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

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America; Ann Neumann

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two from a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon -- another NF  for me.

The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America; Ann Neumann

Beacon Press - 2016

Chapter One

Terminal Restlessness

" I placed the tiny white pill on the US Army spoon my father had used to eat cereal for nearly forty years.  From a white plastic bottle, about the size and shape of a small flask, I extracted five drops of pink liquid morphine.  I released each drop one by one onto the spoon and used the tip of the dropper to push the Ativan in slow circles until it dissolved.  Then I sucked the mixture back up into the dropper.  Morphine takes your pain away. Ativan calms you down.  I wanted to lick the spoon."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

I See You Made an Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50; Annabelle Gurwitch

I See You Made an Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50; Annabelle Gurwitch - Plume - 2015

Actress and comedian, Annabelle Gurwitch entertains readers with a sometimes LOL collection of (16) essays which reflect on how life changes for women as they approach the big 50 milestone. The book is only 240 pages and some of the essays are only a couple of pages long, others are slightly longer.  The author maintains that the only way for women to deal with aging is to have a sense of humor.

The essays touch on a variety of aging issues: the sandwich generation, children at home and aging parents, menopause, new aches and pains, fighting the wrinkle battle, finding a new way to dress that is age appropriate and also helps to hide the midriff bulge of middle age.

The stories are personal and funny and, I suspect that most women 50+ will find some passages which will resonate with them in more ways than one.  It's a light fluffy read, that is perfect for your nightstand.  I enjoyed reading a few essays each evening before bed over the course of a couple of weeks.  Although some readers may find some of language offensive at times, overall I think that this might be just the kind of humor that works once you realize that you have no choice but to laugh about getting older.  I think this would be a fun book club discussion book especially for groups with older members. 

4/5 stars

(review copy sent by publisher)

(Here's an Intro from the first Essay) ----STAY FUNNY

"On the day I turned forty-nine the first solicitation from AARP appeared in my email in-box.  At a glance, I thought it might be an ad for white-collar prison uniforms.  A couple is pictured dressed in matching cotton pastel sweaters and pleated Dockers.  The entire outfit screams, Here, take my libido and hold it for the rest of my life, which won't last much longer anyway.  The man has his arms encircling the woman's waist.  Is he propping her up because she's suffering from osteoporosis, or helpfully disguising her muffin top?  The expressions on their faces can only be described as resigned."

In the Blood; Lisa Unger

In the Blood; Lisa Unger

Simon & Schuster Audio -2014

In the Blood is a psychological thriller that really held my interest. The audio book was easy to listen to and quite enjoyable.

The story for the most part is told from the POV of Lana Granger, a psychology student at a small college.  The reader learns early on that Lana had a rough childhood at the hands of an abusive father and that her mother is dead.  Left with a trust fund that is all but depleted, she takes a job as a nanny for Luke, a young, trouble boy, who is more than his mother can handle.  Luke's mother seems to have some secrets of her own and, it is easy to surmise that Lana is an unreliable narrator which makes this thriller all the more interesting and suspenseful. To add even another piece to this thriller, Lana's close friend Beck, goes missing at the beginning of the novel and Lana was the last person with her, so the police are anxious to question Lana about Beck's disappearance.

The way the story rolls out is not entirely smooth, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. First we learn bits and pieces about Lana's terrible childhood, but never enough to know her whole story.  Then we learn that she was the last person to see her best friend, and then there was her nanny job with a sometimes violent Luke.  There were times when I wondered who had the most baggage and who was the most disturbed character in this thriller.  I patiently waited to find out more about Lana's secret past.  

Although I figured out some of this thriller, there were a few surprises.  Lana was a terrific character, unlikable yet interesting all the same.  Everything is revealed by the end and, although I enjoyed this story, I can see some readers being upset with certain elements and how the story played out.  Lisa Unger is a talented writer of psychological thrillers, I always look forward to her books.

4/5 stars

(audio book sent by the publisher)

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

I have so many of my own books to read but, still I can't resist checking out what's "soon to be released".  How do these sound to you?

Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep; Michael Schulman

Harper Collins - April - 2016

(Amazon Description)

A portrait of a woman, an era, and a profession: the first thoroughly researched biography of Meryl Streep—the “Iron Lady” of acting, nominated for nineteen Oscars and winner of three—that explores her beginnings as a young woman of the 1970s grappling with love, feminism, and her astonishing talent.

In 1975 Meryl Streep, a promising young graduate of the Yale School of Drama, was finding her place in the New York theater scene. Burning with talent and ambition, she was like dozens of aspiring actors of the time—a twenty-something beauty who rode her bike everywhere, kept a diary, napped before performances, and stayed out late “talking about acting with actors in actors’ bars.” Yet Meryl stood apart from her peers. In her first season in New York, she won attention-getting parts in back-to-back Broadway plays, a Tony Award nomination, and two roles in Shakespeare in the Park productions. Even then, people said, “Her. Again.”

