Well, this week was certainly a productive one in terms of reading.  I read a lot of great books and am really happy with the variety of genres I’ve been able to tackle!  Today is going to be a bookish day for me.  Rebecca from The Book Lady’s Blog is coming up to visit today, and we’re going to Busboys & Poets for lunch (a bookstore/restaurant) and then going to see Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress, at the bookstore Politics & Prose!  I won’t be around to Sunday Salon next weekend, but I’m hoping I can get a post up about the event before then.

I updated my South Asian Review Database this morning.  I added on new review links, plus included a section for books about South Asia or by South Asian authors that aren’t eligible for the South Asian Author Challenge, just in case people are curious.

I also joined the Reagan Arthur Books Challenge this week, something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time but just haven’t gotten around to until now.

Books I’ve read this week:

Other reviews posted this week:

Title: Fury: A Novel
Author: Salman Rushdie
ISBN: 9780679783503
Pages: 272
Release Date: September 4, 2001
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Literary Fiction
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Fury tells the story of Malik Solanka, a fifty-five year old professor-turned-inventor living in New York City.  He has left his wife, Eleanor, and their son in London without explanation – he only knew he had to get away from them as soon as possible.  This is a portrayal of New York City and American society that is at once honest and satirical.

Review:

Fury is a weird book.  There’s no getting around that.  It’s definitely a short novel for Rushdie, but it’s packed with strange occurrences and fantastical adventures.  That being said, it’s also a biting, sarcastic look at the excesses of late ‘90’s New York City – from the Elian Gonzales scandal to the Bush-Gore presidential election, Rushdie takes on and personifies the entire city of New York in this book.

The characters in Fury aren’t necessarily the best developed, but they are certainly intriguing.  From Malik Solanka, in the middle of a personal crisis and pursued by three beautiful and intelligent women, to Neela, the literary equivalent of Salman Rushdie’s then-wife, Padma Lakshmi (right down to the scar on her arm from a car accident), these are fascinating characters.  Though the reader never necessarily establishes an emotional connection with the people in the novel (likely a conscious decision on the author’s part), it’s still interested to see where they end up.

The main theme of Fury is the idea of love versus violence – how, while one can exist without the other, they are often inexplicably intertwined.  Love can often turn into violence.  There is fury everywhere, fury that becomes violence, but is tempered by love.

Rushdie’s writing, as always, is absolutely breathtaking in Fury.  I marked several passages, and it was difficult to determine which of these I wanted to share in my review.  I’ve always believed that Salman Rushdie’s novels are worth reading simply for his amazing ability to manipulate language, and this book is no exception.

“He had known from the first minute of this illicit liaison that he was playing with fire, that everything he had driven deep down within himself was being stirred, the seals were being broken one by one, and that the past, which had almost destroyed him once before, might yet be given a second chance to finish the job.” – page 135

“And these three young men, for whom love had become a question of violence and possession, of doing and being done to, had gone to the frontier between love and death, and their fury had worn it away, the fury they could not articulate, born of what they, who had so much, had never been able to acquire:  lessness, ordinariness.  Real life.” – page 202

I know that Fury is not even close to one of Salman Rushdie’s most popular works, but I still enjoyed reading it.  There’s a very good reason that he’s my favorite author – Rushdie is a master at creating beautifully written novels that really make the reader contemplate their themes.

Title: The Cougar Club: A Novel
Author: Susan McBride
ISBN: 9780061771262
Pages: 336
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Publisher: Avon A
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Kat, Carla, and Elise are all old high school buddies who are now in their mid-40’s.  When Kat loses her job in New York City, she flees back home to St. Louis, where she reconnects with these old childhood friends.  Together, they laugh, live, love, and learn what it is to be a “cougar.”

Review:

The Cougar Club is a fun women’s fiction novel about three women who experience their own versions of midlife crises.  Though they are “Cougars” – older women who date younger men – this book isn’t about that, despite the title.  Instead, each of these women has to come to terms with herself and her situation (whether it bea relationship or job – or both) as the three reconnect and begin to depend on one another.

All three of these women were well-written, though Kat and Carla were more well-developed than Elise (presumably because they had more going on, story-wise).  Kat has to figure out what she wants out of her life – once she loses her old job in advertising, she realizes that it didn’t fulfill her.  Luckily, she doesn’t have to worry about money, which really gives her the freedom to explore what she wants to do next.

