Darcy was born beautiful. Really… it’s true. Just ask her. She will be the first to tell you that she is perfect. She loves that men find her attractive so it’s no big surprise that she is stunned to find that her fiance friend Marcus takes work. Oh but never fear, Darcy continues to work her magic until she gets her way… only to be truly shocked and offended when she finds out fer fiance Dex, has also found his way to another… her best friend Rachel.
Oh the nerve of some people! While yes, Darcy to has cheated with Marcus (more than once but really who is counting) she is still appalled to think that Dex and Rachel had done the unthinkable to her. Yes… once again it is all about Darcy…
and as the title suggests….
she turns out to be pregnant with Marcus’s child… a child he does not want… and in fact he’s pretty tired of Darcy’s uppity ways as well. Darcy quickly finds herself without a place to stay, so she packs her bags and goes to London to stay with her writer friend Ethan… only the life lessons continue as Ethan’s flat isn’t “all that” and he is not about to put up with selfish behavior.
Oh whats a girl to do…. and a pregnant one at that….
The character of Darcy is desribed as 5' 9" and 124 pounds. I had to Google such a body type to get a visual... and here she is .... "A Darcy"
Occasionally I enjoy a bit of a fluff read. Just a fun, no thinking involved read. When I found this audio on Amazon I thought I would give this audio a try. A series of emotions came forth as I listened to this audio:
disbelief
annoyance
horrified
disgusted
cautiously optimistic
passive
accepting
Ugghhh…. it’s almost like the stages of grief. 😛 I started out not liking Darcy at all. Really there was nothing to like. She is an extremely self-centered character who only cared about making sue all men had eyes only for her, always wanting what she could not have until she got it… and then drinking while pregnant just about pushed me over the edge. Fictional character or not, I was about to take Darcy out.
Then…. slowly…. she began to change, in an almost predictable way, she learns the errors of her ways and well… you will just have to read it to see exactly what that means.
This is the sequel to Something Borrowed which I have not read. ( I heard it was a movie and I was going to try to see it before I listened to this audio but I did not… I still may watch it at some point.) However I don’t think I missed anything by diving into this one, the characters were easy to figure out where they stood.
In recap…. I didn’t hate it. It actually grew on me a bit. Not so much as I would pursue the series, but in the end I may have been able to have lunch with Darcy without stabbing her in the neck with my fork.
On Monday, July 18th, our local library hosted author Laurie Hertzel to discuss her latest book, News To Me, Adventures Of An Accidental Journalist. *you can see more details about this event on the Morning Meandering post*
Laurie Hertzel always knew she wanted to be a writer. She grew up knowing books, and knowing they were important and valued. With nine siblings, Laurie had said, her dad would occasionally take whoever was around at the time and load them all into the van and they would go into the book store and each be able to pick out whatever book they wanted.
Laurie who is the Senior Book Editor for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune says she receives around 1,000 books a month for review. They arrive in shopping cart loads and it is up to her to sort through them. She says on a good week she can get 6 reviews in the paper – one on Monday, occasionally one on Wednesday and four in the Sunday paper. It is not easy to choose she says but what she says this is what she looks for:
Obviously the big read – like Freedom by Johnathon Franzen (she says people expect these to be reviewed)
Regional Reads
Human Interest
Non Fiction or a poetry read
Small Presses
Her job is not sitting at a desk reading. During office hours she is writing reviews, answering calls and emails. Her reading comes after hours. She loves her job and says it is really more like a 24 hours a day job.
For anyone who has an interest in journalism this is Laurie’s advice:
Keep practicing your craft… in other words write whenever and wherever you can
Dont become political as in choosing sides, you need to stay responsible and neutral
Be nimble… learn to use pics, video, twitter, Facebook… report across platform
As far as Laurie’s book goes… she is hilarious. She read aloud the chapter about making coffee being part of her job at a newspaper office. She was told that the pot was never to be empty. Laurie doesn’t drink coffee and the only faucet that had enough space to put the coffee carafe under it to fill with water, was the one in the mens bathroom. She learned quickly that by making really bad tasting coffee, and then responding, “What? Oh does it not taste good? I don’t know what it should take like as I do not drink coffee”, soon caused that task to be removed from her list of duties.
The book itself takes us through Laurie’s careers from the library to the news room… and um… back to the library. She speaks well, she is fun and funny to listen too. She also has some amazing chapters in the book such as when in the mid 80’s she went as a reporter to Russia with a group of people from Duluth Minnesota who wanted to make one of the Russian towns their sister city, and when letters requesting such were ignored, they decided to go in person. Laurie pretty much sold out of her books at this event.
I am currently reading News To Me and I will have a review of this book up in the next couple of days.
Anthony Bourdain, the star of the series No reservations on the Travel Channel, and the author of Kitchen Confidential now releases his sharp tongue, never apologizing ways in this new collection about the chefs in the industry, the economy, the best places to find a good burger… it reads like we are sitting and talking about cooking and food…. Anthony Bourdain flies from topic to topic, while occasionally hard to follow – it almost always is interesting.
If you have seen his show, you pretty much know what you are in for. At least… I thought I did.
Here is a little sample (or two) of Bourdain’s show, No Reservations:
Anyway – you get the picture. Food is what Boudain does. And for the most part he does it well. This was also the draw for me to this audio, narrated by Anthony Bourdain himself.
