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Book Review: The Home For Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman

knittingmomof3 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:00:22 +0000

Title: The Home For Broken Hearts
Author: Rowan Coleman
Publisher: Gallery; Original edition
Publication Date: September 7, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-1439156858
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

THE DOOR IS OPEN . . .

For young widow Ellen Wood, her Victorian home is a refuge—a place to feel safe with her eleven-year-old son, Charlie. But when money grows so tight that Ellen could lose the house, her sister, Hannah, makes a radical suggestion . . . rent out some of the rooms. Soon Ellen has three lodgers: Sabine, a German coworker of Hannah’s, recently separated from her husband; Allegra, an eccentric but wise novelist; and Matt, an up-and-coming young journalist in search of his voice, who has just landed a plum job in London.

Ellen thinks three strangers are the last complication she needs, but they make her realize just how isolated she has become. Their presence exposes a secret she’s been keeping hidden, as well as a conflict with her sister that is both shocking and revealing. And while a love affair with a younger man seems like a fantasy powered by her imagination, Ellen can’t deny her deep connection to Matt, or the changes he inspires in her and her relationship with Charlie. Outside her home’s sheltering walls lies a world of opportunity as well as danger. Now that she’s had the courage to open the door, does Ellen dare step through?

Witty, moving, and deeply insightful, The Home for Broken Hearts celebrates everything that makes life worth living, from an author who knows just how to speak to the heart.

My Review:

Beautiful, heart-warming, and redemptive, The Home For Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman is a beautiful portrayal of some of the most life-changing situations one can envision and the healing that comes with time. Eleven months ago, Ellen’s life drastically changed when her husband was killed in a motor vehicle crash. Since Nick’s death, Ellen has only felt comfort inside their home working as a copyeditor for romance fiction novels and caring for her son Charlie. Ellen thought life was going as good as could possibly be expected when she learns that Nick’s life insurance policy will not pay out and she is in dire need of cash. Seeking out her sister’s counsel, Hannah convinces her to let out rooms in the house. Little does Ellen know how important this one step will be for her and her tenants Sabine, Matt, Allegra as well as Hannah and Charlie. Coleman’s novel is filled with intricate detail, wonderful and eclectic characters and some extremely sensitive issues worked beautifully and seamlessly into the story. It is truly brilliant to watch how Ellen transforms throughout the novel, while there were some points I was not crazy about (I cannot reveal them here), I did like to see the growth and transformation in all of the characters, especially in Matt and Charlie. All told, The Home For Broken Hearts makes for an excellent evening or weekend of reading and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to curl up with.

About the Author:

Rowan Coleman worked in bookselling and publishing for seven years, during which time she won the Company magazine Young Writer of the Year award. She lives in England, where she is working on her next novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Home For Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Book Review: Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio

knittingmomof3 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:00:01 +0000

Title: Ugly as Sin: The Truth About How We Look and Finding Freedom From Self-Hatred
Author: Toni Raiten-D’Antonio
Publisher: HCI; 1 edition
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Hardcover: 268 pages
ISBN: 978-0757314650
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Improvement

From the Publisher:

‘I’m Ugly. You’re Ugly. So What?’

In Ugly as Sin Toni Raiten-D’Antonio, MSW, breaks the ultimate social taboo by insisting that she is ugly in the eyes of the world. More shocking still, she calls on the rest of us to own our ugliness too. But don’t be insulted. There’s a liberating purpose to her message, one that could finally set you free from the obsessing, self-doubt, and self-criticism that all of us participate in when we think about how we look.

In this unprecedented examination of ugliness, its pervasiveness in our society, and the havoc it wreaks on our psyches, spirits, and bodies, Raiten-D’Antonio bravely confronts the problem of ugliness (including her own) and opens a dialogue that is provocative and inspiring. She reveals the roots of our perceptions of ugliness and beauty, tracing them through biology, art, religion, and culture and shows how we have been led to fear being defined as ugly (‘ugliphobia’), and how this dread has become a universal problem. Comparing ourselves to impossible and ever-changing ideals of beauty, we endlessly cycle between efforts at self improvement and hopelessness.

