Just Finished: The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris

I actually finished this post several months ago, but forgot to publish it!!! This much awaited sequel to Joanne Harris' breakout Chocolat, finds Vianne and Anouk in the neighborhood of Montmartre in Paris.  If you haven't read Chocolat,  go and buy a copy.  Although the movie adaptation is great, please don't think you can skip reading the novel and jump right into the sequel.   Even though The Girl With No Shadow can be enjoyed as a stand alone book, you really need to see where Vianne has been, to appreciate how the story unfolds.

Joanne Harris, as usual, delivers a novel that delights the senses, full of magic and subtle playfulness, and of course, chocolate.  If you haven't read Chocolat, don't read further, because the end of Chocolat truly influences the tone and direction of Girl.  

At the beginning of Girl, Vianne has reinvented herself as the widow Yanne Charbonnau, and runs a small chocolate shop in Paris.  It seems that Vianne has truly given up her old life, giving up her old identity and practices to ensure the safety of her children, Anouk and Rosette.  Vianne truly believes her life is on the right track, but the deliciously bohemian Zozie D'Alba pushes into their life like a force of nature, and Vianne is drawn slowly back to the old ways.

The Girl with No Shadow is an interesting continuation of Chocolat, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it.   It lacks some of the obvious sparkle and fun of Chocolat, but it has a dark, almost sinister charm to it.   The tone of the book seems to directly reflect not just the inward changes in Vianne, but also the change of setting, from a small village to a bustling neighborhood in Paris. Not my favorite of Joanne Harris' books, (that goes, hands down, to Coastliners) but a good read, overall. 

 

Summer Reading List!!!

I have been super busy the past few months, and will be until the wedding in July, but that hasn't stopped me from buying books.   I have nearly a WHOLE shelf of books to catch up!  No worries, though... after the honeymoon, I will have the entire month of August with nothing to do but read!
In no particular order, my summer reading list is as follows:

1. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (I've actually read the first third of this one, but haven't had time to finish it!)

2. House Rules by Jodi Picoult (Love Jodi Picoult!!!)

3. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (Looks sooo creepy!)

4. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris  (mmmm, Vampire soft-core porn!)
5. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (Steampunk, post-Civil War Seattle? With Zombies? AWESOME!!!)
6. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (I know, I know, it's been out FOREVER!!!)
7. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver ($5 at Costco... we'll see how it goes...)
8. Passing by Nella Larsen (Recommended on the NPR Books podcast, sounds like an oldie but goodie)
9. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee ($3.99 on clearance at Borders...)
10. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman (I love Alice Hoffman, but I am skeptical about this one)
11. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (looks intriguing...)
12. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Have never read anything by Toni Morrison before, looking forward to it)
13. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (recommended by several friends)
14. The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton (If David Sedaris says to read a book, I read it.)
15. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier (mmmm, gothic gloom and doom)
16. Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin (Jason bought it, and I've been meaning to read it for over a year, but it keeps getting pushed further and further down the list...)

I'll try keeping up with the postings.  Hopefully I will find some time to finish the Lincoln book, I'll keep ya posted!

Hiatus from the blog...

Been UBER busy with wedding planning, I haven't had much time to read or post, but I have a huge pile of books at home waiting to be read.  Hopefully I can post more soon!

Recently Revisited: "Rat City" by Curt Colbert

Short post today:  If you are from the Seattle area, put Rat City at the top of your required reading list.  This gritty crime noir from Curt Colbert is a favorite, and it's the first of the Jake Rossiter mysteries. The series isn't just engrossing, it's smart, funny, and rich in the history of Seattle.  It may be a tough book to find (I found a copy on Amazon) but it is well worth it.  

All I have to say: Curt Colbert, if you are listening... I have been waiting for book four in the series for a loooong time... when will it be published?

