Having been hit by the same sort of thunderbolt that hit Laurie, one day on a bus when her eyes met those of a guy at the bus stop, I know what the ceHaving been hit by the same sort of thunderbolt that hit Laurie, one day on a bus when her eyes met those of a guy at the bus stop, I know what the certainty that this is the person for you feels like. I got to meet and spent these last 36 years with my guy; life is good. Laurie wasn't so lucky. She spent a year looking for him, then found him again, but he was, by that point, her best friend's new boyfriend. Oops.
This was an enjoyable book to read: interesting characters, fresh writing, realistic narratives. Chick lit, yes, but not mindless. There are some deep explorations into the curveballs life brings, and a really beautiful example of friendship (Laurie/Sarah) that is a rare and precious gift in itself.
Bottom line, I liked it. I also really want one of those Delancy Street Specials. Sounded delicious!
Many thanks to Read it Forward and the publishers for sending me a copy....more
I got this book as part of a set from the Read It Forward program. I'm not sure, on close inspection, if this is actually to my taste, so I may not reI got this book as part of a set from the Read It Forward program. I'm not sure, on close inspection, if this is actually to my taste, so I may not read it, but will pass it on to another reader....more
I got this book as part of a set from the Read It Forward program. I'm not sure, on close inspection, if this is actually to my taste, so I may not reI got this book as part of a set from the Read It Forward program. I'm not sure, on close inspection, if this is actually to my taste, so I may not read it, but will pass it on to another reader....more
I'm over half way in this book, and still not engaged. I get how there were comparisons to favorite authors of mine (Hiaasen, Dorsey, and Westlake, inI'm over half way in this book, and still not engaged. I get how there were comparisons to favorite authors of mine (Hiaasen, Dorsey, and Westlake, in humor, Russo in portrayals of town life) but the effort just hasn't panned out for me. I find neither the characters or the plot engaging. In the meantime, a book I've been eager to read has landed at my doorstep, and I'm putting this aside. Sorry Fat Bob. You may not be dead yet, but you're dead to me.
I received this book via the Read it Forward program. Thank you for sending me a copy. Sorry I wasn't keen on it. ...more
Barcelona is climatically on the other end of the spectrum from the settings of the Nordic Noir I've been reading, but Antonio Hill packed a similar wBarcelona is climatically on the other end of the spectrum from the settings of the Nordic Noir I've been reading, but Antonio Hill packed a similar wallop of characters, mystery, into the pages of The Summer of Dead Toys, plus added the promise of a new series/Inspector to check out.
Hector Salgado, an Argentinian, now a inspector in Barcelona but now on probation after an episode violence in one of his cases, is asked to unofficially look into the apparently accidental death of a well-to-do young man. But Salgado discovers the case not to be as clear-cut as assumed. His journey to discovery takes him through some of the shadier parts of Barcelona life, the areas tourists will probably never see. The story unfolds with craft, skill, and intelligence. The descriptions of Barcelona painted the city in my mind's eye. The book kept me interested, with two main threads of action, realistic characters, and enough tension to make me nibble a fingernail or two. And, for those who like a little noir/darkness in their reading, there's enough of that seamy underbelly exposed to satisfy.
For me, the book is a clue in itself, that this is a series to keep in mind for future reading. There are enough interesting interactions between characters that will probably be recurring, enough realism, enough trueness in the relationships. Salgado, himself, seems to be that intelligent, flawed central character, the kind of which I like to follow in stories. The book, itself, is translated, but interestingly enough, the author is the actual translator, as that's what he does when he's not writing mystery/detective novels. While there is a little roughness in the telling of the tale, I think that will smooth out with time and more writing.
Many thanks to Read It Forward for forwarding this on to me. I will pass it along, now, knowing I'm passing on a good book....more
I'm not sure how this book first got on my radar, but remember standing there in the bookstore, with it in my hand, trying to decide if I should get iI'm not sure how this book first got on my radar, but remember standing there in the bookstore, with it in my hand, trying to decide if I should get it, or pick up the book I'd originally come for, to give to my granddaughter. Grandmotherness won out, and I put it back on the shelf, in favor of granddaughter's wishlist. This audio copy came my way via the Library Thing's Early Reviewer program shortly after, for which I am grateful to LT, the publisher, and the gods of book selection.
