And The Winner Is...

Congratulations to Kaye Felecia for winning our copy of Elle Newmark's The Sandalwood Tree.

Please email Julie your mailing address so we can get the book to you soon.

As usual, GJR used Random.org to generate the winner.

In Remembrance: Elle Newmark

Yesterday I heard that wonderful author, Elle Newmark had passed away from a long illness. Her 2 books were both wonderful and yet so different from each other. I had the honor of being a part of both book tours with Pump Up Your Book Promotion with The Book of Unholy Mischief and The Sandalwood Tree.

I'm a disappointed that I won't be able to read any more books by this talented author. I am grateful that I was introduced to her novels and they will forever be on my bookshelves for my children to enjoy when the time comes.

My thoughts go out to her loved ones and this difficult time for them.

Giveaway: The Sandalwood Tree

We are lucky enough to have a copy of Elle Newmark's fabulous book The Sandalwood Tree to giveaway. I read it last month and really enjoyed it (see review here). Fans of historical fiction will definitely want to enter for this one.

Good Luck!!

Julie's Review: The Sandalwood Tree

Summary: A sweeping novel that brings to life two love stories, ninety years apart, set against the rich backdrop of war-torn India. In 1947, American historian and veteran of WWII, Martin Mitchell, wins a Fulbright Fellowship to document the end of British rule in India. His wife, Evie, convinces him to take her and their young son along, hoping a shared adventure will mend their marriage, which has been strained by war. But other places, other wars. Martin and Evie find themselves stranded in a colonial bungalow in the Himalayas due to violence surrounding the partition of India between Hindus and Muslims. In that house, hidden behind a brick wall, Evie discovers a packet of old letters, which tell a strange and compelling story of love and war involving two young Englishwomen who lived in the same house in 1857. Drawn to their story, Evie embarks on a mission to piece together her Victorian mystery. Her search leads her through the bazaars and temples of India as well as the dying society of the British Raj. Along the way, Martin’s dark secret is exposed, unleashing a new wedge between Evie and him. As India struggles toward Independence, Evie struggles to save her marriage, pursuing her Victorian ghosts for answers. Bursting with lavish detail and vivid imagery of Calcutta and beyond, The Sandalwood Tree is a powerful story about betrayal, forgiveness, fate, and love. ~amazon.com

Review: Have I mentioned I love historical fiction? Have I mentioned I love historical fiction that has two separate and then connected plots going on? I'm sure I have, if not well I have now. Elle Newmark does exactly this in The Sandalwood Tree. It's an amazing story that tells the history of two significant events in India through the eyes of the women living through them. We first meet Evie as she is moving to India to live there while her husband, Martin, a historian researches the locals on their thoughts on the up coming Partition. Evie discovers a set of letters while she is cleaning the kitchen, as they are hidden in a brick. The story of Felicity and Adela starts to pull Evie into their lives. She starts to research them to see if there was anything noted in the local registry.

It is the story of Felicity and Adela that I found most interesting and intriguing. It was their story that I wanted to get lost in, much like Evie. I hungered for more. More letters, more information, more anything about them. I loved how their story was told through correspondence, a journal and then a mysterious book. I loved hearing about how two women lived together in the hills of India. How they were ahead of their time and could take care of themselves. Of course, with a handsome annuity from Felicity's family.

I wanted to know how their stories ended. Was it happy? Was it sad? I wanted to know all the things Evie did. Did Adela ever really adapt to life in India? Did Felicity and Adela always live together?

Of course, I wanted Martin and Evie to work out their problems. I wanted Martin to let go of the guilt and anger from the war. I wanted them to move on and be a family. Evie does well figuring out India on her own, even in the midst of turmoil within her marriage and within the country.

Ms. Newmark does an excellent job of weaving the two stories together and alternating the voices. Felicity, Adela and Evie are all distinct in personalities and in their storytelling. All three are women ahead of their time in how they live their lives.

She does an excellent job of describing India in both periods of historical significance. I could smell the smells and feel the dirt while I was reading the story. I've always thought of India as an exotic location and this book cemented that thought for me.

If you are looking for a great read of historical fiction that has a few twists thrown in, then you should definitely pick up The Sandalwood Tree.

Final Take: 4.5/5

Thank you to Tracee from Pump Up Your Book Promotion for including me on the book tour!

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations to Heather W for winning a copy of Elle Newmark's novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief!

Please email me (Julie) your mailing address so we can send the book off to you as soon as possible. Thanks to all of you for participating.

Girls Just Reading uses Random.org to produce the winner.

Giveaway: The Book of Unholy Mischief

Earlier today, author Elle Newmark did a wonderful guest blog for us. We are lucky enough to have a copy of her novel The Book of Unholy Mischief: A Novel to giveaway.

In order to qualify for this fantastic book, you need to do the following:

1. In the comments section, tell us how you follow our blog (Google Friend, Twitter and/or our Facebook page). 
2. Tell us what excites you about this book and why you want it
3. Enter the contest by September 25th at Midnight EST. 

Good Luck!!

