"The Museum of Extraordinary Things," by Alice Hoffman

This year I decided to begin reading in earnest again, as last year I fell off the bookaholic wagon and only managed to read 31 books (if I counted right on Goodreads, because I wasn't much for social media last year). This book stood out to me on my TBR shelf because it is by one of my favorite authors, and to my knowledge I have never read halfway through an Alice Hoffman book without finishing the rest in short order.

One of the main characters in this book, Coralie, has a charismatic father who runs a "freak" show, though through her perspective at the time, it seems more like a house of dreams than a house of horrors. She has a deformity of her hands- webbing between her fingers- that her father insists she keep from the public by wearing gloves. Her caretaker, Maureen, is much more involved in her day to day life, encouraging her to think more freely than her father would like her to, which basically spurs some of the events in the book.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the sinister impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a Coney Island freak show that thrills the masses. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father's museum, alongside performers like the Wolfman and the Butterfly Girl. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man taking pictures of moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River.
'The dashing photographer is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his community and his job as a tailor's apprentice. When Eddie photographs the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman's disappearance. And he ignites the heart of Coralie.
'Alice Hoffman weaves her trademark magic, romance, and masterful storytelling to unite Coralie and Eddie in a tender and moving story of young love in tumultuous times.'

Eddie is the other main character in this book, and I much preferred his perspective, as it was much less rosily tinted than Coralie's. Raised in the Hasidic Jewish tradition, he changes his ways after dismissing his father as weak and his traditions as restrictive to their new life in a new world. As an immigrant among many other immigrants, he sees his best path forward is to stand out rather than fit in, though he later finds his past is more useful than he thought.

Though the characters are the main focus of this book, the historical setting is always a welcome addition to books for me. The Museum of Extraordinary Things couldn't have been set during a better period, as the early 20th century was a trying time for U.S. immigrants and still supported an audience for peculiarities like Coralie's father's museum. Though I am better versed in worker's rights with regards to the mining profession, this book focuses more on textile and sewing factories, so I did learn a bit more about that.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things does have all the elements I've come to expect from Ms. Hoffman's books: magical beings, unusual experiences, and mystical coincidences. The characters were rendered realistically, though I often found myself reading for the story rather than their experience of it. In the end, I found myself slightly underwhelmed, which is why I didn't rate this book higher, even though Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite writers (and perhaps, because of it). If you love magical things happening in an immersive, historical setting, The Museum of Extraordinary Things may be the book for you.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for my first great read of 2019!

Age Advisory: Ages 16+ for sexual assault, violent elements, and coercive sexual situations.

Page Count: 361 pages in my paperback edition

Early Critique: "Faithful" by Alice Hoffman

Disclaimer: I was given a free advance e-copy of this book via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My opinion remains as forthright as ever.

Expected Publication: November 1st

Although I am very much a fan of Alice Hoffman's, the beginning of this book had me worried. Shelby is one of those characters you want to reach out and shake, just to get her riled up enough to do something... you know, other than self-sabotage her aspirations or even possible prospects for the future. Many of you will find yourself reminded of that person from your life who never seems to move on, and the more I read about Shelby during the start of the book, the more frustrated I became.

As it happens, Shelby does eventually progress into a dynamic character, even though I was preparing myself for the possibility she wouldn't. Faithful reminds me of the author's other works with the style of story progression, so fellow fans should also be pleased- I read Illumination Night after this one which followed a similar narrative path. Despite it's similarities, Faithful appeals to the animal lover in me with Shelby's similar passion for dog rescue.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.
'Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.
'What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.
'Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.'

One character I was irked at from the start was Ben, Shelby's dealer, who does help Shelby grow somewhat, but remains problematic in my eyes due to his voyeuristic tendencies. If I found out anyone had been watching my friend in her room, without her knowledge, I wouldn't want to be friends with them- or have any sort of relationship with them, for that matter. It's one thing to notice your neighbor is watching Wheel of Fortune when you glance in the direction of their house- it's quite another to continue watching them because you feel like you're in lust with them.

Because I'm a bit of a cynic, part of me was rooting Shelby towards a more ambiguous ending. Despite the ending of this book being picture perfect (perhaps a little too perfect), I do appreciate an ending that reveals the changeable, yet fixed nature of real life- not everything turns out in the end. Our disappointments and failures are part of what make us who we are, and I felt by the end of the book some of the characters had changed a bit too much for realism's sake.

Faithful is a magical story that will make you want to believe in second, third, and fourth chances. Though I had problems with some elements of the story, it came together beautifully and in ways I hadn't quite anticipated. I was prepared for a bit more uncertainty about Shelby's future, but I was instead treated to a sort of role reversal in terms of dynamic and static characters. If you're looking for a magical realism novel that ends on a sincerely hopeful note, I would strongly advise Faithful for your next book binge.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent magical realism novel about new beginnings, dogs, and hope!

Age Advisory: Ages 18+ for sexual assault, violence, and rightful thievery of mistreated mutts.

