Training Ground by Kate Christie

Training Ground
by Kate Christie
Pages: 302
Date: June 17 2016
Publisher: Second Growth Books
Series: Girls of Summer (1)

Review
Rating: 5.5
Read: October 3 to 4 2016

In a way, this one kind of reminds me of another book I read recently (Five Star) – though this one here, Training Ground, is an young adult FF book, while the other is a new adult MF book (difference between having characters 16-17; vs. characters in early 20s, like maybe 20). Both though include sports as an important though not overly graphically detailed theme, include much about parents/family/expectations, and both are more slice of life books than romances (or, I should say, Romance – while both include romance, just not the capital R kind).

Jamie Maxwell and Emma Blakeley are young soccer players (or, as they sometimes say, football, or ‘real football’) who play for youth travel leagues. Jamie, who has a tendency to get called ‘Max’ at times, or, on occasion James, is a little bit short of her 16th birthday. Lives in California. Emma is around 17 and lives in Washington.

One night while both are in the same hotel after a soccer tournament has ended in California, the two bump into each other. Jamie needs some air and some time alone. But something about Emma, who she spots attempting to get ice from a machine that has no ice, gets her to ask Emma to tag along. So they do – and sit and watch the sun go down while talking about themselves and getting to know each other. I mention all of this because – but for a set of circumstances that might never have occurred – (1) both soccer players; (2) both at the same tournament; (3) both still there in the hotel when many have already returned home; and (4) both out of their rooms at the same time – they would likely never have made the connection they did, and potentially might never have meet each other. But they did meet, and they did get to know each other. They still might have just had a nice meeting if one didn’t ask and receive the other’s phone (so they could swap numbers).

From this meeting grew a deep friendship – a long range friendship (since, as might be recalled, the two live in two different states, and if I recall correctly, their dwelling units are about 800 miles apart).

Oh, I forgot to mention that this is 2003. Before skype, after internet appeared.

For a year both grew deeply into the other – with morning and nightly texts, with shared long distance viewing of overseas football (soccer) matches (as in, both recorded a game, then watched together in their separate houses, while talking on the phone).

They were friends, not lovers, not girlfriends. Though both had ‘feelings’ – one didn’t think that the feelings could be built upon because of the experiences of the other (I’m being simplistic Jaime is recovering from an incident in France that causes her to have trouble being touched and occasionally being near others. That incident makes her feel damaged and unworthy she was raped. That was her first sexual experience. And she blames herself (she had been drinking).) plus not being 100% certain of their own feelings/orientation; while the other knew nothing could grow beyond these ‘feelings’ due to the other’s straightness.

There was a lot of drama, family entanglements, missed chances, missteps – all of which seen through the eyes of naïve young women below the age of 18. I wish to say that this is one of the better young adult books that I’ve read, but I’m not sure exactly what I’d put in front of it.

I’d definitely recommend this book, bearing in mind that this is a slice of life book, not a capital R romance book (certain things ‘required’ for a capital R romance, as per ‘rules’ of the big Romance publishers – ending has to be HFN, or HEA).

As I’ve seen in at least one other review – be aware that it’d be easier on yourself if you read this book after committing yourself to the idea that it is part of a series that involves two published books and a mention of a third – all of which are deeply linked to the others. This is a series that follow two (and more) people over a longish period of time (at least 10 years – first book sees people in 2003; second book sees those same people in 2013).

October 5 2016

Lockout by John J. Nance

Lockout by John J. Nance
Pages: 412
Publication Date: November 15 2016
Publisher: WildBlue Press
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.35 out of 5.0
Read: October 2 to 3 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley and WildBlue Press in return for a fair review.*

This is/was a quite thrilling, heart-pounding thrill-ride (hmm, I sound like I’m lifting something from a movie poster). Not start to finish, but a thrill-ride was in there.

It wasn’t a thrill-ride start to finish for an odd little reason – people. I didn’t particularly like any of the people/characters in the beginning, though most grew on me over time. Not necessarily to liking them so much as accepting them (though there were a few I grew to like). It was the human snippets that seemed a little much.

