The first suggested title I read was Attachments by Rainbow Rowell.  This was the first book I got to because it was one of the first titles suggested, and it was available through the library as an e-book, so I could start it right away on Labor Day even though the library was closed that day.  Gotta love that technology!  It was a fun read, with lots of references to pop culture.  It takes place in 1999-2000, which was just when I was getting out of college and starting out on my own, so it was fun to relive that time.  There’s an important plot line that has to do with the whole non-event that was Y2K.  I would almost categorize the book as chick lit, because the storyline primarily revolves around romantic relationships.  But, one of the main characters is actually male, so that reminded me a bit of Nick Hornby, too.  Overall, a really great book that I read all in one day.

The next two books I read while on vacation.  I had high hopes that I would get to more books, but vacations are a little different with a toddler than they were in my pre-mommy days.  I placed all the suggested titles in a hat, and my husband selected a few at random.  I think I took five or six books with me, but, oh well!

I switched gears completely from the somewhat light and fluffy Attachments with the next suggested title, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  This fascinating nonfiction title was suggested by one of my former coworkers.  It recounts the story of Olympic track athlete and World War II prisoner of war Louis Zamperini.  After his bomber is shot down over the Pacific, Zamperini is captured by the Japanese and placed in one of their notoriously horrendous military prisons.  Few prisoners even survived the Japanese prisons, and those who did suffered horrible atrocities.  This was a gripping story of survival told by master storyteller Hillenbrand.

After Unbroken the next title drawn from the hat was Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan.  This title was suggested by my best friend Jennifer.  I was excited that one of her titles was chosen because I knew her suggestions would be good.  She knows me well, and even though I’m the librarian, she reads way more adult books than I do.  Prince of Thieves is a crime thriller about bank thieves in Boston in the late nineties.  It was a page-turner for sure.  The way that Hogan tells the story actually had me rooting for one of the thieves rather than the FBI agent trying to catch him.  The book was turned into the movie The Town by Ben Affleck, which I luckily didn’t watch until after reading the book.  Of course, the book was better.  I know they had to change and simplify many things for the movie, but I still spent the whole time saying to my husband, “That’s not what happened in the book.”  I did still enjoy the movie for what it was though.

So, that was it for my suggested reading.  I’m definitely going to work on some of the other titles in the future though!

If you’re interested, here’s the entire list of suggested titles:

• Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
• City of Thieves by David Benioff
• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Good Dream by Donna VanLiere
• The River of Doubt by  Candice Millard
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
• A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
• Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
• Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• The Road from Coorain by Jill Conway
• Bel Canto by Ann Pratchett
• The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
• The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
• A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille
• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
• Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
• Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
• anything by Susan Shreve

By the fourth novel, it does seem Rowling has had her license for caution taken away. She is now free from the possibility of the series not having an audience. The trepidation in some parts of the first three novels has been replaced by a confidence that brings together the highly intricate world of witches and wizards. It is these intricate details of the history of the Dark Arts and those Death Eaters who remain at large that are most fascinating.

The action is well-paced and well-written for younger readers, but the continued balance between the political sides of the alternative society of wizards is one of the pleasures of the Goblet of Fire. Hermione’s desire for wages and rights for the House Elf is dismissed by many of the wizards, but the shrewd social commentary forms that balance between the action scenes and the provocation of an adult audience. Rowling’s depiction of the Daily Prophet and journalist Rita Skeeter is a pure joy to read again, particularly in a world of a post-phone hacking scandal of the News Of The World.

“She’s got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

Hogwarts is abuzz with rumours of the return of the ancient Triwizard Tournament. The other two wizard schools from across Europe converge on Hogwarts, each required to have a Champion selected to participate in the series of tasks that challenge the physical and mental capabilities of the young wizards. Despite being younger than the age restrictions placed on the Champions, Harry’s name is drawn from the Goblet of Fire and the Triwizard Tournament consumes his fourth year at Hogwarts.

The novel is increasingly dark, with the concluding chapters placing many of the characters closer to the choice that could bring the dark days of the past closer to the future. The revelations of Voldemort’s return and Dumbledore’s assertive reaction set up the remaining novels perfectly.  

This is the debut novel of Alexander Maksik. The narrative line, that of Gilad, Will and Marie occurs years after the scandal of the last six months of 2002. This allows for each of three characters to possess an honesty that has the feel of being refined over the years. I felt each character had dwelt on the events with guilt and pain.

Will is Mr Silver, a Dead Poet’s Society inspired English teacher who challenges and provokes with equal concern for the individual. The heated discussions of classroom reflect the same moral questions thrown at Will outside the classroom. The back story, with that idea of context influencing how and what we read into literature, is important. Will gives us only tiny broken pieces of his context. A tragic pair of deaths-his parents-as he plainly describes, instantly and his broken marriage give us cause for reflection. His actions, his pull away from America to Paris is the push towards the forbidden.

