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Back in the Land of the Blogging
Since my last Sunday Salon post, things got much, much worse. Let me just say that I do love my children very much. This is evident in the fact that we are all still alive. While I’m so glad that my parents came to visit, the entire week was nothing but exhausting and oh, so stressful. This is why I have only posted twice in the past 10 days (and only then because I’d committed to the book tours ahead of time) and have been a non-entity around the book blogosphere.
Thankfully, I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Case in point:
- I’ve left three comments in the past three days (as opposed to no comments the 7 or more days before).
- I am starting to think about the reviews for some of my finished books that aren’t on a book tour deadline.
- I am starting to think about the post I’m going to write about my newest reading gadget.
- I am listening to Nicole and Trish’s Blog Talk Radio show instead of sleeping.
- I’m looking forward to my month of November, which will be (mostly) dedicated to Neil Gaiman. I’ll be posting more about that later this week, too.
- I’m leaving for Orlando on Sunday (4 nights at the Disney Grand Floridian!) for a conference. Reading by the pool awaits me!
I want to thank my loyal readers and blogging friends for sticking with me this month. I really appreciate it.
#208 ~ Looking After Pigeon
Looking After Pigeon
Today it is my great pleasure to be Maud Carol Markson’s host on her TLC Book Tour for her novel, Looking After Pigeon. I would like to thank her for sending me a copy of her book for review. Please see the end of my review for a list of the blogs who are on this tour with me.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
My Review
Pigeon is five. She is the youngest of three children, all named after birds. Her sister Dove is about 10 years older than her and her brother Robin is 10. Her mother, Joan, married their father to get away from her family and has found herself disillusioned with motherhood. Things only get worse when Pigeon’s father loses his job and leaves the family with no means of support. They are forced, in the dead of night, to flee their New York apartment to go live with Joan’s brother Edward, who lives in a beach house not far from Atlantic City. It is there that those left in her family are forced to pick up the pieces and figure things out on their own.
At the beginning of the novel, an adult Pigeon is encouraged by her unnamed live-in boyfriend to write about the summer she moved to live with her Uncle Edward when she refuses to see a psychiatrist. That, in conjunction with the book’s title, leaves me waiting from the first page for something extremely terrible to happen to Pigeon. What I imagine never takes place. Part of me is relieved because of this as I finished the book, but part of me is also wondering why the novel began that way. Having a father desert you at the age of five and then be left alone a good deal of the time to take care of yourself would be traumatic. Still, I never was able to relax into the story because I was waiting for the “real” reason summers made her blue and her lover wanted her to do something to look after her mental health. I could never really warm up to Uncle Edward or her mother’s boyfriend Cary for fear of what they were going to do to her.
I never really warmed up to Dove or Pigeon’s names, although Robin’s name seemed like a good fit. He was by far my favorite character in the book. Likewise, I never really warmed up to Joan. Even in the scene after Pigeon comes back from her trip to New York City with Edward, I found her extremely cold. Just that little bit of warmth wasn’t enough to change my opinion of her. Living that summer the way she did, lost in the current of everyone else’s drama, I can also understand why Pigeon holds everyone at arm’s length, even down to leaving her current day lover nameless. He could be anyone from her romantic life past, present, or even future. Despite the glimmer of hope that she might one day open herself up more fully to someone else, she never names him. I found that quite sad, yet authentically Pigeon.
I wish I could say that I enjoyed Looking After Pigeon more than I did. The detachment I felt from the narrator from the very beginning carried through for me as a reader. Because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop as soon as Uncle Edward entered the picture, I didn’t really engage with otherwise sympathetic characters. There was one touch I found very nice. Pigeon would make her own paper dolls from people in magazines and spend her time creating stories of their lives. More than anything else, it was in this detail that I felt closest to Pigeon. Still, I found myself wondering how this story would have been told from Robin’s perspective. There was that touch of magic in his soul that might have added just the right touch for me.
******
Maud Carol Markson’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS
Wednesday, October 21st: Dolce Bellezza
Monday, October 26th: A Sea of Books
Thursday, October 29th: Steph and Tony Investigate
Monday, November 2nd: A Reader’s Journal
Tuesday, November 3rd: The Scholastic Scribe
Wednesday, November 4th: Raging Bibliomania
Monday, November 9th: Clever Girl Goes Blog
Tuesday, November 10th: Book Club Classics
Thursday, November 11th: Caribousmom
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#207 ~ The Return
by Today it is my great pleasure to be Victoria Hislop’s host on her TLC Book Tour for her novel, The Return. I have enjoyed the reviews I’ve read along the way. Please see the end of my review for a list of the blogs who are on this tour with me.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
I would also like to thank Vanessa at HarperCollins for sending me a review copy of this novel.
