Peculiar Valentines

Fans of MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN will love this Valentine treat!

If you don't have your Valentines done, go here to find some wonderfully quirky Valentines based on images from the book that you can send electronically or print out.

Love it.

****GIVEAWAY*** KAMA SUTRA by Vatsyayana

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

Penguin Classics has come out with a lovely new edition of the KAMA SUTRA just in time for Valentine's Day.  Most people have a very narrow idea of this classic work as a piece of erotic literature but it is actually a wonderful historical work about living well.  "Kama" means desire and this particular "sutra" serves as a guide to love, pleasure, and relationships.   When I read this book many many years ago, I expected a guide to various erotic practices but I was surprised to see that it was much much more!  The book begins with descriptions of life and daily routines for girls and young men.  Book Two focuses on the many facets of Sexual Union.  There is even a chapter on "Scratching!"  Book Three is all about wooing and winning a girl for the purposes of marriage. Book Four focuses on the role of the wife.  The KAMA SUTRA continues onto other topics concerning relationships and love and the general interaction of the sexes.  This particular version has a very nice introduction that goes into the history of the work and its author as well as its continued significance in modern times and its influence on literature.

Personally, I enjoyed the section on life and conduct of the "only" wife.  Here is a tidbit:


"When a little offended at some misdoing of her husband, she does not speak to him too harshly.  If she has to reproach him, she does it when they are alone or among close friends.  But she never resorts to sorcery, for nothings destroys trust more than this, according to Gonardiya.  She refrains from using bad language, looking daggers, speaking with her face turned away, standing in the doorway and staring, chatting with someone in the park and lingering in lonely places."

I myself have definitely been guilty of "looking daggers" although I have yet to resort to sorcery.


BOTTOM LINE: A wonderful and often humorous classic worth revisiting.


****GIVEAWAY****

Would you like to win your very own Valentine's Day copy of this new edition of the KAMA SUTRA?

1. Get one entry for leaving a comment below that includes a way to contact you if you win.

2.  Get an extra entry for following this blog. (see sidebar)  Leave me a comment telling me you did.

3. Get an extra entry for following LIFE BY CANDLELIGHT on Facebook.  Leave me a comment telling me you did.

CONTEST CLOSES Wednesday, February 8 at 4:30pm PST.

Free Books from Shelf Awareness

I subscribe to Shelf Awareness for Readers and always get great ideas about upcoming books to read.  They often have galley giveaways and right now you have a chance to win several galleys of upcoming books.  Who doesn't love free books? Especially ones that haven't been published!! For your chance to win, go here.

And while you are there, sign up for the Shelf Awareness e-mail. Because we all need more books on the TBR pile.

A PLACE OF SECRETS by Rachel Hore

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

Combine a book-appraising heroine, a family mystery in the English countryside, ghosts and a little romance plus a dose of astronomy and you have me hooked!  In Rachel Hore's A PLACE OF SECRETS, auction house appraiser Jude gets a phone call about an unusual collection of books on astronomy and assorted astronomical devices at an estate in the countryside that could be worth a quite deal.  Taking a break from her London life and her lukewarm feelings for her boyfriend, Jude heads to the estate only to find that there may be a connection to her own family. Her grandmother grew up in the gameskeeper's cottage. As Jude sorts through the collection, she finds a series of journals and gets drawn into the story she finds there. The collection belongs to amateur astronomer Anthony Wickham who built a folly on his property in order to better observe the stars.  Wickham enlisted his ward's help in his endeavor's and Esther's story proves as compelling as the collection itself. While drawn in by the mysteries surrounding Esther's story as well as the folly itself, Jude discovers that her niece is being haunted by the exact same nightmare that Jude herself had years ago.  Is it all connected?

There is so much going on in this book that it is difficult to summarize in any way that makes sense. I love the idea of characters delving into books and archives and discovering long hidden secrets. The connection with astronomy was especially charming.  You get a love story, a ghost story and a mystery all rolled into one. Kate Morton fans will really enjoy this one. It is a quick read that is hard to put down. I only wish it had been a little longer.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended. A terrific read in the tradition of Kate Morton.   Take this book on vacation with you because you won't want to put it down!

