The pitch for this book from TLC Book Tours was something along the lines of "if Jaws, Survivor and Stephen King had a baby, this book would be it". (I can't find the e-mail so I apologize if I am misquoting!) Anyway, that was the spirit of the e-mail, and combine that with the fact the story takes place in the Florida Keys? It was like dangling a bloody steak in front of a dog...or a shark for that matter. I was in.
Synopsis: Six strangers wake up on an uninhabited island in the Florida Keys, clueless on how they got there. Soon however, it becomes very clear what they all have in common...they are all heroin addicts and they soon begin to have violent withdrawal symptoms. They also discover a chest filled with food, water and a message. Swim a mile, it says, through shark-infested water, to the nearest island for additional food and your next heroin fix, or die. Just off the shore, a yacht's mysterious inhabitants observe what happens next.
What follows is a brutal and deadly game of survivor, played by crazed junkies...two woman and four men. Not only do they have to battle each other and their own demons and agendas, but their unknown adversaries who seem to be bent on proving a point.
My thoughts: One thing I can say about this book, and that is it is a rip-roaring fast read. The author doesn't waste any time. He immediately plunges you into the nightmare and drags you through to the last page. The plot is gritty, grisly and unflinching.
But as fun as it is to read something like this, I felt there were some missed opportunities in really developing these six characters. You get a small amount of background, but I didn't get nearly enough. These were all real, sympathetic folks that had fallen on bad times. I could have easily invested in them, but I wasn't given much time to do that. With what I was given, I placed by bets on the guy with the most fight in him.
I also felt the reader got the barest of explanations on the motive of the game players. I sort of got it, but thought it was a stretch that these people would go to such extremes and expense to prove their point. In a conversation I had with Ti, we agreed that it might have been better to have no explanation at all versus one that just skimmed the surface.
Be that as it may, this would be a perfect book for the beach or for a readathon. Your attention won't stray. In fact, don't be surprised if you finish in one sitting.
I do have a copy to give away, so leave me a comment if you are interested in reading this, and I'll randomly select a winner by September 30.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Sometimes a book can just grab you from the very beginning and suck you in until you have turned the final page. The book doesn't care if you have other commitments, like children to feed, or sleep to be had. With "Indiscretion", I had advance warning. At SIBA, it was an Editor's Pick, and they told us it was a one-sitting read.
It seemed like a foregone conclusion when Trish from TLC Book Tours asked me if I wanted to read it for the tour. Uh, YEAH. That girl always makes me an offer I can't refuse. She is the Godfather of book tours, that one.
My one-sitting read luckily occurred not when I had hungry children, but when I had a flight from Chicago to San Francisco. I did have to shut the book temporarily when we landed, but once in the hotel (with a husband who really wanted to get out on the streets and see stuff), I locked myself in the bathroom until I finished it. I swear on all that is holy that is what I did. This book is one of THOSE BOOKS.
Synopsis: Harry and Madeleine Winslow are one of those couples who seem to have it all. Harry is a successful novelist and National Book Award winner. Maddie has an ageless beauty and grace that charms and enchants all those that come within her orbit. Together they host parties at their East Hampton summer home, are surrounded by vibrant and loving friends, have a child that has flourished despite some health issues, and have a rock solid marriage based on mutual respect.
Then one summer, a young and pretty woman named Claire, visiting the Hamptons with a less-than-reputable investment banker boyfriend, gets drawn into the hypnotic and addictive warmth of the Winslow's aura. She brushes off the banker and joins the Winslows for weekends at the beach, and befriends them both. The friendship takes on a slightly obsessive edge, however, and temptation and flirtation turn into something more threatening.
Narrated by Maddie's heavily-invested childhood friend Walter, we are provided a predominantly omniscient perspective of how a charmed life can turn so very wrong with one lusty decision.
My thoughts: There are many tawdry books out there about affairs and their consequences, so the intelligent question at this point would be "why is this one any different?". It's not like the story doesn't have faults, because it does. But there is special something going on in this story that is completely compelling. Riveting, vivid characters for one. Edgy, breathless writing for another.
There is a tension present on every page...a wormy, niggling fear in your stomach. You just know things are going to be awful. YOU KNOW THIS. The question is exactly what will it be? I had memories of Fatal Attraction! OMG, will a rabbit die? Will there be a sinister element, with knives and threatening tapes? Or will it be like watching a natural disaster, slow-motion? Will people die? There is foreshadowing oozing out of every chapter, but because I don't know this author, I wasn't sure if he would make good on his hints, or is he just trying to scare me? I certainly had an idea of what I thought would happen, but when the gig was finally up, it was like I had been punched in the gut. I cursed out loud.
And what is this deal with Walter? I turned a skeptical eye on him. Is HE the psycho? Is he reliable? I wasn't completely comfortable with the way he knew everything about the story he was telling. There were explanations for how he knew, but it was sketchy.
I also felt like the last 50 or so pages of the book was a bit of a letdown. Like a slow air leak out of a tire. After all that anxiety, I wasn't sure how to handle the change in tone. This did not stop me from loving the book, however.
Ultimately, I found this to be an amazing book, and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a wild, 24-hour ride in the book world. There is plenty to discuss for a book club pick as well. Go read it now.
5 out of 5 stars
True crime has always been "fun" reading for me. It inspires me, it intrigues me, and usually propels me to dig deeper, to Google things, to obsess. The ladies at TLC know this, and often approach me when books like this come on tour.
