Her husband is out of town and as she leaves with the kidnapper her only thought is with her children who are now left home alone.  Taken to a hotel and tied to a bed for the better part of a week, Claire – as the title suggests – has time to be still.  She has time to think.  To evaluate.

Ironically, her kidnapper is kind (but she fears his boss) and they spend a lot of time talking.  As she begins to understand him and the reasons for his actions, she sympathizes with him and forms a special bond.  As the negotiations take place for her return, Claire discovers that her husband might not be who she thinks he is.  She  reevaluates her marriage, family, and motherhood.  If she makes it home, she will not be the same person that she was before.

The few reviews that I’ve read of Standing Still all mention  Claire’s irrational anxieties and now that I read the back cover, I see that it mentions it as well.  How could I have read the entire book and not put a label on Claire’s behavior as anxiety, panic attacks or acute panic disorder?  Sometimes I wonder if I’m a good reader at all.  Do you sometimes feel like this after reading a book?  That you missed the obvious and wonder how you managed that?

I thought Claire was a bit “off” but I wasn’t able to label it.  I certainly questioned some of  Claire’s behavior.  She seemed overly nervous but yet maintained an incredible degree of calm while being held hostage.  There is also a certain element of mystery as Claire alludes to a possible reason for her abduction but we don’t know the circumstances behind it.   I didn’t relate to Claire at all despite the commonality of both being mothers.  But we don’t always need to relate to the main character and this case I liked getting into the head of someone I didn’t understand.

The strength of this novel is definitely the writing and the style.  In alternating chapters between the present and the past, we gradually learn more about Claire and her past as she is coming to grip with her future.   I particularly liked the style of the chapters set in the past.  Each begins with a photograph description and Claire reminisces about the circumstances surrounding the photograph.

A taste of the writing:

Fear doesn’t always serve you in life.  It lives on your surface, visible as your skin.  People can take advantage of your weakness.  Dogs can smell it on you, and so can children.  But when  you turn it outward, and fear for the lives of the world, you can warn someone.  You can save someone.  You can see the potential for destruction around us all.  It’s what makes me certain I’m a good journalist.  But a very bad seatmate on an airplane.

A great book which kept me hooked and I’d recommend for all readers.  The writing was poetic.  Fantastic prose.  The premise and story were intriguing.  Characters were engaging.   But ultimately, I fear that it’s one that I could also easily forget.  And I hate it when that happens.

Links of interest:  More book blogger reviews, Kelly Simmons website.
Genre:  Fiction.
Publisher: Washington Square Press.  February 10, 2009  (Hardcover by Atria in Feb. 2008)
Paperback, 288 pages. ISBN 0743289730
Standing Still is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

June does go into a downward spiral but the book really begins as she’s starting to get on with her life by deciding to complete Marissa’s list of twenty things that she wanted to do before her next birthday.  A list which June found and took from Marissa’s purse the night of the accident.  Some of the things are seemingly silly, like go braless for a day or kiss a total stranger and others are more difficult like change somebody’s life and show your brother how grateful you are him.

The Next Thing On My List is June’s journey as she attempts to complete each item.  Along the way she finds romance, career fulfillment and how to live again.  It’s a fun, quick read that while it has a great message – live your life instead of watching somebody else live theirs – doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I did find some of the book unbelievable.  Like June’s relationship with Marissa’s brother, mother and grandmother.  I would think that it would be very awkward to be friendly with the person who killed their family member despite that it was an accident.  In the aftermath of the accident, they don’t take the time to find out more about each other or details about the accident, which I found odd.  When June comes back into their life with this list of Marissa’s they are curious of course but act as more casual bystanders.  I think something needed to be done slightly differently with that aspect of the book but what that solution is I honestly don’t know.

Overall, a quick read that doesn’t leave me feeling heavy afterwards.  And with some of the heavy hitting issues that I like to read about it’s nice every once in a while to read something that doesn’t get me down. It’s not a book that I’m running out and telling everybody that they HAVE to read it because it’s SO good but I enjoyed my time with it.

And of course, one can’t help thinking about their own life lists.  I’m a list maker.  My husband’s a list maker.  Making lists are just plain fun.   My lists would be different if I were to put time limits on them like one year, 5 years, 20 years or a lifetime.  So I came up with something that seemed reasonable for the next 10-15 years. And from the looks of it I need to also come by a cash load somehow as my list involves spending a lot of money!

• Go on a cruise.
• Vacation in Thailand.
• Take the Advanced Master Gardener class (a four year program).
• Read all the Newbery books.
• Remember every Birthday for a year.
• Decorate a tree for the Festival of Trees as a family.
• Take out my large 4×5 camera and start shooting again.
• Vacation with the family to Yellowstone, Redwoods, Southern Utah.
• Go to Disneyland and stay in a nice hotel instead of cheapest we can find.
• In fact, don’t let the cheapest always be the deciding factor.  Allow myself to treat myself well without feeling guilty about it.
• Buy a bed.
• Take family to Hawaii to visit the family.
• Have another baby (or two).
• Snorkel but be brave enough to go more than twenty feet out from the shore.
• Digitize all of my negatives.
• Get a massage.
• Go on an African safari.
• Do volunteer work in Africa.
• Get involved with helping refugees here.
• Go skinny dipping (yikes my parents & in-laws read my blog!)
• Book a flight last minute and just go!
• Take my boys fishing.
• Learn sign language.
• Cook a turkey.

Now, it’s your turn!  What are five things that you would like to do in the next ten years?  Spill it!

Links of interest:  Jill Smolinksi website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Fiction, Chick-lit
Publisher: Three Rivers Press.  March 25, 2008
Paperback , 304 pages. ISBN 0307351297
The Next Thing On My List is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Haunting Bombay is the story of the family’s dark secrets that have been kept hidden for more than a decade.  In the attempt to rid the household of the small ghost, the family must reveal that which they’ve ignored for years and risk tearing their family further apart while doing so.

Haunting Bombay was a beautifully told book with haunting characters.  I loved getting to know each of the characters, including the servants.  I love back stories and Agarwal gave us enough story for each character that the story needed each and every one of them.  Although there is still the element of the cruel family who unwillingly takes in an orphan, I’m glad that her grandmother fiercely loved her.  It was an nice change from the typical orphan story.   I loved the Indian setting and culture, the oppressiveness of the monsoon heat and dampness, the superstitions, and the food (mmmm . . . . why do I always pay special attention to the food?).

At the heart of this story is a ghost.  I knew there was a ghost when I started to read the book, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much the ghost would present itself in the story.  Haunting Bombay truly has its supernatural elements which I honestly didn’t enjoy as much.  I might have preferred the suggestion of such things rather then the clear manifestation of the supernatural.  But I thought that Agarwal did a great job of seamlessly combining the supernatural with a story about a family tragedy.  I also think that the book could have been a bit shorter.  At 362 pages, it’s not a long book, but  I struggled a bit through the ending and found myself anxious to finish.

After finishing the book and unraveling the mystery behind the young ghost, I could see that clues had been scattered throughout the story but I was glad to have  not picked up on them while reading.  I truly did not know how this story would end which kept me involved and invested in the story.  For those who would not only love a cultural book set in the heart of India but also a ghost story during this fall season, Haunting Bombay would be an excellent book to pick up.  For a debut novel, Agarwal does an excellent job with characters, language, and a sense of time and place.

While I didn’t find myself falling head over heels in love with the manifested supernatural elements of this particular story, Agarwal is an author that I would definitely read again for the pure joy of  story, setting and characters.

And as a total side-note, when I was little I named my journal for a while.  I had completely forgot that I had named it Pinky until coming across this oddly named character.  Funny.

Links of interest:  Shilpa Agarwal website, blog, and on Twitter.  Visit TLC Book Tours for more reviews on Agarwal’s blog tour.
Genre:   Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press. April 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 368 pages. ISBN 156947558X
Haunting Bombay is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

The year is 1936 and eighty-six-year-old Hennie Comfort (who truly lives up to her name and is a comfort to all she knows) lives in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains in Middle Swan, Colorado.   The name Middle Swan is one that I will not soon forget as it’s as much a character in the book as anybody else.  It’s a mining town where women send their men off each morning either to the mines underground or to the dredge boats not knowing if they’ll be a widow by the end of the day because the work is so dangerous.

At Hennie’s gate is a sign that says Prayers for Sale and it’s here that she finds seventeen-year-old Nit who asks for a prayer of her own.  Despite the sign, Hennie doesn’t sell prayers, instead she gives them freely to those who need them.  Nit, who like Hennie, has already lost a baby of her own is new in town with her husband and is lonely.  Despite their obvious age difference, Hennie and Nit are drawn to each other through their common loss and Hennie takes Nit under her wings and teaches her how to survive in the rough mining town.

There is nothing more that Hennie and Nit, as well as the other women in town, love to do than quilt.  If somebody had told me that I would love a book that talked about quilting so much, I wouldn’t have believed them!  But yet, the book made me wish it was freezing outside with a warm mug of hot chocolate, pie, and a huge quilt to snuggle in.  Seriously, my only regret in reading the book now was that I didn’t experience it that way.  So come winter and you are wondering what book to pick up, pick up this one.

Hennie’s talent is not restricted to just quilting, she’s a master storyteller and the book alternates with Hennie sharing stories of her past and of the people in town with Nit.  While there is an overarching plot that moves Hennie’s stories along, each of the stories that she shares is complete on it’s own.  They are engaging and full of wonderful characters.  Sandra Dallas quickly engages the reader when Hennie shares a horrific experience in just the first chapter that had me instantly bonded to her and her story.  That bond never lifted, even after I closed the last page and I wished that  Hennie and Nit could come to my home for some conversation and teach me about quilting.

And I couldn’t close this review without noting the historical part of this Historical Fiction book.  I loved being taken back to another time and place.  From the setting of Middle Swan to the dredge, the mines, the mountains, the homes, and even the hookhouse, I felt as though I could have been right there experiencing life where hardships, loss, and grief were a way of life.

A beautiful book.  Beautiful writing.  Beautiful characters.  I’m not satisfied with leaving Hennie and Nit behind and wonder what their unwritten futures will be like.  I wholeheartedly recommend this one.

I have an interview with Sandra Dallas tomorrow.  Make a mental note to check it out.

Links of interest:  Sandra Dallas website, this is an Authors on the Web blog tour, check out more book blogger reviews.  Sandra’s  other novels include Tallgrass, The Chili Queen, New Mercies, Alice’s Tulips, The Diary of Mattie Spencer, The Persian Pickle Club, Buster’s Midnight Cafe.
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press.  April 14, 2009.
Hardcover, 320 pages.  ISBN 0312385188
Prayers for Sale is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s and Amazon.

Two stories are told in this book.  One of Latha, who’s story spans several decades from her childhood to adulthood.  She has no memory of her early years, no memory of a mother, or a father.  She is brought up in a wealthy home but privilege is not hers.  A household servant and playmate to Thara (who’s name is close enough to Latha that I often couldn’t keep them separate), she knows that she deserves much more than what’s granted hers.  Simple things like wanting a new pair of shoes is never awarded.  As girls, Latha and Thara are the best of friends but as they grow up and Thara takes charge of her own household, Latha is reminded that her place in the family will always be that of “the girl.”

The other story is told many years in the past and spans just 24 hours.  It is of Biso, a fierce mother of three, who living under the abuse of her husband but yet having known love from an affair, leaves with her children in the middle of the night.  Her journey is filled with kindness and hope of a better future but a single moment changes all of that and their lives are changed forever.  One story ultimately shapes the other and Freeman had me curious to know exactly what that relationship would be.

The beginning of A Disobedient Girl was confusing to me.  Enough that I often had to reread several paragraphs over again to realize that the author was giving me pertinent information that I needed to pay attention to.  It wasn’t until about 50-75 pages in that everything settled for me.  I liked Biso’s story much more than that of Latha’s and was always eager to get back to her story.  Although seemingly separate stories, I knew that both would come together in the end and so I patiently let Latha’s story unfold as well.  Biso was the more likable, sympathetic character; her story ultimately shocked me.

