Laurie Sandell opens her memoir by stating that her father had the mail stopped whenever he went out of town even though the others were still there to receive it. I had to read on. As I did, I discovered that I was already somewhat familiar with the story as I've read some of Sandell's magazine articles that touched on some of what she deals with here, such as her Ambien addiction.
The Impostor's Daughter is a quick read and not at all the typical memoir. This is a graphic novel. I couldn't find anything that explicitly said so, but it appears Sandell is also the illustrator of the book; the illustrations are great. Sandell is a talented writer as well who was able to make good use of the graphic format.
5/5
ARC Review
Thursday, July 30, 2009
giveaway: one scream away
Another Hachette giveaway for you! Five copies of One Scream Away by Kate Brady are up for grabs.
Here's the Publishers Weekly review:
"Music professor Brady launches into her romantic suspense debut with a woman's torture-murder at the hands of clever but crazy serial killer Chevy Bankes. Using the dead woman's phone, he calls Beth Denison, who is haunted by seven years of secrets and terror, and threatens Beth's daughter, Abby. As Bankes continues roaming the Seattle area and torturing women to death, Neil Sheridan, a burned-out ex-FBI agent, joins the investigation through a connection to one of Bankes's earlier murders. Beth and Neil share emotional damage and attraction, revealing their secrets at a lugubrious pace. Their mutual unmasking parallels the desperate dig for clues, but as they race to find Bankes, he invades Beth's home to lie in wait. Snappy dialogue, good police procedural details and twisty psychology create white-hot tension that thriller fans will love, overwhelming the slow, bare-bones romance."
The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on August 22. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.
Here's the Publishers Weekly review:
"Music professor Brady launches into her romantic suspense debut with a woman's torture-murder at the hands of clever but crazy serial killer Chevy Bankes. Using the dead woman's phone, he calls Beth Denison, who is haunted by seven years of secrets and terror, and threatens Beth's daughter, Abby. As Bankes continues roaming the Seattle area and torturing women to death, Neil Sheridan, a burned-out ex-FBI agent, joins the investigation through a connection to one of Bankes's earlier murders. Beth and Neil share emotional damage and attraction, revealing their secrets at a lugubrious pace. Their mutual unmasking parallels the desperate dig for clues, but as they race to find Bankes, he invades Beth's home to lie in wait. Snappy dialogue, good police procedural details and twisty psychology create white-hot tension that thriller fans will love, overwhelming the slow, bare-bones romance."
The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on August 22. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
review and tour: blue like play dough by tricia goyer
Tricia Goyer completely changed her life in a very short time. She got pregnant twice in high school; the first time she had an abortion, but the second time she resisted the pressure from her boyfriend and had the baby. Goyer doesn’t really explain how it came about that having her first child inspired her to turn her life over to God, but she did. Shortly thereafter, Goyer met her husband and had two more children.
Throughout Blue Like Play Dough, Goyer relates how God has played a role in her life. Goyer and I have very different moral views; I don’t find her inspiring or relatable. I wish she had been a little less preachy and delved into how she came to have these views. She barely touches on her abortion, but spends quite a bit of time discussing her work with an anti-choice group. It seems like her past would play a role in her current work, so it should be discussed more. I was disappointed the story didn’t start with how as a teen mom Goyer became religious or what it was like to become involved with another man so soon after having her son.
2/5
Throughout Blue Like Play Dough, Goyer relates how God has played a role in her life. Goyer and I have very different moral views; I don’t find her inspiring or relatable. I wish she had been a little less preachy and delved into how she came to have these views. She barely touches on her abortion, but spends quite a bit of time discussing her work with an anti-choice group. It seems like her past would play a role in her current work, so it should be discussed more. I was disappointed the story didn’t start with how as a teen mom Goyer became religious or what it was like to become involved with another man so soon after having her son.
2/5
Sunday, July 26, 2009
review: the opposite of love by julie buxbaum
When Emily starts to suspect her boyfriend Andrew is going to propose, she decides to break up with him. Her friends think she’s crazy and it’s clear Emily isn’t solid on her decision since she keeps the break up a secret from her family. Following the break up, Emily’s life starts spiraling out of control: her grandpa is losing his memory and her boss tries to have sex with her while they’re on a business trip. Emily wants to turn to Andrew, but he wants nothing to do with her. When it all becomes too much, a friend makes Emily an appointment with a therapist; Emily is finally able to deal with the grief she has kept inside since her mother died when she was only fourteen.
I completely loved The Opposite of Love. Emily’s law experience seemed very real (probably because Julie Buxbaum was a lawyer) as did the family/friend relationships. I wanted to cry at times, but it helped to know Emily would end up happy as the prologue reveals Emily and Andrew will go on to have a baby. It was a bit odd to have the book start off that way though as it eliminates any suspense of “will Emily and Andrew get back together?”
