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Colossal Milkshakes

August 9, 2010 by

When asked what I wanted to do for my birthday, which falls on a Tuesday this year, I told everyone that I wanted to visit the land of the colossal milkshake at Chick & Ruth’s Delly in Annapolis, Md.  I watch Man vs. Food when I remember that it’s on, and one episode was set in DC, though how Annapolis is DC, I’ll never know.  Anyway, the host of the show Adam Richman can put away food like I’ve never seen and the colossal challenge at Chick & Ruth’s is one of the closest to my house.  Let’s just say that I didn’t do the challenge because you have to drink the entire 6 POUND milkshake by yourself.

Anna and her family joined me and my hubby for lunch at this place, and while it was supposed to be just me and The Girl drinking down the 6 pound milkshake, we had to have some help and it took all five of us to finish it.  I’ve put together a slide show of our drinking adventure.

So what’s on my agenda for the rest of this birthday long weekend — yes, I took 2 days off to have a 4-day weekend and a moment of rest — I’m home and plan on reading and relaxing.  If I have any big adventures I’ll let you know!  Have a great week everyone!

Filed Under: announcements Tagged With: ,

57th Virtual Circle

August 7, 2010 by

Welcome to the 57th Virtual Circle!

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

Today, it’s a return to the classics. Emily Bronte is probably best know for her novel, Wuthering Heights, but she did write poems.

Spellbound

The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow.
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing dear can move me;
I will not, cannot go.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let’s have a great discussion…pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I’ve you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles. It’s never too late to join the discussion.

Filed Under: virtual poetry circle

Undercover by Beth Kephart

August 5, 2010 by

Elisa, a adolescent Cyrano de Bergerac, uses her love of words, nature and skating to navigate not only school and peer pressure, but also her family’s problems.  As a spy in Undercover by Beth Kephart, Elisa creates lines of verse to help her fellow male students make their girlfriends and soon-to-be girlfriends swoon.  She does so with stealth and folded scraps of paper without much thought, until Theo comes along.

“Dad likes to say, about both of us, that we’re undercover operatives who see the world better than the world sees us, and this, I swear, has its benefits.”  (page 8 )

Elisa takes much of her dad’s advice to heart, and much of that is probably because he’s away on business a lot of the time.  She spends quite a lot of time observing and creating verse until in Honors English she comes upon the tragedy of Cyrano, which effectively turns her philosophy upside down.  Beyond spending her days writing poems, she’s discovered a pond to provide her inspiration.  When it freezes over, she decides to skate . . . something she has never done before.

Undercover is a story about a girl who digs deep for courage, a courage she needs to write, to deal with fellow classmates, and to hold her family together.  Readers will connect with Elisa as they would reconnect with themselves, particularly if they were the student with few friends, felt that they were on the outside in many situations, or who wrote in their dark room at night alone.  Elisa is that girl in all of us.  She’s the young woman unsure of herself, her surroundings, and her abilities, but who is pushed beyond her self-imposed limits to reach higher, strive for more and dream big.  She does not want to be Cyrano.

Undercover will resonate with readers, push them to feel lonely when Elisa is alone, cheer up when she triumphs, and cry with happiness when all is right with the world.  The only drawback is that readers will not want to leave; they’ll want to know what happens with Theo, her rivals, and her family.  Kephart deftly uses language to paint each scene and elicit emotion, connecting the reader to Elisa through her casual narrative.  In many ways, readers will love this as much or more than Kephart’s Nothing But Ghosts.

I borrowed my copy of Undercover by Beth Kephart from the public library.

***Also, I forgot to mention that I took this book out upon Jill at Rhapsody in Books‘ recommendation.***

Filed Under: borrowed copy, Harper Collins, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2010, reviews, young adult fiction Tagged With: ,

Tatjana Soli Talks About Vietnam

August 4, 2010 by

I’ve been a bit quiet this week, but I did want to call your attention to a great guest post from Tatjana Soli, author of The Lotus Eaters, that Anna and I posted on War Through the Generations.

