Sunday Salon: Summer Reading & Blog Changes

It's been awhile since I've written a Sunday Salon post and it's so nice to finally have some time off. I started a new job last fall, working in the schools part-time. I'm an Occupational Therapist and this was the first time I had worked in the schools as my work experience had been with adults primarily and I had taken many years off to stay at home raising my son. I had a lot to learn but I loved the work and I worked  in  a great school sysem with wonderful teachers and students. Part of my job was writing reports and evaluations which were done online, usually at home which was great to work from home. This amount of writing took away from my blogging and book review writing here on my blog. As many of my readers may have noticed, I haven't been writing as much these past months but that will change this summer. I am fortunate to have the summer off and I have more time to read and blog. I also have catching up to do on books that I've read and not written reviews for. Even my book club friends have noticed that I haven't been writing many book reviews here about our monthly discussions. I will do my best to catch up on our book club picks and discussions, we've read some great books and have had some interesting discussions. I also have stacks of books to read and books on my Kindle to indulge in. There is no shortage of reading material in our home.

There have been a lot of issues with Blogger these past few months and I've considered moving to Wordpress but don't know if I want to learn a whole new system. I've set up a site there for my blog and have been testing it but it's not as user friendly as Blogger is. I would love a new look but don't have the know how and skills to do it myself. So, my husband came up with a great idea to use the drawing that Rachel Renee Russell (Author of the Dork Diary series) created for my blog as my header picture. He created this mirror picture using the original drawing and I love how it looks. I had originally had a picture of a beautiful window and flower box that I took in Montmartre in Paris, France as my header picture here. You can see the picture to the left in my sidebar and click on the picture to read the background story. Rachel added Nikki Maxwell, the character in Dork Diaries to a drawing based on this photograph including the window and flower box. What do you think of the new look?

Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper:

 
"Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that--in good times and bad, from one generation to the next--endure forever."

My Thoughts:

I have read every book by Sarah Addison Allen so you will know that I was anxiously awaiting this newest novel. I read Ms. Allen's first book, Garden Spells with my book club and fell in love with her lyrical and magical writing. (read my review here). I've read the rest of Ms.  Allen's books including The Sugar Queen (read my review here)   as well as The Girl Who Chased the Moon (read my review here) and I loved them all. The Peach Keeper is no exception, it was another winner for me.

In The Peach Keeper, we are taken to Water Falls, North Carolina  and meet a great cast of characters with a history of secrets that are unfolded as the story is told. The story is set around "The Blue Ridge Madam" a mansion that was built by Willa Jackson's  family who were once well-to-do but they lost the mansion in hard times and amongst deep secrets.  The house is being restored and some of the deep secrets are unearthed that have been hidden away for years.  Of course, there is  added romance, great characters, magic and charm along with food and this makes for a successful blend of ingredients in a novel. There is delicious sounding food and recipes (go here for Rachel's coffee snacks) and Rachel's interesting ability to determine what your choice of coffee says about you.  The Peach Keeper doesn't have as much magic as Ms. Allen's previous novels but there is much magical charm sifting through the pages. The Peach Keeper is haunting and  full of charm and mystery. Ms. Allen is gifted with that magical formula in her novels that will pull you in and you will be anxiously awaiting her next novel...as am I.

You can read an excerpt from The Peach Keeper, here.

Check out Sarah Addison Allen's Website, here.

I won a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Giveaway and Q & A with Laura Harrington Author of Alice Bliss

Yesterday, I reviewed a wonderful debut novel by Laura Harrington called Alice Bliss. Check out my review, here. I'm thrilled to share a fascinating list of Questions & Answers Laura Harrington has answered about Alice Bliss and a  giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of Alice Bliss.

Q&A with Laura Harrington, author of  ALICE BLISS

Who is Alice Bliss?

Alice Bliss is a 15-year-old girl in 10th grade, living in upstate New York, deeply connected to her dad who is serving in Iraq with his Reserve unit.


