Friday, March 12, 2010

Friday Finds - March 12, 2010

This meme is hosted by MizB at Should be reading
These are a few books I've had on my wish list that have either just been released or are soon to be released,  Find anything good you'd like to share?
 Forty Rules of Love; Elif Shafak
In this lyrical, exuberant follow-up to her 2007 novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives- one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz-that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.

Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by his tale of Shams's search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, that offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mir­rors her own and that Zahara-like Shams-has come to set her free.

The Spice Necklace; Ann Vanderhoof
(Author of An Embarrassment of Mangoes - loved this story)

While sailing around the Caribbean Ann Vanderhoof  and her husband Steve track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills. 
Along the way, they befriend a collection of unforgettable island characters: Dwight, the skin-diving fisherman who always brings them something from his catch and critiques her efforts to cook it; Greta, who harvests seamoss on St. Lucia and turns it into potent Island-Viagra; sweet-hand Pat, who dispenses hugs and impromptu dance lessons along with cooking tips in her Port of Spain kitchen.
Back in her galley, Ann practices making curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan. And for those who want to take these adventures into their own kitchens, she pulls 71 delicious recipes from the stories she tells, which she places at the end of the relevant chapters. 
The Spice Necklace is a wonderful escape into a life filled with sunshine (and hurricanes), delicious food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions.
Imperfect Birds; Anne Lamott

Rosie Ferguson is seventeen and ready to enjoy the summer before her senior year of high school. She's intelligent-she aced AP physics; athletic-a former state-ranked tennis doubles champion; and beautiful. She is, in short, everything her mother, Elizabeth, hoped she could be. The family's move to Landsdale, with stepfather James in tow, hadn't been as bumpy as Elizabeth feared.

But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham, and that Elizabeth's hopes for her daughter to remain immune from the pull of the darker impulses of drugs and alcohol are dashed. Slowly and against their will, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions will have profound consequences.

This is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel yet, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it reveals the traps that can befall all of us.

33 comments:

  1. I really want to read Imperfect Birds (and not just because I'm a birder ;). Sounds fantastic!

    And could I have Ann Vanderhoof's life, please??

    My Friday Find is over at bookwanderer!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Imperfect Birds sounds like a great book. I haven't read anything by Anne Lamott yet but I've heard that she is a fantastic author.

    The Spice Necklace looks like a unique book for people interested in traveling and cooking. I've been to the Dominican Republic before so I might enjoy this too. The cover is just beautiful!

    Great finds.

    Here are my Friday Finds.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those all look good, but I got a chuckle out of the description of Forty Rules of Love when they said the author serves up her work to underwhelming results.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great picks! I like the middle one about the island. :) Sounds like my kind of place! My finds are at The Crowded Leaf.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have a copy of the last one and so look forward to reading it!! The others look pretty intriguing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Those all DO look great! The Help has been on my list for awhile now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am so glad that I came by your blog today! Anne Lamott is one of my favorite authors - I've read most of her novels but I had no idea that she had a new one coming out in April. I think it has been quite a long time since she published something (I believe her last novel was Blue Shoe - pub. 2003).

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm adding Imperfect Birds to my wish list....it sounds great!

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, that first book description doesn't sound very flattering! But I think the second book sounds excellent :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. All of these books look great...I really want to be the beach that is on that cover!

    ReplyDelete
  11. These look great! I am really excited about reading Imperfect Birds. Anne LaMott is terrific.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm definitely adding Imperfect Birds to my TBR. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I so want The Spice Necklace - it sounds so good!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Fabulous finds! I am most interested in The Spice Necklace--it sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Imperfect Birds sounds pretty interesting!! Great finds!

    ReplyDelete
  16. These all look great and they're all new to me!

    Here are my finds: Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick

    ReplyDelete
  17. I look forward to reading Imperfect Birds. I've just added it to my TBR on Goodreads!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lovely covers!

    I found you through the Book Blogger Hop :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Very cool list, all of them sound great.

    Have a nice weekend! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm looking forward to reading Imperfect Birds, too!

    ReplyDelete
  21. That Turkish one sounds interesting. Is it translated?

    ReplyDelete
  22. I've never heard of any of these books but I love the covers. I will defiantly check them all out. Great meme!

    ReplyDelete
  23. The Spice Necklace will be on my wish list as soon as I create some space. It's a really long wish list.

    Love, love Anne Lamott.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I really want to read The Spice Necklace-sounds really interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  25. All of these books seem great. Thanks for the ideas

    ReplyDelete
  26. Have you read Shafak's Bastard of Istanbul? I really liked it.

    ReplyDelete
  27. E.L Fay....The author of Forty Rules of Love writes in both English and Turkish, so this book was not translated.

    Softdrink... I have not read Bastard of Istanbul, but have it on my wish list; glad u liked it.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love the sound of the Spice Necklace! Travel memoirs always intrigue me!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Imperfect Birds sounds like a very intersting read, and I will have to look for it. I just bought two books yesterday, and think I'll have to wait a few days before bying more, but I immediately felt that I wanted to read it when I read your post.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great finds, Diane! I've heard of the authors but have not read their books. They all look great!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great finds. I love the cover of The Spice Necklace.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to visit and double thanks for any comments. If you ask a question in your comments, I will try to reply to it here, or by email if your settings allow me to do so. Thanks again for visiting.