Small Fry Saturday #22: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

Hey there readers!  It has been a LOOOOONG time since I did a Small Fry Saturday.  I am way overdue--so here's a little kid lit to wet your whistle.

As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 2-year-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

This week's selection is...

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen
(illustrated by Mark Teague)

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I volunteered at the Rochester Children's Book Festival, and while there, I had the pleasure of meeting Jane Yolen, the author of the "How Do Dinosaurs..." series of kid's books.  At my baby shower before Small Fry was born, a guest gifted us with a copy of How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?, which we've been reading to him since he was but a wee lad.  At RCBF, I finally got to pick up this book as another installment in the series (and get it signed!), and it's been fun reading this one with Small Fry as well.

Why are these books so cool?  Well, the illustrations are a good part of it.  In this book, each page shows a different dinosaur doing something silly before he/she goes to bed.  As you can see from the cover, this usually entails a massive reptile perched precariously on some piece of furniture as a tired parent attempts to reason them into bed.  Young kiddos will like the pictures, and older ones will be able to learn from them too (each page has the species of dinosaur printed somewhere on the page).  Dinosaurs jumping on stuff and throwing tantrums...what's not to love?  Plus, the rhythmic story provides a fun reading experience for the kids as you go along.

If you want a goofy, fun kids read (especially for any dino lovers in your life), any book in this series is a good bet...though I particularly love this one as a before-bedtime pick.

Have you read any other books in the How Do Dinosaurs series?

Book Review: The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok

Title: The Memory Palace
Author: Mira Bartok
Publisher: Free Press
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
Source: personal purchase

Summary from Goodreads:

When piano prodigy Norma Herr was healthy, she was the most vibrant personality in the room. But as her schizophrenic episodes became more frequent and more dangerous, she withdrew into a world that neither of her daughters could make any sense of. After Norma attacked her, Mira Bartók and her sister changed their names and cut off all contact in order to keep themselves safe. For the next seventeen years Mira’s only contact with her mother was through infrequent letters exchanged through post office boxes, often not even in the same city where she was living.

At the age of forty, Mira suffered a debilitating head injury that left her memories foggy and her ability to make sense of the world around her forever changed. Hoping to reconnect with her past, Mira learned Norma was dying in a hospital, and she and her sister traveled to their mother’s deathbed to reconcile one last time.

Through stunning prose and gorgeous original art, The Memory Palace explores the connections between mother and daughter that cannot be broken no matter how much exists—or is lost—between them.

My Review:

Phew, what a memoir.  The Memory Palace is, at various points, sad, frightening, hopeful, and frustrating.  But mostly sad.  I was sad for the lack of support that Mira and her sister Natalia received over the years, both from their other family members and from social services.  I was sad for their mother, who Mira and Natalia loved deeply, but because she was unable to receive adequate help, they were forced to abandon her for their own well-being.  And most broadly, I was sad that Mira and Natalia had to live their entire lives under this shadow--because even when they separated themselves completely from their mother, they were still left with horrible memories and a suspicion of others' good will.

This memoir speaks strongly about the lack of social supports for the mentally ill in America.  Mira and Natalia tried countless times to get social services involved with their mother, or to appoint her a legal guardian who could take over her financial affairs--and in the end, the vast majority of their attempts failed, resulting in their mother's homelessness and declining physical health.  Also, I couldn't believe that Mira and Natalia were never taken from their mother's custody as children.  Mira does say that they never wanted that, but from an outsider perspective, it was heart-wrenching to see the fear they lived in throughout their childhoods because of their mother's illness.  It makes you wonder how many other families in this country face these obstacles with mentally ill spouses, children, siblings, etc. each day.

Well, I've made it fairly obvious that this memoir leaves a big emotional impact.  But I also have to comment on the writing style a bit.  I'll admit that, in the beginning, I almost DNF'd this one.  The first part of the book, when Mira is recounting her early childhood, took a long time to catch my interest.  I think because her memories of this time were so fuzzy (being early in life), she writes about them with a lot of symbolic references to artwork, music, etc and after a while, those references just became too abstract and flowy for me.  I wanted to know about her life...I didn't need all of the artistic imagery in its place.

