The Book Nook

As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner

2011-09-15T15:39:00.002-04:00

Faulkner's style is perfection itself. In As I Lay Dying Faulkner extended the experimentation with narrative that he started in the Sound and the Fury. With 59 segments and 15 narrative voices, As I Lay Dying is complex and compelling.

The story begins with an illness that leads to death, followed by the experiences of the family immediately following the death. Their incites, often differing, keep the story moving forward but with a unique quality. This is life-simplicity overlayed with complexity.

As I Lay Dying is poetic. I couldn't put the book down and finished in one day and an evening. Faulkner never disappoints me. If you have not sampled Faulkner, this is a most! Absolutely on my favorites list and will be read many times.

5 stars!

Soft Southern Dreams

2011-09-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

I have been haunted lately by dreams of warm, honeyed southern nights, and there were some, I remember them. I remember sitting out on a lounge chair in the front yard, sipping tea, listening to the cicadas. I remember gentle breezes and the bubble of the creek down the hill.

I have exiled myself from the deep south for more than half my life but it colors every inch of my life. One never truly escapes the south, not that I wanted to escape it. I just couldn't seem to find space for me there. I wasn't the pretty one, that was my older sister, I wasn't the smart one, that was my younger sister. I guess I never really had definition. I kept my soul to myself.

The south comes back to me in dreams-the graceful old house with the long front porch, two to three stories, and an enclosed porch on the back. Old comfy furniture, and plenty of books. This is often accompanied by the elderly lady wearing her old mink stole. We sip tea and talk about the past. She is obviously a cross between my mamaw and my Grandma Durkee. The two women I admire most. They were very different but equally graceful.

Last night I dreamed I was living in that house. The elderly lady owned it of course, and helped me find a beautiful, quaint building in which to open my bookstore. My dream life. The one I never had. I often think about living that life through writing the story.

All of this has gotten me in the mood for a deep, soft, southern story. I am heading off today to The Book Escape on Light Street in Baltimore to find one. Mine are still packed in boxes for the most part, either at the storage facility or still in the house in New Jersey. I have read many books since moving back to Baltimore and will be writing you about them soon. But today the south is calling me. "Carolina on my mind"

Musings: Books and things

2011-05-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

This beautiful site is one of the many views that make my transition back to Baltimore and city living so wonderful. I love taking walks around the harbor and to the top of Federal Hill and just enjoying being outdoors in the city. So much has changed in the past year.

On April 30th last year I lost a very good friend. It was so unexpected and took the wind out of my sails. This year I look back on our time together and remember him with so much love. Brian was a beautiful soul and he is blessed to be with God. I will always miss him. Much love is to my dear friend Leigh and the boys!

Shortly after this there were changes in my husband's job that forced us to look at even more change. We began the long process of looking for new opportunities and facing the reality of new beginnings.

Of course our beautiful daughter gave us a beautiful gift that helped to balance out the dryness of summer last year.

Our youngest son moved on campus, our oldest son left for Marine boot camp, our daughter and her husband moved into their own home and promptly gave us our baby girl. So much change! All of this was followed by our move to Baltimore. Can you say big year?!

Now here we are a year later and we are finally beginning to settle into our new life. God has been good through all of this. I am going to start a new job next week-not teaching. The atmosphere for education has become so dismal in the US that being a teacher is well less than great. So I am moving on reluctantly. The new job is exciting and very different. I am looking forward to getting back to work.

Through all of this change I have continued to read but not really updated my blog. Sorry. I can only say that I was overwhelmed with everything going on. I have listed a few of the books I have been reading and posted a few reviews. Today I want to share some of the great reads that have seen me through the turmoil of last year.

During the summer I sat on my deck and contemplated life a great deal while delving into the works of Proust. It was comforting and distracting to imagine a quiet life in the Provence of France. I can only describe the work as Beautiful! Slow moving and gentle.

Kate Carlisle

Then I breezed through a stack of cozy mysteries for the fall. They were light and fun, easy to get in and out of while making heavy decisions about our move and packing. Kate Carlisle blessed me with an advanced copy of her fall release, as did Laura Childs. They were wonderful works. Love cozy mysteries.

When I arrived in Baltimore early this year I began to pull some of the ARC's that I had not gotten to yet and work through those. Andrew Taylor's wonderful book The Anatomy of Ghosts, Queen of Your Life, and others. I read and posted the review for Bruno, Chief of Police. Good times!

I had a Laura Lippman book that I had bought ages ago sitting on my TBR stack that I finally pulled off the shelf. What the Dead Know, set in Baltimore, was a great introduction back to charm city. I had such fun keeping up with the setting. I had eaten several times at the Bel Loc Diner during our visits to Baltimore while looking for a place to live, so it was a delight when the detective went for breakfast there early in the book. This was a delightful book that made me enamored with Laura Lippman. I recently bid on a package of 10 signed copies of her newest book that included a visit to your local book club meeting. I didn't win sorry to say but I am still enjoying her books. I began reading from the beginning her Tess Monaghan series. I am on Number 7 in the series now.

And yes I finally found a book club! It is a wine and book club which is perfect for me. The first meeting I attended we read and discussed Room by Emma Donoghue. Great book, quick read, only 210 pages. I read it on my Nook. I missed the May meeting where James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia was discussed. I read the book but am not generally drawn to the film noir novels. Next up for our club is a favorite Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. It will be great to not only discuss the book but how the movie, one of my favorites, differs from the book. I love the variety of reads that are picked and discussed. It keeps you from getting stuck in one direction and missing so many other great books.

And the big accomplishment, I finished the first volume or Part One of Don Quixote. I will be starting the second part soon. The book is a slow start, even with the windmill incident, but I am glad I kept going. It is a magnificent book. I can certainly see where Shakespeare was intrigued. Love the book.

I am still working on my summer reading list. How about you? What are you planning to read this summer? I have added Mildred Pierce by James Cain. So many options!

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

2011-03-26T13:18:00.002-04:00

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

Pub. Date: April 2010
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Format: Paperback , 288pp (Also available in Nook and Kindle format)
Series: Vintage Series
ISBN-13: 9780307454690
ISBN: 030745469X

Benoit Courréges, aka Bruno, lives in a small village in the South of France. Bruno, a policeman in the village, embraces country life, shopping at the local market, distilling his own vin de noix, and enjoying great food with great friends. His most difficult work usually involves helping local farmers avoid the E.U. inspectors and the fines they impose.

Murder interrupts the quiet paces of this simple country life. A North African man who fought for the French army is the unlikely victim. In order to restore order to this quiet village, Bruno must figure out who murdered this man. The investigation opens old wounds from the Nazi occupation and threatens to destroy the peace and tranquility of the village.

Review:

This title was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Walker does a great job of giving us a picture of life in a small village in Southern France. Bruno is a likable character, who is sympathetic and sensitive of the issues that are raised during his investigation.

The book is "gentle" in telling but engaging. The story unfolds rather then busting out. I don't remember which blog had made me aware of this book but I am grateful. I fell in love with the people and the village itself. I find myself wanting to move to this area and enjoy the quiet, elegant life of Southern France.

Mystery lovers will enjoy the quiet rhythms of this book. I plan to pick up other books in this series. Next one up The Dark Vineyard.

Pondering

2011-02-02T14:51:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

I have arrived in Baltimore, Md. I met my husband here almost 30 yrs ago. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary this month. Appropriate since we were married in Timonium.

It is hard work moving from a 4 bd house to a 2 bd apartment. Forced to get rid of stuff-good! The new place is coming along. I need to get the rest of my books here and figure out where I am putting them. I will be busy setting up at least one of my bookcases today. Some order at last.

I drove to NC on Monday and home on Tuesday. One of my sons just finished boot camp in Dec and MCT training. I went to his MCT graduation yesterday and watched him board a bus for the airport. He is heading to Missouri for his MOS. Cold and snowy there!

My new granddaughter is beautiful and growing.

This picture is a few months old.

I read Bruno by Martin Walker. Barely had time to read with all of the apartment hunting trips, boot camp graduation, packing, the holidays, the move. I enjoyed the book very much. Wish I could remember which blog brought it to my attention. I am now reading Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay. I found that at Barnes and Noble.

With all of the snow, sleet, freezing rain, ice-the title sounded interesting. I will be unpacking books that I have received for review this week and getting back track. I have missed reading and posting. And I have missed all of you. I will be checking in on your blogs soon.

Also, I am looking for a book club to join in the Baltimore area. I have posted on meetup so we will see what happens.

Should I pursue teaching here in Baltimore? What do you think? I am looking to get back to work. In addition to teaching, I have worked as a bookkeeper, paraprofessional for a CPA firm, and as a controller for 5 hotels in Texas. What to do? What to do?

Finally-----the sun. I was about to give up on that. The sun is shining. Oorah!

What are you reading? Is it for fun? review? education? business? self-edification?

Musings

2011-01-17T20:06:00.000-05:00

Life has a way of catching up with you. This has been a difficult year. A dear friend passed away, my daughter got married, we had our first grandchild, my oldest son left for bootcamp, my youngest son moved into a dorm and so on.

In the last month my husband interviewed and accepted a position with a new company. We will be moving to Baltimore. We have been in the process of visiting there and looking for housing. The relocation is on us of course. Our oldest son just graduated bootcamp and is now a Marine. He is home for a few days before he must leave us for more training and finally assignment to a fleet. He leaves right after Christmas. Our youngest son is coming home for winter break and must be checked out by tomorrow. My niece is visiting from SC-she is awesome. And loads of help to me.

I am going through everything in our house, throwing as much as possible away, and then beginning to pack. I must decide what to do with the animals, get the house listed and ready to sale, and prepare us to move into a smaller place. We decided as empty nesters to rent an apartment in the city for a while. That will be fun but means that we are going to move from 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, walkin closets in all bedrooms, attic, full walkout basement, garage to 2 bedrooms, 2 bath apartments. Such fun!

As you can see there are many things that are distracting me at the moment and very little reading is happening. Our life has exploded. But I will be settled into Baltimore by the middle of January-we can't keep paying for my husband to stay there during the week and travel here on weekends now can we.

I will be back to positng on a more regular basis in January and hope to participate in a book tour in February so please hang in there with me.

January update:

We are moving this week. I will be back on the air next week. Thank you for hanging in with me. Love to you all.

Review: Testimony by Anita Shreve

2010-10-28T15:42:00.002-04:00

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Publication: Little Brown

Publication Date: 10/21/2008

324 pages paperback

Jacket Synopsis:

At an exclusive New England Boarding School, a sex scandal unleashes a storm of shame and recrimination.

The men, women, and teenagers affected--among them the headmaster, struggling to contain the incident before it destroys the school; a popular student-athlete, grappling with the consequences of his mistakes; the boys mother, confronting her own forbidden temptations; and a troubled teenage girl eager to put the past behind her--speak out to relate the events of one fateful night and its aftermath.

Enter a world upended by the repercussions of a single impulsive action.....

Review:

Shreve is very good at tearing the cover off of our hidden emotions and presumptions, making us question our judgments. This was a difficult book at times and very emotional. Working with teenagers is stressful, and precarious at times, but also a delight. As I was reading this book I kept thinking about how it speaks to the fact that most teenagers (and often adults) don't realize the significance of one little act on their lives.

In this story many lives are changed forever by one impulsive act-lives lost, dreams shattered, and innocence lost. Wouldn't it be worth it to examine this idea and maybe create some understanding that even though choices were made, everyone was a victim as well as a perpetrator? Shreve makes it very clear that there are no easy answers-and maybe that it is almost entirely impossible to examine every issue that this situation uncovered.

Recently, I came across another review where Shreve was criticized for not developing a storyline that examined the young girl's underlying issues that help lead her to act out. Shreve does not make judgment statements in her work, the book shares the perspective from several of the characters involved and opens the door into the way they have personally handled the situation, and the tragedy that ensues.

The stream of consciousness flow of some of the characters made this a little bit tougher to get into at the beginning, especially that of the young girl, Sienna. But once the story got underway it was hard to put the book down. Shreve slowly led you into an understanding of who would die, and why, so that it was not a surprise. There was only one piece of information she held until the last, with few hints. Who held the camera?

Shreve's writing is terrific as usual, her characterization is believable and well done, the story is gripping, and well you definitely walk away with much to think about. I have not always been drawn into Anita Shreve's books, but when I am I find that I really enjoy it and love the questions that she leaves me with. Reading a book that makes me question some of my own presumptions is one of my favorite past times.

This is a terrific book for book clubs. So much to talk about, so much to examine. Enjoy!

I am offering one copy of Testimony by Anita Shreve. To win please leave a comment below with an email account where I can contact you. You may substitute (at) and (dot) for actual symbols. One winner will be chosen at random.

Review: The Lies That Bind by Kate Carlisle

2010-10-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

The Lies That Bind by Kate Carlisle

Publication Date: November 2, 2010
Pages: 304
Publishers: Obsidian Mystery

A Bibliophile Mystery

Jacket Synopsis:
One bookbinder. One bully. One beau. Looks like someone has got to go.....
When it comes to rare books and antiquities, Brooklyn Wainwright is a master. That's why she has returned to San Francisco to teach a bookbinding class at Bay Area Book Arts. Unfortunately, BABA director Layla Fontaine is a horrendous host who pitches fits and lords it over her subordinates. With the help of her beau, Derek Stone, Brooklyn manages to put on a brave face and endure.

But someone else is not so forgiving. Layla is found dead from a gunshot wound, and Brooklyn is bound and determined to investigate. But when Layla's past ends up intertwined with Derek's, Brooklyn realizes that the case is much more personal than she thought--and the killer might want to close the book on her for good.

Review:
I enjoy Cozy Mysteries, especially during the fall when I can curl up with a cup of hot tea, a blanket and a book. They are just plain fun.

Kate Carlisle has captured my interest with this series. I love a smart heroine. Brooklyn is smart, a little loopy at times, but fun. Although I don't really connect with the new age, guru background of her family and friends, I do find it entertaining. Brooklyn is just the right blend of likable and quirky. She stumbles into murders, worries over her karma with dead bodies, but enjoys the pursuit of the villain. Perfect match for a cozy mystery. Of course she is one lucky lady--two gorgeous men to consider. A bad boy handsome type beside a smooth, English, ex secret agent type. Yummy. Enter fun.

Carlisle includes enough details of the bookbinding process that I am intrigued. I have begun to look into taking a bookbinding class. Of course I am one of those people that can get lost in the smell of books. Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I read Jane Eyre every couple of years, not for the plot, but for the language. I love words. Bronte is one of those authors who draw me in with their proficiency in language. I love a book with great vocabulary-used correctly of course. Also grammar is important. Carlisle has a good handle on vocabulary. Her writing style is smart, and fluent. Perhaps this is why she is one of my favorite cozy mystery writers.

For all of the cozy mystery fans out there this series is definitely one you need to check out. It is fun, smart, and well written. Curl up and read away!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-10-18T00:00:00.010-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

It has been a while since I last posted this. Life interrupts.
Last week I was reading:

1. Fiber & Brimstone by Laura Child
2.Once Wicked Always Dead by T. Marie Benchley
3. everything lovely, effortless, safe by jenny hollwell

This week I am reading:

1. The Lie That Binds by Kate Carlisle

2. The Dissemblers by Liza Campbell

3. Testimony by Anita Shreve

In My Mailbox

2010-10-17T23:08:00.040-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

My summer kind of fell a part on me and it has been a very long time since I participated. I have received many books since then but I will stick to some of the more recent.

