NOT TO BE MISSED, SO "THEY" SAY...(06/10/2014)

Who's "They?" In this instance it's reviewers. I'm not a fan of Lisa See although I loved her first book...then disappointment followed.

Reviewers said not to miss this exciting new novel, set in San Francisco in 1938.  Bestselling author Lisa See of Snowflower and the Secret Fan (my favorite) and Shanghai Girls presents China Dolls, labeled as a fascinating story of three women who become a constant in one another's lives. Their voices are strong and dynamic as they face shocking and unforseen circumstances.





CHINA  DOLLS by Lisa See

In 1938, Ruby, Helen and Grace, three girls from very different backgrounds, find themselves competing at the same audition for showgirl roles at San Francisco's exclusive "Oriental" nightclub, the Forbidden City. Grace, an American-born Chinese girl has fled the Midwest and an abusive father. Helen is from a Chinese family who have deep roots in San Francisco's Chinatown. And, as both her friends know, Ruby is Japanese passing as Chinese. At times their differences are pronounced, but the girls grow to depend on one another in order to fulfill their individual dreams. Then, everything changes in a heartbeat with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Suddenly the government is sending innocent Japanese to internment camps under suspicion, and Ruby is one of them. But which of her friends betrayed her?


More Information

www.lisasee.com/
www.goodreads.com/show/713.Lisa_See

TO ORDER
Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar. All profits go to charity.

 

BLOG READER'S RECOMMENDATIONS..OR NOT (06/2014)

Recently several Blog Readers emailed comments on books they are currently reading. Here's what they had to say....Feel free to add your opinion at the bottom of this page...


BLOOD AND BEAUTY by Sarah Dinant
"An easy read...similar to a Hilary Mantel saga but thankfully scaled down...The Borgias  are transformed into characters full of lust and life...Filled with page turning drama"


FROG MUSIC by Emma Donoghue
"Disappointing, not up to her usual standards, not as engrossing as ROOM..confusing narrative..."


NO BOOK BUT THE WORLD by Leah Hager Cohen
"Beautifully written, had to slog through and then left it unfinished...OY"

 
ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline
Compelling story...great characters...well written"


Do you agree? Leave a comment below....

SO WHAT'S FOR SUMMER? (06/2014)

Are books called Summer Reads or Beach Reads actually worth reading? In some cases they can be classified as mindless, which is not a bad thing...or they can be fabulous potential prize winners....also a good thing. Are they mostly read in the summer on the beach? Or do they translate well to another season or location? 

Here's a few suggestions that are "seasonless," suggested by Bookreporter.com.

You decide.....

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart (Fiction)

I read WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart in four hours. For those four hours, I blocked out everything else that was going on. And since I read it in manuscript back in October, I have thought about it and looked forward to sharing it with readers. For those who like taut prose, you have it here.

Our narrator is Cadence Sinclair Eastman, who is 17. She is part of the Sinclair family, which has old money, not new. Their wealth and privilege were born to, not earned. They “summer” --- and yes, they are the kind of people who use that word as a verb --- on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. Cady’s mom is one of three sisters, and their father, Cady’s grandfather, is treated like a financial patriarch. But as always, there are family secrets and lots of lies and in-fighting. And Cady sees their family for what it is.

BITTERSWEET by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (Psychological Suspense) On scholarship at a prestigious East Coast college, ordinary Mabel Dagmar is surprised to befriend her roommate, Genevra Winslow. Ev invites Mabel to spend the summer at her Vermont cottage, Bittersweet, where her family has held court for more than a century. However, a terrible discovery leads to shocking violence and reveals what the Winslows may have done to keep their power intact. Mabel must choose to either expose the secret and be expelled from paradise, or make Ev's dark world her own. DELICIOUS by Ruth Reichl (Fiction) Soon after Billie Breslin takes a job at Delicious!, New York’s most iconic food magazine is abruptly shut down. Billie agrees to stay on in the empty office, maintaining the hotline for reader complaints in order to pay her bills. In a hidden room in the magazine’s library, Billie finds a cache of letters written during World War II. They provide her with a feeling of deep connection to the young writer whose courage in the face of hardship inspires her to come to terms with her fears. Reminder: Shop directly from this blog. Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar. All proceeds go to charity.

WHAT'S NEW IN PAPERBACK? (May 2014)

Not everyone reads ebooks, hard to believe...but those who like the feel of a "real book," this paperback list is for you. All three recommendations, especially The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (a Pulitzer Prize winner) received excellent reviews and are memorable reads.

To order click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar.





   THE COOKED SEED: A Memoir by Anchee Min. 

 Her 1994 memoir, “Red Azalea,” Min described coming of age during the cataclysm of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. “The Cooked Seed” picks up in 1980s Chicago, where Min — who has landed at the School of the Art Institute through wheedling and absurd luck — learns English, claws her way out of a bad marriage and takes on the challenge of raising her daughter alone.

THE BURGESS BOYS, by Elizabeth Strout. 

Fractious siblings unite to help a troubled relative in Strout’s compassionate novel, her first book since the Pulitzer-winning “Olive Kitteridge.” Jim and Bob Burgess, New York lawyers with little in common, must return home to Shirley Falls, Me., after their sister’s son is accused of committing a crime against the town’s Somali refugees.

THE INFATUATIONS, by Javier Marías. Translated by Margaret Jull Costa. 

 Marías’s novel is a murder mystery encased in a metaphysical inquiry. For years his narrator, María, has idealized the lives of Miguel and Luisa, the couple she sees each morning in the same cafe. But when Miguel is killed by a stray madman and María offers her condolences to Luisa, what began as mere observation becomes an increasingly complicated entanglement.

WHAT AM I READING?

Leah Hager Cohen is one of my favorite authors. She's adept at fiction and non fiction. THE GRIEF OF OTHERS was spellbinding and her writing style was crisp and lyrical. I anxiously anticipated her latest book, NO BOOK BUT THE WORLD released this month..

I am halfway through, too invested to throw it aside, although right now that's my inclination...but I'll persevere, hopefully waiting for it to either completely deteriorate or be absolutely brilliant (It could go either way...) I'll keep you posted...


Here's what Amazon said:

At the edge of a woods, on the grounds of a defunct “free school,” Ava and her brother, Fred, shared a dreamy and seemingly idyllic childhood—a world defined largely by their imaginations and each other’s presence. Everyone is aware of Fred’s oddness or vague impairment, but his parents’ fierce disapproval of labels keeps him free of evaluation or intervention, and constantly at Ava’s side.

Decades later, then, when Ava learns that her brother is being held in a county jail for a shocking crime, she is frantic to piece together what actually happened. A boy is dead. But could Fred really have done what he is accused of? As she is drawn deeper into the details of the crime, Ava becomes obsessed with learning the truth, convinced that she and she alone will be able to reach her brother and explain him—and his innocence—to the world.



Leah Hager Cohen brings her trademark intelligence to a psychologically gripping, richly ambiguous story that suggests we may ultimately understand one another best not with facts alone, but through our imaginations.



To order click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar. All profits go to charity

A DEFINITE MAY-BE (05/11/2014)

Recently a blog reader recommended THE HIDDEN CHILD by Camilla Lackberg, an author unknown to me. It seems that this "unknown" author has sold over four million books in her native Sweden. She's starting to make her mark in America and according to several blog readers, this Swedish crime writer is an author you'll remember as "The Swedish Agatha Christie."

THE HIDDEN CHILD by CAMILLA LACKBERG The brilliant new psychological thriller from worldwide bestseller Camilla Läckberg—the chilling struggle of a young woman facing the darkest chapter of Europe's past. Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother's possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family's past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her enquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother's circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica's husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? Reluctantly Erica must read her mother's wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica's past. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be . . . ABOUT CAMILLA LACKBERG Camilla Läckberg worked as an economist in Stockholm until a course in creative writing triggered a drastic career change. Her novels have all been #1 bestsellers in Sweden, and she is the most profitable native author in Swedish history. She was the #1 bestselling female author in Europe last year and her novels have been sold in thirty-five countries. Her previous novels are The Ice Princess and The Preacher, also available from Pegasus Books. Camilla lives in a suburb of Stockholm with her husband and five children. MORE INFORMATION www.camillalackberg.com/ To order click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar.  All proceeds go to charity.

NEW THIS WEEK (05/06/2014)

Here's some quickie reviews of new releases this week. It's a mix of a little "schmaltz" and some right-on Fiction...Take your pick.

Click on the  book title and you'll be linked to Bookreporter.com for a detailed review.

IN PARADISE by Peter Matthiessen (Fiction)


In the winter of 1996, more than a hundred individuals gather at the site of a former concentration camp for a weeklong retreat. They will offer prayer and witness at the crematoria, while eating and sleeping in the quarters of the Nazi officers who sent more than a million Jews to their deaths. Clements Olin, an American academic of Polish descent, is forced to abandon his observer's role and embrace a history his family has long suppressed. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.


THE GIRL WHO SAVED THE KING OF SWEDEN by Jonas Jonasson (Fiction)


Nombeko Mayeki was fated to grow up fast and die early in her poverty-stricken township. But she finds work as a housecleaner and eventually makes her way up to the position of chief advisor, at the helm of one of the world's most secret projects. South Africa developed six nuclear missiles in the 1980s, then voluntarily dismantled them in 1994. This is a story about the seventh missile, the one that was never supposed to have existed. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.


RUBY by Cynthia Bond (Historical Fiction)


Ephram Jennings has never forgotten the beautiful girl with the long braids running through the piney woods of Liberty, their small East Texas town. Young Ruby, who has suffered beyond imagining, flees Liberty for the bright pull of 1950s New York. When a telegram from her cousin forces her to return home, 30-year-old Ruby finds herself reliving the devastating violence of her girlhood. Meanwhile, Ephram must choose between loyalty to the sister who raised him and the chance for a life with the woman he has loved since he was a boy. Reviewed by Jennifer Romanello.


NATCHEZ BURNING by Greg Iles (Thriller)


#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Greg Iles returns with his most eagerly anticipated book yet, and his first in five years. NATCHEZ BURNING is the first installment in an epic trilogy that weaves crimes, lies and secrets past and present into a mesmerizing thriller featuring southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage. Reviewed by Ray Palen.


CLICK ON THE BOOK IN THE GRAPHIC TO BUY DIRECTLY FROM THIS BLOG. ALL PROFITS GO TO CHARITY.

FLASH BOYS (05/05/2014)

GARY S. reviews non-fiction on this blog and FLASHBOYS BY MICHAEL LEWIS hit close to home. He lived it, experienced the crash of '87, and is still a partner in a florishing family business that survived the turmoil.

Below are Gary's comments.....

FLASH BOYS is the story of our stock markets, how they have evolved and how they are—as Lewis says—‘rigged’. Lewis is a great story teller and this book does not disappoint—although at times he can over emphasize the point he is trying to make.

For me, parts of the book were really personal because I started in the financial services industry as a NASDAQ stock trader. I was in the business less than a year when the crash of 1987 occurred. Back then most trading was done over the phone and to avoid buying stock during the crash, many trading desks simply did not answer the phone. I remember that day…trying to call traders in New York, but no one ever picked up. Lewis brilliantly tracks the electronic revolution in our markets as a response to this event. Stock market regulations were a reaction to past infractions, but new regulations would somehow lead to loopholes that could be exploited.

Fast forward to today and almost all trading is done electronically. The thinking was that if all orders were ‘matched’, then human traders could not stand in the way of a fair price. High Frequency Traders (HFT’s) found a way to exploit the system—legally. Basically, HFT’s—according to Lewis—are profiting by legalized front running. Front running occurs when a trader saw a large order coming (usually from his own firm) and jumped in front of it with his own order before the stock moved. Front running is riskless—and illegal.


Publicity from the book has sparked some high profile investigations and most likely trading rules will have to be re-defined. Major brokerage firms and the exchanges themselves are partly to blame too, according to Lewis, because they knowingly allow it and reap huge profits from the order flow.

In their defense, the HFT’s say that investors benefit by smaller spreads—the difference between the bid and ask (which is true) and better transparency (also true). But the fact remains that HFT’s have found a way to trade faster and capture big bucks.

FLASH BOYS  by Michael Lewis can be ordered directly from this blog. Click on the Search Box in the Sidebar or on the book in the graphic.

MAYBE YES...MAYBE NO (05/ 02/ 2014)

Michael Cunningham is one of my favorite authors. His well known novel,
THE HOURS, was an unforgettable read...and a Pulitzer Prize Winner.
Now we have THE SNOW QUEEN, his latest, debuting May 6th to great anticipation.

(By me, anyway)

On a lighter note, if you're looking for a good summer read, Emma Straub's THE VACATIONERS has all the ingredients for beachside reading and I'm ready for some of that!

THE SNOW QUEEN BY MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

No, this book is not an adult retelling of Frozen, although Michael Cunningham may benefit from shopper confusion. Instead of two sisters, The Snow Queen gives us the story of two brothers: lovelorn Barrett, who, after a supernatural sighting in Central Park, begins to turn to religion; and Tyler, a struggling Bushwick-residing musician who, on the cusp of marrying his ill fiancé, turns to the relief of drugs.


If the set-up seems precariously ethereal, remember that Mr. Cunningham’s most famous novel, The Hours, was something of an out-on-a-limb narrative experiment, too. Like that novel, The Snow Queen is sure to stir up conversation. Book clubs will enjoy discussing the book’s fantastical elements, as well as the issues of religion, spirituality, and personal salvation it addresses.

THE VACATIONERS BY EMMA STRAUB


In Emma Straub’s The Vacationers (the title, cover, and subject matter of which all scream “beach read”) a family of Manhattanites—anniversary-celebrating Franny and Jim, and their high-school-graduating daughter Sylvia—heads to exotic Mallorca, a land of “mountains and beaches” and “tapas and tennis courts,” for a two-week vacation.


Unfortunately, with extended friends and family in tow, the island setting proves not to be an escape but a kind of gossipy prison, and, before the vacation is through, a host of painful family secrets and betrayals will rise to the surface like bubbles from a snorkel. Book clubs who enjoyed Straub’s 2012 novel Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures shouldn’t hesitate before diving in.

Thankyou Bookish.com for your comments.

Reminder: Buy a book directly from this blog and all profits got to charity.

DO I REALLY CARE ABOUT GEORGE CLOONEY? (04/ 29/2014)

I love this time of year...a new season, a fresh outlook, George Clooney is engaged and best of all...lots of new books. Below is a short list of some new titles compiled by Bookreporter.com. Reviews have been good and as always Joyce Carol Oates is depressing....See if you agree.... 

HIGH CRIME AREA: TALES OF DARKNESS AND DREAD BY JOYCE CAROL OATES 

(Suspence Short Stories)

 

Joyce Carol Oates is an unparalleled investigator of human flaws. In these eight stories, she deftly tests the bonds between damaged individuals --- a brother and sister, a teacher and student, two strangers on a subway --- in the fearless prose for which she’s become so celebrated. She confronts, one by one, the demons within us. Sometimes it’s the human who wins, and sometimes it’s the demon. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE TARGET BY DAVID BALDACCI (Thriller)

The President knows it's a perilous, high-risk assignment. If he gives the order, he has the opportunity to take down a global menace, once and for all. If the mission fails, he would face certain impeachment, and the threats against the nation would multiply. So the president turns to the one team that can pull off the impossible: Will Robie and his partner, Jessica Reel. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

EVERYTHING TO LOSE BY ANDREW GROSS (Thriller)

When Hilary Blum stops to help a car that slammed into a tree, she discovers the driver dead --- and a satchel stuffed with a half a million dollars. That money could prevent her family's ruin and keep her special needs son in school. In an instant, this honest, achieving woman who has always done the responsible thing makes a decision that puts her in the center of a maelstrom of dark consequences and life-threatening recriminations. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub


Thankyou Bookreporter.com and be sure to order from Amazon. Click on the book in the graphic or use the Search Box in the Sidebar.  All profits go to charity.

IS THERE LIFE AFTER LIFE? (04/24/2014)

Prolific reader Barbara A. recently posted these comments about LIFE AFTER LIFE  by Kate Atkinson. Released in January, this novel was the recipient of mixed reviews. It's a challenging storyline with different endings each playing out for the same situation. After reading Barbara's comments, I added it to my oh so long, TBR list.....and maybe you should too.

Here's what Barbara had to say....

"Because such as you are, having learned what that is."  This admonition, from Pindar, comes nearly at the end of Kate Atkinson's joy of a book, but not nearly at the end of her Ursula's story, nor at the end of ours, either, for aren't we all forever in the process of becoming? 


I adored, simply adored, this very smart, very funny, very heart-wrenching book. I loved that it demands one's full intelligence, one's utmost attention, a real knowledge of history, a sense of humor, and a sense of awe. Why shouldn't a book ask as much of its readership as readers ask of a book?"

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Kate Atkinson is a British novelist. Her first novel SCENES AT THE MUSEUM won the Whitebread Book of the Year Award and she has been a critically acclaimed best selling author ever since.

Her website is www.kateatkinson.co.uk/

BOOK GROUP TRENDS (04/18/2014)

 

Here's a short list of what's trending in some Book Groups around the country. It's quite an eclectic mix with a variety of reviews and comments. A really highly praised and popular book doesn't guaranty that the discussion will be memorable.

Many groups have a specific theme or a genre..Many groups have a leader and are very focused...Many drink wine and loose focus..whatever.....It's all good!

THE OTHER STORY by TATIANA De ROSNAY

After the success of SARAH'S KEY many readers called this a disappointing read.  Unfortunately the main character who dominates the story causes such distaste that the book is overly affected by  it..However, a character that's loathsome and dominant often creates great discussions.

LITTLE FAILURE BY GARY SHTEYNGART

"Though fans of the author's fiction will find illumination, a memoir this compelling and entertaining—one that frequently collapses the distinction between comedy and tragedy—should expand his readership beyond those who have loved his novels." (Kirkus Reviews)

An immigrant's memoir like few others, with as sharp an edge and as  stylistic audacity as the author's well-received novels.

This memoir was the choice of several groups..led to great discussions and was a general crowd pleaser, according to some "groupie" sources.

UPDIKE BY ADAM BEGLEY

This is a revealing biography of John Updike, one of the most celebrated authors in American literature and a favorite of mine.  The book has been praised, but some readers expressed disappointment and felt it shared little insight or verve. 

Such a colorful author can inspire eye opening discussions and many groups felt it did just that...even though the book was controversial. Controversy usually leads to a  good conversation. 

What's your Book Group reading? Post a comment BELOW or write......Jssherr@gmail.com

THESE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE BLOG.

CLICK ON THE BOOK IN THE GRAPHIC OR CLICK ON THE SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR. PROFITS GO TO CHARITY.

 

THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL (04/2014)

  

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi may remind you of The Kiterunner by Khalid Hosseini, but that's a good thing, right?  You'll find it an unforgettable read....

Review from Bookreporter.com

I spent the week absorbed in reading --- and I do mean absorbed. While I read a lot, a book like THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL by Nadia Hashimi, which will be in stores on May 6th, is one that will stay with me and also made me feel grateful for where I live. It opens in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2007 where Rahima lives with her mother, sisters and opium-addicted father. The only way that she can leave the house is by adopting the bacha posh custom of dressing like a boy, which she can do until she matures. In this way, she attends school and moves freely around their village. But at some point, she must become a girl again, and at that point is married off with her two sisters to give the family some much-needed money, as well as a pipeline to opium for her father. What happens to Rahima is not new to her family. A century before, her great-aunt Shekiba, who was orphaned, also adopted a disguise as a man to survive. Their stories are intertwined, and it makes for a very compelling read. I read long into the night to finish it on Tuesday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

www.nadiahashimi.com

PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON NOW. USE THE AMAZON SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY.

CAN YOU RESIST THIS? (04/06/2014)

I recently received an early edition of a novel titled THE STORIED LIFE OF A. J. FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin. My TBR list was overwhelming, so I gave it to a blog reader to peruse and her response was.. "This book was so readable, such a treat, so moving, wonderful, endearing." 

She would have blabbed on but that's all I needed to hear...although she managed to add "Every book lover should read this!"  So "book lovers" out there, this is for us!

Below is a review from Amazon

THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY BY GABRIELLE ZEVIN

A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died; his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history; and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island--from Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, he can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.


And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, though large in weight--an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world. Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming.


As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

www.gabriellezevin.com

TO ORDER

Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar. All proceeds go to a charity.