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#276 ~ A Vintage Affair

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Published by: Random House Publishing

Published on: June 2010

Page Count: 368 pages

Genre: Women’s Fiction

My Reading Format: Hardcover purchased from Barnes & Noble online

Available Formats: Hardcover and eBook

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My Review

As I was sitting down to write this review, I read that Sheryl Crow is requesting/requiring that recycled toilet paper be used at her concerts. While the idea of recycled coupled with toilet paper doesn’t do much for me (I understand the concept, but, you know…), there are plenty of other things that are appealing to me second hand. Books are a given. Vintage clothing is another (perhaps they should call it vintage toilet paper? No, that doesn’t really help at all). When I go to museums and they have clothing, I could read about it and look at the garments all day. So, when I got an email from Barnes & Noble earlier this summer about A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff, I was interested immediately. It tells the story of Phoebe Swift, a modern woman in her early 30s who leaves a successful career at Sotheby’s to own and operate her own vintage clothing store in London. With the beautiful cover, I couldn’t pass it up. I placed my order that day and couldn’t have been more excited when the package arrived two days later.

A Vintage Affair surprised me. It had all the fun of a novel about vintage clothing, with minor plot lines revolving around some of the dresses Phoebe highlighted. I could see the women trying on the beautiful cupcake dresses and imagine what they might do in them. I also liked how Phoebe took such care with the clothing see sold that it bothered her when someone “not right” for a garment tried it on and considered buying it. There was also a love story that, while predictable, felt warm and comfortable to me. What I hadn’t anticipated was the way that a tragic story surrounding World War II was weaved in with Phoebe’s life. I really loved that. It was that story that made A Vintage Affair for me.

Although summer is about over (come on, fall, I’m ready for some cooler temperatures!), this was my favorite summer-ish read this year. It was light and whimsical at times, but it hooked you in with its depth. If you love looking at older clothing, fashion magazines, or watch what they’re wearing on Mad Men, I know you’ll enjoy this book. There’s still time to pick it up and take it with you on your last outing this season. If not, never fear. A Vintage Affair would be perfect for a snow day, too.

Other Voices

You’ve read what I have to say.  Why not check out theses bloggers’ reviews?

S. Krishna’s Books
Bookin’ with Bingo
Scribbles
MarjoleinBookBlog
The True Book Addict

#275 ~ In The Woods

In the Woods by Tana French

Published by: Penguin

Published on: May 2008 (paperback)

Page Count: 464 pages

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

My Reading Format: paperback purchased at Ram’s Head Books, a local independent bookseller

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

Award: Winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel

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My Review

Rob Ryan is the equivalent of an American homicide detective in Dublin, Ireland. He is good at what he does, but he doesn’t quite fit in to the department as well as he would like. It might not help that he has changed his name to avoid any connection to a mysterious disappearance that took place in his childhood neighborhood. He and his two best friends went into the woods behind their suburban neighborhood one afternoon just before the beginning of a new school year. He was the only one found. His memories of that time are foggy at best. The disappearance of his friends was never solved and his life changed immeasurably as a result. This never really played any role at all with his job until the day another adolescent girl was found murdered in the same woods. Ryan and his partner, Cassie Maddox, are assigned to the case, which tests the strength of their partnership as well as Ryan’s stability. Are the two cases related? Can Ryan remain on the case and do his job well given his background?

Before reading In the Woods, I was in my second reading slump of the year. I was no more than four or five pages in to In the Woods and I couldn’t put the book down. I found the mystery surrounding Ryan’s past, the mystery of the dead girl in the woods, the working relationship with Ryan and Cassie, and everything else about this novel engrossing. I loved the details about the neighborhood’s history and the profiling that went into the current case. The night – make that morning – I finished this novel, I only got 4 hours of sleep. I didn’t care. Finishing that book was much more important. The ending was so satisfying to me, even if it didn’t spell every single thing  out.I never felt that loss of sleep anyway.  I was too busy talking the book up at work.

My Final Thoughts

After reading In the Woods, Mystery/Thriller has become a “Go To” genre for me and Tana French has become a new favorite author.  I cannot recommend this book highly enough – and I’m not alone.  Check out these other bloggers’ reviews:

Other Voices

Caribousmom
The Book Lady’s Blog
Jen’s Book Thoughts
Care’s Online Book Club
Book Addiction
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
Reading Matters
Confessions of a Bibliophile
Presenting Lenore
Books I Done Read
Fyrefly’s Book Blog
Jenny’s Books
She Reads and Reads
Regular Rumination

#274 ~ The Red Queen

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Published on: August 2010

Page Count: 400 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Reading Format: Hardcover review copy sent to me by the publisher.

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Giveaway: Simon & Schuster graciously provided me with a second hardcover review copy of The Red Queen for one of my lucky readers. For an entry, simply fill out the Google Form at the end of the review. Just for fun, tell me what color you would be if you were queen.  Entries are accepted until Tuesday, August 17 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

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My Review

Margaret Beaufort is a devout little girl. She spends as many hours in prayer as her mother and nurse will allow. She is fascinated with Joan of Arc and pictures herself one day running a monastary. That is never going to happen. As the daughter of deceased John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, she herself is in line for the throne. The House of Lancaster has very few heirs, so it is imperative that she marry and mother sons as soon as possible. She is married to Edmund Tudor at the early age of 12. Within a years’ time, her husband is killed defending the Lancasters, but he leaves her with a son in her belly. She is certain that her son will one day be the King of England because she believes that God spoke this to her as He spoke to Joan. She makes it her live’s mission and duty to see God’s will be done.

The Red Queen is the second novel in Philippa Gregory’s series about England’s 15th Century Plategents. The Red Queen is a good counterpart to The White Queen. It balances out Elizabeth Woodville’s story in more ways than one. It tells the Lancaster family’s story where the first told that of the York family. Margaret is devoutly Roman Catholic where Elizabeth was mystyical. Elizabeth was tentative about the future of her family while Margaret is rarely indecisive. She believes that God’s will is for her son to be the future King of England and, as it’s God’s will, she had no cause to ever doubt it. It also compliments the first novel by discussing her views of Elizabeth and whether she was a witch. You saw Margaret’s intentions behind the correspondence that gave Elizabeth hope. The two books fit together like puzzle pieces in that way.

There were two aspects of Lady Margaret’s character that stood out for me – her self-righteousness and her resentfulness. She is certain that God speaks to her as he did to Joan of Arc. Therefore, she believed she could not sin or be in the wrong. Over time, a supposed grace from God became her own personal infalibility. She may have felt that Elizabeth was deluded by her relationship to Melusina, but Margaret was no less misguided herself. She had to believe that she was special to God because the alternatives left her cold. Had she been born a boy, she would have herself been in line to the throne and her very existence would have been cherished and protected. As it was, she was just a bridge to the next generation of the House of Lancaster. Her ultimate destiny never concerned anyone but herself. Knowing that her family, most especially her mother, thought of her life as nothing more than a means to an end infuriated her. I think she was driven more by that resentment than anything else. The House of Lancaster got the son off of her that it wanted, but she created a sense of her own control where she had none through her special relationship with God.

I really enjoyed The Red Queen, especially after having read The White Queen. There were sections where Lady Margaret’s self-righteousness started to iritate me in similarly to Catherine of Aragon in The Constant Princess, but plotting and the scheming kept me interested.  I especially loved the  relationship between Margaret and her third husband, Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby.  All things considered, he was a perfect match for her.  The novel finished especially strong on the battlefield at Bosworth. I knew the outcome beforehand, but I still found myself holding my breath a little.  Although the next book in this series will feature Elizabeth Woodville’s mother, I’m looking forward to meeting Lady Margaret once again as “the mother-in-law.”  I am really enjoying this series and highly recommend The Red Queen.

