Book Review: Christmas At The Mysterious Bookshop Edited by Otto Penzler

Saturday 18 December, 2010 By 3 Comments


Title: Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop
Author: Otto Penzler
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Publication Date: October 12, 2010
Hardcover: 256 pages
ISBN: 978-1593156176
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Anthologies

From the Publisher:

Each year, for the past seventeen years, Otto Penzler, owner of the legendary Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, has commissioned an original story by a leading mystery writer. The requirements were that it be a mystery/crime/suspense story, that it be set during the Christmas season, and that at least some of the action must take place in the Mysterious Bookshop. These stories were then produced as pamphlets, 1,000 copies, and given to customers of the bookstore as a Christmas present. Now, all of these stories have been collected in one volume—Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. Some of the tales are humorous, others suspenseful, and still others mystifying. This charming one-of-a-kind collection is a perfect Christmas gift, appropriate for all ages and tastes. Contributors include: Charles Ardai, Lisa Atkinson, George Baxt, Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, Ron Goulart, Jeremiah Healy, Edward D. Hoch, Rupert Holmes, Andrew Klavan, Michael Malone, Ed McBain, Anne Perry, S. J. Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, and Donald E. Westlake.

My Review:

Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop ‘Tis the Season to be Deadly, Stories of Mistletoe and Mayhem from 17 Masters of Suspense, edited by Otto Penzler is a compilation of seventeen short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler, the owner of The Mysterious Bookshop who each year would ask a well known author to write a Christmas mystery incorporating his bookstore into the story. These commissioned short stories where then printed up and given to his clients as Christmas gifts. Penzler’s book includes the short stories spanning the years of 1993-2009 with a wide range of authors including Ed McBain, Anne Perry, Rupert Holmes, and Mary Higgins Clark to name but a few of the fine authors whose works grace the pages of this unique Christmas book. Each story meets the three criteria set up by Penzler; the story must be a mystery, the story must incorporate Christmas, and the story must involve The Mysterious Bookshop in some manner. Each short story is vastly different, with the only similarities being the three requirements. Each short story has a wonderful title and an intriguing twist or angle making for a delightful book to read in one sitting or for leisurely reading by choosing a short story a day. Christmas at The Mysterious Bookstore will make for a delightful Christmas read as well as a wonderful gift for any mystery lover.

About the Editor:

Otto Penzler is the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop, the founder of The Mysterious Press, the creator of Otto Penzler Books, and the editor of many books and anthologies. He lives in New York City.

I received a complimentary copy of Christmas At the Mysterious Bookshop Edited by Otto Penzler from Over the River Public Relations. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck

Thursday 16 December, 2010 By 6 Comments


Title: Dining With Joy
Author: Rachel Hauck
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: November 16, 2010
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN: 978-1595543394
Genre: Fiction, Christian, Romance

From the Publisher:

“Chef” Joy Ballard longs for a simpler life. But when a good-looking outsider arrives and spices things up, life becomes deliciously complicated.

Host of a regionally syndicated cooking show, Joy Ballard has a little secret: she can’t cook. But when her show is picked up by a major network and given a prime time slot, her world heats up faster than a lowcountry boil.

Enter Luke Redmond: handsome, creative, and jobless after having to declare bankruptcy of his Manhatten restaurant. When her producers ask him to co-host the show, Joy sees Luke as her way out. But Luke sees much more than just a co-host in Joy.

Their relationship begins to simmer on and off set. Until Joy’s secret is revealed and her reputation is ruined on national television by her rival, Wenda Devine.

But could Devine’s cruelty be a divine gift? Losing Luke–and her sister–forces Joy to consider where her worth really comes from. Could God be cooking up an even bigger adventure from the mess? And will Joy hang on long enough to find out?

My Review:

Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck is a fun, witty, and whole-heartedly charming book about Joy Ballard, host of Dining With Joy. As Joy’s popularity gains, so do the stakes when a major network picks up her show and she is worried her secret will be exposed. Thankfully, the timing could not be better since chef Luke Redmond can indeed cook, unlike Joy, and after closing his restaurant, he has been asked to co-host Dining With Joy. At first, Joy and Luke hit it off about as well as oil and water, but everything is about to change. Dining With Joy is part of Hauck’s Lowcountry romance series, but the first I have read and is a definite stand-alone book. Hauck’s characters are clever, witty, delightfully flawed, and adaptable. I found myself enjoying Dining With Joy far more than I envisioned, it is extremely well written with enough going on throughout the story to keep the reader’s attention and interest. I should mention the book is indeed Christian fiction, but in a non-preachy manner and I did not even realise it was classified as such while I was reading the book. I would recommend Dining With Joy to any reader who likes a charmingly witty plotline with delightful characters and a clean romance.

About the Author:

Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author and award winning of Sweet Caroline and Love Starts With Elle, and numerous other fiction titles.

She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets.

Rachel earned a degree in Journalism form Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an Advisor. Visit her blog and web site at www.rachelhauck.com, follow on Twitter, and Facebook.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Saturday 2 October, 2010 By 3 Comments


Title: Simply Irresistible (A Lucky Harbor Novel)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0446571616
Genre: Fiction, Romance

From the Publisher:

Maddie Moore’s whole life needs a makeover.

In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won’t be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes-and mouth-are making it hard for her to remember that she’s sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie’s struggles to overcome the past, though she’s about to discover that there’s no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

My Review:

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis is the first in her Lucky Harbor series. Maddie leaves Los Angeles and presumably all her troubles and mistakes behind to move to Lucky Harbor, Washington where her aunt has left her and her two half-sisters, Tara and Chloe, with a dilapidated old inn, Lucky Harbor Resort. Maddie believes this shall be a wonderful new start but she must work on convincing Tara and Chloe that fixing up the inn and running it is the best thing to do with the inheritance. Shalvis’ novel is fun, light-hearted, witty and filled with flawed characters and in a fun, lighthearted storyline, which I truly enjoyed sans the romance. However, this is indeed a romance novel, which I did not quite gather by the title or cover, meaning I did not entirely enjoy the novel which means romance fans should adore Simply Irresistible. Shalvis’ characters are quirky and fun to read about, the novel is very descriptive and quick to read and I enjoyed the addition of the boyfriend scarf pattern at the end of the story. Had this been a work or fiction sans romance I would have enjoyed the book a lot more. Her second novel in the Lucky Harbor series, The Sweetest Thing, is due out in April 2011. While this was not the perfect genre for me, I suggest those who enjoy fun, quirky and charming romance novels to give Simply Irresistible a try.

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras also run by quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books are, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website at JillShalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountain adventures.

I received a complimentary copy of Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis from Hachette. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review and Tour: Hearts On A String by Kris Radish

Thursday 15 July, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: Hearts on a String
Author: Kris Radish
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: May 25, 2010
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0553384758
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

Bestselling author Kris Radish delves deeply into the emotions of five very different women who are thrown together by chance—only to discover that they have more in common than they ever could have imagined.

Holly Blandeen has always cherished the story her grandmother told her about the thread that connects all women, tying them forever in sisterhood. It’s a beautiful idea, but with all the curveballs life has thrown her way, Holly has often felt isolated, different from other women. That starts to change when she meets four strangers in an airport and they agree to share a luxury hotel suite because a powerful spring storm is barreling across the country, stranding travelers from California to Florida. What begins as a spur-of-the-moment decision becomes an unlikely, unexpected, and sometimes reluctant exercise in female bonding, as these five exceptional women—each at a crossroads—swap stories, share secrets, and seek answers to the questions they’ve been asking about life, love, and the path to true happiness. A storm may have grounded them for the moment, but after this wild adventure in which anything can and does happen, they’ll never have to fly solo again.

My Review:

An endearing novel showing how women are inter-connected, Hearts on a String by Kris Radish begins with a woman explaining to her young great-granddaughter that a string connects all women, some women instinctively know and others eventually find this out.  Flash forward almost thirty years to a bathroom, across from a bar in the Tampa International Airport, where investment banker Nan Telvid drops her iPhone into the toilet and soon four women, Patti, Cathy, Margo, and Holly come to her aid.  While these five strangers are deciding a way to retrieve the telephone, it is announced that the airport will be shutting down due to weather.  These five strangers decide to make the best of a bad situation by sharing a suite in the luxurious Rivera.

While the reasoning behind how these women end up sharing a suite may appear implausible, it serves a greater purpose.  Radish writes a beautiful novel full of emotions that come from five different women in different stages of their lives and from different parts of the United States coming together under stressful circumstances.  It took about 45 pages to really grab my interest as everything appeared so implausible, but then I became curious as to what would happen to these women next and without warning I was nearing the end of a beautiful, heart-warming, endearing and at times painful novel of five women coming into their own and learning from each other.  Each woman is described in detail throughout the novel rather than one at a time, working well with the message Radish offers her readers and by the end of the four days, it feels as thought the reader is connected to these women.   Let me state upfront, had I not been asked to review this book I would have not read past the initial bathroom scene and I would have missed out on a wonderful novel.   If I could change anything about the novel, it would be the ending, and not how the novel ends, as that is brilliant, but rather the formatting; it is simply a personal preference of mine.

Hearts on a String is a remarkable novel of friendship, trust, blind faith, and what it means to be a woman.  I noted some poor reviews and wonder if people gave up in the beginning for the reason I stated above.  Please do not give up, rather keep reading, it is very much worth getting to know these five women and the gifts they offer to each other.  I would recommend Hearts on a String as a wonderful summer read and would be interested to hear of any book groups who have discussed this book. I think the characters would agree this is a book to be shared.

About the Author:

Kris Radish is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA, The Sunday List of Dreams, Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral, Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn, The Elegant Gathering of White Snows, The Shortest Distance Between Two Women, and Hearts on a String. She lives in Florida, where she is at work on her next novel, which Bantam will publish.

Additional information about the author:

Kris’s website.
Kris’s blog.
Follow Kris on Twitter.
Kris’ Facebook Page.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of Hearts on a String by Kris Radish from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Tour and Review: The King’s Mistress by Emma Campion

Wednesday 14 July, 2010 By 1 Comment

Title: The King’s Mistress
Author: Emma Campion
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: July 6, 2010
Hardcover: 464 pages
ISBN: 978-0307589255
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

History has not been kind to Alice Perrers, the notorious mistress of King Edward III. Scholars and contemporaries alike have deemed her a manipulative woman who used her great beauty and sensuality to take advantage of an aging and increasingly senile king. But who was the woman behind the scandal? A cold-hearted opportunist or someone fighting for her very survival?

Like most girls of her era Alice is taught obedience in all things. At the age of fourteen she marries the man her father chooses for her, dutifully accepting the cost of being torn from the family she holds so dear and losing the love of her mother forever. Despite these heartbreaks Alice finds that merchant Janyn Perrers is a good and loving husband and the two settle into a happy life together. Their bliss is short-lived, however, unraveled the dark day a messenger appears at Alice’s door and notifies her of Janyn’s sudden disappearance.

In the wake of this tragedy, Alice learns that her husband kept many dangerous secrets–secrets that result in a price on her own head and that of her beloved daughter. Her only chance to survive lies in the protection of King Edward and Queen Philippa, but she therefore must live at court as a virtual prisoner. When she is singled out by the king for more than just royal patronage, the stakes are raised. Disobeying Edward is not an option, not when her family is at risk, but the court is full of ambitious men and women, many of whom will stop at nothing to see her fall fron grace. The whispers and gossip abound, isolating Alice, who finds unexpected solace in her love for the king.

Emma Campion paints a colorful and thrilling portrait of the court of Edward III–with all of its extravagance, scandalous love affairs, political machinations, and murder–and the devastating results of being singled out by the royal family. At the center of the storm is Alice, surviving by her wits in this dangerous world where the choices are not always of her own making. Emma Campion’s dazzling novel shows that there is always another side to the story.

My Review:

Alice Perrers, born Alice Salisbury has historically been categorically vilified and author Emma Campion decides to take a different look at the life of Alice in her novel, The King’s Mistress. Campion takes a completely different approach from other accounts I have read and makes Alice out to be a charming and sweet woman beginning in 1355 with a desire to be a good daughter and marry well to help her father, a successful merchant. At the age of 13, she pledges to marry Janyn Perrers, but at the extreme displeasure of her mother. A good portion of the novel focuses on her marriage to Janyn as well as textiles, which makes sense, as she is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. The fabrics and styles add to the time period, yet I would have preferred less fabrics and more depth into the characters. Janyn mysteriously disappears and Alice soon requires the assistance of King Henry III and Queen Philippa. Those familiar with this time period know approximately what will occur, those not will be surprised, so I shall not divulge anything other than that this novel contains mystery, intrigue, love, scandal and dangerous secrets. Campion goes to great lengths to reshape the public’s opinion of Alice. Campion’s writing style is fluid, descriptive, mysterious as well as entertaining, yet I could not quite buy Alice as she is written in this novel. The King’s Mistress is an interesting read and for those, like me, interested in historical fiction, this is another take on King Henry’s mistress, Alice Perrers. I would suggest reading other novels about this complicated woman to get a more complete sense of this infamous woman. I found The King’s Mistress to be a delightful read and as wrong as this may sound, I discovered I prefer the more scandalous version of Alice Perrers than the version Campion offers, yet I would recommend The King’s Mistress to those who enjoy historical fiction. I would have liked to have been discussing this book while I read it, so I would recommend it as a discussion group choice.

