Sunday, February 9, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
A Powerful Tale in "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak
Author: Markus Zusak
Published: 2005
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 552
Edition: Movie Tie In Cover 2013, Trade Paperback
Also contains: A Reader's Guide, Related Titles, Internet Resources, In His Own Words - A Conversation With Markus Zusak
ISBN 9780385754729
Source: a copy was given to me by the publisher. Receipt thereof has no influence over my opinion of this novel nor this review.
It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath.
Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger finds her life changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish man in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
My Thoughts:
The Book Thief should be ranked with the popular classics from foregone eras. A classic has been defined as: judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. A work of art of recognized and established value. The Book Thief is just that and is certainly worthy of a prestigious location on every book lover's bookshelf.
I began The Book Thief the beginning of January as my first book of the year but time constraints necessitated it being put aside until recently when I had the time and opportunity to immerse myself in Liesel's world in Germany pre-war to war era. Everyone I've spoken with of late has heard from me about this fabulous novel that I was so in love with. I could hardly put it down and anxiously picked it up at every opportunity, so involved in this incredibly powerful tale.
The Book Thief opens with an introduction by Death as the narrator. Not a grim reaper, but a being of great empathy and love for those he serves. At this period of time Death is very busy, the war is a harsh task master and Death exhibits sadness at the loss of so many innocent lives, "For me, the sky was the color of Jews." (page 349) "I picked up each soul that day as if it were newly born. I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks ... I watched their love visions and freed them from their fear." (page 350).
The most compelling character is Liesel Meminger. We meet her as a young girl fresh off the train, passed into the hands of foster parents Hans Huberman and his wife Rosa. Hans is a wonderful old patient soul with silver eyes and a gift for the accordion while his wife is terse and generous with expletives but beneath the rough exterior she hides a warm heart. "She was a good woman for a crisis." Liesel is a feisty personality who suffers nightly from nightmares about her brother's death which she witnessed aboard the train enroute to Molching, home of her foster parents to be.
Her first act of thievery occurs at her brother's graveside where she finds The Gravedigger's Handbook from which Papa (Hans) helps her learn to read as part of a nightly ritual that follows Liesel's nightmares. She has the bug and yearns for books and words. Her second book is rescued from the ashes of a Nazi book burning and from there the mayor's wife's library falls victim.
Liesel and her best friend Rudy witness firsthand the Nazi regime in action. The Jewish businesses closed, the people thwarted and paraded through town on their way to concentration camps. The two friends rebel against the Fuhrer with thievery of food, some of which they drop as pieces of bread ahead of the parades for the prisoners. One similar act of kindness earned a whipping by a Nazi soldier.
That act of kindness was towards a young man, Max, who had been hidden in the basement of the Hubermans. Max's father had saved Hans' life in an earlier war, losing his own, and as repayment they hid the young Jewish man until the bombing began and it was no longer safe for any of them. Max left one day in a tearful goodbye and wasn't seen until the day of the parade. He was thin and weak from starvation and cruelty at the hands of the soldiers. A prisoner of war on his way to the camps.
There were many cruelties in that small town in Germany. A lot for a couple of young kids to witness and it changed them perceptibly. To read of them in a book initially written for an adult audience in New Zealand and placed in the YA readership here and in the US, one can visualize the horrors as seen through the eyes of the young. The war influenced their choices and their lives. This book has been touted as life altering and it can be. While The Book Thief has been marketed here for a YA audience, it holds appeal for adults as well. The imagery, the flow of the written word, the effect of it all impresses upon the mind and the heart. It is a masterpiece that has rightfully earned wide appeal and hearty recommendations.
100 Perks of Cancer by Florence Strang and Susan Gonzalez
100 Perks of Having Cancer
plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It!
Authors: Florence Strang (registered psychologist) and Susan Gonzalez (registered nurse)
Published: August 2013
Publisher: Basic Health Communications
Pages: 500
Includes Recommended Websites, Suggested Reading and Viewing, References and Index
Includes Recommended Websites, Suggested Reading and Viewing, References and Index
ISBN: 9781591203568
Edition: Trade Paperback
Genre/Category: Self Help, Health, Cancer
Source: A complimentary copy was provided by the authors and the publisher via JKS Communications. Receipt thereof does not influence this review nor my opinion expressed here.
