tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974003465043422352024-03-21T08:43:07.528-05:00Book-TweetPreserving my memory one book at a timeMiriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-7011373160132806422017-06-14T19:24:00.000-05:002017-06-14T19:31:36.464-05:00Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeZv1EH_oYyRn4jpofxSd1_uy3z5ljMtJfFKxYOLeJYiKtx-8wHacT6Rnr502wcQhJZ6KXmJ7C5p-oNt39kX2dEeEu0j2CYkXReUY-43JW1TkcIBG8AKKaikq4ppqkn_v0ySx993KqHDV/s1600/Magpie+Murders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeZv1EH_oYyRn4jpofxSd1_uy3z5ljMtJfFKxYOLeJYiKtx-8wHacT6Rnr502wcQhJZ6KXmJ7C5p-oNt39kX2dEeEu0j2CYkXReUY-43JW1TkcIBG8AKKaikq4ppqkn_v0ySx993KqHDV/s200/Magpie+Murders.jpg" width="132"></a></div>
<b>Tweet: With a wink and a nod, Anthony Horowitz has delivered a classic whodunnit with a modern twist. Smart, fun, and definitely stay-up-all-night-able!</b><br>
<br>
When was the last time you stayed up all night to finish a book? For me, it was just this week when I started <i>Magpie Murders</i>, a compelling mystery within a mystery, and then could not put it down.<br>
<br>
The novel begins with Susan Ryeland, Head of Fiction at Cloverleaf Books, sitting down to read the manuscript of <i>Magpie Murders</i> by best selling author Alan Conway. From the outset, we know something is different about this book. She narrates:<br>
<br>
<i>"I opened the wine. I unscrewed the salsa. I lit a cigarette. I began to read the book</i><br>
<i> as you are about to. But before you do that, I have to warn you.</i><br>
<i><br></i>
<i> This book changed my life."</i><br>
<br>
Who could stop reading after that?<br>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2017/06/magpie-murders-by-anthony-horowitz.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-9101737802331865902015-06-10T09:32:00.000-05:002015-06-10T09:32:10.226-05:00Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgoDyE9-PWYBKH8quCZyzGHw_5omWYtBd4fqbO3KT7idZpp2RNx6KkW4gzKGSjbK4cE5-V966v75luc1I1TbQU3nHZNHFBy_kHJ3J83weMDWUIHHZEoibH9v6wGGcDoagBtiILCFlWpcX/s1600/rubbernecker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgoDyE9-PWYBKH8quCZyzGHw_5omWYtBd4fqbO3KT7idZpp2RNx6KkW4gzKGSjbK4cE5-V966v75luc1I1TbQU3nHZNHFBy_kHJ3J83weMDWUIHHZEoibH9v6wGGcDoagBtiILCFlWpcX/s200/rubbernecker.JPG" width="132"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tweet: A gripping mystery with a fascinating, original protagonist. Once started, impossible to put down.</b><br>
<b><br></b>
I picked up <i>Rubbernecker</i>
by Belinda Bauer because the cover button announced <b>“WINNER 2014 Theakston
Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.</b>” This will be great, I thought. I
love old peculiar crime novels. Silly me. I didn’t know that that Theakson Old
Peculier is a British ale, or that the company sponsors one of the top crime
writing festivals in the U.K. Its 'Crime
Novel of the Year' designation is a coveted and well regarded award, notable for
allowing the public to vote in addition to a jury. Well, I may be an idiot when it comes to
beers, but I definitely know crime novels and mysteries, and here is what I
know about <i>Rubbernecker: </i> It is truly an excellent read.<br>
<br></div>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2015/06/rubbernecker-by-belinda-bauer.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-86634291099458185992015-05-20T21:35:00.000-05:002015-05-20T21:36:21.105-05:00The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqis5lnf02H-ruz9AxvLSJTdbgdE0W32lTectk967F4jqYTAslkUegHWkXtmjcEecle8fr1r0YdHvZ5VgZFoDw62M2kDM6CqE3QkFtsGn0aEXH8ZQp68_AEDP5TIDb3A6kSH9cjuRDLfEw/s1600/kondo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqis5lnf02H-ruz9AxvLSJTdbgdE0W32lTectk967F4jqYTAslkUegHWkXtmjcEecle8fr1r0YdHvZ5VgZFoDw62M2kDM6CqE3QkFtsGn0aEXH8ZQp68_AEDP5TIDb3A6kSH9cjuRDLfEw/s200/kondo.jpg" width="140"></a></div>
<b>Tweet: A wonderful book for the hopeful declutterer that focuses on joy, order, and yes, changing your life. Believe it or not, it works.</b><br>
<br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My home never seems to be neat. I’m not a hoarder; more like the Glamour
Don’t of Housekeeping. I have tried
every decluttering method, purchased half of the Container Store and followed
Flylady.net religiously, all to no avail. I admit it: I am a slob. So when Marie Kondo’s tiny tome, <i>The
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, </i> appeared in the B&N best seller bay, I did
my best to ignore it. But after weeks of
