The Complete Persepolis

Title: The Complete Persepolis

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Genre: Memoir/Graphic Novel

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's coming-of-age story. Starting in 1979, Marji is 9 and the Islamic Revolution is about to start in Iran. Persepolis follows Marji through the next 15 years of her life, through war and peace, adolescence, her teen years, into young adulthood and marriage (and out of it). We follow her from Iran to Austria and back, in and out of relationships and through it all we watch her struggle to realize who she is despite - or because - of her background, religion, and surroundings.

There were times I wanted to cry for Marji, cheer for her braveness, slap her for her cowardice, and just plain hide from the regime I could sense around every corner, looking for a stray hair from beneath her veil or the wrong color socks beneath her trousers.

Persepolis is amazing. At once simple and complex, it manages in 340 pages of words and pictures to capture what no novel could ever do: the experience of growing up Iranian during one of the most violent and terrifying periods of the 20th century.

Delicious

Title: Delicious
Author: Sherry Thomas
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Verity Durant is a good cook - the best, second only (possibly) to Escoffier - with a secret. Her employer (and former lover) Bertie Somerset recently passed away, leaving her in the employ of his half-brother Stuart. What Stuart doesn't know is that his new cook is the same Cinderella he had a one-night love affair with ten years ago and has yearned for ever since.

Delicious is put forward as a Cinderella story of sorts. It starts out framed as a Cinderella story, and the author as well as the characters themselves reference the famous fairy tale throughout the novel. This not only works, but adds tremendously to the romance building between Stuart and Verity.

I loved the entire thing. Not only was I intrigued by the Victorian setting, I wanted to know if Cinderella got her prince, and what happened to the prince's fiancee. And what of Cinderella's stepmother? The prince's family? Delicious answers all of these questions, all the while drawing you into not only the romance between the characters, but into a new love affair with food - for that is how much of Verity's passion is shown: through her food.

Anyone looking to read a romance novel: I highly recommend this! It's delightful, satisfying, and all-around lovely. I know I gush, but I think, in this case, the work deserves the praise.

Noble Destiny

Title: Noble Destiny
Author: Katie MacAlister
Genre: Regency Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars

Returning widowed to England five years after an infamous elopement, Charlotte Collins finds herself in a quandary: where once she was the darling of the ton, now she is cut by them. Where once she had no shortage of suitors, now she finds herself in desperate need of a husband - and a rich one at that.

Imagine Charlotte's frustration then, when, after trapping Alasdair McGregor, Lord Carlisle, into marriage, she finds that he has no wealth, few connections, and absolutely no desire to bed her without both parties being in love. And to top it all off, Dare's cousin - long thought drowned at sea - shows up (or at least someone claiming to be this cousin), stripping Dare and Charlotte of the one thing Charlotte thought they had left: their titles.

This was a charming book. It doesn't quite live up to the first in the series, Noble Intentions, however: Charlotte is flighty and sometimes hard to keep up with, and makes the most astounding leaps of "logic". Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable story with a satisfying ending.

I look forward to reading the third in this trilogy, The Trouble with Harry. Having read pretty much all of MacAlister's other work, I have no doubts that it will be just as enjoyable as Noble Intentions and Noble Destiny.

Heroes Adrift

Title: Heroes Adrift
Author: Moira J. Moore
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.


Lee and Taro are out to save the world - kind of - again. This time they have been sent by the Empress on a super-sekkrit mission to the southern island (where, incidentally, her law is not recognized and Pairs are neither utilized nor believed in). They must find their way on the island, learning to earn a living for the first time in their lives, as well as learning that their mutual attraction is not necessarily a bad thing.

This was probably my favorite book of the trilogy. FINALLY the UST turns into RST - resolved sexual tension! And, AND, Lee finally got the glory in this one, not Taro! I love the image in my head of Lee as Leavy the Flame Dancer. Guh. Hello, new literary crush!

The only reason this book is getting 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because, as with the other two books, I figured out the "solution" LONG before Lee and Taro did - in this case, nearly 100 pages before them. For 100 pages I was shouting (in my head) "it's her! it's her!" Ah, well. Also, I really wish Lee would get over her self-esteem issues and realize that Taro's been in love with her since about halfway through book 1. I hope Moore writes a 4th book where this happens.

Resenting the Hero

Title: Resenting the Hero
Author: Moira J. Moore
Genre: fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Somewhere out there, there is a planet where the forces of nature are so extreme the natural disasters so frequent and devastating, that human habitation of the realm is made possible only by gifted individuals able to redirect and dissipate the forces threatening human existence. Unfortunately, though, channeling these forces kills a Source - unless he or she is protected by a Shield. Now, in this world, Sources and Shields are almost always bonded pairs, as they work better this way. This bonding is instantaneous, involuntary, and lifelong - regardless of the feelings of the individual Source or Shield.

Lord Shintaro Karish and Dunleavey Mallorough are one such Bonded pair. Source Karish (or Taro, as he likes to be called), has a reputation of being a party boy - so much so that he is nicknamed the Stallion of the Triple S. Lee, his shield, just wanted a quiet, sedate life Shielding a Source who was not likely to get her into scrapes or adventures. Unfortunately, she got Karish. On their first posting, they have been assigned to High Scape, a city so prone to natural disasters it needs six - now seven - Pairs to protect it round-the-clock. Soon they find themselves in the midst of intrigue involving the deaths of five other Pairs, a league of disgruntled Shields, and a madman with a grudge against the system.

I really like this new world I get to explore in this book and its two sequels. I like the tongue-in-cheek attitude of naming the world's places: Erstwhile (the capital city), or High Scape (presumably in the mountains). Lee is wry in her narration of events, though slightly too stoic and practical for my liking - no one could be that detached, surely! Still, she's not detached enough to see pitfalls I could see coming miles away, so that makes up for it.

I enjoyed this book, and am very much looking forward to reading the next two in the series. This new world intrigues me, and I hope that Moore writes further adventures in this land, with these characters. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of fantasy, and those looking for quirky new characters with a sense of humor.

Noble Intentions

Title: Noble Intentions
Author: Katie MacAlister
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Noble Britton (yes, that's his name) has been deeply scarred by his first wife's betrayal, and locks all emotion behind high walls. Gillian Leigh is honest, forthright, and incredibly loving. When these two acknowledge their instant attraction and marry, Gillian, now Lady Wessex, vows to bring down her new husband's emotional barriers, love her new stepson, and have lots of hot sex. Okay, so she doesn't vow the last bit, but it happens anyway.

I loved Katie MacAlister's contemporary romances, but the first time I gave this book a try I had a hard time with it. This time, however, I loved it. I got caught up in the story (a mystery regarding Noble's first wife, Elizabeth, and the circumstances surrounding her death). I laughed out loud throughout the book (which made reading half of it in the library rather difficult). Though the sex scenes aren't as graphic as in her contemporary romances, I understand the difference now - the difference in the attitude of the characters - and I like the book all the better for it.

To anyone who has read any of Katie MacAlister's other novels (either under that name, or under her YA pseudonym Katie Maxwell), I say: you will not be disappointed. Heck, I say that to anyone looking at this book! It's got romance, interesting characters, a (murder) mystery, and plenty of humor.