Ben Benjamin is pretty much at rock bottom at the start of this novel. A tragedy (which unfolds as the book progresses) has shaken his world and taken all that he cared for from his life. Quite literally all that he cared for, because he'd been a stay-at-home dad for his two kids, who, along with his wife, are lost to him. As a last ditch effort to find work, he has completed a course called "The Fundamentals of Caregiving", hoping to find employment as a health care aid/assistant. He ends up working with trev, a 19 year old in the advanced stages Duchenne muscular dystrophy. What Ben finds is that there's a lot a course on caregiving can't prepare you for.
I've been a professional care giver, and a private one as well. There is no course in the world that can prepare you for the realities of the job, but that's pretty much because there's nothing in the world that can prepare you for life. The rocks and rolls that Ben has to navigate, both in his personal life, and with Trev, are enormous (and sometimes enormously humorous, as well as serious and complex.) The author deftly portrayed both those moments where life kicks you in the gut (or arse) as well as those where it pats you on the back. Though Ben's life choices may not be mine, I was fully engaged with his story, and the stories of the characters brought in to his world.
One element of this book which came off surprisingly well was the road trip Trev and Ben take to see Trev's estranged father. It introduced a cast of characters and another level of father/child interactions (there are several portrayed in the book, with varying degrees of pathology or success.) The trip also provided Ben and Trev a vehicle (no pun intended) for exploration of their inner and outer worlds. It could have been the downfall of the book, but instead it enhanced it, and brought readers some great characters and scenes.
The story of Ben's family and his loss is interwoven with that of his life with Trev. Realistic, heartrending, and beautifully written. Though I really loved getting this book as an audio, this is one I almost wish I had in hard copy so that I could provide some of the quotes that I found moving. I will look for more books by Mr Evison....more
I admit it. I'm a total sucker for debut novels. I also love novels set "from off", as we say here in Charleston, referring to anywhere beyond the lowI admit it. I'm a total sucker for debut novels. I also love novels set "from off", as we say here in Charleston, referring to anywhere beyond the lowcountry of South Carolina, as they often allow me to do a little mind travel to places I'd like to visit. The setting of Luxemburg is what drew me to this novel, as well as the promise of a mystery. I carried this with me to several waiting rooms for various appointments, and several coffee shops, and each place, someone commented on the title.
Kate may seem like a working mother with a desk job in Washington DC, married to a computer geek, but in actuality, she's a retired field agent for the CIA. As twists and turns pile up in this plot, her previous skills, and experiences are called on to help her untangle the convoluted observations and information she gains as to what's going on with dear husband, and to keep her little boys safe.
The story is told from two vantage points: current day and two years ago, each with their own plot lines that interweave and misdirect the reader into thinking they know where there story is going, then questioning if they really do. There were some things that I really liked about the book: Kate's point of view, and basic instincts, the little glimpses of life in Luxemburg, Paris, Amsterdam, Italy (would have liked more of this), the presence of IKEA furniture (we were coincidentally putting together an IKEA piece while I was reading the book), some of the twists and turns. I would have liked a bit more about Ex-pat living though. I guess I had trouble reconciling the thought of someone who was living abroad, for a seemingly temporary period, as considering themselves an Expat. Wikipedia tells me that's my own misinterpretation, that it can be a temporary situation, but to my mind, it's those people who are more permanently residing outside their native land.
There were some times in the book when the author's choice of words made me stop and re-read -- not from the beauty of a passage, but because of the quirky phraseology. The author, when not writing mystery/thrillers, is involved in publishing (a lot of cookbooks, it seems), so I imagine loves wordplay (as well as cooking.) Some of the phrases that made me pause include:
Her skin is glowing with a healthy, natural looking tan [...] Not one of those extra-dark deep-fries that so many French women favor[.]
[They] waited, amid a dozen people who were perhaps waiting for the same type thing. Maybe the same exact thing, from the same person. Other supposed friends of Pierre,
Julia had undone yet another button on her blouse, crossing the neckline between sexy and exhibitionist.
The ignition was ignited, the headlights lit, the tuner tuned to France Culture.
All in all, I'm glad I read this book. It's nice to find new writers. And while I think some of the cover blurbs a bit over-embellished, I certainly did like reading this book, and would pick up another by this author.
