LANDLINE by Rainbow Rowell

July 28, 2014

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UPDATE:

Win a copy of the Landline audio book!

Macmillan Audio has offered up an audio book on CD for one lucky reader! Check out this excerpt read by the extraordinary Rebecca Lowman.

Send an email to contest@gmail.com with “LANDLINE” as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email.

All entries must be received by August 12, 2014. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

Review:

Rainbow Rowell seems able to shift between Young Adult and Adult books seamlessly. This is her latest, and while ostensibly for adults, those who love teen books will undoubtedly enjoy this one too.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Rebecca Lowman, who also narrated Rowell’s Eleanor and Park.  She does a fine job here.

Georgie McCool is a comedy writer working with her writing partner, Seth, on a hit TV show she hates. Seth and Georgie have their own idea for a sitcom and a week before Christmas, finally get a call from the network looking for several scripts.

Georgie panics as she, her husband Neal and their two young daughters are supposed to go to Neal’s parents for Christmas, out in Omaha.  Georgie needs to stay home and write, so an unhappy Neal takes the kids to Omaha himself.

When Georgie calls, her calls all go directly to voicemail until the mailbox is full. Her daughters call her sporadically, but she never talks to Neal. That is, until the night she crashes at her mother’s house and uses the landline in her old bedroom to call Neal’s house, not his cell. Somehow, she ends up talking to Neal – but not present day Neal, this is Neal back in 1998, a week before he proposes to her.

Suspend your disbelief and go along on an adventure through Georgie & Neal’s past to their present, and let me warn you that you will be laughing and crying along the way. Rowell writes these amazing characters that are warm and loveable yet still feel real,  but most of all, they are simply unforgettable. Teen book or adult, all her books are just a joy to read.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LANDLINE by Rainbow Rowell. St. Martin’s Press (July 8, 2014). ISBN 978-1250049377. 320p.
Audiobook: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (July 8, 2014). ISBN: 978-1427239327
Downloadable: Audible Audio Edition. Macmillan Audio. Listening Length: 9 hours and 3 minutes.

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THE DANGER IN TEMPTING AN EARL by Sophie Barnes

July 28, 2014

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At the Kingsborough Ball (Book 3)

This book is a Regency romance, which Wikipedia defines as follows:

Regency romances are a subgenre of romance novels set during the period of the British Regency (1811-1820) or early 19th century. Rather than simply being versions of contemporary romance stories transported to a historical setting, Regency romances are a distinct genre with their own plot and stylistic conventions that derive from the works of Jane Austen (and to some extent from distinguished Austen progeny such as Georgette Heyer and Clare Darcy), and from the fiction genre known as the novel of manners. In particular, the more traditional Regencies feature a great deal of intelligent, fast-paced dialog between the protagonists and very little explicit sex or discussion of sex.

I’m bringing this up because it seems to me that this definition is now in a state of flux, due to the enormous popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Or more to the point, the profitability of romances with explicit sex seemingly has changed the Regencies from tame to taking a walk on the wild side. I, for one, am enjoying the change.

According to the author’s Goodreads page, this is the last book in the Kingsborough Ball series. The books all begin at the same lavish affair, a hugely popular ball given by Anthony Hurst, the Duke of Kingsborough. As this is the first party held at the estate in more than five years, it is a very big deal and the ton are out in full force.

Lady Katherine and Lucien grew up together, neighbors who played together. But as they grow up, Lucien realizes that he is in love with Katherine, but they cannot marry. She is destined to marry a man with a title, and he is the second son. He joins the army to escape, and she marries Lord Crossby, Lucien’s rival all through school.

But Lady Crossby is desperately unhappy in her marriage, although she doesn’t let anyone know about the abuse she endures. Then several events conspire to bring Lucien and Katherine back together – his elder brother and father die, and Lucien inherits the title of Earl. And Lord Crossby dies as well, leaving Katherine a widow with a young baby.

Katherine is convinced that Lucien just regards her as a friend and after her horrible marriage, she has no desire to be married again. Lucien needs a wife, but he only wants Katherine. They are at crossed points until she slowly realizes that her childhood friend has grown up to be a most desirable man. There is also a mystery that runs through all these books that is resolved here, so the mystery is a much larger part of this story.

