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.