Her Again is an intimate look at the artistic coming-of-age of the greatest actress of her generation, from the homecoming float at her suburban New Jersey high school, through her early days on the stage at Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama during its golden years, to her star-making roles in The Deer Hunter, Manhattan, and Kramer vs. Kramer. New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman brings into focus Meryl’s heady rise to stardom on the New York stage; her passionate, tragically short-lived love affair with fellow actor John Cazale; her marriage to sculptor Don Gummer; and her evolution as a young woman of the 1970s wrestling with changing ideas of feminism, marriage, love, and sacrifice.

Featuring eight pages of black-and-white photos, this captivating story of the making of one of the most revered artistic careers of our time reveals a gifted young woman coming into her extraordinary talents at a time of immense transformation, offering a rare glimpse into the life of the actress long before she became an icon.

 The One-in-a-Million Boy; Monica Wood

Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt - April 2016

(Amazon Description)

The incandescent story of a 104-year-old woman and the sweet, strange young boy assigned to help her around the house — a friendship that touches each member of the boy’s unmoored family

For years, guitarist Quinn Porter has been on the road, chasing gig after gig, largely absent to his twice-ex-wife Belle and their odd, Guinness records–obsessed son. When the boy dies suddenly, Quinn seeks forgiveness for his paternal shortcomings by completing the requirements for his son’s unfinished Boy Scout badge.

 

For seven Saturdays, Quinn does yard work for Ona Vitkus, the wily 104-year-old Lithuanian immigrant the boy had visited weekly. Quinn soon discovers that the boy had talked Ona into gunning for the world record for Oldest Licensed Driver — and that’s the least of her secrets. Despite himself, Quinn picks up where the boy left off, forging a friendship with Ona that allows him to know the son he never understood, a boy who was always listening, always learning.

 

The One-in-a-Million Boy is a richly layered novel of hearts broken seemingly beyond repair and then bound by a stunning act of human devotion.

My Mrs. Brown; William Norwich

Simon & Schuster - April 2016

(Amazon Description)

From William Norwich, the well-known fashion writer and editor, an unforgettable novel about a woman with a secret who travels to New York City on a determined quest to buy a special dress that represents everything she wants to say about that secret…and herself.

Sometimes a dress isn’t just a dress.

Emilia Brown is a woman of a certain age. She has spent a frugal, useful, and wholly restrained life in Ashville, a small town in Rhode Island. Overlooked especially by the industries of fashion and media, Mrs. Brown is one of today’s silent generations of women whose quiet no-frills existences would make them seem invisible. She is a genteel woman who has known her share of personal sorrows and quietly carried on, who makes a modest living cleaning and running errands at the local beauty parlor, who delights in evening chats with her much younger neighbor, twenty-three-year-old Alice Danvers.

When the grand dame of Ashville passes away, Mrs. Brown is called upon to inventory her estate and comes across a dress that changes everything. This isn’t a Cinderella confection; it’s a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket—a suit that Mrs. Brown realizes, with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey. She must have it. And so Mrs. Brown begins her odyssey to purchase the dress. For not only is the owning of the Oscar de la Renta a must, the intimidating trip to purchase it on Madison Avenue is essential as well. If the dress is to give Mrs. Brown a voice, then she must prepare by making the daunting journey—both to the emerald city and within herself.

Timeless, poignant, and appealing, My Mrs. Brown is a novel for every mother in the world, every woman who ever wanted the perfect dress, and every child who wanted to give it to her.

Eleanor; Jason Gurley

Eleanor; Jason Gurley

Crown - 2016

Eleanor and Esmerelda Witt were identical twins with a unique closeness. The sisters even shared a special language that was theirs alone. One day a tragic accident claims the life of 6 year old Esme which tears the family apart and forever alters Eleanor's life.  Eleanor is left with a unique ability to escape to strange alternate realities.

Eleanor is such a tragic story. The characters are so hollow with grief that they seem unaware of the pain they were inflicting on others who were suffering over the same loss.  It was hard to read about Eleanor and all the emotional pain she had to endure after the loss of her twin and while caring for her alcoholic mother who was so abusive.

This is a terrific story. The writing is wonderful, the characters, even the minor ones, were so beautifully drawn --warts and all.  As I read it was easy to see why the characters did some of the things they did.  Even though I'm not a fantasy fan, I enjoyed traveling into Eleanor's alternate reality proving that sometimes reading outside of our comfort zones is a good thing. This is a book that left a lasting impression. Readers who enjoy stories about family dysfunction and mother/daughter struggles should enjoy this beautifully crafted story. 

4.5/5 stars

(review copy)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Vegetarian; Han Kang

Leap Year messed with my Tuesday intro post this week. Even though I played around with the Mr. Linky, it assumed today was the day this post should be revealed LOL

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two from a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon.  

The Vegetarian; Han Kang

Hogarth - 2016

"Before my wife turned vegetarian I'd always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way.  To be frank, the first time I met her I wasn't even attracted to her. Middling height, bobbed hair neither long or short; jaundiced, sickly-looking skin; somewhat prominent cheekbones; her timid, sallow aspect told me all I needed to know. As she came up to the table where I was waiting, I couldn't help but notice her shoes--the plainest black shoes imaginable.  And that walk of hers--neither fast nor slow, striding nor mincing."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?