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The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

February 20, 2012 by

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose continues the search for the 12 memory tools that Malachai Samuels continues to search for as part of his research and obsession with reincarnation.  The novel focuses not on Samuels per se, but on the history of the L’Etoile family and their development of perfumes and fragrances.  Jac has given up the family business, even though the family has insisted that she has the more discerning nose for scent, but her brother Robbie continues to believe that their family business can be saved from the brink of bankruptcy through the development of a new line of scents rather than from the sale of their trademark scents.

Rose weaves Napoleonic history with that of China and the oppression of Tibet and then brings those ties even further back into history to Egypt and Cleopatra.  In addition to archeology, her characters delve into mythology, history, and hieroglyphics translation and more, creating an even denser and more mysterious novel than expected.  How these moving pieces come together is unexpected and absorbing.

“The corpse on the left didn’t have his arms crossed on his chest, as was the custom.  Instead his right hand was extended and holding the hand of a woman with whom he’d been mummified.  Her left hand was knotted with his.  The two lovers were so lifelike, their bodies so uncorrupted, it appeared they had been buried months ago, not centuries.”  (Page 5 of ARC)

Through shifting time periods and places, readers travel with Rose’s characters to the deep recesses of their past lives, their memories, and their discoveries, while at the same time feeling the time pressure build as the House of L’Etoile draws nearer to demise and Jac’s brother Robbie disappears following a murder.  Jac must confront the loss of her mother and the expectations of her family as she strives to find her brother, find the perfume that people would kill for, and stay alive and grounded.  Jac must learn that forgetting or ignoring the past will not help her move into the future; she must accept what has happened, take it into herself, and move forward with those memories as a part of her.

“His family’s maison in Paris dated back to the mid-eighteenth century.  One shouldn’t tear down the past to make way for the future.  That’s how lessons were lost.  The art of keeping a civilization alive, like the art of making perfume, was in the blending.”  (page 46)

Meanwhile, Xie, a young calligrapher and artist in China, is living a secret life as a subversive.  Outwardly, he is the model citizen never saying too much but always thankful for opportunities presented to him by his teachers and the government.  He’s eventually chosen along with other artists to leave China on a European tour with their artwork, which makes him incredibly nervous given his communications with outsiders through his paintings.  He strives to free Tibetans from Chinese rule.  Although he is friends with others who are more outwardly subversive than he is, he tries desperately to rein in their tendencies, which could get him in trouble as well as ruin all of his plans.

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose blends history and mystery in an intellectual game of espionage and mythology surrounding a lost book of fragrances from the time of Cleopatra and a perfume that can help those who smell it relive their past lives.  But the novel also is about finding one’s soul mate, rekindling lost faith, and persevering against all odds.  Another winner from Rose in her series of books that will keep readers guessing adn second-guessing themselves until the memory tolls are discovered.

Also Reviewed:

The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose
The Memorist by M.J. Rose

About the Author:

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her next novel THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES (Atria/S&S) will be published in March 2012.  Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.  Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com.  The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype.  She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook.

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Filed Under: ARC, historical fiction, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2012, reviews, Simon & Schuster Tagged With: , , ,

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

February 16, 2012 by

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of those classics that defines an author.  Set during the 1920s just after WWI, Jay Gatsby is a mysterious rich man who lives on the wrong side (West Egg) of the Manhasset Bay in New York.  Nick Carraway, who narrates this tale, is like Gatsby in that he is from the middle west and comes to New York after the war to make his fortune.  Unlike Gatsby, this self-made man has not taken great pains to hide his true past.  Carraway informs the reader of how he meets Gatsby and how he comes once again into contact with his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom, who live on the right side of the bay (East Egg).  While little action goes on in the book until the end, the interactions of the characters and their reactions to one another and Gatsby are telling of how class differences remain even in the United States where you’re supposed to lift yourself up by your bootstraps.  There is a distinct disdain on the part of Carraway for opulence and excess, which had become prevalent among the upper class and bootleggers.

“‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.'” (page 5)

Carraway has his suspicions about Gatsby’s fortune, but eventually, his charisma wins him over and he goes beyond any of Gatsby’s friends in the end, demonstrating that true friendship has little to do with one’s background or wealth.  Daisy is the great love in this novel, and while readers may not see her appeal, they must remember that she is seen through the eyes of Carraway, who already has expressed a bias against the wealthy and high social class since returning from the war.  Fitzgerald has not set up a love triangle that is difficult to uncover, but the conclusion of that love triangle — really its more like a love square — is utterly tragic.

