What Are You Reading Monday?

Monday 5 October, 2009 By Leave a Comment


I am trying a new Meme created by J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog saying what books I read last week and what books I plan to read this week.

I did not read as much as I would have liked this week. I was ill, my son had a birthday, and we have been painting the house.

Last Week I Read:

  • The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter (344 pages) – An excellent book, the review is here.
  • Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough (349 pages) A Delightful novel, which I recommend for anyone, especially book groups. My review.
  • Trust Me by Peter Leonard (290 pages) – Mystery, suspense, and more. My review will be up this week.
  • Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy by Mary Tomer (248 pages)- My review of this fabulous fashion book.

This Week I am hoping to read:

  • Permission Slips by Sherri Shepherd (269 pages) for a review and tour.
  • The Cutting by James Hayman (326 pages) for a review.
  • Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (374 pages)- for a review and tour.
  • Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson ( 373 pages) – for a review

Check back next Monday to see how well, or not so well, I accomplish my reading goals.

Photobucket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Puzzle King-Teaser Tuesdays

Tuesday 29 September, 2009 By Leave a Comment


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!

Here is mine:
“Sometimes, when he stood there long enough, he thought he could feel their heat through his clothes and in his heart, and it would make him think that it was his mother shining down on him and filling him with her warmth. And he would wonder if, somewhere in this world, his brothers and sisters were staring up at the same stars and thinking of their lost brother, feeling that he, too, was reaching down and trying to touch them.”

~Page 258, The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter
My review, if interested, is here


What are you reading?

Photobucket

Filed Under: Teaser Tuesdays Tagged With: , , ,

The Puzzle King: A Book Review

Monday 28 September, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Title: The Puzzle King
Author: Betsy Carter
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publication Date: August 25, 2009
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1565125940

Photobucket

From the Publisher’s website :
On a gray morning in 1936, Flora Phelps stands in line at the American consulate in Stuttgart, Germany. She carries a gift for the consul, whom she will bribe in order to help her family get out of Hitler’s Germany. This is the story of unlikely heroes, the lively, beautiful Flora and her husband, the brooding, studious Simon, two Jewish immigrants who were each sent to America by their families to find better lives. An improbable match, they meet in New York City and fall in love. Simon—inventor of the jigsaw puzzle—eventually makes his fortune. Now wealthy, but still outsiders, Flora and Simon become obsessed with rescuing the loved ones they left behind in Europe whose fates are determined by growing anti-Semitism on both sides of the Atlantic.

Inspired by her family’s legends, Betsy Carter weaves a memorable tale. In the tradition of Suite Française or Amy Bloom’s Away, she explores a fascinating moment in history and creates a cast of characters who endure with dignity, grace, and hope for the future.
Copyright © 2009 by Betsy Carter

My Review:
I cannot adequately express how deeply The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter moved me. Her beautiful story grabbed me by the heart from the beginning and kept me engrossed until the very last typed word. I was unable to put this book down, so immersed was I in the lives of Simon Phelps, Flora and Seema Grossman, Margot and Fredrick Ehrlich, and their daughter Edith. The Puzzle King spans the years 1892-1936, which coincides with rising anti-Semitism following the decline of Germany after WWI, the stock market crash in the United States, and the rise of WWII. The Puzzle King begins with 9-year-old Simon Phelps traveling from Lithuania unaccompanied to America to start a new life. His goal, impressed upon him by his mother, is to find a job, earn enough money and make a home for his mother and six siblings. Intertwined with his story are the stories of Flora and Seema Grossman, two sisters who recently immigrated from Germany to America, as well as stories of their family members left behind in Germany. Beautifully mastered, Carter weaves together such an elegant and moving tale of humanity and ultimately, how one person’s faith in family saved hundreds of lives. This novel, so rich in detail, will grab the reader’s attention, if not the reader’s heart, from the start and stay with the reader long after the story has ended.
This novel, is one that will be with me for a long time and I hope others choose to read this beautiful novel and that it too will stay in the hearts and minds of its readers. The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter is indeed a novel I would recommend to everyone.

To learn the background behind the story, to view photos of the real Puzzle King and his family, visit Betsy Carter’s website.

My gratitude to Wonders & Marvels for allowing me to preview The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter.

Photobucket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

What Are You Reading Monday?

Monday 28 September, 2009 By Leave a Comment


I am trying a new Meme created by J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog saying what books I read last week and what books I plan to read this week.

Last Week I Read:

  • Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick (496 pages)- I read this for a review that will be posted in October. I truly enjoyed this book, the 2nd in the series and look forward to reading the others.
  • Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris (387 pages) – I did not get too far into this book as the genre was not my style. However the writing was very descriptive and for those interested in romance and drama, give this book a look.
  • The Ice Chorus by Sarah Stonich (328 pages) This novel was beautifully written and my review is here.
  • The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter (344 pages) – for an upcoming review.

This Week I am hoping to read:

  • The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter (344 pages) My review.
  • Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson ( 373 pages) – for a review
  • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (640 pages)- Notice, I am really trying to keep my schedule light this week to finally sit down and read this novel. I already have the second one, so I had best get going.

Check back next Monday to see how well, or not so well, I accomplish my reading goals.

Photobucket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Sunday Salon

Sunday 27 September, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The Sunday Salon.com

I enjoy being able to take time on Sundays to curl up with a good book or two. Today I am going to begin reading two books for future review:

The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter (for a review), 344 pages.
Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson (for a review) 373 pages.

I am now into my third week of attempting to fit Outlander into my reading schedule. Wish me luck! Happy Reading and please feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

All are welcome to join The Sunday Salon.

Photobucket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,