Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Library Loot (Aug 10, 2011)


Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they've checked out from the library.  If you'd like to participate, just write up your post - feel free to steal the button - and visit the above 2 blogs to see who has the Mr. Linky this week. Don't forget to check out what others are checking out!




Die For Me
by Amy Plum

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal.  But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans.  We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents.  And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, awould never feel normal again.  Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.  Just like that, I was in danger of losing my hdeart all over again.  But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy.  Because Vincent is no normal human.  He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day.  He also has enemies. . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart -- as well as my life and my family's -- in jeopardy for a chance at love?



Hereafter
by Tara Hudson

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead.  With no recollection of her past life -- or her actual death -- she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence.  All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river.  As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long.  But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world. . . forever.



The Tiger's Wife
by Tea Obreht

Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend, loss, and love, Tea Obreht, the youngest of The New Yorker's twenty best American fiction writers under forty, has spun a timeless novel that will establish her as one of the most vibrant, original authors of her generation.

In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphange by the sea.  By the time she and her lifelong friend Zora begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her.  Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her.  Secrets involving the strange family digging for something in the surrounding vineyards.  Secrets hidden in the landscape itself.

But Natalia is also confronting a private, hurtful mystery of her own:  the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather's recent death.  After telling her grandmother he was on his way to meet Natalia, he instead set off for a ramshackle settlement none of their family had ever heard of and died there alone.  A famed physician, her grandfather must have known that he was too ill to travel.  Why he left home becomes a riddle Natalia is compelled to unravel.

Grief struck and searching for clues to her grandfather's final state of mind, she turns to the stories he told her when she was a child.  On their weekly trips to the zoo he would read to her from a worn copy of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, which he carried with him everywhere; later, he told her stories of his own encounters over many years with "the deathless man," a vagabond who claimed to be immortal and appeared never to age.  But the most extraordinary story of all is the one her grandfather never told her, the one Natalia must discover for herself.  One winter during the Second World War, his childhood village was snowbound, cut off even from the encroaching German invaders but haunted by another, fierce presence: a tiger who comes ever closer under cover of darkness. "These stories," Natalia comes to understand, "run like secret rivers through all the other stories" of her grandfather's life.  And it is ultimately within these rich, luminous narratives that she will find the answer she is looking for.



Husband and Wife
by Leah Stewart

Sarah Price is thirty-five years old.  She doesn't feel as though she's getting older, but there are some noticeable changes:  a hangover after two beers, the stray gray hair, and most of all, she's called "Mom" by two small children.  Always responsible, Sarah traded her MFA for a steady job, which allows her husband Nathan, to write fiction.  But Sarah is happy and she believes Nathan is too, until a truth is revealed: Nathan's upcoming novel, Infidelity, is based in fact.

Suddenly Sarah's world is turned upside down.  Adding to her confusion, Nathan abdicates responsibility for the fate of their relationship and of his novel's publication -- a financial lifesaver they have been depending upon -- leaving both in Sarah's hands.  Reeling from his betrayal, she is plagued by dark questions.  How well does she really know Nathan?  And, more important, how well does she know herself?

For answers, Sarah looks back to her artistic twenty-something self to try to understand what happened to her dreams.  When did it all seem to change?  Pushed from her complacent plateau, Sarah begins to act -- for the first time not so responsibly -- on all the things she has let go of for so long: her blank computer screen; her best friend, Helen; the volumes of Proust on her bookshelf.  And then there is that e-mail in her inbox: a note from Rajiv, a beautiful man from her past who once tempted her to stray.  The struggle to find which version of herself is the esesntial one -- artist, wife, or mother -- takes Sarah hundreds of miles away from her marriage on a surprising journey.

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.



Remedies
by Kate Ledger

Simon and Emily Bear look like a couple who have it all.  Simon is a respected doctor, while Emily shines professionally as a partner in a premier public relations firm.  They have a beautiful house in Baltimore and a healthy daughter. But their marriage is scarred by old, hidden wounds.  Even as Simon tends his patients' ills, and Emily spins away her clients' mistakes, they can't seem to do the same for themselves or their relationship.

