Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (She Reads Book Club Selection)

I was very pleased when my book club, She Reads, announced that our May selection was the new release from Christina Baker Kline. ORPHAN TRAIN had already caught my attention mainly because of the historical element and, of course, the characters.

ORPHAN TRAIN tells the stories of two seemingly very different people from two separate times. First there is Molly Ayer, a Penobscot Indian teenage girl living in Maine with a foster family. One of many in her young life. Though things with her current foster family aren't great, Molly tries to make the best of it and tries to get along until she she's eighteen, which is only months away. She is a good student, has a boyfriend, Jack, and is a vegetarian, which only adds to the strain between Molly and her foster mother.  Molly ends up on probation and has to perform 50 hours of community service for stealing a book from the local library - a move Molly admits was pretty dumb. With Jack's help, Molly is able to work off her hours helping ninety-one year old Vivian Daly clean out the attic of the old mansion she lives in. Molly figures it will be easy work that will go by quickly so she can mark off her hours and be done with the community service.

Vivian Daly is a frail woman with no family but an attic full of memories from the Depression Era of which she grew up in. Right away, Molly can see that each box holds deep memories for Vivian and she is having trouble letting go and in fact, may not want to get rid of after all.

When Molly gets an interesting assignment for one of her classes to interview someone who has had to move through life taking only the belongings that they could carry and the most important items to them, she decides to interview Vivian.  As Vivian tells her fascinating story of being an immigrant from Ireland in the late 20's, to becoming an orphan soon after and being put on a train to Minnesota by the Childrens Aid Society to find a home, Molly realizes they have more in common than she could possibly have thought. As the days go by, a bond develops between these two women and both their lives are changed forever.

My Thoughts:

I won't beat around the bush - I absolutely loved this novel. Vivian's story, though heartbreaking, was riveting and was so well told. It was actually Vivian's perspective as well, so it was first hand knowledge of all the tragic circumstances ten-year old Vivian went through. Alternating between Vivian telling her story and then back to 2011 with Molly's story being told as it was happening by a third party was the perfect way to tell both of these women's stories. But I must say, Vivian is who completely sucked me in. I'm a sucker for good historical fiction and the era in which her story took place was fascinating to me. First was The Depression, then World War II. Vivian's life was affected deeply by both of these events.

What I liked about his book is that these two people, over seventy years apart were living similar lives as orphans and foster children. Sadly, their experiences were similar, yet they found a connection to each other and were able to make each other's lives better and give them hope. Their bond was touching and genuine. It goes to show that just by meeting one person that you think you have nothing in common with, it can change your life. This was a terrific selection by our book club and I thank them for the opportunity to read it.

ORPHAN TRAIN
Author: Christina Baker Kline
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Published:: April 2, 2013
Length: 304 pages
Recommend: YES!

Review: SIX YEARS by Harlan Coben (Unabridged Audio Version)

I know it might be hard to imagine, but this is the first Harlan Coben novel I've ever read. When I learned this was a stand alone novel, I felt it would be the perfect segway into his work. Then after listening to a podcast from the NYT and discovering that he writes a lot about disappearances, that got me very curious. They even mentioned that this book was Gone Girl-esque, so of course, I had to give it a try.

About The Book:
(No spoilers included!)

Professor Jake Fisher has lived a quiet, uneventful life on the college campus where he teaches and lives, trying to move past losing the love of his life.  Though he has dated other women, he just can't get Natalie out of his mind or his heart, even though he attended her unexpected wedding to another man six years ago.

Then one day, he spots an obituary notice for the man he watched marry Natalie.  But none of the details match up. He can't stave off his curiosity so he boards a flight to the small South Carolina town and attends the funeral, fully expecting to see Natalie mourning her husband's death. But when he arrives at the church, Natalie is not the woman wearing black and accepting condolences of friends and neighbors. Going to the funeral only adds to the questions Jake has and the more he finds out about the dead man, the more he is convinced something is seriously wrong. He begins to doubt that Natalie was married to this man at all.
The more Jake digs, the more his life is put in danger and the people he questions from his and Natalie's past swear they've never met him before but he will not give up on finding the truth or Natalie.

