Bertie’s Guide to Life and Mothers: A 44 Scotland Street Novel (9) – Alexander McCall Smith

Posted on February 5, 2015 by EHL

Bertie's Guide to Life and MothersIt was good to return to Scotland Street and catch up on the happenings.The triplets have overwhelmed Matthew, so he offers one of the boys to Big Lou.  But surely he wasn’t serious, was he?

Angus and Domenica, settling into married life, must contend with an unsettling visit from Antonia.  She is accompanied by Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna, a nun from the convent where Antonia has been staying. And Bertie becomes seven and finally gains some freedom from his smothering mother.

I can never get enough of Alexander McCall Smith’s wonderful characters and gentle philosophy.  The books leave me feeling soothed, comforted, smiling.  Although this is book nine in the series, it can stand alone and is highly recommended for all ages.

eGalley review        Publication date 02.17.15

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A Spool of Blue Thread – Anne Tyler

Posted on February 5, 2015 by EHL

Spool of Blue ThreadAbby and Red Whitshanks had four children. Denny was the best looking and caused the most problems, always doing the unexpected, always stirring up things, looking to upset everyone.  He was the one teachers called about, the one who dropped out of college.  The two older girls, Amanda and Jeannie, and Stem, the younger son, tolerated Denny.  They expected him to behave badly and he didn’t disappoint.

Three generations of Whitshanks have lived in the large Baltimore house.  As their stories gradually unfold we are taken into the lives of an ordinary family that isn’t quite so ordinary, people with quirks and secrets, people trying to make sense of life, sometimes making mistakes, sometimes doing good things.   These are people whom we want to love, flaws and all.

Ann Tyler is a master storyteller.  I have loved all of her books, and this is no exception.  The book came to an end far too soon because there was so much more I wanted to know about the Whitshanks.  Recommended for adults and older teens.

eGalley review      Publication date 02.10.15

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The Country of Ice Cream Star – Sandra Newman

Posted on February 5, 2015 by EHL

Country of Ice Cream Star“My name be Ice Cream Fifteen Star.  My brother be Driver Eighteen Star, and my ghost brother Mo-Jacques Five Star . . . .”    “We Sengles be a wandering sort . . . be thieves, and brave to hunt.”  So begins a strange, dystopian journey in an American landscape ravaged by plague.  It’s a society where all die before twenty of the posy sickness; a society peopled by children.  When Ice Cream Star learns her beloved brother is dying of the posies, she sets out to find a cure and takes the reader on a bizarre adventure.

The book is written in dialect that was laborious to read at first and I almost gave up.  But after a few chapters, I realized that I was reading the dialect easily.  (Well, maybe not easily, but it was okay.)  I’m glad I stayed with it because this dystopian novel stands out.  It was funny and chilling at the same time.  I loved and hated Ice Cream Star.  She could be brilliant and incredibly stupid, kind and brutal.  The people around her were just as complex and the world in which they lived was surreal.

I recommend the book with caution.  It’s very long, and the dialect could be a real problem.  But if you’re up for a new experience, go for it.

eGalley review                  Publication date 02.10.15

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Amherst – William Nicholson

Posted on February 5, 2015 by EHL

AmherstEmily Dickinson never left her house, never saw anyone except her sister Vinnie and her brother, Austin. The townspeople referred to her as the Myth.  Vinnie cared for her daily physical needs, Austin for her emotional needs.  She lived her life through him, and so, wanted him to be happy. Unfortunately Austin was trapped in a loveless marriage.  A new young woman in town might prove to be the answer.  Mabel Todd was pretty, vivacious and Austin soon came to love her.  That they were both married caused great difficulties but Emily sought to ease things by encouraging the lovers to meet in her house.

Alice Dickinson (no relation) is doing research about the affair in order to write a screenplay.  Coming from England, she needed a contact in Amherst and Nick Crocker, a professor at Amherst College, is suggested.  He’s older, very sexy and  Alice is attracted to him.

