Review: Trance of Insignificance by Jennifer Rainville

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

 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

  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

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

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

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

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?