'The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy' by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Genre: Jane Austen Variation
About the book (from Goodreads) :
Convinced that the lovely Elizabeth Bennet is her brother's soul mate, Georgiana Darcy enlists her clever and not at all snobbish cousin Anne de Bourgh in ensuring that pride and prejudice aren't able to keep these two hearts apart. All is going according to plan until Lydia Bennet brings scandal on the family by eloping with George Wickham, and Darcy is called away from Elizabeth's side before he has a chance to propose. It will take all Georgiana and Anne's considerable matchmaking talents to ensure that Elizabeth and Darcy are reunited in time to claim their happily ever after.

Why I wanted to read this book: I'm addicted to all things Jane Austen and I'm often fantasize of being Mrs. Darcy!
 
What worked for me:

• I loved getting to know Anne de Bourgh and Georgiana better with this retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I often thought that if just given the chance Anne would stand up and speak her voice. They were both very clever in their manipulation of Darcy and making sure that he and Elizabeth would be in close proximity to one another.
• My dislike for Caroline Bingley grew with each page...it's almost fun to hate her!! And I thought the author did a great job of making Wickham, a very bad boy!!
• There were a few moments where I did find the retelling a bit slow. I think this may be because I'm so familiar with the story and at times the author didn't stray far from the original. But I feel that she did change it up a bit and really made the story fun and fresh.
• Oh, I almost forgot about the great twist the author added to Jane's story...I really thought this was very, very clever and it totally worked for me! I'm being cryptic because I don't want to ruin your read!!

Recommend?  For those that love all things Austen, then this is a book that I wouldn't hesitate to tell you to read. It's charming and cute...nothing earth-shattering, but a good read that explores two characters that some of us would like to get to know in more depth. I think Mary Lydon Simonsen is a writer that will continue to deliver with her retellings of Austen's characters!

My Rating: 3.75/5

Author: Mary Lydon Simonsen

Pages: 384 (uncorrected ARC)

Genre: Austen Variation

ISBN: 9781402240256

 

Disclaimer:Thank you to Danielle of Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

  © 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

'The Lotus Eaters' by Tatjana Soli (TLC Tour Stop)

Genre: Historical Fiction
About (from TLC Book Tours)
In the final days of a falling Saigon, The Lotus Eaters unfolds the story of three remarkable photographers brought together under the impossible umbrella of war: Helen Adams, a once-naive ingenue whose ambition conflicts with her heart, over the course of the fighting.; the mysterious Linh, the Vietnamese man who loves her, but is torn between conflicting loyalties to his homeland and his heart; and Sam Darrow, a man addicted to the narcotic of violence, to his intoxicating affair with Helen and to the ever-increasing danger of his job. All three become transformed by the conflict they have risked everything to record.


My thoughts:
This one punched me deep in my gut....I literally sobbed for 15 minutes after I finished the last page. All of these emotions were swirling within my chest and brain and I needed to release them with a good cry. I am just beginning to understand why my two uncles that served in Vietnam never spoke of their experience. Who would want to revisit those horrors, to have those images dredged up again, to make them real once more? I felt shell-shocked and wounded deep in my soul by the evil of war and how it brings out the worst in people. This book literally took me to the steamy and pungent jungles of Vietnam, the dirty streets of Saigon, and into a world that I couldn't begin to fathom. The characters were alive and jumped off of the pages. I found myself so engrossed in this story that I didn't want to put it down. This book is a powerhouse and will not leave my memory any time soon.  I understand that some people can not read about war and all of the horrible things that were inflicted upon our soldiers and the people of Vietnam, but to me this is such an important book to read as it took me deep into Vietnam and gave me perspectives from both sides.  This is an author to watch for as she seriously understands her audience and delivers a book that will move you beyond words! Trust me when I say, "READ IT!!!"