However, as Mira moves into her adolescence and adulthood, she leaves a lot of these fluid images behind, and starts telling her story in a more concrete way.  (She does still rely on a lot of artistic images for embellishment--she is an artist, after all--but when paired with the more solid facts of her life, they take on  more relevance, in my opinion.)  By the time she was recounting her teenage years, I was enveloped in the memoir and found myself captivated by her life story.  In spite of the difficult time she has with her mother, Mira has led a truly amazing life, and the journey she goes on around the world is not one you'll soon forget.

Looking for a light read?  I think you need to find another book on my blog, perhaps.  The Memory Palace is sure to weigh heavily on your mind for a while after reading, but the message it sends about the treatment of the mentally ill makes it well worth your time.

Readers: read any other powerful memoirs lately?  Especially in regards to mental illness?

Book Review: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Title: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Author: Sheryl Sandberg
Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: March 11, 2013
Source: borrowed from the good ol' public library

Summary from Goodreads:

 In Lean In,Sheryl Sandberg examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential. 

Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked onFortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one ofTime’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2010, she gave an electrifying TEDTalk in which she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which became a phenomenon and has been viewed more than two million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.

In Lean In, Sandberg digs deeper into these issues, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to cut through the layers of ambiguity and bias surrounding the lives and choices of working women. She recounts her own decisions, mistakes, and daily struggles to make the right choices for herself, her career, and her family. She provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career, urging women to set boundaries and to abandon the myth of “having it all.”  She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women in the workplace and at home.

My Review:

*Long, dissertation-like review alert!  You've been warned.*

I have been very, very curious about this book ever since it came out earlier this year.  I kept hearing all the negative criticisms of it: that Sandberg was putting down stay-at-home moms, that she was giving advice that was only practical for those who could afford nannies and housekeepers, etc.  This made me a little hesitant to jump in, because as a new stay-at-home mom who is decidedly leaning OUT, I already felt like I had a bad taste in my mouth from it.  Then I read Time Magazine's interview with her this past March, and I was further intrigued.  It highlighted many of the criticisms that I had already heard, but it also gave me further insight into her motivations behind the book.

I finally got my hands on a copy a few weeks ago...and I have a lot of feels to share.  Since this will get long, I'll tell you up front that many of them are not negative.

The first thing that struck me about this book is that Sandberg was amazingly upfront about her personal work/life choices.  The impression that I got from many of the critics was that the book was primarily composed of impersonal advice, without any connection to her personal values and struggles as a working mom.  That is definitely not the case at all.  I was most interested in what she had to say about her mom--someone who stayed home to raise her kids for many years before returning to the workforce, and yet Sandberg highlights her as someone who "leaned in" all her life.  Hmmmm.  Maybe she's not putting down stay-at-home moms after all?

However, despite Sandberg's ability to impart her advice on a personal level, I did struggle a bit with what I see as some contradictions in her opinions.  For example, she strongly pushes the point that she respects every woman's right to choose her path--whether she wants to work full-time, or stay at home, whatever.  We have all earned the right to make those decisions for ourselves.  She feels that everyone has different reasons for making their choices--biological, societal, etc though she clearly gives more credence to the societal pressures.  Thus, it is obvious that Sandberg wants women to remain in the workforce, due to the fact that she feels gender discrimination in the workplace can only be overcome if women continue to take on positions of leadership and power (a fair point).  As such, much of the advice in the book is centered around helping women manage their careers in a way that allows them to stay in their jobs after having kids.  I'm not saying that the advice she gives in that respect is bad--actually, I think it's quite good, IF that is your choice.  For example, she recommends that women "lean in" to their careers as much as possible before they have kids, so that when they do get around to having a family, they are in a job that satisfies them enough to want to return to their position.  This also often allows them to reach a point in their career where they can have a bit more flexibility in terms of maternity leave, schedule, etc. once they have children.

