Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies, Book One): Isaac Marion

"R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie.  He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains.  He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing.  He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

"After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend.  Julie is a blast of color in the dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R.  His decision to protect her will transform not only R but also his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

"Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between."

Okay.  I devoured this book (pun intended because, yes, I am just that corny).  It's not terribly long - I read the hardcover version which comes in at a little under 250 pages - but that is beside the point.  I simply could not put this book down.  I am thrilled with Marion's writing style, incredible storytelling, and knack for creating characters who, even though not all of them were living and breathing, really felt very...well...alive!

I convinced my now-husband to watch the movie version of Warm Bodies after it came out a few years ago.  Simply put:  I loved it.  I thought it was funny, well-done, great casting, and just enough zombie gore to keep my then-boyfriend interested (especially because he's such a fan of "The Walking Dead").  Now I am certainly not a person who normally cares for apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic movies, shows, and/or books.  I refuse to watch "The Walking Dead," "2012," "The Day After Tomorrow," and anything else that has to do with the end of the world as we know it - probably all stemming from my recurring childhood nightmares of all the terrible ways the world was going to end.  I was sold on Warm Bodies as soon as I saw the trailer because it genuinely looked like it had a great sense of humor.

I have to rewatch the movie since it's been a few years since I've seen it, but - if my memory serves me right - there is definitely more to the book than they were able to capture in the movie (doesn't that always happen, though?).  I feel like the portrayal of R in the book was highly existential, yet he retained the same humor I remember from the movie.  I am thoroughly impressed with how deep this book goes.  I had an inkling when it began with references to "Gilgamesh," but I am extremely thrilled with how much this book made me think and ponder my own existence.  It was lighthearted enough to be an enjoyable read, gory enough to be scary and exciting, eloquent enough to reach the level of reading to which I am accustomed, and fresh enough to be a very interesting read.  Marion is a brilliant author and I am so happy to have stumbled upon this book!  To be honest, I didn't even know that the movie had been based off of Marion's book!  I was at my local library on my way home from work on Valentine's Day and was walking past an end-cap with a sign that read, "If you love 'Walking Dead,' you should try these!" and Warm Bodies was on prominent display.  I think I even did a happy little jump when I saw it because it reminded me of how much I enjoyed the movie.

For those of you who have already seen the movie, this won't be a spoiler.  It miiiight be a little bit of a spoiler for you if you haven't.  I think the whole "zombie Romeo and Juliet" aspect of the story was played up a heck of a lot more in the film than it actually was in the book.  In fact, other than the balcony scene, I don't think I would have necessarily noticed it had I not known to look for it because of the movie.  (I am a little bit sad that the movie did away with R's button-down and tie; I liked the thought of him being a dapper zombie.)

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved the film adaptation.  The book is a little bit heavier on the existentialism and pondering of one's purpose than the film, but I hope that doesn't turn anyone off; it really is honestly worth the read.  If you have a queasy stomach or you're grossed out really easily, then this might not be the book for you.  R is a very descriptive narrator and Marion is an excellent writer...I could practically smell the rotting corpses...

Now I can't wait to go and watch the movie again!

*Aaaaand...my night is made.  Just saw that Marion has written a couple of other books that go along with this story.  I'm curious to see if they have the same depth and sense of humor that Warm Bodies did.

Goddess of the Hunt (Toby and Isabel Trilogy, Book One): Tessa Dare

“Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband.  But first she needs some target practice.  So she turns to her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man.  But her practice kisses speak a smoldering passion – one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

 

“Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past full of long-buried secrets.  He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming, he must give his passions free reign.  Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control.  When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin?  Or will he risk his heart and claim her for his own?”

 

I’ve said it before and I am sure I will say it many times in the future:  I love Tessa Dare.  She is easily one of my favorite authors.  It is rare that I encounter an author who is so fun, so readable, and so creative as Dare is.  I enjoy each and every single one of her books that I pick up, and I have a very, very hard time putting them back down.  This is one of Dare’s earliest books and, while I can tell (because I’ve read so many of her books now), it doesn’t make the book any less enjoyable.  Her style has shifted a bit over the years and her characters have become more well-rounded, but the common thread of fun, exciting, creative plots remains.

 

I am thrilled this book is a series because I have really enjoyed a lot of the characters; however, I’m a bit baffled by the fact that I’ve found a couple sources that call the series “Toby and Isabel Trilogy.”  I have no idea who Isabel is after finishing this book, but I’m sure she will come into play eventually.  I have some suspicions, but I don’t want to divulge them just yet.  I also feel like there could even have been a prequel!  Henry, Lucy’s older brother, and his wife, Marianne, seem to be very much in love.  In fact, Jeremy even says his friends’ marriage is a love-match.  They seem rather happily married because Marianne keeps popping out little ones.  I want to know more about them and their story!  Even though Henry rubs me the wrong way as a brother and guardian, I am interested in his character as a man – especially because he steps up in the latter half of the book.  I hope Dare might consider writing a prequel for Henry and Marianne, even though Marianne fell a little bit flat in this book (of course, she didn’t exactly play a major role).

 

As with a few of her other books, I think Dare developed one of her lead characters a little bit more than the other.  In the case of this book, I think Lucy was more developed than Jeremy.  Jeremy had a much better backstory, but his present-self (does that make sense?) was a bit flatter than Lucy’s.  She was all energy, life, and fire.  Jeremy – while I understand Dare was trying to make him into a cold, stoic, monolith of a man, I felt as if I didn’t see nearly as much from his point of view; nor did I quite feel satisfied with the shift into his realization that he did, indeed, love Lucy.

 

Lucy’s pursuit of Toby was amusing.  Her shenanigans – while a little bit over the top – were funny.  (I still find myself asking where in the heck she got the book from which she learned her “seduction” techniques.)  I got a good sense of who Lucy was and Dare gave us information on her upbringing, but I don’t feel as if her backstory was quite as developed as Jeremy’s (as previously stated).  Everyone told me how they thought she felt about missing seasons in Town and not having her “coming out,” but I don’t recall ever really knowing how Lucy felt about it.  Knowing what I do of her character, I think she may well have been fine with it, happy to remain free in the country.

 

Jeremy’s character was developed rather differently.  I don’t think I got a decent sense of what he actually looked like until very late in the book (much later than normal), which felt a bit strange.  I don’t recall even learning his eye color until quite a few chapters in the book.  This was a little bit strange for a book in this genre, which relies so heavily upon its readers’ imaginations and ability to (for lack of a better phrase) “be attracted to” its male leads.  Thinking back on it, I don’t think I got a good description of any of the male characters in this book!  How odd.  I think this may have just been an oversight because it is one of Dare’s earliest published works.  She’s gotten much better about this.  It is because of this that Jeremy remained rather ambiguous in my imagination for quite some time and it felt a bit odd.  I did enjoy his backstory very much.  Dare has a knack for developing male leads who have some powerful, unique backstories; this is something I always find impressive and one of my favorite aspects of her work.  Jeremy (by the way, I adore his nicknames “Jem” and “Jemmy” enough where I have a newfound love for the name and would consider it for one of my as-yet-non-existent-future-children) was a decent character.  I was frustrated with the poor communication he and Lucy shared, but I suppose that means that I genuinely cared about them and I was invested in them – always a good sign.  Bits and pieces of the story were a bit over the top, but I didn’t mind this overmuch.

 

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Dare’s books; therefore, of course I am going to recommend this one.  I would not go so far as to say that this book was my favorite of hers, but I will say it’s up there on my list.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this trilogy (and I’ll keep not-so-secretly hoping for a prequel for Henry).  It is a fun, easy read and Dare is by far one of the best romance authors I’ve ever read.

Me Before You (Me Before You, Book One): Jojo Moyes *UPDATED*

“Lou Clark knows a lot of things.  She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home.  She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

“What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

“Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live.  He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

“What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour.  And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.”

I finished this book a week or so ago after devouring it in a matter of a few days.  I will admit that I was one of those people who only became aware of the book after the film version came out in theaters, when was it, about a year ago now?  Anyway, I have yet to see the movie (though I have a friend who says she loved it).  I love the casting and I may just have to see it now that I’ve finished the book.

I went into reading this book with certain expectations based upon my experiences with the movie previews.  I expected a sad love story.  I was not quite expecting the sense of joy and the way in which the book made me really take a look at my life and wonder if I really am living up to my full potential – would I regret not having done something or seen something, had a certain experience or just stopped being so worried about what others thought?  The answer is yes.  I would certainly have a lot of regrets if my life ended tomorrow (or, at the least, I was rendered incapable of trying those things that I had been putting off or always found excuses not to try).  This made me all the more determined to try new things; and the book was also a strong reminder to appreciate what I can do, have done, and look at each and every day as a gift.  I believe this will stay with me long after I’ve returned this book to the library.

Moyes designed very dynamic, interesting characters that made the story both enthralling and believable.  I felt sympathy for Will without feeling pity (something I can imagine was very difficult to do; Moyes obviously didn’t want her readers to pity him – Will wouldn’t have wanted them to pity him), and I thought Lou was endearing and quirky.  Their interactions were highly entertaining.  They had a very well-done blend of witty banter, lightheartedness, and seriousness – just enough where I feel like Will was an extremely realistic character.

I almost dreaded reading this book because I had a very strong feeling I was going to turn into a blubbering pile of hot mess – I don’t think this is really a spoiler because it seemed like a tragic love story from what little I gleaned from the trailers and movie reviews; this should be pretty general info for most people interested in reading this book.  I have to say that I was WRONG.  I kept waiting for the tears to come…I almost WANTED them to come (who doesn’t love a good, cathartic cry induced by a great book?), but it didn’t happen.  I wonder if it’s because I’d worked myself up to the expectation of crying well before I even read the first page.  Don’t take this as a negative indication of the moving nature of the story; I still enjoyed it tremendously.  Of course, I have a feeling I’m going to bawl like a baby when I see the movie (because now I just have to) – I could be wrong again, but I don’t think I am.

Anyhow, I loved the characters, the settings, the writing style, and the story.  The plot was interesting and the writing style was highly readable.  I sped through this book and enjoyed every minute of it.  It was filled with highs and lows with good pacing in between so I remained interested.  I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to anyone looking for an honest, moving love story.  Stay away if you’re looking for a romance novel (because there is, indeed, a big difference between a love story and a romance novel), but someone looking for some well-written modern Brit Lit should really enjoy this book.  I’m impressed with Moyes’ craftsmanship.  There are snippets of warm, sunny joy which provide relief from the potential “downer” of the subject manner; as well as moments of gut-wrenching honesty that yank you back to the reality of the characters’ situations and smack you in the face like…well…a motorcycle (hope the simile wasn’t too tasteless).  This careful dance was artfully engineered by Moyes.

I was actually surprised to discover that Moyes wrote a sequel to this book!  Me Before You was published in 2012 and After You was published in 2015; per Moyes, she was inspired while working on the script for the film for Me Before You and was answering a ton of questions about what happened to everyone after the book ended.   I don’t know if I am necessarily going to rush out and grab a copy of the sequel because I kind of want to “sit” with these characters and their story for a bit (and, to be honest, I’m nervous that the book will live up to the first one – I always feel a bit let down after an author pens another book in response to a film).  I sincerely hope the sequel lives up to the first one.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.  I will also recommend that most of you will need a box of tissues on hand.  Happy reading!

*UPDATE:  So I made my husband take a time out from his video game to lend his Playstation over to a much worthier cause...I rented the film version of Me Before You from the library.  I'd wanted to see this in theaters, but never had the chance.  I'd rented the DVD before, but never got to watch it and had to return it before I could.  This time, however, I vowed that we would use our traditional Friday night date night to eat corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes (it was St. Patrick's Day) and watch this movie.  Of course, this was not accomplished without the appropriate amount of grumbling and groaning from my male counterpart.  When I finally got him to put the movie on, however, I was so happy I did.  I recognized so many actors!  I was surprised how many familiar faces were involved in this project.  We had a few from Game of Thrones, one from Harry Potter, and another from The Hunger Games, to start.  Very cool.  This, of course, grabbed my husband's attention (thank you, casting!) and he was a better sport after that.  Let me take a moment to say Emilia Clarke has the most expressive eyebrows I've ever seen and it's glorious.  We don't get to see the bubbly, energetic side of her in Game of Thrones, so it was fascinating to see her in such a different light.  The movie's pacing was quicker than the book (though I'm not surprised) and a few things were left out, but I wasn't too broken up about it.  Like most film adaptations (Harry Potter included), the writers and filmmakers seem to rely on the belief that most of the audience will have read the book.  I'm not saying the movie was unenjoyable without having read the book, but I think I appreciated it more because I had.  The biggest difference between the book and movie was the fact that I cried.  I expected to cry when I read the book and I was surprised when I didn't.  Boy did I cry during the movie.  The casting was spectacular - I definitely enjoyed the chemistry - and I became invested in the characters.  The costuming for Lou was perfect.  Even my husband admitted that the movie "wasn't bad," so I'm counting it as a win in my book.

The Queen's Fool (Tudor Court, Book Five): Philippa Gregory

“A stunning novel set in the Tudor court, as the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half-sister Elizabeth is played out against a background of betrayal, conflict and passion.  The savage rivalry of the daughters of Henry VIII, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth, mirrors that of their mothers, Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.  Each will fight by any available means for the crown and future of the kingdom.  Elizabeth’s bitter struggle to claim the throne she believes in hers by right, and the man she desires almost more than her crown, is watched by her ‘fool’:  a girl who has been forced to leave her homeland of Spain, as a Jew fleeing the Inquisition.  In a court where truth is wittily denied and lies are mere games, it is the fool who can speak plainly:  in these dangerous times, a woman must choose between ambition and love.  Elizabeth will not make the same mistakes as her mother.”

The teaser for this book does not really do it justice; it makes it seem as if the book is more about Elizabeth than anything else, but this is not true.  The book is told from the point of view of Hannah Verde (or, Hannah Green), daughter of a secretly Jewish printer and bookseller, after she is brought to the court of the young Edward IV only a short while before his premature death.  In a series built upon historical facts, Hannah represents a deviation from this technique.  She has a gift of “the sight” and, essentially, has premonitions and sees angels.  Following one of these visions, Hannah is brought by Robert Dudley to court as his little spy.  Without detailing the progress of the book in too much detail, Hannah’s loyalties are a very complex mixture of devotion, girlish love, admiration, and familial responsibility.  She “changes hands” several times throughout the book from Robert Dudley to Queen Mary, then to Elizabeth, and back and forth, back and forth.  It is a great device to capture important details from all sides without having to use an omniscient narrator.  The reader only knows as much as Hannah knows.

The parts of her story where she switched households between Mary and Elizabeth were interesting; I enjoyed the insights into their characters.  However, I think the most interesting were the bits where we saw Hannah’s betrothal to Daniel and everything that follows after it becomes too dangerous for her Jewish family to stay in England.  I believe Hannah is a supremely strong individual – I cannot imagine surviving what she does.

All of the plots, the scheming, the subversion that we know of the Tudor court from Gregory’s previous books remain in this one.  I think the structure of this book was a wise way for Gregory to incorporate the stories of these half-sisters instead of creating two separate books that would have had a great deal of overlap to the point of being detrimentally repetitious.  I particularly enjoyed the portrayals of Elizabeth and Mary from Hannah’s eyes.  I could absolutely see notes of Katherine of Aragon in Mary (especially the passion with which she loved her husband – for those of you who have read The Constant Princess, you know that Katherine calls the passion of the women in her family their curse) and both Henry and Anne in Elizabeth (in Elizabeth’s easy Tudor confidence and her ability to get what she wants from others).  I didn’t, however, see much of them as they were portrayed in The Taming of the Queen.  Perhaps because that one was told from the point of view of Kateryn, a woman who was determined to love the girls and their brother as if they were her own?

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book.  It was an easy, interesting read.  Hannah’s story was extremely interesting and it served to broaden the world far past the limitations of England’s shores.  Gregory did an excellent job on this book.  Though it strays from the format of her other books in the series, it is definitely worth the read.

The Taming of the Queen (Tudor Court, Book Four): Philippa Gregory

“Why would a woman marry a serial killer?

“Because she cannot refuse…

“Kateryn Parr, a 30-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father, who has buried four wives – King Henry VIII – commands her to marry him.

“Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces:  the previous queen lasted 16 months, the one before barely half a year.  But Henry adores his new bride, and Kateryn’s trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as regent.

“But is this enough to keep her safe?  A leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own.  But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry’s dangerous gaze turns on her.  The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy – the punishment is death by fire, and the king’s own name is on the warrant…

“From an author who has described all of Henry’s queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last:  a woman who longed for passion, power, and education at the court of a medieval killer.”

I have obviously been on a bit of a Philippa Gregory kick, haven’t I?  I just love the Tudor era so much that it makes it easy for me to pick up yet another book set in this time period.  Gregory’s easy writing and captivating characters are, once again, at the heart of this book; however, I will say that I struggled with the amount of religion in this book.  I am so impressed that Kateryn was the first woman to publish in English (I believe it was a book of prayers or psalms, if memory serves me), but the sheer amount of theological discussion and preaching was, at times, enough to make my eyes glaze over.  Granted, this could just be because I, personally, can only deal with a certain amount of religion in a work of fiction before I can’t take it anymore.  This could be completely different for another reader with different interests.  I am fully aware that so much of Henry VIII’s reign revolved around religious doctrine, practices, laws, teachings, etc. (I’ve written papers on it and done my share of reading non-fiction materials on the subject), so I understand the importance of Gregory including this in the book, but it sometimes slowed down the story and the pacing.  While I thoroughly enjoyed Kateryn as a character and sympathized with her struggles and her lost love, this story was my second least-favorite in this series (one step above The Constant Princess).  The most memorable moment was the revelation of the official portrait used on the cover of the book.  I recall reading about the portrait somewhere, but I had long-since forgotten.  To have it revealed in the book was gut-wrenching and very interesting – I don’t want to give anything away!  I also loved how hard Kateryn worked to bring Henry’s children together.

Overall, I did like the book, but the weightiness of the religious aspect sometimes bogged down the story.  I understand what was trying to be accomplished, but it felt a bit religion-heavy for a historical fiction.  I think the point could have gotten across with a bit less of the details or sermons.  I will say that I did some research on Kateryn after finishing the book (she is probably the queen I knew the least about) and her story is very interesting, her life reached far past the date of her death, as did the consequences of her marriages (yes, that is plural – you’ll have to read for yourself to find out!).  She was an admirably strong, determined woman.  I hope I don’t give too much away when I say that I’m sorry her “happy ending” was not all that she hoped it would be.  I recommend this book as a necessary installation in this series, but – like I said – it was not my favorite.  It was probably the most suspenseful in the series, which is something to be said.

The Boleyn Inheritance (Tudor Court, Book Three): Philippa Gregory

“From the bestselling author of "The Other Boleyn Girl" comes a wonderfully atmospheric evocation of the court of Henry VIII, and the one woman who destroyed two of his queens. The year is 1539 and the court of Henry VIII is increasingly fearful at the moods of the ageing sick king. With only a baby in the cradle for an heir, Henry has to take another wife and the dangerous prize of the crown of England is won by Anne of Cleves. She has her own good reasons for agreeing to marry a man old enough to be her father, in a country where to her both language and habits are foreign. Although fascinated by the glamour of her new surroundings, she senses a trap closing around her. Catherine is confident that she can follow in the steps of her cousin Anne Boleyn to dazzle her way to the throne but her kinswoman Jane Boleyn, haunted by the past, knows that Anne's path led to Tower Green and to an adulterer's death. The story of these three young women, trying to make their own way through the most volatile court in Europe at a time of religious upheaval and political uncertainty is Philippa Gregory's most intense novel yet.”

This book was written in a style much closer to what I remember The Other Boleyn Girl to be than The Constant Princess.  The writing was captivating, lively, and easy to follow.  Her characters were interesting and the story was well-paced.  Again, I was reading these a bit out of order, but it did not matter all that much since I am already rather familiar with this period in British history.  This book takes place after the conclusion of The Other Boleyn Girl.  It was interesting to see what happens in the aftermath of Anne Boleyn’s beheading; even more so to see things from the perspective of another character who had been in the background of The Other Boleyn Girl, Jane Boleyn - as well as the mentioning of names we recognize from The Constant Princess.  The Boleyn Inheritance was told from three different perspectives:  Jane Boleyn (widow of Anne Boleyn’s brother, George), Anne of Cleves (one of Henry VIII’s “lucky” wives, and Katherine Howard (a cousin of Anne Boleyn and another wife of Henry VIII).  Of the three, I think Anne of Cleves’ perspective was the most interesting.  I enjoyed learning more about her background and seeing her as something other than the what I had previously learned in history courses; that she was a woman so ugly and with such poor hygiene that Henry VIII could not bear to be married to her – though more historians are now in agreement that this was probably not the case.  I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her after seeing from where she had come and what she had to endure – of course, this is a work of fiction, but Gregory’s writing was so realistic and enthralling.  Jane Boleyn was interesting, too.  We learned very little about her in The Other Boleyn Girl other than the facts that she was married to George, Anne and Mary’s older brother (who was also executed), and she and the Boleyns did not care for one another – she was jealous of the Boleyn sisters’ close relationship with her husband and it is hinted that this led her to testify against them.  She was also portrayed as a bit of a sexual deviant (I am unsure how else to describe her creepy interest in the sex lives of others and her oft-described sexual appetite for her poor husband).  Her cold, calculating demeanor became unnerving in this book – something of which we caught glimpses in the second book in the series.  This really helped to bring the story to life and showed the ways in which women were expected to manipulate others and events in order to further their respective family’s aims.  This echoes The Other Boleyn Girl a bit in this fashion.  Katherine (Kitty) Howard’s perspective was interesting because I think Gregory did an excellent job of tapping into the mind of a teenage girl.  She’s very self-absorbed and believes herself invincible.  She sees only pretty things and lives in a materialistic world.  Surely nothing bad can happen to a pretty girl such as herself?  Her naiveté was well-written and believable.

Overall, the story was captivating, well-written, and very interesting.  I thought it was an appropriate follow-up to The Other Boleyn Girl and I enjoyed it a great deal.  At first, I thought the book was going to feel (forgive my language) half-assed because Gregory “couldn’t come up with enough material to devote a full book to each of these characters,” but this was far from what I experienced.  The pacing was good, the characters were interesting, and I would recommend this as a great installment in the Tudor Court series.