Review: The Ghost of Greenwich Village

Summary: For Eve Weldon, moving to Greenwich Village is a dream come true. She’s following in the bohemian footsteps of her mother, who lived there during the early sixties among a lively community of Beat artists and writers. But when Eve arrives, the only scribe she meets is a grumpy ghost named Donald, and the only writing she manages to do is for chirpy segments on a morning news program, Smell the Coffee. The hypercompetitive network environment is a far cry from the genial camaraderie of her mother’s literary scene, and Eve begins to wonder if the world she sought has faded from existence. But as she struggles to balance her new job, demands from Donald to help him complete his life’s work, a budding friendship with a legendary fashion designer, and a search for clues to her mother’s past, Eve begins to realize that community comes in many forms—and that the true magic of the Village is very much alive, though it may reveal itself in surprising ways. -- Ballantine

When I picked up THE GHOST OF GREENWICH VILLAGE by Lorna Graham a few weeks ago during my vacation at the shore, I was expecting a light, fluffy read about a woman who moves to the big city and finds that her house is 'haunted" by a ghost -- a chick lit, ghost story, if you will. And while the book was sorta/kinda like that, that description doesn't really do it justice. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and the story as well as the author's writing. In fact, I'd say that it was a pretty entertaining read!

One of my favorite things about THE GHOST OF GREENWICH VILLAGE were the characters. They  definitely helped in my enjoyment of the novel. First of all, I just loved Eve. She was a young woman who decided to follow her dreams (and her mother's footsteps) to become a writer. She picks up and moves to Greenwich Village; however, her life there isn't exactly what she was expecting. She finds that she has a hard time supporting herself as a struggling writer and the only job she can find involves doing fluff pieces for a morning news show. In addition, she discovers that she has a ghost named Donald living in her apartment who wants her assistance in scribing his life stories.

In many ways, this novel was a coming-of-age story for Eve. Even though she wasn't exactly a typical character for a coming-of-age book because of her age, Eve still changed and evolved a great deal in this novel -- from a naive and insecure young woman to a confident and outspoken woman. In addition to discovering things about herself, she also learned about her mother and was better able to understand her and her relationship with Eve and her father.

I also loved Donald, the grumpy old ghost who lived in Eve's apartment. Not only was he a vehicle for Eve to learn about the 1960s Village and the artists who lived there, but he also provided a great deal of humor in this story. I found myself laughing at his curmudgeonly behavior and his demanding presence, but I also thought his writing was pretty hysterical. And good old Donald did have a softer side too. I loved how he managed to touch my heart through a few of his actions toward the end of the story.

Another part of this novel that I enjoyed was the setting. I was fortunate enough to visit Greenwich Village twice in May and I fell in love it. It has so much history and beautiful buildings and stores (and so on!) and I can see why artists and bohemians still flock to this area. I especially appreciated how the author incorporated so much of the Village's history into the book and I thought she did a fabulous job of describing the area.

The author has a fun website for those of you who are interested in learning more about Greenwich Village. (I'm definitely included in this group because I love learning about the Village!) There is a video about the 1960s Greenwich Village as well as a map showing the locations where famous authors lived. I'm happy to say that I "visited" a few of these on my two walking tours!

I wasn't able to find a formal reading guide for THE GHOST OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, but I do think it would be a fun book to discuss. It wasn't exactly literary fiction, but it was a cute story and it did delve into a few serious topics. Some of the themes that you might want to further explore include mother/daughter relationships, fresh starts, staying true to one's self, self-discovery, friendships, loyalty, romance/love, secrets and community. And if you wanted your meeting to be extra-special, you could combine it with a tour of Greenwich Village.

THE GHOST OF GREENWICH VILLAGE was a delightful book. I thoroughly enjoyed Eve (and Donald's) story as well as the historical information about the Village. Overall, I recommend this book to fans of chick lit, ghost stories, coming-of-age stories, mysteries, and love stories. It has a little something for everyone!

Thanks to a friend for sharing her copy of this novel.