Other Voices

You’ve heard what I’ve had to say.  Why not check out other bloggers?

Devourer of Books
My Fluttering Heart
Booking Mama

#273 ~ Voyager

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by: Davinia Porter

Published by: Random House

Published on: August 2001

Page Count: 880 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Science Fiction (time travel), Romance

My Reading Format: Audiobook purchased from Audible.com using one of my monthly credits.

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, audiobook, eBook

Caution: No real spoilers are included in my review – assuming you’ve read Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber. Also, there are some rather graphic sex scenes and adult language.

Giveaway: Diana Gabaldon’s publisher is graciously offering one copy of An Echo in the Bone to one of my lucky readers.  Please see the Google Form at the end of my review.  Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I’m asking you to tell me who your favorite super couple is – can be from any medium.

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Today it is my great pleasure to be Diana Gabaldon’s host on her TLC Book Tour.  This tour is to celebrate An Echo in the Bone.  Thankfully TLC Tours has begun to host backlisted books for some authors as well because I’m no where near the last book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series.  Today I’ll be reviewing Voyager, the third book in the series.

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.

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My Review

Voyager is the third installment in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. It begins with Claire in the 1960s. She has raised Brienna and is now a true medical doctor. Frank, the man to whom she returned when Jamie sent her back through the singing stones before he meant to die on the battlefield of Culloden. Claire and Frank stayed together to raise Brienna and he has recently died in a car accident. Although she and her daughter are in Scotland to investigate what happened to Jamie’s men at Culloden, it never occurs to Claire that Jamie might have survived because he never planned on leaving the battlefield. Roger Wakefield does a little further investigation and learns that Jamie didn’t die after all. Hoping that there is a pattern and a purpose to traveling through the stones, Claire decides to take a risk and return to 17th Century Scotland in hopes of reuniting with husband 20 years after they last saw each other.

As I found with Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager was not what Outlander was. That does not mean that I didn’t like it. I did. Very much. It was during my reading of Voyager that I realized exactly what the Outlander series was for me – a soap opera featuring a wonderful super couple. Jamie and Claire have the same chemistry as any of my favorite television super couples like Luke and Laura, Frisco and Felicia, or Josh and Reva. Luke, Frisco, and Josh are strong men who want to take care of the women they love. Laura, Felicia, and Reva love their men, but are not afraid to act on their own whether the men like it or not. Jamie and Claire are no different. I suppose the main difference is that you get a little more details about the vo-de-o-do-do with Jamie and Claire because it’s in print.

I love my super couples and there is nothing I like more than when there is a great villian threatening them. Just because Black Jack Randall is dead doesn’t mean that Jamie and Claire are able to live their lives in care-free bliss. Far from it. There is always a villian or a tight situation making things dramatic and difficult. Jamie’s reputation over the past 20 years causes a good deal of havoc. And, as often happens in soap operas, death does not always mean gone forever…

As relationships between super couples grow, there comes a time when their adventures do not hold my interest as much as others. That happened for me in Dragonfly in Amber and it was also true of Voyager. Not every aspect of Jamie and Claire’s voyage was intriguing to me. Jamie is very prone to sea sickness, something established in Outlander. When I learned that the couple were headed on a long journey at sea, I was not looking forward to dealing with that again (chalk it up to empathy I suppose). While it didn’t make me stop altogether like the Asian Quarter storyline with Frisco and Felicia made me turn the channel (where Reva happened to be preparing to commit suicide that very same afternoon – I was hooked on Guiding Light ever since), I thought about it. I never did, because I knew I would just go back. I think there will be a longer gap between Voyager and Drums of Autumn than between the first three, though.  My only other real complaint was the repetitive use of Jesus Christ as an expletive.  I know this may come as a shock, but some bad language can even be overdone for my tastes. LOL!