Gilad’s voice, that of a mid-twenty something, is refined and mature. His family life, from Africa, to Paris, an exile like Will. Gilad has a distinct critique of Will’s approach to teaching. The poignant observations of the other students from Gilad nicely rounds out what is provided from Will’s perspective.

Marie is the third voice of the novel. Here we are able to see Will in both habitats. Marie is not in his class, her observations are clouded, yet compelling. She tells us she is not a victim. She sees Will as he acts at school and soon in his apartment. Here the time cap between the events and writing compels.

At times, the three voices give us distinct versions of the same events. The tenderness and passion behind each reflection only adds to the guilt as each individual hurts the other. I liken Marie’s love of Will to Gilad’s own intellectual connection to Will. The difference being one becomes sexual and other does not. The scenes from Gilad’s family are as tragic as the decline of Will. Both move on and that is a key element of the images provided. The three melt into the crowd.

This is not an overly complex novel, but most certainly a clever and refined novel that promises that there will be more from Maksik.

http://alexandermaksik.com/

The introduction of the highly competent and practically trained Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, the mysteriously rugged and gaunt Professor Lupin is refreshing. A truly inspirational teacher that engages with the young wizards and witches with practical application of skills against evil.

The Qudditch scenes are quite well-written, composed, but quick and emotional. The interplay between the Houses, a sporting tribalism we Muggles know, makes the Quidditch Cup competition most human/Muggle like. Essentially that is the beauty of the Harry Potter series: close enough to reflect society, but far enough removed to excite and speculate.

The other central figure, of course, is the Prisoner of Azkaban. There are rumours and counter rumours about the murderous Sirius Black. The betrayal leading to the death of close friends during the dark times of Voldemort continues to haunt all the characters. The revelation in the last quarter of the novel displays Rowling’s true talent. The way she can control the pace and plot with the well-crafted characters is most astute, while being highly rewarding. Suddenly, what was assumed is reevaluated. Villains are suddenly heroes and coupled with a deliberate exclusion of the far too predictable face off with Voldemort, the third in the series acts as a good link two future development.

Italian-American girl Patricia meets Gregori, “the gorgeous Greek” as she refers to him, and details their cross cultural romance in Harlot’s Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece. The opening chapters where she describes her early life gave me a clear picture of my childhood friends’ lives. I orbited around and crossed into their Italian lives- however, it was always a fleeting experience for me as their families welcomed me into their homes, fed me and treated me as one of their own kids. Then I went back to the quiet beige life with a then noticeable absence of stinky cheese and white wife-beater undershirts. I am a child of the 60’s.

When the celebrations and parties took place in adjoining backyards, when colored lights were strung and the happy conversations and shouts were predominately Italian, I understood (later) they kept their traditions going by marrying within their own culture. It was the rare one who married an Irish kid or someone from out of the “family.” Have you ever watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Like that………..or Papa wouldn’t be happy. Again, I am referring to life as I was growing up in the 1960s.

This book tells a story you can see unfold in your mind. The picturesque scenery and family life in Greece, the leading lady’s unfortunate experience with Greek liquor, to Gregori’s obstinate behavior toward his fiancé …it’s a good read. Even as her marriage falters Patricia moves forward positively and writes with humor. Full of food, passion and engaging stories – please read this cross cultural journey.

Harlot’s Sauce reminds me of pasta puttenesca. The sauce isn’t a specific recipe here, it’s combining good ingredients and making a good meal. It’s also taking the best of what you have on hand and making the most of it…for a recipe, for a life style. But I veered off course on the puttenesca and made a version of Pastitsio in honor of her Greek experiences. Recipe and such may be found at Squirrel Head Manor.

Kalo Taxidi! (Good Voyage!) and Buon Appetito.

More Information:
Patricia Volonnakis Davis’ Website
Patricia’s Opinion Blog

Linking up to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking Series: Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, beer, wine, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend.

Martia has taken a year off work. The guilt of a daughter being raised by strangers and the echoes of her daughter, Camille whispering cough in the night being the catalyst. The mysterious man of Stephen, a chance meeting at a cooking class, starts the summer. Lohrey’s vignettes are passionate, vivid and complex scenes. The city, at the height of summer, is captured with expertise and an element of ease.

…he sits alone and contemplates this small, unruly, smog-ridden patch of green, and the dense tangle of leaf that reflects each wave of immigrants to the city: figtree, lemon, grapevine, bluegum, banana palm, white frangipani and there, in afraught clump by the fence, a climbing red rosé entwined with a scarlet hibiscus, while at their base wild tomato plants run riot. The English, the Mediterranean, the tropical and the native bush entwined in a ceaseless tangle, and above hem the sweet heady smell of frangipani floating on an acrid of gasoline. Soon, when it is dark, the cicadas will start their shrill, insistent warbling, invisible tribes vibrating in the trees, a sweet orchestration of the familiar and exotic.

