19. Book Review: A Well Tempered Heart (2014)

A Well-Tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Synopsis

The sequel to the international best-selling novel The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. 

 Almost ten years have passed since Julia Win came back from Burma, her father’s native country. Though she is a successful Manhattan lawyer, her private life is at a crossroads; her boyfriend has recently left her and she is, despite her wealth, unhappy with her professional life. Julia is lost and exhausted. 

 One day, in the middle of an important business meeting, she hears a stranger’s voice in her head that causes her to leave the office without explanation. In the following days, her crisis only deepens. Not only does the female voice refuse to disappear, but it starts to ask questions Julia has been trying to avoid. Why do you live alone? To whom do you feel close? What do you want in life? Interwoven with Julia’s story is that of a Burmese woman named Nu Nu who finds her world turned upside down when Burma goes to war and calls on her two young sons to be child soldiers. This spirited sequel, like The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, explores the most inspiring and passionate terrain: the human heart.

Review

I absolutely adored Sendker's novel The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and I was so excited to pick up this sequel to that epic and moving story.  Sedker's gift as an author was still vibrantly apparent in this follow up novel but the storyline left a little to be desired - mostly with the ending.  The story did move quickly with inspiring and lovable characters that had a lot of depth. While I loved the visuals this book presented, it seemed like the author had a great idea for the story, which was beautiful, but felt compelled to frame it within the first novel's storyline.  This made the book feel fragmented and unfinished at times. The author no doubt left off with the expectations of a forthcoming third book in this (presumable) series.  I don't want to get to "down" on this book though because really it was a quick and beautiful read from an extremely gifted author.  It's worth checking out.

Other books you may like…

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (by the same author)
The Lowland

18. Book Review: Astonish Me (2014)

Astonish Me: A Novel by Maggie Shipstead

Synopsis

Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the background. She will never possess Arslan, and she will never be a prima ballerina. She will rise no higher than the corps, one dancer among many. 

After her relationship with Arslan sours, Joan plots to make a new life for herself. She quits ballet, marries a good man, and settles in California with him and their son, Harry. But as the years pass, Joan comes to understand that ballet isn’t finished with her yet, for there is no mistaking that Harry is a prodigy. Through Harry, Joan is pulled back into a world she thought she’d left behind—back into dangerous secrets, and back, inevitably, to Arslan. 

 Combining a sweeping, operatic plot with subtly observed characters, Maggie Shipstead gives us a novel of stunning intensity and deft psychological nuance. Gripping, dramatic, and brilliantly conjured, Astonish Me confirms Shipstead’s range and ability and raises provocative questions about the nature of talent, the choices we must make in search of fulfillment, and how we square the yearning for comfort with the demands of art. 

 Review

First off, isn't this a gorgeous cover? I loved it. Sometimes it is fun to judge a book by it's cover! I picked up this book in 10 and 15 minute increments at first and had a hard time getting into it… but once I had more than 30 minutes to really dig into it I didn't put it down until I was done.  This book really pulled me in.  So much so that there was a twist at the end which I was surprised I didn't see coming. I hope that doesn't give too much away! 

I loved this author's previous book Seating Arrangements and was pleasantly surprised by this follow up novel (which doesn't seem to happen to me lately).  The characters were brilliantly written, the story line while jumping back and forth to different years and locations was perfectly choreographed (love the pun) and the writing about ballet was exquisite without being overly involved or confusing.  The world of ballet has always intrigued me and this book was no exception.  Bravo Maggie Shipstead on this fantastic novel!  I never wanted it to end…

Other books you may like…

Seating Arrangements (by the same author)
Tell the Wolves I'm Home: A Novel

6 books to kick off your summer!

Summer (un)officially starts this weekend and if you are like me you are already planning what books to read at the beach this weekend or what books to take on vacation with you this summer.  Here are six of my favorite books to read poolside or with sand between your toes… put these reads at the top of your list for summer reading!

Beautiful Ruins: A Novel… An epic love story that takes place in Italy and LA over the span of 50 years.  Even if you don't have sunny plans this weekend you will feel the sun on your shoulders as the author plops you on the picturesque Italian coastline.