Carla is a little more complicated.  She is a driven, capable woman who has stepped on many toes to get to where she is now.  When her position is threatened, she basically prepares for war.  She’s a hard woman, but definitely not unlikeable.  McBride did a great job balancing nerves of steel with an easygoing, friendly personality.

The Cougar Club is really driven by its characters, and Carla, Kat, and Elise are definitely women you want to get to know.  It’s a fun, light read that is perfect for a quiet afternoon!  I definitely recommend it to any fans of women’s fiction

Title: The Thistle and the Rose: The Tudor Princesses Author: Jean Plaidy
ISBN: 9780609810224
Pages: 320
Release Date: June 1973
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Princess Margaret Tudor is the daughter of Henry VII and sister to the future Henry VIII.  When she is twelve years old, she is married to King James IV of Scotland, a man that is sixteen years older than her.  Margaret is thrilled with her marriage until she discovers James’ weakness – beautiful women.  As Margaret fights for love and fidelity, she meets with tragedy and unhappiness, but her legacy will affect the future of Scotland and England.

Review:

As I’ve been reading about the Tudors, I’ve become curious about Princess Margaret, the elder daughter of Henry VII.  After all, I’ve read plenty about all the other Tudor children, but haven’t found anything on her.  Therefore, I was thrilled to find a copy of The Thistle and the Rose sitting on my shelf, abandoned for years.  I dusted it off and devoured the story Jean Plaidy had to tell about Margaret Tudor.

One thing that struck me about Margaret was how vulnerable and insecure she was.  She was Queen of Scotland and sister to the King of England, yet inside she was a little girl who just wanted to be loved.  She was betrayed again and again by the men she loved, and it’s easy to argue she gave her heart away much too easily.  As a result, she was ruled by her passions, rather than her common sense.  It’s easy to peg her as a Tudor, as one of the largest scandals in English history arose because of a Tudor’s passion (King Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn), yet she doesn’t seem to have the intelligence or quick wit that goes along with it.

Margaret was not an easy character to like in The Thistle and the Rose.  That’s no fault of Plaidy’s – the character was well-written and easy to imagine.  Margaret is simply impetuous and does everything for the sake of the men she loves, without considering the consequences.  Every political decision she makes seems to be due to capturing or keeping the love of a man.  As a result, the reader tends to pity her through the novel – she is desperate for faithful and true love.

I’m not sure how historically accurate The Thistle and the Rose was, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable book.  Though I wasn’t a fan of Margaret’s character, that didn’t dampen my enjoyment of learning about how she fit into the grand scheme of things.  I’ll definitely be picking up more of Plaidy’s books in the future!

I’ve actually been unofficially participating in this challenge since it was announced, but for some reason, I was loathe to write up yet another challenge entry post!  Yet I finally sat down and decided I really needed to actually commit to this challenge, so here it is.

This is a perpetual challenge, and I’m not required to read all of the books – just the ones that interest me.  I’ve already read a few, and am interested in a few others!

For more information on the Reagan Arthur Books Challenge, visit the site here.

Title: Brava, Valentine: A Novel
Author: Adriana Trigiani
ISBN: 9780061257070
Pages: 352
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Ficion
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

In this sequel to Very Valentine, Valentine Roncalli is forced to face the future of the Angelini Shoe Company  without her trusted grandmother.  She continues on her quest to save the family shoe company, and learns something about love, life, and family along the way.

Review:

I read Adriana Trigiani’s Very Valentine not too long ago and enjoyed it, so I was very eager to read the sequel, Brava, Valentine.  Through Trigiani does a solid job catching up readers unfamiliar with the first novel, I think it’s necessary to read these books in order.  While you may follow the story, you will miss out on a wonderful book, as well as be unable to appreciate Valentine’s wonderful character development in this novel.

Valentine’s growth was the aspect of Brava, Valentine that I enjoyed the most.  Being forced to deal with the Angelini Shoe Company on her own, without her grandmother to fall back on, as well as working with her irascible brother Alfred, really made Valentine grow up.  That’s not to say she was childish or anything like that, but she just didn’t have a lot of responsibility on her shoulders.  She wears that responsibility very well in this novel.  Her personal, professional, and emotional development are worth reading this book for, but there’s so much more delight to be found in it as well!

