with Jill and Adrian. I knew something more was going on with Lee. I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. I think it's sweet that Eddie has a crush on Jill. I wonder how that will play out in the rest of the series. I wonder who Ms. Mead has in store for Sydney. She needs a boy in her life. She needs a little fun in her life. The one thing I don't like about Sydney is she is so anal and rigid. She is so afraid of the unknown but it seems like her controlled world is going to be shook up. I think she will tap into some magic like her teacher suggested. I think there might be something between her and Adrian but both are pretty adamant about vampires and humans not dating so I'm not sure about that one. I can' wait for the next book it's coming out next May and is called, The Golden Lily. Ms. Mead you did not disappoint.

4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell

Reading Level: Adult

This is the second book I've read by acclaimed author Candace Bushnell, and I
must admit, it was not as good as the first. "4 Blondes" does not have the
cohesiveness and complexity of "One Fifth Avenue," which I read last week.
These 4 vignettes about different female characters are not tied together in any
way (except supposedly by hair color), and are a little like reading 4 short stories
by the same author.

The chapter headings are all hair-color terms: Nice N'Easy, Highlights, Platinum
and Single Process. And while using these terms as story separators is creative,
that is where the magic ends. The first vignette involves a character named
Janey Wilcox, who is the most interesting of the four. I wish Bushnell had written
the whole book about her, but I guess she felt that that story line just petered out.
The other vignettes cover Bushnell's usual targets - ambitious female models or
journalists who are on the prowl for men. Nothing new there. Most disappointing
for me - one couple in this book, James and Winnie Dieke, are absolutely the
same characters who appear in "One Fifth Avenue." In that book, however, they
are James and Mindy Gooch, but they have the same jobs (writer and journalist),
and the same relationship (unhappily married with one chile) to each other. It's as
though Bushnell has plagiarized her own characters. How creative is that?

There are some twists and turns, some expected, some bizarre, and each
character has a different voice, but all the characters are forgettable. Unlike "One
Fifth Avenue," this work seems tired and forced, as if Bushnell needed to provide
her publisher with something on a deadline, but COUldn't be bothered to make it
something worthwhile. I have two more Bushnell books on my "To Read" list for
the summer - and I'm sincerely hoping they are back to the high level of talent
she exhibited in "One Fifth Avenue." "4 Blondes" is a disappointing read - the
type of a book you take on vacation and leave on the hotel nightstand when
you're done because it's just not good enough to bring back home.

Submitted by Gerti

Shade and Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Aura has something special planned for her boyfriend's birthday's but before she can give it to him he dies. He's gone, well sort of. Lie everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts. This mysterious ability had always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she could undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Dead Logan is almost as real as alive Logan used to be. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit. As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart and clues to the secret of the Shift.


Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Trying to move on after a loved one dies is hard enough but how do you move on when the one that died hasn't moved on. At the end of Shade Logan tries to move on and ends up becoming a Shade. A shade is a spirit that turns dark. Shift starts up with Aura trying to bring Logan back into being a spirit. Which she succeeds. Aura has to face facts. Logan is dead. It's hard having a ghost boyfriend. She's torn between moving on with Zachary and still helping Logan to move on from this world.

This was a great sequel. You learn a lot more to do with the Shift and Aura's mom. I had boy whiplash for a little while though when Dylan got thrown into the mix. I could actually see Aura with him. I'm very fickle at times. Zach shouldn't have went to prom with someone else. But I'm glad she got back on track with Zach.

The third book Shine comes out next May. I can't wait!

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

Reading Level: Adult

This is the first book I've ever read by acclaimed author Candace Bushnell. I
knew that she wrote "Sex and the City," and of course knew about the television
series and the movies, but never found them very interesting. This book, on the
other hand, is a revelation to me.

The premise of the book is that there is a magical building, One Fifth Avenue,
and how the lives of the tenants there are interwoven, even if they don't like each
other very much. In that way, it follows in the traditions of great American books
like Winesburg, Ohio, and Peyton Place. The residents of this actual historical
edifice in New York City, however, are fresh and fascinating. The building
contains matrons of NY society, as well as seductive social climbers, which
makes the read a scintillating mix of sex and social studies.

