From the book cover: A love story, an adventure story, a fable without a moral, and an ink-black comedy of manners,Undermajordomo Minor is Patrick deWitt’s long-awaited follow-up to the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed novel The Sisters Brothers.
Lucien (Lucy) Minor is the resident odd duck in the bucolic hamlet of Bury. Friendless and loveless, young and aimless, Lucy is a compulsive liar, a sickly weakling in a town famous for producing brutish giants. Then Lucy accepts employment assisting the Majordomo of the remote, foreboding Castle Von Aux.
While tending to his new post as Undermajordomo, Lucy soon discovers the place harbors many dark secrets, not least of which is the whereabouts of the castle’s master, Baron Von Aux. He also encounters the colorful people of the local village—thieves, madmen, aristocrats, and Klara, a delicate beauty whose love he must compete for with the exceptionally handsome soldier, Adolphus. Thus begins a tale of polite theft, bitter heartbreak, domestic mystery, and cold-blooded murder in which every aspect of human behavior is laid bare for our hero to observe.
Undermajordomo Minor is an adventure, a mystery, and a searing portrayal of rural Alpine bad behavior, but above all it is a love story and Lucy must be careful, for love is a violent thing.

It has been AGES since I have written a formal review. Not that I haven't been reading or listening to plenty that are worthy, I just haven't had the inclination to share here.  Surprise, surprise that this off-beat novel should be the one to inspire words.  Not a full fledged review or retelling the story words, but encouraging words to read this book.  And to read his previous book The Sisters Brothers if you haven't already.

If you want to know more about the story you should probably read a different review.  If you want to know why this book is worth reading I am going to tell you.  It is fun, disturbing, jaunty and original. I started page one without even looking at the jacket. I only knew that it was deWitt's new book and I loved his last. I had that much confidence in his story telling and he did not let me down.  This is a story. Others have compared it to a fable or folktale and I suppose I see where that is coming from now that I am finished. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters are the characters and the way they talk to each other and the things they do. The dialog is engaging banter. Verbal jousting another reviewer called it. It is not elegant, flowing prose and is not meant to be.

I am struggling to convey what I liked so much about this book and deWitt in general.  I am enthralled by his writing and the way he brings his characters to life. I feel satisfied and happy when I think about what I have read and I look forward to talking about it with my co-worker Marie who probably finished it last night.  A book that consumes so much of my attention and motivates me to write a blog post offers something many do not - Original Entertainment.

I've been neglecting my book reviews. I post pictures and brief notes on Facebook and Instagram, but I haven't written a full review in a while.
I won't be starting with this book.
But I do want to capture a few thoughts.

This is a strange book.  I like it and despise it all at the same time. The style is challenging, but the story is gripping. I want to know what happens, but I just want to toss it aside and forget about it.

The story is told in bits and pieces of letters, journal entries, dream diaries, tapped conversations and transcribed surveillance video. There are detailed explanations of the codes that are used to hide messages. There is a dog named HELP and the girl hears but doesn't speak. My book group would not like all this jumping around!

Grrr... Perhaps this is the authors intent? I have less that 60 pages to go. At this point I know that I will finish.
I wonder if I'll fell differently when it's over??

We'll see.

I haven't written poetry in a long time.  When I found out about the Page 100 Found Poetry Contest happening at the library in the next town over I decided to give it a try.  The premise is simple. Choose a book, copy page 100 and construct a poem from the words you find.  This is my entry.  The book is called The Humans by Matt Haig. I recently finished it and LOVED it!

They'll be judging the contest soon. I'm excited to see the other entries.  I wonder it I'll win a prize?

Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

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read more Book Reviews;
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Greetings Friends,

Welcome back. You know that I love reading and sharing my reviews with you.  So, when Hunter (my contact at Hay House) asked if I would be interested in interviewing the authors of this series, I knew it was a unique opportunity that I had to take advantage of.  I've read a lot of books and often wonder about the people that create them.  When I think about how much work goes into my simple blog, my respect and admiration for those who produce entire novels multiplies.  Even more so when it's a good one - and this is a good book!
Actually it is book 3 in the Dharma Detective series. I'm always leary of starting a series in the middle, but this one stood firmly on it's own. I was so drawn to Tenzing (the main character) that I've requested book one and asked that we add the series to our library collection. (I think Marie is working on it for any of my local folks!)

My experience interviewing authors is limited with only one under my belt prior to this.  When I was considering my questions I took a personal approach and asked the things I was curious about. Gay and Tinker were very kind and shared with me thoughtful and interesting insight into their process and the series. I hope you enjoy it!

The Third Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks & Tinker Lindsay
Book 3 in the Dharma Detective Series
Hay House Visions
February 3, 2014; 352 Pages; Paperback

Keep current with the truth: we are only as weak as our secrets; especially the ones we keep from ourselves. That's the Third Rule of Ten. As the go-to private detective for a bevy of high-profile clients, our beloved ex-Buddhist monk, ex-Lapd officer, Tenzing Norbu, has finally found his stride. With his beautiful pathologist girlfriend, a healthy bank account, and a steady stream of clients, life is bursting with activity. But its not all joy and happiness. The death of his father and a growing abundance of secrets both personal and professional leave Ten feeling an unexpected depth of sorrow and confusion. Even with the emotional turmoil, nothing can stop Ten from taking the case when rising political star Bets McMurtry's housekeeper goes missing. The investigation leads him down a dangerous path littered with bodies, untraceable prescription drugs, and human organ trafficking. But nothing is as shocking as the realization that the mastermind behind it all is none other than Chaco Morales, a criminal that slipped through  hands once already. The Third Rule of Ten will have readers on the edges of their seats, as they learn, along with Ten, that there is a fine line between healthy privacy and unhealthy secrecy. Knowing the difference may just determine whether Ten will stop Chaco or lose himself.

