A Word's Worth originally started as more a holding-place for memorable quotes (books, movies, conversations), with random musings about books or movies. Evolving into a truer book blog, it now features reviews and reading-related posts. Also featured are writings that the blogger finds relevant, creative, interesting, or simply decides to post.
When Kate Donovan takes a three-month leave of absence from work, to help her grandmother restore the old family home in Redbud, Pennsylvania, all she knew was that she needed the break and was looking forward to spending time with her Gran. What she discovered was a treasure of an old home to restore and bring back to life, and a handful of colorful characters who would change her life.
Matt Jarreau is a heart-stoppingly handsome, ex-professional hockey player, with a tragic past. Pure heartthrob material. But he's not interested and not available. And Kate's not interested either - she's learned her lesson about really handsome guys. So the fact that he's the contractor for the renovation on her grandmother's home shouldn't present an issue. Except, Gran is an unstoppable matchmaker, and Kate's own stubborn heart won't let her see Matt's obvious suffering without trying to fix it. As the two forge an awkward and unlikely friendship, cemented with hard physical labor on the house, Matt struggles with himself - and Kate struggles with God. Both have to learn all over again what trust really means, and just how powerful Love is.
I enjoyed the story, though I felt like the timeline was a bit rushed at times. The bulk of the story takes place over three months, which isn't long I know, but sometimes in places I felt like novel-time was moving faster than real-time would. If that makes sense. I really liked the characters. Matt's a complex dude on the surface: all broken-heart and brick walls; but underneath is a guy that misses living - and hockey. (Even though I'm not a hockey fan, I loved the athletic slant to the story!) Kate's definitely a girl I can relate to - on so many levels. My Stubborn Heart felt real to me - and wasn't overly "preachy" (which I personally find very annoying), it was a real-to-life example of Christian fiction. Looking forward to Becky Wade's future novels!
Today I am handing the blog over to Tracie Banister - you may remember I reviewed her novel In Need of Therapy last week. Since it's still technically summer, and In Need of Therapy is such a summer-y read, Tracie's compiled a list of her Top 10 Summer Jams. And now I'm going to stop chattering, and let you get on to the good stuff, take it away, Tracie!
What would summer be without music? It seems like all of my best summer-related memories involve kickin' tunes - whether I was cruising around town with my friends singing along to the hits playing on the radio, hanging out at a pool party with someone's boom box on full blast, or going to outdoor concerts to rock out to my favorite bands, music played a huge part in my hot weather fun. So, what am I listening to on my iPod
this summer? A very eclectic collection of songs that goes all the way back to the '80s (That was my era, after all!) Read on to find out which tunes made the cut and why I deemed them worthy of my playlist.
1) Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield (Released 3/17/81.)
Working Class Dog was one of the few albums I ever owned (because albums were being replaced by cassettes at the time), and I had such a crush on Rick Springfield! I was too young to see Springfield in concert in his heyday, but I got my chance as an adult when my friend and I went to see him at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre in the summer of '03. He put on an amazing show and despite the mosquitoes and broiling temps, I really enjoyed reverting to my teenybopper self for one night!
2) Every Breath You Take - The Police (Released 5/20/83.)
This was the first summer I could drive, and my Synchronicity cassette never left the tape player in my car (a brand new, eggshell-colored Isuzu that I kept for 9 years!) My friends and I were completely obsessed with this song. On the weekends, we would sit in each other's dens/living rooms with snacks for hours waiting for the moody, black-and-white video to play on MTV. Sting had flowing blond hair back then, and he was a total hottie!
3) Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer (Released 6/22/88.)
A really great song (and iconic video) that got a lot of airplay in the summer of '88. I remember jammin' out to it in the car on the way to (and from) an outing to Six Flags with friends. And yes, I'll admit it, we all tried to copy the dance moves of those pale-faced, red-lipped models who were bopping in the background behind Robert Palmer. They were so cool!
4) Love Shack - B-52s (Released 9/89.)
The B-52s hailed from Athens, Georgia, (Home of the University of Georgia - Go Dawgs!), so they were a big deal in Atlanta, which is where I moved in the mid-'80s. "Love Shack" was such a great party song that I, along with friends and co-workers, would do a "Woohoo!" and start dancing every time we heard it. I kid you not, we actually did this in the break room where I worked, and the deli where we got our sandwiches for lunch, and the car wash, and the . . . you get the idea!
5) Fly - Sugar Ray (Released 6/17/97.)
I always felt a connection to this group since its members first started playing together when they were going to Corona del Mar High in Newport Beach, CA, and I grew up in SoCal and went to high school (El Toro!) there, too. So, I could totally relate to that chill California vibe Sugar Ray had and I adored the mellow, reggae-inspired groove of "Fly." This is the perfect song to listen to when you're lounging at the pool or beach.
6) Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth (Released 7/18/97.)
The title alone makes this tune a must for any summer-themed playlist. This was the debut single off Smash Mouth's album, Fush Yu Mang, and it was a very memorable introduction to music fans. The first few beats of "Walkin' on the Sun" are instantly recognizable, which is the hallmark of any great song.
7) Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin (Released 3/23/99.)
I love this song! And I was shocked to find out that it was released in the spring of '99 because I remembered it playing non-stop on the radio that summer. An amazingly catchy tune that makes anyone hearing it want to bust out some salsa moves, along with some serious hairography (Listen to the way Martin sings the line, "Her lips . . .are . . .dev-il . . . red," and try to resist the urge to toss your hair around. I tell you, it's impossible.)
8) Smooth - Santana with Rob Thomas (Released 6/29/99.)
With Carlos Santana's red-hot guitar riffs and Rob Thomas' sultry vocals, this song was destined to be a summer classic. The images in the video were so memorable and sexy (Sweaty is a good look for you, Rob!) that they instantly pop into my head whenever I hear this song.
9) California Gurls - Katy Perry (Released 5/11/10.)
Surprise - I do listen to music that's been released this century! And Katy Perry is one of my favorites because her songs are always so cute and bubbly. This particular one takes me back to my teen years in SoCal (Laguna Beach, which was my summer hangout back in the day, even gets a shout-out from Katy in the lyrics.)
10) Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 (Released 6/21/11.)
Last but certainly not least since I consider this to be one of the best songs released in the past decade, this tune gets year-round play from me. I’m a huge fan of Adam Levine's vocals, and he got a nice assist from Christina Aguilera on this one. A lot of people feel compelled to try their own Jagger strut when they hear this song, but it's that whistling melody at the beginning of "Moves Like Jagger" that I'm always trying to imitate (with no success!)
Enjoy whatever you're listening to on your iPod, radio, or CD player this summer, and be sure to check out this video playlist of My Top Ten Summer Jams. It's interesting to see how videos have changed over the last 30 years!
Many thanks to Rebecca for letting me drop by A Word's Worth to share my summer jams with all of you today. If you're looking for a fun read to close out your summer with, I invite you to grab a copy of my comedy and romance-filled e-book, In Need of Therapy, which Rebecca gave a wonderful review to last week!
Book blurb:
Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart? While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger. When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.
Two girls - estranged cousins - from vastly different worlds. When circumstances result in the girls being suddenly thrown together, trying to force "family" into working, Isabelle and Mirabelle quickly find out just how different their worlds are.
Izzy has never had it easy, and is used to working hard - fighting - for what she needs. Mira, in contrast, is the only daughter of a well-to-do politician, and is accustomed to the finer things of life. Neither girl would ever dream of dabbling in the world of the other, let alone finding herself somehow connected to it - but that's just what happens when Izzy's grandmother becomes too ill to care for her. Suddenly, Izzy is whisked from her boardwalk beachtown to neighboring Emerald Cove to live with family she never knew existed. What happens next is only to be expected when oil and water are mixed: chaos.
Mira's friends quickly come up with a plan to disgrace Izzy so badly that she'll have to leave their perfectly ordered social realm entirely. Unfortunately, Mira is caught up in the scheme, and even as she grows into herself, the consequences of that involvement could be substantial. Izzy finds her own circle of friends and support, and slowly begins to realize that she can take what's dished out by the social belles of Emerald Cove, or she can fight back and prove them wrong. She fights. And by fighting, she learns that sometimes being strong means trusting other people. Mira also learns some hard lessons, with a little help from her cousin, and realizes that being true to herself will make her not only a happier person, but a better person. As the two girls slowly discover these truths, they tentatively forge a relationship - that is quickly tested by two bombshell revelations during the big fall bash Izzy helped organize for the Butterflies (a social club at the prep school). With everything they ever knew shaken to the core - again - Izzy and Mira must dig down deep and discover the strength that comes from being a Belle.
Calonita has done a masterful job of creating believable tension, and fleshing out intriguing characters. The fact that it's set in my homestate of North Carolina is not too shabby either, especially when you start thinking about the idea of "Southern Belles" and how the title can work in reference to both that concept and the names of Isabelle and Mirabelle. Definitely looking forward to the next installment, and seeing what happens next for Izzy and Mira.
Girl of Fire and Thorns
Rae Carson
Greenwillow, 2011
I've had this ARC on my shelf for a while, I won it from a giveaway back in the winter, and finally took the time to read it after hearing a lot of positive buzz about the upcoming sequel. (Nothing like a sequel forthcoming to make me catch up on a series!) After reading Girl of Fire and Thorns, I have no idea what took me so long.
Elisa is the second princess of Orovalle (a young nation), unremarkable and rather content to float through life munching on tasty foods while her sister handles all affairs of state. But Elisa isn't just another princess - she is a Bearer, marked for greatness by a Godstone in her naval. (A little weird, I know, I kept having mental images of the trolls that were popular back in the day). On Elisa's sixteenth birthday, she's married to the King of neighboring country Joya d'Arena - she thinks she's being shipped away to avoid disgrace, but soon learns she's been married into safety, for her own protection. As Elisa starts to settle into her new life, she learns much about the world - and everything she never knew. When life takes an abrupt turn once more, Elisa finds herself coming to terms with a new reality: that of those struggling on the frontlines. Here, in the refugee hideout so close to enemy territory, and across the desert from her new palace home, Elisa discovers the real truth of her destiny - and her own power. As with all good adventures, the story doesn't end when the story ends, and Carson has done a masterful job of setting things up for the next installment. Elisa's first real adventure may have ended, she may have won the battle, but her war isn't over - as her still-living Godstone testifies.
I have discovered that I really like fantasy, and Carson's fantasy is one of those happy discoveries: a world that's just a little "off" from ours. Light fantasy, with strange people and Godstones and names and places not like ours. But it's not so far removed, the names and bits of the language(s) reminded me of Spanish, and I was able to picture the landscapes and peoples with ease. It's a carefully crafted world, with a history and a literature, with language and tradition. I fell a little in love while reading Girl of Fire and Thorns, and look forward to reading Crown of Embers soon!
Pilar Alvarez is a young psychologist in South Beach, fighting to make her fledgling therapy practice a success. Her dedication to her career is fodder for her Cuban-American mother who wants to see her daughters married off quickly and producing granddaughters to spoil. Pilar's her special 'case', since her thirtieth birthday is swiftly approaching. Pilar is less concerned with finding a man, especially since her ex is stubbornly refusing to go away. But these things always seem to happen when you aren't expecting, and soon Pilar finds herself with two very unsuitable men "in her life." What happens next is a fun read that had me laughing out loud, and totally relating to Pilar's frustrations. It's a reading journey you've got to go on for yourself, because the twists pack so much more punch when you don't know what's coming. (Translation: I'm being very particular about not giving up any spoilers!)
What I loved best about In Need of Therapy was the characters. They're fleshed out and colorful. Mitch, Pilar's new patient, is such a card - unfortunately, I've known a few too many guys like him in real life, but that makes him no less entertaining. Ford, the dashing new (psychiatrist) in Pilar's building, has a complicated past and an engaging personality. And Victor, Pilar's rich and gorgeous ex, is one of those smarmy sleazeballs you love to read about but hope you never meet in person. Of course, the women are also splendidly drawn as surprisingly deep and complex. I could definitely relate to Pilar's journey to trust herself - and those around her (particularly the male types) - and the story itself is a fun read.
One of the things I love about book blogging is getting to know authors, and letting them share my space. Today I'm thrilled to be hosting a totally fun guest post from Lisa Becker, whose novel Click: An Online Love Story I reviewed Monday. (And at the end of the post, there just might be a giveaway. You know, a friendly hint). So without further ado, here's Lisa's guest post!
I first met my husband while wearing my pajamas. Really! No, we weren't at some kinky singles party. I was sitting comfortably in my apartment and he was hanging out in his. But, I will never forget his email introduction via an online dating service, which invited me to check out his profile. It was sweet, endearing and intriguing enough for me to log on to learn more about him. After a week of emails, followed by a week of phone calls, we met for our first date - a traditional dinner and movie outing. Even before I opened the door to greet him, I knew he was "the one." Considering he lived 30 miles away, I'm not certain our paths would have typically crossed. But after 11 years together - including 9 years of marriage (which in Los
Angeles is apparently no small feat!) and two beautiful daughters, I have no doubt he is my soul mate.