The stories of the 19th century love affair and the 21st century love affair are told in alternating chapters.  The historical part was well researched and stayed true to the period.  I could relate to these people, could care about their lives.  The book is sprinkled with Emily’s poetry which gave some insight into her feelings.  I enjoyed that part of the book.  The contemporary part, not so much.  The characters seemed to be just paper cutouts.  I really couldn’t care about what happened to them.   That said, the historical part is good enough for me to recommend the book.

eGalley review        Publication date 02.10.15

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The Chessmen: The Lewis Trilogy – Peter May

Posted on February 5, 2015 by EHL

ChessmenFin couldn’t believe his eyes.  The loch was gone, truly gone.  The water had disappeared overnight.  Whistler’s theory was of a bog burst, a phenomenon that can happen after a heavy rain.  But Fin wasn’t  listening.  He was focused on an object lying on the loch bottom – a small plane that looked far too familiar.  And so Fin is again involved in an investigation that leads to past secrets.

I love being transported to the Isle of Lewis.  Peter May’s descriptive passages are lyrical. The rugged  landscape and the equally rugged characters are vivid.  Solving the mystery seems less important to me than just soaking in the atmosphere.  This is the final book in the trilogy, and can be read as a stand alone.  I recommend it highly.

eGalley review         Publication date 02.03.15

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The Darkest Part of the Forest – Holly Black

Posted on January 11, 2015 by EHL

Darkest Part of the ForestHazel and her brother, Ben, live in the odd town of Fairfold where the adjoining woods are filled with fae.  Hazel has grown up acting the part of knight, fighting the evil in the forest.  In the heart of the woods, a beautiful horned boy is on display, encased in a glass coffin seemingly asleep.  For generations, the town youth have been drawn to the mysterious horned boy, whispering secrets or openly dancing on the glass during wild parties late at night.  Living in a town this close to the fae, can’t be good.  Blessings are intertwined with curses.  The dark prince of the fae held his subjects in check only harming the tourists to Fairfold but something has changed when attacks on townspeople grow more intense and deadly.  And now the horned boy has broken out of his glass coffin.

Holly Black wrote a brilliant vampire novel, perhaps the definitive teen vampire novel, The Coldest Girl in Cold Town.  Now she has written a delicious story on the evils of the faery folk.  There is really nothing good about the fae.  Even blessings come with curses.  And bargaining with the fae rarely turns out to be a good thing for the foolish human who dares to deal with the devious fae that have very few morals.  But the fae do seem to honor their bargains, it’s just that it is near impossible to come out the victor in a bargain with the fae.  The characters are cleverly written and engaging, especially changeling Jack.  Ahhh Jack, I would enjoy reading how his story ends.  Hazel, Ben and Jack are equal stars in the story, each adding another element and storyline.  With just a dripping of blood, gore and gruesomeness, author restraint was used and because of that, this book could be suitable for middle school but older teens will gobble this up as well.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review                         Publication date 1.13.15

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The Train to Crystal City: FDR’s Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America’s Only Family Internment Camp During World War II – Jan Jarboe Russell

Posted on January 11, 2015 by EHL

Train to Crystal CityCrystal City, Texas, is a small town in a sandy, dry prairie near the Mexican border.  Its only claim to fame is spinach.  The sandy soil turned out to be fine for growing spinach and a statue of Popeye stands across from the city hall.  It also turned out to be a fine place for an internment camp for Japanese, German and Italian immigrants and their American born children.  After December 7, 1941, new words entered America’s vocabulary . . . spies, saboteurs, krauts, yellow devils.

Sumi Utsushigawa was nisi, born in America. Her parents were isseis, born in Japan.  Although friends and neighbors were being arrested every day, Sumi’s father wasn’t worried.  “This is America,” he said.  “They don’t put innocent people in jail here.”   In March the knock on the door came.

Ingrid Eiserloh was born in New York.  Mathias Eiserloh, her father, was born in Germany.  He was a structural engineer and worked for Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.  The family lived in Strongsville, Ohio.    The FBI took Mathias with no explanation in January of 1942, confiscating letters, photographs, paintings, and books.  Ingrid didn’t see him again until they were reunited in the camp in Crystal City two years later.

Based in part on interviews with survivors of the camp, this is a well-researched book that reveals a little known event in the history of World War II.  It reads like fiction, but is uncomfortably true.  It is a book I couldn’t put down, and a book I highly recommend, especially for teens who may not know what happened in America during that war.

eGalley review        Publication date 1.20.15

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When – Victoria Laurie

Posted on January 4, 2015 by EHL

WhenMaddie sees each person’s death date hovering above their head, either in person or in a photograph.  The numbers have been there for as long as she can remember, back to when she was a few years old, learning her numbers and including them in her earliest family drawings.  When her police officer father is killed on the job, on the date on the drawing, her mother and uncle understand the numbers.  Many years later, her mother has sunk into despair and alcohol.   Maddie’s uncle offers support and they make ends meet by Maddie giving readings of death dates.  Then the murders begin.  She tries to warn a lady that her son’s death date is soon so be careful.  When the boy is found murdered, the police suspect Maddie.  She and her best friend, Stubby, just get deeper and deeper into the mess when another grisly murder occurs.  Murder, suspense, and teen angst all wrapped up a fast-paced mystery make for a fabulous suspense for teens.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review         Publication date 1.13.15

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There Will Be Lies – Nick Lake

Posted on January 4, 2015 by EHL

there will be liesShelby and her mom have a solid routine in Arizona, complete with weekly ice cream dinners, trips to the batting cages for talented Shelby, and home schooling.  Her life is quite sheltered, and her mom is constantly concerned with her privacy and safety.  Their world changes drastically when Shelby is hit by a car outside the library one day, injuring her foot.  As she lies on the pavement, she has the first if many visions.  A coyote comes to her and speaks very sparsely, but tells her there will be two lies and a truth. She realizes what this means over the next few weeks when her mom throws their belongings in a rental car and drives them hurriedly away on a strange, secretive, and shocking adventure.  Shelby learns that she and her mom are not who she thought they were.

Nick Lake creates a tale full of love and self-discovery with wit, captivating language, and intrigue that are now author trademarks. The story has twists and turns that keep the reader entangled and hungry for more. The mystical, symbolic elements of the coyote folk talks in the Dreaming are woven expertly into the story but there are times they bog the story down just a bit.  Perhaps it was just my impatience to read what was going to happen next to Shelby in her real life.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review           Publication date 1.6.15

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The Boy in the Black Suit – Jason Reynolds

Posted on January 4, 2015 by EHL

Boy in Black SuitMatt’s mother died of cancer.  His father deals with her death by sinking into depression and alcohol.  Matt deals with her death by shouldering the responsibilities of the sad reality.  He needs a job and it is either at the local fast food chain or at the funeral home, thus the black suit of the funeral home job.  His new boss is kind and full of wisdom, the type of steady adult all children should have in their life.  Then amidst the gloom, he meets Lovey who has dealt with her own hardships, not by dwelling in despair but by being responsible.  Together they can understand each other’s loneliness and begin to see the positives in the next stage of their lives.

It is not a sad, depressing book because the author focuses on the characters rather than the sad events.  The author’s voice is so natural and never forced.  The reader gets a pretty good understanding of Matt, but tough, level-headed Lovey has an air of mystery.  Another excellent book from this talented author should find plenty of tween/teen readers.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review    Publication date   1/6/15

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Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat – John McQuaid

Posted on January 4, 2015 by EHL

TastyFrom a 480 million-year-old fossil digging for a meal to today’s experimental chefs, the author takes us on a journey of taste and smell.   Why do we taste?  What is deliciousness?  Do we taste with our brains or our tongues?  Do genes shape our flavor preferences?  Why do we prefer cooked meat? And what about our obsession with sweets?   Many questions I’d not thought to ask were answered in this interesting and informative book.  It’s a well written, fun read that I recommend for all ages.

