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Category: Contemporary

Review: The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar

[ 3 ] December 20, 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

Behind the glamour and the glitz of Hollywood, there is another side to Los Angeles. In The Barbarian Nurseries, Héctor Tobar offers a stark contrast between the lives of a well-to-do family and the life of their Mexican maid, Araceli. Araceli works for the Torres-Thompson household, headed by Scott, a mid-level executive for a software company. Due to economic hardships, the family has let go of their other two Mexican employees, leaving Araceli to take on some of their tasks.

Araceli is placed in an awkward situation when Scott and his wife, Maureen, fight over their financial shortcomings and leave Araceli alone with their two eldest children. Unable to reach either Scott or Maureen, Araceli is left with no other choice but to take them to the only family she knows they have: Scott’s Mexican father, who she only knows through a family photograph with central Los Angeles in its background.

I hope that you read The Barbarian Nurseries, and I hope that it makes you angry. Scott and Maureen seem like reasonable heads of the household at first appearance, but by the end of the book I was fed up with both of them. They are materialistic, selfish and ignorant, whereas Araceli is fascinating and full of dreams and ambition and is the type of character that Tobar’s readers should be rooting for.

To cover up their mistake, both Scott and Maureen lie and tell police that Araceli kidnapped their children, which brings about a trial that could destroy Araceli’s life. After all she has done for them, they do not offer their loyalty in return to her.

Tobar’s Los Angeles is nothing like the Los Angeles that I have become familiar with through my own adventures in the city. The Barbarian Nurseries is an eye-opening look at what lies beneath all the glitter and Hollywood magic.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Farrar, Strass and Giroux. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

[ 3 ] December 15, 2011

Reviewed by Christen Krumm

The Lady of the Rivers is the story of Jacquetta who is a descendant of Melusina, the river goddess. As a young girl, Jacquetta meets Joan of Arc and discovers her power of second sight. After sharing a tarot card reading secret, Joan and Jacquetta seem to become close friends. When Joan is put to death and Jacquetta is forced to witness, she discovers just how dangerous being a powerful woman can be.

At age seventeen the notoriously beautiful Jacquetta catches the eye of the much older Duke of Bedford, King Henry VI’s uncle, and is soon married off and whisked away to France. Following the death of the Duke, Jacquetta shocks her royal nephew by secretly marrying the Duke’s squire, Richard Woodville, and returning to England.

When King Henry VI marries Margaret of Anjou, Jacquetta is summoned to the courts to serve the new queen. The marriage is a rocky one and causes much conflict between the Lancaster and York families. As a result, Jacquetta finds herself fighting for her daughter’s life; she believes her daughter has a promising life ahead of her, one that includes power of the throne.

The Lady of the Rivers, the third installment of Philippa Gregory’s The Cousins’ War series, tells the real-life story of Elizabeth’s mother, the white queen. While a beautifully written story, it held no magic for me. The witchcraft and magical powers did me in early on and I could not enjoy the novel from there. That being said, this could be a fascinating novel for dedicated fans of historical fiction as it is filled to the brim with facts surrounding the reign of the House of Lancaster and the Wars of the Roses.

Rating: 2.5/5

Christen graduated from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith with a BA in English. She’s a coffee drinking stay at home mom by day and a freelance writer/editor by night. She currently resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter and welcomed a son in August.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Touchstone. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

[ 2 ] December 12, 2011

Reviewed by Claudia Robinson

“In a few hours, when the sun rose, he would kiss Claire and open a safe in the cellar, where he kept a gun. He would pack that and, before leaving, would kiss her again–this woman without whom he had no wish to live. Yet one day he would live without her or she without him because that was the way of this world: we love, if we can, and lose what we love.” – Poincare, All Cry Chaos, by Leonard Rosen

As a book reviewer, we are often put in the position of reading and reviewing books that are not of our typical genre, making the entire process, at best, uncomfortable and at worst, tedious. That being said, the job of a reviewer, if one is truly serious about their task, is to remain ambivalent, despite everything, and assess the author’s work with an open and unbiased frame of mind. I always do, and always will, but sometimes, sometimes, it’s just impossible to get through it, and this book, alas, was one of those times.