My Thoughts:

Considering Harlan Coben's success and notoriety, I had pretty high expectations for this book. I liked the angle of a mysterious disappearance.  Jake Fisher seemed liked a pretty decent guy - just your average single college professor. I liked the way the mystery of the deceased husband started immediately so there wasn't a lot of build-up to get to the meat of the story. And the plotline was good, albeit a little convoluted and full of twists and turns. The story is told from Jake's point of view, which makes it seem like the reader is going on the ride with him.  Overall, I liked the story and the pace was good as well. There weren't a lot of characters but they each had a purpose and added to the dynamic of the plot. I can't say the build-up to the  ending was a big surprise but I was satisfied with the outcome.

If I were to rate the story alone, I would probably give it 4 out of 5 stars, however, I chose to listen to the audio version, so I must add that into my review. Honestly, I was disappointed in the performance by Scott Brick. I'd never listened to any of his audios before, though he has been the speaker for many very successful novels, including THE FIRM by Grisham. I even listened to a bit of that to see if it was different and it was. In SIX YEARS, his voice was very low and drawn out and I felt he was over-doing it a bit. Maybe he was trying to add drama to the mystery, but personally, I didn't care for it. So based on that experience it took away from the listening pleasure a little for me. That is why on Goodreads, I gave this novel 3 stars instead of 4. If I had read the printed version, I think I would've liked it better. But at least now I can say that I've finally read a Harlan Coben novel. I would be open to reading another stand alone from him but probably won't get into his series.

Are you a Harlan Coben fan? And if so, have you ever listened to one of his audios? I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

SIX YEARS (Unabridged Audio Version)
Author: Harlan Coben
Audible Pub Date:March 19, 2013
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Lenth: 10 hrs 37 minutes
Source: Purchased with a credit Audible.com

Review: Blood Money by Doug Richardson

Sometimes it is the book cover that grabs my attention and makes me wonder what lies between the pages. That' is what happened when I saw BLOOD MONEY, the latest release from Doug Richardson. I was looking for something different and a bit edgy and I was ready for some fast-paced action. I thought the cover with the big rig on it was really cool. I've always had a fascination with big rigs, especially the pretty ones. I wasn't familiar with the author so I visited his website and was amazed at how successful he is, not only as a writer of books, but also as a Hollywood screenwriter. When I learned that he was behind such hits as Die Hard II, Bad Boys and Hostage, I knew I wanted to read his new novel.

About The Book:

This crime/action novel centers around Kern County (CA) Debputy Lucky Dey and his chase to track down the driver of a black-on-black refrigerated truck who has been implicated in killing his younger brother, also a deputy sheriff. The horrible murder was caught on the dash cam video of the patrol car that also shows the deaths of two other people at the scene. One of the victims was a popular teen TV star whose father has deep pockets and a questionable past and he soon uses his connections and power to find out who killed his only child. But he is very specific - he wants the man alive so he can kill him himself.

Lucky follows the truck's path to L.A. where he teams up with some of his former colleagues with the L.A. County Sheriff's office.  Because of the high profile case, Detective Lydia Gonzalez from the LAPD has been  assigned to 'babysit' the out of town deputy in his search. Gonzo, as she is called, soon figures out that Lucky is not your ordinary country cop. He knows his way around L.A. and he has connections within law enforcement that Gonzo suspects runs deeper than just former co-worker camaraderie.

Greg Beam is the former Marine turned murder suspect who is behind the wheel of the semi. He has simple plan of driving the stolen rig and it's contents of stolen frozen plasma to Southern California and get it shipped out of the country.  He'll collect his big payoff and be on his way to a faraway paradise. But his plan is quickly spiraling out of control.  He's getting tired, making mistakes and leaving too many bodies in his wake. His last move threatens his entire mission and has devastating consequences for an entire city that believes it is encountering a terrorist attack.

My Thoughts:

Admittedly, I don't read a lot of books in this genre. However, the premise, when I read it, sounded exciting and it didn't sound far-fetched, which is something I dislike in crime stories. This is basically a pretty simple plot with many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was drawn to Lucky Dey for several reasons: he's a tortured soul, a loner and he's definitely a man's man. OK, so the female in me thought he came across as sexy.   The supporting cast of characters were also good, although maybe a bit cliche, but I didn't really let that bother me. They each brought something to the book that was positive. There were many characters that I thought may be difficult to keep up with in the beginning, but after getting into the story, was not a problem at all.  Also, there wasn't a lot of character backstory that sometimes bogs down a book of this sort. Sure, there was some details that needed to be given about certain characters but it in no way slowed down the pace of the storytelling.