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, The Dial Press.
I completely loved The Opposite of Love. Emily’s law experience seemed very real (probably because Julie Buxbaum was a lawyer) as did the family/friend relationships. I wanted to cry at times, but it helped to know Emily would end up happy as the prologue reveals Emily and Andrew will go on to have a baby. It was a bit odd to have the book start off that way though as it eliminates any suspense of “will Emily and Andrew get back together?”
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, The Dial Press.
giveaway: the moon looked down
I've got another giveaway for you! Hachette is providing five copies of The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock.
Here's the Publishers Weekly review:
"When WWII breaks out, many Americans find their lives turned upside down, few more so than the Heller family. Seeking refuge from Hitler-controlled Germany, the Hellers had moved to smalltown Victory, Ill., only to find themselves, 10 years later, suspected by their neighbors of being Nazis. Feeling the threat to her family grow, headstrong 20-year-old Sophie Heller also feels powerless to stop it; soon, however, she meets a handsome, similarly frustrated schoolteacher named Cole Ambrose, whose bad leg prevents him from enlisting. Their instant attraction is, naturally defied by racist townsfolk bent on keeping them apart by whatever means necessary. Garlock (Leaving Whiskey Bend) exhibits a too-comfortable mastery of the romance genre; Ambrose is a true gentleman and Sophie is a charming heroine, but both are painfully bland. The villainous characters prove more interesting, but stray often into caricature. The central conceit, racism against German immigrants during WWII, is compelling but not really explored except as a vehicle for star-crossed romance."
The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on August 15. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.
Here's the Publishers Weekly review:
"When WWII breaks out, many Americans find their lives turned upside down, few more so than the Heller family. Seeking refuge from Hitler-controlled Germany, the Hellers had moved to smalltown Victory, Ill., only to find themselves, 10 years later, suspected by their neighbors of being Nazis. Feeling the threat to her family grow, headstrong 20-year-old Sophie Heller also feels powerless to stop it; soon, however, she meets a handsome, similarly frustrated schoolteacher named Cole Ambrose, whose bad leg prevents him from enlisting. Their instant attraction is, naturally defied by racist townsfolk bent on keeping them apart by whatever means necessary. Garlock (Leaving Whiskey Bend) exhibits a too-comfortable mastery of the romance genre; Ambrose is a true gentleman and Sophie is a charming heroine, but both are painfully bland. The villainous characters prove more interesting, but stray often into caricature. The central conceit, racism against German immigrants during WWII, is compelling but not really explored except as a vehicle for star-crossed romance."
The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on August 15. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.
giveaway winners: two memoirs
Congratulations to the winners. If you haven't already, please email me your address.
Amy is the grand prize winner (both The Impostor's Daughter and Julie & Julia). Four additional winners get to select the book they wish to receive: Monique, Upper West Side Writer, Allison, and dag888888.
Amy is the grand prize winner (both The Impostor's Daughter and Julie & Julia). Four additional winners get to select the book they wish to receive: Monique, Upper West Side Writer, Allison, and dag888888.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
review: the uninvited by tim wynne-jones
Following an affair with her college professor, Mimi decides to escape to an isolated property her father owns. When she arrives, she discovers the house is already in use by a recent college graduate. The two are thinking about how attractive the other is when something shocking is revealed—Mimi is at her father’s home, but Jay is at his father’s home as well. It seems their father forgot to mention he had a son in Canada before moving to New York and meeting Mimi’s mother. But this isn’t the end of the revelations for the summer. Before Mimi arrived, someone was harassing Jay at the house by leaving various things like a snakeskin. Now that Mimi is there, the break-ins have escalated. There are two highly suspect neighbors, but the cops seem unwilling to investigate the theft and harassment. As Mimi and Jay discover, they have a deep connection to the person behind the objects mysteriously left at the house.
The prologue left me wondering a bit, but once I got to the part where Mimi and Jay realize they are half-siblings I knew I had to keep reading. Most of the mysteries are revealed to the reader long before Mimi and Jay find out, but I was still compelled to find out how they would discover the truth about Cramer and what their reaction would be. The family relations were very well done and the suspense builds nicely.
5/5
The prologue left me wondering a bit, but once I got to the part where Mimi and Jay realize they are half-siblings I knew I had to keep reading. Most of the mysteries are revealed to the reader long before Mimi and Jay find out, but I was still compelled to find out how they would discover the truth about Cramer and what their reaction would be. The family relations were very well done and the suspense builds nicely.
5/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
