Blood Fury by J.R. Ward

Blood Fury by J.R. Ward has been added to my list of completely satisfying books from the Black Dagger Brotherhood/Legacy. Honestly, not a single one of the books from this world has disappointed. Sure, I cried big ugly tears on an airplane when I finished The Shadows, I still loved the book. When a book makes you cry like that, it's legit. 😏

What I enjoy about Ward's books is that while there is a main story-line, there is always a secondary story between another couple. Not to mention little side issues in the works that tend to be preludes to the next book. I have friends who can't stand to read a series because they don't like a continuous story (yes they're crazy). Ward almost always completes a section of someone's story for us in each book while continuing or beginning another's.

Peyton definitely had his issues with self worth that were sad and I felt for him, but it was Novo that I was crying about. Her personal tragedy that she endured was just heart wrenching. My own experience wasn't nearly as traumatizing but I was able to relate closely which made her character seem to jump off the pages into my soul. J.R. Ward painted that picture very accurately.

Saxton has been recovering from the loss of his first love Blay. I never felt too sorry for Saxton because he was a casualty of my favorite Black Dagger couple. Blay always belonged with Qhuinn. Unfortunately Saxton had to be heartbroken for me to FINALLY see those two together. That said, I'm glad Saxton meets his match. FYI - not a spoiler, it's in the book description.

J.R. Ward writes love scenes that make you sweat just reading them. 

If you read nothing else from the series you could still enjoy this book. All of the emotional turmoil is very well written. Of course all of lovemaking is pretty damn steamy. So jump out of your slow-paced reads and jump into the action of The Black Dagger Legacy.

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin

The Girls in the Picture tells the story of Hollywood's first movie stars and screen writers. Before reading this book I hadn't considered how Hollywood got its start. I didn't know the first silent films were shot quickly without permission in front of churches and businesses. Many people in LA discriminated against people associated with movies. It was a shameful new thing to be part of apparently. Despite the naysayers, two women managed to be wildly successful in a man's world.

I hadn't heard the names Mary Pickford and Frances Marion before this book. I now realize that I have them to thank for opening doors for women in the industry. It was no easy feat. Men wanted them to fail at every turn. Many resented them. As a team, they faced off against these men. The were determined to have careers even if it was too absurd for these men to understand.

Tragic and unfair, Mary Pickford began acting at the age of 8. Her father had died, leaving her behind with her mom and two siblings. As the eldest sibling, she became the bread winner. Earning just enough money to feed and clothe them all. Deprived of a normal childhood, Mary would later become famous for her brilliance in portraying a child in the movies.

Frances Marion would become the highest paid "scenarist" in the business, and the first to win two Academy Awards. Mary undoubtedly gave Frances her break into Hollywood, but Frances would build her career through her own talent as a writer. She was so rare, the first female to direct a film, that many simply couldn't believe it at all. Why wasn't she home knitting or doing something else useful?

Both women would have several marriages. It is arguable that a lot of the reason Mary was able to challenge men in her career was because her marriage protected her. It wasn't a secret that women were expected to lay on casting couches to earn a role in the movies. As a married woman, a good-girl, she didn't have to make those choices to further her career.

"I'd seen the way men in power treated actresses; it wasn't an equal relationship at all, and if you were ambitious, there were many unsavory choices you would have to make."

Our recent #timesup movement began after a very public exposure of this dirty "secret". Women's rights have come so far from the times of Mary and Frances that all of us wanted to believe that women in Hollywood were equal to the men. We wanted to think that the actresses we know and love today didn't suffer harassment from men in power. Yet, we now know that they did of course. Most of us assumed it happened behind the scenes, but hoped that it didn't.

Early Hollywood doesn't sound much different from what we're hearing today in the media as actresses and even some actors tell their personal stories of harassment and assault. The distinguishable difference is that we now live in a time where these actions are illegal and punishable. Women are powerful enough to speak out about how they've been mistreated and enough people in power care. There is legal action that can and has been enforced. Hopefully men will no longer be able to manipulate women and their careers for their own pleasure.

Melanie Benjamin took true historical information and created a dialogue for Mary and Frances. The conversations and events throughout the book all ring true. They all felt authentic. We will never know their actual conversations and motivations, but Melanie Benjamin was very imaginative. I feel she was successful at bringing these two women to life, and did their stories justice.

The Girls in the Picture Were Pioneers for Women and Show Business

I'll admit that it took me a long while to read The Girls in the Picture. At times it felt drawn out. I was often angry that Frances didn't speak out to Mary when she should have. I was definitely furious that Mary was missing from Frances' life at the moments she needed Mary most. We can't know for certain that it happened that way in real-life; however, I would have liked it if Melanie Benjamin had believed that Frances deserved at least one moment. There were times in their older years when Mary was cruel to Frances and yet Frances allowed it all. She came back to Mary whenever she was called without even talking about their problems. I'd have liked Frances to knock Mary down a few pegs.

I understand why some readers commented that they wished the story ended before their careers dipped and the industry turned them into relics. Of course we all want that glorious happy ending for them. Instead, Melanie took us well past their career heyday and into their senior citizenship. This felt more authentic. Real life isn't what we see in movies. It isn't like most of the fiction we read. Real life has both joy, heart break, and doesn't guarantee us a happy ending. Melanie Benjamin told an important true story with just the right amount of happy fiction mixed with enough realistic disappointment to bring The Girls in the Picture to life.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval feels like a mystical fairgrounds with a twist of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland 

Scarlett is a responsible older sister desperate to protect her sister Tella from their abusive father. He was always a tough man to handle but he became murderously dangerous after their mother disappeared without a trace. Tella doesn't make it easy on Scarlett. She has a wild heart and doesn't take life as seriously as Scarlett. While Scarlett thinks that her arranged marriage will save her and Tella from their life on Trisda, Tella thinks the marriage would be a new prison for Scarlett. Tella is desperate to protect Scarlett from a marriage to a man she's never met.


So sure that she can save them both, Tella make a wreckless decision to get both of them to Caraval where they can earn a wish from a man known as Legend. Scarlett should be thrilled at her chance to go to Caraval. It's a magical game hosted by the mysterious Legend. You have to be invited to Caraval where you have a choice to play or observe. Despite having written to Legend for years, hoping to get an invitation, Scarlett is worried that Caraval will ruin her chance at her arranged marriage. All Scarlett wants is to leave Caraval with Tella right away so they can return to Trisda in time for her wedding. Leaving Caraval with Tella is no easy feat. Scarlett has to play the game.

Don't get carried away at Caraval, it's only a game

Stephanie Garber weaves a darkly elegant setting for Caraval. The games are played at night and everyone retreats inside during the day. At night everything seems enhanced. The encounters with people, the shops and scenery, it's a heightened experience. The players are mysterious as well. It is said that some of them are just there for the adventure while others ruthlessly want to win. Every item and every bit of information at Caraval will cost you something valuable. It could be a secret, it could be time from the game, nothing is free.

This story was not predictable. Their was a romantic involvement that had it's own set of surprises. Nothing involving the games was obvious. Every decision Scarlett had to make could have been disastrous to her chances. At times I worried she'd risked too much. I felt like no one could be trusted and that all of them were out to trick her. Yet Scarlett took chances based on her will to win for her and Tella.

Who is Legend?

Throughout Caraval I kept thinking I'd figured out who Legend truly was but of course I was wrong. As I said, not predictable. When Scarlett comes face to face with Legend my jaw literally dropped. This scene in the tunnels is very intense. Secrets and the true nature of characters are revealed. Is any of it really true, or is it the distortion that occurs from the dark tunnels?

I can't recommend this book enough. As a person who loved The Night Circus I can see why reviewers are comparing it to Caraval. Both have a darkness with magic and adventure. Both books take place in such a creative place created by talented authors. Caraval is very well written, and while it isn't Sarah Garber's first book written, it is her first ever published. This is a knockout debut book, and I sure hope for a movie adaption. For now, I anxiously await the next book this May!

 

Cruelty Among Girls, Is it a Rite of Passage?

My daughter's first "mean girl" experience was in Kindergarten. A girl in class brought toys and things to school and gave them to her friends but always left my daughter out. "Mommy, how come she doesn't bring one for me?" The mama bear in me wanted to attack. It hurt my heart.

Fast forward to the 6th grade, the girl drama has advanced with age. Most women will tell you that middle school was a fierce time to be a girl. We learn to be snarky, survive other girls who are snarky, and basically skate by hoping to survive social injustice in our circle of friends. We never forget these times when our whole world fell apart. My friends didn't talk to me for a week because I was "acting like a hoe" which in middle school meant I had too many friends that were boys. Mind you, I only saw them at school. It broke my little heart and instead of standing up for myself I was relieved they let me be their friend again.

My daughter was accused of snooping through her friend's phone. She swears she didn't do it, and naturally I believe her. It seems like a simple misunderstanding. Her friend forgot to close some apps but swears that she did; therefore, my daughter must have snooped in her phone. Honest simple misunderstanding, but this is 6th grade so it can't be that simple. The circle of friends has been affected.

Some of them were "50/50" in believing her while another girl stated it was "a bitch move" and they're no longer friends. I've explained that her friends probably just didn't want to choose sides. Choosing her side means that her friend is a liar. To be honest, she's not a liar. She just is honestly mistaken. Yet it has become this dark mark on their friendships. It's possible that all of them have moved on and forgotten, but my girl hasn't.

She is a quiet, shy, introvert. She likes being alone but loves her friends too. Now she is apprehensive about going to school and facing her social circle. She feels like they talk around her at lunch but don't engage with her. Is it true? To be fair, she could be imagining that because she's the one so affected. What I do know is that the kindest of girls can get trapped in these dramas even if they don't intend to be. I made it to the other side of the drama, my daughter will survive too. The challenge is convincing her that this isn't the end of the world.

I spend extra time worrying about my daughter because she's very kind and sensitive in a cruel world. Rather than deal with issues, she'd like to hide from them. We haven't entered the social media world yet and that will only add to my motherly worries. I can't shield her from all harm, duh. I only aim to guide her and teach her to stand up for herself. I don't want her to learn to hide from her troubles. I don't want her to be easily manipulated. I want her to be resilient.

Sure, many people will think I'm overthinking things and stressing too much. Go ahead and leave that comment here if you'd like. What I do know for sure is that part of the adult she will be is shaped by these experiences. I'm her mother. I've endured a whole 20 years before she came into my life. It's my job to guide her through this world and then nudge her out of the nest when she's an adult.

We don't know what lessons they will remember and which ones they'll ignore. I'll keep being there for her when she falls down. I won't pick her up and fix her problems for her, but I'll help her dust off, provide some of my "wisdom", and encourage her to keep facing her problems head-on.

The Girl Before by JP Delaney

I like to avoid spoilers but in this case it’s not possible. Don’t worry, you’ll be clearly alerted to spoilers.

The Girl Before has a promising preview in its dust jacket. Two women at different times choose to live in a house so smart it is meant to improve their lives. Both Emma and Jane have experienced trauma and are looking for a fresh start. One Folgate Street appears to be just what they need. The landlord requires you to shed the clutter of your old life and live in the house under certain rules meant to remove the unnecessary materials you once thought you needed.

Do you agree to the terms and conditions of the rental contract? 

It would be lovely to have your shower recall the exact pressure and temperature you need when you step inside. Quite lovely to have your “Housekeeper” app alert you to your home habits and tips for your physical health. It would NOT be lovely to have your internet search access restricted (sound familiar to our current climate?). Not AT ALL lovely to have to open your home to the occasional tour of architecture students. Tenants of One Folgate Street shouldn’t be surprised by this privacy invasion, they’ve signed the contract with all of it’s ridiculous stipulations.

Certain features of One Folgate Street have been disabled .....

The house is an architectural marvel and highly sought after. It is affordable despite its extravagant technological features. There are no light switches, only five settings based on purpose that can be selected in Housekeeper. Housekeeper also recognizes who is allowed to enter the home. It trends your sleep and activity patterns. It is quite helpful until it shuts itself down for your weekly monitoring. For instance, Housekeeper will not allow you to shower until you have completed the intimate survey questions in full.

Emma would be the first to rent this smart yet crazy house and would (as we know from the preview) die in the house. Jane learns of Emma’s suspicious death after she's already moved-in. Naturally it bothers her a little, but she chooses to brush it off. Plenty of people have died in their homes. Jane doesn’t become nervous about her tenancy until she discovers that her life is taking on an alarming similarity to Emma's life which we know ended inside One Folgate Street.

Here they come. Spoilers ahead! Look out for spoilers!

I’ll start with what worked in this book.

• The function and structure of the house was pretty fascinating. I work in real estate development so I know that most of what occurred (no smoke detectors) would never actually be permitted, but this sleek house seems pretty futuristic and would draw awards.
• The alternation in chapters between Jane and Emma. Some readers didn't like this but I found it to flow just fine. I didn't need to review which character each chapter was regarding.
• The suggested suspects in Emma's suspicious death. Of course we like to hook onto one possible suspect but the author suggests at multiple people and even suicide.

What didn't work (for me at least)

• I could elaborate on how often racial stereotypes are written into books but in brief, if you're going to write a book about a bunch of white people it is not a good idea to only introduce two people of color and have them be criminal characters.
• If one of your characters is told by the father of her child (on the day said child is born) that they should give it up for adoption and try again for a child they truly want, the mother's reaction should be volatile. Not calm. She might be calm if she agrees but in this case she didn't. For being such an "independent" type she really shouldn't have acted like that was no big deal. That was a weak ending point in the story.
• The application process for the rental of the house. I get it, landlord is a crazy freak. Despite that, no sane person would be willing to provide three photographs with their application. Is discrimination law different in the UK? If this is acceptable and normal then fine. According to the characters they found it strange but really wanted to be accepted for the house. I would be a firm "hell no". The house isn't that cool dude. This comes to make sense to the storyline but it just redflagged my brain like crazy.

Almost immediately I realized that I didn't like any of the characters and only continued reading The Girl Before to learn true cause of death for Emma. I don't enjoy a bad book review and won't stretch this out much farther. I've discovered that Ron Howard is adapting this book to a movie. Usually when I hear about adaptions I can understand the draw for a movie. In this case, I think the book has issues that need to be resolved. I sincerely hope that casting is much more diverse and the script improves the story.