Sunday Coffee Talk & Review of 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Good Afternoon Everyone! I'm a bit late with this post but you can still grab a cup of coffee or tea and have an afternoon cuppa and chat with me. As I posted last Sunday, I am still trudging around in my fashionable stormtrooper boot due to an ankle issue. It was fun this week as my son was home sick with pneumonia, poor guy was miserable. Now, he has to catch up with school work and fortunately his teachers could email me some of the work he was able to complete at home.  It's rough to miss a week of school when you're in middle school (7th grade) and my son's school is fast paced with lots of homework and research projects to keep up with. My husband and I were playing tag team as I had a conference to attend that I had signed up for months ago, no refunds either. It worked out and it was interesting getting around at a conference with the boot. I had an end chair and it was mainly lecture and a friend was there so she was a great help. 

On the book front, I finished reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami which was quite a challenge at 925 pages and a bit out of my comfort zone of reading. I ended up mainly reading the book on Kindle borrowed from the library (which is a fabulous feature). It took me awhile to finish the book as I was reading other books and my library loans would run out and I would have to juggle another loan. It's a large book and for me it was easier to read on the kindle and take along with me to various appointments.  I was intrigued by this book and I was unfamiliar with this author until I read  Ti from Book Chatter's  excitement about the book and author, so thanks Ti!

This was my first step into the bold world and writing of Haruki Murakami. After about 6 weeks my journey through the world of 1Q84 has come to an end and I miss the characters already. This is a hard book to review but I must tell you that I liked it a lot. I was reading it while in the waiting room of a new doctor and she walked in and saw me reading on my kindle. She asked if I was reading anything good and I told her with excitement, "Yes, I am reading a new author, the book is over 900 pages and is about two main characters and a parallel world and it's translated from Japanese". She sensed my excitement but I think I scared her with a few of my comments. Even my husband got involved in the excitement of my reading this novel as I was a bit daunted with the length of the novel. He challenged me a bit with an offer of dinner out after I finished it! Of course, I took on that challenge but didn't need it as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now, I can take him up on his offer and pick a nice place to go for a dinner date!

The setting of the book is a strange parallel universe in 1984 Japan. Unusual things are occurring and as the book unravels, you along with the characters realize that something odd is going on. It's subtle at first and then I found myself wanting to keep turning the pages as I got connected to the characters and the world they were in. This is the kind of book that is challenging to the mind, the story is not laid out on a platter but you must continue to peel away the layers of the onion and be a bit of a detective to connect the dots. At times, you may be able to figure out where the story is going but then you learn about the little people, the religious cult, the two moons, a mystery of death and wonder how all of this connects. The story reminded me a bit of the show Lost (which I loved) as you try to figure out where the plot is going and the challenge of questioning reality as you know it.  Murakami is an amazingly gifted storyteller that creates an atmosphere that is so realistic that you feel as if you know the characters and are part of their magical world. I had an empty feeling after I finished the book, an emptiness as the characters and the world of 1Q84 ended. I had immersed myself into this world for so many weeks that I didn't want it to end. I felt a bit lost after reading this and needed some time before I started another book.  I found that reading it slowly helped me to appreciate the novel and characters as well as the style of writing. I did not find the size as daunting overall so don't let that sway you from reading this book. I highly recommend this book, especially for those who like this style of novel and for those who want to explore new genres and authors. As a first time reader of Murakami, I found it a good book to start with. I do plan to read more of his novels. 

There is even a soundtrack that Knopf and Doubleday put together on Spotify to accompany the reading of 1Q84. For more information, go HERE.

The Sunday Salon: Review & Giveaway Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

About Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman (from Simon and Schuster/Touchstone):

Spanning three generations and half the world, WILDFLOWER HILL: A Novel (Touchstone Books/A Simon & Schuster Trade Paperback; August 23, 2011) by Kimberley Freeman is a sweeping story of two women who share a legacy of secrets, heartbreak, courage, and love.  In present day, Emma, a prima ballerina in London suffering from a broken heart and a career-ending injury, is at a crossroads both personally and professionally. Returning home to Australia, she learns that she has inherited a sheep station in isolated Tasmania from her grandmother, Beattie. Certain she has been saddled with an irritating burden, Emma leaves for Wildflower Hill to sell the estate. At Wildflower Hill, the two women’s stories become intertwined as Emma gradually uncovers the secrets of her grandmother’s history. In the 1930s, Beattie also found herself at a crossroads as a young woman - unwed and pregnant by a married man. 