ALICE BLISS the book grew out of Alice Unwrapped, a musical. What was the inspiration for the musical and how did it evolve into a book?

The musical was a commission, actually, and the creation of a new form in music theatre: the one-act, one-woman musical. Paulette Haupt, our commissioner and producer, was inspired by Alan Bennett's play: Talking Heads. Bennett wrote a series of searing, touching, funny monologues for BBC television. They were subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio and then performed live in theatres.

It was an extreme challenge to tell a story in 30 minutes with one singer. I actually wrote 3 stories for this commission, but found I loved the character of Alice best.

And, oddly enough, the very first germ of the character of Alice came from another musical that I wrote with Jenny Giering, Crossing Brooklyn. In that show, Alice was a teenage runaway, living in Prospect Park, sleeping in the carrousel at night. That character was cut from the final version.

With Alice Unwrapped, at 30 minutes, almost entirely sung, we could really only dramatize one key moment in Alice's life. And I realized that there was a much larger story to be told. Which is when decided I wanted to write a book.


ALICE BLISS is a profoundly moving uplifting novel about those who are left at home during wartime and a teenage girl bravely facing the future. It chronicles the impact of the war on those left at home: children, partners, family members, the community. With the US in a war the story is quite timely. Do you have a connection to the world in which you write?

My father was a navigator/ bombardier in WWII, flying missions into Germany from his air base just north of Paris. Both my brothers enlisted in the Air Force in 1966. So, while I don't have a family member serving in this war, my family has been deeply impacted by war.

My father suffered from PTSD following the war, a time he would never talk about directly. Nor would he talk about the experiences during the war that had so devastated him. The silence surrounding my father's war experiences has probably been the single greatest mystery and inspiration in my life. I believe that my fascination with war grows out of my need to understand these experiences and to bear witness to this silent suffering.


What do you hope families experiencing a similar scenario take away from reading your book?

I hope they will feel that I am telling their story and doing justice to it.

While writing the book I was simply immersed in the story, but now that I'm done I can step back and look at the larger picture. It strikes me that you can live in many parts of the US completely untouched and unaware of the wars we've been engaged in for the last 8 years. And there's something about that fact that is terribly unsettling. I think there is an enormous amount of unexpressed grief surrounding these wars and that ALICE BLISS, like good theatre, creates an emotional catalyst that allows us to feel that grief.

And because the book is not “about” the war, but about a family and a town and growing up, the emotional impact sneaks up on you.

What is your writing regimen?

When I'm writing--whether it's a book or a play or a musical or an opera--I write every day. When I'm between projects, or researching and imagining a new story, I can spend weeks and months reading and walking and taking notes and asking questions and developing characters and a storyline. I find the in-between times very, very uncomfortable. Living with uncertainty, wandering around in the middle of mental chaos is very challenging. I'm happiest when I'm writing.

When you write do you have a story in mind and then the characters evolve to tell that story or do you create characters and the story comes from them?

I begin with the characters, with a strong sense of “voice.” I really hear my characters and learn a great deal about them by getting them talking. However, the story is evolving at the same time the characters are beginning to jell. Because what's a character without a story? To me, story is paramount.

ALICE BLISS is not a book about war. When you were writing did you find it challenging to focus on the personal story of the family rather than the politics?

I made a strong choice early on not to go to Iraq in the book. I knew that the emotional impact would come from keeping the story focused on Alice and her family at home. At the same time, Matt, Alice's father, is such a key character and we have so little time with him before he ships out. How do we keep him and his story present? Finding that balance was challenging and an interesting puzzle to solve.


What inspired you to write this book now?

I think that making the war personal is important. Telling the stories of those left behind, illuminating the lives of spouses and partners and children who have a loved one deployed is important. Do we know their stories, their struggles? Do we hear their voices? I hope we can begin to see this war one child at a time, one soldier at a time, one missing father at a time.


