Somewhere in France - Jennifer Robson

Title: Somewhere in France: A Novel of the Great War
Author: Jennifer Robson
Pages: 400
Published: 2013
Challenges: I Love Libraries, War Through the Generations, Historical Fiction, Eclectic Reading
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford wants to travel the world, pursue a career, and marry for love. But in 1914, the stifling restrictions of aristocratic British society and her mother’s rigid expectations forbid Lily from following her heart. When war breaks out, the spirited young woman seizes her chance for independence. Defying her parents, she moves to London and eventually becomes an ambulance driver in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps—an exciting and treacherous job that takes her close to the Western Front.

Assigned to a field hospital in France, Lily is reunited with Robert Fraser, her dear brother Edward’s best friend. The handsome Scottish surgeon has always encouraged Lily’s dreams. She doesn’t care that Robbie grew up in poverty—she yearns for their friendly affection to become something more. Lily is the most beautiful—and forbidden—woman Robbie has ever known. Fearful for her life, he’s determined to keep her safe, even if it means breaking her heart.

In a world divided by class, filled with uncertainty and death, can their hope for love survive. . . or will it become another casualty of this tragic war? (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: Saw this book recommended on a blog somewhere (this may be a bit redundant, as most books I read come from blog recommendations) and it intrigued me.  Luckily for me, I was able to get a library copy fairly quickly and hence I was able to finish the book within fairly short order.

What appealed me to the book was the fact that it reminded a lot of the plot line of Downton Abbey and it also appealed to me in that it looked to be a fairly easy read and something that I could read in short order, which I was able to.

Now that I have had sometime to let the book soak in and my thoughts to be properly formulated, I was reminded of Sarah's Key, in that it was a book that I could easily put down for a period of time and pick up just as easily without missing too much of the storyline.

While the book was nothing too memorable, the writing was decent enough and I liked the characters, even if the book became a bit too cliched for my liking.

Bottom line: If you gravitate towards lighter fiction and are a fan of Downton Abbey, I would recommend this read or even if you need something lighter for a bit.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 4466

The Reason that I Jump - Naoki Higashia; trans. K.A. Yoshida and David Mitchell

Title: The Reason that I Jump
Author: Naoki Higashida; translated by K.A. Yoshida and David Mitchell
Pages: 176
Published 2013 (first published 2007)
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Non-Fiction
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights—into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory—are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.  (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: I can't recall where I had first hear about this book, but wherever I saw it, it definitely piqued my interest.

At first I was quite impressed with the author's ability to express his thought and feelings in a fairly coherent manner, but as I moved on in the book I started to become skeptical of how much a 13 year-old would truly know about living with ASD (Austim Spectrum Disorder), especially since it is something that is so varied.  I also found that the voice of the author to be irritating at times, especially towards the end of the book.  I really was hoping for more, but was unable to find what I was hoping for and actually quit reading the book with one section left to complete.

Bottom Line: If you enjoyed such books as Three Cups of Tea and other first person "non-fiction" narratives, you probably would enjoy this read.  Recommended, but with strong reservations.

Rating: 2/5

Pages for 2014: 4066

Labor Day - Joyce Maynard

Title: Labor Day
Author: Joyce Maynard
Pages: 244
Published: 2013 (first published 2009)
Challenges: I Love Libraries
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Edition: Movie Tie-In Paperback
Source: Library

Description: With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, thirteen-year-old Henry--lonely, friendless, not too good at sports--spends most of his time watching television, reading, and daydreaming about the soft skin and budding bodies of his female classmates. For company Henry has his long-divorced mother, Adele--a onetime dancer whose summer project was to teach him how to foxtrot; his hamster, Joe; and awkward Saturday-night outings to Friendly's with his estranged father and new stepfamily. As much as he tries, Henry knows that even with his jokes and his "Husband for a Day" coupon, he still can't make his emotionally fragile mother happy. Adele has a secret that makes it hard for her to leave their house, and seems to possess an irreparably broken heart.

But all that changes on the Thursday before Labor Day, when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank approaches Henry and asks for a hand. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life's most valuable lessons: how to throw a baseball, the secret to perfect piecrust, the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting others--especially those we love--above ourselves. And the knowledge that real love is worth waiting for. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: First heard about the book in the lead-up to the movie being released this past winter and hence why I requested the book.  I haven't seen the movie, so I can't attest to how accurate the adaptation is as this isn't a review of the movie.  While the book was at least for me a decent read, it wasn't a read that was memorable for me.  I realize that this is clearly meant for readers that enjoy this sort of a read, not for those that like something that allows one to think more deeply.

The book is well written, but didn't satisfy me as a reader, in that while Ms. Maynard gives very vivid descriptions of one weekend (a memorable one at that) of a 13 year-old boy, the story falls flat, especially in the last third, where it seems as though she wanted to tie the story up into a nice package that clearly was aimed to those that like endings that aren't for the most part, ambiguous.  Personally I would have liked the story to end on an ambiguous note and let the reader to decide as to what the ending of the book was to be, rather than have the ending decided for me, unless of course I happen to love the book.

Bottom line:  It's the perfect book to read either at the pool or at the beach or even a long plane ride; it's that sort of book.  I also would recommend the book to somebody who enjoys reading this sort of fiction.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2014: 3890

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Apr.7)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week. 


Books finished this week:
• Shopping, Seduction, & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead
• The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

Books reviewed this week:
Same as last week; got a few more written up in a notebook, but honestly I will make some time starting tonight to write them out.  Hopefully, I'll get most of them completed.

Books I hope to finish this week:
• HHhH by Laurent Binet
• Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
• The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (I've read about 50 pages and its pretty good)

Books I hope work on this week:
• Flight Behavior
• The Mysteries of the Udolpho
• The Woman in White
• War & Peace
• The Count of Monte Cristo

Hope you have a good week :)

Take Control of Your TBR Pile Wrap-up #TakeControlTBR

March has ended and so has the Take Control TBR Pile challenge.  When I started the challenge last month, these were the books that I started out with:

• Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingslover
• HHhH by Laurence Binet
• Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• Possession by A.S. Byatt
• Relish by Lucy Knisley
• The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

Well of the books on the list, I managed to only finish three and review two of them.  But sadly, I did add to my list during the month and now my TBR list is even longer.  Such is the life of a book blogger.  Oh well.  Till next time :)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Vactioners

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This weeks selection is:

 The Vacationers

Author: Emma Straub
Expected publication: May 29, 2014

From Amazon.com:

For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated.

This is a story of the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together. With wry humor and tremendous heart, Emma Straub delivers a richly satisfying story of a family in the midst of a maelstrom of change, emerging irrevocably altered yet whole.

I heard about this book through the Book Riot podcast and Bookrageous. 

What are you waiting for? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Mar. 31)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.


Books finished this week:
• The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
• 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Books reviewed this week:
None, but I do have 3 reviews written in a notebook that will hopefully be posted sometime this week.

Books I hope to finish this week:
• HHhH by Laurent Binet
• Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
• Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead

Books I hope to work on this week:
• The Rosie Project

• The Woman in White

• The Count of Monte Cristo

• War & Peace

• Flight Behavior

• The Mysteries of the Udolpho 

• The Whole Golden World

and maybe something else, depending on what I have to return and want to read.