Books in the City

150 Pounds by Kate Rockland

2012-01-28T20:45:00.000-08:00

In 150 Pounds, two successful bloggers on opposite ends of the scale face off. Alexis Allbright blogs at "Skinny Chick" and lives by a strict regimen of healthy food and workouts while Shoshana Weiner blogs at "Fat and Fabulous" where she encourages women to be happy at any size. They each personify what the other hates and there seems to be no common ground between them. As they each face major life changes, the beliefs to which they have clung do desperately are challenged and their eyes are opened to the other side of the argument.

Alexis Allbright is a size zero health fanatic who works out diligently at the crack of dawn and carefully monitors her intake by logging each morsel on her iPhone. She writes at her blog "Skinny Chick" about healthy eating and maintaining your physique. She is righteous in her vilification of all things fat and has thousands of loyal followers. Shoshana has battled weight most of her life as has all members of her family. Although she is thinner than her highest weight, she is still overweight and blogs at "Fat and Fabulous". She encourages her followers to love themselves at any size and eschews any mentions of diets. When Oprah invites the two successful bloggers onto her show, they face off and do battle over their opposing ideologies. Alexis lobs facts and figures about the dangers of poor eating and excess body fat while Shoshana argues for "fit at any size" and against the unattainable standards of size imposed on women by media.

This topic is all over the media today. There is increasing evidence that the food we eat and lifestyle we lead are at the root of many illnesses - this makes a compelling case for clean eating and maintaining an ideal weight. But at the same time holding up unrealistic body images as ideal and shaming the overweight causes it's own problems ; the "fat and fit" movement asserts that people can be healthy at any size. By putting Alexis and Shoshana at either side of this argument, Rockland brings the issue to life.

Rockland has created two very real characters in Alexis and Shoshana. In 150 Pounds, Alexis definitely seems the less sympathetic character mostly because she has such a sharp edge; Shoshana is warm, collects friends easily and gladly takes on those that demonize overweight women. Of course, neither is as one dimensional as their side of the argument or their blog would make it seem. The story in this novel is learning what makes each of these women tick, what drove them to the positions they hold so strongly and whether they have the capacity to change.

The topic of body image certainly hit home for me and was part of the reason I enjoyed this story so much. In addition, it is set in NYC so many places were familiar and it was interesting to read about two successful bloggers. Beyond all that, it is a fun, light read befitting of its lovely cover!

What do you think about the controversy over "fit at any size"?

Audiobook Review: Shannon by Frank Delaney

2012-01-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

Shannon: A Novel of Ireland by Frank Delaney tells the story of Marine chaplain Robert Shannon who returns to the country of his ancestors, Ireland, in search of restoration and recovery. It is 1922 and Shannon has recently returned from WWI where he witnessed atrocities and presided over the last moments of many young soldiers' lives - he is haunted by much of what he saw and what we views as his very passive role as compared to that of the soldiers. In addition to his memories of the war, he is also escaping unthinkable acts within his own Church. As he meanders around Ireland, he searches for a peace he could not capture at home.

Shannon: A Novel of Ireland presents us with Father Robert Shannon, a timid, rather shaken young priest who has been sent to Ireland by his Bishop ostensibly to aid his recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder. He instructs Shannon to walk throughout the country and that the walking will heal him. Shannon diligently follows the Bishop's direction and walks along the River Shannon and tries to find his ancestors. Along the way, Shannon encounters an assortment of Irish characters and families and there is a little story told by or with each one. Some of the funniest moments of the book take place with Shannon's encounters with the Irish - the author Delaney's signature humor is best on display in these sections of the book. These meetings are also devices to set historical context - Ireland is descending into its Civil War and the views of each side are worked into the interactions Shannon has along the way. Things get especially interesting when it is clear that Robert is being chased throughout the country and it has something to do with the Church back in Boston and what Shannon may have seen there. As it that weren't enough, Shannon finds a nurse he served with in the war and confronts feelings for her that are forbidden by his vows.

In the hands of a less talented storyteller, the many themes of this of this book could get confusing and fall flat. But Delaney expertly weaves the themes together into a coherent and compelling story that is all the more layered thanks to its many themes. Like I mentioned in my review of Delaney's Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, what can appear as digressions in Delaney's novels are all actually part of the tapestry he is weaving in the true Irish storytelling tradition.

Having read (in paper) another of Delaney's novels, I was already familiar with his talent at storytelling but I had missed out on his wonderful narration. It is easy to see that Delaney was a radio personality - he has a melodious voice that beautifully reads the words of his novel. His lilting Irish accent is perfectly matched to the setting of the book and adds color to each of the Irish personalities Robert Shannon meets on his journey. This charming story and charming narration were perfect companions on many a car ride and walk throughout the city - I will definitely seek out more by the author and may well choose the audio over paper.

Are there "go-to" authors for you on audio?

Book Review: The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

2012-01-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

The End of Everything by Megan Abbott is a cross between a coming of age story and a crime thriller - the result is a quietly disturbing but powerful book. Thirteen year-olds Evie and Lizzie live across the street from each other in an average suburban neighborhood and are best friends. When Evie suddenly goes missing, Lizzie begins to realize her friend didn't share absolutely everything with her. Despite not knowing everything about her best friend, she also may be key in trying to locate her and is strangely thrilled by that power. Lizzie grows up quickly during this search as she realizes life isn't always as it seems.

Evie and Lizzie are practically inseparable and share the things many eighth grade girls do - they go to and from school together, play field hockey and share bathing suits. As is also common between young friends, Lizzie secretly covets the life Evie has with her family. Her older, attractive sister, perfectly turned out mother and fun-loving father make a perfect unit that Lizzie longs to be a part of. She lives with her divorced mother and an older brother who is indifferent to Lizzie - her family life certainly has none of the sparkle of Evie's family. All the more reason to spend as much time as possible with Lizzie and her family. When Evie disappears, Lizzie is certainly anxious about where her friend is and who might have taken her but she also takes the opportunity to slip into Evie's family by offering any knowledge she has about Evie's disappearance. Things get bizarre once Evie is abducted and secrets get exposed one by one.

My Thoughts

Initially, this book fell flat for me. I felt it moved slowly and I had difficulty connecting with the characters. However, after finishing the book and allowing time to pass, I realize the brilliance of the book is its ability to make a reader uncomfortable and I have a new respect for it. There is a "creepiness" that pervades the story and intensifies as the search for Evie continues. There are hints of inappropriateness but nothing you can really put your finger on. For example, Evie's father talks about how beautiful her older sister is and how many boys must be after her and he encourages her to tell him all about her dates. Is he a fun, open-minded Dad or does he cross some line with his daughter? Lizzie is infatuated by Evie's Dad and as she teeters between girlhood and womanhood her feelings for him swing between innocent admiration and flirtation. My discomfort grew as the book continued and I have since been haunted by the characters and the story (I was similarly haunted by The Lovely Bones). Couple the haunting with excellent writing and you have the explanation for why a book I initially disliked is now a book I would recommend.

Have you every changed your opinion of a book after letting some time pass? Which book?

Sunday Salon: Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Hope you had fun celebrating the exit of 2011 however you choose to mark the end of the year! My New Year's was pretty low key after being out and partying a little too much on the 29th and 30th but I am very happy to be ushering in a new year. After dealing with some health issues this year, I am looking forward to 2012 and committed to making the most of the year!On the reading/blogging front, this was a tough year for me. My stats show I posted 50% as often this year compared to 2010. Constant fatigue meant I wasn't often up to posting in the evening; to be honest, I was having a tough time doing the basics like getting to work so blogging had to take a back seat. I am excited to be feeling better and hope it translates into more regular posting here.

Challenges
Along with the slow-down on the blog, I always struggled with some challenges. Again, the energy issue meant I read whatever was easy and accessible so I didn't get to as many challenge books as I hoped. I am signing up for many of the same challenges as in 2010 to give myself another shot at them!

I am also hosting the Immigrant Stories Challenge again this year - if you are still considering challenges, I hope you will join in! You can check out the 2011 Review Link-Up page to see what last year's participants read for the challenge.

Top 11 in 2011
Despite a slow year in blogging, I did read some excellent books this year and I have assembled my top 11 for 2011. Click on the titles in the blurbs for links to my reviews.

First up, Immigrant Stories:

When We Were Strangers: This book chronicles the emigration of Irma Vitale from Opi, Italy to the United States and we see her struggle to fit in within her new country and to forge a life of her own.

Ellis Island: Ellie Hogan leaves Ireland and her love behind to try to earn some money in America. Despite her longing for home and her fiance, she finds success in the US and discovers how much she enjoys her independence. When she returns to Ireland, she is faced with the age old Immigrant dilemma of not fitting in there almost as much as she did not fit into America.

Non-Fiction

Where's My Wand? The title of this one still cracks me up and I think it makes a great mantra! The memoir is a coming of age story of a young boy who relies on "magic" to spirit him away when the going gets rough at home or school. His story is honest and endearing.

Devotion This memoir about the author's attempt to find the real meaning in life a belief system with truths that resonate for her. The writing is absolutely beautiful and this book spoke to me throughout - my copy is completely marked up with notes and I bought copies for many of my friends.

Bossypants (review TBD): Not surprisingly, Tina Fey's memoir is laugh out loud funny. I listened to this one in audio and her delivery of her own lines was spot on and really added to the experience.

Fiction

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt: An utterly charming Southern novel. Cee Cee will find her way into heart - I know she did mine!

The Kitchen Daughter: Ginny Selvaggio has just lost both her parents and for the first time she is facing life without their assistance and protection. She has an unusual connection to food and cooking - it provides her comfort and she works through her grief and uncertainty by calling upon her tried and true recipes.

The Secret Daughter : The characters in this book stay with me still. It tells the story of two families - one in India and one in the US and the daughter that, unbeknown to both of them, unites the families.

You Know When the Men Are Gone: This book made me think differently about the sacrifices made by the military and, most of all, by their families. It is a collection of short stories which are linked and each tells the story of a member of the military or their families and the effect of war on the homefront for these families.

Faith : Possibly my favorite book of the year. Check out my review and you will see why.

Dance Lessons : This beautiful novel set in the rugged West of Ireland demonstrates the effects unhappiness and regret can have on entire family when one generation perpetrates their hurt on the next generation.

It certainly was a great year in books and I look forward to much more excellent reads in 2012! Happy New Year to you and yours!

Audiobook Review: An Irish Country Christmas

2011-12-29T06:57:00.001-08:00

An Irish Country Christmas gives us a glimpse into the town of Ballybucklebo in Ireland as its residents prepare for Christmas. Drs. Barry Laverty and Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly treat the various ailments of the townspeople by doling out traditional medicine alongside a healthy serving of common sense advice and counseling. Of course there are a few dramas with the arrival of a new doctor in town and trouble in the romance department for the two doctors but overall this is a happy, feel good holiday story.

In this installment, favorite characters from the Irish Country series are back - Dr. Barry Laverty has settled into country life in Ballybucklebo and is constantly learning from his mentor, Fingal O’Reilly. Barry has the medical expertise down but he learns how to listen to and speak to his patients which is a much more subtle, but essential, skill in primary care. Curmudgeonly Dr. Fingal O’Reilly is still rough around the edges but we see him soften as he shows respect for his younger colleague, Dr. Laverty. He also shows his softer side as he organizes a scheme to provide money to a young single mother without the resources to buy Christmas gifts for her children. Kinky Kincaid, Barry and Fingal’s housekeeper, is steady as ever and she does more than just clean house - she really mothers the two bachelors and tells them some hard truths when necessary. If Barry and Fingal ever needed advice, it is this year as they each struggle with the women in their lives. Barry anxiously awaits Patricia’s return from England for Christmas but fears she has found someone else while at Cambridge. Fingal has reignited a relationship with Kitty and hopes he doesn’t lose her as he did many years ago.

This audiobook is narrated by John Keating whose Northern Ireland accent for the book is spot-on even thought it took a little while to get used to it. He does an excellent job of switching tone and pacing for the different characters so it was easy to differentiate between them. He even does a great job with Kinky Kincaid’s Cork accent.

An Irish Country Christmas perfectly fit the bill for me for a holiday read - it is cozy, heartwarming and light. The stars of the story are the townspeople - these diverse personalities add real color to the village and certainly make it a place I would love to spend a Christmas! If only life were as easy and pleasant as it is in Ballybucklebo!

Mailbox Monday: Holiday Book Blogger Swap Edition

2011-12-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a little while since I have done a Mailbox Monday post and much has come in the mail since then (I went a little crazy on the Better World Books website) but I wanted to focus today's post on my Book Blogger Holiday Swap gifts.

This beautifully wrapped box arrived - I love the red wrapping paper - the gift looked beautiful placed on my sideboard amongst some special ornaments and next to Frosty.

Secret Santa remains anonymous . . . .

In addition to the box, I received two books - The Violets of March by Sarah Jio and The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper. I have been waiting to read these two for awhile and can't wait to dive into them.

I eventually broke down and opened the big red box to reveal . . . .

A delightful box of Ghirardelli treats! I am proud to say they have remained under wraps but I make no promises when Christmas rolls around next week!

I still have not figured out who my Secret Santa is so if you are reading this post, please reveal! I want to thank you for bringing a little holiday cheer into my home this season!

Mailbox Monday is being hosted this month by Let Them Read Books - check out her blog to link to other participants this week.

Immigrant Stories Challenge 2012: Sign-Ups

2011-12-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

Announcing Immigrant Stories Challenge 2012

2011-12-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

For the second year, I am proud to host the Immigrant Stories Challenge. As I said in the post announcing the inaugural Immigrant Stories Challenge last year, I am the child of immigrants and have always been drawn to immigrant stories in my reading. As I started to pay attention to the theme, I realized it is actually very prevalent in literature. Across many genres, books features immigrants from and to many nations in addition to the stories of their children as they try to fit in.

The Challenge

The only requirement of the challenge is that the books read for it include an immigrant story. The immigrants can be coming to or from any country - expand your horizons!

How Many Books Do I Need to Read?

There are three levels for the challenge:

Just off the boat: 1-3 books
This land is my land?: 4-6 books
Fully assimilated: 6+ books

What types of books are eligible? Only fiction? How about audiobooks?
All types of books are eligible - fiction, non-fiction, short stories, audiobooks, e-books.

Other details?
Re-reads are acceptable as are cross-overs with other challenges.Last year, I tried to post a monthly feature that covered a topic relevant to immigration (and often books) - guest posts from authors of books featuring an immigrant story and or who were immigrants themselves (Kate Kerrigan, Aine Greaney, and Pamela Schoenewaldt). I will be doing the same this year and hope to be a bit more consistent with it than last year! If you are an author of a book with an immigrant theme or are interested in posting about the immigrant experience, please contact me.

Any book suggestions?You can find recommendations for books that cover the immigrant experience here - this is in no way comprehensive but will give you a start. I will keep the link updated with titles suggested by all the participants. You can also check out the reviews posted by last year's participants - there are some great options here.

What are the dates for the challenge?January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012. You can sign up anytime. If you are "at capacity" for challenges this year (I know the feeling), I hope you will consider helping to spread the word about the challenge.

How Do I Sign Up?Go here to sign up and post one of these buttons on your blog or in your sign-up post:

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I look forward to sharing immigrant stories with you this year!