Review: How to Love an American Man

Summary: An endearing and unforgettable memoir of love, self-discovery, and enduring, old-fashioned values 

Kristine Gasbarre made a New York career of dating driven, inaccessible men. When she realizes her love life will never result in happiness if she continues on the same path, she makes a big decision—relocating to Italy to discover her roots and find out what defines her adoring grandpa. But upon receiving the news of his sudden passing, she is lured away. 

With nowhere left to go, Krissy returns to her small hometown for the first time in a decade to help care for her grandmother—a refined, private matriarch suf?fering from early dementia along with the loss of her husband. In her reluctant agreement to share the nearly lost love stories and transformative lessons from her rich sixty-year marriage, Krissy’s grandma becomes the one offering comfort as she coaches her granddaughter through the fear of loving. Grandma’s unapologetic femininity and secret giving spirit opens Krissy’s eyes about relationships, teaching her the single most important requisite for loving a man: first a woman has to learn the power of her own inner beauty. -- Harper

It seems like a lot of the books I've been reading lately are ones that I learned about at this year's BEA. And HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN: A TRUE STORY by Kristine Gasbarre is another one. I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Gasbarre and I asked her about her book. As she began describing her story, I felt as if Ms. Gasbarre and I could be fast friends because we had a few important things in common. First of all, Ms. Gasbarre grew up in a very small town in Western Pennsylvania -- not too far from where my grandparents live. Secondly, we both are extremely close to our families and especially our grandparents. And finally, we both have Italian grandmothers to whom we are extremely close.

So when Ms. Gasbarre started telling me the story of how she returned home when her grandfather was dying and then stayed to help her grandmother, I began tearing up -- it just hit too close to home for me. (Yes, I was crying at a party!) Despite being older than Ms. Gasbarre and at an entirely different place in my life, I felt an immediate bond to her; and naturally, I wanted to read HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN.

I first started this book one morning while waiting for Booking Son at karate class. The first chapter deals with the death of Ms. Gasbarre's grandfather and I could barely get through these pages. I pretty sure it's because it was a little to real for me, but I found  myself crying... in public, nonetheless. I immediately tweeted Ms. Gasbarre and told her I was having a hard time getting through her book, and she told me to keep reading because things would get better.

And she was definitely right! I enjoyed HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN a great deal and I was so impressed with Ms. Gasbarre's story. Since I have already fallen in love with "my American man," I was a little worried that I wouldn't find parts of this book to be relevant. Of course, I could relate to the love she shares with her family and learning valuable life lessons from my grandmother, but I wasn't sure I would be interested in hearing about Ms. Gasbarre's relationship woes and how she worked to overcome them. However, I quickly learned that HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN was about so much more than Ms. Gasbarre's personal life.

HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN is about self-discovery. It's about going back to your roots and learning who you really are and what you really want in life. But it is also about relationships. Naturally, there is a great deal in the book about finding your true love (and then keeping that relationship alive), but it was also about multi-generational relationships -- i.e. parent/child and grandparent/grandchild. I most enjoyed (and related to) the give-and-take relationship that Ms. Gasbarre had with her grandmother. In fact, I would be lying if I didn't tell you that it could have been my grandmother and me in a few of those scenes. Furthermore, I loved that this book showed that everyone (young and old) can learn from special relationships in their lives. (I think Ms. Gasbarre's grandmother learned a thing or two from Ms. Gasbarre too!)

While HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN was about Ms. Gasbarre's journey to self-discovery, there were also quite a few universal themes that I think women of all ages will understand. This book addresses the age-old issue of how to be in a loving and healthy relationship while also holding on to your own independence. (I think Ms. Gasbarre's grandmother is a wonderful example of this!) In addition, there are numerous examples of relationship advice and life lessons that Ms. Gasbarre's grandmother offers up throughout the pages of this book.

One thing I have failed to mention so far is Ms. Gasbarre's writing style. I like it a lot. The book was a quick and easy read for me (once I got past the death of her grandfather); and I found myself smiling quite a few times while reading it. I didn't always agree with Ms. Gasbarre's decisions, although it's easy to be an armchair quarterback; however, I found that I loved how much she changed because of the time she spent with her grandmother. There's no doubt about it, Ms. Gasbarre is incredibly candid and this book is very heartwarming.

reading guide available to help kick things off (is that my second football reference), and I thought some of the questions were very thought-provoking. I'm sure you can already tell what the major themes of the book are based on my review; however, some of the topics you might want to explore include grief, relationships, love, career, independence, love, marriage, and self-discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed HOW TO LOVE AN AMERICAN MAN for a number of reasons. I appreciated that I was able to relate to many of the themes about love and marriage, but I most enjoyed reading about that special relationship Ms. Gasbarre had with her grandparents.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book.

Review: Sentenced to Death

Summary: As the owner of Stoneham, New Hampshire's mystery bookstore Haven't Got a Clue, Tricia Miles can figure out whodunit in the latest bestseller long before she gets to the last page. But when her friend is killed in a freak accident, Tricia must use her sleuthing skills to solve a murder mystery that promises to be much more sinister than the books on her shelves. -- Berkley Prime Crime

Talk about a cute idea for a cozy mystery series! The Booktown Mysteries sound positively adorable. Or should I say the small New Hampshire town that this series takes place in sounds like somewhere I'd love to visit? The setting of this series is in  Stoneham, New Hampshire, and this little town has a collection of specialty bookstores. The main character and resident amateur sleuth, Tricia Miles, owns and operates the mystery bookstore Haven't Got a Clue. And somehow she always seems to find herself in the middle of the town's murder mysteries.

I'm a bit surprised that it's taken me this long to read one of these books because I do love the premise, but once again I find myself a little late to the game with a series. SENTENCED TO DEATH by Lorna Barrett is actually the fifth book in the Booktown Mystery series (see...I'm not that far behind in this one!) and I was happy to learn that I didn't have any problems catching up with the characters' personal lives. Nor did I feel like I was missing much by not reading the other four books first.

In SENTENCED TO DEATH, Tricia watches as her good friend and fellow store manager Deborah dies when a small airplane crashes into the gazebo where she is giving a speech. By all accounts, it appears to be an accident; however, Tricia suspects that there is more to it. She begins investigating and discovers some surprising facts about her friend and her personal life. In addition, she uncovers a pretty complex and evil plan surrounding Deborah's death.

SENTENCED TO DEATH was a fun read for me, and it pretty much encompassed all those elements that I've come to expect from these series. There was a very likable main character, a good supporting cast, some humor, an intriguing mystery, a little romance, and a great setting. While I liked a lot of Tricia's friends, I especially appreciated her sister Angelica. Angelica has a great personality (with lots of spunk) and she owns a restaurant near Tricia's bookstore. I can't lie when I tell you that I love that this series has references to books and food -- it doesn't get much better than that! In addition, the author even included a couple of bonus recipes in the back of the book.

Because SENTENCED TO DEATH is a cozy, I didn't spend much time trying to solve the mystery. I usually save that for longer mystery and/or suspense novels. I will say that I found the mystery to have quite a few twists and some very credible suspects; and I was kept in the dark until the ending was revealed. Overall, I'd say that I was satisfied with the mystery and its resolution.

I am glad to have discovered another cute mystery series with SENTENCED TO DEATH, and I recommend it to fans of cozies as well as book and food lovers.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

August 2011 Book Club Meeting

Last week, my book club went to see the movie The Help. We decided to forgo a book this month since we all were so busy with vacations, birthday parties, and back-to-school activities, and instead have a girls' night out. I, for one, sure needed to get away from it all, and I can't think of many things more fun than heading to a movie and dinner with some of my best friends.

Can I just tell you how much I loved this movie? I absolutely adored it. I admittedly don't get out much (and rarely see a movie) so that might have been part of the equation, but I thought The Help was incredibly well done. Often times, I'm disappointed with movies that are based on books that I enjoyed. However, that was certainly not the case with this one. I think they did the book justice!

