This lovely little book was written to support the World Medical Fund (WMF), a medical charity working in Africa, which focuses on the regions most vuThis lovely little book was written to support the World Medical Fund (WMF), a medical charity working in Africa, which focuses on the regions most vulnerable children. It is a simple story of Malawi, who comes from Lake Ticklewater, deep in the heart of Africa. All the frogs there, including Malawi are blue (which, of course, got "I'm in Love With a Big Blue Frog" running nonstop through my brain). However, when Malawi gets accepted to Croak College, he finds out that no other students are blue, just him. The green frogs tease him and shun him, and poor Malawi is broken hearted. But things happen, as they often do in stories like this, giving children a chance to be exposed to the message that being different is not necessarily a bad thing.
As a retired pediatric nurse, who worked with disabled children, this was a common occurrence for the children and families to get through. Kids who look different, have equipment to help them walk, talk, breathe, pee, eat, write, talk, can all be treated like blue frogs. It's not always an easy fix, and though this book is a nice beginning, I found myself remembering Digby Wolfe's poem, Kids who are Different.
Here’s to kids who are different, Kids who don’t always get A's, Kids who have ears Twice the size of their peers, And noses that go on for days.
Here’s to the kids who are different, Kids they call crazy or dumb, Kids who don’t fit, With the guts and the grit, Who dance to a different drum.
Here’s to the kids who are different, Kids with a mischievous streak, For when they have grown, As history has shown, It’s their difference that makes them unique.
Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the author for a fair and honest review. ...more
I don't know if it was the voice actors for the audio version, the plot/characters, the writing, or just where I am in life right now, but I didn't enI don't know if it was the voice actors for the audio version, the plot/characters, the writing, or just where I am in life right now, but I didn't enjoy this much at all. So little, in fact, that when my audio player went on the fritz, I didn't try to find another source to listen to the last CDs. Because I didn't finish it, I'm not rating it.
This book was sent by LibraryThing, but I think it was a mistake, because I don't recall requesting it. ...more
It tickled me to read this book in June (even though the June in this case refers to a girl named June rather than the month. The book uses a dual narIt tickled me to read this book in June (even though the June in this case refers to a girl named June rather than the month. The book uses a dual narrative, one past, one present, to tell the story of the summer of 1955 in a small town in Ohio, when Hollywood came to town, and the repercussions it had into present day for Cassie, a young woman still fresh from the death of the grandmother who raised her. As Cassie hides from the world in the grand old house she inherited, Hollywood again comes knocking, when she finds that she has inherited the entire estate of the star of that long ago movie. Even though there were a few plot devices and foreshadowing that was easy to spot, Miranda Beverly-Whittemore surprised me on one element.
Thank you to Blogging for Books and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book....more
Though I am a John Cleese fan, I rarely watched Monty Python when it originally aired. (It was on at a bad time for me, as I recall.) Nonetheless, cerThough I am a John Cleese fan, I rarely watched Monty Python when it originally aired. (It was on at a bad time for me, as I recall.) Nonetheless, certain bits and bobs did make their way into my world, enough so that I occasionally find myself singing the lumberjack song, or chuckling about dead parrots. I was introduced to Fawlty Towers when it originally aired, and adored it-- so much so that we have the complete set (on VHS no less, and introduced our kids to it at a tender age.) What I liked about this book was some of the fill-in-the-gaps about John Cleese that occurred before, during, and around these productions (and A Fish Called Wanda). The beginning chapters about Cleese's boyhood and school days were particularly interesting to me. And while the latter part of the memoir has drawn criticism for running through various shows and projects, popping in bits of scripts here and there, I found it interesting, as I didn't know a lot of the British shows pre-Python, though the actors and personalities are known from other projects (David Frost, Peter Sellers, Marty Feldman etc.) Yes, there were times when I was less engaged than others, but there were enough delightful nuggets of information, and moments where Mr Cleese's ability as a writer of comedy caused me to laugh out loud, that I have come away happy. I hadn't realized how tightly kniy that group of writers and performers were or how far back they knew each other.
Having introduced our grandkids to Dr Who and Firefly, I think it's time to add British comedy to the mix, starting with some John Cleese projects.