I admit it. I like the tone of Anthony’s voice. He is level and matter of fact. he has a quick wit, a knack for sarcasm – and he tells it like it is. Even, when I necessarily do not need to know to that extent of “what it is”.
What do I mean by that? Well, while I do enjoy Anthony Bourdain’s show, No Reservations… I have come to realize that they clean his words up quite a bit. In this audio, there is none of this and you can plan on being encased in everything that is on Anthony’s mind and without any sensors, all of this will come right out of his mouth. You will hear the “F” word… frequently. You will hear pretty much every other word as well.
So why, a person that usually avoids such books and audio, why would I put myself through this?
Honestly… I like to hear about the food behind Anthony’s language. If you can filter (and you will need a heavy-duty one at that) through that, the audio is quite interesting.
I enjoyed hearing how the economy changed the look and feel of some of New Yorks higher class restaurants forever – and even possibly for the better. Anthony shares that while some restaurants may no longer be able to afford to serve the salmon they once did, they have found ways to serve delicious lesser priced fish just as well. In some cases – they are thrilled to do so as chefs have known that some of the fish that normally would not grace their menu, is actually very good – and the economy has given them the opportunity to show this.
I also learned – that the economy has made the classy restaurants friendlier. There was a time you would be snubbed for walking up to a high-class eatery without a reservation. If you called to get a reservation without weeks and weeks notice, you would practically be hung up on. These days are gone. People are now encouraged to come in anytime. The phone service has greatly improved and the wait staff is considerably friendlier. Well – yay for all of that. 😛
I also enjoyed hearing about other big named chefs. Bourdain is not easy on any of them. He takes no prisoners. Some he admires. More, he does not, and he is not shy to tell you why. Names are tossed on the chopping block. He even goes into detail about his time as a judge on Top Chef. Bourdain will share, occasionally at great lengths about the importance of the great chefs actually being at their restaurants – actually cooking meals instead of relying on their name alone to get people in the door.
The chapter talking of the great detail that chefs go to prepare the fish for our meals – astounded me. I had never thought about what the big name restaurant may pay for a pound of fish and that would be including – head, innards, scales etc… much of which they paid for is thrown away in the cleaning process and they pay a very talented chef with a knife to do just that long before we ever see it on our plate.
At times I applauded Anthony Bourdains’ boldness. At other times I cringed at his references, language and crudeness. I am well aware that some of what make me cringe… are part of what has made him the success he is today.
The over all thing I have to admit here is that despite his great flaws…. I like him.
This review is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking. Pop on over and see what others are cooking or reading about food this weekend!
There are moments in my life that are so wonderful I have to pinch myself to make sure they are real.
On Tuesday, May 24th, I had the privilege to join a group of wonderful book bloggers and have dinner with the amazing Beth Hoffman. We were to meet at 7:15 pm at Mercer’s Kitchen, in Soho New York.
I experienced my first subway ride which I caught with Candace from Beth Fish Reads, Dawn from She’s Too Fond Of Books, and Swapna from S. Krishna’s Books. We arrived early and waited at the bar for the rest of the bloggers and for Beth.
And of course, there was Beth Hoffman. Beth may as well have walked right off her website as we all knew her right away – shelooks exactly like her picture! Sweet and friendly she came in and hugged each one of us, calling us her girls and escorting us to a large table for our reservation.
She had flown in the previous day just to meet with us. The dinner was lovely and the conversation just as lovely. It was so interesting to listen to her talk about the characters she brought to life in Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt as well as the one character in the book that is requested time and again by her fans to make a come back, Oletta. (I would have to agree)
I ordered the halibut which was so amazing, and a raspberry wafer dessert that was melt in your mouth delicious.
What a great evening! As we talked Beth shared what was next on her agenda and I am excited to share that it is another book (SSQQUUUEEE!!!) called Looking For Me. Beth shared that Looking For Me is going to be quite different from Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt.I am sooooo excited!
A sweet little notepad and a bookmark. The notpad says "What would Oletta Say?" - a gift from Beth Hoffman (so sweet!)
After a wonderful meal and good byes (and a few tears shed), I made it back to the hotel at 11:30 p.m. Thrilled with a wonderful evening and the excitement of a second book by this incredible author.
A few weeks back I had a wonderful experience reading the book A Tiger In The Kitchen. I loved the book, I loved the imagery, and oh yeah.… I loved the food.
After reading the book I made quick time of contacting author Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan to tell her how amazing I thought her book was and if she would like to stop by Book Journey and share with my readers a little about herself, the book, and what may be next.
I was thrilled when she said yes.
Please welcome author, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan!
Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
Cheryl, as a coffee lover, I have to know how you take yours?
Cheryl: My favorite coffee is Singapore-style coffee — in old-school kopitiams (or coffeeshops) there, the beans are wok-fried with lard or butter and corn kernels to give it a buttery, nutty flavor. The coffee “uncle” will then add condensed milk and sugar to the brew — it’s incredibly delicious. I also like “yin yang,” which is a cup of coffee and tea combined in equal amounts with condensed milk and sugar added to the concoction. I’m a big tea lover, too, so yin yang is the ultimate morning beverage for me.
Now I want to try that coffee! 😛 Growing up in Singapore, were you a reader? (If so I would love to hear what books captured your attention!)
