Hi everyone,
I’m sorry I have been quiet the last few days. Life is giving me lemons and this is why I haven’t been able to write. I hope to resolve these issues in the upcoming one or two weeks and then I’ll be back with reviews, the promised Frankfurt stories and interviews and all that magic. 😉
Hi,
I hope you’re all having a great weekend. It was sunny over here the whole day long. And on this beautiful autumn day, I have a review of M. L. Stedman’s The Light Between Oceans for you. This is such a wonderful book. I finished reading just before I went to Frankfurt.
A boat washes up on the shore of a remote lighthouse keeper’s island. It holds a dead man – and a crying baby. The only two islanders, Tom and his wife Izzy, are about to make a devastating decision.
They break the rules and follow their hearts. What happens next will break yours.
The main setting for The Light Between Oceans are the fictitious town of Point Partageuse on the west coast of Australia and Janus Rock, a small, and also fictitious, lighthouse island. The story is set in the first half of the 20th century. Through her descriptions, M. L. Stedman is able to make beautiful scenes come to life. I soon felt at home in this world accompanied by the constant sound of the sea.
The main characters are the married couple Isabel and Tom, and Hannah, who is of importance later in the novel. It is remarkable how each character’s feelings are transplanted into the reader’s heart and soul. It’s not surprising that in the course of the book, you will change your mind about a character that you have liked, or not liked before. You can feel the happiness, the pain, the grief. M. L. Stedman truly knows how to craft characters.
I really enjoyed the unique plot of The Light Between Oceans. Every time you think the story might get predictable something unexpected happens that turns things around. Stedman has thought about many details that, like in real life, can have a big impact when they interact.
The Light Between Oceans is like a glimpse into the main characters’ souls. A deeply touching novel that will lead you into a world full of yearning and hope.
¹http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-light-between-oceans/9780552778473
Hi y’all,
We’re back from our short but busy trip to Frankfurt Book Fair. In those few days, we met wonderful people, walked many miles, saw beautiful books and learned a lot.
Our trip started with a snow storm that delayed our departure and arrival. The late arrival also prevented us from visiting the fair on Friday. Therefore, we weren’t able to meet Megan from Harper Collins International Sales who had to leave that day. We would have loved to chat with her but the weather and traffic weren’t on our side that day.
On Saturday, I met Kirsty Wilson from Canongate, who was awesome. She was flexible enough to just squeeze our interview between two appointments. Ain’t that great? After my interview with Kirsty, Miss Treegarden and I went to a Lovelybooks get-together to meet all those people I only knew from the internet. The only problem was that it was pretty cold and everyone wore jackets or coats that kept the unique blog t-shirts some attendees wore hidden. I only recognized the two girls working for Lovelybooks, the other attending people will stay a mystery to me. 😀
After the get-together, Miss Treegarden and I had a little stroll through halls 3.0 and 3.1 which are halls full of German publishers’ booths. These halls got overcrowded quickly, so Miss Treegarden and I decided to separate and she went to see the other German halls, while I went back to lovely and quiet hall 8.0, the international hall. It’s a little sad to see the difference between the international hall and the German halls, because you notice that the Germans don’t seem to be that interested in international literature. Still, it had a good side that hall 8.0 wasn’t crowded: I had room to roam 🙂 At the Telegram, Saqi, Westbourne Press booth, I had a great talk with Ashley Biles who supplied me with two interesting books. Thank you! A few rows down, at the Chronicle Books booth, I stumbled upon this wonderful poster. I even got a paper cup of Grumpy Cat to take home 😀
On Sunday, time was short. We only had four hours until our departure. Nevertheless, we attended a talk by Frank Grafe of Random House Germany, who told us about their publishing house and the work they do at the book fair. Later on, I met lovely Thérèse Coen from Bloomsbury for an interview. We had a great chat and I left with a wonderful present, a book I’ve been waiting to read for months. Thank you SO much. I noticed much later just how precious this present was. At the bus on our way home, I had a closer look and saw that it was signed. I was barely able to breathe. Oh wow Thérèse, you sure made my week! After another quick stroll through hall 8.0, I had to say goodbye to my favorite hall, as I planned to join Miss Treegarden for a book signing that was very important to her. On our way out of the fair grounds, we also got a quick look at Cecilia Ahern (P.S. I Love You), who was also signing books at the fair. Boy, isn’t she young?
