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| A little wear on the corners |
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| Sorry, a little blurry. |
See below for terms and conditions.
I am willing to send internationally, so it's open to all!
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Giveaway: The Postmistress
This is a giveaway for A PREVIOUSLY READ COPY of The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. This is my personal copy that I bought and read. If you've read my review, you know that I didn't enjoy the book. But it doesn't mean that you will feel the same. If you've been wanting to read it, here's your chance!
Here are a few pictures of the copy. As I said, it's previously read. A tad bit of wear, but still in great condition!
See below for terms and conditions.
I am willing to send internationally, so it's open to all!
See below for terms and conditions.
I am willing to send internationally, so it's open to all!
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Book Review: The Postmistress
Synopsis from Goodreads:
The year is 1940. Europe is living the devastation of war. America, innocent of the truth whether by choice or by the lack of information, continues her carefree ways. The three heroines of the novel are drawn into the war while America is still on the sidelines. We first meet Iris, who is the postmistress of Franklin, MA. (But wait, she says she is the Postmaster, not a Postmistress.) She is at a doctor's office for an examination and a certificate to prove that she is . . . intact.
Maybe this is a trashy romance.
We next are introduced to Emma. She is on her way to Franklin. She arrives as the blushing new bride of the town doctor. She is on the same train as Iris, reading Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. We are acquainted to Emma in the line, "Vronsky was making love to Anna."
Okay, it must be a trashy romance.
Then we meet our third heroine, Frankie. She's working with news legend Edward R. Murrow in London. Thankfully sex is not on Frankie's mind (at least not yet). She is too busy trying to open America's eyes to the horrors that are taking place in London and all over Europe. Once I met the characters, I was looking for the story to take off. A quote on the back cover of the novel, from The New York Times, states, "Ms. Blake writes powerfully . . ." So I kept reading, waiting to be powerfully transported to 1940, experiencing the lives of the three women. And I kept reading, waiting, hoping the story would pick up.
Perhaps one of the problems that I had with the novel was that I was expecting the story to be about the Postmistress of Franklin, MA, Iris. I kept expecting a story about the letter she decided not to deliver. The story did not revolve around Iris, but Frankie. It took Ms. Blake roughly 100 pages in a 350 page book to get to the meat of the book. Even then, the writing was lifeless, only the hope that it would get better cheered me on. The writing, the characters, the story was flat. I did not connect to the characters. I could care less what the characters did or what happened to them. I did not even feel as if I were in 1940s. The only indication that I may not be reading about the present day is all of the reference to women smoking. Constantly smoking.
Ms. Blake's only way of emoting frustration is by constantly taking Christ's name in vain. This almost made me put the book down not only because it was annoying, but due to my faith. I kept reading, still hoping. For a brief moment, I was rewarded. For approximately fifty pages, when into Frankie's care comes a letter, and she's traveling Europe to record the story of war, did Ms. Blake write something worth reading. She transported me onto the train, portraying the emotions of her characters and made the war real through the voices of people who were living it. Absentmindedly, I was turning pages, devouring each word, sucked into the story. A spark, a glimpse of what Ms. Blake is capable of is she is honest with her writing. This spark fizzled when Frankie left the train.
Something else left me scratching my head. The title of the book led me to believe that the story would be about Iris. She is the postmistress in the novel, yet her character is adamant that she is the postmaster. Nor was the story mainly about her, as discussed earlier. So I started to think. According to Merriam-Webster, mistress is defined as a woman who has power, authority, or ownership. Out of all the characters, this most describes Frankie. She is in a position of power, responsible for conveying the realities of war to Americans. She belonged to a male-dominated field, living a life that was not common for women in the 40s. She also had power over a letter. A letter that would change the life of someone forever. It also seemed that this letter had some sort of power over Frankie.
Add this to the happenings of all the male characters . . . I don't want to say too much and spoil the book. I wonder if Ms. Blake had more to say to us.
Overall, The Postmistress was a disappointing read for me. I expected more. Perhaps it was the fact that Ms. Blake was attempting to be literary and failed. The story is forgettable as are the characters. Yet there are plenty of people that adored this novel. If the story appeals to you, please give it a go! Maybe you won't be so let down.
Here is an interview from the author about her novel.
Title: The Postmistress
Author: Sarah Blake
Publication Year: 2010
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-425-23869-1
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 2/5
Recommend? No, but I know there are some out there that will love this novel. Even though I didn't enjoy it, it may be for you!
