The Fforde-a-Thon Begins

Photo from thursdaynext.com

Well, I've turned the last page on my current read so it's time to walk over to my shelves and pull down Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair! I would guess that it's my fourth or fifth time reading the novel but it will be my first time with this copy of the book. A year or so ago, I found a pristine used hardcover copy and, as this was the only one in the series that I had in paperback, I upgraded.

So, if you wanted to join me in this first of six adventures with the amazing Thursday Next, grab your copy today! I'll be tweeting a bit about the book over the next couple of days (@webereading, if you don't follow me yet) and will be back with a post when I'm done. By the way, I'm not doing this in any sort of speedy, twenty-four hours of reading type deal, just a regular pace, so don't feel like you can't join in a day late!

Plock, plock,
K

New Release: Killed at the Whim of a Hat

Killed at the Whim of a Hat is the first book in a new mystery series by Colin Cotterill. It features Thai crime reporter Jimm Juree and her family (grandfather, mother, brother and brother-turned-sister).

I had a bit of a problem hearing Jimm's voice at the beginning and wasn't entirely sure that she was, in fact, a woman but once I settled in with the character, I was amused and informed by this unique look at the ocean communities of Southern Thailand. There are two mysteries in the book, both interesting, but the biggest mystery is probably the title of the book. It turns out that it's taken from that inexhaustible list of gaffes known as "Bushisms" -- yes, the brilliant words of wisdom of our previous president. Each chapter is prefaced with a Bushism and, while not everyone will find that funny, well, it is.

There was a lot of ground covered in this story--politics, rural community dynamics, gay and transgender issues, religion, press tactics and more--so it's just a taste of Thailand that will please most readers. It will be interesting to see if Cotterill tries to tackle so many subjects at once in his next outing with Jimm Juree.

''I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.''
-- President George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

Lost in translation,
K


Support our site and buy Killed at the Whim of a Hat on Amazon or find it at your local library. We received an Advance Uncorrected Proof from the publisher.

Coming Soon: Fforde-a-Thon

Though I have a stack of books here waiting to be reviewed, my reading isn't slowing down at all these days. And now I've gotten to the point where I am almost free to begin my re-reading of the entire Thursday Next series, concluding with a long-awaited first read of the sixth novel, One of Our Thursdays is Missing.

I plan to start reading this weekend (likely Friday) and will probably finish a book every two to four days. So, if you haven't started this wonderful series yet, join in with The Eyre Affair. If you stopped somewhere in the middle, pick up the next book with me. If you still have the final book sitting in your TBR stacks as well, pull it out and let's get reading together!

The books in the series are (in order)
The Eyre Affair
Lost in a Good Book
The Well of Lost Plots
Something Rotten
First Among Sequels
One of Our Thursdays is Missing


I will post on the day I finish each book so that you know when to pick up the next one if you're joining in. Otherwise, just sit back while I try and convince you to try this hilarious and smart series.

Shortly departing to Swindon and beyond,
K

New Release: Juniper Berry

M.P. Kozlowsky's Juniper Berry is a middle grade fantasy novel that teaches a wonderful lesson in a very frightening way. The titular Juniper is a girl that has it all and yet has nothing at the same time. Her parents are famous movie stars and she lives on a large estate with private tutors. But she has no friends and her parents don't want to spend time with her the way they used to before they became famous. One day, Juniper meets Giles, a boy who lives nearby and whose parents have also become fully absorbed in their musical careers. Is this just a coincidence or does the fact that both of their parents have been seen disappearing behind a spooky tree in Juniper's yard mean there is actually something sinister behind it all?

I read this book in two sittings because I couldn't put it down! The villain was terrifying but the message was clear -- you can never be truly happy unless you are being yourself. When you take shortcuts and try to get things you haven't earned, you hurt yourself and those around you. And thankfully this was not presented in a heavy-handed way but in the context of a gripping and imaginative story. There are shades of gray, just like in real life, even if most situations aren't matters of life and death like Juniper's is. This is a book that I hope Z will read in a couple of years and I'll definitely be recommending it to the school librarian (and hoping for a film version)!

Staying true to myself,
K


Support our site and buy Juniper Berry on Amazon or find it at your local library. We won a copy from the publisher during Armchair BEA.

Blogiversary Giveaway Winner

Thank you all again for your blogiversary wishes and for entering our giveaway!

A lovely copy of The Emerald Atlas is on its way to

Hilde in Norway!

Short and sweet today,

K

"We came on the wind of the carnival."

Joanne Harris' Chocolat has been on my TBR for quite a while and, as I'm behind on my reading from my shelves tally for the year (only at 20 of a desired 50 right now), I needed to get through some of the shorter books to try and catch up. Not only is this a short book but it was also a quick read, with some simple but powerful ideas and an interesting cast of characters.

Vianne Rocher is a wanderer, born of a wanderer. She decides to make a stay in Lansquenet, a French village, where she might not be entirely welcome. Her specialty is chocolate but her timing couldn't be worse as it's the start of Lent. The local priest sees her as a temptress who must be forced out of town but some of the villagers find that she supplies exactly what they've been missing in their lives.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel -- up until the last few pages.

SPOILERISH MOMENT (skip if you plan on reading the book)

If you have read the novel, you know that something happens that Vianne acts like is no big deal but which will obviously cause problems once the truth gets out. She seems so intelligent and sensitive up until that point and then all of a sudden she is just incredibly self-centered. It almost ruined her entire character for me. Luckily, though, after some time now, it is the larger picture of the story that stands out and not the ending.

AND DONE

But until the end, I really loved the characters -- from children to old women, gypsies to retirees. Even the narrow-minded and boorish characters were well written. And the discussion of chocolates and flowers made me want to pick up and move to France as soon as possible. Instead, I will have to borrow the film and settle on an evening with Johnny Depp instead.

Dreaming of confections,
K


Support our site and buy Chocolat on Amazon or find it at your local library. We bought our own copy.

New Release: The American Heiress

I read The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin a few weeks ago and it was alright. I know that's not the highest praise and probably won't get you to rush out and pick this one up but I unfortunately can't say I felt strongly one way or the other about it. It was a good-enough story with a few flaws that made for a fun read but fell short of being a must-read.

This is the late Victorian story of an American heiress, Cora Cash, who ends up doing what many other similarly-endowed girls of her generation did -- marrying her money to a British title. But Cora is soon suspicious that her husband, Ivo, the Duke of Wareham, might have married her only for her money when she actually married him for love. Cora is forced to navigate the tricky world of the British aristocracy to find out if her marriage is worth saving and if she is really cut out to be a Duchess after all.

The quote on the back of the book likens this book to the works of Edith Wharton and Jane Austen but it is most definitely more in the vein of Georgette Heyer -- a romance with a cast of outrageous characters, a small amount of social commentary, a boatload of misunderstandings and a readability that is always welcome in the doldrums of summer. There were a couple of strange plot hints that could have turned this into a darker, more weighty book but those strings were never picked up and the book remained lighter in tone, even with Cora's constant angst. She reminded me quite a bit of Du Maurier's unnamed heroine in Rebecca because of her unintentional gaffes and her longing to simply feel the love of her husband. And yet she is different, having come from a life of extreme wealth where she has never had to fight for anything. Because of this, I had trouble connecting with the character, which might have contributed to my ambivalence about the novel. Still, there is nothing glaringly wrong with the book and I would recommend it if you are interested in a light period read.

Escaping the damp stone walls,
K


Support our site and buy The American Heiress on Amazon or find it at your local library. We received an Advance Readers' Edition from the publisher.

Blogiversary Giveaway!

Thank you again to everyone who follows and reads this blog! We have decided to give away one book that we loved over the past year. So, please fill out the form below to enter and choose the book that you would like to receive if you win. We have tried to include a wide variety so that there's something for everyone -- the goal of our blog! International entries are welcome and we'll keep this open for a week.

So thankful for all of you,
K and Z

Three Years of Blogging Fun

photo by k

Well, apparently it's our three year blogiversary today and I had no idea until I just looked it up. I definitely want to get a giveaway together for you all because it's been such a fantastic ride so far! I've made some great friends in the community and read tons of wonderful books. So, let me get my ducks in a row and set something up.

In the year ahead, I plan to get back to regularly scheduled posts, more participation from Z and to just make the blog more fun in general. Thank you so much for coming along with us on our blogging journey!

Blowing out the candles,
K and Z