Book of the Week: I Heart Paris

I Heart Paris is the third in a series of books by Lindsey Kelk (I reviewed the second, I Heart Hollywood, here) about Brit ex-pat Angela Clark, a freelancer in New York who writes a blog for the fictional Look magazine. Angela's life seems to be going rather swimmingly after the hijinks that took place in California and in the same week she's asked by her musician boyfriend to go to Paris and picked by Belle magazine (think Vogue) to write a story for them. What more could a girl ask for?

Well, if that girl is Angela Clark, then quite a bit more. Just as Angela touches down in Paris things start to go wrong. There is scheming, lying and backstabbing--and that's just the work stuff. Add to that boyfriend Alex's gorgeous Parisian ex-girlfriend and you have a real recipe for trouble.

I enjoy Lindsey Kelk's books because the author is entertaining and truly funny and I Heart Paris was no different. Some of the passages had been literally laughing out loud (to wit: "Solène might be hotter than me, cooler than me, and have all sorts of sexy French history with my Alex, but I reckoned I could definitely take her in a fight. She was a twig. I was at least a substantial branch. If not an out and out trunk.") Angela Clark is also a pretty lovable, albeit completely klutzy, heroine and her boyfriend is Alex is a pretty great romantic lead as chick lit goes. If you like funny, breezy and entertaining then definitely check out the I Heart series.

Browse Inside
Preorder
Lindsey's Blog

Stay tuned for my interview with author Lindsey Kelk coming soon!






Thank you to HarperCollinsCanada for the review copy.
 

Book of the Week: Shadow Tag

Louise Erdrich's Shadow Tag is a tale about a disintegrating marriage and dysfunctional family, and while it is superbly written I found it a fairly uncomfortable read. Irene is a mother of three, back to work on a doctoral thesis on the painter George Catlin, who is married to Gil, an artist who has gained fame for his portraits of his wife, many of which feature her in explicit and sometimes humiliating poses. "Here is the most telling fact: you wish to possess me," Irene writes in her journal about Gil. "Here is another fact: I loved you and let you think you could." When Irene realizes that Gil is reading her diary she locks up the real one (blue) in a safe deposit box and begins a false journal (red) that she leaves for her husband to read filled lies meant to injure him. So begins this tale of obsession and manipulation.

This was my first Louise Erdrich novel, and while I found it difficult to root for either Gil or Irene--who are slowly destroying their family with deception and alcoholism, violence and exploitation--Erdrich's elegant prose and the back-and-forth narration between the two diaries and the third person makes Shadow Tag an interesting read. In the end, the characters I found myself caring for the most for in this novel--which was named by Oprah as one of her Top 10 Books for Summer 2010--are the three children: rebellious genius Florian, sensitive Riel who is planning to protect her family at any cost, and Stoney, who the novel points out was "born at the beginning of the end." As Irene and Gil careen towards this end I found myself holding my breath as the book revealed just how much damage they were capable of inflicting along the way.

Browse Inside this novel.




Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the review copy.

Book of the Week: Library of the Dead

An ancient knowledge. A conspiracy of silence. A secret to kill for. On the seventh day of the seventh month, the seventh son of a seventh son is born to ominous prophecy on the Isle of Wight. Centuries later, in 1947, Winston Churchill is called out of retirement to deal with an unprecedented archaeological discovery that threatens to derail postwar reconstruction. Soon afterwards, in Roswell, New Mexico, an alleged UFO sighting heralds the establishment of a secret military complex in Nevada—a base that comes to be known as Area 51.

It is this history that prefaces Glenn Cooper's novel Library of the Dead, which is set in present day New York City where a serial murder is on the loose. The murders have no discernible pattern and the victims nothing in common except that they all received a postcard featuring a coffin predicting their date of death. FBI agent Will Piper is difficult and a drinker and is just passing the days until his retirement when he is called in to work the Doomsday Case, much to his chagrin. Partnered with the idealistic and ambitious Nancy, Piper soon finds himself engrossed in a case with few leads. When Piper does begin to make some tentative progress he finds himself abruptly taken off the case. More determined than ever to solve the crimes Piper goes it alone, facing off not only against the Doomsday Killer, but also shady government operatives who are hiding a secret bigger than the agent could have ever imagined.