Like, I wasn’t sure why we needed the brief little POV snippets on the former Israeli PM’s mistress/Mossad plant. And all that stuff – all those pages after everything was ‘resolved’ – one way or another, seemed . . . anti-climatic. Some was probably needed, to a little extent, but mostly I found it annoying. I kept expecting to come to the end of a chapter and there’d be ‘The End’, but no, another chapter. Days/weeks/months later. Mmphs.

Right. So. Previously to reading this book, I’d read three books by Nance.

This one here is about a plane, Pangia Airlines Flight 10 (Airbus 330), flying from Tel Aviv (well, from some point before that, though its initial starting point wasn’t mentioned) to New York (not sure if New York was ultimate end point). Roughly around Ireland, the plane makes a U-turn and heads back to Tel Aviv Israel. Everyone on the ground is confused and attempts to get a response from the plane – but no answer.

Meanwhile, most on the plane, and the pilots, are happily going along the way, thinking that they are still heading the correct direction. The instrument displays lied. And the pilots were actually locked out of control of the plane. But it took a while for them to notice – because of the lying instruments. Locked out of control, and locked out of radio communication.

Meanwhile it turns out that an Airplane storage facility has found out that they have accidentally switched two planes – sending one to Pangia Airlines when it belonged to a leasing company. Several people attempt to unravel what occurred, and fix this issue. Both planes involved are the same model Airbus.

Meanwhile times . . . um, three? There’s this woman working in NSA attempting to figure out some strange signal noise hiding in satellite communications. She calls in help from the DIA.

Several story lines and several point of views, though those were the three main ones – switched planes, NSA woman, and plane flying outside of its pilots control.

As mentioned, I enjoyed the book. As I normally do when I read a Nance book – not really sure why this is only my fourth I’ve read.

October 3 2016

Named and Shamed by C.P. Mandara

Named and Shamed
by C.P. Mandara
Pages: 160
Date: February 6 2014
Publisher: Chimera Books
Series: Pony Tales (#4)

Review
Rating: 3.5
Read: February 21 to October 2 2016

225 days to read a 160 page book, eh? heh. I read erotica slowly if it longer than a certain number of pages. In short small gulps.

It has been way too long since I read the first three stories in this series, so the fact that we are only on day three by the time this book ends means something, but I'm not sure what. Since this is book 4 in the series. Time moves super slowly.

So. A bratty, rich bitch went on vacation if I recall correctly. But was tricked, ended up at a pony farm - the kind with ponyboys and ponygirls. And she's going to be made one of them. That's the lead up to this story here - which consists mostly of Petals (her pony name) having straps put on, taken off, put on, spanked, dragged around in and outside, soaped with rough soap; alternating forced orgasms with forced . . . um . . right, denial of orgasms. Or, in other words, not much is happening. Then her ass virginity, along with whoever it will be who will be her trainer are separately auctioned off to round off the book.

Meanwhile - a seemingly random group of people have their POV's in addition to Jenny aka Petals. We have Lyle, Mark Mathews, Kyle, Isabella (or whatever her name is), one of Mark's non-blonde 'secretaries' . . . and. .. hmm. Possibly that's it. The non-Jenny moments are brief snippets that intrude and kind of feel like intrusions from another story/book - especially the ones that occur in the outside world.

Interesting book. If it had ended differently I'd have immediately acquired the next in the series. The 'drama' that ends this one, and begins the next (as per the 'next time' segment) is an annoying distraction that I'm not sure I want to read any time soon.

October 2 2016

Barring Complications by Blythe Rippon

Barring Complications
by Blythe Rippon
Pages: 396
Date: October 1 2014
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.25
Read: September 28 to October 1 2016

In 2010, a specific case came before a California district court – a case focused on California’s Proposition 8. In attendance was a specific individual without legal training, though with a graduate degree. Four years later, a book appeared titled ‘Barring Complications.’ That book was about a fight before the U.S. Supreme Court that argued the constitutionality of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).

