Review: Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Sister
Author: Rosamund Lupton
Published: June 7, 2011
Genre: mystery, thriller
eBook: approx. 368 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead, apparently by her own hand.

Bee is certain that Tess didn’t commit suicide. Their family and the police accept the sad reality, but Bee feels sure that Tess has been murdered.  Single-minded in her search for a killer, Bee moves into Tess's apartment and throws herself headlong into her sister's life--and all its secrets. 

Though her family and the police see a grieving sister in denial, unwilling to accept the facts, Bee uncovers the affair Tess was having with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted, and her difficultly with a stalker who may have crossed the line when Tess refused his advances. Tess was also participating in an experimental medical trial that might have gone very wrong.  As a determined Bee gives her statement to the lead investigator, her story reveals a predator who got away with murder--and an obsession that may cost Bee her own life.

My Thoughts: Wow. Let me start this review with that one word: wow. This book is probably one of the best that I will read this year (I'm willing to make that statement pretty early on in the year!) and something that I will be talking about to everybody that I know. Beatrice has just lost her sister and nephew (who was stillborn), so she returns to London to deal with the funeral and burial. When she arrives and learns the circumstances around her sisters death, Beatrice realizes that her sister was murdered, although everyone else believes that she committed suicide following the death of her baby. Beatrice decides to solve this crime on her own since everyone believes that Tess was not murdered but just a girl going through a very hard time. 

Beatrice is the narrator for this story and she tells it in the most interesting way. She is talking to a prosecutor, telling him how she went about solving the mystery and talking to her dead sister at the sametime. It's the most interesting viewpoint that I've ever seen used to write a book and it was so engaging! When she talks to the prosecutor, you are driven to anxiousness because she has already solved the crime! You are on the edge of your seat, wanting it to  go faster! When she's talking to Tess, telling her how she figures everything out and uses the language that is common to sisters, you learn more about Beatrice and Tess, both as individuals and as siblings.

Rosamund Lupton is a gifted writer and it shows when she is talking about the sisters. As an older sister myself, I could totally identify with Beatrice and her madness to solve this crime. Afterall, we may not always get along with our sisters, but we know each other better than anyone else. That's what happens when you grow up together and share those common experiences that shape your personality and who you are a person. You forge a bond with one another that cannot be severed. And you also have an innate understanding of each other, which can never be broken. Lupton explores the relationship between sisters so wonderfully and it made me better understand my own sisters and the relationships that we have together. 

The plot is gripping and engaging and the end of the novel (don't worry, I won't give anything away) had me (literally!) on the edge of my seat, wondering if this was how the novel was going to end. I did think that it ended a little abruptly, which is why I gave this 4.5 stars. But at the end of the day, I walk away having read a fantastic book written by a gifted writer, one who I'm sure will be around for quite sometime. If you like mysteries or thrillers, or if you have a sister, then you must read this book. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

Review: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

The Art Forger
Author: B.A. Shapiro
Published: October 23, 2012
Genre: fiction
eBook: approx. 368 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art today worth over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there’s more to this crime than meets the eye.

Making a living reproducing famous artworks for a popular online retailer and desperate to improve her situation, Claire is lured into a Faustian bargain with Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner. She agrees to forge a painting—a Degas masterpiece stolen from the Gardner Museum—in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But when that very same long-missing Degas painting is delivered to Claire’s studio, she begins to suspect that it may itself be a forgery. Her desperate search for the truth leads Claire into a labyrinth of deceit where secrets hidden since the late nineteenth century may be the only evidence that can now save her life.

My Thoughts: I saw this book when it first came out and thought it looked interesting but I passed on it. Whenever I read a book that's set in the art world, I always end up not liking it as much because of the amount of detail it goes into about art history. After reading a blogger's review of this book, though (and I can't remember where I read the review at, so I apologize if it was you who wrote the review that inspired me to read the book!), I decided to give it a try. They gushed about how wonderful it was and hard to put down, so I figured that I would take a stab at it. The first 30 pages or so I thought, "Here we go, another lame art book that I'm going to end up not liking." But then things started to get interesting. You have the story of the present day going on, with Claire painting a Degas to sell; Claire's story from three years ago, when she became the joke of the art world; and then going all the way back in time to Isabella Stewart Gardner's correspondence with her niece, detailing her adventures abroad with artists of the day.