Rating: 5/5

About Tatjana

Tatjana Soli is a novelist and short story writer. Born in Salzburg, Austria, she attended Stanford University and the Warren Wilson MFA Program. Her stories have appeared in StoryQuarterly, Confrontation, Gulf Coast, Other Voices, Nimrod, Third Coast, Carolina Quarterly, Sonora Review and North Dakota Quarterly among other publications.
Her work has been twice listed in the 100 Distinguished Stories in Best American Short Stories and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She was awarded the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Prize, teh Dana Award, finalist for the Bellwether Prize, and received scholarships to the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She lives with her husband in Orange County, California, and teaches through the Gotham Writers’ Workshop.
Visit Tatjana’s website HERE.
Check out what other bloggers are saying about
THE LOTUS EATERS.



Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review.
My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.
They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.
Source: TLC Book Tour and St. Martin's Press
Author: Tatjana Soli

Published: December 21, 2010

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

Pages: 416

Genre: Historical Fiction

ISBN: 9780312611576

© 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What are you reading?

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Rose City Readers (January Host)
We share what books that we found 
in our mailboxes last week.

 

To Defy a King- review copy from Sourcebooks 

Only Mr. Darcy Will Do- review copy from Sourcebooks

I am The Chosen King- review copy from Sourcebooks

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Hosted by Sheila
One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
Weekly meme where we discuss the books you've read
and those you plan to read in the coming week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Kiss at Your Own Risk- could be a better paranormal romance 3/5

Little Princes (memoir)- excellent story with an authentic voice 5/5

Tentative reviews this week:

The Lotus Eaters- Monday

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy-Tuesday

Wednesday-Saturday no reviews scheduled because I will be in San Diego to see my son Mitchell who will be graduating from Marine boot camp!!

Semper Fi!

On the Nightstand:

Friday Fitness Update #10

What I've been doing:
Well, since the holidays and my son being at boot camp I really ate all of my anxiety and all of that wonderful food that comes out during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I knew that I was totally off-track..I could feel it in my clothes. But I made a deal with myself that if I wasn't too much of a glutton I would get back on track once the holidays were over and once my son graduated. So today is the day that I begin anew....my son called his girlfriend last night (she missed the call) to let her know that he'd made it through the Crucible and was now a real MARINE!! I'm so proud of him..there are not enough words to describe my joy. This time next week I'll be in San Diego to see his official graduation and to wrap my arms around my first-born!! I can now quit using my anxiety as a crutch to eat and get focused once again on my health.


Weight Watchers and Me:
I know WW came out with their new program but I'm staying with the old one. I will incorporate more fruits into my diet because now they don't have any points associated with them! Another thing I'm going to start working on is jogging! I've been inspired by Mari (Bookworm with a View) all year with her preparation for the multiple marathons she runs and I just know that the key is getting started!! This is also a way to get our American bulldog Lily some much needed exercise!! So wish me luck friends...I'm not going to concentrate so much on my numbers but rather on how I'm feeling and how my clothes are fitting on me!!

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
6/11/10: 155
6/25/10: 153
9/10/10: 153
10/15/10: 147
1/7/11: 157

'Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal' by Conor Grennan

Genre: Memoir
About the book (from Goodreads) :
In need of some fun and adventure, 30-year-old Conor Grennan traded in his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Orphanage in war-torn Nepal. But what began as a lark became a passionate commitment that would transform the young American and the lives of countless others.


Why I wanted to read this book: I have often wanted to volunteer in another country and Conor's story sounded promising and intriguing. I wanted to know how Nepal and these children changed his life and the impact he made on theirs.
 
What worked for me:

• I was immediately and I mean immediately drawn to Conor's voice. His authentic self shined through page after page and I liked him immediately.
• He brought the orphans to life to me. I knew these children, I could hear their voices and laughter coming from the pages as I immersed myself in their country and culture.
• I was enlightened about the civil war that raged through Nepal from 1996 until 2006. During that time many parents sent their children to live in the city. They were told that if they let their children leave with these people that they would be educated and fed. What they didn't realize is that they were being robbed of their entire life savings and that their children were sold into bondage or even worse, given to the Maoist to fight as soldiers. I never knew about this...I'm ashamed of myself for not being more knowledgeable about current events.
• Conor's growth during this whole process was such a wonderful thing to experience. I utterly fell in love with these children, their stories, and yes, Conor himself...what a great humanitarian!!