watching it walk out of the store with multitudes of housekeeping hopefuls, I
succumbed to its peaceful cover and brought it home. <span style="text-align: center;">It promised magic, but did it deliver? Here’s
what happened to me…</span><br>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2015/05/the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-30323108041368702052013-06-26T18:00:00.000-05:002013-06-27T10:26:36.795-05:00Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K7-hbXKqo8HBfUMetmqYfurIJZBVKKMCvWzjtZkcNk2Dx14nY4wwQXYlmOcaK7sGQlxu5fJSP6OgB4XcUAw56UKToJ0fT-WaIcSPoqRNiipoZGIYfUmqsNixkAMinJrV-OYr0PEKqqaW/s1600/Once+we+were+brothers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K7-hbXKqo8HBfUMetmqYfurIJZBVKKMCvWzjtZkcNk2Dx14nY4wwQXYlmOcaK7sGQlxu5fJSP6OgB4XcUAw56UKToJ0fT-WaIcSPoqRNiipoZGIYfUmqsNixkAMinJrV-OYr0PEKqqaW/s200/Once+we+were+brothers.png" width="133"></a></div>
<strong>Tweet: A taut and compelling novel about family and betrayal during the Holocaust. An important story for young adult and mature readers alike.</strong><br>
<br>
<em>Once We Were Brothers</em> opens with Ben Solomon, an 83 year old Holocaust survivor, stuffing a Lugar into his tuxedo cummerbund and heading to the Chicago Lyric Opera opening night gala. Once there, Ben seeks out Elliot Rosenzweig, a wealthy scion of Chicago business and philanthropy, points the gun at him and publicly accuses him of being a Nazi named Otto Piatek. Elliot, also a Holocaust survivor, refuses to press criminal charges although he adamantly denies being a Nazi. However Ben, firm in his conviction, retains attorney Catherine Lockhart to sue Rosenzweig for stealing his family's property during the war. <br>
<br>
The rest of the novel alternates between Ben's narrative of growing up with Otto Piatek in Poland and Catherine's legal maneuverings to pursue Ben's claim. Ben's story of his family before and during the Nazi occupation is a compelling page turner. Because Catherine seems to have little knowledge of the Holocaust, Ben carefully tells of his family's actions and motivations. He explains why they initially chose not to leave Poland, and sensitively describes the war's increasing horrors in a manner more harrowing than graphic. At the heart of the story is Ben's relationship with Otto, who was raised by Ben's family but ultimately betrays them.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2013/06/once-we-were-brothers-by-ronald-h-balson.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-11501791572265118912013-06-04T10:15:00.002-05:002013-06-04T10:15:55.402-05:00What to Read Next: BEA Speed Dating I've just returned from BookExpo America, the largest annual trade show where publishers showcase their new titles for booksellers, librarians, media members and book industry professionals. I saw plenty of celebrities (Jim Carrey, Snookie and Grumpy Cat, to name a few), met famous authors (like Elizabeth Gilbert and Scott Turow) and schmoozed with some of publishings' biggest bigwigs. I also attended several seminars and panel discussions. One of my favorites was the Book Group Speed Dating sponsored by <a href="http://readinggroupguides.com/">ReadingGroupGuides.com</a>.<br>
<br>
For the session, I sat at a round table with other sellers, librarians and book group leaders. Every nine minutes a different publisher representative rotated to our table to preview upcoming titles. Each presenter's enthusiasm was contagious, and although I know I won't get to all of them, here are some of the books I'm especially looking forward to reading:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2013/06/what-to-read-next-bea-speed-dating.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-31862985888620131832013-05-06T10:28:00.000-05:002013-05-07T09:22:28.426-05:00Blue Monday by Nicci French<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03CdzmEKupxqhZjZ_8A86NO3LXi5z_PHN1tpZe3Hl6oZwVGNfHtr1cO-Usgwy5xIo2B3fY2cda69dPnNPA3RXNQpRxWbArGudaNdrJFcQSji7DNldxcyWpnqy9xXug-66Qokuzzk1ZoOP/s1600/Blue+Monday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03CdzmEKupxqhZjZ_8A86NO3LXi5z_PHN1tpZe3Hl6oZwVGNfHtr1cO-Usgwy5xIo2B3fY2cda69dPnNPA3RXNQpRxWbArGudaNdrJFcQSji7DNldxcyWpnqy9xXug-66Qokuzzk1ZoOP/s200/Blue+Monday.