Julia’s Child is a must read for mom’s trying to do it all

Charming is the word that comes to mind when I think about “Julia’s Child” by Sarah Pinneo post read.  Julia Barnes is a mom, wife and mompreneur that hatched an idea for a company based on food options she could not find on the shelves for her boys.  Julia’s Child is a business that develops, produces and sells  organic, healthy and tasty food products targeted for toddlers.

Julia is married to Luke and they have two adorable boys Jasper and Wylie.  Her company has one employee Marta who is smart and should in my mind receive an Oscar nod for supporting role, you will have to forgive me I have Oscar on the brain.  Additional characters that deserve mention: Bonnie the live in nanny; Mr. Partucci who has questionable business endeavors that stores her treats; Kai Travers the Whole Foods guy in the Northeast; GPC a conglomerate that could be her sell out or salvation. And of course Zia Maria who brought Julia and Marta together with her program to train welfare moms and turns her kitchen into an incubator when her restaurant is closed.

Another star of the book besides it cast of characters is the writing, I cannot recall how many times I uttered “that was smart writing” while reading JULIA’S CHILD.  To share, these two examples are straight out of chapter 1: “What I needed was the patron saint of stage fright and poorly funded business ventures.” and “…even the playdough is whole grain”.  And lets not forget “The Scene” and its health conscious <100 lb. host “Lizzie Hefflespeck,” that puts Julia on the national map. I just happened to be at the gym reading this chapter when the real life version was on the air and had another good chuckle.   

JULIA’S CHILD chronicles the journey of one woman with an idea to bring organic toddler food to the masses through the maze of first time entrepreneurship.  Julia is driven but she is also torn between her roles as mom and emptying the family’s bank account too.  With every success that Julia’s Child reaches there is another setback that threatens the end of the business.  Pinneo does an excellent job celebrating the many hats of Barnes while sharing the struggle for balance and also the desire to succeed. 

For every mother who has struggled with the many daily hats you wear this read is for you. For any entrepreneur out there wondering if today is the day or why you ever went down this path this read is for you.  For any foodie who leans to the organic side you will love the recipes that come included for no extra charge.  For any woman that has doubted herself this is a must read. You know you have a good read when you are not the intended audience but you still cannot wait to return to its pages.

GIVEAWAY:

To be entered to win a copy of JULIA’S CHILD please leave a comment and share the last book that made you laugh out loud.  This giveaway is open in the U.S. and closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 29th cause we have an extra reading day this year. Winner will be chosen randomly from the entries submitted.

Special notes and thank yous:

KMSPR for putting together this wonderful author tour and including me in the schedule: http://kmspr.com/

Plume books for publishing and providing this book: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/publishers/adult/plume.html

Spaces and places to learn more about Sarah Pinneo:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julias-Child/158874917554511

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/Julias__Child

Website:  http://www.sarahpinneo.com/

A novel that spans three decades that will take hold of your heart till its end

Duncan Jepson the author of ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI should be awarded praise for his ability to walk in the shoes of Feng, a Chinese girl, in 1930s Shanghai.  This novel was profoundly sad from start to finish, but the writing was so beautiful I was compelled to read page after page even when I felt I might split in two. 

Feng was the second daughter in her family and for the most part invisible to her Ba (father) Ma (mother) and Sister.  Her grandfather was her primary caregiver and perhaps her only friend in the household. At times her treatment in the house was cruel, most especially from her Sister.

Feng learned about plants from her grandfather and spent many hours in his company doing so. There was little care for her appearance and whereabout and that suited Feng just fine. Things changed in Feng’s world when she was on an outing to the public gardens with her grandfather and it was there she met a boy named Bi. 

Ma and Sister were like minded in wanting more then life had given them. Ma had worked very hard to get Sister an advantageous match with the Xiong Fa in the rich and powerful Sang family.  But something unexpected occurs and the beautiful and cruel Sister cannot honor her obligations to the Sang family. 

Now all eyes turn to Feng who is now planning her future with Bi and therefore does not welcome this attention nor control by her family. But in the end Ma wins out and she is married into the powerful Sang family.  

Sang Feng is forever bitter and placed into another family situation where her wishes carry no weight nor could she fight custom.  Her actions and decisions she makes are fueled by this deep anger and despair that remains with her throughout the reminder of her life.

While I enjoy being transported in the pages of a book to places I have never been, this was a hard trip.  Jepson does not candy coat the journey and the view of China and its society during the 30s, 40s and 50s was dramatic. The rules of the family/society and the culture poured off the pages with an authenticity so raw.  

No surprise to me that ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI was an Indie pick although still stunned that a male writer could crawl into Feng’s female bones.  As I revisited a number of the chapters while preparing this blog, they still held the same tragic spell and I still had to reach for a box of tissues.

Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly collaborate on LOVE IN A NUTSHELL

Oh it is always such a struggle to pick up a new book as I am often not done lingering over the previous read.  Upon hearing my dilemma, my hubby pulled out this Valentine’s Day treat a few days early, LOVE IN A NUTSHELL by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly.  Hubby received several bonus points as he came to my rescue, it has love in the title and because this is so far from anything he would ever think to read or pick up.  

This is a standalone book with no tie in to Stephanie Plum.  Over the years I have read a number of her stand alone books and enjoyed them so I felt in good hands. In a week when love is in the air this was just the right recipe, it was light, with a touch of mystery for seasoning and of course a garnish of love. 

Kate Appleton moves back to her family’s summer house The Nutshell in Keene Harbor, Michigan after a divorce and nowhere else to turn.  Kate finds the house in disrepair and one step from foreclosure as she is not exactly flush with funds.  First order of business is to find a way to rescue the house and herself with it. 

Kate is desparate and demands a job from Depot Brewing owner Matt Culhane.  Matt just happens to be a the town’s heartbreaker who has elluded the females that line up to try and snag him. They strike up a deal that Kate is hoping will be her saving grace.  Along the way these two find love while trying to identify the culprit trying to sabotage Depot Brewing. 

If you are an Evanovich fan like me you will like this book. I am not familiar with Dorien Kelly but she adds local flavor as she is a MI resident and that is the setting for this story. 

A romantic tale that is a perfect Valentine’s Day Read

Don’t let the title THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING put you off this charming story by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo. It can be picked up any day of the year and as this is Valentine’s day why not sprinkle a little love in your reading or someone you need a love gift for.  

Judging by the legions of James Patterson’s books and enormous sales I am in the minority when I say I am not a devoted fan. However, SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY’S is a novel that touched me and one I adore.  To the publicist that sent me that book years ago a big thank you.  This time, THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING arrived in my holiday book sack and I am so glad it did.

While this is not WAR AND PEACE, it was a quick delightful read that had me from “The Invitation List”.   THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING oozes love, loss, families as well as the complexity of relationships.  Lifetime TV this definitely has all of the makings for a TV movie, when you make it I will come with slippers and tissues.

A true indie treasure is Isabel Wolff

This is my second Isabel Wolff read, the first was A VINTAGE AFFAIR, http://poofbooks.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/its-a-vintage-wonderful-read/.  After reading A VINTAGE AFFAIR I stalked Wolff’s publicist at Bantam to secure a review copy of THE VERY PICTURE OF YOU. Both of these books start with something in common and that is the beautiful jacket cover paintings by Lisa Hartmann.  I would love to have one for my home.

Isabel Wolff style reminds me of an indie movie and I do love indie movies. They are not full of special effects nor would you refer to them as epic.  But instead Wolff takes ordinary individuals and gives us access into their lives so that you can step into their shoes and share their stories 

THE VERY PICTURE OF YOU main characters are the Graham sisters, Gabriella (Ella) and Chloe.  Ella is a painter that makes her living by painting portraits.  Her subjects that are sitting for portraits play supporting roles in the story.  

Ella shares how she can see more than just their faces when she is painting a portrait.  Ella usually insists on a minimum of six sittings, two hours at a time, so that she can capture the “real” subject in their portraits. Her living subjects consist of: an unhappy wife, a mother that has a secret, a local official that has a terrible secret and her future brother-in-law. Ella becomes a confidante that her subjects seem to share intimate secrets or longings with.

Ella’s sister Chloe is just out of a relationship that ended badly.  She is trying to get on her feet when she meets Nick and before you know it they are engaged. Ella and Nick’s first meeting was full of misunderstanding which started them off on the wrong foot. 

Chloe bids on a portrait sitting with Ella at a fundraiser and insists that Nick sit for a portrait to be a wedding give for Chloe.  The two spend quite a bit of time together during these sittings and the tables become turned on Ella.

One of my favorite details in the book was a reference to the store in A VINTAGE AFFAIR in this book.  If you have read A VINTAGE AFFAIR see if you can pick it out when you read it.  I was excited but had no one to share it with until Wolff stopped by to comment on the blog.  Yep I was over the moon. 

While there are a number of story lines unfolding in this novel,  they were more depressing then I had been expecting.  So I would say this is not a light read but it does feel like real life. And just like in life not all of the stories or characters were model members of society but she does manage to tie together all of the loose ends with a bow when the book finishes.   

Utilized in slight a different way but so true for me, ”Isabel if you write it, I will come”.   I am a fan and look forward to the next novel and to circling back around to read those I have missed like: RESCUING ROSIE and BEHAVING BADLY to name a few.  If this is the first time you are hearing about Isabel Wolff, do visit her website for all you need to know: http://www.isabelwolff.com/index.html.

PS Just dawned on my that I have the world at my fingertips and found Lisa Hartmann, visit: http://www.lisahartmann.com/index.html to view her work.

THE DOCTOR AND THE DIVA

The Doctor and The Diva by Adrienne McDonnell is one woman’s struggle to fit into the confines of her position and society vs her compulsion to be recognized for her gift.  As I am drawn to novels that take place in other times and spaces, this was plush with both.  It starts in Boston in 1903 and then moves to the Caribbean, South America and then to Florence where it ends in 1914. 

This is a snapshot in the lives three characters.  The first is Erika von Kessler a woman, wife and also possessing a beautiful operatic voice.  Her husband Peter von Kessler is a wealthy businessman with a great desire to produce an offspring. The third member of this triangle is Dr. Ravell who specializes in obstetrics and has had great success in impregnating women with infertility issues.   

This triangle of characters meets under the circumstances that Mr. and Mrs. Peter von Kessler are having trouble conceiving a baby.  From this point on their lives become intertwined with a strength of connection that cannot be broken even when the characters live on separate continents sometimes separated by many years absence. 

McDonnell does a beautiful job filling in the destinations and time gaps with stories that stand on their own and yet never loose site of each other.  She takes share care with the surroundings and the details and evokes emotion within these pages that is sometimes overwhelming.  

While the heart of the matter in the novel is not original on its face, the themes within resonate today.  I was further intrigued to learn the novel was inspired by the author’s family history.  Be sure to read both the A Further Historical Note and Acknowledgements sections at the back of they book, they should not be missed. 

Brava Adrienne McDonnell Brava you have a beautiful voice that should be heard.  Congratulations on the selection by the American Booksellers Association as an Indie Next Notable Book.  

I am so excited to be able to share a copy of  THE DOCTOR AND THE DIVA with one visitor.  To enter for a chance to win a copy of this book, courtesy of Penguin Books, share a favorite historical fiction novel in your comment. 

This giveaway is open to US and Canada and will be drawn randomly.  Contest ends at midnight Sunday, January 22nd CST.   

A Discovery of Witches Arrives in paperback – Giveaway

One of my favorite reads for 2011 was A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness.  I was elated when the publisher, Penguin, offered me the opportunity to host a giveaway of this book but this time in paperback. The paperback was released on December 27th and has created a buzz the second time around for those waiting for this format.

If you missed my earlier review of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES I have attached the linked for easy access: http://poofbooks.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/magical-read-that-is-a-slice-of-heaven/.  If you prefer a summary right here I would say the following:

1) I luved this book;

2) disliked that it was first in a trilogy (ALL SOULS TRILOGY) and there is soooo long to wait in between releases;

3) historical fiction fans will love the feel of this read as Harkness is a professor of history at the University of Southern California and has received a number of distinguished awards;

4) tickled pink it revolved around alchemy, witchcraft, sorcery, witches, warlocks and other beings all rolled into one fascinating novel with intricacies and detail that amazed but never stopped;

5) painful for a slow reader to contemplate 579 pages but in this case an absolute pleasure;

A copy of the gorgeous paperback edition of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES is available to one lucky winner.  This contest runs from Jan. 4 th – Jan. 8th at midnight CST.  To enter simply stop by and leave a comment and share one of your favorite reads of 2010.  A winner will be chosen at random.