I'd never heard of this case, which originally occurred in 1970. It is an investigation that has inspired books, a movie, and decades of bumbling trials that never really arrived at a satisfying answer. Where on earth have I been? I was dying for more info.
Synopsis: In the middle of the night at Fort Bragg NC, in 1970, an esteemed doctor (Jeffrey MacDonald) called the police. He had been attacked, and his wife and two young daughters had been murdered. The word "pig" had been written on the walls in blood, and MacDonald told a horrible tale of four drug-crazed hippies who had committed this crime.
Over a period of 9 years and numerous trials, a circuitous path is taken in the conviction of Jeffrey MacDonald for these murders. The story he tells, which is supported by one guilt-ridden and drug-addicted woman who claims to have been at the home during the murders, is much different than the one told by the military and the prosecution.
In the hands of Errol Morris (filmmaker and private detective), who not only pores over the original court documents, but interviews those involved long after the dust has settled, it becomes clear that a serious injustice has occurred. Leads that were not pursued, a crime scene that was not preserved, lost evidence, errors in the transfer of notes, prejudiced judges...ultimately a team of lawyers that were so convinced of MacDonald's guilt, they turned their backs on facts that would have caused reasonable doubt in a court of law. Morris has spent over 20 years researching a case that undoubtedly has imprisoned the wrong man.
My thoughts: The premise of this work is beyond fascinating to me. The idea that a murder investigation could go this wrong is terrifying, and brings back other stories with a similar result, like "An Innocent Man" by John Grisham or "The Monster of Florence". Nearly everyone involved in this case (except the military and the prosecution of course) believes MacDonald is innocent! But yet he still sits in prison to this day. It is the kind of thing that blows one's mind.
Yet the material...the blood, sweat and tears of Morris that is the work of over two decades...is insanely dense. The level of detail is something I really struggled with. Diagrams, interviews, transcripts from the trials...it is all in there. I was reading this book during a very busy time for me, and I could not get a solid purchase. The reading requires concentration, and is not conducive to five or fifteen minute reading sessions. This is a book that would be best digested in several long reading sessions instead. But this is not the kind of time that I had. So I labored, and it took me a solid three weeks to read. It is a long book.
I was also disappointed there weren't more pictures. True crime requires pictures, otherwise I have to do a lot of work on my own. If these people exist, then I want to see what they look like.
So while the idea of this book was mind-bending and thought-provoking, I got lost in the weeds. I will most certainly keep the book for another read in a different year when I have the time to invest fully.
3 out of 5 stars
I wandered into this one totally blind and by sheer luck. My ever-generous friend Heather transferred a download of this audiobook to me months ago. I knew nothing about it, and so there is sat, on my iPod. Then good reviews started popping up and I threw out my usual comment "Boy I really need to listen to this". Realistically though, I probably wouldn't have gone there had it not been for Lisa at TLC Book Tours, who asked if I wanted to jump on the bandwagon. Sure why not?
Had I known anything about the plot, though, I'm not sure I would have made this same decision. It just isn't the type of book that speaks to me. I guess I stand corrected.
Synopsis: In an epic, revealing tale of the mysterious North Korea, we are introduced to Jun Do, the "son" of an administrator of a North Korean orphanage. He believes he is truly the man's son, even though he is treated like all the other orphans, and given a name of one of the 114 Grand Martyrs akin to "John Doe". Appropriately then, our John Doe takes on many roles and shifting personalities in his life. He is a patrolman of the dark tunnels beneath the DMZ, then recruited to kidnap Japanese citizens. He learns English, then is assigned to a fishing ship to monitor foreign radio transmissions. Through a series of mishaps, he is deemed a national hero and acts as a diplomat on a trip to Texas. From there he is imprisoned in a labor camp, where he goes hand to hand with the evil Commander Ga, kills him and then impersonates him, all the way down to acting as husband to his beautiful actress wife.
The story is narrated through three voices: that of a propaganda announcer, of Jun Do, and of a young, idealistic interrogator. The story is also separated into two parts - that which happened before Jun Do "became" Commander Ga, and after, when he becomes consumed with Ga's wife and children. Ambitious in scope, we walk in the shoes of a sort of conscientious objector in a regime that has no tolerance of such behavior. Through two men, we see the roles available to those who serve Kim Jong-il. Heartbreakingly, we see their inner hopes and dreams and sense of responsibility, and what must be sacrificed to survive.
My thoughts: All of this drama may seem unlikely and even a little over-the-top, but in Johnson's capable hands, he takes it on and wins. However, I didn't start off loving it. I couldn't figure out what the HECK was going on. I was confused. Wasn't he just on a boat with fishermen? Now he is in Texas? Now he is prison? What just happened? I almost stopped around disc 5, blaming it on my listening skills. But I persevered, and after awhile I got completely sucked into the slipstream of the craziness. North Korea is a little surreal anyway, isn't it? With it's rules governed by one narcissistic, fallible man (now the narcissist's son who looks like a spoiled rich kid), the brainwashed nature of their citizens, and the unbalanced distribution of resources. A hell on Earth, it seems to me. Unconventional tales of adventure seem to belong in this land.
I think everyone in the US sort of knows about the backwardness and absurdity of North Korea, but it was the graphic novel "Pyongyang" that made my blood turn cold, and really made me stop and think about what life might be like over there. If this book is any indication (and I'm assuming it is, since the author actually visited there), to step foot over there would be my worst nightmare.
