Dewey has a great Weekly Geek question this week and as I fell behind on some of my reviews during my move and vacation I thought this was the perfect way to catch up on a couple of books. So here’s the deal:
- In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you finish this week
- Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.
- Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. I’ll probably turn mine into a sort of interview-review. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).
- Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions!
There were two books which I wanted to review but again, with everything that was going on at the time I just never got to them.
First, Hearts and Minds by Rosy Thornton.
“For Martha the start of a new academic year always brought a thrill of excitement: a sense, shared with the newcomers, of infinite possibilities – the ideals as yet uncompromised, the hopes as yet unqualified, the brand new stationery. But it also brought with it a pang of guilt, this year sharper than ever.”
I think a lot of you have already heard about this book via the wonderful reviews by Ann, Litlove, Stefanie… I know I’m missing more people right? Anyway, I really loved the style and the characters. To me they seemed like real people. Rosy Thornton has another book out, More Than Love Letters, which I hope to get to one of these days.
The other book is Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy.
“What hadn’t I figured out? Who Leo’s friend Calvin was. What to say the four times a day when he cries for Mommy. How to get Leo to take a bath. I’d tried air-lifting him to the tub before bed, luring him with Thomas engines, Oreos, grapes, and it all ended with Leo naked and shrieking, ‘No, thank you! No thank you!’ as he ran for the stairs.”
Here’s a novel about a guy adjusting to parenthood when he finds out he has a three-year-old son and he’s now his official keeper. Some funny and sweet moments made this one an enjoyable read. I know Les liked this one, who else?
Well, there you have it, those are two reviews I kept putting off. Want to know more or have any questions? Just let me know and I’ll answer in the comments.
Now if I can get my act together maybe tomorrow I’ll get to tell you about a couple of other books I’ve recently finished.
Were the other blogger reviews your incentive to read Hearts and Minds? (I have it on my tbr, too)
I am interested in Keeper and Kid, tho I recall seeing some neg reviews as well as good. What is holding you back from wanting to review this? I’m trying to figure out a way to ask who you think would get more out of this book: someone WITH kids (ie experience with 3 yo) or someone with no kids?
Care – In part yes and also the author was generous enough to send me a copy of the book (actually I forgot to mention that Keeper was also an ARC). I do think perhaps someone with children might be able to relate to it more. As to what’s holding me back… I read both of these in May and so now I just feel like it’s too long ago and my memory on the details is very sketchy 🙂
I’ve heard good things about Hearts and Minds, but I just haven’t been motivated to read it, and I’m not sure exactly why. If you had to recommend this book in one sentence, what would you say?
I have Hearts and Minds, too. As so many people were reading it and reviewing it, I decided to wait as I felt I already knew the story. I am looking forward to reading it, though! It seems like a good book to read in Fall when classes are back in session.
Lisa – Oh that’s hard 🙂 I think it’s a book that would appeal to any woman trying to find balance in life as she juggles a career, a family and love.
Danielle – Ah, I thought you had read it… Actually did you read her other novel? And, yes, read it in the fall when classes are back in session. It’d be the perfect book!
I wish I could’ve gotten into Keeper and Kid since several of my bloggy faves really liked it. Oh well, probably just a victim of bad timing.
Did Hearts adn Minds make you want to bicycle around Cambridge? It did me. And what did you think of Roz?
I also read and reviewed Hearts and Minds, and enjoyed it for the same reasons you did. The people did seem very real! And like Stefanie, I would have loved to have cycled around Cambridge after reading it…
Andi – I know, sometimes it’s all about the timing isn’t it? Oh well, you can set it aside and try to back to it later!
Stefanie – Especially now that I live in Austin where people bike a lot I really want a bike! But I’m waiting until the temps go down a bit before I get my bike – it’s just way too hot outside. Roz, oh I didn’t like her. I just thought she was so difficult and it was like she was expecting and assuming that James would be such a bad guy. I think she did love the school and wanted what was best but I think even I wouldn’t have enjoyed working with her!
Gentle Reader – Ah, I remember you just mentioned that not too long ago right? I felt so bad for Martha – she just couldn’t seem to get a break with school or her family. I especially wanted to yell at her family to be a bit more understanding of her.
Hello, Bookgirl, and everyone. How exciting to find people talking about my book (Hearts and Minds)! Glad you enjoyed it, Bookgirl.
I had such fun writing Ros Clarke, the ‘baddie’, because I actually gave her a lot of the arguments I would have made myself (if a man had been appointed head of my women’s college I’d have been up in arms!), for the fun of trying to balance things out. She would be hell to work with, wouldn’t she? But I’ll let you into a secret… I was called Ros rather than Rosy when I was small. She’s really my evil twin!
Thanks for the tip about the other Rosy Thornton book. I’m off to the library site to look for it now.
Rosy – Thank you so much for stopping by! Ooh and so interesting to know more about Ros! On top of enjoying the story so much can I just tell you that I want a bike so badly to ride around like Martha 🙂 I look forward to reading your other book Rosy and actually are you working on anything new?
Ann (Table Talk) – Hope you find it! I know it’s on my TBR list.
Hi, Bookgirl. Thanks for asking! My third novel, ‘Crossed Wires’, is out in hardback in December ’08. It’s more of an old-fashioned romantc comedy (bit of a fairy tale!) but the one I am working on now is set in another cambrudge college, and is more in the Hearts and Minds vein.
Rosy T – I’m putting that down on my radar! I’ll definitely watch out for it and be sure to mention it here as I know you’ve got a lot of fans 🙂
I’m interested in the technique and art of storytelling itself so anything along that line would interest me. My questions are for any or all of the fiction titles in your list:
How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering?
How was language used to set tone and mood?
Was the prose dense or spare? Were sentences generally simple or complex?
How was metaphor used? Were associations fresh or did they tend toward cliche? Did they add to your understanding of the theme?
What was the central or organizing theme?
How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting?
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BTW I’m hosting a book giveaway this week. Four copies of Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Four chances to enter until Saturday 3PM PST.