Jane Eyre - A Review

 I decided to try Jane Eyre, a book that had my attention from the first chapter to the last. It is the story of an orphan girl and her rather eventful life. Let's get into it. 

Courtesy of goconqr.com

The Book Events

We start with Jane Eyre talking about how she was treated like less than a servant, hiding with a book only to be interrupted by a physically abusive "Master" of the house (the son of the lady of the house). After such events, she is blamed for attacking him - no one asking what he did or what happened - and locked in a room. She passes out later in a fit of sobs. The apothecary then suggests she go to school, where she is treated better emotionally, but worse physically, like everyone else. Typhus hits the place and the headmaster is replaced, making it a healthier school overall. Jane then teaches for two years, sees her mentor teacher marry, and decides to seek a governess job. She finds one in a household that holds secrets, but embraces her warmly. From there everything just gets juicier. This is the only synopsis I'm going to give. It's a five star book. 

Thoughts on Characters

So, Mr. Rochester is a character that comes across as off-putting until you get to know that character. Not only does he dismiss his ward (though he isn't unnecessarily mean to her), but he has a "man of the house" commanding tone when we first meet him as an audience. Later, though, he treats Jane as an equal despite her governess position, inviting her to spend time with his high-positioned friends and even join their charades game. She tries to duck out and he notices. He seems to have an affection for her, despite his almost marrying Miss Ingram. You'll notice some pet names pop up in conversation before he proposes the first time. When he proposes the second time, a lot of stuff has happened between them (he's blind) and they both live happy lives. 

Jane herself is no pushover. I love her. She's also a woman with low self-esteem. She's intelligent and probably an INFJ personality. I related to her a lot. She ruminates, thinks for herself, cares deeply for others, and is beautiful from the inside out. It's easy for me to put myself in her shoes as we see her stream of thoughts flow. She scares some people with her honesty, including her aunt. She can stand up to her cousin's loveless marriage proposal and inability to take no for an answer. She's a strong woman and a beautiful soul. 

Rochester and Jane are the main two I want to address, since one character is particularly secret and should remain so until you read it for yourself. As for the Reed family, they are all diverse and the aunt is horrible to the end, but Jane forgives her and pretty much embodies the "burning heaping coals on your enemies" verse in the Bible. 

Overall Thoughts

This is a drama in the beginning, but a gothic suspense by the time she becomes a governess. It's also an age-gap romance (20 years difference) from the suspense portion onward. She has two proposals (counting Mr. Rochester's two proposals as one). Her cousin also wants to marry her, but only because he wants to take her to India to serve as a missionary. Jane is an intelligent, ruminating young woman who lets the flow of thoughts give you the full picture of her mental state. It never, ever, bored me. Our main character doesn't have a cushy life, despite being raised until age 10 in a rich household. She has a low self-esteem from childhood on, but is no pushover when she reaches adulthood. She wasn't a pushover as a child, either. Our main character is interesting, intriguing, and keeps your attention as she tells her life story. By the end, she's even inherited money and found family she'd never known in her youth.

If you want any warnings on content, I'll give you some here. You'll see verbal, emotional, and physical abuse right off the bat. She is treated horribly by her aunt. You'll also see abuse documented at Lowood, where the girls are half-starved, not given enough clothing, and barely have self-esteem left for the sake of "humility" being taught. It greatly explains why Jane continues to think herself unremarkable (when she is, in fact, amazing). Aside from all that, you don't really need a warning.

Is it worth reading? Yes, a hundred times, yes. Don't expect a quick read, though, or you'll be sorely mistaken. A quicker classic would be Jekyll and Hyde, while this is a "sit and ponder me" book. You'll want to take your time. It isn't a book to fly through. There are emotions and events to unpack the whole time. I've read sections in short spurts over a whole day. So much is going on all the time. Jane ends up living a beautiful life despite all the hardship life serves her. It's a bit like the story of Joseph (Bible reference), where she lands in a frying pan and makes it out intact every time. 

Things To Note

You should have a dictionary and Google Translate with you. Your phone can easily help you with that. The ward of Mr. Rochester, Adele, speaks lots of French, which is definitely written in French some of the time. There are a few phrases in German. Also, archaic words show up everywhere. An e-reader is suggested for this book, especially one you can note word meanings in for the future. Words like "elfish" and aspects of fae lore also show up. It was known well by the author, but most of us today won't immediately know fae lore. It can be easily googled. So, have your phone near you with the dictionary app open. 

The time period of Jane Eyre did not include electric lights. This is why candles are constantly needed for light in the evening. Remember this when Jane is locked in a room; it changes the whole context to know that a nine-year-old girl wasn't given a candle while locked in a dark room. Modern readers may not pick up this context. I missed this context and only thought of it later on, when Jane herself notes she wasn't given a candle in the dark room. 

Age gap romances were also common to the era of this book. The book Emma by Jane Austen also features an age gap romance. It may seem disgusting to us today to have 20 or 37 years (Emma) of age gap in a couple, but social status seemed to matter more. It wasn't uncommon and disgusting then, but it may influence your opinion of the romance portion to know there was a 20 year age gap. She works as a governess at age 18 while Mr. Rochester is 40 plus years old. He actually says he's old enough to be her father, actually states the age gap. It's just the time period, keep that in mind. 

