Review: The Reincarnationist

Summary: A bomb in Rome, a flash of bluish-white light, and photojournalist Josh Ryder's world exploded. From that instant nothing would ever be the same.

As Josh recovers, his mind is increasingly invaded with thoughts that have the emotion, the intensity, the intimacy of memories. But they are not his memories. They are ancient—and violent. A battery of medical and psychological tests can't explain Josh's baffling symptoms. And the memories have an urgency he can't ignore—pulling him to save a woman named Sabina—and the treasures she is protecting.

But who is Sabina?

Desperate for answers, Josh turns to the world-renowned Phoenix Foundation—a research facility that scientifically documents cases of past life experiences. His findings there lead him to an archaeological dig and to Professor Gabriella Chase, who has discovered an ancient tomb—a tomb with a powerful secret that threatens to merge the past with the present. Here, the dead call out to the living, and murders of the past become murders of the present. -- Mira Books

A few months ago, I was contacted by M.J. Rose asking if I would be interested in reading her latest novel THE REINCARNATIONIST. (On top of that, she graciously offered to do an interview with me and speak with my book club.) Of course, I jumped at the opportunity! I had seen this book on many websites; and it was also selected as a Booksense Pick Highlight of 2007. While I didn't get around to reading it right when it first came out, my sister did; and she actually recommended it to me as a book that I should read.

I hate to even put this is writing, but my sister was right. I really enjoyed reading THE REINCARNATIONIST! I was a little worried that a book about reincarnation could very easily become a little too "out there" for me, but I have to say that wasn't a problem with this story. I thought the plot of the book was intriguing, and the story was fast-paced and held my interest the entire time. I thoroughly liked the characters of Josh and Gabriella, and I think that part of the reason that I was drawn into their story was because I cared about what happened to them.

This book is definitely full of suspense -- there were a few plot twists and turns in this story as well as a mystery or two. While I pretty much figured out who the "bad guy" was about half way through the book, I don't think it affected my enjoyment of the novel. One of the main reasons that I wasn't disappointed with knowing that part of the story was that there was another big surprise at the end of the book that really shocked me! (That's all I can say without spoiling the ending.)

I found Ms. Rose's writing style to be very easy to read. Her dialogue between the characters seemed natural, and her desciptions were very vivid. It is apparent that she did a great deal of research on many topics including ancient Rome, archaeology, and reincarnation. I thought she did a wonderful job of incorporating all this knowledge into the story. While I'm not sure exactly how I feel about reincarnation (except to say that I don't rule it out), Ms. Rose made the aspects of the story pertaining to reincarnation very believable. At the very least, I think she definitely leaves the reader considering the possibility of reincarnation.

If you think you might be interesting in reading this book, you can read an excerpt here. There are also discussion questions available if you are considering this for your book club pick. I personally can't wait to talk about THE REINCARNATIONIST with my friends and get their opinions on the subject matter. In addition to her website which features the book, Ms. Rose has another website devoted entirely to the reincarnation. I spent a little time browsing around on it, and there are lots of interesting concepts and stories.

Stay tuned for more about THE REINCARNATIONIST. I will be posting an interview with M.J. Rose tomorrow as well as a wrap up of our author chat/book club meeting in the very near future.

Also reviewed at:
Dog Ear Diary
Book Escape

Review: Uh-Oh, Cleo

Summary: Saturdays are usually nothing but fun in the Small household. Cleo and her twin brother, Jack, always play games, torture their older sister, and then bike to the best Candy store in town. But this Saturday is different. Jack decided to Spider-Man up the toy shelf and made the whole thing tip over. And one of the things that flew off hit Cleo in the head, making her bleed and everything. As her mom sings:

"Your story’s kinda gory, but it has a moral, which is: Beware a day that starts out normal. It might end in stitches!”

Cleo’s unique voice and lively narration will pull chapter book readers into her amusing stories of life in a big family that has many uh-oh moments. -- Penguin Group USA

I first heard about UH-OH, CLEO by Jessica Harper from Author Buzz. I tried to win a copy for my book-loving daughter to read and review. A few days later, Ms. Harper graciously offered to send her an autographed copy of the book. I can't even begin to tell you how excited she was. After a few weeks of asking everyday after school if the book came, I e-mailed Ms. Harper to let her know that we had never received it. If I'd known who Ms. Harper was, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to do this! Ms. Harper is an award-winning actress, writer and songwriter -- you will definitely recognize some of her movies and acting credits when you read her bio.

I loved this book, and so did my 8 1/2 year old daughter. While the book is probably geared more towards 1st and 2nd grade children -- young readers, she still enjoyed the book and didn't think she was too big for it. I thought it was wonderful how this story deals with a scary situation (needing stitches) while also providing many funny moments. My daughter and I both read the book to ourselves, but I can see how reading UH-OH, CLEO out loud would be even more entertaining. The songs that the mother and children sing are extremely cute and would definitely appeal to young children.