The book's narration moves between Piper's modern day investigation and the past events connected to the medieval monastery, slowly unravelling the secret at the heart of the novel. I liked this one because it took awhile to piece together how past events were connected to the modern day killer. The book also raises some interesting questions about fate and free will and Piper, for all his flaws, is a likable protagonist. I'm now looking forward to reading the next installment in the series, Book of Souls, soon.


Browse Inside



Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the review copy.

Book of the Week: The Good Daughters

The Good Daughters follows the lives of two families who had daughters born in the same hospital, in the same town, on the same day. Told from the alternating points of view of these "birthday sisters," Ruth and Dana, we travel with these two very different women as they navigate love, life and loss. Joyce Maynard's story is well written and easy to read, and I finished it in one sitting. Not that the plot is plainly straightforward. There is a twist here, a secret that changes everything, but it seemed to me that Maynard crafted her story in such a way that the secret wasn't the payoff. Rather, by the time it is revealed, I was invested in Ruth and Dana so the way they reacted to this new truth was more important than the revelation iteself. Moving forward from the 1950s, Maynard draws you into the lives of Ruth and Dana and their very different families, the lives they create for themselves and the way they deal with the secret that changes everything.


Browse Inside here.



Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the review copy.

J'Adore New York Giveaway and Interview with Isabelle Lafleche

Do you remember awhile back I reviewed Isabelle Laflèche's J'Adore New York? Well, since then I've had the opportunity to pose some questions to the first-time author who was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer. If you get a chance you should really check it out. Isabelle has also offered to gift two lucky winners with a copy of their very own--the seventh of our giveaways celebrating 400 followers!

You once lived in New York and had a career similar to J’Adore New York’s protagonist, Catherine, how much of you can we find in the book’s main character?

There is some of me in Catherine. I love fashion, I consider myself to be ambitious and have a pretty good sense of humour.



Reading the acknowledgements of your book it seems like you had a similar experience to one Catherine has in the book – a chance meeting with a psychic who encourages you to go after your dreams. Did you decide to pursue writing immediately after your encounter with the psychic in the street?

Not immediately. I did have a chance meeting with a psychic on the streets of Manhattan who told me that I was missing my calling as a writer and that I should be writing rather than practicing law. It took me a good eight months of soul searching to take her advice seriously. I always had artistic inclinations but never pursued them because of my career. I then decided to move back to Montreal and sign up for creative writing classes at a local university to find out whether there was any merit to what she had told me. Receiving positive feedback from my classmates gave me the confidence to start writing a novel.

Was writing always something you wanted to do, one of your passions?

Looking back now, I remember that I loved writing stories as a child. I would write fairy tales and read them to my grandmother. I put this aside for a long while after pursuing other interests, but I’m thrilled to be back doing what I love.


Perfumes and scents seem to have a pivotal role in the book. How important do you think fragrance is to a woman and which do you favour?

Coco Chanel once said that a woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future. I wouldn’t go that far but I think that wearing perfume is another way to express your creativity and your sense of self. I wore J’Adore by Dior for a while but am now wearing Idylle by Guerlain.


 What can we expect next from Isabelle Lafleche?

I spent a week in Paris this summer doing research for my next novel. I have started working on my second book, which will be the sequel to the first.

A Few of Isabelle’s Favourite Things…

Flower – Pink peony

Shop – J. Crew, Kate Spade and Anthropologie

Fashion Designer –John Galliano at Dior

Artist –IZAK, fashion illustrator

 Author – Candace Bushnell and Edith Wharton

Style Icon – Coco Chanel, Diane Kruger and Jenna Lyons

Day Bag – Muse bag by Yves Saint-Laurent (found it on e-Bay for a quarter of the price, what a great score!!)

Night Shoe – Manolo Blahnik

 Indulgence – Manicure + Pedicure

Vacation Destination – Barbados, Cape Cod and hopefully one day soon, Capri!

So thanks to Isabelle's generosity you now have the chance to win one of two copies of J'Adore New York! Cool, right?

To Enter

Giveaway is open to folllowers of Sogni e Sorrisi.