The main characters include Mrs. Louise Houghton, who I suppose is modeled
on Mrs. Brooke Astor, as she is an ancient lady with the best apartment (3
stories, including a ballroom) in the building. As such, her place is the envy of the
other tenants, which include her good friend Enid Merle (a gossip columnist), her
nephew Philip OaKland (a screenwriter), and his far-too-young-for-him
researcher/girlfriend Lola Fabrikant, who is pushing for a marriage proposal since
her parents have lost all their money trying to keep her in the lifestyle to which
she wants to become accustomed. Also a resident is famous actress Schiffer
Diamond, who is an old flame of Philips, and who is far more human (and age
appropriate for him) than his new squeeze. Mrs. Houghton's death sets off a
chain reaction that brings in new tenants, Paul and Annalisa Rice, who are
hedge-fund billionaires, just the type who think that their money (even though it's
new) can buy them anything they want. Because of his endless resources and
arrogance, Paul makes an enemy of the head of the condo association, Mindy
Gooch, whose husband James is also a writer, but one who hasn't produced
much in the past few years, which relegates them to living in what was once the
building's luggage storage rooms. Class struggles among the super rich? You betcha.

There are twists and turns, some expected, some bizarre, and characters who
are unforgettably well drawn. This is the kind of book you stay up later than your
bedtime reading, just so you can see what happens next to the people you love,
and the one's you hate. Whether or not you like New York, this book is a
rollicking good time, filled with pithy one-liners that you'll want to write down so
you can reuse them at your next social gathering. Worth every minute spent
reading it. .. Can't wait to read more by Bushnell.

Submitted by Gerti

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)

My husband has been badgering me to read this series for months now. He listened to all but the last one on audio CD and loved them. He said that James Marsters rocked as the narrator for the first eleven books. The twelfth book will be read by the guy who played Lex Luther's dad on Smallville. I only know this because my husband tells me.

I dragged my feet not because I didn't think I would like Mr. Butcher's Dresden Files books but because I thought that I would. I didn't want to get sucked into another series. It's too late now. I have been sucked in. Even though I don't have to wait for book two to be published I have to wait for it to be returned to the library. I'm waiting eagerly. It gives my husband and I something to talk about.

I enjoyed the TV show but they are different. I think I like them equally. I like Bianca in the TV show better than I do in the book so far.

Anyway in Storm Front you meet Harry Dresden. He is a wizard. That is how he makes his living. He doesn't do parties but he will help you find your missing keys. He works with the police on occasion as a special consultant for the cases that are weird. You can't help but like Harry. He has a sense of humor. I like that in a man. Not ten pages into the story he gets called in to consult for a double homicide. Jennifer Stanton and Tommy Tomm's hearts exploded right out of their bodies. It takes a whole lot of dark magic to accomplish that. When Harry starts sticking his nose where it doesn't belong bad stuff starts happening to him. I think the the quote on the book explains it the best, "Magic and wizardry meet hard-boiled detective fiction...a whole lot of fun."-SF Site.

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

From a young age Charlotte has felt a need to help people. Not just an ordinary I need to feed the children but an overpowering need that takes over her body and overcomes her until she helps someone, usually a stranger. As she gets older the need is growing. It used to only come once in a while now it is coming on once every few days. If she tries to fight it the pain she feels is unbearable. Her best friend thinks she is physic while her boyfriend thinks she is cheating on him. But Charlotte soon finds out she is an Angel. One of the Forgotten that is on earth to help people until her time is up and she returns to where she came from.

Charlotte as much as she likes helping people she doesn't want to be forgotten by the people who love her. She doesn't want to leave the people who love her. She has a choice. Either stay on the path of good or choose a darker path.

The second book to this series called A Want So Wicked will be out sometime next year. Just another book to add to my list of many that I'm looking forward to.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Skeeter is home from college and ready to start a career as a writer but it's 1962 in Jackson Mississippi and her mother won't be happy until a ring is on her finger. The one person Skeeter would find solace in, her maid Constantine, is gone. No one will tell her where she went.

Aibileen is a maid for Skeeter's best friend Elizabeth and she is raising her seventeenth white child. Since the death of her own beloved son a bitter seed has grown inside her. She loves the little girl she is raising but she knows that both of their hearts might get broken.

