Unabridged Chick

The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Title: The Baker’s Daughter
Author: Sarah McCoy

Genre: Fiction (Historical / WWII / Germany / Nazis / Contemporary / Immigration / Texas / Bakeries)
Publisher/Publication Date: Crown (1/24/2012)
Source: TLC Book Tours

Rating: Okay to liked.
Did I finish?: I did -- I was halfway through this book without realizing it -- it reads very fast!
One-sentence summary: Parallel stories of two women facing their own grey areas in life -- Elsie, a German woman during WWII, and Reba, a contemporary American woman dating a Border Patrol agent.
Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction, Immigrant Stories

Do I like the cover?: I do! I don't think it has anything to do with the story at all, but it's wicked pretty!

I'm reminded of...: Camille Noe Pagan

First line: Long after the downstairs oven had cooled to the touch and the upstairs had grown warm with bodies cocooned in cotton sheets, she slipped her feet from beneath the thin coverlet and quietly made her way through the darkness, neglecting her slippers for fear that their clip might wake her sleeping husband.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow for sure -- this would be a great novel for book clubs as there are so many facets that beg exploration and discussion.

Why did I get this book?: The pretty cover!

Review: I started this book and felt a bit stony about the story: the writing felt kind of casually journalistic, like an A&E piece in a local paper, and rather snobbily I thought this might be a topical, fluffy read. After picking up the book yesterday morning in bed, I had my nose in it on my walk to the subway, and I settled in once seated on the train. When my commute ended, I was irritated at having to put my book away -- and stunned to see I had raced through more than half the book. What I initially wrote off as something simplistic turned out to be an engrossing, engaging, and moving exploration of love, family, obligation, and the terrible grey area we live in.

Modern-day Reba, a reporter with emotional damage and an eating disorder, interviews a German baker on Christmas traditions. The German baker, Elsie, remembers only the Christmas in 1944 when she went to a Nazi party, got engaged to an SS officer, and tried to leverage that power to help a few people she could. Reba is engaged to a by-the-book Border Patrol Agent whose feelings on immigration are shifting and changing as he continues to face the reality of the immigration crisis in the US.

I definitely expected some simplistic acknowledgement of the gray areas in history -- not every German was a Nazi, not every undocumented immigrant is a criminal -- but McCoy's story tackles more than that. Without getting pedantic or uncomfortably political, her characters wade through intense emotional challenges that would best anyone, and as I was reading, I found myself empathizing with just about everyone. There were no handy villains to hate on; the world Elsie and Reba live in is sticky, and I so appreciated McCoy's articulation of that. All the secondary characters were vivid, which made me care so much more, as I was as invested in them as Elsie and Reba were.

The book closes with recipes, the ones featured in the narrative, which is wonderful because ohemgee, the food descriptions made my mouth water. I raided my local Danish bakery at one point because I was, like Reba, absolutely craving the baked goods.

This would make a great book club pick -- so many facets to invite conversation and discussion -- and it would make a good gift for someone who isn't sure they like historical fiction. This is an easy novel to read despite the complicated story and I have to applaud McCoy for presenting these stories in a human way.

Ragnarok by A.S. Byatt

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:08:00 +0000

Title: Ragnarok: The End of the Gods
Author: A.S. Byatt

Genre: Fiction (Norse Mythology / WWII / Childhood)
Publisher/Publication Date: Grove Press (2/1/2012)
Source: NetGalley

Rating: Liked with hardcore swooning.
Did I finish?: Yes -- savored over a week.
One-sentence summary: A young girl experiences

Do I like the cover?: I do although I don't think it captures the feel of the story, either Byatt's little girl or the Norse mythology.

I'm reminded of...: Jeanette Winterson

First line: There was a thin child, who was three years old when the world war began.

Do... I love the Canongate Myth series so hardcore?: YES. I'd elope with it if I weren't already married and it was legal.

Did... I bookmark so many passages because the language was amazing?: YES. 53 of 193 pages were bookmarked because of some gorgeous, delicious turn-of-phrase, and that was me limiting myself!!

Did... I seriously fall in love with line after line?: YES. I struggled to limit myself with my GoodReads status updates.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow -- it's an introduction to Norse mythology for those new to it and those familiar with Norse mythology might enjoy revisiting it.

Why did I get this book?: If it's part of the Canongate Myth series, I'm all over it, and of course, if it's by Byatt, I'm there.

