The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (and The LYDIA Bennet)

I love Pride and Prejudice, and after watching the BBC miniseries with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, I was even more in love with the story.  I really thought Colin Firth brought Darcy to life, and who could ever forget that wonderful, diving into the pond mostly clothed to hide from the pain scene.  Devine.

I have found competition for the BBC miniseries called the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. A modernization of Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie is a grad student in media and communications, and is doing a vlog for a school project. What follows in the vlog is amazing.

The whole story is told through the vlog and nothing is missed.  It is beautifully done, and the heartache and love and beauty is all there in 100 3-5 minute episodes.

Yes, there are some changes from the book.  Kitty is now a cat.  Mary is now a cousin.  Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are no where to be seen.  Mrs. Gardner is now Lizzies grad adviser.  I agree with these changes - in a modern story where having to marry off 5 daughters and attempting to produce a son isn't an imperative.  And so Kitty and Mary were not needed.  The characters that were the focus of the sisters were always Lizzie, Jane and Lydia.  Mr. and Mrs. Hurst never added much except to show how easy Mr. Bingley was to take advantage of.  And the Gardners were characters introduced to give Elizabeth the reason to end up at Pemberly.   This adaptation finds new ways to do it, and does it well.


The acting is really good.  And surprisingly poignant especially with Lydia.  In the book, you never really get to learn more about Lydia than that she is selfish and vain.  And yes, she is portrayed here as selfish and vain, but oh so much more.  Beautifully done.  Mary (through The Lydia Bennet vlogs) is given more duty and depth as well despite being minor character.  Wickham remains a unredeemable jerk, Darcy the socially awkward wonderful man he is, and Bing Lee (Bingley) the sweet, and lovable counter part to Jane.

All in all, the best adaptation of Pride and Prejudice since the BBC Miniseries.  Move over Colin Firth, Daniel Gordh is definitely a winner as Darcy.

Emerald Isle (A Stacy Justice Mystery) - Barbara Annino

I am a fan of free books, and although this book was not free, the first in the series was, and I was hooked.  The Kindle edition of this book was still nicely priced at $4.99.  Add to that that I like a good mystery and throw in witches to boot, and I am a happy camper.

This is the fourth book in the Stacy Justice Mystery series.  And although it was much shorter than I would  have liked, it was still a lot of fun. 

Stacy is a reluctant witch - she suffered several tragedies as a teenager - the loss of her father and then her mother, which left her bitter and a bit estranged from her family.  Throughout the series, there is a tug of war between Stacy and her Grandmother, a powerful witch.  Stacy seems to have a lot of resentment towards her Grandmother and also is rather condescending towards her and her witchcraft. 

Although Stacy knows that magic is real, and she does practice it when necessary, she doesn't quite believe in it.  She looks at her Grandmother and two great Aunts as a bit wacky.  Her Grandmother, she has some disdain for, and her Aunts she accepts like one would those slightly off kilter relatives, who are fun, but need to keep a bit of an eye on in case they do something too crazy like strip off their clothes in public (okay, Aunt Lolly maybe, but that is besides the point!). 

In this book, we see Stacy actually accept magic as a powerful force to be reckoned with.  It takes a goddess or two to get her there, but she does.  Some lose ends were tied up in this book, and Stacy also garners a real appreciation and respect for her Grandmother. 

All in all a fun, rollicking ride.  My only complaint, is the book was very short.  I would have liked to see it fleshed out a bit more. 

I'm not going to review all the books in the series, but I am including a link to all the books below.  The Kindle editions of the first three books in the series are $3.99 each. 

Heir of Novron (Riyria Revelations) - Michael J. Sullivan

Hadrian and Royce return.  Have I mention that I really like these characters? 

This is the final installment in the Riyria Revelations.  It opens with Arista in prison, and soon to be executed as a Witch.  Modina (Thrace) becoming more aware and Amelia falling in love and becoming more comfortable with who she is.  What more can one ask?  Oh, yes, a climax to the wonderful adventure we taken on in the first two books. 

This book does not fail to satisfy.  We at long last discover the true heir to Novron in this book, and without giving anything away, it was one I suspected early on but discarded.  The evil ones are routed, new evil is discovered and peace is achieved. 

There are some losses of major characters, but even those are given a happy ending.  Modina (Thrace), Amelia, Arista, and Hadrian find happy endings, and Nimbus finds a bit of what he is searching for in the end as well. 

Most of this book is the mad search for the Horn of Gylindora, which will save mankind from extinction.  Unfortunately, the horn was lost with the capital city of the Old Empire, and nobody knows where that may be.  And time is short because the elves are invading and annihilating all humans in their path.  The last bastion of human kind is Aquesta, where Modina is damned and determined to save her people.

Everyone discovers a lot about themselves in this book and what they believed to be true is set on its head.

I really enjoyed this book.  There are some things that are hinted at, but never fully disclosed in this book, which frustrated me a bit, but other than that, well written, a pleasure to read and a delightful adventure.  All in all, a good ending to a very good series.  I look forward to reading more from Michael J. Sullivan. 

The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Another book club selections, but this is a book that I have wanted to read before it became a book club selection, but just didn't seem to have the time to do it.  Another thing I love about book clubs, it forces me to pick a book that I may be putting off for others. 

This is the story of Victoria Jones, a child who grew up in the foster care system.  She bounced from home to home until at long last she finds a place that is her home, but that doesn't last either and she ends up back in the foster care system, this time in group homes until she ages out when she turns 18. 

The book weaves between Victoria's current life and the year she lived with Elizabeth, which was an idyllic year for Victoria in many ways.  With Elizabeth, She found someone she connected to, and who wanted her, a first in her short life of 9 year. Part of the mystery of this book is what happened and how did Victoria end up back in the foster care system. 

Victoria can be described as angry and distrustful.  With her life, it is understandable, she never had anyone to trust, but Elizabeth.  Her adolescence was spent in group homes with other angry, distrustful young girls that society failed.  It is a wonder that so many people were willing to bend over backwards for this young woman. 

Victoria's current life, she begins as a homeless girl, who builds her flower collection in a local park in San Francisco, where she lives.  She eats people's left overs slipping into vacant seats at restaurants and deli's after the customer's leave.  In her wanderings, she runs across a florist, and asks for work.  She eventually gets the work. 

Renata is the florist who takes Victoria under her wing when she recognizes Victoria's genius with flowers. Renata finds a place for Victoria to live and teaches Victoria about running a floral shop.  Renata is really, in the long run, Victoria's savior, who asks nothing in return from Victoria.

What I saw in this book is people who bent over backwards to help Victoria (after she turned 18), and she was cranky, unreliable and taciturn. The book glosses over quite a few things that I had questions about.  I don't really think through this whole book, Victoria grows in the least.  She seems  angry and taciturn until the very end, even though there is resolution and the requisite happy ending. 

Despite these issues, I did really enjoy the book, and it kept me turning the pages.  Well written with some problems, in my opinion, but still enjoyable. 

Turn Of Mind - Alice LaPlante

This book was a recommendation of one of my reading clubs.  It is a book I had never heard of, and probably would not have picked on my own.  This is one of the reasons I love reading groups - I am forced out of my comfort zone and often am pushed to read books I would otherwise never pick up. 

I am glad I did pick up this one.  It was a wonderful read and I did read it in one sitting.  It just captivated me.  A murder mystery told from the perspective of a woman suffering from advanced Alzheimer disease. 

The book opens with the main character, Jennifer White, a one time brilliant orthopedic surgeon in a room she doesn't recognize.  This is a brilliant tool for the writer to get in a lot of detail without the reader feeling overwhelmed with it.  Jennifer describes the room, and draws us the picture of a police station. 

Jennifer sees the world in pockets of lucidity that she understands, but more so in pockets of loss, not knowing where she is or what decade she is in.  Remembering that she has a best friend, but that friend is now dead. Remembering that she is married, but not that her husband is also deceased.  Not remembering her children. 

What I find fascinating, as a mother, is her descriptions of her adult children when she doesn't remember that she has children, and her descriptions of those same children when she remembers that they are hers. I found it fascinating how our love can blind us to the obvious flaws, but our bias towards strangers can blind us just as much and make us miss the good. 

Jennifer's story is slowly unraveled throughout the book along with the investigation of who murdered her best friend.  It is a story of loss of not only of one's loved ones, but of one's self.  Of not understanding, and the rage that can be bring which in turn to brings out violence and screaming fits from one who was always so controlled and rationale, to the point of be described as being cold. 

I found this book to be very well written, and a pleasure to read - I could not put it down.  I was anxious to see that next flash in Jennifer's life and where she would go, as she rapidly descends further and further into dementia until she doesn't even know who she is any longer. 

Rise of Empire - Michael J. Sullivan

This is the second book in the Riyria Revelations.  And it was an enjoyable as the first.  The bad guys are a little more obvious, but there are still some surprises.

We meet back up with Royce, Hadrian, Arista and Thrace (now Modina) from the first novel. 

In the previous installment, we learned that there had once been an Empire that ruled over all the lands, and there was great peace and prosperity.  But a thousand years before, the Emperor was murdered by his trusted advisors, and his son was sent into hiding, accompanied by a Teshlor Knight as his guardian. There has been a search for the Heir ever since.

I really enjoyed the mystery here; everytime I was sure I knew who the Heir was, I found I was wrong.  Although I think it was obvious from the beginning of a Theft of Swords, who the guardian was. 

Thrace after killing the Gilarabrywn, a creature of pure magic that is created as a tool for war, and can only be dispelled with the one sword made at its creation inscribed with its name, is now Empress, but she is practically cationic.  Saladur, from the previous novel, has set Thrace up as the living descendent of Novron, and thereby the one true heir to the Empire. Along with Ethelred, Saladur has taken up the reins to run the new Empire with Thrace is but their puppet. 

We are introduced to some new characters:  One is Amelia, a scullery maid raised to a lady, to help Modina learn to be Empress.  Sir Breckton, a champion of the Empire, who is incredibly loyal and honorable to a fault, and Nimbus, a courtier who comes to Amelia's aid to assist Modina in learning to be an Empress. 

Royce and Hadrian are once again brought in to aide Melengar with their struggle against the Empire.  Arista also plays a larger part in this novel, and comes to accept her powers more and where she is going. 

Arista proves herself a capable and competent administrator, but she is meant for something else.  I like strong women in books, and Arista is strong, but with some of the foibles strong women have, which is self doubt in their attractiveness.  I like her - she is great, but not perfect. 

This book covers growth of the characters and the beginning of realizing who they are and who they can be.  Lot of great action in this book also, and it ends on a cliff hanger. 

My only slight criticism about this book:  I would have liked to know a lot more about Gwen.  The prostitute with a heart of gold, and Royce's love.  

A wonderful addition to the series. 

Theft of Swords - Michael J. Sullivan

I didn't read this book as much as listened to it over a 4 day drive from Charleston, West Virginia to Carson City, Nevada.   It made the incredibly long drive actually enjoyable. 

I picked up this book because it looked interesting and I needed listening material for my long drive and at 22 hours, it would cover a good portion of my 36 hour drive. 

The book starts out with the characters of Royce, a very good thief, and Hadrian, an excellent swords man, two renown thieves who make up the Organization Riyria.  They are contracted for an enormous amount of money to steal a renown sword from the castle of the king of Melengar.  Hadrian, who has a heart of gold and really desires to help people accepts the job, not just because of the ridiculous amount of money offered but because he believed unless the sword was taken, a man would die. 

A word on Royce's and Hadrian's relationship:  These two men are close, very close.  They disagree a lot and they bicker frequently, but Michael J. Sullivan really built their relationship well, and despite the bickering and back biting, the characters obviously care about one another deeply. 

Royce is described as 'scary' throughout this book and the subsequent sequels, and a bit of delving into Royce's past, shows he is scary, but he is also smart and an excellent tactician.  Hadrian could have easily been played as the big, dumb lovable guy to foil Royce, but although Hadrian is the lovable guy, always willing to crack a joke and is very friendly, he is much more complex than initially meets the eye.  Needless to say, I really liked both of these characters.  They have depth, and I enjoyed reading about them.

After attempting the job, the two find that they have been set-up.  Surprised?  Not I, but there wouldn't have been much of a story had they just easily gained the sword, now would there?  The two end up accused of the murder of the King, and end up in the dungeon.  The son of the king, pronounces death upon them come the dawn.  The sister of the King, Arista, sets them free and commissions them to kidnap her brother for his own safety as she believes there is a plot to eliminate their family, the Essendon's.

And so they do.  And a delightful romp begins. Where the two travel to an hidden prison, rescue a eidetic monk, set free a renown evil wizard, and win the trust of the prince along the way.  And save the Kingdom of Melengar....at least for now. 

I was impressed that throughout the book, it had me second guessing who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.  It was well done, and I enjoyed that depth, which unfortunately, you don't always get in a Sword and Sorcery novel.

This book was so enjoyable that even though I had a second book lined up for the drive, I ended up buying the second book in the series, Rise of the Empire, to listen to during the remainder of the trip.

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

I received this book from a friend at a New Years book exchange party we had.  I think I had seen it briefly here and there, but had so much on my reading list that I never got around to picking it up. 

I really enjoyed this book.  It pulled me in immediately.  I kind of like the fact that the author treats the reader like they are part of the universe and instead of using blatant exposition to explain her world, she lets the reader learn as they go.  It was almost as fun when I finally understood the role of the saints played in this world.  I really like when a book doesn't beat one over the head explanations. 

The basic story is a girl who is half dragon and half human.  She doesn't fit in either world, and her heritage is a secret because it is illegal in both the dragon world and the human world.  She sees herself as a monster, and is uncomfortable in her own skin.  It doesn't help that the one person who really loves Seraphina for the person she is, can't show her because he, Orma, is a dragon and the dragons are breathing down his neck about showing excessive emotions.  It is a fascinating struggle, but the love is obvious in the care that he shows Seraphina and the lengths he goes to hide that love just so the dragons won't excise his memories of her and her mother. 

Seraphina struggles to find her place in the world, amidst an uneasy treaty between dragons and humans, and deep horrible prejudice on both sides.  She learns and grows and something I like to see, other character's grow as well.  To many books fall into the trap of having their character's remain stagnant, which makes them just unfleshed out shells of the people the author really wants them to be.  Seraphina and the other cast members are nicely fleshed out, and I look forward to seeing them fleshed out in the coming sequel. 

Replay - Ken Grimwood

That said, this book disappointed me in the end.  It seemed like there was no resolution. As if he learned nothing from his repeated journeys and re-workings of the past.  Also, the main character in this book came off as rather selfish. 

He used people and events to his advantage, but seems to give little in return.  He brushed off his family, which to me, who has lost my mother at an early age is a travesty.  If I were to go back 25 years, I would be 19 years old, and have another year with my mother.  I would treasure that year, and my mother more than I did my first go around. 

Also, there is the implication that major events, such as the Kennedy assassination, can not be changed, but in the book over his several replays of his life, he has made major changes to the world by effecting events, so that was confusing and contradictory. 

But I have to say, despite these flaws, I did enjoy the journey, and it made me think. 

The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

This is amongst my favorite books of all time.  I rank it up there with Anne McCaffery's The Dragon Riders of Pern and Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice.  Something about this book draws me. 

Harry is a girl who has often felt alone and out of place in the world, and even more so after the death of her father and her move to the dry, dusty and reddish Darian desert far from the wet and green world she is familiar with.  She feels out of place not because of the Desert which calls to her, but because of who she is.  She feels awkward in her own skin.  No great beauty, taller than fashion permits, and just different from her surroundings.  I think many a teen girl, and I was such a teen girl when I first read this book, can identify with this feeling. 

But more than that I can identify with Harry, I like Harry.  She is different, and although she tries to bridle her difference and be content with her lot, she doesn't surrender to it.  And when she is taken from all that is familiar - kind people who love and care about her, and forced into a foreign world, she doesn't curl up and become useless, she strives to grow and learns to understand her difference.

When duty calls to her, she is not afraid to abandon the person she loves to do what she must.  She is strong and brave, and it shows deeply when she returns to the man she abandoned afr
aid of his rejection, but returning all the same to face the music, so to speak. 

I love this book.  I like the world it is set in.  I like the magic that inhabits this world, and most of all, I like the characters who are flawed, but willing to learn and grow. 

Still after all these years, a favorite of mine.  I have read this book at least a two dozen times over the last 30 years, and like an old, well loved friend, it is there to greet me each and every time, I open its cover.