Literature and Poetry Reviews, Home of the Virtual Poetry Circle
These commenters won Ruby Urlocker’s collection:
Beth Hoffman
Anna of Diary of an Eccentric
Rebecca of Lost in Books
The winner of Erica Bauermeister’s book:
The winner of The Jane Austen Handbook:
Tina from Novel Meals
The winner of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies:
KarenK
Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is Lori’s Reading Corner.
The meme allows 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 receive:
1. All That I Am by Anna Funder for a TLC Book Tour later this month.
When Hitler seizes power in 1933, a tight-knit group of friends and lovers suddenly become hunted outlaws overnight. Dora, liberated and fearless; her lover, the great playwright Ernst Toller; Ruth; and Ruth’s journalist husband, Hans find refuge in London. There, using secret contacts deep inside the Nazi regime, they take breathtaking risks to warn the world of Hitler’s plans for war. But England is not the safe haven they think it will be, and a single, chilling act of betrayal will tear them apart.
2. The House Girl by Tara Conklin for a TLC Book Tour in February.
Two remarkable women, separated by more than a century, whose lives unexpectedly intertwine . . .
2004: Lina Sparrow is an ambitious young lawyer working on a historic class-action lawsuit seeking reparations for the descendants of American slaves.
1852: Josephine is a seventeen-year-old house slave who tends to the mistress of a Virginia tobacco farm—an aspiring artist named Lu Anne Bell.
It is through her father, renowned artist Oscar Sparrow, that Lina discovers a controversy rocking the art world: art historians now suspect that the revered paintings of Lu Anne Bell, an antebellum artist known for her humanizing portraits of the slaves who worked her Virginia tobacco farm, were actually the work of her house slave, Josephine.
3. The Ambassador’s Daughter by Pam Jenoff for review in February.
The world’s leaders have gathered to rebuild from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons, for which many could pay dearly.
Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all.
Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job—and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie.
Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford.
4. Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell, which I received for review.
An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators—Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist—are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.
But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb’s sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ’s own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. The enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.
From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.
5. Cassandra and Jane by Jill Pitkeathley, which I bought at the library sale for 50 cents.
They were beloved sisters and the best of friends. But Jane and Cassandra Austen suffered the same fate as many of the women of their era. Forced to spend their lives dependent on relatives, both financially and emotionally, the sisters spent their time together trading secrets, challenging each other’s opinions, and rehearsing in myriad other ways the domestic dramas that Jane would later bring to fruition in her popular novels. For each sister suffered through painful romantic disappointments—tasting passion, knowing great love, and then losing it—while the other stood witness. Upon Jane’s death, Cassandra deliberately destroyed her personal letters, thereby closing the door to the private life of the renowned novelist . . . until now.
6. The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy, which I purchased at the library sale for 50 cents.
The Secret Lives of People in Love is the first short story collection by award-winning writer Simon Van Booy. These stories, set in Kentucky, New York, Paris, Rome, and Greece, are a perfect synthesis of intensity and atmosphere. Love, loss, human contact, and isolation are Van Booy’s themes. In radiant prose he writes about the difficult choices we make in order to retain our humanity and about the redemptive power of love in a violent world. Included in this updated P.S. edition is the new story “The Mute Ventriloquist.”
7. Eight Silly Monkeys illustrated by Steven Haskamp, which I picked up for the girl in spite of her temper tantrum for 50 cents.
Get set for romping and rhyming fun! Young ones will love counting backwards as they watch eight monkeys disappear one by one with each turn of the page in this delightful tale. Eight Silly Monkeys features full-color illustrations, charming verse, and innovative die-cutting to reveal silly, touchable monkeys on each page. As fun to read as it is to listen to, this enjoyable rhyming adventure is a perfect read for ages 3 and up.
8. A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson, which I borrowed from the library since I’ve been inspired by this challenge to read more books about/set in Portugal, though I’m not limiting it to historical fiction or fiction — poetry works too.