Then there is Minny. Minny is one of the finest cooks in Mississippi but she has a sharp tongue and can't hold a job. She's been fired from as many jobs as babies Aibileen has raised . When she gets let go from yet another job she gets hired by a women so new to the town she doesn't know Minny well enough to know her reputation. Minny's new employer has secrets of her own.

When Skeeter decides to write a book about the Help she goes to Aibileen first. Aibileen agrees after refusing a few times but she wants her story to be heard and then later Minny agrees as well. Farther down the road several other maids come forward as well. At that time during that climate it was very brave of them to come forward and share their stories. Many of them were heartwarming and not unpleasant. Skeeter's friend Hilly was quite unpleasant. I didn't like her very much. People let her have too much power over them and should have stood up to her. Hilly and I would not have been friends.

This book made me laugh, tear up, and really made me think. It was a fantastic read. The only thing that would have made it better was if I would have gotten a little more closure with the characters. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

Wither by Lauren Destefano

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

This is the first book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy. The second book called Fever will be out in February.

Imagine a world without cancer and other diseases. But then imagine a world where girls only live until the age of 20 and boys until the age of 25. In Wither the world is a different place then the one we live in now. Cancer has been cured but then it was discovered down the road when children started dying in their twenties that something went terrible wrong along the way.

Due to this young girls are being kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. Rhine Ellery is sixteen and living with her twin brother when she is taken by the Gatherers and becomes one of three brides to Linden. Even though she has entered a world of wealth and privilege and her husband seems to love her she wants out. She wants to go back to be with her brother and she wants her freedom. To get her freedom she has to contend with her father-in-law who is an eccentric man bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

This was an interesting read. I don't think I would like knowing I when I was going to die. I know one day I'm going to die but not when. Rhine knows that in four years she will die no matter what. I wouldn't want to have a child that I wouldn't get to raise. The children in this book don't have a childhood. How can they when their lifespan is so short. I'm curious as to see what else is in store for Rhine. This book makes you think.

"The Boleyn Inheritance" by Philippa Gregory

This is the third book I've read from the awesomely talented writer Philippa
Gregory, and it is one of her best, as well as one of the best I have read all year
from anyone writing in the historical fiction genre. Since the Tudor period is of
particular interest to me, I have read her book "The Other Boleyn Girl," about
Mary Boleyn, Henry VIII's mistress before he married, and later beheaded her
more ambitious sister Anne. I have also spent much of the summer reading
through several Karen Harper books, which also cover life in England during the
reign of the Tudors.

That said, this book is brilliant because it deals with the lives of three women who
all have a piece of "The Boleyn Inheritance". The three women in question are
Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, two of whom end up dead
by the end of the book.

First there is Jane Boleyn, the wife of Anne Boleyn's beloved brother George,
who is killed along with Henry's 2^nd wife after they are accused of adultery, incest
and treason. Jane really inherits George's title, which was Lord Rochford, so she
remains Lady Rochford throughout the book. She also gets to keep the Boleyn
family lands and house because she testified against him and his sister, the
Queen, in their trial. Throughout the book, Jane is tortured by her testimony
against her sister-in-law and husband. Still, she is led in her current course of
action at the King's court by the Duke of Norfolk, Anne Boleyn's powerful uncle,
the man who helped make her queen, and also was a judge at her trial in order to
save his own skin.

Then there is the Queen to follow Anne Boleyn to the throne - Anne of Cleves,
"the Flanders mare" who was forced into marriage with Henry VIII by her duty to
country (which wants to make a political connection with England), as well as her
desire to escape an unendurable situation at home, where her brother takes his
many frustrations out on her. Unlike the first Queen Anne who married the king
while he was still in his prime, this Anne fs in the unenviable position of marrying
the overweight and ailing old king. Anne of Cleves Boleyn inheritance is that
Anne Boleyn, through her desire to be Queen instead of Henry's first wife, has
taught the king that he is the most powerful man in the kingdom, and his whim is
law. As a result, he marries Anne of Cleves, but then protests that their marriage
is illegal, and declares her to be his sister, an action which convinces this Anne
that Henry VIII is not only all-powerful, but also a complete madman.

Lucky for her, one of her maids-in-waiting is the nubile Katherine Howard, the third person who receives an inheritance from Anne Boleyn whom Gregory shows us through these biographical vignettes. Even while Anne of Cleves sits beside Henry on the throne of England, the old king makes his plans to divorce Anne and marry Katherine, who makes him feel young again. Anne constantly fears for her life, but it is Katherine who falls into Henry's deadly trap, and Gregory portrays her as the greedy and stupid little teenager she may well have been. A mere puppet to the ambitions of her Uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and her cousin, Jane Boleyn, Katherine agrees to marry the king for gowns and jewels. Her family members want her to be queen so they can come back to the power position they occupied when grasping Anne Boleyn was Queen. Katherine's "Boleyn Inheritance" is not only the throne, which she occupies for a very short time, but also the scaffold, where like her cousin Anne Boleyn, she dies at Henry's whim. In this novelization of historical fact, it was fascinating to hear the story behind several Tudor queens who rise and fall in the glittering but dangerous court of Henry VIII. His son Edward, and daughters Mary and Elizabeth play only a small part in the story, but all are portrayed sympathetically, more as chess pieces than people in the elaborate game their father Henry VIII plays.

In summary, this is a book that should be read by everyone interested in Tudor history, especially that of Henry's 4th and 5^th wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, about whom less is know than his other wives. At over 700 pages (large print edition), it should have seemed long, but it didn't. Gregory's portrayal of the 3 women is so rich with psychological depth, and her writing so brilliant, as she changes the voice with each narrator, that it was a pleasure to read almost every word. A truly magnificent work by a truly brilliant writer.

Submitted by Gerti

America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money by Steve and Annette Economides

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

I feel guilty for admitting that I read this book, mainly because it's already more than 7 days overdue, which I've spent almost a dollar reading it! While that goes against what "America's Cheapest Family" is trying to teach me, the book is so good and so helpful, I couldn't help but read it to the end. I consider that dollar in late fees an investment in my own future. Plus, buying the book from their website (AmericasCheapestFamily.com) would be $15, so I've saved $14 dollars thanks to this book in the least. But if thinking about money all the time and in every aspect of your life is your bag, this is The book for you.

I've read several other books in this genre recently, thanks to the "Extreme Couponing" TV show, which got me thinking about saving money in this crap economy. But the other books deal primarily with saving at the supermarket, while this book also handles how to save on your house payments, your home and car insurance, how to get out of debt, how to teach your kids about money-in other words, this book is about your entire life and money. Any monetary decisions, this book has it handled, which is why it has taken me so long to read, since I couldn't afford to skip even one chapter! The story of the Economides family is heart-warming, as not only the parents but also the kids get to weigh in on the way they live. The book is about changing the reader's attitude toward money, and credit, and as such, is a refreshing veiwpoint in a world that seems to push consumerism at every turn. As they say, it's about living better, while spending less, and who doesn't love that?

Submitted by Gerti

Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Calla Tor is a Guardian. A Guardian is a wolf that turns into a human. Guardians are bodyguards to the Keepers and they protect them from the Searchers. But are the Keepers really the good guys like they say they are? Did you get all that?

This book opens up with Calla saving the life of a human boy, which is forbidden. Then your flung right into the story. Calla is the alpha of her young Nighshade wolf pack and she is destined to marry the alpha of the young Bane wolf pack. She's okay with her destiny until the human boy she saved turns up at her high school. Then her destiny gets all turned upside down. I was a little confused at first at who each group was, Guardians, Keepers, and Searchers. It finally made sense once Calla starts to explain it to the human boy Shay. Besides that I really liked this book. I really liked the characters. The adults I could have done without. Many were cruel and heartless. I'm not sure I would want to live in this world.



In the second book you find Calla has chosen a different path and opened up a huge can of worms. By choosing Shay she has set a collision course that no one could have predicted. But the house of cards has to come tumbling down. It's just sad at the amount of people that have to suffer for that to happen. I wonder who Calla will really end up with, Shay or Ren. I can't wait for Bloodrose next February. If you go to www.nightshadebook.com you can download the first chapter to read. It leaves you wanting more.

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

I didn't find this as delicious as the first book but it was still good. My biggest complaint is that Alona and Will didn't have enough page time together. Other than that it was a really good read and I didn't foresee some of what happened so that's always a plus when the author surprises me.

From the authors website:

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello?! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Possession by Elana Johnson

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I wasn't really thrilled with the ending but I enjoyed the ride. From the authors website: Surrender. That's right! A companion novel to POSSESSION, coming next summer. This novel will take place in the same story world as POSSESSION, but there will be a couple of new characters to follow.

And yes, all your questions from POSSESSION will be answered. I hope so because like I said I wasn't thrilled with the ending.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

I thought that this book had a slow start but it picked up speed and had a really good finish. Clara Gardner is part angel. With being part angel means she has a purpose here on earth to complete. Of course the purpose isn't handed to her on a silver platter she has to figure out what her purpose is. She gets glimpses of this purpose through visions. Her visions take her and her family from California to Colorado. Of course her purpose has something to do with saving a boy. The family moves and she meets the boy (Christian) she is supposed to save but for me the book doesn't start to pick up speed until she starts to hang out with Tucker. Tucker is her new best friends twin brother. The book gets really interesting towards the end. I'm really excited for the next book which should be out sometime next January.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

The library for some reason doesn't own this in book format. It just has it available on audio CD. Listening to a book isn't my first choice but I have to tell you that listening to this story was awesome. The woman that reads the book does an outstanding job in my opinion. She does the voices and brings the story to life. I felt like I was watching a movie. Of course that has a lot to do with the authors writing. Ms. Aguirre's writing is very visual and it's easy to imagine it as a movie. Some of the scenes are very graphic. Just to forewarn.

Welcome to the Apocalypse

You are never really told what happened to generate the Apocalypse you just know that the world that we are used to is no more. I'm not sure what year it is either. In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. The tunnels are the subway tunnels and the Freaks are people who eat other people. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

When Deuce and Fade get banished from the only home Deuce has ever known the real adventure really begins.

The sequel titled Outpost comes out in the fall of 2012. I'm looking forward to it

Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

First, six mysteriously pale new students show up at Sophie McGee’s high school. Then, Sophie’s childhood nemesis James reappears, still displaying a knack for making Sophie’s blood boil. When Sophie finds out that James has a connection to the new students, she decides to investigate…never expecting her life will quickly begin to resemble a campy horror movie, complete with budding crushes and bloodthirsty villains.

This was a fun read. What's awesome is Ms. Robinson is from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper

This is the fourth book I've read from talented writer Karen Harper, although it is the one I have enjoyed the most. While I have never had an interest in Shakespeare, being the sort of English major who preferred her literature to be of a more recent and accessible variety, I picked up "Mistress Shakespeare" since the Tudor period is of particular interest to me.

While I had taken a college course in Shakespeare, and had visited Stratford- upon-Avon with a class, no instructor even mentioned the controversy surrounding Shakespeare's "other" wife, Anne Whateley. Just learning about her was a revelation. But this book does what seemed impossible for me - it makes moldy old genius Will Shakespeare into a flesh-and-blood human being, relatable
thanks to his human passions and failings.

This book pretends to be the story of Anne Whateley, the childhood companion of William Shakespeare who becomes his mistress and muse for the rest of his life. While it is a novelization of a historical mystery, it was fascinating to have Harper bring to life several other Elizabethan figures, including the Queen herself and other famous playwrights of the time. It is an entertaining and well-
researched glimpse into an oft forgotten era, as with Anne at our side we survive the Black Plague as it ravages the city of London, and the failed Essex uprising, which ultimately leads to the death of one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite courtiers.

Even more interesting from a student's perspective is the picture drawn of Anne Hathaway, the woman every English major knows as the true wife of William Shakespeare, as well as her children by the bard. Being Shakespeare's other woman, Harper's heroine is Hathaway's natural antagonist, and yet by the end of the book, the two ladies have come to a grudging understanding. Harper also
touches on the tragedies in Shakespeare's life - the death of his only son, and his favorite brother, again bringing a much-needed humanity to the literary icon.

In summary, this is a book that should be read by everyone interested in Tudor history, especially that of Elizabeth l's reign, but it should also be read by the English major who enjoys a look behind the plays and poems of that era. Unlike Harper's other historical novels I have read this summer, this one se'ems exactly the right length, and there are no parts of it where I was bored or wanted to skip ahead to a more dynamic section. Like all of her books, however, it leaves me wanting to do more research on certain "facts", such as whether Shakespeare's life really was threatened during the Globe fire that took down his London theatre. Mistress Shakespeare is a tremendous character, full-bodied and well- spoken, and it was wonderful to have Karen Harper bring her to life.

Submitted by Gerti