Review: This skinny book is really a novella, closed with a brief essay. And in that way Byatt does so well, this small book on Norse mythology also tells a story of marriage and motherhood, war, loss, escapism, violence. Insidious, along the edges of the larger story, what seems to be a straight-forward retelling of some aspects of Norse mythology actually tells us a story of World War II, Byatt-as-a-child, and the way a good story can help us escape our reality.

Unlike some of the other Canongate Myth pieces, Byatt doesn't twist or warp or reinvent the myth she's chosen. Norse mythology has never been a big passion of mine so I didn't have that immediate connection with the story that I've had with other books but Byatt's (possibly?) autobiographical 'thin girl' and the World War II setting pulled me in. I might not have connected with the story of Ragnarok, but I immediately understood the magic of reading, the absorption of a compelling, alternative world on a lonely imagination.

Byatt's thin girl reads a volume of Norse mythology, an English edition that extols rather warmly the impact of Old German on the myth cycle. The play of the 'good Germans' from the book and the 'bad Germans' of WWII was interesting ("Who were these old Germans, as opposed to the ones overhead, now dealing death out of the night sky", p17) and poignant: enemies and friends are so easily made and unmade.

Unsurprisingly, the language is gorgeous but simple, poetical and lyrical and moving. ("Baldur went, but he did not come back. The thin child sorted in her new mind things that went and came back, and things that went and did not come back. Her father with his flaming hair was flying under the hot sun in Africa, and she knew in her soul that he would not come back.", p86) Byatt's narrative reads like a collection of myths, myth-of-the-thin-girl and myth of Ragnarok, and every page invites rereading.

Byatt's closing essay was interesting -- about why she chose to tell the story as she did, what she had hoped to do, what she didn't do -- but I wish it hadn't been included. I made the mistake of reading it immediately upon finishing, and it took some of the warmth away from the story as I chewed over her analysis rather than the feelings she provoked in me.

At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:14:00 +0000

Title: At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
Author: Anne Clinard Barnhill

Genre: Fiction (Historical / Tudors / Reformation England / Historical Figures Fictionalized)
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Griffin (1/3/2012)
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Rating: Okay.
Did I finish?: I did -- this reads quickly!
One-sentence summary: Young Madge Shelton is brought to the glittering court of Anne Boleyn, where she finds love, lust, and court intrigue in spades.
Reading Challenges: A to Z Reading Challenge, Historical Fiction

Do I like the cover?: I don't hate it -- I think the cover model looks a bit like Natalie Portman, which is kind of distracting.

First line: Already the grassy fields surrounding Hever Castle were greening, though Easter was several weeks away.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow.

Why did I get this book?: I was intrigued by the familiar Tudor tale seen through the eyes of a lesser known cousin.

Review: Despite my love of hist fic, the Tudors are among my least favorite which is sad since there's a glut of novels on them. However, I'm not opposed to the setting and so when I learned about Anne Clinard Barnhill's novel featuring Anne Boleyn's cousin, I was curious.

Barnhill's premise is that Margaret "Madge" Shelton, cousin of Anne Boleyn, is brought to court as one of Anne's ladies. In the course of her time there she's wooed and wowed and seduced -- and pimped out to the king by her own cousin. I confess, it was that set up that most intrigued me: how do you make such an unsavory story human, real, and the players appealing? I love novels that explore the lives of women, especially in settings like this, where power is tenuous and dependent on, essentially, bartering one's body.

For the most part, this novel works in that regard: Barnhill presents the mix of assumed piety and open sexuality that made up Henry and Anne's court. Her portrayal of Anne Boleyn, as seen through her cousin's eyes, felt real although I found Madge, our heroine, to be a bit too perfect and guileless and pretty.

Barnhill uses dialogue primarily to provide back story and context, so for a good portion of the beginning, we're subjected to awkward lectures and weird speeches to set up the novel. That would be my biggest complaint -- the writing style -- but it grew on me as the story progressed and less explanatory exposition was needed. This volume has great extras to help the reader along (like a timeline, background on Margaret Shelton, and recommended reading) although I would have loved a who's who since I always mix up courtiers and cousins and mistresses.

This would be a great historical novel for someone new to the Tudors or someone who doesn't care much for dates and battles and minute court intrigue. Ultimately, this is a coming of a story during a tumultuous time when a woman at court had to be modest and knowing, when a kiss could make or break one's reputation. Barnhill's focus is on a young woman trying to find her footing in such a world, and its an inviting debut.

** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to be able to offer a copy of At the Mercy of the Queen to one lucky reader! To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, ends 3/2.

Check out the other blogs on this tour. Learn more about Anne Clinard Barnhill at her website, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Title: Kama Sutra
Author: Vatsyayana, A.N.D. Haksar (Translator)

Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Penguin Classics (1/31/2012)
Source: The publisher

Rating: Liked.
Did I finish?: I did!
One-sentence summary: A new translation of the classic, notorious Kama Sutra -- without images, but still sexy.
Reading Challenges: Books in Translation, Dewey Decimal Challenge

Do I like the cover?: I adore the cover. It's gorgeous, naughty, playful, sinuous, sensual, striking, and provocative. I love the Beardsley-esque-ish style and the colors. The flipside has even naughtier poses!

First line: The Kama Sutra was written in India nearly two thousand years ago.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow for sure -- learn what this notorious work really is about!

Why did I get this book?: I'm still 15 inside and am curious about sex!

Review: No need to feel mortified reading this book! Blessedly free of awkward 60s-ish drawn illustrations, Cosmo-esque cartoon figures, or really disquieting photographs of therapist/lovers modeling the poses, this edition of Kama Sutra offers the original, notorious, and famed work in a clean, straight-forward translation.

I'll be honest: until now, I was actually unfamiliar with the Kama Sutra, other than the usual teenaged interest in checking out the naughty pics. So I was thrilled to see Penguin's new translation -- I've been dubious of the infamous Richard Burton version

The Introduction opens with an explanation of present perceptions of the Kama Sutra, including the fact that more than half the titles in the US Library of Congress are non-academic translations. The Kama Sutra has come to represent, simply, sex, and the spiritual, ethical, and literary merits of the work ignored or forgotten.

Vatsyayana -- a celibate cleric! -- wrote his guide as an educational tool to shape the whole person. From straight-forward tips on sex, it also includes information on hygiene, managing a harem, and the fiscal challenges facing courtesans. Obviously, some of the sections rang ludicrous for me, but I was fascinated by the very pragmatic and practical attitude toward sex, sex workers, and sexual partnerships. Haksar, the translator, uses lovely, clear language for the passages, and the work is readable and titillating!

A super fun gift for Valentine's Day or an anniversary, this is a wickedly delicious read that is edgy without being embarrassing. Plus, there's something to be said for reading such a notorious work and knowing what it's actually about!

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to offer a copy of Penguin Classic's new Deluxe edition of Kama Sutra. To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, ends 2/24.

Faith by Jennifer Haigh

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Title: Faith
Author: Jennifer Haigh

Genre: Fiction (Contemporary / Boston / Families / Catholic Church / Priest Abuse / Irish-Americans
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Perennial (1/17/2012)
Source: TLC Book Tours

Rating: Liked a great deal.
Did I finish?: Yes -- I inhaled this book.
One-sentence summary: A woman reflects on her childhood, her family, and her brother, a Catholic priest, when he's accused of sexual abuse during Boston's 2002 abuse scandal.

Do I like the cover?: Eh -- I'm not wild about it. I vastly prefer the hardcover design which fits the familial theme of the story.

First line: Here is a story my mother has never told me.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Buy or borrow -- this is a WOW! book.

Why did I get this book?: After so many book bloggers I like raved about it, I knew I had to give it a try, despite the discomforting topic. I'm a sucker for anything set in Boston.

Review: Everything you've heard about this book is true. It's beautifully written, complicated, conflicting, confusing, emotional, mesmerizing, and captivating.

I avoided this when it first came out because I usually can't stomach any kind of child abuse stuff, especially sexual abuse. Having grown up Catholic, and been in Boston during the abuse scandal, it still felt too close to home. But after seeing so many swoon-y reviews of this, I was curious -- and my curiosity was rewarded.

From the first page, with the bitterly poignant opening scene, I was hooked. There's a sizzling tension to the story -- did Sheila's brother molest one of his parishioners? -- and I literally couldn't put this book down. I inhaled the story.

Haigh's strength -- and the reason this story is so emotionally engrossing, I think -- is her characters and writing. This fractured Catholic family isn't overly dramatic or lurid. They felt authentic and real. (Having grown up Catholic in an Irish family, it was uncomfortably familiar at times!) Haigh has some of the loveliest passages in her novels, poetic and pretty, simple and breathtaking.

I'm being purposely vague about the plot because the unfolding story is worth it. Whether you're familiar with the Boston clergy scandal or not, consider this novel -- despite the horrifying topic, the story is beautifully done. Ultimately, this is a novel about family, about love and growing up, about self-worth, and the faith one has in each other, in family, and in life. A satisfying read.

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to offer a copy of Faith to one lucky reader! To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, ends 2/24.

Mailbox Monday, Feb 6

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Seen both at Mailbox Monday -- hosted in February at Metro Reader -- and The Story Siren, my Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox. What an insane week! And by insane, I mean, amazing. This might win for the most arrivals in a week since I've started blogging. Honestly, my jaw is on the ground -- I'm blown away and super excited to read all these. What did you get this week? Read any of these?

For Review

No One is Here Except All of Us by Ramona Ausubel
Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung
West of Here by Jonathan Evison
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
Poor Richard's Lament: A Most Timely Tale by Tom Fitzgerald
Until the Next Time by Kevin Fox
Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick
Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison
Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall
A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar: A Novel by Suzanne Joinson
All Woman and Springtime by Brandon Jones
The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Coincidence Engine by Sam Leith
The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel
The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot
Charlotte au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood by Charlotte Silver

Purchased/Swapped/Gifted

Overture: A Novel by Yael Goldstein
The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman
Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon by Leonard S. Marcus
History Of A Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason, thanks to Meg of Write Meg!

Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:16:00 +0000

Two giveaways ended this week! I'm excited to get these to the winners as they're both unique and interesting books. (This year has been great for books so far!)

The winner of Graveminder is ... Carrie at In the Hammock Blog!

The winner of The Last Nude is ... Chantaal!

Congrats to the winners! If you weren't a winner, you can check out my other giveaways here -- lots of fabu books and more fabu-ness coming!

Thank You for Not Reading by Dubravka Ugresic

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Title: Thank You for Not Reading: Essays on Literary Trivia
Author: Dubravka Ugrešić

Genre: Non-Fiction (Essays / Western Literature / American-English Publishing / Eastern European Literature / American Pop Culture)
Publisher/Publication Date: Dalkey Archive Press (9/1/2003)
Source: My public library

Rating: Liked a good deal.
Did I finish?: I did -- the essays are short but punchy.
One-sentence summary: Essays on the Western book industry, from publishers to readers, self-promotion, celebrity authors, and everything in between.
Reading Challenges: Dewey Decimal

Do I like the cover?: I adore it! It's so droll and funny and kitschy, and fits: Ugrešić has an essay about women's work being, literally, smoked. Brilliant.

First line: Anyone who has been through the experience known as completely renovating one's apartment knows that everything is in the hands of the workmen. from "The Seventh Screw"

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow if you're interested in non-fiction about publishing, especially from a disenchanted outsider's view.

Why did I get this book?: I learned about Ugrešić via BookSlut, who featured her newest collection of essays, Karaoke Culture. The library didn't have Karaoke Culture, so I went with this one instead!

Review: My two-word review for this book would likely be, 'Oh, snap!' because Ugresic pretty much rips on everyone in the literary/publishing world: readers, writers, publishers, agents, advertisers -- everyone but book sellers (sort of, more on that later).

Ugrešić's writing style is wonderful: poetic, biting, passionate, and fiery, and there's nothing in the publishing world she won't attack. From grocery stores selling books to the passion for Umberto Eco among vacationers in Greece, Ugrešić critiques, muses, and skewers the publicity machine that commodifies books and reading. She also looks at the identity of the ex-pat writer, especially Eastern European writers following the fall of the Soviet Union and dissolution of Yugoslavia.

While of the essays feel dated -- they range from the late '90s through 2000 -- they're a lovely insider's/outsider's view of the publishing world and literary machine. Reading Ugrešić, I wondered what she'd think now, a decade later, so I'm wicked impatient to get my hands on her new collection of essays, Karaoke Culture.

Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:43:00 +0000

Title: Baker Towers
Author: Jennifer Haigh

Genre: Fiction (Historical / 1940s / WWII / Soldiers / Families / Immigrants / Coal Mining / Western Pennsylvania)
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Perennial (1/1/2006)
Source: TLC Book Tours

Rating: Liked.
Did I finish?: I did!
One-sentence summary: Five children of coal-mining immigrants grow up in 1940s Pennsylvania, impacted by the war, the loss of their father, and the changing world around them.
Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction

Do I like the cover?: I do, immensely -- it could easily be one of the Novak girls, on a borrowed car -- it sets up the mood of this volume very well.