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong>Tweet: A psychoanalyst who breaks her own rules. A detective haunted by an unsolved crime. An excellent, complex British mystery. </strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Dr. Frieda Klein, a London psychoanalyst, lives an ordered and private life. She keeps her practice small so she can properly absorb and think about her patient's issues. She follows therapy protocols exactly, meeting her patients only in her office, a designated "safe" space, and never lets them enter her own protected space. As Frieda explains, "[y]ou can't change your patient's life. You just have to change the patient's attitude toward life." But when a new patient reveals a detailed fantasy that echos a child kidnapping case in the news, Frieda feels compelled to act and bring her concerns to Detective Malcolm Karlsson. Together they try to unwind a complex psychological puzzle with roots more than twenty years old.<br />
<br />
As a protagonist, Frieda Klein is ascerbic and complicated and quietly brilliant. Author Nicci French deftly avoids gimmicky plot twists, instead maintaining taut suspense throughout the novel that keeps one fascinated until the end. French (the pseudonym of writing partners Nicci Gerrard and Sean French), has created multi-layered and complex characters that I look forward to seeing again. Fortunately, I won't have to wait: the next Frieda Klein novel, <u>Tuesday's Gone</u>, is in bookstores now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-51986777691940309262013-04-18T18:21:00.000-05:002013-04-18T19:24:27.536-05:00This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiuCYda8lBxCpVIMa7oG29ZXEGRpo4v1uCae-BCoGRna9NGL19G7r078xex5e3_oiX_spNoePWIvm1-i3ov7mk6nBIW6v2eF_gigPAPihD6P8uhkXey8yx_jtwcJPz0ZOKyeomEAOKrUM/s1600/This+is+where+i+leave+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiuCYda8lBxCpVIMa7oG29ZXEGRpo4v1uCae-BCoGRna9NGL19G7r078xex5e3_oiX_spNoePWIvm1-i3ov7mk6nBIW6v2eF_gigPAPihD6P8uhkXey8yx_jtwcJPz0ZOKyeomEAOKrUM/s200/This+is+where+i+leave+you.jpg" width="132" /></a><strong>Tweet: Nothing brings a family together like death and dysfunction. A very funny and poignant novel, expertly crafted and delightful to read.</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Jonathan Tropper's <u>This is Where I Leave You</u> is at once hysterical and sad, the story of a dysfunctional family who has gathered to mourn their father's death. At his request, the family will sit shiva together for seven days. Judd Foxman, the narrator and the third of four siblings, arrives at his childhood home with a marriage that has combusted. (His wife who is in the midst of an affair with his boss has just announced that she is pregnant.) The siblings have for years avoided being in each other's company for any length of time. As Judd observes,<br />
<br />
"Sometimes it's heartbreaking to see your siblings as the person they've<br />
become. Maybe that's why we all stay away from each other as a matter<br />
of course."<br />
<br />
As the week goes on, the family unpacks old resentments and misunderstandings, forcing Judd to reassess his role in contributing to the family dynamic as well as the demise of his marriage.<br />
<br />
While the family renews their relationships with each other, Tropper perfectly captures the staccato and bravado of sibling banter. I both cringed and laughed out loud at the barbs they lobbed at each other, some in-your-face and others quietly nuanced, designed to substitute for the Foxmans' "patented inability to express emotion during watershed events." Added to the mix is the brashly delivered wit and wisdom of their mother, ironically a psychologist and child rearing expert who harbors secrets of her own.<br />
<br />
In addition to the siblings and their mother, Tropper orchestrates a fabulous group of ancillary characters who bring humor and pathos to the struggling family. Each sibling is joined by a spouse or significant other who adds another level of chaos to the mix. For seven days, a menagerie of friends and relatives visit in a steady stream, providing diversion and comic relief as old wounds surface.<br />
<br />
By the end, most issues are resolved, but never flippantly. The Foxmans will continue to poke each others' bruises as only siblings who love each other can do. And while Judd does become more self-aware, he still has room to grow. Tropper clearly cares about Judd and this family, and I can only hope that he will write about them in a future novel. They deserve to be visited again.Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-65272715328349009262013-03-26T17:10:00.000-05:002013-04-29T17:21:40.190-05:00On Reading Alphabetically<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU0pS6E-Z82RrQdqxYqvg0goiuZfL4e65C3jQn_3EAloB6nwrHMtccv9HW-dGii20kvFgkAr7VEQq4Y3WfzOpwAK83DqH4towmw9hPdl9ITzs7BFGE45Rv06RW6A58IgkWOZU7sJOnDH3/s1600/Books+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU0pS6E-Z82RrQdqxYqvg0goiuZfL4e65C3jQn_3EAloB6nwrHMtccv9HW-dGii20kvFgkAr7VEQq4Y3WfzOpwAK83DqH4towmw9hPdl9ITzs7BFGE45Rv06RW6A58IgkWOZU7sJOnDH3/s200/Books+2.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, Ida, a customer