While it may seem like that's a lot to be going on in one book, it's never too much. B.A. Shapiro writes in way that pulls you in, inch by inch, into the story. It's never a full blown thrill until about the last 60 pages or so (that's when it became impossible for me to put down), and then she has you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. Going between the present day and the stories of the past, she creates this multilayered story that gives you all the information you need without weighing down the plot and making you lose interest or be overwhelmed with the historical details that pertain to the story.

The characters in this novel are interesting (they are part of the art world, after all), but Claire, the main character, is perhaps the most complex. Even when the story ends, you are a bit unsure why she does the things that she does. In terms of painting this "stolen" Degas, you understand that she wants the money. But she continues with it even though she feels such guilt over having it. With her backstory, you wonder why she would paint a painting for someone else and let him take all the credit for so long. She's hard to read and it can be frustrating at times. But that also makes me like her even more. She's not predictable, she's a real character. Some of her motivations are easy to understand, while others require you to sit and think.

Overall, this was a fascinating read and one that made me want to get up and go to the art museum to look at some of these paintings! It's thrilling, engaging, and not something that we've come to expect from novels that are set in the art world. I will definitely be checking out more of Shapiro's work in the future.

Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
Published: September 26, 2006
Genre: thriller
eBook: approx. 272 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart 
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg 
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle 
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

My Thoughts: Wow. That's all I can really think to say about this book. I've heard of Gillian Flynn after last year's novel, Gone Girl, shot to the top of every best seller list and it's the only book that everyone seemed to be talking about. I haven't gotten around to it yet (shame on me), but I decided to give her first novel a go to see if it's something I would enjoy. And my goodness, I think I may have found a new author to love! Flynn is a superb writer, using short, quick sentences to guide you through the messed up world that Camille (the main character) comes from. Wind Gap, Missouri is in the midst of a double-murder mystery, with two young girls being killed. It's such a small town that people immediately start blaming the outsider who recently moved to the area. Camille knows that his story doesn't match up and takes it upon herself to solve this case.

I don't want to give anything away because this is a novel that you have to experience for yourself. But the cast of characters in this novel are superb. They are one messed up group of people, but you have your favorites who you are cheering for, even though they are truly messed up in the head. Camille's mother, Adora, is an interesting character and someone who I would love to dissect. She's screwed up, that much is obvious, but there is so much more to her than that. And then Camille's sister, Amma, is another character who just grabs you for some inexplicable reason. You hate her, yet you are fascinated by her at the same time.

This is such a great book that I devoured it in less than two days. I found it difficult to walk away from, not only because I wanted to know who killed these little girls, but because the characters are so well done that you don't want to leave their world. This is a book that I could see a book club having a great time with because there is so much to discuss. The symbolism in this book is great and is something that I could do an entire post on. I don't typically read thrillers but this one is so good! Even if you don't do scary, you should read this book. Flynn will have you thinking and wondering about people within the first few pages of reading. It just makes me all the more anxious to read more of her work!

Audiobook Review: The Witness by Nora Roberts

The Witness
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator:
Published: April 17, 2012
Genre: chick lit, thriller
Audiobook: 13 discs (approx. 15 hours)
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever. 

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems--and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something--and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

My Thoughts: I often find good audiobooks hard to find. Either the narration doesn't fit with the story, the plot is too confusing to be read aloud, or the book just isn't something that I would enjoy, even in print form. I often turn to the authors whose work I really enjoy in the form of audiobooks, because I know that it's difficult to let me down when I typically enjoy their writing. This is the case with Nora Roberts. Her books are engaging and quick reads, and her latest book is no different. In fact, this is the best Nora Roberts book that I've read/listened to. Combining the thrill of the Russian mafia with a woman determined to outrun her past, Roberts weaves an amazing story of bravery, heroic acts, and a little humor, along with some romance, to really make you love this story.

It's a great plot and one that kept me wondering if Elizabeth/Abigail would be able to live with the Russian mafia looking for her. I didn't know if she would be able to last living the way that she does. She meets a wonderful man, someone who changes her view on the world and the people in it. It takes time for the story to develop and progress, but Roberts uses that time to show you Abigail's life and her struggles with people. She shows you how Abigail is able to open up, slowly, and let others in. It's moving to see how Brooks changes her view on the world and how one person can really change your life.

If there was one thing that took away from the experience of listening to this book, it was the narration. At times, it became so stilted, especially with Abigail's dialogue, that I almost tuned out. I understand that Abigail is all logic and comes across as very cool, but that doesn't mean that she's a robot. Overall though, it was a great listening experience and it has me looking forward to my next Nora Roberts audiobook.