I enjoyed these characters and the while these books don’t stress the history of the era, they are fast, fun reads and this one was no exception. There was some explicit sex, so if you are used to traditional Regencies peeking through the bedroom door, keep in mind this door has been flung open wide, which works for me.

I’m not sure why Barnes has decided to end the series here. Each book stands alone and they do not have to be read in order. As I haven’t read a whole lot of Regencies, I’m not sure if this device of starting each book at the same ball is a common ploy, but I liked it and thought it was very well done. I’ll be looking for more from this author.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DANGER IN TEMPTING AN EARL by Sophie Barnes.  Avon (July 29, 2014). ISBN 978-0062245182. 384p.

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THE VACATIONERS by Emma Straub

July 27, 2014

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Franny and Jim Post planned their two week family vacation to Mallorca to celebrate their 35th anniversary and their daughter Sylvia’s graduation from high school. Shortly before they leave, Jim loses his job after having an affair with a 23 year old intern, but they decide cancelling the trip wouldn’t be fair to Sylvia.

Since they are renting a house from a friend, they invite their son Bobby and his girlfriend, the cougar Carmen, and Franny’s best friend Charles and his husband, Lawrence.

Spending two weeks in such close proximity is bound to bring up all sorts of issues and secrets, and it does. Franny doesn’t like Carmen, actually none of them do, even Bobby doesn’t seemed thrilled. To add a bit of romance to the mix, the Post’s hire a Spanish tutor for Sylvia, who turns out to be a real hottie.

Will Franny and Jim find their way back to a marriage or work towards a divorce? Will Sylvia lose her virginity? Will Bobby and Carmen stay together? Will Charles and Lawrence adopt a baby? Lots going on amidst a beautiful setting make a fast, entertaining read with fairly obvious conclusions. Did not live up to the hype for me.

8/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE VACATIONERS by Emma Straub. Avon (April 29, 2014). ISBN 978-0062118196. 384p.

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SILVER BAY by Jojo Moyes

July 25, 2014

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For Mike Dormer a trip to Silver Bay, Australia begins as just another work assignment. His firm has set its sites on the area as a location for a new, high-end family resort. The town has little to offer currently, with one exception – whale and dolphin watching – and the locals have almost everything resting on this industry. Even more so, they care about the animals that make their way past the bay every season.

Not only would the new development threaten Silver Bay’s main source of tourism, but it would also threaten the animals themselves. The more time Mike spends in Silver Bay, the more convinced he becomes that his company is making a mistake. Further complicating matters is the fact that his time in Silver Bay has also left Mike more than a little emotionally attached to the locals.

This is one of Moyes’s older titles, recently re-released by Penguin in e format. There are quite a few commonalities between this one and Moyes’s latest, One Plus One. Mike is quite reminiscent of Ed, for example, and the book shares the same multi-viewpoint format.

I did love Silver Bay as a setting and the added element of the whale and dolphin watching industry. These make the book stand out as unique, particularly considering I read both Silver Bay and One Plus One fairly close together.

Liza’s story was another great stand out. It’s clear from the start that she and her family are hiding things, but it’s not until close to the end that the gravity of her story really becomes clear.

The romance element is nice, and – again like One Plus One – evolves in a quite natural way. No love at first sight, insta-romance here. Instead, Mike and Liza warm up to each other gradually in spite of everything that stands in their way.

Silver Bay is out now as an eBook and will be available in paperback in August.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

SILVER BAY by Jojo Moyes. Penguin Books (August 26, 2014). ISBN 978-0143126485. 384p.
Kindle: Penguin Books (April 29, 2014). ASIN: B00GSB2F5S.

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SOMETHING SWEETER by Candis Terry

July 24, 2014

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I should have known from the name of this book and the name of this series, “Sweet, Texas” what I was getting into, but I forged ahead anyway. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series (that I can recall, anyway) but from the publisher’s info it could be read as a standalone. I did have the feeling that I would have appreciated it more had I read the earlier books in the series and been more invested in these characters.

Allison Lane is a wedding planner from Seattle who takes herself off to he tiny town of Sweet, Texas when her father tells her he’s getting married. Allie’s parents had a horrible marriage and an even worse divorce, and despite her occupation, she does not believe in happily ever after. She’s worried that her father is making another mistake and she wants to meet the woman who has ensnared him.

Her first night in town, she meets Jesse Wilder, one of five boys in the Wilder family and the town Lothario. There is instant attraction, but Allie has more important things to do that get into a one night stand, so she sneaks out on him. Much to her surprise, Jesse turns out to be her father’s fiancée’s son and they are thrown together quite a bit.

Jesse has never met a woman who didn’t believe in marriage, and he is determined to change her mind about love. Meanwhile Allie just adores his mother, and the rest of the family, and when one of the brother’s upcoming wedding gets severely off track, Alli steps in to help.

The basic boy meets girl, boy loses girl and then gets girl back again are all in play here, but at a very superficial level. This is a simple, sweet love story of what I call the fluffy as cotton candy type. And sometimes cotton candy just hits the spot.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SOMETHING SWEETER by Candis Terry. Avon (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-0062237262. 384p.

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HAVE YOU SEEN MARIE? by Sandra Cisneros

July 20, 2014

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I fell in love with Sandra Cisneros when I read her literary treasure, House on Mango Street. This new book is an illustrated fable, a bit of a departure, but her voice is still there, whispering on every page. The illustrations are by the artist Ester Hernández, and they are lovely.  

The story is a simple one; two friends  search a San Antonio neighborhood for a lost cat named Marie.  One of the women has recently lost her mother, and she is dealing with the loss and her grief. Ms. Cisneros explains in the aftermath that she recently lost her mother, and this story grew out of that experience.

“In Mexico they say when someone you love dies, a part of you dies with them. But they forget to mention that part of them is born in you…”

When I lost my mother, I remember thinking that I was now an orphan. My son, a writer & editor, assured me that I was way too old to be an orphan – the term is limited to children under the age of 18 who lose their parents. Despite the definition, that was how I felt, so I was not surprised to see Ms. Cisneros felt likewise. I really related with her way of grieving in this book, and I would think almost anyone who has lost someone will as well.

While it is over 100 pages, it is laid out like a typical picture book, with large illustrations on each page along with just a line or so text, so it’s a very quick read. Ostensibly a fable for adults, children may also enjoy it.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HAVE YOU SEEN MARIE? by Sandra Cisneros. Vintage (April 8, 2014). ISBN 978-0307743862. 112p.

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THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR edited by Ellen Datlow

July 19, 2014

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Volume 6

From nightmarish visions to vengeance of the worst kind, editor Ellen Datlow’s latest anthology features new horror of every possible imagining.

In “The Fox” by Conrad Williams, a family vacation takes a dark and treacherous turn. Priya Sharma’s “The Anatomist’s Mnemonic” features a character whose fetish becomes an obsession he can no longer ignore. Neil Gaiman’s “Down to a Sunless Sea,” which first appeared in The Guardian and later in the Fearie Tales collection edited by Stephen Jones, is a chilling tale of death at sea. Hitchcock himself makes an appearance of sorts in Kim Newman’s “The Only Ending We Have.” And Brian Hodge takes readers back to Lovecraft’s Innsmouth in “The Same Deep Waters as You.”

Each of the twenty-four tales appearing in the anthology were new in print in 2013 and interestingly eleven of the authors included are completely new to this anthology series. Some of the stories are horrifying while others are more eerie and quiet and some are downright bizarre. Whatever your particular horror taste may be, though, this latest Best Horror of the Year is sure to have something perfect for you and may even turn you on to a few new authors as well.

Table of Contents:
“Apports” by Stephen Bacon
“Mr. Splitfoot” by Dale Bailey
“The Good Husband” by Nathan Ballingrud
“The Tiger” by Nina Allan
“The House on Cobb Street” by Lynda E. Rucker
“The Soul in the Bell Jar” by KJ Kabza
“Call Out” by Steve Toase
“The Tiny Flutter of the Heart I Used to Call Love” by Robert Shearman
“Bones of Crow” by Ray Cluley
“Introduction to the Body in Fairy Tales” by Jeannine Hall Gailey
“The Fox” by Conrad Williams
“The Tin House” by Simon Clark
“Stemming the Tide” by Simon Stranzas
“The Anatomist’s Mnemonic” by Priya Sharma
“The Monster Makers” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“The Only Ending We Have” by Kim Newman
“The Dog’s Paw” by Derek Künsken
“Fine in the Fire” by Lee Thomas
“Majorlena” by Jane Jakeman
“The Withering” by Tim Casson
“Down to a Sunless Sea” by Neil Gaiman
“Jaws of Saturn” by Laird Barron
“Halfway Home” by Linda Nagata
“The Same Deep Waters as You” by Brian Hodge

7/14 Becky Lejeune

THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR edited by Ellen Datlow. Night Shade Books (June 3, 2014). ISBN 978-1597805032. 448p.

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EVERYONE LIES by A.D. Garrett

July 18, 2014

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Nick Fennimore nearly lost his mind when his wife and daughter went missing, and allowing him to overstep his bounds earned DCI Kate Simms a demotion. She fought her way back and when heroin overdoses start multiplying in a seedy part of town, no one really cares until a pop star joins their ranks.

The case is dumped on Simms, who quietly enlists Fennimore’s help. Then another prostitute turns up dead, brutally beaten, tortured and raped, and Fennimore really needs to put his skills to the test. Misogynistic bosses and lying witnesses are thwarting Simms in her investigation, but she soldiers on, until her family is threatened, and then things really come to a head.

Working around the clock puts her family life in shambles, and there is some definite tension between Fennimore and Simms, but their back story is tantalizingly glossed over, adding more intrigue to these characters.

This is not your cozy British mystery but rather a gritty urban thriller like those of Jeffery Deaver, Ken Bruen or George Pelecanos.

A.D. Garrett is a pseudonym for author Margaret Murphy and forensics Professor Dave Barclay.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EVERYONE LIES by A.D. Garrett. Minotaur Books (July 15, 2014). ISBN 978-1250045720. 432p.

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ONE HUNDRED NAMES by Cecelia Ahern

July 17, 2014

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Kitty Logan is one misstep away from unemployment. A disastrous feature story has landed her in court for libel and now no one in journalism will touch her. No one except her longtime friend Constance.

Constance gave Kitty her first job and has been her friend and mentor ever since. Even in the wake of the current disaster, Constance hasn’t given up on her. But Constance is sick and doesn’t have much time left. On her one and only visit, Kitty asks her if there was ever a story she wished she’d written but never had the chance – the one that got away. Constance tells her there is and instructs Kitty to retrieve a file titled “names” from her home, promising to tell her all about it on their next visit. Sadly, Constance passes away never having explained the story.

Now, Constance’s magazine wants to put together a special edition to honor their founder and Kitty is given the opportunity to write Constance’s last story. Unfortunately for Kitty, all she has to work with is a list of one hundred names. With time running out, she knows this story is her chance to redeem herself while also paying tribute to the one person who never lost faith in her. But first, she’ll have to figure out what the story is really meant to be.

Each new book by Cecelia Ahern is a gem, and while I’m sure to love every new release, I know I can expect something completely different with each new book.

In One Hundred Names, Kitty not only has a lot to learn about herself but also has a ways to go to earn back the respect of her friends and colleagues. Her infamous story cost a man his reputation and could have been avoided if she’d not lost sight of the essential wisdom Constance imparted on her at the start of her career. It is relearning her passion and how to appreciate the things around her that become important in teasing out Constance’s story.

One Hundred Names is a charming tale, one that will stay with you long after you finish.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

ONE HUNDRED NAMES by Cecelia Ahern. William Morrow Paperbacks (May 6, 2014). ISBN978-0062248633. 496p.

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ALIAS HOOK by Lisa Jensen

July 16, 2014

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For two centuries, James Benjamin Hookbridge has been trapped in Neverland. Forced into battle after battle with the eternal boy Pan, Hook has long since tired of the life. Unfortunately for Hook, there seems to be no way out of the curse that has left him here. Until now.

Lisa Jensen’s Peter Pan retelling is so much fun. Not only is it for adults but it’s told completely from Hook’s perspective. Jensen’s version of the tale paints the nefarious villain in a truly new light giving him new depth via a backstory and history.

I liked, too, that Jensen kind of turns the story on its head without really going too far. Here Pan is actually a dark character, the Lost Boys age out, and there are many Wendys. In spite of all of that, Jensen does manage to stick closely to the essence of the original while deftly and convincingly adding her own spin on the story.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

ALIAS HOOK by Lisa Jensen. Thomas Dunne Books (July 8, 2014). ISBN 978-1250042156. 368p.

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