My Review
Sonia is taking a trip from London to Granada for her friend Maggie’s birthday. She’s recently discovered a love for dancing and she and Maggie intend on taking Salsa lessons while in Spain. While Maggie is foot loose and fancy free, Sonia is bogged down by her marriage to James, an alcoholic with a touch of a controlling streak. One morning, while her friend was sleeping off a steaming night spent at a dance club, Sonia found herself drinking coffee at El Barril, a local cafe. Miguel, the cafe’s elderly owner, engages Sonia in conversation when he sees her tour book. This begins a friendship between the two. It may lack the sensuality of Maggie’s vacation fling, but it warms Sonia to her deceased mother’s homeland. When Maggie decides impulsively to move to Granada shortly thereafter, Sonia must return for a visit. It is there that she learns more about Spain’s Civil War and the history of the Ramirez family.
What could be more inviting of a story than a pleasant location and a cup of coffee? I found this to be the perfect way to move from the Granada of 2001 to the Granada of the Civil War and back. I enjoyed the friendship that developed between Miguel and Sonia and I could see her finding his company and his stories intriguing and satisfying. His passion may be for the past, but the fact that there is something he cares for so much that draws her attention. Her far younger husband lost even that long ago. There was nothing between the two but friendship, yet James had every cause to be jealous. He just didn’t know exactly why.
Flamenco dancing, bullfighting, and the flamenco guitar and passionate, vivacious, and colorful. They are the driving force of the Ramirez family and they so brilliantly portray Granada before Franco’s army came. I could almost feel the life behind Mercedes, Ignacio, and Emilio when they were at one with their family’s and their country’s culture. In contrast, the Spanish Civil War was brutal, dark and terrifying. No one was safe from the threat of death, often an ugly, violent death. Artists, homosexuals, innocent women and children, and those who voiced their opinion on both sides of the war were in constant danger of imprisonment and execution. This novel highlighted Granada’s poet Federico García Lorca. Not only was his death unnecessary, it was carried out in a vicious way that almost only seems possible in the midst of the emotions of a Civil War. Just as with Mercedes’ dancing, Hislop made the chaos and destruction of the war come to life. As ugly as the war was, knowing that her dancing shoes were never far from her was a beautiful and powerful statement of hope and destiny.
The Return is an amazing journey into the Granada both in modern day and the 1930s. While I liked Sonia, my heart was with the Ramirez family. That the four children were each coming into their own as Francisco Franco and his army began the coup d’état which led to the Spanish Civil War. As vividly as I could see Granada through each of the Ramirez children’s dreams, I could feel the terror on her streets, in her cafes, and inside her bedrooms. Once again, an inviting work of historical fiction has awakened in me an interest in a time period I previously knew very little about. I wish I could pick up For Whom the Bell Tolls and Guernica right now and read more about it. That is the sign of a wonderful novel.
++++
Victoria Hislop’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS
Monday, October 5th – Life and Times of a “New” New Yorker
Tuesday, October 6th – Starting Fresh
Thursday, October 8th – As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves
Tuesday, October 13th – Bending Bookshelf
Wednesday, October 14th – All About {n}
Thursday, October 15th – The Tome Traveller
Monday, October 19th – The Scholastic Scribe
Tuesday, October 20th – Dreadlock Girl Reads
Wednesday, October 21st – Write Meg
Thursday, October 22nd – Literate Housewife
Monday, October 26th – Diary of an Eccentric
Tuesday, October 27th – Drey’s Library
Wednesday, October 28th – Book Chatter and Other Stuff
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- Fascism In Spain, 1923-1977 by Stanley G. Payne (slideshare.net)
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The Sunday Salon ~ October Frenzy
My kids are driving me to drink this weekend!