 

eGalley review            Publication date 1.13.15

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Motherland – Maria Hummel

Posted on January 4, 2015 by EHL

MotherlandThere was so much that needed to be done. Liesl felt overwhelmed.  This was a household used to servants, and she was alone with three little boys.  Alone and hungry and cold.  Hans resented her, wouldn’t do as he was told, but Ani was younger and needed a mother, needed her love.  And the baby, of course, needed her very much.  But this was such a struggle.  Did she do the right thing?   When his wife died in childbirth and he was drafted to go to a hospital at the front, Frank asked her to marry him, to care for his children.  She worked at the spa where he was a doctor and she had known him for years.  But this was far harder than she had imagined.  This was too hard.  This was Germany’s starving winter of 1945.

The struggle to feed and care for her step-sons while not knowing the fate of her new husband was grinding.  And the air raids were terrifying. I was completely drawn in and shared Liesl’s despair, felt her helplessness.  The book is loosely based on Maria Hummel’s grandparents’ experiences in Germany during the last year of World War II.  It is a book not easily forgotten.  I highly recommend it.

Publication date 01.14.14

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The Boston Girl – Anita Diamant

Posted on December 14, 2014 by EHL

Boston GirlThe tape recorder began running in 1984, as Addie Baum, in response to her granddaughter’s request, started to tell of her life. The story begins in 1915 when she was 15, with the family of four living in one room in the North End of Boston. She was born to Jewish Russian immigrant parents, with a hard-working father and a mother who was suspicious of all things American.  Addie was the only one of the children who was allowed to go to high school, and go to the library, and read whatever she wanted. That’s where she started to be her own person. As Addie’s story unfolds, so does the 20th century:  the influenza epidemic of 1918, women’s suffrage, the Roaring 20’s, the Great Depression.  Addie lives with it all.

The book has great historical detail and captures the hard, grinding life of immigrants.  It is full of strong women who help one another overcome problems and prejudices.  I began to feel that Addie was real and almost forgot that I wasn’t reading a memoir.  It’s a quick, easy read, warm and comforting.

eGalley review    Publication date 12.9.14

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A Thousand Pieces of You – Claudia Gray

Posted on October 27, 2014 by EHL

a Thousand pieces of youMarguerite’s brilliant scientist parents have received funding from a giant tech corporation to develop their parallel universe theories.  Their two grad student assistants, Paul and Theo, are treated like family.  When it appears Paul has killed her father and escaped to an alternate universe, Marguerite and Theo chase after him with intent to kill.  As the three jump to each different universe, their soul enters the body of their universal double and takes over.  A love triangle emerges to add the touching element to this fast-paced race through the universes.

Alternate universe stories are fun and stretch the mind a bit, thinking of what-ifs and the many different paths every decision we make create.  While this is not as gritty as All Our Yesterdays (Cristin Terrill), it is very good.  For teens ready to jump into multiple universe stories, this will satisfy quite nicely.  The story wraps up but the door is left open for more.

eGalley review                     Publication date 11.4.14

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Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble – Marilyn Johnson

Posted on October 27, 2014 by EHL

Lives in RuinsArchaeologists, real archaeologists are not at all like Indiana Jones. From Machu Picchu to Rhode Island, the Mediterranean to Fishkill, New York, Marilyn Johnson worked and lived with real archaeologists.  Her intent was to understand their character, to understand why they want to spend their life scratching the surface of the planet for little money and usually little fame, to understand their dirty little secrets.  And they are very dirty, and sweaty and backbreaking.  The book took me all over the planet to various sorts of digs and exposed the painstaking care taken to uncover the past.  It’s a very readable and lively book, full of interesting people, told with wit and skill.  I loved every page and highly recommend it for readers of all ages.

eGalley review     Publication date 11.11.14

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