Gypsy Cradle by Andrea Drew

Gypsy Cradle by Andrea Drew

Gypsy Shields Series, Book 2

Publisher: Andrea Drew (April 2015)

207 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Graphic Violence and Sexual Situations

Things seemed to have just settled down for Gypsy, when she receives a message through her paranormal gifts that her boyfriend’s niece (secretly his daughter) is in mortal danger from an unknown source. But, the rocky relationship between the two women isn’t conducive to warning the niece of the danger, and things just get worse from there. There are so many complex characters in this and the interaction between the two couples (Gypsy and Connor/Christie and Ryan) was interesting too. Gripping mystery, and even though you pretty much know who the bad guy is from the beginning, the constant action definitely keeps you in suspense until the end. Entertaining, quick read! I look forward to the next book in the series, Gypsy Curse, as well as the prequel, Gypsy Life ( due out in June).

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, Book 2

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (May 2012)

436 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $8.62)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence and Sexual Subject Matter

In this sequel to Wolf Hall, we pick up where we left off, with the downfall of Thomas More, the King turning his attentions from Anne Boleyn to Jane Seymour, and Cromwell beginning to feel less secure in his position and influence with the King. Though I understand his motivations, in this portion of the story Cromwell (especially toward the end) is crossing the line into doing things that are irredeemable. The slow slide into this less noble version of Cromwell is interesting to see develop, and provides a logical version of a complex historical period.  I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this series, The Mirror and the Light, and hope to see it out soon!

Movie/TV Adaptations:

Wolf Hall (TV Mini-Series 2015)

Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, Book 1

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (October 2009)

560 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence and Sexual Subject Matter

This series is the novelized account of the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, a close advisor to both Cardinal Wosley and King Henry VIII of England. We begin with his humble beginnings, as a runaway blacksmith’s son, and we follow his gradual elevation as his career advances and he becomes the King’s closest advisor. I’m usually not too much for stories of political intrigue (and it was admittedly a little long-winded at times), but these characters really came alive for me. Thomas Cromwell is presented as a deep-thinking academic, with quick wit and a tendency to say things to important people that others wouldn’t dare. His dry sense of humor and his unique view of events makes him a riveting narrator of the goings on at the court of King Henry VIII, and it makes for an entertaining review of a tumultuous time in British history. This first book takes you up through the downfall of Thomas More and has the King beginning to tire of Anne Boleyn. I’m excited to continue on with Bring Up the Bodies!

Movie/TV Adaptations:

Wolf Hall (TV Mini-Series 2015)

Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy

Dead Secret by Richard Milton

Dead Secret by Richard Milton

A Tony Gabriel Paranormal Mystery

Publisher: Richard Milton (June 2011)

372 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Sexual Situations and Violence

After his mother’s death, Tony is left with a strange bequest, that has him questioning just how well he knew his mother. The mysterious collection of items leads him to investigate an organization that is interested in an obscure branch of fortune-telling that uses human skulls to develop their predictions. This was a fast-paced paranormal mystery that reminded me a lot of The Da Vinci Code. The story alternates between three different time period’s narratives. You aren’t quite sure what is real and what’s not, or who you can really trust until the very end, but it is all delivered with just enough real fact to make it entirely believable. Tony is a colorful character, bouncing back and forth between his various lady friends, as he slowly unravels the whole story. Very entertaining read. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending—I felt it was a bit sinister, but perhaps in a good way.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

Publisher: Vintage (May 2012)

194 pages, eBook (Purchased Myself for $9.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

This is a kind of depressing story of a wild and mysterious young lady that captures everyone’s attention, but always seems a few steps behind the happiness that she is seeking, throwing away her chances before she knows she should have held on to that one.

My Thoughts:

This novella is told from the point-of-view of one of her neighbors, and has a very modern feel to it (reminded me of The Great Gatsby). Holly is a wild party girl, that always seems to be up to some sort of antic. Everyone seems in awe of her and the air of mystery around her seems to make her all that much more fascinating. But, the more you get to know about her, the less ideal her life seems. I’m definitely interested to watch the movie now.

Edition Notes:

This collection also includes three short stories: House of Flowers, A Diamond Guitar and A Christmas Memory.

Quotes:

“Even so, my spirits heightened whenever I felt in my pocket the key to this apartment; with all its gloom, it still was a place of my own—” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“You can love somebody without it being like that. You keep them a stranger, a stranger who’s a friend.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“—you got to want it to be good and I don’t want it—“-Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“I don’t mean I’d mind being rich and famous. That’s very much on my schedule, and someday I’ll try to get around to it; but if it happens, I’d like to have my ego tagging along. I want to still be me when I wake up one fine morning and have breakfast at Tiffany’s.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“I don’t want to own anything until I know I’ve found the place where me and things belong together.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany’s, then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“—the average personality reshapes frequently, every few years even our bodies undergo a complete overhaul—desirable or not, it is a natural thing that we should change.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“They would never change because they’d been given their character too soon; which, like sudden riches, leads to a lack of proportion—“-Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“But you can’t give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they’re strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. The the sky. That’s how you’ll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You’ll end up looking at the sky.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“—it’s better to look at the sky than live there. Such an empty place; so vague. Just a country where the thunder goes and things disappear.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

“I’m very scared, Buster. Yes, at last. Because it could go on forever. Not knowing what’s yours until you’ve thrown it away.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Movie Adaptations:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal

Saint Odd by Dean Koontz

Saint Odd by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas Series, Book 7

Publisher: Bantam (January 2015)

354 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $9.79)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Odd has finally come back home to Pico Mundo, but with the knowledge that his home and the people who live there are threatened by the satanic cultist dark forces that he’s come up against before. An entertaining final adventure of Odd, with glimpses of many of his friends from previous books. A nice ending to the series. I especially liked the hopeful collective sentiment expressed at the end.

The Hysteria by Evan Ronan

The Hysteria by Evan Ronan

The Unearthed Series, Book 4

Publisher: Calhoun Publishing (January 2015)

302 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing and Violence

Eddie is contacted by a rich man to find his missing daughter, and though the case doesn’t exactly jive with Eddie’s area of expertise, he decides to take it because the father tells him he thinks his missing daughter was possessed  . . . and Eddie needs the money. This story really takes things up a notch even from the one that preceded it, and though the action was exciting and riveting, I kind of missed the more low-key investigations that Eddie had done in the first two books. This involved a lot of people with different motivations and you are in the dark for a long while about who is siding with who and who Eddie can really trust. Eddie struggles a lot in this story with things he was forced to do in self-defense. As a character, he just keeps getting more and more interesting and complex, and I can’t wait to see where his next adventure will take him!