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. But the author is not all fun and games. There are serious, soul-searching moments also, and that is what keeps his work from being frivolous and shelved in the "Humor" section of the bookstore. You'll find yourself laughing until you cry, then trying to swallow the lump in your throat. And some of the little things in life will never look quite the same again.
on an audiobook. Instead of trying to explain how I was continually having difficulty driving while attempting to clear tears of hysterical laughter from my eyes, here is a clip from David Letterman of Sedaris reading an excerpt from this book. Don't watch this while eating or drinking or your keyboard will be in grave danger. :-)
, a reissue from best-selling British author Norah Lofts, is an excellent telling of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, particularly for readers who are already familiar with the big picture of Anne, Catherine of Aragon, and Henry VIII's "Great Matter". In fact, it would be helpful to have a bit of background knowledge of this period of Tudor history before reading this book. If The Concubine is a reader's first foray into this story it may be easy to get a bit confused, because there are a lot of famous events and personages mentioned in passing and the reader is assumed to have some knowledge of what is being discussed. You don't have to be a Tudor scholar, but if you're at least somewhat familiar with that time period, your mind will easily fill in the background necessary to follow those descriptions and conversations.
and three copies of Nefertiti
will be given away at this very blog in September! And that's not all!! Author Michelle Moran (my new best friend for telling me all about http://icanhascheezburger.com) has included some other goodies to be included also and has graciously offered to answer any questions readers of Books 'N Border Collies may have about her books once the contest entries have begun. I'm sooooo excited about this contest! The official post will come on Sept. 1, so make sure you come back to learn how you can have multiple chances to win!
and it's predecessor, Killer Weekend
, and while I have enjoyed the stories very much, I am having a hard time getting used to the character of Walt Fleming. I find his personal life distracting, with his estranged wife dating his best deputy, his difficulties being a cop and a single father to his two young daughters, and his awkward crush on Fiona the photographer. I admit that this is my own bias. I am a huge fan of Pearson's "Lou Boldt" series, and I want Lou back. I was all wrapped up in his personal life, and I want to know how he's doing. My problem, not Pearson's. I have no idea if I'll ever get my wish or not. In the meantime, I'll continue to follow Walt as long as he keeps on working interesting cases. Maybe he'll work his way into my heart as well as Fiona's!
was adorable! Just the thing for a quick read and a good laugh between more serious historicals. I love the language and the atmosphere of the period, and Georgette Heyer is one of the masters. This may be my first book of hers, but there will definitely be more in my future.
in particular was fantastic. I listened to the audio CD during my commute, and it was one of those rare books that very nearly made me wish for a traffic jam. The only problem? It's all over now, and I have to wait another year for Elvis and Joe's next case. :-(
!! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I have a few other review books scheduled to be published prior to this one, so it's going to have to wait just a tiny bit. Until then, I will stare longingly at its cover and grin like the Cheshire Cat at my good fortune!
digs into the heart of the religious turmoil taking place during Henry's reign and shows the reader a frightening world of greed, fanaticism, and intolerance and heroic deeds in defense of justice and reason. This is the kind of Tudor fiction that keeps us coming back to the well!
finds enough opportunity in the everyday life of it's characters to cast an uncomfortable smog of doubt. The parallel stories of loss and the attempt to find a "resurrection" that love was the most striking of the many themes in this multi-layered novel. This book is one that would be fun to dig into for symbolism and thematic analysis. There is a lot to work with here!
, you truly are missing out. Granted, the repeated use of the N-word was like nails down a chalkboard to me, but the book as a whole was enchanting, and the friendship that develops between Huck and Jim is too precious to treat lightly on a quick-review blog. It's easy to understand why Huck Finn is held in such high esteem.That's a great question! I had to think about it for a minute. I believe my feelings of detachment stemmed from the success of the author in reflecting Cot's emotional state in her nearly dispassionate manner of telling her painful story. You could feel the numbness of a woman who had seen the worst life has to offer and knows there is nothing else it can do to her.
The characters were not lacking at all. They all had very distinct personalities, their own coping mechanisms. They were all discussed by Cot so matter-of-factly and pretty much simply noted and dismissed by the doctor taking the deposition, which drove home the "less than human" view people had of the slaves.
Answering your questions has really made me think about what it is that makes us like or dislike a book. I think even only a few years ago this book would have bored me, but I've grown in my reading. I can see it now in a different light than I would have previously and appreciate the writing style used to make this book more deeply affecting than it initially seems. Thanks for the questions!!
was a fascinating book despite the fact that I never got attached to any of the characters, including Cot. I read with a strange, detached feeling about her kidnapping, the brutality of her life in the cane fields, the fates of her children from "breeding programs". In a way, that made the book all the more meaningful, because I wasn't focused on the plight of one or two people. I was able to watch the whole contemptible tale unfold and take in the lives of all the players. It was the doctor taking down Cot's words that I found most intriguing. The parallel between Cot's true captivity and his implied role as an unwitting slave to the governor was an idea strongly hinted at in the narrative, but never quite completely grasped by the ambitious man. And food for thought for many who think their lives are their own.
back to the library unread, because I ran out of time. :-( I put myself right back on the wait list for it, so I should be able to get it in sooner that later. For other library books, I'm well into Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl, and I'm hoping to post a review for that before the weekend is out. I also have The Gospel of Judas by Simon Mawer. After that one, it's on to the stack next to the bed, which is full of so much fun stuff that I can't decide what should come first! Here's a peek: by Barbara Kyle by Norah Lofts
by Margaret Campbell Barnes
by C.W. Gortner
by Carolly Erickson
by Susan Holloway Scott
by Georgette Heyer
by Sandra Worth
by Sarah Bower
by Posie Graeme-Evans
by Anne Easter Smith
Robert Graves
. I loved his previous book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
, and thought this next one would be a fun way to finish off the Non-Fiction Five Challenge.
