Hidden by Eve Kenin

In the frozen northern lands of the Waste, Tatiana has escaped from her imprisoned life in a lab and is out for revenge from those who used her cells to make a plague – her nemesis Dr. Ward and a man named Tolliver. When Tatiana is exposed to the illness, the mysterious Tristan takes her to an underground research facility with the intent of keeping her there to contain the infected. Working together, they join forces to put a stop to the plague.

Having only her siblings and a computer for company growing up, Tatiana finds social interaction difficult. It was interesting to follow her because she picks up more interpersonal skills along the way. And, as a Life/Charlie Crews fan I got a kick out of Tristan’s zenish bits that popped up here and there.

The air I exhale is inhaled by my insane companion. [page 110]

The sun that shines on me shines on my enemy. [page 300]

I haven’t read Driven, which precedes this book. If I had, the epilogue here wouldn’t have been a surprise for me, so reading out of order worked out okay.

4/5

Love Spell/Shomi, 2008, 978-0505527615

blurb:

Tatiana has honed her genetic gifts to perfection. She can withstand the subzero temperatures of the Northern Waste, read somebody’s mind with the briefest touch, and slice through bone with her bare hands. Which makes her one badass chick, all right. Nothing gets to her. Until she meets Tristan. Villain or ally, she can’t be sure. But one thing she does know: he has gifts too-including the ability to ramp up her heart rate to dangerous levels. But before they can start some chemistry of their own, they have to survive being trapped in an underground lab, hunted by a madman, and exposed to a plague that could destroy mankind.

RIP John Hughes. I think I feel a Breakfast Club rewatch coming up soon.

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
Clio Ford, 17, lives with her mother but gets stuck with her father and his crew for the summer, exploring the Mediterranean in search for an artifact. There’s her father’s new professor girlfriend Julia and her teen daughter Elsa, Julia’s research assistant Aidan, and her father’s friend Martin.

In close quarters on a luxury yacht, forced to share a bedroom with Elsa, Clio has been given cook duty. Her father tells her it’s not a party cruise, it’s a working vacation. Clio befriends Elsa, mourns the loss of her planned summer which included her art store-working crush Ollie back home, and grapples with her feelings for Aidan, who Elsa has declared will be her summer fling. There are a few flashbacks that reveal what the artifact is and Clio eventually discovers what exactly they’re searching for, a huge archaeological discovery.

We also find out how Clio’s parents separated and get glimpses at Clio’s earlier childhood, which included a hit board game that she co-created with her father. Overall – a fun read, good for summer. The humour and sarcasm worked for me and it went by quickly.

4/5

A dialogue teaser:

Everyone aboard gets assigned a com device and a number.

Clio pulled the tiny orange com from her pocket and looked on the back for Aidan’s number.
“Number Four,” she said. “You’re needed upstairs.”
Silence. Then a crackle and Clio’s father’s voice. “Number Five? Did you need Number Four?”
“Uh, yeah. Copy that,” Clio said, looking at Elsa and shrugging. “We need Number Four. He has something of Number Six’s. We have Three approval. Over?”
Elsa tumbled to her side and laughed into her pile of clothes. Clio held up a hand to quiet her.
“Okay, Five,” her father said. “Four’s on his way.”
“Roger, One. Over and out.” [pp. 83/84 hardcover]

HarperTeen, 2007

Maureen Johnson’s site

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

Chastity is a tall, athletic journalist who has moved back to her hometown where her parents, older brothers and long-time crush Trevor live. She gets dumped by her current guy, who says her strength and athleticism just aren’t that attractive for him. Then Chastity meets and dates a handsome doctor, but still pines for Trevor.

This was a rollercoaster read – I laughed out loud but was also a sniffling mess when things got gritty towards the end. I went through one small pack of Kleenex - 15 tissues, and it felt like I’d been through the ringer right along with Chastity. I wasn’t too fond of the triangle here though –  Chastity is with the doctor for a good chunk of the book, and Trevor’s motives are a mystery until the end. I have to say, I got quite absorbed in the outcome of Chastity’s parents rather than her own problems.

3.5/5

HQN, 2008, 978-0373772995

blurb:

Being one of the guys isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

So when journalist Chastity O’Neill returns to her hometown, she decides it’s time to start working on some of those feminine wiles. Two tiny problems: #1—she’s five feet eleven inches of rock-solid girl power, and #2—she’s cursed with four alpha male older brothers.

While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a hunky doctor and things start to look up. Now there’s only one problem: Trevor Meade, her first love and the one man she’s never quite gotten over—although he seems to have gotten over her just fine.

Yet the more time she spends with Dr. Perfect, the better Trevor looks. But even with the in-your-face competition, the irresistible Trevor just can’t seem to see Chastity as anything more than just one of the guys…

…on Jimmy Fallon earlier this month.

Bayside, Mr. Belding, good times.

I forgot about Zach’s ‘time outs’ until he did it during the interview. It’s like no time has passed, Mark Paul looks eerily the same as Zach. Is there really a possible Saved by the Bell reunion in the works? The interview runs about 8 minutes. Cue theme music!

HarperPerennial.ca will be featuring short stories throughout the summer. There are two available to read now: Damaged Goods by Tim Winton and Bolero by Frances Itani.

The Savvy Reader’s summer reading challenge is also on now (read two short story collections listed) and there’s a chance to win a fall book.

There’s also this fun promo trailer put together by HarperPerennial USA:

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

Epistolary young adult book. Three 10th grade friends from Ashbury high school, Emily, Lydia and Cassie, participate in their interschool pen pal project for class. Set in Australia and quite entertaining, Emily and Lydia have fun with their pen pals but Cassie runs into serious problems with hers.

4.5/5

Also published under the title Finding Cassie Crazy, it’s the second of these connected books: (1) Feeling Sorry for Celia and (3) The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie / Becoming Bindy Mackenzie / The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie.

Read an excerpt

Scholastic blurb:

The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program was designed to bring together the “lowlife Brooker kids” (as they’re known to the Ashburyites) and the “rich Ashbury snobs” (as they’re called by the Brookfielders) in a spirit of harmony and the Joy of the Envelope. But things don’t go quite as planned. Lydia and Sebastian trade challenges, like setting off the fire alarm at Brookfield. Emily tutors Charlie in “How to Go on a Date with a Girl.” But it’s Cassie and Matthew who both reveal and conceal the most about themselves – and it’s their secrets and lies that set off a war between the two schools.

contest entry for

http://www.VictoriaDahl.com

Bride and Prejudice

starring Aishwarya Rai as Lalita/Lizzie and Martin Henderson as William Darcy

I’ve seen this before, but it was on tv the other night and I caught the opening number.