Thank you to Blogging for Books and to the publisher for sending a copy of this book my way. ...more
I'm having a hard time thinking of how to start this review. Michel Faber's words and story absorbed me, both with a gentleness and an opportunity forI'm having a hard time thinking of how to start this review. Michel Faber's words and story absorbed me, both with a gentleness and an opportunity for contemplation not found in many books, particularly those with a science fiction element. The basic story, in very simplistic terms is that of Peter, a Christian minister, who leaves his wife back on Earth, and becomes part of the away team on a distant planet. The husband/wife relationship plays out through his memories and their correspondence while he is away. As he begins to build his relationship with the native inhabitants, his world back home is undergoing natural, economic, and political disasters. There is much to overcome on the planet, too, but of a different nature. The very belief system and basics of life for the native people is pretty much unknown to the colonists. Peter must overcome some misunderstandings, and the anthropocentric view among some members of his team and build a working relationship with the shy and gentle beings who have asked for a minister of Christ to come teach them. I liked the way the story unfolded, and why this alien population was so keen for ministry. I wasn't sure what direction Faber would take it (the story "To Serve Man" kept coming to mind, but I willingly read on to find out. I also was intrigued by the marital relationship and the long distance relationship, and how Peter responded to the tensions that were building there. There were also some touches I appreciated, such as Peter's efforts to overcome the difficulty of some sounds in the English language for his flock. A book of strange new things, indeed.
All in all, I thought the writing was excellent and the story interesting....more
I really wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did. It had things that I enjoy in a book: history, alternating storylines. It took place in one I really wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did. It had things that I enjoy in a book: history, alternating storylines. It took place in one of my favorite areas of the world. (I fell in love with the area around Harper's Ferry back in the 1970's when my friends and I would use our weekends off to go exploring.) But it just didn't grab me. Maybe my expectations were too high. I found the modern day storyline sort of forced, the main character whiney, and the piecing together of story arcs forced. Even when she got a focus and wanted to start selling dog biscuits, it was too little, too late, for me. The story involving John Brown's daughter just didn't engage me. While there were some elements that expanded my knowledge on the subject, I found myself being put off by silly things-- abundant use of exclamation points in transcriptions of personal correspondence of Sarah Brown, the use of the initials UGRR in conversations. (Side note: I've heard “tracks” or "Freedom Trails" (the routes slaves travelled when they fled); “stations” (hiding places); “conductors” (guides on the Underground Railroad); “station masters” (folks who hid the runaways in their homes). And it was through The Drinking Gourd ( a wonderful book that describes how slaves used the the Big Dipper constellation and its north star, in their flight for freedom) that I introduced my children to the Underground Railroad. But to have characters of the time period call it the UGRR struck me as modern and intrusive.
I'm dreadfully sorry, to the author and to the publisher, that I can't give this book a three star rating. I could go as high as 2.5/5. I know I'm in the minority, so if you're thinking of reading this book, rest assured there are far more reviewers who read it and liked it. Thank you to Blogging for Books and the publisher for sending this to me. Had you not sent it, and I just picked it up elsewhere, I would have set it down uncompleted. As it was, I now have a dog biscuit recipe to share with my friends who are doggy parents, should they wish...more
One of the authors of this book contacted me, offering a copy of the book for review. Though I usually decline the kind offers of self published authoOne of the authors of this book contacted me, offering a copy of the book for review. Though I usually decline the kind offers of self published authors, two things compelled me to say yes to the Wynn brothers. The first was that the cover blurb said "When four alien visitors arrive on Earth and disappear into the cornfields of Indiana, it is Stewart Faulkner's job to find them." I've been to Indiana, so this scenario seemed entirely plausible. The second was that during our exchange of emails, it became apparent that the authors had not just selected folks with a lot of books listed on their accounts at goodreads or librarything, but actually taken the time, at least in my case, to read my blog. So, I agreed to read Trespassers.
