ARC giveaway!

I have received many unsolicited ARCs in the past couple of months, and I kept telling myself I’d read them eventually…. eventually has not yet arrived.  And now when I look at my stack of committed review books, next to my MASSIVE stack of uncommitted review books, I have to realistically face the fact that I will probably never read all these books.  Sad.

So, here’s the good part – YOU can win them!  I went through my stack of unsolicited review copies, pulled out the few I really want to read and actually see myself reading sometime in the next 6 months, and I’m going to give away the rest!  I think I’ll do it in a few separate posts, four at a time.  Here’s this week’s loot:

The books are as follows:

Mother of the Believers by Kamran Pasha

Perseverance: True Voices of Cancer Survivors by Carolyn Rubenstein

Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere

Sadomasochism for Accountants by Rosy Barnes

Here’s how it’s going to work:  tell me which book(s) you are interested in.  You can enter for as many as you want, but each person will only win one book.  I’ll run this one through Thursday, Sept. 3, when I’ll pick a winner, and on Friday I’ll draw a winner and start another ARC giveaway.  Sound good?

Thanks for participating – good luck!

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The Complete Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi

October 30, 2007

Pantheon

352 pages

Graphic Memoir

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi’s unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trails of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming–both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom–Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

I had heard SO many good things about both Persepolis I and II, and for some reason I kept putting off reading them, so when I found this book at my library I finally just bit the bullet and took it home.  I was definitely nervous about reading it – first of all, I have very little experience with graphic novels, and secondly, I was very aware of my high expectations for the book based on all the positive reviews it’s garnered recently.  I shouldn’t have worried, though, because The Complete Persepolis was overall very enjoyable for me.

I say overall because I have to admit that there was one thing about the book that bugged me – the writing was SO tiny!  I’m glad that this wasn’t my first graphic novel, because I think I would have become frustrated with the genre if it was.  I had a difficult time sometimes reading everything that was written, and I think the black and white pictures also worked against my eyes – they were trying to take in so much, and some of it was really hard to see!

Besides that minor complaint, I thought the book was pretty awesome.  It was a highly educational experience for me – I really have no knowledge of this period of Iran’s history (well, I don’t have much knowledge of Iran, period), and to see these events through Marjane’s eyes (with her explaining the history all along) was captivating.  I also was interested in the history for a personal reason – one of my uncles (by marriage) was born in Iran and didn’t come to the U.S. until he was twenty-two.  In fact, I don’t know his exact age but I think he came here at about the same time The Complete Persepolis takes place (late 1970′s, early 1980′s).  My uncle has a lot to say about his dissatisfaction with his native country’s history, but I never truly knew the facts of that history.  Reading the book made me realize how ignorant I am about the history and culture of one person in my life who is very important to me.  It also made me want to learn even more about Iran’s history.

While I found Satrapi’s story to be a great learning experience, I also found the book highly entertaining and very accessible.  Satrapi writes so candidly, so casually and at times hysterically that the reader can’t help but understand her and sympathize with everything she’s been through.  Also, she wrote the book in such a way that really made me want to be friends with her – she was seriously hilarious at so many points throughout the book, yet still so dead serious about the events that took place.  Really, the way she crafted her story was just lovely, and I pretty much loved every minute of reading it.

I definitely recommend this one.  Even though I had a rough time with the physical act of reading the book, The Complete Persepolis was more than worth the strain it put on my eyes.  If you enjoy or want to try graphic novels, or like history, or like memoirs, read this book!

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Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride

Sarah Dessen

June 16, 2009

Viking Juvenile

383 pages

Young Adult Fiction

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

If you read this blog, you probably already know that I am a huge Sarah Dessen fan.  I have enjoyed all the books I’ve read by her, and Along for the Ride was no exception.  I actually think that this book is my second favorite Dessen novel, next to Just Listen (which I truly believe nothing will ever compare to, in my mind).

