First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Matzah Ball; Jean Meltzer

 

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.  It's time to begin some holiday reads - I hope to read at least (4) this December.  Do you like to indulge in a few holiday reads every year?

The Matzah Ball; Jean Meltzer

Mira - 2021

1.

She needed one more.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt stared at the collection of miniature Christmas figurines spread across her desk.  She owned 236 of the smiling porcelain Santas from the world famous  Holiday Dreams Collection.  When her best friend, Mickey, arrived, she would complete that collection with the coveted Margaritaville Santa.

Oh, The Margaritaville Santa. How she dreamed of the day that a tiny porcelain Santa, in a Hawaiian shirt and wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses would sit atop her prized collection.

Rachel had scoured eBay for the tiny limited-edition figurine, set up price alerts and left frantic (somewhat drunken) posts at three in the morning on collectors blogs.  Now, after six years, five months and seven days of hunting, the Margaritaville Santa would finally be hers.  The anxiety was killing her.

What do you think, read more or pass?

Book Review - Where I Left Her; Amber Garza

 

Where I Left Her; Amber Garza

Mira - 2021

Whitney is a divorced mother to a moody, disrespectful sixteen year-old named Amelia.  As the story begins Whitney is using her GPS to drive Amelia over to the home of Lauren, a newer friend that she is planning an overnight with.  Amelia, like many teens, has a way of making Whitney's life more than challenging lately, so Whitney is looking forward to kicking back and having an evening to herself.

The following morning after Whitney's calls to Amelia's phone go unanswered she drives over to the tract house neighborhood where she dropped her daughter off.  When an elderly couple answer the door and everyone seems surprised, Whitney thinks she could have the wrong house yet, she remembers the red door and rose bushes.  Confused and disoriented she rides around the the connecting neighborhood but ends up back at the home of the elderly couple.  Where is Amelia?

The story is clearly every parent's worst nightmare and it has a somewhat creepy feel at times.  The story backtracks to seven weeks earlier and progresses to the present and the reader gets to speculate about what has happened to Amelia and her friend.  There were also flashbacks to Whitney's own teenage years that makes the reader wonder where the story is headed but, after some unexpected curveballs, it all makes sense in the end - definitely different from anything I've read recently.  

Although I did not love this one as I did the author's previous book, When I Was You,  however, I was still happy I read this one.

Thanks go to Edelweiss and Mira for allowing my early access to the eGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Rating - 4/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Where I Left Her; Amber Garza

 

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. 

Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.

Where I Left Her; Amber Garza

Mira - August - 2021

Friday, 5:00 pm, drop off

Whitney wanted to get rid of her daughter.

How awful is that?

Not forever, of course, but for the night. She was weary of the fifteen-year-old attitude. The rolling of eyes, stomping of feet, the judging glances and biting remarks. 

That's why she wasn't paying as much attention as she should've been when dropping Amelia off at Lauren's.  Her mind was back in their apartment, her butt planted on the couch, bare feet propped on the table, a pint of ice cream in her lap.

"The destination is on your right."

She turned the steering wheel, following the instructions given by the disembodied voice of the GPS in her daughter's phone. Amelia held it up, giving the illusion that her palm was talking

The house in front of them was  nondescript. A tract home, painted beige with dark brown trim, a cream door, two large windows overlooking the narrow walkway. The only thing that set it apart from the others was the row of rose bushes lining the left perimeter of the yard, scarlet red petals and thorny jagged stems.

 What do you think?  I loved this author's previous book, When I Was You so I've really been looking forward to her new one.  It sounds perfect for the RIP Challenge as well.

Book Review - The Wrong Kind of Woman; Sarah McCraw Crow

The Wrong Kind of Woman; Sarah McCraw Crow

Mira - 2020

From the cover, the title and the very first chapter and intro paragraph below, there was so much about this book that appealed to me: the title - just what was the wrong kind of woman? the setting - small academic college in New Hampshire, timeframe - early 1970s and, this sad intro - starts with a death......

Chapter One

November 1970

Westfield, New Hampshire

Oliver died the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the air heavy with snow that hadn't fallen yet.  His last words to Virginia were, "Tacks, Ginny? Do we have any tacks?"

Yes, Virginia Desmarais, has just lost her husband Oliver unexpectedly, while he was out hanging Christmas lights. Now at 39, she is left to raise the couple's 14 year old daughter Rebecca.

Both Oliver and Virginia taught at Clarendon College, a private men's school. She, however, did not have her PhD, making her feel somewhat inferior. It was the 1970's, a changing time in this country, especially for women. A single mother teaching at a private college certainly was not the norm. Her struggle to fit in set against societies expectations at that time felt compelling. Virginia does have four single women known as the Gang of Four on her side, this was the same group of women who Oliver had criticized privately before his death. It is these same women who serve as Virginia's anchors when she needs support the most.

I loved the flashbacks to the 1960s and 1970s and all that "in" and pressing during those years. I do feel bad that I just didn't love this book more. Unfortunately, this book made for some painfully slow reading.  The story seemed directionless at times, some of the flashbacks just seemed out of place and didn't fit and, alternating narrators also felt confusing at times.  Overall, this one just did not work well for me.

Rating - 3/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Wrong Kind of Woman; Sarah McCraw Crow

 

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book they are reading or that they plan to read soon. 

The Wrong Kind of Woman; Sarah McCraw Crow

Mira - 2020

Chapter One

November 1970

Westfield, New Hampshire

Oliver died the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the air heavy with snow that hadn't fallen yet.  His last words to Virginia were, "Tacks, Ginny? Do we have any tacks?"

I forgot I had downloaded this eBook and I love that the intro takes place around Thanksgiving even though it's a sad opening.

Book Review - When I Was You; Amber Garza

When I Was You; Amber Garza

Mira - August 2020

A totally engrossing psychological thriller, that is hard to put down; I can't wait for more books by this talented new author.

When Kelly Medina receives a call from a pediatrician's office reminding her of a well-baby visit appointment for her son, she is stunned. She tells the woman on the other end of the line that she is "19 years too late".  Could there possibly be (2) Kelly Medinas in such a small town? Obsessed with finding out more about Kelly #2 , especially after learning that the woman even goes to the same gym, she decides to wait outside the doctor's office on the day and time of the appointment to see if she shows up.

When the women do meet, the older Kelly quickly has a new enthusiasm for her rather lonely life: she has a grown son, her husband is away a lot and she really only has one other person to talk to.  She soon begins showing up unexpectedly at the younger Kelly's apartment, buying things for the baby and the one-sided friendship soon turns to obsession, quickly spiraling out of control.

When I Was You is a well written thriller with unexpected twists. I was never sure where this story was going. I loved how the story is told from the second person POV so you always know what the older Kelly was thinking (she definitely had some mental health issues); her thoughts were often funny, sometimes just so inappropriate and other times downright terrifying. A must read for psych thriller fans. Don't miss this one!

Rating - 5/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - When I Was You; Amber Garza

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. . Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book they are reading or that they plan to read soon.

When I Was You; Amber Garza

Mira - 2020

Chapter One

 It was a Monday morning in early October when I first heard about you. I was getting out of the shower when my phone rang.  After throwing on a robe and cinching it, I ran into my bedroom, snatching my cell off the nightstand.  Unknown number.

Normally I'd let those go. But I'd already run all the way in here, and I thought maybe it was a call from Dr, Hillerman's office.

"Hello? " I answered, breathless.  Goose bumps rose on my pale flesh, so I pulled the robe tighter around me,  My sopping wet hair dripped down my back.

"Is this Kelly Medina?"

Great, a salesperson. "Yes," I answered, wishing I hadn't picked up.

"Hi, Kelly, this is Nancy from Dr. Cramer's office. I'm calling to remind you of your well baby appointment this Friday at ten a.m."

"Well-baby"? I let out a surprised laugh. You're about nineteen years too late."

I just started this and was surprised how quickly I was hooked.  What do you think read more or pass?

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper; Phaedra Patrick

 

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper; Phaedra Patrick

Mira - 2016

In this delightful debut novel we meet Arthur Pepper, age 69. A widower for one year, Arthur and Miriam had been married for 40 years. Arthur's children think that it is time for him to get on with the rest of his life.  So on the one year anniversary of his wife's death his decides to clear away her things and , in the process he finds a "charm" bracelet that he has never seen before. He's curious to find out where it came from and why he never saw Miriam wear it.

When Arthur notices that the Indian elephant charm with gemstone has a telephone number engraved, Arthur decides to find out more about the person who may have given Miriam the charm.  This charm leads him to someone in India, a place he never knew his former wife had lived. What else didn't Arthur know about Miriam?

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a journey of discovery and, although the individual stories behind each charm were fun to read about, the real "charm" of this novel was Arthur's self-realization as he thinks about his own legacy.  I really enjoyed this sweet story with its many funny and endearing moments. In many ways remind me of the writing style of Fredrik Backman.

4/5 stars

(eGalley)

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You - (3) New Titles

(3) soon to be released titles I have my eye on.

Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper; Phaedra Patrick

Mira - May - 2016

(AMAZON DESCRIPTION)

In this poignant and curiously charming debut, a lovable widower embarks on a life-changing adventure 

Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater vest, waters his fern, Frederica, and heads out to his garden. 

But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam's death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam's possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he's never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to Paris and as far as India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife's secret life before they met—a journey that leads him to find hope, healing and self-discovery in the most unexpected places. 

Featuring an unforgettable cast of characters with big hearts and irresistible flaws, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a joyous celebration of life's infinite possibilities.

Mothering Sunday: A Romance; Graham Swift

Knopf - April - 2016

(AMAZON DESCRIPTION)

A luminous, intensely moving tale that begins with a secret lovers’ assignation in the spring of 1924, then unfolds to reveal the whole of a remarkable life. 
            
Twenty-two-year-old Jane Fairchild has worked as a maid at an English country house since she was sixteen. For almost all of those years she has been the clandestine lover to Paul Sheringham, young heir of a neighboring house. The two now meet on an unseasonably warm March day—Mothering Sunday—a day that will change Jane’s life forever. 
            
As the narrative moves back and forth from 1924 to the end of the century, what we know and understand about Jane—about the way she loves, thinks, feels, sees, remembers—expands with every vividly captured moment. Her story is one of profound self-discovery, and through her, Graham Swift has created an emotionally soaring, deeply affecting work of fiction.

Ludivine; Marie NDiaye

Knopf - April - 2016

(AMAZON DESCRIPTION)

 From the hugely acclaimed author of Three Strong Women—“a masterpiece of narrative ingenuity and emotional extremes” (The New York Times)—here is a harrowing and subtly crafted novel of a woman captive to a secret shame.

On the first Tuesday of every month, Clarisse Rivière leaves her husband and young daughter and secretly takes the train to Bordeaux to visit her mother, Ladivine. Just as Clarisse’s husband and daughter know nothing of Ladivine, Clarisse herself has hidden nearly every aspect of her adult life from this woman, whom she dreads and despises but also pities. Long ago abandoned by Clarisse’s father, Ladivine works as a housecleaner and has no one but her daughter, whom she knows as Malinka. 

After more than twenty-five years of this deception, the idyllic middle-class existence Clarisse has built from scratch can no longer survive inside the walls she’s put up to protect it. Her untold anguish leaves her cold and guarded, her loved ones forever trapped outside, looking in. When her husband, Richard, finally leaves her, Clarisse finds comfort in the embrace of a volatile local man, Freddy Moliger. With Freddy, she finally feels reconciled to, or at least at ease with, her true self. But this peace comes at a terrible price. Clarisse will be brutally murdered, and it will be left to her now-grown daughter, who also bears the name Ladivine without knowing why, to work out who her mother was and what happened to her.

A mesmerizing and heart-stopping psychological tale of a trauma that ensnares three generations of women, Ladivine proves Marie NDiaye to be one of Europe’s great storytellers. 

Translated from the French by Jordan Stump