Product Name: Book Buddy Website: Reading Comfort Rating: 5 stars
When Mandy from Reading Comfort contacted me about reviewing the Book Buddy, I have to say, I didn't know what to think. The idea definitely sounded intriguing – something that will make your reading hands-free! But I had to ask myself: would all those strings and holders end up getting in the way? I didn't want something that was supposed to make my reading easier, but really ended up just making it more complicated and time consuming.
I was very excited when I received my Book Buddy in the mail. I got it in Papillon Gold. The first thing I noticed about it was how well-made it was. I could tell it wasn't going to be falling apart anytime soon. The pillow is also very plush, which makes it comfortable to put on your lap.
I quickly read the directions and was eager to try it out for myself. I grabbed my current read and decided to give it a try. After a few hits and misses, I figured out the way I like the Book Buddy to hold my book. Here's the step-by-step (including pictures!)
So now for the tough question: have I found the Book Buddy useful? INCREDIBLY. First of all, I love to be able to read hands-free. The ribbons are sturdy, and since they are adjustable, they are also very useful. One thing I really like about it is that it holds the book very flat, but doesn't crack the spine of paperbacks. I've found that it works best with hardcover but also works very well with trade paperbacks. Mass market paperbacks are a little more tricky, but since I don't read many of them, it doesn't really bother me.
As far as the ribbons, they don't get in the way. You might notice that the ribbon above crosses the bottom of the text. I usually don't tuck the page in until after I've finished reading it, and it works wonderfully that way. It never is a hassle and definitely increases the comfort level of reading.
And if that wasn't good enough, the Book Buddy comes with a plastic tabletop type thing that can be placed on top of the Book Buddy and held in place by the ribbons. Why, you ask? For laptops! If you are a laptop blogger like me, you will find this part of the Book Buddy invaluable. It raises the laptop to a very good height for typing, and it keeps the warm laptop off of your lap. Trust me, it's great – I use it every day while I am blogging! (Incidentally, it also is great for eating – trust me, the food wipes right off the plastic top. I know from personal experience.)
To put it succinctly, the Book Buddy is amazing. If you're an avid reader, this is a must have. I've actually considered buying a second Book Buddy – one for home, one for traveling. (Traveling makes things kind of mangy, so I'd have a pristine one at home, plus it could double as a pillow if I'm trying to sleep on a plane!)
Book Buddies can be purchased for $29.95 from Reading Comfort. They have 13 beautiful designs, and they also have blankets for sale that match with the Book Buddies which I think is a great idea! Head on over to Reading Comfort's website and take a look at the great items they have for sale!
Welcome to the Thursday Tunes! Each week, I will showcase music, whether new or old. Hopefully you will find something that interests you here!
This week's Thursday Tunes artist is Vanessa Carlton. If that name sounds familiar, don't be surprised – she's the artist who made waves with her hit song A Thousand Miles ("…If I could fall into the sky, Do you think time would pass us by, Because you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just hold you tonight…") about 8 years ago.
Vanessa Carlton has released two albums since then, both of which have been very good but haven't risen to the popularity of the first. I love her great music and the fact that she plays the piano in every song!
My favorite songs off of Heroes & Thieves, her latest album, are Nolita Fairytale and Hands on Me. She has such a happy sound, this album is great for a sunny day! Heroes and Thievescan be purchased from the Amazon MP3 store for $9.49.
This is a weekly discussion of LOST. SPOILERS BELOW!
Well, this was a pretty crazy episode! It filled in a lot of gaps, which is always appreciated.
It looks as though everything is pretty much falling apart for the LOST-ies. From what I can tell, they won't even be able to head back to the beach at this point. I have a feeling the next episode is not going to be pretty.
Let's start with the most shocking – is Daniel Faraday going to die? I think he is, and it's absolutely horrible. He was one of my favorite characters, I was so excited about him coming back. It's horrible to think that his mother sent him back to the Island, knowing what would happen to him. I predicted that Widmore was Daniel Faraday's father, so that didn't really come as a shock. Also, why in the world did he walk into the Others' camp with a gun? He could have gotten a lot farther had he not. And doesn't Daniel's mother kind of just suck at life?
Do you think Juliet told Kate the code to the fence because she wanted to get rid of her? I really do wonder. On one hand, I feel like Juliet is above that. But on the other hand, I think that hearing Sawyer beg for Kate to stay and calling her "Freckles" was a little too much for Juliet.