The history of the three, so suddenly thrown together, is the core of the novel and it is not until the last quarter that we learn of these secrets. Lohrey’s idea is simple, we all have secrets. Do we share them with others? For Martia, her bed now shared, should she share her daughter? The recordings made of other people’s history, living under Martia’s bed, are also about history and those personal stories. Martia records them, listens, transcribes them, but she will not share them. Camille is an interesting creation, mature beyond her years, her silences are as important as her interactions with the new dark man in her mother’s bed.

In parts the most stunning scenes, of the cityscape, are the let down. They are realistic, and eloquently described, they come across as the beginning of something that never comes. The city consumes every thought. The roaming roar of the 747s, the smog blanket and the constant hum of traffic. This is a novel for Sydney, both bright and dark. Every character here has these sides, discovering them is the easy part, loving them even easier.

I know the story from Michael Haneke’s excellent 2001 film adaptation, and reading the novel on which a great film is based is always a hostage to fortune. Typically, books are better than the films made of them, but when the film itself is so good… Happily, the novel proved to be noticeably different to the film; unhappily, it proved a less satisfying read than the film is a viewing experience.

Erika Kohut is a piano teacher at the Vienna Conservatory. She lives with her mother, a controlling, shrewish woman. But Erika’s prim and proper demeanour hides a secret – in the evenings, she sneaks about the city, visiting peep shows and spying on prostitutes going about their business. She buys expensive clothing, which makes her mother furious as they’re supposed to be saving for a bigger and more modern apartment, but never wears it.

And then one of Erika’s students, Walter Klemmer, finds himself attracted to his teacher, and sets about seducing her. But she responds by telling him exactly how he is to woo her – it involves bondage and humiliation – but he’s not so sure he can cope with her demands. He wants to be in control, he must be in control.

The Piano Teacher was first published in 1986 in Austria, as Die Klavierspielerin, and first published in English in 1988. The edition I read, published in 2010 by Serpent’s Tail, appears to use the original Weidenfeld & Nicolson translation from 1988, which means a lot of it has been translated into idiomatic American English. It doesn’t feel right. I’ve come across this before, when a novel translated into English uses American vernacular when it’s quite clearly not set in the US nor has American characters. There must be other ways to signal that the original was written in the demotic without resorting to clichés that only apply in the US and which often date quickly.

None of this is helped by Jelinek’s propensity to jump from metaphor to metaphor within a single paragraph. It feels like a lack of control over her material, yet in all other respects Jelinek’s prose is so tightly-written and brusque that it’s plain control is one of her chief strengths. Other elements of her style I found less problematic – dialogue, for example, is not always indicated by speech marks, and is sometimes only reported. The narrative remains tightly-focused on its three main characters – Erika, her mother, and Walter – and makes for a claustrophobic read. None of the central trio are at all sympathetic. The mother is quite horrible, Walter is the embodiment of youthful male arrogance, and even Erika herself feels damaged.

The Piano Teacher is not a comfortable read, just as Haneke’s film is not comfortable viewing. It’s a book that’s easier to admire than to like. I didn’t take to it as I did to Szabó’s The Door (see here), but I do think I’d like to read more Jelinek.

But there is more to the second novel in the Harry Potter series. The little moments of speculative bliss are with the characters, social and historical elements provided in slow drips by Rowling. The introduction of Dobby, a fantastic and original representation of an Elf. The vain, self absorbed new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher hides the brilliant social commentary on fame and celebrity in the tabloid era.

…you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.

From the frost novel there are developments of the wizard world, including the ancient racism around pure blood and those being Mudblood. The jigsaw puzzle of the life and times of Tom Riddle has another few pieces thrown on the table. The exposition between 16 year old Tom and Harry just confirms how and why Harry is both light and dark.

This novel is a vital link with many points that come back in the later novels. Harry’s choices are still his, increasingly influenced by the enigma figure of Dumbledore.

]]> http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/book-51-the-book-thief/ Sat, 22 Sep 2012 04:30:56 +0000 TroyMartin http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/book-51-the-book-thief/ There is no easy way to describe The Book Thief, the novel by Australian author, Markus Zusak. The premise: Death as a narrator, a girl, a couple, a Jew, a neighbour and a war.

First the colours.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.

There is a simple elegance to Zusak’s style. His clipped sentences, making the reader pause. The placement of those sentences on the page, with white space drawing the eye. The attention to detail. The dialogue, sparse and constrained. Of course, it is simply brilliant.

She tore a page from a book and ripped it in half.
Then a chapter.
Soon there was nothing but scraps of words littered between her legs and all around her. The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing. There would no no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or wordly tricks to make us feel better.
What good were the words?

Aside: what is it about Australians, the Holocaust and world war II? There is a long tradition that attracts Australian writers of all backgrounds to this time. This time of death, oppression, suppression, Zusak might call it the beautiful brutality.