Page Count: 272 pages

"Illumination Night" by Alice Hoffman

Much about this book is unusual. Alice Hoffman is great with magical realism elements, and making each of her many books stand apart with them- in this one's case, there is someone afflicted with agoraphobia, a giant, a boy who seems incapable of growing, and a teenage girl who seems hellbound on making messes of things wherever she goes. Jody, the teen, is taking care of her grandmother, Elizabeth Rennie after she had an accident. Elizabeth's neighbors, Andre and Vonnie have a son, Simon who doesn't seem to grow any bigger, causing them to have friction in their marriage. As per usual, more characters are drawn into the plot as the story progresses, but none of them truly stuck out to me as particularly likable, except perhaps Simon.

Nonetheless, this was a hard book for me to put down. Something about it calls you back to it even after you read through some difficult scenes and kind of want to put it down. It's an addictive sort of ambivalence, but I wasn't surprised I finished it given my love of Alice Hoffman's works. Others might find themselves a bit out of their depth with the sudden turns of events, regardless of the gratuitous foreshadowing that is the author's characterizations.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'A group of people on Martha's Vineyard are brought together in a web of yearning, sin, eroticism, and ultimate redemption.'

Although I didn't particularly like Vonnie, I could relate to her. She faces many difficult things throughout the course of the book, but remains true to herself. Andre, her husband had me gagging for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes people who have everything get so out of touch that they're willing to ruin everything they have for just a little more. As for Simon, other than the giant (who comes in later in the book), he was my most liked character... and he acted his age.

Jody is pissed that her parents would leave her with her grandmother, who she doesn't really know all that well. She reacts in teenage fashion and rebels in ways that had me alternately rolling my eyes and gritting my teeth. Of course, as a teen, she is bound to be somewhat impulsive, but some of the turns of events in this book left me feeling sad more than anything else.

A favorite snippet:

Andre lets go of Jody, and as she follows him across the street, Jody knows that on the ride home she will sit in the back of the truck, and by then the stars will be as white and sharp as dragon's teeth.

            ~Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman, page 28 of my edition.

Illumination Night is an emotional, and sometimes temperamental magical realism novel that makes you wish you could play God a bit with the characters to tweak the eventual outcome. I think it'd be hard not to feel the ups and downs of the characters, and this I admit as someone who was not all that fond of them. For that reason, I don't feel like it's the best book for those unfamiliar with Hoffman's writing and plotting, but it does have enough of what I love about her writing to make me rate it 4 Stars. If you are suffering from a spell of book apathy, for better or for worse, this might be your cure.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for a magical realism fiction that stays with you emotionally.

Age Advisory: Ages 18+ for sex scenes (some with people under 18), violence, and strange happenings.

Page Count: 256 pages

Early Critique: "Spells of Blood and Kin" by Claire Humphrey

Disclaimer: I was given a free advance ecopy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinion remains as forthright as ever.

Expected Publication: June 14th

What this book suffers the most from is comparison. Unfortunately, someone decided to name drop some of my favorite authors in the blurb on NetGalley (Alice Hoffman and Anne Bishop, among others), which led to high expectations on my part. At this point, I'm unsure if my expectations were so high I didn't enjoy it as much as I suspected I would, but at the same time, something about this book didn't quite satiate my requirements for urban fantasy, magical realism, or dark fantasy (as it's labeled).

This book doesn't suffer from any pacing issues, which is a recommendation in itself. I often struggle to get into books, even those I truly enjoy, due to poor pacing and unnecessary blocks of description and worldbuilding. All of the text that was in this book seemed to be relevant to it, which makes it a quicker read. However, I didn't have any sections of text I highlighted to return to because (for one reason or another) they stuck out to me as indicative of the author's writing style.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'In her extraordinary debut, Spells of Blood and Kin, Claire Humphrey deftly weaves her paranormal world with vivid emotional depth and gritty violence. Bringing together themes of death, addiction, and grief, Claire takes readers on a human journey that goes beyond fantasy.
'When her beloved grandmother dies suddenly, 22-year-old Lissa Nevsky is left with no choice but to take over her grandmother's magical position in their small folk community. That includes honoring a debt owed to the dangerous stranger who appears at Lissa's door.
'Maksim Volkov needs magic to keep his brutal nature leashed, but he's already lost control once: his blood-borne lust for violence infects Nick Kaisaris, a charming slacker out celebrating the end of finals. Now Nick is somewhere else in Toronto, going slowly mad, and Maksim must find him before he hurts more people.
'Lissa must uncover forbidden secrets and mend family rifts in order to prevent Maksim from hurting more people, including himself. If she fails, Maksim will have no choice but to destroy both himself and Nick.'

You'd think being the heroine-lover that I am, the female characters in this book would be some of my favored ones. Instead, Maksim was really the only character of true interest to me in this book. All the other characters seemed almost unfinished or unrelatable, while Maksim stood out as different. Despite the potential for a large amount of action in this book, not much of it happened- a lot of it was centered in Maksim's past. Claire, who I thought I'd relate to as a fellow live-in granddaughter, seemed so static it was almost painful- though her stepsister tried to break her out of her shell, she changed only minutely through the course of the book. Though Claire's attitude and actions may have something to do with her grandmother's death, there was nothing interesting I found about her, other than the fact that she could do magic.

