2013 - 100+ Books

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

January 14, 2013 by Darlene

The Painted Girls by Cathy Buchanan is a wonderfully imagined piece of historical fiction by an extremely talented author. I was first captivated by Cathy’s writing when I read her first novel The Day the Falls Stood Still (my review) and loved it and she’s done it again. I can’t imagine the research and time that went into weaving the historical details with the beautifully told story of the sisters in The Painted Girls but it was well worth it because this is an amazing novel that brings to life 19th century Paris and those of the dancers and artists who lived in it.

Antoinette, Marie, and Charlotte don’t live the life of the privileged. In fact it’s a struggle just to survive for them. Their father passed away and their mother spends more time with her bottle of absinthe than with them. Antoinette has been in the ballet and both Marie and Charlotte apply also as it is the one way for them to get ahead in their world and also make a living. The story shifts between Antoinette and Marie and normally I would like one more than the other but the story shifted so seamlessly between the two that I was completely immersed in both of their worlds. These two sisters love each other fiercely and yet there is a rivalry there particularly in the ballet when Marie begins to be singled out by the painter Edgar Degas. She begins to model for him and make extra money but soon she is pressed into making decisions that she’s much too young to be making. As for Antoinette she falls for a boy and ends up taking a direction in her life that doesn’t lead her anywhere but downhill. Both girls will face hardships and heart wrenching decisions and both will suffer in different ways. Will their passion for what they believe and their strong sisterly bond be enough to lead them to the life they desire.

The characters in this book are so vividly brought to life; even the smallest one. The world of art and the ballet is so vividly described that I felt sure I was standing over the shoulder of the painter or sitting in the front seats of the ballet. From the beginning pages Antoinette and Marie, based on real sisters, captured my heart and I felt every sorrow and every triumph that they did. The book is also based on real murders that occurred and those pieces are intertwined throughout the book. You’d think they didn’t belong but they relate back to the story in quite a few ways. I was also really interested in the pieces on the artists as I have an interest in that time period although I haven’t looked into it as much as I should. After reading this book I did look up Edgar Degas’ work called ‘Little Dancer Aged Fourteen’ because it really piqued my curiosity and of course now I want to learn even more. I think it’s great when a book incites that kind of a reaction from its readers to learn more.

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan is a beautifully written book. Every single word and phrase takes you away to another place and time and opens up the world of artists and dancers in such a way that will evoke emotions within you and keep you enthralled within its pages and the lives it portrays. An excellent novel by a brilliant writer – well worth reading and highly recommended for the historical fiction fan and others! Pick up your own copy at Amazon or Amazon Canada.

Source: Review copy provided by the Publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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Wanderers by Edward Belfar & Giveaway (US/Canada)

January 10, 2013 by Darlene

Wanderers by Edward Belfar is a collection of short stories that have Kenya, the US, and Rome as a setting. I don’t read a lot of short stories but once in a while I do like them especially when I may not feel like delving into a full length novel. Often I feel as though the meaning that is being portrayed in short stories escapes me but that was not so with The Wanderers. This novel is about people who are wandering through their own lives. It is sometimes sad and sometimes funny. The meaning that comes through clearly is that the choices we make in our lives lead us in either good or bad directions and ultimately that is what we have to work with.

These stories are not happy ones; really I’d say the mood of the book is somber at best. People are sad, depressed, and not happy with where they’ve ended up in their lives. I think this is so true to our lives and while a lot of the people ended up in situation much more dire than I can imagine I could still relate to not being where I’d like to be in my life. As with most short story collections I had a few favorites and I’ll touch on those briefly.

The first was a story called Mistaken Identity. A young couple who is planning to marry has come to her home in Nairobi to meet her family. He is American and of course not familiar with many of the customs of her people. In a ceremony that is very important to them he manages to make a critical mistake that reverberated throughout his marriage.

Two other favorites were actually related stories. In Roman Honeymoon a young couple is on their honeymoon in Rome. She is angry because she wanted to go to the Bahamas and doesn’t like Rome and he is spending a lot of time wondering whether he wants to be married at all. Fast forward about ten years in Visitations and things seem to have gone downhill even further. An accident causes an even bigger rift to form and tensions grow even larger.

The final story that struck a chord with me was Leaving the Chesapeake. It was about a man who was very much down on his luck. He is divorced, no job to speak of, and is trying to pay child support. He seemed like such a lost soul beat down by life and the Chesapeake is most certainly not luxury living – it is worse than the worst dump. He doesn’t feel as though he’s living life anymore, he is just existing in it. He wonders if anything will ever change…

This is a good collection of short stories. I think if you’re an individual who really enjoys the short story format you’d likely get even more out of reading them than I did. Despite the rather sad tone to the book I still enjoyed it.

Wanderers by Edward Belfar is on tour with TLC Book Tours so be sure to check out the other tour stops. You can find Edward on his website or on Goodreads. You can purchase your own copy of Wanderers on Amazon or Amazon Canada.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Wanderers by Edward Belfar to share with my readers. To enter…

For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do let me know and I’ll pass the entry on to you as well.
For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, January 26/13, Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by TLC Book Tours and the Publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas & Giveaway (US/Canada)

January 8, 2013 by Darlene

Although it is early in the new year The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas will make my list of favorite historical novels of the year. This novel has it all; a great historical setting, a mystery, and characters that you care about. Even better it deals with the practice of midwifery which is something that has always fascinated me. This is a very well written novel that is sure to capture your interest and not let go just as it did mine!

Bridget is a widow twice over and a wealthy and important woman in society, not only because of her exceptional skills as a midwife but also because of her connections as her late husband’s brother is prominent within society and has stayed close to Bridget after the death of her husband. It is unusual for a woman to be as independent as Bridget is in the 1600’s but Bridget really is no ordinary woman. She’s strong, smart, and opinionated. Even more she is respected as such.

When her friend Esther is accused of murdering her husband and sentenced to be burnt alive Bridget knows in her heart she is innocent and determines to find out who the real killer is. It turns out her new servant Martha is skilled in more ways than just that of a cleaning woman and she assists Bridget. The more embroiled they become in the mystery of who the killer is the more trouble they seem to find and in no time at all even their lives are at risk.

While I love historical novels I find that I don’t always make connections with the characters but that is not so with this book. I was drawn into Bridget’s life from the very first pages and I respected her knowledge and the fact that she was such a strong and independent woman for the times. Her servant Martha and nephew Will were another two characters that I really liked.

I’ve read a few books that dealt in the practice of midwives but nothing like Sam’s book. He gave a very good overview of what is involved and also of how births took place back in the 1600’s. It was fascinating! I had no idea that midwives held such power if they were considered very skilled at what they did not to mention that they were privy to quite a few family secrets as well. So aside from a good mystery in this novel I also got to learn something about a subject I’m interested in so that is always a huge plus for me in a book.

While the story woven within the pages of this novel is fictional the character of Bridget is actually based on a real woman which you learn in Sam’s author’s note. That made the novel even better for me. If you’re a lover of historical fiction this is a must read and even if you’re not this novel fits in with a mystery lover as well. The Midwife’s Tale is a must read this year!

The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas is on tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours so be sure to check out the other tour stops for more reviews and giveaways of this fantastic novel. You can find Sam on his website as well as Facebook and Twitter. Your own copy of The Midwife’s Tale can be purchased at Amazon and Amazon Canada.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas to share with my readers. To enter…

For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do let me know and I’ll pass the extra entry on to you as well.
For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, January 26/13. Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the Publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

January 7, 2013 by Darlene

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys has got to be one of the most powerful novels I have and will read this year. The story that unfolds between the pages of this book has touched me more than I can say. Between Shades of Gray tells us about the re-locations that Stalin ordered during World War II of people from countries like Lithuania, Estonia, etc. I’ve read several books on the Holocaust but this I had never read about. I received this book from Sandy at You’ve Gotta Read This! (Thank you Sandy) and I alternated between the book and the audio version and I think it affected me even more because of that. At the end of the audio the author speaks and then breaks down in tears at the very end and I can’t tell you how wrenching it was to cry with her. Between Shades of Gray is a story of people surviving against all odds – it is heartbreaking and I think it will haunt me for a long time to come.

Lina is fifteen years old in 1941. She’s a normal girl who loves to draw and loves to spend time with friends and look at boys. She had no idea that life could and would take the turn it did when Soviet officers invade her home and take her family away from everything it’s ever known. They are forced onto a train car that has less than desirable conditions and even worse Lina, her mother and her brother have been separated from Lina’s father. At this point they have no idea what may have happened to him. The journey to Siberia is horrifying and then the family is forced to work in a prison camp. The conditions are beyond horrible and they are often cold and always starving.