After my now-husband and I met online, I was recalling some of the hilarious experiences that I had during the whole online dating experience. How could I forget the guy who started every story (no joke!) with “My buddies and I were out drinking one night.” I decided to capture some of them in writing and, from there and based loosely on my own experiences, my novel Click: An Online Love Story emerged. The entire story is told in emails between our heroine, Renee Greene, her three best friends and the gentlemen suitors she meets online. The format felt like a modern way to tell the story that fit the topic, and allowed readers to develop an
intimate relationship with the characters.
Clearly, I’m a big fan of online dating and find it to be a useful tool for young professionals who are busy working and finding it difficult to make the right connection at the gym, bar, coffee shop or grocery aisle. I say, people today are “married” to their cell phones and laptops, so why not use that technology to really get married, right?
While Click doesn’t end with a wedding (sorry for the spoiler!), during Renee’s road to happiness, we find many advantages to online dating. My five favorite are:
• On Your Own Terms – Online dating provides a relaxed, anytime and on your own terms experience. Share as little or as much information as you want. Avoid people you are not interested in. Communicate at your convenience. But, don’t send a message at 2:30 am. Nothing smacks more of desperation than an email from someone trolling the Internet for a date in the wee hours of the morning.
• Multi-Tasking Enabled – Flirt while filing your taxes. Chat and trim your nails. Meet a mate while making breakfast. It’s a well-known fact that women are great multi- taskers. Take full advantage of that skill. As Shelley, the over-sexed character in Click says to the about-to-try-online-dating Renee, “A whole host of hot and horny single men that I can review, chat with, judge and mock – all while sitting in my office looking very busy. Maybe I should give it a try myself.”
• Trade the “Meat Market” for the “Meet Market” – Now you can avoid the “meat market” scene of bars and clubs and instead enjoy a “meet market” – an international bazaar (but let’s hope not too bizarre) of prospective mates. The Internet allows you to make an online introduction to thousands if not millions of people around the world. So, if you want to meet someone in Katmandu, well then, can do!
• Save Time, Money and Energy – Let’s face it. Dating isn’t cheap. It takes time, money and, likely your most valuable and scarce resource, energy. With the “try before you buy” environment of online dating, you don’t have to meet for a drink, grab a coffee or sit through a long dinner only to discover there’s no physical attraction, you have nothing in common, conversation is lacking, etc.
• Rejection Made Easy – In Click, Renee gets an email from someone halfway across the world looking to meet someone willing to move for him. After sending a polite and diplomatic “thanks but no thanks” email message, she proclaims to her friend, “It’s so much easier to reject someone over that Internet than in real life. Score one for online dating!” While rejection is easier for both parties when done online, it’s important to
remember that people still have feelings.
As I've said many times before, if it happened for me, there's hope for you. So log on and take a chance. To purchase Click, please click here. To follow updates on Click and share your stories about online dating, visit the Click Facebook fan page.
Thanks for such a fun guest post (and novel), Lisa! While I've never tried online dating, I know a lot of people who have -- some with pretty hilarious stories of their own. It's interesting to me how our novels are changing as our reality is ... Now, you're curious about the giveaway? Lisa has generously offered an eBook copy of Click to one of my readers. To enter, just answer the question in the Rafflecopter form below! I've made it super-simple, and it'll be open a week! Good luck!
I have always had a soft spot for epistolary novels, and with the advent of email and the interwebs, I've opened my reading arms to the world of email-epistolary novels. Click is one of these novels, consisting primarily of the emails between Renee and her best friends Mark, Ashley and the uber-colorful-Shelley. These are people who've been friends for years and years, and that's clear in their uncensored emails. Reading their interactions - dishing on dates, snarking about each other - was like eavesdropping on the table next to you in the Uni cafeteria. I felt like I really got to know these people, and got sucked into their misadventures and relationships.
Which brings me to the other, really major element of emails in Click. Mark has convinced Renee to begin online dating - and we get to see the emails from prospective matches, and enjoy all the rehashing of every disastrous date. Renee's misadventures in the online dating world are just ridiculous enough to be entertaining without stretching "the truth" too far - some of them reminded me of horror stories my friends have shared, actually. Through it all, Renee grows as a person, learning to stand up for herself and fight for the things that are worth fighting for - especially when Love is on the line.
A quick read with colorful characters and a good story, Click is definitely a fun epistolary novel. Stay tuned and make sure you swing by Wednesday for a guest post from Lisa and a giveaway!
Okay, a little late but not too bad ... July was my birthday month, and I had a lot of books-won that arrived, so it was like a month-long celebration of bookish goodness.
Received:
Won:
Darth Vader and Son actually came with a crazy-adorable poster and two pins. So fun!
I've been wanting to read this one for a while - look at that cover, and tell me you're not intrigued! - so I was very happy when it arrived at my library. (A signed edition, no less!) Sunday is the youngest of the Woodcutter children, and as the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, has quite a future ahead of her. Only, she doesn't realize it. All she knows is that what she writes comes true, and her family has had its unfair share of strange "luck." Oh, and she met an enchanted frog in the woods and fell in love - only to have him disappear the day of a horrible storm that wrought changes of untold scope on Sunday's life.
We're all familiar with the story of "The Frog Prince," but Enchanted is a fun, sometimes strange, take on the story - weaving in other stories and elements that are just begging to be built upon in future novels. I fell in love with Sunday's spunk and free-ness, but the whole cast of characters is quirky and personable. Prince Rumbold is endearingly human in his post-frog incarnation, and his faithful friends are colorful persons in their own right. Enchanted ended too soon, and I dearly hope that more of the Woodcutter stories are told!
Book provided by my local library.
Between the Lines
Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Simon Pulse, 2012
I really, really, really wanted to like this book. The premise was awesome, a true booklover's dream: A favorite character in a book comes to life and interacts with the reader. I mean, come on, who hasn't had the fleeting thought of wishing Mr Darcy or Gilbert Blythe was real? Also, the book itself is gorgeous. It's told in three-parts, with full-color illustrations and different fonts and colors for the three voices (the "actual" fairy tale; Delilah, the reader; and Prince Oliver, the character).
While the development of the story is neatly done, I just had a really hard time getting into it. I'm not sure why either, because the idea was intriguing, and the interweaving of the stories is well done. (I particularly loved Oliver's parts, and the color illustrations). Maybe I just picked it up when I had too many other reading distractions?
For Darkness Shows the Stars
Diana Peterfreund
Balzer + Bray, 2012
Oh. My. Word. Seriously, you guys. This book was amazing. This is the Persuasion I always wanted Jane Austen to have written. Set in a world that's dramatically under-technological, generations after an apocalypse-like event that split society into castes (Reduced and Luddites), our story takes place.
