Book Review: Under a Vampire Moon

Under a Vampire Moon by Lynsay Sands

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Marguerite Argeneau is a vampire on her honeymoon with her new vampire husband Julius. When she runs into Carolyn Connor, a forty-something mortal, she knows she is the perfect life-mate for her son Christian. The problem is that even though Christian is 500 years old, he looks 25 and Carolyn doesn’t want to be perceived as a cougar. Christian’s cousin Gia comes up with a plan: Christian can pretend that he is gay and that his family would not approve if they knew. Gia asks Carolyn to be Christian’s beard so his family doesn’t suspect he’s gay. The hope is that after Carolyn gets to know Christian, he can reveal he is not gay and she won’t care about the age difference anymore. And then of course he also has to tell her he’s a vampire at some point as well.

Under a Vampire Moon is the sixteenth book in the Argeneau series. It’s the first book in the series that I’ve read but I had no trouble following the story. I wasn’t up to speed on all the vampire mythology but that wasn’t important to understanding what was happening. Actually, Christian and his relatives don’t act much like vampires, they could have very easily been regular humans without altering the story. They drink bagged blood and as long as they drink enough of it, they can go out in the daytime.

Carolyn can be very frustrating and dense. Towards the end, her history is revealed and it explains most of her behavior. Christian’s cousin Zanipolo is a minor character in this book who was charming and funny – I wish he would have been featured more. Even though the plot follows the typical trashy romance formula, it did manage to surprise me in the end. I knew there was something up with Carolyn’s best friend Bethany but what ended up happening with her was not what I was expecting.

Since this book is an Avon paperback, I knew it would not be a great work of literary fiction. But for what it is – a trashy romance novel – I thought it was a fun read. I enjoyed it but not so much that I feel like I need to read any of the other books in the series.

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(I received this book courtesy of the Amazon Vine program.)

Book Review: If You Were Here

If You Were Here: A Novel by Jen Lancaster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mac and Mia are tired of the graffiti artist thugs in the neighborhood in which they rent their house. They decide it’s time to take the plunge and buy a house in the Chicago suburbs. And not just any suburb in Chicago – they want to move to the suburb that John Hughes used for his movies’ settings. They look at several homes but can’t find their dream house. Instead they buy a fixer-upper that will test their home improvement knowledge and their marriage.

I love Jen Lancaster. Because I’ve read all her memoirs and follow her blog, I feel like we’re friends. (Don’t worry, I’m not a crazy stalker!) If You Were Here is her first work of fiction but it’s actually a thinly disguised memoir, in my opinion. Mac and Mia are Jen and Fletch. Some zany things happen to Mac and Mia that wouldn’t happen to Jen and Fletch in real life but their personalities are the same. This didn’t bother me but I think that if you aren’t a Jen Lancaster fan already, you may not connect with this book as much as I did.

Some of the dialogue was stilted and some of the explanations of home-buying terms sounded too much like a real estate manual. However, the story was amusing and engaging. This would be a great beach read.

This book has tons of footnotes just like Jen’s other books so I’m not sure if it would be good to read on an e-reader.

Here’s a crappy cell-phone picture of Jen and I at her book signing last year for If You Were Here. (I’m really not a stalker, I swear!)

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Book Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

This book was not at all what I expected it to be, yet I enjoyed it immensely. I thought it would be a lot creepier and more gothic. It was actually more of a fantasy – and we all know that I usually struggle with fantasy books. This one was different though. I think it was because there was a clear set of rules that the fantastical elements operated in. Each peculiar child had a special talent, there was no random magic happening at convenient times for the sake of advancing the plot.

The ending of this book definitely paves the way for a sequel and while I would like to read more, I was quite satisfied with how this book wrapped up. If for some reason there isn’t a sequel, I won’t be lying awake at night over it.

Interspersed throughout the book are real vintage photographs. The author incorporates these photos into the story – most of them are of the peculiar children. It was as if someone handed the author a stack of eclectic photos and said, “I challenge you to weave these into a story.” I thought it was a unique device. Because of these photos, I would recommend if you read the electronic version that you do so on a color reader. The photos looked like muddy blurs on my Kindle but looked great on my iPad.

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Book Review: Heart of the Matter

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

A powerful, provocative novel about marriage and motherhood, love and forgiveness.

Tessa Russo is a stay-at-home mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie—a boy who has never known his father. Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, they are strangers to one another and have little in common, aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

This is the moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most.

Heart of the Matter was this month’s read for the book club my stay-at-home moms group just formed. This was only our second meeting and the first one I had been able to attend. Most of the other women had read some of Emily Giffin’s other books but this was my first time reading her work. I’ll admit I had my expectations set pretty low, knowing that she is considered a “chick-lit” author. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed reading this book.

