Kaseys Korner

The Fate of Mercy Alban

Alban House = a thousand loves. If I didn't like the story, I would read this book for the description and sections devoted to the house alone. It was an entity in itself and a formidable, alluring one at that. I'm sure I've waxed on and on about my love for old houses in other book reviews but mansions & chateau's are on a whole other playing field!! This one with its hidden passageways, secret rooms, peepholes and underground exits to the outside just had me enthralled!!

Loved the story too ~ I'm not sure why all the sudden I'm reading suspense?? It evoked just the right amount of anxiety along with being a fascinating recounting of the Alban family history to keep me from being unnerved!! I want to call it a ghost story but it's not?? It's definitely got a gothic flavor to it tho which I'm always into. Toward the end it also developed a twist of the occult (which I usually don't mind) but for some reason wasn't sure I bought totally this time??? Did not stop me from 4 starring it tho!

And omg, the epilogue! Just when everything seemed resolved and my pulse rate had leveled off, the author gave us that??!! Is she planning a sequel?? My imagination was swirling with the potential implications of that reveal & the idea that tragedy and mystery will never stop plaguing those who inhabit this incredible home. Great read!

The Royal Secret

I'm a Lucinda Riley fan and this book is unlike any other she's written (& I believe I've read all her published work.) She wrote in the author's note that she wanted to try a thriller and a thriller is exactly what she served up. I hope she dabbles more in this genre!!

I can see why the British Monarchy wouldn't be too thrilled with the story as it didn't reflect them in a very good light at all. The lives that were extinguished and the extensive lengths their secret service would go to knew no bounds when it came to protecting the secrets of the Monarchy. I didn't find the plot line too far fetched to believe in even tho it's a work of fiction.

I don't know if I would be as brave as the heroine to keep investigating when the M15 had her locked into their sights. The ending for her was bittersweet too. Better than the alternative (I think??) but I'm still not sure if I could manage that either.

I didn't quite understand what was being alluded to with the famous Tower of London Ravens? Did they disappear when the Monarchy might be in trouble? Was that the significance of their disappearance at the beginning of the novel then reappearance at the end?? Maybe it's one of those little details that always bogs me down?! Another of those little details would be the signet ring. If the Duke of York always wore an identical one, it would seem an easily recognizable item??

Even with the few hanging peculiarities, it was a captivating read. Whenever I thought I had the "secret" ferreted out, another twist. Well done! I'm wondering if the door is open for a sequel?? The ending seemed the perfect precursor for one. Plus, in the epilogue, there was no update on what happened to Jamie??

Sanditon

If the United States had a Monarchy, I'd want Jane Austen to be resurrected as our Queen. She was so uncannily perceptive in her observations and understanding of human behavior that all the posturing, schmoozing, bs'ing, etc., would never stand a chance of getting by her. How did she ever become so astute about the nuances and motives behind people and their social interactions??? I wonder what she would think of us today, communicating thru all our technology devices and slipping in the skills of interpersonal relationships?? Could she be as discerning now as she was then?

Although only eleven chapters of this novel were written by Ms Austen herself, the flow from her work to the (astoundingly brave) author who completed it was seamless. I thought it had every bit the feel of her other novels (at least the ones I've read.)

I really enjoyed the heroine, Miss Charlotte Heywood. She came from a solid, country background and had rarely ventured far from home but that didn't in any way impair her conduct or accurate view of the world once she had the opportunity to leave. She was actually the most grounded, agreeable person in Sanditon! What a place Sanditon was too ~ full of quirky characters and lofty ambitions. Perfect set up for this wonderful story to unfold. It was a refreshing escape from the 21st century to what seemed a gentler, more civil time complete with happy ending.

*sigh of bliss from this happy reader*

p.s.  I'm also enjoying the series on PBS at the moment. Double bonus.

Amaryllis 'Double Dream'

One of my all-time favorite Amaryllis.

Could there be anything more lovely??

Amaryllis 'Bright Nymph'

Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds

If you have an affinity for the Cotswolds, a place I've never visited but swooned over many times, you'll no doubt be transported by this book. The storybook pictures of this area have enchanted me for years but this book goes beyond the quaint villages and cottages and gives us an in-depth look at twenty special estate gardens, double swoon-worthy for a garden lover. It's amazing that the gardens are in existence ~ thank goodness for money and owners that share a passion for them. Estates that once employed multiple gardeners now maintain the upkeep with a skeleton crew which often includes labor from the owners themselves. True dedication!

No matter how many garden tours I take, they can't hold a candle to English gardens. At least in my humble opinion. The Old World patina that coats the walled gardens, structures and statuary has a charm impossible to duplicate (well, maybe give us a few hundred more years.) I never tire of viewing a lovely, lush garden design and there are many within these pages. It was shocking in the midst of reading to turn the page and find a wild animal park in the midst of the Cotswolds. I had to do a double take about what I was actually reading! Who knew?!