Simon becomes convinced he's discovered a cure for chronic pain, a finding that could be a major medical breakthrough.  As he yearns to prove he's a good doctor and to make amends for a missed diagnosis years before, he is oblivious of the pain he's causing at home.  Emily, still struggling to move beyond the devastating loss that she and Simon suffered fifteen years ago, comes to realize she hasn't felt anything for a very long time -- that is, until a lover from her past resurfaces and forces her to examine her marriage anew.

In a debut novel on a par with today's top women writers, Remedies explores the extraordinarily complicated facets of pain, in the nerves of the body and the longings of the heart.

What would you endure in order to avoid feeling pain? And would you believe in a cure?  Depicting modern-day marriage with a razor-sharp eye, Remedies is about what it takes, as an individual and as a couple, to recover from profound loss.



















W.W.W. Wednesdays (Aug 10, 2011)


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  To play along just answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading:
















    Recently Finished:




















    Reading Next:

    Monday, August 8, 2011

    It's Monday! What are you reading?




    What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too!

    Currently Reading:
    Summer in the South by Cathy Holton
    Captivity by Deborah Noyes


    Reading to become "Literary Genius":
    Animal Farm by George Orwell - haven't gotten very far on this one - so much for becoming a Literary Genius - lol

    Next Up:
    Route 66 by Krish Kandiah

    Reading with Daughter:
    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - with school starting in a little over a week - I don't think we will get to finish this!

    E-Book:
    Singular by David Porteous
    The Five Love Languages of Teenagers by Gary Chapman
    Reversible Skirt by Laura McHale Holland

    Bathroom Book:
    The Book Thief by Markus - Almost done!  Will be finished by the end of today!

    Reviewed Since Last Post:
    In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare
    52 Ways to Wow Your Husband by Pam Farrell
    Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
    Wither by Lauren DeStefano

    Children's Books Reviewed Since Last Post:



    Waiting for Reviews:
    The Arrivals: A Novel by Meg Mitchell Moore
     White Sleeper by David R. Fett and Stephen Langford
    Graveminder by Melissa Marr
    The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain
    The Place of Belonging by Jayne Pearson Faulkner
    The Blackberry Bush by David Housholder
    The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
    Following Polly by Karen Bergreen


    E-books waiting for review:
    Sudden Moves by Kelli Sue Landon
    This World We Live In (The Last Survivors, Book 3) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

    Children's Books waiting for review:
    Pearl's Wisdom by Auntie LuLu
    Bug Meets His Friend (Bug's Adventure Series) by K.M. Groshek




    READY - SET - READ!

    Sunday, August 7, 2011

    Mailbox Monday (Aug 8, 2011)


     Mailbox Monday's host for August is Staci at Life in the Thumb. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week! 

    I always forget about the ebooks that I receive, so I have tried to catch them all up with this post.


    The Stranger You Seek
    by Amanda Kyle Williams


    This electrifying thriller debut introduces a brash, flawed, unforgettable heroine -- ex-FBI profiler Keye Street -- in a novel that combines sharp investigative plotting, sly humor, a sultry Southern atmosphere, and a killer who will haunt your dreams.

    You've either concluded that I am a braggart as well as a sadist or that I have a deep and driving need to be caught and punished.  And you must be wondering if I am, in fact, the stranger you seek.  Shall I convince you?

    A serial killer is tormenting Atlanta, writing letters to the media, promising to slay again.  Under pressure before another victim dies, the Atlanta Police Department turns to Keye Street, a disgraced FBI profiler who is now chasing down bail jumpers, doing some (very) odd detective work, and trying to stay off the bottle.  While Keye tries to make the elusive connection between the victims and one of the South's grisliest, most skillful serial killers, the stranger she seeks may be far closer than she realizes.

    Chasing the Red Car
    by Ellen Ruderman

    Transplanted from her home in the Bronx to the burgeoning San Fernando Valley of 1947, Kim Lebow is faced with trouble on every side.  Her home life is rocky and emotionally unpredictable, while the McCarthy era communist witch hunts strike all around, threatening Kim's father and even reaching into her high school.
    The political struggles and personal cataclysms that follow change Kim from an open and caring young girl into a political activist and educator, while leaving emotional scars that only time, and the return of the great love of her life, are able to heal.
    Drawing parallels between the political repression of the 1950s and the abuses of executive power after 9/11, Chasing the Red Car reminds us that all politics is personal, and that the truth of George Santayana's maxim about history repeating itself can be seen all around us every day.