The story pulled me in right in from the beginning. In the first chapter Tessa and her physician husband Nick are at their anniversary dinner when he gets called away to an emergency at the hospital. Tessa recalls that she went home that night without Nick and fell asleep not knowing that this night would be a defining moment in her life – everything in her life will now be remembered as happening either before or after this night. When I read that, I was compelled to keep reading until I had a full understanding of what grew out of the events of that night. It’s hard to say much more without spoiling it for you so I’m afraid I’ll have to leave it at that as far as the plot goes.

I do think that Ms. Giffin might have a problem with stay-at-home moms. Tessa is a former career woman who has recently become a stay-at-home mom and is struggling with her identity. I can understand that – I have met many moms who feel the same way. But every other stay-at-home mom in the book is perfect in a bitchily perfect Stepford Wives meets Heathers way. It would have been nice if Tessa’s friends had more dimension to them. Even in a private school, I can’t believe that every mother would be like the ones in this book.

This book made for a great book club discussion. We discussed the several aspects of motherhood presented in this book – homemakers, single moms, career moms. There was also a lot to discuss related to the events that transpired as a result of “that night”. I think that most women, especially moms, will find this book an enjoyable read.

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Book Review: Big Miracle

Big Miracle by Tom Rose

My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars

Big Miracle is the book that inspired the movie of the same name. I haven’t seen the movie yet and couldn’t find a release date for the DVD. However, from what I could gather from reading about the movie online, it differs markedly from the book. It would have to – there is no way that Drew Barrymore would star in a movie that was as cynical about environmentalism and animal welfare as author Tom Rose’s book is.

This book is a non-fiction account of the 1988 rescue attempt of three California Gray whales who were trapped in the ice near Barrow, Alaska. The author was one of several reporters in Barrow covering the rescue process. What could have been a very nice story about people of all different backgrounds coming together to save the whales was ruined by the author’s cynicism and the opinions he inserted as facts that didn’t have much to do with the actual story.

When this book was originally published in 1989, the title was Freeing the Whales: How the Media Created the World’s Greatest Non-Event. Had I known that when this book was pitched to me, I would not have reviewed it. The cover of the new, movie tie-in edition reads, “Inspired by the Incredible True Story That United the World.” The author did not feel that this story was incredible – at least not in a good way. He repeats often that the whales didn’t need to be saved and that the amount of media coverage they received was ridiculous.

He also uses every opportunity to assert that we should be drilling for oil in Alaska and that the environmentalists have it all wrong. He offers up his opinions as facts with no footnotes or citations to back them up. In a non-fiction book, I expect to see research if opinions are inserted. For example, “Increased wealth leads to increased spending. That applies as much to environmental protection as to anything else…The same process that drives economic growth and wealth creation results in less pollution, not more.” First of all, where is the research that backs that up and secondly, what does that have to do with rescuing the whales?

He also takes repeated jabs at Cindy Lowry from Greenpeace – “[Carroll’s] reaction to the word ‘Soviet’ was as instinctively visceral as Cindy’s reaction to the word ‘military.’ The only difference was that Carroll’s animus was justified while Cindy’s was not.” Says who? Why does that second sentence need to be there?

Those are just a couple of many, many examples. I found it ironic that the working title of this edition (which was printed on the cover of my ARC) was Everybody Loves Whales because Tom Rose doesn’t seem to love them all that much.

I did appreciate learning more about life in rural Alaska but I don’t know if slogging through the rest of the book made it worth it. I still plan on seeing the movie and I will report back afterwards.

(All quotes are taken from the Advance Uncorrected Proof – the final copy may differ.)

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(I received this book courtesy of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.)

Giveaway: The Day the World Ends

Publicist’s description:

Ethan Coen’s screenplays have surprised and delighted international audiences with their hilarious vision and bizarrely profound understanding of human nature. With his brother, Joel, Coen has written, directed, and produced some of the most original and beloved movies in the history of cinema, including Raising Arizona; Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; Fargo; The Big Lebowski; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Intolerable Cruelty; an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men; Burn After Reading; and—most recently—True Grit, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Coen has also written collections of critically acclaimed plays (Almost an Evening), short stories (Gates of Eden), and poetry (The Drunken Driver Has the Right of Way), all presented in his distinctly humorous and oddly brilliant literary voice.

Coen’s eccentric genius is revealed again in THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS (Broadway Paperbacks Original, on sale April 3, 2012), a collection of poems that offers humor and provides insight into an artist who has always pushed the boundaries of his craft. THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS is a remarkable range of poems that are as funny, ribald, provocative, raw, and often touching as the brilliant films that have made the Coen brothers cult legends.

Short, accessible, and nearly the same price as a movie ticket, this new poetry collection is a perfect treat for Coen’s legions of fans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: When not writing plays, poetry, or short stories, ETHAN COEN makes movies with his brother, Joel Coen. After thirteen films, the Coen brothers have one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed bodies of work in the history of cinema.

I haven’t read this book but I’m a fan of a lot of the Coen brothers’ movies. I’m excited to be able to offer a copy of this book to two of my readers with United States addresses. Just fill out the form below. The giveaway will be closed for entries at 11:59pm (central time) on April 11, 2012.

