Review of 'Husband and Wife' by Leah Stewart

Husband and Wife

Leah Stewart

3.5*

"In this new novel by the celebrated author of The Myth of You and Me, a young mother discovers that her husband's novel about infidelity may be drawn from real life."

"Wise, funny, and sharply drawn, Leah Stewart's Husband and Wife probes our deepest relationships, the promises we make and break, and the consequences they hold for our lives, revealing that it's never too late to step back and start over."

This story is about a 35 year old mom and wife named Sarah Price, whose husband has just published a novel titled 'Infidelity.' Little did she know, the book was based on fact, and her husband's confession turns her world upside down. Coming to terms with her husband's affair forces Sarah to reexamine their relationship and take a closer look at the person she has become in the process of getting married and having children.

This story really resounded with me because I am also a thirty-something mom and wife, and so I understand how easy it is to lose yourself in those roles. When you have so may other people (kids, husband) depending on you to take care of them, it's easy to lose sight of your own needs and desires. The story itself was a bit depressing, due to the subject matter, but I identified with it and it made me think about my own life, and that made it a more personal read for me.

2011 Reading Goals and Challenges

2011 Books I Own (BIO) Challenge- created by the group The Novel Ideas on Goodreads.

(Rules are copied and slightly modified from my NI friend's blog: Through the Pages)

1. Read a total of 36 BIO in 2011 (3 per month in designated categories or titles/authors that begin with the same letter as the first letter of the month).

2. No buying new books until I've read 2 BIO. After the first 2, I can then follow the rule - read 1, buy 1 (until reading 5, when I can buy unlimited books for the remainder of the month).

3. 18 books will be set in stone before the start of 2011 - they will be put in bold italics.

4. I will finalize each upcoming month's list before the current month ends - then NO CHANGING!

The following is my list for the BIO challenge:

January

1. (1st in a series): City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2. (wolves): Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

3. (winter): Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

February

1. (love story): Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper

2. (shortest): The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

3. (gift): American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

March

1. (war story): The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

2. (classic): Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

3. (favorite cover): The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

April

1. (god or hero): Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

2. (apocolyptic): The Road by Cormac McCarthy

3. (comedy): The Gates by John Connolly

May

1. (oldest BIO): Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

2. (memoir): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

3. (magical land): Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

June

1. (young adult): A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

2. (couple/marriage): Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund

3. (rose): A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith

July

1. (animals): The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobleski

2. (longest): Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

3. (America): 1776 by David McCullough

August

1. (historical): Katherine by Anya Seton

2. (A = title): The Awakening by Kate Chopin

3. (national figure): The Women by T.C. Boyle

September

1. (7 or 17th century): Fever 1793

2. (sad): White Oleander by Janet Fitch

3. (school): The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

October

1. (ghost/paranormal/horror): The Ghost Writer by John Harwood

2. (thriller/vampire): Dracula by Bram Stoker

3. (series continuation): whichever Outlander book I need to read next

November

1. (mystery): The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

2. (food/feast/famine): The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

3. (colonial America/ pilgrims): The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

December

1. (Christmas/ holiday): A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

2. (family): True Colors by Kristin Hannah

3. (guilty pleasure): A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

2011 Nonfiction Challenge - also created by The Novel Ideas

The are no rules for this challenge - the idea is to expand our horizons by incorporating more nonfiction selections into our reading for next year. I have challenged myself to read at least one nonfiction selection each month of 2011.

Here's my list of upcoming nonfiction reads for 2011:

• Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
• Homer's Odyssey: a Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper
• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
• Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
• Columbine by Dave Cullen
• Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg
• Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly
• The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From a State Hospital Attic by Darby Penney



Review of 'Our Kind of Traitor' by John le Carre

Our Kind of Traitor

John le Carre

3.5*

"The unrivaled master of spy fiction returns with a taut and suspenseful tale of dirty money and dirtier politics."

Our Kind of Traitor is the story of Perry Makepiece and Gail Perkins, a young, vibrant couple vacationing in Antigua, who are inadvertently thrust into the position of amateur spies when they become the trusted confidantes of Russian money-launderer, Dima. From there, Perry and Gail become involved in a scheme to secure the safety of Dima and his family in exchange for top-secret information that will expose some top officials. What follows is a whirlwind of intrigue, suspense, and action bound to make your heart race.

Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carre was the first and only spy novel I've ever read, so it was not an easy read for me. It started off a little slow and I had a hard time understanding what was going on in the beginning, but once the story started moving forward and I began to understand how the characters were involved in the plot it went more smoothly.  In fact, by the end of the book I was gripping my seat in anticipation of what would happen next.

Review of 'The Rice Mother' by Rani Manicka

The Rice Mother

Rani Manicka

5*

"A 'luminous' (Publisher's Weekly), get-lost-in-another world debut novel of magic, determination, and the bonds of family."

This book was a breath-taking, sweeping family saga that gripped my heart from the very beginning and did not let go until the very last page! This is definitely going on my list of all-time favorite books!