Blogoversary and a Giveaway

2011-12-11T20:24:00.001-08:00

This week marks the 2nd anniversary of my blog. I waded tentatively into the world of blogging in December of 2009 and held my breath as I hit publish on my first post. As the post winged it's way out into the ether, I wondered if anyone would read it. I checked the post compulsively to see if anyone had commented. Two years later, I am gratified by the wonderful readers of my blog and appreciate everyone's comments on my posts; my posting this year has been marked more by its inconsistency than anything else but still my readers have stuck with me - thank you!

A Few Highlights
Boof at Book Whisperer is also celebrating her blog's 2nd anniversary this week - I really like her blogoversary post and decided to use the same format here. The credit is all hers!

My first review was for The Anglofiles: A Field Guide to the British

By far, my most visited post and how most random people seem to find my blog is 10 Great Places to Read in NYC, a post I wrote for Jill at Fizzy Thoughts's NYC Challenge. I have no idea if those that find the post stick around to read anything but, hey, at least they get here. I had an extra thrill in February this year when the New Yorker blog, Bookbench, linked to the post. I never anticipated that this post would generate so much interest.

The book review post that gets the most hits is Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - this is a favorite book of mine so I like to see it getting so many views. Although many of them show up via google searches that include search terms such as "plot summary of Inheritance of Loss" or "main characters in Inheritance of Loss" which leads me to believe someone may to using the review for a book report. Hope they get an "A"!

This year, I hosted my first challenge - The Immigrant Stories Challenge. It was great to see so many readers sharing my passion for immigrant stories and the diversity in books read for the challenge really opened my mind to how the immigrant story can be told. I am hosting again in 2012 - the sign-up page will be up soon. I hope you will consider joining!

Giveaway
To thank my readers, I am giving away one copy of any of the books I have reviewed since starting the blog. Just leave a comment below with the name of the book you would like and a way to contact you - I will choose a winner next Wednesday 12/21.

Thank you all again and good luck!

The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal

2011-12-10T06:38:00.001-08:00

The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal tells the story of Isha Tilak, a young woman living in India with her husband and daughter. As the book opens the Tilaks discover they are expecting a second daughter. Although the news of another daughter brings happiness to Isha and her husband Nikhil, it dismays Nikhil's parents who see another daughter as a burden since the family will ultimately need to pay a dowry to marry the daughter off and they anxiously await a male heir. Along with the Tilak's doctor (yes, you read that right), Nikhil's parents urge the couple to abort their unborn daughter. Isha and Nikhil vehemently refuse and Nikhil is found brutally murdered shortly after the refusal to abort. At this point, Isha's story really begins - she is forced to face her in-laws and life without her husband alone.

Sex selective abortion, although illegal in India, is actually quite prevalent. Long assumed to be more of a problem among the poor, a study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, reveals that sex-selective abortions are rising in the educated, more affluent Indian classes. The Tilaks fit that profile perfectly - they are affluent and educated. After Nikhil's death, Isha really fears for her unborn daughter and knows Nikhil's parents will only treat her as indifferently as they have their first daughter. She is forced to make difficult decisions and face life on her own for the first time in her life. She develops strength she didn't know she had, becomes independent and makes protecting her daughters her ultimate priority.

Isha's story is compelling and I certainly found myself wanting to read more to see how she would overcome all the obstacles placed in her path. In parallel to Isha's growth into an independent woman, the novel also explores the mystery of Nikhil's death. The mystery element also kept me reading. The book is a quick relatively uncomplicated read but tells an important story. Although the issue of sex-selective abortion is the backdrop of the novel, the author does not preach but rather raises awareness about this issue by telling Isha's story and drawing the reader in with interesting characters and a plot that moves. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author

Virtual Advent: Ornaments from Around The World

2011-12-04T07:40:00.001-08:00

My fascination with Christmas ornaments started young - I remember walking around the tree and fingering my favorite ornaments each year. As I grew older and started to decorate my own trees, I had ornaments but few had any special meaning. At that point in my life, I was also traveling extensively for work - I was fortunate enough to visit the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Spain and many places across the US. I was often tempted to bring home a memento from these countries but was loathe to clutter my small apartment with trinkets. On one visit to Amsterdam just before Christmas, I saw beautiful delft ornaments and an idea was born. I bought those ornaments and then began to buy an ornament in each country or city I visited. The tradition has continued now for more than 10 years and I have amassed quite a collection which reminds me every year of the wonderful places I have been fortunate to visit. Each year I virtually travel as I decorate the tree and the ornaments are often conversation pieces as people inspect my tree and I get to share my travels with them. Unfortunately I will not be putting up a tree this year because I will be out of town over the holidays but I did pull out a small sample of my ornaments to share here.

I am not a fan of Lladro generally but while in Spain I found these porcelain Lladro ornaments that are issued each year and because I went back there over a couple of years, I collected one for each year - some are balls like this one and others are bells.

As I have said here before, Ireland holds a special place in my heart so I had to have an ornament from there - I actually have quite a few but this delicate bell is one of my favorite. It made on bone china from Galway and I think it just looks like traditional Christmas and not at all kitschy.

I found this delicate leaf on a ski trip to Vail. I certainly have ornaments which just have the place name plastered across it but I also like to get ornaments which represent the place and where you have to ask where it is from. This one really sparkles on the tree with lights behind it.

This one from my alma mater was picked up on a visit to campus for my reunion. Williamsburg marks the beginning of the holidays with Grand Illumination which includes fireworks and other colonial holiday traditions. It always coincided with finals so we often missed it but my friends and I went back at Christastime a couple of years ago and enjoyed it without the stress of studying!

These two ornaments are less traditional but represent where I found them. The silk elephant on the left is from Cambodia and I found it in a handicraft shop run by a NGO to benefit and offer jobs to the disabled of Cambodia. Th ornament on the right was picked up in St. Petersburg and is reminiscent of the handmade traditional ornaments of Russia.

I am a bit disappointed that I am not decorating a tree this year but writing this post has given me the chance to enjoy them nonetheless! Thank you to the Virtual Advent crew! Check out their website or all the Virtual Advent posts. Do you have themes for your trees or ornaments with special meaning?

Review: Where's My Wand? by Eric Poole

2011-12-03T08:00:00.001-08:00

Where's My Wand? by Eric Poole is the author's memoir about growing up in the 70's as a young boy who knows he feels different from his peers but hasn't yet realized he is gay - the content of the memoir is nicely summed up in the subtitle "One Boy's Magical Triumph Over Alienation and Shag Carpeting". He (and the rest of the family) live in fear of their neurotic mother who requires that carpet be raked after walking on it to remove any evidence of footprints and who Eric refers to as "General Patton in pedal pushers". The scenes with his mother are laugh out loud funny and they nicely balance the more poignant moments as Eric faces bullying in school, fear about why he is so different from his peers and anxiety about his parents' constant fighting.

As a young boy, Eric is obsessed with the TV show "Bewitched" (I can relate - I named my baby doll Tabitha after the baby on the show) and especially likes the grandmother Endora; he fashions a cape out of an old bedspread and seeks comfort in the cape whenever things are going awry. He begins to believe the cape imbues him with magic powers after a few experiences where he makes a wish while in the cape which comes true. The cape is really a security blanket for Eric and he runs to the basement to secretly wrap himself in it whenever things get tough. And things do get tough . . .

The entire household is on pins and needles around Eric's mother who has an obsessive need for order and cleanliness (see raking of carpet above) and demands that the family comply with her demands. Here Eric describes his and his sister's trepidation as they awaited their mother's arrival home from work:

Val and I prepared for the theatrics that often accompanied Mother's nightly return. Our afternoon attempts to render the house unlived in, free of all traces of human habitation, usually failed on a scale that could not be measured by existing devices, as her screams of frustration, -"GOD IN HEAVENNNN!!" - pierced the evening sky. "WHY, GOD, WHY IS THERE WATER IN THIS SINK?"

These tense scenes send Eric to the basement to wrap himself in the bedspread and try to conjure up the lovely family on "Bewitched" who, although they share his family's fascination with shag carpeting, are free of screaming and fighting.

School offers little refuge - Eric is an outsider and bullied by the other children and even the teacher doesn't provide much protection. After a particularly bad day, Eric heads to the basement:

Back in the basement, I visualized that moment, contemplating as much of the humiliation as I could bear. Then - with a dramatic wave of my bedspread-laden arms, I disappeared . . . to return to the beginning of the school year.

Transported to the beginning of the year, Eric envisions a teacher who is kind and attentive to him and the absence of Tim, his school bully. The scenes are described with the author's trademark wit but there is something very sad about a young boy who feels so ostracized at school.

Eric was a boy with a lot on his little shoulders but like every child finding their way to young adulthood he triumphs over so many of his burdens. And despite his parents' constant fighting and "General Patton's" crazy obsession with cleanliness, Eric is clearly loved and supported by his family. This memoir is thoroughly enjoyable and perfectly mixes witty humor with poignancy that is so much a part of coming of age. And it has, perhaps, one of the best titles ever - I think my new mantra may be "Where's My Wand"!

I received a copy of this book to review from Anna at FSB Associates

Ireland Reading Challenge - Completed

2011-11-29T15:46:00.001-08:00

Hard to imagine another year has gone by (I feel old every time I say that!) but it has and so has the Ireland Reading Challenge hosted by Carrie at Books and Movies. Ireland holds a special place in my heart - my Mom is from there and I spend a lot of time there with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins when I was growing up.

Kissing the Blarney Stone (credit: Blarney Castle)

So, I love to read a good book (fiction or non) set in the Emerald Isle. I signed up for the challenge at the Kiss the Blarney Stone level (6 books) and read:

Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney (click for review): This book is set in the rugged West and explores the transgressions against a mother and how those are passed to her son.

Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan (click for review): This book chronicles the story of Ellie who leaves Ireland to work in the US at the turn of the century - it follows her adventures and her heartbreak at leaving her love back in Ireland. This is the first in a trilogy and I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

Shannon by Frank Delaney (review to come): I listened to this on audiobook and I think I will listen to all future books by the author on audio - he has a great narration voice and a lilting Irish accent - the perfect companion in the car or while out and about.

An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor (review to come): Another audiobook selection. The accent in this book is a little different because it is from the North but also nice to listen to. The adventures of the crew of Ballybucklebo are heartwarming and the Christmas setting makes it even more so.

One for Sorrow, Two for Joy by Elisa Juska (review to come): This author is not Irish but her character does flee to Ireland when she has marital problems. It is a fun story, easy read and uncelebrated find.

O Come Ye Back to Ireland by Christine Breen and Niall Williams (review to come): Christine Breen and her husband Niall Williams leave the bustle of NYC to settle in Christine's great-uncle's homestead in the rural West Clare countryside. The book chronicles their first year in Clare - this book completely charmed me and so much of what they experienced reminds me of my grandparents' home and what we would find when we went "home" for the summer. There are sequels to this book and I cannot wait to get to them!

I already have another pile of books ready for the 2012 Challenge - Carrie will have the sign-up post up soon so drop by and sign up!

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2011

2011-11-25T19:54:00.001-08:00

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! I spent a lovely day with my parents enjoying Thanksgiving yesterday and even experimented with some gluten-free holiday fare for my first holiday season on a GF diet. There were some things I missed but all in all, I was happy with what I was able to cobble together. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving treats and spending the day with loved ones!

It is great to have a 5 day weekend - no work and lots of time to read! Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves is hosting the Thankfully Reading weekend which offers a little community for those of reading with the extra spare time this weekend. I love this idea!Like last year, I am using the time to read some books that will help me finish my challenges for the year (help being the operative word because once again there will be some challenges I don't finish - when will I learn?) I made a nice dent today in O Come Ye Back to Ireland by Niall Williams and Christine Breen - I am really enjoying reading about this couple's first year living in rural Ireland after leaving NYC behind for the quiet, country life of the West of Ireland. The book is one of my selections for the Ireland Reading Challenge.

I have a few other books on the docket and hope to get to at least one more - I am also listening to an audiobook which I really enjoyed at the gym today (I usually am a music-only exerciser). A good friend is getting married in Annapolis tomorrow so I am heading down on the train in the morning. It will be good to see my college friends and help the bride and groom celebrate! The train will also afford me some uninterrupted reading time - "uninterrupted" is not guaranteed at home!

Do you have reading planned for the weeekend? What was your favorite part of Thanksgiving Day?

Review: Exposure by Therese Fowler

2011-11-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

Exposure by Therese Fowler is centered around the very current topic of "sexting". A young high school couple, Amelia Wilkes and Anthony Winter, are smart, popular and in love. Carefully exploring the physical side of their relationship, they take some naked photos of each other on their phones and share them with each other via text and email. When Amelia's wealthy, over protective father discovers the photos and involves an ambitious DA hoping to make an example of the young adults, things quickly spiral out of control.This book is fast-paced and engaging.

Fowler depicts a community - including the wealthy Wilkes's and the comfortable but struggling to keep up with their wealthier neighbors Winter's - to which many can relate. Both families are raising young adults by trying to give them privileges like a private education in an effort to give them the best start in life. Amelia's father is, in particular, very anxious for his daughter to succeed. The son of an alcoholic mother, Mr. Wilkes had a rough childhood and he became successful as the owner of car dealerships in spite of his lack of education. Despite this success, he always felt inferior for not having an education and the polish of privilege and he is determined that Amelia will have every advantage. Meanwhile, Ms. Winter is a single mother who has raised her son Anthony with the support of her parents. Anthony is able to attend private school because his mother is a teacher at the school. Amelia and Anthony come from different economic backgrounds but are both essentially "good kids" exploring young love. As young kids are wont to do, they made some bad choices which had drastic consequences that threaten their futures.

This book is fast-paced and engaging. As things spiral out of control for Amelia and Anthony, there are unexpected twists and turns which make for good reading. I did, however, find my patience with the couple beginning to wane at one point. The first few mistakes they made were understandable and the consequences seemed disproportionate to their intent but after a while I just wanted to shake them both! I couldn't believe they were willing to completely jeopardize their futures to stay together - I guess I am little too far away from young love to relate! Despite that quibble, I enjoyed the book and would recommend.

Interestingly, the book was inspired by an event in the author's son's life. In an interview with the author, Fowler did not detail the specifics of the event but did say her heretofore well-behaved son came to her one day and admitted he had made a mistake and was going to be arrested. This personal experience is likely what lent the realism to the "ripped from the headlines" novel - this realism makes the book a success because you can imagine easily being caught in a similar situation

Audiobook Review: 40 Love by Madeline Wickham

2011-11-15T20:09:00.001-08:00

40 Love by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)
Unabridged; Macmillan Audio
Released: August 30, 2011
Length: 7 hours, 19 minutes
Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

40 Love is a light comedy which exposes four couples and what drives them to succeed in the climb up the social ladder. They all gather for a weekend at the country home of Caroline and Patrick Chance and the feature event of the weekend is a tennis tournament - how very English! Each couple is at a different place on the social ladder - Patrick and Caroline are quite well-off thanks to Patrick's healthy salary in investment banking; Don and his daughter Valerie are also comfortable but Valerie still works hard for a living to the point that she has ignored her personal life; Charles and Cressida are at the zenith of the social ladder thanks to Cressida's inheritance which Charles has happily lived off since they were married; Stephen and Annie are the most down to earth of the group - Stephen is pursuing his doctorate and the couple live modestly while he is only on a stipend. As the couples compete on the tennis court, they also compete in terms of who has more and how they can try to surpass each other. As the weekend progresses, each person reveals a little of themselves and it is clear these couples are not completely honest with their spouses or the group about their finances. Everyone is so desperate to reach the next rung on the ladder that they make ill-advised decisions and get into petty squabbles with each other. When Charles's ex arrives, things really get interesting - and the ill-advised decisions continue. In a story like this, there is a risk that the characters would be very unlikeable but Wickham reveals the humanity in each character which makes them likable despite their foibles. My favorite couple is Stephen and Annie - they lack pretension and although they desire more money, they want it for the right reason and are not merely trying to best their friends.

