Girls With Books

The Flight Of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesy

2012-01-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

Available January 24, 2012

The Flight of Gemma Hardy

Margot Livesey

Publisher's Synopsis:

A captivating tale, set in Scotland in the early 1960s, that is both an homage to and a modern variation on the enduring classic Jane Eyre.

Fate has not been kind to Gemma Hardy. Orphaned by the age of ten, neglected by a bitter and cruel aunt, sent to a boarding school where she is both servant and student, young Gemma seems destined for a life of hardship and loneliness. Yet her bright spirit burns strong. Fiercely intelligent, singularly determined, Gemma overcomes each challenge and setback, growing stronger and more certain of her path. Now an independent young woman with dreams of the future, she accepts a position as an au pair on the remote and beautiful Orkney Islands.

But Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin...a journey of passion and betrayal, secrets and lies, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life she's never dreamed of.

My Review:

Jane Eyre has long been one of my all time favorite novels. I fell in love with the dark, brooding Mr. Rochester and pined for him, like I did my beloved Mr. Darcy. Jane Eyre's tragic childhood was heartbreaking. Her adult life, inspiring and yet.. still tragic.

Margot Livesey does shy away from the Jane Eyre similarities. In fact, she states that Gemma Hardy was inspired by Jane. The characters are quite similar. Both were victims of very grim childhoods, left to the mercy of other's after the death of their parents. Both Jane and Gemma work as nannies (or governesses, as in Jane's case..). Both fall in love with older men. But the similarities truly stop there. Gemma's story is much more modern. First of all, living in the 1950's, Gemma has more options than old Jane had. Women are in a very fluid place, their opportunities are greater. Gemma is strong willed, determined and stubborn. I have to admit I was quite frustrated with her at times. I wanted to shout at her, to tell her to just stop digging in her heels, but that's what a good character does sometimes. They make you mad. Gemma ticked me off. However, she did redeem herself. Without giving away any huge plot points, I can say that Gemma's stubbornness pays off in the end.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy is, yes, very similar to Jane Eyre. However, do not expect any crazy women in the attic. This is not a retelling of Bronte's tale. It was inspired by it.

Terrible, Awful, Horrible Manners! by Beth Bracken

2011-12-27T13:06:00.000-08:00

Publish Date: January 1, 2012
Publisher: Capstone

*I am legally obligated to inform you that I recieved a free copy of this book for review purposes only. My reviews are always honest, whether the book was gifted to me or paid for with personal funds.

Publisher's Description:
Peter takes pride in being rude and gross. He doesn't think manners are important at all. But when his family starts to use bad manners, Peter gets a reality check.

My Review:
I have to admit, I have the sense of humor of a 7 year old boy. I find toilet humor hilarious. That being said, I am also a stickler for manners when it comes to my child. So, If you need a good way to teach your children appropriate manners with a little humor thrown in, this book is great! Full of adorable, bright illustrations, Terrible Awful Horrible Manners has just the right mix of silly and serious. The tooting little monkey will have your little monkeys giggling while teaching them a serious lesson on manners. Children will love Peter, the silly monkey with disgusting habits, and identify with him as well. This book is a great tool for teaching your children how to behave in a proper manner. (And I know you'll get a good laugh as well!)

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption

2011-09-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Kisses From Katie
by Katie J. Davis, Beth Clark

Publisher : Simon & Schuster, October 4, 2011 Howard Books

I am legally obligated to inform my readers that I was granted a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. Please be assured that this fact does not influence my opinion of this book.

Publisher's Synopsis:
What would cause an eighteen-year-old old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because the rest of them think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person but didn’t know any of the language? A passion to make a difference. Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved by the people and children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. She has given up a relatively comfortable life—at a young age—to care for the less fortunate of this world. She was so moved by the need she witnessed, she's centered her life around meeting that need. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, is in the process of adopting 13 children in Uganda, and she completely trusts God for daily provision for her and her family.

Despite the rough conditions in which Katie lives, she has found a life of service to God to be one of great joy. Katie's children bring constant delight and help her help others by welcoming whoever comes to their door. As the challenges grow, so does Katie's faith and her certainty that what she's doing in Uganda, one person at a time, will have far-reaching rewards. It isn't the life she planned, but it is the life she loves.

To further her reach into the needs of Ugandans, Katie established Amazima Ministries. The ministry matches orphaned children with sponsors worldwide. Each sponsor's $300/year provides schooling, school supplies, three hot meals a day, minor medical care, and spiritual encouragement. Katie expected to have forty children in the program; she had signed up 150 by January 2008; today it sponsors over 400. Another aspect of the ministry is a feeding program created for the displaced Karamojong people—Uganda's poorest citizens. The program feeds lunch to over 1200 children Monday-Friday and sends them home with a plate of food; it also offers basic medical care, Bible study, and general health training.

Katie Davis, now 22, is more than fascinating, she's inspiring, as she has wholeheartedly answered the call to serve.

My review:

What a personal and inspiring story! This book will touch your heart. I had to keep reminding myself that Katie Davis is al real person, who actually lived this book. Her story is, for a lack of better words, amazing. Katie Davis changed lives. Katie is continuing to change lives, to save them. And she's only 22. I won't rehash the entire storyline, you can get that from the synopsis, but I can tell you that this book will inspire a change in you as well. You cannot read this young woman's tale of love and redemption without being motivated to help others as well. Katie let God work through her and the result was astounding. Katie is only 22 and has literally made miracles happen. This memoir will open you heart and make you realize that we are all much more capable than we think we are. God is waiting to work through us, we just have to be willing to allow it to happen, to give up control and let him lead. Ms. Davis is a shining example of what happens when we do.

..

I'll Be There - Holly Goldberg Sloan

2011-09-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

I'll Be There
Holly Goldberg Sloan

Publlisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Genre: YA

*I am legally obligated to inform readers that I was sent a complimentary edition of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact did not influence my opinion of the story.

Synopsis: Sam Border wishes he could escape. Raised by an unstable father, he's spent his life moving from place to place. But he could never abandon his little brother, Riddle.

Riddle Border doesn't talk much. Instead, he draws pictures of the insides of things and waits for the day when the outsides of things will make sense. He worships his older brother. But how can they leave when there's nowhere to go? Then everything changes. Because Sam meets Emily.

Emily Bell believes in destiny. She sings for her church choir, though she doesn't have a particularly good voice. Nothing, she feels, is mere coincidence. And she's singing at the moment she first sees Sam.

Everyone whose path you cross in life has the power to change you—sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in ways greater than you could have ever known. Beautifully written and emotionally profound, Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel deftly explores the idea of human connection.

My Review:
Oh, you Border Boys just break my heart!

Sam Border is a boy without a home. He had one for awhile, with a mom, clean clothes and food on the table even. But Sam's father has a habit of ruining anything good in his life. Now as a teenager, Sam can barely remember what it's like to not have to scavenge through dumpsters to feed himself and his little brother, Riddle. Their father is a paranoid schizophrenic, always running from imaginary demons and the law. Sam and Riddle are left to fend for themselves. The Border boys are on their own. That is until, he meets Emily Bell.

Emily and Sam are immediatley drawn to one another. Sam makes a feeble attempt to forget her, but it's out of his control. Fate has brought them to one another and soon they are insperable. Sam and Riddle find themselves
embraced the Bell family. The brothers finally have a safe place to land, to feel loved, which makes it even twice as painful when they have to leave. They always have to leave, their father makes sure of it.

But this time is different. Sam and Riddle have seen how real families work. They know what they are missing. They know what they are leaving behind. However, there is no fighting their unstable and violent father. He's more dangerous than ever before and convinced his boys have become traitors. He cannot tolerate traitors. He's rather see them dead.

Emily and her parents make a last ditch effort to finally save the Border boys from their father, but the odds are stacked against them. Sam and riddle's lives are in danger but the trail has gone before they even know where to start looking. Fate may have brought Sam and Emily together, but an insane father, a shotgun and a stolen pick up truck have torn them hundreds of miles apart. Fate has a lot of catching up to do.

I'll Be There is heartbreaking. Beautifully written, completley engrossing, but still heartbreaking. But I wouldn't be lying if I said it's not depressing. I didn't walk away from the last pages with a feeling of despair. The story is not tied together with a happy little bow at the end (which I hate) but instead the reader is left with, yes, a little sadness but also a slight sense of redemption.

The Time Will Come...

2011-06-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

I found this great new meme! Every Thursday, Books for Company , gives us a chance to spotlight a book or two on our shelves that have been ignored and neglected for far too long! What book have you had on your TBR list for far too long??

Product Description
Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world.

I have had this book for months! And it looks so wonderful! Why do I keep letting other books jump in front of it? Has anyone read it?

Book Blog Hop!

2011-06-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's my second Book Blogger Hop!! I love this idea! So, this week's question is...

“Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it’s close to your heart!”

**Well, let's see..since I've been a total slacker, I'd have to see it's my only post this week! I reviewed the book , Duff, and I loved it!!**

And now, I'll be on my way to visit all the other lovely Book Blog Hoppers!

Duff by Kody Keplinger

2011-06-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Duff by Kody Keplinger
Publisher's summary:
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. And eventually, through this realization, Bianca begins to see how harmful her unhealthy way of dealing with her problems has been, and finds a way to confront them head on.

My review:
Duff by Kody Keplinger is one of those YA novels that feels like it's meant for an older audience. Don't expect a story about simple high school crushes, innocent kisses and awkward moments. Duff is a very mature novel. If you don't want your teen reading sex scenes, then don't buy this book. However, you yourself just may love it.

The author, Kody Keplinger, is young and gets what being a modern teen girl is like. She does not gloss over the body issues. She does not pretty up the language. She does not shy away from sexual situations. Kody gets it. As a mother, I'd like to pretend that she's wrong. I'd love to imagine a world where teen girls aren't sexually active and don't have to worry about being 10 lbs chubbier than their best friend. But I'd be wrong.

Bianca is one of those female characters that you can immediately identify with. She's sarcastic, but sweet. Insecure yet a little mouthy. Bianca is awesome.

Most people don't notice her though. She's a Duff. Designated Ugly Fat Friend. With two gorgeous best friends, Bianca blends into the background. She's dealing with home issues and her anger manifests itself into one manic moment. She kisses the school playboy, Wesley Rush. She really wishes she hadn't done it. She also wishes she didn't enjoy it quite so much.

What Bianca doesn't know is that Wesley is struggling as well. Behind his chauvinistic exterior lies a young man who is searching for acceptance and love as frantically as she is. If the two of them could just let their guards down a little, maybe they could connect in other ways than sexual.

I enjoyed Duff. The story is moving and emotional, but not dark. There are definite sexual elements, so of course, keep that in mind with younger teens. Like I've said, it's a very real, modern day teen love story. There is language, there is sex. There is also a lot of heart and real life emotion in Duff. I cannot wait to hear more from the young and crazy talented Kody Keplinger!

The Misadventures of Phillip Isaa Penn

2011-06-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Releasing June 8, 2011!

Everybody calls Phillip Isaac Penn, Pip. And usually they yell it at the top of their lungs. Sure he might forget to close the classroom mice's cage door, or leave his mother's hair dryer in bathtub (hey, it's unplugged), and he might even make it so that Liar Lizzy gets caught, but that doesn't make him bad. It's just not easy being a kid.

My Thoughts:
Phillip Isaac Penn, or PIP, is one unlucky kid. Bad luck just seems to follow him everywhere. I mean, it's not his fault that he left his mother's hairdryer in the bathtub (unplugged, of course.). And he couldn't help getting peanut butter all over his sister's Ipod. How else are you supposed to remove gum?

Poor Pip navigates us through his day, starting each chapter with someone screaming his name: his sister, his mom, his dad, everyone is always mad at him for something. He tries to be good, but he's a curious guy and trouble just seems to follow him everywhere. At school, he's dealing with a bully, a cheater and a teacher that doesn't take him at his word. But Pip keeps his chin up. It's hard being a kid.

Targeted for early readers, first grade and up, The Misadventures of Pip is a great choice for an kid. Junie B. Jones fans will defitnitely love Pip! I can't recommend this book enough, I have a feeling a series is in the making!

Skinny by Diana Spechler

2011-05-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit. I've been slacking on the reviews on my sites..but rest assured, publishers and authors, I am still posting reviews on your websites, Amazon and Barnes and Noble, etc. Girlswithbooks.com and Bookareforkids.com were just placed on the back burner for awhile. But now, with summer here, I am back into the swing of things and ready to get the ball rolling again. That being said, I have tons of books waiting for review, and I NEED HELP! If you want to review for either of the two websites, send me an email! Kelthebookworm@gmail.com or girlswithbooks@yahoo.com

Now, onto my first Girls With Books review of the summer season!

Skinny by Diana Spechler
Publisher's Summary:
After her father’s death, twenty-six-year-old Gray Lachmann finds herself compulsively eating. Desperate to stop binging, she abandons her life in New York City for a job at a southern weight-loss camp. There, caught among the warring egos of her devious co-counselor, Sheena; the self-aggrandizing camp director, Lewis; his attractive assistant, Bennett; and a throng of combative teenage campers, she is confronted by a captivating mystery: her teenage half-sister, Eden, whom Gray never knew existed. Now, while unraveling her father’s lies, Gray must tackle her own self-deceptions and take control of her body and her life.
Visceral, poignant, and often wickedly funny, Skinny illuminates a young woman’s struggle to make sense of the link between hunger and emotion, and to make peace with her demons, her body, and herself.

My Thoughts:
Would it be pathetically obvious for me to say that I completley identified with this character? I'm relatively sure that most women would find similarities between themselves and Gray Lachmann. Truly, what women, be her too fat or too thin, has not struggled with a weight issue? Sure, some have it worse than others. But we've all been there, right? Right? Please say I'm right, or I'm gonna feel like a huge loser and go attack the Oreos.

Gray is struggling with so many emotions in this story. The loss of her father, the staleness of a relationship and self confidence issues all manifest themselves into one form of self soothing: overeating. Gray is binging herself into oblivion, gorging on fast food, pastries and Chinese buffets in an effort to soothe her broken heart. But of course, as well all know, that doesn't work. It only makes her feel worse. Which in turn, makes her eat more. She is watching her self expand into carbon copy of her overweight father. Her dead and overweight father. The father that Gray killed. Gray killed her dad, did I mention that? The guilt from her assumed role in her father's death adds additional girth to the already 25 pound weight gain she's experienced.

In an effort to change her life (and maybe learn a few family secrets?) Gray applies for a counselor's position at a teen summer weight loss camp. Once at Camp Carolina, Gray begins to transform, both physically and mentally. But is it for the better? Or is she just exchanging one obsession for another?

Skinny is a fantastic novel for any woman. Whether you have struggled with weight issues or not, Gray is an easily identifiable character. Her struggles are our struggles. They honesty in this book can be jarring, especially if you are not at your ideal weight, but stick with it, all will be redeemed. There were times when I wanted to smack Gray. And there were definitely times I wanted to smack her fellow campers but I that's what made the story real. All in all, Diana Spechler's second novel is wonderful, full of heart, humor and real life emotion. You should go read it. And maybe you could take these Oreos away from me?

The Time Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky

2011-04-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Age Range: Young Adult (YA)
Buy Here: Barnes and Noble and Amazon
Websites: Pick a Poppy Time Traveling Fashionista

Synopsis

What if a beautiful vintage dress could take you back in time?
Louise Lambert has always dreamed of movie starlets and exquisite gowns and longs for the day when she can fill the closet of her normal suburban home with stylish treasures. But when she receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mail, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure.
Suddenly on board a luxurious cruise ship a hundred years ago, Louise relishes the glamorous life of this opulent era and slips into a life of secrets, drama, and decadence. . . .
Dreamy and imaginative, The Time-Traveling Fashionista features thirty full-color fashion illustrations to show gorgeous dresses and styles throughout history.

My Review:
Oh, girls.... you are gonna love, love, love this one!
The Time Traveling Fashionista is the PERFECT YA novel for girls. It has everything! An adventurous story? Yep! Full color illustrations of fabulous clothes? Uh-huh. Time Travel? Yeppers. Mysterious characters who keep you guessing? Yes! A main character any girl can identify with? Sure! There is even a history lesson included in this majorly addictive novel. Seriously, it has everything! And best of all! It's going to be a series! Yay! More awesome-ness to come! (that's totally a word, shut up.)

Louise Lambert is a girl who loves clothes. But she's not a "head-to-the-mall-and-buy-anything-Abercrombie" kinda girl. Louise likes the good stuff. She goes for vintage. Louise loves classic black and white movies and the glamorous actresses that star in them. But most of all, she loves the fashion. She searches Goodwill and thrift stores, finding a few special pieces that she cherishes above all the name brand modern clothing her mom buys her. Louise can't believe her luck when she receives a mysterious invitation to a Traveling Vintage Clothing Sale. The sale, run by two very strange and eccentric women, seems way to good to be true. What's their secret? Louise learns the answer when she tries on a magnificent pink gown and finds herself transformed, in more ways than one.

I truly enjoyed The Time Traveling Fashionista. Bianca Turetsky is great at mixing modern culture with history. The storyline flows effortlessly, never boring the reader with unessential information. The thirty full color fashion illustrations are beautifully done. I truly cannot find one thing I didn't like about this book. Ms. Turetsky, I think you're gonna be a sensation!

Books Are For Kids!

2011-04-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Come visit our BRAND NEW SISTER SITE!

Books Are For Kids

This blog will feature children's book reviews, from the ages of birth to young teens. Older teen novels will still be reviewed on girlswithbooks.com

Come visit us! And email me if you'd like to be a reviewer for the site!

An Interview With Cecilia Galante

2011-02-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, this lovely lady is Cecilia Galante. And why do you need to know her? Because, she's going to be your next favorite author, that's why. Duh. She's written 5 Ya novels and her most recent, The Summer of May releases on April 26th. You can see my review here. And according to her blog, she recently completed her first adult novel. Yay! I cannot wait to read it!

When I finished The Summer of May a while back, I contacted Cecilia to let her know just how much I enjoyed it. She was so very gracious and friendly! There is nothing better than meeting an author who truly wants to know her fans! She agreed to do a short interview with me for our site and I am so very happy to introduce her to you all! Here goes!

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.. MARRIED? CHILDREN?
I am married to a wonderful man named Paul Galante. We have three children, Sarah, Sophia, and Joe, who keep us laughing non-stop, and an awesome cat named Julius. We live in Kingston, Pennsylvania.

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST DISCOVERED WRITING?

I don't know that I ever really "discovered" writing mostly because I always did it. Even was I was little, I wrote. I made up crazy stories about people with three arms and chocolate houses and stuff. Which kind of means I guess, that I always knew that this was what I wanted to do.

