The Museum of Innocence
Orhan Pamuk
Knopf, Oct 20 2009, $28.95
ISBN: 9780307266767
In 1975 in Istanbul, affluent thirty year old Kemal stops at a shop to buy a purse for his fiancée Sibel; also of a wealthy family. He is instantly attracted to the shop girl eighteen year old Fusun, who he knows is forbidden fruits as his family will object to her for being from the poor side of town and besides his match is made; they are also related though quite distantly.
Kemal does not break off his engagement, but maintains everything as memorabilia (in his mind) that involves his non-relationship with Fusun, as he keeps everything and looks at each item as the most precious whether it be earrings, etc in his personal museum. He feels no contentment in spite of his wife’s caring tenderness at a time when discontent rules the country. Only with his “priceless” artifact collection reminding him of what he never had enables him to fantasize about his Fusun does he feel some contentment.
This is a deep look at unrequited love using the backdrop of turmoil late 1970s Turkey to enhance the impact of the intense story line. Profound, Kemal makes the tale as he knows he obsesses over Fusun as depicted by his prizes he maintains in The Museum of Innocence. Sibel and Fusun, though differing personalities, are fully developed people who add to Kemal’s confusion by being themselves. Although the plot feels overwhelming at times with so much going on in Istanbul, readers will appreciate Orhan Pamuk’s powerful tale of a man fixated on a “Goddess” he can never obtain as truly his outside his imagination.
Harriet Klausner
Friday, October 23, 2009
A Quilter’s Holiday-Jennifer Chiaverini
A Quilter’s Holiday
Jennifer Chiaverini
Simon & Schuster, Nov 2009, $19.99
ISBN: 9781439139325
Every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Elm Street Quilters gather to spend time with friends stitching gifts for loved ones. This year is special as each person creates a quilting block to add to the cornucopia that symbolizes what they are most pleased about. The event is a success but a snowstorm threatens to strand everyone at Em Court Manor.
Diane leaves anyway, but ends up stranded with a chargeless cell phone. Sylvia who once was the sole owner of Elm Creek Manor hopes that Summer, a founder of Elm Creek Quilts, has found through research her blood relatives living in California. Sarah, another founding mother of Elm Creek Quilts, learns her husband will not be there for her pregnancy because his father needs him to run the family business. Anna the manor’s chef tells Jeremy , the boyfriend of another founding mother, that she loves him even as he is driving to the dorm of his girlfriend Summer. Gretchen seeks a cause to serve. Gwen misses her daughter Summer while finishing a quilt to thank the person responsible for giving her mentor a bone marrow transplant. Quilters unable to come are missed but remembered.
More a series of vignettes that update the quilters’ lives especially their personal problems; this novel targets the fans of Elm Creek Quilts. This novel will leave readers laughing, crying and empathizing with the woes of the quilters. Fans will relish this entry but to learn what happens to the Quilters and their staff the audience will need to continue with the next saga. For the Elm Creek Manor horde, Jennifer Chiaverini stitches a fine character driven tale of friendship.
Harriet Klausner
Jennifer Chiaverini
Simon & Schuster, Nov 2009, $19.99
ISBN: 9781439139325
Every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Elm Street Quilters gather to spend time with friends stitching gifts for loved ones. This year is special as each person creates a quilting block to add to the cornucopia that symbolizes what they are most pleased about. The event is a success but a snowstorm threatens to strand everyone at Em Court Manor.
Diane leaves anyway, but ends up stranded with a chargeless cell phone. Sylvia who once was the sole owner of Elm Creek Manor hopes that Summer, a founder of Elm Creek Quilts, has found through research her blood relatives living in California. Sarah, another founding mother of Elm Creek Quilts, learns her husband will not be there for her pregnancy because his father needs him to run the family business. Anna the manor’s chef tells Jeremy , the boyfriend of another founding mother, that she loves him even as he is driving to the dorm of his girlfriend Summer. Gretchen seeks a cause to serve. Gwen misses her daughter Summer while finishing a quilt to thank the person responsible for giving her mentor a bone marrow transplant. Quilters unable to come are missed but remembered.