Yes, cheesiness but so entertaining. If you are a Pride and Prejudice fan I recommend it for kicks. The Bennets are reimagined as the Bakshi family with one less sister (Kitty is nowhere to be found). It was great to see Naveen Andrews (Balraj/Mr. Bingley) dance and sing like ‘an Indian MC Hammer’ in the opening number when his role as Sayid on Lost is so serious. The cobra dance by Maya, the equivalent of Mary’s piano playing and singing – priceless. Also fun was the ‘No life, without wife’ number (phrase coined by Mr. Kohli/Mr. Collins).

Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears

I’ve enjoyed Iain Pears’ art mystery series, but haven’t read his standalone works. Financier John Stone fell to his death from a window of his London home. This is presented in three parts, all with different narrators. It has an interesting structure – it’s told in a backwards fashion; starting in London 1909 it then jumps to 1890 Paris and then to 1867 Venice. I did skim quite a bit of the financial parts and was lagging by the time part three came around, despite the Venice setting. But if you can stick with it until the end, you’ll be rewarded with a whaaat? At least, that was my reaction. Cannot say I saw that coming, but everything falls into place.

3.5/5

Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009, 978-0676979848

jacket blurb:

A panoramic novel with a riveting mystery at its heart, Stone’s Fall is a quest, a love story, and a tale of murder. It centres on the career of a very wealthy financier and the mysterious circumstances of his death, cast against the backdrop of WWI and Europe’s first great age of espionage, the evolution of high-stakes international finance and the beginning of the twentieth century’s arms race.

I’ll miss you Life.

Officially cancelled.