I received Testimony by Anita Shreve courtesy of Hachette Books

Pub. Date: October 2008
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Sold By: HACHETTE BOOK GROUP

Synopsis (B&N):
At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape.

A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

From Librarything Earlier Reviewers I have received the following

The Dissemblers by Liza Campbell

Paperback 200 pp
Publisher: The Permanent Press
Publication Date: October 2010

Synopsis (LT):
The Dissemblers is the story of a woman searching for greatness and beauty, only to find that neither greatness nor beauty are exactly what she thought. Ivy Wilkes always assumed she would achieve greatness as a painter. She moves to Santa Fe in search of the light and landscape that inspired her idol, Georgia O’Keeffe. At first, Ivy embraces life in the artsy desert town, working in the O’Keeffe museum by day and spending her evenings with Omar, the seductive cousin of her upstairs neighbors. But when Ivy’s own painting stagnates, she finds herself paralyzed by the fear that she will never paint anything of worth. Unable to create anything original, she begins imitating Georgia O’Keeffe’s work and is enticed by an offer to create O’Keeffe forgeries to sell on the black market. The paintings sell, but Ivy’s secrets isolate her from those she loves, who have secrets of their own. When a mysterious man appears at the museum, asking questions about O’Keeffe forgeries, Ivy’s bonds of love and friendship are tested. In her struggle to find her own artistic voice, she navigates the space between pride and guilt, love and selfishness, with devastating consequences. Rendered in concentrated prose, The Dissemblers explores themes of isolation and misunderstanding. The emotions are subtle, and the characters continually thwart their own best intentions while harboring mutually exclusive desires.

and

The Mistress of Abha by William Newton

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
(August 31, 2010)

Synopsis(LT):
The year is 1930 and the British are in Arabia. Ivor Willoughby, a young orientalist, embarks on an ambitious quest to find his father, an officer abroad with the British Army. In all Ivor's life, Robert has returned to England only once, bedraggled and wild-eyed with tales of As'ir, a land of sheikhs and white-turbaned bandits, where he is fighting alongside Captain Lawrence and is known by the name Ullobi.

After that single meeting, Robert is never heard from again. Ten years on, Ivor must find out what became of him. So he sets out on the journey of a lifetime. Traveling to Cairo to join the Locust Bureau, then circuitously to Abha, Yemen, and along the Red Sea coast, Ivor searches everywhere for clues about Ullobi, but no one appears to remember him. Or perhaps they are afraid to admit to it. Along the way Ivor hears whispers of a woman warrior called Na'ema who was once a slave. Her story seems tantalizingly connected with his father's, and Ivor finds himself in the misty heights of Ayinah looking for an Abyssinian seer who was carried on the same slave ship as Na'ema in 1914 and might unlock the mystery.

I purchased the following books:

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

Pub. Date: July 2009
Paperback: 384pp
Publisher: MIRA

Synopsis (B&N):
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.

Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler.

Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice.

Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor.

Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Pub. Date: January 2010
Hardcover: 351pp
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Synopsis (B&N):
Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Pub. Date: October 2010
Hardcover: 274pp
Publisher: William Morrow

Synopsis (B&N):
A powerful and resonant novel from Tom Franklin—critically acclaimed author of Smonk and Hell at the Breech—Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the riveting story of two boyhood friends, torn apart by circumstance, who are brought together again by a terrible crime in a small Mississippi town. An extraordinary novel that seamlessly blends elements of crime and Southern literary fiction, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a must for readers of Larry Brown, Pete Dexter, Ron Rash, and Dennis Lehane.

and Freedom A Novel by Jonathan Franzen

Pub. Date: September 2010
Hardcover: 562pp
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Synopsis (MacMillan):
Patty and Walter Berglund were the new pioneers of old St. Paul—the gentrifiers, the hands-on parents, the avant-garde of the Whole Foods generation. Patty was the ideal sort of neighbor, who could tell you where to recycle your batteries and how to get the local cops to actually do their job. She was an enviably perfect mother and the wife of Walter’s dreams. Together with Walter—environmental lawyer, commuter cyclist, total family man—she was doing her small part to build a better world.

But now, in the new millennium, the Berglunds have become a mystery. Why has their teenage son moved in with the aggressively Republican family next door? Why has Walter taken a job working with Big Coal? What exactly is Richard Katz—outré rocker and Walter’s college best friend and rival—still doing in the picture? Most of all, what has happened to Patty? Why has the bright star of Barrier Street become “a very different kind of neighbor,” an implacable Fury coming unhinged before the street’s attentive eyes?

In his first novel since The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen has given us an epic of contemporary love and marriage. Freedom comically and tragically captures the temptations and burdens of liberty: the thrills of teenage lust, the shaken compromises of middle age, the wages of suburban sprawl, the heavy weight of empire. In charting the mistakes and joys of Freedom’s characters as they struggle to learn how to live in an ever more confusing world, Franzen has produced an indelible and deeply moving portrait of our time.

Review: everything lovely, effortless, safe by Jenny Hollowell

2010-10-15T11:03:00.001-04:00

everything lovely, effortless, safe by jenny hollowell

Publisher: Holt Publishing
Publication Date: June 2010
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9119-9

A young woman caught at the turning point between success and failure hopes fame and fortune will finally let her leave her old life—and her old self—behind

Birdie Baker has always dreamed of becoming someone else. At twenty-two, she sets off to do just that. Walking out on her pastor husband and deeply evangelical parents, she leaves behind her small-town, small-time life and gets on a bus to Los Angeles.

Nine years later, Birdie's life in Hollywood is far from golden, and nothing in the intervening years—the brutal auditions, the tawdry commercials—has brought her any closer to the transformation she craves. Caught between success and failure, haunted by guilt about a tragedy in her long-forsaken family, Birdie is at the brink of collapse when she meets Lewis, a beautiful but naive young actor with his own troubled history, whose self-destructive impulses run dangerously parallel to her own.

When her big chance finally comes, Birdie must reconcile the wide-eyed girl she once was with the jaded starlet she has become and try to find herself and her future somewhere in between. Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe is the story of a young woman's struggle to make her own way in the Technicolor land of make-believe.

My Review:
I was unsure at the beginning that I would enjoy this book. The description just didn't grab me so I put it off on the back burner. But finally guilt got the best of me and I decided to jump right in to the book. Good decision on my part.

The pace is slow and you are treated to morsels of information as you move along. Jenny Hollowell has great literary talent. The book is well written and touching. There is no rush to get through this novel. It is a book that is written to be drawn in sentence by sentence, word by word, to experience the emotions and feelings and desires that each carefully chosen piece evokes.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. Definitely a book that should be added to your TBR list if you haven't gotten to it yet.

This ARC was provided by Henry Holt & Co. for an honest review.

Review: Once Wicked Always Dead by T. Marie Benchley

2010-10-15T10:40:00.005-04:00

Once Wicked Always Dead by T. Marie Benchley

Publisher: MMWE Publishing House
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Hardcover: 296 pages
ISBN: 978-0984478705

What happens when a family's darkest secrets put lives in jeopardy? How far would you go for love?

A sharp mystery that swirls with family secrets, betrayal, love and loss, Once Wicked Always Dead is a strong debut from an author with literary blood in her veins.

The story begins with Molly Madison unaware of the Sociopath who is on the loose, creating havoc with a sense of their own justice. Her life is shattered by the sudden death of her beloved parents and the revelation of her husband Phillip's affair - with another man - Molly leaves the life of country clubs and the luxury of city life in Florida and heads west to Montana, resolved to run the family ranch, and to move on with her life. Her attraction to Clayton Leatherbe, the ranch foreman, is instant, but before a romance can blossom, the ranch falls prey to sabotage by wealthy land developers determined to drive Molly out, and Clayton learns of a family secret and collides with the Sociopath that could put the ranch - and Molly's life - in jeopardy.

My Review:

I would classify this as a romance thriller. The premise was good. I enjoyed the book as I began to read, it was interesting and moved at a steady pace. Since romance is not a genre that I particularly enjoy I struggled a little when the romance picked up in the story. I was uncomfortable with the gratuitous sex scenes-just not my thing. As I said romance books are not my thing but I found plenty of other points to like about the book. It was fluent, fast-paced and entertaining. Although I did not have a hard time figuring out who the murderer was, the twist at the end made it a little more interesting. Benchley is a skilled writer and can hold your interest. I appreciate a book that is not filled with grammatical errors and has a decent vocabulary.

If you are a romance/romance thriller fan you would really enjoy the book. There is a good back story to the romance and it moves well. I was entertained and it held my interest. T. Marie is a member of the Benchley family that includes Peter Benchley of Jaws fame and American Humorist Robert Benchley.

The ARC was provided by Newman Press for an honest review.

Review: Fiber & Brimstone

2010-10-13T09:30:00.001-04:00

Fiber & Brimstone by Laura Childs (A Scrapbooking Mystery)

Publication Date: 10/5/2010
Pages: 336
Berkley Prime Crime Hardcover
Penguin Group

Halloween always draws out the ghosts and goblins in us all. New Orleans the perfect setting for the ghouls and vampires that are walking around these days, but when real corpses start making an appearance things get really scary. Carmela Bertrand and her best friend Ava Gruiex are immersed in building a monster puppet for the Monsters and Mayhem Torchlight Parade when they stumble upon the body of Brett Fowler.

Carmela's good friend Jekyl finds himself embroiled in the center of the investigation since he was heard arguing with Brett shortly before Brett's body was discovered. Having known Jekyl for years, Carmela is convinced that someone is framing him. While Brett owed Jekyl money, he owed money to many people after being indicted for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme. With so many suspects can Carmela discover the real murderer and clear Jekyl?

Review:
I love the Big Easy and the flavor but I wasn't comfortable right away with the vernacular. I adjusted rather quickly and became immersed in the story. Being a southerner myself, and one who lived for a time in the deep south I can be a little picky over the way southerners are portrayed in books. Laura Childs did this well. The story is fun and perfect for a cozy Halloween. And I must admit-for a change-it took me a while to even guess who the murderer could be.

This is the first of Laura Childs cozy mysteries that I have read but I am sure it will not be the last. Carmela is a fun, stable character while her friends Ava provides the quirkiness. Halloween is the perfect setting for a mystery. And what better place than New Orleans! In addition to the mystery the book also includes some scrapping tips as well as a few recipes. I tried one of the recipes and it was delicious: Carmela's Cajun Shrimp Bake.

If you like cozy mysteries this one will be a delight. Grab a bottle of wine, fix a plate of Shrimp, and enjoy the story.

This ARC was received from the author for an honest review.

Musings in October

2010-10-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

I may have lost a few of my friends here with my suddenly quiet blog. Major changes tend to grab us and have the power to overwhelm us. That has been the case with me at least. A little over a year ago my teaching job was eliminated-due to the current economy I have not found a replacement position. My husband may be on the verge of changing jobs-meaning a move is probably on the horizon. A dear friend died very unexpectedly, my children moved out and moved on, and I became a grandparent.

So many changes! At times I have struggled with finding my way back into the world. I love books, have always loved books, and enjoy the shared experience of discussion and exchange about books. It is one of the primary reasons that I became a teacher-to share the joy that books can give-to hopefully mentor others into become life long readers and learners. Although I talk to my former students almost daily, I miss the class time, I miss the purpose that my life had.

While none of this is an excuse for not keeping up with my blog, it is the truth behind my recent struggles. Divided attention, loss, and major life changes. Today I am finally making the call to return to my blog and work hard. Hopefully, you can forgive me and come back to share a cup of coffee and a good book.

Musings

2010-09-28T20:55:00.000-04:00

I apologize to all of you for disappearing for a while and being sporadic. So much has been going on in our lives. My daughter got married earlier this year and gave us a grandchild last month. Our youngest moved on campus 2 weeks after that and finally, our oldest son left for Marine boot camp. We are still trying to catch up with life. Next up-new job possibilities may require a move. Life is interesting.

I will be getting reviews posted soon. I have read several books and just need to post the reviews. I am finishing up the review for Laura Childs new book: Fiber & Brimstone-coming out October 10th. That will be followed shortly by Kate Carlisle's upcoming book: The Lies That Bind coming out in November. Please hang in with me.

Hope you all had a great summer. Can't wait to catch up with you!

Review: Based On Availability by Alix Strauss

2010-08-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

Based On Availability by Alix Strauss is a haunting tale of the inner lives of eight women tenuously connected. It is dark and moving with very little light.

Morgan is one of the managers of the Four Seasons in Manhattan. Haunted by the loss of her sister, she weaves in and out of the lives of the other characters in the book. The methods that Morgan uses to cope with the void left by her loss are desperate and sad.

In a moment of desperation to connect Morgan reaches out in friendship to Trish, the owner of a new art gallery in town. Trish is obsessed with her best friend's upcoming wedding and dramatic weight loss. The two will struggle to build new connections.

The women are varied in backgrounds but all have deeply hidden inner struggles that may prove to undo them. Anne, an employee of the hotel, who struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Louise who is a rock star struggling with addiction, Franny, a Southerner struggling to fit into life in Manhattan, Sheila, a teacher, and Ellen who wants so badly to be a mother, and finely Robin, who is worn down by the abuse of her sister.

Based On Availability illuminates the inner struggles that many women face. Insecurities and low self-esteem are products of this dark abyss that haunts so many women. The book can be hard to read at times because of the cimmerian existence of these women. Their fears seem to be in control much of the time.

It is not a happy read but it will haunt you and perhaps send you inward to examine your own inner fears and insecurities. Although I struggled connecting with the book and the women at the beginning I was drawn into their stories. These women will remain with you for a while after you finish the book. Enjoyed would not be quite the right word for how I experienced this book. Based On Availability was an interesting book that I do find worth recommendation.

Review: Thumbing Through Thoreau

2010-08-05T08:05:00.004-04:00

Thumbing Through Thoreau: A Book of Quotations by Henry David Thoreau Compiled by Kenny Luck/Illustrated by Jay Luke and Ren Adams

“…simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run.” P160

Thoreau is known for his urgings of man to live simply and honestly. So often we get so caught up in our possessions that we miss the everyday miracles that life bestows. Kenny Luck has put together a beautiful rendition of quotes both famous and less known that encourage us to pause and remember our journey and through our recognition of life around us to improve ourselves.

Thumbing Through Thoreau is a collection of quotations taken from Thoreau's journals, writings, and personal letters. Kenny Luck, a journalist, compiled the quotes to address a variety of subjects that include society & government, spirituality & nature, and love. The book is timely and relevant to today. It is beautifully crafted and easily accessible. As a teacher it is a book that I might use in conjunction with studies of Thoreau and Emerson in the classroom. As an admirer of Thoreau I found the book to be fresh and exciting. I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with these concepts. The book will sit nearby on my desk so that I might grab it at any moment and find inspiration for the day.