The magic in this book seemed more realistic than most of the magic you'd see elsewhere- in other words, don't expect lightning to shoot out of Claire's eyes. Her magic is performed with eggs during certain phases of the moon. I was deeply unsatisfied with some of the worldbuilding in this book- although it reeks of magical realism, usually in magical realism there's a more dynamic plot with regards to characters' relationships. I was left a lot miffed that there wasn't more to Spells of Blood and Kin, because it had pacing worthy of a more interesting book.

Spells of Blood and Kin is an excellently paced novel with a lukewarm plot. I'm not sure how the author did it, but I was hooked from the beginning to the end, regardless of my feelings toward the characters and world they inhabited. Although I was left disappointed there wasn't more to it, this is still a solidly good book that held my interest while I read it- I just doubt I'll recall much about it in a year.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good horror-tinged fantasy that didn't quite meet my expectations.

Content: Ages 18+ for adultish themes including gore, violence, swearing, and sexual mentions.

Page Count: 320 pages

"The Incarnations" by Susan Barker

I received a free (and gorgeous) hardcover copy of this book via Goodreads' Giveaways. My opinion remains as impartial and forthright as ever.

With magical realism, generally you expect some rather happy-go-lucky magical elements along with a more disturbing storyline. For example, with one of my favorite authors, Alice Hoffman's work, generally the storyline could be strictly fictional, but the magical elements are what boost it out of the ordinary, enhancing the plot. With this story, the plot wouldn't work (at all) without the magical elements in place, unless you're a huge believer in past lives and reincarnation, in which case, disregard that assertion. The plot would not make sense in a strictly fictional setting of historical or contemporary, even in one of those odd, choppy, past-present overlap books. The Incarnations is dependent on a relationship between two souls throughout times and places, regardless of the shells those souls might be inhabiting.

This isn't one of those books you read because you are particularly in love with the characters- or at least, in my case it wasn't. I found myself none too sympathetic with Wang, even having seen his past incarnations. Every character in this book is decadently flawed, which is part of why I enjoyed it so much: I didn't enjoy the characters, but the flaws made them perilously mortal, so in a way, I did. I admired their humanity, frailty, and spirit, but it was difficult (if not impossible) to admire their actions.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Who are you? you must be wondering. I am your soulmate, your old friend, and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you.
'So begins the first letter that falls into Wang’s lap as he flips down the visor in his taxi. The letters that follow are filled with the stories of Wang’s previous lives—from escaping a marriage to a spirit bride, to being a slave on the run from Genghis Khan, to living as a fisherman during the Opium Wars, and being a teenager on the Red Guard during the cultural revolution—bound to his mysterious “soulmate,” spanning one thousand years of betrayal and intrigue.
'As the letters continue to appear seemingly out of thin air, Wang becomes convinced that someone is watching him—someone who claims to have known him for over one thousand years. And with each letter, Wang feels the watcher growing closer and closer…
'Seamlessly weaving Chinese folklore, history, and literary classics, The Incarnations is a taut and gripping novel that sheds light on the cyclical nature of history as it hints that the past is never truly settled.'

Beyond the imperfections of the characters, what makes this book compelling is the breadth of history and settings it covers. Most of it is set in China, with a few possible outlying meanderings. The characters, or the soulmates, are constantly at odds with each other throughout their reincarnations and always seem to have this unusual sibling rivalry (as best I can describe that relationship) going on. In most books, I would assume all these short snippets of past lives would make the entire book feel like a bunch of short stories, but with this one, the characters seem themselves (and are themselves) in every stage of their past lives. You wouldn't think Wang the taxi driver would be like he is in his first incarnation, but put a soul through a different set of circumstances and I think the answer would be yes.

I think what shocked me (despite having been warned of it beforehand) was the sheer harshness of the content of this book. Although I was easily drawn in from the first page, after the first 50-ish pages I had to stop and read something else because it was so blatant and unabashed. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just that my review won't prepare you to read the book, even if I listed all the content I could think of, like with my A Game of Thrones review. It's like falling asleep snug in your bed and being doused at midnight with a bucket of ice cold water. This book isn't for those who are sensitive to adult content- even halfway through, I kept being surprised with the turns in the story. A lot of people refer to such things in fantasy as grimdark- well, this is grimdark magical realism.

The Incarnations is magical realism that expands its bounds to romp in both historical and contemporary settings. Don't let it's cover fool you into thinking it's like a million other books, because this one is definitely a special shade of gray, gray morality, that is. If you enjoy unusual books without characters that seem particularly heroic (in either the anti- or plain hero fashion), set in a familiar country that seems unfamiliar once you finish reading the book, The Incarnations may be just the book you're seeking.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for a magical realism with exquisitely flawed characters.

Content: Ages 18+ for all kinds of sexual content (rape, incest, castration, masturbation, and everything else you can dream up), violence, and the eating of strange meat.

Page Count: 371 pages in my hardcover edition

"Local Girls" by Alice Hoffman

I didn't even need a bookmark for this one. In other words, I scarfed it down in one sitting, and I love that I wasn't the least bit tempted to set it aside- something that doesn't often happen with me, especially considering how many reading slumps I've been a party to this year. Being it was an Alice Hoffman novel, that didn't come as a surprise- I've never had trouble reading her books, unless I'm trying to read them more slowly in order to 'savor' them.

