AMPED UP TENSION (02/27/2012)

You may have noticed there are advertisements appearing on this blog. I hope you will click on an ad when you see something that peaks your interest.. They are relevant to literature and lifestyle and hopefully will serve as a convenient perk for readers.

And now, why "Amped Up Tension" you say? Why not..Who doesn't like some suspense, some drama, some style mixed with beautifully rendered storylines?

The following book falls into that category. It is a  late February release and immediately available on Amazon. THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey is not to be missed. A debut novel based on a Russian fairy tale is enchanting from beginning to end. I can't wait to get back it.....

Amazon selected it as BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH FEBRUARY2012 and rightly so.



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THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey
                                                                                   
This is the haunting tale of a childless couple running from their East Coast lives and struggling in the Alaskan wilderness while trying to reconnect with each other. In a moment of frivolity they build a snow child. They dress it with mittens and a scarf. Shortly after building the snow child they begin to see an actual child darting in and out of the trees. Is it real? Is it a figment of cabin fever and overwork?

These questions may or may not be answered but the book is so well written you will lose yourself in the prose and imagery. There is much depth to this tale and it's written with imagination and warmth. I  highly recommend it.

      ....A Real Snooze!  

I am plodding through THE WORLD WE FOUND by Thirity Umigar. It's a  struggle..slow moving, repititive and predictable. The novel follows the stories of four Indian women who had been inseparable in college but lost touch over the years.  One has just been diagnosed with an incurable disease and wants a final reunion....and so it goes.... A disappointing novel from one of my favorite authors.
(This dog is an avid reader and it put him to sleep!)

THE JEWISH HUSBAND by Lia Levy

This novelwas reviewed in an earlier post. (See Index) but when a  friend recently read it and gave the novel rave reviews I thought I would revisit it. Released in paperback in 2009, Lia Levy relates a passionate, and  bittersweet tale of hatred, cruelty, oppression, and of course, love. It takes place in 1938 when fascist Italy had imposed its infamous race laws resulting in terrible consequences for those who broke the rules. 
  
Winner of the Moravia Prize for fiction, (A German book award..thanks Google) this is an account of a country and a time which little has been written.  Definetly a worthwhile read. Love, passion and oppression...what could be better?)
    

   

                                                  

* To order THE JEWISH HUSBAND and WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK click on AMAZON SEARCHBOX in the upper corner of this page.

                        

SHORT STORIES FOR MARCH READING  (3/4/2012)

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK by Nathan Englander is a new collection of eight short stories that quickly transport the reader into other lives. To simplify, the book includes stories about fathers and sons, mothers, faith, community, war, hope and shame.

Reviewers have labeled the collection "courageous and provocative". There are some Holocaust references along with personal references and this recent work by Englander has been labeled "a revelation" by book critics.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD I READ BOOKS: ESSAYS by Marilynne Robinson is her latest book since Gilead which was a Pulitzer Prize Winner. This book will be released March 13th. There's no doubt that she is a wonderful author with

subtly moving prose and compelling views all of which have made her famous.

These essays expand upon themes which preoccupy her, such as the global debt crisis, the political climate in this country and a personal essay on her Idaho childhood. As I said, not for everyone.....

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