Thursday, April 11, 2013

Spring Cleaning, ahem, Reading
by Brenda Janowitz

Ah, springtime!  Time to clear out the cobwebs, get a breath of fresh air, and clean out the closets.  I've got closets full of books over at my place, so spring always means reading for me.  A time to catch up on the books I haven't had time to dig in to, a time to read the books I've been hearing so much about.

I'd been hearing so many great things about The Good House by Ann Leary.  There were the amazing reviews, and then this very candid segment on CBS This Morning.  I found Ann's honesty so brave and inspiring that I didn't even make it to the bookstore, I just hit click on my iPhone's Kindle app.

I was trying to save this book to read on vacation, but I took a little peek at chapter one-- something I always do. I was immediately swept away by the story and read the whole book before I even got on the plane!  The characters, the setting, the story-- they all carried me away and I just couldn't stop reading.  The Good House is a must read!


I was lucky enough to attend Ellen Meister's book party at the wonderful Corner Bookstore for the debut of her latest, Farewell, Dorothy Parker.  I've always been a fan of both Dorothy Parker and Ellen Meister, so I was excited to dig in. This book does not disappoint.  The writing is pitch-perfect-- you'll really believe that it's Dorothy Parker on those pages-- and the story is sweet and charming with a ton of heart.

Elinor Lipman said of the book: "What bliss to be in the company of a reimagined Dorothy Parker!  Ellen Meister's wonderful novel delivers the wit, ingenuity and elegiac sass worthy of the Algonquin Round Table's most quoted member. Long live Dorothy Parker and her zingers, resurrected so winningly in these pages."  

And the word has been so positive about Dorothy and Ellen that Ellen's already signed the deal to write another Dorothy Parker book!

My book club (yes, authors belong to book clubs, too!) chose The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh as their pick last month and I devoured it.  This story of mothers and children, family, and, of course, flowers, captivated me.

The first thing you need to know is that it's a beautifully written novel.  The story of a foster child, you will find yourself understanding the main character, Victoria, in ways you can't imagine.  And the description of the language of flowers-- a Victorian language used to convey romantic expressions-- fascinated me.  (It also made me re-think my entire bridal bouquet.)

This book made such a beautiful statement about moms and motherhood at the end that, frankly, I still tear up when I think about it.

I just began Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and I don't know why it sat in my To Be Read pile for so long.  Just a few pages in, I'm already wondering why I waited so long to enjoy this epic novel.

Here's what it's about:


From the moment it opens—on a rocky patch of Italian coastline, circa 1962, when a daydreaming younginnkeeper looks out over the water and spies a mysterious woman approaching him on a boat—Jess Walter's Beautiful Ruins is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel. From the lavish set of Cleopatra to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, to the back lots of contemporary Hollywood, Beautiful Ruins is gloriously inventive and constantly surprising—a story of flawed yet fascinating people navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams.

And the cover is gorgeous, isn't it?!

Next on my reading list is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.  It seems like everyone is talking about this book, doesn't it?  Jennifer Weiner said that it lives up to the hype, and that's pretty much all I need to know.

Here's what it's about:

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right? 

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war. 

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?

Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original -- this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best. 



Is that a WOW or what?  I kind of wish I came up with that concept.  I have a feeling this one's going to keep up me up late at night.

So, what are YOU reading these days?





I’m the author of SCOT ON THE ROCKS and JACK WITH A TWIST. My third novel, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, will be published by St. Martin's on July 2, 2013. My work’s also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly. You can find me at brendajanowitz.com or on Twitter at @BrendaJanowitz.


22 comments:

  1. Terrific suggestions, Brenda!! I've already read a couple, and I'm looking forward to the other must-reads on your list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Laura! Which ones have you read? I'm so eager to discuss all of these books!!

      Delete
  2. Great picks! I'm currently reading Beautiful Ruins - I love Jess Walter's books - and have everything else on your list in my TBR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so cool that we're reading the same book!! Let's discuss when we're done. I'm doing LIFE AFTER LIFE next. Read that and we can get a little Lauren-Brenda book club going!!

      Delete
  3. Thanks for the shout-out ... and the great recommendations! A generous and terrific post from a generous and terrific writer!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ellen! You know I'm a huge fan of your work, and FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER is your best yet!! I ripped through it so, so fast.

      Delete
    2. Thank you,Brenda! Can't wait for the world to read your Recipe for a Happy Life!!
      xo
      P.S. So glad blogger finally let me post. Had to use a different computer.

      Delete
  4. I love love love The Language of Flowers. So good. I just read The Aviator's Wife and decided I like historical fiction. I'll put The Good House on my Goodreads list!
    Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wasn't it great, Carolyn?! I loved it so much, too!!

      Putting The Aviator's Wife on my TBR list.

      Delete
  5. I always love your reading lists, and will def add some of these to my list. I read Beautiful Ruins last summer and wanted to love it, but found it gimmicky, though did read it from cover to cover, and do expect to see the film version (had a feeling it was written to be a film) I just finished Diane Keaton's "Then Again," a surprisingly good read!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Melissa! I'm halfway through Beautiful Ruins, and I've gotta say, I'm loving it, but I'll let you know what I think when I'm done! I'm mentally casting the movie as I read!!

      Gotta check out Diane Keaton's book. Thanks for the rec!!

      Delete
  6. Beautiful Ruins was the best of 2012 for me. I read The Good House a few weeks ago and loved it, but I didn't like the end of one of the characters, it didn't make much sense to me. You'll see, but overall a wonderful read. Right now I'm just starting to read "The Interestings" by Meg Wolitzer (brand new release).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the comment! I've been circling Meg Wolitzer's book, so let me know how it is!!

      Delete
  7. Great suggestions, Brenda! I'm working on getting my own SUMMER reading done and out, so I've only been reading in dribs and drabs. Dear Life by my fave Alice Munro is picked up whenever I have some time, because even though the stories are short, they suck you right it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Ariella, I'm a huge Alice Munro fan! I've been meaning to read Dear Life!

      Delete
  8. Fabulous books, Brenda!! You've listed several here that are on my TBR list (esp. Ellen's latest and Beautiful Ruins :). Right now I'm reading a critique partner's novel that'll be out soon -- and loving it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't that the best?! I love it when I have the chance to read something fabulous before the rest of the world!

      Delete
  9. THANKS (I think!) for adding to my "to buy" and "TBR" stack! I've read The Language of Flowers, and it's one of my all-time top five favs. One of those books you close and wish you'd have written it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! Yes! Getting lots of book recs is great for the TBR pile, not so good for the wallet!!

      I feel the same way about Language of Flowers. What an accomplishment!

      Delete
  10. I loved Language of Flowers and I can't wait to read Ellen's book; it's on my stack. You have great taste, Brenda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, Karin, you are going to LOVE Ellen's book! It was such a delight.

      Did you read Beautiful Ruins? I just finished and I'm dying to talk about it!!

      Delete
  11. I am an avid reader of historical romance and historical fiction. I find that love stories in a different time and a different culture speak to me a little more than the vampire romances and sexually driven bondage stories of today. I like to have characters that I relate to and care for. I am happy to see you have found an appreciation for historical fiction too! I must recommend my most recent find, “Shanghai Love” by author Layne Wong ((http://laynewong.com/). The main character, Peilin, is a woman of honor and tradition. She is betrothed to marry a man but he is killed before her wedding. Bound by duty she takes his name and adopts his family as her own. A young, vibrant character, married to a ghost and stuck in what seems to be a hopeless situation. The story takes place in World War 2 and brings Peilin to Shanghai to look after her deceased husband’s family herbal medicine shop. She is introduced to a new world and new people. Shanghai is also Henri’s destination as he has graduated from medical school as Hitler is rising to power. The young Jewish refugee soon meets Peilin and you can guess what happens from there! It’s beautifully written and allows some time for their relationship to grow and develop. You really want these two to end up together and be happy

    ReplyDelete