Our days at Frankfurt Book Fair had come to an end and we had to board the bus back home again. Before leaving for Frankfurt, I was a little worried, but now, I’m glad everything worked out fine. I’m sure, I’ll be back soon. This was only a quick roundup of our trip. I promise you’ll read more about it in the upcoming weeks!
Hello everyone,
Before we leave for Frankfurt, I’ve got another review for you. As you all know, Clarkson Potter provided me with an ARC of Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr a while ago. The book will be out on October 22 in the US, Austria, Germany,… and obviously on November 20 in the UK.
Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery. Without quite realizing it, they were shaping today’s tastes and culture, the way we eat now. The conversations among this group were chronicled by M.F.K. Fisher in journals and letters—some of which were later discovered by Luke Barr, her great-nephew. In Provence, 1970, he captures this seminal season, set against a stunning backdrop in cinematic scope—complete with gossip, drama, and contemporary relevance.
Provence, 1970 is a historical non-fiction book that mainly deals with M.F.K. Fisher’s 1970 trip to Provence. The author Luke Barr was able to make me feel Provence in some parts of the book, which is more than I would expect of a work of non-fiction. Provence, 1970 even offers dialogues which sometimes made me wonder if I wasn’t reading a novel after all. The explanation for this comes at the end of the book (at least in the ARC), where Barr lists all his sources. Unfortunately, there weren’t any footnotes in the text (again, in the ARC). I would have liked that, but I do understand that there are people who feel disturbed by them.
Provence, 1970 was an informative and entertaining read. As I wasn’t well acquainted with any of the iconic culinary figures besides Julia Child, the book offered new information. I also really liked that Barr went to France to visit the Childs’ Provence home to get his own perspective. Overall, Provence, 1970 is a mouth-watering work of non-fiction for people who like good food, travel writing, the 1970s, France and American cooks.
¹http://www.randomhouse.com/book/202688/provence-1970-by-luke-barr
Hey,
I hope you’re having a relaxing weekend. Miss Treegarden and I have great news for you! In a few days, we’ll head north to attend the largest book fair in the world – Frankfurt Book Fair!
Miss Treegarden and I are both book fair first-timers and we are pretty excited by now. We’ve got months of preparation lying behind us and we hope we can bring back lots of pictures and stories. Of course, we will look out for new and upcoming books that could be of interest to you (and us 😀 ) and we hope to get to meet and talk to many interesting people!
Miss Treegarden found out that one of her favorite authors will be at the book fair and I already found my Mecca in Hall 8.0 which is the International Hall. That’s where most of the English-language publishers are. It will be a pretty intense trip with only two days time to explore hundreds of booths and thousands of books.
We still got a few days left and we want to know: Is there anything you’d like to know about Frankfurt Book Fair that we can find out while we are there? Please tell us. We’ll try to help!
Hi there,
It’s me again 🙂 I’m back with my review of Lisa Van Allen‘s The Wishing Thread. As I’ve told you before, I got a German-language copy for a book discussion at Lovelybooks. Aufbau Verlag even added a matching bracelet :).
It is very important to know that I read the German translation of the book because I’m going to say something about the writing style in my review and I am well aware that the writing style can change through translation. I also had a quick look at the fist 30 pages of the English original and they read better than the German version.
Which cover do you prefer? The German cover, or the English one? Tell me in the comments below 🙂
The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.
When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?
The Wishing Thread is mainly set in 21st century Tarrytown, a city south of Sleepy Hollow and north of Manhattan. Lisa Van Allen’s writing style is very descriptive and she uses a metaphorical language to describe the setting. I particularly liked the stitchery. Even though it is described as an old, rundown house, it has its charm. In the German translation, the writing style and the time the book is set in clashed. The writing style made me think of a setting in the 19th century. This stiff language seemed outdated to me and every time there was an indication of the 21st century (e.g. a mobile phone), I was shocked like a time traveler. What didn’t help either, was the German cover that (in my opinion) also suggests a historical setting.
There are quite a lot of important characters in this book. The main character, however, is Aubrey. She’s the guardian of the stitchery and she’s a tad old-fashioned. She was easy to identify with at the beginning of the book. The further I read on, the harder it got to identify with a young woman who grew up in the 20th century and thought like an oppressed and naive woman from the 19th century. In one scene, I also felt like this about her sister Bitty. Apart from this problem with Aubrey, the other characters were nicely crafted. I really liked Aubrey’s niece Nessa, who made the story more lively. The bit I read about aunt Mariah was great, because Mariah radiates warmth and comfort. I also enjoyed Mason Boss. From the second he entered the stage… I can’t tell you more. But I like how he was written to life.
The Wishing Thread is a creative and unique story. It’s a story about family bonds. Magic plays a minor role in this book just like the love story. If you are a knitter, you’re in for a treat. Knitting is a big topic and all the chapter headings involve knitting terms that somehow relate to the content of the chapters if you have the time to think about them (at least that’s what I think). There’s another treat for knitters, but I don’t want to tell you too much. In my opinion, The Wishing Thread is a light and entertaining read for people who like to read stories about families and knitting.
My rating for the German translation of The Wishing Thread:
¹ http://www.randomhouse.com/book/221371/the-wishing-thread-by-lisa-van-allen
When was the last time you thought, “Wow. That was absolutely breath-taking?” Well, the last time I had to sit back and could literally feel my jaw dropping was not too long ago, one month to be exact. During my New York trip I treated myself to a Broadway show and decided to see the musical Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. If you want to know why I think so highly of the production read on and find out yourselves.
Now in its third year, the spectacular Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has turned out to be the most expensive and technically elaborate theatrical production of all times. The story is based on the Marvel comic-strip superhero and the Hollywood film of 2002. The Broadway show lasts for two and a half hours, including one intermission, and tells the story of the teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life takes a sudden turn when he learns about his astonishing powers. He soon has to take great responsibility over the people and the city of New York.
The flying sequences and aerial stunts are jaw-dropping! The actors move around the stage in mystifying speed and make it a superbly dynamic show. The splendour stage design contributes to a breath-taking atmosphere and extravagancy. An 18-piece orchestra in two rooms backstage perform marvellous live music written by U2’s Bono and The Edge, and all eighteen songs are performed live on stage.
Go ahead and watch the trailer and decide yourselves whether or not you would want to see the show. Lately, more and more negative reviews about the show have been published, referring to the musical as one of the bigger flops in Broadway history. I can assure you that I found the musical overwhelming and think of actors, musicians, producers, and everyone who put their hands on the project very highly and would like to conclude with praise for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: a flabbergasting show!
Who comes to your mind when you are asked to think about post-colonial British authors? Close your eyes for a few seconds; think hard; then open your eyes and tell me what you came up with. Hmh, let me think …. Kazuo Ishiguro! Does the name ring a bell? Yes? Excellent! I think it’s time to talk about one of Britain’s most eminent writers. He has won the Booker Prize for The Remains of Day in 1989. Even though his last publication was some time ago, in 2009 to be exact, this does not mean that it’s too late to talk about Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall.
With the clarity and precision that have become his trademarks, Kazuo Ishiguro interlocks five short pieces of fiction to create a world that resonates with emotion, heartbreak, and humor. Here is a fragile, once famous singer, turning his back on the one thing he loves; a music junky with little else to offer his friends but opinion; a songwriter who inadvertently breaks up a marriage; a jazz musician who thinks the answer to his career lies in changing his physical appearance; and a young cellist whose tutor has devised a remarkable way to foster his talent. For each, music is a central part of their lives and, in one way or another, delivers them to an epiphany.
Nocturnes is Ishiguro’s first collection of short stories and consists of five parts: “Crooner”, “Come Rain or Come Shine”, “Malvern Hills”, “Nocturne” and “Cellist”. What bind the stories together are recurring themes and characters which are all tightly connected with music, musicians and music lovers. They are all written in prose style and every story has its own delightful and charming twist.