Also in the series:

JUST FINISHED: "Under the Dome" by Stephen King

For starters, I am not a Stephen King mega-fan.  I enjoy reading his books, but I don't regularly search them out.  That being said:
Holy cow!  What an awesome book!

The people of Chester's Mill, Maine, are going about their business on a run of the mill Saturday, running errands, working, playing, commiting felonies.  But suddenly, without rhyme or reason, an invisible dome appears (think like The Simpsons Movie) that isolates the town from the rest of the world. 

King does a fantastic job of introducing the townspeople on Dome Day, layering their points of view with style and twisted humor.  At first, the cast of characters seems overwhelming by sheer number alone, but every character has a purpose in the story, and more importantly, they all have a voice.  Each character introduced is integral to moving the story forward, which is really important because there are 1074 freaking pages. 

As the story unfolds, there is not a soul, whether from military intelligence or leading scientists, that seems to know why the dome has dropped, but the people of Chester's Mill quickly realize that no one and nothing can cross the invisible barrier.  Big Jim Rennie, the town's Second Selectman, imposes makeshift Martial Law to keep the town under his thumb, but all hell breaks loose.

Characters to keep your eyes on (besides Big Jim):
Dale "Barbie" Barbara- a former Army Captain on his way out of town just before the town was isolated.
Junior Rennie- Big Jim's son, nasty in so many ways...
Joe McClatchy- 13 year old genius, an absolute kick in the pants.  "Scarecrow Joe" has made it into my top 5 fictional characters of all time.
Julia Shumway- editor of the local paper.
Eric "Rusty" Everett- Physician's Assistant and the token level head.

Stephen King is masterful in creating the town of Chester's Mill, which is like Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon crossed with Alfred Hitchcock's Bodega Bay, with hints of George Orwell, Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury.  I was so wrapped up with this book,  I spent over 5 consecutive hours reading the last 400 pages or so, an honor previously bestowed only upon the final two Harry Potter books. 

This book isn't just a snack, it's a seven course meal; every course tastes so good, but you can't wait to try the next one.

TITLE: Under the Dome

AUTHOR: Stephen King
Copyright: 2009
For more info on the world of Stephen King, visit http://www.stephenking.com/

Just Finished: Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl

As a foodie, it was only a matter of time that I discovered this book. While shopping this last December, I found it at a local bookstore, and feeling so full of masochistic holiday spirit, halfheartedly added it to my Christmas list the minute I arrived home that evening.  Of course, I knew Ruth Reichl by reputation from Gourmet magazine and from a few TV specials, but hadn't realized she had written a memoir of her early years. 


Tender at the Bone is an engaging read, overflowing with love of life and food, and a hint of humor.  From discussing her unconventional family to boarding school in Montreal on thru her college years, the chapters read more like stand alone short stories, but the "moral" of each is a recipe or a special meal that is linked to a turning point in Reichl's life. 

This is the book I wish I could have written.  I don't want to be Ruth Reichl, (although I do envy her career like nobody's business)  but I envy the way that she managed to write such an amazing culinary love letter. 

Tender at the Bone is a literary Moussaka; it could be a disaster in a lesser cook's kitchen, but made with a master's hand it's rich, velvety layers are something to be savored.  And this book should definitely be savored!

What a Crazy Time!!!

Moving and settling in to our new house has taken more time than I anticipated, especially since we moved in the middle of the holiday season.  I have read some great books, but haven't had time to update my blog, so here's a quick list of the books I have managed to read since my last post:

Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde (Awesome!)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Gripping!)
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (Intriguing, ready to read the sequel)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Whoo!  Go get yourself a copy today!)
My Life in France by Julia Child (A re-read, but I lurves me my Julia!)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Last read it in high school, re-reading as an adult, I realize it's not so much a romance, more a horror novel.  Yeesh!  Oh yeah, and Cathy is a BIG Bitch.)

I received about 15 books for Christmas, and also have a few Borders Gift Cards, so there will be a ton of reading, and hopefully, more posts!