Falling Behind

I am so behind!!!  I have several reviews to post and a couple of books to finish.  I am currently reading THE MARRIAGE PLOT by Jeffrey Eugenides and A PLACE OF SECRETS by Rachel Hore and I am really enjoying both!

There are so many wonderful books coming out this year and I couldn't be more excited. However, I am also working on cultivating my creative side and I have been taking several online classes to kickstart a new year of creativity. This has cut down on my reading time but I think it will be so worth it.

Bear with me and I'll get caught up soon.  Happy Reading!!!

Favorite Books of 2011

I used to title this list "Best Books of 2011" but because reading is subjective and I sometimes don't like a book based on things other than the quality of the book, I decided to retitle my list "Favorite Books of 2011." You certainly don't have to take my word for it.  (thanks Reading Rainbow!)

LBC FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2011

10.  Weird Sisters  by Eleanor Brown
Appealed to the Shakespeare lover within me.  A nice tale of the conflict and competition between three sisters.

9.  Discovery of Witches  by Deborah Harkness
Not the best written book but highly entertaining. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

8.  22 Britannia Road  by Amanda Hodgkinson
Lovely and bittersweet. Left me thinking about what I would do in that situation.  A great look at what happens AFTER war.

7.  Rules of Civility  by Amor Towles
Reminiscent of the GREAT GATSBY. A terrific book of manners.

6.  Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
Not your average baseball book.    Not really about baseball at all.

5. Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
A very clever look at those left behind after a Rapture-like event.

4. Faith by Jennifer Haigh
A beautiful look at faith and truth.

3. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Whimsical and wonderful. I was a little disappointed by the ending but it was a truly enjoyable read.

2. Night Strangers by Christopher Bohjalian
Extremely creepy read in the tradition of ROSEMARY'S BABY and WICKER MAN.

1. Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Beautiful historical tale of a group of women in the last Zealot stronghold in the desert after the fall of Temple in Jerusalem.  Sad and lovely.

So many great books in 2011 that even my least favorite books were still worth reading.  Can't wait to see what 2012 brings!!!

Least Favorite Books of 2011

I can't believe it's that time again!  My goal each year is to read at least 52 books.  This year, I got 62 done. Not bad!  There were some great books in 2011.  As always, I will start with my LEAST favorite books of 2011.  Some of these are not bad in and of themselves but they were disappointments that often didn't live up to their hype.  One's experience of books is very different from that of other people.  Some of the books on this list made many Best of 2011 lists.  You may very well disagree with my selections.  All are reviewed on this blog.

LBC *LEAST* FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2011

10.  Kingdom of Childhood  by Rebecca Coleman
An interesting concept in the tradition of WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? that just missed the mark for me.  I would have loved the story to be developed a bit more.  It left me with too many questions.

9. This Beautiful Life  by Helen Schulman
I loved the idea of this book and it is certainly timely but I felt it was too short to really delve into the topic.

8. Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos
This book just didn't come together for me. All the build-up led to a very anticlimactic reveal.

7. The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
There was so much buzz about this book that I expected a lot. Although the ideas were interesting, it didn't entirely work.

6. Forgotten Waltz  by Anne Enright
I am far in the minority on this one. Most people have it on their Best of 2011 list. I found it slow and tedious.

5. Demi-Monde: Winter  by Rod Rees
This skewed very "young adult" to me. The concept was creative but didn't leave me interested enough to want to continue the series.

4. Hypnotist  by Lars Kepler and Ann Long
This started out so well and then completely fell apart.  Too many things going on to make it a truly effective thriller.


3. Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer
I loved the concept but it just didn't work. The characters weren't likeable and I was left unclear about the point Wolitzer really wanted to make.

2. Last Werewolf   by Glen Duncan
Ugh.  Major disappointment.  Duncan is clearly a gifted writer but some of this came off as so cheesy as to be embarrassing.  "Werewolf sex."  Enough said.

1. Waiting for Spring  by R.J. Keller
Too long and unbelievable to be effective.  The themes are good but I just didn't buy the story.

Stay tuned for the Best of 2011!

SISTERS by Nancy Jensen

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

I heard so much great buzz about Nancy Jensen's THE SISTERS that I was really excited to read it!  Bertie and Mabel Fischer are as close as two sisters can be.  In 1920s Kentucky, they cling to one another as they struggle without their mother who passed away and left them with a difficult and menacing stepfather.  Bertie is excited about graduating from 8th grade in front of the people she loves the best---her sister and her sweetheart.  When neither one shows up for her graduation, Bertie fears the worst.  Good intentions turn bad and a series of misunderstandings have catastrophic consequences that will affect generations to come. The story follows the paths of the two sisters and their offspring and what happens to each of them.

I love the idea of this book. It is wonderful to see a story that follows a family through several generations of women. It is heartbreaking to see how seemingly small decisions and misunderstandings can have such far-reaching effects.   Although I think Jensen is a very creative storyteller, the book fell flat to me.  I almost wish it had been a bit longer with greater attention and detail paid to each character.  It felt as if there should have been more to the story.

BOTTOM LINE:  A very good tale of love, loss, and family that doesn't quite hit the mark.  It just didn't pack the emotional wallop that I thought it would.

I Have Riches in the Form of Books

I was recently looking at a new title in our library called UNPACKING MY LIBRARY: WRITERS AND THEIR BOOKS. It was so fun to page through the photographs of various authors and their home libraries.  It made me think of how much I love my own home library.

I'm not sure how many books I have.  A little over 1000 I think. Hardcover titles. Many of them signed first editions.  My 3-yr-old son has over 100 books in his collection.  It's a start.

I recently moved to a new house and haven't unpacked my books yet. I have all the necessities unpacked but, without my books, it doesn't feel like home. I love unpacking and organizing my books. I smile as I pull them out of boxes and marvel at the different covers.  I love the variety of their sizes and shapes and the feel of the paper. I like seeing them all lined up by subject. (and alphabetized by author within subject, of course!)  Once they are in place, I often find myself wandering into the study just to run my fingers over the spines of the books. I love the smell of old crumbly paper. I  love finding the notes of previous owners of the books inside of them. Books are a multi-sensory experience for me.

I don't get any of this from an ebook.  I do see the value of ebooks and I will probably have an e-readers someday for travel.  But I find ebooks to be cold and lifeless.  I can't take notes in them in my own handwriting.  I can't pass them down to future generations. They have no smell or real tactile sensation.  They are dead things that are only "alive" as long as the reader is turned on.  Or as long as the batteries don't run out!

Many of you know that I am a fan of apocalyptic and dystopian fiction.  What would happen to us if the lights went out?  If we no longer had electricity? At least we could still read our paper books. The written chronicles of our lives and our history.  Pretty amazing, don't you think?

As long as I have my books, I will be rich indeed.

THE DOVEKEEPERS by Alice Hoffman

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

THE DOVEKEEPERS follows the lives of several women living in the last Zealot stronghold in the Judean desert in 70 C.E.    In the history written by Josephus, two women and five children survived the fall of this stronghold.  Hoffman relates her version of why these individuals survived in THE DOVEKEEPERS.   The story begins with Yael whose mother died in childbirth and whose father and brother are both assassins for the Zealots.  When they must escape into the desert, Yael's life truly begins.  When they reach the Zealot desert stronghold, Yael meets a wonderful assortment of women each of whom have a profound story to relate.

I don't want give away too much by revealing each woman's story.  I won't even share a little bit because part of the beauty of this book is how each woman's tale unfolds.  The characters are so well- drawn and interesting.  These women find unique sources of power and ingenuity not only in the midst of a siege but also within a deeply patriarchal society. Their strength and sisterhood are very powerful.

I loved this book. I thought the story was fascinating and imaginative and I love that Hoffman based it on true historical accounts.  It is a sad book but an incredibly moving one as well.  I think it would make a terrific book club read.

BOTTOM LINE:  A wonderful woman-centered historical tale about an historical event that is not often spoken about.  One of my favorites this year!