red headed book child

B.Y.O.B Book club Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

2012-01-25T11:11:00.001-08:00

Publisher: Delacorte

Format: Audio

Challenge: 2012 Audio Book Challenge

This was the second audio book I listened to in its completion. It was a hard transition from my first choice but as I got going, I found it to be quite fun to listen to. My B.Y.O.B Book club chose this as our first young adult book to read. I was planning on reading it but I thought I would give the ol' audio a try.

A brief description from Indie Bound:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess.

If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

My friend Laura wrote her review from the book club since I made the silly mistake of overbooking myself and missed the meet up. Check out Myriad Musings for her take. My opinion will be a bit different since I was the only one who listened to it.

It was an intriguing story and I was eagerly anticipating what was going to happen. Would they get out of the maze? Who was really controlling it all? Why did Thomas seem to feel like he had been there before?

I was easily intrigued and looked forward to getting back to the story after each pause. Once again, I listened to it in my car so it took me a good two weeks to finish. My only real issue with it all was the language in which the characters created. Having been confined to this world surrounded by a maze with no recollection of a life before, they essentially created their own swear words. They would call each other "Shank!" and "Greenie". It was a tad bit annoying at first and it took me a few discs to get used to. Also, there were several different characters and one narrator. He did a good job making each individual character stand out, however, some of the voices were a bit over the top. It got a bit jumbled at times. If I had read it, I don't know if I would have had the same irritation with it. Usually if there are parts that I find a bit tedious in reading, I would skim. You can't really skim with the audio version.

Most of my fellow book club friends continued on with the series; Scorch Trials and Death Cure. I had the best of intentions to do so but ended up choosing other things to read and listen to. I can't say that I won't in the future but not at this time.

Overall, they all seemed to enjoy it.

Rating: Recommend

This would not be my favorite young adult read, but I did enjoy it. It was fast paced once it got going and kept my interest. It was different enough and the world of the maze was interesting. This would be more suited to a younger reader, perhaps a fan of Maximum Ride series by James Patterson or The Last Apprentice series by James Delaney.

Next Book Up:

Blindness by Jose Saramago (March)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: MWF seeking BFF: My Year Long Search for a new Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Publisher: Ballantine (Random House)

Format: Review Copy

Purchase: Indie Bound

Challenge: Memorable Memoir Challenge

Boy, this book could not have been written for anyone more perfect than me. What a lovely memoir that hit so close to home. Thank you so much to Tom @ Random House for sending this. It was a delight to read.

I'll break it down simply for you all. Rachel, the author, is new to the city of Chicago. She is newly married and really quite happy except for one small little realization. She doesn't have any real friends. Where are her besties? Where are the gals she can call at a moments notice to go to lunch? Nowhere, that's where. She has plenty of acquaintances but no one like her two closest childhood friends. Unfortunately they live in other states and she misses having that close connection to someone in the same city.

So begins her search for her new BFF.

Her goal: 52 friend dates. One date per week for one year.

She takes on many different challenges to finding these friends from putting out an ad to taking an improv class. Along the way, she meets some amazing women who she readily admits to having girl crushes on. She also meets a handful of bitches and gals that she just doesn't click with.

I found her humor to be so refreshing and fun to read. I really think if I went on a friend date with her that we could be friends. Of course, I wonder how many gals said that upon reading her book or blog! With her love for sushi, trash magazines and her knowledge of the old TV show Sisters, I could tell she was potential BFF material. (I mean, NO ONE knows about the show Sisters. I thought I was the only one!)

Anyhoo, her sincere, sweet, sometimes insane quest to find a new BFF was really a joy to read. I do have to admit that it was a bit exhausting at times to read through how busy she truly made herself. With the constant dinners and follow up get togethers, to classes, coffee, you name it, the girl was busy and going broke! But with a supportive new husband and a drive to find her match, she plugged through.

As a married woman now with a child who has very close friends living out of state, I related to this wholeheartedly. Sure, I know a ton of people and have some wonderful folks in my life nearby but I too, struggle for BFF's that are near to me. It was really interesting to see how she broke friendships down and it made me look at those in my life a little bit closer. It's really common to be in your late 20s, early 30s and have trouble finding new friends. This book gave me some ideas and hope that finding some good ol' friendship companionship is a need that so many have and it's okay!

Rating: Recommend

I didn't find much I didn't like about this book. It was sweet, fun and intriguing to read her adventures in the land of Friend Dates. Even though there were a few times that I was exhausted at her search, her intent and desire for friendship pulled me through. I didn't feel like she was fake about it at all just to sell a book. Her humor was sincere and refreshing. I would recommend this book for fans of Jen Lancaster's books or Laurie Notaro. Fun, fresh, witty writing.

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

What to expect when you are expecting Red Headed Book Child 2012

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

2012 Updates and Changes

This year is starting out to be a very busy one for me, hence the lack of blogging as of late. I've been working really hard with my new jobs and trying to get them all working together and managing child care and household stuff...ACK! I have been reading and listening to audio books but have not had the time or really, the energy to write reviews.

I guess this is probably normal on year 3 of blogging...the romance is gone, eh?

But, no worries, I'm not going anywhere...I am simply just relaxing in my blogging responsibilities.

Every year I tweak little bits of my blog and try to stick to them for the year. This year is definitely The Year of Simple for me. I'm not going to stress about how many books I read or how many posts I post. I am going to keep it as simple as possible but still maintain some general guidelines.

So, for the year 2012 here is an update on what you can expect from

Red Headed Book Child.

Reviews:

I will continue to read my 3 favorite genres; literary fiction, mysteries, and memoirs but this year you may see me reading more young adult and children's books as well.

I will post the title and a link to Indie Bound for purchase information.

I will not post a review for every book I read. This is a change. Due to time constraints, I will pick and choose, depending on how strong I feel about the book, on what I will review. I will, however, keep a sidebar tracking of each book I have read, for your curiousity.

Rating System:

I found I was never giving any rating below a 4 last year when I had the 1-6 rating system so I am getting rid of that. Really, my purpose of "rating" a book is whether or not I think you, as a reader, should read it. So, it will be either Recommended or Not Recommended. I will then give a few points as to why and why not. See? Simple.

Book Clubs:

A lot of my reading last year came from my two book clubs. I will be posting reviews for those books read for each of them and will post along the sidebar once again.

Buttons:

I may clean up my sidebars a bit and get rid of these buttons. It doesn't mean I love you less, I just may want my blog to look a little simpler. TBD...

Sidebars:

My sidebars will include my challenge, the challenges I've joined, my mystery giveaways, what I'm reading, my book clubs and any blog tours I may join. Those items will remain consistent.

Awards:

I will not be accepting or giving any awards.

My Challenge:

Due to my lack of funds, I have only one link for my A-Z Mystery Author Challenge and that is the one to post your reviews. Click on the sidebar to grab the link and sign up and post your reviews as well.

Comments:

I generally respond to your comments by email, not in my post. That could change if I am unable to reply back to you in email form. As always, I appreciate any and all comments I get!

I think I covered it all. My life has been a whirlwind of change these past few years since I started this blog. While I was working full-time before at the bookstore, I never would have had the time to do this. Though hard, my transition from that career to being a SAHM has opened my eyes and heart to the book blogging community. I still love it very much. I will try every year to continue to talk about my passion for books on this little ol' site.

I thank all of you for growing and changing with me.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

2012 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge: Sign Up AND Post Reviews Here

2012-01-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: January 2012

2012-01-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

Are you all ready for year 2 of The Year of Mysterious Giveaways?!

(I'm imaging crowds screaming...whoooooooo!)

Well, alrighty then!

I'm going to give it a go and deliver up a variety of mysteries to give away;

from cozy to thriller.

This month I wanted to start out with a little cozy.

The White House Chef Mysteries are really fun reads! I've only read one, Buffalo West Wing, and had a lot of fun with it. My mom has read all of them and just wants to borrow this before I give it away!

Click here for a full description!

I did not feel like I missed out on much not having read the first three books.

Contest Rules:

Contest runs from January 5-January 31

Please reside in the United States

Please be a follower

Please leave an email address

Thanks to Dana Kaye @ Kaye Publicity for sending me a copy to give away!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways December 2011 winner!

2012-01-05T17:49:00.001-08:00

Once again, I'm behind on all things with due dates!

Sorry!

The winner of Darkness all Around by Doug Magee is...

skkorman said...
Sounds like a good read—please enter me to win! I'm a GFC follower (skkorman)!

skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

Thanks all for entering!

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Ladies Book club: December 2011

2012-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind on this post because really all we did was eat and drink. We chose not to read a book for the month of December. Too busy with the holidays and whatnot. We all bought treats and wine and had a blast!!!

Treats included homemade oreo balls, truffles, nut goodie bars, spritz cookies, nuts, cheese, crackers, peanut butter cups, etc. And wine...lots of wine. We feasted!

All 11 of us were in attendance too!

It's been a lovely year with the Ladies and I've enjoyed sharing our book choices and our opinions this year. Thanks for going along on the ride.

We are starting up again in January and ready for a rocking good reading year.

Our book choice?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

YAY!

Stay tuned!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

2012 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

2011-12-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2nd Annual A-Z Mystery Author Challenge!

My purpose of creating this challenge was to read more of one of my favorite genres while also discovering new authors. Because I did not "complete" any part of the challenge last year as I outlined in the rules, I've decided to change it this year.

This year I am leaving it opened for you, dear participants, to create your own levels.

Read all "A" authors. Read "A-G" authors.

Read "M-Z" Authors. Or continue from last year and try to complete more letters and get the whole alphabet.

You choose. :)

My plan is to continue to seek out those mystery authors I've always wanted to read and discover new ones as well. I will record on my sidebar what I read for this year and post my reviews and links on my challenge sidebar.

One thing I noticed in myself tin 2011 is that I have a ton of authors in the same letters that I really want to read. For example, "G". Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerristen, Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes.

I found myself not wanting to read other letters, just to fulfill it, because my interest was in the a few letters I had already "completed".

So stress be gone. I'll read whatever mystery I want and record as such. It will be a continuing challenge that might take me a few years to complete the whole alphabet. I'm confident it will happen in time. :)

RULES:

Challenge runs from January 1 - December 31, 2012. Sign up ends February 1, 2012.
Each letter represents the last name of the mystery author. G= for Sue Grafton.
You decide your level.
Mystery genre can include Cozy, Suspense, Thriller, or Noir. All Adult novels please.
Sign up on Mr. Linky.
Write a post about this challenge and what letters you want to read. You can list the authors you choose or do it as you go.
When you post your reviews, mention this challenge and link back to this sign up post.
New button will be available that will have my new blog address on it. Feel free to grab this one for now!

I look forward to following all of you on your mystery reading adventures in 2012.

Thank you to all of you who participated in 2011 and congrats to those that completed it!

Marce @ Tea Time with Marce

Bev @ My Reader's Block

These ladies read a wonderful selection within the mystery genre.

If you haven't checked them out, please do so!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

My Year End Wrap Up 2011

2011-12-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

"56 Books, Mama? Really? That's all you read this year?"

Toddler shakes head and gives me look pictured above.

"Plum pitiful"

I know. I know. Back off, little man. :)

I kid, obviously but the boy is right. I did only read 56 books this year, down from my 65 books from the year before. But to recap in the fashion of the previous year, my 2011, like my 2010, came with many ups and many downs. I always thought I read more but maybe, in reality, I'm just paying more attention to it and spending more time blogging and reviewing instead of reading. It takes energy and dedication to blog about every book you read. That puts pressure, although most of the time enjoyable, on me as a reader. I struggled with that this year and the ups/downs of my daily life didn't help.

Let's start with the downs, shall we?

My career with Borders came to a screeching halt after the company liquidated. I saw the store I put together with my sweaty little hands get torn apart my savages.

I came to an eye opening, heart pounding realization that I am financially in the crap bucket; my home value is equal to that of a cardboard box on the corner and no help is to be found.

After believing that I was a fertile powerhouse capable of having millions of babies I came to discover that getting pregnant the second time around is like winning the lottery. Not very likely.

And I now have arthritis on my OTHER big toe. Craptastic.

Luckily, with all of these downs, I did have plenty of ups to balance it all out:

First, my peanut of a boy (see awesome photo again), is a smart, feisty, fun, creative, fast talking, bright little guy who loves to go to school and is now POTTY TRAINED (pause for super freaky happy dance here!) He is the light of my life while at the same time running me ragged.

I continue to work at my local library and am still loving it!

I had the chance to go to BEA and the Book Blogger Convention again this year. I had the awesome privilege of rooming with Ms. Stacy of A Novel Source and got to hang out with the wonderful, wonderful Steph from Steph the Bookworm and her equally wonderful mom, Kim. I consider these folks to be my friends now. So happy!

I also got a chance to hang with the super talented, star in the making, mystery author,

Sandra Brannan and my friend, Christine from The happily ever after.

This whole event was a huge deal for me because I went by myself and had a blast. Tours of publishers, networking cocktail parties, tons of books, etc. It was amazing!

I got to work at the Midwest Booksellers Association Trade Show and worked with a ton of authors and literary folk. I think this is going to be a nice step towards an even

more literary life for me!

I purchased my own domain name and officially became www.redheadedbookchild.com

I participated in a Thrill Week with Marce at Tea Time with Marce.

On top of it all, I got another job. This time at an independent bookstore in Minneapolis, one of the largest in the midwest actually. I am pretty excited with it. It all happened with some connections with literary folks that I know and being in the right place at the right time, I guess. I am really happy with it and look forward to what the new year brings with it all.

And, I discovered New Girl, my favorite new TV show and that I secretly enjoy dancing to Taylor Swift. I know. I know. Would this be considered an up? Well, yes, I think it does. I dance joyfully and it makes me happy. I'm usually accompanied by my remote for a microphone and a fuzzy scarf for jazzy stage dress.

Overall, another full year for me in 2011. What can I say about 2012? I guess I just want to continue to find my happiness within myself and my family and with you all. Of course, I want to read a ton of books but I'm not going to stress myself out on the number or whether I not I complete challenges. I'm going to have fun!

Now on to my year in books...

Books Read:

Books Read including Children's Books:

152

Review Copies read:

Library Loan:

Owned Books Read:

Challenges participated in:

My A-Z Mystery Author Challenge 11/26, History Challenge 0/2, Memoir Challenge 3/6, Read from your Shelves Project 6/10

Favorite New Author:

Lisa Gardner

Best Review Book I almost said No to:

Wrecker by Summer Wood

Best Discovery:

Creep by Jennifer Hillier

(a frightening new series)

Guilty Pleasure:

Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins

Least Favorite Book of 2011:

Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

(should have left the past in the past, yo)

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2011:

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Lot's Return to Sodom by Sandra Brannan

The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

As always, I had fun reading and that will continue to be my motivation as I enter my third year blogging. I always enjoy your company as my friends and my readers. I will continue to be me and keep it low key and full of my delightful humor (wink). I treasure you all who have been with me from the beginning. I look forward to those I have recently "met" and will continue to "meet". Though I may not stop by as often these days, your readership and support and involvement in this book blogging community continues to inspire me.

Here's to a bright and beautiful 2012!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Holy Crap! The End of the Year is coming!

2011-12-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

Things I am behind on due to the holidays and sickness hitting our household like a ram truck.

1. Reviews! To come: a review of The Maze Runner by James Dashner and The Night Circus.

2. The Year of Mysterious Giveaways wrap up.

3. December's post for Ladies Book Club. Really, we just drank and ate tons of cookies, but still...worth posting, don't you think?

4. Challenges I'm interested in for 2012. Yes, there are a ton. Am I capable of completing a challenge? Probably not...

5. The 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge Wrap Up

6. the 2012 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge Post! Yes, I'm doing it again folks! Please don't give up on me. I'll get there. It's happening!!!

Still with me?

Whew, thanks!

I hope to find more time this weekend. Sickness, be gone! Or else, I'm coming for you.

(fists in air!)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:14:00.001-08:00

Even though we have a sick household, we are making the best of it. The kiddo has croup and an ear infection. No fun! But we are enjoying it as much as we can, staying inside.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

Hope your day is full of love and good times.

Thanks for being a reader and support of Red Headed Book Child.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (review #145)

2011-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Wither

Author: Laurne DeStefano

Genre: Dystopian Young Adult

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Format: Review Copy (Thank you to Simon and Schuster!)

Why the sudden rash of Young Adult reviews, you may ask? Well, it's been a long time since I've been in the mood to read Young Adult and I've been very lucky in my choices. I just had to share with you all another amazing read geared towards the young adult reader. I do have to say, though, this one is quite adult in my eyes. It was fast paced, intriguing and if I may add the much too used term and somewhat gag worthy, unputdownable.

Imagine this scenario...

"Males only live to age 25.

Females only live to age 20.

To keep the population from dying out,girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages."

From this description alone, I could sense this was going to be more of an adult read rather than a teen. Though the characters were young, the world in which they were living in was shockingly adult and insane. I guess this in itself is the world of dystopian lit.

There is a girl. Rhine. She is fearless, pissed off but a darn good actress. All she wants is to escape the world in which she has been forced into. And she will do anything and play any role to get that.

There is a boy. Gabriel. He is a servant raised in a world in which he doesn't know anything different. Until he meets Rhine, he never cared much for the outside. But together they want one thing, freedom.

This was a very fast read for me. Once I got going, it was difficult for me to do much else. For a debut novel, I found the writing to be impressive and smart. It didn't roll out a pile of drama, nor did it smack you with cliche characters. It had a good vs. evil feel but it wasn't the main force of the book. Rhine and Gabriel were only small pieces to the puzzle it seemed. All the characters involved were imprisoned in their own way, missing something that they once had or yearning for something they didn't know existed.

The "bad guy", Rhine's father-in-law and overall, mean science man, does crazy experiments on people in the name of "finding an ancedote" for the whole death by age 20 and 25 thing. He is a cool cucumber who is always hovering within the pages and I was kind of hoping he would fall off a cliff somewhere around page 140. Creepy and a control freak, I pictured him like Montgomery Burns from the Simpsons. Cold as ice.

The ending was as expected but still exciting. It made me crave the next book right away, which is unusual for me. You really got to wow me to make me want to continue right away with a series.

Rating: 5/6

Overall, a very strong debut in young adult dystopian lit. It had some doom and gloom, and some serious adult matters that these girls had to deal with, but it was written with maturity and a depth that made it easy to stomach and understand. The "love story" wasn't over the top. It was simple and sweet and made me want to see what comes of Rhine and Gabriel. I wanted to root for their happiness. Book 2 (Fever) will decide it all.

Author Website:

Lauren DeStefano

Buy Brick and Mortar: (actual bookstores, people!)

Magers and Quinn Booksellers

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Special Holiday Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Darcy, the winner of The Puppy That Came for Christmas by Megan Rix!

I am so thankful to the publisher for offering this book to giveaway this holiday season.

Thanks to all who signed up!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Featured Book (4): The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

2011-12-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

The Details:

Title: The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

Author: Jenny Wingfield

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Random House

Format: Finished Copy from Publisher

Description from Publisher Website:

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at “the old home place,” a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. The children embrace the reunion as a welcome escape from the prying eyes of their father’s congregation; for Willadee it’s a precious opportunity to spend time with her mother and father, Calla and John. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core: John’s untimely death and, soon after, the loss of Samuel’s parish, which set the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But it is Blade Ballenger, a traumatized eight-year-old neighbor, who soon captures Swan’s undivided attention. Full of righteous anger, and innocent of the peril facing her and those she loves, Swan makes it her mission to keep the boy safe from his terrifying father.