About the Author:

Emma Campion did her graduate work in medieval and Anglo-Saxon literature and is the world’s foremost scholar on Alice Perrers. She lives in Seattle.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of The King’s Mistress by Emma Campion from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden

Tuesday 13 July, 2010 By 9 Comments

Title: Farm Fatale: A Comedy of Country Manors
Author: Wendy Holden
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: July 1, 2010
Paperback: 432 pages
ISBN: 9978-1402237164
Genre: Fiction, Brit Lit


From the Publisher:

A witty, beloved novel of heart and heartland, Farm Fatale skewers the culture clash of city vs. country in the snappy, observant style that made Wendy Holden famous.

Cash-strapped Rosie and her boyfriend Mark are city folk longing for a country cottage. Rampant nouveaux riches Samantha and Guy are also searching for rustic bliss—in the biggest mansion money can buy. The village of Eight Mile Bottom seems quiet enough, despite a nosy postman, a reclusive rock star, a glamorous Bond Girl, and a ghost with a knife in its back. But there are unexpected thrills in the hills, and Rosie is rapidly discovering that country life isn’t so simple after all.

My Review:

Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden is a lively, faced-paced, clever novel that makes for a delightful afternoon of reading or the perfect summer book pick. The adventure begins as Rosie and Mark decide to give up life in the city and choose to move to Eight Mile Bottom in the country, beginning a brilliantly witty tale of the antics of the rather eccentric characters of Eight Mile Bottom. Will Rosie and Mark be able to survive country life?
Holden writes a brilliant novel filled with a delightful and eclectic cast of characters, vivid description and imagery further ensconces the reader into Eight Mile Bottom. I recommend Farm Fatale to anyone looking for a charming, witty novel. Pack up a copy of Farm Fatale into your bag before heading to the beach and you shall not be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review and Tour: I Love You And I’m Leaving You Anyway by Tracy McMillan

Tuesday 13 July, 2010 By 7 Comments

Title: I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway
Author: Tracy McMillan
Publisher: It Books
Publication Date: April 13, 2010
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-0061724657
Genre: Memoir

From the Publisher:

I love You

Television writer Tracy McMillan managed to work her way into a killer Hollywood career—a privileged world of pool houses, premieres, and big-time producer deals—despite being the daughter of a fur-coat-wearing, El Dorado–driving, smooth-talking pimp named Freddie. But success couldn’t save her from the pattern of self-destructive choices—stemming from her history with her father—that would shape all of her romantic relationships. I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway is her comic, tragic, and ultimately victorious story, the riveting true tale of how having a father obsessed with women made her a woman obsessed with men.

And I’m Leaving You

Blessed with beauty and brains, Tracy had no problem attracting men. Marrying her first husband (a kind, stable MBA) before she was out of her teens, she quickly discovered the romantic contradiction that so many women face: the “right” kind of men feel wrong. And the wrong ones feel so, so right. Alternating between the nice guys she knew she should want, and the unavailable men who were compelling, Tracy found herself repeating the hurt that began when the man who loved her the most, her father, left her for prison when she was just three years old. Freddie’s absence meant a childhood filled with foster homes, a temperamental stepmother, and near constant upheaval. It took three marriages, the birth of a son, and, most important, resolving her relationship with her dad for Tracy to discover the truth about herself—a truth that finally set her free.

Anyway

This provocative, insightful, and humorous memoir isn’t a “woe is me” story of what went wrong. I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway is a story of what’s gone right—one woman’s journey to creating a fulfilling life and raising a son who taught her everything she needed to know about men, love, and, of course, herself. Heartwarming, funny, and unflinchingly real, it is an inspiring testament to the power of change that proves we can all grow from even our most flawed relationships.

My Review:

Deeply moving, I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway by Tracy McMillan is a touching, witty, heartbreaking and endearing memoir of a young girl whose parents happen to be a pimp and a prostitute. She first was separated from her parents when her father was first incarcerated when she was three years old.  McMillan spends her childhood visiting her father in various prisons over the years and struggles with her identity and her life until the day in 1997 when her search for the perfect man ends and she gives birth to her son.

One of the most endearing qualities about I Love You And I’m Leaving You Anyway is the fact that McMillan neither feels sorry for herself nor makes excuses for her life, rather she tries to piece together her childhood, rediscover her roots and understand her behaviour.  One might think, considering the mitigating circumstances, McMillan may have gone the way of her parents, but rather she became a journalist, defied the odds and became a writer in Hollywood.  However she does have issues, mainly self-esteem and her distrust of men.  McMillan takes the reader not on a casual journey down memory lane, but rather a rollercoaster ride that will thrill the reader and keep the reader fully immersed in her life. The narration alternates between her childhood and her adult life in a no-nonsense manner.  One word of caution, there is mature language used in this memoir, it is not extensive or disrupting, however I know some people prefer to know up front.

I Love You and I am Leaving You Anyway is a beautiful, witty, articulate look at the life McMillan has lead, and the lessons she has learned through the various foster homes, schools, 3 marriages,  and her numerous visits to the various prisons her father ends up in (her personal favourite being Leavenworth with its neoclassical beauty).  I highly recommend I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway to anyone looking for poignant memoir about finding oneself and learning what it means to love and be loved.

About the Author:

Tracy McMillan is a television writer and memoirist, most recently on the Emmy Award–winning AMC series Mad Men. Previously, she wrote on Showtime’s United States of Tara, ABC’s Life on Mars, and NBC’s Journeyman. She’s also developing an as-yet-untitled series with Dreamworks Television. I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway is Tracy’s first book.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Tracy spent years in the foster-care system. After graduating from the University of Utah with a broadcast-journalism degree, she spent more than a decade writing and producing television news for outlets such as NBC Nightly News, KNBC-TV, and Access Hollywood. Tracy’s articles and essays have appeared in a number of print publications and websites. She is a regular performer at Sit-n-Spin on the Comedy Central stage in Los Angeles.

She is the mother of a 13-year-old boy, and lives in Los Angeles.

Her not-so-secret ambition is to have a talk show.
For further information:

  • For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.
  • Follow Tracy McMillan on Twitter.

    • I received a complimentary copy of I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway by Tracy McMillan from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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    Book Review: Sand In My Eyes by Christine Lemmon

    Monday 12 July, 2010 By 9 Comments

    Title: Sand In My Eyes
    Author: Christine Lemmon
    Publisher: Penmark Publishing, LLC
    Publication Date: July 1, 2010
    Paperback: 355 pages
    ISBN: 978-0971287426
    Genre: Fiction

    About the Book:

    Twenty years ago, Anna Hott thought she could control everything-her crumbling marriage, her demanding children, her hectic life-by quitting her high-paced job in New York City and moving her family to tranquil Sanibel Island, Florida. But she brought her untamed emotions, her rage toward her cheating husband, and her yearning to write a novel with her. When her husband and children left the house for a week, Anna thought at last she would get her household, her novel, and her mind in order.

    Instead, her elderly neighbor Fedelina Aurelio knocked on her door bearing flowers and homespun wisdom, and when Fedelina’s recently divorced son arrived, Anna had a test of passion and a test of truth.

    Now, with an empty nest, Anna Hott pulls out the incomplete manuscript she started that memorable week and-to find closure for her life and a conclusion for her novel-travels to Indiana to visit Fedelina who lives in a nursing home.

    Sand in My Eyes is both a story about the tension between motherhood and personal dreams as well as a story about women across generations inspiring one another.

    My Review:

    An absolutely beautiful novel, Sand In My Eyes by Christine Lemmon is a story of friendship, women, and the different stages of life.  As the story opens, Anna Holt, now in her 50s finds herself an empty nester worrying about her daughter Marjorie, now off on her own.  Lemmon tells the story through Anna’s life about the struggles of motherhood, marriage, day-to-day living and the insight from her older neighbour Fedelina.  Each woman adds a new insight into life and surviving the demands of motherhood.   The characters are exceedingly realistic, well written, and are women easy to identify with.  When Anna’s story begins, she is an overwhelmed mother of three in a marriage she is no longer certain she wants. Completely exhausted, the last thing she believes she needs is her older neighbour coming over and telling her how women can learn a lot from orchids.  How wrong first impressions can indeed be as these two unlikely of women offer so much more to each other than either realises.  The garden metaphor was an intriguing choice and one that was used well.   The ending came as quite an unwelcome surprise, and even though I can see why Lemmon chose to use it, I prefer to have the novel end a few pages earlier.  Sand In My Eyes is a brilliantly woven story of women and how a woman’s life is one large metamorphosis, yet another meaningful metaphor used in this extraordinary book, showcasing the many stages of a woman’s life.  I would recommend Sand In My Eyes to any reader, but especially to women.  This would make an astounding pick for a book discussion group.

    About the Author:

    Christine Lemmon is the author of Sanibel Scribbles, Portion of the Sea and Sand in My Eyes. She lives on an island off Florida’s Gulf Coast – in a house on stilts! – with her husband and children.

    For further information please visit Christine Lemmon’s website, Facebook and Twitter.

    I received a complimentary copy of Sand In My Eyes by Christine Lemmon from BookSparks PR. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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    Book Tour and Review: Lit by Mary Karr

    Monday 12 July, 2010 By 10 Comments

    Title: Lit
    Author: Mary Karr
    Publisher: Harper Perennial
    Publication Date: June 29, 2010
    Paperback: 432 pages
    ISBN: 978-0060596996
    Genre: Memoir

    From the Publisher:

    Lit is about getting drunk and getting sober; becoming a mother by letting go of a mother; learning to write by learning to live. Written with Karr’s relentless honesty, unflinching self-scrutiny, and irreverent, lacerating humor, it is a truly electrifying story of how to grow up—as only Mary Karr can tell it.

    My Review:

    Lit by Mary Karr is her third memoir and the first book I have read by her. By all accounts, Karr had a brutal childhood, which shaped her teenage years as well as her adult years, the years focused on in Lit. Karr opens the book with a letter to her son in which she mentions this book is her way to try and explain to him how she ended up an alcoholic and how she found her way back out and is now the person she is. The short of it is an alcoholic mother who deals with divorce, raising a child, and reclaiming her life.

    By nature I adore memoirs and the glimpses into the lives of others, and the lessons to be learned from those that have gone before me. I really wanted to love Lit, but I did not, which is not to say Karr did not do a splendid job writing because she did. Her prose is close to perfect and in a laid back manner that makes the reader feel as though Karr is directly speaking to the reader. Karr fluidly goes through the years and her experiences, the good, bad, and downright ugly, sparing nothing, or so it appears, and at a rather fast clip. Karr’s rawness is most likely a trademark she uses in her memoirs, however not having read the other two, I cannot be certain on that account. Karr’s ability to write about her spiraling down to rock bottom, beginning shortly after her son was born must have taken an amazing feat of inner strength, not to mention her sharing her story with the world. I truly enjoyed all of Karr’s literary references (she even mentions my beloved Nabokov) and found Lit an interesting read, but I did not love it.

    I have been trying to pinpoint what exactly makes my opinion of Lit just average. Certainly it is not based on the writing style, nor the lack of information provided by Karr, for she has an abundance of information at times, to a point where I think some character development was lost. I simply found Lit to be a good book with a narrative I have heard before, different names, and circumstances to be sure, yet sadly an all too familiar tale. It is quite possible my opinion would change if I read the previous two books, The Liars’ Club and Cherry, which would give me the entire picture of Karr’s life, but I can only go with what I have in front of me, which is Lit. Would I recommend Lit? Certainly. Do I believe a lot can be gleamed from Karr’s life and others can learn from her experiences? Absolutely. I would strongly recommend reading the other reviews on the tour, as mine is just one opinion in a vast sea of opinions.

