Knitting and sundries

More Like Her by Liza Palmer - BLOG TOUR/BOOK REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:28:00 +0000

Title: More Like Her
Author: Liza Palmer
Publisher: William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins
Paperback, 309 pages
Paperback release date: April 17, 2012
ISBN 10: 0062007467
ISBN 13: 9780062007469
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:

What really goes on behind those perfect white picket fences?

In Frances's mind, beautiful, successful, ecstatically married Emma Dunham is the height of female perfection. Frances, recently dumped with spectacular drama by her boyfriend, aspires to be just like Emma. So do her close friends and fellow teachers, Lisa and Jill. But Lisa's too career-focused to find time for a family. And Jill's recent unexpected pregnancy could have devastating consequences for her less-than-perfect marriage.

Yet sometimes the golden dream you fervently wish for turns out to be not at all what it seems--like Emma's enviable suburban postcard life, which is about to be brutally cut short by a perfect husband turned killer. And in the shocking aftermath, three devastated friends are going to have to come to terms with their own secrets . . . and somehow learn to move forward after their dream is exposed as a lie.

My Take:

I don't like it when a book description gives too much away, but in this case, the description is what kept me reading for quite a while.

Frances is a speech therapist at an exclusive school. Her best friend Jill is also a therapist there. When a new headmistress, Emma, comes to the school, Frances is more than a little awed by what she sees as her perfection. When she meets Emma's husband, however, she and her friends all feel uneasy about him, and an encounter with him at a party held at Emma's house leaves Frances shaken and uncertain.

After a school shooting, we travel with Frances and friends as they deal with the emotional and psychological aftermath of a tragedy.

For me, the writing in this one felt almost frenetic - there were huge jumps in thought and dialogue which sometimes even made it feel fractured. When tragedy strikes, it happens so suddenly that I was surprised at the incongruity of it, as up until then, the narrative centered solely around Frances and her feelings of insecurity.

Frances - oh, Frances! Whiny and insecure about herself, she shoots herself down at every opportunity. I just wanted to reach into the book and smack her in the head.
There is romance in this one, although shaky and made uncertain by Frances and her own self-sabotage.

In the end, I was glad to have read through my feelings of dislike for Frances, because sometimes the answer to a violent episode can be found in the past.

QUOTES

"I don't want someone to be with me because I'm handy," I say, trying to find the words.
"Like . . ." Jill is now miming giving someone a hand job in he middle of Old Town Pasadena. I bat her hand down.
"No, no! Jesus. Like, around. I don't want someone to date me because I'm convenient," I say, waving off a curious gentleman.

I want - no, need - to find out what it's like to just be me and have someone like and choose that. Choose the Real Me. Respond to that. I morphed into a whole other person for Ryan and he cheated on and chucked me for Jessica, the vacant-eyed vet's assistant.

Murderers don't dress up in their mother's clothes and victimize pretty blondes in showers. I pour out some shampoo and lather up. No, sometimes murderers are little priggish weaklings who've realized the jig is up.

BOOK RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through TLC Book Tours to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

It's Wednesday! Time for Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:25:00 +0000

Just a quick reminder that it's time for Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! Click on the banner below, and link up one of YOUR reviews that you want a bit more publicity for! Don't forget to visit the other bloggers who have linked up when you're done!

My featured title this week (click the cover to go to the review):

Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:47:00 +0000

The Spring Into Horror Read-a-Thon is being hosted by Michelle at Castle Macabre. I'm late getting started ... but, hey! Better late than never? Does that sound like a good excuse? :)

From the blog:

You can sign in linking to Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads...wherever you will be updating from. And you don't have to start at the beginning. Start on any day this week, or if you're working all week, join us for the weekend. People can sign in up until Friday night at 11:59pm CST. I'll be stopping by and visiting you so I hope you will have your book piles/reading lists posted. *hint hint* Remember to include at least one scary book (horror, paranormal, mystery, etc.).

So, see? I can start ANYtime! And so can YOU! So get that reading list together and join the fun! And to make it even MORE fun, there are prizes and mini-challenges!

My list (I think, and, NO, I will NOT get through all of these, because my reading time has been severely curtailed by a job and-a-half, so I can only read once Bebe Boy James goes to bed unless I'm going to or coming from work):

(covers link to Goodreads page)

"The Bedlam Detective" is a gothic mystery, so it counts toward the "scary" goal! Let's see if I can get through all of these in the next five days!

I'm currently reading:

"The Odditorium" by Melissa Pritchard; a varied mix of stories, some odd, some not, at least a couple that are a bit "too" odd, but still ... it's original and interesting. I'm on the third-to-last story, page 189.

If you're joining in, leave a link to your starting and/or update post so I can visit and cheer you on!

Teaser Tuesdays - April 24, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:29:00 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along; you don't have to be a blogger! 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!

The teaser this week is for a classic which comes highly recommended by my fellow reading friends!

My teaser this week:

"Let him go," the surgeon said to her, adding, without rancor, "because frankly, Mister Becker, you're being neither use nor ornament here. If you can help the situation, please do. But be warned. Two minutes after he attacked your wife, the man killed a nurse."

- page 151 (ARC), The Bedlam Detective by Stephen Gallagher (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

Madmen see monsters – and monsters hide in plain sight

From a basement office in London’s notorious Bethlehem Hospital, Sebastian Becker investigates wealthy eccentrics whose dubious mental health may render them unable to manage their own affairs. His interview with rich landowner Sir Owain Lancaster, whose sanity has been in question since a disastrous scientific adventure in the Amazon killed his family and colleagues, coincides with the disappearance of two young local girls. When the children are found slain, Lancaster claims that the same dark forces that devastated his family have followed him home. It is not the first time that children have come to harm in his rural countryside town, though few are willing to speak of incidents from the past. Becker must determine whether this mad nobleman is insane and a murderer, or if some even more sinister agency is at work.

Struggling on his small salary, and with unexpected help from a son who needs special care, Becker and his wife make sacrifices so Becker can stay on the case after an innocent man is convicted of the crime. The answers he seeks may be found with the assistance of the local investigator and a young suffragette who fled Arnmouth, but couldn’t flee the horrors she encountered there.

From dank asylums to the lush and treacherous Amazon, through the makeshift studios of the early film industry and a traveling fair of freaks and illusions, Sebastian Becker’s search for answers brings him face to face with madmen and monsters, both imagined and real. Confronting immense danger in his hunt for the truth, he will explore murder, tragedy, and the tempestuous depths of his own mind.

Feel free to leave your teaser or link to it in the comments section; I find that I always end up adding to my to-buy list when I visit!

Monday Memes - April 23, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:10:00 +0000

"Mailbox Monday" is the brainchild of Marcia at The Printed Page. Martha has closed The Printed Page effective December 18th and set up Mailbox Monday on it's own blog here: http://mailboxmonday.wordpress.com/

April's host is Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books! Hop on over, link up, and join the fun!

"In My Mailbox" is hosted by The Story Siren

Every week we'll post about what books we have that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Everyone that agrees to participate will try to visit each other's list and leave comments! Everyone is welcome to join! You can join at anytime and you DO NOT have to participate every week.