The basic premise is Persuasion, with Elliott North (Anne Elliott) left behind on her family farm as Kai (Wentworth) runs away to seek adventure and perchance fortune. And, as the familiar story goes, he waltzes back into her life years later, and she realizes everything she lost in not following her heart and leaving with him. But here's where the story takes a dramatic left-turn from Austen's. Elliott chose to stay on her farm. It was her choice to stay, and try her best to run the farm and protect the Reduced and Posts (children of Reduced parents who were untouched by the developmental limitations). While she wasn't always successful, her heart was in the right place, and even though she aches over the loss of Kai, she knows it was the right decision. When the Post Fleet comes and rents space to build new ships, Elliott's rocked to her core to discover that Kai - now Malakai Wentforth - is a star captain of the Fleet. Meeting Kai again in such startling (and somewhat reversed) circumstances is only the beginning of everything that happens to make Elliott start questioning everything she's ever been taught or believed. The Post Fleet brings with them many wonderful stories and objects - but also more secrets than Elliott would have ever suspected. And through it all, she's forced to face the truth of the tension between herself and Kai.
The story ... the characters ... I wish my reading of Persuasion had been as enjoyable as my reading of For Darkness Shows the Stars. Where Anne Elliott got on my last nerve for being so easily swayed, and having no backbone or apparent mind of her own at all, Elliott North is keenly aware that she has made the choices that cause such aching loneliness and pain. Another wonderful development is that we get to see the history of Kai and Elliott, through the letters they exchanged throughout their childhood - and which Elliott secretly kept, and has reread to the point of memorization. By seeing these letters, interspersed through the story, we can get a sense of who Kai and Elliott were - and how they've become the mature characters they are now. It's a wonderful addition, and really helps build sympathy with both parties: you know that they had a close relationship in the past, and that their separation would have been mutually destructive.
Honestly, my only real complaint is that the story ends so soon. I want more - I want to know what happens next - and can only hope that there's a sequel in the works.
Many, many thanks to the ever-amazing Jen Ryland for sharing this Austenesque find!
Noelle's main goal is to survive high school. Her survival plan involves keeping quiet, keeping to herself, and doing everything possible to avoid giving the Popular Elite any more ammunition for bullying her. But staying quiet and trying to be invisible can only work so long before things must be faced, brought into the open, and dealt with.
Keep Holding On is a quick read - it's not very long, and it's a compelling story. I wanted to find out what happened next. But it's also a rough read - there are some serious, heavy issues being handled here, and they made my heart hurt. Bullying is a serious concern, as are teenagers - just big kids, really - struggling to make it essentially on their own. Noelle's had a hard life, made harder by her issues at school dealing with the pressure - bullying - of the popular kids (some of whom used to be her friends, before things changed). Colasanti has written an amazing story, in that even as it's tearing my heart to pieces, she's created a character that truly grows and evolves over the course of the story. In the beginning, I sort of wanted to shake Noelle awake (just being honest). Even though her situation was horrible, I felt like she was focusing more on the "poor me"-aspect of life rather than doing anything to try and make progress towards her dreams/escape/better life. But as things spiraled out of control, she did actually wake up and I was able to cheer for her as she began to blossom and grow.
A moving story, and one that definitely needs to be available to teens. This is real-life stuff, and maybe Noelle's fictional journey will help real teenagers wake up and take their own steps forward, out of the shadows.
Welcome to another set of mini reviews! This one is themed: Sarah Dessen. For me, summer isn't truly summer until you've reread Dessen! And since these are such old favorites (well, some older than others), I decided to spotlight them in mini reviews ...
Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen
Viking, 2009
Auden has always had everything neat, organized, and under-control -- a stark contrast to her carefree (careless?) brother Hollis. Other than her sleepless nights, Auden's been the very picture of extreme maturity and academic excellence. Until she spontaneously decides to join her father and stepmother at the beach for her last summer before college. There, Auden - reluctantly - learns to live. To make up for lost time, and experience things that essentially are growing up. She learns to laugh, to make friends, to take chances, and fall in love. She learns about starting over when things don't work out like you planned, and that family really does mean something. I love Auden's journey to reality - watching her struggle to master the little things in life, the things that give it dimension and sparkle.
Book provided by my personal library.
This Lullaby
Sarah Dessen
Speak, 2002
Remy is tough as nails, and doesn't believe in love. After watching her romance novelist mother stumble and crash through a series of failed marriages, Remy knows that love is just something people imagine. A crutch for the weak. An unnecessary risk. Certainly nothing that will ever affect Remy's life. And then she meets Dexter. Clutzy, messy, musician Dexter, who embraces the messier sides of life and thinks nothing of taking chances, taking risks. Dexter believes in love, and he believes in Remy. In that pivotal summer between high school and college, Remy learns that sometimes living means you have to take risks - that loving doesn't mean you're weak - and sometimes the people we need most are those we least expect.
Okay, I requested this on NetGalley because it's billed as "Jane Austen meets The Bachelorette", and there was no turning that down. The combination was, I admit, a little bizarre in my mind, but Fales-Hill makes it work. (Of course, I've never actually seen The Bachelorette, but from my understanding of the show, you know...) However, I also feel like I need to point out that even if you've never read Pride & Prejudice, nor seen the movie, nor have any idea what the story is -- you will still be able to enter into the full spirit of things in Imperfect Bliss. (Sidenote: If you haven't ever sampled the wonder of P&P, how on earth did you manage that? And can I suggest a quick remedy?)
Bliss is in the middle of a really horrible not-quite-midlife-crisis. Her marriage ended when she walked into her husband's office - and the middle of an extramarital liaison. In the year following, she's moved back into her parents' home - young daughter Bella in tow - and started work on her dissertation. Social life? Not a chance. Nor does she want one. Unless you count daydreaming about the dreamy Chair of the History Department (whom, you should know, Bliss has known practically her entire life). As if her own life wasn't tangled enough, Bliss is also coming face-to-face with all the drama that a family of four daughters creates. Her older sister, Victoria, cannot find a beau she wants to keep (to Mama's utter dismay!); Charlotte, the youngest, is running around with absolutely no pretense of morals; and Diana - beautiful, virginal-but-crazy-seductive Diana - has suddenly been selected to star in a reality tv drama about her quest to find Her Own True Love. Insanity. Sheer insanity.
Against the backdrop of Diana's reality show - cameras everywhere, The Public haunting their house, and arrogant womanizing producer Dario (aka: bane of Bliss's current existence, for his remarkable aesthetic similarity to her ex) - Bliss navigates the tricky, taunting waters of single parenthood and rediscovering herself. She also learns, the hard way, just how jaded and snap-judgmental she's become since the divorce. As the months spin by, Bliss begins to take a better look at people - specifically the people around her, from her own family circle to her academic idol to Dario. If you know the story of Pride & Prejudice, you can see the patterns falling into place.