    About the Author:

    Mary Karr is an award-winning poet and best-selling memoirist. She is the author of Lit, the long-awaited sequel to her critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling memoirs The Liars’ Club and Cherry. A born raconteur, she brings to her lectures and talks the same wit, irreverence, joy, and sorrow found in her poetry and prose. A sought-after speaker, Karr has given distinguished talks at prestigious universities, libraries, and writers’ festivals, including Harvard University, Oxford University, Princeton University, Brown University, Syracuse University (“On Salmon Rushdie” with Salmon Rushdie), the New York Public Library, the Los Angeles Public Library, the Folger Library (Poetry Society of America/Emily Dickinson Lecture), The New Yorker Literary Festival, PEN/Faulkner, and the Festival of Faith and Writing. Karr welcomes conversation with her audience and she is known for her spirited, lively, and engaging Q&A sessions.
    For further information:

  • For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.
  • Visit Mary Karr’s Facebook page.
  • Watch the book trailer for Lit.

    • I received a complimentary copy of Lit by Mary Karr from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

    Filed Under: A Book review, Book Tour Tagged With: , , , ,

    Book Review: The News Where You Are by Catherine O’Flynn

    Saturday 10 July, 2010 By 5 Comments

    Title: The News Where You Are
    Author: Catherine O’Flynn
    Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
    Publication Date: July 6, 2010
    Paperback: 272 pages
    ISBN: 978-0805091809
    Genre: Literature, Fiction

    From the Publisher:

    Frank Allcroft, a television news anchor in his hometown (where he reports on hard-hitting events, like the opening of canine gyms for overweight pets), is on the verge of a mid-life crisis. Beneath his famously corny on-screen persona, Frank is haunted by loss: the mysterious hit-and-run that killed his predecessor and friend, Phil, and the ongoing demolition of his architect father’s monumental postwar buildings. And then there are the things he can’t seem to lose, no matter how hard he tries: his home, for one, on the market for years; and the nagging sense that he will never quite be the son his mother—newly ensconced in an assisted-living center—wanted.

    As Frank uncovers the shocking truth behind Phil’s death, and comes to terms with his domineering father’s legacy, it is his beloved young daughter, Mo, who points him toward the future. Funny and touching, The News Where You Are is a moving exploration of what we do and don’t leave behind, proving once more that Catherine O’Flynn’s writing “shimmers with dark brilliance” (Chicago Tribune).

    My Review:

    Appearances can be deceiving as evidenced in Catherine O’Flynn’s novel, The News Where You Are. On the surface, the novel is about local news reporter Frank Allcroft and how his life has changed since the death of his predecessor, Phil Smethway, and to a degree it is, but that is only the surface. Frank is rethinking much of his life and his future while going through the day-to-day motions of being a good husband, father and son as well as being the best local news reporter he can muster.
    Six months after Phil’s death, Frank is noticing the void left by loss. The demolition of the buildings his deceased father was the architect for, his visits to see his perpetually melancholy mother, and most concerning to his wife, Frank’s newest obsession of attending the funerals of those who have passed away, whether broadcasted or merely overlooked. To add to Frank’s firm belief that there must be something left behind after one ceases to exist, is the question of Phil’s death and how could it have been possible for it to have been an accident when the road is wide and flat? Frank is not the only one wondering about the past and leaving a mark on the world. Michael, a chum of Phil’s has found himself wandering to places that are no longer and reminiscing about the past.
    O’Flynn writes several stories interwoven into one, which on the surface seem akin to midlife crises, workaday observances, and the dichotomy of the optimism of youth in Frank’s daughter Mo verses the pure melancholy of the elderly as seen in Frank’s mother Maureen. And yet, O’Flynn takes the reader far deeper into the story, beyond the everyday, even beyond the mysterious death of Phil, to a philosophical discussion, and at times, debate about life. The News Where You Are is a deeply moving, heartwarming and often witty look at life and how what matters is often the things we leave out. The characters are exceedingly realistic and one is easily drawn into the novel, fully absorbed and thinking about life and death and what is truly important in life. I would not hesitate to recommend The News Where You Are to anyone looking for a brilliantly written novel that will entertain, enlighten and make one give pause. The News Where You Are would make for an excellent discussion book.

    About the Author:

    Catherine O’Flynn’s debut novel, What Was Lost, won the Costa First Novel Award in 2007, was short-listed for The Guardian First Book Award, and was long-listed for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. She lives in Birmingham, England.

    I received a complimentary copy of The News Where You Are by Catherine O’Flynn from Henry Holt and Company Publishers. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

    Filed Under: A Book review Tagged With: , , , ,
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