Review: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (ARC)

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Roaring Book Press (an imprint of Macmilllan), 272 Pages
Expected US Release Date: February 5, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: from publisher, for review (thanks Ksenia!)

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.
------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Eric thinks about his life, something he usually avoids, because it has not always been an easy one. He wonders if a few moments of utter and total joy can be worth a lifetime of struggle.

Maybe, he thinks. Maybe, if they're the right moments.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went into this book. The blurb is intriguing, and the book trailer even more so. I had some ideas, and I kind of like the idea of multiple stories intertwining into one larger one. I love movies that are like that (Love, Actually anyone?), so I figured a book could be fun, too! There were so many questions, too: what is this plant? How are all these stories related? Is this like reincarnation, or karma? No idea!

Now, after reading it...I'm still a little confused, and a whole lot puzzled, and I can't answer if someone were to ask me what to expect heading into this book.

Even weirder? I dont think that's really a bad thing.

Midwinterblood is captivating in a way I can't really pin down or explain why. The stories are simple and a bit ethereal. I really enjoyed the time period of each one, and I felt very much involved in the story while I was reading. As expected, there were some I enjoyed much more than others; and some I'm still a little puzzled by. But as a whole, they work really well together.

I also enjoyed getting to piece together the arching storyline, figuring out what the little details of a previous story really mean. It makes you really remember and consider all the stories, and there's a fantastic sense of "oh!" as everything falls into place. There are a few things I'm still a little unsure if they were resolved, and some of the things I think I put together could be entirely misguided - but that's kind of the fun of it. This story is given to us, and we get to make it make sense.

Even though there was a lot I liked about reading this, there's still something that's very...dull to me. I didn't really attach to any of the characters, or the love between Eric and Merle. Perhaps because it was shown in so many different ways that I couldn't really find something for me to really fall in love with myself. While I believed in the love that could transcend lifetimes and moons, I still wasn't really convinced of its power. The stories are nice, but nothing absolutely blew me away.

I'm also not entirely sure of the function of this dragon plant. I mean...ok, that was the wrong way to put it. I do get it - I just don't think it's as important as it's painted to be. I get how it influences the characters or scenes, but I actually don't think it to be a big part. This story could exist without it, in my opinion, and it bothered me that it was supposed to be the link between everything. I understand how it is, I just wasn't impressed with it. Truthfully, I didn't even figure out what it did/functions as until after I finished the entire book and thought about it more. I read it, I processed it, but it just slipped through for me.

Even though there are some elements that fell flat to me, I'm still glad to have witnessed Eric and Merle's story. Midwinterblood is a great book about the endurance of love and the many manifests it can take.

3.5 Stars / 5

Review: Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor

Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor
Entangled Publishing, 182 Pages
US Release Date: August 25, 2012
Format: e-book
Source: From publisher, for review - thank you!

There’s nothing quite like your first bite.

Dulcie Carter has been running her family’s homemade sweet shop, Candy Land Confections, on her own since her mom passed away. But business is slow and rent is high, so Dulcie knows if she wants to keep her mom’s dream alive, she’ll need a miracle. Winning the annual Assembly of Chocolatiers competition will change everything, if only she can overcome her fears and bring herself to create something new for the first time in a long time.

Then she meets Nick, a molten-hot guy with a sexy smirk and chocolate brown eyes. The attraction is stronger than any sugar rush—until she discovers he’s set to inherit his family’s big-box candy shop in town, which is her strongest competitor for first prize. Nick’s got his own reasons for needing the win, but then being around Dulcie is proving addictive.

As the competition heats up, so do the sparks between them. Can they keep their sights on winning, when love might be the sweetest prize of all?
-----------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote
I may not be an expert at too many things, but I am an expert at regret...It sticks with you. 

What's this - an ADULT book?! What is going on!?

I know, I know. But sometimes, you just need a break, you know? Even when I was a teen, I totally had to step back from my life for 30 minutes, find a distraction, and just stop thinking about all the drama going on in my life. That's how I viewed Sugar Rush.

One of the reasons I accepted this book for review was because I wanted a silly romance to read since I was in the middle of some heavy Dystopian books and really mentally draining books. Plus, who can say no to something that focuses on candy and chocolate?! Sugar Rush sounded like a perfect, superficial fling. And guys, it definitely delivered!

I went into the book knowing it would probably be a sickeningly sweet romance with a rise and fall and clash and perfect ending all wrapped up in a bow. Even though I wasn't quite wrong, I was definitely taken by surprise that it turned out to be much more! While the basics of the story are minorly predictable, there were some really fun turning points and twists thrown in. It was fun to read because something would happen, and I'd think 'yep, just as I thought"...and then suddenly another thing happened and I'd think "woah!" Normally I'd call a story like this typical and move on, but there were just enough unexpected things to keep that judgment away.