Just check out Isabelle's book and leave a comment

below letting me know why you'd like to win.

Extra Entries

1. Tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy tweet this:

Just entered to win a copy of Isabelle Laflèche's J'Adore New York @SogniESorrisi http://tinyurl.com/3xu2yaw @pinklemonade08

2. Follow me on Twitter. If you already do, thanks! Just let me know.

3. Follow Isabelle on Twitter.

4. Follow Isabelle's blog.

Giveaway open until September 17, 2010.

Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Good Luck and Happy Weekend!

Book of the Week: I'd Know You Anywhere

I've come to rely on Laura Lippman for taut, psychological thrillers that are full of emotion and ask the hard questions. The first of her books that I read was What The Dead Know, followed by a succession of any other Lippman book I could manage to get my hands on. Both I'd Know You Anywhere and What The Dead Know centre around kidnapped girls, although I'd say the element of mystery is much more prevalent in the first. Instead, I'd Know You Anywhere is more about the psychological ramifications of being kidnapped--and being allowed to survive.

When Eliza was 15 she stumbled upon Walter digging the grave for one of his victims--strictly wrong place, wrong time--and finds herself kidnapped and held captive by the killer for over a month. In that time Eliza and Walter form a strange bond so much so that, years later, she still feels as if she would know him anywhere. And vice versa. When Walter ostensibly spots a photo of a grown up Eliza--married, a mother, with a new life and identity--in the society section he writes to her to make amends. He also includes four ominous words about seeing her picture: I'd know you anywhere.

One would assume that a grown up Eliza, seemingly well adjusted (despite still sleeping with the windows tightly shut), wouldn't want anything to do with Walter, yet something keeps pulling her back. On the eve of Walter's execution Eliza is not only afraid he will expose her by giving interviews, but also needs to know the answer to the question that plagues her: Why did Walter let her live and kill all of his other victims? As Eliza digs deeper into their shared past more questions emerge, like to what extend was she psychologically manipulated by Walter? Why didn't she escape the times she had a chance and, most importantly, was she an unwitting victim or an accomplice to Walter's crimes? If you're anything like me you'll be on the edge of your seat as Lippman's narrative takes you from past to present in search of the murky truth.

Browse Inside


Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for the review copy.

I hope all of you had a lovely weekend!

The winners have been announced for The Recessionista giveaway and don't forget to enter for your chance to win a Tea Accessories headband. Also, head over to The Alternative Wife if you get a chance--Dawn is giving away a fab Betsey Johnson bow necklace!

Hope you have a great week!

Book of the Week: So Much For That

Shep Knacker is the kind of guy that always does the right thing. He works hard and saves his money, takes care of his family--including his elderly father and ungrateful sister--and he waits. Waits for the day when his savings account will take him to some country in another part of the globe where he can live on a dollar a day like a king. Shep wants to escape the ratrace, wants to live out his retirement with his wife Glynnis (who isn't exactly keen on his "Afterlife" plan) in a sunny paradise where he can be rather than just do. An attractive prospect, but you know what they say about the best laid plans...

Lionel Shriver's book is about freedom, money, illness and the medical system. A lot of So Much For That is grim, and there are some parts that aren't as compelling as others, but as a whole I liked this book because it made me think. What do I really want out of life? Am I getting it? And if not, if we all have to wait for our Afterlife to finally be happy and fulfilled, what if that day never comes?

Browse Inside

Thank you to HaperCollinsCanada for the review copy.

The opinions expressed here are all mine.

Book of the Week: Blood Royal

The story of a young French Princess, Catherine de Valois, and her marriage to the conqueror of her country (Henry V of England), Blood Royal by Vanora Bennett delves into the question of how such a young girl--subject to so much tragedy and upheaval--managed to eventually make her life her own. The novel also deals with Catherine's lifelong friendship and romance with Welshman Owain Tudor (yes, those Tudors) and her attempts to protect herself and her son from the grasping and scheming going on around her.

I'm a fan of interesting historical novels like The Other Boleyn Girl (and Bennett's own Queen of Silks), mostly because I like to imagine the people behind the historical figures and their motivations. Admittedly, I didn't know much about Catherine prior to reading this novel and before I even finished it I was busily researching her to find out which parts of Bennett's story were historical fact. Funny how sometimes the truth is so much more fanciful than fiction. If you like historical fiction and some romance then this is a good one.

