Character driven novels are by far at the top of my preferred reading choices. Tish Cohen's recently released The Truth About Delilah Blue fits squarely in this classification, with the title character easily making her mark as a unique and memorable one with a story all her own. At twenty years old, Lila's life is not so much on a structured path, but she's doing her best to work with what she's got. Living with her father in the California hills, she's possessed with an artist's spirit but without the funds to send that spirit to art school, so she's come up with a plan that just might work. Modeling for art students provides the perfect opportunity to quietly observe and take in all the education in the arts she wants, all the while costing absolutely nothing. ...
Category Archives: Dawn
Every Natural Fact
Although the general public's commitment to environmentalism and "going green" may be on the rise, the quantity and quality of many of our family's interactions with the natural world are challenged by hectic schedules, lack of access, and the call of air conditioning on a hot summer's afternoon, among countless other factors. To all who value the experiences that only the outdoors can provide, rejoicing is in order for Amy Lou Jenkins' new book, Every Natural Fact: Five Seasons of Open-Air Parenting, a series of essays describing her outdoor adventures with her son in their native state of Wisconsin. But really, this book is so very much more. At the base, Jenkins has written a book honoring the beauty and wonder of nature, and her writing style conveys a respect and adoration for this world. The graceful ...
Mailbox Monday — July 26
Each week, Mailbox Monday is a place for us to share what books we received in our Mailbox. You can link up at The Printed Page, or just visit around and see what others have received. It's become one of our very favorite features because of the fun comments and book chat it generates, so please let us know what you think of our selections! JENNIFER One of my highlights of BEA 2010 was listening to the panel of YA authors read from their works. I brought home copies of several of them, but they didn't have copies of Rebecca Maizel's Infinite Days. Even though I'm not sure what I think about the whole vampire craze, this book captured my interest. The ...
32 Candles
My top reading genre pick, without a doubt, is contemporary fiction, and I'm a sucker for a novel that features cultural references that relate to my own life experiences. Ernessa T. Carter's debut novel, 32 Candles, released in late June, certainly bears all the markings of a 1980s childhood with a protagonist who views life through the eyes of a movie addict. Not just any kind of movie, though, but the specific teen flicks that decade is famous for- Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and of course, Sixteen Candles. Davidia Jones dreams of her "Molly Ringwald ending," and no reasonable or charitable person could deny that she deserves it. Growing up without ever knowing her father, even his identity, would have been bad enough, but living with her abusive mother and being the constant object of ...
The Starlet
As an average suburban mom, Hollywood is as foreign a land to me as is the Sahara Desert. Sure, I watch its movies here and there (the theater being quite a treat for an average mom!), and yes, I hear celebrity gossip from time to time, but I'm not a TMZ or Perez Hilton follower by any means. With a good measure of skepticism, I began Mary McNamara's new novel, The Starlet, wondering if its focus on characters enmeshed in Hollywood's foreign culture would appeal to me. Two days later, the answer was quite clear, and what a fun time it was! While indulging in a rare vacation in Italy, Juliette Greyson happens to be in the wrong place at the most definitely wrong time. In her public relations role in the hotel business, Juliette lives ...
Mailbox Monday — July 19
Each week, The Printed Page invites booklovers to share what books arrived in their mailbox or on their front porch, be they review copies, gifts or purchased. DAWN I've been going through my review pile at a faster rate in the last few weeks, so I was happy to have three new books make their way to my doorstep this week. Two offered books that I was only too happy to accept came in: Jane Berentson's Long Division, and Lisa Unger's Fragile. Contemporary fiction is my top reading pick, so these two are much welcomed additions to the mix. One other book arrived this week, one of those wonderfully surprising unsolicited mailings. The accompanying letter featured a note from the author, whose humor was ...
The Center of the Universe
I happen to a big fan of the memoir genre, especially when the writer skillfully relates a true story in a manner that reads like creative fiction. Having devoured everything by David Sedaris, I approached Nancy Bachrach's The Center of the Universe with excitement because of the multiple comparisons to Sedaris' wry and witty works. While I found myself laughing and reading in amazement at the story laid out, I think I would be more inclined to compare Bachrach's style to that of Augusten Burroughs, with a remarkable ability to convey a family history of pain without sorrowful remorse, but instead with a large dose of dark humor. Chronicling her mother's story, including family secrets and a history beyond just "colorful," Bachrach opens a window on mental illness, from the perspective of an observant ...
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Jennifer Donovan
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