Laura's Reviews

Irish Lady by Jeanette Baker

2012-01-27T15:42:00.002-06:00

Once I started reading Irish Lady, I had a hard time putting the book down. It’s been a busy week, but I still managed to sneak the book open on odd minutes here and there and probably stayed up too late a couple of nights to read it. It was a riveting story. A blurb on the front cover from one of my favorite authors, Diana Gabaldon, says “Wonderful . . . it grips from the first page to the very last.” I would have to agree.

It’s 1994 and Meghann McCarthy has come as far as she can from her poor Irish Catholic roots. After her family was killed during riots in Northern Ireland when she was a child, she vowed to make a life for herself somewhere where she wouldn’t have to worry about death constantly knocking at her door. A smart student, she first attended Queens College in Belfast and then went on the Oxford. After graduation, she promptly got a job at a prestigious firm and just as promptly, married the much older senior partner, David Sutton. Now the widowed Lady Sutton, Meghann is known as a top-notch lawyer. She thought she has left the past behind her, until she gets a call from Annie, the woman that raised her. Annie’s son Michael, Meghann’s first and true love, has been arrested for the assassination of a politician that was critical to the peace process in Northern Ireland. As Meghann takes on the case, she soon discovers that the stakes and danger are high as someone does not want Michael to get off the murder charge.

As she delves into the case, Meghann also has a mysterious woman that helps her during times of trouble. Through the help of this mystery woman, Meghann “time slips” back and sees the past of her distant ancestors. Nuala O’Neill knows that she wants to marry Rory O’Donnell who is pledged to her sister. After making her father see that her sister wants to be a nun, Nuala is allowed to marry Rory. They have a great passion for each other, but they live in troubled times. Queen Elizabeth of England wants to possess Ireland and rid it of its troublesome lords. Together and apart, Nuala and Rory have to stand strong to try to save their beloved Ireland. When the two face personal turmoil will they cling to each other or find their own life apart?

I loved both the story set in the nineties as well as the story set four-hundred years earlier in the 1590s. The 1990s story held more intrigue, but the 1590s story was more passionate. I really wanted to know how both story lines would resolve. Many time travel or time slip novels with parallel story lines suffer from one story being stronger than the other. Irish Lady did not suffer from this dilemma and had two very strong storylines.

I thought the 1990s story was very intriguing as I don’t know much about the IRA and troubles in North America. I remember it being in the news when I was a teenager, but this book really brought the issues to light for me. It also showed how this is a conflict with roots that go back hundreds of years. I love to read historical fiction novels about Queen Elizabeth, but this put her in an entirely new light. A vain and selfish woman, Elizabeth will do anything to expand her territories and to maintain the image of being a young and beautiful woman.

SPOILER ALERT

While I loved Nuala and Rory’s story line, I’ll admit that I wanted her take her child and leave with Niall. His love for Nuala was twisted, but it was true. When he said that he would love her even when she couldn’t have any more children, I was ready for her to ride off into the sunset with him and their baby. Did anyone else feel the same way?

SPOILER END

Overall Irish Lady is a wonderful Irish tale with intrigue, romance, historical fiction, ghosts, time slips, mystery, and grand passion. In other words, it is a riveting story. I highly recommend it.

Want to read Irish Lady? The giveaway for one copy of the book ends tonight at midnight! Leave a comment at this link for a chance to win this fantastic novel! Also at that link is a wonderful guest blog by Jeanette Baker about America's Love Affair with Ireland.

Irish Lady is my second item in the Historical Fiction Challenge 2012.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

The Brontes: A Beginner’s Guide by Steve Eddy

2012-01-26T09:51:00.002-06:00

I bought The Brontes: A Beginner’s Guide in 2004 while I was perusing the shelves at the downtown Milwaukee Border’s Book Store. That bookstore is sadly gone, but I still have many fine books that I discovered there amongst its shelves. My Milwaukee book club at the time was focusing on the Bronte sisters for the month, so I thought this book would be a quick reminder of what to focus on while I reread the works of the Bronte sisters.

The Brontes: A Beginner’s Guide, is indeed a very helpful book for one who wants to get a bit more out of the works of the Bronte sisters and has either never studied them in school, or can’t remember what was emphasized. The chapters include “Why Read the Brontes Today,” “How to Approach the Brontes’ Work,” “Biography and Influences,” “Major Themes,” “Major Works,” “Contemporary Critical Approaches,” “Modern Critical Approaches,” “Where Next.” At a slim eighty-two pages, this book packs in a lot of good information in a short amount of space. Pictures are included and it is written in a way that is easy for any reader to pick up and understand.

I really liked how this book discussed the Bronte sisters’ keen interest in women’s rights and how they incorporated this into their novels. All three sisters wrote about strong heroines that did not bend to the will of men and searched for meaning in their lives. I find it very interesting.

I’ll admit that I did get a bit lost in the modern critical approaches chapter. It was interesting that as time as passed, critics have come to rate Emily above Charlotte in their reviews. Charlotte is much beloved by feminist critics, and there has been an increase in interest in Anne. Contemporary critics hardly reviewed Anne’s novels, which is a shame as I would rate Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall right up there with Charlotte’s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights. It’s also interesting that contemporary critics of Charlotte Bronte said this of Jane Eyre, “ the plot is most extravagantly improbable.” I disagree. While there are some fantastical elements of the plot, so much of it is based on Charlotte’s real world experiences growing up that it has a deep sense of truth to it.

The major works chapter focuses on Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Shirley (by Charlotte Bronte), Villette (also by Charlotte), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne), and their poems. I thought that since Agnes Grey by Anne and The Professor by Charlotte were the only two novels left out; maybe they just should have included them. I’ve read all of their collected works and I think those two novels are worth reading and discussing as well. I know the chapter was titled “major,” but if that were the case, I probably would have left out Shirley and Villette and just focused on the most famous work by each sister.

The collected poetry of the sisters is only discussed briefly, but overall it states that by far, Emily’s poems are the best and most original of the three sisters.

While not as extensive as a full biography of the sisters, The Brontes: A Beginner’s Guide is a great quick read packed full of great information about the Bronte sisters and their major works. It gives great themes and symbols to look for when you read their works.

This is my second item for the Victorian Challenge 2012.

Writing Charlotte Bronte's Love Story an interview with author Syrie James

2012-01-25T10:52:00.002-06:00

Syrie James, hailed by Los Angeles Magazine as "The queen of 19-century re-imaginings," is the bestselling author of The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë (Great Group Read, Women's National Book Association; Audie Romance Award, 2011); The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen (Best First Novel 2008, Library Journal); and the critically acclaimed Nocturne and Dracula, My Love. Translation rights for Syrie's books have been sold in sixteen languages. An admitted Anglophile, Syrie loves all things 19th century. She lives in Los Angeles and is a member of the Writer's Guild of America.

What inspired you to write The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë?

I have always adored Jane Eyre. I felt compelled to know and understand the woman who wrote that remarkable book, which is still so beloved all over the world more than 160 years after it was first published.  As I researched Charlotte's life, I was astonished to discover how many parts of the novel were inspired by her own experiences. I was also captivated by the engrossing saga of Charlotte's family.

Charlotte lived in Victorian England in a tiny village in the wilds of Yorkshire. Her brother became an alcoholic and a drug addict. Her father, a clergyman, was going blind. Her sisters Emily and Anne were also very talented writers. All three sisters, despite the difficulties of their circumstances, became published authors at the same time. Emily's novel Wuthering Heights is considered one of the greatest masterpieces ever written in the English language, and Jane Eyre is required reading in many high schools, and has been filmed 27 times. I can't think of any other family in history who've achieved a similar literary feat, and I wanted to explore that and show how it happened.  

Add to that the true story of Charlotte's romance! Her father's curate, the tall, dark, and handsome Irishman Arthur Bell Nicholls, lived next door to the Brontës for more than seven years, and carried a silent torch for Charlotte all that time, before he had the nerve to propose. Charlotte disliked him for many years, but her feelings eventually changed, and she grew to love him. I knew that would make a fabulous story—and it had never been told!

How did you do your research?

First, I poured over countless Brontë biographies. I read all their poetry, their published novels, the juvenilia, and Charlotte's voluminous personal correspondence. I studied the art of the Brontës. (Quite remarkable!) I read everything I could find about the life of Arthur Bell Nicholls. Then I went to Haworth, England. The stone buildings in the village's narrow main street still look very much as they did in Charlotte's day.  I made an extended visit to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, which has been preserved to reflect the way it looked when the Brontës lived there, and is furnished with many of their possessions.

What a thrill it was to "haunt" the rooms and lanes where Charlotte and Emily and Anne actually lived and walked, and to stroll through that gloomy graveyard in the pouring rain! Even more thrilling was my visit to the Brontë library, where I was allowed to don protective gloves and read a selection of original letters and manuscripts penned by Charlotte and other members of the Brontë family.  While in Yorkshire, I was also granted a private tour of the former Roe Head School (where Charlotte was a student and later a teacher), which still actively functions as a private school. The main building, inside and out, has not changed much since Charlotte Brontë's time—and the legend of a mysterious attic dweller, the Ghost of Roe Head, still lives!

View photos from my Brontë Tour here.

You mentioned seeing the Brontë's art work during your research. Can you describe it?

Their works are incredibly detailed portraits of women and animals, landscapes, and depictions of nature. Some are pencil sketches; others are beautiful watercolors. Although they did draw from life, many of Charlotte's works of art were copies of other pictures and engravings, which she painstakingly executed dot by dot.  All three sisters were talented artists, Emily perhaps the most accomplished of them all. Branwell was trained to paint in oils and hoped to make a living as a portrait artist, but he did not have the necessary talent or drive to make a success of it. To see all of their art in one terrific volume, check out "The Art of the Brontës" by Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars.

Which books by and about the Brontës do you recommend?

You'll find a list of my favorite books on the Recommended Reading page on my website.

Tell us about the awards your Brontë novel has won.

I’m thrilled that the Women’s National Book Association named The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë a Great Group Read in 2009. They select only a few titles each year, on the basis of their appeal to book clubs and reading groups, choosing books they feel “are bound to open up lively conversations about a host of timely and provocative topics, from the intimate dynamics of family and personal relationships to major cultural and world issues.”

I’m also proud and humbled to announce that the audio book won the prestigious 2011 Audie award in the romance category—another huge honor, since it’s the equivalent of the Emmys and the Oscars, in the audio book world. Recorded Books and narrator Bianca Amato did a wonderful job dramatizing the novel, incorporating dozens of characters and a multitude of accents.

Learn more about The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë.

Read selected correspondence of Charlotte Brontë.

Read selected poetry of the Brontes.

View images of The Brontë Family.

Thank you for having me on your blog today! To learn more about me and all of my books, please visit me at at syriejames.com. I hope you’ll follow me on facebook and twitter, and feel free to email me or leave a message in my guest book. In closing, I’m excited to announce that my new book, Forbidden, which I co-wrote with my son Ryan, is due out Jan. 24. It’s not Victorian—but I hope you’ll love it anyway.

Wuthering Heights (1939)

2012-01-24T10:17:00.003-06:00

1939 was an epic year of filmmaking with Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, and Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights is based on the novel by Emily Bronte and starred Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff, Merle Oberon as Catherine, and David Niven as Edgar. For a summary and review of the novel Wuthering Heights, please see this link.

This movie overall makes Heathcliff and Catherine into much more romantic leads than what was originally in Emily Bronte’s novel. They are painted solely as star-crossed lovers that are just never able to get together because of various misunderstandings. The movie leaves out the entire second half of the novel, which shows how Heathcliff carefully plotted his revenge onto the second generation. In this movie, there are no children born.

Heathcliff first of all is portrayed by the very handsome Laurence Olivier. While I love Laurence Olivier and think he is a spectacular actor, he is not the dark personage described in Wuthering Heights. He is viewed in much more a sympathetic light because of the lack of showing his revenge on the second generation. His wife Isabella is shown to be miserable solely because of his continued love for Catherine. His abuse of her and the knowledge that he only married her to be able to inherit the Linton estate, Thrushcross Grange, is not mentioned. I believe that this movie may be one reason that people think of Heathcliff as a romantic character, when he is really not a very likeable character.

Merle Oberon is a good Catherine, although her selfish motives do not take center stage. I found her to be a much more unlikeable character in the book than in this production. David Niven is a good Edgar, although if I were Catherine and had to choose between a Laurence Olivier Heathcliff and a David Niven Edgar, I would be hard pressed to pick Edgar. You have a passionate love for Heathcliff who shares your passion and he is also hot as sin. Why are you picking the boring neighbor again? I feel kind of sorry for David Niven. I know him from being the Bishop in The Bishop’s Wife. In that movie, he is afraid his wife, Loretta Young, is developing feelings for an angel played by Cary Grant. Niven always seems to be the second fiddle.

The deathbed scene seemed strange to me. There is a very passionate speech from Heathcliff, while Catherine’s husband Edgar kneels by the bed in a prayerful poise saying nothing. This is very different than the death scene in the book. Catherine and Heathcliff have a passionate speech to each other when Edgar is away at church. There is suspense when he returns and he “flies at” Heathcliff enraged to see him there, but Catherine faints. Edgar has a bit more edge to him in the novel.

I did not like the omission of Hindley’s wife, Frances. Hindley is not a good man, but you can understand him better in the novel. First he has to see his father love Heathcliff rather than himself, and then his beloved wife Frances dies. It is easier to see why he became an alcoholic when Frances is in the picture and it humanizes Hindley.

Overall, I enjoyed the romance of the 1939 film version of Wuthering Heights, but I think it did a poor job of bringing Emily Bronte’s classic to life. The romance actually took away from Bronte’s original intent, and the omission of the younger generation made it so the viewers were unable to see the masterful plotting of revenge by Heathcliff.

This if my first item for the Victorian Challenge 2012.

Winners of Dylan by C.H. Admirand

2012-01-24T09:49:00.002-06:00

The two lucky winners of Dylan by C.H. Admirand are Sophia Rose and Na. Both winners were chosen using random.org. They have been notified via email and have one week to send me their mailing addresses. If I don't receive their addresses within that time frame, new winners will be selected.

Want to learn more about Dylan? Check out C.H. Admirand's wonderful guest blog about the allure of cowboys.

Thank-you to C.H. Admirand for being a guest on Laura's Reviews and for writing such an intriguing guest blog and book. Thank-you to Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy of the book and for providing the books for this giveaway.

There still a couple ongoing giveaways . . . please check out my right sidebar!

Winner of Wine to Water by Doc Hendley

2012-01-24T09:38:00.005-06:00

The one lucky winner of a copy of the inspirational book Wine to Water by Doc Hendley is Jean Vogler of Finding Your Gibbee. Jean was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email. She has one week to email me her mailing address, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Wine to Water was a wonderful adventure tale as well as a wonderful story of how one man could make a great difference to so many people in the world. Even if you are sad you didn't win a copy, I highly recommend picking one up to read.

Thank-you to Doc Hendley for doing such great things and for sharing them and the needs of the world through your book. Thank-you for TLC Book Tours for allowing me to review and host this great book. Thank-you to Penguin Group for sending me a review copy of this book and for sending the lucky winner a copy.

There are still plenty of great giveaways ongoing on Laura's Reviews. Check out the right sidebar!

The Brontes in Brief - A Guest Post Biography by BronteBlog

2012-01-20T13:30:00.002-06:00

January is a very Brontë month of the year. Not only does it include Anne Brontë's birthday - she was born on January 17th, 1820 - and her death sentence - on January 5th, 1849 a doctor visited the Haworth Parsonage, not long after the deaths of Branwell and Emily Brontë, and told Patrick Brontë that his youngest daughter hadn't long to live due to tuberculosis - but it's also the first full month of the winter, where there can be very few nicer things than curling up with a good book. The Brontës' verbosity - at least in comparison with today's widespread style - as well as their dexterity at telling a few good stories make for very cosy reading. If you have been made to read the Brontës for school, forget that experience and pick up their novels anew and let them set the pace as well as the atmosphere. You won't regret it.

The Brontës lived most of their lives in Yorkshire. Out of the six siblings - the two eldest girls died early on - the four known today, were all born in the village of Thornton between the years 1816 and 1820: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne. Within a year they would move to the parsonage at Haworth, where their father had been appointed perpetual curate and where they would spend most of their lives. The Parsonage is now a museum well worth a visit and boasting the largest collection of Brontë objects in the world. All sorts of Brontë treasures - from the mundane clothes to the stories they wrote as children and young adults - can be found there, documenting lifetimes of dreams, hopes, and lots and lots of writing.

As children they lost themselves in their imaginary worlds of Angria and Gondal. Angria was mostly Charlotte and Branwell's domain, full of exotic, African-inspired landscapes peopled with their real-life heroes turned into imaginary characters such as the Duke of Wellington and his sons. Gondal was Emily and Anne's and despite being an imaginary island in the South Pacific, the place was pure Yorkshire. Recently an (unpublished) Angria booklet was auctioned for £690,850. There are many tiny booklets telling Angrian stories but from Gondal only the poetry remains.

With that creative upbringing, it was no wonder when the three sisters, disappointed in their jobs as governesses, decided to publish a volume of poetry. The volume gathered a few good reviews but sold but two copies. Undefeated, they decided to try their hand at novels and thus Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's Agnes Grey were first accepted for publication while Charlotte's The Professor was turned down and continued doing the rounds of publishing houses until it reached one where the reader, though unimpressed by the actual, novel, saw the writer's potential and ask to see any other writings. Charlotte, which by now had been busy at work on Jane Eyre - trying to prove to her sisters that a novel could have a plain main character, much like its author - submitted that novel and the rest is history. 1847 saw the publication of three novels that are still widely read today. Not just read but also written about, discussed, adapted, played, etc. No need to look far for that: new film adaptations of both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre were released in 2011, not to mention the amount of books published inspired one way or another by the novels.

Wuthering Heights would be Emily's only novel, though her poetry is still extant and also stunning. But Anne would go on to write The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Charlotte, who lived unil 1855 (only nine months into a very happy marriage - the only sister not to have died a 'spinster'), went on to write Shirley and Villette. The Professor would be eventually published posthumously. Her last novel, Emma (not to be confused with Jane Austen's novel of the same name!), was only just started.

All this to say that though The Brontës' month is only a stop within Laura's Victorian Challenge, the Brontës - much like the Victorians themselves - are alive and well as we constantly see on our blog. We first started in 2005, curious as to what the Brontës' afterlife in the 21st century would be. All these years later we are still surprised by their far-reaching shadows. Enjoy January! (And thanks to Laura for having us here and for keeping the Brontës alive too).

Best wishes with your challenge,

BrontëBlog Team.

Interview with Victoria Connelly, author of Dreaming of Mr. Darcy (and GIVEAWAY!)

2012-01-19T09:38:00.003-06:00

I apologize for my absence from the blog this week. I have a large "pile" of reviews that I need to get posted. Hopefully if I get them out one a day I will get caught up again. I am a new instructor at our local technical college. Sadly I am not teaching a course on Jane Austen or on Victorian Literature, but I am using my day-job experience to teach a bunch of great students about some hand drafting skills. It's taken up a lot of my time to get the class planned, but now that I'm into it, hopefully I'll be able to keep up more with my blog!

This interview is coming a day late, but I'm sure you'll still find it as fascinating as I do. I am happy to welcome, Victoria Connelly to this blog to talk about her new book, Dreaming of Mr. Darcy. She also wrote the excellent A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, a book that I LOVED and that is the first book in this trilogy. As I get caught up posting my reviews over the next week, keep your eye out for my review of Dreaming of Mr. Darcy. And now without further ado, Victoria Connelly.

LAG: How did you first fall in love with Austen?

VC: Jane Austen is such a special writer. I love her warmth and her wit. I adore her characters and the family relationships she portrays, and I love that they make mistakes but are allowed second chances at happiness. I read Pride and Prejudice when I was a teenager and saw the lovely 1940s film version starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson. After that, it became a lifelong obsession!

LAG: What gave you the inspiration for your current trilogy?
VC: I’d been visiting lots of Jane Austen locations including her home in Chawton, Hampshire, which is now a lovely museum. I kept thinking how beautiful these places were and how much fun it would be to write about them and the idea for a trilogy happened very quickly. It would be three separate books about three sets of Austen addicts and each would be set in a different Austen location: Hampshire, Lyme Regis and Bath.

I also wanted to explore what it was like to be an Austen fan in the twenty-first century and how so many of us use Austen to escape from the stresses and strains of the modern world. It’s fascinating to me that she’s as popular as ever.

LAG: Do you dream of Mr. Darcy or Captain Wentworth?
VC: Of course! They are two of literature’s most wonderful heroes. I think Mr Darcy will always be my favourite because he learns so much from Elizabeth and is willing to change for her. He also wants to protect her and her whole family which is so touching.

Captain Wentworth is fabulous too. A man who can tell their loved one: ‘I am half agony, half hope’ gets my vote!

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy Description (from the publisher):

A romance worthy of Jane Austen herself

Praise for A Weekend with Mr. Darcy:

"Sunshine on a rainy day. A charmingly written slice of warmhearted escapism."

- Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of Roommates Wanted

"Lively, funny characters ... the romances of this novel brilliantly reveal one thing that Miss Austen always knew: true love is often a complicated, but beautiful, mess."

- Luxury Reading

Fledging illustrator and Darcy fanatic Kay Ashton settles in the seaside town of Lyme to finish her book, The Illustrated Darcy, when a film company arrives to make a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Kay is soon falling for the handsome bad boy actor playing Captain Wentworth, but it's the quiet screenwriter Adam Craig who has more in common with her beloved Mr. Darcy. Though still healing from a broken heart, Adam finds himself unexpectedly in love with Kay. But it will take more than good intentions to convince her that her real happy ending is with him.