Excerpt from book's Introduction:

As I stood on the edge of Walden Pond, about to make a symbolic leap into what had become in my mind a scared place, Hawthorne’s poetic observation was not present in my thoughts. For a summer day, it was unusually cold; a light mist rose above the surface of the water; and having forgotten my towel and bathing suit at home in Pennsylvania, I was forced to strip down, making do with what I was wearing in that revealing moment. I hung my clothes on a nearby tree branch and began inching my way toward the water. It was a ritual Henry David Thoreau, one of America’s first literary giants, had performed countless times during his stay in the woods.

It was June 2007, and this was my second trip to Walden Pond. I had visited the previous summer but resolved only to walk along the shoreline, avoiding the seduction of the water. “This time,” I thought to myself, “I am going in.” Although I was initially reluctant, once the water rose past by waistline, I felt an extraordinary release. I made one final push off the rock where I was standing and let go. I let the water take me. Feeling free from constraints, I had transformed into one of Hawthorne’s angels, baptized by the clear, cool waters of the pond.

My experience at Walden Pond that day was emblematic. It was the culmination of a two-year journey which led me to Concord, Massachusetts, where I hoped to retrace the steps of a man who I had never met, but felt an extraordinary affinity towards. Moreover, I saw a little bit of myself in Thoreau. Here was a man who, despite the conventions of his day, shunned every comfort and convenience. Thoreau once refused to take a doormat, for instance, offered to him by an elderly woman, hoping to avoid what he called the “beginnings of evil.” It seemed like something I would have done had I not read about it first. For the first time in my young life, I met my literary and intellectual soul mate.

You might check out the book at these sites:

The Book's Website

Purchase the book today: Thumbing Through Thoreau

About the Author:
Kenny Luck is a graduate student at Marywood University in Scranton, Pa., and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History & Political Science from the same institution. He writes for The Weekender – an arts and entertainment weekly – and The Independent. He is currently working on his second book. He enjoys recording music, book browsing and travel.

“If I were to be baptized it should be in this pond,” wrote Nathanial Hawthorne, reflecting upon the majesty of Walden Pond one autumn afternoon in 1843. “But then one would not wish to pollute it by washing off his sins into it. None but angels should bathe here.”

Kenny Luck Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=77501977&ref=ts

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com/

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Review: The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

2010-07-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

Henry Holt and Company NY

225pps

On sale August 2010

“The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” p176

The Reapers Are the Angels works a little differently from your run-of-the mill “zombie” story. It has been 25 years since the disease that brought down civilization struck. Zombies have been roaming around long enough for Temple never to have experienced a different world. At the age of 15 she has become a lone warrior, fending for herself, wise and mature beyond her years.

“She tells the woman that she has been traveling all her life that’s worth remembering, and that her mind feels almost filled up already, with people and sights and words and sins and redemptions.” P189

Humanity has managed to hang on and struggle to survive in the face of devastation. It can be found in bits and pieces, scattered throughout the world. Temple is a well rounded, mature character at the tender age of 15. She is the face of new civilization, struggling with a past that haunts every decision she makes. More afraid of herself than of the “slugs” or “meatskins” that have brought down society, she becomes a loner, certain of an evil that lurks inside.

Nevertheless, when she stumbles across a helpless mute by the name of Maury, she sees her chance to right some of the wrongs that she perceives in herself. Setting off across the southern states with Maury in tow, she has bigger problems than the “slugs”.

Moses Todd is hot on her trial set on revenge that can only be achieved by her death. But underlying this twist in the plot is the relationship that forms between Temple and Moses. They have an underlying affinity, understanding the new world and its code, seeing eye to eye, a shared vision. Moses is perhaps the only living person to truly understand Temple.

Moses serves Temple as both her would be murderer and as a surrogate father figure. It is a strange yet inspiring relationship. Maury also plays a significant role in showcasing Temple’s iron will, her kindnesses, and at times reveals the young girl inside.

The story is engaging and very different from what I expected. The Reapers Are the Angels is both well written and engaging. Strong prose mixed with unforgettable characters and an underlying sense of hope for humanity make this book a triumph. This is a book that focuses on human relationships, the struggle to create order out of chaos, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. I would recommend this book as both an individual read and as part of a book club.

In My Mailbox, It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-07-12T13:24:00.041-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, And the History of the World From the Periodic Table of Elements by Sam Kean

Received from Hachette Book Group

Synopsis:

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I,53)? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium (Cd, 48)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?

The periodic table is one of our crowning scientific achievements, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and every single element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.

Why did a little lithium (Li, 3) help cure poet Robert Lowell of his madness? And how did gallium (Ga, 31) become the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?* The Disappearing Spoon has the answers, fusing science with the classic love of invention, investigation, discovery, and alchemy, from the big bang through the end of time.

*Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal with a unique property: it melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. So a classic prank for scientists is to fashion gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch as guests recoil when the Earl Grey makes their utensil disappear.

Shadows in Summer: A Novel in Six Voices by Crescent Varrone

Received Through Bostwick Communications

Synopsis (from back cover):

The house was older than the other homes in the area, and more exposed. While they were hidden, protected by ivy, hedges, walls, #18 was on display. No gates, and not even a fence, just a few tall trees on the left-hand side and a handful of shrubs. Even its innards were laid bare in a huge picture window; though from where I was standing on the opposite sidewalk, all I could see were reflections of the gray clouds behind me.

The house disclosed nothing......

When injured ballet dancer Katrina Nielsen and her American husband, Richard, purchase Sound House, they hope that the charming home will ease their transition from New York to Copenhagen. Katrina was just nineteen when she fled gloomy Denmark, leaving behind her mother, Ingrid, and her grief over her father's death. Seven years later, she returns home to face the ghosts of the past. Yet when weird events begin to occur at Sound House--inexplicable smoke and footsteps, a ghostly face at the window--she starts to think she is being haunted by the ghost of Karl Damsgaard, the original owner. After she's "attacked" by an unseen force, Katrina becomes convinced that something is trying to drive her out of the house...or out of her mind.

Shadows in Summer: A Novel in Six Voices is told by multiple narrators who keep readers reassessing whether the haunting is real, psychological or the result of purposeful manipulation. Inspired by actual events, this deliciously scalp-prickling tale will haunt readers long after the final page.

The Eighth Scroll by Dr. Laurence B. Brown

Received through Bostwick Communications

Synopsis:

An ancient scroll has been unearthed....

Nineteen hundred years after the Essene Jews hid their most precious scrolls in the caves at Qumran, a Catholic priest working on the Dead Sea Scrolls Project discovers a text that describes the final edict of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but hides it in fear of the heresy it contains. When a prominent archaeologist Frank Tones unearths a reference to the hidden scroll, he wonders if this scroll could be the long-lost Gospel of James, or even of Jesus himself. But before he can act, those who know of the scroll's existence become mysteriously silent or dead, leaving only a father and son team to find the scroll and tell its secrets to the world. In an epic, multigenerational story that spans the globe, they must outwit the Mossad, the CIA, and the Vatican's secret weapon--the Italian Mafia--to bring the truth to light. No matter the cost.

The author of two books of comparative religion, MisGod'ed and God'ed, physician and religious scholar, Laurence B. Brown provides a thrilling read, while at the same time reviving critical religious controversies. Powerful and revealing, this book makes you think, feel, react and wonder--what if we knew the truth about Jesus.

The Strange Case of the Composer and his Judge by Patricia Duncker

Received through Librarything's Early Reviewers

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble):

The thrilling tale of a secret European sect and the musical mastermind at its center, from a critically acclaimed novelist at the top of her form.

The bodies are discovered on New Year’s Day, sixteen dead in the freshly fallen snow. The adults lie stiff in a semicircle; the children, in pajamas and overcoats, are curled at their feet.

When he hears the news, Commissaire André Schweigen knows who to call: Dominique Carpentier, the Judge, also known as the “sect hunter.” Carpentier sweeps into the investigation in thick glasses and red gloves, and together the Commissaire and the Judge begin searching for clues in a nearby chalet. Among the decorations and unwrapped presents of a seemingly ordinary holiday, they find a leather-bound book, filled with mysterious code, containing maps of the stars. The book of the Faith leads them to the Composer, Friedrich Grosz, who is connected in some way to every one of the dead. Following his trail, Carpentier, Schweigen, and the Judge’s assistant, Gaëlle, are drawn into a world of complex family ties, seductive music, and ancient cosmic beliefs.

Hurtling breathlessly through the vineyards of Southern France to the gabled houses of Lübeck, Germany, through cathedrals, opera houses, museums, and the cobbled streets of an Alpine village, this ferocious new novel is a metaphysical mystery of astonishing verve and power.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Bought this at Barnes and Noble

Synopsis (The Passage Website):

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.”

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

And now......

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last time I posted It's Monday I was reading The Caliphate by Andre Le Gallo and Happy Hours by Michele Scott both of which I have finished. I have received so many good books that it is hard to decide where to start next.

I have Based on Availability by Alix Strauss sitting next to me and I may start The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell (Zombies!) just to change things up. I am also going to pick up Parting River Jordan by ML Barnes so I can add a little fun to the mix.

It should be a fun week, drama, zombies, and fun! I promise to not let the projects get in the way. I am planning a beach day tomorrow weather permitting. That means some good reading! I am also going to post those reviews!

In My Mailbox and It's Monday! What are you Reading?

2010-07-05T16:17:00.002-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

This week I received these books for review:

Vexation by Elicia Clegg

Synopsis:

For him power and glory are not enough, immortality is the only possibility. His vanity consumes him, forcing his actions to capture, control, and twist her very reality. He will make her like him, in this he will not yield. Welcome to Devin Sinclair's world... A world where each move is watched, each move is carefully controlled, and trusting your eyes can be a fatal mistake. She is alone, terrified of even her own deteriorating sanity. She must find the truth which hides in the book, the book that reviles what really happened the few months she was held captive, locked in a game he directs. Devin must unravel the truth and learn to trust her mind if she is ever to find freedom for her and her fellow captives.

Duckegg & Persons of Interest by NovaMelia

Synopsis:

A Small Town Goes Mad

A large pharmaceutical company begins operations in a small outlying community in New England. Interdependence, intrinsic distrust, confused rumors and local ethics all become part of the mix. A local school teacher leads a group of concerned citizens who are suspicious about the research being conducted by the company. Honesty and morality and a menagerie of animals become part of the debate.

There are the weak and the strong and sometimes there is bullying in the Company and among townspeople. In all of this Duckegg moves between his sense of not belonging to his often dysfunctional family and the pride of being a hero. He is honest with himself but sometimes blatantly dishonest with others. He suffers the sorrow of loss and the shame of unintentional harm done by him.

The balancing act between the Company and the Town's people, the personal conflicts and the clashing of personalities, the bullies and the bullied, the clever and the not so smart; the conniving and the innocent, ultimately culminates in a town gone mad, at least for a day.

These books sound so interesting. I am looking forward to reading them. Yea Me! I won a book this week. Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand! I am excited. I will let you know when the book arrives. Thank you Lucie at http://luciesbookreview.blogspot.com/

So that is my week. I haven't gotten much reading done as I was working on completing some projects: knitting a baby blanket for my first grandchild expected in August. I am too young to be a grandma but I am very excited. I also am completing a plastic canvas tote just for fun. Next up a crocheted produce bag. I love new projects and new books. I will be furiously reading over the next few weeks. I also have several completed books that I need to write up and post the reviews. Sorry for the delay. Hope your July 4th was awesome.

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last time I posted It's Monday I was reading A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George and Happy Hour by Michele Scott. I stated that I was getting ready to start The Caliphate by Andre Le Gallo.

I finished up A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George and did started on The Caliphate by Andre Le Gallo. I am still working on Happy Hour by Michele Scott I just got distracted by projects as stated above.

In My Mailbox

2010-06-28T10:58:00.000-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

Fishers of Men: The Gospel of an Ayahuasca Vision Quest by Adam Elenbaas

Synopsis

This harrowing, poignant, and deeply memorable true story of a minister's son escaping his anguished youth in the American heartland, to gain spiritual awareness through the uses of mind-expanding native plants and shamanic rituals in South America, is the most evocative tale of psychedelic experience since Jeremy Narby, Terence McKenna, and Daniel Pinchbeck.

In the tradition of memoirs like Daniel Pinchbeck's 2012 and Jim Carroll's The Basketball Diaries, Adam Elenbaas's Fishers of Men chronicles his journey from intense self-destruction and crippling depression to self-acceptance, inner awareness, and spiritual understanding, through participation in mindexpanding-and healing ayahuasca ceremonies in South America and beyond.

From his troubled and rebellious youth as a Methodist minister's son in Minnesota, to his sex and substance abuse-fueled downward spiral in Chicago and New York, culminating in a depressive breakdown, Elenbaas is plagued by a feeling of emptiness and a desperate search for meaning for most of his young life. After hitting rock bottom at his grandfather's house in rural Michigan, a chance experience with psychedelic mushrooms convinces him that he must change his ways to achieve the sense of peace that he has always desired. Several subsequent psychedelic experiences inspire him to embark on a quest to South America and take part in a shamanic ceremony, where he consumes ayahuasca, a jungle vine revered for its spiritual properties.

Over the course of nearly fifty ayahuasca ceremonies during four years, Elenbaas discovers the truth about his own life and past, and begins to mend himself from the inside out.

Wired Kingdom by Rich Chesler

Synopsis

When a Blue Whale tagged with a web-cam as part of a television nature program broadcasts a brutal murder at sea, an FBI agent with a fear of water finds herself in a deadly race to reach the animal before an unknown killer can destroy the digital evidence it carries. For Special Agent Tara Shores, the many possible suspects each present obstacles as unique and perilous as the sea itself. Is the murderer one of the web viewers vying for the controversial reality show’s million-dollar prizes? The extremist environmental group threatening violence unless the whale is liberated from its high-tech tracking device? The wealthy Hollywood power-couple who own the show? Or the troubled, young inventor of the whale-cam? And just who was the beautiful woman slaughtered live on the web?

Navigating an ocean of manipulation and deceit, the detective’s best hope for a solid piece of evidence is the original murder video, still attached to the back of the 100-ton creature which roams the Pacific tethered to its electronic leash. But when the tag’s GPS locator mysteriously fails, it seems that finding the beast will prove impossible.

As the Special Agent dives deeper into the case, what she initially dismisses as a publicity stunt for the glitzy reality series soon sweeps her out to sea in a riptide of greed, sex, and high-tech crime.

Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer by Andrea D. Lyon

Synopsis

Nineteen times, death penalty defense lawyer Andrea D. Lyon has represented a client found guilty of capital murder. Nineteen times, she has argued for that individual’s life to be spared. Nineteen times, she has succeeded.

Dubbed the “Angel of Death Row” by the Chicago Tribune, Lyon was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case. Throughout her career, she has defended those accused of heinous acts and argued that, no matter their guilt or innocence, they deserved a change at redemption.

Now, for the first time, Lyon shares her story, from her early work as a Legal Aid attorney to her founding of the Center for Justice in Capital Cases. Full of courtroom drama, tragedy, and redemption, Angel of Death Row is a remarkable inside look at what drives Lyon to defend those who seem indefensible—and to win.

There was Annette who was suspected of murdering her own daughter. There was Patrick, the convicted murderer who thirsted for knowledge and shared his love of books with Lyon when she visited him in jail. There was Lonnie, whose mental illness made him nearly impossible to save until the daughter who remembered his better self spoke on his behalf. There was Deirdre, who shared Lyon’s cautious optimism that her wrongful conviction would finally be overturned, allowing her to see her grandchildren born while she was in prison. And there was Madison Hobley, the man whose name made international headlines when he was wrongfully charged with the murder of his family and sentenced to death.

These clients trusted Lyon with their stories—and their lives. Driven by an overwhelming sense of justice, fairness,and morality, she fought for them in the courtroom and in the raucous streets, staying by their sides as they struggled through real tragedy and triumphed in startling ways. Angel of Death Row is the compelling memoir of Lyon’s unusual journey and groundbreaking career.

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-06-22T10:40:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which two sentences are shared froma ramdom page in your current read.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Organ music seemed to be blasting from the very trees. It swelled to crescendoes, faded, and roared out again: a baroque combination of chords, rests, and flourishes that made Lynley think that at any moment the phantom himself would come swinging down from the opera chandeliers. At the appearance of the Bentley, the two men parted, the one shouting a final violent imprecation at Nigel Parrish before he stalked off in the direction of the high street.

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

p. 204

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-06-21T01:02:00.000-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

It has been awhile since I have been here to update this list. So here goes.

Last week I finished Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias and hosted the booktour on Wed. June 16. I have finsihed Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding a few weeks ago and will post the review this week. I also finished Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris, Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach, By Heart, Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives by Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson. Will post the review for Shakespeare's Landlord this week as well.

Now I am finishing up A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George and will be starting The Caliphate by Andre Le Gallo in a few minutes. Have also started Happy Hour by Michele Scott. Should have reviews up for these later this week.

Hope you all have a great week. Enjoy your reads.

In My Mailbox

2010-06-20T00:40:00.002-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

I am back at last: have been recovering and am now ready to move forward. Thank you all for your patience. It has been a fun week--my first book tour! Thank you Silvio Sirias and CondorTours. I also want to say Happy Father's Day, especially to my great husband Paul.

My mailbox was full this week after a slight hiatus. Lots of new material means a lot of reading time will be required. I had to turn The Poisonwood Bible back into my library(only overdue by a month-shame on me). So I ventured out and purchased the book for the 4th or 5th time-I don't know who I keep lending it too but this one will stay home. I will read it in between the books I have received for review. And now to the list.

This week I received:

Shoulder Bags and Shootings by Dorothy Howell courtesy of FSB Media

In Shoulder Bags and Shootings you will meet Haley, who’s life is beyond fabulous. She just spent two amazing weeks in Europe with her boyfriend Ty Cameron, owner of Holt’s Department Store where Haley works. But, events turn for Haley when she finds the body of her nemesis in the trunk of Ty’s grandmothers Mercedes. Topping the list of suspects, Haley must solve this murder quickly before she becomes a killer’s next fashion fatality!

Parting River Jordan by ML Barnes

Deanna "Dee" Ramsey is NOT nosy; she's just concerned. And the happenings at church are giving her lots of reason to keep her eyes and ears open. Then the retirement of Rev. Amanda Alden, founder of River Jordan Full Gospel Church, initiates a power struggle between the smooth-talking Rev. Albert Beem and the formidable Mother Marva Jessup, long-time president of the Mothers Board. Things go from bad to worse when the feuding factions separate into TWO churches and try to share the building they've literally split down the middle. After the separation, the Mothers Board quickly hires a handsome young single minister for their church. Pastor Darnell Davis's energy and attitude bring out the worst in Rev. Beem. Despite his best intentions, Pastor Darnell finds that Rev. Beem has the same effect on him. While the two ministers battle for the hearts and minds of the members, Pastor Darnell finds himself doing Romeo and Juliet with Rev. Beem's only daughter! After an electrical fire disrupts the "Stupid Bowl Service," Deanna overhears part of a conversation and learns that the fire was no accident. Someone is plotting to destroy River Jordan. Can Dee uncover the plan and save the church or will Parting River Jordan be the end of everything?

Shadow of the Swords: An Epic Novel of the Crusades by Kamran Pasha

An epic saga of love and war, Shadow of the Swords tells the story of the Crusades—from the Muslim perspective.

Saladin, a Muslim sultan, finds himself pitted against King Richard the Lionheart as Islam and Christianity clash against each other, launching a conflict that still echoes today.

In the midst of a brutal and unforgiving war, Saladin finds forbidden love in the arms of Miriam, a beautiful Jewish girl with a tragic past. But when King Richard captures Miriam, the two most powerful men on Earth must face each other in a personal battle that will determine the future of the woman they both love—and of all civilization.

Richly imagined, deftly plotted, and highly entertaining, Shadow of the Swords is a remarkable story that will stay with readers long after the final page has been turned.

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst courtesy of Doubleday Book Giveaway

From the bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel comes a dazzling literary mystery about the lengths to which some people will go to rewrite their past.

Bestselling novelist Octavia Frost has just completed her latest book—a revolutionary novel in which she has rewritten the last chapters of all her previous books, removing clues about her personal life concealed within, especially a horrific tragedy that befell her family years ago.

On her way to deliver the manuscript to her editor, Octavia reads a news crawl in Times Square and learns that her rock-star son, Milo, has been arrested for murder. Though she and Milo haven’t spoken in years—an estrangement stemming from that tragic day—she drops everything to go to him.

The “last chapters” of Octavia’s novel are layered throughout The Nobodies Album—the scattered puzzle pieces to her and Milo’s dark and troubled past. Did she drive her son to murder? Did Milo murder anyone at all? And what exactly happened all those years ago? As the novel builds to a stunning reveal, Octavia must consider how this story will come to a close.

Universally praised for her candid explorations of the human psyche, Parkhurst delivers an emotionally gripping and resonant mystery about a mother and her son, and about the possibility that one can never truly know another person.

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand courtesy of Hachette Book Group

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed. Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

The next 6 books are all courtesy of Henry Holt and Company

everything lovely, effortless, safe by Jenny Hollowell

A young woman caught at the turning point between success and failure hopes fame and fortune will finally let her leave her old life—and her old self—behind

Birdie Baker has always dreamed of becoming someone else. At twenty-two, she sets off to do just that. Walking out on her pastor husband and deeply evangelical parents, she leaves behind her small-town, small-time life and gets on a bus to Los Angeles.

Nine years later, Birdie's life in Hollywood is far from golden, and nothing in the intervening years—the brutal auditions, the tawdry commercials—has brought her any closer to the transformation she craves. Caught between success and failure, haunted by guilt about a tragedy in her long-forsaken family, Birdie is at the brink of collapse when she meets Lewis, a beautiful but naive young actor with his own troubled history, whose self-destructive impulses run dangerously parallel to her own.

When her big chance finally comes, Birdie must reconcile the wide-eyed girl she once was with the jaded starlet she has become and try to find herself and her future somewhere in between. Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe is the story of a young woman's struggle to make her own way in the Technicolor land of make-believe.

The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell

Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart. She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does remember an old man who took her in and the younger brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond, Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and find the salvation she seeks.

In The Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson

Home from Iraq, a lieutenant kills his commanding officer—was it self-defense or premeditated murder? An enthralling novel of suspense about the high cost of war and secrets

The McCarrans and the Gallaghers, two military families, have been close for decades, ever since Anthony McCarran—now one of the army's most distinguished generals—became best friends with Jack Gallagher, a fellow West Pointer who was later killed in Vietnam. Now a new generation of soldiers faces combat, and Lt. Brian McCarran, the general's son, has returned from a harrowing tour in Iraq. Traumatized by wartime experiences he will not reveal, Brian depends on his lifelong friendship with Kate Gallagher, Jack's daughter, who is married to Brian's commanding officer in Iraq, Capt. Joe D'Abruzzo. But since coming home, D'Abruzzo also seems changed by the experiences he and Brian shared—he's become secretive and remote.

Tragedy strikes when Brian shoots and kills D'Abruzzo on their army post in Virginia. Brian pleads self-defense, claiming that D'Abruzzo, a black-belt martial artist, came to his quarters, accused him of interfering with his marriage, and attacked him. Kate supports Brian and says that her husband had become violent and abusive. But Brian and Kate have secrets of their own, and now Capt. Paul Terry, one of the army's most accomplished young lawyers, will defend Brian in a high-profile court-martial. Terry's co-counsel is Meg McCarran, Brian's sister, a brilliant and beautiful attorney who insists on leaving her practice in San Francisco to help save her brother. Before the case is over, Terry will become deeply entwined with Meg and the McCarrans—and learn that families, like war, can break the sturdiest of souls.

This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia

A sudden death, a never-mailed postcard, and a long buried secret set the stage for a luminous and heartbreakingly real novel about lost souls finding one another

The Darby-Jones boardinghouse in Ruby Falls, New York, is home to Mona Jones and her daughter, Oneida, two loners and self-declared outcasts who have formed a perfectly insular family unit: the two of them and the three eclectic boarders living in their house. But their small, quiet life is upended when Arthur Rook shows up in the middle of a nervous breakdown, devastated by the death of his wife, carrying a pink shoe box containing all his wife's mementos and keepsakes, and holding a postcard from sixteen years ago, addressed to Mona but never sent. Slowly the contents of the box begin to fit together to tell a story—one of a powerful friendship, a lost love, and a secret that, if revealed, could change everything that Mona, Oneida, and Arthur know to be true. Or maybe the stories the box tells and the truths it brings to life will teach everyone about love—how deeply it runs, how strong it makes us, and how even when all seems lost, how tightly it brings us together. With emotional accuracy and great energy, This Must Be the Place introduces memorable, charming characters that refuse to be forgotten.

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson

Water for Elephants meets Geek Love in this riveting first novel, an enchanting love story set in P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 1865 New York City
Bartholomew Fortuno, the World's Thinnest Man, believes that his unusual body is a gift. Hired by none other than P. T. Barnum to work at his spectacular American Museum—a modern marvel of macabre displays, breathtaking theatrical performances, and live shows by Barnum's cast of freaks and oddities—Fortuno has reached the pinnacle of his career. But after a decade of constant work, he finds his sense of self, and his contentment within the walls of the museum, flagging. When a carriage pulls up outside the museum in the dead of night, bearing Barnum and a mysterious veiled woman—rumored to be a new performer—Fortuno's curiosity is piqued. And when Barnum asks Fortuno to follow her and report back on her whereabouts, his world is turned upside down. Why is Barnum so obsessed with this woman? Who is she, really? And why has she taken such a hold on the hearts of those around her?

Set in the New York of 1865, a time when carriages rattled down cobblestone streets, raucous bordellos near the docks thrived, and the country was mourning the death of President Lincoln, The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a moving novel about human appetites and longings. With pitch-perfect prose, Ellen Bryson explores what it means to be profoundly unique—and how the power of love can transcend even the greatest divisions.

The Good Son by Michael Gruber

New York Times bestselling author Michael Gruber, a member of "the elite ranks of those who can both chill the blood and challenge the mind" (The Denver Post), delivers a taut, multilayered, riveting novel of suspense

Somewhere in Pakistan, Sonia Laghari and eight fellow members of a symposium on peace are being held captive by armed terrorists. Sonia, a deeply religious woman as well as a Jungian psychologist, has become the de facto leader of the kidnapped group. While her son Theo, an ex-Delta soldier, uses his military connections to find and free the victims, Sonia tries to keep them all alive by working her way into the kidnappers' psyches and interpreting their dreams. With her knowledge of their language, her familiarity with their religion, and her Jungian training, Sonia confounds her captors with her insights and beliefs. Meanwhile, when the kidnappers decide to kill their captives, one by one, in retaliation for perceived crimes against their country, Theo races against the clock to try and save their lives.

And finally, I bought the following book from Books A Million

Warning At One (A Lois Meade Mystery) by Ann Purser

The tenants of Lois Meade's terrace house in Tresham are frustrated by their neighbor's feisty pet cockerel, Satan. His owner, Clem Fitch, refuses to part with his feathery companion-making Lois's tenants fly the coop. Luckily, her son Douglas agrees to rent the house.

But when Clem and Satan are found dead, Douglas-who is involved with Clem's daughter-becomes a prime suspect in some foul business.

I hope everyone has a great week! May the sun shine on you, the breeze caress you, and your cup never be empty.

And the Winner is.....................

2010-06-17T13:25:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for participating in my booktour yesterday for Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias.

A winner has been picked using random.org for a Kuna change purse and decoration.

The winner of my drawing is...

Marina

Congratulations on the drawing! It was completed on Thursday, 17 June 2010 at 17:18:07 UTC The winner was drawn using true randomness, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.

Thank you so much to Silvio Sirias for spending time with us yesterday and thank you again for participating. Marina send me an email so that I can have the prize sent to you.

Book Tour and Giveaway: Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias

2010-06-16T00:00:00.110-04:00

Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias

Review:

Bernardo and the Virgin is based on “actual events—in the eyes of many”. It is a book about miracles juxtaposed against the backdrop of revolution. The story begins in 1980 as the Sandinistas have seized power from the Somoza family.

Bernardo Martinez is a devout Catholic who prays the rosary many times a day, serves as the caretaker of the church in the village of Cuapa, Nicaragua. Two weeks after determining that there is no problem with the power inside the church Bernardo rushes to investigate when the lights appear to be on yet again. Inside he is surprised by the illumination of the statue of the Virgin Mary. One month later she appears to Bernardo asking him to instruct the villagers that they should pray the rosary daily and “work for peace”. Aware that he does not have the stature to be taken seriously, Bernardo’s faith leads him to be obedient.

The story moves between time spans to relay not only Bernardo’s earlier life but also the lives of those close to him. Sirias intersperses Spanish into the novel, which brings to life the village culture. In the beginning this may be a little difficult for some readers, but as the story progresses readers will adapt to the flow. Bernardo is a sympathetic character with wide appeal. Although Bernardo and the Virgin vividly portrays the characters’ deep religious faith, the story has more of a spiritual tone than a religious tone.

Bernardo and the Virgin is well-written and moving. Silvio Sirias has gifted readers with a deep exploration of humanity as well as spirituality, presenting book clubs with much to discuss as they peruse this novel.

About the Author:

Silvio Sirias was born in Los Angeles, California were he grew up there until the age of eleven, when his family moved his parents "country of orgin, Granada, Nicaragua. His bicultural outlook on life was shpaed by this move. He attended returned to Los Angeles where he attended college. He eventually received his doctorate in Spanish from the University of Arizona where he worked as a professor of Spanish and U.S. Latino and Latina literature for several years before returning to live in Nicaragua in 1999.

In 2002 he moved to Panama with his wife and several pets.

To learn more about Silvio Sirias please visit his website: Silvio Sirias website

Bernardo and the Virgin can be purchased at the following locations:

Condor Book Tours

This is Condor Book Tours' Amazon affiliate site and ALL 100% of commissions made are being donated to Unicef's Storybook Gift, which sends culturally appropriate storybooks to children in need throughout the world.

Here is a link to more info: https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Ecommerce/97869677?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=2601&store_id=4221

And

The book may also be purchased from the Independent Book store: Dulce Bread and Bookshop

One lucky person commenting on this blog today will win: an awesome Kuna Mola change purse and decoration made by the Kuna artisans in Panama, called Molas. Below is a picture of some of the change purses and decorations along with a link for more information about these artist.

Here's a link to the Kuna artisans and molas: http://www.panart.com/molainfo.htm

Please submit questions for Silvio Sirias as he will be stopping by periodically throughout the day.

Shall we begin:

Why did you choose to write the story as a work of fiction instead of a biography?

How close to the actual person is the character Bernardo?

Is it more difficult to write a fictional account of a true event?

Please tell us about your writing process in creating this story?

There will be a live chat with Silvio at the author chat salon at Condor on Friday, June 18th: http://condorbooktours.com/index.php?pr=Author_Chat_Salon

Upcoming Book Tour and Giveaway for Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias

2010-06-14T11:39:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, June 16, 2010 I will be hosting a booktour of Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias. The author will be stopping by periodically during the day to answer questions and post comments. Please stop by and read the review and chat with the author. This is my first book tour. I am very excited about this tour and this book. It is a terrific story.

Since this is a giveaway tour, everyone who comments or asks questions to the author on my post Wednesday will be entered to win a Kuna Mola change purse and decoration. Here's a link to the Kuna artisans and molas: http://www.panart.com/molainfo.htm

The winner will be announced on my blog on Thursday, June 17th

The Tour Schedule is as follows:

Mon June 7 Latino Book Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner

Tues June 8 Regular Rumination http://regularrumination.wordpress.com/
La Bloga http://labloga.blogspot.com/

Wed June 9 When I Was in 'nam http://hannahforsythe.blogspot.com/

Thurs June 10 Sandra's Book Club http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com/

Fri June 11 Sententia Vera http://sententiavera.com/

Mon June 14 The Tranquilo Traveler http://blog.joshuaberman.net/
Tues June 15 Brown Girl Speaks http://www.browngirlspeaks.com/book-speak.html

Wed June 16 The Book Nook http://booknook516.blogspot.com/

Thur June 17 Pisti Totol-Black Bird http://pistitotol.wordpress.com/

Fri June 18 Musings http://nilkibenitez.blogspot.com/

There will be a live chat with Silvio at the author chat salon at Condor on Friday, June 18th: http://condorbooktours.com/index.php?pr=Author_Chat_Salon

Review: Breakup:Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

2010-06-08T10:01:00.000-04:00

Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

Reviewed by Deborah L. Baker for Reader's Choice Reviews

Having never experienced divorce, Breakup was a new experience for me. Nonetheless, author Leo Averbach allowed me to share the incredibly painful process of divorce through his gritty memoir. Averbach experiences a loss so deep and personal that it is hard to imagine. This story told through Leo’s journal shares the process he, his ex wife, and the children go through before the final act of divorce that eventually releases the family to heal.

The language is raw and at times acrid, as Averbach details his life’s downward spiral on learning that his wife is having an affair. He vacillates between trying to save the marriage, love for his wife and wanting her out of his life. The emotional turmoil is real and heartrending.

Averbach’s wife, Paula, moves out of their home leaving Leo and the children behind. She also struggles with the decision on whether to turn her back on her marriage and family, or give up her newfound love and save her marriage and home. Paula exhibits bitterness and anger with frequent outbursts directed at Leo. His responses range from passive aggressive to outright rage.

Breakup relates the couple’s journey through various therapy sessions both together and separately, as well as their few, futile attempts at reconciliation. As the Averbach’s relationship crumbles, the family’s home environment becomes acrimonious. Through it all, Leo’s journal entries give us a very genuine and unprocessed glimpse of the inner turmoil that divorce can have on a person’s self imagine and ego.

For those going through the process of letting go of your marriage, and enduring the painful process of separation, this book is enlightening. The path to healing is often a long and painful struggle but Leo Averbach tells us in Breakup: Enduring Divorce that it is possible. As Marcel Proust points out "We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it in full." Leo Averbach relates the process of experiencing the hurt, anger, and pain of betrayal and loss in full and uncut.

Review: By Heart: Poetry, Prison, And Two Lives by Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson

2010-06-03T16:51:00.002-04:00

By Heart: Poetry, Prison, And Two Lives by Judith Tannenbaum & Spoon Jackson

newvillagepress
224 pages
pub date: April, 2010

A collaborative memoir, By Heart: Poetry, Prison, And Two Lives explores the journey of Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson into poetry and understanding. Tannenbaum is an artist and educator who has taught poetry in many different settings including the Arts-in-Corrections program in California. Spoon is an inmate serving a life sentence. The two met at San Quentin Prison in the 1980’s.

By Heart is a moving encounter between freedom and prison, art, beauty and desolation, silence and voice. The story is told through alternating chapters in which each tells the story of their lives and the insights they gained through learning, creating, and sharing poetry. Storytelling was an inherent trait of Tannenbaum’s extended Jewish family. The teachers she encountered during her school days promoted her imagination and helped her to harness her energy into creating stories that gave her new life and freedom. She volunteered in her daughter’s kindergarten classroom and began her journey into teaching poetry.

Spoon grew up in a small town on the edge of the Mojave Desert. As one of fifteen boys, Spoon ran a little wild. He spent his early years exploring nature, spending many hours hanging out in the dry riverbed behind their shack. His school years were largely negative. It appears that early on he was a target for corporeal punishment at school and beatings at home; he received little to no affirmations during these formative years.

Spoon is “real” with his life in prison and what put him there in the first place. He takes full responsibility for his actions while examining what went wrong in his early life that led him down this path. Spoon enrolled in high school and college classes offered to prisoners, spent hours reading and thinking during lockdowns and long weekends. Silence became a powerful friend that allowed him time for self reflection and growth. He had grown as a man during the eight years before he met Tannenbaum in the poetry class.

Tannenbaum does not save Spoon through poetry. The two poets grow through their encounters by sharing their work, exploring voice, and influencing each other’s work. They examine other poets both famous and well known as well as the poems of children and other prisoners. This is about growth and the exploration of humanity. It is easy for society to shut the prison door and forget that there are human lives closed within. By Heart shows us how humanity survives and flourishes within enclosed walls and communication.

There are many issues that can be explored as book clubs share this book. It is passionate and tender, raw and realistic. It is a love story but not love between people; it is about love for ourselves and our humanity. As an educator I was deeply moved by the story of Spoon and Tannenbaum. This is a book that I would wish for every educator to read. It is inspirational and thought- provoking. I recommend this book for book clubs, educators, and all who need to be reminded about humanity and generosity of spirit.

Musings

2010-06-02T23:24:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I know that you have been disappointed with this blog during May. But I am now getting back on track. The loss of a friend and the aftermath is never easy. It is so hard to let go, just as a friend, much less for the family.

Time for me to begin moving forward again. In that vein, I will be posting 3 or 4 book reviews over the next couple of days. I am reading away and getting caught up.

And wonderful news: On June 16 I will be a host on a book tour for the first time, with a giveaway attached! I am so excited. I will update you soon on the book and the author. Meantime, any of you experienced bloggers who would like to give me tips, please do. This is a first for me and I am not sure quite what I am doing as yet. Advice, suggestions, tips will be appreciated!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2010-05-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Two weeks ago I was reading:

1. Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

2. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris (ebook on Nook)

3. Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

I finished Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris

Due to the loss of a dear friend I have not finished Breakup or Dancing with Jou-Jou. I will be working on those as well as a book just for leisure.

My leisure book is The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble

Synopsis

A bestseller in the UK, THE READING GROUP is about a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books, and how their lives become intertwined, both with the books they read and with each other's lives.
What starts out as a good idea born from a glass of wine and the need to socialize, turns into much more. Over the span of a year, Clare, Harriet, Nicole, Polly and Susan -- five women of different ages, backgrounds and contrasting dilemmas -- transform themselves through the shared community of a book group.
Their reading group becomes a forum for each of the women's views, expressed initially by the book they're reading and increasingly openly as the bonds of friendship cement. As the months pass, these women's lives become more and more intertwined.
In the THE READING GROUP, Nobel reveals the many complicated paths in life we all face as well as the power and importance of friendship.

I have had this book for a while but haven't had a chance to pick it up until now. Yesterday I spent the day at a festival with some family and friends for my birthday. It was lovely and I came home exhausted.

Have a great reading week!

In My Mailbox

2010-05-16T22:34:00.000-04:00

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.

Musings

2010-05-11T10:48:00.000-04:00

I have been assisting my friend through her loss and have had no chance to read or get caught up. I will be posting a review of Shakespeare's Landlord this evening and will be back after that. Thank you for having patience with me.

In My Mailbox

2010-05-02T22:09:00.001-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

To be fair I honestly can't remember what I received this week. I apologize to all of you. A dear friend of mine passed away on Friday. It was very sudden and unexpected and we are all feeling numb. I promise to get back in the groove soon. I will try to visit your sites this week and read the exciting things you all have going on. Hope your week is lovely and filled with many blessings.

Review: The Missing Element by John L. Betcher

2010-04-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

The Missing Element

John L. Betcher
CreateSpace (March 8, 2010)
978-1451512717
294 pages
Reader’s Choice Rating * * * * *

The Missing Element is the story of James “Beck” Becker and his wife Elizabeth, who have returned to Beck’s childhood home in Red Wing, Minnesota to enjoy retirement from their covert government jobs. Of course, life is anything but quiet with Beck around.

When Katherine Whitson, a Minneapolis computer genius, disappears under mysterious circumstances, her husband George calls the local police. After receiving no help from police, George then solicits a Red Wing acquaintance to convince Beck to help find Katherine.

Beginning at Katherine’s luxury apartment in the Minneapolis Warehouse District, Author John L. Betcher puts his protagonist through a labyrinth of red herrings. Beck’s investigation starts with George as the unfaithful husband, and then his lover, to Katherine’s work colleagues and on through the ranks of an influential computer company and into the overwhelming world of computer microprocessors before he can begin to find answers.

To solve the mystery of why Katherine was kidnapped—and to save her—Beck must draw on his resources with the FBI and their computer experts, as well as the expertise of his wife Elizabeth the former CIA agent.

Betcher leads us into the world of advanced computer technology and international espionage with this captivating suspense thriller. As we follow Beck on his quest to locate Katherine we are introduced to several colorful characters. There is the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Deputy, Doug Gunderson, and his wife, Connie, who enlist Beck’s help. The brawn in this story is provided by the enigmatic Terry “Bull” Red Feather. Bull is drawn into the story when Beck requests his assistance in dealing with the nefarious characters who try to stand in his way.

The Missing Element is well-written, the plot is intriguing, and the characters are interesting. Betcher draws you in from page one and holds your interest to the very last. Unlike many recent novels, Betcher takes his time tying up the loose ends and concluding the story. This book is obviously the beginning of an exciting new series of suspense novels for Betcher. The Missing Element is recommended for those who love to curl up with an entertaining mystery/suspense novel. It offers a little something for everyone: lively characters, espionage and cyber-technology, and of course the mystery of who took Katherine Whitson and why. Fans of Parker, Grisham, and Clancy will enjoy this first installment in the James Becker series.

Reviewed by Deb L. Baker for Reader’s Choice Book Reviews

Wednesday A-Z

2010-04-28T15:51:00.000-04:00

Wednesday A-Z is a meme hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach.

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

This week begins with the letter L. Here is my book.

The Lady and The Poet by Maeve Haran

Synopsis (from B&N):
Set against the sumptuousness and intrigues of Queen Elizabeth I’s court, this powerful novel reveals the untold love affair between the famous poet John Donne and Ann More, the passionate woman who, against all odds, became his wife.

Ann More, fiery and spirited daughter of the Mores of Loseley House in Surrey, came to London destined for a life at the court of Queen Elizabeth and an advantageous marriage. There she encountered John Donne, the darkly attractive young poet who was secretary to her uncle, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was unlike any man she had ever met—angry, clever, witty, and in her eyes, insufferably arrogant and careless of women. Yet as they were thrown together, Donne opened Ann’s eyes to a new world of passion and sensuality.

But John Donne—Catholic by background in an age when it was deadly dangerous, tainted by an alluring hint of scandal—was the kind of man her status-conscious father distrusted and despised.

The Lady and the Poet tells the story of the forbidden love between one of our most admired poets and a girl who dared to rebel against her family and the conventions of her time. They gave up everything to be together and their love knew no bounds.

I missed last week what with my daughter's wedding and all. So now I am reading this during my leisure time in between reading specific books for review. When I eventually finish this book, picked up from Barnes and Noble, I will post a review. Hope you all have a great week.

Teaser Tuesday

2010-04-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read.

'You are nearer to God than I,' he answered, his eyes still cloudy with desire. 'For I would have us be together were it God's will or not, even if it cost me my immortal soul.'

My eyes held his, soft with my new-found love. 'Then let us hope the price will be cheaper than that.'

p. 232 The Lady and The Poet by Maeve Haran

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-04-26T00:00:00.003-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last week I was reading the following:

1. The Missing Element by John L Betcher

2. Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

3. Dead Man of the Year by Stephen Hawley Martin

I finished and wrote reviews for Dead Man of the Year and The Missing Element. I am still working on Breakup: Enduring Divorce. I am also finishing up North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. As those are for bookclub boards or just personal reading I am only able to read them in between the review books. My daughter's wedding last week went well and I should be able to start catching up soon.

This week I am reading:

1. Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

2. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris (ebook on Nook)

3. Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

Not sure which other book I will get started on after these. I am going to be working hard to get caught up. Have a great week: enjoy your books.

Deb

In My Mailbox

2010-04-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

Received these books in my mailbox this week:

Easy As Pi The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Everyday by Jamie Buchan

I received this from FSB Media Books

Synopsis (from FSB Media Books):
Have you ever stopped to think how many countless ways we use numbers? From the ring of the alarm clock in the morning to the numbers triggering our cell phones, our world is designed with numbers in mind. With Easy as Pi, you'll get the 4-1-1 on the fascinating origin of many of the numbers we use or read about every day.

•What makes "cloud nine" and "seventh heaven" so blissful?

•Why is number 7 so lucky and 13 so unlucky?

•Is "fourth-dimensional thinking" really out of this world?

•What prompted Ray Bradbury to call his novel Fahrenheit 451?

•How did 007 become James Bond's number?

For the math averse: Be not afraid. Easy as Pi is not a textbook but rather a lively look at the derivation of numerical expressions and their inescapable influence on our culture -- from book titles to bus schedules. To sum it up, Easy as Pi equals one clever and often hilarious collection.

