Serena’s Articles at Savvy Verse & Wit, Page 359

More Awards!

January 8, 2009 by Serena

Anna at Diary of an Eccentric gave me the Lemonade Award, which is for blogs with great attitude and/or gratitude.

I am supposed to pass this one to 10 bloggers, but you know that there are many more out there who are deserving. But here’s my list of 10:

1. Susan of Gottawrite Girl
2. Janel of Janel’s Jumble
3. April of Cafe of Dreams
4. Toni from A Circle of Books
5. Naida of The Bookworm
6. Nikki of Fyrefly’s Book Blog
7. Literate Housewife
8. Literary Feline
9. Susan Gottfried of West of Mars
10. Sandra of Fresh Ink Books

I’m breaking the rules again!

11. 5-squared

Anna at Diary of an Eccentric also bestowed upon me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Which means I have to list 6 values that are important to me and 6 things I do not support. I also have to pass it along to 6 creative bloggers.

6 Values/Characteristics that are important to me:

1. Honesty above all else
2. Generosity of heart, mind, pocketbook, self, whatever…
3. Respect
4. Compassion
5. Creativity
6. Humor (sarcastic or otherwise)

6 Values/Characteristics I do not support:

1. Dishonesty
2. Selfishness
3. Disrespect (are you seeing a pattern yet)
4. Laziness
5. Arrogance
6. Ignorance

6 Bloggers:

1. Iliana of Bookgirl’s Nightstand
2. Monica of Monniblog
3. Sheri of A Novel Menagerie
4. Terri of Ways I See the World and Reading, Writing and Retirement
5. Toni of A Circle of Books (did you know she knits?)
6. Naida of The Bookworm (she crochets and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with out of that little animal crochet book I sent her)

Filed Under: awards

Winners of Gods Behaving Badly & Awards

January 7, 2009 by Serena

Out of 31 entrants in the U.S./Canada Hatchette Group giveaway, Randomizer.org selected numbers 1, 7, 17, 21, and 30.

The winners are:

1. Jenners of Find Your Next Book Here

7. Amy of My Friend Amy

17. Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness

21. Naida of The Bookworm

30. Debbie of Debbie’s World

Out of the 8 entrants to the International portion of the giveaway for my gently used copy of Gods Behaving Badly, Randomizer.org selected #4.

The winner is Alessandra of Out of the Blue

Congrats to all the winners. If you haven’t sent me your address, you better send it quick! I’d like to get Hatchette the addresses by Jan. 8.

Now for some awards. I was recently awarded the Butterfly Award by some fellow bloggers–Janel at Janel’s Jumble, April at Cafe of Dreams, Toni at A Circle of Books, and Margaret at Literary Menagerie. Thank you ladies. . . I’m flattered.

This is a “meme” award, so it gets passed on. The rules for passing it on are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Award up to ten other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

Here are the recipients I picked:

1. Alea of Pop Culture Junkie (I just love her book cover discussions/comparisons)

2. Luanne of A Bookworm’s World (she’s a gracious commenter & blogger)

3. Bermudaonion (she is always the first commenter on my blog posts and she’s so enthusiastic)

4. Terri of Ways I See the World and Reading, Writing and Retirement (she shares my passion for books and photography)

5. Suey of It’s All About Books (I admire her eclectic taste in books, her adorable posts about Josh mania, her updates about her family, and her reviews)

6. Karen of Scobberlotch (she’s an author, blogger, and great source of inspiration)

7. Monica of Monniblog (she’s a fantastic graphic artist, creative, and a doll)

There are a number of other bloggers I could pass this along to, but I figured I would leave some for the rest of you.

Amy of My Friend Amy awarded me the Prémio Dardos award.

The Prémio Dardos is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

I cannot tell you how honored I am that Amy would think of me. I blushed, smiled, and demurred. I hope to make an even bigger cultural impression. In honor of this award, I hope to bring more poetry to all my readers this year and throughout many years to come.

I also received this award from Ruth at Books Books and More Books. Thanks, Ruth!

Now, who will I pass this on to. I have to pass it onto 15 bloggers that impact the Web culturally, ethically, and creatively.

1. Gautami of Reading Room (I love how she reviews short stories and introduces me to authors that I may not have heard of)

2. Alessandra of Out of the Blue (She’s always got a variety of reviews and she’s upbeat and positive)

3. Anna of Diary of an Eccentric (She’s got a keen sense for books that are not on the best seller’s list but should be! I love the gems she finds at the library or by accident that turn out to be some of the best books published. Don’t forget her commitment to getting the girl into reviewing and reading.)

