Book Nook Club: Author Spotlight

Showing posts with label Author Spotlight. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Author Spotlight. Show all posts

March 7, 2011

Atria Literary Salon Series - Jodi Picoult

Love Jodi Picoult? Watch her now as she answers questions in an interview moderated by Bethanne Patrick, regarding her newest novel Sing You Home and her other literary achievements Monday, March 7th at 7PM EST.

Additional Info regarding the event:
Autographed books for purchase will be available before, during and after this web event by visiting http://bit.ly/SingYouHome. A portion of proceeds from each sale will be donated to Jodi’s charity of choice, The Trevor Project (http://thetrevorproject.org), the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The book also includes a compact disc of original songs created for the novel and sung by Ellen Wilber, who will also be performing on the webcast.

You can watch the livestream at www.facebook.com/Atriabooks. Please tweet any questions you may have for Jodi using the hashtag #singyouhome, or by posting questions to Atria’s Facebook page. Select questions will be answered live by Jodi Picoult during the event.

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March 6, 2011

Jodi Picoult Live - Tomorrow Night at 7PM

One of my all-time favorite authors is Jodi Picoult. My Sister's Keeper was my first book review ever on Book Nook Club and every other novel of Jodi's that I've read since then has left me equally impressed. A couple of months ago I was contacted to have Book Nook Club participate in the Atria Literary Salon Series with Jodi Picoult. Part of that participation is featuring a live streamed interview here on Book Nook Club.

So check back tomorrow night as the Atria Literary Salon Series presents Jodi Picoult via live stream tomorrow night at 7PM EST. The interview will focus on Picoult's newest novel, Sing You Home, as well as I'm sure other more general questions about her novels. Sing You Home was just released on March 1st and I've got a copy on my shelf that I am just dying to read. I will for one be checking out the interview tomorrow night to get some great insight from one of my favorite authors and hope you'll all join me for the Atria Literary Salon Series.

Note from Atria: Autographed books for purchase will be available before, during and after this web event by visiting http://bit.ly/SingYouHome. A portion of proceeds from each sale will be donated to Jodi’s charity of choice, The Trevor Project (http://thetrevorproject.org), the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The book also includes a compact disc of original songs created for the novel and sung by Ellen Wilber, who will also be performing on the webcast.

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Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

When you think of the French Revolution, what do you think of - Marie Antoinette? Storming the Bastille? How about Madame Tussaud making death masks for people that were executed?

A couple of years ago I was given the chance to review Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, a book that has forever turned me onto historical fiction. So last month when I received a surprise package in the mail that was Michelle's newest book, Madame Tussaud, I couldn't wait to get started reading it. And it was worth it.

I'll admit I knew nothing about Madame Tussaud before I read this book, I'll even go so far as to say I had no idea she was a real person. All I knew was that there was a famous wax museum with the name. Michelle has a knack for finding characters in history that are mostly unknown and revealing them to the general public in an exciting fashion. She's done it many times before with women in Egypt and now she's done it with the French Revolution, somehow building an incredible story about a woman's life who I didn't even know existed.

Marie Grosholtz's (later Marie Tussaud) life revolves around the wax museum she and her uncle Curtis run and she does all she can to get the king and queen of France to come visit to boost the museum's visitors. What she doesn't know is how that one visit will lead her into leading a double-sided life during the upcoming French Revolution. One side as the tutor and friend to Princess Elizabeth, the king's own sister, and one side as the a host and enabler for some of the greatest influencers in the Revolution. Not to mention, her duty once the daily executions begin to go to the dead to create "death masks" so their death can be proven and remembered forever.

Marie is a fascinating woman that I loved and hated all at the same time. A woman who did things that I could never dream of doing and a woman that was in the end punished for her ambition and loyalty, a punishment that was yet another major turning point in her life. Michelle does a great job at telling Marie's story in a way that you forget it's actually a part of history. And that to me is what great historical fiction is all about.

Would I recommend this book? Definitely. And while you're at it, pick up the rest of Michelle's books. I've yet to find one that I didn't love. 5 stars.