About Victoria Connelly:

Victoria Connelly was brought up in Norfolk and studied English literature at Worcester University before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire. After getting married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales, she moved to London where she lives with her artist husband and a mad springer spaniel. She has three novels published in Germany and the first, Flights of Angels, was made into a film. Victoria and her husband flew out to Berlin to see it being filmed and got to be extras in it. Her first novel in the UK, Molly's Millions, is a romantic comedy about a lottery winner who gives it all away. A Weekend With Mr Darcy is the first book in a planned series to be set in the world of Austen addicts, which is a wonderful excuse for Victoria to read all the books and watch all the gorgeous film and TV adaptations again. Victoria is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a short story called Mummies and Daddies - set in the mummy rooms of the British Museum - in their 50th anniversary anthology, Loves Me, Loves Me Not.

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks has graciously offered a giveaway of one copy of Dreaming of Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly.

If you would like to win a copy of this book please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the this book or this interview with Victoria Connelly.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday February 3, 2012.

Good luck!

Guinevere, The Legend in Autumn by Persia Woolley

2012-01-13T09:04:00.000-06:00

Persia Woolley’s Guinevere trilogy is a fascinating look into the Arthurian legend through the eyes of his (vastly misunderstood) queen, Guinevere. In the third and final novel in the trilogy, Guinevere, The Legend in Autumn, Guinevere is waiting for her execution by burning at the stake. As her final evening stretches out before her, Guinevere reminisces with a knight of the round table, Gareth, about the last years of her rein with King Arthur.

Those final years were mostly good for Guinevere and Arthur, although items were set into motion that would eventually bring down Camelot. Guinevere and Arthur shared a partnership and friendship that together helped them to lead a nation. Guinevere’s passions were stirred by her champion, Lancelot, but he was Arthur’s best friend and the two shared a chaste, but passionate love. Torn by his love for Guinevere, Lancelot sought solace in Christianity and by leaving Camelot to be away from his temptation.

Unable to have children of her own, Guinevere helped to raise her husband Arthur’s son, Mordred, and thought of him as her own. Called the son of Lot by everyone, Mordred did not know his true parentage until later in his teenage years. Discovering he was the unwanted child of an incestuous relationship between his mother Morgause (Arthur’s half-sister) and Arthur, was more than a bit shocking to Mordred. More than that, Mordred was hurt that Arthur would never acknowledge him or at least treat him as a son. Mordred helped to ease relations with the Saxons that had invaded and settled on England’s shores, but he couldn’t help wanting more than what his lot in life had given him.

Several of the standard Arthurian legends are in Guinevere, The Legend in Autumn. Sir Gawain goes in search of the Green Knight. And of course all of the members of the round table go on the hunt for the Holy Grail. I really liked this section of the novel. It presented the grail as meaning something different to each member of the round table depending on their faith and stage in life. It was very interesting. It was also shown as something that ultimately helped to bring down the round table by splintering and killing off many of the loyal members.

I first read Persia Woolley’s Guinevere trilogy as a teenager and I have vastly enjoyed reading again now that I’m in my thirties. I must admit that it is as good as or even better than I remember it from my youth. I love reading tales of Arthurian legend and this trilogy is among the best I’ve read. I’ll admit that I even love it better than my other favorites, Mary Stewart’s Merlin series and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

I love that the series tells the legend from Guinevere’s point of view. So many other tales have Guinevere as a weak willed and even a trampy woman. I greatly approve of her love for Arthur and Lancelot being defined in different ways. Having Lancelot and Guinevere as chaste lovers, is very passionate, and intriguing. Especially at the very exciting end of this novel that I can’t explain without giving away the plot.

My other favorite part of the series is that Persia Woolley did so much research to put the legends into historical context, and to find the “reality behind the myth.” The books take place after the fall of the Roman empire with Britain at threat from the invading hordes of Saxons. This is my first book in the 2012 Historical Fiction Challenge.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!!

Crossed by Ally Condie (Audiobook)

2012-01-12T09:11:00.006-06:00

Title: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Read by: Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: 8 CDs (unabridged), 10 Hours

Source: Penguin Audio Review Copy (Digital Download)

Crossed is the second novel in Ally Condie’s dystopian young adult trilogy. I listened to and really enjoyed the first novel in the series, Matched, last month, and was eager to learn what happened to my favorite characters, Cassia, Ky, and Zander.

At the end of Matched, Ky, has been taken by the society to fight on the front lines and Cassia vows to find him. Crossed is the journey that Cassia takes to find Ky. After her family has been sent to the outer provinces, Cassia, volunteers for a remote work detail that will get her closer to finding Ky. Cassia also starts to discover information about the elusive rebellion. Ky meanwhile is trying to survive an endless war that makes no sense. The Society tells the young soldiers that they will be able to become citizens after they serve their six months, but in reality, no one makes it that long. The young soldiers have no ammunition for their weapons, and are fired upon by remote airships of the faceless, nameless enemy. Zander only appears once in this novel, but his presence is always felt.

I enjoyed Matched, but I loved Crossed. I thought that this second novel in the series was a much stronger novel. It still involved the love triangle, but it focused more on the action and adventure. Much of the narrative moves along in a road trip format with Cassia and Ky trying to escape from the Society and also find each other. New interesting characters are introduced, but the focus stays on the main characters that we know and love.

I felt that Matched seemed like a young adult version of George Orwell’s 1984, and I felt that Crossed was even more so. There is even a scene where the main characters are interviewed and have to remember not to break under their interrogation. The nameless continuous war in Crossed is similar to the same type of war in 1984, although in Crossed we get firsthand experience at that war. As in 1984, the characters that do not accept society and conform to their standards find themselves on the outside.

The Matched audiobook was read only by Kate Simses as the voice of Cassia, the teenaged narrator. I thought she did a fantastic job and did indeed sound like a teenage girl with angst. She continued on as Cassia in Crossed, but Jack Riccobono was added on as the voice of Ky who narrates pretty much every other chapter in Crossed. I really enjoyed the addition and thought he did a great job. I really liked the dual narration. This book had a lot of action and it made it the type of book I couldn’t wait to listen to again. This is the second book I’ve listened to as a digital download on my Droid phone rather than as a CD set. I must admit, I really like this format. I can carry my phone everywhere and listen to it easily without having to find a CD player and remember what CD and track.

I really liked the ambiguous ending and the secret that we learned about Zander. For those that have already read the novel, who do you think Cassia is going to meet at the end? I think she is on her way to meet Zander. I really enjoyed how the novel focused on Cassia and Ky’s journey to find each other, but also their own journey of self-discovery. Cassia and Ky have very different outlooks and goals in life. Will their love keep them together, or will Cassia discover that her goals line up more with Zander?

Overall, I really enjoyed Crossed and I can’t wait for the third novel to come out. November 2012 better get here fast! If you also enjoy young adult dystopian novels, or if you don’t know what that means, but you love a good action adventure with a love triangle, Crossed is for you!

Crossed is my first audiobooks this year for the 2012 Audiobook Challenge.

America’s Love Affair with Ireland by Jeanette Baker (and GIVEAWAY!)

2012-01-11T11:34:00.002-06:00

When people think of Ireland, they call up images of rolling hills with hedges separating a patchwork of fields in various shades of green, thick mists, silver lakes, thatched cottages with peat smoke escaping from chimneys, twisting one-lane roads, friendly pubs, men in caps offering pints all around, women who drink tea in china cups with saucers, bland food and mile after mile of emptiness.

I, too, love the green and gray (well maybe not so much the gray) the boiling clouds, the sudden showers followed by glimpses of a reluctant sun. I love the people, the culture, the music, the literature and the food, particularly the desserts, specifically banoffee pie, a combination of rich toffee, bananas and cream.

Coming back to Ireland after visiting other countries is like coming home to a place where conversation is more important than the clock, where directions have nothing to do with logic and where afternoon tea isn't complete without homemade brown bread, butter and wild blackberry jam. The people, sturdy, blue-eyed and freckled, look familiar. That's not terribly surprising considering that fifty million Americans claim Irish roots. This charming, romanticized view of The Emerald Isle can still be found in small villages. This is the tourists’ Ireland. This is the Ireland you’ll experience if you decide to visit for a week or two. That’s why you love it. Who wouldn’t?

Then there is the language. It is the charm of the syllables, Martara, Ballylongford, Tullahennell, and all the other lovely names that are lost to those of us who live in an America with zip codes and five digit addresses. Americans are intrigued with accents, especially accents associated with English speakers from the British Isles, instinctively believing the speaker has more legitimacy, sounds more intelligent, is somehow worthier of attention than one who hails from within their own borders. Villages like Ballylongford, Killarney, Dingle, BallyMcCelligot, Caheersaveen, Ballybunion, Kilflyn, Kilorglin, Kilronen, Skibbereen slip off the tongues of tourists with the same lilt found in the brogues of locals. The assigning of names like Noreen (little Nora), Pat Joe (Patrick, son of Joseph), Johnny Christmas (John who visits on Christmas Day), Micky Pa (Michael, son of Patrick), Cissy Bon (Christina with the blonde hair) is as welcome and unusual to the American as bacon and cabbage for Sunday dinner.

Maybe it has to do with the Anglo/Irish roots of American literature. Who can argue with Shakespeare, Yeats, Joyce and Dunne? Perhaps it’s the call of their DNA memory. The United States is, after all, a country initially settled by the British and their nearby colonies. All of their presidents have English/Irish/Scottish ancestry. Even President Obama’s late mother traces her roots to Moneygall.

My Ireland, the native’s Ireland, the real Ireland of the European Union, is quite different. My Ireland is crowded, so crowded that traffic clogs up the roads leading into the villages and modern, multi-lane bypasses alleviate the congestion around the towns and cities. Most of the population is under thirty-five and men rarely wear caps. They drink carefully because of no-tolerance laws and because education and prosperity have given them opportunity unheard of by previous generations. The food is delicious and varied, although expensive by American standards, and because of the water, the coffee has a delicious smoky flavor without the slightest hint of bitterness. Corned beef isn’t common, but bacon and cabbage is, a kind of bacon that bears no resemblance to the thin, crispy, fat-layered bacon Americans order with eggs and pancakes. Irish bacon is back bacon, lean, tender and flavorful.

Cleanup isn’t the stream-lined affair American’s are accustomed to. Garbage disposals don’t exist and trash disposal is a problem, so much so that if you don’t bring a bag to the grocery store you’ll have to fork over a significant amount of change to purchase a store bag. Buildings are not temperature controlled, automatic transmission is unusual and clothes’ dryers are considered a luxury despite the inconvenience of daily rain. Coffee and soft drinks are not automatically refilled at restaurants and the bill for a meal for a family of four still causes me to catch my breath in disbelief. Unemployment and a generational reliance on the dole are embarrassingly high by American standards.

None of the above really matters to visitors, of course. It’s enough to settle back with a cup of strong tea, a slice of soda bread and a long afternoon ahead. Listening to a native Irish speaker wax on over politics, Irish football, or even the weather is pure entertainment. Despite its interminable economic difficulties, its graft-ridden local officials and the endless, miserable gray of its skies, there is still something romantic about a country that refuses to organize itself into postal codes. That, and the loveliest scenery in the world, The Ring of Kerry, The Cliffs of Moher, Dun Aengus Fort on the Aran Island of Inishmore, The Gap of Dunloe, Newgrange, the tiny pubs, the traditional music and the honest appreciation for America and the enjoyment of its visitors, continue to draw tourists year after year.

Slan Abhaille

jeanettebaker.com

Jeanette Baker – Facebook

fromanamericanperspective.blogspot.com

Thank-you Jeanette for this wonderful guest blog. I have always had a love for Ireland and a dream of visiting there one day. This blog makes me want to jump on a plane today!

Jeanette Baker is the author of the new novel out from Sourcebooks entitled Irish Lady.

Description of Irish Lady from Sourcebooks:

"A fiercely emotional and romantic tale. Jeanette Baker has a rare gift which allows her to blend genres with gracious ease."

—RT Book Reviews gold rating

The bad boy of her past...

A successful attorney in a posh London neighborhood, Meghann McCarthy thought she'd escaped the slums of Belfast forever. Until Michael Devlin needs her help. Years before, her love for the Irish charmer had nearly torn her apart, but now he's part of a past she never wants to revisit. However, she can't leave him defenseless against a murder charge—even if uncovering the truth puts her life in danger too.

She'll risk everything to save Michael—and she's not the first of her family to put it all on the line for a man she loves. As Meghann delves further into Michael's case, further into the history that binds them so irrevocably, she slips into the unfolding drama of centuries before...of another woman's desperate fight to free her rebel husband from the clutches of Queen Elizabeth. Stakes are high, but the reward is the love of a lifetime. And the Irish never give up.

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks has graciously offered a giveaway of one copy of Irish Lady by Jeanette Baker.

If you would like to win a copy of this book please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the this book or this great guest blog by Jeanette Baker.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday January 27, 2012.

Good luck!

The Allure of Cowboys by C.H. Admirand (and GIVEAWAY!)

2012-01-10T11:04:00.001-06:00

Thanks for inviting me to guest blog today, Laura. I’m so glad you asked about the allure of the cowboy. To me, the cowboy is a symbol of our American heritage: the quintessential male who is strong, honest, and trustworthy. He has a deep abiding faith that keeps him working long after he’s ready to drop from exhaustion. He cares for his horse, and his herd as much as he cares for the women in his life. He can be an Alpha or Beta hero without losing his heart or his appeal. But why don’t I let Dylan tell you what he thinks?

“Hey, Dylan, there are some nice folks here today who want to know more about why cowboys are appealing. Would you like to tell them?”

“Hello, C.H., you know I don’t like to talk about myself.”

“I know, but pretend for a moment that the readers are new to town and you’ve just met them over at Dawson’s Hardware of Harrison’s Feed Store…what would you say to them?”

“I don’t want to be rude, but I’ve got a load of hay coming…”

“Could you spare a couple of minutes to give a quick recap of what working the ranch means to you?”

“Well, I guess just a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. The Circle G’s been in our family for over 150 years. We Garahans have shed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for our land. Fought Indians for it, range wars over it, and almost lost the ranch a few months back. If my older brother Tyler hadn’t answered that ad in the paper for a hardworking man with a strong back, we might not have been able to hold onto our legacy—our ranch—and starting chipping away at the mortgage and feed bills. “

“How did you feel when you had to fill in for him at his night job after Widowmaker tried to skewer him to the barbed wire fence and he couldn’t work?”

“I hated standing up on that stage—wearing those damned briefs, chaps, and my Stetson.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Tyler gave his word.”

“What if it had been you or your younger brother Jesse who’d made that promise?”

“Doesn’t matter. Once a Garahan gives his word, you can count on him to keep it.”

“Does that apply to everything in your life?”

“Is that a trick question?”

“Not at all.”

“Just what are you asking?”

“If you made a promise to a woman that you’d stick around—“

“I already told you—once a Garahan gives his word, he keeps it.“

“Sorry, C.H., but there’s that hay…”

“Not a problem. I’m sure I’ll see you ‘round the Circle G.”

“Count on it, C.H. I’m waiting to see what kind of trouble Jesse gets into.”

See what I mean? There’s just something solid and down-to-Earth cowboys are. They aren’t afraid to tell it like it is and work hard for everything they have.

Although I’d been to Texas a couple of times over the years, I did some research about Eastern Texas, horses, raising cattle, ranch life, etc. The last time I was in Texas I agreed to support one of my author friends and her publisher by going with her to a nearby club—needless to say, if I’d known what type of club it was ahead of time, I might not have suffered through the embarrassment of being so out of my element—but then again, I wouldn’t have had the plot idea for the Garahan brothers.

I grew up going to the Sussex County Fair every summer for as far back as I can remember. While I loved watching the equestrian events and hanging around the horses, my absolute favorite was seeing the 4H kids show their cows—my favorite still is the Brown Swiss—they really do have the prettiest faces.

When we were kids we had a Shetland Pony named Little Miss Muffett. She’d helped teach me a few invaluable lessons. One: Never wear T-strap sandals while tethering a pony. Two: Pay attention to where the pony is before mucking out her stall—ponies bite and Three: caring for a pony is hard work, twenty-four/seven.

If you need a visual, COS Productions created another fabulous video for me—check out the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC9v7XYdTkw.

DYLAN BY C.H. ADMIRAND – IN STORES JANUARY 2012

There was nothing he couldn’t tame…

Dylan Garahan might be an old hand at lassoing fillies, but one night at the Lucky Star club, and he ends up wrapping his rope around someone that even his formidable strength can’t tame. She’s wily and beautiful… and she’s his new boss. Dylan’s had his heart broken bfore, but even an honest cowpoke has to wrestle with temptation…

Until he got his lasso around her…

Ronnie DelVecchio might be fresh off the bus from New Jersey, but she’s a hard-edged businesswoman and has had her fill of men she can’t trust—although she might consider getting off her high horse for that big handsome rancher with a Texas drawl.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.H. Admirand was born in Aiken, South Carolina. She has published 9 bestselling novels for the library market. Her Secret Life of Cowboy series, published by Sourcebooks Casablanca includes Tyler (available now), Dylan (in stores January 2012) and Jesse (in stores July 2012). She lives with her husband, who is the inspiration for all of her heroes’ very best traits, in northern New Jersey. For more information, please visit http://www.chadmirand.com/ or follower her on twitter, @chadmirand.

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks has graciously offered a giveaway of two copies of Dylan by C.H. Admirand.

If you would like to win a copy of this book please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the this book or this great guest blog by C.H. Admirand.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday January 20, 2012.

Good luck!

Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World by Doc Hendley Review and GIVEWAY!

2012-01-04T22:14:00.001-06:00

Wine to Water is the uplifting and heart-breaking personal journey of a young man finding his calling in life. Dickson “Doc” Hendley is the son of a preacher who spent many years trying to discover his true passion in life. He knew he loved Harley motorcycles, playing his guitar, and being a bartender in North Carolina. But it wasn’t until he met a woman who told him about her husband’s work at an aid organization called Samaritan’s Purse that Doc felt his interest truly perked. Doing research on his own, he discovered that there is a vast worldwide water crisis. Disturbed by this knowledge, Doc put together a “wine to water” event at a local bar to raise awareness of the crisis and raise money.

After trying to donate the money to Samaritan’s Purse, Doc was roped in by the organization to see for himself the crisis first hand. Asked to be sent to the worse place in the world, Doc was sent to Darfur in 2004. Once there, Doc went to the UN “no-go” hot spots to help the people that other aid organizations didn’t assist. First hand he discovered the atrocities of a government sponsored genocide. Although he found himself mostly against the Janjaweed terrorists, he also helped them out to have clean drinking water. He also realized that while he sided with the SLA rebels, they were not saints.

On the ground in Darfur, Doc learned that he was good working with people and solving problems. Instead of putting in expensive new wells, he and his crew soon became experts at fixing the wells as a much cheaper alternative. He also learned that to truly achieve clean water, he had to educate the people on how to maintain and fix their own wells.

Doc faced many death defying experiences and also came face to face with pure evil. From it, he was able to find himself, his faith, and a future where he could continue to help those most at need. As Doc stated in the book, he realized that he didn’t have to be a perfect do-gooder, to do good in this world.

I found Doc to be a truly admirable person. His story was like himself, straightforward with no embellishments. His story was very interesting and also at times action packed. It starts with him and his convoy getting shot at and fleeing for their lives. To put your own life on the line to help those most in need is commendable, but Doc is never seeking the commendation. His story really gives the details of what was going on in Darfur, which I admit; I only had the slightest knowledge. Certain aspects of the story, such as when he meets young boy soldiers that show him where their teachers and fellow students were executed, brought me to tears.

The world water crisis is something that I am very interested in as a water resources engineer. I don’t think most people in America realize how lucky we are. You turn on the faucet and get clean drinking water, and when you flush the toilet it disappears. No one thinks about the process it took to get the water to your house or to treat your waste. Clean water in America in the twentieth century is credited as being the number one health benefit for saving lives, not vaccines. Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is as lucky as we are. I vastly admire those that help people across the world find clean drinking water. I had several friends that joined the Peace Corp with such intent in mind, and others that are in Engineers without Borders to also help. I have a dream to also help with Engineers without Borders in about ten years when my kids are bigger. This book really makes me want to follow this dream.

Overall, Wine to Water puts a face to the worldwide water crisis while also telling a darn good story. It is a very fast book to read. In fact my only complaint about the book is that I wanted to know more details about the last five years of Doc’s life, it was glossed over. Book 2 – Wine to Water in Haiti?

I reviewed Wine to Water as part of the TLC Book Tour. For a complete schedule, please check out this link. For more information about the great organization Wine to Water, check out this these links:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Water-Bartenders-Quest-Bring/dp/1583334629

Website: http://winetowater.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5126989835
Twitter: @DocHendley or @winetowater = http://twitter.com/DocHendley or http://twitter.com/#!/winetowater

Giveaway Details

Penguin books and Doc Hendley have graciously offered a giveaway of one copy of Wine to Water by Doc Hendley.

If you would like to win this book please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the this book or this review.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday January 13, 2012. This giveaway deadline has been extended to Friday January 20th!

Good luck!

Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge 2011 Wrap-up

2012-01-04T10:27:00.002-06:00

2011 marked the celebration of 200 years since Jane Austen first became a published author with her wonderful novel, Sense and Sensibility. One of my favorite blogs, Austenprose, hosted a year long celebration in the Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge. I love Austen challenges and was happy to join. I aimed for the "Disciple" level with 5-8 Sense and Sensibility inspired entries. I landed squarely in this level after reviewing seven Sense and Sensibility items in 2011. These items were as follows:

1. I Have Found It
2. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson
3. Sense and Sensibility (2008)
4. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
5. The Sense and Sensibility Screenplays and Diaries by Emma Thompson
6. From Prada to Nada (2011)
7. Expectations of Happiness: A Companion Volume to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility by Rebecca Ann Collins

Overall, I ended up watching many more of my items than reading. I somewhat disappointed myself in this regard, but there is only so much time in the day! It was fun to watch the different versions of Sense and Sensibility and compare (I had also watched the 1981 version in the fall of 2010 right before this challenge). The 1995 version starring Emma Thompson is still my overall favorite version. It was enhanced by reading the screenplay and diaries for the first time.

Expectations of Happiness was an excellent follow-up to Sense and Sensibility. I need to check out more novels by Rebecca Ann Collins in future years. While I love Pride and Prejudice, I feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Mr. Darcy spin-offs. It was nice to revisit other favorite characters with this Sense and Sensibility challenge.

With that being said, I can't wait until 2013, the two-hundred year anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. I can only hope that Austenprose will host another great challenge to celebrate.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: 2011 Wrap-up & 2012 Sign-up

2012-01-03T13:37:00.002-06:00

In January 2011, I joined the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for the first time. I love many genres of fiction, but my ultimate favorite genre is historical fiction. I joined this challenge with the goal of reading 20 historical fiction novels in 2011. I reached my goal by reading a total of 24 historical fiction novels this past year. The novels I read were as follows:

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2. Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth
3. I am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick
4. Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower
5. To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick
6. Legacy by Jeanette Baker
7. A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware
8. A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
9. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Conner McNees
10. When We Danced on Water by Evan Fallenberg

11. Mary of Carisbrooke by Margaret Campbell Barnes

12. The King's Witch by Cecelia Holland
13. Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley
14. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
15. Sea Witch by Helen Hollick
16. Before Versaille by Karleen Koen
17. Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
18. Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
19. Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick
20. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace
21. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
22. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (audio)
23. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (audio)
24. My Love, My Enemy by Jan Cox Speas

I read many excellent historical fiction novels this year, there is not a bad one in this bunch! Which ones were my favorite? Stay tuned the next week or so for my top ten books from 2011. More than one book from this list is on my top ten for the year!

Twenty-two of these books were old-fashioned paper novels, while two were audiobooks. The two audiobooks were books I had read in the past that were chosen for one of my book clubs this year. I chose to explore them in a new format this time around. Five of the twenty-four books were re-reads for me including Water for Elephants, Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, A Reliable Wife, and The Help. It's safe to say these are some of my favorite books of all time.

I read a few children's historical fiction novels this year including Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie to my children and The Betsy-Tacy Treasury for me. The Little House series is how I started my love for historical fiction. I'm now hoping to foster the love in my children.

It's no secret that I love to read historical fiction novels related to kings and queens, but I also enjoy historical fiction novels set in America (Little House, Betsy-Tacy, My Love, My Enemy, A Fierce Radiance, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, The Help, A Reliable Wife, and Water for Elephants). My Love, My Enemy was the most surprising book for me this year. The cover screamed trashy romance, but the inside was a quite good historical fiction novel set during the American war of 1812. I would love read more novels by Jan Cox Speas and I hope they find a more suitable cover.

I very much enjoyed this challenge and I'm signing up for the Historical Fiction Challenge 2012 also hosted by Historical Tapestry. This year I'm aiming for level 3, Struggling the Addiction: 10 books. I'm going to focus on the Victorian Challenge this year so I'll hopefully be reading more classics and straight non-fiction history this year.

I'm hoping that I'll be reading more of one of my favorite sub-genres, the historical fiction thriller this year. It is a favorite of my Kewaunee Library Book Club. Now that the club is back on track after a 1.5 year hiatus, I can hope that we get back to some great books!

2011 Audiobook Challenge Wrap-up and 2012 Audiobook Challenge Sign-up

2012-01-03T12:20:00.001-06:00

This year I joined The 2011 Audio Book Challenge hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner. My goal for the year was to listen to twelve audiobooks. I met that goal and listened to a couple of extra for a total of fourteen audio books this for the year 2011. The audiobooks I listened to were as follows:

1. Rescue by Anita Shreve
2. Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff

3. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

4. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie
5. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

6. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

7. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
8. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

10. Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons

11. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

12. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
13. The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack
14. Matched by Ally Condie

I listened to a lot of fantastic audiobooks throughout 2011. I wanted to pick out a clear favorite, but I enjoyed too many of them in different ways to pick one best audiobook. I did love learning about the history of the legendary Cleopatra in Stacy Shiff's fantastic biography. I also loved the light hearted romance in The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie. The Madoff scandel was brought to life in the fictional account of a wronged wife in Silver Girl by Eline Hilderbrand, and in the painful, but beautiful memoir The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack. I enjoyed starting a new trilogy with Matched by Ally Condie and I'm almost finished with listening to the second book in the series (Crossed) right now. The Help was a wonderful audiobook. I loved the actors who read the parts for each of the main charactesr and brought the story to life. Juliet Stevenson is a marvelous actress and also a wonderful audiobook reader. Her audiobook reading of Sense and Sensibility is not to be missed.

What didn't I like? While The Disappearing Spoon was fascinating subject matter, I think I would have much prefered to read the book rather than listening to it. I needed a periodic table of elements at hand to go along with a lot of the stories. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie just didn't have the same magic for me as The Cinderella Deal did. Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons wanted to be a good audiobook, but abrupt changes in genre brought the book to a rather messy conclusion.

Seven of the audiobooks I listened to I check out from the Kewaunee Public Library, five I received as review copies from Hachette Audio, and two I received from Penguin Audio. Thirteen of the audiobooks I listened to on CD, while one I listened to as a digital audiobook on my droid. I really liked the digital audiobook experience and hope to check it out more this year. Unfortunately, while my library does offer digital audio to check out, most of the books I look up have a VERY long waiting list.

I am joining the 2012 Audiobook Challenge once again hosted at Teresa's Reading Corner. I am going to aim for 12 audiobooks again this year, which is the level "Going Steady." It looks like it will be a fun challenge again this year with a few new and intriguing features. I'm currently listening to Crossed by Ally Condie and A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry. What are you listening to or planning to listen to this year?

January Post Link-Up for the Victorian Challenge 2012

2012-01-02T15:30:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it is 2012 already. For the month of January, post the link to your Victorian review below in Mr. Linky. This link-up is for all January reviews for the Victorian Challenge, not just Bronte reviews. If you haven’t signed up for the challenge yet, go to this sign-up link.

January is Bronte month. You can post any Victorian related item you like this month, but I am going to focus on the Bronte sisters and you are allowed to focus with me! We will hopefully have a couple of guest blog posts on the Bronte sisters through the month also to celebrate the Bronte sisters.

The Bronte sisters were three very gifted sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte that lived in Haworth, Yorkshire, England during the Victorian Age. Their early life was marred by the tragic passing of their mother and of their elder sisters when they were children. Raised by their father the reverend Patrick Bronte and their aunt Elizabeth, they along with their brother Branwell, allowed their active imaginations to take flight and create wonderful juvenilia. As adults they became published with a book of poetry and then wrote wonderful novels. Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre, Villette, The Professor, and Shirley, while Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, and Anne wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Tragically all three sisters died young.

I was looking over the Brontes’ collected works and realized that while I have read all of their novels, I have not read any of their poems. I hope to rectify that matter this month.

For great reading/viewing/audio ideas related to the Brontes, check out this post for the Bronte Challenge 2010 and all of the great reviews from that challenge at this post.

I look forward to reading your reviews this month!

Please post the name of your blog followed by the item you reviewed. For example, Laura's Reviews (Jane Eyre).

Winner of Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley

2012-01-02T11:43:00.001-06:00

The lucky winner of Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley is CarolNWong. I have contacted her via email. She has one week to respond with her mailing address. If I don't hear from her, I will draw a new winner. CarolNWong was chosen using random.org.

Thank-you to everyone who entered this great giveaway and to Penguin for allowing me to review this book and host the giveaway.

Sad you didn't win? Stay tuned for a new giveaway that will be posted on Wednesday this week and future giveaways this month.

Happy New Year!

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

2011-12-31T17:40:00.001-06:00

The boys and I spent the later part of this summer and fall slowly reading Little House on the Prairie. I was putting Penelope to bed a lot of the nights while Ben read to the boys so it took a while. Now that she goes to bed fairly quickly, we quickly finished Little House on the Prairie a couple of months ago. I seem to be consistently running about two posts behind on my blog, but I’m finally finding time to write this review!

Little House on the Prairie was given to me by my Great-Grandma Kile on my eighth birthday and was one of the most beloved books of my childhood. I read it so many times that it is a very tattered worn copy that is falling apart when I now read it to my children.

My sons are five and three and the loved listening to Little House on the Prairie. The three-year old did have some attention problems when the pictures were few and far between on some chapters, but the action always soon roped him back in.

The beginning of the book is the Ingalls family journey from Wisconsin to the prairies of Kansas. The journey is arduous, but also a great adventure. Jack the dog has a nail-biting adventure of his own, which left my kids in tears one night, but very happy another. Once they arrived in Kansas, Pa found the perfect spot to build their little log cabin on the prairie. The detail on how exactly the home was built including the stable, roof, chimney, and digging of the well intrigued my boys. I think Kile is ready to build his own cabin on the prairie.

The adventures continue while they are building the cabin and after they make it a home. They meet a bachelor neighbor named Mr. Edwards. Ma does not approve of his rough ways, but Laura takes an instant shine to him. Mr. Edwards helps Pa with putting the roof on the cabin and Pa helps him with his place. My favorite chapter of the book (and one of the boys’ as well) is “Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus.” After much rain, the Ingalls girls are told that Santa Claus will not be able to make it to their place for Christmas. Mr. Edwards meets Santa Claus in Independence and brings the Ingalls gifts over the flooded river to surprise them for Christmas. Even Ma’s heart is melted towards Mr. Edwards as he relates his journey and he makes Laura and Mary’s day complete. It is wonderful how the spirit of Christmas can be found in having a tin cup of your own. This chapter alone is one of my favorite Christmas stories.

Little House on the Prairie gives a view of the Native Americans as white settlers viewed them at the time. Although Pa seems more open minded then Ma, he is technically squatting on Indian reservation land that he has no right to be on. I never really thought about this when I was a child. After such comments in the book as “The only good Indian is a dead Indian,” I tried to give the boys a more enlightened views of Native American/Settler relations. I told them how the Native Americans were here first and the settlers took the land away and there was much fighting involved. That didn’t stop the boys from playing, “The Indians are going to attack!!” later that day. I tried!

It was an amazing life the settlers lived on the prairie. When the Ingalls family comes down with an illness and all pass out in their home, they are lucky that a passing Indian doctor (Dr. Tann) is able to help them to survive. I think it is interesting that Dr. Tann is actually an African American doctor. It is interesting to read about fascinating African Americans of the 19th century. A deadly prairie fire, chimney fire, and near fatality in the digging of the well, made one wonder how people survived. As my husband Ben said, many did not.

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about the details of her life and I always consider this book to be “non-fiction.” It is in reality historical fiction as Laura changed some facts to make the timeline smoother. The Little House on the Prairie adventures actually took place before Little House in the Big woods in real life and Laura was too little to remember. She supplemented her memories with the memories of Ma and Mary. This book is my 22nd and final book for the Historical Fiction Challenge 2011.

Overall, Little House on the Prairie is a wonderful, enthralling, educational adventure story that is enjoyable for young boys, girls, and their parents.

Book Source: I received this book for my eighth birthday many years ago!

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

2011-12-27T23:48:00.000-06:00

The Best of Me is the January pick for my FLICKS Book and Movie Club and is the latest novel by bestselling author Nicholas Sparks.

The Best of Me is the story of Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole. Amanda was a pampered princess of their small Southern town and Dawson was from the wrong side of the tracks. Back in the 1980’s, they were each other’s first love. After learning that Amanda was accepted to Duke, but her parents wouldn’t pay for her to attend if she kept dating Dawson, Dawson broke up with her. They wouldn’t see each other again for twenty-five years. Dawson was soon after involved in a tragic accident and Amanda moved on with her life with marriage and kids. After the death of their mentor Tuck, they both end up back in Oriental North Carolina to say goodbye and rediscover each other.

While I have enjoyed Sparks books in the past (especially The Wedding), I didn’t think this was one of his best. It was immensely readable and the action kept the plot moving, but the plot seemed like a rehash of previous Sparks novels. The overall theme for me seemed to be even if you were in a tragic accident beyond your control and you spent your life trying to make up for it, it was never good enough. That is more than a depressing message. I also guessed the ending before the end and I didn’t like the end.

I never felt like I really liked Amanda or Dawson. I didn’t care as much about their love for each other as I should have.

I also didn’t like how Amanda and Dawson broke up to begin with. I guess I figure if you are that in love, you don’t have to break up so that Mommy and Daddy can pay for you to go to college. I thought that was more than a bit lame. Maybe I am biased since I had to actually work and take out loans to pay for my entire college education myself.

I am also usually against novels where there is an affair or leaving of a spouse and your children. Yet in this case, Amanda has been unhappily married to alcoholic Frank for years. Although they’ve gone to counseling and she’s talked to Frank about the problem, things do not change. I guess I’m all for keeping your family together, but when you have your kids living with an alcoholic, I’m not sure you are doing anyone any favors.

Tuck was an important part of the book, but I didn’t feel that you got to know him that well. I think there should have been more Tuck. I also couldn’t wait to read the letters he left both Amanda and Dawson, but I thought they were a bit of a let-down when you actually got to read them.

Overall, The Best of Me was readable, but I would skip it and read one of Sparks other much better novels such as The Wedding.

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library

Winner of Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

2011-12-27T23:44:00.001-06:00

The winner of Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley is Leah of The Polliwog Blog. Leah was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email. She has one week to respond with her mailing address, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Thank-you to Phillipa Ashley for the fantastic guest blog. Thank-you to Sourcebooks for allowing me to host this giveaway, and thank-you to all who entered.

I still have one giveaway currently going if you check out my right sidebar!

Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

2011-12-23T10:29:00.001-06:00

Carrie Goes Off the Map is a very enjoyable road trip novel through England. Carrie is two weeks away from marrying her long-time boyfriend Huw, when he drops a bombshell; he is breaking up with her. Carrie had put aside her own dreams of becoming an actress for Huw and had spent the years since graduating from college helping Huw run his family dairy farm.

Suddenly, without a purpose in life, Carrie moves in with her friend Rowena and tries to determine what her next move will be. Rowena tries to cheer Carrie up by planning a European road trip in a vintage VW camper named Dolly. Unfortunately, Rowena is unable to go at the last minute and has found a new companion for Carrie, the handsome Dr. Matt Landor.

Matt is back from his work in Tuman after an unfortunate accident. Commanded to take four months off to rest and get himself back together, he is not sure what he is going to do with his time off. Matt was friends with Huw back at the University, and after meeting Carrie again at a bad moment (it’s a classic moment in the book, I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t read it yet!) he is officially intrigued. Together they go on a tour of Southern England and learn how to move on with life. And also learn more about each other.

I really enjoyed this book. At one point, a barber cuts Matt’s hair and says that he looks like a modern Mr. Darcy. There were indeed elements of that classic story in this book with Carrie and Matt meeting again after so many years and having a misunderstanding that sets the two at odds at first. Carrie was much more against Matt than he is against her. Their delightful friction kept me entranced throughout the book.

I also loved the description of the road trip in the campervan. It sounded like a lot of fun. Phillipa Ashley wrote a great guest post for this blog describing her travels in a campervan as part of the research process for this novel. The post is intriguing and if you leave a comment by midnight tonight, you have a chance to win a copy of this great book!

I also really liked an odd thing too, that Huw was a dairy farmer. The descriptions of the mega farm and life on the farm reminded me a lot of life around Wisconsin, aka Dairyland USA. It made me realize that things really are not that different between the United States and England. It was funny that Huw was considered quite a catch as he was a rich farmer, which is the same as some of the farmers in my county who are millionaires. Family farms are not the same as they used to be anywhere anymore it seems.

Overall, I found Carrie Goes Off the Map to be a delightful book with great characters, romance, and a wonderful journey. Phillipa Ashley has become one of my new favorite contemporary romance authors.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

2011-12-21T14:41:00.005-06:00

All I can say is “wow” after finishing I’d Know You Anywhere. It is a powerhouse of a book, one that I literally could not put down. I’d Know You Anywhere is a riveting suspense thriller that causes one to question your position on the death penalty and the justice system.

Eliza Benedict has returned from England with her family and settled near her hometown in Maryland with her loving husband Peter, her troubled teenage daughter Iso, and her precocious young son, Albie. They seem the picture perfect family (except for troubles with their teenage daughter) until the day that Eliza receives a letter from convicted murderer Walter Bowman.

As a teenager, Eliza was kidnapped by Walter and held captive for weeks. She was also his only victim that was left alive. Eliza has spent her time since trying to stay out of the spotlight and to let no one know her past. Changing her name from Elizabeth to Eliza and taking her husband’s last name helped. But what helped most of all was staying out of the area. After seeing her picture with her husband at a society event in the paper after her return, Walter knows that Eliza is his last chance to get off of death row. His execution by the state of Virginia is eminent, and he plays a game of manipulation with Eliza as his one chance to save himself.

What follows is a riveting story. The novel flashes back and forth from the past to the present. As Walter starts his life of crime in 1985 and kidnaps Elizabeth in the past, in the future Eliza tries to hold her family together and protect her privacy. I found myself wanting to know how the situation ended in 1985 and also what was going to ultimately happen to Eliza and Walter in the present.

Also riveting was the sheer canvas of fascinating characters. Lippman had a wonderful cast of three-dimensional characters that were captivating. Even if I didn’t agree with their motivations or ideas, I could understand where they were coming from. Such characters included Barbara, an activist against the death penalty and Trudy, the mother of one of Walter’s victims. The characters all came alive and seemed like ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

The crimes itself are every mother’s worst nightmare. It disturbed me to think that such evil could exist in the world and makes me want to lock up my children. To imagine your 13-year old daughter kidnapped from the end of your driveway is horrifying. What was great about this book is that it doesn’t focus on the violence of the crimes, but more on the effects on the people involved.

I’d Know You Anywhere was our book club pick for the Kewaunee Library Book Club in December. Our book club has been on hiatus, but I’m glad it’s going again. Everyone loved the book (except for one person who did not read it and shall remain nameless) and it provided riveting discussion.

As Kathy pointed out at book club, one of the best quotes in the novel is as follows:

“They were well today, but that could end tomorrow. Of course that was true of every happy family. The difference was that the Lerners knew. Having been unlucky once, they could be unlucky again. There was no protection, no quota system when it came to luck. It was like that moment in math when a child learns the odds of heads or tails is always one-in-two, no matter how many times one has flipped the coin and gotten heads. Every flip, the odds are the same. Every day, you could be unlucky all over again.”

A quote I enjoyed (being a Janeite myself) was “No. I shortened my name in high school to avoid . . . complications. Then I met Peter, and we decided to marry, and well, do you know your Jane Austen? Can you imagine what it’s like to be wonderfully close to Elizabeth Bennet, if only on legal documents? It’s pretty much every Janeite’s fantasy.”

This is my second Laura Lippman novel that I have loved this year (after The Girl in the Green Raincoat). I can’t wait to read The Most Dangerous Thing, which is on my shelf taunting me.

Overall, I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman is one of the best books I’ve read this year and will definitely be on my “top ten” list for the year. I can’t say enough good things about it and I feel like I’m not describing it as great as it was. Just believe me and pick up a copy for yourself! As Stephen King states, I’d Know You Anywhere is “the best suspense novel of the year.”

Book Source: Review Copy from HarperCollins Publishers. Thank-you!

Matched by Ally Condie (audiobook)

2011-12-18T23:18:00.004-06:00

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie
Read by: Kate Simses
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Length: 8 CDs (unabridged)
Source: Kewaunee Public Library

In the future, the world has been perfectly engineered to end all violence and prolong life and happiness. Everything is rigidly controlled by the Society from the food that is eaten to the spouse chosen for each individual. Cassia has chosen to be “matched” with the perfect spouse chosen for her rather than to remain single. She is more than a little surprised at the match banquet to discover that she has been matched with her childhood friend, the handsome Xander. Cassia has always trusted the Society, but the morning after the match when she goes to view her match’s data card, Ky Markham’s face flash up rather than Xander’s. Ky also goes to school with Cassia. A Society official tells Cassia that is was a mistake by the society, but as Cassia’s dying grandfather implores her, Cassia starts to wonder.

Is the Society always right? Can you wonder about a different future than the one plotted by the society?

Matched has been on the top of my “to-read” list for the past year. I was lucky enough to be able to review the second novel in the series (Crossed) and decided I better listen to book one, Matched, first. I really enjoyed listening to this novel. Reader Kate Simses has a voice that sounds like a teenage girl and it very much sounded to me as if Cassia was narrating her life story to me.

Matched is a young adult dystopian novel in the same vein as The Hunger Games. While The Hunger Games focused on the action of the games, Matched focuses more on love and the love triangle of Cassia, Ky, and Xander. I enjoyed the love story and think that it would appeal to my FLICKS Book and Movie Club members. The action picks up in Crossed.

As I listened to Matched, I was reminded a lot of 1984 by George Orwell. The novel even referenced a particular scene at the end of 1984 in a conversation between Ky and Cassia where they promise never to break under torture and give each other up. Like 1984, the repressive society tells the citizens that there is an endless nameless war that they are winning on the fringes of society. The people are treated as sheep or cogs in the society machine that are always monitored and watched. They must fulfill their role in the society, or the society gets rid of the malfunctioning piece.

Overall, I really enjoyed Matched. It was a great start to a new series and definitely has me interested. I enjoyed the love story and young adult reimagining of 1984.

Matched is my fourteenth item for The Audiobook Challenge 2011.

Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley (Review and GIVEAWAY!)

2011-12-14T11:08:00.002-06:00

I am a fan of the Penguin Lives series. I own a copy of Jane Austen by Carol Shields and was more than happy to be asked to review Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley (and James Joyce by Edna O'Brien). The Penguin Lives series is a set of books where famous current authors examine the lives of famous past authors. This leads to insightful reads that give you the highlights of the authors’ lives and works, without becoming tedious lengthy tomes. Jane Smiley is the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Thousand Acres (which I read by in the 1990’s long before this blog).

I love Charles Dickens and have enjoyed reading several of his novels in the past and also watching countless screen and stage productions of his works. Smiley presents Dickens as the father of Victorian literature (and who can argue that point?) and the most famous English author besides Shakespeare (ahem, Jane Austen?). “Nevertheless, between December 1, 1833, when his first piece ran in the Monthly Magazine, and November 9, 1838 when Oliver Twist was published in three volumes, Charles Dickens had become the most important literary figure of his day, the first Victorian novelist.” She writes the book from a great point of view, the point of Charles Dickens as he becomes an author with details of his traumatic childhood past only becoming apparent as he grew older and started to explore his past in his writing. Smiley also explores each of his novels; the plot, the process in writing the novel, and the critical and popular reception of the novel. From The Pickwick Papers to the unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood, it was fascinating.

Charles Dickens was an incredibly gifted artist with a life that seemed to be a stuff of legends, or one of his novels (which parts of it were included in many of his novels). This book gave me a good overall view of the man, but also included many tidbits that I didn’t know. I didn’t realize that Dickens was also an amateur actor. While he didn’t become a famous actor as a young man, he used his acting abilities to entertain his friends and also to create the characters in his novels. I found his process to be fascinating. His children reported in later years that he would speak in strange voices in front of a mirror and then would rush back to his desk and furiously write. Later in life, he used his acting abilities to his advantage and had reading tours for the last ten or fifteen years of his life where he would read and perform passages from his books on stage. What I wouldn’t give to have been in an audience listening to Charles Dickens read from A Christmas Carol. As Smiley states, “That appropriating, mimicking, and delighting in the plentiful varieties of the English speech was one of Dicken’s signal traits, all of his acquaintances agreed upon, and he was perfectly alive to how speech and characteristic action revealed character.”

Dickens love life was also fascinating. He had a four year “obsession” with his first love Maria Beadnell, but was unable to marry her due to opposition from her family. Hilariously when he met her in later years, he found her to be fat and talkative and therefore created an annoying character in her image in Little Dorrit. He then shortly thereafter married Catherine Hogarth. This marriage was an unhappy one that also produced ten children. He seems to have liked Catherine’s sisters rather than her. Catherine’s sisters Mary and Georgina lived with them at various points in their marriage to help with their children. Some of my favorite passages in this book were where author Jane Smiley let her thoughts be known on how Dickens treated his wife Catherine. One such passage is as follows. “Catherine was pregnant again, with the Dickenses’ eight child, sixth son. As Frederick W. Dupree notes, ‘To his more and more open dismay, she continued to bear him children at brief intervals. . . ‘ The modern reader must wonder how he expected her to stop bearing these children, but nineteenth century sources don’t engage substantively with the harder dilemmas of reproductive rights and choices.” After separating from his wife in 1858, Charles Dickens had a long term relationship with actress Ellen Ternan until his death. There seems to be some debate on whether they were lovers or not . . . I tend to think they were.

I was also fascinated by Charles Dickens philanthropy. In 1839, Dickens met Angela Burdett-Coutts, a wealthy heiress. Together they worked on projects to benefit the needy. As Dickens had been a poor boy with his father in debtors’ prison, working in a blacking factory, he uniquely understood the problems. Unlike other authors of his era, Dickens was a self-made rich man that had lived on the other side. He was also a great walker and liked to walk around the depths of London, seeing the other side of life. He brought his social message into his novels. Oliver Twist explored the underworld of London for a poor boy, Bleak House explored the broken legal system in Britain, Little Dorrit explored the world of debtor’s prison, etc. Dickens pointed out situations that needed to be fixed and that perhaps people in the other classes at that time were not even aware. It makes for a fascinating portrayal of British Victorian society when one reads them our modern perspective. No one was above Dickens critique or use as characters in his novels including friends.

Overall, I found Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley to be a fascinating, succinct portrayal of Dickens life and works. I recommend it to all who would love to learn more about this famous, beloved author, but don’t want to read an in-depth, lengthy analysis.

Interested in Victorian authors? I just posted the sign-up for a Victorian Challenge 2012. As I read this book, I realized that Charles Dickens 200th birthday is in February 2012. Therefore in February, we will focus our challenge on Charles Dickens. I’m going to read Oliver Twist as I must admit I have never read it!

Giveaway Details

Penguin books has graciously offered a giveaway of one copy of Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley and one copy of James Joyce by Edna O'Brien.

If you would like to win both of this books please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the the books, Charles Dickens, James Joyce, or this review of Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday December 30th.

Good luck!

Winner of Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. Spalsbury

2011-12-14T10:50:00.001-06:00

The lucky winner of an autographed review copy of Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. Spalsbury is traveler. Traveler was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email. Traveler has one week to respond with her mailing address. If I don't hear from her within that time frame, new winner will be chosen.

Thank-you to TLC book tours for allowing me to be on this tour, author Jeff R. Spalsbury for writing great stories and sending me this copy of the book, and all of you who entered the giveaway.

I still have one giveaway currently going . . . and will be adding another shortly so stay tuned!!

Victorian Challenge 2012 Sign-up

2011-12-12T14:28:00.001-06:00

I’m trying something new this year on Laura’s Reviews, a Victorian Challenge. I hosted the All About the Brontes Challenge in 2010 and greatly enjoyed it. Last year I had a newborn baby girl, and with her I had three children ages four and under so I took a year off! In October I opened up a survey to readers of this blog to determine whether I should bring back All About the Brontes or a new challenge. It was determined from the poll and the comments that most people were looking for a new challenge in which the Brontes were included, but other authors could also be explored. A Victorian Challenge won the poll by a slim margin, and I look forward to a new challenge.

For the Victorian Challenge, we will focus on the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. We will count books that were written by Victorian authors during this time period, books set during the Victorian age, or books about a Victorian author, history, manners, architecture, Queen Victoria etc. Also besides reading books, short stories, audiobooks and movies will also be accepted. The sky is the limit; I would love to make this a true celebration of all things Victorian.

I would also like to challenge myself to have one Victorian author to focus on for each month of 2012. I will post something about that author each month and will read, listen, or watch something related to that author as well. Fellow challenge goers can join me if they would like, or can take the challenge in any direction that they choose. I had a poll in November to help pick the twelve Victorian authors readers of this blog were most interested in focusing on and the following authors were picked:

January: The Bronte Sisters

February: Charles Dickens

March: Robert Louis Stevenson

April: Emily Dickinson

May: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

June: George Eliot

July: Oscar Wilde

August: Anthony Trollope

September: Elizabeth Gaskell

October: Mark Twain

November: Lewis Carroll

December: Louisa May Alcott

I was part of a great Victorian Challenge in 2009. If you need ideas for books you would like to explore, take a look at this site.

Challenge Details

1. The Victorian Challenge 2012 will run from January 1st to December 31st, 2012. You can post a review before this date if you wish.

2. You can read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an audiobook, anything Victorian related that you would like. Reading, watching, or listening to a favorite Victorian related item again for the second, third, or more time is also allowed. You can also share items with other challenges.

3. The goal will be to read, watch, listen, to 2 to 6 (or beyond) anything Victorian items.

4. Please sign-up by posting your blog entry on the number of items and what items you would like to do for this challenge below in Mr. Linky (Don't just post your blog's URL). Don't worry, you can do different things than you have listed. I myself am not always good at sticking to lists!

5. You can still join even if you do not have a blog. Just post the title of the book you read (movie you watched, etc.) in the comments along with your thoughts on the item to promote discussion.

6. I will put up a post each month with Mr. Linky on it for posting your reviews. Look at the right sidebar for the latest link.

7. Enjoy!

Mr. Billy Saves St. Nicholas Day

2011-12-07T14:17:00.001-06:00

As a parent, it is hard to find good music for the kids that doesn’t make me want to tear my ears off instantly or that will take its time to slowly drive me insane. Ben and I are always on the lookout for good music that is enjoyable for the kids as well as for adults. We were pleased to discover Mr. Billy at Thomas the Tank Engine day at the National Railroad Museum in the summer of 2010. We saw him again at Thomas this past summer and he also had a concert at our local Kewaunee library.

The boys loved seeing Mr. Billy live. They not only enjoy his music, but he gets the kids involved in the production by playing instruments, having bubbles, etc. I also like that his music is a family affair with his son on drums and his daughter playing a variety of instruments.

The boys (and girl) love to listen to Mr. Billy’s CDs. They have his CD Batteries Not Included memorized. Their particular favorite song is “Something Fishy.” It is such a catchy tune that Ben and I find ourselves singing it around the house. They also have Big Pumpkin, Mr. Billy’s Halloween CD memorized. It is great Halloween music for kids, it is not scary, but enjoyable Halloween tunes. The boys particularly like to sing along with “Big Pumpkin” and “Melvin the Skeleton.”

And that leads me to my story about how Mr. Billy saved St. Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas Day is on December 6th and celebrates the feast of the Catholic Saint Nicholas who is the basis for our modern day Santa Claus. Growing up in downstate Michigan, I had never heard of St. Nicholas Day, but I soon discovered it when I went off to college at Michigan Technological University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My roommate and many students up there are from Wisconsin (with a few like my husband from Minnesota) where St. Nicholas day is celebrated as a sort of precursor to Christmas. Children leave their boots or stockings out the evening of the 5th and St. Nicholas fills them with candy and small presents in the night.

As the boys love Mr. Billy so much, I ordered his newest CDs Rock and Roll Railroad and Rockin’ All Over the World from Mr. Billy himself for St. Nicholas Day gifts. I also ordered Mr. Billy’s Christmas CD, It’s Christmas Everywhere. It’s Christmas Everywhere was on backorder, but Mr. Billy himself made sure that the boys got their music on time by making a trip to Luxemburg (the Wisconsin village, not the small European country) to drop off the CDs to my husband this past Monday. I was surprised and pleased at how Mr. Billy went the extra mile to make sure the kids had a special day.

On the morning of the 6th, the first thing Kile noticed in his boot was Mr. Billy’s Rockin’ All Over the World which he then wanted to listen too while he made his way through the rest of the items in his boot. The boys promptly listened to the rest of the CDs yesterday and are thrilled to have new Mr. Billy CDs to memorize.

My husband Ben particularly loves Rock and Roll Railroad. It has a hard rock undercurrent throughout that Ben (and myself) enjoyed. The boys LOVE trains and they love an entire album with train themed songs. Rockin’ All Over the World matched the summer library program from 2011. Kile and Danny instantly recognized many of the tunes they had heard Mr. Billy sing at the library from the album and really enjoyed it. They also like It’s Christmas Everywhere, particularly “Winter in Wisconsin” as it mentioned nearby Green Bay and their home state of Wisconsin. It will be interesting to see as we listen to these CDs more, which songs will become favorites.

While Mr. Billy is from the nearby Green Bay area, he tours across the country during the summer. Check out his webpage for more details, and check out his music. It is music that is not only enjoyable for kids, but for their parents as well.

Also leave a comment if about St. Nicholas Day and/or children’s music. Do you celebrate it? Have you found good music for kids that is enjoyable for adults as well?

From Road Trip to Fiction: Writing Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley (and GIVEAWAY!)

2011-12-06T14:31:00.001-06:00

I am happy to have author Phillipa Ashley as a guest on Laura's Reviews today talking about her new novel, Carrie Goes Off the Map. I posed the following question to Ms. Ashley and got a very entertaining guest blog response.

From road trip to fiction, what about your research trip made it into the book and what was left behind?

I think the old ’iceberg rule’ holds true. You only really use a tiny fraction of the research you’ve done in the finished book. Even with a contemporary novel, it’s very easy to get carried away with dumping knowledge into scenes and that holds up the pace of the story for the reader.

On saying that, my road trip in South West England in a vintage VW campervan trip did made a big difference to the book, both in terms of atmosphere and plot. I’m convinced that if I hadn’t actually sampled such a journey myself, the book would not be the one it is now.

I’d actually started the draft before I went on the trip and had a good grip on the characters and an idea of where the plot was heading, but I knew it would be so much better and more fun to actually experience the campervan lifestyle.

VW campervans have iconic status in the UK. You see them rattling down the motorway, adorned with bright colours and surfboards on the roof, heading for the beaches of Devon and Cornwall. I chose a VW van for Carrie’s journey because it was quirky and individual, like the characters. The van also seemed the perfect vehicle for bringing Carrie up close and personal with her own emotions, challenges and goals in life - and of course, with the gorgeous but infuriating Dr Matt Landor.

I’d been camping with my husband as a student, but this trip was to be the first time we’d stayed in such a small vehicle without technology, home comforts or a bathroom. Not a problem, I thought, I can rough it and camping out under the stars always looks so idyllic...

There was only once slight concern. Carrie and Matt travel in high summer but we needed to take the trip in March!

In early spring, the UK can be reasonably mild, with daffodils are in bloom and lambs in the fields but it can just as well bring thick snow, gales and lashing rain! Plus we were heading for the north coast of Devon, to a stunning campsite that was exposed to the full force of nature. In the end it was fine every day – but boy, was it cold. We definitely had to snuggle up to keep warm, with only the canvas roof between us and the elements.

I thought carefully about Carrie’s itinerary because it had to reflect her emotional journey after she loses everything – her fiancé, her job, her home, self esteem and belief in happy endings. So she starts off by throwing away her engagement ring, feeling bitter and cynical and with no real sense of direction.

In our five day trip, there wasn’t time to do the whole route that Matt and Carrie take, but I had already been to the other main novel locations including St Ives, an old fishing village in Cornwall and the Minack Theatre, an amazing open air amphitheatre carved out of the cliffs. I used North Devon, where we took the campervan, the first place that Carrie and Matt stop. It’s a big surfers’ hang out as you’ll find out from the novel.

Other experiences made it into the book. What a shock it was to take wheel of a 40 year old van! The driving made for some fun scenes and actually provided the idea for a major turning point in the novel. The cramped conditions were ‘interesting’ and I realised the van didn’t have physical space for one scene I had in mind... as you’ll read.

I also learned a valuable lesson: never let research take precedence over the characters. I had planned to have a rescue at sea in the book and so I arranged a visit to an RAF Search & Rescue base in Devon. The visit was thrilling, we saw the SAR helicopter landing and I got to sit in the pilot’s seat and interview one of the crew. But when I’d finished the draft I realised the scene didn’t really fit in, no mater how much I wanted it there, so I deleted it. It stung to cut out all those words and rewrite but I'm so glad I did.

The story always comes first and I can always save that research for a new book!

Carrie Goes Off The Map

ISBN: 9781402241451
By: Phillipa Ashley
Published: 06 Dec 2011

"Wonderfully romantic and funny... fulfills all the best fantasies, including a gorgeous, humanitarian hero and a camper van!"

-Katie Fforde, UK Best Selling Author of Love Letters

Carrie lets her best friend talk her into a scenic European road trip as the perfect getaway from a nasty breakup. Unexpectedly along for the ride is the gorgeous Matt Landor, MD, who sorely tests Carrie's determination to give up men altogether. Careening through the English countryside, these two mismatched but perfectly attuned lonely hearts find themselves in hot pursuit of adventure and in entirely uncharted territory.

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks is going to send one lucky winner a copy of Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley.

If you would like to win a copy of Carrie Goes Off the Map please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the novel or this guest blog.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday December 23rd.

Good luck!

Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. Spalsbury (and GIVEAWAY!)

2011-12-05T21:59:00.001-06:00

I am a great fan of short stories. I love that particular form of fiction and I actually like some authors’ short stories better than their longer novels (Hemingway and Faulkner in particular). Christmas short stories are a particular favorite of mine. I have a dog-eared children’s book of Christmas short stories that I used to read each year as a child during the Christmas season. As an adult I’ve loved revisiting Louisa May Alcott and O. Henry’s short stories during the holiday seasons. With this background in mind, I was very happy to review a short story collection, Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. Spalsbury this holiday season.

Merry Christmas Stories is an enjoyable collection of holiday stories in the vein of my favorite Christmas sentimental short story writers, O. Henry and Louisa May Alcott. The collection contains twenty-five short stories that range in genre from romance, detective stories, ghost stories, science fiction, family, road trip, etc. In general the stories are heart-warming stories about personal redemption, finding true love, or the lonely finding someone with whom to spend their Christmas.

I enjoyed all of these stories, but I think my favorites were “Tiny and the Bear,” “The Last S-2,” and “My Christmas Ghost.” “Tiny and the Bear” is a story about a father and a son that help out troubled travelers on Christmas Eve, but it has a great twist at the end. “The Last S-2” is a sci-fi story. I thought it was very a very unique Christmas story about a robot that is given an assignment to raise a colony of children and teach them about the first Christmas. “My Christmas Ghost” is about a man who finds love with a ghost. I always love a good ghost story.

Overall, Merry Christmas Stories is an entertaining collection of Christmas stories that will warm your heart and appeal to the romantic in all.

I reviewed Merry Christmas Stories as part of the TLC Book Tours. For a complete listing of stops on this tour, check out this link.

Book Source: A signed copy from the author

Giveaway Details

I am going to send one lucky winner my review copy of Merry Christmas Stories that is signed by the author.

If you would like to win a copy of Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. Spalsbury please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the novel.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Monday December 12th.

Good luck!

Winners of Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish

2011-12-05T21:48:00.001-06:00

The two lucky winners of Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish are Sophia Rose and Suko of Suko's Notebook. Both winners have been notified via email and have one week to send me their mailing addresses or new winners will be chosen. Both winners were chosen using random.org. Congrats to both! I hope they enjoy the book as much as I did.

Thank-you to Grace Burrowes for the great guest blog, Sourcebooks for providing the giveway copies, and for all who read the post and entered the giveaway.

I have more great giveaways coming up this week so stay tuned!!

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

2011-12-01T21:09:00.001-06:00

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is my favorite Christmas novel, but my secret favorite genre of Christmas novels is the regency Christmas romance. I read at least one each year, although sometimes I have a hard time finding them at the store or library. I was more than a little excited to be able to review Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes.

Vim has traveled around the world to try to forget an unpleasant Christmas memory. After receiving letters detailing his aunt and uncle’s decline, he is finally traveling home this Christmas to visit. At least he starts to travel home, but is stuck in London due to a huge snowstorm. He helps out a young woman with a crying infant at an inn, only to discover that the baby has been abandoned and the woman knows nothing about children.

Putting his knowledge about babies (obtained from helping with his younger half-siblings) to use, Vim accompanies the young woman, Sophie home. They are trapped together alone through the snowstorm raising a young baby. Romance blossoms, but both are not quite being truthful to each other. Especially as Sophie is a Lady and Vim is a Lord. Once Sophie’s three elder brothers arrive, Sophie and Vim have to understand the past and themselves before they can move on to the future.

I thought Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish was a good Christmas romance novel. It was very romantic and it kept me guessing throughout. What exactly was Vim’s secret? How will the two get back together? I also always love a good story with an abandoned baby being rescued. And a hero that loves children? How can Sophie not love him! It was also great that the Windham family is involved from Grace Burrowes best-selling novel, The Heir. It was great to see favorite characters again, but this story is also a stand-alone novel so one does not need to have read any of the other Windham books. My only negative was that I had a hard time believing that Sophie would be left home alone in the ducal manor although she is the ripe old age of 27.

Overall, I enjoyed Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish. It was an enjoyable Christmas regency romance. It is the perfect book to read and relax with when you are stressed out by the holiday season.

Tomorrow (Friday December 2nd) is the last day to enter the giveaway to win one of two copies of Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes, sponsored by Sourcebooks. Giveaway details are located at this post (see also the right sidebar), but also leave a comment on this post with your email for an extra chance to win. Don’t let this entertaining Christmas romance slip through your fingers!

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper by Kate Ascher

2011-11-30T21:45:00.001-06:00

On our family trip to Michigan a week ago, we passed through Chicago. Although it was hazy, our eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the impressive and distinctive skyline created by the skyscrapers. It was therefore fitting that the book I brought along with me to enjoy on our journey was The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper by Kate Ascher.

The Heights is a coffee table sized book that is packed full of information about the history, design, construction, maintenance, and future of the skyscraper. It is full of great pictures and graphics. I thought the graphics were particularly well done and a wonderful way for a person to really understand what is going on in the text of the book. From showing how test boring is performed by a geotechnical engineer to how a wind tunnel works, the graphics were fantastic. The graphics are so amazing that my two sons (5 & 3) are also intrigued with this book. They like to flip through and have us read to them about the graphics that particularly intrigue them such as fire safety and construction of the skyscraper. My favorite graphic was actually at the beginning of the book which showed the steady progression of the height of skyscrapers over the past 150 years.

Beyond the excellent graphics, Ascher has a gift of being able to take quite complex topics and write them in a way that is accurate, but easily relatable to anyone.

As an engineer, I was very pleased to see that Ms. Asher pointed out that the design and construction of a skyscraper is very much a team effort. Too often architects end up with all of the glory, while the engineers are left in the shade.

I will admit that when I first received The Heights in the mail, my husband was very enthused and looked through the book before I did. He is a structural engineer (I am a water resources engineer) so it is right up his ally. I let him read this book too to give his opinion. He also thought it was very interesting and also very accurate. While Ben designs buildings himself, his company specializes in curtain wall design. What is a curtain wall? The Heights answers that question for you!

I have worked on sustainable projects in my career and thought that section in this book was very well done. I will admit I really loved the “drainage and sewage” bit on page 116. That is my specialty and I was more than a little disturbed to discover that in Dubai, the buildings have grown faster than the sewage systems. They actually have to deliver the waste from their skyscrapers via waste truck to the wastewater treatment plant. I could hardly believe it! I think they need to hire my firm ASAP to design a better system, preferably with me on the job. Seriously though, I thought it was very strange overall planning to forget about your sewage system.

I also was intrigued with the last section which has the future of skyscrapers. It is a little sad to me that while the skyscraper was an American invention, over the past ten years we have been far surpassed in the construction of skyscrapers by Dubai, Asia, and the rest of the world.

Overall, The Heights was an excellent book about a fascinating topic. The graphics and explanations of the design, construction, and workings of the modern marvel of the skyscrapers are perfect. The Heights is not only technically accurate, but written in a way that anyone with an interest can understand from my three-year old son to his structural engineer father.

I reviewed The Heights as part of the TLC Book Tour. For more stops on this tour, please check out this link.

Book Source: Review copy from the The Penguin Press. Thank-you!

A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger

2011-11-29T23:27:00.001-06:00

Some novels grab you and don’t let you go until you have finished a marathon reading session. Even afterwards, you find yourself thinking about the novel and wondering about various characters and plot points. A Watershed Year is just such a novel.

I will admit that I initially wanted to read A Watershed Year because of its very cool title. I am a dorky water resources engineer, and one item I do in my job is to draw watershed maps to determine where rainfall will drain once it hits the earth. A watershed is the boundary between two different drainage areas, although in the title to this book, the watershed is the division between the period of Lucy’s life before and after the death of her best friend (and secret love) Harlan.

Although I had my own nerdy reason for initially picking up A Watershed Year based on its wonderful title, I found myself soon swept into Lucy’s life. The book begins at Harlan’s end. He knows he is at the end of his life although he is only thirty-three and asks Lucy to be with him at the end. When she comes to be with him, she discovers he died before she got there. She grieves for him, but two months after his funeral, she starts to receive monthly inspirational, informative, and confessional emails from Harlan that outline his love for Lucy when it was too late and also explain past decisions.

The book moves on in Lucy’s life, but also flashes back to how they first met as students and ended up as professors together at the same college. Harlan was engaged for most of their relationship until he contracted cancer. Lucy and Harlan never seemed to be on the same page for having their relationship work out.

Lucy tries to move on with her life by becoming what she has always dreamed of becoming, a mother. She adopts a 4-year old boy, Mat, from Russia, but the adoption is put into jeopardy when his father arrives stating that he never signed the papers to give Mat up. Will Lucy get her happy ending?

I loved this book, the characters, the setting, and the story. Although the emails from Harlan were reminiscent of the letters after death in P.S. I Love You; it was still a wonderful and unique story. Lucy was a wonderfully complicated character that I wanted to sit down and have coffee with. I loved her friends and her family. Her problems and life seemed very realistic. I liked how the book did not turn itself into a starry eyed fantasy that Lucy would instantly find love after Harlan’s death, or that Mat would be an angelic boy. Her adoption of Mat and trying to cope with his behavior was very believable to me as a mother of three. Love in all of its complications was portrayed in a wonderfully nuanced way in A Watershed Year. I also enjoyed that the story was about a thirty-something year old woman with a career of her own trying to find her second chance at happiness.

I also loved the timeframe that this story was set in. Harlan first discovers that he has cancer when he faints as the World Trade Center towers collapse on September 11th. The novel ends shortly after America enters the War in Iraq. It brought back memories of some of our most terrible times as a country, and it was interesting to see the times reflected in Lucy’s life and her ultimate move towards hope. I also thought a side story about Lucy’s brother and sister-in-law and their hard financial times was also very relevant. After the hard financial times of this past three years, it is hard to remember that the early 2000’s also had a downturn in the economy.

Another key part of the story was that Lucy’s professional research was into the lives of saints. There were fascinating tidbits about saints throughout the novel. Lucy was a bit of a saint herself. She sacrificed a year of her life to care for her dying friend Harlan and also adopted an older boy that may have been left in the orphanage system to live a life of deprivation. She had her human failings as well – pushing Harlan and not accepting his decision to stop treatments, and not willing to realize that Mat’s father might want to keep his son. As a Catholic who became Catholic later in life, I thought the saint information was riveting, and as a reader, I liked how it played itself out throughout the novel.

Some of my favorite quotes in this novel were related to the saints including:

“If you want to know what the human spirit is capable of doing, read about the life of a saint.”

“Beyond that, small groups devoted themselves to particular saints, supporting shrines and societies that offered hope to people who couldn’t live without it. And those people came week after week, even day after day, to petition, say novenas, move rosary beads swiftly through practiced fingers. They didn’t make the news, even if their prayers were answered, but that never stopped them.”

Lucy was very perceptive about people including her sister-in-law, which inspired her to think another one of my favorite passages.

“But then again she thought, no one sees themselves as others do. The tics the fears, the neediness, the vanity – all of it could be laid bare in one conversation.”

Overall, A Watershed Year is a wonderfully complex novel with great, moving, and realistic characters and a captivating plot. I loved reading this novel, my only complaint was that it had to end. I would love to read more about these characters. The book club questions and interview with author Susan Schoenberger at the end of the novel were also very interesting.

I read A Watershed Year as part of the TLC Book Tour. The complete list of tour stops can be found here.

Book Source: A Review (and signed!) copy from author Susan Schoenberger. Thank-you!

The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack (audiobook)

2011-11-21T17:05:00.001-06:00

The End of Normal is a riveting look into the downward spiral of the Madoff family. Stephanie Madoff Mack is the widow of Mark Madoff, Bernie Madoff’s eldest son that committed suicide two years after the Madoff scandal broke.

The End of Normal details Stephanie’s first meeting with Mark, their dating life, and fairy tale marriage. Stephanie and Mark had a wonderful life with each other and a deep love that only seemed to be threatened by control issues with Mark’s ex-wife. Although Mark came from the uber-rich Madoff family, he made his own wealth by running a successful enterprise in his father’s firm. Mark and Stephanie had a wonderful daughter and were expecting a new son when their world came crashing down.

Mark and his brother Andy sat down with their father to discuss some irregularities at work only to receive a bombshell from their father; he was running a Ponzi scheme and was trying to get rid of the last millions to family and friends before he would be discovered. Mark and Andy left enraged and Mark turned his father in to the authorities later that day.

Although Mark and Andy had nothing to do with Bernie’s Ponzi scheme and had in fact turned him over to the authorities, having the Madoff name became a curse rather than a blessing. Hounded by the press and lawyers, Mark and Stephanie’s marriage started to falter. Mark was also the most hurt by his mother who chose to stay by Bernie’s side at the expense of her sons’ feelings. With their marriage on the mend, Stephanie and her four-year old daughter are at Disney World when the unthinkable happened.

The End of Normal was a fascinating book to listen to at times, but also a very hard book to listen to at other times. Stephanie Madoff Mack read her own work in the audiobook, which gave it the personal touch, but also made it hard to listen to during emotional events. One could hear the crack in Mack’s voice like she was doing all she could to keep it under control. I give her much credit for reading her own memoir for the audiobook version as it must have been fraught with emotional landmines. I had a hard time stopping this book as I wanted to keep listening to it all of the way through!

The End of Normal gave me a new view of the Madoff scandal. I read Tangled Webs earlier this year, which gave me the clinical view of what went wrong, but this gave me more of the emotional view of how Bernie Madoff’s crimes tore apart his own family, ultimately resulting in his son’s suicide. It also disturbed me how in our society today, a person can be literally hounded to their death. I think Mark Madoff thought he would be helping his family by his death in hopes that the lawsuits would stop, but they only went on to his children.

I just can’t understand how Bernie Madoff could swindle not only the entire world, but his family as well. What did he think would happen to his own family when his crimes would eventually come to light? It makes one wonder if he had any soul at all.

On a side note, I just listened to Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand last month and I’m amazed at how much of that novel actually followed the real life circumstances of the Madoff family. It almost makes me want to read it again!

The only negative I had with The End of Normal is that Mack tried to write about how they were a normal family and not living the jet set life of Bernie and Ruth Madoff. While this worked on some level, it had the major effect that it made me believe she didn’t realize how the other 99% lives. Most people do not have three homes and a nanny, especially after losing your job. I think this comes from living an upper middle class life in New York City for her entire life.

Overall, The End of Normal is a captivating personal account of how the Bernie Madoff scandal affected his son’s family. It really made me think about the witch hunt mentality of our society and how that can extend to innocent bystanders.

The End of Normal is my thirteenth item for The Audiobook Challenge 2011.

Audiobook Source: Review Copy from Penguin Audio. Thank-you!

Victorian Challenge 2012

2011-11-18T13:38:00.001-06:00

I had a very scientific poll on this blog last month with the question of what challenge should be on Laura’s Reviews for 2012. I talked about bringing back the All About the Brontes Challenge, or opening it up to new authors. From the comments and poll, I gathered that most people would like to have a broader challenge where the Brontes can be celebrated along with other authors.

The poll results were as follows: Victorian (31%), Gothic Fiction (23%), All About the Brontes (23%), 19th Century Authors (15%), and Women of Suspense (8%). Victorian had a narrow victory, and I am excited to have a new challenge for next year.

I need help from my loyal readers for this challenge. I will post a sign-up in December, but one of my problems is my lack of artistry. I’m an engineer and I’ll admit to appreciating art, but I have an inability to produce beautiful graphics unless they are detailed diagrams of sewers or streams. If any of my artistic readers would like to put together a logo for this challenge, I would really appreciate it.

For the Victorian Challenge, we will focus on the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. I think we will count books that were written by Victorian authors during this time period, books set during the Victorian age, or books about a Victorian author, history, manners, architecture, etc. Also besides reading books, short stories, audiobooks and movies will also be accepted. The sky is the limit; I would love to make this a true celebration of all things Victorian.

I would also like to challenge myself to have one Victorian author to focus on for each month of 2012. I will post something about that author each month and will read, listen, or watch something related to that author as well. Fellow challenge goers can join me if they would like, or can take the challenge in any direction that they choose. I need help choosing these twelve authors. I’m going to post a large poll on my right sidebar with various authors from this time period. Pick the top authors that you would like to see focus on with this challenge! If your favorite Victorian author is not included in the poll, please leave a comment below.

Please leave any comments for what you would like to see in the Victorian Challenge 2012 to make it a fun and exciting challenge. I appreciate all comments and tips. Stay tuned for a sign-up for this challenge to appear in December!

The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace

2011-11-17T14:34:00.001-06:00

I had never heard of the Betsy-Tacy series until I started to see reviews pop up on different blogs. I was astonished to discover a series of beloved books for girls that I never discovered as a child. As a great fan of such classic series as Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, etc., I knew I must rectify this situation. Therefore I was happy to be a TLC tour stop for Harper Collins new edition of The Betsy-Tacy Treasury in order to discover what all of the fuss is about.

The Betsy-Tacy Treasury is the first four of the Betsy-Tacy books: Betsy-Tacy, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. Included in the book are great forwards by current authors that are also fans including Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin, and Johanna Hurwitz. There are also sections at the end with background about Maud Hart Lovelace, illustrator Lois Lenski, and each of the four books included. I loved all of this information and found it very interesting. Also interesting was the praise at the beginning of the book for Maud Hart Lovelace from such personalities as Anna Quindlen, Meg Cabot, Laura Lippman, Bette Midler, Nora Ephron, Lorna Landvick, etc. In particular, Anna Quindlen stated, “There are three authors whose body of work I have reread more than once in my adult life: Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Maud Hart Lovelace.” This is praise indeed!

Was this book truly worthy of all of this praise? I am more than happy to say a very emphatic “YES!” By the end of the first book, I had fallen in love with Betsy Ray and Tacy Kelly and their world in Deep Valley, Minnesota. Deep Valley is the Mankato of Lovelace’s childhood around the turn of the nineteenth century. (For fellow Little House on the Prairie TV series fans, this is the same Mankato that characters from Walnut Grove visit to get trade goods.)

Five-year old Betsy is excited when a new family with lots of children moves into the house across the street. One girl appears to be her age. After a slight misunderstanding, they soon become fast friends and the people of Hill Street and Deep Valley can’t remember a time when Betsy-Tacy were not friends. Soon a new girl moves in to the chocolate house on the way to school, and Tib becomes their fast friend. Betsy wants to be a writer and is full of imaginative stories. Tacy is shy, but loyal and fun. Tib is very matter of fact and also very pretty. The books move through their lives. By book two they are eight, book three they are ten, and book four they are twelve.

What did I like so much about this book? Although the adventures took place long before my childhood, the spirit of their life and adventures perfectly captures the spirit and joy of childhood that does not change through the ages. The wonder of the world and how one street and one city can seem so giant and faraway places like Milwaukee can be viewed with imaginative delight are just how a child views the world. Their adventures playing and making up stories reminded me of the fun I had as a child with my best friend Stephanie and sister Kristi doing very similar things. It was wonderful how Lovelace was able to capture her childhood and to remember what it was like to be a child and to have a fantastic imagination that can make climbing a hill the most exciting journey.

What really brought these books to the next level to me was when in book one, tragedy strikes. Tacy’s baby sister, Bee, dies from a childhood illness. Tacy and Betsy go for a walk and Tacy is very sad about her sister’s death. Betsy tries to cheer her up and talks to her about Bee’s adventures in heaven. “Of course she can see us. She’s looking down right now. And I’ll tell you what tickles Bee. She knows all about Heaven, and we don’t. She’s younger than we are, but she knows something that we don’t. Isn’t that funny? She’s just a baby, and she knows more than we do.”

Betsy brings the death down to the level of a child’s understanding, and is able to make Tacy think of all of the fun that Bee is having in heaven being a big girl and watching out for her family. I found it to be a very moving conversation and quite touching. Betsy and Tacy are the best kind of friends; the kind of friends that can help you out in a moment of crisis and be what you need them to be.

I also really enjoyed how Betsy, Tacy, Tib befriend a little girl (Naifi) from “Little Syria” in Deep Valley in Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill. They defend her when she is picked on by some rather nasty boys. Tib’s mother (Mrs. Muller) had some wise words to say about it, “I’m glad Tib stood up for that little Syrian girl. Foreign people should not be treated like that. America is made up of foreign people. Both of Tib’s grandmothers came from the other side. Perhaps when they got off the boat they looked a little strange too.”

Overall, The Betsy-Tacy Treasury was a wonderful, delightful series of books that I am very happy to have finally read. They are great adventures of childhood wonder and also have beautiful illustrations. I will definitely be reading these stories to Penelope when she gets older and I’m already planning for making a future trip to Mankato to check out Big Valley. I also want to read the rest of their adventures as they grow into teenagers and beyond! My only complaint is that poor Tib is always left off of the title of the books.

I am counting the Betsy-Tacy Treasury as my 21st historical fiction book this year for The Historical Fiction Challenge 2011. Lovelace’s historical detail brings the world of Mankato circa 1900 to life. The notes at the end of the book also illustrate how much research she did to make sure her memories matched the historical detail.

Book Source: Review Copy from HarperCollins. Thank-you!

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

2011-11-16T09:55:00.001-06:00

Eva Ward’s famous actress sister, Katrina, has just died tragically young. Returning to a place they both loved as children, Eva brings Katrina’s ashes to Trelowarth House in the small town of Polgelly in Cornwall, Great Britain. Katrina’s former teenage boyfriend and their family friend, Mark Hallett now owns the family estate and is trying to keep it and its beautiful rose garden solvent.

Eva fights off her depression over Katrina’s death by trying to help Mark and his sister Susan advertise Trelowarth and start a new tea shop that will cater to tourists. An old childhood friend named Oliver has popped back in the scene and is a very attractive man. One day Eva “slips” into another time. She is still at Trelowarth, but it is Trelowarth of the early eighteenth century. At that point, two brothers, Jack and Daniel Butler together with their Irish comrade Fergal live at Trelowarth. They are smugglers and about to get involved in an ill-fated upraising to restore James Stuart to the thrown of England. Eva is unable to control when she slips back and forth between the two time periods, but finds herself falling more and more in love with Daniel Butler. Will Eva be able to find happiness between the two worlds? And will the Butler brothers escape their fate?

I enjoyed this novel. I am a big fan of time travel novels. It always fascinates me on the method of time travel. In this novel, Eva fades away or slips through time only while at Trelowarth at unexpected times. I liked all of the secondary characters too and the setting was described beautifully and vividly. The love story between Eva and Daniel was also very romantic as was the story of love between Mark’s father George, and stepmother Claire.

I liked the ending. There were a couple of surprises that I didn’t catch on to as I read the book that really made it the kind of book I couldn’t put down at the end. I really wanted to see where it was going!

Susanna Kearsley has been compared to Diana Gabaldon, Daphne Du Maurier, and Mary Stewart. These are three of my favorite authors so this naturally intrigued me. With the Cornwall setting I felt shades of Du Maurier and the time slip and subsequent love affair reminded me of Gabaldon. I will be blunt though that while I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t think it was as good as a Gabaldon or Du Maurier novel. It was missing the detail and spark that puts both of those authors on a higher level than most. With that being said, I still thought this novel was wonderful and the next best thing to a new Gabaldon or Du Maurier novel. I will definitely be reading Kearsley’s other novel, The Winter Garden.

I long to visit Cornwall someday. After reading the magnificent novels of Daphne Du Maurier and now Susanna Kearsley, it sounds like a beautiful and unique place. I also want to taste a real Cornish pasty. I lived for six years in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan while obtaining my bachelors and masters degrees at Michigan Technological University. While there I learned the fascinating history of copper mining in the area. Expert miners came from the tin mines of Cornwall. The Cornish left their mark on the area, with the greatest mark of all being the pasty which is now a regional treat. It is basically a meat and potato pie that the men would heat up by holding their shovels over a candle for lunch while in the mines. I cook mine in the oven, but it is a favorite meal in the Gerold household.

Overall, The Rose Garden was a wonderfully imaginative tale with true love, time travel, and a fascinating setting.

Book Source: Review copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (audiobook)

2011-11-15T10:37:00.001-06:00

I read The Help two years ago and loved it. It was one of my top ten reads for 2009. I was excited when my FLICKS Book and Movie Club picked this book for our December read. It was good to revisit a book I loved; although this time I decided to revisit it in a new format, audiobook. I had read several reviews that stated that this was an audiobook not to be missed.

It was a riveting audiobook. Read by Jenna Lamia, Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer, and Cassandra Campbell; each of the main characters (Skeeter, Minnie, and Aibileen) has their own distinctive voice and personality. I found myself listening to the audiobook everywhere I could to find out how the story would end. Listening to the audiobook seemed like listening to my favorite characters tell the story in their own words. I loved it. My only complaint was that the ending seemed rather abrupt, more so than when I read the novel. I was ready to listen to even more of the story!

My original review of the novel is located at this link. For a quick summary of the plot, this book takes place in racially charged Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960’s. Aibileen is an African American woman that works for a young family and takes care of their daughter. She is troubled by the lack of love that Elizabeth displays towards her daughter, and also about the racially charged death of her own son. She gets to know one of Elizabeth’s friends, Skeeter, and together they work towards changing their world. Skeeter is a young white woman who is dissatisfied by her current life and expectations for a female during this era. She does not like how her friend Hilly treats the African American servants and wonders why the woman that raised her, Constantine disappeared right before she graduated from college. Aibileen and Skeeter start to work with different maids to put together their stories anonymously on what life is like as a maid in the segregated South. One of these maids is Minnie. Minnie tells it the way it is, which does not make her a popular maid, although her famous cooking skills make up for it. She tries to raise her kids and deal with an abusive husband, while also trying to keep a job.

The Help is a novel that adapts particularly well to the audiobook format. It is my twelfth audiobook for The Audiobook Challenge 2011 – I have made my goal for the year!

I have yet to see the movie The Help and will probably watch it whenever I can get a copy of the DVD from the library. Have any of you seen the movie? What did you think?

Audiobook Source – The Kewaunee Public Library

Winner of Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson!

2011-11-15T10:09:00.001-06:00

I really enjoyed the fractured fairy tale world of Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson and also her guest post on this blog about her love affair with fairy tales. I'm happy to announce the winner of Utterly Charming is Suko of Suko's Notebook. Suko was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email. She has one week to respond with her mailing address or another winner will be chosen.

Thank-you to Kristine Grayson for writing such an enjoyable book and for also writing a guest blog for Laura's Reviews. Thank-you to Sourcebooks for allowing me to host this giveaway and also to everyone who entered.

Sad that you lost? There is still an ongoing giveaway for a great regency Christmas romance (one of my favorite subgenres) on my right sidebar.

Also speaking of fairy tales, is anyone watching Once Upon a Time on ABC? I love it!

How to Write a Christmas Regency Romance by Grace Burrowes (and GIVEAWAY!)

2011-11-11T06:14:00.001-06:00

For Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish, I needed a story that had timeless elements of the Nativity—no room at the inn, an unexpected but very dear baby, three wise men bearing gifts—but I also needed some Regency elements.

This required a bit of research. We’re told that much of what we consider to be traditional about an English Christmas was in fact the invention of the Victorians when they copied Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s holiday style. The royal couple imported majestic German pines for their Christmas trees, decked the halls at Buckingham Palace and sang Christmas carols as a family.

While it’s true we’ve retained some of those traditions, it’s also true many of them were cropping up in England prior to Victoria’s reign. Prinny’s wife, the much maligned Caroline of Brunswick, decorated a full size tree as early as 1800, hanging both ornaments and children’s gifts from its bows. And while the Puritans outlawed plum pudding (recall that it can soak for weeks in brandy before being brought flaming to the table), it was “German” George I who reinstated this traditional holiday fare on the court menu.

For Sophie and Vim’s story, I could not, of course, ignore the romantic possibilities inherent in the fine old English tradition of the kissing bough. The custom of kissing beneath the mistletoe dates back to the Middle Ages, though when properly observed, each couple takes a white berry from the bow when they kiss, and when the berries are gone, the bough comes down—until next year (or the sequel is in print, about which Lady Louisa Windham has a few ideas!).

To keep Sophie and Vim’s story moving forward, I also relied on the Regency tradition of visiting among neighbors over the holidays. No less authority than Jane Austen confirms the prevalence of holiday socializing, and without it, Vim and Sophie would not have had as dramatic an occasion for their reconciliation.

