Devourer of Books

Check out my contest to win a copy of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin!

Well, we’ve come to the end of August and my teetering TBR pile is 19 books shorter than it was (okay, well, it would be if I hadn’t acquired 60 or so new/used books via a library sale, BookMooch, Half Price Books, and publishers). Each and every book I read this month was sent to me for review, although that is fudging a little bit in the case of “Superdove,” which was actually sent to me in a trade, but it was a yet-unpublished ARC. I even branched out some this month, reading more young adult fiction (fantasy and ghost stories), a political thriller, and a science fiction novel. All in all, I read some really spectacular books.

Without further ado, here’s what I read this month:

Fiction:

• American Savior by Roland Merullo  My Review - Buy on Amazon
• Matrimony by Joshua Henkin My Review - Buy on Amazon - Enter to win!
• The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (although this clearly takes place in the past, I’m not going to characterize it as historical fiction) My Review - Buy on Amazon
• American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld My Review - Buy on Amazon

Historical Fiction:

• Stealing Athena by Karen Essex My Review - Buy on Amazon
• Sweetsmoke by David Fuller My Review - Buy on Amazon
• Guernica by Dave Boling My Review - Buy on Amazon

Young Adult Fiction:

• Far World: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage (fantasy) My Review - Preorder on Amazon
• Creepers by Joanne Dahme (ghost story) My Review - Buy on Amazon
• The Hunt for the Seventh (ghost story) - review coming soon
• RuneWarriors by James Jennewein and Tom S. Parker (fantasy) - review coming soon
• Something Wickedly Weird by Chris Mould (ghost story) - review coming soon

Science Fiction:

• Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi My Review - Buy on Amazon

Political Thriller:

• First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader My Review - Buy on Amazon

Short Stories (fiction):

• One More Year by Sana Krasikov My Review - Buy on Amazon

Short Stories (nonfiction):

• The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex by Pagan Kennedy My Review - Buy on Amazon

Memoir/Autobiography:

• The Shiniest Jewel: A Family Love Story by Marian Henley (review coming September 3)
• Resistance by Agnes Humbert, translated by Barbara Mellor My Review - Buy on Amazon

Nonfiction:

• Superdove by Courtney Humphries My Review - Buy on Amazon

Pick of the Month:

Read the rest of this entry »

Resistance: A Frenchwoman’s Journal of the War by Agnes Humbert, translated by Barbara Mellor

Release date: Monday, September 1, 2008

Agnes Humbert was just another French woman living in Paris and working at the National Museum of Art and Popular Tradition until June of 1940 when the Nazis invaded France.  Agnes was an incredibly strong willed woman and is not willing to simply cede her beloved country.

…the general urges all Frenchmen to rally around him, to carry on the struggle.  I feel I have come back to life.  A feeling I thought had died for ever stirs within me again: hope.  There is one man after all - one alone, perhaps - who understands what I feel in my hear: ‘It’s not over yet.’

Determined to do something to fight this invasion, Agnes joins a small group of her friends and together they function as part of the resistance.  They begin copying tracts like “33 Hints to the Occupied” and stickers saying “Long live General de Gaulle” for distribution, as well as publishing a newspaper called “Resistance.”  This group operated for about 10 months before being arrested by the German police.

The majority of Agnes’ story takes place during her time in German work camps and after her time in Germany after her liberation but before the actual end of the war.  It was amazing to read how strong she stayed and how she maintained her humanity and compassion while nearly being worked to death.  She even maintained compassion towards the German people:

There is a sentiment, all too frequently heard already, that sadly seems to sum up the situation as far as many French people are concerned: ‘We should make them suffer.’  It is a sentiment that fills me, a former political deportee, with dread.

This was a very fascinating read.  I have read far fewer books about the experiences of political prisoners than about those of Jewish descent.  My primary problem with it was trying to keep straight all of her acquaintances, particularly when she was actively working in her resistance group.  However, this is somewhat understandable, as the book originated as her private diary.  I simply let the names wash over me and kept going.  All in all I thought this a very worth-while book.

