Review #72: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County Tiffany Baker

Title: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

Author: Tiffany Baker

Genre: Fiction

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Hachette)

ISBN: 978-0-446-19422-8

Price/Pages: $13.99/341

My Description:

Truly Place is told she is different; a giant, larger than life. Born and raised in a small rural town, she has no choice but to live through her pain; physically as she grows more each day, and emotionally, as she gets belittled from those around her.

She knows no other way. She was born big, too big, they say, causing her mother to die in childbirth.

Her sister, Serena Jane, is quite the opposite; delicate,

beautiful and the apple of everyone's eye.

Truly, Serena and their father fumble through the years after their mother dies. Unsure of how to raise two girls, he seeks help from neighbors. Unfortuntaely not all are open to caring for Truly. The girls are forced to split up. Serena to the Reverend Pickerton's house, Truly to the Dyersons'. Truly makes a home with their daughter, Amelia, strange and silent in her own way and they forge a bond that will last into their adult years.

A strong central character along side the girls in Robert "Bob Bob" Morgan, the young son of a family of local doctors. Obsessed with Serena, he would do anything to have her. After a shocking incident, Robert, Truly, Amelia and Serena are forever linked.

The story is told in Truly's voice and in three parts. Over the course of many years we see Truly and her family and friends battle with these secrets and demons.

My Review:

This book has so many layers to it it is hard for me to put in words what I really feel about it. It's also hard to explain what happens in the book without giving too much of it away. I went back and forth in my enjoyment in this book. It started out a bit slow for me and heavy. It took me awhile to really get into the mind of Truly. I felt I did about half way through.

Truly is a complicated character. Her voice is supremely honest, emotional, and raw. But also very empty at times and I think that's the part I had the hardest with. I was trying to really get to the heart of her and feel for her but then I realized that she really was just a empty shell at times. Her weight, though large, didn't fill the gaps inside.

I didn't want to save her, so much, but I did want her to find peace and understanding and kindness. So much happens to her and around her that you find yourself breathing through it all with her and hoping that calm will come.

Tiffany Baker has written a very layered, well written first novel. It had elements of the south; the hard work, the tough times, the poverty, the discrimination and also the hope.

Throughout the novel you also get a little bit of witchcraft and local myth and storytelling.

Rating: 4 stars/6 stars

I would recommend this novel for, once again, lovers of serious fiction. It's not an easy read. It's not a fun, happy read though I will say, the ending did bring me joy. But this one is certainly raw; the characters are flawed, the writing is emotional, the setting is desolate and cold at times.

Book Club Rating:

If you have a club out there who reads novels like Fried Green Tomatoes (Fannie Flagg) or Bastard out of Carolina (Dorothy Allison), this would be a good pick for you.

Thank you to Jessica at Newman Communications for sending me a copy to read and review.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Library begins...

Yesterday I started my job at the Library.

I had to re-read one of my favorite books again to get going!

Though I did not walk with a wagon of books, my hair was equally as large and

red as the gal on the cover.

Today I get to learn all about Cataloguing.

Gee, I hope I spelled that right.

!!

red headed book child

Did you know...

...that July 11, 2010 marks the 50th Anniversary of

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee?

And did you know that I have not read this book yet?

Yes, I know. I suck.

I tried really hard to avoid the BIG HUGE GIANT DISPLAY at BEA because I was too darn embarrassed that I, as a passionate reader and lover of all things literary, had not read such a classic.

WELL, let me tell you dear readers, I am going to change that! I plan (cross my fingers) to read this book before July 11 or there abouts. I have 2 more books I want to read before then but I think I can. I think I can. Chug Chug Choo Choo.

How about you? Have you read it?

I receive the Hot@Harper (Collins) email newsletter and it had this website to check out for all of the cool events they are planning on doing surrounding this literary event. ToKillAMockingbird50year.com

Check it out and maybe join the fun!

happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review #71: The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White

Title: The Girl on Legare Street

Author: Karen White

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: New American Library (Penguin)

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978-0-451-22799-7

Price/Pages: $15.00/335

My Description:

The Girl on Legare Street starts off shortly after The House on Tradd Street leaves off. Melanie, a 39 year old realtor living in Charleston is adjusting to having her parents back in her life and owning a giant historic estate in need of a lot of repair. She is still going around and around in circles with Jack, a former bestselling mystery author using her estate and family history as basis for his next book. It's a headstrong love/hate affair and oh so much fun to read.

Melanie's mother, who deserted her when she was seven, is not leaving her alone. She needs help restoring their old family home on Legare Street and Melanie is the best in the business. But her mother knows the house needs more than a new coat of paint. It needs the power of their combined sixth sense to rid the house of the terrible spirits that inhabit it.

Just when she thinks she might get some quiet, she is pulled into yet another paranormal mystery (see my review for The House on Tradd Street).

Only this time, the spirits are coming just for her.

My Review:

Let me just say, I absolutely ADORE Karen White now. I am hooked. I was told this was going to be a four part book series and from the ending of this one, I could definitely tell there was going to be atleast a third. Talk about cliffhanger!

First, I want to now move to Charleston, South Carolina. From how White describes the community, it sounds so cozy and quaint; rich with history of the war battles, the old money, and the ghosts that roam the streets. I could not get enough!

Melanie continues to shine as the sassy main character but in this novel you really get to see the side characters come out. Jack is smart, wickedly handsome, stubborn and obviously in love with Melanie. Her mother, Ginnette, is a strong force with incredibly powerful sixth sense.

In order to unravel the mystery of the spirit that is after Melanie, everyone is forced to dig deep into their pasts and face some horrible truths about their family line.

This one was a bit darker and had much more paranormal activity in it. There were more talking to ghosts, cold spots, orbs of light, dark visions, that sort of thing. In my opinion, it was woven into the story quite nicely. Obviously having a sixth sense was quite normal for Melanie and her mother. I am a lover of that so it was really enjoyable to read. I'm currently addicted to Ghost Adventures, the TV Show (fyi) so reading about it all is super fun in my book.

Rating: 6 stars/6 stars

I had so much fun reading these and I can not wait for the third and fourth. It just had such a nice blend of a historical novel, a mystery, a romance and a ghost story. All the ingredients that make my toes tingle when I read. Definitely check these out if you want an absorbing read, in the bubble bath with a glass of wine.

Highly Recommended!

Author Website:

Karen White

I thank Joy, once again, for sending me these to read.

Stay tuned for a review of On Folly Beach by Karen White.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review #70: The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

Title: The Madonnas of Echo Park

Author: Brando Skyhorse

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Free Press (Simon and Schuster)

Format: ARC from Publisher

ISBN: 978-1-4391-7080-9

Price/Pages: $23.00/224

Release Date: June 2010

Description from Simon and Schuster's website:

(because it explains it far better than I could)

We slipped into this country like thieves, onto the land that once was ours.

With these words, spoken by an illegal Mexican day laborer, The Madonnas of Echo Park takes us into the unseen world of Los Angeles, following the men and women who cook the meals, clean the homes, and struggle to lose their ethnic identity in the pursuit of the American dream.

When a dozen or so girls and mothers gather on an Echo Park street corner to act out a scene from a Madonna music video, they find themselves caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting. In the aftermath, Aurora Esperanza grows distant from her mother, Felicia, who as a housekeeper in the Hollywood Hills establishes a unique relationship with a detached housewife.

The Esperanzas’ shifting lives connect with those of various members of their neighborhood. A day laborer trolls the streets for work with men half his age and witnesses a murder that pits his morality against his illegal status; a religious hypocrite gets her comeuppance when she meets the Virgin Mary at a bus stop on Sunset Boulevard; a typical bus route turns violent when cultures and egos collide in the night, with devastating results; and Aurora goes on a journey through her gentrified childhood neighborhood in a quest to discover her own history and her place in the land that all Mexican Americans dream of, "the land that belongs to us again."

Like the Academy Award–winning film Crash, The Madonnas of Echo Park follows the intersections of its characters and cultures in Los Angeles. In the footsteps of Junot Díaz and Sherman Alexie, Brando Skyhorse in his debut novel gives voice to one neighborhood in Los Angeles with an astonishing— and unforgettable—lyrical power.

My Review:

I took this book along with me to NYC and read about half of it on the way out there. I always try to take a book on the plane that is not huge but thought provoking. I like to be absorbed and intrigued. I rarely take fluff with me on airplanes. I want to be a little lost and forget that I could be plummeting to my death at any moment. :) I was able to finish this in Washington Square Park a few days into my travels in the city.

The Madonnas of Echo Park fit this bill completely. I had read about it earlier in the year and when I had the opportunity to read it before it was released I jumped on it.

First the line,

"We slipped into this country like thieves, onto the land that once was ours" is incredibly powerful and engaged me right away.

Also, the author was compared to Junot Diaz, the author of

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which I just adored.

As the description above says, this novel tells many a story, each chapter separate and told from a different voice. But as you read on, each character is connected and pieces of each story overlap and you get to reread it in a sense from different perspectives. This style is not at all redundant or boring. I did not feel that any story was being retold over and over again. It really opened my eyes to the world in general and how easy it is to interpret a situation or judge an individual. We each carry around our own bias and attitudes and our history is what makes us who we are.

As I was reading each character and their story, the author remains very thoughtful to each and every one, though some stories were harsh and raw.

In the beginning the author begins the novel with his own Author's Note and how he came to write this story. He tells of a young girl he went to school with named Aurora Esperanza and how during a dance party at school he refurses to dance with her, telling her

"You are a Mexican. I can't dance with you."

After being scolded by the teacher, he goes home to think of why he would say such an awful thing. After some time, he begins to feel bad and is ready to apologize. The next day at school he tells the teacher he is ready to say he was sorry but unfortunately Aurora never comes back.

He states that 25 years later, this novel is his way of apologizing.

With all of the news about illegal immigration, Arizona and border protection, reading this vivid portrait of Mexican-Americans, was such a refreshing eye opener. We are all hear to live, survive, take care of our families and try to do what's best...we hope.

Unfortutately in our society certain individuals get judged harsher than others.

Rating: 6 stars/ 6 stars

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is a lover of serious, eye-opening fiction. It may be short in length but the stories are so candid and real, the weight of the book comes through there. Book clubs would be advised to read this one. You will find a lot to discuss!

Author Profile:

Brando Skyhorse was born and raised in Echo Park, California. He is a graduate of Stanford university and the MFS Writers' Workshop program at UC Irvine. For the past ten years he has worked in New York as a book editor. He is currently writing a memoir, Things My Fathers Taught Me, about growing up with five stepfathers.

Thank you to Wendy at Simon and Schuster for giving me an opportunity to read this early.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Tales from my Childhood- Little House style

Little House on the Prairie, how I love you so!

While in NYC I had a chance to meet "Mary" from Little House on the Prairie. Very exciting for this country girl who has seen every episode of that show multiple times. It was a staple in our household growing up. Now, I was never THAT country but I had a lot of "Hal Pint" in me. I liked to kick it in the woods, climbing trees, being inquisitive, talking my sister's ear off at night with all of my silly thoughts and sometimes just being a nosy little busy body.

I unfortuntately gave my copy of "The Way I see it" to my mother right away as a gift thinking she would love it. She did, however, yesterday I was watching the Today show and saw that Nellie from Little House as a book out. So now I am totally on a Little House kick!

I absolutely ADORE Melissa Gilbert by the way and not just in Little House. I've seen just about all of the cheesy Hallmark movies and the horribly tragic Lifetime movies. I'm all over it. Her and Nancy McKeon from Facts of Life are my favs on the Lifetime front!

Anyway, I am going to snag my copy of The Way I see It sooner than later and check out the other two memoirs as well. I also dragged out my crusty old copies of the Little House books. (Sigh) They made me so happy as a kid! I don't know if I'll reread them all but definitely

Little House in the Big Woods.

Any Little House fans out there?

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Play Dead Winner!

We have a winner!

(a million years later)

Sorry for the delay, folks. Thanks to all of you who entered!

The winner of the super scary book above is

L. Diane Wolfe from Spunk on a Stick

Here is her Zombie Survival Plan:

"I like zombies! I think the checklist from the movie Zombieland is goo survival tactics. Always remember the double-tap!"

Winner has been emailed and has 24 hours to respond!

Thanks again!

red headed book child