As I read the last word in this book I had two successive reactions:  1.) no, she didn’t and 2.) um, excuse me, where was Eric in this book?

That’s right, mama wasn’t happy.

Technically speaking, the writing was great. It’s typical Sookie standard.  There was some laughs, some banter, some action – it’s just the plot was boring, it didn’t light my fire.  I also wasn’t pleased with the direction Harris took the story. More specifically, who Sookie will end up with. While this may seem trite, you know this is one of the only reasons we read this series. It’s all about the ‘teams’ and whose side you’re on.

Now I know Harris has been preparing us fans for years, saying things like Sookie will do what’s best for Sookie, she will live a nice long normal life and she will not be turned   – y’all, it’s one thing to be told this, but it’s quite different to read them in action.

I basically view this book (and Dead Reckoning) as filler books. Harris is tying up storylines and, unfortunately closing off much loved relationships. I’m not just talking Eric, I see her separating from all her supe friends sans Jason and Sam, and maybe Bill.

To wrap up my thoughts I will leave you with a few possible outcomes for book 13:

1. Using the cluviel dor has consequences, therefore causing someone Sookie loves to die. Eric. Sookie is distraught and falls into the arms of Barry the Bellboy, I mean Quinn. And they have beautiful, bald-headed babies together.

2. Eric will man up and kick the Oklahoma Queen to the curb; it will be fraught with actions and blood spillage. The body count will be high. The only down fall is the cluviel dor consequence will be Eric becomes mortal and Sookie will have to protect him with her killer survival skills the rest of their lives.

3. Eric marries the Queen of Oklahoma, Bill continues to pine for Sookie, Pam refuses to move to Oklahoma and opens up a women’s pant suite store all while Sookie and Sam hook-up. Eventually, they get married.  Sadly, the consequence of using the cluviel dor is that Jason is no longer handsome and Michele leaves him.

4. The consequence of using the cluviel dor is that one by one each of Sookie’s former lovers and friends die in a freak accident (Eric while racking leaves, Bill explodes while pumping gas while talking on his cell phone, Tara asphyxiates putting on spanx etc). However, a la Dallas and Bobby Ewing she wakes up one morning and hears the shower running, she quickly pads to the bathroom to find Gran lathering up. Everything was a dream.

If you’ve read this book, please let me know what you think! Did you like it? Am I in the minority?

XOXO, Stacy

Somebody to Love

goodreads description – After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox. Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC.

my take – This is a great book for the beach or one to have in your car that you can pick up when you’re unexpectedly delayed and jump right in – it’s easy and breezy.

I instantly connected with Parker Welles; I have a thing for the emotionally neglected. While she may be a successful author and a trust fund baby, her life is far from perfect. Her dad treats her with indifference and her extended family our downright mean (spiteful) to her. Besides, her only friends are Ethan (her son’s father) and his wife Lucy. She is the epitome of loneliness.
James, the love interest, is one of those good American guys. He’s from a blue collar family, and worked hard for his education – he is handy with the tools, smart and successful. While he’s not squeaky clean, he is honorable and respectable. Plus, he has emotional baggage too. What’s not to like?

The relationship between Parker and James is a slow burn and eventually their chemistry is undeniable. Parker is pretty tough on James and a little judgmental (matter of fact I wanted to have a sit down with her a few time, but then I remembered her family and gave her a pass), but James handled her well.

The secondary characters and the small town setting were fun. Aunt Lavinia was a hoot, and we seriously need a Chantal book, and possibly a Malone one too.

However, I did find a few things unrealistic:
1. Her book about the Holly Rollers (which was A+ with me!) was made into a movie; however she didn’t go to the premier, or remember its opening weekend? Umm, is there really an author out there like that?
2. Her flower arrangements skills. Does a summer camp class really make you a better florist than your aunt who has been doing it for 30 years?
3. Again, with the flowers – this time her new business. As a small business owner I know how hard it is to open a small business, how was she able to open one so quickly after that summer in Gideon’s Cove?
4. After her and her son’s trust funds were lost, she had to move was left a small cottage with $11,000 to her name she never once had an emotional breakdown – you know, the kind with lots of tears and snot.

Overall, this is a good choice for a lazy summer day!

XOXO, Stacy

about: Yesterday’s News is one of the greatest bestsellers of all time in Sweden with more than 800,000 copies sold – 1 in every 4 Swedish woman has already read it!

The main character Agnes has most things in life: a family who is always there for her, a good job at a fancy restaurant, a boyfriend who loves her, and a best friend whom she knows inside out. Or does she? All of a sudden things begin to crumble, one by one, and soon nothing is as it was. Her boyfriend Tobias leaves her for a big busted singer, and she is fired by Gerard, the sexist and abusive owner of the restaurant where she works. She gambles everything she has on the success of the newly opened restaurant, but the road to the glowing review which will open the door to fame and fortune has, to say the least, unexpected twists and turns.

my take:  Yesterday’s News is a huge hit in Sweden and when given the opportunity, I was anxious to see if what was popular in Sweden would interest me. (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, that hails from Sweden, may have made me a little more than anxious to see what this book beholds.)

Let me tell you though, there is nothing similar about this book and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  This is an easy chick-lit read. I read it in an afternoon while the kids were home.  The story follows the struggles of Agnes when it seems all was going well in her life. She develops some nice relationships, goes through some peculiar situations, and we get some interesting behind-the-scenes of the restaurant business.

It’s all about A, her family and her friends in a few months of her life. It’s really just a story. Things happen but aren’t built up where I cried or anything. I felt for Pablo my favorite character in the book followed by Maddie. I liked Agnes and her work ethic. I thought she was kind and makes stupid and smart decisions like all of us do.  She was definitely real. Her BFF was a good story to follow also. I liked her part and revelations about her own life.

The translation needs some work, but I was reading an advanced copy and I’m sure all those kinks will be worked out for the final book.  Overall, Yesterday’s News is a good chick-lit read where you get to see a moment in time of Agnes, how she handles her work, her relationships with her friends, and her love for her family.

Shannan

Do you agree with our assessments? Think we’re off base? Let us know in the comments!

What potential do Elizabeth, Renata, and Grant see in Victoria that she has a hard time seeing in herself?

Amanda – Her ability to love and be loved.  This central theme in so many works of literature just shows how vital being loved is and what can happen to a person’s self-worth when they believe that they cannot be loved or love in return.

While Victoria has been hungry and malnourished often in her life, food ends up meaning more than just nourishment to her. Why?

Stacy – Food means survival.

Amanda – I’m going to have to agree with Stacy, and say that for someone like Victoria, who has been denied even the simplest pleasures, food becomes part of her experiences and memories.  In the chapters about her life with Elizabeth, details about the food she was cooked, what smells she encountered, and what she saw and touched are all key visual stimulants for the reader; seeing the world through Victoria’s eyes is key to the reader understanding, deeper than a base level, who Victoria is.  Without key components like this, Victoria could be an unsympathetic character.

Victoria and Elizabeth both struggle with the idea of being part of a family. What does it mean to you to be part of a family? What defines family?

Stacy – A family means unconditional love. It also means forgiveness, guidance and trust. Does a family have to be blood relations? Frankly, no.

Amanda – I learned a long time ago that family isn’t necessarily blood.  Knowing that I have people I can depend on, trust, talk to, and build great memories with beats “blood ties” for me any day.  When you can’t trust your own blood, who do you turn to?  This is why I understood, at least on some level, why Victoria struggled to understand family.

One of the major themes in The Language of Flowers is forgiveness and second chances — do you think Victoria deserves one after the things she did (both as a child and as an adult)? What about Catherine? And Elizabeth?

Stacy – Everyone deserves forgiveness, Victoria is no exception. However, second chances? I say yes because I was emotionally invested in her story and wanted her to have a happily ever after. At the same time, I realize that Victoria made some very poor choices that severely affected and hurt several people. I think Victoria should count herself lucky.

What did you think of the structure of the book — the alternating chapters of past and present? In what ways did the two storylines parallel each other, and how did they diverge?

Amanda – The way the stories diverted made me want to care for a character (Victoria) that I was already emotionally invested in.  Because only bits of her past were revealed at a time and then you were shoved into the present-day narration, I needed to know what had happened that made Victoria who she was as an adult.  You can easily see that Victoria’s emotional instability started early and affected decisions across her childhood and into her adult life.

The novel touches on many different themes (love, family, forgiveness, second chances). Which do you think is the most important? And what did you think was ultimately the lesson?

Stacy – Forgiveness and love, they go hand in hand. If you truly love someone, you forgive them. This doesn’t mean you give them second chances, but it does mean that you’re not carrying around that heavy yoke.

As for the ultimate lesson – family. When you have a “true” family you will find that love, forgiveness and second chances are natural components.

At the end of the novel, Victoria learns that moss grows without roots. What does this mean, and why is it such a revelation for her?

Stacy –  Sadly, Victoria’s life is without roots. When she learns that moss grows without roots, she realizes that’s her as well. It’s at this moment that she understands that she can have a wonderful life and flourish, despite her horrific beginnings. That life is about choices, not always just circumstances.

Based on your reading of the novel, what are your impressions of the foster care system in America? What could be improved?

Stacy – Let’s hope the foster care system isn’t as dire as the novel makes it out to be, that Diffenbaugh took some literary liberties. However, “aging out” is not fiction and to me that is heartbreaking. Can you imagine moving out at 18 with nobody to rely on but yourself?

Thankfully, Diffenbaugh is co-founding a non-profit that strictly address this issue, The Camellia Network.

Amanda – Based strictly on the novel, I would be scared to death of the foster care system.  And I would also want to adopt a whole of bunch of kids to protect and love!

Bent Road by Lori Roy
publisher: Dutton Adult
release date: March 31, 2011
book info: goodreads author site

from goodreads: For twenty years, Celia Scott has watched her husband, Arthur, hide from the secrets surrounding his sister Eve’s death. As a young man, Arthur fled his small Kansas hometown, moved to Detroit, married Celia, and never looked back. But when the 1967 riots frighten him even more than his past, he convinces Celia to pack up their family and return to the road he grew up on, Bent Road, and that same small town where Eve mysteriously died…

my take: I was so excited for the girls to ask me to review this book!  I have been campaigning for months to be a guest reviewer and was equally excited to have a debut author as my first book.  However, I have mixed reviews about Bent Road by Lori Roy.

While I don’t regret reading the book, I hope there is a sequel to provide closure to what happens to all the characters.  I did not see great character development in the story.  I’m left wondering if Daniel and Eviee ever adjusted to life in Kansas.  I wonder how Elanie’s wedding played out with the dress she spent most of the novel sewing.

There are several supporting characters that I’m emotionally involved in that I would like to see what happen to them too.  I also wondered about the state of Arthur and Cecila’s marriage.  It seemed very flat during the story.  However, I loved Ms. Roy’s description of the setting and time.  I did feel like I was a part of rural Kansas in the 1960’s.

The story ran the gammet of social ills’ — from the civil right movement in Detroit to murder in a small town in the MidWest.  I was left wondering if all the social ill’s were intentionally under-developed to be reflective of the actual time period or were they under-developed by a rookie novelist.

There was definitely solid story development and I look forward to Lori Roy’s growth as a novelist.

Amanda - I will definitely read Ms. Roy’s next novel. 

Jane

my thoughts: What a wonderful modern re-telling of the classic. I loved this updated version of Jane.  I think it followed the classic beautifully and kept the original intent of the story intact.

Jane (as the character) seemed real.  I felt her pain, loneliness, hopelessness and isolation. Despite her misgivings, she is honest, trustworthy and honorable. I just wanted to hug her. If you can’t tell, I love underdog characters.

Having Nico as an aged rock star was perfect. His eccentric lifestyle fits the part perfect. I found him handsome, sweet, egotistical, moody, melodramatic and pitch perfect.

The relationship between Jane and Nico naturally progressed. I almost found it better than the classic. I could feel the heat radiate. The intensity was, well, intense. Plus, this version had more “passion,” if you know what I mean.

One of the differences between this and the classic was that of Nico’s friends. In this version, the friends seemed like real, true friends and not people just hanging around to better their position in society. I liked this version better. The friends in this book treated Jane with respect and were nice to her, which was so unlike the friends in the classic.

If you love classic literature re-telling’s than this is a must read. It’s modernized in every sense of the word, yet keeps the integrity of the original. Plus it was easy to read, no French to English dictionary needed.

Stacy

From Goodreads:  A daring new departure from the inspired creator of The Vampire Chronicles (“unrelentingly erotic. . . unforgettable.”), the Lives of the Mayfair Witches (“Anne Rice will live on through the ages of literature”), and the angels of The Songs of the Seraphim (“remarkable.”). A whole new world—modern, sleek, high-tech, and at its center, a story as old and compelling as history—the making of a werewolf, re-imagined and re-invented as only Anne Rice, teller of mesmerizing tales, conjurer extraordinaire of other realms, could create it.

The time is the present.

The place, the rugged coast of northern California. A bluff high above the Pacific. A grand mansion full of beauty and tantalizing history set against a towering redwood forest.

A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer. . . an older woman, welcoming him into her magnificent, historic family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . an idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence. . .The young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing who—what—he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.

As he resists the paradoxical pleasure and enthrallment of his wolfen savagery and delights in the power and (surprising) capacity for good, he is caught up in a strange and dangerous rescue and is desperately hunted as “the Man Wolf,” by authorities, the media and scientists (evidence of DNA threaten to reveal his dual existence). . . As a new and profound love enfolds him, questions emerge that propel him deeper into his mysterious new world: questions of why and how he has been given this gift; of its true nature and the curious but satisfying pull towards goodness; of the profound realization that there are others like him who may be watching—guardian creatures who have existed throughout time and may possess ancient secrets and alchemical knowledge and throughout it all, the search for salvation for a soul tormented by a new realm of temptations, and the fraught, exhilarating journey, still to come, of being and becoming, fully, both wolf and man.

WARNING:  SPOILERS ABOUND!!!

My Take:  Good enough story but not as gripping as I’d hoped. I’m always hoping for another Interview with the Vampire, but I have not really enjoyed anything of hers since 1990’s The Witching Hour. Another reviewer likened it to looking up an old ex to rekindle the flame …and sadly, that’s what I wanted but didn’t really get.

We begin with Reuben, a 23-year-old incredibly handsome and obscenely rich budding reporter whose mother nicknamed him “Sunshine Boy”. Oh, mommy. Well, Rice writes Reuben as a basically decent person, even with his sexual shennanigans (more on that later).

The juxtaposition of handsome, poetic, cerebral Reuben with the very visceral, bloody and avenging “Man Wolf” is striking. As a wolf, Reuben retains his intelligence and also had a cool new spidey-sense, the ability to smell evil. Rice comes up with a new mythos for werewolves – one that doesn’t need a full moon to shift, and that makes them look more like a hairy bigfoot than a wolf.  Reuben coins the name “Man Wolf” in the newspaper articles he writes about himself, but if I had the chance to name my alter ego, I don’t think “Man Wolf” would make the top 10 list.

So, now we get to the shenanigans part: While writing a story about a mysterious mansion, Reuben falls into bed with the woman who owns it (despite the fact that he has a girlfriend). That night, the woman is murdered (by her brothers, we learn later) and Reuben is bitten by the “animal” that killed the attackers.  But before the attack (and after the sex), the woman called her lawyers and left Reuben the house in her will. Reuben must be a stud!

Reuben also wanders as a werewolf and meets a woman who lives in the forest and, ahem, seduces her in wolf form. My bs meter went off about then – one: what woman in her right mind would not scream or at least run when confronted by a beastie covered in blood, and two: then have sex with him? Whaaaa? I wondered if maybe she’d seen one before, knew about them somehow, something … but no, as we learn later on, she just digs nature, no previous werewolf experience.  And she does this twice before even seeing Reuben in human form.  Oh, ick.

Okay, so far we have lots of people who are really smart and they all like to wax philosophical. Rice likes her characters to talk and talk and ponder and think about the why of things, and I really like just a tiny bit of that in between the action, not the pages and pages we get. Nearer to the end we meet Stuart, a modern San Francisco teenager (and gay-rights activist) who gets pulled in to this mess when Reuben saves him from being beaten to death (but unfortunately too late for his boyfriend). Reuben accidentally turns him into a werewolf.  When Stuart speaks, he sounds like a 65-year-old philosophy scholar instead of a 16-year-old boy. The last 65 pages of the book are after the climax, and are all discussion of the history of werewolves and, again, Stuart and Rueben sound like twin professors instead of young guys who live in California.  Just a little too out of touch for me.

The action in this book is pretty exciting when we get to it;  the mystery of the house, and Uncle Felix, kept me interested enough to read this book all the way through.  Just my previously mentioned disconnects kept a good story from being great.

See you in the STACKS,
Nancy

publisher: Carina Press
website: Unscripted
purchase: Barnes & Noble  Amazon

from goodreads:  As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?

When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby’s faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn’t seem so impressive.