    A Black Girl's Poetry for the World
    by Kimberly LaRocca
    Kimberly LaRocca knows all about challenges, the ones we can’t control, and those we create. She also knows about standing tall and staying proud, no matter what.
    A teenage mother who had her first child at age 17, LaRocca didn’t allow her situation to define her, or let her to fall into societal stereotypes. She graduated with her high school class and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree. Author of the new book of poems, A Black Girl’s Poetry for the World, LaRocca boasts an unshakeable belief in the power of pride, self-determination, and fulfilling personal potential.
    “I believe in karma, and my approach to life is straightforward yet powerful: I treat others the way I want to be treated,” says LaRocca. “I could have let myself be defined by what others think, but I simply refused to let that happen. I surely created my own challenges in my life, but I refused to stop believing in myself.”
    While celebrating self-determination and human pride, A Black Girl’s Poetry for the World also presents insightful poems exploring all aspects of the human experience. From lost loves, strained relationships and the difficulty of forgiveness to raw anger and intense sexual desire, LaRocca ‘tells it like it is’ and literally bares her soul in her poetry.
    “I find writing and poetry cathartic and empowering,” adds LaRocca. “I understand my style may be subject to literary criticism, but I also believe others will find valuable meaning to which they can relate. Poetry is beautiful because no one can deny your words, thoughts, dreams, and fears.”
     

    My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife
    by Sara Horn

    Sara Horn always admired the Proverbs 31 wife. . . from afar.  But when she became a busy writer and mom, that image began to look like an impossible ideal.
    Or was it?
    With humility and humor, Sara set out to immerse herself in all things domestic just to see if the Proverbs 31 woman could exist in the twenty-first century.  But when her family's situation changes and she must return to a full-time job, she's forced to look at the Proverbs 31 woman from a whole new viewpoint.  Through cooking experiments, Cub Scout campouts, failed attempts at knitting, and other household challenges, she discovers:
    • a new way to define being a godly woman, wife, and mom
    • how investing in family and faith brings surprising (and happy!) results
    • how mistakes are opportunities for growth. . . and laughter
    Join Sara as she offers you full access into her one-year domestic experiment to see if this biblical model can be embraced by a modern woman -- even one who can't sew.


    That Day in September
    by Artie Van Why

    We all have our stories to tell of where we were the morning of September 11, 2001.  This is one of them.  In That Day in September Artie Van Why gives an eyewitness account of that fateful morning.  From the moment he heard  "a loud boom" in his office across from the World Trade Center, to stepping out onto the street, Artie vividly transports the reader back to the day that changed our lives and our country forever.  That Day in September takes you beyond the events of that morning.  By sharing his thoughts, fears, and hopes, Artie expresses what it was like to be in New York City in the weeks and months following.  The reader comes away from That Day in September with not only a more intimate understanding of the events of that day, but also with a personal glimpse of how one person's life was dramatically changed forever.

     

    The following are all Ebooks that I have received recently:


    Disrupted Lives
    by Brendal Youngerman

    A name does not make a person, a person makes a name.
    Such is the theme of Disrupted Lives, the story of how one adopted child touches and intersects with many lives, but ends up destroying one family name, while building another family's legacy.
    Darren and Amelia Kane were high school sweethearts torn apart by war. They reunite and discover that they both must put their nightmares behind them to build a life together. Betrayed by her parents, Amelia was earlier forced to give up their child.
    Fiona Porter and Sterling Lake are thrown together as part of a business proposition. They end up surprising both their families by enriching the Lake empire and family name. The Lakes become synonymous with society, power and money, and their children must carry that torch forward at all cost. When an adopted grandchild is brought into the family, he questions the definition of "family."


    Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled
    by Bert Murray

    Meet Colin Preston.
    19 years old and a student at Elerby University in upstate New York.
    He drinks too much.
    Lives for the Beatles, John Lennon and classic rock.
    Falls for the most beautiful sophomore on campus.
    His life is about to change forever.
    Funny. Moving. Honest. Raw.
    An entertaining coming of age novel about friendship,
    music, first love and betrayal.


