GIVEAWAY - Books Can Be Deceiving

Great news!

Thanks to the generosity of Berkley Prime Crime, I have one copy of Books Can Be Deceiving  by Jenn McKinlay, recently reviewed  here, to give away to one lucky reader of this blog.  Entries are limited to U.S. residents only and no P.O. Boxes please. For a valid entry, please leave a comment on this post, and include an e-mail address either in your comment or by e-mailing me at Bookgirlblog@hotmail.com.  Followers of this blog get an additional entry. Winner will be chosen by random.org and the book will be mailed directly by the publisher.  In the event that the winner does not respond to my e-mail within 72 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. e.s.t. on September 14, 2011.  Good luck to all!

A mystery for book lovers

BOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING by Jenn McKinlay
My rating:  3.5 of 5 stars

I selected this book because I had read one of Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed it.  This new series looks to be promising as well.

The main character, library director Lindsey Norris is likable, and what avid reader wouldn't appreciate a librarian who identifies people by the books they love to read?  Equally appealing is her best friend, children's librarian Beth Stanley, who is not above dressing up in a Little Red Hen costume to entertain her young patrons.  When Beth's ex-boyfriend, a despicable but award-winning children's book author is found murdered, Beth becomes the prime suspect, and she and Lindsey team up to find the real killer.
 
All the makings of a good cozy are here, from the small-town seaside setting to fun, quirky characters, including a sour-faced librarian known as "the lemon."   I particularly enjoyed Lindsey's wry observations about the library patrons and employees, and Beth's charm and zest for life makes her the perfect foil to Lindsey's more staid persona.  Even the identity of the killer is not painfully obvious, as can be a pitfall of many cozies.

The original paperback edition of Books Can be Deceiving contains several nice extras as well:  a reading guide for a suggested book club pick, a knitting pattern for a hat Lindsey makes in the book, several recipes referenced in the story, and a preview of the next book in the series, Due or Die.

If you like reading books where books feature prominently, whether it be a bookstore, library or publishing industry setting, and you like your mysteries soft as opposed to hard boiled, then I suggest you give this one a try.

I received a copy of Books Can Be Deceiving  from the publisher, Berkley Prime Crime, a division of Penguin Group USA,  through the Library Thing Members Giveaway program.

A hero on a white horse

THE EIGHTY-DOLLAR CHAMPION by Elizabeth Letts

My rating:  4 of  5 stars

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite books was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.  The heart-warming story of the brave, gallant horse made such an impression on me that in my minds eye, some forty years later, I can still see the cover of the book like it was yesterday.  Today I finished a book about another horse, this time a gallant white one, that stole my heart like Beauty did all those years ago. 

The Eighty Dollar Champion is the story of Snowman, a discarded farm horse destined for the slaughterhouse, who went on to win top honors in the world of show jumping in 1958 and 1959.  It is also the inspiring account of Snowman's owner, Harry DeLeyer, a Dutch immigrant who lived through the Nazi occupation and moved with his young wife across the ocean to create a better life for his family.  The bond between Snowy and Harry begins when Harry buys the beaten down horse for $80 after seeing a spark in his eyes, and blossoms into a tie so strong that when Harry tries to sell the horse after restoring his health, the horse responds by repeatedly jumping paddock fences to make his way back home. 

This story might have all the makings of a syrupy Hallmark movie, but the book is, in fact, a fascinating study of the changing face of America in the 1950's and 60's as the elitism of horse shows gave way to the "everyman" spectator who began watching the sport on the new medium of television.  The year that Snowman first won the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden was the year when the horse shows ceased to be the bastion of the privileged. Letts details how the souring economy coupled with a struggling newspaper industry seeking any new angle to attract readers, aligned to propel Snowman's underdog story to even bigger attention.

Having no background in the equestrian world, I learned a good deal from reading this book, including the fact that the ASPCA was originally created to prevent cruelty to horses.  There is a wealth of information about the different types of jumps, the things that can affect a horse's performance, and the manner in which horses are trained.   Letts conducted numerous interviews with DeLeyer during the drafting of this work, and it shows.