15 pounds of pure bunny — Charlie Crews

Ah, show, first you had the shortened first season because of the writer’s strike (but it still rocked). Then you got rid of Robin Weigert and I wasn’t that keen on Donal Logue’s character joining the cast either. Sarah Shahi’s pregnancy came along midseason and you had to bring on Gabrielle Reece as Charlie’s new partner. Despite the unevenness, you were still a great show. The last episode surprised me a bit, but if Charlie and Dani belong together I’m okay with that. Charlie looking up at the sun, the barely touching hands during the exchange and 1+1 = 1 was such a poignant series ending. Thank you for bringing Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi together on our screens. I doubt it’ll happen, but could NBC please release both seasons on dvd with all the original broadcast music intact?

~~~~~

On the flip side, I did not really get into Little Dorrit on PBS/Masterpiece. This non(Dickens) reader was confused at the end – I thought Amy and Arthur were half siblings. But then they married so that obviously wasn’t right.

The Minister’s Daughter, Atheneum Books / The Merrybegot (UK title) by Julie Hearn, 2005
17th century England, young adult book. Nell is a merrybegot, a child conceived on the first of May. She and her grandmother are the village healers. Among the fairies and piskies, Nell gets tangled up in a pregnancy coverup carried out by the minister’s daughter Grace and her sister Patience. I liked the use of olde language without being too distracting and the dual narrative worked for me. 4/5

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson, Young Picador, 2007 (also called A Countess Below Stairs, 1981)
1919 England, young adult book. Anna, a young Russian countess, decides to take up a servant position in the Westerholme house to earn much needed money for her newly arrived and impoverished family. She falls for the new Earl in the process.  3/5

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn, Mira, 2008
Second book of the Lady Julia Grey series. I didn’t think this had the page-turning quality of Silent in the Grave, but I enjoyed the mystery of this one more. I liked getting to know more of Julia’s siblings and family; it’s still two steps forward, two steps back with Julia and Nicholas Brisbane. 4/5

Shameless contest entry

To promote the upcoming release of Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child, Persuader is available in ebook formats from Bantam Dell until May 19.

Jack Reacher.

The ultimate loner.

An elite ex-military cop who left the service years ago, he’s moved from place to place…without family…without possessions…without commitments.

And without fear. Which is good, because trouble—big, violent, complicated trouble—finds Reacher wherever he goes. And when trouble finds him, Reacher does not quit, not once…not ever.

But some unfinished business has now found Reacher. And Reacher is a man who hates unfinished business.

Ten years ago, a key investigation went sour and someone got away with murder. Now a chance encounter brings it all back. Now Reacher sees his one last shot. Some would call it vengeance. Some would call it redemption. Reacher would call it…justice.

Tonight Little Dorrit begins. I go in clueless not having read the book, but I was pleasantly surprised how addictive I found Bleak House, so maybe this will be the same vein. Clocks in at 8 hours over the next few weeks and features Matthew Macfadyen among the ensemble cast. [PBS Masterpiece]

Conspiracy walls, charts, et cetera
Now Chuck has one. Love that it’s on the back of a poster in his room to help him figure out how to get the Intersect out of his head.

[Click on poster to see NBC's chart]

It reminded me of these other instances:
On Alias, there was Vaughn’s massive SD/Alliance chart.

This is about the killing the monster, not just cutting the arm off of the monster.

[from Spy Caps]

On Life, Charlie Crews has a conspiracy wall/room, which has already gone through a rehaul this season and is housed in a walk-in closet.

Something wonky happened with the feed. If you are subscribed in a reader and see a handful of posts dated today, ignore them as they are actually old.

We were down to the top four contestants on Project Runway Canada and they did the ‘bring back a previous contestant to compete’ thing with a variation. They brought back the previous two kicked-off contestants, Genevieve and Jason. Being a team challenge, two contestants or one team would be out in this round. I haven’t seen every season of the American PR, but is this the first time the returning contestant(s) actually stayed? Poor Adejoke was robbed because of the team format. I got a chuckle out of their ‘trip’ being camping, not Paris like someone was hoping for.

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Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

First book of a series, a Victorian mystery with a dash of romance. Lady Julia’s husband Sir Edward Grey has passed away seemingly of natural causes. But Edward had hired private investigator Nicholas Brisbane due to some threatening notes he received. Brisbane thinks murder is possible; Lady Julia doesn’t believe it though.

One year later and coming out of mourning, she finds evidence of the threatening notes in her house, and concedes it may have been murder as Brisbane suggested. Despite the one year-old cold trail, Lady Julia wants to know the truth of the matter and we begin our mystery. So Mr. Brisbane is back on the case, this time with Lady Julia’s help.

Mystery books can be hit or miss for me but I found the chapter pacing and unravelling of the mystery pretty riveting, and easily finished this in two sittings. Nicholas Brisbane is so interesting – half gypsy, half Irish, well travelled, mysterious, and rather sneaky when it suits (for instance, telling Julia he’s going to Paris, but then not going and secretly following her around instead). The relationship between Nicholas and Julia is complicated but it shines. The March family – Julia’s father and her many siblings, and Aquinas, her former circus performer butler were also great characters in the mix.

4.5/5

Mira, 2007, 978-0778325246
Deanna Raybourn’s site with excerpt

series reading order – Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor (just released this month)

cover blurb:

“Let the wicked be ashamed. Let them be silent in the grave.”

These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward’s death was due to a longstanding physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband’s murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward’s demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

Call these reviewlets – books I didn’t get around to writing much on compiled here. Something like those tiny 100 calorie sized snacks that seem to be popular these days?

The Agency by Ally O’Brien, St. Martin’s Press, 2009
Liked the insider’s look at agency life, but I didn’t really connect with protagonist Tess. Things at the end were wrapped up rather quickly. There are many London/British references, which I didn’t mind because I got some of them. Ally O’Brien is actually writing duo Brian Freeman and entertainment agent Ali Gunn. 3/5

If you live in the US or Canada there’s still time to enter Bookshipper’s contest to win a copy – ends February 27.

The Art Thief by Noah Charney, Atria, 2007

Entertaining look into the high art world. I skimmed over a lot of the symbolism/iconography explanations, but Professor Barrow’s lectures were so entertaining and they were my favourite parts. It felt like I needed to draw a diagram to keep the twists straight though. 3.5/5

A Date With the Other Side by Erin McCarthy, Berkley Sensation, 2005

Cuttersville, Ohio’s haunted house tour operator Shelby and Chicago city boy Boston – their first meeting involves Boston’s nakedness. Not sure I’ll view eyelet quite the same way again and the momentum from that opening fizzled out. 2.5/5

Moongazer by Marianne Mancusi, Love Spell/Shomi, 2007
Matrix-like plot. Manhattan video game designer Skye has dreams of a postapocalyptic world where the people, particularly a man named Dawn, think she’s some resistance leader named Mariah who betrayed them. Dawn and Mariah have history, but Skye can’t be Mariah, even though they look alike, right? The pacing seemed a bit slow at the beginning, but I enjoyed Skye’s journey and the reveal at the end. 3.5/5