The Brothers Wynn are screenwriters, which became more and more apparent as I read along. They've got a good cast of characters, and a strong plot, that in my opinion, with some refining/editing/smoothing of pace (i.e. less screen direction/explanation, "more show; less tell" is the phrase I've heard editor types use when I've heard talks at various venues) could really improve. Or, going another direction, I could see this spinning out to a film or television series, sort of "Men in Black" but more on a regular day-to-day rather than "save the world from imminent destruction" basis. (Side note: That's what I like about a series like Daredevil vs Avengers. It gets tiresome if the world's always about to end. Keep one patch of earth safe, with good human/alien relationships.I'm happy with that.)
I liked the emphasis that the aliens in this particular case were humans, just not from Earth. I also liked that all but one of the characters (and that one was Jin, one of my favorites in the book) could blend in without disguises with the locals. I really liked the name of the agency Faulkner worked for, as well as some of the personal thoughts several/experiences several of the characters had about life and love. Some of those felt as if they might have come from life experience, and had an authentic ring to them. Though I'd pretty much anticipated a large plot reveal, there was one I expected to happen that didn't, which was good, because when a plot twist was unveiled near the end of the book, it took me unaware. It also resolved some ambiguity I'd been feeling about a particular character and his actual purpose in the whole book. There were a number of times in the book that things seemed more like stage direction, which would be great if this was a script, but inhibited the flow of the story for me. I imagine that if the Brothers Wynn were telling this story or reading it out loud, it might not have been as obtrusive for me. (But then again, I'm the kind of reader who gets annoyed by out of time-period vocabulary and punctuation used in novels. It's a quirk and a burden.)
All in all, I kept reading and am glad I did. There are elements of the story that keep coming back to mind--a good sign. I am refraining from giving a star rating, because I sincerely hope that this version will be revised and come back even stronger and cleaner, which I can rate higher. This book is an B.R.A.G medal honoree (http://www.bragmedallion.com/about).
To the authors: Thank you very much for sharing the book with me. I want to add that I really loved the short stories on your website.
I first heard of Sarah Britton through her blog, "My New Roots", where I fell in love with a Thai inspired coconut soup she posted. Never mind that I I first heard of Sarah Britton through her blog, "My New Roots", where I fell in love with a Thai inspired coconut soup she posted. Never mind that I drove my grocer crazy seeking fresh galangal root, which suddenly was hard to keep in stock (I suspect I wasn't the only one who read that post). The soup was a burst of flavors sliding across my palate. Luckily, I've now found a source for dried galangal and birds eye chiles, if needs be, so my grocer doesn't run when he sees me coming.
I'm terrible at keeping up with blogs, so it was with delight that I realized that Ms Britton had made a collection of her recipes and food thoughts into the My New Roots cookbook. The book is beautifully laid out, with mouthwatering photographs, and lots of text about the recipes, seasons, ingredients, and food itself. It's both a cookbook to read and a cookbook to use. I suspect that there may be some more ingredients that will make my grocer blanch when I ask for them, but that's part of trying new things. The layout of the book is by season, which has both advantages and disadvantages, as I live in an area that is more of a three-season climate, with a long growing season, so my sense of what's seasonal is different. Also, because each section has the full array of recipes for that season, you need to peruse all sections if you're looking specifics, such as desserts, or soups, etc. But, as I said, the recipes are scrumptious, the pictures gorgeous, and the palate divine, so it's a lovely journey. My New Roots really does present "inspired plant-based recipes for every season," and every palate.
Many thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for this copy of the book....more
I read Dad is Fat when it came out, and really loved it. I like Gaffigan's voice, and looked forward to reading this. There were parts that were vastlI read Dad is Fat when it came out, and really loved it. I like Gaffigan's voice, and looked forward to reading this. There were parts that were vastly amusing, but on the whole, for me, it didn't match his first book. The old "it would have made a great article" syndrome applies. The things that appealed to me were the personal experiences and the bits about his family. The dissertation on types of foods and restaurants, not so much. It wore thin, though I did find myself craving an all-beef hotdog while reading.
On the whole, though, I think Gaffigan is a talented artist, and seems to be a dad involved with his kids, and a man able to avoid many of the pitfalls of fame.