What really made me fall in love with this novel was the character of Auden.  Just like Annabel in Just Listen, I saw a lot of myself in Auden.  I have never been particularly good at making good girlfriends and understanding the ways groups of girls work.  I have always been slightly socially awkward and, especially in my elementary and middle school years, always felt really shy and out-of-the-loop around most of my classmates.  As a kid, I also preferred books and learning to actual people.  I really “got” all of these aspects of Auden’s personality.  I remember losing myself in my studies in high school and even college as a way to not deal with all the stuff in my life I couldn’t control or didn’t want to think about.  My connection to Auden definitely solidified my feelings for the book.  Right from the start, I liked her, I understood her, and I rooted for her through the entire book.

And just as in Dessen’s other novels, Along for the Ride had fantastic secondary characters too.  I (of course) loved Eli and was so intrigued by his and Auden’s budding relationship.  I also REALLY liked Heidi, Auden’s stepmom.  I liked how even through Auden’s eyes, I was able to see how normal Heidi was and what a great person she truly was, how she was trying so hard to make her family work.  She was just so real that I couldn’t help but feel for her.  I did not enjoy either of Auden’s parents, but I don’t think the reader is supposed to like them – although they, like the rest of the characters, were definitely realistic.

The story of this book was pretty great too.  I do think that Dessen’s novels have a sort of formula to them, but I think that for her, it works.  I had a pretty good idea of how the book would turn out, and I still loved where Dessen took the story.  And I always appreciate how in a Sarah Dessen novel, everything is NOT solved just by getting the guy in the end.  Sure, usually the guy and girl end up together in some way, but there’s always more to the story than that.  And it doesn’t always equal perfection, either.  I just think that her books are a much more realistic portrayal of life than a lot of teen novels.  Along for the Ride definitely fit that description.  I loved this book – if you are a fan of YA fiction, you will too.

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The Embers by Hyatt Bass

The Embers

Hyatt Bass

June 23, 2009

304 pages

Henry Holt and Co.

General Fiction

It’s the fall of 2007, and Emily Ascher should be celebrating: she just got engaged to the man she loves, her job is moving in new and fulfilling directions, and her once-rocky relationship with her mother, Laura, has finally mellowed into an easy give-and-take. But with the promise of new love

Settling into old comes a difficult look at how her family has been torn apart in the many years since her brother died. Her parents have long since divorced, and her father, Joe, a famous actor and playwright who has been paralyzed with grief since the tragedy, carries the blame for his son’s death—but what really happened on that winter night? Why has he been unable to clear his name, or even discuss that evening with Laura and Emily?

As spring looms—and with it Emily’s wedding in the Berkshires and an unveiling of Joe’s new play—each Ascher begins to reevaluate the events of long ago, finally facing the truth of his or her own culpability in them. Moving between past and present over the course of sixteen years, The Embers is a skillfully structured debut novel of buried secrets and deep regrets that crush a family while bonding its members irrevocably.

I am unsure of how to begin this review because I am still trying to wrap my head around my feelings about The Embers.  The thing is, I liked the book.  I REALLY liked the book, even more than I expected to – but I’m not sure why.  I can say with absolute certainty that one of the reasons the book spoke to me so much was Bass’ beautiful writing.  She definitely has an amazing talent at crafting passages and conversations between characters that draw the reader in and really make you think.  Another reason I think I enjoyed the book so much was because of my difficulty in parting with it for any length of time.  Something about the story and the characters just grabbed me and didn’t let go.

Here’s the weird part:  I didn’t like any of the characters, and the entire time I was reading this novel I kept thinking to myself, “these people are so annoying.  I should be hating this book right now, but I’m not.  Why is that?!”  The three main characters were all so completely self-absorbed, so unaware of the world around them, and I had a really difficult time with all three of them.  I honestly cannot think of another book I’ve read recently where I so detested the characters but still enjoyed the book, so it’s really a tribute to Bass’s phenomenal writing and story telling abilities that made me come away with a deep appreciation for this novel.

I always have a soft spot in my heart for books that go back and forth between time periods – if it’s done well, this effect can really make a huge impact on the reader. The Embers is an example of this – I never felt lost or confused while reading the book, even though it was jumping between time periods and different characters’ points of view.  I really can’t say enough about Hyatt Bass here – she truly has put together a stunning debut, with flawed but (sadly) realistic characters and an interesting, fast-moving plot.  There was a lot I loved about the book, even though I’m having a difficult time articulating the specifics right now.  :)  Just know that I couldn’t put it down, and I am anxiously awaiting something new from Ms. Bass!

More reviews –

• Jen at Devourer of Books
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• Jenners at Find Your Next Book Here

Winner winner!

Congrats, AMY, you are the winner of Hugh and Bess and The Traitor’s Wife.  Please get back to me with your address so I can send the books out soon!  Thanks!

And thanks everyone else for trying!

Hungry by Sheila and Lisa Himmel

Hungry: A Mother and Daughter Fight Anorexia

Sheila and Lisa Himmel

August 4, 2009

304 pages

Nonfiction, Memoir

My Rating:  4 out of 5

Unbeknownst to food critic Sheila Himmel – as she reviewed exotic cuisines from bistro to brasserie — her daughter, Lisa, was at home starving herself. Before Sheila fully grasped what was happening, her fourteen-year-old with a thirst for life and a palate for the flavors of Vietnam and Afghanistan was replaced by a weight-obsessed, antisocial, hundred pound nineteen-year-old. From anorexia to bulimia and back again—many times—the Himmels feared for Lisa’s life as her disorder took its toll on her physical and emotional well-being.

Hungry is the first memoir to connect eating disorders with a food-obsessed culture in a very personal way, following the stumbles, the heartbreaks, and even the funny moments as a mother-daughter relationship—and an entire family—struggles toward healing.

I have to admit, I’m completely fascinated by eating disorders.  Fascinated in a car-crash type of way: I want to learn everything I can about them, I can’t look away from any literature I can find on the subject, but the entire idea of starving oneself makes me so sad and almost sick to my stomach.  So when I was approached about reviewing Hungry, I absolutely jumped at the chance.

This book is different from most eating disorder memoirs (and trust me, there are a LOT out there, some better and more interesting than others) in the fact that it’s mostly the story of the anorexic’s mother, Sheila.  Lisa, the girl who suffers from anorexia, did co-write the book, but the memoir is much more Sheila’s than her daughter’s.  And I have to say that it was quite interesting to read about anorexia from a mother’s point of view.  No parent wants to see their child hurt or suffering in any way, and this feeling must be compounded by about a billion when it’s your child who is actually doing the harm to him/herself.  Hungry perfectly illuminated this feeling – Sheila had to watch while her daughter starved herself for years, and she was completely unable to do anything that would help Lisa get better.

I definitely appreciated that Lisa had a voice in this memoir, too, because it was very interesting to read about certain periods of her life from Sheila’s point of view, then read right away how Lisa experienced those same situations.  At the time of the book’s publishing, it was said that Lisa was in recovery from her eating disorder, and it was made clear that she is not “recovered” fully – she stated that she absolutely still has food issues, and has to make a conscious effort to not go back to disordered eating.  I liked that she was so candid about her disorder; I think it is a help for women and girls who struggle with food issues to know that even someone who is “recovered” has to really work at being healthy.  The disorder doesn’t just go away, it’s something that it is always a part of life if you have it, and I am glad that Lisa Himmel made this very clear in the book.

Hungry has a lot going for it.  It is a super honest portrayal of one family’s experience with an eating disorder, and because of its truth there is are a lot of heartwarming and funny moments in this book.  It’s not all doom and gloom, the Himmels seem like an extremely close and loving family and that really shows through in the book.  I enjoyed this memoir and I finished it feeling close to Lisa and Sheila, and hoping for Lisa to get better and stay better – from what she wrote, it sounds like that is finally happening for her.

BBAW is coming!

I can’t believe it, but Book Blogger Appreciation Week is almost here!  Last year I didn’t participate in this amazing event (I have no idea why, actually, I think I just forgot to sign up and then by the time I remembered it was too late.  That happens to me a lot, unfortunately), but this year I’m super excited for it and I am thinking I may even throw in a giveaway that week.