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May 8, 2010

The Patron Saint of Liars, By Ann Patchett

The Patron Saint of Liars is the story of Rose, a married woman in the 1960s who finds herself pregnant and trapped. She drives from California to Kentucky, leaving behind her husband and former life to arrive at a home for unwed mothers.

Without giving up too much, the book chronicles her life and choices once she arrives at St. Elizabeth's Home for Unwed Mothers.

Overall, I liked the book. But there were a few things that drove me utterly crazy and prevented me from LOVING the book.

Plot: The plot was great, though perhaps a bit predictable, especially when it comes to her main choice -- whether or not to keep the baby. However, there was enough mystery to keep me interested, especially once I got into the meat of the book. The ending didn't wrap everything in a nice bow, but it was unexpected, yet important.

Characters: Here's where it fell short. I HATED Rose. When the book opens, I empathized with her and her need to leave. But as the book continues through the choices she makes, my dislike grows. It's as if she gives up and makes her choices because she has to, even though she knows they're not what she really wants. That attitude makes her seem apathetic and uncaring which translates to how she treats the people in her life. That treatment of others was what drove me batty.

It could be argued that eliciting such a strong reaction for the character -- even if it was a negative one -- is a compliment to the author. It's true that her characters had depth and I loved all of the supporting characters. Even Rose was a well-written character, which is probably why I could have such a strong feeling about her.

Structure: Overall, it was a well-written novel. Broken into four parts, the first section set the stage and each subsequent section is told from the perspective of one of the main characters. I liked this because it helped to further define the characters and helped to move along the plot. The chapters were a bit long for me, but that's only because I have a short attention span and like frequent breaking points!

As long as you go into it knowing this isn't your average happy ending story, I think you'll enjoy it, perhaps even more than me. 3 stars.

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April 21, 2010

Giveaway: The Girls from Ames

Meet Karla, Kelly, Marilyn, Jane, Jenny, Karen, Cathy, Angela, Sally, Diana, and Sheila. Eleven girls that all grew up together in Ames, Iowa and forty years later are still friends today. Jeffrey Zaslow spent a year visiting each of these women in their homes and listening to their stories. Voted as one of the top 10 books of the year by People Magazine, The Girls from Ames is a true story about these women and the lives they have shared together from childhood to now into their forties.

I loved this book. Because they are real women, I could relate to each one of them in their own way. Zaslow throws in a well-balanced mix of the triumphs, heartbreaks, and miniscule details that don't seem to really matter but are what really make up a great friendship. I laughed at moments and cried at others. And I fell in love with the girls from Ames.

On top of the stories about the women, he also random information about studies on friendships between women and how having close friends can have a very positive impact on your life. And how as great as it is to have friends that know you now, sometimes it's just nice to see those "old friends" who knew you when you were just getting started in becoming who you were. It definitely made me want to put down the book the moment I was done and pick up the phone to start calling all of my best girl friends.

A 5 star book, I highly recommend this book to everyone and luckily enough, TLC book tours has offered to giveaway one copy to one of my readers just for leaving a comment on this post with your favorite thing about your best friends. Giveaway ends Sunday, April 25th at midnight EST.

**I was given this book to review as part of TLC book tours. This is my honest opinion.

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April 12, 2010

Love Mercy by Lisa and Ty Samson

I was given Love Mercy by Lisa and Ty Samson to review as part of the Blog Tours. The back of the book says, "A Mother and Daughter's Journey from the American Dream to the Kingdom of God, having lived a life of plenty in suburban America, Lisa Samson and her eighteen-year-old daughter, Ty, thought they were traveling to Africa to minister to the people and chronicle the AIDS crisis devastating the continent. Their trip, they assumed, would be missional, merciful, giving. Instead, they experienced a life-changing, soul-rattling journey."