I'm glad to know that Desmond is okay, though I didn't actually think he would die. I hope he starts playing a larger part in the story soon. I also would love to see more of Sun, Locke and Ben. And speaking of, where is Little Ben? Is he still at the temple being healed?
I do like the idea that our LOST-ies can change the past. It's something I've always hoped for since this whole time travel thing started.
All right, I think that's it, but I may have missed something. There was a lot going on this episode. Any thoughts?
Title: Too Good To Be True Author: Kristan Higgins ISBN: 9780373773558 Pages: 384 Release Date: February 1, 2009 Publisher: HQN Books Genre: Chick Lit Rating: 4.5 out of 5
From the back cover:
When Grace Emerson's ex-fiancé starts dating her younger sister, extreme measures are called for. To keep everyone from obsessing about her love life, Grace announces that she's seeing someone. Someone wonderful. Someone handsome. Someone completely made up. Who is this Mr. Right? Someone…exactly unlike her renegade neighbor Callahan O'Shea. Well, someone with his looks, maybe. His hot body. His knife-sharp sense of humor. His smarts and big heart.
Whoa. No. Callahan O'Shea is not her perfect man! Not with his unsavory past. So why does Mr. Wrong feel so…right?
When I got Too Good To Be True as a surprise in the mail from the publisher, I have to admit, there was a bit of a smirk on my face. The description made it sound like a hot and heavy romance, and while that isn't my usual fare, the description had me intrigued enough to give it a try.
Imagine my surprise when Too Good To Be True turned out not to be a romance at all, but instead an intriguing and well-developed chick lit novel that I had trouble putting down. Grace was a wonderfully drawn character that I really sympathized with. I hated how people always took advantage of her, but I also didn't like how she seemed to roll over and allow people to walk all over her. She felt everything so deeply, but in the end, she just wanted to do the right thing and be good to those around her. I also loved the added element of Grace being a Civil War buff. It was a minor detail but really gave her character additional depth.
I had really mixed feelings about Grace's little sister Natalie, who was dating Grace's former fiance, Andrew. On one had, she didn't do anything strictly wrong – she started dating Andrew over a year after he broke up with Grace. Still, she comes across as selfish and spoiled in Too Good To Be True. But then again, she is sweet and difficult to dislike. I actually appreciated Natalie's complicated portrayal; much like real life, I didn't know exactly how to feel towards her.
I liked Callahan, though I felt like he was a little bit hard on Grace. In a lot of ways, Grace was just trying to protect herself. She put up a facade in order to convince her family, and herself, that she was fine. Callahan saw through this facade and reached the real Grace. In doing so, though, he passed a judgment on her that was a a bit harsh.
Too Good To Be True is an engaging chick lit novel that is extremely fun to read. After reading the book, I was pleasantly surprised with the compelling characters, engaging story, and sheer enjoyment I derived from reading it. I definitely recommend this book to any fan of chick lit – I will be checking out Kristan Higgins' other work!
Thank you to Adam at Harlequin for thinking I would like this book enough to send it to me, and for being right!
Title: Pushing Up Daisies Author: Rosemary Harris ISBN: 9780312943721 Pages: 320 Release Date: February 5, 2008 Publisher: Minotaur Books Genre: Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5
From the back cover:
Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest—but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.
Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime. Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years…
I had never heard of Pushing Up Daisies before I received it as a surprise in the mail. I thought it sounded cute and was eager to give it a try. I'm really glad I did – Pushing Up Daisies is a fun mystery with a great cast of characters.
Paula is a lot of fun and works very well as the central character in a mystery series. She is developed very well through the course of Pushing Up Daisies. The reader gets a sense of her loyalty and sense of honor when it comes to the people she works with, which is great. However, what we don't get much of is her back story. I would love it if Paula's history was explored more thoroughly in subsequent novels.
The Paula's personal story reminded me very much of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels. Harris sets up two love interests in Pushing Up Daisies for Paula – Sergeant O'Malley, who is Paula's contact at the police department and who thinks she's a bit of a conspiracy theorist, and Felix, the hot day laborer who is more than what he seems. A little formulaic, yes, but it keeps the tension present within the storyline! I only hope that Harris doesn't make Janet Evanovich's mistake of dragging out the character's decision between the two men to the point where it gets old.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the Dirty Business series, The Big Dirt Nap, which was released in February 2009. All in all, this is a quick, light and fun read, and is a promising start to a great new mystery series!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book to review!