I was a fan of Guiding Light for 20 years when it was finally cancelled last year. As my professional life took off, I started taping the show and then watching it while I ate super. When my daughters came along, I gave up the ghost and satisfied my soap opera needs by reading the daily recaps. Coming to the realization that the Outlander series is so much like soap operas with the added appeal of historical fiction made my heart happy. I’m glad to have a new outlet. I’m glad that I am able to add Jamie and Claire to my own personal list of super couples. You just can’t help but root for them. Voyager is a lot of fun.  I have to suggest you give any of the Outlander novels a try in audio. As with the first two installments, Davinia Porter’s narration is outstanding.

Diana Gabaldon’s Other TLC BOOK TOUR Stops:

Why not check out what everyone else on the tour is saying about Diana Gabaldon’s tour?

#272 ~ The Embers

The Embers by Hyatt Bass

Published by: Picador

Published on: May 2010 (paperback)

Page Count: 336

Genre: Women’s Fiction

My Reading Format: paperback review copy sent to me by the publisher

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

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My Review
Emily is an earnest young professional living with her fiance who continues to have issues with her parents concerning her upbringing, her brother’s death, and their continued relationships. As an “on the rise” District Attorney working the case of her career, Emily appears as though she’s taken the bull by the horns, but she struggles with her self-confidence. She is not the happy person one would expect. The closer her wedding draws near, the less sure she becomes of anything.

Emily isn’t the only member of the family with issues. Her mother, Laura, still hasn’t gotten over how Emily was closer to her father while she was growing up. Couple that with her lingering animosity over Thomas’ death, Joe’s role in it, and her resentment over her decision to give up acting when she became a mother, Laura is bitter. Ostensibly she is the most put together of the threesome being happily remarried, but her motivations cannot be trusted. Joe was the family’s driving force in its heyday. He experienced wild success as a playwright and actor. As his children and marriage aged, he felt his role slipping. His writing wasn’t what it once had been and he found himself mid-life crisis which ultimately cost him his marriage and his family. The role that this crisis played in Thomas’ death continues to haunt him, affecting his relationship with everyone and anyone. He is most pained by the way his daughter treats him. There was so much turmoil and angst with this family that I found myself wondering if Thomas was the lucky one.

After reading The Embers, I watched the author’s 2000 film “75 degrees in July.” It was the fact that Hyatt Bass wrote both a movie and a novel that attracted me to The Embers initially. I cannot say that watching the movie did much for my appreciation of her novel. Once again there is a family eaten alive by resentment. There was little relief and not much insight. Thankfully, the hope wasn’t lacking in The Embers. Between the two stories, The Embers not only contained resolution, but I fully understood the underlying issues. No one was a saint. No one was helpless. I do think that all of the characters with the exception of Laura’s fiance let their dander get up way too quickly, something that was true even more so in “75 degrees in July.” It was as if every statement or expression was examined to see if a slight could be found.

I called Emily earnest at the beginning of this review. Earnest is a good word to use to sum up the entire novel. It didn’t work as well for me as I had hoped. If you are interested in strained family relationships and character-driven plots, you may want to give The Embers a try. Hyatt Bass is a talented writer and clearly cares for the characters she created.

Other Voices

You know what I think, why not check out some  other reviews?

BookingMama
write meg!

#271 ~ How to Be an American Housewife

How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

Published by: Putnam

Published on: August 5, 2010

Page Count: 288

Genre: Women’s Fiction

My Reading Format: ARC sen to me by the publisher to make it possible for me to participate in this book tour

Available Formats: Hardcover and eBook

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Today it is my great pleasure to be Margaret Dilloway’s host on his TLC Book Tour for her novel, How to Be an American Housewife.

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.