My Thoughts:

I love immersing myself into a good family saga and Wildflower Hill fits the bill perfectly adding a historical perspective. Wildflower Hill was an engrossing novel that intertwines the stories of two women, a grandmother and granddaughter who are linked through a family bond as well as life events. The story unfolds beautifully, spanning three generations and in three countries that are worlds apart - Scotland, England and Australia. 

The story is told as a double narrative, through the perspective of two women, Beattie the grandmother and Emma the granddaughter. Beattie, who grew up in Scotland, tells her story starting in the 1920's when she is 18 years old and discovers she is pregnant with her married lovers child. She is disowned by her parents and she travels to Australia with her boyfriend to start a new life. Things don't turn out as Beattie dreamed although she is a strong woman who finds a way to survive. Emma tells her story in modern  day, after an injury changes her life as a world famous ballerina. She discovers that she has inherited her grandmother Beattie's sheep farm, Wildflower Hill, which is in Tasmania, Australia. Emma discovers  secrets held by her grandmother's past as she cleans out her grandmothers house. Secrets that unfold that force Emma to reevaluate her own life and what is important to her and her own future. 

Wildflower Hill is a family saga that is beautifully written, revealing family secrets that lead to an amazing journey of self discovery and a testament to the power of love. I enjoyed the differences between the two characters and  by separating the different eras and experiences between them helped to highlight their deep connection. The characters were well developed and easy to engage with as a reader. I enjoyed reading about the backdrop of Tasmania, Australia and  many scenes were so descriptive that I could imagine them in my mind. This was a book that was enjoyable to read and one that I couldn't wait to get back to when I was forced to put it down. The last chapter left things a bit undone and left me with the thought that there may be a sequel although after reading the conversation with the author at the end of the book, it sounds unlikely. The author did share a funny story about a reader who was upset that the author didn't tell exact details of what happens in the epilogue.  We don't always get the perfect wrap up in a book and this one leaves some things to your imagination. I highly recommend this thoughtful and enjoyable novel. 

Check out Kimberley Freeman's Website, HERE.


You can read the first chapter of Wildflower Hill,  HERE.

Find a Reading Group Guide  for Wildflower Hill, HERE. This includes a conversation with the author.

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

  

I have TWO copies of Wildflower Hill (compliments of Simon & Schuster) to give away to two lucky readers

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment here and what you found interesting about Wildflower Hill. Make sure to include your email address (no email, no entry)

For a 2nd Entry (Separate Comment):  Follow my blog, you can follow through Google Friend Connect to the left in my side column. If you already do, thank you, and please  make sure to let me know in your comment so I can pass the entry on to you as well. Make sure to include your email address (no email, no entry).

For a 3rd Entry (Separate Comment): Spread the word about this giveaway and Retweet, retweet button below my name at the end of this post. Make sure to include your email address (no email, no entry).

*Open to US & Canada only.

Enter by September 24 , 2011

The Sunday Salon: Review The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

About The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (from author website)
  

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wifecaptures 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 café 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.

My Thoughts:

I must admit that I have not read any of Hemingway's novels but am interested in his work and I have visited The Hemingway House in Key West, Florida. Despite this, the premise behind the novel The Paris Wife intrigued me as well as the setting of Paris. Paula Mclain does an excellent job of taking the reader to 1920's Paris featuring Hemingway's early career through the voice of his first wife Hadley Richardson. I found The Paris Wife to be a mesmerizing novel featuring the lost generation a  group of authors that included Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald who lived life in a frenzy of parties and volatility. The Hemingway's weren't prepared for the drinking, competition amongst their friends, open relationships and beautiful woman they would meet and become friends with. There was much creativity and freedom that allowed Hemingway to spread his wings and find his way as a novelist. Hadley had much to do with this through the inspiration and support she gave him. We know that Hadley was Ernest's first wife (he had 4 wives) so it was not a surprise when the marriage is challenged and crumbles but it was difficult to read. Hadley endured a great deal as she truly adored and idolized Ernest and believed in his writing and abilities. This novel captured the voice of Hadley beautifully and I often felt as if I was reading a diary or a biography experiencing their life through her eyes. 