I felt the plot itself was plausible and the constant action kept me on my toes. I had no problem at all envisioning the events in my mind. It was like a movie playing out in my head. In fact, I think this would make a great feature action film, which Doug Richardson is so well known for.

The bottom line is that I really enjoyed the action and thrills that this book gave me. It made me realize that I'd like to spend more time reading such books because they get my blood pumping and it's different than what I usually read. Trying different things is a good thing and this book was also a good thing.

I'd like to thank Doug Richardson and his team for asking me if I'd like a review copy after seeing me repeatedly talking about it here on my blog and on Twitter. I really appreciate the opportunity. I enjoyed reading it very much.

BLOOD MONEY (Kindle Edition)
Author: Doug Richardson
Twitter: @byDougRich
Publisher: Velvet Elvis Entertainlment
Published: January 2013
Length: 320pp
Source: Author

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted each Monday by Sheila from Book Journey. This is where we discuss books we've read and reviewed in the past week and talk about what we're planning to read

in the coming week. 

Books I Finished/Reviewed Last Week:

Though I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked, I did manage to finish SWIMMING AT NIGHT by Lucy Clarke. I'll be posting my review later this week. 

Reviews Posted Last Week:

• SHINE SHINE SHINE by Lydia Netzer
• THE GOOD HOUSE by Ann Leary
• CHING'S EVERYDAY EASY CHINESE COOKBOOK by Ching He Huang

Books I'll Be Focusing On This Week:

I'll be continuing with ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline for my book club and also with THE EXPATS by Chris Pavone, which I am listening to on audio. Later in the week I will be starting LOOKING FOR ME, Beth Hoffman's new novel that I am VERY excited about! 

Upcoming Reviews:

• BLOOD MONEY by Doug Richardson
• SIX YEARS by Harlen Coben
• SWIMMING AT NIGHT by Lucy Clarke     

That's what I'll be up to this week. What will you be reading? 

Weekend Cooking: Ching He Huang's Everyday Easy Chinese Cookbook

In keeping with my healthy eating lifestyle, I'm really looking forward to the summer months when so many vegetables are in season. I am a veggie lover and could live quite happily on them alone. I enjoy my veggies a little on the crunchy side so they are quick and easy to prepare. I love eating stir-fry Chinese food, but as you know, take-out Chinese tends to be greasy and not very good for you. So I decided to make my own Chinese dishes at home.

I used to have a wok years ago but probably sold it in a garage sale years ago. Besides, I'm a much better cook now and probably didn't do that old wok justice anyway. So I recently bought a new, carbon steel wok. I seasoned it properly using peanut oil and a nice handful of chives. Then I got a few basic ingredients that are used in a lot of Chinese cuisine. To start out, I bought peanut oil, sesame oil, light and dark soy sauce, Chinese Five Spice and some rice vinegar. Those are considered staples in Chinese cooking. It can be pricey to start out but once you have those items, you won't have to buy them for awhile. Because I'm on a tight budget (living on disability will do that to a person), each week I allow myself another item. Before long I will have a nicely stocked pantry and will be able to make a wide variety of dishes.

Along with my wok, I bought a Chinese cookbook that featured many of the take-out favorites I love. I watch a lot of cooking shows on the weekend and I'm always learning new techniques and tips. I love watching Ching He Huang on The Cooking Channel. She makes wok cooking look so easy so I chose her cookbook, CHING'S EVERYDAY EASY CHINESE. It contains over 100 quick and easy Chinese favorites.

This is a very nice cookbook, published October 2011 with 240 pages of simple dishes ranging from breakfast to dinner, including some really quick appetizers.  In the introduction, Ching explains her purpose for writing this cookbook. She wants to show the world that Chinese food can be healthy and easy to make. Her passion for Chinese cooking is very evident in her defense of the cuisine not getting the respect cuisines from other cultures receive. Ching is a down to earth cook who doesn't come across pretentious at all and if you've ever watched her shows, her book is written exactly the way she talks on TV. She is not shy about her love of this cuisine and it shows in her passion and her dishes. She puts her own spin on some favorites that have been around for decades and explains why she does some things differently.

There are beautiful pictures to accompany the recipes and though it doesn't have a spiral binding, the book is not so large that it is clumsy in the kitchen. There is only one thing about this cookbook that disappointed me. and maybe it affects me more because of my low vision, but the font type of the introduction to the book and the recipes is so fair and light that I struggle to read them. I like reading about the dishes before each recipe but it has really been a problem for me to see. The font for the actual recipes is black and not the same thin font, so luckily I can see them much easier. It may sound a bit nit-picky but for me, its an issue.