I guarantee that you will add to your reading list by visiting the participating blogs in both of these memes!

The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich - For review from publisher - (The Book Depository / Amazon) - this is being compared to "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamante, one of my favorite books of all time, so I'm happy to

Goodreads description:

Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers—a gift aided by the secret “birthing spoons” she designed. But when a count implores her to attend to his wife, who has been laboring for days to give birth to their firstborn son, Hannah is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but the payment he offers is enough to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can Hannah refuse her duty to a suffering woman? Hannah’s choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the baby and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Not since The Red Tent or People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so richly into a story of intrigue that transcends the boundaries of history.

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain - For review/Blog Tour 5/23 from Meryl Moss Media Relations - (The Book Depository / Amazon) - Another that was on my to-buy list!

Goodreads description:

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back. Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble. Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.Even if it means he might lose her.

More Like Her by Liza Palmer - For review/Blog Tour 5/8 from publisher through TLC Book Tours - (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

What really goes on behind those perfect white picket fences?
In Frances's mind, beautiful, successful, ecstatically married Emma Dunham is the height of female perfection. Frances, recently dumped with spectacular drama by her boyfriend, aspires to be just like Emma. So do her close friends and fellow teachers, Lisa and Jill. But Lisa's too career-focused to find time for a family. And Jill's recent unexpected pregnancy could have devastating consequences for her less-than-perfect marriage.

Yet sometimes the golden dream you fervently wish for turns out to be not at all what it seems--like Emma's enviable suburban postcard life, which is about to be brutally cut short by a perfect husband turned killer. And in the shocking aftermath, three devastated friends are going to have to come to terms with their own secrets . . . and somehow learn to move forward after their dream is exposed as a lie.

Hemlock by Katherine Peacock - ARC for review from publisher - Release Date 5/8/2012 - (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

"What Are You Reading?" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Click over to see what other readers are into this week and add to your TBR pile!

READ:

Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon
Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Amazon Review Upcoming

REVIEWED: (click the cover to go to the review):

4.5 of 5 stars

4 of 5 stars

CURRENTLY READING:

(Click on the cover for the Goodreads page)

Hard copy

Next to be read on the personal pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

Next to be read on the hard copy review pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

FAVE OF THE WEEK:

Bloodland by Alan Glynn

Book Depository

Amazon

Starts off rather dizzying (lots of characters introduced, etc.), but falls into a great flow that kept me turning pages.

How was YOUR reading week? Please leave a link to YOUR "What Are You Reading/In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday" post(s) in the comments (I'd love to come visit) or simply comment with what your reading week was like!

Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon Wrapup

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon started the morning of April 21 at 8 AM EDT. I feel asleep last night a bit before 2 AM, which is about 2 hours longer than I THOUGHT I'd be able to stay up! :)

End of Event Meme:

Which hour was most daunting for you? - Definitely by 1 AM, I was feeling very tired, as evidenced by the fact that I couldn't make it through the entire hour.
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? - I read "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn, which started out rather dizzying, with tons of characters being introduced rather quickly, but by page 100 or so, I had a good mental picture, and was very eager to keep reading. If you like thrillers, this is a good one.
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? - I had a difficult time finding the date, etc., on the current site. I just couldn't find it on the front page. The only way I found it was through a direct link on Book Blogs Ning site.
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? - I always thinks it's a good thing to have an hourly update on the main site - it gives all of the readers a chance to "check in", maybe do a mini-challenge or two, and visit other readers to cheer them on.
How many books did you read? - I read one full, one half, and 1/3 or so of another.
What were the names of the books you read? - finished up "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick, read "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn, and started "White Horse" by Alex Adams
Which book did you enjoy most? - I'm just starting "White Horse", so I'd definitely give two thumbs up to "Bloodland"
Which did you enjoy least? - "Hush, Hush" - I realize that it's YA, but I expected a lot less rushing into situations and a bit more depth based on the reviews that I'd previously seen
If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? - Unfortunately, I was not an official cheerleader this time around (because I didn't even see the sign-up link until the night before)
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? - Definitely will. I'd like to be a cheerleader and maybe host a mini-challenge.

WRAPUP:

Time Read Since Last Update: 36 minutes

Pages Read Since Last Update: 46 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: to page 86 of "White Horse" by Alex Adams

Total Time Read: 7 hours, 29 minutes
Total Pages Read: 685 pages
Total Books Read: 1.75

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

384 pages

To page 86 of 292

If you participated, add your link in the comments so I can visit!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon - April 21, 2012 - Starting Post and Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon actually started a few hours ago, so I'm a bit late getting this up! Lots of prizes, mini-challenges, and reading fun to be had! I'll be simply updating this post as I go, with the newest items first, rather than putting up separate posts every hour or so.

1:03 AM (Hour 18)

Picturrific Memory hosted at Stella Matutina:

I want you to step away from your current read just long enough to find a picture that somehow relates to the book. Find an image that makes you think of the story, the characters, the book's theme, a vital element... whatever works for you.

I'm currently reading "White Horse" by Alex Adams:

This is a dystopian tale of our world recently decimated by a genetic mutation called White Horse. This stark aerial image gives the kind of weird, other-worldly feeling engendered for me by my reading so far of this novel.

PROGRESS REPORT:

Time Read Since Last Update: 1 hr, 38 minutes

Pages Read Since Last Update: 185 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: On page 40 of "White Horse" by Alex Adams

Total Time Read: 6 hours, 53 minutes
Total Pages Read: 639 pages
Total Books Read: 1.5

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

384 pages

On page 40 of 292

ANOTHER monochrome sort cover ... hmmm .. next up is "The Odditorium", which has a colorful color (if I can stay awake long enough, that is).

10:03 PM (Hour 14)

Mid-Event Survey hosted at Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon:

1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?

Not sleepy at all; it's not even 10 PM and my day hasn't been all reading :)

2) What have you finished reading?

I finished "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick

3) What is your favorite read so far?

I'm currently reading "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn, and I'm liking it better than the first title

4) What about your favorite snacks?

I've been keeping it light, but I DID have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with warm caramel topping! Yumm!

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!

I have only visited a few so far (and yes, I've found a couple of new ones - Naida at ... the bookworm ... for one :)

PROGRESS REPORT:

Time Read Since Last Update: 2.25 hours

Pages Read Since Last Update: 180 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: On page 239 of "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn

Total Time Read: 5.25 hours
Total Pages Read: 454 pages
Total Books Read: 1.5

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

On page 239

5:29 PM

Weird Sisters Mini-Challenge hosted at Just One More Thing:

The Challenge is to tell us how you share your love of books with family or friends who live at a distance. You can submit a picture, humorous anecdote, or just a description of how you keep that reading connection going.

Actually, I don't have a ton of friends and family that read who live at a distance, but I do share books and blog posts on Facebook.

