Alice Hoffman has spun a novel that is biblical and spiritual

with a little magic sprinkled within for good measure. THE DOVEKEEPERS by Alice Hoffman is a novel steeped in the history of the Jews during time when they were cast out of Jerusalem and had nowhere to go.  Four women find themselves at Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert, and Hoffman uses them to tell her story.  I had the pleasure of listening to this book in audio form thanks to Simon Audio.

The four woman who narrate this story have varied paths and none of their lives before Masada are easy nor after they arrive.  And Simon Audio brilliantly chose to give each of the four characters a different narrator: Yael (narrated by: Aya Cash), Revka (narrated by: Tovah Feldshuh), Aziza (narrated by: Jessica Hecht) and Shirah (narrated by: Heather Lind).  This I really liked and thought worked well here. 

Yael’s grows up without her mother who died in childbirth. Her father an assassin never forgives her for this.  She has a brother that she is close to that follows into his father’s footsteps.  When they are forced to flee from their home they settle in the desert where many things occur to shape the woman who Yael becomes. Eventually Yael and her father arrive in Masada and she works in the dove cove where she meets the other woman leads in this book. Yael has special abilities regarding animals and the doves are no exception. 

Revka is a woman who was forced to flee her home with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren following the death of her husband the baker.  While traveling in the desert the daughter looses her life in a manner that causes her two boys to stop speaking.  This broken family travels to Masada where Revka works in the dove cove.  Revka and Yael form a special bond when Yael has no where else to turn.  Revka has special abilities regarding shadows. 

Aziza is the daughter of Shirah, she was born a girl but assumed the role of a boy to protect herself and that side of her it turns out is her gift.  She has a step sister and a step brother and grew up raised by their father a Moab warrior.  Aziza resumes being a girl when they live in Masada but is always frustrated. After her brother is hurt physcially and mentally after taking up the sword she again disguises herself and takes his place among the warriors.

The last story is Shirah’s and this was my least favorite but to be fair it was the toughest story of the four coupled with that fact I did not care for Heather Lind’s voice in this role.  Although, I do love Lind in BOARDWALK EMPIRE.  Shirah posseses ancient magic and medicinal knowledge and for that she was always treated differently.  She was striking and followed the path that was foreseen for her that would in the end lead to her demise.  So as much as she wanted alternate paths for her children she could not stop or alter these nor her own.  Shirah was attracted to a man that was already someone else’s and that she was related to. He was Aziza’s father and when this became known they were cast off.  Shirah met another man, a Moab warrior, that she married and had two more children with.  She and the children arrived at Masada and like other Jews made it their home.  She brought the doves to Masada. Shirah’s gift is her magical and medicinal powers, she is known at the Witch of Moab. 

These women are strong, defiant, brave, spiritual. lean to feminism and love their own with a fierce determination that is challenged again and again.  In every story the women are called on to do things they could never have imagined.  In some cases their forbidden passions brought them children and danger that they were powerless to avoid.  These women found a way to survive in the unrelenting chapters of their lives to join together in the dove cove to find true friendships that were stronger than anything the Romans had in store for them. 

I am forever an admirer of Alice Hoffman and her smart writing but not always a fan of her books. Her works never fail to touch me in some well and the writing is intricate I never want to miss one. THE DOVEKEEPERS falls into the I am not a fan of pile, yet I was eager to listen to the discs or find excuses to be in the car to continue with the story.  It felt like the 16 discs just flew by. 

My favorite Alice Hoffman novel of recent years was THE THIRD ANGEL, the way the stories from different times were intertwined was simply brilliant.  Hoffman has authored many books that dabble in many subjects it feels like there is one or two out there for every reader, do visit her site: Alice Hoffman.

THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY title captures its contents perfectly

Seré Prince Halverson has written a story that has moments of joy coupled with those that will sear your heart.  I can only guess that many of the feelings within can be felt by step parents at one time or another as the emotions felt so authentic.  Halverson herself is a step parent and grew up with a mom and step mom which allows her to treat this subject matter with reality and care.

Ella Beene is headed nowhere after the dissolve of her marriage and the sadness and loss that preceded its end.  She arrives in Elbow in Northern California and bumps into a man trying to manage two young children he has in tow.  In the blink of any eye Ella finds a new home and life for herself.  

Ella’s chance meeting with Joe Capozzi is a scene from a Lifetime TV movie.  Neither were looking for the other, but had no idea just how much they needed each other.  Joe’s first wife, Paige, had left him to care for their two young children, Annie and Zach. Ella stepped into the roles of wife and mother and in the process found herself home with a joyful life. 

Fast forward three years Joe, an amateur photographer, on his way to his day job of running the family’s grocery store in town took an ill-fated detour.  Joe went to the ocean to take some pictures and broke one of his own rules that resulted in his death.  Grief stricken at the loss of her husband but knowing she has to be strong for her stepchildren, Annie and Zach, she continues on.  But in this underside moment the past is reaching out to the present and all of this will impact their future. 

Ella finds out that Joe was a dreamer in so many ways and did not in dot the is or cross the ts in so many essential matters.  Ella did not know the details of her husband’s past and even some of the realities of the present. And now things are a mess with her precious step children, the family business and Ella’s life. 

Soon she is pulled from all angles and in the fight of her life for the things that bring her joy.  Ella is able to secure joy but just as in life this is not how things end.  Once again Ella is plunged into the “underside of joy” by her actions and her sense of doing the right thing.

Notes:

Special thanks to @KMSPR for providing me with this book that touched my heart.                 To learn more about this author and the book visit Seré Prince Halverson’s website: http://sereprincehalverson.com/.  THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY is available for purchase at: 

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Cupcakes and Friendship, Recipe for a Delightful Read

HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE reunites once childhood best friends Annie Quintana and Julia St. Clair that have been estranged for years.  Annie arrives at the St. Clair mansion the only home she ever knew as a child with her cupcakes in hand. The mansion and the St. Clair’s are still intimidating but soon the cupcakes are the star of the fundraising event hosted by Lolly St. Clair. 

Memories are running through Annie’s mind from the moment she steps into the kitchen in the St. Clair’s home.  Annie is shocked to find the kitchen unchanged since her mother Lucia’s death years before.  The kitchen was where her mother spent so much time cooking for the family and caring for her daughter Annie and Julia St. Clair.  Lucia provided a loving childhood for both of her girls.

Lucia a pregnant teenager, was kicked out of her home and forced to find her own way and she was taken in by the St. Clair’s to cook for the family.  Once the St. Clair’s took in Lucia and then Annie who came among shortly thereafter, they became much more then the help.  Lucia was Mrs. St. Clair’s closest friend and Julia and Annie bonded as well. 

Annie and Julia were raised and educated together with the St. Clair’s footing the bill for Annie’s prestigious schooling.  But a series of events happened in their senior year to split apart the girls and the wedge it drove between them was deep.  Like all good feuds it was provoked by a boy and in this case it was Jake. 

Julia had just returned home to plan for her upcoming nuptuals when Annie and she are reunited at the fundraiser.   But just to make the mix interesting Jake (from high school) was a guest at the party as well.  I have always thought cupcakes should be used more in political diplomacy efforts, we just might heal some wounds that divide us globally.

Annie’s cupcakes are the hit of the event and Julia hatches an idea to open a cupcakery.  But when she contacts Annie, she does not receive the affirmative answer she expects.  But Annie’s friends let her know that she is insane especially given the amazing deal that Julia is offering her and she changes her mind and thus Treat is born. 

During the build out the store it is vandalized more then once. Neither of the women or the police can figure out who would want to do this. Treat opens to great acclaim but that is tempered by Annie’s feelings from the past, a secret Julia is keeping from her fiance Wes and then there is Jake. And lets not forget the vandal is still at large and then a hooded man starts to lurk.  Is he one and the same as the vandal? 

It is first and foremost about relationships and the chapters in HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE alternate between Julia and Annie which is a nice touch.  More then just Annie and Julie’s relationships are explored within but cupcakes are never far which is delicious.

I really enjoyed this book from the jacket to the last page.  I recommend HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE to anyone looking for a light read with a few surprises included.  But I do warn that it will make you crave cupcakes with every chapter.  This is definitely a book I would pack for any upcoming spring breaks!

Fourth Installment in Christopher Paolini’s ERAGON series -INHERITANCE

Number of discs:  24

Hours:                    31 – Unabridged

Read by:                Gerard Doyle

Author:                  Christopher Paolini

Publisher:              Random House Childrens

Year:                      2011

Produced by:        Listening Library

I am not sure it is fair or a compliment to any author to compare their works to others, but this thought ran through my head for the entire 31 hours thus it must be said.  INHERITANCE resided at the intersection of later ”Harry Potter” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and that is quite good company to keep.  This is the fourth and final installment of the very popular Christopher Paolini series that began with ERAGON and ends with INHERITANCE.  

