It's Monday, What are you Reading? (46)

A quieter reading week due to some more work things going on and some commitments in the evenings.  But I am officially ahead of my review schedule, this makes me more than happy.  It makes time for some holiday reading, check out what is on my holiday reading schedule in my In My Mailbox post.


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week: 

Under the Neon Sky by Jay Rankin
My Corner of the Sky by Kerri Dyer-Keen

Currently Reading:
Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Downward Dog Upward Fog by Meryl Davids Landau

Next off the TBR pile:
The Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne

In My Mailbox (50)

It started as a quiet week in my mailbox, but Saturday changed that with three books in my mailbox and a trip to Goodwill.  (They had all books for $1, it was hard to walk away with just 3)  


A meme hosted by The Story Siren.


Swapping:
The Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne (Goodreads  Amazon)
Missing You by Louise Douglas (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman (Goodreads  Amazon)


For Review: 
One Flight Up by Susan Fales-Hill (Goodreads Amazon)
A Summer in Europe by Marilyn Brant (Goodreads  Amazon)


Goodwill trip:
Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock (Goodreads  Amazon)
Queen Takes King by Gigi Levangie Grazer (Goodreads  Amazon)
Say When by Elizabeth Berg (Goodreads  Amazon)

The Ramble: Review vs Own

This is a ramble that is geared towards my blogger friends who review books as a side job, as I like to call it.  Most of us have the full time job that takes the bulk of our time, but on the side we have this non-profit business that can get us a few free books, but ultimately we love to share our thoughts on books, that is the passion.

So as I start November, I have been blogging for a year and a half - CRAZY!  But I have a question - do you find yourself still collecting/buying books to read, while at the same time collecting review books at the same pace?  How do we read it all?


I purchase books while at the thrift store, indie bookstore, or even a Target run.  But in the back of my mind stands my review shelf that month by month is growing and diminishing.  Why am I buying when I have a review stack and a personal stack that could take me two years to get through?

Can someone help me out?

Review: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 544

Format: print

Buy the Book:Amazon

Goodreads:  In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I'm halfway to death, is this all I've got to show for it?  Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex.  Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly's meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt.  Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for - a committed relationship with a decent guy.  So what if Andrea picks up Holly's castaway husband?  Then there's Marissa.  She has more than her fair share of challenges - a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts.  As one woman's marriage unravels, another one's rekindles.  As one woman's family comes apart at the seems, another's is reconfigured into something bigger and better.  In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman's up is another one's down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

Kritters Thoughts:  Let me start this review by saying that I was very skeptical for a book in verse.  I hadn't experienced one yet and am not much of the poetry fan, so I started this book with some apprehension.  After saying that, this is a must read.  Although the topics are controversial and the subject matter can be hard to read at times, the fact that it is written in verse worked so well.  I was given enough details to feel like I was reading a full book, but not too much, so I could use my imagination.  Blown away.  

Told from the perspectives of three women who are right around that mid-life crisis point and all are second guessing the decisions they made that lead them to the life they are in currently.  I thoroughly enjoyed how Hopkins broke up a few poems for each character and it was all labeled, so I could easily dip back into that characters mind and life and wasn't confused as to who was talking.  I experienced every emotion reading this book, from laughing to crying, and even anger towards these women who were making decisions that affected them and their families.  The reality of the situations the characters were put in made the verse personal and enabled the story to hit me deeper than I thought it would.  

This book can be read by those who love poems and verse AND for those who are a little unsure of this whole different reading experience.  I am going now to find her YA books and see how they compare to this adult novel.   

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Boxed Set (Madonna, one word titles)

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author in conjunction with Crazy Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

November 1- All I Ever Read - http://books.nicoleabouttown.com/

November 2- Reflections with Coffee - http://www.reflectionswithcoffee.com/

November 3- Taming the Bookshelf - http://tamingthebookshelf.blogspot.com/

November 4- Oodles of Books - http://oodlesofbooks.blogspot.com/

November 5- Ravishing Reads - http://ravishingreads.blogspot.com/

November 7- Review from Here - http://reviewfromhere.com/

November 8- Proud Book Nerd - http://proudbooknerd.com/

November 9- The Book Swarm - http://bookswarm.blogspot.com/

November 10- Tiffany's Bookshelf - http://tiffanysbookshelf.blogspot.com/

November 11- Kritters Ramblings - http://www.krittersramblings.com/

November 13- Hippies, Beauty, and Books Oh My! - http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy.com/

November 15- So Many Books, So Little Time - http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/

November 16- Book Snob - http://www.booksnob-booksnob.blogspot.com/

November 17- Reader Girls - http://readergirls.blogspot.com/

November 18- Colloquium - http://www.jhsiess.com/

Review: My Corner of the Sky by Kerri Dyer-Keen

My Corner of the Sky by Kerri Dyer-Keen

Publisher: iUniverse

Pages: 408

Format: print

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  She was going to go home with her husband driving the car, in order to get ready to perform a variety show at a leading club in Sydney, Australia.  Happy, everything seeming normal.  Next thing you know - 4 and a half months later - total chaos reigns!

30 years on Kerri is a singer, that can no longer sing! (at the moment!)

Follow her through her growing up years - 'her time as a witch!'- 'her time as a club and television entertainer' - her 'scary road trip to Darwin' and 'performing at the Sydney Opera house.'

Then she has an accident - Chaos, and the eventual triumph over adversity!

Kritters Thoughts:  A book that when reading the synopsis, I was excited for this dramatic memoir where a woman encountered great tragedy, but found hope and overcame it.  My problem with the book lies with the writing - choppy, out of order, and odd.  It just didn't work for me.


Throughout the entire book, the author interjects quite often with a side note or comment via italics in parentheses.  It was distracting and took away from reading the story as a whole and coming up with my own thoughts.  As well, I had a hard time with the lack of chronology which the author even points out at times in the book.  She jumps from past to present in a single page and in and out of stories, I couldn't follow and was left wondering where we were in the story.


Above all - there was a great story about a performer who had to find herself and get back on the proverbial horse to find her true inner singer and performer.  She suffered great loss and endured many uphill battles that would have knocked many down without the ability to get back up, but it was hard to capture the story when the writing was so distracting.

Rating:  not such a good read

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author and Bohlsen PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wordless Wednesday

Sometime this weekend, the boy should be released and will be officially a police officer.

Review: It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

Publisher: Amazon Encore

Pages: 288

Format: print

Buy the Book:Amazon

Goodreads:  The formerly heartbroken singleton is now happily enmeshed in a new relationship, a new job, and a new decade.  Her career as an advice columnist is taking off, and the future of her fledgling greeting-card line is bright.  Of course, where Waverly goes, drama is sure to follow, and this time is no exception.  Her broken engagement to former fiance Aaron Vaughn has left her gun-shy when it comes to love, putting strain on her long-distance relationship with handsome Jack McIntyre.  And when her best friends McKenna and Andie both make life-changing announcements, Waverly fears she is being left behind by the ones she loves most.  In true Waverly fashion, things msut get comically worse before they can get better.  But in the end, she discovers that through life (before and after thirty) may be messy and unpredictable, friendship and love make it all worthwhile.

Kritters Thoughts:  A sequel that is just as good as the first book.  I love reading a sequel, I already know the characters and can easily get settled into the story.  I even love it more when the sequel lives up to the first book, makes my day!


A sweet story about a young woman who is trying to find balance between a work life and a blossoming love life.  At the same time there are a lot of changes going on around her, friends are finding love and moving on to suburbia, so this story is more than what is happening to just Waverly.  


This chick lit book is perfect to curl up with during these cold months, but don't forget to start with the first book - Perfect on Paper.  I will definitely be watching out for what will be coming next from this author.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

Publisher: BookSurge Publishing

Pages: 320

Format: print

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Waverly Bryson is a late-20s successful businesswoman who almost has it all: dream job in Sports PR, two best friends, and a bar where everybody knows her name.  What she doesn't have is a ring on her finger, and after being left at the altar, she's in no hurry.  Besides, she has plenty of other issues to tackle, including her wayward father, a new rival at work, and an ever-shrinking amount of personal time.  To keep sane, Waverly makes a habit of jotting down "Honey Notes," her own brand of self-deprecating wisdom and pipe-dream for a line of greeting cards.  As Waverly stumbles back into the dating scene (no stalkers or jean shorts, please), her personal and professional lives threaten to collide. 

 

Kritters Thoughts:  Reader - are you looking for a chick lit to curl up with this winter?  This is the one.  (Along with its sequel).  From the very beginning you fall in love with Waverly Bryson, a woman with a unique name who by the end of chapter one is left at the altar and trying to recover from the humiliation of it all.  A girl who has two wonderful characters to surround her and keep her grounded, these two were both hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.  

My favorite part of this book was the writing.  It wasn't too artsy or crazy, it was honest, real and true to the ease of reading that is what makes chick lit one of my favorite genres.  The language makes it current and I just love it.  

The other part that I absolutely loved was her journey.  As I never want to ruin a book for those who will pick it up, I must say it was nice to see a character who had a true journey from the beginning to the end.  In both her personal and professional life, she found true happiness in the end - a new happiness that I didn't think she thought she knew she could.  

A wonderful chick lit read that I can't recommend more.  For those who absolutely love a girlie book with a little heart and soul.     

 

Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel

GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Genre - chick lit

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (45)

Another Monday has come upon us.  I will be working this week to get ahead on the blog, so come Thanksgiving, I can take a vacation and enjoy some family time!


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 


Finished this past week:

It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Recalculating by Jennifer Weiner

Hospice Tails by Debra Stang

The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner

Currently Reading: 
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory


Next off the TBR pile:
My Corner of the Sky by Kerri Dyer-Keen

In My Mailbox (49)

A small week in my mailbox, but not a problem because that means my review stack and TBR pile is not growing as much.  There is no video this week - we have had a busy weekend between spending time together and attending an alumni event.

A meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Swaparoo:
My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin (Goodreads | Amazon)

For Review:
Downward Dog, Upward Fog by Meryl Davids Landaur (Goodreads | Amazon)
Any Color But Beige by Catherine LaRose (Goodreads | Amazon)

Review: Recalculating by Jennifer Weiner

Recalculating by Jennifer Weiner 

Publisher: Atria Books 

Pages: 35 

Format: nookbook 

Buy the Book: Amazon

Amazon:  On the surface, Maureen’s life appears no different from any other stereotypical 54-year-old housewife's: a suburban home in a small Pennsylvania town, two loving kids, grandchildren, and a husband to dote on at the end of the day with a home-cooked meal and a crisp martini. Fat bitch, dumb bunny, slut, tramp: these are just a few of the cruel words that echo in Maureen’s ears every day and define the harsh reality she actually lives in. For years, Maureen has harbored a dark secret known by only one other person: her husband, Tommy.

After Tommy dies, Maureen imagines that the years of physical and mental abuse are over. But just six months later, while looking for the Halloween decorations in the attic, Maureen finds a gift-wrapped GPS with her name on the box: an early birthday present from her late husband. When the voice from the machine starts giving her sinister directions, she learns that sometimes the dead are restless... and she's locked in a battle not just for her life, but for her soul.



Kritters Thoughts:  A great short story that has some mystery that is perfect for the season.  With a little Halloween spin, this short story packs a punch full of creepy.  


After seeing an announcement on twitter of a new Jennifer Weiner book, I mad a dash to look for it and even after hearing it was a short story - I immediately purchased the nookbook and read it right then and there.  


A story about a woman who has withstood abuse in the most unusual way from her husband for years and years, she finds the strength to overcome the abusive hold he has on her in more ways than one.  I was sucked in at page one and at the end, I was hoping for more which is exactly how a short story should be.  With a moving story, you weren't disappointed by the length, but I wanted more and more.


For just under a buck, it is worth a trip to Amazon to read the latest by Jennifer Weiner    

Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel


GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Happy Holidays

Interview with Jon Reiner

Welcome to Jon Reiner, author of The Man Who Couldn't Eat.  I reviewed his book yesterday and I was given the opportunity to send him some questions and here are the answers . . .



1. What do you find yourself rambling about?

I've been accused of treating our living room like the set of a talk show and my family as guests just dying to be enlightened by my unsolicited ramblings.  Hey, now!  If you angle the coffee table just so and fluff the throw pillows on the couch, the room does conjure the look of the old Dick Cavett show, so maybe they've got a point.  You name the subject, and I'm off to the races.  Politics, history, culture, books, music, movies, sports, gossip, more politics, the eccentric genius of Paul McCartney's "Honey Pie" - will it never end?  Fortunately, even in my own home, I get paid by the word.

2. This book The Man Who Couldn't Eat is a memoir and your next book Chutes and Ladders looks to be non-fiction as well, have you ever dabbled in fiction?  What genre would you ever consider publishing in?

The opportunity to publish my memoir happened in the most unlikely way.  The offer was an absolutely mind-bending fluke, and, of course, I said yes and jumped at the chance to make a debut with a major publisher (Simon & Schuster/Gallery).  However, I've studied and been writing fiction for 25 years, so, yes, you could say I've dabbled.  Before I wrote The Man Who Couldn't Eat, I wrote the manuscript of a novel titled Ice-Out.  It received some extremely enthusiastic critical comments such as, "This is a powerhouse of a novel, which is all the more reason that I'm sorry we are declining to publish your book."  On the other hand, Doris Lessing read the manuscript at Philip Glass's invitation - how's that for gratuitous name dropping - and hated it.  I've kept her typewritten letter.  It's so cutting, you can't help but laugh.  Literary fiction is my genre.

3. When becoming an author, did you have any speed bumps along the way?  If so, how did you overcome then?

Speed bumps?  How about the Himalayas?  Rejection, illness, unemployment, poverty, and I was in a real funk for after Larry Sanders went off the air.  Oh, the hardships I have endured.  However, I didn't give up.  It took me all these years to get published, or as my Esquire editor Mark Warren put it, "You almost had to die to get published."  We all suffer for our art, but did mine have to be so literal?  Eventually, when I was presented with a life-changing opportunity to write my story, I was prepared and excited to say yes and believe in my ability to produce a quality manuscript.  Even though I failed for years to break through, and was often discouraged about my situation, psychologically I never quit on myself.  I never stopped believing that I would become a published author, or that I had the talent to do so.  You must have confidence, even arrogance, regarding your ability.  It's a bold action to write a story and send it out for the public to accept or reject.  Writing is not a sport for weaklings.  I prefer to look at all this another way, though.  As John Berryman famously said, "The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him.  At that point, he's in business."

4. What is your favorite part of the writing process?  And why?  (i.e. beginning, middle or end)

Finishing is it's own reward, of course, but it's also illusory.  I never feel that I'm truly finished trying to write perfect sentences.  Even now, I've been on a book tour reading passages of The Man Who Couldn't Eat, and I can't resist the impulse to improve a phrase, or add an idea, which I have done extemporaneously on occasion.  Henry James was motivated to do the same thing, rewriting his published work before he died (and he was a million laughs).  I don't mean to put myself in James's league, but I can understand why he felt inspired to continue reworking his prose.  If you're a writer, you love to write, and I do.  Beginning, middle or end - it doesn't matter.  There's nothing as creatively exciting as having the ideas in your head flow through your fingertips onto the screen.

5. If you could convince anyone to write a memoir, which person's would you want to read?

This will have zero meaning to anyone else, but I'd want to read a memoir written by my paternal grandfather, Jacob Reiner.  It's impossible for many reasons, starting with the fact that he died 20 years before I was born.  He immigrated from a speck-on-the-map in Galicia with no family in the U.S., no money, no education, no language skills, and by first walking across Europe to a steamer in Hamburg.  He was a teenager and had the nerve to get himself halfway around the world.  People like Jake had a courage that was astounding.  I'd like to understand that and have him tell the story.

6. Beyond Chutes and Ladders is there anything else on your plate that you are working on? 

I've written some short fiction in the past year that has wound its way into several stories that interconnect through generations of characters, set in Maine.  The opening story is called Private Way and the second is Straightback '66.  I plan to continue the collection.  I've also been working on a novel for a while that has a title I like: Uncle Moses in the Promised Land.  It's a big story about identity.  I wonder what Doris Lessing would think of it?  Aside from that, I'm also working out in the batting cage, improving the timing of my opposite field swing.  I swear to God, give me a few months, and I can crack the Yankees' lineup when they break camp for the 2012 season.

Thank you so much to Jon Reiner for answering my questions, your smart humor and honest answers were a joy to read and share.

Review: The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner

The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner

Publisher: Gallery

Pages: 320

Format: print

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Jon Reiner was middle-aged, happily married with two children, living on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and acclimating to his role as primary parent-caregiver when he suffered a near-fatal collapse due to complications from his chronic battle with Crohn's disease.  From that point, he was forbidden from eating food, fed intravenously, and denied the pleasures of taste, which, as an award-winning food writer, had been a central part of his life.  In The Man Who Couldn't Eat, Reiner reinvents the foodoir, recounting what happens when a man obsessed with food cannot eat, and what happened to his family as a result.  Coping with illness, unemployment, and financial ruin spun him into a deep depression, straining his relationship with his wife and children.  It was his deprivation, ironically, that forced Jon to recognize what he'd been taking for granted. 


Kritters Thoughts:  What an interesting read.  After reading the book, I am still asking myself questions.  How often does my day center around food?  How many times a week do I schedule visits with friends and family where food is the main decision?  


The reader meets Jon Reiner, a husband and father of two young boys who has been battling Crohn's disease for more than 20 years.  With Crohn's disease being an illness that does not have a cure, but with changing a lifestyle you can live with the disease, I would still call it a terminal illness.  As we meet him, he has been struck down by the disease and is fighting for his life.  I appreciated where he started this book, so right from the start you are in the heart of his story and are enveloped into his world.   


The part of the story that struck me the most was seeing the impact that his disease and health have and had on both his wife and two boys.  Sometimes I don't think we realize that our status can absolutely affect those around us both in positive and negative ways.


A book that takes you behind the scenes of a family that as a whole must overcome this disease and learn to live a life  without food as a center. 



Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author and Booksparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Pinterest Challenge: Oct/Nov 2011

So I decided to take a break from my normal reading schedule and take part in the Pinterest Challenge that is hosted by Katie from Bower Power and Sherry from Young House Love.  I love these two blogs because they challenge me to make this rental condo into a home, instead of the place we live for right now.

I took on a small challenge this weekend because I had some other homie projects in the works that weren't so much the DIY - i.e. new duvet cover, new sheets, velcroing bed skirt to boxspring.  My project was on the girlie side of things and it was quick and easy. 

I have been wanting a way to store my jewelry to make them more accessible, so I will wear and love them more.  There are two projects that I have in mind to accomplish this goal - one was completed this weekend and one is still on my wishlist.

  Thank you Dallas Blue

Here was my inspiration.  I have figured out how I want to store my long necklaces, so stud earrings and potentially earrings in general was what I wanted to store.  I went to my local thrift store and looked for a wonderful antique frame, but didn't find one.  Then I went to our new Home Goods - WINNER!!  I hate to admit I hadn't been there yet, WELP I will be back, what a gold mine for many things on the making a house a home list.

I also went to my local friend Michael's for the rest of my supplies.

I took the backing and glass out of the frame and cut the sewing fabric to size to more than cover the open space and tacky glued the sucker down.

After letting it dry, I decided to attach a very pretty cream ribbon to hang the frame from the wall.

The only thing that is left on my to do list, is to find a pretty door knob or cabinet pull to put up for it to hang from instead of the random nail situation we are currently using.  And put all my earrings in!!  Maybe an update picture soon to come!

What do you think of the DIY post?  Want to see more or back to the book business? 

Review: Unforseen Fears by H William Gruchow

Unforseen Fears by H William Gruchow

Publisher: Xlibris, Corp.

Pages: 240

Format: print
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  They played games with murders; harmless games, it seemed, piecing together details from news reports; imagining theories about how and why; and wagering each other on the outcomes.

The Dunwright murders were tragic: Dillon and Martha were killed, and Brianne was missing.  Still, like the others, this game wasn't supposed to be serious.  But was it an execution or a kidnapping?  And why was so little progress being made toward solving the case?  Their curiosities fired up, Armis and Jake broke the rules and did their own sleuthing.  If the investigation was being subverted, who was doing it, and why?

The mystery deepened when nine-year-old Brianne's dismembered remains were discovered weeks later and miles away - Armis' quest for her killer becomes an obsession.

Yet, through encounters with corrupt lawmen, malevolent executives, and reticent family members, Armis was unable to find the answers he needed; until he met the mysterious Malwina.  She insidiously drew him into her plan of personal vengeance, and closer to learning the reasons Brianne had to die.  But as they intruded into a world where the bad guys seldom lose, the game turned dangerous . . . and deadly.  


Kritters Thoughts:  What started in the beginning with a bunch of disjointed chapters, ended with a complete mystery.  As a reader who loves a little suspense and mystery, as a whole I enjoyed this book, but the beginning got me so twisted that it took awhile for me to start getting into the story.

With a lot of characters who are easy to intermingle, this book is not for the faint of the heart.  I admit to a little post it noting so that I could keep all the people straight, it was hard.  As for the story, I love when you cannot predict a mystery - I never want to know where it will end and with this one I was pleasantly clueless until the end. 

A book that I would recommend to those who love a little mystery and suspense.  It is worth putting all the puzzle pieces together to solve all of the who dun its.

Rating:  enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: U

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bostick Communications.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.