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Monday, September 05, 2016
Scent-Soaked Story a Long, Dull Slog
10:10 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
For centuries, the Rossini women have been some of Europe's most sought-after perfumiers. With their almost otherworldly ability to create scents perfect for their wearers, the Rossinis' abilities have always been in high demand. So much so that the family business has become more than a mere vocation; it's turned into an obsession. After a chaotic childhood centered around the all-consuming creation of perfume, 28-year-old Elena wants nothing to do with her aromatic heritage. So what if she's been "blessed" with the ability to identify the ingredients in a perfume by scent alone? She's more than just a nose and she wants more than the lonely, haunted lives her mother and grandmother led.
When Elena walks in on her cheating fiancé, her well-crafted future starts to crumble before her eyes. At loose ends, she doesn't know what to do with herself. When her best friend suggests starting over in Paris, Elena goes. Reluctantly. Although her sales job in a luxurious perfume house is less than satisfactory, she loves her apartment and is intrigued by her mysterious neighbor, a handsome rose breeder. The longer she's surrounded by the tantalizing scents that take her back to her childhood, the more Elena finds herself drawn back in the world of perfume. Like her grandmother before her, Elena longs to discover the secret scent combination that first made her family famous. When her own obsession starts to take over, Elena must take a hard look at herself, her family, and the future she really wants.
Comparisons to Joanne Harris' Chocolat are what drew me to The Secret Ways of Perfume, a debut novel by Italian author Cristina Caboni. I was expecting a similar set-up— a rich, atmospheric setting; an enchanting heroine; and a storyline that kept me reading. Did I get it? Not exactly. I don't know if something was lost in translation (I believe The Secret Ways of Perfume was originally published in Italian) or if perfume just doesn't excite me like chocolate does, but I really struggled to finish this book. Without a lot of plot to keep it going, the story drags, creeping along in slow-slow motion. The characters are too cliché to be interesting. Caboni's flat prose doesn't help matters—relying more on tell than show, her storytelling feels lifeless and dull. I found some of the perfume history/technique intriguing, but not compelling enough to carry the story. In the end, I slogged through the novel only because I had committed to reviewing it. If I had picked The Secret Ways of Perfume up at the library, I wouldn't have bothered reading past the first chapter.
(Readalikes: The premise is similar to Chocolat by Joanne Harris, but that's pretty much where the similarities end, in my opinion.)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), and mild sexual content/innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Secret Ways of Perfume from the generous folks at Berkley/NAL, a division of Penguin. Thank you!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Raw, Real Medical Memoir Compulsively Readable. Really.
4:56 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
From a young age, Emily Wing felt different from the kids around her. Her emotions seemed out-of-whack, making her feel alternately aggressive, angry, anxious, lonely, and sad. Impulsive behavior and frequent dizziness also plagued the little girl. Starting therapy at six helped a little. Mostly, though, she found solace only in writing stories. "Words never let me down," she recalls. "With words, I never let myself down" (62). A near-fatal accident at 12 led to a discovery that went a long way toward explaining Emily's feelings of otherness—doctors found a tumor the size of a grapefruit growing at the base of her skull. This "miracle" find changed the life of pre-teen Emily, who was determined to overcome the lingering, debilitating effects of the brain tumor to fulfill her dream of becoming a successful author.
In the fickle world of YA lit, memoirs are a rare breed. Cruise the teen shelves at the library or bookstore and you'll find only a few. That's one of the reasons All Better Now, a new memoir by YA novelist Emily Wing Smith is so refreshing. It's unique, yes, but it's also honest, funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful. A tale like this could so easily veer into a sappy, platitude-filled story; it doesn't. It's uplifting while remaining both raw and real. Teens, especially, will appreciate Smith's forthrightness. No matter their age or experience, readers' hearts will go out to young Emily, an entirely empathetic heroine with a wholly compelling story. All Better Now is not the kind of book I usually describe as compulsively readable, but in this case, it's true. I devoured it in one sitting. Hand this one to teens—or anyone, really—who enjoys a quick, enlightening read that will make them look at the people around them with new eyes and a more compassionate heart.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of Small Steps by Peg Kehret and This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Grace Earl)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, non-graphic mention of mature subjects (prostitution, sex, child molestation, male anatomy, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of All Better Now from Amazon using a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Dark, Disturbing Mystery a Compelling (But Depressing) Read
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
"'Don't go pokin' through other people's closets, son. Them skeletons can be real mean" (40).
