Review: Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

Book Details:
Summers at Castle Auburn
By Sharon Shinn
Genre: Fantasy
Published 2001, Ace Books
Paperback, 342 pages
ISBN: 044100928x


Synopsis:

          As a child, Coriel Halsing spent many glorious summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister-and fell in love with a handsome prince who could never be hers. But now that she is a young woman, she begins to see the dark side of this magical place...

With all of the series that I constantly fight to keep up with, this was a nice change with an all-in-one plot. The story is told entirely from Coriel Halsing's point of view, so the reader only gets to know things when she learns of them. Sometimes first person P.O.V. is limiting and somewhat claustrophobic, but in this case it simplified the story line and helped me to better get inside the mind of Coriel.
I grew to love Coriel as her story progressed and she matured into a strong, independent young woman. I love that she is not just a pretty face, but possesses both intelligence and wit. In many ways, this book is her coming-of-age story with a fantasy background that could have easily been traded for some other setting without compromising the character of Coriel Halsing.
I also love that Coriel is not the center of royal attention - like her sister, Elisandra - and the "handsome prince" is neither meant for her nor remotely appealing to me, the reader. It was quite entertaining for me to be constantly guessing as to whom Coriel would eventually wind up with. When the man was finally revealed, I was very happy with the results, though I would have enjoyed a bit more wooing on his part.
All of the different characters are well-developed and unique, from the narcissistic handsome prince Bryan, to the always-composed Elisandra, to the many aliora that populate the book. The aliora are quite fascinating, comparable to fairies or elves in description, but still unique to Sharon Shinn's design. In many ways, the aliora act as catalysts for political intrigue within Castle Auburn, as well as Coriel's personal development and maturation.
As an adult fairy-tale, this book can easily appeal to both teens and adults, as the romance is tastefully done and the risque topics, such as slavery, suicide, and illigitimacy, are handled with care and respect. Personally, I loved this book as much as I have loved everything else I have read from Sharon Shinn.

The Cover: The cover is a simplistic scenic design that features the likeness of Coriel. I would have liked some image to represent an aliora, but it is still nice.

First Line: "The summer I was fourteen, my uncle Jaxon took me with him on an expedition to hunt for aliora."
Right away I want to know what the aliora are - a great way to hook the reader!

Favorite Quote: "For the rest of it is glitter and noise," he said. "At the heart of it all is love. You make that choice, and you go forward from there." 

Read For: I Want More Challenge

Review: Holy Guacamole by Dan & Denise Harmer

Book Details:
Holy Guacamole
By Dan & Denise Harmer
Genre: Fiction
Published 2011, Lamp Post Pubs.
Paperback, 281 pages
ISBN: 9781600391835


Synopsis:

          Nestled along San Diego's coast, the former romantic getaway of the silver screen's most notorious lovers is now the sizzling hacienda of Bonnie Miller's culinary boot camp. "If you are what you eat, make it hot, spicy and irresistible," is her motto, and this queen of Southwestern cuisine enjoys quite a savory life; success, fame, and a reputation for the finest palate west of Barcelona. That is, until a pot-rattling bang causes Trace Domingo, a washed-up sports writer, to crash into her life. His arrival turns up the heat at the culinary boot camp as Bonnie discovers in life's recipe book, it is not the spices which add the most flavor, but how truly hungry you are.

This book blended many different styles of fiction literature all into one book. First, the foodie aspects are prominent, and many of the dishes described had me drooling. I would have loved this book if it was nothing more than a romance blended with gourmet cooking. But, then it grows to contain aspects of suspense, drama, mystery, and unpredictability. I really could not guess where the authors were going with each turn of the page, and it kept me riveted right to the end. Impressively, with as much as was involved in the plot, everything seemed to fit together reasonably well and still felt believable.
Bonnie Miller is the gourmet chef of the plot, but carries enough emotional baggage to scare away most people. Trace Domingo is an aspiring chef with an attraction to Bonnie that overrides anything she can throw at him, which leads to his being dragged along on a wild adventure to sort through Bonnie's baggage. Despite Bonnie's often-cold demeanor, I like how her character develops throughout the plot as she works through her issues. Trace is appropriately supportive and understanding, but his character does not change much from beginning to end.
I also found interesting much of the background information that was worked into the story to represent the local areas used in the plot, such as the food and the politics. The details about the orphanages was especially heart-wrenching, and I love what Bonnie does to contribute aid to them.
This book was both enjoyable and surprising, and I am glad that I was given the opportunity to read it.

The Cover: I'm not crazy about the cover or even the title. The book is certainly about more than guacamole, and the religious aspects of the book don't show up for half the plot. The cover also looks like a bad Photoshop job, something I could have whipped up.

First Line: "Egg zombies. Flavorless egg zombies."
I love the way this book opens - like I'm reading the Food Network instead of watching it.

Favorite Quote: "Laugh it up, fuzzballs."

Read For: Off the Shelf Challenge, Foodie Challenge

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher for review purposes.*

End of Pregnancy Slow Down

I am getting to the end of my pregnancy here, and I am noticing that my tiredness (dare I say EXHAUSTION) is taxing me so much that I have almost no drive or desire to write book reviews for my blog, much as I normally love it. Add to that my most recent development of P.U.P.P.P. - a long name for an itchy pregnancy rash that does not disappear until I am no longer preggers - and my world has shrunk down to tending to only the basic daily needs of myself and my family. Reading keeps me sane, but my computer pursuits are limited to mind-numbing games and keeping my inbox clear. I am about four book reviews behind and growing, and the due date is in September, so my posting will be even more sporadic than normal. Hopefully, I will feel more like myself once I have this baby!