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The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel

The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel is a narrative mostly written in emails and letters, shifting from a budding friendship between young girls and blossoming into adulthood.  Beyond the emails and letters, the novel also includes recipes, which mesh well with the story as each of the girls deals with lost loves and problems with family, including Lovelorn Lasagna.

The novel begins after Valerie and Lilly have endured a 26-year silence in their friendship.  After an attempt to regain their lost companionship, the narrative shifts to letters written as children and the start of their recipe club.  Recipes are garnered from their parents, family, and friends and often coincide with events in the girls’ lives.  Many of the letters are ripe with adolescent angst and childlike retorts as they quarrel over ideals and perspectives.

“It was so awful.  I was standing in a crowd of other girls I know, and the boys came up to inspect us like we were fruit to be picked.  I only got asked to slow-dance once, by a kid who looks like Ichabod Crane with zits.  We stepped on each other’s feet so hard that I was actually relieved to sit by myself for the rest of the night.”  (page 136 of hardcover)

Valerie is a straight-laced student and highly moral girl who doesn’t understand her friend Lilly as she begins to emulate her free-spirited, actress mother more and more and rebel further against her straight-laced father.  Val spends a great deal of time wondering whether her friendship with Lilly is solid and kowtowing to her friend’s desires and opinions.  In many ways these letters get a bit trying, but eventually Val evolves into a stronger woman.  Lilly’s letters are very self-centered, which also can be exhausting, but eventually Lilly is reformed.

Overall, The Recipe Club is an interesting collection of letters, emails, and recipes that illustrate the frustrations women find in relationships with one another.  The time passes quickly with these women, but in the end, the women reach a satisfying place in their relationship.

This is my 47th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa

Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa is broken into two distinct narratives; one for Manuel Rebelo and one for his son, Antonio.  The first portion follows Manuel from his boyhood into his adulthood as he struggles with the expectations of his mother for greatness on the island of Sao Miguel, Acores, and his dream of seeing the wider world and eventually settling in Canada.  Unlike his brothers and sisters, Manuel’s light hair and blue eyes reminded his mother of her husband, who was lost at sea.  Effectively, he becomes her substitute companion and weighs him down with her expectations until he finally breaks free to live his dreams.  Unfortunately, he finds that his dreams are not so easily realized.

“Manuel used his forearms to part the stalks of corn.  His blood coursed through him.  He forged ahead, swiping at the brittle stems, nursing the anger that had pressed on him ever since he had arrived back home and Silvia had said no.”  (page 97)

De Sa uses a fast-paced narrative intertwined with folklore, tradition, and imagery to paint a picture of Manuel’s life, his homeland, and his new home in a way that they become almost surreal.  Is this man truly living his life here or is this his dream/nightmare made real.  Once Antonio takes over the narrative, the nightmare grows more surreal as family members become more like caricatures rather than people.

At times the narrative is disjointed and jostles readers from one point in time to another, making them wonder what happened in the intervening years.  However, the story does not lose its edge.  It demonstrates that love, even between father and son, mother and son, and even siblings is not always smooth and without obstacles.  Can forgiveness and love triumph over the wrongs each feels the other has done and will their dreams become reality?

“‘My husband used to say that men are all barnacles.  A barnacle starts out lie swimming freely in the ocean.  But, when it matures, it must settle down and choose a home.  My dear husband used to say that it chooses to live with other barnacles of the same kind so that they can mate.'”  (page 108)

Barnacle Love relies heavily on ocean imagery and the surreal-ness of its characters to illustrate the hurt that comes with family, but also the great love that stirs beneath its bristling core.  Anthony De Sa has created a memorable journey of Portuguese-Canadian immigrants that will leave readers wanting more and spending additional time trying to figure out the characters’ motivations.

This is my 46th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

Darcy’s Voyage by Kara Louise

Kara Louise’s Darcy’s Voyage is a re-imagining of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen that places Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet on Pemberley’s Promise on their way to America.  Louise knows these iconic characters and retains their personalities easily through dialogue and internal monologue, and the novel uses shifts in point of view to provide readers with more than one side of the story.

Lizzy is going to America to visit her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner who have expanded his business to the New World, while Darcy is headed to America to fetch his sister Georgiana after she visits her companion’s family in America and her companion falls ill.  Traveling by sea in those days could be rough and some passengers never made it to their destinations.  With a backdrop of adventure and possible disaster, Lizzy and Darcy strike up a rapport that defies convention.