I have absolutely no idea how to review movies, but I can tell you that I was extremely impressed with the acting. So many of these women were fantastic and I'm betting that just might be an Academy Award nod or two. I laughed and I cried, and I really can't ask much more from a movie than to be entertained like that. And cry I did. My friends were making fun of me because I cried through half of the movie. And I have a feeling that it wasn't a pretty cry because I am pretty sure I was sniffling too.

For our September meeting (which is only a few days away), we will be reading LEARNING TO DIE IN MIAMI: CONFESSIONS OF A REFUGEE BOY by Carlos Eire. At first, I wasn't thrilled with this selection because it wasn't literary fiction, but the more I look at this book, the more I think I'm going to like it. Plus, it's something different for our group and I think we can all benefit from a change. And I have a feeling that this book is going to teach me a lot!

Summary: In his 2003 National Book Award–winning memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana, Carlos Eire narrated his coming of age in Cuba just before and during the Castro revolution. That book literally ends in midair as eleven-year-old Carlos and his older brother leave Havana on an airplane—along with thousands of other children—to begin their new life in Miami in 1962. It would be years before he would see his mother again. He would never again see his beloved father. 

Learning to Die in Miami opens as the plane lands and Carlos faces, with trepidation and excitement, his new life. He quickly realizes that in order for his new American self to emerge, his Cuban self must "die." And so, with great enterprise and purpose, he begins his journey. 

We follow Carlos as he adjusts to life in his new home. Faced with learning English, attending American schools, and an uncertain future, young Carlos confronts the age-old immigrant's plight: being surrounded by American bounty, but not able to partake right away. The abundance America has to offer excites him and, regardless of how grim his living situation becomes, he eagerly forges ahead with his own personal assimilation program, shedding the vestiges of his old life almost immediately, even changing his name to Charles. Cuba becomes a remote and vague idea in the back of his mind, something he used to know well, but now it "had ceased to be part of the world." 

But as Carlos comes to grips with his strange surroundings, he must also struggle with everyday issues of growing up. His constant movement between foster homes and the eventual realization that his parents are far away in Cuba bring on an acute awareness that his life has irrevocably changed. Flashing back and forth between past and future, we watch as Carlos balances the divide between his past and present homes and finds his way in this strange new world, one that seems to hold the exhilarating promise of infinite possibilities and one that he will eventually claim as his own. 

An exorcism and an ode, Learning to Die in Miami is a celebration of renewal—of those times when we're certain we have died and then are somehow, miraculously, reborn. -- Free Press

Kid Konnection: Picture Books (September 3, 2011)

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you some picture books that Booking Son and I recently read together.

Summary: Winter weather is keeping children from visiting the zoo. So the animals are out of sorts—listless, grumpy, and no longer fun. All except two little friends, a very small hippo and a baby kangaroo. Their hip-hopping, toe-tapping,  and rap-rocking soon has the other animals joining in the hip-aroo beat. "Racoons danced in pairs, baboons danced in troops, and snakes joined the dancers as live hula-hoops." Children's favorite songs get a funny new spin—seals bark out "The seals on the bus go round and round"—as the animals create their very own musical.

Young readers and listeners will be amazed and delighted at how the animals chase the winter doldrums by getting along as friends, pooling their talents, and pushing themselves to new heights. After all, these are the same clever animals who learned to read in Judy Sierra's and Marc Brown's Wild About Books, an award-winning New York Times #1 bestselling picture book. ZooZical is sure to inspire some "can do" fun in kindergarten and primary grades. -- Knopf

ZOOZICAL by Judy Sierra and pictures by Marc Brown was a book that Booking Son and I both enjoyed. I mean, really, how could we miss with Judy Sierra's writing and Marc Brown's illustrations? ZOOZICAL was a fun book, and even though it was aimed for a younger audience than Booking Son, he still found it silly and very cute.

The idea behind this story is this: the animals at the zoo are getting bored and grumpy during the winter months since they aren't getting as many visitors. So, one small hippo and one baby kangaroo started tapping and rapping and twirling, and soon everyone joined in the fun. The animals decide to put on a "zoozical!"

While I did enjoy the story and the rhyming text, I most adored the illustrations. They are positively precious. (But did I really expect anything less with Marc Brown of Arthur fame?) They are bright and colorful and very busy, and I'm pretty sure that youngsters will eat them right up!

Evidently the characters ZOOZICAL have already appeared in another book WILD ABOUT BOOKS which is new to Booking Son and me. I'm thinking we'll have to check it out in the very near future since Booking Son is almost outgrowing picture books.

Highly recommend for family fun!

Summary: How much work can one little chicken be?

When Leora finds a chicken in her front yard, she imagines keeping it as a pet and gathering eggs for breakfast every morning. But her mother has a very different view. Following a Jewish law that says ”finders aren’t keepers,” Mrs. Bendosa is determined that the family should care for the chicken just until its rightful owner returns. Soon, however, one little chicken becomes a flock of chickens, a flock of chickens becomes two goats, two goats become a herd of goats…until—Oh! What a house!

Elisa Kleven’s exquisitely detailed folk art brings Elka Weber’s humorous retelling of a traditional tale to life and promises to leave readers pondering the adage, “finders, keepers.” -- Tricycle Press

ONE LITTLE CHICKEN by Elka Weber and illustrations by Elisa Kleven was another cute book that Booking Son and I read this week. It tells the story of a young girl who finds a chicken in her front yard and she wants to keep her for a pet. Her parents don't quite agree and they keep reminding her that the chicken doesn't "belong" to her. Soon, the chicken turns into many chickens, and then two goats, and then a herd of goats, and so on....

I thought this story was very cute and it read like a folk tale. I loved that it had so many important lessons in it too. It wasn't until I was finished with the book and read the author's note that I realized that ONE LITTLE CHICKEN is the retelling of a story in the Talmud. Included in the back of the book is a summary of that story which appears in Deuteronomy.

In addition to having such a great message, I enjoyed the pictures in ONE LITTLE CHICKEN. They are gorgeous watercolor illustrations and fit perfectly with the story. In fact, they add to the overall folksy feel of the book.

ONE LITTLE CHICKEN is another winner in our house!

Summary: Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful sight: a traveling library resting on the backs of two burros‑all the books a little girl could dream of, with enough stories to encourage her to create one of her own.

Inspired by the heroic efforts of real-life librarian Luis Soriano, award-winning picture book creators Monica Brown and John Parra introduce readers to the mobile library that journeys over mountains and through valleys to bring literacy and culture to rural Colombia, and to the children who wait for the BiblioBurro.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book support Luis Soriano’s BiblioBurro program. -- Tricycle Press

And last, but certainly not least is WAITING FOR BIBLIOBURRO by Monica Brown and illustrations by John Parra. I absolutely loved this book -- probably more than Booking Son although he enjoyed it too. I have a feeling that he thought I was a little over-the-top about this story.

WAITING FOR BIBLIOBURRO tells the story of a young peasant girl Ana who loves reading and writing stories. She only has one book and she's read it so many times that she knows it by heart. When Ana wakes up one day to the sound of a man and two burros, she discovers a very special traveling library. She can hardly wait for the biblioburro to return -- so much so that she begins to drive her mother crazy! Because of her very positive experience with the biblioburro and new books, she decides to write her own story to share with other children.

Seriously, what's not to love about this book? It's such a terrific story with a wonderful message about the joy of reading. WAITING FOR BIBLIOBURRO is based on the real-life biblioburro team of Luis Soriano and his burros Alfa and Beto. I love that this "hero's" story is being shared with so many children. You can read more about Soriano in the author's note. In addition, there are some Spanish terms woven into the story. Most meanings are pretty clear, but the author included a glossary in the back of the book just in case.

Of course, I think this story is fantastic even without pictures, but the illustrations by John Parra definitely complement the story. They are just gorgeous and illustrate the rural Columbian countryside perfectly. It's no wonder that he's an award-winning illustrator (and the author is award-winning as well!)

WAITING FOR BIBLIOBURRO is one of the cutest and heart-warming picture books that I've read in some time. Very highly recommended for children, parents, and teachers alike.

