First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence; David Samuel Levinson

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where I share the first paragraph or (a few) of a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon. Care to join us?

This week I'm featuring an intro from a book that I am hoping to start soon:

 Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence

David Samuel Levinson

Algonquin - June 2013 

 In Media Res
 " We thought ourselves good people who lived good lives.  Some of us had lived in the town for generations and had never considered leaving.  Many of us, though, had relocated there from the city, in the process learning what it was like to desert the place we loved, longed for, and hated.  Winslow wasn't a big town and couldn't offer the charms of Manhattan nothing as remarkable as the rooftops at twilight or Central Park in the rain.  While many of us had grown sick of the city's neon signs and glass towers, many others of us put up photos to remind ourselves daily of what we missed."  

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  Feel free to join us by linking your First Chapter post below.

Mailbox Monday - June 17th

Mailbox Monday is a chance for book lovers everywhere to shout out all of the new books that they've recently acquired. Dolce Bellezza, one of my favorite bloggers, is hosting for the month of June. Feel free to join in the fun. 

 

• San Miguel; T.C Boyle  (paperback swap) - On a tiny, desolate, windswept island off the coast of Southern California, two families, one in the 1880s and one in the 1930s, come to start new lives and pursue dreams of self-reliance and freedom. Their extraordinary stories, full of struggle and hope, are the subject of T. C. Boyle’s haunting new novel.
• The Woman Upstairs; Claire Messud (paperback swap) - Nora Eldridge, an elementary school teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts, long ago compromised her dream to be a successful artist, mother and lover. She has instead become the “woman upstairs,” a reliable friend and neighbor always on the fringe of others’ achievements. Then into her life arrives the glamorous and cosmopolitan Shahids—her new student Reza Shahid, a child who enchants as if from a fairy tale, and his parents: Skandar, a dashing Lebanese professor who has come to Boston for a fellowship at Harvard, and Sirena, an effortlessly alluring Italian artist.
  
  When Reza is attacked by schoolyard bullies, Nora is drawn deep into the complex world of the Shahid family; she finds herself falling in love with them, separately and together. Nora’s happiness explodes her boundaries, and she discovers in herself an unprecedented ferocity—one that puts her beliefs and her sense of self at stake.
  
  Told with urgency, intimacy and piercing emotion, this brilliant novel of passion and artistic fulfillment explores the intensity, thrill—and the devastating cost—of embracing an authentic life.
• Quartet in Autumn; Barbara Pym (purchased in NH) - This is the story of four people in late middle-age - Edwin, Norman, Letty and Marcia - whose chief point of contact is that they work in the same office and they suffer the same problem - loneliness. Lovingly, poignantly, satirically and with much humour, Pym conducts us through their small lives and the facade they erect to defend themselves against the outside world. There is nevertheless an obstinate optimism in her characters, allowing them in their different ways to win through to a kind of hope.
• Some Tame Gazelle; Barbara Pym (purchased in NH) -Belinda and Harriet Bede live together in a small English village. Shy, sensible Belinda has been secretly in love with Henry Hoccleve—the poetry-spouting, married archdeacon of their church—for thirty years. Belinda’s much more confident, forthright younger sister Harriet, meanwhile, is ardently pursued by Count Ricardo Bianco. Although she has turned down every marriageable man who proposes, Harriet still welcomes any new curate with dinner parties and flirtatious conversation. And one of the newest arrivals, the reverend Edgar Donne, has everyone talking.
  A warm, affectionate depiction of a postwar English village, Some Tame Gazelle perfectly captures the quotidian details that make up everyday life. With its vibrant supporting cast, it’s also a poignant story of unrequited love.

Saturday Snapshot - June 15th 2013

Alyce at At Home With Books has decided to take a break from blogging and from hosting Saturday Snapshot. We will miss her, but all of us understand a need to step back, regroup, and prioritize one's life. We hope to see her back soon. Saturday Snapshot is now hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy while Alyce is away.
 
To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky (at West Metro Mommy). Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

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Last Week we spent a few days in Portsmouth, New Hampshire which is a wonderful seaside town. Once you've visited, you'll want to return again and again. Fantastic shops, book stores, coffee shops and all are so very unique.  My husband found a great runners store and made a few purchases and I found a few books I had on my [to buy] list. What we both loved was the outdoor seating (tables and benches) everywhere along the brick walkways which made for some great people-watching while we were there.  The weather was perfect but we had to cut our trip short by a day as I came down with a horrible earache and sore throat that required a doctors visit Tuesday and antibiotics.  I've been out of work all week and actually feel worst today with a horrible cough now:(

Here are a few of the photos I took with my phone while we walked around town, had lunch and shopped. 