4. Amanda at A Patchwork of Books (A dedicated reader and promoter of children’s books. I love her dedication in the face of adversity and the bravery she shows us when she shares with us her tragedies and triumphs.)

5. Marie of Boston Bibliophile (She has exposed me to some great books in the Jewish realm that I may have otherwise overlooked or not known about. She also was the dedicated host of Tuesdays Thingers until recently, and some of the questions had me checking Library Thing more in depth.)

6. Nymeth of Things Mean a Lot (Her blog was among the first I read, and she turned me onto Neil Gaiman and other fantasy and graphic novels. I haven’t read them yet, but I now know what some of them are. She was also the first to host a book blogger holiday exchange, which helped me meet a number of other bloggers)

7. Iliana of Bookgirl’s Nightstand (Let’s just say this girl is amazingly talented. She not only reads and writes eloquent reviews, but she creates her own blank journals from scratch. She binds them, sews them, and adds great little accents to them. They make great gifts and they are gorgeous and sometimes one of a kind pieces.)

8. Natasha of Maw Books (This is a woman who is passionate about more than just reading. She’s passionate about using her love of reading to foster giving and awareness among bloggers and others about the atrocities across the globe, particularly in Darfur.)

9. Dar of Peeking Between the Pages (She has some great reviews and is also passionate about reading, but she is fantastic about visiting all the blogs in the community. Her comments often make me proud to be a part of her community and I am honored when she stops by for a visit. Plus she’s a dog lover too, and that gets you props in my book–though I love kitties too! Charlee just happens to be my baby.)

10. Marvin of Free Spirit (Because he’s Marvin. No, seriously. He has a lot of opinions about the world, spirituality, and other issues, but he’s also willing to listen, step aside and let his commenters and visitors have the floor. He’s open minded and I think he’s trying to promote peace and love one post at a time.)

11. J. Kaye of J. Kaye’s Book Blog (She’s a busy bee with her well organized blog activities. Her noontime chats about books with other bloggers spurred great conversation among many blogs and for many visitors. She’s gracious and always willing to help.)

12. Veens of Give Reading a Chance (Her enthusiasm leaps off the blog! She’s an enthusiastic reviewer, commenter, and blogger. She loves reading and communicating with her Internet community and her enthusiasm is contagious!)

13. S. Krishna of S. Krishna’s Books (Her reviews of chicklit books narrow down the best ones for me. She easily points out the chicklit books with more substance and helps me narrow down my choices. I’m usually at a loss in the bookstore about which chicklit books to choose. I just hope one day I can be as organized as she is with her reviews, ratings, and links to her reviews and interviews.)

14. Shana of Literarily (Another fantastic blogger who has a knack for picking fantastic books that are not necessarily best-sellers but should be. I don’t know how she jungles her family, reading, and blogging and still keep smiling without falling down asleep. She participates in a number of weekly memes and has organized reviews.)

15. Sher of A Novel Menagerie (She not only offers up a great review of books, but she’s been adding movie reviews as well, which keeps me up to date on the latest finds in the theaters. I like that she believes movies and books have their own cultural places in society and that even though books and movies may differ, they are art to be appreciated.)

I know this is one more than I’m supposed to have, but hey, I like breaking rules.

16. Gottawrite Girl (She is one of the newest bloggers I’ve found, but she is raising awareness among bloggers and readers alike to the struggles of writers as they mold their projects and work on their craft. I’m happy to have found her through First Person Plural‘s blog, which is the local Writer’s Center blog–which somehow I forgot to pass this award onto.)

There are many more bloggers I could have given this award to, but I ran out of room. Now, I hope all of you will pass along this award as well. Thanks again, Amy! I’m flattered.

Filed Under: awards, winners

Conscience Point by Erica Abeel

January 6, 2009 by Serena

Erica Abeel’s Conscience Point, published by Unbridled Books, started off rough for me, with shifts in tone and language for one of the main characters, Nick Ashcroft. After about 60 pages or so, I became absorbed in the dark secrets and the Gothic mystery surrounding the once lavish estate of Conscience Point. Madeleine Shaye is a concert pianist, an arts journalist, a mother, and a lover who allows passion to derail her career and lead her down a path that is wrought with disappointment and heartache. Nick Ashcroft and his sister Violet lead Shaye onto this path and become the center of her world, despite Maddie’s obliviousness. The deep secret that tears her relationship with Nick apart is predictable at best, but Abeel weaves a setting that captivates the reader and lulls them into the fantasy.

Shaye is a young pianist befriended by an eccentric artist from a wealthy New York family, Violet Ashcroft. She’s easily dazzled by Conscience Point’s ambiance, and the stormy eyes of Violet’s brother Nick. She is equally captivated by Violet as an outcast and tormented girl. Despite the separation between Nick, Violet, and Maddie that lasts several years and through one marriage each, they connect as most artists will with exploding passion in a paradise far from their “real” worlds. Maddie and Nick revive their lust, which sweeps up Maddie and leaves her blind to the reality of her self-constructed family. “Love cannot dwell with suspicion” is an apt theme running through the first portion of this novel, which stems from an ancient Roman myth featuring Cupid and Psyche. However, amidst the turmoil that her life becomes, Maddie is once again swept up by her true passion–music.

Through the initial pages of the novel, Nick uses terms like “thistle-y” and “joint,” which seem incongruous, and the narrator interrupts herself to stop digressions. These sections can be disruptive to the reader, but as they become less frequent and the pace of the drama picks up, the reader is absorbed.

“She’d never imagined you could love this hard yet keep yourself for your work. They swung through the hours, grooved as trapeze artists. Nick understood the musician’s life, its ardor and implacable demands. . . . She in turn marveled at how he teased out the shapely book hiding in some winding manuscript;” (page 46)

While the plot of this novel is cliche in many ways, the real gem is the poetic language and intricate weave of music and art throughout the novel. Maddie’s magic fingers hit the keys and the reader is drawn into the world of an artist. Conversations with her friend Anton about music and its composers easily draws readers into their highly dramatic world. Maddie has a great many regrets in this novel, but she has no one to blame but herself for her own misfortunes. This is a novel about finding yourself, learning to live with what you discover about yourself and your family, and staying true to your dreams and promises.

I would like to thank the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for sending me this book back in October/November 2008.

Also Reviewed by:
Booking Mama

The first person to comment on this post about why they’d like to read this novel will receive my “gently used” advanced readers copy of Conscience Point.

Filed Under: ARC, fiction, Library Thing Early Reviewers, Read in 2009, reviews, unbridled books Tagged With: conscience point, erica abeel

Mailbox Monday #11

January 5, 2009 by Serena

Mailbox Monday is here once again! Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting this wonderful meme where we get to see what lands in everyone’s mailboxes during the week.

Here’s what I got in my mailbox; It was more than I expected:

From SantaThing:

1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, which I presume was picked because I mentioned that I wanted to branch out into fantasy reading more.

2. The Odyssey by Homer, which I’m not sure why this was selected given that I noted I would love to read more contemporary poetry. I have read Homer’s Odyssey many times, and I doubt I’ll be reading this again anytime soon.

3. Now Silence by Tori Warner Shepard, which I received from the author and will be reading during the WWII reading challenge.

4. The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick, which is an ARC I received from Paul Samuelson at Sourcebooks. It’s a big one at nearly 600 pages, so lets hope this one keeps my attention long enough for a March review.

5. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay, which I purchased at Target shortly after Christmas. I couldn’t resist this best-seller. I’ve heard so many great reviews of this book, I just had to have it.

6. A Dangerous Affair by Caro Peacock is my first book from the Harper Collins’ First Look program. I’m bit annoyed that I have less than a month to review it, especially since many of the others I’ve seen have at least until the first of the next month. This book is slated for release on 1/27/09.

7. The Scent of Sake by Joyce Lebra is another book I received from Harper Collins’ First Look program. It’s interesting that I only got one email about getting a First Look book and it wasn’t this one. This book is slated for release 2/17/09. I probably won’t be reviewing this one until near the end of January.

***Today’s the last day for a chance to win Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips! The Gods Behaving Badly Contest, which runs through January 5 at Midnight EST.***

Filed Under: mailbox monday

Writing Goal Week #1

January 5, 2009 by Serena

As promised, my writing update. This will be the first week, so there is nothing to report about my previous week’s work.

Let’s start with a goal for the upcoming week. I’m going to make a cop-out goal and say I will either

a. write one poem
b. write 5 pages for my novel
c. or rework my short story that I had shelved over the last few months.

Just a short post for today, but I promise to get caught up on everyone’s posts from the past few weeks. I’ve fallen behind in Google Reader again.

***Don’t forget about the Gods Behaving Badly Contest, which runs through January 5 at Midnight EST.***

Filed Under: writing goals

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

January 4, 2009 by Serena

Janet Evanovich’s Visions of Sugar Plums is a fun holiday listen. The hubby and I listened to this book on our morning commutes and it was a short one at only 3 discs. Visions of Sugar Plums is a “Between the numbers novel.”

I haven’t read any of the number novels yet, but I do have them–thanks to my mom. We started with this audio book and found it amusing. It’s not as funny as A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, but it is mildly funny.

The main character, Stephanie Plum, is a bounty hunter working through the holidays to catch a defendant, Sandy Claws, who jumped bond. She hasn’t had time to get a tree or presents for her New Jersey-based family. One morning she wakes up to a strange, yet hunky man, in her kitchen. He introduces himself as Diesel, but she wonders if he’s a killer, burglar, or alien. Turns out he’s in town bothering her for a whole other reason–the spirit of Christmas. Will she get the presents she needs for her family, will Diesel help her find the spirit of Christmas, and will she apprehend Mr. Claws?

My favorite parts of this novel involve the “elves” and Plum’s Grandma Mazur. They make this novel fun and festive. One of my favorite scenes is when Mazur is searching for her dentures, which are missing, before her “stud muffin” arrives for their date. They eventually find the dentures in a stuffed dinosaur and they are painted with pretty rainbows thanks to a little girl named Mary Alice, Plum niece. I couldn’t stop laughing as I imagined my grandmother’s dentures in her mouth with rainbows and other brightly colored images on them. Talk about a winning smile.

My husband loves the part where Plum and Diesel enter the toy factory looking for Sandy Claws and find a bunch of “midgets” dressed as elves. Let’s just say you shouldn’t call elves midgets. . .they get feisty and start a riot. Imagine elves screaming, “Get her!” And jumping up onto a female bounty hunter to regain their respect.

For a light holiday read, this book will fit the bill. I wouldn’t have paid full price for the audio book, but it’s worth a check out at the library.

***Don’t forget about the Gods Behaving Badly Contest, which runs through January 5 at Midnight EST.***

Filed Under: audiobooks, borrowed copy, fiction, Read in 2009, reviews Tagged With: janet evanovich, visions of sugar plums

2008 Wrap Up and 2009 Debut

January 2, 2009 by Serena

I’ve seen quite a few 2008 wrap-up posts among the other book reviewing blogs. I’m going to add my two cents to the fray and offer up something for you to look forward to this year–2009.

I read 63 books in 2008, which is a personal best for me. I enjoyed many of those books, and some of them wowed me. There were others that didn’t wow me at all, and that’s where I’ll start. You can click on the titles of the books in the list to read my review.

Not Worth Checking Out of the Library:

1. The Art of Fiction by John Gardner–this is the worst book I read this year. I found John Gardner pretentious and not very helpful. Many of the passages repeat common mistakes he finds among amateur writers, which might be helpful. But his prose style left me bored and struggling through this piece.

2. Isaac’s Storm by Eric Larson–this book would have been #1 on the list if it weren’t for John Gardner’s condescending prose. While some parts of this book were really interesting, I struggled a long time to finish this one.

Worth the Hardcover Expense:

1. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson–this YA novel was well-written and had a unique plot. It raised a number of moral and ethical questions without preaching to the reader or offering a specific right and wrong answer to the central dilemma. I cannot praise this book enough.

2. Black Flies by Shannon Burke–this tale will stay with you for a long time after reading it. An in-depth look at the lives of New York’s paramedics in Harlem at the time of heavy discrimination provides the reader with both sides of the story. Ollie is a fish out of water in this multiracial community, but he eventually finds his place. Graphic elements of this novel may make it tough to keep reading, but the payoff is worth every page.

3. Testimony by Anita Shreve–Shreve uses her innate skill at alternating points of view to tell readers how one decision made by a group of private school students turns their lives and the lives of those around them upside down. She also shows how the decision impacts those not necessarily close to the teens. While portions of this novel were graphic, they were necessary to help the reader question their fundamental beliefs about certain moral dilemmas.