Basically, Nocturnes tells the story of people who have not yet fulfilled their dreams, about people who live ordinary lives and about the sacrifices they have to make every day. We all have a vision of who we are, but very often the world does not allow us to fulfill your dreams. All the characters in Nocturnes struggle with their lives; some get it right, some get it wrong, but they all have to overcome obstacles. I guess this is what makes the book so attractive to us normal ones. It shows that fictional characters are not superheroes after all.
When I got hold of Nocturnes, I expected to really love this collection and I have to admit that I found it wonderful in parts. It would be a lie to claim that Nocturnes is absolutely superb, because there are a few flaws in the novel. But all in all, it’s a nice and entertaining read for everyone who likes humorous, cynical and serious stories.
¹ http://www.randomhouse.com/book/85610/nocturnes-by-kazuo-ishiguro
Joana has prepared 10 questions for us to answer:
1. What are you currently reading?
Darklittle: The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen and Provence,1970 by Luke Barr
Miss Treegarden: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
2. Do you have any weird bookish habits?
Miss Treegarden: Not that I can think of.
Darklittle: I like to smell and stroke books, but I think that’s something most book lovers do, right?
3. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
Darklittle: That’s a though one. I could be biased here, but right now that would be Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 😀
Miss Treegarden: Tricky question, but I guess I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on Night Train to Lisbon by Peter Bieri alias Pascal Mercier.
4. Which is your favourite secondary character?
Miss Treegarden: Difficult to decide on. I really like Ben’s grandmother from Gangsta Granny by David Walliams. She’s hilarious!
Darklittle: Oh dear… I don’t like these decisions. I think it’s Eeyore from A. A. Milne’s Tales of Winnie-The-Pooh.
5. What is your main blogging goal at the moment?
To make us and our readers happy 🙂
6. Do you prefer series or stand-alones?
Darklittle: Until about a year ago, I really liked series, but I became tired of them. Now I really prefer stand-alones!
Miss Treegarden: Usually I decide on stand-alones, because I’m eager to experience a great variety of stories. But should I get hold of book which is part of a series and I like it, I am happy to read the sequels and often can’t wait for the latest books to be released. Sometimes, there are books with an open ending and I really wish for a sequel, which might, however, never be published.
7. What made you decide to create a blog?
Darklittle: I wanted to share my thoughts on English-language literature.
8. If you could meet any author, who would you choose?
Miss Treegarden: This one I know for sure: Roald Dahl.
Darklittle: Hmm… another tough one. J. M. Barrie, or Michael Bond perhaps 🙂
9. What has been your happiest moment as a blogger?
Darklittle: I think the day I realized that there were a bunch of people following my blog and that some of them were actually reading what I wrote 😉
Miss Treegarden: Reading my first post and getting three likes in a row 🙂 I thought, wow, someone is actually reading this and they seem to like it 🙂
10. What made you want to start a blog?
Darklittle: Didn’t I already answer this question? 😀
And this are our 10 questions:
We nominate the following 10 blogs:
English-language blogs
zeteticat from Bookish Habits
Ciska from Ciska’s Book Chest
Rose from i LIVE LITERARY
holliekins from Much Ado About Books
Scentfragrance from Scentfragrance
Helois from Stain On The Page
Melanie from the coffee club (and me) (We can’t see how many followers you have, but we like your blog, so we nominated you)
German-language blogs:
Donata Bichler from Donatas Bücher
RoteZora from Dreams about Books
Ina_Kzeptabel from Ina_Kzeptabel(t)
Look what the postman brought today: It’s the German edition of Lisa Van Allen‘s The Wishing Thread. It’s next on my TBR pile and the lovely people at Aufbau Verlag even added this bracelet which matches the topic of the book. Thank you so much ❤ I love the colors!
(Btw.: I got the book through Lovelybooks 🙂 )
Oh and if my male followers are wondering when I’ll be reading something more “manly” again. The time will come, I promise. Science Fiction and my beloved Pirate Tales are waiting 😀
The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.
When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?
¹ http://www.randomhouse.com/book/221371/the-wishing-thread-by-lisa-van-allen
All That Magic 