Thank you to Blogging for Books, and to the publisher for sending this copy my way. ...more
This was my first foray into Bess Crawford's world, (though I have read a few Ian Rutledge novels, by the same authors.) Probably, had I realized it wThis was my first foray into Bess Crawford's world, (though I have read a few Ian Rutledge novels, by the same authors.) Probably, had I realized it was well into a series, I might have not picked it up, but interestingly, two copies of the novel came my way (one from the publisher and one via LibraryThing's early reviewer program.)
The plot has Bess, who is a nurse during the Great War, home on leave, and assigned to accompany a wounded soldier when he goes to Buckingham Palace to receive a medal of honor. All goes well until the next morning, when the soldier disappears from his bed, apparently deserting the army. Then, a murder occurs in a small town, and the suspected killer is believed to be the missing soldier. Bess, as the last one to see him, find herself suspect as an accomplice, in both his escape and the murder.
Having not read any other books in this series, the pace and interactions between characters didn't bother me, though some Bess Crawford Mystery readers have commented on both aspects of this story. I found myself caught up in the detailed depiction of the English countryside during WWI. The battlefield bits, and that of London at the time, also interested me enough that I shall probably seek out other books in the series. I am a nurse by profession, and am always interested to read about the history of nursing.
The authors (a mother/son team, which fascinates me no end, especially when I try to imagine writing a book with my own son) have created some interesting characters. I look forward to meeting those characters again.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers program and to the publisher for sending me this book to read....more
It's no surprise that I like this book. We've been walking a path to more healthful eating for quite a while now, careful what we consume, and from whIt's no surprise that I like this book. We've been walking a path to more healthful eating for quite a while now, careful what we consume, and from where it is sourced. Many of the local farmers greet me by name at the local farmer's market. We have a high quality blender, which we use for smoothies (particularly green smoothies, which often are what we sip in the evening as we sit outside and watch life parade by. There's also a juicer in our appliance arsenal, having moved from a centrifugal juicer to a twin gear over the years. I love fresh juice, especially, juices "with ingredients", as my mother used to say, taking frequent opportunities to partake of cold pressed and fresh squeezed juices offered for sale, even though I often shudder at the prices asked for them. Yet, I balk at juicing itself: the cleanup is just such a chore. I never want to do it after having that yummy juice, and if I do it before, I resent that it's keeping me from my fresh juiced goodness.
But this book, with beautiful pictures, easy to follow tips, and absolutely scrumptious recipes for juices, smoothies, and even some non-juice stuff to supplement a cleansing program, has me eyeing the juicer that sits high up on a shelf. I even am contemplating climbing up on a stool and bringing it down, finding a place somewhere in our compact kitchen to give it a more accessible home. I've got the fruits and veggies already in the fridge -- all I need is the motivation to tackle the juicing and the inevitable clean-up. I tried convincing myself that the washing helped with an upper body workout, but my mind didn't believe me. Maybe I'll try telling myself that washing all those parts provides a zen moment to meditate.
Many thanks to the authors for some wonderful tips, recipes, and insights, and to Blogging for Books and the publishers for sending this book along. It's a keeper....more
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America," they sai"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America," they said. "Okay!" I said. "I'm in!" What I hoped for was a quirky boy-meets-girl (if the boy is a stiff-necked small town lawyer taking a road-trip/vacation to fulfill a promise to his grandfather and the girl is a free-spirited, new age, Native American, beginning her career as a spiritual advisor from the back of a converted bookmobile.) The problem is that the plot really didn't progress much further. Instead, the book segued into a primer on spirituality, various methods, means, types, and approaches. Don't get me wrong-- this is good information, but if I wanted to be exploring a spiritual pathway, I'd like to choose my own reading list, rather than be ambushed from the pages of a novel. As an outline/introduction to different spiritual viewpoints, this one is pretty decent, but again, I wanted a story, not a lesson. Mr Kincaid has created some characters that are just oozing with potential, but abandoned them to help enlighten the reader. I really wish he'd stuck to letting Ted, Angel Two Sparrow, and the dogs develop into fully fleshed out characters.