“‘Anyhow he gives large parties,’ said Jordan, changing the subject with an urban distaste for the concrete.  ‘And I like large parties.  They’re so intimate.  At small parties there isn’t any privacy.'” (page 54)

In many ways, Gatsby has romanticized his time with Daisy and he hopes to rekindle what he lost when he was shipped off to fight in WWI.  However, the question remains whether what he had with Daisy before the war was real, romanticized, or even imagined by a soldier looking for something to cling to in an effort to survive the horrors of war.  Carraway is just as enigmatic as Gatsby, and while their initial circumstances differed in terms of riches, they both pursued the American Dream of success — albeit in different ways.  These two characters are juxtaposed for a reason, and Fitzgerald leaves it up to the reader to determine why.

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.  It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . And one fine morning –” (Page 189)

Fitzgerald’s writing was easy to understand, while there were moments where there were names dropped and mentioned in great paragraphs, if only to demonstrate the connectedness of the characters to high society and other “important” people.  Those moments were not necessary given the conversations Gatsby had at his parties.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an enduring look at a time when men and women were fully grasping at anything to improve their situation and earn their way in the world.  However, there is a blissful disenchantment with this way of life by the end of the novel that will have readers questioning their dedication to the rat race and beating out the Joneses.

 

 

This is my 11th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

 

 

This is my 5th book for the WWI Reading Challenge.

Filed Under: challenges, classic fiction, New Authors Challenge, purchased, Read in 2012, reviews, WWI Reading Challenge 2012 Tagged With: , ,

Lovesick by Spencer Seidel

February 15, 2012 by

Lovesick by Spencer Seidel (available in ebook now, and paperback in June 2012) is a crime thriller with a psychological twist.  Dr. Lisa Boyers is a forensic psychologist and she agrees to assess Paul Ducharme, whose now infamous murder of his best friend Lee on the Eastern Promenade Trail in Portland is gaining national attention.  Boyers is brought closer to her past than she’s comfortable with when a former friend, Rudy Swaner, asks for her help on his case.  Boyers and Swaner tap dance around their past flirtation and her own dark secrets, while she attempts to discover the truth about Lee and Paul’s friendship and the disappearance of Lee’s girlfriend, Wendy.

“Lisa realized that she had barely moved since Paul had begun to tell his story.  He was still talking about that day in the Subway in Monument Square.  She could see in his dark eyes that he was reliving those hard memories.  He wasn’t looking at her.  It was as if she wasn’t in the room.  He was lost in his own mind.”  (page 90)

Lisa still harbors a deep fear of men, though she has tried to bury her memories and fears deep inside.  Rudy dredges up the past just by his presence, and he further confuses things for Lisa by asking her to help him on a case, as he defends Ducharme. Her students see her as an authority in the classroom, but even a teen who has impure thoughts about her freaks her out. Seidel has created a woman who on the outside appears to have it together — a great career and degree — on the inside she’s barely living emotionally.

What’s interesting is how Lisa’s story becomes so entwined with Ducharme’s from a psychological standpoint, and the narrative is told in a third-person format, even as Ducharme relates his story about Lee to Lisa. While Ducharme’s story may be best told from a first-person point of view, the third-person here is not distracting, though it does provide a certain distance between him and the reader. The distance seems to be deliberate to ensure that readers are left in suspense about the crime and Ducharme’s role in it. Seidel does a good job of fleshing out Dr. Boyers and Ducharme, as well as Lee and Wendy, but Rudy and some of the other characters are a bit flat. Rudy particularly seems to be simply a plot catalyst to get her involved in the case, while others are merely part of the setting.

Although the love triangle between Lee, Wendy, and Ducharme is predictable, the ways in which the murder is uncovered keep the story fresh and suspenseful. Lovesick by Spencer Seidel is a fast-paced thriller of sex, lies, abuse and murder that will leave readers on the edge of their seats as the characters struggle with the sickness that has taken over their lives.

Spencer Seidel; Photo by Chad Hunt

About the Author:

Spencer Seidel’s love of reading and writing began as a child after he discovered Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His first novel, Dead of Wynter, was published in 2011 and was well-received by critics and readers alike. When he’s not writing novels, Spencer enjoys playing loud rock guitar, something he’s been doing for over twenty-five years.

Also, check out his guest post and giveaway.

