Marti's Mainly Fiction

The Queen's Lover is about Count Axel Von Fersen and his heart's desire Marie Antoinette. The book follows his life from the time he meets Marie until his death. It is told in journal entries, letters, repeated conversations and at times by his best friend, his sister Sophie. The book highlights the affair of these two very public people before and during the French Revolution. The time of the novel really follows the decades of unrest, when people were fighting for more rights for the common people. The horror of the mob and the frenzy of the masses will stay with me for sometime. Count Axel maintained a very public stance for the monarchy, which in the end may have been his undoing. The novel is fiction, that reads like a nonfiction book. There are many sources cited and added within the story. To me, this added more realism to a story that I found at times horrific in regard to human life. I found the book a slower read than I usually like, but I was sufficiently invested in the story to complete the book.

Jodi Picoult has reached a new level with her new book, Lone Wolf. This book dragged me into a story, that I was uncertain about and before I knew it I was firmly engrossed. So much so that I continued to read through the tears, laughter, pain and heartache until the end of the book. Luke Warren, the main character, was a man who lived life within his own boundaries. To some that life excluded his human family. To others he was a man who was able to understand and be one with a pack of wolves. This is not so much a story about life after severe and traumatic brain injury. This is not so much a story about anyone's rights to life and death. It is a story of a family torn apart by a man with all his glories and failings. It is a story about hope, anger, love and grief. Those who know me, know I am a Jodi Picoult fan. While not all her books catch me the same way, they all make me take a part of myself and turn and twist it around - reshape it. For me, they make you face difficult subjects from all sides when there is no right or wrong. This book was more emotionally visceral. Jodi's books sometimes signal the surprise ending and sometimes the endings slam into you taking your breath away. Prepare to reassess decisions made. Were they made with cold calculation of the pack or part of a family with all their foibles? Prepare not to breathe.

Jacob, a fourteen year old boy is accused of murdering another boy in his school. The victim, Ben was the same age, in the same class and according to others a bully who was mean to Jacob. Jacob’s father, Andy Barber was the DA in charge of the office that handled these crimes, until Jacob was charged. Andy, Jacob, and Laurie (mom and wife) were thrown into the maelstrom of these horrific crime and court case. There were many twists and turns and many paths that suddenly changed. In the midst was the angst of a family having to deal with all the fallout and questions. Are parents responsible for a child’s crime? Is there a genetic component that makes one more likely to commit a crime? What are the parent’s responsibilities? Moral individual decisions that touch at the heart of family reverberate through out the pages. The mystery deepens and pulls you down the twisted path the author lays out and then wham…. Defending Jacob is a well put together mystery book that really leads the reader. A fabulous read for any fans of great twisted mysteries with human drama like Jodi Piccoult, Chris Bohjalian, and others.

Never mind warning people not to go into the cellar when they hear a noise.
Never mind warning people to ignore the weird noises in the attic.
Do not answer the knock at the door late at night.
Let the branches scratch on the windows - or animals howl at the moon.
Do not go into the cemeteries at night.  Wear garlic or a silver cross.

Before I Go To Sleep is debut book by S. J. Watson. It is a
well-written, emotional thriller that leaves you on the edge of a
seat, holding your breath and jumping at odd noises. It is addictive
and paced so well that you are lulled into a false sense of security.
The premise is so simple - every day you wake up and you have no
memory of anything from the past.  Nothing, nada, zilch…  Everyday you
get a phone call telling you what to do….  And you know something is
wrong… but what?

Four out of five stars. FASCINATING... absolutely fascinating. Early Renaissance time in Italy. The time of the Catholic Church being run by men who garnered political favors with huge monetary gifts. A time when the priests did not hide their mistresses or children. A time of huge discrepancies between the rich and the poor. A time when the ghettos are full of Jews who have been chased out of Spain and the Inquisition. A time when the head of the Borgia family is in the quest to become the Pope. Mixed up with all this is a poisoner. A person hired by a "house" to protect the family from being poisoned. Oh and sometimes they poison ....FASCINATING