How did you create Ten? I haven’t read books 1 & 2 (yet) and I’m sure they tell us more about his back story, but where did the idea come from? 

GH: Four plus years ago I woke up in the middle of the night. I wanted to reach for the mystery novel by my bed, but my eyes were too tired to read so I decided to make up a mystery novel in my mind. I put this question to myself -  “Who’s the story about?” Immediately an image came to me of a 30ish man, slightly Asian-looking, standing on the bluffs of the Palisades looking across the Pacific toward Asia. I asked him, “What are you doing?” He turned to me and started telling me what was happening. Every night for the next week I would wake up around 3 a.m. and work on the story in my head. After a while I got so fascinated with the character and the story that I couldn’t stop. 

TL: When Gay described the character of Tenzing Norbu to me, over the phone during our first conversation, I was absolutely blown away (and maybe a tiny bit jealous.) I am an avid reader of detective mysteries, and have been all my life. As I told Gay at the time, original detectives are almost impossibly rare these days, yet he had somehow birthed one! We filled in his back story as we continued with the series, and wrote the novella The Broken Rules of Ten to give readers a more detailed glimpse into Tenzing’s background and early experiences in Dharamshala. What I brought to the mix was an insistence that Tenzing be a bit more damaged, especially in the arena of romance. Given Gay’s area of expertise, it was just too delicious an opportunity to make our hero a kind of poster boy for flawed relationships. 

Ten struggles with truth, honesty and keeping secrets throughout the book, is it harder for him (these questions of morality) because of his background? 

TL: I wouldn't say these issues of morality are “harder” for Ten than the rest of us. I believe we all struggle mightily with issues of honesty and secret-keeping, especially with ourselves!  But I do think Ten’s commitment to practicing mindfulness means he has a heightened awareness of those moments when he is not being truthful, and that means he is forced to face the issues more frequently. In other words, he can get away with less! Anyone who has chosen a path of conscious living faces the same predicament. Denial brings with it a form of comfort unavailable to people struggling to walk a mindful path! 

Where do you get the inspiration for your story lines?  

TL: Gay is Mr. Genius First Draft! He comes up with both the initial twisty plots and turns, and the fabulous cast of characters. Ten “speaks” to him, and he follows Ten’s lead, which is one reason why the storylines are so rich and unusual. As with jazz, Gay delivers the main melody, and I riff. I like to think of myself as a “Story-Dowser.” The process is quite intuitive. I run my inner storyteller over Gay’s draft, and feel for places where the tale has the most “juice”. That helps me to tease out identifiable “rules” and underlying themes from the material, and apply each to his overall storyline. I also add physical and descriptive detail, aided by research, which I adore doing. Sometimes I’ll add a few twists and turns of my own, in consultation with Gay. He is impressively open to, and supportive of my work, and I am astounded by the skill and originality of his. But it all starts with Gay. 

GH: I love writing the first draft, which usually takes me 3-6 months of daily writing. Figuring out the plot is big fun, as is dreaming up new characters for Ten to interact with. Once I’ve written the basic story I hand it off to Tinker, who does her magic on it. 

Dr. Hendricks, this is your first foray into fiction, but not writing (with so many successful titles!), how is it different? What made you decide to venture into this world? 

GH: I have loved reading mysteries my whole life, starting with Hardy Boys and accelerating when I discovered Sherlock Holmes. I read so many Sherlock stories in 9th grade my teacher started calling me “Sherlock” as a nickname. It was a dream of mine for 50 years to create a character as interesting as Sherlock. I’m incredibly delighted by the way the series has developed. 

Co-authors have a variety of methods for writing / working together, how do you do it? 

TL: Our collaboration came about very organically. I was first hired by Gay to edit his manuscript of The First Rule of Ten, before it even had a title! I loved his first draft, but felt it was not yet a complete book. I presented him with a number of conceptual changes I felt would make it work as a detective mystery, and he invited me to complete the changes myself! Voila – I went from editor to co-writer. Gay’s ability to set aside his ego and his whole-hearted willingness to support my contributions are rare indeed, especially in someone who is as talented as he is. Happily for both of us, we share a belief in conscious collaboration, and putting the work first.  

GH: Tinker re-wrote the first chapter, to show me how she’d like to flesh out details and add richness to the narrative. I was blown away by the quality of what she showed me and decided to invite her to be my co-author. 

Ms. Lindsay, this book seems to have all of the components to make it a great high-octane action movie with Tenzing being a hero that appeals to both men and women. Any chance of turning this into your next screenplay?? 