Her friends rally to help. Zoe thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she’s already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren’t so irritating.

Abby’s about to be reminded that life doesn’t follow a script–and good things happen when you least expect it…

my take: Not that it matters in the least but this is the first book that I read on my phone. I actually liked reading it that way as I always had it with me.  Ebooks are totes cool!  With that said, let’s talk about Unscripted…

Unscripted is an easy and fun read.  I wish it had more romance in it but those of us who like chick-lit would find the relationships of the girls interesting and the reality TV part of Unscripted pretty funny (and those who participate in the shows downright crazy).

I feel the characters were strong and well developed. Let’s talk about Zoe for a minute here.  She was totally crazy superficial.  Why must she be such a bitch and it makes me sad that this character is probably based on someone real.  She is just awful and I wan’t totally bummed when they werent’ speaking. However, I did like when they made up towards the end of the book.  It seemed heart felt.

I do like Abby.   Her TV assignments were completely believable. I hope not all women in power in show business are she devils but maybe they are. Sad to think that in order to be taken seriously you have to be a uber bitch – but I regress…  Abby’s character is strong with a good work ethic, kind hearted, and funny to boot.  I wish we had more interaction between her and Will.  We really didn’t get enough scenes with any sparks and other things that make us chick-lit, romance lovin’ girls swoon.  Yes, I said swoon and I need it, darn it.

I enjoyed Unscripted and I recommend you pick it up to read on a day where you are cuddled on the couch, with a blanket over your feet, when you are done watching all the Bachelor’s that you DVR’d.  Not that I watch that.  At all.  (Btw, Coutrney? Seriously? blah!)

Wanting to check out the places in LA that are mentioned in this book,
Shannan

I just finished reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. It basically just validated my entire life.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Links: author, goodreads

I have always been the quiet one in a group of outgoing, gregarious friends.  I don’t do well with chit-chat, prefering to speak when the topic is meaningful.  Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) I can’t get a word in edgewise when my friends get rolling, shooting out one liners and hysterically funny stories.  But I listen, and laugh along with them.  And that’s all right for me, I prefer it that way.  

But as a woman who is president of a non-profit organization that depends on volunteers, I need to be able to talk to people I don’t know and ask them for their time.   I need to schmooze at events and resolve conflicts between members.  I’m outgoing when I need to be.  Cain calls this “self -monitoring” – modifying your behavior to the social demands of a situation.  So I screw up my courage and speak to people I don’t know, and afterwards I go home and read – my downtime that balances out all the energy and effort I put forth to be extroverted. 

As a person who enjoys being creative (whether it’s crafting, drawing or writing), solitude is necessary for me to concentrate.  My inner critic prevents me from throwing my ideas out in front of people for fear of rejection.  But sometimes collaboration is necessary for success, pointing introverts in a new direction.  It’s a tricky balance.  Cain uses Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs as examples of collaboration between the introvert and the extrovert – Woz built the computer, but Jobs convinced him to start Apple Computer and sell it instead of giving it away.

Cain points to one of my personal heroines, Eleanor Roosevelt, as another example of a successful introvert.  She used her influence as a first lady to champion women, minorities, the poor and disenfranchised, despite her shyness and fear of public speaking. 

I have gained a lot of insight from reading this book, despite a few dry passages detailing research studies and their findings.  This book reassured me that being an introvert is needed in this society that follows the cult of personality and worships the outgoing individual as the ideal. 

An op-ed piece by Susan Cain:  The Rise of the New Groupthink
An article by Susan Cain for O Magazine online: Secrets of a Super Successful Introvert

See you in the STACKS,
Nancy – who promises that I am happy to meet you at a book signing, just a little shy sometimes…

My Sweet Saga

from goodreads – At nearly 30 years old, Brandon is barely able to make it through life, much less enjoy it. He is weeks away from what should be one of the happiest days of his life, his wedding day to his fiancée, Clarissa, but his attention is distracted when his estranged, erratic and oddly eccentric father suddenly reappears with a bizarre demand: to accompany him to Stockholm, Sweden, where they will meet a man who he claims will change their lives.

Desperate for even a brief escape from his reality, Brandon reluctantly goes with his father, ready for a disaster. But his life changes completely the moment his eyes meet the mysterious Swedish man’s daughter, Saga. On a cobblestone street in the middle of Stockholm, Brandon reawakens to life, though struggles to navigate the messy love triangle with Saga and his fiancée, which includes multiple arrests, hospital stays, terrorist bombs, acts of heroism and foolishness, family secrets and even a bit of public nudity.

my take – Brett Sills has written a taut debut that showcases his ability to weld a pen and entertain.

My Sweet Saga is what I refer to as ‘every males fantasy.’ An overly average “Joe” (in this case Brandon) who’s dead end career, coupled with his nagging fiancée leads him to an overseas adventure with a European hottie, where fun and Scooby Doo type mayhem ensues.

One of the best characters is main character Brandon’s lottery-winning, eccentric dad. At first he seems a swarthy, Tommy Bahama wearing, selfish bastard, but in the end he is applaud worthy.  His ability not to be forth coming is, in the end, a noble gesture.

While this is an extremely well written novel with a cast of unlikable, but realistic, yet over the top characters, this one wasn’t for me. Brandon is at times a racists (and a bigot) and a selfish, weak willed male who let’s his circumstances dictate his life instead of standing up for himself and taking a stand. On the outside he seems like a good guy, but his thoughts are perverse and ugly. By the end of the novel he did figure out that he had to fight for what he wanted, but his selfishness still reigned.

Over all, this is a solid book and a perfect choice for those looking for a read with lots of themes and a plethora of characters for in-depth character studies.

Stacy 

Publisher

from Goodreads - An unflinching portrayal of the Korean immigrant experience from an extraordinary new talent in fiction.

Spanning Korea and the United States, from the postwar era to contemporary times, Krys Lee’s stunning fiction debut, “Drifting House,” illuminates a people torn between the traumas of their collective past and the indignities and sorrows of their present.

In the title story, children escaping famine in North Korea are forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to survive. The tales set in America reveal the immigrants’ unmoored existence, playing out in cramped apartments and Koreatown strip malls. A makeshift family is fractured when a shaman from the old country moves in next door. An abandoned wife enters into a fake marriage in order to find her kidnapped daughter.

In the tradition of Chang-rae Lee’s “Native Speaker” and Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Interpreter of Maladies, Drifting House” is an unforgettable work by a gifted new writer.

my take: I am in love with short stories lately.  I think it is because I don’t freak out if I have to put down the book to cook dinner or listen to my kids talk about their day.  It also brings several stories, ideas, and characters to me within a 250 page book.  I like it.  Also, if I am not entirely excited about a story, I only have 10 pages to read and then I get another chance to be enthralled with a new one.

Krys Lee challenges my boundaries and what I am used to reading in these beautifully written yet sometimes not entirely relatable pieces.  With that said, the struggles of the Korean people within the pages of Drifting House are heart-wrenching.

Drifting House made me dig into my Korean friends history and I asked about their life and that of their parents.  I also asked why they moved to the United States as I wondered if it was anything close to anyone in the stories in the book.  (It wasn’t.)

There really is a story for everyone in Drifting House. I just love the name of the book and the cover is so inviting.  I feel like I am looking into the window of their lives.  I don’t see the whole picture but I see one tiny section and I get transformed to a different character and more importantly, a different journey with every story I read.  Although the short story titled Drifting House came close to making me change my mind as my favorite story in the book,  At The Edge of the World really pulled my heart strings.   The young boy Mark, as he is called at school and Myeongseok as he is called at home made my heart cry and I wanted to adopt him.  I’m anxious to know if you feel the same.

Lee shows a beautiful collection of stories that bleed with sorrow, grieving, and heartache from the beginning of the book until the very end.  Although there is hope within the book, it shows the struggles of the Koreans with blinding pain.

Love, Stackgirl Shannan

Jane Eyre, simply put, is a tale of love and redemption.

description from penguin classics… Having grown up an orphan in the home of her cruel aunt and at a harsh charity school, Jane Eyre becomes an independent and spirited survivor—qualities that serve her well as governess at Thornfield Hall. But when she finds love with her sardonic employer, Rochester, the discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a choice. Should she stay with him whatever the consequences or follow her convictions, even if it means leaving her beloved?

Here are my thoughts:

My thoughts are many and varied and they are inadvertenly scrambled. Ahhhh!!!

Okay, meltdown over…moving on.

