Giveaway - The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Hello everyone! I have an exciting giveaway for you! 

About 2 months ago, I read an amazing book: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani (link goes to my review). A sweeping novel spanning the Atlantic Ocean and several decades, it tells the story of two Italian immigrants, Ciro and Enza. Starting with their lives as small children in Italy all the way to when Enza is an old, old woman, Trigiani weaves an amazing tale of love across time and distance.

The great people over at Harper are offering me a copy of this wonderful book to giveaway! It's pretty simple to enter: just leave a comment! The contest is open from today, August 21, until Monday, August 27 at 8 pm. If you are a GFC follower, let me know in your comment, and that will count for two entries! Make sure to leave an email address where I can contact you. (The winner will be chosen using random.org)

Don't miss this chance to read a great historical novel!

Top Ten Tuesday (8-21-12)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week, 

they post a different topic, and you get to create your own top ten list. So, this week's 

topic is:

Favorite Books You've Read During The Lifespan Of Your Blog

1) Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - a work of narrative nonfiction telling the amazing story of a pilot during World War II. It's an amazing story and one of my favorite books of all time.

2) The Help by Kathryn Stockett - a great story about segregation in the South in the 1960s.

3) Brava, Valentine! by Adriana Trigiani - I listened to this audiobook and loved the whole thing. The story, the characters, the narration, everything was just perfect.

4) Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi - a haunting memoir of one woman's battle with anorexia. Probably the greatest memoir I've ever read.

5) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - the classic novel, which I just discovered last year. 

6) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I don't read fantasy novels but I just had to read this one. Such a great, wonderful novel. 

7) Bossypants by Tina Fey - I love Tina Fey  and her book had me laughing outloud.

8) The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach - this story centers around baseball, but it's not about baseball. A great story about life, seen through several character's points of view.

9) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - I listened to this book during a long car ride and I was laughing so hard! I felt like I was talking with an old friend (and it made me wish that I was friends with Mindy).

10) More Than You Know by Penny Vincenzi - a great novel about balancing work and personal life. A well-written novel and one that pulled me in.

So, what are your favorite books that you've read in the lifespan of your blog? Let me know!

PS - make sure to stop back later today for an exciting giveaway! 

Audiobook Review: Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Brava, Valentine
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Published: February 9, 2010
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook: 10 discs
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): As "Brava, Valentine" begins, Valentine learns that Alfred, her only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner. Despite their passion for one another, a long-distance relationship seems impossible. As Valentine turns away from romance and devotes herself to her work, Bret Fitzpatrick, her first love and former fiancEe, encourages Valentine to exploit her full potential as a designer with a plan that will bring her singular creations to the world. A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine to Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncallis and Valentine is determined to hold her family together. More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.


My Thoughts: I was nervous to listen to this book instead of reading it. I loved the first book in this trilogy and didn't know if that would translate into a good audiobook. Let me just say this: I believe this to be one of the greatest audiobooks that I will ever listen to. Now, I realize that that is a big statement to make. But everything about this audiobook was perfect. The story carries over from the first novel and puts you right into the action. Adriana Trigiani puts you into the story and has you nervous for Valentine as she embarks on her new business venture. Cassandra Campbell is a fantastic narrator and really made this audiobook great. She has a great voice and was able to differentiate between all of the different characters (between the large Italian-American family, the Italians, and South Americans, she had her work cut out for her). Even when there were many characters in a scene, she was able to change her voice enough so that you are able to tell who is speaking. She is fantastic and really made this audiobook what it is.


The story in this book continues with the first book but is progressing so that the plot isn't stagnant or dragging. Since Valentine is dealing with taking her handmade shoe business into the mass production market, you are able to see how Valentine handles business. I also loved the interaction with Valentine and her brother, Albert. Albert wasn't featured that much in the first book, but he more than makes up for it in this book. I felt like all the characters were adding something to the novel, making you think about something from a different view point or adding something to the conversation. I also loved Valentine and Gianluca's relationship. I loved how Trigiani handled it. Instead of making Valentine this person who is so easy to love, she allows you to she her faults. You are unsure if these two can make it work, but you are rooting for them to be together and for Valentine to make her business a success. 


The entire reading experience was just amazing with this novel. The narrator was fantastic, the story engaging, the characters intriguing, creating one of the best novels that I have ever listened to. I cannot wait for the third book in this trilogy to be released, and you can bet that I will be listening to it!

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.