Cheryl: I read voraciously as a child — I remember my mother taking me to Singapore’s national library every Saturday to check out nine books a week. I could have read more but that was the maximum number of books we could take out, even after combining my family members’ library cards! Enid Blyton was the author who first captured my imagination as a child — she was a very prolific British children’s author who wrote several series involving plucky children going on all sorts of adventures. I adored the Secret Seven, Famous Five and Malory Towers, about a girls’ boarding school, series. Most of all, I loved The Faraway Tree, which was about a group of city kids who move to the English countryside and are totally unhappy and bored until they discover an enchanted tree inhabited by fairies and other magical creatures. I later moved on to Judy Blume, Anne Tyler, Ernest Hemingway and more but the creativity in Enid Blyton’s books were truly an early inspiration.
When did your interest in journalism start?
Cheryl: I knew as a child that I wanted to write for a living and when it came time to apply to colleges, journalism seemed like a way to be able to make a living doing it so I interned at The Straits Times, Singapore’s national newspaper, right after high school. During my internship, I wrote an expose of an illegal dog farm in which these poor dogs were kept in deplorable conditions — tiny, dirty cages etc. — that resulted in the Singaporean officials immediately swooping in and fining the owners. After seeing the power of the press and its ability to right wrongs, I was hooked.
Oh that is amazing! I have always loved the power of words! Your move from Singapore to Illinois had to be one of excitement and a little fear too…. can you share a little bit what that was like?
Cheryl: I moved from Singapore to Evanston, Illinois, to study journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. It was a terribly exciting time but also terrifying, naturally. I’d traveled widely before but moving all by myself halfway across the world at age 18 was something else entirely. I loved learning about American culture (Friends! Seinfeld!) through my new friends and dorm-mates but it was also trying sometimes — Singapore is near the equator so it’s sweltering hot all year round. The first winter I was at Northwestern, which is on a lakefront, there was a day when the windchill was minus 70. That was dismal. I also missed Singaporean food desperately — back then it was impossible to find good versions of the curries and fried noodles I grew up eating anywhere near me.
How long a flight is that from New York to Singapore?
Cheryl: There is a direct flight from the New York area to Singapore that takes 18 hours but usually, most flights (with connections and all) will take you close to 24 hours.
Oh wow! 24 hours! You mention the fried noodles and the curry that you miss and even thinking about it makes my mouth water. I still can picture that scene of the pineapple tarts, when you walked into the kitchen to discover that you were about to make 3,000 tarts. How long did it take the 5 of you to complete that project?
Cheryl: That was quite a scene! It was a two-day process to make all those tarts — but along the way we made a variety of other cookies, as well. On the first day, we prepped the pineapples — skinning them, gouging out the eyes, chopping them up into small chunks, running them through a juicer — and made the jam. The jam then has to cool overnight before we make the butter cookie base the next day, brush those cookies with beaten egg, top them with jam and then bake them. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s so very worth it. Pineapple tarts are out of this world.
The bonding of family cooking together puts an amazing picture in my head. Can you describe what that was like with your family? When you talk about missing out on that time with your Grandmother and learning her secrets and talents in the kitchen, do you feel that you accomplished that goal through the family members who did teach you?
Cheryl: I had never cooked with my family before so throughout the year, I felt like I was connecting with them in a way that I never had before. When you’re in the kitchen with your family for hours, that’s when old stories and jokes are going to be shared. I learned a lot about various family members and my ancestors and that was a very special experience. It was also lovely to see the younger generation getting curious about the process as well — my 10-year-old cousin Matthew, for example, even set aside his iPhone games when he saw us cooking sometimes and joined in with the assembling of rolls. I’m a big proponent of passing down the recipes and stories of families so it was touching to see Matthew joining in. I feel fortunate to have had this experience — you do often take your family members for granted and it can be too late to ask them to teach you. My maternal grandmother was already starting to lose her memory when I was back for that year — if I had waited any longer, I’m not sure she would have remembered all the recipes that she was sharing with us.
This book came about as the result of being laid off from your job. That devastating event freed you up to be able to travel and spend the time with your family and learn the traditions. Do you look at that time now as a blessing?
Cheryl: I definitely do — after I’d gone back to learn how to make my late grandmother’s pineapple tarts, I wanted to take a year off and travel back to Singapore to learn more recipes but there was just no way that I could have asked for the time off to do it. Right when I was rather despondent about that, the Wall Street Journal decided to eliminate its fashion bureau. I was in shock at first but literally, by the time I got back to my desk from the meeting where they laid us all off, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I don’t think I would have had the courage to request a sabbatical to go on this journey if that hadn’t happened. I’m very thankful for that.
Do you have a favorite recipe either from the book, or personally that you enjoy making?
Cheryl: I have so many recipes I adore — it’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child! One of my favorite dishes is this dish called tau yew bak, which basically means soy sauce meat. My late grandmother used to make this with pork belly or duck and it’s basically meat braised for hours in a stew of dark soy sauce (which has the consistency of molasses and is rather sweet), cinnamon sticks, star anise, sugar and garlic. (I have a recipe for the duck version of this in the book.) My family also adds cubed tofu and hard-boiled eggs to this stew — you want to cook it long enough so that the tofu cubes are saturated with the gravy and the eggs are the color of milk chocolate. Now that I know how to make it, it is part of my regular rotation in New York — I don’t often make it with duck, though. (Putting my hand in the cavity of a duck is still not one of my favorite things.) I’ll do it with cubed pork loin, ground beef or pork and cubed tofu. People often think Southeast Asian cooking is daunting because the recipes sometimes have many steps and ingredients — I like to look at the recipe, try to understand the flavors of the dish, why they work together and figure out how I can simplify it for an easy weeknight meal. That’s what I’ve done with my grandmother’s tau yew bak.
Tau Yew Bak
What next for you? Another book? *fingers crossed*
Cheryl: I’ve started on my second book, which is about women in their thirties. I can’t say more about it right now — but I hope you enjoy it as much as you liked A Tiger in the Kitchen!
It is a tradition around here for me to ask each author I interview to share a little known fact about themselves. (Ie. a hobby, a funny or embarrassing memory), an unusual talent, a trip you have taken, an instrument you played in school, an award you once won…)
Cheryl: I once drove four hours across Sicily (and four hours back) just to have lunch at a restaurant. It was a place that I’d heard of and was terribly curious about but where we were staying (Palermo) was nowhere near it. It didn’t deter me, however — the group of us just piled into two cars and went on this zany, hours-long road trip across the island just to lunch at Ristorante Duomo in Ragusa. It felt a little like we were in The Cannonball Run — but with lunch as the reward. We got very lost on the way back and I remember it being incredibly late at night by the time we made it back to Palermo. But the lunch — so fresh, so inventive — was worth the crazy, exhausting road trip. A good meal, to me, is always worth the extra mile — or, hundreds of miles.
Oh that is a wonderful fact! Thanks so much Cheryl for joining me today! I am so excited about your next book too!
Readers: Please take time to check out Cheryl at her website. Her book A Tiger In The Kitchen was a delight to read and you can see the link to my review below.
My plan for 2011 was to do more author chats. I really enjoy chatting it up with the authors of the books I enjoy and being able to know the person, behind the book. So far, as of this mid February, I have not accomplished and where near what I had hoped to do in this category. Today however, I am hoping this interview will be a launching pad for me to move forward on more discussions such as these.
In most cases, I find books I want to read through book magazines, on-line websites, word of mouth, and of course by reading book blogs. It is a rare circumstance these days that I find a book all on my own with no outside influences, yet, the book Unspeakable Journey is exactly that.
I was looking through audible.com a month ago for my next book on my IPOD. Nothing on the “best sellers” list or the “Newly Released” was speaking to me and I started to explore the books by genres that I enjoy. Cruising through the pages offered of faith reads, I found myself giving pause at this book, Unspeakable Journey. The cover stopped me – the synopsis hooked me, and the brief listen of the narrator reeled me in.
It was supposed to be a quick trip to the store, but it turned into an Unspeakable Journey. On the eve of her 30th birthday, Isabella is abducted in the parking lot of her local grocery store. Hasam, a sinister human trafficker, arranges for her to marry Latif, his longtime friend and a Saudi Arabian prince. Latif has everything—political prowess, success, and wealth—until he meets Isabella.
Earlier this week I posted my review of this audio and was pleased when an email out to Rinda Hahn requesting a chat was responded by a “yes. I would love to!”
So – please welcome to Book Journey Rinda Hahn.
Rinda hahn
Good afternoon Rinda! Being a coffee lover I have to ask, how do you take your coffee?
Rinda: I hate to say it, but I don’t drink coffee. I’m trying to like a couple of the Starbucks flavored lattes, but I’m not sure that counts as coffee to a real coffee lover. My husband loves coffee, and I have been trying to like it since we met. I just can’t acquire the taste, but I love the smell of coffee in my kitchen.
Well… as long as you are TRYING to like some sort of coffee product… and you do enjoy the smell so that does count too. 😀 I am always fascinated with the books that people surrounded themselves with when they were young. Have you been a long time reader?
Rinda: I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. When my kids were small, there was even a period of time that I had to stop reading completely. When I start a good book, I am compulsive. I stay up too late, neglect my responsibilities, and get lost in the world created by the author. During the demanding stage of being a new mom, I found my compulsion did not lend itself to reading. Even now, my family loves it when I read, and they hate it too for that reason.
When I was in seventh grade I had an English teacher that assigned three or four short stories written by Stephen King. I had never been exposed to psychological horror/thrillers, and that was the moment I knew the raw, unyielding power of a written story. There were moments when I was too afraid to read more, but I was unable to stop. This isn’t my favorite genre to read, but to this day, I still remember the intense emotions (mostly fear) that he evoked with those stories.
That is awesome! I had a Stephen King phase too in high school through early 20’s. What authors and or books inspire you today? Why?
Rinda: I like well written Christian fiction, but find a lot of it disappointing. CS Lewis and Francine Rivers are two authors that inspire me, but I really love any well written book that transports me to another world and introduces me to great characters. When an author uses their story to teach me a hidden truth, it is even better.
I am a big fan of Francine Rivers! I really enjoyed her women of the Bible series, and Redeeming Love still has me gushing (and for a reader who avoids any sort of romance style reads this is huge!) If there was a fictional character in any book that you could bring to life and hang out with – what character would that be and why?
