Ladies, Get Your Stola's... I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith, A Review

Why is it that when I think of "Historical Fiction", I think England and the "Middle Ages", Scotland during the 18th century (and those hot Highlanders like Jamie) or WWII? The reason is I never read Phyllis T. Smith before! Can this really be her debut novel?!

Ladies, get your stola's ready for a great read! I Am Livia starts just after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Livia Drusilla is a mere fourteen years old, but has a keen mind and an independent nature. History has written her off as a scheming power-hungry woman, concerned with only advancing her own agenda, but Phyllis Smith tempers that with Livia's perspective on things. Why does history seem to chastise women who have a mind of their own? Livia certainly had a mind of her own, but she was also a young girl, thrown into a life not of her choosing and ultimately finding the love & passion that would define her life. Oh, and what a life Livia had!

Married at fifteen, a mother of one son and pregnant with another, Livia meets and falls passionately in love with the most powerful man in Rome - Octavianus, Julius Caesar's heir. He's a mere boy himself, but as Julius Caesar's chosen heir, his destiny is set. Their 52 year love story with Rome as their backdrop is intense and wonderful, and Livia's part in bringing Rome to greatness is fascinating.

I was so engrossed in this book, I literally could not put it down. I cried at parts (my husband thought something was really wrong), and my heart was warmed by others. Phyllis Smith has created amazing flesh and blood characters that allowed me to step inside their world and live there for a while. But as good as the love story was, and we're not talking blatant sex either, Phyllis has made the time period come alive. This book is rich and full bodied like a good red wine... READ THIS!

P.S. Marc Anthony and Cleopatra make a showing, but their story is nothing compared to Livia and Octavianus!

The Last First Day by Carrie Brown... A Review

The Last First Day by Carrie Brown is simply amazing! The story innocently invites you in and wraps itself around you in a warm comfortable embrace. The story is a quiet one, but powerful. And I have to say, this is one my favorite reads of the year.

It is a love story, it is a story of the reflection of life as one looks back in their twilight years, and it is beautifully written.

The book opens with the first day at the New England Derry School for Boys, the school where Peter and Ruth have spent most of their adult lives, the place where Peter started as an enthusiastic teacher, with Ruth as the dutiful wife and where now, as the couple is in their eighties, and Peter approaching the need to retire as headmaster, is the place they must learn to live without. As Ruth drags the vacuum cleaner out to get ready for the annual first night get together at their home with the faculty, memories slowly emerge. And that is how we learn of the love story of Peter and Ruth. Through Ruth's eyes, the story of their lives unfold in perfect harmony with the present tense to let us experience their love, their passion, their struggles and commitment over the decades. It's also the story of Ruth, how she accepts her life, the role she chose for herself, and the life that she had no choice over.

The book itself is in two parts. The first part is Peter and Ruth on that "last first day" at Derry School, with the smattering of memories of their lives. The second part starts Ruth's story from the beginning- from when she was twelve, living out of a suitcase with her father, and her first sighting of Peter. We learn so much about Ruth in part two and understand her so much better. The love story, of Peter and Ruth, which really emerges from its' humble beginnings in the second part of the novel, is sweet & wonderful, sad & devastating, and ultimately blossoms into a full shared life together.

                              "What had Peter seen in her all this time?
                               It was a mystery, wasn't it, why people loved one another?"

I read this book in a day and a half... This is a story that will linger with me for quite some time. I loved the way Carrie Brown made this complex story flow so easily from the page, slowly unfurling & perfectly putting the words down on the page. It is honest, it is heartfelt, I thought it was wonderful... and I did cry at the end.

I want to thank Pantheon Books, a division of Random House for sending along The Last First Day by Carrie Brown for me review! Published in mid-September, The Last First Day is available in Hardcover , Kindle and Nook. If you enjoy good stories, stories where the characters reflect back on their lives,  or love stories, you will enjoy this book. It is a slow paced, wonderful story. Find yourself a comfy chair and read this book!

The Sunday Salon... Reading Travels and Destinations!

