The Book Review Club (September 2013)

Welcome to our September Book Review Club! For a little fun, here's some  trivia about the month of September: The planet Neptune was discovered on September 23, 1846.  My mother and Prince Harry were both born on September 15. Johannes Gutenberg printed the first book, the Bible, using moveable type on Sept. 30, 1452. Still on the topic of books (sorry, that was not pretty or subtle, but it's late, and I have to get this post done), we've reviewed quite the variety of books this month. There's a little something for everyone. Enjoy!

 THE SECRET LIVES OF THE FOUR WIVES by Lola Shoneyin  (adult)

This is the debut novel of Nigerian poet, Lola Shoneyin. Ms. Shoneyin was born and currently lives in Nigeria where she teaches English and drama. She was educated in Great Britain. The novel was written in English and long-listed for the Orange Prize in 2011.

The Secret Lives of the Four Wives takes place in modern Nigeria and is a story of polygamy. Following a traumatic incident, our protagonist, Bolanle, a young, university-educated woman, opts to become Baba Segi's 4th wife. Bolanle's looking for a safe haven. Instead, she winds up in a house where the first three wives resent her and are cruel to her. In fact, the wives aren't all that nice to each other either. There's lots of rivalry and jealousy over each others' children, etc. After two years (and her fair share of nights with Baba Segi--it's all very organized), Bolanle still isn't pregnant. She goes to a modern hospital for tests, and things in the household unravel from there.

This story is told from five perspectives: Bolanle, Iya Segi (wife #1), Iya Tope (#2), Iya Femi (#3), Baba Segi. Lola Shoneyin has an absolute gift when it comes to characterizaton. As a reader, you get inside all these characters, which makes for a rich, absorbing story. There is tragedy. There is humor. There are lots of secrets.  There's a brilliant resolution.

Heartily recommended! Click here for a BBC interview with Author Lola Shoneyin. She explains why she loved writing wife Iya Femi, the most evil of the lot. Also, the author reads from the book. 

Please click through the links below for WONDERFUL, INSIGHTFUL REVIEWS! 

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Stacy Nyikos: PARCHED by Melanie Crowder (Middle Grade)

Stacy of The Cat's Meow: CITY OF BONES by Cassandra Clare (Young Adult)

Sarah Laurence: ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein (historical YA fiction) *author interview

Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING by Kari Luna (YA)



ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Linda McLaughlin: AFTER THE FOG by Kathleen Shoop (historcal fiction)

Prairie Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden: THE SECRET KEEPER by Kate Morton (historical fiction)

Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman

Beth Yarnall: ARSEN by Mia Asher (contemporary romance)



NONFICTION REVIEWS

 Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: OUR MAN IN TEHRAN by Robert A. Wright

Patti Abbott: THE SEARCHERS: THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN LEGEND by Glenn Frank



Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (June 2013)

Welcome to the June meeting of our Book Review Club! And look to the left to left to see who is here to review for us.  It's KELLY HAYES, one of my Denny's Chicks critique partners. Kelly writes a well-honed, insightful review.  We're lucky to get her. (I was expecially lucky, given my upcoming deadline!) Take it away, Kelly!

SISTER by Rosamund Lupton

Sister, by debut author Rosamund Lupton, is a unique book. I’ve never read anything quite like it. It’s a psychological mystery with a big twist at the end. Don’t worry, there will be no spoilers in this review. I wouldn’t want to detract from the pleasure of such a good read.

 Sometimes, at the library where I work, when I use the word ‘literary’ to describe a book, I’ll see the patron’s eyes glaze over. I can tell they’re thinking, I don’t want literature, I just want a good read.  Well, this book happens to be both.

            Sister opens with Beatrice, an expat Brit living in New York City, who is informed that her younger sister, Tess, is missing. Beatrice catches the next plane to London to find out what’s going on. Even though an ocean separates them, they’ve always been close, emailing and talking on the phone regularly.   Beatrice has been living a successful, regimented life with her boring, but dependable husband. While beautiful Tess, a poor art student in London, leads a Bohemian lifestyle, tending bar at night to pay the rent.

            Upon arriving in London, Beatrice reveals to the police what she’s known for months: her sister was pregnant with her married art professor’s baby. Then Tess’s body turns up in a derelict public restroom with slashed wrists, but Beatrice refuses to accept the investigator’s pronouncement of suicide.  She knows her sister, the eternal optimist, would never take her own life.