I must admit that my knowledge of geography isn’t that great but if it wasn’t for the fact that the jacket flap told me so, I would not have known that this novel took place in Sri Lanka.  But yet Freeman’s description and sense of place is so strong that I was able to get a vivid sense of time and place.  Freeman’s writing is great (despite the rough start) and her storytelling compelling.  Because Freeman wrote of a part of the world I often don’t read about and delved deep into social issues, I’d be interested in reading Freeman’s future work.

A Disobedient Girl is ultimately a commentary on social class and as the publisher description states, “about the will to survive and the incredible power of the human spirit to transcend the unforgiving sweep of tragedy.”

Links of interest:  Ru Freeman website and blog.  Check out other reviews on the A Disobedient Girl TLC blog tour, more blogger reviews,
Genre:  Fiction
Publisher: Atria.  July 21, 2009.
Hardcover, 384 pages.  ISBN 1439101957
A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Wife of the Gods is a whodunit murder mystery and in full honesty if the book wasn’t set in Africa without its many African themes and traditions I doubt I would have even given the book a second glance.  But what sets this book apart is its Ghanan African setting as well as its memorable characters.

In a small village of Ketanu, Gladys, a young medical student, is murdered in the forest and Detective Darko Dawson is brought in from the large city (obviously much to the annoyance of the local police) to oversee the investigation.  For Darko, the village of Ketanu brings back vivid memories.  He often visited his aunt with his mother twenty-five years earlier as a boy.  But that all changed when his mother went for a visit and never returned.  The mystery of her disappearance was never solved.  Darko intends to not only investigate the murder to which he has been assigned but also to seek out new clues into his mother’s disappearance.

It’s not easy though.  Darko is a complex character who leaves behind a loving wife and a young son who needs a heart operation.  He also has an anger management problem, although sympathetically it comes out when he sees those less fortunate being abused.  And he can’t help but use his police power to procure marijuana.

Darko clashes with the local culture which is still held by the strong belief in witchcraft and age-old traditions, such as virgin girls being offered up to fetish priests as trokosi, or Wives of the Gods.  His investigation is slowed by such beliefs and even the local police are apprehensive to question certain individuals in fear of angering the Gods.

Darko uncovers a myriad of suspects, characters who are all memorable in their own right: Gladys herself, who was an AIDS worker and gave many a motive for her death; Samuel, a young man with a simple crush; Timothy who worked with Gladys in AIDS education;  Isaac Kutu, the local herbalist and healer; Togbe Adzima, the fetish priest and his several wives; Elizabeth, Gladys’s aunt and believed by many to be a witch; and even his own Auntie Osewa who has a background which she’d rather keep secret.

There was one thing that hindered my full enjoyment of the novel and that was that I couldn’t recall characters after they were previously introduced.  There were a couple of times that I thought I was reading about a new character and then had to stop and see if I already knew who they were, which I realized I did.  Rechecking previous passages of the book always takes me out of the story a bit.  Fault of the reader and not the author?  Maybe?  Fault of the author and not the reader?  Maybe?  To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.

Wife of the Gods is recommended for those who like a good mystery and intriguing characters.  Not only is there a mysterious murder to solve but several ideas to think upon including that of new culture vs. new, African culture, traditional and advanced medicine, family relations, and more.  And man, Quartey has convinced me that I’d love to visit Ghana for the food alone.  So many wonderful descriptions of the food!

If there are to be more books about Inspector Darko Dawson then I will be sure to check them out.  A series worth following.

Book trailer for Wife of the Gods:

When you read mysteries how often do you guess who the murderer is correctly?  I don’t often read whodunit genre books but I must admit that Kwei Quartey kept me on my toes although I rightly suspected the murderer (but don’t until about 3/4 of the way through the book).

Links of interest: TLC Book Tour stops, Wife of the Gods website, Wife of the Gods excerpt, reading group discussion questions, more book bloggers book reviews, and a thoughtful interview with Kwei Quartey at Jen’s Book Thoughts.
Genre:  Literary Fiction, Mystery
Publisher:  Random House.  July 14, 2009
Hardcover, 336 pages.  ISBN:  1400067596
Wife of the Gods is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Once I got past the rocky start, I really enjoyed this book.  The letters are in majority to and from Juliet Ashton who after World War II has ended is living in London.  Juliet is a columnist and receives a letter from Dawsey, a member of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, based in Guernsey, who is simply making an inquiry about another author and would she be so kind to send the name and address of a bookshop in London so he may order more of his books by post.  His letter has caught her attention because Guernsey was occupied for five years during World War II and his description of the society brought into being because of a roast pig kept hidden from the German soldiers.  She wants to know more.

Juliet and Dawsey begin a correspondence that soon includes several other members of the book society.  Juliet begins to research everything that she can find out about Guernsey, its people, and the occupation in which she hopes will be material for a new book.  Through the letters, she creates a close kinship with the people of Guernsey and feels a strong desire to visit.  She does and never leaves!

I can’t help but point out Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit, who reviewed the book yesterday, because I so enjoyed her description:

This novel is one of those books that will hone in on the perfect reader.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is chock full of bookish quotes and must have been written with the love of books in mind. Beyond the WWII details, the rationing, the tip-toeing around German officers, and the loss of good friends shipped off to concentration camps, this is a novel about a writer who blooms in the countryside among new friends and new scenery.

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society is just that.  It’s a fun read because of the quirky and fleshed out characters (one of the books many strengths) but yet it was touching and sad when learning of concentration camp stories and details of the German occupation.  Details about the war was what I appreciated the most about this book.  I love learning facts and tidbits about the war and the many stories had me completely fascinated.  The other central part of this story is about Juliet and how she comes to transplant herself among new people.  They are all healing from the war and it is through their shared membership of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society that they are able to begin to move on with their lives.

Excellent video of Annie Barrows discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:

I recommended this book to my mom several months ago before I even read it because I knew she would like it.  After finishing the book, I was happy that I had already told her to read it.  And really, telling your mom to read a book?   Sometimes I read a book and think, no way am I telling my mom to read that!  Not so, with this book.  I liked it and so did my mom.  And really, what more of a recommendation do you need than that?

The publisher has made available five copies to give away to each of the  TLC  Book Tour stops.  So here’s your chance to  pick up a free copy for yourself.  To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post answering this question:  are a member of a book club and if so does it have a name? If so, what is it? Anything to rival the name The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society?

Links of interest:  Visit other reviews/interviews at other TLC  Book Tour stops, other blogger reviews, readers guide for book clubs, Potato Peel Pie recipe and more, Annie Barrows website.
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Dial Press.  July 29, 2008
Hardcover, 288 pages.  ISBN:  0385340990
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s and Amazon.

There are so many different plot points of Pope Joan as it covers a period of at least forty years so I won’t go into too much detail, otherwise I could go on forever.  While we were explaining the plot to a couple of people in our book club, it took us like twenty minutes to go through the entire time line and not leave out anything important.  Not that it’s a confusing book because by all means it’s not.  I highly enjoyed it and found myself always wanting to pick it up to read and thinking about it when I wasn’t able to.

I’m not Catholic nor am I familiar with Catholic history but Pope Joan is about the rise and stardom of a female Pope during the ninth century, which I imagine is a topic of hot debate among historians, so I appreciated the author’s note “Was There a Pope Joan?”  I fully admit that I haven’t researched further into the subject as it’s part of history that completely intimidates me, but Pope Joan is an excellent book to breach the subject and act as a springing board if one wants to further explore or discover this part of history.  I fully appreciated the details in the book about how people lived during the ninth century, especially how women were treated.  Besides the fact that a female was able to rise to Pope under the guise of a man, I probably found this the most fascinating aspect of the book.

Joan was never at peace because born a female in the ninth century meant that she was viewed as inferior to men and was never allowed full access to education.  She was smart and eager to learn and begged her older brother to teach her how to read and write in secret.  A kind priest recognizes her talent and against the wishes of everybody around her, particularly her father, insists on educating her.  This is unheard of.

After her older brother dies and her younger brother is later killed in a horrible viking attack, Joan assumes his identity and enters a monastery as John Anglicus.  Under this deception, she becomes one of the most talented and wise priests and learns the art of healing.  She eventually makes her way to Rome where she becomes entwined with the politics of the papal seat and in time rises to its very throne.

Joan fears that her secret will be found out at any moment and I loved the tension that this underlying current created.  If discovered, there would understandably be an uproar among the people and death for herself.  There is a fantastic love story as well.  Hmm . . . I just tried to explain it but it comes out all jumbled and funny.  Let it suffice to say that I thought the love story was . . . well, fantastic!

Pope Joan is a novel that at it’s theme is the empowerment of women.  How they were viewed as less than human, built to be incapable of even thinking or acting like a man.  Almost as cattle simply to give birth.  They were undervalued and underappreciated.  It is this huge prejudice that Joan fights against her whole life and even as John must endure the men’s way of thinking as she has immersed herself into their world.  As Pope she tries to change this but comes up against much prejudice.  But yet, what is so sad is that 1200 years later and this way of thinking in many parts of the world has not changed.  It felt so barbaric in the ninth century but yet one could see so many parallels between then and today.

The best part about reading Pope Joan was having the author Donna Woolfolk Cross call in to our book club and chat with us for over an hour! I really wish I had transcribed everything that we discussed but I was too busy enjoying myself (and going in and out of the room because of course that’s the one time I have to bring my two kids with me!).   The hot topic of discussion was research and what was based on fact and what was fictional.  What characters were real and which ones had no counterpart in history.  My favorite part of the call was talking about how cruel and savage this time period was in the treatment of women and how in some cases we have gained so much but yet so little.

We also discussed the movie.  Because, yes, there will be a movie!!  Donna even gave us a “secret” link (sorry folks, wish I could share) to the movie trailer and it looks SO good.  I can’t wait to watch it.  But you want to know the best part?

*Donna has a fabulous promotion going on right now and YOU have the chance to be flown out to the US movie premiere and walk the red carpet!*

How do you ask?

All the details and exactly how to enter is on the author’s website where she says:

Simply buy a new, Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishing paperback edition of Pope Joan by August 9 and send me the original receipt. In August, I’ll pick randomly from the pile of receipts to select someone and their guest to join me at the U.S. movie premiere in the fall (exact date still to be determined).

Includes two tickets to the movie premiere, plus round trip airfare for two from any location in the continental United States or Canada,
and one night hotel accommodation for you to share with your guest.

To tell you the truth, your odds right now are pretty good and after visiting with Donna I would love to win and hang out with her, so not only is Pope Joan worthy to add to my library anyways but this extra incentive has me returning my library copy and buying a new copy in a heartbeat.

Check out these movie stills:

(Image copyright:  Summit Entertainment)

I hope the movie just as good as it looks, but it looks great!

So seriously, go buy the book.  You’ll want to read (and watch) this one!

Links of interest:  Pope Joan website and promotion details.  Details on how you can have Donna at your book club! Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’? is giving away a copy of the book (which you’re buying anways, right?).
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Three Rivers Press, June 9, 2009.  (Original hardcover published by Crown September 1996)
Paperback, 432 pages.  ISBN:  0307452360
Pope Joan is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

“It’s not what I expected.”

That’s the first response I keep hearing from readers of the actor and the housewife. I wondered if the title or jacket was misleading, or the jacket text. Or all. They may be. But as I’ve listened to these readers, I’ve come to realize that, at least in part, it’s something more ephemeral than all that: this book doesn’t have a genre.

This is what Shannon Hale says about her newest book The Actor and the Housewife and this is exactly the response I had when reading it.

Not. What. I. Expected.

I am not sure what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn’t expecting myself to have a bawl fest over this book.  And I never cry! Just look at that cover.   Would you cry over that?

Shannon goes on to say in her blog post:

Some reviews have called it “chick lit,” because there are elements of that, I suppose, and austenland could fit that description. But I think readers who expect chick lit will be surprised, and some might be disappointed.

So if it’s not chick lit, then what? Fantasy? Sorta, but not really. There are no magical elements, no hero’s journey or perilous adventure, no mythical creatures. But if fantasy is a genre that says, “Here’s what’s possible in our world–now let’s add a little more…” then yeah, it is fantasy. Though not in the traditional sense. So again, readers expecting fantasy like my other books will be surprised, and perhaps disappointed.

So is it literary fiction? No. There are elements of that, but some of the plot and the fact that one of the characters is an A-list gorgeous British actor means that this book wouldn’t be allowed in the literary fiction club.

Romance? Sorta…but sorta not.

Wish fulfillment? Sorta…but sorta not.

Comedy? Sometimes.

Drama? Sometimes.

So, no genre. It’s just a novel. For some readers, that’s enough. But for others, that can be confusing and upsetting. This has made me look at genre, what that means, why we like it.

I absolutely love what Shannon has to say about genre being a contract between the author and the reader:

Genre is a kind of a handle to hold, a way to manage the story. Genre does tend to follow a certain formula, though I don’t think it’s fair to say that all genre fiction is formula fiction. But as a reader I can understand the desire to have an idea of what I’m reading before committing to the book. I’ve had a few experiences where I’m reading a book by a fantasy author that doesn’t turn out to be fantasy, and I’m like, Wait! We had a contract here–I read a book and you deliver some magical stuff!

Exactly!  I was expecting to laugh my way through The Actor and the Housewife.  And I did!  I totally did.  But, I was totally blindsided with the touching, sappy, cry like a baby moments.

Now, that I’ve reprinted most of Shannon’s blog post, what exactly is The Actor and the Housewife you ask?  Well, Becky is a Mormon housewife and is seven months pregnant with her fourth child.  Somewhere between keeping house and being a mom, she has managed to write a screenplay which will cause her to travel from her home in Utah down to Los Angeles.  While there, she chance meets the celebrity of her dreams:  Felix Callahan.  Felix is so out of her realm and is Becky’s complete opposite in every way, but they have instant chemistry.

Thinking nothing will come of their meeting, Becky goes back home to her family and loving husband Mike.  So it’s with complete surprise and confusion that Felix shows up on her turf and they fast become best friends.  Not crushing on each other friends.  But best friends.  Call each other all the time, playful banter, joke around best friends.

Felix has brought a whole new dimension to Becky’s life that she didn’t know she was missing.  While both of their spouses are supportive of the odd platonic relationship (because really a rich, good-looking atheist British actor and a frumpy, conservative Mormon housewife?), Becky’s extended family, friends and neighbors are not so sure.  Can Becky and Felix’s relationship really endure?

The Actor and the Housewife is a story of friendship, love, marriage, faith, family, happiness, and sorrow and ultimately a fairy tale of sorts that answers the question:  what happens when your celebrity heart throb crush walks into your life, settles down into the nearest couch?  And don’t we all need a bit of a fairy tale in our life?

I want to say that The Actor and the Housewife is really “cute” because it is, but cute is not a word that seems appropriate here.  I was touched with it’s tender moments.  I also thought it was brave of Shannon Hale to write a novel with a Mormon housewife as her main character.  I thought it was fun to see the type of community I grew up and currently live in portrayed in a mainstream novel.  Although I must admit that I don’t know a single Mormon housewife who bakes three pies a week!  (And let it be noted that there are all kinds of Mormon women just as there are all kinds of different women in different faiths.  Becky is very conservative and while she falls into the Mormon woman stereotype, one cannot judge an entire population from one member.)  Hale is in no way preachy though, Becky is simply living her life and makes no excuses for it.  The same could be said of Felix.

I believe that some people will find fault with the book – most likely along the lines of the “no way is a hot, famous British actor going to see anything in a Mormon housewife” story line, a few character quirks, and the ending not going quite like they hoped.  But really, how likely is it for a married famous actor to hook up as best friends to a married Mormon housewife?  Not likely.  But I certainly wasn’t putting this book down.  It’s not for everyone (which book is?), but it took me completely by surprise and I can’t wait to let all my neighbors borrow it.

I laughed.  I cried.  I loved it.

I was thrilled to attend a reading/party for The Actor and the Housewife at The Kings English Bookshop in Salt Lake City and take some short videos.  In this first video, Shannon talks about where the idea for The Actor and the Housewife came from:

Shannon Hale on writing The Actor and the Housewife:

Shannon Hale reading from The Actor and the Housewife:

Shannon Hale and fan mail (seriously, LOVE this letter!):

There is a karaoke scene in the book, so now way were Shannon and her husband Dean going to pass up a chance to sing:

Oh yes, and the lovely Shannon Hale and I (Shannon had a cutest Apron contest earlier – thus her adorable apron):

Is it bragging to much to say, that when I walked in to the event, Shannon looked up and said, “Hi Natasha!”  Oh yes, that would be Shannon and I on a first name basis.  Sigh . . .  I love this blogging thing  And last, I’ll end this post, with another excerpt from Shannon’s blog post:

I hope that readers can set aside ideas of genre and expectations and go on this reading adventure with me. I really hope so. Because I am terrifically proud of this book. Genre would have sucked the life out of this particular story. Maybe my publisher should put on a label: WARNING: This is notwhat you’re expecting. Contains no genre. Read at your own risk. Maybe. And then again, sometimes, maybe surprise is a good thing.

So spill it.  If you could be best friends with any famous, heart throb of an actor/actress who would it be?  And if your married, would your significant other be okay with that relationship?

Links of interest:  Shannon Hale website.  Maw Books reviews of Book of a Thousand Days, Austenland, Rapunzel’s Revenge, Princess Academy.  Maw Books interview with Shannon.  Shannon’s zuchinni soup, Rapunzel’s Revenge launch party (where I acquire the zuchinni), and Children’s Book Festival .
Genre: Fiction
Publisher:  Bloomsbury. June 9, 2009
Hardcover, 352 pages.  ISBN:  159691288X
The Actor and the Housewife is available from your local independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Batuk is just nine years old when her parents throw her a goodbye party.  Can you imagine the parents who love their child enough to give a goodbye party but yet it’s because they will be selling her?  Makes me do a double take and say, “Huh?”   Obviously, it wasn’t a fun party, everybody was uneasy and cried.  Unaware of the occasion, Batuk honestly thought that she was going to die.  But perhaps death was preferable as the next morning her father took her to the city of Mumbai and sold her.  Scared and alone and very confused, Batuk’s virginity is sold to the highest bidder and then she is sent to Common street where we meet her at the age of fifteen working as a very precocious fifteen-year-old who works hard to remain in Madam Mamaki Briila’s favor.

Batuk’s world changes when she is ill and while in the hospital is taught to read and write.  She manages to tuck away a pencil and writes her story in a diary.  Her story is simply haunting and does not spare details.  She shares her memories of home with her parents, and then losing her virginity at age nine to the highest bidder, being raped, beaten, and yet, flirting with the men on the streets so she can bring in more customers.

Although the subject matter is ugly and brutal, the writing certainly is not.  At times it is simple and forward, giving light and explanation to many dark and ugly prostitution practices and at other times it’s very lyrical.  Batuk’s diary writing doesn’t dive deep into the emotional hardships of her occupation but is rather factual, a technique that I  believe Levine uses to illustrate how dead in spirit she has become.  Writing, however does bring out Batuk’s creative side, she is smart and intelligent and given a different environment would thrive.

The Blue Notebook will make you frustrated simply for the reason that we want so much more for Batuk.  She didn’t ask for this life and as the reader we are powerless to pull ourselves into the story and pull her out.  Levine gives a voice to all the powerless girls who have been trapped into the ugly world of sexual slavery.

And after reading this book, you’ll discover that ugly doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Links of interest:  All of the U.S proceeds from The Blue Notebook will be donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children.  More blogger reviews.
Genre:  Literary Fiction.
Published by Spiegel & Grau.  July 7, 2009.
Hardcover, 224 pages. ISBN: 038552871X
The Blue Notebook is available from your local independent bookstore, Powell’s and Amazon.