Don't Sing at the Table by Adriana Trigiani

ISBN:  9780061958946
Grade:   D

Is it gravy or marinara sauce?  

Don't Sing at the Table is the story of Adriana Trigiani's grandmothers Lucy and Viola from the time when they were just young immigrants to their last days.  The book is about the life lessons both women taught Trigiani from finances to family.  Included are black and white photos of both women throughout their lives.

Obviously from my rating, this was not one of my favorite reads.  I wanted so badly to love this book but it just fell short of my expectations.  Given the author's last name I thought there would be more of Lucy and Viola's personalities included.  The Italian Americans that I've met have been rather animated to say the least, and I'm not being stereotypical...every Italian I've known has been that way (and I should know considering I am part Italian).  Passionate about food, family, and their heritage is how I've come to know anyone of Italian descent.  While I appreciated reading about the lives of these hard working women, I felt like they were being filtered.  The nostalgic black and white photos were a phenomenal addition and probably the only thing that made me finish the book.  There is something about those old photos where no one smiled that's such a kick for me and makes me wish certain styles of eyeglasses would make a comeback (cat's eye glasses are an obsession of mine).

Overall I felt preached to in this book.  If I wanted to hear what a bad wife and woman I am because I'm not a stay-at-home-mom, yadda yadda yadda, I'd ask my own grandmother to lecture me.  Maybe I'm just too much of a feminist to enjoy this book.  I'd love to hear what you guys think!      

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

ISBN:   9780802119773
Release date:   July 5, 2011
Grade:   B+
Recommended for mystery fans, thriller fans, fans of Lisa Genova's Still Alice, those dealing with Alzheimer's.

Turn of Mind is one heck of a story and an impressive debut from Alice LaPlante.  Dr. Jennifer White is a 64 year old retired orthopedic surgeon who stands accused of murdering her best friend and neighbor Amanda.  Not only was Amanda murdered but four of her fingers were expertly amputated.  The only problem is that Dr. White has early onset dementia and doesn't remember what happened.  Her memories come from the brief snippets of time that she can remember and what has been written down in a master notebook.  This notebook is where her caregiver Magdalena, son Mark and daughter Fiona write down their conversations with Jennifer.  The story is told from the once sharp and now deteriorating mind of Dr. White and takes us along one family's journey through dementia.

At times this book was a bit unsettling as it rings so true for what a patient with dementia goes through.  The fits of anger, rage and aggression are spot on as are the moments of lucidity.  Writing this well about dementia requires medical training, personal experience or supernatural powers.  Dr. White reminded me of some of my patients in nursing school on the Alzheimer's floor.  The only thing missing was being cussed at in Polish and German which I am thoroughly grateful for.  This book is also a stellar example of how to effectively illustrate the setting without inundating the reader with frivolous details (pointing my finger at Audrey Niffenegger).  What was expertly captured was the family dynamics with having a sick parent.  The stress placed on Dr. White's children felt real as did that of Magdalena.  The suspense keeps building until the end that will surely shock.  I highly recommend this for nearly everyone.  If you loved Lisa Genova's Still Alice, then Turn of Mind will definitely be as appealing a read.  If this is Alice LaPlante's debut novel, the next books should be equally as compelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove/Atlantic for my advanced copy!

The Raising by Laura Kasischke

ISBN:   9780062004789
Grade:   D

The Raising is a novel with such potential to be a dark and chilling ghost story.  A year ago there was a tragic car accident that left college freshman Nicole Werner dead.  Her boyfriend Craig, the car's driver, escaped unscathed.  The only witness to the accident was Shelly, a faculty member at Nicole's college.  Shelly called 911 and soon discovered that the accident she witnessed was not what was printed in the papers.  Craig's roommate Perry thinks that something fishy is going on with the sorority and the school and together with Mira, a professor of death folklore, set out to find the truth about what really happened to Nicole Werner.

I really wanted to love this book as the description hooked me and it is from Harper, one of my favorite publishers, not to mention there is a character named after yours truly minus an extra e.  My problem with the book was that it felt like a rough draft in need of some editing.  Shelly should have been introduced as a lesbian either from the get go or not at all.  The fact that we learn quite a bit about her and then boom she's a lesbian felt like an afterthought.  The continuity of the book felt choppy to me, like it was written without using an outline.  The transitions between all the characters seemed a bit abrupt and at times added unneeded confusion to the plot.  The story took some time to develop, something like 250 pages before the plot really got rolling.  That being said, there were two fantastic parts of the book.  The impeccably researched bits of info about all kinds of death folklore were so much fun to google.  The ending was also near perfection and made me wish the rest of the book was written that well.

Would I recommend this book...possibly to those who want the creepy ghost/zombie/vampire details and don't mind that the story is just okay.   


Thanks NetGalley and Harper for my copy.

The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott

ISBN:   9780385534420
Grade:   C-
Release date:   June 7, 2011 (already available in England)

The Upright Piano Player is the first novel from David Abbott which makes it's US debut early this summer.  The book opens with a gruesome day in the life of Henry Cage and then we get to read in reverse about his life prior.  He is retiring from a white collar executive job, finds out his ex-wife is terminally ill with cancer and his relationship with his son barely exists.  While he is out for a New Years holiday, he becomes the victim of a violent attack.  His attacker then turns into his stalker while we get to read about a whole slew of side characters.  The side characters at times were confusing as they seemed to be inserted randomly into the story and had me flipping back to remember what was happening.
 

