Don't Kill the Birthday Girl A Review

Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl : Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley

Genre: Adult Memoir  ARC ( July 12, 2011)

Publisher: Crown

Source:  Won from Shelf Awareness

Book Description:

Like twelve million other Americans, Sandra Beasley suffers from food allergies. Her allergies—severe and lifelong—include dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Add to that mold, dust, grass and tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool, and it’s no wonder Sandra felt she had to live her life as “Allergy Girl.” When butter is deadly and eggs can make your throat swell shut, cupcakes and other treats of childhood are out of the question—and so Sandra’s mother used to warn guests against a toxic, frosting-tinged kiss with “Don’t kill the birthday girl!”
 
It may seem that such a person is “not really designed to survive,” as one blunt nutritionist declared while visiting Sandra’s fourth-grade class. But Sandra has not only survived, she’s thrived—now an essayist, editor, and award-winning poet, she has learned to navigate a world in which danger can lurk in an unassuming corn chip. Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is her story. 
 
With candor, wit, and a journalist’s curiosity, Sandra draws on her own experiences while covering the scientific, cultural, and sociological terrain of allergies. She explains exactly what an allergy is, describes surviving a family reunion in heart-of-Texas beef country with her vegetarian sister, delves into how being allergic has affected her romantic relationships, exposes the dark side of Benadryl, explains how parents can work with schools to protect their allergic children, and details how people with allergies should advocate for themselves in a restaurant.
 
A compelling mix of memoir, cultural history, and science, Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is mandatory reading for the millions of families navigating the world of allergies—and a not-to-be-missed literary treat for the rest of us.

Review:

I enjoyed this book and learning about allergies and how people with really severe ones learn to cope.  I have allergies, but luckily not to food, and can understand the author’s struggles to live a normal life.

One of the things I found interesting is that 150 people /year die from anaphylactic reactions to allergens in the US.  I knew that some people reacted violently to bee stings or some other allergens, but I didn’t know how many people die from it.

There are 8 legally classified allergens : milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, & wheat. 

Sandra has to make sure that her food is prepared without any of the usual things like milk and certain oils before she can sit down in a restaurant to have a normal meal like the rest of us. 

She approaches this subject with humor and tries to make those of us who aren’t as allergic as she is what it’s like for her and many others to navigate through life as a normal person.

This was a fun read and enlightening one as well and highly recommend it for anyone who is struggling or knows someone who struggles to survive with severe allergies.

I received this book as a win from Shelf Awareness.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg. 1 of Ghellow Road by T.H. Waters

I was a tiny, toe-headed girl, the second child of two parents who were madly in love with me.  I will never forget those early years before The Invisibles came to cast their dark, permanent shadows on our unsuspecting walls.

Happy Reading!

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Jamrach's Menagerie Review

Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch

Genre: Adult Fiction  ARC ( June 14, 2011)

Publisher: Doubleday

Source:  Won from Shelf Awareness

Book Description:

A thrilling and powerful novel about a young boy lured to sea by the promise of adventure and reward, with echoes of Great Expectations, Moby-Dick, and The Voyage of the Narwhal.

Jamrach’s Menagerie tells the story of a nineteenth-century street urchin named Jaffy Brown. Following an incident with an escaped tiger, Jaffy goes to work for Mr. Charles Jamrach, the famed importer of exotic animals, alongside Tim, a good but sometimes spitefully competitive boy. Thus begins a long, close friendship fraught with ambiguity and rivalry.

Mr. Jamrach recruits the two boys to capture a fabled dragon during the course of a three-year whaling expedi­tion. Onboard, Jaffy and Tim enjoy the rough brotherhood of sailors and the brutal art of whale hunting. They even succeed in catching the reptilian beast.

But when the ship’s whaling venture falls short of expecta­tions, the crew begins to regard the dragon—seething with feral power in its cage—as bad luck, a feeling that is cruelly reinforced when a violent storm sinks the ship.

Drifting across an increasingly hallucinatory ocean, the sur­vivors, including Jaffy and Tim, are forced to confront their own place in the animal kingdom. Masterfully told, wildly atmospheric, and thundering with tension, Jamrach’s Mena­gerie is a truly haunting novel about friendship, sacrifice, and survival.

Review:

This was an interesting read.  If you like adventure on the high seas then you’ll enjoy this book.  There are parts of this novel that are uncomfortable to read, but you must read it to understand what a life at sea was like during this time.