Emma had a sleep over Friday night with one of her after school friends. Danny and I were sure to do something special with Allison because she cried so hard when she realized that she was not invited. Allison enjoyed her solo trip with Mom and Dad to the pet store and to Famous Anthony’s – a local family restaurant. We topped off Friday night with a “camp out” in the basement. She really loved that, but woke up at one point crying because she missed Emma. When we picked Emma up, we spent some time at Heidi’s house. From the moment we arrived, Emma made sure that Allison was not included in the play. Apparently the older girls were going into Heidi’s room and locking Allison out. Heidi’s older brother thought it was so wrong that he locked Heidi’s door so no one could go in. Allison had a hero and didn’t even know it. LOL! The rest of Saturday was spent listening to whining, bickering, fighting, and crying. There was a short respite from that when we forced Emma to take her first nap in probably 2 years. Today hasn’t started out much better. [Note - in fact it got much worse since I started writing this post. Could it be the weather? The excitement about Grandma and Grandpa coming? Their birthdays?] I am indulging in some adult beverages tonight.
My parents are arriving early this week and I’m looking forward to their visit even though it meant I had to miss out on a Blacksburg get together with Kathy, Jaime, and Miriam from Hatchette Book Group yesterday. In the midst of all the drama, it’s shopping and cleaning in preparation for their arrival. This then begins the girl’s birthday week. Allison turns 5 on Thursday and Emma turns 7 on Friday. The party is at Chuck E. Cheese on Sunday. Yeah, this is going to be quite some week.
On to bookish news…
I am very sorry that I haven’t been on the blogs much this month. October is busy both at work and at home. I’m hoping that will clear up after this week. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Meghan from Medieval Bookworm on her wedding. Stop over her way and congratulate her (although I really think her new husband is the real winner…).
I did read two books this week:
This novel was sent to me by the author in February. I’ve been meaning to read it and have tried to several times before. I put it on my must-read list for October because I’ve had it for so long. Also, although their is no tie in to Halloween or this time of year, I thought the cover, which I love, was a good fit.
It took me a while to get into it and read slowly for me because the pacing and the dialect and pacing of the language was very British. For example, there was no “the” in front of hospital (I’m going to hospital instead of I’m going to the hospital). I kept tripping over that and other word choices. I am happy to have finally read it. I feel that I’ve stretched my horizons and, when I make it over to England myself, I’ll know to ask for veg at tea. It’s a nice story about two single parents struggling to keep their children happy and safe. I liked the premise and thought that Mina and Peter were sympathetic and honest characters.
![Cover of Perks of Being a Wallflower]](http://literatehousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Cover-of-Perks-of-Being-a-Wallflower.jpg "Cover of Perks of Being a Wallflower]")
As I posted Friday, a parent at a local high school became upset when his son came upon a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky at school. Because he pitched a fit, the school took both of their copies off the shelf.
I cannot believe that one parent feels that his objections about a book should dictate school policy. I further can’t believe that the school would cave to this single parent. So, I decided right then and there that I would read this book and encourage as many other people to read it as I can. I can’t say that I’ve ever even heard of this book before this incident. It definitely was not on my radar and, prior to this bruhaha, I’m not sure I would have thought twice about it after seeing its association with MTV (I had no idea that they published or at least used to publish books). I’m happy to say that I am one person turned on this book because of this parent. Well, I started reading it Saturday morning. I finished it before I went to sleep. Yes, I enjoyed it that much. No, I cannot say I could understand someone who has read this book wanting it removed from school property. The rest I’ll leave for my discussion in the Facebook book club I have set up specifically for this book and my review.
This week I’m reading…
I am serving as Victoria Hislop’s book tour host on Tuesday for her TLC book tour for her second novel, The Return. I haven’t read her first novel, The Island, but after reading the first section of The Return, I’ll planning on it. What’s even better is that I know I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet. I’ll be getting back into this novel as soon as I finish this post.
My best friend gave me The Shack for my birthday (shh, last year, please don’t say anything). This past spring, my dad asked me if I’d read it. I told him that I had a copy but just don’t often read Christian fiction, so I don’t think to pick it up. When I went home this summer, he asked me if he gave me a copy of the book on audio if I would listen to it. So, in honor of the fact that my best friend sent it to me (wh and that my father really wants me to read it, I’m going to read this while he’s in town. That way, we can talk about it, too.
