Review: "Sima's Undergarments For Women" by Ilana Stanger-Ross

Sima Goldner runs a warm and welcoming lingerie shop out of her basement in Brooklyn. After years of fitting women for bras and lingerie, she has the uncanny ability to figure out what size a woman needs without the use of a measuring tape. She's built up quite a business for herself, and when her seamstress quits, Sima needs to replace her.

Timna, a young Israeli woman, comes into the shop in search of a bra and finds herself employed instead. Sima and Timna develop a strange kind of friendship. Timna looks up in a way to Sima, but has lots to keep her busy after working hours. Sima, who is infertile and is stuck in a bitter marriage, looks upon Timna as something more than a friend. She seems to view her as the daughter that she never has. When Timna gets ready to move on to bigger and better things, Sima must take a hard look at her own life and decide if her marriage is worth saving.

I have mixed feelings about Sima's Undergarments for Women. Stanger-Ross creates a warm and welcoming environment when she describes Sima's lingerie shop. The women who come in to shop are often friends of Sima and the conversations are lively and interesting. Sima, and later Timna, know instinctively how to fit the women in garments that will make them feel wonderful about themselves, and I wished that it was a real place where I could actually go shopping. There is a wonderful sense of community present, and I enjoyed the parts of the book which feature the shop immensely.

I also appreciated the relationship between Sima and her husband, Lev. For most of the book their relationship is bitter and tense, however I felt that, underneath it all, the two cared deeply for one another. It's revealed early on that Sima is keeping a secret from Lev and I held out hope that she would decide to reveal it and the two could begin to repair their relationship. I found the two of them quite endearing.

What I found puzzling was Sima's relationship with Timna. I found that Sima's fascination with Timna bordered on being obsessive at times. Sima would follow Timna and try to immerse herself in Timna's life. I understood that Sima was looking upon Timna as the daughter that she never had, but I found the relationship strange and I had a hard time relating to it.

Sima's Undergarments for Women was, above all, a heartwarming story about women, their friendships, marriage, and the orthodox Jewish community. Stanger-Ross writes descriptively about places and emotions and that is what makes this book so enjoyable.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, The Canadian Book Challenge 4

Thank-you to Penguin Canada for this review copy!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is being hosted in August by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit. Thanks, Shanyn! Each week we share which books made their way into our mailboxes last week, but we warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists!

Last week brought three new books onto my TBR shelves, two review copies and a contest win.

The first to arrive was a contest win from Chick Lit Central. A signed copy of Not Ready For Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski came courtesy of the author. I think that this will be a great one to take with me on vacation next week!

Next to arrive was an advanced copy of Green Beauty Recipes by Julie Gabriel, courtesy of the author. She also included two full-sized samples from her organic beauty line, one of which I will be giving away when I review the book! I've already had a glance at this one and I'm sure that I'll be busy testing some of these out soon!

My final arrival last week was Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley, courtesy of Sourcebooks. Here I am lamenting the end of the summer, and I'm already receiving books for review for the Christmas season, LOL! I do love Christmas, though, and can't wait for the right time of year to read this one.

That was it for me for last week, what arrived in your mailbox?

Sunday Salon

I can't help but be a little saddened by the fact that summer is almost over. Even though the weather this week has been nice, there have been signs that the fall is rapidly approaching. It's been getting dark out at 8:30 pm, and we've even had a few sweater-worthy mornings. I've made sure that the boys and I have enjoyed lots of leisurely activities this summer (trips to the library, the nearby beach, and the park complete with a spray 'n play), but it feels like I could have a couple more summer months and still not fit in everything that I had hoped to do! Summer, with its warm weather and long days, is my favourite season by far. Friends of mine prefer the coolness of fall, but I'm a summer girl at heart. There's nothing quite like stretching out on a beach towel and reading a good book!

That said, I am looking forward to the "meatier" reads of fall. In the summer I tend to prefer "lighter" reads, and in the fall I switch to reading more in-depth books. I'm particularly looking forward to reading Elusive Dawn by Gabriele Wills, a Canadian author. I've read the first in her Muskoka series, The Summer Before the Storm, and have had the second in the series on my TBR shelves for a while. I was waiting for the right time to delve into this rich, historical novel and I believe that I will be picking this one up soon. I also have a few review books on my shelves that are slated for fall reviews. I will still be reading my chick lit and women's fiction, but I will be making room for different kinds of reads as well.

Our summer is not quite over yet, though! My hubby, myself, and the boys will be leaving for a mini, end-of-summer vacation this week. A friend has generously lent us his trailer for a couple of days and we will be spending two nights at Sandbanks Provincial Park followed by two nights at the cottage that my parents rent every year. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family members, and I'm looking forward to relaxing at a favourite childhood vacation spot before returning to the hustle and bustle of the school year. This week will be spent getting ready for vacation, as well as getting ready for school. We will be returning home on the holiday Monday, and school starts the next day. My oldest will be going into grade 6, and my middle child will be home for one more week as his school has an integration program for junior and senior kindergarten students. Kindergarten is old hat for H., as this is his second year, but he still has to wait for the 14th for his first day. My youngest is home with me for one more year, but he's desperate to go to school like his older brothers. I have to say that I'll be enjoying him as much as I can as he's at such a fun age.

So, forgive me if I'm not around much this week! I'll still be reading, posting some prescheduled reviews, and visiting your blogs when I can, but I have a ton going on this week and won't be online as much as usual. Enjoy your week!

Review: "Thin, Rich, Pretty" by Beth Harbison

20 years ago Holly, Nicola, and Lexi shared a cabin at summer camp. Holly was overweight and endured teasing about her extra pounds, Nicola was thin but had a rather large nose, and Lexi was the snooty (but secretly hurting) leader of the mean girls. Fast forward to present day- the girls are now in their 30's, Holly runs an art gallery (but still has the extra pounds), Nicola is an actress (but hates her nose), and Lexi has just found out that her rich father, who recently passed away, left her nothing in his will.

When Holly accidentally runs into Lexi, things take a strange turn and the women will all find out something about themselves in the process of making amends for their past.

Thin, Rich, and Pretty was okay. It wasn't great, it wasn't horrible, it was just okay. Here was my major problem with it: the book isn't a long one (which is fine), but it felt to me that three quarters of the book was spent introducing the three main characters and their individual situations. Once we were all up to speed (which included some flashbacks to their camp days), it felt like the author was in a hurry to conclude the book and wrap it into a neat little package. It felt rushed to me- I actually felt a little cheated. It feels like we just get to "know" the women, and then it's all over. The girls apparently "grew" in there, but it felt forced.