I also loved that more of the minor characters were fleshed out in Brava, Valentine.  Since Trigiani didn’t have to spend time establishing characters, she was able to develop them and insinuate them into the readers’ mind.  The motives of characters that were infuriating in the first novel, such as Alfred, come to light as the reader begins to understand and appreciate more about the complicated history of this family.  It’s also nice that none of these characters are perfect.  They all have their flaws, yet they are very lovable.

Brava, Valentine was a wonderful book that really was a joy to read.  I can only hope that Trigiani continues with this series, as I don’t want to say goodbye to Valentine and her family and friends!

Title: Marriage and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoir
Author: Kate Braestrup
ISBN: 9780316031912
Pages: 224
Release Date: January 13, 2010
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Kate Braestrup is an ordained Unitarian minister, and in her second memoir, she shares some of her thoughts on marriage, love, and God, and how the three are interconnected.

Review:

I have to admit, when I first picked up Marriage and Other Acts of Charity, I was a little nervous.  After all, it is written by a minister (I didn’t know she was Unitarian until I actually started reading the book) and I don’t handle preaching in books very well.  Still, it looked like it might be an interesting perspective on marriage, so I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did.  Braestrup is funny, wise, and honest, but never preachy about her beliefs or values.

Though Braestrup’s beliefs are heavily rooted in the Christian tradition and she refers to the Bible often, this is not a “Christian” book.  Instead, it’s a look at love and its importance in daily life.  Braestrup details her early life and relationships, and trust me, she is not always perfect.  This isn’t a book about a woman who lords her flawless life over the reader.  Instead, Braestrup commiserates with the reader, saying “I know this is hard, but love is important.”

I also found Braestrup’s experiences as a warden chaplain to be fascinating.  She is the one called to the site of disasters and accidents in order to give comfort to those involved, as well as those left behind.  I would have loved more information about these experiences.  I’m planning on picking up Braestrup’s first memoir Here If You Need Me, which has more about this part of her life.

Marriage and Other Acts of Charity is a slip of a book, but it’s one worth reading.  It’s a quiet, calming memoir that will have you reflecting on your life and what is most important to you.  I also love her definition of God in the novel, as well as how she comes to it.  It’s an inspiring and hopeful book that will leave the reader with a sense of calm after its last pages are turned.

Title: Kitchen Chinese: A Novel About Food, Family, and Finding Yourself
Author: Ann Mah
ISBN: 9780061771279
Pages: 368
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Publisher: Avon A
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Multicultural Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Isabelle Lee has just lost her job as a fact checker at a magazine in New York and has no idea what her next move is going to be.  Desperate, she decides to move to Beijing and live with her sister while she figures things out, and is hopeful that she’ll be able to land another job in the magazine world – something that will be complicated by the fact that Isabelle barely knows Mandarin.  Isabelle’s move to Beijing starts out as an escape, but ends up being the adventure of a lifetime in which she beings to understand herself and her complicated sister, Claire.

Review:

Kitchen Chinese is a terrific novel about one woman’s journey in order to find herself.  Isabelle is very confused at the beginning of this book.  She knows what she wants out of her life, but isn’t brave enough to go after it.  Her low self confidence means that her career is going nowhere and she’s in a dead-end relationship.  Losing her job forces her to take a drastic step, pushing her out of her comfort zone.

Isabelle and Claire’s relationship is very interesting.  Six years apart, they’ve never been close.  Since Claire’s move to Beijing, they’ve barely spoken.  Still, Claire opens her home to Isabelle when she asks to come stay.  But when Isabelle arrives and sees her sister, she realizes how little she knows her.  Their nonexistent relationship evolves beautifully over the course of the novel, as they begin to trust and confide in one another.

The cultural elements of Kitchen Chinese are absolutely wonderful.  The mouth-watering description of Chinese food is enough to make you want to call your local Chinese restaurant and order take-out, though sadly it won’t compare to the amazing things that Isabelle gets to eat.  The juxtaposition of American and Chinese culture in this novel is really interesting – Isabelle is American, though she looks Chinese on the outside.  People in China don’t understand that she can have a Chinese heritage but still consider herself American.

Kitchen Chinese was a charming novel that I highly recommend, whether you’re interested in Chinese culture or wonderful women’s fiction novels.  This is one of those books that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.  I simply can’t wait to see what Ann Mah does next!

Title: The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space
Author: Eugene Cernan and Don Davis
ISBN: 9780312263515
Pages: 368
Release Date: March 15, 1999
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, History
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Astronaut Eugene (“Gene”) Cernan was the commander of Apollo 17, the last mission of the Apollo program.  In this memoir, the “last man on the moon” discusses his career with NASA and gives the reader a behind the scenes look at the Gemini and Apollo programs.

Review:

I love reading about the American space program, so picking up Gene Cernan’s memoir was a no-brainer for me.  I’d heard from multiple people that it’s one of the best astronaut memoirs out there, and after reading it, I definitely have to agree.  Cernan’s book is exciting, insightful, and fun to read.

One of the things that struck me about The Last Man on the Moon was the fact that it wasn’t dry at all.  Often, astronaut memoirs can be a bit difficult to read because, let’s face it, while they are heroes, they aren’t necessarily great writers!  The collaboration between Cernan and Davis, though, was incredibly readable.  There was a wonderful balance between personal information and NASA details.  Cernan also did a great job covering all the important points of the Apollo program, from the fire of Apollo 1 to the first moon landing.

One thing I really appreciated about The Last Man on the Moon was Cernan’s focus on the astronaut wives.  Being an astronaut in the Apollo era was a glorious profession, but there hasn’t been a lot of focus on the women who were left behind, watching their husbands journey to the moon.  Cernan spends a lot of time discussing the difficulties the wives had, from dealing with their husbands’ deaths to putting on a brave face for the press when they were scared to death.  Cernan’s respect for the wives really comes through in this book, and makes it really unique.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Man on the Moon and am glad that I picked it up.  It’s an absolute must for any NASA/space buff, but I also think it would be a great book for those with just a passing interest in the subject.  I only hope that it doesn’t set the bar too high for the multitude of unread astronaut memoirs/biographies sitting on my shelves!

This week was a pretty busy week, between work and school!  I got a decent amount of reading done, and managed to reread my favorite children’s book series The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper.  I used to reread these once a year, and haven’t for the last three years.  I really enjoyed the experience and am going to try to start reading them every year again!

I installed a new commenting system on my blog, and I’m really liking it.  It gives me a lot more options and flexibility with comments.  There are still a few kinks to work out (for example, on the main page, there’s no longer a comment count per post – I had to remove it because it wasn’t updating), but I think this is going to work very well!

I also wrote a summary/discussion of LOST’s latest episode, The Substitute.

Books I’ve read this week:

Other reviews posted this week:

Title: Atlas of Unknowns
Author: Tania James
ISBN: 9780307268907
Pages: 336
Release Date: April 21, 2009
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction
Source: Curled Up With a Good Book
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Teenagers Linno and Anju Vallara are sisters living in Kumarakom in Kerala, India.  A childhood accident has left the elder Linno with only one hand.  She finds her solace in artwork and is a talented painter, becoming more and more recognized around the city for her designs.  Anju, on the other hand, is devoted to school and is at the top of her class. 

A slot in a top New York City high school opens up as part of an exchange program, and Anju is desperate for the chance to go to an American high school.  However, during the interview, she makes an impulsive decision that, while securing her the position, will haunt her.

Review:

I was lucky enough to meet Tania James at the Washington, DC South Asian Literary Festival in November 2009.  I already had her book to read at the time, but hadn’t had a chance to pick it up yet.  Her reading from the book and answers to questions posed by a moderator and the audience piqued my curiosity even more, so I resolved to come home and read it as soon as I got a chance.  Of course, it took a few months, but I’m glad I took the time to read this book – it’s everything I thought it would be and more.

Atlas of Unknowns is a beautifully written story about two sisters living a world apart.  Anju is unsure of herself, despite the fact that she has proven herself academically.  Her insecurity makes her selfish, a believable teenager trying to find her place in the world.  She isn’t sure where she fits, and is unable to figure out how to carve herself a niche in a world she doesn’t understand.

Linno, on the other hand, is much more secure.  Because of the fact she only has one hand and doesn’t try hard in school, she assumes that her life will be dull.  She is completely willing to step aside for her younger sister and let herself be overshadowed because she doesn’t think she deserves anything better than what she has.  When the opportunity for advancement and a better life presents itself, Linno hardly knows what to think.  For so long, she trained herself to never hope and never aspire so she wouldn’t be disappointed.  It’s very gratifying to see her succeed.

At its core, Atlas of Unknowns is about how we fit into the world, and how our families help us with that task.  Anju and Linno both forge ahead on their own, but they aren’t complete without those ties to the past, without understanding where they came from and how they came to be.  They also need each other to really understand their own identities.  It’s a beautiful tribute to the power of sisters.

