Indiscretion by Charles Dubow

We’ve all been around a couple who can engulf the attention of an entire room merely by occupying it. Harry and Madeleine Winslow are that set; the natural ease between them is palpable and their chemistry is almost tangible. He is a recent National Book Award winner with a promising career ahead of him, and she is blessed with family money, but radiates beauty, elegance, and humility. Whether they are abroad in Italy after he receives the Rome Prize, in their ambrosial East Hampton home, or in gritty Manhattan, they are always surrounded by close friends and those who wish to penetrate their inner circle. During a summer spent at the beach, they meet 26 year-old Claire and, as the summer blazes on, she is slowly inducted into their world. Claire can’t help but fall in love with Harry and Maddy and at the end of the summer, it is no longer enough to just be one of their hangers-on. Told through the omniscient eyes of Maddy’s childhood friend Walter, Indiscretion is a juicy, page turning novel with writing that is sophisticated and lyrical. Deeply textured, full of light and darkness, and overwhelmingly sensual, this book will be the sexiest, most intimate story you read all year.

What an interesting story this was. In many ways it wasn’t at all what I expected but instead became an even better story.

The story is very basic: happily married man cheats on his wife. We’ve read countless stories like that, so what makes this one different? Partly, I think it’s the way it’s told. We don’t realize who the narrator is until a few chapters in and that kind of changes things for the reader. The narrator’s voice is unique although some scenes he “retells” are not entirely believable. It’s hard to think that someone could relate a whole scene without actually being present. That’s the only thing that bugged me, actually. The omniscient narrator who wasn’t, well, omniscient.

It’s a lovely, heartbreaking story that will leave you in pieces when you finish it, with consistent, good writing and a Great Gatsby atmosphere that just can’t be denied. All in all, I do recommend it to all literary fiction lovers.

Follow Friday

Q: Activity! Who is your to-die-for book crush? What do you think they look like? Add an image to make us all happy

Ah, well, that would be Sherlock Holmes. Always. He was my first literary crush and the one I've been most loyal to all these years. I just love smart men, don't you?
And forget Robert Downey Jr. Whoever did the casting for those movies was seriously smoking something. Actually, whoever read the script and said "yup, this is classic Holmes" was also smoking something. No, I picture him like this, a proper Englishman.

Ralph Fiennes is perfect in actually any role in which you cast him.

Booking Through Thursday

Can you imagine NOT being a Reader? How does it shape your life? Your perception of it?
How does being a Reader affect your relationship with all those folks who are looking at it from the other side and simply can’t understand how you can sit and READ all the time?


I cannot imagine not being a reader. Sometimes it feels like I've always read, from the second I was born. I've met people who go their entire lives without immersing themselves in books and for me it's like looking at an alien species. How do they make it through their days? How can they not long to feel the kind of connection, of wonder, a book brings? I mentioned last week that I suffer from severe depression and the only thing that sometimes brings me any comfort at all are books. The beauty and wonder of words.

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

From Under the Dome by Stephen King

"'Beautiful goddam day!' Claudie exclaimed. Chuck laughed.
Their lives had another forty seconds to run."

pg. 4

Mindfront by Dave Becker

After uncovering a universal code in the brain waves of all living things that could revolutionize psychology, Martin Keller wakes one morning to find himself covered in blood, surrounded by his butchered family. Convinced he’s being framed by a diabolical organization set on stealing or sabotaging his work, he dodges a multi-agency manhunt that pursues him from the seediest corners of DC to the highest offices of government. Struggling to stay alive and find his family’s killer, Marty soon finds himself lost in a maze of conspiracies and paranoia, and eventually begins to doubt his own sanity. How can he find the truth when he doesn’t know what’s real?

Show More

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This is a nicely done thriller that will keep most readers turning the pages to see just what happens next!

As with any thriller, the challenge is achieving the right pacing. That’s all it really comes down to. If it’s too slow, then the tension is completely lost, and if it’s too fast then there’s not enough time to build the tension up, so I was happy to see the author achieve a consistent pacing that told the story at its best.

This is the kind of story that I really enjoy, the kind that spreads clues around the book and kind of wants to make you read it again just to catch all the little things here and there. I do wish some of the characters had been a bit more fleshed out, which is always something I gripe about with thrillers, but I do recommend this book to everyone who loves a fast-paced, nail-biting story.

Musing Mondays

Have you ever read a book after watching the movie/television version only to find that you don’t like the book as much as the adaptation?


I sat for a while thinking about this one, and no, I can't come up with a single book that I liked less than the movie adaptation. It's always the other way around for me.