With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of one’s own family, and with the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield emerges as one of the most vital, engaging storytellers writing today. In The Homecoming of Samuel Lake she has created a memorable and lasting work of fiction.

Why I want to read it:

This book came to my attention right around the time I was reading The Help. I don't know if The Help would be considered Southern Fiction but the setting was the South and I liked that. I thought I would enjoy another book set in and around the south. I've read some favorable reviews from some of my favorite bloggers. I've included one below for you to take a peak at. This book was in consideration for one of our book club choices over the fall. I am hoping maybe come spring, we will decide on it and read it. If not, I will read it in time. Thanks to Tom at Random House for sending this to me to consider for review.

Fellow Blogger Reviews:

Staci from Life in the Thumb

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (review #143 and #144)

2011-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

Title: Delirium, Pandemonium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Format: Hardcover , ARC

Publisher: Harper Teen

I've been out of the Young Adult reading loop for most of this year due to a few different reasons. One, I wanted to focus my blog a bit more to give myself a niche. Two, there are a ton of YA bloggers out there that do the genre a hell out of lot more justice than I ever could. Three, I was a bit burned out on the genre. It seemed all the same to me. Dystopian, Paranormal, Girl falls for Bad Boy who saves her, etc. I was a bit tired of it all.

I'm glad I took a step back for all of these reasons because I came to read Delirium and Pandemonium with very fresh eyes. I was in the mood for something different. These were both on my pile, wonderful gifts given to me by the Harper rep from the book trade show I worked at in September. Delirium is a book club pick for next May so why not get an early start?

I LOVED these books. I could not put them down. In fact, I read both of them in a week. For some of you speedy readers, you may be thinking, so? For me, little ol' miss reading slump, it's the BOMB!

These books had the perfect blend of love, politics, adventure and the whole dystopian slant on the world. What if you were taught that love is a disease? What if you were forced to be "cured"?

Here is a description from Goodreads:

Delirium

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Pandemonium

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Delirium had more a love story than Pandemonium. Pandemonium zeroed in on more the politics and Lena's growth as a activist and overall hardass. I was with Lena all the way, every move she made. She wasn't a wussy girl character even in her vulnerable moments. She was real and honest and going through a ton of changes through both of these books. Her love interests were neither overly heroic or godly. They were flawed and fierce and just wanted to survive.

I do seem to enjoy more of the dystopian young adult novels rather than the paranormal. I would rather read about humans dealing with a dystopian environment versus vampires, faeries, werewolves, etc. I like when books take one common theme and jack it up. Take away love. It's bad. It will kill you. Get the cure and you will be saved. Whaaat??? That's crazy. How is THAT going to turn out?

I like that sort of story twist. I, of course, was on Team Love, all the way.

Rating: 6/6 My Top Rating!

I'm sure readers of young adult books are already all over this series and dying for the next one. Pandemonium does not come out until March 2012 and a third book is in the works. No news on this yet. For other readers out there willing to try a new genre, Oliver delivers two very fun, fast paced well written books. You got a little bit of everything; love, war, politics, revolution, adventure and one tough chick in the center of it all. You can't go wrong.

Author Website:

Lauren Oliver

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (review #142)

2011-12-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

Title: U is for Undertow

Author: Sue Grafton

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Putnam

Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries

Format: Unabridged Audio

This is my very first audio book that I listened to in its entirety. How cool is that? Because of the slump I've been in that last few months, I've been trying all sorts of new things to see if they stick or get me out of this slump. I've read a graphic novel, am currently reading a great young adult book and now completed my first audio book.

I can't say that I am 100% behind audio books. I will have to see how it goes for my next pick. Sue Grafton has been one of my favorite mystery authors for years now. I knew she had her lastest mystery out, V is for Vengeance and I was one book behind. She is one I try to read religiously when a new one comes out.

I thought it would be faster?...perhaps to listen to it rather than read it? Well, that really wasn't the case but I was able to read another book at the same time and listen to this just in my car. It took me about two weeks to finish listening to it. I don't drive great distances anymore so I listened to it while driving to the bank, the store, to work, picking up the kiddo from school, etc. I had a few longer drives while visiting my parents but that's about it. My kiddo wasn't into it at all and kept asking for "his music" every time we got in the car. I politely refused him every time. I know. Bad Mama. I said it was Mama's time, bucko! :)

Anyway, I loved it! The narrator sounded like I thought Kinsey would; tough yet compassionate. The case she was working on was complicated and intricate, coming together nicely in the end. Grafton is a huge talent when it comes to laying out a mystery. You don't know who did it until the end. I love that.

I am also a huge fan of Kinsey. I relate to her in a lot of ways. The books are set in the eighties so it's before cell phones, before the internet, before computers were used regularly, etc. Kinsey uses the library a lot and that rocks my socks! It reminds me of growing up when things seemed to be simpler in a way. She uses her note cards to display her ideas on a case. Her best friend is her 90+ year old landlord, Henry. She eats peanut butter and pickle sandwiches (YUM!). I just loved everything about the experience of this book. Listening to it is different than reading it. It was so alive and fun to hear what was going to happen next.

Rating: 6/6

For my first audio book that I completed, it was the perfect choice! For a great mystery, Grafton hit it out of the park again. I really enjoyed it all. Looking forward to her next alphabet mystery. I have the audio version on hold at my library as well. I am hoping I have the same great listening experience with that one as well.

I can't say I can include this in my A-Z Mystery Author Challenge because I have already read a "G" author but I can include it in trying new things out when it comes to the mystery genre!

Author Website:

Sue Grafton

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: December 2011

2011-12-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been one whole of year of Mysterious Giveaways!!! I want to thank all of those who stopped by and entered. Thanks especially to those that stopped by almost every month. I sure do appreciate the support from all of you to spread the love of mysteries out there in the reading world.

I also thank the wonderful publishers, publicists, and authors who have been kind enough to partner with me in my giveaways by supplying me with copies to feature and send to you all. My goal was to discover different mysteries and to share them. I think we had a pretty good selection.

I hope for those who won, that you enjoyed the reads. I hope for those that stopped by and entered, that you had some great titles to add to your reading list.

I wouldn't mind a little feedback from you lovely readers of mine.

Did you guys really like these monthly contests?

Should I do it again next year?

Would you want to see any different kinds of mystery/thrillers?

Before I get to the newest month's giveaway, here is the winner of last month's copy of

Bad Moon by Todd Ritter!

Karen!

She says...

"Thanks for the chance to read these mystery novels :)
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com"

Thank you Karen for stopping by and entering!

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: December 2011

This is a very exciting thriller for you all. Suspenseful, thrilling with a little bit of a love story there too. Check out the description from Amazon and then sign up below!!

Darkness All Around by Doug Magee

When there’s DARKNESS ALL AROUND . . . some memories are best forgotten

Within the span of one harrowing week, Risa’s alcoholic husband, Sean, disappears, and her best friend, Carol, is brutally murdered. Eleven years later, Risa has seemingly put her life back together again, comforted by the love of her new husband, who is a local politician, and the knowledge that Carol’s killer has been convicted. But then just as suddenly as he disappeared, Sean resurfaces— sober, plagued by horrific recollections of Carol’s murder, and convinced he was the real killer.

Sean’s startling claim buzzes through the small, football-crazy Pennsylvania community, and Risa is left to wonder if the man she still loves actually committed the grisly murder. Her growing belief in his innocence sends her on a treacherous search for the truth: a search that reveals ugly secrets that her new husband and the town’s law enforcement community are hiding.

Contest Rules:

Contest runs from December 3- December 31

Please be a follower of my blog

Please leave an email

Please reside in the United States

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Special Holiday Giveaway!

2011-12-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Puppy That Came for Christmas by Megan Rix

I can not resist books with cute animals on them. No, I don't read all of them but I do always stop to look. Look at that little guy! Cute, right? I could not pass up a chance to give away a copy of this for the holidays. I thank the publisher for offering one copy to give away to one of my readers.

Here is a brief description of the book from the publisher's website:

Marley, Oogy, Huck-and now, Traffy, the "forever dog" that changed one couple's life.
All Megan Rix ever wanted was a baby. Yet, month after month, Megan's dreams were dashed.
Would her life ever feel complete?
Megan and her husband, Ian, found a surprising answer when they began training golden retriever pups to become service dogs for people with disabilities. But opening their homes and hearts up to Emma, and then Freddy-only to have each move on after six months-eventually took its own toll. Megan and Ian didn't know if they could continue. Then, one Christmas, little Traffy came along ... and stayed. An instant U.K. bestseller, The Puppy That Came for Christmas is a heartwarming and inspirational story that will captivate dog lovers everywhere.

Author Website:

Megan Rix

Contest Rules:

Runs December 1- December 14

Please reside in the United States or Canada

Please leave an email address

Please be a follower of my blog

Are you a dog lover?

The winner will be chosen on December 14 and your copy will be sent directly from the publisher (hopefully in time for Christmas!!!!)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (review # 141)

2011-11-28T12:23:00.001-08:00

Title: Anya's Ghost

Author: Vera Brosgol

Publisher: First Second Books

Genre: Graphic Novel

Format: Library Loan

This is a new one for me. I have absolutely not jumped on the Graphic Novel bandwagon, even after assisting hundreds of young folks (and some old) at the bookstore and library finding the titles they wanted.

I must say, though, after reading Anya's Ghost, I am indeed interested in reading more.

I discovered Anya's Ghost while processing the new books at my library job. I LOVE this project. Now that I don't work at the bookstore anymore, it is my one life line to holding and touching new books. (I suppose I could venture to a bookstore more often but I may need money for that).

It was a cold and dreary day that day at the library and this little nugget of a book really hit my mood right. I read it in less than an hour. Now THAT's my kind of read. It helped boost my confidence in the ol' reading slump area.