Though this is her debut novel, Tania James’ writing is confident and beautiful.  It’s hard to believe that this is her first novel because she she writes each word so deftly and poetically.  Her writing makes this book a joy to read.

Atlas of Unknowns was an incredible book that I highly recommend if you are interested in multicultural fiction or immigration stories.  The Vallara girls’ search for identity is a wonderful story and I simply cannot wait for James’ next novel.

I’ve installed a new commenting system called Intense Debate on my blog (thank you to Beth Fish Reads for introducing it to me!).  I’m hoping that this will help a lot in cutting down comment spam, which has gotten out of control.  It’s only going to be on posts going forward, so if you comment on any old posts, you’ll still be using the old system.  I’m also going to continue moderating old posts because that’s where a lot of the spam comes in!

If you have any problems with the new commenting system, please leave a comment, or if the problem is that it won’t let you leave a comment, please email me and let me know!

Title: All Unquiet Things
Author: Anna Jarzab
ISBN: 9780385738354
Pages: 352
Release Date: January 12, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Genre: Teen/YA, Mystery
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Neily and Audrey are outcasts at their school due to their association with Carly, a beautiful girl who got into the “in” crowd over her head and ended up murdered.  Niely was Carly’s ex-boyfriend, and many suspect that he killed her in a jealous rage because she’d left him a few months previously for someone else.  Audrey is Carly’s cousin, and her father is in jail, accused of Carly’s murder.  However, both Audrey and Niely know that the situation isn’t what it seems, and that Carly’s murderer is still out there.  Brought together by someone they both loved, they begin to investigate Carly’s murder.

Review:

All Unquiet Things is at once an amazing murder mystery and an excellently written YA novel.  The two main characters, Niely and Audrey are very convincingly written; Jarzab did an excellent job getting into the minds of these two teens.  Niely is broken up about Carly’s death and hasn’t been able to come to terms with it.  On one hand, he loved her with all his heart – she brought him out of his shell and made him feel like he was someone.  But he’s still angry with her for the way she treated him, and for the fact that she’s gone and they can never have a future together.  He’s a complicated kid, but is never overwrought by teenage angst.  He has his moments, but is able to reign in his anger and frustration in order to focus on the mystery of Carly’s killer.  He’s completely believable, yet not difficult or annoying to read about.

Audrey was a wonderful character as well, and even more messed up than Niely – after all, her father was convicted of killing her best friend and cousin.  Like Niely, Audrey puts aside her personal feelings in order to get some answers, but she can’t help but think about her ex-boyfriend, Cass.  Despite the fact that he abandoned her when things got tough, she still loves him.

The mystery in All Unquiet Things was really well done.  I can say for certain that it did not go the way I expected.  It kept me hooked from beginning to end, through twists and turns.  I loved the way it was written and how I couldn’t put it down until I got to the ending.

All Unquiet Things is a book I recommend for both mystery lovers and YA readers.  The mystery is well-done, the characters are compelling, and the story is excellent.  This is one I can’t praise highly enough.

Title: Once In a Lifetime
Author: Cathy Kelly
ISBN: 9781416586258
Pages: 416
Release Date: January 5, 2010
Publisher: Downtown Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary:

Once in a Lifetime focuses on Kenny’s Department Store in the small town of Ardagh in Ireland.  There’s David Kenny, owner of the store who has secrets he can’t share with anyone, and his famous wife Ingrid, a TV reporter.  Charlie is the daughter of the once-famous feminist Kitty, and has never been able to find approval from her mother, while Natalie’s mother died when she was just a baby.  These characters, along with many others, make up the cast of Once in a Lifetime.

Review:

After reading and enjoying Just Between Us by Cathy Kelly, I was eager to give another of her books a try, so I was thrilled when I received Once in a Lifetime for review.  It seemed like there were a lot of characters in this book, and as a result, many heartwarming stories to be told.

My favorite character in Once in a Lifetime was Ingrid.  She has so much thrown at her during the course of this novel, so many unexpected occurrences and so many unwanted discoveries, and yet she remains strong and resolute through the novel.  Even when she falls apart, she finds the courage to pick up the pieces and put herself back together.  Additionally, the fact that she is a smart, successful woman who has managed to stay on TV despite her age is another reason to love Ingrid.  Though she sometimes comes across as cold, she’s a well-written and engaging character.

