Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

The blurb:
Eight-year-old Noah's problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn't think about them.  So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest.

Before long he comes across a shop.  But htis is no ordinary shop.  It is a toy shop, full of the most amazing toys and brimming with the most wonderful magic.  And here Noah meets a most unusual character.

The toymaker has a story to tell, and it's a story of adventure and wonder, and broken promises.  He takes Noah on a journey. A journey that will change his life. And it could change yours too.

Review:
Noah Barleywater Runs Away  is geared towards middle school kids, and even reluctant readers are likely to get drawn into his adventure.  Noah is likable - we quickly wonder why he's run away.  When strangers ask him about it and question whether he'd been mistreated at home, Noah's quick to speak up for his parents.  In fact, its the stories about his mother and her love for him that give the book a special pull.

As Noah meets unusual characters and comes across the toymaker, the story takes on an unusual twist.  Magic, loneliness, friendship and loyalty all play important roles in the adventure.  And as the tale winds down to a satisfactory end,  both Noah and the reader take home an important lesson.


Noah Barleywater Runs Away is a carefully crafted adventure and a satisfying read.

For ages 9 to 12.
ISBN-10: 0385752466 - Hardcover $16.99
Publisher: David Fickling Books (May 10, 2011), 240 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971.  He is the author of seven previous novels including the international bestsellers Mutiny on the Bounty, The House of Special Purpose, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which won two Irish Book Awards, topped the New York Times Bestseller List and was turned into a Miramax feature film.  His books are published in over 40 languages.  He lives and writes in Dublin.  Learn more about him at www.johnboyne.com

Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

The blurb:

Eight-year-old Noah's problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn't think about them.  So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest.

Before long he comes across a shop.  But htis is no ordinary shop.  It is a toy shop, full of the most amazing toys and brimming with the most wonderful magic.  And here Noah meets a most unusual character.

The toymaker has a story to tell, and it's a story of adventure and wonder, and broken promises.  He takes Noah on a journey. A journey that will change his life. And it could change yours too.

Review:

Noah Barleywater Runs Away  is geared towards middle school kids, and even reluctant readers are likely to get drawn into his adventure.  Noah is likable - we quickly wonder why he's run away.  When strangers ask him about it and question whether he'd been mistreated at home, Noah's quick to speak up for his parents.  In fact, its the stories about his mother and her love for him that give the book a special pull.

As Noah meets unusual characters and comes across the toymaker, the story takes on an unusual twist.  Magic, loneliness, friendship and loyalty all play important roles in the adventure.  And as the tale winds down to a satisfactory end,  both Noah and the reader take home an important lesson.

Noah Barleywater Runs Away is a carefully crafted adventure and a satisfying read.

For ages 9 to 12.
ISBN-10: 0385752466 - Hardcover $16.99
Publisher: David Fickling Books (May 10, 2011), 240 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971.  He is the author of seven previous novels including the international bestsellers Mutiny on the Bounty, The House of Special Purpose, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which won two Irish Book Awards, topped the New York Times Bestseller List and was turned into a Miramax feature film.  His books are published in over 40 languages.  He lives and writes in Dublin.  Learn more about him at www.johnboyne.com

Isobel Carr's Ripe for Pleasure Blog Tour

Ripe for Pleasure  by Isobel Carr
 
The blurb:

Second in line, first in love
A secret society of younger sons, sworn to aid and abet each other, no matter the scandal or cost.... Their fathers and brothers may rule the world, but they run it . . . and when it comes to passion, they refuse to accept second best.

Searching for hidden treasure,  finding forbidden fantasy.
London's most sensual former courtesan, Viola Whedon, is incapable of being seduced-she does the seducing. Until she meets Leonidas Vaughn. Her salacious memoirs have made her the target of half the lords in England, and Vaughn is the only man she can turn to. When he promises to protect her-and to make her beg for his touch-the alluring beauty finds both offers impossible to refuse.

Leonidas Vaughn secretly believes Viola possesses a fortune given to his family by the King of France. So the strong and sexy Vaughn charms his way into Viola's life . . . and her bed. But when their arrangement is consummated, he'll experience pleasure far beyond his wildest fantasies-and realize his heart may need the most protection of all.

Review:
I confess that Ripe for Pleasure is just the sort of historical romance that I enjoy.  Leonidas, the romantic male lead, is gorgeous, wealthy, powerful, witty, deadly, and doesn't much care what the world thinks of him. As the second son of a duke, he's well aware of his power and how society and opinion will accommodate his escapades.

His tight group of second sons is brilliant - they share the same proximity to money and power and the same disdain for society's restraints (within reason).