This comes late, but if you’re Canadian and have a Chapters/Indigo in your area, you might want to swing by to see if your store still has a four-for-$10 remainder table; and/or an under $5 table; and/or clearance markdowns in the bargain fiction section.

I was very pleased to scoop up The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig, a trade paperback remainder, and the second book in the series The Masque of the Black Tulip in hardcover at clearance price on separate outings. I’ve been meaning to pick up my own copies of the series but was going to wait until it finished first. Couldn’t resist such deals though.

]]> http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/bargain-hunter-triumph/feed/ 0 tea http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/review-beat-the-reaper/ http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/review-beat-the-reaper/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:17:09 +0000 tea http://ghtea.wordpress.com/?p=1435 ]]>

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

Former mob hitman and witness protection-turned doctor Peter Brown is severely tested one day when a patient recognizes him as Pietro ‘Bearclaw’ Brwna from his old life. Visceral and intense but also quite funny in places, with lots of action. I found the medical footnotes/asides worked here though I’m not normally fond of them.

Peter’s former life is revealed in flashbacks between the happenings at the hospital. The action seems pretty well suited to a screen adaption, I could imagine this as a movie. The behind the scenes staff hookups and hygiene issues I hope are not that bad in real life hospitals. The ending? Yes it was gory. Do I want to google and see if that part could really be done? No thanks, I’ll pass.

Other notes: plenty of profanity (well hey, it’s the mobster world). I loved how the little reaper graphic changed from holding a scythe to riding ‘a John Deere tractor’ after it was mentioned, great detail.

4/5

Little, Brown & Company, 2009, 978-0316032223
book site with excerpt and audiobook excerpt

jacket blurb:

Dr. Peter Brown is an intern at Manhattan’s worst hospital. He has a talent for medicine, a shift from hell, and a past he’d prefer to keep hidden. Whether it’s a blocked circumflex artery or a plan to land a massive malpractice suit, he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

Pietro “Bearclaw” Brnwna is a hit man for the mob, with a genius for violence, a well-earned fear of sharks, and an overly close relationship with the Federal Witness Protection Program. More likely to leave a trail of dead gangsters than a molecule of evidence, he’s the last person you want to see in your hospital room.

Nicholas LoBrutto, aka Eddy Squillante, is Dr. Brown’s new patient, with three months to live and a very strange idea: that Peter Brown and Pietro Brnwa might — just might — be the same person . . .

Now with the mob, the government, and death itself descending on the hospital, Peter has to buy time and do whatever it takes to keep his patients, himself, and his last shot at redemption alive. To get through the next eight hours — and somehow beat the Reaper.

So it sounds like there will be a movie version of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Shelf Awareness reports that actor Patrick Dempsey has acquired the film rights, and plans to produce and star as race car driver Denny, Enzo’s owner. McDreamy, while I lost interest and stopped watching your show this season, I might want to check this out. I enjoyed the book.

Project Runway Canada season two debuts Tuesday, January 27 at 10pm on Global. I enjoyed the first season. That first challenge, giving everybody a box of the same materials to work with, I don’t think I’ve seen done on the American version (haven’t seen all the seasons though so I could be wrong).

Phenomenal Girl 5 by AJ Menden

Lainey Livingston otherwise known as Phenomenal Girl 5, has been working towards joining the Elite Hands of Justice, prime superhero crime fighting team to Megalopolis for years. She’s now been approved to join, and like all new members, she must train with the legendary Reincarnist, Robert Elliot before joining the EHJ’s ranks full-time. An apocalypse prophesy involving the villain The Dragon, magic training with the Reincarnist, and falling in love keep Lainey very busy.

Lainey’s training time is cut short when Robert reincarnates and effectively becomes a stranger again. When he reincarnates, he gets a cellular reboot and comes back as a new 20-year old man, not guaranteed to retain his knowledge and memories from previous selves.

I enjoyed this, the superhero world was fun and drew me in. The consequences and effects of Robert’s reincarnation and the mix of action and romance made for a good read.

4/5

Love Spell/Shomi, 2008, 978-0505527868
(thanks again bookwyrmknits for my copy)

cover blurb:

Lainey Livingston has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world’s premiere cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; all her senses are extraordinary, and her great strength and ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey’s next test is going to be her hardest. She’s to train with the Reincarnist.

Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist. A magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, he’s the smartest man in the world – and Lainey’s last obstacle. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he’s just the sort to knock her for a loop. Lesson #1: Romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who “can’t die” is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megalopolis like a wave of fire.

Lost returns Wednesday January 21 with a two hour show. It’s been a while so all I can remember is, Ben moved the island. [ABC]

Project Runway Canada season two starts Tuesday January 27, 10pm. [Global]

Chuck returns Monday February 2 with a 3D episode. [NBC]

Life returns Wednesday February 4. [NBC]

T:SCC (Terminator) returns Friday Febrary 13. [Fox]

Dollhouse debuts Friday February 13, 9 pm. Stars Eliza Dushku. [Fox]
show blurb:

ECHO (Dushku) is an “Active,” a member of a highly illegal and underground group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Hired by the wealthy, powerful and connected, the Actives don’t just perform their hired roles, they wholly become — with mind, personality and physiology — whomever the client wants or needs them to be. Whether imprinted to be a lover, an assassin, a corporate negotiator or a best friend, the Actives know no other life than the specific engagements they are in at that time.

The Amazing Race starts a new season Sunday February 15. [CBS]

Forgot to post this back in December, it’s been in draft. When watching ctv during the holidays, I saw a commercial for a Celine Dion bio. I wouldn’t normally pay attention, except that Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars, Flashpoint) was playing Rene, her manager/husband and the wig was not flattering. Wish I had a screencap – bit traumatizing and LOL funny all in one.

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett

Three sisters, Lily, Rose and the eldest, Ivy, live in an alternate regency England called Altania. Ivy’s father is not well, affected by something magical he was working on years ago. While she cannot practice magic, Ivy studies the texts in hopes of finding something to help her father, while keeping an eye on the family’s ever dwindling money. There are shoutouts to Pride and Prejudice; marriageable income is of course important – Mrs. Lockwell says:

I’ve heard it said that Mr. Gadwick has over 2,000 regals per year! (page 7)

Embarrassing cousin to the Lockwell sisters, Mr. Wyble is wife searching and will get the Lockwell home from entailment. Things start to look promising for Ivy and Dashton Rafferdy, who discovers he’s a descendant of one of the noble magician families, but it doesn’t pan out for them. Rafferdy’s friend Eldyn Garritt has an interesting ability to manipulate shadows. After dropping out of university because he can no longer afford it, he tries to find a way to buy shares into a new shipping company to support himself and his younger sister after his father’s death.

Then, the gears are switched to Jane Eyre mode, with Ivy leaving her city home to live in a creepy house owned by a gruff gentleman, to serve as governess to his young wards. Maybe if I could imagine Mr. Quent as Toby Stephens’ version of Mr. Rochester (2006 BBC Jane Eyre mini), I might have liked him better.