In A Small Death in Lisbon, the narrative switches back and forth between 1941 and 1999, and Wilson’s wide knowledge of history and keen sense of place make the eras equally vibrant. In 1941 Germany, Klaus Felsen, an industrialist, is approached by the SS high command in a none-too-friendly manner and is “persuaded” to go to Lisbon and oversee the sale–or smuggling–of wolfram (also known as tungsten, used in the manufacture of tanks and airplanes). World War II Portugal is neutral where business is concerned, and too much of the precious metal is being sold to Britain when Germany needs it to insure that Hitler’s blitzkrieg is successful.
Cut to 1999 Lisbon, where the daughter of a prominent lawyer has been found dead on a beach. Ze Coehlo, a liberal police inspector who is a widower with a daughter of his own, must sift through the life of Catarina Oliviera and discover why she was so brutally murdered. Her father is enigmatic, her mother suicidal; her friends were rock musicians and drug addicts.
9. News from Heaven by Jennifer Haigh for a TLC Book Tour in February.
Now, in this collection of interconnected short stories, Jennifer Haigh returns to the vividly imagined world of Bakerton, Pennsylvania, a coal-mining town rocked by decades of painful transition. From its heyday during two world wars through its slow decline, Bakerton is a town that refuses to give up gracefully, binding—sometimes cruelly—succeeding generations to the place that made them. A young woman glimpses a world both strange and familiar when she becomes a live-in maid for a Jewish family in New York City. A long-absent brother makes a sudden and tragic homecoming. A solitary middle-aged woman tastes unexpected love when a young man returns to town. With a revolving cast of characters—many familiar to fans of Baker Towers—these stories explore how our roots, the families and places in which we are raised, shape the people we eventually become.
10. Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh, which I received as part of the tour for the new book.
Bakerton is a community of company houses and church festivals, of union squabbles and firemen’s parades. Its neighborhoods include Little Italy, Swedetown, and Polish Hill. For its tight-knit citizens — and the five children of the Novak family — the 1940s will be a decade of excitement, tragedy, and stunning change. Baker Towers is a family saga and a love story, a hymn to a time and place long gone, to America’s industrial past, and to the men and women we now call the Greatest Generation. It is a feat of imagination from an extraordinary voice in American fiction, a writer of enormous power and skill.
Also, I’ve been remiss in talking about some of the Kindle books I’ve downloaded or gotten for review, and have reviewed one or two already without featuring them in Mailbox Monday.
11. Rules for Virgins by Amy Tan, downloaded for free.
12. Georgiana Darcy’s Diary: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice continued (Pride and Prejudice Chronicles) by Anna Elliot, downloaded for free.
13. Becoming Elizabeth Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen, downloaded for free.
14. Monsters In My Closet by Ruby Urlocker, which I received for review and reviewed, here.
15. A Killing in Kensington (A Patrick Shea Mystery) by Mary Lydon Simonsen, which I downloaded for free.
16. Must Love Sandwiches (The Bartonville Series) by Janel Gradowski, which I got for review from the talented author.
17. Darcy Goes to War by Mary Lydon Simonsen, which I downloaded for free.
What did you receive?
Ruby Urlocker’s Monsters in My Closet is a collection of poems and short stories by a talented young writer with a fresh voice who explores the uncertainty of her teenage years and the harsh realities of adolescence. She explores themes of growing older, losing one’s innocence, and battling inner demons. Even though she deals with harsh realities, her images are playful and sometimes whimsical, like her short story about a banana dreaming of becoming human — reminiscent of Kafka’s Metamorphosis but in reverse.
From "Walking Around the World": I walked across the world today in my old running shoes. Because I was free on a Saturday And wanted to beat my blues.
From "Fallen Angel": My shadow, hanging onto the wall. I watched it turn to meet my gaze, My eyes, a desperate wish. Those stares, those sugar coated liars Stealing away who I am.
From "The Storm": There's a gust of wind inside my throat, Hands clutching it tightly so as not to hurt anyone. But I grow sick and weary of choking myself
Urlocker has a childlike way of expressing emotions, but she also displays a mature grasp of the darkness that lurks within all of us. Alongside the shadows and ghosts her narrators chase around corners and into the darkness, religious verse and stories ground the reader in a belief that there is something more to this life — whether it is a reincarnation of the same soul until the goal is achieved or the passage of the soul into the afterlife. Unlike other teenage writings that are often full of angst and despair, Urlocker infuses her stories and poems with hope and color — a beacon in the darkness.