Review: The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

The End of Your Life Book Club
Author: Will Schwalbe
Published: October 2, 2012
Genre: memoir
eBook: approx. 336 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): “What are you reading?”

That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying. 

Will and Mary Anne share their hopes and concerns with each other—and rediscover their lives—through their favorite books. When they read, they aren’t a sick person and a well person, but a mother and a son taking a journey together. The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often humorous, celebration of life: Will’s love letter to his mother, and theirs to the printed page.

My Thoughts: I love a good memoir, one that makes you look at your own life in a different way because of someone else, who you probably have never met. This is the case with this book by Will Schwalbe. Following the nearly two years of his mother's battle with pancreatic cancer, Schwalbe details how they came to form a special bond over that time, learning more about one another and the world than they could have without the aid of some great books.

I find if hard to review memoir's because it's hard to tear apart someone else's life and comment on it. So, I won't. Instead, let me tell you that this is a wonderful book about a mother and son bonding with one another over literature. Now, they do read a few classics, but most of what they read is newer or focused in the Middle East (Will's mother does a lot of volunteer work with organizations focused in that area). While it didn't take away from my understading of the book, it sometimes did make it hard for me to relate. But the way that Schwalbe tells you about the books that they are reading is great. If you are nervous that he is going to blow any books ending, then don't worry about it. While he is able to give you enough background on the book so you understand the topics that he is discussing, he never gives anything away (which was one of my concerns with the book.)

If you know someone who is battling cancer or whose battle with the disease has ended, then this would be a great book to read. While the word "book club" is in the title, this memoir has little to do with books, but more with the way we handle the battle of this awful disease, not only as the afflicted, but also as the family members. Definitely something that should be read!

Review: Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

Arranged
Author: Catherine McKenzie
Published: January 8, 2011
Genre: chick lit
Paperback: 416 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, close friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share her life with, however, she just can't seem to get it right. When her latest relationship implodes, and her best friend announces she's engaged, Anne impulsively calls what she thinks is a dating service--only to discover that it's actually an exclusive, and pricey, arranged "marriage" service. Anne initially rejects the idea, but the more she learns about the service, the more she thinks: "Why not?" After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world; maybe it could work for her.

A few months later, Anne is traveling to a Mexican resort, where, over the course of a weekend, she meets and then marries Jack. And initially, everything seems to be working out. . .

My Thoughts: After reading the novel Spin (link goes to my review), I really fell in love with Catherine McKenzie's writing style. It's laid back yet manages to grip you in such a way that you want to read the book in one sitting. Her second novel was no exception to her first book and it made me love her even more. In this novel, we have Anne who has given up on the idea of ever finding the right man. When she discovers a professional arranged marriage business, she figures that she has nothing left to lose and gives it a shot. She is arranged to marry Jack, someone who is very compatible with her, but of course, things go awry and not everything is perfect.

One of the best things about this book was Anne. She is such a strong character, someone who you could definitely see existing out in the real world. McKenzie doesn't overexaggerate her characters and put them into positions and situations that are unfathomable. Arranged marriage might sound way out there, but as you are reading this book, it slowly starts to not seem so crazy. You can relate to why Anne would go this route instead of continue dating (especially as you learn about her exes). Her actions are things that any woman might do, making her so great. And Jack is a great foil for her. They instantly connect and they are a great pair. You know that something has to happen between him and Anne since this novel can't just sail along smoothly, but you just can't put your finger on it.

I also really enjoyed this idea of arranged marriages in our world. I wish that McKenzie has explored this concept a little more, because I do find it intriguing, but her novel gave a pretty good overview of how the process might work. If you haven't heard of McKenzie, I highly recommend her to anyone that enjoys chick lit. She is a great writer, someone with a fresh voice and plots that aren't like anything else that is coming out right now. She has a great writing style and you just want to devour her books in one sitting. Her latest one, Forgotten, came out in mid-October, and I'm already looking forward to seeing what she publishes next! 

Review: The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

The Great Escape
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Published: July 10, 2012
Genre: chick lit, romance
Hardcover: 432 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): Lucy Jorik is a champ at never embarrassing the family she adores--not surprising since her mother is one of the most famous women in the world. But now Lucy has done just that. And on her wedding day, no less, to the most perfect man she's ever known.