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! It's the day of the week where we get together and chat about books! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of joe and relax!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was away enjoying the warm weather and the great hospitality of North Carolina. Which brought to mind today's Sunday Salon- traveling and destination. When we travel, we always have a destination, so I've got a couple of great "Travel" books and a true crime book written about where my destination was this week!

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck... In the 1960's, 58-year-old John Steinbeck gets in his truck and goes off in an adventure with his standard poodle, Charley. He wanted to explore the American landscape he had written about for so long. This has been on my "to read" list for some time, and when thinking about my recent travels I decided it was high time to crack the spine and see what Steinbeck discovered.

As he talked with all kinds of people, he sadly noted the passing of region speech, fell in love with Montana, and was appalled by racism in New Orleans.

Were there any similarities as I left Connecticut for the great unknown? I did learn that Y'all is a word!

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger... I fell in love with this novel the moment I started reading it! If you are a true romantic, there is nothing more special that the love story between Henry and Claire.

When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.

A love story that isn't bound by the rigors of time, and wonderful heartfelt writing, make this a great read! If you haven't read it, DO IT NOW! Definitely part of my travels this past week.

Bitter Blood: : A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder by Jerry Bledsoe... Now we come to my destination - Greensboro, North Carolina, and my last book pick of today. Bitter Blood still evokes a response from people living in Greensboro, who unwittingly became part of a bizarre and horrifying series of murders.

The first bodies found were those of a feisty millionaire widow and her beautiful daughter in their posh Louisville, Kentucky, home. Months later, another wealthy widow and her prominent son and daughter-in-law were found savagely slain in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Mystified police first suspected a professional in the bizarre gangland-style killings that shattered the quiet tranquility of two well-to-do southern communities. But soon a suspicion grew that turned their focus to family. The Sharps. The Newsoms. The Lynches. The only link between the three families was a beautiful and aristocratic young mother named Susie Sharp Newsom Lynch. Could this former child "princess" and fraternity sweetheart have committed such barbarous crimes? And what about her gun-loving first cousin and lover, Fritz Klenner, son of a nationally renowned doctor?

Everyone who I have talked to about this book says it is an amazing page turner and not to be missed by any true crime reader! Mesmerizing, haunting and riveting are some of the comments I have heard about Bitter Blood and the writing of Jerry Bledsoe. I'm toting this one around in my pocketbook with a fast moving bookmark!

What have you been reading this week? Did you have any bookish travels for Thanksgiving? Although I didn't have time to read too much while flying down to North Carolina, I did discover some great reads!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon... "Love Stories" Aren't Just Romances

Welcome to another Sunday Salon! Pull up a chair, grab that second cup of joe and let's talk books! Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! And that makes me think of great romances in literature! Even if you don't read romances per say, there are plenty of romances in all types of literature. Which are the most memorable ones?! Which ones make your heart sing? We all remember the tragic love story of Romeo & Juliet, and of course there is always Heathcliff and Catherine of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. What other love stories come to mind? Here are a few notables on my shelf...

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger... The story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experience unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

This is such a wonderful love story, and Audrey Niffenegger did a wonderful job writing it. I love time travel stories and this was unique in that the reader just doesn't go back and forth in two time frames, Henry jumps back in forth in time all throughout Clare's life. The time jumps may be a little confusing at first, but soon the story takes over and you're totally wrapped up in the developing love story between Clare and Henry. If you have not read this yet, READ IT! One of my all time favorite books. And as far as the movie goes, they did a pretty good job with that too.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini... The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption, and it is also about the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

This is the story of the love of between two young boys growing up. It is a beautiful story and a devastating one. If you haven't read this book yet, go out and buy it NOW! And be prepared for your heart to break in the process.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini... From Barnes & Noble:

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975." So begins The Kite Runner, a p

oignant tale of two motherless boys growing up in Kabul, a city teetering on the brink of destruction at the dawn of the Soviet invasion. Despite their class differences, Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, his

devoted sidekick and the son of Amir's

household servant, play together, cause mischief together, and

compete in the annual kite fighting

tournament -- Amir flying the kite, and Hassan running down the kites they fell. But one day, Amir betrays Hassan, and his betrayal grows increasingly devastating as their tale continues. Amir will spend much of his life coming to terms with his initial and subsequent acts of cowardice, and finally seek to make reparations.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon... Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another... In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon—when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743. Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Ok, I did tell you I loved time travel stories, and Diana Gabaldon hits a home run with the love story between Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall! This story is HOT, historical and addictive. There are 7 books (big fat books!) in this series and if you haven't read the first book in the series, and you love historical romance, this is a perfect choice. Diana Gabaldon's writing is wonderful too! BTW, the "old" covers are beautifully illustrated. The "new" covers are a plain color with the title.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy... Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. While previous versions have softened the robust, and sometimes shocking, quality of Tolstoy's writing, Pevear and Volokhonsky have produced a translation true to his powerful voice. This award-winning team's authoritative edition also includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory notes. Beautiful, vigorous, and eminently readable, this Anna Karenina will be the definitive text for generations to come.

This was a wonderful read! It is such a classic and the doomed love affair between Anna and Count Vronsky is unbelievably contemporary for being written in the 19th century! A few things to note though in reading Anna Karenina- there are a lot of names to keep straight. In Russian literature, there are proper names, nicknames and "common" names. There is a "key" to the names at the beginning of the Pevear and Volokhonsky version, which is the translation that I highly recommend, but eventually you will become familiar with who is who. Also, the story is centers around the love story of Anna and Count Vronsky, but there is a lot of political talk that you'll have to muddle through that may not interest you, but adds to the climate of the times. Loved this book!

An oldy but goodie...

The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy... From Publisher's Weekly: Bestselling novelist Binchy again explores the passions and priorities of Irish women in a seductively written tale that's a bona fide page-turner. She sets this story in the small village of Lough Glass, the "glass lake" of the title, in Dublin and in London, animating each place more by the robust characterization of the people who live there than by the use of descriptive detail. When Kit McMahon is 12, her sad and distant mother disappears while walking along the lake. Authorities find the family's boat overturned, and, when Kit discovers a sealed letter addressed to her father, she fears that the suicide confession will keep her mother from a consecrated burial. She burns the letter, adding another burden to her misery. Helen is not dead, however...When Kit discovers her years later, the anguish of both women is intensified by the complex situation, and the secret they now share eventually explodes in a way neither could have foreseen.

This was actually the first "romance" I ever read. A friend handed me this book and said I should read it. It sat on my headboard for a LONG time. Gosh, it was almost 600 pages! I finally decided I better get it back to her and opened it up. Well, I really enjoyed it! It's the story of a mother's love, but also how she is torn between being a mother and a woman in her own right. The twist in the story is what Helen decides to do in the name of love, and the consequences of her actions. This was also my first Maeve Binchy novel. I enjoyed her writing and the almost 600 pages went by in a flash. And this also opened up my reading to romance.

Other great "love story" notables... Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (another all-time favorite book!), Dracula in Love by Karen Essex, The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, and yes I'm going to mention... Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Let's not forget Love Story by Erich Segal either!

What "love stories" can you add?! Love stories can be romances, but love encompasses the deep feelings we have for our family & friends as well, not to mention the love we feel for our furry friends too! Share your favorite love stories!

Here's a Recap of this past weeks blog... for Memoir Monday I highlighted The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok. "Using a mnemonic technique from the Renaissance—a memory palace—Bartók imagines, chapter by chapter, a mansion whose rooms secure the treasured moments of her reconstructed past." Combining the authors artwork with her memories, creates a unique premise for a memoir and became a must read on my list! ...Monday was also the first discussion of Jane Eyre for the Jane Eyre Read-a-Thon hosted by Laura's Review Bookshelf. This is the first I've read Jane Eyre, and something I didn't realize is how Jane was an orphan being brought up by her Aunt. AND how cruel her Aunt and cousins treated her. I have to say I'm really enjoying Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Her writing is fresh. ...On tuesday, author Michelle Moran stopped by with a guest post about Madame Tussaud, the woman. Michelle's newest book coming out Feb. 15th is Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution and her guest post reveals a little of the woman behind the wax museum! I also just received an ARC of Michelle's book, Madame Tussaud, and from the first page the story hooks you!! I'm really enjoying it! *AND, to celebrate the release, I'm having a giveaway for Madame Tussaud which starts this coming tuesday!...Then on friday for First Lines, I shared the beginning of The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert. Schaffert gives us Essie, an octogenarian obituary writer, who may have found "the story" of her life, which turns the sleepy little town into something else as curiosity seekers embark on the town.