            Beatrice’s quest to find the truth about her sister’s death becomes a journey of self-discovery, as she stays in her sister’s flat and takes up her job at the bar. She gets more and more enmeshed in Tess’s life even as she draws closer to the secrets surrounding her death.       

            What makes this book so unique in its first-person perspective delivered as if Beatrice is talking to her absent sister, while at the same time relating the case, point by point to a lawyer. I know, it sounds strange, not to mention confusing, but it is neither. What you get is an intimate knowledge of Beatrice’s thoughts and feelings and her deep bond with her sister. All I can say is that it works on a deeply visceral level.

            I chose this book for our library book club because I’ve read it before and I knew it would provoke a good discussion. Being a writer myself, I also wanted a chance to dissect it to a certain degree, to discover the point at which the author deftly weaves the twists and turns into the plot. And I have to tell you, I cannot spot a seam or a loose thread anywhere. All I see is a moody, compelling thriller, with a haunting emotional intensity at its core.

Thank you, Kelly, for an insightful and masterful review. Of course, we expect no less!

And, now, it's onto this month's AMAZING AND THOUGHTFUL reviews! With summer reading just around the corner, you won't want to miss a single one.

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

 Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain

                                                                     (middle grade/young adult)

Sarah Laurence: A CORNER OF WHITE  by Jaclyn Moriarty (young adult fantasy) 

ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: MISS DIMPLE DISAPPEARS

                                                                                        by Mignon Ballard (mystery)

Linda McLaughlin: SEDUCTION: A NOVEL OF SUSPENSE (The Reincarnationist #5)

                                 by MJ Rose (paranormal)

Patti Abbott: PINES by Blake Crouch (crime fiction)

Prairie Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden: THE SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT

                                                              by Edward Moore

MEMOIR REVIEWS

 Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: UNBRIDLED: A MEMOIR by Barbara McNally

NONFICTION REVIEWS

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: EASY SEXY RAW  by Carol Alt (cookbook)

Scott Parker: THE HIGH-FLYING HISTORY OF AMERICA'S MOST ENDURING HERO

                      by Larry Tye

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Her cancer is back

You may remember a few years ago, I did a post asking for help for my friend Christina Small who needed a bone marrow transplant to battle Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a rare blood cancer.

Well, she had the transplant in April 2010. She was given a 30% chance of surviving the transplant. She pulled this off, made it through all the chemo, the side effects of the chemo, the long hospital stay, etc., etc.

And Christina's had two amazing, great, glorious years with her husband and two kids (daughter is now 13 years old, son is 11). 

Sadly, depressingly, frustratingly, (I can't think of a strong enough "ly" word, well, at least not a word that I'm comfortable using on this blog), the damn leukemia is back. For the third time.

Christina has two-three months left to live.

I can't believe I just typed that.

Two-three months.

What do you do with news like that? 

Well, Christina wants to spend more fun, happy times with her husband and kids. In keeping with that spirit, we're raising money to send the Small family to Disneyland for a few days and nights (any extra money will be used for spending money, a hot-air balloon ride and something to do with horses or whatever grabs Christina's fancy). If you'd like to help, click here to donate.

If you live in the San Diego area and would like to help with dinners, click here. Sign up, then type in The Small Family. (They live in the RB area.)

If you want to keep up with Christina's story, she posts here.

And if you could possibly do whatever it is you do--pray, meditate, send positive thoughts, all that will be greatly appreciated too.

The Small Family

The Book Review Club (May 2013)

May?! Are you serious?! Where did April take off to?

Welcome to the May meeting of our little online book review club. We've put together reviews of books we've read and enjoyed. So, please click through the links under my review. Settling in with a good book is a surefire way to slow life down. A way to stop and smell the roses. Uh, er, ink.  ;)

I CAN'T COMPLAIN
(ALL TOO) PERSONAL ESSAYS by Elinor Lipman

Do not fall off your chair, but I am actually reviewing a book for adults this month! Even more shocking, it's non-fiction!

As  you may or may not know, I finish a book by Elinor Lipman and then begin the wait for the next book. So, you can imagine how beyond thrilled I was to discover this spring would bring not one, but two books by one of my favorite authors.