4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy–this tale follows a man and his son after the world is brought to an end and many in society have taken to violence, cannibalism, and other behaviors to survive. The man and his son, who remain nameless throughout the novel, do not stoop to such levels; and while the novel is dark, there is a glimmer of hope.

5. Mr. Thundermug by Cornelius Medvei—a surprising look at how society would interact with and English-speaking baboon and how that baboon would interact with a society that shuns and misunderstands him and his family. A great look at discrimination in a difference sense; This book may deal with some moral issues, but it also uses wit and humor to keep the read light.

Paperback Best:

1. Pemberley by the Sea by Abigail Reynolds–this modern re-telling of Pride & Prejudice is more than a re-telling. Cassie and Calder have a story of their own, a tale of misunderstanding and timidity when it comes to relationships worth fighting for. Each must learn to love and be loved without condition. Cassie is a marine biologist struggling to get her research funded, and Calder is struggling to become his own man.

2. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips–the modern look at the Greek gods in this novel is humorous and compelling. While there are no major moral or ethical dilemmas raised, this book does provide another look at how far society has evolved or devolved. I love that Aphrodite is a phone sex operator and that Artemis is a dog walker. I’ve never laughed so much out loud while reading a novel, and my transit compatriots must have thought I was loony.

3. Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange–Grange did an excellent job staying true to Jane Austen’s characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, in this diary kept by the famous and misunderstood Mr. Darcy. It was great to read what could have been Mr. Darcy’s inner thoughts.

4. Cold Rock River by J.L. Miles–Adie’s life is harsh at times, but she finds her way to happiness in this well-written Southern novel. I enjoyed the cast of characters, the tension, and especially the slave journal as it is woven into Adie’s narrative.

5. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James–a tale that provides an insider’s look at what Jane Austen’s real life may have been like in a fictionalized sense. I love the way in which James weaves in historical truth and fiction in this novel to keep the reader riveted and absorbed in Victorian England.

Audio Books to Die For:

1. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore–this audio book had us laughing so early in the morning that I actually got to work wide awake. Charlie Asher’s life takes a bad turn when his wife dies and he’s left to raise his daughter alone, but it gets even worse when he finds out he’s Death. This one will have you laughing all the way through.

2. You Suck! by Christopher Moore–is a hysterical vampire novel set in San Francisco, Calif. New vampires often have a tough time adjusting to life of the undead, but this novel has them stumbling through the dark seeking solace and contentment.

3. A Soldier’s Promise by Daniel Hendrix–is a nonfiction audio book with heart. Not only does it take the listener inside the war in Iraq, but it also illustrates the human side of the war, which many Americans forget about. The language in this book is easy to understand and is not overly militaristic.

Poetry You Must Have:

1. Hip Hop to Children for Nikki Giovanni–a trip down memory lane for many readers who grew up when rap and hip-hop music were just taking shape and gaining in popularity. This book and audio CD will help children gain an appreciation for poetry.

2. Human Dark With Sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy–is a mix of dark imagery and content and light humor. Each poem carries a surface meaning as well as a deeper meaning beneath the simple words selected. The sarcasm and bleak language speak to the reader to convey the meaning within each of the three sections.

Ok, now that you’ve got my recommendations from 2008, let’s move onto to something vastly more important–2009.

These are my goals for the blog this year, and I hope some of you will take the time to keep me on my toes.

1. Include more poetry book reviews and interviews

2. Offer personal writing updates on Sundays; I’ll be posting my goal for the new week and whether I achieved the previous week’s general goal, surpassed it, or failed to reach that goal.

I know there are only 2 goals, but with the WWII challenge and blog, I don’t want to over commit myself, which I am known to do from time to time.

My overall goal for 2009 is to complete my poetry book manuscript and prepare it for editing so it can be submitted to publishers in 2010. Anyone willing to give me a kick in the butt, please feel free. I’ll need it.

***Don’t forget about the Gods Behaving Badly Contest, which runs through January 5 at Midnight EST.***

Filed Under: Best of 2008, writing goals, WWII Reading Challenge

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2008 by Serena

I wanted to wish everyone a

Happy New Year!

Later this week, I’ll be posting my wrap-up post for 2008. I know I should have posted it today, but things got a bit out of control and crazy.

I hope everyone has a great night.

***Don’t forget about the Gods Behaving Badly Contest, which runs through January 5 at Midnight EST.***

Filed Under: announcements

Cross Country by James Patterson

December 30, 2008 by Serena

Miriam at Hatchette Group sent Cross Country by James Patterson for my review. However, while I’ve been an avid James Patterson reader for some time, I decided to have the biggest James Patterson fan I know review it. My mom, Pat, offered to review the book for me. I’m sure my review will follow sometime in 2009.

About the book (from Amazon.com):

In this 14th Alex Cross thriller, Cross, a Washington, D.C., police detective, takes on a very different quarry—a human monster known as the Tiger with ties to the African underworld. When the Tiger and his teenage thugs butcher writer Ellie Cox, her husband and children in their Georgetown home, Cross is devastated because Ellie had been his girlfriend in college. The Cox family massacre proves to be just the first in a series. Cross pursues the Tiger to Nigeria, where the profiler finds himself at the mercy of corrupt government officials who may be working with the Tiger.

Here’s what Pat had to say about the latest in the Alex Cross Series:

James Patterson’s Cross Country is a page turner from beginning to end.

Alex Cross and Brianna Stone are called to a horrific crime scene, one of the worst murder scenes Cross has encountered in his entire D.C. police career. Families are brutally murdered in their homes. One scene involves Cross’ ex-girlfriend Ellie Randall Cox and her family, and the death of the entire family. Ellie was a reporter who uncovered a series of brutal murders happening both in the United States and Nigeria, Africa.

Cross ends up in Africa on the trail of a notorious killer, Tiger, and his boy killers. From the moment Cross sets foot in Nigeria, he is kidnapped, beaten, and shot at. The fast-paced style that Patterson has cornered the market on continues in this latest Alex Cross story. Everyone Cross comes in contact with is dying or in danger, and eventually, Tiger follows Cross back to Washington, D.C.

This book is fantastic, and I would rate it with 5 stars. It will keep readers glued to the page until they are finished. This is one of the better books in the Cross series, and setting a portion of the tale in Africa was unique and believable.

***Don’t forget about the Gods Behaving Badly Contest, which runs through January 5 at Midnight EST.***

Filed Under: fiction, Hachette Books, Pat review, Read in 2008, review copy Tagged With: cross country, James Patterson

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

December 29, 2008 by Serena

Marie Phillips‘ Gods Behaving Badly is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. What would the ancient gods of Greece and Rome do in today’s 21st Century world? Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, a phone sex operator; Apollo, the God of the Sun, a television psychic; Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Chastity, a dog walker.

The gods have weakened since their days on high at Mt. Olympus, and they are all crammed into a dilapidated home in London, getting on one another’s nerves. The conflict truly begins one night during a taping of Apollo’s psychic show where Eros shoots a love arrow into Apollo’s heart, leaving him powerless against his love for the next person entering his view. Unfortunately, that person happens to be a mortal named, Alice, who cleans the theater where the show is taped. Alice and her friend Neil, who both love one another but are too afraid to make a move, become the center of conflict in the gods’ world.

What has been fascinating about the Greek and Roman gods for many centuries has been their human-like qualities. While they are powerful beings ruling over the human world, they are much like the average mortal in their desires, weaknesses, and arrogance. Phillips easily highlights the human-like failings of these gods and accentuates those failings with “unlikely” professions for them in the modern world.

Watching these gods cope with the 21st Century is a hilarious delight, but even more delightful is Phillips’ use of language. From Aphrodite’s bottom “bouncing like two hard-boiled eggs dancing a tango” (page 89) to Phillips’ description of Neil as a teenager, “an ugly, spotty, skinny-arsed spoddy minger” (page 88). The dialogue is witty as well: “‘. . .you’d better come quick. I’ve got a god passed out on my kitchen floor and I think the world’s about to end.’ (page 213).”

One of the best scenes in this book comes when Apollo finds Zeus in the upper floors of the house staring at the television much like a zombie would. He’s lifeless, but still a god able to stand on his own and still strike down mortals with lightning. Reading this section brought to life the dilemma that often faces many of us, do we unwind too often in front of the television rather than through more challenging activities, like games, competition, reading, and exercise? Is this section a commentary on the lives we continue to lead now, watching television, zoning out, and withdrawing into ourselves away from society. But, I digress.

With an interesting cast of characters from a Christian Eros to a drunk, DJ in Dionysus, Phillips uses her cast of characters to dramatically set the stage for a modern day Greek comedy of errors and missed chances. Even readers who do not have a firm background in mythology will enjoy this book.

If you think this book sounds interesting, you should check out Hachette Group’s discussion with the author, Marie Phillips, on Blog Talk Radio.

***Contest***

Hatchette Group offered to give away 5 copies of the book to my readers with U.S. and Canadian addresses only.

For those international readers, I am offering my gently used copy, so please inform me that you are an international entrant.

For one entry, leave a comment here telling me who your favorite Greek/Roman god/goddess is and why.

For a second entry, blog about the contest or place it in your sidebar and leave a comment here telling me where I can find it.

Deadline is January 5, Midnight EST.

Check out these other Reviews:
Booking Mama
Books Books and more Books!
Diary of an Eccentric
Book-a-Rama
A Reader’s Respite
Booklorn
The 3R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness
Sophisticated Dorkiness
A Life in Books
Becky’s Book Reviews
Fizzy Thoughts
The Boston Bibliophile
A Novel Menagerie
As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves

Filed Under: fiction, giveaway, Hachette Books, Read in 2008, review copy, reviews Tagged With: gods behaving badly, marie phillips

Mailbox Monday #10

December 28, 2008 by Serena

Welcome to my 10th edition of Mailbox Monday, sponsored by Marcia at The Printed Page. Ok, it’s on a Sunday again.

Here’s what I got in my mailbox before the Christmas holiday:

1. Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker, which I won at A Circle of Books. Thanks Toni and Mariam at Hatchette Group.

2. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb, which I received for the next Book Club Girl on January 27 at 7PM. I had no idea that this would a signed first edition volume. I was tickled pink when it came in the mail.

The Bookish gifts I received over the holidays:

3. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry, which Anna at Diary of an Eccentric got me. I’ve heard so many great things about this book, and I even got a copy for Suey on her birthday, though I hadn’t read it or owned it yet. I can’t wait to dive on in.

4. The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty, which came from Anna as well. This one is an audio book, which will be great for those commutes into work with the hubby.

5. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, which came from Carrie at Care’s Online Book Club through the Book Bloggers Christmas Swap 2008, sponsored by Nymeth and Dewey. This book has been on my to-read list for a while.

6. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, which also came from Carrie, my Secret Santa. This is another of those books that has been on my to-read list. I can’t wait to dig into this one.

Filed Under: mailbox monday

Secret Santa Revealed

December 26, 2008 by Serena

My Secret Santa from the Book Bloggers Secret Santa Swap, organized by Nymeth and our beloved Dewey, was revealed to me some time ago, though I waiting until Christmas to open my gifts. My Secret Santa was Carrie of Care’s Online Book Club, which is a new-to-me blog. You can bet with such great taste, she is the latest addition to my Google Reader.

I bet you all want to see what Carrie got me, well, here you go:

Here are the presents all wrapped up:

And here are the gifts in no particular order, since I kind of randomly opened them:

This gift has a Santa-candy puzzle. Too funny. Wherever did she find this?

Here’s some Mary Kay products, I believe she is a Mary Kay Rep:

This book has been on my To-Read list for sometime, and she kindly gave me her copy. And she was worried I wouldn’t like it. She’ll know better now! 🙂

The best present in this bundle was this one because I saw some television show about this series of books and have been dying to start on them. Carrie even got this one for herself to read. Happy Reading Carrie!

Wanna see what else the little elves brought me?

This one is from a friend of mine, who apparently had ESP that I had run out of nice smelling bath gel, though that is under the paper cubes and the mug.

My hubby got me the waffle iron and the socks. The pillow cases were made by my aunt. She’s very crafty!

Now for the most coveted of my gifts, are you ready?

Can you find the froggie that Anna’s daughter (aka The Girl) got my for Christmas? She just knows I love my little frogs. Anna got me the much anticipated Lace Reader and The Rest of Her Life, which she highly recommends. I want to provide Iliana at a Bookgirl’s Nightstand with a shout out because she made me the small little journal in this photo as a thank you for ordering from her store. Anna’s one of the recipients of Iliana’s handiwork. Yes, I am a Star Wars fanatic, thanks Dad! So the hubby got me the Wii light Sabre, now all I need is the game and another one so we can battle each other! LOL And last, but not least, my favorite and newest iPod. Yes, it will hold much more than the last iPod I bought ages ago…thank goodness because I have way more music than will fit on the other one. Yippee, thanks to the hubby!

I hope your secret Santa and elves were as good to you! I hope you had a great holiday. Have a great weekend.

Filed Under: announcements

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