Rules of Civility: A Novel… this is one of my all time favorite books.   It's a glitzy and glamorous story that takes place in New York City among high society in the 1930's.  Grab a gin and tonic and settle in with this gem of a book.

Me Before You: A Novel… wear your darkest sunglasses and grab a tissue (or ten) as you settle in to this moving and deliciously tragic story of love and hardship.  You won't be able to put it down.

The Interestings: A Novel… this book begins with the characters at summer camp (serious summer nostalgia included!) and takes us through the lives of the six campers as they grow up and change.  This is a sweeping story of life and love and the decisions we make. 

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats… mystery, love and inspiration abound in this unique love story.  This is a story that will move and amaze you. This author just released a sequel too, which I can't wait to read, called A Well-Tempered Heart.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel… a hilarious story of Bernadette Fox, opinionated and quirky mom living in Seattle.  There are crazy private school mothers, virtual assistants in India, email trails and trips to Antarctica in this adventure of a book.

17. Book Review: The Wives of Los Alamos (2014)

The Wives of Los Alamos: A Novel by Tarashea Nesbit

Synopsis 

They arrived in New Mexico ready for adventure, or at least resigned to it. But hope quickly turned to hardship as they were forced to adapt to a rugged military town where everything was a secret—including what their husbands were doing at the lab. 

Though they were strangers, they joined together—adapting to a landscape as fierce as it was absorbing, full of the banalities of everyday life and the drama of scientific discovery. While the bomb was being invented, babies were born, friendships were forged, children grew up, and Los Alamos gradually transformed into a real community: one that was strained by the words they couldn’t say out loud or in letters, and by the freedom they didn’t have. But the end of the war would bring even bigger challenges, as the scientists and their families struggled with the burden of their contribution to the most destructive force in the history of mankind. 

 The Wives of Los Alamos is a testament to a remarkable group of real-life women and an exploration of a crucial, largely unconsidered aspect of one of the most monumental research projects in modern history.

Review

I first heard about this book from the Books on the Nightstand podcast (have you ever listened? I'm a huge fan!) and I was excited to check it out, so when I randomly found it at the library recently I was thrilled.  The book is written in the first person plural (as in "we" or "us") and I was hoping that I would get used to it as I read it, but I just couldn't relate to it. The way it was written it seemed to tell all the story and none of the story at the first time.  And while I am sure that a lot of work went into this book, the tense of first person plural made it seem really shallow. HOWEVER (and this is a big however) the book was quite intriguing.  I think this is a book that will really stick with me as the imagery was fantastic and the history of the Manhattan Project and the women that picked up their lives to follow their husbands who were working on it is a riveting subject.  In addition this book was a super quick and easy read.  It would be a great palette cleanser after perhaps a tough or lengthy book.

Other books you may like…

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Land Girls

16. Book Review: The Last Letter from Your Lover (2014)

The Last Letter from Your Lover: A Novel by Jojo Moyes

Synopsis

A heartbreaking, stay-up-all-night novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You and One Plus One A Brief Encounter for our time, The Last Letter from Your Lover is a sophisticated, spellbinding double love story that spans decades and thrillingly evokes a bygone era. In 1960, Jennifer Stirling wakes in the hospital and remembers nothing—not the car accident that put her there, not her wealthy husband, not even her own name. Searching for clues, she finds an impassioned letter, signed simply "B," from a man for whom she seemed willing to risk everything. In 2003, journalist Ellie Haworth stumbles upon the letter and becomes obsessed with learning the unknown lovers’ fate—hoping it will inspire her own happy ending. Remarkably moving, this is a novel for romantics of every age.