Jane is also proposed to by a direct cousin. I know this is disgusting by our standards, but it wasn't then. She said no, anyway, so it doesn't matter all that much. She doesn't even note they are too close of relatives, so this should tell you what the time period thought of marrying cousins. What was uncommon at the time was marrying as intellectual equals, which is kind of interesting when we see Jane found two men who matched her intelligence and wanted her hand. Her equal marriage was not the most common. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

 

Read it or Unhaul it Challenge - First of 2025

 I'm doing the Read It Or Unhaul It challenge again this year. If you don't know the rules, I'll explain it in one sentence; I read it and like it, or get rid of it. It's a way to keep the bookshelf free of unliked books. Without much adieu, let's go. 

The rules of this challenge are simple. I picked three random books from "the unread" tab of my book inventory (not including the series I collect). I read them or DNF them. I decide what to do with them at the end of the challenge. I chose three, a good number to handle for one blog. I can do up to five if I DNF two in a row (a rule I added this past year). That's about it for rules. I'm going to go one book at a time. 

If you take on this challenge, it is a good rule of thumb to read ten percent or four to five chapters before making a decision. Unless of course you hate it already, then you know what to do. I recommend this challenge to book dragons like me. We hoard books, but don't always read them all. We need space constantly for books. This will help you keep space open for books you love. Try it if you need to declutter your bookshelf. 

Red Hot Steele (Daggers and Steele series book one) by Alex P. Berg

Courtesy of goodreads.com

What you have here is a hard-boiled fantasy mystery with a noir fiction feel. It comes across as a bit sexist, Daggers being the worst offender. It has lots of Marlowe-like wit and banter, but Marlowe was much better. It features Jake Daggers and begins with his partner retiring, which makes Jake a pain in the royal butt to his coworkers in the police force (rebelling against desk duty). He gets paired with an elf woman clairvoyant (Shay Steele). I stopped here. 

Why did I DNF this? The sexism outdid Ian Fleming. I can handle a few sexist moments within a few chapters (Fleming does this but compensates by being an excellent action writer), but Daggers spouts sexist crap and thinks sexist crap nearly the whole time. Ogling naked victims of crimes, treating Steele like she's lesser than him, and basically being a butthole most of the time. If he'd had some infrequent sexist moments, I'd be totally okay with finishing the book, but no. Instead, we see an intolerable, sexist, and childish Jake Daggers. If the perspective was purely Steele's, I'd probably finish the book. This is DNF number one. 

Death By Nostalgia by Andrew Stanek    (Felix Green series book one)

Courtesy of Goodreads

I started this book and was shocked to find that I was ten percent through in one chapter and twenty percent through in two chapters. I feel justified in saying, twenty percent in, that I was not taken in and didn't care about the mystery or characters. The writing style was part of the problem. I felt not attachment to any characters, at all. 

In the first chapter a building was taken down, a character went missing, and a stranger (Felix Green, PI) watched carefully, until the police noticed a murder. Second chapter we meet Felix Green properly and he is hired on to work with Detective Alder. I stopped here, twenty percent in. Obviously, I DNFed this one. It wasn't for me. 

The Lost Heiress by Roseanne M. White

Courtesy of archive.org

This a romance about a woman who finds she's a baroness. It begins with her discovering this through a family friend's inquiry. Our main man, Justin, turns out to have a father who refuses to visit his relative in England, and the man gambles in Monte Carlo most of the time. I stopped here. I had no connection to our main characters, didn't care what happened to them, and found myself forcing page turns. 

The problem here is the writing style, the lack of attachment to any character, and how they introduced the characters. I was not a fan of how the opening chapter barely introduced the people. It was abrupt. I also lost interest long before ten percent in, or even four chapters in. I read two chapters and couldn't force myself to turn another page or read any farther down the page. I have another book by this author that is also being donated. I can't see myself trying the next book in the series after being bored of this one. It was a quick DNF. 

conclusions

We had no winners in this challenge, no surprise five star or four star reads to rave about. This challenge is all about reading what I have -especially the random books I picked up for free. All of them cost me no money at all. I lost no money on these books. I donated four books counted the second Roseanna White book I owned. That's what this challenge is for, weeding out what you don't want in your bookshelf. I have no regrets. 

The Jake Daggers was particularly disappointing because a fantasy, homicide detective setting is a cool idea; the sexism killed the cool factor and I'm sad for that. I was into it until the sexism decided to drown out the actual awesomeness of a DnD-esque homicide detective/Noir mystery. It was a good idea on paper and the execution was the problem. The other two were just boring, but that one had potential. It made me sad to see that wasted. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

What To Know About Different Genres Before You Pick Them Up

Lately, I've been learning what I like and don't like about genres. For example, historical fiction seems to be a little heavy for what I want. Today we ask ourselves what we want out of our reading for leisure, then go through all the basic (not sub) genres for tropes. It is totally okay if a genre just doesn't work for you. This may help you pick up the books you'll enjoy, rather than what you dislike. 

Courtesy of theawesomedaily.com

I had several historical fictions on my second chance pile. I'll tell you exactly why. I don't want to sit with the emotion they bring to the table, nor do I want to be distressed by what I read. I realize history is hard to face and when I want to face that history I'll research it myself. Otherwise, I'll pass on the mental distress of wartorn nations and facing the Nazis. I'll try it if a friend says "It's good", but when it is too heavy I find it hard to get through. 

The story above is to make this exact point; what do you want out of your leisure reading? In the case of my reading life, I want entertainment. I don't want to be distressed by what I'm reading because I'm doing this to relax, not be more stressed. I can certainly cry over a book situation. I'll cry over fictional characters and the death of them any day of the week. I just don't wish to sit with the real and distressing emotions of real wars. Ask yourself what you want from your reading before you pick up a book. If you picked up Game of Thrones because you wanted a cozy novel, you might need to rethink it (one example, but I'm sure all of us have done something similar). 