This book is told in a series of shorter stories about each of the main characters, hopping from one to the other with great efficiency. Many people may not like the style, as it also switches perspectives, but for a shorter read I found it a welcome change from the usual. Mind you, I've been bemoaning a fantasy book lately that does something similar, although it's hard to compare a 200 page magical realism book with a 600 page fantasy book that hasn't shown its progression/cohesion in the 200 pages I've read so far. Yet I digress- this book has a style I enjoy, despite its quirks.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'The New York Times Book Review has noted, "Alice Hoffman writes quite wonderfully about the magic in our lives, " and now she casts her spell over a Long Island neighborhood filled with dreamers and dreams. In a dazzling series of family portraits, Hoffman evokes the world of the Samuelsons, a family torn apart by tragedy and divorce in a world of bad judgment and fierce attachments, disappointments, and devotion.With rich, pure prose Hoffman charts the always unexpected progress of Gretel Samuelson from the time Gretel is a young girl already acquainted with betrayal and grief, until she finally leaves home. Gretel's sly, funny, knowing perspective is at the heart of this collection as she navigates through loyalty and loss with the help of an unforgettable trio of women: her best friend, Jill, her romance-addicted cousin Margot, and her mother, Franny, whose spiritual journey affects them all. Told in alternating voices, these stories work wonders. Funny and lyrical, disturbing and healing, each is a lesson of survival, a reminder of the ties of blood and the power of friendship. Jane Smiley has said that "a reader is in good hands with Alice Hoffman, " and once again in expert hands, her everyday life has been transformed into magic.'

Hoffman never ceases to draw me into her small enclaves, whether they happen to be small towns in Florida or a group of rebels fighting for their rights in Masada, and Local Girls is no exception. You get to know everyone who is a mainstay of the main characters' lives, to the point where it feels like you're reading a history or someone's diary (decidedly less dry). Then the magical realism comes into effect, spawning strange events that may deter your average reader- but not me. To me, fiction is so much more fun with a dash of unrealism.

A favorite quote:

Our mother always told us that people will surely reveal what they're made of, if you only give them the chance. What's deep inside always surfaces, no matter how hidden.

                           ~Local Girls by Alice Hoffman, approximately 25%

Local Girls was an easy book for me to enjoy. Not only was it written by one of my favorite authors, it also has the magical realism elements I often crave in plain old fiction. Despite randomly changing perspectives (first person to third person to some other characters), I was enthralled with the telling of this tale. I highly recommend it if you like Alice Hoffman's work, or hold magical realism in high esteem.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent magical realism with wonky perspective changes!

Content: Ages 16+ for violence and sexual topics (and likely a swear word or two- I have the print version and couldn't helicopter highlight).

Page Count: 197 pages in my hardcover edition

"The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Not only is it a historical, its main characters happen to be quite unusual in that they don't often grace the pages of historical fiction. Chava, a golem, was not made for the usual golem purposes of protection, but rather as a wife for a young man going abroad to seek his fortune. Ahmad, the jinni, arrives via an antique vase that someone asked to buff. Both end up in the city that never sleeps at the turn of the century, and eventually meet through happenstance.

My favorite aspect of this story is the atmospheric writing. It isn't often I sit down and read a book halfway through, especially when the book is roughly 500 pages, but with this one it was easy for me to sit back and forget I had been reading for a few hours straight. The day prior to me starting this, I feared I was in a reading slump, but as it turns out, I was simply trying to read the wrong books.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master, the husband who commissioned her, dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York in 1899.
'Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free – an unbreakable band of iron binds him to the physical world.
'The Golem and the Jinni is their magical, unforgettable story; unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures – until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful threat will soon bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.'

I've never really aspired to see New York City, but I must say, after reading this book, I'm tempted to. Despite it being set in 1899, many of the landmarks mentioned in the book are still around today, and I couldn't help but feel transported, which many books fail to truly accomplish with me. In other words, the atmosphere in this book is spot on, and I loved that about it.

Although I was emotionally moved by the characters, you feel a bit cheated by the end of the book. It seems like you only truly know them by the end, and then it ends, despite this connection leaving you in want of more story. This phenomena happens a lot in books I rate Exceptional (4.5 Stars), and I think it's often what keeps me from giving the elusive 5 Star rating. I want a story where I get to know the characters, am enthralled with them, and can stand up and cheer when I read the final page of their story, knowing that I've had enough, or even more than enough. It's a lot to ask for and a high standard, but I'm not known to lower my own as a perfectionist, so why start now?

A favorite quote (that is slightly mocking of my above pontification):

She was coming to realize that some people, for whatever reason, would never be satisfied.

       ~The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, 30% Kindle version

The Golem and the Jinni is an exceptionally magical read that brought an end to my much-bemoaned-about reading drought. While reading this I completely ignored my usually unignorable dogs and cat, making them want to band together and destroy my Kindle. Luckily their plot never came to fruition. I recommend this to those who live for atmospheric reads, if you don't have attention-mongering companions who will plot to destroy this book due to its excellence.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for an exceptional story that transports you to another time and place!

