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The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - Book Giveaway!!!

The Paris Wife

by Paula McLain

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time -- Paris in the twenties -- and an extraordinary love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

In Chicago in 1920, Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness -- until she meets Ernest Hemingway and finds herself captivated by his good looks, intensity, and passionate desire to write. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group of expatriates that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. But the hard-drinking and fast-living cafe life does not celebrate traditional notions of family and monogamy. As Hadley struggles with jealousy and self-doubt and Ernest wrestles with his burgeoning writing career, they must confront a deception that could prove the undoing of one of the great romances in literary history.

Praise for THE PARIS WIFE

“THE PARIS WIFE is mesmerizing. Hadley Hemingway’s voice, lean and lyrical, kept me in my seat, unable to take my eyes and ears away from these young lovers. Paula McLain is a first-rate writer who creates a world you don’t want to leave. I loved this book.”

—Nancy Horan, New York Times bestselling author of Loving Frank

“Despite all that has been written about Hemingway by others and by the man himself, the magic of THE PARIS WIFE is that this Hemingway and this Paris, as imagined by Paula McLain, ring so true I felt as if I was eavesdropping on something new. As seen by the sure and steady eye of his first wife, Hadley, here is the spectacle of the man becoming the legend set against the bright jazzed heat of Paris in the 20s. As much about life and how we try and catch it

as it is about love even as it vanishes, this is

an utterly absorbing novel.”

—Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress

“After nearly a century, there is a reason that the Lost Generation and Paris in the 1920’s still fascinate. It was a unique intersection of time and place, people and inspiration, romance and intrigue, betrayal and tragedy. THE PARIS WIFE brings that era to life through the eyes of Hadley Richardson Hemingway, who steps out of the shadows as the first wife of Ernest, and into the reader’s mind, as beautiful and as luminous as those extraordinary days in Paris after the Great War.”

—Mary Chapin Carpenter, singer and writer of the song “Mrs. Hemingway”

About the Author: PAULA MCLAIN received an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan and has been awarded fellowships from Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is the author of two collections of poetry as well as a memoir, Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses, and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives with her family in Cleveland.

The Paris Wife: A Novel

By Paula McLain

A Ballantine Books Hardcover * February 22, 2011

978-0-345-52130-9 * $25.00 * 336 pp

www.ballantinebooks.com

www.ParisWife.com

Want to win a copy of this book? I have 5 to giveaway, courtesy of Entertainment Marketing Group. Please leave a comment with your email address for your first entry.

For additional entries you can do up to 4 more of these (for a total of 5 entries). Follow my blog - tell me how (up to 2 ways)

Twitter - leave me the link

Blog about the giveaway - leave me the link

Please leave each entry in a separate comment.

This giveaway is open to US only . It will end at midnight (CST) on March 16.

If you absolutely must have the book now, you can purchase it here - Amazon - B&N - Other retailers.

#Paula McLain #The Paris Wife #Giveaway

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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Come share your Comfort Books with Donna Burgess - and get a chance to Win!

I want to thank Kristi for having me today as I make my rounds on these wonderful blogs to pimp my dark urban fantasy/horror novel Darklands: A Vampire’s Tale. Over the past few days, I have discussed vampires until I just can’t think of anything else to say about them—some are hot; some aren’t. Some are scary and some are heroic. A lot like humans, I suppose. So, today I decided talk about some of my favorite books and why I love them.

Character is shaped by the things you are exposed to as a kid. For me, it was horror movies and horror comics. My mom and dad loved those all-night drive-in horror features. In fact, they took me to a showing of The Night of the Living Dead when I was only two weeks old. I don’t remember a thing:-D, but that was the beginning of my journey to the dark side.

My first great book was a thick book of fairy tales, which I still have. The many stories included “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Jack the Giant Killer,” “Why the Sea is Salt,” and “Rumpelstiltskin.” Dark stories, all. Plus, this particular edition had the most deliciously horrifying illustrations. I had a real fear of giants from the age three to five. The following year I was convinced Bigfoot lived in the woods behind my house, but that’s another story, entirely.