Potentially this could have been a great book. The characters were all likable (even the "evil" Lexi), the plot a bit cliched but workable, and the conclusion heartwarming. It's too bad that the middle was rushed. It lost something for me. Fans of Shoe Addicts Anonymous or Hope in a Jar may want to give this one a try, just don't expect much more than a light, quick read.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of Beth Harbison's previous novels
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Guest Post by Kim Wright, Author of "Love in Mid Air"

When Kim Wright generously agreed to guest post at The Book Chick, I asked her if she would be willing to write about the term "women's fiction" and how it applies to her book. Given the recent controversy about women's fiction, this post is especially relevant (although it was written before the whole thing started). Please join me in welcoming Kim Wright, author of Love in Mid Air (my review) today!

"I do consider Love in Mid Air to be "women's fiction" in the most basic sense of the term. It's written by a woman, it has a female POV character, and it deals with a lot of the issues that matter most to women - marriage, family, love, sex, independence, friends, etc.


But there's no doubt that women's fiction gets a bad rap. I always hated the term "chick lit" until I heard that women's fiction aimed at women 35 and older is sometimes called "hen lit" or even "matron lit." That's worse!!

Here, in no particular order, are the things that bug me about being labeled a "chick lit" writer.

1. When men write about love, sex, and marriage it's considered literary or mainstream, not "dude lit."

2. A lot of male readers really liked Love in Mid Air, including my agent David who has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the book. If a book is marketed exclusively toward one gender it can become a self-fullfilling prophecy. Men don't read books they don't hear about, i.e., books that are marketed toward women.

3. Calling it "chick lit" trivializes a book, no matter how well written it is....especially when men use the term. One of the most painful moments of this whole publication process has been having a male cousin of mine - who is also a good friend - simply refuse to read the book. He actually used the words "chick lit" and left it lying on his kitchen counter for weeks until I finally came and retrieved the copy. Which maybe doesn't sound like much, but it changed our whole relationship.

All that said, there are also good things about having a novel labeled as women's fiction. Women writers are in general a better organized and more helpful support system for each other than men could ever be...or at least that's what I gather from my male writer friends. I know a lot of other female writers and we cross-promote our books all the time with giveaways and contests, appearances on each other's blogs, writer-on-writer interviews, inviting each other to participate in groups readings and panels, etc. Men just don't get this. They think of themselves in competition with each other. But women I think are far more savvy to the power of networking as a group.

It works like this. If I had a Honda dealership and my friend Melly, who is also a novelist in my home town, owned a Toyota dealership beside it then yeah, we'd be in competition. People only buy one car at a time so if they bought her Toyota, that would mean they weren't buying my Honda. But people who read tend to read lots of books - they'll buy several at a time when they visit an online bookseller or their neighborhood bookstore. So it's not only possible for us to have a win-win situation in which people buy both of our books, it's likely. We work hard to recommend each other to book clubs, readers, store owners, etc. Melly's husband doesn't get this. He keeps saying "Why are you promoting Kim's book for her? You've got your own book to sell."

That's a very male way to think, And that's why male writers tend to be more isolated and wary of each other with all these well known literary rivalries. It's so silly. Being initiated into this circle of women writers - who are marvelously helpful and encouraging to each other through the whole process - has been one of the great blessings of the last two years for me.

So....it's irksome, yeah, to work on something so long and so hard and to take it very seriously and to them have people be a little flippant or dismissive of it. I'm still ticked at my cousin! But on the flip side, being a "women's writer" has this huge payoff in the form of meeting so many other women's writers.

I guess it comes down to "Call us what you want, but give our books a fair chance.""
 
A huge thank-you to Kim for stopping by and sharing her views about "women's fiction"! If you haven't had a chance to do so yet, I highly recommend checking out her debut novel Love in Mid Air. It's thought-provoking and an enjoyable read about one woman and the consequences of her choices.

Review: "Love In Mid Air" by Kim Wright

Elyse Bearden is on a flight on the way back from a pottery show when she makes a decision that will change her life. She switches seats with a stranger and ends up sitting next to Gerry, the man who will cause her to question everything that she's ever believed in. After a brief but chemistry-filled encounter with him, she returns home to her passive husband Phil, her fulfilling pottery business, and her young daughter Tori, but suddenly things don't look the same as they always have.

Weeks later, Elyse finally gathers enough courage to call Gerry. The chemistry between them is still there, and they meet up in a hotel. Their affair has officially begun. In the next months Elyse alternates between trying to save her failing marriage while falling for Gerry. Her friends and fellow book-club members try to convince her of all that she will lose by walking out of her marriage, and by doing so spark heated discussions about their own flawed personal lives. Ultimately Elyse must decide if all that she will gain by walking out on her marriage will be worth all that she loses.

Anyone who has ever been married knows that it's not all a walk in the park. Yes, there are good times, bordering on perfection. For every good time, there seems to be a bad time too; many marriages eventually reach the point when one contemplates walking out the other, even if that final step is never taken. Our divorce rate (almost 40% of Canadian marriages ended in divorce in 2003) should emphasize that point. Love in Mid Air was a reflection on marriage- the sacrifices that we make to stay married, the times when we wish that we could leave, what can be lost by staying, and what we can gain by leaving. It was interesting to me that Elyse spends much of the book giving her marriage one last shot. She attends counselling with her husband, she tries wearing sexy lingerie for him, and she tries to be more agreeable in his prescence. Yes, she's involved in an affair with Gerry at the time (including monthly hotel visits and frequent phone calls), but she's still giving her marriage one last effort. Some could argue (and some in the book do) that Elyse isn't being fair- she should either concentrate on her marriage, or she should leave Phil and concentrate on her new relationship, but I would have to say that at least she did make an effort. The fact that these continued efforts didn't work attest to the fact that her marriage really wasn't working anymore.

I only had one small problem with the book, and that was within the conclusion. A particular event occurs towards the end which wrapped things up tidily, but I felt that the particular event essentially excused Elyse from her actions. Cheating is wrong (although not always black and white), even during the last gasps of a marriage. I think that Elyse should have had to fully face the consequences of cheating on her husband.

Aside from that, I found the book enjoyable and found it very thought-provoking. It presented the institution of marriage from a variety of different directions. It would make a fantastic book club selection, as evidenced by the fact that it was chosen as the SheKnows.com book club selection for August/September. If you would like to read the first part of the book you can do so here, or you can visit http://www.loveinmidair.com/ to see the book's trailer. Thank-you to Kim Wright for sending a review copy of this book my way, and please come back tomorrow as she will be visiting and talking about a topic that has been very controversial lately!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of thought-provoking fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Review & Giveaway: "She's Gone Country" by Jane Porter

Shey Darcy, a 39-year-old former top model for Vogue and a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, had it all in New York. That is, until her husband decided that he was in love with someone else and requested a divorce. Still in love with her husband and finding it hard to cope with his sudden news, Shey moves herself and her three teenaged boys back home to Texas to the family ranch.

The boys aren't all thrilled with their new hometown, and struggle with fitting in. Hank is desperate to return to his exclusive school in New York, where acceptance to a top College was guaranteed. Bo is having trouble fitting in at his new school and struggles with depression. Cooper is the only one who has embraced country life with open arms.

Shey's not having the easiest time of it either. Now that she lives so close to home her Southern Baptist mother is insistent that she returns to the church. Her brothers are well-meaning but overprotective, and then there's the problem of Dane Kelly. Dane broke her heart once when she was young, and she's not sure if she can go through that again in her vulnerable state. Her feelings towards him are as strong as ever, though, and Shey must decide if she can let go of the past in order to embrace her future.

She's Gone Country is the first novel by Jane Porter that I've read, and I have to admit that while I didn't love it, I did like it. The writing was solid and the plot interesting, but the chemistry between Shey and Dane just felt too obvious. In the beginning of the book Shey was devastated by her husband's unexpected announcement, but by the end of the book (not that many months later), she was head over heels in love with Dane. I wish that she would have given herself and her kids a little time to heal before diving into a relationship with Dane, despite the fact that he was a handsome cowboy there for the taking. There was some romantic tension there, but I felt that it was a bit overblown.

What I did really enjoy about the book was the relationship between Shey and her three teenaged sons. As the mother to three boys myself (despite the fact that it will be a bit before all three are teenagers), it was interesting to see how she handled being a single mother. Clearly there was a strong bond between Shey and her boys, one that took both time and effort to foster, and I appreciated how Shey handled the challenges of parenting them. For the most part she really did put them and their needs ahead of her own.

Although I found some of the book predictable, I did enjoy it for the most part and would pick up a book by Jane Porter in the future. You can read an excerpt of the book here.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Single moms, fans of women's fiction, moms of boys
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Thanks to Crystal at BookSparks PR, I have one copy of She's Gone Country to give away. How to enter:

1. *Mandatory Entry* Tell me in a comment that you would like to win this book! Leave me an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry.

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect, and leave me a separate comment to let me know. Already a follower? Let me know in a separate comment that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way. Facebook it, Tweet about it, add it to the sidebar of your blog, whatever! Just come back and let me know in a separate comment how you did it.

This contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and runs until September 15, 2010 at midnight. Winners will be contacted by e-mail. Good luck!

Contest Announcement!

In support of her Facebook Project ("I Bet We Can Make These Books Bestsellers"), Catherine McKenzie is hosting a huge, 32 author, 64 winner contest! It begins on August 23rd and ends on August 31st. Here are the details (from the contest page):

1. Become a member of the FB group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113149048727107 (if you are already a member, just let me know in your comment)


2. Comment on this note (at the bottom of the page) and choose your top 5 choices of the books described below - you must write out the name of at least five of the titles including either Jessica Z. or Two Years, No Rain (You may choose more than 5)

3. Tweet or Facebook share about the giveaway for extra entries (make sure to come back and tell me by posting a link in a comment)

4. Come back on September 1st to see if you've won.

Bonus: Everyone who purchases a new copy of Jessica Z. or Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens (no second hand copies - sorry) and emails me proof of purchase at cemckenzie@hotmail.com (order confirm, scan of receipt, photo of you with book) will be guaranteed to win a book. Please list your top 5 choices in the email you send me.

It's that simple! You don't have to purchase Jessica Z. or Two Years, No Rain to win BUT you'll be guaranteed a win if you do! There are some amazing books to be won, including Spin by Catherine McKenzie (which I loved), Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart (my favourite book of 2010 to date), The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch, After You by Julie Buxbaum, The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen and more! So, what are you waiting for? Enter already!!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is a weekly gathering of book bloggers and book lovers where we share what arrived in our mailboxes the previous week. It is being hosted for the month of August by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit. Be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists!

Last week brought three new arrivals into my mailbox. The first to arrive was:

The Recessionistas by Alexandra Lebenthal. I know, I know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I just love this one! It looks like the skyline of New York, but the buildings are actually purses and handbags! Too delicious.

On the same day, and in the prettiest bubble mailer that I have ever seen, a copy of Simply From Scratch by Alicia Besette arrived. This was a win from The Debutante Ball and it was signed! I'm going to read this one soon, probably on my upcoming family vacation.

My final arrival of the week was a copy of How To Be An American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway. I feel very lucky to have won this one from Alyce at At Home With Books, because it's been garnering some fabulous 5-star reviews, and my library doesn't have a copy! I'm excited to read this one as well.

But wait! The book goodness doesn't stop there! Thanks to an unexpected child-free afternoon (thanks to my handsome hubby for taking them out for the afternoon!!), I was able to make a trip to my absolute favourite used bookstore. There are several things that I love about it: 1. Most of the fiction books are $3 or $4. 2. They only accept used fiction 6 years old and newer, so I'm getting new, hot fiction at discounted prices. 3. It is well-organized and easy to see if they have specific books that you're looking for. 4. All proceeds go to a charity (right now they are donating to Haiti diaster relief). I browsed the shelves for a good hour or so, and this is what I came home with:

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Rescuing Rose by Isabel Wolff
Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle
Gucci Gucci Coo by Sue Margolis
Just One of the Guys by Kristina Higgins
Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow
Bridesmaids by Jane Costello
Not That Kind of Girl by Catherine Alliot
Two's Company by Jill Mansell (a steal at $1 because it is older than 6 years! Plus, it is one of the few Jill Mansell books that I do not have for my collection! I used to have it, lent it out, and never saw it again. I feel blissfully reuinited.)

I'm happy with most of my bookstore selections, but sometimes I wish that I had a laptop so that I could look up Goodreads reviews before I bring a book home! There are one or two that I will probably bring back (for a small credit) without even reading.

That was my week in books- how was yours?

Review: "The Nobodies Album" by Carolyn Parkhurst

Author Octavia Frost is fighting a whole host of personal demons. She's estranged from her rock star son. Her daughter and husband died many years ago in a tragic accident. Since so many of her novels carry an element of personal truth contained within her fictional words, she decides to rewrite the endings of her novels in a supplemental volume titled The Nobodies Album. She'll erase any truth out of the endings and by doing so, may help to erase the pain of her past.

After completing The Nobodies Album she decides to hand-deliver it to her agent in New York. When she arrives there, she finds out some shocking news- her son, Milo, has been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Bettina. Shocked and unable to make sense of the tragedy, Octavia flies to San Francisco to try to re-connect with her estranged son. Although she's not welcomed at first, she and Milo slowly form a relationship of sorts, and the events of the past couple of years of Milo's life are slowly revealed.

The Nobodies Album was absolutely riveting. I was sucked in from the very beginning, and wasn't released until the very last page. The way is which this story is told is what made it so compelling. Parts of the story are told from Octavia's point of view, but other parts are excerpts from her fictional novel The Nobodies Album. First we read the original ending of one of Octavia's stories, and then we read the revised ending. Each of these stories were relevant to the story of Octavia and Milo in some way and we, as the reader, are the ones who get to decipher how it is relevant. The mystery- did Milo kill Bettina? If not, who did?- is revealed to us piece by piece, and the characters are not privy to any information that we don't have. It was wonderful to be able to figure out the mystery along with Octavia and Milo, and to not know from the beginning who did it. The ending was not at all what I expected that it would be, but in a good way. For once I couldn't see it coming from miles away.

How much I could relate to the characters in a book often determines how much I will like the book in general. Happily, I loved the characters contained within the pages of The Nobodies Album. Octavia was easy to relate to as a woman who has lost so much, and is afraid to lose more. Although we don't get the opportunity to see inside his head, Milo was extremely likable as a heartbroken and often confused rock star who does not remember much of the night in question. Joe, Milo's childhood friend, was someone that you instantly approved of, and even Bettina, who we only get to know posthumously, seemed like someone with a generally likable personality.

Engrossing and often stunning, The Nobodies Album is one that you'll want to read as you return to the thought-provoking novels synonymous with the fall season.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of thought-provoking fiction and light mysteries
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Review & Giveaway: "Georgia's Kitchen: A Novel" by Jenny Nelson

Georgia's the head chef at hot spot Marco, a restaurant that's booked up months in advance. She's not allowed much leeway with the menu, and her boss is slimy, but she's head chef and loving it. Georgia's engaged to entertainment lawyer Glenn, and life couldn't get much better. Until it gets worse. Marco receives a scathing review because her boss sleeps with, and promptly rejects, a food critic's only daughter. Someone has to take the blame, and Georgia's that "someone". The same day she's fired, her fiance calls off their wedding, because he realizes that their relationship hasn't been working for some time. Georgia, jobless and fiance-less, flees to Italy to work with her mentor Claudia Cavalli for a few months.

Despite a few early disappointments in Italy, Georgia makes new friends and enjoys the change of scenery. When she receives an incredible job offer she needs to make a decision- does she take it and continue living far away from everyone and everything that she loves, or does she return home and finally start following her dreams.

Georgia's Kitchen is a thoroughly enjoyable book, and I enjoyed how our plucky heroine Georgia picks herself up after hitting rock bottom in her personal life, dusts herself off, and triumphs in the end. It read a little like a combination of Eat, Pray, Love (the book) and Hell's Kitchen (the TV show). The book had it all- tempting food descriptions, beautiful Italian scenery, a handsome love interest or two, and the requisite happy ending.

The characters were particularly well-developed by Jenny Nelson. Georgia was a character that I could root for, even if she did manage to make a few mistakes in her personal life along the way. I especially liked Georgia's parents in the book- they were well-meaning, yet intrusive. Her mother, especially, was initially unable to come to terms with Georgia's career choices, but the fact that she loved Georgia and only wanted the best for her was obvious. Bernard, the general manager of Marco, was also an interesting character, and I was glad when he made an appearance again later in the book.

My only complaint would be that a few things towards the end fell into place a little too easily- at timesI had to suspend my belief. Thankfully, this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Georgia's Kitchen is a fun, ultimately inspiring read- a must-read for both the women's fiction lover and the armchair traveller within.

Jenny Nelson will be signing copies of her book, Georgia's Kitchen, at "A Box of Delights Bookstore" in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada on September 2nd at 7 pm. If you live close enough, or have friends who do, it would be a great opportunity to both meet and support this debut author!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction, armchair travellers
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Now, for the giveaway! Thanks to BookSparks PR, I have one copy of this book to give away. To enter:

1. Tell me where you would visit just to be able to try an authentic version of their food. Would it be China? Italy? India? Or somewhere else altogether? Please leave an e-mail address with your comment so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and leave me a separate comment to let me know. Already a follower? Great! Just leave me a separate comment letting me know that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in any way that you choose. Facebook it, blog about it, Tweet about it, or add it to your blog's sidebar. Just leave a separate comment letting me know how you did it.

It's that simple! Contest is open to Canadian and US residents, and runs until September 8, 2010 at midnight EST. The winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond.

Thanks to BookSparks PR for this review copy!

Q&A With Heather Wardell, Author of "Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many"

I love Canadian authors, and I love women's fiction, so it should come as no surprise that I love Canadian author Heather Wardell's books! After reading (and loving) Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many (my review) I asked Heather if she would be interested in doing a Q&A for The Book Chick and she kindly agreed! So please join me in welcoming her!

What was your inspiration for Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many?
Back in 2007 I saw a TV ad for "The Bachelorette" or a similar show (the details are lost in the mists of my mind at this point!). I distinctly remember thinking, "How much worse would something like that be if you were there with all your exes?" I thought it could make a great book but was concerned that I wouldn't be able to handle writing about so many characters at once. The idea wouldn't let me go, though, and eventually I figured I should give it a try.

Was there any special research that you did about reality television and what really goes on behind the scenes?
I researched online, and read a book about the behind-the-scenes world of the first season of "Survivor". I didn't want to duplicate an existing show, though, so I made the decision early on to avoid researching too much. Instead, I put that time into planning out my show and making it real enough that it could actually be filmed.

You chose to self-publish. What made you decide to go that route?
Many aspiring authors keep their books to themselves until one sells to a big publishing house. I had intended to do that as well, but then made my first book, "Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo" available for free download from my website after I'd exhausted my list of potential literary agents. I released it, honestly, primarily to stop myself from fiddling with it instead of working on other books, but it quickly became popular and has had nearly four thousand downloads in the 18 months it's been online. When I saw that interest, I decided to release my "Go Small or Go Home" and then "Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many" as well. At this point, I am still interested in the big publishing deal but I am absolutely loving getting reader emails and having people enjoy reading my work. That's truly why I'm writing, after all!

Are you working on a new book? If yes, what's it about?
Always! I like to keep several things in the pipeline at once.

In November or December of this year, I will be releasing my fourth book, "Planning to Live", about a woman whose car slides off a deserted icy road, leaving her trapped and bleeding, and how between escape attempts she comes to realize she's focused her life on everything except what really matters. It's darker than anything I've written before, but I think it still "sounds like me", and I hope my readers will love it as much as I do. An excerpt is available on my website.