This is a weekly discussion of The Tudors. SPOILERS below!
I know I've mentioned this before, but this show is moving so fast! I can't believe Queen Jane is dead already. The show has managed to cover almost a year and a half in just 4 episodes. (Henry and Jane married in May 1536 and she died in October 1537).
I'm really glad we are done with the whole peasant rebellion thing. I think the show does much better when it focuses on intrigue. The whole Robert Aske situation was heartbreaking – I had a lot of trouble watching the scenes with him. I am glad that Charles Brandon showed up to his hanging. It seems as though he will be haunted by what he has done for some time, though he told his wife that he has a clear conscience.
I do like it when the show is subtle, rather than depicting gory violence. Brandon saying the Lord's Prayer while listening to the villager's screams was much more effective than actually showing them being rounded up and murdered (and/or hanged.) Though after that, they showed the body of the child, along with all the other bodies, which was horrible.
One thing I have liked about the peasant rebellion scenes, especially in this episode, was their juxtaposition with life at court. They are two completely different worlds.
Mary seems eager for marriage, though from history, we know that this marriage doesn't actually end up taking place. I wonder what goes wrong for her? It's amazing how much Henry has come to rely on Mary in the short time she has been back at court. It's nice that the formality in their relationship has melted away a bit.
Ahh, Jane. I was sad to see Jane go – I felt like we hardly got to know her. I know I said earlier that I didn't think Henry actually loved Jane, but I take that back. This episode has some of the most tender moments between the two of them, from when she was washing her hair to his prayer at her deathbed. I think he held her at an arm's length until she got pregnant. And it was touching that he saw her as more than a baby-making machine, which is what I was a little afraid of.
It's easy to see Henry being horrible to those around him, but hard to remember how much heartbreak he suffered. First Anne (who he was convinced betrayed him) and now Jane – it has to be difficult. I wonder if he's going to just lose it after this.
This was a great episode. I felt like the season has been a little off so far, but this one put it right back on track. Also, the show (unsurprisingly) was renewed for another season, and at this rate that will probably take us to the end of Henry's life!
Title: Follow Me Author: Joanna Scott ISBN: 9780316051651 Pages: 432 Release Date: April 22, 2009 Publisher: Hachette Book Group Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction Rating: 3.5 out of 5
From the publisher's website:
On a summer day in 1946 Sally Werner, the precocious young daughter of hardscrabble Pennsylvania farmers, secretly accepts her cousin's invitation to ride his new motorcycle. Like so much of what follows in Sally's life, it's an impulsive decision with dramatic and far-reaching consequences. Soon she abandons her home to begin a daring journey of self-creation, the truth of which she entrusts only with her granddaughter and namesake, six decades later. But when young Sally's father--a man she has never known--enters her life and offers another story altogether, she must uncover the truth of her grandmother's secret history.
Boldly rendered and beautifully told, in Follow Me Joanna Scott has crafted a paean to the American tradition of re-invention and a sweeping saga of timeless and tender storytelling.
Follow Me was an interesting novel about a woman named Sally Werner. The book spans over sixty years; it starts at Sally's flight from home at the age of sixteen and covers her lifetime, plus has interludes about her daughter and granddaughter interspersed in between the chapters of Sally's life.
The story of Follow Me is told from two points of view. Sally's is the main storyline and takes up most of the novel. The other voice is Sally's granddaughter, who fills in a lot of the gaps of Sally's life, as well as what happened after her death. She also corrects some of the information that Sally gives the reader, meaning we often hear one story from two different points of view.
Sally herself is a well-written and engaging character. At first I was worried because I really didn't like her. She was selfish and felt like she deserved things that she really didn't. She took advantage of people who were kind to her and, in one instance, lived off of someone's charity without being appreciative in the last. However, over the course of the book, Sally changes. She begins to realize the importance of gratitude and starts to appreciate other people. She also tries to give back, rather than acting like she deserves tributes from others.
Follow Me is a beautifully written novel. Joanna Scott's prose is easy to read and incredibly fluid. However, the book is very long for the story contained within its pages; I often found my attention wandering while I was reading it. There wasn't really a driving force in the novel, nothing to propel the story forward. Also, though Sally grew on me as the novel progressed, I never fully warmed to her character.