There is an epilogue that explains what happens to Hadley and Ernest but I found myself interested in reading more and searching for more information about Hadley and Ernest's lives after their marriage ended.  I am definitely interested in reading more of Hemingway's work and plan to read A Moveable Feast, which is a memoir of Hadley and Hemingway's life in Paris which was not published until after Hemingway's death. 

Check out a recent guest post and interview with the author Paula McClain that I posted a few months ago.




Thanks to  Random House  for sending me an advance copy of the book for review. 

The Sunday Salon: Review of Faith by Jennifer Haigh

Faith by Jennifer Haigh

About (from Harper Collins): When Sheila McGann sets out to redeem her disgraced brother, a once-beloved Catholic priest in suburban Boston, her quest will force her to confront cataclysmic truths about her fractured Irish-American family, her beliefs, and, ultimately, herself. 

My Thoughts:

Faith is one of the most powerful books that I have read in a long time. The author's writing is spellbinding.  She weaves a tale that, as a reader, you think that you know where she is going and then she turns the story around and takes you to places you didn't expect. I just finished the book and must say that it touched me on so many levels that it left me feeling as if I personally knew these characters, this family. The author tells the story mainly through the voice of the sister of the accused priest and how each member of the family handles the allegations as the story unfolds. There are discoveries uncovered, truths revealed and challenges to the core of their beliefs in religion, faith, family loyalty and love.  We have all read the headlines, stories told, secrets whispered and what we really don't know is the truth. Who are we to judge when we don't know the truth on both sides? This novel brilliantly explores these issues and will make you question your own self on how easy we can judge others, even our own family members.  Faith by Jennifer Haigh is a family drama that is well-crafted, thoughtful and infused with emotions, secrets, regrets, sadness, love and forgiveness. This book is a page turner, one that will touch you deeply and you will think about these characters and this family long after you turn the last page. 

Recommend: Absolutely! I've read only one other book by Jennifer Haigh, Mrs. Kimble. Ms. Haigh has perfected her writing with Faith and could easily be her best novel yet. This would be an excellent book for a book club discussion. There are so many themes and topics to discuss. There is a reading guide for Faith, here.  You can read and browse inside Faith, here. You can visit Jennifer Haigh's website, here. 

Listen to Jennifer Haigh talk about her novel Faith with Writer's Voice, here. 

Thanks to Harper Collins for sending me an advance copy of the book for review. 

Here is a book trailer to view for Faith by Jennifer Haigh:

Review: Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook

Claire Cook is a writer that can weave a story with wit and wisdom and touch on topics that are true to a woman's heart. Best Staged Plans is Claire's 8th book and is definitely another winner. It has become a welcome tradition  for me to read a Claire Cook novel every summer. The main character is Sandy who has reached a crossroads of sorts in her own life. Professionally, she is a home stager, changing and re-arranging others homes to draw the perfect buyer to close a sale. She realizes that her own life needs change as her children are grown, her own Victorian historical home that she has loving restored is now over-sized for their life and she'd like to downsize and have less responsibility. Her husband is dragging his feet a bit and is not quite ready for this change in their life and their adult son is living in a bat cave in their basement. Sandy is offered a chance to stage a boutique hotel in Atlanta, recently purchased sight unseen by her best friend's boyfriend. She jumps at the chance, her daughter and son-in-law live there so it's an added bonus to spend time with them. She is hoping that this will push her husband into action to ready their home for sale so that they can move onto the next stage of their life together. Not every plan is perfect as Sandy ends up having to turn things around at the hotel quickly while learning secrets about her best friend's boyfriend.  Sandy's friendship with a homeless woman named Naomi steals the show and for me, is the heart of the novel.  Sandy demonstrates that others hardship can make you realize and appreciate what you are blessed with in your own life. She is able to help Naomi make a positive change and in doing so realizes that what is best for us isn't always staged.