I really wanted to like this book and I feel heartless by writing this, but I just found this book boring and slow. While others may be touched by the stories of Lisa giving up her American dream to serve others all around her in the US and in Africa, I just never got into it. My favorite parts of the book were Ty's entries because they just felt more real to me. They were more like a journal entry of her experience rather than an analysis on the situation with AIDS in Africa or a sermon on not judging and following Christ.

Maybe it's because I'm more of a fiction girl myself or because it was chapter after chapter of stories about different people rather than the same ones, but I just never got into the book. It does have a lot of good information about it, good ideas, and good writing though so I'll still give it 3 stars. But would I recommend it? Not unless you're planning on giving up your daily life to serve others or are particularly interested in Africa, which I'm not.

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April 5, 2010

An Absence so Great

Let me just start off by saying that I am a HUGE Jane Kirkpatrick fan. I really enjoy historical novels, and especially novels about strong, independent women who question and go against what society claims is "right" for them. While her novels are Christian fiction, Christianity is weaved subtly through the novels. This may make some people uncomfortable, I find it refreshing. While I am a Christian, I like novels that I can relate to, not something that feels like I am reading a devotional. If that makes sense.

Anyways, I was exited to receive a copy of this for review for two reasons. First, Jane Kirkpatrick! Second, the main character is a photographer and I am a photography nerd.

Here's from the back of the book:

Did photography replace an absence in her life or expose the truth of her heart’s emptiness?

While growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele’s personal life is at a crossroads. Hoping she’s put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as “water under the bridge,” she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those owners who have fallen ill with mercury poisoning.

Jessie gains footing in her dream to one day operate her own studio and soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession. But even a job she loves can’t keep painful memories from seeping into her heart when the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life.

So while I enjoyed this book, I can honestly say it isn't her best. But it was good, beautifully written. Even though some parts were slow, and I found myself wanting to kick Jesse now and again, it definitely kept my interest, especially since she was writing about a family member. Jesse just isn't a character in a novel, she was her grandmother.

And I absolutely LOVED the way Ms. Kirkpatrick included photos of the characters in between chapters, along with notes on what Jesse was thinking and feeling when she took the photograph. I thought that was an awesome addition to the book and added depth to the story. It made the characters seem that much more real. That, and I really enjoy looking at old photographs of people. I find it interesting.

So yes, if you like nonfiction historical novels, I would recommend this book.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

To purchase this book, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah by clicking here.

But maybe you'd like the chance to win a copy? Just leave a comment saying you'd like to win it. The giveaway will be open now until Friday, April 9. Please make sure you leave a way for me to get in contact with you!

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March 28, 2010

Leadership Building Blocks by Dawn McCoy

I was given Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider's Guide to Success to review as part of the Women's History Month blog tour for Dawn McCoy. The book couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me since I started a new role at work right about when this book ended up in my mailbox. And the tips and stories in it really made me think about the best ways to lead in work and outside of work.

As the back cover says, "Leadership Building Blocks is a step-by-step guide for achieving success and becoming a better advocate for your cause and for your purpose." Throughout the book McCoy tells stories and examples of how she learned to be a great leader in her role as a political leader in her community. Since I have no interest in being any type of political or community leader, I read those but nothing really stuck. The things that stuck were the universal tips for being a better leader thrown into each chapter (noted by cute little icons throughout the book). Some examples:

Be sure to send a note of gratitude to those who support you along the way.
Focus on details to be prepared and organized.
Get set up to manage the weekly "paper trail" that finds its way into your office. Bring your creative ideas to develop a system that works for you.

And so on. She really does give a lot of great ideas that are universal for any job, especially one that has any type of leadership whether it be a political leader, community leader, or even just a project leader like me. I would recommend this book to anyone with ambitions to take on the role of a business or political reader. It's a give read and full of a lot of good information. 4 stars.

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January 7, 2010

Simple Compassion by Keri Wyatt Kent

In July I reviewed another one of Keri Wyatt Kent's books called Rest that I really enjoyed. It had a lot of good insight on a way to create a little bit of piece and rest in the midst of busy weeks. Because I really enjoyed Rest, I was excited when I was sent Keri's new book Simple Compassion: Devotions to Make a Difference in Your Neighboorhood and Your World by the publisher to review.