What you will learn from Ugly as Sin is that overcoming ugliphobia begins with understanding the origins of the problem and learning that what we call ugly is not frightening or alien but part of being human. With searing honesty and empathy, Raiten-D’Antonio gives us the courage to redefine ugliness according to our own standards, while providing tools for finding self-acceptance and living in a world in which ugliness seems to be the ultimate sin.

My Review:

If anyone has ever thought “if only I was taller, shorter, thinner, bustier, curvier, less curvy, had a different nose, hair, smile”, and yes, the list could go on endlessly, then Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio is a book for you. D’Antonio takes a deep look at the terms ugly and beautiful, and how these terms have evolved throughout time and how women’s perceptions and self-esteems have changed with these perceptions. D’Antonio begins the book by informing the reader that everyone is ugly in the hopes of shattering the myth of pretty verses not pretty to help liberate women who torture themselves because they do not look like one person or another, and that we are all ugly insofar as we cannot possibly live up to the ideal set up by today’s media. D’Antonio shares her earliest memories and awareness of beauty and how it affected her thoughts throughout her childhood. She proceeds to write three subsections: Origins; Ugliness and Culture; The Ugly Effects; Overcoming Ugliphobia and sums up with how we can help spread the word and help our children to grow up strong and confident. D’Antonio follows up her book with a detailed appendix showcasing how women of all ages have felt about themselves, a wonderful list of sources, and a detailed index. Ugly As Sin is a book to empower women and help women of all ages to realize that their potential does not lie in their appearance or body size. I would, without a doubt, recommend Ugly As Sin to every girl, teen, and woman.

About the Author:

Toni Raiten-D’Antonio, LCSW, is a well-known psychotherapist with a thriving private practice in Suffolk County, Long Island. She is a professor of psychology and social work at Empire State College. Prior to becoming a therapist she worked in television and theater as both a performer and producer. She has two daughters and lives in New York with her husband, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael D’Antonio.

Visit Toni Raiten-D’Antonio’s website.

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

I received a complimentary copy of Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio 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.

Book Review: What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen

knittingmomof3 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:00:30 +0000

Title: What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper
Author: Paula Marantz Cohen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: September 7, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-1402243554
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

From the Publisher:

Under Certain Circumstances, No One Is More Suited to Solving a Crime than a Woman Confined to Her Bed

An invalid for most her life, Alice James is quite used to people underestimating her. And she generally doesn’t mind. But this time she is not about to let things alone. Yes, her brother Henry may be a famous author, and her other brother William a rising star in the new field of psychology. But when they all find themselves quite unusually involved in the chase for a most vile new murderer—one who goes by the chilling name of Jack the Ripper—Alice is certain of two things:

No one could be more suited to gather evidence about the nature of the killer than her brothers. But if anyone is going to correctly examine the evidence and solve the case, it will have to be up to her.

My Review:

What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen takes a look at Henry, William, and Alice James and how they each use their talents to help Scotland Yard find Jack the Ripper. While William James is the person Scotland Yard has summoned from Harvard to help assist them, it is his brother Henry James who circulates among the elite in London as well as the with the great artists of the time. Meanwhile, bedridden Alice is the one who collects what her brothers have learned be it through official channels or dinner parties and newspaper clipping and ponders the clues. Cohen beautifully captures the time period, dialects, behaviours and details to bring about this most extraordinary story. Each character has been carefully thought out and well written, down to the slightest detail. I found the novel impossible to put down, shushing my family so I could finish, so engrossed was I into the lives of the James siblings and the quest to track down Jack the Ripper. I without reservation recommend What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper to anyone who enjoys an excellent mystery told in a most curious manner.

About the Author:

Paula Marantz Cohen is Distinguished Professor of English at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She is the author of Jane Austen in Boca, Jane Austen in Scarsdale, and Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan, and four scholarly works of nonfiction. She lives in Moorestown, New Jersey, with her husband and two children.

