Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay 

• Length:  320 pages 
• Publication date:  September 30, 2008
• Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin 
• ISBN-10:  0312370849    
• ISBN-13:  978-0312370848 

Summary & Review:

In the summer of 1942, ten year-old Sarah and her family were arrested in their home in Paris by French police acting under Nazi orders.  In the moments before the arrest, Sarah hid her four year-old brother in a secret closet in their Parisian apartment, innocently thinking that she would return within a few days to free him.  In reality, Sarah's parents were sent to Auschwitz and although Sarah escaped and eventually returned to Paris, it was too late for her to rescue her brother.

Sarah's Key alternates between the historical accounts of Sarah's arrest, imprisonment. and escape, and the modern day life of Julia, a US citizen married to a French man, living and working as a journalist in Paris.

Julia's expatriate life is turned upside down by two concurrent events.  Assigned to write an article on the events of the summer of 1942 as part of its 60th commemoration, she stumbles across the story of Sarah, finding complex and unexpected links between Sarah's life and that of Julia’s French in-laws. 

Meanwhile, the forty-something wife and mother finds herself facing an unexpected pregnancy about which her husband's feelings differ significantly from her own.  Past and present intertwine as Julia's search for answers about Sarah's life becomes a near obsession and she grapples with the unanticipated ways in which her own life is rapidly changing.

Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE .

Click HERE to visit the author's website.

Other reviews:  A Novel Menagerie  |   Medieval Bookworm  |  Peeking Between the Pages | She Is Too Fond of Books |  2 Many Books 2 Read

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments and I'll add it to the list above.


An interview with the author:

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

  

Each Friday, book bloggers are invited to share their weekly literary discoveries via the Friday Finds weekly event hosted at Should Be Reading blog.  Here are the three finds I've chosen to feature this week:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - reviewed by Meghan at the Medieval Bookworm

Shopgirl: A Novella by Steve Martin - I've wanted to read this book for years and my interest was rekindled by The Boston Bibliophile's review

Tightrope: Six Centuries of a Jewish Dynasty by Michael Karpin - featured as a Friday Find by Marie at The Boston Bibliophile







What new book find are you most excited about this week?  Have you read any of the books above?  If so, let me know what you thought!

To see the books other bloggers are excited about this week, click HERE.

  

Today's question: "Do you have a specialized blog where you only review a certain genre or type of book? If so, what is your favorite thing about that type of book? If not, what is your favorite genre? What makes that genre a favorite?"

This is an interesting question, so I'm going to answer it even though I'm (again!) a day late to the party. 

At the beginning of the year, I considered specializing in literary fiction - my favorite genre - here on this blog.  The problem with that is that I have so many review copies from across many genres that I have commited to reading and reviewing.  And, I also enjoy reading occasionally from other genres - historical fiction, memoirs and once in a while I get a bookish craving for some good British chick lit.

So what I decided to do instead is gradually move my focus to literary fiction with the overall goal of about 75% of what I read coming from that genre.  I also joined the Just for the Love of It Reading Challenge at A Novel Menagerie and created a literary fiction-specific reading list for this challenge.  I've only read one book from the list so far - Half of a Yellow Sun - and it was EXCELLENT.  My review is HERE.

It's hard to say exactly why literary fiction is my favorite genre.  I guess I would generalize by saying that it comes the closest to consistently combining the three things most important to me in a great book:  excellent character development, a well developed and engaging plot, and beautiful prose.  It's not that this particular combination never occurs in other genres, but I do find it happens most consistently in literary fiction.



Do you have a favorite genre?  Book bloggers, have you considered narrowing the focus of your blog to a particular genre?  Do you wish you could read more from a certain genre?

To read more responses to this week's Tuesday Thingers question, click HERE.












 

  

This weekend, two friends and I watched He's Just Not That Into You.  This is one of those star-studded movies that you initially want to see just because of who is in it:  Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck.  

I wanted to see this movie because of all the actors above, but the one I ended up liking most was Ginnifer Goodwin.  She is just adorable, and her character was so likeable.  She made me cringe (as in, "Oh, no, DON'T do that or say that or think that!!!") but I loved her all the same.

I really enjoyed this movie, all the relationship sagas ... there were several different situations portrayed, but they all felt very real.

My rating:  4/5 bags of popcorn





Have you seen He's Just Not That Into You?  If so, what did you think?

Click HERE for more Monday's Movie links.

  

 

The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel  

• Length:  352 pages 
• Publication date:  January 20, 2009
• Publisher:  Harper Perennial
• ISBN-10:  0061256781    
• ISBN-13:  978-0061256783

Summary & Review:

Florence Wolfson was an exceptional writer and her short daily entries over the course of four years provided a glimpse into a rich inner life.  Lily Koppel found the diary in a New York City dumpster, read it, sought out Florence and created a fascinating book that intersperses original diary entries with a well-researched narrative of Florence's life.

Florence was fascinating - intelligent, philosophical, searching, brooding, and so much more. I wish she had continued her daily entries long past age 19 - I wanted to know more about her life after the diary ended.



Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE.

Click HERE to visit the website of The Red Leather Diary.

Click HERE to visit Lily Koppel's website.

The book trailer:


Here is Florence, the original owner and author of the red leather diary:



View an interview with author Lily Koppel at Authors@Google:


Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments and I'll add your link here.



The Giveaway:

Harper Perennial has generously offered to give away five trade paperback copies of The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal  to readers of this blog.  You have until 11:59 p.m. CST Friday, February 27, 2009 to enter.

1.  Florence Wolfson wrote in her red leather diary from 1929 to 1933.  For one entry leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite historical figure from the 1920's or 1930's.

2.  For an additional entry, spread the word by blogging about this giveaway.  Link to this post and leave the URL of your blog post in the comments here.  If you don't have a blog, send an email to five friends with the link to this contest and copy me on your email.  My email is literarily AT live DOT com.

 

  

Today's question: "How do you get your books for reviewing? (Cold request, library, purchase, request from existing contact, etc.) Do you track them somehow or just put them in your TBR pile?"

For the past few months, I have not been requesting review copies.  My stack of books to review had gotten pretty out of control.  I decided it was time to stop accepting review copies and get caught up.  AND I wanted to do some "just because" reading.  I had several books various friends had lent me that I'd like to find time to read and I also wanted to participate in some reading challenges in 2009. 

That said, most of my review copies came from the wonderful publishers and publicists I have met since starting a book blog.  In the beginning, I requested some books through Shelf Awareness.  I've only made two or three cold requests - again, in the beginning - and they were met with wonderful responses from the authors.

I have received some great review offers lately that have been extremely difficult to decline.  They all seem to be books I've heard great things about and many had even made it onto my wish list.  Talk about the need for self-control!  I received an email about The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer and The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon last week and I really wanted to accept those books, but in the end, my resolution won out.

I did recently accept a review copy of The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel.  I had actually borrowed this book from the library when it was first released in hardcover, before I started reviewing books here.  I remembered that I absolutely loved it, but didn't remember enough to write a review.  So, I quickly re-read it when I received it in the mail a few weeks ago and will be publishing my review, along with a giveaway, tomorrow.  So check back then - it really is a fantastic read!


Where do you get the books you read and/or review?

To read more responses to this week's Tuesday Thingers question, click HERE.












 

  

I'm talking about two movies for today's installment of Monday's Movie: Taken and Gran Torino.

Taken was a pleasant distraction type of movie. It held my attention the entire time, and was over before I knew it.

I can't decide if I think Maggie Grace, who played Liam Neeson's kidnapped daughter, is a good actor or not, but I'm intrigued.

I'm (finally) going to comply with Sher's request and rate the movies I post about.  I'd give Taken 3/5 bags of popcorn.




I give Gran Torino 4/5 bags of popcorn.  I loved this movie despite the fact it was very difficult to watch. 

The transformation in Clint Eastwood's bitter, disillusioned character's attitude toward his Hmong neighbors was surprisingly touching.  My only complaint about the movie was some of the supporting characters ... the acting could have been better.  Still, I ended up loving those very characters.

Have you seen either of these movies?  If so, what did you think?



Click HERE for more Monday's Movie links.

  

Alone by Lisa Gardner

• Length:  10 hrs and 12 mins (unabridged audio) 
• Publication date:  January 17, 2005
• Publisher:  Books on Tape
• ISBN-10:  1415916276
• ISBN-13:  978-1415916278

Summary and Review:

Police sniper Bobby Dodge's life changes when he is called to the scene of a domestic violence dispute in an upscale Boston neighborhood.  Bobby kills the abusive husband, setting into action a complicated chain of events.

