VIXEN (The Flappers Series) by Jillian Larkin

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

I am very picky about my young adult fiction. I'm always looking for books in this genre that are original and don't speak down to their readers. I was intrigued by this new Flapper series because I loved the idea of looking at the lives of young adults in the 1920's.  It is such a fascinating era of change and liberation, especially for women. 

In the first book of the series, VIXEN, we are introduced to several young flapper wannabes.  Gloria Carmody is a coddled 17-yr-old socialite who is engaged to be married to prominent young bachelor Sebastian Grey.  Gloria is unsure about her life and marriage and starts dabbling in the world of speakeasies.  Her friend, Lorraine Dyer, is envious of Gloria and always seeking to get attention and climb out of Gloria's shadow.  Gloria's cousin, Clara Knowles, arrives to help keep Gloria in check and make sure she marries Sebastian but Gloria has a secret wild flapper past of her own.  These three women get caught up in Chicago's underground world of speakeasies and flappers with mixed results.

I love the use of 1920's slang and detail in the book. Larkin is very good at setting the tone.  She reveals how even 80 years ago, young adults were dealing with the same sorts of issues that we struggle with today.  These women wrestle with sex, alcohol and rock 'n' roll. (only in the form of jazz at this time)  One of my problems with the novel, however, is that the only likeable character is Clara.  Clara is seeking to overcome her past and start over.  She is flawed but genuine. Gloria is just annoying and thoughtless.  Lorraine is a rotten friend and her constant need for attention is tiresome. The men in the book don't fare any better. Sebastian is a jerk.  Gloria's friend Marcus is a spoiled brat. Even Gloria's secret lover comes off as too cliched. The book felt very much to me like a teenaged version of DANGEROUS LIAISONS set in the Roaring 20's.  But it fails to reach any real depth.

*PARENTAL ADVISORY*--The young people in the book are in their late teens and early twenties. They drink heavily, they are disrepectful to their parents, they have illicit sex and smoke like chimneys.  It is naive to think that young people don't struggle with these issues today and I don't think a book should be written off because they depict these things. However, none of the characters seem to really learn anything except for Clara. They just continue on with their irresponsible behaviors.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended with reservations.  I think this series is original but the whole thing fell flat for me.  The characters are wooden and boring and not likeable. However, I would be interested in reading more and seeing how the series develops.

Galley Round-up

The nightstand is filling up again and it is going to be hard to decide what to read next.  Here are some of my November-February galleys:

MUST YOU GO? by Antonia Fraser
UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand
AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY by Steve Martin
SUNSET PARK by Paul Auster
THE RADLEYS by Matt Haig
THE RED GARDEN by Alice Hoffman
THE FATES WILL FIND THEIR WAY by Hannah Pittard
HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD by Jeff Gilman and Eric Heberlig
THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL by Michael David Lukas

So, which one of the first four should I read next?

DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton

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

I loved Kate Morton's book THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN so I was very excited when I got a galley of her newest book, THE DISTANT HOURS.  When a letter from 1941 finally arrives at its destination fifty years later, it has powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a young publisher in London.  Edie's mother opens the much-belated letter and is powerfully affected by it. She reveals to Edie that she had been evacuated to a castle called Milderhurst in the countryside during the war. Edie is very surprised to learn of this previously hidden episode in her mother's life.  She is even more surprised to learn that Milderhurst was the residence of the author of Raymond Blythe, the author of one her favorite books, THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE MUD MAN.  This book is a national treasure and no one has ever cracked the mystery of the true inspiration behind the story. When Edie is brought to Milderhurst by chance, she can't resist learning more about the place her mother had been exiled to and, in so doing, becomes drawn into the lives of the three elderly Blythe sisters that reside there still and the mysteries surrounding them.

This is a very difficult book to describe. There is so much going on!  It is a bit of a chunkster at 670 pages but the story flew by as I could not put it down. The story moves back and forth between the present of 1992 to the war years. We see the events unfolding through multiple perspectives as we try to learn the truth about the hidden secrets of the Blythe sisters and the origins of the famous MUD MAN story. There is also the side story of Edie trying to understand her mother, Meredith, by delving into her past.  The book reveals a great deal about the often complicated relationships between parents and children and also between siblings. The book offers a literary mystery and reminded me a great deal of AS Byatt's POSSESSION and Diane Setterfield's THE THIRTEENTH TALE. All of the characters are interesting and the secrets and mysteries keep you guessing until the end.