The style of graphics reminds me of Persepolis, which I read many years ago for a former bookclub. Black and white, stark, honest, moody.

Anya is a teen with Russian roots she is trying to hide. She doesn't see herself as pretty, smart or popular but would like it if the world would. She has one friend at school and she is kind of a bitch. This doesn't leave much for a social life. Little did she know when she took a tumble down an old well, that her next friend would be a ghost.

Not only does her new friend Emily, the ghost, help her get the guy, get good grades and get invited to parties, she also decides she wants to live vicariously through Anya. As Emily gets more aggressive, Anya digs deeper into her past and finds that she is not the innocent, sad little ghost stuck down in the well.

Rating: 6/6

I loved this! I ran through every page. I liked the edge to it and the unexpected darkness of Emily and her story. Anya was a hoot and her life in high school seemed to be waaaaay relatable (though it's been a few years....cough*) I can see why this genre gets devoured. This was fast, fun and a thrill. I am definitely checking out more.

Author Website:

Vera Brosgol

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Ladies Book Club: November 2011

2011-11-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

Book Read:

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Ladies in Attendance:

Ladies Book Club: 3 (I was unable to attend due to work)

B.Y.O.B Book Club (11 members)

Treats shared:

Ladies Book Club: Drunken Goat Cheese, Chips, Jalapeno and Mango Sausage, Chicken Wings, Hummus, Pita and Wine.

B.Y.O.B Book Club: Tortilla Roll Ups, Pumpkin Bars, Cream Cheese with savory sauces, Chips, Chocolate, a delicious cheesy/nut crockpot delight, wine and so much more I can't remember.

To Read or Not to Read:

Ladies Book Club: 2 Ladies read 25%, 1 read 75%, 1 read it all.

B.Y.O.B Book Club: 10 members read it all, 1 member was almost done with it

My Reaction:

I will not be combining my book clubs like this in future posts but we did happen to read the same book for this month. It generated a lot of discussion and I wanted to share it with you all. I was unable to make it to the Ladies Book Club night due to work but I did make it to B.Y.O.B group night, so I wanted to include their reactions as well.

First, my reaction was that it was indeed a very well written, well researched novel. I could tell the author was in awe of her subjects, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney and wanted to flesh out their story as much as possible. In some parts it was too detailed and it became a tad boring in the middle but overall, it kept my attention.

My flaw with it was that of the decisions of the characters themselves. I found Frank to be completely self absorbed, immature and irresponsible, in his work and in his personal life. I did not know anything of him or his story before I read it so it came as a surprise to me that as talented as he was, he was such a putz like little man at times.

Mamah I had issues with because of her decisions to abandon her children for Frank. I know these are real people who made these real choices and I can't dislike the book for that. I just did not agree with the choices they made. Mamah was educated, well cared for, loved by her husband and still yearned for more. She ran off to find it in Frank and along the way, she latched on to others that intrigued her. As a woman, I could identify a bit with her yearning. As a mother, I was appauled she abandoned her kids for two years to seek out those desires.

We had much discussion about this. Was it the times back then? Was it okay to do that? To leave your children with relatives for long extended periods of time?

Who knows. Perhaps. It just pissed me off. I can be a volatile reader. Don't mess with the mom in me, I guess.

Overall, I am glad I read it. It certainly was hyped up to book clubs while I was working at the bookstore. I just didn't find it to leave me with a warm feeling at the end. In the B.Y.O.B club we rate our books on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best. I rated the story a 2 and the writing a 4. Overall, a 3 rating I guess.

Description from Amazon's Website:

Horan's ambitious first novel is a fictionalization of the life of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, best known as the woman who wrecked Frank Lloyd Wright's first marriage. Despite the title, this is not a romance, but a portrayal of an independent, educated woman at odds with the restrictions of the early 20th century. Frank and Mamah, both married and with children, met when Mamah's husband, Edwin, commissioned Frank to design a house. Their affair became the stuff of headlines when they left their families to live and travel together, going first to Germany, where Mamah found rewarding work doing scholarly translations of Swedish feminist Ellen Key's books. Frank and Mamah eventually settled in Wisconsin, where they were hounded by a scandal-hungry press, with tragic repercussions. Horan puts considerable effort into recreating Frank's vibrant, overwhelming personality, but her primary interest is in Mamah, who pursued her intellectual interests and love for Frank at great personal cost. As is often the case when a life story is novelized, historical fact inconveniently intrudes: Mamah's life is cut short in the most unexpected and violent of ways, leaving the narrative to crawl toward a startlingly quiet conclusion. Nevertheless, this spirited novel brings Mamah the attention she deserves as an intellectual and feminist.

Ladies' Reaction:

I received notes from my pal, Rachelle for the Ladies and the gals from B.Y.O.B had a pretty lively discussion. It may be a bit hard to sum it all up. The Ladies leaned a bit more towards my feelings of it all; a little dry in the middle, transitions from chapter to chapter a bit choppy, the characters were a bit whack, the roles of women at the time were intriguing, etc. B.Y.O.B gals all rated it really high, stating it was well written, full of intriguing flawed characters with a dynamic and shocking ending. I wish I could have made it to both clubs to compare so I am sorry if I have more notes from B.Y.O.B this time around. More of the gals seemed to sympathize with Mamah much more than I, saying she was strong to follow her dreams and courageous to leave her family. Also, more gals could see the genius and creativity in Frank instead of concentrating so much on the irresponsibility and the disrespect for the common man that I couldn't get past. Call me a bitch but I would have been like "Yo, Mamah..what's up? Frank's a loser with tons of debt and doesn't pay his helpers. That's not cool. And, by the way, where are your kids? Oh yeah, thats right. you LEFT them." Grrr...

I'm sure I am sound uber disrespectful and I apologize to the Cheney and the Wright family. I do. I just had a hard time with their love affair.

But I thank my book club ladies (both of them) for opening up my eyes to their views and trying to convince me of the humanness of them both. Towards the end of the B.Y.O.B discussion, I could see their point. It was a different time. The roles of women were different. Classist societies were definitely in existence. Art and creativity were something to be in awe of. And, no, Mamah did not deserve to come to a fiery end.

Good Book Club Pick?

Obviously from my rantings and ramblings you can see it was indeed a good pick. I wish I was at the Ladies meet up to discuss it but it seems they felt a bit more like me. Less impressed but still somewhat intrigued. The B.Y.O.B gals rated it a 3.98 overall and agreed that it was a great pick to discuss. We had official questions but we generated plenty of chatting on our own. They thought it was an excellent, well written book, that even with some slow parts, kept them all intrigued up until the tragic ending.

Next Book Up:

The Ladies will be having our Holiday Party next month. No book to read but there will be books to swap and pick for next year and plenty of booze and goodies!

B.Y.O.B Book Club will be reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Pie? Check.

Turkey? Check.

Sweet Potatoes? Check.

Family? Check.

Good Book? Check.

Looks like I'm all set!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

red headed book child

My First Sunday Salon-November 20

2011-11-19T16:55:00.001-08:00

Why, may you ask, am I doing a Sunday Salon for the first time after, 2 1/2 years of blogging? Well, I can honestly say that it's the type of post I feel I can contribute now. Up until now, I've been able to have a review or a feature or a giveaway every few days to keep posts current. Lately, I've hit a wall, reading wise and have also started a very busy schedule. My blogging has fallen my the way side. I've have some moments free but, like many of you, I'm sure, have not felt it to post anything worth reading.

I've enjoyed reading so many Sunday Salons of yours that I thought it would be a nice time to recap my week or (cough) weeks since I've seen you all last.

The biggest thing that has changed in the last few weeks is that I finally got a second part-time job that I am loving. I now work mornings with Scholastic Book Fairs creating their display cases for the schools. It's pretty entry level but it's a foot in the door with a great company and I am really liking it. As most of you all know, I work also at my local library part-time as well. I was struggling with finding another job that could go around my hours there. (I sure as, you know what, am NOT giving that job up). Luckily Scholastic was able to give me five mornings a week and it doesn't interfere at all!!

Go me!

I also am going to be adding a very part-time gig as a Home caregiver for the elderly. More to come on that.

With this new job comes less time at home and with my son. I have been trying to spend more of my free time with him now as well. Unfortunately, we got a TON of time this past week because he got Scarlet Fever last Wednesday! Ugh. So, my husband and I took turns going to work and taking care of him. He is doing great but we are all a little exhausted. It was lovely to see his sweet little face all week but not when it was so sick. :(

On the book front, I am reading, just not very fast! I am almost done with Lethal by Sandra Brown for my mystery challenge. (I don't care if I've already done that letter. I'm just reading new mystery authors and that's that! Okay?!) I also finished Loving Frank by Nancy Horan for my book clubs. Both clubs read it this month and my second club is meeting next Monday to discuss it. Once I have both clubs under my belt, I will post my reviews. Boy, did this one stir up some emotion!

I have three books I am deciding on for my next read. Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson (a literary thriller), We need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver ( anovel), or The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (a young adult literary/historical thriller). It's cold and snowy here and my mood is leaning towards a rich, meaty literary thriller...perhaps with an old creepy house or the rainy, cold streets of 1880s London.

This coming week will hopefully be filled with good reading, turkey, and lots of movies. My pal Dawn and I are going to see The Swell Season documentary (about the two musicians from the movie Once) and Like Crazy. We loved the movie Once and also saw them perform live a few years back when they came to Minneapolis. LOVED IT! Like Crazy is just an indie movie right up my alley and Dawn is also a fan of good, solid indie movies. We decided to make it double feature kind of a day.

Click both links and check these movies out if you have not heard of them!

My pal Amanda and I are having "Hunky Men" Movie Night. She will supply Gerard Butler movies and I will supply Mark Ruffalo movies. Wine will join us and our good friend chocolate. Good times will be had by all, indeed.

