New York to Dallas (In Death Series #33)
I just read and reviewed this
http://thereadingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2011/09/revie
Fozzie wrote:
KathyS wrote:
This is on my list of books to read! It has gotten wonderful reviews.
Yes, Laura, I read some of these reviews, and saw an interview with the author. It drew my attention, big time! It excites me to find a new author with rave reviews!
I'm about 102 pages into it, and I've had to literally force myself to put it down. It's one of those stories you find compelling. The protagonist is a girl of18, and it switches back and forth, ten years - not every chapter switches, though, and they're short chapters...I don't find it disrupting at all, but like most books that are written in this style, you can't wait to continue in whatever timeline the author is writing about at that time.
The fascinating part, for me, is how flowers become part of their lives, how these people connect to the flowers' Victorian meaning, giving another language for these characters to live by. It's like another dimension.
I honestly don't know what's going to happen, or how it will end, but I have more than a feeling the story is definitely going to have the past catch up with the present....I haven't given anything away.
This author reminds me a lot of Lisa Tucker's writing. It's more about characters, with an underlying mystery surrounding their story, and you feel the need to find out what it is. I hope you do give it a try, and let me know how you like it.
Kathy
butterfly30 wrote:INext
Out Stealing Horses by Per Pettersen, translator Anne Born.
It is a read for a local book club, I have not read anything by him before but looking forward to it.
Hope you and your club likes it! We did. Also, the translation seemed smooth. It touches on the tensions war efforts can create that can far outlast conflict itself. Haven't read/gotten anything later of his yet, but would certainly consider doing so:
I Curse the River of Time (Charlotte Barslund, translator)
The Soldier's Wife I had anticipated I would be reading Room but decided on this one instead. The last one I read (The Year of Fog ) was such a painful tale of durge that I needed something a little different and didn't think "Room" would provide that escape for me.
KathyS wrote:
Fozzie wrote:
KathyS wrote:
This is on my list of books to read! It has gotten wonderful reviews.
Yes, Laura, I read some of these reviews, and saw an interview with the author. It drew my attention, big time! It excites me to find a new author with rave reviews!
I'm about 102 pages into it, and I've had to literally force myself to put it down. It's one of those stories you find compelling. The protagonist is a girl of18, and it switches back and forth, ten years - not every chapter switches, though, and they're short chapters...I don't find it disrupting at all, but like most books that are written in this style, you can't wait to continue in whatever timeline the author is writing about at that time.
The fascinating part, for me, is how flowers become part of their lives, how these people connect to the flowers' Victorian meaning, giving another language for these characters to live by. It's like another dimension.
I honestly don't know what's going to happen, or how it will end, but I have more than a feeling the story is definitely going to have the past catch up with the present....I haven't given anything away.
This author reminds me a lot of Lisa Tucker's writing. It's more about characters, with an underlying mystery surrounding their story, and you feel the need to find out what it is. I hope you do give it a try, and let me know how you like it.
Kathy
Finished the book last night...it's a keeper! Looking forward to reading more of Vanessa Diffenbaugh!
Vanessa's insights into this subject of flowers and flawed characters, were amazingly true and beautiful. There was an underlying sadness to this story, at least for me, as it revolved around the subject of forgiveness and how love becomes central to the push and pull of these characters' internal struggles, ones a lot of us experience. I hope everyone gives it a read.
Ryan_G wrote:I'm just getting started on this one.
Is that a first read or a re-read, Ryan? If a first read, a good one to add to the reading oeuvre of someone as widely read as yourself. I'm sure you will hereafter find shadows and ghosts of Rebecca and duMaurier all sorts of places! It is not one of my favorite books, but it is certainly one that haunts a lot of other readings.
Pepper
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called "a tour de force"by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century S pain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding-an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair-only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.
Not only does this story follow the story of the ancient manuscript, but it also follows the story of Hannah, as she discovers and uncovers her story and unknown history. Not a fast read, as you want to enjoy each segment of the story, presented as it's own little vigniant between the ongoing segments of Hannah's passionate story. A really great read.
AH----- I can hardly wait for October. This is going to be a great month.
