Reading on Topic: 7 Novels Rooted in the Classics

I'm endlessly attracted to books that take a new look at an old story, whether a fairy-tale retelling or a reworking of a favorite classic.

Today's Reading on Topic features seven books on my reading list that have literary roots. All but one is or soon will be available in paperback, but note that two haven't been released yet. Each one focuses on a beloved female character (or person), from the adventurous Alice to the reclusive Emily. Have you read any of these?

A Classic Pair

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin tells the story of Alice Liddell, who was befriended by author Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. This novel, told in a flashback by an elderly Alice, introduces us to the girl and then the woman, who was forever haunted by both her fictional self in Wonderland and her relationship with Carroll. (Bantam paperback, 2010). Ana of California by Andi Teran is a retelling of Anne of Green Gables, transplanted to the West Coast and modern times. Fresh from the Los Angeles foster care system, worldly wise Ana is determined to make a go of it on a small  farm owned by a bother and sister. Although based on the classic, Teran's novel explores issues faced by today's teens and is peppered with contemporary cultural references. (Penguin paperback, 2015).

A Poet's Life

Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor shines the spotlight on the private life of the reclusive Emily Dickinson. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of a fictional household maid, Ada, and the poet herself. The pair form a friendship of sorts, and their opposite personalities offer an interesting contrast. (Penguin paperback, 2015). Amherst by William Nicholson takes a different path for uncovering the real Emily Dickinson. In this novel a modern-day screenwriter visits Amherst to research a project about Mabel Todd (one of Emily's champions) and her relationship with Austin, the poet's brother. We learn as much about the private Dickinson and her poems as we do about Mabel. (Simon & Schuster paperback, February 2016).

Jane Eyre Lives On

Re Jane by Patrica Park reimagines the Jane Eyre story as starring a Korean American woman struggling to start a career in finance in New York. Taking a nanny job to make ends meet, our modern Jane faces cultural and class issues, the changed atmosphere of the post-9/11 world, and an unlikely romance. (Penguin paperback, April 2016) Reader, I Married Him, edited by Tracy Chevalier, is a collection of short stories by a fabulous mix of women authors, all inspired by the famous line from the classic tale. The stories are written from a variety of perspectives and touch on a range of themes found within the novel or in the contemporary author's imagination. (William Morrow paperback, March 2016) Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye is a very different reworking of the beloved novel. In this take, our heroine will stop at nothing (including murder) to get what is hers. As Jane Steele works her con, posing as a governess, she's inspired by the book she's reading--Jane Eyre. Layers within layers set in Victorian England. (Putnam hardcover, March 2016)

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Today's Read: Soundless by Richelle Mead

What if everyone in your village was deaf? Imagine that it has been that way for generations, and your people communicate only through sign language. Now suppose that the villagers are also losing their sight. How will they survive? But what if you woke up one day and your senses were assaulted by something you did not immediately understand? That's what happened to Fei the day she began to hear.

My sister is in trouble, and I have only minutes to help her.

She doesn't see it. She's having difficulty seeing lots of things lately, and that's the problem.

—Soundless by Richelle Mead (Penguin Random House / Razorbill, 2015, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: in the past, China
• Circumstances: Fei and her younger sister, Zhang-Jing, are orphaned, working as artists for their village. Their village is on the top of a mountain, isolated from the rest of the district because decades of avalanches have made descent virtually impossible. The village survives through mining, sending the ore down a zipline in return for food. The amount of food they receive depends on the productivity of the miners. The people are poor and close to starving, and now many of the congenitally deaf are also going blind. When Fei's hearing returns, she tells no one but her childhood friend, Li Wei, a young man who works in the mines. Together they decide to risk climbing down the mountain to ask for help from the city below.
• Characters: Fei, about 19, an artist; Zhang-Jing, her younger sister; Li Wei, her older childhood friend and love interest; various townsfolk and people from the city
• Genre and audience: folklore retelling, young adult, adventure, some fantasy elements
• Themes: sisters, class differences, politics, love, justice
• What I think so far: This short novel got off to a slow start, and I almost put it aside. But I was too lazy to load another audiobook on my phone, so I kept listening. Once the adventure began, I became curious about what Fei and Zhang-Jing would find in the city. The story is mildly entertaining, and I'm hoping for a good ending.
• Some more thoughts: I haven't read Mead's Vampire Diary series, but I liked her Age of X series, which meant I had high hopes for this standalone novel. I like folklore / fairy tale retellings, which is another plus. Unfortunately, despite the names of the characters and some references to silk and porcelain, I haven't gotten much of a sense of China or of the tale on which the story is based.
• Audiobook: The unabridged audiobook (Listening Library; 8 hr, 18 min) is read by Kim Mai Guest, who does an okay job. Her pronunciations of the Chinese words sound authentic to me, but I have no real way of judging. Although I am not bowled over by her performance, Guest is expressive and has a good sense of pacing.
• Recommendation: I haven't finished the book yet, but I can't recommend this one wholeheartedly. Soundless would have benefited from deeper world building and more complex characters. It also might have helped if I knew the Chinese tale that inspired the book.

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Weekend Cooking: The Four Seasons of Pasta by Nancy Harmon Jenkins and Sara Jenkins

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. 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.

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The Four Seasons of Pasta is written by the mother-daughter team of Nancy Harmon Jenkins and Sara Jenkins, each of whom has deep culinary credentials. In addition, the Jenkinses know their pasta, having lived in Italy off and on for the last forty years. This joint effort gathers together over a hundred recipes that use authentic Italian ingredients and are perfect to serve all year round.

Right off the bat, you'll notice the absolutely stunning photography by Michael Harlan Turkell. The Old World kitchen, rustic pottery, vibrant colors, and garden-ripe veggies will keep you turning the pages and planing your menus.

But, of course, as I always say, pretty is fine, but the recipes and information make a cookbook. As you can guess, the recipes in The Four Seasons of Pasta are indeed divided by season. Within each section you'll find many quick pasta dishes that are just right for weeknight dining. A few recipes, for example baked dishes and ravioli, will take more time, so you might want to save them for weekend meals.

Apparently there is no running out of recipe ideas in Italy because, as Jenkins and Jenkins tell us, it's a country where most people eat a pasta dish once or twice every single day. The rest of us have some catching up to do, and this cookbook will start us on our way.

The Four Seasons of Pasta is full of great tips on how to stock your kitchen, buy key ingredients, and make basic stocks. I also love the introductions to the recipes, which provide culinary advice as well as food history. The recipe directions are written in an informal style and easy to follow. I was happy to see that the Jenkinses call for canned tomatoes in the winter and dried pasta for most of the dishes.

