Showing posts with label General Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Fiction. Show all posts
Thursday, March 16, 2017
The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth
Part Of The Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
It is 1906, and few in the teeming metropolis of New York City have heard of, let alone seen, the hugely wealthy man who controls so many of their lives. Few, too, would have heard of the extraordinary events that took place at the Paris Opera house more than twenty years before-a story as dramatic as any of the operas themselves: a tale of Love and murder and passion, the heartbreaking legend of the Phantom of the Opera.
I'll admit to having loved this book at one point in the time. Designed to be a sequel to Andrew Loyd Webber's musical, The Phantom of the Opera, it tells a rather convoluted tale of greed, family secrets, and unrequited loved. It captured my imagination from the beginning, but it's been at least 12 years since I'd read it. When I picked it back up the other day, while I wasn't as enchanted as before, it still managed to pull me in with it's operatic version of soap opera goodness.
The Phantom, now known as Erik Muheheim, escaped Paris with the help of Madame Giry, and has managed to raise from rags to riches in New York City. He has built a business empire to be envied, but never lost his love and fascination with Opera. His denial of a box seat at The Metropolitan Opera house, forces him to build a grander rival, and that sets the stage for the rest of the book. Christine is hired to sing, and when she shows up with her young son, the secrets come out in the open, and nobody will live the life they planned on from that point on.
The Phantom of Manhattan mixes old and new characters, seamlessly weaving them with secrets, love affairs, and enough tragedy to create a tale Susan Lucci could have sunk her teeth into.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
The Broken Hours by Jacqueline Baker
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
In the cold spring of 1936, Arthor Crandle, down on his luck and desperate for work, accepts a position in Providence, Rhode Island, as a live-in secretary/assistant for an unnamed shut-it.
He arrives at the gloomy colonial-style house to discover that his strange employer is an author of disturbing, bizarre fiction. Health issues have confined him to his bedroom, where he is never to be disturbed. But the writer, who Crandle knows only as "Ech-Pi," refuses to meet him, communicating only by letters left on a table outside his room. Soon the home reveals other unnerving peculiarities. There is an ominous presence Crandle feels on the main stairwell. Light shines out underneath the door of the writer's room but is invisible from the street. It becomes increasingly clear there is something not fight about the house or its occupant.
Haunting visions of a young girl in a white nightgown wandering the walled-in garden behind the house motivate Crandle to investigate the circumstance of his employer's dark family history. Meanwhile the unsettling aura of the house pulls him into a world increasingly cut off from reality, into black depths, where an unspeakable secret lies waiting.
I haven't read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft's writing, nor do I really know much about his personal life, so when I stumbled upon this book in the store, and was captivated by the cover, I knew I had to give it a shot. Once I got it home, it stayed on my bedside table for a few days, but once I picked it up, I was lost in a world of Gothic madness and fear.
If you have seen the movies Thr3e or Dream House, you will quickly catch on to what's going on, and you will definitely get a good understanding for the title of this book. If you haven't seen those movies, I'm not going to spoil the book, or the movies for that matter, by explaining what they all have in common. Just know this, even though I was able to figure out the twist of this book about half way through, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of it, nor did it keep me from buying into the story of Arthor Crandle and his employer. The clues are there for you to pick up on. As long as you are paying attention to the side characters, and how they interact with Arthor as he encounters them, you won't stray too far into the woods.
This is one of those books where the atmosphere is everything. This is a book that you feel enveloped in from the moment you first crack it open. It's heavy and oppressive. You feel like you are drowning underneath a layer of unease and tension. From the moment Arthor appears on the page, you know he is not going to have a an easy time of it, and that he is hiding from his life The tension and unease all stem from him, like a miasmatic fog wafting over a fetid swamp, you know he is the source of it all.
Of course, like any good Gothic story, the house plays a big role in the tone of the book. It's falling apart, full of memories and ghosts, and presents the perfect backdrop for Arthor and his secrets. It's a confusing labyrinth of secretes and misdirection, all built around the goal of playing games with Arthor's, and the reader's, mind. It's hard to put a finger on what's real, and what's not. But, as long as you follow the trail of bread crumbs the author leaves behind, I'm sure you will be able to figure it out for yourself. If you can't, I'm sure Arthor will help you feel at home.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
The Children's Home by Charles Lambert
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
In a sprawling estate, willfully secluded, lives Morgan Fletcher, the disfigured heir to a fortune of mysterious origins. Morgan spends his days in quiet study, avoiding his reflection in mirrors and the lake at the end of his gardens. One day, two children, Moira and David, appear. Morgan takes them in, giving them free reign of the mansion he shares with this housekeeper, Engel. Then more children begin to show up.
Dr. Crane, the town physician and Morgan's lone tether to the outside world, is as taken with the children as Morgan is, and beings to spend more time in Morgan's library. But the children behave strangely. They show a prescient understand of Morgan's past, and their bizarre discoveries int he mansion's attics grow increasingly disturbing. Every day the children disappear into the hidden rooms of the estate, and perhaps, into the hidden corners of Morgan's mind.
Every once in a while I come across a book that is almost impossible to review, not because it's horribly written or boring to read, but because it defies description. The Children's Home is one of those books that no genre label is really going to fit. There are elements of horror, fairy tale, fantasy, and science fiction. Throw in generous helpings of the Gothic and psychological, and you may be able to grasp the sort of book this is. I'm going to assume, if you were to look for this in your neighborhood bookstore, it would be shelved under the generic Fiction label. At least that's where I hope you find it after you read this review, and take a car trip to get your own copy.
My reaction to this one, is as close to my reaction to Gillespie and I by Jane Harris, as I've had since then. I'm gong to simply tell you guys to read this book, pray that you do, and give a big "I told you so", once you do it. But if I'm expecting you guys to just do what I say, maybe I should try to get across why I loved this one as much as I did.
In Morgan, we are given a narrator who is both deeply flawed, and extremely likable. Morgan is one of those characters that I could easily see myself spending time with, holed up in his mansion, floating from conversation to conversation. He has a painful family past, and no true familial relationships to ground him. He is a passive participant in life, though I'm not always sure of that, as glimpses of a "real" Morgan do appear from time to time. At first, he lives alone, except for some nameless staff, on this massive estate, closed off from the outside world. In a very Shirley Jackson style way, we are given to know that maybe this is for the best, and that outside those walls, society is falling apart and isn't a place anyone in their right mind would want to be. His household grows with the inclusion of his housekeeper Engel, who is definitely not all she is purporting to be. And then the children start to arrive. And that's when the Shirley Jackson aspects of this book, really start to kick in.
As the reader, you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that something is definitely off about the whole thing. The children range in age from newborn to early teens, and they just show up. Some appear on the doorstep, others emerge from the lake, and some just appear out of thin air. You are really never sure, including after the bizarre ending, who these kids are, or where they are coming from. Are they the ghosts of kids sacrificed for the family fortune? Are they time travelers from the past and future, trying to prevent an even more heinous outcome? Are they from another reality all together, trying to save some aspects of this one? Regardless of who they are, or where they come from, the bigger question is why are they there. After the ending at the factory, it's safe to say we know the answer to that, but I'm not totally convinced. There is an almost dreamlike quality to the scene, I'm not sure if Morgan, Dr. Crane, or I as a reader, can truly trust everything that happened.
With any good Gothic story, there needs to be an element of romance, and we have that with Morgan and Dr. Crane. The author does a terrific job of navigating their relationship; keeping it on the purely platonic level, but allowing a reader to infer what is really going on between them. As with the rest of this book, their relationship is open to interpretation. I can almost bet, 50 of my friends could read this one, and not pick up anything of a romantic nature between the two characters, but it's all I noticed when they were together. Maybe it's because, after all he's been through, and after the children leave, I want Morgan to have a solid future. It doesn't have to be a blissfully happy life, but I need for him to be on solid ground, sure of his place and of those in his life.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Are Male Protagonists a Dying Breed?
Now I'm not saying I've done a scientific study or anything, but going through all the blogs on my blog roll, over 70% of the currently reviewed books (the books on the first page of their blog) featured female protagonists, and the majority of the male protagonists were regulated to the espionage or action genres, or they were in older books. A quick glance at the New York Times Best Seller List shows the majority of them feature female heroes, and the same goes for a lot of the other best seller lists I took a look at. And a quick glance through the books that have been made into movies the last few years, it seems as if the majority of them, especially the YA movies, are again featuring female protagonists.
Before you guys start yelling at me, and screaming words like sexist and misogynistic, I'm not trying to say there is anything wrong with this trend, assuming this isn't all in the my head. Nor am I really trying to engage in an educated sociological discussion on the merits of this phenomenon. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure I have a serious point to make, or a profound observation to share.
By this point in time you are probably wondering, even if this is really what's going on, what is your point of all this? I'm so glad you asked. Other than the fact that I've not bought books I've liked the sound of, but didn't care for the sound of the protagonist, I'm afraid that it pigeonholes boys into reading certain types of books, or keeping them from reading all together. I totally understand the reason for strong female protagonists, as it gives girls and women someone to emulate or relate to. But don't boys, teens, and adult men need the same thing. Is there a reason why men should be forced to read two or three genres in order to find male heroes they can relate to? I could be over thinking it, and working myself into a tizzy for no reason, but I'm not so sure I'm wrong here. If this trend is stopping me, someone who already loves to read and has always been pretty open in what I do read, from reading entire genres or avoid certain plots lines, how would I not assume it's doing it to those who don't read that much or haven't found a love for reading yet.
So am I out on a limb here? Is this something that really doesn't exist, and that it's pure coincidence in the books I'm noticing in the stores and on blogs? And if it is real, what's causing it. Do women make up the majority of the American reading public? Are most of the new authors being published now women? And, assuming this is a real phenomenon, is it the problem I seem to think it is, or is it benign and not worthy of notice? I'm not sure about any of the questions I just asked, but I'm curious to see what you guys have to say about it.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Favorite Fictional Character --- Ian Hunt
For whatever reason, and I'm sure it has something to do with the reading audience, most of the books I've seen that deal with a parent rescuing a child, it's the mother who's the star. Either the father is the villain, worthless, or dead. It's the fearless, heroic mother who is charged with pulling up the proverbial boot straps, and doing whatever it takes to protect their child. I'm going to be honest with you guys, as someone who was a single father for over ten years, I found the this phenomenon to be rather odd, and in a strange way, just a tad bit sexist.
Needless to say, when I found the books that featured a father doing everything they could to protect their child, it was something I could connect with and understand. The first father who comes to mind for a lot of people is the unnamed father in The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and I'm sure he will feature in a future Favorite Fictional Character post. Today's post is about a father, Ian Hunt, who did everything he had to, including some intense violence, to rescue his daughter form the man who kidnapped her seven years ago. He is the tortured protagonist in Ryan David Jahn's The Dispatcher.
When Ian is first introduced to us, he is an emotionally crippled man, barely functioning in his day to day world. His daughter was kidnapped seven years ago, and his life has fallen apart since then,. His wife left him for another police officer, he is estranged from his son, who he partially blames for the kidnapping, and he hates himself for it. When he receives a 911 call from his daughter, he is thrust into a violent confrontation to save his daughter.
He is forced to cross boundaries he never thought he would, including the torture and murder of a man who knows more than he is willing to say. He is thrust from one violent situation to another, bent on securing his daughter's safety, and nothing is going to stop him.
What I love about Ian, other than his overriding paternal instinct, is the hope he has for himself and his daughter. He is not only undertaking a journey to bring her back home, but it's a journey of self redemption. He not only unjustly blamed his son for the abduction, but he placed a lot of the blame on himself. He truly believed he was deserving of the way his life fell apart over the last seven years. This is his one change to not only protect her, but to prove his worthiness as a man and a father. He is one of those characters that is in so much emotional and mental pain, that almost nothing is off limits.
Truthfully, Ian is a hero to me. Despite anything that he is forced into doing in this book, I can't see myself doing it any differently. As a father I would have done anything to protect my son, and once he was safe, I would have worried about the consequences. I just hope I would have the same mental fortitude to get the job done.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Favorite Fictional Character --- Harriet Baxter
Today's Favorite Fictional Character post has me in a bit of a quandary. The character I'm wanting to share with you guys is from one of my favorite books of 2012, or all time for that matter. I still remember finishing Gillespie & I by Jane Harris, and feeling this overwhelming need to tell every single living soul about it. It is an amazing book, with an even cooler "protagonist", and I really can't fathom why any of wouldn't have read it by now.
By know you are probably trying to figure out what the hell my problem is, so I'll tell you. When I wrote the review back in 2012, a lot of it was what I thought of Harriet Baxter, the main character of the book. She is what made this book so great, so it was impossible for me to really review the book, without talking about her. For the last few hours, I've been trying to figure out if there was something else I could say about her, improve upon what I wrote a few years ago. After trying it a few times, I came to the conclusion that I really can't say anything new, or reword it in a way that made sense in the end. I didn't really want to re-purpose what I wrote earlier, and I even went on Facebook to see if anyone would think it's cheating. After getting a few opinions and realizing that I just can't improve upon perfection, I had to conclude that I'll just use what I wrote then, and hope it convinces you guys to discover her for yourself.
What can I say about our "heroine" of the piece, Harriet Baxter? I could say she has a gift for words. I could even say that she is extraordinary in her storytelling capability. I may even mention that she is secure within herself and knows exactly how you and I should see her. After all, I'm pretty darn sure it's the way she sees herself as well. Now Harriet would tell you that she is a compassionate human being who just wants the best for those around her. I think she may even mention selfless, kind, a good friend, and she may even bring up that she misses having a father figure in her life. Now you may only get that last part out of her if she is in a sentimental mood.
What I'm pretty sure Harriet won't mention is that she's delusional, egotistical, manipulative, cunning, has the intelligence of a sociopath, and for all intensive purposes is probably a murderess, though indirectly. Now does that make Harriet a bad person? I would have to say yes. What I would also have to say is that I loved every minute spent in her company. I think in the back of her head, she knows exactly what kind of person she is, and she loves it. She is, despite everything bad she has ever done, one of the coolest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet and I would love to hang out with her. I have never loved such a horrible person more than I do her.
Now I know that Harriet is the one narrating this story and that there is no way she would have said of the comments I included in the last paragraph. Instead, and I think against her will, she sprinkles the clues to her true personality throughout the book. For every once in a while when Harriet is describing an encounter with another character or her behavior in a particular situation, you get the impression that not everything is what she's saying it is. Harriet herself has no problem mentioning a negative reaction she gets from someone, but she has her own spin on it. Sadly for her, all those incidents end up adding up. It doesn't take long to realize that Harriet isn't being as truthful as she could be.
Just let me know if you guys read this book, I really want to know what you think of dear Harriet.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, and was drawn to his fiery passion. But now he's lashing out at her during one of his periodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids - which works to keep a fragile peace - until one rainy day when they're together in the car and Ben's volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life.
August 2nd, 2010, was the day I reviewed The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers. It was the day I was finally able to wax profusely on how much I loved the book, and how deeply I had fallen in love with the author's narrative voice. That book is the whole reason I agreed to review Accidents of Marriage, which is not a book I would normally read. But since I'm just about willing to read anything written by her, even if she had decided to publish her own phone book, there was no way I was going to pass this one up.
To be perfectly frank, if this book had been written by anyone else, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have liked it at all. It's not the type of subject matter I normally get caught up in, especially since I always feel as if the husband is being given the short end of the stick in these types of stories. And to be even more frank about it, while I think this book is written in the same narrative flow that The Murderer's Daughters was written in, I can't say that I enjoyed it all that much.
The difference for me is that I was able to relate to the subject matter in the first book. It reflected some of my own past, so I got lost in the characters and their stories. In Accidents of Marriage, I couldn't relate to most of what was going on, and to be even more honest, I found myself siding, if that is even a fair word to use, with Ben most of time. I think the book was beautifully written, as is anything Randy Susan Meyers chooses to write, but I couldn't find that personal connection to it.
Off the top of my head, I can name about 50 people I know who would love this book, and would be able to connect wit the subject material. I'm willing to admit that the issue here was me, and my inability to connect, which can not be blamed on the book. I knew going into it that it probably wouldn't be the book for me, and I was right. At the same time, I'm glad I read the book, and I would make the same decision over again. Randy Susan Meyers is a fantastically gifted writer, and she is one that I will always choose to read, regardless of whether or not I end loving it as much as I did The Murderer's Daughters.
I would like to thank TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
Monday, August 4, 2014
All I Love And Know by Judith Frank
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
For years, Matthew Greene and Daniel Rosen have enjoyed a contented domestic life in Northampton, Massachusetts. Opposites in many ways, they have grown together and made their relationship work. But when they learn that Daniel's twin brother and sister-in-law have been killed in a Jerusalem bombing, their lives are suddenly, utterly transformed.
The deceased couple have left behind two young children, and their shocked and grieving families must decide who will raise six-year-old Gal and baby Noam. When it becomes clear that Daniel's brother and sister-in-law wanted Matt and Daniel to be their children's guardians, the two men find themselves confronted by challenges that strike at the heart of their relationship. What is Matt's place in an extended family that does not competently accept him or the commitment he and Daniel have made? How do Daniel's complex feelings about Israel and this act of terror affect his ability to recover from his brother's death? And what kind of parents can these two men really be to children who have lost so much?
The impact that this instant new family has on Matt, Daniel, and their relationship is subtle and heartbreaking, yet not without glimmers of hope. They must learn to reinvent and redefine their bond in profound, sometimes painful ways. How does a family become strong enough to stay together and endure when its very basis has drastically changed? And are their limits to honesty or commitment - or love?
When I finally got around to reading this book, I read it in one sitting. I read all 420 pages, and did not put the book down once. I didn't get up to go to the bathroom, I didn't quench the thirst I started to feel half way through, I ignored my phone, and I told everyone to leave me alone. And strangely, I had this reaction to a book I'm not all that in love with, and I'm not even sure I realized that until I typed it.
And now that I've let the cat out of the bag, I guess it's on me to try figure out why I was so engrossed in a book, that I didn't love. Normally, even when I'm really enjoying a book, I don't get so engrossed that I can't put it down. And the two most recent times before this, The Absolutist by John Boyne and Gillespie and I by Jane Harris, were books that I truly loved. They were books I would recommend to anyone and everyone, and will reread for the rest of my life. I'm not sure how often I would recommend All I Love and Know, and I'm really not sure if it is a book I will ever reread. And quite frankly, I'm still not sure I can tell you why, so I think I just wasted this entire paragraph.
I think part of this issue is my somewhat conflicted view of the entire Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Like Matt and Daniel, I think what Israel has done to the Palestinians is pretty much the same as Apartheid in South Africa. I think the idea of an entire Ethnic/Religious group, who has been subjugated by other for centuries, turning around and doing the same thing themselves, I find it puzzling and just a tad bit revolting. It makes no sense to me. But at the same time, I agree that Israel has every right to defend themselves against those who don't want them to exist as a nation. But most of all, I don't have an answer. I don't know what either side should do, though I think the fighting is taking its toll on way too many innocents.
But I think my general unease has more to do with the relationship between Matt and Daniel. It's messy and complicated, they have a quasi open marriage, which I still do not understand, though I know it happens. And I think it's in that one little facet of their relationship, my own personal issues with it, that prevents me from loving this book. With everything going on in their lives, with all the pain and conflict, I get why maybe turning outside the relationship for comfort would be something that could happen. Especially when one of the partners is doing everything that he can to make it work, and the other has shut down and withdrawn so deeply into his pain, that neither one can see straight anymore. I get the need for connection in the face of pain, and I get the urge to get it anywhere you can when you are no longer getting that sense of worth from the man you love.