Content: Ages 16+ for brief sexual material, violence, and magic.

Page Count: 486 pages

"Deerskin" by Robin McKinley

I had to take a little longer than I'd estimated to reread this, as the first time I delved into it I'm unsure I was entirely up for reading the subject matter. On my edition of this book, the summary sounded like something you'd find in young adult fantasy literature, but as I read it I found out it was more along the lines of magical realism, which I didn't read much of until the last three years or so. It was refreshing to actually know what would happen in this book before it happened, as the first time around I was more than a little shell-shocked.

Themes of rape in fantasy usually don't sit well with me. Frankly, it's overused in most epic fantasy to harken us back to medieval days... as if we need that. Rarely, if ever, do I feel like it's dealt with with the proper gravity, and if it is, then I find the fantasy element hasn't been properly incorporated. Luckily, with Deerskin, I felt I was reading the best of both worlds, along with a generous helping of one of my favorite species, canines.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'As Princess Lissla Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her beauty she is the image of her dead mother, the queen. But this likeness forces her to flee from her father's lust and madness; and in the pain and horror of that flight she forgets who she is and what it is she flees from: forgets almost everything but the love and loyalty of her dog, Ash, who accompanies her. But a chance encounter on the road leads to a job in another king's kennels, where the prince finds himself falling in love with the new kennel maid . . . and one day he tells her of a princess named Lissla Lissar, who had a dog named Ash.'

As I can't remember when I first read this, I'm unsure what may have led me to have a relatively neutral impression of it the first time around. It really has everything I loved about The Hero and the Crown (except the heroine is battling inner demons more than physical monsters): the animals, the strong heroine who grows up somewhat 'other'-feeling, and the world itself (a world populated with dragons). Moreover, there were lots of puppies, even haltered ones, which I somehow forgot about after my first reading.

Lissla, or Deerskin as she is later known, reminds me a lot of a friend I had growing up, except more shy. A lot of times during the book, you just wish she would tell people what she's thinking, even though it makes her vulnerable, because keeping it locked in like she does clearly isn't the answer. However, when it comes to the ending, I really feel like it couldn't have been done better, which is unusual for me, especially considering it wasn't dragged out (how I usually like my endings).

                My favorite quote:

But she remembered also that the Moonwoman had said, It is a much more straightforward thing to be a dog, and a dog's love, once given, is not reconsidered.

                ~Deerskin by Robin McKinley, page 308

Deerskin is a fairy tale retelling that, while set in the fantasy world of The Hero and the Crown, appeals to me more now as a frequent reader of magical realism. Although certain parts of it were slower than others, I can't help but feel now that they only added to my like of the story, rather than took away from it. If you're looking for a unique fairy tale retelling that doesn't lack for dogs (at all), I would recommend Deerskin for your next read.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for a book I appreciated much more the second time I read it.

Content: Ages 18+ for incestuous sexual abuse, rape, and recovery.

Page Count: 309 pages in my paperback edition.

The Fairytale: According to the author, the inspiration for this story came from the fairytale Donkeyskin, part of Perrault's fairy tales. I haven't read that one yet, so I'll have to find it someday.

"Peony in Love" by Lisa See

When I began reading this book, I was expecting a traditional historical fiction, much like Ms. See has produced in the past. Although their were warnings of a potentially different book, I ignored them until I was catching on to the theme of Peony in Love, and checked the synopsis to confirm my suspicions. This book has some serious otherworldly and paranormal elements, which happens to be my cup of coffee.

Because this isn't a traditional historical, I knew the plot would be much more interesting and inventive. Not to say historical fiction is dry, but when you stick to the realms of the possible, there are only so many options. With this book, the sky wasn't the limit- it was a flexible guideline. 

The Plot: (As Seen on Goodreads)
'“I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret.”
'For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.
'Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.
'So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow–as Lisa See’s haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed.
'Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place–even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence, a vividly imagined place where one’s soul is divided into three, ancestors offer guidance, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth. Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, transcending even death, Peony in Love explores, beautifully, the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, Lisa See’s new novel addresses universal themes: the bonds of friendship, the power of words, and the age-old desire of women to be heard.'

Although Peony wasn't the typical character I'd cheer for: she makes brutal mistakes, she doesn't really have friends, and her head is in the clouds 99.9% of the time, she still ended up being a heroine I love. Her life isn't easy, and despite being cloistered away from bad influences, she makes some bad ones all by herself. That didn't make me mad and want to give up reading the book, although some Goodreads users said it disturbed them because it was a very stupid decision. All I can say is I had a classmate in my grade school who made a similar mistake for a different reason, but thankfully none of Peony's consequences applied to her.

This is a book I would only loosely label a romance- it has romantic themes, Peony reminded me sometimes of myself as a teenager, but it doesn't have your average ending. As magical realism is one of my favorite genres, I could see certain plot points coming, but I enjoyed them greatly. I read two other of Ms. See's books, but this one is my clear favorite so far. Magical realism is a genre that I really never tire of.

Peony in Love is not your mother's historical fiction. If you're looking for realism without mythological elements, this won't be your book. But, if you don't mind keeping an open mind to a different way of life, and don't mind some serious otherworldly elements, Peony in Love won't disappoint you. I recommend this for fans of magical realism and historical fiction, because this book is a clear genre mixer.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for my favorite Lisa See book to date!

Content: Ages 16+ for sexual references, violence, and a different kind of love story.

Page Count: 297 in my paperback edition

"Turtle Moon" by Alice Hoffman

I generally dislike anything contemporary, but in the case of Alice Hoffman novels, I love it. She's well-known for her use of magical realism, taking fantastic elements and weaving them into the plot of something set in our world, without the 'start-from-scratch' world building of urban fantasy.

In the case of this novel, most of the magical realism elements are set around the human connection to animals, and the chaos around month of May that takes over the small town of Verity, Florida every year. Verity is newly inundated with single mothers, due to the low cost of living and the scenery. Even though it seems a relatively placid place to live, the month of May brings about drastic changes in the town.

The Plot:
When the meanest boy in Verity, Florida, Keith, runs away with an orphaned baby girl whose mother has been murdered, his mother Lucy refuses to believe he's guilty of the crime, even when evidence suggests otherwise. Julian Cash, who is a specialist with Verity's canine police unit, uses his dogs to dig up clues to Keith's whereabouts, but will the murderer be found in time?

Animals always seem to crop up in Alice Hoffman's books, whether it's the doves of The Dovekeepers, the horses of The Foretelling, or the wolves of Second Nature. In this book, the main theme is dogs, although a gator does pop up in the course of the story. Julian has two dogs he uses to track suspects: Loretta, a relatively well-behaved shepherd, and Arrow, a semi-feral "air dog" whose nose can track anything rotten, even long-dead things. Arrow forms a special connection with one of the characters late in the book, proving although he won't let anyone else touch him, he isn't as rabid as he seems.

We also get to see the other side of a relative ne'er-do-well, Keith, and his grown-up equivalent, Julian. Keith seems to get into more trouble when he moves to Verity, pining for New York, where his father lives, instead of the smothering heat of Florida. Julian is a man of few words when the book begins, but subtle changes take place in his life throughout the book. He has many things he's done wrong in life and realizes that, but sticks relatively to the straight and narrow path as this book plays out.

My favorite quote:

"But doing the right thing doesn't mean you can sleep at night. It doesn't mean you won't regret it for the rest of your life."

      ~Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman, page 238

Turtle Moon has every element I love about Alice Hoffman's novels: animals, a small town setting, and genuine human beings as characters. Although I would have liked to see a little more about a certain angel that haunts a tree in town, it really couldn't have been a much better read for me. If you like contemporary, but aren't afraid of mixing it up with a little suspense and fantastical elements, you should consider giving Turtle Moon a try.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for an exceptional portrait of a town called Verity!

Content: Ages 16+ for non-graphic sex scenes, violence, Diet Dr. Pepper-addicted divorcees, and one loyal dog.

Page Count: 255 pages in my hardcover edition.

"The Dovekeepers" by Alice Hoffman

This is probably my favorite Alice Hoffman book that I've read so far because of its history and its setting, in addition to the title occupation. I'm a sucker for animals, and although birds may not be my favorite, doves are a powerful symbol in this book. (Even me, a person immune to symbolism, can catch on to that).

The Siege of Masada remains a tragic and ambiguous event, probably because it happened a little less than 2000 years ago. To write of it here would probably require spoiler warnings, so instead, I've provided the link to Wikipedia for those who wish to learn more.

The Plot: (As Seen on Goodreads)
'Blends mythology, magic, archaeology and women. Traces four women, their path to the Masada massacre. In 70 CE, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on a mountain in the Judean desert, Masada. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived.
'Four bold, resourceful, and sensuous women come to Masada by a different path. Yael’s mother died in childbirth, and her father never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker’s wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her twin grandsons, rendered mute by their own witness. Aziza is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and expert marksman, who finds passion with another soldier. Shirah is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power. The four lives intersect in the desperate days of the siege, as the Romans draw near. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets — about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.'

What really strikes you when you read The Dovekeepers is the depth of rendering in the heroines' characters. Some may seem fragile at first, but when their stories are told, you get a sense of how strong they had to be. Women were treated as less than their male counterparts, although they worked just as hard to survive in harsh conditions.

You also get a sense of the old way of Jewish life- how holidays were celebrated and what traditions were held. If you wanted a blessing or a charm to give to your loved one, it was easier for women to go to non-religious magic practitioners and pay for it. Unless you had a good family (which none of the characters in this book technically do), you were easily cast aside and forgotten.

My favorite quote, which sums up the book nicely:

"Here is the riddle of love: Everything it gives to you, it takes away."

         ~Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers

The Dovekeepers is one of my favorite stories by Alice Hoffman. She gives us more than a passing glimpse into the history behind the Siege of Masada, while still including her magical realism elements without them seeming out of place. If you want a book that can take you back in time to meet four incredibly strong women, consider this book for your next read.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for a beautiful book about the power of love.

Content: Ages 18+ for extreme violence, domestic abuse, and sexual content.

Page Count: 501 pages in my hardcover edition.

Note: This will be a miniseries on CBS, airing sometime in 2015. I can hardly wait!

"Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman

This was the third book by Alice Hoffman that I read, and probably the one she's most known for. The book, in my opinion, is nothing like the movie in this case- although Alice Hoffman herself mentioned on her FB page that Practical Magic the movie won as best witch movie this Halloween. (Yes- I use Facebook to author-stalk my favorites. Sue me.)

What makes this book interesting is the fact that family history plays a part in setting the mood for the story. The Owen women are routinely blamed for everything bad that happens in the village, so much so that even when the orphaned Sally and Gillian arrive they're ostracized by association. And because of the odd things that happen to them- Sally is followed to school by her aunts' glaring (group of [black] cats) one day- the ostracism increases.

The Plot:
Sally and Gillian Owen grow up under the "care" of their eccentric aunts, but really they raise themselves. Sally is the shy responsible one who does the cooking and cleaning; Gillian the wild and reckless one, breaking hearts and skipping school. When they near adulthood, they part ways- Sally stays home with her aunts, Gillian pursues one man after another, crisscrossing the country so much that Sally has trouble keeping in touch with her. But will fate, and perhaps a bit of practical magic, bring them back together again?

Gillian was easily my least favorite character- mostly because she causes a lot of trouble in the book without thinking twice about it. Her actions were never really thought out, and as an INTJ personality type, I judge her for it. Shame on you, Gillian, for bringing trouble to Sally's door!

Sally is more my type of character- strong with moments of weakness. Her moments of weakness often lead to trouble as well, but I don't blame her for it. It's all Gillian's dang fault.

Practical Magic is a great story with characters that left me a little puzzled. Some of their mistakes were a little too convenient for the plot, but the writing is what shines through for me about any Alice Hoffman novel. If you're looking for a little witchery and mischief this Halloween, consider Practical Magic for your cauldron of thought.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for a great yarn with disconcerting characters.

Content: Ages 18+ for sex and cursing.

Page Count: 244 pages in my first edition

Famous Last Words:

"There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can."

Monsters Within: The worst kind- stalkerish ex-boyfriends.

P.S. I really don't like the movie, but hey- it won.

Post by Alice Hoffman.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison

This is a book people either love or hate, mostly due to the grisly content. There is nothing beautiful to be found about slavery, and this is a book about an escaped slave who isn't free. Some people cry that this is a pretentious book, and I somewhat agree- there is only so much weirdness I can take, and this book is highly weird for such a lauded and acclaimed piece of fiction. It won both a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize for Literature, in addition to many others.

Another thing I should mention is that symbolism is utterly lost on me- I am highly immune to it and often overlook its presence because I read books for the story and characters, not metaphorical nonsense. And this book is chock full of symbols- symbols I'd never see without the boon of this book having been marked for them by a previous owner. Thanks to that person, this review is easier for me to compose- she even marked a paragraph that was "the whole point of the book". Thank you, previous owner and defiler of books! (I bet they don't hear that often).

The Plot:
Sethe and her daughter Denver live in exile in a house haunted by Sethe's deceased daughter who is known as Beloved. One day, Paul D, a slave from Sethe's enslaved past, arrives at her doorstep, and their loneliness is somewhat relieved. Paul D seemingly manages to banish Beloved's presence from the house, but is she truly gone?

I'll be honest, the synopsis for this on Goodreads makes it seem like the greatest book in the world. It isn't, at least not on my bookshelf, and so it becomes a little hard to talk about- so many people loved or hated it, and all I really can say was it was strange and underwhelming for me. It seems sacrilege of me to rate Gone With the Wind higher, but honestly I enjoyed it so much more and received more from it than reading this book.

The characters in this book have gone through hell, but I didn't emphasize with them, despite having been in similar conditions in my life. It was as if they were all frozen in time, unwilling to move on and do what needed to be done through the entire book. I've been frozen like that before, but I persevered and was resilient, because if you wallow in the misery of your past and how you've been wronged, there is no point in living: you are stuck in a death-state of your past. And that is a very sad place to be.

Spoiler Alert!
The characters kind of move on in the end, but for me it felt highly underwhelming. I still felt as if the characters were from a different planet by the end.

Beloved is a hard book for me to critique because through the entire book I couldn't feel for the characters. Through the scribblings of a former reader, I learned what the book meant, but it fell short for being such a "masterwork". I admire the author's wordsmithery, but didn't particularly enjoy the book.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good, but underwhelming read.

Content: Ages 18+ for a slew of darkness: bestiality, animal abuse, slavery, human abuse, cursing, ...homicide.

Page Count: 275 pages in my paperback edition

"The Wolf Gift (The Wolf Gift Chronicles #1)" by Anne Rice

From Goodreads

Minor confession: I have never read an Anne Rice book before this one. And I do have Interview with the Vampire in my pile of books to read. I just saw this one languishing on my Kindle's carousel and was forced to read it.