Genres and Tropes

Mystery

Starting with the mystery genre, let's dig in. Mysteries have a murder or crime involved, which a character or characters have to solve. They can be cozy or intense, depending on the author and topics at hand. Heinous crimes are not off the table. I put the website for trigger warnings in books at the bottom of this blog post for your reference. 

Tropes of this genre include unreliable narrator, misjudged death, incompetent police, early suspect, unassuming suspect, villainous victim, everybody did it, multiple murders, stuck in one place, person with vital info is killed, killer playing detective, detective team up, detective suspect, nosy characters, criminal consultants, detectives with substance abuse issues, history/past returns, blackmail, amnesia, lightbulb moments, big reveal, and twist endings. (For more details) 

Suspense and horror play along with mystery and mix with it, so you might have some overlap in horror and suspense. 

Horror

Horror is meant to disturb or scare you, to make you want to scream, cry, and be upset. Honestly, if you don't know, you shouldn't frequent horror in general, nor should anyone hand you horror. There is psychological and physical horror, including gore. Sometimes gore is not part of it, but Stephen King is definitely a gore-fest when it comes to his horror. You can even play with it for comedic effect like movies sometimes do. 

Tropes of this genre include slasher/one killer after everyone, summoning evil, abandoned places, open windows/doors, nightmares being real, death to people having sex outside marriage/cheaters, cursed artifacts, old footage, "let's split up", old secret places, bad weather at night, alone in a dark place/house, weird neighbor, "no trespassing" means nothing, "something is definitely wrong and no one believes me", odd things seen in mirrors, immortal bad guys, being watched, monsters everywhere, no communication, "I'll be right back" and never coming back, women and children last, and one final scare when everything seems alright.  (For more details)

Courtesy of goodreads.com

Scream and Shawn of the Dead are both movies that take a comedic twist on these tropes. The Scary Movie series also takes these tropes and converts them to laughter. Domestic horror is where the main character sees everything is wrong in the world, but everyone else acts normal. Horror is diverse and you should keep in mind that psychological horror is effective because it takes normal and twists it into something terrifying.

Horror can also represent mental illness or what is wrong with the world. It can point to what society is doing wrong. Keep in mind that you can read literary horror/fiction like The Yellow Wallpaper and read into the role of women and female hysteria. Victorian-era horror is just as good as modern novels. 

Romance

This is where you need to know an author's tendencies. When you pick up an author who's spicy by nature, sex scenes abound. Romance is all about romantic relationships. It can blend with any genre and work. Werewolves? Aliens? Dinosaurs? All real romances. Vampires are really popular. It can be clean or dirty (no sex or sex included). 

A note to anyone who needs to know the difference between erotica and a romance with sex, note the plot. Does it have one? If so, it's a romance with sex. One scene of sex, or even a handful, doesn't make it erotica. No plot and mostly sex makes it erotica. Sex is in other genres, too, so it isn't exclusive to romance. Long story short, could you read a coherent plotline? Then it's romance. If you can't, you've got erotica.

Romance is even more diverse than horror, so here are some of the many tropes you can find. 

We have love triangles (or corners, depending on how you perceive a triangle), second chance at relationship, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, couple oblivious to their good chemistry, office romance, forced proximity, one bed, fake dating, betting, secrets, amnesia, different worlds/society standings, forbidden love, first love, holiday romance, grump and sunshine, sworn off love, allergic to commitment, suspect and investigator, falling for someone already taken, and fish out of water/strange place. (For more details)

Science fiction (sci-fi)

Think space, future, Star Trek, Star Wars, and technology that we don't have (yet). It can be out-there in concepts and connects to futuristic society. It's also about alien races and time travel. It gets lumped with fantasy sometimes, but fantasy is different. Both are epic in nature, though (epic as in, not real life). 

Tropes include space travel issues, time travel issues, alternate universes, it was all a simulation, bad robots (like in i,Robot), bad aliens, aliens are humans, pure energy lifeforms, secrets labs/bases, mad scientist, bad AI (artificial intelligence), cloning, creating monsters, nanotechnology, techno-jargon, dystopian futures, utopian futures, advanced tech, philosophical discussions, technology stunted, and morals/ethics. (For more details)

There is no better way to talk about issues than to put them in fiction, much like horror. Sci-fi can talk about a lot. Time travel novels are a whole genre by themselves, almost. I don't read as much of this, but I do watch Star Trek and Star Wars. 

Fantasy

Courtesy of pinterest.com

Fantasy is elves, Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Eragon, and a world that is far from real life. Game of Thrones is a popular one. The difference between adult and youth fantasy is the depth/darkness of the book itself. It can get dark in a lot of adult fantasy. Not only that, but a lot are thick books (youth or adult). Brandon Sanderson, anyone? Also, fantasy and sci-fi can easily blend together and work well. Both are not real life. You see political intrigue, too, and wars fought over many issues. Magic systems are common to almost all fantasy. Think of the original Dungeons and Dragons game. Harry Potter also fits here comfortably. 

