The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott.

Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (Book 3)
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Ember; Reprint edition (April 27, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0385735308




Goodreads Review:

Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent—the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.

If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic—Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane.

From the  beginning to the very last page... you cannot put this book down for very long!
The story of Perenelle, or, Mrs Nicholas Flamel, as she is known emerges ...

Little is known about Perenelle, but I promise you that you will know a lot more about her afer this book.  You may think she's a side character.. but I promise you this, she is a force to reckon with. (If you can)

There are so many lesser characters that are fascinating.  The descriptions and "personalities"  of each is worth reading about.  Who does Perenelle trust... if anyone at all?  And in all the happenings going on with Nicholas and the twins and the almost hopelessness of Perenelle, there's the love story of Perenelle and Nicolas.  Wow.  It doesn't get much better than this!

Don't miss this series! Don't miss Michael Scott! 

The Magician (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

Venture Forth in Summer Reading..  #VentureForth2020

 
The Magician (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott.

• Publisher: Delacorte Press (June 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008GZXD5A

Review from: Children's Book and Media Review:

Josh and Sophie Newman are now in Paris with Scatty and Nicholas. The more Nicholas uses his magic, the faster he ages. If they don't get the Book back, Nicholas will die in a few weeks. Not only are they being chased by Dr. John Dee, but also the immortal Niccolo Machiavelli—both very dangerous men with Dark Elders on their side. This unique bunch of people find shelter and food from a former student of Nicholas. The Comte de Saint-Germain and his wife Joan of Arc. Josh still doesn't trust Nicholas, but he and Sophie have nowhere to go. Sophie is still learning to control her newly Awakened powers, and with the help of Joan and Saint-Germain teaching her the magic of fire, Sophie is starting to understand how dangerous it can be to have magic. Dee and Machiavelli set in motion a plan to capture the twins with a mythical creature the Nidhogg. Little do they realize that Josh has the twin of Excalibur, Clarent. Josh fights off the Nidhogg and runs after it as the Nidhogg attempts to escape with Scatty in its claws. Josh eventually defeats it and willingly goes with Dee and Machiavelli to have his powers awakened. He is awakened by the God that Sleeps, or more well known as Mars. Sophie and Nicholas rescue Josh and flee to London. While all this is happening, Perenelle has defeated the Morrigan at Alcatraz and is now in league with the spider Elder, coming up with a plan to stop Dee from bringing the Dark Elders back into the world.

Book 2 From The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel...

If you like fast moving books... this series is for you!  There is always something happening with one or more of the Characters. The book is hard to put down, but then, all of this series is written the same way... Fast and furious!

I love all the characters, the real ones, the mythical ones and the ones that came out of Michael's mind along the story line and all he had to be sure was correct information along with the fantasy part. 

These books are listed as "young adults" but I am 76 and enjoying them for the second time!!

Michael Scott has written many other books but this series is my favorite.!

Thank you Michael!  And I wish you would write a few more short stories about some of the other character and put them together in another book!!

  

Writer extraordinar  : Michael Scott.

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

Venture Forth:  novel that is part of a series

#VentureForth2020



The Alchemyst ( the Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott.



Good Reads Review.

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.


This is not the first time I have read this book . (grin)  I read it, and the rest of the series years ago.  I believe I bought the first 3 books and then  had to wait each YEAR for the next book. 

While waiting,  the author, Michael Scott happened to leave a comment on my blog about it. From that time on I pestered him to write faster, and to not let anything happen to Nicholas Flamel!

I love this series.  I love that I have the original covers.  And I love Michael Scott's writing, and I love Michael Scott .  He has written many other books but this series always has won my heart.

  

Writer extraordinar  : Michael Scott.

Books At Home

Books at Home hosted by Reader in the Wilderness.

These are books on shelves, either read, or waiting to be read.............



1......On the top is Neverland by Piers  Dudgan.  (new cover)
         

          The untold story behind Peter Pan: The shocking account of J. M. Barrie's abuse and exploitation of the du Maurier family.

