The Sunday Salon - July 31, 2011

Travelling takes a lot out of a person. Travelling for business, combined with a four-day training session is just outright exhausting. It is going to take me weeks to comprehend everything I learned, but at least I have the weekend to recover physically. There were lots of naps this weekend already, and it is only half over! Mmmm...naps.

It's the last day of the month, which means tomorrow starts Read My Own Books Month!!! Have you signed up yet? Sign-ups will still be available throughout the month, so please join me for a fun month of non-review books, prizes and more.

Speaking of books, did you catch my reviews from this week?

• Men, Women & Children by Chad Kultgen
• The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson
• Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
• The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock
• Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Thanks to team-building dinners and having to work remotely after training sessions, I wasn't able to read as much as I wanted to read this week. I was only able to finish the following:

• In Search of the Rose Notes by Emily Arsenault
• Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey
• Next to Love by Ellen Feldman
• By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

I have one more review book to finish today before I start those books that are just calling to me. I cannot wait!! Happy Sunday and happy reading!

REVIEW - Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Title: Wildefire

Author: Karsten Knight

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm."

Thoughts: Wildefire is a new entry into the young adult paranormal genre, and a welcome entry it is. As a refreshing change from vampires, werewolves, fairies, and other otherworldly creatures, Mr. Knight introduces her readers to gods and goddesses. The added bonus is that they are not from one mythology but cross all mythologies - from Norse to Polynesian to Egyptian and so many more. This in itself is extremely fascinating and deserves more attention than it received.

That is not to say that the rest of the novel outside of the gods and goddesses is poor. Rather, Mr. Knight keeps the reader's interest through Ash and the blurring of the lines between good and bad. Ash is one strong female. She is not perfect; in fact, she has one nasty temper. Yet, her struggles to control her temper and separate herself from her sister is endearing, not that endearing is a term one could use to describe Ash. Rather, her flaws make her more sympathetic, in spite of her prickly exterior.

The story itself felt much like a stand-alone novel, even though it is not. In fact, it is not until the end of the novel where the reader realizes that there are still many outstanding questions. The questions left unanswered are intriguing and pique the reader's interest in future stories, while Wildefire's main storyline ends in a fairly satisfactory way, without the huge, jarring cliffhanger that is so typical in series.

Wildefire is not without its flaws. I, for one, wish there was more explanations regarding the various gods and goddesses mentioned, so that the reader had a better understanding of what their stories, and powers, entail. Still, it is a satisfying addition to YA. Gone are the angsty, somewhat week female heroine and the mysterious, brooding gorgeous love interest. Instead, we are given Ash, a heroine who does not need a man to complete her and who has enough spark and verve to be never be considered angst-ridden. Wildefire is sure to delight fans of paranormal YA, both young and old.

Thank you to Lucille Rettino of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for my review copy!

 

REVIEW - The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock

Title: The Book of Lies

Author: Mary Horlock

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Life on the tiny island of Guernsey has just become a whole lot harder for fifteen-year-old Cat Rozier. She’s gone from model pupil to murderer, but she swears it’s not her fault. Apparently it’s all the fault of history.
A new arrival at Cat’s high school in 1984, the beautiful and instantly popular Nicolette inexplicably takes Cat under her wing. The two become inseparable—going to parties together, checking out boys, and drinking whatever liquor they can shoplift. But a perceived betrayal sends them spinning apart, and Nic responds with cruel, over-the-top retribution.

Cat’s recently deceased father, Emile, dedicated his adult life to uncovering the truth about the Nazi occupation of Guernsey—from Churchill’s abandonment of the island to the stories of those who resisted—in hopes of repairing the reputation of his older brother, Charlie. Through Emile’s letters and Charlie’s words—recorded on tapes before his own death— a “confession” takes shape, revealing the secrets deeply woven into the fabric of the island . . . and into the Rozier family story."

Thoughts: Lies are all around us. White lies, lies of omission, lies of ignorance, and the more egregious deliberate whoppers. Because of their prevalence, one is left to wonder, just what is truth? Is it indeed subjective or is it more concrete? Can one ever truly differentiate between lies and the truth? Does it mean the same thing to each person? The Book of Lies explores truth more flexible edges, that which allows one to blur the line between truth and fiction until the truth in its pure form is lost forever.

Another novel taking place of the island of Guernsey, The Book of Lies focuses on the aftermath of its occupation and how it affected survivors for generations. How has history portrayed Guernsey's compliance with the Nazis who inhabited the island for three years? Alongside this exploration between fact and fiction about island events during World War II is the story of Cat, a teen who is trying to find her way among the scrutiny of island living after the death of her father. Flipping back and forth between Cat's story and that of her father's brother, who is unburdening himself of the truth of his experiences during the war, the two stories merge in unusual and unexpected ways. While the switch between teen angst and the more mature, and in my opinion valid, anguish over past actions and their consequences can be jarring at times, one story does flow into the other, all the while highlighting the theme.

Ms. Horlock shines in her characterization. Cat is not the most likable of characters. She is a drama queen, who influences her own sense of flair and dramatics to all of her actions and commentary. It is frankly exhausting after a while, if only because it is too familiar and authentic. In Nicolette, she embodies the queen bee with all of the social underpinnings and cruelty that come from being at the top of the social ladder. With Charlie, and later Emile's stories, Ms. Horlock focuses on the emotional damage and regret that weigh so heavily on people. The entire story is not an easy one to read from an emotional perspective because each of the characters is a different emotional roller coaster. The reader is left to be flung about, only able to catch a breath/break when s/he stops reading for a while.