DID YOU STRUGGLE FINDING A PUBLISHER? TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO GETTING YOUR WORK PUBLISHED.

I found it very hard to get published. Like ridiculously hard. It took me almost ten years to get my first book, The Patron Saint of Butterflies, published, and I very nearly gave up. Or maybe I should say that I felt like very nearly giving up. I knew in the back of my mind that I would never really throw in the towel, that when the discouragement and sometimes even downright despair passed, I would try again, but man oh man, was it brutal sometimes!!! It really does prove the old saying, though: If you want something badly enough, you'll find a way to get it. Eventually, after a million or so no's, I got a yes. And then I was off and running.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK AS A CHILD?

My favorite book as a child was Cheese, Peas, and Chocolate Pudding. And when I started to read on my own, it was Little House in the Big Woods.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? WHO ARE YOU FAVORITE AUTHORS?

I am currently reading There's a Girl in the Boy's Bathroom, by Louis Sachar, whose writing I adore, (Go Holes!!!) as well as The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg, one of my favorite novelists. The best book I read this year was definitely Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout - luminous!!

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SUMMER OF MAY COME FROM?

The inspiration for The Summer of May came from a lot of things. Mostly, it was inspired by some students I had a few years back when I was teaching eighth grade English. If you ever become a teacher, I guarantee that there will be one or two students you will never forget. That was the case with this particular class, during this particular year. There were actually three girls who I modeled May after - each with a different set of characteristics - that just spoke to me. They were feisty, funny, and uncommonly brave. When I figured out what May's story was going to be, I got really excited, because I knew I was developing a story that each of them was going to like when I finished!

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS?

My advice for aspiring writers is this: If you want to write, just write. Don't worry if you don't think it sounds good, or if other people are ahead of you in the publishing game. Just do it. If it's what you're meant to be doing, you'll be happy no matter what.

I LOVE HEARING ABOUT AUTHOR'S WRITING QUIRKS..DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE WHERE YOU WRITE? A CERTAIN FOOD YOU EAT? ANY GOOD LUCK OR WRITER'S BLOCK BREAKING RITUALS?

Writing quirks: Always have a really good cup of coffee before you start. Don't get up out of your chair, unless you have to go to the bathroom. If the words don't come, don't panic. Stay in your chair, look out the window, bite your fingernails, or light a candle and stare at the flame. Be patient. They words will come when they're ready. I like to keep a bag of peanut M&M's in the bottom drawer of my desk. When I finish a chapter, I eat one green one, one yellow one, and one brown one. Blue ones are for editing purposes only!!

Follow these links to buy one of her wonderful YA novels! You will not be disappointed!


The Sweetness of Salt

The Patron Saint of Butterflies

Hershey Herself

Wildwood


The Summer of May

Looking for a blog designer!!!

2011-02-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!! I need your help! I am in search of a blog designer!! I am going to be revamping all three of my sites, and possibly adding another. Can you recommend anyone that you have worked with? Do you design blogs yourself? leave a comment and let me know! I, of course, will be promoting the designer on all three sites.

The Summer of May by Cecilia Galante (release date: April 26, 2011)

2011-01-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

I finished this book a few weeks ago, so I am little late putting this review up. But don't take my hesitation as an indication that I didn't love it.. because I did!

When reviewing a book, lots of people say "I read this book in one night!" or "I just blew through this novel, in a hour!" but the truth is, they skipped through it, skimming the plot. They blow through the book, love it for a few minutes, then quickly forget out it.

I did read The Summer of May in one night. But I didn't just speed through it. It took hours. I took my time, because I really loved the characters. And I didn't just toss it off the side of the bed and forget it. I lay there and wondered about the characters and how their lives continued. I felt a little protective of the main character, as if I were a overbearing aunt.

So, what's so great about it? Well, everything I guess. I should tell you that The Summer of May is a YA novel.. or well ... Pre-YA? I think it's going to be marketed to 9-13 year olds. What category is that? Anyway, it doesn't matter, because a great book is a great book.. I don't care who it's marketed for. I loved it. I plan on passing to my 8 year old daughter next year and I know she will love it too.

All right, so... the synopsis. May is a troubled young girl. She is living in a rough area of town, in a rented shabby apartment with her father and grandmother. Her father is always working, but when he's not, he's picking fights with May over her behavior at school or insolence at home. Her once feisty grandmother spends all day in her bed, staring sadly at old photos and playing solitaire. May is a sad, angry child. She acts out in school, argues with friends and misses her mother immensely. Her mother's whereabouts are not revealed until much later in the book.

After a defiant act of rebellion against her least favorite teacher, May is forced to attend summer school or face expulsion. But she is surprised to find that she is not attending the normal summer school program. Her overly stern English teacher, has other plans for her.

Basically, The Summer of May is a book about closure. I was truly amazed at the amount of depth that this book had. Unfortunately, many books aimed at this age group are "fluff", full of crazy boy crushes and popularity contest dramas. If you want your child to read something with some heart, make sure you pick this book up for her in April. While you're at it, pick one up for yourself.

Cecilia Galante is an immensely talented author. Check our her website for other fantastic novels. And best of all, she's uber friendly and we are hoping to post an author interview in the near future! In the meantime, go buy her books!!!

*I required to let you know that I recieved a free e-galley version of this book form Simon and Schuster.

Winner in the Steve Martin's An Object Of Beauty Contest!!

2011-01-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Melissa at Books and Things!

You are the winner of a hardback edition of Steve Martin's new book An Object of Beauty!

Send me an email at Girlswithbooks@yahoo.com with you mailing address and I will send it out to you! Hope you enjoy it!!

Win a Copy of An Object of Beauty by STEVE MARTIN!!

2010-12-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

An Object Of Beauty by Steve Martin (yes, THE Steve Martin.. He's an amazing author!)

Synopsis

Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights—and, at times, the dark lows—of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today.

You know you want it.. It's by Steve Martin for goodness sake!

So, how do you get a copy? Well, just leave a comment on this blog for one entry! Want another entry? Well then, make sure you are a follower! What? You want another entry? Then go to my other blog A Hesitant Housewife and leave a comment there. You want more? Dag.. can you be more greedy? Fine, blog about this contest on your own site for another entry! I will be picking the winner on Jan 10th!!

TBR List Tuesday!

2010-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know! You're all too busy with Holiday preperations to hang around here, lookin' at books. But wait, just a second and let me show you three books you NEED TO READ! It won't take long, I promise!

Petty Magic by Camille DeAngelis

Product Description

Evelyn Harbinger sees nothing wrong with a one-night stand. At 149 years old, Eve may look like she bakes oatmeal cookies in the afternoon and dozes in her rocking chair in the evening, but once the gray hair and wrinkles are traded for jet-black tresses and porcelain skin, she can still turn heads as the beautiful girl she once was. Can’t fault a girl for having a little fun, can you?

This is all fine and well until Eve meets Justin, who reminds her so much of a former lover that one night is no longer enough. Eve’s coven has always turned a blind eye to her nighttime mischief, but this time they think she’s gone too far—and they certainly don’t hesitate to tell her so. Dodging the warnings of family and friends, Eve must also defend her sister, Helena, when another beldame accuses Helena of killing her own husband sixty years before.

As the evidence against Helena begins to pile up, Eve distracts herself by spending more and more nights—and days—romancing Justin as her former self. There are so many peculiar ways in which Justin is like Jonah, her partner behind enemy lines in World War II and the one true love of her life. Experts in espionage, Jonah and Eve advanced the allied cause at great personal sacrifice. Now Eve suspects that her Jonah has returned to her, and despite the disapproval of her coven and the knowledge that love with a mortal man can only end in sorrow, she can’t give him up. But can she prove it’s really him?

In this captivating tale of adventure and timeless romance, novelist Camille DeAngelis blends World War II heroics with witchcraft and wit, conjuring a fabulously rich world where beldames and mortal men dare to fall in love.

Lipstick in Afghanistan by Roberta Gately

Product Description

Roberta Gately’s lyrical and authentic debut novel—inspired by her own experiences as a nurse in third world war zones—is one woman’s moving story of offering help and finding hope in the last place she expected. Gripped by haunting magazine images of starving refugees, Elsa has dreamed of becoming a nurse since she was a teenager. Of leaving her humble working-class Boston neighborhood to help people whose lives are far more difficult than her own. No one in her family has ever escaped poverty, but Elsa has a secret weapon: a tube of lipstick she found in her older sister’s bureau. Wearing it never fails to raise her spirits and cement her determination. With lipstick on, she can do anything—even travel alone to war-torn Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11.
But violent nights as an ER nurse in South Boston could not prepare Elsa for the devastation she witnesses at the small medical clinic she runs in Bamiyan. As she struggles to prove herself to the Afghan doctors and local villagers, she begins a forbidden romance with her only confidant, a charming Special Forces soldier. Then, a tube of lipstick she finds in the aftermath of a tragic bus bombing leads her to another life-changing friendship. In her neighbor Parween, Elsa finds a kindred spirit, fiery and generous. Together, the two women risk their lives to save friends and family from the worst excesses of the Taliban. But when the war waging around them threatens their own survival, Elsa discovers her only hope is to unveil the warrior within. Roberta Gately’s raw, intimate novel is an unforgettable tribute to the power of friendship and a poignant reminder of the tragic cost of war.

The Secret Live of Dresses by Erin Mckean

Product Description (releases 2/10/2011)

Dora has always taken the path of least resistance. She went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows the least dirt. She falls into a job at the college coffee shop, and a crush on her flirty boss, Gary.

Just when she's about to test Gary's feelings, Mimi, the grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke. Dora rushes back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running her grandmother's vintage clothing store. The store has always been a fixture in Dora's life; though she grew up more of a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl, before she even knew how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress could lift a woman's spirit.

While working there, Dora befriends Mimi's adorable contractor, Conrad. Is he after Dora, or is working from a different blueprint? And why did Mimi start writing down--and giving away--stories of the dresses in her shop?

When Mimi dies, Dora can't get out of town fast enough and cedes control of the store to her money-hungry aunt who wants to turn it into a t-shirt shop for tourists. But ultimately, she returns to Forsyth, willing to battle whatever may stand in the way of her staying there. Dora can trade her boring clothes for vintage glamour, but can she trade her boring life for one she actually wants?

See? Told ya it wouldn't take long! And now you can go finish up that wrapping and baking! But when you're done, don't forget to treat yourself!! Nothing better than a new book, right?

Tyger, Tyger Giveaway Winner Announced!!!

2010-12-14T06:02:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen... we have a winner...

Mithee @ Deranged Book Lovers

It's all yours, Mithee! Just pop me a an email at girlswithbooks@yahoo.com with your address! Hope you enjoy it!!

Thanks again, Kersten Hamilton!!

TBR List Tuesday!

2010-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another edition of TBR LIST TUESDAY! Here are three more books, you HAVE TO READ!

Rescue by Anita Shreve

Product Description

A rookie paramedic pulls a young woman alive from her totaled car, a first rescue that begins a lifelong tangle of love and wreckage. Sheila Arsenault is a gorgeous enigma--streetwise and tough-talking, with haunted eyes, fierce desires, and a never-look-back determination. Peter Webster, as straight an arrow as they come, falls for her instantly and entirely. Soon Sheila and Peter are embroiled in an intense love affair, married, and parents to a baby daughter. Like the crash that brought them together, it all happened so fast.

Can you ever really save another person? Eighteen years later, Sheila is long gone and Peter is raising their daughter, Rowan, alone. But Rowan is veering dangerously off track, and for the first time in their ordered existence together, Webster fears for her future. His work shows him daily every danger the world contains, how wrong everything can go in a second. All the love a father can give a daughter is suddenly not enough.

Sheila's sudden return may be a godsend--or it may be exactly the wrong moment for a lifetime of questions and anger and longing to surface anew. What tore a young family apart? Is there even worse damage ahead? The questions lifted up in Anita Shreve's utterly enthralling new novel are deep and lasting, and this is a novel that could only have been written by a master of the human heart.

Yellow House by Patricia Falvey

Product Description

THE YELLOW HOUSE delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life. She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore. (2009)

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins

Product Description (releases 1/26/2011)

Rachel Braun was the inspiration to her group of friends, the one who lived each day to the fullest - and the one whose life was cut tragically short. Upon her untimely death, Rachel left letters for her three best friends challenging them to face their biggest fears. Sarah, an international relief worker, must travel half way around the world to track down the only man she ever loved. Stay-at-home mom Kate must confront her fear of heights by skydiving and soon finds that her new hobby is affecting her once-tranquil marriage. And Jo, a media mogul voted 'least likely to breed', is given the most terrifying assignment of all: caring for Rachel's orphaned and grieving little girl. Even as these women mourn Rachel's passing, her legacy lives on and their lives are enriched by a friend who, in many ways, knew them better than they knew themselves

Be sure to visit again next week for more TBR list suggestions!! And please, leave some of you own in the comments!

TBR List Tuesday!

2010-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm back with three more books YOU HAVE TO HAVE! Tack 'em to that ever growing "to be read" list!

**All three of these books are currently being read and reviewed by girlswithbooks.com contributers! If you want to become a contributer on this site, email me at girlswithbooks@yahoo.com

13, rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro

Product Description - (releases 2/2/2011)

American academic Trevor Stratton discovers a box full of artifacts from World War I as he settles into his new office in Paris. The pictures, letters, and objects in the box relate to the life of Louise Brunet, a feisty, charming Frenchwoman who lived through both World Wars.

As Trevor examines and documents the relics the box offers up, he begins to imagine the story of Louise Brunet's life: her love for a cousin who died in the war, her marriage to a man who works for her father, and her attraction to a neighbor in her building at 13 rue Thérèse. The more time he spends with the objects though, the truer his imaginings of Louise's life become, and the more he notices another alluring Frenchwoman: Josianne, his clerk, who planted the box in his office in the first place, and with whom he finds he is falling in love.

Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

Product Description - (releases 2/23/2011)

Georgia Bottoms is known in her small community of Six Points, Alabama, as a beautiful, well-to-do, and devoutly Baptist Southern belle.

Nobody realizes that the family fortune has long since disappeared, and a determinedly single woman like Georgia needs an alternative, and discreet, means of income. In Georgia's case it is six well-heeled lovers-one for each day of the week, with Mondays off-none of whom knows about the others.

But when the married preacher who has been coming to call (Saturdays) decides to confess their affair in front of the whole congregation, Georgia must take drastic measures to stop him. In GEORGIA BOTTOMS, Mark Childress proves once again his unmistakable skill for combining the hilarious and the absurd to reveal the inner workings of the rebellious human heart.

To Love, Honor and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Product Description (releases 1/10/2011)

The infamous Reverend Curtis Black's sordid past is no secret, as his wife, Charlotte, is well aware. But when Curtis' long-time mistress and mother of his illegitimate two-year-old, dies, he and Charlotte have no choice but to raise Curtina together. While the living, breathing reminder of her husband's infidelity infuriates Charlotte, Curtis couldn't be happier to finally have his whole family together. Despite her best efforts to keep her feelings hidden, Charlotte resents Curtina, taking her emotions out on the young girl. When confronted about her behavior Charlotte starts spending time away from home, all the while getting closer to her ex-boyfriend. Curtis appears to devote himself to his parish and the new church they're building, but is he really focusing his attention on the female parishioners trying to lure him into bed? Suddenly Curtis and Charlotte find themselves slipping into dangerous territory, and not even Curtis' seven-figure salary can prevent what is about to happen.

Those are my suggestion this week! Come back next Tuesday for more recommendations guaranteed to make their way to your TBR list!

Tyger, Tyger Giveaway and Kersten Hamilton Interview!

2010-11-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Girlswithbooks.com followers,

Let me introduce you to your new favorite YA series.

Product Description

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

*I cannot recommend this book enough!! I literally devoured this book in one night. I would eat it if I could... Ok, maybe not... but you get my drift. Tyger, Tyger is my kind of book. This book is filled with folklore, history, mysterious creatures, mystery and best of all... a really intriguing male lead character. Move over lame ol' Edward Cullen, Finn Mac Cumhail has just entered the scene. And he's gonna have all the girls swooning. If you are a YA fan or just a fan of fantastic writing, you have to read this book. I can also promise that any teen girl you buy this for as a Holiday gift will forever praise you as the coolest aunt/uncle/cousin...EVAH.

Meet the Author!

An Interview with the authore, Kerston Hamilton!

1. I truly enjoyed Tyger, Tyger! It is really one of the best books I had read in the past few years. What inspired you to write it? Had this idea been lingering for awhile or was it a sudden burst of inspiration?

A little bit of both! I actually decided to write the book after I read Beastly by Alex Flinn, which is a modern-day YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I thought it would be great fun to write a fairy tale for YA readers, but all of the best ones had been taken. And then, I remembered Loveleaves and Woodwender, a picture book I had written and set aside because it was too long and too dark for the market. It was a story I had wanted to tell since a goblin crept out of the dark and slipped her paw into my hand when I was just a child. The creature’s name was Lina, and she came to life in a book by George MacDonald.

Lina was a dog–like creature with green eyes lit by amber fire, and a huge mouth with icicle–like teeth. Curdie, the hero of the story, could feel the real hand of any creature inside its flesh glove, and when Lina put her paw in his hand: “a shudder, as of terrified delight, ran through him… instead of the paw of a dog, such as it seemed to his eyes, he clasped in his great mining fist the soft, neat little hand of a child! The green eyes stared at him with their yellow light, and the mouth was turned up toward him with its constant half grin; but here was the child's hand!”

When I read those lines I felt it. I felt the child’s hand, and I knew I wanted to pull a child out of a goblin one day.

I rewrote and expanded Loveleaves and Woodwender, and Tyger Tyger was born!

2. The Celtic folklore in the book was extremely interesting to me. Did the book require a large amount of research?

Yes! I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t hearing or reading the stories of the Celtic heroes. My dad was a storyteller. He was very well read and loved history. But I also did a lot of reading of history, nonfiction, and myth before and during my writing.

3. I have a feeling that women and girls around the world are going to fall for your character, Finn, as hard as I did. (um, hello? Could he be more dreamy? The
accent, the looks, the bravery... oh MY!) Did you fall for him a little yourself?? Where did you inspiration for his character come from?

I could never have written Finn if I did not have my own experience with love. I met my ‘Finn Mac Cumhaill’, at a Medieval Faire when I was 18 years old. I was selling swords; he was dressed in wizard’s robes and rabbit skin boots he’d made himself. It was heart–pounding, electric–sizzle love at first sight. And fortunately, it was more. In Mark I found a friend who would walk with me down any path. Thirty-two years later, we are walking together still. (He’s not Irish though. No accent. Shoot!)