This week I was beyond thrilled to find TWO emails in my inbox letting me know that I was nominated for BBAW awards.  The two I was nominated for were Most Eclectic Taste and Best Reviews.  I was so unbelievably shocked and humbled to find that someone – one of YOU – was kind enough to nominate me for these, I just have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I just now finished going through my blog to choose the posts I wanted to submit to the panels so they can decide which blogs move on to the next round.  Of course, I’d love to be considered in either of these categories, but truthfully just my name being mentioned is a huge honor.

I hope that each and every one of you gets to enjoy some part of BBAW.  Amy and the rest of the crew working on the event have been working super hard to get everything put together for us all to enjoy, and I know the week is going to be amazing.  I’m so excited!

Bread Alone by Judith Ryan Hendricks

Title:  Bread Alone

Author:  Judith Ryan Hendricks

Published:  May 28, 2002

Page Count:  368

Genre:  Women’s Fiction

My Rating:  4/5

The life of 31-year-old trophy wife Wynter Morrison suddenly changes course when her husband announces one evening that their marriage is over. Emotionally devastated and desperate for a change of scenery, Wyn moves to Seattle where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery, sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of her long-ago apprenticeship at a French boulangerie, and when offered a position at the bakery, Wyn quickly accepts — hoping that the rituals of baking will help her move on.

Working long hours among the bakery’s cluster of eclectic women — Linda, the irascible bread baker; earth mother Ellen and her partner Diane; and Tyler, the blue-haired barista — Wyn awakens to the truths that she missed while living the good life in Hancock Park.

Soon Wyn discovers that making bread possesses an unexpected and wondrous healing power, helping her to rediscover that nothing stays the same… bread rises, pain fades, the heart heals, and the future beckons.

So a few months ago I read a book called The Laws of Harmony, by Judith Ryan Hendricks, an author I was completely unfamiliar with at the time, and just raved about it.  The book took me by surprise – I had no idea it would be as wonderful as it was, and I was just so happy to have been able to discover the book.  Needless to say, I’ve been itching to get my hands on some of Hendricks’ other books ever since.  Which is why, when I was notified by my library that Bread Alone was finally available (they have like two copies in my entire library district) I rushed right out to pick it up, then came home and cracked it open right away.  And I must say – I was pretty impressed by what I found inside.

I’m going to be honest when I say that I didn’t love Bread Alone like I loved The Laws of Harmony. I did, however, really enjoy Bread Alone and found it to be a solid debut novel by Hendricks.  Hendricks has this amazing ability to create entire communities for the reader to feel – I felt so entwined in Wyn’s new life, I felt like I was experiencing this town and its people with her, the author just did such a wonderful job showing me what Wyn’s life was like.  Hendricks created this same effect in The Laws of Harmony, and I was thrilled to feel that same sense of place with Bread Alone as well.

I also really enjoyed the characters of this novel.  At first, I was annoyed by Wyn – she was kind of spoiled, and when her marriage dissolved (which, by the way, she wasn’t even happy with when they were together), she just spent so much time and energy feeling sorry for herself –  I initially had a really hard time with her.  But when she started to do things on her own and find her true inner peace at the bakery, I started to understand her and care about her.  By the end of the novel, I felt a lot closer to Wyn and truly was happy with how the book ended in terms of where her character was at.  It’s the mark of a good storyteller that Hendricks made me feel this way – she wrote Wyn so well, I felt like I was reading about a real person.

I was pretty happy with the way the book ended – no cliffhangers, exactly, just an ending that made me glad there is a sequel.  And you better believe I’ll be putting the sequel, The Baker’s Apprentice, on hold at my library too!

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

Jesus Land

Julia Scheeres

September 6, 2005

384 pages

Nonfiction, Memoir

My rating: 4 out of 5

Sinners go to: HELL. Rightchuss go to: HEAVEN. The end is neer: REPENT. This here is: JESUS LAND.