Rinda: Several years ago I read the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. Her main character, Hadassah, endured many heart wrenching situations, but never lost her unrelenting love for her God and those who persecuted her. To really have a conversation with her would be amazing.
I have to talk about the book. I can’t wait to talk about the book. Unspeakable Journey was an amazing book on faith and at the same time, hugely frightening and real feeling. What made you decide to write this book, this topic?
Rinda: I had prayed for several months about what story to write. One morning, I awoke and the storyline for this book played out like a movie for me. At that moment I knew it was the story that I had to tell.
I loved how you covered some hard issues within the book. I am not a fan of “book fluff” and you did not hold back. Isabella’s character is abducted and forced to marry a Muslim prince – even though she is already married in the States. Not only does she get married, but she is expected to behave as a wife should, and risk becoming pregnant. In your opinion, what was the hardest part of Unspeakable Journey to write?
Rinda: For the most part writing Unspeakable Journey was wonderful. I loved engaging with my characters, and at times, it seemed the story wrote itself. Probably the hardest part was balancing Latif’s selfish, controlling, yet passionate and kind nature. I wanted the reader to struggle with how they felt about him. In life people are complicated, and I wanted that to translate to all my characters in the book. My readers have the most diverse feelings about him. Some love him and feel sorry for him, and others see his weaknesses and never like him. I like it that each reader takes away something different from the story.
It worked Rinda… I was back and forth between horrified and frustrated by him, and then understanding him. What research did you need to do to make this book come together?
Rinda: When I started Unspeakable Journey, I knew almost nothing about Saudi Arabia and their culture. I spent weeks reading through material from the library and on the internet about their customs, their religion, and their social structure.
Rinda, I said it in my review and I will say it here… the ending left me wanting more! I was so curious as to what would happen next and feel there is plenty of material here to continue this story. Have you given this any thought?
Rinda: This is the most asked question I have received about Unspeakable Journey. I have a couple of ideas I am tossing around that may introduce a character or two from Unspeakable Journey into another completely different story, but I am not planning to write a sequel. I know that some of my readers are disappointed by that. I have just had so many readers and book club members discuss with me what they think happens next, and I don’t want to mess with that. A great story leaves you thinking about what happens, wondering where the characters are now, and how they are doing. They come alive and live with you for a while, and it is hard to say good-bye at the end. For people to want a sequel to Unspeakable Journey is a great compliment, but right now, I like the end the way it is, where you have to fill in the blanks.
Oh! I was afraid you were going to say that…. 🙂 What is currently in the works for you?
Rinda: I am currently working on a new novel. It is very different from Unspeakable Journey and is geared more toward young adults. I don’t think it will be Christian fiction (at least at this point that is the plan). I do hope that readers of Unspeakable Journey will still enjoy this new novel.
I have also been very busy promoting Unspeakable Journey and interacting with book clubs that have invited me to attend their discussion of my book. The book seems to lend itself to engaging book club discussion, and I hear from lots of readers that they are suggesting it to their local book club groups.
This is the family dog: Cuddles. Rinda says, "Can you tell that we have girls? My husband just laughs about all his girls, and when he gets overrun, he escapes to the garage. He has appropriately named it the "man cave". I am glad he has a sense of humor!"
It is a tradition here to ask each author I interview to share a little known fact about themselves.
Rinda: Like do you want to know that I am clumsy? I don’t pay attention to where I am going, because my head is usually in the clouds, dreaming, and I run into things and fall down. My husband and kids laugh at me a lot. Truthfully, I laugh at myself, cause you know, I have learned not to take myself too seriously!
On a more serious note, I am an artist. I enjoy drawing and painting, and would love to write and illustrate a children’s book.
Rinda, thank you so much for taking the time to come and chat with me today. I enjoyed learning more about your book, your writing, and what we can expect next.
Readers: You can find Rinda Hahn hanging out at her website: www.rindahahn.com
Unspeakable Journey is available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Borders.com, or nationwide at your local bookstore. I picked up the audio version on audible.com If your bookstore does not have it in stock, they can order it.
Plucked from a farm as just a pup, terrier/lab mix Enzo is not your average dog. In fact, if Enzo had his way, he would not be a dog at all. He would be a human. In fact, as Enzo hangs with his owner racecar driver Denny Swift, Enzo wouldn’t mind being a racecar driver either. Enzo shares his thoughts and his opinions as Denny goes from bachelor, to married… and while it takes Enzo a while to warm up to Denny’s woman friend Eve, eventually he warms to her. And when their daughter Zoe comes along, well, as far as Enzo was concerned, he now had a younger sibling.
It is Enzo who first senses that Eve is sick. He smells it on her, like a sort of mold, he knows that there is something wrong years before Eve or Denny have any idea. This is where Enzo is frustrated as a dog, he is unable to communicate his knowledge.
Let me start with a little story. A couple of years ago my book club and I read another book told from a dog’s perspective. It was a simple read, no meat to it… and the book club overall feeling was, it was a waste of paper. One of my book club girls said much like a dog, she would urinate on this book. And with that review – that was the end of my days of reading books from animals perspectives.
Needless to say when this book came up as a suggestion for a read for my book club, I did not vote for it. Many of us didn’t. We all too clearly still remembered our experience…
As time went on I seen raving reviews of this book on-line… and more recently, when I seen it on audible.com with a high rating I decided that if I was going to give this a try, audio may be the way to go. And so – that is what I did.
I am in love with this story. Right from the beginning, as the story opens Enzo is in his last 24 hours of life. He is laying in a pool of his own urine and he is reliving his life…. my first thought at this point is, “Oh no…. I hate it when the animals die.” I really do. I have such a soft heart for animals that books like Old Yeller, just make me crazy angry through my tears….
couldn’t there have been another ending?
However this story quickly carried us to the story of Enzo… fun, brilliant pup to dog…. and he is well worth listening to. Enzo sees on National Geographic that in Mongolia, dog owners bury their dog high in the hills so people cannot walk on his grave. The dog’s master whispers into the dog’s ear his wishes that the dog will return as a man in his next life. Then his tail is cut off and put beneath his head, and a piece of meat or fat is placed in his mouth to sustain his soul on its journey; before he is reincarnated, the dog’s soul is freed to travel the land, to run across the high desert plains for as long as it would like.
And Enzo is ready.
In his own words, here is what he thinks:
“Here’s why I will be a good person. Because I listen. I cannot talk, so I listen very well. I never deflect the course of the conversation with a comment of my own. People, if you pay attention to them, change the direction of one another’s conversations constantly. It’s like being a passenger in your car who suddenly grabs the steering wheel and turns you down a side street. For instance, if we met at a party and I wanted to tell you a story about the time I needed to get a soccer ball in my neighbor’s yard but his dog chased me and I had to jump into a swimming pool to escape, and I began telling the story, you, hearing the words “soccer” and “neighbor” in the same sentence, might interrupt and mention that your childhood neighbor was Pele, the famous soccer player, and I might be courteous and say, Didn’t he play for the Cosmos of New York? Did you grow up in New York? And you might reply that, no, you grew up in Brazil on the streets of Tres Coracoes with Pele, and I might say, I thought you were from Tennessee, and you might say not originally, and then go on to outline your genealogy at length. So my initial conversational gambit – that I had a funny story about being chased by my neighbor’s dog – would be totally lost, and only because you had to tell me all about Pele. Learn to listen! I beg of you. Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories.”
I absolutely adored this story. It is sad. It is real. And it is all told from Enzo’s point of view. I can not recommend this enough. I adored it on audio and I bet I would have loved it if I had read it too. Do not miss out on this enchanting read.
While in New York this past May I had an opportunity to meet and talk with the Class of 2K10 YA Debut Authors. This was a lot of fun and I met some wonderfully talented women including my guest here today, Rhonda Hayter. Rhonda and I had a little time to chat one on one and she presented me with a signed copy of her book, The Witchy Worries of bbie Adams(SQQQQUUUEEEEEEEE)!
Please welcome to Book Journey, the lovely and talented Rhonda Hayter.
Rhonda Hayter
Rhonda, welcome. I always start by asking, how do you take your coffee?
Rhonda: By the gallon.
Good to know – will keep the coffee pot on! Have you been a long time reader?
Rhonda: I always talk about this in my school visits just to horrify the children but where I grew up there was no TV. It was in northernmost Canada in a place called Labrador and at that time, it was too remote to get a TV signal up there. It was also thirty degrees below zero a lot of the time, so reading was the only game in town. Much of my growing up was spent huddled on a heating grate, buried in books.
Rhonda in her home office where everyone leaves her alone....except their dog, Kitty.
I was a book girl too Rhonda, I Almaty preferred books to tv. What is one of the first books you remember falling in love with?
Rhonda: I think it might have been the Pippi Longstocking books. I ordered them through the book clubs at school and devoured them the day I got them. Pippi was so wild and free, without parental supervision and she could go anywhere and dress however she pleased. Of course I was happy to have parents and all…but it was really fun to think about.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Rhonda: I actually always wanted to be an actor. I started off as one but well..not in what you might call a hugely successful way. I spent so much of my life yearning for that and riding the ups and downs of it all, that I almost didn’t notice that I wanted to write too…although I always did. It wasn’t until I finally gave up my acting (or it gave me up) that I noticed that writing gave me exactly the same kind of seat-of-the-pants/living-in-the-moment thrill that acting did.
I recently finished reading The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams. Abbie is a delightful character and I enjoyed getting to know her. Was this the book you thought you would write?
Rhonda: I never actually thought of writing a whole book before Abbie but it just came pouring out of me. I had a fifth grader in the house at the time, and I was immersed in his life and his voice and his concerns….and that’s just the book that materialized.
Rhonda and her youngest son Ethan ( the inspiration for the character of Munch)
There are a couple of references to Harry Potter in the book. You mention Abbie has a poster of Hermione on her bedroom wall and later there is a reference to Hogwarts. I am a big Potter fan. What is your Harry Potter connections – love the books, love the movies? Both?
Rhonda: My older boy Duncan is 16 now, so he was exactly the age to be ready for each book as it came out. It was such an incredible part of his childhood, waiting for the next installment…showing up at midnight at Barnes and Noble on the day it was to be released, watching him be completely consumed by it until he powered through to the end…and then passing it around the family, and reading it aloud to his younger brother…until he was finally ready to read it alone. And the movies always came out right around Duncan’s birthday in November so that was always momentous too. (Although I had to take him into the lobby for some of the scary parts of the first movie. I have such an affection for the whole experience that Harry Potter gave our family, books and movies combined.
I love that connection your family has to the Potter books! I heard a rumor that Abbie may be showing up in a future book…. hmmmm, is this true?
Rhonda: Well I can tell you that she’s going to share a very big secret with her best friend Callie…and complications will arise.
Is there a fictional character that you would like to hang out with?
Rhonda: I like that question! Let me see. I’ve always been a monster Jane Austen fan, and I’d just love to swish around in long dresses exchanging witty observations with Elizabeth Bennett or the Sense and Sensibility gals.
Rhonda's hang out buddy, Elizabeth Bennett
It was so fun to meet you at BEA this past May. I enjoyed hearing that you were part of the Class of 2k10 debut authors group. Can you tell us a little more about this group?
Rhonda: I LOVE that group. We’re all published in YA or MG for the first time this year. I always liken it to my pregnancy yoga class— you’re united in fellowship with people at a unique and magical moment in their lives. We network and cross promote and all that, but more importantly, we have become friends and great support for each other. That was one of the things that made BEA such fun, getting to meet everyone in person, after having chatted almost every day over the Internet for months. We were all CRAZY about each other!
I can not let you leave without asking you to share a little known fact about yourself.
Rhonda: Oh dear, let’s see. I guess something that’s a little unusual is that I didn’t learn to drive until I was in my late 30s, when I moved out to Los Angeles. I look at my 16-year old learning now and I realize that what it really takes is a teenager’s blithe unawareness that anything bad can ever happen. At the time I learned, that ship had long since sailed and I felt exactly as if I was getting into the Electric Chair to be executed every time I strapped myself into the driver’s seat. I’m better now….but I still ain’t good.
That is a great fact Rhonda! Thank you so much for stooping in and chatting with me today!
Thanks so much for having me Sheila. This was fun.
I have really been slack on my author interviews as of late and hope to do many MANY more in 2011. Taking time today to sit and chat with the amazing Beth Hoffman is just the incentive I need to get going on this! This vibrant and fun author is so easy to chat with, I wish I really did have her in my living room, chatting over a hot cup of tea and some really yummy scones.
Please welcome to Book Journey, Beth Hoffman!!!!
Beth Hoffman
Beth, thank you so much for joining me here today at Book Journey. As you know, I recently listening to Saving CeeCee Honeycutt on audio and am RAVING about it. I can’t wait to chat with you about this!
Beth: Hi Sheila, it’s a treat to be here with you today. Thanks for inviting me.
For starters, I would love to know how you take your coffee?
Beth: Oh, a low-fat, decaf latte, please!
Mmmmmm… sounds delicious, I think I will have the same. Beth, are you a big reader? Is there a book that really sticks in your memory for you as you were growing up?
My-brother-and-me-with-chickie
Beth: I’m a huge reader, and since I began following all of you book-bloggers, I’ve turned into a bibliomaniac! The book that started my love of the written word was THE WORLD OF POOH, but I adored STUART LITTLE. I must have read that book fifty times. I spent my early years living on my grandparents’ farm and animals were always dear to me, so those stories held a special magic.
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is such a unique book! I love how it was told from CeeCee’s perspective. Did you ever consider doing it from a third person perspective?
Beth: I knew from the get-go that CeeCee’s life had to be told from her unique perspective. Her voice and the world as viewed through her young eyes were imperative to the story’s authenticity. Plus, the humor in the story was vital to the development of the supporting characters, and CeeCee’s thoughts about the new women in her life and their antics gave the story a freshness and innocence that would have been lost if told from a different viewpoint.
That is really true Beth, I enjoyed seeing through Cee Cee’s eyes how these women looked to her at first sight and how that changed as she began to know them. I hope this isn’t the question you are asked all the time, but I do have to know, where did CeeCee’s character come from? How was she developed?
Caldwell House
Beth: When I left my design business and set out to write a novel, I had originally thought I’d write a story based on my first childhood trip to visit my Great Aunt Mildred in Danville, Kentucky. She was a true Southern lady who lived a life that was beyond my imagination. Her house was a colossal old Greek revival that stood on lovely grounds that were smothered by flower gardens. She was a great reader, and her home library stole my breath. I was just a simple little farm girl, and I felt like I’d been plunked into a museum of beauty and culture. But when I began jotting notes about that visit in preparation to begin my novel, I experienced something that’s often referred to as writer’s alchemy. I actually heard a little girl’s voice in my head, and what she told me was far beyond anything I had planned to write—it was so much better! So I opened a new Word document on my computer and typed as I listened to what she wanted to tell me. It was a remarkable experience.
Great Aunt Mildred & Great Uncle Bill
I listened to this on audio and simply loved Jenna Lamia’s voice for Cee Cee. Do you as an author have a say in who narrates?
Beth: My publisher, Pamela Dorman (Viking/Penguin), knew CeeCee’s story had to be narrated by someone very special—someone who had Southern heritage and was skilled in transitioning flawlessly from a child’s voice to that of an adult. Pam sent me a sample of Jenna Lamia reading in a studio and asked for my thoughts. I knew right away that Jenna was perfect.
All the characters in the book were so full of life and I could picture them all … is there one you really enjoyed creating over the others?
Beth: I honestly loved creating them all, but from the moment she arrived in my imagination, Oletta stole my heart just as much as CeeCee. I loved Oletta for her wisdom, no-nonsense strength, and how she could say something that was so simple and yet profound. Now, when something is bothering me, I often ask myself, “What would Oletta say?” And it’s amazing what I hear in my head.
And there are two characters in the book that have such small roles, and yet I adored them—Miz Obee and Sapphire. I had so much fun writing the scene at Green Hills Nursing Home, and then, when they showed up at the garden party, well, I about laughed myself sick writing that scene.
Is there a chance that any of these characters may pop up in a future book?
Beth: I would say yes. I can easily see some of them making cameo appearances in future novels. I’m not certain when, but I do believe I’ll bring back Oletta, CeeCee, and a few of the others. And ever since the book was published, Thelma Rae is all but demanding it!
Oh I am so glad to hear that! I look forward to meeting them again! I really love strong characters in any books I read. Is there a fictional character that you would really enjoy knowing and hanging out with in real life?
Beth: Now that’s an interesting question. Off the top of my head I’d have to say Tom Wingo from Pat Conroy’s THE PRINCE OF TIDES. Tom Wingo was fascinating because he was sharp-tongued and wise, yet sometimes emotionally crippled by what he perceived to be his imperfections, which only made him more endearing.
Beth, what is next for you? Is there another book in the making?
Beth: Yes. Though I’m still touring extensively with the paperback, I’ve started my new novel and I’m completely enthralled with it. The title is LOOKING FOR ME.
I like the title and can’t wait to hear more about this book!
It is customary for me to ask every author I interview to share a little known fact about themselves.
Beth: When I was 4-years-old my mother gave me raisins with my lunch. I was anxious to go outside and play, but I knew she’d make me sit at the kitchen table and eat them. So, when she wasn’t looking, I stuffed the raisins deep into my ears! And I really mean deep — so deep that I had to be taken to the hospital and have them removed by a surgeon.
Oh… that is a great fact! Thanks Beth! You rock!
Beth: This was fun, Sheila. Thanks for having me over for coffee!
Readers, you can check out more about Beth Hoffman at her website, her blog and on Twitter at wordrunner.
I had the privilege of first hearing of Bill Walker through his book Titanic 2012. I found this beauty of a book and being a fan of all things Titanic, had to – had to read it. I really enjoyed (and recommend) the book and was curious about the author who would write a book about a future Titanic. This is how I met Bill.
Please welcome Bill Walker to Book Journey
Bill Walker
First off Bill, I need to know how you take your coffee.
Bill: I like mine sweet and white.
Bill, what books will I find on your bookshelf?
Bill: You’ll find over 500 books on my shelf. I’m literally surrounded by them in my little office/nook. As to why they are there? Well, because each one of them called out to me “Buy me!” and I couldn’t resist that literary siren call. My problem is I buy them faster than I can read them 😉
No! You are kidding me! That never happens to me! Ok, I kid… I have about that many books as well. What is the earliest book you can remember reading?
Bill: Now that’s a tough one. I don’t know if I remember the first one I read, but I do remember the first book that really inspired me to write. It was a famous children’s book called Ben and Me, which is about Ben Franklin and his pet mouse, Amos, and was told as if Amos wrote it. I loved that book so much I wrote my own pastiche called The Adventures of Mouser. I thought my book was long lost, but recently received it back in the mail after nearly forty years. One of my oldest friends had borrowed it and forgotten to return it before he and his family moved away. It’s really kind of neat and strange to see where my head was those many years ago and how much I’ve learned about the craft of writing in that time.
Bill I love that! I enjoyed reading your book Titanic 2012. I have always had a passion for the Titanic. Could you share a little about why you wrote a book about this famous ship?
Bill: Again it was a situation where I was inspired by another work, in this case James Cameron’s Titanic. Writing it was my way of extending my feelings and experiences from watching the film.
I now have in my hands your newest book, A Note From An Old Acquaintance. A little different from your Titanic story. Why this book? Why this story?
Bill: All my books have a romantic subplot, even the ones that remain unpublished, and it was my desire to write a novel where the love story took center stage. I also wanted to tell a story set in Boston, which is where I spent many happy years.
I love this trailer Bill, which is saying a lot as I don’t usually like book trailers! Book you are reading right now?
Bill: One Second After by William Forstchen. It is a very realistic story about what might happen if America were hit by an EMP attack. That is when a nuclear device is exploded high in the atmosphere to allow an Electromagnetic Pulse to bathe the ground beneath it. It would basically wipe out every high-tech gadget in the country, whether it was turned on or not. It would be instant middle ages and what makes it so frightening is that anyone with a nuclear device, such as North Korea, and a high altitude method of delivery, such as a missile, could do it. It is especially frightening when you think about how dependant we are on all this gadgetry and how helpless we would be without it. We would all find out very quickly how thin the veneer of civilization really is.
It is tradition for me to ask those I interview to share a little known fact about themselves. (This could be an unusual talent, embarrassing moment, an award you won, an instrument you play, funny happening…)
Bill: I don’t know how little known this fact is, but I’m an inveterate rock and roller who loves to plug in my Les Paul and wail. I find it psychologically liberating.
That is awesome Bill! Thanks for your time!
Bill: And thank you for having me over.
Readers, if you want to know more about Bill and/or his books please link to him through his website:
Book Journey 