Library
A friend sent me a link to these gorgeous libraries from all over the world. I have posted a photo of my favorite. It’s one in Toronto. I could totally get comfy and lose myself here forever!
For some wonderful reason photos of books, bookcases, bookstores and libraries are showing up all over the web. Bravo! And enjoy.
Posted in Uncategorized
The Underside Of Joy
I’d actually been picking this one up and putting it down for weeks. Finally, I got it from the library. Sere Prince Halverson brings us an honest story about motherhood and loss. It’s a testament to love and trust. And is set in the wine country of California.
Ella is running away. Not from her ex-husband; not from anyone, really; just from herself. Her marriage is over, and so, she thinks, are any chances of ever having a child of her own.
Joe has become a single dad; left with two young children, he’s vulnerable and open to love and sharing his life with just the right person.
Ella and Joe become a couple. Are supremely satisfied with their lives. Ella loves being mom to Joe’s two sweet young kids. And Joe loves Ella. So, what is Joe hiding? And how will it affect their lives?
Written smoothly with care and insight, “The Underside Of Joy” will ease you in and then hold you hostage until you get to the bottom of it all. I needed to know what Joe had kept secret.
A few years ago we traveled to California’s wine country. I was able to see, hear and smell a town like this. The store could easily be one of the quaint stores we came upon. I loved the area. Holverson has captured the essence of this magical place. She makes me want to go back. Soon!
Napa Valley
Posted in Fiction
Gossip
I recently read a review copy of Beth Gutcheon’s “Gossip.” It’s coming out next month. She’s writing mostly about NYC in this one, and oh is it good.
So looking forward to reading this memoir of a year spent in Paris. “Paris In Love” is written by Eloisa James who is a sophisticated writer of romance novels. Who knew! Her time in the city of light stems from a blog she kept while there. Looks delightful. 
Posted in Coming soon
The Darlings
Announcing the winner of “The Darlings” by Cristina Alger. Congratulations go out to Kit! You win! You are going to love this smart, well-written contemporary novel. Thanks so much for entering. Please send your mailing info to me and I will contact Viking who will send your book right out.
I want to thank all of you who took the time to enter my contest. And it couldn’t have happened without the very generous people at Viking and Penguin Group. Thanks guys! You’re the best.
Posted in Give Away
Lost Saints Of Tennessee
320 pages- Hardcover- Atlantic Monthly Press- Feb.
Ezekiel Cooper (Zeke) is at the end of his rope when “The Lost Saints Of Tennessee” begins. He is 42 years old, divorced, in a dead-end job, and without hope for the future. It is August, 1985, and the dog days of summer have hit the south hard.
Franklin-Willis tells this very Southern tale in Zeke’s melancholy voice. Except for a small portion in the center where Lillian, Zeke’s mom, finally gets a chance to speak out.
Pat Conroy says the writing reminds him of Dorothy Allison’s “Bastard out of Carolina.” I have to agree. Franklin-Willis manages to capture the shear essence of the south in a refreshing yet coarse way.
Amy Frankin-Willis
I found myself slowing down after the first chapter. I didn’t want to miss anything. Wasn’t so sure about it. Didn’t like where a situation with my favorite character was going. Tucker is a hound dog way past his prime. I took to him immediately. Animal lover that I am, I took Tucker under my wing. But once through this difficult chapter, I ran with it.
Even though the story travels back and forth in time within a forty year period, it was done in such a way that I was able to follow it nicely. The pace was smooth and the tone was propitious.
Zeke has two teenage daughters with his ex-wife. Are they problematic? What do you think? They’re teenagers for heavens sake. And he rarely sees them. His ex-wife has recently married, and married up. Zeke is feeling pretty darn useless these days. So, he decides to leave the small town he has always lived in.
Carter was Zeke’s brother. As a toddler, he contracted measles and almost died; was in a coma for a long time and ended up “not right.” But Carter and Zeke were twins. They were always together. Until they weren’t.
The Cooper women were fighters. They were strong. But they struggled to get out of Clayton, the small town, they were stuck in. Zeke’s mom found herself pregnant with his oldest sister at the age of fifteen. Stuck. His sister, Vi, repeated the deed. Awful things happened in these tender lives.
I still have to go with Tucker as being my favorite character in the book. I found myself perking up at the mere mention of the guy. When his tail was batting back and forth, I was smiling. I’m glad I read this novel. Anyone wanting good old Southern writing will find it a quick read. But I will say I was a bit disappointed with Zeke. I think his character could have been stronger. And I will look forward to Franklin-Wallis’s next novel.