Review

If you've ever read one of Jojo Moyes book you all know that she writes one heck of a love story. I absolutely loved Me Before You and was actually a little skeptical that this book could meet my expectations for this author again. But let me say that this book was flawless. Without sappiness or any distaste she weaves a beautiful, tragic and hopeful love story with this book. The story has really great twists and turns… some are a little predictable but most of them are not, which makes this book a definite page turner. This is one of those books that I was so sad to finish and I am already missing the characters. The book has two story lines that intertwine, one in 1960 - which takes up the majority of the book and the other that takes place in 2003. I almost thought she lost me on the modern day story line, but the way she twists and turns the story I was instantly hooked. The 1960's story line is almost a scene straight out of Mad Men… I actually pictured the main character Jennifer as Betty Draper. Read this! (another side note, I also thought it was interesting that this was the second book I have read this year about a woman who lost her memory… must make for a compelling story in my book!)

Other books you may like…
Me Before You: A Novel
The Secret Keeper: A Novel

15. Book Review: End of Your Life Book Club (2014)

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

Synopsis

During her treatment for cancer, Mary Anne Schwalbe and her son Will spent many hours sitting in waiting rooms together. To pass the time, they would talk about the books they were reading. Once, by chance, they read the same book at the same time—and an informal book club of two was born. Through their wide-ranging reading, Will and Mary Anne—and we, their fellow readers—are reminded how books can be comforting, astonishing, and illuminating, changing the way that we feel about and interact with the world around us. A profoundly moving memoir of caregiving, mourning, and love—The End of Your Life Book Club is also about the joy of reading, and the ways that joy is multiplied when we share it with others.

Review

 I started this book skeptically wondering if it was going to be sappy or super sad only to discover it was neither of those. The author is one part chronicling the life and last years of his mother's life and one part reviewing and discussing books. It's a book about mothers and sons and about books and about family. The relationship between the author and his mother was extremely moving and inspiring. I love to read about books and this book talks about books in a deep and meaningful way - that is, how books because entwined in our lives and our own personal stories.  Most of the books that the author read with his mother were not books I had read already.  I found this book to be a delight to read and finished it quickly… by the end I had a warm feeling about familial love and specifically mother and son relationships - not too mention a few new books on my "to read" list!

Other books you may like…
A Happy Marriage: A Novel
The Fault in Our Stars

14. Book Review: Stella Bain (2014)

Stella Bain by Anita Shreve

Synopsis

An epic story, set against the backdrop of World War I, from bestselling author Anita Shreve. When an American woman, Stella Bain, is found suffering from severe shell shock in an exclusive garden in London, surgeon August Bridge and his wife selflessly agree to take her in. A gesture of goodwill turns into something more as Bridge quickly develops a clinical interest in his houseguest. Stella had been working as a nurse's aide near the front, but she can't remember anything prior to four months earlier when she was found wounded on a French battlefield. In a narrative that takes us from London to America and back again, Shreve has created an engrossing and wrenching tale about love and the meaning of memory, set against the haunting backdrop of a war that destroyed an entire generation.

Review

I picked this book up on a whim after finding it at the library without having heard anything about it previously.  After reading the book flap I was curious and brought it home with me.  I was pleasantly surprised by it. Anita Shreve also wrote The Pilot's Wife, which is a book I remember really enjoying reading. The story moves quickly and the writing is driven mostly by dialogue which in my opinion makes for a fast read. This book is a perfect "palate cleanser" after a deep, tough or lengthy book. Where some books can be equated to an epic movie… this was more of a one hour tv show. If that makes sense. The characters were likable and the story was an interesting albeit predictable one.  This book would make a great beach read.

Other books you may like…
The Pilot's Wife
The Aviator's Wife: A Novel
Sarah's Key

13. Book Review: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (2014)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Synopsis

Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. 
 John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. 
 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

Review

This was one of those books that I couldn't believe I hadn't read by the time I picked it up. It was on the NYT Bestseller's List for quite a long time (albeit quite a few years ago) and was a favorite by many of my friends. It seems like a million people had told me I should read it.
I had mixed emotions on this book. I see its appeal as a "tell all" when it was written in the 90's (nearly 20 years ago!). However, the entire time I had this feeling that I was on the outside of an "inside joke" or when someone is telling you a story and then they give up and say "you just had to have been there". I feel like I needed to know Savannah in person to really 'get' the popularity of this book.
 Part I of the book was dreadfully slow for me, but by Part II I will admit that I couldn't put the book down. Having the book take place in the South was definitely a bonus, I am always enamored by the way of life in The South (so different and 'romantic' compared to the mid-west). I will say I liked this book and it does bring up a desire to visit Savannah for sure!