You see Jaffy grow from a street urchin to a man who’s seen things he will never forget, but struggles to make a life for himself and his family.  It’s the type of book that you’ll not soon forget, and may also help us understand what some of our soldiers are like when they return home and have trouble living their old life.

I received this book as a win from Shelf Awareness.

Happy Reading!

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Silent Russian A Review

Silent Russian by Valerie Biamonte

Genre: Adult Fiction

Publisher: The World is Our Oyster Publishing and Screenwriting Inc.

Source:  Sent to me by the author

Book Description:

1968 Chicago saw more than its share of violence. Mick Ivanov patrols one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. While training to defend against rioters at the Democratic National Convention, Mick is counting on doing his part to protect the innocent. What he doesn't count on is a killer in the midst... The Impaler, a vigilante serial killer, is terrorizing unsavory citizens on Mick's beat. But his true agenda is a vendetta against Mick. He sets out to ruin the patrolman's career. While discovering victim after victim, Mick and his partner, Tom Peterson, search through Mick's shadowed past to find the key to capturing the killer. The search turns desperate when the unstoppable Impaler sets his sights on what Mick loves the most: his family!

Review:

I loved this book.  This is the second book of Valerie’s that I’ve read.  Her characters are believable and they tug at your heartstrings.  This one doesn’t lack in action.  While trying to do his job Mick has a serial killer following his every move because he feels it’s his job and that Mick can’t do it. I also liked how it shows the reader how tough it is for cops to protect citizens during a major convention and the steps they have to go through to ensure our safety.

You get a feel of what it must have been like to work a beat like the Democratic National Convention during a tumultuous time in our history.

When the killer is revealed it comes as a surprise to Mick and even the reader because you didn’t see it coming.  You feel Mick’s frustration at trying to save the citizens on his watch and protecting his family.  If you like hard hitting action and a story that makes you feel good even in the midst of chaos, then you’ll love this book.

Thanks to Valerie for sending me a copy of this book.

Happy Reading!

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A Young Wife Review

A Young Wife by Pam Lewis

Genre: Adult Fiction ARC

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source:  Won from Shelf Awareness

Book Description:

When fifteen-year-old Minke van Aisma travels to Amsterdam to care for the dying wife of an older, wealthy man named Sander DeVries, she has no idea what awaits her. Within hours of his wife’s death, Sander proposes marriage, and within days the couple sets sail for the burgeoning oil fields of Argentina.

But the future that seemed so bright takes a dark turn the morning their son, Zef, is kidnapped. Dire circumstances dictate that Sander immigrate to New York at once, leaving Minke little choice but to wait for their new baby’s arrival, follow Sander to America, and abandon her firstborn.

What follows is a triumphant turn-of-the-century saga of love, betrayal, and redemption that takes readers from the opulent life in Amsterdam during the 1900s to rough life on the Argentine coast to the impoverished life of a recent immigrant in New York.

An indelible portrait of one woman’s struggle to steer her own fate, A Young Wife is a powerful journey that will stay with readers long past the final page.

Review:

I loved this book.  You cheer for Minke and hope that she survives the changes that her husband puts her through.  After her first born is kidnapped and her husband abandons her to go to New York while she’s pregnant with her second child, you start to understand how she is beginning to realize that something isn’t right.

Once she arrives in New York things begin to change and Minke begins to grow up and become a strong responsible woman who doesn’t need a man to feel complete.  You can’t help but feel her pain and triumph when she leaves her husband, finds her kidnapped son, and moves back to South America with both her children to start a new life full of promise and hope.

This story is based on the real life of the author’s family.

Happy Reading!

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Author Q & A Valerie Biamonte

Q & A with Valerie Biamonte author of Wiretap and Silent Russian

I’d like to welcome Valerie to As The Page Turns.  She is a writer of

adult mysteries  and children’s books.  She also is the owner of The

World is our Oyster Publishing and Screenwriting, Inc.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing in grade school for fun. I would write short plays, then my sister would design the 'set' and costumes (or puppets) and we would put on shows for our parents. They were very supportive and we had a great time! I got away from writing as time progressed and my love for numbers took hold. I still have and love my day job as an accountant. I got back into writing several years ago when my husband suggested I write a kids book about our pets...and I haven't put down the proverbial pen since.

What is Silent Russian about?