TL: We are in the process of exploring Tenzing as a television character at the moment, as we both believe his unique characteristics and “hybrid” nature lend itself to that medium best. Of course, if someone offers us the chance to adapt these books for the big screen, we won’t say no! 

The book has some pretty violent scenes and plenty of people behaving badly.  It seems a great departure from what you are accustom to writing about. Did that present any challenges? 

TL: I believe that there is no light without darkness, and no growth without pain. I also believe deeply in the notion that we can change the trajectory of our lives at any moment – both Gay and I have experienced deep and radical shifts for the better, both personally, and with those around us. But to write books about a former homicide detective and current private investigator—especially one living in the highly contrasting dark-light world of Los Angeles—and ignore the presence of violence or wrong-doing would present an even greater challenge, because it would not be true. What we do try to do, however, is make sure even the “bad” guys have humanity. Wounds of their own. Tenzing may judge, but his judgments soon morph into the realization that his enemies are not that different from himself. As the waitress Jean tells him, “Put down the flashlight, pick up the mirror.”   

Given that the books are titled with numbers you set out to write a series.  Have you decided how far you will go or is that up Ten and the readers? 

TL: Gay had already written two books, and had started in on a third, by the time I was introduced to The First Rule, so choosing a title that reflected a series seemed natural. We settled on the “number” theme for the title because 1: I love following detective series, but sometimes have a hard time keeping the chronologies straight! And 2: the nickname “Ten” provided a perfect double-meaning. As for future books, “The Fourth Rule of Ten” is coming out in January of 2015. We’ll see what Hay House has in mind after that! (We have a Fifth Rule brewing, but not yet written.) Personally, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Ten yet.

I'm not ready to say goodbye yet either, but I know there is more to come and look forward to enjoying the rest of the series!!  I'd like to extend a sincere thank you Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay for taking time out of their busy schedules to do this interview. Also, to Hunter at Hayhouse for keeping me in good reading and facilitating everything for me - it's terrific working with you!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me. I hope that you enjoyed the interview as much as I did. I'm so thankful (and excited!) for the opportunity to hear from the authors and share it on my blog with you!! I'd love to know what you thought of this interview, and invite you to post your views in the comment section.


Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

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read more Book Reviews;
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The Seeker by R.B. Chesterton (alias Carolyn Haines)
Pegasus
March 6, 2014; 352 Pages

A young graduate student travels to Walden Pond expecting to find inspiration in the quiet solitude but finds something eerie and malevolent living deliberately in Thoreau’s woods.

When graduate student Aine Cahill uncovers a journal proving that her aunt Bonnie was an intimate companion of Henry David Thoreau’s during his supposedly solitary sojourn at Walden Pond, she knows that she has found the perfect subject for her dissertation.

She decides to travel to Walden Pond herself to hunker down and work on her writing, but it quickly becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Thoreau’s woodland retreat. The further Aine delves into Bonnie’s diary the more she finds herself wondering about her family’s sinister legacy and even her own sanity—is there really a young girl lurking in the woods?

As tragedy strikes a nearby town and suspicion falls on Aine, she scrambles to find the truth behind Thoreau’s paradise. (from the author's web site)

I haven't read a good mystery in a while.  You know, the kind that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up? The kind that makes you thankful for your cozy home and the family you share it with (even though a teenager lives there!)? When Margaret (a seasoned member of our book club with a refined and trustworthy pallet) recommended it by saying, "It's scary. I want you to read it and tell me if it scares you too." I moved it to the top of my "Read Next" pile.

It didn't take long for me to become ensnared in the story and at several sittings I ended up reading for much longer than I had intended.  The description (from the author's web site) is an accurate summary of what the book has in store so I'm not going to retell it for you here.  I do want to share with you a couple of things that I thought about as I was reading.

First, I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I have never really read Thoreau.  A poem or two perhaps, but nothing that I'm able to quote or even recall the title of.  I know that he was a proponent of the Transcendental Movement, but it took a trip to Wikipedia - not Walden Woods - to find out exactly what that was!  

Next, there is a stretch of about 30 pages where the author seems to be exercising the flexibility of her thesaurus. There were words that I was unable to define based on their context, and one* that still made no sense even after looking in two dictionaries and on-line! I see by the author blurb that she was a journalist and along with being a novelist is an assistant professor teaching writing at the graduate level. Perhaps her relationship with written language accounts for the superfluous verbiage, however I was hard pressed to buy it coming from the story's main character. Yes, she (Aine) is working on her doctorate, but I just don't believe that a young woman who was raised deep in the holler by out law relatives, upon finding herself in a jail cell would consider the "effluvium" rather than the stink or filth of her surroundings!  I can sometimes be put off by this kind of writing. Don't misunderstand, I encourage learning and using new words (and I think culturally our language is suffering at the hands of text messaging), but just because you can use "docent" instead of "teacher" doesn't mean you should.  

In the case of The Seeker I am able to forgive Aine's unusual/inappropriate vocabulary because of the strength of the story. It's good.  It's scary. It has an unusual and unexpected tie to Thoreau. It prompted me to learn about the transcendentalists, which in turn made the story more interesting. It did all the things that a well written novel should. Any book that has the ability to teach me (in this case new words and a little history) while keeping me entertained and frightened is a worthy read.  If this one has a weak point, I would say it's in the ending, but you're going to have to read it and decide for yourself.