While Bobby is under investigation for Jimmy Gagnon's death, the dead man's widow, Katherine seeks his help.  Her husband was the son of a powerful Boston judge who is determined to protect his reputation at all costs.  Katherine claims the judge wants custody of her son; the situation is further complicated when the pedophile who abducted her as a child is released from prison and at large in the Boston area.

Gardner keeps her readers guessing until the very end of this fast paced novel in which it is difficult to know who is lying and who is telling the truth.



Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE.

To visit the author's website, click HERE.


Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a comment and I'll add your link above.

  

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

• Length:  560 pages 
• Publication date:  September 4, 2007
• Publisher:  Random House
• ISBN-10:  1400095204    
• ISBN-13:  978-1400095209

Summary & Review:

In her Orange Prize-winning second novel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the heartbreaking story of the Nigerian-Biafran civil war through the eyes of five remarkable characters.

Half of a Yellow Sun is narrated from the viewpoints of Ugwu, a teenage Biafran houseboy; Olanna, his beautiful and idealistic employer; and Richard, a reticent British journalist who falls in love with Biafra and its people.

Through the narrative of these three characters, we also come to know Kainene, Olanna's twin sister and Richard's lover and Odenigbo, a university professor who is relentlessly dedicated to the Biafran cause and who eventually marries Olanna.

While remaining character-driven and detail rich, Half of a Yellow Sun follows the course of the Biafran struggle for independence from the initial stages of idealism and hopefulness to the dismal years of hunger, disease, and life and death in refugee camps.  By weaving the true account of the rise and fall of Biafra into a compelling work of fiction, Adichie manages to simultaneously educate and entertain her readers.



Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE.

Click HERE to visit the author's website.

Other reviews:  Blue Archipelago |  Peeking Between the Pages | Reading Adventures | Violet Crush

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments and I'll add it to the list above.

  

Each Friday, book bloggers are invited to share their weekly literary discoveries via the Friday Finds weekly event hosted at Should Be Reading blog.  Here are the three finds I've chosen to feature this week:

Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman - reviewed by Sher at A Novel Menagerie

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto - reviewed by Melody at Melody's Reading Corner

The Makedown by Gitty Daneshvari - also reviewed by Sher at A Novel Menagerie (she's giving away a copy HERE so hurry on over because today is the last day to enter)







What new book find are you most excited about this week?  Have you read any of the books above?  If so, please share your thoughts with us!

To see the books other bloggers are excited about this week, click HERE.

  

Welcome to my first ever Weekly Geeks post.  This week the focus is on classic literature.  Participants can select any or all four of this week's questions to discuss in their blog post.  I'm going to tackle Question #3 (click HERE for the full list of questions):

3) Let's say you're vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don't find her a book, she'll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

My answer is easy; the book came to mind immediately: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.  This book definitely qualifies as a modern classic, in my opinion.  Irving's character development is spectacular, the plot is brilliant and, as always, his prose is impeccable.  While not a fast read, and at times not an easy read, this novel is a coming of age story, a satirical look at religion, politics and war, and a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship.  It is one of the few books I will read again and again.


Have you read A Prayer for Owen Meany?  If so, please share your thoughts in the comments!  If not, is it on your to-read list?


For more responses to this week's questions, click HERE.

  

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker    

• Length:  352 pages 
• Publication date:  January 8, 2009
• Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
• ISBN-10:  0446194204    
• ISBN-13:  978-0446194204

Summary & Review:

Nothing has ever been easy for Truly Plaice, referred to by the locals as a little giant because of her towering height and ever-increasing weight.  Her mother died giving birth to her.  Her father spent the ensuing years in a fog of alcohol and depression.  Her only sibling, Serena Jane, married a local doctor, then decided it was all too much and left town, with a parting request that her husband enlist Truly's help in the care of their young son.

So Truly finds herself living in the house of Dr. Robert Morgan, in the role of housekeeper, cook, and nanny.  The two tolerate but never grow to like one another.  Eventually, after many years, a kind of co-dependent, grudging acceptance develops between them. 

Baker's debut novel is wonderfully character-driven, and it is a pleasure to look on as Truly navigates life as an outcast in a small town with grace and integrity, developing friendships and even a romance along the way, and slowly learning to accept herself.

 

Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE.

To visit the author's website, click HERE.

Other reviews:  A Bookworm's World   | At Home with Books |  Books on the Brain  | Boston Bibliophile  | Medieval Bookworm  | Peeking Between the Pages  |  The Book Lady's Blog

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments and I'll add it to the list above.