*Jane’s abusive childhood and utter loneliness brought tears to my eyes. I felt every harsh word and look of disapproval. The only saving grace was Bessie, which consequently is whom I think she learned to love from. However, the exposition was long. When I say long, I mean long. There were ten chapters, yes TEN whole chapters on Jane’s childhood, maybe even more. I was beginning to think I picked up an MG book.

*Jane is constantly thrown into grueling situations. Like the good trooper she is she endures all, from the hard hand of Mr. Brocklehurst at Lowood, to her desperate times on the street to suffering judgments from others unfairly. She remains constant;  she learns, yes, but she does not degrade herself long with her situation.

*I can’t stop thinking about Jane’s relatives. Her aunt, Mrs. Reed and her cousin John were just appalling. They were mean, uncaring and crass towards her. She not only suffered physical abuse, but emotional as well. I’m surprised at how well she turned out with such a beginning.

*The “gothic” elements of this book might have been on the edge of scary back in the day, but I found them dull and boring.

*There were lots and lots of references to the Bible and God. If I were a good scholar I would pick out all the points and scrutinize them. Alas, I have no time for that but I do have a theory or several little theories. That is, don’t judge people by who they are/what they are (there was a lot of that going on), because things aren’t always as they seem, nor are people. Money nor station does not secure your spot in heaven, that only love, forgiveness and redemption can do that.

*I thought it was interesting how much alike St. John and Jane were in their respects to temptation and their chosen path. They seemed to reflect each other.

*Jane has tenacity. Love that the most about her, she never gives up or loses her faith.

*The “third floor mystery” fell flat for me. It could be because I saw it coming, remembered it from a movie or just from casual conversation with friends. Though, I will admit if I had seen that woman in my room ripping apart my veil I would have screamed like a little girl.

*Edward. I liked him. He did piss me off a bit with his hot and cold attitude and his underhanded way he handled the whole Miss Ingram affair.

*I loved, LOVED the way Edward and Jane communicated their love. It wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine, it was real and it was heartfelt. Albeit, the elf talk could have been left out.

*Jane is true to herself, her beliefs and she uses that to guide her and does not fall to temptation.

I could go on and on but in the interest of your time (and mine) I end my review here.

If you’re a lover of classic literature than this is a must read, however if old English and French phrases that are never interpreted isn’t your style than I would suggest watching one of the many movies based on the books or read a modern re-telling and call it a day.

See you in the STACKS,
Stacy, who’s kindle did more defining than there are hours in the week while reading this book.

The Garden Intrigue

from goodreads - As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, English operative Augustus Whittlesby gets wind of a top  secret device, to be demonstrated over the course of a house party at Malmaison. The catch? The only way in is to join forces with that annoying American socialite, Emma Morris Delagardie, who has been commissioned to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. Even so, it should leave plenty of alone time with Augustus’ colleague (and goddess), Jane Wooliston, who has been tapped to play the heroine. Or so Augustus tells himself. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing seems to go quite as scripted… especially Emma.

all me - Willig has done it again. Her newest Pink Carnation book, The Garden Intrigue is just as captivating and charming as the rest.

This time we are introduced to Emma, a small and overly ostentatious American living in Paris. Though small, she is no wall flower. She knows everyone, including First Consul and soon to be Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. She’s also friends with the Pink Carnation, Jane and secret agent disguised as a poet, Augustus. These relationships, and her deceased husband’s desire for irrigation, put her smack dab in the middle of Napoleon’s scheme to invade England and those who thwart it.

I heart Emma. Her bodices are a bit too low, and her finery is over the top. She is a perfect wiry and full of life character. Yet, with all of her outward illusions, Emma is a very private person. She guards her heart, her feelings and lets very few in – including herself. Which brings me to…

Augustus, the “atrocious” and rather silly poet. His life as a secret agent has him hiding behind tight pantaloons, billowy shirts (puffy shirt!!)  and rather absurd poetry. His life too is full of illusion and because of his trade his true self is seldom, if ever seen.

These two illusion artists, who are hiding from themselves, are a perfect match. Watching their friendship blossom is oh, so sweet and to see it fully bloom into passion is just down right romantic. There are pivotal points in the story that you can see their relationship grow from their early quick and humorous banter to mutual respect and understanding, and finally, to love.

As for the “intrigue” part of the story, it’s simple and brilliantly keen.  How Willig manages to take a key time in history and add in believable elements with great dollops of whimsical romance is utterly amazing. She had me convinced that her Bonaparte was the real deal; from the submarines to theatrical productions to covert operations.

My only complaint with the story is the present day tale. It seems trite. The saga of Colin and Eloise’s relationship seems to be stuck in time, like it’s taken to long for them to get where they are. I’m sure this has everything to do with their short screen time, and the fact we get a new “historical romance” every book but their story remains the same.

See you in the STACKS, Stacy – who wonders  when is it Jane’s turn for a romance and are we going to see Turnip again??

150 Pounds

from goodreads – A smartly-written novel of two women starting at opposite ends of the scale–and finding compromise and friendship in their journey towards 150 pounds In the fast paced life of blogging, two women stand out: Alexis Allbright, of Skinny Chick, and Shoshana Weiner, who writes Fat and Fabulous. Both have over five million loyal readers. Both are hungry for success. But the similarities stop there. 

With over 100 pounds on the scale separating them, weight isn’t their only difference. Alexis is a loner who is so bitchy the only person who can stand her company is her gay best friend Billy. She gives neurotic New Yorkers a run for their money with her strict daily workout routine, and weighing of food. Shoshana is Alexis’s opposite. Living in Jersey with rowdy roommates, she is someone who “collects friends,” as her mother puts it; and treasures a life of expanding circles…and waistlines.

When both appear as panelists on a popular talk show, their lives intersect in ways neither could have imagined. In turns comedic, heartwarming–and familiar to any woman who’s ever stepped on a scale–Alexis and Shoshana realize they have far more in common than either could have possibly imagined, and more importantly, something to offer.

my take – When I picked up this book I was expecting a fun, but very predictable read.  Fortunately, this one had a few unexpected surprising elements that were smart and utterly charming.

This book is written in third person, with alternating perspectives from Shoshana and Alexis.  Rockland did a great job giving each girl an engaging story line. It’s funny, I would get so engrossed reading one girls section and then moan when it changed, but yet would groan again when perspectives changed again.

Shoshana and Alexis each had their own battles to fight, issues to overcome, and their story reflected that. Shoshana, the heavy one and by far my favorite character, had one of those infectious personalities that automatically lifts your spirits and brings a smile to your face. She’s one you’d want to be BFF. Her weight isn’t a barrier, she embraces it and you can’t help but respect her.

Alexis, the skinny one, is the total opposite. She may have the perfect hair, clothes and body, but she has a closed off personality. She puts up a wall that very few can climb, and has an elitist attitude. Watching her metamorphous was a definite highlight of the book, though it wasn’t without lots of eye rolling.

Oh, and I just have to mention the adorably cute cover. It fits the tone and mood of the book perfectly. Seriously, is there anyway one could walk by those scrumptious cupcakes without picking the book up?

Overall, this is a cute read!

Stacy

THREE FEMALE FRIENDS FACE MIDLIFE CRISES IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED EXPLORATION OF SEX, MARRIAGE, AND THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE.  Holly: Filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, she sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Will it bring the fulfillment she is searching for? Andrea: A single mom and avowed celibate, she watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband?  Marissa: She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay, rebellious teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts.  As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles.  As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.  Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic, Triangles is the ultimate page-turner.  Hopkins’s gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse perfectly captures the inner lives of her characters.  Sometimes it happens like that.  Sometimes you just get lost.  Get lost in the world of Triangles, where the lives of three unforgettable women intersect, and where there are no easy answers.

my take:  Ellen Hopkins has a successful career as a young adult writer, with a fiercely devoted fan base and lots of accolades (as well as controversy).  Triangles, her first foray into adult fiction, is just as mesmerizing and remarkable as her YA fiction.  It’s written in her signature verse novel format, which makes the pages fly by. 

What I love about Ellen Hopkins is her ability to capture the emotions of her characters, and to dig deep into their psyche to get to the heart of what drives them.  The entire human experience is fleshed out in her writings – some I can identify with, some I cannot, but I always gain understanding.

As an adult reading Hopkin’s YA novels, I sought to identify with characters very unlike me.  As an adult reading Triangles, I felt the book hit disturbingly close to home.  These women were just like me, or my friends, or people I know - dealing with midlife, children, divorce, death, serious problems.  These characters resonated with me and made me look at certain issues differently - is this how some of my friends may feel about these issues?  Would I have behaved in the same way as these characters in that situation?  Would I have had more sympathy for a friend if I had an inkling of what she was really going through? 

The narratives from the three women are skillfully intertwined and absorbing.  Of course, this book is for adults and it does cover some very adult situations frankly and honestly.  Sex is a large part of the lives of these women, and for the character of Holly it’s not vanilla.  But if you have read any of Hopkins’ work, you know that she doesn’t shy away from taboo topics. 

I’m so glad Ellen Hopkins decided to begin writing novels for the adults in her fan base – she has another one coming in the fall of 2012 titled Collateral, about deployment and what that means to those left behind.  I recommend this book for adult women of all ages who appreciate frank and honest depictions of their lives – warts and all.

See you in the STACKS,
Nancy

Austentatious

from goodreads: In this quirky, sexy novel set against the lively, music-filled backdrop of Austin, Texas, a young woman learns that romance can wreak havoc with even the best laid plans. . .

It started innocently enough. While browsing in one of Austin’s funky little shops, Nicola James is intrigued by a blank vintage journal she finds hidden among a set of Jane Austen novels. Even though Nic is a straight-laced engineer, she’s still a sucker for anything Austen-esque. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to disbelief once she starts writing in the journal–because somehow, it’s writing her back. . .

Miss Nicola James will be sensible and indulge in a little romance. Those twelve tiny words hit Nic like a thunderbolt, as if her diary was channeling Austen herself! Itching for a bit of excitement, Nic decides to follow her “Fairy Jane’s” advice. The result: a red-hot romance with a sexy Scottish musician who charms his way into Nic’s heart in about five seconds flat.

Sean MacInnes is warm, funny, and happens to think Nic is the most desirable woman he’s ever met. But a guy like Sean doesn’t exactly fit into her Life Plan. With no one but Fairy Jane to guide her, Nic must choose between the life she thought she wanted–and the kind of happy ending she never saw coming…

my take:  What a lovely romp of a read!!! I easily devoured it in one sitting – laughing and smiling.

I absolutely adore this Jane Austen-esque book. It is full of wit, comedy, magical journaling and utterly cute and ahhh worthy romance. Goodnight has done an excellent job capturing the essence of Jane Austen and her characters – creating a modern world for them to live. While there aren’t direct correlations to Austen characters (well, except for Nicola and Sean), there are plenty of references to them for Jane Austen fans to devour.

Nicola, our dear Lizzy Bennet, is a definite kindred spirit character. The reader can’t help but to smile at her sensibility and her simple, but realistic and very safe life plan. And then we smile even more when whimsy and magic interfere and she is reluctaly nudged into a whirlwind romance. Her wit and comedy are on par with her Austen escapade.

Sean is the swoon worthy Mr. Darcy. He is (borrowing from the book) ‘the perfect mix of charming and presumptuous.’  Not only is he the sexy rocker, he’s also thoughtful, has an adventurous spirit and (this is the biggest) he has an accent. He is modern Mr. Darcy through and through, without the stubborn pride! His romance with Nicola is every girls dream.

The side characters are a big highlight to the story; my favorites are Nicola’s neighbors, Leslie, and her partner Laura. Where one is snarky and pulls no punches the other is sweet. The story would not be the same with out them. They add sizzle, spice and laughs.

Favorite scenes: The infamous ‘mushroom extraction,’ Leslie and Laura’s Friday night karaoke parties, and Nicola’s attempt at karaoke and the aftermath.

If you’re a fan of Jane Austen modern re-telling’s, then this is a MUST read!

Stacy - who thinks that the Austin, Texas setting is perfect and licked her lips when Hey Cupcake was mentioned!!

——

The Bird Sisters is set in Spring Green, Wisconsin, a small farming community by the Wisconsin River. Spring Green seems to be distinct in nearly every way from Deadwater, Minnesota, which is where Cousin Bett has grown up. How does each location shape the story, each community, and our characters? Can you imagine Milly and Twiss in Deadwater? How do the places we live shape us?

Nancy – Deadwater sounds about as inviting as its name – Bett called it “officially irrelevant” and made up wild stories about the town  and its inhabitants; stories that thrilled and fascinated Twiss but repelled Milly.  Spring Green was as bucolic as it sounds, a lush farming community that prospered.  Twiss would have loved the adventure of staying in Deadwater; Milly would have hated it.

Sarah – I think Bett came from death (Deadwater) and tried to live life fully -a bit too fully in terms of the affair with Milly and Twiss’s  dad.  I think Milly and Twiss came from a theoretical “always green” kind of life-at least it must have looked like that to Bett -as they had both parents, enough to eat and a decent sized house.  Also their father was always (in his head after he lost his job) on the greens of a golf course.  The sisters’ also never married, making them “green” virgins perpetually.  However, it seems like they too were living in a type of Deadwood created by their mother and her bitterness.  Overall, all three girls wanted to escape their hometowns, but only Bett succeeded in doing so, mostly through her cousins sacrificing their own plans.

Stacy – Locations, places (settings) shape everyone’s life, including novel characters. For example, if you grow up in the city, it’s more  likely you’ll be exposed to a variety of arts, nationalities, have several dining choices, etc. In contrast, growing up rurally your choices are typically limited. Not to mention that every community has customs, idiosyncrasies, environment factors etc.  that are influential. Just like Nancy and Sarah pointed out, Deadwater and Spring Green couldn’t be more different. The girls from these cities were in part, a product of where they came from.

The novel is primarily set during the late 1940s, when the pace of life was a little bit slower than it is today. There seems to be a pervasive cultural nostalgia and a renaissance with regard to skills and cultural mores from the recent past (for example, folks learning how to can vegetables, a love of vintage clothing, etc.). Why do you think this is?

Nancy – My goodness, everything is rosy the further away you get from it.  People always are looking for the easier, simpler times.  As a  society, people tend to romanticize the happier aspects and gloss over the ugly parts.  But humanity is made up of people who are complicated in any time period.

Sarah – I think Nancy rocked this question- no more to add!

Stacy – Nancy, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Memories play such a powerful role in Milly and Twiss’s lives because, in many ways, their lives were arrested while both were teenagers. Can they ever be at peace? Is there always time for a fresh start?

Nancy – I think they may not be at peace, but they have learned to live with it.  They both have regrets, and I think that if they had wanted a fresh start they would have done it long ago.  Why didn’t Milly try to find love again (or at least another suitor), or Twiss leave after their parents died?  I believe Milly finally found peace by forgiving and letting go of the past when Asa puts the note in her soaps, saying I know why you did it, she swings the club just like him.

Sarah – I think the fact that both characters are reliving their memories to become at peace with their decisions (I remain bitter on  their behalf, however).  Although frustrated by the woman who accuses Milly of ignorance because of her lack of children, Milly- and also Twiss -both seem to take satisfaction in taking care of broken birds and one another.   I think that it is too late for a fresh start, but they are at peace by the end of the novel.

Stacy – It’s never too late for peace, but like Sarah and Nancy said, Twiss and Milly have learned to live with their decisions. If Milly  and Twiss want a fresh start, I suggest online dating. I’m not saying love is the answer, but it would provide new and exciting experiences for them, something out of their normal.

Milly and Twiss will do anything and everything for each other in the novel, but they won’t talk openly about all that has happened to them over the course of their lives — especially events in their youth. Why is it so difficult for them? After so many years together, do you think that each knows of the other’s disappointments, vulnerabilities, and heartbreaks without having to explicitly say it? Or do you think that even after all this time the two do not know each other as well as they think?

Nancy – I think part of it may have been the era they grew up in.  People just didn’t talk openly about sexual issues – infidelity, homosexuality, out of wedlock pregnancy – all had a terrible social stigma that made the people involved cover it up.  Even though they may think they know how the other feels, it’s tacitly understood they won’t talk about it, and they are too stubborn to bring it up – even though talking about it could begin a new chapter in their lives.  However, that doesn’t mean they don’t love each other – on the contrary, they love each other enough that they won’t embarrass the other by talking about it.

Sarah – I agree with Nancy, but also feel that bringing up the ngative aspects of their lives would just bring them down, and they are clinging to the few strings of happiness daily life brings them.  To bring up old wounds with one another would just make the pain that much worse.

Money is a constant source of tension for Milly and Twiss’s parents in the novel, but in the beginning of their relationship, their mother thought that her dreams would come true without her family’s money, and their father thought that his dreams would come true through his proximity to money at the country club. How were they right and how were they wrong? Money, and lack of it, is also a source of conflict between other characters (for example, Father Rice steals the entire meager collection from the church and Mr. Peterson pays for Bett’s medical care). How does money solve problems in the novel as well as create them?

Nancy – Ahhh, money, the root cause of many a failed marriage.  Maisie believed love would compensate for the lack of money.

Stacy – While I think money was an issue in Maisie’s marriage, the real problem was her husband’s selfishness. Love can conquer all, but that love can only conquer all if both parties are fully committed and act selflessly.

Sarah – I think the need for money overtakes the sense of love that characters have for one another. Milly and Twiss’s parents (as did their aunt and uncle) believed that their love would overcome financial worries. However, it seemed to drive Milly and Twiss’s mother and aunt away from their husbands; it caused the sisters to become bitter because their husbands could not provide the type of life they were accustomed to and learning how to function without such money was a hardship neither sister ever got over.  I think Mr. Peterson is able to solve Bett’s medical problems through paying for her medical care -but also drives her away from the sisters in the process.

Cousin Bettie — Bett — comes down from Deadwater, Minnesota, to stay with Milly and Twiss for the summer and in doing so changes the dynamics of their family. Bett grows close to each of the sisters in very different ways. How would the family have changed if not for Bett? In other words, do you think that the changes were the result of Bett’s particular personality? Or do you think that she was just in
the right place at the right time to be seen as a catalyst?

Nancy – I think the family would have imploded even if Bett had not come for the summer, but it would have been much later rather than sooner. While Bett was in the right place at the right time to alter the family, I do think Bett’s personality was partly responsible for the problems.  She was plain and sickly, and worried she’d never find a better life. Bett behaved in a sometimes reckless manner – plunging her arms into a bee-filled sand pile, for example. Afterwards, Millie thinks “…she couldn’t find a polite way to explain what she’d seen: a person so untouched by fear she was certain something terrible had happened to Cousin Bettie, or would.”

Stacy – I truly believe Bett was a catalyst. Her visit was at a pivotal time, coupled with her personality, the perfect formula was established for the life changing summer.

Sarah – I think Bett brings out Twiss’s homosexuality and Milly’s fears, but without Bett, these would have been there, just not as exposed.  It is Bett’s affair with her father, subsequent pregnancy and Milly’s sacrifice of Asa for Bett that brings about the real change-not Bett’s personality itself.

Both Milly and Twiss sacrifice their personal dreams for, they think, the betterment of the other. When is personal sacrifice for the sake of the larger goal noble and valiant? At what point is it foolish? Do you think that they make the right choices? How do you think Bett feels about her choices? What do you think she was trying to tell Milly by sending her the book?

Nancy – Oh man, do I want to give Bett an earful.  Looking at the situation from my modern perspective, I definitely have a different opinion than Milly and Twiss would about sacrificing my happiness for the sake of my family’s reputation.  However, even looking at it from their perspective, I think Milly could have worked things out without losing her chance at happiness and a family.  Why couldn’t Bett go back to Deadwater to have the baby?  Or go to a home for unwed mothers and give it up for adoption?  Why couldn’t Milly have taken Twiss with her if she got married? Bett may have felt guilty, but not guilty enough to not marry Asa.

Sarah – I TOTALLY agree with Nancy.  The most frustrating aspect of the book for me was how Milly and Twiss just seemed to roll over and let Bett walk all over them.  However, I also tend to be a proactive woman in an age that allows me to do so; I find their choices valiant and foolish simultaneously.

Overall, I think Bett does feel guilty-but allowed Milly to make the sacrifice for her (just as she let Mr. Peterson pay for all her medical treatment).  It is like Bett is the reverse of her mother and aunt-she moves up from poverty to wealth because of who she chooses to marry (and Milly kindly and stupidly sacrificed that for her).

Milly and Twiss love their parents deeply, but they don’t know quite how to forgive them. How do you think their lives might change if they were able to forgive them? Are they able to forgive Bett and Asa?

Sarah – I think it is not so much about forgiving their parents and Bett and Asa but being comfortable with who they are.  I think the book is ultimately about both of them learning to accept the decisions they made and move on; but if they had done so early on, they could have had more fulfilling lives.

Stacy – They’ve never truly forgiven their parents, because their parents never forgave each other. As well, forgiveness was never doled out to Bett and Asa. Forgiveness is a powerful act, its bondage breaking. Like Sarah said, Twiss and Milly accepted everyone transgressions but had they actually forgiven them they could have moved on and had more fulfilling lives.

Asa, Mr. Peterson, and Joe all seem to make significant life choices based on snap judgments. How has this impulsive streak served them well? How has it hurt them? If Asa truly loved Milly as he seemed to, how could he so quickly abandon her? Do you think he understood at the time what Milly was asking of him? And by asking it, do you think she was asking too much of someone she loved?

Sarah – I don’t think Asa truly loved Milly or he would not have abandoned her for Bett without a fight. I think Milly too made a snap decision by sacrificing her love for Asa for her cousin -which clearly does not serve her well.  I don’t think snap decisions are shown in a positive light-but really none of the characters make good choices-whether thought through or made quickly.

Throughout the novel, Twiss and Father Rice exchange letters. In these letters, Twiss often reveals her secret feelings. Father Rice, in turn, reveals his. In the age of the Internet, have we lost the intimacy that can be found in this old-fashioned form of correspondence, the traditional letter? How do we choose to share what we do when it’s by letter, e-mail, text, Twitter, Facebook update, blog post, or telephone? When was the last time you handwrote a letter?

Nancy – I dunno, I think we can still be profound and meaningful and intimate even when limited to 140 characters…LOL.  I still write letters to people, I just send them electronically instead of in an envelope with a stamp.  But I handwrite thank you notes and birthday cards, because that is just the way you do it.

Sarah - I think e-mails can be just as intimate as letters-they just get delivered faster. I do write letters to people-but I think I am more communicative in an email because my feeling and thoughts can be communicated faster through typing than writing.

publisher: Ace Hardcover
release date: May 3, 2011
book info: goodreads author site

Nancy’s thoughts - Let’s just say this is not my favorite out of the series. Honestly, this book was slow to start, meandered around a bit and had an unsatisfying ending that left me irritated. Yes, we did get some resolution of various plot threads, and the main plot mostly revolved around the relationship between Eric and Sookie, which made us Stackgirls very happy. However, it was not my spunky Sookie, but a harder and morose Sookie. And the ending was one of those ‘things that make you go hmmmm’. Or in my case, “Really?”

I give this book 3 STACKS!

Stacy’s thoughts - Give me a minute…*trying to wrap head around this one*

Well, I can certainly say that I see a definite path that Charlaine has set out for Sookie. Storylines are coming to close as well as key relationships. Yes, key.

As much as I want to see character growth in Sookie (I mean, who wants a stagnant character) I’m not happy. Though, I guess I should be. She is making decisions that are best for her. Guess I’m just upset she didn’t consult me, haha.

Team Eric or Team Bill? Guess again.

I give this book 3 STACKS!

From Goodreads:  Deeper Than the Dead introduced Tami Hoag’s millions of fans to Oak Knoll, a small California town that, in the mid-eighties, seemed as idyllic as any . . . until the See-No-Evil killer shattered that notion. It took FBI agent Vince Leone and a new technique called “profiling” to put an end to the trauma.

Secrets to the Grave brought Leone’s teacher-turned-child- advocate wife, Anne, into a central role. Together with Vince and local sheriff ‘s deputy Tony Mendez, she solved an Oak Knoll murder with a particularly challenging mystery: The victim never existed.  And now Hoag returns once more to Oak Knoll for the third installment of this bestselling series. Through Leone’s pioneering, science-based investigatory skills, Hoag explores the early days of forensic police work. And through the chilling case at the heart of Down the Darkest Road, she hooks ever more readers into the meticulously crafted, all-too-terrifying world of Oak Knoll, where the scariest secrets of all can be found . . . Down the Darkest Road.

My Take: I am a mystery newbie.  My mom would kill me to know that.  She reads a mystery a day.  Cross my heart.  She may wonder why her adult daughter is in love with young adult books and can’t get enough of paranormal romances and dystopian novels.  Well, she shall wonder no more.  I am now hooked on mysteries. Holy cow!  Hoag freaked me out with this thriller!  Everything seemed so real.  It has changed the way I think about security in my house.  I am 1. getting put on anxiety meds 2. installing an alarm & 3. getting a dog.

As the mom of a daughter, the story of a child abduction couldn’t have drawn me in any faster.  I stayed up until 4 in the morning finishing the book.  Then I proceeded to check all the locks in my home and check on my kids.  It’s so sad to know that this story, although it is fiction, is really happening in this world.  There are so many children that are taken from their families and I cannot fathom what heartache those families live with.  I can’t say that I would act much different than the mother, Lauren.  Although she emotionally neglects her younger daughter while searching for her older, missing daughter, who knows how one would really act unless you are thrown in that nightmare of a case.  After four years of missing a daughter and then losing a husband, let alone being stalked by the person who probably took your child, I think I would be on a rampage for justice even if I had to take it into my own hands, like Lauren.

The police departments in Down the Darkest Road were so interesting.  Yes, this was in the early 90′s when computers and analyzing DNA wasn’t as sophisticated as it is now.  I can’t believe how far we have come!!

I loved getting to know Tony and Anne!  I wish I really had them as friends.  And something I loved about Hoag is her writing.  I’m telling you, she scared me with her suspenseful writing and the way we got to know the characters with Hoag changing the point of view throughout the whole novel.

As this is my first adult mystery that I have read,  I am thankful that is was written by  a talented author who tells a suspenseful story while still maintaining heart and hope.

If you would like to meet Tami Hoag on tour (we are excited to meet her!), check out these dates:

December 27^th 7pm
Barnes & Noble Apache Mall
Rochester, MN

December 28^th 7pm
The Poisoned Pen
Scottsdale, AZ

December 29^th 6:30pm
Murder By The Book
Houston, TX

December 30^th 12pm
Hastings
Waxahachie, TX

December 30^th 7pm (We are going to this one! We love A Real Bookstore!!)
A Real Bookstore
Fairview, TX

January 4^th 7pm
Murder on the Beach
Delray Beach, FL

January 5^th 7pm
Barnes & Noble
The Shoppes at Wellington Green
Wellington, FL

January 7^th 3pm
Vero Beach Book Center
Vero Beach, FL

January 10^th 6:30pm
Sho Clothes Equestrian Boutique
Wellington, FL

The Bird Sisters

from goodreads - When a bird flies into a window in Spring Green, Wisconsin, sisters Milly and Twiss get a visit. Twiss listens to the birds’ heartbeats, assessing what she can fix and what she can’t, while Milly listens to the heartaches of the people who’ve brought them. These spinster sisters have spent their lives nursing people and birds back to health.

But back in the summer of 1947, Milly and Twiss knew nothing about trying to mend what had been accidentally broken. Milly was known as a great beauty with emerald eyes and Twiss was a brazen wild child who never wore a dress or did what she was told. That was the summer their golf pro father got into an accident that cost him both his swing and his charm, and their mother, the daughter of a wealthy jeweler, finally admitted their hardscrabble lives wouldn’t change. It was the summer their priest, Father Rice, announced that God didn’t exist and ran off to Mexico, and a boy named Asa finally caught Milly’s eye. And, most unforgettably, it was the summer their cousin Bett came down from a town called Deadwater and changed the course of their lives forever.

Rebecca Rasmussen’s masterfully written debut novel is full of hope and beauty, heartbreak and sacrifice, love and the power of sisterhood, and offers wonderful surprises at every turn.

The Bird Sisters is a lovely book about two sisters who sacrificed their own happiness for their cousin and each other. The story is told through the two sisters who live together and are known for nursing wounded birds back to life (metaphor, anyone?). They are living in the present day, but after a woman brings a bird to their doorstep, her comments to them trigger each sister to reflect back on the summer their cousin came to stay with them, and the havoc (and clarity) it brought to their lives.

Author Rebecca Rasmussen is clearly a lyrical poet with her prose, and this book has several bookmarked pages where I just loved her turn of phrase. The story itself dragged a bit, unfortunately, as the end of the book delivers punches that have to be built up, but seem less meaningful during the reading. The sisters’ reflections throughout the day reveal the flaws of all the characters-from family members to eccentric townspeople – so it was hard to really root for any one specific character. However, in the end, the sisters’ love for one another triumphs over all the ugliness of their parents’ unhappy marriage and subsequent actions and that was a nice redemption after being rather frustrated with most people in the story.

For a finally developed story focused on revealing the beauty in the midst of unhappiness, The Bird Sisters is a finely honed and beautifully written novel. Clearly a labor of love, Rasmussen revealed on her site for the book that the characters and plot were based on her own family’s background, and I’m intrigued to know what facts specifically have been embedded into this fictional story, although it seems a bit of a depressing one.

Sarah

If you would like to join us, check out our discussion schedule below:
 January 6, 2012 – we’ll tackle those scholarly discussion questions
January 8, 2012 –listen in to our podcast for our candid thoughts and opinions

And make sure to join in the discussion on twitter, just use the hashtag #LHJbookclub . We’re always open for academic debate!

The Lovers Dictionary

This book was so unexpected and different that I had a hard time putting it down. David’s created a humanistic vocabulary approach to a lover’s plight which is full of exposed emotion and has managed to capture the general lover’s doubts (that’s you and me) and focus them in a story that we can all relate too. I’ll be frank though and admit this is NOT for the etymology faint of heart. If it weren’t for my kindle and the easy word look-up feature I would still be plugging through this with a worn copy of Webster’s by my side. Even though I felt like I just stepped out of an intensive SAT vocabulary prep class, I was walking tall and proud and started saying things like, “The esoteric propensities of the average dodo bird confound naturalist as do the vestige of their life.”

While we never know names and specifics, we get to know the heart of the narrator (or is it narrators?) and see his (because I think it is a male) fears, his anxiety over his lover. We see him in moments of elation and moments of doubt and self-worth. It’s the perfect mix of the good times and the bad.

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

An utterly delightful read!!

This genius book was penned by both Cohn and Levithan and you should defiantly check out their writing process for this book here. Basically, the story was passed back in forth with Cohn writing Lily’s part and Levithan writing that of Dash. While I am not familiar with Cohn’s writing I can say without a doubt that Dash was pure Levithan, it’s filled with his trademark vocabulary (go vocab!).

Dash and Lily are the perfect opposites, where one grumbles the other smiles. They balanced each other perfectly. Dash was like a cantankerous old man and Lily the over obsessed Christmas freak, it was hilarious watching them come together.

Two of the great things about this story is the quintessential Christmas time New York and the red Moleskine notebook. This lone little notebook sets two random people on mad (as in good) adventures across Manhattan in search of themselves (unbeknownst to them) and each other.

Every You, Every Me

This book has an interesting origin, David sees a picture at a friend’s house and begins to craft story around said picture. He then had his friend send him random pictures and continued story around all the pictures (see pics here).  I think this is genius, creative and sounds like a totally fun and random way to write a story. As fun as the idea was behind the story, the story itself is not “fun” and lighthearted. It’s morose and sad and a little bit psychological thriller.

The story is told from Evans point of view, and it’s trulyemotional and raw. David perfectly honed in on Evan and his plight and was able to convince readers we we’re in his head. Not only are we in his head, we witness him on the edge of breaking, through his eyes, while wondering is he crazy, maybe suffering a little from PTSD? It’s intense, to say the least.

I can’t say too much without giving away major plot points, but let’s just say there are several questions from the beginning.

Crush: 26 Real-Life Tales of First Love ed. by Andrea N. Richesin

Leviathan’s short “Creative Writing,”  is one of the best and most poignant stories from this collection.  David’s talent as a writer is evident and his ability to express his feelings and thoughts in a meaningful way are truly beautiful. I would love to see this story expanded into novel form, fictionalized or real.

See you in the STACKS, Stacy - who is now an automatic buyer of books with the name David Levithan on them.

My take:
Stacy, Shannan and Nancy have teased me about my reading Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts because so far, I have tended to stick with younger YA books or historical fiction. However, I am an English major with a love of all things Jane Austen, so I thought it my duty to find out what all the fuss was about with this newest rendition of Pride and Prejudice -this time without zombies but with more explicit details of the romantic lives of the characters.

What I really liked about Szereto’s rendition is that it made sense and the insertions were much lovelier to read than the inclusion of dead, grizzled walking corpses (as found in in Seth Graham-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). My literary friends and I have always joked that Mr. Bingley seemed a little too attached to Mr. Darcy, that Mr. Bennett was always trying to avoid his wife in his study, and that Lydia had to know what she was doing to have run off with Wickam.

This book answers all these questions in a light, satirical way, embedding descriptions of what’s really going on between Jane Austen’s original prose in the same style as the original. However, I will caution you that the content can get rather explicit, and I would mark the book for those 18 and older.

Only once or twice did I feel Szereto was a bit far-fetched in her writing (I don’t think Charlotte Bingley’s dresses were really cut that low and the first proposal scene was rather ludicrous), but I loved the sly wink that I felt she was giving her readers as to the motivations and actions of the characters that Austen left open for interpretation.  I laughed out loud once or twice and have been encouraging my “PhD in English Literature” friends to read it for a good chuckle; so as long as you don’t take your Austen too seriously, I think you will find this version an amusing and  titillating treat!