92 years old and still going strong, asked me to recommend a book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
had just finished <u>The Sense of an Ending </u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Julian Barnes and wanted some more
“serious” reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After further
discussion, I recommended <u>Middlesex</u> by Jeffrey Eugenides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Let me see it first,” she demanded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I brought her the 544 page book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without even opening it she shook her head and said, “No, that won’t do.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I asked why she rejected it off the bat,
she told me it was just too long. "I
want to be sure I’ll be around to finish it,” she explained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That interaction got me thinking about how people choose the books they
read from the myriad titles available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clearly Ida knew what she wanted:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>serious books under 200 pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But what criteria do other people use?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br>
</div><a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2013/03/on-reading-alphabetically.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-60604351114942438972013-03-05T12:16:00.001-06:002013-03-05T13:11:25.913-06:00The Dinner by Herman Koch<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX17h2HrqMKPRgiqfr-ty7XKdTkffvqHfaeave_nB6qnIf07rAH9GFS5QQMm2seHEfU-xxQ05sAKeySDS10XL_AYcndOI41hP7DllhjB5PVjJQy3ub9Tl-2nPzZH_IkGUah_PkgIlOdgap/s1600/The+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX17h2HrqMKPRgiqfr-ty7XKdTkffvqHfaeave_nB6qnIf07rAH9GFS5QQMm2seHEfU-xxQ05sAKeySDS10XL_AYcndOI41hP7DllhjB5PVjJQy3ub9Tl-2nPzZH_IkGUah_PkgIlOdgap/s200/The+Dinner.jpg" width="131"></a><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tweet: Reading this book was like unwrapping a beautiful package only to be surprised by a ticking time bomb hidden inside. A terrific, albeit disconcerting, read.</span></strong><br>
<strong></strong><br>
<strong> </strong>Peering through the window of a posh Amsterdam restaurant, you see two well heeled couples enjoying an evening out together. Slowly you begin to realize that there is much more to this dinner than merely a shared meal. You develop a persistent, vague discomfort that something extremely nasty lays beneath this well mannered vignette, and before you know it the civility unravels completely to reveal a disturbingly fascinating story. This is <u>The Dinner</u> by Herman Koch, and it is a wonderfully crafted novel.<br>
</div><a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2013/03/the-dinner-by-herman-koch.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-81624433015283063712013-02-19T12:47:00.000-06:002013-02-19T15:04:32.642-06:00Living With Reader's Block<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I have been absent from this blog for months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I have not been ill in the
traditional sense, I have been suffering from the painful malady I call
Reader’s Block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may call it by a
different name, but if you’ve had it, your symptoms are probably like
mine:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inability to read a complete sentence;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inability to focus on a page;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inability to
process or remember what you think you have read;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Opening the book on your nightstand and immediately
falling asleep;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Giving up opening books at all;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Deciding books make pretty good coasters; and finally</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
Avoiding print material altogether.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Concurrently, I noticed I was having increased difficulty with word and
concept retrieval. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I actually could
form an idea, I couldn’t find the words to describe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only were there no new ideas coming in to
my head, but there seemed to be nothing coming out of it either.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I thought reading on my iPad might help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, the symptoms became worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I couldn’t follow a sentence, I would
too easily skip to web surfing and video games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My score on Bubble Mania became inversely proportional to the number of
books I attempted to read.<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> My father, an octogenarian and still avid reader, is convinced our
nation is suffering from a collective lack of focus caused entirely by our use
of electronics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing requires
sustained attention anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We flip
among channels and coast through web pages, spending only the seconds required
to gather a general idea of content without exploring depth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even our communication has been reduced to one
lined tweets and instant messages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
no wonder, he explained, that reading has become difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have forgotten how to concentrate, to
analyze, even to think.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> And so, determined to cure myself of this malady, I deleted all of the time
wasting games from my iPad. In fact, I decided not to read on the iPad at all,
restricting myself to hard copies or my Nook simple touch (which does not allow
web access).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set the kitchen timer
each day for a proscribed reading period, beginning with five minutes, hoping
that the time would naturally increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I found something difficult to read, I made myself annotate and connect ideas
(remember high school English?) to force myself to focus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I refused to turn immediately to Google when
I couldn’t pull up a fact, instead forcing my brain cells to try and remember
things on their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I selected three specific books
designed to pull me from the reading doldrums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(You can read about them <span id="goog_297379523"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">above</i></b>.)<span id="goog_297379524"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Thankfully, my prescription worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I finally can read again without the timer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I gloss over a paragraph without
processing the words, but I can usually make myself go back to focus on the
words and meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That paragraph leads
to the next paragraph and the next, and before I know it I have finished a
chapter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as the word retrieval issue, that’s
still pretty dicey at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose it could be age related, but I
prefer to believe my reading regimen will help bring the words back to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-58001676545638137282012-07-24T13:12:00.002-05:002012-07-24T17:39:59.175-05:00Not Me by Michael Lavigne<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mSHWCm3q36ecLeCnPrv9KWLefgKNOmtZ2gjAA5uZ_YQ8uwUkQNUxvLcjbbYdOSQ41YcpmAr7-tXVBV0s3jpWDBaP5mLLnohE0wkbHuc7gVyyo_KgI2Al7yn6jBHI6ezFDpAZJNBw4-V2/s1600/Not+Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mSHWCm3q36ecLeCnPrv9KWLefgKNOmtZ2gjAA5uZ_YQ8uwUkQNUxvLcjbbYdOSQ41YcpmAr7-tXVBV0s3jpWDBaP5mLLnohE0wkbHuc7gVyyo_KgI2Al7yn6jBHI6ezFDpAZJNBw4-V2/s200/Not+Me.jpg" width="129" /></a> <strong>Tweet: A powerful story of family secrets, repentance, and the possibility of forgiveness. Rings true from beginning to end.</strong><br />
<br />
Michael Rosenheim is visiting his father, Heshel, in a Florida nursing home. Heshel, a German Holocaust survivor who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, hands Michael an old boxful of journals and tells him to read them. The journals contain a novel that may indicate Heshel was in fact a Nazi who, in order to escape arrest, stole the identity of one of his victims. Heshel either will not or cannot explain the meaning of the journals, so Michael sets out to reveal his father's true identity.<br />
<br />
At his father's home, Michael sifts through the artifacts of his parents' lives as he searches for clues. Some provide false leads; others stir up murky memories that Michael had long buried. A glass candy bowl reminds him of his mother; a hospital bracelet conjures his dead sister. He covers the living room wall with articles and certificates and post-it notes, connecting them like a spider's web, hoping to uncover his father's true story. What begins as a search for his father's identity turns to a discovery of Michael's own true self as well. After all, if our parents are not who they say they are, what does that mean for our own identities?<br />
<br />
Lavigne's descriptions of Florida and the nursing home are poignant and spot on. The novel within the journal could stand alone as a powerful survival story at the end of the Holocaust and the birth of Israel. What touched me most, though, were the parallels between Michael's story and my own. My father too survived the Holocaust although I am quite certain that he was not a Nazi. Thankfully he is healthy, but he is in the process of selling the home he has lived in for the past fifty years to move to a retirement community in Florida. Soon I will have to pack up this house of memories, and I too will be looking for clues about who my parents really were. As Lavigne observes, every family has its secrets; every person makes mistakes. Ultimately what matters is what we do when faced with those mistakes.<br />
<br />
<u>Not Me</u> ends at Yom Kippur, the day that Jews atone for their sins. When young Michael asks his father why they must atone every year, Heshel explains:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
"In Hebrew," he said, "[repentance] means <em>turning.</em> Better, it means <em>re</em>turning.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It means to come back, Mikey, to come back to your <em>true</em> self."....<br />
<br />
"So why do we have to do it every year?" I asked him.<br />
<br />
"Because, my dear little one, there is no one true self. And that is why repentance</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
can never end."<br />
<br />
Like our own lives, the novel leaves many questions unanswered. Searching for our true selves is a lifelong pursuit, and when we find clues, we must be prepared to face them with honesty, repent with open hearts, and try to forgive our parents' mistakes as we hope our children will be able to forgive our own.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-4768591897650968222012-07-11T13:46:00.000-05:002012-07-13T08:11:29.308-05:00Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iMAhYuDM7_yfwexAz31gofPrraOHD68b8BzlYlTbtoH63Fqp0Gs7ht0Iwc3LYZDgfhJhYrNtBoC9zM1Ymy3IVZN-b0xEhPzhUDmt9EDBbm85wjTVK8qp4C1KsIgGDyu1SlfwA_F_2nBw/s1600/Tigers+in+Red+Weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iMAhYuDM7_yfwexAz31gofPrraOHD68b8BzlYlTbtoH63Fqp0Gs7ht0Iwc3LYZDgfhJhYrNtBoC9zM1Ymy3IVZN-b0xEhPzhUDmt9EDBbm85wjTVK8qp4C1KsIgGDyu1SlfwA_F_2nBw/s200/Tigers+in+Red+Weather.jpg" width="128"></a><strong>Tweet: An extraordinary, multi-layered novel of observations, misperceptions and long-buried truths. This is storytelling at its best.</strong><br>
<br>
<em>Tigers in Red Weather</em> is a haunting tale of desire and disappointments, observations and misperceptions, and the painful acknowledging of long buried truths. Told from five distinct perspectives over the course of two decades, Liza Klaussmann unpacks the multilayered story of two cousins and their families as they navigate marriage, raise children, and come to terms with an horrific murder on Martha's Vineyard, the site of their shared summer home. Ms. Klaussmann writes with exceptional skill and depth, as each character adds his or her recollections of a common set of events. By the end of the novel, when the final layering is complete, we truly appreciate her extraordinary gift of storytelling.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2012/07/tigers-in-red-weather-by-liza.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-68149229263150990602012-07-09T14:21:00.000-05:002012-07-09T14:21:43.186-05:00The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXoPHIFVbkbUZpT4f72H9vEAo5VKoJMFX4mZtxJQcfCKMRWJY_9iQUtKR43w4MP6uzVD53u8wziUkdVk3WfV12U-BgZc3dx13VIMTNeSmz0Y-FCnydW9iRMxP7_aUOAF5e0vlVBUt9G-a/s1600/The+Absent+One.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXoPHIFVbkbUZpT4f72H9vEAo5VKoJMFX4mZtxJQcfCKMRWJY_9iQUtKR43w4MP6uzVD53u8wziUkdVk3WfV12U-BgZc3dx13VIMTNeSmz0Y-FCnydW9iRMxP7_aUOAF5e0vlVBUt9G-a/s1600/The+Absent+One.jpg" /></a><strong>Tweet: The second episode of Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q. Detective Carl Morck and his enigmatic assistant Assad ferret out creepy psychopaths in this quick page-turner.</strong><br />
<br />
Last year Danish crime fiction writer Jussi Adler-Olsen brought his Department Q series to English speaking readers in <em>The Keeper of Lost Causes.</em> That book introduced us to homicide detective Carl Morck, brusque and sarcastic, who was "promoted" to run a cold case division known as Department Q in the basement of Copenhagen police headquarters. Although Morck is the only detective in the division, he is given an administrative assistant, Assad, who is as mysterious as he is astute. Together they delve into a high profile case that had remained unsolved for years. <em>The Keeper of Lost Causes</em> was an immensely satisfying thriller which left me looking forward to Adler-Olson's next installment.<br />
<br />
<em> The Absent One</em> again finds the Department Q members on the hunt for clues in a series of unsolved brutal murders. Although Morck and Assad are still interesting as they further define their burgeoning friendship, most of the "bad guys" are exceptionally one dimensional, even for psychopaths, which left me feeling vaguely disappointed with this quick page turner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In 2010, however, Adler-Olsen won the Glass Key award, given annually to a Scandinavian crime writer, for his third installment of the Department Q series. With that award, he joined Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo in the upper echelons of Nordic crime writing. With that endorsement, I will look forward to the next Department Q English translation even though <em>The Absent One</em> did not live up to my expectations.</div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-46125518397884934932012-06-26T13:35:00.000-05:002012-07-11T16:18:18.397-05:00The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3bj-uVeV8IO6u5FlnYOBzBnF2Lww5xJRMMufFN9Nq78VU5RpZXqkvI5J89Jq1Lm2B-0lBtIo_6UpSSjdAjWx68gNMzC7VB0iif6yyRZT0Fyaob1hEl2uj4ZwToPt5epxqbWTXusuN_sM/s1600/Light+Between+Oceans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3bj-uVeV8IO6u5FlnYOBzBnF2Lww5xJRMMufFN9Nq78VU5RpZXqkvI5J89Jq1Lm2B-0lBtIo_6UpSSjdAjWx68gNMzC7VB0iif6yyRZT0Fyaob1hEl2uj4ZwToPt5epxqbWTXusuN_sM/s200/Light+Between+Oceans.jpg" width="131"></a><strong>Tweet: A beautiful and gracefully written story about knowing what one should do in the face of moral uncertainty. Can't stop thinking about what I would have done. </strong><br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Ariel;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Ariel;"> What happens when an inexplicable event falls outside of our
moral signposts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a universal
compass, how does one decide what is the right thing to do? These are the
questions M.L. Stedman examines in her achingly beautiful, gracefully written
novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Light Between Oceans.</i></span><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2012/06/light-between-oceans-by-ml-stedman.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-43913241147091381422012-06-19T12:12:00.002-05:002012-06-25T10:41:22.171-05:00Breed by Chase Novak<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheooaMweMQv25CeE0qNzd4n1Hc9qvHKOGwUKL_efs8f1VUeiBssbzKPI1nfErTolacmO_ZJ-r2W7fHaZqL-FvbHAUyd0zQHePLMOf8xQ2lJ98WIYR3eUiEfqh7Age5vGX38DUpjVxAW0py/s1600/Breed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheooaMweMQv25CeE0qNzd4n1Hc9qvHKOGwUKL_efs8f1VUeiBssbzKPI1nfErTolacmO_ZJ-r2W7fHaZqL-FvbHAUyd0zQHePLMOf8xQ2lJ98WIYR3eUiEfqh7Age5vGX38DUpjVxAW0py/s200/Breed.jpg" width="129"></a><strong>Tweet: A frightening, funny, fantastic page turner. Won't look at skate park kids the same way again!</strong><br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my younger days, I gobbled up Stephen King novels like
popcorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Carrie, The Stand, Cujo, Pet Sematary</i>…I couldn’t turn the pages
fast enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forget any deeper meanings
or morals; I just want the nip of a scare, the familiar tingle of a good fright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
flipped page after page propelled along by King’s tight stories and wicked
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, until I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>That
damned clown Pennywise sucked the joy out of horror novels and left me with
months of dark nightmares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He not only
haunted my dreams, he took up permanent residence under my bed, inside the dark
closet, in the basement’s deepest corners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I vowed never to read another
horror novel again; but as any horror aficionado can tell you, “never” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>means “until it gets you later.”</span><br>
<br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, when I
left BookExpo America, I packed up mounds of galleys to ship home, grabbing the
top copy for plane reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once crammed
into my seat, I took the book out of my bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
In my hand</span> was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Breed</i>
by Chase Novak (aka Scott Spencer) and boldly emblazoned on the cover was this accolade by Stephen
King:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BREED</i> is the best horror novel I’ve read since Peter Straub’s GHOST
STORY.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faced with a choice between a
gummed up old magazine in the seat pocket in front of me and a pristine
yet-unpublished horror novel from a well-known author, I
sucked it up and chose the latter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we landed two hours later, I didn’t want to put it down.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.book-tweet.com/2012/06/breed-by-chase-novak.html#more">Keep Reading</a>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-497400346504342235.post-74369358888176746732012-06-14T08:31:00.001-05:002012-06-19T12:16:17.441-05:00Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jt-IiH6-DQLwHJcTNsyvXNtjg7VWsZv7aCYKJsiNEHMtGqiytjHPSRZD69ShuQCCuyuoDWwqRbVwT6I6T1DbyzTrveU_4PBK0IfIyqwrmEJTHFoGSuyw39DzvrWn-wYq9GpJEkzoKChY/s1600/seating+arrangements.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jt-IiH6-DQLwHJcTNsyvXNtjg7VWsZv7aCYKJsiNEHMtGqiytjHPSRZD69ShuQCCuyuoDWwqRbVwT6I6T1DbyzTrveU_4PBK0IfIyqwrmEJTHFoGSuyw39DzvrWn-wYq9GpJEkzoKChY/s200/seating+arrangements.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Tweet: Maggie Shipstead has delivered a wickedly witty, urbane, laugh-out-loud
delicious read.</strong></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Van Meter family has gathered at their home on Waskeke
(think Nantucket) to celebrate the wedding of daughter Daphne, seven months
pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harvard educated patriarch
Winn Van Meter , who organizes his life through club memberships and social niceties,
finds himself unexpectedly lusting after bridesmaid Agnes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daughter Livia is recovering from a romance
gone sour, and Winn’s wife Biddy stoically propels the weekend forward while
keeping her own fomenting emotions in check.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Together with a wonderful cast of characters, the Van Meters
struggle to understand their relationships both within and outside of their
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ms. Shipstead wryly explores the
polarity of belonging and being an outcast, and how each character must
maneuver between the two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seating
Arrangements </i>is intelligent and wonderfully written, a thinking person’s
guilty pleasure.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<br /></div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211170216359312856noreply@blogger.com