I bought this book at Barnes and Noble this week:

The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen

Synopsis (From B&N):

It's 1559. A young woman painter is given the honor of traveling to Michelangelo's Roman workshop to learn from the Maestro himself. Only men are allowed to draw the naked figure, so she can merely observe from afar the lush works of art that Michelangelo sculpts and paints from life. Sheltered and yet gifted with extraordinary talent, she yearns to capture all that life and beauty in her own art. But after a scandal involving one of Michelangelo's students, she flees Rome and fears she has doomed herself and her family. The Creation of Eve is a riveting novel based on the true but little- known story of Sofonisba Anguissola, the first renowned female artist of the Renaissance. After Sofi's flight from Rome, her family eagerly accepts an invitation from fearsome King Felipe II of Spain for her to become lady-in-waiting and painting instructor to his young bride. The Spanish court is a nest of intrigue and gossip, where a whiff of impropriety can bring ruin. Hopelessly bound by the rules and restrictions of her position, Sofi yearns only to paint. And yet the young Queen needs Sofi's help in other matters- inexperiences as she is, the Queen not only fails to catch the King's eye, but she fails to give him an heir, both of which are crimes that could result in her banishment. Sofi guides her in how best to win the heart of the King, but the Queen is too young, and too romantic, to be satisfied. Soon, Sofi becomes embroiled in a love triangle involving the Queen, the King, and the King's illegitimate half brother, Don Juan. And if the crime of displeasing the King is banishment, the crime of cuckolding him must surely be death. Combining art, drama, and history from the Golden Age of Spain, The Creation of Eve is an expansive, original, and addictively entertaining novel that asks the question: Can you ever truly know another person's heart?

I have read and reviewed 2 books this past week after my daughter's wedding. I should get through many others this week. I will be posting the 2nd review soon. It is on a book by John L. Betcher, The Missing Element, a suspense mystery book.

Review: Dead Man of the Year

2010-04-22T11:33:00.005-04:00

Dead Man of the Year by Stephen Hawley Martin

Pub. Date: July2010
Publisher: Oaklea Press
272 pages

Durston Negus is a medium-sized advertising firm located in Richmond, Virginia. Brian Durston leaves a lucrative job at a Madison Avenue Agency to join the smaller firm. Promised a stake in the firm by his Uncle Rod, Brian’s future looks bright. Bright until the night he discovers his uncle’s body slumped over his desk. The police rule it a suicide which cancels out Uncle Rod’s life insurance policy. Without the insurance money Brian cannot purchase his Uncle’s shares of the firm. Who benefits? The surviving partners of course.

Brian decides an investigation is in order. While beginning the investigation the firm’s largest account goes into review and Brian must also work to save the account and the firm his uncle built. An up and coming copywriter steps in to help Brian solve the murder and perhaps save the firm. Could she be involved in the murder? Who can Brian trust?

A romance taunt with suspicion, an ad campaign that must be outstanding, partners who might have reason to murder the largest shareholder, Brian has his hands full. Will he be able to prove his uncle was murdered, inherit the money to buy his uncle’s interest, and save the agency?

This is a classic whodunit with many interesting story lines. Martin leads us through the exciting pace of an ad agency on the verge of success or failure. Brian is a hero who is reminiscent of a modern, lighter “Madmen” advertising character. He is likable though a little naive at times. The romance though sudden and a bit confusing at the beginning gains some merit as the story progresses. Dead Man of the Year has some of the feel of a cozy mystery mixed into a suspense mystery. This story is a page turner mystery. You just have to find out if it is a murder and if so who the murderer might be. This book is recommended for mystery buffs everywhere.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-04-19T21:58:00.001-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last Week I Was Reading:

1. Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

3. Mum's the Word by Kate Collins (for Cozy Mystery Saturday)

This Week I Am Reading:

1. The Missing Element by John L Betcher

2. Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

3. Dead Man of the Year by Stephen Hawley Martin

I am still working on last week's list as well. No time to read during the wedding weekend. And for all of those who asked about The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, I am still working my way through the book. I have to keep putting it on the backburner due to books I need to review. I should be able to get much more done now that my daugher's wedding is over. Thank you all for your encouragement and patience.

Here is a sample of my photos of the weekend.

In My Mailbox

2010-04-19T21:48:00.000-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

Received these books in my mailbox this week:

The Missing Element by John L. Betcher

Sent For Review by Reader's Choice Reviews

Synopsis:
After decades of clandestine government operations, James "Beck" Becker and his wife Elizabeth return to Beck's childhood hometown to enjoy a settled retirement in the small Mississippi river community of Red Wing, Minnesota. But "settled" is a relative term and no matter where Beck goes, intrigue follows.

When Minneapolis computer genius, Katherine Whitson, disappears under peculiar circumstances, her husband exploits a sympathetic Red Wing acquaintance to enlist Beck's aid in finding her.

As Beck searches for Katherine, the tangled trail leads from her luxury apartment in the Minneapolis Warehouse District, through her husband's in-the-closet personal escapades, past the entrenched hierarchy of elite computer professionals, and into the mind-bending world inside computer microprocessors.

Katherine's kidnapping is clearly more complicated than a typical abduction.

As it turns out, the Becker's must use all of their considerable experience--his, as a military intelligence operative; hers, as a CIA code-cracker--to save Katherine and bring her abductors to justicve.

Breakup: Enduring Divorce by Leo Averbach

Sent For Review by Reader's Choice Review

Synopsis:
Forged in divorce hell.

In this compelling and brutally honest memoir Leo Averbach draws you into the cauldron of marital disintegration. Written as a journal in real time, Breakup interweaves the writer's daily ordeal and the couple's ongoing travails with the insights and experience of psychotherapy.

The book chronicles Averbach's struggle to cope with his wife's betrayal and its implications for their family. His first-person narrative, which is confessional and deeply reflective, reveals everything in describing the acrimony and emotions as the marriage falls apart. But what begins as a tale of anguish and despair becomes a story of transformation and regeneration, leading Averbach to a new life.

Breakup is an unusual divorce memoir. Divorce is Breakup's prime concern but what elevates this from a personal account of a common occurrence into a story with wider significance is the upheaval surrounding the breakup. The tragedy of marital disintegration triggers Averbach's soul-searching, forcing him into a process of change, and driving him to seek a resolution. As a series of entries taken directly from the author's diary, Breakup is doubly unusual.

I picked these up at Barnes and Noble last week:

Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
Meet Benni Harper... a spirited ex-cowgirl, quilter, and folk-art expert who's staking out her own corner of the contemporary American West. She's got an eye for murderous designs - and a talent for piecing together the most complex and cold-blooded crimes...

Leaving behind memories of her late husband, Benni's making a fresh start... Moving to the trendy California town of San Celina, she takes an exciting new job as director of a folk-art museum. While setting up an exhibit of handmade quilts, she stumbles upon the body of a brutally stabbed artist - and hopes to conduct an investigation of her own. She crosses paths with the local police chief, who thinks this short and sassy cowgirl should leave detecting to the cops and join him for dinner. But it's hard to keep a country girl down, and soon Benni uncovers an alarming pattern of family secrets, small-town lies - and the shocking truth about the night her husband died...

Annotation
Introducing a delightful new mystery series featuring Benni Harper--ex-cowgirl, quilter, folk-art expert, and crackerjack sleuth. When an artist is found dead on the eve of a quilt exhibition, Benni must piece together the clues to clear her cousin of murder.

The Lady and the Poet by Maeve Haran

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
Set against the sumptuousness and intrigues of Queen Elizabeth I’s court, this powerful novel reveals the untold love affair between the famous poet John Donne and Ann More, the passionate woman who, against all odds, became his wife.

Ann More, fiery and spirited daughter of the Mores of Loseley House in Surrey, came to London destined for a life at the court of Queen Elizabeth and an advantageous marriage. There she encountered John Donne, the darkly attractive young poet who was secretary to her uncle, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was unlike any man she had ever met—angry, clever, witty, and in her eyes, insufferably arrogant and careless of women. Yet as they were thrown together, Donne opened Ann’s eyes to a new world of passion and sensuality.

But John Donne—Catholic by background in an age when it was deadly dangerous, tainted by an alluring hint of scandal—was the kind of man her status-conscious father distrusted and despised.

The Lady and the Poet tells the story of the forbidden love between one of our most admired poets and a girl who dared to rebel against her family and the conventions of her time. They gave up everything to be together and their love knew no bounds.

I ordered this last month after reading about the book listed on a book tour:

Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble
Publisher's Weekly
Medieval France is no place to be born albino: when Auda emerges from the womb “undercooked” and “white as bone,” an ignorant healer's apprentice tears out the child's tongue to keep her from “spread[ing] the devil's lies.” Though her mother dies in childbirth, a small stroke of luck graces Auda's childhood: her father makes his living as a scribe and a papermaker, so she learns reading and writing to compensate for her inability to speak. Together, father and daughter work to make his experimental paper the new standard for France's writing stock (replacing parchment); against the odds, they field an order from the local vicomtesse, who then takes on Auda as her personal scribe. At the palace, Auda grows more independent and finds romance with an artist who saves her from a witch-hunting mob. When Auda begins writing potentially heretical verse about women's empowerment, however, she tempts fate and the inquisition, setting off a chain of unlikely events. Though improbable plot twists detract, Sankaran has created a likable, easy-to-root-for protagonist in Auda. (Apr.)

Sunday Sabbatical

2010-04-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry for being away so long. My daughter's wedding was beautiful. We are totally exhausted. I will catch up on my post tomorrow. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Wednesday A-Z

2010-04-14T00:00:00.002-04:00

Wednesday A-Z is a meme hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach.

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

This week begins with the letter J. Here is my book.

Joe Jones by Anne Lamott

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)
Joe Jones is Anne Lamott’s raucous novel of lives gathered around Jessie’s Cafe, “a restaurant from another era, the sort of broken-down waterfront dive one might expect to find in Steinbeck or Saroyan.” Jessie, “thin, stooped and gorgeous at seventy-nine,” inherited the cafe years before and it has become home to a remarkable family of characters: Louise, the cook and vortex, “sexy and sweet, somewhere on the cusp between curvaceous and fat”; Joe, devoted and unfaithful; Willie, Jessie’s gay grandson, (“I thought he just had good posture,” said Jessie); Georgia, an empress dowager who never speaks; and a dozen others all living together in the sweet everyday. Lamott’s rich and timeless themes are also here: love and loyalty, loss and recovery, staying on and staying together, the power of humor to heal and to bind. Out of print for fifteen years, Joe Jones is a novel of hilarity and joy.

Teaser Tuesday

2010-04-13T00:24:00.002-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read.

"Sometimes the universe sends out a sign that's impossible to ignore--like a large, white duck named Peepers. He charged out of his private little pool behind the waterfall at Tannery Pond, flapping his wings in a rage. His quacking was loud and harsh. I thought it would never end."

Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding
p. 3

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-04-11T22:25:00.003-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last week I was reading:

1: Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

2. Still trying to finish The Poisonwood Bible

3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (for B&N Literature by Women Board)

This week I am reading:

1. Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

3. Mum's the Word by Kate Collins (for Cozy Mystery Saturday)

My daughter is getting married on Saturday so please forgive me if I get distracted and can't get all of my reading done this week or all of my post on time. I am working to get many things done a head of time.

In My Mailbox

2010-04-10T23:13:00.001-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

Received these books in my mailbox this week:

Just Don't Call Me Ma'am: How I Ditched the South, Forgot My Manners, and Managed To Survive My Twenties With (most of) My Dignity Still In Tact by Anna Mitchael

Received from Newman Communications, Inc.

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)

Anna Mitchael is like a lot of twentysomething women with full lives. In her fast-moving world, she might be called on as a friend, coworker, daughter, girlfriend, confidante, brat, cynic, or domestic-goddess-in-training. But there’s one label she’s simply not ready to embrace: ma’am.
Like so many bright-eyed college graduates before her, Mitchael begins her twenties armed with the conviction that the world is hers for the taking. And she discovers that it is, mostly—only no one told her just how often she’d have to pick herself up off the floor along the way.

From moving to new cities to domestic disasters to the occasional nervous breakdown, Mitchael guides readers through the various stages of her self-discovery with disarming humor and—like the best of friends—unmitigated honesty. Written for every woman who’s experienced the ups and downs of trying to figure out who you’re really meant to be, Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am is a story of one woman and the choices that add up to be her twentysomething life—and of how sometimes you have to remember where you came from before you can figure out where you’re going.

Dead Man of the Year by Stephen Hawley Martin

Received from The Oaklea Press Inc.

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)

Brian Durston left a bright future at a big Madison Avenue agency to join his uncle's medium-sized firm because his uncle promised him a stake in the business. The future looked bright until Brian discovered his uncle slumped over his desk with a bullet through his brain. The cops think it's suicide, which means his uncle's life insurance won't pay, and Brian won't inherit the money to buy his uncle's share. Who benefits? The surviving partners. So Brian decides some investigating is in order. Meanwhile, the agency's largest account goes into review, and Brian must pull out the stops to save it, or there won't be much agency left. In steps the beautiful and enigmatic copywriter, Nickie D'Agostino. She wants to help Brian save the account and find the killer. But wait, could she be the one who did it? A romance tortured by suspicion follows, and a frantic race to find the murderer before Brian's share of the business reverts to the surviving partners, or worse - he joins his uncle in the afterlife.

By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives by Judith Tannenbaum & Spoon Jackson

Received from newvillagepress courtesy of Librarything.com

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)

“A boy with no one to listen becomes a man in prison for life and discovers his mind can be free. A woman enters prison to teach and becomes his first listener. And so begins a twenty-five year friendship between two gifted writers and poets. The result is By Heart— a book that will anger you, give you hope, and break your heart."—Gloria Steinem
For most of their adult lives, since meeting as teacher and pupil at San Quentin State Prison, Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson have conferred, corresponded, and sometimes collaborated, producing very different bodies of work resting on the same understanding: that human beings have one foot in darkness, another in light. Moving stories of their childhoods and adult creative lives reveal both tragedy and beauty.

In alternating chapters—part memoir, part essay—By Heart reveals painful truths about prison, education, and which children our world nurtures and which it shuns. At its core are two stories that speak for human imagination, spirit, and expression.

Judith Tannenbaum is a nationally respected poet, educator, lecturer, and the author of Disguised as a Poem, among other works, including poetry, anthologies, and guidebooks for teaching arts in prison. She coordinates training at WritersCorps.

Born into an impoverished family of fifteen boys, Spoon Jackson was sentenced to life without possibility of parole by age twenty. He discovered himself as a writer for the first time in prison, eventually becoming an award-winning, internationally-known poet and essayist, as well as a facilitator of creative writing classes for other prisoners.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Received from FSB Associates

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)

With more than one million copies in print, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the surprise publishing phenomenon of 2009. A best seller on three continents, PPZ has been translated into 21 languages and optioned to become a major motion picture.

In this terrifying and hilarious prequel, we witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early-nineteenth-century England. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naïve young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and cry when her first blush of romance goes tragically awry. Written by acclaimed novelist (and Edgar Award nominee) Steve Hockensmith, Dawn of the Dreadfuls invites Austen fans to step back into Regency England, Land of the Undead!

Queen of Your Own Life: The Grown-Up Woman's Guide to Claiming Happiness and Getting the Life You Deserve by Kathy Kinney & Cindy Ratzlaff

Received from FSB Associates

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)

Discover the Seven Best Gifts You Can Give Yourself
Queen of Your Own Life is a philosophy, a decision and an invitation to happiness for women who have made the tough but rewarding journey to the midpoint in their lives. Kathy Kinney (best known as Mimi on The Drew Carey Show) and Cindy Ratzlaff (marketing genius behind the launch of The South Beach Diet) have been best friends for more than thirty years, and have helped each other navigate the ups and downs of their lives with humor and grace.

In this entertaining and inspiring book, they share the tried-and-true techniques they call "the seven best gifts a woman can give herself." They reveal how they learned to value themselves just the way they are—women in full bloom, sensual, vibrant, wise and more beautiful than ever—and they'll show you how you can, too.

