THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL by Michael David Lukas

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

I am a sucker for book that include magical realism and whimsy and this book has a touch of both.  Eleonora Cohen is born in Constanta in 1877 during the decline of the Ottoman Empire.  Her birth is accompanied by the arrival of a group of purple and white birds called hoopoes. These birds never leave Eleonora's side.  The birds aren't the only unusual thing about this young girl.  As she gets older, her father Yakob discovers that she has an enormous capacity for learning. When Yakob leaves for Stamboul on a business trip,. Eleonora sneaks onto the boat with him.  In the house of her father's business partner, Moncef Bey, Eleonora finds a whole new world where her intelligence if valued and cultivated.  Even the sultan takes an interest in what she has to say. When tragedy strikes, however, Eleonora's world is turned upside down and she must decide where her destiny will lead her.

I know this is a very short summary but I don't want to give anything away.  This is a really charming and sweet book that asks whether we can ever escape our destinies. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the book as I knew little about the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire during this time period.  And Eleonora is such an intriguing character. I only wish there had been more!!!  I mentioned to my co-worker that this book reminded me of OF BEES AND MIST by Erick Setiawan not so much in content but in style.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY recommended.  A sweet story set in an exotic and fascinating moment in time.  The book demonstrates how one person can have a profound effect on the world.

Better Book Titles

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My husband sent me a link to this website.  People submit better book titles for famous books.  Some are hilarious although some are downright cringe-worthy.

Find Better Book Titles here.

New Arrivals

Here are some of the recent books to hit my doorstep:

THE MEMORY PALACE by Mira Bartok

THE ILLUMINATION by Kevin Brockmeier

SWAMPLANDIA! by Karen Russell

THE UNION QUILTERS by Jennifer Chiaverini

THE UNCOUPLING by Meg Wolitzer

13, RUE THERESE by Elena Mauli Shapiro

KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by Stephanie Burgis  (Young Reader title)

Isn't it wonderful to come home to books on your porch?

THREE SECONDS by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

Many writers are currently being touted as the next Stieg Larsson. These writers are no exception. Many librarians are struggling with what to recommend to readers who want more in the style of Larsson's Millenium trilogy. I'm not sure that this book qualifies.

Piet Hoffman is a devoted husband and father but he hides a secret. He is also an ex-con who has been working undercover as a mole for the Stockholm police for the last nine years.  Hoffman has risen through the ranks of the Polish mafia and is selected to head up the mafia's new attempt to take over the methamphetamine trade in the Swedish prisons. In order to accomplish his objective, Hoffman must get himself arrested and placed in a maxium security prison where he will set up the new drug trafficking trade. However, he will have no contact with his police handler and will be completely on his own. If he is found out as a mole, his life will be in jeopardy.

The first half of this book lays the groundwork for the story. It explains how Hoffman came to be a mole, how the undercover agent operation works and what Hoffman's work inside the prison will entail. There is A LOT of setup.  I was confused for a good portion of the book because the writers waited to explain that the police use female code names for their informants. It wasn't clear to me that "Paula" was the same person as Piet.  The book didn't really pick up for me until about halfway through when Hoffman begins his prison operation. The last half was very good.  Once I found out what the title of the book was referencing, I really got hooked.

Many readers may get bored and/or frustrated by the first half of the book. It moves pretty slowly and the number of characters can be confusing. However, the second half really redeems the book.  Since one of the writers is an ex-con himself, he really gives us an accurate view into how the whole police/prison system works.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. If you can get past the first half of the book, you will be rewarded by fast-paced and gripping story with a clever twist at the end.

THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X by Keigo Higashino

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

In an effort to protect her daughter, single mother Yasuko accidentally kills her abusive ex-husband. When her neighbor, brilliant mathematician Ishigami, offers to help her conceal the body and the crime, Yasuko accepts in a moment of desperation.  When the body is found, the head investigator finds flaws in Yasuko's story and determinedly begins to investigate her and everyone around her. The story follows the investigation and relationship between Yasuko and Ishigami and reveals Ishigami ultimate motives for helping.