Unfortunately, that can’t be said for all the characters in the novel.  Since Ingrid is arguably the main character, the reader spends a lot of time with her and gets to know her well.  It’s really difficult with many of the other characters because there are just way too many people in this book.  It’s difficult to keep track of who’s who, and sometimes the narrator shifts in the middle of a chapter without much of a warning.  Additionally, Kelly sometimes utilizes flashbacks which only serve to muddle the story more – it would have been much more effective if she had chosen to simply have another character deliver the information.  It makes the novel difficult to follow and makes it hard to invest in any of the characters.

Still, Once in a Lifetime is an interesting novel that tackles a lot of deep issues – death, alcoholism, and infidelity to just name a few.  Though the situation with the characters is difficult, the ones that are well-developed are endearing and easy to love.  If you’re new to Cathy Kelly, I’d definitely start with another one of her books, but if you’re a fan, Once in a Lifetime might satisfy you.

Title: Keeping the Feast: One Couple's Story of Love, Food, and Healing in Italy
Author: Paula Butturini
ISBN: 9781594488979
Pages: 272
Release Date: February 18, 2010
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Paula and John were a couple very much in love, but just a month after their wedding, the unthinkable happened.  John, who at the time was the Bureau Chief for the New York Times in Warsaw, Poland, was shot in Romania.  The book chronicles John’s struggle with depression after the shooting, and the couple’s attempts to heal through love, and most of all, though food.

Review:

I love “foodie” memoirs.  I love vivid descriptions of food in books, the kind that make your mouth water and make you want to go to the kitchen and whip up something delicious (preferably, whatever it is that’s being described in the book!)  Funnily enough, though, it’s not sweets that really get me.  While I enjoy dessert, my true love is pastas and breads.  I could eat pasta every night of the week (and warm up the leftovers for lunch), so I love reading books that involve Italian food.  Keeping the Feast seemed like the perfect book for me, as the author and her husband go to Italy and use the food to try and heal their emotional wounds.

And oh, what descriptions they are!  From Butturini’s discussion of the local markets she visits in Rome to her descriptions of pasta, polenta, and more, this book made me woozy with hunger.  I craved pasta after reading this book; her descriptions are warm and inviting, with just the right amount of detail to really whet the reader’s appetite.

The parts of the book that deal with John’s depression were a little more difficult for me.  I imagine if you’ve grappled with serious, unshakeable depression or you have lived with someone who has, you will really identify with these parts of the memoir.  The author shows amazing strength and courage during these parts of Keeping the Feast – I wouldn’t have blamed her for giving up.  But she never did, and was an unwavering support for her husband through his troubled times.  Though these parts weren’t as intriguing for me, they were still well-written and tugged on my emotions.

Keeping the Feast was an interesting memoir that I’m glad I read.  Butturini’s clean prose makes this book easy to read and enjoyable.  I recommend this book if you’re enamored of Italian food and have some sort of interest in or personal experience with depression.

Title: Rich Again
Author: Anna Maxted
ISBN: 9780312570286
Pages: 464
Release Date: December 22, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:

Rich Again is the tale of the fabulously wealthy Kent family.  There’s Jack and Innocence, who loathe each other completely.  Emily, their daughter, is used to her life of luxury and acts older than her years.  Claudia, Jack’s adopted daughter from his first marriage, is the only “normal” member of the family, trying to make it as a journalist in New York City.  This is story of this family, and the person who tries to bring them down.

Review:

I have to preface this review with the statement that this book was not what I expected in any way, shape, or form.  I’ve read most of Anna Maxted’s previous works and have enjoyed them.  They are all fun, lively chick lit novels with well-written characters.  While they’re mostly on the longer side, they have great plots and are enjoyable to read. 

Rich Again was completely different than any of Maxted’s previous works.  It’s a sordid tale of a filthy rich family.  There is sex and gossip galore, complete with infidelity, tabloids, and a psychotic killer who is hell bent on the Kent family’s destruction.  I probably would have enjoyed this novel more if I had realized what it was about.  However, I’m not the biggest fan of reading about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, especially when almost every character in the novel isn’t likeable.

Claudia really is the only character that the reader can even imagine liking in Rich Again.  Innocence is cruel and unfeeling, and only interested in her own advancement.  Her treatment of others in this book is atrocious – she’s not someone you love to hate, someone that’s deliciously evil.  She’s simply someone you hate.  Emily is despicable because she is so ridiculously spoiled.  At the beginning of the book, she spends 900,000 pounds on a party for her friends – and she’s only thirteen years old.  It’s completely horrible.

