Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Lost Wife: Book Review






The Lost Wife
By Alyson Richman

How would you feel finding your Bashert after 60 years??  Is this  G-ds will, or fate, or luck?

You go to your grandson's wedding. You see someone that looks familiar to you. Those eyes.... You will never forget those eyes, no matter how long it has been.

The Lost Wife, is not a typical holocaust novel.  It doesn't dig deep into the horror of the Jews, and the concentration camps, like the other literary novels do.  I would call this a light read, maybe even a romance novel.  But, that said, I enjoyed reading, Lost Wife anyway.

Spoiler Alert==============================Spoiler Alert======================
 Lenka and Josef are sweethearts.  But, then WW2 erupts and everything changes.  Lenka and Josef are separated

 Lenka is rounded up with her parents and her sister to be transported to Terezin.

Terezin, is the camp where many artists had shared their horrors with the world with their art, during and after the war.  Some of the art work was buried and later discovered after the war.  Other art work was slipped secretly out of the camps for the world to see during the war.

I liked the author's style of telling the story.  She started. the story with a wedding, when they are in their 80's. they have not seen each other for over 60 years.  I am not going to tell you too much more. Because it will ruin the surprise.

 They go back in time, when they first meet.

There are many authors that use the same style. Peeling the story back very s-l-o-w-l-y. Sometimes it works, and sometimes not.  Alyson Richman's style, was a mix of straight narrative, and peeling the onion. But, not using it too much. She peeled back the story in the beginning. She did not go back and forth peeling the onion too many times.

There was not too much to discuss. But, what was discussable was talking about the artistic works that were done during the war.  U.S. Government and the Red Cross's participation. Were we  and our government's  fooled??  or just a blind eye??    The people of the world just did not want to believe something like this could happen. It was too horrific.


I  enjoyed reading the novel, even though I would call this romance. I loved the artistic view point.  The artists that resisted the Germans, by using their art work. How they buried their work, and later came back.   There were parts of the novel, that I actually cried in buckets.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL THINKING YOUR BASHERT HAS DIED, and then seeing him after 60 years he or she is still alive?? 

I like a book that I learn, or experience something new.  I give it 5 stars. You can check out the author's website here.

Cover of Snow: Book Review





Cover of Snow
By Jenny Milchman



Up in the Adirondacks, is a happily married couple. At least that is what Nora thinks about her husband, a police officer. Until one day she wakes up and finds her husband dead of a apparent suicide. But there is more to the suicide than you suspect as you continue to read Jenny Milchman's novel.

I read Cover of Snow, a couple of weeks ago. My memory is a bit fussy on detail. So instead I am giving you a short review, and what I thought. 

Cover of Snow is full of twists and turns, and suspense once you get into the novel. I had a hard time delving into Cover of Snow.  Once I got past the first 100 pages the novel, became interesting.  There were characters I cared about, and others I did not care about. There were times the story started to drag. But, then once Nora started investigating on her own, the book came to life.

I don't usually read mysteries, but I wanted a change. I am glad that Jenny allowed me to read the novel, Cover of Snow.

 The other reason I enjoyed reading a book that took place in the winter season.  I miss the wintry weather sometimes, living in South Carolina, we don't get the snow. I truly miss. It was nice to read a book that weather took the scenery.

Also FYI, if any of you are interested Jenny, will be guest speaking for Litchfield Books, in Litchfield, SC in the near future.

Thank You Jenny, for allowing me to review. Good luck on your book tour.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Learning New Technology, LOL!!!


I have finally come to the new age. I did not think I would ever convert to the new technology. As my son says, Oh, Mom Come on now.  "You need to learn to text."

About two months ago, I finally broke down.  I learned to text.
  To really put me over the age. When I traveled to Greenville, SC. I lost my phone. I am a employee of Walmart.  I saw that Family Mobile had a great deal for Walmart employees, compared to Straight Talk.  When, I was in Greenville, South Carolina. I lost my phone.  I was not about to travel back home, four hours without a phone.  I went to Walmart, thinking I would replace my phone. Instead I decided to sign up with Walmart's plan. It costs me less, with a data plan, and texting included. This was less money than Straight Talk.

I have now come to the new age.  You would think someone that has a book blog would already know these details. But, no I don't.But, when my other job, told me that I need to learn text. I decided to break down.  I have come a long way baby!! I know, just learned to use the camera, and posted my pix on my facebook page.  I am on top of the world. I felt like I was out of the loop.  The picture above, is my first pix,on my fb page.  I am on top of the world right now.

My next feat is to learn about Twitter. I don't understand how it works. I have a account. But, what gets me, is that I arrive in the middle of the conversation and don't know how to get in on the conversation.  Is it because I need to be using my phone rather than my computer to talk? I don't know. We will have to see if I can figure out my next project. 

I am so honored that Chris Bohjalian used my picture to promote his newest novel, The Light of the Ruins. . It won't be out till April.  But, I just received my galley copy of his new book.  Love the cover, and goes well with my kitchen decor, don't you think??  You can see the picture above.

One thing I am wondering if he is going through a mid life crisis?? LOL!! He had delved for years, as the king of, what I call social commentary.  He recently switched to horror, and now to historical fiction.  I think your fans can take the changes of your genre to something else. What's next, fantasy???