Ah, The Postmistress. A book that I have seen a lot of talk about. Mostly good. Add a cover that easily swayed my decision. I love the cover! I have read some reviews that say that the cover reminds them of a trashy romance novel. I don't see it. I love the picture of the old letters. The rose, eh, could go either way, but it's simple, beautiful cover. And that's where my love ends.Filled with stunning parallels to today's world, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war. On the eve of the United States's entrance into World War II in 1940, Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, a small town on Cape Cod, does the unthinkable: She doesn't deliver a letter. In London, American radio gal Frankie Bard is working with Edward R. Murrow, reporting on the Blitz. One night in a bomb shelter, she meets a doctor from Cape Cod with a letter in his pocket, a letter Frankie vows to deliver when she returns from Germany and France, where she is to record the stories of war refugees desperately trying to escape. The residents of Franklin think the war can't touch them- but as Frankie's radio broadcasts air, some know that the war is indeed coming. And when Frankie arrives at their doorstep, the two stories collide in a way no one could have foreseen. The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
The year is 1940. Europe is living the devastation of war. America, innocent of the truth whether by choice or by the lack of information, continues her carefree ways. The three heroines of the novel are drawn into the war while America is still on the sidelines. We first meet Iris, who is the postmistress of Franklin, MA. (But wait, she says she is the Postmaster, not a Postmistress.) She is at a doctor's office for an examination and a certificate to prove that she is . . . intact.
Maybe this is a trashy romance.
We next are introduced to Emma. She is on her way to Franklin. She arrives as the blushing new bride of the town doctor. She is on the same train as Iris, reading Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. We are acquainted to Emma in the line, "Vronsky was making love to Anna."
Okay, it must be a trashy romance.
Then we meet our third heroine, Frankie. She's working with news legend Edward R. Murrow in London. Thankfully sex is not on Frankie's mind (at least not yet). She is too busy trying to open America's eyes to the horrors that are taking place in London and all over Europe. Once I met the characters, I was looking for the story to take off. A quote on the back cover of the novel, from The New York Times, states, "Ms. Blake writes powerfully . . ." So I kept reading, waiting to be powerfully transported to 1940, experiencing the lives of the three women. And I kept reading, waiting, hoping the story would pick up.
Perhaps one of the problems that I had with the novel was that I was expecting the story to be about the Postmistress of Franklin, MA, Iris. I kept expecting a story about the letter she decided not to deliver. The story did not revolve around Iris, but Frankie. It took Ms. Blake roughly 100 pages in a 350 page book to get to the meat of the book. Even then, the writing was lifeless, only the hope that it would get better cheered me on. The writing, the characters, the story was flat. I did not connect to the characters. I could care less what the characters did or what happened to them. I did not even feel as if I were in 1940s. The only indication that I may not be reading about the present day is all of the reference to women smoking. Constantly smoking.
Ms. Blake's only way of emoting frustration is by constantly taking Christ's name in vain. This almost made me put the book down not only because it was annoying, but due to my faith. I kept reading, still hoping. For a brief moment, I was rewarded. For approximately fifty pages, when into Frankie's care comes a letter, and she's traveling Europe to record the story of war, did Ms. Blake write something worth reading. She transported me onto the train, portraying the emotions of her characters and made the war real through the voices of people who were living it. Absentmindedly, I was turning pages, devouring each word, sucked into the story. A spark, a glimpse of what Ms. Blake is capable of is she is honest with her writing. This spark fizzled when Frankie left the train.
Something else left me scratching my head. The title of the book led me to believe that the story would be about Iris. She is the postmistress in the novel, yet her character is adamant that she is the postmaster. Nor was the story mainly about her, as discussed earlier. So I started to think. According to Merriam-Webster, mistress is defined as a woman who has power, authority, or ownership. Out of all the characters, this most describes Frankie. She is in a position of power, responsible for conveying the realities of war to Americans. She belonged to a male-dominated field, living a life that was not common for women in the 40s. She also had power over a letter. A letter that would change the life of someone forever. It also seemed that this letter had some sort of power over Frankie.
Add this to the happenings of all the male characters . . . I don't want to say too much and spoil the book. I wonder if Ms. Blake had more to say to us.
Overall, The Postmistress was a disappointing read for me. I expected more. Perhaps it was the fact that Ms. Blake was attempting to be literary and failed. The story is forgettable as are the characters. Yet there are plenty of people that adored this novel. If the story appeals to you, please give it a go! Maybe you won't be so let down.
Here is an interview from the author about her novel.
