Literature Nobel Awarded to Writer Doris Lessing

This post is a little late, but I felt the need to give the nod to this years Nobel Literature Award winner, Doris Lessing (NPR article).

Looks like I'll be bumping The Golden Notebook up closer to the top of my list of books to read this year.

--Though I can never hear/read Doris Lessing's name without thinking of the author song from that ingenious 90's band, Moxy Fruvous. Anyone else have that problem?!?

[silence... crickets... more silence...]

Yeah, didn't think so...

A Word about Women's Murder Club Part Deux

I did end up tuning in, thanks to DVR I watched it on Saturday while my daughter napped and I will be tuning in again. It's been long enough since I've read the 1st book in the series that I wasn't nitpicking the characters or the storyline. I like Angie Harmon as Lindsay Boxer but I was even more delighted by Paula Newsome as M.E. Claire Washburn. I actually think I identify with her..she cuts to the chase and tells it like it is. :)

I like that they will have individual cases but there will be a season long murder mystery that they need to solve. Not only did it cause Lindsay professional strife but it seems to have caused her marriage to disolve. I'm happy to see Rob Estes back on tv and they don't seem to have him playing the jerk ex-husband, he actually seems like a good guy.

It seems like I wasn't the only one who tuned in this week. (ratings)
Now we just have to wait to see if it holds it's audience. Not like there is much else on TV on Friday Nights.

Hope you guys enjoyed and will continue to watch.

Lisa's Review: The Monsters of Templeton

Summary:
One dark summer dawn, at the exact moment that an enormous monster dies in Lake Glimmerglass, twenty-eight-year-old Willie Upton returns pregnant and miserable to her hometown of Templeton, N.Y. Willie is a descendant of the creator of the town, Marmaduke Temple, and she expects to be able to hide in the place that has been home to her family for centuries. But the monster changes the fabric of the village and Willie's mother, Vivienne, has a surprise for the girl that will send Willie careening through her family's history to dig up clues about her heritage. Spanning two centuries, the story is told through a panoply of voices, from Templeton ghosts to residents, masters to servants, natives to interlopers, and historical figures to literary characters. ~ Source: http://www.laurengroff.com/

Review:

I received The Monsters of Templeton from Barnes & Noble as part of their First Look Book Club program. This was the first selection. As I write, I am still not sure how I will rate this book. It took me a couple of weeks to read this one – now I was preoccupied with some work stuff but this book never really drew me in enough to make me forget about what was going on in my life. That’s never good. Secondly, this is a book about genealogy. I remember sitting at my grandfather’s knee, eyes glazed over, mind wandering as he told me all about my family tree. I believe the genealogy element of the book had the same effect on me at times. It was in fact interesting, Willie’s search for her father (I knew who he was the moment I met him, but I kept forgetting that I knew that – a mark of good writing I suppose). I enjoyed how the major players from the past rose up to tell their stories in their own voices, however, it was still confusing trying to keep track of all those people. That is probably why I will always live in mortal fear of marrying my cousin.

Lauren Groff did a good job of working the stories of the past and the present together in the same narrative. There is a slight supernatural element (a monster in the lake) that I am never fully sure why it was there, even after it told its story in the epilogue. It was a bit contrived having the “house ghost” help her find the last clue (a really good clue though). A bit of a cop-out I thought. Truthfully there were way too many times that I felt like I was in a college English Lit class and failing miserably. Yeah I’m getting the feeling I didn’t like it, which is sad, because I read Stephen King’s article about it in Entertainment Weekly and I was looking forward to it, not to mention ecstatic when I was able to get it early. Let’s all blame my preoccupation with work stuff – Agreed?

Monsters is due for release in February 2008.

Final Take: 2.9/5

Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club

One morning in September I got an email from Barnes and Noble announcing their First Look Book Club. It was totally random and I am still wondering how I got on the list (I suspect it's because I joined their forums many moons ago to see what other people thought of Chris Bojahlian's The Double Bind - Excellent Book!). The first selection was The Monsters of Templeton, which I've heard some buzz for (My review). Obviously, there are limited books, so it's first come, first served and it seems I was rather lucky to see the email when I did.

This was quite the treat for me, as I love books especially when they are free and I can get to read them before everyone else. I will suggest that you at least join their book club so that you are on their lists. Besides the possibility of getting free books, the authors of certain releases often drop by the forums to discuss their books and answer questions.

Library Thing also does something similar with their Early Reviewers Group, but they have rules about who recieves the books.

As always I will keep you all posted on whatever else I find.

A Word About Women's Murder Club

It is rare that I look forward to a book adaption whether it be tv or film, like I am to this new series, Women's Murder Club, premiering on Friday on ABC. I'm actually surprised that it has taken this long to make one of James Patterson's books into either a movie or a tv show. Although there was two tv movies made from his books Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas and 1st to Die. I didn't happen to catch either of them, even though the 2nd one is the first in the Women's Murder Club books.

I've read 1-5 (waiting on 6 from my dad) and have thoroughly enjoyed this series because of the group of strong women who know what they want and work together to solve crimes. I like the books because they pull from different areas of law enforcement and even include a reporter who they bring into their group. My favorite character has always been Lindsey Boxer, played in the series by the wonderful Angie Harmon.

I know that in all the promotions for this it says "based on" the series, so I'm interested to see where they've made changes. James Patterson is listed as a writer for the show along with 2 female writers, so I'm encouraged that it will be true to the characters he's written 6 novels about.

If you haven't read the series but like crime dramas with strong female characters, I encourage you to read the books. And if you aren't sure about reading the books, check out the show and see if it peaks your interest.

There's one thing us book lover's know..it is that the books are always better than the tv show or the movie.

I'll be tuning in on Friday to check this show out.

Jenn's Review: Garden Spells

Summary:

In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it...

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down—along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy—if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom—or with each other. Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own….

Review:
I was truly enchanted with this novel. Sarah Addison Allen has an uncomplicated style of prose that is soothing to read and has a definite flow about it. Her story not only encompasses the Waverlys, but also delves into the lives of the townspeople with whom they interact. Often times, this can be dull, but Allen has written a story in which the past is so rooted in the present and entwined with the main characters, that the forays are delightful. Each Waverly has her own brand of magic which has varying effects the town as well as herself; and each of them stuggle to come to terms with their role in their family and in each other's lives.

The book is not without flaw, but as it is Allen's first book, that is to be expected. I would have loved to have learned more about the apple tree, the rest of the family, or even fleshed out the ending a little bit. However, it has a tone that is reminiscent of my favorite book of all times, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones. If you enjoy fantasy and romance, this is a light and tender read for you!

Overall Rating 4.7/5.0