     

    Ding Dong the Diva's Dead
    by Cat Melodia

    Deborah de Lille is an opera singer-in the least grand sense. Debbie doesn't foresee a future beyond Handel Messiahs and low-budget tours ... until her agent finagles her a minor role with a small-town company. The artists assembled for this production of Offenbach's spooky opera, Tales of Hoffmann, have more than opera on their minds. Their games of love are not for the faint of heart, and the cutthroat atmosphere may have become literal. How far are they willing to go to advance their careers and even the score? The singer Debbie replaced died under suspicious circumstances, and after another minor player bows out suddenly, she is also given her role. Now she has two small roles that no one in their right mind would kill for. So, either someone isn't in their right mind, or the close calls threatening Debbie's safety are all unlucky coincidences. Add to the mix three preening tenors, a sexy lesbian director, a vengeful conductor, an obscenely rich and Hollywood-handsome general director, a fading Italian pop star, a trio of bitchy leading sopranos, an ambitious understudy, countless attention-starved underlings, an anti-opera terrorist group, a resident ghost, and Debbie's kooky and dysfunctional friends and family, and you have an opening night that promises to genuinely thrill and chill.



    Forbidden
    (The Book of Mortals #1)
    by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee
    New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.

    A terrible truth has been revealed to one man: the entire human race has been drained of every emotion except one— fear. To bring life back to the world, Rom must embark on a journey that will end either in his own demise or a reawkening of humanity. But to bring love and passion back into existence will also threaten the powers of the world with the revolution and anarchy that had nearly destroyed them previously.

    After happening upon a journal through strange circumstance, Rom's world is shattered. He learns that humanity long ago ceased to "live," that it exists today in a living death of emotions. In a terrible risk, Rom exposes himself to the vial of blood folded into the old leather of the journal. His change is fearful and fraught with mind-bending emotion. A once-pious observer of the Order's passionless statues, he is filled with uncontrollable impulses. He is filled with love.

    He is undone, terrified, and alone in the desolate world.


    Drowned in the Grenadine
    by Dan Gilvezan

    Fancy cars, a loving wife, a designer home in the Hollywood Hills. Nathan Lindeman had it all, lost it all, and now he’s desperate to get it back. They say there are no second acts in show business, but they just may be wrong. There’s a new TV sitcom being cast that’s virtually guaranteed to go to series, and Nathan has a shot at snagging one of the lead roles. If, that is, he can survive the perils and pitfalls that threaten to derail him along the way.

    Follow Nathan on his journey, and learn the way things really work behind the scenes of the Hollywood dream machine, as he deals with teenage casting directors, soulless network execs, egomaniacal fellow performers, hucksters and thieves, a cast of characters so bizarre and otherworldly they could only be based in reality.
    By turns funny, sad, heartbreaking and heartfelt, Drowned in the Grenadine explores America’s fascination with celebrity, the nature of success and what it means to be both a father and a son.


    Rippler
    (The Ripple Series #1)
    by Cidney Swanson

    Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love. Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments. The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

     


    Vampyre Kisses
    (The Last Witch #1)
    by Elizabeth J. Kolodziej
     
    Vampyre Kisses is an enthralling story about a young woman named Faith, who seems content with her life, but deep down craves more excitement. Then a mysterious man named Trent enters her world and everything changes. Surprising to Faith, Trent is a green-eyed vampire from Ireland. She is even more amazed to find out that she is a witch, and the last of her kind.

    Faith learns that she is destined to restore her witch line and becomes more powerful as she gains confidence and knowledge, but danger lurks everywhere -- especially when unknown assailants steal the most important gems from the vampire master and werewolf royalty.

    Now surrounded by a world filled with mystifying vampires and werewolves, can Faith gain enough power to help her friends and rescue the stolen gems?
       


    Werewolf Descent
     (The Last Witch #2)
    by Elizabeth J. Kolodziej

    Last witch in the world, Faith Scott, and her Irish vampire boyfriend Trent have just come back from fighting for their lives to recover the Vampiric Blood gem and Werewolf Moon gem. Thinking they could finally relax and work on the romance growing between them, they now meet a mysterious psychic vampire named Vincent who has his heart set on being with Faith.