The story is one big romp which keep things light and funny. Wickham's trademark humor and pacing definitely works in this book.Katherine Kellgren does an excellent job of narrating this book - she changes her inflection just enough with each character so that the listener can differentiate them. I just love a British accent so I found her easy to listen to. If you are looking for a lighthearted, amusing listen, 40 Love is for you!

I received a copy of the audiobook from Audiobook Jukebox.

Monday Mailbox: November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T06:55:00.001-08:00

After touring different blogs for the past few months, Mailbox Monday is hosted this month at the dedicated blog for the meme.Here's what came into my house since I last posted a Mailbox Monday:

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett for book club this month. I have started reading it and it is as good as everyone has said!

Swim Back To Me by Ann Packer from a good friend. We were in a book club together and read Dive From Clausen's Pier so she thought I would like this short story collection from the same author.

London Under by Peter Ackroyd was a twitter win from Doubleday Publishers

From Netgalley:

Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Lee - this collection of stories will let me meet the "jewel" category of the What's In A Name 4 challenge - yahoo!

E-book from #earlyread sponsored by Random House:Catherine the Great: A Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie. At 656 pages, this has me a bit intimidated!

What came into your home this week?

Review: The Orphan Sister by Gwendolen Gross

2011-11-11T14:50:00.001-08:00

The Orphan Sister by Gwendolen Gross tells the story of Clementine, one sister of a triplet set of girls. She, however, is the odd one out because her sisters are fraternal twins and always seem much more connected to each other than either is to Clementine. With a scandal involving her father brewing in the background, Clementine explores her "otherness" and tries to figure out not only where she fits in the world but also in her own family.

The book opens with the revelation that Clementine's father is mysteriously missing; Clementine and her twin sisters, Odette and Olivia, alternate between imagining worst case scenarios like their Dad is dead in the street somewhere and suspicion of him and where he might be. It is clear the women - even Odette and Olivia who seem closer to their father and are certainly fulfilling his expectation that they follow in his footsteps with a career in medicine - distrust their father. The family crisis of their father's disappearance instigates an examination by Clementine of her life as an outsider within her own family. Although the three girls are close and can sometimes read each other's minds in the way multiples often report, Olivia and Odette are much more in sync than either sister is with Clementine. Here, Clementine remembers this special connection even present in childhood:

Twins-and triplets, for that matter- understand each other in ways other people can't . . . When we were little and played duck-duck-goose, three of us enough to make games fun -no need for schoolmates, we were a class all by ourselves - Odette and Olivia knew whom they would goose, when even I didn't know which sister I'd pick to chase me in the circle, to put me in the pot. In a way, my own secret language with my sisters was to see their couplehood in a way no one else could. It didn't seem fair that my gift was related to their relationship, when their gifts were related to each other. No one was my doppelganger.

The lack of a doppelganger and what it means to Clementine's sense of self pervades other areas of her life. She struggles in her relationship with her father. She wants to step out of the mold her father has cast for all three girls. Unlike her two sisters who attended Harvard, Clementine shuns the Ivy League and attends Oberlin. She doesn't want to pursue medicine - Olivia and Odette become doctors- but decides to apply to vet school. Her refusal to conform to her father's expectations despite his attempts to control her with his money creates a tension in their relationship and further separates Clementine from her family.Clementine also struggles in her romantic relationships. She is haunted by the memory of her relationship with her college boyfriend and no one can seem to measure up. She is very close to her friend Eli and their relationship has potential to become romantic but that also is not easy for Clementine. By contrast, her two sisters are married and both expecting their first child. Again, their is a "differentness" in Clementine and she just doesn't seem to navigate the world as easily as her sisters.

This book is very rich - the characters are well drawn and their relationships with each other are thoroughly explored. In addition, the thread of the missing father adds intrigue to the story and I found myself wanting to know what had happened and what family secrets would be revealed. I was fascinated by Clementine's relationship with her family - especially her father; the family dynamic scenes were definitely my favorite. I had more difficulty relating to her romantic challenges and wanted to tell her "to get on with it". If you enjoy a book that centers on family dynamics and how they shape its members as their head out into the world, The Orphan Sister is for you.

Review: A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger

2011-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger tells the story of Lucy, a young professor in her thirties who has recently lost her friend, Harlan, to cancer. Before dying, he set up a series of emails to arrive in her inbox in the months following his death - in these emails he delivers advice to his friend and speaks things previously unsaid between the two. When he tells Lucy she would make a wonderful mother, Lucy begins exploring adoption and begins her journey to motherhood. This beautiful story is a about Lucy's loss of Harlan and the insight be delivers in these emails and about her experience trying to adopt and bond with a young boy; but more than all that it is about Lucy's self-discovery and how both the loss of Harlan and the process of getting her son drive that self-discovery.

Lucy's relationship with Harlan is interesting in that it is told almost completely in reflection - Harlan dies right at the beginning of the book so his character and relationship with Lucy is told as she looks back on their time together and feels the loss of his death. Their relationship is firmly in the "friend" category but it veers at times towards a more romantic place which helps to explain why their relationship - and therefore his postmortem advice- has such a powerful impact on Lucy. It is almost as if this tremendous loss and the advice from her trusted friends propels her life forward at time when she is otherwise "stuck". Her desire to become a mother is crystallized when Harlan emails that he feels she is destined for motherhood and so she begins the adoption process.

The book really has two main threads - Lucy's relationship with Harlan and then her road to adopt and the relationship with her adoptive son. They are obviously linked in that Harlan essentially prompts her move to adopt. In facing the challenges of a foreign adoption, Lucy relies on much of what she has learned about herself from facing Harlan's illness and loss. Of course, motherhood brings a host of new realizations. For example, after the difficult trip home from Russia with her newly adopted son, Lucy leaves her carry-on unattended in the airport when she suddenly realizes she has lost sight of her son in the chaos of the baggage claim area. When she has found her son, a woman comments to Lucy that she shouldn't leave her bag unattended:

Lucy had almost nothing left, just a shallow well of shame to berate herself for losing track of the one thing she would always-always - have to remember.

Clearly, leaving her bag unattended was the least of her problems and the enormity of being someone's mother hit her.

A Watershed Year is beautifully written and moves very quickly. Even though Lucy is reflecting and discovering, the story is not necessarily told from inside Lucy's head but instead in dialogue and action. In addition to being so well written and to moving quickly with a likable main character, this book is thought provoking (which makes it an excellent choice for bookclubs). I found myself considering a number of things after finishing this novel - what would it take to spur me to take action on certain areas of my life? Would it take the loss of someone close to make me consider what I really wanted and what I was willing to do to get it? What messages would l leave for someone close to me?

How might you answer some of these questions?

You can read other reviews of this book by checking out the blogs on the TLC Book Tour and also read more about the author (including what sparked the idea for the novel) on Susan Schoenberger's website.

Thank you to Trish from TLC Book Tours for including me on the tour and for providing a review copy of this book.

Sunday Salon: November 6, 2011

2011-11-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day in the city - it's Marathon Sunday! The New York City Marathon took place today and spectators were out in force to cheer the more than 40,000 runners. I am lucky enough to have friends with an apartment right across from the 59th Street Bridge - they hosted a party and we had a great view of the runners as they crossed the bridge from Queens to Manhattan (about Mile 16). We enjoyed mimosas, bloody mary's and assorted brunch items while cheering the runners. I did head out onto 1st avenue so I could cheer for them from beside the course - I know how much cheering means to the runners! Here are some pics from the day:

59th Street Bridge

View of Runners From Party Location

Some bunnies (um, runners) hamming it up

Rounding the corner of 1st Avenue (catch the guy on left all in yellow)

In Case You Missed It

The Next 15 Minutes by Kim Kircher This memoir chronicles the author's experience waiting for a liver transplant. Kim Kircher is a ski patroller who uses her experience from the slopes to help her cope with the rollercoaster of her husband's health crisis. The memoir is remarkably well written and will appeal to outdoor enthusiasts but also to those that just enjoy an inspiring, realistic read.

Falling for Me by Anna David Anna David spends a year following the advice of the iconic Helen Gurley Brown as she tries to find love (or least a sustained relationship) in the city. This memoir hit close to home in many places but the author's wit kept things light enough for an enjoyable read. She discovers the secret to finding a man is not learning to roast a chicken or the right clothes but loving herself first. Simple enough advice but not always so easy to do.

I have been on a memoir kick recently but I want to give it a rest since I am a voting member in the Biography/Memoir category of the Indie Lit Awards. Have you voted for your favorite books published in 2011 in this or any of the other categories? There is still time - nominations are open until December 31st - but why not stop by today and nominate some of your favorites?

Giveaway

The giveaway for Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire ends tomorrow. Enter for a chance to win!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Saturday Snapshot - Nov 5, 2011

2011-11-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

Me- NY City Marathon - 1998

Tomorrow will be the 41st running of the New York City Marathon and more than 45,000 runners will take to the streets of New York City's 5 boroughs to conquer the 26.2 mile distance. I have run NYC three times and each times the crowds made the event for me - especially when I hit the dreaded wall at Mile 20 in upper Manhattan - their cheering and encouragement spurred me to push on.

I will be out tomorrow doing my part to cheer on this year's participants because I know just how much it means. Of course, I get something out of cheering too - inspiration. As Kathrine Switzer said, "If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." Good luck to all the runners!

Review: The Next 15 Minutes by Kim Kircher

2011-11-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Next 15 Minutes: Strength From the Top of the Mountain is a memoir by Kim Kircher, a ski patroller who works the slopes at a ski resort in Washington state; she rescues skiers and performs avalanche control. The book, although it talks about that part of her life, is about the experience of watching helplessly as her husband's health deteriorated while he waited for a life-saving liver transplant. In beautifully written prose, she draws parallels between her life as a mountain rescuer and her life as wife to her gravely ill husband. She deftly translates the survival skills honed on the mountain to surviving the challenging months waiting for a liver to come available for her husband.

Kim Kircher is used to living life on the edge - as a ski patroller she takes calculated risks in setting explosives to cause avalanches on at risk slopes and runs. By identifying the slopes most at risk for an avalanche and forcing an avalanche, the ski patrol ensures the unpredictable slope doesn't give way while skiers are on it later in the day. She describes a number of harrowing scenes in which she just escapes ahead of the avalanche or where the fuse to her explosive is burning dangerously close to her hand. Although these situations are risky, Kim is totally in control of the risk - in many ways, she lives her life trying to control risk whether it be by performing avalanche control or by managing her blood sugar carefully to stave off the long term damage from her diabetes. When her husband becomes seriously ill and needs a liver transplant to survive, however, she is decidedly out of control and is faced with a situation where can't manage every detail and thereby exert control over something but instead just needs to navigate and take things as they come. She navigates much the way one does on a steep and windy ski slope - taking it in little pieces, letting the turns take you instead of fighting them, taking strength from recognizing how much you have already tackled and letting that strength get you to bottom of the mountain.

Kim and her husband John's story is compelling - they are both young, newly married and living life to the fullest when John became so ill and the course of their lives changes. But the compelling story is not what makes this memoir so good - it is the quality of the writing. I really enjoy a good memoir but good writing is not always a given in the genre - often the memoir's draw is its subject or story but the writing may not impress. Kircher, however, writes beautifully with tremendous insight and articulates emotions that really resonate with the reader. For example, in the following passage, Kim reflects on a conversation with her mother while she sits in the waiting room at the Mayo Clinic:

Now in Rochester, I had to admit it. I couldn't do this alone. But I was afraid that around Mom, my mask of strength would fall. She'd find a chink in my armor. She'd reach into that small entry with her slender fingers and extract handfuls of my sorrow, holding it for herself, as if by harboring my pain, she could keep it from me.

Here she draws a parallel between the changes to slopes over time and changes that happen to individuals as they face stressors:

But once tracked, snow changed forever, losing its soft, fluffy nature and becoming work-hardened. Those turns stabilized the snowpack against avalanches. Working snow helped it withstand the harsh rigors of stress and weather. It strengthened under stress, much like the human intellect. Like tracks through a once-naive enthusiasm, life had a away of hardening a person.

It may be grim to think about life hardening a person but also realistic and laced with hope because, like the snowpack, we strengthen under stress. Certainly something to hold on to as you hang on and weather a difficult period- 15 minutes at a time.

Thank you to Meryl Moss Media Relations for providing a copy of this book for review

Mailbox Monday: October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday is on tour and being hosted this month by Serena at Savvy Verse and WitHere is my mailbox for this week:

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire - unsolicited from William Morrow. This is not a book I will likely read - if you would like to, please leave a comment (with way to reach you) below and I will select a winner next Monday

The World We Found by Thrity Urmigar
Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson
A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger for an upcoming TLC Book Tour

My #indiethursday purchases from Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT
Comfort and Joy by India Knight
Clash of Innocents by Sue Guiney

What came into your home this week?

Halloween Picks

2011-10-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

I like to give my niece and nephew books at Halloween - they get so much candy everywhere else that books are a nice way to acknowledge the day and give them something special without endangering their teeth!Here are a few of books I have selected over the years:

The Monster Who Ate My Peas by Danny Schnitzlein

The Monster Who Did My Math by Danny Schnitzlein

These books are perfect for my 7 year-old nephew - the words are complex so they expand vocabulary but the text rhymes and the illustrations are vivid which keeps his interest. My sister in law is taking The Monster Who Did My Math to my nephew's school to read to the class this week.

The Bear Who Loves Halloween by Jennifer Karin Sidford - This book is a good pick for my 3 year old niece - it is a sweet introduction to Halloween through the eyes of the bear

Pinkalicious and the Pink Pumpkin My niece is in a pink phase so this is sure to be a hit!

What are your favorite books for Halloween?

Review: Falling for Me by Anna David

2011-10-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

Falling For Me by Anna David: In this memoir, the single thirty-five year old author endeavors to follow the advice of legendary Helen Gurley Brown (longtime editor of Cosmo) as presented in her 1960's book Sex and the Single Girl. From learning to roast a chicken to decorating her apartment so that it is a comfortable "nest" for a man, the author acquires skills ostensibly to help in the jungle that is dating; however, she learns more than mere skills - she gains insight into what has prevented her from finding love in the past and the importance of truly valuing herself before she can expect a man to do the same.