P.S. I was a bit astounded by the controversy the book has caused though-check out Szereto’s response: Pride and Prejudice and Pitchforks

At fifteen, Leen De Graaf likes everything she shouldn’t: smoking cigarettes, wearing red lipstick, driving illegally, and working in the fields. It seems the only thing she shares with her fellow Dutchmen is a fear of the German soldiers stationed nearby and a frantic wish for the war to end. When a soldier’s dog runs in front of Leen’s truck, her split decision sets off a storm of events that pitches her family against the German forces when they are most desperate – and fierce. Leen tries to hold her family together, but despite her efforts, bit by bit everything falls apart, and just when Leen experiences a horrific loss, she must make a decision that could forever brand her a traitor, yet finally allow her to live as her heart desires. Inspired by the life of the author’s mother, River in the Sea is a powerful and moving account of one girl reaching adulthood when everything she believes about family, friendship, and loyalty is questioned by war.

my take:  This self published e-book is a historical fiction based on the life of the author’s mother – and what a life it was!  Leen is a girl who is not only trying to navigate her teen years, she is dealing with war and the occupation of her hometown by the Germans. 

Boscha does a great job building the atmosphere with the little details of life in occupied Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands.  Vignettes of people, places and life in occupied Friesland were filled with detail and the local language.  In the first and second chapters, the fear and terror is palpable when she runs over a German dog and fears for her life (and her virtue).  The consequences of that act resounds with Leen and her family throughout the rest of the book.  

After that strong beginning, the story pacing seemed slow.  However, that may have been intentional – the townspeople kept thinking that the war would be over any day, yet the occupation dragged on for another two years.  When Leen’s father and brother had to go into hiding (they called it Underdoek),  Leen had to deal with her mother’s depression and find food to keep her sisters fed.  When Leen went Underdoek (which consisted of sleeping anywhere but at home but no other changes to routine) her first kiss with Jakob was sweet and funny and sad at the same time.

I felt like the climax of the story was played out too slowly, and was too thin for impact, but the sadness and regret Leen felt was nicely handled, as was Jakob’s support.  When Leen decides to go to America, I wished she had been able to go with her family, or had a happier ending with Jakob.  But like life, the endings are not always happy – but there is always hope.

See you in the STACKS,
Nancy

from goodreads – An Irish lass. An English lord. A love that overcomes all boundaries. 

August Grayson has secretly dreamt of the girl living on his family’s Irish estate since childhoods spent together in Killarney. Now a proper Lord of the British Empire, he knows that Maeve could never be more than just a distant fantasy. Still, if only… 

Maeve O’Connor owns nothing in this world but her good name, which proves just enough to win a proposal for a marriage of convenience to a good, Irish lad. Until the wedding, however, she’s in dire straits. Rent on the cottage she and her father share is due, but there simply isn’t the money to pay. Driven to desperation, Maeve hopes Lord Grayson, her childhood-chum-turned-dashing-English-rogue, will prove lenient when she comes seeking clemency….

my take - McRae did it again! Much like her first novel 12.21.12 (read my review here) she has delivered a great story that is worthy of many re-reads. However, unlike the speculative fiction of 12.21.12, this novel is a historical romance. How one can switch gears from aliens and Mayan prophecy to the Irish country side of 1866, is beyond me, but she does it and she does it well. (actually, she answers the question below!!)

Here are just a few reasons why you should read this book:

*this is not just a character driven story; the story line is solid and real. There is more going on than just the “romance.”

*McRae’s historical research is evident; her 19^th century Ireland is authentic.

*the setting is beautiful.

*the writing is excellent, McRae’s prose is fluid.

*Maeve. She is a strong character, who does what is needed and doesn’t back down. I may not agree with all her decisions, but she owns actions and that is respectful.

*I love it that there are several times when it gets “ugly” for Maeve and your heart breaks (okay, I don’t really like it, but it does make the ending more endearing!!)

*As for the “heat” in the story I loved it! McRae teases, and taunts and you have to wait for it, but I assure you it is well worth the wait.

*Lord August Grayson is a typical English Lord on the outside, but on the inside a battle rages. At first he is nothing more than a tyrant, but eventually the backstory unfolds and we learn his depth.

I only have two small complaints. 1) The novel is long and at one point the story takes a different direction. 2) As much as I like Lord  Grayson and his flawed character, there are several times I wanted to slap him. Let me just say that I prefer honesty when it comes to affairs of the heart.

If you are a fan of well-written historical romance, then this is a book for you. If you’re a fan of a good historical fiction with romance, then this is for you too.

Gah! Now I want to re-read it!
Stacy

——

You’re newest book, A Love by Any Measure is a big departure from your first novel, 12.21.12. What was it like switching gears from speculative fiction (??)  to historical romance?  (how would you categorize 12.21.12?)
I love the “??”. That’s usually how I describe 12.21.12, too! But that leads to my answer, oddly enough. When I write, I’m focused entirely on the story, and don’t think much about genre. So, for me, it wasn’t really switching gears as much. It’s like baking a cake. You worry about the ingredients of the recipe, not the shape of the pan.Of course, it is a little frustrating that, because of the reality ALBAM’s character exists in, I couldn’t have Maeve able to read August’s mind and vice versa. That would have cut out a lot of drama, wouldn’t it have?

(And to answer your question more directly on 12.21.12, I generally describe it as a speculative fiction, which is a sort of catch-all
term for works that encompass several aspects of mystery, science fiction, suspense, alternative history, and/or the paranormal.)

Let’s talk cover design! It’s not a typical romance book cover, it has more of an art house feel. What was your role in the cover design?

This time around, I designed the cover for the book. Authors and agents will tell  you, when thinking about what your cover might look like, look around at other books in your genre and see what the conventions are. Thing was, as I looked at the covers for other regency and historical romance, 95% of them all looked the same to me: a beautiful woman barely wearing a ball gown, a muscle-repleted man behind her, his shirt partially open or missing entirely. Sometimes there was a horse. Me? I spit in the general direction of convention. I wanted to cover to immediately speak two things. Firstly, that this is a historical book. I used a Victorian motif to achieve that. Second, that this is more complex and not quite a all-happy, all-the-time type of romance. The image of the girl that frames the other images is downtrodden, reflective and yet, beautiful. The lovers on the left are still in the moment of consuming temptation. And on the right, we see both a quizzically-placed lady of wealth and a brooding man of integrity.

What’s the most challenging aspect of being a self-published author? 

Well, I guess I have to qualify that answer with a “depends what you mean by self-publishing.” ALBAM has gone through all the steps of publishing that any indie-published book would go through (editing, development, formatting, etc.). The only difference is that I am the
alpha and omega on initiating these processes. Is not that I do everything. I’m smart enough to pay other people with more skills and knowledge than me to do a lot of it.  But despite the fact that it’s a consuming process, it also comes with a lot of freedom. I no longer feel restricted by efforts of others. If my book succeeds or if my book fails, I have only myself to take account for. A lot of work? Yes, indeedly. But rich, rewarding, satisfying work.

Children of Paranoia

from goodreads – ALL WARS HAVE RULES

Rule Number One: No killing innocent bystanders.

Rule Number Two: No killing anyone under the age of
eighteen.

BREAK THE RULES, BECOME THE TARGET.

my take – The rules, the cover and all the postcards I got in the mail (marketing  from publisher) made me think this was a YA book. I. WAS. WRONG.

This book is a heart-pounding adult thriller, a la James Bourne. And it was good, real good.

The first chapter is a bit macabre; the main character is killing someone. I know what you’re thinking, how can you relate to a killer? Well, you can. Joe is a solider not a murderer, following orders that he thinks will help bring peace between the two warring factions. It’s the eventual unraveling of the story, his personal realizations and his insight that cause almost immediate liking to his character and his plight.

I loved Joe. I loved his loyalty to his friends, I loved his passionate relationship with Maria and I loved his fierce protectiveness. He’s a good guy with morals, one who’s been brainwashed into killing. He does the best he can where others are calling all the shots.

Like I mentioned earlier, this book is like the Bourne Identity.  The story is full of action, secret agencies and lies. It’s pure adrenaline awesomeness. While we never get the full backstory of “why” things are the way they are, it’s a full ride to the end that leaves us begging for more.

bottom line - I’m not gonna lie, the ending was not my favorite. Shane pulled no punches, but he did give us a realistic story in an alternate reality world that is believable. Good for you Shane!

Stacy