I could not in good conscience bestow a Christmas star on Sophie and Vim, and neither was there a royal census to be taken in the Regency period that would suit the story’s needs. Nonetheless, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish, is a tale of love, family, courage and faith in a benevolent fate, and no couple ever wished for or received a better Christmas gift than their very own happily ever after.

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes – In Stores NOW!

A luminous holiday tale of romance, passion, and dreams come true from rising star Grace Burrowes, whose award-winning Regency romances are capturing hearts worldwide.

All she wants is peace and anonymity…

Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

But Sophie’s holiday is about to heat up…

With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits—but when Sophie’s brothers whisk her away, Vim’s most painful holiday memories are reawakened.

It seems Sophie’s been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true…

The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes – In Stores November 2011

A genius with a terrible loss…

Gifted pianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland, has little interest in his father’s obsession to see his sons married, and instead pours passion into his music. But when Val loses his music, he flees to the country, alone and tormented by what has been robbed from him.

A widow with a heartbreaking secret…

Grieving Ellen Markham has hidden herself away, looking for safety in solitude. Her curious new neighbor offers a kindred lonely soul whose desperation is matched only by his desire, but Ellen’s devastating secret could be the one thing that destroys them both.

Together they’ll find there’s no rescue from the past, but sometimes losing everything can help you find what you need most.

About the Author

Grace Burrowes is the pen name for a prolific and award-winning author of historical romances. The Heir, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and was selected as a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for 2010. Both The Heir and its follow-up, The Solider, are New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. She is a practicing attorney specializing in family law and lives in a restored log cabin in western Maryland without a TV, DVD or radio because she's too busy working on her next books. For more information, please visit http://www.graceburrowes.com/.

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks is going to send two lucky winners a copy of Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes.

If you would like to win a copy of Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the novel or this guest blog.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, FRIDAY DECEMBER 2nd (time extended from original post).

Good luck!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2011-11-08T23:02:00.000-06:00

The Graveyard Book is a unique and fascinating supernatural young adult novel. I read this book in a state of wonder, excited to find out what would happen next. It was a perfect read for the week of Halloween. I have had this book on my “to read” list after reading excellent reviews over the past two years and it was well worth the wait.

The Graveyard Book starts with the murder of a family. A small “baby barely a toddler” escapes the atrocity by getting out of his crib and wandering out to the night through the open front door. The killer, the man Jack, follows his scent to a graveyard, but he loses the trail and is escorted away by a mysterious man named Silas. A childless ghost couple, Mr. and Mrs. Owens want to care for the child, especially after the spirits of his family ask them to help the boy. After a spirited debate in the graveyard, it is decided that the Owens will raise the boy with the help of Silas as guardian. The boy is not old enough to know his own name and is christened “Nobody Owens” by the ghosts with a nickname of Bod.

The old adage is that it takes a village to raise a child, but in this case, it takes a graveyard. Young Bod has ghosts for playmates and has great adventures when he meets up with a group of ghouls and the cemetery’s lone witch. Leaving the graveyard is dangerous for Bod as his family’s killer has never been captured. Bod has unique experiences and escapades growing up in a cemetery, but the greatest one of all is the journey to discover his identity and to face his family’s murderer.

I immensely enjoyed reading this book. The premise sounds so strange I wasn’t sure what I would think of it. The book read as a modern myth, legend, or fairy tale. Each chapter was a unique adventure of its own, but overall the book built to a stunning conclusion and epic graveyard battle as the mystery of murder of Bod’s birth family was finally solved.

The setting of the cemetery was brilliant. I have always been fond of cemeteries. I think they are very peaceful and beautiful places. I’ve always liked to read the old names on the gravestones and wonder what the lives of the individuals who lived so long ago were like. I’m used to graveyards in the mid-western United States where an “old” gravestone can be dated 1840. Part of the allure of The Graveyard Book to me was that the history that went along with the graves was fascinating. The oldest grave in the cemetery is a Roman centurion, but even older is an ancient “indigo man” who lives inside the hill. I particularly liked the chapter on the witch, Liza Hempstock. It really told of a time when a woman could be accused for witchcraft and murdered because she stole someone else’s man. Liza was buried outside of the cemetery proper in the potter’s field.

The copy of The Graveyard Book that I read included illustrations by Dave McKean. I thought the illustrations really added to the mood of the book and I enjoyed starting each new chapter with a new picture.

Although the book starts with my own worst nightmare, a family murdered in their sleep by a stranger, I thought overall the book was a positive book. It was not overly violent or gross, but did have plenty of adventure, history, and mystery.

A Facebook quiz told me that Neil Gaiman was my literary match. I had no idea who Neil Gaiman was, but soon discovered I had many friends who were fans and highly recommended his works. I’ve enjoyed reading his blog over the past year or so and I really enjoyed reading The Graveyard Book. It was the first Gaiman book I’ve read, but will definitely not be the last.

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library

Winner of Expectations of Happiness!

2011-11-08T22:54:00.001-06:00

Patricia of The Joy of the Written Word is the lucky winner of Expectations of Happiness by Rebecca Ann Collins. Patricia was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email. She has one week to respond with her mailing address, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Congrats to Patricia!

Thank-you to Rebecca Ann Collins for writing a great novel and a fantastic guest blog. Thank-you to Sourcebooks for allowing me to host this great giveaway and to all of you who entered!

There is still one giveaway currently going on my right sidebar. Stay tuned until the end of the week when a new giveaway will be posted!

Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson

2011-11-03T14:40:00.001-05:00

As a child, I loved the “Fractured Fairy Tales” that were part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Truthfully I didn’t care much for Rocky and Bullwinkle themselves, but I loved Fractured Fairy Tales, Dudley Do-Right, and Peabody’s Improbable History. I loved how the Fractured Fairy Tales took a classic tale that you thought you knew and turned it upside. I also loved reading traditional fairy tales when I was around 13 and read everything in my school library. It was interesting to see the depth of the stories so much beyond the Disney cartoons.

Utterly Charming is similar to the Fractured Fairy Tales by taking a classic story that you thought you knew, and turning it upside down into a fun, thrilling, modern adventure. Nora is just out of law school and is trying to get her struggling practice off the ground. One day she is visited by a very handsome man named Aethelstan Blackstone and his sidekick, Sancho Panza. Nora has always believed a bit in magic, but even she is overwhelmed by the events that take place when Aethelstan fights his arch nemesis, Ealhswith. Nora helps Aethelstan to break the curse on his soul mate, Emma aka Sleeping Beauty, but finds herself enamored with Aethelstan. Will they all be able to have their happy endings?

I loved Utterly Charming. The plot was witty, fast-paced, with never a dull moment. It kept you interested and wondering how it would all end. It also had its humorous moments. All of the characters were great, including the secondary characters such as Nora’s Mom, Amanda, and hardworking secretary Ruthie. Although the material is vastly differently, it reminded me of the quick-paced plot and charm of a Stephanie Plum novel, which I adore. But in a new fresh way. I thought it was a very original and interesting take on a classic fairy tale. I enjoyed the romance, it was my favorite kind with lots of build-up and the question of sex left to your own imagination.

Overall, Utterly Charming was a very charming novel that was the best romance novel I’ve read in quite a while. I will definitely be reading more Kristine Grayson novels, and particularly want to read more of her fractured fairy tales.

If you’d like to read about Kristine Grayson’s love affair with fairy tales, check out her great guest blog. If you’d like a chance to win a copy of the novel, please leave a copy by midnight November 11th.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand (audiobook)

2011-11-01T22:39:00.001-05:00

I have found a new author that I really enjoy, and that I’m sure my FLICKS Book and Movie Club would also enjoy. In Silver Girl, Elin Hilderbrand has written a moving story of friendship through the changes and hardships of life. If you enjoy novels by some of my and my book club’s favorite authors such as Jennifer Weiner, Kristin Hannah, and Jodi Picoult, I think you would really enjoy Hilderbrand as well. This is my first book by Hilderbrand, but it definitely will not be my last!

In a story ripped from headlines, Meredith Martin Delinn has discovered that her husband Freddy has been running a giant investment scheme and has ripped his clients off of all of their money. Freddy has single-handedly brought the American economy down to its knees, and for it has been thrown into jail for the rest of his life. Suddenly without money, her husband, and separated by her sons due to current criminal investigations, Meredith finds herself alone and hated by friends, the press, and all of Freddy’s investors. Luckily, Meredith has one estranged best friend, Constance “Connie” Flute that she can call.

Connie has recently lost her husband to cancer and has become estranged from her daughter. She lives a lonely life and is ready to welcome Meredith back into it. She worries about the fact that Meredith is under a criminal investigation, and things turn sinister as someone starts to vandalize Connie’s home. Will Connie and Meredith be able to repair their friendship? Will they be able to move on with their lives after love lost? Who is stalking Meredith? There are a lot of great story threads in this novel that kept me riveted.

I love how this novel gave the entire story of both women’s lives and the history of their friendship. It was a deep complex look, just like the greatest of friendships. I also liked the many mysteries imbedded in the story, especially the stalking of Meredith, what caused their friendship rift, where did Freddy hide his money, and what caused the rift between Connie and her daughter. It made it a great story to listen to the audiobook as I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next as well as the resolution to all of these mysteries. The novel does an excellent job of tying up all of the threads of the narrative for a great conclusion.

The characters were all fantastic, particularly Meredith and Connie. They were full three-dimensional characters with problems and worries of their own. Meredith was not painted as a just a victim of her husband damsel in distress. She had been duped, but she was able to help solve the mystery and take her future into her own hands. Connie was able to battle alcoholism and to put her love for her deceased husband aside in order to move on with life. I particularly liked when Connie was going to go on a date and had the same worries as a teenager although she was in her 50’s.

I also enjoyed the shout-outs to Jane Austen in the book. Meredith goes to a bookstore and purchases Persuasion, the only Austen she had not read. I thought to myself, you are in for a treat, it is a fabulous novel.

I find it interesting how the Bernie Madoff scandal has made it firmly into our culture. I read and really enjoyed Tangled Webs by James B. Stewart this past spring which includes an analysis of the scandal. Next up on my audiobook list is The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack, a memoir by Bernie Madoff’s daughter-in-law. I find it all intriguing, but what do you think – too much Madoff? Or did the impact on our society as well as the intrigue of a man whose selfish greed ruled him too intriguing of an idea for a writer to resist?

I thought it was interesting in this novel that Meredith was shunned by everyone and guilty by association, although she had no clue that Freddy was a liar and a cheat. It was almost a Salem witch trial feel where everyone was so against her, which was sad to read, but so true of the way our society works at times.

Silver Girl was told through the point of view of both Meredith and Connie. The audiobook did an excellent job of putting voices to both of these narratives by having two different readers, Janet Metzger and Marianne Fraulo. I think they both did an excellent job narrating the story. I also thought it was a perfect book to listen too as I stated before due to the great plotlines and mysteries.

Silver Girl is the 11th book I’ve listened to this year as part of The Audiobook Challenge 2011.

Book Source: Review Copy from Hachette Book Group. Thank-you!

Expectations of Happiness: A Companion Volume to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility by Rebecca Ann Collins

2011-10-31T13:39:00.002-05:00

Expectations of Happiness was a perfect continuation of Jane Austen’s classic, Sense and Sensibility. Marianne Dashwood is not-so-happily married to Colonel Brandon. They are happy when they are together, but Colonel Brandon is often away for long stretches of time tending his estates in Ireland or helping his ward Eliza out of another scrape. His still young and beautiful wife finds herself bored and lonely, and more than a little susceptible to the charms of the still dashing Mr. Willoughby when he helps her and her friends after an accident. Will Marianne find her happy ending in the arms of her husband, or in the arms of Mr. Willoughby?

Elinor and Edward are happily married with two children, but Elinor constantly worries about Marianne. Margaret has become a young woman and a bluestocking. She has a love of learning and is a great teacher at a school near Oxford. During a trip to France with her friend Claire, Margaret finds herself infatuated with a smart, handsome Oxford scholar with a devastating secret of his own. Mrs. Dashwood has found a new occupation and perhaps a new love of her own, but to say more would ruin the plot!

This is my first reading of a Rebecca Ann Collins novel, but I have heard great things about her Pemberly Chronicles. I really enjoyed her style of writing. It was written in the same style as a Jane Austen novel, with traditional language (without our modern slang) and traditional sensibilities (no sex or violence). It was a novel to read slowly and savor. It was also a novel that emphasized romance over sex, which is a type of novel that I really enjoy reading.

I also enjoyed her treatment of the characters. The characters were all treated with respect and in a way that was very faithful to all of Jane Austen’s creations. It was very fun to have old favorites such as Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. Jennings, and Sir John Middleton popping back into the story in the same spirit as in Sense and Sensibility. I love seeing Willoughby again, and I also loved the new characters such as Margaret’s love, Daniel. I only had a slight pause with some of the circumstances with Margaret’s independence as a young woman in the later part of the novel. It didn’t seem in tune with the time as much as the rest of the novel, but it could have happened!

I had a couple of favorite quotes in this novel that I really enjoyed as follows:

“Margaret had enjoyed their conversations, not because he agreed with every idea or applauded every proposition she made, but because he listened with interest and responded as though he understood her meaning.” I thought this described the perfect man!

“Were it not for dedicated men and women in the church, who would care for the poor and the sick, the frail and the elderly? Certainly not the government.” I’ve been pondering this quote all week and think it applies even to our current world.

Overall, I thought that Expectations of Happiness was an impeccable and delightful continuation of Sense and Sensibility with fair treatment of the characters, and language and sensibilities that fit the time. I highly recommend it to all lovers of Sense and Sensibility.

For an interesting guest blog by Rebecca Ann Collins on why she thought Sense and Sensibility was ripe for a sequel and a chance to win a copy of this book, check out this link.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks - Thank-you!

Winner of Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

2011-10-31T13:30:00.001-05:00

The lucky winner of Jane Austen Made Me Do It is Laura Fabiani of a blog I really enjoy reading, Library of Clean Reads. Laura was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email. If I don't hear back from her within a week, a new winner will be chosen.

Thank-you to all who entered this giveaway and that also posted about it on their blogs! Thank-you very much to Laurel Ann Nattress for putting together a wonderful book, providing a great guest blog, and also for generously providing this giveaway copy!

Sad you didn't win? There are still two giveaways currently going on (see the right sidebar) with more giveaways upcoming in future weeks! Stay tuned.

My Love Affair With Fairy Tales by Kristine Grayson (and GIVEAWAY!)

2011-10-27T11:46:00.001-05:00

I don’t remember when I first encountered fairy tales. I do recall thinking no one was more beautiful than the wasp-waisted Cinderella from the Disney film. I don’t recall what I thought of Prince Charming, way back then.

When I was four, my parents took me to Disneyland. I have a vivid memory of going on the Snow White ride, which went through a cave. Somewhere in that cave, the Wicked Witch stirred her caldron and glared and me. I screamed, “Let’s get out of here!” and would have jumped off the boat if my father hadn’t grabbed me.

I remember the terror, because back then, fairy tales were real. (In fact, that memory is so vivid that thirty years later, when I went back to Disneyland and the ride remained, I wouldn’t even look at it. I figured it was cheesy, and I didn’t want to know. In my memory, it’s beautiful and horrifying and alive.)

But the strongest influence on my fairy tale life was a babysitter whose name I no longer remember. The daughter of one of my father’s colleagues, she read fairy tales to me—obscure fairy tales, from many cultures. Then, because she was heading to college, she gave me her fairy tale books. I still have them. They’re battered now, but treasured.

And clearly, they jumble up in my head. Sancho Panza in Utterly Charming has a secret identity from Norse mythology. (He has others as well. You can find out more about him in Completely Smitten from WMG Publishing.) I steal from Greek Myths, Celtic lore, fairy tales, and Shakespeare. I figure that when you’re writing a book about make-believe, you should reference the best.

Even though I fracture them, I love fairy tales. I love the hidden meanings and the scary women, the handsome men, and the weird spells. I love them all, which is why I play with them.

Maybe I love them the most because deep down, I do believe in happily ever after. I just believe that HEA doesn’t just happen; it takes work. And that’s the only thing that the fairy tales miss.

About Kristine Grayson (from her website)

Kristine Grayson always wanted to be a romance writer when she grew up. She became one in the late 1990s with the publication of her first romance novel, Utterly Charming. Since then, she has published five more novels, including Absolutely Captivated and Totally Spellbound.

Her work has won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and she has been nominated for several other awards. Publishers Weekly has called her work “a delight,” and Best Reviews labeled her “the reigning queen of paranormal romance.”

Her next novel, Wickedly Charming, will appear in May.

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks is going to send one lucky winner a copy of Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson.

If you would like to win a copy of Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the novel or this guest blog.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday November 11th.

Good luck!

The Classics Circuit Gothic Literature Tour: American Short Stories of Irving and Hawthorne

2011-10-26T13:20:00.001-05:00

I am very excited to be a part of the Gothic Literature Classics Circuit tour this month focusing on Pre-Victorian Gothic Literature (before 1840). I should have posted this yesterday, but had a big work related meeting that consumed my time, please forgive me!

According to my friend Wikipedia, Gothic fiction combines elements of horror and romance. This genre started in England in 1764 with the publication of The Castle of Otranto by Horace Wadpole. It soon made its way across the Atlantic to America where early American gothic writers focused on the frontier wilderness anxiety and the lasting effects of the Puritan society.

Gothic fiction contains various archetypes such as an innocent virginal maiden heroine, an older foolish woman, a hero, a tyrant, a stupid/servant or clown comic relief, and a spooky setting. The setting is very important and usually involves a castle, abbey, or other usually religious edifice. In American Gothic, the building is usually replaced with unexplored territory, wilderness, or caves.

I love short stories and a few of my favorite stories by early American authors are gothic in nature. These include “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, “Young Goodman Brown” and “the Minister’s Black Veil by Nathanial Hawthorne.

Washington Irving

Washington Irving was “the first American writer of imaginative literature to gain international fame” according to my American Literature book (edited by George McMichael). He published “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820 as part of The Sketch Book Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. He moved to England for a period of years, but returned to America at the end of this life and is buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

I love this story; it is a perfect Halloween story as well as a great story of what life was like in a Dutch village on the Hudson back in the eighteenth century. Ichabod Crane is a schoolteacher in the quaint Dutch village of Sleepy Hollow. He is a Connecticut native and is known to be a good and fair teacher as well as a “psalmist” or one that teaches others to sing psalms at church. He has a great fondness for eating and for listening to fantastic tales. “His appetite for the marvelous, and his powers of digesting it, were equally extraordinary; and both had been increased by his residence in this spell-bound region.”

My favorite line of the story is really long and is as follows: “All these, however, were mere terrors of the night, phantoms of the mind that walk in darkness; and though he had seen many specters in his time, and had been more than once beset by Satan in his diverse shapes, in his lonely perambulations, yet daylight put an end to all of these evils; and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in despite of the devil and all of his works , if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was – a woman.”

I laughed out line at that line. Irving’s gift for writing includes really witty statements and great satire. He also has wonderful description of the scenery and characters, besides great fantastical tales.

The woman that caused poor Ichabod such angst was Katrina Van Tassel, the lovely daughter and only child of a rich Dutch farmer. Most of her appeal to Ichabod is tied up in the wealth of food that is at her parents’ house. He is a skinny man, with a giant hunger.

His rival for Katrina’s affections is Brom “Bones.” He is a local hero that is an accomplished horse rider, built, and handsome. Brom is not pleased to become the object of ridicule once Ichabod becomes a serious rival for Katrina’s affections.

The Van Tassels have giant party where ghost stories are shared right before Ichabod starts home on his borrowed beat-up horse. The favorite tail in Sleepy Hollow is about the local ghost, the headless horseman. The headless horseman was a Hessian (German mercenary in the American Revolution) that was beheaded and buried without his head in the church graveyard. The tale said that the headless horseman roamed at night looking for his head. As Ichabod is coming home, he has a very frightening ride through the dark woods followed by mysterious horsemen. As he gets a closer look, he realizes that the horseman is headless and is carrying his head. He tries to escape, but is hit by the head and falls off the horse. Ichabod is never seen again, but the townsfolk are able to figure out what happened by the hoof prints and the busted pumpkin that is left behind.

“. ..they came to the conclusion that Ichabod had been carried off by the galloping Hessian. As he was a bachelor, and in nobody’s debt, nobody troubled his head any more about him.”

An old farmer went to New York and came back to say that Ichabod was still alive and had a great life and career afterwards. Brom Bones and Katrina married, and Brom was known to laugh whenever the story of Ichabod was related, especially about the pumpkin.

What makes this story gothic? I think Ichabod is the hero/heroine. He is the naïve figure that beliefs in the spooky tales. He does get his happy ending although it is not quite what he expected. Katrina is the beautiful, virginal heroine with “vast expectations.” Brom Bones is the villain for thwarting the hero’s love interest. The setting is in the new world wilderness, or a snug Dutch settlement along the Hudson that is surrounded by a forest that spooks Ichabod.

Nathanial Hawthorne

Nathanial Hawthorne was born in Salem, home of the infamous Salem witch trials. His first ancestor in America, William Hathorne arrived in Salem in 1630 and persecuted Quakers. William’s son John was a Puritan interrogator in the Salem witch trials of 1692. The angst of the crimes of his ancestors made its way into Hawthorne’s most famous works. He first came to literary critical fame in 1837 when he published his Twice Told Tales. His most famous novel is The Scarlet Letter, a novel I hated in high school, but need to read again now that I’m older.

Hawthorne’s greatest achievement according to his friend Herman Melville was his “great power of blackness” or his portrayal of the dark landscapes of the human mind. He used masks, veils, shadows, emblems, ironies, and ambiguities to show the narrow difference between good and evil.

Ironically, Hawthorne is also buried in “Sleepy Hollow” cemetery, but in Concord Massachusetts, not Sleep Hollow New York.

Young Goodman Brown by Nathanial Hawthorne
Young Goodman Brown was first published in 1835, although it is set much earlier during the seventeenth century at a puritan settlement. Goodman Brown has left his wife Faith as he has work to do at night. He walks through dark woods at night and is joined by a mysterious stranger. He tells the stranger that he is late as “Faith kept me back awhile.” This stranger is in the guise of his dead grandfather and it is soon becomes apparent that it is the devil. The stranger knows all of Goodman Brown’s family, politicians, and catechism teacher quite well.

Goodman Brown soon finds himself at a meeting of “saints and sinners” in the forest. He is surprised to see his wife Faith at the meeting, but she mysteriously disappears. “My Faith is gone,” Goodman Brown shouts. A figure leading the meeting (the devil) tells Goodman Brown “Depending upon one another’s hearts, yet had still hoped that virtue was not all a dream. Now are ye undeceived. Evil is the nature of mankind.”

The next morning Goodman Brown can’t be sure whether he dreamed of the meeting or whether it really happened. Regardless, he lost all hope that night.

This was really a rather sad tale to lose all faith in God and mankind. I really loved how Goodman Brown’s wife name was Faith and that was used symbolically throughout the story as Goodman Brown tries to hold on and then loses his faith in mankind.

What makes this story gothic? The setting was the strange and scary wilderness with a meeting with the devil. You can’t get scarier than that! The hero is Goodman Brown with his seemingly innocent wife Faith as the heroine. The villain is the worse villain of all – the devil himself.

The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathanial Hawthorne

One day, the minister of a town, Mr. Hooper, appears on the street wearing a black veil. The townsfolk are disturbed and spend their time talking and wondering. “He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face.”

No one would ask Mr. Hooper why he was wearing a black veil, until finally his intended, Elizabeth dared to ask. He said that the “veil is a type and symbol,” and refused to take it off. They did not marry.

Mr. Hooper became a very effective pastor and was viewed with dread by his congregation. At the end of his life, Mr. Hooper was attended by his lost love Elizabeth and refused at the very end to take off his veil. He said that everyone has secret sins hidden behind “black veils” and that he was the only one that was truthful and upfront about it.

Another dark look at the nature of mankind that has the same message, mankind is evil. People make act good and hid their sins behind “black veils,” but overall they are bad.

What makes this story gothic? The setting doesn’t in this case, but the symbol and use of the black veil is very gothic. The hero is mysterious, but also seems like a villain. The heroine, Elizabeth, is young and virtuous and devotes her life to her love although they never marry. “The Minister’s Black Veil” is a perfect combination of thwarted love and the horror of a black veil.

“What elements of Sense and Sensibility make it ripe for a sequel?” by Rebecca Ann Collins (and GIVEAWAY!)

2011-10-24T09:24:00.001-05:00

Thank you Laura, for your invitation to contribute to your blog. It is a pleasure to be able to speak directly to you and your readers.

While it is always possible for an imaginative writer to create the conditions needed to continue any story- as is demonstrated by the innumerable Austen “sequels” that have appeared in recent times, there are some books that leave the door open or at least ajar for a continuation. In these cases, a creative writer has the opportunity to tell a credible and interesting story.

However, if one decides to pass through that door into the domain of another writer, one is conscious of being a guest in that environment and of the need to be sensitive to the original author’s intentions- particularly in relation to character development. This is particularly significant when using the classic works of a beloved writer like Jane Austen- e.g-Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. While all characters evolve and may change in some ways over time, it isn’t credible or ethical to distort another writer’s characters out of recognition.

I have been a Jane Austen addict since the age of twelve and have researched and studied her life and work extensively. Having worked for ten years on the ten volumes of the Pemberley Chronicles series, in which we followed the lives of the characters over a period of some fifty years, I had learned a great deal about the political and social history of nineteenth century England. All this prepared me for the work I undertook on Sense and Sensibility in 2009/10.

To answer your question specifically-- there are some elements in the original novel that provide options for a continuation of the story. As readers who are familiar with the novel would know, Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen’s first novel, tells the story of three sisters Elinor, Marianne and Margaret Dashwood and their widowed mother-who are faced with a quite desperate situation, when the death of their father leaves them homeless and poor. The generosity of a relative- Sir John Middleton takes them into Devonshire and a new social circle, where after some of the usual disappointments and debacles of the type that attend every 19th century romance, the book ends with two of the sisters married to exemplary gentlemen.

However, while Elinor’s union to Edward Ferrars is one of those “marriages made in heaven”- where happiness seems guaranteed, I could not have the same confidence in the way young, romantic Marianne – having been betrayed by the handsome gentleman she had idolized all summer, had been settled into a rather staid marriage with a man twice her age, with none of the qualities she had claimed were essential to her happiness. ( He even wore flannel vests!!!)

With all due respect to Miss Austen, it did feel like a convenient way of tying up the loose strands of the story, but it didn’t ring true. Not because Colonel Brandon is an unsuitable husband for Marianne, for he is indeed a man of honour and loves Marianne dearly, but because we see nothing in Marianne’s development to convince us that she genuinely loves him. Nor can we be certain that Marianne is completely over her romantic infatuation with Willoughby- her faithless cavalier, who has made an unhappy marriage of convenience and still claims he loves Marianne and hates Colonel Brandon.

Then there was Margaret- the youngest sister- pretty, precocious and keen to learn, she is only thirteen years old at the conclusion of the novel. I felt she should have the chance to follow her own “expectations of happiness” in a new environment. A sequel would provide an opportunity to develop her character and talents and see how she turns out. Being only a little girl at the end of the original novel, she affords one the opportunity to create quite an interesting young woman in a sequel.

As for Mrs Dashwood, she is a well meaning and kindly woman- if a little silly, and it seemed unfair to leave her stranded at Barton Cottage after her daughters left the nest, with nothing to do but grow old, in an era when single or widowed women in straightened circumstances were pathetic creatures indeed- usually dependent upon the reluctant charity of relatives.

In addition, the original novel contains a collection of bizarre minor characters created by Jane Austen, who stand ready to add interest and humour to the tale. I had been playing with possibilities for continuing the story, and was delighted when Sourcebooks agreed that it was a good idea. Which is how “Expectations of Happiness” evolved into a sequel. (The title is taken from Sense and Sensibility – “That sanguine expectation of happiness that is happiness itself”)

I hope your readers also agree and look forward very much to reading their comments, when they have read “Expectations of Happiness”

They can contact me via your blog or the contact page on my website-

www.rebeccaanncollins.com

Thanks again for hosting this page and all the best,

Rebecca Ann Collins.

October 2011

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks is going to send one lucky winner a copy of Expectations of Happiness by Rebecca Ann Collins.

If you would like to win a copy of Expectations of Happiness by Rebecca Ann Collins please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the novel or this guest blog.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday November 4th.

Good luck!

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: It’s like a box of chocolates! by Laurel Ann Nattress (and GIVEAWAY)

2011-10-22T11:20:00.004-05:00

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: It’s like a box of chocolates! by Laurel Ann Nattress

Hi Laura, thanks again for hosting me during my Grand Tour of the blogosphere in celebration of the release of my new Austen-inspired anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It.

“It is only a novel… or, in short, some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language.” Northanger Abbey, Volume 1, Chapter 5

Novels in Jane Austen’s day were not as popular, nor did they garner the respect that they do today. Considered low-brow fare, her poke at those who objected to young ladies reading novels is evident in this quote from the narrator in Northanger Abbey. The reader is obviously reading a novel, so it is a double pun.

I proudly profess to be an ardent novel reader. I have also always had an affinity for short story anthologies. I will pull a Forest Gump on you and proclaim anthologies are like a box chocolates. You never know what you are going to get. Because of that unknown adventurous element, I have discovered fabulous new authors over the years. My new anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, is indeed like a box of Austen-inspired confections. Each story is unique and a surprise.

While I was working with the twenty-four authors on their twenty-two stories (two stories are written by teams) as the editor of the anthology, my idea from the beginning was to give them a free reign by asking them to “stay within the theme of exploring Austen’s philosophies of life and love by reacquainting readers with characters from her novels or introducing original stories inspired by her ideals.” They could write in any genre, era or style. I asked them to send me their ideas and I encourage them with my best instincts.

My editor and I had wanted a mix of stories, of which we hoped about half would be historical, and the balance contemporary. Interestingly, with very little micro-managing, that is exactly what happened. It split right down the line. To further enlighten you, here is the genre breakdown:

Jane Austen as a fictional character or inspired by her ideals: 7

Mystery: 2,

Inspired by her characters or a novel: 10

Paranormal: 3

So you can see there is quite a mix. I was delighted with the end result. I hope you will be too.

Contributing authors:

Pamela Aidan • Elizabeth Aston • Brenna Aubrey • Stephanie Barron • Carrie Bebris • Jo Beverley • Diana Birchall • Frank Delaney & Diane Meier • Monica Fairview • Amanda Grange • Syrie James • Janet Mullany • Jane Odiwe • Beth Pattillo • Alexandra Potter • Myretta Robens • Jane Rubino & Caitlen Rubino Bradway • Maya Slater • Margaret Sullivan • Adriana Trigiani • Laurie Viera Rigler • Lauren Willig

Editor bio:

A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington. Visit Laurel Ann at her blogs Austenprose.com and JaneAustenMadeMeDoIt.com, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Ballantine Books • ISBN: 978-0345524966

Giveaway of Jane Austen Made Me Do It
Enter a chance to win one copy of Jane Austen Made Me Do It by leaving a comment by midnight on Saturday October 29th, stating what intrigues you about reading an Austen-inspired short story anthology. Winners to be drawn at random and announced on October 30th. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck to all!

Winner of Mr. Darcy's Undoing by Abigail Reynolds

2011-10-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

The winner of Mr. Darcy's Undoing by Abigail Reynolds is Faith Hope & Cherrytea. She was drawn using random.org and has been notified via email. She has one week to respond with her mailing address. If I don't hear from her, I will draw a new winner.

Thank-you to Sourcebooks for this great giveaway, to Abigail Reynolds for writing another great book, and to all of you who entered the giveaway.

Stay tuned for this week for many new great giveaways . . .

Don’t Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from my Grandmothers by Adriana Trigiani

2011-10-20T14:49:00.001-05:00

Don’t Sing at the Table is a true gem of a book. It is a small volume, but contains a story of a great love between a girl and her grandmothers. Adriana Trigiani is the author of The Big Stone Gap series and Lucia, Lucia. I enjoyed all of those novels, but alas read them before I had a blog so I have no reviews of them online. In Don’t Sing at the Table, Trigiani takes her first foray into the non-fiction realm to write about her two extraordinary grandmothers, Yolanda “Viola” Perin Trigiani and Lucia “Lucy” Spada Bonicelli.

Trigiani gives the backstory of each woman from their youth through their careers and marriages. Both woman had successful careers outside the home, in a time when this was not the norm. Together with her husband, Viola ran a prosperous mill that produced blouses in Pennsylvania. Lucy became a young widow at 35, but was able to raise her three children alone while running a shoe and seamstress shop in Chisholm, Minnesota. Although both women had very different lives, they both had great values and advice that they passed onto their children and grandchildren.

Trigiani writes about the advice she received from her grandmothers about life and love throughout her lifetime while giving the back story of each lady. The advice is great advice and the stories are very entertaining. Pictures of Viola and Lucy are sprinkled throughout, and some of the recipes for the tasty dishes described in the book are located at the end.

One got a sense while reading this book of the great love that Trigiani had for her grandmothers and it touched me deeply. I was lucky in my life to know three of my great-grandmothers, and both of my grandmas. I still have one grandma left and am lucky to have her. I still miss the others that have passed away, especially my Great-Grandma Kile, who I was very, close too. I always loved listening to the stories these special ladies had to share and I’ve often thought of how these stories would make a very interesting book. Trigiani has written a book that I’ve always dreamed of writing!

I bookmarked A LOT of quotes in this book that I enjoyed and that I think give a great sense of the great wit and love this book has to offer. Here is a sampling of my favorite quotes:

Trigiani talking about her Grandma Lucy: “No one in the course of my entire life was ever as happy to see me as she was. Looking back, now, I realize that you only ever need one person who lights up that way when you enter a room. One person is all it takes to give a kid confidence.” I felt the same way about Grandma Kile.

“It isn’t square footage that creates opulence; it’s peace, calm, and the comforting knowledge that we can live well within our means that gives us security. “ Ben and I live by this mantra, although our family seems to want us to live in a palace!

“Nobody likes a pretty dope,” Viola once said.

“She knew, living in a small town, that everything she did would become fodder for conversation and affect her children. She never wanted to be the subject of any conversation that she wouldn’t have wanted her children to hear.”

“In the best marriages, both parties are in the aspiration business, and when you climb, you climb together, and higher.”

“Lucy died in 1992, Viola in 1997, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t turn to them in memory.” I feel the same way.

Overall, Don’t Sing at the Table is a moving tribute to the love and wisdom of Trigiani’s amazing grandmothers and grandmothers everywhere. It is also a great American story as the story of these women, was the story of our country in the twentieth century. It is a book I greatly enjoyed reading and will enjoy reading again in the future.

I read Don’t Sing at the Table as part of the TLC Book Tours. The rest of the schedule for this tour is located here.

Book Source: HarperCollins Publishers. Thank-you!

Jane Austen Made Me Do It Edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

2011-10-19T14:48:00.000-05:00

Jane Austen Made Me Do It is a delightful collection of short stories inspired by Jane Austen, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress author of one of my favorite blogs, Austenprose. The collection is authored by many of my favorite Austenesque authors including Monica Fairview, Stephanie Barron, Syrie James, Amanda Grange, Beth Patillo, Jane Odiwe, Carrie Bebris, Jane Rubino, Caitlen Rubino-Bradway and many others. Also included were a couple authors that I enjoy, but hadn’t considered Austenesque – including Diane Meier and Adriana Trigiani.

I am a big fan of short stories in general. I love this form of fiction and actually miss reading short stories in English and literature courses. I have been rereading some of my favorites recently for The Classics Circuit. I feel that the short story is often a powerful vehicle to focus on ideas that can be lost in a longer story.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It is the perfect combination of my favorite genre, authors, and form of fiction. I read and enjoyed the entire book. I looked forward to each evening (and lunch time) when I could sit down and see what new adventure was in store. I thought each story was excellent with not a bad one in the bunch. I always LOVED the diversity of the story. They covered all of Austen’s novels and Austen’s life, were set in modern day or in the 19th century, were continuations or focuses on different characters, or entirely new works of fiction. Truthfully I love Pride and Prejudice, but I loved to see Austen’s other masterpieces celebrated.

I think the best way for me to give credit to all of these wonderful stories is for me to give a brief two-second review/summary of each story. Here goes . . .

Introduction – I loved the introduction and learning the history of Laurel Ann’s love affair with Austen. It was interesting and very relatable! It was also inspiring to see how she took her passion and her blog to new levels at being able to put an entire book together. I think this is every book blogger’s dream come true.

Jane Austen’s Nightmare by Syrie James – I loved this story. Jane Austen is having a nightmare where she is in hated Bath being accosted by her creations. She is inspired by her dream to create her final masterpiece

I especially loved Marianne’s speech, “ In every scene throughout the entire, horrid novel, you presented me as the most selfish and most self-involved creature on the face of the earth. I was always waxing rhapsodic about poetry or dead leaves, harshly critiquing somebody or something, or crying my eyes out in the depths of despair! Could you not have given me even one scene where I might have behaved with equanimity?”

Waiting by Jane Odiwe – Captain Wentworth is talking to Sir Walter Elliot about seeing Anne’s hand in marriage. Anne is waiting and reflecting on when she first met Captain Wentworth eight years before and became engaged. I thought this story was perfect. It seemed like it could have been an extra chapter at the end of Persuasion. Persuasion is tied with Pride and Prejudice as my favorite Austen novel and I love reading more about my favorite characters.

A Night at Northanger by Lauren Willig – Cate works on the show Ghost Trekkers, where she helps keep up the charade that the crew is finding scary ghosts at various locations around England. Ghost Trekkers is visiting Northanger Abbey, where unexpectedly, Cate finds herself discovering real ghosts . . . a delightful story and very seasonal at this time of year.

Jane and the Gentleman Rogue by Stephanie Barron – This is a short story Jane Austen Mystery. I love Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries and really need to catch up with the series (why didn’t I join the challenge this year)? This mystery involves Lord Harold, my favorite Austen love, fighting a duel. Very intriguing and romantic.

Faux Jane by F.J. Meier – F.J. Meier is the pseudonym for the husband and wife writing team, Frank Delaney and Diane Meier. Meier’s A Season of Second Chances was in my top ten favorite books of 2010. Faux Jane introduces a delightful couple, Charles and Nora. They help to uncover a mystery involving a fake signed first edition copy of Pride and Prejudice. I want to read more about Charles and Nora; they reminded me of Nick and Nora Charles from The Think Man movies. With their names, I wonder if that was intentional . . . They were a fun, quirky couple in this story.

Nothing Less Than Fairy-Land by Monica Fairview – This was one of my favorite stories in the collection. Monica Fairview is my favorite Austenesque author with her novel, The Other Mr. Darcy my favorite of this genre. In this story, Fairview writes about what happens after Emma and Mr. Knightley’s honeymoon when they return home and move in with Mr. Woodhouse. Fairview captured each character perfectly and really made me think about how moving in with her crabby old father-in-law right after your honeymoon might not be anyone’s dream come true. A true gem of a story.

Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane by Adriana Trigiani – Trigiani writes as letter as a modern day Jane Austen to her niece Anna upon her engagement to Declan. A great celebration of letter writing and the wit of Austen.

Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss by Jo Beverley – I need to check out Beverley’s novels, I really enjoyed this story. I have a soft spot in my heart for regency Christmas stories and novels and what could be better than one set in Chawton with an appearance by Jane Austen herself? Elinor Carsholt is a young widow with young daughters celebrating her first Christmas without her husband. After her husband’s untimely death, she found herself in straightened circumstances. Fortunately her neighbor, Sir Nicolas has helped to create a magical Christmas for the family.

When Only a Darcy Will Do by Beth Patillo – This story was another of my favorites (I had a lot in this book – as I said, they were all good stories!). Elizabeth is studying in London, but is low on funds. To help supplement her income, she dresses in regency garb and holds Jane Austen tours of London. Unfortunately, she does not get much business until one day a man dressed as Mr. Darcy shows up for the tour. A great unique story and oh-so romantic!

Heard of You by Margaret C. Sullivan – Another fantastic story about Persuasion. Captain Wentworth tells his new bride Anne the story of how Admiral Croft and his sister Sophie became a couple. This story also read like it could have been an additional chapter of Persuasion. It was a wonderful story and I loved learning the background of these characters.

The Ghostwriter by Elizabeth Aston – The Ghostwriter is another great story for the season. Sara’s boyfriend Charles has left her leaving her a gift of a locket that once belonged to Jane Austen. The ghost of Austen shows up because of the locket and gives Sara advice on writing and love. I loved the ending!

Mr. Bennet Meets His Match by Amanda Grange – I love Grange’s “Diary” series about Austen’s novels as seen through the eyes of the various heroes. In this story, Grange gives the back-story of how Mr. and Mrs. Bennet first became a couple. Another perfect story, I especially loved when the Collins family came for a visit.

I loved this quote from this story, “She had not provided him with a son and heir, but she had provided him with a handsome number of daughters and she had unwittingly provided him with a great deal of entertainment as well.”

Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! By Janet Mullany – This excellent story is a unique one in which an English teacher (Julie Morton) in 1964 England teaches some of her pupils how to love Sense and Sensibility using their love of the Beatles. I enjoyed it!

Letters to Lydia by Maya Slater – This story had a great premise and I really enjoyed it. It is a series of letters written by Maria Lucas to Lydia. It becomes obvious that Maria had much more to do with the events of Pride and Prejudice than one knew. It all makes perfect sense and was a new way for me to think about P&P.

The Mysterious Closet: A Tale by Myretta Robens – Cathy Fullerton is staying at a gothic abbey in a mysterious and creepy suite where she meets a ghost by the name of Henry. Or is he a ghost? Another great tale for the season.

Jane Austen’s Cat by Diana Birchall – Jane Austen is visiting with her nieces Anna and Caroline and tells them great stories involving her characters and life . . . if they were cats. A touching story.

Me and Mr. Darcy, Again by Alexandra Potter – A great continuation of Me and Mr. Darcy. Emily is having problems with her boyfriend Spike, but is helped along the path of love by Mr. Darcy.

What Would Austen Do? by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway – Another one of my favorite stories. Austen is a 14-year old boy who learns how to “country dance” and a bit about love over his summer. A superb story. I was excited to read that they are developing it into a full length novel. I want to read it!

The Riding Habit by Pamela Aidan – Mr. Darcy wants to teach Elizabeth how to ride, but they encounter problems along the way. Another great story.

The Love Letter by Brenna Aubrey – I can see why this story won the Jane Austen Made Me Do It short story contest. It was another one of my favorites. Dr. Mark Hinton receives a mysterious page from a book in the mail, and discovers it is from Austen’s novel Persuasion. He learns more about the novel and also meets his old love Justine again.

The Chase by Carrie Bebris – This was another exceptional story about Jane Austen’s brother Frank and his adventures in the royal navy. I am ready to read a book about Frank now!

Intolerable Stupidity by Laurie Viera Rigler– Austenesque authors are on trial for making the Darcys lives intolerable with Lady Catherine serving as judge.

A great mix of stories overall! To learn how Laurel Ann Nattress put the collection together, stop by this Saturday October 22nd for a guest blog and a chance to win a copy of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It.

Book Source: Review Copy sent by Laurel Ann Nattress and Random House. Thank-you!

All About the Brontes Challenge 2012?

