This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at
The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.
I have finally made it back. It has been a tough two weeks. The loss of someone so unexpected is numbing and surreal. Thank you all for being patient with me.
Below is a list of the stash I received the past couple of weeks.
I received
Based on Availability by Alix Strauss courtesy of
Librarything early reviewers
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (June 8, 2010)
Synopsis: Based Upon Availability is the story of eight women, each exploring the basic need for human connection while seeking to understand themselves better. They are lonely, strong and driven women who, when pushed to the edge, must fight for their lives as they struggle to become the women they wish to be.
Meet Trish, a gallery owner struggling to deal with the wedding and the dramatic weight loss of her best friend, changes that lead her down a self-destruction path; Robin, a realtor, who, after experiencing a lifetime of abuse by her older sister, is forced to take revenge; Anne, a lonely, single woman who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and searches for normalcy and love; Louise, a drug-addicted rock star, who is sent away to dry out by her just as famous publicist; Franny, a Southerner turned wanna-be
Manhattanite, who is envious of her neighbors’ lives and their nesting habits and becomes unhealthily attached to them; Sheila, a single teacher who is driven to punish her boyfriend when he informs her he’s returning to his wife; and Ellen, a married, childless woman so desperate to have children she insists she’s pregnant.
Morgan, a manager at the swanky Four Seasons in Manhattan—who is haunted by the memory of her dead sister—is the thread who weaves these women together. The hotel offers sanctuary to each—for an hour, for several days—and while some find solace, others find only despair.
Based Upon Availability examines the walls we put up as we attempt intimacy, while inspecting the ruins once they're knocked down.
Remembering the Ladies by Ann Covell
Synopsis:
WHERE DID INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK COME FROM?
During the period of the 2008 American presidential election, when the whole world was held spellbound, I overheard a group of British college students discussing their latest study project. They were required to write an essay comparing any modern American First Lady with one who had served within the first century of the presidency. They quickly discovered that the early First Ladies lived in a complex world and that their role in that era was difficult. Pulling the overwhelming jigsaw of facts together from
internet research was proving to be laborious and wearisome. The students would have preferred one compilation of First Ladies stories from the 19th century, which could be discussed with each other and /or their tutor at anytime, anywhere. Enthusiasm for the project was dampened by an apparent dearth of such volumes and by the lack of time available to study long individual biographies. The idea for this compendium was born!
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
In this 21st century, America's First Lady is as well known as her husband due to world-wide modern technology. In the 19th century, however, it was difficult for the public to even know who the president's wife was. Even today it is not easy to call to mind those pioneering First Ladies, many of whom were burdened with more than their fair share of misfortune and some almost forgotten
This book provides an insight into the lives of the 19th century First Ladies, in an undemanding, easy-to-read style, and aims to raise awareness of the historical significance of these women. Their abridged stories, sometimes joyful, sometimes sad, range from slavery, bigamy, duels, royal snubs, European conflicts, American wars, assassinations and suffrage, and demonstrate how the Ladies might be seen as victims of history. The text includes a basic review of the restricted evolution of the First Lady role during the first hundred years. The aim is that the book will encourage foundational study in colleges and schools, and inspire anyone who is interested in presidential history to deeper levels of publications and study.
Sophie Redesigned by Karen
Dahood
A Sophie and Sam Mystery
Synopsis:
Why Not Live Dangerously For a Change? She knows she's smart, but she's bored. When Sophie meets "Sam," a
pre-Internet police detective who depends on her professional skills at the
Dorado Bay Public Library, she decides to retire and go freelance. He's reluctant to hire her as a consulting researcher until she beats him to the murder scene and know the victim. They awkwardly proceed to solve the crime with opposing techniques, uncovering a decades-old killing corporation and a religious cult, all in the same dysfunctional family.
Sophie Redesigned is the first in a series of Sophie and Sam collaborations to solve crimes committed under Sophie's sharp nose for trouble. Elder issues drive the plots while family ties are tested, including Sophie's relationship with her son Robin, who thinks "active retirement" should not mean sneaking around the country for clues. Then there's the problem of growing warmth between two senior citizens who are past their romantic prime. Or are they?
Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio
Sirias
Got this for a book tour in June. Check back June 16th for the tour.
Synopsis:
The year is 1980, and the
Sandinistas are newly in power in Nicaragua. Bernardo Martinez, a modest, unassuming tailor in the town of
CuapaSirias's sweeping novel tells many stories, weaving together the true account of this humble, devout man with the moving and often humorous fictional tales of the people whom he influenced and inspired. It is also a stormy epic of Nicaragua through the long Somoza years and the Sandinista revolution.