4. As I read the TYGER TYGER I could not help but think that this book would make a fantastic movie! Have you had any offers? If you could choose a cast for your movie, which actors and actresses would you cast as your main characters??

No offers. But...I don’t really want Tyger Tyger to be made into a movie. That’s not to say it won’t be – you never do know about these things. If it ever is made into a movie, I would want unknown actors to play the parts. Real looking people, the kind you might see on a BBC special. I’m very real looking myself. But I do love my book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnFjfMwT7I0

5. Tell us a little about yourself. Married? Children? Pets?

Very married. Mark is the wind beneath my wings. He even edits my books! My son James is an artist—he designed the first page of my website. My daughter Meghan is a brilliant photographer, and my son Isaac is a rock-climbing, wild adventurer. I raised them well. J Right now, I have two Australian Shepherds, Rosie and Ned Kelly, and one very old cat named Cassidy who does not love me, but does love my husband.

6. Do you have any writing quirks? (a certain place where you like to write? Do you write longhand? Need a certain food on hand?

I wander with my laptop. I write down in the Bosque by the Rio Grande River, up on the Crest of the Sandia Mountains…and sometimes in my bed with the blankets over my head.

I can’t write in longhand. I have dysgraphia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgraphia which not only means that my handwriting is bad (I can’t even read it) but that it is very difficult for me to write more than a few words at a time. I’m thinking of getting a cool stamp for book signings….

7.How did you get your start in writing? Tell us about your early publishing attempts. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I knew by my sixth birthday what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be a writer. I was fascinated by the sound of words, the sweep of story. I wanted to make word-magic and tuck it inside the covers of a book.

The dysgraphia, however, was a problem. It made school so difficult that I dropped out in the 10th grade. I never gave up on my writing, though. I never quit.

It wasn’t until I got a typewriter with spell checker that I was able to get my stories onto paper and start publishing them. Even then, Mark still had to check them for typos, and things like mis-used homonyms.

Once I got past the mechanical oddities and complexities of my brain wiring, I found that there are two equal--and equally difficult--parts to being a writer. The first is having something real to say. Being a writer is about telling the truth, even when it is ugly or scary. That takes courage. If I am not up to that challenge, I might as well put my laptop down and walk away.

The second is having the skill to say it in such a way that readers sit up and take notice. This is hard work. I tell people that becoming a writer will take as much time and commitment as becoming a doctor. At least eight years of education. The difference is, most writers create their own coursework. They write everyday. They study the masters, new and old, every day. The learning never stops.

7. Can you give us a little hint of things to come with The Goblin Wars series?

I just finished book two, In the Forests of the Night. It is darker and scarier, and Finn and Tea need all of their love and courage to get through!

Kersten could not have been friendlier! And guess what? She is offering a contest on this blog!!

Tyger Treasure!

Kersten Hamilton is giving away twenty hand-made necklaces in November and December to celebrate her new book Tyger Tyger!

The pendants were created by book blogger Melissa at Books and Things and the chains by someone else. :) each necklace is beautiful and unique. Enter here to win this necklace, and have fun hunting for the rest!

Seriously, how cool is that?? You know you want one. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, with your email address. If you are a follower, let me know and you'll get an extra entry! Want an even better chance of winning? Advertise this giveaway on your own blog and you'll recieve two more entries!! I will be drawing the winner on Dec 10th!

Storytime Saturday! BIG BOUFFANT by Kate Hosford

2010-11-27T11:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the second edition of Storytime Saturday! The book I am recommending this week is a great one! If you have any little fashion divas in your life, this book is for you!

Publishes 4/11/2010

Publisher's Description:
"Ponytails and braids! Ponytails and braids! I don't see anything but ponytails and braids! This class needs some fashion. This class needs some fun. I'll find a hairdo to impress everyone." Annabelle doesn't want the same boring hairstyle that all the other girls have. When she spies a picture of her grandma, she has the perfect idea: a big bouffant! But how can she make her style stand up? And will her classmates really be impressed with her daring 'do?

Big Bouffant is a perfect storybook for all those little fashion divas out there! Annabelle yearns to stand out in a see of ponytails and braids. She wants to be different and stylish. And when she spies a photo of her grandmother's bouffant hairstyle, a new hairstyle craze is let loose on her elementary school!

I thought this book was just so cute and sweet! The prose is fun and light. The illustrations are beautiful and unique. I loved every aspect of this book! Can't wait to read it to a few little fashion princesses that I know!

Storybook Saturday *BLESS THIS MOUSE by LOIS LOWRY

2010-11-20T06:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new weekly feature, Storybook Saturdays. I know what you're thinking.. Really, Kel? A stinkin' kid's book? You do know that we're all adults here, right? Well, duh. Of course I know that. However, I also know that some of you are mothers to small children, aunts to little neices and nephews. Some of you run daycares, babysit and teach. Some of you are librarians. And some of you, like me, just enjoy a sweet little storybook once in awhile. This weekly feature is for you. I'll be spotlighting upcoming children's releases so you have plenty of time to add them to your wishlists or order them for your libraries.
So, gather up your little ones if you have them, and get ready to read some fantastic new adventures.

Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

Release date : March 21, 2011

Product Description

A resilient and quirky colony of church mice fears another Great X more than they fear cats. Under Mouse Mistress Hildegarde’s leadership, they save themselves from one danger after another—sometimes just by the skin of their tails! Can one ultimate act of bravery during the feast day of St. Francis get Father Murphy to bless these mice and keep them safe forever? Rife with humor and personality, this young middle-grade novel has an old-fashioned feel with the makings of a modern classic.

Lois Lowry is one of the world's most beloved children's authors. Her books have sold millions across the globe. Numerous awards have been bestowed upon this amazing author, and rightly so. Lois Lowry has gift of storytelling and readers of the world are forever grateful. Her novel, Number the Stars, is one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful books I have ever read. But like a talented author should, Ms. Lowry is able to get a little silly now and then as well. Her Gooney Bird series is a fun and light favorite amongst the 6-9 year old set.

Being such a fan of her previous works, I was very anxious to read her new creation, Bless This Mouse. The cover artwork alone almost killed me with it's cuteness. I was hoping her new story could live up to such undeniable adorable-ness! Let me tell you this.. Lois Lowry does not disappoint. Bless This Mouse is so incredibly sweet that it almost gave me a cavity.

That being said, the story is not all fluff. This is not one of those books you will read to your child once and forget about. Bless This Mouse has a lesson to teach. I can guarantee it will get you and your children started in a discussion about kindness and forgiveness. This book has all the right elements for a perfect nightly story time : adorable illustrations, cute characters, humor and most of all, and important lesson to be learned. Bless This Mouse is destined to be a classic.

*Although I have this book listed as a "storybook" selection, the actual recommended reading age is 9-11. Of course, independent readers would ADORE this book. My own 8 year old loved it. However, this book is a fantastic read aloud story that could be shared with younger children as well.

First Time Blog Hoppin'!

2010-11-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

I'm new to the Book Blog Hop, so bear with me here, people. I will do my best to try and follow the rules! I am very, very excited to visit all the blogs listed on Crazy-for-Books!! I can't wait to meet you all!!

So, I think what I am supposed to do is this... I answer the weekly question on my blog, and then visit the other blogs to see their answers.. right?? Sounds pretty awesome to me!

So, this week's question is this:
"Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"

First off, let me say that I LOVE Thanksgiving! I love hangin' with the fam. I love eating all day long, falling asleep on the couch, and watching the Thanksgiving Day parades together. It's the true kickoff to the holiday season in my eyes. (none of that Christmas music crap right after Halloween. Not cool.)

This year, as usual, I've got tons of things to be truly thankful for. My family. My husband. My daughter. My strange dogs. Our home, food in the cabinets and people to love. That's all I need. Well, that and books.

Now.. What are you still doing here! Head over to the Book Blog Hop and meet some awesome Book Bloggers! I'll see ya there!

TBR List Tuesday!

2010-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you've got a TBR list (To-Be-Read) a mile long. As soon as you cross one book off the list, three more come along that you just have to add. It's one of the few frustrations of being an avid reader, the TBR list never shrinks! So, how will Girlswithbooks.com help you out with this issue? Well, we won't. We're gonna make it worse. Each week we will be featuring a few books that you will not be able to resist. So, get out your pen and paper, or open up that Amazon Wish List and while you're at it.. maybe you should invest in some bigger bookshelves!

CHILD OF THE NORTHERN SPRING by Persia Woolley

From The Publisher:

The story of a queen who deserves to become a legend-a startlingly original tale of Arthur & Guinevere

Often portrayed as spoiled, in Persia Woolley's hands Guinevere comes alive as a high-spirited, passionate woman. When she is chosen by Arthur to be his wife, Guinevere's independence wars with her family loyalty. As the wedding approaches and hints of rebellion abound, she learns that the old gods are in revolt against the new Christian church, and that scattered kingdoms are stirring from their uneasy peace. This is Arthurian epic at its best, filled with romance, adventure, authentic historical detail, and a landscape alive with the mystery of Britain in the Dark Ages.

The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou by Susan Higginbotham

From the Publisher

It would be called the Wars of the Roses, but it all began with one woman's fury...

Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he goes insane. And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when all England turns against him. This gripping tale of a queen is at its heart a tender tale of love: passionate, for her husband, and motherly, for her only son.

You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam

Product Description

The hilarious and heartfelt chronicle of a woman learning the secrets of love, health, and happiness from some very surprising teachers: her dogs.

Julie Klam was thirty, single, and working as a part-time clerk in an insurance company, wondering if she would ever meet the man she could spend the rest of her life with. And then it happened. She met the irresistible Otto, her first in a long line of Boston terriers, and fell instantly in love.

You Had Me at Woof is the often hilarious and always sincere story of how one woman discovered life's most important lessons from her relationships with her canine companions. From Otto, Julie realized what it might feel like to find "the one." She learned to share her home, her heart, and her limited resources with another, and she found an authentic friend in the process. But that was just the beginning. Over the years her brood has grown to one husband, one daughter, and several Boston terriers. And although she had much to learn about how to care for them-walks at 2 a.m., vet visits, behavior problems-she was surprised and delighted to find that her dogs had more wisdom to convey to her than she had ever dreamed. And caring for them has made her a better person-and completely and utterly opened her heart. Riotously funny and unexpectedly poignant, You Had Me at Woof recounts the hidden surprises, pleasures, and revelations of letting any mutt, beagle, terrier, or bulldog go charging through your world.

So, those are my three picks for this week. What's new on your TBR list?

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-11-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

About the book: The Hunger Games (2008) is a young-adult science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. It was originally published on September 14, 2008 by Scolastic It is the first book of the Hunger Games Trilogy it introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where North America once stood. This is where a powerful government working in a central city called the
Capital holds power. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl from each district to fight to the death. The Hunger Games exist to demonstrate not even children are above the Capitol's power .

My Review: WOW, this book far exceeded my expectations-I was absolutely riveted!!
This book has stayed with me. I found myself haunted by the imagery, my dreams were saturated with the characters, and every conversation over the past few weeks have started with have you read the Hunger Games.

Taking place in world that revolves around the ultimate reality television show- 24 enter, only one can be the victor, there is nothing light and fluffy about this book.
I found myself rooting for Katniss, and though her naivety started to get on my nerves, her genuine heart redeemed her in my eyes.

Without wanted to spoil it for you, trust me when I say this is a page turner, and that it will leave you questioning our own society, and wondering how far we will go before we too will have Hunger Games....

An Interview with PAST MIDNIGHT's Mara Purnhagen

2010-11-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I would like to introduce you to someone. Her name is Mara Purnhagen. (Seriously, could she be any stinking cuter?) Now, make sure you remember that name... ‘cause this lady is going places. Her new book series, Past Midnight, is going to race up the book charts, I just know it. I began reading her book a few weeks ago and immediately contacted her to tell her how much I enjoyed it. I was delighted to learn that she is friendly and funny and well... quite normal. She agreed to a casual interview with me for our site, and I am so happy to introduce you to her!

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Age? Married? Children? Pets? etc.

I have a birthday coming up at the end of November, and I’ve trained my three little boys (ages 6, 5 and 1) to tell people that “Mommy is 29.” I’ve been 29 for a while…
I also have two stubborn cats, a back yard full of deer, and a husband who is still waiting for me to dedicate a book to him. (I’m working on it, I swear!)

2. When did you discover your love of writing? Tell us the story of your first writing and publishing attempts.

I have always loved books and reading. I began writing stories when I was very young, and kept a journal beginning at age eight. It’s a habit I still continue.

I wrote my first YA novel in 2004, when I was pregnant with my first son. It was a very autobiographical book, and although I submitted it to several places, it ultimately went nowhere. Later, I wrote Tagged, which would be my first novel published. By the time Tagged found a publisher, I had already written Past Midnight, and I signed a two-book deal.

3. Who are your favorite authors?

There are so many! I have favorites in every genre and I discover new writers every day. For mysteries, I always go with Laura Lippman. I love poetry by Mary Oliver, science fiction by Harlan Ellison, and middle grade novels by Richard Peck. As far as YA authors, there are too many for me to pick just a few, so I’ll include this link, which features some great debut authors: http://www.classof2k10.com/

4. Do you have any writing "quirks"? (ie. a special place where you write? Do you write longhand? Do you have a certain food or drink you must have on hand while writing?)

I write at my computer, and once I get into a good groove, I have to chew Dubble Bubble. I don’t know why, but that hard pink gum is the best. Also, I create a playlist for each book and listen to the music as I write. The playlists are always different, but The National and Arcade Fire are usually on there somewhere.

5. What are your own thoughts on the Paranormal? Are you a believer or a skeptic?

I am definitely more of a skeptic! I think most of the “paranormal” happenings people experience are perfectly natural and can be explained. But I also think of one of my favorite quotations:
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1 scene 5

6. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Do you believe a writer needs to have a writing/English degree to be a good writer?

An English degree does not guarantee a career in writing. In fact, there are some amazing writers who hold degrees in science and law, and fantastic authors who never went to college.
My advice for writers is simple: read a lot, write, read some more, write. Then repeat.

7. Can you give any spoilers or hints about the upcoming books in the series?

It gets darker. What Charlotte experienced at the end of Past Midnight triggered something dangerous. She’ll also meet a new guy in the next book (which comes out on March 1), so there’s more romance than there was in the first book. A death occurs in One Hundred Candles, as well, and it all leads to the third book, Beyond the Grave. Everything has been carefully placed and planned since book one. For example, Avery mentions a book in Past Midnight. The author of that book is a huge part of One Hundred Candles
.

8. How do you feel about the whole Twilight Phenomenon and the recent influx of adult women reading YA books?

I know that there’s been a backlash against Twilight, but from my point of view, the series has done amazing things for the entire book industry. The books have drawn in readers, and we always need more of those!

My Review:

When I first read the blurb for this book, I knew I would love it. A new YA fiction series about ghost hunting parents and their teenage daughter? Romance and Ghosts? I’d been searching for a new series to get hooked on. Um, could this book be more perfect for me? I took a deep breath and dived in, silently praying that I would not be dissappointed.

Well, let me tell you, Ms. Mara Purnhagen delivered! This book is... AWESOME. I could totally stop right there, that word pretty much sums it up, but I guess I owe you a little more than that.

So what’s so great about it? The main character for one. Charlotte Silver is lovely, down to earth and sweet. Her parents are paranormal investigators. Yep, just like Ghosthunters. They document hauntings around the country, debunking myths and ghostly stories for their reality show. Charlotte doesn’t believe in ghosts... so what’s the voice she keeps hearing whispering in her ear? And why is she having such strange dreams? Has something or someone followed her home from an investigation? It’s getting kind of difficult to keep her parents profession a secret at her new school, when she’s been followed around by some type of “mysterious energy”. Ghosts tend to scare off any possible romantic connections. Will she ever be able to lead a normal teenage life?

Past Midnight is a great kickoff to new series. The story does come to a nice conclusion. The author does not leave you completely hanging, which some series authors do. However, there is just enough of a hint of things to come which keep you in anticipation for the next installment.

Paranormal investigating has become quite popular lately and I know tons of you are watching those reality shows along with me (with the lights on, thank you very much.). Why not add this wonderful series to your paranormal entertainment? I know you will love it!!

Now, what are you still doing here? Head on over to her site http://www.marapurnhagen.com/,
and when you're done there, go to your local or online bookstore and buy Past Midnight!!

THE GIRL I WANTED TO BE by Sarah Grace McCandless

2010-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Author of Grosse Pointe Girl, McCandless was raised here in Michigan and therefore knows what she's talking about, since this book is also based in my fair state.

In this young adult book, McCandless captures the dream quality of Michigan's "Up North" cottage lifestyle. Summers and weekends spent with family and friends at the family cottage leave Presley confused and concerned for her young aunt Betsi.

A little more complex than many YA novels, The Girl I Wanted To Be is short and sweet, with just enough meat to sink your teeth into.

REVIEWED BY : MIMI

PERFECTLY DATELESS by Kristin Bilerbeck

2010-11-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

Publisher's Copy:

Daisy Crispin has 242 days to find the right date for the prom. There’s only one problem–her parents won’t let her date or even talk to a guy on the phone. Oh, and she’s totally invisible at school, has to wear lame homemade clothes, and has no social skills. Okay, so maybe there’s more than one problem.

Can she talk her parents into letting her go to the prom? Or will they succeed at their obvious attempt to completely ruin her life?

Perfectly Dateless is hilarious, shocking, and totally real. You'll fall in love with Daisy’s sharp wit and resourcefulness as she navigates the world of boys, fashion, family, and friendship.

My review:

This book is a great Christian Young Adult read. Not only do you get the crazy family and friends, but Billerbeck also lets us see into the reasons behind why the characters do what they do.
As Daisy's list of potential prom dates grows shorter, her wisdom & confidence grow a little bigger. Any teen girl would love to read this book!

Kristin is a successful "chick-lit" author & her foray into YA books does not disappoint.

**MEET THE AUTHOR OF THIS REVIEW:
Mimi is 43 years old, with 4 blogs, 2 cats, 2 teenage boys, a miniature schnauzer & a husband. When she has time she hides in the bathroom and reads both adult and YA books. You can find her at www.ScreamingMimiBlog.com or www.ReadReviewRepeat.com.

Also Coming November 1st!!

2010-10-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

OUR NEW TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOK BLOG!
TEENBOOKSHELF.BLOGSPOT.COM

WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE SPOTLIGHT AUTHORS AS WELL AS REVIEWERS!

Relaunch Date : November 1st!!

