Fresh Ink Books : book giveaways

Showing posts with label book giveaways. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Winner of Blindness by Jose Saramago

Congratulations to Riki of Reading Challenged, who has won my copy of Blindness by Jose Saramago.

And thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and especially to my new followers.

My health has been poor these last couple of months but I am reading some very good books and will post about them in the next few days.

Friday, June 24, 2011

The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop!

Hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog.

All giveaways from June 25th to June 29th inclusive are books of literary fiction or non fiction.

I have one AUDIO copy of The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova to give to one of my readers.

Open worldwide. You do not have to be a follower to enter. Just leave a comment with your name and email after midnight EST June 24th to qualify. Entry closes at midnight Wednesday June 29th, winner to be announced after Thursday June 30.

This is one great story, I have read it and I loved it.

Other participants in The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson UK 2009

Shortlisted for the 2009 Costa Whitbread Prize

Paperback Fiction, 298 pages

Harper Collins US

Book Description:

"Set in Bristol, England in 1766, this is the story of Jenny and Timothy, brother and sister baby elephants, that arrive from India half dead. Under the care of a sensitive and astute young stable boy named Tom Page, the two elephants recover their health and spirits and eventually form a remarkable bond with each other. But it’s not until the two creatures are sold to different owners that Tom learns the true meaning of love and loyalty.

Deeply soulful and richly imaginative, The Elephant Keeper is a mesmerizing tale you won’t soon forget. Critics and readers are united in their glowing praise for this beautiful novel, which was short-listed for the prestigious Costa Prize in the UK (and is a perfect summer read for book clubs too)"

What a heartwarming, realistic, and powerful story of devotion this is. I loved every minute of it. Set in 1770s England with just the right pace to create a feel for the times. Elephants fascinate me and I was worried that too much of the story might be taken up with people and their doings. But The Elephant Keeper really does tell the story of the elephants themselves, and their lives with their devoted keeper. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Harper Collins has generously offered three paperback copies to readers of Fresh Ink Books.

Open worldwide until midnight Friday August 6, 2010.

To enter:

1. Go to Reviews tab at the top of the sidebar and post a relevant comment on any review on my blog.
2. Then comment on this post indicating that you'd like to win a copy of The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson and that you are a follower or subscriber.*
3. Provide your email address.

Entries not following the rules will be not qualify.

*My giveaways are for my readers. If you become a new follower/subscriber for the duration of the giveaway I have no problem with that. I am confident that a few visits may make you want to stay.

Harper Collins

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Giveaway:Testimony by Anita Shreve

Giveaway: Testimony by Anita Shreve

Hachette Books has generously offered to send copies of Testimony to FIVE readers of Fresh Ink Books. Thank you to Valerie at Hachette.

The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only and Hachette cannot mail to P.O. boxes. I will accept entries until midnight, Sunday June 7, 2009 and announce the winners as soon as all have been contacted.

Description: "At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions."

To entry simply post a comment here indicating that you'd like a copy. Please make sure that your email is provided if you don't have a blog. Entries without a blog link or email address will be disqualified.

Any followers or subcribers who enter will automatically be given a second entry. Just remind me in your comment that you are one.

I look forward to reading my own copy now that it has arrived and selecting the five winners. I have read five previous novels by Anita Shreve and have not been disappointed. If you are new to this author, Testimony would be a great place to start.

The Weight of Water*****

The Pilot's Wife*****

Light on Snow****

Strange Fits of Passion****

All He Ever Wanted****

Friday, April 24, 2009

Hachette Winners: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

Hachette Books will be sending copies of The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson to five readers of Fresh Ink Books.

Congratulations go to:

thekoolaidmom from In the Shadow of Mt. TBR

wanda from -A Season to Read

allison from On My Bookshelf

Debbie from Debs Desk

Bobbie from Book Reviews By Bobbie

A big thank you to Valerie at Hachette Books for opportunity to have this giveaway.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts after you've read the book. In fact I'd like to have someone write a guest review to post on my blog. Let me know if that interests you.

I'd like to mention that the first three people I notified responded right away saying they'd won or acquired a copy since entering and that I should make someone else happy by drawing another name. I know this is common practise among book bloggers but it's certainly not expected and I think even small acts of kindness should be acknowledged. So thank you Janel (Janel's Jumble), Gwendolyn B. (A Sea of Books), and Jessica Marie (Books Love Jessica Marie). I'm proud to have you as regular readers.