At the same time, I could have put Rich Again down at any time, but I didn’t.  I wanted to find out what happened to all these characters, whether Emily actually became a decent person, whether Innocence got what was coming to her, or whether Claudia actually found happiness.  In the end (which took a long time to come – this is a book that is definitely much longer than it needs to be), I admit that I wish I had put it down.  While it was nice to find out what happened, it still wasn’t worth the time I put into this novel.

Suffice it to say, while I definitely recommend Anna Maxted’s other novels, this one fell completely flat for me.  I wish I had some warning about how different it was – after all, even the summary on the back of the book still makes it seem like a chick lit novel.  If your guilty pleasure is sordid tales of the fabulously wealthy, this would probably be right up your alley, but otherwise definitely steer clear of this one.

So, another episode of LOST has come and gone!  I think this was a good one, though I was impatient while I was watching it.  I really wanted answers on Claire and am dying for the Jin and Sun reunion, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have while I was actually watching it.  Upon reflecting, though, it was a solid episode.

First, what was up with that cave that “Locke” took Sawyer into?  Is that where Jacob’s lists came from?  The names were assigned to THE numbers – 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 – and I believe it was Jack, Sawyer, Jin/Sun, Hurley, Locke (now crossed off) and Sayid that weren’t crossed out.  These were all people who had some sort of contact with Jacob off-island.  However, what struck me was the fact that Kate wasn’t on the list, though she did have contact with Jacob.  While it’s comforting that Jacob apparently finds Kate as irritating as I do, I wonder why she isn’t considered a candidate for his replacement.

Speaking of “candidate,” now we know what they were talking about regarding Frank Lapidus, when they asked if he was a candidate.  And we also know (though it was long suspected) that there was a design in bringing all these particular people to the Island.

The flash sideways with Locke was interesting.  It was neat to see how he met Hurley and Rose, and I was really glad he was still with Helen.  Her comment about his father made me wonder if there was another reason Locke was in the wheelchair, and if he actually had a good relationship with his father.  I also liked seeing Locke come to terms with his disability.  I wonder what role Ben will play in his life.

So it looks like “Locke” has managed to recruit Sawyer, even though he failed with Richard.  The question is why does he need to recruit people?  And how is he going to get off the Island?

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but that’s all I have for now.  What do you guys think??

EDIT: Normally, I don't go back and edit these posts, even if I forgot something big, but when I woke up this morning, I realized I didn't talk about the little blond boy! Who is he? Does the fact that Sawyer could see him mean that he's a strong candidate? My husband thought it might be a young Jacob, but he talked about Jacob in the third person. And why is "Locke" now stuck in that one form according to Ilana, though he can clearly still change into the smoke monster?

Title: One Amazing Thing
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
ISBN: 9781401340995
Pages: 240
Release Date: February 2, 2010
Publisher: Voice
Genre: Multicultural Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

A group of people are an Indian passport and visa office in a city in the United States when there is an earthquake.  Nine very different people are trapped inside the building.  Unable to leave or get help, they must rely on one another for survival.  Trying to pass the time, they each tell a story about themselves in order to reveal one amazing thing that has happened to them.

Review:

One Amazing Thing is a simple tale, a tribute to the different people that each of us are.  There are nine characters in this book, nine stories to be told.  Each is a unique story with it own lesson, but Divakaruni never hits the reader over the head with each moral.  Instead, she subtly weaves them into her overall tale, conveying her messages beautifully and with grace.

This book deals with a lot of heavy issues, from racism to forced marriage (and many problems in between) but in a very deft way.  Divakaruni never weighs down the story with tears or depression.  Instead, each of these tales serves a healing purpose.  Both the teller and the listeners are changed by the stories, softened and more understanding.  It’s a real testament to the power of stories.

One Amazing Thing is a slip of a book and it would be a real ordeal for the reader to get to know each of these nine characters intimately.  Instead, Divakaruni provides glimpses into each character’s life; the point isn’t to get to know these characters as much as it is to understand them and their motivations. 

The best part about One Amazing Thing is each character’s story.  They aren’t earth shatteringly dramatic stories.  Instead, they’re simple tales, characteristic of real life.  In that way, they’re very personal.  I loved reading each of these stories because they revealed something very private about the storyteller. 