There are recipes for all kinds of tastes here: heavy and light sauces, quick stovetop dishes, hearty ragus, pestos, and even seafood options. Meat-lovers, vegetarians, and everyone in between will find plenty of new favorites in this cookbook. Here are just four of many that have my name on them:

• Penne Rigate con Cavolfiore alla Sicilana, which has cauliflower, raisins, and white wine
• Lamb meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Elicoldali, which is warmly spiced with cumin and coriander in a tomato sauce
• Garganelli al Ortolano, which includes grilled eggplant, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes
• Zuppa di Pasta e Ceci, which is a chicken soup with greens and chickpeas

I know one good friend who will be all over the mussels recipes and another who will be cooking up a ragu storm.

The recipes in The Four Seasons of Pasta by Nancy Harmon Jenkins and Sara Jenkins are comforting and traditional yet fit a modern lifestyle. The fresh, flavorful, and simple dishes in this cookbook are destined to become family favorites and will take the burden off the age-old question of What's for dinner?

Because I don't have a finished copy of the cookbook, I'm a little hesitant to share a recipe, in case there were changes. So instead, I'll direct you to Nancy Harmon Jenkins's website, where you can find more photos and some recipes.

NOTE: The photos in this post are from the cookbook and are included in the context of a review. All rights remain with the copyright holder, Michael Harlan Turkell.

Published by Penguin Random House / Avery, October 6, 2015
ISBN-13: 9780525427483
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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Today's Read & Giveaway: The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg

What if you were looking forward to a couple of weeks in the wilderness by yourself but your live-in, non-outdoorsy boyfriend insisted on coming along too? Would you easily adjust or be put off? Liz Kroft, who had wanted to hike the John Muir Trail alone, had mixed feelings.

Liz hopped from foot to foot and hugged herself against the cold. She glanced at the porch of the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Office, where Dante stood with his back to her, chatting with some other hikers. His shoulders shrugged and dropped, and his hands danced this way and that. He was telling a story--a funny one, judging by the faces of this audience--but not a backpacking story because he didn't have any. His idea of a wilderness adventure was staring out the window during spin class at the gym. Not that it mattered. . . . Liz had know him for over two years and still couldn't decipher how he captured strangers' attention without apparent effort. Dante was black velvet and other people were lint.

—The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg (Penguin Group USA / NAL Accent, 2015, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Mostly Yosemite National Park and the John Muir Trail; modern times
• Circumstances: Liz and Dante's rigorous but peaceful backpacking trip turns into a terrifying nightmare as they begin to suspect someone on the trail is determined to harm them. Meanwhile, their relationship is as rocky as the terrain. Liz has secrets and Dante has family issues. Will they be able to work out their differences?
• Characters: Liz, 29, a medical engineer; Dante, her boyfriend of 2 years; Paul & Linda, 50-somethings, hiking the trail for fun; Brensen, an upcoming actor, hiking the trail to prepare for a part; Rodell & Payton, brothers, hiking the trail with no particular plan; day hikers, rangers, and other peripheral characters.
• Genre: outdoor adventure; thriller
• Themes: honesty, relationships, parenting, nature, trust, survival
• What I liked: The descriptions of the park, the outdoor scenes, and life on the trail. The story took a little time to develop, but the creep factor was there. I had a bad feeling from the beginning and was wondering about whom to trust. Would both Liz and Dante make it out of the park alive?
• What I didn't like: I thought maybe there was a tiny bit too much foreshadowing, but that absolutely didn't take away from the spooky, scary parts. Because I'm an experienced backpacker, the camping scenes held my attention more than the flashbacks to Liz and Dante's life back home and the parts about their relationship issues. But that's just me; I wanted to get back to the action and the trail!
• Something to know: The author hiked the entire 200+-mile trail herself, so her rendering of what it's like to be on the John Muir Trail and in the national park is authentic and personal.

The Giveaway

Thanks to NAL Accent, I'm able to offer one of my readers with a USA mailing address a copy of The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner on October 1, using a random number generator. Once the winner has been confirmed and I've passed the mailing information on to the publicist, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good Luck!

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Today's Read & Giveaway: Death under Glass by Jennifer McAndrews

What if your best friend and her ex-husband became targets of crime? Naturally, you'd be concerned for their safety. For Georgia Kelly, accountant and stained-glass artist, worry turns to fear when her friend Carrie discovers the door to her store has been unlocked. Georgia warns her not to go in:

"Oh, Georgia, I'm sure it's fine."

The door swung open and Carrie ducked inside. Maybe I did have a bit of paranoia going on. All those years living in the city might have made me somewhat overcautious. This was Wenwood for Pete's sake. It was more realistic for me to expect her shut off the store alarm and shout to me it was safe to enter.

I did not expect a scream.

—Death under Glass by Jennifer McAndrews (Penguin Random House / Berkley Prime Crime, 2015, pp. 96-97)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Wenwood, New York; modern times
• Circumstances: Georgia Kelly has moved home from the city to reinvent herself as a stained-glass artist. Life in a small town is, however, anything but peaceful: local politics heat up over development issues and an office building is destroyed by arson. But when her friend Carrie becomes a target to crime and a local murder seems to be linked, Georgia can't help but get involved. Besides, the investigating police officer is that that cute guy she met a while back when her grandfather had a little trouble.
• Characters: Georgia Kelly, artist/accountant; Carrie, antiques store owner/decorator; Diana, police officer; Christopher, police office; Grandy, Georgia's grandfather; various townspeople, lawyers, and other police
• Genre: cozy mystery
• Themes: friendship, greed, family
• What I thought: This was a fun, light mystery that's perfect for a summer's evening. Interesting characters, a hint of romance, and few red herrings make for a good read. As with most cozy mysteries, the story is as much about the small town and the main characters as it is about finding the bad guy. I particularly liked the friendships of Georgia, Carrie, and Diana and thought that the growing attraction between Chris and Georgia was realistic and sweet.
• Things to knows: This is the second in the Stained-Glass Mystery series, but I didn't feel lost at all, so you can start right here if you'd like. I plan to go back and read the first book, Ill-Gotten Panes, so I can learn more about Georgia's move from the city to her grandfather's house.

The Giveaway

Thanks to Berkley Prime Crime, I can offer one of my readers with a U.S. mailing address a copy of Jennifer McAndrew's Death under Glass. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to fill out the form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on July 15. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good luck!

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Review: Marine Park by Mark Chiusano

Frankly, I always have trouble reviewing short stories. Of course, I can't talk about each of the seventeen stories in this debut collection individually, and of course, some had a bigger impact on me than others.