With the exception of one or two slow moving technical sections on horse racing and breeding, Letts' easy flowing style makes this nonfiction account read like riveting fiction.  What makes her narrative particularly special is the way in which she parallels Snowman's brush with death to Harry's first-hand experiences in the war, and identifies these as the genesis of their urge to live life to the fullest.  Each came from humble beginnings, with a heart big enough to be a champion, and both rose to defy conventional expectations.

At his first jumping show, Snowman and Harry are derided by fellow entrants.  After he wins a few lesser ribbons, Harry could have been satisfied with the modest success, given his secure job as a horse riding instructor, his small home, and his loving family, but both he and Snowman wanted more:  to showcase the gifts they had been given.  When Harry goes on to compete in the stratified world of professional show jumping, both he and his horse are treated as outsiders, making their first victory over an Olympic champion horse all the more sweet.

Of course, no horse lives forever, and though not unanticipated, by the time one gets to the end of the story, there is such an emotional investment in this pair, that a good supply of tissues should be at hand.  All told, this was a wonderful account of a truly inspiring relationship between man and animal sure to be loved by horse aficionados and neophytes alike. 

I received an advance reader's edition of The Eighty-Dollar Champion from the publisher, Ballantine Books, through the Library Thing Early Reviewer's Program.  The Eighty-Dollar Champion will be released on August 23, 2011.

Weekend Cooking (12): Recipe, Review and Giveaway

Have you ever had the experience of reading a book, that is not a food-centered novel, but you nonetheless find yourself craving a particular food because of the setting of the book?  Well, that happened to me when reading the wonderful new novel, Ellis Island, the story of an Irish immigrant's experiences in America during the 1920's.  From the first page of this book, I couldn't stop thinking that I wanted to make Irish Soda Bread, even in spite of the hot and muggy summer weather we are currently mired in.  Feeling like I was a little bit crazed, I dug out my tried and true recipe, which I plan to make for breakfast tomorrow morning.  I'm sure you bakers out there probably have your own version of this, but here's the one I like to use:

Irish Soda Bread:

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup currants, plumped
3 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Whisk together first five ingredients. Mix in currants and caraway seeds.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk and melted butter.  Stir wet into dry to make a sticky batter.  Mound the batter on a cooking sheet.  Cut an X into top of loaf.  Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in loaf comes out cleanly.

And now for the book that inspired this mid-summer baking binge:


ELLIS ISLAND by Kate Kerrigan

My rating:  4 of  5 stars

Set in the 1920's, Ellis Island is the engrossing story of a young Irish couple, Ellie Flaherty and John Hogan, who fell in love as children and married as soon as they were able.  When John is injured fighting with the IRA, Ellie goes to America to earn money for an operation John desperately needs to walk again.  Finding herself the personal maid to the young wife of a wealthy industrialist, Ellie is exposed to the glittering excesses of the roaring twenties and the burst of modernization sweeping the country as cars, electricity and home appliances become commonplace. Ellie proves herself to be smart, fierce, and wholly self-reliant, and after only a year she leaves service to enter the business world as a typist.  As she comes to love her life in America, she writes to John imploring him to join her, but he refuses to leave Ireland.

Ultimately, the new life Ellie has made for herself proves to be a double-edged sword.  She realizes that she must choose between her love for her husband, and the happiness she has found in fulfilling the potential she knew she had but feared would never reach had she stayed in Ireland.  When circumstances force her to return to Ireland for a visit, Ellie goes home with a heavy heart, unsure of what the future will hold for herself and her marriage.

 I read this book in two days, returning to it with anticipation each time I set it down.  Ellie is such a likeable character, one that I truly cared about to the end.  Ms. Kerrigan does a marvelous job of bring the Prohibition Era to life, and the portions of the book recounting Ellie's experiences in service were reminiscent of  "Upstairs Downstairs," which I loved.  To that end, there is the tyrannical  housekeeper, Mrs. Flannery, who rules the roost with an iron hand, but has a caring heart, and the frivolous maid Shelia, a school friend of Ellie's, who fulfills her dream of marrying a rich society gentleman. 