 

This is my 10th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: ARC, challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2012, reviews Tagged With: , ,

The War to End All Wars: World War 1 by Russell Freedman

February 10, 2012 by

The War to End All Wars: World War 1 by Russell Freedman is a collection of historical information about the war enhanced by photos and a good introduction to this part of history for ages 7 and up.  Not only does Freedman offer the political, social, and military ins and outs of the build up to WWI, he illustrates the circumstances of the time period through photographs of soldiers in training, women pinning flowers on marching soldiers leaving for war, women plowing the fields without horses, and event the modern weaponry used.

Readers looking for an in-depth examination of the period will want to this book because the photos break up the factual litany and provide a human face behind the story.  Some of the surprising pictures for me were of the modern tanks that the British created and the gas masks made for horses.  Ironically, the rebels who were the catalyst behind the war had no idea that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was sympathetic to the Serbs cause for greater free and a larger voice in the Austria-Hungary empire.  In another section of the book, readers will discover similarities between WWI and the Cold War with the build up of armies and weapons, but unlike during the Cold War, the leaders during WWI were unsuccessful in their attempts at diplomacy even though many of the royal leaders were related.

However, don’t mistake this as a completely dark and dreary book because there are lighter moments depicted where soldiers created a snowman and gave him military gear, including a spiked helmet and Mauser 98 rifle.  However, war is far from pretty with the death of comrades from artillery shells to the rampant diseases that quickly spread through the primitive trenches, including trench foot, trench fever spread by bloodsucking lice, and other ailments.

“Added to these indignities was the awful stench that hung over the frontlines, a foul odor that instantly assaulted visitors.  You could smell the frontline miles before you could see it.  The reek rose from rotting corpses lying in shallow graves, from overflowing latrines, and from the stale sweat of men who had not enjoyed the luxury of a bath for weeks.”  (page 68)

To be honest, the photos accompanying the early sections about the serious living conditions these soldiers faced in the trenches are inadequate, but there is little the author could do about that.  The images of men caught up in barbed wire in No-Man’s Land or crossing the battlefield in a cloud of poison gas are simply haunting in a way that the numbers of dead (4 million Russian soldiers by the end of 1915) are unfathomable.  Modern warfare began during WWI with the manufacture of tanks and German U-boats, which were allegedly responsible for the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915.  But the United States did not declare war until 1917 after Germans attacked a number of U.S. ships.  There are stunning images of how societies coped with food shortages as trade was disrupted and how people reacted as they were forced to pick up the pieces after soldiers left.

The War to End All Wars: World War 1 by Russell Freedman is a comprehensive look at WWI and all the nations involved, as well as how it impacted not only the societies bombed and destroyed, but also the soldiers.  Despite all the destruction, patriotism drove many soldiers and supporters of the war, and it begs the question when does patriotism become a detriment to society and humanity.

This is my 9th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

 

 

 

This is my 4th book for the WWI Reading Challenge.

Filed Under: borrowed copy, challenges, New Authors Challenge, nonfiction, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2012, reviews, WWI Reading Challenge 2012 Tagged With: , , ,

Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton

February 7, 2012 by

Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton (check out her writing space guest post) is a modern re-telling of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, but in this rendition, Darcy is not only proud, but he has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).  He’s not the only one with control issues, though, with Bingley showing symptoms of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and Lizzy Bennet being completely spontaneous and snap in her judgements and decisions.  Jane as always is responsible and caring — so much so that she’s taken over the running of a local orphanage in Vietnam, while her sister works at the local hospital treating patients with infectious diseases for free.  While selfless, both Bennets have particular prejudice against those who waste their money, and Lizzy is the most vocal about the rich tourists and their egotistical ways.

 “‘I’ve been doing yoga for a while.  I bet I can keep my balance on that bicycle,’ Bingley said.

Behind closed eyelids, Darcy’s eyes attempted a roll.  He hoped the bouncy Tigger next to him had remembered to take his daily Ritalin.  He didn’t feel up to dealing with an impulsive Bingley.

‘I’ll be right back.’  Bingley leaped out of the car before anyone could stop him.”  (page 3 of ARC)

Benneton’s wise-cracking and dry humor is delightful as Darcy and Bingley bumble their way through Vietnam as tag-a-longs with the Hursts who are seeking the latest rage in high society –to adopt a third-world child — and climb the social ladder.  The first meeting between Lizzy and Darcy is not pleasant and some presumptions are made by Lizzy about Darcy and Bingley’s relationship.  Although the original meetings and situations from Austen’s work are altered, there are brief nods to the famous writer in the dialogue between Darcy and Lizzy.  The chemistry between Darcy and Lizzy heats up once the misconceptions Lizzy and Darcy have about one another are quickly dispatched, but there are other obstacles to test their whirlwind relationship, especially from family members Richard, Anne, and Catherine.