Tropes include ancient/medieval settings, taverns, good vs evil, evil sorcerer, good sorcerer, chosen one, reluctant hero, the main quest, side quests, ancient and powerful artifacts, libraries filled with books, fantasy creatures, training someone, antagonist to ally, hidden truth/inheritance, damsels in distress, orphan hero, hyperbole (I'm the best or the most powerful), all hope lost, backup shows up, and paying the price for winning. (For more details)

Historical Fiction

This genre is generally heavy on wars and dark events. You have lots of WWII and WWI, as well as Colonial America, combinations of fictional and real events, historical figures as characters...etc. Themes of religion, politics, and economic turmoil show up front and center. It isn't uncommon to have a present and past timeline at the same time. Traveling and daily life are common tropes. You find resistance fighters, romance subplots (lots of them), tragedy, death, and the darker parts of history. 

Be sure to prepare for heavy tones. This is not your light reading. Research was done in most cases, and most have their sources in the back. Sometimes they will have a brief message saying they bent some history to make the plot work or discuss the historical context further. For more on writing this genre, click here.

Nonfiction

I don't have to explain too hard on this one. It's not fiction, so it'll be a true story of some kind. Biographies, investigations into true crime, and Bible studies fit here. The Bible would also be in this category (religion is not fiction, so I'm putting religious books with nonfiction for the blog). 

This has fewer tropes and is the exception to this blog category. What you see the most is research papers in the form of books, biographies, autobiographies, Bible studies, the Bible, true crime (histories on serial killers, for example), and how-to guides of all kinds. You also have craft books (instructional) in this category. 

Suspense

Suspense differs from horror and mystery. Suspense is often paired with these two genres, but it is defined as a genre of tension and high stakes. For example, whether someone will survive *fill in the blank* or not knowing when the other shoe will eventually drop. It's hard to separate from the mystery genre or the horror genre. As such, it shares many tropes with both. Romantic suspense is also a common fusion; romance can blend with nearly anything. It is not a thriller - that's another genre that people connect to suspense. 

Tropes include plot twists, the protagonist is forced to interact with an unpredictable character, unreliable narrator, detective and sidekick, femme fatale, broken character, isolated locations, "the killer is in this room/trapped here with everyone", oddly placed corpses, "we're running out of time" or a ticking time clock, ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, good vs evil, betrayal, being hunted by something/someone, and survival in general. This is only some of the tropes. Anything that keeps the tension tighter than piano wire or keeps the stakes super high will be suspense. 

People call this "thriller" but it isn't technically that. You google suspense and thriller pops up. It isn't helpful in this blog scenario to search "suspense". I pulled some of this from what I've read. Let's define thriller for real; it is technically a bigger category encompassing horror, detective genres, and suspense. It is a mix of all of that, plus action and big emotion. 

Action and Adventure

Courtesy of Pinterest

This is your NUMA files, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. It's fight scenes, top-secret missions, and high-risk fun. You can easily throw in a romance subplot (just like every other genre here). They will mix well with suspense. They'll be mostly action, probably include witty banter, and have high stakes. 

Tropes include unfamiliar settings, danger, heroism and heroic acts, exciting sequences of events, reluctant heroes, a mentor, macguffins (objects that keep plot moving, but hold less importance), chase scenes, fight scenes, surviving near death situations, secret identities, last-minute rescues, misfit team, betrayal/lies, being a macgyver of sorts (very creative problem solving and devices), "you're my hero", large and slightly unrealistic plots, lots of violent solutions to problems, fancy cars, and weapons of varied kinds. 

A Brief Note 

I think I've hit the core genres. I'm not including contemporary, literary, or short stories because all those can be one of these core genres. Every classic also varies in theme - one can be horror and another themed around home life. Basically, no one agrees on core genres and you can't find an agreed-upon-by-all list. Subgenres are abundant among these core genres. You might like a subgenre of one and hate another subgenre of the same overall genre. Most books are a mix of many genres and subgenres. 

As promised, here is the website for trigger warnings: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/index.php?title=Welcome

Sources:

https://kindlepreneur.com/book-tropes/

Suspense Fiction: Popular Themes, Settings, and Characters | by C. L. Nichols, Author | StoryAngles | Medium 

Good Story Company

Book Genres Explained [Complete List] - Next New Books

8 Iconic Action-Adventure Tropes That Help Shape The Genre - AutoCrit Online Editing

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/popular-fantasy-tropes-for-writers

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming - a review

 I opened this book to read something other than a romance with sex in my office. Well, I failed in that regard, because this is the most sexual James Bond book, yet, starting with the perspective of a woman taken advantage of. We remain in her perspective the whole time. Let's dig in (knowing this book is for ages 18 and over). 

Courtesy of Pinterest

The plot of this is nothing like the movie. Note this and throw the plot you watched into the void. I was blindsided by the whole beginning because no other Bond (Fleming or otherwise) began like this one. Ian Fleming himself wasn't happy with the reader response, therefore the movie is what it is because he only authorized the title use. Apparently, the prologue explains that the story was given to Fleming because the woman had a relationship with Bond, but my library copy didn't have the prologue. It started with Part One and I missed out on that section. 

 It begins with the perspective of Vivienne alone in a closed Motel, reminiscing about two horrible love affairs. The first was a man who shoved her into having sex and didn't care if she enjoyed it. He broke up with her via letter and was engaged to someone else. The second was a German man who was kind to her until she became pregnant. He cheerfully suggested abortion and she had one done. After talking about these two horrible men, she describes purposely traveling on a Vespa scooter and a tight budget. This time she enjoyed herself immensely. This concludes Part One, where she explains how she got to this motel setting in the first place. 