Still, Follow Me is a solid read that fans of literary fiction will likely enjoy. Thank you to Miriam at Hachette for sending me this book to review!
This weather is unbelievable. I left Washington, DC for two days and seem to have missed spring altogether! It's currently 92 degrees here – I can't believe it!
I was in Houston over the weekend at my husband's cousin's wedding, and it really was a lot of fun. It was at the Hotel ZaZa in downtown Houston, which is a very unique hotel. The pool area was just amazing and the hotel, while very full because there was a conference going on over the weekend, was very luxurious and nice.
I have to say, the highlight of the weekend was the fact that I got to meet about 10 astronauts. The bride's father is an astronaut and invited a bunch of his astronaut buddies to the wedding. I was a total groupie and got pictures with a bunch of them, which I will post later.
In other news, my paper-writing is going very slowly. I was on a roll and then hit a wall in the middle of last week. I'm hoping it picks back up so I can get everything done by the end of the week and start my summer vacation already, since this is the last week of classes! Hopefully that's not too optimistic.
I'm currently giving away 2 copies of Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center. If you haven't already entered, the giveaway ends May 6. [review][entry page]
Title: Caravaggio's Angel Author: Ruth Brandon ISBN: 9781569475195 Pages: 256 Release Date: October 1, 2008 Publisher: Soho Constable Genre: Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5
From the dust jacket:
Dr. Reggie Lee, a new arrival at the National Gallery, is organizing a small exhibition around three Caravaggio paintings depicting "St. Cecilia and the Angel." One is at the Getty, one at the Louvre, and she assumes it won't be too hard to track down the third. But inexplicable obstacles keep getting in her way – and then, unexpectedly, a fourth Caravaggio turns up. One of them must be a fake. But which?
When people start to die, it's horrible clear that someone doesn't want Reggie's show to go ahead. Why, she can't imagine. But her career is at stake, and she's damned if she'll let herself be intimidated by these unseen forces. So Reggie sets out to discover the truth, on a trail that leads her from Surrealist suicides to Italian art dealers, from seventeenth-century painting techniques to modern French politics. By the end it seems as through no one in the world of international art can be truly deemed incorruptible – perhaps not even Reggie herself.
I really liked the character of Reggie in Caravaggio's Angel. She was strong-willed and determined to get answers. She was also naturally curious, which makes her a perfect "amateur sleuth." Most of the rest of the characters are somewhat flat, but Reggie is vibrant and full of life. Her knowledge of art was considerable, yet she didn't know everything. Sometimes it's frustrating when a character has so much knowledge as to seem inhuman. Reggie is obviously an expert in the art world, but she isn't afraid to ask for help when necessary. I enjoyed getting to know her.
The mystery was interesting enough, but more in the way it was crafted than in the answer to the puzzle. I actually figured out the solution to the mystery about halfway through the novel, so that question wasn't really the driving force. Instead, I enjoyed reading through the twists and turns, peeling away the layers that make up Caravaggio's Angel.
The cover of Caravaggio's Angel says "Introducing Reggie Lee, Art Curator and Amateur Detective." I assumed that meant the author intended this book as the beginning of a series. The information on the back flap of the book confirmed that Ruth Brandon is working on a sequel to this book. That information excites me to no end – now that Reggie is a developed character, I can't wait to read about her adventures solving mysteries in the art world! I think Brandon found a hole within the literary world and has filled it nicely.
I really enjoyed Caravaggio's Angel. If you like art history, you will appreciate this novel as well. I can't wait for the next in the series!
Title: Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood Author: Ann Brashares ISBN: 9780553375930 Pages: 384 Release Date: January 25, 2005 Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Genre: Teen, Chick Lit Rating: 4 out of 5
From the back cover:
The Pants first came to us at the perfect moment. That is, when we were splitting up for the first time. It was two summers ago when they first worked their magic, and last summer when they shook up our lives once again. You see, we don’t wear the Pants year-round. We let them rest so they are extra powerful when summer comes. (There was the time this spring when Carmen wore them to her mom’s wedding, but that was a special case.)
Now we’re facing our last summer together. In September we go to college. And it’s not like one of those TV shows where all of us magically turn up at the same college. We’re going to four different colleges in four different cities (but all within four hours of one another—that was our one rule). We’re headed off to start our real lives.
