The Mysterious Lady Law

Robert Appleton

In a time of grand airships and steam-powered cars, the death of a penniless young maid will hardly make the front page. But part-time airship waitress and music hall dancer Julia Bairstow is shattered by her sister's murder. When Lady Law, the most notorious private detective in Britain, offers to investigate the case pro bono, Julia jumps at the chance—even against the advice of Constable Al Grant, who takes her protection surprisingly to heart.

Lady Law puts Scotland Yard to shame. She's apprehended Jack the Ripper and solved countless other cold-case crimes. No one knows how she does it, but it's brought her fortune, renown and even a title. But is she really what she claims to be—a genius at deducing? Or is Al right and she is not be trusted? 

Julia is determined to find out the truth, even if it means turning sleuth herself—and turning the tables on Lady Law...

My Take:

"Eh." "S'Okay."  Such were my considerably underwhelmed reactions at the conclusion of this little steam punk novella. Parts of the book I thought were totally random and downright weird (and not in a fun way, but in a huh? way) and the ending was just so so.  But there were aspects I really enjoyed.  I thought the main character (not the titular character Lady Law, she, I didn't care for) Julia, was interesting and her love interest, while nothing to write home about, was engaging.  The whodunit mystery at the center of the book was not all that mysterious, but the means by which  Lady Law solves mysterious (and whether or not she is a good guy) proves to be the far more interesting question.  Now, while I didn't find the novella to be all that gratifying overall, to be fair, I must say that I didn't expect the twist at the end and overall the story was quite a page turner (or clicker, since I read it on my Kindle:)  It is a fun and quick read, if you like steam punk, or light mysteries, you will probably enjoy this book, I'm just saying don't expect it to rock your world. 4, Borrow from a friend

I'd love to hear your opinion!  Have you read this book?  If so, what did you think of it?  Do you enjoy the steam punk genre?  What do you think the twist ending is (if you've read the book don't spoil it!)?  Hit the comments!

If The Mysterious Lady Law was a movie, it would likely be rated PG-13 for some violence and brief strong sexual content 

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

If you are interested in purchasing The Mysterious Lady Law, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link, thank you!

The Adventures of Whatley Tupper: A Choose Your Own Adventure

Rudolph Kerkhoven and Daniel Pitts

Whatley Tupper is an A-grade janitor at a B-grade university about to become entwined in C-grade fiction!

Will he tame the troglodyte murderer living in the disused network of campus tunnels? 

Will he join forces with the Denny's night manager to counter a renegade group of custodians? 

Will he inadvertently travel into a parallel universe that sounds suspiciously similar to another plot-line? 

Will he journey to Honduras to reunite with his deported love? 

Will he suffer amnesia and begin to question his own sexuality? 

Will he leave all this madness behind and book a relaxing Alaskan cruise? 

Or will he turn out to be nothing more than a figment in the imagination of his idol, Tom Selleck?

Yes, there is something in the air tonight... Adventure! Romance! Carbon Monoxide!

The choice is yours.

My Take:

When I was a kid, Choose Your Own Adventure(CYOA) books were big, and my favorite brand was the Goosebumps ones by R.L. Stine because the plot lines were significantly weirder and more twisted than your average CYOA.  I think that is why I ultimately enjoyed The Adventures of Whatley Tupper--because it was super weird.  Honestly, at first, I didn't care for it, in fact to put it bluntly, I thought it was dumb and I just didn't get it.  The first storyline I happened to pick my way through wasn't very zany, but quite straight forward with a neat and tidy little ending and felt a bit flat.  So I went back to the beginning and picked a completely different route and was happy to find myself reading about ridiculous alternate universes, Tom Selleck and Phil Collins obsessed custodians, and a long lost son named Whatlito with a Robin Hood complex.  The plot lines are ridiculous in the very best way.  The story lines are all fast paced and the flow of events is abrupt and awkward, but that is what makes it funny and entertaining.  I really love just plain old weird, off kilter stuff, and Whatley Tupper totally fits the bill.  After a while, I did get a little bit pooped out going back and forth looking for new story lines, but such is the nature of the awesome beast that is CYOA. Thankfully the authors provide a wonderful little cheat-sheet on their blog that helps you sort things out, if you want to take a peek.  Lastly, something I very much enjoyed was that after reading through several story lines, you start noticing that there a lot of inside jokes and references to the other story lines, which adds fun little layers of enjoyment to the reading experience.  I really enjoyed reading this book and rate it a 1, Pay Full Price, because for hours of disgustingly ridiculous fun, the book is a great price.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

The Adventures of Whatley Tupper is difficult to assign a content rating.  Some story lines are totally PG with a tiny bit of violence, and others are a little more provocative with strong language.  There was one particular storyline which elevated the overall book's rating from a PG-13 to an R.  It contained brief, but very strong language.

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

If you are interested in purchasing The Adventures of Whatley Tupper, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link, thank you!