Buy this book on Amazon.

Guernica: A Novel by Dave Boling

Release date: Tuesday, September 2, 2008

“Guernica” by Dave Boling is a beautiful historical novel based in the Pays Basque (Basque country) in Spain from about 1930 to 1940. The main characters are Basques living in either Guernica or a fishing town on the Bay of Biscay.  These are simply people who desire the simply pleasures of family, food, and dance; unfortunately their story is set against the destructive background of the Spanish Civil War.  Because the Basque people, along with the people of Catalonia, attempted to maintain a degree of autonomy from Spain they became a particular target for Franco’s Nationalist troops and their German allies.  Because Guernica in particular was an historically important place to the Basque people, it was subject to an horrendous bombing by Franco’s German allies.  This bombing is memorialized in Picasso’s famous painting, Guernica.

Everything above (and more) I learned from Boling’s “Guernica.”  My previous knowledge on the Spanish Civil War was limited to the fact that it happened immediately prior to World War II and that Generalissimo Fransico Franco was the victor and became Spain’s fascist dictator. By no means, however, is “Guernica” merely a plot-driven history with weak or incidental characters.  Each of Boling’s characters came alive brilliantly for me.  I merely absorbed the historical knowledge through their compelling stories.

Boling structured his story in an interesting manner.  The beginning of the novel was incredibly broad and jumped from character to character every few paragraphs.  It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I decided to have faith in Boling and followed through.  As I suspected it might, the story tightened up, and the lives of the various characters continued to intertwine more and more.

This is a beautiful story with characters and setting that are imbued with life and humanity.  I became so invested in the story of these families that the ending brought tears to my eyes.

Buy this book on Amazon.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I reviewed the New York Times Notable Book, Joshua Henkin’s lovely, character-driven Matrimony?

And earlier this week when I let you know that it is now available in paperback?

Well, hold on to your hats, because you can WIN an inscribed copy, sent to you direct from the author, to anywhere in the world!

The Rules:

Leave a comment here letting me know why you would like this book. If you don’t leave this comment, I cannot enter you in the contest (make sure that your blog or email information is somewhere in the post).

You can triple your chances to win by writing about this contest on your own blog. If you don’t have a blog, you can triple your chances by emailing information about this contest to 5 people. Please cc me at devourers.books (AT) gmail.com so I know you’ve sent out the email.

The contest will end Friday, September 5th (aka, have all entries in by whatever time I wake up on Saturday morning).

Not convinced yet?

Well, I will assume you’ve already checked out my review.

How about a video of Josh talking about the book?

So now I’m assuming you ARE interested.

If I’m correct, you may want to read what Joshua has to say about book groups (.doc), or even download the Matrimony reading group guide (.pdf).

If none of this is enough for you, you can also check out the list of Joshua’s paperback book tour appearances (below): Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re anything like me, one of your favorite reasons to read is for the story. Not for the character development and interaction. Not because of the descriptive, emotive powers of the writer. Not because of deep, literary meaning hidden beneath layers of metaphor. (Even though those are all good things.) No … it’s because you want to know what happens next?

Or, um, is it just me?

Was that actually a question?  It sounds more like a statement.

A false statement at that.

I would say that plot and character are about equally important to me.  I can read a character-driven book as long as the story is at least moderately interesting and I can read a plot-driven book, but not if the characters are completely flat.  In general, I like to have a strong plot with strong characters, like David Fuller’s Sweetsmoke (review), for instance.  From time to time I like to read a book that is mostly plot, but over all it is important to have a good balance.

What do you think?  Plot?  Character?  Beautiful writing?  What makes you want to read a book?

I was tagged by the creator of this meme, Rebecca at Book Lady’s Blog.  It is just a little get to know you meme, a la ‘inside the actor’s studio.’

What is your favorite word?

I have waaay too many favorite words.  So many that I have no idea what they are.  Every so often, though, I hear a word, turn to whoever is near me, and exclaim, “I LOVE that word!”

If we were playing Apples to Apples, however, I could tell you that a few of my favorite ‘words’ are “The Dump,” “Duct Tape,” “The Universe,” “Wheat,” and “Charging Rhinos.”

What is your least favorite word?

Any of the words describing genitalia that have turned into really bad insults.  The female ‘c’ word, in particular, makes me absolutely cringe.

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually or emotionally)?

Spending quiet time with my husband, books, snuggling up some place warm, Culvers Concrete Mixers (frozen custard) with peanut butter cup

What turns you off (creatively, spiritually or emotionally)?

Stupid people (not people who are actually cognitively challenged, those who cannot be bothered to use their brains), fish, not having enough time to read

What sound or noise do you love?

My cats purring, rain drops, thunder, crackling fire.

What sound or noise do you hate?

Anything too incessant and rhythmic.  It drives me crazy when someone cannot stop tapping or clicking his or her pen.  I prefer more sporadic noises like those above, even when they do go on for awhile.

What is your favorite curse word?

Crap, because it is such a versatile word.  Things can be crap, crappy, crap-taculous, crap-tastic, etc.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Professional reviewer, book publicist, etc.  Something where I get paid to read and can do it from home.

What profession would you not like to do?

Anything that involves dealing with really stupid/annoying people very much of the time.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Come on in!

Now it is your turn!

I’m tagging:

Melody from From One Idealist to Your Mother

Nari from The Novel World

Krista from Inkhorn Platypus

Far World: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage

Release date: Friday, September 12th

Let me just begin by saying that I liked this book.

Actually, I really liked this book. I literally read the entire thing in one day. 418 pages. I just didn’t want to put it down.

By the end, though, I was extremely disappointed, because I knew that this one isn’t even available in stores yet, which means it could be quite awhile before I get to continue on this journey with Marcus and Kyja.

To back up… Marcus Kanenas is a 13 year old boy. Life has never been easy for him - he has been an orphan as long as he can remember, and has been severely disabled just as long. Marcus is clever and brave, however, and does not let anyone push him around just because he is confined to a wheelchair. Unsurprisingly, Marcus wishes he could escape from his dreary life of foster homes and state-run boys homes. Unable to get away in body, Marcus travels elsewhere in his mind, in particular to a world he calls Far World. What he doesn’t suspect, though, is that Far World is not just a fiction of his imagination. It is real, and it is in trouble.

The primary interplay in “Far World: Water Keep” is between Marcus and Kyja, a girl his age who has always been orphaned as well, but in Far World. Together, with the help of Master Therapass and Kyja’s friend Riph Raph the skyte Marcus and Kyja must fight to save Far World from the evil forces of the Thrathkin S’Bae.

This book was seriously engaging. I also really appreciated that Savage began the story with his main character in a wheelchair. Persons with disabilities are seriously under-represented in literature. In addition, there was a strong value put on caring for others, self-sacrifice, and just being a nice person. All this is not to say that “Water Keep” got preachy or righteous, that is not at all the case. This is a fun book and one where I cared about the characters, particularly Kyja and Marcus.

If you’re depressed that there will be no more Harry Potter books and would like a new young adult fantasy series to ease your mind, this is it folks! J. Scott Savage has a five book deal, so get in on the ground floor.

Interested?

Preorder this book on Amazon.

You can also see the author’s blog here.

…Or any other deserving blog.

Nominations are now open in a variety of categories for Book Bloggers Appreciation Week over at My Friend Amy’s.

Here are the categories:

• Best General Book Blog
• Best Kidlit Blog
• Best Christian/Inspirational Fiction Blog
• Best Literary Fiction Blog
• Best Book Club Blog
• Best Romance Blog
• Best Thrillers/Mystery/Suspense Blog
• Best Non-fiction Blog
• Best Young Adult Lit Blog
• Best Book/Publishing Industry Blog
• Best Challenge Host
• Best Community Builder
• Best Cookbook Blog
• Best History/Historical Fiction Blog
• Best Design
• Most Chatty
• Most Concise
• Most Eclectic Taste
• Best Name for a Blog
• Best Published Author Blog
• Best Book published in 2008
• Best Meme/Carnival/Event
• Most Extravagant Giveaways
• Best Book Community site

I hope that you might consider me for at least one!  Email Amy at BbawawardsATgmailDOTcom with all of your nominations (up to two blogs per category) and don’t be shy - each category will be narrowed to the top 5 blogs by nominations received.

P.S. You don’t have to have a blog to nominate someone so, if there is a book blogger you appreciate, nominate him or her!

LibraryThing authors. Who are your LibraryThing authors? What books of theirs do you have? Do you ever comment on an author’s LT page? Have you received any comments from an author on your LT account?

First, some background for those are unaware. One of the things that makes LibraryThing so awesome is that there are AUTHORS on there. And they participate! One really cool thing LibraryThing has started doing is an Author Chat, but that is a post for another day. What this question is specifically asking about is which authors are on LibraryThing that have also written books I own. If you go to my LT profile, you will see a green box that says “Member Connections” on the right side of the page. The third category in there is “LibraryThing Authors.” Because I currently have my wishlist mixed in with other books, I don’t actually have books by some of these authors, but I WANT to have them.

Here’s who I’ve got:

Authors whose books I’ve read

Dave Boling - Author of “Guernica” which I just finished reading yesterday. It was fantastic, by the way, and I’m planning on putting up my review on Friday.

David Ebershoff - Author of “The 19th Wife.” I LOVED “The 19th Wife.” You can see my review here.

Emmett James - Author of “Admit One.” Lots of people loved “Admit One,” unfortunately I was not one of them. My review is here.

Doreen Orion - Author of “Queen of the Road.”  I was really surprised how much I enjoyed Doreen’s book.  You can read my review here.

Penelope Przekop - Author of “Aberrations.”  I originally reviewed this for ReaderViews.  My review is here.

J. Scott Savage - Author of the “Far World” series.  I recently read the first book in this series and LOVED it.  My review will be posted here tomorrow.

Janine Turner - Author of “Holding Her Head High,” the first LibraryThing Early Reviewer book I received.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t that crazy about it, you can read why here.

Authors whose books I own

Meg Waite Clayton - Author of “The Wednesday Sisters.” I’ve heard really fantastic things about “The Wednesday Sisters,” but I just haven’t been able to get to it yet, with all the books I have to review.

Libby Cone - Author of “War on the Margins.” I will hopefully get to “War on the Margins” in the next month or two, as Libby sent it to me to review.

Karen Harrington - Author of “Janeology.” I have been hearing about “Janeology” for some time now and Karen sent me her book after I interacted with her in her LibraryThing author chat. I’m planning to review it sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Susan Higginbotham - Author of “The Traitor’s Wife.” I don’t actually have this book in my possession yet, but I’m counting it on my ‘owned’ list because it is supposedly in the mail from someone on BookMooch. Susan was added to my wishlist initially because of discussion about her book on LibraryThing.

Authors whose books are on my wishlist

Sandra Gullen - Author of “The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B,” about Josephine Bonaparte. I added this book to my wishlist after hearing good things about it from other LibraryThingers.

Hilary Jordan - Author of “Mudbound.” NPR and LibraryThing have conspired together to make “Mudbound” a book I am dying to read.

Four of the books I reviewed this month are on sale today, each of them books I really enjoyed:

Sweetsmoke by David Fuller - My Review - Purchase this book

“Sweetsmoke” is the story of Cassius, a slave on a Virginia plantation, during the Civil War.  This book You can also read a Q&A with David Fuller here.

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti - My Review - Purchase this book

This is a highly entertaining story about Ren, the one-handed orphan thief who wants nothing more than to find his family.

American Savior by Roland Merullo - My Review - Purchase this book

What if Jesus came back to run for the American Presidency?  This funny, satirical book holds the answer.  Belief is taken seriously, human institutions are not.

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin - My Review - Purchase this book

“Matrimony” is a wonderful character-driven novel about a couple that meets in college and (can you guess from the title of the book?) gets married.  We follow their ups and downs for the next 15 years, through sickness and health, through good times and bad.  I will actually be giving away a copy of this book, so check back later today!