You capture the main character Alice wonderfully; her strength, vulnerability and awkwardness of being a teenage girl. Were you anything like Alice growing up?

I think we are all like Alice. That combination of strength, vulnerability, awkwardness and intensity is universal to those years.

I was the youngest of four children, and my siblings were quite a bit older, so I had a much more solitary childhood than Alice did. But there's something about those years that I can still see, hear, taste, and feel. For whatever reason, I have intense empathy for teens.

What type of books do you like to read?

All kinds. If I'm researching a project, like Napoleon or Joan of Arc, or the American Civil war, I can get lost in my reading lists.

I love novels. I'd rather read a book than eat. I love history, I love great non-fiction, I love good writing.

What are you reading now?

Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris, Confessions of a Common Reader, a beautiful series of essays about books and reading and words. It turns out that Anne Fadiman was also a collector of big words, like Ellie.

Jane Smiley's new book: Private Life, and Graham Robb's, Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris.”

My wish list is lengthy and always growing. I am a big fan of my local library.


Which aspect of your work do you most enjoy?

The freedom to think my own thoughts, pursue my own passions, indulge my own obsessions. The necessity of reading. Being able to think of reading as part of my job. How lucky is that? And the opportunity to learn a great deal, even to become a mini expert about all kinds of things, like Napoleon in exile on St Helena's, Joan of Arc's last 3 days in prison, Sherman's march to the sea, the ratification of the nineteenth amendment, marathon dancing, etc, etc. It's fun, and it's never, ever boring.


Who are your heroes?

My parents. I'm inspired by them and guided by them every single day of my life.

The peacemakers. Whoever and wherever they are.


What would your colleagues be surprised to learn about you?

I'm constantly looking for ways to be a kid again, to play.

What is your most treasured possession?

My wedding ring.

What inspires you?

The world around me. Every day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

I have one copy of Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington to give away to one lucky reader. 

 

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment about this review and what you found interesting about Alice Bliss or the Q&A with author Laura Harrington. 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 (No PO Boxes) only.

 

Enter by July 15 , 2011

Review : Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington

About the book:

When Alice learns that her father, Matt Bliss, is being deployed to Iraq she’s heartbroken. Alice idolizes her dad, working beside him in their garden, accompanying him on the occasional roofing job, playing baseball.  After Matt ships out, her mother begins to crumble under the pressure of suddenly being a single parent and Alice struggles to fill the void as she balances the drama of adolescence with the effort of keeping her family together.

But Alice is supported by a safety net strung with relationships, including almost boyfriends, a grandmother, a baker with too many children, her track coach, her kid sister, her Uncle Eddie, and even her well meaning but complicated mom. She will learn to drive, plant her father’s garden, and fall in love, all while trying to be strong for her mother, and take care of her precocious little sister, Ellie. But the smell of Matt is starting to fade from his blue shirt that Alice wears everyday and his infrequent phone calls are never long enough.

My Thoughts:

Alice Bliss is a debut novel  by Laura Harrington which shares the untold story of what happens to those left behind when a man goes off to war in Iraq. Alice is a typical 15 year old teenager who is extremely close to her father Matt who is in the reserves. They must  deal with the painstaking truth that  Matt has been deployed to Iraq.  Matt wants to make a difference in the world as he enlists in the reserves and holds a fine line of allegiance to both the army and his wife and two girls. 

Alice grows into a young woman during her father's absence. She is fighting it most of the way as she has to look after her younger sister, make sure that there is food on the table as her mother struggles with her own emotions and attend high school. Alice tells this story in daily entries as she plans to attend her first dance, falls in love, and even learns to drive. She struggles along the way as letters and phone calls from Matt are sparse and just not enough to fill that hole in her heart.  

