Two New Books I Cannot Wait to Read!

I will be reviewing these two books next week. This author has been compared to Daphne du Maurier and Diana Gabaldon. 


These are her first two books published in the United States. 

The Winter Sea

by Susanna Kearsley

This book has two parallel storylines and takes place in Scotland. She nails the dialogue, capturing the rhythms of the local "Doric" speech. 

The Rose Garden

by Susanna Kearsley

This book takes place in Cornwall and reminds me of what I love about Kate Morton's writing. 

Sequel to Pug Hill--Just OK

A Pug's Tale

By Alison Pace

Genre: Women's Fiction, Adult

Note: I enjoyed the funny and warm-hearted book, a rom-com called Pug Hill. 


Review: This sequel revisits Hope, an art conservator at the Met. Her boyfriend lives in another country and only the adorable pug Max is in NYC to keep her company. She finds a fake "Pansies" painting by Henri Fantin-Latour, which threatens her job, but the clues come in too slowly for my taste. Thriller this book is not. Many of the sentences were overly long--could've been accomplished in 1/3 of the space without the extra wordiness, which slowed the pace to blah-ness. Sometimes funny and clever, but not often enough.

"Pansies" by Fantin-Latour

Song to Read by: Some French accordion music by Robert Doisneau: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uk9zykqYxE

Remember the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?

Sisterhood Everlasting

by Ann Brashares

Info about the book: This book takes up 10 years later, after the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series ends.

SPOILER ALERT

Review: Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby are almost 30-year-olds now. Tibby lives in Australia with Brian. She has fallen out of touch with the group, but she invites them to reunite in Santorini. Lena is a teacher and artist in Providence, while Carmen is a TV actress, and Bridget lives with Eric in San Fran, while still feeling restless. At first, I was reluctant to read this book, because I heard one of the characters dies and I couldn’t bear to find out who, but once I started reading, I felt at home with these familiar characters and couldn’t stop reading.  

Genre: This book is released as adult fiction, however, readers of the Pants series who have grown up with the series will be interested. Deals with some heavier and more adult issues.

Song to Read By: Several chapters have epigraphs from songs by The Shins. Check out “Gone for Good”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCe3e1FU6c8

Christmas Comes to Buckshaw! Flavia's Back!

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

By Alan Bradley

About the Book: This book is the fourth in the Flavia de Luce series, and my favorite so far. The series is listed as Adult Mystery, but YA and middle grades readers 11 and up would enjoy as well, because Flavia is an 11 year old sleuth who loves chemistry and is bullied by her sisters. Flavia is witty and fearless as usual!

The Review: Christmas at Buckshaw brings a film crew making a movie (Father is trying to pay off debt and hold onto the family estate). All of Bishop’s Lacey village is snowed in for two days after attending a charity play of Romeo and Juliet. Meanwhile, Flavia has a plan to trap Father Christmas and prove once and for all that he exists. As the village sleeps in the foyer, Flavia creeps to chat with the star actress, who she has befriended, but she finds her, guess what, murdered. She must enlist the help of her dreaded sister Daphne to solve the mystery.

Fun Facts: Don't worry, the next book in the series (still untitled) is due to be released in March 2013! The sixth book in the series, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, will be published in 2014. The title of the book comes from the epigraph, an excerpt from the famous poem about The Lady of Shalott.

Song to Read By: Toccatta by Paradisi (Flavia's favorite song): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vihM0HbuiPI

What do a Gypsy’s crystal ball, fishy smell, and a lobster pick have in common?

A Red Herring without Mustard

By Alan Bradley

What do a Gypsy’s crystal ball, fishy smell, and a lobster pick have in common?

They are all clues in the third murder-mystery to be solved by the incomparable Flavia de Luce. Remember, I recommend this book for mystery lovers of all ages, 11 and up. That includes MG, YA, and adult mystery lovers!

Review: I loved returning to Bishop’s Lacey and the local eccentrics, from Father the Stamp Collector to Dogger the Gardener. Flavia wanders further afield and almost gets confined to her house during this investigation, but she finds out more about Harriet, her deceased mother, when she visits the house of a portrait painter. This book seemed the longest of the Flavia books—towards the end, I just wanted to find out what happened, though I enjoyed her foray into an underground tunnel. Maybe I was just overly excited to start the fourth book, where a film uses Buckshaw for a set.

Song to Read By: Flavia mentions that her sister Ophelia plays this song on piano for Porcelain. Anton Dvorak's Gypsy Song, Opus 55 number 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cm3niF97T0

A Fun and Funny Memoir about Friendship!

MWF Seeking BFF: 

My Year Long Search for a Best Friend

By Rachel Bertsche

If you are twenty-or-thirtysomething girl, you will love this book! If you have ever moved to a new city or searched for new friends, you will relate to Rachel's quest. Rachel finds herself married and living in Chicago, but without a BFF in her zipcode. She longs for a relationship like she has with her camp and high school friends. Throughout the memoir, Rachel intersperses research about the science of friendship, which adds legitimacy to her quest. She braves improv classes, friend rental services, and "blind dates" as she goes in 52 dates in search of "the One"--her new best friend.  You'll read on to find out if she meets her new BFF, but also because she is the companion you've been looking for!


Inspiration: While I'm not going on any girl-dates, this book inspired me to finally start a book club and check out MeetUp.com, both of which I've been meaning to do. 


Author Website and Blog: http://mwfseekingbff.com/


Song to Read By: "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Miley Cyrus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzDyOAaRJE

The 2nd in the Series Doesn't Disappoint

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

By Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce returns and doesn't disappoint. A genius puppeteer arrives, and Flavia helps him set up a puppet show at the local church. Suspicions stir at the Ingleby Farm (where son Robin was hung in mysterious circumstances in Gibbet wood years before). This book delves into Flavia's character, her loneliness, feelings about her deceased and adventurous mother Harriet, her distracted father, and evil older sisters. 


Performance Day brings more than entertainment--murder and mystery, what else? We get to know the town of Bishop's Lacey even better. But with such a long list of suspects, will Flavia ever solve the mystery?


Fun Fact: The setting is so well-developed, I almost didn't believe it when I found out that author Alan Bradley had never set foot in England before writing the first book. 


Song to Read By: "End Title" Shawshank Redemption Soundtrack composed by Thomas Newman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTeE4wdfEVY