Wednesday, February 27, 2013

How to Declutter Books: Do you love it? Will you read it again?


 

Everyone who loves books has a slightly different relationship with them. Decluttering may be totally unacceptable to some while the rest of us cope with not having enough shelf space. We ask ourselves what to keep and what to discard and the best way to do that.

I just read an interesting article on my favorite decorating site Houzz written by Alison Hodgson and I want to share it HERE. She has some great ideas on how to manage your well-loved book collection. (Sorry. It looks like you have to sign in to the site to read the article.)


Monday, February 25, 2013

THE DINNER (2013)


The DinnerThe Dinner by Herman Koch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The Dinner, the sixth novel by award-winning Dutch author Herman Koch and already a bestseller in Europe, arrives in the U.S. with an excellent translation and great deal of well-deserved advance praise. A slow burn creeper, this suspenseful and unsettling novel turns a microscope on parenthood, examining the darkness that may lie just below the thin veneer of civilization, social grace and propriety."

Bottom Line: If you loved Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, like I did, you will devour this psychological thriller.

A few years ago I discovered Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama and fell in love. That was before every new bookstore in my community closed. (We do have an extensive used book store.) Now when I visit each year, I stop in to see what I am missing. It's exciting to be able to see wonderful books no matter where you cast your eyes.

I was looking for just one special book to purchase. What would I choose? I actually had another book in my hand when I turned around and spotted a display featuring a Wall Street Journal article and The Dinner. It wouldn't ordinarily have been my choice, but I decided to trust this wonderful bookstore and I am so glad I did. (Of course, it didn't hurt that there were comments from Scott Smith, Gillian Flynn, and S.J.Watson on the cover.)

Unfortunately, like Gone Girl, this is a book you need to discover and too much discussion of the story will ruin the experience. I can tell you that it takes place at an expensive restaurant on a single evening where two brothers and their wives are having dinner to discuss their children. If you are a theater goer, you may suppose this will be like Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage. It's not. And like Gone Girl, wherever you think the story is going, it isn't.
Not all literary translations are worthy of the story they tell, but Sam Garrett's work is seamless.

I paid $24.00 plus $2.16 in tax versus purchasing this book from Amazon for $14.31 plus shipping costs (or not) for the same hard back edition, but in exchange I had a lovely conversation with one of the staff and that was worth the difference in price to me.

If you aren't willing to trust my recommendation, check out this unusual way of sharing the excitement of discovering The Dinner.

Disclaimer: I made a resolution for 2013 to visit independent bookstores, buy a book, read it, and blog about the bookstore.

Title: The Dinner
Author: Herman Koch
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Hogarth
No. of Pages: 304 pages
Copyright: February 12, 2013
ISBN: 0770437850
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Page & Pallette, Fairhope, Alabama

Herman Koch, a Dutch actor as well as writer, is the author of seven novels and three collections of short stories. The Dinner, his sixth novel, has been published in 25 countries, and was the winner of the Publieksprijs Prize in 2009. He currently lives in Amsterdam. 


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Sunday, February 24, 2013

World Book Night April 23, 2013


World Book Night

I just discovered World Book Night when several friends posted a link on Face Book. Unfortunately I am too late to be selected to distribute books this year, but I have signed up for the newsletter and will look forward to 2014!

"Each year, 30 books are chosen by an independent panel of librarians and booksellers. The authors of the books waive their royalties and the publishers agree to pay the costs of producing the specially-printed World Book Night U.S. editions. Bookstores and libraries sign up to be community host locations for the volunteer book givers." You can read more by visiting their website HERE. 

Isn't this a fabulous idea?

Two Spaces After




I had heard that this rule had changed but didn't know why until I just read about it in the March 2013 Sisters in Crime Newsletter.

Here's the reason. Computers have built in proportional spacing allowing a single space after punctuation. Your work will look better if you follow this guideline.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Thoughts About Reviews




As I've spent more time visiting and reading other book blogs, I've thought perhaps I should begin writing more formal reviews. Now I am rethinking whether I want to do that or not. In the past, my comments have been personal impressions of the things I've read. Using a structure takes the joy out of the process for me.

Therefore, I am going to go back to my original, random style.

Home Fires (1998)

Home Fires (Deborah Knott Mysteries #6)Home Fires by Margaret Maron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“At a stop along her campaign trail, Judge Deborah Knott attends a community picnic at the Mt. Olive Church. When the historic building is destroyed by a fire shortly after the outing -- and the charred skeleton of a young man is found among the ashes -- Knott begins her own investigation into the tragedy.”

Bottom Line: Recommended for traditional mystery lovers. There are eighteen books in the series! Home Fires is #6.

Opening with the burning of a black church, author Margaret Maron skillfully draws us into the life of Judge Deborah Knott weaving together themes of lingering racism, family, small town living, and what it means to be a woman in the south.

Perfectly capturing the cadence of the lives and language of her characters, Maron is able to show how Judge Deborah Knott works to balance her judicial responsibilities with her dedication to a large extended family in West Colleton, North Carolina. When Deborah asks a question of a friend, the response sums up the small town knowledge people have. “Maidie frowned in concentration and I could almost see pages of genealogical data scrolling past her eyes.” 

Another quote that resonated with me was “. . .and after that, she didn’t come as much or stay as long.” 

You cannot help but be drawn in by the writing. And I suspect readers will learn new things about themselves as well. Maron has created a complex world for her characters and, no doubt, that has contributed to the many awards that have came her way.

Disclaimer: I treasure this copy of Home Fires, which was actually mailed to me by the author years ago after we met briefly at an American Library Association Conference. The ARC copy is actually entitled Home Fires Burning, but the title was changed by the time the book was formally published on January 1, 1998.

Title: Home Fires (Deborah Knott #6)
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Mysterious Press
No. of Pages: 243
Copyright: January 1, 1998
ISBN: 0892966556
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: ARC copy from the author

"Born and raised in central North Carolina, Margaret Maron lived in Italy before returning to the USA where she and her husband now live. In addition to a collection of short stories she's also the author of 16 mystery novels. Her works have been translated into seven languages her Bootlegger's Daughter, a Washington Post Bestseller won Edgar Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity awards. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime and of the American Crime writers' league, and a director on the national board for Mystery Writers of America." (Goodreads)

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

FOAL PLAY (2013)

Foal Play: A Mystery
Foal Play: A Mystery by Kathryn O'Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 “Fire Chief Colleen McCabe enjoys working with her men at the firehouse and sharing a home with her border collie Sparky. But when a dead body washes up on shore, she knows trouble has arrived in Corolla.”

Bottom Line: Recommended for cozy readers everywhere!

As a young girl I loved the seashore, horses, and mysteries, so Foal Play was a natural choice for my reading list for a month in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I was lucky to receive an advanced reading copy (ARC) from the author.

Kathryn O'Sullivan's mystery is being published as a result of  winning the Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Minotaur competition for Best First Traditional Mystery novel, and that's where I first heard about it.

All the expected elements are present to make this a very readable cozy: a great location, a slue of amusing characters, a handful of possible villains, a winning amateur sleuth, and the horses. There are, however, a couple of shocks I didn't expect in a cozy.

Did you know about the threatened herd of Spanish mustangs on the coast of North Carolina? I didn't. And there really is a Corolla, North Carolina as well as a Whalehead Club and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. If you're like me, you'll be looking for pictures and more information. Road trip, anyone?

If this doesn't turn into a series for author Kathryn O'Sullivan, I will be very surprised. By the time I got to the hilarious funeral service scene in the church, I knew this would make a  great caper movie too. It's great fun.

Having a woman as the Fire Chief of a small town in a tourist area, opens up all kinds of possibilities. Did I mention she and the Sheriff seem attracted to each other?

Make sure you get your copy when the book lays down in May so you can take it to the beach this summer. You won't be sorry.

Disclaimer: The author and I share an alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University's theatre department.

Title: Foal Play
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur (May 7, 2013)
No. of Pages: 272
Copyright: 2013
ISBN: 1250026598
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Advance Reading Copy

"Kathryn O'Sullivan is also an award-winning playwright and creator of the Western Web series Thurston, and a theatre professor at Northern Virginia Community College. She lives in Virginia with her husband, an award-winning director and cinematographer, and their rascally rescue cat, Oscar."


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Three Overdue Reviews


 
It isn't because I didn't like these books. In fact I enjoyed them all. It's just that I am on vacation and it's hard to discipline myself to put my thoughts together.

Foal Play by Kathryn O'Sullivan is a cozy mystery that will be released later this spring; Home Fires by Margaret Maron, a traditional mystery, was published in 1998; and finally The Blackhouse, a riveting mystery by Peter May, his first in the Lewis trilogy.

There does seem to be a theme here but usually I read more randomly.

You are invited to check back and see when I get these reviews written and posted!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Agatha Award Nominees


Malice Domestic 2013
Looking for a new, worthy mystery to read? Check out the nominees for this year's Agatha Award. Winners will be announced in May at Malice Domestic. You can see the list at Mystery Fanfare, a great blog for mystery lovers.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Update to EVERY SECRET THING (2003)


Soon to be a motion picture!

And today word comes that the movie of Laura Lippman's book Every Secret Thing is finally coming to fruition. Check out the details HERE. Stars will include Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Banks, and Diane Lane.

Read my review from a few years ago HERE.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Update to BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP (2011)

Nicole Kidman

Colin Firth

Not surprised Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson is going to be a movie with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. Check out the details in Variety HERE.

You can read my earlier review HERE.