TOP PICKS UP AND RUNNING!

Looking for you next great read?  Trying to find a quick recommendation list all in one place?  I have now compiled all of the books I have reviewed thus far under the tab TOP PICKS in order of their rating.  I have also included my suggestions for Book Club Picks!

Hope you enjoy the new feature! 

REVIEW: THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN BY KATE MORTON

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Paperback: 560 pages

Publisher: Washington Square Press; Reprint edition (Feb 16 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416550550

First I would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to Anneliese from Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this georgous book!

This was my first Kate Morton novel and I will say that it will not be my last.  This book is a lush telling of a little girl who is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913.  All she has in her possession when she arrives is a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a book - a book of fairytales.  She is found by the kindly dockmaster and his wife and they raise her as their own daughter.  On her 21st birthday Nell is told about how she was found, and with only vague memories of her past she sets off on a quest to find her true identity.  Her journey leads her all the way to the Blackhurst manor in England, the lavish home of the Mountrachet family.  Each corner digs the mystery deeper, and not until her granddaughter takes up the task after Nell's death is the puzzle finally solved. 

This tale is so rich and beautifully woven together, there is no other way to describe it!  I personally happen to love historical fiction, and also stories that interweave the past with the present.  Along with Nell and Cassandra escavating Nell's past, are two other parts of the puzzle.  One is of the woman known as The Authoress, Eliza, when she was a child and how she fits into Nell's life story.  You will find yourself not predicting the outcome, but being gently led along the path to uncover the clues along with the characters.  The setting is fertile and breathtaking what with all of the ocean breezes, misty mornings and the seaside cliff cottage.

This book could easily have gotten waaaay to complicated with all of the jumping around in time and the perspective changing from one person to the next, but it didn't .  I don't know HOW Kate manages to keep it all straight and beautifully unfolding the narrative bit by bit without confusing us, but she DOES.  I was constantly astounded at her skill as a writer.  Every once and a while I would come across a passage and think, "And there it is."  a detail brought up that was important to the overall outcome but was afraid that it would have been forgotten or not brought up again.

BRAVA!  To Miss Morton!  I cannot WAIT to dive into my ARC of The Distant Hours, and will hopefully be doing a giveaway of it at the time of my review.  I believe it is being released on November 9th so watch for it then!

RATING:  5/5

REVIEW: THE RED TENT by ANITA DIAMANT and my FIRST EVER ARC!

The Red Tent

by Anita Diamant

I realize that this book came out 12 years ago.. 12 years! Can you imagine? But it is in my top 10 so I thought I would review it. I was originally told about this book in 2001 by a gal I met in L.A. while visiting. She said that every single woman should read it, and she was quite excited about it. I am one of those people that is easily swayed by someone else's excitement over a book, but that being said, it did take me another 7 years before I would read it. And I am so glad I did!

The Red Tent, although conceived from bible roots, is not a "religious book" per se. In other words you do not need to be religious at all to enjoy it. It speaks to every woman (or man I suppose), and makes you wish there was something still called a "Red Tent" in existence today. After reading the book I then did some research and found an interview with Ms. Diamant and she admitted that the "red tent" from Dinah's story never actually existed as far as we know, but reading the book you would believe that her story is a historical fact, it is so beautifully written in believable detail.

The story follows the biblical character Dinah, who in the bible is only mentioned in a few short passages. But the way Diamant fleshes out Dinah's life and what happens to her before, during and after the events of the bible is truly beautiful and heartbreaking. But perhaps my favourite parts of this entire novel are in the intimate interactions among the females of the time. They form a strong "sisterhood" and when one enters the red tent for the first time they lavish her with attention and celebrate her entering into womanhood. Such a different picture than I formed in my mind when I heard that women then and even in some modern cultures are sequestered away until their "red" days have passed, like some leper. Not so in Diamont's world. It left me wanting to celebrate my mother, my daughters, my sisters, my female friends! To hold them up and sing their praises! It really makes you feel like that! Here's a passage illustrating what I mean:

The set-up: Dinah as just been born in the Red Tent among all of the women of her community.

(Page 67/68)

After Rachel wiped me clean, she handed me to Zilpah, who embraced me, and then to Bilhah, who kissed me as well. I took my mother's breast with an eager mouth, and all the women of the camp clapped their hands for my mother and for me. Bilhah fed my mother honeyed milk and cake. She washed Leah's hair with perfumed water, and she massaged her feet.

While Leah slept, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah took me out into the moonlight and put henna on my feet and hands, as though I were a bride. They spoke a hundred blessings around me, north, south, east and west, to protect me against Lamashtu and the other baby-stealing demons. They gave me a thousand kisses.

There are only a small hand full of books that has brought me to tears, and The Red Tent is one of them. I sobbed near the end. SOBBED. But after I read it I phoned my Mom and told her all about it, and felt such a kinship with other women I may never had experienced had I not read it.

Rating: 5/5

I am also ECSTATIC to report that I have my very first ARC on it's way to me!!!!!!! A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me THE WHITE QUEEN by Philippa Gregory!!!!! Once read I will review it, I am just thrilled that I have my first one!

SUNDAY SALON AND THE LEMONADE AWARD!

I would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to Julie at My Own Little Corner of the World for the very sweet Lemonade Award! What a lovely surprise for first thing on a Sunday morning!

The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. Here are the rules for accepting this award:

- Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post.
-Link your nominees within your post.
-Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
-Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

The blogs I nominate are:

• Nikola at Nikola's Book Blog


• Jessica at A Booklovers Diary


• Mel at He Followed me Home


• Diana Gabaldon at Voyages of the Artemis


• Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings


• Dawn at She's Too Fond of Books


• Kristi at The Story Siren


• MizB at Should Be Reading


• Brown Girl Book Speak


• Emily at Emily's Reading Room

This week was a bit light in the reading department because I had an out of town guest staying and had zero time to read until Wednesday. I WAS reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but for some reason I just couldn't get into it so I switched gears. After reviewing "Wicked" I was in the mood for some more Gregory Maguire and I pulled "Son of a Witch" off of my shelf where it has been sitting since it came out about 3 years ago. I had tried to read it a half dozen times, but just couldn't get past the first 10 or so pages. But now I am well into it and so far I am loving it! I'll do a review when I'm done.

I am also desperately trying to get through my re-read of the last two Diana Gabaldon books before the next one is in stores September 22nd. I am not even half way through The Fiery Cross, and it is almost 900 pages, and then the next book is over 900 pages! How am I going to do that in one month! I mean I totally CAN, but it will be with concerted effort. And the thing is I am SO enjoying my re-read (even more than the first time around!) that I do not want to skim at all. Sigh. I suppose I will just keep reading and stare longingly at Echo until I am finished the last one.

Today I plan on doing a good chunk of peaceful reading during my youngest daughters naptime. Curled up on my couch with my blanket!

Have a WONDERFUL Sunday!

REVIEW OF WICKED by Gregory Maguire

WICKED by Gregory Maguire

Wicked is one of those books that stays with you for a long time. To be fair, I read this book a few years ago, but it is still one of my all time favs and I love sharing it with people who may have not given it a try yet.

The thing with Gregory Maguire is that he loves to take fairytales or fables and highlight a character that is not traditionally the "hero" of the story. In this case, this is the story of the "Wicked Witch of the West" and how she came to be so "wicked". Believe it or not you will learn to love and even feel empathy for Elphaba the wicked witch, and understand why she was such a twisted and disturbed individual. You will also get to know Dorothy, and her travel companions in a totally new way, as well as a whole host of wild and weird creatures that inhabit the world of Oz. And a strange place it is. At times you feel slightly disturbed and unsettled while reading, and other times you laugh out loud. As in this, my favourite scene from the whole entire novel.

The set-up: Elphaba was born not only green but with an enormous set of razor sharp teeth to which she would set upon innocent bystanders from time to time. Concerned that she was creating an anti-social child, her mother Melena and Nanny decide to put Elphaba in a playgroup of sorts. And here is what happens:

(page 51)

"No throwing, Elphie dear," called Nanny.

"I'm only saying what I hear. They say at night that Quadlings fall asleep and their souls climb out through their mouths and go abroad."

"Stupid people say a lot of stupid things," Melena was curt and too loud. "I have never seen his soul climb out of his mouth while he was sleeping, and I've had plenty of opportu-"

"Darling, no rocks," shrilled Nanny. "None of the other children have rocks."

"Now they do," observed Gawnette.

"He is the most sensitive person I've ever met," said Melena.

"Sensitive isn't much use to a fishwife," said Gawnette. "How about to a minister and a minister's wife?"

"Now there's blood, how vexing," said Nanny. "Children, let Elphie up so I can wipe that cut. And I didn't bring a rag, Gawnette?"

"Bleeding is good for them, makes them less hungry," said Gawnette.

"I rate sensitive a good sight higher than stupid," said Melena, seething.

"No biting," said Gawnette to one of the little boys, and then, seeing Elphaba open her mouth to retaliate, raised herself to her feet, bad hip or no, and screamed,"no biting, for the love of mercy!"

"Aren't children divine?" said Nanny.

The world that Gregory Maguire paints is vivid, unique and not at all like you probably have envisioned Oz. But you will never forget it, mark my words. I loved this book. Probably because it was so fresh and new and different. The words that Maquire uses are astonishing as are the names of his characters. I have the second book now "Son of a Witch", which I am now reading and will review when I'm done. There is also a third in the trilogy called "A Lion Among Men" which follows the cowardly lions story.

4.5/5

ZOMBIE CHICKEN AWARD! And Booking through Thursday - Recent Best

Thank you SO MUCH to Jessica at A Book Lovers Diary for the much coveted Zombie Chicken Award! This is my first award and I must say this is one of the ones I MOST wanted!! THANK YOU!!!!!!

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.

My 5 nominations are:

1. Danielle at Opiniated? Me?

2. Rachel at Obsessive Reader

3. Alyssa and her team at Teens Read and Write

4. The Boston Bibliophile

5. Karen at Outlandish Observations


What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
(Tell me you didn’t see this one coming?)

The best book lately would have to be one I reviewed for my first ever post here The Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne. You can read my review here. He is also the author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which was made into a movie.

What's yours?

And for more Booking Through Thursday click here.