Review: Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is familiar to all Americans. But never has his most famous speech--his 271 indelible words--been presented in such a visual and accessible format.

Graphic artist and Civil War aficionado C. M. Butzer deftly uses a detailed, comic-book style to depict the Battle of Gettysburg; the national movement to create a memorial there; and the quiet day in 1863 when Lincoln delivered his galvanizing speech. Butzer uses only primary sources for the text, drawing from first-person letters and diaries, speeches, and Lincoln's own writing to unpack this series of historical events. The address itself is played out over eighteen pages, with every phrase given a visual interpretation that will resonate with young readers. (Goodreads)

I've been on a Civil war kick recently. No wonder with the new Lincoln movie out with the fabulous Daniel Day Lewis. This is on my list to see in January. I've been listening to Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin on my MP3 player, watching the documentary The Civil War by Ken Burns, surprisingly LOVED the movie Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (i know, it's not really historical) AND got a honk out of the Magic Treehouse chapter book, Abe At Last! (I'm reading the series with my son, in case  you were wondering why I was seeking out my history lessons from children's chapter books)

I stumbled across this graphic novel, new on display at my library and scooped it up. It was a quick read that outlined the people and the politics involved in the Battle of Gettysburg. Geared towards a younger reader, this summed it up quite nicely with some pretty serious pictures along the way.

For someone like me who likes to learn about different points in history but doesn't always know where to start, this is a nice simple intro to a much larger topic.

Rating: Recommend
Purchase: Indie Bound

Any Civil War buffs out there? Any great recommends for me, either non-fiction or historical fiction?

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

The American South in the twenty-first century. A plantation owned for generations by a rich family. So much history. And a dead body.

Just after dawn, Caren walks the grounds of Belle Vie, the historic plantation house in Louisiana that she has managed for four years. Today she sees nothing unusual, apart from some ground that has been dug up by the fence bordering the sugar can fields. Assuming an animal has been out after dark, she asks the gardener to tidy it up. Not long afterwards, he calls her to say it's something else. Something terrible. A dead body. At a distance, she missed her. The girl, the dirt and the blood. Now she has police on site, an investigation in progress, and a member of staff no one can track down. And Caren keeps uncovering things she will wish she didn't know. As she's drawn into the dead girl's story, she makes shattering discoveries about the future of Belle Vie, the secrets of its past, and sees, more clearly than ever, that Belle Vie, its beauty, is not to be trusted. 

A magnificent, sweeping story of the south, The Cutting Season brings history face-to-face with modern America, where Obama is president, but some things will never change. Attica Locke once again provides an unblinking commentary on politics, race, the law, family and love, all within a thriller every bit as gripping and tragic as her first novel, Black Water Rising (description from Goodreads)

This had been sitting on my shelf for months and I would stare at it and stare at it, knowing I would be in for an amazing read once I actually picked the damn thing up and cracked it open. Finally last week, it happened. Finally, a thriller sparked my interest! I've been in a mystery slump!

Attica Locke's first novel, Black Water Rising, was terrific as well. She immediately hooks you in with vivid descriptions of the setting and the inner turmoils of her characters. This time it was the deep south, Louisiana, which is steeped in history and vibrancy. I loved the main character, Caren. She was tough yet refined. I liked how she ran her job, the complexities of running a historic plantation as a black woman. 

It was edgy at times, the current racial tension between the characters and the past story line about the actual people living and working on the plantation, was intriguing and intense. This book had a lot going for it; a love story, history, politics, murder. I enjoyed the hell out of it and definitely look forward to reading more of her books.

On a cool side note, this book was published as the first book in the Harper Collins imprint, Dennis Lehane Books. What a backer to have as an author! Dennis Lehane is one of my favorites so it was easy to trust this book would be a good one.

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
Publisher: Harper Collins (Dennis Lehane Books)
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 374 
Price: $25.99
Challenge: Sadly, this would be one of my first book reviews for my very own A-Z Mystery Author Challenge. Yay! Go me, I know.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

Publisher: Free Press
Release Date: November 2012
Genre: Memoir
Challenge: Memorable Memoir Reading Challenge
* Recommend

Description from Goodreads:
One day, Susannah Cahalan woke up in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. Her medical records—from a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet, only weeks earlier she had been a healthy, ambitious twenty-four year old, six months into her first serious relationship and a sparkling career as a cub reporter. 

It amazes me, with all my anxiety that I have, that I continue to read memoirs like this. Seriously, I'm afraid to leave my house. It fascinates and horrifies me, I guess.

Memoirs are one of my favorite genres. And this one was startling and hard to put down. The complete change this woman went through was unbelievable. The hows and whys were hard to imagine as well.

Going from a seemingly normal, healthy woman and then within a few weeks becoming paranoid, psychotic, delusional, and physically unable to move the way she used to was unsettling to read about. Cahalan delivers it very in a forward way, expressing that she does not remember a lick of it. She relied on family members, hospital video, doctors notes and a journal her divorced parents kept.

All in all, you get the sense of the extreme trauma that was happening throughout the short time of her "madness"; her parents struggles and determination to find out what was wrong with their daughter, her very loyal, still very new boyfriend and her friends, old and new, coming to grips with this new Susannah.

Parts of it got to be very medical but I think once they determined what was indeed wrong with her, the book really had to go there. Her case was so unique and rare at the time, that explaining the complexities of her condition were critical.

I recommend it. I don't want to say it's not your typical "going crazy" story but that's really what it is. She had a good life, good parents, good job, good friends, good boyfriend, never any issue with mental health in the past.  She got a bug and it made her go nuts, essentially. It really brings to light how delicate the brain really is and how it doesn't take much to jack it all up.

Author Page at Simon and Schuster.
Author Website

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by.

red headed book child

Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Title: The Secret Keeper
Author: Kate Morton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Fiction
Release Date:  October 16, 2012

I can tell I don't have a lot of time or energy to read these days because it took me almost 3 weeks to get through The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton is one of my all time favorite authors and this book was just as good as her others but still, it took me long to read it.

Kate Morton, for those of you who do not know her, writes extraordinary novels; sweeping dramatic stories about love, loss, betrayal, hope, etc. She is the modern day Daphne du Maurier. Historical romance fiction.  

Her latest would not be my favorite of her four but it was still a wonderful read.

Here's the scoop from the publisher's website:

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden, and The House at Riverton, a spellbinding new novel filled with mystery, thievery, murder, and enduring love.

During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.

Dorothy’s story takes the reader from pre–WWII England through the blitz, to the ’60s and beyond. It is the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined.The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometimes bring. It is an unforgettable story of lovers and friends, deception and passion that is told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world.


What Morton does really well is create complex characters and makes the reader get emotionally attached. She teases us with secrets and keeps us reading with her crafty intrigue. Mix it with a alluring setting (England mostly), a crumbling estate of some kind and a past and present story laid out at the same time, and you got yourself a book you can't put down.

I am looking forward to recommending this one this fall. A Kate Morton novel is always a good pairing with a glass of wine on the cool fall night.

Here are her other novels that I think you should read as well. You can find more info about them on her website, Kate Morton.
The House at Riverton
The Forgotten Garden
The Distant Hours

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Thrill Week Review: Freak by Jennifer Hillier

Welcome to my Thrill Week Review Post!

Marcia @ Tea Time With Marce gives us the chance to post anything we really want to post, just so long as it is about the mystery genre. I was very excited to be a part of it again! Last year I chose to feature a debut author, Jennifer Hillier. She has brand new to me and I love to discover new authors!

This year I am going to write about that same author and her follow up book, Freak.

I was sent a copy of Creep just as whim and really, really enjoyed it! I actually requested this follow up, Freak, from the publisher (something I rarely do these days). I was just really excited to see she had a sequel. 

Here is the description from Goodreads:
Suspense magazine chose Jennifer Hillier’s “truly frightening” debut,Creep, as one of 2011’s best novels, while #1 bestselling author Jeffery Deaver cautioned “you better call in sick—you’re not going anywhere until you finish reading.” Now, Hillier returns to the Pacific Northwest college town where one killer’s stranglehold has ebbed . . . but another sick mind has waited for the perfect moment to pick up where the terror left off. Sitting alone in a maximum-security prison cell, Abby Maddox is a celebrity. Her claim to fame is the envy of every freak on the outside: she’s the former lover of Ethan Wolfe, the killer who left more than a dozen dead women in his wake and nearly added Puget Sound State professor Sheila Tao to the tally. Now Abby, serving a nine-year sentence for slashing a police officer’s throat in a moment of rage, has little human contact—save for the letters that pour in from demented fans, lunatics, and creeps. But a new wave of murders has given Abby a possible chance for a plea bargain—because this killer has been sending her love letters, and carving a message on the bodies of the victims: Free Abby Maddox.

Jerry Isaac will never forget the attack—or his attacker. The hideous scarring and tortured speech are daily reminders that the one-time Seattle PD officer, now a private investigator, is just lucky to be alive. Abby Maddox deserves to rot in jail—forever, as far as Jerry’s concerned. But she alone may possess crucial evidence—letters from this newest killer—that could crack open the disturbing case. With the help of Professor Sheila Tao, seasoned police detective Mike Torrance, and intuitive criminology student Danny Mercy, Jerry must coax the shattering truth from isolated, dangerous Abby Maddox. Can he put the pieces together before Abby’s number one fan takes another life in the name of a killer’s perverted idea of justice?


This series is totally up the alley for any reader who likes Chelsea Cain or Jeff Lindsay's Dexter books. It's a little different, in the sense that it focuses on a female killer. It has all of the psychological elements that I love; the unexpected, the drama, the suspense.

This is a fast read. If you haven't read Creep, pick that one up first. It definitely is a story you have to know before you dive into Freak.

I really look forward to Hillier's next book. If you want suspenseful, sharp reading that will keep you turning the pages, check her out. Support those newer authors!

Title: Freak
Author: Jennifer Hillier
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Gallery Books

Make sure you stop by Marcia's blog to check out the other bloggers who are posting this week. Support the Mystery/Thriller Genre!!!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: Widow's Might by Sandra Brannan

To say the third book in the Liv Bergen series was highly anticipated is an understatement. This will be my third year knowing Sandra Brannan and my third year enjoying her books. I look forward to the many more years I will have reading more of her books.

Like I mentioned in my final Year of Mysteries Giveaway, I will be posting a lot about Sandra and her books this month to lead up to the book signing event she will be doing at my bookstore in September.
She deserves as much press as she can get. :)

Because this is third in the series and there may be folks out there who have not heard of them, here is a quick description of each from the author's website.

Book 1: In the Belly of Jonah

The puzzle of “a window cut into a girl’s body” leads to a serial killer with an artistic bent in this thrilling mystery set in a Colorado mining community.

In the Belly of Jonah is a fast-paced mystery with a likable protagonist and an intricately woven narrative brimming with bizarre yet believable twists. The first in a series, the book expertly lays the groundwork for Liv Bergen, amateur sleuth, and her love interest, FBI Agent Streeter Pierce.

Liv becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of Jill Brannigan, a summer intern at the limestone mine Liv manages near Fort Collins, Colorado (a breathtaking setting that unwittingly becomes an accessory to crime). In doing so, she inadvertently puts her friends, her family, and herself at risk of being swallowed in the belly of a madman bloated with perverse appetites for women, surrealistic art, and renown.

Perhaps a bit too daring (and at times irreverent) for her own good, “Boots,” as Liv’s eight siblings call her, soon realizes she has a knack for outsmarting and tracking down the Venus de Milo murderer—and she enjoys it! As the gripping plot of In the Belly of Jonah unfolds, Liv Bergen takes her place alongside the best female crime-solvers as a woman with smarts, self-confidence, and intuitive savvy.

Book 2: Lot's Return to Sodom

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is no place for buttoned-down citizens—unless they’re trying to hide a murder or two.

In this second book in the eponymous series, gutsy, sharp-witted Liv Bergen vows to clear her brother’s name as a murder suspect. Her way is hindered, though, by half a million bikers and gawkers who have turned the Black Hills of South Dakota into a modern-day Sodom in the dog days of summer.

When Liv witnesses a second homicide, she attracts the uninvited attentions of Mully, the menacing leader of biker gang Lucifer’s Lot. Their cat-and-mouse game puts Liv once again in the path of FBI agent Streeter Pierce, who’s gone undercover to find the perp in the first murder—plus a shadow criminal called the Crooked Man.

Liv taps every ounce of brains and brawn she has to avoid becoming the killer’s next victim, and the intriguing Streeter shoots to kill.

Book 3: Widow's Might

A vengeful killer with a crooked sense of justice threatens Liv and those she loves most.

The murder of her future sister-in-law has been solved, but Liv Bergen finds herself drawn into a new murder investigation. A rancher has been bludgeoned to death in a style eerily reminiscent of a long-inactive serial killer known only as the Crooked Man—and the rancher’s frail yet feisty widow has been assaulted. Sharp-witted, plucky Liv is asked to be the handler of Beulah, the FBI’s man-trailing bloodhound. Together they unearth critical clues as to the Crooked Man’s whereabouts and warped mind.

FBI agent Streeter Pierce likewise turns his sights on tracking down his nemesis from ten years earlier. Pierce doesn’t complain, though; he’s falling in love with Liv and sets in motion an unconventional way to recruit her for the FBI’s training camp in Quantico as they work the case together. But is Liv falling for the brilliant, exotic agent Jack Linwood instead?

Once again, Liv “Boots” Bergen showcases her vast knowledge of the Black Hills of South Dakota – territory made famous by the gold rush that followed General George Custer’s expedition—and the novel folk who live there.

One of the things I like about this series is how personable they are. The people, the places all are very familiar and real to me. Liv Bergen herself, though described  differently in the book, reminds me of the Sandra and other people I know. Does this make for tricky reading when they get into rough and often terrifying situations? Yes, you bet. But it also makes it very easy for me to root for them.

The style of writing is also very straight forward. It's crime solving through and through with smart characters that aren't overly portrayed or done up in a way that they become cliche. Liv is a pretty normal gal who is smart and doesn't really take a lot of crap.  She comes from a big family and has a strong community around her. Though amateur in the crime solving stuff, she puts it all together by just her know how. (seriously...from mining to General Custer's expedition, this gals knows some s*$@).

Streeter is definitely the catch, in my opinion, but his allure is subtle. I have an active imagination so Sandra's writing of his no nonsense character allows for my mind to daydream about him a bit!

I have read many a mystery and I love all kinds. I said from the start that I thought Sandra's books were well written. She's got a schtick, if I dare use that word. She's created a solid character combined with settings you can tell she knows very well and mixes it with really clever, intricate crime solving. You can't beat that. 

Like any series, there will probably be one or two that may not hit me as strongly. The crime and history in this one didn't interest me as much as the first two but I still enjoyed the read. It had nothing to do with anything else but my mood. I am so happy for where Liv's character is going (no spoilers). I so very much look forward to the next book. I will miss Streeter and Liv's various family members in the meantime. :(

Rating: Recommend
Really folks, give this series a shot, especially if you are a mystery/thriller fan. They have everything you need from tough detectives, a sassy amateur sleuth, intriguing locales and some serious "What the..?" crime solving.

Title:  Widow's Might
Author: Sandra Brannan
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format: ARC
Purchase: IndieBound

More fun stuff about Sandra Brannan and her books:

Exclusives main page https://apps.odylfarm.

com/sandrabrannan/exclusives/

Widow's Might excerpt https://apps.odylfarm.

com/sandrabrannan/exclusives/
5067

Giveaways main page https://apps.odylfarm.

com/sandrabrannan/giveaways/

Kindle Fire Giveaway https://apps.

odylfarm.com/sandrabrannan/
giveaways/3977

Book Trailer Winner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8BuNlYyRFs&feature=youtu.be

It's from Candace Hawkins, blogger and reviewer at Lovey Dovey Books. Here is what Candace had to say:

"I signed up for the Widow's Might book trailer contest ready for a new experience, but I never imagined I'd actually win the contest. I loved the challenge of putting together a short video that would, hopefully, show viewers what the story is about and pique their curiosity. The biggest part of the challenge was deciding how to portray the novel's plot, but understanding the story and characters and knowing why I enjoyed the story made creating the trailer that much more easier. Winning the contest has just made my year!"