Other books you may like…
Gone with the Wind
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

12. Book Review: The Husband's Secret (2014)

The Husband's Secretby Liane Moriarty

Synopsis

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read...  My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died. . . Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . . Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret. Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

Review

I bought this book after hearing so many good reviews and then I put off reading it for months and months. At one point I even asked myself "do I even want to know the husband's secret?" You know?!  Was this book going to freak me out!?  Even half way through I had my reservations… it seemed creepy and a little disturbing and part of me was wondering what was around each turn (similar to Gone Girl: A Novel). But a friend told me to soldier on and I am glad that I did. This is a book I won't soon forget… it has complex characters and an ending that was redeeming and that definitely made you stop and think. This would make a brilliant book club selection as I am sure it would bring up some great discussion. What would you do if you found a letter from your husband marked "To be opened only in the event of my death?" while he was still alive? Really it was a brilliant premise for a book.

Other books you may like…
The Interestings: A Novel
Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel

11. Book Review: The Swan Gondola (2014)

The Swan Gondola: A Novel by Timothy Schaffert

Synopsis

A lush and thrilling romantic fable about two lovers set against the scandalous burlesques, midnight séances, and aerial ballets of the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair. 

 On the eve of the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair, Ferret Skerritt, ventriloquist by trade, con man by birth, isn’t quite sure how it will change him or his city. Omaha still has the marks of a filthy Wild West town, even as it attempts to achieve the grandeur and respectability of nearby Chicago. But when he crosses paths with the beautiful and enigmatic Cecily, his whole purpose shifts and the fair becomes the backdrop to their love affair. One of a traveling troupe of actors that has descended on the city, Cecily works in the Midway’s Chamber of Horrors, where she loses her head hourly on a guillotine playing Marie Antoinette. And after closing, she rushes off, clinging protectively to a mysterious carpetbag, never giving Ferret a second glance. But a moonlit ride on the swan gondola, a boat on the lagoon of the New White City, changes everything, and the fair’s magic begins to take its effect. 

 From the critically acclaimed author of The Coffins of Little Hope, The Swan Gondola is a transporting read, reminiscent of Water for Elephants or The Night Circus. 

 Review 

This was the selection for my book club recently.  I absolutely loved this book (however I will say not everyone agreed at our recent book club meeting). This was just up my alley… with nods to Water for Elephants, Wizard of Oz, The Night Circus, The Devil in the White City and The Great Gatsby - all books which I really enjoyed. The book is part love story and part history lesson on the 1898 World's Fair. It had it's quirky parts (the Emerald Cathedral didn't seem to make a lot of sense - but was definitely a Wizard of Oz reference) and some may say too tidy of an ending. However, the cast of characters was superb, I find myself missing Ferret, Cecily, Dox, August and even Mrs. Margaret. I really enjoyed the adventure the book took the reader on and that makes this a book that I heartily recommend.

Other books you may like…

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

Water for Elephants: A Novel

The Night Circus

10. Book Review: Divergent (2014)

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. 

For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

 Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review 

 Okay, okay… I hoped on the Divergent bandwagon over spring break this year.  I figured it would be a quick and easy read for sitting by the pool.  Which it totally is, but guys, this book really didn't do it for me. I kinda sorta liked it; but I mostly wanted it to be over. That stinks because who doesn't love a good young adult dystopia novel these days!?! I loved Hunger Games and Twilight (all books in both series) but this book just didn't intrigue me like the others.  I can definitely see the young adult draw to this book and series.  Maybe someday I will come back around to this series and try Insurgent and Allegiant, but for now I'm going to call it good after just reading Divergent.

Other books you may like…

The Giver

The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Twilight Saga