It’s a very cold Sunday here in DC today.  Yesterday, we got about 6 inches of snow, so we stayed at home.  I was hoping for a full reading day, but instead I started the arduous project of cleaning out the guest bedroom closet (we’re trying to turn our guest bedroom into a home office).  Also, my husband and I went around our condo and determined what space wasn’t being used effectively, and how we could use it better.  I have a feeling we’re going to be doing a lot of home improvement projects in the next couple of months!

This week was incredibly busy – between work and school, sometimes I feel like I barely have time to come up for air!  But I still managed to get a good bit of reading done, plus I had my That’s How I Blog show this week, so if you didn’t have a chance to tune in and you’re curious, go listen to it now!

One of my goals this year has been to read a larger variety of books in terms of genre, and I really feel like I’ve been doing great at that so far!  I’ve been reading some wonderful books (and a lot that has been sitting on my shelf for years), so I’m really happy with how my reading is going so far.

Books I’ve read this week:

Other reviews posted this week:

Title: Bombay Time: A Novel
Author: Thrity Umrigar
ISBN: 9780312286231
Pages: 271
Release Date: July 6, 2001
Publisher: Picador
Genre: Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Bombay Time is the story of a group of middle-class Parsis living in the Wadia Baug area of Bombay (now Mumbai) in India.  At the wedding of a young man who grew up in Wadia Baug, many of the attendees reminisce on their lives and reflect on the changes that they have lived through in this marvelous work of literary fiction.

Review:

It is quite possible I’m Thrity Umrigar’s biggest fan.  I’ve loved every single one of her books I’ve read.  I’m constantly recommending and hand-selling her books to friends. Her novels are beautifully written, moving, and have an incredible humanity about them.  Though different from her other novels, Bombay Time is no exception to this rule.

Bombay Time stands apart from Thrity Umrigar’s other novels because of the sheer number of characters.  There isn’t one story being told here; instead, the reader is provided mere glimpses into the lives of many different people.  Put together, their tales comprise the story of Wadia Baug itself, in many ways its own character in the book. 

Thrity Umigar proves the depth of her talent with Bombay Time because she does something that is very difficult, a feat considering this was her debut novel:  she makes the reader care about each character she writes about.  Some of the people in this novel only get a few pages to tell their stories, but they are always compelling and tug at the reader’s emotions.  Umrigar provides understanding to the reader through each of these vignettes; for example, Dosamai appears to be a hard, bitter old woman who relishes in gossiping and sticking her nose in other people’s business.  But when the reader discovers her story and understands the sacrifice she was forced to make, the bitterness she carries with her is more understandable.  While she’s never an endearing character, Umrigar does an amazing job giving this woman a full, well-rounded life in just a few pages.

I’d be hard-pressed to pick my favorite character in this novel.  They each have their own strengths and weaknesses – Rusi is a sweet man, but emotionally detached from his wife Coomi, who seems to be petty on the surface, but has underlying insecurities.  It’s hard to understand why Tehmi became a recluse after her wonderful husband, Cyrus, was killed, until you understand what afflicted her after his death.  These are amazing stories that are about real life.  They don’t necessarily have happy endings – Adi’s tale is particularly tragic.  The problems that these characters have aren’t neatly tied up at the end of this book.  Umrigar wrote Bombay Time with such vividness and color that the reader can imagine life in Waudi Baug continuing after the last pages are turned.

“A day, a day.  A silver urn of promise and hope.  Another chance.  At reinvention, at resurrection, at reincarnation.  A day.  The least and most of all our lives.” – page 5

Bombay Time was simply a wonderful book that I highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for a novel that provides a glimpse of life in India.  Umrigar discusses a lot of Indian societal problems without making the book too heavy.  It’s a quick read with beautiful prose that leaves the reader full of hope and wonder.

Title: Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
Author: Bart D. Ehrman
ISBN: 9780060859510
Pages: 242
Release Date: October 31, 2005
Publisher: HarperOne
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Misquoting Jesus is part memoir, but mostly history – specifically, the history behind the actual text of the Bible.  Ehrman takes the reader through the centuries, focusing in on specific textual criticisms in order to understand who changed the Bible and why.  The result is a fascinating and unique look at the most famous book in the world.

Review:

Having attended Catholic school, I’ve always had a fascination with the history of Christianity from a secular point of view.  I think it’s incredibly interesting to look at religions in general through non-religious eyes, whether those lenses are archaeological or historical.  In Misquoting Jesus, Ehrman shows the reader the Bible through the eyes of a textual critic, giving new depth to each individual word in the book.

Ehrman’s personal history, discussed in Misquoting Jesus, is very interesting.  He was an evangelical whose views on Christianity were derailed by his study of the Bible’s text.  After all, he asked himself, how can a work be divinely inspired if we don’t have the originals and the current text is riddled with deliberate and accidental errors?  He has since become an agnostic.

This is a book that would probably be difficult to read and somewhat dry if you don’t have a secular interest in the history of the Bible.  I imagine Ehrman’s journey to agnosticism, as well as his emotionless dissection of the Bible’s text, would likely be difficult for someone with extremely conservative religious views, but if you have an open mind, you might find this book as fascinating as I did. 

Misquoting Jesus was a satisfying read that really opened my eyes to textual criticism of the Bible.  I didn’t know much about it before, so I’m really glad I read this book.  This is a great look at the Bible and the evolution of Christianity through history.  Ehrman does a wonderful job explaining the nuances of textual criticism to those who are unfamiliar with its specifics.  This book definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you find the subject matter intriguing, I think you should give it a try!

Title: Bought
Author: Anna David
ISBN: 9780061669187
Pages: 288
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Emma is a reporter in L.A., but she’s tired of covering awards shows and parties.  She wants to report on something that matters, to advance her career and become a serious journalist.  At a party, she meets a beautiful and ambitious woman named Jessica who gives her an amazing idea for the story that will be her big break.  Jessica is a prostitute, but not in the traditional sense – instead of charging money, she accepts gifts from her clients.  Emma is intrigued by this underground world, and as she learns more and more about it, she begins to get sucked in by the allure of being bought.

Review:

Bought is an amazing look at a world of ambiguous morals and blurry lines.  The entire book is a question of right and wrong – who determines morality?  Is prostitution wrong?  If it is wrong, does accepting gifts instead of money make it less so?  This book is all about the gray area.  At the beginning, Emma is repulsed by this lifestyle, but as she learns more about it, she becomes fascinated by Jessica.

And it’s easy to understand why – Jessica is an incredibly intriguing character who is really difficult to understand.  Every time Emma (and the reader ) feels like they have peeled back her layers, she proves that there is still more mystery there.  It’s so difficult to know whether or not you can trust her.  A lot of what she say makes sense, but just as you are beginning to let your guard down, she says something subversive or manipulative, which makes you unsure of what to think.  Jessica is a masterfully written character; David deserves real credit for writing such a three-dimensional, complicated woman.

The reason that Bought is so appealing is because of how involved Emma becomes in Jessica’s life, and how close she gets to the world of prostitution.  The ambiguous morality really leaves the reader reeling at the end of the book; it’s a novel that makes you think long after it’s over.

Bought was an unexpectedly good novel that was an amazing read.  Don’t let the pink box on the cover fool you – this is a contemplative, deep novel that I highly recommend.  Trust me, you won’t know what hit you!

Title: The Glass Room
Author: Simon Mawer
ISBN: 9781590513965
Pages: 416
Release Date: October 20, 2009
Publisher: Other Press
Genre: Literary Fiction
Source: Publicist
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

It’s the 1920’s in Czechoslovakia, and Viktor and Liesel Landauer are newlyweds.  They want to build a beautiful home to raise their children in, a place they can call their own.  They meet with a famous architect who builds them an incredibly unique and striking home.  Ultra-modern, it’s made mostly of glass and has a pure onyx wall.  Viktor and Liesel settle down in their brand new house, thinking they are safe from the world, but they will be tested by infidelity, disloyalty, and the horrors of World War II.