Thank you to all 54 readers who entered the giveaway. Do check out the sites listed above. There are some good book reviews and news going on here on these book blogs. I follow every one of them myself. And welcome to my new followers. I hope you will continue to find good books and reading recommendations here at Fresh Ink Books.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Giveaway: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

Hachette Books has very generously offered to send five copies of The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson to Fresh Ink readers.

The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only and Hachette cannot mail to P.O. boxes. I will accept entries until midnight, Sunday April 19, 2009.

Described as Southern Gothic and "Packed with Jackson's trademark outrageous characters, sparkling dialogue, and defiantly twisting plotting, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming is destined both to delight Jackson's loyal fans and capture a whole new audience." Amazon description.

To entry simply post a comment here indicating that you'd like a copy. Please make sure that your email is provided if you don't have a blog. Entries without a blog link or email address will be disqualified.

Any followers or subcribers who enter will automatically be given a second entry. Just remind me in your comment that you are one.

I look forward to reading my own copy when it arrives and selecting five winning booklovers.
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Yesterday's Post: Thursday Tea A review of Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Winner of My Father's Paradise

Giveaway

Today Fresh Ink Books is giving away a copy of My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar. It will be going to...

Melissa at Shh I'm Reading.

Congratulations Melissa. And thank you to every one of the forty people who entered and gave us some good reading recommendations of Jewish literature.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Winner of What We All Long For by Dionne Brand

It's Giveaway Day again at Fresh Ink Books and a copy of What We All Long For by Dionne Brand is going to...

Sheri S. at bookopolis.

Congratulations Sheri. Thank you to all the entrants for reading my review, commenting, and recommending books of Canadian fiction. I have stopped by at each of your blogs and added those in my areas of interest to those I'm following. Please visit again, I recommend only four or five star reads on my blog and I'm always open to good recommendations of literary fiction from any time period.

My current giveaway is My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar

Review and Giveaway

My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar

Non-fiction, Algonquin Books, 334 pgs.

This is a guest post written by Colleen of Foreign Circus Library.

Though Ariel Sabar may regret that his relationship with his father was so contentious, readers have cause to rejoice because that fractured relationship led Sabar to pen this elegant tale of his father's life and language.

Yona Sabar, a Jewish Kurd, grew up speaking Aramaic, an ancient language now all but lost. He is also a celebrated linguist who has worked tirelessly to document his language before it dies. This book traces that effort, weaving a colorful tapestry of Jewish life in Iraq, Kurdish life in Israel, and immigrant life in America.

Though the portions of the book dealing with Ariel himself were less compelling, the tales of Yona's early life in Kurdistan are hypnotic- I had a difficult time putting this book down. The writing is excellent and the character of Yona breathes throughout the book. The book is never technical about linguistics; the story of Yona's work is presented as I believe he experienced it- a treasure hunt generating excitement with each new clue.

Five stars. Highly recommended!

Thank you Colleen, I thought it was an excellent book too. Thank you to Algonquin Books for the ARC they sent. I am offering it to one of my readers. To enter:

1)Tell us the best book of Jewish interest you've read, fiction or non-fiction.

2)Blog about this giveaway and put a link back to it and I'll give you a second entry. If you don't have a blog, email 3 friends telling them about this giveaway and copying me at sfuhringer (at) sympatico (dot) ca.

Entry is open worldwide until midnight Sunday February 8, 2009.Be sure to leave an email address if you don't have a blog where I can contact you.

Winner will be announced on Monday February 9, 2009.

This giveaway is part of the Bloggy Carnival. Check it out for other giveaways.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Winner of Letters Between Us by Linda Rader Overman

It's Giveaway Day again at Fresh Ink Books and a copy of Letters Between Us by Linda Rader Overman is going to...

Alyce at At Home With Books.

Congratulations Alyce. I'm so glad you finally won one of my books, I know that you've been trying since I was at my old blog site last year.

Thank you to the 40 some entrants for reading my review,commenting, and recommending books of epistolary fiction. I have been to each of your blogs to see what's what and bookmarked quite a few to visit in future. (Would you believe my followers list is full and Blogger won't let me put any more on it!)

Please visit again, all my books are carefully chosen to be four or five star reads and I'm always open to good recommendations of literary fiction from any time period.