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I Challenge You to Read a Challenged Book
In 2008 I saw all of the wonderful coverage of Banned Books Week by other book bloggers and vowed to myself that I would participate this year. This year, I was sick and wasn’t even able to squeak out a post on Lolita, which is one of my personal favorite novels. Last week, after receiving a complaint from a single parent, William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA removed two copies of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky from their school library. This parent, who admitted to never reading the book, was very concerned that a teacher gave a copy of it to a student who, in turn, gave it to his son. This high school is about 15 minutes from my house. It’s in the county next to ours. Here is a link to the story.
When my husband sent me this link, I was appalled that one parent’s issue can have a book removed from a school library. While he is free to raise his children as he sees fit, who is he to decide whether another child should have access to a book? I decided that if one parent can attempt to discourage people from reading a book, I would try to encourage as many people as possible. I tweeted about the article and posted about it on Facebook to see if anyone else would be interested in reading it with me. One of my best buddies Mark agreed to join me almost immediately. Susan from my Historical Fiction Lovers book club also bought the book. Others have either already read it or expressed interested, so I decided to forge ahead.
My initial thought was to start a Facebook event and leave it open for a month. The problem with events is that they just have a wall. A wall is fine, but hard to read through. Instead, I created a Facebook Book Club just for this book. That way people can review the book through the Discussion Guide, can post on the wall, and topics can be created for specific conversations. If you would like to join us, here is a link to the book club. It’s easy if you are already on Facebook. If not, joining Facebook doesn’t take long – especially if you’re only interested in using the Book Clubs feature.
This book club is open to anyone and I would love to have you take part in our discussion!
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#206 ~ Goldengrove
Today it is my great pleasure to be Francine Prose’s host on her TLC Book Tour for her novel, Goldengrove. I have enjoyed the reviews I’ve read along the way. Please see the end of my review for a list of the blogs who are on this tour with me.
I have a lot of fun working as a tour host for TLC Book Tours. They always have great books and authors on tour. Check out their website for more information on this tour and the others that they are hosting.
I would also like to thank Meredith at HarperCollins for sending me a review copy of this novel. I love the cover and it was such a treat to find in the mail.
My Review
Goldengrove
Nico’s sister Margaret was four years older than her and all that she was not. She was slim, attractive to opposite sex, a talented singer, and looking forward to going to college in the fall. Although their family was close and their parents were former hippies, Margaret wasn’t especially getting along with them. Her father didn’t approve of her boyfriend, Aaron, and her mother fought with her about smoking because of her heart condition. One summer Sunday the sisters were sunbathing out in the lake on their boat. They could hear their mother practicing at the piano in their lake front house. Nico was curious about all the things that Margaret was and wondering if she would ever be like her. Even still, Nico couldn’t help bringing up her sister’s smoking habit. When Margaret had enough, she saluted Nico and dove into the lake. She was never seen alive again. At age 13, Nico had to learn to navigate the waters of a life of kept secrets while haunted by a sister who seemed so nearly perfect.
Goldengrove is a lyrical look at life after a tragic loss. The way that time, place, and emotion are described is really beautiful. The language Prose used was interesting in and of itself, specifically just after Margaret dies. Her use of words made scenes where Nico and her parents couldn’t sleep very powerful. You could see them in different places within the house trying to keep quiet, knowing all along that they were fooling no one into believing they were sleeping. Their mourning was almost poetic.
The loss of Margaret didn’t quite bring the family closer together. It cut a hole between her parents and between parents and “only remaining child.” Nico isn’t sure if there is anyone who can understand what she’s going through except for Aaron. As she kept Margaret’s secret dates with Aaron, Nico begins seeing him in secret as well. Together they feel as though they can cross sacred ground. They both were trying to recapture Margaret by using each other and it was when this storyline got deep that I felt that the beauty of the prose was lost for a while. It’s lyrical quality was broken. Going from lyrical to creepy just didn’t work well for me. I think this was true to Nico’s experience as well and didn’t really disrupt my enjoyment. I just wish some of the harder aspects of Nico’s summer with Aaron had that same poetic quality.
Goldengrove is the first novel I’ve read by Francine Prose. It sounds strange to say that I really enjoyed a novel that deals with the aftermath of losing a sibling during childhood, but I did. The language was beautiful and engaging almost entirely throughout. I would be interested to know if this novel would seem as lifelike and honest to someone who has experienced the loss of a sibling during childhood. I was enchanted by the cover and the novel did not disappoint. I am looking forward to reading more of Prose’s work.