PROGRESS REPORT:

Time Read Since Last Update: 3 hours

Pages Read Since Last Update: 274 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: Finished Hush, Hush by Becka Fitzpatrick (215 pages out of 391); started Bloodland by Alan Glynn (on page 59)

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

On page 59

Notice the sepia tone on both covers? I didn't plan that .. really. :)

12:24 PM

Mini-Challenge 1: Reading in Translation hosted by Reading Through Life

One book that I'd like to read in its original language is one that is on my TBR shelf (if only I actually KNEW Spanish):

Original cover

(I believe)

Barnes and Noble
Leatherbound Classic

Now, I'm actually off to read! :)

11:57 AM (Starting Post):

I have a bit of a busy day ahead, but I still hope to finish Hush Hush by Becca Fitzgerald (I'm currently on page 176 of this very quick read), and get through at least two of the following review titles: Bloodland by Alan Glynn, The Odditorium by Melissa Pritchard, and White Horse by Alex Adams.

I also have to get down to my local library today to pick up books to distribute to a nearby Volunteers of America site for World Book Night on April 23rd. I chose to distribute The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to the men living in the transitional housing unit there.

My introduction:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

From Cleveland, Ohio ... I'll pretty much be sticking to the couch instead of being tempted to read outside; it looks to be a wet one out there today

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I'm thinking probably White Horse, but all of the books in my list seem to be very good reads.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Actually, hmmm ... I didn't really prepare well for this read-a-thon; I think I'll likely have to run out in the middle and pick some snacks up - crunchy, healthy things like apples, since I'm trying to lose a bit of poundage :)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I'm a mom of four - three girls ages 28, 23, and 18 and one 11-year-old boy. I like reading (duh!), volunteering, anything textile art-related (knitting, crocheting, quilting, cross-stitch), and I'm just coming out of a stretch of on-again, off-again (mostly off-again) employment, so I'm trying to get into a new routine (which is why I'm loving having this excuse to simply do almost nothing today)

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

Well, I didn't plan for this one at all - this morning, I simply pulled the first three books off the top of my review pile, so I'll be flying by the seat of my pants. I DO plan to visit at least 5 other participants every couple of hours to cheer them on, even though I'm not an official cheerleader this go-round. :)

For anyone else that's participating, good luck! Have fun!

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon - April 21, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:17:00 +0000

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon starts the morning of April 21 at 8 AM EDT. If anyone else like me had trouble going to the main site (linked above) and finding the signup post, click the picture above to get to it. Maybe I'm a bit slow this past month, but I kept visiting and looking for it, and only found it through a direct link on the Book Blogs Ning site.

So, if you haven't already, sign up and join in! (Hopefully, tomorrow morning, I'll be able to find that startup post there) :)

First They Killed my Father by Loung Ung - BLOG TOUR/BOOK REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:27:00 +0000

Title: First They Killed my Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
Author: Loung Ung
Publisher:   Harper Perennial
Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN 10:     0060856262
ISBN 13: 9780060856267
The Book Depository/Amazon/Goodreads

Back of the book description:

One of seven children of a high-ranking government official, Loung Ung lived a privileged life in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh until the age of five. Then, in April 1975, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung's family to flee, and eventually, to disperse. Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, her siblings were sent to labor camps , and those who survived the horrors would not be reunited until the Khmer Rouge was destroyed.

Harrowing yet hopeful, Loung's powerful story is an unforgettable account of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.

My Take:

In a unique writing voice, Loung Ung tells us her story - at age 5, suddenly transported from a middle-class lifestyle in the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh, where she lived with her family, to a life of starvation, hardship and struggle in the brutal village camps of the Khmer Rouge in 1975. In their new world, her family of nine must learn to play down their intelligence, suffer through random visits by soldiers to houses where girls are taken from their families and raped, and entire families sometimes disappear, they must also worry about anyone finding out that their father served as a police officer in the former government.

This is a fascinating account of a new, harsh world as seen through the eyes of a young child, a world that no one should have to live in.

Flashes of hope and small triumphs (finding a way to get extra food, a visit from one of the siblings), become large in a world where hope and individuality are quashed.

I would totally recommend this title to anyone interested in the history of Cambodia as seen through the eyes of someone who lived through this regime.

BOOK RATING:   4 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website, and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through TLC Book Tours to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Calico Joe by John Grisham - BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY (US thru 5/1)

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:49:00 +0000

Title: Calico Joe
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday, a division of Random House
Hardcover, 208 pages
Release Date: April 10, 2012
ISBN 10: 0385536070
ISBN 13: 9780385536073
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:

A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…

Whatever happened to Calico Joe?

It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a twenty-one-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz.

In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.

Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…

In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic.

My Take:

I'm not a huge sports fan, so I'm sometimes a bit loath to read novels that center around sports. Last year, however, I read "The Art of Fielding", and it made my "Best of ... Contemporary Fiction" list for 2011.

That said, my tastebuds were more than ready to get a bite of two of John Grisham's "Calico Joe".

Narrated by Paul Tracey, whose father pitched for the NY Mets, this is another one of those "more than baseball" stories.

Paul's father was narcissistic and cruel; he also seemed to be an unrepentant bully who made life horrible for Paul and his mother.

In 1973, when Paul is 11 years old, Joe Castle, a rookie from Calico Rock, Arkansas, is pulled up from the Cubs' AA Club (I think that's the farm club ... where players who didn't make first string play and hope to be called up? Right? Wrong? Anyone who's better at baseball than I am ... feel free to correct me; I think I have the concept, if not necessarily the correct terms). He instantly becomes a fan favorite, and he's a humble guy as well, which makes him even more endearing. He also becomes one of Paul's favorites and Paul begins to keep a "Calico Joe" memento/scrapbook.

When the Mets meet the Cubs on the field, events unfold that will change the trajectory of baseball careers. (That's really all I can say and still be spoiler-free).

This story is more about humans and repentance and how to atone for what seem to be unforgivable actions. It's about a boy who wished so often that he could idolize his father, his disillusionment with both his father and baseball, and his eventual determination to try to make things right before it's too late. It's not a cerebral type of read; it's straightforward, yet totally escapist.

I don't know what RBI's mean, and I don't know what the numbers for batting averages mean, but I know an engrossing, page-turning book when I read one. "Calico Joe" is just that type of read - after the first few pages, you will not want to put it down.

QUOTES (from an ARC; may be different in final copy):

We could see his cleats and uniform from the knees down, and at one point his heels appeared to be twitching, as if his body were in a seizure.

I took the bat and got in a stance at home plate. He backed away, maybe fifty feet. He was wearing his glove, and he had three baseballs in it. I was an eleven-year-old kid, without a batting helmet, facing a pitcher for the Mets, one who was not only angry but in the process of teaching me the crude art of hitting a batter.

Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Characters: 4 out of 5 stars

Reading Immersion: 5 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Read an excerpt

BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website, and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Other Reviews:

Book Fan

WIN IT: The publisher is offering two of my readers a chance to win a copy of this title :)

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MANDATORY ENTRY:

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YOU ONLY HAVE TO COMMENT AND ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS INTO THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM FOR YOUR INITIAL/MANDATORY ENTRY; you can use the form for all of your additional entries (extra entry options listed on the form)! :)

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Teaser Tuesdays - April 17, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:52:00 +0000

My teaser this week:

"And where would she have had the chance to do these...these disgusting things if it hadn't been for you?" my grandmother shouted, holding up the photographs to Betsy's whimpering face.

"She would never have even thought to go to these places, be around these people, if you hadn't introduced her to it."