Instead of saying "I do" to Mr. Irresistible, Lucy flees the church in an ill-fitting blue choir robe and hitches a ride on the back of a beat-up motorcycle plastered with offensive bumper stickers. She's flying into the unknown with a rough-looking, bad-tempered stranger who couldn't be more foreign to her privileged existence.

While the world searches for her, Lucy must search for herself, and she quickly realizes that her customary good manners are no defense against a man who's raised rudeness to an art form. Lucy needs to toughen up--and fast.

Her great escape takes her to his rambling beach house on a Great Lakes island. Here, she hopes to find a new direction . . . and unlock the secrets of this man who knows so much about her but reveals nothing about himself. As the hot summer days unfold amid scented breezes and sudden storms, she'll also encounter a beautiful, troubled beekeeper; a frightened young boy; a modern-day evil queen; and a passion that could change her life forever.

In this dazzling follow-up to her "New York Times" bestseller "Call Me Irresistible," Susan Elizabeth Phillips tells the funny, touching, enchanting story of a young woman searching for her destiny . . . and of a damaged man who doesn't believe in second chances.

My Thoughts: When I read Call Me Irresistable last summer, I really liked it and wanted to read more of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books. They are definitely entertaining and sexy and just the perfect read to not have to really think too much about. So, what her latest one came out, I just knew that I would have to read it. And it did not disappoint! This novel follows Lucy Jorik as she escapes from her high-profile wedding to the perfect Ted Beaudine and runs away from her life. She doesn't know what all is wrong in her life, but hopping on the back of a stranger's motorcycle seems like the best solution for the time being. What follows is a great story about a woman trying to find herself, a man coming to grips with his past, and a few other characters who are also changing their lives.

 

While I am not (nor will ever be) the President's daughter, there was so much about Lucy's journey that I could identify with. Her struggle to identify with who she is as an adult is something that I think every woman deals with. Perhaps the thing about her that resonated most with me is her reverse bucket list. Lucy had to grow up quickly and behave appropriately, given that her mother was a civil servant and very public. So, Lucy was always on her best behavior. But when she decides to dye her hair, prank call people, and get (fake) tattoos, I could identify with that. I am the oldest of three children, so I sometimes find myself to be a bit more conservative in my actions than other people. While I don't know if I would ever put my hair into dreds like Lucy did (actually, I know that I would never do this!), I could totally see where she was coming from and how the pressure she was under transformed her into a little adult at young age.

 

For me, I don't typically read romance novels, which is what Phillips's work is considered. But I don't think of it as the romance novels that I tend to think of; instead, I view these almost as a romantic comedy, just written down. The stories are humorous but show a female character overcoming an obstacle or hardship in her life. There is a cast of characters who add to the stories in their own little ways and are all uniquely different. And of course, you couldn't have a romantic comedy without a hunky man, which these books have. Will these books make you look at the world in a different way? No. But will they help you to escape from the real world and laugh along with these characters and see them as they grow. If you like chick lit and haven't read Susan Elizabeth Phillips because she is classified as a "romance author", I would encourage to think twice and try one her books. I don't think that you will be disappointed.

Review: A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

A Lesson In Secrets (Maisie Dobbs #8)
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Published: March 22, 2011
Genre: mystery
Hardcover: 321 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): In the summer of 1932, Maisie Dobbs’ career goes in an exciting new direction when she accepts an undercover assignment directed by Scotland Yard’s Special Branch and the Secret Service. Posing as a junior lecturer, she is sent to a private college in Cambridge to monitor any activities “not in the interests of His Majesty’s Government.”

When the college’s controversial pacifist founder and principal, Greville Liddicote, is murdered, Maisie is directed to stand back as Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane and Detective Chief Inspector Stratton spearhead the investigation. She soon discovers, however, that the circumstances of Liddicote’s death appear inextricably linked to the suspicious comings and goings of faculty and students under her surveillance.

To unravel this web, Maisie must overcome a reluctant Secret Service, discover shameful hidden truths about Britain’s conduct during the war, and face off against the rising powers of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei—the Nazi Party—in Britain.

A pivotal chapter in the life of Maisie Dobbs, A Lesson In Secrets marks the beginning of her intelligence work for the Crown. As the storm clouds of World War II gather on the horizon, Maisie will confront new challenges and new enemies—and will engage new readers and loyal fans of this bestselling mystery series.

My Thoughts: I saw this book a few years ago and fell in love with the cover. I loved the mystery behind it, the art deco design, and the 1930s vibe that I was getting from it. I started reading the description and realized that this was number eight in the series, so I started all the way back at the beginning to work my way up to this one. And it was worth it! For me, this might be the best Maisie Dobbs novel out of the eight (I haven't read the ninth one yet). Maisie is now working with the Secret Service on a case regarding a college in Cambridge that was founded by a pacifist who published a controversial book during World War I. So, away Maisie goes, trying to figure out what is happening at the school. What follows is a murder investigation, and while Maisie is not supposed to help with that case, she just can't help herself.

Jacqueline Winspear is great at crafting a great mystery, one where there are quite a few suspects but she leaves you guessing who has committed the crime until the last few pages. Winspear is also gifted with characters. The growth that Maisie has gone through from the first novel in this series to now is subtle but significant. She is truly independent now but realizing that it may not be necessary to live on her own. Being able to see other characters mature throughout this series is great, too. Seeing Billy and his family grow and bounce back from the loss of their youngest child is so nice to see. And the budding relationship Maisie has with James Compton adds another dimension to this story. James doesn't take away from Maisie, but only adds to her and her stories. I can't wait to see where Winspear takes their relationship in the future.

If you enjoy historical fiction or are a fan of World War I or II novels, then you need to be reading this series! Winspear is an amazing writer and Maisie a wonderful leading lady.   

Review: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters

Beautiful Ruins
Author: Jess Walters
Published: June 12, 2012
Genre: fiction
Hardcover: 337 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.

And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot--searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier.

What unfolds is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel, spanning fifty years and nearly as many lives. From the lavish set of "Cleopatra" to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Walter introduces us to the tangled lives of a dozen unforgettable characters: the starstruck Italian innkeeper and his long-lost love; the heroically preserved producer who once brought them together and his idealistic young assistant; the army veteran turned fledgling novelist and the rakish Richard Burton himself, whose appetites set the whole story in motion--along with the husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, who populate their world in the decades that follow. Gloriously inventive, constantly surprising, "Beautiful Ruins" is a story of flawed yet fascinating people, navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams.

My Thoughts: I won't lie, I was mostly attracted to this book because of the cover (seriously, it's gorgeous!) After I read the synopsis, I figured I would give it a try, but it would probably end up in the pile of DNFs where the books that I choose only for their pretty cover end up. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and by it's author, Jesse Walters. Spanning several decades and encompassing a cast of characters who are all searching for what will make them whole, Walters tells the tale of love lost, passions ignored, and people and circumstances falling together and bringing total strangers closer than they thought possible. I won't give a recap of the story (I think my synopsis above sums it up pretty well), I can tell you that this book is more than the Italian coastline and Hollywood, more about love and loss, more than any of the mundane things that we find in novels now. Walters as constructed a novel which causes you to think and examine the path that your own life as taken.

 

While I tend to stay away from putting quotes into my reviews (I worry that something might be a spoiler for someone), there is no way that I can review this book and not list at least one piece of beautiful prose that Walters has written down:

 

"Sometimes what we want to do and what we must do are not the same. Pasquo, the smaller the space between your desire and what is right, the happier you will be."

 

I have never thought how true that is until I stumbled upon that quote in the book. I just had to close it and sit there for a few minutes, really contemplating what that means to me in my life. There are so many of those quotes throughout the novel that I could go on and on, listing all of the wonderful quotes that I found.

 

If there was a downside for this novel for me, it's that it took so long to read. It's one of those books that makes you think so much, that it's hard to bust through it in two to four days. But it was definitely worth it and I would consider this one of the best books of the year. If you are looking for something literary to finish out your year, I would highly recommend this book. It's a wonderful story and one that I feel like would resonate in some way with every person that read it.

Review: Dearie: The Remarkable Life Story of Julia Child by Bob Spitz

Dearie: The Remarkable Life Story of Julia Child
Author: Bob Spitz
Published: August 7, 2012
Genre: biography
Hardcover: 576 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): It’s rare for someone to emerge in America who can change our attitudes, our beliefs, and our very culture. It’s even rarer when that someone is a middle-aged, six-foot three-inch woman whose first exposure to an unsuspecting public is cooking an omelet on a hot plate on a local TV station.  And yet, that’s exactly what Julia Child did.  The warble-voiced doyenne of television cookery became an iconic cult figure and joyous rule-breaker as she touched off the food revolution that has gripped America for more than fifty years.