    Soon bizarre killings of Zou Tai's werewolf pack begin, with rumors of an alchemist possessing the famed philosophers stone being the assailant; which, causes Faith to turn to Vincent for help in figuring out why the werewolves are being murdered.
    It isn't long before all those around them test Trent and Faith's love, along with their abilities, once again. It is all Trent can do to keep Faith safe by his side while both go up against a deadly alchemist, deceptive gods, and having to rescue the werewolf prince; yet, after a deal with the God of Werewolves will Trent be able to save himself too?



    An Accidental Mother
    by Katherine Anne Kindred

    After her divorce, Kate Kindred decided that she would live her life without children. But then she fell in love with Jim, a handsome, caring man who had custody of his young son, Michael. And she fell in love with the boy, too. During the six years they all lived together, Kate learned the deep joys of motherhood that was the gift that Michael gave her. But when her relationship with Jim ended, he denied her any contact with Michael. And her heart was broken. An Accidental Mother beautifully describes the joys of mothering a young boy through complicated times. With sweet simple anecdotes and complex emotions, Kate Kindred marks every page with tears, including those that the most loving laughter can bring to any parent.


    Reversible Skirt
    by Laura McHale Holland

    When the mother of three little girls commits suicide, their father wants more than anything to keep his family together. He remarries in haste and tells his daughters his new wife is their mother. The youngest, Laura, believes her mother must have gone through a kind of magical transformation.

    Reversible Skirt is written from Laura's perspective as a child sifting through remnants of her mother's existence and struggling to fit into a community where her family's strict rules are not the norm. When Laura's father dies, her stepmother grows increasingly abusive, which propels Laura and her sisters into a lasting alliance. Their father's wish that they stay together comes true, although not in the way he'd imagined.

    What books came home to you last week?

    Friday, August 5, 2011

    Friday Finds (Aug 5, 2011)


    Friday Finds is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

    Delirium
    by Lauren Oliver

    They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them.

    Until now.

    Now everything has changed.  I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.




    Unsaid
    by Neil Abramson


    UNSAID is told from the perspective of Helena Colden, a veterinarian who has just died of breast cancer. Helena is forced to witness the rapid emotional deterioration of her husband David. With Helena's passing, David, a successful Manhattan attorney, loses the only connection that made his life full. He tries to carry on the life that Helena had created for them, but he is too grief-stricken, too angry, and too quickly reabsorbed into the demands of his career. Helena's animals likewise struggle with the loss of their understanding and compassionate human companion. Because of Helena, David becomes involved in a court case to save the life of a chimpanzee that may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of animals consciousness. Through this case all the threads of Helena's life entwine and explode - unexpectedly, painfully, beautifully. 





    A Small Hotel
    by Robert Olen Butler




    Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler has written fiction about farranging topics including hell, extraterrestrials, and the Vietnam War. With A Small Hotel, his twelfth novel, he has turned his attention to a new topic—the complexities of a male-female relationship—and delivers a beautifully told story of love, loss, and redemption.

    Set in contemporary New Orleans but working its way back in time, A Small Hotel chronicles the relationship between Michael and Kelly Hayes, who have decided to separate after twenty years of marriage. The book begins on the day that the Hays are to finalize their divorce. Kelly is due to be in court, but instead she drives from her home in Pensacola, Florida, across the panhandle to New Orleans and checks into Room 303 at the Olivier House in the city’s French Quarter—the hotel where she and Michael fell in love some twenty years earlier and where she now finds herself about to make a decision that will forever affect her, Michael, and their nineteen-year-old daughter, Samantha.

    Butler masterfully weaves scenes of the present with memories from both the viewpoint of Michael and Kelly—scenes that span twenty years, taking the reader back to critical moments in the couple’s relationship and showing two people deeply in love but also struggling with their own insecurities and inabilities to express this love.

    An intelligent, deeply moving, and remarkably written portrait of a relationship that reads as a cross between a romance novel and a literary page turner, A Small Hotel is a masterful story that will remind readers once again why Robert Olen Butler has been called the “best living American writer” (Jeff Guinn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

    Did you find anything good this week?

    Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Book Review)

    Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy)
    Author: Lauren DeStefano
    Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing

    In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb - males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty.  To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.

    When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her.  She has everything she ever wanted -- except freedom.  With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late.

    My thoughts: This was a super dystopian novel that I had a hard time putting down.  Rhine shares her world with two sister wives, Cicely (younger) and Jenna (older).  The three of them are "married" too Linden - son of the wealthy and devious man.  There is no love in the marriages though.  Linden only loved his childhood friend Rose who makes a brief appearance in the beginning of the book.  He is married to these three by his (evil) father in hopes of procreating. 

    The girls in this time period are not given any choices.  They are rounded up by the wealthy and either shot or sold depending on their looks and health.  Rhine is kidnapped and leaves behind a brother who has no idea what has happened to her.  She is not happy with her marriage but is doing the best she can to cope.  She meets Gabriel, a servant in the mansion and they become friends. He is the one thing that she looks forward too.

    Though the story is mainly about Rhine, Jenna and Cicely are also well-rounded characters.  I particularly liked Cicely.  For some reason I pictured her as the Kirsten Dunst character in Interview with the Vampire.  A grown-up - albeit a spoiled one - in a child's body. 

    I don't think of myself as a fan of dystopian - but every one that I have read I have really enjoyed.  I think that I am going to have to start searching them out more! There is a rating of 14 and older for this book, and because of the subject matter that it deals with, I think I would have to agree with that. 


    Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy)
    Publisher/Publication Date: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
    ISBN: 9781442418646
    358 pages


    Thursday, August 4, 2011

    Chasing the Red Car by Ellen Ruderman - Giveaway!


    Chasing the Red Car
    by Ellen Ruderman

    Transplanted from her home in the Bronx to the burgeoning San Fernando valley of 1947, Kim Lebow is faced with trouble on every side.  Her home life is rocky and emotionally unpredictable, while the McCarthy era communist witch hunts strike all around, threatening Kim's father and even reaching into her high school.

    The political struggles and personal cataclysms that follow change Kim from an open and caring young girl into a political activist and educator, while leaving emotional scars that only time, and the return of the great love of her life, are able to heal.

    Drawing parallels between the political repression of the 1950s and the abuses of executive power after 9/11, Chasing the Red Car reminds us that all politics is personal, and that the truth of George Santayana's maxim about history repeating itself can be seen all around us every day.

    About the author: Ellen G. Ruderman, PhD, is a psychoanalyst and mental health consultant who has published numerous books and articles about the
    challenges of women's quest for autonomy in professional and familial
    relationships. CHASING THE RED CAR is her first novel. She holds a
    private practice in Encino, CA. Please visit www.chasingtheredcar.com
    for more info.
    Thanks to Julia Drake PR and the author, I have one copy of this book to giveaway.  To enter, please fill out the entry form - links will be checked, so please be sure to leave them.

    Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen (Book Review)

    Title: Past Midnight
    Author: Mara Purnhagen
    Publisher: Harlequin Teen

    About the book: Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….


    My thoughts: This was a very quick and fun read.  Charlotte's character is very likable - she is a young girl just trying to fit in.  Because she has been a little ostracized all her life, she is very accepting of other people.

    Her older sister Annalise has roped her parents into settling down for Charlotte's senior year of high school.  This is both good and bad for Charlotte.  It is good because she is finally able to live in a "new" house and not a gothic or victorian haunted house.  She is also able to start to fit in and make friends at school.  However, when her parents appear on the cover of the local tv schedule publication, she will have to face what she feels is their "weird" celebrity status.

    Charlotte has some good friends in Avery - her next door neighbor and Noah, a boy from her AV class.  I liked the way that secrets were revealed throughout the book among them.

    You also get to learn about how paranormal activity is recorded with heat sensing monitors and EMF (electro magnetic field) readers and microphones to catch electronic voice phenomena or EVP's.

    I have already read the next book - or novella in the series - Raising the Dead.

    ~My daughter received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Teen - She liked it probably more than I did!~

    Past Midnight (Harlequin Teen)
    Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin Teen, Sept 2010
    ISBN: 978-0373210206
    224 pages

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