“‘This is something I have to do.’  Elizabeth looked out the window.  She saw the masts of the ships, some with sails completely unfurled and already sailing, and others with sails still furled tightly about their masts.  Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly felt a wave of excitement pour through her.  Yes, this will be a life-changing adventure.  I will not be the same when I come back!”  (page 15 of ARC)

Louise’s rendition of the story is imaginative, and the shifts in POV — while numerous and sometimes from paragraph to paragraph — are not jarring enough to push readers out of the story. Readers will enjoy how Darcy and Lizzy interact with one another on board the ship and how the expectations of society are always on their minds.  Louise has captured the essence of these characters and added her own flare to the story.  Darcy’s Voyage is well worth the read.

Thanks to the author and Sourcebooks for sending a copy of Darcy’s Voyage for review.  Don’t forget to check out the giveaway of this book.

About the Author:

Ever since Kara Louise discovered and fell in love with the writings of Jane Austen she has spent her time answering the “what happened next” and the “what ifs” in Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s story. She has written 6 novels based on Pride and Prejudice. She lives with her husband in Wichita, Kansas. For more information, please visit her website, Jane Austen’s Land of Ahhhs.

This is my 7th book for the Jane Austen Challenge 2010.

This is my 3rd book for the Everything Austen II Challenge.

This is my 45th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

Ghost Hunt by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson

Ghost Hunt by Jason Dawes and Grant Wilson is due out this September for young readers and contains not only short stories, but also a guide the Ghost Hunters use on every investigation, plus activity pages.  If you haven’t seen this show on television, you are missing out on one of the originals and best investigative teams examining the paranormal.  They never go into a case believing the ghosts are there, but enter homes with the assumption that noises and events mostly have logical explanations.

In this chapter sampler, readers get a glimpse into the short stories (based on investigations done by the TAPS team) available in the full book.  In each of the short stories, kids are at the center of the haunting activities.  This angle will help young readers see themselves in the stories and relate to the characters, but the prose does not condescend to readers in the way that some stories of this nature would, but it does explain some of the technology used in the investigations.

From ‘Pennies from a Ghost,’ “The sound grew louder, louder, LOUDER.  A deep throaty rumble.  Like thunder, Scott thought.  But it wasn’t thunder.

Without warning, a burst of light appeared on the wall across from the boys’ beds.  Scott heard Jerry make a strangled sound.  The light flickered.  It seemed to hover in the same place.”  (page 5 of the sampler)

Young readers will be engaged by the ghost stories and investigations, and will have a fun time working through the TAPS steps in the guide from the interview to the sweep of the house and the collection and analysis of evidence.  The guide also includes a glossary of terms used in the book and the guide to help readers not only understand the investigative techniques, but also expand their vocabularies.  Overall, Ghost Hunt would be a fun addition to the bookshelves of young paranormal fans.

***Thanks to Anna from Diary of an Eccentric for passing along her extra copy to me.

This is my 44th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson

C. Allyn Pierson‘s Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister is full of intrigue and societal maneuvering as Georgiana, Mr. Darcy’s sister, prepares for her presentation and first Season.  The novel begins just as Georgiana learns of her brother’s engagement to Elizabeth, and she worries that her new sister will not like her.  In Pierson’s novel, Georgiana is full of teen worries about who will like her and how she will be judged for her actions — no matter how mundane.

Coupled with a few shifts in point of view by the omniscient narrator, accomplished through breaks in the chapters or through diary entries from Georgiana, readers not only experience Miss Darcy’s anxieties, but also the concern her new sister, Elizabeth, and her brother feel as she nears adulthood and possible marriage.

“He looked over at his sister, who was across the room talking to Jane by the fireplace, and his expression softened.  Elizabeth’s eyes followed his gaze.  Georgiana’s light brown hair glowed golden in the firelight and her eyes looked as green and limpid as water.  They twinkled at the outer corners when she smiled, as she did now at something Jane was saying.”  (Page 44 of ARC)

Pierson wonderfully sets each scene with detailed imagery of the characters, their dress, and their homes.  Each detail serves to create an atmosphere of regency society, and the expectations of that society on young women.  However, in some cases, the narrative gets bogged down in flowery details of gowns and other elements, which can detract from the action and intrigue in the later portions of the novel.