Special thanks to Miriam Parker at Hachette Book Group USA for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

  

I'll be talking about Valkyrie for this week's installment of Monday's Movie.  While the movie never really lost my interest, it just kind of fell flat for me.  It seemed like too much plot and not enough character development.  And even then, the plot seemed to lack depth. 

I've read tons of fiction set against the back drop of World War II, and that may be part of the problem:  I'm used to the more extensive plot and character development that comes from a full length novel and it's difficult - not impossible, but certainly difficult - to get that from a movie.

On the upside, I really adored two of the characters in this movie, both played by new-to-me actors.  I really liked Christian Berkel (see photo at left) whose character was involved in the plot to assasinate Hitler due to his extensive knowledge of explosives. 

My favorite character (forget Tom Cruise!) was cutie Jamie Parker.  He played Cruise's loyal right-hand man.  Check out this interview:



Have you seen this movie?  If so, what did you think of it? 



Click HERE for more Monday's Movie links.

  

Welcome to the Sunday Salon!

I'm currently reading Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  I'm loving this book.  It is the perfect combination for me: very character-driven while providing a great history lesson on the birth of the short-lived Republic of Biafra.

This book, generously sent to me by my friend Dar at Peeking Between the Pages, won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction.  I'm reading it as part of the Just for the Love of It Reading Challenge 2009.  My list of books to read for this challenge is HERE. 

There are some fun new events going on in the book blogging world this year.  Sher at A Novel Menagerie is hosting Monday's Movie.  Library Loot takes place on Wednesday and is hosted by Alessandra at Out of the Blue and Eva at A Striped Armchair.  If you're a music fan, Swapna at S. Krishna's Books is talking about music every Thursday in her Thursday Tunes post and invites other bloggers to play along. 

Books I've read and reviewed recently
Alone by Lisa Gardner
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (my review HERE)
The Weight of a Mustard Seed by Wendell Steavenson (my review HERE)
Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch (my review HERE)

Books I plan to read this week
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie


Speaking of weekly events, what are your favorites?  Are there any that you plan to participate in on a regular basis in 2009?

 

 

  

 


Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

• Length:  304 pages 
• Publication date:  October 7, 2008
• Publisher:  Shaye Areheart Books
• ISBN-10:  0307408574    
• ISBN-13:  978-0307408570

Summary & Review:

Jillian has a beautiful daughter, a successful husband, the perfect house.  But beneath the surface she's dissatisfied with her life and her marriage.  When she wakes up one morning transported back in time seven years to her old life as a single advertising executive, she has a chance to do it all over again, armed with the wisdom that only age and experience bring.

Allison Winn Scotch's second novel sits firmly in the contemporary fiction genre and is built upon an interesting premise.  I struggled to like this book only because I didn't like the decisions Jillian ended up making.

Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE.

To visit the author's website, click HERE.  Her blog is HERE.

To read an excerpt, click HERE.

Other reviews:  Should Be Reading

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments and I'll add your review to the list above.

  

The Weight of a Mustard Seed by Wendell Steavenson

• Length:  304 pages 
• Publication date:  March 17, 2009
• Publisher:  Collins Reads
• ISBN-10:  0061721786    
• ISBN-13:  978-0061721786

Summary & Review:

Seasoned international journalist Wendell Steavenson tackles the question of how good men can serve an unethical and inhumane regime in The Weight of a Mustard Seed.  She conducts her research in the form of an intense study of Iraqi General Kamel Sachet.  Steavenson spent hours researching and interviewing Sachet's family, friends and colleagues, creating a multi dimensional picture of this enigmatic man.

Although her unfavorable opinion of Sadam Hussein is obvious, Steavenson covers some thirty years of Iraqi history with fairness and objectivity, and most importantly, sympathy for the difficult moral choices Iraqis were forced to make under his regime.



Additional Information:

The Weight of a Mustard Seed is scheduled to be released on March 17, 2009.

To pre-order this book from Amazon, click HERE.

Other reviews:  Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments and I'll add it above.



Special thanks to Collins Reads for sending me an advance reader copy of this book to read and review.

  

 

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

• Length:  8 hours and 57 minutes (unabridged audio)
• Publication date:  June 6, 2008
• Publisher:  Brilliance Audio
• ISBN-10:  1423319710   
• ISBN-13:  978-1423319719

Summary & Review:

When MacKayla Lane's sister is murdered while doing a study abroad in Ireland, MacKayla travels there in search of answers and closure.  She quickly discovers a dark, sinister side of Dublin populated by the other worldly Fae, who MacKayla suspects had something to do with the death of her sister.

Moning crafts an expertly woven story in which she introduces the reader to a rather complicated and fantastical alternate reality without overwhelming or losing the plot's momentum.  Though central to the story, the fantasy element somehow seems subtle, making this book appealing to readers who normally avoid the genre.



Additional Information:

To purchase the paperback edition of this book from Amazon, click HERE.

To purchase the audio version of this book from Amazon, click HERE.

To visit the author's website, click HERE.

To visit the Fever Series website, click HERE.

Other reviews:  J. Kaye's Book Blog

Have you reviewed this book?  Leave a link in the comments, and I'll add your review to the list above.

  

I'm late to the game again this week.  Wendi, I have every good intention of being on time next week.


Today's question:  "Have you ever used the Swap This Book function which can be found on the main page of any book (here is an example of Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter: link shown on book page, what it looks like if you click on the link)? If so, what do you think about it? If not, are there any other swap sites you utilize to exchange books once you are done? What do you do with your books if you no longer want them anymore?"

I have not used Library Thing's Swap This Book function.  In fact, prior to reading Wendi's question, I didn't know this feature existed.  

I like the idea of swapping books, but it's one of those things I never get around to doing.  Instead, I get unbearably tired of my overflowing shelves every few months and load up a few boxes of non-keepers to be dropped off at Goodwill.     

I think that next time I've finished a book, and passed it around to my friends, and I don't want to keep it, I'll try to remember to check this feature and who knows, I just might give swapping a try.

Did anyone notice this note at the bottom of the Swap This Book page: "You have a moral and legal right to swap, lend and loan books.  But buying books is the best way to make sure your favorite writers keep writing."



To read more responses to this week's Tuesday Thingers question, click HERE.










 

  

Since I love to watch movies almost as much as I love to read books, I'm very excited to be participating in Monday's Movie for the first time EVAH.

Monday's Movie is the brainchild of my friend Sher, the gorgeous, brilliant, clever girl behind A Novel Menagerie.  She also makes BookCharmers, to which I am completely addicted.  These are THE BEST bookmarks ever.  I was forever losing my bookmarks, but because BookCharmers are easy to leave in the book while you're reading, they never mysteriously disappear.  Seriously, I think I've set a personal record for how long I've went without losing a bookmark.

Anyway, Sher, I'm so glad you started Monday's Movie.   But, as you know, my life's been crazy the past few weeks, so I only have a partial movie to report on today.  I DVR'd Michael Clayton a week or so ago and watched half of it last night.  I plan on finishing it as soon as I can kick my oldest daughter off the television tonight.

But, I thought I'd go ahead and share some very brief thoughts on it now.  First of all, it is definitely one of those movies that makes you think, which I like, every now and then.  There's a lot going on and I have yet to see how it all comes together.

I'm not a huge George Clooney fan.  I mean, he's okay, but he's not my favorite by any means.  But I kinda like him in this movie.  And Tilda Swinton.  Wow - she's amazing.  She definitely deserved that Oscar.

Have you seen this movie?  If so, what did you think of it?



Click HERE for more Monday's Movie links.

  

Welcome to the Sunday Salon!

The first thing I want to do is thank everyone who emailed and left comments regarding my son.  He is doing better, but I still have some concerns and will be calling his doctor tomorrow morning to discuss them. 

Also, for all the awards I've been given lately, another huge thanks!  I still need to sort through them and do a formal post, but the little man has wanted to be held by mommy constantly lately, so my online time has been pretty limited.  But, thank you thank you thank you!

I'm currently reading Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch, which I received in my book club's December book exchange and am really enjoying so far.  When we meet Thursday night we'll each give a little summary of the book we received last month, which is always fun.  We'll also pick our reading selections for the next three months, so if you have suggestions for great, discussion-worthy books, let me know in the comments.

Books I've Read Recently
A Peculiar Grace by Jeffrey Lent (my review HERE)
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
The Weight of a Mustard Seed: The Intimate Story of an Iraqi General and His Family During Thirty Years of Tyranny by Wendell Steavenson

Books I Plan to Read Next Week
Alone by Lisa Gardner (listening on my iPod)
Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie


What are you reading today?