By the sixth grade, I realized reading horror was even better than watching it. Funny how the imagination can come up with much more terrifying images than you can ever get from a movie screen. The first really scary “grown-up” book I read was Night Shift by Stephen King. I snitched a copy from my aunt and read it behind my history book at school. Even the cover was intriguing—if anyone is old enough to remember the loosely bandaged hand with the eyes peering out. I cannot begin to decide which story was my favorite, but I do know “The Boogeyman” scared the living hell out of me. For months, I just knew a small devil lived inside the air ducts at my grandmother’s house because I dreamed I saw its pointy red tail poking out one night. Thanks, Stephen King. I’ve loved since.

Of course, not all of my early favorites were actually “horror” books. I vividly remember reading The Outsiders for school that same year. That’s when I learned a book doesn’t have to have monsters, ghosts or ax murderers to have a profound darkness to it. The following year, brought me Lord of the Flies. That’s probably the year I realized what lies inside a person can be more ghastly than any monster.

By high school, I was devouring Stephen King books as fast as I could get them. And when I finished one, I would likely turn right around and re-read it before moving on to the next. Pet Semetery, The Shining, Carrie, Salem’s Lot. Yep, I was that weird girl who always had a book in her hand. On top of the King books, we were assigned Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” How delightfully twisted was that one? I was also introduced to this delightfully morbid author named Poe, Thank you, Mrs. Stroud (my 10th grade English teacher).

Since then, my tastes have changed some. I suppose what gives a person a good scare develops into something else entirely when they become parents. Pet Semetery is still horrifying, but today it’s because of the loss of the child, not the reanimated corpses. I honestly cannot read that book now.

A couple of years ago, I spent a week reading first Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, followed by The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I stayed in a funk the entire time—I still think my husband chalked it up to a bad case of PMS. Funk or not, those two books will remain with me. Scary is definitely more real now than it was when I was younger. Loss is about as frightening as it gets.

Of course, I have these strange “comfort books,” also—you know the ones you love to read again and again—although you know entire passages by heart. I have three: The Stand by Mr. King, The Damnation Game by Clive Barker, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. These are not “heavy” like The Road—I doubt anyone would want to revisit that world for comfort—there's too much possibility we’ll be there soon enough, anyway.

Heavy or light, morbid or happy—everyone has books that that they carry with them. What are some of yours? Plus, a comment gets you entered for a drawing to win a copy of Darklands. Thanks and happy (or not) reading!

Thank you Donna for the great guest post! I think you have been raiding my book shelves! I also became a huge Stephen King fan as a teenager and devoured his books! (Had to include a snapshot of some of my Stephen King books!) And to make it even stranger - I read The Road and The Lovely Bones and reviewed them back to back in January of 2009. So you can bet that I am going to be looking up your other "comfort" books!

But readers, like she said - a comment gets you entered into a drawing for a copy of Darklands - if it is a U.S. winner, you will get your choice of a print copy or an ebook and if it is an International winner, you will get an ebook. Please leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win! This contest will end at midnight on March 7, 2011.

Here is a little something about the book Darklands: A Vampire's Tale by Donna Burgess.

Halloween night, twenty years ago, college student Susan Archer watched as her beloved twin brother was brutally murdered at the hands of a stranger she invited into their home. Still haunted by the guilt of that night, Susan is now a tough but bitter cop in a nowhere town, trying as best she can to lead a normal life. When she is nearly killed during a wild shoot-out, she realizes she is not as strong as she first thought.

Fearing a breakdown, she flees the confines of her safe boyfriend and familiar surroundings to find salvation in the arms of “Deathwalker” Devin McCree—the very man who killed her brother.

But things aren’t always what they seem and she quickly realizes Devin was not the monster she originally thought, but a kind of guardian angel instead.

On the run from a crazed Nazi vampire-hunter named Kasper, she and Devin must find a way to endure the dreary urban landscape of a dying metropolis and escape Kasper’s wrath.

For more Donna - find her at her Website - Traveling the Darklands, on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog tour.

#Donna Burgess #Darklands #Giveaway #Guest post

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins (Book Review)

Title: The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship Author: Lisa Verge Higgins Publisher: 5 Spot My synopsis: This book begins with Kate, a stay-at-home mom afraid of flying, getting ready to jump out of an airplane - to skydive. She has been sent on this "mission" by a letter that she received from one of her dear friends Rachel. Rachel has passed away and sent a letter to many of her friends and family with last requests. This book focuses on three of those - Kate's, Jo's and Sarah's. They were brought together by Rachel and the four of them had remained good friends despite their differences. As I stated, Kate was a SAHM then we have Jo - a single workaholic, and Sarah - a nurse who worked overseas in many unpleasant areas. When Rachel dies, unexpectedly to them, but something she was well aware of, she sent each of them letters with one last request. These requests led them on journeys in which they learned to let go and began to hold on. Rachel pushed each one of them to do something they would never have done on their own, which led them to discover things about themselves that they may never have seen. This is a great story about the strength of women's friendships and the bonds that they share. If you are looking for a book for your book club, this would be a good one. There is also a reading group guide available.

You can find the author at her website, Lisa Verge Higgins and on Facebook.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette in exchange for my review.~

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship Publisher/Publication Date: 5 Spot, Jan 26, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-446-56351-2 352 pages

#Book Review #Lisa Verge Higgins #The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase (Book Review)

Title: The Werewolf Upstairs Author: Ashlyn Chase Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca My synopsis: This is the second book by Ashlyn Chase involving the residents of a Boston apartment building inhabited by mostly paranormals. I first met them in Strange Neighbors. In this book, Roz Wells (cute pun), a lawyer, moves into the building to be close to her best friend Merry. She knows that Merry's husband is a shapeshifter, but doesn't know about the other residents. She meets Konrad Wolfensen waiting for her moving truck and sparks fly. Before long Konrad and Roz are an item, but Konrad has yet to confess to Roz that he is a werewolf. He knows that Roz is supposed to be his mate, as they have a weird telepathic link, but doesn't know how she will react to his true identity. Together they decide that they both would like new careers, so they set off to try to find their "bliss" in a new job. They share some hilarious as well as harrowing mishaps together on this journey. Morgaine, one of their neighbors, trying to pump up her income as well, has accepted a job with the police department, trying to get information out of a ghost at a local museum that had a theft 20 years earlier. She has the ability to communicate with ghosts. Konrad goes along as a witness and for some reason the ghost takes a dislike to him. He tries to set Konrad up for the theft. Will Roz be able to prove him innocent? Or will he have to figure out a way to "change" while in jail? This was another humorous book and while you don't have to read Strange Neighbors first, I found it helpful to know some of the other characters before reading this one. Warning though - there are some pretty explicit sex scenes.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for my review.~

The Werewolf Upstairs

Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Feb 1, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4022-3662-4 352 pages

#Book Review #The Werewolf Upstairs #Ashlyn Chase

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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It's Monday! What are you reading? (Feb 21, 2011)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! Currently Reading: Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan Everyone Loves a Hero: ...and that's the problem by Marie Force Next Up: Letters From Home by Kristina McMorris Sudden Moves: A Young Adult Mystery by Kelli Sue Landon E-Book: Redeemer - A Novel by Jeffrey S. Williams Darklands: A Vampire's Tale (Volume 1) by Donna Burgess Bathroom Book: Magel's Daughter by Nancy Baker Reviewed Last Week: The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn Children's Books Reviewed Last Week: Waiting for Reviews: Food and Live Well: Lose Weight, Get Fit, and Taste Life at Its Very Best by Chantal Hobbs The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlynn Chase GIVEAWAYS:

READY - SET - READ!

#What are you reading on Mondays?

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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Mailbox Time! (Feb 21, 2011)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! My Mailbox was feeling the love last week. The storm delayed mail finally came through! Mailbox Monday's host for February is Library of Clean Reads. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

So Close the Hand of Death

by J.T. Ellison

It's a hideous echo of a violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that the Pretender is back. . . and he's got helpers.

As the Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick homages -- stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin -- Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll -- she's tripwire tense and ready to snap.

The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch. . .

Radio Shangri-La

by Lisa Napoli

Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a midlife crisis, cynical about work and depressed about her love life, when a chance encounter with a handsome stranger led to the adventure of a lifetime. Leaving behind her job in public radio and her cosmopolitan life in Los Angeles, she moved to Bhutan, the happiest place on earth, to volunteer at the country's first radio station for the youth of Bhutan. In a country just beginning to open its doors to the modern world and that measures its success in Gross National Happiness rather than GDP, she finds that the world is a beautiful and complicated place and comes to appreciate her life for the adventure it is.

Mr. Chartwell

by Rebecca Hunt

July 1964. London. Esther Hammerhans, a young librarian in the House of Commons, goes to answer the door to her new lodger. Through the windowpane she sees a vast silhouette. Meanwhile, in Chartwell, Kent, on the eve of his retirement from Parliament, Sir Winston Churchill has just woken up. There's someone in the room with him, someone he's known for a long time, but it's not a friend. A dark, mute presence is watching him with rapt concentration. Both the humble librarian and the eminent statesman have just been visited by Black Pat. For the man who saved Western civilization, this "black dog" is all too familiar. For Esther, he's a weirdly charming, deeply unnerving stranger just come to rent a room. Or is he here to stay? In this completely original, inspiring debut, Rebecca Hunt illuminates the strange point of connection between two very different people -- and shows how the strength to persevere can pull a person from darkness to light.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady

by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs, come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences. Fifty years later, she is still ticked off, and now that she has recently discovered where he lives, she's on a mission. Taking a cue from her favorite fifties flick Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, Marylou changes her name to Nancy Archer and moves to hot and humid Tallahassee, where she begins the tricky work of insinuating herself into the lives of the Spriggs family. Little does she know what a nest of yellow jackets she is stumbling into.

Told from the varied perspectives of an incredible cast of endearing oddball characters, this lively, intricately plotted, laugh-out-loud funny novel beats with the heart of a genuinely affecting family drama.

Emily and Einstein

by Linda Francis Lee

Emily and her husband, Sandy Portman, seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan's famous Dakota building. Then one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident. The funeral isn't even over before Emily learns she's on the verge of being evicted from their apartment. Even worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies.

Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was. . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn't really gone. Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein. But will Einstein's seemingly odd determination that Emily save herself be enough to make her confront her own past? Can he help her find a future -- even after she meets a new man?

Murder on the Down Low

by Pamela Samuels Young

Savvy L.A. attorney Vernetta Henderson takes center stage in another fast-paced legal thriller that erupts into a scandalous tale of vengeance.

Prominent African-American men are being gunned down on the streets of Los Angeles, leaving police completely baffled. The victims are all quintessential family men. Well-educated. Attractive. Successful. But appearances can be deceiving.

At the same time, Vernetta and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a young lawyer whose deception caused his fiancee's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn't good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.

Soon, Special's quest for payback goes way too far, and this time. . . it appears that not even Vernetta can save her.

Daddy's Little Squirrel

by Kayla Shurley Davidson

A young girl cherishes the time spent with her father. Kallie is no exception. Daddy's Little Squirrel, pays tribute to the special relationship between a father and daughter. The duo's adventures are never dull, and are always made possible from the help of Kallie, her father's special helper.

Highland Master

by Amanda Scott

Known as the Mackintosh "Wildcat," Lady Catriona would do anything to defend her clan. But when she discovers a wounded warrior on her family's land, Catriona's devotion is tested. Igniting her passions with the softest touch, this powerful stranger tempts her in the most intimate way -- and keeps a dangerous secret. . .

In the midst of war, Sir Finlagh Cameron swore an oath of vengeance against the Mackintosh chieftain. Now face-to-face with his enemy's daughter, Fin of the Battles falters. Her wild beauty and spirit arouse a hunger the battle-weary warrior can't conquer and provoke a terrifying choice. Surrendering to desire would break his vow. Revenge would threaten Catriona's life. For their love to triumph, the two must do the unthinkable: challenge the fierce loyalties that rule the knights and clans of Scotland.

A Lesson in Secrets

by Jacqueline Winspear

In the latest episode in the New York Times bestselling series, Maisie Dobbs's first assignment for the British Secret Service takes her undercover to Cambridge as a professor, and leads to the investigation of a murderous web of activities being conducted by the up-and-coming Nazi party.

The Hangman's Daughter

by Oliver Potzsch

Germany, 1659: When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead -- marked by the same tattoo -- the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos.

Before the unrest forces him to torture and execute the very woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must unravel the truth. With the help of his clever daughter, Magdalena, and Simon, the university-educated son of the town's physician, Jakob discovers that a devil is indeed loose in Schongau. But it may be too late to prevent bloodshed.

What books came home to you this week?

#In Your Mailbox #Mailbox Mondays

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn (Book Review)

Title: The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson Author: Jerome Charyn Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company About the Book: What if the old maid of Amherst wasn’t an old maid at all? Her older brother, Austin, spoke of Emily as his “wild sister.” Jerome Charyn, continuing his exploration of American history through fiction, has written a startling novel about Emily Dickinson in her own voice, with all its characteristic modulations that he learned from her letters and poems. The poet dons a hundred veils, alternately playing wounded lover, penitent, and female devil. We meet the significant characters of her life, including her tempestuous sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert; her brooding father, Edward; and the Reverend Charles Wadsworth, who may have inspired some of her greatest letters and poems. Charyn has also invented characters, including an impoverished fellow student at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, who will betray her; and a handyman named Tom, who will obsess Emily throughout her life. Charyn has written an extraordinary adventure that will disturb and delight. (from Goodreads) About the author: Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.” New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.” Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture. Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009. In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong." Charyn lives in Paris and New York City. (information from Tribute Books) You can connect with Mr. Charyn on his website, facebook and twitter. My thoughts: Let me start by saying that while I enjoy reading poetry, I have never taken it upon myself to learn anything about any of the great poets - so I have no point of reference to tell you whether or not this fictionalized account of Emily Dickinson's life and the characters she encounters are real or not. Now I feel like I can tell you how I found the book. The book in not written in a "modern" tone, but rather in Emily's voice as it would have been in the 1800's. This gave me a sense of being in the time and helped paint the picture of her life. From the start of the book, where she was a student at Mount Holyoke, studying to be a "bride of Christ" to the end of her life, she continued to have a fascination and secret yearning for Tom, the handyman at the school. He turns up throughout the book in various ways and in various people. The story also includes her brother Austin, little sister Lavinia, her father (whom treats her as daughter, wife, servant, in various episodes throughout her life) her sister-in-law Sue, and school mate Zilpah - who is sometimes her friend and sometimes her nemesis. I found it to be an engaging read, but I did have to be in the right mood to read it. What it has done for me, is make me want to go find a "real" biography of Emily Dickinson and learn more about the real lady!

~I received this ebook from Tribute Books in exchange for my review.~

For more reviews - check out the book's blog tour site.

The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson also has a Facebook page and Twitter account.

The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson: A Novel Publisher/Publication Date: W.W. Norton and Company, Feb 14, 2011 ISBN: 978-0393339178 348 pages

#Book Review #Jerome Charyn #The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb 14, 2011)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! Currently Reading: Thanks for the help last week with my book choice! I started Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan. It is really good! Next Up: The Matchmaker of Kenmare: A Novel of Ireland by Frank Delaney Call Me Irresistible: A Novel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut: Essays and Observations by Jill Kargman The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean E-Book: Redeemer - A Novel by Jeffrey S. Williams The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson: A Novel by Jerome Charyn Bathroom Book: The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlynn Chase Reviewed Last Week: The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly Choker by Elizabeth Woods Anyone Can Die by James LePore Children's Books Reviewed Last Week: Waiting for Reviews: Food and Live Well: Lose Weight, Get Fit, and Taste Life at Its Very Best by Chantal Hobbs The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins GIVEAWAYS: The Science of Kissing - Ends 2/17

Ready- Set- Read!

#What are you reading on Mondays?

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kherbrand-blog · 13 years

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Mailbox Monday (Feb 14, 2011)

Shimmer

by Alyson Noel

Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a vicious black dog, against Bodhi’s advice, she decides to cross him over. While following the dog, she runs into a young ghost named Rebecca. Despite Rebecca’s sweet appearance, Riley soon learns she’s not at all what she seems. As the daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is lashing out by keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive and forget without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?

The Paris Wife

by Paula McLain

But the hard-drinking and fast-living cafe life does not celebrate traditional notions of family and monogamy. As Hadley struggles with jealousy and self-doubt and Ernest wrestles with his burgeoning writing career, they must confront a deception that could prove the undoing of one of the great romances in literary history.

The Summer of the Bear

by Bella Pollen

With her fifth novel, critically acclaimed writer and journalist Bella Pollen takes readers into the private dynamics of a family grappling with the loss of father and husband in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, where between elemental beauty and utter bleakness, strange forces are at play.

In 1980 Germany, under Cold War tension, a mole is suspected in the British Embassy. When the clever diplomat Nicky Fleming dies suddenly and suspiciously, it’s convenient to brand him the traitor. But was his death an accident, murder, or suicide? As the government digs into Nicky’s history, his wife, Letty, relocates with her three children to a remote Scottish island hoping to salvage their family. But the isolated shores of her childhood retreat only intensify their distance, and it is Letty’s brilliant and peculiar youngest child, Jamie, who alone holds on to the one thing he’s sure of: his father has promised to return and he was a man who never broke a promise.

Exploring the island, Jamie and his teenaged sisters discover that a domesticated brown bear has been marooned on shore, hiding somewhere among the seaside caves. Jamie feels that the bear may have a strange connection to his father, and as he seeks the truth, his father’s story surfaces unexpected ways. Bella Pollen has an uncanny ability to capture the unnoticeable moments in which families grow quiet. A novel about the corrosive effects of secrets and the extraordinary imagination of youth, The Summer of the Bear is Pollen’s most ambitious and affecting book yet.

A Billion Reasons Why

by Kristin Billerbeck

There are a billion reasons Kate should marry her current boyfriend.

Will she trade them all to be madly in love?

Katie McKenna leads a perfect life. Or so she thinks. She has a fulfilling job, a cute apartment, and a wedding to plan with her soon-to-be fiance, Dexter.

She can think of a billion reasons why she should marry Dexter…but nowhere on that list is love.

And then in walks Luc DeForges, her bold, breathtaking ex-boyfriend. Only now he's a millionaire. And he wants her to go home to New Orleans to sing for her childhood friend's wedding. As his date.

But Katie made up her mind about Luc eight years ago, when she fled their hometown after a very public breakup. Yet there's a magnetism between them she can't deny.

Katie thought her predictable relationship with Dexter would be the bedrock of a lasting, Christian marriage. But what if there's more? What if God's desire for her is a heart full of life? And what if that's what Luc has offered all along?

The Promises She Keeps

by Erin Healy

It's her destiny to die young. The man who loves her can't live with that.

Promise, a talented young vocalist with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging witch and art collector in search of the goddess who will grant her immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that Promise is the one she seeks. But Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and opposes Porta, comes between the women with his mysterious visions and drawings, and plunges everyone into a flesh-and-blood confrontation over the true meaning of eternal life.

Dead of Wynter

by Spencer Seidel

“Dolly, it’s your mother.” Dolly. Jackie Ruth Wynter had called Alice that for years. The conversation that followed led her right back to the place she had run from for years. Her twin brother, younger by just a minute or so, had been fading, transforming into an image of their drunken, narrow-eyed father. Now her father was dead, and her brother, Chris, missing.

Alice resigns herself to return, helping her mother and the local police with the mystery surrounding the crime. But there are some family secrets her mother would sooner take to the grave than reveal.

Reacquainting with her past brings fresh pain and new friendships as she struggles with who to trust with the details of her father’s murder and brother’s disappearance. As the authorities come closer to solving the mystery of the men in her family, she begins to realize her past life as Alice Wynter is the missing part of the puzzle. But who is searching out the former Alice? The sinister mysteries of the Wynter family will capture the reader’s attention well past when the fire has gone out.