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: Every Day by David Levithan

I snagged this ARC from work a few weeks back, intrigued that the author David Levithan was the co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, a book I've been meaning to read. It turned out to be a quick and fascinating read. I'm looking forward to recommending it once it comes out later this month.

Here's the description from Goodreads:
Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day

It's impossible to imagine waking up every day in a different body. Would it be cool for awhile? Painful? Annoying? Awesome? Hard to say. I think A's character felt a little bit of everything along the way until he meets Rhiannon. Now he only wants to go wake up with her and to experience the love and real connnection with another person, instead of starting over every day.

I really felt for A, in his courage to accept his fate and manage what comes to him every time he wakes up. It was survival mode all the way. Make it through the day without screwing up the person's life in which you inhabit for 24 hours.

Once Rhiannon and A meet and the truth comes out, Leviathan does a good job with the portraying the struggles of what love really is. What if the person  you love looks different every day? A woman one day? A man the next? A's character always stayed the same age but everything else changed. Rhiannon, at times, had a hard time seeing past the outside to get to the inside. And A desperately tried to show her he was still in there.

Rating: Recommend
This was a wonderful read. It would appeal to a wide audience, definitely more thought provoking young adult. Perhaps for fans of John Green.

Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Purchase: IndieBound

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

What a gem of a book this turned out to be. Lisa Genova's debut book, Still Alice, from a few years back turned into a bestseller, especially for book clubs. Though heart wrenching and very emotional to read, I still found it to be one of my favorites from that year. I did not go on to read Left Nelgected but have it on my shelf and will probably get to it at some point. Love Anthony was just as good as Still Alice.

I was lucky enough to get a lovely BEA book package from Simon and Schuster because I could not make the trip this year. Love Anthony was included in that as one of their buzz titles for the fall.

My reading pace has slowed considerably this year. I find myself mixing in quite a bit of audio books in my reading time and the number of books I have actually "read" is quite low. Aside from being busy and tired most of the time, I haven't been finding a lot of books that get me from the start and urge me to keep going.

I did not have that problem with Love Anthony.

Told from two different perspectives, both women and mothers and jumping back and forth in time, Love Anthony is certainly another bestseller AND excellent choice for book clubs. 

Here is a description from Goodreads:
Two women, each cast adrift by unforseen events in their lives, meet by accident on a Nantucket beach and are drawn into a friendship.
Olivia is a young mother whose eight-year-old severely autistic son has recently died. Her marriage badly frayed by years of stress, she comes to the island in a trial separation to try and make sense of the tragedy of her Anthony’s short life.
Beth, a stay-at-home mother of three, is also recently separated after discovering her husband’s long-term infidelity. In an attempt to recapture a sense of her pre-married life, she rekindles her passion for writing, determined to find her own voice again. But surprisingly, as she does so, Beth also find herself channeling the voice of an unknown boy, exuberant in his perceptions of the world around him if autistic in his expression—a voice she can share with Olivia—(is it Anthony?)—that brings comfort and meaning to them both.

I was enthralled with the setting, having been to Nantucket once in my life and falling in love with it. It seemed the ideal atmosphere for this emotional story. 

Though the happenings of the book are certainly sad and tragic at times, the way the women face it all is inspiring. I liked them both equally. The way she writes about autism is beautiful and in my opinion, so right on. Anthony's character makes your heart swell and my motherly instincts kick in. I could just relate to each of the women so much in so many different ways. 

I wanted Olivia to find the peace she so deserved from losing her son. I wanted Beth to find her own happiness she had set aside for so long. These were real women with real stories that Genova so masterfully created. 

Rating: Recommend
If you are a fan of wonderfully crafted women's fiction, this is for you. Though light hearted in some moments, most of the book is a bit sad and heavy. But I do have to say that it is sadness  followed by tremendous strength, hope and love.
Highly recommended for book clubs. 

Author Website:
Lisa Genova

Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, Gallery
Release Date: expected release date of September 25, 2012 (from Goodreads), January 15, 2013 (from ARC)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: Gold by Chris Cleave

Gold by Chris Cleave
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Format: ARC from Publisher
Release date: July 10, 2012
Purchase: IndieBound

Chris Cleave will always remind me of a glorious time in my book selling days. I was given an ARC of Little Bee many years ago and loved it. I made displays. I recommended it to everyone. I made it my #1 book to hand sell that year. And it worked. Me and thousands of others helped it become a bestseller. It was perfect for book clubs, for those readers who wanted to try something edgier, different, unique. Because of how strongly I felt for Little Bee, I was very much interested in his new book Gold. On a side note, his covers are gorgeous and draw me in instantly. Isn't this one divine?

Gold has a much different feel than Little Bee, still charged but not as dark or political. It tells a very unique story that sets around Olympic bicyclists. Who knew?

Here is a description from Goodreads:
Gold is the story of Zoe and Kate, world-class athletes who have been friends and rivals since their first day of Elite training. They’ve loved, fought, betrayed, forgiven, consoled, gloried, and grown up together. Now on the eve of London 2012, their last Olympics, both women will be tested to their physical and emotional limits. They must confront each other and their own mortality to decide, when lives are at stake: What would you sacrifice for the people you love, if it meant giving up the thing that was most important to you in the world?

I read this way back in January, having received a very early copy. I should have written my review at that time while it was all fresh in my mind but...I slipped. I still very much remember liking it and being moved by it with each page. Cleave is good at portraying our flaws as humans but also our triumphs. Especially with the Summer Olympics coming up, this book is so filled with the passion, the drive, the sweat, the pain that comes with being an athlete. How much do you lose on your way to the top? What really is important? The Gold? Or your family?

There is always a little bit of intrigue surrounding his books, where you can't really explain what they are all about without giving too much away. I would agree with that. I would say if you are looking for a very well written, character driven novel, this would be for you. Throw in a very fractured love story, and the sport of cycling, you open it up to many more readers.

Rating: Recommend
Different than Little Bee, but worth reading. Chris Cleave is a talent worth experiencing.

Author website:
Chris Cleave

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

50 Shades; Yes, I read it. Yes, I'm reviewing it.

So, I'm not going to even mention the book details, publisher, author, yada yada because unless you've been under a rock lately, you should all know about Fifty Shades of Grey or as I call it "Just Fiddy". I hemmed and hawed about reading this. I knew it wasn't really my cup of tea but whenever a book hits this hard, I always find my way to it and givie it a shot.

Things I've heard about this book before reading it.
"It's smut!'
"It's Twilight fan-fiction"
"It's hot, right?"
"I'm so embarrassed but I love it!"
"It's a great read for the beach this summer!"
"I hide it beneath another book and read it on the bus"

How did I feel about it? Well, I'll get to that in a sec.

The craze for this book is creepy and amazing. I work at an independent bookstore in a pretty trendy neighborhood in Minneapolis. We sell more Murakami than Erotica. But this book we simply just threw up our hands and ordered in the masses because, like Hunger Games, it seemed every third customer was buying it. No one I work with will read this. Trust me. Of course, I had to. I'm a nosy nose and a curious cat. Also, I love to gossip with people about this kind of book phenomenon.

I am not a person who judges what others read. Never have been. Never will be. Sure, I think some literature is more high brow than others but I read Jackie Collins, so who the hell am I to judge. You read what you want for your own enjoyment. That's what reading is all about. If you read creepy S&M erotica, that's just fine. Just don't tie up your neighbor unwillingly, kay?

So with that said, you may think I'm all for this book and okay with so many people reading it.

On one hand (the whole non judging thing), yes, I'm cool with it. Read what you will.

BUT, I have a few little issues with it.

On simply the book itself, I feel this:
1. I am not a fan of the writing. The inner dialogue of Anastasia is like nails on a chalkboard.
2. Anastasia and Christian are highly dysfunctional and about as annoying as Bella and Edward. Co-dependent. Needy. Completely unable to communicate like adults.
3. The sex got old. Yep, I said it. 500 pages was too much.


On the topic of the book, I feel this:
I was reading along just fine through most of it, with quite a few eye rolls and skimming. Once I got towards the end, I was just done with them. I didn't like what they were doing to one another, emotionally, mostly and I didn't think it sent out a good message.
I know, I know. I'm not trying to say every book has to follow a high moral ground, it's not that.  There are plenty of romance novels where the man always rescues the woman and plenty of erotica that does even more crazy things.

But when you have a book like this, very graphic in nature, portraying a very specific intense lifestyle and it's being gobbled up by the millions, millions! I just hope that those reading it will take it maturely. The critics are saying women are loving this book because this day and age,  women are doing more than the men and they want their men to take more control. Okay, I hear that. I guess. From the massive sales of this book, are that many women unhappy? What do the men think?  I witness couples buying it up. I witness men say they are buying it for their wives, their girlfriends. 

Do they know it's wicked graphic? Intense? The women completely giving herself over to the man? Is that the appeal? Where did it get it's start? 

I don't know. I found myself shaking my head a lot and just getting annoyed. I know this book isn't really going to be responsible for crazy bedroom things for everyone who reads it but it will introduce the reader to a very intense world. I hope all readers are prepared for that and can handle it. 

I, for one, am just trying to forget it. That's just me. 

Recommend: Obviously not. 

Thoughts, dear readers. Am I being too harsh? Too literal? Thinking it has took much control over the book buying population right now? Or is our society just going to look at it as a fun read?

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Ladies Book Club: May 2012

Book Read: When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Ladies in Attendance: 9

Treats Shared: Sweet potato chips, blue corn chips, hummus, sweet salsa, chocolate chip cookies, strawberries, DQ Buster Bars!!! Merlot and White Zinfadel

To Read or Not to Read: 2 read 1/2, 6 read it all, 1 didn't read it 

My Reaction: I was one of the folks who read half of it, due to a busy schedule and well, not getting it in time from the library. What I did read was really interesting and held my attention. I went into it expecting a bit more of a literary novel but it read simply, almost like a psychological thriller. It had a lot of drama, love, good and evil and a bit of dystopian thrown in there that I generally have a fancy for.

If you are not familiar with the story, here is a description from Goodreads:

I am red now. It was her first thought of the day, every day, surfacing after a few seconds of fogged, blessed ignorance and sweeping through her like a wave, breaking in her breast with a soundless roar. Hard on its heels came the second wave, crashing into the wreckage left by the first: he is gone.

Hannah Payne’s life has been devoted to church and family. But after she’s convicted of murder, she awakens to a nightmarish new life. She finds herself lying on a table in a bare room, covered only by a paper gown, with cameras broadcasting her every move to millions at home, for whom observing new Chromes—criminals whose skin color has been genetically altered to match the class of their crime—is a sinister form of entertainment. Hannah is a Red for the crime of murder. The victim, says the State of Texas, was her unborn child, and Hannah is determined to protect the identity of the father, a public figure with whom she shared a fierce and forbidden love.

A powerful reimagining of The Scarlet Letter, When She Woke is a timely fable about a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of the not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated, and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned but chromed and released back into the population to survive as best they can. In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a journey of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith and love

Pretty crazy, huh? Can you imagine? The colors of our crimes visible on our skin? How many folks would be colorful? This was a perfect book that opened up a lot of talk about the what ifs of the reality of this.  I really thought it was well written, thought provoking and different. I know the author had written a novel previously that had gotten some acclaim but I was not familiar with her work. I am planning on finishing it even though the discussion led to some spoilers.

The Ladies Reaction: All the ladies that read any part of it enjoyed it. They found it to be completely absorbing once you got started. Some brought up that our society already has ways to showcase our crimes (i.e tattoos of how many people you have killed, gang colors, etc). Though the characters were flawed and made some interesting choices throughout, we all agreed we were eager for it all to resolved in a happy ending. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit abrupt for some and did end up leaving some questions. 


Good Book Club Pick? Overall, the Ladies agreed that this was definitely a great pick for our book club and some were eager to check our her other titles. 

Next Book Up: The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child