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My Review

Shoko came to age in during and just after World War II.  It was a difficult time to be a young, unmarried woman in Japan, even if you weren’t a restless soul like she was.  She wanted to go to college, but that was both culturally and financially impossible.  Instead, she took a job in order to support her bother Taro’s college education.  Her experiences there, along with her father’s advise, eventually lead her to taking an American GI for a husband.  It is what led up to this decision and her brother’s hatred for America and Americans that put a divide between them stronger than the vast ocean between Japan and America.  40 years later, Shoko’s health is very poor and she wants to make amends with the brother she’s not been in contact with since she left Japan.  With few resources available to her, she turns her daughter, Suiko – or Sue – for help.

How to Be an American Housewife has two narrators, Shoko and Sue.  However, a majority of the novel is told from Shoko’s perspective.  Most chapters and sections begin with an excerpt from a book that Shoko used to assimilate into her new life in the United States which is also called “How to Be an American Housewife.” This structure appealed to me.  First, it demonstrated how women are unique, but are tied together by their family relationships.  Each woman’s story is different, yet dependent.  Second, the pieces of advise for new Japanese brides heading to America was very interesting, both in its perspective of American life post-World War II and the comparisons and similarities between the two cultures.  In  many ways I would need a similar book if I were to awaken as a housewife back then.  I wonder in what ways ”How to Be an American Housewife” would be different if it were written today and how it would be the same.

I truly appreciated how this novel is filled with good people.  All human beings are flawed, but not many are just plain evil.  People make decisions based upon their life experiences to date and, so long as they are willing, can always change and grow.  Shoko’s husband Charlie is a good man, even if he didn’t live up to Shoko’s expectations.  Over time she grew to love and accept him just as he did her.  Charlie’s philosophy on the past being the past made it possible for Shoko to reach out to Taro whether she realized that or not.  It was pleasant to have Charlie there to be her rock when other novels may have made him be another hurdle.

Margaret Dilloway’s novel is about family, relationships and the never ending need for forgiveness.  Both Shoko and Sue are interesting characters on their own, but together illustrate the complexities of any mother-daughter relationship.  There is definitely a cultural divide between Shoko and Sue, but isn’t there one between all mothers and daughters to some extent?  My daughters are in early elementary school and I catch glimpses of the “you just don’t understand” years that are to come.

How to Be an American Housewife is insightful and entertaining.  It made me think about how relations between Japan and the United States have improved after what we did to each other during the war.  Was it that people on both sides value forgiveness? Economic necessity? All or none of the above?  Things feel so much different between Americans and the Middle East now.  Will that eventually change as well?  At the same time, I enjoyed visiting Japan and listening to Shoko’s stories about her life.  Although I would have liked to have seen how Charlie and Taro would have interacted together so long after their first confrontation, How to Be an American Housewife was a satisfying read.  It was light enough to be relaxing without being shallow and forgettable.

Margaret Dilloway’s TLC Book Tour Stops

You know what I thought about this novel.  Why not see what other bloggers have to say?

Monday, July 12th:  Luxury Reading

Tuesday, July 13th: A Bookworm’s World

Wednesday, July 14th:  Simply Stacie

Friday, July 16th:  Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, July 19th:  Life of a Busy Wife

Tuesday, July 20th:  At Home with Books

Wednesday, July 21:  The Book Faery

Thursday, July 22:  Brunette on a Budget

Friday, July 23rd:  Bookalicious

Tuesday, July 27:  Rundpinne

Wednesday, July 28th: Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Thursday, July 29th:  Diary of an Eccentric

Friday, July 30th:  Bookgirl’s Nightstand

Monday, August 2nd:  Savvy Verse and Wit

Tuesday, August 3rd:  Redlady’s Reading Room

Wednesday, August 4th:  The Brain Lair

Thursday, August 5th:  Crazy About Books

#268 ~ The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

Published by: Algonquin Books

Published on: February, 2010

Page Count: 264

Genre: Literary Fiction

My Reading Format: Review copy sent to me by the publisher upon request.