What I don't understand is how they allowed this to happen before the events of the book. The openness, though maybe not occurring very often, and with a ton of rules, still went on. They were happily in love, living together, but allowed each other to be intimate with other people. Call me a prude, old fashioned, or naive, but I've never been able to understand relationships like that. I try not to judge those who are in open relationships, and for the most part I don't, but I still don't get it. And I understand it's not my place to get it, since I'm not in the relationship, but it does stop me from investing to much emotion into a fictional couple that I really wanted to love. And I really don't understand why the author uses that openness as a vehicle for the couple to implode, or at least the proverbial last straw breaking the camel's back..
Since you can tell from the synopsis that it all works out in the end, I don't feel as if I'm spoiling anything for you, when I tell you that it does in fact have a happy ending. And I can even go as far as saying that I'm happy it ended that way, and that I adore both Matt and Daniel. I can even go a step further and tell you that I enjoyed the book, that I became invested in both the story and the characters, that I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Matt and Daniel. I'm even willing to admit that it's my own personal hangups that kept me from loving what I read.
And now that I'm done typing, I'm even willing to concede that maybe I loved this book more than I did at the beginning of the review. Maybe its as simple as uttering my relationship hangups out loud, albeit in type. Could actually admitting your issues, no matter where they come from, allow you to get over them, to not let them cloud your judgement? Maybe it is that simple, or maybe, just maybe actually sitting down to write a review actually forces you to rethink the entire process over again. No matter the reason, I'm now willing to admit that I loved the book, and that I would highly recommend. it. I just hope you guys don't think I'm too schizophrenic now.
I want to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews, hopefully they will be more coherent than mine.
Labels:
Gay,
General Fiction,
History,
Military,
Politics,
Public Policy,
Romance
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
One moment in time can haunt you forever.
Caught up in the moment of boyhood competition, William Bellman recklessly aims his slingshot at a rook resting on a branch, killing the bird instantly. It is a small but cruel act, and is soon forgotten. B the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, Williams seems to have put the whole incident behind him. It was as if he never killed the ting at all. But rooks don't forget...
Years later, when a stranger mysteriously enter William's life, his fortunes begin to turn - and the terrible and unforeseen consequences of his past indiscretion take root. In a desperate bid to save the only precious thing he has left, he enters into a rather strange bargain with an even stranger partner. Together, they found a decidedly macabre business.
And Bellman & Black is born.
Sometimes I think sophomore books get a bums rap. They are almost always compared to the author's first outing, and for most people, rarely live up to whatever the expectations were, even if they were just in the reader's head. When that first book is as brilliant and moody as Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale, I sort of understand the issue. A lot of reviews and commentary I heard about Bellman & Black were negative, not because the story was bad, but because it wasn't like her first book. A lot of bloggers and readers went into it thinking it was going to be a retread of The Thirteenth Tale, and they, for whatever reason, seemed to be disappointed that they are nothing alike. I for one, was relieved and loving the idea of Bellman & Black standing on it's own power, forcing readers to rethink the type of novel that Setterfield writes.
Where The Thirteenth Tale is dark and brooding, full of family mysteries and decaying buildings, Bellman & Black is full of family love, heart breaking loss, and redemption. It's still dark and brooding, but the themes explored are totally different and they are not wrapped in Gothic trappings. Instead we are treated to hints and teases of the supernatural, but we aren't drowned in them. This is not a urban fantasy book, which I am most grateful for. It's not full of ghosts and goblins stalking the streets of London, nor is it full of tired cliches that seem to litter the publishing world right now. Instead Setterfield gives us a novel that explores death and loss in such a way, that as a reader, I'm ready to start planning my funeral. She made me fall in love with death, while making me contemplate my own life, and the relationships in it. She made me want to live and enjoy the life I'm given by making me comfortable and horrified by death.
Now I just need to wait and see what Setterfield has in store for us in her third novel. I'm just hoping that she keeps the atmosphere but gives us something new, something that will both enchant and scare me at the same time.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Cartwheel by Jennifer duBois
Synopsis From Back Cover:
When Lily Hayes arrives in Buenos Aires for her semester abroad, she in enchanted by everything she encounters: the colorful surroundings, the street food, the elusive guy next door. Her studious roommate Katy is a bit of a bore, but Lily didn't come to Argentina to hang out with other Americans. Five weeks later, Katy is found brutally murdered in their shared home, and Lily is the prime suspect. But who is Lily Hayes? It depends on who's asking. As the case takes shape - revealing deceptions, secrets, and suspicious DNA - Lily appears alternately sinister and guileless through the eyes of those around her.
There is really no way to separate Cartwheel from the real life story of Amanda Knox. I tried the entire time I was reading it, but the parallels are so apparent, I'm not sure there are a lot of people who will read this book and not think of Amanda Knox. And for me anyway, because I couldn't separate the two, I was never able to fully engage with Lily, her family, or those around her in Buenos Aires.
And that leads me into another winding thought process that may not make sense to anyone but myself. When it comes to themes explored in a work of fiction, I know that part of it is author's intent and part reader interpretation. I'm rarely convinced that authors intentionally incorporate all the concepts that critics, academics, and readers would like to ascribe to their works. I've read a few reviews, both from other bloggers and from critics, that read like a doctoral thesis from a psychology major. And while I'm sure the author did explore some of the themes being highlighted in these reviews, I'm almost positive some of the others are all in the reviewers heads. I'm never sure if this is because these types of reviewers can never just relax and enjoy a good story, or if it's because they are simply belong in a Loony Tunes cartoon.
I know the whole reason someone is sitting down, reading this review, is to find out if I liked the book or not. To tell you the truth, I'm still trying to figure that out for myself, so I put forth my humblest apologies on not being able to answer that most basic of questions. If I was forced to offer up an opinion, it would be more ambivalent than anything else. There was nothing that annoyed or offended me, but there was really nothing that grabbed my attention for longer than a few minutes at a time. I enjoy the author's voice, but I'm not sure that had any real affect on my reading experience. And one really bizarre side effect, I have even less interest in the Amanda Knox case, than I had before I read this book.
I would like to thank Lisa of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The Butterfly Sister by Amy Gail Hansen
Synopsis From Back Cover:
Twenty-two-year-old Ruby Rousseau is haunted by memories of Tarble, the women's college she fled from ten months earlier, and the painful love affair that pushed her to the brink of tragedy.
When a suitcase belonging to a former classmate named Beth arrives on her doorstep, Ruby is plunged into a dark mystery. Beth has gone missing, and the suitcase is the only tangible evidence of her whereabouts.
Inside the bag, Ruby discovers a tattered copy of Virginia Woolf's A Room of Ones' Own, the book she believes was a harbinger of her madness. Is someone trying to send her a message - and what does it mean?
The search for answers leads to Tarble. As Ruby digs into Beth's past, she has no choice but to confront her own - an odyssey that will force her to reexamine her final days at school, including the married professor who broke her heart and the ghosts of illustrious writers, dead by their own hand, who beckoned her to join their tragic circle.
But will finding the truth finally set Ruby free... or send her over the edge of sanity?
I'm always a little leery of suspense novels that have a theme to them. Miss Me When I'm Gone by Emily Arsenault used the country music of women who died too young and lived too hard to explore the life of one of it's characters. With The Butterfly Sister by Amy Gail Hansen, we have a novel that uses the writings and lives of female authors who committed suicide to explore the main character's life. Miss Me When I'm Gone, despite a promising plot, had issues with trying to weave the plot around the theme. I'm afraid I had some of the same issues with this one as well. Trying to tie in the various authors and their works, never felt organic to me. It was a lot like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in that regard. It was more like the author chose which writers she wanted to use, and tried to tie the story around them and certain works. I wish she had allowed the the plot and character needs, to dictate the way in which the suicidal authors and their writings appeared in the book.
The story is there, I wanted to like it. Actually, I wanted to love it. Instead I'm left feeling a bit let down, because instead of having a young woman deal with the very real issues of suicide, depression, and delusions; we are left with an inconceivable plot device used to explain it all away. The ending felt like a stab in my heart, and took all enjoyment I had had for Ruby and her struggles, or for the missing Beth and the fear I felt for her, and dashed it upon the rocks. It turned a side character I really liked into someone I'm just baffled by and wishing it could have been different. The entire thing left me shaking my head, closing the last page, and promptly forgetting the entire thing.
I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kiernan (Giveaway Included)
Synopsis From Back Cover:
Dr. Kate Philo and her scientific exploration team makes a breathtaking discovery in the Arctic: the body of a man buried deep in the ice. As a scientist in a groundbreaking project run by the egocentric and paranoid Erastus Carthage, Kate has brought small creatures - plankton, krill, shrimp - "back to life." Never have the team's methods been attempted on a large life form.
Heedless of the consequences, Carthage orders that the frozen man be brought back to the lab in Boston, and reanimated. As the man begins to regain his memories, the team learns that he was - is - a judge, Jeremiah Rice, and the last thing he remembers is falling overboard into the Arctic Ocean in 1906. When news of the Lazarus Project and Jeremiah Rice breaks, it ignites a media firestorm and massive protests by religious fundamentalists.
Thrown together by circumstances beyond their control, Kate and Jeremiah grow closer. But the clock is ticking and Jeremiah's new life is slipping away. With Carthage planning to exploit Jeremiah while he can, Kate must decide how far she is willing to go to protect the man she has come to love.
A gripping, poignant, and thoroughly original thriller, Stephen Kiernan's provocative debut novel raises disturbing questions about the very nature of life and humanity - man as a scientific subject, as a tabloid plaything, as a living being: A curiosity.
I don't know if any of you have payed attention to this before, but see that last paragraph, the one just before this one, I normally don't include those when I'm typing up the synopsis. Partly because I find it to be part of an opinion by someone who is not me, rather than being an actual part of the synopsis. And partly because, it's just too much typing for me. I already take up more than my share of blog space, so why add to your reading. Of course there are those who have claimed I'm lazy for not writing my own, but quite frankly, I think my thoughts belong in the review itself.
But I'm digressing, so let me get back to the point I was trying to make to begin with. The reason why I chose to include that last paragraph, was pretty damn simple. I won't go as far as saying it's a big fat lie, but I will say it's a little grandiose for what the book actually read to me. I'm not sure where the thriller part comes in, unless they are talking about the last few pages where Kate and Jeremiah are running away from the paparazzi. And while I may agree that the book does touch on the themes of medical ethics, faith, what it means to be alive, and the state of our media driven culture; I can't say as if they seemed to be overarching themes that the author was trying to explore. Instead the felt as if they were a small part of the story, a story of a man brought back to life and those around him who for various reasons are trying to exploit him in one way or another. And it's a story of two people, who despite the obvious differences find themselves connecting in ways they didn't see coming, nor fully act upon that connection.
I don't want you guys to think I'm critiquing the book, because I'm not. The book itself, despite a slow start, was an engaging read that once it got a hold of me, I was hooked. I fell in love with Jeremiah. Of all the characters in the book, he was the one that felt the most real to me. He is one of those characters that had I a huge Edwardian country home, he would be a frequent guest. He was a man who came of age in a period of time where everything was new, where his contemporaries were exploring far flung lands and new inventions seemed to spring up all over the place. His was a time of true human expansion and progress was achieved by brave men and women who put their blood, sweat, and tears into everything they did. He was one of the youngest district court judges in history, and his intellect is one to be admired. Add in the fact that he is gorgeous, kind, and a truly good person, and you almost have the perfect man. And despite all that, he never seemed to be the stereotypical romantic hero, there was something grounded and real about him as a character.
I could go on and on about Kate as well, but at this point in time, I think I'm taking up way too much of your time already. She is the perfect instrument for Jeremiah to see this new world through. She is a truly interesting character, that while I may not have fallen for her in the way I did Jeremiah, I was never bored when it was her turn to tell the story. She had her own voice, and it was one that I found myself respecting and in many ways admiring.
My love affair with the character ends there though. The other two characters who narrate this story are one dimensional bores that I could have done without. Dr. Carthage is what he is described to be in the synopsis. There really isn't much more to say about him, other than I felt as if the whole reference to his father felt a little forced and seemed a bit out of place. The sleazy reporter, was like Dr. Carthage, a one dimensional character that despite his good nature, I never liked, and I just wanted him to shut up. And it's in how we get to know these character that I think this book did have one major flaw.
The book is told, after the events are already over, from the viewpoints of those four characters. So while I may have loved half of the chapters, the other half were just flat out annoying to read. I think this story, and these characters, would have been served better by having the story told by a third person narrator. It would have allowed more page time for the two characters I loved, but wouldn't have fragmented the story itself in such a way that I found myself annoyed with certain chapters and truly enjoying others.
My last quibble, and then I promise to shut up, I've been trying to convince myself to be happy with the ending, and I just can't be. It felt a little rushed, and despite some of the differences Kate has made in her life by then, it just doesn't satisfy me. I can't tell you what I wanted, without telling you what didn't happen, so I'm sorry about that. I didn't hate the ending, but I think I could have liked it so much better had it been closed a bit differently, though I think the actual end result would have been the same. And now that I'm done talking in circles, and if you are still reading at this point, please take the time to get this book. I'm almost positive, and while I won't name names, I'm pretty sure I know which of you would fall for Jeremiah just as hard as I did.
I would like to thank Trisha of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
The wonderful group at TLC Book Tours have generously offered my readers the chance to win a copy of this book for themselves. The giveaway will last until 11:59 pm, CST, on 7/20/13. You must be a resident of the United States to enter, and all you have to do is leave me a comment with your email address.
Labels:
Book Tours,
Fantasy,
General Fiction,
Giveaway,
Reviews,
Romance,
Sci Fi,
Science
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Synopsis From Back Cover:
The coachman tried to warn her away from the ruined, forbidding place on the rainswept Cornish coast. But young Mary Yellan chose instead to honor her mother's dying request that she join her frightened Aunt Patience and huge, hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn at Jamaica Inn. From her first glimpse on that raw November eve, she could sense the inn's dark power. But never did Mary dream that she would become hopelessly ensnared in the vile, villainous schemes being hatched within its crumbling walls - or that a handsome, mysterious stranger would so incite her passions... tempting her to love a man who she dares not trust.
I've noticed a theme this year, not one I planned or even really thought of on any level. It seems that I've revisiting a lot of authors that I first read back in 2011, and that continues with Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. I had finally read Rebecca that October and quickly followed it up with her short story collection, The Doll. Both of those works helped me fall in love with the author's ability to use words to create a lush atmosphere surrounding her characters.
Sadly, I can't say that I loved Jamaica Inn as much as I did those previous two books, but anything I was missing in the story, was more than made up for in the way this author writes. The story itself is pretty simple. A young, naive woman is forced, after the death of her mother, to move in with her aunt who she hasn't seen in years. Once on the journey to the inn that her husband runs, Mary is warned, heavily, away from finishing her journey. She meets more than one person who has nothing kind to say about the man running Jamaica Inn. Out of a sense of duty, she continues on her way, and she is of course shocked by the changes she sees in her aunt. What was once a gay and bright woman, has been replaced by a meek and frightened wraith of her former self. It doesn't take Mary long to figure out that it's her "uncle" Joss that has put her aunt into this position.
So I'm guess by now that you have figured out there is something horribly wrong with Jamaica Inn. You probably reached it at around the same time Mary did, if not earlier. Now I'm saying you probably figured it out before Mary. Whether you have read the book, or are familiar with this writer's work, you know that du Maurier has a gift of painting the mood with the descriptions and word choices she makes. You don't need a character to tell you something is wrong with the picture, you can see if for yourself in the way she uses language to paint a vivid picture in your mind. Because of that alone, I think I would read just about anything by her, even if it it's a toothbrush manual.
Now the rest of the story, I'm sure you can guess. Mary is determined to figure out the secrets behind Jamaica Inn and it's proprietor. She uncovers a few family secrets, a murder or two, and a massive smuggling ring being run out of the inn. I'm sure you can guess that there is a lot more to it than that, but you get the idea. And being a "Gothic" novel/mystery, you can also assume that not all the characters are who the appear to be, and that not everyone should be taken at face value. Sometimes those you are inclined to trust, are those you should run away from the quickest.
I have one more book on my shelves waiting to be read, Hungry Hill, and wile it looks to be more of a Gothic romance, not something I would normally read, I'm looking forward to it just the same.
Challenges: A-Z, VM (Scene of the Crime)
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
Dellarobia Turnbow is a restless farm wife who gave up her own plans when she accidentally became pregnant at seventeen. Now, after a decade of domestic disharmony on a failing farm, she has settled for permanent disappointment but seeks momentary escape through an obsessive flirtation with a younger man. As she hikes up a mountain road behind her house to a secret tryst, she encounters a shocking sight: a silent, forested valley filled with what look like a lake of fire. She can only understand it as a cautionary miracle, but it sparks a raft of other explanations from scientists, religious leaders, and the media. The bewildering emergency draws rural farmers into unexpected acquaintance with urbane journalists, opportunists, sightseers, and a striking biologist with his own stake in the outcome. As the community lines up to judge the woman and her miracle, Dellarobia confronts her family, her church, her town, and a larger world, in a flight toward truth that could undo all she has ever believed.
I hope I'm not about to hurt someones feelings, but I'm not sure I can do this any other way. I would like to be able to give those of you who came here looking for a full review of Flight Behaviorr by Barbara Kingsolver, what you wanted. Sadly, I can't do that. I could pretend to have read the entire book, but I would have to lie to you, and that's the last thing I ever want to do. It's not that I didn't read the first and the last page, because I did. It's just that I skipped and skimmed my way through the book, hoping for something to grab my attention.
I did manage to read the first 50-60 pages before I gave up, and started my skimming/skipping process. I wanted so much to enjoy this book, the premise and the issues it explored, grabbed my attention when I agreed to review the book. And I know a ton of other bloggers who really enjoy this author's work. So I feel left out of club, one that I desperately want to belong to. I want to be able to enjoy the author's writing and the story she created, but for whatever reason, I'm just not able to. Nothing on the page grabbed onto me. Nothing within the covers of Flight Behavior managed to capture my imagination.
I know I'm going to be the minority on this one, and I'm glad for it. I don't ever want to give the impression that I don't think this book is worth reading, because for people who don't live within my own skin, it probably is. I have to accept the fact that I'm not one of them.
I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
Monday, June 17, 2013
A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb (Giveaway Included)
Synopsis From Back Cover:
It's 1937. In a village on the Dorset coast, fourteen-year-old Mitzy Hatcher has endured a wild and lonely upbringing, until the arrival of renowned artist Charles Aubrey - along with his exotic mistress and their daughters - changes everything. Over the next three summers, Mitzy sees a future she had never thought possible, and a powerful love is kindled in her. A love that grows from innocence to obsession, from childish infatuation to something far more complex. Years later, a young man in an art gallery looks at a hastily drawn portrait and wonders at its intensity. The questions he asks lead him to a Dorset village and to the truth about those fevered summers in the 1930s.
Katherine Webb is one of those authors that I first discovered in 2011 when I read her first book, The Legacy. It didn't take me long to fall in love with the author's extraordinary talent of weaving past and present into one cohesive narrative. With most other authors, I find myself getting distracted when a book shifts to the past, mainly because these shifts are only there to further the "current" storyline, so they aren't as well developed. That's not the case with The Legacy or with A Half Forgotten Song. The shifts are absolutely essential and in some ways a hell of a lot more important than what's going on in the present. They are the backbone of the story, not the helping hand.
If the flashbacks are the backbone of the story, then Mitzy acts as the connective tissues holding the whole thing together. Whether we are visiting with her elderly self, listening to her version of what transpired between her and Charles Aubrey, or witnessing the events first hand as we are given a truer glimpse of what transpired during those fateful summers, Mitzy is the one who ties not only the characters together, but the it's her influence and her actions that set the entire tone of the book. And if you are annoyed by the above sentence structure, I apologize. Every twist and turn eventually leads right back to Mitzy and The Watch, her cottage on the coast.