I've just finished the second draft of my new, currently untitled, book, which features the return of some of my favorite past characters and stars a divorced woman with a life-long dream of being a chef and a history of letting others (especially the men in her life) push her around who finds herself trying to choose between the career she's finally achieved and her boss, with whom she's developed a strong relationship. There is a preliminary excerpt on my website. I will be sending this book to literary agents later this year or early in 2011, and if it's not picked up by one of them I will definitely release it myself.

And in a few weeks I have a big decision to make: go ahead with what I've planned as my next book, the story of twenty-eight-year-old Andrea who tries to recreate her life, after her boyfriend of fourteen years dumps her, by doing the opposite of everything she usually does, or write a sequel to "Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many", probably with Summer as the main character. Either will be lots of fun, I'm sure!

What's your opinion on the future of women's fiction? Will interest increase or decline?
I think there will always be interest in stories about real women and real lives. Paranormal books are very hot right now but I can't be the only one who's never really gotten into those sorts of worlds. I much prefer books to which I can relate and characters who seem like me, and I think women's fiction is the place to find those books.

"Seven" takes a few reality television shows and combines them to make something completely new. What is your favourite reality show?
Will you hate me if I admit I hardly watch them any more? I loved the early seasons of "Survivor", especially the first season, but these days the "reality" part is long gone. Shows seem to be cast according to a formula and the people involved seem more and more just in it for the attention. That said, I do watch "So you think you can dance?" because the talent displayed is just phenomenal.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I am an avid crocheter, and I also run half-marathons. (I did one full marathon, which proved to be more than enough for me!) Until very recently I played clarinet in a local concert band, but I've been taking drum lessons and have just had my first concert as a percussionist.

What is your favourite book format (paperback, hardback, eBook, etc.)?
I'd have to say eBook! I love having my books everywhere I am. The downside is being unable to lend books to other people, but I'm sure the industry will eventually find a solution to that.

What book are you recommending to everyone right now?
I have two. "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein is an amazing book, narrated by a dog. Yes, a dog. But so brilliantly done. I'd also like to recommend my writing friend's book. Danielle Younge-Ullman's "Falling Under" is so much darker than my books but it's beautiful and touching and gloriously written.

What books are on your nighstand/e-reader?
According to Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/heatherwardell if you'd like to friend me), I have forty books in my to-be-read list. It should be a bit higher because I have a few as yet untracked. I'm so lucky my iPhone doesn't get heavier with more books in it! On my nightstand, though, in paper, is "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. I've read it several times and now re-read bits of it from time to time when I need inspiration to keep working.

Thank-you to Heather for stopping by! Heather's book Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tattoo is always a free download for eReaders. Her second and third books, Go Small or Go Home and Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many are available for only $0.99 each. Seven is also available in paperback from Amazon.

Review: "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert

I've resisted reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for a long time now. I've heard the hype, and I've heard how legions of women found something special within the pages (my copy from the library was well worn!), but I just had no desire to read it. One reason that I've resisted is because the premise of the book just didn't sound that interesting to me. The second reason is because books usually don't live up to their hype, in my opinion, although I have been proven wrong with that before. I finally gave in and took this one out of the library when a blogger whose opinion I respect, especially when it comes to books that I may enjoy, recommended it to me. I'll also be going to see the movie version next week with my sisters-in-laws, and figured that now was as good a time as any to read this one for myself.

Elizabeth Gilbert has just gone through a nasty divorce and a disastrous relationship with a lover and has decided that she needs time to heal. She loves travel with a passion and decides that travelling to three different places, each for a period of four months, will allow her the time that she needs to heal and carry on with her life. The first place that she chooses to visit is Italy. She decides on Italy because she truly loves the language and wants to be able to experience it first-hand. Elizabeth spends her time in Italy exploring not museums or churches or picturesque scenes, but food. Food helps her to heal her body, and her time spent there is all about pleasure.

From there she travels to India, to spend time at the Ashram of her Guru. Although she initially plans to stay for only six weeks, she ends up staying on for the full four months and learns the art of meditation and spiritual reflection. She spends time cleansing herself of her past and all of the toxic thoughts that she carries with her.

Now her body and her spirituality have both received attention, so Elizabeth brings those aspects together for the final part of her journey, which takes part in Indonesia. There she spends time with an ancient medicine man (age unknown), meets a collection of new friends and yes, she finally takes a lover.

I wanted to love this book, I honestly did. I found the beginning quite boring- all Elizabeth really did was eat. I appreciated her pursuit of pure pleasure, but couldn't truly relate to it. Seeking pleasure 24/7 is not a reality for most of us, so it was hard to relate to this part. The India section started out with promise. I was interested in learning about the Ashram and its teachings, but it started to get long-winded towards the end of that section. Special note should be made that I really enjoyed the parts involving Richard from Texas. He was a wholly lovable character, and his insights were spot-on. My favourite section was the Indonesian one. I loved the time that she spends with her friend the medicine man, Ketut. I appreciated her friendship with Wayan, a healer as well. What was particularly interesting was the way that Indonesians approach medicine. We receive medicine along with the instructions that "You should feel better in 3-5 days", but Indonesians and their herbs and rituals have you feeling better within hours. I wish that our Western society could embrace this more. Their unique rituals (for example, the ritual that takes place when babies are six months old) are particularly interesting, and their culture was fascinating to learn about.

When all is said and done, I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it. As an observer I appreciated Gilbert's insights into different cultures and places, but I was waiting for something to grab me, I was waiting for that elusive "ah ha" moment. That moment just didn't come, and ultimately, Eat, Pray, Love failed to resonate with me personally. It was just a moderately interesting story about one woman's personal journey. Perhaps I didn't read this at the right time of my life, and maybe this one would make more sense if I read it in a couple of years. Whatever the reason for my detachment, I'm not going to beat myself up over the fact that this one just wasn't the book for me.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of memoirs as well as armchair travellers
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is on the move! This month it's being hosted by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit. Thanks, Shanyn! Each week we share which books we found in our mailboxes, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and serious book envy!

This week brought two new arrivals in my mailbox. The first to arrive was Free To A Good Home by Eve Marie Mont, a signed copy courtesy of the author and a win from Chick Lit Central (if you haven't had the chance to check this blog out yet, they are always giving away great books!).

Summary from Goodreads:

"Noelle Ryan works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find homes. If only it were as easy to find one for herself. After discovering she can't have children-and watching her marriage fall apart after a shocking revelation by her husband-she feels as sad and lost as the strays she rescues.


She can't seem to get over her ex, Jay. Unfortunately, all Jay wants from her is a huge favor: serving as caretaker for his elderly mother, who blames Noelle for the breakup. While Jay heads off to Atlanta to live the life of a bachelor, Noelle is left only with her Great Dane, Zeke, to comfort her. But when a carefree musician named Jasper tugs at her heartstrings, giving her a second chance at life- and at love- Noelle comes to realize that home is truly where the heart is."
 