I could not put this book down.  I loved it even more than THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN.  It has many of the elements of my favorite books--mystery, books, family drama and secrets, madness, passion, castles, romance and even some wartime drama.  Although I think the ending was successful, it felt a little abrupt to me.  I wish Morton hadn't hurried things up so much. However, it was a thoroughly entertaining read overall.

BOTTOM LINE:  HIGHLY recommended.  One of my favorites this year.  Fans of AS Byatt and Diane Setterfield and even Charlotte Bronte will find much to enjoy here. This makes a great winter read.

Notes in the Margin

Winter ARCs are starting to pour in and I'm getting really excited!  I will post a list here of my latest acquisitions later.

Right now, I am 3/4 of the way through THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton and I am LOVING it!  I am also working on DEWEY'S NINE LIVES and a young adult title called VIXEN by Jillian Larkin. So, I should have new reviews soon.

Tonight, I am heading to a special event featuring Alice Walker. So excited to see her in person!  Maybe I can get her to sign my copy of THE COLOR PURPLE. Fingers crossed!!!!

Hard Times

2010 has been a difficult year for so many people. 

Personally, my family has been struggling financially as my husband has been out of work for five months now.  We have been limping along but our rent will go up by about $300 this December. So, we may be looking at giving up our beloved rental home of four years and seriously downgrading.  But I am grateful for the roof over our heads, the food on our table, the clothes on our backs, our health and each other.

Yesterday, a dear friend contacted me about the dissolution of his marriage. It absolutely broke my heart. This the FIFTH close friend that has gone through this in 2010.  Three of those individuals were my bridal attendents.  One of the failed marriages is of the godparents of my child. 

It is a good reminder for me to make sure I let my husband know how much I love and appreciate him.  In the hard times, it is easy to let stress, exhaustion, frustration and resentment take over.  In the good times, we can get so busy that we neglect each other and take each other for granted.  We need to remember to tell the people in our lives how important they are to us and how much we love and appreciate them. This may not solve all the problems in all of our relationships but it IS important.

The holidays are right around the corner.  I'm going to make an extra special effort to focus on the things I am thankful for this November. In December, I'm going to remember the greatest gifts in my life.  The ones that don't cost money or come in brightly wrapped packages. 

And on December 31, I'm going to hope for a Happy New Year in 2011 that will bring better things for the people I care about. 

MUSEUM OF THIEVES by Lian Tanner

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

 

There are so many wonderful new series out for young readers right now and this one has a lot of potential.  In the city of Jewel, the citizens prize the safety of their children above anything else.  All children must wear guard-chains from birth until their age of separation as teenagers.  These chains connect children to adults at all times in order to keep them safe. When the children are not in the care of their parents, they are connected to one of the city's Blessed Guardians. Goldie cannot wait to be free of her guard chain but, on her day of Separation, tragedy strikes and the Separation is cancelled. Goldie manages to run away and find refuge in the mysterious Museum of Thieves.  The Museum holds not only the history of the city but also helps to maintain a delicate balance in the state of the world. When an evil plot threatens that delicate balance, Goldie must join with the keepers of the museum in order to protect everyone she loves.

 

I loved the idea of the guard chains as a metaphor for how young children often feel. As a society, we are becoming more and more protective of our children.  The days of children roaming around their neighorhoods until dinner are over.  There is too much fear about what has happened.  Tanner hints at this change in society through her depiction of Jewel.  The guard chains are a tangible reminder of the adult fear that can constrict and limit children.  When Goldie confronts a life-threatening situation within the Museum, she simply stands still and waits for someone to rescue her.  As a result of a lifetime of being over-protected, she has not developed any self-preservation skills. As she spends more time at the museum, she slowly develops those skills. I love how this book empowers children and has a strong female protagonist.  My one problem with it was that the bad guys seemed to obvious and stereotypical.  The Museum itself is fascinating and original and I look forward to seeing how the series develops.

 

PARENTAL ADVISORY:  While there are some scary parts in this book, there is nothing beyond what one would find in a Harry Potter novel. The bad guys are really rotten and there are physical threats to both adults and children. Some younger children may also be disturbed by the fact that the government can throw one's parents into a deep, dark dungeon if they don't comply.  Everyone makes it through the book more and less unharmed, however.

 

BOTTOM LINE:  Recommended.  While some of the book was a little predictable, the museum itself is fascinating and I enjoyed the variety of characters.  There are lots of original ideas here and I look forward to seeing how they are developed throughout the series.

