Friday, July 20, 2012

Vacations are good for reading!

Mermaid on vacation =)
While I was relaxing in the car, on the beach, in the hotel room, and by the pool...I finished two books that I've been reading in bits and pieces for several months! So exciting because my reading/writing time is very limited and writing usually takes priority over leisure reading, unless the book is spectacular (like Hunger Games trilogy last year) or I'm doing a critique. Priorities!

Here is the first of my two reviews...

THE PERICLES COMMISSION by Gary Corby.

One Word: Enlightening!

This fast paced mystery is set in ancient Greece. Mr. Corby weaves the  fascinating customs and practices from the age of the beginnings of democracy into a thrilling tale of deception and murder! Though some of the names are hard to pronounce, the characters are intelligent, conniving, and well written, leaving you guessing who done it as we follow Nico through one exciting predicament after another. And along the way he receives help from an unlikely source - a woman! The dashes of humor sprinkled throughout also add to the fun of this adventure through historic Athens, including the irony of Nico's annoyingly intelligent little brother, Socrates!

Here is the awesome first line:
A dead man fell from the sky, landing at my feet with a thud.

Totally recommend this unique mystery! And the next book, THE IONIA SANCTION is out now too!


I also finished
THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

One Word: Enchanting!

Another trip back in time, but not quite so far. This fanciful tale takes place at the turn of the 20th century, when men wore hats and women wore gowns and magic was real. The language is romantic, the scenes eloquent, the story a delightful labyrinth. I love books that surprise me and the way Ms. Morgenstern unfolds this tangled tale is like opening a carefully wrapped Christmas present. The descriptions of characters and settings are delectable, with extravagant costumes, sensory stirring scenes, and impeccable metaphors. Caught up in an intricate game, the two contenders enrapture everyone around them with their talents, including the reader. Emotional highs and lows and breathtaking visions. Can't say enough about how warm and fuzzy I felt reading it!

Here is an excerpt to tempt you:
"Secrets have power," Widget begins. "And the power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well..."

I hope you add this to your TBR list. I know I will be looking for more imaginative tales by Ms. Morgenstern!

Now to start the next three books on the TBR list! What are you reading?

17 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The amount of books on my iPad is overwhelming - not sure where to begin!

Kyra Lennon said...

Like Alex, I have so many books to read, it's getting out of hand lol!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I believe THE NIGHT CIRCUS was a NaNo novel (but don't quote me on that.)

I'm reading ONE BREATH AWAY by Heather Gudenkauf and it is definitely taking my breath away with suspense. :)

FirstTimeMom said...

Great reviews Tara. Glad you had a nice relaxing vacation :) I keep getting suckered into reading drivel so I may need to pick up one of those books to check out.

Victoria Lindstrom said...

Thanks for the reviews, Tara. I have been meaning to read The Night Circus, but keep putting it off. It will definitely be my next read!

LD Masterson said...

I just finished Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Very unusual. There wasn't a single likable or even sympathic character but the story was so compelling, it didn't matter.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Those books sound great, and I love the mermaid sand sculpture - it looks like a great story starter. Have to flag this page for future reference - thanks!

Christine Rains said...

Great reviews! I completely agree with you about the Night Circus. And I love that first line from the other book!

Brinda said...

I've wanted to read Night Circus. Is there more than one cover? I thought I remembered it looking different. Anyway, you have enticed me to make sure that I read it.

M Pax said...

Look like some interesting reads. I'm in the middle of several books - Stephen Tremp's, Ninja Alex's, two of Laura Eno's, one by Peggy Bechko [on my Nook], Game of Thrones #4 in paperback ... and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks from the library. I think I will take some time this afternoon to make some progress on these.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Reading is great. I'm finally reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I also read Insurgent last week and LOVED it! Happy reading.

DL Hammons said...

My TBR list could choke a librarian! :)

mshatch said...

I adored The Night Circus.

Anonymous said...

My TBR list is getting quite large again. I've downloaded a number of free ebooks, but will delete some as a few chapters in they just are not very good books.

Tara Tyler said...

alex & kyra & DL - my tbr list/ipad is also getting very full. so many books and not enough time!

madeline - ooo, that's cool!

carla - drivel is fun too =)

victoria - good, it's worth it!

LD - sounds good - i like characters of quality, even if they're bad!

tyrean - thanks! i love sand sculpting!

christine - i think you inspired me to move it up on my tbr list

brinda - yes, more than one cover, the first (that i have) is just the intricate clock, this one has the main characters too

mary - great! i'm looking forward to your reviews!

sheena - just got insurgent, letting my sons read it first. it's huge!

marcy - you also inspired me to get to it sooner!

stephen - i know what you mean...i don't want to rush mine and have that happen!

Peggy Eddleman said...

Sounds good! I'm reading Caller ID by Rachelle Christensen.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Those are intriguing! I just finished two Nora Roberts books. Easy reading for me right now. Can't hurt my brain any more than I already am with my story. :)

I was thinking of you while I sat at the sons football strength and conditioning training which takes place before football practice which takes place before football.

This isn't going to be easy, is it? And I only have the one kid with the one sport! I wish us both luck.
HMG

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