Part Two is all about the motel and the Phancey couple running it. Mr. Phancey was a dirty old man whose wife watched him, but never stopped him from being inappropriate. The couple offers her a receptionist job for the final two weeks of the season. Vivienne could use the money, free food, and free room. She says yes to this thinking maybe she can get a reference for other jobs. After dodging Mr. Phancey's hands and doing her two-week job, she's casually told the couple will be leaving. They ask if she can stay until the owner comes for the keys. All she has to do is turn off the lights and lock the doors. They left her entirely alone at this place to meet the owner. This whole time she's been waiting until morning. Someone knocks on the door. Two men show up claiming to know the owner and she doesn't let them in at first. Mr. Thompson (metal-like teeth and black eyes) and Mr. Jones (short, pale blue eyes, no hair on his head or face) came in and she immediately regretted letting them in. They basically turn out to be not named what they said. She's in serious danger of rape based on what "Sluggsy" (Jones) said to her. "Horror" (Thompson) tells him to cool his jets and gives the man orders. Most of Vivienne's inner dialogue now centers on defending herself and how to escape, all while she makes them food. She makes a run for it and hides in the woods. The two men find her. She's hit repeatedly after defending herself and wakes up naked in the shower of her cabin. She had managed to hit Horror with an icepick once as he hit her. Sluggsy tells her to clean up and come make them food. She cleaned herself up, made food, and ate her own. Sluggsy hits on her again and she flings the knives and forks of a drawer in his direction. This ends in a fight and near rape. 

Part Three is the buzzer going off, as everyone freezes mid-fight/rape. She fully opens the door with some quick thinking and finds a man there at the door. He's English and got a flat tire. Yes, this is Bond. While Vivienne has a gun in her back, she has to act as a front and still alert that something is wrong. The Vacancy sign she never turned off saved her life. She points to go in while telling him the sign is on by accident. She keeps beckoning with her finger. The man listened to her finger beckoning. He talks to the men about staying the night and they offer a hand with his flat. He insists on claiming a room. She managed to talk to him while helping him get his bag, and he understood completely that she was in danger. While examining the flat, Bond arms himself and tells her what cabin to give him. Sluggsy won't give him the key to 10, just 40. Bond asks for some food and he sits assessing the situation. He talks to her, getting all the information. He talks to Vivienne to calm her down as she serves him dotingly. Vivienne also seems to like Bond a lot, partly because he's her only escape and partially because she likes him. He'd been protecting a defecting Russian nuclear expert by impersonating him so he couldn't be killed. They all go to sleep at around midnight. Bond helps her secure her cabin. He gives Vivienne a handgun. I think Fleming fantasized a bit about how women saw Bond, but that's Fleming for you. Sluggsy managed to attack her, despite all those precautions. Bond managed to save her after she fell unconscious. The gangsters had set fire to the whole motel. Vivienne was supposed to be blamed for it and the owner wanted the insurance money and scapegoat. James faked his body to make sure the two thought he'd been in his cabin. They thought he was dead. Bond instructs her on what to do. Bond went after the men directly after. Gunfire battle ensued amongst the fire. The two ended up driving into the lake. We read more fantasizing about what women thought of Bond. 

Courtesy of mi6-hq.com

And then we have a shower and the second sex scene comes up. I read this in my office, again. Unfortunately, Fleming doesn't understand what women like in sex. Fleming clearly didn't talk to women about his writing. This was where I found the sexist comment that made me want to throw the book - if I'd had it in my physical possession. Fleming, I have words for you. You were doing great until this moment. In a female perspective, he says all women like semi-rape, which is blatantly wrong. This was interrupted by Sluggsy's face peering in and more gun fighting. As usual, Bond sleeps with a gun under his pillow (no shock there). Then they go at it again, to my annoyance, though fortunately, it was brief. In the morning he was gone. I was kind of glad to not have another sex scene. She reads Bond's last letter. The police show up and get her information, bringing food with them. She's warned that some people fighting against crime and doing crime can be cold killers. She's warned to keep away from these people-including Bond. They let her go on traveling after they took her statement. 

Overall Thoughts

 It surprised me to hear Fleming write from a woman's perspective. It wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but he doesn't understand what women want in sex. No woman likes Semi-rape, ever! I wanted to throw the book. It means he can write from a female perspective unless he's writing about women talking about sex, which is fascinating after the sexism found in other books. Bond is nowhere to be seen for a good part of the book. You do find the sexism in the woman's perspective, making it clear a man wrote a woman, but it's better than I expected for Fleming (who has a sexist comment or two in every single Bond book). He still had sexist comments in this one. It did not shock me. 

It might surprise you, after I said he was sexist, to hear I collect James Bond novels. I enjoy them - minus the moments of sexism that pop up at random. He wrote these in the 1950s, a sexist time. I know  that and still value his writing of action and spy adventure. I don't think this one is a five star one. It's more like, oh, 3.5 stars because I had to endure more sex than he usually includes and less action/adventure. I didn't ask for the rape and shower scenes. I wasn't into that. The rest of it was still quite good. Again, it was just so strange to hear a woman's perspective from a man who can put sexist moments in all his books. It's not my favorite of the Fleming collection, but still worth reading. Please choose a private place to read this. It's more like his short stories if anything. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

It's In His Kiss - a Bridgerton Review

 I love the Bridgerton book series. Today I'm reviewing Hyacinth's storyline. Let's get into it. 

Courtesy of bookoutlet.com

Hyacinth Bridgerton is the youngest Bridgerton and the 7th book. I have all the books and love them all dearly. This is a spoiler-heavy review, so if you want to go in blind please come back later. It doesn't take all that long to read. I'm going right into the events of the book after this paragraph. You've been warned. Oh, and all Bridgerton books have spice. Be warned of sex scenes in every single one. 

The Main Events

We begin by learning why Gareth St. Clair is estranged from his father. He was almost forced to marry a woman who had a child's mind and refused. He's also a bastard who was accepted as legitimate because his father cared about his reputation. Basically, his father hates him. They part ways and avoid each other in the present storyline. 

The other side of the romance begins with Hyacinth going with Penelope to the Smythe-Smith performance, which is always bad. Lady Danbury has forced her grandson, Gareth St. Clair to meet her there. Hyacinth has some conversations with him and some emotions, and then they leave. Later she's reading to Lady Danbury, who's trying to set her up with Gareth, and Gareth comes over with a journal his grandmother kept. He needs it translated from Italian and Hyacinth agrees to attempt translating it. 

The next time they met was at a horrible poetry reading, involving a family with no talent. They sat together where both Lady Danbury and Mrs. Bridgerton made them sit alone (by pretending not to see the open seat beside them). Lots of witty remarks were exchanged and I loved it all. He asks about the journal after the horrible performance. Lady Danbury and Mrs. Bridgerton then remind Gareth of a ball invitation from one of the Bridgertons. 

The ball the Bridgerton family hosted leads to a dance with Hyacinth, who is not good at dancing. In the gentleman's bathroom/lounge, Gareth has a run-in with his father despite Hyacinth trying to keep them apart. His high emotions lead him to roughly kiss Hyacinth (she doesn't mind the kiss) and he goes in for another, only for her to run. He comes back to hear more of the diary (expecting maybe to have it returned after his conduct) and finds out diamonds are hidden in his father's home. His father has no idea they exist and the pair go on a heist. 

This heist starts with Gareth picking her up from her house and noticing how her men's pants (because who heists in a skirt?) outline her figure. He'd rather not have wanted her more, but here he is noticing her figure. It was the only black she could find, apparently. They find a slip of paper (Italian words) in a hidden compartment after breaking in, avoid detection from the butler, and get out. 

Gareth returns and finds out what it's like to have more than one sibling. He meets her family and they go on a walk. Just before that we get an absolutely hilarious sibling encounter with Hyacinth and her brother Gregory (who makes a joke about Hyacinth possibly having lisping children). It had me dying of laughter and I marked the page for future reference. Things heat up on this walk, but not quite in the most romantic way. Gareth's father shows up and converses in a way that has hidden context. Gareth abruptly says he'll drop her home and go have a drink. Hyacinth doesn't stand for this and they have a vulnerable conversation, where they kiss for the second time - much more sensitively and better- and Gareth immediately stops himself from ruining her. Gareth goes straight to Lord Bridgerton (Anthony) to ask for her hand and marry her the right way. It ends up being a conversation with interesting turns. He now (stupidly) thinks that she would back out if he knew he was illegitimate and thinks he should compromise her to move up the wedding date. He proposes to Hyacinth in front of Lady Danbury and the pair get really excited without going all the way. They stop because Lady Danbury owns a telescope and might just watch. 

Courtesy of goodreads.com

Gareth is now looking to compromise her to push the wedding plans forward, before his father drops the other shoe and exposes him as illegitimate (though, given a previous book, the Bridgerton family probably doesn't care whether he is legitimate - see Benedict's storyline for context). Now is where he puts into action the foolish idea that he as to make sure she can't back out - because his father planted that idea in him by saying "she won't have you" due to being illegitimate. It makes me sad that he thought he had to compromise her before his father dropped the other shoe about his real bloodline. Basically, sex is happening at this point (pg. 241, if you need to stop reading in public before this). It is fully consensual sex, with input from both parties on what they like, and still has witty dialogue in between actions. I'm impressed with this writing because it models sex in a way other books don't. Both people are participating and enjoying themselves. One is not dominating the other; it is a partnership. By the end Gareth is tired and Hyacinth is a ball of energy ready to conquer the world. She leads a tired Gareth to their original heist plans shortly after. 

Now onto the heist plans, they steal into the library and find the right book with a clue - only neither can read it. On the way back Gareth's father shows up to antagonize him in the street ( with Hyacinth hidden around a corner). His father throws in his face that he made the involuntary betrothal to the neighbor girl legal and he now has to deal with that. Hyacinth is not there when Gareth peers around the corner. He catches up to her and doesn't get there in time to explain. She's now back in the servant's quarters entrance and he didn't get to explain himself. He climbs in her window to talk to her, gets in an argument with her because she thinks he was marrying her to get back at his father (so, not mad about the other betrothal), and he climbs back down to discuss the issue another day. 

Violet Bridgerton correctly figures out the pair argued about something after Gareth didn't call for a few days. Without revealing her lack of virginity, she gets advice from her mother while badly embroidering a flower into a duck, then a tabby cat. Her mother jokes that if words don't work, hit him with a book. It's a delightful scene where she realizes she needs to come to him, not Gareth coming to her. Meanwhile Gareth resolved to act and Hyacinth shows up at his home. After some discussion of their heist clues, they come to the point. Gareth tells her that his father isn't his father and (predictably) she doesn't care and loves him anyway. At page 309 you'll want to stop reading and wait until you are not in public. Then they make more heist plans and Gareth demands only he go on this next heist. 

Hyacinth reads with Lady Danbury, then later that night she translates more of the diary - finding an answer to one of Gareth's burning questions (his real father's name). Unfortunately, Gareth intended to heist that night and thought she was intruding to join him. Shocker of the decade, he looks like his father because his father's brother is his real father. At this point, they confess their love and have more fun (pg. 339 if you need to wait until you are alone). Hyacinth then wants to heist with him and he doesn't want her to go. She once again wins the day and goes with him. While there, they meet Gareth's fake father in the street and drop the bombshell on him politely. Gareth re-proposes and the epilogue is about Hyacinth still looking for the jewels. The extended epilogue shows her daughter finding the jewels, putting them back, and letting Hyacinth find them herself. 

Overall Thoughts

I love all the Bridgertons dearly. I love the family dynamic, the banter amongst family and the main characters, and the fun of the ride. Please note that these aren't clean romance, but they are well-written sex scenes. As characters go, these are just as good as any of the others. Gareth and Hyacinth got along right away, equal matches to each other. I love that we see chemistry right away. They both have brains and see each other as equals. Not only that, but they don't dominate each other in sexual situations. Communication was had the whole time. Five stars, just like all the others. 

I didn't dislike anything. I put the page numbers for the major sex scenes in for those who wish to skip them, or for those who wish to read this in a public place. There are three major scenes, not counting the kissing only ones. Please note this book series is for 18 and over. All the books will have sex in them. The one before this was more steamy than this one. This is the standard amount of sex scenes you'll see in the series. Most of them have two to four sex scenes in total. I'm not counting the extended epilogue in this case - as not all of you have that version of the book. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

 

Murder Your Employer By Rupert Holmes - A Review

 I saw this book in a small bookstore in Cambridge. I couldn't pass it up. It was so unique I thought I'd never see it again. The library app has proven it is quite popular. It couldn't just immediately borrow the audiobook, which is a sign of popularity. I'm reviewing it because I loved it's humor and it is one of the best suspense novels I've ever read. 

rupertholmes.com

I know this one has an interesting, strange title but it is a comedy/suspense. It's a combination of Lemony Snicket, Agatha Christie, Detective Marlowe, and The Count of Monte Cristo vibes. I can't explain it any better than that. There are phrases in here that made me chuckle and mark the page - several pages. Describing the plot of such a unique book is a little weird. I'll do my best. It's best to just try it for yourself. You might not like it if you don't have a dark sense of humor or don't like dark suspense. It's a bit darker as you keep reading and the three students actually commit their murders. 

It is a mock-guide book on murdering people, with the idea that it came from a secret college for teaching murder. It shows the stories of "graduates" and their experiences after the main intro. It's clearly not real and clearly fiction. It has strange Snicket-like ideas paired with witty dialogue and phrases in character descriptions. One plotline reminds me of Agatha Christie crossed with Monte Cristo. If you think you'd like it or are unsure, pick it up at the library. I imagine the darker sense of humor appeals to a specific genre and crowd. If you like Lemony Snicket, Agatha Christie, or dark suspense in general you'll love this. 

The plot becomes suspenseful when it explores the three students' experiences. These include one man whose boss changed a plane design that was previously safe to fly in (until his boss built it differently), an assistant who has all her ideas stolen and is being blackmailed, and an actress who's been told her next quality role is either after leaving a studio or over someone's dead body. You see what campus looks like and learn why they want to commit the murder and who they encounter. I cannot spoil this for you. Read it yourself. Not sure? Try it. Love dark humor and Agatha Christie? Definitely try it. 

Courtesy of roeliareads.co.za

My Overall Thoughts

It's hard to summarize the plot when it is such a unique book. Let's be real. Read it for yourself. It's in the Libby app in ebook and audiobook (but be sure to get on the waitlist). I'm sure you can find the physical copy, too. I found it at both Books A Million and a small bookshop in Cambridge. 

You take the intellect of Agatha Christie, the revenge drive of The Count of Monte Cristo, the witty dialogue of Philip Marlowe, and the humor of Lemony Snicket to get this book's genre. They work together wondrously. I picked this up and laughed from page one. Nothing is meant to be taken seriously, but the suspense does get thicker as you read on. The characters are all quirky. It is a book I can pick up and mark witty lines in. This is purely dark humor and dark suspense. I was pleased when I opened the book and laughed for many chapters. I was also pleased to see the plot twists that make sense, but definitely twist your expectations. I give it five stars and put it in the same category as some of the best Agatha Christie mysteries. 

It starts comedic and becomes more suspense toward the body of the book, so it isn't a pure comedy. It is comedic still, so don't expect the dark humor to drop. It simply becomes more about the three students completing their "education" and "thesis". You discover more about them and why one is being blackmailed (so sad). The last section of the book is about them doing the actual murders - one of them being less prepared than the others. The book doesn't promise good endings for all of them in the beginning, which is something you should note. You shouldn't expect sunshine and rainbows in this book, anyway, so keep that in mind. 

It isn't gorey. I'm going to say it because I'd ask if I were considering it. It is not a gorey book, nor does it feature much blood at all. It's a lot of wit, humor, murder, poison, plotting, and revenge. It's not a gore-fest in any way, shape, or form. 

It does not contain outright sex. It suggests sex often but doesn't have a sex scene you can clearly point to. It suggests sexual misconduct in many of the employers in the book. Please don't read this if you are below the age of 18 or you don't understand what sex is. You won't endure a sex scene, but you will hear about sex throughout every student plotline. I don't believe this was intended for anyone below adulthood. 