Tomorrow night at Gilda’s we’ll launch the Pants on their third summer voyage. Tomorrow begins the time of our lives. It’s when we’ll need our Pants the most.
Girls in Pants is the first Sisterhood book I've read after watching the movies, and I have to say, while the second movie left something to be desired, they did an amazing casting job. While I was reading this book, I saw Bee as Blake Lively, Carmen as America Ferrera, Lena as Alexis Bledel, and Tibby as Amber Tamblyn. It made the book much more lively in my head!
I would say that I definitely found Lena's story the most compelling in Girls in Pants. I enjoyed watching her blossom as an artist. Also, it was interesting to watch her struggle to find herself and what she wanted with her life, especially if it meant going again her parents' wishes. I really feel like Lena came into her own in this book.
Bee's story was engaging as well. Eric was a loose end that needed to be tied up, and I loved how Bee handled the whole thing. It is so clear how much she has grown up and developed as a character since the first book. She desires Eric's respect and realizes that she has to earn it from him.
Tibby's story was sort of interesting, and sort of not. On one hand, I liked watching Tibby's relationship with her family evolve, as well as reading about her try to come to terms with her feelings about Brian. I also loved how she rose up to the occasion when Carmen's mother needed her. However, a lot of Tibby's story was her feeling sorry for herself, which isn't exactly my favorite thing to read about.
As usual, my least favorite storyline in Girls in Pants was that of Carmen. I find Carmen to be really difficult to deal with – she seems really selfish when it comes to her mother and refuses to give her anything. I hate how obstinate she can be, and how manipulative she is (but at least she feels bad about it!) Each time I read about Carmen, I hope that she has learned from her experiences and will be older and wiser in the next book. I hope I'm finally right this time. I did like how she came to understand and deal with Lena's grandmother.
Girls in Pants is definitely a must-read for those who have read the first two books of the series. It wasn't perfect, but it was a quick, light, and enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading the last book in the series.
Title: Sleepwalking in Daylight Author: Elizabeth Flock ISBN: 9780778325130 Pages: 368 Release Date: February 24, 2009 Publisher: Mira Books Genre: Women's Fiction, Teen Rating: 4 out of 5
From the dust jacket:
Once defined by her career and independence, stay-at-home mom Samantha Friedman finds that her days have been reduced to errands, car pools and suburban gossip. What was an easy decision for Sam years ago has become a nagging awareness that this life was her choice. Now she deals with a husband who shows up for dinner but is too preoccupied for conversation, and a daughter swathed in black clothing and Goth makeup who won't talk at all.
Believing she's an adopted mistake, seventeen-year-old Cammy has fallen into sex and drugs and pours herself into a journal filled with poetry and pain. On parallel paths, mother and daughter indulge in desperate, furtive escapism—for Sam, a heady affair with her supposed soul mate, fueled by clandestine coffee dates and the desire to feel something; for Cammy, a secretive search for her birth mother punctuated by pills, pot and the need to feel absolutely nothing.
I'm not sure what genre to put Sleepwalking in Daylight in. On one hand, part of the book is told from seventeen-year-old Cammy's point of view – that makes me think this is a teen read. But Samantha's story is so compelling, so gripping, that it makes me want to label it women's fiction. This is a book that transcends genres and makes you redefine your labeling system.
The title Sleepwalking in Daylight seems to refer to Samantha much more than Cammy, which makes me feel like Samantha is the main character of the book. She's basically sleepwalking through life, going through all the motions. She doesn't find joy in anything anymore because there isn't really anything to feel happy about. She loves her children, but it's just not enough for her anymore. She has lost any sort of connection with her husband. I feel like a lot of middle-aged women go through the same thing as Samantha does; they question their lives, whether they have accomplished anything. Samantha is very well-written and easy to sympathize with, even if you are not at the same place in life as she is.
Cammy is a little more difficult. I definitely understand her feelings of inadequacy, especially after her father told her about her adoption in a ridiculously insensitive manner. However, she also frustrated me. I sympathized much more with Samantha than with Cammy; I just wanted Cammy to open up to her mother. Maybe not about everything, but about her feelings that her parents walk on eggshells around her and aren't as easy with her as they are with her brothers. Of course, it's probably unrealistic to believe that a teenage girl will open up to her mom about her issues, but still, it doesn't keep me from wishing!
Sleepwalking in Daylight is a well-written novel that is an intimate look at one woman's life and that of her estranged teenage daughter. The ending is very unexpected, and I'm not sure if that's good or not. Either way, I recommend this book though!
Thank you to Anna at FSB Associates for sending me this book to review!
Welcome to the Thursday Tunes! Each week, I will showcase music, whether new or old. Hopefully you will find something that interests you here!
This week, I am featuring Anoushka Shankar, who is a sitar player. The sitar is a classical Indian instrument which became popular in the United States when Ravi Shankar toured with the Beatles. Anoushka Shankar is Ravi Shankar's daughter and Norah Jones' half-sister.
At the beginning of her career, Anoushka played strictly classical sitar music and came under some criticism because she supposedly wasn't as good as her father. (Unfair comparison, in my opinion!) Recently, Anoushka has been experimenting with Indian fusion, mixing her sitar playing with more Western music. Her latest album, Breathing Under Water, is a collaboration with Karsh Kale, who is an Indian producer, composer, and musician who is known for mixing Indian music with other styles.
Breathing Under Water is a beautiful and atmospheric album, with guest artists Norah Jones, Sting, and Ravi Shankar. My favorite tracks are Sea Dreamer (feat Sting) and Oceanic, Part 2 (feat. Ravi Shankar) but the whole album is really great! Breathing Under Water can be purchased from the Amazon MP3 Store for $9.49.
Interested in my blogging space? I'm being featured this week over at Kittling Books' Scene of the Blog! This is a really creative meme in which Cathy asks bloggers to submit pictures of where they do their blogging on a daily basis. Her write-up is wonderful (and very flattering!). Check it out if you have a few minutes!
Title: Gifted Author: Nikita Lalwani ISBN: 9780812977943 Pages: 304 Release Date: September 11, 2007 Publisher: Random House Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction Rating: 3.5 out of 5
From the dust jacket:
Rumi Vasi is 10 years, 2 months, 13 days, 2 hours, 42 minutes, and 6 seconds old. She’s figured that the likelihood of her walking home from school with the boy she likes, John Kemble, is 0.2142, a probability severely reduced by the lacy dress and thick woolen tights her father, and Indian émigré, forces her to wear. Rumi is a gifted child, and her father, Mahesh, believes that strict discipline is the key to nurturing her genius if the family has any hope of making its mark on its adoptive country.
Four years later, a teenage Rumi is at the center of an intense campaign by her parents to make her the youngest student ever to attend Oxford University, an effort that requires an unrelenting routine of study. Yet Rumi is growing up like any other normal teen: her mind often drifts to potent distractions . . . from music to love.
Rumi’s parents want nothing other than to give Rumi an exceptional life. As her father outlines ever more regimented study schedules, her mother longs for India and forcefully reminds Rumi of her roots. In the end, the intense expectations of a family with everything to prove will be a combustible ingredient as an intelligent but naive girl is thrust into the adult world before she has time to grow up.
In her stunningly eloquent debut novel, Nikita Lalwani pits a parent’s dream against a child’s. Deftly pondering the complexities and consequences that accompany the best intentions, Gifted explores just how far one person will push another, and how much can be endured, in the name of love.
I had really mixed feelings as I was reading Gifted. On one hand, I didn't really like most of the characters, but on the other hand, I recognized them. About halfway through the book, I re-interpreted how I was reading the novel. I still saw it as a coming-of-age story, but I started reading it as a satire. Once I did, I found a lot more enjoyment in it than I would have otherwise.
Overall, Gifted is a coming-of-age story of a very confused Indian teenager. Despite that, I wouldn't consider it a book for teenagers. There's nothing in it that's inappropriate or anything like that, but the book just seems directed much more towards adults.
I'm honestly not sure if the book was meant as a satire. However, I saw Rumi's parents as caricatures of many typical Indian parents – they pushed their daughter beyond belief and expected her to live out their dreams. They didn't stop for once to question what their daughter might actually want. Indian parents are often like this, though not as bad as Rumi's parents. I wonder if it was written as a satire on Indians; if so, it's successful!