- page 212, The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

"To understand what it meant to be a Hathaway, you'd first have to see Aurelia."

For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name - no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways - and the once prosperous farm.

Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died - alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land, or the memories.

Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family... and her own part in their mottled history.

"Our farm was like the world when people still thought it was flat. And when you left it, it was as if you had simply sailed too far and fallen off the surface into the void."

Feel free to leave your teaser or link to it in the comments section; I find that I always end up adding to my to-buy list when I visit!

Monday Memes - Mailbox Monday, In My Mailbox, It's Monday! What are YOU Reading? - April 16, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:38:00 +0000

April's host is Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books! Hop on over, link up, and join the fun!

The Concubine Saga by Lloyd Lofthouse - For review through Virtual Author Book Tours - (Amazon) - Blog tour scheduled June 20th

Description:

No Westerner has ever achieved Robert Hart’s status and level of power in China. Driven by a passion for his adopted country, Hart became the “godfather of China’s modernism”, inspector general of China’s Customs Service, and the builder of China’s railroads, postal and telegraph systems and schools.

However, his first real love is Ayaou, a young concubine. Sterling Seagrave, in Dragon Lady, calls her Hart’s sleep-in dictionary and says she was wise beyond her years.

Soon after arriving in China in 1854, Hart falls in love with Ayaou, but his feelings for her sister go against the teachings of his Christian upbringing and almost break him emotionally. To survive he must learn how to live and think like the Chinese. He also finds himself thrust into the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion, the bloodiest rebellion in human history, where he makes enemies of men such as the American soldier of fortune known as the Devil Soldier.

During his early years in China, Robert experiences a range of emotion from bliss to despair. Like Damascus steel, he learns to be both hard and flexible, which forges his character into the great man he becomes.
In time, an ancient empire will rely on him to survive, and he will become the only foreigner the Emperor of China trusts.

Full of humanity, passion, and moral honesty, The Concubine Saga is the deeply intimate story of Hart’s loyalty and love for his adopted land and the woman who captured his heart.

“My Splendid Concubine” was the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.
In the sequel, “Our Hart, Elegy for a Concubine”, he was the only foreigner the Emperor of China trusted.

Both novels have come together as one in “The Concubine Saga”.

The Sometimes Daughter by Sherri Wood Emmons - For review from the publisher - (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

In her compelling second novel, Emmons, the acclaimed author of "Prayers and Lies," focuses on the unbreakable tie between a daughter and her often absent mother in a novel that is sure to resonate with fans of Jodi Picoult and Luanne Rice.

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel - ARC for review from publisher - (Amazon / The Book Depository) - Release date: May 8, 2012

Goodreads description:

A sequel to “Wolf Hall” which traces Thomas Cromwell’s continued rise to power after 1535, and follows him to his own fall and execution in 1540. In this novel the first great crisis is the fall of Anne Boleyn.

"What Are You Reading?" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Click over to see what other readers are into this week and add to your TBR pile!

So, I started working a part-time job, now coupled with a full-time job, Bebe Boy James was out of school for spring break, and I'm just trying to get back into some sort of new routine. I did get quite a bit read in the two weeks since I last posted this meme, but ... that's about all. :)

READ:

Book Depository Amazon	Book Depository Amazon Review/Giveaway Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming
Book Depository Amazon Review Link	Book Depository Amazon	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming
Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming
Book Depository Amazon	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon
Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming

Wow; that's a LOT of books - I didn't realize how much I actually read. Lots of commuting time! Lots of time on the Nook!

REVIEWED: (click the cover to go to the review):

3.5 of 5 stars

CURRENTLY READING:

(Click on the cover for the Goodreads page)

eGalley

Hard Copy

Next to be read on the personal pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

Next to be read on the hard copy review pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

FAVE OF THE (TWO) WEEKS:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Book Depository

Amazon

Sometimes a book is a huge bestseller because it's really, really, good. That's the case here; I had it in my hand reading a page at every available moment. And, no, I DIDN'T see the movie :).

I do have to add an Honorable Mention this week:

Pulp and Paper by Josh Rolnick

Book Depository

Amazon

I think that it must be extremely difficult to write absorbing, fully-realized short stories. In Pulp and Paper, each story is fully rounded-out, extremely immersive, and gorgeously written. It is definitely a must-pick-up for those of us who like short, character-driven stories that don't leave you feeling as though there should be something "more".

I have been remiss . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:46:00 +0000

Lots of life getting in the way, keeping my Internet time to maybe 10-15 minute stretches here and there. I'll be better, I promise!

Sunday Giveaway Linky - List YOUR blog giveaways! - April 8, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:55:00 +0000

If you're a blog owner, don't forget to add your giveaways to the Giveaway Linky!

Enter your blog name, a brief description of the prize, ending date and eligibility (US, Can, International, etc.) Please put the ending date, too, so that I can clear it out when it's over. EXAMPLE: Best Blog on the Block - $50 Gift certificate - 6/30 - US/Can

NO SPAM - you'll be banned - I'm not kidding!

I will have a couple of giveaways posted this week for you, so come on back to enter!

The French Girl by Felicia Donovan - BOOK REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Title: The French Girl
Author: Felicia Donovan
Paperback, 196 pages
ISBN 10: 1469934477
ISBN 13: 9781469934471
The Book Depository / Amazon / Amazon Kindle

Goodreads description:

The heartwarming story of a young French girl, Etoile, who is raised in a world of prejudice and despair who becomes orphaned and is sent to live with her distant cousin, Giselle, and Giselle's partner, Jean. Embraced by Giselle, Jean, and their community of friends, Etoile discovers the true meaning of family, but their strength is put to the test when the state threatens to take her away.

My Take:

First sentence: Papa used to always say that the wind carried with it either secrets or souls and if you watched very carefully, you could tell which one it was.

Originally published as a Kindle-only novel, and recently released in paperback, The French Girl is a story of an eleven-year-old girl named Etoile living in the fishing town of Cote Nouveau, MA in the 1970's.

With the death of Etoile's father during a storm five years before that took the lives of 12 fishermen, Etoile's mother disintegrates into a neglectful and abusive drunk. Anais, Etoile's 15-year-old sister, is responsible for making certain that Etoile is fed and taken care of. When her mother dies under suspicious circumstances, Etoile is sent to live with her mother's cousin Giselle in New Hampshire.

Giselle is an artist who also crafts natural bath products for sale to the students at a nearby university. Her partner Jean is a professor of Women's Studies at the university, and strives to find her own way to connect with Etoile.

Etoile is transported from a world of neglect and abuse into a world of love and acceptance. At eleven, she knows there is something "different" about Giselle and Jean's relationship, but the care they and their friends show for her overrides everything else. Of course, not everyone is accepting, and a law that does not permit adoption by a single person is used by a county worker as a basis for taking Etoile away from her new-found family.

Told in the first-person through Etoile's eyes, I really enjoyed the way the writing stayed true to how a young girl that age would perceive the happenings around her. As Etoile learns to swim and ride a bike, she is also learning how to cope with a particular boy whose mother is virulently opposed to seeing Giselle and Jean as an equal couple. She also finds a lovely friend in a girl named Winnie. I found myself holding my breath at a school open house, wondering how Winnie's parents would react to Giselle and Jean.