Between Shades of Gray

by Ruta Sepetys

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life theyÕve known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under StalinÕs orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulouslyÑand at great riskÑdocumenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her fatherÕs prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Redemption

by Laurel Dewey

After a series of life-changing events, detective Jane Perry has resigned from the Denver Police Department. Trying to make a living as a private investigator, she finds her past haunting her at every turn and old demons rising up to torment her.

Then Jane meets Kit Clark, a woman who wants Jane to drive with her from Colorado to Northern California in search of a man who matches the description of the killer who murdered her granddaughter many years before. Kit’s convinced that the man has started to kill again and she wants to stop him. Jane thinks the woman is crazy—especially when she discovers that she’s a New Age devotee—but Jane is desperate for work. They head on the road, gathering critical information about the killer, and themselves, along the way. Jane has recently experienced several events in her life that seem to border on the paranormal, though she is a complete skeptic in that regard. Now, those experiences come with greater frequency. And when the trail of the killer leads to a fundamentalist church, the consequences of belief and faith propel her toward a deadly confrontation.

Once again, Laurel Dewey has created a novel as rich in character as it is in suspense. Juxtaposing spirituality and religion, mission and manipulation, revenge and redemption, this powerful, taut mystery confirms the author as a top-flight storyteller and promises to resonate in your soul.

Born Under a Lucky Moon

by Dana Precious

Born Under a Lucky Moon is the tale of two very important (but distant) years in the lives of Jeannie Thompson and her (embarrassing, crazy) colorful family members to whom "things" just seem to happen. From the Great Lakes of Michigan to Los Angeles and back again, it is a story of surprise marriages, a renegade granny, a sprinkler system cursed by the gods, and myriad other factors Jeannie blames for her full-tilt, out-of-control existence. But it's also about good surprises—like an unexpected proposal that might just open Jeannie's eyes to her real place among the people she loves most in the world . . . the same ones she ran far away from to begin with.

Code of Justice

by Liz Johnson

"Follow the drugs."

Her sister's last words shake FBI agent Heather Sloan to the core. They also convince her that the helicopter crash only Heather survived wasn't an accident. Sheriff's deputy Jeremy Latham is assigned the case—he's the one who can help Heather find the person responsible…once she convinces him they should work together. As they dig for the truth, they learn to trust and care for each other. Will they lose it all when the killer targets Heather? She's willing to risk her life to find her sister's killer—but her code of justice could cost her the chance to win Jeremy's love.

Seduced by Destiny

by Kira Morgan

Sworn to Revenge

All her life, Josselin Ancrum has been trained for combat, hoping to exact vengeance for her heroic mother, who was killed fighting the English. When asked to spy for the Scottish Queen, Jossy joyfully accepts. But when a handsome stranger rescues her from sudden danger, his charm distracts her from her mission.

Shrouded by Secrecy

On the surface, Drew MacAdam may appear to be nothing more than a carefree champion, but his heart harbors a dark secret: This Highland hero is actually a skilled English soldier with a hatred for war and for the Scottish. Yet from the moment he meets the feisty Jossy, he's captured by her fiercely loyal heart. He's determined the honey-haired lass will be his ultimate prize -- until the tragedy of their entwined legacies is revealed. Are these star-crossed lovers to be divided by their pasts? Or will they be Seduced by Destiny?

Shiver of Fear

by Roxanne St. Claire

The legacy that haunts her . . .

The mystery she must solve . . .

A man who threatens to reveal her secrets . . .

and break her heart.

Burned by a failed marriage, former FBI agent Marc Rossi wants back in the investigation game with no emotional strings attached. Taking an assignment for his enterprising Angelino cousins, he heads to Northern Ireland to pry a key piece of evidence from a missing socialite-any way he can. But when the ice queen turns out to be warm, beautiful, and on a secret mission of her own, the job becomes a passionate reminder of what happens when duty and desire mix. The daughter of an infamous fugitive, Devyn Sterling has survived betrayal only to find that her mother has mysteriously disappeared. When her search uncovers secrets, lies, and threats, Devyn and Marc must trust each other when every instinct says they can't . . . and a terrorist wants to make sure they won't live to try.

Treasure Me

by Robyn DeHart

The Legend Hunters . . .

The Men of Solomon's meet in secret, their very existence only a rumor among the best of Victorian society. They are treasure hunters, men of wealth and title, seekers of myths and legends. And no legend is as captivating as the Loch Ness monster . . .

Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore, has always been torn between his beloved Scottish homeland and his duty to the English Crown. Yet his is truly an adventurer's soul-and he's determined to find a long-lost stone hidden near Loch Ness.

Bookish Vanessa Pembrooke heads to the Highlands to prove the existence of the legendary beast. Instead she finds the first man who has ever shared her hunger for adventure. Soon Graeme and Vanessa are fighting a dangerous battle as well as their own simmering attraction. As their passion grows, so does the danger. Ultimately, they must risk everything to keep the cursed stone out of a murderer's hands. But can they survive without losing the greatest treasure of all-their love?

The Sweetest Thing

by Jill Shalvis

Two Men Are One Too Many . . .

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

Notorious Pleasures

by Elizabeth Hoyt

Their Lives Were Perfect. . .

Lady Hero Batten, the beautiful sister of the Duke of Wakefield, has everything a woman could want, including the perfect fiance. True, the Marquis of Mandeville is a trifle dull and has no sense of humor, but that doesn't bother Hero. Until she meets his notorious brother. . .

Until They Met Each Other.

Griffin Remmington, Lord Reading, is far from perfect -- and he likes it that way. How he spends his days is a mystery, but all of London knows he engages in the worst sorts of drunken revelry at night. Hero takes an instant dislike to him, and Griffin thinks that Her, withher charities and faultless manners, is much too impeccable for society, let alone his brother. Yet their near-constant battle of wits soon spark desire -- desire that causes their carefully constructed worlds to come tumbling down. As Hero's wedding nears, and Griffin's enemies lay plans to end their dreams forever, can two imperfect people find perfect true love?

Welcome to Last Chance

by Hope Ramsay

Dear Reader,

Yes, our town is way off the beaten path, but strange, wonderful miracles happen a lot around here.

I've owned the Cut 'n' Curl beauty shop for years, and I've seen folks come for a visit, then stay for a lifetime. Take Jane-that pretty firecracker of a girl who just arrived in town. I would swear she's running from something. She came with only five dollars in her pocket but she's worked real hard to make a fresh start. She's turned my son Clay's life upside down without even realizing it.

And thank goodness for that! Ever since Clay left his country western band, he's played everything too safe. He needs to take a chance on Jane. Besides, the more he tries to keep his distance, the more he'll realize that he and Jane are singing the same tune.

But I should quit ramblin' and go check on Millie's permanent wave. Next time you're in Last Chance, be sure to swing by. We've got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.

See you real soon,

Ruby Rhodes

Eternal Rider

by Larissa Ione

They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

Never a Gentleman

by Eileen Dreyer

HE HIDES HIS TRUE COLORS . . .

Miss Grace Fairchild is under no illusions about her charms. Painfully plain, she is a soldier's daughter who has spent her life being useful, not learning the treacherous ways of the ton. She may have been caught in a scandal with society's favorite rogue, but how can she marry him when it means losing herself?

WHILE SHE HIDES HER TRUE SELF . . .

Diccan Hilliard doesn't know which of his enemies drugged him and dumped him in Grace's bed, but he does know the outcome. He and Grace must marry. To his surprise, a wild, heady passion flares between them. Yet Diccan is trapped in a deadly game of intrigue Grace knows nothing about. Will his lies destroy Grace just as he realizes how desperately he needs her? And how can he hope for a future with her, when an old enemy has set his murderous sights on them both?

Deadly Lies

by Cynthia Eden

She wants to hide the past

FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn't fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.

He needs to uncover the truth

One night isn't enough for successful entrepreneur Max Ridgeway. He wants more of the sexy, smart, mysterious woman who slipped away before dawn. When they meet again, their attraction is undeniable-until his stepbrother goes missing, and Max realizes that Samantha isn't who she seems. But they must trust each other to trap a ring of bloodthirsty kidnappers before the nightmares that terrorize Sam become irrevocably real.

As a merciless criminal spins a web of . . .

DEADLY LIES

What books came home to you this week?

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