One Amazing Thing was a very enjoyable novel that I definitely recommend.  At its core is the humanity that each of us share, humanity that comes across through the story that each person tells.  It’s a short novel and doesn’t take long to read, but it will leave you thinking long after the last pages are turned.

Title: The Wife's Tale: A Novel
Author: Lori Lansens
ISBN: 9780316069311
Pages: 368
Release Date: February 10, 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Mary is completely set in her ways living in her small town in Canada with her husband, Gooch.  Insecure about herself, she finds her comfort in food and is morbidly obese.  However, she can’t stop eating.  Everything changes, though, when Gooch doesn’t come home one night.  Shocked and worried, Mary isn’t sure if she’s been abandoned or if her beloved husband has met with tragedy.  The answer inspires Mary to go on a journey where she rediscovers herself and what she is really capable of.

Review:

The Wife’s Tale is an unpredictable and tumultuous journey that the reader will really get involved in.  Mary is an incredibly written character.  Lansens really gets the reader into the mind of this obese woman.  She makes Mary’s overeating sympathetic rather than repulsive.  Mary is insecure because she’s overweight, and she keeps gaining weight because of the way she eats, a mechanism to cope with her insecurity.  It’s very sad without being pathetic.  While the reader never feels pity for Mary, they certainly empathize with her feelings.

Mary’s journey is an inspirational one, considering at the beginning of the novel she had never been on a plane.  Her refusal to travel is another symptom of her insecurity – she is afraid people will laugh at her because she is overweight.  As a result, she sticks close to home, not taking chances.  It makes her trip all the more extraordinary and hopeful.

One thing I appreciated about The Wife’s Tale is the fact that there wasn’t a “magic” story – Mary is morbidly obese when the novel starts.  No amount of depression, grief, or sadness is going to turn her into a size 0 by the end of the novel, unless the novel takes place over months or years (which it doesn’t).  It is frustrating to read novels where the overweight main character magically melts off all their weight just because they make certain realizations about themselves.  Mary is much more realistic.  While she does definitely lose weight, there’s nothing magical about it. 

The twists and turns that The Wife’s Tale takes are unexpected, yet very welcome.  This isn’t your typical women’s fiction novel, with the expected happy ending.  This novel is much more about reality, and also more about Mary coming to terms with and accepting herself, rather than about a marriage or a relationship.  That being said, I’m still processing the ending and, while I’m not sure I loved it, it certainly was a welcome change of pace.

The Wife’s Tale was a great women’s fiction novel, even for those who don’t usually enjoy the genre.  Lansens’ writing is beautiful and Mary’s journey is a difficult one.  At the end, though, it leaves the reader feeling hopeful and bright about the future.  It’s a light novel with some deep realizations; I definitely recommend it!

Title: Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace Author: Kate Emerson
ISBN: 9781416583202
Pages: 400
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Publisher: Pocket
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Jane Popyncourt is just eight years old when her mother and her flee to England from France with little explanation.  King Henry VII grants them a place at court, and Jane grows up with the royal children:  a young Henry VIII, and the princesses Mary and Margaret.  However, once Jane grows older, she begins to wonder why her mother was so desperate to leave France and begins to inquire into her origins.

Review:

I’ve read a lot of historical fiction and most of it centers on the Tudor court.  However, I really appreciated Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace because it focused on a Tudor I haven’t read a lot about:  King Henry VII.  Though much of it does take place during the reign of Henry VIII, it is before the Anne Boleyn scandal, so it’s a fresh look at a period of history that isn’t really covered a lot.

I also enjoyed the character of Jane Popyncourt.  She was smart, driven, and very independent.  Though she’s probably too headstrong to be a believable 15th - 16th century character, she makes a very appealing heroine for a book.  Additionally, it was wonderful to read about a very minor character in the Tudor court, instead of one of the royals.  Of course, they play parts in this novel, but the book is about Jane.  Many books such as this use a minor character in order to tell a major persona’s story, but this book was different in a great way.

The driving force of Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace is Jane’s mystery about why she and her mother left England, and it’s a satisfying tale.  Emerson does a great job prolonging the discovery without making the novel seem to long.  The other aspects of Jane’s life fill in the time nicely while the reader is anticipating learning more about her history.

This is a really fun novel that fans of historical fiction will definitely enjoy.  It’s a quick read, and though Emerson fills in a lot of historical details from her imagination, it should satisfy fans of the genre!