Title: The Postmistress
Author: Sarah Blake
Publication Year: 2010
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-425-23869-1
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 2/5
Recommend? No, but I know there are some out there that will love this novel. Even though I didn't enjoy it, it may be for you!
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Product Review: Book Bandi
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| Photo courtesy of Book Bandi on Facebook |
The Book Bandi seemed to be a solution. It is made out of two bands of colorful elastic ribbon that stretches taunt when you place it over you book. One band is suppose to go around your cover while the other acts as your bookmark by placing it over all the pages you have read.
The bookmark comes in sizes to accommodate various types and sizes of books. I bought the medium to fit over trade paperbacks, which is mostly what I read. They also incorporate the label so you can use it to hold pens.
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| Torn and Ripped Covers |
I also thought, once the product arrived, that $5.99 is a bit excessive. Perhaps I'm being a bit cheap, but anyone with a sewing machine can sew two elastic ribbons together. I can be forgiving with the cost, but the $2 shipping and handling fee was a kick in the pants in my opinion. I dislike companies/people who inflate the shipping and handling costs to make money. Especially when it cost $0.44 to ship (from the US to a US address), and it was placed in a simple manila envelope. I think $1 would have been enough to cover postage/envelope/time/gas. The fact that I paid $2 and the way it was shipped really bothered me.
So unless you're using this for a journal or a frequent textbook/hardcover reader, I'd pass it up. If you're interested, check these sites out:
Monday, 12 September 2011
Book Review: The Pioneer Cookbook
I love to cook and I love to bake. But I'm not flashy at either. I'm not daring to try exotic foods (much to my husband's disappointment). So when I try new recipes, I like to have familiar ingredients. When I saw the title of this cookbook, it appealed to me. Not only are many of the ingredients familiar, I love to learn how people did things "way back when."
Barton starts the cookbook with a short overview on pioneers and their rustic ways of cooking. Her recipes are broken into nine categories:
Main Dishes
Soups and Stews
Sauces and Dressings
Side Dishes
Breads and Biscuits
Desserts
Candies and Drinks
Food Preservation
Self-Care and Remedies
There are many recognizable recipes such as Friend Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Cherry Pie. There are also recipes for the adventuresome eaters, such as Baked Rabbit, Roasted Raccoon and Succotash. Okay, I jest on the succotash. I hated it as a kid, but may give it a go this winter.
Included are recipes I've never heard of: Brunswick Stew (in which the original recipe included squirrel tail, but since updated), Pacific Coast Clam Chowder (heard of Manhattan and New England styles, but then again, I'm from the east coast) and Sopaipillas. It would be interesting to see what recipes would be familiar to others, based upon the area of the country readers are from. For example, if you know what Spiedies and Salt Potatoes are, you know where I'm from.
I have only tried one recipe from the book and that was for Chicken Fried Steak. It turned out great. Even my little girl ate some and she's on a picky eater/non-eater phase.
There are many recipes in the book that appeal to me. I will give them a try, but I will have to wait until autumn/winter time. It is just too hot. Cooking is at a minimum at the moment. I am really looking forward to the breads: Apple Bran Bread, Belgian Molasses Bread and Herb Bread.
Sounds yummy to me!
Barton also makes this a little more than just a recipe book. She starts out each recipe with a little background of the recipe. Where it's originally from or how it was originally cooked is just a snippet of information included. My only peeve with the book is that Barton will quote Wikipedia in this recipe history. I believe, that because Wikipedia is used, the information cannot be 100 per cent reliable. I also did not like that she included the link in the one or two paragraphs. She should have included them at the end of the book.
But it does not take away from the recipes. This book would be great for the beginner cook or anyone who wants a little history in their kitchen.
Title: The Pioneer Cookbook: Recipes for Today's Kitchen
Author: Miriam Barton
Publication Year: 2011
Publisher: Leatherwood Press
ISBN: 978-1-59992-142-6
Source: GoodReads First Reads Winner
Rating: 4/5
Recommend? Yes.
Barton starts the cookbook with a short overview on pioneers and their rustic ways of cooking. Her recipes are broken into nine categories:
Main DishesSoups and Stews
Sauces and Dressings
Side Dishes
Breads and Biscuits
Desserts
Candies and Drinks
Food Preservation
Self-Care and Remedies
There are many recognizable recipes such as Friend Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Cherry Pie. There are also recipes for the adventuresome eaters, such as Baked Rabbit, Roasted Raccoon and Succotash. Okay, I jest on the succotash. I hated it as a kid, but may give it a go this winter.
