Friday, August 31, 2012

Where'd You Go Bernadette (2012)


I don't usually enter contests but in the last year I've entered and won two - yes, two - book giveaways. Today I got a message from Elyse at Pop Culture Nerd that I was one of two random entries chosen to receive a copy of Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. It was just released on August 14, 2012 and is getting reviewed everywhere. It's an epistolary novel and if you don't know what that is, you can google it or wait for my review!

P.S. My other winner was Alec Nevala-Lee's excellent thriller The Icon Thief.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Images of America - Roxborough (2011)


Somewhere in your travels you have seen the Images of America series. It culls historical information about 'small towns and downtowns' into remembrances of times past using local historians and sources. They currently have 6,075 titles! You can read more about it and search for your favorite community HERE.

I grew up in Roxborough, a section of Philadelphia, and stumbled on this entry in the series while I was doing some research. Luckily Amazon had two in stock and now they only have one copy.

It didn't take me long to read through the entire book since it has the requisite 200+ pictures with captions and just a few introductory pages of background. Not that I am complaining. I was delighted to find things I recognized and facts I didn't know.

For example, my neighborhood was called Wissahickon Hills and was built after World War II. But our street bordered on Fairmount Park and we had woods directly across the street.
Wissahickon Schist Photo: Michael P. Klimetz
When I played in the woods as a child, I often found rocks containing garnets, which still seems magical to me. It never occurred to me that those rocks were unique in any way. They were named Wissahickon Schist by Florence Bascom, the first woman geologist. Bet you never heard of her. Among other things she was the founder of the Geology Department at Bryn Mawr College. (She died the day before I was born at the age of 82.) They named a crater on Venus after her. You can read more about her many firsts HERE.

Beyond that I learned that the deli where I bought steak hoagies originally opened as a general store and Post Office in 1825 although the building dates to 1797. The Methodist Church where I attended Girl Scouts dates to 1847 and was enlarged in 1871. The cave where I played was the result of mining in 1763, and the reservoir I walked around with friends after school for something to do was built in 1897 to be part of Philadelphia's drinking water system. 

These are delightful reads for a couple of hours of nostalgia and learning more about your roots. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.



Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Beautiful Ruins (2012)

Beautiful RuinsBeautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had to leave the room and find a private space to finish this book because I found it so moving.

What attracted me to the story is not, in the end, what affected me so deeply.

Italy has been a theme in my life recently and that, connected with Hollywood and theater, sounded passingly interesting. But, of course, as is often the case, the story was nothing like what I expected and that alone was worth the time.

In 1962 a young actress falls ill on the set of CLEOPATRA, the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton fiasco. She arrives by water taxi at the fictitious Porto Vergogna to convalesce and the owner of the 'Adequate View Hotel' is smitten.

Covering fifty years, the story jumps between the past and the present and involves a myriad of characters, but we are never lost. I worried about reading a book that mixes truth and fiction but it is handled seamlessly and logically here.

And after caring about so many people who are woven through this story of love, life decisions, and unfulfilled dreams, I was grateful the author answered the questions in my mind making this an incredibly magical book.


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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary Approves F-bomb

Stratford Shakespeare Festival / Andrew Eccles photographer

After just witnessing the inestimable Christopher Plummer's A WORD OR TWO at Stratford last week, I find no joy in these words now officially to be included in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. Plummer led the audience through the words contained in everything from the Bible to Shaw to Shakespeare to more contemporary poets that created his love of language.

The program introduction said "The purpose of A WORD OR TWO is simply to celebrate language which seems to be fast vanishing from our midst." Approval of the term F-bomb certainly supports that statement.

Other additions this year include “sexting,” “flexitarian,” “obesogenic,” “energy drink,” “life coach,” “man cave,” “brain cramp,” and “bucket list.” The Oprah-inspired “aha moment” made the cut, as did the Stephen King-popularized “earworm.” Read it and weep by clicking HERE.

To cheer yourself back up, read this wonderful interview with Christopher Plummer.
 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Returning a Kindle eBook

Thanks to my friend Marilyn the librarian, who linked to a brief article explaining how to return a Kindle eBook to Amazon. Who even knew that was possible? You can read the article HERE.

2012 Winners - The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

Thirty years ago the English Department at San Jose State University started a little contest where people could compose an opening sentence (often quite long and involved but not always) for "the worst of all possible novels."

There are winners in many categories including your favorite genre. Check out this years' winners of the the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest by clicking HERE. (Warning: This site is addictive!)

Monday, August 6, 2012

Tana French's Broken Harbor (2012)

Tana French's new book is out and I immediately caved and downloaded it to my Kindle Fire. Usually I am willing to wait for a library copy but not this time! Read more about it HERE and notice the comparison to Gone Girl.You can see an interview with that book's author, Gillian Flynn, HERE.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

COLLAPSE: America Will Fall (2012)

Collapse (New America, #1)Collapse by Richard Stephenson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I thought it might be interesting to read something a little different this summer so when I was offered a free Kindle download of a first novel called COLLAPSE, I was in.

Ordinarily I don't read 'science fiction'. Once in a great while I will read something that is considered 'speculative fiction', but this is definitely 'science fiction'.

First time author Richard Stephenson is right on target exploiting our fears of natural disasters, ruthless politicians, and out-of-control foreign countries in 2027. Much of his story sounds plausible today.

Coming from a military and law enforcement career, the author delivers a lot of interesting detail about those fields. The heroes are men: a crippled, burned out Chief of Police, an ex-Navy Seal now an escaped convict, and the world's richest man. Ultimately it will be up to them to save their beloved country from collapse.

Since the book brings together three different stories, the author feels compelled to restate the basics where each strand takes up again in a way that hits the reader over the head.

A good editor could pull this book together for a wider audience. Right now, there is too much of the 'deus ex machina' for my taste.  It would make a great adventure movie with opportunities for wonderful special effects.

The only sex scene occurs near the end of the book and is a bit detailed and out of place for the genre.

BOTTOM LINE: If you like Tom Clancy and manly thrillers, you might find this first book in a series, enjoyable. If you like more literary reads, the lack of editing will drive you crazy.

NOTE: The dystopian thriller COLLAPSE is free this weekend (August 4 & 5) at Amazon!


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People Around the World Reading Books

Me reading a book by the pond.

Click HERE to see a lovely and moving collection of pictures of other people from around the world actually reading books.