Without the brilliant packaging, I would have been lost. The 24 discs are packed in groups of 4 and these jackets are flush with background information that is essential if this is your entre to the series.  And I suspect the seasoned series follower would enjoy as there are many characters with unusual names and there is quite a history that has been told in the previous installments.  Additionally, each of the discs are imprinted with the cover art and it feel like a treat each time you pull a disc out to play.

We are in the midst of war and a dire power struggle that is clear as this installment begins.  There are different factions and not all human.  The setting is a the faraway land of Alagaësia.  To set the stage there are: dragons, dwarves, elves, Dragon Riders, humans, Urgal, Ra’zac, Varden and Weircats. There is but one chance to rise up against Galbatorix who is evil and very powerful to get back the kingdom where these races had found a way to live peacefully once upon a time. 

It is up to Eragon a Dragon Rider and his dragon Saphira to lead the charge to rescue Nasuada and uncover and safeguard any remaining dragon eggs. But they face Galbatorix who is no ordinary foe as he possesses Eldunarí of dragons lost in battle which is powerful indeed.  The magic within this story is captivating, of course it is good and evil and Gerard Doyle does an amazing job of bringing that to life for listeners. 

It felt like battles took center stage at the start for several discs. There were all kinds of battles, big and small, and many kinds of death and all of it felt very violent due to the success of Gerard Doyle.  Doyle handled all of the narration which is quite a feat given there were so many characters and species, but I never felt a yearn for multiple voices as I thought I might.  He used slight changes in inflection, tone and pace to represent the various characters it really did work rather well.

While I could have skipped over a number of the discs at the start and some of the battles during the 24 discs I recognize I was not Paolini’s target audience. But when Eragon, Saphira and company travel to rescue Nasuada from Galbatorix’s evil clutches that is when things got interesting for me.  The detailed description of the surroundings and the well-developed characters are compelling and definitely would hold the interest of any listener of any age. 

These were some highlights for me during the listening of INHERITANCE audiobook: disc 9 Eragon receives a sword which is not labeled Excalibur but Twinkledeath.  Also, one of my favorite characters, the Herbalist, kills the high priest with a dagger and the priest was turned to dust. During disc 16 and the journey to the Vault of Souls, I was unable to remove myself from the car as such I was in the garage for some time.  This section was suspenseful from beginning to end but so well done.  How they get in, their journey within, those they meet and the contents are all worthy of a listen and maybe a repeat. And while I do not know what disc the burrow grubs make their appearance they were disgusting and terrifying and I have been trying to forget them since I finished listening to INHERITANCE. Yuck.

Previously, I  mentioned that it had a slow start for me, I felt the same towards the end of the book.  Once the war had been fought and life had returned to a sense of normal, I was bored with the kingdom banter, jockeying for power and the even the future view.  Although, I definitely could see some good lessons to be learned by junior listeners.   

I do think it is for mature tweens and up as there is much warfare and some extreme torture. The scenes with Nasuada as a prisoner of Galbatorix and enslaved Murtagh were difficult to stomach at times.  Along the way there are many deaths, killings, and lots of appendages being removed including decapitation. Obviously, if you have been onboard for the entire series I suspect this will be known and appropriate listeners judged accordingly.

If I could do it all over again I would listen to this series from the start and follow it through: ERAGON, ELDEST, BRISINGR and INHERITANCE.  If you have an enthusiastic reader that is able to handle this content, it would be a great summer break activity.  The audio brings this tale to life and I would recommend this audiobook for that reason.  Finally, I would add that my interest was raised enough where I figured out how to upload it to my ipod so I could listen to it in other places besides the car, I was beginning to spend more time there then anywhere else. 

This material was excellent for audiobook listening. The characters were brought to life and I know the reading would have been slow going for me especially jumping into the series so late. Christopher Paolini provided Gerard Doyle with this rich content and it made for a thrilling while sometimes a disturbing listen. There is no question in my mind that this would be a terrific choice for a family contemplating a road trip with the appropriate age listeners on board.

Disclaimer: As I joined the series with this installment, I do believe I have the same background or perspective as someone who has been on board since the beginning.

Special Thanks: go to Audiobook Jukebox in conjunction with Random House Children’s Books/Listening Library for providing this audiobook to me.

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.