2009 Book Reviews

Book Review: After You by Julie Buxbaum

November 12, 2009 by Darlene

After You by Julie Buxbaum is a novel that will tug at your heart and have you wondering how well you really know the people closest to you. It is a novel full of tragedy, drama, hope and how trying to find yourself in the midst of chaos is sometimes one of the hardest things to do.

On a tree lined street in Notting Hill, Ellie Lerner’s best friend Lucy is murdered. Not only is she brutally murdered but it happens right in front of her eight-year-old daughter Sophie. Ellie and Lucy have been best friends since they were young girls so of course, upon hearing the news, Ellie drops everything -her job, her husband, her life in Boston – to go to London and try to put back together a family devastated by Lucy’s death. Lucy’s husband Greg has withdrawn into himself and loses himself in the bottle more than once; he can barely even look at his daughter without being reminded of Lucy and little Sophie has simply quit talking.

Ellie is at a loss as to what to do for Sophie so she turns to the story The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett that she loved as a girl and still does as an adult. Every night they lay together in bed and read a chapter and slowly Sophie begins to open up and talk again. Healing will be slow; it’s hard enough to lose your mother but even worse in a way like this. Ellie just can’t bring herself to leave Sophie and go home to the US and her husband.

Needless to say Ellie’s husband Phillip is losing patience with her. He feels she’s been there long enough and needs to come home to her own life. To be honest, I was really put out by him and his attitude in this situation. For me, I also felt that Sophie’s needs were really important and while I wouldn’t say she should stay forever, a few months certainly wasn’t out of the question especially as there wasn’t any other family to help out. Ultimately Ellie would have to make a choice – stay with Sophie or go back to her life and try to pick up the pieces of her marriage.

While in London, Ellie starts facing some of the things that have been wearing her down like the loss of her own child who was stillborn and the steady downturn of her marriage afterwords. Being a stand-in mother to Sophie appeals to Ellie and her mothering instinct. In a way I think this experience of parenting Sophie started Ellie on the way to healing herself; it made her face and deal with her feelings of losing her child. On top of everything else, Ellie begins to learn startling truths about Lucy; things she didn’t know. She’s hurt and confused; she and Lucy have always shared everything since they were girls. Why had Lucy started being so secretive? What else had she kept from Ellie? Did she ever really know her best friend; the one person in the world that she thought she knew everything about? Ellie has to make some hard decisions about what she really wants from her life – does she want to start over?, go back to her husband?; and then again sometimes decisions are made for us by other means…

Julie Buxbaum really draws you in with both her beautiful writing style and her characters. I felt a connection to Ellie from the beginning of the novel and that’s what kept me turning the pages to learn more. I literally read this book in a few days; every time I put it down, I wanted to get right back to it and keep reading. It really makes you question some things – like how well do you really know the people closest to you? I know we all think we do but just maybe there are secrets lurking in the background. I think that this book would make an excellent book club pick as well. There are just so many issues talked about from loss, grief, marriage, children – it would definitely keep a book club busy.

One other thing I have to say is that I loved the references to books and reading throughout the novel. As an avid book lover this really appealed to me. Here is one of my favorite quotes…

‘Exploring the shelf, seeing all the hours of entertainment right there to get lost in, a siren call to burrow our heads into another world, comforts me. I can tell, in that way that kindred spirits are able to recognize each other, that Sophie feels it too. She may be only eight, and yet I can tell she’s already a real reader, a habit or an addiction or a crutch, depending on which way you look at it, that will carry her through the rest of her life.’ (pg 35)

As you can tell I really enjoyed After You. It appealed to me on so many levels but I think the biggest was an emotional level. After You left an impression on me and it’s a book I won’t soon forget. Pop over and visit Julie Buxbaum’s website and if you just can’t wait to read this book you can purchase it here in the US and here in Canada.

Be sure to drop in tomorrow as I’ll have a guest post from Julie Buxbaum to share with you all and it’s a good one!