Browse Inside

I'd also like to wish my baby sister (who is not much of a baby anymore) a very, very Happy Birthday! Love you E!

Book of the Week: The Stonecutter

I love me a good whodunnit and since discovering Stieg Larsson's books (I still have to get through the entire trilogy) I've come to find that mystery and Scandinavia are a good mix. Enter Camilla Läckberg, one of the most popular female writers in her home country. I had never read a Läckberg novel (apparently there are several featuring the character of police detective Patrik Hedström and the coastal town of Fjällbacka), but I was very excited to dive into her latest, The Stonecutter, when it arrived on my doorstep.

I was not disappointed. Translated by Steven T. Murray this book opens with the death of a young girl, found floating in the water the victim of an apparent accidental drowning. Except that the death isn't an accident and the ensuing investigation reveals many secrets of the small town's residents while police try to uncover the identity of the killer.

{Camilla Lackberg via}

In addition to the current day happenings Lackberg jumps back and forth to the story of stonecutter Anders Andersson, which begins in 1923. I have to admit that for a good part of the book I was more intrigued by the flashback story of Anders' forbidden affair with his boss' spoiled daughter, the beautiful Agnes, and trying to figure out how it tied into the modern day mystery.

{Fjallbacka via}

Lackberg hasn't broken new ground here, but The Stonecutter is entertaining and unsettling, a good solid mystery, and enough to make me want to search out her earlier works The Ice Princess and The Preacher. I also liked how many of the characters seemed real and flawed, like struggling new mom Erica (the mother of Patrik's infant daughter Maja) and the detective himself, who has to deal with the delicate investigation of his neighbours while putting up with several colleagues who don't do much more than grasp and fumble. It also becomes very clear how such an unthinkable crime in a small town can tear at the social fabric holding the community together.


Want a taste of this book? Browse inside here.

Book of the Week: Insatiable

Meena Harper is just a normal girl living in Manhattan with her unemployed brother and excitable Pomeranian mix Jack Bauer. Meena is a writer on the soap Insatiable, struggling to pay her ex-boyfriend back for the downpayment on their condo, and completely average except for her one thing: Meena can see the future, specifically, how people are going to die. When Meena gets passed over for a promotion at work--in favor of the show's executive producer's spoiled niece--she also finds out that the soap has decided to go in a new direction in order to lure younger viewers. Insatiable is going Twilight. Unfortunately for Meena, not only does she not believe in vampires, but she actively dislikes the bloodsucking fad.

"Yeah," Leisha said, sounding a little bored. "What is it you're always saying again? In the cult of monster misogyny, vampires are king?"

"Well," Meena said, "they do always seem to choose to prey on pretty female victims. And yet for some reason, women find this sexy...Even though these guys admit over and over to wanting to kill us the idea that they're nobly restraining themselves from doing so is supposed to be attractive? Excuse me, but how is knowing a guy wants to kill you hot?" [p 35]

So begins Meg Cabot's Insatiable (set to hit bookstores in July), a refreshing take on the vampire trend, and there are indeed vampires in this book, other than the ones Meena is forced to write about for TV. In fact, Meena's next door neighbors are undead and it isn't long before she comes face-to-face with their cousin, a handsome Romanian prince and professor named Lucien. Not surprisingly Meena is drawn to the dazzlingly handsome and preternaturally charming Lucien and is surprised when he seems to be attracted to her as well. Of course, like with any relationship there are bumps on the road to romance. Little things like the fact that Meena is human and Lucien, well, isn't. Lucien is in town to track a vampire serial killer who threatens to expose his entire brethren and is being stalked by Alaric, a muscle-bound vampire hunter who works for the Palatine Guard and won't stop at using Meena to get at Lucien.