Courtesy of audible.co.uk

Who this is for

Anyone who doesn't know how to read dark humor or sarcasm should avoid this. Anyone who can't handle or hates dark humor should not pick it up. This isn't sunshine and rainbows reading. You have to have a good sense of dark humor to love it. You also have to like suspense. It's in that genre for a reason. It also gives quite a creative variety of ways to commit murder (none gorey). Writers of suspense and horror might want to take notes on those methods (for the sake of character and plot NOT real-life murder). 

I get the feeling this was written for adults. It doesn't strike me as a Young Adult book, given its nature, but it depends highly on the person reading it. This has the feeling of adult suspense, not YA suspense. I wouldn't put this in front of someone younger than 18 or 19. If you are a parent, read it yourself first. I suggest doing this for any book you aren't sure of, but doubly so when the humor has a darker hue and sexual suggestions peppered in. You might have them wait to read it or not. It's your call, parents. Adults will have no problem reading it. Just know it contains sexual references and adult ideas. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - A review

 My husband's well-loved copy of Wind in the Willows is now on our bookshelf. It's his favorite book and a major part of his childhood. I'm reading and reviewing it. Let's dive in. 

Courtesy of bibliodyssey.blogspot.co.uk

If you read this book, you know it is very much like frog and toad, but not frog and toad. You have talking human-like animals in a small community. They chat, row down the river, have picnics, and are generally silly creatures (in the best way). My husband loved this book so much the spine is falling apart (but not the pages). We started reading it together. I'm reading it twice because I need to finish it to review it. 

The Plot

We begin with Mole abandoning his spring cleaning, running into a Rat, and then going on a picnic/boat ride. We run into Otter, who asks why he wasn't invited, but Rat says it is a private picnic. Otter makes polite conversation and leaves. Mole has so much fun that he attempts to take the oars and dumps the boat. They both get back to warmth and spend the evening in Rat's home. Mole had to wait for his clothing to dry beside the fire and spends the night. In the coming weeks, Rat teaches Mole to row the boat and they spend time on the river together. 

Mole eventually asks to see Mr. Toad. We also learn Rat likes to mess with the ducks. He makes a silly little song about them and the ducks don't like it, nor does Mole. Mr. Toad turns out to be rich and is excited to see Rat. He wanted to talk to him about something rather important. He wants to travel in his new gypsy caravan. Rat only goes because Mole wants to and Toad insists he come. During their travels, Toad tries not to do any work while the other two make him do some work. The caravan got hit by a car and they returned to Toad Hall (Toad's home) via train. Toad was now tired of caravans and got his new toy, a motor car. 

Rat and Mole proceed to hang out more, Mole now asking to meet Badger, who doesn't like being with people. Rat doesn't want to call on him because he lives in the Wild Wood. Mole decides to go by himself. He gets lost in the dark and Rat (packing pistols, no less) goes to get him. They spend the night in a hollow tree and stumble (Mole injured) onto Badger's doorstep. They are invited in after Badger realizes who they are. He lets them in to warm (it's winter) themselves by the fire and asks about riverbank news. Toad has run his car off the road and wants another one. He'd crashed seven cars in total. Badger sends the pair to his guest room and they wake up to more guests. Two hedgehogs got lost on their way to school and Badger let them in for breakfast. Otter comes by to find Rat and Mole, then takes them home. 

On the way back, Mole suddenly smells his own home (which he hasn't been in for a bit) and gets homesick. Rat helps him find his way home and they get to Mole End. After a bit of cleaning up, they find some food. At the door, just like every year, caroling field mice showed up to sing. They all came in after their song, ate, and did a little play about pirates. They left, Christmas morning came, and Summer came around. 

In Summer, Badger came to Rat's home to say that Toad needed an intervention. Badger, Rat, and Mole march over to Toad Hall to confront him before he goes driving in his newest motor car. He promises Badger he'll stop, then takes it all back in mere minutes. They made him a prisoner in his own home, he got out, and then stole a car before he could control himself. He went to prison. The daughter of the jailer wanted to feed him by hand. She was allowed and brought food to him. She got his spirits back up to the point he was no longer sobbing into his straw. Eventually, she helped him escape. Many chapters later, he's still trying to get home dressed as a washerwoman.  He got picked up and given a ride, only for him to ask to drive and then crash the car. He avoids his captors, ending up in a river and washed right into Rat. 

Rat is put out with Toad and demands he wash up. They have a stern conversation over a meal, where Toad promises to be good. Then Rat tells him the stoats, weasels, and ferrets (wild wooders) took over Toad Hall. He stormed it, got run off by an armed ferret, and came back to Rat. He boated to the edge of the garden to try again. He ended up ruining Rat's boat in the process. He crawled back to Rat and Rat told him to cool his jets and eat dinner. Badger and Mole came over to plan. Badger reveals he knew of a passage, where they could attack without the guards being alerted. Rat gets weapons (swords and guns and sticks and handcuffs), Mole messes with the enemy in the washerwoman outfit, and they get on with the plan. They take the hall back successfully. 

The conclusion of the story is that Toad is no longer a boastful, foolish Toad, but a wise one. Rat, Mole, and Badger helped him get his home back. They also set him straight and made him see sense. He was a better Toad for listening to them. 

Overall Thoughts

It's a silly, funny tale you can read to any child or any adult. It's a little bit like Alice In Wonderland in tone, but without the nonsense poetry. It's four animal friends going on adventures and helping each other through life. They just happen to be talking animals. It's adorable. I could read this ten times over and laugh every time. It's all so silly. I like it. 5 stars, an easy 5 stars. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.