The Baron's Ghost by Kyro Dean

 

The Baron's Ghost tells the story of Christina Ravensworth, nee Rushing, a female spy and sometimes assassin. Although the plot is a fast paced adventure story, Christina is not a simple action heroine. She lost her parents when she was seventeen and thinks about her mother almost every day. Her mother once told her “that a soft, kid-skin glove could protect against dust, get done what must, and earn people's trust.” Christina still wears gloves and thinks about her mom each time she puts them on. She also embarks on adventures with two men she's attracted to: Philip, the Viscount of Portsmouth, and Charles Blackwell, someone she knew as a child. Both of these men do not always appear to think of her as a friend. This is a good book for readers who enjoy action packed, complex stories.

Talk by Greg Peterson

When Addie Young's father dies, she inherits one-hundred acres of land and receives a cryptic letter that was written by Cole Younger, one of Addie's ancestors and a gunfighter who rode with Jesse James. She believes the letter contains clues to find a treasure, so she sets out to locate the land and whatever is hidden on it. She runs her Mustang off the road on her way into the town of “Talk” and is soon being helped by Jack, the mayor of that little town, who takes a shine to Addie. It is going to take some time for the local mechanic to fix Addie's car, so Jack offers her a place to stay while she waits.

The novel is interesting for a few reasons: the relationship between Addie and Jack grows in a way that's fun to follow, there is plenty of information about the Ojibwe Indians, and Addie falls in love with the sweet feel of the town and its residents. There's also a spiritual side to the plot, especially at the end.

I liked the characters in “Talk” and the easy pace of the plot. It is a sweet novel.

Top Model tells the story of Estelle Li, a young Asian woman trying to make it in the competitive world of fashion modeling. Estelle is a great example of someone with a strong personality trait that is simultaneously her best and worst quality. She is extremely ambitious and willing to do anything it takes to get ahead. Readers can admire her strength and determination, but her ambition pushes her to places she shouldn’t go.

The novel is centered on Estelle, yet there are also interesting characters around her. Lily is her agent and her friend. She is concerned for Estelle but keeps her client’s career at the top of her priorities, even if she might deny doing that. And then there is Sofie Tsai, another Asian model who is younger than Estelle but has had more success. They are extremely competitive.

Top Model gives us an inside picture of the modeling industry, which may exist to showcase beauty but is often ugly at its core. The novel is captivating. If you pick it up, you’ll have problems putting it down.

Life in the Hollywood Lane by Ann Crawford

Life in the Hollywood Lane by Ann Crawford is a novel in the form of a memoir. It is entirely from the point of view of Trish, a fictional woman looking back on her life as an aspiring actress trying to make it in films. It includes many reflections the woman makes about the events of her life. There is some distance between the reader and the other characters in the novel, but every struggle and every emotion Trish feels is expressed in depth and written in an informal and funny style, which makes it easy to get caught up in this book. Here's an example of how casual her writing can be:

As an aside, I'm sure Norma Jean wasn't ditzy at all and had a ton of substance. She'd have to have had (wow, is that a clunky sentence or what?) a lot of substance to carry the persona of Marilyn.

And an example of insider information about how the industry works:

People can't be a SAG (Screen Actors Guild) actor until they've been in some SAG movies, and they can't get into SAG movies until they've become a SAG actor. For the non-SAG to land a part in a SAG movie, actors have to know someone who can open doors. And I do.

Both examples are from early in the book to avoid spoilers.

There are three main parts of Trish's emotional life. They are her aspirations to be a successful film actress, her love life, and her friends, especially Cyndi, her roommate and best friend, who kills herself early in the story. Much of the novel is focused on Cyndi. I felt Ann Crawford handled Trish's emotions concerning that loss in a remarkable way. The novel can be sad at times, but it is never depressing.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever dreamed of a life in films, but also to anyone with any huge aspiration.

The Reinvention of Lottie Potts by Karen Crear

When I began reading The Reinvention of Lottie Potts I was expecting a light rom-com and it started out that way, but in the end there were some twists and turns that made it more about Lottie dealing with her self-esteem problems due to a psychologically abusive relationship and personal body issues. But this well-written story never lost its fun side. Definitely a five star read.

My Friend Richard : A True Ghost Story by William Hart

My Friend Richard : A True Ghost Story is a well-written, short memoir. It includes, but is not limited to, William Hart's relationship with the spirit of Richard, his best friend from high school.

Richard died when he was 25 because he ran back into a burning building to try to save his guitar. This action is an indication of how wild and hyperfocused he could be and it's not the only irrational impulse Richard acted on during his short life. Those actions give us a picture of someone impossible to forget but also someone whose spirit would be determined enough to reach out to the friend he left behind.

My favorite chapter in Hart's book is the last one. In the previous chapters he told us of Richard's attempts to communicate and the effect this ghost had on his life. In the last chapter he discusses the reality of spirits among us. Here is an excerpt from this section:

“Western science, focused entirely on the material, denies or ignores the existence of a spiritual reality in the universe, making our physics terribly incomplete.”

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Love on the brain is silly at times but if you're looking for a light, fun read, it will do. The main character, Bee Königswasser, is a neuroscientist who also seems to be a space case. That term is appropriate, I suppose, since she is assigned to co-lead a NASA project with Levi Ward, an engineer. Levi is someone she believes hated her when they knew each other in college. She is always getting into situations requiring help from Levi and regrets each time he saves her.

"Lust" on the brain would be a more accurate title for the book since the story is about two people who find each other very attractive but have a difficult time communicating. The book has some graphic sex scenes but lacks the small things that lead to love. Still, the mishaps the characters get into are fun.