Lina’s life is no longer easy. It is an extremely hard existence and having to see her family suffer alongside her is heartbreaking. The novel alternates from what is currently happening to her and her family to times in the past when they were all happy and together with her father. Lina is a brave soul and such a strong character. She loved to draw and even used that as a tool to document what was happening to them. While many in her camp faltered and died or just plain gave up, Lina didn’t. She had a will to go on and the hope alive in her that there had to be something better for them in the near future. It was what kept her alive – that determination and will to live. The novel shows us that the while a body can be beaten down, the human spirit can’t and that is inspiring.

This is a young adult novel but it reads very well for adults. This is an unforgettable story and one that is worthwhile for us to read and remember. This kind of travesty should never have happened and people should never have had to suffer in such a way. The way the author unfolds this story for us completely draws us into the horrific world of Lina and you find your heart just breaking for her and so many others. For those who like historical fiction or books on the holocaust Between Shades of Gray is a must read. It is certainly a story that I will never forget.

Ruta has a new novel coming out on February 12 called Out of the Easy and it sounds like it’ll be another fantastic novel by this incredibly talented writer. I can’t wait to read it so stay tuned for a review.

Source: My own copy received from a friend.

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Perfect Red by Jennie Nash & Giveaway (US/Canada – 5 copies)

January 4, 2013 by Darlene

Perfect Red by Jennie Nash was a great read for me! I have read one other of Jennie’s books ( The Only True Genius in the Family ) and I really enjoyed it. Perfect Red was a little different from the other novels that she’s written in that it has some history weaved throughout and I loved that.

The novel is set in 1952 in New York City at the time of the Red Scare which had to do with communism. More importantly though this story takes a young and naive girl whose only dream is to become an author in a time when women didn’t aspire to much beyond being housewives and shows us how determination and passion can lead us to our dreams coming true.

Lucy is different from the other young women of her time who are happy enough to work in the typing pool or get married. She herself wants to be an author so when she lands a job working for one of the top publishing houses she takes the opportunity to learn as much as she can. Meanwhile she keeps trying to get started on her novel. She has an idea; she wants to write about Perfect Red – the lipstick that all the women are crazy about and that is said to be exactly what you need to lure in a man. Lucy knows there must be a backstory there and she needs to find out what it is but none of that will matter if she can’t get the words down onto paper.

Enter TJ Wright who is a best selling author. Lucy decides that in order to save her job and his she will give him her idea and let him write the novel. Let’s not forget that TJ is awfully handsome and gives her butterflies. However Lucy can never imagine the terrible turn of fate that will befall her all because she trusts the wrong people in a time when women had no rights and they certainly weren’t deemed intelligent enough to ever be able to write a novel. Her one bright star is Jeffrey but between the Red Scare and her own mistakes it may just be too late for them too.

This novel has so much more to it than I can possibly relate in a review but I can say that it is very much worth reading. I loved all the references to books, the publishing world, and to the people who love books. I loved Lucy as a character even as she trusted the wrong people and made some dire mistakes. She came from a time when things weren’t so easy for women who wanted more than marriage and was the kind of person who believed in the good of people so she got stomped on more than once in the cruelty and competition of the real world. As well I didn’t know much about the Red Scare and how it affected people so I found that fascinating as well so I appreciated the history of that piece of the story.

The novel is well written as I find Jennie’s novels to be and her descriptions of the time and place make you feel as though you are right there. Her portrayal of Lucy especially is fantastic because you can feel Lucy’s love for writing and books and you can feel her passion for wanting to be an author jump right off the page. I thoroughly enjoyed Perfect Red by Jennie Nash and its reminded me of how much I really need to read her backlist of which all are on my shelves!

You can pick up your own copy of Perfect Red at Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N, and Kindle. Be sure to check out Jennie’s website to learn more about her work and she can be found on Facebook and Twitter as well.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

Jennie had very generously offered up 5 copies of her newest novel Perfect Red to my readers. To enter…

For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
For 2 entries follow my blog. If you do just let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and I will be drawing for the winners on Saturday, January 19/13. Good luck!

Review copy provided by the author. No compensation was received for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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