Silent Russian, while a complete work of fiction, touches on a side of the 1968 Democratic Convention riots that reporters of that era (or since) never really got into...the point of view of the patrolmen out there risking it all to save their city, the citizens in it, and themselves. Media at that time focused almost entirely on the hippies and Yippies point of view. In my searches, I couldn't find a single interview with a police officer.

That aside, Silent Russian is a story about a patrolman, Mikhail Ivanov, who's beat is in one of Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods. Mick finds himself stalked by a serial killer who is determined to destroy him and his career. In order to put a stop to it, he must delve into his murky past to discover the madman's identity. When his family is threatened, his world is turned upside down and the search becomes desperate. It takes place before and during the 1968 Convention riots.

Where did the idea for the book come from?

I have several friends who are on the force or used to be. I have to say, Page, I can listen to their stories for hours and hours (and I have, too :-). I love to listen. The police have a tough job, and back in the 60's and earlier, they had very little help doing it. But in listening to everyone's experiences, I realized I could easily come up with a heroic protagonist, a creepy antagonist, and weave it into a tale that others would enjoy.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I like Jeffery Deaver, Patricia Cornwell (her older works), Dean Koontz (Brother Odd...love it!), Michael Palmer, and once in a while I enjoy a good Bentley Little novel. I'm currently reading Andrew Kaufman's 'While the Savage Sleeps'.

What one book inspired you to become a writer?

It really wasn't any one book. When I first renewed my interest in writing I was in my 20's, and this is actually a strange reason...I was into romance novels, since that was the Big Thing back then. Everyone was reading and writing romances. There were quite a few of them I would read and be thinking, "Jeez, I can do better than this!" So I did. At that time, however, it was more for fun than anything else. I didn't put any effort into getting anything published. It wasn't until a few years ago I decided to get serious about sharing my stories.

Do you see yourself as becoming a full time author and leaving

accounting behind?

Now that's a tough one...  I love my work and everyone I work with, not only in the office but I've made friends and contacts all over the country. I'm going to see how it goes. It would take a lot to entice me away from the place I work.

What’s next for you?  Do you have another book in the works?

I am about halfway through the first draft of my next novel. This one has a horror/thriller flair to it. I decided to take one of my screenplays, The Ghost of Retirement, and turn it into a novel. You can see the synopsis for it at www.TheWoopsInc.com, just click on the Screenplays button. I'm enjoying it immensely! I'm also thinking about a sequel to Silent Russian. Mick and his family are so much fun, I think readers may want to hear more. I have a growing list of ideas, and I can't wait to dive into it all!

Thanks to Valerie for stopping by As The Page Turns.

Thank you too, Page!  This has been great fun and I hope you enjoyed Silent Russian.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg. 49 Silent Russian by Valerie Biamonte

Mick pulled on his gloves and crept up the stairs with the quiet stealth he was known for. He checked out every room in the house, every corner, every closet.

Happy Reading!

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Hereville Graphic Novel Review

Hereville : How Mirka Got her Sword by Barry Deutsch

Genre: Juvenile Graphic Novel

Publisher: Amulet Books

Source:  Library book

Book Description:

Set in a well-realized contemporary Orthodox Jewish community, this sweet and engaging tale of 11-year-old Mirka’s thirst for a dragon-slaying adventure unfolds in well-integrated images and text. Mirka’s family includes a stepmother who is strict but not evil, a marriage-obsessed older sister, and a little brother for whom Mirka alternately takes responsibility and finds unwontedly cumbersome. Deutsch creates authentic characters spiced with just enough fantasy to surprise: the members of the community use Yiddish and Hebrew expressions, which are translated as they appear in the text, and the arrival of a talking pig in the village presents a challenge for Mirka, as pig and girl compete to outmaneuver each other in arguments as well as actions. And then there’s the space alien who challenges Mirka to knit for her life. Details of Orthodox daily life are well blended into the art and given just the right touches of explanation to keep readers on track. Mirka is a spunky, emotionally realistic, and fun heroine for her peers to discover.

Review:

I’m new to reading graphic novels and am planning to read more of them to get familiar with them.  This one was a lot of fun and a quick read. 

Mirka wants to find monsters, very unJewish-like, and meets a witch who can help her get a sword for fighting monsters.  She has to fight a troll in order to get the sword. 

The novel has Yiddish thrown in and the reader is told what the words mean, so you also get a glimpse into the life of Orthodox Jews. 

I enjoyed this book and hope anyone who reads this enjoys it as well.   This is aimed toward 9-12 year olds and will appeal to young girls who think just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you can’t fight monsters.