When I finished this book, I perused the reviews on Goodreads, and found myself in the minority- people who rated this four stars or higher were few and far between on the highly "liked" reviews. Whenever I find myself in such a place, I always reassess my gut feelings: Did this book feel sexist? Did this book feel racist? Was I, at any time, repulsed by something in this book?

The answers? No, no, and no. Nothing turned me off about this book, even parts where there was some serious weirdness going on. If anything, I was fascinated by it. Having never read anything written Anne Rice, this book really told me what I needed to know: she has excellent world-building and mythology skills, as well as a taste for poetry in plain writing, more commonly known as prose.

The Plot:
Young reporter Ruben goes up to a house on the California Mendocino coast to interview it's owner, Marchent Nideck, and take pictures for his paper. He ends up staying the night, and awakens to hear a scream and rushes (too late) to Marchent's rescue. He is accosted by a pair of brutes, only to hear a wolf snarl and attack them. He is left to die, but curiously enough, an ambulance arrives to revive him. But with an animal bite on his arm, he finds his life isn't quite like it used to be.

I've read a lot of paranormal books with werewolves, and I rarely feel that the author does justice to them. However, this one appears to be an exception- Anne Rice creates an ancient mythology as well as a modern explanation. These werewolves are ones I can respect- they aren't always what they seem, but they have a streak of wildness.

One major complaint I've heard with this book is that Reuben cheats on his girlfriend in the first part of it (which is why it isn't a spoiler). I feel no need to have characters pure as the driven snow. I like it when characters aren't saints, and are somewhat human. Cheating is despicable, but Reuben is a character, an ordinary character, and I'm okay with that.

Another major player in this book is not a character, but a place, much like in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, where Manderley takes on a life of its own. In this book, it's Nideck Point (which is what Ruben eventually dubs it), a mansion with secret rooms and passageways, as well as decaying archaeological relics left by Marchent's uncle. Nideck Point is a house I wouldn't mind occupying- it has acres of forest as well as an ocean view, and there are secrets hidden there waiting to be uncovered.

The Wolf Gift is hard to define in terms of genres and themes. On one hand, it is a contemporary story, but much of the true story takes place in the past. It really defies the labels I've tried to attach to it, so instead I'll give a specific recommendation. If you like poetry in writing, mythology, themes of good vs. evil (and even a little bit of in between), with a little romance thrown in for the hell of it, The Wolf Gift may be your cup of coffee.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for one of the few werewolf books I've really enjoyed.

Content: Sexual situations, violence, and an inexplicable urge to howl at the moon. Ages 18+

Page Count: 404 pages in the hardcover edition.

"Second Nature" by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is one of the Society of Authors I'm Obsessed With, and for good reason. Her books are dependably 3 stars or better in my ratings, and I adore her writing style. She also writes mostly Magical Realism, a genre in which the fantastic and the realistic collide to create fresh takes on our world, often to make deeper meaning. Of course, being a story-centric reader, I usually don't catch the nuances of such things, but I try. And with Alice Hoffman's books, even if you are oblivious as me, there is always an intriguing story being told that you can relate to.

The Plot:
Robin Moore is a soon to be divorced from her policeman husband Roy, who cheated on her. Roy is contesting this by having his buddies give her tickets for any miscellaneous infraction. One day, while visiting her brother's work, she comes upon the "Wolf Man" who was found naked, caught in an animal trap in the midst of winter, who also refuses to speak. But upon hearing the news that he is to be transferred to a more controlled psychiatric facility, the Wolf Man does speak, pleading with Robin to take him away. Robin makes a rash decision and decides to take him home, if only for a little while before returning him to the facility. But with her teenage son Connor at home, how long will the Wolf Man remain undiscovered and free?

The story of the Wolf Man reminded me a bit of "George of the Jungle" or "Tarzan", where the baby survives and thrives in the jungle with help from animal friends. Of course, this plot is much more adult than that, and instead of balmy jungle, this tot had to deal with snow, ice, and wolves (oh my), which is why this book is clearly magical realism. I enjoyed the Wolf Man's backstory, but like many of Alice Hoffman's books, this one involves a wide scope of characters and point-of-view, in addition to her story-within-a-story aspects. Not many 184 page books can manage the depth of this one without being boring, and I didn't feel bored while reading this.

I may as well inform you now, this author is not one to write 'happily ever after' endings. Her endings may end with the characters happy, but it isn't the sugary-sweet happy, it's more the "I'm content and I survived this story" sort of ending, where much is realistically resolved, but some is left for the reader's own imagination. I'm one of the few people who enjoys such an ending, but I always secretly wish for 'happily ever after' for the characters after the author's final words.

Second Nature is a book that examines what our true character might be, and also what we're truly capable of. Are we, at heart, the same as animals: willing to kill and maim to get our way? Or are we simply human: fallible and sometimes capable of things we'd rather tout only animals can do? This story manages to ask those questions while engrossing the reader in a tangled yarn of romance, regret, and mystery, earning its place next to all the other Alice Hoffman books on my shelf.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars for a realistic tale about our true natures.

Content: Ages 18+ for non-graphic sex and violence, along with some unexpected f-bombs.

Page Count: 184 in my hardcover edition.