Julia Scheeres stumbles across these signs along the side of a cornfield while out biking with her adopted brother, David. It’s the mid-1980s, they’re sixteen years old and have just moved to rural Indiana, a landscape of cottonwood trees and trailer parks-and a racism neither of them is prepared for. While Julia is white, her close relationship with David, who is black, makes them both outcasts. At home, a distant mother-more involved with her church’s missionaries than with her own children-and a violent father only compound their problems. When the day comes that high-school hormones, bullying, and a deep-seated restlessness prove too much to bear, the parents send Julia and David to the Dominican Republic-to a reform school there.

In this riveting memoir, first-time author Scheeres takes us with her from the Midwest to a place beyond our imagining. Surrounded by natural beauty, the Escuela Caribe is governed by a disciplinary regime that demands its teens repent for their sins under boot-camp conditions. Julia and David’s determination to make it through with heart and soul intact is told here with immediacy, candor, sparkling humor, and not a note of malice.

I’d been meaning to read this book for a long time when I finally picked it up off my TBR shelves.  I don’t know what made me wait so long, because I had heard so many good things about the book, and it was a 2006 Alex Award Winner (there are some fabulous books on the Alex Award lists).  Well, I’m glad I finally got around to Jesus Land, because it was a darn good memoir and I’m glad I gave myself the chance to read and enjoy it.

This book isn’t the easiest to read.  Julia and David had a harsh childhood – their parents were at worst physically and emotionally abusive and at best cold and unloving.  Julia had to deal with her brother Jerome’s sexual advances and molestation from a young age, and the two of them both had to deal with blatantly cruel racism in a time when David and Jerome were the only black people living in their town.  Not only that, but their wealthy parents lived an incredibly frugal lifestyle, one that had them eating “garbage soup” on a weekly basis and wearing ratty hand-me-downs at an age when what you wear is more important than who you are.

The book definitely held my interest throughout, but the early sections were somewhat less interesting to me than I expected the book to be.  It was when Julia arrived at the reform school in the Dominican Republic that the book really got interesting.  What they were subjectd to and how they were treated at that school was just incredibly sad. Jesus Land is a testament to how much a person can handle with the support of the one person in the world who loves her unconditionally.  Some parts of this book will truly break your heart, some parts will make you laugh out loud, but most of all the book made me think of my own family and feel so grateful to have them.  Because that’s what this book really is about – Julia and David’s relationship which, against all odds, flourished in this crazy reform school environment.

The ending to this memoir took my breath away.  What was hard about it for me is that I know this is a true story – to me, the ending was like something out of a novel, yet it was reality for Julia and David.  And that knowledge was really difficult for me – the book completely changed for me once I got all the way through and read the ending.  I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll stop here, but I am curious about your thoughts if you’ve read this one – how did you feel about the ending, and did it influence the way you think of Julia’s story having finished it?

Anyway, I highly recommend Jesus Land. This would actually be a great book for those of you who dislike nonfiction, because it truly does have a novelish quality to it.  Scheeres’ writing is really great, and their story could just as easily have been fiction as fact (in a good way!).  I definitely suggest giving this one a try.

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Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key

Sarah Dessen

April 22, 2008

432 pages

Young Adult Fiction

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.

That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

I’m always excited to get a Sarah Dessen novel in my hands.  I’ve enjoyed each and every one of her books, and although they are not usually perfection, they absolutely never disappoint. Lock and Key was no different – I was a huge fan of this book, the characters, the story, everything.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – Sarah Dessen writes really great characters.  Ruby was no different than Dessen’s other protagonists – she was smart, interesting, funny, and totally relatable.  I felt for her and definitely rooted for her; for things to turn out well – for her to finally have the life she deserved.  The secondary characters in Lock and Key were also very well-written; I really felt like I got to know everyone in the book so well.  I especially enjoyed Harriet (Ruby’s boss) and Nate – they were really well-developed, complex, and likable characters.  The only thing that could have been better, in my opinion, was the character of Cora.  I felt like Dessen could have done a lot more with her … I wanted to get to know her so much and I never really did.

With Lock and Key, Dessen has once again written a fantastic teen novel.  I highly recommend this one!

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