There is a whispered elegance to Death. He (or it is she?) is astute and immortal, for this he-it?- does not need to rant and rage. Disconcertingly the time of the novel, that of a world at war, isn’t the busiest it has known. Death knows all of life, as it knows all of the opposite. That is, by knowing death, it knows life. It is the silent one, Liesel, rather than the character of Death, that matters. By knowing Liesel, we learn more about Death. They are in some ways, unequal partners.

I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race- that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words so damning and brilliant.

As Death, in the hands of Zusak tells us: we are at once horrid and hideous in our actions, while creating and admiring the beauty. Here, within the war, those tragic moments, those souls that save Liesel and Max, the fist-fighting Jew and Rudy live alongside the bombs dropping from the ‘rib cages of planes’ with humour and wit. How else would we handle concept that we all have death in common? If we didn’t have those people who will teach us to read, make us laugh, hide us in a basement, leave a window open to a library, give bread when no one else will, those that won’t use simple overused words, instead, watch over us when we are sick, what do we have?

]]> http://gcbooks.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/books-for-august-reading-challenge/ Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:09:28 +0000 loupie http://gcbooks.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/books-for-august-reading-challenge/ OK, so I’m aiming for 52×3=156 books for 2012. Here’s what happened reading-wise in August:

#94 Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute by Maggie Groff (Read 2/08/2012) It took me a while to get into this book – the main character “guffaws” quite early on, and then self-consciously tries to look girlish in case some of the builders across the road are watching her. This baffled me. There are some funny lines and it has local interest, being set on the Gold Coast and at Byron Bay. I liked the dynamic between the two middle-aged sisters, and I can see the books appeal factors which would make it a good read for others – I just felt like it was trying to do too much, with a character I couldn’t relate to.

#95 Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley (Read 3/08/2012) And this is what happens when I run out of reading material during my lunch break – I resort to the nearest fiction on the returns trolley in the corporate library. I thought the promise of the war-time reminisces of the lead character’s nanna, and a long-kept family secret, might lift this out of the ranks of the usual romantic chick-lit set in an English village where a plucky heroine starts her own glamorous girly business. I thought wrong.

#96 Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French (Read 4/08/2012) Despite all the head-shaking over Nazi medical experiments, and the subsequent writing of the Nuremberg Code for research ethics, dodgy medical experiments continued in plenty of places. This novel follows the fictional exploits of a woman seeking revenge on the doctor she sees as responsible for killing her child – the premise was inspired by actual clinical research that took place in the USA in the 1950s to see whether radiation could cross the placental barrier. Errr – yeah. There’s a good review of this book in the New York Times online which details much of its oddball appeal.

#97 The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (Read 9/08/2012) After feeling wishy-washy and equivocal over quite a bit of my reading, lately, it was great to find a book that I really loved. This is a series of interlinked short stories that follow the history of a single Massachusetts town, Blackwell, and the families that live there, from its earliest settlement to modern times. Hoffman’s writing is lyrical and the elements of magic that infuse it, make this read like a set of fairy tales. I loved seeing how elements of the earlier stories surfaced later, in sometimes different forms, including cameo appearances by Johnny Appleseed and Emily Dickinson, who both become part of Blackwell’s rich tapestry of stories.

#98 Hand in Hand Crafting with Kids by Jenny Doh (Read 12/08/2012) This craft book is light on craft and heavy on ideology, as it collects the musings and mantras of 20 “Mommy bloggers” who share their visions of parenting and one project apiece. Don’t read this book if you are a working parent – it will make you feel like evil scum. Also, probably best to steer clear if you have no interest in hand-felting your precious little ones’ clothes from recycled, organically-grown, yak muesli (or something like that). To be fair, some of the projects are quite nice, I just couldn’t stomach them served up with a spoonful of saccharine self-righteousness.

#99 Mrs Harris M.P. by Paul Gallico (Read 13/08/2012) Originally published in 1958, and part of a series about a down-to-earth London charwoman (cleaner), I enjoyed this short, easy to read novel. Ada Harris is a product of her time and place, but it’s still fun to read about her exploits. Here she embarks on a career in politics, determined to make a difference, but naively unsuspecting of political skullduggery. The clever tactics of her well-placed French friend had me laughing out loud.

#100 Mrs Harris Goes to Moscow by Paul Gallico (Read 14/08/2012) The indomitable Mrs Harris plays Cupid, and becomes involved in international relations, in this novel. She ventures behind the Iron Curtain with her friend Mrs Butterfield and falls afoul of the KGB. Gallico has a lovely way of describing his characters so that, even when the plot became  farcical, I was still happy to go along with it.

#101 The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity edited by Joshua Palmatier (Read 21/08/2012) A collection of funny or dark urban fantasy tales, that explore the possibilities of fairies co-existing with (hiding from, exploiting, glamouring and preying on) humans. I find these sorts of anthologies are a good way to discover new authors – and while this one didn’t work that way for me, if has convinced me to finally get started on one of Elizabeth Bear’s series.