While the authors recognize that cancer is certainly no laughing matter, both cancer survivors set out to remind readers that no matter how bad one's life circumstances may be, there are always reasons to smile - and steps that can be taken to improve one's health, outlook, and prognosis. Containing many healthy-living tips to promote healing of the body as well as healing the mind and soul. (Goodreads)
How often do you hear the words “healthy”, “happy” and “cancer” mentioned in the same sentence? That is precisely what gives 100 Perks of Having Cancer (Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It) its unique character. Its authors not only “talk the talk” of living a healthy lifestyle with a positive attitude on the cancer journey, they also continue to “walk the walk”.
Florence’s perks, which are a combination of inspirational and humorous anecdotes, have made her audiences laugh and cry. Susan’s tips are sought after because of their educational content with a witty twist. Together they provide a valuable resource which will inspire and motivate their readers, while keeping them smiling.
See more at the 100PerksofHavingCancer.com! (from JKS Communications)
My Thoughts:
Twenty-one years ago this August my father died of lung cancer. My step-father has battled with prostate cancer. An uncle with prostate cancer. My sister-in-law's mother. A dear friend with breast cancer which has now spread. This friend has battled valiantly and cheerfully, beating all odds predicted. I remember years ago, maybe twenty five or so, I didn't know anyone with cancer. Now I have had and do have people close to me battling the disease so when the book 100 Perks of Having Cancer came to my attention, I really wanted to read it.
Take for example the Chapter Perk # 73 Cancer Brought Out the Family Resemblance to My Son.
"Ever since the day Donovan was born, I've been hearing the same thing over and over again, "He looks JUST like his father." However, following my cancer treatments, people started to notice my resemblance to my handsome son. Maybe it's the eyes? Could it be the nose? No, it was definitely the hair!" (page 304) There's a photo of the two of them with a crew-cut hairstyle.
She speaks of how she didn't mind when her hair fell out from the chemotherapy treatment (not all chemo drugs cause hair loss she tells the reader) but she was not comfortable going out in public until it began to grow back in again. It was then that if she squinted her eyes just right she could see her resemblance to Demi Moore in the film G.I. Jane!
"While being bald as a pumpkin has its perks, it is a joyous day when new hair starts to grow in. Be patient, it will grow back." (page 305)
Following this experience Health Tip #73 talks about the benefits of pumpkins after which is a recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Soup which I just might give a try. I still have a pumpkin left over from Halloween. (yes, it's still good!)
Alas, there's a tip about sweets. I have such a sweet tooth!!! There's a short lesson on the function of the pancreas (remember one of these authors is an RN) and the liver. After reading this I think I may be able to curb that appetite a bit better. The authors included a list of ingredients that really are just synonyms for sugar like date sugar, lactose, barley malt, honey, maltodexrin, agave nectar, to name a few. The reader is reminded that a healthy diet contains no artificial, chemical, "no-calorie" sweeteners.
There's a lot to learn in the 500 pages of 100 Perks of Cancer and a lot of support as well. I highly recommend this as a resource for anyone dealing with cancer in any form and for their loved ones as well. "Whether you are a cancer warrior, a cancer survivor, or a cancer avoider, this book has something for you!" (quoted from the back cover)
February 5th is World Cancer Awareness Day!
Listen to an interview with the authors: http://100perksofhavingcancer.com/interviews-and-publications/
Author Links below:
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Professor by Robert Bailey
The Professor
Author: Robert Bailey
Published: January 2014
Publisher: Exhibit A Books
Pages: 411
Genre: Legal thriller
ISBN 9781909223585
Source: A complimentary copy was provided by JKS Communications in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Receipt thereof bears no influence over my opinion nor this review.
Thomas Jackson McMurtrie is a living legend scorned. Forty years ago, he gave up a promising career as a trial lawyer to become a law professor at the University of Alabama at the request of his mentor, Alabama football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Now Tom is forced into retirement, betrayed by both a powerful colleague and his own failing health.
Meanwhile the young family of one of his oldest friends is killed in a tragic road collision. Believing his career is over, Tom refers the case to a brilliant, yet beleaguered, former student, who begins to uncover the truth behind the tragedy, buried in a tangled web of arson, bribery and greed.
But as the eve of trial approaches, the young attorney’s case begins to unravel. In over his head and at the end of his rope, he realizes there’s only one man who can help…
“The Professor” is the first in a series of tense legal thrillers featuring the enthralling and brilliant legal team of McMurtrie and Drake, combining the thrills and authenticity of a John Grisham novel for the audience that flocked to “Friday Night Lights.”
My Thoughts:
2014 is proving to be the year of promise! Robert Bailey and his new legal thriller, The Professor, is on my growing list of note-worthy books of the new year. The Professor is Bailey's debut novel.