So thank you Margaret for sharing this one with me.  I can confidentially recommend it to anyone who is looking for an intelligent scare with unexpected twists. 

* In case you're wondering - the word that really through me for a loop is: "scuppering".  According to my dictionary a scupper (noun) is a hole in the side of a boat that allows water to drain from the deck. Google's definition of scuppering (a verb):  sink (a ship or its crew) deliberately. In the book the sentence is, "The day was brisk and sunny with white clouds scuppering across a deep blue sky." Searching synonyms of synonyms it might make sense, but as far as I'm concerned, clouds don't scupper!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me. One of the great things about books is we all respond to them differently.  Everyone has an opinion and there is no right or wrong.  I'd love to hear what you thought of this book, and invite you to share your views in the comment section.


Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

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read more Book Reviews;
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Raw: A Love Story by Mark Haskell Smith
Grove Press / Black Cat
December 3, 2013; 352 Pages

Sepp Gregory, a reality-TV hunk and one of People magazine's "sexiest men alive," is on tour to promote his debut novel. Not that Sepp's actually read the book—he doesn't have to, he lived it! And everyone just wants him to take his shirt off.

The book has hit the bestseller list and is even getting rave reviews from serious critics. Aside from Harriet Post, that is. One of the blogosphere's most respected literary minds, Harriet fears that the novel's reception means the end of civilization is upon us. Determined to pen an expose on the publishing industry, Harriet hijacks the book tour and uncovers the ghostwriter. Reality and "reality" collide, and a tragic accident sends Sepp and Harriet off on a sex-fueled road-trip through the southwest. Raw: A Love Story is Mark Haskell Smith at his raucous best, dangerously sexy and wickedly funny. (from Amazon.com)

I know what you're thinking... why on earth is Robin telling us about this book?  It's not the kind of thing she usually reviews or even reads!  Reality TV? Sex-fueled road-trip? Has she lost her mind?

Nahhh, it's nothing like that.  This is simply a case of a cover catching my eye and being in the mood for a trashy diversion!  Instead of grabbing the latest Jackie Collins (rich, beautiful people behaving badly), I ended up with Mark Haskell Smith.  And while they are actually nothing alike (except for lots of sex) it's the same kind of guilty pleasure.

Now let me tell you about the book.  It is astonishingly good. Really.  It's fast paced and kept me quite entertained.  In fact there are a couple of scenes that made me laugh out loud.  One in particular involving Viagra and a book signing gave me a great case of the giggles.

Raw is more than just reading junk food. It got me thinking by providing an unexpected view of reality TV vs. the "real" reality.  Harriet (the literary blogger) is so determined to expose the ghostwriter of Sepp (the hot star's) book that along the way she finds her (educated, high brow) ideals brought into question.  Could it be that she actually has things in common with the ghostwriter and even (gasp) the stars themselves? As the story unfolds you feel Harriet's exasperation and frustration as she finds herself in one bizarre/ridiculous/absurd situation after another.  Sepp on the other hand is facing his own issues (remember the Viagra?).  I wasn't sure if I felt sorry for him because he's just so dimwitted or if maybe he's the one who actually has the whole game figured out!

What made this enjoyable for me is the mix of trash and treasure.  It's the bits of reality TV that you can't turn off, but will never admit to watching blended with Antiques Roadshow.  I'm sure that it's not for everyone. The language and sex are both pretty raunchy and there's a gratuitous amount of each.  If you're not bothered by those things and are looking for a quick snack than go ahead and give this a try.  It might be just the perfect tid-bit to hold you over until the next "serious novel" comes along!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me. One of the great things about books is we all respond to them differently.  Everyone has an opinion and there is no right or wrong.  I'd love to hear what you thought of this book, and invite you to share your views in the comment section.


Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

Click to:
read more Book Reviews;
go to the Athol Public Library; or
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Howdy Friends!

Were you wondering where I've been?  Don't doubt for a minute that I haven't been thinking about you.  Every book that I've picked up since my last review has been "the one" that I was going to share.  But you know how it goes... one thing leads to another and before you know it months have gone by, you've read 50 books (give or take!) and haven't written one word on your blog.  Thankfully, I've been keeping notes!  They may not make a whole lot of sense, but enough to remind me of what my feelings and impressions were while I was reading.  Since there's no time like the present I'm ready to stop procrastinating and get down to business.  Instead of giving you the in depth reviews I usually write I'm going to share a series of "minis".  Four at a time - a snap shot of what I've read and how I liked it.  Ready?? Here we go!

The Bear: A Novel  by Claire Cameron
Little, Brown & Company
February 11, 2014; 240 Pages

What the inside cover says:

While camping with her family on a remote island, five-year-old Anna awakes in the night to the sound of her mother screaming. A rogue black bear, three hundred pounds of fury, is attacking the family's campsite -- and pouncing on her parents as prey.

At her dying mother's faint urging, Anna manages to get her brother into the family's canoe and paddle away. But when the canoe runs aground on the edge of the woods, the sister and brother must battle hunger, the elements, and a wilderness alive with danger. Lost and completely alone, they find that their only hope resides in Anna's heartbreaking love for her family, and her struggle to be brave when nothing in her world seems safe anymore.