Some may find the sex scenes a little too detailed, but they certainly heat up the tension between the lovers as they come to know one another better and stumble along the way.  Benneton’s Lizzy and Darcy still fail to trust and must build it from the ruins of misconception, but they are stronger for it.  Benneton showcases her wit in this rendition of the Darcy and Lizzy love story, and the additional behavioral disorders of the main heroes was entertaining.  More than a love story, Compulsively Mr. Darcy is about loving someone faults and all, accepting and not changing who they are, and growing together in love.  Steamy, sexy, and fun, it will have readers giggling and blushing at the same time.

***As a side note, it had me wondering about how Benneton knew about the differences in tonal language between Vietnamese and English; she explained it so well, I learned something new. ***

About the Author:

Nina Benneton was a scientist on her way to save the world and win a Nobel Prize in something, anything, when a rare-bird enthusiast nut whisked her off her restless feet. A flock of beautiful children and a comfy nest kept Nina contented in domestic bliss until one day, she woke up and saw that she was too obsessed with alphabetizing her spices and searching for stray Barbie shoes.

Find her on Facebook, Website, and Austen Authors. Her book is also on GoodReads.

This is my 8th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: ARC, challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2012, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: ,

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

February 2, 2012 by

Graveminder by Melissa Marr is creepy and mysterious.  Claysville is a town in which its residents are protected, and there is a peculiar bond between the undertakers and the graveminders.  Not sure what a graveminder is? Readers quickly get an inkling of what they do and how they take care of the dead in the town.  Supernatural beings — both good and bad — are afoot in Claysville, and those that leave the town who were born there are often drawn back by an unnatural force.

“Absently, Rebekkah ran her fingertips over the wood of the desk.  Maylene had refused to let any one refinish it, arguing that the pattern of the scratches and wear marks from years of use made it uniquely hers.  Years leave stories written on every surface, she’d said.  The room, Maylene’s bedroom, was filled with stories.”  (page 112)

Rebekkah Barrow is called back home when her grandmother, Maylene, is murdered, and her on-again, off-again love Byron is there by her side as she buries the only family she has left.  Although Rebekkah is not a blood relative, she’s got a bigger job to do now that she’s returned, and Byron has to help her.  Blood relatives are beside themselves with jealousy, like Cissy, or are indifferent to the situation, like Liz.  And the town is full of people who know a lot more than they are willing to speak about aloud.

Marr has an excellent sense of how to create atmosphere; her novel reads like those dark movies where the fog machines are making everything misty and the characters are left bumbling around in the dark, trying to hold onto some sense of normalcy.  Byron and Rebekkah are surrounded by their pasts with one another and their histories with those in the town, but they must set their troubles aside for the good of the town.  Marr is clearly using an allusion to the Faust and his deal with the devil, but in Graveminder, the town has made a pact with the dead.  The body count gets larger and larger as the Undertaker and his Graveminder learn their craft, but the question is, will the pact be broken or will they find themselves broken by the pact that gave them no choice about who they were to become?

Graveminder by Melissa Marr has an interesting set of characters, though Cissy is a bit too much of a caricature and a little too outrageous in her outbursts.  Readers would almost prefer her to be less but more sinister.  Quick paced, and action packed, but the drama between Byron and Rebekkah could have been more subtle.  Readers searching for a book to curl up with and looking for a bit of paranoia with their late night reading should consider a Graveminder for a companion in the wee hours of the morning.

About the Author:

Melissa Marr grew up believing in faeries, ghosts, and various other creatures. After teaching college literature for a decade, she applied her fascination with folklore to writing. Wicked Lovely was her first novel. Currently, Marr lives in the Washington, D.C., area, writes full-time, and still believes in faeries and ghosts.  Check her out on Twitter, the Web, Facebook, and “like” Graveminder.

 

To see the other stops on the TLC Book Tour, click the TLC Tour Button.

 

 

This is my 7th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

 

 

 

Additionally, this is a stop on The Literary Road Trip since Melissa Marr is a Washington, D.C., resident and author.

Filed Under: challenges, Events, fiction, Harper Collins, New Authors Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2012, review copy, reviews, The Literary Road Trip, tlc book tours Tagged With: ,

My City, My New York by Jeryl Brunner

February 1, 2012 by

My City, My New York by Jeryl Brunner (my interview) is the perfect companion for a trip to the Big Apple — New York City — because it is a collection of hidden treasures from the celebrities, icons, foodies, and authors who live there.  Broken into seven sections — Secret Gardens & Hidden Spaces, Central Park: Acres of Green; New York Eats; Nocturnal New York; Saunters, Strolls, Sails, Rides & Rambles; Stores, Street Fairs, Boutiques & Bargains; and Superstar Structures, Sexy Spaces, Beatific Bridges & Arty Pockets — it is the epitome of an insider’s look at one of the largest and most intriguing cities in the world.  Clearly Brunner is right when she says in the introduction, “Most New Yorkers have rituals that connect them to their city in unique and personal ways” (page xiii); and we all have those rituals and personal connections to our home cities and even the cities and towns we grew up in.

“I’ll sit on a bench and get lost.  I always have a book with me — I usually have a little notebook for taking notes.  I’ll either think that I’m going to read or think that I’ll write in my notebook, yet so often, I’ll just get really lost in the rustle of the leaves overhead and the birds singing.  I’ll follow a bird and really watch it until I can’t see it.  Time flies by,” says author Luanne Rice about Clement Clarke Moore Park.(page 13)

“I love to walk in neighborhoods that I don’t know very well.  My husband is a very serious photographer and he has a really great camera, and the two of us will just walk and walk and take pictures together.  And we’ll look at something and he’ll take a picture of it and then I’ll look at the same thing and then I’ll take a picture of it.  He likes to say, ‘One camera and four eyes.’,” says Bebe Neuwirth of their walk to the American Merchant Mariners Memorial. (page 145)

Brunner includes stories from a number of well-known actors who either moved to or have always lived in New York City, plus directors, Broadway actors, activists, and more.  What’s interesting is that each section is prefaced with not only a quote, but a little explanation of something special found in New York whether its the forgotten origins of community gardening or a local restaurant’s take on the food in the city.  The Great Saunter is just one of those fascinating moments in the book.  Moreover, under each anecdote, there is a list of the locations discussed, their addresses, and phone number and/or Website to find out more information.  There are literally dozens upon dozens of hidden New York gems and more famous sight seeing spots, like Central Park and Strawberry Fields, but what makes this unique is the routines, stories, and habits of those recommending these locations.  It reads more like a conversation between friends about their favorite hideouts and places to ruminate.  One of my personal favorites is from Hugh Jackman about how his son treats Central Park like a forest and sets out in the morning with a full backpack and does not return home until the sun has set.

My City, My New York by Jeryl Brunner is a must have for those visiting the city, especially for Book Bloggers taking an extra few days to explore the city in June for BBC and BEA, but it’s also great for those who love to know what their favorite celebrities enjoy.  Looking for highly recommended restaurants, bakeries, and other food venues while you are in the city, you’ll have to pick up a copy of this book and try some of these recommendations out.  And of course, there are the great night spots for hanging out, dancing, and schmoozing with friends.  Readers will want to find out what location Robin Williams was in when someone asked who the homeless man was, and they’ll definitely want to find out where “Toss the Rice” is.  Excellent behind-the-scenes guide for anyone interested in taking their time to explore the Big Apple.

This is my 6th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: challenges, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2012, Reference, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , ,

The Confession by Charles Todd

January 30, 2012 by

The Confession by Charles Todd is the 14th book in the Ian Rutledge mystery series, which usually pertain to The Great War or WWI.  In this book, Rutledge hears the confession of an aging and dying man in 1920 about a murder he committed during the war.  When the body of the man who confesses to murder is found in the Thames, Rutledge’s informal inquiry into the alleged murder is kicked up a notch and has him traveling between London and Essex.  The man had given him a name, which turns out to be false, and the mystery of how this man knows whom he’s accused becomes a mystery in itself.

While set after the war, it is clear that the battles have impacted Rutledge, and many of the men and families he encounters in the book as he unravels the murder mystery.  Todd’s mystery resembles that of Sherlock Holmes, though Rutledge’s Watson is Hamish who died in the war.  Deductions are made carefully from a series of innocuous events and statements from witness, neighbors, and others as Rutledge attempts to trace the heritage of the Russell family in Furnham.  And of course, there are some red herrings.

“The body rolled in the current gently, as if still alive.  It was face down, only the back and hips visible.  It had been floating that way for some time.  The men in the ancient skiff had watched it for a quarter of an hour, as if half expecting it to rise up and walk away before their eyes.”  (Page 1)

Todd’s WWI mystery is set two years after the end of the war, but WWI’s presence is still felt, especially in remote Furnham where the residents like to be left to themselves and don’t take too kindly to outsiders, especially the authorities.  The town felt the presence of the British military keenly when they took over a local farm to build an airfield for fighters and to keep an eye on potential invasion forces.  Shell shock is just one aspect of the war mentioned and show throughout the book, but there also are moments where trench foot is discussed as well as the societal impacts of the war on those families left behind by enlisted brothers, fathers, and lovers.

The Confession by Charles Todd is a compelling historical mystery set just after WWI that will have readers turning the pages eager to see how Rutledge battles his own ghosts while chasing those of the Russell family to solve a number of mysterious deaths and murders.  While part of a series, it can be read as a standalone mystery novel, but readers will be eager to pick up the other books in the series.

 

About the Author (from the Website):

Charles and Caroline Todd are a mother and son writing team who live on the east coast of the United States. Caroline has a BA in English Literature and History, and a Masters in International Relations. Charles has a BA in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Business Management, and a culinary arts degree that means he can boil more than water. Caroline has been married (to the same man) for umpteen years, and Charles is divorced.

Charles and Caroline have a rich storytelling heritage. Both spent many evenings on the porch listening to their fathers and grandfathers reminisce. And a maternal grandmother told marvelous ghost stories. This tradition allows them to write with passion about events before their own time. And an uncle/great uncle who served as a flyer in WWI aroused an early interest in the Great War.

This is my 3rd book for the WWI Reading Challenge.  Also if you participated in the War Through the Generations Civil War Reading Challenge, don’t forget to enter the giveaway.  It ends tomorrow, Jan. 31, 2012.

 

 

This is my 5th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: challenges, fiction, Harper Collins, New Authors Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2012, review copy, reviews, WWI Reading Challenge 2012 Tagged With: ,

Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller

January 25, 2012 by

Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller is a collection of knitting patterns from a diehard Twilight series fan, who was so inspired that she created a collection of patters for other fans of the series and vampires in general.  However, some of these patterns could just be knitted and worn by everyday, non-vampire fans and fans of werewolves/shapeshifters too.  The book’s font and design seem very appropriate for the vampire inspired knitting in these pages, which are broken down into sections:  Protect Me; Just Bitten; Vampire Style; Bloody Accents; and Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

There is a glossary of knitting abbreviations, which could help beginning knitters and a metric conversion chart.  The book also includes credits for contributing designers and a special skills section outlining what cables, stranded knitting, short rows, 3-needle bind off, and other stitches are.  For someone that doesn’t knit, this book is just pretty to look at, and if you have a friend who knits, this might be a perfect gift for them, especially if they knit you things for birthdays and holidays.  Each pattern offers step by step directions and designate the proper skill level for each pattern from beginner to expert.  There are scarfs, sweaters, hats, bottle cozies, purses, and even jewelery.

Looking through this book, readers could easily see Alice, Edward, and Bella wearing some of these designs, but there are others that would be perfect for the Goth crowd, like this Prim Reaper’s Corset.  Some of my particular favorite designs in the book are The Black Veil Scarf, Vampire Diary Protector (which you could use for books too), and Sitio Stockings.  The Tourniquet Scarf looks like something men would wear, and there are sweaters for kids with vampire teeth.

Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller is an excellent book for knitters looking for something a little different, and some of the patterns and stitches look lovely and fashionable — this is not your grandmother’s knitting.  If I could knit — which I can’t at all — I’d try out some of these patterns in a heartbeat.  I’ll definitely be passing this one along to a knitter, and maybe I can get a nice Black Veil Scarf out of the deal?!

About the Author:

Genevieve Miller was inspired to design her own patterns after reading Twilight. She is the mother of three and luckily married to a guy who doesn’t mind the house being taken over by a giant yarn stash. She lives in Pasadena, California.

 

This is my 4th book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: challenges, New Authors Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, random house, Read in 2012, Reference, review copy, reviews Tagged With: ,

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory

January 24, 2012 by

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory brings back the parable, the allegory, and the fable in an absurdist manner — think Animal Farm meets the Myth of Sisyphus and Paul (particularly with its comedic attributes and alien encounters). Each story is about 20 pages long, but is utterly absorbing. Readers will fall head first over a cliff into these stories and as the waters of Loory’s prose wash over them, they will be in a new fantastical world where anything is possible no matter how impossible. At the end of each story, readers will have to either shake off the fantasy or simply continue delving into the worlds Loory has created without pause.  Coming back up to reality can be tough, but each story is worth the moments of initial fuzziness.

There are televisions and animals that talk quite animatedly with humans, as do aliens and trees.  And some of these characters have very set-in-stone opinions, and on more than one occasion, those opinions are proven wrong or even turned upside down in just a few lines.  Loory’s prose shies away from the poetic and flowery language used by other writers, but in his sparse lines, there is a depth of philosophical intent and even just a joking nature to be uncovered.   Readers will be giggling, smiling, and scratching their heads, but either way, these short stories will impact their thinking and mood for the better.  Do not be fooled, however, by the seemingly tongue-in-cheek style Loory uses because there are darker elements, which are nicely reflected in the deep, dark blue in the cover and the imposing octopus tentacle.

The Shadow

"ONCE THERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS AFRAID OF HIS shadow.
    Then he met it.
    Now he glows in the dark." (page 58)

The ominous feeling in some of these stories is haunting, like in the way that “The Tunnel” resembles the darkness that Stephen King easily creates as a gang of kids follows a killer clown into their town’s sewers in It.  The impossible becomes possible in these stories, and Loory’s words touch upon faith, love, loss, and the darkness within the human spirit — there is a logic to be found in absurdity.

In “The Poet,” the man writes a poem and becomes angered when it is rejected, but even before he sent it out, he knew it wasn’t that good.  Rather than revise it, he self-publishes it and posts and hands out his xeroxed copies to passersby.  Here Loory seems to be indicating the absurdity of demanding to be published even if the work is poorly written.  However, looking deeper, the story seems to be talking about the dedication it takes to become a good writer and that not being published shouldn’t matter if good writing is the goal.

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory speaks to the inner child, coaxing it out from behind the adult into a fantastical world of monsters and talking animals only to slap that child back into place and point out the absurdity of blind categorization and conviction that many of us cling to steadfastly in adulthood.  There is a world of possibilities in this short story collection and readers will be blown away by Loory’s imagination and ability to create new myths to break down and rebuild.

Author Ben Loory

About the Author:

Ben Loory lives in Los Angeles, in a house on top of a hill. He was born in Dover, New Jersey, and is a graduate of Harvard College. In November 2008, his story “Photographs” was a finalist in the Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers Contest. Since then his fables and tales have appeared online and in print in journals and magazines of all shapes and sizes, ranging from literary to fantasy, humor to horror, young adult to SF to sports-related and more.

 

***Thanks to Unabridged Chick for making me want to read this (check out her review)***

This is my 3rd book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Penguin, Publishers/Publicists, purchased, Read in 2012, reviews Tagged With: ,

Tracks by Eric D. Goodman

January 19, 2012 by

Tracks by Eric D. Goodman is a expressive and reflective novel told in stories or what some would call a short story collection published by Maryland-based publisher Atticus Books, and unlike other short story collections, there are very few weak stories, if any.  Each protagonist in the story is on the train headed somewhere and each of their lives is in transition, from a young woman on the verge of promotion who must decide between lover and career to a man and woman at the end of their years who must face their fears.  Goodman is adept at ensuring readers care about his characters in just a few pages, and even though the end of each story comes quickly, there is rarely a sense that there was more to the story that was not told.

“The train has a way of transforming a person.  Sometimes passengers become aware of things they didn’t know before boarding.  Something about the stillness on a moving train, being around people and alone at the same time.  They’re neither here not there — in transition.  That frees them up to do things or say things they might not ordinarily do or say.” (from the preface)

The Cardinal that rides between Baltimore, Md., and Chicago, Ill., carries all of these passengers on their way, and some of these passengers have been on the train in both directions, while others have traveled the rails between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and more than once.  It does not matter where these characters come from; what matters is that the rails provide them with hope and a time out from their hustle of their daily lives.  The train and the rails are an escape, a quiet place to contemplate their lives as the undulating sway of the cars lulls them into deep meditation.  Paralleling their actual lives, the trip on the train has each member making contact with strangers, and like the conscience that guides their decision making, the conductor on the train whispers advice and nuggets of observation/wisdom to those with whom he speaks.  Beyond the characters, the city of Baltimore and the rail line itself loom large in the story, almost becoming characters themselves, with the city representing an anchor weighing down certain characters and the rail a symbol of liberation.

“one station, joy; the next, grief
the soul pulled along
by the hope for peace
at the next junction.” (page 198)

Each story is tied together by the people the characters meet on the train, the conductor, and the railway itself.  The rails come to symbolize the journey life takes us on, with some of the moments in our lives speeding by us too quickly for us to pause and reflect, while others gently impress upon us the gravity of their meaning.  Readers spend time with each character, getting to know their reasons for being on the train, the events that have hammered them recently, and how they view their fellow passengers, but Goodman also sprinkles in a bit of mystery and mayhem into the narration with the introduction of Gene Silverman in “Reset” and Charlie in “One Last Hit.”  Several stories also delve into the detrimental effect of war on not only the victims who survive, but also the soldiers called to action.