My next review and giveaway will be posted on Tuesday as part of the Bloggy Carnival Giveaway.

My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Winners of The Mighty Queens of Freeville

It's Giveaway Day at Fresh Ink Books and I have decided to give away a second copy as well.

Congratulations go to...

Stacie at Simply Stacie.

and Carrie K. at Books and Movies.

Please come back and let us know how you enjoyed the books after you've read them.
Thank you to the thirty some people who read the review and entered or blogged about it for me. I hope you will continue to visit and find good reading recommendations. My next giveaway will be posted later in the week.

During the giveaway many of you asked about books on my 2008 reading list that interested you. Some of my answers are in the next post after the giveaways.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

What We All Long For by Dionne Brand

Review and Giveaway

What We All Long For by Dionne Brand

St. Martin’s Griffin (November 25, 2008)

Fiction, Paperback 336 pgs.

This is a guest review written by Dawn of She is Too Fond of Books.

"They all…felt as if they inhabited two countries - their parents’ and their own - when they sat dutifully at their kitchen tables being regaled with how life used to be “back home,”…They thought that their parents had scales on their eyes. Sometimes they wanted to shout at them, “Well, you’re not there!”…Each left home in the morning as if making a long journey, untangling themselves from the seaweed of other shores wrapped around their parents. Breaking their doorways, they left the sleepwalk of their mothers and fathers and ran across the unobserved borders of the city…to arrive at their own birthplace…They were born in the city from people born elsewhere."

Dionne Brand’s What We All Long For is described as “a raw novel of bittersweet youthfulness.” Set in the spring of 2002, this is an amazing story of four second-generation Torontonians in their mid-twenties. They share a strong desire to break free from the past - from their parents’ view of the past which anchors them, and from their personal family stories which shape them.

The four main characters:

* - Tuyen - an installation artist who lives in a walk-up apartment she has converted to a work studio, returning to her parents’ home only when she is in desperate need of cash. Tuyen was born in Toronto after her family escaped Vietnam in 1980. In the chaos of the evacuation, Tuyen’s brother Quy (a young boy about 4 years old) went missing. Her life has been shaped by her parents’ fruitless long-distance search for him.

* - Carla - lives across the hall from Tuyen, and is the subject of her unrequited love. For reasons that are revealed as the story progresses, Carla feels responsible for her younger brother, who is often in trouble with the law. She has a strained relationship with her father, and an ambivalent attitude toward her step-mother.

* - Oku - a would-be poet and musician. At age 25, Oku mimes attending college, although he has recently dropped out of a Master’s program for English Literature. He is in love with Jackie, who teases him and flaunts her relationship with another man.

* - Jackie - she is probably the least-developed of the main characters, perhaps more of a place-holder for Oku’s love interest. Fifteen years earlier she took a train from Halifax to Toronto, where her parents promptly found low-income housing and started a routine of leaving her with neighbors to hit the clubs and dance and party the night away.

Brand doesn’t visit the Toronto of white-collar business and tourism; she explores the daily grind and the dark alleys of the city. These four and their companions spend nights drinking, smoking and hooking up. Slowly and carefully she reveals more and more of their personal histories as she follows them making their way in the present day. As the novel progresses, the four do indeed discover and confront what they each long for; we are left not with a neat and tidy ending, but with a faint hope for better times.

Interestingly, although the majority of the novel is told in third-person narration, there are several chapters narrated in the first-person by Quy, Tuyen’s missing brother. These chapters are left-justified only, leaving raw ragged edges on the right-hand side, which mirror the turbulent tale he tells.I found What We All Long For to be an engaging and unique work of fiction.

Author Dionne Brand was born and raised in Trinidad, moving to Canada at age 18 to attend Toronto University. She has won several awards for her poetry collection, Land to Light On; her novel In Another Place, Not Here was on the short-list for two awards. She has published one other novel, At the Full and Change of the Moon, and two works of non-fiction. What We All Long For was originally published in hardcover in 2005 and will be released in paperback by St. Martin’s Griffin imprint on November 25, 2008.

Thank you Dawn. She is Too Fond Of Books is Dawn's bookblog where she writes about both fiction and non fiction.

If you would like to do a guest blog, past reviews and article are accepted, please email me at sfuhringer (AT) sympatico (DOT)ca.