Recommend?  Absolutely! Do not miss a chance to read this book. If you purchase a copy of Little Princes, proceeds go to Next Generation Nepal, which is the organization that Conor founded that houses these orphans and ultimately tries to reunite them with their family. Do yourself a favor and watch this short video. I think you'll be moved by Conor's words and will want to experience his story for yourself!!


My Rating: 5/5

Author: Conor Grennan

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages:281 (uncorrected ARC)

Genre: Memoir

ISBN: 9780062031709

Disclaimer:Thank you to Tavia Kowalchuk, William Morrow and Shelf Awareness for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

  © 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

'Kiss at Your Own Risk' by Stephanie Rowe

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Stephanie Rowe
About (from the author's website)

HE NEEDED A KILLER WOMAN.
Blaine Underhill was one lucky man. Having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch, he's determined to save his still-enslaved friend. But in order to do so, he'll need the help of one of the world's most lethal women.

SHE WAS DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, LITERALLY.
Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she's one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever. When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!

1.) Reasons you chose this book

When I read the premise I thought it would be a fun way to get myself back into the Paranormal genre once again. Plus I like hot, sweaty Warrior type men....

2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book

• I actually did enjoy the characters and that tongue-in-cheek writing style that this author has. I found myself laughing from time to time and getting into the action side of the story.
• However, I also thought the plot was confusing at times and I often wondered what the heck was going on. This is something that I noticed happens to me often when I'm reading paranormal genres. I have a hard time getting into the whole 'other world' atmosphere and often find myself lost.
• I did enjoy the romance that was in the book for the most part, but some of the ways that the author used sexual slang got old after a while.

3.) Reasons for recommending

• If you're a fan of the paranormal romance genre then I'm sure you would really enjoy this book. I do know a few readers that would probably love this one, but for me it just didn't get me excited about reading paranormal books at all. I found a few words that the author used repeatedly to be a bit over-the-top and actually distracted me from the enjoyment of reading. Um.....for example: "he fisted her hair" OMG!!! fisted and hair just don't go together..and it conjured images that I quickly had to try to get rid of. Then there was the repeated use of "jerked his hand off " I am positive that there are other verbs that could replace "fisted" and "jerked."  So for me, because obviously my mind is in the gutter, when these words kept popping up (I couldn't stop myself...sorry) continuously I became all ADD and found my brain wandering away from me!!!  My advice to the author would be to tone down the sexual connotations and dial-up the humor and I would totally read the next one in the series!

Rating: 3/5

Author: Stephanie Rowe

Published: January 4, 2010

Publisher:  Sourcebooks

Pages: 389

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9781402241956

Disclaimer:Thank you to Danielle @ Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

  © 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What are you reading?

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Rose City Readers (January Host)
We share what books that we found 
in our mailboxes last week.

Drinking Closer to Home- TLC Tour book January 19th
Art of Disappearing- Shelf Awareness request

-------------------------------------------------------------------
 

Hosted by Sheila
One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
Weekly meme where we discuss the books you've read
and those you plan to read in the coming week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Heart with Joy- my favorite YA for 2010, don't miss the chance to meet Julian  5/5

The Winter Sea- another fave for 2010, fantastically written book!! 5/5

The Mischief of the Mistletoe- fun romp in England! 4/5

2010 in Review

The Christmas Letters

The Snow Globe

Tentative reviews for this week:

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy- Tuesday

Little Princes- Wednesday (The Book Report Review)

Kiss at Your Own Risk- Thursday

Six Sentence Saturday Movie Review Edition:

Date Night

Precious

The Kids are All Right

On My Nightstand: