After Sundown...

"And so it began, not with thunderous noise, or drama, or a cataclysmic collapse, but with silence."

Ex-military, Ben Jernigan likes living alone atop Cove Mountain. With a security system, solar panels, and a large supply of food, he doesn't need anyone, and he's prepared for just about anything. Including a catastrophic solar storm that knocks out the power not just across the United States, but across the world. What he's not prepared for is his feelings for Sela Gordon, the shy convenience store owner he can't help warning about the impending CME. As Sela struggles to get her aunt, niece, and their neighbors to pull together to survive this unexpected natural disaster, Ben can't help but get involved. Because for him, Sela is worth the fight.

I've always been drawn to books about ordinary people who are forced to survive extraordinary events--seeing how prepared they are, how they react, what choices they make. It always makes me stop and think what I would do in a similar situation. (It also always makes me want to run to the grocery store and stock up on the essentials, like chocolate.)

After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda Jones is the story of what happens in a small Tennessee community after several large solar flares knock out the power, not just for a day, but for over a year. Sela gets thrown into a position of leadership she really doesn't want, and Ben reluctantly gets drawn down from his mountain retreat to help her and the others out. I liked them both. Their quiet yet intense romance threads its way through all the survival action and suspense. It's not a combination that will work for everyone, but I thought it was entertaining and fun. Overall, I really liked this one.

Happy Reading!

Random thoughts...

Poignant moment on the first day of school:  When a 5th grade teacher was directing his students to their assigned seats in the cafeteria and realized as they started eating lunch that it was the first time he'd seen any of their faces. (Masks are required in all public schools here in Utah.)

Funny moment on the second day of school:  When a cute 5th grader tried to take a bite of her sandwich only to realize she was still wearing her mask. It made all the kids around her laugh.

Scary moment of the week:  Waiting to hear whether a close co-worker's COVID test was positive or negative. (Happily, it was negative!)

Happy moment of the week:  Discovering Julian Fellowes' adaptation of Anthony Trollope's book, Dr. Thorne. I still haven't read any of Trollope's novels, but I'm loving this mini series: the characters, the costumes, the drama...it's delightful.

Enjoy your Thursday!

In Honor of Mother Teresa's 110th Birthday...

And because a post is never complete without at least one book in it...

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews....

The Darkest Thread by Jen Blood

Jamie, her son, and their dogs

search for two missing sisters

in haunted Vermont woods.

Mystery .... 325 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(I'm hoping her next one is even better.)

Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons

Three friends must fight

to survive when real zombies

invade ZombieCom!

YA Action/Adventure .... 425 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.
(Fun, but a little angsty at the start.)

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

Was her father right?

Do aliens exist? Liv's

about to find out.

YA Science Fiction .... 291 pages .... 2.5/5 stars.

(Took a weird turn halfway through and the ending was really sad.)

The Vampire's Fake Fiancee by Kristen Painter

Sebastian and Tessa

are only pretending to be in love...

until they're not.

Supernatural Romance .... 347 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Another cute one that totally made me smile.)

Happy Reading!

Rereading Jane Austen in August...

I don't care what anyone else says, I like Fanny Price! She may not be as outspoken, confident or lively as Elizabeth Bennett or Emma Woodhouse are, but then she doesn't enjoy the same privilege of position that they do either. She's the poor relation who's treated more like a servant than a member of the family. In a lot of ways, Fanny Price is Jane Austen's version of Cinderella. She's quiet, long-suffering, generous, and kind, but most of all, she has a good heart. (Plus, she loves books--having "been a collector from the first hour of her commanding a shilling.") And that's why I like her. She's good. (A quality highly under-rated these days.)

What I noticed most as I read Mansfield Park this time around is that the book is really a study in contrasts between Mary Crawford and Fanny Price. They are such opposites. Mary is outgoing and makes conversation easily; Fanny is quiet and shy. Mary needs to be constantly active and amused; Fanny finds contentment in solitude--enjoying her books and her own thoughts. Mary is careless and never chastises her brother, Henry, for his outrageous flirtations; Fanny sees and silently condemns his dishonorable behavior. When Mary has the chance to marry for love, she refuses because Edmund's position in society isn't prominent or important enough for her. Fanny, on the other hand, has the chance to marry a man of wealth and position, but refuses because he's not a man she can love.

So who's more likeable? For me, Fanny wins hands down. And I'm glad that, like Cinderella, she gets her happily ever after in the end. Because she deserves it. So, here's to Fanny! 

Happy Reading!

P.S. And while they've yet to make a really good movie version of this particular Austen novel, this 2007 Masterpiece one wasn't too bad. 

August's bookish art....

August Macke -- Elizabeth Reading

"Starting a book is like boarding a train to go on holiday."

--Antonio Iturbe

A little bookish escapism....

"There's a lot you don't know about Prince Charming...Some of you may not even realize that there's more than one Prince Charming. And that none of them are actually named Charming. No one is. Charming isn't a name; it's an adjective...(And) if there was anything that Liam, Duncan, Gustav, and Frederic all had in common, it was that none of them were very happy about being a Prince Charming. Their mutual hatred of that name was a big part of what brought them together. Not that teaming up was necessarily the best idea for these guys."

Whatever you do, don't dismiss this book simply because it's shelved in children's fiction. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healey has a lot to offer to readers of all ages. First and foremost, it's funny. (Laugh out loud funny in some places.) I loved getting the princes' perspectives on Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, especially Prince Liam's. (He's the prince from the Sleeping Beauty story and by far the handsomest and most heroic of all the princes. Unfortunately for him, in this book Briar Rose is much more Briar than Rose--you would have called off the wedding, too.) These four princes are tired of getting short-changed in all the stories. After all, they're the heroes! Each one is uniquely flawed (and not always that heroic), but all of them made me laugh, especially Duncan, Snow White's talkative, eccentric and excitable prince. In fact, the only prince I didn't like quite as much as the others was hardheaded and impulsive Gustav, who charges into every situation without thinking, but even he had his humorous moments. Frederic is the quietest of all the princes and the least like a hero. (Most of the time he just wants to go home.) Their adventures are more like misadventures, and at times it's questionable whether or not they can save themselves let alone save a kingdom. Then there are the princesses. Ella is by far the best; she's adventurous and brave and the kind of girl who doesn't need a prince to rescue her...she'll rescue herself, thank you very much. I also liked Prince Liam's younger sister, Lila; she's daring and smart just like her brother. There are also trolls, dwarfs, a giant, a dragon, and an evil witch. Healy takes these classic fairy tale characters and makes them fresh, surprising, and fun. I loved everything about this book. (And so will you.)

Happy Reading!