While many recent stories have been set on the island of Guernsey and focused on what occurred there during World War II, The Book of Lies is refreshing in that the reader is allowed to see what happened after the Allies won the war. It is this unique perspective that breathes a breath of fresh air into what is quickly becoming a somewhat stale story line. It is the aftermath of any trauma that defines a person, and both Cat and Charlie embody this idea with their own reactions to trauma. It is not light summer reading; instead The Book of Lies Is a thought-provoking commentary on the fluidity of truth.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy!

REVIEW - Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Title: Backseat Saints

Author: Joshilyn Jackson

Narrator: Joshilyn Jackson

Audiobook Length: 12 hours, 43 minutes

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Rose Mae Lolley's mother disappeared when she was eight, leaving Rose with a heap of old novels and a taste for dangerous men. Now, as demure Mrs. Ro Grandee, she's living the very life her mother abandoned. She's all but forgotten the girl she used to be-teenaged spitfire, Alabama heartbreaker, and a crack shot with a pistol-until an airport gypsy warns Rose it's time to find her way back to that brave, tough girl . . . or else. Armed with only her wit, her pawpy's ancient .45, and her dog Fat Gretel, Rose Mae hightails it out of Texas, running from a man who will never let her go, on a mission to find the mother who did."

Thoughts: Does anyone ever know who we truly are? Do we even know? It is into this theme the reader descends as s/he is immersed in Joshilyn Jackson’s Backseat Saints. As Rose Mae/Ro flees her marriage and attempts to set out on her own, she must ultimately uncover who she is and why she keeps hiding before she can ever hope to be free.

Rose Mae and Ro are two facets of the same person, born out of necessity as a coping mechanism to survive abusive relationships. However, these personas have been adopted for so long that Rose Mae has no idea of her likes, dislikes, hobbies, true personality, and everything else that sets one person apart from another. In a way, one could argue that she suffers from multiple personality disorder because each persona is buried so deeply when the other is in control. From the reader’s perspective, it is an interesting dichotomy because the reader does not understand why Ro would have such difficulties in wanting to leave her abusive husband when Rose Mae is willing to do just about anything to win her freedom. That the two personalities co-exist is proof of the deep-seated damage wrought on a victim of an abusive relationship.

Backseat Saints is as much a story about mother/daughter relationships as it is about spousal/parental abuse. It is a surprise meeting with her long-lost mother that starts Ro down the path of taking her first step towards freedom. Each progressive step closer to freedom is one step closer to understanding her mother’s actions that distant childhood day when she mysteriously disappeared, never to return. For Rose Mae to discover her true nature, she must come to terms with the feelings and emotional damage brought on by her mother’s abandonment.

As the narrator and author, Joshilyn Jackson is uniquely positioned to give us Rose Mae/Ro’s true voice. She easily distinguishes between the two personas through her words and inflections. As she embodies Rose Mae, the terror, fear, confusion, and even sense of empowerment that Rose Mae feels becomes what the reader feels. The pacing of the narration is superb, and Ms. Jackson’s own Southern accent adds to the authentic feel of the entire story. Normally, authors are not the best narrators for their stories, but in this case, Ms. Jackson is more than up to the challenge.

Backseat Saints is all about a journey – a journey of one young woman as she searches for freedom, truth and understanding against a history of pain and neglect. Ms. Jackson lightens the depressing, heavy themes with humor and her trademark wit without trivializing or mocking them. Rose Mae/Ro is an endearing character, as some of her ideas are what can only be described as hare-brained. Yet, the serious scenes have the necessary gravitas that legitimizes them and gives them their emotional power. It is a bit like Rose Mae/Ro herself. Backseat Saints has an added complexity created by its multiple themes, fleshing out a story and a character that would have been horribly clichéd and one-dimensional without them. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable novel that shines a spotlight on damaging relationships and the need for one’s own personal journey of discovery.

REVIEW - The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson

Title: The Reservoir

Author: John Milliken Thompson

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"On an early spring morning in Richmond, Virginia, in the year 1885, a young pregnant woman is found floating in the city reservoir. It appears that she has committed suicide, but there are curious clues at the scene that suggest foul play. The case attracts local attention, and an eccentric group of men collaborate to solve the crime. Detective Jack Wren lurks in the shadows, weaseling his way into the investigation and intimidating witnesses. Policeman Daniel Cincinnatus Richardson, on the brink of retirement, catches the case and relentlessly pursues it to its sorrowful conclusion. As the identity of the girl, Lillie, is revealed, her dark family history comes to light, and the investigation focuses on her tumultuous affair with Tommie Cluverius.

Tommie, an ambitious young lawyer, is the pride and joy of his family and the polar opposite of his brother Willie, a quiet, humble farmer. Though both men loved Lillie, it’s Tommie’s reckless affair that thrusts his family into the spotlight. With Lillie dead, Willie must decide how far to trust Tommie, and whether he ever understood him at all. Told through accumulating revelations, Tommie’s story finally ends in a riveting courtroom climax."

Thoughts: The Reservoir is one of those fascinating true-life mysteries that is fleshed out through fiction. A woman named Lillian was truly found dead in a reservoir in Richmond, Virigina and Tommie Cluverius did stand trial for her murder. Yet, the truth is stranger than fiction, as Mr. Thompson shares with his readers through this intriguing look at 1885 Richmond and a city that was struggling to recover its dignity after the end of the Civil War.

