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#224 ~ I Never Saw Another Butterfly

I Never Saw Another Butterfly edited by Hana Volavkova

When I signed up for Anna and Serena’s War Through the Generations 2009 Reading Challenge, Jill from Fizzy Thoughts offered to send me her copy of I Never Saw Another Butterfly, a compilation of drawings and poems written by children detained in the Terezin Concentration Camp from 1942 – 1944.  I accepted her offer and I’m so glad that I did.  It has been the most meaningful read of the challenge for me.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve been touched by some of the fiction I’ve read.  It just doesn’t have the impact that actual drawings and words from children forced to live at a concentration camp.  Adults have the capacity to grasp why things happen.  Innocent children do not, yet they see and understand what adults cannot.  This book reflects that.  It was haunting and beautiful.

If you’re curious of the impact of the Holocaust on children imprisoned, I cannot recommend this book enough.  I think it would make a great reference for students as well.

This is my sixth and final review for the War Through The Generations 2009 Challenge.  I’ve finished it!  Happy dance for me.  LOL!

During this challenge I have also read and reviewed:

Coventry by Helen Humphreys
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by  Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer
The Mistress by  Philippe Tapon

Merry Christmas from Literate Housewife & Family

Santa was so good to me this year!  I found a Flip minoHD camcorder in my stocking.  I’m so excited because I will be able to get into vlogging now.  Whoo Hoo! To help me break it in, Emma and Allison put together a little Christmas song for everyone using the guitar Santa left for Emma and the iCarly remote he left for Allison.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

#223 ~ The Secret Speech

* This post is brought to you by the nearly 2 feet of snow Mother Nature brought our area over the weekend. Since I couldn’t be out doing last minute Christmas stuff, I spent some time catching up on my reviews. *

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith

I don’t know about you, but every so often I’m in the mood for a thriller.  I don’t read  them often, but there comes a time when the only thing that will do to read is a thriller.  If that thriller has anything to do with Communists, it’s all the better.  Just such a time hit at the end of October and I was so glad to have a review copy of Tom Rob Smith’s The Secret Speech on my shelves.  It picks up on Leo Demidov’s story after Child 44.  He is raising two adoptive daughters with his wife, but he doesn’t feel very successful about it because of his past in the MGB.  Zoya, his oldest daughter, blames him for the death of her birth parents.  Zoya’s not the only reason why he regrets his MGB past.  He soon figures out that his former comrades are being murdered one by one in an organized fashion shortly after receiving a copy of a secret speech about Stalin’s brutality leaked by the new Khrushchev regime.  When Zoya disappears by the hands of the group responsible for these murders, Leo must fight for the daughter who hates him.  He must keep his unlikely family in tact.

When reading this novel, be prepared for action.  This novel primarily takes place in Russia,  but there is an important section that takes place in Hungary.  I ‘ve never read fiction taking place in Hungary and it was interesting to see the differences between Hungary and Russia during that time period.  My favorite part of this story was following the path of revenge against the state and its agents.  I cannot imagine the terror and paranoia one must have felt living under Stalin.  When he died, it must have been equally difficult to move forward.  Forgiveness would be unthinkable.  For some, basic human morality would be, too.

I have heard some wonderful things about Child 44.  I haven’t read it and I wish that I had.  It’s not that Smith didn’t do a wonderful job catching readers like me up on Leo and his past.  He did.  I didn’t actually realize The Secret Speech was a sequel until after I read it.  I’m wondering if I might have felt more connected to Leo had I followed him through his time with the MGB.  He felt cold to me and as I read I felt removed from the heart of what was going on.  I was interested in the story.  I found the implications of Khrushchev’s Secret Speech intriguing.  I just wished that I felt more invested in Leo and his family.  I might have been had I read Child 44.

Tom Rob Smith can definitely right a thriller and I could see his post-Stalin era world.  There were aspects that I found predictable.  At the same time, there were twists that caught me way off guard.  Despite not feeling as connected to the characters as I had wanted, this book really hit the spot.   I stayed up later than was wise one night to finish it because  I couldn’t put it down.  The next time I’m itching for a political thriller, I will be looking to Smith.  If I enjoyed The Secret Speech this much, Child 44 must be amazing.

Other Voices

Novel Insights
You’ve GOTTA Read This!
Coffeespoons

******

A special thanks to Miriam from Hatchette Book Group for sending me a review copy of this novel.

