Sneaky Peeky: THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness

Is anyone else as excited about the release of last book in the ALL SOULS TRILOGY as I am?  The final book, THE BOOK OF LIFE, comes out in July.  So there is still plenty of time to catch up!  You can read my reviews of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES and SHADOW OF NIGHT and then go grab them!  Both are quick reads and perfect for vacation/beach reads.  I always recommend them to fans of the OUTLANDER series.

If you are already caught up and clamoring for me, how about a sneak peek at the first chapter of BOOK OF LIFE?!  Go here to read the first chapter and then check back here in July for a very special giveaway!

THE BOOK OF LIFE releases on July 15!

CHAPLIN AND COMPANY by Mave Fellowes

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

When I heard this book being compared to THE TOWER, THE ZOO, AND THE TORTOISE, I knew I had to read it!  I am always a fan of quirky characters.  Especially those living on the edges of society.  CHAPLIN AND COMPANY is full of these individuals.

Odeline Milk, recently orphaned after the death of her mother, decides to start a new life by buying a houseboat sight unseen. She hopes to become a great mime performer in the style of the Marcel Marceau and the circus performer father that she has never known and who doesn't know she exists.  Determined to keep to herself and focus on her craft, Odeline struggles to adjust to life on a London canal while her neighbors constantly intrude on her solitude.  Vera--the downtrodde worker on a local cafe barge hiding a big secret.  John Kettle--the alcoholic canal warden.  Ridley--the charismatic musical traveling gypsy. And many others who cross their paths or the path of Odeline's unusual houseboat.  Her boat has a history of its own and becomes a character in its own right.  The boat's past is revealed in flashbacks.  Odeline must learn not only to find her way in this new life but also how to accept the companionship of others.

I thought this was a delightful book. I found it a bit more melancholy than THE TOWER, THE ZOO, AND THE TORTOISE.  Overall, it is a very pleasant story with fascinating characters.  I felt that it ended too soon! I would have loved to learn more about the people (and the boat!) in the book. There were two minor characters in the story that I longed to find out more about. 

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended.  An intriguing cast of characters and a sweet story. Overall, it is a very sweet tale that reminds us of how we always need to strive for human connection.

THE BOOK OF YOU by Claire Kendal

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

I'm not sure why but I have been really drawn to novels of suspense lately. This one sounded particularly intriguing and I am baffled why more people aren't talking about it.  Claire Kendal's debut novel is a wonderful example of psychological suspense. It may even be too effective!  I had to stop reading this book at night because it was making it difficult for me to sleep!

Clarissa has a stalker. His name is Rafe. He is a professor at the university where she works.  After a regrettable one night stand with Rafe that she has trouble remembering, Clarissa can't seem to avoid him. What began as a source of irritation is rapidly progressing into something much more.  She can't seem to escape him. He is everywhere.  When Clarissa gets called for jury duty, she is relieved.  Especially when she finds out the case will last ten weeks. Ten blissful weeks in a place where Rafe can't follow.  The case, however, proves difficult for Clarissa to be a part of as the victim in the trial has experiences that parallel her own. As the trial progresses, Rafe's unwanted attention increases to the point that Clarissa begins documenting everything in a notebook. She begins to collect evidence to take to the authorities in the hope that they will help her. But Claire is afraid that help won't come soon enough to save her.

This book had me on the edge of my seat.  I couldn't put it down. One can read a serial killer book and realize that the chances of that happening are highly unlikely. I think many women understand how uncomfortable and scary unwanted attention from a man can be. It isn't always as extreme as Rafe's actions but it can be just as unpleasant. I think the best part of the book is how Kendal highlights how legal systems can fail women in these cases. THE BOOK OF YOU takes place in England but it might as well take place here in the United States. There have been cases in my own small town of women who have tried to get restraining orders and help from the authorities in order to deal with domestic abuse and wound up dead.  It is an ongoing problem.  While the ending wasn't completely satisfying, it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. This would a great vacation/beach read.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended.  For those who enjoy suspense, you won't want to miss this one.  The feel of reminded me of GONE GIRL although you don't have to worry about unreliable narrators in this one! The perfect pick for vacation.

EVEN NINJAS EAT ASPARAGUS by Matthew Swanson

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I mentioned in a previous post how we had recently discovered Bobbledy Books and were loving it!  We were so excited to receive the next book in our subscription!  My son has been crazy about ninjas lately as he has learned about them from other kids at school.  I am not fond of ninjas so I had to laugh when we opened the Bobbledy Books envelope and saw the title of the book.

In a series of comical vignettes, this clever book shows kids that even though it may feel as if they have it hard with all the difficult things they have to face, adults often have to face tough stuff too.

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I especially like the pages at the end of the book where children are advised all about special ninja rules that parents are sure to love!!!

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended!  Bobbledy Books has been such a find! The books are so whimsical and fun.  We always look forward to getting our subscription in the mail. You can purchase the books individually in their store. This one is $12.00.  You can buy it here.