Happy Reading!

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Aztec Civilization Review

Aztec Civilization by Don Nardo

Genre: Juvenile Non- Fiction

Publisher: Lucent

Source:  Library book

Book Description:

The introduction to this fine series asks the same question that many students ask: Why do we have to learn about history? It’s even honest when it says that most young people aren’t satisfied with the usual answer about learning lessons from the past. A more engaging idea is that history is about stories, and here the series shines as it provides contemporaneous writing as well as work by scholars that offer plenty of drama and lots of facts, too. In Aztec Civilization, Nardo gives a complete look at this impressive society, with special attention to its beginning, and, of course, its ignoble fall. The role of women is especially interesting. The series provides a solid time line, plenty of photographs, sourced quotes, and a list of books and websites for further investigation.

Review:

I didn’t know a lot about the Aztecs, but this book covers everything about the Aztecs from the class structure, religion, and all their contributions to the world.

This book is written to get children interested in history and then hopefully encourages them to delve further into this little known culture. 

One of the things I found interesting was that if a woman dies in childbirth she is considered a warrior and is given respect for dying while delivering a new member of the society.

This is a good book for ages 9-12. 

Happy Reading!

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Spun By Sorcery Review

Spun by Sorcery by Barbara Bretton

Genre: Adult Fiction

Publisher: Berkeley Trade

Source:  Library book

Book Description:

While Chloe Hobbs, a half-human sorceress-in-training who owns the popular yarn shop, Sticks and Strings, and the love of her life, the all-too-human chief of police, Luke MacKenzie, are off fighting the forces of evil to protect his daughter’s soul, the unthinkable happens. The town of Sugar Maple, Vermont, disappears—animals, people, buildings, roads: everything. Not only do Chloe and Luke have to figure out how this could be. They also have to engage in another battle to the death with supernatural forces. And they have to face all of this when they haven’t even begun to recover from the previous clash. The third book, following Casting Spells (2008) and Laced with Magic (2009), in Bretton’s decidedly dark saga of Sugar Maple, a place where vampires, trolls, shapeshifters, and werewolves live in peace, is an exciting conclusion to her very clever trilogy. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Chloe and Luke risk everything to protect the little town they love.

Review:

This was a fun read.  I’ve read the other two books in the series and this one is just as much fun as the others.  The characters overcome personal barriers to discover what makes Sugar Maple possible to reappear from the ether.

Chloe and Luke battle ancient witches and fae to restore their town and save their friends.  Luke stands by Chloe while she matches wits with old magick.

If you like cozy reads that aren’t mysteries then you’ll like this book.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg. 84 of Spun by Sorcery by Barbara Bretton

“Et tu, cattus?”  For a moment I felt like Kim Novak in Bell, Book, and Candle with her familiar wrapped around her shoulders like a feather shawl.

Happy Reading!

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The Cat, the Quilt, and the Corpse Review

The Cat, the Quilt, and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney

Genre: Adult Fiction Mystery

Publisher: Penguin

Source: Library


Book Description:

Jillian Hart is content making and selling cat quilts and living quietly in Mercy, S.C., with her three cats, Syrah, Chablis and Merlot. When Syrah is catnapped, Jillian finds not only the thief-thanks to a state-of-the-art alarm system installed by charming PI Tom Stewart-but also a murder mystery to solve. The cats are entertaining four-legged assistants, with traits like Chablis's human allergy and Merlot's ninja-style defensive tactics. Jillian's quirky neighbors also liven up the thin plot, particularly Tom, whose knack with alarms and computers comes in handy, and flamboyant deputy coroner Lydia Monk. Kitty-lovers will enjoy the feline trivia, but readers looking for a complex mystery will chafe at the slow pace and last-minute revelations.


Review:

This was a fun and cozy mystery. I’m a cat lover and a quilter, so this book was doubly fun to read. The author does a good job of researching cat behaviors and makes the cats lovable. She also captures what life is like in most small towns, where no secret stays secret for long. Jillian is adjusting to life in a small town and starts to discover things about herself and the people who live in Mercy with her.

If you want a quick beach read then this book is right up your alley. Even if you’re not a cat lover you will fall in love with Jillian’s cats.


Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg. 19 of The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney

That was a kindness and now I managed a smile as I drove on home.  Small towns have their advantages-like genuine concern from a relative stranger

Happy Reading!

