The Book Review Club (August 2009)
My little sister's coming to the August meeting of The Book Review Club!
Look at her! She's so into a book that she doesn't even notice she's surrounded by toys and trash in my backyard. (Actually, we set this shot up.)
BUT, she really did enjoy reading this book while down from Canada with her kids for a holiday with us. Even better, she agreed to write a review for the club.
My sister is delightful. You can spend hours with her and still be sad to see her go. I'm happy you'll have the chance to get to know her, albeit only a little bit, through her review.
As I put together this post, I can see my sister's suitcases lined up to load in the van for the airport. Yes, today marks the end of a wonderful and fun ten days. The time went too fast, and I'm not at all ready to say goodbye. It'll probably be another year before we see each other again. And another year before we watch our kids hanging out together again. So, I'm looking forward to reading everyone's reviews. They'll take my mind off my quieter house.
Take it away, sis...
Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel is a love story set in Israel during the 1970’s.
Amazon.com writes: Israel, 1970s. Lily, a young emigrant student exploring the wonders and terrors of her new land, finds the man of her dreams -- Ami, a former actor. Handsome, intelligent, and exciting, but like his beautiful, disintegrating country, Ami has a terrible flaw -- he is an army interrogator. As Ami and Lily's unexpected passion grows, so too does the shadow that hangs over them. They must face the unspeakable horrors of Ami's work and their uncertain future.
While set in the '70s, Ten Thousand Lovers is a brilliant and terrifyingly contemporary tale of passion, suffering, and the transcending power of love.
Even if you don’t usually enjoy love stories, you might like this one because the characters, particularly Ami, are so engaging. His observations about life in Israel during this dangerous time are insightful and darkly humorous. For example, when Lily wonders why her well-off friends steal food from the army, Ami says:” People like to pick up souvenirs. Especially from places where they’ve had such a good time.” (Pg. 47)
Lily has trouble trusting him because of his job with the army. However, as events in the story unfold, Lily’s feelings for Ami change.
I greatly enjoyed this story. I liked the characters and the descriptions of Israel at that time, but I especially liked the parts when the author described the origins of various Hebrew and Arab words. (The history of the word assassin was a surprise!)
If you go to the author’s website, you will see that she has many things in common with the Lily. Like Lily, she was born on a Kibbutz and later moved to Canada. Later she returned to Israel to study, also like Lily. Finally, the author has a daughter, too.
However, the best news on Edeet Ravel’s website is that Ten Thousand Lovers is the first book in a trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the others.
Below are links to great book reviews from this month's participants. Please click through. You won't be sorry!
YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
Keri Mikulski: FAIRY TALE by Cyn Balog
Thao of serene hours: AFTER by Amy Efaw
Kaye of the Book Review Forum: BLACK CREEK by Leslie Goetsch
Stacy Nyikos: THE UNINVITED by Tim Wynn-Jones
ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
Sarah Laurence: SAG HARBOR by Colson Whitehead (literary fiction)
Patti Abbott: THE DRAMATIST by Ken Bruen
Scott Parker: TRUST ME by Jeff Abbott (thriller)
Alyssa Goodnight: THE FINISHING TOUCHES by Hester Browne (contemporary women's fiction)
Linda McLaughlin: STEALING HEAVEN by Madeline Hunter (medieval romance)
Linda McLaughlin: WARPRIZE by Elizabeth Vaughan (fantasy romance)
Jenn Jilks @ My Refections: FROZEN BENEATH by Brian Horeck (mystery)
Sarahlynn of Yeah, but Houdini didn't have these hips: THE SHACK by William P. Young
Prairie Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden: PLUM SPOOKY by Janet Evanovich (humorous mystery)
Kathy Holmes: RED BLOODED MURDER by Laura Caldwell (mystery series)
As I put together this post, I can see my sister's suitcases lined up to load in the van for the airport. Yes, today marks the end of a wonderful and fun ten days. The time went too fast, and I'm not at all ready to say goodbye. It'll probably be another year before we see each other again. And another year before we watch our kids hanging out together again. So, I'm looking forward to reading everyone's reviews. They'll take my mind off my quieter house.
Take it away, sis...
Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel is a love story set in Israel during the 1970’s.
Amazon.com writes: Israel, 1970s. Lily, a young emigrant student exploring the wonders and terrors of her new land, finds the man of her dreams -- Ami, a former actor. Handsome, intelligent, and exciting, but like his beautiful, disintegrating country, Ami has a terrible flaw -- he is an army interrogator. As Ami and Lily's unexpected passion grows, so too does the shadow that hangs over them. They must face the unspeakable horrors of Ami's work and their uncertain future.
While set in the '70s, Ten Thousand Lovers is a brilliant and terrifyingly contemporary tale of passion, suffering, and the transcending power of love.
Even if you don’t usually enjoy love stories, you might like this one because the characters, particularly Ami, are so engaging. His observations about life in Israel during this dangerous time are insightful and darkly humorous. For example, when Lily wonders why her well-off friends steal food from the army, Ami says:” People like to pick up souvenirs. Especially from places where they’ve had such a good time.” (Pg. 47)
Lily has trouble trusting him because of his job with the army. However, as events in the story unfold, Lily’s feelings for Ami change.
I greatly enjoyed this story. I liked the characters and the descriptions of Israel at that time, but I especially liked the parts when the author described the origins of various Hebrew and Arab words. (The history of the word assassin was a surprise!)
If you go to the author’s website, you will see that she has many things in common with the Lily. Like Lily, she was born on a Kibbutz and later moved to Canada. Later she returned to Israel to study, also like Lily. Finally, the author has a daughter, too.
However, the best news on Edeet Ravel’s website is that Ten Thousand Lovers is the first book in a trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the others.
Below are links to great book reviews from this month's participants. Please click through. You won't be sorry!
YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
Keri Mikulski: FAIRY TALE by Cyn Balog
Thao of serene hours: AFTER by Amy Efaw
Kaye of the Book Review Forum: BLACK CREEK by Leslie Goetsch
Stacy Nyikos: THE UNINVITED by Tim Wynn-Jones
ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
Sarah Laurence: SAG HARBOR by Colson Whitehead (literary fiction)
Patti Abbott: THE DRAMATIST by Ken Bruen
Scott Parker: TRUST ME by Jeff Abbott (thriller)
Alyssa Goodnight: THE FINISHING TOUCHES by Hester Browne (contemporary women's fiction)
Linda McLaughlin: STEALING HEAVEN by Madeline Hunter (medieval romance)
Linda McLaughlin: WARPRIZE by Elizabeth Vaughan (fantasy romance)
Jenn Jilks @ My Refections: FROZEN BENEATH by Brian Horeck (mystery)
Sarahlynn of Yeah, but Houdini didn't have these hips: THE SHACK by William P. Young
Prairie Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden: PLUM SPOOKY by Janet Evanovich (humorous mystery)
Kathy Holmes: RED BLOODED MURDER by Laura Caldwell (mystery series)
Note to reviewers: If I missed linking to you, please leave a comment or email me. I keep pretty good tabs on the blog on review club days. And I do have a niggling feeling that I've forgotten someone this month.
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