Best Staged Plans is perfect summer reading, light-hearted and fun but with a meaningful message. This will also grab the interest of those who love HGTV decorating shows with the added bonus of some decorating ideas and tips. This is one that you will want to share with your girlfriends. It would make a great summer (or anytime of year) book club  pick. You can read an excerpt of Best Staged Plans and find a list of Book Club Conversation Starters, here.

Check out this sneak peek video excerpt of Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook: 

Review: The Gin & Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter

I was totally drawn to The Gin & Chowder Club for several reasons, first the gorgeous cover art, second the name and third is the review I read by Ti at Book Chatter which totally sold me on this book. There are many more reasons to tell you why I loved The Gin & Chowder Club. It includes the total package for me on what is a good book...cover art,  title, solid story that sweeps me away to the setting, engaging characters, food...I swear, I could smell the chowder simmering and the salt air on the beach of Cape Cod. That is another reason I was drawn to this book. I love Cape Cod and have been there many times on vacation as a teenager and adult and every time I fall in love. The accents of those who live there and their welcoming nature, the ocean, the ferry that I took to Martha's Vineyard and the food! Gosh, I wish that I was there now...I would love to be on the sandy beaches looking at a lighthouse. You see, this book truly took me to Cape Cod!

This is a tender story of two families and their friendship and connection to one another. The Coleman and Shepherd families have been friends for several generations. The men were childhood friends as were their fathers and they each took over their father's family business in the city (Boston) and have summer homes on Cape Cod. A family tradition started with their father's who started having get-togethers enjoying a  good gin & tonic and homemade clam chowder. The novel is set in the 60's which gives the story its gentle pace and rhythm.  If it was set in the current time period it would not have the same gentleness and flow and would have been much more fast paced due to our electronic age.  I grew up in the 60's so I am showing my age a bit, it was a time that was a bit more carefree and less fast paced. 

The Coleman's are raising their sons Isaac and Asa and the summer this story is told, Isaac is returning to college and Asa is set to go off to his first year of college. Nate Shepherd lost his first wife a few years ago and she was like an aunt to both Isaac and Asa as they did not have children of their own. Nate found new love with a much younger wife Noelle who has been welcomed into the fold of the Gin & Chowder club. There is a growing attraction between Noelle and Asa which ends in a secret relationship that results in great yearning, guilt and passion that unfolds as they both realize the consequences of their actions. The author did a wonderful job in describing the emotions and feelings of both Noelle and Asa as well as the guilt and remorse that can wreak havoc on their lives. There are strong elements of faith that challenge them both, the love and bond of family that can be strong and help us to survive. The elements of faith and the storyline of forbidden love may appear contradictory but it is written in such a realistic way that makes one realize that we are all human, flawed and not perfect.  There are repercussions to our actions and love does not heal all...we can make mistakes that will stay with us, effect those around us and we must learn from them and take responsibility for those actions. This is a book that will raise questions and it would be a great book to discuss with a book club. There is a reading group guide at the end of the book (you can find it online, here) that will stir up some great conversation, add some gin & tonic and some chowder and you'll be all set to have a heated discussion!


You can read the first chapter of The Gin & Chowder Club at the publisher, Kensington Books website, here.

Thank to the author, Nan Rossiter for sending me this book to review. You can check out Nan's website, here. 

Review & Giveaway: Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

About (from Daphne Kalotay website):

Set in both modern-day Boston and post-WWII Moscow, RUSSIAN WINTER tells the story of Bolshoi ballerina Nina Revskaya as she becomes a member of Stalin's cultural elite before escaping to the West following a terrible betrayal. Decades later, she has decided to auction off her famed jewelry collection—including the rare set of amber that a Boston professor, Grigori Solodin, translator of the works of Revskaya's late poet-husband, believes may hold the key to a long-kept secret. The literary mystery Grigori sets out to solve—with the help of Drew Brooks, a young associate at the Boston auction house—reaches much deeper: to the cost of making art and trying to live and love under circumstances of enormous repression.