Next to arrive was a copy of Georgia's Kitchen by Jenny Nelson, courtesy of BookSparks PR for an upcoming review.
 
 

Summary from Goodreads:
 
"At thirty-three, talented chef Georgia Gray has everything a woman could want—the top job at one of Manhattan’s best restaurants; a posse of smart and savvy gal pals who never let her down; and a platinum-set, cushion-cut diamond engagement ring courtesy of Glenn, the handsome entertainment lawyer who Georgia’s overbearing mother can’t wait for her to marry. The table is set for the ambitious bride-to-be until a scathing restaurant review destroys her reputation. To add salt to her wounds, Glenn suddenly calls off the wedding.


Brokenhearted, Georgia escapes to the Italian countryside, where she sharpens her skills at a trattoria run by a world-class chef who seems to have it all—a devoted lover, a magnificent villa, and most important, a kitchen of her own. Georgia quells her longings with Italy’s delectable offerings: fine wine, luscious cheeses, cerulean blue skies, and irresistible Gianni—an expert in the vineyard and the bedroom. So when Gianni tempts Georgia to stay in Italy with an offer no sane top chef could refuse, why can’t she say yes?

An appetite for something more looms large in Georgia’s heart – the desire to run her own restaurant in the city she loves. But having left New York with her career in flames, she’ll need to stir up more than just courage if she’s to realize her dreams and find her way home."

That is what was in my mailbox last week- what was in yours?

Review: "Come, Thou Tortoise" by Jessica Grant

When I won Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant from Katrina at Stone Soup, I had never heard of it. Katrina called it "incomparable", and she had special ordered it from Canada, because it's not available in the US. Shortly after I had won it, but before I had actually received it, I was in the Indigo store in Toronto to attend Emily Giffin's book signing, and I saw this book on display with a whole bunch of stickers stuck to the front saying that various employees recommended it. Now I was really intrigued, so it wasn't long after I received it that I started reading it.

Come, Thou Tortoise is the story of Audrey (Oddly) Flowers. Her father is in a coma (or comma as Audrey refers to it) back home in St. John's, Newfoundland after being hit by an errant Christmas tree hanging off of a passing truck. Audrey flies home from her apartment in the United States, making arrangements for her tortoise, Winnifred, to stay behind with friends of hers. Audrey returns home to find that her father has passed away, and for the rest of her visit she spends time coming to terms with her father's death and how her life has changed. Parts of this novel are narrated by Winnifred, the tortoise, and other parts are narrated by Audrey, but all are highly enjoyable.

This novel is, quite simply, unlike anything that I've ever read. I don't believe that I can describe it in a way that would do it justice, but I'll try. One thing that sets this book apart from others that I have read is that it's not just about the plot. This book is filled with wonderful wordplay and witty puns. It's a book that you really need to be fully present for to appreciate. It's revealed that Audrey has a lower IQ than most, and she seems to be stuck in this place between childhood and adulthood and this comes out in the words that she chooses, and in how she views the word. Grant chooses to only use periods in the book, and leaves out the question marks, quotation marks, and exclaimation points. Quite simply, I loved this. It allowed me to let the characters speak in a unique voice in my mind. It's hard to describe this, so here are two of my favourite quotes from the book:

(Audrey is arriving home in St. John's and observing the landscape) I don't recognize this latest permutation of the Trans-Canada. It is wide and makes a wet sound. On either side there are pastel houses with their backs to the highway. They have that hunched look like, yuck, is that a highway behind us. Why yes, it is. And I am on it. And why did you get built out here on your fancy trebleclef streets if you did not intend to embrace your location. (p. 37)

(Audrey is describing Wednesday pond, which is right by her childhood home. Supposedly it is "bottomless") There are fourty-seven ducks (native) and two swans (not native) living on Wednesday Pond. When the swans put their heads underwater, they look like baby icebergs. When they lift their heads, they look surprised. Did you see the bottom. No. Did you. No. Let's check again. They have been checking for years and continue to be surprised. (p. 41)

Even though the book is not entirely plot-focused, there are a few parts that are particularly enjoyable to read. I enjoyed her blooming romance with Judd, the Christmastech guy. I loved the twist towards the end, and I especially loved the ending. This will make a fantastic read for just about anyone who enjoys fiction, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to experience it.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Anyone who loves quirky fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, RYOB Challenge 2010, The Canadian Book Challenge 4

Buyer Beware: Why I Don't Recommend Buying a Sony Television

I know, I usually blog about books. What can I say? I love them. I devour them, chat about them, think about them, breathe them! However, my post today is, for once, not about books. It's about a television. In fact, it's about the one that's sitting in my living room right now. Why am I blogging about my television? Because I don't want you to make the same mistake that I did.

Last year (March 17, 2008 in fact- I still have my receipt) my husband and I purchased a television. We had had enough of our old tube tv, so we had saved our money and finally had enough to treat ourselves to a new one. This wasn't a decision that we took lightly, knowing that we wouldn't have the funds to replace our TV with a new one if it broke. We researched online, we spent (literally) hours in the Future Shop with a very helpful salesman (who knows us by name now, funnily enough), and finally we made our decision. We were looking for a TV that would bring us the ultimate in high definition for a reasonable price. We have three gaming systems (XBox 360, PS3, and Wii), two of which support HD gaming. We also later purchased a BluRay player (coincidentally a Sony). We get HDTV channels with our satellite package. We needed a TV that would support all of this. We were looking for good picture, decent sound, and, well, a quality product. This was supposed to last us a while, as I have no desire to replace my TV on a yearly basis.

We finally settled on purchasing the 46" Sony KDL-46W4100 model. Man, was that a mistake! The TV was okay for the first couple of months, great picture, decent sound (we have a surround sound system, so the less-than-amazing sound didn't really bother us). We enjoyed watching it, and we didn't have any problems with it at first. Then we had a few pixels burn out. We were told that this was normal, so we chose not to make a fuss. However, in April 2010, ONE MONTH after the warranty expired, horizontal lines began to appear across our screen. At first there was one across the top. Then two, then three. The things were multiplying! We called Sony, who were absolutely no help because our warranty had expired. Although it had expired less than a month before there was "nothing that they could do" to remedy this problem with their unsatisfactory product. What did they care, right? We had bought it, the money was in their pocket regardless of if it broke right away or not. You can understand our frustration when MORE lines began to appear on the screen, this time horizontal ones across the bottom. At first there was one line, and that one line quickly multiplied to five. Yes, we now have a total of eight lines across our TV screen. Sony will do nothing to assist us, and these lines are so distracting that I have a hard time enjoying the programs and movies that I watch. Now there are sections of the screen that will flicker when we are watching a show with a lot of white background and no, it's not the channel. We can't sell a TV with 8 lines across it, so we're stuck with this hunk of junk, and it's only a matter of time before the whole thing goes out on us. Unfortunately, we are not the only ones experiencing this problem. Please check out the comments section of this site. I am appalled that 5 other people (out of the 13 who commented)  have had very similar problems to ours. What's Sony doing to remedy this problem? Nothing. From them it's, "Sorry about your luck, folks".

The point to my lengthy tirade? Please, if you're in the market for a new TV, don't buy this subpar garbage. It will just end up in a landfill somewhere. Our TV was an absolute waste of money, and now we're back at square one, only we have to buy a new TV with money that we don't have to boot. I don't know if all Sony TV's are this horrible, but I certainly won't be spending my money to find out. Congratulations, Sony, you've lost a customer as I'm getting rid of my BluRay player and PS3 as well. I have no intention of spending my money on products made by a company that doesn't stand behind them.

Do yourself a favour, don't support a company that doesn't care about its customers or its products and skip buying Sony products altogether. And especially make sure that you steer clear of their TV's.

Q&A With Holly Christine and Giveaway!

Please join me in welcoming Holly Christine, author of Tuesday Tells It Slant (my review) to The Book Chick today! Holly was kind enough to answer a few of my burning questions:

The Book Chick: When did you start writing books?
Holly Christine: After college, when I had time to devote to fictional works, I bought a laptop and started to record the random characters and dialogue in my head. It takes me awhile to understand where the characters fit in, how they relate to each other and the plot. Sometimes, the ideas become a short story. I don’t know what kind of story length I’m working with until the narrative leaves my head.

TBC: You've taken the less traditional route by self-publishing. In Tuesday Tells It Slant there's even a part where you talk a little about the changing face of self-publishing. What made you decide to take this path?
HC: For Tuesday, once I finished editing and cleaning up the plot, I created a cover, converted the book for Kindle and made it available. It was like I was running on auto. Before, self-publishing seemed as if it was the end in the publishing game. Now, larger publishing houses are picking up many authors who self-publish their work, especially those who made their work available for eReaders. I wasn’t worried about committing literary suicide. I wanted opinions. I wanted to test her out.

I had previously published my second work and had a bit of success with it. I knew the process and it seemed to play into my decision to self-publish Tuesday Tells it Slant. I chose to publish The Nine Lives of Clemenza after a year of rejections from agents and traditional presses. So far, I’m pleased with my decisions.

TBC: What inspired the story in "Tuesday Tells It Slant"?
HC: It’s weird. I guess that I’m weird. I was singing along to John Mayer’s (major crush) Who Says and there is a part where he asks why we can’t be free from our past. It stuck with me. I wondered how I could make myself free from my own past and the concept of rewriting my journal entries came to mind because I’ve kept a journal for so long. I could go back so far! I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve considered twisting (or slanting) the truth a bit while journaling to make the day cooler, lying about losing those last five stubborn pounds when I had gained some. But covering the past with lies doesn’t change the truth. This is what Tuesday discovers. She loses her true self.

TBC: What do you have planned for the future? Are you working on a new book now?

HC: I started to work on a story that twists a few mythological stories into modern day parallels, and I also work, from time to time when the inspiration hits, on a work that develops the concept of a universal language. It’s all so philosophical. It’s very challenging and I have to be in the zone and have a full pot of coffee to do it.

TBC: Which authors inspire you?
HC: I realized that writing was my passion after I read Emerson’s Nature. The words were beautifully crafted, and I wanted to create passages of inspiration as well. I got into Kerouac and Tom Wolfe after that. Now, I enjoy Jodi Picoult when I need a good cry and Kate Atkinson when I need a good twist.

TBC: What books are you reading right now?

HC: I’m reading Endurance by Jack Kilborn/J.A. Konrath and it’s terrifying. I can’t read it at night. I’m also reading Karen McQuestion’s Easily Amused. I downloaded both books to my Kindle because of their price and they are fantastic reads. I wish that traditional presses would get on board with decent eBook pricing. I compare prices, and if the paperback costs less than the eBook, I fight the urge and finally find another with a reasonable price.

Thank-you so much to Holly for stopping by! You can visit her website at http://www.hollychristineonline.com or you can follow her on Twitter here. Tuesday Tells It Slant is available in paperback as well as for Kindle.

Thanks to BookSparks PR I have one copy of Tuesday Tells It Slant by Holly Christine to give away! To enter:

1. Leave me a comment and answer this question: if you could magically erase or alter parts of your past, would you? Please leave me an e-mail address with you comment. No e-mail= no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* For one bonus entry, become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and leave me a separate comment. Already a follower? Leave me a separate comment letting me know that you already follow.a

3. *Bonus Entry* For one bonus entry, spread the word about this contest. Tweet it, Facebook it, blog about it, just make sure that you leave me a separate comment with a link to how you did it.

This contest is open until September 1, 2010 at midnight EST and is open to US and Canadian residents only. The winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond. Good luck!

Guest Post by Tish Cohen

Please join me in welcoming Tish Cohen, author of Town House, Inside Out Girl, and The Truth About Delilah Blue (my review) to The Book Chick today! Today Tish shares about how she feels about the label "women's fiction":

"When I wrote my first novel, Town House, I felt strongly that my agoraphobic protagonist had to be male. This was a character who was going to have panic attacks and severe anxiety and I wanted the reader to love him through it. I considered making Jack female for a short while but believed there was, at the time, something of a double standard when it came to depicting mentally unstable characters in books or on film. If my agoraphobe was a woman, would readers have the same sympathy for her or would they see her as crazy? I felt Jack would find more love as a man.

Right from the outset, I faced resistance—why would I, a woman, write a male protagonist? Would women read the book? Conversely, because I am female, would men? I didn’t know the answer, I only knew I loved Jack and stood by my decision.

The book wound up selling to Hollywood before selling as a novel and part of that reason was—you guessed it—because my protagonist was male. Hollywood, as you may know, is very male-centric.

My next novel was decidedly more female with the points of view of a single mother, her lovesick daughter, and a man with a mentally disabled daughter. It did wind up outselling Town House and I admit it is likely because of the stronger female focus. So while I wouldn’t change Town House, I did learn a thing or two about female readers—they like their female protagonists. But I do love to write males and continue to include a male voice in my books.

I still have female readers ask me whether or not Town House is considered women’s fiction. I tell them yes, it is. And if you like it, please pass it to your husband."

Thank-you so much to Tish Cohen for stopping by, and to Katerina from HarperCollins Canada for organizing this blog tour!

