Another winner!

I am very pleased to announce another winner for

The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans. The publisher, Simon and Schuster, have been very kind to send me another copy to give away to another reader!

Congratulations to Carey from The Tome Traveller.

You are the lucky surprise winner!

Happy Reading and thanks again for stopping by and entering!

red headed book child

Review #102: Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley

Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

This was another book that has been hanging out on my pile for about a year now. I recently received a copy of The Hanging Tree, the second book by this author. It prompted me to sit myself down and get going on this series that I knew I would love.

And I did!

Starvation Lake is a mystery/thriller through and through. It is also the name of the town in which it all takes place. A small town in Michigan, it is a place that Gus Carpenter wishes he didn't have to come back to. He finds himself back in his home town as the editor of the local newspaper, The Pilot. A big story is about to break the town's thin surface and expose many of long time residents. One snowy winter night, pieces of a snowmobile wash up on the lake shore. It is the same snowmobile that belonged to Starvation's legendary hockey coach, Jack Blackburn, who disappeared and had been presumed dead.

Gus Carpenter is a local boy with a love for hockey and a fondness for his old coach. Having played goalie in the River Rats, Blackburn's team, he looked to him as a father figure. Blackburn brought him and his friends, Soupy and Teddy, a bit of small town fame. The finding of his snowmobile on a lake five miles away from the one he supposedly drowned in brings up a lot of questions for Gus, as a reporter and as an old friend.

It's hard to believe that this was Gruley's first novel. He weaves an intricate character sketch and a complicated yet compulsively readable mystery/whodunnit. I was impressed. His style reminded me of Dennis Lehane, another mystery author I love.

It is obvious that Gruley knows about life in a town like Starvation, having grown up in a similar blue collar suburb near Detroit. Like Lehane, the town becomes a character itself and you definitely feel a part of the atmosphere and landscape; the bitter chill of Northern Michigan, the whispers of gossip at the local diner, the bureaucracy within the police department and the local government.

The twists and turns surprised me. I didn't see where it was going and was not entirely happy with the ending but it did resolve what needed resolving. The people I wanted to pay, did in some way. It did leave me lingering a bit but really I wanted to read more of Gus. I grew to like him and like any book, I imagine my own visual of characters regardless of how the author describes. Don't ask me why but generally if an author describes a main character as blonde and rugged, I get an image of someone whoever might pop in my mind at the time. Gerard Butler? Okay!

So for this one, I pictured Gus as Jake Gyllenhaal. ???

Mid thirties, loves his mom, athletic, serious, intense, independent, charming and still a little bit in love with the gal who got away. I saw Jake. Who knows?

It worked for me.

My only issue with this book aside from the ending was the major focus on hockey. It was a bit involved at times describing the game, the strategy, etc. Even though I grew up in and still live in the very cold state of Minnesota, I have never been a hockey fan. But I understood as a reader that the sport of hockey and the love of it was a huge part of the town's identity and Gus and his friends.

Rating: 5 stars/ 6 stars

I really enjoyed it overall. I was impressed with the sharp writing and intricate story line. It kept me guessing and intrigued. The ending I wasn't in love with but I was still wanting more of Gus. I look forward to picking up The Hanging Tree next. I do not know how many books are planned for this series with this character but I believe Bryan Gruley is an author to watch out for. Check out the website for the town below. It's pretty cool!

Starvation Lake

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Questions about hosting a challenge. Need Help!

HEY FELLOW BLOGGERS!

I have an idea for a challenge that I would like to host.

How do I go about creating a button? And how do I do the Mr. Linky thing?

I just don't do computers well.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

red headed book child

The Dressmaker Winner

I am happy to announce the winner of The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans!

Ashley

Winner has been notified and will have 48 hours to respond.

Thank you all for entering and hopefully you will pick this wonderful novel up.

I was so pleased to see an email in my inbox from Posie Graeme-Evans

thanking me for such a wonderful review!

I love that!

Happy Reading and Happy Thanksgiving and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review #101: Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb (BLOG TOUR)

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Harper Perennial

My Thoughts:

This was a good transition read for me after reading Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. It was swift, easy and fun and started to set my mood for the upcoming holiday season.

Wally Lamb is known for his powerful, emotional novels like She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True. I was impressed that he could switch hats a bit and deliver this sweet, coming of age holiday tale. I was also impressed with myself for having read it in two naps!

(my toddlers, not my own!)

The story centers around Felix Funicello, ten years old and a fifth grade student at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial school. It is gearing up to be an exciting holiday season for him; his mother is participating in the Pillsbury Bake Off (on TV!), he lands a role on the Ranger Andy Show (also on TV), his old teacher has a nervous breakdown (pretty sure he caused it), he gets a new teacher who insists on teaching French and wears sassy red berets and fishnet stockings, his best friend Lonny gets a girlfriend, Zhenya, the new Russian student, and he continues to battle it out with his sister and his bossy, know it all classmate, Rosalie.

He's a good kid, overall. He helps his Dad out at the lunch counter, where he moons over the framed picture of his cousin (yes, his famous cousin!) Annette Funicello!

He's good to his mom, does pretty well in school and generally tries to stay out of trouble.

This was a sweet book, perfect for this time of year. The time period, being 1964, gave it a dated feel, much like The Christmas Story movie. It also held some of the same ingredients that are endearing to me; a young boy, mischievous friends, fun yet stern parents, lessons to be learned, strict teachers, Christmas play and a nice, heart warming ending.

Rating: 4 stars/ 6 stars

I recommend this for a fun, fast holiday read. There were parts that reminded me of my childhood especially the Christmas play they put on.

I played Mary for my Catholic school's production of the Real Story of Christmas.

