In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday 4/15/12

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and Mailbox Monday is hosted by Cindy's Love of Books this month. These two memes allow bloggers to showcase the new books they have received over the last week.

From Goodreads Giveaway: Cloudland by Joseph Olshan - Review

For Review: The Folded Earth by Anuradha Roy from Free Press

 

Purchased

A Night To Remember by Walter Lord - Kindle

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

The Underside Of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson

The Girl Who Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I had held off purchasing anything for a while and then put in a large order all at once. This is not typical. A Night To Remember was a last minute purchase. It was the Kindle Daily Deal and since this weekend is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking I couldn't resist.

Review: Cloudland

Title: Cloudland
Author: Joseph Olshan
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
Source: Goodreads Giveaway
My Rating:
Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A stunning literary thriller set in rural Vermont from the much praised author of Nightswimmer and Clara's Heart

Catherine Winslow, taking a walk during an early spring thaw, discovers the body of a woman leaning against an apple tree near her house in the Upper Valley of Vermont. From the corpse’s pink parka, Winslow recognizes it as the latest victim of a serial killer, a woman reported missing weeks before during a January blizzard. Once a major reporter for a national newspaper, now a household hints columnist, Catherine is disturbed and galvanized by her discovery and with the help of her neighbor, a forensic psychiatrist, as well as a local detective, starts to research the River Valley murders.

At the same time, her younger lover from an excruciating, failed love affair resurfaces after two years, trying to manuever his way back into her affections. As she delves into the murders, she realizes that certain friends and acquaintances may actually be suspects or even worse.

My Review: I'm not normally a huge fan of mysteries or thrillers. Occasionally one will come along that I really enjoy so I give them a try every now and then.  This one sounded interesting on Goodreads, I entered to win it and......I did!  When it arrived I settled down to read it.

Within the first few pages I began to wonder if this was going to be a book I had to force myself to read.  There was something about the writing style which was putting me off.  Luckily whatever it was either resolved itself soon after or I became too involved in the story to notice. After getting over that first hurdle I continued to have the problem that I just didn't like Catherine, the main character. She was inconsistent, and I often felt annoyed by her during her assessments of the investigation and of the other characters. Unfortunately a lot of the other characters weren't developed enough for me to put a lot of stock into their part in the story. The third problem was that the ending seemed a bit abrupt to me.

So after all that you may wonder why I gave it an "OK" or one smiley instead the unhappy face.  It was because at the end, no matter how I felt about the rest of the story I was on the edge of my seat, I was tense and anticipatory. The author obviously accomplished the lead-up well and the writing was enough to have me involved. I wouldn't read it again but I do not feel that my time was wasted with this book.

Review: Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir

Title: Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir
Author: Kelle Hampton
Length: 288
Publisher: William Monroe
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir
Source: Purchased
My Rating:
Synopsis: (from Goodreads): The author of the popular blog Enjoying the Small Things recounts the first year of life with her daughter Nella, born with Down syndrome-a celebration of the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother's love, and, the gift of experiencing life in a wondrous new way

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.
That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story.

When photographer Kelle Hampton learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl.

But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister Lainey had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome-a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift. 

Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life-a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Hampton writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

My Review: I stumbled across Nella's birth story on day on the web. I didn't start following the blog but the story really stuck with me. It did so for a few reasons. First it was a moving story. Second I know how a medical diagnosis can rock your world, though in my case it was MY diagnosis. Third, I remembered the feelings I had when G had an increased possibility of having DS. I was really excited when I heard Kelle Hampton was going to have a book coming out. I even pre-ordered it!

Bloom was delivered on it's release date and I delved right in! Unfortunately I found myself not connecting with the book, with the story, but almost annoyed.  

 I guess I should start with the book itself. It is bigger and heavier than a normal hardcover.  It seems like it is trying to double as a photography book and there are a lot of pictures in it. I found the layout of the pictures to be odd.  they would just randomly be on the side of a page, then the bottom, then on both. It was distracting and I didn't find that more than 50%, if that, helped to really supplement the story. I know why they were included but they just didn't work for me.  

As far as the story goes Kelle just felt over the top to me. I couldn't relate to her. I found myself getting frustrated with her. Her writing was over descriptive and felt very self-indulgent. 

With all of the above said I don't think that is my place to judge her story. I can comment on the layout of the book and the actual writing, but in the end the story belongs to her. It is her life, her daughter, her grief, and her hope, not mine.  I admire her openness, the courage that it must have taken to write and share some of the things in this book. I love where she ended up in the end.  Kelle might have taken the long way around but she ended in a good place. Acceptance and love for Nella, and the rest of her family, an understanding of what might be ahead of them, and the willingness to deal with those problems as they come up while living and loving life one day at a time. Oh, and Nella is simply adorable!!


If you are interested in this book, read it, digest it, and feel for yourself. Just because it didn't turn out to be for me doesn't mean that it won't be just what you need. 


I wish Kelle, Nella, and the rest of the Hampton family all the best as they continue their journey!