Now, in Bob Spitz’s definitive, wonderfully affectionate biography, the Julia we know and love comes vividly — and surprisingly — to life.  InDearie, Spitz employs the same skill he brought to his best-selling, critically acclaimed book The Beatles, providing a clear-eyed portrait of one of the most fascinating and influential Americans of our time — a woman known to all, yet known by only a few.

At its heart, Dearie is a story about a woman’s search for her own unique expression.  Julia Child was a directionless, gawky young woman who ran off halfway around the world to join a spy agency during World War II.  She eventually settled in Paris, where she learned to cook and collaborated on the writing of what would become Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a book that changed the food culture of America.   She was already fifty when The French Chef went on the air —  at a time in our history when women weren’t making those leaps.  Julia became the first educational TV star, virtually launching PBS as we know it today; her marriage to Paul Child formed a decades-long love story that was romantic, touching, and quite extraordinary. 

A fearless, ambitious, supremely confident woman, Julia took on all the pretensions that embellished tony French cuisine and fricasseed them to a fare-thee-well, paving the way for everything that has happened since in American cooking, from TV dinners and Big Macs to sea urchin foam and the Food Channel.  Julia Child’s story, however, is more than the tale of a talented woman and her sumptuous craft.  It is also a saga of America’s coming of age and growing sophistication, from the Depression Era to the turbulent sixties and the excesses of the eighties to the greening of the American kitchen.  Julia had an effect on and was equally affected by the baby boom, the sexual revolution, and the start of the women’s liberation movement.

My Thoughts: I first became interested in Julia Child after seeing the movie Julie & Julia. I knew who she was, but after seeing that movie, I really wondered about who she was. A few years later, Bob Spitz published this definitive biography of her life, taking the reader from her parent's meeting and marriage up to Julia's death. This is a huge undertaking on Spitz's part (which is way it weighs in at over 550 pages!), but the payoff is huge: this book is so well researched and well-written, you are left feeling as if you know Julia all her life.

For me, the worst part of this book was the beginning. Spitz gives the backstory on Julia's parents, which I thought might have been reaching a bit too far. It took me awhile to get into the book because it wasn't focusing on Julia at all, just these two families and the settling of Pasadena. It really dragged. However, once Julia's born, everything just picked up. Spitz was able to capture her youth and put it onto the page, making you understand how strong she was in character but how adrift she felt at times. I felt like Spitz really came into his stride when he wrote about Julia's civil service during WWII and that it was hard to put the book down after that. Spitz spent time with Julia in the early 1990s and connected with her then, even talking about working on her biography together, but they were unable to do so before her death. But it's because of that relationship that Spitz was able to write this book so well: he doesn't paint her in a positive or negative light, but the objective one that a journalist might use. He highlights her flaws and her positive attributes.

Julia Child is a fascinating person and one who changed America (although I don't think she ever intended to change our culture). Without her, I doubt that we would have the Food Network or people who are so interested in cooking as a hobby. Julia truly changed our culture and it is hard to imagine how America might be different if she hadn't come around. There are so many things that I could touch upon, but I won't. I will let you discover this book and learn about this amazing woman. Julia was someone who spoke her mind, stood up for what she believed in, and truly embraced her motto of "Never apologize!" It was certainly a life well lived. 

Review: Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster

Jeneration X
Author: Jen Lancaster
Published: May 1, 2012
Genre: humorous memoir
Hardcover: 352 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): In Such a Pretty Fat, Jen Lancaster learned how to come to terms with her body. In My Fair Lazy, she expanded her mind. Now the New York Times bestselling author gives herself—and her generation—a kick in the X, by facing her greatest challenge to date: acting her age.

Jen is finally ready to put away childish things (except her Barbie Styling Head, of course) and embrace the investment-making, mortgage-carrying, life-insurance-having adult she’s become. From getting a mammogram to volunteering at a halfway house, she tackles the grown-up activities she’s resisted for years, and with each rite of passage she completes, she’ll uncover a valuable—and probably humiliating—life lesson that will ease her path to full-fledged, if reluctant, adulthood.

My Thoughts: This may come as a surprise to some people, but I've never read a Jen Lancaster memoir before. Sure, I read her one work of fiction (and loved it) but I never grabbed one of her many memoirs. So, when I heard that this one was coming out, I was super excited, and when I found it at the library one day, I just had to get it. While her novel was funny, this book had me laughing out loud at so many points that it's hard to list my favorite ones. While we did attend the same alma mater (Go Purdue!), there is something about her that is so relatable, even though we are from different generations and have never met (but if we did, we would totally be BFFs). Lancaster's writing seems like you are talking to one of your best friends, who happens to be slightly crazy and neurotic about most everything in her life. She's that friend that you love to hang out with because she's so honset and doesn't hold back.

While I will continue to say that it's hard for me to review a memoir because it's hard to rate someone else's life experiences, this is probably one of my favorites in the genre. She's so witty and sarcastic that you are laughing out loud (seriously, don't read this book in public place because people will stare at you while you laugh). Her experiences are things that we can relate to, from pet training to having unruly hair. She doesn't sugarcoat her life or make it seem like it's hard. She tends to mock herself and the life that she leads, which I think is one of the reasons that she's so relatable. Her essay on shopping at Whole Foods is hilarious because not only have we all been in a simiar situation, but also because she realizes how lucky she is to lead the life that she does.

While this is not groundbreaking or awe-inspiring, it is a memoir that will have you busting outloud and wishing that you and Jen could get together for some drinks and laugh about your lives. If you haven't read Jen Lancaster, don't wait another minute! Go out, right now, and read any of her books! And you can thank me later, haha!

Review: That Book About Harvard by Eric Kester

That Book About Harvard
Author: Eric Kester
Published: July 1, 2012
Genre: memoir
Paperback: 334 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): One of the most thrilling and terrifying days of your life is the first day of college, when you step onto campus filled with the excitement of all the possibilities ahead--and panic about if you'll make it and how you'll fit in.

Now imagine that same feeling, but you're in the middle of the lawn at the world's most prestigious university.

In your underwear.

Thus begins one of the craziest years ever at Harvard, in which Eric Kester finds himself in a cheating scheme, trying to join a prestigious Finals Club, and falling for a stunning type-A brunette...who happened to be standing there in shock that first day when he made his red-faced stroll across the Harvard Yard.

That Book about Harvard is the hilarious and heartwarming story of trying to find your place in a new world, the unending quest to fit in, and how the moments that change your life often happen in the most unexpected ways.

My Thoughts: I found this book while wandering around the library one day and after reading the description, thought it sounded pretty funny. So I decided, "What the heck? I'll give it a try." And thank goodness I did; this was one of the funniest books I've ever read. Eric Kester takes you on trip through his freshman year at the most famous university in the world, Harvard. He plays football and has decent SAT scores, so he is accepted into the university to play on their football team. Kester takes you on a journey from receiving his acceptance letter in the mail to the spring Primal Scream (when students streak through Harvard Yard during finals.) It's a hilarious tale and one that makes you realize that not everyone who attends this university is an egghead. They are normal people who are trying to make it through the world's toughest school and (hopefully) receive a degree.

I find it hard to review memoir's because it's hard to judge someone's life experiences. Kester's freshman year wasn't like mine, but I could identify with his struggles. Trying to fit in a new place, feeling like you don't belong, struggling with the workload. It's difficult for any college student and the pressure that Kester feels he is under being at such a prestigious school is understandable. He is able to find the humor in his stuggles and realize that he doesn't need to take everything so seriously. The only fault I can find in this memoir is the ending. I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt without any closure. I wish that Kester had put an epilogue in, explaining how his Harvard experience wound up. It just kind of ended, unsure if he was coming back for a second semester or if he ended up with a certain girl. Maybe he will make this a four part series and devote each book to one year of college (I can hope!) If you are looking for a hilarious memoir, then make sure to check this one out. Kester will have you laughing out loud!

Review: The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear

The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs #7)
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Published: March 23, 2010
Genre: mystery
Hardcover: 338 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): August 1914. Michael Clifton is mapping the land he has just purchased in California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, certain that oil lies beneath its surface. But as the young cartographer prepares to return home to Boston, war is declared in Europe. Michael--the youngest son of an expatriate Englishman--puts duty first and sails for his father's native country to serve in the British army. Three years later, he is listed among those missing in action.

April 1932. London psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs is retained by Michael's parents, who have recently learned that their son's remains have been unearthed in France. They want Maisie to find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among Michael's belongings--a quest that takes Maisie back to her own bittersweet wartime love. Her inquiries, and the stunning discovery that Michael Clifton was murdered in his trench, unleash a web of intrigue and violence that threatens to engulf the soldier's family and even Maisie herself. Over the course of her investigation, Maisie must cope with the approaching loss of her mentor, Maurice Blanche, and her growing awareness that she is once again falling in love.