The only problem I had was a slight problem placing this large community of French-speakers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire; I kept picturing a town or towns in France rather than here in the United States, especially the Cote Nouveau scenes.

Some of Giselle's back story is also slowly revealed. The way the author tied it in with Anais and HER story was very well-done and timed perfectly.

A heartwarming story and a fast-flowing read.

Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Reading Immersion: 3 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Book Clubs: Yes; I think it would make a good book club selection, fostering discussions of adoption, same-sex couples, and proper care of children.

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Author website

BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository, and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Kindle edition of this title from the author to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

This and That - April 6, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:44:00 +0000

This and That is a (somewhat weekly) roundup of interesting personal tidbits and items that I find around the Web (mostly bookish). Hopefully, you'll find something of interest in the following items!

The kids are on spring break, which is kind of cool because I get to spend time with Bebe Boy James during the day, but also kind of noisy with two of the grandbebes (JoJo and Jaiden) also living here. Concentration to read a book can only be had by going to the outer hallway and shutting the door! :)

From The Guardian is an article linking to a now-famous row between a book blogger and the author (Jacqueline Howett) whose book he reviewed and gave a two-star rating to. Many of you may already know of it because it blew up on the Twitterverse as an extreme example of how NOT to react to a bad review. The author has since deleted most of her own comments, but ... well, this IS the web, and anything you post can never be truly erased. From The Guardian's article:

And there it might have ended – had Howett not been unable to resist the lure of the comment box. She posts some of her Amazon reviews, to which Big Al responds by quoting a couple of choice lines from the book - including "Don and Katy watched hypnotically Gino place more coffees out at another table with supreme balance." Howett goes ballistic.
She says: "Look AL, I'm not in the mood for playing snake with you, what I read above has no flaws. My writing is fine."
And: "Besides if you want to throw crap at authors you should first ask their permission if they want it stuck up on the internet."
And: "You are a big rat and a snake with poisenous (SIC) venom. Lots of luck to authors who come here and slip in that!"

Ummm ... Maybe I don't know from what, I'm not a writer or anything, but that ONE sentence that Big Al quoted would be enough for me to step far away from the novel. Need an editor, anyone?

NOTE TO SELF: If you ever decide to pick up a pen (or a keyboard) to write the next Great American Novel (or ANY novel, for that matter) - DON'T write the way you talk. Keep in mind that "anyways" is not a proper word, and lay out a bit of money for an editor or at least a proofreader.

Jumping on The Hunger Games bandwagon here - Bebe Boy James and I recently finished the first book in the series together (a re-read for me), and this weekend we went to the movie. I'll leave aside the crazy rantings from those who were disappointed that Rue was black in the movie (she was in the book, too), but if you'd like to see them, here's a sample (made famous by the Tumblr Hunger Games Tweets):

It makes me kind of sad that these are young people, which goes to show you that we're not really "post-racial" (whatever that means).

I think Rue was adorable, and I *****************************(spoiler redacted) (because, see, I actually read the book).

The movie was very good (if I hadn't read the book, I might even say that it was awesome). If you haven't seen it, you should.

On the sad note of how we really haven't achieved harmony between the races, I wrote an article about the Trayvon Martin case from the perspective of how it affects me as the parent of a brown-skinned boy, "Another talk to have with my son". I wrote it about as soon as the circumstances surrounding this shooting began to truly echo in my psyche. I think it may help to shine a light on WHY there has been such a visceral, emotional reaction to this case from many of us.

Talk about shelf envy ... sigh ... the above is George Lucas's library. Click through to the 20 Beautiful and Private Personal Libraries article on Flavorwire's site to drool some more.

Street shelf envy - I ran across this very cool pictorial on Design Boom highlighting repurposed phone booths in NYC.

A quick reminder about a previous This and That item:

Many of us have LOTS of books - review books, personal books, etc. that are in great shape. Candace's Book Blog is asking for donations to Pine Ridge Reservation of new or gently used (less than five years old) books for all ages. Pine Ridge is one of the organizations I do charity knitting and crocheting for. If you know anything about America's reservations, you know that for many people who live there, life is difficult and resources are scarce. (You really need to click her link to read the full article; Pine Ridge is one of the poorest reservations in the nation - it's sad that any Americans live in such destitute conditions).

If you have great books that you'd usually put on Paperback Swap or that you would otherwise donate, think about donating to this worthy cause.

That's all for this week's edition! Let me know if you find anything of interest!

It's Wednesday! Time for Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! - April 4, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:52:00 +0000

My featured title this week (click the cover to go to the review):

Teaser Tuesdays - April 3, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:15:00 +0000

My teaser this week:

My mother was happy because I was happy, but she was also suspicious about his sudden interest in me. My bruises were gone, and the emotional scars were fading, or so I thought.

- page 78 (ARC - releases April 10, 2012), Calico Joe by John Grisham (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Feel free to leave your teaser or link to it in the comments section; I find that I always end up adding to my to-buy list when I visit!

Monday Memes - In My Mailbox, Mailbox Monday, It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading? - April 2, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:55:00 +0000

April's host is Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books! Hop on over, link up, and join the fun!

Lulu in the Sky: A Daughter of Cambodia Finds Love, Healing, and Double Happiness - (The Book Depository / Amazon) - Release date April 17, 2012 - I will be reviewing First They Killed my Father (the first in this series) as part of a blog tour, and I hope to read and review this bonus arrival as well

Goodreads description:

Concluding the trilogy that started with the bestselling memoir First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung describes her college experience and her first steps into adulthood, revealing her struggle to reconcile with her past while moving forward towards happiness. After the violence of the Khmer Rouge and the difficult assimilation experience of a refugee, Loung’s daily struggle to keep darkness, anger, and depression at bay will finally find two unexpected allies: the empowering call of activism, and the redemptive power of love. Lulu in the Sky is the story of Loung’s journey to a Cambodian village to reconnect with her mother’s spirit; to a vocation that will literally allow her to heal the landscape of her birth; and to the transformative influence of a supportive marriage to a loving man

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - ARC for review from the publisher - (The Book Depository / Amazon) - Release date June 5, 2012 - Last year, I read and reviewed Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn and really liked it; this one sounds as though I'll like it even more!

Goodreads description:

Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn, takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. As The Washington Post proclaimed, her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit with deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick Dunne’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick Dunne isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but hearing from Amy through flashbacks in her diary reveal the perky perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister Margo at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was left in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Employing her trademark razor-sharp writing and assured psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

The Taker by Alma Katsu - ARC for review from the publisher - (Amazon / The Book Depository) - Released March 27, 2012

Goodreads description:

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.

First They Killed my Father by Loung Ung - For review through TLC Book Tours - (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

From a childhood survivor of the brutal Pol Pot regime comes an unforgettable narrative of tragedy and spiritual triumph. 8-page photo insert.

"What Are You Reading?" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Click over to see what other readers are into this week and add to your TBR pile!