Oh and Breaking Dawn...that will happen too, I'm sure.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my first Sunday Salon. As you can see, I've been busy and will be busy this coming week. I hope to do another Sunday Salon at some point too. I am going to try to be more present in the blog world in the next few weeks. I haven't forgotten you all!!

What are you reading this week?

What are your big plans?

Breaking Dawn? Yes?

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Feature: Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan (BLOG TOUR)

2011-11-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

Title: Food Rules

Author: Michael Pollan

Illustrator: Maira Kalman

Publisher: Penguin

Genre: Food Memoir/Reference

I came across Michael Pollan's Food Rules awhile back and swallowed a large lump in my throat after paging through a few pages. Man, what the hell am I eating? What the hell is my kid eating? (sorry for the language)

I have since went on to read Omnivore's Dilemma, another book of his, and am fascinated with his take and knowledge on the current state of "food" in our society.

I was curious to take a peak at this new illustrated version

and check out the new rules he adds to this edition.

Here is a brief description from the author's website:

Michael Pollan’s Food Rules began with his hunch that the wisdom of our grandparents might have more helpful things to say about how to eat well than the recommendations of science or industry or government. The result was a slim volume of food wisdom that has forever changed how we think about food. Now in a new edition illustrated by artist Maira Kalman, and expanded with a new introduction and nineteen additional food rules, this hardcover volume marks an advance in the national dialogue that Food Rules inspired.

I think the illustrated version will make this quaint little book appeal to a broader audience who may have seen it before and chalked it up to "just another food book". The illustrations are qite lovely. I see it now as a way of life and a way of understanding what food really is. We all should really know what is in our food and what is going into our bodies. How does our childhood eating habits affect how we are today? What did our grandparents teach us?

I am glad I checked this book out. It puts shopping into perspective too. Why does my lunch contain ingredients I can't pronounce? Is that a good thing? Where is my food really coming from? Discover the natural goodness around you.

You don't have to be a foodie to appreciate the important message in this book.

Michael Pollan is the author of five books: Second Nature, A Place of My Own, The Botany of Desire, which received the Borders Original Voices Award for the best nonfiction work of 2001 and was recognized as a best book of the year by the American Booksellers Association and Amazon, and the national bestsellers, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food.

A longtime contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, Pollan is also the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley. His writing on food and agriculture has won numerous awards, including the Reuters/World Conservation Union Global Award in Environmental Journalism, the James Beard Award, and the Genesis Award from the American Humane Association.

Visit Michael at his website, michaelpollan.com.

About Maira Kalman

Find out more about Ms. Kalman’s work at her website.

Maira Kalman is an illustrator, author, and designer. She is the author of The Principles of Uncertainty and she illustrated the bestselling edition of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. Ms. Kalman’s twelve children’s books include Max Makes a Million, Stay Up Late, Swami on Rye, and What Pete Ate. She also has designed fabric for Isaac Mizrahi, accessories for Kate Spade, sets for the Mark Morris Dance Company, and, with her late husband Tibor Kalman under the M&Co. label, clocks, umbrellas, and other accessories for the Museum of Modern Art.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for having me on this tour.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: November 2011

2011-11-04T17:42:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone! I am a few days late on getting the winner for The Ninth Day!

Thanks for your patience. Ryan from Wordsmithonia is our winner!!!!

Thanks to him and to all who signed up!

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: November 2011

Bad Moon by Todd Ritter

I am very excited to give this one away. New author to me. Very thrilling story line! Check out the description from Amazon.

On the same night that Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, ten-year-old Charlie Olmstead jumped on his bike to see if there was some way he could get a better look. It was the last anyone ever saw of him. After Perry Hollow Police Chief Jim Campbell found Charlie’s bike caught in the water above Sunset Falls, he assumed the worst. Everyone did—except Charlie’s mother.

Years later, Eric Olmstead—now a famous author and Charlie’s younger brother—has come back to Perry Hollow to bury his mother and fulfill her last request: Find Charlie. To do so, he goes to the current police chief, his former sweetheart, Kat Campbell, who happens to be Jim Campbell’s daughter. Together they soon discover that Eric’s mother was convinced Charlie was kidnapped, and that finding him—whether he was dead or alive—was her secret obsession. While she never succeeded, she did uncover clues that suggested he wasn’t the only boy across Pennsylvania to vanish into thin air during that time.

Contest Rules:

* Please be a follower of my blog

* Please leave an email address

* Please reside in the United States.

Contest Runs from November 4- November 30

Thanks to Dana Kaye Publicity for providing me a copy to give away!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw (review #140)

2011-11-02T08:52:00.001-07:00

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Genre: Fiction

Format: ARC

Release Date: March 2012

For those of you who have been following my previous posts, you will know that I found myself in a bit of a slump. A reading slump, that is. I was concentrating so heavily on my Mystery Challenge that I slammed head on into a massive, pressure induced rut. I was determined to read as many mystery authors as possible and well, the ones I picked up were less than impressive. So, I took some of your advice, and switched gears for a sec. No fear, though. That mystery challenge isn't going anywhere. It's still a top priority for me.

I looked to my pile of books.

Not only did I get the opportunity to go to BEA this year , I also had a chance to work the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association Trade Show, which, I'm told, is like a mini BEA for the Midwest area. I had a blast and walked away with an enormous amount books, almost as much as I got at BEA. I did not expect this at all.

One of my responsibilities was to work with authors who were guests at the trade show. I helped them sign all the copies of their books that were featured. One of the authors that I was able to help and meet was Carol Anshaw, the author of Carry the One. We chatted a bit and I gave her my card. I told her literary fiction was one of my favorite genres and she said I should snag a book and read it.

I'm certainly glad I did. This eloquent, honest character driven novel pulled me out of my slump. I chose to do the review now, even though the book is not to be released until March 2012, because it was fresh in my mind and I wanted to tell you all about it.

Here is a glimpse of what it is about from Simon and Schuster:

Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen's wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidently hits and kills a girl on a dark, country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, connect and disconnect and reconnect with each other and their victim. As one character says, "When you add us up, you always have to carry the one."

Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest tragedies and joys of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to each other than we'd expect. Deceptively short and simple in its premise, this novel derives its power and appeal from the author's beautifully precise use of language; her sympathy for her very recognizable, flawed characters; and her persuasive belief in the transforming forces of time and love.

This is a novel where everything and nothing happens. The tragic death of the young girl in the beginning of the book lingers throughout the entire book, which gives it that sense that though time moves on, the characters remain stuck in the same place. Carmen, Nick and Alice are siblings and are whom we follow over the course of twenty some years. We follow Carmen's activism in women's rights, her crumbling marriage and motherhood to Gabe. We follow Nick's addictions, his brilliant career in astronomy that he destroys time and time again and his obsession with Olivia, the driver who killed the young girl. And we follow Alice (my favorite character) in her growing career as a painter, fixated on portraits of the dead girl and her tumultuous, co-dependent relationship with Maude.

I loved and hated these characters with every page. Anshaw has a way of writing that nails the psychology of humans. She explores the complicated relationships between men and women, sister and brother, mother and daughter, by breaking wide open inhibitions, those sticky boundaries that hold us back and that pesky fear business that keeps us hiding in our closets.

Nick was a pain in the ass junkie who could have been dropped in a gutter and forgotten many times over but you still cared for him. Anshaw made you still want to care, much like you would do if it were your family member.

Carmen was passive and aggressive in her own way and sometimes you wanted to shake her but you understood she created her own sense of control to erase the guilt of that night. You rooted for the big sister in her.

And Alice, sweet, vulnerable, easily swooped up Alice. Lost, yet centered in her art. Open, yet closed off to a life that didn't include Maude. Talented, but haunted by her portraits of the young girl they killed.

Anshaw did a beautiful job in the creation of these wounded characters. It was a joy to read. She also filled the book with other side characters that give it a bigger dynamic. She also gave it an ending that was quiet, yet satisfying. Sad, but expected.

Rating: 6/6

I give this my top rating. It hit my mood just right. The writing flowed flawlessly. I had so many post its of sections I liked, it made it almost impossible to read, because they got in the way. I didn't include any of those lines. I'll just leave those for me to enjoy and perhaps, for you to discover. The most powerful line, which is included in the back cover description, is "When you add us up, you always have to carry the one."

Powerful, don't you think? What is the "one" in which we carry?

I highly recommend this novel for any fan of literary fiction. It is intense, sweet, honest and hopeful, all at the same time. I am pleased I had a chance to meet Carol Anshaw and I am honored to be able to share this review with you all.

Author Website:

Carol Anshaw

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Feature and Giveaway: Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins

2011-10-28T17:15:00.001-07:00

Title: Goddess of Vengeance

Author: Jackie Collins

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: St.Martin's Press

Earlier this year I was fortunate to read and review Jackie Collins' last book, Poor Little Bitch Girl. I was tinkled pink because I absolutely LOVED her when I was a young teen. I spent many a hour at my library, waiting for my mother to pick me up, nose deep in a torrid story by Ms. Collins. Did my mother know? I tried hard for her not to find out.

Though I am much older now and my tastes in reading have evolved, I still have a warm spot for anything Jackie Collins. She has a knack for dishing out the dirt of the rich and famous. I am still a fan of the trashy tabloid shows and the even trashier entertainment magazines. Can't help it. I get a kick out of it. (Although the Kardashians make my skin crawl! Do NOT care about what they are doing!) So reading a full length novel of the same kind of dirt is just fun.

I am thrilled to be able to give away a copy of Jackie's newest novel, another book featuring the sassy, beautiful, brilliant Lucky Santangelo. Lucky is one of her most popular characters, first featured in two of her very early novels, Chances and Lucky. A miniseries was also created around her as well in the late 1980s. Though this books centers a bit more on her two grown children, Max and Bobby, it still holds all the power and personality of Lucky.