My daughter's favorite part was when Cleo talked to her dolls "through her mind" instead of out loud because that way they could say things and not get in trouble. She also thought it was funny when Cleo called the dolls on her fake cell phone on her way to the hospital to calm herself down. She mentioned that if she ever needed stitches, she would try to think about Cleo and not be so afraid.

UH-OH, CLEO is based on an experience from Ms. Harper's childhood, and it's the first book in an up-coming series. When my daughter found out that there are going to be more Cleo books, she mentioned that she thought it would be cool to have a Cleo cartoon made up of all the Cleo stories -- gotta love how she thinks! I really enjoyed UH-OH, CLEO and I'm anxiously awaiting the next CLEO book -- I'm pretty sure that my 3 1/2 year old son will soon love Cleo and her adventures too.

Guest Blogger: William D. Smith

A few days ago, I reviewed BECOMING A SUPERHERO by William D. Smith. My daughter and I both enjoyed this book about the adventures of a young boy growing up in a Pennsylvania coal-mining town in the late 1940s. While there were many entertaining stories, I also found that Billy had a great deal of insight into life -- even at 10 years old! Since the stories in the novel are actually based on Mr. Smith's childhood, I thought it might be interesting to hear a little bit more about his novel. Mr. Smith offered to write a guest post to further explain some of the broader concepts that appeared in his novel....

Between the Lines

A good tale is a puzzle with most of the pieces, leaving a few gaps for the reader to fill in. When the puzzle is complete it a combination of author and reader. I’m the author of “Becoming a Superhero,” and I thought I might fill in a few of the open spaces between the lines of my story.

Let’s begin with Billy, who thought his new Superman cape had some kind of magic to help him fly. Everyone but Billy knew this wouldn’t work. His Mom suggested that he needed a new hero, possible Dick Tracy. What I didn’t write, was that my next best hero at the time was the Shadow, a radio hero who was invisible. Now you might think this is just as ridiculous, and it was until Harry Potter. Harry not only flew all over the place, but he had a magic cape that made him invisible. Strangely enough, our scientists have recently duplicated this concept.

I have another message between a few lines and that’s what Billy is really doing when he insists on writing his own answers to story problems in arithmetic. The message here is all about a barrier in Billy’s path. When his teacher insists on traditional answers to problems, Billy wants to suggest another way, or a different solution. Today, we are looking for some other form of energy to run our cars instead of gasoline. Just for the record, this is why Billy put wheels on his sled for kids to go sledding even if they didn’t have snow.

There is one other space that’s not filled in. It’s where Billy asks his teacher if we will ever have a hero in our country like M. Gandhi who solved problems by peaceful resistance.

William thought you might want to know what we were thinking about in between the lines.

William D. Smith
Author, “Becoming a Superhero.”
wdnms(at)comcast(dot)net

Hello...You Won Sleeping with Ward Cleaver

And the winner of the SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER giveaway is...Bree. I hope you find the book as funny as I did! Please e-mail me with your address so we can get the book to you as soon as possible.

Thanks to everyone who entered. There will be more great contests to come in the next few weeks.

Review: The Space Between Before and After

Summary: Forty-two and divorced, Holli Templeton has just begun to realize the pleasures of owning her life for the first time. But the experience is short-lived. Her son Conner has unexpectedly fled college in Rhode Island and moved to Texas with his troubled girlfriend, Kilian. This alone is difficult to handle, but as Holli begins to understand the depth of the girl's problems, concern turns to crisis.

Conner's situation is worsening, and as if that's not enough, Holli notices signs of serious decline in the beloved Texas grandmother who raised her. She has no choice but to leave the comfort zone of life in New York and return to her hometown in Texas to care for the people she loves.

In the tight space between these two generations, Holli initially feels lost. The journey back stirs so many unresolved hurts from her childhood. But something else happens in this uneasy homecoming. Comfort arrives in the ethereal presence of the mother long lost to her, and Holli is surprised to find that as she struggles to help her son and grandmother, the wounds of her own past begin to heal.

The space between before and after—easily the most challenging place she has ever known—begins to reveal an unanticipated hope for what the future might hold. -- Avon

A few weeks ago, I received a big treat from Lauren at Harper Collins -- a big box filled with ten copies of THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN that I won from ReadingGroupGuides.com last November. Because these books kind of got lost in the shuffle, Lauren graciously sent me another box filled with five brand-spanking new ARCs! They all look terrific and I can't wait to read every one of them, but the first book that I picked up was THE SPACE BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER by Jean Reynolds Page.

I wasn't sure that I was going to appreciate a book that ties trajedies in space with tragic events in a woman's life (I thought it might be a little out there), but I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. I found many of the messages of this book to be extremely upbeat. I liked how the author conveyed that life isn't always what it seems to be, especially when seen through the eyes of a child. I found it very hopeful that the characters were willing to change and even forgive those who had hurt them. The ultimate message that with forgiveness comes a personal healing is one that I can never be reminded of enough. In addition, I really enjoyed the spiritual aspects of this book -- they were enlightening without being preachy.