The key to the success behind The Reservoir is the meticulous research that oozes from every page. The reader has no problems picturing the town through which Tommie and Lillian ultimately meet their fates or the various scenes of society life portrayed. The glorification of the dead Confederacy and romanticising of its heroes plays a role in each of the character's backgrounds and in the characters that have the most impact upon them; while Mr. Thompson could have made a mockery of a society that is stuck in the glory days, he handles this tricky scenario with delicacy and feeling. In addition, the truth behind the murder remains as murky at the ending of the novel as at the beginning. While this could be construed as frustrating to some, it is a testament to the messiness of life and the difficulties behind discerning the truth from lies. Like real life, The Reservoir  has no clear-cut answers or definitive solutions to a problem. The authenticity of the times and of life in general helps to create a strong narrative.

Unfortunately, where The Reservoir struggles is with its characters. The narration flips back and forth between points of view as well as past and present. This keeps the reader from sympathizing too much with any one character, or even from forming a connection with one or the other. Instead, the reader stays impartial, and therefore unengaged, in Lillian's emotional outbursts or Tommie's conniving ways. Mr. Thompson does not attempt to hide the flaws in his characters, but this also detracts from the narration because the reader cannot discern the truth from the fiction, even when one character is telling his or her side of the story. Since the reader does not truly care about the characters, it is difficult to feel the tension behind the proceedings, thereby minimizing the suspense or even interest.

The pacing is another weak point with The Reservoir . The switching between narrators and time periods is uneven and somewhat jarring in spots. The story itself speeds up and slows down at an unsteady pace. The reader will be struggling to get through a section, will all but speed-read through another, only to get bogged down again into another slow and somewhat boring section. There is no rhyme or reason for this unevenness, as it occurs with all narrators, in the past as well as in the present. In a mystery, this is a fundamental flaw.

The Reservoir is not a novel for those who like their stories tied up with tidy endings. It is for those who appreciate the darker, more complicated mysteries, as well as those who can appreciate the depth of research required to take the skeleton of a story idea and flesh it out to create a fully-realized hypothesis of an event that occurred over 100 years ago.

Thank you to Other Press and Nicole from Linus's Blanket for my reading copy!

REVIEW - Men, Women & Children by Chad Kultgen

Title: Men, Women & Children

Author: Chad Kultgen

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Chad Kultgen, cult hero and author of the illicit classics The Average American Male and The Lie, cuts to the quick of the American psyche. In his most ambitious and hilarious book yet, Men, Women & Children, he explores the sexual pressures at work on a handful of troubled junior-high students and their dysfunctional parents. From porn-surfing fathers and their World of Warcraft-obsessed sons to competitive cheerleaders and their dissatisfied mothers, Kultgen cracks open and peers inside our emotionally disturbed culture."

Thoughts: In Men, Women & Children, Chad Kultgen pulls no punches in his pointedly matter-of-fact exploration of human sexuality and its impact on relationships. His cast of characters is large, and the situations in which his characters find themselves cross the gamut from normal, healthy sexual expression to fetishes and beyond. Of even greater interest is the age range of his characters and the impact of social media and the Internet on fueling certain issues.

Men, Women & Children is not for the faint of heart. From the opening sentence, the reader will know whether s/he will be able to stomach the subject matter. It reads like a clinical description of pornography at times, but this method of storytelling only serves to proves Mr. Kultgen's point. It is very reminiscent of George Michael's hit song, "(I Want Your) Sex", in that Mr. Kultgen showcases that everyone thinks about/obsesses about sex in some fashion and that doing so is healthy. It is how people use that obsession to drive their everyday interactions where the problems occur.

When one removes the shock and awe from the explicitness of the text, the reader is met with an abundance of thought-provoking situations. The role the Internet plays in creating and supporting unhealthy habits among young teens is something about which every parent must be aware. The fact that the teens in question are in eighth grade, even though their actions and issues seem so much older than that, is both disturbing and shocking only because of the fact that the behaviors and situations discussed in the novel are more typical than one would like to realize. One discussion with a parent of a thirteen-year-old and the reader understands that what Mr. Kultgen is describing is, unfortunately, normal for this age group. Exploring one's sexuality through exposure to pornography and experimentation, fighting parental control, pressure to perform (whether it is in sports or in the bedroom), wanting to fit in and feel important - this is very much what a modern-day teen faces each and every day. Mr Kultgen presents this tragic but true situation rather clinically, removing the sense of horror that so easily could be added in order to add credence and legitimacy. It is an effective ploy.

For the adults in the novel, Mr. Kultgen explores similar topics as Meg Wolitzer did in her most recent novel, The Uncoupling. Sex in adult relationships means something completely different than it does in teenage relationships, and both novels portray the more nuanced power behind sex among couples. Whereas Ms. Wolitzer explored the feminine aspect of this dynamic, Mr. Kultgen focuses on the male perspective.

While sex is the uniting theme among the cast of characters, it is by no means the main point of Men, Women & Children. Rather, it is an emotionless exploration of humanity - a girl fighting an eating disorder, a young man struggling with depression, a mother trying to protect her daughter, and another mother trying to ensure her daughter achieves her dreams, the power struggle between child and parent as the child gets older, the power struggles among teens. These are the all-too-common issues faced by much of today's society and deserve to be studied and highlighted. For those who are willing and able to overlook the purposefully explicit scenes, designed to draw ire and shock, the result is an eye-opening study of the pressures our teens face at younger and younger ages and how parents' own self-absorption fuels their responses.

Thank you to Erica Barmash from Harper Perennial for my advanced reading copy. She warned me it would be a challenging but rewarding read, and she was right!

The Sunday Salon - July 24, 2011

Howdy, howdy! I'm back this week with all the news that's fit to print. Last weekend, we took a quick trip back to Illinois to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. I swear I'm not old enough for my dad to be 60, but that is neither here nor there. We had a great weekend, eating Chicago-style pizza, swimming at my brother's community pool and hanging out. It was a quick but fun getaway.

I shared with the Twitter and Facebook crowd the big news at work. We were hit with this bombshell at 8 AM on a Friday. I did this five years ago and managed to surf the turmoil. Hey, I was able to get my recent promotion out of the situation, so it wasn't all bad. Now that Jim and I both work for the same company, this news has definitely caused some concern. We won't hear anything final for the next four to six weeks, but as I told Jim, all we can do is buckle up and enjoy the ride. It's going to be an interesting one!

In other news, I found out that someone has been plagiarizing at least one of my reviews. 1001 Books is the culprit, and they stole my review of Sinclair Lewis' Main Street, of all things. Don't worry. I've already reported them to Blogger. This is not just lifting of a post. It is taking my words and incorporating more than 75 percent of them into his/her "own" review. A little research showed me that almost all of the book reviews posted at this site are stolen from other bloggers or other media reviews and passed off as original works. Awful. Since there is no way to contact this person directly, I hope that if you find your own words on this site, please report them to Blogger so that we can get this person taken off the Interwebz for stealing.

On to the reading portion of the report - since I didn't report in last week, there have been a ton of reviews over the past two weeks.

• Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
• Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
• The Secret Lives of the Four Wives by Baba Segi
• Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan
• Feast by Merrie Destefano
• The Sweetness of Tears by Nafisa Hagi
• Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens
• Overbite by Meg Cabot
• Long Gone by Alafair Burke

While those reviews were posting, I was busy reading the following:

• Men, Women & Children by Chad Kultgen
• The Books of Lies by Mary Horlock
• Wildefire by Karsten Knight
• A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
• The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
• The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson

My reading has definitely slowed down this summer. I think I need all those practices to up my reading time. As of Friday, we have one more month before school starts. It will be here before we know it.

Speaking of the kids, Connor finally shared a little bit about his trip to Washington, D.C. earlier this month.
He still raves about it, so even though it was an extremely expensive trip, it was worth every penny.

Last but not least, I decided to make my Read My Own Books Month a true event and opened up sign-ups this week! I hope you all check it out and sign up. I am a firm believer that the more, the merrier.

With that, I am off to try to stay cool in this miserably hot weather and see if I can up my reading tally today.  At least the heat is making it easy to do nothing. Have a cool Sunday and happy reading!

Connor's Corner - Washington, D.C.

Some of you may have heart about my big trip to Washington, D.C. as part of a leadership program called People to People. I've been really excited about it for months, and it has finally come (and gone). Here's my summary of my week:

On my first day, my group and I travelled to the famed Arlington Cemetery. I was also lucky enough to go to the U. S. Capitol Building, which was a rare opportunity. The next day, I went to the city that started it all, Philadelphia. We got to go to Independence Hall and see the actual Liberty Bell! The third day was memorial mania! We saw the FDR Memorial, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials and countless war memorials too, like the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The day after that, I traveled by boat to Mount Vernon, then back to Arlington at the Iwo Jima Memorial to watch the Fourth of July fireworks. Now, my favorite day was our final day. In the morning, I got to go to several Smithsonian museums. My favorite? Why the Air and Space Museum, of course! I got to see actual flying craft, like Sputnik and The Spirit of St. Louis. This was followed by my favorite part of the whole week, watching a live performance of Wicked at the Kennedy Center. It was a "wicked" ending to my week in D.C.

Those days in the forum were an amazing experience. I've had so much fun and seen so many exciting new things. From the Arlington Cemetery to the John F. Kennedy Center, this trip was an exciting adventure.

REVIEW - Long Gone by Alafair Burke

Title: Long Gone

Author: Alafair Burke

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"What if everything you thought you knew turned out to be a lie?
After a layoff and months of struggling, Alice Humphrey finally lands her dream job managing a new art gallery in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District. According to Drew Campbell, the well-heeled corporate representative who hires her, the gallery is a passion project for its anonymous, wealthy, and eccentric owner. Her friends think it sounds too good to be true, but Alice sees an opportunity to make a name for herself beyond the shadow of her famous father, an award-winning and controversial filmmaker.

Everything is perfect until the morning Alice arrives at work to find the gallery gone — the space stripped bare as if it had never been there — and Drew Campbell's dead body on the floor. Overnight, Alice's dream job has vanished, and she finds herself at the center of a police investigation, with the evidence mounting against her. The phone number Drew gave her links back to a disposable phone. The artist whose work she displayed doesn't seem to exist. And the dead man she claims is Drew has been identified as someone else.

When police discover ties between the gallery and a missing girl, Alice knows she's been set up. Now she has to prove it — a dangerous search for answers that will entangle her in a dark, high-tech criminal conspiracy and force her to unearth long-hidden secrets involving her own family...secrets that could cost Alice her life."

Thoughts: Alafair Burke's Long Gone is a fantastic he said/she said thriller in which the truth has more twists and turns than the most complex roller coaster. Alice investigates the various secrets that threaten her safety and her freedom while trying to stay ahead of the police who have already decided upon her guilt in spite of the lingering clues. It makes for an intense read that requires reading from start to finish, if only to avoid constantly thinking about it when not reading it.

Alice is not your everyday hero. Having grown up in a showbiz family, complete with Oscar-winning parents, her view of life is a bit skewed. While she tries to do the right thing by breaking off ties with her father's money and connections, one year of unemployment has forced her hand into accepting what she thinks is the perfect job for her, even if it is too good to be true. Alice is smarter than she looks, but it is not until she is truly tested by viewing the rapidly cooling body of her former boss where she starts to use that intelligence to prove her innocence.

In addition to being a murder mystery, Long Gone is also very much a novel about relationships, for the relationships people form, break, support, or hide have a direct connection to Alice and her actions. At the same time as she is desperately trying to find evidence to exonerate her, she is also trying to navigate her way around her fragile relationship with her philandering father, her hot-and-cold relationship with her former boyfriend, her tension-filled relationship with her addict brother. Life never stops moving no matter if one is in the middle of a life crisis, and Ms. Burke uses, with great effectiveness, life's complexity to enhance her story.

Long Gone confirms that adage that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. While most readers will never be framed for murder like Alice is, the novel does serve as a good cautionary tale about one's actions and their eventual repercussions. Whether one believes in karma or not, life does have a way of sneaking up on a person and making him or her pay for previous negative actions. Ms. Burke presents this cliche in a much more exciting fashion, creating sympathy for Alice's predicament at the same time she also serves as a warning for those who expect great things with little efforts.

In Long Gone, the story never stalls even when she switches narrators with every chapter. Tension builds evenly, and the reader's interest in Alice's plight never lags. Alafair Burke's first standalone novel showcases her ability to build a suspenseful crime story. Long-time fans of Ms. Burke's work will definitely not want to miss her latest, while newcomers will be enticed to try her other novels. For an intricate and yet balanced thriller that allows a reader to escape the summer heat, one cannot go wrong with Long Gone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tiffany Woo of HarperCollins Publishers for my advanced reading copy!

Please join me for Read My Own Books Month!

Tired of being bogged down with review copies? Are the books you purchased calling you but keep getting put to the bottom of your TBR pile? Come join me as I take a month to devote to nothing but my own books! I have decided to declare August as "Read My Own Books Month" and cordially invite you to do the same. We all need a vacation, and ending summer with nothing but books that have been languishing on your bookshelves is the perfect vacation!

HOW DO YOU PARTICIPATE:

I'm keeping this event as low-key as possible, in the spirit of vacation. I ask for one pledge:

"I want to take back my reading for at least one month. Therefore, I, insert name, commit to devoting x percentage of books read during the month of August to reading nothing but books I have owned. It is time to read what I want and celebrate the spirit of summer!"

That's it! No pressure to review, no deadlines. Just enjoy reading as we did before we started blogging.

UPDATES:

I will be curious to see how you are doing in your pledge and therefore will be scheduling a weekly update post to share with the group your progress. Again, I want to keep it as fun and easy as possible. Of course, for those who would like more structure, I will have discussions prompts for you.

PRIZES:

Did I forget to mention there will be prizes? Each week, I will randomly select a winner from the weekly update links. Prizes will include books, of course, bookmarks and other goodies. Who knows? There might even be a surprise or two for one lucky winner.

SIGN-UP:

Sign-ups are now open! You are more than welcome to sign-up and state your commitment immediately. I will also have sign-ups on August 1st and for the weekly updates. However, you are more than welcome to join us at any point in time during the month.

I hope you are as excited about this as I am. If you are, please feel free to spread the news. Spread it loud and proud. It's time to take back our reading selections and get to those books we've been meaning to read for ages!

REVIEW - Overbite by Meg Cabot

Title: Overbite

Author: Meg Cabot

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Meena Harper has a special gift, but it’s only now that anyone’s ever appreciated it. The Palatine Guard—a powerful secret demon-hunting unit of the Vatican—has hired her to work at their new branch in Lower Manhattan. With Meena’s ability to predict how everyone she meets will die, the Palatine finally has a chance against the undead.

Sure, her ex-boyfriend was Lucien Anton­escu, son of Dracula, the prince of darkness. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames. Now Meena’s sworn off vampires for good . . . at least until she can prove her theory that just because they’ve lost their souls doesn’t mean demons have lost the ability to love.

Meena knows convincing her co-workers—including her partner, Über-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf—that vampires can be redeemed won’t be easy . . . especially when a deadly new threat seems to be endangering not just lives of the Palatine, but Meena’s friends and family as well.

But Meena isn’t the Palatine’s only hope. Father Henrique—aka Padre Caliente—New York City’s youngest, most charming priest, has also been assigned to the case.

So why doesn’t Meena—or Alaric—trust him?

As she begins unraveling the truth, Meena finds her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare... and temptations she never even imagined existed impossible to resist.

This time, Meena may finally have bitten off more than she can chew."

Thoughts: While my thoughts on Insatiable were not exactly gushing, that did not stop me from squealing with delight when I opened the envelope containing its sequel and from putting it towards the very top of my review pile so that I could get to it sooner rather than later. Thankfully, some of the problems I had with the first novel were resolved so that I could enjoy Overbite that much more. A worthy conclusion to a fun story, Meg Cabot does not disappoint in the furthering saga of Meena Harper.

The biggest issue I had with Insatiable was with Meena's voice. In the first novel, I felt her voice was too young and did not properly reflect a woman with her experience. Thankfully, Meena's voice has changed slightly to better reflect her age and her recent experiences at the hands of Lucien, the Dracul, and the Palatine. It was more authentic to a thirty-something who had faced agonizing decisions and life-and-death experiences. It still maintained the spunk and verve that makes Meena so lovable, but this time, there is a world-weariness that better fits.

Other issues with the first novel centered around the supposed heroes of the story, Jon and Alaric. Jon remains as child-like and goofy as ever. If anything, he is reminiscent of Jason Stackhouse in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series with his ability to always get into trouble and his guilelessness. Whereas in the first novel he was annoying, in Overbite he is not a character about which the reader will give much thought. His role is Meena's life has been relegated to that of the endearingly annoying sidekick, providing comic relief and a foil for some of the stickier situations. Alaric has similarly changed. He is still overbearing and egotistical, but this time around, his inability to vocalize his feelings for Meena in an appropriate fashion is slightly hilarious, if a bit unbelievable. The miscommunication between the two adds more comic relief while building more tension to an already intense situation.

This time around, the biggest fault I could find was that there was not enough Lucien. The broody, gorgeous and charismatic Prince of the Dracul turns a bit too broody, but there is an additional element of danger that prevents Overbite from becoming melodramatic tripe. Sparks all but fly from the scenes with Meena and Lucien, as theirs is a relationship as complex and emotional as any more realistic one. While I personally would have preferred a happier ending for all, Ms. Cabot did an excellent job of maneuvering through the supernatural elements to maintain its heartbeat and realism.

In Overbite, Meg Cabot relies on the elements that make her so famous - mystical, fairy tale-esque elements, spunky heroines with plenty of snark, spark, and romance added to the mix. The conclusion to Meena's story will upset some readers and please others but remains true to Ms. Cabot's penchant for realistic endings versus the standard happily ever after. Just like Meena, Ms. Cabot stands her own ground and sticks with the plausible versus the impossible. In the case of Overbite, it works exceedingly well.

Thank you to Chelsey Emmelhainz at William Morrow for my review copy!

REVIEW - Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

Title: Never Knowing

Author: Chevy Stevens

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara did not have an ideal home life. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and to find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother---only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: Her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?"

Thoughts: Fans of Chevy Stevens' debut novel, Still Missing, will rejoice to find out that with her second novel, Never Knowing, she remains a stunning storyteller. Her ability to draw her readers into the story, to feel the emotional pain and tension of her characters continues to improve. Better yet, she is able to put a human face on an otherwise horrific situation, creating sympathy where none would normally exist and where it is least expected. The result is a novel that is just as thrilling and as stunning as her debut with an added emotional depth and complexity that showcases Ms. Stevens' growing writing ability.

Never Knowing uses the same storytelling element as in her first novel, using Sara's visits to her psychiatrist as the introduction to each new chapter. While it works, and is still extremely effective, Ms. Stevens' story shines when Sara is telling her story as if it is happening the first time. Each new mention about a missed appointment, discussion of previous stress management techniques or other reminders that the main character is narrating to her psychiatrist does nothing but draw the reader out of the story thereby reducing the tension. One cannot help but wonder how much more powerful the story would be had Ms. Stevens bypassed this narrative element.

In spite of this one niggling distraction, Never Knowing's exploration into the life left behind by a serial killer is intense. Through Sara's continuing conversations with her birth father, the reader is able to explore the reasons why or how someone becomes a serial killer. Of even greater importance is the idea of family and the important role it plays on developing a child's adult personality. Her need to achieve some form of recognition and love from her prickly, overbearing adopted father fuels Sara's desire to find out about her birth parents and ultimately leads to everything that happens after that initial contact is made. Similarly, through John's revelations about his own childhood, the reader is left wondering what might have been had John's own parents been less strict and more capable of recognizing a debilitating physical condition. The what-ifs are plentiful and only add to the mystery and tension as the drama unfolds.

With her second novel, Ms. Stevens lets the world know that she is as talented as Still Missing promised. Even better, Never Knowing highlights Ms. Stevens' growing maturity in her writing. Sara, Evan, John and the entire cast of characters come to life under her pen, making it so easy for the reader to lose him/herself in the story. The emotional gamut Sara faces, from the sisterly conflict to the guilt to the fear and eventual anger, becomes the reader's emotions, which only adds to the intensity of the story itself.

A suspenseful and thrilling ride, Never Knowing does not disappoint in any way. Ms. Stevens is quickly proving herself to be an author deserving of all the acclaim and accolades that is sure to come her way. With a great start and an even stronger follow-up novel, I cannot wait to see what she has in store for her readers next.

Thank you to Sara Goldstein from St. Martin's Press for my advanced reading copy!

REVIEW - The Sweetness of Tears by Nafisa Haji

Title: The Sweetness of Tears

Author: Nafisa Haji

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"When faith and facts collide, Jo March—a young woman born into an Evangelical Christian dynasty—wrestles with questions about who she is and how she fits into the weave of her faithful family. Chasing loose threads that she hopes will lead to the truth, Jo sets off on an unlikely quest across boundaries of language and religion, through chasms of sectarian divides in the Muslim world. Against the backdrop of the War on Terror—travelling from California to Chicago, Pakistan to Iraq—she delves deeply into the past, encountering relatives, often for the first time, whose histories are intricately intertwined with her own . . . only to learn that true spiritual devotion is a broken field riddled with doubt and that nothing is ever as it seems."

Thoughts: I've been struggling to write my review of The Sweetness of Tears for weeks now and cannot adequately put into words the impact the book had. Ms. Haji's story of family, politics, and religion delves into topics that most people consider to be too sensitive to discuss given their proximity to current events, but  she does so the sensitivity that the situation warrants. Jo March's quest uncovers family secrets while allowing the reader the chance to put aside biases and view current events from another perspective. In the rapidly expanding global economy, where countries are becoming considerably more dependent upon each other, the lessons of tolerance and respect highlighted in The Sweetness of Tears is as timely as it is beautiful.