#102 The Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc (Read 23/08/2012) I’m afraid I couldn’t get into this book – there just seemed to be too much technical detail on the plants and the way the gardens are built. Fantastic photos, though.
and #103 Tilda’s Spring Ideas by Tone Finnangern (Read 25/08/2012) is a seasonal offering of patterns to make cute crafty cloth dolls and other stuff.

#104 Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe (Read 27/08/2012) I met the author of this romance novel at the ARRA signing event that took place during the Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) conference in August, and admired the “Rita” she had received for it from the American Romance Writers. When I read that the book had also won the RWA “Ruby” – Romance Book of the Year – I figured it was something special. And it is. Definitely a must-read if you’re a fan of contemporary romances – not to take anything away from the lead characters, but I think it has the best written secondary romance I’ve ever read.

#105 Mrs Tim of the Regiment by D.E. Stevenson (Read 29/08/2012) I found this reprint of a British army wife’s fiction (based upon her own diary) charming and very evocative of the 1930s. The writing is lovely – glorious passages about the Scottish Highlands, witty musings, and great characters. Nothing much happens – it is only six months in the life of a relatively ordinary woman – and yet its appeal lies in being a slice of life, made all the more poignant because it is a lifestyle that no longer exists.

And that was all I read in August. A bit of a mixed bag, I must say, but now that I am half-way through September, I’m really feeling the impact from that wishy-washyness I mentioned above… I kept starting books and putting them aside. Past time to either finish them or give them up, I think. I’ll let you know how I get on.

]]> http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/reviewing-milestones/ Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:05:34 +0000 AJ http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/reviewing-milestones/ http://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/the-valley-of-shadows-by-mark-terry/ Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:55:13 +0000 tinabakesbread http://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/the-valley-of-shadows-by-mark-terry/

The following is from the jacket inside the novel The Valley of Shadows. After reading that, how could I not want to plunge into this novel?!

“A raid on a Pakistan Al-Qaeda cell recovers two laptops. When the computers’ booby-traps are defused and the computers decrypted and translated, they indicate that Al-Qaeda has planned a series of simultaneous attacks in five U.S. cities involving potential dirty bombs, biological weapons and maybe even a nuclear weapon-on Election Day. Derek Stillwater, troubleshooter for the Department of Homeland Security, is assigned to a multi-jurisdictional Special Terrorism Activity Response Team (START) to locate the weapon and terrorists in Los Angeles and prevent the attack. They have two days. But as they close in on their targets, Derek begins to think that the intelligence they gathered is a sideshow to distract them from the real target-one of the two candidates for President of the United States.”

The only thing I am sorry about is this book is the fourth in the Derek Stillwater books, but that won’t keep me from reading the others to be sure. I will be purchasing more of Mark Terry’s books, hopefully in Kindle edition.

As a side note, you can snap a book closed after reading but there is no dramatic effect when you simply turn your Kindle off. There isn’t a rousing statement in clicking the off button Still….. lovin’ my Kindle.

There weren’t many mentions of food in the book. After a dramatic escape from a fire (where Derek was tied to a chair – lots of action!) he hooked up with his former partners and wolfed down a breakfast burrito. Not exciting fare but hey, it was a moment of simplicity as he ate a common ordinary breakfast within hours of having a life threatnening experience, escaping being burned alive.

As if you need a recipe….but if you want to visit me at Squirrel Head Manor c’mon over!

More Information: Mark Terry

I am placing this review on Goodreads and also at Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking Series.

]]> http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/book-50-the-history-of-love/ Thu, 13 Sep 2012 23:52:04 +0000 TroyMartin http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/book-50-the-history-of-love/ Words can be full of beauty, they can be ugly. Words can be full of sorrow and pain. How can language, in narrative form, so engross while providing so much hope? I feel words are well worn, like the floor of the ocean. Finely tuned by the water, this floor can be smooth and safe, cracked and dangerous. Humans are the water to words; we polish and use and sometimes abuse and waste them. Nicole Krauss’ ‘The History of Love’ is in my top five favourite novels of all time. This is the first time I have tried to write about those words that wax and wane.

And then I thought: Perhaps that is what it means to be a father- to teach your child to live without you. Leo.

There are three main tracks in the narrative.

There is Leopold Gursky. A well-worn former locksmith, formerly from a part of Poland that has also been a part of Russia. One day, 25% of his heart died. He embodies that essence of Americana, the refugee, the migrant. Coming to America, knowing vaguely that everyone he once knew is dead, he hears that a woman from his home town made it to America. Not just any woman, but Alma. She is married, a child the right age to be his. One day, he rolls a piece of paper into the typewriter and begins to write. Again.

“I could learn Russian.” Misha nodded. “I’ll teach you. First word. Dai.” “Dai“. “Second word. Ruku.” “What does it mean?” “Say it first.” “Ruku.” “Dai ruku.” “Dai ruku. What does it mean?” Misha took my hand and held it. Alma.