No matter how many times I opened it and read, I could not sink in to the story, could not feel for the characters, could not align with content, despite my most heartfelt efforts. To this end, I need to preface this review by saying I did not NOT like the book, I just could NOT get in to it, but based on the reviews of countless others scattered all over the ‘net, this is a book that many WILL like, love even, and my lack of raving and poetic and whimsical accolades is not to be blamed on author or content quality, but my own total and utter disinterest in the subject of the book.

All Cry Chaos begins in Amsterdam, with the death of James Fenster, a prominent mathematician in town to give a speech at a World Trade Organization meeting. The method of his murder, reducing his hotel room alone to ashes, points to a shrewd, calculating and intelligent murderer. Interpol agent, Henry Poincare is called upon to lead the investigation, beginning with suspect number one, Fenster’s mysterious ex-fiancee. A complicated investigation ensues, leading Poincare and his partner, Serge Laurent to pursue many avenues and suspects, none at all who they seem.

The trail brings them to America, and then back to Europe, as bread crumbs of evidence, threats to his life and tests of faith and morality impede and threaten to destroy Poincare’s investigation, and very soul. The author uses fractals, math, good vs. evil, religion and deep insight and intricate detail to flesh out a plot that is clearly an investment of time, research and love, producing a mystery/life/love story that keeps the reader questioning, re-reading and sometimes, like in my case, confused, throughout the entire book.

There are many plot twists and turns. Every detail in All Cry Chaos is painstakingly placed to create, what for some, will, and has certainly, based on the reviews of others, been suggested as genius. I can understand how some with a mind eager to decimate, educate and relate to a certain type of character and plot line, would find this book a sensory treasure trove. It’s definitely (too) smart, sharp, and (very) complex. There is just enough of everything, and for some, a little too much, to keep the mind alive and constantly engaged. There is dark humor, politics, religion, ethics and morals, intertwined with murder, loss, love and deception. It’s the kind of book, I know, while coming off completely sexist and genre prejudice, seems to appeal to men, more so than women. My father, an avid mystery reader, for one, would have sunk his teeth in to this complex and highly intellectual tale of social commentary fused with high tension and fraught with moral obligations. It’s the kind of novel I would probably enjoy thoroughly on the big screen, but found too deep, too overwhelming, personally, as a book.

Rating: 3/5

Claudia lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband and two children.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Permanent Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella

[ 4 ] December 8, 2011

Reviewed by Vera Pereskokova (Luxury Reading)

Mia Wells, a holistic interior designer, may be finally getting a break in her career. But, while at a business dinner, Mia receives a call that shakes up her entire existence and threatens the content facade she’s built up over the years.

There’s been a motorcycle accident and the victim’s doctor – Mia’s best friend Roxanne – struggles to save the man’s life. Mia rushes to the ICU, desperate to get a final glimpse, to say goodbye before it’s too late. However, the man she’s rushing to is not her husband of two years. The man lying in the hospital bed is the one who abruptly disappeared from Mia’s life twelve years before, leaving her devastated.

A senior in college, Mia fell fast and hard for Flynn, an ex-special ops Marine blowing through town. Despite Roxanne’s warnings, Mia felt that she knew the Flynn no one else did. She believed him when he promised not to leave without a warning…until he did.

With Flynn’s reappearance – albeit under unfortunate circumstances – Mia may finally get the answers she’s been waiting for, and have the chance to reunite with a love she’s never forgotten.

Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella was – just like Mia and Flynn’s love – sweet, and sexy, and at times painful. I’ve seen others fall madly in love with people who were strangers just the day before, so to me, Mia and Flynn’s instant connection felt real and genuine. That said, however,I did want to see more of a back story about Flynn instead of only learning of his past through his conversations with Mia.

While Mia and Flynn’s characters were easy to admire, Roxanne was just as easy to despise. She did want to protect Mia and her intentions may have been good, but she only came across as rigid, conniving, and paranoid. Given, her behavior was a direct result of her older sister Rory’s disastrous fate at the hands of a drug-peddling boyfriend, but it didn’t make it any more acceptable. If anything, Roxanne’s antics made me more curious about Rory and I wanted more than just a few lines scattered about her here and there.

I truly enjoyed Beautiful Disaster - minor flaws and all – and found it to be reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks’ writing. Many of us have experienced that all consuming love or infatuation, or know someone who did, and will appreciate a walk down memory lane with this novel. I look forward to seeing more from Spinella!

Rating: 4/5

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Laura Spinella. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

[ 6 ] December 6, 2011

Reviewed by Melanie Kline

The death of Gordon “GoGo” Halloran sets off a chain of events that reunites five childhood friends. Together again, they question whether their secret from many years ago has caused them to become the people they are today. Alternating between current day and the late 70′s and early 80′s, the tale tells both each individual’s story and that of their parents.

Brothers Tim, Sean, and Gordon and neighbors Gwen and Mickey are inseparable during the summers. They refer to themselves as “The Circle of Five” and do everything together. They spend almost everyday exploring the surrounding woods and making it their own. One day, they come across an old dilapidated cabin in the woods and meet an ancient black man they refer to as Chicken George because of the chickens that roam freely both in and out of the cabin and yard.

This begins a strange friendship. The children bring Chicken George canned goods, clothes and other products that they sneak out of their homes and he would play his guitar and tolerate their presence. The children keep Chicken George their secret for fear of being reprimanded for going so deep into the woods.

During Hurricane David, a chain of events causes what appears to be the death of Chicken George and the children are forced to tell their fathers about him and their visits to his cabin. The fathers head off to the cabin to investigate while the children are left behind with their mothers. Now, so many years later, they are forced to deal with what really happened that night and each person’s involvement with it.

I found The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman to be quite dry – a huge disappointment after my review of her book I’d Know You Anywhere. The entire book felt distant and the action never quite gripped or interested me.

Rating: 1/5

Check out our reviews of other books by Laura Lippman:

The Girl in the Green Raincoat | I’d Know You Anywhere | Life Sentences

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by William Morrow. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Time in Between by Maria Duenas

[ 6 ] December 6, 2011

Reviewed by Alisha Churbe

The Time In Between is a recollection told by Sira Quiroga that begins and ends in Madrid, Spain. Her fate and adventures take her on an expedition through war torn Europe during the late 1930s. World War II is very much in the works and the Spanish Civil War rolls on.

I never imagined a story of a dressmaker during war times could keep my attention. The Time In Between is loaded with political and historical details, but the story only rarely slows from it’s breathtaking pace. Some of the historical details tend to slow the story down and many could be cut a bit shorter, but don’t let that deter you. This novel will take you back in time and let you experience the tales of risks and survival. The countries Sira visits and resides in, along with the characters you meet are very real, and many of them will stay with you long after the end.

On the back cover of this edition, the book summary mentions that The Time In Between has, “the storytelling power of The Name of the Wind” (by Patrick Rothfuss). In the end, I would have to agree with this statement.

In the beginning, I was disappointed that The Time In Between was not told using the same narrative structure, but it is quite similar. The Time In Between is much more grounded in history than the fantastic world of The Name of the Wind. It is also important to note that while Sira experiences a lot, takes risks, and ends up in danger, her story is much more of a curve upward. The ending seems abrupt, but it’s perfect. It leaves so much left to know, to ponder (a sequel, perhaps?), but it really couldn’t have happened any other way or it could have felt contrived or implausible.

The Time In Between is a twist on the normal coming of age stories. In the beginning, Sira is young, a daughter of a single mother, working as an assistant to her mother and Dona Manuela, running errands and sweeping floors. Duenas moves quickly through this portion of Sira’s life and gets us to the moments that shape her fate and send Sira on her adventures. In the end, she’s evolved into a strong-willed, charming and, at moments, quite cunning woman.