While Ellis Island  is a fine telling of the immigrant experience, it is much more than that.  The novel explores the eternal question of the choices women often make in deciding how much to sacrifice for love, and particularly, when love seems to come at the cost of one's own true self.  In resolving the question here, the book's ending is entirely authentic.  Ellie's thoughts and reactions are real in that they are nuanced and layered -- which is only fitting for the multi-faceted woman she determines herself to be.  For those who love immigrant stories, and those who appreciate strong and thoughtful female characters, I highly recommend Ellis Island.

Thanks to the generosity of HarperCollins, I have one copy of Ellis Island to give away to a lucky reader.  In order to enter, please leave a comment on this post.  Followers of this blog receive an additional entry.  All entries must include an e-mail address, either in the comment or by e-mailing me at Bookgirlblog@hotmail.com.  Entries are limited to U.S. and Canada only, and no P.O. Boxes please.   Publisher will mail the book directly.  The winner will be selected using random.org.  In the event that the winner does not respond to my e-mail within 72 hours, a new winner will be selected.  Contest ends 11:59 p.m. e.s.t. on August 29, 2011.  Good luck to all!

I received an advance review copy of Ellis Island from the publisher.  Ellis Island was released in July of 2011.

Weekend Cooking is a fun event hosted by Beth Fish Reads where bloggers share food related posts.  Stop by and see what's cooking this week!

Two winners

I'm happy to announce the winners of my most recent giveaways:

Michelle from Peaceful Reader won The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

Lisa from Buttery Books won Angelina's Bachelors by Brian O'Reilly

Congratulations to Michelle and Lisa!

There is still time to enter the giveaway for An Accident in August by Laurence Cosse' and stay tuned for another giveaway upcoming this weekend.

An Accident in August: Review and Giveaway

AN ACCIDENT IN AUGUST by Laurence Cosse'

My rating:  4.5 of  5 stars

Sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time has lasting consequences and sometimes it doesn't.  For Louise Origan, a 25-year-old French citizen, the fear of such consequences may turn out to be worse than the consequences themselves.  Or not.

In Laurence Cosse's novel, An Accident in August, the reader is taken back to the night of Princess Di's death in Paris, and asked to consider what might have happened to the person in the unidentified white Fiat that was in the tunnel at the time of the crash, and that may have been responsible, in part, for the accident.  Cosse' brings the Fiat driver to life in the person of Louise "Lou" Origan, and imagines her reaction as she discovers that the accident she witnessed was in fact the one being mourned by millions around the globe.  At first, Lou is singularly concerned with the loss of privacy that she will undergo if she is identified.  As the accident is relentlessly dissected over the ensuing days, she worries that she may have been at fault, and that she was morally bankrupt in her decision to flee the scene.  She decides to try and avoid detection, but a sinister individual with knowledge of her role in the accident crops up, throwing her life into turmoil.  Ultimately, their interaction culminates in a shocking conclusion that changes her life forever.

What a great read.  It is utterly chilling to watch Lou's paranoia escalate as she scours newspapers and radio broadcasts for any sign that the police are on to her, becoming consumed by guilt in the form of horrific nightmares.  There is also alot to think about here.  Reading Lou's story makes one consider the guilt we impose upon ourselves, whether deserved or imagined, and the effect that has on our lives.  The social commentary on the devastating effects of relentless media coverage is profound, as is the exploration of the underlying issues of responsibility.  Should she have stopped?  Is it fair to expect her to turn herself in once she realized what had happened, given the media blitz that was sure to follow?  Because the culture of celebrity created by the media informed her reaction, does the media bear any of the responsibility for her actions?

Cosse' has created an overarching eeriness in this book -- an uncomfortable, yet riveting ambiance that, no pun intended, worked on me like a traffic accident that you just can't look away from.  I kept on turning the pages, all the while squirming in my seat.  With the appearance of the man who threatens to expose Lou's identity, the book does veer somewhat into the surreal.  I was a little disappointed in that sense, as I felt it took away from the Hitchcockian psychological tension that was flawlessly executed up to that point.  But this is a minor quibble.  I found this book fascinating, and I think you will too.

