The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes (Marcus Sakey)

I remember reading a magazine article about Marcus Sakey a few months ago, which deemed The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes as the next great thing in literature. There have only been a few books that I remember with that much "word-of-mouth" exposure before it was even printed...The Lovely Bones being an example. I was anxious to get my hands on this book, as I had never read Sakey. I love to be introduced to authors I have never read before, because sometimes I will read their entire repertoire...Kate Morton being the last. Well, Sakey stops here.

This is the story of a man who wakes up naked on a beach in Maine, not knowing his name, where he came from, or how he got there. He finds a BMW with a driver's license inside that says...you guessed it...Daniel Hayes, and a gun in the glove compartment. Working with very vague memories, such as having to turn the TV on at a certain time to watch a show, he tries to piece his life together bit by bit. The police are also on his tail, but why?

When Daniel finally begins to figure things out, the novel takes a sinister tone. He realizes that things are not always what they seem. With echoes of The Fugitive, Daniel desperately tries to get his memory back before it is too late.

Very often in crime thrillers such as these, the author chooses to write a slew of characters. This is often confusing to the reader. To Sakey's credit, he focuses on just a few, weaving them in and out of each other's story. I also liked how Sakey used the fact that Daniel was a writer to include scripts in the story.

Sakey divides this novel into parts with, what are supposed to be, huge cliffhangers at the end of each. Usually, if a novel is written well, the reader can't wait to find out what happens next. I just didn't get that feeling, which is disappointing. I didn't get that sense of anticipation, as, I would think, most readers would be able to guess what will happen next.

While not a page-turner, many readers of crime thrillers and mysteries will enjoy it. Just don't expect to be awed.

MY RATING - 3

This review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.

A Secret Kept (Tatiana de Rosnay)

Out of the books I have reviewed in my quest to reach 1,776, Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key has been my favorite bar none. I loved it so much, that I am very hesitant to see the movie. Movies are rarely as good as the books they are based on. I had such a profound experience reading Sarah's Key that I do not want the movie to change the images I have in my mind. Readers who think that A Secret Kept will be like Sarah's Key (even though the covers are very similar) will be surprised.

The narrator, Antoine Rey, takes his sister, Melanie, to a memorable place, Noirmoutier Island, for the celebration of her 4oth birthday. This island was a special place for them as children, as they spent summers there with their family. Even though they had not been back there since their mother's death, the weekend brings back memories, some welcome, some not. On the drive back home, Melanie is just about to tell Antoine something about a memory when she loses control of the car. Antoine escapes without a scratch, but Melanie is in serious condition. Will she ever recover? Will she ever remember what she was going to tell Antoine before the terrible crash? This is the "secret kept".

The problem de Rosnay (hopefully) knew she was going to face (along with Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help when she writes a second) is that the next book after such a moving one will bound to be compared to the first. This is unfair to de Rosnay because, as I said, the books are not similar at all. de Rosnay is a huge talent in the book world, and while Sarah's Key will always be my favorite, A Secret Kept is well written and worth reading.

MY RATING - 4

Joyful Cooking in the Pursuit of Good Health (Joy Feldman)

The subtitle of Joy Feldman's Joyful Cooking in the Pursuit of Good Health is Restore & Heal Through Nutritional Balancing. Feldman is passionate about bringing her message of nutritional balancing to the masses; however, in doing so, one is not quite sure what type of book this is. Beginning as an informational tome about the proper things to eat and what our society has become nutritionally, and ending as a cookbook, where does this get categorized?

Depending on what you believe, this will be either be right up your alley, or way too "new-agey" for you. While a slew of studies have been done on the effects of nutrition on the psyche, Feldman goes one step further. While I'm sure no one can dispute the fact that we feel much better when we eat well, Feldman surprises her readers with WHAT to eat and not eat.

Feldman is a big believer in the Oriental philosophy of "yin and yang". Avoiding the "yin" and focusing on the "yang" is at the heart of nutritional balancing. She writes that "It is important to try to avoid yin foods such as sugars, sweet juices, most fruit, nightshade vegetables (this includes eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes as they are inflammatory) and most uncooked food."

Of course, one should avoid sugars, but avoiding fruit and some vegetables? Feldman also writes that raw milk is the best (not pasteurized) and to avoid all wheat, even whole wheat. Make your own decision on whether you believe in "yin and yang". The recipes are easy to follow; however, I need pictures when I cook. I want to see what my "Spinach Lentil Soup" is supposed to look like.

Being from the education field, I can certainly agree with the fact that nutrition is everything. I could definitely see a difference in the afternoon between the students who had healthy lunches and those who had donuts and french fries. However, giving up fruit, pasteurized milk, peppers, whole wheat, and tomatoes is not the way to go (for me).

MY RATING - 2

This review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.

Julie & Julia (Julie Powell)

This book did not get the best reviews, but I wanted to read it for myself before I decided its fate. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams deemed it worthy enough to star in the movie with the same name, so it must be enjoyable, right? Eh.

I am always intrigued by people who do something like this...AKA having a "Project". In this case, Julie Powell decides that, to take respite from her everyday life (you know...the job, everything going wrong in the apartment, etc.), she will cook her way through Julia Child's masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in one year. She will also begin writing about her cooking escapades in a blog. Julie & Julia is the story of that year.

If you are thinking that this book is exactly like the movie, think again. The producers of the movie told the story of Julia Child much more than this book did. To me, the most enjoyable part of the movie was Meryl Streep's interpretation of Child. In the book, Powell just includes excerpts of letters that Paul Child wrote about his wife. However, in Powell's defense, the movie and book are based on HER project, so she can do what she wants.

While laugh-out-loud funny at times and absolutely adventurous at others (I give Powell all the credit for even thinking about cooking kidneys, brains, and bone marrow.), Powell never, ever holds back her thoughts. She rips on everyone who she does not share viewpoints with, from her employer, to a specific political party, to her mom. I am all for refreshing honesty, but sometimes she goes too far (in a published book, anyway). However, I admire Powell for having the guts to do something like this. My husband says I should cook my way through the Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks. Maybe some day. Thanks for the inspiration, Julie Powell.

MY RATING - 3

Silver Girl (Elin Hilderbrand)

I was looking through my posts today and noticed that it has been quite awhile since I was able to give a book a "5" rating. The authors I normally love, such as Jodi Picoult (a "2" for Sing You Home???) and Jennifer McMahon just didn't put out the work that I expected from them this year. I love, love, love Bethenny Frankel, but she can't really write a book. The last "5" I gave was to Jane Green on June 2 for the lovely Promises to Keep. I was getting a little discouraged. Then came Silver Girl.

Ironically, it was Jane Green herself who told me about Hilderbrand. I e-mailed Ms. Green to let her know how much I enjoyed Promises. Imagine my surprise when, within minutes, this New York Times bestselling, very busy author, e-mailed me back to thank me and tell me about Elin Hilderbrand. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hilderbrand grew up right down the street from where I am living now!

Silver Girl is just a treasure, and I was actually sad when it ended. It is a fictional account that is ripped from the headlines. Meredith Delinn is the wife of Freddy Delinn, who is in jail for life for cheating investors out of billions of dollars. People think that Meredith knew what Freddy was up to, and so she is scorned and rejected by everyone she knows. To make matters worse, she and her son (who she is forbidden to have contact with) are under investigation by the FBI.

Connie is Meredith's old friend, who she has not seen or talked to in years due to a falling out. Out of Meredith's desperation, she contacts Connie, who reluctantly agrees to give her refuge at her summer house in Nantucket. Even though Meredith is out of Manhattan, she still is in danger by people who want revenge for her husband's dealings. Meredith never truly feels safe, even as she begins to get some people back into her life, including her ex-lover, Connie's brother, Toby. This is not only Meredith's story of trying to get her life back, but also Connie's, who is still grieving for her deceased husband and trying desperately to get back in touch with her estranged daughter.

What a beautiful, beautiful book. From the gorgeous cover, to the picturesque setting throughout, the reader will become enchanted with Meredith's story. Read this book slowly, and treasure every word. One realizes from reading this that life is not about what car you drive or how big your house is, but who you can count on when life unexpectedly goes awry.

MY RATING - 5 (YAY!!!!)

Part of this review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.

A Southerly Course (Martha Hall Foose)

With the exception of Paula Deen (butter, butter, and more butter), Martha Hall Foose is the queen of Southern cooking. So much so that the director of the upcoming film The Help (based on Kathryn Stockett's outstanding novel) used her in food consultation. Foose creates beautifully illustrated cookbooks of recipes that can really be found nowhere else.

From appetizers to desserts, Foose has the competent cook covered. Her recipes are easy to follow, but definitely not for the diet-conscious. One can find lard, shortening, bacon, and heavy cream in quite a few. There is not a "bacon cheeseburger" in sight in this cookbook. Instead, be prepared to find "Honey Pear Salad", "Dandelion Cracklings", "Venison Meatballs", and "Roasted Pigeons with Bread Sauce". If none of these sound appetizing, I would advise against this book, as it is definitely for the adventurous cook and eater.

My own gripe is that I need to see pictures of the finished product. While the illustrations that are there are beautiful, there is not one for every recipe. I need to know what my "Delicata Browned Butter Crepes" should look like, Martha! However, all in all, this is a book that would go nicely in a cook's cupboard.

MY RATING - 4

This review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.

Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater)

I'm sure that Maggie Stiefvater is sick to death of being compared to Stephenie Meyer (Yes, the Stephenie that I met, by the way, when Twilight first came out. I organized her book signing as Community Relations Manager of Barnes & Noble. If you think I totally wrote that to make me sound cool, you would be correct. It IS true though!). It is hard to believe that Stiefvater didn't draw just the slightest inspiration from Meyer, as Shiver is about werewolf love. This is the first in a trilogy, with Linger and Forever being the other two (Notice the "er" at the end of all three? Cute.).

Linger is the story of Grace and Sam, two star-crossed lovers in the same realm as Romeo and Juliet and Bella and Edward (Yes, I did just put Shakespeare, Meyer, and Stiefvater in the same sentence.). Sam became a wolf when he was bitten as a child, and changes with the temperature (hot...human, cold...wolf). One day as a wolf, his pack attacks Grace, a small child. He saves Grace's life and brings her to her home. Years pass, and the community is becoming fearful after one of their own is "killed" by a wolf. Hunters try to put a stop to them, Sam is shot, and becomes human for some unexplained reason. Grace and Sam fall in love, and they do everything possible to keep Sam warm at all times. This is where Shiver takes off. Stiefvater has an uncanny knack, even more so than Meyer, for making a story about werewolves seem "normal", like you are reading about an everyday high school couple.

Even though Edward/Bella/Jacob are far more interesting to me to read about, Shiver is worthwhile on a beach day. I did not find it that compelling that I had to stop everything and read it; however, I am interested to find out what happens next for this couple. Grudgingly, Linger awaits.

MY RATING - 3