We travel with Sira through tough times, happy moments, loneliness, and true bliss. She breaks out of the life that is laid out before her and fights (sometimes unwillingly) to create a life of her own. She grows from a confused teenager into a woman who knows what she wants and in many ways, how to obtain it. She takes extreme risks, and some moments of The Time In Between will have you hanging on every word. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to future offerings from Maria Duenas.

Rating: 4/5

Part-time fiction writer, Alisha Churbe lives in Portland, Oregon. In the rare instances when you can pry her away from books, Alisha can be found travelling in foreign countries, cooking, or hiking with her husband Michael and dog Euro.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Atria Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Most Unsuitable Match by Stephanie Grace Whitson

[ 5 ] December 3, 2011

Reviewed by Meg Massey

Fannie Rousseau’s world falls apart when her mother dies, leaving her alone to deal with the family’s deteriorating finances. When she stumbles upon a family secret, she makes the decision to head west to discover the truth about the past, and perhaps uncover why her mother was always so distant.

Along the way, she encounters Samuel Beck, a young man working on the steamboat that’s taking her to Montana. Samuel is determined to escape the drunken father whose actions have ripped his family apart, and hoping to find his sister Emma, who ran away.

Fannie soon finds that she can’t stop thinking about Samuel, and he feels the same. But will Samuel’s desire to become a pastor, and the expectation that Fannie will marry a man of means, keep them apart?

A beautiful tale of faith and unconditional love, Stephanie Grace Whitson’s A Most Unsuitable Match is a story that historical fiction fans will love. Samuel and Fannie are two characters that you’ll cheer for and cry with as they encounter their journey’s joys and obstacles.

Rating: 4/5

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Bethany House. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

[ 4 ] December 2, 2011

Reviewed by Marcus Hammond

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian is an effectively complex novel that mixes psychology and the supernatural to create an original, atmospheric thriller that keeps the reader guessing.

As the novel opens, Chip Linton faces the difficult situation of safely landing a passenger jet in a lake after the engines are destroyed by a flock of geese. His attempt fails and thirty-nine passengers die, as the plane is ripped apart. Chip is cleared of any fault, but is left with severe guilt and PTSD. In order to begin healing from the ordeal, Chip, his wife, Emily, and their twin girls, Hallie and Garnet, move from their formerly comfortable lives in the city to a smaller, out of the way town. As the Lintons attempt to settle into their new lives they are surrounded by mystery and conspiracy. Their new home may be haunted and the residents that have welcomed them may have deeper, stranger motivations behind their welcoming nature.

The Lintons are welcomed into the town by a group of women who believe in the magical and healing properties of plant life. The women, who are all named after different plants, begin to take interest in the Lintons and try to acclimate the family into their close-knit group.

As the intentions of the herbalists to incorporate Emily, Hallie, and Garnet into their cult become more and more persistent, Chip’s PTSD becomes a bigger problem. The subsequent drama provides the reader with page after page of hair-raising paranoia, supernaturally creepy visions, and murderous deception.

Chris Bohjalian employs a blend of narration perspectives throughout the novel to add to its creep-out factor. While the majority of the thriller is told in a third person omniscient perspective, Chip’s narration is portrayed through a second person perspective. This change in perspective allows the reader to experience, first hand, the disturbed mentality that Chip progressively succumbs to during his family’s encounters with the unusual and deceptive herbalists.

With Bohjalian’s unique writing style and his ability to twist the plot into a unique and sufficiently creepy thriller, The Night Strangers is best read with a light on.

Rating: 4/5

After obtaining a Masters in Liberal Arts and Literature Marcus has dedicated most of his time to teaching English Composition for a community college in the Midwest. In his down time, he spends time avidly reading an eclectic selection of books and doing freelance writing whenever he gets the chance. He lives in Kansas with his wife.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Crown. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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