Fabulous that the owners (most of them) open their gardens regularly for touring. I guess that makes them not so secret (as the title implies??) I could happily spend every weekend visiting one after another then go back & start over again.

Happy I added this one to my collection of garden books.

 

 

Station Eleven

** spoiler alert ** It's amazing I finished this book AT ALL and even more amazing that I ended up feeling positive about it. It was almost a DNF about 20% into it. It just didn't make sense to me ~ a wandering Symphony in a post apocalyptic world ~ seriously??? What would be the point when just surviving was so precarious?? Or is that when music and art are most necessary?? And the guy who performed CPR on Arthur Leander in the very beginning (Jeevan) and seemed at first to be a pivotal character, just fell off the pages never to reappear again (until after I decided to continue reading, he showed back up about 50% thru??) It seemed crazily disjointed.

I didn't understand what the whole obsession was with the 'Station Eleven' story until the pieces of the book all started coming together. It almost seemed Miranda unknowingly wrote a graphic comic about the future (it eerily mirrored life after the pandemic.)

Why is it that Tyler, who called himself 'The Prophet,' acted in the most un-prophet like ways?? Killing, coercion and fear are not tactics of "the light" or Divinity. Living in these primitive conditions really brought all the characters temperaments to the surface.

I'm sure I'll think about this book for a long time, even tho I didn't love it. That's because it played into a hidden fear of mine. Every time I hear of a new strain of the swine flu (which caused the pandemic in 'Station Eleven') or the bird flu or whatever kind of flu, it makes me really apprehensive. It's been over a hundred years since the last deadly pandemic & with viruses becoming resistant to antibiotics it makes the possibility scary real. I never thought of one wiping out 99% of the population tho, like happened here, and having to go back to such a rudimentary existence. That gives a person pause if not anxiety and makes one think what they'd do if put in the same predicament.

At least it ended on a uplifting note. Clark musing about the possibility of life returning as it once was, a tribute to the indomitable spirit & resourcefulness of man. 'Station Eleven' was a book club pick, I would never have read it of my own volition. I think I'm glad I did?????

Britt-Marie Was Here

I think Fredrik Backman has an ulterior motive in writing his popular fiction books. It seems like (after now completing my second book of his) that he's wielding his pen to make the readers of the world more empathetic citizens. Making us reconsider our outlook (and rethink making quick judgments) about people who are socially awkward, nonconforming and lacking in social graces. In 'Britt-Marie Was Here' we get another such person. She's got quirks out the wazoo. However, in Backmans slow methodical style, he chips away at her sharp edges until he's softened her up and revealed how life shaped her eccentricities. By the time we finish the story, she's spun 360 degrees and endeared herself to the other characters and to us. It's really fantastic his ability to transform our initial opinions of his characters!

Once again, it's the younger generation that forces the change. God love them for getting old people out of their ruts.

A point to note. Soccer is a huge theme in the book. It followed Britt Marie from her marriage to her "job." I don't follow the game or understand the rules but it's easy to see it's the thing that keeps the whole town from folding and facilitates the change in all the characters. If you're a fan, it might make the book better??

I did not love the ending but I confess to not loving ambiguous endings. Of the two Backman books that I've read, 'A Man Called Ove' was hands down my favorite and wrapped in a way that was more satisfying to me. This was not a bad book by any means, it just didn't have the same powerful impact.

The Giver of Stars

I had no awareness AT ALL of the WPA Packhorse Library Program or the fact that women were paid to deliver books in all kinds of inclimate weather & over treacherous terrain during the Depression. Wow. Eye-opening! These were AMAZING women who signed up & stayed committed to such a physical job done on horseback no less. No doubt they helped accomplish exactly what the programs goal was ~ improvement of the literacy rate in remote populations. I can imagine how their visits were welcomed (after the initial distrust and wariness wore off) reading about how isolated life was in the hollers & on the mountainsides of Kentucky. They would be the bright spot of the week.

I loved that each chapter started with a passage from a classic book and that the "book ladies" were avid readers themselves. Maybe their love of literature is what drove them to be so dedicated to their jobs? It would take a special woman to endure the rigors they described going thru.

Loved the story, the characters in it, the evolution and resulting fellowship portrayed between the women and the authors writing style. It's the first book I've read by Jojo Moyes but now I see why she has such a following. I will definitely be open to checking out other books of hers. Great insight into this incredible project. It was quite a formidable & ambitious proposal, made all the more remarkable that it was successfully accomplished.

Magic Hour

Every person in this book was emotionally broken. You'd think it would have been a depressing read then, right?? Except, oddly, it wasn't!!! It was actually quite fascinating & I couldn't put it down. The little wild girl captured my heart from the first mention and every section of the book dealing with her, was my favorite. At the end, I wasn't quite sure she could progress so fast in 9 months to go from cave to the chaos of school, but that was such a tiny detail, I can't perseverate about it.

Kristin Hannah is a wonderful story teller and this book is another testimony to that. If you've enjoyed other works by this author, you would definitely like this one.