I found it pretty humorous that the author includes many interactions with the Dear Leader, and portrayed him as a goofy, self-absorbed whack job. I'm sure some poetic license was taken here, but how could he not be?
Overall, this was one bizarre reading experience, one that you have to work for, but one worth the effort. It was no easy feat to even begin to describe it, and it continues to linger in my mind days after I finished.
A few words about the audio production: The audio featured three narrators - Tim Kang, Josiah D. Lee, and James Kyson Lee. Each were excellent, with authentic accents (even a Texan one!) and made the listening experience one of total immersion. It doesn't appear that any of them have much experience at audio narration but you would never know.
Listening length: 19 hours and 22 minutes (464 pages)
4.5 out of 5 stars
I never got in on the madness that swept through the blogiverse when Flynn's first book "Sharp Objects" was published. But boy, it was hard to ignore the rave reviews. I also did not read her second book "Dark Places". Too many books, so little time, and all that. I feel like I need to go confess for these sins. I know not what I do.
Because, my friends, after reading this book. This freaking Tilt-a-Whirl carnival ride of a book. This INSANE book. I am shamed. What. The. Hell. Have. I. Been. Doing. With. My. Life.
Did you see that in the middle of May, a couple of weeks before it's pub date, Entertainment Weekly had this little beauty on its Bullseye List? In the good part of the Bullseye, I might add, saying it is the one book you need to read this summer? And the "A" they ultimately gave it, calling it "ingenious and viperish"? (Seriously, look at this review.) Well, they weren't lying. Let's see if I can give you a feel for what you are in for, without spoiling the heck out of it.
Synopsis: On the morning of Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary, in the small town of Carthage, Missouri, everything starts out business as usual. Amy makes Nick crepes, then Nick heads out to work at the bar he bought and runs with his twin sister. A few hours later, however, Amy is missing and there are signs of a struggle at their home. Amy's parents fly in, the police get involved, and soon the entire nation is praying for Amy's safe return. It is no surprise that all eyes are on Nick. Everyone knows that it is always the husband who is the prime suspect. And Nick has been acting inappropriately, which makes it worse.
In alternating chapters, we hear from Nick and from Amy through diary entries written prior to her disappearance. This is obviously a marriage that has taken a wrong turn, and a reader would expect to get two sides of the story. Marriages go through tough times, after all. But the reader will NOT expect the sinister, sadistic turn this tale takes halfway through. A character study in chilling, sociopathic behavior? A psychotic emotional roller-coaster? A device to force every married reader to look a little closer at their spouse? A statement on the public's mass hysteria and knee-jerk judgements of cases involving missing women? This story has it all.
My thoughts: OK, I've said this a million times before. I am a huge mystery thriller fan. Mysteries, murders, psycho-killers...this is my comfort food. They do all start to run together for me after while, however. You have to find a niche, set yourself apart to get my attention and force me to remember the plot a week after I've finished it.
So trust me. You have never read anything quite like this. Dudes it is DARK. Like Cohen Brothers dark. Maybe even darker. Into a mile-deep black pit of foul inky sludge you go.
Holy mind-screw Batman. I had no idea which was was north. I was completely incapable of managing my emotions. I hated Nick, I loved Amy. I hated Amy, I loved Nick. I hated them all. I feared them all. I didn't know how I felt. Which team was I on? I was scared, horrified, but also strangely electrified and consumed by this story and the personalities involved. I didn't like the people in this book AT ALL, which is normally the kiss of death with me. But I couldn't take my eyes off them. They were compelling, beguiling.
So what else do I need to say to get you to read this? That it will be on my favorites list at year end? That it would blow the roof off of a book club? Just. Go read it, now. While I go redeem myself as a lover of mysteries and read this author's back list.
5 out of 5 stars
The gals over at TLC know their readers, which is why every time they come a-callin', I end up accepting a review opportunity. This time around, they waved a mystery thriller in front of me (my brain candy) and I bit. I'd never heard of the author before, but when has that ever stopped me? Sometimes it is good to bust out of the series habit.
Synopsis: It has been eleven years since Risa's best friend Carol was brutally murdered and her alcoholic husband Sean disappeared. She has moved on...Sean was declared legally dead, she has remarried a local politician, who adopted her son Kevin and accepted him as his own.
Everyone's life is turned upside down then, when Sean shows up one day, claiming an accident resulting in brain injury has caused strange memories to come forth...memories that torment him and make him believe that he was the one who killed Carol, not the man convicted. He intends to turn himself in, which would implode Risa's entire life. There are so many unanswered questions in Risa's mind as well. Does she still have feelings for her ex-husband? How could the man she loved and had a child with been the one to savagely kill Carol? Plus her husband is acting irrationally. Is there more going on here than his concern for his political career?
My thoughts: There are many stories out there right now that deal with memory loss, and mysteries that are complicated by its presence. The mind is a tricky little thing...it plays games and nothing is ever straightforward, which makes it a great plot device. For this reason, the story is intriguing. Sean is a sympathetic character, and even though he may have murdered someone, you feel his pain in trying to interpret his visions and in wanting to do the right thing.
Overall, however, while the mystery is entertaining and a quick read, it is ultimately forgettable. Besides Sean, none of the characters inspired any investment on my part. I found the bad guys two-dimensionally bad and Risa to be under-developed. There were twists, but in my opinion were predictable in their setup, and you could see the big reveal a mile away. Still, the pace was fast and the writing flowed easily.