++++++
Francine Prose’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS
Tuesday, September 22nd: Book Magic
Wednesday, September 23rd: Eclectic Book Lover
Thursday, September 24th: The Bluestocking Society
Tuesday, September 29th: Dolce Bellezza
Thursday, October 1st: A Sea of Books
Monday, October 5th: A High and Hidden Place
Tuesday, October 6th: Books on the Brain
Wednesday, October 7th: S. Krishna’s Books
Thursday, October 8th : Book Chatter and Other Stuff
Tuesday, October 13th: Caribousmom
Thursday, October 15th: The 3 R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness
Mark Your Calendars: Francine will be interviewed by Book Club Girl on Blog Talk Radio on September 24th, 2009 at 4:00pm.
#205 ~ Sunflowers
Sunflowers
It is widely known that Vincent Van Gogh suffered from mental illness. If a person knows anything about the man, it’s that he cut off his ear for a woman. Who was that woman and why did Van Gogh do what he did? Sheramy Bundrick explores these questions in her first novel, Sunflowers. In her first novel, Bundrick looks at the last two years of Van Gogh’s life through Rachel, the brothel prostitute with whom Van Gogh has fallen in love. She is a young woman who has come to Arles, France after losing both of her parents. She ended up at Madame Virginie’s brothel. At 21, she was mourning her father and disillusioned with life. Then, she met an odd red-headed artist wearing a straw hat while escaping the openly cruel criticism of some local ladies walking in the park. Her life would never be the same.
This novel is an example of what I really love about Historical Fiction – in addition to filling in gaps in my knowledge, it makes me want to go and read more about the time period, event, or figure. I found over the course of reading this novel that I really didn’t know much of anything about Vincent Van Gogh. I knew that he made some beautiful and interesting paintings. I was excited when I first discovered that he and I were both Dutch, but decidedly less excited when I learned that he cut off his ear. I had no idea what might have inspired his work or how he lived. The author did a wonder job explaining at the end what is known versus where she made educated guesses or took literary license. She also provided the name, date, and current location of all of Van Gogh’s paintings discussed in the novel. Not only did I enjoy the time I spent with Rachel and Vincent in 19th century France, I spent time on the Internet looking up his paintings. Reinforcing the story with the visuals was a powerful experience for me.
I enjoyed the character Bundrick created in Rachel. It was believable that she would fall in love with Vincent despite all of the warnings she received and his reputation around town. He, like her father, was a teacher. Vincent may not have taught art, but he never left Rachel out when discussing his paintings. He explained why he chose certain colors or what he was trying to express through his work. As Rachel learns, so does the reader. As much as I could see that their relationship would most likely end badly, I could see his draw on her and any other open minded person. My one concern with the way she was written it was that she had more freedom to come and go as she pleased than I would believe possible. There were consequences for being a prostitute in Arles and, at the beginning of their relationship Rachel very nearly risked being expelled from Madame Virginie’s brothel, but I never got the sense of danger. Perhaps there were brothel owners out there who did not keep a vice grip on their prostitutes. I just found it somewhat convenient that she was able to come and go with Vincent as needed without constantly being scared of losing her position and all of the money she left in her room at the brothel. This is something that stood out to me, but it did not impact my enjoyment of the book.
Although told from the perspective of Rachel, this is a novel about Vincent Van Gogh and it is a lovely tribute to a gifted yet troubled artist. It was a touch sad, but that was not unexpected given the subject matter. The time spent researching Van Gogh’s paintings, especially those of the characters portrayed in the novel itself like the Roulin family and Dr. Felix Rey, was enriching. I am so glad that my husband’s selection of a sunflower bouquet for my birthday prompted me to pick it up when I did. It made for a great October weekend read. Even if you don’t have any sunflowers of your own at home, I would suggest this to anyone who loves both reading and art. It may even inspire you to head to the local florist to add a little beauty to your own life.
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Thank you to Kendra at Avon for sending me a review copy of this novel.