Stacking the Shelves

Indiscretion by Charles Dubow

The Good House by Ann Leary

A riveting novel in which an engaging and wildly irreverent woman is in complete denial—about herself, her drinking, and her love for a man she’s known all her life

The Good House tells the story of Hildy Good, who lives in a small town on Boston’s North Shore. Hildy is a successful real-estate broker, good neighbor, mother, and grandmother. She’s also a raging alcoholic. Hildy’s family held an intervention for her about a year before this story takes place—“if they invite you over for dinner, and it’s not a major holiday,” she advises “run for your life”—and now she feels lonely and unjustly persecuted. She has also fooled herself into thinking that moderation is the key to her drinking problem.

As if battling her demons wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Hildy soon finds herself embroiled in the underbelly of her New England town, a craggy little place that harbors secrets. There’s a scandal, some mysticism, babies, old houses, drinking, and desire—and a love story between two craggy sixty-somethings that's as real and sexy as you get. An exceptional novel that is at turns hilarious and sobering, The Good House asks the question: What will it take to keep Hildy Good from drinking? For good.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. The blurb made it seem like it was a light-hearted romp in a small New England town, but it also mentioned that the main character, the narrator was an alcoholic in denial. How can a book about an alcoholic be any kind romp? Well, somehow, it manages to be just that.

Hildy, the narrator, is a ball of fun. She is in complete denial about her alcoholism but her voice is so fresh and light that we kind of go into denial with her. That’s what makes her such an interesting character to read about. She is completely unreliable as a narrator, omitting what she wants, but the more we read, the better we like her. There are lots of characters, including the obsessive Rebecca who comes across as both creepy and pitiful, but Hildy is definitely the one you’ll love.

The writing is deceptively simple, but there is a good amount of careful planning on the author’s part. That’s why the story goes so smoothly. The one thing that disappointed me, as it seems to be the case in too many of the books I’ve recently read, was the rushed ending. We didn’t need too much more, but another couple of pages to tie things up would have been nice.

All in all, this is one I’m sure most of you will like.

Book Blogger Hop

The sound of silence: When reading, do you assign each character their own voice in your head, or do they all sound the same? Do they sound like you or someone else?

 

They usually sound different in my head. Sometimes, if I feel particularly connected to a character, he or she might sound like me. A bit strange when it's a male character, but there we go.

Booking Through Thursday

It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so … what are you thankful for this year, reading-wise? New, favorite books? New gadget for reading? New comfy chair? Bonus time to read? Just the mere fact of BEING a reader? Having the internet to share ideas/recommendations/conversations about books?

I'm going to be completely honest today. I suffer from bouts of pretty severe depression. I take medication but sometimes even that does nothing for the torture in my head. During these times, like I am going through right now, I cling to books with everything I've got. So I am grateful, so grateful for having them in my life. For writers like Stephen King who can cast me out of my own head when I feel like I can't spend another moment inside it; for writers like Barbara Kingsolver or Margaret Atwood who can weave magic with their words and express the exact things I'm feeling.
Each day, like today, when I am struggling from minute to minute, I know that these wonders are here, at my fingertips, and it makes life just a tiny bit easier to handle.
For that, I am very, very, thankful.

WWW Wednesdayss

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently, I'm reading The Good House by Ann Leary

And Shaman, Sister, Sorceress by M. Terry Green

I just finished reading Minotaur Revisited by David Gelber. You can read my review here.

Next, I'll probably read Under the Dome by Stephen King

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

From Shaman, Sister, Sorceress by M. Terry Green

"'Stay together, please,' she heard from behind her in the distance.
I'm trying. Gods, am I trying."

pg. 7

Musing Mondays

This week’s musing asks…
Do you read the ending before you start a book? Do you ever skip ahead to read the ending?



No, I never skip to the end, not even when it's the last book in a series and I'm just dying to know how the whole thing ends. It just takes away some of the fun to skip ahead.

Minotaur Revisited by David Gelber

Legend states that the Minotaur was confined to the Labyrinth, slain by Theseus and then laid to rest by thousands of years of Greek mythology. But, the truth is far different. Read the Minotaur’s own words as he recounts his full life as god, king, warrior, matchmaker, midwife, monk, sage, father, mother, husband and, most of all, witness. The fierce Minotaur lived to see and be a part of the best and worst of humanity during a life spanning thousands of years. Part bull, part human, the Minotaur struggled to find his place in this world and, in the end, left his unique mark on history.

This is an interesting take on the minotaur myth, with  lots of comic moments and quite a bit of history packed into a fun story.

The Minotaur, the one we all know who rules over the labyrinth, gets a new take in this book. He is no longer just a fearful creature, but one we get to know as he goes through his many, many adventures. Since he is the narrator, we get to hear his voice, which is surprisingly light and fun. There are a few moments when I thought the language was a bit too modern, not in the narration but in the dialogues that he supposedly had with different figures of history. That was the only thing that sometimes distracted me from the story.