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

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My Review

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky tells the story of Rachel Morse, the sole survivor of her Danish mother’s maternal psychosis that ended in the deaths of her mother and her siblings. She is sent to live with her African American grandmother and aunt. While they love her, her grandmother especially is wary of her mixed ethnicity and any influence Rachel’s mother’s mental illness may have on her. Growing up with the weight of her mother’s actions and her mixed heritage is challenging.  Is she responsible for the sins of her mother?  How can she find her way to herself when there is no one else out there like her?

This is a wonderful novel, but I have absolutely no idea how to review it. It tells the story of Rachel and her mother from various viewpoints, helping to paint a more complete picture. I liked how Rachel’s mom lived on through her subtlety and most significantly through her AA slogans. Rachel’s life isn’t the only one changed forever as a result of that afternoon at the top of their Chicago high rise.  Brick, a child who witnessed Rachel’s brother fall from the sky, was also a victim of sorts. Both are survivors, though. That’s what makes this book so powerful.

My Final Thoughts

I thought this novel was an interesting character study that was both honest and respectful of person. It brings to light the plight of mothers who are mentally ill, bi-racial children, learning to make adult choices, and growing up despite overwhelming odds. I may not be able to articulate just why very well, but I do recommend The Girl Who Fell From the Sky for these reasons and more. It is well deserving of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.

Other Voices

She Is Too Fond of Books
The Happy Nappy Bookseller
Amy’s Book Obsession
Wordbird

#267 ~ The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees

Published by: Penguin Group

Published on: April, 2010

Page Count: 352

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Reading Format: ARC copy sent to me by the publisher for participation in the online book club

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

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My Review

Earlier this year, Trish from Hey Lady Whatcha Readin’? held an online book club for The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees. I was one of the lucky people chosen to participate and I was very excited. I have loved Louisa May Alcott for just about as long as I can remember. The only author who has been close to my heart longer is Laura Ingalls Wilder. When Trish posted about the book club I realized that I knew very little about Louisa herself other than that Little Women was somewhat autobiographical. I’ve never even picked up a biography. When the ARC arrived, I finished up my current read as soon as I could so that I could get started. I was not disappointed. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott painted an interesting and human portrait of the entire Alcott family, most specifically Louisa and her parents.

There were times when I was furious with Mr. Alcott for being so selfish in clinging to his principles instead of caring financially and emotionally for the family he chose to have. Counterbalanced with him was Louisa’s mother. She, too, had made choices and her love for her husband came at a high price. Still, I don’t believe she would have had it any other way. While there may have not been much physical comfort to her because of the way her husband wanted to live, it was apparent that she found moral and spiritual comfort in their life and valued that more highly. Likewise, Louisa wouldn’t have been the woman she was had her family setting not been as it was. While her life was by no means horrible, her art is a testament to the fact that where there are trials, deeper beauty and meaning can be found.

My Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has loved Little Women or who has always wanted to read it. Who says that a spinster’s life is necessarily boring?

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In case you missed it, here is what I was thinking about while I was reading the book and writing the review…

Other Voices

She Is Too Fond of Books
Sophisticated Dorkiness
Devourer of Books
Life in the Thumb
S. Krishna’s Books
The Boston Bibliophile
Lit and Life
My Books. My Life.
Michelle’s Masterful Musings

#266 ~ The House at Midnight

The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse

Published by: Random House Publishing

Published on: June, 2008

Page Count: 336

Genre: Gothic fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook purchased with a credit from Audible.com.

