Bookcase of the Week - Starring... Vera from Luxury Reading

This week's featured guest on the Bookcase of the Week is Vera from Luxury Reading. Vera's blog was one of the first that I came across when I finally decided to convert my blog into a dedicated book blog.  So needless to say, I was stoked when she agreed to participate in the Bookcase of the Week.  And not only did she agree to participate, but she sent over a ton of pictures for y'all to see.  Hooray!  I love these glimpses we get into our bibliophile friend's home... and Vera's pictures were quite a treat.  So many books and shelves literally made my heart pitter-patter.  See for yourselves:

This is part of my personal library... a SMALL part! As you can see, I'm in dire need of new shelves.

Some of my 2nd floor shelves.

This is my "to be reviewed" closet and there are more books on the top, but I just couldn't get them all in! I stash books here until I read them myself or send them to my reviewers.

One of the shelves in my office. This is part of my personal library.

 

Here's my messy desk where I spend a lot of time blogging. As you can see, the book stacks are everywhere! My next big purchase will be two huge flat screen monitors instead of this tiny one.

This is my trusty laptop and my new favorite accessory....the Phillips cushion pad!

I got it from Amazon Vine and haven't parted with it since. I love watching my DVRed shows and blogging at the same time, so the laptop is key. 

This is my little reading nook. That blanket has my sorority, TriDelta, shield on it. I've had it since college.

And these are some of the many many boxes that are sitting on my 2nd floor and waiting to be sent off to Blogmania winners!

My reading buddies, Gucci and Bella (top picture) and Yoshi (below). You can find more info on them here.

My thanks go out to Vera for not only participating in my little feature but for having responded so quickly and with so many pictures.  Vera, I thank you for sharing your shelves with us.  I got the feeling from your pictures that there are books all over your home - I have a smile on my face just thinking about it.  You also have the cutest pets ever.  I love how they pose for the camera. 

For those of you who haven't passed on through to Vera's yet (and I'm sure it's very few of you), please visit her here (tell her I say HI!)

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Title: The Island

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Audio CD's: 13

Genre: Woman's Fiction

Source: Hachette Book Group 

Elin Hilderbrand's, The Island, is told in the voices of four women.

Birdie -after thirty years of marriage has finally left her husband and is in the process of re-finding herself.  She just met a new man who she has begun dating and, along with that, her new hobbies and the preparations for her eldest daughter's (Chess) wedding, she keeps herself busy.  She has this great idea of taking Chess out of the city and to their ancestral summer home on Tuckernuck Island (a private island near Nantucket) where they can spend some time relaxing and not having to worry about jobs, weddings and their daily to-do's.  There are no phones, no electricity (only a small generator), and that's the way they like it. 

India (Birdie's sister) -has mourned the loss of her famous sculptor, husband for a decade now.  After his suicide she had to raise her children on her own, deal with her husband's untimely death, his art, his fame, and through all that still landed a job in a prominent art department in a university that with her connections has thrived.  She has no idea what to do when she begins to feel attracted to a young art student - the first stirrings of love since her husband's loss.

Chess (Birdie's eldest daughter) - After the wedding preparations have been going on for months - she cancels the impending nuptials, leaving Michael, her perfect fiancé, and the rest of their family's in shock.  She refuses to tell anyone why.  But things only get worse when disaster strikes and Michael dies - the guilt takes a massive toll on her.  She quits her job, sublets her apartment and even shaves off her hair.  She agrees to still go with her mother to Tuckernuck just to get away from it all.

Tate (Birdie's youngest daughter) - Is a computer guru.  She spends most of her days working, traveling and what little time is left she spends working out and sleeping.  She has always felt that she lives in her sister, Chess's, shadow.  If she ever liked a boy, he most likely already loved Chess.  Chess with the perfect job.  Chess with the perfect fiancé. When her mother tells her about going out to Tuckernuck to be with Chess, she jumps at the opportunity.  Not only does this mean helping Chess out of her depression, but in turn she'll get a much needed vacation - with beach and relaxation; and this also means that she'll see her childhood crush who is to be their caretaker for the summer.

The four women will spend a month together in search of healing, sisterhood, peace, and self-discovery. You can guess what that means, there will be laughter, joy, tears and plenty of sisterly and motherly fighting.  All four are in different stages of love.  The big mystery that drove the story was Chess's downfall.  What happened that she would break up with Michael?  This was what appealed the most to me in the story and what, at first, kept the pages turning for me.  But little by little, these women, their relationships (love and familial) and their interactions with one another really grew on me.  I not only wanted to learn more about Chess, but Birdie, India and Tate also had their own stories to tell.  And I wanted to hear those stories - whether they be stories of divorce, complicated relationships, suicide and loss.

Not only were the characters appealing in this novel, but Ms. Hilderbrand's depictions of Tuckernuck were ideal.  I absolutely loved reading about the island, its inhabitants, the rituals: "Life is Good", the whole setting just makes you happy.  I want to go there so bad now!  Her descriptions of food and wine were exquisite, mouth watering and on more than one occasion made me jump up and grab my own glass of wine to sip while reading it.  

This is a lovely story about mothers, daughters, sisters and, of course, love -many different facets of it.  I fell in love with this book and found myself fully immersed in these women's lives.  This is one to lay back and enjoy while relaxing at the beach or by the pool.  A perfect summer read!

My version of this book was an audiobook and the reader - Denice Hicks' voice was perfect for it.  She was soothing and had the perfect intonation and accents when reading the different woman's chapters.   She was very charming.