#222 ~ Her Mother’s Daughter

* This post is brought to you by the nearly 2 feet of snow Mother Nature brought our area over the weekend. Since I couldn’t be out doing last minute Christmas stuff, I spent some time catching up on my reviews. *

Her Mother’s Daughter: A Novel of Queen Mary Tudor by Julianne Lee

I’m not sure how common it is, but I have some very clear memories of friends at sleepovers daring each other to look into a mirror and say “Bloody Mary” several times.  I don’t remember any one actually doing it.  We were all too freaked out by what might happen if we did.  In Her Mother’s Daughter, Julianne Lee used the Bloody Mary folklore to encompass her story of the life of Queen Mary Tudor.  Lee begins her story at the very beginning, when Mary is the beloved daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.  Once Henry set his sights on Anne Boleyn, she quickly fell from Grace.   She no longer received the affection from her father to which she had grown accustomed and she was separated from loving mother.  She was declared a bastard, removing her from royal succession.  Even still, her father made no plans for her marriage.  Without her mother, her father, or a husband, she was left all alone in her early years in the dangerous waters of Tudor England.

Julianne Lee, all too aware of Mary’s reputation, set out to write an even-handed novel about this Tudor monarch.  Was she at heart an irrational, murderous woman or did she become the Queen she became due to her circumstances? She structured the novel by beginning each section with a reflection from Mary addressed to the sleeping girls at the slumber party.  The story behind the reflection is then picked up by others, both gentry and commoners.  This worked well for me because we got the details that only those heavily involved in the drama or living with its fallout would know.  It illustrated very well how much Mary’s life was impacted by events and people well outside of her control.

I am not an expert on the life of Mary Tudor, but I knew the basic story when I began this novel.  Lee held my interest throughout.  In one section, I was so absorbed into the book that she raised my hopes of Mary finding love.  I really enjoyed this novel.  There was only one part of the story that didn’t work for me well was when it followed Philip after he left England.  I understand the intent of that section, but especially since this novel begins with the young girls to whom Mary is appealing, Philip’s exploits are more explicit than necessary.  Whether you are new to the Tudors or someone who enjoys this time period as much as I do, you should give Her Mother’s Daughter a try.

Other Voices

Devourer of Books

*******

I would like to thank Kaitlyn from Berkley/NAL, Penguin Group USA for sending me a copy of this novel for review.

#221 ~ The Mistress ~ DNF

* This post is brought to you by the nearly 2 feet of snow Mother Nature brought our area over the weekend. Since I couldn’t be out doing last minute Christmas stuff, I spent some time catching up on my reviews. *

The Mistress by Philippe Tapon

I signed up for the War Through The Generations 2009 Challenge at the beginning of the year, figuring that it would be easy to read six books about World War II.  When I went back earlier this month to see if I could manage to pull this off before the end of the year, I realized that I read four books (see list below).  That left two books to read.  I had wanted to read The Diary of Anne Frank, but I wanted to be realistic about reading another book as well.  One of the books I picked up this year through PaperBack Swap was The Mistress.  At 186 pages, I was certain I could breeze through, leaving plenty of time to read Anne Frank.  In the end, I never made it past page 56.  I had difficulty following the story for several reasons: The writing is choppy, the narration or at least focus shifts frequently (for example, the Emile is either referred to by name, as the doctor, or, by the narrator, as his grandfather), and sections seem to be missing altogether because I could barely follow along with a simple conversation.  The summary sounded so promising, but I couldn’t continue in hopes of what might come.  It isn’t often that I do not finish a novel, at least not without skimming my way to the end.  This novel was nearly incomprehensible word for word, there was no point in trying to skim.

This is my fifth review for the War Through The Generations 2009 Challenge.  I have also read and reviewed:

Coventry by Helen Humphreys
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by  Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer

Literate Housewife Unplugged

I am taking Devourer of Books‘ challenge and going unplugged for the near future. Well, I try to make it sound like it’s something I’m just giving a try, but that’s not exactly true.  Given my work schedule and the holidays, something needs to give.  As much as I love blogging, Literate Housewife is what’s got to give.  Consider fewer posts in your Feed Reader my little Christmas gift to you. LOL!

While I’m off-line, books and book blogging won’t completely be off my mind.  I’ll be deliberating on reading deliberately and may squeak in a review of two.  I’ll be back for more book related fun with the New Year – if not a little before.

I want to let you know how much I appreciate every comment, every page view, every tweet, every email.  It makes me happy every time it happens.  I may not always respond as often or as quickly as I would like, but you all mean a lot to me.

Until next time, I hope that you have a safe and wonderful holiday season.  Enjoy your time with your friends and loved ones.  Next year is going to be great.