One day the author wakes up and realizes she is in the latter half of her thirties, childless and without any viable relationship prospects on the horizon. As she describes it at the beginning of the book:

Now it all feels like it's too late - like while I was off screwing around and building a career, the men I'd want to partner off with went and married younger girls who were happy to put their work lives second or possibly not even have them at all so that they could focus on a relationship. It's like coming out of a blackout and discovering that you're in the process of losing a game of musical chairs you didn't even know you wanted to play.

(My thought at this point in the book - Hmmm . . . this musical chairs game sounds hauntingly familiar). With this realization in hand, the author sets out to change the path she is on and discovers Helen Gurley Brown's book. She decides to spend a year following the icon's advice since her own attempts at finding a lasting relationship have not panned out. In an effort to expand her interests and skills, she takes pottery and cooking courses, she receives expert hair and makeup intervention, she "feathers the nest" by warmly decorating her apartment and moving out the post college temporary furniture. With each new experience, the author gains unexpected insight and begins to feel empowered. For example, she realizes the reason she hasn't taken much care with her clothes and hair over the years is that she hadn't wanted to seem like she was trying thereby revealing her vulnerability. That leads her to consider if her reluctance to reveal vulnerability has kept her from doing other things and taking chances in general. She takes one of her biggest chances when she follows Gurley Brown's advice to travel. Despite being outwardly confident and seemingly worldly, the author has traveled little outside the country. Remembering she was most happy when she spent time abroad in Spain, she rather impulsively sets up a house exchange for one month with a woman from Seville. She has many second thoughts as she starts her trip but she is determined to push outside her boundaries and forges forward.

Sprinkled throughout all these personal enrichment exercises are a series of dates and relatively short-lived relationships. She meets these men via online dating sites, speed-dating events and random set-ups. The dates serve to allow her to test out her many new skills but more importantly to see how her new approach changes her previously destructive behavior in relationships - they become a barometer for the progress she is making in her project. Obviously, she doesn't look at them this way - she hopes one of these dates will result in her finding the partner she desires. After all, she is still surrounded by friends and acquaintances whose lives are moving through the major life milestones like marriage and babies. She describes learning that one of her friends is pregnant:

A familiar ache rises in me - the feeling that someone close to me has something I am scared I am never going to get. . . . . but my own anguish disappears as quickly as it came on and I feel genuinely happy for her

Falling For Me is well written with the right balance of wit and true insight so that it is neither heavy and morose nor shallow and fluffy. Although the construct of selecting a book or philosophy and following for it one year ( think Julie and Julia) has been done and seemed an unlikely endeavor for most of us, you quickly get over that as Anna David shares the real trials of recognizing that you have almost let something pass you by and now realize you really want it. She writes with feeling and authenticity while knowing when to lighten things up. Some of Gurley Brown's advice seems anachronistic to the modern western woman but the following quote show how timeless her advice really was and it sums up the entire spirit of Falling For Me:

Her [Gurley Brown] overall message seemed to be that all single woman need to do is see what a glorious position they're in and then, if they want the next stage- the ring and ceremony, the mother-in-law and nursing children - do everything in their power to reach it.

I recommend this book and if you would like to read it yourself, please participate in the giveaway. Thanks to Julia Drake PR, one lucky US winner will receive a copy of Falling For Me. Just fill out the form below and winners will be selected Friday, November Nov 4th.

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Readathon - Wrap Up

2011-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Wrap - Up
It feels like the readathon went very quickly this year - before I knew it, it was past midnight and I was fighting to stay awake. I finally gave in and went to bed in Hour 18 (2 am my time). All in all, I read:

Pages Read 333
Comments so far: 22
At $.10/pg read and $.25 per comment, I have raised 38.80 for the Brooke Jackman Foundation

I will add in $$ for any additional comments on this post to bring my total up a bit.

End of Event Survey:

Which hour was most daunting for you? 17/18 - I was really dragging by then
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Read my first YA during this event - 13 Little Blue Envelopes and highly recommend YA for this event - the books move quickly
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Everyone did a great job in organizing the event - keep up the good work!
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? As always, the cheerleaders are always my favorite part. Also, the hourly hosts on the blog kept me going towards the end.
How many books did you read? 2.5
What were the names of the books you read? Finished The Next 15 Minutes by Kim Kircher which I had started pre-readathon; Falling for Me by Anna David
Which book did you enjoy most? 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Which did you enjoy least? Falling for Me started to drag for me but I think it was just the time spent in one place and not the book.
If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? NA
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Will definitely participate again and will sign up to cheer next time

Halfway Mark Update

Darkness has fallen and we are into the 2nd half of the Readathon! I took an unplanned nap so am a little behind in my reading but have turned on lots of lights to keep me awake tonight.

Pages so far: 213
Comments so far: 13

At $.10/pg read and $.25 per comment, I have raised 24.55 for the Brooke Jackman Foundation

Here is the mid-event survey:

1. What are you reading right now? Falling for Me by Anna David
2. How many books have you read so far? 1.5
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? 13 Little Blue Envelopes (it will be my first YA)
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Sadly, no
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Other than my nap, not too many interruptions. I literally completely gave into the nap
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? All the twitter action - its great!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? None - everyone is doing a great job!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? So far, I am happy with how things are going
9. Are you getting tired yet? Now that I have had the nap, no
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? I keep planning little markers or breakers - snack, a drink, a quick errand, time to check the blogs - it is breaking it up for me and keeping me going!

I am so excited to be starting Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon! I am fairly sure I won't make it for whole 24 hours but I am looking forward to so much dedicated reading time on this cold, crisp morning.I am reading to support the Brooke Jackman Foundation . I featured this charity in my 9/11 post - Brooke Jackman was killed in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 and her family started this foundation in her memory. Because Brooke was an avid reader, the foundation supports literacy or underprivileged children. Can't think of a better charity for the Readathon! I will donate $.10 for every page read during the readathon and $.25 for every comment received during the readathon (so stop by often!)

Now for the introduction meme:

1) Where are you reading from today? I am reading from crisp and cool NYC!
2)Three random facts about me…
a) I have a passion for handbags that started young - I was lost in a department store at the age of 3 and they found me in the handbag department!
b) I once got lost on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa
c) I have run 8 marathons but the last one was over 6 years ago
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? I have a very fluid pile but about 6 books on deck (I won't get through them all!)
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I want to read at least 2 full books
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? Have fun and take part in the community (its the best part)

Sunday Salon: Where Have I Been?

2011-10-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

My blogging (and commenting on other's blogs) has been remarkably light for the past two months - I even missed Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Unfortunately, I have been fighting this overwhelming fatigue that has left me with very little energy and even activities of daily living have been a struggle. The fatigue came on slowly in the beginning but by late July, I couldn't walk home from the subway stop (less than 5 blocks). At that point, I decided something was definitely wrong and I saw my doctor who ran a series of tests and called a few days later to tell me my TSH (a measure of thyroid function) was 12 (the upper limit of normal of 3 and mine had previously been between 1 and 2). The higher the TSH, the lower your thyroid function or circulating thyroid hormone so I was profoundly hypothyroid.

Credit: Thyroid.com

While I was relieved to hear that it was "only" my thyroid and not something more serious (my mind had started to hatch all kinds of crazy theories), I was definitely perplexed. Issues with my thyroid are not new to me - I had my thyroid removed three years ago after I developed a large mass on my thyroid. I was led to believe that life after surgery would be virtually unchanged except I would take a small pill every morning to replace my thyroid hormone. Well - it has not proven to be quite so simple. I have struggled to get my Synthroid dose at a level that will keep my metabolism humming and when I run up against a TSH of 12 I just want to throw my hands up in frustration. So I have started seeing an integrative physician that is willing to look at this problem a little differently and have really begun to consider the quality of food I choose to eat and seeing if I can heal myself from the inside out. On the upside, I am starting to feel better and am returning to life as normal -so I am back blogging! Have any of you seen an integrative physician or used alternative therapies to treat illness?

Although my activity on the blogs has been light, I have been reading a lot so I have many reviews to write which should keep the blog busy in the coming weeks. Fortunately, Alita of Alita Reads hosted a Reviewathon this week which has prompted me to catch up on my backlog. I got 3 of the 8 pending reviews finished which is at least a little dent in the workload. I posted one of the 8 reviews - An Accidental Mother by Katherine Kindred. This small book is a memoir by a woman who became a mother-figure to her boyfriend's young son only to have her boyfriend cut off all contact after their relationship dissolved. Definitely gives you something to think about in terms of the different people that can assume a mother role and the complications of post-divorce relationships.

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely fall day!

Review: An Accidental Mother by Katherine Anne Kindred

2011-10-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

An Accidental Mother by Katherine Anne Kindred is a memoir in which the author recounts the relationship she developed with her boyfriend's young son, Michael, and the devastation she felt when he was taken from her. This short (225 pages) but powerful book shows the reader the relationship that developed between Michael and Katherine which makes the removal of Michael from Katherine so painful.When Katherine began dating Jim she knew he had a son from a prior relationship; he had full custody of the boy since Michael's mother had some issues with drugs and was not involved in their son's life. Jim also had a daughter, Elizabeth, from another relationship but he shared custody of Elizabeth with the girl's mother.

Initially, Katherine was merely Michael's father's girlfriend and Jim really performed all the parenting and caretaking duties for Michael. As Jim and Katherine's relationship continued and they moved in together, Katherine began doing more and more with and for Michael. It is clear he depended on her as a son would a mother and she provided the motherly love that he was sorely missing from his own mother. Despite the fact that Katherine had not wanted children, she began to care deeply for Michael and felt her life was enriched by his presence.

Unfortunately, as Katherine's love for Michael deepened, her relationship with Jim soured and they decided to separate. Initially, Jim agreed that Katherine would remain in Michael's life and they carefully explained to the boy that although they would no longer be together it did not change Katherine's love for Michael. Somewhat abruptly, however, Jim decided to move out taking Michael with him. Katherine was devastated - she felt betrayed by Jim but mostly mourned the huge loss of the child to whom she had become a mother. She was able to see Michael a few times once he and Jim moved out but ultimately Jim blocked her from seeing the boy altogether claiming it was in his son's best interest and would be confusing for him to still see Katherine. He completely ignored the fact of how difficult it could be for Michael to lose yet another Mother.

Katherine tells her story in a very matter of fact way - there is little flowery language - just plainly stated facts. The style increases the impact of the book and makes her loss that much more raw. Between chapters, the author includes quotes from both Elizabeth and Michael which were sweet and funny observations on life that only children, in their innocence, can make. Which brings me to the one thing that bothered me about the book - Katherine's relationship with Elizabeth - or lack thereof. Katherine's story focuses almost exclusively on Michael even though Elizabeth spent 50% of her time at Jim and Katherine's house. Katherine talked about taking care of her as she did Michael - doing the bedtime routine, going on outings and preparing for school. However, she seemed emotionally disconnected from the young girl; she tried to explain the difference in her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael by the fact that Elizabeth had a mother with whom she had a relationship and she only spent half-time at their house while Michael lived with them full-time and had essentially been abandoned by his birth mother. Both explanations make perfect sense but somehow the author's disconnect from Elizabeth still seemed out of place for me.

Regardless of her relationship with Elizabeth, her relationship with Michael was touching and it was devastating to see him taken from her. I can't imagine how Jim could so hurt and betray Katherine not to mention what it might have done to his son. Read this book if you want to see the many ways in which motherhood can be defined. It would also be a great gift to anyone that is an "unofficial" mother in your or someone's life.

Thank you to Caitlin at Unbridled Books for sending me a review copy of this book.

Winner of Chocolate Buddhas

2011-10-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with my review of Priscilla Warner's Learning to Breathe, I hosted a giveaway for the chocolate Buddhas pictured below:

And the winner is Gayle Lin! Congratulations!

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine

2011-09-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

In The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine, the Weissmann women flee NYC for a ramshackle cottage in Westport, CT. Each is escaping a personal crisis and hope to nurse their wounds and take care of each on the coast of Connecticut. Betty Weismann, mother to Annie and Miranda, has just been unceremoniously left by her husband of forty-eight years and forced to forfeit occupancy of their Manhattan apartment as he moves his mistress into their home. Miranda had a successful literary agency but has been become embroiled in the scandal surrounding many of her authors when it is revealed that their memoirs were really more fiction than reality. She has been ostracized by the publishing community and is soon in financial trouble as her business falters. Annie has not suffered as dramatic a blow as her mother and sister but she is burdened by her own disappointments - the loss of her stepfather when he leaves her mother, the empty nest left by her two adult sons and the noticeable lack of a romantic interest.

Each woman undergoes an emotional transformation while in Westport . Betty comes to terms with the loss of her husband and the bitter realities of divorce; for the first time in almost fifty years, money is a concern and she is forced to modify her lifestyle. Modifying her lifestyle is not her greatest burden, however - her greatest burden is accepting that a man she considered the consummate gentleman and with whom she envisioned spending her golden years, has changed the locks on their home and declared his love for another woman. Miranda seems to capitalize on her time away from the responsibility of her career by exploring previously unexamined desires including that for a child. At fifty, Miranda has seemingly let motherhood pass her by but she is no longer so sure that she doesn't want a child in her life. Annie, possibly the most complicated of the three Weismanns is tightly wound and sees herself as the caretaker of both her mother and sister. There is a melancholy and even bitter side to Annie whose life is best described as "vanilla" - she seems to resent others for what she does not have in her life. While in Westport, she reflects on her losses but doesn't undergo any revelations or transformations as seen in her mother and sister.

In addition to the three well developed characters of the Weissmann women, there is a colorful cast of characters that surround the trio including a variety of gentleman love interests, and a eccentric but exceedingly generous cousin and his wacky family. The other characters provide a nice balance to the sometimes grim Weismanns. This book is very well written with complex characters and the added twist of it being a take on Austen's Sense and Sensibility adds yet another layer to the book. The Three Weissmanns of Westport is a great women's fiction pick and the excellent writing adds more than a little polish to this story.

Learning to Breathe by Priscilla Warner

2011-09-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Lifeis authors Priscilla Warner's journey to overcome the debilitating anxiety and panic attacks that had plagued her since she was fifteen years old. Up until the beginning of this journey she had managed anxiety with a pharmacological cocktail of sedatives but is pushed into finding alternatives by a particularly bad attack. She tries a series of disciplines- from silent retreats with Buddhist monks to ritualistic chanting- to bring her meditation practice to the next level and finally transcend her anxiety.

This book had me at "Bring Calm to My Life". Although I don't suffer from anxiety attacks, I have become increasingly aware of the stress I feel daily and the toll it is taking on my health and body. In an effort to better manage that stress, I have explored meditation and yoga. I would classify myself as a "dabbler" - I certainly haven't mastered any particular technique and don't do it with any regularity but I am interested in learning more about how breathing and meditation techniques can help bring calm to my daily routine. For this reason, I really enjoyed Priscilla's journey - it had the perfect balance of information and personal experience so that the reader learns a little about the technique she is trying but more about her experience with it - both good and bad. The author shares quite a bit about her upbringing and family history as she explores it and gains some insight into why she struggles so much with anxiety. She does all of this exploration and journeying with a sense of humor and recounts her story with wit. This is really the key to this book's success for me - she doesn't take herself too seriously. As she says at the beginning of the book "Maybe my journey would resemble Siddhartha meets Diary of a Mad Jewish Housewife". Her journey is certainly accessible and whether you are new to meditation, a "dabbler" or experienced, there is something in this book for you which will help you learn how to bring peace and calm into your life. I immediately thought of three people in my life who would appreciate this book and each for different reasons.

For more information about the book or to view some "breathtaking moments", visit the author's website There are some great tips from the author on the website about how to start your own journey to calm.And while you are waiting for that journey to teach you how to achieve calm via meditation, why not achieve it the tried and tested (albeit not as healthy) way with these Buddha Chocolates made by Garrison Chocolates of Providence, RI? Thanks to the generosity of Simon and Schuster, I have one box of 2 inch Chocolate Buddhas (2 white, 2 milk 2 dark) for one lucky winner. To enter, comment below on what you have tried to manage stress. Other stops on the blog tour are also offering interesting meditation-themed giveaways; you can see the schedule here

Review: Trance of Insignificance by Jennifer Rainville

2011-09-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Jules Duvil is beautiful and intelligent and has recently embarked on a career in TV journalism in New York City. Despite her lack of experience in the field, Jules works hard and makes her mark. If only she could replicate the same success in her personal life. At the station she meets the network's "bad boy", anchorman Jack. Their relationship is passionate but fraught with volatility and conflict. But what motivates Jules to be successful professionally is also what draws her to Jack - her difficult upbringing in South Boston which has left her feeling as if she has something to prove.

Trance of Insignificance does a great job of balancing the fun storyline of Jules out on the town in NYC taking advantage of all the city has to offer and the darker, more serious storyline of Jules trying to overcome her past and navigate a difficult relationship with Jack. Diane of Book Chick Di says in her review:

The book has a little Sex and the City feel to it; Jules spends time with her girlfriends, and there is a lot of label-dropping and fashion and relationship talk among them. There are also many New York geographical references- city dwellers will recognize the hotels, restaurants, streets, and landmarks mentioned throughout the book.
I agree with Diane's assessment and certainly enjoyed those city scenes in the book. At the same time, I like the reality of her storyline with Jack and especially her visit to her Mom in Boston. Her history in Boston does seem like an aspect of the book that could have been more fully developed and would have helped the reader understand Jules and her motivations even better. If you are looking for a sophisticated chick lit read, pick up Trance of Insignificance!

About the Author:Trance of Insignificance is self-published and the author, Jennifer Rainville, talks about her journey to get this novel published on her blog in this post. I found her story of trying to get the book published compelling and it, in part, convinced me to read it. I would love for this book to get more exposure. If you are a blogger and are willing to read and review this book, please say so in the comments and I will mail my copy to the first one to request it.

Where 9/11 and a Love of Reading Intersect

2011-09-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

My heart is heavy as I write this post and the city outside my window is once again eerily quiet - 10 years ago at this moment I was sitting in a conference room in midtown watching in horror as the first building collapsed and praying that my family and friends were safe while worrying about what else was to come. I remember walking home later in the day with the fighter jets flying low over the city and being overwhelmed by all the uncertainty - we still hadn't heard from my Dad who worked across the street from the Towers and it was unclear if there were more attacks planned. It was the loneliest I have ever felt. Fortunately, we later heard from my Dad and when it was all said and done our entire family escaped unscathed.

Brooke Jackman's parents and sister holding a photo of Brooke (photo credit: NY Times)

I am painfully aware that many other families were not so lucky and my heart breaks for those lost on 9/11 and those left behind. One such family is the Jackman's - they lost Brooke who was 23 and working on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Brooke had a love of books - her family talks about the backpack she always carried and how it was never without a book. Brooke also wanted to leave her career in finance and get a degree in social work - she had a real desire to help others. Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to realize that dream and her life was cut short by the attack on the World Trade Center. Her family, however, decided to honor her legacy by founding the Brooke Jackman Foundation which focuses on improving literacy among at-risk children in NYC. Since its inception in 2001, the foundation has given away thousands of "Brooke's Books" and "Brooke's Packs" - in total, more than 100,000 books have been given to at-risk children. The foundation also holds literacy events including a Read a Thon which was held yesterday in downtown Manhattan where authors and others read books to children. You can read more about the Foundation in this NY Times article and this HuffPo piece about the books famous children's authors selected to donate to the Foundation.

I find the Brooke Jackman Foundation inspiring and a glint of hope in so much sadness surrounding the tragedy of 9/11. A legacy of literacy is so fitting for a young woman who loved to read and wanted to improve the lives of children and it is a great story of a family overcoming their own grief to honor their sister and daughter while doing good for many. From one reader to another - we will never forget.

Review: The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

2011-09-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry tells the story of Ginny Selvaggio, a woman on the autistic spectrum who is struggling to assert her independence following the untimely death of her parents in an accident. She has been carefully protected by her mother all her life and her sister, Amanda, believes she is not capable of living on her own or taking care of herself. Despite her difficulty relating to others, Ginny connects deeply with the art of cooking and this sustains her as she faces conflict and emotions while advocating for her independence.

Ginny takes comfort in cooking and starts making family favorites almost immediately after the memorial service guests depart. She discovers that by cooking a recipe written in a deceased person's hand she can conjure their ghost. Ginny first conjures Nonna while making her ribolitta and her grandmother warns Ginny "Do not let her". With this warning, Nonna sets Ginny on a search for the meaning in her warning and she begins unraveling family secrets. Most importantly, she learns valuable lessons about herself and is given the opportunity to show just how well she can take care of herself.

I have seen many books recently centered around food with recipes sprinkled throughout the novel; The Kitchen Daughter, however, is much more than that. Food, cooking and the joy derived from both are integral to this novel and are incorporated into every aspect of the book. Ginny is so attuned to food that she perceives and describes people and situations in terms of taste and texture. For example:

His voice is muddy, that's what it is. Dark and brown and muddy. A note to it like coffee left too long on the burner. And unsweetened, bitter chocolate. But there's dirt in there too, deep, dark like a garden in October.

Food is Ginny's comfort but it is also the filter through which she sees the world and for someone who cannot bear to look people in the eye, a filter is absolutely necessary.

While food and its power to bring people together is a central theme, the book is also about healing - there are many characters in the book who experience grief. We follow Ginny from the starkness of her parents' memorial service through her gradual realization of how she will go on without them. I was very impressed by Ginny's courage and determination - without the skills of rationalization or the ability to lean on others for support, Ginny journeyed through her grief and discovered her own strength could sustain her.

The Kitchen Daughter is moving and so well written; I felt as if I were in Ginny's head throughout the whole book. I often struggle with supernatural themes (ghosts etc) in books but in this novel it didn't give me pause at all and that is a credit to how well it is written and the fact that the ghosts furthered the story and Ginny's self discovery. Whether you are a chef, a foodie or just someone who appreciates well drawn characters in which you can invest, you will find something to love in this book.

Review: My Granny Went To Market

2011-09-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone
Barefoot Books
Age 3-7

In this children's book, readers are taken on a magical carpet ride as she zips around the world picking up items representative of each country's culture. She gets nesting dolls in Russia, kites in Japan and drums in Kenya. All in all, Granny visits ten countries and has quite a collection of souvenirs as the book ends. The book achieves a few things - it teaches counting as Granny picks up an increasing number of items in each country; it teaches rhyming with the sing-song narration and most importantly, it introduces children to world cultures.

I read this book with my 3 year old niece and 7 year old nephew - he was able to read it while she counted up the items in each country. The illustrations are detailed and vivid so they drew the kids in and gave them something to talk about on each page. I love to travel and have been to some of the places visited by Granny so it was nice to talk about that with my nephew as we read the book. It is certainly a book children can go back to again and again because there is a lot to be discovered in each reading. When I found the book hiding in my niece's bed one night, I knew we had a winner!

Indie Lit Awards- Nominations Open September 1st

2011-08-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

It is hard to imagine that we are heading into the last 4 months of 2011 but here we are on September 1st! It is time to start thinking about the best books for the year. The Indie Lit Awards are open for nominations starting today September 1st - nominations close December 31st. Stop by today and nominate your favorites so far this year!

What are the Indie Lit Awards?
Independent Literary Awards are given to books that have been recommended and voted on by independent literary bloggers. Nominations are open to all readers, and are then voted upon by a panel of bloggers who are proficient in the genre they represent. Each panel is led by a Director who oversees the integrity of the process.

This year I am a voting member for the Biography/Memoir and am excited vote for books in one of my favorite genres. So far, 2011 has been a great year for the genre - here is a sampling:

Devotion: A Memoir (P.S.) by Dani Shapiro - I read and reviewed this earlier this year and immediately bought copies to give to friends. This book touched me in unexpected ways. (My review is here)

Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan: After the debacle of Greg Mortenson and his Three Cups of Tea , I am a bit wary of another story of a traveler moved to good deeds while visiting the Third World but I am an optimist at heart and intend to believe the best and hope not to be proven otherwise!

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: The story of an unlikely entrepreneur in Afghanistan who becomes a heroine to her family and community.

Bossypants by Tina Fey: Smart. Humor. Need I say more?

My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store by Ben Ryder Howe: Bookchickdi's review of this one for the Immigrant Stories Challenge piqued my interest

The Arrogant Years: One Girl's Search for Her Lost Youth, from Cairo to Brooklyn by Lucette Lagnado: Another immigrant story - this one was recently featured by fellow ILA voting member for the biography/memoir genre, Candace from Beth Fish Reads

This is just a small sample of the excellent biographies and memoirs published in 2011 - let me know about your favorites in the comments. Better yet, go to the Independent Literary Awards site and nominate your favorites (you don't need to be a blogger to nominate!) Biography and memoir not your thing? Check out the other ILA categories including Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, GLBTQ, Mystery and Speculative Fiction.

Review: You Don't Sweat Much For a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

2011-08-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl: Observations on Life from the Shallow End of the Pool by Celia Rivenbark is a humorous collection of essays by the sassy Southern comedian. With her irreverent humor, Rivenbark comments on all aspects of pop culture and current events and really says what many of us think. As she muses about the challenge of tweeting her thoughts in only 140 characters ("Twitter Woes: I've Got Plenty of Characters, Just No Character") or the paucity of quality in reality TV ("Loonies Litter Landscape of (snicker) The Learning Channel"), she puts words (albeit much funnier ones than I would string together) to the observations we all make about politics, entertainment and the human condition.

My Thoughts

I literally laughed out loud while reading this book - this drew some interesting looks on the plane and by the pool! Despite being in public places, I could not contain myself - Rivenbark's pithy commentary is spot on and the spin her snarky humor puts on daily occurences just made me laugh. In addition to doling out witty commentary on others, Rivenbark also includes some self-deprecating humor. My favorite example of this is when she describes asking David Sedaris to "blurb" her new book - she is pretty thoroughly rejected by Sedaris. When someone can be so withering in their humorous criticism of others, it is good to see them share their own foibles and vulernerabilities - it softens the edge of their snarky humor. Rivenbark's ability to do this kept her book from just being a collection of stories with laughs at other's expense and the book is all the better for it.

If you like Sedaris (he may not agree) or Dave Barry, this collection by Rivenbark may be for you. It makes for great light reading and its essay format means you can easily pick it up between other books or projects. I can also recommend Rivenbark's last book You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morning (sage advice, no?) if you are want more from this author after finishing "You Don't Sweat Much . . . " (review here).

Thank you to Tanya Farrell of Wunderkind PR for the review copy of this book

Mailbox Monday: August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A Girl and Her Books and is being hosted by Staci of Life in the Thumb this month. It has been some time since I posted a Mailbox Monday so there is quite a bit to report:

The Orphan Sister by Gwendolen Gross was a win from Chick Lit Is Not Dead

Where's My Wand?: One Boy's Magical Triumph over Alienation and Shag Carpeting by Eric Poole came for review from Anna at FSB Associates. I love this title!

Life After Yes: A Novel by Aidan Donnelley Rowley was a bookstore purchase

The Miracle of Grace by Kate Kerrigan was sent by the author. I recently read and reviewed the author's Ellis Island. The book is published in the UK but not yet in the US.

Red-Robed Priestess: A Novel (The Maeve Chronicles) by Elizabeth Cunningham came unsolicited from Meryl Zegarek

You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl: Observations on Life from the Shallow End of the Pool by Celia Rivenbark came from Tanya at Wunderkind PR - I started this last week on a plane and literally laughed all the way home!

Coming Up for Air by Patti Callahan Henry also arrived from Tanya at Wunderkind PR

The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert was a win from Cassandra at Indie Reader Houston

What arrived in your mailbox this week?

Giveaway: One Day Prize Pack

2011-07-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I read One Day by David Nicholls (Review here) - I enjoyed this story of romance and friendship so I was excited to hear that the book has been made into a movie by the same name. The movie debuts in theatres in the US on August 19th and stars Anne Hathaway as Em and Jim Sturgess as Dex. Here is a peek at the movie:

Through the generosity of Focus Features, I have a great giveaway to offer to 2 winners:

Each prize pack includes:

Autographed copy of One Day (paperback movie tie-in version)
Clear cosmetic case
Necklace
One Day Moleskine journal

Just complete the form below to enter. US Entrants Only
I will select winners on Wednesday, July 27 via random.org. Good Luck!

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Guest Post: Kate Kerrigan, author of Ellis Island

2011-07-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to welcome author Kate Kerrigan to Books in the City. Kate is the author of Ellis Island: A Novel (my review here). She graciously agreed to write this guest post on immigration and what it has meant in her life.

Growing up Irish in London, England in the 1970’s was a cultural identity minefield.
My parents were both school teachers, educated and bookish with Irish republican sensibilities. I remember my sister coming home from school one day and innocently asking my mother; “Mum – are we posh or are we common?”
My mother replied; “If anyone should be rude enough to ask - you can tell them we are ‘Educated Irish.’”

Ballina, Co. Mayo (credit: Belleek Park)

Looking back now, it was equally as snobbish a distinction, but even as a young child I grabbed onto the notion. I was already confused about my true national identity.
Because my parents were teachers we enjoyed two-month holidays in Ireland every year. In my mother’s home-town of Ballina, County Mayo we stayed with our grandmother and hung out with the neighbours’ children. We went to discos’ and ceilidhs – I had my first kiss on the bridge crossing the Rover Moy with a heartbreakingly handsome young man called Eammon Rooney. But still, we were “the English kids” with our hee-haw accents and our strangely fashionable clothes. We hung out with the local kids, but were never quite accepted as local ourselves. My parents and grandparents were Irish born and bred, their brogue was intact – their history, but we, their children, bore the stigma of their having abandoned ship. They left Ireland – not for the glamour and affluence of our friends in America – but for the traitorous advantages on offer from our oppressors, the English.

The 70’s and 80’s was a bad time to be Irish in Britain with republican paramilitary groups – the IRA and terrorist offshoots – blowing up nightclubs and department stores. “If an Irish person who seems to have a lot of cash moves into your area,” signs on the London underground warned, “call this number,” with a hotline to the special police unit set up for people to report on their Irish neighbours. My politically motivated teenage years were spent keeping my mouth shut about my strong opinions on what I saw as the continued occupation of my parents’ homeland by the English. I did not agree on the planting of bombs in London. As a young woman I narrowly missed being inside Harrods of Knightsbridge when it was attacked and the blast blew in the windows of the hairdressing salon where I was working, but at the same time I knew more about the history and ongoing social injustice and politics that were leading this illegal call to arms.