While I liked the world building, borrowing so particularly from Jane Eyre didn’t really work for me. I would probably pick up the next two books in the series to see what happens to everyone, although not in a hurry. Does Eldyn for lack of a better term, hook up with anyone like his illusionist friend; will Mr. Rafferdy continue with his magical education; will Ivy find a way to help cure her father?

3/5

Bantam Spectra, 2008, 978-0553589825

Better late than never: Anysia at Booklorn tagged me for this a while ago. I won’t tag anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free.

Seven random bookish things:

• I prefer to read the book after watching the movie/tv adaptation.
• Bookmarks are good. I try not to dogear.
• I prefer reading series books in order. Although, I’ve noticed many of the romance books that are called series books are often quite readable out of order.
• Library sales are your friend; even if you’re not so budget conscious, who doesn’t like getting good deals? I’ve been lucky in sometimes finding paperbacks in almost new condition with unbroken spines.
• Hardcover books – I remove the dust jacket when reading. If I lend out a hardcover it goes out that way so the lendee reader can’t damage the cover either.
• Recommended audiobook: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, unabridged and narrated by Kate Reading. I haven’t tried other narrators but this one was good.
• If money were no object? I’d be all over a Sony Reader (505).

Ah, I knew it. Has a reality show contestant pegged as a potential winner from the start ever end up winning the whole thing in the end? Congrats Nico on winning So You Think You Can Dance Canada!

No hot Russian ballroom contestants, but we did get lots of representation from Quebec in the top 20. I was impressed with the talent and liked most of the choreography, although including Go Go dancing in the finale – what? There wasn’t a better concept for the two female finalists, really?

Still, looking forward to season two.

final two – Nico and Allie

congratulations Nico

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
We get to meet another member of the Bowman family – Lillian and Daisy’s eldest brother Rafe. Our heroine is Hannah Appleton, cousin/companion to Lady Natalie Blandford, Rafe’s intended bride. But she (Hannah) isn’t even mentioned in the cover blurb – what’s up with that? Rafe has arrived from the States and joins the gang at Stony Cross Park. Lillian/Marcus and Evie/Sebastian (yay!) get some spotlight time among decorating for the holidays, the adventures of a misplaced toupee and a love letter. It’s too bad the book isn’t longer; it clocks in at a little over 200 pages. An enjoyable but short holiday-themed read for Wallflower fans.

This could be read on its own. The previous Wallflower books in order are Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn, Devil in Winter, Scandal in Spring.

4/5

St. Martin’s Press, October 2008, isbn 13: 978-0312533786

So You Think You Can Dance Canada is the first reality show I’ve actually voted for. With the exception of Isaak, I thought all of the top 6 would be fine contenders for the grand prize ($100,000; a 2009 Mercedes Benz C230; and the inaugural title of Canada’s favourite dancer).

Last week I concentrated my votes solely for Nico and Miles, because I didn’t think Isaak should make the final (and he didn’t). That meant sacrificing votes for the girls, but I was fine with any of Allie, Lisa, Natalli making the finale. I wouldn’t normally campaign against a contestant because they’re all great dancers, but last week I couldn’t believe that Izaak moved on, but people didn’t vote for Vincent, who’s fantastic. While Izaak did bring it with his solos, I always thought why doesn’t he dance like that with his partners?

Anyways, finale show is tonight.

Allie

Miles

Natalli

Nico

]]> http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/sytycd/feed/ 0 tea http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/outlander-optioned-for-film/ http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/outlander-optioned-for-film/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:10:31 +0000 tea http://ghtea.wordpress.com/?p=1105 ]]>

Outlander has now been optioned for film – here’s an article from Variety. You can read Diana Gabaldon’s take on the whole thing.

If it goes forward, hopefully they cast it properly, particularly for Jamie. Not the right age, but the Life fan in me of course thinks of Damian Lewis. And on the other hand, a bit young and maybe not tall enough, Rupert Grint. Although, the beard he sports here makes him look older (photo from Wild Target filming, via Snitchseeker). So who could be cast that passes for being in their early 20s, could do a Scottish accent, pull off the kilt, and is 6 ft tall? Being a redhead would be a bonus, but there’s always hair dye.

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A newer Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer. Still irked that this should have been in theatres this week. Is it July yet?

And here’s an older trailer in high resolution. Previous posts here, here and here.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Spotted on Librarything’s ER list, I was pleasantly surprised to see this was actually published in 2007. The paperback version was just released this September.
Charming. Fun. A great case for the place of reading in our lives, this novella was a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours. Queen Elizabeth stumbles upon the mobile library parked outside the palace one day, thanks to the barking from her corgis. She feels obligated to borrow a book, and so begins her newfound love of reading. The queen’s staff and the others around her don’t think too highly of this new pastime, though, as it affects her work.

From page 89, Faber & Faber hardcover:

[special adviser] Your employer has been giving my employer a hard time.
[Sir Kevin] Yes?
[special adviser] Yes. Lending him books to read. That’s out of order.

context: Sir Kevin is the queen’s private secretary, and the special adviser works for the Prime Minister
4/5

L-R: Faber and Faber hardcover; Faber and Faber paperback; Picador paperback

With Violets by Elizabeth Robards

I wasn’t familiar with the name Berthe Morisot before reading this – she was successful in showing at the Paris Salon, and she was involved in the Impressionist shows. She didn’t seem to get much attention then, but is now considered a worthy Impressionist painter in her own right. It was thought Berthe and the married Éduard Manet had an affair, and this book is an imagining of how that relationship unfolded. I like art from this time period, which is what initially drew me to the book.

I wasn’t really able to get swept up into Berthe and Éduard’s relationship. Maybe it’s because their connection was angst-filled, a bit periodic, and just somewhat doomed from the beginning with Manet being married. I did like the glimpses into the Impressionists/ anonymous cooperative society and into the connections between the artists – Degas pops up in places throughout the story, and others like Monet, Pissarro, and Sisley are mentioned a couple of times.

There’s a note from the author at the end of the book detailing use of these things to help form the backbone of her story: Manet painted Berthe several times during the years 1872–1874, more than any other of his models. One of his paintings of Berthe has her ring prominently displayed (see end of post). And after she married, he never painted her again.

I didn’t really get into the romance, which is the bulk of the book. But after reading up on Berthe Morisot a little and taking the historical gaps filled in and details into account, it grew on me a bit more.

3/5

cover blurb excerpt:

Berthe Morisot is determined to be recognized as an important painter. But as a woman, she finds herself sometimes overlooked in favor of her male counterparts – Monet, Pissarro, Degas.

And there is one great artist among them who captivates young Berthe like none other: the celebrated genius Édouard Manet. A mesmerizing, breathtaking rogue – a shameless roué, undeterred and irresistible – his life is a wildly overgrown garden of scandal. He becomes Berthe’s mentor, her teacher… her lover, despite his curiously devoted marriage to his frumpy, unappealing wife, Suzanne, and his many rumored dalliances with his own models.

But Berthe refuses to resign herself to the life of quiet submission that Society has dictated for her. Undiscouraged, she will create her own destiny… and confront life – and love – on her own terms.

Avon A, October 2008, isbn 13: 978-0061579127