What I can say about Mark Chiusano's Marine Park is that, as a whole, the stories glow with authenticity. The personal relationships, especially between brothers Jamison and Lorris (who appear in several pieces), seems real enough to be universally familiar, even to those of us who didn't grow up in the far end of Brooklyn.

Chiusano captures life in the working-class neighborhood of Marine Park throughout the seasons and across generations. Regardless of profession, education, or age, the denizens of the close community move to the local rhythms fed by everyday occurrences like learning to drive, shoveling snow, picking out a Christmas tree, and attending a funeral.

Inevitably, however, some stories failed to drawn me in--one that takes place in a bar when a young man is out without his girlfriend, another that's about herpes. These and other less successful stories were more about an event or moment in time than they were about the people. But when he focuses on his characters, on husbands and wives, on brothers, and on friends, Chiusano is at his strongest.

Regardless of a few weaknesses, most of the stories Marine Park are emotionally solid, and several times I paused over Chiusano's prose, as here when a young man is thinking of his "no-good girlfriend":

He didn't need Margie. He knew that now. . . . He didn't need anyone. He was enough. He could make a new world, just out him, right here.

We're lucky that the young Mark Chiusano (in his early twenties), has long, promising career ahead of him. Read this collection and them put him on your watch list.

Published by Penguin Random House / Penguin Books, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780143124603
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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Today's Read & Giveaway: West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan

What happens when you suddenly find yourself on the back side of fame? From New York to Paris to Hollywood, F. Scott Fitzgerald had led the high life of the Jazz Age. By 1937, though, his star had burned out, and he found himself almost penniless, with a daughter to support and a wife in an asylum.

That spring he holed up in the Smokies, in a tired resort hotel by the asylum so he could be close to her. A bout of pneumonia over Christmas had provoked a flare-up of his TB, and he was still recovering. The mountain air was supposed to help. Days he wrote in his bathrobe drinking Coca-Cola to keep himself going, holding off on the gin till nightfall—a small point of pride—sipping on the dark verandah as couples strolled among the fireflies rising from the golf course.

—West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan (Penguin USA / Viking, 2015, p. 1)

Mini-Quick Facts

• Setting: 1930s, Appalachians, Hollywood
• Circumstances & major topic: Exploring the last three years of F. Scott Fitzgerald's life, including flashbacks to earlier times.
• Characters: Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda, and their daughter, Scottie; various Hollywood stars (such as Humphrey Bogart); people from the publishing world (like Dorothy Parker)
• Recommendations: I haven't read past the first paragraph, but Fitzgerald and the time period interest me. Plus I've enjoyed other O'Nan novels

The Giveaway

Thanks to the publishers, I'm able to offer one of my readers with a U.S. mailing address a copy of Stewart O'Nan's West of Sunset. All you have to do to be entered to win is to fill out the form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on February 6. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal data from my computer. Good luck!

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Today's Read & Giveaway: The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton

What if the safety of your family and the future of your people depended on you, a woman? If you lived in the early 1200s in Mongolia, it could have happened. From reading the oracles to wielding a bow and arrow in the heat of battle, the women of Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire did it all.

Our names have long been lost to time, scattered like ashes into the wind. No one remembers our ability to read the secrets of the oracle bones or the wars fought in our names. The words we wrote have faded from their parchments; the sacrifices we made are no longer recounted in the glittering courts of those we conquered. The deeds of our husbands, our brothers, and our sons have eclipsed our own as surely as when the moon ate the sun during the first battle of Nishapur.

Yet without us, there would have been no empire for our men to claim, no clan of the Thirteen Hordes left to lead, and no tales of victory to sing to the Eternal Blue Sky.

—The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton (Penguin Random House / NAL, 2014, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: turn of the 13th century; Mongolia and beyond
• Circumstances: The rise of Genghis Khan's empire as seen through the eyes of four women. This telling focuses on the women and the part they played in building and maintaining the great Khan's power.
• Characters: Borte, Genghis Khan's chief wife; Alaqai, their daughter; Sorkhoktani, a widowed mother of four boys she grooms to serve the empire; Fatima, a Persian noblewoman enslaved by the Mongols; Genghis and his brothers; many other families, warriors, and enemies
• Genre: historical fiction
• General information: The story covers three generations; each part is told by a different woman, who played a significant and unique role in the Mongol Empire. Thornton is known for her deep research and vivid period details; these were a warring people, and the battles aren't pretty.
• A personal note: I love this time period and find Genghis and the rise of the Mongol Empire fascinating. Both the Khan and the women in his life were smart, fierce, and power hungry. If you've never thought to read about this era, let The Tiger Queens be your gateway book.
• Recommendation: Historical fiction lovers are the obvious first readers of Thornton's latest novel, but anyone who likes to read about real-life powerful women and/or who wants to know about the rise of one of the most feared empires in the ancient world will be hooked.
• Book club alert: the back of the book contains nine thoughtful questions to jump-start your discussion, though I doubt you'd have any trouble finding plenty to talk about.
• A bigger sneak peek: You can read the entire prologue and chapter one on Stephanie Thornton's website.

The Giveaway

Thanks to NAL and Penguin Random House, I can offer one of my readers with a U.S. mailing address a copy of The Tiger Queens. To enter for a chance to win, just fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on November 12. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal information from computer. Good luck!

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Today's Read: Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

What if you were hurt so much by the loss of a loved one you could no longer move forward? For fifteen-year-old Jam Gallahue, the world stopped one fall morning while she was walking across the high school practice fields on her way to class. Will a new school help her find the strength or peace or determination to look to the future?

I was sent here because of a boy. His name was Reeve Maxfield, and I loved him and then he died, and almost a year passed and no one knew what to do with me. Finally it was decided that the best thing would be to send me here. But if you ask anyone on staff or faculty, they'll insist I was sent here because of "the lingering effects of trauma." Those are the words that my parents wrote on the application to get me into The Wooden Barn, which is described in the brochure as a boarding school for "emotionally fragile, highly intelligent" teenagers.

On the line where it says "Reason student is applying to The Wooden Barn," your parents can't write "Because of a boy."