Is this a valid point?  I'd say so.  However, I think for some women, no matter how satisfied you are with your job, or how high you've climbed the career "jungle gym" (as she calls it) before you have kids, you are still going to value staying home with your children more than you value going back to work full time.  That's not true for everyone, but I do think it's true for some.  I'm just not sure that Sandberg truly recognizes this.  Much of the book discusses the barriers that she thinks keeps women from staying in the workforce after having kids--gender discrimination, not enough household help from spouses, etc. and these are certainly real issues.  But sometimes, I think you can have a woman who is in a job with great maternity benefits, a husband that splits the housework 50/50, and she'll still choose to stay home.  Despite Sandberg saying that she recognizes everyone's ability to choose, I think she does overlook this particular choice.  She has an obvious bias towards keeping women in the workforce as much as possible, and as such, it negates the idea that someone would make the choice to leave even if all of these other factors are accounted for.  For some women, staying home is always going to be more important than a job, and if they have the financial means to do it, they're going to make that choice every time.

I'll admit that I make this declaration out of personal experience--which I think is fair, since Sandberg's advice comes from her personal opinions too.  When my son was born, I had a well-paying job, increasing responsibilities given to my position, pretty solid union protection, amazing (AMAZING!) maternity leave benefits, and a boss that allowed me to go from full-time to part-time (3 days/week working 8am-4pm) indefinitely after I returned to work--with the option to go back to full-time whenever I wanted.  Hi, ideal work/family balance!  I'll admit that I didn't always adore the day-to-day aspects of my work, but overall, I did enjoy my field and the students I interacted with each day.  And yet, despite that ability, I always yearned to be able to stay home full-time.  When we moved and it became financially feasible for me to do so, I jumped at the chance, and I am very happy with that choice.  I have, quite decidedly, leaned out, and I don't know exactly when I'll have the desire to lean in again.  So, as with any rule, I think there are exceptions...and I believe I am the exception to Sandberg's.

Alrighty, let's recenter things here.  The first part of the book talks a lot about this idea of leaning in, putting yourself in a good job position before having kids, etc.  After that, the book takes more of a turn towards talking about workplace conditions for women, and what needs to change in order to create more gender equality in the workplace.  This information, I believe, is less of the "controversial" stuff that got everyone's hackles up over the book, because it's pretty solid advice for any woman in the workforce.  Sandberg has a lot of good suggestions about how to interact effectively with colleagues, how to assertively advocate for yourself at work, how to find good mentors, etc.  This second half of the book is good reading for women in any field to take into consideration during her day-to-day job interactions.  I know that I will keep much of it in mind if I do ever return to the workforce.  Plus, I think men would benefit from reading this as well, in order to get a better idea of any personal workplace biases that they may not even know they are acting upon.

Overall, I'd say that this book isn't nearly as controversial as many critics have claimed.  I think a lot of people got their backs up because Sandberg writes it very much from a personal perspective, and anytime advice is given in that way, people are going to poke holes in it.  I think part of why I didn't get up-in-arms about the aspects of her suggestions that differed from my own ideals is that I recognized from the beginning that she was writing from a very different place than me.  She's wealthy, she has in-home help, she works in a highly male-dominated field--none of these things apply to me, but I made it a point to look at her opinions through that lens and adjust accordingly.

As with any advice-based nonfiction, I suppose the key here is to read Lean In and find the points that work well for you.  Sandberg is not saying any woman is making bad choices--what she IS doing is helping women make better decisions, IF they are the decisions that keep them in the workforce.  That is her bias, and I don't think that's necessarily a negative.  While this book may not exactly empower the stay-at-home moms of the world, it will certainly help the working women out there feel stronger in the workplace, and it will assist any woman who is struggling with what to do about her work situation after she starts a family.  No advice book is going to apply to everyone--that's not a bad thing, and it's certainly the reality for Lean In.