One of the most surprising and most developed pieces is “Hidden People,” which is more than a homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado. Urlocker talks about imaginary friends and growing up, which in some cases means leaving those beloved friends behind along with are more innocent selves. Even though this is a short piece, readers will become emotionally invested in the story the narrator weaves about her past and friends. There is a deep sense of regret and loss, but also the fondness of those memories.
Monsters in My Closet by Ruby Urlocker is a well crafted debut that explores themes of adolescence, lost innocence, and the hormonal battle that teens experience as they sort through friendships, memories, and love. The collection also includes illustrations, which merit a mention as they are unique and childlike, but also demonstrate a complexity that mirrors the work Urlocker does in prose and verse. She’s an up-and-comer with room to grow and surprise us.
If you’re interested in winning a copy of her book, enter the giveaway here.
About the Author:
Ruby Urlocker is a teenaged author, singer and songwriter. She has been writing and publishing stories since she was seven. Ruby lives with her family and dog, Rufus, a wheaten terrier.
This is my 1st book for the Dive Into Poetry Challenge 2013 and the 2013 New Authors Challenge.
Welcome to the 183rd Virtual Poetry 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.
Also, sign up for the 2013 Dive Into Poetry Challenge because its simple; you only need to read 1 book of poetry. Please visit the stops on the 2012 National Poetry Month Blog Tour.
Today’s poem is from Ruby Urlocker:
Hidden People There’s a man between my bedroom floor And the wooden kitchen ceiling. I heard him once when I was younger, Before the walls started peeling And there I sat in the bedroom, reading And I heard the sound of feet. Loud echoing shoes from under me In sync with my heart beat. My mother told me it was nothing, My father only scoffed And as the rolling days went by They eventually forgot. One morning I combed my six year old hair And my reflection made me cry For instead of the freckled face I knew With glimmering mischievous eyes I saw a woman with skin like snow And eyes, two empty sockets, Grinning at me as I gasped in horror, My little hands clutching my pockets. Then she faded away and left me there, Crying my eyes out in hopeless despair And wondering why her long flowing hair Was only strands of cobwebs. When I was eight I became best friends With a boy who I found in my closet. He’d be there staring back at me Each time I unhooked the locket To my many clothes and things Because I wanted to see him again. We wrote down our hearts In permanent pen All across the closet wall And laughed and whispered until the nightfall When my mother would tuck me in. His eyes were the twinkling midnight sky As we talked of mystery And I did not stop to wonder why Nobody else could see him. As I grew older I did not sense As much of the secret world The figures slowly disappeared Along with the little girl. But even now I’m afraid of the dark And I wake up to somebody singing So far away that it’s more like a whisper That tingles and leaves my ears ringing. I used to think I’d never see My ghostly friends again When the silence between us was so long My conscience would pretend They never existed and I’d only dreamed Of the beautiful and horribleness My family had never seen. I put on makeup and watched more TV And detached the shadowy part of me. That playful and magical mystery Was a figure that lost its way In the sea of labels and one way traffic And words we’re forbidden to say. And I let my hair turn gray And my face grew wrinkles across it. The friendly spidery shadow of mine Turned to mist and I thought I had lost it Until last night when I turned on the light Of my dingy old bedroom closet And felt my questioning face turn white. There was a boy with tear-stained cheeks Who turned his head to me, A sparkling fragment lost in the storm And turned to a memory And an ignorant woman, taken by surprise Who met the gaze of his unforgiving eyes.
About the Poet:
Ruby Urlocker is a teenaged author, singer and songwriter. She has been writing and publishing stories since she was seven. Ruby lives with her family and dog, Rufus, a wheaten terrier. Monsters in my Closet is Ruby’s fourth book.
What do you think?
If you want to win a copy of Ruby’s book, please leave a comment below about the poem. U.S./Canada residents only
Deadline to enter is Jan. 11, 2013, at 11:59 PM EST