2011-10-17T14:19:00.002-05:00

In 2010, I hosted the All About the Brontes Challengewhere you could read a book, watch a movie, listen to an audiobook, or anything Bronte related in a celebration of the three very talented and interesting Bronte sisters. After having Penelope a year ago, I decided not to do the challenge in 2011 with limited time during her first year of life. Now that she is one, I’ve thought about bringing the challenge back for 2012.

Would you be interested in seeing the challenge return? What about the previous challenge did you like or dislike? Would you be interested in the challenge becoming more encompassing and becoming a “Women of Suspense,” “Gothic Fiction,” “Victorian Fiction,” or “19th Century Authors” Challenge? Or have you had your fill of challenges and would not like to see another one.

Please answer my poll on the right sidebar with your thoughts and leave a comment telling me what you think!

The Jodi Picoult Project

2011-10-17T14:06:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite blogs has a new interesting reading Challenge. Suko’s Notebook has introduced The Jodi Picoult Project. For this challenge, one needs to commit to reading at least one novel by this prolific author. The reading challenge will run from October 2011 through October 2012.

I enjoy Jodi Picoult’s novels and I have two on my shelf that I borrowed from my sister-in-law, Sing You Home and House Rules that I need to read. I also would love to read Plain Truth and Salem Falls. These two novels were my good friend Laura Hivala’s favorite Picoult novels. She recommended them to me and I’ve had them on my to-read list for quite a while! I’ll try to read these four books over the next year . . . or at least one of them!

Thank-you for the great new challenge Suko!

Mr. Darcy’s Undoing by Abigail Reynolds

2011-10-13T14:11:00.003-05:00

Mr. Darcy’s Undoing is a Pride and Prejudice variation. Pride and Prejudice variations take a pivotal point in the original novel and change it, thereby putting a new spin on everything that comes later. In Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, the variation is that after refusing Mr. Darcy’s proposal while in Kent, Elizabeth returns home and accepts a proposal from her life-long friend, Mr. Covington.

Mr. Covington has a modest estate and lives in the neighborhood, which will allow Elizabeth to remain within easy distance of her friends and family. Mr. Darcy returns to Netherfield with Bingley, only to discover Elizabeth engaged to another. That does not stop him from having rather naughty fantasies about her. Will Mr. Darcy prevail in winning back Elizabeth’s hand now that he has a rival?

I enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s Undoing. It was a quick, easy read that was very heavy on the romance side of Austenesque fiction. I thought it was an intriguing premise having a realistic rival for Elizabeth’s affections. I just wish the rivalry would have last longer in the novel. The last half of the novel is after Elizabeth has made her final choice and focuses more on the romance angle.

I have decided after reading the last couple of Darcy variations by various authors that perhaps variations aren’t all for me (gasp!). I really enjoy reading Austenesque sequels, focuses on other characters or on Austen, modern day presentations, mysteries, etc., but the actual variation of the Pride and Prejudice storylines just don’t seem to capture my fancy as much. Is it just me?

Abigail Reynolds is a fantastic author. I have read several of her novels and especially enjoyed The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice. I also love that she is a “literary local” hailing from Madison, Wisconsin. With Carrie Bebris also hailing from my great state, I think we need to have an Austen author conference here in Wisconsin! Abigail Reynolds wrote a fantastic guest blog about her process of creating a rival for Mr. Darcy. The guest blog is located here and if you leave a comment, you have a chance to win a copy of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing.

Overall Mr. Darcy’s Undoing is a great romance which finally pits Mr. Darcy against a realistic rival for Elizabeth’s affections.

Book Source: Advance Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

2011-10-11T19:14:00.003-05:00

I’ve been reading a lot of good books lately, Night Road was another book that I literary couldn’t put down, reading far too late into the night. It was a great page turner with many plot points to discuss at our FLICKS book and movie club next week, particularly since we are a book club of mothers.

Lexi Baill is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. An orphan after her mother dies from a drug overdose; she goes to live with her Great-Aunt Eva. Aunt Eva doesn’t have much in the way of material goods, but she does have a lot of love. Lexi attends a school full of rich kids on Pine Island in Washington State. She feels like an outcast until she meets Mia and her twin brother Zach. Mia and Lexi soon become best friends, while Lexi also harbors a secret crush for Zach.

Mia and Zach’s mother Jude is a helicopter Mom. She had a hard time getting pregnant. Since she’s had the twins, she has tried to be the loving mother that she never had. She is super involved in her children’s lives down to planning where they will go to college. The one event she never planned for is a tragedy that takes place along Night Road after a night of teenage drinking . . .

Truthfully Jude annoyed the heck out of me as a mother, which is ironically one of the reasons I found the novel so compelling. I think it will make the book a great point of discussion for our book club as there are sure to be varying views on Jude and her parenting. I think she came full circle and redeemed herself by the end, but her overwhelming involvement in her children’s lives, inability to forgive, and inability to move on made her a divisive character. It is hard to place yourself in someone else’s shoes should tragedy strike, but I hope I would handle things differently than Jude. I don’t want to discuss this point too in depth and giveaway the plot!

I enjoyed Lexi as a heroine. I thought she was a fully rounded character that had her good and her bad points. I was struck in this novel by the disparity between poor Lexi and the rich Mia. Truthfully the life that Jude and her children live as the wife and children of a doctor is not the life that I grew up living or that I live now as an engineer. I emphasized more with Lexi who had to work for everything she had. I can’t really imagine a lifestyle where you don’t have to worry about where you go to college because your parents are footing the entire bill, and getting a brand new car when you turn sixteen. Do people really live like this? I felt poor while reading it!

I particularly liked the shout-out to the Brontes in the novel. Mia and Lexi become friends after they bound over the reading of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. There were also several references to good friends in literature such as Harry and Hermione from Harry Potter and Sam and Frodo in Lord of the Rings. Most of my book club looks askance when I reference those two series (two of my favorites!) so I wonder if they understood what was being discussed. Sometimes “useless knowledge” isn’t so useless – it’s a good point of reference and common understanding!

Overall, I enjoyed Night Road for a finely written and moving plot with compelling, but often divisive characters. It is a good book to read and discuss as a book club, especially if you have a lot of mothers in the group. I thought the ending was a bit unrealistic, but the happiness of it will probably make most of my book club members happy!

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library

A Rival for Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds (and GIVEAWAY)

2011-10-09T17:35:00.002-05:00

A Rival for Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

How could that unrivalled romantic hero, Mr. Darcy, possibly have a rival? That was the question that started me writing the Pride & Prejudice variation Mr. Darcy’s Undoing. In Pride & Prejudice, Elizabeth is a reputed beauty in the local scene, her father is a gentleman, she has a tiny bit of a dowry, and she seems to be able to attract male interest without much effort. Despite this, Mr. Darcy has a clear playing field because all of Elizabeth’s other admirers can’t be taken seriously. Mr. Wickham is too poor, Mr. Collins too foolish, and Colonel Fitzwilliam lets her know directly that he needs to marry an heiress.

Because Darcy doesn’t have a serious rival, he doesn’t have to do much more than mend his manners to win Elizabeth’s favor. If there had been a rival, what would Darcy have needed to do to make Elizabeth take him seriously?

To develop a rival for Darcy, I had to consider what he had to offer Elizabeth. He is handsome (though Wickham is more handsome), extremely wealthy, intelligent and passionate. It would be hard to create another character who could offer Elizabeth more in those regards, but there are also things that Darcy can’t offer Elizabeth. To marry him, she would have to leave all her family and friends, as well as her beloved Hertfordshire, for a society where she is completely unknown. She is likely to be somewhat over her head trying to manage the household at Pemberley, which is larger and more grand than any she has ever dealt with, and in dealing with the ton in London. And while Darcy learns to accept Elizabeth’s family, one senses there is always going to be reserve on his part. He isn’t likely to consider them friends or part of his community.

Enter Mr. Covington. Elizabeth has known him her entire life and knows he is responsible, trustworthy and sensible. He owns an estate nearby that is similar to Longbourn, much more manageable for someone like Elizabeth. By marrying him, she could stay in her familiar environs near her family and friends. She is fond of his family, and could feel completely comfortable inviting them to visit her family. Mrs. Covington would never be as wealthy as Mrs. Darcy, but she would never lack for anything. Darcy is a brilliant match for Elizabeth, but Mr. Covington is a safe and comfortable match.

Even so, Darcy’s native intelligence and wit give him a major advantage with Elizabeth. I had to find something else in Mr. Covington’s favor, so I decided that Elizabeth would be engaged to him. In Regency society, it was very shameful to break an engagement, so even if Elizabeth developed feelings for Darcy, her sense of loyalty and propriety would weigh heavily toward Mr. Covington.

When I first posted Mr. Darcy’s Undoing as a serial on a Jane Austen fanfiction board, I had a big surprise. Before Mr. Covington had a name, I referred to him as ‘Mr. Nice Guy.’ And he is a nice guy – maybe a bit stolid, but he is a responsible and decent sort of fellow and he genuinely cares for Elizabeth. To my shock, my readers despised him. Comments ranged from suggestions as to painful ways I might choose to kill him off to torments he should suffer for daring to raise his eyes to Elizabeth. I’d created a perfectly amiable gentleman… and everyone HATED him for being in Darcy’s way.

The moral of this story: as an author, I could create a rival for Darcy, but in the minds of readers who love Pride & Prejudice, Darcy will never have a rival. And, in truth, that’s just how it should be.

Thank-you for the fantastic guest blog Abigail! I think having a rival to Mr. Darcy puts a fantastic spin on Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed the novel and will have my review posted this week so stay tuned! - Laura

Giveaway Details

Sourcebooks is going to send one lucky winner a copy of Mr. Darcy's Undoing by Abigail Reynolds.

If you would like to win a copy of Mr. Darcy's Undoing by Abigail Reynolds please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the novel or this guest blog.

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday October 21st, 2011.

Good luck!

Jane Eyre (2011)

2011-10-07T14:19:00.003-05:00

As readers of this blog know, I am more than slightly obsessed with all things Bronte. One of my particular obsessions is watching all movie and TV versions of Jane Eyre. One of my fondest memories is watching the 1983 TV version of Jane Eyre starring Timothy Dalton as Mr. Rochester with my best friend Jenn while we were in high school. Even to us teenagers in the 1990’s the 1983 version was dated with poor background scenery and some rather bad dialogue. Even now, if one of us says, “She is a strapper, a REAL strapper,” it’s enough to send me into a fit of laughter.

It is always interesting to me how Jane Eyre is adapted from a beloved novel to the big (or small) screen. Some versions are excellent (2006 mini-series), while others are rather lacking (1983 mini-series). I am happy to say that I thought the 2011 version of Jane Eyre was one of the better productions – I loved it!

This version of Jane Eyre starred Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester. I have never seen the movies they are famed for (Alice in Wonderland and Inglourious Basterds respectively), but their superb acting in this movie makes me want to go and watch all of the other movies that they have been in. Wasikowska and Fassbender were both excellent leads with superb chemistry. You could almost feel it cackling off of the screen, particularly during a snowstorm scene where Mr. Rochester swooped into the room and swept Jane into his arms. This may have only been a figment of Jane’s imagination and not in the original novel, but it was highly romantic and a great addition. Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?

Judi Dench was also fantastic as Mrs. Fairfax. It was the best portrayal of that character that I’ve seen. I thought she really humanized the character into more than a cliche.

I thought the screenplay had an interesting framing of the story. It started at the middle of the novel with Jane’s flight from Thornfield and subsequent refuge at the Rivers’ home. I’m glad the Rivers were included as the second half of the novel has been left out of a lot of productions. This framing makes the story rather dramatic and mysterious if you don’t know the story of Jane’s flight. One negative though is that it makes the story seem as a romance between St. John and Jane as we know them together with some spark between them (at least on St. John’s end) before Mr. Rochester is introduced.

I particularly loved the lighting of this movie. It was eerie with the lights going dim at night with just the small light from a candle. It seemed more like the lighting would have been at the time and I loved the gothic feel. I also loved the sweeping music, it was beautiful. I need to look for the soundtrack!

The Lowood School scenes in this movie made me sad as they always do. I find that part of the novel heart wrenching, particularly because Charlotte Bronte and her poor sisters lived through a similarly dreary school experience that ended with the deaths of her older sisters Elizabeth and Maria.

I thought the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester seemed sudden in the movie. This is probably due to the lack of time for build-up (it is a rather large novel). I enjoy the build-up of love in a longer mini-series. Some of my favorite scenes also didn’t make it into the movie (also probably due to time constraints) including Rochester’s turn as a gypsy, Jane’s torn wedding veil, and the very end of the novel “Reader, I married him.”

Overall though, the filmmakers succeeded in making a gothic, romantic version of Jane Eyre in the time constraints of a movie. I loved the leads and need to purchase this movie so I can watch it again . . . and again!

Have you seen this version of Jane Eyre yet? What did you think? Make sure to let me know in your comments. I loved Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester, but there have been many good Rochesters over the years. Vote on your favorite Mr. Rochester in my poll on the sidebar. We’ll have a Mr. Rochester discussion about the results next month – but you can also voice your opinion in the comments on this post.

Speaking of polls, I’ve also added one about the “All About the Brontes” Challenge. I hosted it in 2010 and I’m thinking about bringing it back for 2012. Would you be interested in joining it again? What can be done to improve it? Or should I try something different, but related such as a “Gothic” challenge, women of suspense challenge, Victorian Literature, or 19th century authors challenge? Vote on the poll and let me know your thoughts in the comments on this post!

DVD Source: The Kewaunee Public Library

To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell

2011-10-06T09:50:00.002-05:00

To the Moon and Back is the third book by Jill Mansell that I’ve read in the past year. Mansell has quickly become one of my new favorite women’s fiction, “chick-lit,” or however you would like to describe wonderful, well-written stories that keep you engrossed until the very end. Mansell’s style is unique as in each of the novels that I’ve read, she writes about a great cast of well-rounded characters. There may be one lead, but she is surrounded by great people with interesting stories of their own. I love it!

Ellie Kendall is happily married to Jamie, a “drop-dead gorgeous 28-year old male.” They have a wonderful relationship that abruptly ends when Jamie is killed in a car crash while traveling to a class reunion with his best friend Todd. Eighteen months later, Ellie is having a hard time moving on. She finds herself still talking to Jamie, living in the same flat although it has gone downhill, and not dating anyone else. With help from her father-in-law, Tony, Ellie moves to Primrose Hill (an upper class area of London), where she makes a great new friend, Roo, and finds a new job within walking distance.

At her new job, Ellie has a handsome boss named Zack McLaren who happens to be crazy about her. Not wanting to mix her love life and her job, Ellie keeps her personal details to herself and tries to keep her crush for Zack under control. She starts to move on with her love life, much to Zack’s dismay. Will she be able to see the love that is right under her nose?

Side stories also include Roo and her transformation from an ex-rocker marriage wrecker to a being a better, caring person, and Tony finding a second chance at love. Tony meets an attractive middle aged artist and they feel an instant attraction. Unfortunately Martha is married. Her long-time love and husband Henry is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and is in a home. Martha is lonely, but loves her husband and can’t move on while he is alive. I thought it was a great look into the complications of love and the difficulties of living with Alzheimer's. My only complaint is that I would love to have read more about Martha and Tony . . . spin-off novel?

I read this novel in record time and had a hard time putting it down. Mansell was able to write a novel that both has a realistic look at grief, but is also a light-hearted romance. It’s a difficult task to find that perfect balance, but I believe that Mansell achieved it flawlessly.

Mansell has a wonderful gift for writing interesting, fully developed characters. I loved Jamie and he was dead by the end of the first chapter. I love how the story involved so much more than Ellie as a main character; the reader really gets to know the entire world of characters in which she resides.

Overall, To the Moon and Back is another fantastic novel by Jill Mansell. If you’ve loved her previous work, or are looking for something new to read, I highly recommend her!

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

2011-10-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

The Grief of Others is a lyrical, beautifully written novel about the ripples of grief that flow through a family after the death of the newest addition.

The Ryrie family lives in the state of New York in a Hudson River community. While Ricky works long days in the financial community leaving before her family rises and returning home after dinner, John works at his dream job building stages for productions at a local college. They have two children, Paul and Elizabeth, better known as Biscuit. Their third child is born missing a part of his brain, and little Simon Isaac only lives for fifty-seven hours.

The Grief of Others explores the lives of the Ryrie family before, during, and after the crisis. While Ricky and John try to move on while shielding their two remaining children, they find that certain lies from their past prove it to be a difficult task. In trying to protect Paul and Biscuit, they didn’t allow for any closure over the life lost of little Simon. Biscuit is only ten, but has had a difficult year in which she constantly skips school. Paul is entering his teens and has lost most of his friends through the year and finds himself a constant target of bullying at school.

Into the midst of all of these trials, John’s eldest daughter by a different woman shows up alone and pregnant. Jess was raised by her mother, but had one great summer vacation with the Ryrie family eight years before. She is not sure what she is trying to find by seeking out her “alternate” family, but the Ryries find themselves responding to her in different ways. The family also befriends young Gordie, a young man that has also experienced loss through the death of his father.

This novel was overall a sad book, but I enjoyed reading it (although that sounds perverse). I thought the writing itself was beautiful and I thought each character was complex and compelling. The narrative shifts between characters and I enjoyed reading about them all. My one complaint is that I wanted to learn more about all of the characters, why did the book have to end? Each one could have had a book alone about them. I thought the ending was good, but I could have continued to read more about them, particularly about Gordie.

While The Grief of Others was a great look at the complications of loss and grief, it was also an in-depth look at marriage, raising children, and growing up. I particularly felt pulled by Paul’s story. He had become an unpopular boy through the course of a year and was verbally harassed all of the time. It was sad, and made me worry about my own kids in the future. I thought Cohen did an excellent job of really relating well to all characters, even the younger ones.

As a mother, this particular line really touched me, “it is the realization that of all the innumerable sweetnesses the world will offer her children, the vast majority will go unwitnessed by her.” Children grow up too fast!

I read The Grief of Others as part of the TLC Book Tour. For more stops on the tour, please check out the master schedule.

Book Source: Review Copy from the Penguin Group. Thank-you!

2011 Movie Update

2011-09-30T16:54:00.004-05:00

I love to watch movies. When I first started this blog, I would post about each movie that I watched. Now if you look at my blog, you would think the only movies I watch are to fulfill Jane Austen challenges. Back in my single, dating, and newly married days, there was nothing I loved better than going out friends or Ben to the movie theatre. My movie watching has decreased with time and more kids, but I still watch movies. Ben and I don’t get to the movie theatre too much anymore. When you have three kids and the movie theatre is 30 to 45 minutes away, the babysitter fees are too much to get out that often. Most of the movies I watch are DVDs from the library, on Turner Classic Movies, or are on Starz (we get Starz “free” this year because of an increase in our monthly bill from Dish). I mostly watch movies in pieces during times I’m nursing Penelope . . . my movie time is going away now that she is getting weaned.

The following are movies I’ve watched this summer that I enjoyed. What movies have you watched and enjoyed lately? When do you watch movies?

Oscar Contenders:

The King’s Speech – Wow, sometimes I watch best picture contenders and I find myself wondering what the fuss is about and vowing to never watch that movie again (I’m looking at you No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood). The King’s Speech was a positive movie that I loved and would enjoy watching again and again. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are spectacular as King “Bertie” George VI and Lionel Logue. I love how the movie is not only a tale of an unlikely friendship, but how a great tale of working to overcome a disability.

True Grit – I also loved True Grit. It was a great story also with brilliant performances. I have never seen the original or read the book so I can’t compare. Hailee Steinfield steals the show as Mattie Ross, a young teenage girl trying to avenge her father’s murder. She hires Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her track down the killer. They are joined by a Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who is tracking the same guy. I thought the cinematography, music, script, and acting were all superb. I loved this movie. Ben only saw pieces of it, but he was stopped in his tracks each time and had a few laughs at some of the witty dialogue. I did the The King’s Speech better, but True Grit was a very close second best film of 2010 in my opinion.

Period Movies

Bright Star – I really enjoyed this tragic love story of the poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. I didn’t know anything about this story at all and I enjoyed learning about the love affair. I also thought the cinematography was very beautiful and I loved the costumes. I also loved to hate poet Charles Brown, the arrogant friend of Keats that had a declared hatred for Fanny.

The Last Station – I always love learning something new about writers and historical figures. The Last Station gave me an education about Leo Tolstoy and his very unconventional end of life. The end of the movie had me want to burst through the TV and strangle Paul Giamatti as the sinister Chertkov. Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer gave powerhouse performances as Tolstoy and his wife Sofya. I also enjoyed James McAvoy as the young Bulgakov, but Mirren and Plummer really stole the show.

The Young Victoria – As you can tell from the books I read, I may be slightly obsessed with British royalty. I loved this movie starring Emily Blunt as the young Victoria before and shortly after becoming queen of England. The romance between Print Albert, Rupert Friend, and Victoria was beautiful.

Chick Flicks

Easy A – Another movie I absolutely adored. I love chick flicks, rom-coms, whatever you like to call them – but I’ve felt that recent fair the past few years has been not the greatest. I was pleasantly surprised to discover Easy A. Emma Stone has a fantastic performance in this movie, which is a modern take on The Scarlet Letter. It is an original take on a classic, in the same vein as Clueless was to Emma.

(500) Days of Summer – Another non-traditional rom-com that I really enjoyed. I loved that it was from a man’s point of view of the 500 days he spent falling in love, in relationship with, and trying to get over a perfect girl named Summer.

Classics

Letter to Three Wives – This was a rather saucy tale of a letter a “friend” sends on her way out of town to three wives saying she has run off with one of their husbands. All three wives flash back to how they got together with their husbands and current relationship problems that may be the cause of their husband leaving them. A great early performance of Kirk Douglas.

I know I watched other great movies this summer, but these are the ones that I really enjoyed and am still thinking about. I really like sci-fi and action movies, but didn’t really watch any this summer for whatever reason.

What have you been watching lately? Any great movies you would recommend?