Okay readers, who's read Lean In?  What did you think?  Did your personal work/family situation impact your perspective on what Sandberg had to say?  Have you put any of her advice into practice?  Did you feel that the controversy surrounding its publication was warranted, or overdone?

GIVEAWAY and Book Review: The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

Title: The Whole Golden World
Author: Kristina Riggle
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Source: copy received for honest review through TLC Book Tours

Plot Summary from Goodreads:

To the outside Diana and Joe have a perfect family-three lovely children, a beautiful home, and a café that's finally taking off. But their world is rocked when it's discovered that their oldest daughter, 17-year-old Morgan is having an affair with her married teacher, TJ Hill.

Their town rocks with the scandal. When the case goes to trial, the family is torn further apart when Morgan sides not with her parents-as a manipulated teenage girl; but with TJ himself-as a woman who loves a 30-year-old man.

Told from the perspectives of Morgan, Diana, and TJ's wife, Rain, this is an unforgettable story that fully explores the surprising, even shocking, events that change the lives of two families.

My Review:

Who's ready for a doozy of a family drama?  Cuz I loooooved this one.

Obviously, the subject matter in The Whole Golden World is rather scandalous, so I was originally drawn in by my curiosity-killed-the-cat mentality.  However, the best thing about this novel is the way that the author is able to successfully weave a tale told by three very different narrators.  Morgan's POV was a perfect portrayal of a 17-year-old high school senior: headstrong, naive, thinks she knows everything and needs no one...until she doesn't.  Her personality is inherently contradictory, and Riggle handles this complexity so very well.  Dinah (Morgan's mother) battles between being an overly involved "helicopter mom" and letting her kids be kids.  And Rain (TJ's wife) must decide how far she's willing to take the idea of "for better or worse".

Flat characters?  I HAZ NONE.  Each of these narrators has some aspect of their personality that they are struggling with, and Riggle does an amazing job depicting those struggles without making the characters seem confusing or inconsistent.

I will say that, for the first 2/3 of the novel, I was confused about why the author chose Rain as the third narrator, rather than TJ.  TJ is much more intimately involved in the central problem of the plot, and I was often left wondering about his motives--thus, his POV would have been helpful.  However, once I got to the last third of the book, it became clear why Rain was in the POV "driver's seat", if you will, rather than TJ.  And despite the lack of narration from him, by the end, I had a pretty good idea of what his intentions were anyway.

Fans of Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, etc will definitely be into this one.  Yes, it's full of family drama, but there's more than that--it's also beautifully written, and the story is spliced together in a way that constantly leaves you wanting more.  Every chapter ending will leave you with enough questions that you'll have a hard time putting it down, all the way until the (rather satisfying) conclusion.  This was my first experience with Kristina Riggle's work, but methinks it's time to go back and check out her past novels as well!

As always, much thanks to Trish and TLC Book Tours for including me on this tour!

Check out the other blogs on this book tour HERE.  And connect with Kristina Riggle on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

The publisher sent me an extra copy of The Whole Golden World, and I have decided to gift it to one lucky blog reader.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter!  Entries are for US/Canada residents only and contest closes 11/27.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday--what are you reading?

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!  What are you reading today?

I had a fun book-related activity this weekend, as I volunteered at the 17th annual Rochester Children's Book Festival.  I heard about this right after I moved to the area, and decided it would be fun to volunteer as a way to get to know the event (and the city) a bit better.  I am very happy that I did!  My shift started at 12:30 but I arrived a little early so that I could check things out.  The festival had an impressive list of authors, my fave being Jane Yolen, who writes the How Do Dinosaurs series of children's books that Small Fry looooooves.  I ended up late to my volunteer assignment (whoooops) because I couldn't help jumping into her autograph line for Small Fry.  WORTHSIES!!