2010-10-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Please stay tuned! This site is currently under construction! We will be relaunching on November 1st! IF YOU HAVE A BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED ON THIS SITE, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT:
GIRLSWITHBOOKS@YAHOO.COM

Dracula In Love

2010-07-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

     Dracula in Love by Karen Essex has been touted in many book reviews as “Twilight for grownups”. I can see a few similarities, I guess. Yes, there is a vampire. Yes, there is a love story. But that’s where the resemblance ended for me. Hang on to your Team Edward novelty baseball hats, people, because this ain’t your teenager’s vampire novel.
     This book is dark. It’s mysterious. It’s sensual. This is a real gothic novel, the way they are supposed to be written. You want to go wandering through mist filled, centuries old cemeteries in the dead of night? How does a visit to a Victorian “insane” asylum sound? Dracula in Love has it all, and then some.
     Karen Essex has taken the characters from Bram Stoker’s classic novel and given them quite an imaginative back story. In the original, Mina Murray is an innocent bystander in an act of revenge between the count and his lawyer, Jonathan Harker. But in Essex’s retelling of the tale, Mina may not be such a innocent victim. She is something else entirely, something she herself has tried to ignore her entire life .As a child, she learned to hide her strange abilities and talents in exchange for a calm, normal life. She dreamed of a beautiful wedding, a doting husband and house full of children. However, nightly visions, sometimes horrific and other times extremely erotic, have her confused and scared. Who is this creature she encounters in her dreams? She finds herself drawn to him in ways she has never experienced, or at least, in ways she cannot fully explain. Yet, he appears to posses knowledge of her every thought, her every desire. The two souls are somehow connected in a way mere mortals could never fully comprehend.
     I enjoyed this novel so much. Essex is an amazingly talented author, giving new life to these classic characters. She deftly intertwines the histories of Mina and the Count into the original story without missing a beat. The blending is flawless. In some instances, when an author attempts to retell a classic tale one of two things tend to happen. One, the older story becomes somewhat forgotten, it’s charm is lost when it’s replaced with a shinier new version. Two, the new version tends to feel, for lack of a better word, stolen. You find yourself wondering why the author even attempted to make these characters her own. They are someone else’s imaginings and they just don’t come to life in the hands of another writer. However, Dracula in Love did not leave me feeling as if Mina Murray was simply a borrowed character. I felt as if she blossomed beautifully under Essex’s care. I also do not feel as if Stoker’s original story is overshadowed by this new novel. I actually find myself tempted to read it again!
     Dracula in Love is a beautifully writing and wildly addictive novel. I suggest it to anyone, whether you prefer your vampires sparkly and melodramatic or dark and wildly sensuous. But really, when you look at it that way , is there really a choice?

Tell Me What You Want To Know!

2010-07-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there, lovely readers! I recently read a wonderful book, Romancing Miss
Bronte by Juliet Gael. (read it, it rocks!) I am glad to say that the beautiful and talented Juliet Gael has agreed to do a interview on girlswithbooks.com! So, give me some input! What do you want to know from this amazingly talented author? Questions can be about this specific book, the writing and publishing process, or anything else you want to know!! Submit your questions here or on our facebook page.

Check the book our here!

Juliet Gael's author page

The Fictional Lives of My Favorite Authors..

2010-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

As usual, I have been reading tons of historical fiction. Nothing weird there, right? But lately, I've been very into reading fictional accounts of my favorite authors. I've read a few based on the Bronte Sisters, but right now I am reading Romancing Miss Bronte and it's soooo good! I've always loved, loved, loved Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and this book gives some insight (although fictional) into their Emily and Charlotte's lives. From what I can tell, some aspects of the book are based on fact, like most historical fiction. I love reading about the lives of authors and if it's concerning historical icons like the Bronte sisters, even better!! Anyone read this book? Are you planning to? Have you read any other "author" fiction you can recommend?

Join Us On Facebook!!

2010-06-22T12:41:00.001-07:00

Well, we are now on facebook, ladies!! So come join us! I think that facebook will be a great way for us to have discussions, plan events and also set up group reads! The site has been so lately, so if you've read anything great lately, let us know!! We are always looking for reviews and books suggestions. Let's get this place pumpin' again!! Summer reading rocks!

The Lost Summer of Loisa May Alcott

2010-06-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

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I've got one word for the book : PERFECT! I loved, loved, loved every minute of it! I've been a Louisa May Alcott fan since my early teen years, when I first opened up Little Women. I've always wondered about just kind of woman Louisa was. Was she as much like Jo as I imagined?

Although this is, of course, a work of fiction, I really enjoyed a little glimpse into Miss Alcott's life, whether based on fact or not. The author did a fantastic job describing her family and friends and most of all, her love interests. I could not put this book down!! If you love Louisa May Alcott's classic novels, you MUST read this book! Such a fun book, but not too "sugary and sweet". The ending was believable and felt true to the spirit of Miss Alcott. Go read this book!!

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

2010-04-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I learned Chris Bohjalian had written a new book, Secrets of Eden, I was very excited. Excited, but skeptical. The very first book I ever read of Bohjalian's, Midwives, blew my socks off. It was amazing! Since then (approximately 10 years ago), I've read several other of Bohjalian's books - with mixed reviews. None has thrilled me the way Midwives did all those years ago. For me, Bohjalian's books have always been very hit or miss. And that's why I say I was skeptical when I heard he had published a new book. Well, I'm happy and excited to report that Secrets of Eden is a winner!

Secrets of Eden tells the story of Reverend Steven Drew, a pastor in a small church in Vermont. When his parishioner, Alice Hayward, is murdered by her husband in a murder-suicide, Drew begins to doubt his faith. He is saved from complete despair by the appearance of Heather Laurent, an author of two very successful books about angels, of all things.

Heather Laurent is the child of parents who both died in a murder-suicide and she identifies with Katie, the Hayward's now orphaned daughter. Heather offers herself as a counselor to both Stephen and Katie. When Stephen steps down from the pulpit of his church immediately after Alice's funeral, the state's attorney begins to question Stephen's reasons. And when Alice's secrets are uncovered, more questions begin to arise.

Bohjalian has done a masterful job crafting this novel. It is divided into four parts, each told from the perspective of a different person - Stephen Drew, Catherine Benincasa (the state's attorney), Heather Laurant and Katie, the Hayward's teen aged daughter. As I read each section I fully accepted each person's perspective as right and true. All the characters have very believable and trustworthy voices. But, of course, someone is lying. Or at least mistaken. In addition, Bohjalian does a wonderful job of foreshadowing. His characters hint at things that serve as a trail of crumbs to the truth. Brilliant. This was a very clever way of structuring this novel and it worked well.

The other thing that really jumped out at me and is something I remember so clearly from Midwives, is that Bohjalian is very skilled at writing in a woman's voice. I found Catherine Benincasa's voice to be very authentic. I've found this to be fairly unusual when men are writing female characters. Kudos to Bohjalian for that.

One thing I want to warn against is that from my and other descriptions of this book, one may get the idea that this novel is overly religious, or New Agey or even that it is a police procedural or suspense/thriller. It is none of those. It is a wonderful novel full of flawed characters who are simply trying to make sense of two senseless deaths and the aftermath of them.

I would give Secrets of Eden 4 stars - I really liked it.

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

2010-04-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore is one of those books I kept hearing about. I think I first saw a book review in print somewhere or other. From the summary of the plot, it didn't sound all that appealing, so I didn't add it to my tbr list. Then I read a review on someone's blog. Ah, that book again. The review was good, but I still wasn't interested. But then I started to see it reviewed over and over again and all the reviews were glowing. I figured I should check it out.

A Gate at the Stairs tells the story of Tassie Keltjin, a college student in the Midwest. Tassie takes a job as a nanny for a white couple who are adopting a biracial little girl - three year old Emmie. In addition, Tassie is experiencing her first serious romance with a fellow college student and also dealing with the reality of her growing independence from her family.

At first, the story really did grab me. But then I began to notice something about the writing. I couldn't really put my finger on it. The writing was good, very good - but not in a way I could describe. It wasn't poetic or clever or beautiful. And then I figured it out - it was intelligent.

And that's why it lost me. I think this book is what you would call a "literary novel". And I usually don't like novels that are too "literary". Somehow I always feel that the story takes a back seat to the writing. And I'm just not intellectual enough to appreciate that kind of book. I appreciate good writing and I consider myself to be a discerning reader, but I read for the story first and the writing second. Unfortunately, the story in A Gate at the Stairs was sacrificed for amazing writing, in my opinion.

The other problem I had with Moore's "intelligent" writing is that she spent pages and pages and pages describing the thought process of Tassie, the main character. At first I enjoyed reading Moore's deft description of the inner workings of Tassie's mind, but after a while I just wanted to get back to the story.

Ah, the story. What exactly was the story in A Gate at the Stairs? From my perspective, there were three very serious and important story lines in this book. And Moore didn't do any of them justice. She started and stopped each one without ever really fully telling any. I really wanted to know more about the main storyline. Why did she need to add two more unfinished plots to this book. It felt very disjointed to me.

Maybe that's the point. Maybe A Gate at the Stairs is supposed to be a reader's view into Tassie's mind - hence all the pages and pages of her thoughts. And these three plot lines were all different things Tassie was dealing with in her life. And of course, in real life nothing gets resolved in 321 pages (or one semester of college). But for me, that adds up to a very unsatisfactory read. Even if it is intelligent and literary.

Have any of you read A Gate at the Stairs? What did you think? I'd love to hear from you. Especially if you loved it. What was it about that book that you loved?

I would give A Gate at the Stairs 2 STARS - It was OK.

Sleepwalking In Daylight, by Elizabeth Frock

2010-03-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sleepwalking In Daylight is a book that really hit home with me and will probably resonante with many of you.

It's about getting to a point in your life and saying, "Is this it? Is this all there is?"

Samantha is a stay at home mom who feels like she has lost touch with her husband and doesn't know how to reach her troubled teenaged daughter, who has been made painfully aware that she is adopted. Her twin boys have gotten lost in the mix.

This book is about trying to find your life in the midst of living your life and knowing the pain of failing. Watching things slipping through your fingers with no control over the outcome.

The ending of this book is like a punch to the solar plexus. You won't see it coming and it really rattled me.

This book is definitely worth the read, It's not a feel good book, but it will move you.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

2010-03-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

The February book club selection for the book club I run at the library was The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. I absolutely LOVED it! The story takes place in Scotland and centers around Iris, the owner of a vintage dress shop with a complicated and complex personal life. Iris' world is rendered a little off kilter when she is informed that she is the next of kin of her great aunt Esme Lennox, who is being released from an asylum after being locked away for 61 years. The most surprising thing about this is that Iris didn't even realize she has a great aunt. Esme is the sister of Iris' grandmother, Kitty. However, Kitty has advanced Alzheimer's Disease and Iris can not question her grandmother about this mysterious relative.

But that is not even the most interesting part of this multi-layered story. As Iris begins to unravel Esme's story, she begins to uncover layers of secrets within her own family. Not the least of which is that Esme was locked away mainly because she was an unconventional woman during a time in British history when it was extremely unacceptable, especially among the upper classes.

Maggie O'Farrell handles the complex telling of this story very deftly. The story alternates between the voices of Iris, Esme and Kitty and also between the past and present. Through these vignettes of memory, the author slowly unveils the story of these two very different sisters and how Esme comes to be hospitalized and what happens to each of them after that event. As a reader, I enjoyed the slow unfolding of the story as the layers where peeled away. And each piece of the puzzle led to a wonderful understanding of the characters as a whole.

What fascinated me the most about this book is that Maggie O'Farrell states in an interview that she was inspired to write this story based on actual British history. Apparently, until the 1950s it was possible for a man to commit his wife or daughter to an asylum with just a signature from a doctor. Women were locked away for reasons as nebulous as "taking long walks", refusing offers of marriage, accidental pregnancies, refusing to cut their hair and most shockingly one girl was diagnosed as insane because she was "caught dancing before a mirror, dressed in her mother's clothes". Amazing, but true! O'Farrell further states that she's long been interested in what happens to "non-conforming" women in different points in history. In the 16th and 17th century they would have been burned as a witch, more recently they were locked away in asylums. It isn't hard to think about women today in fundamentalist Muslim families who are murdered in "honor killings" for "non-conforming" behavior that brings shame to their families. O'Farrell maintains that in The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, "Iris and Esme are essentially the same person and it's just the luck of the draw that Iris was born in a time when that didn't happen to her". Let's all be thankful we live in the time and place that we do.

I LOVED The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. I would give it 4 Stars.

Who is excited about the new Jodi Picoult book coming out?

2010-03-01T12:07:00.001-08:00

ME!!!! I plan to download it on my Kindle as soon as I can!!

Comes out TOMORROW!!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2010-03-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

Wow. I don't even know if I can do this book justice in the form of a review. The Help is hands down one of the best books I have ever read.

From Barnes and Noble......

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town...

Words to describe how this book made me feel? Surprise, Sadness, Anger, Hope, Guilt, Fear, Laughter and finally Peace. One way to get me to fall in love with a book is for me to be thinking about it when I'm not reading it! I thought about this book ALL the time when I was not reading it, wanting to know what was going to happen and to who. I talked about it to anyone who would listen! It is not just a book about civil rights or racism but a book about friendship, family and being a strong woman!!

I'm not even going to try and review this book because I know I cant do it justice. I can honestly see it becoming the To Kill A Mockingbird of this generation. It is one of the best books I have ever read and there just are not enough stars to give it!!!

If anyone else has read it (KEL!!) please feel free to add a review or leave your thoughts in comments.

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

2010-02-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison was a fun young adult novel to read. The plot is out of this world--literally. Kim has a vivid imagination, to say the least. I know, I know, she's a fiction writer, she needs to have a good imagination! But it is more than that; Kim takes mythological characters and puts them in situation you'd never think they would be in. I like that.

I also like Madison Avery, it is just fun to read about a 17 year old girl who can bend the rules of nature, and save a few souls while she is at it. Did I mention that Madison is dead? Yep, she is a goner who is holding on to the world of the living with everything she has. Aside from the dead part, Madison is a normal teenager. She is trying to fit in, having issues with mom and dad, has a crush on a cute boy, and her closest friends have wings. Normal indeed ;-)

Wildwood by Drusilla Campbell

2010-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

I was trying to cut and paste the description from Amazon.com but I have a new Macbook and I don't so much know how to cut and paste like you can on a PC. So, I will do my best.

Wildwood is about friendships and how they can change and grow over the course of your life. Liz, Jeanne and Hannah have been best friends since they were children. They lead totally different lives as adults, Hannah is a mother to 2 teenagers and wants to adopt a crack addicted baby she has fallen in love with at a place she volunteers, Jeanne runs a boarding school, and Liz owns a bed and breakfast in Belize. The one thing they still have in common is a secret from their childhood involving the death of a boy. Keeping their secret shaped who they became as adults and impacted their relationships with each other and their families.

When I first came across this I thought I was going to love it based on the description on the back of the book. It was just okay. It had a slow start and I kept having to force myself to pick it back up and finish it. The storyline itself was okay, it was just slow to pick up. She was able to make her characters believable but the pace of it was just like eh, this stuff is happening to these women and I don't really care whether I know about it or not. Does that make sense?

It is not the worst book Ive read by any means, and it did earn 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. I just was not feeling it! I would probably give it 3 out of 5 stars.

On another note.....I'm also currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I do plan to review it here but if you have not read it.....it is a must read. I'm only half way through and it is going to go down as one of the best books Ive ever read!

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

2010-02-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to participate in the Complete Booker 2010 Challenge and I finally finished the first Booker Prize winner - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, which just so happens to be the 2009 winner. This was an easy first choice since this book was already on my tbr list.
Wolf Hall is a novel that deals with the reign of Henry VIII during the time period when he was striving to divorce Katherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. There are plenty of books, both fiction and non-fiction, covering this topic, and I've read quite a few of them. But Wolf Hall is unique in that it is presented from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell, Henry's chief minister, and the man who made Henry's divorce and remarriage(s) possible. I have a fascination for this period in English history and I've read many books about this time period. But Wolf Hall is the first one I have read that presents the story from Cromwell's perspective. I found it interesting to see the events from his eyes. It was also illuminating to see the other major players in this drama as Cromwell might have viewed them. As often as I've read and studied the Tudor period, it is always interesting to come at it from another direction.

As much as I enjoyed Wolf Hall, I'm not sure it's for everyone. It's a very detailed account of the events of the period and unless the reader has an interest in this topic, I think it could be a bit dense. It took me almost two weeks to finish this book, which is about three times longer than I normally spend reading a book. If I didn't have a real fascination with the topic, I doubt I would have finished it. And I think this may be part and parcel of reading award winning books. They are denser and heavier than their non-award winning counterparts. And this is the very reason why I wanted to participate in this challenge. I'm ready to stretch myself in my reading. For the past 13 years or so I've been reading primarily contemporary literary fiction. And I would classify Wolf Hall as literary fiction. A genre I've struggled with in the past. Part of the problem is that I'm impatient. I want to read a book quickly so that I can move on to the next one on my tbr list. I had to keep reminding myself while reading this book that this is not a race. These more literary books are meant to be savored, like a luscious multi-course meal at a classy restaurant. But I must admit that I'm now deep into a wonderful contemporary literary fiction book and I'm just so thrilled to be devouring it quickly. I think for me, literary fiction, like super fancy meals in super fancy restaurant, is meant to be enjoyed infrequently. My everyday reading needs to be something I can devour with gusto. But who knows? Maybe by the time I finish this Booker Challenge, I'll be wanting to enjoy those sophisticated reads more frequently. We'll see....

I would give Wolf Hall 3 stars - I liked it.

My Ántonia by Willa Cather

2010-02-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

My Ántonia by Willa Cather was a literary surprise, for me. I remember opening the book and thinking "Oh my, 1918 Nebraska, why me!?" I like mythology, paranormal elements, bloody encounters... but the book was a school requirement, so I started reading. And then, SURPRISE!!! The book was great.

Willa Cather takes the reader to Nebraska during settlement times. The book is short, less than 200 pages, but it is loaded with literary goodness and timeless themes: friendship, growing up, the importance of the past, immigration, man vs the land, deception, myth & storytelling, spirituality... there is a bit of everything.

I read the book on one sitting, and then I read it again. Ms Cather's ability to draw amazing pictures with words is simply addicting.

What are you reading right now?

2010-02-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

All right, girls! Let's get this place pumping again!!! Tell us what you're reading right now.. what do you think of it? What's up next on your bookshelf?

We need a makeover!!