Soli raises a great number of questions about what war means and how location plays into that, but she also highlights how the impact of war is best seen from the individual perspective — whether it is the soldier, the journalist, or the average civilian.  In a way, this post explains how she became inspired enough to write The Lotus Eaters.

I hope you take the time to check out the guest post and leave a comment.  If you missed my review of this phenomenal book, please check that out as well.

***As an aside, have you seen the episode of Samantha Brown’s travel show?   You should check out the episode on Vietnam.

Filed Under: guest post Tagged With: ,

How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

August 2, 2010 by

Margaret Dilloway‘s How to Be an American Housewife is reminiscent of Amy Tan and Lisa See’s fiction in that the main characters are of Asian descent and struggle with cultural differences and generational gaps that hamper their ability to relate with one another smoothly.

“After the first hour watching scratchy TV in the blood lab, I wished I had a book with me.  Charlie and I weren’t big readers.  Books were too expensive and library books were full of germs from all the people who had checked them out.”  (page 123 of ARC)

Shoko is a Japanese woman who marries an American soldier, Charlie, shortly after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  She tells her story of how she moved from a happy childhood to a tumultuous adolescence at a time when her nation was occupied by a foreign invader and her family had lost its position in the caste society.  She’s an independent woman still beholden to Japanese traditions, though she takes time out to find true love.

“I understood then that my skills in school or in sports would not make my life come about in the way I wished.  I took my bows at that recital, vowing I would learn what I needed and make the best marriage possible.”  (page 6 of ARC)

Her trip down memory lane, unfortunately, is a bit stilted with little emotion, which could make it harder for readers to connect with Shoko.  However, once readers are engaged with Shoko’s struggles as an American housewife as she adapts to different cultural norms and strives to raise her children properly.  Mike and Suiko, her children, are as different as night and day, with Mike floating through life and Suiko taking her responsibilities to heart even to the detriment of her own dreams.  Shoko’s relationship with her children is strained, but she must soon learn to rely on them when she tries to reunite with her estranged brother, Taro.

Dilloway’s novel is captivating as Shoko continues to tell her story and when her daughter, Sue takes over the narration when she heads to Japan to learn about her family’s past and reconcile her family after many decades of silence.  As a debut, it is solid in drawing dynamic characters and creating fun dialogue between Shoko and Charlie and between Sue and Helena, Shoko’s granddaughter.  Three generations populate these pages, but really How to Be an American Housewife is a story about the strong, independent women in this family.

About the Author:

Margaret Dilloway was inspired by her Japanese mother’s experiences when she wrote this novel, and especially by a book her father had given to her mother called The American Way of Housekeeping. She lives in Hawaii with her husband and three young children.

Please follow her on Twitter, check out her blog, and view the reading group guide for her debut novel.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, Penguin, and Margaret Dilloway for sending me a copy of How to Be an American Housewife for review.

This is my 40th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

Filed Under: fiction, New Authors Challenge, Penguin, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2010, review copy, reviews, tlc book tours Tagged With: ,

Mailbox Monday #91

August 1, 2010 by

Mailbox Mondays (click the icon at the right to check out the tour) has gone on tour since Marcia at The Printed Page passed the torch.  This month our host is Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit.  Kristi of The Story Siren continues to sponsor her In My Mailbox meme.  Both of these memes allow bloggers to share what books they receive in the mail or through other means over the past week.

Just be warned that these posts can increase your TBR piles and wish lists.

Here’s what I received:

1.  Dante’s Divine Comedy adapted by Seymour Chwast from Bloomsbury for review.

2.  Shade by Jeri Smith Ready from Amazon Vine.

3.  Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes from Amazon Vine.

4.  Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning for a TLC Tour; it finally arrived!

5.  Because All Is Not Lost by Sweta Srivastava Vikram for review from the poet.

6.  Barnacle Love by Anthony de Sa for review from Algonquin.

What did you receive in your mailbox?

Filed Under: mailbox monday

56th Virtual Circle

July 31, 2010 by

Apparently, I forgot to set up this week’s poetry circle ahead of time, but I didn’t forget.

Welcome to the 56th Virtual Circle!

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

Today, we’re looking at a contemporary poem from J. Michael Martinez and his book Heredities, which won the Walt Whitman Award in 2009:

Xicano (page 6)

as light
shaped by trajectory.

a wind settles in the body.
Echécatl the breath, the flint & spark.
the house of prayers.

I am

when sounds exchange questions
when light enters the lung
when given

the noun:                a variable absence
a law               pinned to a quail’s wing.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let’s have a great discussion…pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I’ve you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles. It’s never too late to join the discussion.

Filed Under: virtual poetry circle

The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose

July 30, 2010 by

The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose is the third book in the Reincarnationist series and FBI Lucian Glass remains on the trail of Dr. Malachai Samuels.

Reincarnation and the use of memory tools to reach deep into past lives reappears in this novel, alongside the use of hypnosis.  Glass is recovering from injuries sustained in The Memorist (If you missed my review of book 2, The Memorist, please check it out.), but he’s not eager to sit out the investigation on the sidelines.  In Vienna, he’s accosted while looking at the only translation of a list of memory tools, which would surely entice Samuels.

But there are other mysteries to be solved beyond who steals the list.  The Iranian government is eager to get its hands on a sculpture of Hypnos, even if it means court battles and other underhanded means.  Lucian’s past also resurfaces when a painting stolen from a framing shop where his girlfriend worked reappears more than 20 years later slashed to bits.

“Young and handsome, with sensitive eyes, sensuous lips and a finely wrought nose, his bone structure was elegant and the expression on his face was both sultry and serene . . . as if he was slipping into a dream himself.” (Page 105)

M.J. Rose carefully crafts a variety of characters and weaves in several story lines, while maintaining suspense and drama.  Not only are their mysteries to solve and memory tools to find, but Lucian must find himself and reconcile his past lives in order to move beyond the 20-year ball of pain he’s carried in his chest.  Overall, The Hypnotist is a fast-paced, absorbing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat this summer, but this thriller is a thinking-person’s game.  Can you solve the mysteries before FBI agent Glass?  The only way to find out is to pick up your copy or enter this giveaway!

About the Author:

M.J. Rose is the internationally bestselling author of several novels and two non-fiction books on marketing.  Check out her website, follow her on Twitter, and on Facebook. Check out a 100-page sampler from the Reincarnationist series.

The television series Past Life was based on Rose’s Reincarnationist series. The real stories about how she was inspired to write each book in this series as well as the knowledge she has about reincarnation and the art world make Rose an interesting and compelling blog guest. She’d love to visit.

Giveaway Details:  1 copy of The Hypnotist and a phoenix pin (US/Canada)

1.  Leave a comment on this post about whether you believe in reincarnation or not and why?

2.  Don’t forget to leave a way for me to contact you.

3.  Blog, Tweet, Facebook, etc. and leave me a link for an additional entry.

Deadline is August 13, 2010, 11:59 PM EST


This is my 13th book for the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge.


Thanks to M.J. Rose, Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc., and TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy of The Hypnotist for review.

Filed Under: 2010 Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge, fiction, giveaway, Read in 2010, review copy, reviews, tlc book tours Tagged With: ,

Final Week of the Paco’s Story Readalong

July 29, 2010 by

This is the final week of the Paco’s Story read-a-long, check out the discussion questions.

If you missed the first round, second round, and third round of questions, check them out.  You also can check out my responses to section 1, section 2, and section 3.

In the final chapters, the narrator takes us back to Vietnam and sheds light on some of the horrors of the war and Paco’s part in the conflict.  We learn that Paco has a specialty in booby traps and bombs, and that each member of the unit has their own tasks.  The unit is tight knit and the camaraderie is made evident, but there is a darker side to this group.

Paco and his men find a young, female Viet Cong member after she kills several of their fellow soldiers.  Unfortunately, her punishment is the worst thing a woman can imagine, and Paco takes part.  This scene is detailed and gruesome, but it serves to demonstrate how far the war can twist the human mind and its ability to discern right from wrong when revenge becomes the top priority.  It is not just revenge against the female Viet Cong for killing their men, but for all the enemies who have won battles and killed Americans and dragged them into this war.