What a strange little book this was.  The beginning chapter was excellent, the middle was a challenge to care about and the ending was just meh.  I think there could have been quiet a few passages omitted as they didn't add anything to the story and I kept wondering why they were included.  Not to mention a rather disgusting event involving a dog and a masonry nail that almost had me pulling the bookmark in disgust.  That scene was even more gruesome than the beginning and very nearly turned my stomach which is saying a lot since I've read tons of Joyce Carol Oates and she doesn't write happy stories about kittens, rainbows and fields of poppies.  David Abbott can write rather well and his descriptions are excellent.  Some of my favorite parts were the mentions of various landscaping.  There's something about living vicariously through someone else's garden that just warms my soul.  The storyline on the other hand just didn’t tickle me, or maybe I should say didn't grab me.  I felt no attachment to any of the characters which is likely the author's intention, but still there should be something to keep my interest besides just wondering how in the world and when is David Abbott going to wrap up this story.   

The cover is without a doubt near perfection.  It reminds me of a Rockefeller work of art, this time reinterpreted by a watercolor artist.  Hopefully this is the final cover.

My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

ISBN:   9780373775576
Grade:   B+
Recommended for fans of chick-lit and followers of RITA awards.

Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin for my advanced read of this.  I'm officially hooked on Kristan Higgins.

So My One and Only is the first Kristan Higgins book that I've read and will definitely not be the last as I lost track of an entire workday while reading this little gem of a book.  This is a fun chick lit read that others consider romance.  Harper James is a divorce attorney, die hard Red Sox fan, and thirty something hoping to marry her boyfriend Dennis.  She was married at 21 and divorced mere months later and is quite cynical towards love and marriage and all that mushy stuff.  On the same night Harper proposes to her firefighter boyfriend man meat she gets a call from her little sister Willa saying she's getting married.  Normally that would be fantastic news but Willa has been married twice before and lucky number 3 is Harper's ex-husband's brother.  And the wedding is in two weeks...on September 11th...in a Dakota state.  After the wedding festivities, Harper's trip home hits a bit of a snag and she is left with one travel option, drive back to Martha's Vineyard with her ex-husband Nick.  The trip home is full of tension due to some unresolved feelings on both sides.  The rest of the story is tons of fun with just the right amount of humor, sadness and a little steamy romance.  Side characters are highly amusing especially a cabbage cooking Russian with a penchant for daytime soap operas.  The writing is superb as long as you're expecting a fun escapism book. 

After reading My One and Only I have to say how much I ♥ Kristan Higgins.  New to her writing, this one has me hooked and I'm eagerly awaiting a weekend where I can plow through a few more of her books.  Even though I had the ending figured out by the third chapter, this was still tons of fun to read.  Like I previously said, I lost track of an entire workday reading this.  While I am a huge chick lit fan, I'm not a fan of romance novels at all mainly because so few of them are well written and there seems to be a gross need to put an oiled and tanned beefcake on the covers.  This is just the type of book I needed to read after a particularly crazy past two months.  It was nice to turn off the neon Open sign above my brain for a day and dive into a fluff read.  Kristan Higgins writes about identifiable characters who find themselves in outrageous situations.  Realistic...from a character perspective yes, from a plot line perspective not so much.  Who would find themselves driving across half the country with their ex-husband who still makes her purr...not many.  This certainly won't win any Pulitzer prizes, maybe another RITA award and I think Kristan Higgins would be more than fine with that.  I liked that this was a fun read and grabbed my attention from the start.  Sometimes the characters grated on my nerves, but that was easily forgiven at the next plot turn.  What I loved about this book was the ending.  It was wrapped up neatly and thoroughly and didn't feel rushed.  That along with Higgins' easy to read writing style has made me a fan.

Go out and buy this book if you need a day of escapism reading especially in the bathtub with your favorite bottle of booze or on the couch with a bag of chips and some chocolate.

If any of you minions have recommendations for which Kristan Higgins books I should read next, pretty please pass them along.

Home to Woefield by Susan Juby

ISBN:   9780061995194
Grade:   C
Recommended for those who want a fluff read packed with humor.  Also to those who have dreams of living the farm life.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for sharing another great read with me.

Things I learned from reading Home to Woefield:  the gloriously hilarious word Chubnuts that I *have* to work into my daily vocabulary plus actual farm trivia about chicken breeds and radishes (although I still question radish pasta).

Home to Woefield is a story about a woman named Prudence who inherits a farm from a relative.  Prudence at her best is a flake, a good intentioned flake with a little dingbat thrown in for good measure.  She moves from Brooklyn where she tried to compost and use solar panels with comedic results to Woefield Farm in Canada where the prime crop is rocks.  She meets Earl, a cantankerous Canadian old coot who lives on the farm.  Seth, the metal-head blogger and shut-in from across the street gets kicked out of his house and moved in with Prudence.  Sara is the last major character that we meet and she's an 11 year old member of Poultry Club who moves her prized chickens to the farm.  This heap of screwball characters is a recipe for shenanigans and many belly laughs.  Woefield is a pretty pathetic farm as Prudence's uncle did not do a whole lot of farming so along with inheriting the farm, Prudence inherited the debt too.  One scheme after another is Prudence's idea for reviving the farm - from addiction treatment center to creative writing classes to bluegrass festivals. 

There's also an amorous chicken named Alec Baldwin...and a half sheared sheep named Bertie who also suffers from depression.

I lost track of exactly how many times I almost peed my pants laughing while reading.  Seth and his wise ass mouth accounted for many of the laughs while Earl and "chubnuts" came in a close second.  Susan Juby has a knack for finding the ridiculous in her characters and taking it one step further.  The story is told through the four alternating perspectives with each character chapter being a few pages long.  That works fabulously for this book where we get just enough time with each character and get to move on before they get annoying.  Too much of Prudence the dingbat, Earl the crank, Seth the booze hound, and Sara's uber excitement about her chickens could get old fast.  The antics this little gang of misfits gets into are nothing short of unpredictable.  Why the average grade you ask?  The ending just killed it for me.  I adored 95% of  the book and that last 5% had me saying out loud 'you've got to be kidding me'.  To me the ending felt rushed and didn't really resolve anything.  I wanted to know more of what happened to each of the characters and the farm and was just given a teaser ending.  While that type of ending may work for certain titles, this was not one of them.  Had the ending been better this would have been a solid B+ read. 

All that being said, I am curious enough about Susan Juby to read more.  How I haven't read any other books of hers is a mystery especially since she's known as a YA author and I'm living my second childhood.  High fiction this certainly is not, especially since I cannot remember any "classic" or anything in the literary fiction genre which has a character nicknamed Chubnuts.  This was fantastic escapism that you could probably finish in a day or two.  If you're looking for some hearty bouts of laughter and you don't mind a little foul language, this is your book.  If you're anything like me and dream of packing it up and leaving the suburbs for the country, this is your book.   

Susan Juby, please, please, pretty please write a sequel to Home to Woefield!  And could the sequel include pigs in the story?   

Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt

ISBN:   9781400069408
Grade:  F

Mr. Chartwell is the debut novel from Rebecca Hunt with a creative concept that unfortunately fell flat for me.  Ester Hammerhans is a recently widowed librarian looking to rent out a room in her house who is connected to Winston Churchill on the eve of his retirement through a large black dog.  This walking talking dog named Mr Chartwell is also known as Black Pat, symbolizes depression and has come to rent the room from Ester for a large sum of cash.  Creative idea for a book isn't it?

There's not much for me to say about the plot of Mr Chartwell as not much of the book stuck with me.  The cover gave me high hopes as did the publisher's description, but the meat in between the covers bored me to be quite honest.  The idea for the book was so fascinating and I'm a sucker for any book with a dog as a main character.  This one I had to force myself to finish as only the character of Mr. Chartwell only mildly had my interest.  Ester was so 2 dimensional and flat to me that I never cared much about her.  The writing was drab and not my taste.

Anyone who is interested in reading this for themselves is more than welcome to my copy.  My copy is an ARC edition provided to me by the publisher.  Email me at shelleythebooksnob at gmail.com with your info and I'll send you my copy.  Hopefully someone else enjoys this more than I did.    

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

ISBN:   9780547152608

Release Date:  April 5, 2011
Grade:  A+ Recommended for: anyone who is a fan of YA lit, anyone who follows the Newbery awards, fans of The Wednesday Wars. Doug Swieteck is a bummed out 8th grader whose family is uprooted from Long Island to a small town near the Catskills after his father is fired from his job in 1968.  Doug is the youngest of 3 boys, his eldest brother Lucas is serving in Vietnam and his other brother Chris is full of anger and quite the bully.  Doug's dad is a jerk, plain and simple, as he rules the house with his fists - the same fists that got him fired from his Long Island job.  Doug's mom tries her best but cannot control the violent temper of her husband.  Doug meets Lil Spicer, the daughter of the town's deli owner and the two become good friends.  Since the teachers at school think of Doug as a thug thanks to his brother's alleged shenanigans, Doug finds solace in the town's library where he finds Audobon's book of birds.  Lucas returns from Vietnam with his face and eyes burned and his legs amputated at the knees and dad and his sidekick Ernie Eco wreck havoc on the town.  What unravels at the end proves how despicable Doug's dad and Ernie Eco are and will have you thanking you lucky stars that you (hopefully) didn't have a dad like Doug's.  Okay For Now is a touching coming of age story with heart and those who have read The Wednesday Wars will recognize a few characters. Obviously from my rating I loved this book.  The cover is fantastic and I fully admit to judging books by their covers.  The cover sets the tone for Doug's attitude throughout most of the story.  From the start the book captured my attention and it never dwindled.  The Audobon bird plates were expertly woven into the story and added so much emotion.  If ever there was a book deserving of a Newbery award, Okay For Now is that book.  Gary Schmidt is a wonderful YA writer who makes you forget that you're reading a YA book.  He transports the reader into their childhood with themes that are easily identifiable.  Even if you were not around in the 60s, there are common themes in the war in Iraq that generate almost as much contempt as Vietnam.  At some point most of us have felt like an outsider and could easily see ourselves in Doug's shoes.  There is just the right amount of humor and sadness and eccentric characters to keep the reader turning pages at a voracious pace.  There is not one other YA title that I would recommend nearly as much as Okay For Now.  Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this book, it's a must read and I dare you to come up with a better YA title for 2011. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers and Clarion Books for my advance read of Okay For Now which is sure to be a Newbery winner. Read an excerpt for yourselves here.

Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America by Les Standiford and Det Sgt Joe Matthews

ISBN:   9780547152608
Grade:   A+
Recommended for: fans of In Cold Blood, true crime fans, anyone who remembers the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh

Thank you to Ecco Books and NetGalley for my advance read of Bringing Adam Home.


Bringing Adam Home is an eye opening account of what happened and did not happen during the investigation of the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh.  If you were around in the 1980s you certainly remember the Adam Walsh case and remember the impact it had on the country.  Everything started at a Sears store in Hollywood, Florida where Adam and his mother made a quick stop to buy a lamp.  While his mother looked for the lamp, Adam went over to the video game section and started playing one of the display games.  There was an argument between Adam and a few other kids which resulted in the Sears security guard asking the kids to leave the store.  So Adam waited for his mom outside when the world’s most repulsive skeeve Ottis Toole approached him and led Adam into his car.  Toole used Adam as his punching bag and later decapitated him and threw his head into a drainage canal.

The investigation into Adam’s murder went wrong in every way possible. The Hollywoood PD could not have been more disorganized and the detectives assigned to the case were the poorest excuses for police officers.  This crime happened in the early days of DNA testing and long before Amber alerts and a national database for missing persons.  Detective Joe Matthews was on loan from a Miami PD and was the only cop who was determined to solve this case.  What unravels is nearly 25 years of police incompetence, police that looked out for their fellow officers no matter how much they screwed up and finally due to Matthews’ unrelenting diligence, a resolution to the case.

This book is so compulsively readable that once you start reading it becomes difficult to put down.  There are no lulls in the story despite the amount of time that it encompasses.  Ottis Toole is the vilest of the world’s skeeves and is described so well that you can’t help but imagine the stink of beer and onions that emanated from Toole.  What floored me most about this book was the apathy of the Hollywood PD detectives to close Adam’s case.  It had me wondering why, were none of these police officers parents and wouldn’t they want closure if it were their child instead of Adam.  More so, how could you sleep at night knowing that you’re not doing your best to give John and Reve Walsh closure that their son did not die in vain.  The long line of negligent cops is redeemed by Joe Matthews who was the only one within the police who wanted to know who killed Adam.  The actions of Matthews brought smiles and tears to my face as I was reading silently cheering him on.  The Walsh family should be applauded for their efforts to change the way law enforcement investigates missing persons.  Many children have been safely returned home to their families thanks to the legislature that the Walshes were instrumental in bringing to life.  While Toole may not have been formally charged in the murder of Adam Walsh, there is no doubt that he was the killer.

Bravo to Ecco Books for publishing yet another amazing book this year. This book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves a true crime fan and for those who enjoyed In Cold Blood. Bringing Adam Home is a topnotch novel that will have you glued to its pages. If you remember anything about this case, you need to read this book, and even if you’re not familiar with the case you still need to read the book. I highly recommend Bringing Adam Home as a must read of 2011.

  

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

ISBN:   9781442409057
Release Date:   March 22, 2011
Grade:   B+
Recommended for fans of YA series, fans of The Handmaid's Tale 


Thanks to the good folks at Simon & Schuster and Atria Books for my ARC.  No book before this was devoured by my book club and raved about as passionately as this debut effort from Lauren DeStefano.

Wither is the first installment in a YA dystopian trilogy set a hundred years or so in the future.  The book starts off with a bang throwing the reader right into the action while filling in pertinent background info as the pages turn.  We learn that there is a generation of super humans who are genetically perfect and cured of all tragic diseases.  This generation having their genes modified so much have gone on to produce children with seriously diminished lifespans due to a virus that they are not immune to.  The virus that affects the modern generation that causes girls to die at 20 years old and boys at 25.  This is causing young girls to be kidnapped by a group of people called Gatherers whose sole mission is to round up young girls to sell as teen brides to produce offspring to be used as test subjects to find a cure for the virus.  Rhine Ellery is kidnapped by these Gatherers and taken from Manhattan to somewhere in Florida where she is sold to a high society family as a bride.  Rhine shares a husband with three other young girls and is doted upon by her personal servant, one who runs luxurious baths and sews exquisite clothing for any occasion.  Rhine is resistant to this new lifestyle and dreams of escaping to be reunited with her twin brother.  We get to see the dynamics of sisterhood amongst the three wives throughout their unique relationships with their shared husband.  About a year goes by in this book where Rhine together with a servant named Gabriel plans her escape to freedom with the help of the eldest sister wife.

My first impression of the book was that it had better live up to its cover which has a young girl dressed in a fancy getup wearing what I know to be a shade of Urban Decay eyeshadow and a forlorn expression on her face.  My second thought was that this was going to be another YA book series that would become my latest reading addiction.  While I was not a fan of the way the book started by throwing the reader into the thick of the action, things quickly picked up within 50 pages.  From there it was hard to put the book down as I had an idea of what I thought would happen and wanted to find out if I was right.  In the beginning I thought that this book would introduce us to Rhine and she'd get pregnant and book 2 would be about the baby while book 3 would be about her death.  Suffice it to say that my assumption was totally wrong.  While this book may have been inspired by Margaret Atwood's dystopia The Handmaid's Tale, there are similarities but Wither is its own story geared towards the teen market.  That being said I think this series will definitely appeal to adults particularly Atwood fans.  What surprised me most was the fact that this is a book written by a debut author who is only 26!  The storyline is addicting and there is just enough darkness and mystery to keep you turning page after page wondering where it would go next.  Now I'm waiting with bated breath for the second and third installments of this trilogy.  My prediction is that this series is going to be huge, like Twilight huge, only a million times better written.  So if you're a fan of sci-fi, dystopias, YA or Margaret Atwood, give this book a try and I'm sure you'll be a fan.


Read an excerpt here.