If you want an easy airplane or beach read, or have an interest in a memory loss mystery, you might want to check this one out. It probably isn't one that will linger in your mind, but sometimes that isn't a requirement.
3 out of 5 stars
I'm going to repeat a rant I've had in the past. I have almost stopped blog tours completely. I get stressed out over the commitment, and I really enjoy reading what I want. If you feel like I do, then I would suggest you think twice about getting to know Trish Collins with TLC. Because she is one lady that is almost impossible to turn down.
See the beauty of Trish is that she is a blogger and she knows us. She understands our likes and dislikes, so when she comes a-knocking, she most likely will have an arsenal of books that she knows we are going to HAVE TO HAVE.
I was standing fast against accepting tours and ARCs one day, and Trish sent me an e-mail about "The Baker's Daughter". Past and present collide, intertwined lives, WWII, learning to forgive. Words that just reel me in. Plus Sarah McCoy, the author, is a little ray of sunshine on Twitter...friendly, upbeat and approachable. Authors should never underestimate the power of their presence on social media. Needless to say, I threw my hat in the ring for this one.
Synopsis: Reba should be on top of the world. She has a successful career as a journalist in El Paso, TX and she is engaged to a loving man. She refuses to allow herself the freedom to enjoy her life, though, because of unresolved horrors with her father and the rest of her family back home in Virginia. Until she meets Elsie...then her life begins to change.
Elsie and her daughter Jane run a bakery in El Paso. Elsie spent her youth learning the trade in her parents' bakery in Germany in the 1930's and 1940's. With the onset of WWII, Elsie's older sister finds herself a single mother and a participant in the Lebensborn Program (a glorified Nazi breeding program), and Elsie becomes engaged to a much older Nazi general who attempts to protect her and her family from the horrors of the Third Reich. But both Elsie and the general have secrets, ones that have far-reaching implications, and which may save or destroy lives.
The narrative alternates in time between Reba, Jane and Elsie's lives in the present, and Elsie's horrific past, weaving together the lives of these three strong women. Each have their own fears and obstacles, each with so much in common. As we learn their stories, we come to appreciate the value of their friendship, Elsie's immense courage and resolve to survive in the face of evil.
My thoughts: Both mysteries and WWII novels have big shoes to fill in my reading life. I've read so many examples of these genres that I'm not easily impressed. With that said, surprisingly I've recently read not one but TWO WWII novels that stand out...this one and "The Zookeeper's Wife" (review coming soon). So what was so special about "The Baker's Daughter"?
Several things. The female characters in this story were so strong, and had such chemistry with each other. They absolutely came alive on the page. You can't just conjure that kind of magic...you either have it or you don't. These women were survivors. I particularly loved Elsie. She was a pistol at 17 and a pistol at 80. She took charge of her life and made her mark. It was endearing to see her mentor Reba, who desperately needed a mother-figure.
And this business with the Lebensborn Program. What on earth? Why hadn't I heard of such a thing? The idea of basically pimping out perfect Aryan women in order to breed perfect Aryan children, who then belong to the state, and killing off the rejects? The idea completely horrified me.
I appreciated getting the perspective of Elsie's Nazi general fiancé as well. Understanding his motivations to shield Elsie's family from harm, understanding his humanity, just added additional depth to an already complex collection of personalities.
The story in turns melted my heart and broke it. I guess you have to expect this in a novel about the war, but McCoy adds her beautiful and gentle prose to make it seem almost like a love song. And while there are portions of this book that will make you heartsick, the end offers a soaring hope that all is right with the world.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis: Eliza Sommers was born an orphan in Valparaiso Chile, and adopted by a wealthy family consisting of the beautiful spinster Rose, and her two entrepreneurial brothers John and Jeremy. Raised as a proper lady, with lessons in etiquette, languages and music, Eliza's entire life was spent preparing for the eventuality of marrying a man of means. But when 16-year-old Eliza falls in love with a poor clerk full of impassioned ideas, she casts aside good sense and follows her lover to California and to the heart of the gold rush.
With the help from her friend Tao Chi'en, Eliza arrives in California to find it full of crazed men, prostitutes, highway robbers and crooked politicians, all trying to make their fortune. To protect herself, she poses as a man, and sets off to find her lover. Instead, she reinvents herself, learning about survival and what love really means.
My thoughts: What a treat this audiobook was! From her memoir, I sense that Allende is a woman full of passion and courage, and it seems that her personality was channelled into Eliza. It was easy to believe in Eliza from the beginning, despite the fact that she fell head over heels in love with the Wrong Guy. (Let's admit it. It happens. It's not a fatal flaw, assuming you grow up and learn to make better choices.) Eliza is strong and determined, and I admired her for her belief in her mission. For a pampered socialite, she held her own.
Then there is the whole historical part of the story. The Chilean culture, its growth and development into an international economy, and its people who participated in staking their claims in other parts of the world. I also found the stories of the birth of California, San Francisco and the gold rush to be incredibly fascinating. I love to learn a thing or two while I'm being entertained.
Allende doesn't leave anything on the table, whether it be historical or character background. She gives everyone and everything it's full due. I might even suggest there is too much background on some of the characters (I remember wondering if "all this detail" was relevant) but it certainly gives the story heft and depth.
In my mind, Allende stands out from most other authors for her dramatic and passionate prose. It makes sense to me, as I live in a community that has a very high concentration of Hispanics, and they are all about drama and passion and what some of them have called their "salsa". But within this style is a feeling of things being overdone. Allende's characters feel a tad bit over-the-top, where the men have prowess and magnetism, the women have superb skills in the bedroom (or learn adeptly), they fall in love quickly and deeply, they are talented in whatever they do. There is a touch of fairytale in the storytelling. I admit to a little eye-rolling, but ultimately allowed myself to buy into the illusion for the sake of entertainment.
A word about the audio production: My heartfelt applause to whoever made the decision to hire Blair Brown as the narrator of everything Allende. Since I listened to her narrate "Sum of Our Days", her voice will forever be Allende's voice: rich, skillful at Spanish pronunciation, passionate with a sliver of no-nonsense. Brown was back in my ears with this production, and I couldn't have been happier. I know most authors have no involvement in the choice of narrators, but I'm going to pretend that Allende had everything to do with this one.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Sometimes the patterns that you start to see in your reading and real lives become eerily synchronized. You begin to feel that the moons are aligned, or there is some alien up there playing with their version of a Rubik's cube, and your face is on one of the squares. Take, for example, this book, "The Postmistress". I got REALLY pumped about its release about a year ago, bought it on my Kindle on THE day it published, and it sat there until I was invited by Lisa to review it on the TLC Blog Tour. This situation may not sound familiar to you, but this is almost exactly what happened with The Lotus Eaters, which, after all that waiting, became a five star read for me in 2010. There has got to be a lesson in all of this somewhere.
But not only are the circumstances of reading the books the same, but both novels are about strong women coping during a time of war. Both books even feature a female journalist. And ultimately, I loved both books immensely. Here is a little about "The Postmistress":
Synopsis: 1939, three women, one war, one man. In London, Frankie Bard is a young, feisty radio journalist who is determined to tell the world what is happening...the bombs, the death, the Jewish refugees, the randomness. Across the ocean, in a small seaside town in Massachusetts, Iris James, a middle-aged postmaster, watches over her town, and all information about this threatening war, the letters and telegrams, passes through her hands to the townsfolk. Emma Fitch, a young bride, visits the post office daily to hear word from her new husband, a doctor that joined the efforts in London after tragically losing a patient here at home. All three women are linked together by the invisible common thread of Dr. Fitch, Emma's husband. Little do they know that Dr. Fitch will cause each woman to question their faith, their morals, the meaning of war, and their reason for being.
Surrounding these women are a very diverse, complex cast of characters. A widower with five small children, a quiet Austrian Jew who pines for his missing wife, a mechanic who finds love with Iris late in life, a little boy who lost his mother in a London bombing, and a myriad of refugees whose recorded voices tell the story of their lives.
My thoughts: Even though I initially bought this book with high expectations in February 2010, the subsequent reviews were mixed and my interest waned. A year has passed, and I went into this read with my heart a blank slate. Granted, I will admit to having a bit of an obsession with war novels, particularly WWII, so there's that. But I was unprepared for the flood of emotion that filled me while reading this book. It swept me away, and I ended up reading this book in only about two days. (I drug my Kindle around with me like a security blanket...in the car on the way to church, at a football game, by the stove while I was cooking, while I was waiting to pick up the kids. It received preference over my iPod, and that is a huge statement for me.)
Each of the women had very distinct characters, each likable but flawed. Frankie spoke the loudest to me...full of that kickass mentality you must have to exist in a man's world, but ultimately affected by the horrors of war, and desperate to do something to make a difference. All of the women, though, made choices as a form of mental survival that were contradictions against their best instincts. And I didn't blame them.
The images drawn by Blake, scenes of bravery and loss, as seen by Frankie in her European travels, are something that will stay with me for a long time. Very brief but vivid, graphic scenes, human stories from men, women and children who probably didn't live out the day...they made an imprint on my heart. It drove home the point that we often don't get to see what happens to the people with whom we cross paths. Did they live, or die, did they someday become reunited, did they reach their destination? We never know, and this is what haunts Frankie and drives her to take the actions that she did.
Halfway through the book, I began to question the title of the book. "The Postmistress" would imply that the book centers around Iris and her post office in America. And a piece of the story does hinge around her. But the bulk of the plot rested heavily on Frankie's shoulders, and that is when it dawned on me like a slap upside the head. Frankie IS the postmistress, and it is her that is narrating at the very beginning of the book. (If you've read the book, are you now saying "Duh"? Maybe I'm slow. Don't laugh!) I love it when I have these epiphanies and all the pieces come together.
So yet again, another book, languishing for months on my (virtual) shelf, only brought to the forefront by the nudging of Lisa at TLC, rocks my world. (And yes, of course, it IS an Amy Einhorn imprint.) Put this one on your must list.
5 out of 5 stars
Call it a moment of weakness. But in the middle of a self-imposed ban on all review copies, here comes sweet-talking Trish with TLC Book Tours , waving this beauty at me. There was really no thinking involved, just a knee-jerk reaction, after hearing all the wonderful things about "The Financial Lives of the Poets". This was the perfect set-up...I knew it was recommended, but had no idea what it was about. It was good thing too, because it had maximum impact.
Synopsis: Frankly, on the surface, it sounds like a buzz-kill. Matt the financial reporter abandons his steady but boring job to start a website that provides financial advice in prose form. Ohhhh kaaaaay. Not a shocker when that fails, and he comes crawling back to the newspaper, only to be canned soon after, as newspapers are wont to do these days. He is faced with a dire situation - the bank is about to foreclose on his house, he can't find another job, he has a family to support, and his wife has been dallying with an old boyfriend on Facebook. Am I the only one who has heard stories like this over the last couple of years and is weary from the suffering?
