THE SEA GARDEN by Deborah Lawrenson

July 30, 2014

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Three interconnected stories make up this lush and intriguing latest from The Lantern author Deborah Lawrenson.

Ellie Brooke is looking to really make a name for herself and her garden design business. The restoration of an historic garden on the island of Porquerolles could be just the thing to really get the attention the business needs. But when Ellie meets the family that wants to hire her, she realizes that the job is more complicated than it seems.

In WWII Provence young Marthe has been apprenticing at the Distillerie Musset. Things are changing in their little village and Marthe knows that it’s the result of the war. The Mussets have taken Marthe into their home, offering her shelter and a job, so she feels a certain amount of guilt in suspecting that they are keeping things from her. The truth, that the Mussets are part of the growing resistance in France, could put everyone around them at risk.

Like many of the young women in England, Iris wanted to join up and help the war effort. She’d planned to sign on as a Wren – the Women’s Royal Naval Service – but was recommended for the Special Operations Executive instead. From their office in London, Iris and her colleagues run a specialized spy ring in France. When Iris meets and falls for an operative who later goes missing, though, her job takes her well beyond 64 Baker Street.

These three women and their stories intertwine to become one larger tale in The Sea Garden. There’s even a nod to The Lantern as well, though it’s not at all necessary to have read it beforehand.

I loved the idea of the connected novellas. Each tale is its own all-encompassing story but there are some mysteries as well. The answers to those mysteries come only in completing the book as a whole.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

THE SEA GARDEN by Deborah Lawrenson. Harper (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-0062279668. 320p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty

July 29, 2014

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Wow!

My first Moriarty book was What Alice Forgot, a fast, entertaining read with memorable characters and an unusual story. Then I picked up The Husband’s Secret, and saw that she really stepped up her game. Big Little Lies is her latest and it appears that Moriarty just keeps upping the bar.

The book opens at a school event for parents in the small beach town of Pirriwee, Australia – but it could be Any Town, USA, too. This costume event – all the parents are dressed as Elvis Presley or Audry Hepburn, is part of  a Trivia Night fundraiser for the public elementary school. The drinks are strong and the food hasn’t arrived yet, so everyone is getting drunk and having a good time, that is until someone dies. The police are called, and then we are left hanging – the story moves back in time to six months earlier.

Sprinkled throughout the pages are little snippets from the police interviews, with parents gossiping about everything that’s gone on that semester. This is black comedy at its best, and the story moves back towards the day of reckoning with lightning speed.

At its heart, this is a story is about bullying. On the first day of school, Amabella (not a misspelling) accuses Ziggy of trying to choke her, and has the bruises to prove it. Ziggy and his very young, single mom Jane have just moved to this small town and he instantly becomes the class pariah. The parents all take sides, with the emotional Madeleine and the super wealthy Celeste forming the Jane triumverate, and the “blonde bobs,” a group of helicopter moms with identical haircuts, taking the other side.

The perfect Celeste is in a deeply troubled marriage, but no one knows. Madeleine’s teenage daughter (from her first marriage) is pulling away from her and towards her new stepmother, the eternally calm, yoga loving Bonnie. And Jane is running away from something.

There are so many secrets in this small town, the malicious gossip is scintillating and  neverending, and the characters are fraught with all the foibles we’ve come to expect from Moriarty. The way she builds almost unbearable suspense is simply magical, especially as we don’t even know who dies until the end, never mind who did it. Moriarty has become one of my favorite authors and this is a page turner of the finest kind. Don’t miss it.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty. Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (July 29, 2014). ISBN 978-0399167065. 384p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

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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Posted by Stacy Alesi

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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Posted by Stacy Alesi

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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THE ICE CREAM QUEEN OF ORCHARD STREET by Susan Jane Gilman

July 4, 2014

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The Treynovsky family escaped the pogroms in Russia and emmigrated to the lower east side of New York, where Malka grew up to become Lillian Dunkle, the eponymous ice cream queen in Susan Jane Gilman’s charming first novel. Her journey from poverty stricken immigrant to enormously successful ice cream magnate is the quintessential American story.