Included are recipes I've never heard of: Brunswick Stew (in which the original recipe included squirrel tail, but since updated), Pacific Coast Clam Chowder (heard of Manhattan and New England styles, but then again, I'm from the east coast) and Sopaipillas. It would be interesting to see what recipes would be familiar to others, based upon the area of the country readers are from. For example, if you know what Spiedies and Salt Potatoes are, you know where I'm from.
I have only tried one recipe from the book and that was for Chicken Fried Steak. It turned out great. Even my little girl ate some and she's on a picky eater/non-eater phase.
There are many recipes in the book that appeal to me. I will give them a try, but I will have to wait until autumn/winter time. It is just too hot. Cooking is at a minimum at the moment. I am really looking forward to the breads: Apple Bran Bread, Belgian Molasses Bread and Herb Bread.
Sounds yummy to me!
Barton also makes this a little more than just a recipe book. She starts out each recipe with a little background of the recipe. Where it's originally from or how it was originally cooked is just a snippet of information included. My only peeve with the book is that Barton will quote Wikipedia in this recipe history. I believe, that because Wikipedia is used, the information cannot be 100 per cent reliable. I also did not like that she included the link in the one or two paragraphs. She should have included them at the end of the book.
But it does not take away from the recipes. This book would be great for the beginner cook or anyone who wants a little history in their kitchen.
Title: The Pioneer Cookbook: Recipes for Today's Kitchen
Author: Miriam Barton
Publication Year: 2011
Publisher: Leatherwood Press
ISBN: 978-1-59992-142-6
Source: GoodReads First Reads Winner
Rating: 4/5
Recommend? Yes.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Book Review: 1, 2, 3 From Land and Sea
Authors Kathy Kesner and Irene Kueh have made this more than a typical book about numbers. Instead, they created a story with an introduction, a story about each number and a conclusion. And it all rhymes! The pages are very colorful, sure to grab the attention of the little ones. The illustration reflects the individual story of each number (and zero is included). Each number has corresponding art of what is being described in the text. For example, number three's rhyme talks about kittens. There are three kittens in the picture as well as numerous '3s' in different colors and styles.
The only flaw I see in the book is that it is all paper. I think this book would benefit being a board book or constructed with heavier, more durable paper. My 20-month old is already a lover of books, but I don't think I'll let her have free reign on it until she's older.
She did enjoy it, though!
Title: 1, 2, 3 From Land and Sea
Authors: Kathy Kesner and Irene Kueh
Publication Year: 2011
Publisher: Self Published
ISBN: 1461093503
Friday, 2 September 2011
Book Review: Every Man Dies Alone
Synopsis from Goodreads:
When it comes to WWII era novels, I've never thought about reading from a German's point of view. Do many exist? When I came across this book in the grocery store (yes, the GROCERY store--they had a big 40% off bestsellers bin), and read the short synopsis, I was hooked. This 509 page novel made its way home with me between a loaf of bread and a pound of butter.
I started it soon after. Right away, I found myself very confused with the numerous characters thrown at you in the first pages. I do most of my reading before bed, so this confusion could be attributed to my exhaustion. Soon I had everyone figured out and was on a great literary journey.
The story is that of the Quangels, Otto and Anna, and their resistance to the Nazi regime. The characters are based off of the real lives of Otta and Elise Hampel, a couple who decided to stand up to the Nazis by placing postcards with anti-Hitler slogans throughout Berlin. If found out, this would be a death sentence to all who is involved.
I was introduced to so many people in the early pages of the novel that I was not sure who were the post card writers in the novel. The Quangels seem to be an apathetic couple, just going about their lives as best as that can in Nazi-ruled Germany. The death of their only son, who was serving in the German military changed that. I tried to guess early on as the writings and dropping of postcards do not start right away. There's so much more than Fallada wants to show us.
I love how Fallada introduces us to German society through his characters that reside in one apartment building. The Nazis, the Jew, the apathetic couple (the Quangels), a very self-obsessed man, a money hungry louse and an invisible judge. Yet they all feared. And fear encompassed everyone in Germany. No one could escape it. Not even the reader. Fallada made sure of that. I didn't know if I wanted to put the book down because I felt anxiety or keep reading as fast as I could to see what happens next. Fallada brought us to Nazi German and let the reader experience what it must have been like for the people who lived in constant fear. Fear that you will say the wrong thing or do something that could be perceived as anti-state. The anxiety that citizens felt, wondering if their co-worker, their neighbor, was a spy. It was very real.
But you still cheer on the good guys because you want to see them win. Even if you know how it will end.
And if you've seen Sophie Scholl, or read about her, then you know. (I recommend this movie, too.)
Fallada wrote and extraordinary novel, and the fact that he lived through it shows. He seems to be a colorful character as his biography at the end of the book indicates. The novel also has copies of some of the postcards, pictures of the Hampels as well as arrest reports. A very, very interesting read that left be thinking about it constantly when I wasn't reading and for days after.
This gem was finally translated into English in 2009, after being published in 1947. It makes me wonder how many other magnificent works are out there in other languages, waiting to be translated.
Title: Every Man Dies Alone
Author: Hans Fallada
Publication Year: 2009 translated (1947)
Publisher: Melville House
Pages: 509
ISBN: 978-193555404-2
Source: Personal copy
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes!
I have tried for over a week to review this book. Numerous attempts were made, but all lackluster. Primo Levi said that this was "the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis." Alan Furst states that EMDA "is one of the most extraordinary and compelling novels ever written about World War II. Ever." After reading this, you start to think that this books needs a review to do it justice. (A great review by Furst can be found here.)"This never-before-translated masterpiece - by a heroic best-selling writer who saw his life crumble under the Nazis - is based on a true story." "It presents a richly detailed portrait of life in Berlin under the Nazis and tells the sweeping saga of one working-class couple who decides to take a stand when their only son is killed at the front. With nothing but their grief and each other against the awesome power of the Reich, they launch a simple, clandestine resistance campaign that soon has an enraged Gestapo on their trail, and a world of terrified neighbors and cynical snitches ready to turn them in." In the end, it's more than an edge-of-your-seat thriller, more than a moving romance, even more than literature of the highest order - it's a deeply stirring story of two people standing up for what's right, and each other.
When it comes to WWII era novels, I've never thought about reading from a German's point of view. Do many exist? When I came across this book in the grocery store (yes, the GROCERY store--they had a big 40% off bestsellers bin), and read the short synopsis, I was hooked. This 509 page novel made its way home with me between a loaf of bread and a pound of butter.
I started it soon after. Right away, I found myself very confused with the numerous characters thrown at you in the first pages. I do most of my reading before bed, so this confusion could be attributed to my exhaustion. Soon I had everyone figured out and was on a great literary journey.
The story is that of the Quangels, Otto and Anna, and their resistance to the Nazi regime. The characters are based off of the real lives of Otta and Elise Hampel, a couple who decided to stand up to the Nazis by placing postcards with anti-Hitler slogans throughout Berlin. If found out, this would be a death sentence to all who is involved.
I was introduced to so many people in the early pages of the novel that I was not sure who were the post card writers in the novel. The Quangels seem to be an apathetic couple, just going about their lives as best as that can in Nazi-ruled Germany. The death of their only son, who was serving in the German military changed that. I tried to guess early on as the writings and dropping of postcards do not start right away. There's so much more than Fallada wants to show us.
I love how Fallada introduces us to German society through his characters that reside in one apartment building. The Nazis, the Jew, the apathetic couple (the Quangels), a very self-obsessed man, a money hungry louse and an invisible judge. Yet they all feared. And fear encompassed everyone in Germany. No one could escape it. Not even the reader. Fallada made sure of that. I didn't know if I wanted to put the book down because I felt anxiety or keep reading as fast as I could to see what happens next. Fallada brought us to Nazi German and let the reader experience what it must have been like for the people who lived in constant fear. Fear that you will say the wrong thing or do something that could be perceived as anti-state. The anxiety that citizens felt, wondering if their co-worker, their neighbor, was a spy. It was very real.
But you still cheer on the good guys because you want to see them win. Even if you know how it will end.
And if you've seen Sophie Scholl, or read about her, then you know. (I recommend this movie, too.)
Fallada wrote and extraordinary novel, and the fact that he lived through it shows. He seems to be a colorful character as his biography at the end of the book indicates. The novel also has copies of some of the postcards, pictures of the Hampels as well as arrest reports. A very, very interesting read that left be thinking about it constantly when I wasn't reading and for days after.
This gem was finally translated into English in 2009, after being published in 1947. It makes me wonder how many other magnificent works are out there in other languages, waiting to be translated.
Title: Every Man Dies Alone
Author: Hans Fallada
Publication Year: 2009 translated (1947)
Publisher: Melville House
Pages: 509
ISBN: 978-193555404-2
Source: Personal copy
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes!
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