(Name edited by me, obviously)

Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple

Yolen was sharing the autograph line with her daughter, fellow author Heidi Stemple.  Jane and Heidi were SUPER nice, asking me about both Small Fry and the increasingly-obvious-under-my-shirt Tater Tot.  Afterwards I volunteered at the main lobby greeting table and had a great time seeing all the happy patrons (kids especially!) coming into and out of the event.  Overall, I really loved doing this and I can't wait to take Small Fry next year...I think he will adore it.

Soooo what am I reading these days?

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked onFortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one ofTime’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2010, she gave an electrifying TEDTalk in which she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which became a phenomenon and has been viewed more than two million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.

In Lean In, Sandberg digs deeper into these issues, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to cut through the layers of ambiguity and bias surrounding the lives and choices of working women. She recounts her own decisions, mistakes, and daily struggles to make the right choices for herself, her career, and her family. She provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career, urging women to set boundaries and to abandon the myth of “having it all.”  She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women in the workplace and at home. (From Goodreads)

I've been meaning to read this ever since it first came out, partially because I can't resist a book that invites controversy, and partially because I am really interested in what Sandberg has to say, especially because I recently left the 9-5 workforce.  I'm about half done and loving it.  I definitely do not agree with everything Sandberg espouses in her book, but even so, it's extremely thought-provoking and has lead to some pretty interesting conversations with my husband.  My review is going to be a mile long when I finally write it (you've been warned).

The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

To the outside Diana and Joe have a perfect family-three lovely children, a beautiful home, and a café that's finally taking off. But their world is rocked when it's discovered that their oldest daughter, 17-year-old Morgan is having an affair with her married teacher, TJ Hill.

Their town rocks with the scandal. When the case goes to trial, the family is torn further apart when Morgan sides not with her parents-as a manipulated teenage girl; but with TJ himself-as a woman who loves a 30-year-old man.

Told from the perspectives of Morgan, Diana, and TJ's wife, Rain, this is an unforgettable story that fully explores the surprising, even shocking, events that change the lives of two families. (From Goodreads)

This is a TLC Book Tour for me and I am completely immersed!  Fans of Jodi Picoult and family dramas are going to love this one.  Can't wait to share my review with you later this week.  I'm about 100 pages from the end, and I have no idea how it's going to wrap up--gotta love the feeling of suspense.

What will I read next?
I have a month before my next book tour review, so I'm looking forward to tackling a few things on my shelves--hopefully The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok, Allegiant by Veronica Roth (gotta finish that series!!), and/or The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

What's in your reading plans this week, friends?

GIVEAWAY and Book Review: Buying In by Laura Hemphill

Title: Buying In
Author: Laura Hemphill
Publisher: New Harvest
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Source: copy received for honest review through TLC Book Tours

Plot Summary from Goodreads:

Bright, ambitious Sophie Landgraf has landed a job as a Wall Street analyst. The small-town girl finally has her ticket to the American elite, but she doesn’t real­ize the toll it will take—on her boyfriend, on her family, and on her. It isn’t long before Sophie is floundering in this male-dominated world, and things are about to get worse.
 
With the financial crisis looming, Sophie be­comes embroiled in a multibillion-dollar merger that could make or break her career. The problem? Three men at the top of their game, each with very different reasons for advancing the merger. Now Sophie doesn’t know whom to trust—or how far she’ll go to get ahead.
 
Set inside the high-stakes world of finance, Manhattan’s after-hours clubs, and factories in the Midwest and India, this is the high-powered, heartfelt story of a young woman finding her foot­ing on Wall Street as it crumbles beneath her. Written by an industry veteran, Buying In tackles what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, and how to survive in big business without sacri­ficing who you are.

My Review:

Happy Monday, readers!  Let's talk about how much I dig this book.

Admittedly, when I initially read the description, I thought this novel sounded like it could be rather chick-litty (is that a word?  let's make it a word).  Not that that's a bad thing--I like my chick lit every once in a while.  However, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the fact that this definitely does not fit into a "girly" category.  The writing in Buying In is whip-smart, as is Sophie, its fresh-out-of-college protagonist.  So smart, in fact, that I had to pay close attention in many parts, as the details about finance and banking can get quite technical.  However, I'd say the book written in a way that makes it accessible even to those with no background in those career areas (myself included).  If anything, it will make you feel more intelligent, and not frustrated over its complexity (as I originally feared).

Other than the impressive detail in the book, I also loved its characters.  They all have very distinct strengths and weaknesses, and those weaknesses are, for the most part, not resolved by the end of the novel.  That was rather refreshing, as I feel that so many books strive to make their characters close to "perfect" by the story's conclusion.  However, instead of fixing all of their individual issues, by the end, each character seems to have grown a bit within their own limitations.  They embrace their imperfections rather than attempting to erase them.

Riding the wave of this "imperfect" ideal, I was also happy with how the novel wrapped up.  This is not a book with neat-and-tidy conclusions for all involved.  This is especially true for Sophie, who (because of my previous assumptions about this being chick lit) I was delighted to see became progressively more independent and strong-willed by the end.  In a world full of men in both her personal and professional life, she finds a way to forge ahead without having to rely on them.  It's both inspiring and refreshing to see such a young female character be able to take that path.

In the end, Buying In left me feeling like THIS is what "new adult" novels should be.  None of that overly sex-and-romance-focused drivel.  Here's a 22-year-old trying to make it in the big bad world of Wall Street, balancing career, family, and love.  And in the end, does she find a perfect solution?  No--but she learns a heck of a lot along the way, and she's ready to live life on her terms.  Doesn't get better than that.  I was glued to this novel, and I hope to see more from Hemphill in the future!

As always, much thanks to Lisa and TLC Book Tours for including me on this tour!

Check out the other blogs on this book tour HERE.  And connect with Laura Hemphill on her website and Twitter.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

TLC Book Tours is offering a copy of Buying In to one lucky reader of my blog.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter!  Entries are for US/Canada residents only and contest closes 11/18.

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GIVEAWAY and Book Review: The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio

Title: The Last Camellia
Author: Sarah Jio
Publisher: Plume
Publication Date: May 28, 2013
Source: won in a giveaway on Nadia's blog (A Bookish Way of Life)

Plot Summary from Goodreads:

On the eve of World War II, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?

My Review:

I have to admit--I was a little unsure of how I would do with this novel.  You may remember that I read my first Sarah Jio novel (Blackberry Winter) earlier this year, and it left me feeling kind of "eh".  Liked it, didn't love it.  I was surprised, because so many people had raved to me about Jio's work, but Blackberry Winter was too predictable for me to completely get on board.  However, I was determined to give her another shot, and this giveaway win from Nadia came at the perfect time for a second try.

The Last Camellia fits well into a variety of genres: romance, historical fiction, and mystery being the primary categories.  I'm not usually a romance reader, but the relationships in this novel are not overly schmoopy or steamy.  They add a warm and fuzzy "background music" to the plot, if you will.  As for the historical fiction, that is one area that I knew Jio would excel in after reading Blackberry Winter.  I really enjoy how she merges the past with the present rather seamlessly, as modern-day Addison entwines herself in the question of what happened to Flora and the residents of Livingston Manor in the 1940's.

As for the mystery--this is where I was wary at first.  I was afraid that I would see the finale a mile away, and I simply can't stand a mystery that lacks, well, mystery.  HOWEVER, that was completely not the case here.  While I did have some hunches along the way about "whodunit", in the end I was quite surprised by the ending.  There are so many complicated players in this story that I think even the hints you do receive leave you feeling hesitant before you draw any big conclusions.

I'd say that my only hiccup with this novel is that some of the major events that occur happen rather abruptly.  For example, Addison is hiding a big secret from her husband (don't worry, not a spoiler--you find that out pretty much on page one), and when it's finally revealed, the unveiling is rather quick and terse.  Same goes for some of the events that wrap up the ending.  Given the flowing, beautiful prose of the rest of the novel, these too-quick bursts of action stick out like a sore thumb.  However, I'd say this is more an issue of styling than anything else, and it doesn't detract from how much I liked the story overall.

