Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published:  1996, Ballantine Books
Source: Personal library
Review:  4/5 stars


Brief Summary:  The legend of a woman named Joan who, disguised as a man, allegedly became Pope in the ninth century is brought to life in this novel by Donna Cross.  As a very intelligent young woman she decides to dress as a boy in order to pursue her dream of learning and education that was completely denied to women during that time.  Her superior intellect, drive, and compassion give her many opportunities and eventually lead her to the highest spiritual position on earth.


My Thoughts:  This really is a fascinating book.  I don't know for sure what to think about the truth of whether this woman existed but it is definitely a good story.  I really enjoyed learning more about this time period.  The utter brutality and injustice toward women that was described made me so mad, the corruption and politics discussed were very interesting, and the love story is heartfelt.


We read this for book club and everyone enjoyed it.  It was fun to debate about whether or not she did exist and I think we agreed that where there's this much smoke there is probably fire. If you've read the book and the pages by the author at the back talking about her research you would have seen the picture of the chair.  For most of us that was the most convincing piece of evidence that something happened to make them use that chair and declare the nominee a man.  It was also quite funny. :)


Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to most people I know.  On the back of my copy there was a review that said, "Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama–love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets. Cross has written an engaging book."–Los Angeles Times Book Review.  That made me a little nervous about reading it but the sexual content ended up being fairly mild.  The violence was actually more offensive to me than the sexual content (but that's just my opinion).  


Ratings: 2.4.2  Includes sexual relations between an unmarried couple but is not explicit.  Violence includes child abuse, war type violence, sexual assault, and violent punishments.  Profanity was fairly minimal.


Thanks for reading!

To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal

Genre: Literary Fiction
Published: June 2011, 436 pg. Little, Brown & Company
Source: Review request by Publisher
Review: 4/5 stars

Brief Summary:  Judith Whitman is now in her 40's, married 20 years to a man she met at Stanford, has a teenage daughter and her dream career. When she suspects that her husband may be keeping a terrible secret from her, she begins to question whether this life that she's been leading is the path she should have taken.  What would have happened if she hadn't left Nebraska and Willy Blunt?


My Thoughts:  This is a beautifully written novel that explores the longing for and wondering over the road not taken.  I became emotionally attached to the story and shed a few tears at times.  It was interesting because I didn't always like what Judith did or her motives in her life.  She seemed to be cold towards her daughter and was disengaged as a mother, which I find disturbing.  I did still sympathize with her, though, and I really liked and cared about her young love, Willy.  As I read I found myself thinking about my own life and the decisions that I've made and being very grateful that I don't have huge regrets about the direction of my life.

Another thing I liked about this book was the references to classic literature.  Judith and her English professor father often talk about their passion for reading.  I added a couple more books to my to-be-read list while reading this.

Recommendations:  Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book as a clean read.  There are at least a dozen f-bombs so if that kind of language really bothers you I wouldn't recommend reading this one.  There is also sexual content that I don't consider over-the-top but it is a significant part of the story.  These are mature themes so this book is definitely not for teens.  I did like the book but I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it to most people I know.  Read at your own risk.


Ratings:  3.1.5  I'm giving this book a 3 for sexual themes and descriptions, a 2 for violence, and a 5 for at least a dozen f-words--I stopped counting after about 6 but there were still several more--also includes many examples of taking the Lord's name in vain.  Read at your own risk.


Thanks for reading!

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

Genre: YA, sci-fi/fantasy
Published: May 2010
Source: Publisher--Shadow Mountain
Review: 3/5



Brief Summary: The story continues right where Hourglass leaves off.  I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
My Thoughts:  My reaction to the second installment of The Hourglass Door series is much like the first. It has an interesting premise, likable characters, plenty of romance (a little too much sometimes), and a thickening plot.  I'm not the intended audience so the teenage romance gets pretty sappy at times.  My 12 year-old daughter loves these books and has read them all at least 3 times.
Recommendations: Great for those looking for a clean romance with fantasy elements set in a modern world.
Ratings: 2.2.1  There's plenty of kissing and affection, some violence, and mild (if any) profanity.


Thanks for reading!

Updates

As you've probably noticed, I haven't blogged in months.  It's not that I didn't want to or that I wasn't thinking about it, I just couldn't seem to make myself sit down and do it.  I'd play with the design a little here and there and start a blog post but I'd always get distracted and wouldn't come back.

Tonight I sat down to finally post a review.  I happened to look at my stats page and noticed there were about 5-6 times more hits on my blog yesterday than there normally are.  I discovered that my blog had been mentioned and linked in an online article for LDS Living.  How cool is that?  If only I'd known then maybe I would have tried to make it look like I run a good blog.  :)  Anyway, thank you Kaela Worthen at LDS Living for the shout-out and, hopefully, a few of you who clicked over to my blog yesterday found something helpful


My plan is to be a more consistent blogger.  You may not want to hold your breath waiting for that to happen but I'd like to think that I can give it a real shot.


Thanks for reading!

Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: Originally 1955, this edition--July 2011
Source: Sourcebooks (publisher review request)
Review: 3.5/5 stars


Brief Summary: Lady Serena is reunited with her former suitor, whom she jilted several years ago, when her father names him, the Marquis of Rotherham, her guardian in his will. Both Serena and the Marquis are hot-tempered and obstinate so quarrels ensue. In true Georgette Heyer fashion, witty-dialogue abounds. The romantic plot thickens as Serena becomes reacquainted with the man she had once loved when she was much younger, who had been sent packing by her father because he was not a good match for her.
My Thoughts:  Georgette Heyer does not disappoint.  Even though Bath Tangle wasn't quite as charming as some of her other books, it still hits the spot when you're looking for that Regency Romance fix.  The plot is pretty predictable but it doesn't really matter.  Even though we know the destination, the journey is always fun.  The hero and heroine are unfortunately not often together in this book but when they are in the same room, the sparks fly with heated arguments and sparring of words that Heyer is famous for.
Recommendations: To all Austen and Regency fans.
Ratings: 1.1.2  Pretty clean read with a smattering of mild profanity.


Thanks for reading!

The Third by Abel Keogh

Genre: Dystopian
Published: April 2011, 263 pp.
Source: Review copy from publisher (Cedar Fort)
Review:  3/5 stars

Brief Summary:  In the not too distant future, Ransom Lawe and his wife Teya struggle to make ends meet in a world where, due to global warming and other environmental disasters, food, energy, and...children are rationed.  Families are allowed to have only two children and, as you may guess, Teya becomes pregnant with a third child.   
My Thoughts:  The Third by Abel Keogh caught my attention from the very first chapter.  The world he has created seems very possible and that makes it unnerving.  It was refreshing for me to read a dystopian novel with adult main characters instead of teenagers.  In ways I could relate more to the characters and what their lives are like since they are parents like me.  However, in other ways I felt like I was never really invested in the characters and I didn't care about them very much.  They seemed to make so many stupid decisions and mistakes that I got to the point that I wasn't very sympathetic.  So, while I did enjoy and like the book,  I think I would have liked it more if I could have liked the main characters more.
Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to any of you dystopian fans out there.  It is especially nice to read a little dystopian that's not YA for a change.
Ratings: 2.3.1 There is a scene in which a character is intending to rape someone.  There is some violence in some scenes where a character is beaten up and there is a physical threat to a baby.  I don't remember any profanity.

Thanks for reading!

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Romance

Published: May 2009, 400 pp, Shadow Mountain
Source: Publisher
Review:  3.5/5 stars

Brief Summary: Abby's life is turned upside down when foreign exchange student, Dante, comes to school.  Even though she has a boyfriend whom she's been best friends with since they were kids, Abby can't help being drawn to the new guy.  Strange things happen when she's around him and she soon finds out why. 

My Thoughts:  The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum is a fun read with plenty of romance, action, drama, and mystery.  It has a very interesting premise that I don't want to really give away but time is involved and that always makes for a twisting, turning, surprising plot line.  The teenager emotions were a little much at times but I'm sure a real teenager (not a 37 year-old, stay-at-home mom) would appreciate their authenticity.  My daughter--11 going on 16--loved this book.  Abby and Dante are likable and I can imagine a few book crushes on Dante might be formed while reading this book.

Recommendations:  I think this book would appeal to anyone 12 and up looking for a clean romance.

Ratings: 1.2.1  Plenty of kissing and affection but not really inappropriate.  There is some violence--fisticuffs, etc.  No profanity that I remember.

Thanks for reading!