More a series of vignettes that update the quilters’ lives especially their personal problems; this novel targets the fans of Elm Creek Quilts. This novel will leave readers laughing, crying and empathizing with the woes of the quilters. Fans will relish this entry but to learn what happens to the Quilters and their staff the audience will need to continue with the next saga. For the Elm Creek Manor horde, Jennifer Chiaverini stitches a fine character driven tale of friendship.
Harriet Klausner
The Wicked Duke Takes A Wife-Jillian Hunter
The Wicked Duke Takes A Wife
Jillian Hunter
Ballantine, Oct 27 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780345503954
In 1818 the Boscastles found Harriet Gardner on the mean streets of the London. They cleaned her up and arranged for her to teach at the Scarfield Academy for Young Ladies.
After the death of his brother fourteen months ago, Griffin Boscastle became the duke, a position he detests though he does ducal quite arrogantly well. He escorts his niece Edlyn and his pest of an aunt to the school where he unceremoniously dumps her on Harriet. The rake stays longer than he has to because Harriet’s ripping off his skin intrigues him. However, when his thoughts begin veering towards long term, he considers flight rather than fight.
Instead he decides to use Harriet to find him a suitable wife while also asking her to keep his niece safe from an unknown adversary trying to harm her. However, he never expected Harriet to risk her life to keep Edlyn safe. Already beyond lust, Griffin falls into love, but Harriet keeps kicking the rogue to the curb hiding how she really feels.
With a nod to Frankenstein, the latest Boscastle “Wicked” Regency romance (see A Wicked Lord at the Wedding) is a wonderful tale with a strong suspense subplot enhancing the prime story line. Sub-genre readers and the students at the academy will appreciate the pompous conceited duke and the street smart teacher who tears his skin with sarcastic witty retorts while falling in love.
Harriet Klausner
Jillian Hunter
Ballantine, Oct 27 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780345503954
In 1818 the Boscastles found Harriet Gardner on the mean streets of the London. They cleaned her up and arranged for her to teach at the Scarfield Academy for Young Ladies.
After the death of his brother fourteen months ago, Griffin Boscastle became the duke, a position he detests though he does ducal quite arrogantly well. He escorts his niece Edlyn and his pest of an aunt to the school where he unceremoniously dumps her on Harriet. The rake stays longer than he has to because Harriet’s ripping off his skin intrigues him. However, when his thoughts begin veering towards long term, he considers flight rather than fight.
Instead he decides to use Harriet to find him a suitable wife while also asking her to keep his niece safe from an unknown adversary trying to harm her. However, he never expected Harriet to risk her life to keep Edlyn safe. Already beyond lust, Griffin falls into love, but Harriet keeps kicking the rogue to the curb hiding how she really feels.
With a nod to Frankenstein, the latest Boscastle “Wicked” Regency romance (see A Wicked Lord at the Wedding) is a wonderful tale with a strong suspense subplot enhancing the prime story line. Sub-genre readers and the students at the academy will appreciate the pompous conceited duke and the street smart teacher who tears his skin with sarcastic witty retorts while falling in love.
Harriet Klausner
To Serve and Protect-Arianna Hart, Kit Tunstall, Trista A Michaels, and Delilah Devlin
To Serve and Protect
Arianna Hart, Kit Tunstall, Trista A Michaels, and Delilah Devlin
Ellora’s Cave (Pocket), Nov 10 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9781439131541
“Convince Me” by Arianna Hart. The man charged through the door to the fundraiser cursing socialite Sareena and threatening to kill her for giving his battered spouse protection at a Brooklyn shelter. The attacker comes after her with a knife, but as police officer Brogan watches in horror, she disappears and a jaguar chases the sociopath into Central Park. Unable to resist her lure, Brogan escorts Sareena back to her apartment.
“Ablaze” by Kit Tunstall. Firefighters Nick and Paula enter the blaze at the Westbridge Academy and rescue Miri. After Miri is released form the hospital, Nick suggests a heated tryst, which out of character Miri agrees to.
“Fantasy Bar” by Trista Ann Michaels. Having fled from Meenus Prime to Klindor, Kira hides from the law. At the fantasy bar, she meets Jerrod, an undercover private investigator searching for her as she killed his best friend. Instead of bringing her back to justice, he indulges in their fantasies.
“Ride a Cowboy“ by Delilah Devlin. Katelyn had enough of men after her nasty marriage until the Texan arrives to help renovate her new home. He offers to also renovate her body and heart too.
There four heated erotic romances run the gamut of urban fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and second chance but all contain strong females and men who understand their role is TO SERVE AND PROTECT the women they love and cherish.
Harriet Klausner
Arianna Hart, Kit Tunstall, Trista A Michaels, and Delilah Devlin
Ellora’s Cave (Pocket), Nov 10 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9781439131541
“Convince Me” by Arianna Hart. The man charged through the door to the fundraiser cursing socialite Sareena and threatening to kill her for giving his battered spouse protection at a Brooklyn shelter. The attacker comes after her with a knife, but as police officer Brogan watches in horror, she disappears and a jaguar chases the sociopath into Central Park. Unable to resist her lure, Brogan escorts Sareena back to her apartment.
“Ablaze” by Kit Tunstall. Firefighters Nick and Paula enter the blaze at the Westbridge Academy and rescue Miri. After Miri is released form the hospital, Nick suggests a heated tryst, which out of character Miri agrees to.
“Fantasy Bar” by Trista Ann Michaels. Having fled from Meenus Prime to Klindor, Kira hides from the law. At the fantasy bar, she meets Jerrod, an undercover private investigator searching for her as she killed his best friend. Instead of bringing her back to justice, he indulges in their fantasies.
“Ride a Cowboy“ by Delilah Devlin. Katelyn had enough of men after her nasty marriage until the Texan arrives to help renovate her new home. He offers to also renovate her body and heart too.
There four heated erotic romances run the gamut of urban fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and second chance but all contain strong females and men who understand their role is TO SERVE AND PROTECT the women they love and cherish.
Harriet Klausner
The Fireman's Christmas-Meg Lacey
The Fireman's Christmas
Meg Lacey
Harlequin American, Nov 2009, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373752850
In Warenton, Widower Danny Santori raises four out of control youngsters while fighting fires; he believes his kids who run off nannies before he can hire them are more difficult to deal with than an inferno.
Landscape artist Tessa Doherty recently divorced her husband Colin and moved from Chicago to raise her two children in fresh air but has no one to watch over them when she works. Rhonda, friend to both, arranges for Tessa and Danny to meet. They agree to help one another with the kids’ issues. However, neither single parent expected an attraction between them especially in the midst of out of control children chaos.
This is a warm second chance at love romance filled with lighthearted jocularity as the children cause chaos inadvertently nuking at times the relationship between their adult single parents. The story line is character driven but also reminiscent of 1960s-1970s treasures like With Six You Get Egg Roll; Yours, Mine and Ours; and The Brady Bunch.
Harriet Klausner
Meg Lacey
Harlequin American, Nov 2009, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373752850
In Warenton, Widower Danny Santori raises four out of control youngsters while fighting fires; he believes his kids who run off nannies before he can hire them are more difficult to deal with than an inferno.
Landscape artist Tessa Doherty recently divorced her husband Colin and moved from Chicago to raise her two children in fresh air but has no one to watch over them when she works. Rhonda, friend to both, arranges for Tessa and Danny to meet. They agree to help one another with the kids’ issues. However, neither single parent expected an attraction between them especially in the midst of out of control children chaos.
This is a warm second chance at love romance filled with lighthearted jocularity as the children cause chaos inadvertently nuking at times the relationship between their adult single parents. The story line is character driven but also reminiscent of 1960s-1970s treasures like With Six You Get Egg Roll; Yours, Mine and Ours; and The Brady Bunch.
Harriet Klausner
Colorado Christmas-C.C. Coburn
Colorado Christmas
C.C. Coburn
Harlequin American, Nov 2009, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373752874
In Spruce Lake, Colorado former stunt skier Will O'Malley refuses to allow his town’s historical district with its classic Victorian style architect be destroyed by the Mountains Resorts Development Company modernization. However, he goes too far at least in the mind of his brother the deputy sheriff when he vandalizes the firm’s vehicles.
He comes before Judge Becky McBride, who is new to town with plans of remaining no more than six months before returning with her nine years old son Nick to Denver. Will is attracted to Her Honor, but she rejects his request for a date. However, he refuses to accept no at the same time he does community service for his acts of vandalism.