When I received this book in the mail I let out a little squeal of delight, I didn't even know Cabot was coming out with a new book and this one is certainly right up by alley. Okay, so it's not War and Peace, but most of the books I read aren't. I like books that entertain me and Meg Cabot always delivers on that score. I've loved her past series from The Queen of Babble to the Heather Wells books--add vampires (so I'm a Twihard--sue me), a little romance, and Cabot's quick wit and you've got a winning formula in my opinion. I also like the fact that Cabot's heroine has spunk and a backbone even when being courted by the preternaturally sexy Prince of Darkness.

The ending of the book was a little unsatisfying, but I guess that's to be expected if they're setting up a sequel. Regardless I enjoyed Insatiable and would recommend it for those who like Cabot, the supernatural or just a little bit of romance.


Browse Inside here.

Book of the Week: J'Adore New York

Isabelle Laflèche's J'Adore New York bills itself as "a novel of haute couture and the corner office," so, naturally, I was immediately intrigued. I was also quite taken with the novel's beautiful cover art--very feminine and glam. The book opens with lawyer Catherine Lambert transferring from her firm's Paris office to the one in New York. Immediately Lambert finds herself in the deep end--on the partner track and inundated with work she deals with backstabbing colleagues, office politics, shady paramours and lecherous clients.  All in a day's work for Lambert, it seems.

Laflèche herself lived and and worked in Manhattan as a corporate attorney for six years (she now lives in Montreal) so the first-time author clearly knows her material. J'Adore New York is a quick, fast paced read and Lambert a likable protagonist, even if she is one of those French women who doesn't get fat despite a penchant for ravioli. When packing books for the beach this summer I would advise adding this one to the list.

Browse Inside

Thank you to HarperCollinsCanada for the review copy.

Book of the Week: Girl Crazy

Girl Crazy, the new novel from Russell Smith, is fast paced and just a little disturbing. Justin Harrison is a thirtysomething, educated hipster-type and nowhere near where he wants to be in life. Harrison lives in a cramped apartment, works at a dead end teaching job at a community college, and has recently split from his prim and proper girlfriend Genevieve. On a stifling summer day Justin comes across damsel in distress Jenna who he seemingly charms with his gentlemanly behavior. For Justin their meeting is the beginning of a dizzying ride into obsession and the seedier side of life.

Reading a book with a male protoganist, especially one written as honestly as this one, takes some getting used to. Justin's thoughts are permeated by sex and violence and video games. At the beginning of the book Justin reeks desperation and weakness. Even when ogling women Justin is acutely aware that he doesn't have the upper hand. Enter younger Jenna, who is both less educated and less refined than Justin, and enthralls him with her sexuality and the excitement she brings to his life. The anticipation Justin feels between meetings with Jenna is palpable on the page, especially when compared to the dullness of his job and the rest of his life.

Even where his career is concerned Justin is impotent and unfufilled, playing second fiddle to an annoyingly self important boss more concerned with boosting provincial test results than really educating students. It is only when Justin becomes increasingly drawn into Jenna's world, one filled with drugs and thugs and the smell of violence, that he begins to find himself and his backbone. At the same time it is nearly impossible for Justin to see through the fog of his lust to recognize Jenna for the flighty, self-absorbed, unbalanced person that she is.

Smith seems to have a lot to say--about relationships, society, and education, but I'm not entirely sure there's a moral to this story. Perhaps that's the point. Either way I found myself drawn into Justin's world and his evolution.

Browse inside the book here.



Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the review copy.

Book of the Week: I Heart Hollywood

I was excited when I received a copy of I Heart Hollywood, the second in the I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk, as the central character is a blogger. Being new to the blog world myself I was excited to see a blogger brought to life on the printed page. Angela Clark is an everywoman, someone who struggles with men and Weight Watchers and has a deep affinity for her Marc Jacobs bag. I could totally relate. In the first book Angela moves from England to New York to escape a broken heart and ends up finding a new life and a new career, as a blogger for The Look magazine. (So I guess that's where I stop relating to Angela as she's a paid blogger and all!)

I Heart Hollywood finds Angela giving it a second go with her New York boyfriend, Alex, the lead singer of an up-and-coming band and enjoying her life in the big city. Angela finds herself in love with Alex, but afraid he doesn't reciprocate, and bowled over by how sweet and attentive he is, but afraid the other shoe is about to drop. The hardest thing for Angela to accept is that sexy, almost-famous Alex actually wants her. When opportunity knocks--in the form of Angela's first ever proper celeb interview--the stakes get higher.