I CAN'T COMPLAIN is a collection of short essays that were written for a variety of venues (magazines, newspapers, websites). The essays are about Ms. Lipman's mother, son, husband, friends, herself, her thoughts on writing. Reading these essays was like having Ms. Lipman in my living room. Minus having to clean my living room! I loved being a part of her inner circle and listening to stories about how she and her husband originally planned not to have children. How her mother couldn't stand condiments. How son learned the facts of life. How she's dealing with life after her husband's death. I could've used her questions for a potential marriage partner a couple of decades ago!

With a book by Elinor Lipman, I know I can get comfy in my favorite chair, crack open the pages and kickback. Because I trust this author to come through for me. She doesn't settle.  She's going to come up with that perfect word, that perfect turn of phrase. She's going to toss in her signature humor at just the right moment because her timing is always oh-so perfect. ( For example, pointing out how her husband put the "mensch" in "dementia" in the chapter about his disease. )  I always walk away from a Lipman book satisfied and feeling good.

What up next for me book-wise? THE VIEW FROM PENTHOUSE B by Elinor Lipman. Of course.

Without further ado, here are the links to this month's AMAZING AND THOUGHTFUL reviews! You don't want to miss them.

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

 Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: GHOULISH SONG by William Alexander (middle grade fantasy)

Stacy Nyikos: THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate (middle grade)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: UNREMEMBERED by Jessica Brody (young adult)


ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: TEMPEST RISING by Nicole Peeler (urban fantasy)

Patti Abbott: BURIAL RITES by Hannah Kent (historical)

Sarah Laurence: TALE FOR THE TIME BEING by Ruth Ozeki (literary) 

Scott Parker: CALIBAN'S WAR by James S.A. Corey (science fiction)


MEMOIR REVIEWS

 Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country:THE WORLD IS MOVING AROUND ME: A MEMOIR OF THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE by Danyy Laferriere


                                             
Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (April 2013)

Happy April 3rd. I hope you're all fine and well and have recovered nicely from April Fools' Day. Wondering where April Fools' Day originated?  In the 1500s, we started using the Gregorian calendar, which meant the New Year moved from April 1 to Jan. 1. People who didn't make the transition were called . . . April Fools! For more April Fools' Day trivia, you can visit here.

And now onto more fun and important things. Our book reviews! Be sure to click through the links under my review. They'll take you to everyone else's reviews. Happy reading!

WONDER by R. J. Palacio  (middle grade)

Two weeks ago, my 12 y.o. daughter, my RELUCTANT READER, sighed, closed this book and set it on our coffee table. "This is the best book I've read in my whole life," she said.

When I asked her what it was about WONDER that she loved, she answered, "It's just like my day, just like middle school. It's all so true. These characters are real people to me."

Whew. You can probably figure out what happened next. I put her to bed, picked up WONDER and began reading. And kept on reading. Because this is one gem of a book. 

In a nutshell: Ten-year-old Auggie (August) Pullman attends school for the first time. Up until now he's been homeschooled because of his facial deformity. "I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." Auggie just wants to be seen as an ordinary kid. This, of course, is impossible because he's extarordinary.  Going to school changes Auggie's world and changes the world of many around him. The book is told from several perspectives: Auggie, a couple of his classmates, his high-school sister, his sister's boyfriend, an estranged friend of his sister's.

Particular to this book: The writing is beautiful. Beautiful. I actually cried a couple of times. Because, just as my daughter said, these characters were real people to me. I  think a lot of this is due to the multiple perspectives. All of which were in first person, present tense, which brings the characters even closer to the reader. According to my daughter's' book report, WONDER is about "courage, friendship and being yourself."

We wholeheartedly recommend this book. Apparently, a lot of people feel the same way as WONDER was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Here's the link to the author's website. Look under FAQs for what inspired the author to write this story.

Oh, and, R.J. Palacio? Thank you for writing WONDER, a book that my reluctant reader fell in love with.

Without further ado, here are the links to AMAZING AND THOUGHTFUL reviews! You don't want to miss them.