 

Review: Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout

Title: Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout
Author: Lauren Redniss
Length: 208 pages
Publisher: !T Books
Genre: Historical non-fiction, Biography
Source: Purchased
My Rating:
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
In 1891, 24 year old Marie, nEe Marya Sklodowska, moved from Warsaw to Paris, where she found work in the laboratory of Pierre Curie, a scientist engaged in research on heat and magnetism. They fell in love. They took their honeymoon on bicycles. They expanded the periodic table, discovering two new elements with startling properties, radium and polonium. They recognized radioactivity as an atomic property, heralding the dawn of a new scientific era. They won the Nobel Prize. Newspapers mythologized the couple's romance, beginning articles on the Curies with "Once upon a time . . . " Then, in 1906, Pierre was killed in a freak accident. Marie continued their work alone. She won a second Nobel Prize in 1911, and fell in love again, this time with the married physicist Paul Langevin. Scandal ensued. Duels were fought.
In the century since the Curies began their work, we've struggled with nuclear weapons proliferation, debated the role of radiation in medical treatment, and pondered nuclear energy as a solution to climate change. In "Radioactive," Lauren Redniss links these contentious questions to a love story in 19th Century Paris.
"Radioactive" draws on Redniss's original reporting in Asia, Europe and the United States, her interviews with scientists, engineers, weapons specialists, atomic bomb survivors, and Marie and Pierre Curie's own granddaughter.
Whether young or old, scientific novice or expert, no one will fail to be moved by Lauren Redniss's eerie and wondrous evocation of one of history's most intriguing figures.

My Review: I really enjoyed this book.  It is a true feast for the eyes, a work of art. Every page has a different layout, different font, different colors.  You have two choices with this book, you can read the story by either the words or the illustrations.

Besides the obvious visual interest the book provides it also gives you an introduction to Madame and Pierre Curie and the history of the discovery of radioactivity. I found this just an introduction which left me with a curiosity to learn more. I would be really interested in reading a longer biography on the Curies and a more in-depth history of radioactivity. In this aspect I found the book a little bit lacking. I was not satisfied at the end. However the fact that it sparked my interest enough for me to want to seek out further information is to it's credit.

I believe that this book is worth a look if only for the visual feast it is. If you are interested in Marie and Pierre Curie or the discovery of radioactivity you will definitely find this book to be something special!

Introducing Monday's Bookishly Beautiful

Last Friday I came across some beautiful and fanciful pictures of books.  I decided then that I wanted to share them.  As I thought about the pictures over the weekend, and the post that would accompany them, I decided I wanted to turn this into a weekly meme. Who couldn't use a book lift-me-up on Monday mornings? This meme will consist of anything related to books that could also be considered beautiful, art, or uplifting. It could include pictures, quotes, book covers that caught your eye, products that celebrate books, beautiful locations that promote books, or anything else pertaining to books that brightens your day. We all see something different as beautiful which will make this meme a real joy to peruse through as you and others in the blogging community join in. Please link back to A Library of our Own and leave a comment with the link to your post. Thank you and I can't wait to see all of your Monday's Bookishly Beautiful posts!

I came across these pictures on a post at Brain Pickings. They caught my attention and imagination immediately. These pictures were taken by Joel Robinson . Without further ado, here are the pictures. I will let them speak for themselves.

So, what do think? Do you have a favorite? I'd love to hear your opinions! Until next Monday!

In My Mailbox 4/8/2012

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. The premise behind it is to record which books you got in the mail or purchased that week. (It can also include books picked up at the library, but since I almost never do that, it will not normally be a part of my post.) Since acquiring new books is always an EXCITING time for me I thought that it would fun to participate. So here is my first In My Mailbox or IMM post.

  From Goodreads Giveaway: ARC of Once Upon A Gypsy Moon by Michael C. Hurley  

  From LibraryThing: ARC of When Morning Comes by Francis Ray

  Purchased: Bloom:Finding Beauty in the Unexpected - A Memoir by Kelle Hampton  

Review: The Book Thief

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Length: 552
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Source: Purchased
My Rating:
Synopsis: (from Goodreads): It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery....

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

My Review:  This was a very interesting book.  It took me awhile to really appreciate it. I started reading and thought "It's good, but I don't really understand all the hype." I'm not sure exactly when I began to really appreciate this book but appreciate it I did.  

This book is unique in a few different ways. First, it is the only book I've read where the main character was a non-Jewish German child.   This does not mean that the war didn't change her life drastically but it was not your typical story of the persecuted Jew. There is a character that fits that description in this book but I don't feel that his story was stereotypical either.  Second, the narrator is Death or the Grim Reaper, whichever you prefer. He, once again, is not what you might expect. He feels almost benevolent while adding a global view to a story centered around one young girl.  Through him you see not only her story but are able to feel the horrible impact of the war on a larger scale while not being intimately acquainted with it. Death's imagery, his voice, is comforting and haunting all at the same time. Third, it is a story told through a procession of books, through a love of books.

I found this to be a story of childhood, friendship, rebellion, bravery, loss, books, words, and most of all love in the midst of WWII Germany. This is a beautifully written story. A book that is worth your time to get to know.