Tracks by Eric D. Goodman demonstrates how we are all traveling the same line and how we have similar fears and failings, but also similar hopes and dreams.  In spite of that, we all end up in different places.  Even with the characters who seem unsavory or hard to like, they offer a lesson to readers — seize the moment because in the next, it could be gone.  Opportunity arises and disappears just as quickly, and life on the train ride of life is quick and unrelenting.  There’s not much time for reflection and a deeper examination of pros and cons when living life at full tilt, but stepping back for a few hours on a train ride can be enough to reassess and rejoin life’s journey with a new purpose.  Excellent novel in stories with a common theme, setting, and interacting characters tying them together.

About the Author:

Eric D. Goodman has been writing fiction since he was in the third grade, when a story assignment turned him on to the craft more than a quarter century ago. He regularly reads his fiction on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR, and at book festivals and literary events. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including The Baltimore Review, The Pedestal Magazine, Writers Weekly, The Potomac, Grub Street, Scribble Magazine, The Arabesques Review, and New Lines from the Old Line State: An Anthology of Maryland Writers. Eric is the author of Flightless Goose, a storybook for children. Check out this interview with Eric at Atticus Books.

 

This is my 2nd book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

 

 

 

This is a stop on The Literary Road Trip since a lot of the book Tracks focuses on Baltimore, Md., the author is a regular on Baltimore’s NPR, and the publisher is based in Maryland.

Filed Under: challenges, Events, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2012, review copy, reviews, short stories, The Literary Road Trip Tagged With: , ,

Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai, Translated by Allison Markin Powell

January 17, 2012 by

Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai is a short book of less than 100 pages from One Peace Books and is translated from the Japanese by Allison Markin Powell.  The novella, which reads more like a narrative poem, has readers spend the day with a teenage girl who is adjusting to life after the death of her father and as a blossoming women in a post-WWII Japan.  Readers clearly see the clash between traditional Japanese customs of women who are quiet and subservient to others needs with the young woman’s need to express herself and be an individual.

“Waking up in the morning is always interesting.  It reminds me of when we’re playing hide-and-seek — I’m hidden crouching in the pitch-dark closet and suddenly Deko throws open the sliding door, sunlight pouring in as she shouts, ‘Found you!’ — that dazzling glare followed by an awkward pause, and then, my heart pounding as I adjust the front of my kimono and emerge from the closet, I’m slightly self-conscious and then suddenly irritated and annoyed — it feels similar, but no, not quite like that, somehow even more unbearable.” (page 7)

Like many pieces from Asian culture, spirits make an appearance, but these ghosts are thoughts and images that assail the young girl on a daily basis — perhaps images of war or the regrets she has about how she has treated her mother since her father’s death or even the moments she shared and failed to share with her father when he was alive.  It is clear that she is wavering, stuck between her girlhood and her pending womanhood — the past and the present.  She revels in the simple beauty of nature, while she reviles the obsequious nature of her family life.  The dichotomy of her existence plagues her throughout the novella as she rails against her servile nature and tries to hold back her individuality, at least in the presence of her mother.

“Falling asleep is such a strange feeling.  It’s like a carp or an eel is tugging on a fishing line,or something heavy like a lead weight is pulling on the line that I am holding with my head, as I doze off to sleep, the line slackens up a bit.  When that happens, it startles me back to awareness.”  (Page 93)

Dazai and Powell have captured the inner workings of a teenage mind with ease, and for those who have moved beyond those years, it could be tiresome.  However, there is beauty in Dazai’s simple prose that captures feelings so easily, evoking camaraderie with readers and deep seated understanding.  Not much happens plot wise in the novel, but its not necessary as readers come to understand the protagonist and her motivations.  She’s angsty, eager to please, frightened of the future, and mourning her past.  Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai, translated by Allison Markin Powell offers readers a stream of consciousness in a young girl’s life during not only her transition from girl to woman, but from her country’s transition from the past to more modern sensibilities and the struggle that places on individuals torn between tradition and change.

**I received this book from Caribousmom, and was eager to read it as part of my efforts to read more translated works in 2012.**

This is my 2nd book for the 2012 New Authors Challenge.

Filed Under: borrowed copy, challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2012, reviews Tagged With: , , ,