Laura

Author Archives: Laura
- Upcoming Books! [6]
  
  Posted at 3:54 pm by Laura, on February 26, 2012
  Title: Unwanted
  Author: Kristina Ohlsson
  Genre: mystery
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Publishing Date: February 28 (originally 2009, recently translated)
  Summary: In the middle of a rainy Swedish summer, a little girl is abducted from a crowded train. Despite hundreds of potential witnesses, no one noticed when the girl was taken, and, in what seems to be merely a coincidence, her mother has been left behind at the previous station. Inspector Frederika Bergman and her team of federal investigators are called in and assigned to what at first seems to be a classic custody dispute. But when the child is found dead in the far north of Sweden with the word “unwanted” scribbled on her forehead, the case soon turns into the investigation team’s worst nightmare—the pursuit of a brilliant and ruthless killer.
  
  ~
  
  Title: May the Road Rise Up to Meet You
  Author: Peter Troy
  Genre: historical fiction
  Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  Publishing Date: February 28
  Summary: Ethan McOwen is an Irish immigrant whose endurance is tested in Brooklyn and the Five Points at the height of its urban destitution; he is among the first to join the famed Irish Brigade and becomes a celebrated war photographer. Marcella, a society girl from Spain, defies her father to become a passionate abolitionist. Mary and Micah are slaves of varying circumstances, who form an instant connection and embark on a tumultuous path to freedom. All four lives unfold in two beautiful love stories, which eventually collide. Written in gorgeous language that subtly captures the diverse backgrounds of the characters, and interspersed with letters, journals, and dreams, this unforgettable story, rendered in cinematic detail, is about having faith in life’s great meaning amidst its various tangles.
  
  ~
  
  Finally, a list of books to look forward to in the future:
  - Former Politico writer Karin Tanabe’s THE CAPITOLIST, in which a 20-something journalist leaves a cushy NYC magazine job for DC’s hottest (and most cut-throat) political rag, where she uncovers a juicy scandal involving a senator that could make or break her career
  - CEO of the Special Olympics Tim Shriver’s book about the athletes who “have taught me more about how to live this life than anyone,” presenting “really important lessons for a time and an age when people are really looking and seeking ways to find more fulfillment, more purpose, more peace … in their lives”
  - KILLING LINCOLN authors Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s KILLING KENNEDY: The End of Camelot, the second book in O’Reilly’s presidential history series, promising “a dramatic work of history and a dynamic way to relive the presidency of John F. Kennedy’s White House, the horrific assassination and the crucial hours that followed”
  Posted in Upcoming Books | 0 Comments | Tagged genre: history, genre: mystery, upcoming books
- Children’s Books are where the Wild Things Aren’t – SciCodex
  
  Posted at 2:23 pm by Laura, on February 24, 2012
  
  Study: Increasingly, children’s books are where the wild things aren’t – Science Codex – U of Nebraska-Lincoln
  
  Was your favorite childhood book crawling with wild animals and set in places like jungles or deep forests? Or did it take place inside a house or in a city, with few if any untamed creatures in sight?
  
  A new study has found that over the last several decades, nature has increasingly taken a back seat in award-winning children’s picture books — and suggests this sobering trend is consistent with a growing isolation from the natural world.
  
  A group of researchers led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociology professor emeritus J. Allen Williams Jr. reviewed the winners and honor books receiving the prestigious Caldecott Medal from the award’s inception in 1938 through 2008. In total, they examined nearly 8,100 images contained in nearly 300 books. Caldecott awardees are the children’s books judged by the American Library Association to have the best illustrations in a given year.
  
  This makes me a little sad! At a time when we should care about our environment the most, the books are reflecting our neglect!
  
  Posted in books, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: children, news
- Are Teens Embracing E-books? – PW
  
  Posted at 2:19 pm by Laura, on February 24, 2012
  
  Are Teens Embracing E-books?: The Digital Divide – Publisher’s Weekly – Karen Springen
  
  A recent PubTrak survey from R.R. Bowker indicated that teens remain reluctant when it comes to e-books. Accustomed to social media, they find that electronic stories have “too many restrictions,” according to the report. But many industry players—agents, booksellers, publishers, and authors—are saying just the opposite: digital sales are booming for YA fiction.
  
