We Are the Goldens, By, Dana Reinhardt

Told in an unconventional way, We are the Goldens is a narrative written from one sister to another.  The reader becomes Lyla, and is addressed by her younger sister Nell.  It took a bit before I became use to this POV, but after I did the book was enjoyable.  Nell idolizes her older sister, and can't wait for high school to begin because it means that they will finally be at the same school.  Nell is full of excitement and anticipation of the experiences she hopes to gain while in high school, but things often don't go the way we want them to.  We are the Goldens is a novel about sisterhood, loyalty, and grappling over what to do in a difficult situation.  It’s a situation where betrayal, love, and doing the right thing become blurry.  Reinhardt did an excellent job portraying the dueled emotions Nell experiences in this novel.  This is a true to life novel, covering the intricate relationship between sisters.  How long do you stay loyal to your sister, when you know she is doing something that will hurt her?  At what point do you intervene?

Fatal Enquiry By, Will Thomas

A detective story set in Victorian London, Fatal Enquiry takes it's readers on an adventure through the underbelly of London's streets.  Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewellyn, run an enquiry service to help people who Scotland Yard has been unable to help.  Barker finds out that his arch nemesis Sebastian Nightwine is back in London.  Nightwine could only have devious intentions in mind.  Barker and Llewellyn must use all of their talents to stop Nightwine from completing his plans.  I really enjoyed this book. The heroes are resourceful and the villains are artfully manipulative.  Full of adventure, close calls, street gangs, secret societies, swindling, murder, assassins, and scandal.  It was an adventure that I was delighted to lose myself in.

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons By, Sam Kean

 The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons was quite an entertaining book.  It’s a history of how Neuroscience came to be what it is today. From jousting to dead friars healing the sick, the adventures in this book are humorous, amazing, and at times downright disgusting.  A word to of advice when the author says a passage is not for people with sensitive stomachs please believe him.  The brain is an amazing organ, full of wonders and mysteries.  Many of the maladies discussed in this book have been featured in science fiction novels and movies.  This isn't mentioned in the book, a reference to cinema, but I related it to films and books I have read.  Kean not only mentions the maladies, he covers how what causes them was discovered as well as what has been done to treat them.  Making this book, not only an interesting history book, but a wealth of information for fiction authors.  Everything from phantom limbs to believing an ‘imposter’ has replaced everyone you know is covered.  The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons is a well-written history of neurosurgery, which is neither boring, nor difficult for a layperson to understand.  If the brain and it’s inner workings interested you, you should read this book.

The Devil's Workshop By, Alex Grecian

I loved The Devil’s Workshop, placed in 1890 London; this tale follows Detective Walter Day and Detective Nevil Hammersmith as they hunt down a group of escaped murders.  Full of secret societies, Saucy Jack, deviant law men, pregnant wives with babies on the way, hidden tunnels, botched plans, and copious twists turns, and one must not forget about the delightfully evil villains, Grecian brings London’s streets alive.  I have always liked the tales of Jack the Ripper, but haven’t found fiction that doesn't present him in predictable manner, that is until I read The Devil’s Workshop.  A five star book, I plan on purchasing this novel for quite a few of my family members, who I hope will enjoy this tale as much as I did.  I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.

Originally published at: http://www.firsttoread.com/books/the-devils-workshop-alex-grecian/9780399166433