This is a story with a small narrator and a big heart. Cameron gracefully plumbs Anna's young perspective on family, responsibility, and hope charting both a tragically premature loss of innocence and a startling evolution as Anna reasons through the impossible situations that confront her.

Lean and confident, and told in the innocent and honest voice of a five-year-old, THE BEAR is a transporting tale of loss -- but also a poignant and surprisingly funny adventure about love and the raw instincts that enable us to survive.

What I say about The Bear:

Alright, the premise is dark and unsettling and my initial thought was how good can a story told by a five-year-old actually be?  Regardless of my apprehension, something about it sparked and I had to pick it up.  I was a big fan of Room by Emma Donoghue - another (disturbing) story told by a five-year-old - and that may have been the reason.  Anyway, I started it on my break at work and continued reading through dinner into the night.  I was hooked.  I had to find out what happened - how it all turned out.  The author does a good job "being Anna" and speaking in her voice.  I was struck by the way she "humanized" everything, giving inanimate objects personalities and human features, just like little kids do.  I'll admit that there were sections of dialog that I skimmed over, but on the whole the book captivated my attention and propelled me to the end. 

The subject is troubling, and there's nothing warm and fuzzy about this bear.  I can't even really say that I enjoyed the book, however I read it in two days and it had an impact on me.  That means something.  I don't think this is for everyone, but I bet those of you who do read it will remember it long after you've finished.

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
St. Martin's Press
January 21, 2014; 304 Pages

What the inside cover says:

The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.

That was half a life ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband George is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that’s left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.

It’s a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing  Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

Lost Lake is where Kate Pheris spent her last best summer at the age of twelve,  before she learned of loneliness, and heartbreak, and loss. Now she’s all too familiar with those things, but she knows about hope too, thanks to her resilient daughter Devin, and her own willingness to start moving forward. Perhaps at Lost Lake her little girl can cling to her own childhood for just a little longer… and maybe Kate herself can rediscover something that slipped through her fingers so long ago.

One after another, people find their way to Lost Lake, looking for something that they weren’t sure they needed in the first place:  love, closure, a second chance, peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended.  Can they find what they need before it’s too late?

What I think of Lost Lake:

Ahhh... Sarah Addison Allen.... I'm a huge fan.  Sarah created one of my very favorite settings - a bedroom with wall paper that changes pattern, color, scent and flavor according to your mood.  How cool is that?!  You never know what it's going to be, but it always captures the moment perfectly. I don't remember which book it was in, and it doesn't matter much since I've read them all, so I was tickled when her latest hit the stacks.

I will admit that I wasn't completely overjoyed by her last work The Peach Keeper, but nevertheless I was hopeful.  Lost Lake fairs pretty well.  It doesn't have as much of the magical sparkle as her first books and I think I miss that.  In retrospect it feels like her books have grown up and are rooted a little more in the "real" world.  While that's not necessarily a bad thing, I did find myself waiting for something magical to happen. 

Even still, I enjoyed the story.  It's filled with the kind of unique and charming characters that make her books fun to read, and I suppose the ghost that talks to the silent cook and the alligator that talks to the little girl are supernatural enough! Overall, I'd say it's a 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen
Ballantine Books
August 27, 2013; 400 Pages

What the publisher says:

The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance.
But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.
 
When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?

What I say about The Wishing Thread:

Magic and knitting - now what more could I ask for in a book?!?  Okay, so I had high hopes going in - even though I've been disappointed by this combination before - I thought maybe this is the one... sadly it's not.  It could have been.  It should have been.  All the elements are there.  Instead it's pretty much a dud.

The story line is good enough - three sisters forced to reunite after the death of their beloved aunt and do the right thing for each other and the community.  In a book like this it's the characters that carry the story.  Unfortunately we never really get to know any of them and what we do learn shows them as whiny, self adsorbed and shallow.  Aubrey may be a bit more endearing, but she so naive and insecure (and we never really learn why other than her eyes are a strange color) that it just comes off as annoying.

I'm sure that there are plenty of folks out there who will like this one, but for me it didn't work.  I don't have to love the characters, but I have to feel something.  This book left me with nothing.  

Seven Deadlies: A Cautionary Tale by Gigi Levangie
October 17, 2013; 256 Pages
Blue River Press

What the promotional blurb says:

Perry Gonzalez is not like the other kids in her Beverly Hills high school—a full-blooded Latina on a scholarship, living in a tiny apartment with her mother, she doesn’t have much in common with the spoiled, privileged kids who are chauffeured to school every morning. But Perry is a budding young writer with her sights set on Bennington—and her seven deadly stories are her ticket to the Ivory Tower. To pay her way, Perry’s been babysitting (correction: teenage-sitting) and tutoring the neighborhood kids, and she has seen the dark side of adolescence: lust for the “Judas Brothers” that leads to electrocution at a private birthday party concert; wrath that inspires new and perverse family bonds; and greed, in a young Bernie Madoff acolyte who conceives of a copycat Ponzi scheme involving his own grandmother.

What I think about Seven Deadlies:

An impulse grab as I was shelving new books, this one is way outside of my typical reading zone.  The cover art and title are what caught my attention and reading the back I saw that the author also wrote The Starter Wife, a TV mini series that I really liked.  So I figured what the heck.  It's not very long, why not give it a try?

