September 30

Dance With Deception by Tracy Goodwin

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Click to order

I think Dance with Deception is my first straight historical romance, if so it’s an enjoyable introduction to the Victorian era. (And a fun change from my more commonly read Victorian tales, most notably those of the Lovecraft mythos.)

Gwendolyn MacAlistair’s father is supposedly dying and she is being forced into an arranged marriage with his close friend and near constant companion, Kier. But since their re-introduction as adults Gwen can’t rid herself of thoughts of Sebastian, a duke now, but like an older brother to her in childhood. But both Gwen and Sebastian find themselves unprepared for the manipulations of her father and Kier, and for the deep family secrets that are about to be revealed.

Dance with Deception has all the classic ingredients of successful romance. Sebastian is haunted by a loveless past. Gwen is a feisty woman in a time that doesn’t appreciate her, being manipulated into a proper, dutiful marriage with a man who seems to have no redeeming qualities. The attraction between the two is sizzling and the drama is spot on and satisfying.

Being new to historical romance I can’t say how it rates in period accuracy, but the details of the setting neither disrupt nor overwhelm the love story. Even though it’s over four hundred pages I read this one pretty quickly and found it hard to put down. The best thing I can say about it is that it’s quite the sensory novel, woven with tastes, smells and sounds that other authors sometimes forget. All in all Dance with Deception is a solid, if not enjoyable debut.

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September 27

Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary


Ralph is tired of his relatives trying to make him share his beloved motorcycle. And he’s afraid zooming through the mud puddles in the lobby of the inn where he lives has gotten his friend Matt in trouble. So with the help of his human friend Ralph runs away, to Irwin J. Sneed Elementary School, where there are long halls without carpet to ride on and plenty of good things to eat.

Except that the students of Room 5 turns Ralph into a class project and an article in the town paper accuses the school of being infested with mice! And worst of all now Ralph’s motorcycle is broken and he has no way to get back home.

Ralph S. Mouse is a classic kid’s chapter book. While amusing at times I found Ralph to be pouty and selfish, not exactly a hero. Cleary does mention the reality of mice (being vermin and all), but doesn’t quite manage to set Ralph apart, other than his intelligence and his abilities to ride a motorcycle and speak (but only to certain, lonely children).

My son enjoyed being read chapters of Ralph at night, but didn’t connect with Ralph’s pouting or anger. He was most interested in the beginning and the end, with a lull of interest in the surly middle parts.

Ralph would probably most interest children who are also feeling surly, angry, and like the world is against them. Its strength is in showing kids that they’re not alone in those feelings and teaching them to look for ways to solve their problems, because they might not be as bad as it seems.

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September 25

10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm

10 things EveryCchild With Autism Wishes You Knew

This book reads easy and fast and it should be handed out to every parent whose child is diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. It can change the perceptions of anyone–family, friend, educator or counselor–who is face with the baffling behavior of an autistic child. I cannot impress just how much this slim volume can help.

The core beliefs in 10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew are:

-All behaviors happen for a reason.
And
-All behavior is communication.

The focus is on presenting (not really exploring or solving problems) the possible causes of “bad” behavior and realigning the thought patterns neurotypical people have when dealing with those on the spectrum. It can also help parents get behind the possible causes of misbehavior on the part of “normal” children.

Some principals in this book are–or should be–universal. Don’t let one term (Autism, ADHD, or even “trouble child”) define all your child is. Focus on what your child can do instead of getting lost in what he or she can’t do. All behavior has a cause, ferreting out the cause can go very far in helping to resolve negative behavior. And most importantly of all, love should not be dependent on good grades, good behavior or “being normal”. Love should be unconditional.

If there was ever an Idiot’s Guide to Raising a Child this might be it. An essential book for understanding the social, language and sensory challenges experienced by many types of special needs children. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone whose life is touched by Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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September 23

The Damned by William Ollie

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Click to pre-order

There’s a lot of story in The Damned by William Ollie. It starts with Scott, who has just been fired from his job for an essentially trivial reason and is driving home to his wife. Unfortunately, on the way home, he causes an accident that ends with him becoming the victim of a road rage shooting…

Full review at DarkScribe.

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