the Witch of Portabellois completed and finished well. It’s a dry read at times but poignant at this time- socially, and in my life as it’s a time of change and people in and out, new ideas and experiences, changes in geography and culture.

i give it a good recommendation.

 now, i’ve begun the Ice Queen…this author [alice hoffman] is favored by the author of the tenth circle, jodi picoult. it’s really gripping so far, very dynamic, multi-faceted and well written in terms structure and content for that matter.

The Ice Queen refers to the unnamed protagonist in Alice Hoffman’s novel, a New Jersey librarian who carries a scarred past and prefers books to people. She wishes to be struck by lightning, and when it happens, it damages her so that her heart beats slower and she can longer see the color red. She moves to Florida to be closer to her brother, a meteorologist who studies lightning. She joins a study of lightning-strike survivors, and feels drawn to Lazarus Jones, who was dead for 40 minutes after his lightning strike. Lazarus is her opposite, he only feels heat and can burn with just a touch. They begin a torrid after, her ice with his heat, and in the process they must deal with the secrets in their past. The Ice Queen has received positive reviews with the Chicago Sun-Times saying “Within The Ice Queen, however, she defines the difference between lightning and magic: ‘Magic makes sense. Lightning does not.’ At the same time, she explores the consequences of both with luminous clarity. It is a stunning feat.”

http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/ice_queen/