Alice Bliss is a coming of age story that is important at this time as many young girls and boys as well as families and communities , are left behind to  face the realities and losses as a result of war. We get a glimpse into the lives of those affected during this difficult time and the realities that one must face. This novel is heartbreaking at times, yet filled with promise and strength through the eyes of a young girl named Alice. I found Alice honest and endearing and exemplified an amazing bond between father and daughter. At times, Matt's character seemed almost too good to be true, a father that everyone, including myself would want to have. He seemed to have an innate sense of what the women in his life needed and he had just the right words to say and he left behind beautiful words of wisdom in letters. The novel did not clearly state a year but it had to be sometime in the past 10 years. There was a presence of an old time feel in the novel that could be related to other war times.  I could picture similar experiences and emotions that could possibly relate to WWII or the Vietnam War.  Alice Bliss is full of rich storytelling and characters that will touch your heart, make sure to pick up  a copy and keep the tissue box handy.

This would be a great book to read with a book club, check out:

A Readers Guide to Alice Bliss

Read an excerpt from Alice Bliss, here.

Make sure to check out the author, Laura Harrington's Website for more information.

Alice Bliss has had some major recognition:

• Alice Bliss is a People Pick with 4 out of 4 stars in the July 4th issue of People Magazine.
• Alice Bliss is listed in “The Best Reads of the Summer” in Entertainment Weekly 
• Alice Bliss is A Discover Great New Writers pick for Fall 2011 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers

Thanks to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking/Penguin for sending me a copy of this book. 

Check back tomorrow for a Q&A with Laura Harrington author of Alice Bliss and a Giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of Alice Bliss!

Here is a great interview with Laura Harrington, discussing Alice Bliss with Good Morning Gloucester:

Review & Giveaway: Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

About the book:

A group of seven women gather for an intimate, outdoor dinner in Seattle to celebrate their friend Kate’s recovery from cancer.  Wineglass in hand, Kate agrees to a pact: to start her new lease on life, she’ll go white-water rafting down the Grand Canyon, a journey which frankly terrifies her. But if she goes, each of them must also do one thing in the next year that is new or difficult or scary – and Kate gets to choose their challenges.

My Thoughts:

Joy for Beginners is about friendship and finding joy in life even when you step out of your comfort zone..by choice or chance. This is a novel about a group of women who band together to help Sara who has twins, they call it a baby-holding circle. Doesn't that sound great for a new mom, especially with twins? They develop a friendship and connection through this experience. They then switch gears as  the circle of life changes to helping one of the women, Kate, who is diagnosed with breast cancer. This is where the book begins, the women are having a celebration party as Kate  learns that she is cancer free. Kate's daughter has encouraged her  to consider taking the challenge of a white water rafting trip which terrifies Kate. The women encourage Kate to take this adventure and in Kate's acceptance she asks each one of the women to allow her to choose a challenge for them to take on as well.

From here, the story is told in chapters with alternating perspectives of each woman. They each describe the adventure they experience that Kate has chosen for them as well as Kate's own adventure. There is some interaction between the women in each chapter which are each loosely connected. They don't flow together but are more segmented into short stories. The strength of each individual is able to shine through as they grow and change through their experiences and face their challenges. 

I absolutely adored Erica Bauermeister's novel School of Essential Ingredients when I read it a few years ago (you can read my review here). I was excited to read Joy for Beginners which is a rich novel with strong characters and storytelling.  For me, I just didn't connect to the women as I had expected to. If you like books about women's friendship, developing characters and strong writing told in each characters voice, this is a book you'll want to pick up.

Check out Erica Bauermeister's website and you can also find her on Facebook. You can read an excerpt of the novel here and there is a Reading Guide as well. 

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for my advanced review copy. Check out the other stops on the book tour,  HERE.

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

I have one copy of Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister to give away to one lucky reader. 

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment about this review and what you found interesting about JOY FOR BEGINNERS. 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 July 8, 2011

Giveaway: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

About Ruby Red by Kierstin Gier:

 

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

I'm excited to tell you about Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier which is the first book in a trilogy, translated from German and it is already an international bestseller. I first heard about this author and series from my cousin who lives in Germany and she raved about the book and the author.  I was thrilled when I found out that Ruby Red was translated into English so that I could read it. I have an advanced reading copy and can't wait to read it.

You can listen to and read an excerpt of Ruby Red, here. 

About Kerstin Gier

Kerstin Gier is the bestselling author of the Ruby Red trilogy, as well as several popular novels for adults.  Anthea Bell is the foremost translator of German literature in the world. And she thinks Ruby Red is just "charming"!

You can visit her website, here but it is in German.

Here is the German book cover, I find it interesting to see the different book covers:

Check out this book trailer for  Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier: 

People think time travel is all high-fashion and fabulous intrigue... but it's not! 16 year old Gwen takes us behind the scenes of a modern day time-traveling society, and gives us a sneak peak of her travel partner...swoon!

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

I have one copy of Ruby Red to give away complements of  Zeitghost Media.

To Enter:   

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment about this review and what you found interesting about Ruby Red. 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 and Canada only.


You must act quickly and enter by June 15, 2011. The book will be sent directly to the winner and the winner must send me their address immediately or I will need to choose another winner due to mailing deadline requirements.

Paperback Release & Giveaway: Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin

About Sea Escape: 

Laura Martinez is wedged in the middle place, grappling with her busy life as a nurse, wife, and devoted mom to Henry and Claire, when her estranged mother, Helen, suffers a devastating stroke. In a desperate attempt to lure her mother into choosing life, Laura goes to Sea Escape, the pristine beach home that Helen took refuge in when her carefully crafted life unraveled years ago, after the death of her beloved husband, Joseph. There, Laura hunts for legendary love letters her father wrote to her mother when he served as a reporter for the Associated Press during wartime Vietnam. Believing the beauty and sway of her father’s words have the power to heal, Laura reads the letters bedside to her mother–a woman who once spoke the language of fabric; of Peony Sky in Jade and Paradise Garden Sage–but who can’t or won’t speak to her now. As Laura delves deeper into her tangled family history, each letter revealing patchwork details of her parents’ marriage, she finds a common thread. A secret, mother and daughter unknowingly share.

Entertainment Weekly chose SEA ESCAPE by Lynne Griffin as one of its ten best books of summer 2010, and it was chosen as an Indie Next List pick. I read and reviewed SEA ESCAPE last summer in its hardback edition and loved it. This is part of my review (You can read the full review, here:

"Sea Escape beautifully unravels the struggles between mother-daughter relationships as well as the bonds that run so deeply. It's a novel that I could connect to as I enjoy reading about mother-daughter relationships and their complexities. Ms. Griffin has created a richly layered story filled with strong characters and the beauty of the New England area.  Sea Escape is the perfect summertime read for those who enjoy reading about mother-daughter relationships and women's fiction with the beautiful backdrop of New England."

Sea Escape is being released, today, June 7th  in its paperback edition. This is the perfect summertime book to throw into your beach bag, read pool side or inside lounging in the comfort of your own home. Sea Escape has so many themes to discuss related to mother-daughter relationships, aging parents, adulthood, parenting and more. It would make an excellent book to discuss with a book club. 

Check Out : SEA ESCAPE Reading Group Guide 

Check Out: Lynne Griffin's website

About Lynne Griffin:

Lynne Griffin writes about family life. She is the author of Sea Escape (Simon & Schuster, July 2010), Life Without Summer-A novel (St. Martin’s Press, 2009), and the nonfiction parenting title, Negotiation Generation: Take Back Your Parental Authority Without Punishment, (Penguin, 2007). Lynne teaches family studies at the graduate level, and writing at Grub Street Writers in Boston. She appears regularly on Boston’s Fox Morning News talking about family life issues. Lynne writes for the blog, Family Life Stories. Her third novel will be published by Simon & Schuster in spring 2012. For more about her work visit www.LynneGriffin.com.

Check out this wonderful video where Lynne talks about her parents love letters, the inspiration for this fictional story about complicated grief and mothers & daughters:

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

I have two copies  of SEA ESCAPE to give away complements of  the publisher, Simon & Schuster.

To Enter:   

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment about this review and what you found interesting about SEA ESCAPE. 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 only.


Enter by June 30, 2011

Review & Giveaway: Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax

  About ( from Wendy Wax Website):

On the brink of ruin, three very different women discover themselves where they least expect…at Ten Beach Road

Madeline, Avery and Nikki are strangers to one another, but they have one thing in common.  They each wake up one morning to discover that their life savings have vanished, along with their trusted financial manager…leaving them with nothing but co-ownership of a ramshackle beachfront house.

Madeline Singer is a homemaker coping with empty-nest syndrome and an unemployed husband. Avery Lawford is an architect—or was, until she somehow became the sidekick on her ex-husband’s TV show.   And professional matchmaker Nikki Grant is trying to recover from her biggest mistake…

No on is going to save them but themselves. Determined to fight back, they throw their lots in together and take on the challenge of restoring the historic beach house to its former glory. But just as they begin to reinvent themselves and discover the power of friendship, their secrets threaten to tear down their trust, and destroy their lives a second time…

My Thoughts:

Ten Beach Road is a perfect book for summer reading. You will find yourself escaping into a compelling story of friendship, perseverance, love and determination.  Madeline, Avery and Nicole are three women from different backgrounds and life experiences and they find their lives thrust together as they all invested and lost money with a man who ended up running a ponzi scheme. They are each awarded partial ownership of Bella Flora, a mansion on Ten Beach Road in Pass-A-Grille, Florida as compensation for the money they lost. Once the women meet to assess the property, they realize that their "mansion" is a run down beach front property in severe neglect. They decide to move forward and restore the historic Bella Flora beach house to it's former glory in hopes of selling it and recouping some of the money they lost. They decide to take on this challenge which requires a lot of hard work, determination and ingenuity. As the story unfolds, the three women have to pull up their bootstraps, quite literally, and challenge themselves beyond their comfort zones. They learned new things about their ability to struggle and  survive and become stronger as well as being able to work with others that were strangers at the start of their journey. They learn new things about themselves along the way as they discover the power of friendship and how much they are being restored personally as they restored this beautiful home. 

Ten Beach Road is a wonderful example of the power of friendship and the strength and determination we can find within ourselves when we persevere even when the going is rough and we want to give up. I loved that focus on female friendship and the mother daughter relationships that were highlighted as well.  Wendy Wax did a wonderful job developing strong characters  and relationships which were well developed and realistic. She also drew vivid descriptions of the Florida coast and beachfront area, so much so that it made me want to head to the beach and hear the waves crashing against the sand. 

If you're looking for a great summer read, definitely pick up a copy of Ten Beach Road and add it to your summer beach bag.  Add a bottle of wine and some cheese doodles and you'll fit in with the ambiance perfectly.  Ten Beach Road would also be a great summer book club pick, it's available in paperback and there is a Reader's Guide at the back of the book.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours  for providing me an opportunity to be part of the book tour for  Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax. You can visit all the other tour stops here. Be sure to check out Wendy Wax's website as well as checking her out on Facebook.

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*

I have one copy of Ten Beach Road to give away complements of TLC Book Tour and the publisher, Penguin.

To Enter: GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

For 1 Entry: All you have to do is leave a comment about this review and what you found interesting about Ten Beach Road. 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 and Canada only.


Enter by June 26, 2011   GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Review: Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

About the book from Friendship Bread Kitchen:

An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.

One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.

Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.

When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.

In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.

About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.

My Thoughts:
 

The sweetness of friendship and hope is found in the town of Avalon when a simple bag of friendship starter is dropped at Julia Evarts door. It changes the life of Julia who had a loss 5 years ago and now opens her up to a new experience with her 5 year old daughter who encourages her to make the bread. Julia sparks friendships with two newcomers to town, Madeline who recently opened a tea shop and Hannah,  a famous concert cellist who is at a crossroads in her marriage and professional life.  In time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Bread or it has affected their lives in some way.  The town is drawn together to help those in crisis and the friendship bread is the link that unites them all.  This experience causes all 3 women, Julia, Madeline and Hannah to confront  issues from their past and find a way to heal and move forward. Friendship Bread is a novel of friendship, love, loss and hope and teaches the women that they can endure even when the unthinkable happens. Julia's loss will touch readers and it especially touched me as a mother. I don't want to give too much away but it does touch on the issue of allergies (not food allergies) and as many of my readers know, my son has life threatening nut allergies so this story hit close to home.   I enjoyed the way the women's friendships developed over time and the character development was a definite strength of this novel.

Have you heard of Amish Friendship Bread? I bet that most women have heard of this and experienced a friend or acquaintance sharing a bag of friendship bread starter with them. The friendship bread is like a chain letter as you have to follow the instructions for 10 days and divide the batter and pass it on to others. There is a section at the back of the book full of recipes to make with the starter. The author also has a website, Friendship Bread Kitchen with more recipes, you can read an excerpt and fine more information about friendship bread. 

Check out the guest post by Darien Gee on "The Bread that inspired a novel".

I  am reviewing this book as part of the Friendship Book Virtual Book Tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book who sent me an advanced reading copy. 

Guest Post with Darien Gee Author of Friendship Bread

I am pleased to welcome Darien Gee, author of Friendship Bread to Redlady's Reading Room. I will be posting a review of Friendship Bread next week.

About the book from Friendship Bread Kitchen:

An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.

One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.

Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.

When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.

In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.

About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.

Darien Gee on the Bread That Inspired a Novel

If you’re never heard of Amish Friendship Bread, your life is about to change forever. Mine certainly was.

Amish Friendship Bread is similar to a quick bread except it’s made with a sourdough starter. If you’ve ever seen (or smelled) a bag of fermenting batter, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it’s something you won’t likely forget.

Amish Friendship Bread is similar to a chain letter in that after ten days you’re asked to divide the starter into four portions, keep one for yourself and give the other three portions away to lucky (and unsuspecting) friends or neighbors so that they can do the same. After five rounds, there will be 1,024 bags of starter floating out there. After ten rounds: 1,048,576.

That’s a lot of starter to emerge from one bag of the stuff.

I’m often asked if Amish Friendship Bread is really Amish. I don’t know, and I’m not sure anyone else does, either. There’s no documented evidence of its origins, and I know some people’s suspicions are raised when they see instant pudding listed among the ingredients. But what I do believe is that the inspiration behind the bread is undoubtedly Amish in nature. It’s about friendship and community, about sharing what you have with others and expressing gratitude for the good things in your life.

Friendship Bread was inspired by my own experience with the bread, when my daughter brought it home along with a bag of starter she’d received from a friend. I was eating the last few crumbs when I started to think about a woman who receives the starter and just doesn’t want to do it. I saw a sadness hanging over this character and I knew I wanted to find out more. I started writing and the story quickly took shape—more importantly, it soon became clear that the book wasn’t about any one person, but an entire community ready for change and connection.

Friendship Bread is about what can happen when one person is willing to reach out and help another. It may seem like an overly simple solution, but maybe it’s not as insignificant as we think. Maybe there’s more power in it than we realize, and all it takes is one person who’s willing to give it a try.

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Darien Gee is the author of Friendship Bread: A Novel (Ballantine Books).

Visit her at Friendship Bread Kitchen , www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com.

 

Darien Gee lives with her husband and three children in Hawaii. She is the
bestselling author of three previous novels (Good Things, Sweet Life and Table
Manners) written under the name Mia King.

 

To read her early work written as Mia King, visit her at www.miaking.com