I received a complimentary copy of What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Teaser Tuesdays- What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper

knittingmomof3 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:00:31 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“He had learned early on how to transform frustration into a fantasy of fulfillment, to turn life into art. To catch Jack the Ripper, he understood, was to effect a reverse transformation, to uncover the frustrated desires that found their perverse fulfillment in murder.”

Page 46 (ARC copy), What Alice Knew: A More Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen

My review of this extraordinary book.

What are you reading?

Book Review: Last to Die by Kate Brady

knittingmomof3 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:00:09 +0000

Title: Last to Die
Author: Kate Brady
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: August 31, 2010
Paperback: 432 pages
ISBN: 978-0446541534
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

From the Publisher:

A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, someone no one believes is capable of murder. Within a week, six women will be murdered, all punished for their dark pasts. Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down this serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Dani and Mitch are instantly attracted to each other again, though their troubled pasts keep them from getting too close. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.

My Review:

A captivating suspense thriller from beginning to end, Last to Die by Kate Brody is an extraordinary thriller, which touches on extremely sensitive issues. Someone is killing prostitutes and the only lead the police have is The Foundation, headed by Mitch Sheridan, a photojournalist who has not spoken with Dani for the past eighteen years, and now their paths are about to cross once again. The heroine of the novel, Lancaster, Maryland police detective Dani Cole, is a complex and flawed character allowing the reader to be impressed with her tenacity and yet feel compassion for all she has endured. Mitch Lancaster is wealthy, good looking and has spent his life trying to save the world; he too is haunted by his own demons at night. Last to Die is filled with a rich tapestry of characters, deep emotional issues, detailed crime scenes and enough twists in the plot to keep the reader turning the pages long into the night. While the reader is given some details as to who may be involved with the murders, the twists keep coming until the end of the novel. I would strongly recommend Last to Die to anyone looking for a well-written suspense/thriller.

About the Author:

Kate Brady began writing fiction when her doctoral research became tedious. For years, she wrote in the closet, penning several novels that—thankfully—remain there. Now, she leads a double life. Some days, she’s a choral conductor and professor of music education. Other days, she plays with imaginary people on her computer.

Kate lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and an array of furry, feathery, and scaly things. When she has time to read, her nose is most often found in a police story or gourmet cooking magazine! She is currently working on her next novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Last to Die by Kate Brady from Hachette. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Book Review: The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose

knittingmomof3 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:00:27 +0000

Title: The Hypnotist
Author: M.J. Rose
Publisher: Mira
Publication Date: May 1, 2010
Hardcover: 416 pages
ISBN: 978-0778326755
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal, Thriller

About the Book:

An FBI agent, tormented by a death he wasn’t able to prevent, a crime he’s never been able to solve and a love he’s never forgotten, discovers that his true conflict resides not in his past, but in a…Past Life.

Haunted by a twenty-year old murder of a beautiful young painter, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work as a Special Agent with the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Currently investigating a crazed art collector who has begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation—dedicated to the science of past life study—where, in order to maintain his cover, he agrees to submit to the treatment of a hypnotist.

Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to 19th century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history: the theft of a 1,500 year old sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

International bestselling author M. J. Rose’s The Hynpotist is her most mesmerizing novel yet. An adventure, a love story, a clash of cultures, a spiritual quest, it is above all a thrilling capstone to her unique Reincarnation novels, The Reincarnationist and The Memorist.