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

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My Review

The House at Midnight tells the story of Joanna and her group of college friends. They are entering their later 20s and starting to get more settled into their adult lives. As the story begins, Lucas, Joanna’s best friend, inherits his Uncle Patrick’s estate after his suicide. Lucas adored Patrick, especially since he became like a father to him after his father’s apparent suicide decades earlier. Patrick was a wealthy and well respected art dealer. While Lucas never lacked for money growing up, his new-found wealth leaves him uncomfortable. He opens up the estate to their group of friends on the weekends as a place for them to come and relax after the weeks spend in London. The group was rounded out by Danny, Michael, Martha, Rachel, and Rachel’s boyfriend Greg. Joanna has always been attracted to Lucas, but their relationship never developed into anything more until they started meeting at Stoneborough Manor. Once their romantic relationship began, Danny, who had been Lucas’ boyhood friend, became increasingly hostile toward Joanna. Lucas didn’t see this change and at first Joanna tried to blow it all off due to the trouble’s Danny was having with his job. When Lucas decided to move to Stoneborough permanently with Danny, who lost his job, the situation became increasingly intolerable. The house even felt hostile and oppressive to her. When Joanna is forced to make a drastic decision about her future and her romantic life, Lucas, her career, and her friendships start to deteriorate.

I love Gothic novels set in old English manners. That is what first appealed to me when I selected this novel from Audible.com. Although The House at Midnight is set in current time, those places can be deliciously eiry and full of mystery. The Thirteenth Tale, The Sister, and The Little Stranger are all strong examples of what I love in stories of this genre.  Lucie Whitehouse’s first novel did not live up to my expectations.  Joanna’s narration about the house being somehow haunted was the only thing that really spoke to the house having any power at all.  I wouldn’t have come up with that on my own.  The triangle between Joanna, Lucas, and Danny had enough tension in and of itself.  This would have been enough on its own, especially if there had been payoff.  As it was, the house really got in the way.  The situation between the friends was more uncomfortable than the house.  Perhaps this is because there wasn’t any subtlety about it.

I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy The House at Midnight.  It had its moments.  I really got involved in the story when Joanna happens upon Rachel and Greg in a compromising position.  I wish that more had come of Danny’s knowledge of this incident than what did ultimately.  The ending held some surprises but some missed opportunities as well.  There was some great potential to make Danny in to one heck of an intriguing villain.  The proposed influence of the house took up too much energy.

The House at Midnight was narrated by Kate Reading.  As I started listening to this audiobook, I was trying to figure out where I had heard her voice before.  She was the female narrator in Chemistry for Beginners.  Although her male voices were  a bit strange, I got used to them rather quickly.  I would definitely listen to another of her audiobooks.  She does very well with the voice of contemporary British women.

My Final Thoughts

This book is definitely worth a try if you enjoy Gothic fiction.  If you do, I would rent it from the library instead of buying it.  I will be interested to see what Lucie Whitehouse writes next.

Other Voices

You know what I think.  Why not check out what other bloggers have to say?

Caribousmom

#265 ~ Not That Kind of Girl

Not That Kind of Girl by Carlene Bauer

Published by: HarperCollins

Published on: June 29, 2010

Page Count: 288

Genre: Memoir

My Reading Format: Trade paperback review copy provided by the publisher.

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

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Today it is my great pleasure to be Carlene Bauer’s host on his TLC Book Tour for her memoir, Not That Kind of Girl.

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.

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Summary from the Publisher

Raised in evangelical churches that preached apocalypse now, Carlene Bauer grows up happy to oblige the God who presides over her New Jersey girlhood. But in high school and college, her intellectual and spiritual horizons widen, and she becomes skeptical of the judgmental God she’s been given. Still, she finds it hard to let go of the ideals she’s been raised with, and to rebel as she knows she should. She loves rock and roll, but politely declines offers of sex and drugs; she thinks the Bible and the Norton Anthology of American Literature are equally authoritative guides to life. Since there are no churches worshipping the Jesus Paul Westerberg sang about in “Can’t Hardly Wait,” and no tidy categories for those who are neither riot grrrls nor altar girls, she hovers between a hunger for the world and a suspicion of it.

In her twenties, however, determined to make up for lost time, Bauer undertakes a belated and often comic coming-of-age in New York City. Between late blooming at parties and staying late at work, it seems that she might become as bold as she’d hoped to be—even if the late blooming is a little more hapless than highly erotic. And yet the city and its pleasures do not distract her from another hope: that she might learn how to have a faith that she can truly call her own. Enter the Catholic Church, and a conversion. But then she falls in love, and loses her religion—which leaves her wondering just what it means to be good.

Sharply written, hilarious, and touching, Not That Kind of Girl is the story of one young woman’s efforts to define worldliness, ambition, and love on her own terms—while believing in, among other things, The Smiths, Virginia Woolf, and the transformative power of New York City. Fellow restless seekers will find solace in Bauer’s struggle to create meaning in the face of overwhelming doubt, and fall in love with the highly original voice at the center of this unforgettable debut.

My Review

All things pointed to me loving Not That Kind of Girl, a spiritual memoir by Carlene Bauer.  She tells of her upbringing in an evangelical Christian home, her conversion to Catholicism, and ultimately letting go of God and her inner good-girl. I’m intersted in the stories of those who grew up in an evangelical household because it’s so much different than my own, Catholic upbringing. That she later chose to become Catholic made me want to find out why.  Once I started reading, I discovered that we are roughly the same age and that we share very similar musical tastes and influences I became even more excited. While very well written, Not That Kind of Girl did not work well for me. Bauer is extremely intelligent and is logical in the examination of her spiritual history. It’s just that cerebral approach that kept me at an arm’s distance.  She provided intellectual arguments for who she was and the choices she made, but she doesn’t let her readers see into her heart.

While very different memoirs, Not That Kind of Girl reminded me of Eat, Pray, Love.  In both memoirs, I felt that the author were prone to over-analyzing.  In tone, this memoir reminded me of The Mistress’ Daughter.  Both are well written memoirs, but with a cynical edge that made the authors remote and untouchable.  That’s not why I read memoirs.  I read them because I want to share in another person’s experiences, be they delightful or terrifying.  It’s a way of connecting to others and consider my own life.  I just wasn’t able to get that close this time.

Because of the potential it had at the start, I wish that I had enjoyed this memoir more.  I have always been curious evangelical churches.  To someone used to the same routine week in and week out, those services seem so alive.  Having attended many such services over the years, they just haven’t clicked with me.  As lively as they are, they’ve never clicked with my soul the way the Mass has as I’ve grown older and matured.  I really wanted to know why Ms. Bauer left and joined the Catholic Church.  In the end, I never really understood.  She related to Dorothy Day and her conversion.  She liked the Liberation Theology and the focus on social justice.  Still, knowing about the history of the Church and the sexual abuse scandals, she converts.  Shortly thereafter, she finds herself unable to sit through Mass thinking about what the priest might have done, might have thought to do, or might have covered up.  Without the emotional connection to the author, it all seemed hollow.

I am glad that Ms. Bauer is happy with her life in New York and with the spiritual choices she’s made.  Perhaps her memoir would be more up your alley, though.  If you’d be interested in reading Not That Kind of Girl, I would be happy to send you my gently read copy.  Leave a comment here letting me know.  I’ll use my favorite Randomizer to select the lucky reader.

Please be sure to check out the rest of the stops on this tour:

Thursday, July 1st: Tales of a Capricious Reader

Tuesday, July 6th: The Book Nest

Monday, July 12th: Drey’sLibrary

Wednesday, July 14th: As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves

Thursday, July 15th: she reads and reads

Tuesday, July 20th: Heart 2 Heart

Friday, July 23rd: Knowing the Difference

Monday, July 26th: Bookshipper

Tuesday, July 27th: Life In Pink

Wednesday, July 28th: my books. my life.

Thursday, July 29th: Suko’s Notebook

Friday, July 30th: A Fair Substitute for Heaven

Monday, August 2nd: A Certain Bent Appeal

Wednesday, August 4th: Sara’s Organized Chaos

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