It looks as though I read a LOT, but really, three of these I was almost done with at the beginning of the week, and three are very short, quick reads (less than 200 pages):

READ:

Amazon	Book Depository Amazon Review Link	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming
Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon	Amazon
Amazon	Book Depository Amazon

REVIEWED: (click the cover to go to the review):

4.5 of 5 stars

2.8 of 5 stars

CURRENTLY READING:

(Click on the cover for the Goodreads page)

Kindle

Nook

Hard copy

Next to be read on the personal pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

Next to be read on the hard copy review pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

FAVE OF THE WEEK:

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Book Depository

Amazon

This dystopian novel is pure genius. Once I got used to the slang, I could not put it down and read it in one day. My edition includes the last, redemptive chapter that was left out of the movie and the original American printing of the book. If you haven't read this one, you should.

The Whipping Club by Deborah Henry - BOOK REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Title: The Whipping Club
Author: Deborah Henry
Publisher: T. S. Poetry Press
Release Date: February 15, 2012
Hardcover, 345 pages
ISBN 13: 9780984553174
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:

Inspired by her heritage and research of the Irish Industrial School system, Henry’s auspicious debut chronicles a couple’s attempt to save their son from horrific institutions.

Marian McKeever and Ben Ellis are not typical young lovers in 1957 Dublin, Ireland; she’s Catholic and teaches at Zion School, and he’s Jewish and a budding journalist. The two plan to wed, but their families object to an interfaith marriage. And when Marian becomes pregnant, she doesn’t tell Ben. Coerced by Father Brennan (a Catholic priest who is also her uncle), Marian goes to Castleboro Mother Baby Home, an institution ruled by Sister Paulinas and Sister Agnes where “sins are purged” via abuse; i.e., pregnant girls are forced to mow the lawn by pulling grass on their hands and knees. Marian is told that her son, Adrian, will be adopted by an American family. The riveting storyline provides many surprises as it fast-forwards to 1967 where Marian and Ben are married and have a 10-year-old daughter. Marian’s painful secret emerges when she learns that her son was dumped in an abusive orphanage not far from her middle-class home and Sister Agnes is his legal guardian. Thus begins a labyrinthine journey through red tape as the couple fight to regain their firstborn child. Ultimately, 12-year-old Adrian is placed in the Surtane Industrial School for Boys, which is rife with brutality and sexual abuse at the hands of “Christian Brother Ryder.” Though unchecked church power abounds, this is not a religious stereotype or an indictment of faith. Hateful characters like Brother Ryder are balanced with compassionate ones, such as a timid nurse from the Mother Baby Home. Father Brennan deepens into a three-dimensional character who struggles to do what is right. Henry weaves multilayered themes of prejudice, corruption and redemption with an authentic voice and swift, seamless dialogue. Her prose is engaging, and light poetic touches add immediacy. For example, when Marian returned to Mother Baby Home after 11 years, she “opened the car door and stepped onto the gravel, wanting to quiet its crunch, like skeletons underneath her shoes.” Echoing the painful lessons of the Jewish Holocaust, Henry’s tale reveals what happens when good people remain silent.

A powerful saga of love and survival.

My Take:

This is a tale of the injustices wrought by the Irish Industrial Schools and orphanages in the 1950's and 1960's.

Marian, a teacher at a Jewish school, is Irish Catholic and her boyfriend Ben is Jewish. Shortly before meeting Ben's parents, Mariam finds out that she is pregnant. After a totally disastrous meeting, Marian decides to go to a Mother Baby Home to have her child, who, she is told, is subsequently given up and adopted by an American family.

Years later, after Ben and Marian have married and become parents to a daughter named Johanna, a nurse from the home visits Marian to tell her that the son she had given up, Adrian, is NOT in America, but is at an orphanage where he is being mistreated.

This novel follows Mariam as she tries to regain custody of Adrian. It speaks of horrific abuse at the hands of the system, a mother's heartache in having failed her son, and the bias and prejudice that contributes to what is already an unbearable situation.

My feelings: The novel feels a bit rushed and jumpy at the start, and reads more intellectually than emotionally - the writing is rather detached, and, as a reader, I was not able to connect with any of the characters. I felt as though I were a dispassionate observer almost through the very end of the novel. If this were a non-fiction title, that would be acceptable; however, as fiction, most readers expect some feeling to come from the pages, especially around the issues that this novel centers around.

Marian imagines prejudice where none exists, and seems very close-minded and selfish. Her husband Ben rightly believes that there is something a bit "off" about Adrian (and that is understandable, given how he has been raised up to this point). Adrian is a bit more of a puzzle; I felt more for him, imagining how much worse his life must have felt once he got a true taste of family.

I feel that this novel is a good start towards shining a light on a system which few were aware of, but it could and should have been so much more.

QUOTES (from an eGalley; may be different in final copy):

The girl closed the door behind them and invited Marian to sit down while she herself remained standing, hovering by the door. It was then that Marian realized that the nurse wasn't there for comfort, but to keep her from running.

Sister Agnes told them that it costs to raise the spawn of whores and that orphans had nothing to add to what the state provided for their upkeep.

Writing: 4 out of 5 stars

Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Characters: 2 out of 5 stars

Reading Immersion:   2 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING:   2.9 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Author page

BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository,   and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary eGalley of this title from the publisher through Net Galley to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - BOOK REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Title: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

Author: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Publisher: Harper Perennial, an imprint of Harper Collins
Paperback Release Date: February 15, 2012
Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN 10: 0061732478
ISBN 13: 9780061732478
The Book Depository / Amazon

Book description:

Kamila Sidiqi's life changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. After her father and brother were forced to flee, she became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Banned from school, confined to her home, and armed only with determination, she picked up a needle and thread to create a thriving business that saved their lives.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. A story of war, it is also a story of family, faith, and resilience in the face of despair. These women are not victims—they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about one of the most important political and humanitarian issues of our time.

My Take:

When you think of Afghanistan under Taliban rule, what do you think of? Reading this book may well change your thinking, especially about the women there, who, literally overnight, were forced to live under extremely oppressive conditions.

Kamila Sidiq is the second-oldest daughter of a family of 11 siblings. Her mother and, most especially, her father, strongly believe in education for ALL of their children. As the Taliban move closer to the city of Kabul, Kamila completes her teacher training, but ends up using it in a fashion that she never envisioned - teaching other young neighborhood women in her suburb of Khair Khana to sew in order to make enough money to feed their families.

In these pages, we are taken through the five years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, where the takeover was so sudden that women and girls in a modern culture where women went to work and school in Western wear, were, in one day, thrust into a world where they could not go outside without a chadri, or burqa, a head-to-toe covering with only a small mesh opening for the eyes.

Women and girls were no longer allowed to go to school or work. Medical doctors were no longer allowed to work with male patients or even talk to their male counterparts. Hospitals became segregated, and women and girls were not allowed to talk to any male outside of their own family members.

As Kamila's father, followed by her mother, leave for the northern provinces for safety (Kamila's father had worked for Massoud, the leader ousted by the Taliban), and her brother Najeeb also leaves to try to find work, Kamila, a teenager herself, becomes the head of a household where funds are running dry.

Rather than giving up and giving in, which would certainly have meant even more deprivation for her family in a city where electricity itself is spotty at best, Kamila finds a way to earn a living selling the clothing made by the light of hurricane lamps. In doing so, she opens the way for her sisters and for other women and girls in the neighborhood to help their families as well.

This inspiring story of a woman's will to DO something, when even a trip out of the house without a male relative could mean questioning, beating, detainment, or even death, is one that will fan a flame of hope inside everyone who reads it.

Written by Gayle Lemmon, a reporter who visited Afghanistan over a period of years beginning in 2005, this true story is uplifting and illuminating. As the reader lives and works beside Kamila through these pages, there are moments when you will hold your breath at the dangers faced by her and her family in their attempt to simply make a living. As Kabul and its outskirts are bombed after the events of 9/11, the dangers are different, but still very real.

In short, this is a remarkable story; one that will have the reader thinking of it long after the pages are closed.

QUOTES

Kabulis watched helplessly as the Taliban began reshaping the cosmopolitan capital according to their utopian vision of seventh-century Islam. Almost immediately they instituted a brutal - and effective - system of law and order. Accused thieves had one hand and one foot cut off, and their severed limbs were hung from posts on street corners as a warning to others. Overnight, crime in the monumentally lawless city dropped to almost zero. Then they banned everything they regarded as a distraction from the duty of worship: music, long a part of Afghan culture, and movies, television, card playing, the game of chess, and even kite flying, the popular Friday afternoon pastime. And they didn't stop at actions alone: Creating a representation of the human figure was soon forbidden, as was wearing European clothing or haircuts.

Brave young women complete heroic acts every day,with no one bearing witness. This was a chance to even the ledger, to share one small story that made the difference between starvation and survival for the families whose lives it changed. I wanted to pull the curtain back for readers on a place foreigners know more for its rocket attacks and roadside bombs than its countless quiet feats of courage. And to introduce them to the young women like Kamila Sidiqi who will go on. No matter what.

BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Other Reviews:

Book Fan Mary (her review is what made me want this book!)

Author Website

Follow Gayle Lemmon on Facebook and/or Twitter!

BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website, and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from TLC Book Tours to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Monday Memes - In My Mailbox, Mailbox Monday, It's Monday - What are YOU Reading? - March 26, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:48:00 +0000

March's host is Anna at Diary of an Eccentric! Hop on over, link up, and join the fun!

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - For review through TLC Book Tours - (The Book Depository / Amazon) - this is one that I've wanted since it came out in hardcover last year, so I was happy to receive it for review on its release in paperback.

Goodreads description:

For fans of "Three Cups of Tea, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana," written by a former reporter for ABC News, tells the story of a fearless young entrepreneur who brought hope to the lives of dozens of women in war-torn Afghanistan.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - Won from New York Journal of Books - (The Book Depository / Amazon) - Another that was on my to-buy list!

Goodreads description:

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

"What Are You Reading?" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Click over to see what other readers are into this week and add to your TBR pile!

The past two weeks have been super busy, with not a lot of reading and/or blogging being done, but I have determined to use this week to catch up and maybe even get a bit ahead!

READ:

Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming
Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon

REVIEWED: (click the cover to go to the review):

3.4 of 5 stars

CURRENTLY READING:

(Click on the cover for the Goodreads page)

Hard copy	Nook	Hard copy
Kindle

Next to be read on the personal pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

Next to be read on the hard copy review pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

FAVE OF THE (TWO) WEEKS:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Book Depository

Amazon

A bit gothic, with two different, yet equally compelling, stories and timelines. Definitely a must-read!

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw - BOOK REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:51:00 +0000

Title: Carry the One
Author: Carol Anshaw
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Hardcover, 253 pages
ISBN 10: 1451636881
ISBN 13: 9781451636888
The Book Depository / Amazon

March, 2012 Indie Next List

Goodreads description:

This stunning, break-out achievement has already been hailed by Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room, for presenting “passion and addiction, guilt and damage, all the beautiful mess of family life. Carry the One will lift readers off their feet and bear them along on its eloquent tide.”

Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen’s wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidentally 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.

My Take:

In 1983, Carmen, who runs a suicide hotline, is pregnant and newly married to Matt Sloan. Leaving the wedding in the wee morning hours, Alice (Carmen's sister - an artist), Maude (Matt's sister), Nick (Carmen's brother - a grad student), Tom (a folk singer - married - boyfriend of the wedding hostess Jean), and Olivia (Nick's new girlfriend, also the driver of the car), all doped up and/or drunk, hit a 10-year-old girl on the road and the little girl dies.

This story follows this disparate group of characters and others in the years following the accident. Although it purports to be about how they "carry the one" (the young girl who was killed) with them in their memories afterwards, as I read, other than one particular character, I didn't get this feeling from them at all.

The main focus is on Carmen and her siblings, children of a famous artist who seems to resent any artistic success had by Alice.

Carmen is actively involved in many social issues. Alice is an artist who falls madly in love with Maude. Nick is a perpetual student who can't get away from drugs. Their lives are basically a train wreck, not because of the accident, but because of their own poor choices.

I could not really identify with the characters, but the writing and what I thought would be the storyline did keep me reading to see what happened. In the end, for me, it didn't feel substantial. Maybe it was the shifting perspectives in time and/or character, or maybe it was that I simply couldn't find a character to bond with, but I was never fully caught up in the novel.

MAYBE it was because nothing really good happens. I realize that all of life has bad moments, but life isn't ALL bad, and in this novel, there isn't a bright spot to be found. Every time I came across what I THOUGHT would be one, my hopes were dashed to the ground.

The writing, however, is impeccable. For me, the story itself just wasn't enjoyable or compelling, and the wonderful writing style couldn't make up for that. It will, however, appeal to many other readers, as attested by the fact that the reviews for this one are all over the board. Readers seem to either love it or feel "meh" about it.

QUOTES (from an ARC; may be different in final copy):

For a few years after she came out, Alice essentially got dumped by Loretta, who couldn't see the point of being a lesbian. In her scheme of things where men were everything, if you weren't one, or attached to one, what was your value?

Carmen said, "I guess I was looking at everything from the wrong angle. I didn't think we were breaking up. I thought he and I were just having this interesting conversation about how to be married in the late twentieth century. And how to go forward, together. It was kind of like when I had all those parking tickets I was contesting with the city. I thought that was a lively back-and-forth, too, and then I came out of the house one day and my car was booted."

In order to keep liking Nick (as opposed to loving him, which was non-negotiable), Alice sometimes had to look at him obliquely, or with her eyes half closed, or through a pinhole in a piece of cardboard. Straight on would burn her retinas.

On 9/11:

By mid-afternoon, Carmen was sifting the text for the subtext. "We're through the information-gathering part. The information is now in. Now they're shaping this for our consumption, imposing a story line. The brave passengers taking the last plane down in the field. The firemen rushing in heedlessly, answering their call to duty. And pretty soon, they'll get the president ready for his close-up to congratulate us for being Americans. This huge unprecedented, unmanageable mess, and all the complexity behind it - they're already starting to manage it. They're making a theater piece out of pure horror so we can watch the unwatchable then get back to the mall."

Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Characters: 3 out of 5 stars

Reading Immersion: 2.5 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING: 3.4 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Sensitive reader: This book contains sexual scenes and references.