I'm guessing that there are those who this book will find, and it will be just the right time/tool/introduction to help them move into a new phase of life. I'm not particularly enlightened, but for me, a lot of this was like sitting through a review class on a subject I know pretty well. I plugged on through because it was a book sent to me by Library Thing Early Reviewers and the publisher, for which I am entirely grateful. I will pass it along through BookCrossing, hoping it finds the right reader while it travels the world as a BookCrossing book. Rating it 2.5 stars (out of 5), even though it is a decent introduction to spirituality book. It's just not as decent as a novel.
I'm currently experimenting with different ways to satisfy my artistic muse. I'm a pysanky artist, and only recently have begun to explore other mediuI'm currently experimenting with different ways to satisfy my artistic muse. I'm a pysanky artist, and only recently have begun to explore other mediums. My arsenal has several types of colored pencils, which I use only sparingly. Somehow I knew there were other ways to employ the simple colored pencil, but hadn't unlocked the secret. When Blogging for Books offered this book as a selection, I immediately jumped for it, and hauled out my collection of colored pencils in eager anticipation.
The book itself is beautiful, and quite thorough. It explores different types of pencils. and provides many references for identifying quality of materials in colored pencil art, from the pencils itself, to paper, to accessory tools, thoroughly examining the strengths and weaknesses of each. To be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed by it all, as a novice, but think this book will have a happy home on my art reference shelf, and that as I get more comfortable with my own artistic abilities, I'll refer to it more and more. It may be a while though, because, as the book stresses, quality counts. Sadly, only one set of my pencils even made the list, and was moderate at that. If I want to indulge in the techniques explored in this book, I would want to upgrade and to supplement with good quality paper and accessary tools, etc, and my wallet is not yet ready. Even so, there are many techniques and tips that I can apply to pen/marker art and even acrylic painting. Having never taken any sort of art class, this is like having my own private instructor in a book.
Thank you Blogging for Books, the publisher and author for sending a copy of the book my way. I hope someday to be able to fully employ all that it offers.
Dark. Broken. Bent. Depressing. I'm so glad I read this book. Seriously.
I tend to read for comfort and relaxation these days. My reasons for picking TDark. Broken. Bent. Depressing. I'm so glad I read this book. Seriously.
I tend to read for comfort and relaxation these days. My reasons for picking The Panopticon were to challenge myself as a reader, and as a reviewer. Jenni Fagan has amassed some pretty serious credits as a writer, enough so to assure me that despite the huge variations in reviews of this book by other readers, that the writing would be stellar. It was. It sustained me through an incredibly bleak story of fifteen year old Anais Hendricks, which begins with her in the back of a police car, blood on her dress, accused of attempted murder of a policewoman now in a coma. Anais is headed for The Panopticon, a home for chronic juvenile offenders. All-seeing, indeed.
There's not been much that has been good in Anais's life. The number of foster placements she's bounced through is is over 3 times her age. Every adult she's known seems to have failed her, and doesn't look like it's going to get better. But she has carved out some support for herself, not via social workers and such, but through drugs, sex, and living on the sly. This book had more uses of the word fuck thank any other book I have read. It also makes liberal use of other inventive language, some slang that I had to look up, guess, or ask friends from the UK to help translate. Until I caught the rhythm of speech, it was difficult to get into the book. Then, once I found that, the book was difficult to read because of the gritty nature. It was not something I wanted to read at bedtime. But in the light of day, even with all the references to wanking, boaking, conks, rapes and the liberal sprinkling of language I don't normally use, there were some moments in this book that were fabulous. This girl has a horrendous life, but can still come out with observations like:
They dinnae know this, though: I'd die before I'd pick on someone. I would. You dinnae bully people, ever, 'cause all bullies are cowards and I umnay a fucking coward, I never was. (pg 61)
The girl has been beaten so often she should be pulp, but she still isn't down; she has her standards and her beliefs, and a kind of scrappy, cynical optimism that kept me reading through some pretty bleak stuff.
So, did I like this book? Not really. Did I like the characters? Yes. Did I like the writing? F--- yes! Would I recommend the read? Only to readers who are willing to take a dark journey.