There is Alma Singer. Named after every girl in a book her father gave her mother, called The History Of Love. Her observations of hope, desire, and despair are most incisive. Her father died when she was 7. She wants nothing more than for her brother, Bird, to be normal and her mother not to be sad. As tragedy often does, there is wit and worldliness to her. She begins to believe the Alma she is named after is real. She begins her search.

THAT YEAR I WORE MY FATHER’S SWEATER FOR FORTY-TWO DAYS STRAIGHT

On the twelfth day I passed Sharon Newman and her friends in the hall. “WHAT’S UP WITH THAT DISGUSTING SWEATER?” she said. Go eat some hemlock, I thought and decided to wear Dad’s sweater for the rest of my life. I made it almost to the end of the school year. It was alpaca wool, and by the middle of May it was unbearable. My mother thought it was belated grieving. But I wasn’t trying to set any records. I just liked the way it felt. Alma

There is Evi Litvinoff, from Poland, to Spain as the Nazi’s arrive, to Lisbon, via boat to Chile. He carries a brown paper package with his friend’s familiar handwriting: ‘To be held for Leopold Gursky until you see him again.’ Upon hearing the destruction by the fascists, he believes his friend to be dead. He re-writes his friend’s novel.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicki79/5346287591/)

Within the shadows of New York City- no other city could host this novel, as we learn more of Leo, Alma and Evi, we learn more of ourselves. The circumstances, of the Holocaust and the mass migration of body, mind and intellect, have not been appropriated for mass appeal. There is tenderness alongside the reality of loss and despair felt by every character.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandyxclear/3069653541/)

The worlds of the three are merged. There is a connection between each, despite the death of so many loved ones. That is the beauty of Krauss’ poetic prose, we are connected, effortlessly, endlessly.

When I told Alma the things I saw she would laugh and tell me she loved my imagination. For her I changed pebbles into diamonds, shoes into mirrors, I changed glass into water, I gave her wings and pulled birds from her ears and in her pockets she found the feathers, I asked a pear to become a pineapple, a pineapple to become a light bulb, a light bulb to become the moon, and the moon to become a coin I flipped for her love, both sides were head: I knew I couldn’t lose. Leo.

]]> http://kellylamborn.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/2012-reading-challenge-update/ Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:43:00 +0000 kellylamborn http://kellylamborn.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/2012-reading-challenge-update/

 

It’s been a while since I have posted about how I am doing with my challenge to read 50 books before the year is over so I figured why not do it today. Thank goodness for GoodReads.com because that is the only place I have been tracking the books I’ve been reading. In other words my list was a little out of date. Not to worry though, I’ve updated it and guess what.. yesterday I finished book number 40! I’m only 10 books away from reaching my goal! So what have I been reading?

 

1. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games Series #1) by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Series #2) by Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Series #3) by Suzanne Collins
4. Honor Thyself by Danielle Steel
5. Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel
6. Family Ties by Danielle Steel
7. Legacy by Danielle Steel
8. Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
9. Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
10. Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury
11. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
12. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
13. If I Stay (If I Stay Series #1) by Gayle Forman
14. Where She Went (If I Stay Series #2) by Gayle Forman
15. Two Truths and a Lie (The Lying Game Series #3) by Sara Shepard
16. Lonely Millionaire by Carol Grace
17. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
18. After Adam by Katie Aleo
19. Between the Lines (Between the Lines Series #1) by Tammara Webber (Read My Review)
20. Where You Are (Between the Lines Series #2) by Tammara Webber (Read My Review)
21. Good for You (Between the Lines Series #3) by Tammara Webber (Read My Review)
22. Dream Chaser by Angie Stanton
23. Easy by Tammara Webber (Read My Review)
24. Slammed (Slammbed Series #1) by Colleen Hoover (Read My Review)
25. Point of Retreat (Slammed Series #2) by Colleen Hoover (Read My Review)
26. Something Like Fate by Susance Colasanti
27. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
28. Forever Mine (The Moreno Brothers Series #1) by Elizabeth Reyes (Read My Review)
29. Always Been Mine (The Moreno Brothers Series #2) by Elizabeth Reyes (Read My Review)
30. Sweet Sofie (The Moreno Brothers Series #3) by Elizabeth Reyes (Read My Review)
31. Romero (The Moreno Brothers Series #4) by Elizabeth Reyes (Read My Review)
32. Making You Mine (The Moreno Brothers Series #5) by Elizabeth Reyes (Read My Review)
33. Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire (Read My Review)
34. The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys #1) by Abbi Glines (Read My Review)
35. The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys #1) by Abbi Glines (Read My Review)
36. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
37. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
38. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
39. Noah (5th Street Series #1) by Elizabeth Reyes
40. Gio (5th Street Series #2) by Elizabeth Reyes

 I so excited to start reading the Blog Friends Book Club book for September, What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. Be sure to come back and check out the my review on it the beginning of October.

 

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]]> http://trippingoverbooks.com/2012/09/13/book-review-throne-of-glass-by-sarah-j-maas/ Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:00:02 +0000 trippingbooks http://trippingoverbooks.com/2012/09/13/book-review-throne-of-glass-by-sarah-j-maas/

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass, #1

Genre: Fantasy YA

Amazon | Goodreads

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release date: August 7, 2012

Challenge: DAC

Source: ARC from BEA

Summary: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

The buzz for this debut from Sarah J. Maas has been pretty deafening, guys. THRONE OF GLASS is the beginning of a brand new YA fantasy series about a young girl assassin/criminal who gets caught up not only in a competition of assassins for the king she hates, but also between two young men (one of whom I greatly prefer over the other. But more on that in a sec). If you can pick out all of the awesome things in that sentence, you have an idea how thoroughly enjoyable a debut THRONE OF GLASS is. As with debuts, though, there were things that I’m hoping will be a little bit better in future installments. Which, of course, I will be reading like WHOA.

So THRONE OF GLASS is about a kick-ass young lady named Celaena Sardothien, formerly the greatest assassin in the land who was caught and imprisoned by the current king in the brutal salt mines. When he calls for a competition to crown the King’s Champion (read: assassin), the Crown Prince Dorian chooses Celaena as his entrant to sponsor, and he and his captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, go to retrieve her. The competition between all kinds of unsavory sorts takes a turn for the gruesome when contestants start dropping dead in really bloody ways all over the place. So there’s drama from that. Plus, there’s romancey drama between Celaena and the two guys–Dorian and Chaol. There’s some political shenanigans, as well as a pretty big paranormal twist that I’m not going to divulge. Sarah J. Maas packs in the action and drama, friends. And also the complicated emotions of a trio of young adults.

One of the things that I liked the most about this book–even though it took me a little bit to warm up to it–was Celaena herself. What did I love? Well, she’s a badass. This has been established, and is always a good thing. She’s smart, brave, skilled, and a deadly MF. She spends LOTS of her time reading books, and I can tell is one of those characters who knows when and how to play things to their advantage. Calculating. That’s a good word. Also, I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that she wasn’t a tomboy. She loves getting dressed up and looking fly for big fancy parties. I love that she makes a point of showing readers that you can be tough and active without forgoing girly things. However. I found Celaena a bit abrasive and arrogant. Granted, she’s had an incredibly difficult life and, at the start of THRONE OF GLASS, she’s dealing not only with the effects of her imprisonment, but also the death of a good friend. Still. There were times when her personality grated me.

One thing that grated me more often than not was Celaena’s relationship with Prince Dorian. Don’t get me wrong: I like him. I think he’s a good character. His dad is gnarly and vicious and greedy for more land, and Dorian chafes under his father’s rule. He’s also a great flirt, and likes to log some serious time in the smoosh room, if I recall correctly. And listen, that’s great for him. I appreciated a sexually active character. But something about his feelings for Celaena, and hers for him, felt rushed and a little cliched to me. I know that lots of people read this book and were legit torn about the love interests, but I’m not so much. I just wasn’t feeling them together. This is partly because I think Chaol, the captain of the guard, is smoldery and swoony and mysterious and, I think, better suited for Celaena. It’s clear that Celaena feels SOMETHING for him and he for her. I’m ready for that to happen, please, Sarah. Plus, he’s a great character. Conflicted and mistrusting of Celaena at first, it’s clear that he’s going to be broody and emo about getting with her when he knows the prince–his good friend–got there first. But honestly? That’s some sloppy seconds I would totally get behind. #TeamChaol.

Overall, though, THRONE OF GLASS was a really enjoyable debut. There are hints of magic in this world that I’m hoping we get more information about in the future, and Celaena still has some secrets up her sleeve relating to that. Plus there’s a war on in this world, and I know that the political scheming is going to ramp up because, well, IT MUST. Sarah J. Maas really created an interesting world with great characters who still have lots to share. A very, very good debut.

]]> http://yasminezikry.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/1001-books-you-must-read-before-you-die-2/ Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:48:47 +0000 !!YaZ!! http://yasminezikry.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/1001-books-you-must-read-before-you-die-2/ http://yasminezikry.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/breaking-the-curse/ Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:30:29 +0000 !!YaZ!! http://yasminezikry.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/breaking-the-curse/ http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/book-49-harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone/ Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:32:20 +0000 TroyMartin http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/book-49-harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone/ Why read Harry Potter?

Wouldn’t it be easier to critique it? It is just a children’s book, after all.

Two thoughts before I begin: 1. The Harry Potter series is just a franchise (estimated at around 15 billion); speculative fiction is big business and all. 2. Harry Potter is written for children and by accident there was a cross-over to those who are children at heart.

There is a formula at play. The Philosopher’s Stone begins in the world of the aspiring middle class of the Dursleys. On the simplest level, the formula is one of good and evil. An outsider, a skinny, oppressed boy is our anti-hero. From the opening we are immediately handicapped by Rowling. On the very first page, she tells us that this is our story. That is at the core of the narrative, it is ours, to do as we please with the characters and messages. She treats her readers with such respect that you feel empowered.

“…the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things which are worst for them.”

On the deepest levels the ideal of redemption for the individual and for the collective good is within each character. Hagrid’s actions are motived by his desire to fulfil Dumbledore’s respect. Hagrid is a former student, expelled and he wants more than anything to live up to Dumbledore. Ron embodies the wizards’ worlds working class background, one still ‘pure’ but one that had chosen a different path to that of the Malfoys. Harry desires his family, to know of their love. For Snape, having his life saved by  Harry’s father’s life, it is an unwritten rule for him to protect Harry’s.

The Nazi-esque (or closer to home the language used to classify, vilify and control Aboriginal people for many years) social Darwinism of the pure blood debate is a serious confrontation of prejudice and intolerance. Are people like the Malfoys born or nurtured to believe in their supremacy?

The trio, thrown together by circumstance, are the heart of the novel. Ron, Harry and Hermione are not instantly the staple foundation of the narrative. In essence, Harry is a clever, famous boy who excels at sport. Ron is the side kick, the boy wonder to Batman. Hermione is positioned as that all too well known in western societies, that of being beyond clever, the intellectual female. Ron spends some time trying to cut her down to size. Tall poppy syndrome, like racism and a class system, inhabits the wizardry world. Harry watches much of Ron’s distaste for Hermione and his silence is important. We all know he is not void of fault. He was, after all, raised as a human, unknowingly special.

“Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realise that lover as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign…to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will us some protection forever. It is your very skin.”

The intricate recreation of this world is, at most, charming. There is an art to convincing a reader to believe is something beyond many writers. Rowling gives us enough room between the real and the unreal, between good and evil, allowing the reader to be taken, not by force, but by choice.

]]> http://faithlifeandmommyhood.com/2012/09/06/autumnblogchallenge_day6/ Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:00:32 +0000 amandacoan http://faithlifeandmommyhood.com/2012/09/06/autumnblogchallenge_day6/ Books I want to read within the next year:

1. Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R. R. Martin
2. The Confession by John Grisham
3. King of Torts by John Grisham
4. Stefan’s Diaries Series
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
6. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I’m sure I’ll come across more, but as of right now these are the ones I want to read next.

]]> http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/book-48-sweet-tooth/ Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:19:40 +0000 TroyMartin http://litistan.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/book-48-sweet-tooth/

This isn’t a spy drama. Ian McEwan’s ‘Sweet Tooth’ is more than a novel of London or the 1970’s. Bound with literary references, you do not need a companion to English literature to enjoy this novel. That is the most startling effect of the novel; it was a serious read, while being a fun read. That consistent desire of the novelist: to be taken seriously, while also being a joy to read, while not being Dan Brown. Our narrator Serena Frome is living multiple lives. A daughter, a sister, a worker, a lover.

 “Civilisation threatened by nuclear war, and I am brooding about a stranger who caressed my palm with his thumb. Monstrous solipsism.”

Of all my love for McEwan’s work, he does two things better than most writers: tension (see Child in Time) and sex (think library scene in Atonement or the newlyweds in On Chesil Beach).

It is Serena, her vocabulary and perception that is most fascinating in ‘Sweet Tooth’. Serena feels like our host, with liberties and no desire to hide from her faults. As a low level officer with MI5, with just a third in Mathematics from Cambridge, she is given a task: convince a promising writer to accept that the Freedom International Foundation will pay him publish his work. Of course, a certain type of work is required, one that confirms the supreme nature of capitalism, one that confirms the status quo. A status quo that is elegantly layered in the novel. One of brownouts and black outs to save electricity, Unions as rebels with a cause, the constant real threat of terrorism (yes, it existed before 9/11!) and the soft Cold War that could turn hot.  The 1970’s just wasn’t sex, drugs and rock and roll.

The relationship between Serena and her mentor, Tony is drawn with exquisite brush strokes. He is worn, literary, confrontational, intellectually challenging. Serena knows that this older married man may not deserve her love:

 “These clever, amoral, inventive, destructive men, single-minded, selfish, emotionally cool, coolly attractive.”

But she does and that captures McEwan’s style in one.

Tony parts mid-way through the novel and its her longing not so much for him, but to know what happened to him, that co-exists with her second life. Her undercover life, her second life, as critic and lover for the promising writer Tom Haley becomes the only one she cares for. Her first life, that is known to her father, a Bishop with a decreasing parish and a low level Civil Service job that makes her mother proud.

McEwan has fun with literary giants and literary awards. The novel does not take itself too seriously, while being a serious novel of style and substance. Imagine, George Orwell ‘helped’ by the secret service to publish Animal Farm or 1984! McEwan, a novelist first joining the insular literary world in the 1970’s, why not write of this time again? Particularly when one can write like this.   

 “I believed writers were paid to pretend, and where appropriate should make use of the real world, the one we all shared, to give plausibility to whatever they had made up.”

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