I have enjoyed going through the book and marking the dishes I want to try. I know that for anyone who feels comfortable in a kitchen, you really don't need a recipe to create some great stir-fry, but its nice to have a guide, especially when you want to make something as classic as General Tso's Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork or Kung Pao Chicken, which are all included in this book.  

Unfortunately, most people believe that if you're trying to eat healthy you have to stay away from Chinese food and that just isn't true. Yes, most take out food from anywhere is bad for you but if you can get in the habit of cooking at home with fresh ingredients and stay away from the prepared foods with all the salt and additives, it will make a big difference to your body. And it isn't limited to Chinese cooking. I quit buying prepared foods awhile ago and try very hard to make all of my meals using fresh ingredients along with staying away from pasta. Once I got away from all those processed, packaged foods, I started feeling less sluggish and generally just felt better.  Personally, I get irritated when people say to me, 'Oh, I don't have time to cook'. That's ranks right up there with 'I don't have to time to read.' - But don't get me started on that one! Cooking a healthy meal, especially a Chinese meal doesn't take hours. It takes just a little planning and prep work. Once you turn that wok on, you must have your ingredients ready because it goes very quickly. Most times, my meal is ready in under 12 minutes.  

I have really enjoyed my new wok and the quick and healthy meals I've made. My wok cooking technique is getting better with each try. The most important ingredient in cooking is your imagination. Start with what you like and let your imagination help create dishes that are not only good, but good for you!

Be sure to stop by Beth Fish Reads for more Weekend Cooking posts every Saturday!

CHING'S EVERYDAY EASY CHINESE (Hardback)
Author: Ching He Huang
Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks
Published: October 2011
Length: 240 pp
Source: Bought

Review: The Good House by Ann Leary (Unabridged Audio Edition)

When I first noticed this book going around the blogs people were raving about it.  Then I started hearing how great the audio version was and since I was due for a new audio book, I chose that format. Boy, am I glad I did! Mary Beth Hurt was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S as Hildy Good! But hold on, I don't want to get ahead of myself  First, for those who aren't familiar, here is a bit about the book:

Hildy Good grew up and has lived in a small town on Boston's North Shore for all of her life. I guess you could call her a townie. She knows everyone and everyone knows her. She's had a good and successful life as a Realtor and is currently the only independent Realtor in town. She is divorced with two grown daughters, one married with a child and one not married.  For the most part Hildy lives a happy life. There's only one problem: Hildy is an alcoholic. When her family held an intervention, Hildy gave in to their demands and went into rehab. It's now the beginning of the story and Hildy has been sober for about a year. She says its not a problem and she can handle it, but inside she feels it was all blown out of proportion. 

Hildy is an outspoken but friendly sort but she does like her privacy.  Like many small communities, its hard to keep secrets so when Hildy begins to backslide from her sobriety, she is careful to keep it to herself and justifies it with one excuse after another. Hildy's denial of her drinking problem grows and before long she is back to having blackouts and suffering from hangovers on a regular basis until one night the unthinkable happens and she has to face that she may have been the cause.  If only she could remember . . .

My Thoughts:

I purposely left out a lot in my synopsis because I wanted to let Hildy tell her own story. Let me start by saying that Hildy Good is one of my favorite characters of all time. She is really something. Hildy is the one telling this story so it is her insights and perspective that is given to the reader. At first, I have to admit, I thought she came across a bit haughty and snobbish, but quickly changed my view. It's just her way. She is very opinionated, sometimes prickly but certainly not a bad person. She is deeply flawed however, and in such denial it is rather scary. I saw her gradual slide down that slippery slope and felt that helpless feeling but she is so convincing in her justifications that I wanted to believe her when she repeatedly said she had it under control.. There's no mistaking that Hildy is the star of this story but the supporting characters and sub plot added another element and were authentic and very believable.

But just know, THE GOOD HOUSE is not just a novel about an alcoholic, it is also about an unlikely friendship, an affair, a rekindling of long ago love and bonds. This book has it all and is told in perfect pitch. I chose to listen to the audio version and I am so glad I did. Mary Beth Hurt was the perfect Hildy Good. No one else could've portrayed this character in my opinion. She interpreted all of Hildy's characteristics flawlessly.