My Thoughts:

Daphne Kalotay's novel "Russian Winter" is beautifully written and the kind of novel that sweeps you away from the moment into another world that holds your interest. Russian Winter was that kind of novel for me that pulled me in and held my interest. I was drawn into the life of Nina Revskaya, a Bolshoi ballerina in WW II Russia ruled under Stalin. The darkness and secrecy living a life of distrust and fear was felt strongly. As a reader, I could envision what it would be like watching Nina dance in Swan Lake and how grueling the life of a ballerina can be balanced with the beauty of the art of the dance. I could envision the hardships of having little food and clothing, being watched or the fear of being watched and the hardships of women who must work paving and repairing roads to save their lives. 

We reflect back with Nina as she is now an old woman and invalid, having escaped Russia and traveled the world and being coveted as a prima ballerina in Boston. She decides to sell her jewelry collection from her past, at auction to benefit the Boston Ballet as she wants to separate herself from what she perceives as the deceptiveness that it represents.  This reflection on the past and the memories that connect to each piece of jewelry is skillfully interwoven with the story of Grigori Solodin, a professor of languages who has a connection to Nina that he does not quite understand. He has been on a mission to find the answers to their connection. He has translated the poems of Nina's late husband, and he is the owner of an amber necklace that may belong to a collection that Nina is selling. 

Ms. Kalatoy has created a magnificent mystery and novel of historical fiction filled with characters who have great depth and strength. As a reader, you will be filled with emotion as the story proceeds. I was pulled into the mystery of Nina and Gregori's past as well as the layers of the story as they are revealed. I found the novel riveting and the conclusion leaves a twist that will have you thinking about trust, love, secrets, redemption and more. 

Thanks to TLC Book Tours  for providing me an opportunity to be part of the book tour for Russian Winter  and to Harper Perennial for sending me a copy of the trade paperback for review. 

Check out the other tour stops for Russian Winter, here.

Check out Daphne Kalotay's Website for more information.

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

I have one copy of Russian Winter to give away complements of TLC Book Tour and Harper Perennial.

To Enter:   

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment about this review and what do you find interesting about Russian Winter. Make sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you are a winner. Otherwise, I won't be able to include your name in the drawing. 

For a 2nd Entry (Separate Comment):  Follow my blog, you can follow through Google Friend Connect to the left in my side column. If you already do, thank you, and please  make sure to let me know in your comment so I can pass the entry on to you as well. Make sure to include your email address.

For a 3rd Entry (Separate Comment): Spread the word about this giveaway and Retweet, retweet button below my name at the end of this post. Make sure to include your email address.

Open to US and Canada only.

Enter by May 10, 2011.

Review & Giveaway: Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Description of Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing 

by Kathy Cano-Murillo from the publisher, Hachette:

Sometimes to find your life's true path, you have to stray outside the lines . . .

Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past.

But as stitches give way to secrets and classmates become friends, the women realize an important truth: There is no single pattern for a good life. Happiness is always a custom fit.

My Thoughts:

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing was a fun book to read. It was the perfect time for me to read a book that is funny, full of interesting characters, focuses on creativity and  has a thoughtful message to readers. Yes, the book focuses on sewing and crafting but you don't have to be a sewer or crafter to enjoy this book. I am not a sewer but am a bit crafty and enjoyed the way the author brought her love and passion for crafting to the pages.  If you are a sewer and/or into crafting or are interested in either you will find the book full of great ideas and there are some How-To ideas at the back of the book. Miss Scarlet's idea of Patternlesss sewing is free spirited like Scarlet and she encourages the ladies in her class to find and express their true selves. The patternless sewing idea was also a tool to look at their own lives and examine the patterns they are following. We often follow patterns in our lives based on tradition, obligations and even by the family we are born into or raised by. Scarlet encouraged the ladies to examine if these patterns were working for them and to find a way to change them if desired.  I liked this dual approach that the author chose to write the story tying the patternless sewing concept into the lives of the characters in the book.  This book focuses on friendship, finding your passion/purpose and following your dreams, family relationships and love, as well as crafting, sewing and fashion. The strength of this novel is the passion and strength of the characters, their hearts and the fun that they have as they grow and change. This is a book that is fun, flashy, creative and one that I would recommend when you want to read a fun book that also has substance and depth. This is the second book in the Crafty Chica series by Kathy Cano-Murillo but it is a stand alone book. The first book is Waking up in the land of Glitter .