My Thoughts: This is my favorite Maisie Dobbs novel so far. Once again, we follow Maisie on case of an American family wanting to know about their son's love during World War I. Letters were found with him when his body was discovered, and his parents would like to know who it was that he was writing to. However, everything is not as it appears, with the medical report showing a blunt force trauma to the back of the head, indicating that Michael Clifton was murdered, not killed in the line of duty. Maisie is working with Scotland Yard again, but she is in control of the case this time and asserting herself as someone who can handle a case on her own. This novel had the best plot of any of Winspear's novels, with the mystery going on, Maisie's new romantic interest, Billy Beale and his family, and Maurice, Maisie's mentor, becoming ill.

After reading this novel, it's apparent that Winspear is really coming into her own with character development. In the past books in this series, I have sometimes felt like things were a bit stilted or there might not have been enough information on someone, but not so with this one. Each character and plot line is fully developed, creating one of the most well-rounded books I've read in sometime. Maisie is continuing to grow and mature, which she acknowledges several times throughout this book. Billy and his family also provide a nice little story line, as we see how someone in the lower classes might have been living during the Great Depression. I also thought that Maurice Blanche was at his most complete as a character in this book. He explained himself fully and every thought was drawn out for the reader. 

I love Jacqueline Winspear's work and this novel makes me all the more anxious to run to the library and pick up the next book in this series. If you like historical fiction and myseteries, then you need to check out this series! It is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to read.

Review: More Than You Know by Penny Vincenzi

More Than You Know
Author: Penny Vincenzi
Published: April 3, 2012
Genre: fiction
Hardcover: 608 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4.5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): A privileged girl from a privileged class, Eliza has a dazzling career in the magazine world of the 1960s. But when she falls deeply in love with Matt, an edgy working-class boy, she gives up her ritzy, fast-paced lifestyle to get married.
     
By the end of the decade, however, their marriage has suffered a harrowing breakdown, culminating in divorce and a dramatic courtroom custody battle over their little girl. Also at risk is Eliza's gorgeous family home, a pawn in the game, which she can't bear to give up.
     
True to form, Penny Vincenzi introduces a devious cast of characters seemingly plucked from the pages of sixties- and seventies-era magazines, as she deftly maneuvers between the glamorous, moneyed worlds of fashion and advertising, and a heart-wrenching custody battle going on in the courtroom where the social mores of the time are on full display.

My Thoughts: I have never heard of Penny Vincenzi before I found this book while wandering around my library a few weeks ago. I read the description and decided to add it to my pile of books. A few days later, I sat to read it and became a bit disheartened when I opened it up and it had a list of all the characters in the novel (I always hate that in a book and tend to dismiss the book immediately). However, a few pages in, and I was hooked by the story (and the large cast of characters). I found myself rushing home to read this book and was staying up much later than I should have in an attempt to finish it. The story is so well written, starting with a few paragraphs that are told from Eliza, one of the main characters, narrating, wondering whether or not she should continue to work and lose custody of her daughter to quit her job, lose her identity, all so she can keep her. So with this foreshadowing, the novel begins with Eliza's debutante season. It follows her throughout her youth and into young adulthood as she gets her first job working in a magazine. You also get glimpses into Matt's life (he marries Eliza and they have a daughter). Vincenzi weaves a huge web with these characters and you are not easily extracted from it.

I loved how Vincenzi decided to write the novel. Most parts are told from Eliza's point of view, but parts are told from Matt's, or her parents, or godparents. It really gives you a great perspective on what is going on. And it doesn't always make sense at the time, but later in the novel, you realize why Vincenzi fed you that bit of information when she did. And as the novel progressed and you are witnessing the downward spiral of Eliza and Matt's relationship, you are sitting there, holding your breath. You know what's going to happen, but you don't want either of them to make a misstep and ruin it. It had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put the novel down.

Now, I loved this novel. In fact, half way through, I was already looking into what other books Vincenzi has published and if I could get them at my local library. The thing that ruined the novel for me was the ending. I just felt like the book could have been wrapped up sooner than it was and the ending that was published just ruined it a little bit for me. I still loved the novel as a whole and would recommend it to anyone who loves to get completely wrapped up in a story. I cannot wait to read more of Vincenzi's work in the future.