Here is a description from the author's website:

LUCKY SANTANGELO IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCEin a novel full of power, passion, revenge, and the raging family dynamics of the Santangelo clan…
Lucky runs a high profile casino and hotel complex, The Keys in Vegas. Lennie, her ex-movie star husband, is still writing and directing successful independent movies, while Max, her stubborn and gorgeous teenage daughter is about to celebrate her 18th birthday, and her son, Bobby, owns a string of hot clubs. Lucky has everything. Family. Love. Life.
And everything is exactly what billionaire businessman Armand Jordan is determined to take from her one way or the other.
Born a Prince in the small but affluent Middle Eastern country of Akramshar, Armand comes to America with his American mother at an early age, and rises to become a real estate business titan. Armand regards women as nothing more than breeding mares or sexual playthings, so when his people inform him that the one property he covets more than anything, The Keys, is not for sale, he is shocked. That a mere woman would dare to turn down his offer to buy The Keys is unthinkable, and Armand vows to force Lucky’s hand whatever it takes. And so the battle for power begins…
Meanwhile Bobby is dealing with shady Russian investors, while his girlfriend – smart and independent Denver Jones, is becoming a Deputy D.A. in the L.A. drug unit.
And Max, Bobby’s seventeen-year-old sister, is busy embarking on a forbidden affair with a sexy young movie star. An affair they have to keep on the down-low lest Lucky finds out.
The word is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and what happens in Goddess of Vengeance will blow your mind!

You don't have to read her other novels to get a kick out of this one. It might help to read Chances and Lucky to get a feel for where her character comes from but it's not the end of the world if you don't. If you want fun, fast, furious, hot, scandalous action, read this. It won't disppoint. It might not be for everyone. It can get raunchy. I probably wouldn't recommend a teenager read it like I did but we all all adults here, right? HAVE FUN! Kick back with a cold one and enjoy some good old saucy reading.

Contest Rules:

Runs from October 28-November 4

* Please be a follower of my blog.

* Please reside in the United States

* Please leave an email address.

* Please let me know if you have read Jackie Collins before.

Thanks to Ann-Marie Nieves from Get Red PR for sending me an extra copy of give away!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Help! I'm in a slump!

2011-10-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

HELP!

I have tried my darndest to get into a book these days but...darnit, i just can't do it. So I need your help out there. Here are the books that I have started for my mystery challenge and for the life of me, I can't seem to get passed 40 pages on any of them.

Have any of you read these?

Do I move along on any of them?

Or do they all just stink?

Or is it just me?

HELP!

So Cold the River by Michael Kortya

Before I go to Sleep by S. J Watson

Half Past Dawn by Richard Doetsch

Trespasser by Paul Doiron

These are the letters of the alphabet I have NOT read yet for my challenge. Two books that are really starting to be good, Lethal by Sandra Brown and The Nightmare Thief by Meg Gardiner. But guess what? I've already completed those letters.

Grr Arrgh. My challenge is haunting me!!!

What to do fellow bloggers? What to do....

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey (Guest Review)

2011-10-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Title: The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

Author: Marcus Sakey

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Format: Review Copy

Michelle's Two Cents:

I am a big fan of Marcus Sakey so when the opportunity came up to take a peak at his latest thriller, I said yes. However, I had already read The Amateurs by him for my Mystery Challenge. Not that I didn't or don't want to read this one, I really wanted to focus on reading different authors for my challenge before the year was up. That is where my good friend and fellow mystery lover, Cheryl, came in. I knew she would like him a lot so I asked if she would be willing to give it a shot and review. Luckily she said yes!!! So here you have it folks, Cheryl is back ready to tell us what she thought of this new thriller.

Description from book jacket:

A Man wakes naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach.

The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.

None of it is familiar.

How did he get here? Who is he? Who was he? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him-beginning with the cops that kick in the door of his dingy motel with guns drawn. Lost and alone, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night.

All he remembers is a woman's face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.

But that raises the most chilling questions of all: What will he find when he gets there?

Cheryl's review:

When Michelle asked me to review this book, I had no idea it was about one of my favorite premises-

someone with amnesia on the run.

LIke See Jane Run by Joy Fielding and Masquerade by Gail Lynds, The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes grips you from the beginning. I can't imagine what it would be like to awaken in a desperate situation without any idea of who you are.

After waking on the beach, the man who thinks himself to be Daniel Hayes goes on a desperate quest to find out who he really is and why he found himself not in Malibu but on a beach in Maine. He goes to a hotel room and somehow knows to turn on a television show where he is drawn to the main character, Emily Sweet. But how and why?

Without knowing who he is, he doesn't know who to trust. The police are after him, but so are others for reasons he does not know. Bit by bit, pieces of his memory return but as they do, more

questions are raised about who he is and what happened. Upon his return to California, he finds some things are in his memory-such as what route to take through Malibu - yet his complete life remains out of his grasp.

Is he really Daniel Hayes? Who is Emily Sweet and why does he obsess about her? And what happened to make him drive across the country? Most of all, what tragedy caused him to lose his memory in the first place?

Sakey weaves a good thriller. Though there were a few things I figured out before they happened, it mostly kept me guessing the whole time and the end had twists I did not see coming.

His writing style is similar to Harlan Coben and though he's not quite as refined as Coben, he will be.

He keeps the pace fast and when a question is answered, he continually adds unexpected layers to the story and characters to keep the story moving. I read the book in only a few days and it made me want to read his other books.

Thanks Cheryl!

Author Website:

Marcus Sakey

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Featured Book (2 and 3): The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard and Shine by Lauren Myracle

2011-10-21T17:38:00.001-07:00

The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie and a World Transformed

Publisher (Hudson Street Press) ISBN (978-1-59463-157-6) Price ($25.95)

About the Books:

While I had hoped to do full reviews of both of these books, I knew I would run out of time this month. I wanted them both featured in the month of October since it is National Bullying Prevention Month. Believe me when I say both of these books are extraordinary. I have started both of them and I rarely read two books at once. I could not decide between the two.

For those of you who do not know the story behind these books and how they are tied in, I will clue you in. Matthew Shepard's mother, Judy, wrote the above memoir about her son after he was killed after a brutal hate crime attack on October 12, 1998. She shares his story, her story and how his death brought to light the reality of hate crimes.

Shine by Lauren Myracle is a new novel with a very similar story to what had happened to Matthew. She was nominated for a National Book Award and it turned out to be a mistake on the Board's part. Her book was mixed up with another. Myracle kindly withdrew herself from the list with no drama but was pleased that the Book Award Board made a generous donation of $5000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Publisher (Abrams) ISBN (978-0-8109-8417-2) Price ($16.95) Genre (Young Adult)

Why I wanted to read these books:

It's no surprise to most in my life how strongly I feel against hateful feelings towards gay people. Hate crimes tick me off. I think it needs to be talked about more and more. I think people who bully and teach hate should face some justice. I feel we should teach our children compassion for others, no matter if they are different than us or not.

If I could donate a million dollars to Matthew Shepard's Foundation, I would.

If only it could erase hate. It will never go away but I believe awareness and education

are the beginning.

These stories, one true, one fiction, need to be told.

You can read more about the National Book Award story and

Matthew Shepard's Foundation here.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (review#139)

2011-10-16T19:39:00.001-07:00

Title: Wonderstruck

Author: Brian Selznick

Genre: Middle Grade

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: Copy obtained at Midwest Booksellers Association Trade Show from the wonderful folks at Scholastic!

I am making another exception to my review rule by reviewing this wonderful Young Adult novel. No, it doesn't fall under my Top 3 Genres I love to read and have dedicated to reviewing on this blog but it is one of my favorite young adult authors. I was very fortunate to obtain an ARC of this at BEA this year. I was also fortunate again to receive a finished copy at MIBA just last month. I am sharing one of my copies with my good friend, Dawn and we are heading to seem Mr. Selznick speak at a local Barnes and Noble on Monday, October 17. I can not wait!

If you have not heard of him or his wonderful novels, check out his website. His novel The Invetion of Hugo Cabret has been made into a movie and looks amazing! The trailer is below if you are curious. I am sure someone will snap up Wonderstruck. If done well, I am sure it would make a marvelous movie. It is certainly a marvelous book!

Here is a description from the publisher's website:

Ben's story takes place in 1977. Rose's story takes place in 1927. Ever since his mother died, Ben feels lost. At home with her father, Rose feels alone. When Ben finds a mysterious clue hidden in his mother's room, and when a tempting opportunity presents itself to Rose, both children risk everything to find what's missing.

You really feel you are holding a literary gem when you hold one of his books. His illustrations are exquisite and so detailed. The illustrations alone tell such a powerful story. Ben's story is told in words. Rose's story is told in pictures. They eventually come together in the end. I am amazed at each page. The story is a simple one, with sweet characters, New York City, museums and a mystery to solve. I read the book in three days because I was racing to the end to discover the fate of young Ben. I smiled as I turned the last page and wandered back in my mind to being a child, curious and hopeful.

Rating: 6/6

I give this my top rating. Putting "genre labeling" aside, it is simply an exquisite piece of literary work. Selznick's gift of just pure, simple storytelling comes through, laced through with his extraordinary illustrations. You almost feel as if you are seated in a movie theater seeing a silent movie. Your attention is so focused to the little things, no noises to distract you, yet you are bounced back and forth between reading the words and capturing the power of a picture. Trust me. Read it. You'll understand. I'm just a bumbling idiot when it comes to his work. i just love it so! Hopefully I will be able to hold it in when I meet him tomorrow. :)

Publisher Website:

Wonderstruck, Scholastic

Movie Trailer:

Hugo

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Fragile by Lisa Unger (review #138)

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Fragile

Author: Lisa Unger

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Crown

Format: Library Loan

* Read for my 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

I discovered Lisa Unger many years ago during my bookselling days. I received an ARC of Beautiful Lies, one of her first books. I could not put it down! I found her to be a fresh, exciting, sharp, thrilling new voice in the thriller genre. It had the perfect blend of psychological thriller and mystery that I like.

One of her latest novels, Fragile, was shelved in the Fiction section at my last bookstore instead of Mystery, like her others. Perhaps this was a marketing tactic to change up her audience or perhaps the publisher felt it was more of a novel than a thriller. I found it be similar to her others. It had the psychological thriller piece matched with the whodunnit of two missing girl cases.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

Everybody knows everybody in The Hollows, a quaint, charming town outside of New York City. It’s a place where neighbors keep an eye on one another’s kids, where people say hello in the grocery store, and where high school cliques and antics are never quite forgotten. As a child, Maggie found living under the microscope of small-town life stifling. But as a wife and mother, she has happily returned to The Hollows’s insular embrace. As a psychologist, her knowledge of family histories provides powerful insights into her patients’ lives. So when the girlfriend of her teenage son, Rick, disappears, Maggie’s intuitive gift proves useful to the case—and also dangerous.
Eerie parallels soon emerge between Charlene’s disappearance and the abduction of another local girl that shook the community years ago when Maggie was a teenager. The investigation has her husband, Jones, the lead detective on the case, acting strangely. Rick, already a brooding teenager, becomes even more withdrawn. In a town where the past is always present, nobody is above suspicion, not even a son in the eyes of his father.
“I know how a moment can spiral out of control,” Jones says to a shocked Maggie as he searches Rick’s room for incriminating evidence. “How the consequences of one careless action can cost you everything.”
As she tries to reassure him that Rick embodies his father in all of the important ways, Maggie realizes this might be exactly what Jones fears most. Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie pursues her own leads into Charlene’s disappearance and exposes a long-buried town secret—one that could destroy everything she holds dear. This thrilling novel about one community’s intricate yet fragile bonds will leave readers asking, How well do I know the people I love? and How far would I go to protect them?

I really enjoyed the small town everyone- knows -everyone drama. It added to the tension of the book. All the characters seemed relatively believable to me, having come from a small town myself. The only flaw was that there was a bit too many story lines going on for me. Unger did a pretty good job weaving them together in the end. I still felt that some of the threads were too detailed and she could have wrapped it up a little bit better with some of the characters.

I was surprised with how it all turned out, which is a plus for me. I don't like figuring it all out before it ends. The ending gives you the sense that there is more story to be told, which is where the Darkness, my old Friend comes in. I wasn't aware there was a follow up until I investigated the author's website. Jones Cooper, the lead detective in Fragile, continues his story in Darkness...

Perhaps I will get to that next year in my challenge. :)

Rating: 5/6

Though I liked Beautiful Lies better than Fragile, I still think Lisa Unger is an author to read. I think she handles the twists of a psychological thriller quite well. Her characters get in your head and you want to figure them out. You want to uncover all of the secrets and get to the nitty gritty of the crime. If you are fans of Lisa Scottoline or Tana French, you may like Lisa Unger's books. I would say she may be a good middle ground between the two.

Author Website:

Lisa Unger

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Remembering Matthew Shepard

2011-10-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

We all must live with compassion for others.

This is what we must teach our children.

Put your fears aside and be kind to one another.

Thank you.

red headed book child

The Ladies' Book club: October 2011

2011-10-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

Book Read:

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Ladies in Attendance:

4 regular members

1 new member

Treats shared:

Pita Chips
French Bread

Spinach Dip

Pumpkin Scones

Sugar Cookies

Pumpkin Wine

White Wine

Apples with Caramel, Chocolate and Nuts to dip

To Read or Not to Read:

1 read it all, 2 read over 3/4 of it, 2 did not read it

My Reaction:

I had received this book as a potential review a few months ago and opted not to review it because I didn't think it would be something I'd like. I gave it to my friend Amanda who LOVES anything Zombie related and she really liked it. She likes to pick the book for the spooky month so it was her choice to read it for October. Overall, even though it was not really in the genre that I enjoy reading, I thought it was different enough to keep my interest. I wouldn't categorize it as horror or thriller. It was more of a straight forward novel that just happened to have a zombie as the main character.

It was fairly simple and easy to read. "R" was the zombie who was discovering he was not like the others. He was starting to feel things, and yearning to be different. He falls in love with one of the Living, a girl named Julie. He is a sweet, sometimes sad, hopeful and honest in his quest to figure himself out and essentially, get the girl. Aside from that storytline, you have the world surrounding them in shambles. The dead taking over the living, apocalypse everywhere. I just pictured the movie 28 Days Later, but fluffier! I'm glad I read it. I had about 30 pages left when I got to book club last night and I plan on finishing it today.

Description from Author's Website:

R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

Ladies' Reaction:

The Lady that picked it really, really liked it. She thought it was a straight forward social commentary on the life of zombies. Though parts did not match up to the zombie lore that she knew, it was still a twist on seeing zombies in a different light. Those that read it felt that "R", the Zombie had a lot more going on than the Living characters, especially Julie, the girl he falls for. Her character did not seem to evolve much throughout the book. This was an interesting contrast. As a reader you expect the Zombies to be lacking and the Living to have more depth. In this twist, it was quite the opposite. I have not read many other Zombie books but those that have, say it is quite different and worth reading.

Good Book Club Pick?

Our group was a bit smaller this time around, which happens this time of year but overall, the group of us that read it found it to be a different, unique read. We all agreed we needed something a little different and this was a good choice to shake it up!

Next Book Up:

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner (review #137)

2011-10-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Title: Live to Tell

Author: Lisa Gardner

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Bantam

Format: My shelves

* Read for my 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Thank you, Mystery Challenge, for finally prompting me to read Lisa Gardner. I could not put this book down! Silly me, I even felt a little hesitant because it wasn't the shiniest or newest book on my pile. Darnit, though, I was sticking to my challenge. I had not fulfilled the letter "G" yet so I read it. SO SO GLAD I DID!

I have never read her before but have definitely been curious. She seemed to do the psychological thriller type of mystery that I really like, if it's done well. My mom and my pal, Cheryl, had already read this one last summer after I got back from BEA. (Yes, I'm that behind). They both remarked that is was excellent. I would agree wholeheartedly.

Here is a description from the author's website:

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide.
On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.
Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.
A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.
In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

Lisa Gardner's writing style definitely has a hook to it. She has a way of building up suspense in each chapter even when not a whole lot happens. She leaves you hanging and then always comes back to satisfy you. It was told from three different perspectives, all women and you don't really see how they are all tied in until about half way. And then, BAM, it's none stop suspense.

I was especially intrigued (and a tad bit horrified) with the subject of mental health in children. It saddens me that there are children out there that have either been so badly abused or neglected that they are uncontrollable beings at this point. They have not received any of their basic needs in order for them to developmentally grow into healthy emotional children. This topic was pretty heavy throughout, in Danielle's work as a Pediatric Nurse and with Victoria and her son who suffered from a severe psychotic disorder.

The subject wasn't done is a flashy way or an over the top Lifetime movie of the week way. It was laid out pretty matter of fact, which made it even more terrifying and unputdownable to read.

All the women in this book were fascinating to read as well. They were all flawed and beaten up in their own way. D.D Warren was crass, sharp and brutally honest. In the midst of all the craziness in her work, she freely admits that all she really needed to do was get laid. This may sound flippant but it was real. With all the horror she sees on a daily basis, she was honest in needing the simple comfort of someone near her at the end of the day. I will definitely be reading more of her series.

Rating: 6/6

I give this my top rating. Though at times, the subject matter was a bit harsh and gruesome, I think Lisa Gardner wrote a well written, chilling thriller. I really liked the D.D Warren and want to go back and read the previous books in her series. As far as psychological thrillers go, Gardner rates at the top. I would put her up there with Harlan Coben, who is a huge favorite of mine.

I'm so glad I finally read this and also completed a letter in my Mystery Challenge!

Author Website:

Lisa Gardner

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: October 2011

2011-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: October 2011

The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti

I liked the cover for this one. It fits the October/Fall theme. It also sounds like a fantastic mystery thriller. Who's with me? Ready to enter another fabulous give away in the

Year of Mysterious Giveaways?!

Description from Goodreads:

In less than nine days, terror crosses the border . . .

Hiking in Arizona, biochemist Emma Caldridge inadvertently interrupts the operations of dangerous traffickers in human cargo—and is chased south into the arms of millionaire drug merchants. Suddenly a prisoner of Mexico’s most feared cartel, Emma makes a shocking discovery in the marijuana fields outside Ciudad Juarez: plants rotting with a flesh-eating toxin that causes a truly horrible death within nine days of exposure. And there is no antidote.

The cartel believes that U.S. agents contaminated the plants, and, determined to make their enemy pay, they prepare to spread their lethal product across America. Emma Caldridge searches desperately for a cure, but time is running out more quickly than she anticipated. For Emma herself has been infected—and, barring a miracle, she will die before the terrible dawning of . . .

Contest Rules:

Runs October 3- October 30

*Please be a follower of my blog.

*Please leave an email address.

* Please reside in the United States.

Thanks to Dana Kaye Publicity for sending me a copy to give away.

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Contest Winners!

2011-10-01T19:14:00.001-07:00

CONTEST WINNERS!

I had multiple giveaways going this month and they ended around the same day so I am lumping the winners in one post!

Thanks to everyone who entered in both the Learning to Breathe contest and my current Year of Mysterious Giveaways contest. I appreciate all of you for stopping by! I wish I had gifts for you all.

The winner of Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta is Miranda....

I follow on GFC ~ Miranda Ward
freebiegoddess03@aol.com
USA

Thanks Miranda! You will be notified!

The winner of Learning to Breathe and the very special extra gift from the author is Gayle...

I could probably benefit from this book even though I haven't had a panic attack for about a year. Sometimes I feel one close by and have to stop and remember how to breathe also. I have empathy for anyone who suffers this condition.

gaylelin@hotmail.com

Thanks Gayle! You too will be notified.

Both winners will be receiving their prizes straight from the publishers. Thank you to them for giving me and you this opportunity to win these wonderful items.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Ladies' Book Club: September 2011

2011-10-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Book Read:

Bliss by Oz Livaneli

Ladies in Attendance:

6 regular members

Treats shared:

Chips & roasted red pepper hummus
Homemade Tabouli
Mint Milano cookies
Samoa Cookies
Bread & cheeses (Drunken Goat Cheese, Mushroom Brie & Jarlsburg)
Cupcakes from "Cupcake"

Peach Salsa & Chips

Matys ~ a south african white wine

Prosseco

To Read or Not to Read:

2 Read it all, 2 read 1/2, 2 not at all

My Reaction:

I read about 50 pages or so and just could not get into it. I was unable to make it to this meet up and was bummed I could not see the ladies but because I didn't read the whole book, I did not have much to contribute to the book discussion. I am including a detailed description of the book so the comments from the other Ladies below will make some more sense. It was a strong pick by Rachele and a lesser known author, which I like.

Description from Google Books:

Fifteen-year-old Meryem lives in a rural village in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Her simple, conventional way of life changes dramatically after her uncle, a sheikh in a dervish order, rapes her and condemns her to death for shaming the family. Asked to carry out the honor killing is his son Cemal, a commando in the Turkish army. So begins a long, mystifying voyage for Meryem as her shell-shocked cousin ushers her to the shining metropolis of Istanbul where another troubled soul, the Harvard-educated professor Irfan, embarks on his own journey of transformation'one that catapults him into the heart of Meryem and Cemal's conflict. The crossed-paths and interwoven destinies of these three characters makes for an affecting, by turns brutal and life-affirming portrayal of traditional and modern-day Turkey that no reader will soon forget. Livaneli is an essential force in Turkey's musical, cultural, and political scene.

Ladies' Reaction:

Because I was not in attendance this month, my good pal, Kari, took excellent notes. So these are straight from their mouths. I always like to keep the notes as is because I find them to be pretty funny, honest and to the point, even if them come across as a bit choppy from translation.

Maria- noticed there are lots of outdated traditions still carried out
in that village!
Erin- Did the girls transformation on the train seem realistic in just
a train ride?
Rachele- Maybe not in that time frame, but could be realistic.
Maria- I would assume that here would be a transformation as she
experienced & saw more away from her village . It did seem unrealistic
that it could all happen on 1 train ride ... eating in front of men,
talking to men, uncovering her head ...
Erin- She was faced with life or death and she decided to go for it
and figure out who she wanted to be. That's brave for a girl from a
small village.
Maria- I am glad I read it, it was a good book, but I didn't like the
ending. I don't know what I would do differently had I written the
ending though. It just seemed like an unrealistic ending for how the
plot unfolded.
Rachele- The Prof. sounded like such a coward - other people have
problems too, some much worse problems than he has ... his story, and
he just moved so slowly.
Maria- There wasn't much of a plot climax to the professor's story
Erin- His plot just fizzles out where the girls has resolution to it.
Maria - I kept thinking ... "did I miss something in his story? is that it?"
Rachel - I like the 3 different journeys in one story
Maria- Good character development. Stories/journeys don't connect ...
paths cross but journeys don't connect.

Good Book Club Pick?

Kari- Overall ~ Glad we had the discussion about the book - I don't know how
I feel about the book. I learned a lot about Turkish culture but I
don't know if I would recommend it. It's a unique type of story.

Next Book Up:

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (yay! spooky zombie book!)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Featured Book (1): Violets of March by Sarah Jio

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

The Story: (from back cover)

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be helped by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and an intriguing dual story line. The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.

Why I wanted to read it:

Layered familial dramas intrigue me. I like books with secrets and hidden things in old houses. I like imaging living by the sea. I like mysteries and discovering things. This book had it all and was ripe for my reading but unfortunately time ran out for me and I made the mistake of reading too many books that were similar in nature around the time I received this one. This book will certainly be given its time in my hands with my nose buried in it but perhaps, not this year. My purpose of my new Featured Book posts is to shine a little light on these books that I have fallen behind in. I have read so many wonderful reviews of this book and now she has another novel out as well. Below I will list her website. She has a lot of info on there including an Ultra Violet Challenge!

The Details:

Publisher (Penguin) ISBN ( 978-0-452-29703-6) Price ($15.00) Genre (Fiction) Format (Paperback) Author Website (Sarah Jio)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (Review #136)

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Title:

Sworn to Silence

Author:

Linda Castillo

Series:

Kate Burkholder #1

Genre:

Thriller/Suspense

Format:

Libary Loan

* Read for 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

I love it when I pick something at random and end up loving it. That's what reading is all about, right?

I was discharging books at my library job and this came across the desk. I've always been really fascinated with the Amish way of life so when you through a murder and some suspense with that all, you have me hooked. The whole peaceful existence of the Amish existence is completely shattered when a killer is in their midst. It makes you think that no matter how good and simple you try to live your life, evil always as a way of finding its way in.

Here is a description from Goodreads:

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

I thought this had the perfect blend of mystery and suspense. I really liked Kate's character and how she was tied to the Amish community. Her experience growing up Amish gave her an edge to the community and the crime that she was working on. Though she had left that life she still respected the values and the way in which they lived. I liked her wit and her tough exterior. Though emotional and hiding demons from her own past, she was still a tough police chief and had respect from her team.

The writing was quick and sharp and definitely kept my attention. This was the first in the series and there were a few moments where it showed but overall, she kept the pace going and tied it up in the end. Some parts were pretty gruesome but they were brief. I can handle a little bit of blood and guts when it comes to describing crime scenes and victims and whatnot but it can get too much at times. In this case it was a serial killer so the details of the crime scenes were necessary to depict the similarities between the murders.

I'm definitely going to keep reading this series. There is a love interest that pops up throughout this and I'm sure it will continue to some way, shape or form. I liked their dynamic and I look forward to reading more about him. And i liked the location and the side characters. Painters Mill was the name of the fictional town in Ohio and I got a good sense of it from the author's good descriptions.

Rating: 5/6

I recommend this new series for fans of thrillers with an edge. It has a unique twist because of the tie to the Amish community. i think the parallel worlds of the Amish and the English would appeal to a lot of readers. My mom is reading this now and she is loving it.

Author Website:

Linda Castillo

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Tales of my Literary Life: Midwest Booksellers Association Trade Show

2011-09-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's taken me years of traveling around and working with many different people to realize that the Twin Cities and the Midwest are really wonderful places to be if you are of the literary kind. Not only does it have many small independent bookstores, it also has many award winning local publishers. I had the pleasure and honor to work at the largest book trade show in the Midwest just this past week. It is its own mini BEA, I thought.

Here is a description from its website:

The 2011 Midwest Booksellers Association trade show is a conference that gathers booksellers, publishers, distributors, reps, vendors, authors, librarians, teachers, and other book business colleagues in the heart of the literary Midwest.

Last year’s trade show show was a big success. Over 700 people attended, including 300 booksellers representing close to 90 bookstores and 230 publishing personnel representing nearly 500 publishers, distributors, and sales groups. Author participation was high, as well. Publishers sponsored 153 authors, who are always one of the highlights of our show.

Following is an abbreviated list of the highlights of the schedule.

Wednesday, September 21: Pre-show Event

Killer cocktails, Sponsored by Sisters in Crime and the Twin Cities Crime Writers Co-op, held at Open Book.

Thursday, September 22:
Education Day/Exhibit Set-Up

7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Registration desk open.
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Exhibitor set-up.
Educational sessions and Rep Pick of the Lists run throughout the day.
Adult Author Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. Approximately 150 attendees.
Features Naomi Benaron, Running the Rift (Algonquin Books), Christopher Moore, Sacre Bleu (HarperCollins), Theresa Weir, The Orchard (Hachette), and Jeffrey Zaslow, The Magic Room (Gotham Books/Penguin).
Moveable Feast Authors Lunch: 12:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. Features two keynote authors plus up to 38 additional authors, both adult and children’s. Approximately 100-125 attendees. Features Cheryl Strayed,Wild (Random House) and Larry Watson, American Boy (Milkweed Editions).
Midwest Booksellers Choice Awards Reception: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Showcases our five award-winning authors. Free event open to all trade show attendees.

Friday, September 23: Exhibit Day.
Show floor open between 9:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

6:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Registration desk open.
7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Final exhibitor set-up.
Childrens Author Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Four keynote authors speak for 12 minutes each. Approximately 250 attendees. Features Bonny Becker, The Sniffles for Bear (Candlewick), Heather Brewer, The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill (Dial/Penguin), Gordon Korman, Show Off and The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers; Book One (final title TBD) (Scholastic), and Scott Westerfeld, Goliath (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster).
Bonny Becker, The Sniffles for Bear, Candlewick
Heather Brewer, The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill, Dial/Penguin
Gordon Korman, Show Off and The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers; Book One (final title TBD)
Scott Westerfeld, Goliath, Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Formal Book Signing/Wine and Cheese Reception: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Three 30-minute rounds of signing sessions.
In-Booth Book Signings during Exhibit Hours: 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Host author signings at your booth at your discretion during exhibit hours. Be sure to give us a schedule of these signings for distribution at the show

I had so much fun, though I am sore from the two twelve hour days. I was able to meet a lot of wonderful authors while flapping their books and prepping them for their signings! I also got a chance to mingle with many publishing and literary folk that I have seen on and off through the years. Overall, it was an amazing time to be with so many like minded individuals. I had a chance to work with my good friend Dawn, a literary agent and build some connections that hopefully will bring me back next year.

Check out the website, Even if you are not from the Midwest, it is full of wonderful information about independent bookstores, authors and literary websites.

Midwest Booksellers

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child