On My Wishlist: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Oh I loved the first book and I must have this one!

Ice Like Fire
by Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes #2
479 p.
Published: 10/13/15
Publisher: Balzer & Bray

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell. 

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves? 

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats? 

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

So what are you wishing for this week? 

Audiobook and Craft Review: Long Black Curl by Alex Bledsoe

Series: Tufa #3
Unabridged
Narrator: Stephan Rudnicki
10 hrs. 39 min.
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 5/26/15
Source: Audiobook Jukebox for review

In all the time the Tufa have existed, only two have ever been exiled: Bo-Kate Wisby and her lover, Jefferson Powell. They were cast out, stripped of their ability to make music, and cursed to never be able to find their way back to Needsville. Their crime? A love that crossed the boundary of the two Tufa tribes, resulting in the deaths of several people. 

Somehow, Bo-Kate has found her way back. She intends to take over both tribes, which means eliminating both Rockhouse Hicks and Mandalay Harris. Bo-Kate has a secret weapon: Byron Harley, a rockabilly singer known as the "Hillbilly Hercules" for his immense size and strength, who has passed the last 60 years trapped in a bubble of faery time. He's ready to take revenge on any Tufa he finds. 

The only one who can stop Bo-Kate is Jefferson. Released from the curse and summoned back to Cloud County, even he isn't sure what will happen when they finally meet. Will he fall in love with her again? Will he join her on her quest to unite the Tufa under her rule? Or will he have to sacrifice himself to save the people who once banished him?

My thoughts:
I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. This is a series that is best read from the beginning because the Tufa are a mystery that needs to be solved through the other two books.

We know the major mystery of the Tufa and so we aren't frustrated with that mystery going into this book. In some ways it is relaxing but in others I sort of missed the curiosity of what was really going on. However, with the Tufa you are not without mystery and this book takes you not just back in the Tufa history, but in music history as well.

I don't want to give too much away to those that have not picked up this series, but I did enjoy trying to figure out exactly what Bo-Kate was up to in this book and how Mandalay (a 12 yr. old girl) will figure out a way to defeat her or be defeated. There were a few interesting twists and several aspects to the book that surprised me.

I also want to say something about Stephen Rudnicki's narration. At first I thought I would have a hard time getting used to his low and gravely voice however, I did seem to find myself enjoying the narration after a couple of chapters. He did seem to be a bit nasal at the beginning (like he had a bit of a cold) but as I got used to his low voice, it also seemed to lose the nasal quality. I also thought I would have problems with the voices of the women and especially a 12 yr. old girl. I didn't. It didn't seem odd to me nor did his voices take me out of the story. It worked.

I give this audio 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed moving to another mystery while finally knowing what or who about the Tufa. This is a series I recommend to those that enjoy some twisty aspects and mysteries to a close knit community where music is life.

Crafts I did while listening to the audio:

I did 2 bags and 1 wallet. I finished another Butterfly Sling by Emmaline Patterns (the one with the butterfly material which I started from the other audio) and I started on some holiday gifts. I made a Snappy Mani Wallet (free pattern) from Noodlehead Designs. I finished a Teardrop Sling by RLR Creations (size small) for a little boy. I will do his sister's sling next and hopefully show it to you in the next audiobook/craft review! :)

Click for bigger pic

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Standalone
400 p.
Publisher: Crown
Published: 6/23/15
Source: Blogging for Books for review

“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.

My thoughts:

This book sounded like a mix of magical realism with books! How could I resist. I had to review this one. :)

The book did have the magical realism aspect. That kind of etherial quality to it that makes unusual things happen. We are to marvel at it and move on as if it should be an expected part of life. In fact, it reminded me of Chocolat where Vianne can tell their favorite chocolate or what sweetness to life was missing from the person visiting her shoppe. It is the same here. Perdu can tell you what book you need in your life by a few questions and intuition. He is an literary apothecary which brings books to those who are in need. However, who helps the helper when it is needed?

The book's adventure really starts when it is Perdu's time to go forth and find something through books and beyond books to find what he has lost. This is a story about forgiveness, loss, redemption, and finding your own HEA. In fact, this story has more than one HEA.

I think my only complaint was that it at times felt a bit uneven in the pacing and that there were spots where I felt it jumped a bit in the story. It may have been just me, but I wonder since I do believe this is a translated version of the book, Das Lavendelzimmer, the original title.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars and recommend it to those that enjoy magical realism and moving on in life.

My Wishlist: The Geomancer by Clay and Susan Griffith

The Geomancer
Vampire Empire #4
by Clay and Susan Griffith
321 p.
Publisher: Pyr
To Be Published: 11/3/15

The uneasy stalemate between vampires and humans is over. Adele and Gareth are bringing order to a free Britain, but bloody murders in London raise the specter that Adele's geomancy is failing and the vampires might return. A new power could tilt the balance back to the vampire clans. A deranged human called the Witchfinder has surfaced on the Continent, serving new vampire lords. This geomancer has found a way to make vampires immune to geomancy and intends to give his masters the ability to kill humans on a massive scale. 

The apocalyptic event in Edinburgh weakened Adele's geomantic abilities. If the Witchfinder can use geomancy against humanity, she may not have the power to stop him. If she can't, there is nowhere beyond his reach and no one he cannot kill.
From a Britain struggling to rebuild to the vampire capital of Paris, from the heart of the Equatorian Empire to a vampire monastery in far-away Tibet, old friends and past enemies return. Unexpected allies and terrible new villains arise. Adele and Gareth fight side-by-side as always, but they can never be the same if they hope to survive.

Oh I'm curious as to where this one will go since I thought the series complete.

Classic Human Anatomy in Motion by Valerie L. Winslow

Art Instruction
 304 p.
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Published: 8/4/15
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

This highly illustrated reference book provides artists and art students with an understanding of human anatomy and different types of motion, inspiring more realistic and energetic figurative art.

Fine-art instruction books do not usually focus on anatomy as it relates to movement, despite its great artistic significance. Written by a long-time expert on drawing and painting human anatomy, Classic Human Anatomy in Motion offers artists everything they need to realistically draw the human figure as it is affected by movement. Written in a friendly style, the book is illustrated with hundreds of life drawing studies (both quick poses and long studies), along with charts and diagrams showing the various anatomical and structural components. This comprehensive manual features five distinct sections, each focusing on a different aspect of the human figure: bones and joint movement, muscle groups, surface form and soft tissue characteristics, structure, and movement. Each chapter builds an artistic understanding of how motion transforms the human figure and can create a sense of expressive vibrancy in one's art.

My thoughts:

This art book actually reminds me more of the anatomy books you get when you study animation. It makes sense that you would study movement in classical poses since you can render a subject off balance and not realize it. This book helps you understand the structure behind the movement and poses your subject gives you. You can then translate a pose in a balanced way or once you gain understanding unbalance a subject in a purposeful way.

This book would also be of help to those that deal with any kind of structural endeavor.  Those that want a greater understanding of movement would get a great overlook on how the muscles and bones process movement. While sometimes it can be a tedious amount of information, but it is useful as a reference guide. It would be a great addition to other figure drawing books. I give this book 3 1/2 stars.