I'm a Guest Blogger

Lisa from Books on the Brain asked a few fellow bloggers to guest post about what their book clubs mean to them. Here's the link for my comments about the importance of my book club in my life. While you're there, check out her blog -- it's fantastic -- she has contests, reviews, and other fun stuff! Thank you, Lisa, for this wonderful opportunity.

Review: Certain Girls

Summary: Readers fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed who found her happy ending after her mother came out of the closet, her father fell out of her life, and her ex-boyfriend started chronicling their ex-sex life in the pages of a national magazine.

Now Cannie's back. After her debut novel -- a fictionalized (and highly sexualized) version of her life -- became an overnight bestseller, she dropped out of the public eye and turned to writing science fiction under a pseudonym. She's happily married to the tall, charming diet doctor Peter Krushelevansky and has settled into a life that she finds wonderfully predictable -- knitting in the front row of her daughter Joy's drama rehearsals, volunteering at the library, and taking over-forty yoga classes with her best friend Samantha.

As preparations for Joy's bat mitzvah begin, everything seems right in Cannie's world. Then Joy discovers the novel Cannie wrote years before and suddenly finds herself faced with what she thinks is the truth about her own conception -- the story her mother hid from her all her life. When Peter surprises his wife by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider its history, its future, and what it means to be truly happy.

Radiantly funny and disarmingly tender, with Weiner's whip-smart dialogue and sharp observations of modern life, Certain Girls is an unforgettable story about love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family. -- atria books

I know I'm not alone in saying that I have been a huge Jennifer Weiner fan since GOOD IN BED. I remember laughing out loud at certain parts of the book and then crying at the ending. My book club even read it a few years ago, and we all agreed that it was a terrific book. Having loved GOOD IN BED I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the return of Cannie, but I wasn't disappointed. Once again, I found myself laughing and crying through the story of Cannie and her 12 year old daughter Joy. As a mother of an 8 1/2 year old daughter, I think I related to the mother-daughter relationship between Cannie and Joy in CERTAIN GIRLS. Of course being a teenager way back when, I could definitely see some similarities to the relationship between my mother and me too.

While the book is very easy-to-read, it is not necessarily all that light. The surprise ending brought tears to my eyes as did much of what transpired between Cannie and her daughter throughout the book. I think many moms will relate to Cannie's overprotective nature and her concerns with Joy. I know for sure that I'm a little worried about the "teenage years" with my daughter; however, this book made me take a deeper look at how we treat each other now and how I want our relationship to develop within the next few years.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that CERTAIN GIRLS would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift; or even better, it would make a great discussion for book groups. There are actually two guides available for this book -- one for mothers and one for teens. In addition to the guides, there is a wonderful interview with Ms. Weiner here. I found CERTAIN GIRLS to be such an enjoyable read. I found myself laughing and crying again along with Cannie; however, this time I found that I shared a lot more of her feelings because we have the common experience of being mothers.

Also reviewed at:
Girls Just Reading
Book Club Classics

Mother's Day Book Bash

A Book Blogger's Diary has some wonderful book giveaways just for Mother's Day. I was especially interested in the Harper Collins' books that are being given away. These books include BRINGING HOME THE BIRKIN, THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO KNOW, BELONG TO ME, and LADIES OF LIBERTY. I haven't read any of these books yet, but I 'd love to win any of them. They all look great!

Review: Lost Souls

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson delivers her most harrowing novel yet as a young woman’s determined hunt for a serial killer draws her into a twisted psychopath’s unspeakable crimes.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kristi Bentz is lucky to be alive. Not many people her age have nearly died twice at the hands of a serial killer, and lived to tell about it. Her dad, New Orleans detective, Rick Bentz, wants Kristi to stay in New Orleans and out of danger. But if anything, Kristi’s experiences have made her even more fascinated by the mind of the serial killer. She hasn’t given up her dream of being a true-crime writer—of exploring the darkest recesses of evil—and now she just may get her chance.

Four girls have disappeared at All Saints College in less than two years. All four were “lost souls”—troubled, vulnerable girls with no one to care about them, no one to come looking if they disappeared. The police think they’re runaways, but Kristi senses there’s something that links them, something terrifying. She decides to enroll, following their same steps. All Saints has changed a lot since Kristi was an undergraduate. The stodgy Catholic college has lured edgy new professors to its campus and gained a reputation for envelope-pushing, with classes like the very popular “The Influence of Vampirism in Modern Culture and Literature,” and elaborately staged morality plays that feel more like the titillating entertainment of some underground club than religious spectacles. And there are whispers of a dark cult on campus whose members wear vials of blood around their necks and meet in secret chambers—rituals to which only the elite have access. To find the truth, Kristi will need to become part of the cult’s inner circle, to learn their secrets, and play the part of lost soul without losing herself in the process. It’s a dangerous path, and Kristi is skating on its knife-thin edge.

The deeper she goes, the more Kristi begins to wonder if she is the hunter or the prey. She’s certain she’s being watched and followed—studied, even—as yet another girl disappears, and another. And when the bodies finally begin to surface—in ways that bring fear to the campus and terror to the hearts of even hardened cops like Detective Bentz and his partner Reuben Montoya—Kristi realizes with chilling clarity that she has underestimated her foe. She is playing a game with a killer more cunning and bloodthirsty than anyone can imagine, one who has personally selected her for membership in a cult of death from which there will be no escape. -- kensington books

After I finished reading LOST SOULS by Lisa Jackson, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I checked amazon's reviews to see what others thought about the book and I was surprised to find that readers either really liked or or were really disappointed in it. I guess I was just kind of in the middle, although I can see the appeal of the book for people who are interested in the romantic suspense/vampire genre.

I thought Ms. Jackson did a very good of telling this story. I liked her writing style and the story did keep my interest throughout the entire book. I especially liked the characters of Kristi and Jay, and I have to admit that I didn't mind the romantic interplay between them. Although I definitely did appreciate the suspense part of this novel over the romance part (but that's just me.)

I haven't ever read any other Lisa Jackson books, but I wouldn't mind reading a few of her other books (I won't have any problems finding them because she has written over 75 novels!) Since I was a newcomer to her books, I felt a little confused because she often referenced characters, places and stories from her other books. I don't think it affected my understanding of this novel, but I did feel a little in the dark.

I thought the mystery/suspense aspect of the novel was well thought out, and I was kept guessing about the bad guy until the author revealed him/her near the end of the book. I definitely enjoyed the twists and turns that the story took along the way! I also appreciated how Ms. Jackson gives the reader a slight hint about what her next novel might be about with the ending of LOST SOULS -- I have a feeling that we'll be seeing these characters again in the future.

If you are interested in reading an excerpt from LOST SOULS, click here.

Also reviewed at:
A Book Blogger's Diary

Sharing Reviews

Thanks to Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf, I am a Weekly Geek (at least this week.) Based on her challenge this week, a lot of fellow bloggers have decided to link to other reviews of the same book in their own book reviews. I think this is a wonderful idea; and I have now initiated this "policy."

If you have written a review of a book that I have reviewed on Booking Mama, please leave me a link to your post in the comments section of my review. I will add your name (with a link) to the bottom of my review post.

Discussion Questions: Ten Cents A Dance

In my review of TEN CENTS A DANCE, I mentioned that this book would be a wonderful selection for a mother-daughter book club. I even hinted that it would be nice to have some discussion questions to generate some conversation. Well I am so happy to say that the author of TEN CENTS A DANCE, Christine Fletcher, responded that her publisher is currently working on a discussion guide. In the meantime, she provided me with some questions that she thought would be "useful for her readers to ponder" -- I think they are amazing! I don't know about you, but I am quite impressed that Ms. Fletcher took the time to write these questions and share them with me.

Here's the "unofficial/author written" Reading Guide for TEN CENTS A DANCE:

1. Ruby is attracted to Paulie in part because of his tough guy reputation. At what point does she realize what Paulie is truly capable of? Should she have realized it earlier? Why do you think tough guys can be so appealing?

2. Peggy asserts to Ruby that “every taxi dancer has a story.” What does she mean by this? What do you think it says about the girls who became taxi dancers?

3. Yvonne is in her mid-twenties, older than most of the other dancers, and at the beginning of the book she’s the best earner at the Starlight. Why is she so hostile to Ruby? What do you think the future holds for Yvonne?

4. When Ruby is “fishing” Tom, Peggy accuses her of trying to “have it both ways.” What does Peggy mean? How does Peggy manage to “fish” successfully, without creating the same consequences that Ruby faces?

5. On Ruby’s first foray to a black-and-tan club, she thinks, “I’d certainly never seen Negro and white sitting together. Dancing together. Holding hands.” As Ruby begins to frequent the black-and-tans, how does this influence her opinion of the jazz trumpeter, Ozzie? What impact do her experiences have on her views about ethnicity and race? Do her views shift for noble reasons, or practical ones?

6. Ruby and her mother struggle with each other throughout the book: Ruby for autonomy, her mother for authority. How does money influence this struggle?

7. Why do you think Ruby’s mother marries Chester? Love? Security? Or does she have another motive?

8. In the end, do you think Ruby made the right decision regarding Paulie? Do you think his comeuppance is too harsh, or not harsh enough? If you were in her shoes, would you make the same decision?

9. Do you think Ruby and Ozzie are attracted to each other? If so, why did neither act on it? Do you think they should have?

10. A central theme of Ten Cents a Dance is illusion. “In the taxi-dance business,” Del says, “if you ain’t got illusion, you ain’t got nothing.” What i s he referring to? How does illusion play into Ruby’s relationship with Paulie? With her mother? With her sister, Betty? Does illusion color her view of the Starlight at the beginning of the book? What about by the end?

I would like to thank Ms. Fletcher for providing me with these questions. I hope you will consider selecting TEN CENTS A DANCE for a future book club meeting!

Review: Ten Cents a Dance

Summary: Chicago, 1941. When her mother becomes too ill to work, fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski is forced to drop out of school to support her family. But her dull factory job makes life feel like one long dead end, until she meets neighborhood bad boy Paulie Suelze. Soon Ruby discovers how to make money -- lots of money -- while wearing silk and satin and doing what she does best: dancing. Paid ten cents a dance to lead lonely men around a dance hall floor, Ruby things she's finally found a way out of Chicago's tenements..until swinging with the hepcats turns into swimming with the sharks.

A mesmerizing look into a little-know world and era, Ruby's story is resplendent with the sounds of great jazz, the allure of beautiful clothing, and the passions of a young generation in a country on the brink of war. -- book jacket

A few weeks ago, Christine Fletcher e-mailed me asking if I'd like to read and review a copy of her latest book TEN CENTS A DANCE. She explained that it was published as a young adult novel, but many moms (like me!) have been providing a lot of positive feedback on the book as well. I haven't read more than a couple of young adult novels since I was a child; however, I have seen that many fellow bloggers thoroughly enjoy this genre, and I thought I should give one a try. It definitely helped that I thought the premise of the book looked extremely interesting.

The book takes place in Chicago 1941 when Ruby was only 15 years old. As I started to read this book and get a grasp on the timeframe, it dawned on me that Ruby was born the same year as my grandmother. While my grandmother lived in a coal-mining town in rural PA and Ruby lived in a big city, they really had very little in common besides dropping out of school around the same time in their lives. For some strange reason though, I still kept thinking about my grandmother and how she had to go to work to help support her family like Ruby did -- it's so sad that both young girls were forced to grow up so fast.

I thought this book was a very good read, and I didn't want to put it down once I got started. The character of Ruby just seemed so real to me. It was so interesting to see how she changed throughout the story and gained so much wisdom. At the beginning of the book, Ruby lied about her age so she could work in the dance hall. She quickly learned how to act older than her age, but I liked that there were still so many incidences where the reader could see her naivete and youth. What I found especially entertaining was despite Ruby's youth, she was still one tough cookie.

I definitely think Ms. Fletcher captured the look and feel of the 1940s Chicago with her writing. It was evident to me that the author did a great deal of research while writing this book. I also found it very interesting how she got the inspiration for writing this story. In the author's notes, Ms. Fletcher explains how she had a great aunt who was disowned by her family at a young age for unknown reasons. Many years later, Ms. Fletcher's mother met the aunt she never knew existed and found out she was married to a cabdriver and lived in a nice apartment. It was extremely surprising when she died and they found out that she had been living a double life -- in reality, she was a taxi dancer and long-time mistress of a Jewish gangster.

I do think that this book would make an excellent choice for a mother-daughter book club. There are so many wonderful discussion topics such as deception, family relations, friendships, first love, and finding one's self to name a few. I suggest this book be read by older teenagers since there are some subject matters that are definitely for more mature readers. I will be certain to keep this in mind for a future (in about six years or so) book for our group. I'm hoping that in the meantime, someone will come up with some thought-provoking discussion questions - hint, hint....In the meantime, I will certainly recommend this book to some of my mom friends.

NOTE: After reading this post, Christine Fletcher, author of TEN CENTS A DANCE, graciously sent me some discussion questions that she wrote herself. I have posted them here.