Wordless Wednesday 287
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Reading, Thinking, Photographing
Although I read across a wide range of genres, one of my all-time favorites is mystery. From cozies to hard-core police procedurals, I'm willing to read them all. So many great titles have been published recently, I've had a hard time keeping up. Here are just a handful that I'm excited about; some I've already read, and the others are at the top of my list.
Getting That Cozy Feeling
If you haven't yet read Emma Donoghue's Frog Music,
or even if you have, rush right out and get a copy of the unabridged
audiobook (Hachette Audio, 12 hr, 47 min) read by Kristine Hvam.
Based on a true, unsolved murder that took place in 1876 San Fransisco during a heat wave and smallpox epidemic, Frog Music
introduces us to gambling trapeze artists; a cross-dressing frog
hunter; and a horseback-riding, dancer/prostitute. Chance meetings,
jealousy, greed, lust, love, and betrayal drive the story, which is much
less mystery than it is a tale of self-discovery.
Hvam
puts her theatrical background to good use with her believable
characterizations and accents and expressive reading. Especially
impressive is how easily she slips into song, adding a wonderful layer
to Donoghue's emotional novel. Frog Music is meant to be listened to and the unabridged audiobook is unforgettable.
Although the subject matter is often rough (prison life, murder, child abuse), Rene Denfeld's The Enchanted
is a haunting novel that makes you think about what happens to children
who have no protectors. Set in a penitentiary for the worst offenders,
the story is told through the eyes of one of the institution's most
heinous criminals. Pretty boys, well-meaning parole officers, naive
prison guards, and fallen priests must face the dark side of humanity on
a daily basis.
The audiobook (Harper Audio; 7 hr, 4
min) is read by Jim Frangione, whose storytelling abilities shine in
this production. He takes a nonjudgmental tone with just a hint of
creepiness that leaves us with the responsibility to judge the principal
protagonist. Frangione's characterizations are subtle but the emotional
intensity of his narration is spellbinding, making us feel sympathy for
individuals we should abhor.
Is there a clear division
between good and evil? Can the unthinkable ever be forgiven? There are
no easy answers, and the characters will remain with listeners for a long time
after Frangione has finished the story.
Note: The original versions of these reviews were published by AudioFile magazine.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
To dine in [the] kitchen is ever a satisfying experience. My preference for kitchen dining never seems to wane. It is not nostalgia but a natural expression of my love for food and its preparation. It seems to me that the pleasure of eating is heightened if one is there amidst the delightful smells to witness the moment when the finished dish comes out of the pot or oven. (7-8)On picnics:
Eating out of doors has always been one of my great joys. Just to munch a sandwich, drink something from a thermos, and talk with friends is a liberating experience never achieved in any dining room. Even the simplest of picnics can be a delight. All it takes is the right state of mind and a place to settle, whether it happens to be on the beach, in the woods, on a park bench, or in your car along the road. (88)On trains:
In my youth, I used to travel back and forth between Oregon and New York. . . . Being a great eater, I almost always took the Northern Pacific because it had a reputation for extraordinarily good food and was known as the "the line of the great big baked potato." The potatoes, specifically grown for the Northern Pacific, were huge, weighing over a pound each, and they were always perfectly baked. . . . They came from the kitchen split and dripping with butter. (133)On vodka:
Vodka has been a pleasant influence in my life ever since the day in my flask-carrying, party-going youth when my father presented me with a large, mysterious package wrapped in plain paper. "Drink this," he said, "instead of bootleg whiskey." The package contained dozens of flat tin cans of vodka, colorfully labeled in Russian characters. It was smuggled vodka, of course, brought in by ships that touched China's ports. My first taste of it was very tentative. I expected it to be fiery, and I half thought it might have the flavor of potatoes. It packed a wallop, yes, but it was by no means lethal, and I was delighted with its clean flavor--or lack of flavor. So I began as a pre-repeal vodka fan. (191)On Switzerland:
Switzerland is a land of good food rather than show-off food. I am always struck by the fact that you can go to almost any small town or village and find something attractive to eat, most likely a local specialty drawn from the products from the surrounding countryside. I can remember unpretentious restaurants on the shores of Lake Geneva, where one could sit at an outdoor table and be served huge platters of delicate, fresh lake perch, filleted and sauteed, which you ate with thin, crisp, homemade french fries, a green salad, and local white wine until you couldn't eat any more. (284)Published by Lyons Press, 1999
It seems that the market has become saturated with young adult dystopian trilogies, making it difficult to believe there could something unique in the mix. But as I said in my review of Pure, Julianna Baggott has indeed taken a fresh and complex approach to the genre.
Even better, unlike many trilogies, the second installment, Fuse, was just as strong, increasing our connection to the protagonists and their world. Baggott introduced new situations and allowed her characters to grow, change, and even make life-altering mistakes.
The best news is that Baggott didn't let up in the final book, Burn. The characters still surprised me and tugged on my emotions. This bullet review assumes you've read the first two books, but includes no spoilers for Burn.
What would it be like if you were low born to a family of French traveling actors in the mid-1600s? Now suppose your father died and it was up to you to care for your mother and little brother? That's how life started for young Claudette, but that was not where she would end up.
Winter was coming--I could smell it. Even so, we headed north, following a cow track across a barren field, away from all the lawless soldiers.—The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland (Random House / Doubleday, 2014, p. 3; uncorrected proof)
Onward. I shifted little Gaston onto my right hip and set my eyes on the far horizon. . . . Onward toward Poitiers, where we might earn a meal performing for crowds. News spread that the King and Court were there, mobilizing for yet another battle.
In
Solace, a land bombarded by debris and meteors from other worlds,
thirteen-year-old Piper, an orphan, supports herself by scavenging. She
is also a gifted machinist, a skill she learned from her beloved father,
and seems to be able to fix everything from watches to music boxes.
While
protecting a friend caught out in a meteor storm, Piper discovers the
unconscious body of a young stranger. Noticing the girl's tattoo that
marks her as being under the protection of the Dragonfly Kingdom, Piper
takes her home, dreaming of ransom money. But when Anna wakes up, her
memory doesn't fully return; all she knows is that she must escape capture
by the evil man who seeks her.
On impulse, Piper helps
Anna, fleeing her desolate home town via the 401, the main supply train
to and from the royal cities. Once on board, Piper's perceptions of her
world, herself, and Anna are forever altered.
Jaleigh Johnson's The Mark of the Dragonfly
is an action-packed adventure that introduces us to a world like no
other. Although billed as middle grade steampunk, the novel's mix of
dystopian, scifi, and fantasy elements and its strong, well-paced plot
give the book a much wider appeal.
Young readers will
like the bits of steampunk and magic and getting to know Piper, Anna,
and their new friends and enemies. Older readers (both adults and teens)
will be caught up in the setting and the politics of this strange new
world.
This multilayered, genre-bending story would
make a great book club selection, and not just for middle grade readers.
Discussion topics include friendship, made families (as opposed to
birth families), what makes us human, getting past first impressions,
sociopolitical divisions, prejudices, and the intricacies of Piper's
world.
The Mark of the Dragonfly is the first in
a proposed series and thus sets up the larger story to come.
Fortunately, it also stands strongly on its own, leaving us wanting to
know more but reaching a satisfying conclusion. The novel's complicated
and conflicted characters and unique world pull you in, and the hints of
future battles, political struggles, and even romance will make you
look forward the next dragonfly installment.
If you've had enough of vampires and werewolves but still like to escape reality, place Jaleigh Johnson's The Mark of the Dragonfly
on your reading list. You'll love Piper's spunk and Anna's passion for
reading and will be as amazed as they are at all they learn about the
world of Solace.
I listened to the unabridged audiobook
(Listening Library; 9 hr, 49 min) read by Kim Mai Guest. I loved
Guest's expressive reading, great characterizations, and excellent
pacing. The Mark of the Dragonfly would make a great family listen, perfect for a road trip or rainy-day entertainment.
Published by Random House / Random House Kids / Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780385376150
Source: Print: review; audio: review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
Published by Workman, 2014How to Make Friends with Pie
- Make pie every day for one year.
- Move to a new city where you have no friends.
- Bake half a dozen pies
- Invite potential new friends over for a pie party.
- Eat pie and drink whiskey.
- Friends!
Last week I reviewed The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the 2013 film starring Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, and Shirley MacLaine, noting that it was fun and uplifting. Although the movie takes place in modern times (despite a retro feel), its spirit is in line with James Thurber's original 1930s short story.
Recently I had the opportunity to watch the movie on Blu-ray and loved seeing it on a bigger screen. Whenever I have a disk I always look for extras, so I was happy to find quite a few features for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, including extended and deleted scenes, music videos, a slide show, and a variety of behind-the-scene shorts.
Of the dozen or so features my favorites were "The Look of Life" and "That's a Shark," both of which introduce us to the actors, the scenery, and the challenges of filming. A few things stood out in particular from watching all the extras:
Last summer I reviewed M. J. Rose's Seduction, which was an Indie Next pick for May 2013. This don't-miss Gothic thriller was recently released in paperback, and to celebrate, the good people at Atria are giving away a copy to one of my readers.
Although Seduction is the fifth in Rose's Reincarnation series, it works very well as a stand-alone novel. I liked the setting, the mystery and thriller elements, and of course, the perfume.
For more about the novel click on the link to my review and take a look at the publisher's summary:
A spellbinding Gothic tale about Victor Hugo's long-buried secrets and the power of a lover that never dies . . .To be entered for a chance to win a copy of the paperback edition of Seduction, all you have to do is have a U.S. mailing address and fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner via a random number generator on April 22 (to celebrate Earth Day!). Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good luck!
Grieving his daughter's death, Victor Hugo initiated seances from his home on the Isle of Jersey in order to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with Plato, Shakespeare, Dante and even the devil himself. Hugo's transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it has been believed. . .
A hundred years later, recovering from her own great loss, mythologist Jac L'Etoile is invited to Jersey to uncover a secret about the island's mysterious Celtic roots. She's greeted by Neolithic monuments, medieval castles, and hidden caves. But the man who has invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, hopes she'll help him discover something quite different . . . something that will threaten their sanity and put their very lives at stake.
So far in the eMerging eReader series, I've gone over devices, software, apps, and eReading in general. In today's installment, I address getting organized, reading for reviewing, and remembering to read my eBooks.
Getting organized.
As you know by now, my not-so-secret weapon for organization is
Calibre. A key factor for my becoming an eMerging eReader was having a
single location for all my books. Because Calibre lets me sort my books
by several factors (publication date, due date at library, freelance
assignment, genre, and so on), it's dead simple for me to find my next
read.
This may be controversial, but once I finish
reading an eBook, I delete it from my computer and device. If I bought
the book, it will backed up and thus retrievable. If it's an eGalley,
I'll buy a finished copy if I want to reread it. If it's a library book,
then I don't own it and thus must remove it from my devices. One of
bonuses of eBooks is less clutter, and that includes less electronic
clutter.
Reading for review. As I mentioned earlier,
my focus and enjoyment of eBooks has steadily increased, especially
when reading for pleasure. I had a more difficult time adjusting to
reading eBooks for freelance reviews or for more in-depth reviews on my
blog. I'm a sticky note junky and felt completely lost when I couldn't
flag pages and jot down quick thoughts on colorful tabs.
Fortunately,
bookmarking pages in eBooks is as simple as a tap and is, in fact,
easier than grabbing a physical marker. Although it took some getting
used to, I can now also highlight passages in eBooks without a thought.
(I used to struggle with remembering the long press; I have no idea
why.) The most difficult transition for me has been training myself to
type notes right on my devices (both Kobo and Bluefire have this
feature) instead of writing on a sticky note. I'm beginning to develop a
good rhythm, though, and I bet I come to rely on this.
When
I sit down to write my review, it's really nice to see all my
highlighted passages and notes in one accessible list, and viewing a
bookmarked page is as easy as a tap. One thing I really love is taking
advantage of the search function to check spellings and facts; so much
easier than skimming a print book.
Remembering to read.
I used to collect eBooks and then just let them sit (in Calibre!). It
was puzzling to me because I never forget to listen to an audiobook,
even though almost all my audios are digital. Then it struck me. I have
triggers that tell me to pick up my audiobook. In the evening when I
walk or cook, I turn on the mp3 player (phone, whatever) and plug in the
earbuds. It's a long-time habit.
With that insight, I
declared eBooks as daytime reading. On working days, they're what I read
at lunchtime, when waiting for an appointment or phone call, or when I
need a break from editing. In this way, I never forget about my eBooks. I
still read print in the evenings, and on days off of work I usually
turn first to the book I'm most interested in, regardless of the medium.
I'm not sure what my habits will be in the long run, but before I
developed a trigger, I almost never picked up an eBook.
Next up: getting social and nagging issues.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
As you might suspect, I'm endlessly curious about the process of transforming the written word to the silver screen. Sometimes when reading a novel, I find it easy to envision how the action could be translated to film. But what about a short story?
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" was first published in The New Yorker in 1939. James Thurber's protagonist is an absentminded man who must drive his wife to the hairdresser and then run a few errands. On the surface, Walter lives a dull and ordinary life, but deep within him flows a vivid imagination and all the excitement and urgency of a war hero or world-famous brain surgeon.
In the 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter's story is brought into the twenty-first century. In real life, mild-mannered Walter (played by Ben Stiller) is in charge of the photos for Life magazine, but in his head, he's a modern-day hero, lady's man, and tough guy. In fact, he spends so much time daydreaming, his co-workers have begun to harass him. As the print magazine comes to an end, it's Walter's job to prepare the final cover photo; there's just one problem, the negative is nowhere to be found. Will Walter muster up the gumption to travel to the ends of the earth to find the photographer (played by Sean Penn)? What happens when imagination becomes reality?
I really loved the updated version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Not only is the scenery beautiful (Greenland, New York City, Iceland, the Himalayas) but the story itself is uplifting without being sappy. The main message is to embrace life instead of just imagining what it could be. Walter also learns that change can bring opportunity.
The Blu-Ray/DVD won't be available until April 15, but thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, I was lucky enough to view the movie early on Google Play. But guess what? I'm not all that special because you too can get The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and many other movies on Google Play before they're released on disk to stores.
Although I've often streamed movies, this was my first experience with Google Play. I was pretty impressed with how easy the app was to use across my devices. I started out watching the movie on my PC in my office and finished watching on my iPad (with earbuds) on the deck so I could soak up the late afternoon sun. I had no problem switching devices or operating systems.
Another great thing about Google Play was the simplicity of using closed captioning. This is a big plus for me because both my father and Mr. BFR have hearing issues and often rely on good captioning. All I had to do on my tablet was tap on the "cc" in the bottom right-hand corner and the captions appeared instantly. They were easy to read and didn't interfere with the picture.
I also thought it was pretty cool to be able to first read the short story from The New Yorker site and then switch to the film, all on the same gadget. In fact, I was thinking that it'd make a fun book club meeting to read the story together (it's only four pages) and then watch the movie.
Check back next week for a great The Secret Life of Walter Mitty giveaway. I'm pretty excited about the prize pack. In the meantime, however, you can watch the movie at home or on the go by using the Google Play app.
What would you do if you lived in a small town and thought one of your employees was in danger? Would your protective instincts kick in? Whether she likes it or not, Lucky Jamieson, owner of the By the Spoonful restaurant, can't help but get involved when one of her waitresses seems to be the target of a stalker and that stalker just might be a suspect in a murder investigation.
Nate Edgerton, Snowflake's Chief of Police, reached over and flipped off the siren and flashing light. He pulled his cruiser to the side of the road, slowing and coming to a stop behind a bright blue sports car. Early morning sunlight reflected off the rear bumper of the car where two people, a young couple, sat huddled together. Nate could tell from their expressions there was no need to hurry.—A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer (Penguin Random House / Berkley Prime Crime, 2014, p. 1)
He turned to his deputy. "Cancel the ambulance."
Welcome to Imprint FridayMonday and today's featured imprint: Amy Einhorn Books.
Stop by most weeks to be introduced to a must-read title from one
of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these
books to your wish list.
I know it isn't Friday but I wanted to write about Elizabeth Blackwell's wonderful While Beauty Slept sooner than later. Although this novel has been described as a fairy tale retelling, I'd say it was inspired by Sleeping Beauty rather than being a variation on the familiar story.
Here are my thoughts in a Bullet Review.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
So far in the eMerging eReader series, I've talked about devices, software, and apps. Now it's time to talk about, well, reading.
Before I get started, however, can you believe that I already have an update to my last post on apps?
Readmill / Bluefire. Just six months after I found what I consider to be an almost-perfect PDF reader, Readmill was sold to Dropbox and won't be available after July. Come summer, I'll be transferring my books to my second-choice app, Bluefire. Compared to Readmill, Bluefire fell behind in three areas: (1) it doesn't have eye-saving settings for PDFs, (2) you can't download books from Dropbox directly through the app, and (3) PDFs are not quite as stable. Fortunately, the Bluefire people are working on these problems, which may be solved by the next update.The business of eReading. When distilled to its essence, eReading is, of course, exactly the same as print reading: Turn on your device (or open the cover) and get going. There's nothing mysterious here; the only difference is the medium, but even so, many of us have struggled with making the change.
What
would you do if your sole means of support was going to be deemed
illegal? In 1897, Mary Deubler faced this problem, finding a way not
only to survive but to thrive by complying with the morality regulations
of New Orleans. She moved her business to Storyville.
I come from a long line of whores.—Madam: A Novel of New Orleans by Cari Lynn and Kellie Martin (Penguin Random House / Plume, 2014, prologue, uncorrected proof)
In my nine decades on this earth I have never uttered these words, let alone seen them written, in my own hand, indelibly staring back at me. But now, as a summer storm rages strong enough to send the Pontchartrain right through my front door, I sit with a curious sense of peace and clarity. My past is more than just my own history. Although this story shames me in so many ways, it is the legacy I leave. I must embrace the very truth I spent my life denying.
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