ADAM AND EVE by Sena Jeter Naslund

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

In 2017, Lucy Bergmann's astrophysicist husband is murdered just before delivering some ground-breaking work on the existence of extraterrestrial life.  Lucy carries the flash drive holding his research around her neck, reluctant to share it with anyone.

Several years later, Lucy is being stalked by members of a fundamentalist sect called Perpetuity.  The members of this sect come from a variety of belief backgrounds united in the desire to maintain their fundmentalist perspective and to stop anything that would threaten it.  Lucy becomes involved with Pierre Saad, an anthropologist who may have found another set of scrolls that could redefine the Genesis story. Lucy attempts a daring escape with the scrolls out of Egypt only to crash in an Eden-like oasis.  Here, she meets Adam, a damaged American vet who helps to nurse her back to health in their own Garden of Eden.

What a mess!!! This book is all over the place.  At first, I had hoped it would be something akin to Sagan's CONTACT. It wasn't.  The author cannot decide what she wants the book to be.  First, we are looking at science and the possible presence of extraterrestrial life. Then, we skip to the discovery of ancient scrolls that could change the creation story of several religions. Then, we have the sinister bad guys in the form of Perpetuity. Oh, and a love story between Adam and "Eve" in their modern garden of Eden.  But then there are new characters introduced and new relationships in the form of Pierre Saad and his daughter and a journey into a cave with ancient art.  Too much!!!  The characters are weak and confusing and I couldn't understand what the point was. The ending was just bizarre. It made no sense whatsoever.

BOTTOM LINE:  NOT recommended. This may be the worst book I have read this year. Possibly because I expected so much more. Naslund has good ideas but the book is a mess.  She can't decide what she wants it to be and ends up just frustrating the reader.

Notes in the Margin

New galleys are slowly starting to trickle in. 

I received a new children's title called MUSEUM OF THIEVES by Lian Tanner and a beautiful-looking galley called THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL by Michael David Lukas and MUST YOU GO? : MY LIFE WITH HAROLD PINTER by Antonia Fraser.

A few that should be arriving soon:

THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton (Love her previous book THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN)

and

THE RED GARDEN by Alice Hoffman

I should be done with ADAM AND EVE by Naslund soon so be watching for a review. I was really excited to see that ROOM by Donoghue is doing so well.  It may very well be my favorite book this year. I have been fighting a cold for two weeks and my little one is also sick so my reading has slowed a bit.  But Fall is finally here and, as it is my favorite season, it always invigorates me. 

I have to find some time to sew Noodlebug's Halloween costume. He is going as the Cat in the Hat and his father and I are going as Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Hopefully....

FictFact

I follow several mystery series but it can sometimes be hard to keep track of when new books in the series are coming out. Do you have that problem too?

I just heard about this new site you can subscribe to that will help you track your favorite series. It's called FictFact and it's free! I can look up with Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton and sign up to follow this series. I will then be alerted when new titles become available. Genius!!!
I'm going to go look up all my favorite series right now!!!

THE TOWER, THE ZOO AND THE TORTOISE by Julia Stuart

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

Beefeater Balthazar, his family and their 180-year-old tortoise live in the Tower of London.  Balthazar and his wife are still reeling from the loss of their young son three years ago.  As they struggle to maintain their lives and marriage, they are surrounded by a lively and amusing cast of characters.  When Balthazar is given the responsibility of maintaining the Tower's new menagerie of animals, his life will never be the same. 

Full of interesting trivia about the Tower and its history, this is an utterly charming story about the inhabitants of the Tower and the challenges of their daily lives. Everyone seems to have a secret.  I found myself laughing out loud many times while also tearing up at some of the more endearing and heartwrending parts.  The bizarre cast of characters doesn't stop at the animals and the ancient tortoise. There is a lovesick vicar who writes erotic fiction, a philandering Ravenmaster, a Head Yeoman plagued by ghosts and many others.  I didn't want it to end.  I can definitely envision this as a film. Or, better yet, a BBC show.  All of the characters are interesting and speak to our own desires and secrets.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended. Absolutely charming.  Fans of the GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY will like this one.  A perfect blend of history and touching fiction.

Should you wish to purchase this title, this book link will take you to IndieBound.

I'm an IndieBound affiliate and receive a small commission on any sales:

THE TOWER, THE ZOO AND THE TORTOISE