Lover Mine

I recently finished the newest book in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, Lover Mine. Actually, I love this series so much that I can’t believe I waited a whole two months before reading it. In my defense however, I happened to be preoccupied with the only thing that could keep me from running out and forking over the money for the brand new hardback and staying up all night to eagerly devour it: Jamie Fraser. Anyhoo, a co-worker of mine did  run out and buy it the day it hit the shelves and then proceeded to bring it to work the next day and taunt me with it before (after re-reading it several times) graciously letting  me borrow it.

Right off the bat, it’s hard not to notice that the cover style has been changed, thus eliminating any possibility of hiding exactly what type of book you are reading from the husband. No worries though, I have no qualms about being a devoted fan of the Brothers and afterall my friends, this is vampire smut at it’s best!

Lover Mine focuses on John Matthew and picks up with his search to find Xhex, who was kidnapped from the sympath colony at the end of Lover Avenged. Lash is holding Xhex captive in some sort of invisible bubble in Caldwell, where he violently beats and rapes her daily. Lash and the Omega have a falling out, and Lash begins a rather grotesque transformation that slowly weakens his powers and inadvertently allows Xhex to escape. I was never a fan of Xhex in the previous novels (because of the way she treated John Matthew), but she also goes through a transformation and discovers her softer side after being rescued and cared for in the Brotherhood’s mansion. Of course, she and John Matthew get together and very steamy vampire smut ensues.

As in all of J.R. Ward’s novels, there are several other less prominent story lines running as well. One that I was not expecting involves Payne, V’s twin sister who has been held against her will by the Scribe Virgin and who has become Wrath’s sparring partner since the total loss of his eyesight. She ends up being expelled from the Far Side and finds herself in the Brothers’ mansion, thus opening up a potentially exciting thread that will hopefully be continued in the next novel. I was also happy to see that Tohr is finally back in the game and well on his way to regaining his status as a Brother. We get a detailed glimpse into his past and discover that he has even more connections to John Matthew (and Xhex). They patch up their relationship and have a quite touching, and much deserved, happy ending.

Poor Blay is still having a hard time dealing with his feelings for Qhuinn and I found myself becoming a bit frustrated with their relationship. Their story line is definitely left undone and while I hope that they are not the main focus of the next book, I look forward to a more satisfying resolution to their story.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I am still impressed with Ward’s ability to weave detailed histories together and neatly tie up loose ends, while simultaneously unravelling additional threads that keep us wanting more. These books are just the right mixture of suspense, adventure, sex and tenderness (involving big, tough, leather-clad vampires) and even at book eight, I don’t see any signs that she’s starting to fizzle out. Each book in this series is equally as strong as the last (although Z’s book, Lover Awakened, will always be my favorite…) and I look forward to the next one.

The Sun Also Rises

After much quibbling over which book to review first, I have settled on The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. I just finished (re)reading the book, and Hemingway is one of my favorite writers, so it seemed the logical choice.

The Sun Also Rises is narrated by Jake Barnes, an expatriate writer living in Paris in the 1920’s who seemingly just hangs out a lot with his group of artsy friends that includes Robert Cohn, (an ex-boxer, wanna-be writer, and somewhat of a stiff, compared to the others), Bill Gorton (a successful writer from the states), Mike Campbell (“a bankrupt“), and the infamous Lady Brett Ashley (super slut). They drink. And drink. And drink some more before planning a fishing trip to Spain followed by the fiesta and bull-fights in Pamplona.

The relationships within the group are complicated, but basically, Jake, Robert, and Mike are all in love with Brett. Lady Ashley bucks societal norms by wearing her hair extremely short, sporting skin-tight sweaters to show off her curves, and sleeping with anyone and everyone she pleases; while the men sit back and wish it was themselves that she was with. Jake is her best friend and has been in love with her for years. Robert only recently met her but instantly fell in love (while just as quickly forgetting all about his relationship with the gold-digging Frances back home). Brett is in the process of getting a divorce so that she can marry Mike Campbell. I won’t give away any more of the plot (since I want you all to read this book!), but some excitement involving a sexy young matador goes down in Spain and further complicates the already strained ties within the group.

I don’t like Lady Ashley. I find her selfish and hypocritical. She is supposed to be an independent woman, yet she seemingly can’t stand to be without a man. She uses everyone, especially poor Jake. They had a relationship at some point (the time frame, in relation to the war, is not clear), which she ended due to the fact that he suffered an injury to his man parts during the war. Jake manages to live his own life, but he is always tied to Brett and drops whatever he is doing to come bail her out of whatever crisis she has gotten herself into.

I like Jake. He is different from the others because he is the only real person, everyone else is fake and unreliable. The hotel owner in Spain recognizes Jake as “aficionado” and chooses not to acknowledge his sorry friends. There is also a scene where a waiter tries to stress to Jake the absurdity of the bull fights, stating that a man will take “a cornada right through the back. For fun- you understand” (which I believe to be symbolic of the way Jake is treated).

This book is often described as the quintessential novel of “The Lost Generation” and there is more to it than just the twisted (non) love story. Aside from the scenic descriptions of the Spanish country, Hemingway’s obvious love of nature, and the delightful slang which I find utterly charming; there is insight into the attitude of a generation going through a time that is arguably similar to today. If you read this book in high school and found it boring, I would highly recommend giving it another chance because you will likely view it in a different light with a little experience under your belt. I love Hemingway. I love the realness of his stories. The characters are sometimes hard to like and there’s rarely a happy ending for anyone, but he makes you think and leaves you pondering and philosophizing about life. What more could a girl ask for?

Bienvenue!

I love to read and write. For many years (many years ago), I did both on a daily basis until life bombarded me with so many distractions as to successfully lead me astray from some of my favorite pastimes. Now that I’m fully immersed in adulthood (shudder) and knee-deep in the mind-numbing and prosaic cycle of hell that is my daily commute and job, I have rediscovered my love for the written word. Reading is my escape from the banality of the daily grind.

I have a tendency to really fall in love with a book or the characters within it. (I can think of a few books in which the word “obsession” would probably be a more accurate description – does the name Jamie Fraser ring a bell?) When this happens, I feel compelled to talk about it and spread the potential joy of said amazing book to anyone and everyone around me. My friends, coworkers, and especially my husband, usually accept the brunt of my musings with awe-inspiring grace. That being said, I’m creating this blog as an outlet for my literary ramblings and a potential reprieve for my nearest and dearest. Of course, I don’t plan on limiting myself to writing only about books, but hopefully I can at least stop calling my husband at work to tell him about mind-blowing plot twists and character developments that he has absolutely no interest in whatsoever. (I wouldn’t hold my breath, though.)