Queens of All the Earth by Hannah Sternberg

ISBN:   97816108801900
Grade:   C+
Release Date:   June 15, 2011

Thanks NetGalley for my advanced read of this book!

Queens of All the Earth is the debut novel from Hannah Sternburg that takes its title from a gorgeous E.E. Cummings poem.  This is a story about a Cornell freshman named Olivia who has a complete mental breakdown upon starting college and finds herself in a catatonic state for some time.  Once Olivia starts to come around, her older sister Miranda thinks that a vacation is in order to help ease Olivia back into reality.  The two sisters take off on a European vacation to Spain to see Barcelona.  Once they arrive Miranda realizes that there has been a mistake with their reservation at a hostel and a hodgepodge of characters enter the story like a Baptist minister and his lost soul son.  This book is a pretty portrait of Barcelona scenery and gives a good look into what one might experience traveling abroad and especially staying in a hostel.  Queens of All the Earth is a coming of age story with a touch of mental illness thrown in and set in the lovely background of Barcelona.

I wanted to love this book from the NetGalley description and the GoodReads description but ended up just liking the story.  My issue was that I wanted more of an ending and felt that the one we are given was a bit too brief.  I wanted more closure between certain characters.  What I did really love about the story is the prose and the descriptions of various places in Barcelona that made me feel as if I were seeing these sights myself.  The book is rather short, clocking in at under 200 pages and likely will be finished in one sitting.  Once this book is released in June I will definitely give this a second read to see if the second time around is better.  Hannah Sternberg is an author that I will most definitely read again as I enjoy her style of writing.  Overall this book is escapism at its finest and perfect for those who want to go to Spain via a novel for a few hours.  

A Widow's Story: A Memoir by Joyce Carol Oates

ISBN:   9780062015532
Grade:  B-

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance read of this book!

The much anticipated memoir by Joyce Carol Oates is an unflinchingly honest look into her life as a widow and the writer many of us have come to love.  True to her short stories and fiction, A Widow’s Story has the same profound descriptive and sometimes harsh style of writing that she’s known for whether you love it or hate it.  If you’ve read anything JCO you probably have an idea of what she’s really like and reading her memoir will likely confirm those thoughts.  A Widow’s Story is the story of JCO in the months after her husband Raymond Smith’s untimely passing due to pneumonia and a story about the man behind the author. She and Ray had spent nearly 50 years together and both are well known names in the literary world.  The pair had started the Ontario Review which has helped further the careers of quite a few authors, not to mention all the JCO books and her teaching at Princeton.  What follows is a handbook of sorts pertaining to all the tedious “death duties” following the passing of one’s spouse and gives us an intimate look into her email correspondence.

The memoir starts off with JCO receiving a note on her windshield stating “learn to park you stuppid bitch” which feels so ironic that the person who left that note has no clue of the recipient’s identity.  The note was left in response to a haphazard parking job after taking Ray to the ER for respiratory symptoms.  Ray is diagnosed with pneumonia with E Coli in the lungs, a diagnosis that carries a 70% mortality rate.  Ray appears to be on the mend until a secondary infection on unknown origin takes over the other lung and ultimately kills Ray.  This takes JCO from our beloved author to being a regular person.  She deals with things in the hospital like a CNA from hell and the revolving door of medical personnel and goes home to a pair of cats.  She also reads, although not in bed and not titles that the every day reader would read like Ulysses.  Returning home after Ray’s passing, the house goes into an immediate shift with her two cats Cherie and Reynard (stars themselves in two children’s books) blaming her for Ray not being home when it really is the hospital’s fault for Ray catching the secondary infection.  This begins the journey through widowhood and trying desperately to pick up the pieces.

Normally I love JCO and have been an avid fan since discovering her in high school, but this book didn’t wow me like some of her fiction.  The book itself is well written and has its share of touching moments yet there was a certain coldness that didn’t endear the book to me.  From reading her fiction I had an idea in my mind of what JCO is like which included being peculiar and highly articulate and those were confirmed traits. The coldness was unexpected to me and for some reason I thought her to be a warmer person who just so happens to write about utterly horrific events in her fiction.  There are toucning moments in the memoir including JCO wondering what Ray’s last thoughts and words were as he died alone surrounded by strangers.  The second part that had me tearing up was the dream with her young parents and not wanting them to know that Ray was in the hospital.  The passing of her cat Reynard had me in tears as he like Ray died alone yet will be forever remembered in his book Where Is Little Reynard. Finally the last message Ray left for JCO saying love to her and his kitties.

This as a whole is a lovely look into the life of Raymond Smith that is new to many of us, a portrait of Ray as an avid gardener, the man who brought home two little motherless kittens from the pound and the man who never read any JCO fiction. This is also proof that the prolific powerhouse of literary fiction is human and grieves like any regular person would grieve. The 400+ pages make for a dense read but well worth it for the devoted JCO fan.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

ISBN:   1439102724

Release date:   March 1, 2011

Grade:   B+

Thank you to the fantastic folks at Atria Books and Simon & Schuster for my ARC of Sing You Home! 

Going into this book I had my expectations set mighty low since the last Picoult book I read was My Sister's Keeper and I thought that was an abomination.  Sing You Home is different, it was quite readable and enjoyable and I didn't throw it across the room after finishing.

Sing You Home is a story about infertility, gay parenting rights and religion.  We meet Zoe Baxter a music therapist and her landscaper husband Max who want more than anything to have a child.  Both Zoe and Max have infertility issues unfortunately all to common like PCOS and have to deal with miscarriage after miscarriage after IVF cycles.  This seemingly endless struggle takes its toll on their marriage as most couples dealing with infertility can attest to both financially and emotionally.  After their last stillbirth Max has reached his breaking point and divorces Zoe who then finds solace in a woman named Vanessa, while Max finds it in booze and later church.  Zoe and Vanessa start off as friends and then Zoe realizes that she cannot live completely without Vanessa and they evolve into a lesbian couple.  When Max, now heavily into religion as a member of a very conservative church, is approached by Zoe to give his permission for her to use their frozen embryos a battle for custody begins and we get to meet some rather unsavory characters.  We get to see the hypocritical side of some religious zealots who cannot point their fingers at other sinners fast enough while sweeping their own sins under the rug. 

Maybe it's because this subject is so near and dear to my heart, or maybe it's something else but this story touched me deeply.  I felt for Zoe and have been there myself wanting something so badly that others get to experience effortlessly.  Her emotions were spot on and in particular her hoping Sirens at the bottom of the sea take her little boy home to sing him home, just melted my heart.  Picoult must have done some excellent research to nail these emotions down as Zoe felt like a fully developed character as did Vanessa and Max.  She showed the ugly side of IVF - the expenses financially and emotionally from having all sorts of hormone injections that insurance almost never covers.  The uber conservative church grated on every nerve as I have some people close to me who happen to be gay and it disgusts me every time I hear some religious loudmouth spouting off hate towards gays.

Most importantly, Picoult got the ending right if not perfect. I will not spoil it for those who have not yet read it, but what the ending does not do is pull any fast punches that leave the reader groaning and wondering why Picoult thought that twist to be necessary.  The ending had me cheering and I closed the book with a smile on my face and a satisfied feeling.  Literary fiction this is not, but Sing You Home is a marvelous effort by Picoult that has me thinking I might read more of her titles.

This book comes with a cd of songs written by Picoult which tie in to each section of the story, or at least the advance edition includes the cd.  This should be a hit with Picoult's army of fans and it would make a good selection for bookclubs.  I highly recommend Sing You Home and cannot wait to hear what the rest of you think of this book.     
                

Elephant Talk: The Surprising Science of Elephant Communication by Ann Downer

ISBN:  9780761357667
Publication Date:   March 1, 2011

Grade:   A

Recommended to all fans of Dumbo and those who enjoy nonfiction and science.

Thanks to the good folks at Net Galley and Lerner Publishing for the advance read of Elephant Talk.  While Net Galley has this tagged as a YA nonfiction book, this definitely has adult appeal.  Elephant Talk is packed full of gorgeous photographs and equally packed full of information.  This book would have come in super handy during my high school speech class and freshman college biology class.  The cover grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it and of course I cannot pass up a book about animals, wild or domesticated.  How well this book would look on an e-reader, I don't know as it is books like this that make reading a traditional bound book so much fun.   

What I loved besides the stunning pictures of some of the cutest wild animals was the amount of information that was included in the book, and that the writing was not dumbed down for a younger audience.  There was info that was new to me like the genetic differences between elephants previously thought to be the same species.  We learn about African elephants both the Savannah and Forest Elephant species and their differences not only genetically but also in the color of their tusks.  In my ignorance I had just assumed that those elephants with pink tusks had rubbed on something, not that their tusks turn pink because of the minerals in the mud that they consume.  The feminist in me loved learning that elephant herds are led by females while the herbalist in me thoroughly enjoyed the info about using certain plants as natural antacids.  We also learn that social animals live longer and have larger brains than other more reclusive animals.  What was very briefly touched upon that I wish had gone into more depth was the grieving process of elephants.  I had seen this on the Animal Planet or National Geographic channel previously and found it quite touching.  When a member of the herd dies, the other members will stand by in a vigil of sorts and pay their respects by touching the recently deceased.  This book mentions elephants touching the bones of fallen ones, related or not.

Trunks are discussed in some depth pertaining to their enormous musculature, more than humans have in our entire bodies.  Elephant handshakes , trunk wrestling and trunk spanking were discussed.  New to me was the fact that baby elephants sometimes suck their trunks much like human babies suck their thumbs.  Information that was really detailed was that of infrasonic sounds which could have been its own book.  Prior to reading this book, I did not know that elephants used this type of sound to communicate with each other.  What is most importantly discussed is how humans are directly responsible for the decrease in elephant population from habitat destruction to poaching.  

Overall this book was fabulous and taught me quite a few new things about those fascinating pachyderms known as elephants from the history and evolution to their genetic differences and social norms.  There were sections I wish were more elaborate and others that could be their own books, but the photography more than makes up for any flaw.   At the end of the book, lots of wonderful links are provided for more info on what we can do to help the elephant population and links for further research.  There is a sentence early on that says elephants are built to learn and we are just scratching the surface of the ways in which they communicate.  Here's hoping for many more books like this to come.  What is abundantly clear is that elephants are highly intelligent animals.     

Author blog:   http://anndowner.blogspot.com/        also   http://anndowner.wordpress.com/


Buy the book   https://www.lernerbooks.com/products/t/11278/9780761357667/elephant-talk
 

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson

ISBN:   9780312659264

Grade:   C+

The Miles Between has been on my to read list for quite some time ever since my librarian friend Lissa recommended Mary Pearson's first novel The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  This book is a quick read and though it is a YA book, the language isn't too juvenile.  The story is about a girl named Destiny who has bounced from boarding school to boarding school one after another after being estranged from her family.  One day at school Destiny finds a car with keys in the ignition and recruits three of her friends to go on a little road trip with her.  Destiny just wants one day to be fair, one day where the good guys win since she has not had the best of luck in the past.  The four friends take off for a town called Langdon, Destiny's hometown with its fair share of magic and mystery.  On the way there the foursome play a game of revealing secrets which leads up to a mighty big one from Destiny at the end of their day. 

The reason I didn't give this book a higher grade is that the beginning was a little to slow and didn't really draw me into the plot.  I stuck with the book because it was a YA title and because of the glowing recommendation from my Lissa.  Thankfully about two-thirds into the book things started getting really good and the ending was fantastic, so that upped the rating.  What I really liked was that Pearson hinted at what was to come and had I been paying closer attention would have picked up on the subtle clues.  If you're a fan of good YA novels, I would recommend The Miles Between.  

  

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

ISBN:  9780778328797

Grade:   A

Recommended for:  mainly women, although some guys would enjoy this book, anyone dealing with infertility and adoption, and most definitely book clubs.    

Well 2011 is off to a bang in terms of some really fantastic books.  These Things Hidden is a fine sophomore effort from Heather Gudenkauf.  I've been itching to read this since seeing an ad banner for it some time ago and thanks to NetGalley, I got my hands on an e-version.  Anyone thinking that their family has secrets has nothing on the Glenn family of this book.  

The story here starts with a girl named Allison who at age 16 commits a horrifying crime and finds herself imprisoned and sent to a halfway house for women.  The story is set in small town Iowa, yet it's a story that could happen anywhere.  It might be easier to break these women down to help explain the storyline and not give away any spoilers.  The story is told from four alternating viewpoints, the women listed below and their connection to each other via a little boy named Joshua.

Allison Glenn was the perfect teenager, smart and athletic, never got into trouble, a good soldier if you will.  Allison meets an older guy and quickly falls in love with him.  She finds herself in a situation that happens in every high school, except her actions lead her to serving 5 years in prison and then a halfway house. 

Brynn is Allison's younger sister who went from a near twin-like relationship to living in the shadows of Allison.  Brynn and her sister could not be more opposite with Brynn being the meek one to Allison's outgoing All American Girl type.  After Allison is sent to prison, Brynn becomes a pariah, being whispered about and stared at by classmates.  Brynn tries to lead as normal of a life as possible, quickly realizes its impossibility and leaves town to live with a relative.  As a result of all the trauma Brynn finds solace in animals and devotes herself to her newly adopted pets and schoolwork.

Next up is Claire Kelby, a bookstore owner and adoptive mother to Joshua.  We learn about her struggles to have children of her own and the experience she and her husband had as foster parents.

Charm Tullia is a girl Brynn's age who is taking care of her cancer stricken stepfather while distancing herself from her lousy mother and estranged brother.  We meet Charm as a nursing student when she frequents Claire's bookstore and hides in the self help section.

These Things Hidden takes a little while for the connection between the four women, and Allison's crime to be revealed, but well worth the wait.  Told in alternating viewpoints, each woman has her own chapter so we get the building blocks of who they are and where they fit into the story.  When the crime is finally revealed it hits you like a stab in the gut.  It is a crime so horrifying and disgusting it's almost too much.  Then the connection between these four women and Joshua is revealed and I found myself shocked again.  Without realizing it I was holding my breath in certain sections bracing myself for what was to come because there are quite a few sections that almost knock the wind out of the reader.

The ending was neatly wrapped up in a way that could not have been more fitting and without pulling any fast ones or usurping reader's emotions.  Heather Gudenkauf tackles a subject matter so dark and harrowing and writes with grace.  She has written quite the gripping page turner, one that could easily be finished in a sitting or two.  For those who read The Weight of Silence I'm sure you will like this book too, and possibly even more than her debut.  This book comes highly recommended, so read it and pass along your thoughts and opinions.

Ragdolls Are The Best! by Elaine Landau

ISBN:   9780761364283

Grade:   C+ / B-

Cover image will be posted when it has been finalied.  Publishing date set for February 1st.

Ragdolls Are The Best! is a cute kids book about Ragdoll cats, quite possibly the cutest cat breed out there.  Granted my opinion is biased as my first cat was a Ragdoll and the best cat ever as well as the most handsome guy ever.  Basic info about the breed including the history is included but could have included more.  Life span and known genetic health issues were not covered.  Maybe my Ragdoll came from a bad litter, but I only got 8 years with my cat due to genetic heart issues and his brother only made it to 7 years due to kidney problems.  Rescue information was included, much to my surprise as many books like this are obviously pro breeder.  The best part was all the pictures of the adorable balls of fur.  Ragdoll owners past and present can attest to this breed's personality as loving lap cats with beautiful blue eyes and some quirky antics.  What could have been added to the list of must have supplies for bringing your Ragdoll home were toys.  How could cat toys have been omitted?!

My experience with Ragdolls started when I visited my aunt who was the proud mommy of 2 Ragdoll boys who were the most friendly cats I had ever met.  I fell in love and shortly after got my very own 6 month old Ragdoll kitten.  He was quite wacky as a little guy, he'd hide behind things like the tv and couch and pounce on our ankles as we walked past him.  He also loved to fetch balls of paper and aluminum foil.  After his kitten stage he grew into a very affectionate lap cat who loved getting under your blanket and keeping you warm.  I remember my guy coming to bed with me and kneading my neck until he fell asleep.  The best quirk about my Ragdoll was that he loved to sit under lampshades and "recharge" himself under the hot lightbulb.  I'll have to dig up a picture of him doing that and post it, it's too cute for words.

Overall, as a kids book this is a decent one for teaching little ones about Ragdoll cats.  There could have been more info included without going over kids' heads.  The pictures make up for that though and if you haven't heard of Ragdolls, look them up to see the cuteness for yourself.

You can buy the book here.  There are also other books starring different breeds of cats if Ragdolls are not your fancy.

A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill

ISBN:   9780984325658


Grade:   A+


A Dog Named Slugger should be read with a few boxes of tissues and a warm furry companion.  Slugger's story and Leigh's story will warm even the coldest most callous hearts and will stay with you long after the book has been read.  This is a tribute fit for a king who devoted his life selflessly to a woman in need.  

A Dog Named Slugger is the story of a woman named Leigh who has Cerebral Palsy and her first service dog Slugger.  Leigh's CP makes daily activities challenging, she drops things a lot and falls down lots.  Walking is challenging as well.  Everyday things that most of us don't even think about.  As a child Leigh was taught to keep her disability a secret and try to blend in with the rest of the kids at school.  She is singled out by her fellow classmates as a cripple that no one wants anything to do with.  She endures doctor appointment after doctor appointment and numerous surgeries with those doctors and nurses talking at her, about her and down to her instead of talking to Leigh as a regular person.  After a particularly callous college professor chastises Leigh for being 15 minutes late to class after she took a tumble and struggled to pick herself and her things up, she realizes that she needs help.  Thus begins her search for a service dog who will forever change her life.   

This is a story that everyone should be able to relate to because at some point in all our lives we were a little different from the norm and treated differently because of that difference.  Leigh compares herself to barn kittens being terrified of being discovered, and that can resonate true for many others.  She also begs God for the right answer.  She felt like a circus freak when people would stare at her because she was different.  These are feeling that most of us have had at some  point in our lives.  Maybe not due to a disability, but whatever the difference was we've all tried to hide it and blend in as normal. 

Upon meeting Slugger, one of the questions Leigh had was would Slugger like her.  Being a proud mom to a larger than life yellow Lab mix, I can attest to the fact that a Labrador heart is filled with nothing but love and goodness as Slugger comes to teach us readers.  We also learn about just how much time and hard work goes into training service dogs...2 years to train a puppy!  When Leigh describes Slugger as the color of sunshine, we know that she is in the presence of something great and was destined to be partnered with Slugger.  Leigh needed Slugger just as much as Slugger needed Leigh to tell his story as his story is one of greatness and selflessness that needed to be told.  We learn about Slugger's love for cheese and rolling in manure and that just adds to his charm and personality even though most of us readers have never met Slugger.  Leigh does such a wonderful job of describing Slugger that we can picture a big goofball with poop stains on his fur, drool on his jowls and a sparkle in his eyes.  

"The purest devotion can pass from one heart to another without a sound."  That line there touched my heart in its truth.  All a furry companion needs to do is look into its owner's eyes and say what cannot be verbalized.  The eyes are pathways into the souls. 

A touching part was Leigh calling what others refer to as dust bunnies, dust puppies.  That was a sweet way of looking at the ever present balls of fur that become a constant part of our lives as dog owners.  Some of us have dust puppies and dust kitties, often comingled together.  We get to learn about Slugger's abundance of personality, after all he does get to be a regular dog too.  He discoveres a turtle who he proceeds to bring home to lick spotlessly clean.  Even though the turtle escapes, Slugger claimed that turtle as his and kept bringing him back to clean.  I'm sure if that turtle is still around, he still smells like a dog tongue.  

Parts of this story will make you angry, like the doctor telling Leigh that she's so pretty  but no guy wants a cripple.  The ultimate 'up yours' to that doctor is Pranav, Leigh's husband who proves that all that matters is love.

"You are more than pain, more than worry, more than cancer.  You are you.  And you are good."  To me that is a mantra that should be placed in oncology wings everywhere.

Finally, Leigh's goodbye to Slugger tore my heart out.  Slugger did so much for Leigh in his time with her like teach her how to stand up for herself and teach her that it's okay to be different.  Her parting words to Slugger were thank yous and were perfect.  With Slugger's passing the way was paved for Kenda, Leigh's current service dog. 

A few of you are getting your own copies of A Dog Named Slugger because his is a story that deserves to be read.  For the rest of you, please read this book and consider donating to a great cause that helps change lives. 

Beside us all is a dog named Slugger. 

Leigh Brill's website

Saint Francis Service Dogs

5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth by The Oatmeal

ISBN:   9781449401160

Grade:   A

Sorry my pretties, you'll have to wait until closer to the release date for the full review, per publisher's request.

Spray by Harry Edge

ISBN:   9780312613440

Grade:   D+

While I am so not the target audience for the YA genre, that doesn't stop me from enjoying a well written YA read.  Spray is not one of those books.  While it's not a bad read per se, it just didn't tickle me.  Had I read this as an 11 or 12 year old, I probably would have eaten this up.  As an adult who played Assasins in high school, this just read like a game manual.  Spray is a book about a group of kids who play the Assasins game with squirt guns.  And that's the extent of the plot.  My previous experience with the game was not nearly as structured and anal retentive as the game portrayed here is, largely do to the fact it was organized by lazy angst ridden high school freshmen.  This book gives the ins and outs of playing the game with minimal character development.  The character development is replaced with action and would be perfect for 11+ kids, especially boys.