The Sweetness of Tears is one of those novels which contains gems that deserve to be highlighted and remembered forever. There is so much wisdom packed into its 374 pages that it requires savoring and slow reading. Ms. Haji ensures that her readers do just that by jumping between characters and in time, as Jo's family history is slowly revealed to her. Each story builds upon the last, until the reader, and Jo, get the full picture.

Compassion, faith and empathy are three of the main themes, which becomes extremely important in the context of post-9/11 life and the subsequent War on Terror executed by the U.S.  As Jo struggles to find her identity in light of the new information about her parentage she receives, her struggles mirror the reader's as we all struggle to make sense of the new world into which we were plunged after the attacks on the World Trade Center. What makes The Sweetness of Tears so powerful is the fact that the U.S. is not portrayed as the heroes. Ms. Haji does not shy away from the abuse of prisoners in places like Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay, nor from the mental trauma such actions have on soldiers and contractors who witness these situations. Rather, she challenges the reader to view such proceedings from the Iraqi/Pakistani/Afghan perspective. It is a powerful lesson.

The Sweetness of Tears is not perfect. The jump between narrators is confusing, made more so by the fact that often the context in which the character's story occurs is nebulous and not clearly defined. The reader struggles to understand the time frame in which the individual story is occurring. For example, Jo only hints at the actual 9/11 attacks. It is not until she finally discusses her employment requiring security clearances and background checks where the reader understands that she was still in college during the attacks and that her role as an interpreter would be put to use in the War on Terror. Similarly, Partition, the Vietnam War and other culturally significant events are mentioned after the fact. Keeping one's bearing in the novel proves difficult at times as a result.

In spite of its weaknesses, The Sweetness of Tears remains a beautiful story of empathy and compassion, proving that two fundamentally different cultures can live together peaceably. It is a lesson everyone can and should learn, if only to help prevent more conflict in this conflict-laden world of ours.

Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reader program for my reading copy!

REVIEW - Feast by Merrie Destefano

Title: Feast: Harvest of Dreams

Author: Merrie Destefano

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Halloween is a bad time to return to the woods . . .

Madeline MacFaddin ("Mad Mac" to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered. And she's always believed there was something living in these wooded hills.

But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts—and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the harvest . . . the time to feast.

Once again Maddie's dreams—and her soul—are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own . . ."

Thoughts: On the surface, Feast has every element which fans of paranormal romance fiction would enjoy. It has otherworldly creatures with a mysterious past, a strong central female character, a gorgeous backdrop, mystery, tension, danger. Unfortunately, the elements are combined in such a fashion that makes Feast extremely confusing and just plain forgettable.

In any paranormal storyline, the most important thing an author should do is to fully describe the supernatural creature. Unfortunately, Ms. Destefano fails to adequately describe the Darklings so that the reader is left not knowing who they are and why they are dangerous. With fangs, bat-like wings, and an ability to glamour, they appear to be similar to vampires, but they are not. With names like Ash, feeding on dreams, and an entire court system, they also have elements of the Fae, but they are not. Exactly what they are is never explained. The reader is left to put together a puzzle that is missing half of its pieces. This incomplete picture of the main dangerous element of the novel makes for lackluster tension. It is difficult to feel concern for the heroine when one cannot discern what the danger actually is.

The entire novel feels undeveloped. Maddie's past is only briefly described, especially her fame and previous relationship which she is fleeing at the start of the novel. The curse that binds Ash is never explained at all. Neither is The Harvest, Maddie's powers, or an entire slew of essential elements of the story. While the premise is fascinating, there are simply too many holes or unexplained sections that make it difficult for a reader to follow the action and care about the characters.

Where Ms. Destefano does shine is in her descriptions of Ticonderoga Falls. The outdoor scenes are some of the most fully described in the entire novel. As such, the reader gets a clear mental picture of the spookiness of the woods and the natural beauty of the area. These scenes are some of the strongest in the novel, even if the reader does not fully understand what is happening.

My disappointment in Feast is only enhanced by the fact that the premise of it is so intriguing. Done properly, it truly could have been an excellent novel that stood out among its peers for involving a new supernatural creature. Unfortunately, the lack of execution only leaves the reader frustrated with the potential for greatness the story has.

Thank you to NetGalley for my e-galley!

REVIEW - Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan

Title: Ellis Island

Author: Kate Kerrigan

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Sweethearts since childhood, Ellie Hogan and her husband, John, are content on their farm in Ireland—until John, a soldier for the Irish Republican Army, receives an injury that leaves him unable to work. Forced to take drastic measures in order to survive, Ellie does what so many Irish women in the 1920s have done and sails across a vast ocean to New York City to work as a maid for a wealthy socialite.

Once there, Ellie is introduced to a world of opulence and sophistication, tempted by the allure of grand parties and fine clothes, money and mansions . . . and by the attentions of a charming suitor who can give her everything. Yet her heart remains with her husband back home. And now she faces the most difficult choice she will ever have to make: a new life in a new country full of hope and promise, or return to a life of cruel poverty . . . and love."

Thoughts: Most immigration stories discuss the reasons one leaves a homeland for a foreign country, the hardships endured along the way and eventually some form of resolution of life in the new country. Everything about Ellis Island breaks the mold of immigration novels and forges its own path. Ultimately, the story is much richer for it.