available at amazon.ca

on to the art…
Paintings featured in With Violets

The Harbour at Lorient by Berthe Morisot, 1869

Berthe’s sister Edma at Lorient

Book vs. movie – So there’s going to be a film version of Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. Becky (Isla Fisher) is American and lives in NY, and it appears they made Luke her boss or supervisor at the magazine. Looks like one to catch on dvd. I don’t mind the idea of Hugh Dancy (The Jane Austen Book Club, Daniel Deronda) as Luke though. Here’s the trailer.

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Started watching season three of Veronica Mars on dvd. Yay: they added Mac, Weevil, and the sheriff to the credits/main cast. Nay: they tinkered with the theme song for the opening credits (We Used to be Friends by The Dandy Warhols). I know, they’re not in high school any longer, but I miss the perky version.
s1 and s2 theme | s3 theme

How many times are Veronica and Logan going to be on-again, off again?

Better late than never, this week’s Booking Through Thursday question: What tomes are waiting patiently on your shelves?

• The Innocent by Posie Graeme-Evans
• Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks
• I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis
• Angel Rogue by MJ Putney
• Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters
• Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
• The Hammer of Eden by Ken Follett
• A Vision of Light by Judith Merkle Riley
• The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
• The Moai Murders by Lyn Hamilton
• The Code of Love by Cheryl Sawyer
• Goodbye Jimmy Choo by Annie Sanders
• Lost and Found by Jane Sigaloff

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Or, an excuse for Simon Baker pictures. I haven’t followed a crime show regularly in recent years – I used to be into CSI, but I stopped watching after they franchised it. But I’m liking The Mentalist so far. Simon Baker is a big factor, but I like the premise of the show and the rest of the cast too. Simon’s last show Smith was cancelled super fast (after four episodes, I think) so I was looking forward to seeing him on my screen again. Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) is an independent consultant working with the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) in a unit headed by Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney).

The CBI team is investigating the death of teenage girl whose body was found on a beach. Patrick decides to hang out a bit and attract some attention and get an in with a potential suspect.

Patrick was digging with his shoe and making a mound of sand by hand. So the girl takes pity on him and offers the use of her bucket. Little does she know, she’s going to be shown up by…

King of the sand castle

Later, questioning the friends of the teenage victim. The friends were the last people to see her alive, and they were all out drinking the night before the victim was killed. I’m fond of all the blues and greens used to frame Simon’s closeup shots. I’ve got an example from the pilot here.

At a construction site on the property where the teens were hanging out the night before the victim died. A missing security guard might be a link. Patrick spies something…

Takes a closer look

And gets Agent Lisbon to take a look. They found the tip of the missing security guy’s nose sticking out of a block of concrete. Good times.

Back at the station, questioning one of the teens. The suspect before that point was the father of one of the teens. He was having an affair with the victim, but his alibi checked out. Patrick set a trap with fake hypnosis, to see which one of the victim’s friends is guilty.

See? Blues and greens for the closeup shots. No complaining here.

The Gaudi Key by Esteban Martín and Andreu Carranza

Because of the Barcelona setting, I was optimistic going into this book. I’ve been fortunate to visit Barcelona once, and I’ve seen some of architect Antoni Gaudí’s work in person.

Just before he dies, Maria’s grandfather, the grand master of the Knights of Moriah, passes on a family secret that involves an ancient relic she must now find. There’s a good feel for the city, as Maria and her boyfriend Miguel race around Barcelona under a deadline, visiting various Gaudí works to find what they’re looking for. They are pursued by members of the enemy anarchist group, also intent on finding the relic. If you’ve read Dan Brown, it’s not hard to spot the similarities (secret societies; a secret passed down to a female relative; the secret having to do with Christianity – check, check, and check). Some of the exposition, usually through Taimatsu’s character, I found dry and it didn’t really hold my attention that well. I liked the flashback parts to Maria’s grandfather’s past more than a lot of the contemporary parts. It was a so-so read for me. Unless you have a particular interest in Gaudí, his architecture, and/or Barcelona, you may want to pass on this.

2.5/5

inside cover blurb excerpt:

In the early twentieth century, Barcelona basks as the center of the high-spirited Modernist movement that has captivated Western thought, art, and architecture. Yet while the city’s surface is aglow with creativity, its darker underworld hides a multitude of secret societies—those that support and those that seek to undermine the architects of the city’s newfound splendor.

When the death of the Grand Master of an ancient religious brotherhood seems imminent, a decision must be made as to the fate of a sacred object whose existence has been a guarded secret since the early Christian era. The Grand Master passes on the relic to a prominent member of his order, a man named Antonio Gaudí—already a celebrity in his own right. The great architect thus inherits a dual mission: to do all he can to protect the artifact from the covetous hands of those who seek to do evil and to preserve its secrecy by passing it on to a worthy person of his choosing—in this case, his young apprentice.

Almost a century later, María, the granddaughter of the apprentice to whom Gaudí passed along his secret, is charged with finding the relic. But after the mysterious death of her grandfather, María doesn’t know what the relic is, where it is located, or what she needs to do with it after she finds it.

The Gaudi Key by Esteban Martín and Andreu Carranza
translated from Spanish (La clave Gaudí) by Lisa Dillman
William Morrow, 2008
isbn: 978-0061434914 or 0061434914

Barcelona is definitely a unique place to visit – go, if you have the chance. Here’s a few of my own photos of Gaudí designs plus links to additional photos. These places are featured in The Gaudi Key.

Parc Güell

Like a gingerbread house

Colours and curves

Tile details

Parc Güell has free admission and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. There’s a lot more to the park – I recommend checking out photos of the entire place. And of course there’s tons of photos from google here. Read more about the park here on Wiki.

La Pedrera

Figures on the rooftop of La Pedrera (also known as Casa Milà)

La Pedrera is a building in the L’Eixample neighbourhood. The apartments and roof are open to visitors and it’s also used for exhibitions and events. Check out photos of the whole building, like the ones here. The exterior of the building from the street is all curves with funky iron balconies – very cool and organic looking, like this. It’s also designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, like Parc Güell. The official site for La Pedrera is here. Wiki entry is here.

La Sagrada Família

La Sagrada Família is unfinished

Some exterior details

I also visited La Sagrada Família church. Again, check out the selection of photos here and there’s lots from google. Wiki entry is here – apparently there’s a targeted completion date of 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death.

The Barcelona tourism office has a site here. There’s an overview on Gaudí and modernism if you click on the orange part of the flash image.

]]> http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/review-the-gaudi-key/feed/ 3 tea gaudikey parcguell2 parcguell3 pedrera sagradafamilia sagradafamilia2 http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/austen-fun/ http://ghtea.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/austen-fun/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:16:38 +0000 tea http://ghtea.wordpress.com/?p=507 ]]>

Two fun Austen things:

Lost in Austen – I mentioned this show and posted the trailer for episode one here, a four-part miniseries from UK broadcaster ITV. It’s about a woman, Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) who travels back in time to Austen’s Bennet household and swaps places with Elizabeth. Amanda’s presence throws Pride and Prejudice off the rails – don’t expect a faithful book adaptation here. Fun, and episode two in particular had some great comedic moments – since Amanda lacks pianoforte skills, she breaks out into a bit of Downtown.

In the course of the miniseries, Amanda attracts the attention of Bingley, poor Jane marries skeevy Mr. Collins, and Wickham turns out to be a help to Amanda. If you’re a fan of the BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, you’ll get a couple of fun in-jokes like Amanda’s cell ringtone in episode one, and of course, the wet shirt later on. There’s a longer look at Lost in Austen over at The Book Smugglers.

And spotted via Austenblog – listen to a Jane Austen drinking game by Mostly Water Theatre, to Sense and Sensibility.

I can’t remember exactly when I read The Outlander by Gil Adamson – it was either late 2007 or early 2008, but it’s one of my favourite reads of the last year. Great prose, well paced (I stayed up till the wee morning hours to finish it), action, suspense, and just an overall enjoyable read. Young widow Mary flees across the provinces, with her twin brothers-in-law in hot pursuit.

I’m pleased to see that Gil Adamson just won the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award – congrats! I don’t really follow book awards but upon further investigation, The Outlander also won the 2008 ReLit Award and the 2007 Hammett Prize for Crime Writing. It was also shortlisted for the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize / Best Book category, and shortlisted for the 2008 Trillium Book Prize.

You can read an excerpt from the book at Gil Adamson’s site.

House of Anansi Press, 2007, 978-0887842108 (Canadian hardcover)
House of Anansi Press, 2008, 978-0887848285 (Canada Reads 2009 paperback below)

blurb:

In 1903 a mysterious, desperate young woman flees alone across the west, one quick step ahead of the law. She has just become a widow by her own hand.

Gil Adamson’s extraordinary novel opens in heart-pounding mid-flight and propels the reader through a gripping road trip with a twist — the steely outlaw in this story is a grief-struck nineteen-year-old woman. As the young widow encounters characters of all stripes — unsavoury, wheedling, greedy, lascivious, self-reliant, and occasionally generous and trustworthy — Adamson weds her brilliant literary style to the gripping, moving, picaresque tale of one woman’s deliberate journey into the wild.

USA cover (Ecco, 2008) and UK cover (Bloomsbury, 2009)

The links to Book Blogger Appreciation Week resources gets its own page here as a permanent resource.

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Fan of the show Lost? Check out Ack Attack’s list of her Top 50 Lost WTF moments (not dialup friendly). She also does a Daily Dose of Lost (screencap with captions) to help pass the time between now and 2009.

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Tuesday night tv: The Mentalist (or sorry Fringe, I’m dropping you.)
Hello, Simon Baker. This was better than I expected and I’ll continue to watch. I didn’t know anything about the rest of the cast going in, but Robin Tunney I’ll probably always associate with The Craft, and Owain Yeoman who popped up as a Terminator recently, I last watched on Kitchen Confidential, which starred Bradley Cooper (Will from Alias). Simon Baker plays Patrick Jane, a man who used to pretend to be psychic and now uses his keen observations skills for the California Bureau of Investigation.

Putting those observation skills to work

Rumors: A Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen

I liked this book more than the first in this series, The Luxe. The characters are established, and I did feel more interested in rival Penelope Hayes and younger sister Diana Holland over Elizabeth Holland, whose story is the bulk of book one. Lina, the former maid for the Holland family, also gets more feature time in this book than in the previous installment.

Rumors starts with a wedding, and then jumps back a couple of months to the events leading up to it. Since the first book was also structured this way, it seems to be the formula for the series. There’s a twist at the end I didn’t see coming, so I’ll be interested in seeing what the fallout of that is in Envy, which comes out in January 2009.

This series is sort of like the tv show The OC, but set in turn of the 19th century New York, following the antics of teenage soap opera lives. It was a read that went by quickly, I think I finished it two sittings. And the covers are fantastic, that was definitely a big factor in my picking up the first book.

3/5

inside cover blurb:

After bidding good-bye to New York’s brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, rumors continue to fly about her untimely demise.

All eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed: her mischievous sister, Diana, now the family’s only hope for redemption; New York’s most notorious cad, Henry Schoonmaker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; the seductive Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind—including Henry; even Elizabeth’s scheming former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency.

As old friends become rivals, Manhattan’s most dazzling socialites find their futures threatened by whispers from the past. In this delicious sequel to The Luxe, nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret.

Rumors: A Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen
HarperCollins, 2008
isbn: 0061345695 or 978-0061345692
There’s an excerpt (pdf) available to read at the series’ site.

reading order: The Luxe; Rumors; Envy; Splendor coming October 2009

As I mentioned here, I’ll be tuning into PBS to catch The Shadow in the North on September 28. It’s the second book in Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart series, starring Billie Piper as Sally, which the BBC adapted for tv. So, it’s rather timely that Bookish Ruth is holding a contest for one complete set of Sally Lockhart books (which coincides with the Book Blogger Appreciation Week festivities organized by My Friend Amy). Deadline is September 18, 11.59pm ET.

Bantam Dell is offering A Season for the Dead by David Hewson until October 15 here to read in its entirety, or as a pdf or txt download (email registration required).

In the heat of a Roman summer, Nic Costa, a young, optimistic detective is faced with a crime that reaches deep into the heart of the Vatican.

Everything Under the Sky by Matilde Asensi

An adventure in 1920s China with an Indiana Jones vibe. (When I read the blurb for this, I thought it was a contemporary book). Elvira, her teenage niece Fernanda, Biao the young servant and translator, Lao Jiang the antiquarian, and monk Master Red Jade dodge the Green Gang in their quest to put together three pieces of an ancient map directing them to the first emperor’s tomb and treasure.

Released in August, while the Olympics were hosted by China, it’s a timely read. It’s excellently researched and I thought the exposition was done fairly well – the reader learns about things like concepts of Taoism and feng shui. Chinese culture, beliefs, language and history are woven into the story and into the puzzles. I liked the challenges of getting through the multilevel underground tomb in particular. I felt the setting and puzzles were the strongest and most distinguishing parts of the book. Elvira, while a changed woman at the end, I didn’t find too endearing a protagonist. She was just too… screechy for my taste. Of the group, Biao and Master Red Jade were my favourite characters.

There are some endnotes, about 50 of them. Personally, I would have preferred footnotes because I’m lazy with having to flip pages back and forth.

3.5/5

inside jacket blurb:

After receiving word of her husband’s death, Spanish painter Elvira De Poulain travels to Shanghai to claim his body and put his affairs in order. Prim and straitlaced, Elvira feels out of place in this exotic city teeming with unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells. She longs to return home to Paris as soon as possible. Her charming but dissolute spouse has left her with massive debts, thanks to his fondness for gambling, prostitutes, and opium, and she has no idea how she will repay the enormous sum.