Book Review: Sacre Bleu

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sacre Bleu is the story of painter/baker Lucien Lessard and real-life artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as they try to figure out if their friend Vincent Van Gogh really killed himself or if foul play was involved. Along the way, they meet the mysterious Colorman, who is always trying to sell blue paint to the artists. Other real-life artists of the day have supporting roles: Monet, Manet, Degas, Gauguin.

This book was definitely absurd but I didn’t find myself laughing out loud as much as I usually do with a Christopher Moore book. I was more mildly amused. A lot of the jokes that I didn’t think were that funny in the first place were repeated throughout the book, which got old.

As an art lover married to a painter, I appreciated the art references throughout the book and having pictures of the paintings mentioned included within the text. (The pictures were black and white in my advance copy; I’m not sure if they will be in color in the finished hardback but I hope they will.)

I think that Moore fans will get some enjoyment from reading this book. If you are new to him, I would not recommend starting with Sacre Bleu.

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(I received this book courtesy of the Amazon Vine program.)

Page to Screen: The Hunger Games

I’m sure most everyone who read The Hunger Games has seen the movie by now but I’m going to offer up my review of the movie anyway. This review will have spoilers if you haven’t read the book so PROCEED WITH CAUTION…

I thought the screenplay adaptation of the book into the movie was fantastic. I know a lot of people were disappointed that the character Madge, the mayor’s daughter, didn’t make it into the movie. I wasn’t bothered by this – the movie was already almost two and a half hours long and I was fine with this being left out. Other than that, I think most every important detail in the book made it into the movie.

Jennifer  Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss was amazing. I couldn’t believe how realistically she was able to make her body tremble in the scene where she is about to go into the tube that will take her up into the arena. And her love for Rue was so geniune. Even though I knew Rue was going to die, I bawled like a baby when it happened. Amandla Stenberg, who played Rue, was cute as a button and had the angelic presence of Rue down pat.

When I read the book, I was squarely Team Peeta but I may be leaning towards Team Gale after watching the movie, just because Liam Hemsworth looked so much better than Josh Hutcherson. Josh’s Peeta had some very distracting frosted blonde hair. I’m pretty sure they don’t sell home hair color kits in District 12 so I don’t know why his hair had to be like that. Hopefully it will be toned down in the next movie.

All in all, I had just minor, nit-picky complaints about this movie. It’s a great adaption of the book and I give it two thumbs up! I can’t wait to see it again.

Book Review: The Nobodies Album

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Well-known author Octavia Frost has re-written the last chapters of all her previous novels and compiled them in her newest book, The Nobodies Album. When she arrives in New York to drop the finished manuscript off at her publisher’s office, she learns that her son Milo has been arrested for murdering his girlfriend Bettina. Even though Octavia and her famous musician son have been estranged for four years, she immediately heads to California to offer her help. She discovers that Milo can’t remember the events of the night his girlfriend died and doesn’t know whether or not he was the one who killed her.

This book is so much more than a murder mystery. Interspersed throughout the main story are exerpts from Octavia’s other books that include the original last chapter and the new, revised last chapter. Octavia talks about how authors put themselves in their work whether they realize it or not. The excerpts from her other books serve to illustrate what regrets Octavia has about her life. I thought this was a unique method of telling a story and I really liked it.

The murder mystery story-line was exciting and kept me guessing up until the end. Additionally, I appreciated the realism of Octavia and Milo’s relationship. They were both well-developed, layered characters – relatable but not always likeable. Flashbacks to when Milo was a child help the reader understand why his relationship with his mother is so complicated today. I highly recommend The Nobodies Album.

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Book Review: Then Came You

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Annie, a young married mother of two, wants to be a surrogate mother to earn money to help her husband with their ever growing pile of bills. Jules, a college student, is considering donating her eggs to earn enough money to send her father to rehab. India, a wealthy Manhattanite, want a child to secure her inheritance from her husband. Her step-daughter Bettina is out to prove that India is a gold-digger and a liar.

This book alternated narration between the four above characters. These characters were well-developed – quite a bit of back-story for them was revealed in their respective narration. Eventually, all of their lives end up intersecting, somewhat unrealistically I thought. I really had a problem with the ending of this book. I thought that India was unlikeable and her choices near the end of the book seemed horrible to me. Maybe I’m too vengeful, but I was not happy with how her life turned out.

I listened to the audio version of this book which in this case I think lessened my enjoyment of it. Each character was narrated by a different woman: Karen Ziemba, Ava Cash, Jenni Barber and Annalynne McCord. I thought Annalynne McCord’s portrayal of Jules was awful. She sounded tired and like she was reading a list of items, not telling a story. Karen Ziemba’s narration of India’s story wasn’t much better. Since two out of the four narrators sounded like they were reading lists, I wonder if it’s more the director’s fault. Either way, it got on my nerves.

I liked this book enough that I’ll give another of Weiner’s books a try some day.

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