Passionate Will makes for a fun contemporary romance as he tries to persuade the urban judge that he is not a character out of the TV show Green Acres, but in spite of his intelligence, charm and looks, he competes with Louella the pig. Fans will enjoy this amusing courtship observed by the 2,596 other eccentric residents with smiles and smirks yet the tale subtly contains a plea to not arbitrarily devastate our heritage but instead incorporate our past in modernization plans though that probably will add cost.
Harriet Klausner
C.C. Coburn
Harlequin American, Nov 2009, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373752874
In Spruce Lake, Colorado former stunt skier Will O'Malley refuses to allow his town’s historical district with its classic Victorian style architect be destroyed by the Mountains Resorts Development Company modernization. However, he goes too far at least in the mind of his brother the deputy sheriff when he vandalizes the firm’s vehicles.
He comes before Judge Becky McBride, who is new to town with plans of remaining no more than six months before returning with her nine years old son Nick to Denver. Will is attracted to Her Honor, but she rejects his request for a date. However, he refuses to accept no at the same time he does community service for his acts of vandalism.
Passionate Will makes for a fun contemporary romance as he tries to persuade the urban judge that he is not a character out of the TV show Green Acres, but in spite of his intelligence, charm and looks, he competes with Louella the pig. Fans will enjoy this amusing courtship observed by the 2,596 other eccentric residents with smiles and smirks yet the tale subtly contains a plea to not arbitrarily devastate our heritage but instead incorporate our past in modernization plans though that probably will add cost.
Harriet Klausner
Soul Magic-Jennifer Lyon
Soul Magic
Jennifer Lyon
Ballantine, Oct 27 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780345506351
Wing Slayer Sutton West has vowed to follow his father’s lead if the moment he can no longer control his blood lust begins. When the curse began to overwhelm his sire chose suicide rather than harm an innocent witch.
Rogue witch slayers killed Keri Fisk. Two years have passed and her twin sister psychiatrist Dr. Carla Fisk still mourns her loss. Sutton finds he is attracted to Carla, who runs a clinic, but he fears that desire might be the first step in the curse. However, he saves her life when rogues attack, but both realize a shocker; the rogue Styx and the demon Asmodeus have teamed up and trapped Keri’s soul in a knife used by the witch slayer to provide his partner with the souls of witches she kills. As they try to save Keri’s soul, Sutton and Carla wonder which twin is his soul mate.
The second Magic romantic fantasy (see Blood Magic) is a super saga as readers learn more about the plight of Keri and the soul mirrors through the lead couple. The fun in the tale is observing Sutton and Carla forging a loving relationship in spite of the curse placing them in opposite hostile camps in which their attraction means death. Filled with danger Soul Magic is a terrific tale that stands alone, but reading the previous entry enhances the knowledge of the Lyon world of Magic.
Harriet Klausner
Jennifer Lyon
Ballantine, Oct 27 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780345506351
Wing Slayer Sutton West has vowed to follow his father’s lead if the moment he can no longer control his blood lust begins. When the curse began to overwhelm his sire chose suicide rather than harm an innocent witch.
Rogue witch slayers killed Keri Fisk. Two years have passed and her twin sister psychiatrist Dr. Carla Fisk still mourns her loss. Sutton finds he is attracted to Carla, who runs a clinic, but he fears that desire might be the first step in the curse. However, he saves her life when rogues attack, but both realize a shocker; the rogue Styx and the demon Asmodeus have teamed up and trapped Keri’s soul in a knife used by the witch slayer to provide his partner with the souls of witches she kills. As they try to save Keri’s soul, Sutton and Carla wonder which twin is his soul mate.
The second Magic romantic fantasy (see Blood Magic) is a super saga as readers learn more about the plight of Keri and the soul mirrors through the lead couple. The fun in the tale is observing Sutton and Carla forging a loving relationship in spite of the curse placing them in opposite hostile camps in which their attraction means death. Filled with danger Soul Magic is a terrific tale that stands alone, but reading the previous entry enhances the knowledge of the Lyon world of Magic.
Harriet Klausner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)