Eventually, I moved to Ireland. Other people went abroad on holidays – we always went ‘home’. As a young adult, I spent all of my vacation time in my mother’s home in Ballina, County Mayo. I always said I moved to Ireland so I could start holidaying abroad!

The truth was far more complicated. I always felt more Irish than English and had always harboured a desire to live in the place my parents left. One of my sisters feels the same and followed me over here with her family, the other sister and our brother (who died, in London two years ago, God Rest His Soul) are Londoners through and through, and mystified by my desire to live here. They see themselves as Londoners, with Irish parents – which, in effect, is what we all were bought up to be. But it was never enough for me. I wanted to be properly Irish – somehow the English angle never computed in my soul.

I have been living in Ireland for twenty years now. I married a Dubliner, and we have two Irish boys with soft, sing-song accents. We live a few miles from my mother’s native Ballina in a fishing village called Killala in a house overlooking the sea. We burn bog-turf and bake soda-bread and have the radio tuned to R.T.E. For all that, I still speak with the North London accent I grew up with and am still, for all my family history in this area – if not a ‘blow-in’ (the name given to foreign residents) at least a “Plastic Paddy”. However, I am generally considered a wholly Irish writer and I won’t bend on that point. My latest offering, Ellis Island, is the first of a trilogy and deals with the question of identity and moral values that I find myself constantly drawn to as a writer.

So for all my efforts to fit in do I feel truly Irish now? The answer is – yes and no and either way it doesn’t matter to me any more. The greatest thing my emigrant identity has given me is enough interest to question and explore the influences of my parent’s background on my life and, in turn, the political and social circumstances that influenced their lives. Had they stayed in Ireland, and I had been born and educated here, perhaps I would not have had the questioning spirit that led me to become a writer? Would I have had the ‘outsiders’ view of the savage beauty of the landscape– the fresh ear for the odd vernacular, the curiosity to ask questions? Maybe. More importantly through living and writing in Ireland as the “pretender” to an Irish identity – I have learned that the personal path of the second generation emigrant carves it’s own peculiar place in a country’s history that is no less important that the people who were born there.

Thank you Kate for sharing your unique experience and perspective. We too always went "home" to Ireland each summer and I still get a little thrill when I visit now and a friend or family member says "You are welcome home". If you like Immigrant Stories, you won't be disappointed by Ellis Island: A Novel!

The Sunday Salon: July 17 2011

2011-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month since I last wrote a Sunday Salon post - with the warm summer weather and weekend activities, my blogging has been flagging. I am trying to remedy that by getting a little ahead this weekend. Perhaps because I feel overwhelmed as it is, I am loathe to sign up for another social media site (although I am loving Twitter) so I have resisted the draw to Tumblr and Google +. I have decided that these outlets will need to replace one of my existing social media options before I sign-up. I am, however on the verge of setting up a Facebook page for Books in the City. Do you have a FB page for your blog? Do you find it difficult to keep up with the many social media options?

Reviews
In case you missed it, I have posted some reviews lately (click on book title to see review):

Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan: This immigrant story about a young woman from Ireland who leaves her love behind when she emigrates to NY to earn the family some much needed money is an inspiring story about determination and independence. The author, Kate Kerrigan, will be guest posting here tomorrow. She writes about her experience living as the daughter of immigrants in England. Stop by tomorrow!

Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth by Mika Brzezinski: This relatively short (4 hours) audiobook by the co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe offers sage advice for women on how to understand their worth in the workplace and ensure their pay is equal to their male counterparts. She has esteemed women and men in business, entertainment and politics (including Valerie Jarret, Donald Trump and Nora Ephron) share their personal stories about lessons they learned about getting what they were worth in the workplace.

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison is a quiet, moving story centered around the experience of a young girl evacuated from London during WWII. It is really a story about love in all its forms - parental love, romantic love and the love between a husband and wife. The characters in this book will haunt me for some time.

The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair. This beautiful story about a young girl who returns to India for a summer with mother unravels a family mystery bit by bit and kept me anxiously reading for more. There is an echo of The Secret Garden in this captivating novel.

What have you been reading recently? Have a great week!

Review: Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan

2011-07-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

In Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan, we are introduced to Ellie Hogan, a young woman raised in rural Ireland, who leaves her homeland and husband to emigrate to the United States where she hopes to earn money to pay for an operation needed by her husband. Headstrong, plucky Ellie faces many challenges when she arrives in NY but soon finds herself settling into her new life. But she also misses her husband, John, and has to decide how she can have all her new life promises and the man she has loved since she was a young girl.

As neighbors, Ellie and John Hogan are playmates- they run through the fields and climb trees in their rural Ireland until eventually their friendship grows into something more serious. Against Ellie's parents' wishes, they elope when Ellie is just eighteen. When John is injured while fighting in Ireland's civil war, Ellie takes matters into her own hands and decided to move to the US for a year to make money to pay for John's operation. Once there, she overcomes her initial challenges fitting into a new world and begins to flourish. Suddenly, she is pulled between two worlds - one in which she is self-sufficient and allowed some luxuries in life and one in which living is difficult without any modern conveniences but where she is with the man she loves.

I enjoy books with a theme of immigration and on that front this novel obviously delivers (the title really gives that away!) but there is much more to the book than an immigrant's story. In fact, the novel is really about the immigrant herself - it is Ellie's story. We see her as a headstrong young girl who chafes against her humorless, conservative parents and then as a young wife to a man committed to fighting for his country's freedom. When she heads to NY, her headstrong ways hold her in good stead as she plucks up the courage to challenge the head of servants at the home in which she works as maid. Unlike many immigrants, she is not easily taken advantage of and she is able to assert herself and get what she deserves. We really only see the softer side of Ellie when she writes to and thinks of John - she is torn between her love for him and the independent life she has made for herself in NY. Although set in the early 1900's, Ellie faces a dilemma faced by many modern women - she tries to find the balance between the independence wrought by hard work and self sufficiency with the comfort of a domestic life with the man she loves.

This novel was so enjoyable to read - it is very rich in detail so that we truly get a peek into Ellie's world. In addition to Ellie and John's stories, there are so many characters that surround them from John's parents, Paud and Maidy to Ellie's friends in NY, Sheila and Emilie. A little bit is told of each of their stories so that you become immersed in Ellie's life. In addition, the rugged beauty of rural Ireland is well sketched as is the glamour of NY at the turn of the century. If you enjoy historical fiction or stories about strong women, this book is for you! The best news is that there is more Ellie to come - this book is the first in a trilogy.

Author Kate Kerrigan was born and raised in London by Irish parents. After living and working in England as a magazine journalist, Kate returned to Ireland and ultimately settled in the West of Ireland (up Mayo!) near her mother's hometown. Kate will be guest posting on my blog on Monday and will talk about her own experience of being first generation and the child of immigrants. Please come back then!

Immigrant Stories ala Europa Editions

2011-07-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Europa Challenge? This unique challenge asks participants to commit to reading books from Europa Editions - a publisher of literary fiction. In fact, 2/3 of their titles are works of literature in translation. With this international influence, it is not surprising that many of their titles also include the theme of immigration/emigration. In keeping with my interest in Immigrant Stories , my focus for the Europa Challenge will be their books with an immigrant theme which include:

Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio: A small culturally mixed community living an apartment building in the center of Rome is thrown into disarray when one of the neighbors is murdered. An investigation ensues and as each of the victim’s neighbors is questioned, the reader is offered an all-access pass into the most colorful neighborhood in contemporary Rome. Each character takes his or her turn center-stage, “giving evidence,” recounting his or her story—the dramas of emigration, the daily equivocations of immigration, the fears and misunderstandings of a life spent on society’s margins, abused by mainstream culture’s fears and indifference, preconceptions and insensitivity. What emerges is a touching story that is common to us all, whether we live in Rome or in Los Angeles.

The Sexual Life of an Islamist in Paris: This exhilarating novel about tradition and modernity, obligation and emancipation, also speaks to what it means to live in a heterogeneous society where cultures and ideologies often clash. With this portrait of a man balanced between two cultures—liberated and successful but nonetheless conditioned by religion, family, and an overbearing mother—Leïla Marouane establishes herself as an original and talented chronicler of modern man’s inhibitions and taboos.

Between Two Seas: With the exuberance of innocence and childlike urgency, the story of Heumann’s fame and Bellusci’s obsession is told through the eyes of Florian—the two men’s grandson, a child of two countries and two cultures that are often at odds, and the unlikely heir to his Italian grandfather’s obsession.

Broken Glass Park :
The heroine of this engrossing and thoroughly contemporary novel is seventeen-year-old Sascha Naimann. Sascha was born in Moscow, but now lives in Berlin with her two younger siblings and, until recently, her mother. She is precocious, independent, street-wise, and, since her stepfather murdered her mother several months ago, an orphan. . . . Germany’s Freundin Magazine called Broken Glass Park “a gripping portrayal of life on the margins of society.” But Sascha’s story does not remain on the margins; it goes straight to the heart of what it means to be young, alive, and conscious in these first decades of the new century.

Bone China: A beautifully crafted story of hope and survival set in Sri Lanka and England that will appeal to all readers of White Teeth and The Inheritance of Loss.

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine: Rosa is quick to broker a deal that will guarantee all three women a passage out of the Soviet Union. But as soon as they are settled in the West, the uproariously dysfunctional ties that bind mother, daughter and grandmother begin to fray.

Told with sly humor and an anthropologist’s eye for detail, The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine is the story of three unforgettable women whose destinies are tangled up in a family dynamic that is at turns hilarious and tragic. In her new novel, Russian-born Alina Bronsky gives readers a moving portrait of the devious limits of the will to survive.

I like the fact that these books cover emigration to countries other than the US which is a change from many of the other books I have read for the challenge. So, if you are a participant in the Immigrant Stories Challenge, consider Europa Editions for some of your selections and join in the Europa Challenge!

If immigrant stories are not your thing, never fear - there are over 100 books in the Europa catalog covering a variety of topics - I am sure there is one in there for you!

Audiobook Review: Knowing Your Value by Mika Brzezinski

2011-07-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth by Mika Brzezinski; read by Coleen Marlo. This book is an interesting combination of memoir, sociological study and manifesto; Mika Brezezinski, co-host of Morning Joe, shares her struggles for equal pay, explores the data regarding pay discrepancies between men and women, and has successful women and men from a variety of fields offer their anecdotes and advice. The result is an engaging audiobook which gives you something to consider regarding your place in the workforce and the value others, but most importantly you, place on it.

Mika Brzenzinski opens her book by revealing that, despite a successful career in TV news, she struggled to make ends meet each month and was grossly underpaid in many of the jobs she held. As she joined Joe Scarborough on the new show, Morning Joe, she found her niche and was energized by her work. However, the work was never ending as she spent many hours off camera trying to secure guests and preparing for the next day's show. She wasn't bothered by this extra work until she learned her co-host was earning 14 times her salary! It was then that she started to examine where she had gone wrong in the salary negotiation game throughout her career and she amassed advice and data on how to navigate a workforce with entrenched inequities between men and women. Below are a few lessons I learned from the author and her famous guests including Nora Ephron, Donnie Deutsch, Cheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) and Valerie Jarrett (Senior Advisor to President Obama):

Saying you have been "lucky" diminishes your value: Many women - and I count myself among them - will say they have been "lucky" when asked about success in their career. By attributing success to luck as opposed to your skills, you devalue you own worth.
Never be apologetic when asking for a raise: You must negotiate from a place of strength and a true understanding of your value to the organization or team. If you apologize for asking for a raise, you give your boss an "out" and they immediately question if you deserve the raise when you feel the need to apologize for the imposition. Also, you don't "need" the raise because of extraneous issues in your personal life (children or elderly parents to care for) but you deserve the raise because of the value you bring to the team.
Behave authentically: Although some of the pay discrepancies between men and women can be attributed to their different styles and approaches, you must still conduct yourself in a way in which you are comfortable and "fits" you. Adopting the brash, outspoken style of a male colleague may not be successful for you -especially if you are visibly uncomfortable.
Do your research: Understand how much people are paid in your role at your own company but also at competitors. You can't negotiate if you don't know how much the market will bear. Men are often very comfortable discussing salaries and therefore have the inside track on how much they should be paid. By being reticent to discuss money, women often hurt themselves in the salary department.
Hard work is not enough: Women often diligently assume tasks men would not and think this will be recognized but without self-promotion it goes unnoticed. Women may not be comfortable with self-promotion but it is necessary in order to get what you deserve. I have seen this first hand and have finally accepted that hard work and results won't always speak for themselves.

This audiobook, at just over 4 hours, is the perfect length for this topic - it allowed for the inclusion of varied anecdotes from contributors and a smattering of research and data on pay inequity. A more in-depth examination of the research would have been tedious while the amount the author did include provided the right context for the points she made. I recommend listening to this (or reading the book) before you go into your boss's office to ask for your next raise!

Review: The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

2011-07-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison is set in England during the Second World War. Anna Sands, a young girl living in London, is evacuated from the city along with other children and moved to the countryside where it is hoped the children will be safe from the bombings taking place in the city. Anna is relocated to the Ashton Estate in the Yorkshire countryside; Elizabeth and Thomas Ashton, a childless couple, have opened their estate to the evacuees where they educate and care for the youngsters. This haunting war time novel chronicles the suffering during the war but also the impact of the war time experience for years to come.

There is an obvious theme of separation in The Very Thought of You as the children live away from their parents and homes but separation pervades this novel and taints almost all relationships between the characters; in fact, the quote below very accurately sums up the novel:

"one long story of separation, just as Wordsworth had said. From people, from places, from the past you could never quite reach even as you lived it"

Many characters have been shattered by loss and and are separated both literally and metaphorically from those they love. It is as if they are outsiders observing their lives and desperately wanting to participate but they are held back by their inability to express love freely - an emotional stunting arising from pasts filled with too much loneliness and tragedy. Thomas suffered the loss of siblings to disease and WWI and the following is said about its effect upon him:

Thomas felt he had been cut off at the roots. In the months that followed, he grew oddly estranged from himself. A profound detachment separated him from hope, and his heart was numbed, leaving him distanced from the quick of his feelings.

And this quote referring to the children - the evacuees:

Yet none of these consolations could staunch the Christmas-night tears in the dormitories. The remembrance of home, of mothers, of fathers. The emotional wasteland of their lives without them. It would take years for many of them to dare to love again.

The characters experience different losses and are changed in different ways by loss but all suffer from this chronic detachment.

My thoughts
I have seen this book referred to as a love story but I prefer to call it a story about love. It covers marital love, parental love and romantic love but is less about the love story itself and more about the characters' difficulty with love. There are glimpses of the redemptive power of love but they are only glimpses - the theme of unrequited love is much more dominant which lends a melancholy tone to the book. For that reason, I felt the book was the perfect length - long enough to appreciate the history that frames the novel and long enough for some therapeutic wallowing in the sadness that defines the novel but not so long as to plunge you into a depression over the aching loss experienced by the characters. Furthermore, the writing is excellent (hence all the quotes in this review) and I thought the author beautifully captured the emotions and at times, lack thereof, experienced by her characters. I will not soon forget the characters or their haunting stories.