Readers spend a good third of the novel getting to know Georgiana and her role in as Mr. Darcy’s sister, and her new role as sister-in-law to Elizabeth.  While Pierson does well examining these relationships given what little is seen of Georgiana in Jane Austen’s original work, her Georgiana is often a petulant child in a young woman’s body.  Readers may find her anxieties and reactions to events over the top or out of character with the Georgiana they remember from Austen’s novel.  However, the author does an excellent job evolving her character into a strong and decisive young woman.

Overall, Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister is about the societal expectations placed on wealthy and lower class, young women during the regency period.  Whether upholding their honor or engaging in activities out of a sense of duty, these women steeled themselves against prying and disproving eyes and held their heads high in times of adversity.  Georgiana may not start off as the young woman that readers expect, but she sure blossoms into a refined and dignified young lady.

About the Author:

C. Allyn Pierson is the nom-de-plume of a physician, who has combined her many years of interest in the works of Jane Austen and the history of Regency England into this sequel to Pride and Prejudice. She lives with her family and three dogs in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Special thanks to the author and Sourcebooks for sending me a copy of the book for review.

***If you’ve missed the giveaway for this novel, please check out Pierson’s guest post and the giveaway details for US/Canada readers. ***

This is my 43rd book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

This is my 6th book for the Jane Austen Challenge 2010.

This is my 2nd book for the Everything Austen II Challenge.

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning is the first in the MacKayla Lane fantasy/paranormal series and is a wild ride into the unseen aspects of our own world where the Fae live among us behind masks. Mackayla has a pretty carefree life in Georgia as a bartender and part-time college student living at home with her parents.  Her sister Alina lives in Ireland where she attends college full-time, but the sisters remain close and talk on the phone almost daily.

Unfortunately, this charmed life comes to an end when her sister is murdered in a foreign country, and it seems like the police simply give up on the case.  Haunted by the images of her sister’s mangled body and the deterioration of her family, Mac decides its time to go to Ireland and track down a killer.  Once there, she’s faced with startling images and a realization that she’s not as normal as she thought she was.

“It was gray and leprous from head to toe, covered with oozing open sores.  It was sort of human, by that I mean it had the basic parts:  arms, legs, head.  But that was where the resemblance ended.  It’s face was twice as tall as a human head and squished thin, no wider than my palm.  Its eyes were black with no irises or whites.”  (Page 94)

Moning’s writing is vivid, and MacKayla is a strong female lead in this suspenseful book that incorporates the paranormal.  Once in Ireland, Mac’s world is flung in many different directions and she has to determine which end is up and what the best route to take is.  She’s feisty — even when she’s in denial — particularly when faced with beings more powerful than herself and one’s that attempt to impose their will on her.  With additional characters, including some Fae and the imposing Jericho Barrons, there are plenty of twists and turns in this novel.

Readers will enjoy their introduction to the Fae world and to Mac.  Moning is a wonderful writer.  As a first introduction to this paranormal world, readers will find they can still be grounded in reality.  Darkfever provides just a taste of Mac’s new world and will leave readers wanting more.

About the Author:

Karen Marie Moning was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of four children. She graduated from Purdue University with a BA in Society and Law. After a decade of working with insurance litigation and arbitration, she quit her job to pursue her dream of a writing career. Four manuscripts and countless part-time jobs later, Beyond the Highland Mist was published by Bantam Dell and nominated for two prestigious RITA awards. Author of the beloved HIGHLANDER series and the thrilling new FEVER series, featuring MacKayla Lane, a sidhe seer. Her novels have appeared on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers lists, and have received many industry awards, including the RITA.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, Random House, and Karen Marie Moning for sending me a copy of Darkfever for review.

Giveaway for US/Canada only:

1 copy of Shadowfever, the newest book in the series that hits stores in December.

1.  Leave a comment about if you’ve read about the Fae or what you would like to know about the Fae.

2.  Tweet, Blog, Facebook, etc. and leave a link for a second entry.

Deadline:  Sept. 10, 2010, 11:59PM EST

Giveaway for International (outside US/Canada only):

1 copy of Darkfever, the first book in the series, gently used.