The streets of New York are not always the safest place for children, teeming with vendors and their push carts. Malka is out one day when the Italian ices man’s horse accidentally crushes her leg in a truly Dickensian moment. Malka’s father takes off, her mother can’t handle it and ends up in a sanitarium. Mr. Dinello feels guilty for crippling the child and takes her in, so this Jewish immigrant girl is raised by an Italian immigrant family. The Italian ices cart grows into an ice cream factory and Malka learns the business until both Mr. and Mrs. Dinello pass away. Their sons form a partnership and a new company, and leave her out in the cold.

Revenge drives Malka, who eventually changes her name to the more American sounding Lillian. She meets Albert Dunkle, a movie star handsome Jewish immigrant with a bad stutter. She tries to help him and they fall in love and marry. Together they start up Dunkle’s Ice Cream. Albert invents a machine that makes soft serve ice cream (think Carvel here, I certainly did) and they become hugely successful. But vindictiveness against the Dinello family fuels Lillian’s fire, and she won’t be happy until they are out of business. Lillian is an unscrupulous businesswoman, and eventually her chickens come home to roost.

This is a family story about the immigrant experience in America, told with a lot of humor and pathos. The characters come alive on these pages and while you may not always like Lillian Dunkle, you can’t help but cheer her on.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE ICE CREAM QUEEN OF ORCHARD STREET by Susan Jane Gilman. Grand Central Publishing (June 10, 2014). ISBN 978-0446578936. 512p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

ONE PLUS ONE by JoJo Moyes

July 2, 2014

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It is always difficult to follow up a beloved book like Me Before You, but I think Moyes fans will be happy with her latest – I was. This is another contemporary romance, but in a more traditional way.

Jess is a single mom who is barely scraping by. Her husband walked out two years previously but is living with his mother and hasn’t sent any money or even seen his own kids. Jess’s daughter Tanzie is an 8 year old math prodigy, and she also takes in her stepson, Nicky, a teenager with some social issues who is getting beaten up on a regular basis by a neighborhood family of ne’er-do-wells.

Jess works all the time, cleaning houses by day and tending bar by night. She juggles her bills, keeping one step ahead by robbing Peter to pay Paul, and manages to keep food on the table, but just barely. When Tanzie’s math teacher calls to say that Tanzie has earned the possibility of a scholarship to a prestigious private school, Jess is dubious about even being able to pay the registration fee.

Then one of her cleaning clients, Ed, a rude dot com millionaire, gets drunk at the pub where she works. She manages to get a friend to drive him home, but when she gets back in the car she finds a wad of bills. Jess is a very moral character, but desperate for the registration fee, she takes the money and swears to herself that she will pay it back.

Ed has troubles of his own. In trying to dump a girlfriend, he inadvertently gives her inside information and she makes a killing in the stock market. He doesn’t make a dime but the cops come after him anyway.

Tanzie is offered the opportunity to participate in a math competition with prize money enough to cover the private school expenses, except it is in Scotland and Jess can’t afford the train fare. Desperate, she decides to drive, taking a an old broken down Rolls Royce that’s been stored in her garage for more than 2 years. No license and no insurance is a recipe for disaster and sure enough, the cops impound the car.

Ed happens by and stops to help. He ends up driving them all to Scotland, a four day trip, and Jess and Ed fall in love along the way. They both have a lot of baggage, but can they get past all their issues? Will these kids work out their problems?

Moyes writes great characters, and I will not be forgetting these anytime soon. This was a really enjoyable, fast read that should please her legion of fans.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ONE PLUS ONE by JoJo Moyes. Pamela Dorman Books (July 1, 2014). ISBN 978-0525426585. 384p.

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE MARRYING OF CHANI KAUFMAN by Eve Harris

June 25, 2014

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I found this book on the long list for the Mann Booker prize in 2013 and it was published here in the U.S. by Grove Press in April.

I always find books about the Orthodox Jewish community fascinating, it’s a whole different culture from anything I’ve personally experienced. This story is set in London, which adds another layer to the story.

Chani Kaufman is getting married. She’s 19, she’s had three dates with Baruch, who is looking for a wife before he goes off to Jerusalem to rabbinical school. Baruch comes from a very wealthy family, but Chani does not. Her father is a good man, a rabbi himself, but of a small congregation.

Baruch’s mother is none too pleased with her son’s choice. She wants him to find a rich girl to subsidize his studies, and to keep things on an even playing field. But Baruch sticks to his guns and Chani thwarts her future mother-in-law’s plans to end the relationship.