My only issue with this book, and it's a very small one is that the book seemed to be a little long -- it was almost 400 pages. I can only speak for my book club when I say this, but we tend to shy away from book over 350 pages because some of the women have problems finding time to read longer books. I didn't find myself getting bored with the book and hoping to reach the end, but it did take me a little while to really get into the story. However, once I became involved in the story, I was hooked.

I found Ms. Reynolds Page's writing style very easy to follow. The book was divided into chapters which were from the point of view of two (really three) different characters -- Hollyanne, Holli and Connor -- the Hollyanne chapters are flashbacks of Holli's youth. I thought the author did a good job of developing the various characters and finding each of their voices. While all of the characters in the story were somewhat flawed, Ms. Reynolds Page was able to create compassion and understanding for each of them.

One other thing I found interesting was in the A+ Author Insights, Extras, & More... section in the back of the book. Ms. Reynolds Page actually created a soundtrack for the book -- movies have them, why not books! She gave a list of songs that matched certain characters as well as songs that fit some of the relationships between characters. In addtion, there were three scenes that were deleted from the final copy of the book because they didn't quite fit. Reading these scenes actually enhanced my reading experience, and I felt I had a little more insight into the characters.

I do think that THE SPACE BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER will make a wonderful book club selection. I couldn't find a reading guide yet, but I am sure that one will be available in the very near future. There are so many great topics for discussion that touch each of our lives including loss, illness, spirituality, family dynamics, and forgiveness that you probably could come up with questions on your own. It really is the perfect book for a group of women to discuss.

Last Chance!

Time is running out! There is only one day left in the SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER giveaway. One very lucky reader will win an autographed copy of the book. It truly is hilarious -- perfect for a light, summer read. Click here to enter.

I have had one reader who mentioned that she thought she signed up for the contest, but her comment wasn't there when she looked. If you think you have already signed up, you might want to check again -- just in case.

Review: The Big Girls

Summary: Helen is serving a life sentence at Sloatsburg women's prison for the murder of her children.

Dr. Louise Forrest, a recently divorced mother of an eight-year-old boy, is the new chief of psychiatry there.

Captain Ike Bradshaw is the corrections officer who wants her.

And Angie, an ambitious Hollywood starlet contacted by Helen, is intent on nothing but fame.

Drawing these four characters together in a story of shocking and disturbing revelations, The Big Girls is an electrifying novel about the anarchy of families, the sometimes destructive power of maternal instinct, and the cult of celebrity. -- Vintage Contemporaries

Wow! I'm not even sure where to start on my review of THE BIG GIRLS by Susanna Moore. This was actually a book that I requested from a list of new books from Vintage and Anchor Books after reading its description. For some reason, it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy reading it -- it was just a little overwhelming and depressing for me. (I don't want to scare away any readers by saying that the book was a huge downer -- there were a few lighter parts that took place in Hollywood and poked a little fun at that culture.

The books takes place primarily in a woman's prison; and the two characters that I found most interesting are Helen, a woman who killed her young children because voices in her head told her to, and Louise, a woman psychiatrist who works with the prioners. Both women were extremely complex, and I found them both to be disturbing albeit in different ways. It was fascinating to get inside their heads and follow their thoughts. I was especially interested in their views and ideas on motherhood.

I'm sure that it's just me, but I did have some problems following the story at first -- I think it just took me a little time to get used to the author's writing style. The book takes place with four alternate narrators (primarily Louise and Helen though.) Sometimes I had to read a few sentences before I knew who was "talking." There are no chapters in this book, just spaces between each of the characters' thoughts. The effect of this writing style was very disjointed to me, but extremely effective in making me feel uncomfortable while reading this book. I definitely think the author's writing style contributed to the overall "feeling" of this book -- the lines between very different characters were blurred (as were the actual events in their lives.)

One thing I found fascinating about this book was learning about the relationship between female prisoners. Evidently, these women create "family" relationships with other inmates while in prison -- male prisoners do not do this. I find it very interesting that women find the need to establish some sort of family-like bond even in a prison environment. I think this behavior is very telling about women's needs to feel included as well as their needs to be in nurturing relationships.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ms. Moore is a very talented writer. I am just blown away that she was able to get into the minds of these extremely interesting, unusual characters. I actually felt like she did a wonderful job of making each of these characters seem very real to me. She was even able to create compassion towards a woman who brutally murdered her two children. Ms. Moore also makes the reader feel as if he/she is learning very personal, private things about the characters that they have no right to know. It's a little mind-boggling if you think about how she was able to create such feelings in the reader. If you'd like to learn more about Ms. Moore, there is a wonderful interview with her here.

I'm not sure that this is the type of book that my book club would enjoy reading and discussing, but I think there are many book clubs out there that would love to talk about this story. There are so many things to talk about like sexual abuse, murder, motherhood, female relationships to name just a few. There is also a wonderful reading guide that will certainly make the reader think about many complex issues.

If you enjoy deep, dark reads than will really make you think, I suggest giving THE BIG GIRLS a try.

Also reviewed at:
Everyday I Write the Book Blog