Thanks to the generosity of Europa Editions, I have two copies of An Accident in August to give away to two lucky readers of my blog.  You can enter by leaving a comment on this post indicating whether you watched Diana's wedding and/or funeral, the recent royal wedding, or none of the above.  For an additional entry, be a follower of this blog.  If you follow in a reader or RSS feed, please let me know so that I can give you the additional entry. Entries are limited to U.S. and Canada only and no P.O. Boxes please.  Entries must include an e-mail address, either in the comment, or in an e-mail to me at Bookgirlblog@hotmail.com.  Please be sure to adjust your spam filters to accept my e-mail address.  Winners will be chosen by random.org and will have 72 hours after notification to respond.  If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. e.s.t. on August 22, 2011. Good luck to all!

I received a copy of An Accident in August from the publisher.  An Accident in August will be released on August 30, 2011.

Intrigue in the Tudor Court

PROPHECY by S.J. Parris

My rating:  3.5 of 5 stars

The year is 1583, Queen Elizabeth is on the throne, and Catholic forces are pushing to bring the English monarchy back under Papal authority in the form of Mary Stuart.  At the same time, the upcoming alignment of Jupiter and Saturn is causing widespread fear that cataclysmic events will usher in the end-of-days.  Enter Giordano Bruno, an anti-papist monk ex-communicated for his heretical theories about the infinite nature of the universe and man's ability to achieve the divine, who arrives in England after fleeing the Inquisition.  With the blessing of King Henri VI of France, Bruno takes up residence with the elderly French ambassador Michel de Castelnau and his young, seductive wife Marie.

When one of Queen Elizabeth's court maids  is found dead under circumstances that appear to be a warning to the Protestant queen from her papist enemies, Bruno is asked by the queen's secretary, Sir Francis Walsingham, to act as a spy.  Bruno agrees, in recognition of the freedoms he enjoys under the English regime, as well as a more practical need for patronage in order to continue his work as a philosopher/writer.  As Bruno digs deeper into the death of the maid, another girl is killed and the facts again point to the factions loyal to the Duke of Guise, a french nobleman devoted to the cause of bringing Mary Stuart to the throne.

Palace intrigues abound as Bruno matches wits with a cast of colorful characters, including Henry Howard, who fervently supports Guise's plans to invade England, but who may have more than just his Catholic faith as a motivating factor, and William Fowler, an enigmatic Scottish lawyer who is to be Bruno's partner in helping Walsingham safeguard Queen Elizabeth's interests.  There is Ned Kelley, a self-proclaimed "seer" whose divining abilities have made him a favorite of the Queen's astrologer, and Archibald Douglas, a mercenary Scotsman whose true loyalties are anyone's guess.

Prophecy is sub-titled "an historical thriller" and thrilling it is. I did not realize that this was the second book in a series featuring the Bruno character.   Usually I don't like to read books out of order, but Prophecy was easily read as a stand-alone novel.   Given that this is a fairly popular period for historical fiction, I daresay alot of readers will be familiar with the basic outlines of the story.  I enjoyed reading about the ancient writings of Hermes Trismegistus and the lost book that allegedly contains the secret to man's ability to commune with God directly and achieve immortality.  I most enjoyed the parts of the book that dealt with Bruno's thoughts on a new understanding of the relationship between man and God; as a result, I want to read the first book, Heresy, which I am assuming would contain more in that regard as it details his ex-communication from the Dominican order and his struggles with the Inquisition.

The set up in the epilogue for what will be the next book is particularly strong.  Too often, when a sequel is planned, the concluding chapter can seem contrived or rushed.  Here, the denouement is satisfying, and seamlessly paves the way for what will be the next installment in which Bruno searches for the secrets of the infinite universe.

For those who like their historical fiction spiced with murder and intrigue, but very little romance, I enthusiastically recommend Prophecy. 

I was given an advance reader's edition of Prophecy by the publisher, Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. 