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#204 ~ The Devil’s Company
The Devil’s Company
The Devil’s Company is the third in David Liss’ Benjamin Weaver series. Weaver is a thief-take and former boxer of some repute in 18th century London. In this installment, which was my first, we find Weaver at a loss when he discovers himself in a great deal of debt to one of his customers. Not only did this customer, one Mr. Cobb, purposefully create this scenario to keep Weaver in his debt, he bought up the debts of Weaver’s beloved uncle, good friend, and acquaintance. While Weaver did nothing to create this situation, he feels morally responsible for the detrimental financial impact this situation has caused. He is forced, then, to accept an assignment he had previously turned down – to break into the highly guarded offices of the East India Company and steal documentation for an upcoming meeting. Unfortunately, this isn’t the last of what Mr. Cobb requires and he keeps Weaver in the dark on his ultimate purposes. In order to free himself and his friends and loved ones from Mr. Cobb’s grip, Weaver has to fight to keep Mr. Cobb happy while working behind the scenes to discover what he really wants and seek his revenge.
This novel was a breath of fresh air for me for this period of London’s history. Other novels set in this same time and place, most recently The Brothers Boswell, have been dry and quite slow. Liss’ story is not only fast paced and continually interesting, but the dialog, most specifically the banter between Weaver and his good friend, Elias, made this novel so enjoyable. The style of speech and the relative formality of personal interactions felt authentic to the time period, but I had no difficulty putting myself in the same room or following along with the characters as they walked down the road. While I can’t say that I would have wanted to live during that time, I feel as though I visited there.
The Devil’s Company is more than just a mystery with a scrappy hero. It delves into the connections between big business and governmental power. While the East India Company is a huge giant carrying a big stick doing what it can to keep its market share and put down any type of government interference, this novel discussed the relationship between a governments need for power and security and the wealth and stability of big multi-national companies. It is interesting to think that you can bring down a world power by attacking its wealthiest private companies. If those companies in turn treat the people as disposable waste, where should you hold your loyalty?
Having never read any of David Liss’ previous work, I wasn’t sure what to expect. He is a talented writer who has created memorable and, most importantly, realistic characters. I previously bought a copy of his novel The Coffee Trader as it takes place in Amsterdam. I am eager to read it now because of the author. I also want to read A Conspiracy of Paper and A Spectacle of Corruption, the first two novels in this series Benjamin Weaver is such a great character I want to read his complete back story. With The Devil’s Company, I have found a new historical novelist that I love to explore. What a gem is that?
++++++
Special thanks to LibraryThing and Random House for providing me a copy of this book. I was lucky enough to snag it through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.
Access to the Early Reviewers program is just one of the many reasons why I use LibraryThing to catalog my books online. You should check it out.
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This is my second review for the R.I.P. Challenge.
*******
To buy this novel, click here
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Beautiful Birthday Flowers & eCard
Okay, okay, this is the last thing I’m going to share about my birthday.
Marjorie, one of my co-wokers, made me a pick-me-up pink princess birthday card. I wish I had thought to include it in my Birthday Bash post from yesterday (check it out for all of the goody bags!). Here is her creation. It just made my day on Wednesday:
Because I flip-flopped about working from home yesterday, my darling hubby had to change his plans for my birthday present. It arrived on my desk today while I was in a meeting. Aren’t they just gorgeous?
I’ve never received sunflowers before and they are just perfect. They remind me of Sunflowers, a novel about Vincent Van Gogh by Sheramy Bundrick that I received recently:
I might just have to pick that up and read it this weekend with my beautiful flowers in the background. After all, Van Gogh is one of “my people.”
Literate Housewife’s Birthday Bash!
Today is my birthday and I want to celebrate in grand style. You’re only 38 once, right? What better way to celebrate than to spread the joy? First, let me tell you about my presents and then I’ll talk about the goodie bags:
My Gifts
Yesterday was a great day. My team lead called a meeting with me for 9am. I walked into the meeting and settled down into the work day only to discover that he called it just to have my co-workers bring in a cake and wish me a happy birthday early. What a way to start the day! After being sick, I have to say I’ve been a little down – nothing big, but just sort of blue – this was just what I needed. Why a day early? Well, I normally work from home on Thursdays and they wanted to be sure that to catch me by surprise. Boy, did they ever. It was great.
I wasn’t going to work from home, but then I thought, why not? Well, that kind of messed my hubby up, so I’ll be waiting until Friday for my birthday present from him. Oops! That’s okay, though. Why not spread the celebration over several days, right? My girls are more excited about my birthday than they ever have been and that will be fun all on its own. Their school has started a walking program on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30, so we’ll start the day out together getting (me)/staying (them) healthy. I just know it’s going to be a great day.
When I got home from work, I received an email from Amanda at Regal Literary. My review of Audrey Niffenegger’s Her Fearful Symmetry was selected as one of the top 1o submitted to them. SQUEEEEE!! I cannot believe it! Because I was selected, I get a signed and personalized 1st edition of the novel. Did I say I cannot believe it? I can’t. That was by far the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. I’m honored that they selected it. They will be highlighting all of the top 10 reviews on Her Fearful Symmetry’s Facebook page over the next few days. What a great (who cares if it’s unintentional) birthday present!
The Goody Bags
I’ve got some bookish goody bags organized for this special day. I wish I had one for everyone stopping by because I appreciate each and everyone of you. For a chance, please select a goody bag and let me know in your comment which one you’d like. Please leave additional comments for each Goody Bag you’re interested in. It’s that simple. I will keep a list of who would like which goody bag and through the magic of List Randomizer, I will choose a winner. There are 8 goody bags since my birthday is October 8 and 8 is my favorite number. Curious to see what’s in the goody bags? Here they are:
Goody Bag #1
Danielle at Sourcebooks has graciously offered one copy of Margaret Campbell Barnes’ The Tudor Rose to one of my Birthday Bash readers in the United States. Thank you so much, Danielle and Sourcebooks!
This book was just reissued this month and I reviewed it on Monday. Here is a link to my review. It tells the story of Elizabeth of York that begins just before her father’s death. I really enjoyed it and found it was a great follow up to Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen.
Goody Bag #2
Danielle from Sourcebooks is offering a second Goody bag for my Birthday Bash readers in the United States – a copy of A Match for Mary Bennet by Eucharista Ward, O.S.F. Thank you again, Danielle and Sourcebooks!
This book was published this month and I reviewed it yesterday. Here is a link to my review. It tells the further story of Mary Bennet, Elizabeth Bennet Darcy’s quiet and serious younger sister. This is a really charming Pride and Prejudice sequel with a nice sense of humor.
Goody Bag #3
The Trials of Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini is another book I requested from Danielle at Sourcebooks. I fell in love with the cover. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. If you like Pride and Prejudice sequels and modern romance, you should give this a try. This Goody Bag is for my ARC copy, open to any of my Birthday Bash visitors. I know that there is a reader out there for this novel.
Goody Bag #4
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I fell in love with Foreign Tongue by Vanina Marsot. It was one of my favorite books over the past year. I can’t say enough about it. Here is the link to my review. Not only is the novel wonderful, so is its author. I interviewed Vanina Marsot and had a wonderful time doing it. She sent me a signed copy of her novel and made my day. I’d like to pass my ARC copy on to one of my Birthday Bash visitors in Goody Bag #4. Maybe one of my favorite books during my 37th year will be one of yours in the upcoming year.
Goody Bag #5
Another one of my favorite books of my 37th year was Capote in Kansas: A Ghost Story by Kim Powers. Here is a link to my review. If you are a fan of Truman Capote and/or Harper Lee, you will love this novel. If you’re not, you will, too. I had previously read Lee, but not Capote. I couldn’t put it down. Goody Bag #5 is for my hardcover copy of this novel.
Goody Bag #6
Tomorrow I will be reviewing David Liss’ third installment of his Benjamin Weaver series, The Devil’s Company. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series but it wasn’t necessary. I really enjoyed Benjamin Weaver and the mystery in which he found himself in this novel. This hardcover novel, which was sent to me thanks to Random House after I snagged it as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program, is Goody Bag #6.
Goody Bags #7 and #8
The last two Goody Bags are for books I am looking forward to read during my 38th year:
Goody Bag #7 is for a paperback copy of Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. This is a book I’ve heard so much about and I happen to have two copies.
Goody Bag #8 is for my second hardcover copy of Sorrow Wood by Raymond L. Atkins. This is the author’s second novel. I read and loved his first novel, The Front Porch Prophet. Here is a link to my review of that novel. I’m really looking forward to Sorrow Wood.
Thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed spending part of my birthday with you! The Goody Bags are up for grabs until Thursday, October 22nd (Ally’s 5th birthday) and I’ll announce the winners on Friday, October 23rd (Emma’s 7th birthday). Since October 25th is my 12th wedding anniversary, I cannot guarantee that they’ll make it in the mail until Halloween. 
Book Blogger Con
Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news.
WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch
Literate Challenges
What's in a Name? 3
Random Reading Challenge