I was eight. It was awesome. I was a big star!

Not really but it sured pleased the parents.

Much like it did for Felix's parents, even though...(cough), due to a slight disaster

he ends up playing baby Jesus.

Ha!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to participate in this tour. Be sure to stop by the other stops and read another opinion.

Monday, November 8th: Colloquium

Wednesday, November 10th: Rundpinne

Thursday, November 11th: The Winey Mommy

Tuesday, November 16th: Til We Read Again

Wednesday, November 17th: Literary Feline

Thursday, November 18th: Lisa’s Yarns

Monday, November 22nd: The Book Faery Reviews

Tuesday, November 23rd: red headed book child

Monday, November 29th: The Lost Entwife

Tuesday, November 30th: Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, December 1st: Wordsmithonia

Thursday, December 2nd: Reviews from the Heart

Monday, December 6th: The Brain Lair

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review #100: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Delacorte Press

My Thoughts:

Well, I don't honestly know how I will get into another book right now because this one was so stunning, I know I will find myself dreaming of this story. As much as it puts a crimp in my reading schedule, I do enjoy those books that really knock your socks off so much that you have to let them settle for a few days before you move on.

I am fresh from finishing this one, far from settling. I just closed the last page a few minutes ago, ran to the computer to locate Jennifer Donnelly's website and immediately "liked" her on Facebook. I limited myself to a brief enthusiastic blurb on her page (so as not to appear like a crazy fan!) on how much I loved it and then raced over here to write to you all.

You are probably asking yourself, "Hey, isn't this Young Adult?" And yes, according to where the bookstores put it and maybe because the main character is a teenage girl BUT today I am throwing age levels out the window. Young Adult literature is certainly not being overlooked by any means these days but this great of book should be given as much mass

appeal as possible.

I am going to include a synopsis from Goodreads for you all because

I just don't think I can do it justice.

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Andi was written with so much richness, energy, passion, edge, humor and sadness. You felt so strongly for her and with her and against her. The loss of her brother was so damaging and so understandable that even in the moments of absolute disregard for safety, you sympathized with her plight. Her talent as a musician and the music that is explained flies off the pages.

I heard the notes in my head and played along with her. I am so lacking in knowledge of the great composers.

Her privileged educated world is not one that you envy, in fact, Donnelly depicts the harsh realty; the drug excess, the vanity, the expectations, the recklessness.

Andi is brilliant though doesn't look the part. Her father is distant and her mother is mad with grief. When her father takes her away to Paris to straighten her out, she only feels more strongly that she just wants to end it all.

The story of Alex, told from her journal entries from Paris 1795, is heart poundingly good and vivid in description. I was dumbfounded by how much I did not know about the French Revolution (yeah, me!) and was horrified to read of the sadness and death that occurred.

Donnelly weaves the stories of these two girls seamlessly. The placement of Alex's journal entries seemed very natural and went with the timeline of Andi's life and her emotional progress.

Rating: 6 stars/6 stars

Do I love everything I read these days? I am just on a really good streak! Boy I am feeling it with this one. Highly recommended! It really has everything. It has a tough as nails teen girl ready to break; French history, Classical and Modern music, love, loss, and dreams.

Go pick it up!

Oh and I know the awesome readers at Teens Read and Write are picking this one up too so stay tuned for a review from them!

Book Club Note:

You bet book clubs should read this. The history alone will fill up hours worth of discussion, not to mention the music and the angst.

Author Website:

Jennifer Donnelly

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

George R.R. Martin Book Signing

You may all be surprised to see the name George R.R. Martin as a title of one of my blog posts. Science Fiction/fantasy? Have you ever read a Sci/Fi review on this blog?

Well, I don't think so.

It is not a genre I read a lot of but it is one that I have an enormous respect for

and a curious interest in.

What prompted me to go to this signing and to post about it is my sheer love of books and for talented writers. George R.R. Martin carries a weight not only in the world of Sci/Fi but in Literature as a whole. He is extremely talented and I have lost track of the amount of friends, co-workers, and family members that have grabbed hold of my shoulders and exclaimed, "For goodness sakes lady, why have you not read him yet?"

I LOVE that kind of enthusiasm. It doesn't matter what genre you may be applauding. I appreciate passion of any kind of reading!

For those of you new to George R.R. Martin, he is the author most known for his

Ice and Fire series which includes;

Book 1: A Game of Thrones

Book 2: A Clash of Kings

Book 3:A Storm of Swords

Book 4: A Feast of Crows

Book 5: A Dance with Dragons (forthcoming)

Book 6: The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)

Book 7: A Dream of Spring (forthcoming)

I went with my good friend Rachel (pictured above on the right) who is a huge fan and has read the entire series. She was giddy and excited to hear him speak. She was even more excited that I brought my camera to capture the moment. She asked excitedly,

"Are you going to put it on your blog?"

Well, of course, and when I asked Mr. Martin if that would be okay,

he simply said with a smile

"As long as you don't say anything mean!"

I told him he was delightful and gave a great discussion! He was even kind enough to sign my ARC copies of his short stories.

Whether or not I will read the entire series and let's be honest, I probably won't, I will give Mr. Martin a try. I will dust off my old copy and see what all the fuss is about. I must before Spring because THAT is when the HBO series starts with Sean Bean as the lead (yummy!). It is going to cover the first book and a teeny tiny bit of the second one. In theory, the goal is to have a season per book but the fate of that is in the hands of the viewers and

the success of the first season.

Going to book signings make me happy. It gives us readers a chance to connect a bit more with those authors we love or the ones we are curious about.

I only wish I had more time to see more!

Author Website:

George R.R. Martin

Who has been your favorite author you have seen in person?

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child