I can only imagine that writing a successful novel centered around alcoholism must be a daunting task. The way Ann Leary wrote Hildy's perspective and her continual justification of her drinking can only come from someone who knows alcoholism intimately. I feel she did an outstanding job. Once I got started I didn't want to stop. Hearing Hildy's voice with my own ears was such an authentic experience. I didn't want to leave her when the book was done.

The bottom line is THE GOOD HOUSE is one of my top reads this year and the audio is probably my favorite of all. If you're looking for an audio that you can get sucked into right away with great characters and great story, then you should definitely listen to this latest from Ann Leary. It was a real treat. Just one more comment about this author: Am I the only person on the planet who didn't know Ann Leary is married to Denis Leary, the actor from Rescue Me?  Saw her on an MSNBC program and they mentioned that and I was shocked!

THE GOOD HOUSE (Unabridged Audio Version)
Author:  Ann Leary
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: January 2013
Length: 10 hrs 12 min
Recommend? Absolutely 100% YES!!!

Review: Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer (Unabridged Audio Edition)

Sometimes I am looking for something different in a book: a previously untold story, a unique character or location. That task is growing harder and harder with every new book that is published today, but I believe I found that unique quality in SHINE SHINE SHINE, debut novel by Lydia Netzer. Here is a description of the book taken from the author's website:

Sunny Mann has masterminded a life for herself and her family in a quiet Virginia town.  Her house and her friends are picture-perfect.  Even her genius husband, Maxon, has been trained to pass for normal.  But when a fender bender on an average day sends her coiffed blonde wig sailing out the window, her secret is exposed.  Not only is she bald, Sunny is nothing like the Stepford wife she's trying to be. As her facade begins to unravel, we discover the singular world of Sunny, an everywoman searching for the perfect life, and Maxon, an astronaut on his way to colonize the moon. 
My Thoughts

I can honestly say, I had no idea what to expect from this book, but I'd been hearing so much praise of Lydia Netzer from other writers that I respect and like, so I my curiosity was more than piqued.

The originality of this quirky story is what really stood out for me. Sunny is a woman who wants only to be accepted in the world she lives in and to provide a seemingly perfect role model for others. Sure, that is nothing that hasn't been written about before, but Netzer throws in some unique details and history of her characters that you don't read about every day. Firstly, Sunny was born in Burma, and with a rare condition that left her completely bald. Not many of us, especially women, can relate to that or appreciate how difficult that must be, especially if you desperately don't want people to know. Secondly, Sunny's husband is an astronaut with a genius IQ. How many of us can say that?! She also has a special needs son and is pregnant with her second child whom she hopes is born normal. Needless so say, Sunny has a lot on her plate. I found the story very entertaining, especially Sunny's interactions with her neighbor, the local news anchor, along with Maxon's job of going to the moon in hopes of colonizing it and leaving Sunny behind to handle daily life here on Earth.

Netzer does a great job of creating supporting characters that add to the story and explain how Sunny and Maxon met and fell in love. Theirs is certainly not your typical love story. Though Sunny's mom is in the hospital for all of the book, she is still a huge part of the story. Their son, Bubber, is one of my favorite characters. He is so endearing and though I don't think it is every stated directly, he is Autistic.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Sunny makes the decision to take Bubber off all the meds he's been taking for years. It's a gamble but she does it and she is amazed at the difference in his demeanor. I felt that was a bold element to add to this book and I applaud her for 'going there'. This book reminds us that each and every one of us has our own definition of 'normal' and your normal may not be my normal but that's OK.

I do have to add that the reason I chose to listen to this novel was simply the narrator. Joshilyn Jackson is a wonderful narrator (as well as one of my favorite writers!) and I just couldn't pass it up. She did a fabulous job of interpreting the story and using the many inflections of her fabulous voice to make it real. She did an outstanding job!

The bottom line is I did enjoy this quirky story but I don't think I can come out and say I loved it.  It certainly is one of the most memorable stories I've ever read and I'm sure I won't soon forget Sunny and Maxon. When I first finished it, I thought it was too odd, but after I gave it some thought and remembered the things I liked about it, I felt a little better about it. If you're looking for a fun, quirky book, this is definitely one you should try.

SHINE SHINE SHINE (Audio Version)
Author: Lydia Netzer
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Published: July 2012
Length: 10 hrs 53 min or 320 pp
Recommend?: Yes