The pacing is handled nicely, with the story never really slowing down from the moment it starts. There are so many amusing little cameos from different historic figures, with even Jesus making an appearance. Some parts actually had me laughing out loud.

This is a quick read that will keep you entertained until the very end. I do recommend it to those of you who like fantasy and quirkier stories.

 

 

 

 

Booking Through Thursday

What’s your favorite place to read? Do you have more than one? Can you read anywhere, or do you need things to be “just right?”

 
I can read anywhere. On the train, on the bus, on my bed, at the kitchen table, anywhere and everywhere. I'm really not choose when it comes to diving into a book.

The Door in the Sky by Sandy Klein Bernstein

It all started with a stolen magic spell. Throw in a powerful sorceress, a teen alchemist in desperate need of a haircut, a fearless king in love with a hot-tempered witch, a demonic shadow with a penchant for turning to mist, a cunning cellar sprite, and an army of invisible knights - all looking for a pair of bickering Earthlings...

"Come back here at midnight, Ricky"

11-year-old Ricky watches in stunned silence as those words magically appear in the stars during a show at the Chicago Space Museum. But why can't anyone else see the message? And why must he bring Jello?
His teenage sister, Allie, follows him back to the theater at midnight. They're both whisked through a door in the sky to the kingdom of Galdoren, where they quickly befriend a mischievous star and make a powerful enemy of Queen Glacidia, a witch who rules over a land of never-ending winter.
On their quest to reach a castle riddled with secrets, the siblings will encounter a magic carpet with a terrible sense of direction, a cowardly dragon, a hero in a flying wheelchair, and a candy farm with exploding fields of overripe Red Hots.
Will that scruffy teen alchemist, Henry, be able to master his spell book in time to help? And will Ricky ever get the hang of flying, or will he forever be banging his head against the light fixtures?
The Door in the Sky will transport you to a world overflowing with magic, breathless adventure, and laugh-out-loud humor. Each cliff-hanging chapter will keep you reading well past your bedtime and burning up the batteries to your book light.

This is a lovely middle grade book that will entertain and delight younger readers.

There is such a great amount of world-building here, so much that middle graders will absolutely love. I think even kinds younger than that will also enjoy the many creatures and magical moments in this book. There is a good balance between the world building and the plot line, so that we never feel overwhelmed by the details, but we are also never left confused as to what happened. This is crucial when writing for younger audiences, since they tend to lose concentration if they don’t understand something in the plot.

The writing is fresh and fun. There were a few moments where I felt it was a little too “cute’ for me, but that might just be a personal taste issue. The main characters were lots of fun, all of them quirky in their own way. Ricky, the protagonist, was my favorite. He’s a well written, unlikely hero with whom kids will easily identify.

I recommend this book to middle graders who love fantasy and adventure.

WWW Wednesdays

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently, I'm reading Minotaur Revisited by David Gelber

And Talking With Serial Killers by Christopher Berry-Dee

I just finished reading Falling in Love by Stephen Bradlee. You can read my review here.

Next, I'll probably read Shaman, Sister, Sorceress (Olivia Lawson, Techno-Shaman #3) by M. Terry Green

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

From Minotaur Revisited by David Gelber

 "I was able to purchase passage on a Phoenician vessel with little fuss and no questions. I trimmed my horns and kept my head covered; those Phoenicians, they'd sell their own mother if the price is right."

Falling in Love by Stephen Bradlee

Sherry Johnson is young, beautiful, bright and athletic. She has everything going for her, except for one thing. She is addicted to love. Her life is a vicious circle of nightly trysts and morning regrets. Her addiction got her kicked out of college, cost her the love of her life and has left her in complete despair. But still Sherry keeps falling in love. And falling. And falling. Finally, as Sherry struggles to pull herself up from a bottomless abyss, she realizes that she will have to learn to love the one person she has loathed for most of her life. Herself.
Based on the True Story of a Young Woman's Battle with Sexual Addiction

Sexual addiction is not something that is written about too much, especially when the sufferer is a woman, so this book definitely caught my interest when I read the synopsis. It was a fascinating look at a true story.

Something that immediately impressed itself upon me is that the story, despite its subject matter is not erotic. If you’re expecting Fifty Shades of Grey, this is the wrong story for you. No, the sexuality in the book is dealt coldly, giving it almost a clinical feel, which is exactly the right tone, I think, when dealing with sexual addiction. Sherry, the protagonist, is completely dimensional, with a wonderful voice that keeps the reader turning the pages. The other characters are also well written, but Sherry is by far the deepest.

This story will really pull at you. It’s not an easy read because of that, because it demands a lot of emotions from the reader. I do highly recommend it, though, not only because it is a fascinating story, but because it is, in its own way, a beautiful ode to love.