Angela is shocked when she learns that A-list Hollywood hottie James Jacobs has personally requested her for the interview. Even though Angela's boss is none too happy with the developments our intrepid blogger finds herself boarding a plane to L.A. with her best friend Jenny Lopez (no, not that Jenny from the Block). Not surprisingly hilarity ensues.

James Jacobs ends up being nicer and more handsome than Angela ever expected and when he actually starts flirting with her she is at pains to resist him, especially when the long distance thing with Alex doesn't seem to be working. Of course, a week out of town shouldn't be the death knell for any relationship but what would a chick lit book be without a little drama? Everything is made more complicated when Angela finds herself splashed all over the gossip websites. And while Perez is claiming that Angela is James Jacobs' new girlfriend, Angela is trying to convince Alex that its all a misunderstanding. It seems that more than a few people in this book have secrets and its interesting to watch as Angela tries to untangle the web of deception and to see whether she and Alex make it through this bump in the road to finally be able to tell one another how they really feel.

Lindsey Kelk is an entertaining and genuinely funny writer and Angela is the kind of bumbling character that you feel for. Sure, there's nothing ground breaking here but the book was definitely a breezy read and I'm already looking forward to the third installment of the series, I Heart Paris. Can't wait!

I also have to say that I am so happy that Gossip Girl is back. I didn't get to watch the whole episode, but I was just about at my limit with my Chuck and Blair, Nate and Serena withdrawal. What did you think of the episode?

Book of the Week: If You Have to Cry, Go Outside

I was so excited to receive a copy of Kelly Cutrone's new book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You, to read and review.  I love Kelly from The Hills and The City (and now her own show Kell On Earth) and its always been obvious to me that this is a lady who demands respect and is a real breath of fresh air.  Sure, she can be tough and critical at times, but it seems to me that she wants the best for (and from) her employees and she wants the people she's training to succeed.  So Kelly doesn't have a lot of patience for idiots and incompetence, I don't think that's one of her faults.

Part memoir, part advice book, If You Have to Cry is Kelly speaking directly to young women trying to succeed in their personal and professional lives.  If you're looking for behind-the-scenes gossip about her reality shows this isn't the read for you.  Instead, this is Kelly discussing how to deal with insecurities and fears and trying to impart some of the wisdom she's gathered over the years to others who aspire to succeed as she has.

"You can't truly feel joy if you've never felt heartbreak.  You can't really know what its like to be filled unless you've been empty." [p 48]

I'm not one for self-help books, but this one doesn't come across this way.  Its just frank advice, make of it what you will.  Kelly counsels you to follow your dreams and find your "tribe" -- people who share your dreams and encourage them, "but beware, tribal relationships are a two-way street.  As you forge your own tribe, you'll become a member of other tribes and, ultimately, if you're lucky, a tribal elder yourself.  This means you'll be compelled to give and give, even when nothing's in it for you."  [p 24]

"Women should spend as much time look for a religion of their own as they do trying to find a hot guy..." [p 75]

This book never seemed preachy to me, probably because Cutrone lays down her own life experiences as examples and seems sincere in wanting to share the lessons she's learned during her struggles and successes.  Kelly takes you from her childhood in Syracuse to building her own thriving business (more than once) through to her drug addiction and the joys and struggles of single motherhood.  The book--like Kelly appears to be--is smart and funny and wonderfully blunt.

"If anyone really wanted to change the world they'd bring in the fashion bitches because no one gets things done faster.  If we went about saving the world like we go about producing fashion shows, well, let's just say New Orleans after Katrina would have been sorted." [p 83]

via Fashionologie

"You look at your child and you just know from the beginning she's going to break your heart...You know she's going to steal your credit card and your cell phone and lie to you...But you love her and you want for her anyway and its the most beautiful, selfless love; you instinctively know you'd do anything for her regardless of what she chooses to do to you." [p 114]

If you like click here to browse inside.  Has anyone else read this one?  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

4/5

Don't forget to enter my Wine Rack Giveaway!

You can now follow me on Twitter and

ask me questions via Formspring

Alla Prossima