My Review:

The Hypnotist is the third book in M.J. Rose’s Reincarnationist series and the first one I have read. The previous two novels are The Reincarnationist and The Memorist, which inspired the television series, Past Life, which I have never seen, and a rather round about way of me stating that while the genre was not for me, the writing is absolutely brilliant. The Hypnotist opens with the death of Lucian Glass, which occurred twenty years ago, but now Lucian is an F.B.I. agent and part of the Art Crime Division who will travel through time and space, his past lives via hypnosis. Meanwhile, in Manhattan the Iran and America cultural exchange is not going quite as planned. The Metropolitan Museum of Art happens to have the statue of Hypos and claims it was bequeathed to them and they have the proper documentation of the lineage of this piece of art. Iran wants Hypos returned, first using legal channels through Vartan Reza and then devolving to Farid Taghinia and Samimi being ordered to recover Hypos. Rose writes extremely well and her characters are quite well developed and her plot lines and twists are solid, well placed, suspenseful and strong. The history of Hypos and the plans to steal a gigantic statue from Metropolitan Museum of Art intrigued me; unfortunately the paranormal aspects of this story were lost on me. I believe that had I an interest in this genre I would have truly enjoyed The Hypnotist. However, even the strength of M.J. Rose’s writing could not change my opinion of paranormal fiction, hypnosis and reincarnation. The Hypnotist is a strong book, and even though I have not read the previous two, guessing based on the strength of this novel, I would hazard to guess that if one was interested in a mystery/thriller steeped in the paranormal then this would be a series to read.

About the Author:

M.J. Rose is the internationally bestselling author of ten previous novels and coauthor of two nonfiction books on marketing. Her work has appeared in many anthologies including Oprah’s Live Your Best Life and Thriller. The creator of the first marketing company for authors, Authorbuzz.com, Rose is also a founding member and on the board of directors of International Thriller Writers. She lives in Connecticut with composer and musician Doug Scofield and their spoiled dog, Winka.

M.J. Rose’s THE HYPNOTIST VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘10 officially began on August 2nd and will end on September 30th. You can visit M.J.’s blog stops at. www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of August and September to find out more about this great book and talented author!

I received a complimentary copy of The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose from Pump Up Your Book Promotion as part of the tour. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

It’s Monday What Are You Reading? Labor Day Edition

knittingmomof3 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:30:38 +0000

It’s Monday What Are you Reading is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs.

I had an extremely slow week due to taking an extended weekend to be with my family sans books.

I Read and Reviewed (click the title to be taken to the review):

The Miracles of Prato by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz *favourite book of the week
Leaving Before It’s Over by Jean Reynolds Page
The Life You’ve Imagined by Kristina Riggle
Vanishing Act by Liz Johnson
Darcy’s Voyage by Kara Louise

This week I am planning to read:

The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy Translated by Cathy Porter
Last To Die by Kate Brady
The Home For Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman
What Alice Knew by Paula Marantz Cohen
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio
For the King’s Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustian
For Time & Eternity by Allison Pittman
Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C. Allen Pierson
Terminal Care by Christopher Stookey
The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard

Visit next Monday to see if I managed to accomplish my reading goals.

To-morrow and To-morrow and To-morrow…

knittingmomof3 — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:11:17 +0000

Unlike Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Act 5, scene 5), I do not believe life is a poorly drawn out play, however it does go by rapidly and I find myself much more aware of time. No longer counting ticking off the months until a baby is born or counting the milestone in the life of a toddler. Instead I now notice time appears to have sped up, a mere illusion of course, yet with half of my life lived I realise now what I did not know then, cherish every single moment with loved ones, even the unpleasant ones. All began with me waking and thinking, “to-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow…” I quoted the entire monologue in my head, yet shall spare the non-Shakespearean lovers.

My point? My baby is hitting “early adult” milestones and will be leaving the nest all too soon with his twin brothers closely following in his footsteps. These are exciting times for my oldest, who no doubt believes time has slowed down and bittersweet for me, as I have spent the past 18 years preparing him for this next phase in his life and realise I never prepared myself.

Any mums out there whose children have left the nest, I am looking of any and all advice. Until Monday I shall be with my sons….

Sometimes I Need To Remember Family…

knittingmomof3 — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:30:40 +0000

…and how quickly they are growing and will be off to college.

This Is Where A Review Would Usually Be…

knittingmomof3 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:52:43 +0000

however due to this being the last Labor Day weekend I will have with my oldest son living at home I am…