If you enjoyed this review, feel free to leave The Book Buff a tip in "Kate's Tip Jar" located on the sidebar.  All tips are anonymous and in no way affect any of my reviews, thanks a ton!

Nexus Point

Jaleta Clegg

When Captain Dace crash lands on a primitive planet, she finds herself on the run from villagers who are sure she's a demon, and the Space Patrol who's sure she's one of the bad guys.  Accused of stealing her own ship, facing death (or worse) at the hands of those who should be rescuing her, she must find not only some way to survive, but also escape.  Unfortunately, the world has other plans.

My Take:

People have been calling this book a "Space Opera."  Well, I didn't really know what that term meant, so I looked it up, and many people seem to think it means a dramatic and epic space adventure.  But really no one could agree on one definition anyway, and since I think that phrase is super cheesy, I will refrain from using it to describe Nexus Point.  I really saw this book as what would happen if the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises had a baby.  The book was quite epic and very enjoyable with a little bit of everything.  There was science fiction, romance, adventure, mythology and humor.  I very much enjoyed the inventiveness of the storyline and the strong protagonist.  Nexus Point was a bit depressing at the beginning, and tough to get into, but after that it was pretty fun.  I really enjoyed the book overall, but it was missing one very key element after all was said and done.  It didn't so much resonate with me when it was over, meaning, I didn't give it that much thought afterward.  This may seem arbitrary, but its an important factor with me.  3, Find a Used Book Store

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

If you are interested in purchasing Nexus Point, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link, thank you!

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Guest Review: Brains, a Zombie Memoir

***My favorite guest reviewer, Jenn, is back!  So make sure you let her know how much you love her down in the comments!***

Robin Becker

College-professor-cum-zombie Jack Barnes is a different breed of undead - he can think.  In fact, he can even write.  And the story he has to tell is a truly disturbing - yet strangely heartwarming - one.

Convinced he'll bring about a peaceful coexistence between zombies and humans if he can demonstrate his unique condition to Howard Stein, the man responsible for the zombie virus, Barnes sets off on a grueling cross-country journey to meet his maker.  Along the way he recruits a small army of "super" zombies that will stop at nothing to reach their goal.  There's Guts, the dread locked boy who can run like the wind; Joan, the matronly nurse adept at reattaching decaying appendages; Annie, the young girl with a fierce quick-draw; and Ros, who can actually speak.  United they embark on an epic quest to attain what all men, women - and, apparently, zombies - yearn for: equality.

Brains is a blood-soaked, darkly humorous story that will have readers rooting for Barnes and his zombie posse to the very end.

My Take:

I haven't the foggiest idea where to start on this one.  So, let me start at the beginning.  I was at Borders (aka, my home turf) when I say this book in passing.  It caught my eye, and I had to pick it up.  Brains, A Zombie Memoir.  I laughed out loud (much to the chagrin of the hoity-toity group perusing to my left.  Victoriously, I proclaimed to my little guy (a 15 year old who loves Borders almost as much as me) "Ha!  This just might be crazy enough to work!"  And boy, did it.  I, for lack of better terms, engulfed the story, first pass through.  Then, I gave it a second pass, and found it just as great.  The story is incredibly well paced, humorous, captivating, witty, brilliant, utterly believable, and surprisingly heart-touching.  In case you didn't understand, I LOVED this book.  It is one of the best books I have read in years, surprisingly enough.  I am buying a copy for everyone I know for the holidays, and am certain I will read it at least a dozen more times.

Before you wonder, yes.  I am different. :)  I do like my Left for Dead video games, Resident Evil games and movies, Dawn of the Dead (and certainly more so, Shaun of the Dead) etc., but, not unnaturally so.  In fact, my absolute favorite book of all time is Wuthering Heights.  So, yes.  I am odd.  But no.  That is not why I loved this book.  The structure of the story was down-right brilliant.  True, there was some off-color, kind of.....yucky moments the main character reflects back on.  Rather, there was some vulgar terminology, but that too, enriched the story; not the terminology itself, but the use of it, allowed us to see the difference in thought process between Professor Jack Barnes and Zombie Jack Barnes,  This book is definitely a "hit or miss" story, particularly because of how it was told.  But, with me, it was a home run.  I found myself  laughing out loud several times, holding my breath, gasping, and craving more Brains, much as is the point of the story.  I highly recommend to every adult who is not too squeamish and not afraid when an author sometimes has to get down and dirty.  :)  I rate this a 1, Pay Full Price Guilt Free!  I can't wait to see what Ms. Becker has up her sleeves, as we speak.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

If this book were a movie it would likely be rated R for language, gore, sexuality, violence, and adult situations

I was lucky enough to score a Q&A session with the author, Robin Becker:

Jenn:  In reading Brains, it becomes clear that the familial unit is of utmost importance for human/zombie survival.  o you feel the recruitment of the family members is indicative of your own life?

Robin:  Family is important for everyone--from serial killers to saints, zombies and humans alike.  And I include myself in everyone.  During his lifetime, Jack thought he was a lone wolf.  In death, he finds out that zombies need zombies.