**I do NOT receive compensation in any form for this review.  I am simply a subscriber and fan of Bobbledy Books.**

AND THE DARK SACRED NIGHT by Julia Glass

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

Years ago, I read THREE JUNES and I was not a fan. I just couldn't get into it and I can't remember a single detail about the plot.  Still, I was intrigued to hear about Glass's latest book and the fact that characters from THREE JUNES would appear in it.

Kit Noonan is stuck.  He is an unemployed art historian with a wife who is quickly losing patience with him and twins that need his support. Kit's wife believes that the key to getting him "unstuck" is to find out the truth about his birth father.  Kit's quest for the story of his origins begins with his stepfather, a ski instructor in Vermont. Jasper understands all-too-well how secretive and strong-willed Kit's mother can be. She had Kit as a teenager and refused to ever reveal who his birth father was.  Though she is no longer married to Jasper, Kit hopes that he will have the key to finding out the truth. Jasper leads Kit to Lucinda and Zeke Burns who hold the answer to his origins.

This book is about family and roots.  As an adopted child, I understand these themes very well and I found Kit's search for the truth about his father very poignant. I think Glass does a wonderful job of showing how Kit's mother's decision had far-reaching consequences and affected a number of people beyond Kit. I am often very picky about endings but I particularly liked this one.  I think Glass did a wonderful job of bringing Kit full circle with his search.  She reminds us about forgiveness and how family isn't always shaped by biology.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended. A beautiful and compelling story. A bit slow to get started but a wonderful read with a wonderful ending.

CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS by Chris Bohjalian

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

If you regularly read this blog, you will already know that I am a fan of Chris Bohjalian.  The first book of his that I read was THE DOUBLE BIND and I hated it. That sounds odd coming from a fan, right?  I had a visceral reaction to it and vowed not to read another book by him. It wasn't so much the writing as the story itself.  I made a comment negative comment about Bohjalian on Twitter.  Note to self: be careful what you say publicly!  Bohjalian replied in a most gracious manner.  His publicist send me his newest book to change my mind:  THE NIGHT STRANGERS. I loved it. I have read every book since and I am constantly amazed at not only how prolific he is but also how you cannot pigeonhole him into a particular genre. He seems to reinvent himself with each book.

His latest book tells the story of teen runaway Emily Shepard. Emily's parents worked at a nuclear plant in Vermont that had a horrific meltdown.  Facing not only the loss of parents but also the painful accusations flying around that blame her family for the devastation, Emily runs away and tries to reinvent herself.  From life in a shelter to life on the streets, Emily attempts to survive.  When she meets another young runaway named Cameron, her life changes as now she has someone else to take care of. Her relationship with Cameron change the course of her life and forces her to confront the loss of her life before the meltdown.

The story itself is heart-wrenching.  Bohjalian reminds of how difficult life can be for homeless teens.  The twist to this all-too-common tale is the nuclear meltdown that precipitated Emily's fall.  I can see this book having cross-over appeal for the older young adult market.  However, the subject matter is very mature. I think one of my favorite parts of the book is the title. Bohjalian reveals in the story where he got the title and I think it fits this story beautifully.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended.  While I definitely wouldn't classify this as escapist fiction, it held my attention.  It is a sad and often heartbreaking tale but Emily is such a likeable character that you can't help but hope for the best for her.  The ending is a bit ambiguous but I really liked the book overall. 

LOVE AND TREASURE by Ayelet Waldman

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

I think Ayelet Waldman is such a gifted writer and I have been waiting for her next book for quite some time. Her latest book deals with WWII and the looting of Jewish possessions. The book opens Jack Wiseman who is dying of pancreatic cancer.  He entrusts her with a mystery that came from his time in Europe during WWII.  The book then moves back to WWII in 1945 where we meet young Jack Wiseman in Salzburg. He is in charge of cataloging the contents of the Hungarian Gold Train. When the US military took possession of the train, they discovered that it was filled with the looted possessions of Jewish people. As a Jew, Jack has conflicting emotions about the contents of the train and their disposal. During his time in Salzburg, he meets a beautiful refugee from a concentration camp and gets caught up in her story. Before his time in Salzburg is over, Jack will have taken a peacock-shaped necklace from the train. It is this necklace that he will entrust to his granddaughter in the hope that she will find its rightful owners.  The story goes back and forth between the present day and the distant past giving us a glimpse of the necklace's origins in the early 1900's.  It tells a story of love and loss and the fallout from war and crimes long past.

This book wasn't a particularly easy read but it made me think a lot about some of the ethical issues that came up with what happened during the war.  It was also interesting to see a little bit of the story of the Jews in Europe before WWII as well as the story of those Jewish people displaced by war who made their way to Israel to start a new life. The book is so intriguing but often frustrating as Waldman doesn't give us answers to many of our questions. In some ways, I kept hoping for the book to be a little more like PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Brooks or POSSESSION by Byatt.  I wanted some shocking/surprising revelations from either the story itself or research done by its characters. It never quite got there. I still enjoyed it, though.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. Waldman provides us with another well-written book filled with compelling characters and an interesting story. She proves that there are still many stories to be told about WWII.

WINTER PEOPLE by Jennifer McMahon

(I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher)

During the winter months, I tend to find myself drawn to mysteries and suspense novels.  I have never been a horror fan but I love a good ghost story.  THE WINTER PEOPLE seemed like the perfect fireside read.