2010-02-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

All right, girls! We need a major remodel on this blog!! We used to a busy community, but lately, it's been awful quiet. First things first, we need to know who wants to have posting abilities. If you would like to be able to post your book reviews here on the site, let us know in the comments section. If you aren't interested in posting your own reviews, that's fine too! We love comments! This is just our way of weeding out the people who have posting abilities and who doesn't. Our list of posters has grown a little too large!

also, a recommendations you have are welcome! Let's get this place pumping again!!!

Not My Daughter

2010-01-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I read "Not My Daughter" by Barbara Delinsky. What a timely topic! I'm the mom of two teen daughters, and what is one topic that is sure to make you stand up and listen? Teen sex that can lead to teen pregnancy, now that is something that scares most mothers of a teen.

The book is the story of four high school friends, four girls who make life altering decisions. How will their choices to become pregnant together impact their friendships, their families and the entire town ? Set in a small New England town, the main character Lily is 17 and is being raised by her single mom, Susan. Susan is also the high school principal. Lily has 3 close friends, and their mothers also happen to be good friends and business partners with Susan. The bonds of these relationships are tested to the limit when the girls pregnancies are discovered and the reality of teen pregnancy comes to light. Fingers are pointed, mothers and daughters are questioned. We learn how families and an entire community react to the surprising news. Are the mother's of these girls responsible?

I enjoyed this book so much. Delinsky weaves a story so well. While reading I felt I knew these girls, their families and the angst and stress they must have been feeling. When I finish a book and I feel sad because I want to know more, I know this is a good story, a book I want to share. While reading it I was discussing these topics with my own girls, and naturally they said things like"oh mom I would never become pregnant in high school" or " I think girls who do that are stupid". When you finish "Not My Daughter" your heart will go out to those girls that do become pregnant, and you will wonder which mom in the book would reflect your actions. It's a good book to read and share with your teen, opening up those conversations is the best way to make let your teen know you want to help them to make the best choices when it comes to sex.
If you're not familiar with Barbara Delinsky she has written many books, and the topics are timely and reach into your emotions, and really tell stories about families. She is very approachable on fb, twitter and her blog. She will be hosting a second online chat on February 17, 9pm Eastern time. Just be on her blog site and there will a sign in page. I was on the first chat discussing this new book, it was wonderful! You can also request a free signed bookplate on her blog. It's a nice addition to your copy of her book

2010-01-17T11:25:00.001-08:00

Under The Dome marks King's return to the epic-scale storytelling of The Stand and It, clocking in at over 1,100 pages. Scribner has released the following plot synopsis.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens—town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician’s assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing—even murder—to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn’t just short. It’s running out.
This book was a must have for me for Christmas. I finished it quickly, not because it was that good, but I wanted to see what was going to happen. Under the Dome is definitely NOT comparable to The Stand or IT. It was OK. I loved the characters, especially Dale Barbara and his friends. Big Jim Rennie and his son make fantastic villains. I just found that it could have been shorter. To me, an avid Stephen King fan, it was very un Stephen King if you will. I wanted there to be more action, more fantasy, more scary, I read page after page waiting for something more and it just never came. The concept was good, I think it could have been better. When you find out what the dome actually is and where it comes from , it's interesting, it's intriguing but not scary. I suppose if you live in a small town, Chester Mills, perhaps, it would be scary for you. Maybe it's me, I built this book up, and even though I didn't read any review prior to reading it , I expected another Stand. Even though I devoured the book within a week it left me wanting more. I would give this 3 stars. I'm interested in what other book readers, Stephen King fans in particular felt about Under the Dome.

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

2009-12-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've written a book review. I've been in a bit of book slump lately. But there was one bright spot. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig was the November/December book club selection for the book club I run at the library. I had read a review of this book in The Providence Journal ages ago and decided that the book sounded interesting. I added it to my list of possible book club choices and finally got around to selecting it. It was a wonderful selection.

The Whistling Season is told through the eyes of the now middle aged Paul Milliron, as he recounts his childhood in rural Montana in the early 1900's. Paul's father is an overwhelmed widower trying to raise three rambunctious sons while also eking out an existence on the unforgiving land. When he hires a housekeeper, sight unseen, from a newspaper add that states "can't cook, but doesn't bite", the lives of the the Milliron "men" are changed forever. The fascinating Rose arrives with a surprise guest- her scholarly and gentlemanly brother, Morris. When the teacher in the one room school house runs off to get married, Morris takes over the duties as teacher. His passion and knowledge transform the children of Marias Coulee in wonderful ways. As the story unfolds we learn more about the lives of the people living in this harsh landscape.

The Whistling Season is a simple story, beautifully told. Doig is a master of language and his writing is glorious and poetic. As a matter of fact, Doig himself has discussed in interviews his love of the "poetry under the prose". He states that "rhythm, word choice, and premeditated lyrical intent are the elements of this type of writing". His writing evokes a different time and place. What I loved most about this book is its simplicity. There is no intrigue (OK, maybe a little at the end), no drama, no big conflicts. Just a good old fashioned story. That seems like a rare commodity these days. If you want to read a story filled with lyricism, simple yet fully formed characters and be transported to a time gone by, I highly recommend Doig's literary novel - The Whistling Season. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I would give The Whistling Season 4 stars - I really liked it.

The Bright Side of Disaster

2009-10-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

This was the first novel that Katherine Center wrote, I read her second book, Everyone is Beautiful, a couple of months ago and knew I had to go back and read the first. She has a gift with words.

This book is written in first person, a very intimate and detailed style that I really enjoy. Jenny is a 20 something young woman, pregnant, engaged and thrown a bit off kilter by the order of the events in her life. I had the immediate impression that Jenny doesn't feel worthy of the good things that she has in her life, or feel that she should have more.
The journey in this book is about love and motherhood, and being a daughter and a friend, and again love. Love in all these relationships.
It's a short book, and so easy to read and enjoy. It gives you a warm and good feeling in the end. My rating is a 4 out of 5 stars, I really enjoyed it.
Katherine Center's next book isn't due out until April 2010, to say I'm looking forward to it is a gross understatement.........I really can't wait!!!

It Sucked And Then I Cried, By Heather B. Armstrong

2009-10-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Publishers Description: Heather Armstrong gave up a lot of things when she and her husband, Jon, decided to have a baby: beer, small boobs, free time -- and antidepressants. The eighteen months that followed were filled with anxiety, constipation, nacho cheese Doritos, and an unconditional love that threatened to make her heart explode. Still, as baby Leta grew and her husband, Jon, returned to work, Heather faced lonely days, sleepless nights, and endless screaming that sometimes made her wish she'd never become a mother. Just as she was poised to throw another gallon of milk at her husband's head, she committed herself for a short stay in a mental hospital -- the best decision she ever made for her family.

To the dedicated millions who can't get enough of Heather's unforgettably unique style and hilarious stories on her hugely popular blog, there's little she won't share about her daily life as a recovering Mormon, liberal daughter of Republicans, wife of a charming geek, lover of television that exceeds at being really awful, and stay-at-home mom to five-year-old Leta and two willful dogs.

In It Sucked and Then I Cried, Heather tells, with trademark wit, the heartfelt, unrelentingly honest story of her battle with postpartum depression and all the other minor details of pregnancy and motherhood that no one cares to mention. Like how boring it can be to care for someone whose primary means of communication is through her bowels. And how long it can possibly take to reconvene the procedure that got you into this whole parenthood mess in the first place. And how you sometimes think you can't possibly go five more minutes without breathing in that utterly irresistible and totally redeemable fresh baby smell.

It Sucked and Then I Cried is a brave cautionary tale about crossing over that invisible line to the other side (the parenting side), where everything changes and it only gets worse. But most of all, it's a celebration of a love so big it can break your heart into a million pieces.

My Review: Heather Armstrong is the writer behind the uber-popular blog Dooce. Her struggles with postpartum depression are heartbreakingly real and told with much honesty. As someone who suffers with depresion on a daily basis I can tell you the back and forth of emotions she displays is something that really happens.

This book was a little choppy, but still worth the read. It's funny and moving all at the same time.

Pretty In Plaid, by Jen Lancaster

2009-09-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Publisher Description:

In Pretty in Plaid, Jen Lancaster reveals how she developed the hubris that perpetually gets her into trouble. Using fashion icons of her youth to tell her hilarious and insightful stories, readers will meet the girl she used to be.Think Jen Lancaster was always "like David Sedaris with pearls and a super-cute handbag?" (Jennifer Coburn)

Think again. She was a badge-hungry Junior Girl Scout with a knack for extortion, an aspiring sorority girl who didn't know her Coach from her Louis Vuitton, and a budding executive who found herself bewildered by her first encounter with a fax machine. In this humorous and touching memoir, Jen Lancaster looks back on her life—and wardrobe—before bitter was the new black and shows us a young woman not so very different than the rest of us.

The author who showed us what it was like to wait in line at the unemployment office with a Prada bag, how living in the city can actually suck, and that losing weight can be fun with a trainer named Barbie and enough Ambien is ready to take you on a hilarious and heartwarming trip down memory lane in her shoes (and very pretty ones at that).

My Review:

If your familiar with Jen Lancaster's other books than loving this one will not be a stretch. I actually thought that this one was a little better than many of her books, since it doesn't have the political bent that some have had.

Lancaster is quick, witty and just plan laugh-out-loud funny. She and I are close enough in age that I share many of the same mile-stones. Laying on the bed, flat on your back to zip up your Jordache jeans is a memory that many of us can relate to.

In the book Jen talks about living her life as if she were in a movie. With favorites such as Such A Pretty Fat, Bright Lights, Big Ass, and Bitter Is The New Black, I'm sure we'll being seeing her life on the big screen in no time.

Unless you hate laughing & great story telling, I'd pick this one up.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

2009-09-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

From Amazon:

Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University.

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind...

This is one of the best books I have read this year. What is unique about it is that is is written through the end from Alice's perspective instead of say her spouse or one of her children who is witnessing the destruction of her mind. It is a heartbreaking story but so beautifully written that I could not put it down. I work in long term care health insurance and I know that this is a horrible disease but I look at it from the point of an insurer versus someone who is personally affected by it.

Alice stays so strong through this book where I know most people in this situation would just crawl into their house and never want to leave. She tries to keep up with her family, her career and her independence until she realized that her actions can affect others such as students who are taking her seminars.

There is no secret to how this book ends if you know what Alzheimer's does to the mind. By the end of the book she is in the final stages of the disease but you can still see that there is a PERSON in there. Someone who should not be dismissed just because of her disease, or avoided because she may make you uncomfortable. Alzheimer's may be painful to see but it is not contagious.

Even though this is a fictional book it is still very real. You get complete reality reading about how her diagnosis affects her kids, her husband and even her co-workers.

I give this one 5/5 stars....it is one of those books you want to tell people about and make them want to read it too.

True Colors, by Kristin Hannah

2009-09-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Publishers Description:

True Colors is New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah’s most provocative, compelling, and heart-wrenching story yet. With the luminous writing and unforgettable characters that are her trademarks, she tells the story of three sisters whose once-solid world is broken apart by jealousy, betrayal, and the kind of passion that rarely comes along.

The Grey sisters have always been close. After their mother’s death, the girls banded together, becoming best friends. Their stern, disapproving father cares less about his children than about his reputation. To Henry Grey, appearances are everything, and years later, he still demands that his daughters reflect his standing in the community.

Winona, the oldest, needs her father’s approval most of all. An overweight bookworm who never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that has been in her family for three generations, she knows that she doesn’t have the qualities her father values. But as the best lawyer in town, she’s determined to someday find a way to prove her worth to him.

Aurora, the middle sister, is the family peacemaker. She brokers every dispute and tries to keep them all happy, even as she hides her own secret pain.

Vivi Ann is the undisputed star of the family. A stunningly beautiful dreamer with a heart as big as the ocean in front of her house, she is adored by all who know her. Everything comes easily for Vivi Ann, until a stranger comes to town. . . .

In a matter of moments, everything will change. The Grey sisters will be pitted against one another in ways that none could have imagined. Loyalties will be tested and secrets revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both their family and their beloved town.

With breathtaking pace and penetrating emotional insight, True Colors is an unforgettable novel about sisters, rivalry, forgiveness, redemption---and ultimately, what it means to be a family.

My Review:

More serious than some of my chick lit faves, this story of 3 sisters is detailed and complex. The twists and turns of this book were interesting and fresh, giving perspective into how this family is almost destroyed one hit at a time.

Wynona, the overweight lawyer, Aurora the middle peacemaker, and Vivi Ann the stunning baby of the family play into expected roles in fresh new ways. While I would have like to have Aurora fleshed out a little more, this book is one you would call heart warming and surprising.

The Lost Recipe For Happiness, by Barbara O'Neal

2009-09-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher:

In this sumptuous new novel, Barbara O’Neal offers readers a celebration of food, family, and love as a woman searches for the elusive ingredient we’re all hoping to find….

It’s the opportunity Elena Alvarez has been waiting for–the challenge of running her own kitchen in a world-class restaurant. Haunted by an accident of which she was the lone survivor, Elena knows better than anyone how to survive the odds. With her faithful dog, Alvin, and her grandmother’s recipes, Elena arrives in Colorado to find a restaurant in as desperate need of a fresh start as she is–and a man whose passionate approach to food and life rivals her own. Owner Julian Liswood is a name many people know but a man few do. He’s come to Aspen with a troubled teenage daughter and a dream of the kind of stability and love only a family can provide. But for Elena, old ghosts don’t die quietly, yet a chance to find happiness at last is worth the risk.

Review:

This book is different, charming and yummy. Elena is not beautiful and her life has been haunted by ghosts of her loved ones lost. When she has an opportunity to take on a new challenge in a restaurant and in love, she wades through the murky waters of her past in an attempt to find true happiness that she has denied herself for so long.

Sometimes just letting go is the hardest thing to do, but it's rewards can be the sweetest. Filled with great recipes and wonderful characters, this is a book I would highly recommend.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

2009-09-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

Ladies, please be sure and check out the site for Book Blogger Appreciation Week to find out what all will be going on that week. I actually am going to be out of town (Yeah Disney World) that week and will most likely not have time to do the daily posts. Please feel free to check out the daily topics and post and link up! We can have more than one per day just be sure to link up YOUR post when you add to Mr Linky.

The White Queen

2009-08-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Historical fiction is my guilty pleasure reading. I don't like all historical fiction (some of it can come a little too close to romance for my taste), but I've always enjoyed Philippa Gregory's books about the Tudor period. And I eagerly wait for her new historical fiction to be published. Her newest book, The White Queen, is the first book in a new series by Gregory which will deal with the Plantagenet kings who preceded the Tudors as England's rulers.

The White Queen deals with the time period in English history known as the War of the Roses - when the Houses of Lancaster and York were fighting for control of the crown. Elizabeth Woodville, a young widow with two small sons, catches the eye of new Yorkist king, Edward IV. She spends the next 18 years (or so) in the tenuous position of trying to help her husband retain possession of the crown. When Edward IV dies of an illness, Elizabeth must do everything she can to be certain that the crown passes to her and Edward's eldest son, also named Edward (of course!). This is no small task, as the King has two brothers who have been plotting for years to take the crown away from him and there is always the threat that the (defeated) Lancasters will try to reclaim the crown for themselves. Not to mention, Henry Tudor, a young boy who is the son of Margaret Beaufort, herself a member of the Lancastrians. Elizabeth does all she can to keep her son Edward and his younger brother, Richard, safe. But their fates have been a mystery for centuries. Even today no one is absolutely certain what ever happened to the "Princes in the Tower".

I was very excited to learn that Gregory's newest book was going to deal with the War of the Roses and the Princes in the Tower. I've done a little studying of this time period, and I've never been completely clear on the details of the war between the Lancasters and the Yorks. The books I've read have been non-fiction and I tended to get a bit bogged down in the details. I'm happy to report, that after reading The White Queen, I now have a firm grasp on the basics of that time period in English history! Of course because this is fiction, I was sure to go back and check Gregory against the history books, and I'm happy to report that in all the important, verifiable details she was accurate.

I will say, however, that there were some elements in this book that I didn't really appreciate at first. The very beginning veered too far into the romance genre for my taste and I was afraid that this would continue throughout the book. I'm happy to report that it did not. I don't remember Gregory's other books doing this. Maybe I'm mistaken, but if this is something new she is doing to draw in more readers, I, for one, think it's a mistake. The other thing that bothered me about this book is that it has an element of mysticism to it that I have never encountered in Gregory's other books. Again, this is a matter of taste, but books with too much mysticism or magical realism do not appeal to me. The mysticism was not gratuitous, there was a reason for it, but it still irked until I read Gregory's notes at the end of the book. Apparently, Elizabeth Woodville was descended from the "dukes of Burgundy who cherished the tradition that they were descended from Melusina, the water goddess. " So, there was a legitimate reason for this being included in the book. I felt better knowing that. The other thing that really bothered me about the book (until I read the author's note) has to do with the Princes in the Tower. I don't want to spoil the story so I won't go into any detail, but I had never read the theory that she presents here. She explains this in the notes and that appeased me. I do know that this is fiction, but I think that it's important for historical fiction not to play too loose with history. Gregory's explanation in the note explains why she chose to write it this way, and she does alert the reader to the fact that this element of the story is not based in fact. Good enough for me.

Overall, I liked The White Queen. Mostly because it gave me a better understanding of this period in English history. It's not my favorite Philippa Gregory book, but if you are interested in this subject or if you are a Philippa Gregory fan, it is worth reading. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Plantagenet series.

I would give The White Queen 3 stars - I liked it.

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

2009-08-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Jodi Picoult is by far my favorite author. I have only discovered her in the last year or so and because of that I still have about 2 or 3 more of her books left that I have not read. Finally got around to Salem Falls. Here is the description.....

Picoult's new novel (following the acclaimed Plain Truth) is a story about rape and reputation, loosely based on The Crucible. Jack St. Bride comes to Salem Falls, N.H., after his release from prison. The former teacher and soccer coach wants to start a new life following a wrongful conviction for statutory rape. Unfortunately, Salem Falls turns out to be the wrong place to do it. He has no trouble landing a job at the local diner and winning the trust of the diner's eccentric owner, Addie, but the rest of the town is suspicious. Things get dangerous when manipulative 17-year-old Gillian Duncan, whose father owns half the town, gets interested in Jack and tries to seduce him with Wiccan love spells. Then Gillian is assaulted in the woods, and Jack is accused of the crime. As the courtroom battle unfolds, many secrets are revealed, and Picoult's characters are forced to confront the difference between who people are and who they say they are

Jodi Picoult is a master when it comes to doing the research on topics in her books. This one included a lot of information on DNA typing and the pagan religion of Wicca. It was fascinating to me to read about the different Wiccan spells and parts of a religion that because of my own religious beliefs I would never look twice at. She noted on her website that she was actually sent letters of praise from her Wiccan fans for handling the religion in a delicate and accurate manner. The book is not about Wicca though, that is just part of the big picture.