Review:

The Glass Room isn’t about a room at all, but a house that manages to stand the test of time, the ravages of war and uncertainty of peace.  The story of the people who live in that house, from its glorious beginnings on, make up the meat of the novel, but it is the house itself that is its frame.  In that way, the Landauer house is actually its own character in the book, living, breathing and growing dynamically as it adapts to its change in circumstances.  It becomes something different for everyone who occupies it, molding itself to suit their needs and wishes.

This book is also about the contrast between darkness and light.  The Landauer house is made of glass, exposed for all to see, yet there is much darkness hidden within those who live and work in it.  The secrets of the glass house’s occupants dampen its brightness.  Additionally, the coming of World War II and all the despair it will bring casts a shadow over the house.  But through it all, the glass house remains, a beacon of light and hope in the darkest times.

Liesel Landauer is arguably the central character of the book (besides the house, of course), as much of The Glass Room is taken by her story.  She is a sharp, sensitive woman who is ahead of her time.  Along with her best friend Hana, she defies social conventions, living on her own terms.  Though she experiences plenty of sadness and tragedy in her life, Liesel is a strong, hopeful woman who never allows what is going on around her to dampen her spirits or mold her into what she is expected to be.

Though The Glass Room is set during the years surrounding World War II, it’s not your typical World War II novel.  It’s much more about the people, and how they get through each day, than the overarching events of the time.  Politics definitely plays a role in this book, especially since Viktor Landauer is Jewish, but it’s much more about how circumstances affect these individual characters and the house than about the war,

The Glass Room was a well-written novel that spans sixty years in the life of a house.  It’s a breathtaking work of fiction, and it’s completely understandable why it was shortlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize.  If you’re interested in symbolic novels that are heavily character-driven, I’d definitely pick this book up.

Title: The Last Ember
Author: Daniel Levin
ISBN: 9781594488726
Pages: 432
Release Date: August 6, 2009
Publisher: Riverhead
Genre: Historical Thriller
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Jonathan Marcus is an international lawyer at a top New York law firm, but he used to be a student of archaeology (specializing in ancient Roman history).  As a result, Jonathan is called to Rome in order to advise on the ancient Roman map of one of the firm’s clients.  What Jonathan doesn’t expect, however, is that this simple case will be the starting point of an exciting journey involving a beautiful old flame, the tunnels beneath the Colosseum, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and above all, a priceless artifact from Biblical times that has been lost to history…until now.

Review:

The Last Ember is a solid addition to the historical thriller genre, mixing a present day setting with intriguing history and a spectacular chase to the finish.  Levin is very good at keeping the pace quick in his novels.  He balances the need for historical background with the necessity of telling a story that moves relatively swiftly.  As a result, the reader’s curiosity is sated, without bogging the narrative down with unnecessary historical details.

Interestingly enough, Daniel Levin’s history is very comparable to his protagonist's:  he too practiced international law at a top New York City law firm.  His undergraduate degree was in Roman and Greek civilizations.  In some ways, this book can be seen as escapist fare for the author, and it shows in a good way.  The story is exciting, with unexpected twists and turns.

Daniel Levin’s writing isn’t the smoothest; it can get bogged down in places and is a little clunky.  However, this is an admirable debut novel.  The history is interesting, the main character is well-developed, and Levin doesn’t rely on too many historical thriller clichés to arrive at his ending.  It’s a fun novel that will keep readers intriged – I definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a thrilling read!

Title: When You Reach Me
Author: Rebecca Stead
ISBN: 9780385737425
Pages: 208
Release Date: July 14, 2009
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Genre: Teen/YA
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Miranda’s best friend is no longer speaking to her and she doesn’t know why.  All she knows is that it began when some random guy punched him for no reason when they were walking home from school.  What’s more, Miranda has started receiving mysterious notes from someone that seems to know more about her than they should, in some cases more than even she knows.  As Miranda starts reaching out to new friends, she learns a lot about herself in this sweet story.