Jenn:  How did you determine zombie Jack Burns' specific ratio of wit/intellect vs. crass/abrasiveness?

Robin:  5:3.  More witty than crass, but still a bada--.  

Jenn: As a creative writing professor, and due to your ability to so eloquently weave voice, humor, emotion and...quality into your story, do you find it more difficult to work with your students following your recent publication?

Robin:  On the contrary!  I was able to share my experience with them.  The entire process--getting an agent, working with an editor, all the revisions--is valuable for my students.  Whatever I learn, they learn.  And I learned a lot.

Jenn:  Who is your favorite author?

Robin:  Right now I'm in love with Donald Harington who is the best undiscovered American magical realist.  In the past I've been in love with Sharon Olds, Chuck Palahniuk, Philip K. Dick, Mary Gaitskill, Walt Whitman, Mike Topp.  I'm fickle that way.

Jenn:  Is there a message you would like to share with the world that you were not able to get  across in your book?

Robin:  Basil is really easy to grow and delicious.  Plant some today!

Jenn:  Is there a website you'd like to let the readers know about?

Robin:  My website would be grand.  http://www.robinzbecker.com

***Want to be a guest review?  Do you have a book blog and want to get one of your reviews on The Book Buff click here***

The Pack

L.M. Preston

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that she is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens, her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. But in order to save her brother's life, she is willing to risk it all.

My Take:

I absolutely loved reading this book, but before I get into why it was so great, I want to get the bad stuff over with quickly.  There was a bit of awkward writing here and there throughout the book, and a few redundant phrases that were funny to me (pensive thoughts, secretly made a secret account, unattainably impossible) These phrases weren't a big deal, just a personal preference to not see those hanging around a good book.  Anyway, that's it, everything else, I totally loved.  The characters were great and I especially loved the growth each of the characters made throughout the course of the book.  Each and every one of them felt real and whole, especially the main character, Shamira.  Though she was cranky and more than a little aggravating toward the beginning of the story, you still felt for her and rooted for her.  As she grew into the leadership role she eventually took, you saw her soften her heart a bit and grow into a well rounded person.  I felt that the book had a great mix of the different elements that makes up a good action book.  There was a little romance going on, great action scenes, not too much violence for a YA book, thoroughly developed characters, and a hint of suspense and treachery.  The pacing was also well done, it was a teensy teensy bit slow at the very beginning, but picked right up and the book was a total page turner.  The Pack is a great book for any teenager or YA fan to read.  It is science fictiony, but doesn't overwhelm the reader with that aspect, it's just a great story.  I am excited to read more from this author.  Overall, The Pack gets a rating of a 2, Borders with a Coupon.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

If The Pack were a movie it would likely be rated a VERY mellow PG-13 for mild language (a few H's and D's) throughout and violence throughout.  Some light sexual suggestiveness.

A Few words with the author, L.M. Preston:

The Book Buff: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

L.M. Preston: I considered myself a writer when I finished my first book. At that point I knew it was something that I wanted to do and loved doing it. That this wasn’t going away.

 TBB: Do you have a specific writing style?

LMP: I believe I do. Even though I write YA, Scifi, I aim to write in a easy to read and engaging manner. One of the main reasons I write this way is because my beta readers who were teens told me that they didn’t like scifi because it was so techy and the authors would write complex along with the complex issues they discussed. So I wanted to write a fun, easy read that even a teen that didn’t have great reading skills would devour easily.

 TBB: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

LMP: I would have kept Shamira blind longer. It was challenging to write in that manner, but many of my younger beta readers were frustrated that they couldn’t get a clear picture of the environment that surrounded her and they requested that she gain sight earlier in the book.

 TBB: How much of the book is realistic? Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

LMP: Many of my books have teen scenarios that I pull from my own childhood or from my kids. The dialogue between characters and the character types are composed of personalities I’ve known personally. In addition, growing up I wasn’t popular and was the butt of many jokes. I also had a blind friend that was very much like Shamira in her relation to meeting and trusting others.

TBB: What is your favorite interview question, and what is the answer?

LMP: What has made you the person you are today. I love this question. I’ve become the person I am today because of all the hurdles, trials, mistakes and tenacious spirit of hope that I have. These lessons I weave into my writing for young people, because my readers value being portrayed as smart, resourceful and fearless – which are the traits that most teens have.

TBB: What are you working on now?

 LMP: The Pack – Retribution, brings Shamira back where she struggles with being a leader and burying herself back within. Her trust and friendships are further tested. This is due out in Spring, 2012.

TBB: Where can readers find you if they are interested in learning more about your work?

LMP: I love people to check out my blog which is http://lmpreston.blogspot.com also I’m having a Virtual Book Release Party with a giveaway of a free hotel night stay among other party favors at http://bookpartylmpreston.blogspot.com

To find out about my upcoming books check out www.lmpreston.com

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

If you are interested in purchasing The Pack, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link, thank you! 

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