Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday - March 31




"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Promises to Keep: A Novel


Promises to Keep by Jane Green
Release: June 15, 2010

From Goodreads:
Callie Perry is a successful family photographer living in upstate New York. She adores her two daughters, has great friends, and actually doesn't mind that her workaholic husband gets home at 9 p.m. every night-that is, when he's not traveling six months out of the year.

Callie's younger sister, Steff, on the other hand, has never grown up. She's a free spirit, living in downtown Manhattan and bouncing between jobs and boyfriends. Lately, she's been working as a vegan chef, even though she can't cook.

Lila Grossman is Callie's best friend and has finally met the man of her dreams. Eddie has two wonderful children, but also a drama queen ex-wife who hates Lila. And then there are Callie and Steff's parents, Walter Cutler and Honor Pitman. Divorced for thirty years, they rarely speak to each other.

The lives of these colorful characters intersect when they each receive a shocking note that summons them together for one extraordinary summer in Maine and changes their lives forever. This novel is about the hard choices we have to face, about having to be your parents' child long after you've grown up, and about the enduring nature of love.





Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Book Review: When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson


When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publish Date: September 24, 2008
10 Audio CDs


My Review:

I received this audiobook from the library - I can't remember where I saw it, but it caught my eye on a blog somewhere I am sure.  I had no idea that it was part of a series featuring Jackson Brody, or that it is the latest book in the series when I started it.  In fact I didn't know it until I finished it and went back to look for more of Kate Atkinson's titles and found out that the series starts with Case Histories.  Rest assured that Case Histories is now on it's way to me.

All of that said, you do not have to read these in order.  I knew there were things about Jackson's past that were just glossed over in this book, and now I know why.  I want to go back and learn more about Jackson since he was such an interesting character so I will read the other two books.

So what did I think of this novel?  Well it's really depressing in a way, and at the same time, you keep turning the pages.  Like a train wreck (and there is one of those in the book).  This book is an interesting look at how lives can intersect and small things can affect many people's lives.  It was also a look at the strength in each of the characters.  They are all facing a demon of some kind and the train wreck throws them all together in a way no one expects.

There is lots of back and forth between the characters but it's never confusing because each of the characters are different.  The novel is very character driven and the characters are well-fleshed out.  I felt that the book moved along well and it never really drug for me.  I found it interesting to see an interaction from both sides from time-to-time.  It really made the whole story and it's characters come to life.

Come join in on the lives of Joanna, Reggie, Louise and Jackson for this span of a few days and live their lives through their eyes.  It's a very interesting experience and When Will There Be Good News is not a book I am likely to forget any time soon.

Rating:  4.0/5.0

About the Book:
"On a hot and beautiful day in the English countryside, six-year old Joanna Mason witnesses an appalling crime. Thirty years later, the man convicted of the crime is released from prison." "Sixteen-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for a doctor devoted to her new young son. But Dr. Hunter has gone missing, and Reggie, no stranger to bad luck and worse, seems to be the only person who is worried." "Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is also looking for a missing person, unaware that hurtling toward her is an old friend - Jackson Brodie - himself on a journey that becomes fatally interrupted."

As lives and histories intersect, as past mistakes and current misfortunes collide, Jackson is caught up in the most personal, and dangerous, investigation of his life.


About the Author:
Kate Atkinson won the Whitbread Book of the Year for her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum and has been an internationally bestselling author ever since. Her most recent novels, Case Histories and One Good Turn, both also featured the former private detective Jackson Brodie.


CymLowell

FTC Information: I checked this audiobook out from my wonderful local library.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

 




Teaser Tuesday - March 30

teasertuesdays31

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"Sharon's pretty much my favorite relative."   Her golden-brown eyes sparked. "She took me and my little brother to the water park when we were kids.  My mom called it white-trash heaven." Suddenly the brightness in Adriana's eyes shut down.
From Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
This one sucks you right in, I'm fully intrigued and anxious to know more.




Monday, March 29, 2010

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick


A Golden Web by Barbara Quick
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: April 6, 2010
Hardcover, 272 pages


My Review:
From the start A Golden Web is a very enchanting book.  I found myself liking Alessandra from the very beginning.  She is a smart girl in a culture where women are mainly there to marry and to tend house and have babies.  On top of all of these usual expectations, Alessandra is the oldest daughter and has a stepmother who is not overly fond of her.

Alessandra does the smart thing, she gets her brother to help teach her the ways of survival and how to be a boy.  With this knowledge she is able to sneak away from the convent and start a new life undercover.

The plot is wonderful and the build up is great.  The characters are amazing.  I really liked Alessandra and her brother.  But somehow as the book continues some things seemed to get lost to me.  I felt like things branched out a little too much and I just lost track of what was going on.