But stay with me. So dude goes to the local 7/11 to get milk at 3 in the morning, and gets mixed up with some gang-bangers who reacquaint him with escapism via new-age amped-up hooch. And in his drug-induced haze, Matt gets a great idea. He can sell pot to middle-agers like himself who need a reminiscent pick-me-up, and get himself out of debt!!! The clouds part! His problems are solved!
If you think this sounds like a block or two off your normal literary highway, you have no idea. Middle-age pot-selling is just scratching the surface of this wild ride.
My thoughts: You could call it fun with an undercurrent of realism. You could call it black comedy. But I'm not sure there is an appropriate box to check off in categorizing this book. Granted, the plot (as left mainly undescribed above to protect the innocent) is just plain crazy. Boil off some of that crazy and you get a commentary on the current state of the union where a hard-working, college-educated guy can't support his family. And rather than roll around in the economic downturn crud we've been slimed with for a few years, Walter chooses to laugh at it, tongue-in-cheek.
But the key element - the selling point that will make you remember the book - is really the witty, sharp-edged, bitter, deliciously rude narration by the protagonist. It comes at you so fast and from so many directions, there is nowhere to run. It was hard to find an example of this, because the whole book is drenched in it, but here is a taste:
"I try to put myself in her position - one day you come home from work a vital twenty-nine-year-old babe, whom the fellas at the office actively lust after and next day you go out looking for work a nearly forty-year-old Mom who colors the gray and doesn't even know PowerPoint, a short-tempered lady who didn't get any sleep last night because one of the kids pooped his bed (how do you poop a bed anyway?). Six months of resumes, referrals and rejections took their toll and Lisa accepted the first job she was offered - receptionist for a dull optometrist who calls the women in his office gals, and whose idea of a Christmas bonus is twenty-five bucks at a craft store."
In the 50 or 100 books you will read this year, I wager you will not read anything that even comes close to this one. There will be some people who may be turned off by the idea of a guy liquidating his retirement fund to buy drugs, who spies on his wife's nocturnal Facebook dalliances, or sometimes thinks of his kids as ungrateful shit-heels. But if you are in the mood for different, you can stop looking now.
Thanks Trish and TLC for the chance to review this one!
4.5 out of 5 stars
It seems I am a bit late on announcing my giveaway winner! I
will blame it on the end of school and vacation. In my review of John Sandford's latest release "Storm Prey" I announced a giveaway of my review copy. Better late than never, I always say. Using random.org, the winner is...
JENNERS!
Congrats, Jenners! I will be in touch to get your mailing address...
I realize I might begin to be obnoxious by declaring my love for all things Prey, and for Lucas Davenport. But there you go. As a result, I was pretty darned excited to get my hands on the latest installment, and the catalyst for the TLC Days of Prey Tour, Storm Prey. More Lucas, more clothing finery, more high-speed chases in the Porche. Yeah baby!
In the 20th installment of this fine specimen of man-fiction, the focus of attention is, to my delight, Lucas' ballsy surgeon wife Weather. Weather is involved in a high-profile surgery to separate Siamese twins conjoined at the head. One early morning, when she is prepping for the surgery at the hospital, she unknowingly is an eye-witness to a hospital employee escaping the scene of a pharmacy break-in that ended tragically. Paranoia sets in, and the group of miscreants responsible for the theft hires the services of a hit man to take out Weather, and also begin to turn on each other. While the case falls into the jurisdiction of the city and Lucas' old flame Marcy Sherill (aka Titsy in Weather's opinion), Lucas is determined to act as the knight in shining armour to protect his wife. The climax of the story takes place in the middle of a violent winter Minnesota storm (hence the title).
Unlike some of the Prey novels, we know everything about the evil-doers from the beginning of the novel. What is left, then, is the fun of watching the cat and mouse game, and witnessing the organization of said bad guys implode as they begin to distrust each other. The suspense of the novel really lies on the shoulders of the depraved hit man, and the drug-addicted hospital employee, who are the wild cards in the equation.
I have always appreciated the character of Weather. She is probably the only woman that could handle Lucas. She doesn't take any guff from him, has her own successful career, and is no shrinking violet. It is a pleasure when she takes center stage in a Prey novel.
One unique aspect of the Prey novels is that there is usually a major subplot underfoot, that makes each novel distinct and unique. With Storm Prey, it is the surgical separation of the babies. This added a human factor to the chaos and mayhem, and seen through Weather's technical point of view, interesting albeit slightly distracting.
Of course, it isn't a Prey book without some reference to Lucas' fashion obsession, whether it be about Lucas having a fifteen minute discussion with another doctor about loafers, or Lucas complaining about ruining a pair of his $450 Italian calfskin shoes after getting into a scuffle with a steroid freak.
I wouldn't say this is one of the best Prey novels, but with 19 others competing for the title, this isn't a bad thing. The novel is a strong entry into the series, and is highly entertaining for the Prey newbie and veteran alike. The good news is that I will be giving away my copy to one randomly selected winner a week from today, 5/27. Just leave a comment, letting me know if you have read this series yet, and if so, which is your favorite installment?