Sarah Jio was originally recommended to me as "the lesser-known Jodi Picoult", and I absolutely see that comparison in The Last Camellia.  A fluid blend of past-meets-present, a little bit o' love, and a good mystery = a reading win.  I'm feeling much more interested in trying Jio's other novels!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

When I won the giveaway on Nadia's blog, I received not one, but FIVE copies of The Last Camellia!  So I am keeping one, and graciously giving the other four away.  Just fill in the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!  :)  (US/Canada only please)

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Book Review: The Preservationist by Justin Kramon

Title: The Preservationist
Author: Justin Kramon
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication Date: October 10, 2013
Source: copy received for honest review through TLC Book Tours

Plot Summary from Goodreads:

To Sam Blount, meeting Julia is the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Working at the local college and unsuccessful in his previous relationships, he'd been feeling troubled about his approaching fortieth birthday, "a great beast of a birthday," as he sees it, but being with Julia makes him feel young and hopeful. Julia Stilwell, a freshman trying to come to terms with a recent tragedy that has stripped her of her greatest talent, is flattered by Sam's attention. But their relationship is tested by a shy young man with a secret, Marcus Broley, who is also infatuated with Julia.

Told in alternating points of view, The Preservationist is the riveting tale of Julia and Sam's relationship, which begins to unravel as the threat of violence approaches and Julia becomes less and less sure whom she can trust.

My Review:

First, can I just say, HOORAY for a book description that doesn't give anything away!  Especially a novel in the thriller genre!  I feel like lately, every thriller I've read has had at least one semi-important detail given away in the description, which is a complete downer.  Not so with The Preservationist.  This novel kept me on my toes until the last page, and in the end, I was very happy with the small amount of information that the description sent me in with.

I will do my darndest to keep that trend up in my review here.  Without giving anything away, I'll say that The Preservationist's biggest strength is in its alternating viewpoints.  Justin Kramon does an excellent job unfolding each character's motives veeeery slowly.  In the beginning, I felt like I was reading a typical boy-meets-girl story...and then suddenly, in the middle I realized how very twisted the plot had become.  That poor Julia...girlfriend is surrounded by creepy dudes wanting to get in her pants.  Le sigh.

Anyway, Kramon develops the protagonists in a way that leaves you constantly wondering who the bad guy(s) really are.  For most of the novel, I had the unsettling feeling that all of the main characters were inherently...off in some way, which is exactly what I want in a suspenseful read.  It wasn't until nearly the end that everyone's true colors were revealed.

The pacing was awesome as well--I never had a boring moment.  In the beginning, everything seems so normal--the small college campus, the students acclimating to a new school year, etc.  And then suddenly--this very normal, everyday setting gets turned on its head by very abnormal and unsettling events.  This is a novel that will keep you up until 2am under the covers with your book light, because the last 20-ish% of it is pretty much impossible to put down.

I want to say so much more about this one...especially the development of the two primary male characters...but I can't, because I think I would give too much away.  So you'll have to trust me a little bit here.  If you want a thriller that's sure to keep you guessing (and keep you awake late into the night), The Preservationist is your cup o' soup.  This one caught me unawares, which is the best kind of thriller, amiright?

As always, much thanks to Trish and TLC Book Tours for including me on this tour!

Check out the other blogs on this book tour HERE.  And connect with Justin Kramon on his website and Facebook page.

'Sup, Monday? What are you reading?

Aloha, reader friends!  It's Monday...so what are you reading?

Well, lately I have been reading a lot of this:

Yes, one of my most dreaded tasks of parenting is going down today...potty training.  Now that we're settled and I'm home with Small Fry full time, I figured we would try to give it a go FO' REALSIES.  We've been using this book to get him SUPER PSYCHED for using the potty, and this morning we're starting our "all undies, all the time" strategy.

Please pray for me.  It's really not fair that I am unable to imbibe alcohol during this trying time.

However, when I'm not reading awesome picture books about pee, I am reading this:

Buying In by Laura Hemphill, for an upcoming TLC book tour.  Goodreads description:

Bright, ambitious Sophie Landgraf has landed a job as a Wall Street analyst. The small-town girl finally has her ticket to the American elite, but she doesn’t real­ize the toll it will take—on her boyfriend, on her family, and on her. It isn’t long before Sophie is floundering in this male-dominated world, and things are about to get worse.
 
With the financial crisis looming, Sophie be­comes embroiled in a multibillion-dollar merger that could make or break her career. The problem? Three men at the top of their game, each with very different reasons for advancing the merger. Now Sophie doesn’t know whom to trust—or how far she’ll go to get ahead.
 
Set inside the high-stakes world of finance, Manhattan’s after-hours clubs, and factories in the Midwest and India, this is the high-powered, heartfelt story of a young woman finding her foot­ing on Wall Street as it crumbles beneath her. Written by an industry veteran, Buying In tackles what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, and how to survive in big business without sacri­ficing who you are.

I know nada about banking and finance, but that isn't keeping me from enjoying this book.  I'm still in the early stages with it, but so far I really like Sophie's character, and the author explains the financial stuff in a way that makes me feel not stupid (hooray!).

What will I read next?

SO HARD TO CHOOSE!  With the end of the year looming, I have a lot of things to consider, given that I want to finish a couple more of my challenges.  Perhaps The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok, The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, or Dante's Inferno.  Hmmmm...

What's on your reading agenda this week, friends?

October 2013 in Review!

Happy NOVEMBER, readers!

October has flown by in the blink of an eye.  We are pretty much all settled into our house, and have now been working on projects like painting the baby's room, hanging pictures on the walls, and staring disdainfully at the last 3-4 boxes that need to be unpacked.  (Isn't it ALWAYS the case that there's 3-4 boxes of stuff that you're like...why do I even OWN this?  WHO NEEDS 50 PICTURE FRAMES?)

Stay-at-home mom life has been great.  Small Fry and I have found tons of stuff to do; there is never a boring day around here, that's fo' sho'.  I am so happy that I'm getting this time with him alone before the baby as well.  He keeps me VERY busy.  :)  And, I can't believe that I can now say Tater Tot is due NEXT month.  That's insanity.  Part of me just wants the baby to get here already, while the other part of me is freaking out because THERE'S TOO MUCH TO DO!  Isn't that always the way...

In other news, my brother did get married last month (as I mentioned), and he had an absolutely fabulous wedding day.  Much fun was had by all, his bride was gorgeous, and Small Fry was a very flippin' adorable ring bearer.  Driving 8 hours each way while 30 weeks pregnant is not on my list of things to do again, but in this case, it was worthsies.

Wedding time for me, Small Fry, the Hubs, and Tater Tot (hiding in my ginormous belly)

Anyway, how was the reading this month?

The October 2013 Fave/Least Fave picks were tough, because I really had three AWESOME reads that I couldn't decide between, but in the end:

October 2013 Favorite: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
October 2013 Least Favorite: The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane

In total, I read/reviewed 5 books:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane
We Are Water by Wally Lamb
The Dinner by Herman Koch

Otherwise, I gave my thoughts on the World War Z movie, and we talked about my inappropriate internet search habits.

Oh and also, I FINISHED my Goodreads goal of reading at least 60 books this year!  WOOOOOO!  Savor that, because when this baby shows, methinks 2014 won't see nearly so much reading.  Le sigh...

I hope you all have a great November!  I am really stoked for Thanksgiving this year, as we are hosting and it will be tons o' fun to have our whole family at the new house with us for a few days.  Hope all my other (American) friends have big turkey day plans on the horizon as well!