Thanks to the publisher for sending copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Guest Review: Holy War

Summary: A sweeping historical epic and a radical new interpretation of Vasco da Gama’s groundbreaking voyages, seen as a turning point in the struggle between Christianity and Islam

In 1498 a young captain sailed from Portugal, circumnavigated Africa, crossed the Indian Ocean, and discovered the sea route to the Indies and, with it, access to the fabled wealth of the East. It was the longest voyage known to history. The little ships were pushed beyond their limits, and their crews were racked by storms and devastated by disease. However, their greatest enemy was neither nature nor even the sheer dread of venturing into unknown worlds that existed on maps populated by coiled, toothy sea monsters. With bloodred Crusader crosses emblazoned on their sails, the explorers arrived in the heart of the Muslim East at a time when the old hostilities between Christianity and Islam had risen to a new level of intensity. In two voyages that spanned six years, Vasco da Gama would fight a running sea battle that would ultimately change the fate of three continents. 

An epic tale of spies, intrigue, and treachery; of bravado, brinkmanship, and confused and often comical collisions between cultures encountering one another for the first time; Holy War also offers a surprising new interpretation of the broad sweep of history. Identifying Vasco da Gama’s arrival in the East as a turning point in the centuries-old struggle between Islam and Christianity—one that continues to shape our world—Holy War reveals the unexpected truth that both Vasco da Gama and his archrival, Christopher Columbus, set sail with the clear purpose of launching a Crusade whose objective was to reach the Indies; seize control of its markets in spices, silks, and precious gems from Muslim traders; and claim for Portugal or Spain, respectively, all the territories they discovered. Vasco da Gama triumphed in his mission and drew a dividing line between the Muslim and Christian eras of history—what we in the West call the medieval and the modern ages. Now that the world is once again tipping back East, Holy War offers a key to understanding age-old religious and cultural rivalries resurgent today. -- Harper

If you are a regular visitor to Booking Mama, then you know that HOLY WAR: HOW VASCO DA GAMA'S EPIC VOYAGES TURNED THE TIDE IN A CENTURIES-OLD CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS by Nigel Cliff definitely isn't one that I'd read. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with it. Rather I'm most likely to dumb to process all of it. However, Booking Pap Pap loves books like this one. Here are his thoughts:

As we all know from our grade school history lessons, in 1492 Christopher Columbus, working for Spain, sailed west from Europe in search of a route to India. We also learned that in 1497 Vasco da Gama, in the employ of Portugal, sailed east from Europe around the Cape of Good Hope in search of a route to India. The goal of the voyages was to tap into the rich spice trade that was being dominated by the Venetians.

Today we consider Columbus’ voyage as more significant because of his accidental discovery of America. But at the end of the fifteenth century before the full impact America would have on the world was known, da Gama’s voyage was the more talked about adventure. Columbus’ voyage was actually considered unsuccessful.

HOLY WAR by Nigel Cliff examines the significance and goals of Vasco da Gama’s voyage to the western coast of India. According to Cliff, Portugal not only was interested in controlling the spice trade but wanted to drive every Muslim from the land. King Manual of Portugal desired to not only destroy the Muslims but retake Jerusalem and set it up as the center of Christianity with him as the head of the empire.

Cliff provides the reader with the centuries old history of the clashes between the Christian and Muslim cultures from the time of Muhammad through the Crusades and Inquisitions. The author also examines the atrocities and massacres that accompanied da Gama’s voyages (he made three) at a time when Christian and Muslim hostilities were at a high point. He also describes the trials at sea that included shipwrecks, piracy, sickness and war. Relying on the logs from the voyages Cliff provides vivid detail of the hardships encountered in sailing into unknown waters.

Cliff makes a case that the da Gama initial voyage was a critical dividing line between Muslim (medieval) and Christian (modern) eras. Cliff also contends that while Portugal succeeded in controlling the spice trade for a time their goal of “a holy war to end all holy wars” was an unfulfilled dream.

HOLY WAR is an interesting perspective of the world at the time of Vasco da Gama as well as an insight into the nearly 10 decades of Christian-Muslim culture clashes beginning in 610. Although I wouldn’t recommend this as beach reading material (which is where I read it), it is a great book for anyone who enjoys the history of the fifteenth century or has an interest in the early history of the Christian-Muslim relationship. With the cultural clashes between the West and East we see today, HOLY WAR is a timely look at trying to understand these cultural and religious rivalries that have existed for centuries.

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book and to Booking Pap Pap for his excellent review.

Review: We the Animals

Summary: An exquisite, blistering debut novel

Three brothers tear their way through childhood— smashing tomatoes all over each other, building kites from trash, hiding out when their parents do battle, tiptoeing around the house as their mother sleeps off her graveyard shift. Paps and Ma are from Brooklyn—he’s Puerto Rican, she’s white—and their love is a serious, dangerous thing that makes and unmakes a family many times. 

Life in this family is fierce and absorbing, full of chaos and heartbreak and the euphoria of belonging completely to one another. From the intense familial unity felt by a child to the profound alienation he endures as he begins to see the world, this beautiful novel reinvents the coming-of-age story in a way that is sly and punch-in-the-stomach powerful. 

Written in magical language with unforgettable images, this is a stunning exploration of the viscerally charged landscape of growing up, how deeply we are formed by our earliest bonds, and how we are ultimately propelled at escape velocity toward our futures. -- HMH

When I was BEA 2011 a few months ago, one of the books that was featured in the Hot Book Club Titles Panel was WE THE ANIMALS by Justin Torres. When the publisher gave a description of the book, I thought it sounded like it might not be the easiest read because of the subject matter. But I had to admit that it did sound like it had the potential to be a fantastic read and a very powerful book -- not to mention a great book club selection.

So I was pretty darn excited to get my hands on an advance copy of this novel. However, I was a bit surprised by the size of this book. It's less than 150 pages. Now I've read enough books to know that a small book can pack a powerful punch, but I think WE THE ANIMALS gives new meaning to idea. I read this book in one sitting and I was honestly blown away by it.

WE THE ANIMALS tells the heart-breaking story of a family who does everything intensely. And by that, I mean they love intensely, but they also fight intensely. The family consists of a mom who is white, a dad who is Puerto Rican, and their three rambunctious boys (thus the title...We the Animals.) WE THE ANIMALS is this dysfunctional family's story narrated by the youngest son.

In many ways, WE THE ANIMALS is a coming-of-age story (although it's definitely not a traditional one.) The reader sees the this family's emotionally charged story through a young child's eyes and then follows the boy as he matures. This poor child (and really all three children) see and experience more in his young life than any child should ever have to see. And as the book progresses, I saw how this poor child's life became even more troubled and complex. When the kids were younger, they were best friends and watched out for each other; however, as the youngest son matured, his differences became more evident.

While this story most definitely touched my heart, I'd like to think that it wasn't very realistic. Unfortunately, I know that's not the case. WE THE ANIMALS gave me an insider's look into a family with problems -- money problems, anger problems, relationship problems, outsider problems, etc. I have read that the book is based on the author's own family, but the details are made up. Either way, it's an incredibly intense and powerful read.

There is no doubt that Justin Torres has major writing skills. Just to write such an emotionally charged story in so few pages is incredible. I swear there isn't a wasted word in this entire novel. Over and over again, I stopped to re-read a paragraph and sometimes even a chapter. His images were so vivid and raw and real - he truly is such a gifted writer!

After reading WE THE ANIMALS, I can definitely say that I agree with the publisher that this book is perfect for book clubs. Even though it's less than 150 pages, there is more to talk about within these pages than most 400 pages books. This novel is both gut-wrenching and thought-provoking, and I can see book clubs just embracing it. In addition to delving into the characters and their actions, there are also many literary devices to discuss. For example, the book title, the chapter titles, the themes, and the symbols all warrant some further discussion. There is a reading guide available as well, and I thought the fifteen questions were excellent. (It's a fantastic guide!) Some of the topics you might want to explore include love, abuse, parent/child relationships, family dynamics, acceptance (or lack thereof), hunger, and depression/mental illness.

I can't recommend WE THE ANIMALS enough. It's a beautifully written story that is guaranteed to take your breath away.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book.