We also get to meet Jordan McAfee for the first time and he is also a character in The Pact and Nineteen Minutes. Of course with most of Jodi's books we get a trial, a love story and somewhat of a twist ending.

I liked how she took a sensitive subject like rape and looked at both sides of the coin. She says in the interview at the end of the book that she in no way wanted to discredit any woman who has been through this horrible crime or glorify the person who has committed it but that she wanted to look at the side of someone who has been wrongly accused or someone who maintains their innocence....because as a society we are programmed not to believe them. Or in her words....take a good look at things and decide for yourself if they really are what they seem to be.

5/5 stars!!

Guess What!!!

2009-08-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Someone nominated us for a Book Blogger Appreciation Week award! Yeah us!! Our nomination is for Best Collaborative Blog! I need to send 5 links to posts within this blog that best supports the category in which we have been nominated. Your thoughts on which I should submit? One of them needs to be a review and I think one should be one of our guest author posts. Let me know your thoughts! I need to submit the links by the 21st and will have to do it during the day because Im going out of town for the weekend Friday evening.

The Private Series by Kate Brian

2009-08-18T08:12:00.001-07:00

I'm only into the 4th book in this series but I figured I would get this up in case anyone wanted to look into it. The Private Series by Kate Brian is my newest addiction as far young adult books go. If you loved the Gossip Girl or It Girl series you will love these too!!

From Amazon:

Tradition, Honor, Excellence...and secrets so dark they're almost invisible
Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy -- the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she's on the outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings Girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Reed uses every part of herself -- the good, the bad, the beautiful -- to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they'll do anything to keep their secrets private.

What I like about this series is it is not just about hook ups and stabbing your friends in the back like the books in GG are known for. There is more going on in this school throughout this series then that. We get some blackmail, a murder, trying to find out who committed that murder and why, all kids of good stuff and I'm only in the 4th book! Books like this so make me wish I would have gone to boarding school! Here is the list of books in order

Private

Invitation Only

Untouchable

Confessions

Inner Circle

Legacy

Ambition

Revelation

Paradise Lost

and the Prequel- Last Christmas

Vigil by Cecilia Samartin

2009-08-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that this novel took awhile to grow on me. But it did. What began as a slow start for me quickly evolved into a somewhat obsessive attempt to read more!

And although the story did not grab me immediatley, Cecilia Samartin's writing certainly did. There is a certain poetic grace to her style that I found enchanting. The story reads easily and beautifully, slowly drawing the reader in and holding on tight!

I found Ana's story just captivating. The novel begins with the death of her lover and then flashes back to the events leading up to that moment. Her life takes many twists and turns, from her life in El Salavador to a convent in America. She eventually finds herself a nanny for a very dysfunctional and wealthy family. I wondered if Ana would be able to teach them her own life lessons or if they would drag her into their own lives of wealth and dysfunction. These relationships are what really brought the story home for me.

I am so happy that I stuck with this book, because it was definitely worth the time.

April and Oliver Discussion!!

2009-08-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

So, who read it? what did you think?? Did you finish it? The following are some discussion questions to get us started!

1.The prologue of April and Oliver depicts the fatal car crash of April’s brother, told from his point of view. What does Buddy’s perspective add to the story?

2.What is your opinion of T.J.? Why do you suppose April goes back to him after getting the protection order?

3.Do you think April should mail the fabricated love letter to Buddy’s old girlfriend? Why do you suppose she wants to do so?

4.What does April mean on page 143 when she says, “If I were a killer, you’re the one I’d kill”? How does this alter the energy between them?

Just a few to get things rolling. I'm running late this morning, I will be answering this afternoon.

We are also in contact with the author and she has offered to answer any question we have about the story...so, post those here too!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

2009-07-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Of the 6 books I read while on my recent vacation, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is the only one I can recommend wholeheartedly. Rarely does a book elicit a visceral response from me - but this one did. It made me cry. The best part of the is book is that Jamie Ford's writing is so subtle it made me forget I was reading. I was simply along for the ride. Sometimes while reading a really good book I'll be thinking, "this is a terrific book. I'm going to write a book review of it." Not Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I didn't even think of it subjectively until I finished it. Then I said (out loud while sitting by the pool) - "What an amazing story." And that is the strength of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The story. No lyrical prose or gorgeous language, no clever plot devices, no surprise ending. Just a wonderful story, simply told. To me, that is the sign of a talented author. I'm anxious to read more from Jamie Ford.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells the story of Henry and Keiko, two 12 year olds living in Seattle in 1942 - the height of WWII. Henry, who is Chinese and Keiko, who is Japanese are the only non-whites attending Rainer Elementary School. Because they are both there on scholarship, they meet and become friends while working in the school cafeteria. Both find refuge from the taunting of their schoolmates in their friendship and in their shared love of jazz music. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Keiko's family, along with the hundreds of other Japanese families living in Seattle's Japantown, is evacuated to an internment camp "for their own protection". Eventually Henry loses contact with Keiko, but he never forgets her.

But Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is about so much more than Henry and Keiko's friendship. It's about Henry's life as the only son of a proud Chinese family. It's about Seattle's fledgling jazz scene and the power of music to bind people together. It's about the difficult experiences of discrimination and prejudice faced by people who are considered to be "outsiders". But, at its heart, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is about hope and memories. Memories of people who have touched our lives and been lost to time...and hope that we will find some small way to keep those memories alive.

I would give Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet 4 STARS (I really liked it).

Image from Google images.

Win a Copy of BEAUTIFUL AS YESTERDAY! !!!

2009-07-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

I have exciting news, ladies!! We are going to do another giveaway! And this time, we have three copies!! woo hoo!

Description

Stretching from mid-century China to both coasts of the United States at the turn of the millennium, Beautiful as Yesterday tells the powerful and captivating story of three Chinese women from the same family. It is a penetrating exploration of what it means to belong, what it means to be a family, and the impact of history and memories on one's life.

"Speaking English is like taking a bath with my clothes on," Mary Chang admits after having lived in America for more than ten years. Under the facade of being a devoted wife, mother, churchgoer, and a hightech professional, she is tormented by adultery, her grudge toward her parents, and her despair at work. Ingrid, Mary's attractive estranged sister, prefers her bohemian friends' Latin culture to her own, though her college boyfriend's tragic death never fails to haunt her. And when their widowed mother Wang Fenglan, a state factory retiree, travels from China to America for the first time under Mary's request to explore the possibility of emigrating, she awkwardly reunites the family and unknowingly stirs up buried family tensions and secrets.

My thoughts: I will do a more formal review later, but I wanted to get this giveaway going now. I loved this book. From the cover, to the last chapter. AMAZING. This is one of those books that I would catergorize as an "epic", spanning generations and continents! The author does a wonderful job transitioning between characters and their setting, which can sometimes be confusing. Most of all, I loved reading about China and Chinese Americans, which to be honest, I have not read a lot about.

So, I know what you wanna know... how do you win??? Well, since Ms. Wu has offered to do a Q and A with us as well, let's do this: Submit a question for her and you are entered in the drawing. Be creative, ask what you really want to know! I will then compile the questions together and send them to her! And the winner will be chosen when I post her answers! Sound good? Good!

So, leave you questions for Ms. Wu in the comments section and you're entered! And remember, we've got three copies to giveaway this time!!

Guest Blog from our Featured Author!!

2009-07-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Tess Callahan was kind enough to do a guest blog post for us!! And remember to get your questions ready for this Friday, the 31st! I will be compiling list of questions for her to answer during our discussions!!

Blog Post for "girlswithbooks" by Tess Callahan

July 20, 2009

What does it take to write and publish a debut novel? Aspiring writers who have been slogging away for years may find my story heartening.

As a mother and teacher, I had to squirrel away snatches of time to work on my novel, April & Oliver. It wasn’t a neat, tidy process. Occasionally, I hired babysitters to give me an hour or two, but often I fell asleep at my desk. To my dismay, I paid for many a nap! Nevertheless, I kept a thread of momentum going long enough for a second draft. Eventually, I found myself putting the manuscript aside for weeks and then months. For a time, I completely lost touch with the book. I continued to write in my journal, however, and occasionally characters would appear in my dreams as if to say, “Wake up! You’re not through with us yet.” Also, members of my writing group pushed me to return to the manuscript.

After an excerpt of the novel was published in Agni and subsequently nominated for the Pushcart Prize, I took heart and sent the manuscript out. In retrospect, I can clearly see that the book was not ready yet. Although I was crushed at the time, I now feel fortunate that none of the close calls panned out; the novel simply wasn’t where it wanted to be.

A year or two went by before I looked at the manuscript again. I was in the midst of a demanding school year with little time to write. In the last minute of frantic packing for a Christmas vacation, I reached into the back of my closet for the dusty manuscript and stuffed it into my carry-on. On the plane, I read the book with a blend of satisfaction and horror. Because so much time had passed, and because I myself had changed, (the stretching effect of parenthood) I could clearly see what felt authentic and what did not.=2 0It was as if I was reading someone else’s manuscript and knew precisely what to suggest. We landed. Our vacation spot sat right on the ocean. My husband took off for a massage and I opened my laptop. There was no need for deliberation; I knew exactly what to do. By the end of the vacation, the book was where it needed to be.

I sent the manuscript to an agent. Months went by before I realized I had used the wrong address. I resent it. More months went by. One sweltering day deep in summer, I decided to purge my house. I started with old clothes and outgrown toys, but my big cleanse soon focused on manuscripts. I put cartons of old writing into the recycling bin. I saved nothing. It was strangely freeing. I wasn’t planning to stop writing - it’s what I do - but in some sense I relinquished the dream of publishing.

A few days later, the recycling truck had barely left the curb when the phone rang. The agent had just read the book and wanted to represent it. I thought the heat had made me delirious. I did not mention that I had just tossed out my last hard copy of April & Oliver. The agent said that the conventional wisdom is to not send manuscripts out i n August when everyone is on vacation, but she had a hunch, and wanted to give it a go. “Fine,” I said. “You’re the agent.” Two days later the book was sold.

In retrospect, I don’t regret my meandering path. For me, it was the only way.

Challenge

2009-07-24T05:17:00.001-07:00

Hey all of you out there that post (or can post) I want to throw a little challenge out to you all. Write a post about your most favorite most EVER and tell us why you love it.

Ready........GO

Microthrills, by Wendy Spero

2009-07-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Notes

Raised in Manhattan by her tiny sex-therapist mother and her two eccentric grandparents, Wendy Spero has always sought excitement in "microthrills," the small, strange highs that give her life meaning.

Her story begins in the one-bedroom, Upper East Side apartment she shared with her overly protective mother, where, as a little girl, she passed the time gnawing on strawberry-scented erasers, breaking up arguments between her imaginary friends, and being subjected to cut-throat nursery school applications.

Eventually, Wendy broke out on her own - but continued to be admonished by her mother for not having enough quality orgasms. After a stint of door-to-door knife-selling, she began her first (and last) office job, where she formed an unusual relationship with her big-time executive boss - one that involved as much pot smoking and gold glitter as it did mentoring. Now, a comedian living in L.A., Wendy grapples with such grown-up issues as trying to kick her addiction to eating candy in bed, parenting dozens of high-maintenance stuffed animals, and finally learning how to drive.

Review

From the picture of the procreating ladybugs on the cover I thought his book of short stories would be fun & I was totally right.

The stories of her sex therapist mother and hairy funny grandfather are well written and hilarious. Some things I wouldn't have believed if there weren't pictures, really wait until you see her grandpa, you'll laugh out loud.

Perfect for beach or vacation because it's short stories, this book is for any lovers of David Sedaris, Laurie Notaro, or Jen Lancaster.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

2009-07-23T10:20:00.001-07:00

I am submitting us in for Book Blogger Appreciation Week which is making it's 2nd appearance this year in September. Here is what it is all about:

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WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!

WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recognizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.

WHEN September 14-18, 2009W

HERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)

WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

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Feel free to spread the word on your other blogs! Sounds like fun!

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman

2009-07-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

This book took me way too long to finish which is usually an indicator to me that I don't love it. Here is a description from Amazon.com

After fleeing a car accident, a middle-aged woman with no ID is questioned by both the police and hospital administration. Refusing to reveal her identity (and proof of health insurance), she instead hints that she is the younger of two sisters, Heather and Sunny Bethany, who disappeared the day before Easter in 1975. This gets everyone's attention. She knows both too much and not enough about the case, leading Baltimore police on wild goose chases to Pennsylvania and Georgia, saying just enough to stay out of jail and keep them interested, albeit suspicious. The narrative threads unravel into the various accounts of that Saturday's events, the aftermath of the disappearance, the investigation, and Heather's own increasingly desperate attempts to evade further disclosure. This novel is a page-turner. Tantalizing revelations are dropped at chapter ends before veering into another part of the narrative, back and forth in time. Characters are well defined and varied, each with a different perspective on the nature of grief. Ultimately, after all of the half-truths and deceptions are played out, unexpected but moving forgiveness wins out

I would not so much call it a "page turner" but it did hold my interest JUST enough to make me finish it and not put it aside. It only got 2 starts on Amazon and as I read through some of the reviews I came across one that said the ending was predictable and I did not see that at all....maybe I'm just blind though! The actual storyline was what got my attention in the first place and it had a lot of potential but I just did not love it. I want to say that parts of the events that took place over the coarse of 30 years did not seem realistic but then in today's world you really just never know what happens to someone when they disappear like that.

What I did like.....I liked the characters, I liked watching what happened to the parents while they coped with the disappearance of their children and their different ways of coping. I liked the suspense of trying to figure out what happened to Heather and Sunny because it does hold out to the very end for that (probably the only thing that had me finish and I HATE not finishing a book).

Would I recommend it? Eh. I would not say it is the worst book I have ever read but it is not one that I will think much more about or talk about in a "you have to read this" sense. I would probably give it 3/5 stars.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

2009-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks’ newest novel, People of the Book, is the captivating story of an ancient and rare illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in 15th century Spain and rediscovered in war-torn Sarajevo in 1996.

Hanna Heath, an Australian rare book conservator, has been called to Sarajevo to analyze and conserve a mysterious codex. When Hanna discovers some tiny artifacts in the book’s binding, she begins to unravel the mysteries of the book’s tumultuous past. In alternating chapters, Brooks tells the story of the book’s journey through Seville, Tarragona, Venice, Vienna and finally to Sarajevo. Throughout the centuries the book is saved numerous times from the destructive forces of Anti-Semitism. Brooks weaves a tale of courage, strength and faith in each chapter as she tells the story of the book’s treacherous journey through time and the brave people who risked their lives to save it from destruction.

In People of the Book, Brooks has created an intriguing and thought-provoking story. Each chapter is populated with well-developed characters and each time period in history is vividly rendered. In this way, each chapter becomes a story in and of itself. It is a testament to Brooks' skill as a writer that she is able to tell these individual stories - from different periods of history, all populated with different characters - and still be able to give each time period, character and storyline an authentic and varied feel.

People of the Book was inspired by the true story of a Hebrew codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. While working as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Bosnia, Geraldine Brooks learned the remarkable story of survival of this ancient text. I was drawn to this book not only because of my interest in reading and books, but because of my fascination for illuminated texts. The fact that the story is inspired by a real book and real people only served to further pique my interest. I was not disappointed.

I would give People of the Book 5/5 stars (It was amazing).

Image from Google Images

Everyone is Beautiful, by Katherine Center

2009-07-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Description

Lanie Coates’s life is spinning out of control. She’s piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and driven with her husband, Peter, and their three little boys from their cozy Texas home to a multiflight walkup in the Northeast. She’s left behind family, friends, and a comfortable life–all so her husband can realize his dream of becoming a professional musician. But somewhere in the eye of her personal hurricane, it hits Lanie that she once had dreams too. If only she could remember what they were.

These days, Lanie always seems to rank herself dead last–and when another mom accidentally criticizes her appearance, it’s the final straw. Fifteen years, three babies, and more pounds than she’s willing to count since the day she said “I do,” Lanie longs desperately to feel like her old self again. It’s time to rise up, fish her moxie out of the diaper pail, and find the woman she was before motherhood capsized her entire existence.

Lanie sets change in motion–joining a gym, signing up for photography classes, and finding a new best friend. But she also creates waves that come to threaten her whole life. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.

Katherine Center’s Everyone Is Beautiful is a hugely entertaining, poignant, and charming new novel about what happens after happily ever after: how a woman learns to fall in love with her husband–and her entire life–all over again.

My Review

This felt like a book I should really like. The other reviews I've seen on this book, people really like it. Something about it just dragged for me. It wasn't predictable and it's a little more serious than chick lit. It just didn't have that sparkle for me. It was one of those books where as soon as I finished reading it, it dropped out of my mind, ad opposed to leave me wanting more.

Ghostwalk by Rosalyn Landor

2009-07-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

A few words come to mind after reading this book: infinite conflicts, intricate plot, and unresolved issues are just a few.

Ghostwalk might be called a literary/historical/modern mystery with a paranormal touch. Didn’t I tell you it was a bit intricate? At the heart of the novel you find Isaac Newton’s ghost, a psychic, an animal activist, a modern day mad scientist, a dead biographer… and Lydia Brooke, the dead biographer's ghostwriter and the one who brings all these characters together.

I hate spoilers, but I feel that I can’t even attempt to write about this novel, without a few minor ones. So here it goes: at the beginning of the novel Lydia starts telling the reader about how a resent death might be connected to others that happened over 300 years ago. She even contacts a psychic in order to interview the ghosts of possible witnesses.

After this part, the novel moves into a complex plot about animal activism, unbelievable conspiracies, extramarital affairs and even some acts of terrorism. At the end of the novel, I felt kind of cheated. Don’t get me wrong, the novel was okay, but there were way too many loose ends for my taste.

If you like wondering for hours about what you just read, you should definitely buy this book. If like me, you like resolution at the end of your reading experience, then you might want to think a little before adding it to your collection.

Has anyone else read this book? If you have, what was your reaction?

Book Winner

2009-07-17T19:15:00.001-07:00

The winner, just drawn by the lovely first daughter Adrienne is................................................

BONNIE from The Campbell Family blog is the winner of the book!!

Bonnie please email me your address so I can pass it along to the publisher, they will be mailing you Best Friends Forever.........I hope you enjoy it

It's Been Quiet On Here!

2009-07-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

What's everyone reading? Are you enjoying it? Tell us about it!!

I'm reading April and Oliver, our group read. As well as Are You There Vodka, It's me Chelsea. (so stinking funny!) April and Oliver took awhile to get my interest, but now I'm pretty hooked.

Best Friends Forever

2009-07-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

I 've read all of Jennifer Weiner's books, and from the beginning I fell in love with her wit and style and her ability to make me laugh at the realities in our lives that are so funny but true.

From the Publisher:

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school's scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents' house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She's just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It's about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together.

I finished this book last week, and I have to say, this book is so not chick-lit. While the main characters of Addie and Val are woman and have a few crazy, mad-cap adventures, it is so much more. It is the story of their childhood, the good and the bad, the story of a tragedy that drove them apart as friends and what it took to bring them back. At first glance we see Addie as the sad and left behind friend in this book, but we learn so much more. Just because Val is on TV she isn't nearly as together as she appears. Each woman has grown and and had heartbreak, and we learn that the friendship they once had, has helped them to grow, and to come back together. You will laugh, and cry as you read this book.

Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever is on sale in book stores today........rush out and buy it, reserve it at the library or borrow it from a friend, but read it, it will make you want to call your best friend and thank her for being there for you........I know it's how I felt.

I'm giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars........I just loved it!!!

I am so thrilled to be able to add a give-a-way to this review!!! This give-a-way is posted on my personal blog too.
Leave a comment below before Friday July 17th 10:00 PM Eastern time and you can win your own copy of this book. I'll do it the old fashioned way, my kids pull an entry. Please leave an email if your profile doesn't list one. Open to US residents only, the book will be mailed from the publisher. Good Luck!!!

Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein

2009-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

At one time or another most young children question whether they might have been adopted. And who hasn’t wondered what it would be like to be a twin? These issues and their profound effect on identity are superbly dealt with in Elyse Stein's and Paula Bernstein’s fascinating memoir of their adoption story - Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited.

In 1968, Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein were adopted as infants by separate and loving families. Each girl had grown up always knowing that she had been adopted and for most of their lives neither one had much interest in searching for her birth mother. In 2003, when Elyse was 35 years old she decided to contact the adoption agency that had handled her adoption and request non-identifying information regarding her adoption. She was not prepared for the news that she received. The information about her birth mother had been sealed and was not accessible. However she was told that she had an identical twin sister who had also been adopted.

As Elyse (and eventually Paula) began to unravel the mysteries surrounding their adoption, they learned that they were part of a study conducted by two influential psychiatrists who were studying the nature/nurture debate by separating twins given up for adoption. At this point, the two women temporarily abandoned their search for their mother in order to focus their investigation on determining the conclusion of the twin study and to attempt to locate other twins separated by the study.

The story of how Elyse and Paula finally meet and how the fact of their separation has profoundly effected their sense of self, identity and family is told from each woman’s point of view. Their stories are told with great honesty as each woman comes to terms with the existence of her twin. Interspersed with their personal narratives is information regarding studies on twin science, which offers a glimpse into the reasoning behind their separation.

Identical Strangers is an amazing story of how two women are forced to examine their sense of self, identity and family and how they come to terms with the extraordinary circumstances of their adoption, separation and reunion.

I would give Identical Strangers 4/5 stars (I really liked it).

Image from Google Images

Exciting News About Our Group Read!!

2009-07-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

We have awesome news about our July Read, April and Oliver by Tess Callahan.

Drum Roll Please........

Tess Callahan is going to do a guest blog post, just for us!!! How cool is that??? And you know what's even cooler than that?? She is going to do a Q and A with us during our discussions! (After the 30th). So, as you are reading, write down any questions you have! Isn't this exciting? I love being able to discuss books with the authors themselves!!

So, go get April and Oliver and start reading! I started it this weekend, and I am really enjoying it!!!

Mommywood by Tori Spelling

2009-07-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

Let me start this off by saying that I LOVE ~~Donna Martin~~ Tori Spelling. If you have a genuine hatred for her than this book is probably not for you. If you expect some literary genius to come out of the pages, this book is not for you. If you want some super funny "first time mommy" stories with a touch of celebrity to it than this book IS for you!!

I also read her first book sToritelling and loved that too but this one had me laughing out loud! When Tori and Dean first got pregnant she knew she wanted to have the exact opposite relationship than what she had with her own mother. She wanted to be more hand's on, and actually have a family life versus a McMansion type of upbringing like she did.

A lot of her stories revolve around trying to fit into a new neighborhood with was not a "Hollywood" neighborhood and make friends with the neighbors....but most of them are stories about her learning to be a mom the hard way.....kids that poop in the pool, not being able to unfold her ridiculous contraption of a stroller and dealing with meltdowns in public. I have been through so many of the same situations with my kids and hearing her tell her stories made me giggle all the way through it.

Not a whole lot more to say about this book other than it is a funny read, especially if you have kids!

Everyone One She Loved Group Read!!!

2009-07-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

Winners, your copies hit the mail today! Enjoy them! I know that several of you are purchasing or have purchased the book already, so how about a group read? We've got April and Oliver discussion starting July 30th. I'm reading Jennifer Weiner's new book starting August 1st. (if you want to join in.) How about a group read of Everyone She Loved starting August 15th? What's everyone think? We need to set up a calendar or something.... I will get on that!

Current Group Selection :

Discussion Questions will be posted July 30th. Feel free to post thoughts as you read, but please, post a spoiler alert if you are discussing any major plot points!

August 1st - (un-official group read)

I will post some discussion starters around the 10th, but again, feel free to discuss whenever, SPOILER ALERTS must be added to your post!

August 15th - (spotlighted author!)

Discussion Questions will be added on the 30th.

So, who's in?? Wanna play along? And remember, ladies, if you want to schedule your own "read-alongs" you can do it at any time!!

And Our Group Read Is.......

2009-07-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Drumroll please...........
April and Oliver by Tess Callahan!!

Plot Description:
Best friends since childhood, the sexual tension between April and Oliver has always been palpable. Years after being completely inseparable, they become strangers, but the wildly different paths of their lives cross once again with the sudden death of April's brother. Oliver, the responsible, newly engaged law student finds himself drawn more than ever to the reckless, mystifying April - and cracks begin to appear in his carefully constructed life. Even as Oliver attempts to "save" his childhood friend from her grief, her menacing boyfriend and herself, it soon becomes apparent that Oliver has some secrets of his own--secrets he hasn't shared with anyone, even his fiancé. But April knows, and her reappearance in his life derails him. Is it really April's life that is unraveling, or is it his own? The answer awaits at the end of a downward spiral...towards salvation.

I put all the suggestions into the random generator at random.org.. I have no idea how to take a screenshot of the results.

We'll begin discussions on the 30th of the July!! Hope you can join in!!

ps. We also had alot of interest in the new Jennifer Weiner book, I'll be starting it August 1st if anyone wants to join me!!

The Love of Her Life - Harriet Evans

2009-07-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first book I have read from British author Harriet Evans, but it won't be the last! The Love Of Her Life is an amazingly well-written novel, full of betrayal, heartache, and love. I don't know if this book is considered "chick lit" or not, or whether or not that is a bad thing, but I would call it a great beach read!

Kate, the main character, is a woman who has run away from her former life in London. After a heartbreaking ordeal, she flees to New York to hide from her former friends, but most all, her own guilt. However, when her father becomes ill, Kate must return. Kate must face her former friends. She must also face her former loves, and revisit old heartbreaks. I won't tell you the reason for her leaving, because it would ruin the suspense, but let's just say, it wasn't what I was expecting!

There was actually a great deal of mystery in the story. The true reason for Kate's fleeing London, was not revealed until halfway through. There was a lot of switching between modern day and few years prior, that I suppose could be confusing to some. I found it to be easy to follow and very enjoyable. It definitely added to the mystery.

The Love of Her Life was a great read. I've already recommended it to my friends!

Sheila Curran Interview and Our Contest Winners!!

2009-07-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it sure didn't take long for Sheila to answer our questions! Don't ya just love an author who treats her readers with respect and kindness? Sheila sounds like a real class act and I, for one, have added her to my list of new favorite authors!!

For those of you who don't know, Sheila Curran is the author of a fantastic new book, Everyone She Loved.
Amazon. The cover itself had me sold when I first opened it! I do love a great cover!

Here are Sheila's answers to our questions!

1. What are your top summer reads?
I loved BELONG TO ME, THE PRETEND WIFE, DREAMERS OF THE DAY, THE STORY SISTERS, THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE.

2.I read your bio on amazon and it had me laughing. You have a way with words and I cannot wait to read this book. Where and when do you write? Locked in a room late at night? In the kitchen while whipping up those recipes for friends? or, Smack dab in the middle of the family room with all the chaos?
Ah, actually, I need to be alone to write, though my dog is always at my feet. I sit in a comfy armchair, feet on an ottoman, laptop on legs and try to stay there despite repeated interruptions.

3. Where did you find inspiration for this book? Any sort of personal experience in it?
For the full story, readers should go to my website and click on Backstory. But the short version is this: in some states, if a parent hasn’t named a guardian in an official will, their children can be taken into foster care if the parents die. I was talking to a friend about how difficult it is to make the choice of who, among my siblings and friends would be the best replacements for my husband and I. Suddenly, I said, “Oooh. You know what would be worse? What if I died and John fell in love with someone who was just awful?” I thought for a minute more and said, “I know. What if he couldn’t remarry unless my sisters and best friends approved?” I knew, deep down, that whatever happened, as long as my friends and family approved of the new wife, then she’d be good for my kids. So I began to imagine a character like me, except she’s really rich, has had even more reasons in her life to become a bit of a control freak than have I and she is so charming in her ridiculous catastrophizing that her husband and friends finally say, “Enough, already! You’re not going anywhere, but if it makes you feel better, we’ll sign the damn thing.” So begins the premise for my novel, the plot of which is set into action by my character’s codicil. It’s about motherhood, wifehood, childhood, and most of all, the sisterhood of great friends who’ve come of age together.

4.Being an older "new" mom, I often think about what would happen to my babies if I died before they were on their own. Who would rear them, would dad remarry (he's really a loner of sorts), what ifs... Is the idea of your story based on your own what ifs?
Oh, absolutely. I adore my husband and I know he’s a fabulous father, but it’s the idea of a woman whose one of those ‘kiss up, kick down’ kind of people that might sneak by him. I think a posse of my good friends would be sure someone like that didn’t pull the wool over his eyes.

5.Are any of the characters based on yourself and your own best friends?
There’s a part of me in most of the characters and certainly I’ve spent my life around women so I love observing what people do in certain situations but oddly, my characters come to me before the novel begins. And they’re their own people, however odd that sounds!

6.At what age do you remember wanting/hoping to be an author?
When I was little I read like mad, and wrote plays that my friends and I would perform. But something happened to stop me from believing I COULD be a writer. It seemed both too much fun and also too impractical, so I never really thought of it as a real possibility until I was in my late 20’s.

7.What are your words of wisdom for someone who is an aspiring author??
Seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Make yourself sit there and stare at the empty screen and just relax. Something will come to you. And read, read, read.

8. Are there any particular authors you read religiously?
Yes. Mary Doria Russell, Elizabeth George, Kate Atkinson, John Le Carre, Dennis Lehane, Jodi Picoult, Kaye Gibbons, Joshilyn Jackson.

9.What is your writing process? Do you go all at once, in little spurts, have a million ideas going at once or just the one project you are working on?
I try to stick to a routine. Beginning a new novel is always hardest because there’s so much thinking to be done and you’ve not gotten to know your characters yet. Right now all I’m doing is trying to make sure I do my best to let people know this book is out and waiting for them to pick it up.

10. Do you read reviews of your books on Amazon?
Oh, yes, I made that mistake this weekend in fact. Do you find yourself wanting to defend your work? Yes! In one case, a woman who reviews mostly juvenile books and muffin pans called my book too complex and she said the sex scenes between the lovers were overly graphic while the scenes between people not in love were too vague. In another, a woman asks why this rich woman’s family and friends are suddenly low on money, even though I explained what had happened since she’d died to make finances so tight…that sort of thing. But I’ve decided if it awakens a reaction in someone, then maybe that’s good, even if they end up not liking the book. And lastly, though most of the reviews were GLOWING, it’s the critical ones I remember and focus on. I need to start doing Stuart Smiley’s daily affirmations!

11. What tips can you give a mom who has a teenage aspiring author? Schools don't really encourage or reward creative writing and counselors don't encourage "author" as a career. I'd like to support him, but how?
Ah. Well, for starters, there are lots of online writing programs (for example FSU’s creative writing program runs a summer writing regimen through the Southeast Review). Also, it’s true our culture discourages us from doing anything ‘artistic’ whether it’s a rock band, painting or writing. But if writers can approach their work as ‘play’ and try to remember it’s just an exercise to help them become better right now, then practice will eventually make perfect, or close enough.

Thanks again, Sheila, for allowing us to pick your brain!!

And now... for the moment you've been waiting for!! Our two winners of Sheila's fantastic book (chosen by random generator) are...(how the heck do I take a picture of the results of random.com??)

Ashley and Trisha!!!!

Email me as soon as possible girls! The books are being overnighted to me, and then I will send them on to you!!!! Kelthebookworm@gmail.com

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

2009-07-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

When my book club read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert a couple of months ago, it was unanimous that we all really liked this book - a lot! That doesn't happen often. Most of the time, the books we read get mixed reviews. But not Moloka'i. The thing that surprises me most about this book is that none of us had even heard of it before we chose it for book club. I have a feeling the popularity of this book may grow in time. I think maybe we were just ahead of the pack. Oh yeah, that's me...living on the cutting edge.

Moloka'i tells the story of Rachel Kalama, a seven year old girl living in Honolulu in the early 1890's who is diagnosed with leprosy. She is taken away from her family and sent to live, in isolation, with other lepers on the island of Moloka'i. Once there, Rachel and the other residents are well treated and well-cared for. They are able to create full and happy lives for themselves, complete with excursions to the beach, dances, movie nights and a deep sense of family and home. Rachel even finds love and marries. Eventually, a cure for leprosy is found and the residents are given the option to leave Moloka'i and return to their former homes. For many this is a difficult decision to make, but Rachel decides to return to Honolulu to find the family that was stolen from her so long ago.

In spite of the depressing topic and the heartbreaking nature of Rachel's story, Moloka'i is filled with joy, love and courage. And the strength of the human spirit. Moloka'i is well worth reading.

I would give it 4 STARS. I really liked it!

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

2009-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Book Summary from Amazon:

From the author of the smash hits Something Borrowed and Something Blue comes a novel that explores the question: is there ever a deal-breaker when it comes to true love? First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes . . . a baby carriage? Isn’t that what all women want? Not so for Claudia Parr. And just as she gives up on finding a man who feels the same way, she meets warm, wonderful Ben. Things seem too good to be true when they fall in love and agree to buck tradition with a satisfying, child-free marriage. Then the unexpected occurs: one of them has a change of heart. One of them wants children after all.

This is the witty, heartfelt story about what happens to the perfect couple when they suddenly want different things. It’s about feeling that your life is set and then realizing that nothing is as you thought it was--and that there is no possible compromise. It’s about deciding what is most important in life, and taking chances to get it. But most of all, it’s about the things we will do--and won’t do--for love.

My Review:

My Husband, knowing how much I like a good, light read as much as the next person, bought me this book for Mother's day. I thought it look interesting, unfortunately I had a couple of books I wanted to finish first. When I finally got around to reading this book, I was pleasantly surprised. It was entertaining, witty, and interesting. I felt (most of) the book's numerous characters were well rounded. There weren't any "perfect people" and you got to see different shades of each character. The main character Claudia, would do some things that drove me crazy, but then would rationalize her behavior and I would find myself sympathizing with her. The plot was pretty predictable and things were neatly wrapped up at the end, but it was enjoyable following the characters to their inevitable conclusion. It was a quick, fun read (with some serious moments scattered within) that I finished in two days.

I would say as novel I would give it 3.5 stars,
but as a beach read I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

2009-06-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

First, I must thank Debbie of Suburb Sanity for recommending The Gargoyle to me. This is undoubtedly the most unique and fascinating book I've read in a long time. I just LOVED it! In many ways I felt as though the author had written this book with me in mind. It seemed that every page revealed some other little element that just so happens to be something that interests, fascinates or intrigues me - books, libraries, librarians, Illuminated texts, the middle ages, gargoyles, Galileo, time travel and even my phobia of snakes shows up as a metaphor for the narrator's pain. *cue Twilight Zone music.*

The Gargoyle tells the story of the nameless narrator, a cynical and self-absorbed pornographer and drug addict, who is severely burned in a car crash. Soon his friends and associates stop visiting him and he loses his business. However, during his long recovery in the burn unit, he is visited by an alluring, though obviously unstable, sculptress who claims that they were lovers in a past life. Marianne Engel continues to visit the narrator during his hospital stay and regales him with stories of their past life and other ancient legends of undying love. Eventually the narrator is released to Marianne's care and he finds himself, for the first time in his life, growing to care about someone other than himself. In time, Marianne's instability becomes more pronounced and the narrator find himself becoming her caregiver. But during her lucid moments, Marianne continues to weave her story of past life and love. A story that the narrator finds interesting, but that he does not believe to be true. And all the while he is desperately trying to save Marianne from her increasingly severe madness.

Andrew Davidson is a master storyteller. He skillfully teases the reader with the slow unfolding of Marianne's story of past life and love. I found myself, much like the narrator, anxious to hear the next "chapter" in her story. In addition, the other legends of undying love, which are woven into the narrative, are then cleverly tied into the present with incredible deftness. Awesome. Being that the book was so brilliant, unique and fascinating, I was expecting some equally clever ending. While it wasn't as jaw droppingly unique as I was expecting, it was still very good. And it does leave the reader wondering and questioning. It's one of those books where you immediately want to ask someone else who has read the book - "what do you think THAT was all about?" I LOVE when that happens in a book. And it doesn't happen all that often. So, if you've read this already or are planning on reading it, I'd love to hear what you think.

I would give The Gargoyle 4 stars (I really liked it).

Image from Google Images

Author Interview and Book Giveaway!!

2009-06-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Kel, here. A few weeks ago I was sent a copy of Sheila Curran's book, Everyone She Loved.(Don't you just love the cover?) And let me tell you, girls, It's amazing!! Here is a quick synopsis, courtesy of amazon.com.

A wise and triumphant novel about four women who've come of age together only to discover that -- when it comes to the essentials -- life's little instruction book will always need revising.