It turns out that it's really a series of short stories each connected by the main character's presence.  They are written in the form of an admission letter as she appeals to the committee for acceptance into their program and out of the crazy world she inhabits.  At first I thought that it was kind of quirky and funny, but it didn't take long for the whole thing to become way to weird for my liking.  It seems like the threads of reality that the stories were based on got thinner with each sin.  I did skim my way through to the end.  It didn't get any better.  The epilogue provided an unexpected twist, but it wasn't enough to resuce the book from the grave it had dug.

When I was finished I realized that even though we had this book in the adult section of the library it really is a young adult / teen title.  Keeping that in mind, I guess it might appeal to a younger reader or maybe someone more willing to endure the bizzare antics of these teens who come not from Beverly Hills, but the Twilight Zone!!

Wow!  That was a lot of work and I'm only just getting started! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me. One of the great things about books is we all respond to them differently.  Everyone has an opinion and there is no right or wrong.  I'd love to hear what you thought of these books, and invite you to share your views in the comment section.

Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

Click to:
read more Book Reviews;
go to the Athol Public Library; or
visit Crochet Nirvana!

The Broken Circle by Cheryl Potter
Yarns of the Knitting Witches
Potluck Yarn Trilogy, Book 1
June 3, 2013
Potter Press; 361 Pages (pbk)

The Broken Circle Knitting Patterns Inspired by Book One
Cheryl Potter
December 19, 2012
Potter Press; 64 Pages (pbk)
21 Patterns

Book 1 Student Workbook
Available on line as a free download

The Broken Circle is the first book in the Potluck Yarn trilogy by Cheryl Potter. Combining fantasy with fiber, Potter spins a tale redolent with magic and layered with themes of friendship, loyalty, good vs. evil, the value of natural resources, the meaning and texture of courage, and even mortality.

Follow the twelve knitting witches through adventures fraught with mayhem and mischief and knit your way through 21 patters as the Potluck witches seek to save their world. Twenty years have passed since the fire beneath the great dyepot was lit and the circle was complete. Now, the folk of the Middlelands face a danger worse than any can remember. Darkness and chaos threaten to destroy the delicate balance of the natural world, and the magic of the dye crystals that have always been a way of life and a great source of power for the people has been outlawed. Readers age 11 and up will find themselves engrossed by this fanciful cross-over tale of magic and mayhem. (from Amazon)

I was thrilled when I received a copy of the novel and companion book of patterns to review on my blog.  While fantasy isn't my primary genera, how could I pass up the chance to experience my two favorite activities at the same time?  When I opened the package it was clear they had done a terrific job publishing these books.  The cover art and drawings that begin each chapter help set the tone, and the photography in the pattern book beautifully embraces the knitting witch theme.

I love the premise of the story: once upon a time there were 12 knitting witches who together dyed, spun and knit embracing the magic in them and the crystals the land provided.  The circle was broken when one of the 12 sought to harness the power herself, and what was once good and true turned dark and evil.  Twenty years have passed and the world has fallen to ruin.   The witches have gone their separate ways.  Magic has been outlawed, there is fighting and destruction and food and water are scarce. It is up to the Potluck Queen to gather the witches together once more if there is to be any hope of restoring balance and order to the Middlelands.

Sounds good doesn't it?  Unfortunately, I struggled - with the way the story was told, the way that the knitting terms were used (for example: yarns being stories and simmers are a gathering together), and the way that the characters were introduced.  At first I thought that it might be because I'm not used to stories that are about places and things that don't exist in my world.  I have a good imagination and I've never had difficulty with my reading comprehension, yet this one was hard for me. 

I stuck with it and the more that I got into the story the easier that it was for me to piece things together, but this is supposed to be a young adult book!  If I had such a hard time, and had to work to make sense of things what will it be like for an 11 year old?  I think a glossary would help to understand how the author is using certain worlds and to assist with the vocabulary in general. The dialect seems to be a combination of old English, knitting/fiber references and words unique the people of the Middlelands.

The book moves along slowly.  We are introduced to each of the witches, along with several other characters as they are making their way back Potluck Yarns.  I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and how their individual stories impacted the group.  I felt like there was a lot of detail that didn't benefit the story.  I was also surprised by how little magic there was.  I know that it was outlawed, but I would like to think that somehow at least a few would have managed to be true to their born talents.  I suppose that I was hoping more would happen in this first book .  For me the books best moments take place in the last few chapters.  It's during these pages that I could sense the true potential that the story holds.

As a knitter / crocheter I did enjoy the fiber references.  At times they seem a bit overwhelming and while the descriptions work in the pattern book they don't always enhance the story.  I think young adults and non-knitters won't really get how intense we fiber lovers are about our craft! 

For all the challenges that the book presented, I'm curious to see what happens next.  According to the Potluck Yarn website the author is still working on book two.  I hope that my review is not looked upon as negative, but as observations and suggestions that may be used to make the next installments more appropriate for young readers and non-knitters.