I read What We All Long For too and highly recommend it. I don't usually relate well to the very young in fiction, in this case early twenties, but this story had me from the beginning. Very well written, Brand made me feel the loneliness, frustration, joy, satisfaction, or worries of these characters. And she had inner city Toronto and immigrant life, as well as first generation young people down pat. Quite an accomplishment.

I'm offering an ARC copy of What We All Long For by Dionne Brand to one of my readers. I did not receive it as a book to review but through Bookmooch as something I wanted to read. So, it's been read twice but it's a clean copy.

To enter:

1) Tell us the best book of Canadian literary fiction you've read. Either written by a Canadian or set in Canada is acceptable.

2)Blog about this giveaway and put a link back to it and I'll give you a second entry. If you don't have a blog, email 3 friends telling them about this giveaway and copying me at sfuhringer (at) sympatico (dot) ca.

Entry is open worldwide until midnight Sunday January 25, 2009.Be sure to leave an email address if you don't have a blog where I can contact you.Winner will be announced on Monday January 26, 2009.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

Review and Giveaway

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

Fiction, Hardcover, 688 pgs.

Grand Central Publishing

This review is a guest post written by T.D.Fuhringer at Popular Fiction, who regularly reads and enjoys Nelson DeMille's novels.

The Gate House is a worthy successor to DeMille's classic The Gold Coast. The main plot holds no big surprises, however John Sutter's association with Mafia thug Tony Bellarosa is a source of tension since we know the outcome is inevitable. The secondary plot is where the book shines as John deals with his ex-wife, his grown children, and his former in-laws, facing the issues left unexplored at the end of The Gold Coast. The scenes involving John's increasingly inventive torments of his ex in-laws are laugh out loud funny and are easily worth the price of the book. After the resolution of the Bellarosa plot, we are treated to a powerful and very satisfying emotional climax.

Fans of The Gold Coast will want to read The Gate House. Those looking to experience Nelson DeMille suspense might be better off reading Nightfall which is his best book to date. The Gate House is a different kind of story, both satirical and comedic, and alternatingly heartbreaking, but ultimately rewarding.

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Thank you Teddy.

Thank you to Miriam at Little, Brown and Grand Central Publishing for the lovely review copy.

I am giving away a harcover copy (gently read) of The Gate House by Nelson DeMille to one of my readers.

1) To enter leave a comment telling me the best novel you read in 2008. If you're already a DeMille fan, please tell us your favourite Nelson DeMille novel.

2) Blog about this giveaway and put a link back to it and I'll give you a second entry. If you don't have a blog, email 3 friends telling them about this giveaway and copying me at sfuhringer (at) sympatico (dot) ca.

Entry is open worldwide until midnight Sunday, January 18 2009. Please note that this is a large heavy book and will be have to be mailed at the least expensive postal rate. It may take some weeks to get to you depending on where you live.

Be sure to leave an email address if you don't have a blog where I can contact you.

Winner will be announced on Monday January 19,2009.

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson

Review and Giveaway

The Mighty Queens of Freeville
by Amy Dickinson

Memoir, Paperback, 224 pg.

Hyperion Books (February 3, 2009)

This is a guest review, written by Colleen of Foreign Circus Library.

I received my copy of The Mighty Queens of Freeville in the mail and finished it the same day! Though I only intended to read a few pages to get a feel for the writing, I simply couldn't put it down. This book is a memoir, the story of "a mother, a daughter, and the people who raised them"; the Mighty Queens of Freeville are the women of Dickinson's extended family who live and thrive in tiny Freeville NY.
Author Amy Dickinson writes "Ask Amy", the syndicated advice column that replaced that of the late Ann Landers. This book though is not about Dickinson's career; it is about the women who ultimately gave her the skills she needed to make a success of her job.
This memoir follows Dickinson from her divorce in England (when daughter Emily is a toddler) to Emily's freshman year of college. Dickinson's writing is no-nonsense and engaging. The women in her life are simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary- her mother rises above her father's abandonment and the loss of the family farm to eventually find her niche as a college professor. Dickinson is by turns funny and touching, and the book is a wonderful tribute to her family and its resilience.
I highly recommend this wonderful book. Definitely five stars, and would make a great gift for the important women in your life. I gave this book to my mom and sister, both of whom loved it.

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Thank you Colleen.

Foreign Circus Library is Colleen's lovely book blog. Do visit, she reviews a much wider selection of fiction genres than Fresh Ink Books, as well as non-fiction.