Imperfect Bliss has what I consider "shades of Austen" - the story is changed just enough that I can't quite call it an exact modernization. That said, how exactly, could you bring Darcy and Elizabeth into the modern, contemporary world without making some fairly significant tweaks? Fales-Hill did a marvelous job of balancing the classic storyline with relevant contemporary thought. Bliss is a modern woman struggling to find balance, struggling to find herself. Her interactions with her sisters - each of whom is also on her own quest to find Self - are realistic and at times perfectly flawed. It's a human story, and therein lies the greatest correlation with Austen's own study of human love and judgment: We are all flawed, even the greatest of heroes and heroines. But perfectly so.
Yes, you read that post title correctly: WINNER-S! Plural!
Since I had almost 200 entries, I decided to add a second winner to receive a little something-something in the mail ... Are you curious?
The main giveaway winner is:
Gabby!
Gabby blogs over at Gabby Reads, and is a girl after my own heart: She has A Thing for YA.
And the surprise second winner? None other than
Candy!
Candy also blogs, you can find her at So Little Time... where you can read about her reading adventures, often involving Austenesque romances.
I've already emailed and confirmed both winners, and their prizes will be in the mail shortly. Please join me in congratulating these lovely reading ladies! And if you didn't win, don't despair: I still have a decent number of books in my "giveaway stash," and I may just decide to have another giveaway sooner rather than later. You never know ...
Oh. Wow. This is one of those books that sucks you in and doesn't let go until you've finished. And what a story it tells ... Anyone familiar with the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho will recognize the name "Rahab" - and knows that she helped save the lives of Joshua's spies, so in return her family alone was saved when the walls of Jericho fell. And that's where the Biblical account begins and ends - picking up briefly in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus to mention Rahab's son as a direct ancestor. But have have you ever wondered about Rahab, the woman? Who she was, why she'd risk everything to aid the enemy? That's the story Wolf tells in This Scarlet Cord - a beautiful, intricate imagining about the life of Rahab.
Rahab's story begins when as a spunky twelve-year old, she is rescued from bandits by Sala - a young Hebrew, living in one of the only Hebrew settlements in Canaan. Their connection is instant, as neither is like anyone else the other has ever met. Sala tells Rahab stories of Elohim, the One God, a God so very different from Baal and the other gods of her people. Once Rahab is returned to her family, well-to-do vineyard owners, years pass without any contact. But Rahab remembers, and in her heart of hearts, she wants a husband like Sala. As Rahab grows older, she becomes increasingly more beautiful, and her father decides to take her into Jericho to find a rich husband. And things begin to get interesting.
By chance, Rahab is reunited with Sala - in Jericho - and realizes that she doesn't just want a husband like Sala, she wants Sala. He loves her too, but their love is doomed - a Hebrew cannot marry a Canaanite. Besides, Sala and his father are working with Joshua, helping glean information to supply the Israelite army before their attack on the city. But true love conquers all, and who are mortals to question the plan of Elohim? Rahab (along with her sister-in-law Atene) turns to Elohim in her hour of greatest need, vowing to leave the gods of her people if He will hear her cry. Elohim answers, and Rahab's true story begins. Risking everything, she agrees to help Sala protect Joshua's spies - with the understanding her family will be saved. We know this part of the story, and after the fall of Jericho, Rahab and her family escape to the Israelite encampment until further arrangements can be made. Marriage arrangements, and the impossible coming true.
I loved This Scarlet Cord, truly. Knowing the story, I knew there was a happy ending (always a plus), but the build-up, the development, getting to know the characters ... Masterfully done. The story is told from both Rahab and Sala's points of view, giving a more fleshed-out tale, and letting us see what goes on in both hearts. It's a story of Love, of sacrifice and risk, but also of finding one's self. Rahab and Sala struggle with the religious chasm dividing them, but work through - and against - the prejudice to find truth and love. Their families are brought together in harmony. Rahab's journey from Canaanite daughter to ancestor of Jesus is remarkable - and human. Is this how it really happened? Nobody knows, nor will we know until One Day, but my heart likes the story Wolf tells.
Today I am totally excited to share a Q&A session with the lovely Phillipa Ashley. So kick back, relax, and take a few moments to get to know this rockin' British author!
A Word's Worth (AWW):You have 2 books releasing right now - can you tell
us a little about them? Phillipa Ashley (PA): I have two re-releases out. Just Say Yes is a
romantic comedy which is now available as a US edition. (See my review here). Samhain
has also published Fever Cure in a paperback edition. This is a steamy, sexy
contemporary romance:
The road to heartbreak is paved with honorable
intentions… After a year
dealing with her mum’s health scare and the end of a bad relationship, Keira
Grayson was looking forward to kicking up her heels at her best friend’s
wedding. Until she kicks off her (spare) knickers in front of the trifecta of
perfection. Tom Carew. Son of an earl, honorable doctor and possibly the
hottest man on the planet. One look at
Keira’s delightful embarrassment, and Tom’s hormone meter spins off the charts.
Trouble is, his bags are already packed to return to the jungles of Papua New
Guinea. He has patients waiting—and amends to make for a terrible choice that
left devastation in its wake. They both
reason that indulging in a one-time dinner date won’t hurt…until their inhibitions
melt away in the heat of their lethal sexual chemistry. Leaving Keira wondering
if a sizzling fling is just what the doctor ordered, or another prescription
for relationship disaster. And Tom fighting a battle against inner demons that
could shatter both their hearts.
AWW: And
you've mentioned something about a third book - what do we have to look forward
to? PA: The new book is called Miranda’s
Mount and will be available worldwide from October 4th 2012. It’s actually
my first brand new book since 2011 and my first longer contemporary romance - so
I’m incredibly excited about it. It’s being published as an e book first by
Piatkus Entice who are part of the UK-based Little Brown Group. I’m thrilled to
work with them and they have been very enthusiastic about Miranda’s Mount which
is always a huge help. Miranda is one of those rare
books that was a dream to write: the idea came to me on a long car journey. I
remember saying to my husband and daughter: I know what the next book will be.
I know what the setting is, who the hero and heroine are and why they can’t be
together. As soon as I got home, I started writing it and didn’t stop. My agent
loved it and eventually, I received several offers for it. I wish all books
were like that!
AWW: Does
it get confusing, as an author, to have multiple projects going on at
once? Is it easier to have projects moving at the same pace or at
different points in the process (i.e. both in writing, or one writing and
one editing)? PA: Well,
having books at different stages of production is par for the course as an
author. For instance, right now, I have just finished the final proof checks on
Miranda’s Mount and I’m coming towards the end of writing my 2013 release for
Piatkus Entice. I’ve also been promoting my previous books. It can get quite
tiring and it seems odd to refocus on stories from a few years ago but somehow it
gets done. However, for a couple of months now the promotion of those US books
is over, I plan to focus solely on the current wip which will be a wonderful
luxury.