The pattern book is sold separately and is a lovely presentation. It is here that the detailed descriptions fit best bringing the items to life and helping to create images of the characters who wear or use them.  While I haven't made anything from this collection it seems that the patterns are well done.  As beautiful as all of the projects are I think that they will appeal more to the competent adult knitters.  None of the young adults who visit our library wear shawls - even though I think they're indispensable!  If the idea is to inspire the kids who read the book to pick up needles for the first time, then perhaps easier more youthful patterns are in order.

The reading guide is available as a downloadable file.  I actually didn't look at it until I had finished the book.  Maybe if I had it with me from the start the book would have been easier for me!  The guide itself is very well done and really helps you understand the story the way the author intended.  Here's the thing though... what tween or teen is going to work through a reading guide unless it is a school assignment?  It's hard enough to get kids to read for fun.  If the series is recreational reading than it shouldn't need a guide.  If the idea is for this to be used as reading curriculum (for  homeschoolers maybe?) than the guide is perfect. 

I feel a bit disappointed because I really wanted to love this book.  I think the remainder of the story and the pattern books still have tremendous potential.  It's always hard to post a review that doesn't have glowing things to say.  Especially when it's clear that so much effort has been put in to the entire project.  I know how much work goes into writing a blog or putting together just one pattern - it boggles my mind when I consider what it takes to write a novel!  My hat is off to the author and her team.  Writing is hard work and I respect their effort.  Since the next installment is still a work in progress I have high hopes for the future of the knitting witches!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me. One of the great things about books is we all respond to them differently.  Everyone has an opinion and there is no right or wrong.  I'd love to hear what you thought of this book, and invite you to share your views in the comment section.


Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

Click to:
read more Book Reviews;
go to the Athol Public Library; or
visit Crochet Nirvana!

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews
St. Martin's Press
June 4, 2013; 464 Pages

Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool.  Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style.  Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal.  So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality.  When their “divorce coach” starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined.  Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there? 

In her signature style Mary Kay Andrews tells Grace's story of betrayal, heartbreak and self-discovery with a blend of humor and emotion that keep the pages turning.  Grace is a blogger, and when she spent hours taking picture after picture to get the perfect shot for her latest post I knew I was going to like her.  The next indication came when she's confronting her husband Ben about his tryst with her young assistant J'Amiee (no, it's not Jamie).  After catching them "together" in his car and listening to him stumble with excuses she says, "So you want me to believe  you decided to have an impromptu, clothing optional business meeting in the middle of the night?" Hah! Of course! It's hard to imagine what I'd do in the same situation, but I'd like to think that I might have the guts to drive a $175,000 car into a pool! 

Grace's world has been turned upside down. Nothing is the way she thought it was.  She's not alone.  Each of the members of her divorce group are going through the same thing.  They are an unlikely group, and Wyatt (the lone male) seems the least able to fit in. During their weekly sessions with the loopy therapist and decompressing at the Sandbox, they begin to realize that while this isn't what they chose, it might turn out to be what they need.

Isn't that the way life goes?  Working on this review got me thinking.  Time goes by swiftly and we kind of wonder through.  We may have had a plan, and even kept to it some, but the days add up fast!  So we go along and think we're happy.  We even think that we're doing what we're supposed to be doing.  And then something BIG happens.  Something we didn't expect and we didn't plan.  A divorce, loosing your job or the death of a loved one - that kind of big.  Striped down to the bare bones, emotionally and financially it can go either way.  You can throw in the towel and give up or you can take a good hard look at: what you've been doing; how you've been living; what really is important to you; how you've been treating the people around you and how you've been treating yourself.  It's not easy and chances are you'll be surprised by what you find.  Here's the good part.  Once you're armed with all of this honest, no-nonsense, soul bearing information you get to use it.  Now you can live the life you want - intentionally.  For me that's what this book was about.  The journey of self-discovery.  Perhaps it's because I've been on my own journey for the past few years that I came away with this impression. 

There are lots of things in Grace's life that I was able to identify with which made this an easy read for me.  Even though they all are going through tough times there's plenty of comic relief.  I'd say one of the things I liked most about the book is the cast characters.  Their unique personalities help to make the story full. We also get to know everyone well enough so their stories matter, but not so much that their competing for the headline.

As a blogger I appreciate Grace's commitment to her blog and her readers.  I understand the way she felt about taking on sponsors and eventually monetizing.  I liked that through the grit, grime and physical labor of renovating the small cottage she reconnects with the things that originally inspired her to start blogging.  I think the author really captured the essence of being a blogger!

The story line suffers some from being fairly predictable, however there are some surprising events that add a little zip.  The biggest letdown is the relationship between Grace and Wyatt. 
[SPOILER WARNING] I'm not going to go into detail, let me just say this: happily ever after doesn't have to include prince charming.  I know that romance sells, but in this case it seems unnecessary and the epilog was too much for me.  [END SPOILER]

Overall I enjoyed Ladies' Night and the good points by far outweigh the bad.  Don't let my journey into self discovery dissuade you.  This isn't a heavy book at all, in fact I'd say it easily fits the bill as a beach read!  If you're a fan of Mary Kay's other titles (Deep Dish is my favorite), than I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me. One of the great things about books is we all respond to them differently.  Everyone has an opinion and there is no right or wrong.  I'd love to hear what you thought of this book, and invite you to share your views in the comment section.


Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

Click to:
read more Book Reviews;
go to the Athol Public Library; or
visit Crochet Nirvana!

Montaro Caine by Sidney Poitier
Spiegel & Grau
May 7, 2013; 320 Pages

Montaro Caine, CEO of the Fitzer Corporation, is losing control of the company he built just as his teenage daughter is experiencing her own difficulties. At this moment of crisis, a man and woman appear at his office with a coin of unknown provenance, composed of a metal unknown on Earth. Montaro immediately recognizes it as the companion of a coin he analyzed as a graduate student working in a lab at MIT, which was later returned to its unidentified owner. The coin’s appearance draws the attention of scientists, collectors, financiers, and thieves, all of whom vie to get their hands on it, and Montaro himself hopes that the discovery of the coin will save his company. But the value of the coin lies not in its monetary worth but in its hold on the people who come into contact with it. These include the young woman who is not aware of the object that was found in her hand at birth; an old man who, as a boy, crafted a wooden compact as a gift for a young Montaro Caine; and the elusive healer Matthew Perch, who, from his hut on a small Caribbean island, knows precisely why these people have been brought together and what wisdom the coin imparts.
 
In his first novel, the beloved actor and director Sidney Poitier takes us on a wild and unexpected adventure—from New York to Europe to the Caribbean and beyond. The novel offers Poitier’s heartfelt message about the potential each of us has within ourselves, and about being open to the possibility that there are mysteries in the universe, and here on Earth, far greater than we can imagine. An enthralling journey into the magic of existence, Montaro Caine is a radiant debut from an American legend. (from Amazom.com)

Wow.  Sidney Poitier is a wonderful writer.  If you've ever seen him act, then you know that there is a presence about him that sets him apart from other actors.  He has a certain kind of grace and eloquence that you see in even his roughest characters.  Amazingly he has been able to transfer all of that to his writing making this one of the most captivating books I've read in a long time.

While the premise for the story is the kind that I normally shy away from (I'm not much into science fiction), I wanted to see what Mr. Portier had to offer the literary world.  As you can tell, I was drawn in from the very start.  I tried to describe the story to a co-worker, but I don't think I did it justice.  Mainly because I was telling her about the "things" that happened.  The discovery of the coin, the "witch-doctor" in the Caribbean, his struggling business, and the diverse people that he meets.  But really the story is much deeper than that.  It is an opportunity to consider our world and ourselves, the things we know and the things we think we know.  Through Montaro we experience extraordinary events that on one hand seem impossible, and on the other seem as reasonable as the amazing acts of nature that we accept as real and true.

The deeper into the book I got, the more time I spent thinking.  It is a rare occasion that a novel is the catalyst for such intense reflection.  I always have a pad of sticky notes handy when I read so I can easily mark passages that I want to visit again.  Typically I'll mark one or two.  In the case of Montaro Caine by the time I was finished the book was littered with stickies.  And I thought, could it be that there are that many good quotes?  The answer is yes.  Here are some of my favorites.

"If you listen hard enough, your ears will begin to see things.  And one day you will be able to listen to someone and see their real meaning hidden underneath their words.  And sometimes you will even find those meanings sitting right on top of their words, as bold as ever, because a lot of people won't know that your ears can see the truth."

"Does a man run faster to avoid the loser's destiny or to embrace the winner's reward?"

"Sometimes what we hear isn't always what we see."

"Time spent seeking answers to questions as profound as the ones we're addressing is rarely ever wasted."

"Any judgement I would make in that regard would be based on another belief I hold, which states that anything the human mind can conceive is possible, however impossible it may appear to the rational mind."

"What each person sees with his or her eyes is instantly transmitted through highly sensitive regions of one's internal self, across a network of instincts, intuitions, emotions, through countless chambers of our brains, and on into the most private place inside ourselves, where a judgement is made as to the importance of what we see, and how what we see might apply to our ongoing struggle to survive as individual human beings."

"Listen to what you can't see, my boy, watch what you can't hear, listen carefully to your inner voice, and trust your instincts.  When the time to act arrives, I'm sure you will know how to proceed."

Montaro Caine is a book that I can recommend with confidence.  There are so many reasons why I enjoyed it (the writing, the story, the personal relationships, the possibilities...) and I think that it will appeal to wide audience.  Whether you're a fan of Sidney Poitier, Science Fiction or just looking for something different and interesting to read, this one is worth a try.  If you're wondering if there's anything that I didn't like, the answer is yes.  I was disappointed a bit in the ending.  Of course I can't tell you why without giving things away, but it just felt like it didn't have the strength and intensity the rest of the story had. However, it's no reason to avoid the book.

On a final note, I have to say that I am wildly impressed with Mr. Poitier.  He has long been a favorite of mine and it's because of my fondness for him in the movies that I decided to give his book a try.  I found the following interview from March 2013 on YouTube and watching it reminded me why he is such an iconic figure in the entertainment industry. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me.
One of the great things about books is we all respond to them differently.  Everyone has an opinion and there is no right or wrong.  I'd love to hear what you thought of this book, and invite you to share your views in the comment section.


Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.

Click to:
read more Book Reviews;
go to the Athol Public Library; or
visit Crochet Nirvana!