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Stacy Nyikos: ALIENS ON VACATION by Clete Barrett Smith (middle grade)

Sarah Laurence: JUST ONE DAY by Gail Forman (young adult, contemporary)

Linda McLaughlin: LADY OF DEVICES: A STEAMPUNK ADVENTURE NOVEL by Shelly Adina
                                       (young adult, steampunk) 
  
Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer R. Hubbard (young adult)


ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
 
Patti Abbott: BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter

Stacy of The Cat's Meow: LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson (literary)

Staci of Life in the Thumb: WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY by Wendy Wax   (women's lit)

 Scott Parker: LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S. A. Corey (science fiction)

Linda McLaughlin: SOULLESS by Gail Carriger (steampunk)
                              

NON-FICTION BOOK REVIEWS 

Beth Yarnall:  HOW TO DISAPPEAR by Frank M. Ahearn
   
Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: CLIMATE MYTHS by Dr. John J. Berger
                                                  NUMBER CROSS PUZZLES by Rich Rollo (for adults + kids)

 Jody Feldman: BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD - AND STEAL - THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON    
                           by Steve Sheinkin (young adult)                   



Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (March 2013)

Happy First Wednesday of March! Which means it's time for the monthly meeting of The Book Review Club. We've put together reviews of books we've read and enjoyed. So, please click through the links under my review. Because...we do it all for you. Enjoy!

CRUSHER by Niall Leonard (young adult, thriller/mystery)

In a nutshell: High-school dropout Finn Maguire arrives home from his crappy fast-food job to find his stepdad bludgeoned to death in their London flat. Of course, our Finn is the main suspect, and he takes on the mystery in order to clear his name. And to find out what really happened to his stepdad.

The stepdad (an out-of-work actor and, then, a wannabe writer) was working on a screenplay about one of London's mobsters. Finn thinks. He really didn't pay that much attention when his stepdad was talking about his writing. Same thing happens in my house! Anyway, the stepdad's computer and the writing and research he's done is missing.

What I Loved: In a word--Finn. I loved this character. He's basically a loser, but you just know he won't stay that way forever. He has knack for sizing up sitautions and people. He's persistent. He has a good heart. I loved every word that came out of his mouth. Niall Leonard has a great ear for dialogue, which isn't surprising since he is a screenwriter as well. I'm interested in checking out a British crime drama TV show he writes for: Wire in the Blood. Also, CRUSHER is an edge-of-your-seat read, full of unexpected twists.

What I Loved a Little Less: the plotting. Weird as it sounds, there were just one or two too many twists.  And, while I'm all for adventure and chase scenes, the end of the book felt like Bruce Willis in one of those Die Hard movies. Too many fight scenes. I kept thinking poor Finn needed to be home and in bed with a steak over one eye, an ice pack over a fist and 800 mg of ibuprofen. Also, there wasn't one nice female in the entire book. We all know how unrealistic that is!

STILL...I loved Finn. Enough that I could overlook the plot stuff. Which is saying a lot for me. I'll read the sequel.

Particular to this Book: CRUSHED was written for Nanowrimo 2011. AND...Mr. Leonard is married to E.L. James of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY fame. Here he is talking about being Mr. Fifty Shades of Grey.

Without further ado, here are the links to this month's AMAZING AND THOUGHTFUL reviews! You don't want to miss them.

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

 Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: REVEL by Maurissa Guibord (YA fantasy)


ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

 Scott Parker: BLOODHYPE by Alan Dean Foster (science fiction)

Sarah Laurence: THE BURGESS BOYS by Elizabeth Strout (literary, pub date 3/26/13)

Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: ATTACHMENTS by Rainbow Rowell (women's fiction)

Linda McLaughlin: THE SHADOWY HORSES by Susanna Kearsley (romance)
                                THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley (romance)


NONFICTION REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: THROUGH THE GLASS by Shannon Moroney (adult autobiography)


                                             
Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

My Town Monday: My San Diego Living Room

Ever wonder what Mr. Summy does in his spare time?

Recently he invented... a treadmill shelf for his lovely wife. 

Mr. Summy came up with this brilliant design. He attached (with the help of his handy assistant, Child #4) a drawer glider on the outside of the treadmill handles. This is so I can glide the desk up and out of the way when folding the treadmill for storage. 

Child #4 is drilling holes into the side wood pieces. Mr. Summy is supervising.  I am napping. (kidding!)

Voila! A beautiful treadmill shelf is born. There are plans to paint it black, but it is completely functional. Cost $27.   As compared to, say, the Trek Desk which is about $500.

Just a gratuitous crazy pic of child #4

How many miles will I walk while writing the next book? I might actually keep track.

 
p.s. Watch this Wednesday for The Book Review Club!