Muse
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called "a tour de force"by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century S pain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding-an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair-only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.
Not only does this story follow the story of the ancient manuscript, but it also follows the story of Hannah, as she discovers and uncovers her story and unknown history. Not a fast read, as you want to enjoy each segment of the story, presented as it's own little vigniant between the ongoing segments of Hannah's passionate story. A really great read.
AH----- I can hardly wait for October. This is going to be a great month.
Muse
Muse, will this be your first read of People of the Book, I can't wait to see what you think of it. I read it a couple of years ago with my in person book club
And Yes I think we'll have fun in October, Mr. Donald's interview goes up tomorrow.
It's my first read of it, I got it when I agreed to review The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. I'm loving it so far, though I'm not that far into it yet.
Peppermill wrote:
Ryan_G wrote:I'm just getting started on this one.
Is that a first read or a re-read, Ryan? If a first read, a good one to add to the reading oeuvre of someone as widely read as yourself. I'm sure you will hereafter find shadows and ghosts of Rebecca and duMaurier all sorts of places! It is not one of my favorite books, but it is certainly one that haunts a lot of other readings.
Pepper
I loved Lost In Shangri La when I got to review it earlier this year. It's one of my favorite nonfiction books that I've read so far this year The author made his subjects come to life in ways that I don't find very often in nonfiction. I hope you enjoy it.
pjpick wrote:
Started to read this one last night...
but a friend started to read this one and thought it might be fun to read this with her.
Not quite sure what I want to do here. Hmm...
Ryan_G wrote:I loved Lost In Shangri La when I got to review it earlier this year. It's one of my favorite nonfiction books that I've read so far this year The author made his subjects come to life in ways that I don't find very often in nonfiction. I hope you enjoy it.
pjpick wrote:
Started to read this one last night...
but a friend started to read this one and thought it might be fun to read this with her.
Not quite sure what I want to do here. Hmm...
Thanks Ryan, you may have so
lved my quandry.
dhaupt wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called "a tour de force"by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century S pain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding-an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair-only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.
Not only does this story follow the story of the ancient manuscript, but it also follows the story of Hannah, as she discovers and uncovers her story and unknown history. Not a fast read, as you want to enjoy each segment of the story, presented as it's own little vigniant between the ongoing segments of Hannah's passionate story. A really great read.
AH----- I can hardly wait for October. This is going to be a great month.
Muse
Muse, will this be your first read of People of the Book, I can't wait to see what you think of it. I read it a couple of years ago with my in person book club
And Yes I think we'll have fun in October, Mr. Donald's interview goes up tomorrow.
Deb,
I am about 2/3 the way through the book and it is absolutely a wonderful read. I am taking it slowly and savoring each section. I am evening going back to re-read pieces to make sure I caught something and haven't jumped to a different section, unknowingly. As much ;writing as there is out there about the middle ages, there is so little about the jews, escpecially the Coptic Jews of the Middle Ages. I haven't had the opportunity to go online and read the background material on the manuscript that this book is based on, but am looking forward to doing that soon. It has definitely caught my attention. BUT, I want to finish the book first and enjoy the author's "take" before looking at the actual research and then enjoy the two together.
I will be looking for the interview with CookeDonalde, tomorrow
Have a great one.
Muse
Ryan_G wrote:It's my first read of it, I got it when I agreed to review The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. I'm loving it so far, though I'm not that far into it yet.
Peppermill wrote:
Ryan_G wrote:I'm just getting started on this one.
Is that a first read or a re-read, Ryan? If a first read, a good one to add to the reading oeuvre of someone as widely read as yourself. I'm sure you will hereafter find shadows and ghosts of Rebecca and duMaurier all sorts of places! It is not one of my favorite books, but it is certainly one that haunts a lot of other readings.
Pepper
Thx for the response, Ryan. Hope you enjoy it all the way -- I did, even if it doesn't make my "favorites" list. And, as I implied, I find hints of the story so many other places that I am so glad to have read it.(I even read a rather sad sequel -- not by duMaurier. I don't advise "spoiling" the original by doing that.)