Weekend Cooking (11): Review and Giveaway

ANGELINA'S BACHELORS:  A Novel, with Food
by Brian O'Reilly  Recipes by Virginia O'Reilly

My rating:  4 of  5 stars

Last week I had the pleasure of reviewing The Kitchen Daughter, a novel from Gallery Books in which the main character uses her cooking skills as a means to cope with the death of her parents.  This week, I read another food-related fiction offering, again from Gallery Books, in which a young widow mines her culinary gifts to make a new life for herself in the midst of her grief.  Though very different in tone from The Kitchen Daughter, I enjoyed Angelina's Bachelors every bit as much.

Angelina D'Angelo has been married to her husband Frank for only a few years when he suddenly dies from an apparent heart attack.  Several days later, Angelina learns that she has also lost her job.  Bereft, and in need of an income, she finds comfort and economic support by providing breakfast and dinner for seven neighborhood bachelors.  The group of men who gather around Angelina's table are an eclectic group that includes a seminarian questioning his call, a former bad boy from Angelina's childhood, a cultured retiree looking to experience passion in all forms, and a young man considering proposing to his long-time girlfriend.  Set in the colorful Italian enclave that is South Philadelphia, this account of the joy cooking can bring to both the server and the served, is a delightful and uplifting story, albeit not one to be read on an empty stomach!

In fact, what makes Angelina's Bachelors quite different from the many other food-centric novels that I have read, is that they were for the most part, books with a few short recipes popping up here and there.  By contrast, here there are numerous recipes -- 23 to be exact -- each of which is worthy of inclusion in a high-end gourmet cookbook.  Most of the recipes are at least two or three pages in length and entail complicated preparation and presentation instructions.  Just to give you an idea, here's a sampling:  Lavender-Spiced Leg of Lamb and Ratatouille Frittata; Caraway-Sage Chicken-Pork Sausages with Braised Cabbage in Individual Boules; and Pistachio-Crusted Salmon with a Cointreau Glaze and Cranberries. The quality of the recipes is explained by the fact that the author's wife, who provided all the recipes, has written for Food Network shows and two published cookbooks.  In an addendum to the book, I learned that the author, Brian O'Reilly, is the creator and executor producer of Dinner:  Impossible on the Food Network, and has himself authored two cookbooks with the star of that show, Chef Robert Irvine.

Lest you get the idea that Angelina's Bachelors is only about the food, make no mistake;  this is a wonderful story featuring an utterly appealing protagonist, surrounded by a charming cast of characters.  The warmth of Angelina's neighbors shines through, and the vitality of her South Philadelphia surroundings makes the setting very much a character in its own right.  In that regard, this book reminded me of some of Adriana Trigiani's novels in the way it conveyed the all-encompassing sense of family that prevails in old world Italian communities.

Last week I said to have a box of tissues handy.  This week, I say have a roasting pan at the ready because after reading Angelina's Bachelors, you just may be inspired to fire up the stove.  At the very least, you will want to make reservations at your favorite Italian restaurant, although you can only hope the food will be as good as Angelina's.

Thanks to the generosity of Gallery Books, I have one copy of Angelina's Bachelors to give away to one lucky reader of this blog. To enter, please leave a comment indicating your favorite Italian meal. For an additional entry, be a follower of this blog. If you follow in a reader or feed, please let me know so that I can give you the extra entry. All entrants MUST include an e-mail address either in a comment, or by e-mail to Bookgirlblog@hotmail.com. Book will be mailed by the publisher. Giveaway limited to U.S. residents only, and no P.O. Boxes please. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. e.s.t. on August 15, 2011. Good luck to all!

I received a copy of Angelina's Bachelors from the publisher, Gallery Books, a division of Simon and Schuster.  Angelina's Bachelors was released in August of 2011. 




Weekend Cooking is a fun event hosted by Beth Fish Reads in which bloggers share food-related posts.  Stop by and see what's cooking this week!

Some giveaway winners

The winner of The Spoils of Time Trilogy by Penny Vincenzi is Brenda from My Spring Snow.  Congratulations Brenda!

The winner of Gluten-Free Cookies by Luane Kohanke is Yvonne from Fiction Books.
Congratulations Yvonne!

Thanks to all who commented and entered, and don't forget there's still time to enter the giveaway for The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry.