Book Review | LOST AUTUMN by Mary-Rose MacColl

Lost Autumn by Mary-Rose MacColl
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★

An emotional novel of love and the power of lost dreams from an internationally bestselling master of historical fiction, about a young woman's coming-of-age in 1920 and the secrets that surface more than seventy years later.

Australia, 1920. Seventeen-year-old Maddie Bright embarks on the voyage of a lifetime when she's chosen to serve on the cross-continent tour of His Royal Highness, the dashing Edward, Prince of Wales. Life on the royal train is luxurious beyond her dreams, and the glamorous, good-hearted friends she makes--with their romantic histories and rivalries--crack open her world. But glamour often hides all manner of sins.

Decades later, Maddie lives in a ramshackle house in Brisbane, whiling away the days with television news and her devoted, if drunken, next-door neighbor. When a London journalist struggling with her own romantic entanglements begins asking Maddie questions about her relationship to the famous and reclusive author M.A. Bright, she's taken back to the glamorous days of the royal tour--and to the secrets, she's kept for all of these years. -Goodreads

This is a very engrossing novel, both the characters and arrangement can absorb the reader with profound curiosity.

It's pure coincidence that I read this book after Harry and Megan announced that they are stepping down from their royal duties and chose to move here to Canada. Yet, somehow, I find it very relevant.

LOST AUTUMN is told in interweaving timelines, featuring books within a book. A  feat difficult yet managed beautifully by the deft hands of Mary-Rose MacColl. The marriage of fact and fiction is flawlessly achieved, so much so that the shift from historical to contemporary was perfectly believable. It strongly signifies that thorough research and planning was invested in making this book.

Like I said, the characters are half of the reason this is very engrossing. Maddie’s character development is critically significant for the timelines. Over the years, she’s still that uncomplicated, honest, intelligent girl that she was, but now, also wounded and resolved. I also like how MacColl gave each of her characters a particular weight. Each woman denotes how opportunities are dealt and withheld at different times, how they are viewed by the public and by those people around them, and the importance of choices and affirmation. In like manner, men are portrayed on how they significantly affect people; and no, not all of them are villains, some are truly honorable too. 

I highly recommend this book.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Mary-Rose MacColl is the author of six novels, a non-fiction book about maternity care issues, a book that tells a story from her own life, short stories, feature journalism and essays.

Mary-Rose MacColl's first novel, No Safe Place, was runner-up in the Australian Vogel Literary Award. Her first non-fiction book, The Birth Wars, was a Finalist in the Walkley Awards for Journalism and in the Queensland Premier’s Awards for Non-Fiction and for Science Writing. In Falling Snow and Swimming Home have both been published internationally, and Swimming Home won The Courier-Mail 2016 People’s Choice Award. For a Girl, the book that tells a story from Mary-Rose’s own life was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for non-fiction.

*Thanks to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the DRM copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

Read more →

WHERE I FIND MY DOSE OF SHORT STORIES

  

Most aficionados want to read collected short stories because it’s like reading multiple books in one. I especially love those collections moving in one theme using different facets of life to simply show that every glimpse of life is worth telling. Also, sometimes we want to read independent stories that will extract us from the rut of reading a 350-page book. Well, at least, I know I do. So I want to share where I get my dose of short stories, and hopefully, you’ll share yours too.

THE NEW YORKER

This subscription magazine is new every week, both in print and online. The online site is free until you’ve hit the wall for the day. I’m a subscriber for years, and although I have not maximized it lately, the subscription is totally worth it. Aside from their new fiction and poems, they have news about art, music, upcoming books, and movies. I also enjoy their commentaries on what’s been going around recently. And boy, their archive is worth exploring every time.

GRANTA 

Granta is also a subscription online magazine like The New Yorker. You can opt to subscribe to their newsletter for both magazines and books. Mostly, they publish thirty-ish books a year. My hubby and I enjoy their nature conservation collections very much.

TOR.COM 

If you are a sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast, this site is for you. They allow free access to original short stories and features both new and established authors. You can browse according to authors, titles, or sub-genres. They have featured John Scalzi, Neil Gaiman, Joe Abercrombie, Charlie Jane Anders, Paolo Bacigalupi, and other luminaries.

NIGHTFIRE 

This is an imprint of Tor.com showcasing modern horror, undead tropes, alien abduction/invasion, and other unspeakable terrors. They feature both upcoming books and on-screen horrors -that's hitting two birds with one stone. Last October 2019, they’ve launched an audio project called, Come Join Us by the Fire, an anthology of 35 horror short stories in individual audiobook formats listeners may download via Google Play. It features China Miéville, Richard Kadrey, Victor LaValle, and Shirley Jackson among others.

ELECTRIC LIT

Under their Recommended Reading, you’ll find featured short stories and novel excerpts. You may also opt to subscribe to receive them directly via your inbox every Wednesday. I love reading those commentaries/ recommendations from other authors sometimes written before each story and excerpts. Authors like Ricky Moody, Akhil Sharma, Dennis Johnson, and Lauren Groff.

BBC 

Lately, I find myself listening to BBC's dramas and short works. This was established by a Royal Charter, the BBC is principally funded through the license fee paid by UK households. So, this site delivers more than stories and dramas. It delivers its mission and public purpose according to the Charter, from culture to daily news. They are currently featuring Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern in episodes.

LIT2GO

This collection of children's literature is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse and is funded by various grants. Readability levels for passages on Lit2Go are reported as Flesch-Kincaid grade levels, from Kinder to Grade 12. I am a child-at-heart, and so, this site excites me. You can read along with the audio version of each story, too.

LITERARY HUB 

Under their Fiction and Poetry, you can browse shorts by Lit Hub Excerpts. There is an excerpt for every day dating back from 2015. Luminaries varied from the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton, Shirley Jackson, Joyce Carol Oates, Jennifer Egan, and many more.

I miss receiving short stories from SEASON OF STORIES by Penguin Random House. Are you a subscriber too? They sure gave me a reprieve from the daily grind. Hopefully, they come back soon. Meanwhile, we can get our dose of short stories from these sites. Happy reading!

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

*This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

Read more →

PAPER TOWNS by John Green | Book Review

   

Paper Towns by John Green
Publication Date: October 16, 2008
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificent Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. When their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Margo has disappeared. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Embarking on an exhilarating adventure to find her, the closer Q gets, the less he sees the girl he thought he knew. - Goodreads

"It's so hard to leave-until you leave.
And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world...
Leaving feels too good, once you leave."

We all leave eventually. No matter who and what we are, or where we’re from, we will someday and somehow leave our comfort zones or the norm of our lives to find ourselves a place in this world. Some people take their time into actually doing it. They spent much time planning and scheming on how they should gloriously plow into life. Some tried a few times before succeeding, by accepting that their heavy butts are beginning to be a burden to their family and to the economy.

Then, others are used to having things come to them in a rush; and when it’s not fast enough they go for it instead… Such is Margo Roth Spiegelman and many other teenagers out there who cannot wait to be themselves without the restriction of the norm. My dear nephew, Jaff, calls it emancipation. This is perfectly normal; it’s a matter of how they are properly motivated and inspired. They should be equipped, so as not to become scattered dandelions, gliding aimlessly waiting where the wind will blow them. Unfortunately for Margo, she has uninspired parents to motivate her. They are like the paper cut-outs Margo described, who boxed themselves inside this very peculiar thing called normal life. They regard Margo's actions as rebellion.

"It is easy to forget how full the world is of people, full to bursting,
and each of them imaginable and consistently misimagined."

Margo, on the other hand, sees life as a colorful journey filled with dark abandoned buildings, knee-high grasses, endless road, moonlit roof, and plenty of exhilarating risks. But all this is unknown to her family and friends. All her life, she has coated herself with a shell of Margo Stuff- the cool ones. It then became difficult for her to remove her coating and be herself. So the only option is to leave it all behind. But there is still one string attached to this papergirl – Quentin Jacobsen. She wants Q to know her; understand her; love her for who she is inside, no matter how crooked and unreasonable that Margo may be.

"The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle.”

Q braved the challenge- he took the journey and accepted the would be consequences of it. Little did he know that this journey will not only lead him to Margo but discover the Margo hiding within too. Thus, making him aware of his own capabilities and weaknesses. Knowing that he will succeed in finding his place in the world someday soon. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find Margo there as well.

This book gets you to think about the idea of a person and the actual being of a person. Because, of course, it is rather unfair to be thought of as (just) a mere idea. My favorite part is the Vessel. It made me laugh out loud listening to Ben’s pissing-in-beer-bottle scene. I had fun with this; I do hope you will too.

The audiobook narration was brilliantly performed by Dan John Miller for Brilliance Audio.


TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.

In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on the Nerdfighters website.

*Originally posted here.

Read more →

Book Review | THE LOVE STORY OF MISSY CARMICHAEL by Beth Morrey

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey
Publication: April 7, 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Fiction
Rating: ★★★

The world has changed around seventy-nine-year-old librarian Millicent Carmichael, aka Missy. Though quick to admit that she often found her roles as a housewife and mother were less than satisfying, Missy once led a bustling life driven by two children, an accomplished and celebrated husband, and a Classics degree from Cambridge. Now her husband is gone, her daughter is estranged after a shattering argument, and her son has moved to his wife's native Australia, taking Missy's beloved only grandchild half-a-world away. She spends her days sipping sherry, avoiding people, and rattling around in her oversized, under-decorated house waiting for for...what exactly?

The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect strangers and one spirited dog named Bob to break through her prickly exterior and show Missy just how much love she still has to give. In short order, Missy finds herself in the jarring embrace of an eclectic community that simply won't take no for an answer--including a rambunctious mutt-on-loan whose unconditional love gives Missy a reason to re-enter the world one muddy paw print at a time.

Filled with wry laughter and deep insights, The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is a coming-of-old story that shows us it's never too late to forgive yourself and, just as important, it's never too late to love. - Goodreads

The story moves around Millicent “Missy” Carmichael, she had a hero for a father and a suffragist for a mother, had a first-class degree in Classics, a wife to renowned author and historian, and a devoted mother to both Ali and Mel. It has every issue of concern that every woman (of every age) deals with daily life -equal opportunity, motherhood, romance, or the lack of it, amour-propre, fashion, and community. Every woman may relate to Missy in many ways indeed.

The atmosphere and community are perfect in building the entire premise together. The collection of characters here is diverse and relevant even to younger readers even if it is dubbed as “coming of old age” or “boomer” genre. In this community, both the idealist and the practical played a role, making it an ideal and safe environment. (Who wouldn't want a place like this?) It is replete with life lessons and quotes we can pick up along the way. Annoying Latins will pop up every now and then, but we can deal with that when reading about a classicist. Right? Also, Ms. Morrey managed to keep the language very nearly unsoiled.

I want to love this book, honestly. The arc between the recollections and the present narrative is easy to follow and I really like how the plot was moving –Missy is having a renewed life and recognizing her old self again, friends are pouring, revelations and understandings are surfacing- and tying each end of the subplots along the way, until after 90% of the story. SPOILER AHEAD →
I really do not understand why suddenly kill Bob at the apex of this story, especially, when it is the dog who brought the very life within its pages. Frankly, I didn’t care much for the rest of the story after that. I am convinced that any ending will not suffice, even though I plowed on. It left an emptiness, so sharp that it was difficult to realign my fondness for this book all over again. Sorry. If that is the kind of reaction this book wants to achieve, then it is most successful.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Beth Morrey's work has been published in the Cambridge and Oxford May Anthologies and shortlisted for the Grazia Orange First Chapter competition. She lives in London with her family and dog. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is her debut novel.

*Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the DRM copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

Read more →

BEST READS from 2019

     

I was willing to forego last year’s best list, then again, how can I say I was satisfied with my read list if I didn’t actually say why I was satisfied in the first place. So, weeks went by and here I am, late as usual.

In no particular order, here are the best books I read last 2019:

   

Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden:
The Winternight Trilogy may not be the most epic trilogy there is but it definitely holds power that I will always embrace it close to heart. The mixture of old tales I knew as a child with grand history is both fascinating and immersive. And Ms. Arden writes so beautifully, too. She ended this trilogy on a very high note. Not many had been successful in that attempt. You may want to try the audio version as well, read by Kathleen Gati.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick:
I love reading books about books and library settings. Book lovers are the most interesting people, right? A reminder that we should protect all the Marthas in the world. I read this twice in a row. Simply wonderful. And Ms. Patrick picks the most curious protagonist.

The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris:
There are very few series I follow through the years and Chocolat is one of them. Lansquenet-sous-Tannes and its people feel like home to me. And I will continue reading them for as long as they exist.

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg:
I love Berg’s take on people. I love her characters, including their flaws. I’m glad she gave her characters another motivation in life. I’m glad to have met Arthur and wishing there’d be more like him in the world. I’m happy knowing that his kindness survived him and will continue effecting.

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay:
I breezed through this. I love that this book loves the books I love. And the life lessons are spot on. Ms. Raey wrote these different facets of womanhood profoundly that oftentimes hit closer to home. Very keen and inspiring.

Find Me by André Aciman:
You should see the quotes I tabbed in this book! But that is not why this book is special. It is because of the hope it carries, not just for Elio and Oliver, but for everyone who may read it. It says that having an unlived life is living the wrong life and that we owe it to ourselves to find it. The audiobook was read by Michael Stuhlbarg.

Killer Instinct by James Patterson and Howard Roughan:
I love my share of action and espionage and this one didn’t fail to deliver. I (maybe) love this more than I love the first one. I am patiently waiting for the next installment.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern:
Enchanting! This is a nod to many stories I’ve read before and more. A sharp reminder of why I love reading books in the first place. We live for stories - we love reading them, hearing them, creating our own, and reliving them inside our heads. It says that "A book is made of paper, but a story is a tree." Just imagine all the branches and buds it sprouted. The cast of narrators did a wonderful job in the audiobook version, I highly recommend it.

As always, I'm excited to meet my next best reads. I'm sure you are too, friends!



TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

Read more →

MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2020

   

It's a new year and a new journey in books, as well. 

Last year I also had my list of Most Anticipated Books, which was very helpful because without it I may have rutted all the more. Admittedly, I did not finish the list. Some I have started and paused, others I have not even cracked yet, and two were not in fact published last year. Also, I seem to be leaning more on feel-good/gentle reads lately, which may be why I have those paused and uncracked books still on my TBR.

I’ve read 29 books and although it’s a far cry from my usual count, I really feel good about most of them. So, satisfied me had no complaints.

For 2020, here’s my eclectic list of Most Anticipated Books:

• ✔Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
             (December 31, 2019, by G.P. Putnam's Sons)
• ✔When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
           (January 28, 2020, by Scout Press)
• ✔The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey
             (February 4, 2020, by G.P. Putnam's Sons)
• Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
             (February 4, 2020, by Random House)
• ✔The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips
             (February 11, 2020, by Random House)
• Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1) by Rin Chupeco
             (March 3, 2020, by Sourcebooks Fire)
• ✔Lost Autumn by Mary-Rose MacColl
             (March 3, 2020, by G.P. Putnam's Sons)
• ✔Writers & Lovers by Lily King
             (March 3, 2020, by Grove Press)
• ✔ We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
             (March 3, 2020, by Pantheon)
• ✔The 20th Victim (WMC, #20) by James Patterson & Maxine Paertro
             (March 5, 2020, by Little, Brown, and Company)
• The New Life of Hugo Gardner by Louis Begley
             (March 17, 2020, by Nan A. Talese)
• ✔Who Speaks for the Damned (St. Cyr, #15) by C.S. Harris
             (April 7, 2020, by Berkley Books)
• ✔The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick
             (April 28, 2020, by Park Row)
• ✔The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel by Lian Dolan
             (April 28, 2020, by William Morrow)
• ✔Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay
             (May 12, 2020, by Thomas Nelson)
• Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce,
             (June 11, 2020, by Doubleday)
• ✔Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir,
             (June 16, 2020, by Grove Press, Black Cat)
• Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
             (July 14, 2020, by Hodder & Stoughton)
• ✔Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim
             (August 4, 2020, by Berkley)
• Jack (Gilead #4 )by Marilynne Robinson,
             (September 29, 2020, by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
• Death and the Maiden (Mistress of the Art of Death #5)by Samantha Norman,
             (October 15, 2020, by William Morrow)

I have previously-published books on my list too. They usually change over the course, depending on my mood. Most of them are also in audiobook form, and I may need to buy printed copies or loan copies from the library soon. 

I'm also into Libby by Overdrive lately. Wonderful site, even though sometimes I have to wait for weeks for an audiobook request.   The same goes for our cloudLibrary  by Bibliotheca Ltd.  The magic of having a library card! Right? Also, let us keep supporting our local libraries -visit often, vote for their renovations, and fight to keep librarians (they are precious and few).

If you think I should add more to my list or you have any recommendations, please leave a comment below. 

Now, let's begin!

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

*This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on  LovelyAudiobooks.info

Read more →

STAND!

  

Hello, 2020

A New Year and a new decade have come. Most people have made their list of resolutions by now, but it's certainly not too late to join the bandwagon if you haven’t yet. I for one am not fond of making a list of resolutions every year. I choose my yearly word instead. And this year is…
                 Stand!

I am contemplating on the things I should be standing in still and those things I may have failed to stand for and if I do have regrets about them. Regret is such an inauspicious word to start the year, so I might have to skip that part and move on.

As always, I stand for kindness. Let us be kinder to ourselves and others. Flex the effort to be kind, even in mourning or victory; to be firm in being kind before anything else. I stand for family and friendship. Let us be more generous in giving them the gift of time. Take the time to laugh and listen and the time to share. I stand for peace. Not the quiet kind, but the one that resonates. The kind of peace that heals gaps, multiplies charity, holds the light up, and flames hospitality. We can all be couch potatoes for our serials and dramas, but we have to stand for something firmer at the end of the day. The adage "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything." is quite accurate on that. 

And, speaking of moving on, The Page Walker is in its 7th year today. Yay! Thank you for staying with me. I appreciate all the visits, comments, and emails I receive. I also acknowledge every author, publicist, and publisher whom I have worked with and trusted me with their books. Here’s hoping for more books and collaborations this year.

Godspeed, everyone!

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

Read more →