My Thanks…
To Julie Buxbaum for sending me my copy of After You.

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Book Review: Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

November 10, 2009 by Darlene

Michelle Moran has done it again! She has once again brilliantly woven fact with great story telling in Cleopatra’s Daughter. In Cleopatra’s Daughter we learn about the history of Marc Antony and Cleopatra as told by their children. I really enjoyed this novel as I didn’t know much about Marc Antony and Cleopatra beyond being the greatest love story ever so it was very interesting for me to read more about their lives and that of their children lives after their deaths.

The story begins with Marc Antony dying and Cleopatra taking her own life and leaving their three children behind in Egypt. They are taken, in chains, to Rome by Octavian, their enemy. Only two of the children survive the trip – the twins Selene and Alexander. Upon arriving there they have no idea what to expect. They think they’ll either end up being slaves or put to death but luckily enough for them Octavia, Octavian’s sister, takes them under her wing. Octavia is a truly wonderful woman and she treated the twins as she would her own.

The story is told from the point of view of Selene who at the time that they are taken to Rome is eleven years old, almost twelve. She’s a very talented artist and loves architecture. Selene was a very mature eleven years old but Michelle Moran addresses this in the back of the book. Children back in this time, children who were privileged, were very well educated and spent all their time surrounded by adults consequently putting them much beyond their years.

Selene is a very likable character. She’s got a mind of her own and knows what she wants and what she doesn’t. What she doesn’t want is to be married off to some old man. Instead she wants to build things and ends up being lucky enough to work with a skilled builder. I loved her spunk as well as her feisty attitude. When it came to slavery or the homeless children, Selene was extremely passionate. Over the years she grew to be a wonderful woman as well, still believing in the same things and trying to do her best to help where she could.

Alexander on the other hand loves to just live life and enjoy it. He loves betting on the races and going to the theatre. He doesn’t have much interest in learning or making himself useful to Octavian so that he isn’t put to death at fifteen or married off to some old woman. However as the story progresses secrets about Alexander come out that threaten to change his life forever.

This novel by Michelle Moran is full of a host of great characters – many to like and many to hate. Her vivid descriptions of Rome and the way of life in this time period is amazing – as usual Michelle has done her research well. We are drawn in by her descriptions of how on one hand Rome can be beautiful and on the other it can be horrific. She relates some of the more known Roman trials where slaves are really not given a chance at any kind of justice. It is truly amazing how much time and energy Michelle puts into her novels and it shows in a big way. It’s what makes her books impossible to put down!

I have been a huge fan of Michelle’s since I read Nefertiti and then The Heretic Queen; both of which are also huge favorites of mine. Cleopatra’s Daughter is another that will hold a special spot on the keeper shelf of my bookcase. It is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Michelle Moran – pure reading pleasure! I can’t wait for her next novel called Masks of the Revolution where she will be captivating us with the French Revolution.

Be sure to visit Michelle’s website and take a look around. You can buy Cleopatra’s Daughter here in the US and here in Canada.

My Thanks…
To Michelle Moran for my wonderful copy of Cleopatra’s Daughter.

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Book Review: The Peruke Maker: The Salem Witch Hunt Curse by Ruby Dominguez

November 9, 2009 by Darlene

I read The Peruke Maker by Ruby Dominguez on Halloween night and it was the perfect book to read on that windy, dark and creepy night! The Peruke Maker starts us off in the 17th century at the height of witches being hunted down and tortured and put to death at Gallows Hill. Witchcraft was the worst possible crime and even being suspected of it for any reason would lead you to your death.

The Peruke Maker takes place in two different times; back in the 17th century and then in modern times. The modern times is told with flashbacks to the past but it’s not confusing at all. This book is also written as a screenplay and that’s ok, it makes it a very fast read. However, you never get the in depth character analysis that you would get with a full length book and this story would have made a terrific one. Still, it keeps you enthralled at every turn and on the edge of your seat waiting for what is to come.

We are first introduced to Bridget Cane. She’s a beauty with long and beautiful red hair. She makes the mistake of getting lured into a illicit situation with another couple and that is enough to deem her a witch and to be condemned. Her father is a wig maker and her mother Kate was put to death already for being a witch. She haunts the town as the Banshee.

Next we meet Sarah Cane in the present day. She’s been in a horrible car accident and is disfigured. She withdraws herself from everyone and hides out in her apartment with her dog. One day she happens upon an advertisement for a wig – a beautiful, long haired red wig – and is moved to order it. This sets her on a journey where the present weaves into the past and Sarah and Bridget forge a connection that transcends time.

This book is not only about the horrors of the Salem Witch Trials and believe me the torture these women were put through is unimaginable. It is also about love and forgiveness as Sarah, in the present time, meets Michael, the paramedic who had been at the scene of her accident. He refuses to give up on her telling her he loves her – he doesn’t see her scars, he only sees her. Sarah has to choose between the past and evil or the future and love. Which road will she take?

I enjoyed this book and although I think it would have made an excellent novel, there is definitely enough said to make you fully aware of the situation and what is happening to the people involved. It’s a quick read and perfect for a late night scare! I also have to mention how much I love this cover -the picture of the girl is so haunting -it’s really fitting for the novel itself.

I read The Peruke Maker for Ruby Dominguez’s Pump Up Your Book Promotion Book Tour. You can buy The Peruke Maker here in the US and here in Canada.

My Thanks…

To Dorothy at Pump Up Your Book for my review copy of The Peruke Maker by Ruby Dominguez.

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Book Review: The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

November 7, 2009 by Darlene

I’ve enjoyed other works of Helen Humphreys so when I saw The Frozen Thames which is a smaller book with a cover that intrigued me, I picked it up. It’s a collection of forty vignettes based on events that actually did take place each time the river froze between the years of 1142 and 1895 and how people’s lives were affected by it. After the London Bridge was rebuilt this didn’t happen anymore but the stories still remain to be told.

These vignettes capture small moments in time – they are only a couple of pages long but as with Humphrey’s writing, they are very vividly told. The stories range from the poor British people to the royalty like King Henry VIII. Some of the stories I found interesting and some made no sense to me.

The stories I really liked had known historical figures in them like King Henry VIII as he was being driven down the middle of the frozen Thames. There is talk of Anne Boleyn’s offenses and that she may be put to death. The people are waiting to see him cross…

‘We stand on the bank and wave and cheer, regardless of whether our King is full of sorrow or full of rage. It matters not this morning. What matters is that the horses are as white as the snow, that they look both magnificent and ghostly as they pass, and that the sound of the hooves and the carriage is deep as a bell, deep as our own heartbeats sunken in our chests. What matters is that we have waited for this. We have waited for this, and it has come to us.’ (pg 49)

Another story I liked was of Queen Matilda in the year 1142. Her castle is under siege and has been for more than three months. She no longer knows what to do when one night it begins to snow. She and her strongest men wait until the snow is at its thickest and they begin to cross the Thames. They are dressed in white and blend with the snow. They meet a sentry on horseback but they stand perfectly still. In turn, he blesses himself and rides on; he has taken them for ghosts.

One other story I really liked was about a little girl and robins. It is the cold of winter and dark and the little girl awakens to a little robin sitting on her bedpost. It has been a very cold winter and many animals are not surviving but many people in England have taken to bringing the birds into their homes so they can survive until spring. The little girl’s family is one that has done this and they have two robins. The little girl is waiting for eggs to be in the nest and baby birds being born. I just found this story magical.

The book is beautifully written which is something I’ve come to expect from Humphreys. The stories of the ice are told in such vivid detail that you can almost feel the cold seeping into your bones. There are many pictures throughout the book, many of them quite beautiful.

I read The Frozen Thames during the read-a-thon and while I can’t say it’s a favorite of mine there were definitely quite a few of the stories that I really appreciated. I think for those who enjoy short stories and can gather the meaning from them without needing a more detailed novel form will get a lot out of this book. For me, I still enjoy an actual novel – a story I can sink my teeth into. I had actually thought this was an historical novel about the freezing of the Thames when I bought it so I had a bit of a surprise when I opened it. Either way it was ok for me. The stories I liked, I really liked and the others were just ok.

My thanks…
To myself. This book belongs to yours truly and came from my ever leaning bookshelves.

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Book Review: Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

November 2, 2009 by Darlene

I’ll just start right off by stating that I loved Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs! There it’s out there and now I can continue to gush about it. I’m such a fan of The Friday Night Knitting Club Series and Knit the Season was again a story that took me back and made me feel as though I was in the comfort of old friends. Best of all, this one was centered around the Christmas season which made it even more special!

Knit the Season begins a year after the end of Knit Two and finds Dakota maturing in even more ways and becoming more like her mother all the time. Dakota is in college to become a pastry chef which has been her dream since young when she used to bake for the ladies in The Friday Night Knitting Club. She is going to incorporate her talents as a pastry chef and owning the knitting shop, Walker & Daughter, into a knitting cafe.

This novel also gives Dakota the opportunity to spend the Christmas holidays with her Gran, her dad, her grandparents and Catherine in Scotland. What a great opportunity as Dakota loves her Gran and Gran is 97 years old; there may not be too many Christmas’ left to share together like this. From this holiday season with Gran and her family, Dakota comes away with so much more than just memories of the holiday. She comes away with many memories of her mother Georgia when she was younger, things that Dakota never knew before that bring her even closer to her mother.

I loved that Georgia was so woven into the story in this novel. We learned more about her and her past that all led up to the beginnings of The Friday Night Knitting Club and Walker & Daughter. It was wonderful to visit with all the other ladies again like Anita who is getting remarried, Darwin and her twins, KC being her normal self and making me laugh, Peri who is struggling with her own wants and that of her obligation to Dakota and we can’t forget Catherine. In this novel she really makes some changes to her life and it’s lovely to see her evolving into such an amazing woman.

As always this novel had me laughing and crying and even for me as the reader, reliving wonderful memories of all these ladies over the years of reading this series. I care about all the ladies especially Dakota which isn’t much different from all the ladies in the knitting club who drew so tightly around Dakota when Georgia died. They are a wonderful, warm and caring group of women who have developed such a beautiful and close knit friendship. As a knitter myself I love the whole aspect of knitting being what brought these women together in the first place and has continued to hold them together as they still regularly meet up.

Knit the Season can definitely stand alone if you’re in the mood for a great holiday read. However I do recommend reading The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two as well simply because if you don’t you will miss out on the wonderful history of these women and all that has gone on before. As with all these stories there are some recipes and knitting patterns in the back. When I open up one of Kate’s books I always excitedly turn to the back to see what she has there and I wasn’t disappointed this time.

Knit the Season along with The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two would make really great book club choices. There are so many elements to these novels worth discussing and even better if you have knitters in your group. As well Kate is always open to discussing her novels with book clubs. Last year we had her visit our book club online to discuss Knit Two and it was just fantastic to get her perspective along with our own on her novel. All in all I don’t think you’d be disappointed at all picking Knit the Season for your book club pick for December or if you’re just looking for a great read.

Changes are definitely brewing for all the members of The Friday Night Knitting Club. I wonder what this will mean for them? I can tell you one thing for sure – I can’t wait for the next book to see what Kate has in store for all the ladies next! Make sure to pop by tomorrow as I had the opportunity to ask Kate a few questions and she will be here to share her thoughts on those questions.

You can read the first chapter of Knit the Season here and you can buy the book here in the US and here in Canada. Knit the Season releases today! Be sure to pop over and visit Kate Jacobs website as well!

My Thanks…
To the publisher for my review copy of Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs.

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Book Review: Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick

October 29, 2009 by Darlene

Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick is a continuation of The Kingmaking and another fantastic example of Helen Hollick’s amazing story telling. It is the story of King Arthur and granted I loved the first book as well but picking up this one was wonderful – being able to go back in time and learn more about Arthur and Gwenhwyfar, their lives together and the times that the novel takes place in had me completely engrossed. I was sucked into Pendragon’s Banner from the first page and let me just say that the 460 odd pages of this novel just fly by as you’re trapped inside with battles raging both on the war fields and at home with Arthur and Gwenhwyfar.

Arthur is Supreme King for the past three years and he has been fighting battles and moving Gwenhwyfar and his three sons many times. Gwenhwyfar is plain sick of it; sick of living in tents and never having a place to call their own. Gwenhwyfar has not changed much with the years. She is still the feisty woman she has always been; a woman with her own mind and not afraid to use it or voice her thoughts. She is angry with Arthur as his need to settle is not as great as her own. Along the way tragedy strikes and Gwenhwyfar decides to take some time away from Arthur and go home to Gwynedd until finally their love wins out again and they are back together.

What I think I like best about Helen Hollick’s writing is her ability to make me feel like I’m living in the pages of the novel. I’m on the battlefield seeing the bloodshed and feeling the fear. I’m feeling Arthur’s fears as he tries to do his best for his men and his family and I’m feeling anger when he is unfaithful to his wife and needs a kick in the butt. I’m feeling their sadness when things go terribly wrong and their happiness and hope when they don’t. This book is hard to put into words because it is such an epic tale and one that needs to be experienced to feel the full impact of it.

Arthur again is a man who you just can’t make up your mind about. Do you love him or hate him – well it’s both. He’s a good man who loves Gwenhwyfar more than anything and you can feel that completely and he loves his family and he is fiercely loyal to his men. At the same time he does things that just get my feathers in an uproar. He has some definite problems saying no to women’s wiles and has been unfaithful more than once. He has a jealous streak that sometimes takes over before his brain does. All in all though I have to say once again that I like him.

By far my favorite character is Gwenhwyfar. She is the type of woman, especially for those times, who was very different. She is extremely willful and has the tendency to do things her way, not the way Arthur or anyone else may tell her to. She’s beautiful, strong and has no problem wielding a sword should the need arise. I could just envision her on the battle field with her hair flowing behind her and her sword at the ready. My heart just broke for her many times throughout this novel; she has suffered much heartbreak in her young life. She also made me laugh outright several times. When certain over zealous men try to put their hands where they don’t belong they find the point of a sword awfully close to their equipment and back off quickly. lol.

There are many of the old characters back that I didn’t find myself liking any more than the last time like Winifred who wants her son recognized as Arthur’s and Morgause who just wants to destroy Arthur. There were others like Arthur’s and Gwenhwyfar’s sons who touched your heart and Gweir, Arthur’s new slave boy who was pretty amusing as well.

Pendragon’s Banner comes highly recommended for those who love a little history weaved in with a great fictional story. Helen Hollick has given real lives to these people and given us a glimpse once again into how they might have lived through her vivid imagination. I’m already anxious for the third and final book in this trilogy being re-released this spring by Sourcebooks called The Shadow of the King so I can see how it will all end.

I read Pendragon’s Banner for Helen Hollick’s book tour and again I have to say that I recommend both Pendragon’s Banner and The Kingmaking. Make sure to visit Helen Hollick’s website and browse around and take a look at all of her books. You can buy Pendragon’s Banner here in the US and here in Canada.

Please check back tomorrow as I’ll have a guest post from Helen Hollick to share with everyone!

My Thanks…
To Paul with Sourcebooks for my review copy of Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick.

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