Thank you so much to the wonderful Read-it-Forward program and the publisher for my copy of this book. ...more
Bhutan captured my imagination back in my son's freshman year at Stanford because of a connection with one of his Stanford faculty and the Royal familBhutan captured my imagination back in my son's freshman year at Stanford because of a connection with one of his Stanford faculty and the Royal family. He almost spent part of that summer there, but time and finances worked against him heading to the Happiest Kingdom on Earth. Had he gone, he would have been in Bhutan the same time Lisa Napoli first went there, to help with the fledgling youth radio station Kuzoo FM.
There was a lot I liked about this book, but it had little to do with the author's story and more with the country itself. I was fascinated by the story that was behind University of Texas El Paso's architecture being based on Bhutanese architecture. Who knew? I had to look it up to see the Texan interpretation of Himalayan style [ http://universitycommunications.utep.... ] And I, who absolutely love all kinds of graffiti and wall art, or native art that decorates homes in other country got a huge kick out of learning many homes in Bhutan has phalluses painted on them to ward off evil. Of course, that got a google search. Amazing. The unfolding of democracy, and the way auspicious dates were calculated intrigued me. Then there was the general beauty of the country. I spent hours looking at photographs.
As to Napoli's story itself, I had less infatuation. But she had a tale to tell, and told it well. (Many of my frustrations in reading were because this was an uncorrected proof, and there were some mixups with names of characters - real vs fictional. I hope those were straightened out before the book went to press.) Napoli's needs and life are very different from mine, but I still can appreciate her journey -- especially since she gave me a lift, via armchair travelling, to the beautiful kingdom of Bhutan.
Received this from the very fine folks at www.readitforward.com. I live in mathematically minded household; fascination with numbers runs deep. I had Received this from the very fine folks at www.readitforward.com. I live in mathematically minded household; fascination with numbers runs deep. I had high hopes for this memoir from Brooke Newman. Her father was quite an interesting fellow. For those who don't know of his mathematical prowess, he hung around with Einstein, and is the fellow who coined the term googol. Though his daughter is a bit older than I am, we both shared a spot and time in history: the DC of the 50's and 60's.
Jenniemae Harrington was the black nanny/housemaid brought into the Newman's world when Brook was a toddler. An uneducated and illiterate person in the household of one of the greater minds of the era might seem an anomaly, but Jenniemae held her own using common sense, determination, humor and folk wisdom. The Newman parents were each quite eccentric, flamboyant in their disregard of many of the norms of the day. In a sea of her father's infidelities and her mother's artistic temperaments, Jenniemae provided Brooke and her brother, and even her unconventional parents with a stability.
The memoir is written cleanly and in a straightforward manner, and if it didn't provide the details or slant that I had anticipated, the fault lies not in the author, but in my expectations. Indeed, it may have been a way for her to sort out and understand the world of her childhood, which had to be both confusing and tumultuous. Though the friendship with James and Jenniemae does unfold, because it is told by a third party, it lacks certain sense of intimacy -- observation vs experience, I suppose. But it does provide a view into a time fraught with happenings in the American political arena and a glimpse into the world of a mathematical genius. Writing about parents is hard, especially when some of the things one has to occasionally pen are less than popular. Brooke Newman shares her parents with the reader, "warts and all", as well as the larger than life (in deed, she weighed in around 360 pounds) Jenniemae and her world of the black American in the Civil Rights era. And that makes all the difference. ...more
Chris Bohjalian, an author with perhaps as frightening surname to the uninitiated as my own, rarely disappoints. I know I will find a well crafted, seChris Bohjalian, an author with perhaps as frightening surname to the uninitiated as my own, rarely disappoints. I know I will find a well crafted, seamlessly written tale, often with a gut wrenching twist or revelation somewhere along the story line. Having been caught out once or twice by him in previous books, I found myself trying to catch him out and anticipate "who done it." I'd actually considered the person revealed, but dismissed them as did the police investigators because of the skillful (and successful) disquise and misdirection of the author and his characters.
This story had at it's center a topic very difficult to read about: battered women. Juxtaposed against that is the backdrop of a small New England town, faith and loss, the dogged determination of a police investigator, and angels. Yep, angels. They play a role in this story, too, though not always in the winged form.
The story of Alice Hayward, her death at the hands of her husband, and his apparent suicide are but the vehicle for Bohjalian to explore the human psyche, and what we do to hold true to our beliefs.
I really liked the passage where Stephen discussed the secrets of Eden -- which gave title to the book. Unfortunately, I didn't mark it so can't quote it here. Sorry.
Many thanks to the kind folks at Read it Forward for selecting me to receive this book. An AR copy of an author I really like. YAY! ...more
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