Review: "The Truth About Delilah Blue" by Tish Cohen

Delilah Blue was only 8 when she moved with her father from Toronto to Los Angeles. Told by her father that Delilah's mother no longer wanted the responsibility of raising a child, Delilah is a little lost now that she's 20 and entering into adulthood. She's desperate to become an artist, to prove to her mother that she's worthy of being loved. Her father refuses to pay for art school, so she's posing as a nude model for art classes, absorbing the lesson and making a few dollars at the same time. To make matters more complicated, her father seems to be exhibiting signs of early-onset Alzheimer's.

Little does Delilah know that amidst all of this turmoil, things are about to become even more confusing. Her mother is about to arrive in Los Angeles with Delilah's half-sister and a secret that will change the way that Delilah looks at her past.

I've read both of Tish Cohen's previous books, Inside Out Girl and Town House, and enjoyed them both, so I was looking forward to reading The Truth About Delilah Blue. At the beginning, Delilah (or Lila as she's known in L.A.), has this tough exterior that made her an interesting character, but not one that I could particularly relate to. She has a dream, but she has an attitude- one that prevents anyone (including the reader) from getting too close to her. Given her background- being abandoned by her mother, moving to a new country at a young age- this was understandable, yet I still felt distanced from her. I was glad when she begins to lose some of her toughness and she lets those around her in a little more.

*SPOILER ALERT*

What really made this book an enjoyable one for me was the way that Tish Cohen takes a topic that, when we hear about it on the news, is so black and white, and colours it with shades of gray. We find out partway through the book that Lila was essentially kidnapped from her mother when she was 8, by her father. As a mother, as a parent, my first instinct was to blame the father. I immediately thought that he didn't have the right to take a little girl from her mother, and at such a formative age. Lila finds out that she was a milk-carton kid, and that her mother never stopped looking for her, and her whole perspective changes.

However, it's not that simple. Cohen isn't there to make Lila's father a villain, and instead presents his side of the story through a series of flashbacks. As the story continues, and we "get to know" Lila's mother, who is staying in present day L.A. with Lila and Lila's half-sister Kieran, and we start to understand how Lila's father could have justified what he did. Does it make it right? No, not necessarily. Would it have been better if Lila had continued to live with her mother? Maybe, maybe not.

Cohen paints this difficult situation with shades of gray, and The Truth About Delilah Blue really made me think. It was refreshing to read a book where you're not quite sure what the ending will be, or even what you want it to be, and I certainly appreciated the way that Cohen presented things.

The Truth About Delilah Blue was highly enjoyable. Not only does Cohen shed new light on a difficult situation, but she also brings to live some lively and, for the most part, lovable characters. You can browse inside this book here, or visit Tish Cohen's website here.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Anyone looking for women's fiction that will make you stop and think
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, The Canadian Book Challenge 4

I received a review copy of this book from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is on the move! This month it is being hosted by Chick Loves Lit. Thanks Shanyn! Mailbox Monday is where we share which books we found in our mailboxes the previous week, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists!

This week was a slow one in books for me (shame on the mailman!), but I did have one new arrival on Thursday! Added to my TBR pile was:

Description from Goodreads:

"Irene Stanley thought her world had come to an end when her husband finds their 15-year-old son, Shep, murdered in their Oregon home. Daniel Robbin, who had spent his teenage years in and out of trouble, gave himself up to the police and was given the state’s harshest sentence: death by lethal injection.

Now, nineteen years later, as the superintendent of the state penitentiary prepares to execute Robbin, Irene Stanley must reveal what she has been hiding from her family. That in order to survive the anger and grief she had at losing her son, she not only had forgiven the man who killed him, but had come to be his friend.

Her revelation stuns her family, church and community and cracks open the secrets that had been surrounding her son’s death. Secrets that reveal how little she understood Shep, her husband, or herself.

Dramatic, emotional, and ultimately uplifting, The Crying Tree is an unforgettable story of love and redemption, the unbreakable bonds of family, and the transformative power of forgiveness."
 
That's what was in my mailbox last week- what was in yours?

Review: "Every Last One" by Anna Quindlen

Mary Beth Latham has everything that she could have hoped for. She loves her husband, Glen, even though their marriage has changed over the years into something resembling a partnership rather than passion. She has three beautiful children. Ruby is an independant teenager with a passion for writing. Fraternal twins Alex and Max couldn't be more different- Alex is athletic and popular, Max introverted and withdrawn. Their family isn't without their share of problems, though, and Mary Beth knows it. Ruby had a stint with anorexia in her earlier teen years but seems to be recovering. Max isn't having the easiest time with his entry into high school and seems to be spiraling into depression. Despite the problems, all of the family is well and accounted for, and that's seems to be all that anyone can ever ask for when counting their blessings.

Mary Beth's world is rocked when a horrific tradgedy befalls her family. Suddenly she is left to pick up the pieces of what was formerly known as her life, and she knows that nothing will ever be the same in the world in which she lives.

Every Last One is a beautiful book, despite the tragic subject matter. Anna Quindlen spends the first half of the book describing Mary Beth's everyday life- her work, her husband, her life as the mother to three angsty teenagers. The portrait that she creates is one of normalcy, one of everyday struggles underlined with the hope that someday things will level out and she'll be watching her grown children make their own way in the world. I appreciated the seemingly mundane details in the book- the feel of the kitchen floor under Mary Beth's feet in the morning. The smell of her son's hair. The pleasure that Mary Beth takes from the fleeting smiles on her son Max's face. The journey to drop the kids off at camp, and the feeling of freedom that follows.

The second half of the book details what happens after a tragedy befalls their family. It describes Mary Beth and her grief, the moment that she realizes that nothing will ever be the same. Details of the tragedy remain vague at first, but are slowly revealed to the reader after time.

Despite the dark subject matter contained within its pages, Every Last One is a breathtaking book. Quindlen describes all of the characters, their personality quirks and the mannerisms, so well that I felt as if I was standing outside of their home looking in. I connected with Mary Beth, as a mother myself I could understand her concerns and frustrations with her children. I even connected with her teenage children, my own angsty teenage years not being so long ago. These connections with the characters made the tragedy seem all the more real when it happened, and the aftermath that much more sad.

Underneath all of the pain and sorrow that Mary Beth felt after the event that changed her life, there remained a thread of hope; hope that life would continue, hope that one day it wouldn't hurt quite as much. As sad as the book is, it remains possible that joy is waiting for Mary Beth on the other side.

If you're looking for a book that's cheerful and light, this isn't the one that I would pick. If you're looking for a book that will make you appreciate your family in a whole new way, I highly recommend picking this one up. Quindlen's descriptive writing style is the icing on the cake here, it's truly a pleasure to read her carefully chosen words.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of fiction who are looking for an in-depth read
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.