• Reading Group Guide
• Visit Craftychica.com
• Follow @CraftyChica on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
   

Check out this fun book trailer: 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* CLOSED

Giveaway package courtesy of Hachette Book Group: includes 1 copy of MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING & 1 copy of Waking Up in the Land of Glitter

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment.  Make sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you are a winner. Otherwise, I won't be able to include your name in the drawing. 

For a 2nd Entry (Separate Comment):  Follow my blog, you can follow through Google Friend Connect to the left in my side column. If you already do, thank you, and please  make sure to let me know in your comment so I can pass the entry on to you as well. Make sure to include your email address.

For a 3rd Entry (Separate Comment): Spread the word about this giveaway and Retweet; retweet button below my name at the end of this post. Make sure to include your email address.


Open to US and Canada only, No PO Boxes. Publisher will mail books directly to the winner.

Enter by March 20, 2011. GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Sunday Salon & Weekend Cooking: February Book Club Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Work, Health & Cooking:

Life has been busy and my blog has been a bit quiet lately. Work has been busy as those who work in the schools  know, IEP's (Individualized Education Program) are completed annually on all students who qualify. As I am an  Occupational Therapist working in the schools, the IEP's are coming due fast and furious. Therefore, much of my time has been spent writing up reports at home which takes away from my free time, which includes blogging and reading. I am trying to keep a balance and I have some great reviews and  giveaways coming up. I am doing well on my lifestyle change towards improved health and healthier eating. I've lost 10.5 lbs in 6 weeks following the Weight Watchers Points Plus program online. It's working well for me. This week was a challenge as I hosted book club and there is always wine and appetizers as well as dessert. I planned to make a flourless chocolate cake that I got a recipe from the Sunday Parade magazine a few weeks ago. It was a flop! Oh well, it was supposed to be a souffle like cake but I don't think that the temperature or time were correct in the recipe and it was raw, even after cooking it extra time. I had to go out and buy a prepared chocolate chip coffee cake which I served with raspberries and whipped cream which worked out fine. I did try a new recipe that a friend on the Weight Watchers board shared and it was excellent, it looked similar to this picture:

Chunky Avocado and Feta Cheese Guacamole:

3-4 medium avocados, cut up - NOT mashed!
3-5 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp oregano
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled into little pieces

Combine it all. If you make it ahead, add the avocado
as late as possible so it doesn't turn brown. Add some
lime juice if you aren't serving it right away.

Serve with baked tostito scoops (or any tortilla chip) . 

Book Club & Review:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

This is a charming, delightful story that is entertaining and filled with deeper themes than I expected. I love a good British novel set in a village with great characters, the setting was superb. Ms. Simonson created a loveable and endearing character in Major Pettigrew and I adored him. The Major is a widow and lives alone in the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in the English countryside. He has a grown son who lives in London but is on the path of materialism and wealth that is quite different than the values of the Major. He lost his wife a few years prior to the opening of the  novel in which he just heard the news of the sudden death of his brother. He befriends a local shop owner, Jasmina Ali who is also a widow and their friendship develops over cups of tea and conversations about literary books they've read.  Mrs. Ali is Pakistani although born and bred in England. The Major and Jasmina develop a relationship that is not accepted as the couple are of different races. There are many themes throughout this novel that are worthy of great discussion; racial differences and acceptance, parents and their adult children, community and what it means to be a neighbor, social status, honor and loyalty, religion and the value of money and materialism. My book club had a great discussion of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, most of the group liked the book and there were a few that did not care for the book. They felt that the Major was a bit annoying and that the novel was not well layered. We had a great time discussing their views and other perspectives.  I think that having different opinions about a book makes for a more interesting book club discussion. For me, I highly recommend Major Pettigrew's Last Stand as it took me into a village in England full of fascinating characters and a story that had layers and themes that develop into an endearing story. I've heard that the audio book version is also great with an excellent narrator. 