The Rice Mother starts off with young Lakshmi who grows up poor with a hard-working mother and an absent father. In hopes for securing a brighter future for her daughter, Lakshmi's mother promises her hand in marriage to a man whom she is told is incredibly wealthy and respected. Lakshmi quickly finds out that her mother was duped, but she makes the decision to accept her lot in life and do her best to assure that her children will not have to live a life of poverty and hardship. Her best efforts are laid waste however by the Japanese invasion that claims the life of her precious daughter, Mohini. From that point on, the lives of Lakshmi, her husband, her children, and grandchildren are forever lived in the shadow of this horrendous tragedy. It is not until Lakshmi's great-granddaughter Nisha begins to uncover the shocking truths of her family do the shadows of the past finally begin to recede.

I am simply amazed that this beautifully crafted story of family ties, deceit, and betrayal is the debut novel of the author Rani Manicka. I have not read any of her other books, but I can imagine that she has struggled to reach the high expectations that this book must have set for all of her subsequent writings.

Review of 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith

Sarah Waters

5*

"Growing up as a foster child among a family of thieves, orphan Sue Trinder hopes to pay back that kindness by playing a key role in a swindle scheme devised by their leader, Gentleman, who is planning to con a fortune out of the naive Maud Lily, but Sue's growing pity for their helpless victim could destroy the plot."

Wow! This book had me on the edge of my seat! Everytime I started to think I had it all figured out, it would throw me for a loop. My mind is still reeling as I try to piece together what happened and how it all went so awry. It's been a while since I've read a book that has shaken me up so thoroughly. I'm so glad I gave Sarah Waters another try after being so sorely disappointed in her snoozefest of a book The Night Watch. This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year!

Fingersmith is a book written in the style of Dickens with a gothic, Victorian feel to it. The characters in this story are very well-developed, and their selfish natures drive the plot forward and add complexity to the intricately woven storyline. Even the protagonists of the story, Sue and Maud, are unlikable and despicable by turns, but you cannot help but root for them in their endeavor to right the wrongs that have been done to them over the course of their lives.

Books by the Banks

  A couple weekends ago my mom and I went to the Books by the Banks event in downtown Cincinnati. It was a book lover's paradise! There were several well-known authors, as well as some lesser known local ones. I attended two panel discussions and had the pleasure of hearing some awesome authors talk about thier work. I bought the book American Wife for myself and had it signed by the author, Curtis Sittenfield. I also got to meet Katherine Howe, the author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I can't wait for next year's event!

                                                            Katherine Howe and me

Review of 'Let the Right One In' by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Let the Right One In

John Ajvide Lindqvist

2.75*

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist is the story of Oskar, a 12 year-old boy who is mercilessly bullied by his schoolmates. When a young girl named Eli moves in next door to Oskar, they become fast friends. However, her appearance sets off a frightening chain of events that forever changes the lives of Oskar and several others.

Personally, I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of horror. In fact, I've only read one Stephen King novel (Misery) in my life, and I NEVER watch horror flicks, because I am the biggest chicken when it comes to that stuff. However, I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and read Let the Right One In. I think I was lured mostly by the promise of vampires, thinking that they would resemble the sexy, intense Edward Cullen of the Twilight series, or the refined and tragic character of Louis in Interview with the Vampire. Suffice it to say that the vampire in this book resembled neither.

Overall, I felt that the plot and the writing were fast-paced and intriguiging, but there were several things about this story that just didn't sit well with me. The first and foremost thing that put me off about this book was the character Hakan, who lusts after young boys when he's not killing people to feed Eli's thirst for blood. As a mother, I have a difficult time reading about perverts and pedophiles. Another reason that I didn't care for this book is because it contained several gruesome descriptions that made me feel ill, even though I should have expected as much being that this is a horror novel. Definitely not a book to read when you're eating - eww!

Let the Right One In was not my cup of tea, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes scary stories and has a strong stomach.

Review of 'The Night Watch' by Sarah Waters

The Night Watch

Sarah Waters

2*

"Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked-out streets, illicit partying, and sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch tells the story of four Londoners - three women and a young man with a past - whose lives, and those of their friends and lovers, connect in sometimes surprising ways. In wartime London, the women work - as ambulance drivers, ministry clerks, and building inspectors. There are feats of heroism, epic and quotidian, and tragedies both enormous and personal." Sarah Waters describes the taut composure of a rescue worker in the aftermath of a bombing, the idle longing of a young woman for her soldier lover, the peculiar thrill of a convict watching the sky ignite through the bars on his window, the hunger of a woman prowling the streets for an encounter, and the panic of another who sees her love affair coming to an end."

-synopsis from Goodreads

I had really high hopes for this book, but I was terribly disappointed. I had read Affinity, another book by Sarah Waters, a few years ago and I loved it, so I expected this book to be pretty good as well. There are several reasons why I didn't enjoy this book. First of all, the story was incredibly slow and extremely anticlimactic. Secondly, the characters started to blend together after a while and I had a difficult time keeping them straight. The author definitely needed to develop her characters a little better and give the reader a reason to care about what happened to them. Third, there wasn't even a real plot to the story. It was just the story of four people during WWII in London and how their lives were interconnected.