Guest Blog: Elle Newmark

I LOVE books. Adore them. Go through them like a drunk with a six-pack. And that's why I now can't live without my Kindle.

First I objected to ordering books online. Give up the ambiance of a bookstore? Lose up the comforting sight of shelves jam-packed with literary adventures? Pah! Get thee to a nuthouse.

But then one day it was raining and I was still in my jammies and I wanted to buy a book. I heard the siren song of Amazon and never looked back. It's not only convenient it's cheaper. And here's the thing: They have not banned me from the bookstore. It's not an either/or. And, like it or not, it's here to stay.

Then came the Kindle, and I balked. I'm a writer. I stare at a computer screen all day. And the Kindle has such a tiny screen. What about the nice heft of a real book in my hands? What about the Pavlovian response I have to the smell of ink on paper? No Kindle for me, thank you very much.

But then one day I had to go to India for a month-long research trip for my new novel, and I was faced with needing to carry enough books to last me. Full of shame and apprehension, I bought a Kindle and loaded up about 20 books for India.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the screen does not glare like a computer screen. It's some kind of freaky new technology that makes it as easy on the eyes as paper. And you can change the font size! One night I was reading a really good book in bed and falling asleep, but I didn't want to put it down. I kept making the font bigger until I was only getting like six words on a page. I finally put it down and went to sleep, and I didn't give myself a concussion by dropping a big old hardcover on my head when I passed out.

And the books are cheap. My novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief is $26 in the bookstore and $17 on Amazon. On Kindle it's $9.99. So if you buy enough books, the thing eventually pays for itself.

This is not an ad for Kindle and I don't work for Amazon. I am an author and my first purchase on Kindle was my own novel, The The Book of Unholy Mischief. You can read more about it on my website, Elle Newmark, and that was another thing I objected to at first. Put up a website?

But then one day I got this book deal from Simon & Schuster.

Thanks to Elle Newmark for taking the time to put down her thoughts about reading and technology.

You can find my review of The Book of Unholy Mischief: A Novel here. It was one of my favorite reads in 2009.

Julie's Review: The Book of Unholy Mischief

Summary: It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist's dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. Everyone, rich and poor alike, speculates about the long-buried secrets scrawled in its pages and where it could possibly be hidden within the labyrinthine city. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic that grew from the sea, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets.Luciano's loyalty to his street friends and the passion he holds for a convent girl named Francesca remain, but it is not long before he, too, is caught up in the madness. After he witnesses a shocking murder in the Palace dining room, he realizes that nothing is as it seems and that no one, not even those he's come to rely on most, can be trusted. Armed with a precocious mind and an insatiable curiosity,Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing open the shutters of his mind, inflame his deepest desires, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.Rich with the luxurious colors and textures of Venice, The Book of Unholy Mischief delights the senses and breathes fresh life into an age defined by intellectual revival and artistic vibrancy. A luminous and seductive novel, it is, at its heart, a high-spirited tribute to the fruits of knowledge and the extraordinary power of those who hold its key. In a world of violence and intrigue, who guards the truth? ~amazon.com

Julie's Review: I loved this book. I loved it from the first page. Ms. Newmark has a way with words and they way she puts them together is magic. Which is good, since her book deals with magic aka alchemy. This is probably the 2nd book I've read this year that talks about alchemy and I find it very intriguing, especially in this setting. I also love how she weaves in food and how it can affect some one's mind, body and soul. (Jenn - I think you'd love this book). Luciano is the main character and he's quite the charmer. He's innocent but has had a hard life. He knows the streets well but he has to learn how to operate in a palace environment. I also loved Chef Ferrero. I could picture him in my mind and loved that he thought of Luciano as a "son". It was delightful to read about the mentor/pupil relationship that had much more affection to it than you would normally keep.

Ms. Newmark does an excellent job of making Venice a character in it's own right. One day I will make it there, I swear!! The politics of Venice, Rome and Italy is another interesting aspect of the book and sometimes felt like it could be plucked out of today's society. We also have "The Book" that everyone is after and no one know where to find. It's shrouded in such secrecy you wonder if it even exists or if it made up to keep those who want busy while the intellectuals quietly take over.

The book is about gaining knowledge, learning what to do with the knowledge and growing from that knowledge. It's also about learning who trust, who should have/earn your trust.

I'm definitely not doing The Book of Unholy Mischiefany justice in my review, so instead just go get yourself a copy and read it! Especially if you love: Italy, Historical Fiction, Mysteries and Coming of Age stories.

This is one of my favorite thoughts/quotes in the book. Chef Ferrero speaking to Luciano:

"We all die, but we all leave something behind. We achieve immortality by passing on knowledge." page 276

I also must note that not only is the cover gorgeous but the inside of the hardcover has the most beautiful renderings of fruits and vegetables. They look good enough to eat.

Fans of both Sarah Addison Allen and/or Sarah Dunant will love this book.

A special thanks to Tracee at Pump Up Your Book Promotion for getting me on the Virtual Book tour for this one!!

Julie's Final Take: 4.75/5