So, how was your week? What great books have you put on your shelf?! Share your reading suggestions, so we all can enjoy great reads! And in the meantime, have a wonderful day!

Sunday Salon... Happy Valentine's Day! Some Great Love Stories to Devour!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Long before there was a Bella & Edward, there was a Cathy & Heathcliffe, Scarlett & Rhett, and Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy. The history of Valentine's Day is a mystery, but "One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death." While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailor's daughter, and just before his death sent her a letter signed, "From your Valentine".

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day then to devour a good love story! (Less calories than chocolate)... So, today's Sunday Salon highlights some great literary romances! And please share some of your favorite's too!

Love Story by Erich Segal... Love Story is a modern day "classic". The tragic love story between two young vibrant people, a Harvard student and a Radcliffe student. Love Story was originally written as a screenplay. When Erich Segal couldn't sell it as a screenplay, he turned into a novel and the rest was history. A New York Times No. 1 bestseller, the book became the top selling work of fiction for 1970 in the United States, and was translated into 33 languages worldwide. Shortly after the book sensation it was turned into a movie too! Here's the first few lines...

"What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful. And brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And the Beatles. And me."

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy... Forbidden Love, Adultery, Jealousy, and True love, that's what Anna Karenina is about. It's a long book, with the backdrop of Russian politics and farming, but the love affairs, and the romance of Anna and Vronsky, seem fresh and could have been written yesterday. The new Pevear/Volokhonsky translation is key to this 'freshness', because they have added footnotes and appendages for the reader to fully understand 19th century Russia. I loved this book! We read this in my reading group, which took a couple of months for everyone to finish, but everyone was glad to have read it. It's a book that takes effort, but you won't regret it! Here's the first line...

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger... Have I told you all how much I loved The Time Traveler's Wife? I think I probably have, it's one of my favorite books. It just grabbed me and held me for 546 pages. A wonderful love story between Claire and the time traveling Henry. Henry is a librarian with "Chrono Displacement" disorder; at random times, he suddenly disappears without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. Henry travels back and forth in time meeting his true love Claire when she is 6 years old, when she is 20. They fall madly in love and endure these "episodes". The story is told through both characters, the writing is wonderful, and the story is funny, heartbreaking and fantastic! It may take some people a little bit of time to get use to the time traveling aspect of the book, but eventually the wonderful story and interesting characters take over the need to keep the years straight and you will just sit back and enjoy! You can read the beginning of The Time Traveler's Wife at Google Books.

Harvee of Book Dilattante recommends Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I loved this book too! It all takes place with the backdrop of the circus!

Scobberlotcher (Karen) recommends The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. 4 lives thrown together in a desolate Italian villa during the ravages of World War II.

Esme of Chocolate & Croissants recommends The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough. An epic saga of dreams, struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love between Meggie and Ralph de Bricassart, the handsome parish priest. All of which takes place in the Australian Outback. I actually have this on my nightstand...waiting to find the time to open!

Other great love stories... Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937), Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. What are your favorite love stories? Leave a comment and I'll add them to the list!!

Have a wonderful week! And don't forget! The Blogoversary celebration starts Thursday! A sprinkling of great giveaways throughout the week! Remember to sign up to be a "follower", if you haven't already, on Google Friends (which is on the left of the blog posts) to be able to enter some of the exclusive giveaways for all registered followers! You won't be sorry!

Happy reading... Suzanne