In 1908, in a small town in Vermont, the body of Sarah Harrison Shea was found in the field behind her house.  Just months after the tragic death of her young daughter.  Pages of Sarah's diary that were found after her death recount what was happening in the days leading up to her murder.  But the last few pages have never been found.

In the present day, 19-yr-old Ruthie lives with her mother and little sister in Shea's former house. The two girls wake up one morning to discover their mother missing.  Ruthie ransacks the house looking for clues and finds a copy of Shea's diary hidden below the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. 

Ruthie's search for her mother and the story revealed through Shea's diary bring the reader into a world of witchcraft and sinister happenings where "walkers" can be brought back from the dead.  Ruthie is joined by other people in her search who are looking for her mother and the missing pages of the diary for their own reasons.

I have not been scared by a book in a very long time.  This one kept me up at night.   It reminded me a little bit of THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey although this one is much much darker. There were a few frustrating unanswered questions in the book and I felt the ending was a bit rushed but it was a very enjoyable (if frightening) read.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended for lovers of suspense.  I would not recommend this for the faint of heart. It is very very dark. But I thought it was the perfect read for cold evenings by the fire.  It will definitely stay with me for awhile.

HOW TO LOSE A LEMUR by Frann Preston-Gannon AND GIVEAWAY!!!

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

I love lemurs. They are the most entertaining little creatures and they have gotten only more popular through their appearances in the MADAGASCAR movies.  But they don't often make appearances in children's books.  Lemurs take center stage in this charming new picture book by Frann Preston-Gannon.

(this review contains spoilers)

In the book, we learn that a little known fact about lemurs is that once one takes a liking to you, there isn't much you can do about it. This is how the book begins. A little boy becomes a source of fascination for a lemur. The boy isn't sure he likes this attention and tries to find ways of losing the lemur.  As the book continues, several of the lemur's friends join in following the little boy. No matter what the boy does or where he goes, the lemurs follow. In the end, the boy discovers that it can be really useful to have friends because friends tend to look out for one another. The book ends with the boy having a delightful tickle fight with his five lemur friends.

Children will laugh at the various strategies the boy uses to try and lose the lemurs. My son especially liked how the lemurs followed the boy when he escaped in a boat across the lake.

While there isn't any rhythm, repetition, or rhyme in this particular book, there is plenty to keep little ones interested.  In the tradition of stories like WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, children get to revisit all the places the little boy went in reverse at the end of the story. And the book has a nice message about friendship and embracing others' differences.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. A charming book that has lots of possibilities for read-aloud interaction.  


IDEAS FOR READING WITH CHILDREN:

1. Count the lemurs.  The lemurs gradually multiply in the story until there are five of them. After all the lemurs have been identified, it can be fun to locate them in each illustration.

2. Discuss other methods of escape. I asked my son where HE would have gone to try and escape the lemurs. He said he would have taken a rocket ship. This can be taken one step further by having children illustrate their methods of escape after reading time is done.

3. Talk about differences and friendship.  Even though the lemurs came on a bit strong in the beginning, they proved to be wonderful friends.

4. Older children may enjoy looking up more about lemurs and identifying the different types present in the story.  Find Madagascar on a map or globe!



WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?

Sterling has offered me the opportunity to give away a copy of this adorable book.  
(US Residents Only)

To enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me how YOU would have tried to escape the lemurs! Include a way for me to contact you.

2. "Like" my Facebook page and leave me a comment telling me that you did for an extra entry.

This contest closes on Friday, March 28 at 4:00pm PST.

THE WINNER IS CARRIE!  A new giveaway will be coming soon!

BRAIN: THE MAN WHO WROTE THE BOOK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Dermot Davis

I received a copy of this book from the author.

Daniel takes writing very seriously and dreams of writing the next Great American Novel. His career starts out in a promising fashion but, after a couple of years, his agent tells him that she can't sell his latest novel and it is clear that she is thinking about dropping him altogether.  Daniel is down and out with a car that doesn't run, thousands owed in back rent and no money for groceries.  Out of desperation, he decides to poke fun at the current trend of self-help book success by writing one of his own. But his book will be a clever satirical look at what readers are falling for these days.  Daniel is surprised to find out that instead of the satirical masterpiece he hoped to write, instead he has given the world the next great self-help sensation.

Although I try hard not to judge a book by its cover, I have to say that the cover and title of this book do it a great disservice.  At first glance, this looks like a non-fiction book.  Instead, it is a fun, often snarky look at the publishing world and the readers who are lured in by promises of great life changes if they only buy a certain book. To be honest, it doesn't have very nice things to say about readers in general but, based on the bestseller lists these days, I think Davis is pretty spot-on.

Although I wish the book had been a bit longer and bit more fleshed out, I still enjoyed it.  I feel that Davis could have gone a bit further into his characters.  I only had a real sense about who Daniel was. The other characters weren't as developed. The ending of the book also seemed a bit extreme but I understand the point Davis was trying to make.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. This would make a great vacation read.  Very quick and entertaining.  It will have you rethinking your reading habits.