Posted in Fiction
The Darlings
Cristina Alger is the author of “The Darlings.” This provocative new financial thriller asks the question: How loyal would you be to your family if you knew a secret that could ruin them?
The cityscape on the cover quickly activated my love center. I can not reiterate enough how important a cover can be for a book. Especially a first time novelist. It can often make it or break it. Well, this one is unabashedly a winner! I was instantly transported to Manhattan.
This novel begins quietly in a dark space. Morty Reis is about to commit suicide. The scene is set up on a bridge where many suicides have taken place in the past. What a beginning. Morty is not a main character, but we soon find out how he fits into this puzzle.
Carter Darling is the patriarch of the Darling family. He is a billionaire hedge fund owner who has amassed a vast fortune over the years. His wife and two daughters have been living like royalty; traveling around the world, spending summers and long weekends in the Hamptons in their palatial “cottage.” Both daughters married promising men who have been brought into their family business. Most recently, Paul Ross, Meredith’s husband, lost his job in finance, and Carter immediately took him under his wing and brought him aboard. Paul now works in Carter’s hedge fund “Delphic.”
You know immediately that something has gone desperately afoul. Alger has done a fine job of setting it all up. What we don’t quite know is what it is or how it got this way.
We’ve seen big wigs like Bernie Madoff and others, slide down the slippery slope, but here we actually become involved in the process. I learned more by reading Alger’s novel, than I have from all the headlines and books in the past few years. She has made it personal and put it in your face.
How do you save face when threatened with loss this spectacular? What separates the survivors from the real losers? And what constitutes family?
Cristine Alger has managed to capture the essence of the financial downturn by using the catastrophic drop of one very influential corporation. We have all wondered over and over again how this type of disaster can happen. This story gives you a glimpse into how and why.
Alger’s characters are flawed. Just like all human beings. Her people come from excessive wealth. The kind many of us have never experienced. Probably never will. She keeps them real.
Cristina Alger
Alger attacks moral issues as well as financial woes. This is a family you will never forget. What a breath of fresh air to find this lovely debut author. Thanks Christina. I sure look forward to your next novel.
I am thrilled to be able to offer a copy of “The Darlings” to one lucky reader. Just make a comment here on the blog. Only U.S. addresses. No P.O. boxes. Sorry. The great folks at Viking Publishing will send you your copy when you win! Good luck. You are going to love this one. I will announce the winner on Wednesday morning, Feb. 22.
You win! Wehaf, congratulations! Your lovely copy of Kama Sutra will be sent out from Penguin Classics. I have sent you an email. Please respond with your mailing address in a timely manner.
The Darlings
New Giveaway tomorrow! Viking publishing has agreed to host my giveaway. I have one copy of THE DARLINGS by Cristina Alger. I loved this novel and you will too. Will review tomorrow and post giveaway. Don’t miss this one!
Cristina Alger
Posted in Give Away, Uncategorized
Kama Sutra
Oh my gosh! Some of you may already be blushing! Penguin Group recently published a new deluxe edition of an old classic. THE KAMA SUTRA by Vatsyayana,” offers a cultured guide to life, love, relationships and pleasure. Little is known about the author. who is reputed to have composed the KAMA SUTRA while observing a celibate’s life in full meditation.”
This cleverly designed cover is artwork from a French graphic artist living in England. Her name is Malika Favre. Just to let you know; there are no pictures inside the book at all.
Valentine Heart
“This book accentuates the work’s historical importance as a sophisticated guide to living well. This elegant edition offers a compelling, modern translation of a classic Indian masterpiece- and a wry and entertaining account of human desires and foibles.”
The very generous people at Penguin Publishing have offered a copy of this beautiful book for my giveaway. So, don’t be shy, please leave a comment. No post office boxes, and limited to U.S. I think this is a classic all of us should have on our shelf. I will post the winner Wednesday, Feb.15th.
Happy Valentine's Day
Posted in Give Away
Restoration
Another fabulous cover. It evokes memories from a few years ago when my husband and I were staying in the breathtaking hill towns of Tuscany.
RESTORATION, by Olaf Olafsson, takes us back to one of my favorite topics: ww11. We are in Italy this time, seeing the war through the eyes of a young woman named Alice who has shocked her parents by marrying an Italian landowner. Alice and her husband Claudio restore a crumbling villa named San Martino and Alice gives birth to their son. But Alice becomes restless and seeks more.
The sweeping vistas of central Italy all leap off the pages of every single chapter. Olafsson has mastered the sense of place with his spot-on descriptions of the countryside. If you have been to this area, you will be whisked instantly back to this paradise. If you have never been, prepare to add this wonderland to your must-see list.
The characters are sure to take up housekeeping in your mind and refuse to leave. They are smart and full of life. And seem quite human.
Montelcino
This photo was taken from the window of Il Giglio where we stayed while visiting Montelcino a few years ago.
Why Restoration? Not only are we restoring a falling down villa, but we’re also deeply involved in art restoration. Kristin, a young woman from Iceland, becomes the protege of a significant art restorer in Rome just before the war comes stomping into that city. She fled her homeland for a better life. Trained as an artist, she fell into this position. Bits and pieces of information about famous artists such as Caravaggio and Titian are bandied about like lemon drops and we gain a sense of excitement at actually coming across an authentic painting from one of the masters.
While Alice is dealing with a great loss and trying to keep her small part of the world safe, Kristin’s is falling apart. And the Germans are quickly closing the gap. Alice’s San Martino is being used to house everyone from patriots who are on the run to Germans tearing up the soil and tearing down the house. The scenes at San Martino have stayed vivid in my mind. I hated seeing this lovely home and land torn apart. But it was made so real that I could hear the enemy planes flying overhead and vividly imagine the horror and fear the Italian people were experiencing. We, here in America, have not had to fight a war on our soil in our lifetime. It is something I hope will never happen. But Olafsson gives us a true rendition of what it was like. Objects of art are stolen, homes are ruined, people murdered ruthlessly and, everyone is left to fend for themselves and deal with their hunger, dead, and dying.
I don’t want to make light of the story of humanity in this novel. It’s a tale of love, war, and trust.
Tuscan countryside
My advance reading copy came from Ecco, a division of Harper Collins.
Posted in Fiction
Kill Shot
“Kill Shot” by Vince Flynn will be on sale tomorrow. The awesome people from Atria publishing were kind enough to send me a finished hard copy of this amazing novel!
I’ve had many customers at the store approach me and ask when on earth Flynn’s next novel would be coming out. They even got a bit indignant at times. Many told me they knew it was supposed to be out in November of last year. Yes, dear readers, that is all true. However, many people are not aware of the fight Flynn has been fighting with his health. Vince was diagnosed with prostrate cancer and has been dealing with a pretty aggressive form of treatment. So, I am so grateful to Atria for working with him on this pub date. They so graciously gave him the time he’s needed to provide yet again another first-rate thriller. And, I hear Flynn is on the mend. Amen
Having said all that, now I can get down to the business of this action-packed thriller. Mitch Rapp is back. We all love the character of Mitch Rapp. Mitch is the American assassin working with the CIA. They have not only trained him to be a professional killer, they have done such a fine job of it that now they are a bit unsure what to do with him. A series of murders has occurred in one of my favorite cities, Paris. Ah, the City Of Light. The Eiffel Tower on the cover does give you some insight as to where the majority of this story takes place.
Vince Flynn
Many of the characters from the other Mitch Rapp books are back, some more prominent than others. And there is much angst among the ranks. But the profiles of these characters deepens in this novel. These people are all flawed to some degree. And maybe, just maybe, one of them has gone “over.”
What can I say about Flynn’s sense of place? It is spot-on. I loved pounding the back alleys of Paris with Mitch as well as the upscale boulevards. There was even a float down the Seine in the dark of the night. I loved the feeling I got of being part of the story. Yes, Flynn knows how to include his reader.
This intense thriller has everything it takes to make a superior tale. The French equivalent of our CIA is included, adding some spice. Two of their operatives bring local color and explosive dialogue. An especially telling scene within a fashionable, upscale Parisian restaurant, shows us who these people really are.
I was thrilled to learn that Flynn is recovering well and is actually working on his next thriller, featuring Mitch Rapp. This new one is due out in the fall. I will be sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting patiently, but, quite expectantly.
I don’t read a lot of thrillers. But I do love Vince Flynn! Your biggest challenge will be taking your time with the reading. You will want to blow through this in one sitting, but slow down. Enjoy the read!
Posted in Thrillers