On that Supreme Court was a specific justice, the ‘newest’ justice on the bench. Rumors float about her, but she’s never confirmed these rumors – that she’s a lesbian. This would be Justice Victoria Willoughby. Something like 20 years before the start of this book, this same woman attended a specific law school – at which school she developed a relationship with one Genevieve Fornier.

Then and now, Genevieve was an out and proud lesbian. At the time, Victoria wasn’t. And, as already noted, Victoria’s orientation isn’t exactly known now either. Still, they had a connection and both wished to be in a relationship.

Then Genevieve sent in a particular letter to the editor about a specific incident – including words indicating something along the lines of ‘as a lesbian myself I . . .’. Genevieve was quite happy with herself. And saw a bright future. Victoria did not see things the same way. She angrily severed all communications immediately.

Twenty or so years passed. Genevieve is a high flying successful lawyer, and new head of HER (I forget now the specific name behind the letters, though in effect it’s a group fighting for women’s rights, and, potentially (I forget now), specifically lesbian rights). This part, the HER part, matters. Because three organizations, all of which are linked to LGBT, backed a case against DOMA. Their clients were people legally married in a state wherein same sex marriage was legal.

That matter, or the case, is now on the Supreme Court docket. The justices agree to hear the case. Arguments appear immediately, in the media, about whether or not Victoria should recuse herself – for lesbian reasons. Unknown to those calling for this rucusal would be the part wherein one of the lawyers arguing in the Supreme Court would be an ex-girlfriend – one Genevieve Fornier.

Great love was, apparently, felt between Genevieve and Victoria. Their lives were shaped by their decisions and their desires – Victoria’s desire to get on the Supreme Court (expressed while in law school), and Genevieve’s desire to be both openly lesbian and defend and/or argue for the rights of the LGBT community. Plus, when their relationship dissolved, because Victoria didn’t think a lesbian could make it onto the bench and her girlfriend, at the time, was way too open about herself, both (though more Genevieve) made career decisions to attempt to stick clear of the other.

Less than 1 year after this book appeared (roughly 7 or 8 months), arguments were heard before the US Supreme Court in the case of ‘Obergefell v. Hodges’. Argued April 28 2015. Decided June 26 2015. Meaning that this book had roughly 6 to 7 months to ‘live’ before becoming outdated. That statement is not to be taken as a spoiler – any fictional decision in the book would become ‘outdated’ by real events.

I mention that because I had that thought while reading the book. I liked the two main characters. It’d be interesting to see them in future works. Except . . . they are trapped in a universe that doesn’t match our own, while matching it too well to be seen as some kind of alternate realm. Any future work would be hampered by involving people whose history did not match reality.

It took me 3 or 4 days to get around to writing something in the review box, and I come up with this here. Well, it was a thought I had while reading the book. I read this book because it looked interesting and because 15 days before I started it, I’d read a book that involved an attempt to put a lesbian law school dean onto the Supreme Court (Carsen Taite’s ‘Courtship’). And here we had a lesbian Supreme Court justice hearing a case on the Supreme Court. Seemed fitting and linked somehow.

Hmm. A fire has broken out in my building so I’ll have to depart for now.

October 4 2016

Requiem for Immortals by Lee Winter

Requiem for Immortals
by Lee Winter
Pages: 295
Date: August 17 2016
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Series: None

Review
Rating: 3
Read: October 1 2016

I was, tentatively, excited about this book. But what I was looking for and expecting wasn't there (a hard nosed assassin assassinating people; what I got was someone with a mommy complex who failed to do the job given to her).

I didn't need or want the change in POV. The icky lust for mommy was off putting (sure, not biological mother but still icky). The issue of accidentally targeting the wrong person was vaguely not believe able - at least not for this super assassin.

The various sex scenes were also borderline icky. Especially the one in public with the other assassin during a fight scene.