When Leonidas undertakes the "rescue" and seduction of the most sought after concubine in London, it's done with taste and good humor.  Learning about it from the point of view of the witty, principled, and endearing Viola Whedon is a treat.

The story has a hidden treasure, betrayal, kidnappings, an intimidating dowager duchess, and a lovely romance.  I very much enjoyed Isobel Carr's Ripe for Pleasure and look forward to the next book in the series -- involving Leonidas's sister!

ISBN-10: 0446572756 - Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Forever (April 26, 2011), 336 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:

Isobel Carr is single, child-free, and a committed "dog person" (the bigger the dog the better). She has taught creative writing, horseback riding, and seminars on historical costuming. She can start a fire without matches and hitch a team of horses to a wagon. She can also spend nine hours in a Victorian corset without a problem but can't wear heels for more than four hours. She laughed all the way through every episode of Colonial House, and if she could only watch one movie for the rest of her life, it would be Impromptu.

Getting Moving Again.

I started this blog with quite a long list of things that I wanted to do, topmost on the list was to eat healthy, get fit, and lose weight.  While I've been exploring NYC and discovering some amazing authors and books, I haven't lost any weight.  I've gained some, quite a lot, actually.

I'd postponed acknowledging it but it's weighed on me (bad pun!) and I'd like to start over.  I've been assembling books and advice to help me - and also friends and family to keep me on track.

I'll keep everyone posted as well - this will give me added motivation. Every week, I'll let you know what I've done and what my goals are.  This week, I intend to walk for 30 minutes every other day.  I'm getting over a bout of the flu, but the walking and exercise starts today.

I was watching Dr. Oz's show about weight loss.  It turns out that he has a new book on losing weight.  haven't read his other books, but his show was motivating.  He's got a list of 99 things that will help you lose weight and they went through the first 10 of them on the show.  He also pointed out the different ways that excess weight harms your body, the diseases that you become prone to, and the inflammation that results from carrying excess weight.   All of these things were helpful in getting me to commit to starting today.

I remember asking for advice in the past and several of you gave encouragement and reiterated the need to keep moving.  Thank you - and hopefully some of you friends will join me in starting over and reestablishing healthy habits.

Shall we come up with our own list of the top 50 things to lose weight and keep it off?  Do share your tips below.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin

I'd read a review of Please Look After Mom in the New York Times. I was very excited to read and review the book when offered the chance through the Amazon Vine program.  Written by one of South Korea's most widely read and highly respected authors, this is her first book translated into English.

Please Look After Mom tells the story of Park So-nyo, an elderly mother of five and grandmother, who gets separated from her husband in the subway at Seoul.  Her husband and children begin a systematic search for her and as they do so, they realize that things have not been well with their mother for some time now.   

Shin tells the story from four perspectives: daughter, son, husband and wife.  Each reveals aspects of Park So-nyo's life and her family life.   The emotions that the story invokes goes beyond cultural lines: helplessness, desperation, shame, admiration, guilt, regret, and deep respect.    Other reviewers have mentioned how Park So-nyo's story made them think of their lives and I echo this response, reading the book has me examining the close relationships in my life. 

Please Look After Mom is an amazing read and one of the best books that I've read in a long time.  While on the surface it is a story about an older South Korean woman, it is really a story about love, parenthood, sacrifice,  and family.  It's message is universal - read the book and share it with people that you love.

ISBN-10: 9780307593917 - Hardcover $24.95
Publisher: Knopf (April 5, 2011), 256 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Amazon Vine. 

About the Author:
Kyung-sook Shin is the author of numerous works of fiction and is one of South Korea's most widely read and acclaimed novelists.  She has been honored with the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-in Literature Prize, and the Yi Sang Literary Prize, as well as France's Prix de l'Inapercu.  Please Look After Mom is her first book to appear in English and will be published in 18 countries.  She live in Seoul.

Winter Bloom by Tara Heavey

Winter Bloom by Tara Heavey

The blurb:
In the heart of bustling modern Dublin is a littered, overgrown garden of tangled weeds and a stagnant, hidden pond.  Belonging to an iron-willed elderly lady named Mrs. Prendergast, who is rumored to have murdered and buried her husband there, the garden draws Eva Madigan, a young mother struggling to move on from the pain of her past.  Eva is joined by Emily, a beautiful but withdrawn college dropout; Uri, an old world immigrant; Seth, his all-too-handsome son; and occasionally even Mrs. Prendergast herself.  But what drives Eva to transform the neglected urban wilderness?  What makes the others want to help her?  Even as Mrs. Prendergast puts the land up for sale, the thorny lives of all the gardeners are revealed and slowly start to untangle.  Overgrown secrets are dug up and shared.  Choices are made; a little pruning is in order.  Now Eva is about to discover that every garden is a story of growth toward a final harvest. . .