 Book and Bar; Portsmouth, NH

 Smuttynose Brewing Co

 How about those big eyes?

 This cute guy was actually quite happy relaxing

 in the shade where we sat. Dog bowls and bike racks

are everywhere in front of shops around town.

 Hope to return again in the fall on our way to Maine.

  

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal; Mary Roach

Title: Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal
Author: Mary Roach
Publication Year:  2013
Publisher: Tantor Audio / W.W. Norton
Edition: audio and print
Reader: Emily Woo Zeller (very good)
Source: library
Date Completed: June - 2013
Rating: 4/5 

Definition of ALIMENTARY CANAL (according to Merriam Webster) : the tubular passage that extends from mouth to anus, functions in digestion and absorption of food and elimination of residual waste, and includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

Who would think reading about digestion would make for an entertaining and informative read?  As a fan of this author's earlier non-fiction work: Stiff:The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, I thought this one might be fun as well. Once again, the author Mary Roach, manages to make this one both informative and entertaining. 

In Gulp, the author actually begins with the nose, pointing out that without sniffing, we miss as much as 90 percent of the smells going on around us, and how dogs who hang their heads out of the car windows, and motorcyclists experience something that the rest of us miss. The nose and sniffing also have much to do with tasting. There were some interesting studies with olive oil (some rancid) and cheap wine vs expensive wine.  Did you know that Elvis had a colon that was 2-3 times larger than average? Did that contribute to his early death? How much contraband can be transported in "prison wallet" (rectum)?   There is even a section on pet food studies that was very good, as well as an investigation on competitive eating, and whether a person can, in fact, eat themselves to death.

The author has written a book which is both entertaining and informative. It was interesting to learn about the many ways that our internal plumbing can fail us, yet  even though the subject is serious you'll often smile or even laugh as you read about it. Scientific studies and trials can be dry and boring, but this book is written in a manner that is anything but boring. If you are in the mood for a bit of non fiction and would like to try something different, this one may be the book for you.

Where Do The Animals Go When It Rains? ; Janet S. Crown and Sleepover Larry; Daniel Pinkwater

 Where Do the Animals Go When It Rains? 

Janet Crown; 2012

NetGalley selection

Where Do the Animals Go When It Rains? is a book that was written by, Janet Crown, after many many bedtime discussions with her young children about where the animals that lived outside would go when it rained. Together they would often make up rhymes after their discussions, and this cute, well crafted book is the result.

While I was a little disappointed with the flow and rhyme of this story, the learning experience it offers about nature, climate, and the various animals themselves, more than made up for the flow of the story. Daron Rosenberg's illustrations were so well done, demonstrating things like how even animal families stick together where conditions aren't always perfect. For example, there is an illustration of a family of bunnies huddling close to each other to keep warm during the cold rain. The fonts vary in size and boldness to keep it interesting as well.

I think this is a book that will not only teach young children about animals and their environment, but will also be a favorite bedtime selection for some. Worth trying.

Sleepover Larry (Larry Series)

 Daniel and Jill Pinkwater - 2007

Amazon Vine

I wasn't familiar with the Larry Series, but I wanted to try this new installment as it sounded quite cute.

Larry, is a very cute polar bear who is hoping to have his first sleepover for his zoo friends. The party will be held at the hotel where he lives. What do animals do at Larry's sleepover? Pretty much what children do when their friends sleep over: order pizza, play games, and even watch a scary movie.

The illustrations by Jill Pinkwater are cute, but the story was just so so, and even though it's a book for young children, I think the grammar should have been corrected....just my opinion. I think children need to be taught proper English early on - no excuses. If you are curious, the Kindle Edition is available for only $1.00, while the hardcover is $15.00.

The Other Typist; Suzanne Rindell

Title: The Other Typist
Author: Suzanne Rindell
Publication Year:  2013
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Edition: audio / eGalley Reader: Gretchen Mol (very good)
Source: library and Net Galley
Setting:
Date Completed: June - 2013
Rating: 4.5/5

The Other Typist takes readers back to the "roaring 20s" and Prohibition, a time when speakeasies, often run by organized crime, were an opportunity for fast money. Illegal booze, gambling and fast women were big business. 

Rose Baker was not one of these "fast women". She was a police stenographer, a lady who takes pride in her job, by carefully recording the confessions of criminals each day. She thinks that she is a pretty good read of people. She grew up in an orphanage run by nuns, she's very quiet, plain looking, very naive, and has no social life to speak of, but deep down she longs for companionship.

Odalie Lazare is "the other typist" who works with Rose. Odalie is everything that Rose is not. She's outgoing, has beautiful clothes, is noticed by men everywhere and she knows where to go to have fun when she isn't working. Rose notices quickly that some of the stories Odalie has been telling do not seem to add up. Rose becomes more and more obsessed with finding out more about Odalie, especially after she gets a glimpse into Odalie's life after work hours.

I really enjoyed this terrific debut novel. The writing is vivid, scenes memorable and characters that will stick with you. Rose initially comes off as a somewhat sympathetic character, but there is more to Rose than meets the eye, but there is also more to Odalie. Readers who enjoy stories with unreliable narrators, or readers who would like to read more about the roaring 20s, should enjoy this story. I'll definitely be looking for more books by the promising new author.

The Perfect Ghost, Linda Barnes

Title: The Perfect Ghost
Author: Linda Barnes
Publication Year:  2013
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Source: Amazon Vine
Setting: Massachusetts
Date Completed: June - 2013
Rating: 3.5/5


Em Moore, an advanced degree in English, but quiet, insecure and anxiety-ridden when it comes to dealing with people. She was in the process of ghostwriting a biography about famous actor and director, Garrett Malcolm. When the other half of her writing team, Teddy Blake is killed in a car accident on Cape Cod, Em is devastated and frightened about having to take over his role on the project.. Now Em, must not only worry about doing the writing but the interviewing as well.

She does what she has to do and heads out to Malcolm Garrett's mansion to work on the interviewing piece of the project. She is taken by the handsome man, but before long there appears to be some secrets he is hiding. In addition the police are investigating Teddy's death, as it just may not have been an accident.

Initially, I had a tough time with the way this book is written. It starts out with Em talking to Teddy (who is dead), and then playing recordings of interviews that Teddy had taped while interviewing Malcolm. However, once, I understood what was going I was able to enjoy the rest of the mystery which had some good twists and almost a Gothic-like feel to the story.

Waiting on Wednesday - Tumbledown; Robert Boswell

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pick is by a new to me author:

Tumbledown; Robert Boswell

August 6, 2013 - Graywolf Press

At age thirty-three, James Candler seems to be well on the road to success. He’s in line for a big promotion at Onyx Springs, the treatment facility where he’s a therapist. He has a fiancée, a sizable house, and a Porsche.

But . . . he’s falling in love with another woman, he’s underwater on his mortgage, and he’s put his hapless best friend in charge of his signature therapeutic program. Even the GPS on his car can’t seem to predict where he should turn next. And his clients are struggling in their own hilarious, heartbreaking ways to keep their lives on track. How can he help them if he can’t help himself?
   

In Tumbledown, Robert Boswell presents a large, unforgettable cast of characters who are all failing and succeeding in various degrees to make sense of our often-irrational world. In a moving narrative twist, he boldly reckons with the extent to which tragedy can be undone, the impossible accommodated.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where I share the first paragraph or (a few) of a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon. Care to join us?

This week I'm featuring an intro from a book that I am looking forward to:

The Butterfly Sister; Amy Gail Hansen

August 2013 - William Morrow - Harper Collins

"Gwen could not have been more explicit at our first session: I was to cease reading books by or about women who killed themselves.

An unhealthy obsession, that's what my therapist called it, and I was inclined to agree with Gwen;s diagnosis.  There was, after all, no other logical explanation for the string of events that brought me to her office.  Ghosts do not exist.  I resigned myself to the fact that what I'd seen and done was a consequence of a compromised mental state.

Like other writers before me, I had simply gone mad."

How does this one sound to you? I plan to start it soon.

Mailbox Monday - June 9th 2013

Mailbox Monday is a chance for book lovers everywhere to shout out all of the new books that they've recently acquired. Dolce Bellezza, one of my favorite bloggers, is hosting for the month of June. Feel free to join in the fun. 

(4) new ones last week....by mail....the eBooks don't count right....or is it also eMailbox Monday as well?

• Marilyn's Red Diary; Freidel (unsolicited)
• Jack 1939; Francine Matthews (paperback swap)
• The Translator; Nina Schuyler (Pegasus)
• Sleepover Larry; Daniel Pinkwater (Amazon Vine)

We're in New Hampshire for a few days having some fun, so I'll be unplugged and will be back visiting blogs in a few days. Have a great weekend everyone.