With these seven gifts you'll discover how to:
• Claim your beauty and feel your power
• Clean your mental closet and find your queen voice
• Admire yourself for who you've become
• Build deep, fulfilling friendships with other women
• Establish firm boundaries that will strengthen all your relationships
• Learn the simple trick to finally being happy
• Place the crown firmly on your head

With humor, comfort and inspiration, Queen of Your Own Life offers easy step-by-step actions to blast away at the societal tall tale that young is beautiful and old is just old. If you've been feeling that the best part of your life may be behind you, then this book will prove to you just how untrue that is, and that the door to being happy is not only never closed,but just waiting for you to fling it open. Remember, you don't have to be twenty to have your whole life ahead of you. Now is the time to become Queen of Your Own Life!

Cozy Mystery Saturday

2010-04-10T00:13:00.000-04:00

Cozy Mystery Saturday is a meme hosted by BookMagic. If you love cozy mysteries check out her meme.

This weeks Cozy Mystery is:

Murder Uncorked by Michele Scott

Murder and mayhem in Napa Valley, Murder Uncorked tells the story of Nikki Sands, an actress/waitress from Los Angeles. After a disastrous evening culminating with the loss of her waitressing job, Nikki is offered a job at a winery located in the Napa Valley. Derek Malveaux offers Nikki several times her waitressing salary to come to Napa and work at his vineyard.

Desperate to escape from LA, Nikki flies with Derek to Napa for a tour of the Malveaux vineyard and to make her decision. Before she can settle into the guest cottage, Nikki discovers the body of murdered winemaker Gabriel Assanti. Nikki discovers that there are many quirky and often dysfunctional people in the area who all seem to have a motive for the murder. Nikki chases down every lead to find the identity of the murderer while fighting against her attraction to the blonde-haired, blue eyed, owner, Derek Malveaux.

Nikki is a not-so-good actress coming to terms with her lack of real acting talent while discovering her talent for food and wine pairings. She is likeable and fun. Derek is an interesting character who remains a little mysterious to Nikki and the reader. He is complex and maybe a little too good to be true. Among the other characters in Murder Uncorked are Derek’s step-mother and ex-wife, the “Botox Twins”, as they are referred to, as well as Andres Fernandez, a neighboring winemaker, who seems to be eccentric, dark, and brooding. The plot is fun and engaging. Throughout the book recipes and wine pairing recommendations are shared. Murder Uncorked is a delicious, fast- paced, and fun loving cozy mystery with a surprising twist at the end. If you love a fun cozy mystery, a nice glass of wine, and good food you will enjoy this book. I recommend this book, curl up and enjoy.

Wednesday A-Z

2010-04-06T22:52:00.000-04:00

Wednesday A-Z is a meme hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

This week begins with the letter I. Here is my book.

Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende

Synopsis:

This magisterial work of historical fiction recounts the astonishing life of Inés Suárez, a daring Spanish conquistadora who toiled to build the nation of Chile—and whose vital role has too often been neglected by history.

It is the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and when Inés’s shiftless husband disappears to the New World, she uses the opportunity to search for him as an excuse to flee her stifling homeland and seek adventure. After a treacherous journey to Peru, she learns of his death in battle. She meets and begins a passionate love affair with a man who seeks only honor and glory: Pedro Valdivia, war hero and field marshal to the famed Francisco Pizarro. Together, Inés and Valdivia will build the new city of Santiago and wage a ruthless war against the indigenous Chileans. The horrific struggle will change them forever, pulling each toward their separate destinies.

Inés of My Soul is a work of breathtaking scope, written with the narrative brilliance and passion readers have come to expect from Isabel Allende.

Teaser Tuesday

2010-04-06T00:03:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read.

"It's possible that he's still alive. Just shaken up," Jafford said. "We just have to submerge him in the creek to see if that will revive him."

"Creek?"

Jafford laughed. I like the sound of Woody Woodpecker.

"That's my Southern talking. I've always called a stream a creek. Or do you prefer brook?"

Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

p. 11

Publisher: IUniverse

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

2010-04-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books

Last Week:

1. An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell

2. Sixty Slices of Life....On Wry by Fred Flaxman

3. Murder Uncorked by Michele Scott

Life happened and I did not get finished. I am also working on finishing The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver so that I can start Very Valentine by Andriana Trigiani

This Week:

1: Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

2. Still trying to finish The Poisonwood Bible

3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (for B&N Literature by Women Board)

In My Mailbox

2010-04-05T22:55:00.000-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

Received these books in my mailbox this week:

Good Medicine: A Return to Common Sense by Carol Roberts, M.D.

Synopsis:

Attain a Healthier You-Naturally-With this Breakthrough and Doctor-Proven Guide

Filled with the latest thinking on traditional, holistic and alternative care, Good Medicine: A Return to Common Sense represents a sea change in approaching illness and attaining optimal health. This authoritative and easy-to-understand book from renowned Dr. Carol L. Roberts offers a new perspective on how human beings are put together, integrating the physical body and the spirit within. Comprehensive chapters on nutrition, digestion, toxins, heart health and even sex make it easy to customize your own wellness plan. You'll learn:

-How to break the habit of foods that can literally kill you, and replace them with nutrient-rich superfoods (it's easier than you think)

-Why your digestive system is the gateway to optimal health, and how to give it a preventive tune-up
-The man-made toxins that are causing millions to suffer from diseases like asthma and liver damage, and how to get them out of your life
-Secrets to boosting energy and sexual performance that don't require an expensive prescription
-Straight talk on vitamins-what works, why, and how much you should (or shouldn't) be taking
-Why spirituality is as important as traditional medicine, and how to implement the right balance in your own wellness goals

If you're tired of being sick, tired of taking expensive drugs-or just plain tired-this book will show you how to shape your well being with proven, practical techniques.

Happy Hour by Michele Scott

Synopsis:
The weekdays may be for real life, but Sundays are for Friendship, good food, and great wine.
Meet the women of Napa.

Kat is a sommelier and co-owner of a restaurant with her chef husband Christian. Although deeply in love, their relationship is facing a series of challenges, including ex-spouses, teenage children, and a surprise visitor who turns Kat's life upside down...Danielle is a vintner who finds herself entrenched in a family crisis when her daughter returns home from college with bombshell news...Jamie is a single mother and editor-in-chief at a wine lover's magazine. her husband's death a few years prior has left her in financial ruins and having to care for a senile but endearing mother-in-law...and Alyssa is an artist and gallery owner. When a tragic event from her past catches up with her. She must face the skeleton in her closet and rearrange her future.

With each woman's life in transition, they'll rely on tight friendships more than ever to get through the difficult times. While surrounding each other with love, support, humor, and strength, the four women pull together each week for their own happy hour. But will friendship be enough to get each woman through her crisis? And what about the secrets that are being kept...?

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" the Origin of Foreign Words Used in English by Chloe Rhodes

Carpe Diem and Become a Word Connoisseur!

English is filled with a smorgasbord of foreign words and phrases that have entered our language from many sources--some from as far back as the Celts. A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quois," which tells the story of how many of these expressions came to be commonly used in English, will both amaze and amuse language lovers everywhere. You'll be fascinated to learn, for instance, that...

ketchup began life as a spicy pickled fish sauce called koechiap in seventeenth-century China?
honcho came from the Japanese word hancho, which means squad chief? The word was brought to the United States sometime during the 1940's by soldiers who had served in Japan.
dungarees comes from the Hindi word dungri, the thick cotton cloth used for sails and tents in India?

Organised alphabetically for easy reference, A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" tells the little-known origin of some of these thousands of foreign words and phrases--from aficionado to zeitgeist. Inside, you'll find translations, definitions, origins, and lively descriptions of each item's evolution into our everyday discourse. With this whimsical little book, you'll be ready to throw out a foreign word or phrase at your next party, lending your conversation with, well, a certain je ne sais quoi.

The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark

In this beguiling retelling of the classic Pygmalion, we meet Lucy Ellis, a Manhattan transplant who dreams of making it as a fashion designer but instead toils away on a Garment District assembly line. Roading blocked each time she tries to score a break, Lucy is beginning to think the unthinkable: maybe it's time to pack it in and move home to Minnesota. Then, during a torrential downpour, at her most bedraggled and disheartened, Lucy meets Wyatt Hayes IV.

Wyatt -- man-about-town and bored Ph.D. anthropologist -- has just been publicly dissed by New York's reigning socialite, Cornelia Rockman, whom he'd been dating. He boasts to his best friend Trip that he can transform any woman -- even a trailer-born nobody like Lucy -- into this year's "It" girl. "Give me a few months," he tells Trip, "and I could turn her into a social luminary. She'll make the rest of the pack look like dim little tea lights." If Wyatt can fool the East Coast aristocracy into thinking Lucy's the real deal, he can reveal the farce behind Cornelia's social superiority complex . . . and score a career-boosting book deal.

Headstrong Lucy challenges her teacher at every turn, but armed with a made-up pedigree and a wardrobe costlier than most studio apartments, she's soon navigating a world in which the most photographed socialite takes all. Can Lucy survive in a wilderness where no girl wears the same gown twice, the Astors are considered Johnny-come-latelies, and weddings are more lavish than the coronation of Louis XIV? Will she forge the connections needed to make a name for herself in fashion? And can she surmount the schemes and suspicions of her newfound rival, Cornelia?

Three months of rigorous prep and test runs culminate in Lucy's showdown at the Fashion Forum Gala, where she and Wyatt confront the ne plus ultra of society . . . and their unexpected feelings for each other. But the gaps between them -- as well as Wyatt's secret agenda -- may make this improbable couple an impossibility.

Set against the gold-plated world of Manhattan's social elite, The Overnight Socialite puts a witty twenty-first-century spin on a timeless story of transformation and unlikely love.

As you can see I received many good reads this week. Now I have to plan time to read them all. I will be posting reveiws!

Review: Sixty Slices of Life…On Wry:The Private Life of a Public Broadcaster by Fred Flaxman

2010-04-01T23:47:00.001-04:00

Sixty Slices of Life…On Wry:The Private Life of a Public Broadcaster by Fred Flaxman

Pub. Date: December 2009

Publisher: Story Book Publishers

252pp

Sixty Slices of Life…on Wry is a delightful memoir published by a small press in North Carolina. Fred Flaxman is an award winning writer, public television and radio producer, and public broadcasting executive with a great sense of humor.

Beginning with his dog, Buster, who he credits with teaching him not only responsibility but how to live, and carrying on throughout his adventures in life, Fred brings perspective to everyday life events. His wry sense of humor makes this a quick and enjoyable read. Sixty Slices of Life …on Wry will remind you of those afternoon chats with your father, or your uncle, or maybe your grandfather. It is a warm and witty account that advises against taking life too seriously.

There are plenty of anecdotes to chuckle over and enjoy. Sixty Slices of Life…on Wry is perfect for those of us who wish to enjoy the nostalgia of ‘the good old days’.

Here is a tasty morsel from Sixty Slices of Life…on Wry:

“As we drove along, I heard a strange cracking noise on the right side of the van. Crack, crack, crack, crack. I asked my daughter if she could see what was making the racket.

She looked out the window, then turned back and said to me, perfectly calmly: “Oh Daddy, that’s just the noise the side-view mirrors on the cars make as they snap off when you pass them.””

Review: The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

2010-04-01T00:09:00.001-04:00

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

Pub. Date: May 11, 2010

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur

Format: Hardcover, 336pp

The Poacher’s Son is an explosive story of an estranged son pushed into the hunt for a murderer, his own father, in the wilds of Maine. The story juxtaposes father and son. Mike Bowditch is a young game warden while his father is a heavy drinking womanizer who poaches illegal game.

Mike returns home from his round one evening to find an alarming message on his machine from his father. The next day he learns that his father is suspected of murder and has escaped from custody. Mike enters the search to try and keep local cops from jumping the gun and shooting his father whom he believes is innocent.

Mike, already separated from his wife, is alienated from his colleagues. During his quest to prove his father innocent and save his life Mike must come to terms with his past. Mike knows that Jack can be brutal but is he capable of murder? Joining Charley, a retired game warden pilot, Mike journeys into the wilds of Maine to search for answers and his father, Jack Bowditch. They meet up with a woman who claims to be Jack’s mistress and who holds a secret that could be the key to finding the real killer.

The Poacher’s Son is Paul Doiron’s debut novel. The plot has many twists and turns and the ending will leave you surprised. I would recommend this book to mystery lovers everywhere.

Wednesday A-Z

2010-03-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Wednesday A-Z is a meme hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach.

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

This week begins with the letter H. Here is my book.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Grace Bradley went to work at Riverton House as a servant when she was just a girl, before the First World War. For years her life was inextricably tied up with the Hartford family, most particularly the two daughters, Hannah and Emmeline.

In the summer of 1924, at a glittering society party held at the house, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline and only they-and Grace-know the truth.

In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace's youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties, and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever.

The novel is full of secrets-some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne Du Maurier. It is also a meditation on memory, the devastation of war, and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history.

Originally published to critical acclaim in Australia, already sold in ten countries and a #1 bestseller in England, The House at Riverton is a vivid, page-turning novel of suspense and passion, with characters-and an ending-the reader won't soon forget.

(I read this book through a B&N First Look club and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recently read and reviewed her second novel The Forgotten Garden. So far I have enjoyed reading this author's work. Have a great Wednesday.)

Review: An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell

2010-03-30T15:54:00.004-04:00

An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell

Pub. Date: April 2010

Publisher: Unbridled Books

256pp

A paradox of sorts, An Unfinished Score tells the story of Suzanne Sullivan, a musician, a wife, and an adulteress. While preparing dinner for her husband and their extended family, Suzanne hears on the radio that her lover, Alex Elling, has died in the crash of a jetliner. Suzanne must mourn in secret while continuing her life as a concert violist and a wife. She continues to silently grieve through rehearsals, performances, and everyday life as the wife of a composer who distances himself from emotion, mother to her best friend, Petra’s daughter Adele, and counselor to Petra herself. After a series of mysterious phone calls Suzanne meets Olivia, Alex’s widow. Olivia compels Suzanne to finish a Viola Concerto that Alex was composing before his death. Struggling to complete the score of the concerto Suzanne relives memories of her separate life with Alex and the emotions that the concerto invokes.

Suzanne is the other woman, someone who we despise in theory, but cannot help but empathize with throughout this story. She is flawed and realistic. Olivia is the scorned wife, a woman whose pain we understand but whose actions create a conflict that seems cruel. Suzanne, Olivia, Ben, Petra, and Adele are subject to the errors of humanity. An Unfinished Score is perfectly orchestrated to bring about empathy and understanding in unexpected places. It is the story of life: love, loss, betrayal, and redemption. An Unfinished Score provides a plethora of discussion points and is meant to be shared. This is a great book for group discussion. I highly recommend An Unfinished Score.

(I have to tell you that I wanted to not like this book being married and all that. Despite my personal feelings about adultery I found that I could empathize with Suzanne. This one will be in my permanent library and reread in the future. Check it out! It just might surprise you.)

Teaser Tuesday

2010-03-30T09:27:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read.

"I walked the entire vineyard and then up to the main house thinking you might have gone there for some reason. Simon and Marco were sipping their nightly cocktails, and I guess they could see the worry on my face and asked if they could help me out."

Murder Uncorked by Michele Scott p. 144

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-03-29T12:57:00.002-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last week I was reading....
1-An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell
2-Sixty Slices of Life...on Wry by Fred Flaxman

This week I am reading...

1. An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell

2. Sixty Slices of Life....On Wry by Fred Flaxman

3. Murder Uncorked by Michele Scott

Life happened and I did not get finished. I am also working on finishing The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver so that I can start Very Valentine by Andriana Trigiani

In My Mailbox

2010-03-29T12:35:00.005-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

I received the following books to review and am expecting a few more this week.

The Journal Keeper: A Memior by Phyllis Theroux
cover:
The Journal Keeper is a memoir of six years in writer Phyllis Theroux's life. A natural storyteller, she slips her arm companionably into yours like an old friend just going for a stroll. But Theroux's stride is long and her eyes sharp, and she swings easily between subjects that occupy us all: love, loneliness, growing old, financial worries, spiritual growth, and watching her remarkable mother prepare for death.

As Theroux invites us to walk along with her, the path brings friends, worries, and revelations. Her home opens to us as easily as to her countless friends and neighbors, and each turn of the page brings another impromtu "hello" that quickly becomes three hours of shared laughter. But despite the ease with which Theroux moves on to the thoughts of a nw day, the common thread is the joy she finds in quiet moments with pen and paper. It's a joy sometimes threatened by worries caused by a dwindling bank account or fears of the future, but ultimately reinvigorated by the thrill of new discoveries and pearls of old wisdom.

I also received....

The Longbridge Decision by Robert M. Brown, Jr.

cover: The sudden, inexplicable death of a senior partner at Wall Street's oldest and most prestigious law firm sparks an improbable chain reaction that rapidly includes the framing of a murder suspect, a relentless national manhunt, a shocking attempt to gain control of the US Supreme Court and the uncovering of a covert labyrinth of deadly political decisions along the way.

Set against a fermenting background of political and moral corruption that starts beneath the lone star of the Texas capitol building and stretches all the way to the office of the President of the United States itself, Robert M. Brown, Jr,'s frighteningly plausible, lightning-paced thriller reveals an alarming and chilling vision of a theocratic United States of America that is just one decision short of becoming reality. One disturbing question remains, however--whose decision will it be?

As you can see I received great variety this week. I also made a trip to the library and picked up the following:

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Synopsis (Barnes and Noble)

Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, a vibrant cast of colorful characters who navigate tricky family dynamics with hilarity and brio, from magical Manhattan to the picturesque hills of bella Italia. Very Valentine is the first novel in a trilogy and is sure to be the new favorite of Trigiani's millions of fans around the world.

In this luscious, contemporary family saga, the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. The company is on the verge of financial collapse. It falls to thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, the talented and determined apprentice to her grandmother, the master artisan Teodora Angelini, to bring the family's old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century and save the company from ruin.

While juggling a budding romance with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design challenge presented by a prestigious department store, Valentine returns to Italy with her grandmother to learn new techniques and seek one-of-a-kind materials for building a pair of glorious shoes to beat their rivals. There, in Tuscany, Naples, and on the Isle of Capri, a family secret is revealed as Valentine discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life and the family business upside down in ways she never expected. Very Valentine is a sumptuous treat, a journey of dreams fulfilled, a celebration of love and loss filled with Trigiani's trademark heart and humor.

I got to this late this week. Please forgive me. Life got very busy suddenly and I couldn't get to the computer. I am also having trouble with the images today and will work on getting the problem fixed.

Wednesday A-Z

2010-03-23T23:42:00.001-04:00

Wednesday A-Z is a meme hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach.

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

This is my "G" book:

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Synopsis:

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants - from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys - except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down - along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other.

Teaser Tuesday

2010-03-23T00:18:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read.

"'I guess, if you mean that I think men and women are different, and that women are more nuanced and complex.' He combs his hair with his fingers, slightly clumsily, as though he has a new haircut and his fingers expect longer hair."

An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell p. 55

This book is due to be released on April 6, 2010

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-03-22T00:58:00.004-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last Week I Read:
1-The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
2-The Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingsolver
3-Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

This Week I Will be Reading:
1-An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell
2-Sixty Slices of Life...on Wry by Fred Flaxman
3- Just haven't decided on the cozy mystery book yet. I'll get back to you.

In My Mailbox

2010-03-21T22:24:00.002-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

I received the following books to review and am expecting a few more this week.

The Caliphate by Andre' Le Gallo

Cover Synopsis:

A radical Muslin group has dedicated itself to the restoration of the Caliphate, a global Muslim empire, and will stop at nothing, including assassination and terrorism, to reach its goal. Steve Church is just a US businessman in Paris. He never expected to be recruited by the CIA as an undercover operative. But now, with his life on the line and with a beautiful woman as part of his cover, Steve is on his way to North Africa--and the terrorists' Saharan headquarters--in a whirlwind adventure that will change the politics of the Middle East.

I picked up two new cozy mysteries this week to add to the collection for upcoming reviews.

Mum's the Word by Kate Collins

This is the first in a series by Kate Collins -A Flower Shop Mystery

Cover:

So maybe Abby's lfie isn't the bed of roses she was hoping it would be. She adores her job, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits--and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. Determined to track down the driver, she accepts the help of hunky ex-cop Marco Salvare. But their budding relationship is threatened when the trail turns deadly. Now Abby is caught in a tangle of menacing phone calls, police corruption, and murderous road rage. If she's not careful, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral.....

And:

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

Also a first in a series by Cleo Coyle: A coffeehouse mystery

Cover:
With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above The Village Blend, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of coffeehouse redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work. Until she discovers the assistant manager unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere. Police arrive on the scene to investigate. But when they find no sign of forced entry or foul play, they deem it an accident. Case closed. But Clare is not convinced. And after the police leave, there are a few things she just can't get out of her mind...Why was the trash bin in the wrong place? If this wasn't an accident, is Clare in danger? And...are all detectives this handsome?

Plan to go to the library tomorrow. Who knows what will catch my eye. Any suggestions?????

Cozy Mystery Saturday, Homicide in Hardcover

2010-03-20T22:43:00.001-04:00

Sorry for posting this so late. I have been a little under the weather and took a couple of days to recover and get caught up on some of my reading. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Cozy Mystery Saturday is a meme hosted by BookMagic. If you love cozy mysteries check out her meme. She has some great suggestions to add to your TBR list.

Homicide in Hardcover

Synopsis from cover:

Brooklyn Wainwright is a skilled surgeon. Sure, her patienst might smell like mold and have spines made of leather, but no ailing book is going to die on her watch. The same can't be said of Abraham Karastovsky, Brooklyn's friend and former employer.

On the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration, Brooklyn finds her mentor lying in a pool of his own blood. With his final breath, Abraham leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message. "Remember the devil," and smiles as she takes possession of his priceless--and supposedly cursed--copy of Goethe's Faust.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to Derek Stone, the humorless--and annoyingly attractive--British security officer who found her kneeling over the body. Now she has to make sense of the clues left behind by her mentor if she hopes to restore justice....

This is the first in a series by Kate Carlisle: A Bibliophile Mystery

my review:

This book has plenty of LOL humor and many interesting characters. Brooklyn's parents are former Dead Heads who moved to a commune where they raised their children. Brooklyn herself now resides in an interesting neighborhood in San Francisco. This provides some nice scenery as well as many quirky and fun characters. The plot has many red herrings leaving the ending somewhat of a surprise.

I enjoyed this book very much! I found it to be fun. I like the characters very much but then I like quirky. If you don't mind quirky, odd characters then you should have a good time with this story. I will be following up with more from this author and this series.

5 out of 5.

Wednesday A-Z

2010-03-17T01:23:00.001-04:00

Wednesday A-Z is a meme hosted by Vicki at Reading at the Beach

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.
If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

This is my "F" book:

Feather Man by Rhyll McMaster

Synopsis from cover:

Set in Brisbane during the stultifying 1950s and moving to grubby London in the 1970s, Feather Man is about Sooky who, ignored and misunderstood by her parents, is encouraged to make herself scarce and visit Lionel, their elderly next door neighbor.
.......

Following Sooky from her neglected childhood to womanhood and her entry into the art world, the book combines comedy with emotional intensity. When Sooky's attraction to Redmond leads her to London, her past follows her into the future with a deadly confrontation.

Teaser Tuesday

2010-03-16T00:10:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read.

She reached down for the can of Diet Pepsi on the floor, pretending like she hadn't heard. me. "He had no reason to kill that paper company man." The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron p. 192

A debut mystery by Paul Doiron which will be released in April, 2010. I am reading this for the First Look Group at Barnes and Noble. I have been trying to pace myself--which is hard. It is a good read so far.

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

2010-03-15T16:32:00.005-04:00

A book meme by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Last week I read.

1-The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

2-Airs Above Grounds by Mary Stewart

3-The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

This week I am reading:

1-The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

2-The Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingsolver

3-Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

Coming Soon:

Sixty Slices of Life...on Wry by
Dancing with Jou Jou by
The Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell

The Cajun Book Lady: 250 Followers Giveaway! 3 Prize Packs!

2010-03-15T02:14:00.000-04:00

The Cajun Book Lady: 250 Followers Giveaway! 3 Prize Packs!: "

"

In my Mailbox

2010-03-15T00:42:00.002-04:00

This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Check out her blog to see what others are reading.

I received the following books to review and am expecting a few more this week.

Sixty Slices of Life....on Wry (The Private Life of a Public Broadcaster) by Fred Flaxman

This is a tongue in cheek memoir full of impractical advise such as what you can learn about life from your dog, how to cure the "teen disease", and a better way to make babies!

Sounds like it could be a fun read. I think we all need some humor every now and then.

and next:

Dancing with Jou Jou by Barbara Louise Leiding

Jacket description:
A roller coaster of a story that begins on a grand country estate. Animals are running freely on the grounds. So is Mason Figg, a con artist with a reputation among the neighborhood ladies for being a spectacular dancer. This talent alone charms his trusting girlfriend, Valentina, who comes to believe that she's as graceful as a swan.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Mason lies as naturally as he breathes. While Valentina slowly figures that out, she narrates a tale about being roped into swindling a pair of lottery winners out of a fortune. After a large, quacking duck spooks her during an attempted diamond heist, one calamity befalls another.

Finally, Valentina wises up--and flees. She's certain that Mason will return to his senses and follow her back home to the city. Then the two of them can lead a normal, happy, and crime-free life. It's a pity that Mason has a few plans of his own.

Swept into the madness is Jafford Ames, a famous tennis celebrity known for his quick wit and fine southern manners. Determined to figure out if Valentina is truly a thief, he offers her a lift, driving a beat up Volkswagen Beetle as camouflage. The paparazzi spot them. Pictures land in the media, causing speculation about the tennis star's latest fling.

Rumors are flying. A media circus sets up. Mason is fuming. So arse the lottery winners whose animals have been curiously let loose. Television cameras broadcast a stampede while reporters interview the neighborhood ladies, all of whom are wearing knock-offs of the elusive diamonds and confessing to being in love with the same man---the one who taught them how to, uh, dance.

This weeks mailbox was full of humor.

Book Magic: Cozy Mystery Saturday: Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger

2010-03-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

Book Magic: Cozy Mystery Saturday: Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger

Cozy Mystery Saturday: The Merlot Murders

2010-03-13T08:31:00.004-05:00

Cozy Mystery Saturday is a meme hosted by BookMagic. If you love cozy mysteries check out her meme. She has some great suggestions to add to your TBR list.

The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

Lucie returns home from France, where she has been recovering from a disabling car accident, to attend her late father’s wake only to find the family winery in disaray. Her brother and sister have changed, her godfather is rumored to be losing it, and her former boyfriend has hooked up with her little sister. What is happening in this small Virginia town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains? Rumors and gossip fly around this small town seamlessly, except for the really important ones. Who was trying to secretly buy the winery and were they responsible for Leland’s death? Lucie must not only fight to keep the winery going but answer these questions before more mysterious accidents happen.

This cozy mystery is entertaining and filled with historical references to Thomas Jefferson and the American wine industry. If you enjoy a nice glass of wine and a good cozy mystery you might enjoy this series. The characters are not very likeable for the most part but they are interesting. Lucie is not as pleasant as most cozy mystery heroines but she grows on you. After all she is struggling to accept her disability from the car accident. I think that I like to a read a book ocassionally where the characters aren’t all sweet and fun. These characters are more complex and have definite issues. Like most of us they are slightly dysfunctional.

All of the questions are not answered in this first book of the series. I enjoyed the read and play on reading more from this series. If you are looking for light reading for entertainment this is a good place to start.

I give this a 3 out of 5. Again, a worthwhile read.

Review: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

2010-03-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

A 4-year old girl arrives on the docks in Australia alone and unable to share her name with the dockmaster. Taking pity on the girl the dockmaster takes her home with him. Having experienced several miscarriages the couple raise the girl as their own. On Nell’s 21st birthday the truth sends her world spiraling. War and life interrupt her need for the truth about her heritage. It isn’t until 1975 that Nell truly embarks on a journey to find the truth. Coming close to the truth Nell is again forced to abandon her quest. Cassandra, Nell’s granddaughter, picks up the quest after Nell death.

By overlapping narratives, adding fairy tales, and including a red herring Morton has created a fascinating story that is hard to put down. The ending is a surprise.

The character in the story are likeable and the plot although not masterful is entertaining. The story lines can get a little confusing while jumping between several of the characters stories. However, I was thoroughly entertained and curious to see the characters find the answers for themselves. While this is not a masterpiece it is a good read. I recommend the book for pure delights sake. I plan on keeping this book on my shelf because I thought it was fun. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Having enjoyed both of her first books I will continue to read this author.

I would say 4 out of 5

Well, its Wednesday

2010-03-10T15:13:00.001-05:00

While I have recovered from computer death with a new laptop I am struggling with where to begin syndrome. Stayed up last night finishing a review for cozy mystery Saturday that I missed this weekend with my computer issues. Today I just don't feel well.

Yesterday I received a new book to review. My reading stack is growing. So today I am going to take the afternoon off and just read, have some hot tea, and try to recover from the ickys. I will have a review up tomorrow for The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and will update on progress with Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

Have a great day! Hope you all are feeling well.

Tuesday Teaser, March 9, 2010

2010-03-09T09:39:00.007-05:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which two sentences are shared from a random page in your current read. This is my first teaser.

"Because the French know how to live." I chewed on a fresh peach from Hazel's orchard and closed my eyes. "I mean, in France everyone slows down to ... enjoy life. It's hard to explain. But taking time over a meal, shopping for the ingredients, preparing the food, choosing the wine....and then lingering to talk after it's finished." p132 The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

This is a cozy mystery set on a Virginia Winery. I made it through the computer conversion finally! I thought there was no better way then to spend the down time catching up on a good mystery with a little merlot. Hope your weekend was great. The sun is finally out, the snow is melting, and spring is starting to show up. This is a good time to pull out the anti-gravity chairs, grab my book, and enjoy the change of the season.