Even on her best days, Althea Leary can be unpredictable. Jasper, her 9-year-old son, loves it when she's warm and playful. When she's moody or angry, however, he knows to stay out of her way. Jasper is naturally confused when, instead of going to work in Detroit one morning, his mother drops him off at his uncle's farm in the country. Althea's smiling, trying to make the outing sound exciting, but Jasper senses something frightening beneath her false grin. When she rushes away, he worries. When she doesn't come week after week, he gets scared. Where has his mother gone?
Jasper's not the only one asking that question. Everyone, including a persistent detective, wants to know where Althea's hiding. Jasper can't understand what's going on. His mother is just his mother. People are calling her a troublemaker, a hussy, saying she's gotten herself mixed up in something dangerous. But what? And why? As Jasper does some snooping of his own, he stumbles on some startling truths about his mother. His search for her takes him into a crumbling old house, some seedy city establishments, and even the mysterious Indian reservation near his uncle's farm. Somewhere, someone knows the truth about Althea. Jasper can't rest until he finds it, finds her. Bad men are looking for his mom. He has to get to her first. Even if it means risking his life to do it.
The Buried Book by D.M. Pulley is a dark, disturbing mystery set against a bleak 1950s backdrop. Jasper's innocence at the beginning of the book makes a stark contrast to this setting. The boy remains a sympathetic hero throughout the novel, even though his purity is scraped away day by day as he journeys to hell and back in order to make some very adult discoveries. His experiences make for difficult reading. More than once, I wanted to shove this book away, but the mystery at the heart of The Buried Book brought me back. I was as curious as Jasper to know what had happened to Althea. Although the story's big reveals didn't end up being all that startling—or even satisfying—I kept flipping pages just so I could see how the story ended. Despite that, I found the story so depressing overall that I kind of wish I had skipped it altogether.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, sexual content, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Buried Book from Lake Union Publishing in return for being part of the book's tour with TLC Book Tours. Thank you!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
TTT: And Still They Languish ...
8:03 AM
Believe it or not (not!), I started this blog ten years ago this month. Crazy. It's evolved a lot since then, as have I. Weirdly enough, in all those years, my enthusiasm for book blogging has not waned. I still think it's a grand old time. Will I still be doing this ten years from now? Probably. Here's to another decade of BBB!
I've been inhaling books for a lot longer than ten years so you'd think that I'd have read every book on my TBR
Top Ten Books That have Been On My TBR List Since Before I Started Blogging:
1. Atonement by Ian McEwan (2003)—This Booker Prize-nominated novel seems to be about many things: writing, a crime that changes people's lives, war, and I'm not sure what else. Lots of people love it and I've yet to read it or anything by McEwan for that matter.
2. Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick (2006)—I bought this book at Borders back in the day. I've been meaning to read it ever since. My Bailey (Bayley) ancestors did not come to America on the Mayflower, but they arrived in Plymouth soon after the famous ship docked. Mayflower is supposed to be a fascinating account of the Pilgrims and their journey to the New World. Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea has also been on my TBR list for some time.
3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2004)—This story about an autistic teen investigating the death of a neighborhood dog sounds quirky and interesting. I've seen lots of praise for it over the years. And yet, still it languishes on Ye Olde TBR ...
4. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2006)—A sweeping multi-generational tale about fathers and sons, this novel came out the year I started blogging. Still haven't gotten around to it.
5. The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst (2004)—This tale about a man who tries to make sense of his wife's death by performing experiments to teach his dog to speak sounds ... unusual. Also heartbreaking. I'm still curious about it. One of these days I'll finally get to it. Maybe.
6. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2001)—Admittedly, I'm not a huge dragon/fantasy fan. Still, so many people love the Inheritance Cycle series that I need to at least give it a go. The fact that Paolini wrote the first book when he was just 15 is another reason to check it out.
7. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (2002)—Like many people, I've only read one book by Zusak—The Book Thief. Some of my most trusted book blogging friends (I'm looking at you, Suey and Jenny) think he's written more than one great novel. I need to see for myself. This particular Zusak has been on my TBR list for far too long. It's about time I just read I Am the Messenger already!
8. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1998)—I love post-apocalyptic books, but for some reason I just can't ever get very far in this one. Not because it's not intriguing, just because I always get distracted by newer, shinier books.
9. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (2004)—I've heard so many great things about Roach's books, this one in particular, that it's a wonder I still haven't read her. I need to remedy that right away.
10. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (1992)—I was completely swept away by Outlander when I read it way back when. Why I didn't grab this sequel immediately I'm not sure. I'll have to read Outlander again before I can continue on with this series, so who knows if it will ever actually happen? I like big books (and I cannot lie), but re-reading has never been my favorite thing.
So, there you have it. What do you think? Have you read any of these? Do you consider any of them must-reads or can they linger on the TBR list? I'd love to have a look at your list. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT!
(All book images from Barnes & Noble)
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