Not to take this analogy even further, but if the flashbacks are the backbone and Mitzy acts as the connective tissues, then it's Zach and his search for purpose that takes the place of the neurons, spurring and charging the action forward. I think I'm really stretching my analogy a little thin right now, but it's too late to stop now. Zach is a young father whose marriage has fallen apart and his daughter is being taken across the Atlantic to America. His art gallery has been hanging by the skin of it's teeth, and he is a man who for many reasons is at a crossroads in life, and all roads seem to lead to nothing. Through an odd set of occurrences, Zach finds himself heading to the Dorset coast and the village where Mitzy and the Aubreys had their lives altered beyond belief all those years ago.
It's Zach's search for the truth behind a series of sketches by Aubrey that have been popping up on the market, and a half foggy notion of writing a book focusing on those three summers Aubrey spent in the village, that jump starts Mitzy's longing for the past, allowing us to get the truth behind what happened all those years ago.
Now forgive me if this review does not seem worthy of the book, because after reading what I've already written, I'm not sure it does. For whatever reason, I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts and feelings into words. I'm not finding the right way to express how much I love this books and it's characters. Much like The Legacy, A Half Forgotten Song is about family and those connections that ties us all together, even if those connections exist only in our own heads. It's about secrets and actions done in haste, born of strong emotions, that take upon themselves a life of their own. But most of all, it's about the consequences, the foreseen and unimaginable, of those actions. It's about how we deal with and internalize them, how we cope and how we hide from them, and how eventually, no matter how hard we try, how we have to face them head on and hope for the best.
I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other, hopefully more coherent reviews.
The wonderful group at TLC Book Tours have generously offered my readers the chance to win a copy of this book for themselves. The giveaway will last until 11:59 pm, CST, on 6/27/13. You must be a resident of the United States to enter, and all you have to do is leave me a comment with your email address.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay (Giveaway Included)
Synopsis From Back Cover:
On a Boston street one warm spring day, Hazel and Remy spot each other for the first time in years. Under ordinary circumstances, this meeting might seem insignificant. But Remy, a gifted violinist, is married to the composer Nicholas Elko - once the love of Hazel's life.
It has been twenty years since Remy, then an ambitious conservatory student; Nicholas, a wunderkind struggling with a masterwork he cannot fully realize; and his wife, the beautiful and fragile Hazel, first came together and tipped their collective world on it's axis. But as their entwined stories unfold from 1987 to 2007, from Europe to America, from conservatory life to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, each will discover the surprising ways in which the quest to create something real and true - be it a work of art or one's own life - can lead to the most personal of revelations, including the unearthing of secrets we keep, even from ourselves.
I'm a pretty picky reader. I know what I like, and I definitely know what I do not. I will rarely agree to read a historical fiction book, mainly because the misses have vastly outnumbered the home runs. The same goes for what some would consider family drama fiction. I know that's not the proper term for what I'm talking about, but I hope you get the point. It's that segment of literature that focuses on one family, normally over a extended period of time. The book will detail, sometimes in painful detail, their travails and successes. It will put their relationships, both internally and externally, under a microscope that can make a mote of dust look like HAT-P-1.
For whatever reason, I rarely ever get into this type of book. I'm not sure what it is, but I tend to find myself nodding off half way through a paragraph, drool running down my chin. The only reason I was interested in reading Sight Reading, was because of the author. I read Russian Winter by her back in 2011, and despite it being in a genre I normally don't like, I ended up really enjoying it. I figured it would be nice to see if lightning could strike twice. And while you normally don't want to get struck by lightning even once, I'm glad Daphne Kalotay was able to do it twice for me.
Where I would normally find such a story to be plodding and tedious, Daphne Kalotay is able to keep the pacing at a fairly decent rate, without sacrificing the story or the character development. There wasn't even a page or two where the story started to bog down and turn into molasses. Part of her talent lies in creating such wonderfully complex characters, that you fall in love with them so much, you don't really pay attention to the rate at which their lives are being altered or stuck in a rut. I may not be saying all of this that well, but I hope you get my meaning.
Not only was I not bored by the lives of Hazel, Remy, or Nicholas; I wanted more of it. I would have gladly read another few hundred pages of their lives as they revolved around each other and those close to them. I wanted to see what happened after the wedding. I want to be able to check in with them, years after the events in this book. I want to know that they will continue to evolve and keep together as what can only be described as a true family. I would love to be able to invite them over for tea. But since I can't, I'll settle for rereading this book at a later point in time.
I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
The wonderful group at TLC Book Tours have generously offered my readers the chance to win a copy of this book for themselves. The giveaway will last until 11:59 pm, CST, on 6/7/13. You must be a resident of the United States to enter, and all you have to do is leave me a comment with your email address.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Synopsis From Goodreads:
On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed in mysterious circumstances. Fearing the end of his dynasty, his father, Manfred, determines to marry Conrad's betrothed, Isabella, until a series of supernatural events stands in his way. . . .
I fell hard for the Gothic genre last year. From the moment I opened the first book, I was hooked. I love the way a good Gothic novel can suck you into this realm that, at first, seems as solid as your own, but the further you get into it, the sands start to shift beneath your feet. What you think is real, starts to become fuzzy. The boundary between reality and the supernatural starts to wobble a bit. You many not always cross over the line, but you are pulling and stretching it the entire time. So needless to say when I saw someone mention The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, and the fact it's one of the founding fathers of the genre, I had to check it out. Now that I've done it, I'm still not sure what I'm thinking. Those sands have never stopped shifting around on me. Regardless of what I think of this one, I'm glad I read it.
Written in 1764, after the author had a rather haunting dream, The Castle of Otranto is full of the melodrama and over the top dialogue, so common of the era. Most of the time, those two things get on my nerves and I'm forced to put a book down. They are amongst the many problems I have with reading the "classics." I can rarely ever take them seriously or really allow myself to get to involved with what I'm reading. I'm not sure if it's the subject matter or the way in which Walpole constructed the story itself, but this book actually lends itself to those factors that makes other books intolerable for me.
The Castle of Otranto is full of underground labyrinths, family curses, prophecies, betrayal, secret identities, and plenty of death. Giant pieces of armor come crashing down, sometimes with fatal results. Ghostly apparitions are seen walking the halls and speaking words of doom. Young women are forced to go on the run, one in order to save herself, the other to save a young man she may love. For a book that is less than 100 pages, it's chock full of every cliche that Gothic literature has come to be know by.
I'm of two minds on whether I liked the book or not, but I can say I enjoyed every second of it. For those of you who love Gothic literature, you should give this book a read so you can appreciate where the genre came from. If you aren't a fan, this may not be the book for you, but I would almost be willing to bet, you would enjoy it anyway.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann (Plus Giveaway)
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
The tale of the Nutcracker, written by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. It has retained it's freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share.
Maurice Sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Christmas production of Nutcracker and has created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book. He has joined with the eminent translator Ralph Manheim to produce this illustrated edition of Hoffmann's wonderful tale, destined to become a classic for all ages.
The world of Nutcracker is a world of pleasures. Maurice Sendak's art illuminates the delights of Hoffmann's story in this rich and tantalizing treasure.
Believe it or not, I have never read Nutcracker before, I've never seen the ballet, nor have I ever seen the various TV productions that have come out over the years. Despite all of that, I still had a vague idea of what it was all about. I knew it was about a young girl who loved her Nutcracker and how that Nutcracker battled the evil Mouse King.
What I didn't know, was all the stuff that happened in between. I didn't know that there was this rather creepy godfather who was a genius clockmaker and would make her and her brother magnificent Christmas present every year. I also didn't know that on one particular Christmas, the young girl, despite her lovely dolls and pretty dresses, fell in love with a little Nutcracker, a gift for the entire family. I didn't know the legend behind the Mouse King or why he was so bent on destruction. I didn't know of the magnificent battles the toy soldiers, lead by the Nutcracker, fought against the hoards of mice. I never would have guess the real identity of the Nutcracker and how he came to be cursed in such a way. I didn't know how action packed, romantic, and plain fun this would be to read. Having illustrations by Maurice Sendak, was icing on the cake.
Challenges: CS
Friday, November 23, 2012
A Christmas Home by Greg Kincaid (Plus Giveaway)
Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
Todd McCray, hero of A Dog Named Christmas, is now twenty-four years old and working at a local animal shelter, where he meets and quickly becomes best friends with Laura, a young volunteer. Laura, like Todd, has disabilities, but her struggles are more physical than developmental. Their friendship is sealed when Todd - with the help of a his trusted companion, the tenacious Labrador retriever named Christmas - trains a beautiful dog named Gracie to help Laura with the day-to-day life tasks that are difficult for her.
Life seems good for Todd, but all is not well in his hometown. Struggling families unable to make ends meet are abandoning more and more dogs, and the shelter is swelling to capacity. The local government is struggling to meet it obligations too, and in early December, on the cusp of another holiday season, Todd's boss delivers the bad news. Due to funding problems, the shelter will close its doors before the end of the year.
But what will happen to the animals?
As the Christmas holiday approached, Todd has limited time to find homes for all the dogs. Not to mention that he needs to secure a new job and figure out what to do when his friendship with Laura takes an unexpected romantic turn. All of this seems overwhelming unless you've got a loving family, dedicated friends, and a couple of very special dogs behind you. In which case, nothing is impossible.
There is something so unique and special about Christmas, that I'm willing to broaden my mind and pick up a book I wouldn't normally. I don't know if it's the overly sentimental frame of mind that Christmas puts me into, but for about a month, I'm willing to read a book that exists to exploit every single one of those good feelings. I don't mind when the book I'm reading is so saccharine that my teeth could fall out at any second. It's not a reading experience that I enjoy at any other time of the year, but I almost crave it as Christmas time. Now I'm not saying I want to read a lot of it, but one or two books a season seems to be okay.
With A Christmas Home, Greg Kincaid has created a community that seems to come straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Granted it would require those lifelike paintings to experience some hard economic times, but I think you get the idea. Of course the fact that this book takes place in a small town in Kansas, the state I currently live in, helps that narrative idea along. His town is filled with earnest characters who are trying to their best to keep their town afloat and to do the right thing by all those involved. They are warm, loving characters that most of us would love to be around.
Since this is a Christmas book, and a Christmas book about dogs, you should probably be able to guess that everything works out in the end. It may not be what the characters envisioned the solution to be in the beginning, but it's a conclusion that enriches the lives of all those involved. Now I'm just going to have to wait for the ABCFamily Channel movie to be made. Maybe next year, during their 25 Days of Christmas.
Thanks to the lovely people at Crown, I have a copy of this book to giveaway. All you need to do to enter, is leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas movie. You also need to leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. You must be a US resident, sorry guys. The giveaway will run from now until 11:59 pm CST, on 12/2/12. I'm cutting this one short in order for the winner to get it by Christmas. I will use random.org to pick the winner.
Challenges: CS
Monday, November 12, 2012
These Things Happen by Richard Kramer
Part Of The Synopsis From Dust Jacket:
Set in Manhattan and told through an ensemble of endearing voices, These Things Happen is not the quite coming of age story about a modern family. Fifteen-year-old Wesley, a tenth grader, has moved from his mother and stepfather's home to live for a school term with his father and his father's partner, George, so that father and son might have a chance to bond again. But when Wesley finds himself unexpectedly at the center of an act of violence, everyone around him must reexamine themselves, their assumptions and attitudes.
I went three whole years with only one review book that I could not finish, then 2012 happened. With These Things Happen, I have now tripled that amount. I feel horrible about it, I have no desire to even be sitting at the computer right now, typing these words. I would rather be doing anything else, including building a replica of the Acropolis out of marshmallows. I don't like having to admit I've given up on a book, it doesn't feel good.
So needless to say, this won't be a review, and I give you permission to exit out of this window, and go about your day. I do want to explain my reaction to the book, so if you are a bit curious but don't need a lot of details, then you may want to finish reading this post.
I think most of us have that one friend, who just tries to hard. They want to be all things to everyone. They strive to be funny, but normally fall flat. They will spout of facts, normally incorrectly, in order to appear smart and worthy of deep conversations. They wear clothes appropriate to someone 20 years younger than them. They want to be cool, witty, and fun, but the harder they try, the worse the results. Since they are your friend, you can forgive it. I just wish I could have forgiven it with this book.
Now I'm not saying These Things Happen fit that mold perfectly, but it's the closet analogy I can come up with. The entire time I was reading it, and granted I gave it less than 50 pages, I was grinding my teeth in frustration. Nothing I read felt real or personal to the characters I was wanting to like. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, trying to hard to be witty and current. And that's my hang up with the book, I hated the way the characters talked, I couldn't get over it, and because of that I closed the book and have no desire to pick it up again.
I know that not giving you all that much detail, but that's all I have in me right now. I wish I had the energy to give you some examples of what I'm talking about, but that would require me to reopen the book and pick a few to share, which I just don't care enough to do. I wish I had more to say, either positive or negative, but I don't. So I'll leave you with this thought, I do think this book will appeal to readers who enjoy YA more than I do. I think These Things Happen is marketed towards the adult market, but I think it would fit in better with YA readers who are used to unnatural dialogue coming out of the mouths of teenagers.
I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book. Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)