In his revelatory Neverland, Piers Dudgeon tells the tragic story of J. M. Barrie and the Du Maurier family. Driven by a need to fill the vacuum left by sexual impotence, Barrie sought out George du Maurier, Daphne du Maurier’s grandfather (author of the famed Trilby), who specialized in hypnosis. Barrie’s fascination and obsession with the Du Maurier family is a shocking study of greed and psychological abuse, as we observe Barrie as he applies these lessons in mind control to captivate George’s daughter Sylvia, his son Gerald, as well as their children―who became the inspiration for the Darling family in Barrie’s immortal Peter Pan.

2..... Touchstone by Laurie R King.

It’s eight years after the Great War shattered Bennett Grey’s life, leaving him with an excruciating sensitivity to the potential of human violence, and making social contact all but impossible. Once studied by British intelligence for his unique abilities, Grey has withdrawn from a rapidly changing world—until an American Bureau of Investigation agent comes to investigate for himself Grey’s potential as a weapon in a vicious new kind of warfare. Agent Harris Stuyvesant desperately needs Grey’s help entering a world where the rich and the radical exist side by side—a heady mix of the powerful and the celebrated, among whom lurks an enemy ready to strike a deadly blow at democracy on both sides of the Atlantic.
Here, among a titled family whose servants dress in whimsical costumes and whose daughter conducts an open affair with a man who wants to bring down the government, Stuyvesant finds himself dangerously seduced by one woman and—even more dangerously—falling in love with another. And as he sifts through secrets divulged and kept, he uncovers the target of a horrifying conspiracy, and wonders if he can trust his touchstone, Grey, to reveal the most dangerous player of all ….

3.....Chariots of the Gods by Erich Von Daniken.  (original cover)
 

 

The startling book that asks: Did astronauts visit the earth 40,000 years ago? Is there evidence of a prehistoric airfield in the Andes? Did extraterrestrial beings help set up the giant stone faces that brood over Easter Island? And other earth mysteries unanswerable until our own space age.

 
4.....  Oscar Wild and the Candlelight Murders by Gyles Brandreth.
 

When Wilde discovers a murdered teenage rent boy, his naked corpse surrounded by guttering candles and incense, he enlists the help of his friend Arthur Conan Doyle to convince reluctant police inspector Aidan Fraser to investigate. They unveil a tangled web of underground male prostitution and vice in fin-de-siècle London.
Despite its premise, the book is not as suspenseful as one might expect, being so firmly, almost hagiographically, focused on Wilde, rather than on the unfolding mystery. The author delights in quoting Wilde’s witticisms and paints a very affectionate portrait. Unfortunately the other characters suffer in comparison—even Conan Doyle appears a pale shadow—and the female characters are so badly drawn, they border on the farcical.
The power of a successful murder mystery rests on the depth and intelligence of its villain. In this book, the murderer is so unconvincing that the entire dénouement falls flat. Not even Wilde’s most delicious bon mot can save the day.

 
5..... I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy.
 

First time in trade paperback: the memoir by the late Leonard Nimoy, best remembered for his portrayal as everyone's favorite Vulcan, Spock, in Star Trek, the TV series and films.
Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of the ever-logical Vulcan, Mr. Spock, is one of the most recognizable, loved, and pervasive characterizations in popular culture. He had been closer to the phenomenon of Star Trek than anyone, having played the pivotal role of Spock in the original series, in six motion pictures, and in a special two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I AM SPOCK gives us Nimoy's unique perspective on the beginnings of the Star Trek phenomenon, on his relationship with his costars, and particularly on the reaction of the pointed-eared alien that Nimoy knew best.
Here, Nimoy shared the true story behind his perceived reticence to re-create the role and wrote frankly about how his portrayal defined an icon.

 
6..... To The Stars by George Takei.
 

From the program’s birth in the changing world of the 1960s and death at the hands of the network to its rebirth in the hearts and minds of loyal fans, the Star Trek story has blazed its own path into our recent cultural history, leading to a series of blockbuster feature films and three new versions of Star Trek for television.
The Star Trek story is one of boundless hope and crushing disappointment, wrenching rivalries and incredible achievements. It is also the story of how, after nearly thirty years, the cast of characters from a unique but poorly rated television show have come to be known to millions of Americans and people around the world as family.
For George Takei, the Star Trek adventure is intertwined with his personal odyssey through adversity in which four-year-old George and his family were forced by the United States government into internment camps during World War II.
Star Trek means much more to George Takei than an extraordinary career that has spanned thirty years. For an American whose ideals faced such a severe test, Star Trek represents a shining embodiment of the American Dream—the promise of an optimistic future in which people from all over the world contribute to a common destiny.

7..... Beam Me Up, Scotty by James Doohan.
 

The actor who brought to life Star Trek's engineering officer Montgomery Scott discusses his army service during World War II, his career, and relationships with his co-stars

 
8..... Chekov's Enterprise by Walter Koenig.
 

The actor who portrays Lieutenant Pavel Chekov of the Starship Enterprise describes his experiences and provides portraits of fellow actors during the filming of the Star trek movie based on the popular television series.

 
 
9..... Buck Alice & The Actor Robot by Walter Koenig.  (look at "new and used)

From a distant world the invaders came. In their wake nearly all of the human population is disintegrated. Now survivors, both human and alien, trudge through this wasteland. Some are aimless, others purposeful, but all cling to survival and their own sanity, unaware their fates are intertwined. ...

 
 
10.... Warped Factors by Walter Koenig.
 

The actor best known for his work on the Star Trek television series and films traces his life and career and offers his perspective on the success and evolution of Star Trek

 
11.... The View From the Bridge by Nicholas Meyer.
 

When Nicholas Meyer was asked to direct the troubled second Star Trek film, he was something less than a true believer. A bestselling author and successful director, he had never been a fan of the TV series. But as he began to ponder the appeal of Kirk, Spock, et al., he realized that their story was a classical nautical adventure yarn transplanted into space and-armed with that insight-set out on his mission: to revitalize Trek.

 
12... From Sawdust to Stardust by Terry Lee Rioux.
 

In the forty-year history of Star Trek®, none of the television show's actors are more beloved than DeForest Kelley. His portrayal of Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the southern physician aboard the Starship Enterprise™, brought an unaffected humanity to the groundbreaking space frontier series.
Jackson DeForest Kelley came of age in Depression-era Georgia. He was raised on the sawdust trail, a preacher's kid steeped in his father's literal faith and judgment. But De's natural artistic gifts called him to a different way, and a visit to California at seventeen showed a bright new world.
Theater and radio defined his early career -- but it was a World War II training film he made while serving in the Army Air Corps that led to his first Paramount Studios contract.
After years of struggle, his lean, weathered look became well known in notable westerns and television programs such as You Are There and Bonanza. But his work on several pilots for writer-producer Gene Roddenberry changed his destiny and the course of cultural history.
This thoroughly researched actor's life is about hard work and luck, loyalty and love. It is a journey that takes us all...from sawdust to stardust.

The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy

The Nine of Us: Growing up Kennedy by Jean Kennedy Smith.


Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (October 25, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0062444220




Amazon Review:

In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. "Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?" "How would you address this horrible drought?" "What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedy's into who they would become.

Before Joe and Rose’s children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, deep love of country, and intense appreciation for the sacrifices their ancestors made to come to America. "No whining in this house!" was their father’s regular refrain. It was his way of reminding them not to complain, to be grateful for what they had, and to give back.
In her remarkable memoir, Kennedy Smith—the last surviving sibling—revisits this singular time in their lives. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and vignettes, and illustrated with dozens of family pictures, The Nine of Us vividly depicts this large, close-knit family during a different time in American history. Kennedy Smith offers indelible, elegantly rendered portraits of her larger-than-life siblings and her parents. "They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life," she writes. "We were lucky children indeed."


This was an interesting point of view from the second to the youngest of the 9 children of Joe and Rose Kennedy. 

If you have read other books on any of the Kennedy's you might think things were left out or realize that this is how the youngest girl in a large family saw things.  With so many older siblings  to  help take care of the younger children  I found it must have been nice to have such a large family.

It's a small book and fast reading with many photographs throughout the book. For a person with much better eyes than mine this book can be read in one or two days.


It seems that the 2 most "political" people I read about are the Kennedy's and the Roosevelt's. 

Books At Home

Books at Home hosted by Reading in the Wilderness.

Another shelf full of books.. imagine that!  All of the reviews are from Amazon, as are the links.

So.. on the left side we begin with 1: The Star Trek Reader II, by James Blish.

James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, most notably the Cities in Flight series, and A Case of Conscience, for which he won a Hugo Award. He also was a highly respected critic, and his criticism in collected in the books The Issue at Hand, and More Issues at Hand, (published under the pen name of William Atheling, Jr.). Using the original scripts, which sometimes differed from the final filmed episode, Blish turned each episode of the original Star Trek into a short story, which were collected into anthologies and published as paperback originals. 

The Star Trek Reader collects three of these anthologies: Star Trek 1, Star Trek 4, and Star Trek 9. The episodes present include Charlie's Law; Dagger of the Mind; The Unreal McCoy; Balance of Terror; The Naked Time; Miri; The Conscience of the King; All Our Yesterdays; The Devil in the Dark; Journey to Babel; The Menagerie; The Enterprise Incident; A Piece of the Action; Return to Tomorrow; The Ultimate Computer; That Which Survives; Obsession; The Return of the Archons; and The Immunity Syndrome.


2: Pathway to the Gods by Erich Von Daniken.

A spaceport in the Andes! A computer chart in Egyptian ruins! Primitive sculptures of figures wearing space suits! Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods stunned the world with the archaeological discovery that alien beings once colonized earth.
 Now, in Pathways to the Gods, von Däniken reveals the story of his travels following the trail of the ancient visitors---from the technologically sophisticated stone ruins in the Bolivian Andes to the sensational Sanskrit descriptions of space battles in Calcutta---new proof of von Däniken's startling theory that man descended from the stars!

3: Chariots of the Gods by Erich Von Daniken.

The startling book that asks: Did astronauts visit the earth 40,000 years ago? Is there evidence of a prehistoric airfield in the Andes? Did extraterrestrial beings help set up the giant stone faces that brood over Easter Island? And other earth mysteries unanswerable until our own space age.


4: A Trilogy: Shadow Raiders/  Storm Raiders/ The Seventh Sigil by Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes.

Shadow Raiders:

The known world floats upon the Breath of God, a thick gas similar to Earth's oceans, with land masses accessible by airship. The largest of these land masses are ruled by the rival empires of Freya and Rosia. Magic is intrinsic to the functioning of these societies, and is even incorporated into their technological devices. But now a crucial scientific discovery has occurred that could destroy the balance of power-and change the empires forever.

 
5. Storm Riders:

In a magical world, two enemy kingdoms have long sought a weapon that will win lasting dominance. But then both are attacked by the Bottom-Dwellers, bitter people whose own land was destroyed. Using contramagic strengthened by blood sacrifice, they threaten to bring down whole cities. Freya and Rosia must put aside their age-old conflict to defend themselves. As the Bottom-Dwellers' contramagic eats away the magic of the dragons that protects the world above, a former dragon-riding hero gathers a new dragon brigade, the one desperate hope of the two kingdoms to defeat the fiends who threaten their world. The new dragon brigade's high-flying heroics will be to no avail, though, unless they can uncover forbidden knowledge, long hidden by the Church.

 
 
6. The Seventh Sigil:

Five hundred years ago, a clan of rebels was banished to the bottom of the enchanted world of Aeronne; ever since, these Bottom Dwellers have sought revenge, and now they are waging all-out war on the rest of humanity. Their deadly "contramagic" beams destroy buildings and attack naval airships, and their demonic drumming brings terrible storms and disrupts the magic of the people and dragons Above. The attack of their full contramagic power will create a magical armageddon.

In an effort to prevent further death, Captain Stephano de Guichen leads the Dragon Brigade, taking the fight to the Bottom. But strength of arms alone will not be enough to conquer their foe.

As the Bottom Dwellers' blood magic eats away at the world, those Above realize their only possible defense lies in the heretical secrets of contramagic. Loyal priests must decide whether to protect the Church, or risk its destruction in pursuit of the truth.



7: The Icewind Dale Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore.

Icewind Dale. Windswept passes and forbidding glaciers stand at the top of the world. Below them, in the cold valleys, an evil force broods: the magic of Crenshinibon, the crystal shard.

Now dwarf, barbarian, and drow elf join to battle this evil. Tempered in the furnace of struggle, they form an unbreakable friendship.
A legend is born.

For the first time in one volume, here is New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore's adventure that introduced Drizzt Do'Urden, the heroic dark elf, one of the most beloved characters in fantasy literature.



8: The Mammoth Book of Victorian & Edwardian Ghost Stories edited by Richard Dalby.

Gathers forty of the best English and American ghost stories from the genre's golden age of 1839 to 1910, including works by Charles Dickens, Bram Stoker, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Ambrose Bierce. Original.



9: Vanishing Cornwall by Daphne du Maurier.

'There was a smell in the air of tar and rope and rusted chain, a smell of tidal water. Down harbour, around the point, was the open sea. Here was the freedom I desired, long sought-for, not yet known. Freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone . . . I for this, and this for me.'

Daphne du Maurier lived in Cornwall for most of her life. Its rugged coastline, wild terrain and tumultuous weather inspired her imagination, and many of her works are set there, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek.

In Vanishing Cornwall she celebrates the land she loved, exploring its legends, its history and its people, eloquently making a powerful plea for Cornwall's preservation.



10:  Cheech Isn't My Real Name But Don't Call me Chong by Cheech Marin.

The long-awaited memoir from a counterculture legend.

Cheech Marin came of age at an interesting time in America and became a self-made counterculture legend with his other half, Tommy Chong. This insightful memoir delves into how Cheech dodged the draft, formed one of the most successful comedy duos of all time, became the face of the recreational drug movement with the film Up in Smoke, forged a successful solo career with roles in The Lion King and, more recently, Jane the Virgin, and became the owner of the most renowned collection of Chicano art in the world.

Written in Cheech's uniquely hilarious voice, this memoir will take you to new highs.
 
 
11: The Parade's Gone By by Kevin Brownlow.
 

 

Because so many films of the silent era have been lost or are damaged or projected at the wrong speed (24fps instead of 16fps) the general public's notion of them is a bit skewed. Kevin Brownlow's love of film, and especially the Silent Films, brought forth this invaluable book published in the 1960s. He was able to interview many of the pioneers of the film industry while they were still alive--at a time when so many had already been forgotten by both the public & their own industry. Digital restoration of early silent films has now shown us how well-made & beautifully photographed many of them were. It's a shame this book is out of-print, but film lovers & future filmmakers alike will find it enthralling & educational.

Ruler of the Night

 
A novel that is part of a series....

 #VentureForth2020



Ruler of the Night by David Morrell.

Series: Thomas and Emily De Quincey (3) (Book 3)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Mulholland Books; Reprint edition (November 28, 2017)
ISBN-10: 0316307912



 Amazon Review;

The notorious Opium-Eater returns in the sensational climax to David Morrell's acclaimed Victorian mystery trilogy.

1855. The railway has irrevocably altered English society, effectively changing geography and fueling the industrial revolution by shortening distances between cities: a whole day's journey can now be covered in a matter of hours. People marvel at their new freedom.

But train travel brings new dangers as well, with England's first death by train recorded on the very first day of railway operations in 1830. Twenty-five years later, England's first train murder occurs, paralyzing London with the unthinkable when a gentleman is stabbed to death in a safely locked first-class passenger compartment.

In the next compartment, the brilliant opium-eater Thomas De Quincey and his quick-witted daughter, Emily, discover the homicide in a most gruesome manner. Key witnesses and also resourceful sleuths, they join forces with their allies in Scotland Yard, Detective Ryan and his partner-in-training, Becker, to pursue the killer back into the fogbound streets of London, where other baffling murders occur. Ultimately, De Quincey must confront two ruthless adversaries: this terrifying enemy, and his own opium addiction which endangers his life and his tormented soul.

Ruler of the Night is a riveting blend of fact and fiction which, like master storyteller David Morrell's previous De Quincey novels, "evokes Victorian London with such finesse that you'll hear the hooves clattering on cobblestones, the racket of dustmen, and the shrill calls of vendors" (Entertainment Weekly).



This is the third book by David Morrell which features Thomas De Quincey.... and I wish there were more!

Since many of his books have been made into movies it makes me wonder who would play De Quincey??  But these are not new books so I am guessing they will never be made into movies.. But if they were.. I'd go see them!

The "character" of De Quincey is so strange, that for the life of me I couldn't figure out how he came up with such an odd, but excellent, character.  Then I found out he was a real person!  Thomas De Quincey The English Opium Eater... wow..  of course the books are fiction, but he brilliantly used him as the main character in these 3 books. 

I certainly recommend these books.  Murder as a Fine Art, Inspector of the Dead,  and this one, Ruler of the Night.  If you like Murder Mysteries and Old England in the 1800's... you will love these books!