When the author of Forrest Gump, Winston Groom, said The Professor was "gripping from the first page to last" he was bang on. I began this book Saturday morning and finished early afternoon. I just couldn't put it down and this is no light weight coming in at over 400 pages.
When a young family is killed in a collision with a semi in a small town in Alabama, questions arise about hours logged in by drivers and the timetables of the companies they work for. Professor Thomas McMurtrie is approached by the mother of the young mother killed in the crash to find answers about responsibility for the accident. She doesn't believe her son-in-law is in the wrong and wants those who tore her family apart to be held responsible.
Professor McMurtrie, Tom, has too much on his plate and hands the case to a former dynamic pupil struggling to start his own practice nine months out of law school. When arson, bribery, and murder further complicate the case, the young lawyer turns to Tom for assistance. Together they search tirelessly for the clues and witnesses who are brave enough to come forward in the name of justice.
Warning to sensitive readers: sexual content, though not graphic, in the form of prostitution and abuse is dotted occasionally through the novel. The story, in my opinion, didn't need it. It felt gratuitous. There's enough strength in Bailey's plot and skill without it. I would be a dedicated fan if future novels withheld this content. Otherwise, The Professor has an excellent plot told by a sharp legal mind.
Author Links below:
From the time he could walk,Robert Bailey has loved stories, especially those about the legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and his beloved Crimson Tide football team at the University of Alabama.
In law school, Bailey was honored with the Award for Outstanding Achievement at the American Judicature Society Interscholastic Trial Competition. He made Law Review and was a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society. Somehow, between studying and preparing for the bar exam, Bailey managed to watch every home football game.
For the past 14 years, Bailey has practiced law as a civil defense trial attorney in Huntsville. In addition to representing health care providers and nursing homes in medical liability cases, he defends trucking companies, insurance carriers, insureds and businesses in injury-related lawsuits.
Bailey is admitted to practice before the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court – Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama and Western District of Tennessee – and in all Alabama state courts.
He is a member of several professional associations including the International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, Alabama Defense Lawyers’ Association, Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association and the Alabama Bar Association.
Bailey’s first novel, “The Professor,” will be published Jan. 28, 2014 by Exhibit A Books.
Bailey is married with three children. When he’s not writing or practicing law, he’s playing golf, coaching his sons’ little league baseball teams and, of course, cheering on the Crimson Tide.
Q&A with author and attorney Robert Bailey
How did you come up with the story for “The Professor?”
The answer is twofold. First, I’ve always been interested in stories of legends, especially Alabama football legends. Second, when I was in law school, I always wondered what it would be like if a professor had to try a case. Could he or she do it? Would the classroom cross over to the courtroom? These questions piqued my interest, and Thomas Jackson McMurtrie was born.
What do you think readers will like about “The Professor?”
The answer, in my opinion, is the redemptive nature of the story. This is the story of a man in the twilight of his career that is done wrong, but he won’t quit. He comes back against all odds. A backstabbing former student. Cancer. Nothing can get Tom McMurtrie down. He embodies the principles of those men that played for Coach Bryant, some of whom stand with Tom in the courtroom in one of the climactic final scenes of the book.
What are the elements of a great legal thriller?
I’m not sure there is any recipe or formula. However, I think any story, whether thriller or not, has to have an emotional hook. Something that makes the reader climb on board for the journey. A lot of times that hook is identifying with a character and what he/she is going through or the situation he/she faces. I think this is particularly so in thrillers. Having a protagonist encounter a situation that stimulates the reader’s emotions and makes the reader want to follow the protagonist’s journey through it.
Have you ever considered a career in teaching law?
No, I never have. However, teachers have had a profound influence on me. I was blessed to have many wonderful teachers in elementary school, high school, college and law school. My mother and grandmother were also teachers, so I have a great regard for that profession.
How did growing up in the south influence your writing?
Obviously, you write what you know, and I have lived my entire life in the South. I have always been drawn to southern literature and stories with a southern flare to them.
You’re obviously a huge fan of the legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. What do you think made him such an iconic figure?
I think it starts with the winning. Coach Bryant was an incredibly successful football coach for over thirty years. There were many great college football coaches during his heyday in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, but Coach Bryant was undoubtedly the best and his record speaks for itself. 323 victories. Six national championships. But it’s more than just the winning. He was such a great character. He was tall and had that gravelly voice. He wore the Houndstooth hat and smoked Chesterfield cigarettes. He carried himself like an Old West gunslinger. In fact, there were many comparisons between Coach Bryant and John Wayne. There is also the regard that his former players show him. So many of them count Coach Bryant as their most significant influence in life. Finally, Coach Bryant’s story is so inspiring. Here was a man born of the most humble of beginnings, one of nine children to a poor family in Moro Bottom, Arkansas, who grew to be one of the most recognizable figures in sports history. A man who dined with Presidents and celebrities. Who, when he died, was given his own stamp. Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant personified the American dream.
How in the world did you find time to write a novel while working as a full-time attorney and caring for three young children?
Simple: I got up at 4:00 in the morning before work and before the kids were awake, and wrote for a couple of hours every morning. The pages eventually began to pile up.
“The Professor” is billed as “the first McMurtrie and Drake investigation.” So can we get any sneak peek into what’s next?
Book two, which is entitled “Between Black and White,” will take Tom and Rick to Pulaski, Tennessee, where they will defend an old friend on charges of capital murder.
(Q and A courtesy of JKS Communications)
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Today's the Day! Release Date for Cress by Marissa Meyer!!
The third book in The Lunar Chronicles series is scheduled to be released today!!! Tell me Lunar fans, how excited are you?
Sunday, February 2, 2014
JK Rowling Believes Hermione Should Have Ended Up With Harry Potter!
“For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron,” Rowling says in an interview with Wonderland magazine, due out next Friday.
“I know, I’m sorry, I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I’m absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that. It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility.
"Am I breaking people's hearts by saying this? I hope not."
JK Rowling was interviewed for Wonderland magazine by British actress Emma Watson who is guest editing the magazine.
Emma Watson, the actress who played Hermione in the Harry Potter movies, agreed with Rowling, saying: "I think there are fans out there who know that too and who wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy."
All through the series, I really thought Harry and Hermione would end up together but in the end I liked the pairing. I have to wonder though, would Ron challenge Hermione enough? Would their relationship grow or become stagnant? Their creator believes Hermione and Ron would eventually have needed marriage counselling. What do you think?
Friday, January 31, 2014
40 Below at Ice on Whyte
At the Ice on Whyte Festival Wednesday, January 29/14, my friend Kim and I checked out the amazing ice and snow sculptures. The one above is my favourite and I believe it won a prize. After seeing and photographing all the sculptures, we went indoors - thankfully, dang it was a cold evening!
It was in this large heated tent we were delighted to listen to a few of the contributors to the book
40 Below Edmonton's Winter Anthology.
The 40 Below anthology is a collection of short stories, verse and poem by local authors and was released for publication November 2013. Of course I got autographs from those I could catch. I felt kind of bad for catching Garry Garrison (pictured uppermost above) as he was taking his grandchildren around with his wife to see the ice sculptures. He was a good sport and signed his contribution in both our books. He'll have to get used to being famous now!
Announced that evening was the upcoming sequel to 40 Below to be published November 2015. They are accepting winter related submissions from the entire province this time. For more information, visit their site: 40 Below Project. 40 Below is available at local bookstores or by order via their website.
This is Not A True Story, It's a Love Story - Winter's Tale
This trailer has captured me. Oh, now I have to read the book!!!!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Unexpected Surprise in an Email Today!!!
Woo hoo! I just received an unexpected email from Jac Wright, author of The Reckless Engineer. I am the lucky winner of an Amazon gift card for participating in the blog tour for the release of his mystery novel, The Reckless Engineer. You can catch my review here: http://shirley-mybookshelf.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-reckless-engineer-by-jac-wright.html.
The Reckless Engineer has a new take on the traditional mystery novel, involving the field of engineering. Here's a portion of my review to whet your appetite:
Jac Wright gathers together a group of possible suspects but you will likely not guess who did the deed and framed Jac. That twist comes at the end and you realize Wright had dropped cleverly disguised hints all along. I love to see that ability, especially in a new to me mystery author.
Engineering is not commonly found in mysteries. You find writers, police officers, elderly spinsters, journalists with cats, and a myriad of others but never before have I come across engineers in this genre. Jac Wright intends to change that with this series, of which The Reckless Engineer is the first. He brings to the series his own personal knowledge as an engineer, expounding upon situations in his realm of experience thus introducing the mystery enthusiast to an entirely new and interesting facet to the genre. If you're a mystery lover sleuthing out something new, check out Wright's series, engineered to reaffirm your love.
You can order your copy here.
Enjoy!
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