Perhaps the one thing I wasn't too sold on was Nick. Don't get me wrong, he's sweet and awesome and any man who can bake a perfect cupcake will totally get my heart. But he felt just a tad underdeveloped. I don't know if adult romance books normally keep the love interest visibly secondary, but Nick was just a little vague for me. We were told details about him, sure, but it was nothing I really connected to. I did love the little tidbits of his past, like that he was a chubby kid; and that section where he knew all the candies that Dulcie's shop had made? Adorable. Freakin' adorable.

I really liked the plot of this story, too - it's a great romance set up and I was totally invested. I wanted Candy Land Confectionaries to succeed, I wanted Dulcie to continue her mom's legacy, I was rooting so hard for Gram's to be able to step into the shop, and I wanted so badly to be at the Contest and see all the creations. It was pure sugary fun.

Something I really liked was that while this is a romance, the romance in it is tame and actually? Didn't really seem that important to me. Obviously it's the reason most of the plot exists, but I mean that there were real issues aside from just Dulcie and Nick trying to be together. The Romeo & Juliet-esque feud was tons of fun and a fabulous element to toss in, but I liked best the part it played in the whole plot. This is definitely more than just two people trying to establish their love affair.

Sugar Rush is filled with fantastic treats, lovable characters, and a sweet love. Now, if only they could somehow get the book to actually come with all the candies and chocolates...

4 Stars / 5

[Blog Tour] Review + GIVEAWAY: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Random House, 288 Pages
US Release Date: June 26, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher, via TLC Book Tours (thank you Random House and TLC!)

“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty.

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, 11-year-old Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.

With spare, graceful prose and the emotional wisdom of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker has created a singular narrator in Julia, a resilient and insightful young girl, and a moving portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.
-----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

There was no footage to show on television, no burning buildings or broken bridges, no twisted metal or scorched earth, no houses sliding off slabs. No one was wounded. No one was dead. It was, at the beginning, a quite invisible catastrophe.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this novel is because I saw Curtis Sittenfeld had blurbed it – and though I don’t mention her often on this blog, Curtis Sittenfeld is an insta-read author for me. There’s something so engaging and powerful about her novels, and I read them as fast as they release. (Which, can we please have a new one soon? Pretty please?)

I feel like The Age of Miracles is very reminiscent of a Curtis Sittenfeld novel, in the best way possible. There’s something similar in their writing, in that quiet, understated detail that individually seems to be simple, but together makes the most powerful picture. This isn’t the most action packed novel, not by a longshot – but there’s never a second I feel like it’s boring. There’s always something there right behind the words, always something happening just past the words we’re reading.

When I chose the book to review, I was a little confused as to if it was a YA novel, or adult fiction – and then I found out the narrator is a 12-year-old girl and was even more confused. Truthfully, I never really found out (I think it is classified as fiction), but that’s part of its structure: it appeases so many qualifications of each genre. It’s a bit Dystopian and Sci-Fi, with this not quite futuristic novel but still a different world than our own; it’s a bit contemporary, with the relationships and learning what love means; it’s a bit coming-of-age.

I’m going to say something, and it might lead you astray but let me explain: this book terrified me. It’s not a scary, thriller novel; but the imagination and detail to the world made it feel so real. And the scariest part is that I really feel like this could happen. Who can say that the world isn’t already slowing? How many times do we glance up at a clock and swear that the day lasts a bit longer? Just the other day I was astonished that it was already 8:30pm and still a bit light out. Karen Thompson Walker has built the brilliant situation that seems just out of reach, not quite inevitable but definitely possible. And that scares me shitless.

I was so impressed with how thoughtful the novel was, too. Every scenario was taken into consideration, and I felt that I was really following the fate of this planet as I read. And though I’m definitely not a scientist, the physics and scientific explanations that happen throughout seem absolutely real. I know a bit about earth’s rotation and how these seasons affect everything on a grander scale, and The Age of Miracles really felt like it was non-fiction in it’s reasonings.

Even though I feel like this novel is mostly a plot- and world-driven novel, that doesn’t mean the characters were any less than fantastic. Juliet, the main character, is an 11-year-old girl having to go through the stress of middle school in this entirely unprecedented and changing world. If we thought we had it bad wondering about training bras and how that boy suddenly smells good, imagine if you had to figure that while the world also seems to be ending! Juliet is quiet and worrisome, and she stole my heart with her sympathy, seriousness and innocence. Each secondary character was also done quite well, with features about them that I equally loved and hated. It was a really great balance of personalities with everyone; just one more way I feel like this entire story was a reality.

The Age of Miracles is both unlike anything I’ve ever read before and entirely like the best parts of my favourite authors’ writing. The story is unique and original in the best way possible, creating a world that feels familiar but is so unlike our own. There’s a soft wisdom in all of Karen Walker’s words, making a beautiful, compelling story. I highly recommend this book.

4.5 Stars / 5

And thanks to Random House, you can win a copy, too!

US/Canada only, no PO boxes allowed (sorry, publisher rules!)

Enter through the rafflecopter below and all my giveaway policy rules apply. Good luck!

ends 8/15

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen Thompson Walker is a graduate of UCLA and the Columbia MFA program and is the recipient of the 2011 Sirenland Fellowship as well as a Bomb magazine fiction prize. A former editor at Simon & Schuster, she wrote The Age of Miracles in the mornings before work. Born and raised in San Diego, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband. The Age of Miracles is her first book.

Website | Facebook Page | Other Tour Stops | Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Indie Bound

(bio taken from the ARC author bio page)

[Blog Tour] Review + GIVEAWAY: The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier
Crown Publishing Group, 309 Pages
US Release Date: June 5, 2012
Format: Finished Copy
Source: Publisher, via TLC Book Tours (thank you Crown & TLC!)
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Before there were blogs, there were journals. And in them we’d write as we really were, not as we wanted to appear. But there comes a day when journals outlive us. And with them, our secrets.

Summer vacation on Great Rock Island was supposed to be a restorative time for Kate, who’d lost her close friend Elizabeth in a sudden accident. But when she inherits a trunk of Elizabeth's journals, they reveal a woman far different than the cheerful wife and mother Kate thought she knew.

The complicated portrait of Elizabeth—her troubled upbringing, and her route to marriage and motherhood—makes Kate question not just their friendship, but her own deepest beliefs about loyalty and honesty at a period of uncertainty in her own marriage. 

The more Kate reads, the more she learns the complicated truth of who Elizabeth really was, and rethinks her own choices as a wife, mother, and professional, and the legacy she herself would want to leave behind. When an unfamiliar man’s name appears in the pages, Kate realizes the extent of what she didn’t know about her friend, including where she was really going on the day she died. 

Set in the anxious summer after the September 11th attacks, this story of two women—their friendship, their marriages, private ambitions and fears—considers the aspects of ourselves we show and those we conceal, and the repercussions of our choices.
--------------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

The single greatest point of interest about a woman's thirty-eight years was not what she had done, but what she hadn't told anyone she'd done.

As the daughter of a military man, I'll readily admit that sometimes my world view can be narrow despite a long list of world I've seen. My life revolved around my father's job and the military and the role they play, so it's natural for me to consider a Post-9/11 world in those terms. I think of war, lost sons and daughters, fighting, deployment, security codes and colours. But The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D opened up an entirely new world in the Post-9/11 word to me: the one of a person not directly involved, but still wholly affected. A world filled with scary news, horrifying tactics, the constant reminder of vulnerability and the question of protection, not prevention.

I'm going to be upfront about this: I'm not the target audience for this book. I'm not a mother, a wife, an East Coast suburban woman. I don't have a sister, I don't know the struggles of family, marriage, juggling a career with kids. And for that purpose, I had a hard time getting into the book. I'm at a completely different point in my life and have no experience with most of the situations in the book, which made it difficult for me to relate. What little parts I could were difficult because I felt my personality was so different from Kate. She's measured, a bit brash and a lot quiet. The way she approaches relationships, partnerships and her life is completely different from the way I do. It was frustrating for a lot of the book, because I would have handled so many things differently than she does. I also felt like Kate was quite cynical and negative, which was bothersome.

Despite my lack of connection to Kate and our differences, I can still recognize the value of the story. This one is strong. It's sad, and raw, and I applaud Nichole Bernier for confronting those feelings we're not only afraid to admit to, but feel guilty to have. There were times my heart went out for her, like a friend going through a hard time that I wanted to hug; and there were times I could feel her fear. A lot of the time I hated how much she let the news affect her, but I can see that a lot of people will share her feelings.

I did enjoy the slow reveal about Elizabeth and getting to see her real life unfold within the context of how Kate knew her. It really makes you think about how much and how closely you can possibly know a person, since what you're seeing is what has been given to you. We take for granted that what we see is what we get, even though most of us know how untrue that is. Just consider yourself - how many people see every facet of you? What do you hide from someone, and why? They're difficult questions to confront, and I think Nichole Bernier did it wonderfully.

If you're looking for a strong novel about friendship, family and relationships, The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D is for you. It'll make you feel and cry; it'll make you cherish what you have; it may make you see the world a bit differently. Most of all, you'll find the courage to examine what's presented and hidden, what's been offered and concealed for what reasons, and most of all, the 'why.'

 3.5 Stars / 5

And thanks to Crown Publishing, you can win a copy! 

US/Canada only, no PO Boxes allowed (sorry, publisher rules!)

Enter through the rafflecopter below, and all my giveaway policy rules apply. Good luck!

Ends 6/30

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nichole Bernier is author of the novel THE UNFINISHED WORK OF ELIZABETH D, and has written for magazines including Elle, Self, Health, and Men's Journal. A 14-year contributing editor for Conde Nast Traveler, she was previously on staff as the magazine's golf and ski editor, columnist, and television spokesperson. She received her master's degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and is one of the founders of the literary blog Beyond the Margins. Nichole lives outside Boston with her husband and five children.

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Beyond the Margins

(Bio via Amazon)