#220 ~ Chemistry for Beginners

Chemistry for Beginners by Anthony Strong

Dr. Steven J. Fisher is an intelligent biochemist, working for Oxford University.  His previous work with bonobo apes brought him to where he is today – studying the female orgasm in hopes of finding a cure for female sexual dysfunction.  While Dr. Fisher is brilliant about things the size of molecules, he is your stereotypical scientist.  He is nerdy and unable to pick up on the dynamics between men and women.  When his lab takes on Ms. G., a final subject for their testing of his chemical breakthrough, KXC97, Dr. Fisher finds himself attracted to her and he doesn’t know why.  In desperation to keep her as part of the stud, he agrees to teach her chemistry.  All the while, this scientist who notices every nuance of what happens beneath a microscope, misses all of the drama surrounding him in the lab.  It takes a major biochemical breakdown for him to see his world for what it is.

I doubt I’ll ever be able to hear the word biochemistry without thinking of Diane Court from the movie “Say Anything”.  The way that the school principal annunciates “b-i-o-chemistry” during her introduction at graduation cracks me up.  It’s as if he cannot believe that of someone from his high school.  In many ways, Ms. G reminded me of Diane Court as a graduate student – if she hadn’t found Lloyd Dobler in high school.  She is an attractive and intelligent woman who is tired of being someone’s trophy and wants to be on equal footing with her partner.  She isn’t interested in sex, but perhaps that is because her English professor boyfriend has definite expectations of what she will like and how she will enjoy it.  She turns to Dr. Fisher’s study because her boyfriend threatened her if she didn’t.  I found it interesting how she found her passion in all possible ways as a result.

I very much enjoyed Chemistry for Beginners.  I connected with both of the main characters and the way that the story was told in the form of a scientific  paper.  There were a few things that didn’t work for me, though.  There are sections of the novel that are compilations of email and I found the repetition of the email addresses and signatures irritating.  Although the novel isn’t long, there was a point where it felt long.  I can’t remember the exact point where I began to feel that way, but it was after Ms. G began studying with Dr. Fisher and his team.  The novel definitely picked up again once there was competition for her affection.  These things were not so bothersome that I didn’t like the novel.  Far from it.  They do keep me from giving my highest recommendation.

This  is the first novel I purchased because of the narrator, Simon Vance.  I have loved him from Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy, so when I found myself with an Audible credit to spare, I searched on books that Vance narrated.  This was one of the more recent novels.  I did not go wrong.  Chemistry for Beginners is a great farce.  There were more times than I counted that I laughed out loud.  In particular, the scenes where Dr. Fisher believes he is paying an actual Ph.D. for “clinically proven” ways to get a woman in bed were some of the funniest I’ve read in a long time.  Anthony Strong has written an entertaining love story about nerds, for everyone.  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and isn’t squeamish about the workings of sexual biology from a clinical standpoint with a vibrating apparatus or two added to the mix.

*****

I purchased this novel from Audible.com.

#219 ~ The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is the misfit of his family.  His older siblings, a football star who has gone on to play for Penn State and a socially popular sister, have seemingly made a success of their high school careers.  Charlie has had a more difficult time.  The death of his maternal aunt has had a huge impact on his life and his mental stability.  Despite having to deal with the death of a close loved one and the things he’s seen as a result of having older siblings, Charlie is painfully naive.  At the same time, his intuition is good.  He runs into a stroke of luck when he becomes friends with Patrick and his half-sister Sam.  These unlikely friendships provide Charlie with a larger, much more experienced social group.  They become the framework through which he comes to terms with his past and embraces his future.

If there was one section of this book that spoke to me of my own adolescents and made me want to take Charlie in my arms for a long hug, it was the Secret Santa.  Being a newbie to this group of friends, the Secret Santa meant so much to him.  He took pains to select just the right things and his desire to please his friends was not necessarily returned.  You feel like such a fool when something like that happens.  You’re exposed as if you have played all of your cards.  I know I did. One year that I spent all of my money buying gifts for each of the girls in my circle of friends. Unfortunately, if I got anything from most of the girls, it was a candy cane.  The disappointment isn’t about not getting anything in return.  It is just a hard way to learn that your feelings are not returned.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower contains course language, sexual content, drug use, and violence toward women, but these very adult topics are not glamorized.  You see how miserable the older sister or friend is when she is mistreated.  You see how drugs have paralyzed people’s lives.  You see how everyone’s heart can be broken, be they hetero or homosexual.  While reading this novel it’s pretty clear that the worst thing you can do is to repeatedly make the same mistakes, never learning from them or coming to terms with yourself.  Just because you’ve fallen in a trap doesn’t mean you are stuck there. I understand the concerns around this novel.  Read the book.  It opens the door to a great deal of conversation.  If only you’re ready, you can learn a lot about where your children are emotionally.  If you’re open, they might just learn a lot about you, too.

I purchased this novel after it was removed from the library of William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA.  I would personally like to thank disgruntled parent, Mr. John Davis, for bringing this novel to my attention.  This book was for me what The Catcher in the Rye never was.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and the conversation it fostered with me and some of my best friends.  I can only imagine how this book might impact me if I were closer to my adolescent years.  Young adult novels do not have to be benign or puritanical to be appropriate.  So much is happening emotionally during high school and fiction is one of the safest environments in which to explore new feelings and ideas.  I think we ought to give teenagers more credit when it comes to comprehending and responding to fiction.  This is definitely one challenged book that I would challenge you to read.

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Holiday Gift Ideas ~ Reading Accessories

Earlier this year I wrote my favorite new reading accessory – my Book Buddy.  The Book Buddy isn’t the only reading accessory provided by Reading Comfort.  So, when Mandy offered me the opportunity to try out some other their other treasures, I didn’t think twice.  What arrived in the mail was a Trade Paperback size book cover and a paperweight.

The paperweight is so elegant.  The one that I have is made with Red Papillion fabric, similar to the one pictured to the left.  I enjoy just holding it, but it is quite useful as well.  I don’t have books that I’ve been reading that I’ve needed a weight to hold the pages open.  I use mine at work to keep my To Do List papers from getting mixed up.  I get a lot of compliments on it.  I think it would be really helpful to those who like to cook or have hobbies that require following patterns or instructions while your hands are busy.  At just under $7.00, it is an inexpensive gift that can really add a spark to a reader’s life.

I have also love my book cover.  Mine has a beautiful Oriental pattern.  I can’t remember the name of the pattern, but I absolutely adore the way it looks.  It makes your book feel so cozy beneath the quilted cover.  It also comes with a bookmark, making it so convenient.  I like how it saves the covers of my Trade Paperbacks.  They often take a pounding in my purse and in my car.  It also makes for a more pleasant reading experience at doctor’s offices.  It’s not that I mind sharing what I read with others, but one of the nice things about needing to see the doctor is sneaking in some extra reading time.  My book cover gives me the privacy I need to keep that reading time to myself.

Although my book cover is Trade Paperback size, they come in three sizes – one for Hardcovers and the third for Mass Market books.  This picture is from Reading Comfort’s website showing the three sizes in their lovely Diamonds pattern.   The Mass Market size cover sells for just under $8.00.  If you select a larger size, it’s just an addition dollar for Trade and an additional $2.0o for the Hardcover size.  You can also buy them as a set of three, so all book types are covered.

One thing I found with my book cover is that the embellishments should be handled with care.  I love the button on the front, but my 5-year-old did, too.  She thought it was a Chuck E Cheese coin and it came off when she pulled on it.  I pulled out my hot glue gun and it was soon as good as new.

If you’re looking for useful and beautiful gifts for readers on your list, I would suggest taking a look at Reading Comfort.  If you are the reader, why not do a little window shopping now.  It would be a fun way to spend some of your holiday money without having to brave the traffic and the crazy shoppers.

What’s In a Name Reading Challenge 3

When I posted about reading deliberately, I posted all of the things I considered important to doing just that.  That doesn’t mean that I can’t have fun along the way – and I intend to do just that.  I want to read more books from my own shelves while also reading books I’ve requested in the past.  With all the talk about reading challenges going around, I’ve decided to join those that will help me accomplish my goal.

This reading challenge is being hosted by Beth Fish Reads this year and here is a brief overview of the rules:

Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a food in the title.
2. A book with a body of water in the title.
3. A book with a title (queen, president, sir) in the title.
4. A book with a plant in the title.
5. A book with a place name (country, city) in the title.
6. A book with a music term in the title.

Here are the books I will be using to fill each category:

1. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver ~ this is the only book I have that qualifies, probably because I don’t like to read about food.  This title also happens to be one that I requested from HarperCollins.
2. The Lake, the River & the Other Lake by Steve Amick ~ I bought this at discount bookstore while on vacation in Pigeon Forge, TN almost a year and a half ago.  It’s about Michigan, so I’m hoping that I like it.
3. The Queen’s Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger ~ This is a Kindle book and also January selection for Historical Fiction Lovers Book Club.
4. Silver Nutmeg by Norah Lofts ~ I didn’t know that nutmeg was a plant until researching for this challenge, so I’m super excited this  fits in.  Bought it at a library book sale eons ago and it’s about the land of my people – the Netherlands. LOL!
5. America, America by Ethan Canin ~ This happens to not only be the place I live but is also a Christmas gift last year from one of my dearest friends.
6. The Song of Hannah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy ~ I accepted this book from the author almost a year ago.  I loved her novel The Triumph of Deborah and this challenge gives me just the excuse I need to make it a priority.

That is two review copy reads and four just for me reads.  That’s pretty nice and quite deliberate if you ask me.

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