Review:

I’m not much of a fan of middle grade fiction, which is fiction that usually features middle school age kids.  (YA usually has high school age characters).  The protagonists are often too young for me to sympathize with and I just don’t have a lot of interest in the genre.  However, I have heard amazing things about When You Reach Me, mostly on Twitter and through other bloggers’ reviews.  People rave about this book, and it made me curious enough to accept a review offer, just so I could see what the book was about.  I was surprised to find it was an impressive novel that is definitely worth reading for its creative story and appealing main character.

When You Reach Me is a very well-written novel.  Stead’s prose is spare, yet elegant and really draws the reader into the story.  The Madeleine L’Engle classic novel A Wrinkle in Time is heavily featured in this book.  In fact, I can’t say I’d recommend reading When You Reach Me if you aren’t at least familiar with this book.  Part of the reason I enjoyed it so much is because of the constant A Wrinkle in Time references, and the ingenious way that Stead weaves it into the story.  It’s an amazing thing she does which proves how talented of a writer Rebecca Stead is.

Miranda was a wonderfully drawn character that I enjoyed getting to know.  It’s really difficult to write believable children – often times, they are too precocious and complicated.  Stead does a wonderful job getting into the mind of a child, which made it a pleasure to read.

When You Reach Me is a sweet book with a wonderful mystery at its heart.  I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a quick light read, even if (like me) you usually don’t pick up books in this genre.  It’s a cute novel that’s worth reading for its well-developed characters and simple lessons about how to treat people and be a friend.  It’s a great book for children and adults alike!

Just a reminder – I’m going to be Nicole’s guest on That’s How I Blog tonight (Tuesday, 1/26/10) at 9 PM ET!  Please come by and say hi!!

Blog Talk Radio with Swapna from S. Krishna’s Books

Title: The Kingdom of Ohio
Author: Matthew Flaming
ISBN: 9780399155604
Pages: 336
Release Date: December 31, 2009
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

The year is 1901, and Peter Force has moved to New York City from Idaho, where he has managed to get a job digging the subway tunnels.  After work one day, a mysterious woman asks for Peter’s help.  That woman is named Cheri-Anne Toledo, and her strange and wondrous tale involves the scientific giants Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, financier J.P. Morgan, and the wonders and impossibilities of time travel.

Review:

The Kingdom of Ohio is a fascinating novel that is as intelligent as it is captivating.  Peter Force is a wonderful main character – determined and hardworking, he is an honest man who seeks an honest day’s wages.  When he meets Cheri-Anne Toledo, he is dumbfounded by her story and can’t bring himself to believe what she says is true.  However, he tries to help her because she is alone and needs someone to, if not believe her story, at least believe in her. 

Cheri-Anne, meanwhile, is the perfect tragic heroine.  She has lost so much, fallen so far, yet still has her dignity and her beauty.  Her mysterious quality makes her even more attractive to the reader – is she telling the truth, or merely delusional? 

The weaving together of The Kingdom of Ohio is absolutely flawless – there are so many characters, so many different storylines, and so much fact mixed with fiction.  It’s all seamlessly blended together to create an amazing and rich story.  Though this is Flaming’s debut novel, the artful quality of this book makes it seem like he’s a tried and true novelist.  He certainly has a lot of talent at putting together a quality story that will keep readers hooked.

There were many people from history included as characters in The Kingdom of Ohio, and it was simply fascinating to see them brought to life.  Nikola Tesla was one of my favorite characters – it was great to see a book that focused more on him, rather than his more-famous contemporary, Thomas Edison.  Indeed, Thomas Edison and J.P. Morgan are painted as somewhat villainous in this book, which is as amusing as it is clever.

The Kingdom of Ohio is another amazing book from Amy Einhorn Books, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.  My only piece of advice would be to not go into it with expectations of what it should be about.  This book defies all attempts to characterize it, whether it be assigning it a genre or trying to dissect its complicated storyline, and it is so much better if you go in not knowing what’s coming.  It’s a wonderful piece of fiction and I can’t wait to see what Matthew Flaming does next.