The first half of the novel follows the traditional story-telling format. Girl meets boy, girl marries boy. The happily-ever-after, however, does not come, as both John and Ellie are swept up in the Irish revolution. Hardship follows, as one knows it must. Interestingly, Ellie's move to New York from Ireland is never meant to be permanent, and this is where the traditional story shifts into something unique. For, she is going to earn money for her husband, rather than being the one left behind waiting to be send for later. She is the one to blaze the pioneer trail for her family, leaving all that is familiar for the unknown all because of the love she holds for John and the belief she has in their marriage. Her growing self-awareness and strength are predictable, as she lands in New York harbor during the roaring Twenties - that golden era when women were grabbing new freedoms and rights, when the spirit was one of adventure, and everyone just wanted to have fun. Ellie truly does come into her own in New York, blossoming and embracing the new culture as any modern woman is wont to do.

What gives Ellis Island its power is the continuing fidelity and love Ellie has towards her husband, even after years of separation. When forced to make a decision between her new-found freedoms and luxuries and her husband, Ellie's decision is as surprising as it is rare. Love and sticking by that love for richer and for poorer tends to be the vows spoken but not necessarily reality. One reads about all of the immigrants who came to America for a better life but very rarely do we get a glimpse of those who opted to go back across the ocean. How does the hustle and bustle of the United States, especially during the 1920s change a person? Can one ever truly go back?

Ireland and New York in the 1920s are revealed in great detail, making the contrasts between the two worlds more transparent. The reader can feel the tension as ancient antagonisms against the British rule sparks the revolution and call for home rule. S/he can sense the pulse of energy that radiates from New York City, the clicking and clacking of heels on the sidewalks, the noise of the crowd. Ms. Kerrigan presents the attitudes, opinions, customs, and other minutiae of the day with no fuss or embellishments. Ellis Island truly is a glimpse back into the past towards a long-ago decade where everything was ripe with possibilities.

My only fault with the novel is its title. Ellis Island is so misleading. Only two brief scenes actually take place on Ellis Island, as this is not a novel about an immigrant but about a woman and her journey who just happens to go through Ellis Island on one of her stops along the way. Other than that, Ellis Island is an engaging glimpse of the past. Ellie is a character who quickly generates sympathy with the reader, and her journey of self-discovery is as pleasurable as it is fascinating from a historical perspective. An Irish village and New York City in the 1920s really were two different worlds, and her ability to maneuver through the two makes for a great story and excellent history lesson.

Thank you to Mary Sasso from Harper Perennial for my review copy!

TLC Book Tours presents The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola

Title: The Secret Lives of the Four Wives

Author: Lola Shoneyin

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Meet Baba Segi . . .

A plump, vain, and prosperous middle-aged man of robust appetites, Baba Segi is the patriarch of a large household that includes a quartet of wives and seven children. But his desire to possess more just might be his undoing.

And his wives . . .

Iya Segi—the bride of Baba Segi's youth, a powerful, vindictive woman who will stop at nothing to protect her favored position as ruler of her husband's home.

Iya Tope—Baba Segi's second wife, a shy, timid woman whose decency and lust for life are overshadowed by fear.

Iya Femi—the third wife, a scheming woman with crimson lips and expensive tastes who is determined to attain all that she desires, no matter what the cost.

Bolanle—Babi Segi's fourth and youngest wife, an educated woman wise to life's misfortunes who inspires jealousy in her fellow wives . . . and who harbors a secret that will expose shocking truths about them all."

Thoughts: The Secret Lives of the Four Wives is a fascinating glimpse into a different culture as well as an introduction to four very unique wives who are all trying to survive in a world where man is king. Baba Segi is consumed by the idea of having more children, while each of his wives is trying to protect her own position in the hierarchy of the household. The opposing desires and priorities lead to certain expected, and some surprising, clashes among its members. Ms. Shoneyin deftly manages the different personalities and stories, nimbly weaving them to unveil the larger picture of life in Baba Segi’s household.

While the heroine of the story is the youngest and newest wife, Bolanle, and while much of the story is focused on the other wives’ hatred and jealousy of her, the other three wives get their chance in the spotlight. This allows the reader to get a full, well-rounded picture of the attitudes and motivations driving each woman in her interactions with the others. As is true in real life, no one woman is to blame or completely innocent in the harms caused to others, whether emotional or physical. This adds an air of realism to the story, which offsets the more foreign elements.

Ms. Shoneyin expertly mixes description and narrative to build a crystal-clear picture of modern-day Nigeria and sister wives. Because each woman comes from a different walk of life, with differing experiences, educational experiences, and social statuses, the reader understands how varied and contrasting the cultural milieu truly is.

The Secret Lives of the Four Wives is intriguing because it offers a glimpse into a situation most women will never experience. Yet, as foreign as the situation is, the interactions between the women are familiar, as jealousy knows no boundaries. Ms. Shoneyin draws on this universal feeling to create a story that resonates with every reader no matter what his or her experience.

For more opinions, please check out the other stops on this book tour:

• Tuesday, July 5th: A Few More Pages
• Wednesday, July 6th: Book Journey
• Thursday, July 7th: Rundpinne
• Monday, July 11th: A Bookish Way of Life
• Tuesday, July 12th: Chick With Books
• Tuesday, July 19th: Savvy Verse & Wit
• Thursday, July 21st: Book Club Classics!
• Friday, July 22nd: Peeking Between the Pages
• Monday, July 25th: In the Next Room
• Tuesday, July 26th: As I turn the pages
• Wednesday, July 27th: Reading Through Life

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow Publishing for my review copy!