At first glance, this seems to be a fairly simple premise.  A murder takes place, the perpetrators attempt to cover it up and a suspenseful investigation takes place. Will they be found it?  Will the police figure out what really happened?  However, there is much deeper psychological element to this story that I found surprising.  The story was a bit slow to get going but really picked up about halfway through the book. There is even a surprising twist at the end that I never saw coming.  The book is much more of a psychological study than a suspense novel and manages to rise above the typical cliched crime novel.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended.  This is a quietly effective psychological crime novel that finds a new way to surprise the reader.  While the beginning is slow, the payout at the end makes it all worth it.

LBC Best Books of 2010

The review aren't quite finished yet but I have the list. 

Drum roll please....


Life By Candlelight's BEST Books of 2010


10. ETERNAL ON THE WATER by Joseph Monninger  Some people might find this book a bit hokey but something about it just worked for me. 

9. NOBODIES ALBUM  by Carolyn Parkhurst  This is not a mystery but a mother-son relationships story. I've been really attracted to those type of stories this year.  Wonder why?

8. THE SWIMMING POOL by Holly LeCraw This story includes one of the best portrayals of Post-Partum Depression I have ever seen.

7. RED HOOK ROAD by Ayelet Waldman A very moving book with wonderfully complex characters.

6. MARROWBONE MARBLE COMPANY by Glenn Taylor This book isn't for everyone but I thought it was really really well done.

5. THE TOWER, THE ZOO AND THE TORTOISE by Julia Stuart  Absolutely charming!!!

4.  UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand What a great story!!! This non-fiction book reads like fiction and I learned so much about WWII Pacific POWs.

3. MATTERHORN by Karl Marlantes  A poweful novel of the Vietnam war.  I could not put it down.

2. THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton  I am quickly becoming a Kate Morton fan.  I loved her previous book, THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN, but this one was even better.  It had the feel of JANE EYRE with a dash of AS Byatt.

And the Grand Prize winner for BEST BOOK OF 2010:

1.  ROOM by Emma Donoghue  I loved this book. I am almost ready to read it again. It was so powerful.  I worry that people will be put off by the subject matter and plot description but please don't let it deter you from reading this book.  It is ultimately the story of a the power of a mother's love for her child.  Amazing amazing stuff. 

Looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings!!!

ANATOMY OF GHOSTS by Andrew Taylor

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.


I like a good period mystery. Especially if there are ghosts involved.  ANATOMY OF GHOSTS seemed to offer the perfect vehicle to entice my interest. Set in Cambridge in 1786, the story follows John Holdsworth, a down-on-his-luck bookseller who recently suffered the losses of both his wife and young son.  His anger at the charlatans who prey on the grieving leads Holdsworth to publish a pamphlet called THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS which claims that ghosts do not exist. The pamphlet comes to the attention of Lady Anne Oldershaw whose son, a fellow at Jersusalem College, has been driven mad as he claims to have seen a ghost. Lady Anne sends Holdsworth to Cambridge to investigate and see if he can find the truth while restoring her son's reason.

The book was a little slow to get started. I had a hard time getting engaged with the story. However, the mystery ended up working well for me.  The book is filled with details about period college life, secret societies and blackmail. I enjoyed the mystery part of the book but the rest was a little slow. I did like the fact that I didn't figure out the mystery right away but the book was missing something for me.  I can't quite put my finger on it, though.  It's a short book but I find it hard to get through.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended only if you are a fan of period mysteries.  This one can be a little slow but the mystery itself is ultimately rewarding.

UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

I don't read a lot of nonfiction. I sometimes find it difficult to get lost in a nonfiction book the way that I do with a fiction book. In the case of Laura Hillenbrand's latest book, UNBROKEN, this wasn't a problem.  UNBROKEN follows the story of Olympian and WWII Pacific POW Louie Zamperini.  Really, this book could be broken into four distinct stories and each one would be compelling by itself. 

**POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT**

The book begins with Louie's life as a troubled difficult youth who found purpose in running. This newfound purpose brought him all the way to the Olympics.  Story #2 would follow Louie's entry into the military, the challenges facing him and the rest of our airmen during WWII and the subsequent plane crash that left him and fellow crewmates adrift in the Pacific for weeks.  Story #3 would be Louie's "rescue" from the ocean and his horrific days as a Japanese POW.  Story #4 follows Louie's life upon returning from the war as he struggled with his demons including alcoholism before finding renewed purpose in the work of Billy Graham.

**END OF POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

Even though this book is a bit of a chunkster, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what would happen next.  It is a truly unbelievable story and opened my eyes to so many things about WWII and the fight in the Pacific arena that I never realized before. Hillenbrand has a real gift in identifying key individuals to interview who stories help to develop a well-rounded picture of events.  It's a  really wonderful and compelling work.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY recommended. One of my favorites this year.  Great for history buffs but also for people who love a good human story about the triumph of the human spirit and the importance of maintaining one's dignity and humanity.

THE RED GARDEN by Alice Hoffman

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

THE RED GARDEN follows the lives of the inhabitants of Blackwell, Massachusetts, from its founding in 1750 to the present. The reader is swept up in three hundred years of stories from this small town.  Some of the stories are driven by fate and some of the individuals make their own destiny. There is even a little magical realism woven into the tales.  The book begins with the founders of the town who came by wagon train to the far side of Hightop Mountain and struggled to survive.  Were it not for young Hallie Brady, they wouldn't have made it.  Hallie faces her own series of tragedies and the garden she builds behind her home is a testament to those losses.  Everything planted in the garden turns red. The garden makes an appearance in most if not all of the tales in the book.

I admit that I got swept up in these stories.  It is a truly wonderful to peek into the lives of the inhabitants of this town over so many years. Each chapter offers a brief tale in a specific moment in time and then moves forward.  After encountering an individual in one story, you may later find the child or grandchild or great-grandchild of that individual in another story. Everyone is interconnected and affected by Blackwell. My one complaint is that just when I found myself caught up in a tale, it would end.  You do not get to find out what happens to each individual.  You only get a brief moment in time.  I wish Hoffman had offered these stories in an 800-page book like Santmyers' "...AND LADIES OF THE CLUB" so that we could follow each thread to its end. One of the most fascinating mysteries in the book is never resolved!!!  Each story offers a tantalizing peek into the lives of these people but nothing more.  Hoffman does capture these linked and interwoven lives skillfully, however.

BOTTOM LINE:  Highly recommended.  Hoffman is a great storyteller.  I found myself frustrated, however, from wanting more.  It seemed as if there was so much more to tell.

SUNSET PARK by Paul Auster

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

Auster's latest book follows the lives of a number of eccentric characters linked together by the mysterious Miles Heller during the economic collapse of 2008.  Miles works as a trash-out worker in southern California where he sifts through the detritus of evicted families.  His saving grace is his teenaged girlfriend Pilar.  When Pilar's sister threatens to expose their illegal love affair, Miles must escape to Sunset Park in Brooklyn where he joins a group of unusual squatters in an abandoned house.  The squatters are a motley crew including an emotionally damaged real estate agent, a woman working on her PhD and an eccentric man who specializes in repairing the artifacts of a vanished world. Each of these individuals must come to terms with their past in order to create any kind of a future.

Auster is very gifted writer and comes up with truly imaginative characters and situations.  I love how he managed to bring together these different people into one cohesive story. Each individual is damaged in his/her own way and they are all using their time as squatters to regroup and figure out what directions their lives will take. The abandoned house becomes a kind of waiting room for the next chapter in their lives.  Miles is an especially poignant character and probably the most interesting of all of them. He has been running from his past for years and must now confront it.

Although I enjoyed this book, it felt too short. I wanted more.  I felt as if I was just getting into the characters when the book ended. Each individual only gets a short amount of focus in the story with the exception of Miles and possibly his father. I think Auster manages to capture the strangeness of 2008 and the effects of the economic downturn on individuals very well. I sometimes found myself puzzled by the inclusion of some of their characters and questioned their importance in the storyline.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. This is a well-written book with excellent characters. However, I'm not sure that it is a book that will stay with you for a long time.  It is more of a book that captures a moment in time and how it affected a particular group of people.