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, go to Beth Fish Reads.

Review-The Red Thread by Ann Hood

Title: The Red Thread

Author: Ann Hood

About (From :W.W. Norton & Company):

From the best-selling author of The Knitting Circle, a mother’s powerful journey from loss to love.

“In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?”

After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens The Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces her to confront the lost daughter of her past.

My Thoughts:

This is a beautiful story about the thread of connection that people have who desire and long for a child. The novel centers on Maya who owns and operates The Red Thread Adoption Agency which helps families adopt baby girls from China. She has hidden her own previous loss of a child and marriage from her friends, clients and staff. The story focuses on six couples, including Emily, one of Maya's closest friends. She alternately shares the stories of six women from China and their sad stories of how they had to abandon their daughters. Ann Hood flawlessly threads the stories together so that they are not overwhelming or hard to follow and in the end, she seams together the loose ends. Maya is the thread that connects all of the characters while she is on her own journey of healing and exploration of how she can find wholeness in her own life once again.

This is a beautifully written novel that I found touching and heartfelt. I felt a sense of connection with the characters and their stories and it stirred my own emotions as one who had a strong desire to have a child and became a mother in my mid-thirties. As I read the stories of the Chinese women who had to give up their beloved daughters it made me stop and think on a deeper level. These babies are often well loved and their parents often want to keep them, there are reasons that they must be put up for adoption. In most cases, they are forced to do so. It doesn't take away the pain from the parents letting them go in the hopes of a better life in America for their child. The stories shared scenarios and experiences that give a cultural background and delve into the experiences and emotion of foreign adoption. Some of these  stories will definitely tug at your heartstrings as they did mine. My heart went out to the birth mothers who had to let go of their own thread of connection to their baby girls and allowed another connection to be put in place.

This is an intensely personal story for Ann Hood who lost a child and went through a similar adoption process. This book is fiction but there seems to be some parallels to her own life.  Her writing is superb and rich, this is an author that you don't want to miss. I read her novel The Knitting Circle several years ago before I started blogging and found it to be a deeply touching and powerful story.

Source:  Library Thing Early Reviewers

You can read an interview with Ann Hood about The Red Thread, here.

Check out this wonderful video with Ann Hood:

Review- Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop

 

 

Title: Letter to My Daughter 

Author: George Bishop

Genre: Fiction

About (From Random House website):

Dear Elizabeth,
It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right.

A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey “everything I’ve always meant to tell you but never have.”

In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, growing up in an intensely conservative household. She recounts her relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents’ disapproval, the fateful events that led to her being sent away to a strict Catholic boarding school, the personal tragedy brought upon her by the Vietnam War, and, finally,  the meaning of the enigmatic tattoo below her right hip.

My Thoughts:

Letter to My Daughter is just that, a letter that a mother Laura, writes to her daughter, Liz after they get into a terrible fight and Liz runs away with a family car. What is astonishing is that it is written by a man. George Bishop has a wonderful way of capturing the female narrative and perspective ofLaura as a woman and a mother. Laura decides to write a letter after Liz runs off explaining details about her own life, her relationship with her parents, falling in love at 15, the Vietnam War, her love for her daughter and how she had vowed to never be like her own mother. Laura realizes that she never shared these things about her past with Liz and regrets not doing so. Laura's character was sincere and honest and the story was told in a realistic way when she expressed her feelings as a teenager and mother. This book shares the realities that mothers and  daughters face and how often mother's may not realize that their daughters need them to be honest about their own past and to  be open in listening to how their daughter's feel.  I did enjoy the novel but it felt incomplete in several ways and there were some gaps in the story. Although the focus of the novel is on the mother and daughter, it bothered me not to know who Liz's father was. Laura referred to him as Liz's father but not who his character was, not even a name. The ending left me as a reader hanging and the story incomplete.

Source: I received an advanced reading copy from Random House.