One thing I did find interesting about this book is that the story was told backwards, so I have to give Waters credit for writing the story in such an original way. It begins in 1947 and goes backward to 1941, which was an interesting way to explain why the characters were the way they were, but the story was just too slow and uninteresting for it to really work.

Review of 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love

Elizabeth Gilbert

1*

"This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls "Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans."

-synopsis from Goodreads

The above synopsis is what originally sparked my curiosity about this book, but now, having it read it for myself, I can say that Eat, Pray, Love was, by far, the absolute worst book I've read all year, and that the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, is the most self-absorbed and self-indulgent author that I've ever had the misfortune to read. Like many people, she has experienced the pain and shame of divorce, but unlike the vast majority of people, she has the luxury to check out of life for a year and put all of her responsibilities on hold while she goes on a quest to find herself and discover her spirituality. As a divorcee myself, I wish it had been so easy to just check out of my life for a while so that I could have time to gather my strength and regain my confidence. However, as a mother of three, I had to do all this while being a mom and provider and learning who I was as a single woman, which, in my opinion required a lot more strength and determination than Gilbert is capable of. Perhaps my personal experiences have negatively affected my reaction to Gilbert's experience, but I find nothing that inspires or motivates me in the least about this book. If anything, it makes me feel as though I am stronger and better prepared to handle adversity than I would be if I were the type of person who runs away from my problems.

Review of 'Voyager' by Diana Gabaldon

Voyager

Diana Gabaldon

5*

"From the author of the breathtaking bestsellers Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber, the extraordinary saga continues.

Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her...the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love."

- synopsis from Goodreads

"Triumphant ...her use of historical detail and a truly adult love story confirm Gabaldon as a superior writer."

- Publishers Weekly

The third book in the Outlander series, Voyager, was by far my favorite book yet.

 Without giving anything away, Diana Gabaldon has continued the epic love story of Jamie and Claire Fraser in a book that is jam-packed with action and adventure, leaving the reader breathless and wanting more until the very last page. Gabaldon is truly a master story-teller with a gift for weaving a tale that draws the reader in and makes them feel as though they were right there amidst all of the action. If you enjoy sweeping sagas about love and adventure in the Scottish Highlands, then this series is for you. Needless to say, I can't wait to read the next installment of this series!

Review of 'Fireworks Over Toccoa' by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Fireworks Over Toccoa

Jeffrey Stepakoff

3*

"Every so often that story comes along that reminds us of what it’s like to experience love for the first time—against the odds, when you least expect it, and with such passion that it completely changes you forever."

"Fireworks Over Toccoa takes us to a moment in time that will resonate with readers long after the book’s unforgettable conclusion. A devastating and poignant story, this debut novel will resonate with anyone who believes in love."

- synopsis from Goodreads

Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff is the story of Lily Davis Woodward, a young woman whose husband has been gone for three years, fighting in WWII. Right before her husband is to return home, Lily meets a handsome stranger in a starlit field, and this chance encounter forever changes the course of her life.

I enjoyed this book for it's value as a sweet, endearing love story, but there were a couple of reasons why I did not love it. For one, I felt that it was very similar to a Nicholas Sparks novel, so it didn't feel very original to me. Another reason was because it was such a quick read; the plot was fairly simple and some of the characters weren't as developed as they could be in my opinion. Had the author taken more time to flesh out the characters and develop the plot more thoroughly, I would have given it a higher rating. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but I think that this book would be a great read if you're looking for something simple and enjoyable.

Review of 'Interview with the Vampire' by Anne Rice

 

Interview with the Vampire

Anne Rice

5*

"We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks, as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead. . . "

"In its unceasing flow of spellbinding storytelling, of danger and flight, of loyalty and treachery, Interview with the Vampire bears witness of a literary imagination of the first order."

- synopsis from Goodreads

I really loved this book! I saw the movie a long time ago when it first came out and I remember loving it, but I can't remember much about it. After all the Twilight hype I wanted to go back and read some older vampire literature, so I decided to start with Anne Rice's portrayal of vampires in her Vampire Chronicles series.

What Twilight lacked in darkness and mystery, Interview with the Vampire made up for in spades. The tone of this story is fraught with malevolence and despair, taking the reader through a horrific journey of hellish proportions. The story is told by the vampire Louis to a young writer, who has found himself in a position to be audience to one of the most terrifying and unbelievable stories ever. It follows the story of Louis, starting with his conversion from mortal to vampire at the hands of his maker Lestat, and follows him throughout his "life" to modern-day times. Despite the evil purpose of Louis' existence, he is a tortured soul who cannot come to grips with his desire for mortal blood and the remnants of his human conscience that scorn such desires.

 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, and while not as fast-paced and entertaining as Twilight, I feel that this story is more authentic in terms of traditional vampire lore. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.