As it turns out, her ailing husband did own something of extraordinary value, and was mysteriously killed by thugs who wanted it for themselves: a beautifully crafted box that holds clues to the location of the remains of China’s First Emperor—and the unimaginable riches buried alongside him.
Joining forces with a colorful Irish journalist, a wily local antiquarian, and a brilliant orphaned servant boy, Elvira is swept up into the journey of a lifetime as these mismatched partners embark on an arduous trek to find the sacred site—with assassins in relentless pursuit.

Despite the ever-present risk, Elvira gradually acclimates to China’s language, culture, and geography, while the grueling physical challenges and complex intellectual puzzles required to locate the tomb test her strength, her courage, and her smarts in every possible way.
One of the most successful historical thriller writers of her generation, Matilde Asensi outdoes herself while focusing on a country and culture that, to this day, remain shrouded in mystery.

Everything under the sky by Matilde Asensi
translated from Spanish (Todo bajo el cielo) by Lisa Carter
Harper, August 2008
isbn: 978-0061458415 or 0061458414
available at amazon.ca

Outlander series fan? Get over to Diana Gabaldon’s blog, where an excerpt for the upcoming An Echo in the Bone (book seven) has been posted. I’m sort of glad I didn’t discover this series until a couple of years ago. I glommed the first five books in a one month period. Patient? Not so much.

Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy

cover blurb from the ARC:

Henry Sullivan has spent fifteen years renovating houses for wealthy women in Los Angeles. To distance himself from his clients and the intimate environments he works in, Henry has devised a set of rules to keep out of trouble. Over the course of one very complicated summer, Henry begins breaking those rules after he takes on the houses and the lives of two very different women who used to be friends. Henry falls for both of them, and quickly finds himself erecting an emotional house of cards as he attempts to complete both jobs while piecing together the mysterious events that ended the women’s friendship.

Confessions of a Contractor breaks new ground, knocking down the walls of the American home, giving the reader an insightful look into the way people behave behind closed doors and the secrets they shelter within. Candid, amusing, and hugely entertaining, this novel reveals that a good contractor can fix just about any home, but no contractor will ever be able to fix a homeowner.

Written in a first person voice, this book follows Henry Sullivan’s balancing act between two clients, Sally and Rebecca, both of whom he gets entangled with over the course of the summer, working at Sally and Rebecca’s homes simultaneously. Henry also grapples with a few mysteries, including figuring out who stole his truck.

Along the way, Henry make mistakes, but the journey is worth it to see the secrets revealed, the tests of friendship, and the peek into private homes versus public exteriors. I thought it was funny, sexy and a pleasure to read.

The supporting characters are also fun. There are Henry’s colleagues, brothers Hector and Miguel, who feign not speaking English on the job; Bill, Henry’s germophilic friend (yeah, don’t think it’s a real word – I’m thinking along the lines of hydrophilic); and Gia, Henry’s ex, who shows up looking to attend couples therapy together, even though they are no longer a couple.

4.5/5

Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy
Putnam, August 2008
isbn: 9780399155079 or 0399155074
There’s an excerpt available to read at the book’s site here.

Richard Murphy has worked as a screenwriter and originally conceived the concept for tv. CBS will now be making a pilot based on the book.

Hmm, who would make a good Henry? Maybe Michael Vartan, what’s he been up to since Alias ended? Ooh, what about Nathan Fillion – I was disappointed when the short-lived Drive was cancelled. Anyways, if it’s as good as the book I hope the pilot gets picked up.

Schooled by Anisha Lakhani

cover blurb excerpt from the ARC:

When Anna Taggert lands a teaching job at an elite private school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, her dreams of chalk boards and lesson plans are quickly dashed by the grim realities of her small paycheck. It’s not easy to overlook the fact that tuition for each of your students exceeds your annual salary or that your students dress better than you do, but this earnest young Ivy League graduate does her best.

And then comes the discovery that the papers she grades are not the work of her seventh graders, but of their high-priced tutors. Before long, Anna too is lured into a world where paying for the best that money can buy takes on a whole new meaning. Enticed by the prospect of earning more in an hour than she takes home in a day, Anna becomes a teacher by day and a tutor by night, joining the ranks of those who secretly do the homework of the children of affluence… Welcome to Schooled, where even homework has a price.

Schooled deals with the world of elite Manhattan private schools, where parents hiring tutors for their children are the norm. This story is in a similar vein to books like The Nanny Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, but for the lucrative world of tutoring for the rich.

Anna’s teaching and lesson plans quickly go down the drain when she gets complaints from the parents about a project that has her students engaged in learning Shakespeare. She gets discouraged, because despite being billed a progressive school, she’s being told to not do a lot of teaching. Then she discovers the tutoring scene and accidentally falls into it herself. Before long, she’s working full days, teaching, and then going to her back-to-back tutoring clients until late at night. Along the way she also succumbs to becoming a popular teacher and designer labels and expensive things.

Anna’s obsession with expensive clothing and accessories seemed to come a bit out of nowhere for me; things are also resolved rather quickly. This was an eye-opener though; I have no experience with private schools and it’s strange to think there’s a group of students who can completely fob off their schoolwork to a second party and get away with it. Although a work of fiction, the story is based on the author’s experience as a teacher and tutor in Manhattan. I thought it was a pretty addictive read and I enjoyed Anna’s crazy ride through the high-price tutoring world.

4/5

Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
Hyperion, August 2008
isbn: 1401322875 or 978-1401322878

Anisha Lakhani’s site is here.

Woman of a Thousand Secrets by Barbara Wood

blurb from Barbara Wood’s site:

Tonina came from the sea: a baby found floating in a basket: A “gift from the gods” her adoptive grandmother told her.

She doesn’t look like the other villagers of Pearl Island. She is tall, lean and light-skinned, and considered “ugly”. Tonina longs to know where she comes from and what lies on the other side of the ocean, beyond her small island.

A cruel trick leads Tonina away from the protective cove of her family to a new land: the land of the Maya, where she embarks on a quest to find a mysterious red flower with healing qualities. A flower that she believes will cure her ailing grandfather.

Her quest leads her on an epic and dangerous adventure through the rain forests of the Yucatan, the jungles of Guatemala, and into the ancient land of Mexico. She encounters a new and different people and in so doing, discovers the mysteries of her past.

I know we did a unit on this, but my memory of school learning on these ancient civilizations is pretty much nil. Still, I enjoyed the look into the daily lives of Mayapan’s citizens and the depiction of the Mayan and Aztec cultures and beliefs. After a stay in the city of Mayapan, what starts out as Tonina’s personal quest turns into a whole caravan of travellers, including Kaan the famous ball player, who owes Tonina a life debt and One Eye the dwarf. Not familiar with this part of the world, I think a map would have been helpful. The pace noticeably dragged on at the end with some of the villain Balam’s antics, but Tonina is ultimately successful in finding out who her people are and where she came from.

3.5/5

Woman of a Thousand Secrets by Barbara Wood
St. Martin’s Griffin, available September 2, 2008 (mine is an ARC)
isbn: 0312363699 or 978-0312363697

There’s an excerpt from the book at Barbara Wood’s site here.