4 out of 5 stars
There are no words for the excitement I experienced when I was invited to participate in the TLC Days of Prey Tour, in honor of John Sandford's newest release "Storm Prey", which launches on 5/18. I have been reading the Prey series for well over fifteen years, starting with the debut "Rules of Prey" and working my way through them all. I chose to re-read and review one of my favorites, "Broken Prey":
Title and series number of the book you read: Broken Prey (#16)
Year published: 2005
Tell us about Lucas Davenport:
• What is Lucas doing when he first appears in the book? Set up the scene.
Lucas has been called to the scene of a vicious murder of a young woman. He and Sloan are working the case. Aspects of the case do not indicate an act of passion, but one that is planned, cold and calculated. Lucas receives input from his childhood friend turned psychiatrist nun Elle.
Lucas is also attempting to shed a few pounds through a low-carb diet. He aimlessly wanders around the house, lonely, while Weather, the kids and the housekeeper are enjoying a maxillo-facial surgery fellowship in London for three months.
Weather recently purchased Lucas an iPod with a hundred dollar iTunes gift card. Lucas has accepted this as a challenge to compile the top 100 rock and roll tunes in which to load on his new device.
Sloan is burned out and considering quitting the job and opening a bar. He pledges to load the top 100 rock and roll songs on the bar's juke box.
• Give us a sense of time and place.
Summer in the twin cities, current with date of publication.
• Lucas’s occupation or professional role?
Lucas works for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), a state unit specialized in solving atypical crimes. He acts as a fixer of sorts for the Governor and Marie Roux, the commissioner of public safety. In Broken Prey, he is teamed up with his buddy Sloan, and gets a little help from Shrake and Jenkins as well.
• Lucas’s personal status (single, dating, married):
Lucas has settled down into married life with Weather, their toddler son, Sam, and his their ward, Letty. That doesn't stop him from noticing an attractive female, or an attractive female noticing HIM. After all, he is THE DUDE.
• Lucas Davenport is a known clothes-horse; did you notice any special fashion references?
I've always admired Lucas for his fashion sense. He sort of breaks all the rules as a police officer, not only with his clothes, but with his hot red Porsche. Here are some examples of his attire in Broken Prey:
"He was wearing a gray summer-weight wool-and-silk suit from Prada, over black shoes with a pale blue silk golf shirt, open at the neck."
"He finished dressing, picking out a good-looking Versace blue suit and tie, a Hermes necktie, blue over-the-calf socks with small coffee-colored comets woven into them, and soft black Italian loafers."
(I don't think it is a coincidence that his number 1 rock and roll song is ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man".
Let’s talk about the mystery:
• Avoiding spoilers, what was the crime/case being solved?
A particularly sadistic serial murderer, who rapes and scourges his male and female victims, then displays them in public areas. Very early in the story (so it isn't a spoiler), all evidence points to a bumbling rapist recently out of prison, but things quickly don't add up. The perpetrator takes pleasure in calling and toying with the press and Lucas. The story contains adequate twists and turns, and prevents us from easily determining the killer.
• Does the title of your book relate to the crime?
I suppose so. I've always thought that the crimes and the titles of the books can be a bit of a stretch in this series. I guess there are lots of "broken" bones, and of course, what bad guy isn't "broken" in one form or fashion?
Who was your favorite supporting character, good or evil?
Lucas Davenport aside (he will always be my favorite), I really liked Ruffe Ignace, a journalist who is always on the make. He is described as "short, big-nosed, red-haired, pugnacious, intense, loud, never wrong, willing to bend any ethical rule, and three years out of journalism school". He is always buzzing quietly to himself, with bits of commentary on his surroundings and passersby, possible leads, song lyrics, and what he might do over the weekend, called the "Ruffe Radio". He is obnoxious but has moxie. Sanford HAS to have based this character on someone he knows. He is too larger-than-life to be a figment of an author's creative reservoir.
What was your favorite scene or quote?
My favorite part of this book, and the reason I chose to re-read it, was the ongoing banter between Lucas and his friends about the list of rock and roll songs. They are all in an uproar about it. They debate, they rant and rave, they rage because the Beatles aren't on the list, they doubt its credibility, they bring up songs that have been omitted. For someone like me, who is a fan of all things rock and roll AND a fan of the crime thriller series, this is like having my cake and eating it too.
Finally, how do you envision Lucas Davenport? If he were to be portrayed in a movie, what celebrity would play him?
This was really hard! Lucas has dark salt & pepper hair, is attractive in a dangerous kind of way, with mesmerizing eyes and lots of sharp edges. He isn't necessarily buff, but strong and agile enough to kick butt or chase someone down if necessary. Here are some possibilities:
Michael Madsen
Clive Owen (why not, right?)
Daniel Craig, but with dark, salt & pepper hair
Have you read any of the Prey novels? As with most series, it is possible to pick any one of them up and read it independent of the others. But it means so much more if you read them in order. You get to know the history of all the main characters, you develop an understanding of all their emotional baggage, of how Lucas received each and every one of his scars, and how he met and married Weather. The books do have language, which is inherent with stories involving police. Some can be rather gory and some can be sexually explicit (Broken Prey was both).
I would like to thank TLC Book Tours for this wonderful opportunity! Please make sure you visit the official Days of Prey Blog Tour to check out reviews of all the books in the series.
Using Random.org, I have selected the following five people to receive a copy of the delightful "Home is Where the Wine Is" by Laurie Perry:
Jill @ Rhapsody in Books
Craftymoose
Kim Frazier
Jenners @ Find Your Next Book Here
Dar @ Peeking Between the Pages
Congrats everyone! I will be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses!