1.  Leave a comment about what part of my review intrigues you most.

2.  Tweet, Blog, Facebook, Etc. the giveaway and leave a link for a second entry.

Deadline is Sept. 10, 2010, 11:59PM EST

PLEASE BE SURE TO TELL ME WHICH BOOK YOU ARE ENTERING FOR.

See the rest of the MacKayla Lane tour stops.

This is my 42nd book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

This is my 14th book for the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge.

Twelve Moons by Mary Oliver

Twelve Moons by Mary Oliver is her fourth collection and as always nature is front and center.  But above all this collection is about transformation and by extension the journey of life.  Parallels are drawn between the grief humans feel and the changing seasons and the self-confidence of nature as it is seen in humans as mere glimpses or slivers of the moon.

“And sometimes, for a moment,/you feel it beginning — the sense/of escape sharp as a knife-blade/hangs over the dark field/of your body, and your soul/waits just under the skin/to leap away over the water./”  (From At Blackwater Pond, page 49)

Oliver’s love of nature and awe of it transcends her lines and these pages, tapping into readers’ sense of childlike wonder about the world.  It reminds us that there is a greater world beyond the meetings, the email, and the stress of our lives — a world where things can just be and live.  Beyond the sense of wonderment is an air of caution about how we interact with this natural world and how we are at times the enemy.

From Mussels (page 4), “In the riprap,/in the cool caves,/in the dim and salt-refreshed/recesses, they cling/in dark clusters,/in barnacled fistfuls,/in the dampness that never/leaves, in the deeps/of high tide, in the slow/washing away of the water/in which they feed,/ . . . Even before/I decide which to take,/which to twist from the wet rocks,/which to devour,/they, who have no eyes to see with,/see me, like a shadow,/bending forward.”

Like the mysterious phases of the moon, Oliver’s poems often take on a mystical quality, blurring the lines between reality and dreams.  Is her father the explorer he always dreamed he would be?  Do the fish feel the same way about children that humans do?

Twelve Moons is a collection dealing with immortality, nature, and our place in and against it.  Oliver’s poetry is enjoyable on the surface and as deeper meanings are sought upon multiple readings and even immediately.  Beginning readers of poetry would have little trouble understanding her lines and easily find correlations to their own lives.  An excellent collection, and one of the best I’ve read this year.

***I purchased my copy of Twelve Moons by Mary Oliver at a local library sale.***

This is my 11th book for the Clover Bee & Reverie Poetry Challenge.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer‘s The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a short novella that takes a glimpse at the other side of vampirism . . . the darker side.  Written as a companion to the Eclipse novel and the release of the movie, readers will experience what it truly is to be a newborn vampire, to crave the blood, and to think of nothing else.

“She opened her mouth to scream, but my teeth crushed her windpipe before a sound could come out.  There was just the gurgle of air and blood in her lungs, and the low moans I could not control.”  (Page 10)

Bree Tanner is a young teen turned vampire thrust into a vicious world of vampire gangs, who hides behind Fred, a young vampire with the power to repel others.  She’s timid and fearful of the new world she’s in, but she cannot control her thirst any more than her other counterparts.  Bree meets an older vampire teen, Diego who takes her under his wing and allows her to find comfort with her new life.

Overall, the novella is a quick read and helps shed light on the vampire world not seen in the Twilight series, but it lacked the gruesome and detailed slashing that one would expect from newborn vampires.  Much of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner focuses on teen angst about fitting in and finding one’s way in the world, and naturally about a budding love.  Meyer is a gifted storyteller, but her timidity with regard to the vicious nature of vampires will leave many fans feeling flat.

***I borrowed my copy of Meyer’s novella from the local library.  I’d also like to thank Not Enough Books for the recommendation.***

This is my 4th book for the 2010 Vampire Series Challenge.

Because All Is Not Lost by Sweta Srivastava Vikram

Sweta Srivastava Vikram‘s Because All Is Not Lost is a new chapbook of poems about grief and recovery.  While recovering from grief is never the same for everyone, these poems speak to the void that death can leave.

“One day she will stop/digging up maggots of loss/breeding in her memory.//” (From Convalescence, page 18)

Vikram uses simple imagery and encapsulated stories to illustrate grief and the possible reactions to loss.  In the introduction, the poets explains her inspiration for the collection, the deaths of her grandfather and her mother’s sister.  The collection is sad and weighs heavily on the reader, and readers should consider taking each poem in separately to absorb their meaning.  However, there are rays of hope within the poems.

From A permanent address, “Flood of affection is what I get from her -/jasmine flowers mixed with olive and a soft kiss// of assurance.  She whispers/that it was a recurring nightmare./That I was safe” (page 20)

Because All Is Not Lost is a chapbook that will affect readers like no other poetry collection. Readers will be absorbed by the grief and the glimmers of light as the narrators deal with emptiness and blame.

***Thanks to the poet Sweta Srivastava Vikram for sending me a copy for review***

Now for the global giveaway; 2 copies up for grabs:

1.  Leave a comment about a moment of loss you’ve felt and how you dealt with it.

2.  Blog, Facebook, or Tweet this giveaway and leave a link here.

Deadline Aug. 27, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST

This is my 10th book for the Clover Bee & Reverie Poetry Challenge.

This is my 41st book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds is another of the author’s variation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice novel.  In this rendition, Reynolds begins with the premise that Mr. Darcy will not give up after Miss Bennet’s refusal of his marriage proposal and continues to pursue her relentlessly.  However, it does take some convincing by his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Reynolds stays true to Austen’s characters for the most part, and the inner struggle facing Elizabeth is well depicted as she begins to change her mind about Mr. Darcy and his merits as a man and suitor.  Using more modern language and sensibilities, Reynolds updates the classic and will appeal to most modern readers.  However, readers should be warned that there are a number of intimate moments between the couple that are very detailed, which could weigh on certain sensibilities.

Reynolds has successfully created an alternate scenario to Austen’s novel, with the expected cast of characters — the Gardiners, Jane Bennet, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Wickham, and Georgiana.  What readers will enjoy most about this Elizabeth is that she does not cower from her responsibilities as a potential Mistress of Pemberley as she has done in other re-imaginings.  With all the convincing Darcy must do to win Lizzy, readers may think a more apt title for this novel would be To Conquer Miss Bennet.  Overall, To Conquer Mr. Darcy is a delightful look at how things could have been different between Lizzy and Darcy and good summer read.

**Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy of To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds for review.

This is my 5th book for the Jane Austen Challenge 2010.

This is my 1st book for the Everything Austen II Challenge.

Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart

Beth Kephart‘s Dangerous Neighbors, which hits stores on August 24, is set in 1876 in Philadelphia on the verge of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the United States as two sisters, twins, struggle with changes in their relationship and find the ability to fly on their own.

Katherine and Anna may be twins, but they are very different with Anna considered the beauty and adventurous one and Katherine as the dependable protector.  As adolescence hits and Anna falls in love with the baker’s son, Bennett, the relationship between the girls changes, forcing Katherine to make tough choices and keep secrets.  Anna is like the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia in that she winds her way through a society on the cusp of change and modernity.  She takes the plunge even though her love for the Bennett would be frowned upon by her family given his status in the city compared to that of her father, a banker.

“Nothing in this world is safe.  Clouds form.  Trees split.  Horses rear.  Ice breaks.  Fire rages.  Maybe the bird in that girl’s cage is better off, but then again, Katherine thinks, the cage could crack, the prison could itself perish, along with its prisoner.”  (Page 32 of ARC)

Dangerous Neighbors is told from Katherine’s point of view, which limits what the reader sees and hears from Anna’s perspective, but in this way, readers know the story is Katherine’s and not Anna’s.  Katherine must protect her wayward sister, or at least that’s the pressure she feels from her parents, particularly her father.  Their mother barely plays a role in their lives as she focuses all of her energy on the Centennial celebration and women’s rights.

While references are made to dangerous neighbors by her father and others in the book, readers will find that the true dangers lie in the decisions one makes about his or her own life and how those decisions can sometimes lead to unexpected tragedy.  Dangerous Neighbors is a young adult novel dealing with very adult themes of family, growing up, and moving past grief. Kephart’s attention to historical and descriptive detail will transport readers back in time, while tugging them along emotionally and with some suspense as Katherine unravels her tragic story.  Another delightful novel from Kephart, though readers may wish to see more of the mysterious William, who rescues Katherine from herself.

***I received my signed ARC of Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart from Book Expo America.***

Undercover by Beth Kephart

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.***