Winners: Literary Blog Hop Giveaway

2011-06-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

I offered Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel by Beth Hoffman for the Literary Blog Hop Giveaway. Winners were chosen today via Random.org. Without further ado, the winners are:

Rob from Books Are Like Candy Corn won Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney

Kara from Great Imaginations won Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel by Beth Hoffman

Congratulations to the winners and I hope you like these books as much as I did!

Review: The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair

2011-06-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair is the beautiful story of a girl's summer in India and the family secrets that unravel during that summer despite her family's pride and insistence on maintaining a carefully crafted series of lies. Eleven year old Rakhee travels with her mother from Minnesota to Kerala, India to visit her mother's homeland and family. Although only eleven years old, Rahkee is perceptive and senses there is more than she is told driving her Mom home and she arrives in India with apprehension. Throughout her time in Kerala, Rahkee grows up in more ways than one - she discovers things about her Mother that had been hidden from her and she faces the complicated dilemma of loving her Mother but realizing that her Mother may forsake her.

This book is beautifully written and the gradual unraveling of the family's secrets kept me eagerly reading. The secrets were not completely predictable and I was surprised by a number of twists at the end of the novel. Perhaps the most delightful part of this book is its narrator, Rahkee - she possesses the perfect mix of childlike innocence and adult sensibilities. Although her experiences in India are at times fantastical and border on fantasy, she actually faces emotions that most children her age contend with - the realization that her parents are fallible and anxiety about whether they will stay together. The reality of these emotions balanced the fantasy/fairy tale elements of the story and made for an engaging read. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to more by the author, Kamala Nair.

I received a copy of this book from the author for review.

Giveaway: Literary Blog Hop June 25-29

2011-06-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Judith from Leeswammees Blog is once again hosting the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop and I am happy to be taking part. The hop takes place from June 25 and June 29 and there are over 70 blogs taking part and offering a giveaway!

My Giveaway

I am offering the chance to win one of two excellent books (and favorites of mine!)

The first selection is Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (click here for my review)

The second selection is Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney (click here for my review)

The contest is open internationally (as long as Book Depository delivers to your country) and I will select winners using random.org on June 30th. Fill out this form to be entered to win!

Don't forget to check out the other Blog Hop participants!

Friday Finds

2011-06-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

The Enchanter: Nabokov and Happiness by Lila Azam Zanganeh
Published May 2, 2011
Publisher: WW Norton

From Amazon : The protagonist of Vladimir Nabokov's The Gift playfully dreamed of writing "A Practical Handbook: How to Be Happy." Now, Nabokov's own creative reader Lila Azam Zanganeh lends life to this vision with sly sophistication and ebullient charm, as she shares the delirious joy to be found in reading the masterpieces of "the great writer of happiness."

Plunging into the enchanted and luminous worlds of Speak, Memory; Ada, or Ardor; and the infamous Lolita, Azam Zanganeh seeks out the Nabokovian experience of time, memory, sexual passion, nature, loss, love in all its forms, and language in all its allusions. She explores Nabokov's geography-from his Russian childhood to the landscapes of "his" America-suffers encounters with his beloved "nature," hallucinates an interview with the master, and seeks the "crunch of happiness" in his singular vocabulary. This beautifully illuminated book will both reignite the passion of experienced Nabokovians and lure the innocent reader to a well of delights as yet unseen

I learned about this book in this NY Times review.

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading

Winners: Summer in the South Giveaway

2011-06-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the two winners of Summer in the South: A Novel by Cathy Holton!

Kristen from Kritters Ramblings and
JP from Elle Lit

Thank you again to the author for offering the books for giveaway!

Top Ten Tuesday: Why I Love Book Blogging

2011-06-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by Broke and Bookish, is about the reasons we love book blogging and is in celebration of the blog's one year blogiversay. They have a great blog with quality content and I especially like this weekly feature - check them out!

So, with about 18 months of book blogging under my belt - the top ten reasons I love book blogging:

10. Creative Outlet: I work in a decidedly unliterary field (pharma R&D) and my job involves a lot of analysis and logical thinking with little room for creativity. I love to come home to my blog where I can exercise my more creative side.

9. Challenges: I was thrilled to discover challenges when I started blogging - participating in them asks me to stretch my reading horizons - not unlike the summer reading lists of my schooldays. I liked challenges so much I started my own this year - the Immigrant Stories Challenge

8. New to me Genres: Before book blogging, I read no YA (well, except when I was a YA), but reading all the excellent reviews of the genre from fellow bloggers who also read adult fiction, has lured me in and I realize I was definitely missing something by not reading the genre.

7. Audiobooks: another thing I had never tried before blogging but now is essential in my "reading" life. I never thought I would enjoy having a book read to me but how wrong I was - in the car, enroute to work via subway and most recently while lying in bed after LASIK surgery when I couldn't open my eyes, audiobooks have been lifesavers and allowed me to enjoy even more stories!

6. Authors: Prior to book blogging, I don't think I had ever interacted directly with an author, but I have learned how much I enjoy learning about their motivation to write their book and the real person behind the (often) fictional world they create. A highlight for me this year was meeting the lovely Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel, at BEA this year. Her generosity and kind words about how much book bloggers have meant to her as an author overwhelmed me.

5. Discovery: In addition to discovering new genres, I have also discovered new authors (and their books) this year that I likely would not have been exposed to without book blogging. One such author is Aine Greaney - I loved her book Dance Lessons (will be in my top ten this year) but I am not sure it would have come to my attention if I hadn't been book blogging.

4. Twitter: There are days I should consider this a curse considering the amount of time I lose to it but I love how it has expanded my "online" social circle

3. Book Recommendations: Fellow book bloggers have made some of the best book recommendations and by reading their blogs I can judge whether or not our tastes are similar and how likely I am to like what they liked. They have also saved me from some snoozes . . .

2. Bookish Events: From BEA to author signings to receptions at publishing houses, I have had the pleasure of attending some great events in the time I have been blogging. It is great to be surrounded at these events by people who share a love of reading

1. Community: Speaking of being surrounded by people who share a love of reading, the #1 reason I love book blogging is the amazing community that exists within the world of book blogging. From the outset, people have been welcoming, encouraging and have taken an interest in me as well as what I have to say about books. That, my friends, is priceless.

What do you love most about book blogging?

Giveaway: Summer in the South by Cathy Holton

2011-06-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I reviewed author Cathy Holton's latest novel Summer in the South (check out the review here). Here is a little about the book (from Publisher's Weekly):

Holton's (Beach Trip) fourth novel is a carefully fitted nesting doll containing the secrets of one Southern family. Throughout Ava Drabrowski's growing up, her mother constantly kept her on the move, so the adult Ava enjoys her steady paycheck and a place to call home. But when her mother dies, Ava accepts an offer from Will, a college friend, to spend the summer in Tennessee with his elderly aunts, Josephine and Fanny Woodburn. It will be a chance to mourn, but also an opportunity to begin the novel Ava wants to write. The South feels like a different world to her, with its meticulous manners, taboo topics, and five o'clock "Toddy Time," and Ava's favorite taboo topic is the aristocratic Woodburns themselves-but nobody wants to talk about the past. No one, that is, except Jake, Will's estranged cousin, to whom Ava is immediately drawn. What she learns gives her the makings of a great novel, but she also learns that some secrets are better left buried. Ava's struggles with her own past make her a wonderfully grounded narrator for a snapshot of the South as it is today: a region deeply tangled in its own history.

Add this book to your beach bag - enter below for a chance to win one of two copies!

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Review: Summer in the South by Cathy Holton

2011-06-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Summer in the South: A Novel by Cathy Holton is a simmering summer read filled with romance and intrigue about long-buried pasts. Following the death of her mother, Ava joins a college friend, Will, at his ancestral home in Tennessee where he lives with two elderly aunts. In addition to coming to terms with her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Ava is looking for some time away to work on a novel. She did not, however, expect to find such rich content for her novel right in the home in which she spends the summer.

Will is part of an upstanding, well-to-do Southern family but although they maintain traditions like evening cocktails (Toddy Time) and host parties which require engraved invitations, there are secrets hidden in their past. This hint of scandal casts a shadow over the family but in typical Southern tradition no one discusses the less than perfect past. Although polite, everyone seems emotionally shut down while they try to keep everything under wraps.

Ava, however, does not bow to these traditions and is gradually unearthing parts of the family's past. As she learns more about the family's past, it inspires her to write and her novel begins to take shape. With Will's obvious romantic interest in her and the kindness offered by the aunts, Ava knows writing this novel will be viewed as a betrayal because it exposes what the family has worked so hard to keep buried. She can't, however, stem her need to get to the bottom of a mystery in the family's past.

This novel offers a peek into life in the South as it might have been 50 years ago. Although it takes place in the present, everyone lives as you might expect them to in the 1950's - no one seems to have a job and they retire to bed during the heat of midday. Toddy Time anchors their days and they certainly stand on ceremony. By moving at the slow pace of days gone by, the novel makes for a lovely summer respite and I found myself languishing in the charm of the South. It is interesting to watch the Northerner, Ava, adjust as she is dropped into this world of tradition, formality and a slower pace. The author tosses in some romantic tension between Will and Ava and the competing interests of another man in town to round out this summer read. For a quick trip back to the charm of South during the time of plantations and debuts, pick of Summer in the South: A Novel by Cathy Holton!

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of the book for review.

Waiting on Wednesday: June 1, 2011

2011-05-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I am waiting on:

The Wedding Writer by Susan Schneider (publishes June 7, 2011)
From Goodreads.com:

Lucky Quinn writes up weddings for one of the hottest bridal magazines. And it wasn’t easy to get there. From humble beginnings, she outsmarted her way into the center of New York’s glamorous magazine industry – making up for her background with a sharp mind, whip-thin physique, and ceaseless ambition.

Then, in one day, her life is utterly transformed; two of the magazine’s major competitors fold, and Lucky is named Editor-in-Chief, replacing the formidable, but aging Grace Ralston, who had been at the magazine’s helm from day one. Grace taught Lucky everything she knows, but now it seems that she taught her too well…

As the ripples of Lucky’s promotion spread, the intricate lives of four women begin to unfold. Felice, Your Wedding’s elegant and unshakeable Art Director is now being shaken for the first time by troubles at home. Sara, the Fashion Director, is famed for her eagle eye for fashion trends and exquisite hair. But, for all her know-how, “the Angel of Bridal” has never come close to starring in a wedding herself – she’s picked the dress, but where’s the groom? Grace, recovering in the wake of her sudden, humiliating fall from power, must learn to accept herself – and love – after a life dedicated to fulfilling other women’s dreams. And, through it all, Lucky begins to discover just how lonely the top really is.

Seems like Devil Wears Prada meets The Wedding Planner - perfect beach read!

What are you waiting on?

Immigrant Stories Finds at BEA

2011-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

I spent one day at BEA this year and as I walked the floor and spoke to publishers I was on the hunt for book recommendations for the Immigrant Stories Challenge. The publishers were great and made some excellent recommendations from their backlist and from their upcoming releases. Here is a sampling:

HarperCollins

The Arrogant Years: One Girl's Search for Her Lost Youth, from Cairo to Brooklynby Lucette Lagnado (Ecco, publishes Sept 7, 2011)
Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan (publishes June 28, 2011)

Soho Press
Tiger's Heart: The Story of a Modern Chinese Woman by Aisling Juanjuan Shen (available now)

Motherland by Vineeta Vijayaraghavan (available now)

Kiyo's Story: A Japanese-American Family's Quest for the American Dream by Kiyo Sato (available now)

Other Press
The Oriental Wife by Evelyn Toynton (publishes July 19th)
On Canaan's Side: A Novel by Sebastian Barry (publishes Sep 8, 2011)

Macmillan/Picador

The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley (available now)

Algonquin

The Jew Store by Stella Suberman (Available now)

WW Norton
No Great Mischief: A Novel by Alistair MacLeod (available now)

Europa Editions

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky (Available now)
Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky (Available now)

Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous (Available now)

Do you have any Immigrant Story recommendations?

Review: You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

2011-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon is a collection of eight short stories focusing on deployed military and the families they leave behind on base in Fort Hood, TX. The stories are loosely connected and present the low hum of anxiety that permeates the lives of the military and their families. As they move through life's mundane tasks - making meals, attending doctor's appointments and walking the dog - the persistent worry and awareness of absence relentlessly chips away in the background.

Each story is written precisely and sparely which communicates a tension that is ever present in the lives of these military families. Many stories deal with infidelity or the threat of infidelity as either the solider or the spouse left behind tries to assuage their loneliness with the company of another. This theme reminded me that the soldiers and their families give up more than just time with their loved ones- they also give up a sense of security and belonging that those of us in civilian life take for granted. In one story, "Remission", Ellen, a breast cancer survivor, is one of the few women whose husband is home while almost all the others are deployed. While she copes with fears of a return of her cancer, Ellen also competes with the military and the war in Iraq for her husband's time and attention. John is preoccupied with his peers serving in battle and his responsibility to do whatever he can for the families they have left behind; he all but abandons his own wife in family as he tries to take care of everyone else.

Like John, many of the soldiers that return home are plagued with the effects of the time spent at war and an ever present sense of duty. There are the obvious physical effects - Kit's injured foot ("The Last Stand") but more pernicious are the psychological effects that are carried back from war. From night terrors that disturb sleep to problems with alcohol and meds which interrupt precious family time, these soldiers return changed and, in turn, their families are forever changed.

This collection of stories is beautifully written but what I enjoyed most about the book was how it opened my eyes to the extent of sacrifice made by the military and their families. I always understood the risks they took and the extended time spent away from family but I didn't appreciate the constant anxiety, loneliness and isolation that can plague soldiers and their families. Above all, I didn't appreciate how the sacrifice continues even after soldiers return home and even leave the military - their loved ones are forever changed and they live with the effects of war, physical and psychological, forever.

Sunday Salon: 5 Best Books I Picked Up at BEA

2011-05-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am still recuperating from the past week and can't seem to work up the energy right now for a complete BEA/BBC re-cap but thought I would feature 5 of my favorite books from BEA - I am focusing this list on books that are not yet published to whet everyone's appetite for what is coming in the next weeks and months. I also received some great books which are already published and will feature those separately. Cassandra from IndiereaderHouston hosts 5 Best Books each week and this week her topic is 5 best books picked up at BEA (check out her site for other's 5 Best Lists)

Here are the top 5 books (yet to be published) that I picked up at BEA:

1. The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly from Touchstone (Simon and Schuster) - I love all things Little Women and this modern day story of Jo's great-great granddaughters sounds delightful (available for pre-order now and publishes June 7th)

2. Next to Love: A Novel by Ellen Feldman from Spiegel and Grau - this story follows three women as their husbands go off to WWII and chronicles their lives through a full generation later (available for pre-order now and publishes July 27th)

3. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close from Knopf follows a group of women in their twenties as they navigate dating, careers and the many weddings of their friends. The voice of the author is touted to be sardonic and witty which is a draw for me. (available for pre-order now and publishes August 16th)

4. Fathermucker: A Novel by Greg Olear from Harper is the story of a stay-at-home Dad who finds out his wife may be having an affair - the entire book is told in 24 hour period. (available for pre-order now and publishes Oct 4, 2011)

5. The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright from WW Norton is the latest novel from this Irish author who won the Booker for her novel The Gathering. Like in the Gathering, Enright presents "the momentous drama of everyday life" - my kind of book! (available for pre-order now and publishes October 2011)

What books are you looking forward to?

Review: Faith by Jennifer Haigh

2011-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Faith by Jennifer Haigh is a powerful story of corruption in the Catholic Church and the difficulties of finding and holding onto faith - in religion and in others. The narrator, Sheila McGann, is the daughter of Irish American parents who was raised in a Boston suburb and now lives in Philadelphia. She is drawn home to Boston when her oldest brother, Art, is accused of molesting a young boy. A scandal and devastating for both the accused, accuser and their families for sure - but even more so because Art is a priest. This news breaks amidst the crisis in the Catholic Church as it becomes increasingly clear that the Archdiocese was aware of the trangressions committed by priests and the Church was complicit by moving known pedophiles to new parishes to prey on other unsuspecting parishioners. Haigh tackles this charged and controversial topic by developing richly drawn characters who demonstrate how difficult it is to know the extent of the complex story behind a headline.

Sheila McGann, upon hearing the news of the accusations against Art, cannot believe the man she knows and grew up with could be capable of hurting a child. She is certain that he has been wrongly accused and advises her brother to "come down off the cross" when he doesn't seem to want to vehemently defend his case. He has put his faith in the Church and believes they will take care of him while Sheila believes the Church will take care of itself and sacrifice Art if necessary to avert further controversy. As she helps Art move out of the rectory and into a rented apartment, she gains a peek into the inner life of her solitary brother, the priest, and begins to appreciate the loneliness he faces daily.

As much as this story is about Art and the Catholic Church, it is also about the McGann family and the dynamics that have defined their interactions with each other. In this quote, Sheils tries to explain the family in which she was raised:

Evasion comes naturally in my tribe, this loose jumble of McGann, Devine and Breen. . . . My Father is a man of shameful habits. My Mother is lace-curtain Irish. She will settle for correctness, or the appearance of it; but in her heart she only wants to be good. The space between them is crisscrossed with silent bridges, built of half-truths and suppressions. The chasm beneath is deep and wide.

This quote perfectly describes the reticent McGann's whose matriarch is most concerned with what others will think while much goes unsaid and unacknowledged. It is not hard to see why secrets are so pervasive in this family. There are certainly parallels between the McGann tribe and the Catholic Church - the suppressions and the willingness to settle for the appearance of correctness if the achievement of it becomes too aspirational.

My thoughts
I grew up Catholic and attended almost 12 years of Catholic school and am outraged by the sinister role the Church played in covering up the transgressions of some of its priests. It certainly shakes my faith in an institution I took at face value as a child and believed was above reproach. Haigh addresses the disappointment and anger felt by Catholics such as me but also exposes the collateral damage done by the scandal and the danger of prejudging everyone based on the acts of a few. A priest in the novel says

Meeting a woman, meeting a man. God forbid, meeting a child. I'm a priest, my dear. In the current climate, any human interaction is suspect.

Haigh does a superb job of both portraying a complicated, complex family and addressing the controversial topic of the Church's pedophilia scandals. She unravels the story and the characters slowly and keeps you wanting to turn the pages to learn just a little more about this collection of imperfect characters and to get the next installment in the story that is not as it seems in the beginning. I cannot recommend this book heartily enough and it will definitely be in my top ten for 2011.

Mailbox Monday: May 23, 2011

2011-05-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday is usually hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page; the meme will be doing a blog tour over the next few months - this month it is hosted by Mari from MariReads. Mailbox Monday gives us a chance to feature the books that came into our homes over the past week (and of course to check out what came in to everyone else's!) It has been some time since I have done a Mailbox Monday so there is a lot in here (probably about 1 month's worth).


Purchased

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - for an upcoming bookclub
Love and Summer: A Novel by William Trevor - this author was recommended to me a while ago and I finally picked up one of his books
The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T.R. Reid - the title is a mouthful but an important topic
The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri - I saw a lot of great reviews about this book on the blogs last year
The Empty Family: Stories by Colm Toibin - I snap up anything by this author!
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi -this is not a celebrity I ever took any notice of but I heard her read some passages from this book and they were so raw and I was surprised by how much I could relate (even though I struggle with a different eating disorder than she did)

Received For Review

The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair (from the author)
Only Mine (Hqn) by Susan Mallery (from Little Bird Publicity)
The Long Song: A Novel by Andrea Levy (from Picador)
Summer in the South: A Novel by Cathy Holton (from the author)
The Oregon Experiment by Keith Scribner (from Regal Literary)
Dreams of Joy: A Novel by Lisa See (from Library Thing Early Reviewers)

What came into your home this week?

The Sunday Salon: BEA Has Arrived!

2011-05-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

May seemed very far away when I registered for BookExpoAmerica (BEA) and BookBloggerCon - but here we are on May 22nd and the festivities start next week! I am looking forward to my second trip to both conferences - especially since I was hardly able to participate in last year's events. We had a crisis (read: total meltdown) at work the week before BEA and as a result I only made it to the BBC on Friday and even then I was dashing out to take calls and find a place to log on to deal with urgent emails. Fortunately, this week is much calmer and although I will likely not be able to get to the convention center on Tues and Wed, I will definitely be there on Thursday and at BBC (uninterrupted, please God) on Friday. I am also going to be able to take part in some of the evening events since they take place after work hours. I have been reading everyone's schedules and have finally pulled a tentative one together for my time at the events . . .

Monday

Harper Perennial Book Blogger Lunch - I am looking forward to hearing about how is book is "made" including editing and art.

Evening (I am either going to need a teleporter or make some choices for the evening - too many great things happening simultaneously)

Peter Hamill at the Soho Apple store (5pm)

Picador Reception (6-8pm)

Jonathan Tropper and Laura Dave at Corner Bookstore (6pm)

Tuesday

Work :(

Wednesday

Work :(

. . . but I may try to dash over to Javits for Marisa de los Santos's signing (9:30-10:30)

Harper Collins Book Blogger Reception (6pm) - I attended this last year and it was a great place to meet fellow bloggers

Thursday

Adult Author Breakfast (8:30-9:30am)

Anne Enright signing The Forgotten Waltz in booth 3424 (10-10:30am)

Jennifer Close signingGirls in White Dresses in booth 4420 (11:30)

Book Blogger Convention Reception - Javits (3-5pm)

Atria Reception (5-7pm)

Friday

Book Blogger Convention

All I can say is that it is a good thing this week is followed by a 3 day weekend - I will need rest and time to catch up on the all the work I ducked out on during the week!

What events are you excited about this year? If you are going to BEA/BBC, please let me know - it would be great to meet in person! I look forward to meeting you all this week! And if you are looking for places in NYC to take a break and read a bit, check out my post on the Top Ten Places to Read in the City.

Children's Book Review: Three Hens and a Peacock

2011-05-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

In Three Hens and a Peacock, a brightly colored peacock arrives on the farm and the three hens are none too pleased. They wonder how difficult it could be to preen and prance down by the road to attract customers to the farm's egg sale. So the farm hound dog brokers a job swap and the peacock heads into the hen house to try to lay eggs while the hens get gussied up and head down to the road to lure in the passersby. Everyone soon learns things are not so easy on the other side of the fence . . .

This delightful children's book conveys an important message about the dangers of making assumptions about others and also the importance of taking pride in what you do well rather then envying other's talents. Beyond the story, however, are beautiful illustrations in bright colors which quickly captivate (I love the hens' expressions on the cover!). In fact, the story became secondary to the illustrations - on each page, there is so much to explore and talk to a child about in the illustrations. I definitely recommend this book for the little ones in your life!

This book is recommended for Ages 4-8 (I think a 4 year old would enjoy the story and pictures while an 8 year old could read the story aloud)

Thank you to Emily at Peachtree Publishers for sending a copy of the book for review.

Review: The Lost Girls

2011-05-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, Amanda Pressner is a travel memoir written by three girlfriends who leave their lives in the Big Apple behind to travel the world for a year on a trip where they learn about different cultures, languages and customs. However, their most important lessons are the power of taking chances, the gift of self-discovery and the grace of great friendships.

Jen, Holly and Amanda are each firmly entrenched in the rat race of New York City working long hours and struggling to advance their careers; at the same time, however, they are approaching thirty and beginning to get restless. As they face their quarter-life crises, they decide to take the trip of a lifetime together and travel around the world. Their list of destinations is impressive and includes Bali, India, Peru and Kenya.

My thoughts
The chapters of the book alternate between Holly, Jen and Amanda as they chronicle their adventures in each destination - some destinations are told from the perspectives of all three girls while other destinations are told only from one girl's perspective. The alternation gives the reader a well-rounded experience of each destination and the trip as a whole; however, at times, it seemed superfluous to have each girl recount their observations. Their points of view were not remarkably different from each other so it wasn't always necessary to hear each girl's experiences of a particular destination. The book is over 500 pages long and I feel it could have been shortened by about 100 pages without my losing very much of the girls' adventure.

This minor quibble with the length, however, in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the travel memoir - I loved seeing these destinations through their eyes. I am an avowed travel addict and am most happy when I enter an airport, passport in hand. As I read through the memoir, I found myself adding destinations to that mental list of "must see" places - for example, I definitely want to go to Peru and Kenya. I have also been to many of the places the girls traveled to -Vietnam, Bali, India, Cambodia and Thailand - it was such a thrill to relive those trips by reading about the destinations in this memoir!

The book, however, is more than a collection of city guides and tales of adventure in far-flung destinations. It is really a story of how these three women took risks and left the safety of jobs and boyfriends behind to see a bit of the world and ensure they seized the chance to live life to the fullest. Their commitment to turning their backs on the security of lives lived according to plan is what most inspired me about these women - I am not sure I could to it which is why I admire it so much. Oh and one more thing - they have inspired me to take a trip to New Zealand! Take a look at the blue sky in this picture below and you will understand why!


Credit: The Lost Girls

I read this book as part of the TLC Book Tour - check out the site for a list of other tour hosts and links to their reviews. Thank you to Harper Collins for providing a copy of the book for review.

Sunday Salon: May 8, 2011

2011-05-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers! I am will be leaving shortly to head down to see my Mom and celebrate with her. It's a two hour bus ride so I will doing some more traveling with The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. - it is a fun travel memoir about three girls who abandon their hectic city careers to travel for one year. I wish I had their gumption!

Sharing A Love of Reading With My Mom
Last year I wrote about how my Mom and I share a love of reading; here is an excerpt:

Reading was a big part of my childhood - I distinctly remember my Mom taking us to the library and reading us a book each night before bed. Eventually, I would go the library alone and was reading under the covers way past "lights out". Interestingly, I rarely saw my Mom read a book - she read the paper but not books so I never considered my Mom a reader. What I didn't appreciate then was that she couldn't fit reading into her demanding schedule of work, childcare and homemaker - reading became one of many sacrifices my Mom made for her family.

A few years ago my parents retired early and Mom found herself with more time than she knew what to do with so she began reading. Knowing how much I read, my Mom would ask me for recommendations and I discovered the joy of sharing books with my Mom. Our tastes are a little different but there is definitely overlap . . .

. . . my mother's and my shared love of reading brings so much more - it offers us a language in which we relate to each other as friends and peers as opposed to mother and daughter. I have discovered quite a bit about my Mom in our discussions about books - revelations I know would not have been shared in any other context.

I have included a book in my Mom's Mother's Day present - Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney. I loved this book and think she will too.

Some other reads that I will recommend to my Mom:

Do you share reads with your Mom (or children)? What are your recommendations?

Review: One Day by David Nicholls

2011-05-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

One Day by David Nicholls chronicles the story of Dex and Em - two undergrads that get together on the night before their graduation from university in Scotland. Em is a little insecure while Dex is confident and decidedly more carefree than Em. Although their encounter on graduation day is brief, they stay in each other's lives for the next twenty years - they meet each year on the same day. With this one day as the anchor, the reader gets to see Dex and Em's lives (and their relationship with each other) evolve and change in the twenty year time span.

Emma is more earnest in her love for Dexter than he is in return although even he realizes that she is a better friend to him than most. The establishment of this "cat and mouse" dynamic between the two creates the necessary tension to keep the reader wanting more and more of the story as it follows these two from University into adulthood. Emma does come into her own as the book progresses while Dex starts to spiral downwards; their friendship is what remains constant for both.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book - in fact, I was sitting by the pool in Thailand until dark (good thing for the backlight on my iPad) riveted and unable to put it down. I have deliberately been vague about the plot in my review because I think knowing very little about the book is what added to my reading experience - I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists and turns.

I found myself really caring about Dex and Emma as characters. There were times, however, when I grew weary of the cat and mouse - I either wanted Em to stand up for herself or for Dex to move on but these periods were brief and I mostly enjoyed the give and take of their friendship and, at times, love. This is a lovely story about the friendship and romance of two friends but what captivated me the most was the evolution of the characters from their idealistic early twenties to their more pragmatic thirties and forties - it is an evolution to which I can relate (not the forties - at least not yet) and Nicholls writes so accurately about the experience that the book is relevant and make you nostalgic for your own early adulthood but appreciative of all you have learned in the years beyond.

Friday Finds: April 29, 2011

2011-04-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

Friday Finds is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading and gives readers a chance to highlight books they have discovered during the week. Here are mine:

Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work by Edwidge Danticat
I found this one courtesy of the Shelf Unbound Magazine and thought it sounded like a good option for the Immigrant Stories Challenge. Here is an excerpt from the Publisher's Weekly:

Danticat reminds us that, in a cruel twist of fate, her native Haiti, earthquake-and-poverty-torn, gained independence, in a bloody slave uprising, not long after the U.S. did: our ties, usually unexamined, run painfully deep. Whether eulogizing her family, writing on leading journalist Jean Dominique' s assassination and exiled author Marie Vieux-Chauvet, or discussing Madison Avenue Primitive Jean-Michel Basquiat, Danticat documents what it means for an immigrant writer to create dangerously for immigrant readers who read dangerously, awakened and no longer participants in a culture of historical amnesia.

And then at the other end of the spectrum entirely . . . .

If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster was brought to my attention by fellow blogger Poof Books on Twitter yesterday. Jen Lancaster's earlier books have all been memoirs and have literally made me laugh out loud. This is her first novel and here is a short summary from Amazon:

Told in the uproariously entertaining voice readers have come to expect from Jen Lancaster, If You Were Here follows Amish-zombie-teen- romance author Mia and her husband Mac (and their pets) through the alternately frustrating, exciting, terrifying-but always funny-process of buying and renovating their first home in the Chicago suburbs that John hughes's movies made famous. Along their harrowing renovation journey, Mia and Mac get caught up in various wars with the homeowners' association, meet some less-than-friendly neighbors, and are joined by a hilarious cast of supporting characters, including a celebutard ex- landlady. As they struggle to adapt to their new surroundings- with Mac taking on the renovations himself- Mia and Mac will discover if their marriage is strong enough to survive months of DIY renovations.

What did you find this week?