Happy Monday, Yinz Guys (for those of you not familiar with Pittsburgh-ese, Yinz or Yunz is a Pittsburgh-y way of saying "You"). Okay, reading update time (cue news music....)
I heartily enjoyed Loreen Augeri's debut novel, Tormented Hearts, which will be released on May 28, 2010 by The Wild Rose Press. It is a satisfying and emotional historical about a tormented hero (my favorite kind!) and a strong-willed heroine escaping the evil clutches of her abusive husband. The premise for the book is rather clichéd, but the characters are extremely well developed, and Augeri's writing style is very impressive for a debut author. I especially loved Brett, the hero, who is struggling with alcoholism to dull the pain of his first wife's death. I am looking forward to reading more of her novels.
I also inhaled Elizabeth Peter's A River In The Sky this past weekend. Peters has not published an Amelia Peabody story for years, so I was super excited for this book. The beginning started out very strong, the ending was a bit lack luster. The chemistry between Amelia and Emerson is so fabulous, I just can't get enough of those two. I love the dry wit of Peters' writing, the fantastic banter between the characters, the fascinating and beautifully described settings, and the archaeological backdrop. However, the "suspense" part of this mystery was not very engaging; in fact, it was rather dull. The "Indiana Jones" feeling that we usually get with Ramses' adventures wasn't happening this time. Since this book is not a chronological sequel to the last one, it takes place before Nephret and Ramses have gotten married, and so the wonderful romantic chemistry between these two characters was missing, too. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the book, and I'm hoping that EP has some cool stories coming up with Nephret and Ramses' naughty twins.
Finally, I just wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow I am hosting Carolyn Crane for an interview and give-away. I was completely blown out of the water by her marvelous debut novel Mind Games (see Penelope's review here). We will be having a good time talking about Willy Wonka-inspired hypochondria issues, Woody Allen, and succulent love scenes. Please stop by!
Penelope
Posts