Review:
Tara Heavey's Winter Bloom is a book to share with friends.  Like Darien Gee's Friendship Bread, Tara Heavey's book brings strangers together and turns them into friends.  As Eva, Emily, Uri, Seth and even Mrs. Prendergast tend to the garden, they grow into real friends.

I enjoyed reading about how they connected and gradually shared their own secrets. Each character has his or her own tragedy of sorts and Tara Heavey makes it all come together so well.    The book is just the sort to read on a cold afternoon or a sunny day in the park.  Heartwarming and a fun escape!

ISBN-10: 9781439177938 - Paperback $15.00
Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (October 12, 2010), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Tara Heavy was born in London, where she lived until moving to Dublin at the age of eleven.  A former lawyer, she is currently a full-time author who lives in County Kilkenny with her family.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Bossypants by Tina Fey

A comedy writer’s take on a regular life is worth a read, but this book by this comedy writer about her life is hilarious, empowering, and insightful.  Even readers who don’t usually read memoirs are sure to find Tina Fey’s Bossypants a riveting read.

Tina Fey’s an American actress, comedian, writer and producer who has worked on some of the most prestigious shows and won a litany of awards: 7 Emmy Awards, 3 Golden Globe Awards, 4 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and  Writers Guild of America Awards. In 2008, the Associated Press singled her out as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment with their AP Entertainer of the Year award. Certainly, those who know her work - enjoyed her film Mean Girls, chortled at her Saturday Night Live “Weekend Updates”  and “Sarah Palin” impersonations, and applauded her success with 30 Rock - will enjoy reading her story in her own words.  

Bossypants gives us Tina Fey’s voice uncensored and unadulterated.  Irreverent and tongue-in-cheek, she goes through her life in chronological order, making ordinary situations funny and interesting.   She starts with her early childhood years as Mrs. Fey’s change-of-life baby, her awkward adolescence and college years.  She moves on to her experience doing improvisation at Second City, a sketch comedy theater in Chicago, and writing for and acting in Saturday Night Live. She’s candid about 30 Rock, their success, what it’s like to work with Alec Baldwin and Lorne Michaels, and how she balances the intense workload with motherhood and family life.  

Wives and mothers are sure to relate to Fey’s stories about juggling holidays with the in-laws, preparing for your kid’s much awaited birthday party, and the ups and downs of family life.  Single working women will find her story resonates.  To be a successful and tough woman often means someone’s calling you bossy.  Self-deprecating, frank, and funny, Tina Fey’s Bossypants is a book to share with friends.

ISBN-10: 9780316056861 - Hardcover $26.99

Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books; First Edition edition (April 5, 2011), 288 pages.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Margaret Mallory's The Guardian blog tour

I admit that these romance novels are one of my many guilty pleasures.  I've a particular fondness for historical romances and the Scottish highlander novels.  Ever since I read her first books, I've enjoyed Margaret Mallory novels which combine humor and drama with fun romance.  She's  launched a new series called "The Return of the Highlanders" which begins with The Guardian.




The Guardian (Return of the Highlanders) by Margaret Mallory
The blurb:
Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies.  But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four wilful Scottish beauties.

After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril.  To save his kin, he must right the wrongs form his past...and claim the bride he's long resisted.

As a young lass, Sileas depends on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes.  Five years later, Sileas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife.  Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love.  He wants a second chance with Sileas -- and he won't take no for an answer.

Review:
I've read every single Margaret Mallory novel.  I enjoy the banter between the romantic leads and her particular humor that comes through with the male and female points of view.  In The Guardian, we have a hero worshiping young lady who ends up forcing her big crush/hero to marry her.  It takes Ian a long time to outgrow his resentment but this just adds to the situational humor.  There's just enough suspense and political intrigue to keep the other male leads interesting and important to the plot - and to lay the foundation for what will surely be an entertaining series with tough, handsome, and honorable highlanders.   Margaret Mallory delivered yet another sweet, satisfying romance. 

About the Author:
Margaret Mallory surprised her friends and family by abandoning her legal career—and her steady job—to write novels. At long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy—in the pages of her novels, of course.   She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two college-age children. She would dearly love to hear from readers. You can contact her via her website at www.MargaretMallory.com.

Forever Romance is generously sponsoring a giveaway of several copies of The Guardian.   One entry per household.    No P.O. boxes please.  US and Canada only.  Interested?  Fill out this form and help me improve my blog.  You must be a follower to enter the contest. Contest ends May 10, 2011.

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe

The blurb:
The legend of las mariposas - the beautiful monarch butterflies that every year fly more than 2,000 miles on fragile wings to to return to their winter home in Mexico - in Luz Avila's birthright.  She learned of their ways and their mystical powers from the grandmother who was the only family that she knew.  Now it is her turn, like the butterflies, to make that long, perilous journey.  In order to honor the promise to her beloved abuela, Luz must return to her grandmother's ashes to her ancestral village in the mountains of Mexico.  But while this ofrenda, a tradition so old its origins lost in the mists of time, will mean leaving behind a man who loves Luz deeply, the journey promises to bring deep spiritual meaning to the life of a woman who cannot find her way into the future until she comes to terms with the past.

As Luz slowly makes her way south from blustery Milwaukee in a VW Bug so ancient it as no business on the highway, a series of seemingly random encounters touches her life: a desperate mother-to-be, even younger than her, fleeing an abusive lover.  An anywhere-the-wind-blows free spirit.  A lonely career woman who is determined to live, really live, for the first time.  It is in San Antonio, however, that a truly startling revelation awaits Luz: a reunion with a shadowy figure from her childhood.

Together, they cross the border into Mexico, but they also must somehow cross the border that separates past from present, bitterness from love, and truth from lies.  They will honor the memory of another beloved woman by standing in the Sacred Circle to witness the spectacular, glittering river of orange monarchs descend from the sky to return home.  If they can share in this age-old ritual, perhaps they will be able to find their way back to love, and take their place in the enduring circle of life.

Review:
Mary Alice Monroe's latest novel, The Butterfly's Daughter, is a book about friendship, family and self-discovery.  Luz is determined to fulfill her promise to go  to her grandmother's village in Mexico to see the place where the monarch butterflies journey every year.  This task is a pilgrimage for Luz and it's a final tribute to the woman who raised her.  As Luz encounters problems on her way to Mexico, she handles them best she can.  Her openness and generosity lead to unexpected friendships. 
While the interaction between Luz her new friends is heartwarming, Luz's complex relationship with her mother gives the book an added complexity.

The Butterfly's Daughter is a heartwarming women's novel.

ISBN-10: 1439170614 - Hardcover $25.00
Publisher: Gallery (May 3, 2011), 400 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of Last Light over Carolina and Time is a River as well as many other acclaimed novels.  She received the 2008 Award for Writing from the South Carolina Center for the Book.   An active conservationist, she lives in the low country of South Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.  Learn more about here at www.maryalicemonroe.com

Moondogs by Alexander Yates

Moondogs: A Novel by Alexander Yates

Review:

Moondogs by debut novelist Alexander Yates set in present day Philippines combines magic, action, and satire. Yates draws on his own knowledge of the Philippines where he graduated from high school and later returned to work for the political section of the US Embassy.  His familiarity with and knowledge of the place and its people comes across.   While the persons, places, and events are fictionalized, his Filipino and expat characters are familiar enough that Yates could have written about people we know.   

The lead character is Benicio Bridgewater,  the son of a Columbian mother and American father. His parents had divorced years ago and Benicio has had a strained relationship with his father for years, but following Benicio’s mother’s funeral he’s decided to visit his father in the Philippines to repair the relationship.  When his father stands him up in the airport, Benicio is left angry and hurt.   It turns out that his father Howard had been kidnapped by a meth-addled cabdriver and his strange companions.  When the crime is discovered,  local celebrity hero Reynato Ocampo and his special operations unit nicknamed Ka-Pow is called in to rescue Howard.  Each member of the Ka-Pow team has a unique magical talent which Ocampo learns to harness.  The characters in Moondogs run the gamut: yayas, drivers, and  hotel staff,  “political consultants”  and actors turned politicians,  pampered and privileged kids from the International School Manila, expat businessmen and “exotic dancers”, desperate hustlers, kidnappers, military men, and terrorists from the South.   Yates seems to have captured much of the Philippine experience and added his own special stamp creating an unusual, rollicking read.  

ISBN-10: 0385533780 - Hardcover $25.95
Publisher: Doubleday (March 15, 2011), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.


About the Author:
Alexander Yates grew up in Haiti, Mexico, and Bolivia.  He graduated from high school in the Philippines, where he later returned to work as a contractor in the political section of the U.S. Embassy.  He holds an MFA from Syracuse University and his short story "Everything Clearly" appeared in the 2010 edition of American Fiction: The Best Unpublished Short Stories by Emerging Writers.