Two more challenges I’m joining…I think this is the last of them!

Amy Einhorn Challenge

Progress: 2/14

2009:

1. Bad Things Happen – Harry Dolen
2. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
3. The Kingdom of Ohio – Matthew Flaming
4. Life’s That Way: A Memoir – Jim Beaver
5. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People – Farahad Zama
6. Remedies – Kate Ledger
7. Ten Degrees of Reckoning – Hester Rumberg

1. The Book of Awesome - Neil Pasricha
2. The House of Tomorrow – Peter Bognanni
3. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott – Kelly O’Connor Nees
4. The Postmistress – Sarah Blake
5. This is Not the Story You Think It Is – Laura Munson
6. Where’s My Want? – Eric Poole
7. My Wife’s Affair – Nancy Woodruff

January 1 – December 31, 2010
Progress: 0/5

I’m joining at the Whole OATES level, which means I’m trying to read 5+ books.

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I had a lot going on this week, but I also had a great reading week!  My first day of classes was on Wednesday, and it looks like this semester is going to be a lot of work.  Additionally, I’ve started working on my thesis for school because I’m going to be finished with school at the end of the summer!  (Thankfully!!)

I feel like I’ve been doing a really good job with balance so far this year.  (I know, the year’s only three weeks old – but still!)  I’m reading when I feel like reading, but when I don’t, I watch TV or do some work.  I haven’t felt any pressure to read a lot, and I love that – as a result, I think I’m actually reading more!  Work at The Book Studio has been keeping me busy as well, and of course school is going to be pretty time consuming from this point on.

This Tuesday, January 26, I’m going to be Nicole’s guest on her That’s How I Blog show at 9 PM ET.  Please come listen in if you can make it!  Here’s is more information on it.

Books I’ve read this week:

Other reviews posted this week:

Title: Booked to Die
Author: John Dunning
Source: Library
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

I actually heard about Booked to Die from Allison Hoover Bartlett’s The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.  It’s about a cop named Cliff Janeway, who also happens to love rare books.  When a book scout, or someone who goes around to regular used bookstores looking for rare books to resell, is murdered, Janeway is on the case.  The mystery is very well-written and keeps the reader guessing through the course of the novel.  Additionally, there is a lot of information about rare books in Booked to Die, so it’s one that any book lover will definitely enjoy.  I’m really glad that this is the first in a series, because I can’t wait to read the rest of them!

Title: The Doomsday Key
Author: James Rollins
Source: Publisher
Genre: Historical Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Doomsday Key is the next novel in James Rollins’ Sigma Force series, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint!  The history is interesting and insightful, and as always, Rollins includes an author’s note at the end of the book that explains what is true and what isn’t.  Gray Pierce is always the appealing hero, and it’s nice to see old beloved characters.  Rollins makes sure to change up every novel to make sure nothing becomes stale.  This is a great series that I highly recommend!

Title: Pieces of the Heart
Author: Karen White
Source: Personal Copy
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Pieces of the Heart is a sweet women’s fiction tale.  It’s a classic story – a prickly, damaged (both physically and emotionally) woman goes home to recover, and while there faces ghosts from her past.  I have read most of Karen’s White’s books, and have a certain expectation when it comes to her works now.  I’m glad to say that, though Pieces of the Heart isn’t a mystery like many of White’s other books, it’s still well-written and satisfying.  White is wonderful at creating Southern atmosphere.  It’s a sweet (if predictable) story that I definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for some Southern charm.

Title: Death By The Book
Author: Lenny Bartulin
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3 out of 5

Death By The Book is a mystery set in Australia about a rare bookseller named Jack Susko.  The premise was intriguing and the mystery was interesting enough, but I just couldn’t get the main character.  Jack was abrasive and confrontational for absolutely no reason.  While his instincts were good, and he’ll likely make a great main character for a mystery series once he is better developed and more established, in this book I just didn’t get him, and therefore didn’t like him.