I'm reminded of...: Ellen Feldman

First line: Softly the snow falls.

Am... I still thinking about this book, days after finishing?: YES. I suspect as time goes on, it will stick with me, and I'm pretty sure I'll need at least one reread.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow or buy -- it's a lovely, quiet, moving novel of a family.

Why did I get this book?: I've heard nothing but good things about Haigh's books, and the 1940s coal town setting of this novel immediately appealed to me.

Review: This is a good book that becomes great; or maybe it was always great, and it just snuck up on me. I lingered over this novel, picking it up and now, since the chapters vary in length and POV. It was easy to dip in and out of the Novaks' lives, but Haigh's writing style and gentle characterizations kept me coming back.

Set in Bakerton, a coal-mining town in Western Pennsylvania, Haigh paints a picture of the Novak family, Polish-Italian immigrants who struggle to chart their own existence in a place where most people live and die in the mines. Beginning in the 1940s, with World War II looming in the background, the story travels about twenty years or so. This isn't a quiet novel, not exactly -- there's plenty of characters and plenty of life happening -- but the book doesn't race along with a single plot line. One hundred pages in, I wondered when the story would start; about 200 pages in, I worried about the story ending.

The story of the Novaks is familiar but that isn't a bad thing. Haigh shares with us an American narrative that has become mythologized; in her hands, I see myself, my family, my relatives, my neighbors in the Novak's story. My only complaint (but that's too strong a word since I'm not actually unhappy) was the shifting focus -- I would have rather the novel stayed with one of the Novak kids rather than shift focus -- but Haigh's writing kept me going on.

This is a novel that lingers with the reader. A week after finishing, I find myself still chewing over scenes or characters, and I've more than once wished there was a sequel of sorts so I could remain with the Novaks. If you want something meaty but not heavy or hard, consider this -- it is easy to get into and it's moving without feeling soul-crushing.

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to be able to offer TWO copies of Baker Towers to my readers! To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, ends 2/24.

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:19:00 +0000

Title: Gillespie and I
Author: Jane Harris

Genre: Fiction (British / Scottish / 19th century / Artists / Unreliable Narrator / Missing Children / Secret Identities)
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Perennial (1/31/2012)
Source: TLC Book Tours

Rating: Loved like I wanted to marry it!
Did I finish?: Yes, inhaled over a matter of days.
One-sentence summary: Elderly Harriet Baxter puts down in writing the events from her tumultuous time in Glasgow in the late 1880s while facing another mystery of her own.
Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction, Victorian

Do I like the cover?: I love it: it's striking, and kind of creepy, and reflects elements from the novel.

I'm reminded of...: A.S. Byatt, Shirley Jackson, Sarah Waters

First line: It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie.

Did... I get up early three mornings to have more time to read?: YES, and this was after staying up wicked late to keep reading. (Perhaps why my cold was prolonged. Ooops!)

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: BUY, get this book, read it, love it!

Why did I get this book?: I couldn't tell you why I got this book -- the cover -- and the mention of Bloomsbury. I am so grateful I did because this book was astounding!

Review: Three things: one, Jane Harris, where have you been all my life?; two, imagine Shirley Jackson meets A.S. Byatt, with a little Sarah Waters and Zoe Heller thrown in, all set in Scotland, and you've got the feel of the story; and three, I loved this book.

I'm sort of just going to flail and squee, and I'm not sure how helpful this review will be. Sorry!

In brief: this novel had everything I love in a great book -- wonderful writing, real characters, and a compelling plot that surprised me -- and I hated having to put it down. It's a meaty chunkster that races along, but honestly, could have been twice the length and I would have cheerfully kept reading.

Set in the 1930s, the story is told by Harriet Baxter, an Englishwoman reflecting on her time in Glasgow in the late 1880s, during the International Expo. While there, she befriends Ned Gillespie and his family: his wife Annie, his mother Elspeth, his sister Mabel and brother Kenneth, and his daughters, Sibyl and Rose. Ned's star is rising and Harriet is eager to help him achieve the fame he deserves. She becomes a family confidante of sorts and as a result, is with the family during a horrific tragedy that deeply impacts all of them.

The thing with the story is that Harriet doesn't feel totally solid as a narrator. She's very self-complimentary, filled with importance, and from the first page, I doubted her. As time went on, however, she grew on me, and I assumed she was just fussy, until--

But I'm going to stop there. I don't want to give away anything.

This is a historical novel for those who hate historical fiction. There's no royal scandal (but there's a great mystery) or sweeping romance. Harris' story is set squarely in Victorian Glasgow with the mores, behavior, and values, and nothing feels anachronistic or out-of-step. The crimes of the late 1880s -- Jack the Ripper, the Arran murder -- are in the background along with the wonder and beauty of the International Expo and the Scottish art scene.

I don't mean to be coy about the plot but I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone. This was such a delicious, gripping novel -- get it. If you like suspicious old ladies and Victorian crimes, insidiously lovely writing that is blackly amusing and plot twists that sneak up on you, then this is your book.

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to offer a copy of Gillespie and I to one lucky reader! To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, ends 2/24.

Mailbox Monday, Jan 30

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Seen both at Mailbox Monday -- hosted in January at At Home With Books -- and The Story Siren, my Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox.

An amazing week of arrivals, just the medicine I needed to feel better! I had a yucky weekend of snotting and coughing (Ti, I did, however, use my neti pot with great success so thank you!) but checking out these books made me very happy!

What did you get this week? Read any of these?

To Review

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai
An Uncertain Age by Ulrica Hume
The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
A Hole in the Ground Owned by a Liar by Daniel Pyne
Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
The Garden Intrigue (Pink Carnation #8) by Lauren Willig

Won

The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell, thanks to Poof Books

Immigrant Stories Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm drawn to immigrant stories so I'm surprised I didn't jump on this challenge last year. Regardless, I'm psyched to join the Immigrant Stories Reading Challenge this year. As usual, I'm playing it safe by committing to:

Just off the boat: 1-3 books

But I bet I can reach this easily. (Bold words, I know!)

Read

Alex Gilvarry, From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant
Sarah McCoy, The Baker’s Daughter

Victorian Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Last year, one of my all-time favorite reads came via the Victorian Reading Challenge, so I'm totally doing it again this year! Excitingly enough, the possibilities are pretty open:

You can read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an audiobook, anything Victorian related that you would like.

Watch?! Oh yes: Victorian costume dramas are my crack. I'm planning to read some Anne Bronte this year and hopefully more Thomas Hardy since I loved Far From the Madding Crowd.

Read

Jane Harris, Gillespie and I

Edgar Awards Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Being the crime fic fan that I am, the Edgar Awards Reading Challenge was a no brainer for me. Some of my best reads in previous years have been gleaned from the Edgar shortlist. I'm hedging my bets though, and committing to:

Patrolman = 1-3 books

so I can hopefully be successful this year!

Dewey Decimal Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The Dewey Decimal Challenge is an unusual one for me: I don't read a ton of non-fiction so even the lowest level of participation is going to be rough for me.

Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books

Still, I read about a handful of non-fiction books last year, and this challenge allows poetry to be counted -- a helpful way for me to accomplish more than one reading goal this year!

Read

Sandra Newman, The Western Lit Survival Kit: An Irreverent Guide to the Classics, from Homer to Faulkner
Dubravka Ugrešić, Thank You for Not Reading: Essays on Literary Trivia
Vatsyayana, Kama Sutra

Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Thank you everyone for the wonderful well-wishes -- I so appreciate it! You made my weekend for sure -- I got sniffly for an entirely non-cold related reason! ;) I'm feeling better (hot tea is doing wonders, plus sleep), and I'm going to try to prop myself up with a book.

One giveaway winner this week:

The winner of The Western Lit Survival Kit is ... Kathleen B.!

If you didn't win, check out my current giveaways! More coming soon...!

A to Z Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I failed the A to Z Reading Challenge spectacularly last year but I've decided to try again -- and I'm going to be really strategic about my reading to make this thing happen. After back-and-forthing about whether to do author or title, I've finally decided to do it by author. I hope I'm not making a terrible mistake!

A: Ellis Avery, The Last Nude
B: Anne Clinard Barnhill, At the Mercy of the Queen
C:

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Given my love for paranormal/supernatural fic, I'm surprised I didn't join a challenge like this before! So, without further ado, the Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge. I'm signing up for

Initiate: Read 1 - 5 Witchy Books

which should be pretty easy. It's a shame I'm out of my pagan-y phase I was in during high school, or I'd have this down in no time! (Non-fic and fic count!)

Books in Translation Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

A new-to-me challenge, very self explanatory: Books in Translation! I'm aiming for:

Beginner: Read 1-3 books in translation

since I've no idea how many translations I'll get to this year. But I just got the new translation of Madame Bovary that I'm dying to dig in to -- and surely I can read two more books, right?? I think this will be a great cross challenge for Europa Editions, so maybe I'll seriously challenge myself and aim for six books! (Ha!)

Read

Vatsyayana, Kama Sutra

NetGalley Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000

A new-to-me no-brainer challenge, the NetGalley Reading Challenge is perfect since I get so many of my ARCs from NetGalley and I love my ereader. I'm going to temper my ambitions, however, and go with the lowest level of commitment:

Blue Star - read 1-10 NetGalley Books in 2012

but I'm still aiming for 10! Here's hoping!

Sick day

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Actually, it's been more like a sick week. After my wife's fantabulously awesome 30th birthday party, we both got a wicked disgusting cold. We missed about three days of work due to it and sadly, reading has taken a backseat. Mostly because I can't lift my head, nor do I want to. Sleep is about all I want. That, and breathing through my nose, but one thing at a time.

I'm all messed up for reviews, so sorry about that. I'll be juggling things next week to try to keep from being totally derailed from my schedule, and I've got so many awesome books in my queue to share. I hope to get caught up visiting everyone -- apologies for not commenting this week! I'll try to catch up this weekend.

From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant by Alex Gilvarry

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

Title: From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant
Author: Alex Gilvarry

Genre: Fiction (Satire / Post-9/11 / New York City / Fashion / Immigrant Experience / War on Terror)
Publisher/Publication Date: Viking Adult (1/5/2012)
Source: The publisher

Rating: Liked a great deal!
Did I finish?: Raced through it, howling!
One-sentence summary: Filipino fashion designer, Boyet Hernandez, finds himself embroiled in the War on Terror and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay after he accepts funding for his fashion line from the wrong man.

Do I like the cover?: I do -- it fits the feel of the novel -- playful and pointed in equal parts.

I'm reminded of...: Gary Shteyngart

First line: I would not, could not, nor did I ever raise a hand in anger against America.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow or buy -- this is edgy, ludicrous, pointed, and funny!

Why did I get this book?: I haven't read a great deal of post-9/11 fiction and the absurd premise really attracted me.

Review: You're never going to believe what I'm about to tell you: this is a hysterical novel that combines fashion and politics. And it works!

Filipino fashion designer Boyet Hernandez moves to New York City in hopes of achieving his dream -- a haute couture fashion line -- and gets funding (reluctantly) from his blowhard neighbor Ahmed Qureshi. Boy is preoccupied with creating his line and getting his name out in the fashion world by doing styling, and he's happy to tune out Ahmed's bizarre behavior and exaggerations. But it's his association with Ahmed that leads to his imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay, accused of being part of a terrorist cell.

The novel is Boy's confession, written while he's imprisoned at Gitmo. An argument to his captors of his innocence, Boy explains how he became embroiled with Ahmed but his story is filled with sidelong explanations of fashion, his romances, and his relationship with his guards at Gitmo. The narrative is annotated by a fashion writer, Gil Johannessen, who covered Boy's rise and fall in the New York scene.

Gilvarry's writing is playful, flamboyant, pointed, wry, and sharp. Funny, but also discomforting. I've read a few reviews that criticize the flimsy female characters -- which normally would be a complaint of mine -- but in this case, the story is told from Boy's viewpoint, and it doesn't bother me that he can't quite put his finger on the women in his life. He's more preoccupied with his own trials and tribulations (and this is before he ends up at Gitmo).

The novel is funny, absurdly at times, but the ending is...bitter(sweet?) in a way, that made the story poignant and painful. I finished this book unwilling to pick up another, wanting to linger with Boy's story and Gilvarry's fabulous writing. I can't wait for his future works -- this debut is a silly, uncomfortable read. Recommended!

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to be able to offer a copy of From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant to one lucky reader thanks to the publisher! To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, ends 2/17.

Mailbox Monday, Jan 23

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Seen both at Mailbox Monday -- hosted in January at At Home With Books -- and The Story Siren, my Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox.

This isn't Mailbox Monday related, but I had to share a photo from my wife's birthday yesterday. The shark-themed party was a smashing success -- check out the birthday cake that our bestie Natalie made for her! She's not a trained baker but she still made an incredible cake that was delicious and amazing!

For Review

Dust to Dust by Benjamin Busch
Blue Monday by Nicci French

FridayReads and I'm planning a party...

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:03:00 +0000

I don't expect to get much reading done this weekend; I'm throwing a huge party for my wife, who is turning 30. She's a Jaws fan, so the theme is low-brow and cheesy: sharks, sharks, and sharks. With a fringe of shark-hybrids for good measure (Sharktopus, I'm looking at you.). A friend is carving a shark cake for her, so I'll share the silly awesomeness later on (along with, I hope, gloating about how great the party ended up being!).

I'm still finishing up From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant by Alex Gilvarry and it is seriously so good. Ridiculous fun, with a metric ton of satire -- not bitter, and not sharp -- and a circle of fabulous characters. I'm also starting A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I'm apprehensive about that one: it sounds a bit Twilight-for-adults but friends loved it, so...we'll see!

What are you reading this weekend?

The Last Nude by Ellis Avery

noreply@blogger.com (Audra) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:19:00 +0000

Title: The Last Nude
Author: Ellis Avery

Genre: Fiction (Historical / Paris / 1930s / Artist & Muse / Same-Sex Relationships / Historical Figure Fictionalized)
Publisher/Publication Date: Riverhead Hardcover (1/5/2012)
Source: The publisher

Rating: Loved!
Did I finish?: Yes!
One-sentence summary: American expat Rafaela Fano becomes a model for avant-garde artist Tamara de Lempicka, and eventually her lover, in 1920s Paris.
Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction

Do I like the cover?: I adore the cover -- it's one of de Lempicka's portraits of Rafaela and the feel of it so captures the mood of the story. So perfect. I love the font used with my whole body.

I'm reminded of...: Emma Donoghue, Anaïs Nin, Sarah Waters

First line: I only met Tamara de Lempicka because I needed a hundred francs.

Do... I agree with New York Press that Ellis Avery is The Best Writer You've Never Heard of But Should Go Read Right Now?: YES. Where has she been all my life?! I'm a fan for life now!

Did... I miss my subway stop twice while reading this?: YES. All hail the return of the so-awesome-I-lose-track-of-reality read!

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Buy, buy!

Why did I get this book?: I adore de Lempicka and I'm fascinated by that era/circle in Paris. This was a no-brianer for me!

Review: I loved this book. And in that way when I'm totally smitten, I'm not even sure I can compose complete sentences explaining why I loved this book so. In short: the writing is gorgeous, the romance sensual and sexy, and the characters sketched quickly but warmly despite their flaws.

First, the setting. I'm mad for Paris in the late '20s and I love the circle of artists the novel focuses on; Avery creates the ambiance without bogging down the story in details. There's a mix of hard scrabble poverty and excessive wealth, titles and nobodies, post-war and pre-war. The novel references de Lempicka's art from 1927 on, which can be seen online -- and should, because they're gorgeous. And sexy.

Second, the characters. I really fell in love with everyone, even the unappealing ones, the shameful ones, the shameless ones, the selfish jerks and the too-saintly-to-be true mouses. They felt real to me, even though Avery doesn't spend tons of time describing them, either. (I'm afraid I'm making this sound like the narrative is thin, but it isn't!) Through snappy dialogue and Rafaela's viewpoint (and for a brief time, Tamara's) we see meet these rapacious souls (food, money, sex, artistic inspiration, safety -- the need various, but there's unceasing hunger!). Shamefully (?), I liked Tamara despite her cruel, predatory, and selfish behavior, because Avery made her so real for me. The manipulative, passionate woman we see through Rafaela's eyes tells her side of the story, briefly, late in life.

And finally, the writing. This novel races even though it isn't a fast-paced or intricately plotted novel. The hot burn of desire propels the story; like Rafaela impatient for the day to end so she can go to Tamara, I was impatient for the next liaison, the next drink, the next painting. I ate up every word because each sentence fulfilled and left me yearning. The end of the book killed me dead in the best way, oh-so-bittersweet and sad and yummy.

For those uncomfortable with sex, this novel might be too spicy. Avery writes some of the sexiest lesbian sex I've read in a novel in a long time, and while it isn't graphic, it also isn't discreet. The sex is part of the story, like the paintings, like Paris, and feels right, not gratuitous.

I'm making myself want to read this all over again. Right now.

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm excited to offer a copy of The Last Nude to one lucky reader, thanks to the publisher. To enter, fill out this brief form. Open to US/CA readers, closes 2/3.