My Rating:

Manic Monday Recaps (Week 9/20/10)

Happy Monday friends!  Is it me or is this year almost over?  Gosh, I don't know about you guys, but I'm already thinking Christmas gifts.  Ugh.  I had a fabulous weekend.  I read, read, read.  Aside from reading, I cleaned house, took care of my kiddies, and dragged hubbs along with me to meet author, Nicholas Sparks.  All in all, I think I got plenty accomplished this weekend.

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

 

Last week I read the following:

- Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst

- The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette by Carolyn Meyer

- The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

- Another Pan by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

- Matched - Ally Condie

- The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

- The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

I reviewed the following:

- The Life You've Imagined - Kristina Riggle [review]

- Fixing Delilah - Sarah Ockler [review]

- The Frenzy -  Francesca Lia Block [review]

- Room by Emma Donoghue [review]

Here are some of the pictures from this weekend's author meet/greet/signing with Nicholas Sparks held over at Books & Books. I have to say there were well over 1000 fans there.  He took a picture with everyone (more than one), had something nice to say to everyone that came out and  he did it all with a big smile on his face.  For some reason I was under the impression that he would be a diva but, oh no, he was super friendly and a lovely person.  I was very impressed. 

For those of you who'd like to see what I got in my mailbox last week - click here.  Check out the giveaways page as I have a few ending this week and I also have to post up winners from last week's. Tomorrow on Bookcase of the Week we get to see Vera from Luxury Reading's shelves (she sent a ton of pics!)- so stay tuned for that.

Happy Reading!

So Many Books, So Little Time [2]

I cannot wait to get my little hands on these books.  Not only are their covers amazing but the synopsis for each has me in NEED of them.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Releases on 10/26/09

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

The Distant Hours

by Kate Morton

Releases on 11/09/10

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives one Sunday afternoon with the return address of Millderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret.

Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old girl, Edie’s mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe, and taken to live at Millderhurst Castle with the Blythe family: Juniper, her twin sisters and their father, Raymond. In the grand and glorious Millderhurst Castle, a new world opens up for Edie’s mother. She discovers the joys of books and fantasy and writing, but also, ultimately, the dangers.

Fifty years later, as Edie chases the answers to her mother’s riddle, she, too, is drawn to Millderhurst Castle and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Millderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it . 

Vixen (The Flappers Series)

by Lila Fine

Releases on 12/14/10

Set in Jazz Age Chicago, the first book, Vixen, follows 17-year-old socialite Gloria Carmody, who longs to be a flapper and is caught between her conservative fiancé and a sexy jazz musician. 

Unearthly 
by Cynthia Hand
Releases on 1/04/11

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Drought

by Pam Bachorz

Releases on 1/11/11

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood. So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s
ever known?

Entwined 
by Heather Dixon 
Releases on 3/29/11

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

These are just some of the one's that I'm looking forward to. Which books are you dying to get your hands on?

IMM Vlog [9]

Books for review

- The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

- The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard

- Haunted Honeymoon by Marta Acosta

- Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

- Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

- You by Charles Benoit

- Chosen by Chandra Hoffman

- Another Pan by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

Purchased

- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

- Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst

- Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

- The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

- It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

- Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

- Firelight by Sophie Jordan

- Firespell by Chloe Neill

- Me and Orson Welles by Robert Kaplow

Courtesy of local library

- The Passage by Justin Cronin

Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room 

Author: Emma Donoghue

Pages:336

Genre: Fiction

Source: Hachette Book Group

When I first read the synopsis for this book I was worried that I might not enjoy reading a book told through the eyes of a five year old boy.  I felt that it was either going to come across  as too childish and possibly just annoy me, or he would come off as too mature for his age and therefore make it not credible enough for me.  I'm glad to report that I worried in vain.

Ms. Donoghue gives you the chilling tale of "Ma" - who has been held captive in a shack for seven years by her captor, Old Nick.  Jack, our narrator, and the young boy who just recently turned 5 years old,  has lived his whole life inside "Room".  Let me explain, everything in Jack's world (in this case Room), is a proper noun, thus he uses words like Room, Bed, Table, Floor, Chair, Wardrobe, TV, etc., to describe the items scattered throughout his world.  He's never seen the light of day and what he does know about the outside he learns through the TV and his Ma's stories.  

When Ma concocts a bold plan to break free from Old Nick, brave, little Jack, will have to rely on his bravery and hope that luck can help them escape.

I won't go too much into the storyline, because I feel that if you plan on reading  Room you should have limited knowledge of it (like I did) before you begin - this way you get more shock value as you read it.  What I will say is that Ms. Donoghue not only gives you an imaginative story but captures the love of a mother for her child so strongly that it will bring tears to your eyes.  Imagine living in a tiny room with nothing other than a bed, a bathroom, some household items and limited kitchen utensils.  Every Sunday Old Nick comes around (while Jack hides in his wardrobe) to visit Ma.  He knows to cover his eyes and ears until the bed stops creaking and Old Nick leaves. 

Considering the dark nature of this story - hearing it through Jack's eyes gives it a lighter feel.  Jack's voice was credible - his view of the world is unique and unforgettable.  His Ma was so resilient and fiercely protective of her child.  Her ability to teach Jack, keep him healthy, exercised, well-fed and dressed was so amazing to me.  You can't help but look up to her.  Her desperation to break free of that room and get back into the real world is painfully  felt - even though you only catch glimpses of it through Jack's eyes.  

All in all, this novel was superb.  It is thought-provoking, intense, emotional and powerful.  I can't recommend it enough.

My Rating: