Illuminae

In all honesty,  I figured this would take me a while to finish- all 600 pages of this tome. Not so. Oh my goodness, this was a book like no other I have read and I have read a lot. First- if you decide to read it you must buy a physical copy. NO electronic or audio will do because this book is a work of art. It is the story of Kady and Ezra, a couple who have just broken up as their world is attacked. They are forced to flee to several ships (this is a space tale) and find themselves alone with only each other left. But alas, they are on separate ships. Ezra is commissioned to become a fighter pilot and Kady hides her computer hacking skills from the powers that be, but she is keeping an eye on the command. She doesn't like what she sees. When one of the ships is fired on by their own and the disaster is covered up, Kady uses her hacking skills to find out what is going on. And none of it is pretty. I could go on and on about the terrible things that happen and how Kady and Ezra fight to save others, but you will get to that on your own. It's the style of this book that is spectacular. It is told in memos, blogs, computer conversations. It is told in concrete poetry from an unreliable narrator. It is told in reports and schematics and illustrations. Just gorgeous and clever. I really couldn't put this down. And when I am done typing, will order book two. My only complaint is some of the gray writing on the black pages was almost impossible to read- could be due to my old eyes but that did give me a bit of frustration as I didn't want to miss a word. I can't imagine the planning that must have gone into the creation of this book- kudos to the authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It isn't easy to create something so new and innovative in the book world, but they blew the doors off this one. So try something new and give it a go. Happy reading my friends!

Stalking Jack the Ripper

I love a good historical novel. An intrepid NoDid putting her life in peril to solve a crime. And in this case it is an actual crime she is trying to solve. Audrey Rose is not like other girls her age. For one, she assists her uncle in his medical profession. For two, she has no problem running around the seedy underbelly of London at the same time as Jack the Ripper was doing his work. Audrey Rose attends crime scenes, autopsies and classes at medical school. None of these activities sit well with her father who would like to keep her locked up in the house to keep her safe after her mother's death. But he has problems of his own and is not the best chaperone. Enter Thomas Cresswell, her uncle's assistant and general rogue. The chemistry between the two is striking and they team up to try and solve the Ripper case. Unfortunately for Audrey Rose, she catches the Ripper's attention and must race to find the culprit who she thinks may be her father, or Thomas or... I enjoyed the pictures in this book as they showed the actual sites of London at the time and I liked how Audrey does not care about conventions and puts herself out there following her passions. I won't tell you who the Ripper turns out to be, I'll leave that to you friends. But this is an interesting look at the forensics of the time mixed with a case that stirs the imagination. So tread carefully the streets of London, you never know when Jack will appear and happy reading my friends.

Heart of Betrayal

Lia is trapped in Venda and must find a way to get back to her kingdom with the love of her life Rafe. But Kaden is determined to win her back. Of course neither of them may have a say if the Komizar has anything to say about it. He sees the value in keeping the princess for himself and using her as a symbol of hope for his people, In this sequel to Kiss of Deception, the stakes are higher than ever. One false move and all Lia loves will be destroyed. She must find a way to play the Komizar's game until she and Rafe can figure out a way to get free. But the longer Lia is in Venda, the more she sees a people that need her. Her gift of the sight shows her things as they could be. And her family has made her public enemy number one if she tries to go home. Where does Lia belong when everyone wants a piece of her? Will she be able to rise as a princess of a new people or continue to be used as a pawn by those more powerful? I love the characters in these books. Lia is a strong, smart, courageous woman. Rate is a dashing prince with a heart that beats for only Lia. Kaden, the misunderstood assassin who want something for himself. Aster, the serving girl determined to save Lia even if it puts her in great danger. Pauline, the loyal friend who is the only one who can convince Lia's family of what happened to her. They all have such life to them. This book made me gasp in horror at my desk during silent reading and tears may have formed. I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy and hope for a happily ever after... but I'm sure there will be some drama along the way! Happy reading my friends!