And thanks to Hyperion Books a new ARC copy of The Mighty Queens of Freeville is available to one of my readers.

1) To enter tell me which book from this list Read in 2008 you'd be interested in reading or hearing my comments on.

2) If you blog about this giveaway and put a link back to it, I'll give you a second entry. If you don't have a blog, email 3 friends telling them about this giveaway and copying me at sfuhringer (at) sympatico (dot) ca.

Entry is open worldwide until midnight Sunday January 18, 2009.
Be sure to leave an email address if you don't have a blog where I can contact you.
Winner will be announced on Monday January 19, 2009.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

WINNER of Guernica by Dave Boling

It's Giveaway Day again at Fresh Ink Books and hardcover copies of Guernica by Dave Boling are going to...

Anna at http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com/

and Teddy Rose at http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Anna and Teddy Rose. We hope you'll come back and give us your thoughts on Guernica after you've read it or leave a link to any comments or review you may post about it. Thank you to the 50 some people who entered or commented, and those who blogged about it. Special thanks to those who complimented me on my review and had already read it. That made my day.

Please check out my other giveaway, Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris, two copies are up for grabs. It is open worldwide until midnight Wednesday, November 12, 2008. My next book giveaway will be posted on Thursday, November 13.

Feel free to leave comments, good book recommendations, questions, requests for reviews, or opinions on books and reading-good, bad, or otherwise, on any post.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin

Review and Giveaway

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin

Fiction, Paperback, 291 pgs. (2008)

Publisher: Pantheon Books

Author's site:

http://www.joshuahenkin.com/author/

From the cover:

" Starting at the height of the Reagan era and ending in the new Millenium, Matrimony is a stunning novel of love and friendship, money and ambition, desire and tensions of faith. It is a richly detailed portrait of what it means to share a life with someone-to do it when you're young-and to try to do it afresh on the brink of middle age."

Matrimony's strengths are twofold. Exceptionally smooth prose makes it an effortless and enjoyable reading experience. And emotional honesty offers us a wholly believable and satifying story. We follow a young Julian and Mia through their college years and an early marriage, to career choices and changes, the loss of a parent, and lingering doubts about Julian's ability to become the writer he wants to be. Their closest friends, Carter and Pilar, share those times with them and life moves forward as they spend some years both studying and teaching in different college towns. We watch them mature, gaining new insights about each other as parents age, friends split up, illness threatens, and an old secret causes a deep wound.

The author is clearly perceptive about the intricacies of relationships and of matrimony. We may see this as the story of a young couple's marital course but it is more. For there are in fact several marriages here when we take into account both Julian and Mia's friends as well as their respective parents. While our main interest follows them, each couple's relationship is unique and working itself out in its own ways too and we are privy to all of it. This is a quiet but solid story, driven by well-developed, complex characters whose lives we are seriously interested in. It's about life, long love, and friendship, and it's one story you don't want to miss out on. Four and a half stars out of five. Highly recommended.

Joshua Henkin has generously offered a signed copy of Matrimony to be given to one of my readers. It will come directly from the author.

1)To enter, comment on some aspect of the story that interests you. Tell us why you want to read it. Or, tell us how long you've been married or give us some advice on what you think contributes to a good marriage.
2)For a second entry, blog about this giveaway and leave a link to it in your comment. If you don't have a blog, email 4 friends telling them about this giveaway copying me at sfuhringer(at) sympatico(dot) ca.

You must leave an email address if you're entering the giveaway and don't have a blog where I can contact you.

Entry is open worldwide until midnight, Wednesday October 29, 2008.

Winner to be announced on Thursday October 30, 2008.

Monday, October 6, 2008

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Review and Giveaway

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Fiction, Paperback 401 pgs. (2005)

Penguin Books

A well-meaning physician decides to spare his wife from a life of raising a child with the disabilities and short life expectancy of Down's Syndrome. The child is one of twins she has just given birth to. The other child, a boy, is perfectly healthy. He orders his nurse to take the newborn girl away to an institution and make sure no one ever knows about her. The nurse is torn by his request and does something no one would ever expect. It starts in the late 1950's and follows the couple's life with their son and the doctor's guilt over what he still believes, for heart-breaking reasons of this own, was the right thing to do. We are told in a parallel account what happens in the life of the other child too as she grows up.
I was a child during this same time period and the attitudes and actions toward disabled children rang true for me. Many people did put their children "away" in institutions. And often never spoke of them again. This story, about the difficult decisions we take upon ourselves and the consequences to everyone around us is universal, and emotionally engaging. A good story, that I would read again. It's an impressive first novel and I look forward to Kim Edward's next book. Four stars out of five.

I'm giving a brand new copy of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards to one of my readers. It's a paperback Penguin with a reader's guide. If you haven't read this one or want a copy to give to someone you know would enjoy it, this is your chance. Entry is open worldwide until midnight Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

1) To enter tell me which book of literary fiction (no genres) is at the top of your wishlist right now and why you want to read it.
2) Blog about this giveaway and put a link back to it and I'll give you a second entry. If you don't have a blog, email 4 friends telling them about this giveaway copying me at sfuhringer(at) sympatico(dot) ca.
3) Click on all three of the charity buttons in my sidebar, then click the button to contribute at each site; OR go to the sites and put the buttons on one of your own blogs, and I'll give you another entry. Be sure the links works and leave a note or a link telling me you did.

Please leave a contact address if you're entering the giveaway and don't have a blog where I can contact you. It's surprising how often people forget to.

Winner will be announced on Thursday October 16, 2008.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

At a Loss for Words by Diane Schoemperlen

Review and Giveaway

At a Loss for Words: A Post-Romantic Novel by Diane Schoemperlen

Fiction, paperback, 188 pgs.

Harper Collins

She can't eat. She can't sleep. She drinks too much coffee and smokes too many cigarettes. She can't focus. She's a writer who can't write. She checks for messages several times a day and her disappointment is palpable. What's wrong with her? She's in love. Such is the author's strength that she makes us feel everything her character is going through.This woman's first love has walked back into her life after many years while she's giving a reading in a bookstore. Her euphoria knows no bounds. It's a long distance relationship this time and she just can't get enough of his letters, emails, phone messages or the occasional day or two together. The bad news is that, between the exhilarating highs of passion and devastating lows of doubt and fear, she can't concentrate enough to work. This has never happened to her before. She doesn't want to panic but books on writing don't help much with their simplistic though well-meaning suggestions on how to get past the big WB-writer's block. She uses some of their ideas to great satirical effect in the novel, which reads much like journal entries. "Take some swings in a batting cage". "Write in the woods while leaning against a tree". In her mind these become as inane as "Make a paper clip chain six feet long or more." This is the story of words and the power we give to them during the throes of romantic love. We go over every word or phrase the object of our affection says. Was there more there than stated, some unspoken meaning, did he mean it seriously or was it just a casual remark? Is he as commited as he says or just a smooth talker? Our character finds sudden meaning in crossword puzzle definitions or horoscopes, things that emphasize her new feelings or sharpen her worry and pain. It's not long before the reader begins to squirm a little because you've see yourself behaving the same way. She's exposed us all a little, told the unspoken truth about how obsessed or even goofy we can be when we think we're in love. We all have friends who act like this and we know there's little reasoning with them when their under the influence of adoration. We suffer along with her but like our friends we sometimes want to shake her and tell her to get real. The author has done a terrific job, with a slow reveal of the other side of the relationship. I reread large portions just to enjoy the way she uses language. Schoemperlen has several novels to her credit already but the format is different here. Some may not like that it's not a simple narrative but it works for her purposes very well. And some will think the story should have ended sooner but then so should some of our own rides on this rollercoaster of the heart. Four stars out of five.

Thank you to Deanna at Harper Collins Canada for the reviewer's copy.

Lack of space forces me to relinquish my ARC copy in another Thursday Giveaway. It is gently read but slightly marked from having a sticker removed from the cover. Entry is open worldwide until midnight Wednesday October 1, 2008.

1) To enter recommend a five star book of literary fiction. NOT science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, action, thriller, Western, horror, supernatural etc. I don't read them. I'm looking for really good books to enjoy. Books in translation interest me too. Anything written during the last hundred years.

2) A second entry goes to anyone who blogs about this giveaway and puts a link back to it. If you don't have a blog, email 3 friends telling them about this giveaway and copying me at sfuhringer(at) sympatico(dot) ca.
Please leave a contact address if you're entering the giveaway and don't have a blog where I can contact you.

Winner will be announced on Thursday, October 2, 2008.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy

Review and Giveaway

Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy

Fiction, Paperback,268 pgs.