While Gifted did amuse me, I found the book heartbreaking more than anything else. I hated how much Rumi was pushed to accomplish feats she did not want to, and how she was unable to communicate with either of her parents. I hated how Rumi's father seemed to think of her as his property, rather than loving her as his daughter. She just wanted to be a typical teenager, to experience things for herself. Every time she tried to tell her father that she was unhappy, he would try to turn it around and make her seem ungrateful. The worst part was that Rumi's father honestly thought he was doing what was best for her, when in reality he was alienating her and forcing her through his dreams.
I thought Gifted was well-written, but in the end I had no idea what it was trying to be. It was good, but not great. Still, if you are interested in coming of age stories or relations between parents and children, especially those of different cultures, you probably will enjoy this book. Just keep in mind that I consider Rumi's parents caricatures – all Indian parents are not like this!
My next book giveaway is for Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center, a wonderful and heartwarming novel that I really enjoyed! [review] I have two ARC's to give away to my lucky readers.
To enter (up to a total of four entries):
1) Leave a comment on this post telling me about something beautiful that someone else has done for you recently (a good deed)! Comments that do not contain this information will not be counted as entries!
2) Follow me on Twitter (skrishna) and tweet about the contest. Leave a comment telling me your Twitter username and telling me you did it.
3) Stumble one of my reviews (not this post!). Leave a comment here telling me which post you Stumbled. Don't know what StumbleUpon is? Check out this post.
4) Blog about this contest and link back here.
Make sure I have a way of contacting you if you win! If you are going to leave an Anonymous comment, make sure you leave your e-mail address in the comment. This contest is open to U.S. and Canada only. It will run until Wednesday, May 6. I will draw two winners and announce them on Thursday, May 7.
Title: Laura Rider's Masterpiece Author: Jane Hamilton ISBN: 9780446538954 Pages: 224 Release Date: April 9, 2009 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Genre: Contemporary Fiction Rating: 3 out of 5
From Barnes and Noble's website:
Married for 12 years, Laura and Charlie Rider have come to share almost everything: their nursery business, their love for their animals, and, most especially, their zeal for storytelling. And though they no longer share a bed, they are happy enough continuing along in their pleasant, platonic routine. Then Charlie begins an email exchange in earnest with Jenna Faroli, the host of a popular radio show, and, according to Laura, "the single most famous person in the town." Seeing her opportunity, Laura cannot resist using Charlie's new connection to promote her writing skills, and together, the couple crafts florid, strangely intimate messages that entice Jenna into their game. "The Project," as they come to call it, quickly spins out of control. As the lines between Laura's words and Charlie's feelings become blurred, Jenna finds herself effected in ways most disturbing, while Laura is transformed into an artist of the highest caliber—in her own mind. The end results are hilarious and poignant, and for Laura Rider, beyond even her wildest imagination.
I've never read anything by Jane Hamilton, but I've heard good things about her previous novels. I thought the synopsis of Laura Rider's Masterpiece sounded very unique and I was eager to give it a try.
Laura Rider's Masterpiece is a very well-written novel. It seems to be an exploration of how authors write and how they create characters. I liked pondering the writing process as well as thinking about how writers got their ideas and drew characters while I was reading this novel. The story was also superbly crafted and very witty. Additionally, I was correct in my assumption that this would be a unique novel; Jane Hamilton has a vivid imagination and it pays off in Laura Rider's Masterpiece.
However, the problem with this novel was that I simply didn't enjoy reading it. That is mostly due to the titular character, Laura Rider. She was really unbelievable., not in the sense that her character wasn't well-drawn, but in the sense that I just couldn't believe how horrible she was. She was so selfish and narcissistic. She basically treated Jenna as if she was her pet and had no feelings of her own. The lives of Jenna and Laura's husband Charlie were simply fodder for Laura's planned novel. She didn't even stop to think that others might get hurt in her little experiment. My distaste for Laura Rider pretty much nixed any chance I might have had of enjoying Laura Rider's Masterpiece.
That being said, Laura Rider's Masterpiece is a well-written and engaging novel. If you can get past Laura Rider's character, you will probably really like this novel. Unfortunately, I just wasn't able to!
Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories is a collection of short stories written by Lauren Groff, author of The Monsters of Templeton. The stories are unique and disparate; each has its own theme, its own characters and its own plot. The only thing they have in common is that each story is about a woman. These women are from different backgrounds and stations in life and are of different ages, but each has an interesting story to tell.
One problem with short stories is that there is often not enough time for the reader to become invested in a character before the tale ends. That’s not the case for Groff’s stories; she has a talent for developing characters. Somehow, in the short space that is each of these stories, Groff manages to create fully realized characters who readers will sympathize with and root for. It is a singular talent, and Groff utilizes it incredibly well.
The stories within Delicate Edible Birds vary; some are definitely more interesting than others. The best story in the collection is “Blythe,” the tale of a severely depressed, perhaps bipolar woman who forges a friendship with another woman in her poetry class. The story follows the ups and downs of her life and reveals how damaging one woman can be to those around her. Another great story is “Sir Fleeting,” which chronicles a woman’s emotional affair with a dashing man over the course of her life. She reveals how fleeting the man’s emotions really were (hence the title) and, in her old age, realizes the emotions she spent on him were wasted. Judging by other reviews, however, each reader will find their own favorite stories within Groff’s collection. No matter who you are, one or two of these stories will speak to something inside you.
Delicate Edible Birds is a wonderful short story collection that is a tribute to the genre. Like most collections, some of these stories have been previously published. However, six of the stories are unique to Delicate Edible Birds, making this book a real gem. This is definitely appropriate for any short story lovers, as well as those looking for a book to introduce them to the genre.
This is a weekly discussion of The Tudors. SPOILERS below!
I have to admit, this episode had a few really sweet scenes in it. I'm glad for that, as it reminds us that Henry is still a decent person somewhere beneath that horribly unsympathetic exterior. I'm not sure what was sweeter, the scene where Mary and Jane bring Elizabeth back to court – thank God Henry was happy about that, risky surprise, and I'm happy they're portraying Mary and Elizabeth as friends rather than enemies, at least for now – or the scene where Henry figures out that Jane is pregnant.
I'm hating this whole peasant rebellion storyline. It's not that it isn't interesting, I just know it's going to end really badly. Plus I feel REALLY bad for Robert Aske – I completely sympathize with him and hate how he is being used and manipulated. I also feel really bad for Charles Brandon – he's being given the choice between a rock and a hard place with these peasants. I still have hope that he won't kill them, though it's fading fast. I can actually understand why Cromwell was happy with the second insurrection – it gives Henry the cover he needs to go back on his promises.
I love that The Tudors has incorporated Hans Holbein into the show. I can't wait to see more of his paintings!
I have to say, I can't believe Jane's brother – what a time to tell her that your father is dead! I felt so bad for her. I also was impressed with how well she took the news that Henry had taken a mistress. She reminds me of Katharine, rather than the impetuous and emotional Anne.
This was a good episode, but as I said before, I feel like the show is all starting to take on a much more ominous tone. I can't wait for next week – it looks like Jane is going to go into labor, which we know is really bad news for her. Does anyone else feel like the show is moving incredibly fast?
Also, I just got the soundtrack for the second season of The Tudors which was released last week. I haven't listened to it yet, but I'm sure it'll be great!
Well, I have to say, this morning finds me VERY tired. I read through Hour 17 of the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon. I did take some breaks, and ended up reading 14 books in 11.4 hours. I have to say, part of me wishes I had tried to stay up for the full 24 hours – I went to bed early because I didn't want to be utterly useless today, in view of the fact that we are very close to grad school finals! Since my pages/minute average (5.7) seems to have been highest, it would have been really interesting to see how much I could have accomplished and whether I could have actually sustained that pace!
Taking off for the Read-A-Thon means I really have to kick the researching and writing into high gear this week, especially considering I have to go to Houston this weekend for my husband's cousin's wedding. Hopefully I get enough done this week so that I don't have to lug my school books there with me!
If you haven't entered my giveaway for Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz yet, the giveaway ends tonight (4/19) at 11:59 PM, so make sure you hurry on over there! [review][entry page] Also, Jean Hanff Korelitz participated in a Blog Talk Radio show last week that was extremely interesting – if you have some time, check it out! You'll get to hear my (rambling) voice because I called in to ask a few questions!
I'm not going to post links to all my Read-A-Thon updates because I posted every hour! However, here is the link to all of them, as well as the link to the wrap-up post of sorts!
Welcome! I’m Swapna Krishna, and this is where you’ll find my book reviews. Feel free to look through my review database. I also host the South Asian Review Database and run the South Asian Challenge, which promote the authors and literature of the region.
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