AWW: Once
you finish a manuscript - or manuscripts - what do you do to 'rest your
brain'? Favorite celebratory activity or fun read? PA: I try to
do anything that involves being outdoors: I go to the health club for a swim or
the gym about 4 or 5 days a week. I also like going for a walk in the country
but my ultimate pleasure is to go bodyboarding in Devon or Cornwall. I’ve had a
few surfing lessons but I still can’t stand up although I’ve used the
experience in Miranda’s Mount where the hero, Jago, is a surfer (as well as
being an Earl.) I always
read the newspapers after a workout; they’re free at the health club and I often
read 2 or 3 different ones. I get ideas for books from there. I read romance,
of course, but I don’t seek out books because they are labelled as a particular
heat level. The idea of avoiding a book because it might be ‘naughty’ seems strange
to me! If I like the author, I read the book and it can be chaste or very very
steamy.
AWW: Do
you have a favorite snack or drink for when you're writing? PA: I do enjoy a biscuit: ginger crinkle crunch for
preference. I used to mainline strong coffee but for health reasons I’ve had to
switch to decaff coffee and tea.
AWW: Where
do you do your best writing? Brainstorming? PA: My most
productive brainstorming locations are when I’m a passenger on a long car
journey and on the exercise bike at the gym! Somehow, I find story ideas and
plot solutions just pop into my mind at these times, often unbidden. I tend to
write best early in the morning and just before dinner.
AWW: What
about your favorite place to read? PA: I do most of my reading in bed and er...
somewhere else I’m too ashamed to admit to... Thanks for having me at A Word’s Worth!
Thanks, Phillipa, for a fun Q&A session! Now I really want to make a batch of gingersnaps ...
Right before she's supposed to leave for college, Honor's world is turned upside down when she found out her brother, Finn, was killed overseas. Days later, his last letter arrives - but Honor leaves it unopened until after the funeral. Inside, she finds a hand-written letter, and tickets to the Kyra Kelley farewell concert. On an impulse, Honor decides to pretend to leave for college as planned, but head west to California and the concert -- it feels like a fitting tribute to Finn's life, better than the military funeral. Everything starts out fine, but before she can even leave the driveway, Honor has an unexpected companion: Finn's ex-best friend Rusty. Drunk and hungover, Rusty climbs in the passenger seat and falls asleep, leaving Honor no choice but to take him with her.
The next few days are jam-packed with unexpected adventures (and misadventures!), fights, taunts, reminiscing and confessing. Honor and Rusty are both dealing with the heartbreak of losing best friend and brother, and dealing with all the hurt existing between the two of them from the falling out that Finn and Rusty had when Finn enlisted. Along the way, healing slowly starts happening. Slowly being the key word, and not without many setbacks and new bruises in the process. Driving cross-country, in her brother's old Impala, with the now very-grown-up-and-handsome Rusty, Honor is forced to "grow up" and come to terms with her own responsibilities and life.
In Honor is a story that's tough to read at times - Honor's sadness is raw and real, compounded by the ongoing tension (and chemistry) between herself and Rusty. And Rusty is his own colorful, sometimes mysterious, character - even though he was a smart alecky jerk at times, I really liked him. And the adventures that Honor and Rusty have were enough to make me want to take a little road trip myself -- though I am definitely glad to not have the same incentive. Jessi Kirby's debut Moonglass was amazing, and this follow-up offering has cemented her as a favorite contemp author. Looking forward to seeing what else she writes!
It's hot as a he-haint around here. We're in the middle of a brutal heat wave, setting records and making things all-around-miserable. So what better time to finally post my blogoversary giveaway?! Yes, it's a month late. Oops. But hey, better late than never, right? I can't believe I've already been blogging two years (and a month)! I've learned a lot, and am still tweaking and fine-tuning things, but I never would have thought posting simple thoughts on the books I read could turn into something so long-lasting and fun. I've met some amazing people along the journey, discovered new books I'd never have picked up otherwise, and realized that I really, truly, must be doing something with words and stories.
I thought about doing some sort of review-type post, with challenge check-ins and highlights of the past year...but then I realized: hey, that's all well and good, but what people are really interested in are the giveaway details. Right? I thought so. One of the happy "perks" of blogging is free books - whether provided by authors/publishers for review, or acquired through giveaways, my book collection has grown over the last two years. To the point that I'm going to share the love. Here's the scoop:
The prize: A selection of at least 4 books (maybe more, depending on what I can fit in the box I've got available), very gently read.
The actual books are a surprise - I've got a nice pile of books designated for "sharing," with a decent variety represented. I'll try to match the selection with the winner's favorite genre/etc - so make sure you answer the question on Rafflecopter!
The giveaway will be open for a week. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter, and notified by email. At that point, they'll have 48 hours to email me back with their mailing address. If I don't hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will have to pick a new winner.
Since I'm footing the postage myself, I'm going to have to limit this to US addresses only.
Sound good? Ready to enter for a lovely selection of titles? Just fill out the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!
When you pick up an Alex Flinn fairy tale, you know it's going to be fun and fast reading. Cloaked is no different, though nailing down that one particular fairy tale its retelling is a little impossible. You see, this is a combination of fairy tales, in one big, glorious, modern mix-up! The main theme is "The Frog Prince," but "The Elves and the Shoemaker" is also a key player, as are "The Twelve Swans." There are also sprinklings of so many other fairy tales too, I loved it!
It all starts when Johnny happens to meet the Princess of Aloria - Victoriana - somewhat by accident. (He's a humble teenager, repairing shoes for the wealthy patrons of a swanky hotel in Florida, not exactly the type of guy management wants hobnobbing with royalty). The Princess sees something she likes, and enlists Johnny's help in finding her brother - who has been turned into a frog by a wicked witch. After a bit of convincing, involving promises of marriage and wealth, not to mention experimenting with the magic traveling cloak, Johnny finds himself on an impossible quest. Wandering around the Keys, talking to animals-who-were-once-humans and passing (or failing) test after test, Johnny soon discovers that there is so much more to the world than what meets the scientific eye. And once his best friend Meg (who has plenty of secrets of her own) joins the quest, Johnny begins to take a closer look at all aspects of life - trying to see what lies beneath the surface.
As with any good fairy tale, there is a happy ending. Or several happy endings, since there are multiple fairy tales taking place simultaneously. The course of true love never did run smooth, and what's a good story without some unexpected twists and turns and "oh my gosh!"-moments right at the end? This was a fun, lighter read than Beastly, but I enjoyed the mish-mash of fairy tale goodness. Great for summertime.
Okay, so I totally spaced and didn't get a New Books post up for May...but then, I didn't really have much activity to report in May. So...I'm combining my May NetGalley list with June's list of books. Without further ado...
Won:
For Review:
NetGalley:
May
June
Purchased:
I also received this lovely treasure, as a result of the rockin' awesomeness of a fellow bookblogger:
I've got a summer's worth of amazing reading in my hands...and that's wonderful, since we're breaking records right now. Stay cool and read good books, people!
Today I'm taking a scenic detour from regularly scheduled programming to be a stop on Tundra Books' Hey Canada! blog tour! Click the banner above to go to the full listing of tour stops, and make sure you check out Cal's twitter feed -- if you retweet one of his factoids, you could win a copy of Hey Canada! for your own collection! Now, let me tell you who Cal is, and why he tweets factoids ...
Hey Canada!
Vivien Bowers & Milan Pavlovi (illustrator)
Tundra Books, 2012
Nine year old Alice is the narrator for Hey Canada!, and she and her cousin Cal (who is 8) are taking a cross-country camping trip with Gran. To record their adventures and what they learn, Alice writes a blog - which is the main text of the book. But there are also tweets (factoids of Cal, who is apparently quite the trivia expert!), poems, and some great illustrations. Featuring a mix of actual photographs and quirky illustrations, Hey Canada! has something of a scrapbook feel to it - something I really appreciated.
Since Alice and Cal are taking this trip with Gran to learn about Canada, visiting every province and capital city (as well as a few other adventures along the way), readers learn about Canada alongside them. In keeping with the scrapbooky vibe, the information is broken down into newsy bits that give tantalizing introductions to all aspects of Canadian life: the history, the trivia, the flora and fauna. Presented in such a way, readers learn a ton of information, without feeling like they're being lectured. It's what I like to call "sneaky learning," if you know what I mean. But seriously: the story itself is fun, and the narrative linking all the "educational stuff" is a little hilarious at times. A Houdini-wannabe hamster, encounters with wildlife and local foods, and a really great family chemistry between Gran, Alice and Cal all make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Don't forget to check out Cal's twitter feed and retweet away for your chance to win!
Lilly Gray Corbett grew up in the mountains of Kentucky, and when her first assignment after medical school sends her to a mining community not far from where she was raised, Lilly thinks things will fall into place. She wasn't counting on the people to resist so strongly to the fact she was a woman doctor however, and struggles to make sense of why she is even in Skip Rock. When an accident requires all her skill and precision to save the leg of an injured miner, Lilly starts to gain the acceptance of the community. It's slow going, but with the help of Ned - the injured miner's cousin - Lilly finds herself being accepted and respected by the people of Skip Rock. Even more than that, the community itself, particularly the women, begin to forge new bonds of friendship and a truer sense of community.
Skip Rock Shallows focuses not just on Lilly and her struggles with practicing medicine in a rugged Kentucky coal town, but also her fight against the past - and learning what it means to more fully lean on God, even when His ways don't seem to line up with her plans. And then there's the mysterious and handsome miner - Joe - who seems to be hiding something. As readers, we get to know Lilly and "Joe" (his real name is Tern) separately, seeing both struggle with reconciling their pasts with their presents. With every confrontation and incident that occurs, Lilly and Tern - and the whole Skip Rock family - learn to see the light of truth clearer, in a world dominated by the inky blackness of the coal mines.
The historical elements of Skip Rock Shallows I found to be particularly intriguing, as my familiarity with coal mining is limited to October Sky and The Rocket Boys. I also appreciated that the medical details were not too gory. Even though the story is split between Lilly and Tern's points of view, it's done in a way that is easy to follow and builds the story as a whole. Their interactions are real, and I loved Lilly's humanness. The people of Skip Rock are colorful characters, and each adds much to the atmosphere and flavor of the novel. On the whole, a very enjoyable read and I have discovered a new historical fiction author.
Just Say Yes
Phillipa Ashley
Sourcebooks, 2012 (Originally published 2008)
Lucy wasn't looking for a boyfriend. But when the uber-attractive new guy from the bagel shop seemed interested, she found it hard to turn him down - even though he definitely had some less than desirable attributes. She knew he was part of a hot new reality show, but Lucy never thought Nick would win, let alone propose - on live television - mere moments after being crowned victor. In that moment, Lucy found the strength to say "no," and became infamous. All the London papers and gossip mags were talking about her, and every step was hounded by the paparazzi. It got so bad that her boss strongly encouraged her to take a month off and let things die down. So Lucy escaped to the solitude of Cornwall with her best friend Fiona, hoping to avoid drama and attention.
The month she spends in Cornwall, Lucy slowly starts to unwind and relax back into her own skin. Aside from the snarkiness of Sara, the girlfriend of intriguing Josh (who owns all the other cottages on the farm, aside from Fiona's), Lucy finds just what she needs. Except for the minor detail of hiding her identity - Fiona created a pseudo-persona for Lucy as a high-rolling banker from London who cracked under pressure. The deception worries Lucy, but she doesn't see how to fix things. When Josh offers her an alternative at the end of her month's vacation - to stay on and be his seasonal help for the summer - Lucy impulsively decides to take him up on the offer. The next months are even more restorative for Lucy, and there's no denying the chemistry and growing tension between herself and Josh. When things come crashing to a head, and Lucy's world is flipped upside down again, she must dig down deep and find the Lucy she really is. Way down inside. And that's when things get really interesting.
Just Say Yes is a fun, engrossing read. The descriptions of Cornwall made me want to book a flight and spend my own summer there, and it provided a wonderful backdrop for Lucy's season of growth. At the beginning, she's such a "closed" character, but as each new confrontation happened, Lucy had to respond by "opening up," thus growing as a character. While it's a love story (or two), it's also a story of finding yourself and realizing that what makes you a success is doing what you love and are supposed to be doing.
Note: I can't tell that anyone else is doing something like this -- and if they are, and you know about it, please let me know!
I love picture books. Love them. I have a designated shelf for the picture books I acquire. (When I packed up so many books in October, I left out a lot of my picture books.) I still like to browse the children's section of the library, seeing what treasures are hiding on the crammed shelves. While I've reviewed some picture books, I realized there must be a better way to share my illustrated finds. After some musing, and pondering, I settled on the idea of "Saturday Storytime." This new feature will spotlight a couple picture books at a time, some old, some new. I like the alliteration of the name, and while it won't be a weekly thing, I'm shooting for once -- maybe twice -- a month. We'll see how it goes, but I think it has fun potential. Ready for the first installment?
Marching with Aunt Susan
Claire Rudolf Murphy & Stacey Schuett (Illustrator)
Peachtree, 2011
Bessie wants to do the things her brothers can, but as a girl in the 1890s she cannot. Able to recognize the unfairness, Bessie soon joins her mother and other women in town for suffragette meetings and marches with Susan B. Anthony. Along the way she learns more about the world around her, and helps make small changes for equality in her own family.
Beautifully illustrated, this is a story that's easy to read but also informative. At the back of the book are an author's note, timeline of suffrage history, and a mini-bio of "Aunt Susan," as well as resources for further reading.
Book provided by publisher for review.
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Can I Bring Woolly to the Library, Ms. Reeder?
Lois Grambling & Judith Dufour Love (Illustrator)
Charlesbridge, 2012
This is a super cute, fun way to help kids learn library rules, by way of teaching them to a woolly mammoth. When a boy starts to plead his case to the librarian, Ms. Reeder, about why Woolly should get to come to the library, he talks his way through all the rules and potential problems. (And makes a pretty compelling case. I'd totally let Woolly come to my library!) The illustrations are fun and have a lot of detail. A great choice for a library storytime, I think.
Book provided by my local library.
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The Divide
Michael Bedard & Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)
Doubleday, 1997
In this beautiful book, we meet a young Willa Cather, struggling with homesickness and sadness as she moves with her family to The Divide. In the wide lonesome prairie lands, she discovers the true beauty and treasures in life, making friends with the immigrant women and discovering the hidden beauties of the wild, untamed land. These years, these memories, are what became the novels and stories that we think of when we think of Cather. But it started as a girl, a young girl of nine, leaving behind Home and finding that life is so much more. The Divide is one of those pretty books that I appreciate especially as a "grown up", but children will like it to.
Remember my gushing reviews of Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent and Bourne? Well, Lisa Bergren delivered another amazing dose of River of Time goodness with Tributary. As with my other reviews, I'm trying to be excruciatingly careful to avoid spoilers, so details may be a bit - missing. However, don't let that deter you! In fact, if you've somehow missed the River of Time series, you should go out - right now - and find them. Read them all, and then grab Tributary and devour it too. They're amazing. Simply amazing.
Now then, for a bit about what makes Tributary such a read ... First, that's Luca Forelli on the cover, and if you think he has shorter hair than perhaps a medieval Italian knight would have - you're right. But there's a really lovely scene where Lia cuts his hair. It'll make you swoon a little. But then, Luca is always a charmer. I love watching the continued evolution of his relationship with Lia. What really had my heart pounding was Rodolfo Greco. Whew, if I wasn't officially Team Marcello, I'd have just signed my heart away to Greco. Dude's amazing. And finally free - to live and laugh and love. We also meet a new character, the beautiful Alessandra, who slips across the border onto Forelli land hunting boar - and finds herself ensnared in the intricate, messy web of politics.
I devoured Tributary, and was left breathless at the end. It's a masterful story, and a very fitting "end" to the River of Time series. At this time, Lisa isn't sure if there will be more to the story - and as much as I love these characters, after Tributary, I am okay with the idea of the journey ending. Gabi and Lia have come so far, and even Marcello, Luca and Rodolfo have grown and stepped fully into their destinies. The story feels complete, somehow. My heart is happy with the way things stand. And what a story Lisa can tell! If I can write something half as engrossing and beautiful, I will consider it success. So while I am bidding farewell to the River of Time, I'm moving on to the rest of Lisa's novels - I hear there's another trilogy set in medieval Italy!
The Queen's Lady begins not long after The Other Countess ends, picking up the story of Lady Jane - and, of course, James Lacey. If you have not read The Other Countess, you won't be entirely lost, as references are made to the significant events from that novel - but since the focus is now on Jane and James (as opposed to Will and Ellie), it's another storyline entirely. Lady Jane's transformation from cold, social-climbing noblewoman into a beautiful young lady with a heart is complete, although she is not without her troubles.
As a member of Queen Elizabeth's Privy Chamber, her position (and person) should be safe - just as her late husband the Marquess desired. And with the reappearance of James Lacey at Court (although, regretfully, in the house of Sir Walter Raleigh), Jane's life should be all happiness. But things are never as they seem, and soon Jane learns of a disastrous plan her father and brother have concocted -- forcing Jane to sacrifice her own happiness and independence to save those of her dear childhood friend Milly (who is, conveniently, in love with James' valet Diego). James could set things right, but he has demons of his own to conquer, and is on his way - with Diego - to the Americas, scouting a colony site on the Outer Banks. Any chance of a happier alternative for Jane will come down to timing. And fate.
What I love about Edwards' writing is her ability to weave together multiple story lines. While this is the story of Lady Jane and James Lacey, it's also the story of Milly Porter, Diego, and the colorful Christopher Turner. And, of course, we get to peek into the married life of Will and Ellie (swoon), and the rest of the Lacey clan. These people all have color, life, dreams and demons, plans and flaws. Place all of this wonderful, character-driven story into the rich historical context of Elizabeth's Court - and Raleigh's explorations - and you've got the makings of an amazing historical journey. I read this in a day, devouring the story, and sighing mightily when I reached the end. Most definitely looking forward to The Rogue's Princess in January, when I can pick up the tale again, this time - apparently - following the fortunes of Turner.
Dreaming of Mr Darcy
Victoria Connelly
Sourcebooks, 2012
Since she first met him, Kay Ashton has dreamed of Mr. Darcy. Actually, she loves all of Jane's heroes, but her special favorite is Mr. Darcy. Until the day she moves to Lyme-Regis, purchases Wentworth House and opens a bed & breakfast. Nestled in the heart of Jane-country, Kay finds herself unexpectedly housing the cast of a new film adaptation of Persuasion. Including the smashingly handsome Oli, playing Capt. Wentworth. Kay falls. Head-over-heels. The stuff dreams are made of, coming true before her very eyes. Or are they?
Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is one of those fun reads filled with quirky, human characters you could easily see yourself curling up for cocoa with. And, of course, there are tons of Austen references (which automatically make it an awesome read)! I loved Kay's responses and reactions to the unexpected changes occurring in her life - from making her dream come true to becoming friends with movie stars, Kay takes life in stride with a smile and a daydream. She's a character I could relate to, as was shy Gemma. And, of course, what fun romantic comedy of a novel doesn't have intriguing male leads?! Connelly delivers on this score as well, and as much as I wanted to dislike charmer Oli, he did get under my skin. My only problem with the story is that everyone is so in love with Persuasion - but that's just because I fail to see the attraction in Anne Elliot. And hey, I'm more than willing to let others (even fictional characters) have their own personal favorites, if they allow me mine.
Definitely a great summer-y read, and I'm looking forward to more from Connelly!