The book is split into four sections: Compassion Begins with You, Compassion Grows in Community, Compassion Extends Beyond Our Comfort Zones, and Compassion Offers God's Love to the World. While reading through the first two sections many of the things that Keri says hit home with me about trying to live our lives like Christ. After each chapter she gives, "Compassion steps," basically baby steps to try and act on the principle she talks about in that chapter. For instance, in the devotion called "Why," Keri talks about getting to know and loving our true neighbors and the compassion steps are to learn two of your neighbors names that you don't know. That is a step that I can take. There were a lot of these little steps in the first two sections that I really could relate to.

Feeling inspired by the book, I started a conversation with my neighbor in the elevator on my way home from a workout. And it made my night that much better.

However, the second half of this book seemed more directed towards an actual ministry or church group (which it's possible this book is) and included a lot of really big things that just kind of went in one ear and out the other. Things like learning about the refuges and helping the refuges in my area and helping out with an organization that benefits children in Africa. It was full of great ideas, but most of them just went right over my head because those just are realistic for me right now.

So my review and recommendation for this book are two-fold. I kind of wish for my own sake that the entire book had been full of the small devotions that made up the first half about changing yourself and loving those people around you (community, family, friends), but I do see how the second half could be great for someone looking for ways to make a big difference. But it is a good book and has something for everyone. 3 stars.

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November 22, 2009

Between Wyomings by Ken Mansfield (My God and an iPod on the Open Road)

This book has been on my shelf to review for the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers since May. I cannot believe I left it there that long.

Ken Mansfield is a Grammy winning producer and author of multiple books about his experiences. Between Wyomings is his newest book. It follows him and his wife through a 3-month road trip down memory lane. As they drive across the country visiting the places important to his life and listening to his iPod, he relates stories from his experience in the music industry. From stories about Ringo Starr coming over for Thanksgiving to helping Don Ho produce his best album, and working with the Beatles for years, Mansfield provides personal insights into the lives of the musicians and their somewhat famous producer. Intertwined with these musical insights are meditations and reflections on Mansfield's relationship with God, all written with musical terms.

I was fascinated by the writing in this book and its stories. I'm a music person, and I loved reading about the small details of how a particular song or album came together. And about how a certain song playing on Mansfield's iPod made him remember a certain experience because I'm the same way. I feel like almost every song is tied to a memory in some way and love to relive them through the music. I also loved the intermingling of personal reflections and explanations of Mansfield's journey in finding God with the help of his wife Connie. His writing throughout the book, whether talking about God or music, is written with musically eloquent terms that read like a piece of great music is played.

I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to learn more about his life and adventures. Thankfully the book is broken into small sections with stories laced into the individual sections so I could pick the book up, read a section, and do something else. Overall I loved this book and will probably pick up his other books if given the chance. I recommend this book to anyone that likes music and well written stories. 4 stars.

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November 18, 2009

Marriage 101 by Jewell R. Powell

Not only do I have a good book to tell you about, but I get the chance to participate in a great giveaway. After reading through this post, if you leave a comment with one way that you can continue "dating" your spouse (like you did when you were actually dating), you will be entered in a giveaway for a $30 gift certificate to Red Lobster, Chili's or Applebees and a gift pack of books. For some good ideas, check out this article by the author of Marriage 101.

And now on to the review.

Jewell Powell and her husband are marriage coaches. They teach people how to have successful marriages through living faithful lives. In Marriage 101, I was supposed to "discover God’s purpose for marriage, how to develop godly character, how to communicate effectively, and much more." And you know what, on a high level I did. I found a number of things that were eye-opening and just needed to be said about how I do and should treat my husband and my marriage. Things like women are taught to be independent so it becomes hard to let go of that independence when you get married. But this book could be used for any relationship really, not just marriage - although it probably makes the most sense for a marriage.

The main theme of the book for me was that God needs to be at the center of your marriage. With scriptures (and places to write notes) to study and questions to reflect on, this book really could be a great way to improve your marriage. I did however find that it was lacking the practical application (e.g., ways to keep dating your spouse or to show that you care) in most cases though. While they were there, I kind of felt like they got lost in all of the religious speak. At the end of each section there was a link to a website (I believe her website most of the time) that included lists and practical applications, but I wanted them in the book and not somewhere else.

Overall for me this book had some good moments but didn't really give me a whole lot to take home other than that by becoming closer to God, I can also become closer to my husband, which in turn will strengthen our marriage. But that's something I already knew so this book really served as a reminder of things rather than teaching me anything new. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a way to stregthen their marriage but that does not yet have a strong faith in God and the purpose of marriage. 3 out of 5 stars.

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November 17, 2009

Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor by Willow

Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor is the first book I think I've ever read by an author with no last name (or maybe that is her last name). It's a fantasy novel about Tirissa, a wood fairy, as she tries to save her family and friends from an evil wizard along with the help of a massive troll and a short and plump guard. They travel through many magical lands and meet many magical friends (and foes) along the way and always come up with some way to continue.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book; it was exciting and new and the idea of a perilous adventure among these three characters put together in such a random way seemed intriguing but by about two chapters into their journey I got bored and just kept hoping they would make it already. I felt like the second half of the book was the same thing over and over again. The group meets one dangerous opponent and figures out how to get past them. The group meets another dangerous opponent and so on. By the time they finally met the really dangerous opponent (the evil wizard) I was just skimming pages to see how they would beat him and save her family.

But I did enjoy this book and thought that the basic story line was good and a creative idea. The characters were developed enough that you could predict how they would act based on your knowledge of their character. So overall an okay read but not something I would pick up again.

3 out of 5 stars.

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November 16, 2009

Words @ Work by Lynda McDaniel

Being an English major, I was very excited to be given the opportunity to review Words @ Work by Lynda McDaniel. The back cover says - "Words @ Work not only teaches you how to write in a concise, conversational style that people want to read - it helps you tap into your creativity, and there's no telling where that can lead."

I've taken a number of technical writing courses and this book was nothing like them. While the classes were full of grammatical ideas and formatting ideas, this book was full of practical ideas like starting your writing with a story, question, or an analogy and the less is more principle. Who ever thought that writing in more concise and simple words would actually be better writing? McDaniels explains how it is and how if you try to make your writing sound advanced and professional, you typically end up with something that nobody wants to take the time to read.

I think the best part of the book was that it's made me stop and think about my writing before I submit or send anything. And I'm trying to make my writing more useful and interesting to read. I don't know if it's working but at least it got me thinking.

I would recommend this book to anyone that writes anything. So really I'd recommend this book to anyone. This book can help anyone from the person that works in an office every day to the basic blog writer. Really. 3 out of 5 stars.

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The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

After reading Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, I wanted to read Michelle Moran's other two books, Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen. I just finished The Heretic Queen over the weekend and I loved it.

Nefertari is the niece of Nefertiti, Queen of Egypt, who is known in Egypt as a heretic and no one will speak the names of Nefertiti nor her pharoah husband, Amunhotep, fearing a curse would come upon them from speaking of heretics. Because her ancestors were known as heretics and wiped from the history books, Nefertari was shunned by the people of Egypt. She is the only living person of her ancestry after her mother, who was also a queen of Egypt, died in childbirth. However, because Nefertari is still a princess and came from a long line of queens and pharaohs, she is allowed to remain in the pharoah's palace as she grew.

Nefertari was raised in the palace with the pharoah's son Ramesses, who she fell in love with as they grew up. When Ramesses became pharoah, Ramesses and Nefertari wanted to get married but the people refused to accept Nefertari as their queen. Ramesses and Nefertari worked to win the affection of the people of Thebes so that their marriage would be blessed.

The Heretic Queen is an amazing historical novel that draws you in and tells the fascinating story of Nefertari. I highly recommend it and give it 5 stars.