However, I did enjoy the book and look forward to more by Ms. Quick.  I just felt there was an effort to tie up too much in too little time.  But please don't take my word for it, try this book yourself.  You may find yourself loving it.  It has a strong heroine who knows what she wants, a time period I was not completely familiar with (so I found it fascinating) and strong supporting characters and a good plot to push it along.  Overall it's still a wonderful book.


Rating: 3.75/5.0

About the Book (from Amazon.com):
Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.

In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.

In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.

About the Author (from Amazon.com):
Writer and poet Barbara Quick is the author of the novels Vivaldi's Virgins and Northern Edge, winner of the Discover Prize. A Golden Web is her first book for teen readers. An avid traveler and student of other languages, she has run an international boardinghouse; written everything from self-help books to humor columns to grant requests for disadvantaged children; and done whatever jobs she needed to do -- from landscape gardening to catering to editing -- to allow her to continue writing. She lives with her teenage son, Julian, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she takes frequent classes and occasionally performs with a Brazilian dance troupe.

FTC Information: I received this book from Traveling ARC Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

 

Mailbox Monday - March 29


Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page

What did you get in your mailbox this week?









ARCs/Review Books

A Law of Attraction Book for Children "The S.T.A.R. Powered Twins Discover the Secret of Words"
Web of Secrets
This Little Prayer of Mine
Too Close to Home: A Novel
Dark Deceptions
This Is Me From Now On
More Than Words, Volume 6: Almost Lost\Shelter from the Storm\The Way Home\No Limits\The Princess Shoes
The Bridegrooms
The Life of Glass
Forget Me Not: A Novel
The Map of True Places
A Match Made in High School
Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom
Secrets of the Playboy's Bride
Her Mother's Hope

 



  


Sunday, March 28, 2010

Giveaway: Just Let Me Lie Down by Kristin van Ogtrop

Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms For The Half-Insane Working Mom by Kristin van Ogtrop
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publish Date: April 1, 2010
Hardcover, 272 pages

About the Book:
Kristin van Ogtrop knows she's lucky--fulfilling career, great husband, three healthy kids, and, depending on the hamster count, an impressive roster of pets. She also knows she is tired. Always.

Using stories and insights from her own life, she provides a lexicon for the half-insane working mom. Anyone who has left a meeting to race to the Halloween parade immediately understands van Ogtrop's definition of "Kill the messenger"as"The action you must take in order to forget about the office for a time--that is, to remove your Blackberry/Treo/iPhone/whatever from your person and store it as far away as your neurotic self will allow." Filled with essays, lists, and resonant observations, JUST LET ME LIE DOWN establishes van Ogtrop as the Erma Bombeck of the new millennium. 

About the Author:
Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor of Real Simple magazine and has held positions at Glamour, Vogue, Travel & Leisure, and Premiere. She lives outside New York City with her family.

Giveaway:
I received this for review and received and extra copy.  It looks to be a wonderful book and my boys who are huge Lego fans love the cover.  So simply comment to enter.  Additional entries for being a follower (blogger, rss, email, twiter, facebook, networked blogs, etc.)  Also entries for tweeting (1 per day), blogging about the giveaway (sidebar is fine).  Open to US/Canada.  Will close on April 3, 2010.


FTC Information: I received this book from Hachette for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.


Saturday, March 27, 2010

Book Tour and Review: Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot

Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot (Texas Dreams #2)
Publisher: Revell
Publish Date: March 2010
Paperback, 384 pages

My Review:
A beautiful story about recovery and following God's will, Scattered Petals is a story that will stick with me for awhile.

The second book in the Texas Dreams Trilogy, Scattered Petals can easily be read as a standalone.  The characters from the first book are in this book, but I didn't feel like you have missed out on anything.  I will be reading Paper Roses though because I want to know Sarah and Clay's story and Ms. Cabot's writing is  wonderful and a great addition to the christian historical romance genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed Priscilla and Zach's story.  Priscilla has so much to overcome and yet she is strong, not whining.  Zach has a past and he's a brooding character until Priscilla comes along and through the book they help each other change for the better.  A wondrous romance and well-built story.  I really enjoyed the time frame also.  I never thought I was that interested in history, but I like learning a little bit through historical romance.  I was not familiar with the time period when parts of Texas were first being settled, but this book has enlightened me some and I will be looking for more books set in this time frame.

If you are looking for a great getaway for an afternoon, I highly recommend Scattered Petals. 

About the Book:
Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston in 1856 and heads for the Texas Hill Country, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks could have heartbreaking consequences. Although attracted to her, ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows Priscilla deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who's haunted by memories of his mistakes.

When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life filled with promise. But then the past intrudes.

Book 2 of the Texas Dreams series, Scattered Petals weaves a tale of drama, love, and second chances as beautiful as the Hill Country itself.

About the Author:
Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names and a popular speaker. The author of Paper Roses, she is also a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, a member of the ACFW, and an avid traveler.

 

Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
 
Thank you to Donna Hausler at Revell for sending me this book for review.