Browse Inside

BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website, and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Another talk to have with my son, who could easily find himself in Trayvon Martin's shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:39:00 +0000

This is a book blog. It didn't start out that way, but that's what it evolved into, and I love it. Sometimes I will relate stories about my children or things that we do (see Prom and Earth Day). Sometimes I will do a product review and/or giveaway; sometimes I will post an article about a cause or event that I think is worth drawing more attention to.

NEVER have I posted any sort of political or societal piece; I firmly believe that those types of writings belong on a different sort of blog. But the shooting of Trayvon Martin:

has caused me to search my soul and has revealed fears that I wasn't fully aware that I harbored for my own Bebe Boy James:

I am cross-posting an article that I first wrote as a diary on Daily Kos (link to original diary), because I think that it's important for everyone to get some sort of understanding of the visceral fear that has been stirred up by Trayvon's killing for those of us who are parents of young black males.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the wake of the shooting of Trayvon Martin, a young teen who was shot while walking back to his father's girlfriend's house from the store in Sanford, Florida, I must now figure out how to have "that talk" with my own son.

I first heard about Trayvon Martin when an acquaintance on Facebook put up a video link to a televised interview. The woman being interviewed was Sybrina Fulton. Her son Trayvon was visiting his father in Sanford, FL when he was shot and killed on his way home from the store. In the interview, Ms. Fulton was describing her son as a "regular kid" who liked to play sports, eat ... the female interviewer interrupted with "chicken?". The male interviewer tried to clean it up with "anything and everything", but the racial overtones were insensitive at best. I rolled my eyes at yet another person showing their ignorant side.

But I decided to read up on the incident that led to this interview. I Googled, I listened closely to the 911 calls - the one made by the shooter himself as well as the ones made by people who heard some sort of altercation and those who only heard someone calling for help, then whimpering, then a shot. I listened to the background noise on those tapes. I wasn't there, but it definitely SOUNDS as though a child is calling for help and then whimpering in the background. After the shot, that voice is silenced.

My youngest brother was murdered four years ago on his way home from a club (he was 38). He was giving a girl he didn't know a ride home because one of his friends asked him to (apparently, her boyfriend was very intoxicated and she didn't want to ride home with him). While he was stopped at a red light, another car pulled up behind him. Four people got out and they pulled my brother out of the car. There was a fight, one of the guys pulled a knife, and my brother was stabbed. He managed to get back into his car and drive for almost two blocks before he had to pull over. He died and we still don't know who his killers were. We DO know that, according to witnesses, his killers were white.

I relate the story of my brother's murder only because I want to emphasize that not every white person who kills a black person is someone I would consider a racist. I have my own suspicions about what happened, but nowhere in my suspicions does race play a part (my brothers are both brown- ... well ... caramel-skinned). He was killed by bad guys who happened to be white.

This is NOT, however, a diary detailing what I think happened and what reason leads me to believe happened in the Trayvon Martin case. My strong hope is that the shooter is charged and brought to justice. The heartbreak of these parents demands it.

I'm bi-racial, but fair-skinned, so I have managed to escape many of the assumptions that certain people make on sight about black people. This also means that I've borne personal witness to the kind of statements that certain people make when they don't realize there's a black person in the room.

I'm also a parent. I have three girls - 28, 23, and 18, and a boy who is 11.

We parents have many talks with our children - the "birds and the bees" talk, the "people who do drugs are stupid" talk, the "guys who wear pants down to their knees are stupid" talk, the "kids who walk around saying 'mf', 'ho', 'n', and 'b' sound stupid" talk (well, maybe those last two talks are just me).

There are some talks that only parents of black children have. For me, those talks have been "you can't have C's, because you have to be better than average to get ahead" talk, the "no, you CAN'T walk around talking like that because people will think you're uneducated and ghetto" talk. My girls used to tell their friends that if they called the house, they had to speak "proper" or I would tell them, "Call back when you learn to speak English" and hang up (yes, I AM that kind of parent). Right or wrong, I think that there's a certain way to speak to authority and grownups.

If I manage to find another job anytime soon, we'll move right back out of our current neighborhood into a better one, but right now, I live where I can afford to live, and the neighborhood is not the greatest. I keep my son close to home, and my worries for his safety are easily explained by "we live in the city; I want him safely in sight or calling distance".

All of that aside, I now have to debate whether or not to add another talk to my retinue: the "how to properly walk through white neighborhoods without being shot" talk or maybe simply the "how to not look suspicious" talk.

I've canvassed with different groups and in GOTV efforts in various areas and suburbs, and I know from personal experience that my brown-skinned co-workers have had the police called on them for walking around the neighborhood going from door-to-door; they've had people call them the "n" word while being told to go away; they've been stopped and even frisked by the police simply for walking around these neighborhoods. They weren't doing anything wrong; we weren't selling anything, so we weren't violating any type of "no soliciting" laws, but they were still stopped by the police and made to submit to a search, even though the police are always notified ahead of time that we will be in the area door-knocking. This hasn't happened to me or to our white co-workers (although, to be fair, an elderly person DID call the police saying someone was knocking on their door at dusk and when the policeman responded, he told me "just be careful; we have a lot of older people who worry about strangers at their door when it's not full daylight" before he moved on). Common sense says that this equals racial profiling. It has its own injustice and is, in its own way, very disheartening.

Trayvon's case now highlights another concern that I have for my young son. How do I talk to him about this without making him think that ALL white people are going to look at him as suspicious if he's in certain neighborhoods? What do I say to him to keep him aware without making him dislike people who, to be fair, are half of my own racial makeup? What do I say?

I keep mulling this over and over in my own head. Do I tell him, "if someone you don't know is following you, run?". In Trayvon's case, running made the shooter backtrack, get out of his SUV, run after him, confront him, and then shoot him. Do I tell him, "call 911 and keep them on the phone as you're trying to get home?" Do I tell him, "Always keep your hands in plain sight?". I don't know; I don't know; I don't know. What do I tell him?

When my daughter was 17, she was walking home from about 10 blocks away when someone in a car started following her for a different reason, catcalling and asking her if she wanted to "party" with him. She called me and stayed on the phone with me as I ran down to where she was.

Do I tell my son, "Call me and I'll call 911 as I'm on my way there?"

What kind of world is this where I even have to ask myself these kinds of questions?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I just had to share this with you; it's so hard to articulate the "wrongness" I feel when trying to figure out how to warn my son of the dangers inherent in the color of his skin. I don't know if I'm looking for advice so much as looking for some "reasoning" to give Bebe Boy James that won't make him feel "other" or "worth less".

What a sad state of affairs this is.

Winning Wednesday - Winners of Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie @ Knitting and Sundries) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:27:00 +0000

The four winners of 6 boxes (3 of each variety) of Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks as chosen by Rafflecopter:

84 Brittney House Follow @jewelknits on Twitter

98 Valerie Taylor Mabrey Follow @jewelknits on Twitter

31 Shannon Baas "Like" the Blog Post
90 A Ann Casson Leave a Blog Post Comment

Congratulations, winners! Look for an email from me soon! Once you reply, I can pass your information on to the sponsor for fulfillment!