Steerforth Press

I was surprised to see this as an Early Reviewer book on LibraryThing recently because I knew it had been published in 1995. I also knew it was one of Nancy Pearl's Booklust 'must reads'. This is a re-issue, now with an introduction by Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love. Barbara Gowdy is a consisently good writer and here again we find strong characterization, this time with dark humour and frank sexuality. The Canary family are unconventional to say the least. Gordon and Doris Canary are emotionally dishonest with themselves as well as others. Their habit of lies and wildly exaggerated histories spills over into the lives of their daughters, Sonja and Marcy. We laugh at some of the ridiculous things they say but with a tinge of sadness because they resort to such self-deceptions to get through life. Gowdy's characters seem almost preposterous, although she is non-judgemental and compassionate towards them and we come to understand them better once we get to know them. The story takes place from the 1950's to the 1970's, during which a third child is born into their midst. A mute but musically gifted and insightful creature, little Joan becomes the unwitting keeper of all the family secrets and ultimately its saving grace. We do care about the characters after all because they protect and care for each other. But I found the sexual bits disturbing. I've heard Mister Sandman compared to both Geek Love and Arrested Development but I have read neither so you will have to judge for yourselves.

Thank you to LibraryThing for the reviewer's copy.

This week's Giveaway is my copy of Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy. This not an ARC but the real thing, gently read. It also contains a reader's guide.

Open worldwide until midnight Sunday, September 28, 2008.

1) To enter tell us about any book by a Nobel Prize winning author that you've enjoyed. If you haven't read any yet, which one would you like to read? This link will give you a complete list of Nobel authors: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/List+of+Nobel+laureates+in+Literature

Clicking on any name will give you a list of their books.

2) If you blog about this giveaway and put a link back to it, I'll give you a second entry. If you don't have a blog, email 3 friends telling them about this giveaway and copying me at sfuhringer(at)sympatico(dot)ca.
Please leave a contact address if you're entering the giveaway and don't have a blog where I can contact you.

Winner will be announced on Monday, September 29, 2008.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

WINNER of Quintet

Thursday is going to be Giveaway Day here at Fresh Ink. This week a copy of Quintet by Douglas Arthur Brown is going to:

http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/

You still have a chance to win The Kings of Innocence by Michael Burns. You have until midnight Wednesday, September 17 to enter at my review below. All giveaways are open worldwide.
Winner will be announced on Thursday, September 18.

Please leave a contact address if you're entering the giveaway and don't have a blog where I can contact you.
******
Some interesting comments about books in my library from the Quintet giveaway:

Cindi: I would enjoy reading the A Country Doctor's Notebook! by Mikail Bulgakov, I like medicine and other cultures. His story sounds profound and yet funny."

Lauren: Another book you've mentioned that I'd like to read...What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn. It sounds really great and highly interesting. I also love books that take place in another country.

Judy: At LibraryThing your books always come up on my homepage tag watch (literary fiction)and they are more often than not very appealing to me. The book in your library that seems like something I'd like to read is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.

Rebekah: The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks sounds really intriguing. I enjoy reading books about books or people who have something to do with books."

caite: I must say one that you review on LibraryThing, Death of a Murderer by Rupert Thomson sounds very interesting. Any book described as creepy must be grand!

Icedream: A book that I really would like to read is one that you highly recommend, Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. I loved his books Midwives and The Double Bind so I am looking forward to reading this new book as well as reading some of his older books.

traci:I've currently got several of your 'recommended' books on my TBR list - The Book Thief by Mark Zarkus, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. The Potato Peel Pie book is at the top of the list.

geebee: I'd like to read What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn.

Elizabeth: The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall looks quite intriguing and something a bit different from what I would normally choose so that makes it even more appealing.

bermudaonion: I've heard so many good things about The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and I would love to read that!

thetometraveller: I have not heard of Coventry by Helen Humphreys but it's going on my wish list after reading your review. I love historical fiction, especially set in England, and Coventry looks great.

And from the author who was nice enough to leave a comment on my old site where the review and giveaway were originally posted:

"Thank you for posting my book "Quintet" on your website. Your readers are welcome to visit my website: douglasarthurbrown.ca and post questions.
Sincerely, "

Douglas Arthur Brown

Thank you to every one of the 14 people who entered, and those who blogged about it, for your great comments. Please enter again or leave comments, book recommendations, questions, or opinions on books and reading-good, bad, or otherwise.