But it's the truth

—Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer (Penguin USA / Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2014, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Vermont; modern times
• Circumstances: Reeling from the loss of her boyfriend, Jam is sent to a special high school in hopes that she will once again embrace life. To her surprise, she is chosen for the most coveted class: Special Topics in English, which promises to be life changing. The five students spend the semester reading Sylvia Plath and keeping a journal. They grow close, and for reasons they cannot share with anyone else, the class is indeed deeply transforming.
• Characters: Jam and her parents and brother; Reeve, her boyfriend; the four other students in her English class; various other friends, teachers, and even enemies
• Genre and audience: magical realism; contemporary fiction; generation-crossing young adult fiction
• Themes: grief; mental health issues; friendship; trauma; healing; forgiveness; family; love; reality vs fantasy
• Messages I loved: That words and books have the power to heal, that what we get out of books and poetry is affected by our personal experiences and expectations, and that by examining and accepting the past we can often find a way into the future.
• Characters and plotting: Wolitzer doles out the facts slowly, so that although there is no mystery in the traditional sense you still feel tension: What experience brought each young person to the school? Who will find healing and who might be lost forever? I bought the premise and thought the execution of the story was excellent. But although I grew to care about Jam and one of the boys in her class (Griffin), some of the other kids were not quite solid enough for me.
• Recommendation: Read this one! It might not have been perfect, but I loved it. Had I not been listening to the audiobook, I would have read it one sitting.
• Audiobook: The unabridged audiobook (Listening Library; 8 hr, 6 min) was narrated by Jorjeana Marie. Although Marie has dozens of audios under her belt, this was my first time listening to her. In a word? Wow. Marie gave her voice a believable teen quality, and her tempo and feel for the story drew me in and held me. In addition, her characterizations, although not overdone, were consistent and clear. Don't hesitate to give the audio a try.

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Review: One Plus One by JoJo Moyes

Good thing I do not have very strict rules about what I'm willing to read. If I did, I might not have given JoJo Moyes's delightful One Plus One a try.

Although I'm not a dedicated fan of contemporary women's fiction, I need to remember that some authors, like Moyes, can take the basic formula and create something fresh. The major plot points may offer few surprises, but the journey from one stop to the next is where to find the heart of this novel.

What's all about? Hardworking but poor Jess Thomas remains upbeat and hopeful even after her husband leaves her to raise their math-whiz daughter and his Goth-silent son all on her own. When ten-year-old Tanzie has a chance to go to private school on a partial scholarship, Jess is tempted to do something ethically questionable to give her daughter a bright future. Meanwhile, successful dot-com entrepreneur Ed Nicholls is accused of insider trading after he divulges information in a desperate attempt to break up with a clingy girlfriend. Of course, the Thomases hook up with Ed, who ends up driving them to Scotland so Tanzie can participate in a math contest (the prize money would pay her remaining tuition). As you can imagine, the road trip is full of adventures and personal growth as the four learn to ask for both help and forgiveness.

Plotting and characters. If you boiled One Plus One down to its bare bones you would find the typical story of girl meets boy, girl doesn't like boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl and boy have a misunderstanding, girl and boy finally get back together. Fortunately, there is a lot of meat on this skeleton, and Moyes adds depth and humor as she takes us through these phases of her newest novel. One of Moyes's strengths is her characters, and we fall hard for the flawed but good-hearted people who pile into Ed's car that fateful day. We cheer on Jess, whose attitude to all problems is, "We'll sort something out." We cross our fingers for Tanzie who loves numbers more than people and needs a safe place to thrive. We want to protect Nicky, who has been abandoned twice and is the target of the neighborhood bullies. And we wish we could straighten out Ed, who is caught between his loyalties and selfishness and never meant to do wrong. We can't wait so see what they'll learn about themselves and each other after being locked in a slow-moving car for days on end.

Themes, issues, things to think about. Through the personalities of and interactions among the four main characters, Moyes explores bullying, friendship, family, love, honesty, ethics, the socioeconomic divide, forgiveness, and parenting. Among several takeaway messages this may be the most prominent: No matter how independent and self-sufficient you want to be, it's not a weakness to ask for help when you really need it.

Overall thoughts and recommendations. Good characters, thoughtful issues, and plenty of humor make JoJo Moyes's One Plus One the perfect weekend read. Jess and the gang remind us that it's never too late to create the family we choose and through that family we find our strength.

Audiobook. One Plus One is told from multiple viewpoints, and the unabridged audiobook from Penguin Audio (12 h, 19 min) highlights this by using four narrators (one each for Jess, Ed, Tanzie, and Nicky). Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola Stanton, and Steven France make a great team, each one nicely conveying his or her character's personality. All the narrators were new to me, and I'm not sure who read which parts, but the performances blended well together, making this an enjoyable listen.

Penguin USA / Pamela Dorman Books, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780525426585
Source: Review (both print & audio) (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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Reading On Topic: Literary Roots

How do you organize your books? My answer: I don't.

However, I often mentally group my collection into broad topics or categories. Today I want to talk about eight books I think of as having literary roots. Some of the novels provide a different perspective on a classic, others explore real-life people who were connected with a famous book or author, and one resets a favorite story in contemporary times. Welcome to this edition of Reading On Topic.

Getting Her Say

The literary connections of this pair of novels are easy to spot. In Ruth's Journey, Donald McCaig imagines the life of Mammy from Gone with the Wind. Not only do we learn the servant's name, we discover just how she came to Tara from her native Saint-Domingue (Haiti). McCaig focuses on Ruth's relationship with Ellen O'Hara (Scarlett's mother) and imagines Scarlett's childhood up to the famous barbecue at Twelve Oaks. (Simon & Schuster / Atria; October; ISBN: 9781451643534) Juliet's Nurse, by Lois Leveen takes us inside the home of the Cappellettis, where Angelica, mourning the loss of her own daughter, is hired as Juliet's wet nurse. Through the nurse's eyes, we discover the events leading up to the moment when, fourteen years later, Juliet meets Romeo and then her tragic death. (Simon & Schuster / Atria; September; ISBN: 9781476757445)

Who Was She?

This duo imagines the lives of five women who were well-known in the book world. In Mrs. Hemingway, Naomi Wood gives voice to all four of the famous author's wives, and from their perspectives we get to know the private Hemingway. Although a work of fiction, this story of the women, their marriages, and the man they loved is based on thorough research. (Penguin paperback; May; ISBN: 9780143124610) Can you even count the number of times you've read Goodnight Moon (to yourself or to a child)? Now ask yourself what you know about author Margaret Wise Brown. Curiosity drove Sarah Jio to explore Brown's life, and the result is the novel Goodnight June. Based on fact and fleshed out by imagination, this novel brings the author of the beloved book to life. (Penguin / Plume; May; ISBN: 9780142180211)

Classics Gone Mysterious

The roots of these mysteries are found in ancient Greece and medieval England. The Furies by Natalie Haynes features an ex-actor who is mourning the death of her finance while starting a new career. Alex, now a drama therapist, teaches the Greek tragedies to a class of very troubled teens in attempt to help them face their personal issues. But what happens when the kids relate a little too closely to the stories of murder and revenge? (Macmillan / St. Martins Press; August; ISBN: 9781250048004) In A Burnable Book, Bruce Holsinger takes us back to the 1300s to solve a mystery surrounding a subversive book. Geoffrey Chaucer teams up with John Grower to find the manuscript, thereby protecting young King Richard II and saving the monarchy. Sharp period details color the action. (HarperCollins / William Morrow paperback; September; ISBN: 9780062240330)

A Retelling and a Return

Rounding out this edition of Reading On Topic are a contemporary retelling of a classic and a novel that asks, What happened next? In Sway, Kat Spears takes Cyrano de Bergerac and sets the story in a modern high school. Every student knows that Jesse is the go-to guy for whatever you want, so when football star Ken asks for help to win a date with the beautiful Bridget, Jesse assumes it will be a snap. Until, that is, he gets to know the girl and starts to fall in love. (Macmillian / St. Martin's Griffin; September; ISBN: 9781250051431) Do you remember the ending of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? Danielle Paige wants to know what happened after Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of the West and finally found a way home. Dorothy Must Die revisits an Oz in which Dorothy has returned to rule and has let power go to her head. Can Amy--another Kansas-native, tornado-traveling girl--undo the damage and restore Oz to its former glory? (HarperCollins / Harper Torch; April; ISBN: 9780062280671)

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Today's Read & Giveaway: Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown

Imagine it's the 1670s and you, an English woman, are helping carve out a piece of civilization in the American colonies. Now imagine that after you witness the brutal murder of your neighbors, you are captured by Indians and find yourself alone and enslaved in the harsh New England wilderness. Could you conquer your fear and keep your faith in God long enough to survive? That's the true story of Mary Rowlandson, who lived to tell her tale to the world.

Later, Mary will trace the first signs of the Lord's displeasure back to a hot July morning in 1672 when she pauses on her way to the barn to watch the sun rise burnt orange over the meetinghouse. She feels a momentary sinking in her bowels as it flashes like fire through a damp haze, putting her in mind of the terrors of hell. She has never been adept at reading omens.

—Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown (Penguin USA / NAL, 2014, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: New England, 1670s
• What I know of the historic Mary Rowlandson: Rowlandson was born in England and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During King Philip's War, she was captured and sold into slavery and lived for almost a year among the Indians under both physical and psychological duress. Near starving and grieving her losses, she fought to keep her fear in check and survive in the hopes of being reunited with her children. Although she began to see the Native Americans as people, she never truly thought of them as anything but savage heathens. Several years after she was restored to her husband, she wrote her story, which became the first best-seller of the New World.
• What I know of the novel: I haven't yet read the book, but my understanding is that the first half tells the story of life in the colony, the massacre, and Rowlandson's months in captivity. The second part of the story imagines how Rowlandson struggled to fit back into the Puritan community. She faced two principal issues: First, her neighbors now considered her damaged goods. Second, after living in the wilderness, she began to feel uncomfortable under the constraints of her church.
• Genre: historical fiction
• Why I want to read it: I've read Rowlandson's original narrative, and I'm curious about how Brown has filled in the gaps and details of the story. I'm especially interested in how Brown imagines Rowlandson's life after she reentered society.

Giveaway

Thanks to the nice people at NAL, I am pleased to offer one of my readers a copy of Flight of the Sparrow. Because the publishers will be mailing the book, this giveaway is open to only those with a U.S. mailing address. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner on August 8 using a random number generator. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal data from my computer. Good luck!

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Review: The Age of X Series by Richelle Mead

Last month, I finally got around to reading (well, listening to) Richelle Mead's Age of X series, which is set in the future but in a world that is familiar enough to be easily recognizable. The first book, Gameboard of the Gods, was initially published in June 2013, and the second book in the series, The Immortal Crown, came out this May.

I haven't read any of Mead's earlier work (most famously the Vampire Academy books), but I was curious about the Age of X books--despite some mixed reviews--because the series is geared to adults, has dystopian elements, and touches on several complex themes and issues.

Rather than talk about the novels separately, I focused this bullet review on the series so far.

• Setting. Sometime in the future, the world has been severely altered by a virus that was likely the result of genetic manipulation experiments. People living under the protection of a major government have access to education, the data stream, mass transportation, and so forth. This comes with costs, among which are that all citizens must wear an embedded chip that contains their identity and that religion is regulated to the point of being mostly illegal. Outside the boundaries of the new countries, people are free but live in a dangerous world.
• General plot. Mae Koskinen, beautiful debutant turned Uber soldier, is sent to the wilds to retrieve an exiled government worker who is needed to help solve several unexplained murders that appear to have a religious base. She has little trouble tracking down Dr. Justin March, an expert in religion and history, but returning him to RUNA (a country consisting of parts of Canada and the United States) involves some negotiation. Once back in Seattle, the two team up to investigate the murders, which leads them to discoveries about politics, the power of gods, the role of religion, and even their own self-identities. Their work eventually takes them back into the unprotected lands, where the pair uncover human rights violations, forcing them to juggle the purpose of their mission with their own sense of right and wrong.
• Underlying, deeper plot. Mead draws on the myths and traditions of a number of religions from the Norse to the Greeks and Romans and to the more familiar Western faiths. Although RUNA officially denies any possibility that the gods could be real entities, Mae and Justin's experiences are causing them to question their government, despite the dangers of delving into religious matters. The Age of X books are not about spirituality. Instead Mead explores the idea that the gods do exist, competing with each other for power. We (and the characters) are left to ask, Just how binding are the rituals and agreements the gods demand from the devoted? How would one know which god to trust? Do the gods have compassion for us or are they interested only in using us for their own purposes?
• Other themes. Gameboard of the Gods and The Immortal Crown also touch on friendship, loyalty, class divisions, medical and genetics issues, doing the right thing, family, and fate.
• Characters. Mae, Justin, and their friends and family are generally well developed and have distinct personalities. Mae is tough and strong and has a lot to learn about herself. Justin is smart and observant, but is struggling with his own interactions with divine beings. Tessa, a teenage ward of Justin's shows us how RUNA appears to an outsider. She is resourceful but still a bit naive; I'm sure she'll have an increasingly large part in the series.
• Likes and dislikes. Mead's world building is excellent. The future she envisions is internally consistent and very believable. No huge jumps in civilization as we know it. There are medical  and technological advances, but generally Mae's Seattle is completely recognizable. The intrigue of the gods, their priests, the believers, the shunners, and the politics will keep me reading. On the other hand, Mead is slow to get things moving. By the end of the second book, I wanted to have more answers. Instead, Mead is teasing us, pulling us into the story by increments. Less patient readers may be frustrated.
• Recommendation. Those who like dystopia and/or books that make you think will do fine with the Age of X series. The more you know about mythology, the more you're likely to get out of the books. On the other hand, I have only average knowledge, and I don't feel lost, so don't be put off by that. Action, mystery, violence, romance, sex, and even some humor carry the plot along. Are these the best dystopian books I've every read? No. But I think they're worth your time.
• Audiobooks. I listened to the unabridged audiobook editions (Penguin Audio: Gameboard of the Gods, 16 hr, 9 min; The Immortal Crown, 15 hr, 54 min) both read by Emily Shaffer. Shaffer's performance was well done in terms of emotion, pacing, and characterizations. Most of the people we meet in the Age X series are adults who have been through some tough experiences; unfortunately, Shaffer's voice has a teenage tone to it, and I had to keep reminding myself that Mae, in particular, was a grownup. Although Schaffer was not the best choice for these books, she held my interest for 32 hours. However, I may pick print for the third book.

Published by Penguin Group USA / Dutton
Gameboard of the Gods (2013) ISBN-13: 9780525953685, The Immortal Crown (2014) ISBN-13 9780525953692
Source: Review (1 print, 1 audio); bought (1 audio) (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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Review: Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Has it really been almost a year since Kelley Armstrong's Omens appeared in my mailbox? When I learned the second book in the Cainsville series was due out in August, I knew I'd better start reading.

I've been thinking about how to describe Omens and keep coming back to the term paranormal light. This novel is perfect for readers who've been curious about Armstrong but who don't generally like books with otherworldly creatures in them. No werewolves or vampires here. There is a bit of a creepy factor; a strange small town; and some second sight, superstitions, old wives' tales, and folk legends. All you anti-paranormal readers need not shy away from Omens. This may be your gateway novel to Armstrong's writing.

• What's it about? High-society Olivia Taylor-Jones discovers at age twenty-four that she was adopted. When she is told why her true identity was kept a secret--that she is really the daughter of two serial killers--she goes underground to avoid the press and to take some pressure off her widowed mother and her politically ambitious finance. Acting on a tip, she moves to Cainsville, a hard-to-find small town an hour from her native Chicago. What she learns there about herself, her parents, and life in general makes up the bulk of the story.
• Olivia. Olivia is a smart young woman whose life is suddenly turned upside down. For a number of reasons, she decides to leave home and thus must experience the real world, including finding an affordable apartment and getting a job. She adapts pretty well to being poor, but then again, she has a really strong safety net (she can always ask her mother for money, and she will have access to her huge trust fund in a few months). Regardless, she is likeable as she struggles with finding her new niche and new self-image. Although her mother and fiance are not strongly developed, the people she meets in Cainsville are more fully realized, especially a defense lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, with whom she teams up to investigate the truth about her birth parents (the Larsens) and about her own heritage.
• Cainsville. The small town is filled with colorful characters. I don't want to say quirky because that implies a whimsy that doesn't exist; the citizens of Olivia's new home have a darker, deeper aspect to them. And, in fact, the town itself is a bit, shall we say, off, with its gargoyles, lack of a church, constant population size, and isolation. It's almost Stepford like--you just know there's a secret history there.
• Themes and genre. As I mentioned, Omens steps away from Kelley Armstrong's usual paranormal genre. It is a suspenseful, mystery/thriller that is as much about the investigation of the Larsens and their guilt or innocence as it is about Olivia discovering her place in the world and reconsidering her future. The title of book comes from Olivia's knack for seeing and interpreting omens (especially birds and poppies) and her strong superstitions (never leave your shoes upside down; keep the opening of your pillowcases facing out). Armstrong infuses the story with a thread of unease, but much of the action and Olivia's dilemmas are solidly grounded.
• Recommendation and general thoughts. Omens is the start of a new series, and as such, Armstrong spends some time familiarizing us with Cainsville and its inhabitants. The novel doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but several major story lines are left open-ended, and we have to wait for book two (coming out in a few weeks!) to get more answers. Overall, I really enjoyed Omens and zipped through the audiobook fairly quickly because I found it hard to step away from the story. I was caught up in several of the plot arcs, especially the one about Olivia's parents and, of course, the underlying question, What's the deal with Cainsville? I'm recommending Omens as a promising start to a complex series, with the warning that you'll need to keep on reading future installments to get the full story.
• Audiobook. The unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 14 hr, 40 min) is narrated by Carine Montbertrand and Mozhan Marno. Montebertrand was the primary narrator, and I'm not a huge fan of hers, although she didn't do a bad job. Marno put in a stronger performance, and I was slightly disappointed when her chapters ended. I'm not quite sure why the producers felt it was necessary to have two narrators for this book; I don't think it added much to the story. If the narrators are the same for Visions (the second Cainsville book), I think I'll be reading instead of listening.

Published by Penguin Group USA / Dutton, 2013
ISBN-13: 9780525953043
Source: Review (print); bought (audio) (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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Today's Read: Silence of the Lamb's Wool by Betty Hechtman

What if you inherited a lucrative small business that involved a sector you knew nothing about? Would you try to keep it going or would you abandon it? Casey Feldstein, a dessert chef, found herself in just that position when she inherited her aunt's knitters' retreat company, Yarn2Go. Although Casey didn't know how to knit or crochet, she decided to keep her aunt's legacy alive.

There is nothing like being awakened by a ringing phone and finding a pair of yellow eyes staring back at you. I think Julius knew I'd never had a pet and he'd taken it on as his duty to train me in the art of cat cohabitation, which included sitting on my chest when he wanted breakfast. His yellow eyes blinked at me as if to say, "Would you get up and get me some food. Preferably that stuff in the can with the fabulous fishy odor."

—Silence of the Lamb's Wool by Betty Hechtman (Penguin Random House / Berkley Prime Crime, 2014, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Cadbury on the Sea, California (near Monterey); modern times
• Circumstances: Casey has organized a sheep to shawl class but when one of the participants is found dead, the trip may be over before it starts. Although initially ruled a natural death, Casey has her doubts. Can she find the truth about the death, stop the retreat from falling apart, and keep up with her baking?
• Characters: Casey and her mother; knitters and friends, especially Lucinda, Bree, Olivia, Scott, Wanda, and Nicole; the cute cop next door; various townsfolk, spouses, and law-enforcement people
• Genre: cozy mystery
• What I liked: Casey is a great character, who is smart and thinks before she acts. I like her determination and that she is still trying to decide on a life path. Part of the book's appeal is the group of knitters, who all have different skill levels, different personalities, and different goals. It's hard for me to resist a cozy mystery that focuses on some of my passions (in this case, knitting and baking). I thought it was realistic that Casey's mom would be worried about her daughter's choices. I loved the California coastal setting. And, of course, I found the mystery to be fun and a little twisty. That Casey has the chance for a little romance adds a little heat.
• Recommendations: Anyone who likes light mysteries and/or fun escape reading will like Silence of the Lamb's Wool, with its great characters, crafty focus, and tight plot.
• Extras: The book ends with a beginner shawl pattern and a few dessert recipes. If you've never been to a yarn festival, keep your eye out for one near you; I particularly love the sheep to shawl demonstrations and the border collie demonstrations.

The Giveaway

Thanks to Berkley Prime Crime, I can offer one of my readers with a U.S. mailing address a copy of Betty Hechtman's Silence of the Lamb's Wool. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on July 21. Once the winner has been verified, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good luck!

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Review: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

As you already know, I was counting the days until Deborah Harkness's The Book of Life, the third book in her All Souls trilogy, became available for sale. I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of the audiobook and, as you can imagine, I listened to the book almost immediately.

All versions of The Book of Life will be on sale tomorrow, and fans of Diana and Matthew will be thrilled with Harkness's conclusion to the couple's story. Even though I'm fully aware that Harkness planned only three books, she left the door open for future installments. Diana and Matthew will have more challenges ahead of them, and I'd love to know what happens next. A fan can dream, can't she?

The Book of Life starts almost immediately after Shadow of Night ends, so there is an unbroken flow to the story. Diana and Matthew, back in modern times, are still searching for the missing pages of the mysterious old book that Diana discovered in the Bodleian Library at the start of her adventure in A Discovery of Witches. There are, however, several complications to their life and their search.

I don't want to spoil the book, so I'll be general, but the issues the couple face revolve around four principal areas, although the plot is complex and there is quite a lot more going on, especially on the individual level for some of the main characters.

• There is a power struggle in Matthew's vampire family.
• Matthew must face his battle with "blood rage," an illness that seems to run in some vampire families.
• Diana must make decisions about who she really is and wants to be.
• Diana's pregnancy has unexpected and far-reaching consequences.

These issues cross and weave and tangle together but also have their own paths. Harkness handles the many layers of her story brilliantly, and readers will find surprises and satisfaction.

Besides the science, lore, religion, personal histories, and deep histories that are all consistent with the world as Harkness created it, I especially loved the genetics aspects to this story, which took me back to my former life (about 30 years ago) when I was earning my doctorate as physical anthropologist and geneticist. Read in the context of a world that contains deamons, witches, and vampires, Harkness did an impressive job with subtly bending the science to work for her purposes.

There's plenty of action in The Book of Life, and although I was sure that Diana and Matthew would have a future, it wasn't always clear just what that future would entail. I was pleased that both characters grew and came into themselves, and I rooted for them to find peace and compromises that would keep their relation strong and healthy.

I love Deb Harkness's world with its blend of science and fantasy, which makes me want to believe that more than just humans walk among us. The Book of Life is a great ending to one of my favorite trilogies. And though I understand that leaving your fans wanting more is often the right place to stop, I sure hope Harkness will consider writing about Diana and Matthew again.

As I mentioned, I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 23 hr, 52 min) read by Jennifer Ikeda, who also read the previous books in the series. As I said in my other reviews, Ikeda does a great job with the accents and languages. She created consistent and distinguishable voices for all of the characters and had a nice sense of pacing. I highly recommend the audiobooks.

Published by Penguin Group USA / Viking, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780670025596
Source: Review, both print & audio (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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BEA 2014 Book Group Speed Dating Sesson: Part 2

Yesterday, I introduced you to one of my favorite BEA sessions—Book Group Speed Dating, presented by Reading Group Guides—and talked about the books presented by Bloomsbury USA, Henry Holt, Grove Atlantic, and Hachette Book Group. Today, I cover the remaining three publishers who visited my table.

To recap: During the session, representatives from the major publishing companies and imprints present their top recommendations for readers looking for the perfect book club selection. Here are the books I learned about (with my summary) and my top pick from each presentation (with the publisher's summary).

Penguin Group USA

• The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood: mystery/thriller; the six residents of a boarding house all harbor secrets, but one of them is also a killer; which of group has been chosen to be the next victim?
• On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee: dystopian; a woman leaves the safety of her government-protected city to search for her missing lover and discovers what life is like in the wilds of America.
• The Look of Love by Sarah Jio: contemporary fiction/fantasy; a young woman, born on Christmas Day, has the ability to see love; what happens when she falls for a pragmatic scientist?
• Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini: historical fiction; the relationship between Mary Todd Lincoln and Kate Chase, daughter of 1864 presidential hopeful Salmon P. Chase.

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes: historical fiction; based on the true story of the author's grandparents; after World War II, 650 Australian war brides crossed the oceans to the UK to join their soldier husbands. From the publisher's summary:

1946. World War II has ended and all over the world, young women are beginning to fulfill the promises made to the men they wed in wartime.

In Sydney, Australia, four women join 650 other war brides on an extraordinary voyage to England—aboard HMS Victoria, which still carries not just arms and aircraft but a thousand naval officers. Rules are strictly enforced, from the aircraft carrier’s captain down to the lowliest young deckhand. But the men and the brides will find their lives intertwined despite the Navy’s ironclad sanctions. And for Frances Mackenzie, the complicated young woman whose past comes back to haunt her far from home, the journey will change her life in ways she never could have predicted—forever.

Picador

• Dark Aemilia by Sally O'Reilly: historical fiction; in Queen Elizabeth's England Aemilia Bassano is the daughter of a musician and a poet in her own right who draws the eye of both the queen and Shakespeare.
• The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman: contemporary (literary) fiction; dating and love in the twenty-first century; the hardback original garnered much critical acclaim.
• Someone by Alice McDermott: historical fiction; a woman navigates the changing atmosphere of her Brooklyn home from her prewar youth to the bright new world of the 1950s.

Lookaway, Lookaway by Wilton Barnhardt: family saga, southern fiction; Jerene Jarvis Johnston contends with unruly children, a dwindling fortune, and her precarious place in Charleston society. From the publisher's summary:

Steely and formidable, Jerene Jarvis Johnston sits near the apex of society in contemporary Charlotte, North Carolina, where old Southern money and older family skeletons meet the new wealth of bankers, land speculators, and social climbers. Jerene and her Civil War reenactor husband, Duke, have four adult children—sexually reckless real estate broker Annie; earnest minister Bo; gay-but-don’t-tell-anyone Joshua; and naive, impressionable college freshman Jerilyn. Jerene’s brother, Gaston, is an infamously dissolute novelist and gossip who knows her secrets and Duke’s; while her sister, Dillard, is a reclusive prisoner of her own unfortunate choices. When a scandal threatens the Johnston family’s status and dwindling finances, Jerene swings into action . . . and she will stop at nothing to keep what she has and preserve her legacy. Wilton Barnhardt's Lookaway, Lookaway is a headlong, hilarious narrative of a family coming apart on the edge of the old South and the new, and an unforgettable woman striving to hold it together.

Simon & Schuster

• A Sudden Light by Garth Stein: coming-of-age story set in 1990s coastal Washington State (includes a ghost); a fourteen-year-old boy tries to save his parents' marriage and protect a seemingly abandoned estate from being logged.
• Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen: historical fiction; a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet told from the point of view of Juliet's personal maid
• Before I Go by Colleen Oakley: issue-driven women's fiction; when a young women is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, she is determined to find her husband a new wife.
• Henna House by Nomi Eve: historical fiction; based on true events; in the 1920s, orphaned Jewish children in Yemen were required to be adopted by Muslim families and convert; as her parents' health begins to fail, a young woman is faced with life-altering choices

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas: historical fiction, family saga; follows an Irish family from immigration after the war through to the twenty-first century; themes include ambition, marriage, and the American Dream. From the publisher's summary:

Born in 1941, Eileen Tumulty is raised by her Irish immigrant parents in Woodside, Queens, in an apartment where the mood swings between heartbreak and hilarity, depending on whether guests are over and how much alcohol has been consumed.

When Eileen meets Ed Leary, a scientist whose bearing is nothing like those of the men she grew up with, she thinks she's found the perfect partner to deliver her to the cosmopolitan world she longs to inhabit. They marry, and Eileen quickly discovers Ed doesn't aspire to the same . . . stakes in the American Dream. . . .

Through the Learys, novelist Matthew Thomas charts the story of the American Century, particularly the promise of domestic bliss and economic prosperity that captured hearts and minds after WWII. The result is a riveting and affecting work of art. . . .

Check back on Monday when I talk about what's hot from the HarperCollins imprints.

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Today's Read and Giveaway: The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller

Let's say you were anticipating a summer in the Hamptons with your hardworking husband. Then your sister, whom you haven't seen in twenty years, suddenly comes for a visit right around the time your husband is mysteriously asked to take a temporary leave from his job. How would you handle the upheaval? That's just the situation Manhattan marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is facing this July.

The first thing I do is offer them candy. I keep a jar of it, well stocked, right there on the coffee table.

In my experience, people are one hundred percent less likely to tell a lie with a Hershey's Kiss tucked into the side of the their mouth. So while they're unwrapping their chocolate or caramel or whatever, I lob the easy questions at them: How long have they been together? Do they have any kids?

And then, once they've relaxed a little, settled into the beige couch across from my blue chair, I probe: What do they want out of our meeting?

—The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller (Penguin Random House / New American Library, 2014, p. 1)

Quick Facts

• Setting: New York City area; modern times
• Circumstances: Paige's relaxing summer in the Hamptons is abandoned when her estranged sister returns and her husband has work troubles. As Paige confronts both these situations she is surprised by what she discovers.
• Characters: Paige and her husband, Dave (a lawyer); Paige's sister, Sloane (a travel blogger); Paige's parents, Frank and Venessa; Sloane's fiance; various friends and colleagues
• Genre: contemporary woman's fiction; beach read
• Themes: family, sisters, marriage, secrets, trust, forgiveness, communication, work
• What reviewers have praised: fun dialogue, believable characters, good family drama
• About the author: Heller is a divorce lawyer and wife, who has seen the good and the bad of marriage; visit her website for more information, including a reading guide (available soon)

The Giveaway

Thanks to the good people at Penguin Group USA, I have one copy of The Never Never Sisters to giveaway to one of my readers. All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is to have a U.S. mailing address and to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on June 13. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll delete all personal information from my computer. Good luck!

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Guest Post: Beth Hoffman on Women and the Power of Friendship

What can I tell you about Beth Hoffman? She is not only an amazing author but a warm and generous woman whom I proud to call a friend. I loved and have written about both her novels and even hosted a guest post in honor of Oletta Jones, one of my favorite characters in Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

Today I'm celebrating the recent paperback release of Beth's second novel, Looking for Me, which I reviewed when it first came out. I concluded my review by saying that Beth "writes from the heart and with such an authentic voice, we come by our love for her work as naturally as if we were reading about our own kin."

I'm so pleased to welcome Beth back to Beth Fish Reads and am thrilled that her post is about women and friendship, which are strong themes in her work.

Women and the Power of Friendship

by Beth Hoffman

The formative years of my childhood were lived on my grandparents' farm. It was a rural area, and there weren't any kids to play with. I was raised among the easy, unhurried ways of older women. From my garden-loving grandma, to the elderly widow who lived up the road and created handmade paper dolls, each woman made a powerful impression upon me.

I was exposed to the simple yet remarkable words of wisdom that came from interacting with women who had lived through decades that encompassed everything from the unspeakable hardships of the Great Depression to the unexpected joy of learning to drive a car at the age of 72. Those daily observations and interactions gave me a foundation that has held me up ever since. Never have I heard more profound truths than those that were spoken in my grandmother's kitchen during the hot, humid days of canning season.

Then came the day that I entered first grade. From the moment I took my seat in that tiny classroom, I felt uncomfortable and awkward. Who were these squealing little people in lace-topped socks and crisp gingham dresses, and what on earth did I have in common with them? I was so accustomed to interacting with older women that the giggling language of girls my own age left me tongue-tied. It took me a long while to adjust to my classmates, and even after I did, I was always glad to return to my grandmother's kitchen where, as far as I could tell, things just made a whole lot more sense.

When I left my career in interior design and set out to write a novel, it never occurred to me that I would draw so heavily on the simple but rich experiences I had with my grandmother and her friends.

An e-mail was forwarded to me not long ago, and as I read it, I kept nodding in agreement. I have no idea who wrote it, but it sums up so much of what I feel about friendship, and I'd like to share it.

Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Careers end.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Marriages collapse.

But . . .

Girlfriends are there no matter how many miles are between them. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it for yourself, your girlfriends will be standing on the rim, cheering for you, praying for you, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they'll even break the rules and walk beside you. Or, they'll come in and carry you out.

The world wouldn't be the same without them, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible happiness and sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Beth. Where we all be without our women friends? I too was blessed to know my grandmothers well, and some of my fondest memories are the hours I spent in their kitchens.

Beth Hoffman is the internationally bestselling author of Looking for Me and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. Before beginning her writing career, she was president and co-owner of an interior design studio. Beth lives, along with her husband and their four-legged fur-kids, in a historic Queen Anne home in Kentucky. Her interests include the rescue of abandoned and abused animals, nature conservancy, birding, historic preservation, and antiquing. To learn more about Beth, visit her website and like her on Facebook. You'll also find her on Twitter as @wordrunner.

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