Many thanks to Blogging for Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I'm giving it 4/5 stars, not because it made me feel good, or that I really liked it, but it sure made me think about aspects of our society, and also made me think about what, to an avid reader, makes a book worth reading....more
Paris is not a city that attracts me, yet it does fascinate me. It's not a place I long to go (one brief visit in the 1970's has allowed me to say I'vParis is not a city that attracts me, yet it does fascinate me. It's not a place I long to go (one brief visit in the 1970's has allowed me to say I've been there), but it's a city I do love to read about. Whether historical, twentieth century, or current, the nuances of culture never cease to give much to contemplate. Hilary Reyl has managed to capture a believable Paris of 1989-90 and present it to her readers, along with tasty morsels of the time: the fall of the Berlin Wall, Salman Rushdie (Satanic Verses era), how Parisian women really stay thin, kirs, a compelling circle of characters, and of course, cuisine.
The story is billed loosely as a coming of age novel, which really sells it short, because I found it to be a fascinating character study, with Paris itself one of the characters to study. Kate, a recent Yale graduate, has the opportunity to work as the assistant to Lydia, a famous American photographer, living in Paris. Kate had lived briefly in Paris as a girl, and speaks the language beautifully. While the job bubbles with opportunities to mix with the famous, and be a part of a cutting edge culture, Lydia and her family serve up a somewhat toxic brew of personal pathologies and pathos. Kate must find a balance as well as find herself. She still has family in the city, has a group of young aristocrats and royals she runs with, as well as the conflicted personalities that come her way, courtesy of Lydia's family.
There were times when Kate's hormones led her astray, where I wanted to give her a shake to help her think straight, but that's part of what coming of age is all about. The thing that kept me glued to the pages here were the glimpses of Paris that emerged, the slices of life not known to those who have only visited, (whether in person or via a book) -- a little of the underbelly, so to speak. It rang so true that I feel certain Reyl knows her stuff, and weaves it in a clear, confident manner, into the story of Kate and her time in Paris.
Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program and the publisher for sending me this AR copy to read. The book comes out March 5, 2013.
My life is just about perfect. That's what Evie thinks, despite the memory loss she suffers, and the whispers in her mind of distant memories that sheMy life is just about perfect. That's what Evie thinks, despite the memory loss she suffers, and the whispers in her mind of distant memories that she can't pull to the surface. And what's not to be perfect? She's the pampered, beautiful daughter of "Mother", the ruler of an underwater realm. Elysium was created after a war on earth left only vicious "surface dwellers" living on above and destroyed all civilized life. Or did it?
In Evie's perfect world, children are selected, based on their genetics, intelligence, and aptitudes, to be either breeders or enforcers. Like other breeders, now that Evie is 16, she's expected to undergo a coupling with another breeder, to ensure the purity and continuance of the people. Her mother has graciously let her select her coupling partner, but odd things keep happening to them -- if only she could remember who they were or what they'd meant to her. Should a citizen steps out of line, or when the expected surface dweller attack comes, then the enforcers step in with deadly precision. But for now, Evie is surrounded by silks, flowers, and beauty.
Until she finds Gavin, a surface dweller who stumbled into the underwater realm by accident, in her garden. Suddenly she's having a hard time suppressing all those whispered memories of the past. And let's face it. She's 16. He's handsome, dangerous, forbidden, and exciting. Hormones kick in big, too. Soon, Evie and Gavin are on the run, fighting all that she believed true, to get Gavin back to the world he knows.
This was a pretty impressive foray into the world of YA fantasy. JA Souders creates this beautiful world underwater, but then rips away the underbelly to free the beast within. There's some pretty horrific realities here, nothing like silks, flowers, and beauty, that come spilling forth. And some comes spilling out of Evie, for she has been manipulated from the get go by her "loving" mother, and it's a crapshoot at times which overlay will win out. All I can say is that when my friend Maris, at age 16, complained that her mother was a "manipulative bitch who only thought about herself", she didn't have a clue how bad it could be. Compared to Mother, Maris's mom was a piker. Elysium is a vicious place, a dark dystopia, led by one psycho woman.
I see that there are other books planned in a series. I'll be curious to see how it all evolves. I'd rate this a 4 to 4.5.
Thanks to Tor publishing for sending this book my way....more
"A novel of lattes, literature, and love"? Sounds like the story of my life, if you change "lattes" to "coffee" or "espresso" and don't mind the loss "A novel of lattes, literature, and love"? Sounds like the story of my life, if you change "lattes" to "coffee" or "espresso" and don't mind the loss of alliteration. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for Molly, the 40-something discarded wife/single mother involved, my life is safely my own. Still, this made an amusing diversion from some of other stuff I'm reading of late (Sholem Aleichem for a book club, sequel to a complex science fiction as an AR, a Nordic noir that's being passed around amongst friends, and some occupationally related reading.)
Molly's left facing a future of no money, no job, no support from the scummy ex, and has to reshape her world. Lucky for her, she's able to get work from an old college friend, who plops her in as the marketing/copy-writing person for a new bakery opening up near the New York City Library. Did I mention that the chef/owner is handsome, and sexy, etc? Yeah, well, he is, as is his associate who appears to despise Molly as much as I despise the word "sexy" as a descriptor.
So here were the problems for me. Molly loves "literature" but is busy reading romance novels (which is fine to do, but own it, don't be ashamed of a good bodice. Heck, act it out, even. It's great fun.) And when her non-reading friend wants to start reading good literature, Molly starts her out on Ethan Frome. Ethan Frome??? I'd be surprised if the chick ever picked up a book again.
Molly loves "coffee", but thinks nothing of drinking stuff that's been sitting on a warmer all day. The coffee geeks I know would be horrified at that, or by the pre-ground coffee she scoops out to make her bucket 'o coffee. I know there's the whole crowd out there that thinks Starbucks or Dunkin' Doughnuts reigns supreme, but not the folks I hang with. They'd shudder, and that's before knowing that the perfect cuppa in this book has milk and one sugar in it. Undoubtedly perfect for some, but not for the purists.
So if I put my judgmental snob hat aside, and focus on the story, it was fine. Molly is faced with some really awful stuff, and faces challenge. She also has a son, who she wants to keep unharmed from his father's desertion. Her mother is a little off kilter, but Molly deals with it well. She's got two great girlfriends to help her, with good shoulders to cry on and ears for listening. She's got a great shrink, another friend who gives her a job, and her health is insurance covered for at least a little while. And she's got a good enough head on her shoulders to not be ruled by her libido.
All in all, a fine escape read for a chilly autumn day. The references to books, in the copy Molly supposedly came up with for the bakery products, were entertaining. The recipes for those products a nice touch. A little more of Brooklyn would have been just great. The best thing would have been if the bakery was real, and I could order one of those muffins to have with my freshly brewed, black coffee.
Many thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for sending along this copy of Vanity Fare. ...more
Steampunk fantasy in a world that has echos of Regency times -- right up my alley it would seem. With Ironskin, the reader enters a world just after aSteampunk fantasy in a world that has echos of Regency times -- right up my alley it would seem. With Ironskin, the reader enters a world just after a war between humans and fey. While humans appeared to have won, there are wounds left in the world, humans hideously scarred by fey blasts, now outcast, or else wearing iron coverings to stop the fey curses from leaking through and tainting the world.
Jane Eliot was wounded in the war that killed all of her family, except her sister Helen. While Helen has found a place in society and is to be wedded soon, Jane (definitely less flighty and frivolous, and considerably smarter than her sister) heads off to take a position as the governess for a child who also bears a fey curse.
Here's where it got a little confusing: I thought we might be headed towards a steampunk Jane Eyre (which would have been great, only sadly, the author states in her acknowledgements that when someone compared the novel to Jane Eyre, her response was, "Who's that.") Then there were Beauty and the Beast elements that got added in, the only question being who was the beauty and who was the beast. Next, came The Snow Queen bits, only this one was the Fey Queen. While it all worked, I think my love of the other stories got in the way for this one. In the end, though, it's all up to Jane (as it often seems to be for main characters who bear that name.
While there were some wonderful bits in this book that crossed all my t's and dotted all my i's, there were other times when my mind strayed from the plot. However, the world-building here was really well done. It's not a retelling of a story with another element added in, but a nicely crafted tale. The disappointments I had were probably because of my own expectations which I set myself (though a cover blurb also alludes to a reverse Beauty and the Beast). I will look for other works by this author. (3.5 rounded up to 4)
This was a fun excursion of the paranormal, urban fantasy sort. Clever world, where the supernaturals"White fangs" and Werewolves and lawyers! Oh my!
This was a fun excursion of the paranormal, urban fantasy sort. Clever world, where the supernaturals and humans coexist relatively peacefully. And though the vampires are heavy into the legal system, the werewolves are in the military, and the elves are into the glamorous parts of life, humans still have their say. Of course, those with loyalty to a particular branch of supers are rewarded in their careers and personal lives, some even being "turned'. But in this world, only males can be turned, it is taboo to bite a female.
We see this world from the life of Linnet Ellory, top of her class in law school, and who was fostered in a vampire household. She enters a prominent White Fang firm, and runs into all sorts of problems. Her colleague is killed in the office by a werewolf on the rampage, she inherits the dead end case he'd been on, and begins to be knocked around by all sorts of events.
Phillipa Bornikova has created a great world, fabulous characters, and plausible plot twists and turns, plus some great references and Easter eggs. I get the feeling we'll see Linnet et al again, which is fine by me. I also re-entered the world of horse training (though at a much more elite level than I participated) but that was a wonderful bonus.
The book's called This Case is Gonna Kill Me, but the book won't. In fact it will probably suck you in (ha!) to this genre of great female characters in a paranormal world.
Thanks to Tor Books for sending this along for me to read....more
As a child, I learned the phrase Blackberry Winter when we had a sudden, surprising cold snap that left our springtime world blanketed in snow. As a kAs a child, I learned the phrase Blackberry Winter when we had a sudden, surprising cold snap that left our springtime world blanketed in snow. As a kid, it was magical, and the image of the azaleas covered with snow still remains in memory. Not so long ago, I heard Hilary Kole sing a beautiful rendition of Blackberry Winter. It has haunted me, and apparently haunted author Sarah Jio as well. In an author's note, she tells how hearing the song on the radio sparked her to write this story. That alone is enough to endear me to the book, however, the story Jio wrote is worth liking on its own.
Set in Seattle, one of my favorite towns, Blackberry Winter combines two tales from two times, both when there were late snows on the first of May. In the height of the depression, a young, single mother, headed to work as a chambermaid. Circumstances forced her to leave her precious son home alone, tucked safely in bed in their small apartment. In the morning,snow blanketed the town. Her son had vanished. Only his teddy bear abandoned in the snow, remained behind.
In the 2010 story, after the town is once covered by a May 1 snow, a newspaper writer is assigned to write a feature about the blackberry winter of 1933. The story of the missing boy captures her. As she digs to learn what happened to little Daniel and his mother, she also faces the ghosts haunting in her own life as well follow as a possible connection to the past.
I read this book pretty quickly. It took me a little longer to track down the lyrics to the song that captured both Ms Jio and me (which are written below, as well as a link to a video.) There were some weaker moments in the book, but mostly in the wrapping things up angle, so I can forgive some of the coincidences, especially if they involve a good coffee shop (don't want to say more for fear of spoilers.)
One of the things I especially enjoyed about this book was a glimpse into the world of the Depression in Seattle. I'd recently read several other Seattle based novels ( one written in 2000, but set in 2018; another set in an alternate reality present) so I feel like I've been to the town in the past, present, another present, and the future. Maybe it's time for a real visit? Will look for more by this author.
Blackberry Winter comes without a warning Just when you think that Spring's around to stay So you wake up on a cold rainy morning And wonder what on Earth became of May.
Blackberry Winter only lasts a few days Just long enough to get you feeling sad When you think of all the love that you have wasted On someone that you never really had.
I'll never get over losing you But I had to learn that life goes on And the memories grow dim Like a half forgotten son 'Til the Blackberry Winter Reminds me that you're gone.
I get so lonely, most of all in springtime I wish I could enjoy the first of May But I seem to know that Blackberry Winter Is not so far away.
Thanks to the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for sending this lovely glimpse into two Blackberry Winters my way....more
Loading...