The book is about these families, and also about the Rebbetzin that Chani is studying with. She is a deeply unhappy character, and the book moves between these various characters and  their families, as well as moving back and forth in time, but it is always interesting and easy to follow. Definitely for fans of Naomi Ragen’s books or The Innocents by Francesca Segal.

6/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE MARRYING OF CHANI KAUFMAN by Eve Harris. Grove Press, Black Cat (April 1, 2014). ISBN 978-0802122735. 384p.

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THE GLASS KITCHEN by Linda Francis Lee

June 17, 2014

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Read through to the end to find out how you can win your own copy of THE GLASS KITCHEN or a Kitchen Aid mixer!

Portia was the perfect Texas politician’s wife – until he had an affair with her best friend and dumped her. She takes off for New York City, to an apartment she inherited from her aunt. Her sisters inherited the other two apartments in the house, but sold theirs to Gabriel, who seems shocked to find her living downstairs in the garden apartment.

Portia and her sisters grew up in Texas and after losing their parents, all three sisters lived with their grandmother who owned a restaurant called the Glass Kitchen. Portia inherited something special from her grandmother, a gift the family calls ‘the knowing.’

Portia finds herself cooking certain foods, with only the vaguest sense of why, but invariably someone shows up who needs whatever she has prepared, like the dozens of cupcakes made before knowing there was a school bake sale. But after her grandmother dies, and her husband tells her she’s crazy, she fights those impulses as best as she can. Portia just stops cooking. But living on her own in NYC has brought those feelings back, and Porita just stops fighting her gift.

There is a strong attraction between her upstairs neighbor Gabriel and Portia, and they start a secret affair, with him climbing down the fire escape into her bed at night. Gabriel has two children, the precocious 12-year-old Ariel and a rebellious teenager, Miranda. Their mother died the previous year in a tragic car accident, and Gabriel moved them to the city in hopes that would help with their healing. Portia and Ariel form a unique bond, especially after Gabriel hires her to cook for the girls, but Miranda is a much harder nut to crack.

When Portia’s sisters land in financial trouble, they decide the answer to all their problems is to open a Glass Kitchen in New York City. Gabriel is dead set against it, citing harrowing statistics about restaurant failures in the city but the women plunge ahead. Meanwhile Gabriel and Portia keep giving in to their attraction until Portia finds out he’s been lying to her, then she dumps him and hides out with a neighbor.

Romances never run smoothly, and Lee does a more than credible job here, even with the touches of magical realism sprinkled throughout the book. This is a charming, sweet and funny story with wonderful, warm characters you can’t help but care about. If you liked The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, you should enjoy The Glass Kitchen as well – I actually liked it a lot more. Recipes are included, and the jalapeño mustard is on my list to try for sure.

If you are looking for a beach read with real heart, look no further.

6/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE GLASS KITCHEN by Linda Francis Lee. St. Martin’s Press; First Edition edition (June 17, 2014). ISBN 978-0312382278. 384p.

The publisher is offering up a special contest

Enter to win a Kitchen Aid mixer! 

 

If you would like to win your own copy of THE GLASS KITCHEN:

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

All entries must be received by July 4, 2014. Five (5) names 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 or Canada. 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.

3 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE HEIRESSES by Sara Shepard

June 11, 2014

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Some say the Saybrook family has it all – wealth, class, looks… They’re known for their jewelry empire, a business built up after WWII when the family patriarch discovered a yellow diamond that would make the Saybrook name one of the biggest in the industry.

The Saybrook heiresses -Poppy, Corinne, Rowan, Aster, and Natasha – are set to inherit everything until one of them gives up her place and another is claimed by tragedy. As family secrets begin to spill out into the public, the remaining heiresses have to face the possibility that someone could be out to get them.

The start to Sara Shepard’s newest series does seem to be very much in the vein of Pretty Little Liars (or what I know about it). Nonetheless, the Saybrook heiresses make for fun reading. Each of them has their own story and their own secrets, all of which get equal play and fun development in this first outing.

The Heiresses isn’t an especially deep or complicated read, but it is definitely tantalizing and fun. Perfect beach fare for summer in other words.

 

6/14 Becky Lejeune

THE HEIRESSES by Sara Shepard. Harper; 1ST edition (May 20, 2014). ISBN 978-0062259530. 320p.

Comments Off on THE HEIRESSES by Sara Shepard | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Permalink
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