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November 10, 2009

The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter

I was given The Financial Lives of the Poets to review by TLC Book Tours. From the back cover, I was intrigued.

Meet Matt Prior. He's losing his job, his wife, and his house. And he's about to lose his mind- until, at the last moment, he discovers a way he might just possibly manage to save it all...and have a pretty [word deleted] great time doing it.

While I may not have loved the plot or subject of this novel, I was fascinated by the writing. This book follows Matt as he triees to make money by becoming a drug dealer who knows nothing about the streets. Of course he gets caught immediately making matters even worse. And while I didn't quite agree with some of the language and storyline, I loved how Walter's writing made me feel like I was inside Matt's mind (that he was losing). This book reminded me of the contemporary literature that I love with the oddball writing styles like pieces of poetry thrown into the middle of the storyline.

If you can handle the F word almost every page, I'd recommend this book to most adults. It really does give you a good glimpse (in a fictional way of course) into the mind of a man falling apart in the dying economy as he tries to hold onto a mansion-like house and $1200 tree fort. 3 out of 5 stars.

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October 5, 2009

Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

I was given Find Your Strongest Life to review as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Bloggers program. The book is written for women on how to be happier by finding your strongest life, which Buckingham describes as living your life for and through your strengths rather than dwelling on your weaknesses. He explains that everyone basically falls into one of nine categories - you can find out which category you fall into by taking this test - and that we should be using that part of ourselves in all categories of our lives or we're always going to be wanting something else.

I read through the first few chapters and was intrigued with this idea. Then I took the test, and found that I was a caretaker as my first role and advisor as my second. Both of those actually fit me perfectly and made reading the rest of the book more inspiring and motivating. Everything he said made sense and made me think again about all of the commitments I've made and whether or not I really get to be myself while doing them. And for the ones I don't, it made me really think about why I'm doing them. And that I may not do them for much longer because I like feeling successful and useful, and there are too many things in my life that are just that- things that take up my time but give me nothing back.

So I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. It actually comes out today and was very insightful for me to think about unbalancing my life, leaning it towards the things I'm strong in to make it a better one. 5 stars.

Here's a preview of the book if you're interested in reading it.

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September 15, 2009

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (Giveaway)

Have you ever wondered what happened to Cleopatra's twins when she died? Didn't even know she had twins? Me neither. That's the beauty of historical fiction, you learn things while engrossed in the depth of a beautiful story.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran is the story of Cleopatra's twins, Alexander and Selene as they are taken to Rome after Egypt is conquered. The story is told from Selene's point of view and a fascinating look at Roman rule and Egyptian culture. It follows Selene and Alexander from the moment Egypt is overtaken to the time Selene becomes queen. Moran is an archeologist turned author that used her research to write this captivating work. The characters come across as real, relatable people rather than the rulers of Rome or the princess of Egypt. The boys go to the circus to gamble, the women worry about the jealousy of other women, and the slaves rebel against the Roman rule. Moran teaches you about Egyptian and Roman culture without even trying, and I just wanted to read more.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, or even if you're not, this is a book I would recommend to everyone. There were times I just forgot that the book was historical fiction and read it as a romance or a thriller. For me that's what makes good historical fiction, something that makes history real and relatable. One of the best books I've read in the past few months; I'll definitely be picking up her other books as well. 5 stars.

If you're interested in reading this book, I've got a copy to give away. Just leave a comment on this post (if you feel like telling me your favorite historical fiction novel that'd be even better), and I'll pick a winner from all of the comments on this post and my other blog. The book comes out tomorrow so the giveaway ends at midnight EST tonight. I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

This giveaway is closed. Cate is the lucky winner!

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August 21, 2009

Murder on the Down Low ($25 Giveaway) by Pamela Samuels Young

I haven't had a chance to read this book yet but it's on my nightstand (I just got it) waiting to be read. Based on the back cover I'm excited to read it but just didn't have time before this blog tour. I will post a full review of the book later but for now, here's a quick synopsis-

A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled. At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fiancée’s death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.

Maybe it was the whole high-profile lawyer thing or the murder and mystery that sucked me in, but I'm excited to read this book. If you didn't know already, I love legal thrillers (hence Jodi Picoult being one of my favorite authors), and this is supposed to be a pretty good one. So once I have time to read this book, I will definitely post a full review. But for now, you can check out the reviews on Amazon.

The back cover sucked me in. What makes you want to read a book? Leave me a comment telling me what makes you want to read a book and you'll be entered in a giveaway for an autographed copy of the book and a $25 gift card from Pamela.

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June 16, 2009

For Glory by Elisabeth Lee

One of my favorite things about book reviewing is discovering books I definitely would have missed. Writing a review encourages me branch out in my literary appetite, and discover new authors, series or genres. Still I was apprehensive when asked to review For Glory by Elisabeth Lee which centers around a fifty something protagonist. I’m on the wrong side of twenty five myself, but wasn’t sure that I wanted to read about a female detective you may remind me more of my mother than someone I could identify with. But if Carlyle Hudson is any indication of a middle aged detective, bring it on. Carlyle “Lyle” Hudson, is confident, desirable, and smart.

The book centers on Lyle who projects a tough exterior. She thwarts and threatens a mugger early on the story for instance. But those who know her, like her gaggle of L named aunts, Lenore, Loretta, and Luce, or at times her inherited dog “Glory” are treated to her softer more vulnerable side. The story opens in Kansas where Lyle is on a losing streak alluding to the fact she’s a professional gambler and has just lost her mom who died unexpectedly. The very metropolitan, Lyle, who hails from San Francisco, is tying up loose ends when she finds a few of her mother’s items that intrigue her—mainly a gun and some bizarre correspondence. Things begin to heat up once a wedding dress is taken for ransom, and Lyle meets a guy or two.

Lyle’s first person narrative asks a lot of open ended rhetorical questions, at times I wanted to roll my eyes, we get it Lyle, you’re thoughtful. I was also a couple of chapters in before I realized I had picked up a mystery novel. Though Lyle is nothing if not witty, a suspenseful nail biter this isn’t. Think a natural progression of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon (same self-assured personality)with a much lighter tone. In fact For Glory is unlike books typical of the detective novel or mystery genre. It is a smart break from all those young, spoiled and dramatic characters hogging the literary limelight. Take this book to the beach, and look for the next in the series, Flashes of Glory this summer.

For more information: www.elisabethlee.com

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May 13, 2009

Vanessa and Virginia by Susan Sellers

In Vanessa and Virginia by Susan Sellers, Vanessa succinctly summarizes her relationship with her legendary sister, Virginia Woolf: “I might struggle against the call, I might even try to quell it, but my existence was not separate from yours.” The novel tells of the sisters’ childhood as they cope with a rash of ugly deaths and develop their talents. It then follows them as they marry, reproduce, and negotiate their fame and obscurity. It discreetly touches on depression, incest, and suicide without much depth instead relying on the rivalry between the sisters to provide the story’s tension.

This slim novel is told through “impressionistic” accounts which are more like mini scenes with no linear time progression. Many pages detail dreams or vivid descriptions of Vanessa’s paintings. It’s is Vanessa’s version we get, but she addresses the entire book to her departed sister Virginia which generates an odd mix of first person/second person narrative. This effective approach lets the reader stand in for Virginia Woolf hence becoming privy to the candid conversation of sisters. The way Sellers constructs this story is as telling of the characters as the actual events she describes.

Sellers doesn’t stray far from what is known in her depiction of these tortured artists. Although this story relates the sisters’ story as it affects Vanessa, by forcing the readers to consider Vanessa’s point of view, one must reconsider Virginia. The novel wavers from brilliant to annoyingly flowery and will most likely amuse Woolf’s fans. However, Vanessa and Virginia will definitely endear itself to sisters as they recognize their own relationships amongst the familial rivalry.

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