Penelope Cameron, loving mother, devoted wife and generous philanthropist, has convinced her husband and four closest friends to sign an outlandish pact. If Penelope should die before her two daughters are eighteen, her husband will not remarry without the permission of Penelope's sister and three college roommates. For years, this contract gathers dust until the unthinkable happens. Suddenly, everyone she loved must find their way in a world without Penelope.

For Lucy Vargas, Penelope's best friend, and a second mother to her daughters, nothing seems more natural than to welcome them into a home that had once belonged to their family, a lovely, sprawling bed-and-breakfast on the beach. This bequest was only one of the many ways in which Penelope had supported Lucy's career as a painter, declaring her talent too important to squander. But now, in the wake of a disaster that only lovable, worrisome Penelope could have predicted, Lucy has put her work on hold as she and Penelope's husband, Joey, blindly grasp at anything that will keep the girls from sinking under the weight of their grief.

With the help of family and friends, the children slowly build new lives. But just when things start to come together, the fragile serenity they have gained is suddenly threatened from within, and the unbreakable bonds they share seem likely to dissolve after all.

In this entertaining and uplifting novel, Sheila Curran explores the faith one woman placed in her dearest friends, the care she took to protect her family and the many ways in which romantic entanglements will confound and confuse even the most determined of planners. A story about growing up and moving on, about the sacrifices people make for one another and the timeless legacy of love, Everyone She Loved is, above all, about the abiding strength of friendship.

This book is the PERFECT summer read! I cannot recommend it enough!

And guess what? We're going to have an interview of the author, Sheila Curran, right here on Girls With Books! And she is going to give away two (yes, two!) copies of her book to our lucky readers!!

So, how do you win? Well, it's easy. Post a comment, with a question for Sheila. You must include a question, or your entry will not count. You can ask about this particular book, her writing life...etc. I will collect the questions and compile a questionaire. Contest ends this Wednesday at noon. Winners will be chosen via a random generator. Winners will be posted along with the completed author interview.

So, what are you waiting for? Enter now for a chance to win this beautiful book!
And if you can't wait, here's a link to purchase her book at amazon.com

Three Fates by Nora Roberts

2009-06-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

This book was a pleasant surprise. I went to the library during my lunch break and picked up the first thing I saw. And am I glad!

In Three Fates, Nora Roberts tells the story of three couples and, um… their fates. I’ve never been a fan of Nora’s titles, which pretty much tell you the story before you have a chance to read it, but this one is so good that I’m willing to forgive such minor detail. The destiny of these couples crosses after an ancestor steals a tiny statue of one of the three Fates of Greek Mythology.

The couples have to face a horrible individual in order to recover the fates, which had become part of their families’ legacy. As it is typical, in Nora’s books, the couples fall in love and experience a series of existential episodes. One of the most exciting aspects of the books is that the three female characters are absolutely different. This gives way for really good dialogue and interaction.

Three Fates will take you from America to Europe and back, in a continental trip governed by fate—lame sentence, I know, but very appropriate.

Summer Reading Suggestions...

2009-06-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would pass along a few reading suggestions that are just perfect for summer reading!!

With the compassion of Jodi Picoult and the medical realism of Atul Gawande, Oxygen is a riveting new novel by a real-life anesthesiologist, an intimate story of relationships and family that collides with a high-stakes medical drama.

Dr. Marie Heaton is an anesthesiologist at the height of her profession. She has worked, lived and breathed her career since medical school, and she now practices at a top Seattle hospital. Marie has carefully constructed and constricted her life according to empirical truths, to the science and art of medicine. But when her tried-and-true formula suddenly deserts her during a routine surgery, she must explain the nightmarish operating room disaster and face the resulting malpractice suit. Marie's best friend, colleague and former lover, Dr. Joe Hillary, becomes her closest confidante as she twists through depositions, accusations and a remorseful preoccupation with the mother of the patient in question. As she struggles to salvage her career and reputation, Marie must face hard truths about the path she's chosen, the bridges she's burned and the colleagues and superiors she's mistaken for friends.

A quieter crisis is simultaneously unfolding within Marie's family. Her aging father is losing his sight and approaching an awkward dependency on Marie and her sister, Lori. But Lori has taken a more traditional path than Marie and is busy raising a family. Although Marie has been estranged from her Texas roots for decades, the ultimate responsibility for their father's care is falling on her.

As her carefully structured life begins to collapse, Marie confronts questions of love and betrayal, family bonds and the price of her own choices. Set against the natural splendor of Seattle, and inside the closed vaults of hospital operating rooms, Oxygen climaxes in a final twist that is as heartrending as it is redeeming.

A poignant memoir of tragedy, forgiveness, and transcendence told with unflinching honesty and gentle humor

Helene Cooper is "Congo," a descendant of two Liberian dynasties -- traced back to the first ship of freemen that set sail from New York in 1820 to found Monrovia. Helene grew up at Sugar Beach, a twenty-two room mansion by the sea in a childhood filled with servants, flashy cars, a villa in Spain, and a farmhouse up country. It was also an African childhood, filled with knock foot games and hot pepper soup, heartmen and neegee. When Helene was eight, the Coopers took in a foster child, a Bassa girl named Eunice.

For years the Cooper daughters -- Helene, her sister Marlene, and Eunice -- blissfully enjoyed the trappings of wealth and advantage. But on April 12, 1980 a group of soldiers staged a coup d'etat, assassinating Liberian President William Tolbert and executing his cabinet. The Coopers and the entire Congo class were now the hunted, being imprisoned, shot, tortured, and raped. Helene, Marlene, and their mother fled Sugar Beach for America. They left Eunice behind.

A world away, Helene tried to assimilate as an American and discovered her passion in journalism, eventually becoming a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. She reported from every part of the globe -- except Africa -- as Liberia descended into war-torn, third-world hell. In 2003, a near-death experience in Iraq convinced Helene that Liberia -- and Eunice -- could wait no longer. At once a deeply personal memoir and an examination of a violent and stratified country to which her own family is inextricably linked, The House At Sugar Beach is the story of Helene Cooper's long voyage home.

Dr. Marie Heaton is an anesthesiologist at the height of her profession. She has worked, lived and breathed her career since medical school, and she now practices at a top Seattle hospital. Marie has carefully constructed and constricted her life according to empirical truths, to the science and art of medicine. But when her tried-and-true formula suddenly deserts her during a routine surgery, she must explain the nightmarish operating room disaster and face the resulting malpractice suit. Marie's best friend, colleague and former lover, Dr. Joe Hillary, becomes her closest confidante as she twists through depositions, accusations and a remorseful preoccupation with the mother of the patient in question. As she struggles to salvage her career and reputation, Marie must face hard truths about the path she's chosen, the bridges she's burned and the colleagues and superiors she's mistaken for friends.

A quieter crisis is simultaneously unfolding within Marie's family. Her aging father is losing his sight and approaching an awkward dependency on Marie and her sister, Lori. But Lori has taken a more traditional path than Marie and is busy raising a family. Although Marie has been estranged from her Texas roots for decades, the ultimate responsibility for their father's care is falling on her.

As her carefully structured life begins to collapse, Marie confronts questions of love and betrayal, family bonds and the price of her own choices. Set against the natural splendor of Seattle, and inside the closed vaults of hospital operating rooms, Oxygen climaxes in a final twist that is as heartrending as it is redeeming.

Description

Promise of the Wolves begins 14,000 years ago in what is now southern Europe, and follows the adventures of Kaala, a spirited young she-wolf who is destined to bring wolf and human clans together. Born of a forbidden mixed-blood litter and narrowly escaping the fate of her executed brother and sisters, the orphaned Kaala is allowed to join the Swift River wolf pack where she must fight to prove herself and survive against the odds. But when Kaala rescues a human child from drowning, she risks expulsion from her pack and banishment from her home in the Wide Valley. Unwittingly, she has set in train a series of events which threatens the very survival of her species.

Description

From the acclaimed author of The Rossetti Letter comes a dazzling novel of intrigue, passion, and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge.

London, 1672. The past twelve years have brought momentous changes: the restoration of the monarchy, a devastating plague and fire. Yet the city remains a teeming, thriving metropolis, energized by the lusty decadence of Charles II's court and burgeoning scientific inquiry. Although women enjoy greater freedom, they are not allowed to practice medicine, a restriction that physician Hannah Devlin evades by treating patients that most other doctors shun: the city's poor.

But Hannah has a special knowledge that Secretary of State Lord Arlington desperately needs. At the king's Machiavellian court, Hannah attracts the attention of two men, charming courtier Ralph Montagu and anatomist Dr. Edward Strathern, as well as the attention of the powerful College of Physicians, which views her work as criminal. When two influential courtiers are found brutally murdered, their bodies inscribed with arcane symbols, Hannah is drawn into a dangerous investigation by Dr. Strathern, who believes the murders conceal a far-reaching conspiracy that may include Hannah's late father and the king himself.

Cambridge, 2008. Teaching history at Trinity College is Claire Donovan's dream come true -- until one of her colleagues is found dead on the banks of the River Cam. The only key to the professor's unsolved murder is a seventeenthcentury diary kept by his last research subject, Hannah Devlin, physician to the king's mistress. With help from the eclectic collections of Cambridge's renowned libraries, Claire and historian Andrew Kent follow the clues Devlin left behind, uncovering secrets of London's dark past and Cambridge's equally murky present, and discovering that events of three hundred years ago may still have consequences today....

A suspenseful and richly satisfying tale brimming with sharply observed historical detail, The Devlin Diary brings past and present to vivid life. With wit and grace, Christi Phillips holds readers spellbound with an extraordinary novel of secrets, obsession, and the haunting power of the past.

Description

The year is 1978. Ares Ramirez, age 12, lives with his mother, Laurel, and his younger brother Malcolm in a trailer at the edge of the Salton Sea, an unintentionally man-made body of water in the middle of the Southern California desert. It is a desolate, forgotten place, whose inhabitants thrive amidst seemingly impossible circumstances.

Where birds fly by day across the desert sky, by night government fighter planes and helicopters make training runs using live ammunition, and an anonymous dead body floats in from the sea. These events inspire Ares, on the cusp of his adolescence, to enact elaborate fantasies of mortal combat. His membership in a troubled family marks Ares as a casualty of a different kind of war. Malcolm, age 7, is mentally handicapped, and his mother chooses not to do anything about it.

Ares' struggle with the burden of responsibility -- to himself and to others -- draws him into a world of drugs, violence, and sex that he is not prepared for, launching him into a very personal battle for his own identity, one that has a lethal outcome.

Graceling...

2009-06-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Has anyone read this book?

From the Publisher

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

A friend recommended this to me... and oh, I am loving it!! It's a YA book, but don't let that stop you! I'm hooked!!! I may have just found a replacement for Edward in my heart!

Group Read!

2009-06-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

All right, girls. Let's try this again. When we first started the blog, we attempted a monthly read, but it never quite caught on. Let's try one more time. If you would like to participate, nominate one book in the comments section. We will let the random generator pick our selection. Does that sound fair?

Also, I wanted to point out to any of the contributers, if you are about to start a book, feel free to post something about it. Ask if anyone would like to read along with you! You can hold your own discussions posts amongst yourselves! Just be sure to post "spoiler alert" for those of us who haven't read it yet.

All right.... so what are your nominations? let's get this rolling!! Summer is a perfect time to do a group read!

The Summer Of Us, Holly Chamberlin

2009-06-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Publishers Description:

Holly Chamberlin, bestselling author of Living Single, returns with a sexy, sassy new novel of three women on the brink of turning thirty -- and on the verge of finding themselves. A house share in Martha's Vineyard sets the stage for a summer of cold margaritas, hot guys, and hilarious adventures. The kind of summer that can break hearts -- and make lifelong friendships . . .The Summer of Us.

Gincy Gannon isn't exactly an easy fit with the upper crust Vineyard scene. Raised poor and precocious in Nowheresville, New Hampshire, she escaped to Boston after high school. Now a career at PBS fills her days, while her freewheeling sex life keeps her otherwise stimulated. Commitment is definitely not her thing. So why, when Gincy's supposed to be reeling in lifeguards, is she getting hooked on a single dad?

Life is good for Danielle Leers. She's got a close-knit family, a killer wardrobe, and a job that keeps her in manicures and massages. As far as Danielle's concerned, pampering is a right, not a privilege. Besides, now that she's set her sights on settling down, her good grooming will attract great husband material. Which should mean a well-heeled Jewish professional. Not a townie who fishes for a living . . .

Blueblood Clare Wellman doesn't worry about keeping up appearances -- her boyfriend, Winchester Carrington, III, is in charge of that. Actually, he's in charge of pretty much everything . . . and never lets Clare forget it. Some time on her own is just what Clare needs to get to know herself again. Then Win proposes. An engagement ring shouldn't feel like an albatross -- and this summer may be Clare's last chance to see what could be -- before what is ties her down for good . . .

Three city-smart girlfriends are about to take the plunge into love, lust, and letting it all hang out, Vineyard-style. It will be a summer of change -- but long after the tan lines have faded, they'll still have each other.

My Review:

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I half expected it to be one of those schlocky, predictable chick lit books, but this was better than that. While it's somewhat predictable, there are enough twists to keep it interesting & the characters are well developed & evolve in a great way.

This would make a great beach read!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

2009-06-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

The June book selection for my personal book club, Chapter Chat, was Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Genova has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard and she is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association. So it is not surprising that her first novel would be a book dealing with a woman suffering from early onset Alzheimer's disease. Write what you know, right? Apparently, Genova had a very difficult time finding a publisher for her novel and decided to self-publish it. That turned out to be a brilliant decision. She was eventually picked up by Simon and Schuster and her book is getting respectable reviews. Rightfully so.

Still Alice tells the absolutely heartbreaking story of Alice Howland, a 50 year old Harvard professor of linguistics and psychology, who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Genova takes the risky and novel approach of telling the story from Alice's point of view - another brilliant decision on her part. The story is all the more poignant and devastating seen through Alice's eyes as she first comes to terms with her diagnosis and then has to deal with her declining cognitive abilities. The reader is able to identify and empathize with Alice as her disease progresses. We feel her frustration, fear and loneliness as her life is stripped away from her layer by layer. At one point she confides in her husband, John, that she misses herself. I can't even imagine the devastation. In the words of the author, "[Still Alice is] about identity and living a life that matters and about what a crisis does to relationships."

I loved the character of Alice. She was capable and strong and tried her very best to take control of her situation as best she could. She did everything she could to try to slow the progress of this disease. She devised clever ways of making life easier for herself. She even started a support group for other people with early onset Alzheimer's Disease. I identified with Alice in all these ways. I can picture myself doing exactly the same thing if I were in this (or a similar) situation. Alice is a real take charge kind of person. She isn't someone who wallows in self-pity or asks Why Me? I am the same way.

I do think there are some "problems" with this book, however. If you know someone suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (which is the case for one of our book club members), you may find the depiction of Alice's symptoms to be somewhat sugar-coated. Missing from Genova's books is the anger and lashing out that many Alzheimer's suffers experience. Also, Alice's diagnosis is made quickly and without the years of misdiagnosis which is typical in the case of Alzheimer's Disease. And perhaps most problematic, is the way in which Alice is so accepting of her diagnosis. She is never in denial. Even though she has plenty of opportunity to dismiss her symptoms as simple signs of fatigue, stress or possibly depression. According to those who are more familar with Alzheimer's Disease, this does not ring true. Perhaps Genova left some of this out for the purposes of keeping the book to a manageable length. For the average reader, I don't think that these issues will detract from the enjoyment of this book. For someone with Alzheimer's Disease or someone who knows someone with Alzheimer's Disease, this book may not ring true.

I would give Still Alice 3 STARS (I liked it).

Image from Google Images

The Winner of the Pay it Forward Giveaway is.....

2009-06-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Jen and Rob said...: Great giveaway! Count me in!

Congratulations!!!!

Email me your mailing info at:
theunorganizedmom(at)yahoo(dot)com

I'll get these books right out to you!!

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2009-06-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sarah's Key is the first book by Tatiana de Rosnay to be translated into English and I hope it is not her last. Here is the description

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life. Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

This book is really 2 stories woven together....it switches every other chapter from Sarah to Julia until it blends into one story towards the end. Every now and then you come across a book that not only is a good read but really gets under your skin, makes you think and want to know more about the situation that it is about. Yes, it is a fictional book but it is based on real events. This book is fantastic, it is beautiful and it is heartbreaking. I tried to imagine what it was like being 10 year old Sarah and living through the events of the Holocaust and the pain endured by her and other children like her...you just can't do it.

The way that the present setting story shows you how little people are willing to talk about the mistakes made during the Holocaust made me so angry because I know that there really are people out there like that. It is such a black mark on history that people try and pretend it did not happen or by not talking about it they can pretend it did not happen. Julia's character did a great job of bringing the story back to life and trying not to let people forget about all of the people who were killed.

The way the 2 stories intertwine and finally become one story was so well written. It did seem like you were almost reading 2 different books but it was brought together so nicely. This is not a book you want to pick up if you love a happy ending all tied together with a bow but I highly recommend it and give it 5/5 stars!

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

2009-06-21T11:21:00.001-07:00

I have always been fascinated with Polygamy. Now, put your pitchforks down. I'm not saying I condone Polygamy or approve of it in any way. I am not saying it should be practiced or accepted or even exist, for that matter. I am just saying that I find it..well, fascinating. I am always in search of books on the subject, devouring them when I do. Though, I had never read a book that truly portrayed the Polygamist lifestyle from a young teen girl's point of view. Until I found The Chose One.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams may be found in the YA (young adult) section of your average bookstore, surrounded by Gossip Girl novels and Twilight copycats, but this is not your typical teen literature. Because the main character, Kyra, is nothing like your typical thirteen year old.

Kyra was born into Polygamy. She has never even thought twice about the fact that her father has three wives. She enjoys her twenty brothers and sisters and is ready to welcome even more. Kyra even accepts the fact that she will one day be a plural wife herself. But when her time arrives, she is shocked with what she has to face.

The Prophet, who is closest to God in their sect, has a vision. Kyra is to marry a 60 year old elder of the church. Not only is he over 45 years her senior, he is also her uncle. Kyra resists, but there is no escaping her fate. She will marry this man, or leave the sect (and her family) forever. But even escaping is not easy, and Kyra will risk death trying to do so. Women before her have tried and were murdered in their attempts.

The Chosen One is, without a doubt, the best book I have read this year. I was completely enthralled, staying up until 3am to finish it. Although I could not directly identify with Kyra's struggles, I could root for her happiness. Whether or not she actually finds it is another subject entirely.

Don't expect a perfect ending. There are a lot of questions left unanswered at the end of this book. But you will find yourself completely immersed into a world that few people even acknowledge exists. This book really makes me wish they're right.