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Kitchen Daughter Review

Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

Genre: Adult Fiction

Publisher: Gallery

Source:  Shelf Awareness win

Book Description:

An Asperger's-afflicted woman finds the keys to life and her family history in the kitchen after her parents die in McHenry's inspired if uneven debut. Ginny Selvaggio has lived a sheltered life: unable to maintain eye contact, make friends, or finish college due to her undiagnosed condition, the 26-year-old lives in her parents' home, surfing the Internet and perfecting recipes. But after her parents die, Ginny and her sister, Amanda, disagree about what to do with the family home—Amanda wants to sell, Ginny doesn't. As they bicker about what to do with the house and the problems caused by Ginny's awkwardness, Ginny comforts herself by cooking and soon learns that the dishes she prepares can conjure spirits. The ghosts, including her grandmother, leave clues about possible family secrets, as do a box of photographs Ginny discovers tucked away. McHenry's idea of writing an Asperger's narrator works well for the most part, but the supernatural touches undermine her admirable efforts and add a silly element to what is otherwise an intelligent and moving account of an intriguing heroine's belated battle to find herself.

Review:

I loved this book.  If you like books with a magical quality to them and you like to cook then I highly recommend this book.  Ginny discovers that she can bring ghost to her kitchen by cooking a recipe of theirs. 

The writing is excellent and the story is magical.  Each chapter has a recipe in it that Ginny uses and it explains the process she uses to create the dish just right to bring the person she wishes to talk to.

Here is one of my favorite scenes in the book:

The first feeling is shock, but then another feeling crashes over it like a wave, blots it out.  All my nerves are singing and all my wires are crossed.  I am tasting and feeling but nothing that I am tasting or feeling is here.  His kisses are honey.  His tongue is like a ripe slice of mango, firm and slippery, irresistibly smooth. It’s hard to breathe. A soft, spreading warmth descends from my neck down my body to my toes, spreading out like milk in coffee, rolling in curls and waves and currents.

This was a wonderful, quick, fun read and I highly recommend it.  If you like The Peach Keeper  and Like Water for Chocolate then you’ll love this one.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg. 29 of The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

When shortbread melts on your tongue, you feel the roundness of the butter and the kiss of sugar and then they vanish.  Then you eat another, to feel it again, to get at that moment of vanishing.

Happy Reading!

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May is Latino Book Month

MAY IS LATINO BOOK MONTH

Here are some books to celebrate Latino Book month:

The Norton Anthology of Latino literature

Features the work of Latino writers from Chicano, Puerto Rican, and Cuban- and Dominican-American traditions and Spanish-speaking countries, from letters to the Spanish crown by conquistadors to modern-day cartoonists.

Bodega dreams by Ernesto Quinonez

Chino, a promising young latino, finds himself drawn into the dangerous world of Willy Bodega, ruler of Spanish Harlem, and torn between his loyalties to his pregnant Pentecostal wife and the promises of the barrio ringleader.

Mangos, bananas, and coconuts : a Cuban love story by Himilce Novas

Esmeralda, the daughter of a poor Cuban exile, and Juan, the pampered son of a wealthy Cuban family in Miami, meet in a church in Spanish Harlem and begin a fateful relationship, not realizing that they are twins who were tragically separated from each other at birth.

Becoming Latina in 10 easy steps by Lara Rios

Considered the family spinster because of her high-powered career and lack of marital prospects, Marcela Alvarez receives an unexpected shock when she discovers that her deadbeat dad is not Latino and embarks on a ten-step plan to reunited with her Chicana roots.

Fifteen candles by Veronica Chambers

When Alicia tries to start a business organizing quinceaneras, and she drags her friends into it as well, party organizing turns out to be harder than she thought, and Alicia risks losing her new business and her friends.

The secret story of Sonia Rodriguez by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Tenth-grader Sonia reveals secrets about her life and her Hispanic family as she studies hard to become the first Rodriguez to finish high school.

Quinceanera means sweet fifteen by Veronica Chambers

Eagerly anticipating her Quincea~nera, the fifteenth birthday celebration that will signify her adulthood, Marisol is troubled by a lack of money, her mother's new boyfriend, changes in her best friend, and the absence of the father she never knew.

The tortilla cat by Nancy Willard

When all five Romero children get sick, a magical cat appears in the night and cures them of their fevers.

These are just some of the types of books you could read, there are many more.  Happy Latino Book Month.

Happy Reading!

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