In previous chapters, we’ve seen Cathy watch Paco from afar and flirt with him. . . tease him.  She teases him when he comes back to the Hotel Geronimo as she waits in her doorway in little more than a man’s dress shirt, and Paco’s expectation is that if he can get to her door before she closes it, they will become as intimate as they have imagined.  Her flirtations know no bounds.  One evening she leaves town, and Paco sneaks inside her room and reads her diary.  Sadly, what she says about him cuts him to the core, making him realize that his fantasies of fitting in and returning to the living are just that fantasies.

Another interesting aspect of Paco’s Story is the similarities that can be drawn between Vietnam and Boone, Texas, from the hot and sticky climate to the desolate feeling of being alone in the “jungle.”  Whether its enemy territory or a town full of people that do not want you there, both places make Paco feel ill-at-ease and out of place.  Setting plays an important role in the story and helps establish the pressures Paco continues to feel even though the war is over.

Finally, the ending of the book may be ambiguous, but it is fitting given our visit with Jesse and his penchant for traveling across the United States to experience life and forget about war.  Paco seems to be embarking on a similar path.

Paco’s Story is a novel that anyone interested the Vietnam War should . . . no must read.

Even if you aren’t participating in the Vietnam War Reading Challenge, we hope that you will join us for the Paco’s Story read-a-long.

Filed Under: Vietnam War Challenge 2010 Tagged With: , ,

Paco’s Story by Larry Heinemann

July 28, 2010 by

Paco’s Story by Larry Heinemann chronicles the war experiences of Paco, the only surviving soldier of the Fire Base Harriette massacre from Alpha Company.  The narrative is unusual in that Paco does not tell his own story of his survival or his recovery and ultimate return to the United States from the Vietnam War.  Though readers get to know Paco through the eyes of others and his nightmares, Paco is a vivid and lost character in search of peace.

“Paco is in constant motion, trying to get settled and comfortable with that nagging, warm tingling in his legs and hips.”  (Page 35)

Heinemann’s language is raw, scraping down to the guts and bones in his readers, making them cringe, turn away, and stand agape.  A number of readers may find the graphic scenes in this novel to be too much, but what makes them uncomfortable are the realities of war and the breakdown of humanity.  Paco struggles not only with why he was the only survivor, but how to assimilate himself back into a society he no longer recognizes once stateside.

“(A body never gets used to humping, James.  When the word comes, you saddle your rucksack on your back, take a deep breath and set your jaw good and tight, then lean a little forward, as though you’re walking into a stiff and blunt nor’easter, and begin by putting one foot in front of the other.  . . .”  (Page 9)

Paco is an enigma, which is typical of most returning soldiers from the Vietnam War.  “The intricate ironwork–the tension beams and torsion beams and, overhead, trellis-looking crossbeams–is delicate and well made” (Page 66-7) is an image that will stick with readers as they wonder about Paco and his ability to return from the land of ghosts and emerge from the memories that haunt him.

“And he’s just a man like the rest of us, James, who wants to fuck away all that pain and redeem his body.”  (Page 173)

Heinemann is a brilliant writer, meshing the surreal with the reality of Paco’s life as a dishwasher in the Texas Lunch of Boone, Texas.  Ghosts that push Paco to remember, veterans that tell their own stories, and the looks of townsfolk as he hobbles to and from work all serve to keep Paco entrenched in the jungle with the events that took his innocence and his life.  Paco’s Story is an every soldier story in the way it depicts the horrors of war and the impact of those events on the psyche of those soldiers.

If you’ve missed the read-a-long discussion, please check out my answers to the discussion questions for sections 1, 2, and 3.

This is my 8th book for the 2010 Vietnam War Reading Challenge.

Filed Under: fiction, historical fiction, Penguin, Publishers/Publicists, purchased, Read in 2010, reviews, Vietnam War Challenge 2010 Tagged With: ,