As some of you know, I have a good friend who owns a wine store. It's a most excellent wine store, that also carries exotic beer and imported cheeses. He even has a small library of wine-related movies that he loans out to his customers. Somewhere along the line, I had this bright idea that I would get my hands on some wine-related books that he could loan out as well, and started it off with a Christmas gift of Peter Mayle's new book "A Vintage Caper". So when I was offered an opportunity to read "Home is Where the Wine Is" for the TLC Blog Tour, I jumped! Maybe it would be a good candidate for my friend's current one-book wine library.
Turns out, this book really doesn't have much to do with wine, except that the author/main character of the books likes to drink it, especially during stressful moments. Instead, I think this would be the perfect book for my single, friend from high school Kim (through whom I live vicariously). I think she could relate well to the author's trials and tribulations.
This is the diary/memoir of a thirty-something writer, divorced with cats, lover of wine and beer, avid knitter, who is searching for her place in life. She has decided that enough time has passed since her divorce, and it is time to get her act together. She makes a list of New Year's resolutions, eight to be exact, then, with a chapter dedicated to each one, tells us how she fared. She takes a trip to Rome by herself, and grows some monster-sized zucchinis in her backyard. Success! She also crashed and burned at meditation, therapy, riding an elliptical machine, bikini waxing and online dating.
When you first meet Laurie, you automatically know her. She is your hapless but earnest best friend, who tells a great story, makes you laugh, and has a heart of gold. She is cards-on-the-table honest about her foibles, and truly wants to fix them. The journey to fix the foibles is what will make you laugh out loud. You will also appreciate her pearls of wisdom, whether it be about merits of people-watching at the gym or about not always having to please everyone else at the expense of yourself.
Laurie's first book "Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair" was released in 2007, not long after her divorce. Based on an interview of Laurie on YouTube, she wrote this tell-all memoir to comfort other divorced women, and let them know that if they found themselves drunk-dialing friends, wearing the same clothes two days in a row, or running out of a grocery store to avoid talking to someone they knew, they weren't alone.
Laurie also has a blog (where she calls herself Crazy Aunt Purl) which is full of her bubbly, self-deprecating wit.
You don't have to be single or a wine-lover to enjoy this book, but it will hit closer to home if you are. You also don't have to be a knitter to enjoy this book, but Laurie includes a little bonus at the end of the book with some projects. For a fun, quick diversion from the serious stuff, pour yourself a glass of red and give this book a try.
Now here is the exciting part...Laurie's publisher has generously offered five copies of her book for giveaways (US/Canada only). Simply let me know you are interested, with your e-mail address, by Monday 2/15 at midnight, and I will choose five winners.
Stay tuned for a little chit-chat with Laurie this coming Thursday!
3.5 out of 5 stars
When Lisa @ Books on the Brain contacted me and offered me the opportunity to review this book for a TLC Book Tour, I didn't hesitate. While this is not the type of book I normally read, I do have a daughter who is about to turn 12. I'm entering scary territory here people! She and I had the period talk a couple of years ago, and that, by itself was wrought with angst. My daughter is a worrier, so I had to convince her, at least fifty times, that she wasn't going to die from the pain, and arrange a secret code word that she could whisper to me over the school phone if she ever had a period emergency.
But then the school chose, this past summer, to send out Catholic-sanctioned booklets about sex to the parents of all the upcoming sixth graders. The intent was that the parents read the info, then discuss it with their kids. Now you know, and I know, that there are parents who, rather than have the difficult discussion, simply handed the booklets to their kids and told them to have at it. So essentially the cat was out of the bag, and therefore forced my hand. And this is a slippery slope. You talk about sex, then you have to talk about reproduction, disease, peer pressure, the whole bit.
The Body Scoop for Girls was a breath of fresh air. Written by an OB-Gyn that specializes in adolescents, this lady is hip and current. She wears leopard-print skirts and strappy heels. She gives her patients lattes and fuzzy robes! I want to go there! She also, in concise, no-nonsense language, tells is like it is to a generation of girls who are growing up under a different set of circumstances than we did.
All the bases are covered. She covers the basics, such as breast development, periods, body hair and changes in the appearance of the body. But she also addresses waxing and grooming, piercing, excessive cramping, infections, breast exams, drugs, alcohol and smoking, the importance of eating healthy and about body image. But the heavy stuff? A good third of the book is dedicated to sex. A list of reasons to wait until you are 18. Safe sex, the dangers of oral sex, how to talk to your boyfriend about your decisions, birth control A to Z, and STIs. No stone is left unturned. Yes, it is all bound to curl our hair as parents, but I don't think we can hide our heads in the sand. There is too much at risk.
The book is written as if Dr. Ashton is speaking directly to the teen. Will a teen really read it? Perhaps not the entire thing, because there is alot of information here to digest at once. But the language is not preachy and not overly technical, so it would be easy enough for a 14 or 15 year old to comprehend. Practically, I think the book is perfect for a parent to read, and armed with the facts, speak with their daughter about the topics that are applicable. Maybe even have them read a chapter and then talk about it afterwards.
One particular aspect of the book that demonstrates Dr. Ashton's progressive attitude is that she answers questions as they pertain to those girls who are lesbians. Nobody is left out in the cold with Dr. Ashton.
I'd like to thank Lisa and Beth at Avery for the opportunity to review this book, and keep as a very important reference and guide to get me through the minefield of the teenage years.
4 out 5 stars
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