Book Blog Hop and Follow Friday (8-17-12)

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope that you are having a wonderful last few weeks of summer. It's hard to believe that it's almost over! Did you get to read everything that you wanted during this season? I always want to read all the chick lit I can get my hands on in the summer, which I don't feel like I did enough of. I did read a lot of great books, though! And the best part of the summer is still to come (for me, at least) ... summer vacation! At this time in two weeks, I will be in London! I can hardly wait to get there! Now, onto the Friday fun ...

Jen at Crazy For Books asks:

What is the one genre you will NEVER read?

The one genre that I will probably never read is young adult (I can't say never ... I mean, I have read The Hunger Games trilogy, which is young adult). I just don't relate to that genre in anyway and feel like I'm reading something that was written for much younger people (which it is), but it just bothers me.

Parajunkee asks:

What blogger inspires you? It can be any kind, it doesn’t have to be a book blog.

The blog that first inspired me to start blogging was Kristi at The Story Siren. I just saw what she was doing and thought, "How cool is that?!? I want to do it!" I do not read her blog (I don't read YA, so it doesn't interest me as much), but that's what started off my interest in blogging.

GReads asks:

Pimp Your Review: Feature a favorite book review you've written in the past that you feel deserves more love! 

There are a few that I would love to feature because I feel like they need some more love:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (this was my favorite book from last year. If you haven't read it, go out and get yourself a copy. It's an amazing story!)

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach (an amazing book that I read earlier in the year. Don't worry if you don't like baseball, because it's about so much more than that!)

Bossypants by Tina Fey (I just love Tina Fey and her book is hilarous!)

So, what genre will you never ever read? What blogger inspires you? Which reviews are you highlighting? Let me know, and have a great weekend!

Waiting On Wednesday (8-15-12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week, you highlight an upcoming release that you are eagerly anticipating. This week, I'm looking forward to Love Anthony by Lisa Genova (release date: September 25, 2012).

Synopsis (from BN.com): Olivia Donatelli’s dream of a “normal” life shattered when her son, Anthony, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Understanding the world from his perspective felt bewildering, nearly impossible. He didn’t speak. He hated to be touched. He almost never made eye contact. And just as Olivia was starting to realize that happiness and autism could coexist, Anthony died.

Now she’s alone in a cottage on Nantucket, separated from her husband, desperate to understand the meaning of her son’s short life, when a chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss brings Anthony alive again for Olivia in a most unexpected way.

Beth Ellis’s entire life changed with a simple note: “I’m sleeping with Jimmy.” Fourteen years of marriage. Three beautiful daughters. Yet even before her husband’s affair, she had never felt so alone. Heartbroken, she finds the pieces of the vivacious, creative person she used to be packed away in a box in her attic. For the first time in years, she uncaps her pen, takes a deep breath, and begins to write. The young but exuberant voice that emerges onto the page is a balm to the turmoil within her, a new beginning, and an astonishing bridge back to herself.

In a piercing story about motherhood, autism, and love, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova offers us two unforgettable women on the verge of change and the irrepressible young boy whose unique wisdom helps them both find the courage to move on.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday (8-14-12)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week, 

they post a different topic, and you get to create your own top ten list. So, this week's 

topic is:

Romances That You Think Would Make it in the Real World (outside the book)

1) Ron and Hermoine (Harry Potter) - as I was reading the series, I just knew that they were going to end up together. They are perfect for one another!

2) Valentine and Gianluca (Very Valentine series) - at first, I didn't like these two together but they have grown on me as I continue to read this trilogy. There is a bit of an age difference but I think that these two have what it takes to make it.

3) Jane and Rochester (Jane Eyre) - I think this might be my favorite couple from a classic. I love Jane and how independent she is, and Rochester with his secrets. These two would definitely make it in the real world.

4) Emma and Dexer (One Day) - I know that these two would be able to make it in the real world. Maybe because this book spans so much time, it makes it all the more believeable that these two would last.

5) Major and Jasmina (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand) - these are two older characters who have already been married and weathered many hardships in life. I know that they would last in the real world.

6) Chris and Emily (The Pact) - I realize that Emily committed suicide, but if she hadn't, I feel like this is one of those high school couples that would make it after graduation. I could see these two getting married and sharing a life together.

7) Jacob and Marlena (Water For Elephants) - since Jacob is looking back on his life and telling his story and you hear about some of the hardships that he's faced, it makes it easier to imagine this couple in real life, existing outside the book.

Well, those are all the couples I could come up with for this week. Who do you think about make it in the real world? Let me know!