  …
  
  As for the dreaded cannibalization of print, it does not appear to be happening in YA. “The whole pie grows,” says Hilt. “There’s a lot more evidence that users are going back and forth between digital and physical. People are now buying more books when they become digital readers. The key is to have the book available in all formats.”
  
  The goal for books of any format is to create more readers. The article is very optimistic that more and more teens will embrace the e-reading experience. The YA market is expanding, and it also allows for any self-conscious adults who may otherwise steer clear of the YA/children’s section of bookstores to browse more freely with e-readers.
  
  Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, ereaders, genre: young adult, magazine, news, publishing
- JK Rowling is publishing a new book!
  
  Posted at 11:11 am by Laura, on February 23, 2012
  
  News from…everywhere.
  
  Posted in books, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged authors, books, news, publishing
- Book Review: “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins
  
  Posted at 12:48 pm by Laura, on February 22, 2012
  
  The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
  
  The story begins with an eerie midnight encounter between artist Walter Hartright and a ghostly woman dressed all in white who seems desperate to share a dark secret. The next day Hartright, engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie and her half sister, tells his pupils about the strange events of the previous evening. Determined to learn all they can about the mysterious woman in white, the three soon find themselves drawn into a chilling vortex of crime, poison, kidnapping, and international intrigue.
  
  English Victorian literature: my favorite genre! I would have read this even if it was not assigned for my Gothic Literature course.
  
  Collins was a friend and pupil of Charles Dickens, and it shows in his writing style. At a time when authors were paid by the word and published serially in journals, long episodic novels such as this was the fashion. With each journal publication, a few sections of Woman in White would be published and read, much like TV episodes air weekly. The characters closely analyze situations from different angles, almost to the point of repetition – which serves as a reminder of this novel’s literary and historical context: the readers needed those reminders once in a while.
  
  Collins also employed a technique that was new in literature for the time, and rather common today: a story told from different narratives. For several chapters, the mystery was given by Walter Hartright, then his pupil Marian, followed by the villain, lawyers, and other characters whose roles become vital to the plot. For this particular story, which the law cannot legally touch, multiple narrators was necessary and skillfully done.
  
  This book was chilling, fascinating, and slow-paced. It cannot be read quickly. Very critical moments occurred without my noticing until after the fact. Gender roles blurred, the line between fantasy and reality was crossed, and intrigue kept the plot moving.
  
  One of literature’s most gender-bending characters, Marian Halcombe, starred alongside one of literature’s most lovingly hateful villains, Count Fosco. I thoroughly enjoyed their accounts in the narrative. Marian, with her mustache and desire for male independence, stealing out into the night and climbing across mansion roofs; Fosco, enormously obese yet light on his feet, cruel and charming all at once – their character depth drove the story forward. They constantly tip-toed around one another, analyzing the other’s every move like a chess game.
  
  And of course, there’s the mystery of the woman in white…which will only be revealed when read!
  
  Rating: of 5
  
  Goodreads: 3.97 of 5
  
  Posted in Reviews 2012 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, genre: mystery, goodreads, review
- Bring on the Flavor – PW
  
  Posted at 9:07 am by Laura, on February 22, 2012
  
  Bring on the Flavor: It’s Not Just About Health (bit it won’t hurt) – Publisher’s Weekly – Mark Rotella
  
  To change things up a bit, here’s an article on the latest news in cooking trends and recently published cookbooks! Makes me want to toss everything out of my fridge, start over, and buy all organic foods and attack my personal fear of the oven and stove.
  
  Butter, eggs, heavy cream with sherry, and lobster—combined in ramekins and topped with a puff pastry. Like many recipes from Lobster (Storey, May), there is no sparing fat for health concerns. This season’s batch of cookbooks represents an ode to fresh flavor—both traditional and cutting edge.
  
  …
  
  But you don’t have to eat fat to get flavor these days—or any animal products at all. Vegetarian, even vegan, cookbooks are striving to reach more general audiences. And they are succeeding—in both recipes and design.
  
  Coming out from Chronicle is Pure Vegan by Joseph Shuldiner. “Think visual, gorgeous, and stylish,” says Chronicle’s publicity manager, David Hawkey. “It’s not your typical vegan cookbook.”
  
  Adam Salomone, associate publisher of Harvard Common Press, sees changing trends in vegan and vegetarian cookbooks alike, primarily with Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes by Michael Natkin. “It’s not a book that is just healthy or good for the planet—it’s just good food.”
  
  …
  
  There is little doubt that families greatly benefit, both physically and emotionally, from sitting around the table for mealtime. The number of new cookbooks emphasizing the importance of eating together at home illustrates the interest in this trend.
  
  Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? Read on for more!
  
  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: cooking, magazine, news, publishing
- B&N Sells More Books, But Liberty Share Dilute Earnings – PL
  
  Posted at 8:59 am by Laura, on February 22, 2012
  
  Barnes & Noble Sells More Books, But Liberty Share Dilute Earnings – Publishers Lunch – Michael Cader
  
  Yesterday’s big announcement was B&N’s quarterly sales report. If you would like to see the specific data, please click the link and continue to read.
  
  CEO William Lynch says in the release that “our traffic and sales in stores were the highest we’ve seen in five years.” He reports that “physical book sales at our stores increased more than 4 percent over last year, and our merchandising changes in our juvenile business and our toys & games department experienced double-digit revenue growth.” The Nook business continues to grow “and according to some of the largest US publishers, we maintained or slightly gained share in the eBook market during the third quarter.”
  
  Lynch further explains the future of the Nook business and potential plans.
  
  Posted in books, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, bookstores, ebooks, ereaders, news, technology
- Oscar’s Reading List: Adaptations Dominate Nominees – SA
  
  Posted at 8:53 am by Laura, on February 22, 2012
  
  Oscar’s Reading List: Adaptations Dominate Nominees – Shelf Awareness
  
  Six of the nine best picture nominations for this year’s Academy Awards, which will be presented February 26, are based on books, comprising an impressive reading list in Oscar’s major categories.
  
  Check it out! Read the summaries of the adaptations, such as the author of the book and what the adaptation is nominated for. A note is left at the end, regarding the Harry Potter snub.
  
  Posted in Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, movies, news
- Upcoming Books! [5]
  
  Posted at 3:00 pm by Laura, on February 19, 2012
  
  I’m going to play around with a new format this week.
  
  Title: Pandemonium
  Author: Lauren Oliver
  Genre: young adult – fantasy – dystopia
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Publishing Date: February 28
  Summary: The old Lena is dead. The old Lena remains with Alex in Portland, Maine, behind a wall of smoke and flame, but the new Lena was born in the Wilds, transformed by hardship, deprivation, and loss.
  Now an active member of the resistance, Lena fights for a world in which love will no longer be considered a dangerous disease. Her inner life is as turbulent as the world around her. . . . Although consumed with grief for Alex, might she be falling in love with someone else?
  The second in Oliver’s “Delirium” trilogy.
  
  ~
  
  Title: And Then It’s Spring
  Author: Julie Fogliano
  Genre: children’s
  Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
  Publishing Date: February 14
  Summary: Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they’ve had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way. Julie Fogliano’s tender story of anticipation is brought to life by the distinctive illustrations Erin E. Stead, recipient of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.
  
  ~
  
  Title: The Dressmaker
  Author: Kate Alcott
  Genre: historical fiction
  Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  Publishing Date: February 21
  Summary: Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she’s had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic’s doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.
  Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.
  On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic.
  
  ~
  
  Title: Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now – As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long for It
  Author: Craig Taylor
  Genre: nonfiction
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Publishing Date: February 21
  Summary: Five years in the making, and published on the eve of the 2012 Olympics, “Londoners” is a fresh and compulsively readable view of one of the world’s most fascinating cities–a vibrant, narrative portrait of contemporary London, featuring unforgettable stories told by the real people who make the city hum.
  
  Posted in Upcoming Books | 0 Comments | Tagged genre: adult fiction, genre: children, genre: dystopian, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: nonfiction, genre: young adult, upcoming books
- Book Review: “In the Woods” by Tana French
  
  Posted at 9:25 pm by Laura, on February 17, 2012
  
  In the Woods by Tana French
  
  As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
  
  Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox – his partner and closest friend – find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
  
  Fun fact: I read the second book (The Likeness) without realizing it was the second book and absolutely loved it. It’s one of my favorites and Cassie Maddox is also a favorite character of mine.
  
  That being said, the narrator Rob Ryan was a difficult character to relate to. His narrative was clinical and descriptive, and not very emotional. By the end of the novel, he blatantly states he would only tell the story the way he could see them, without opinions and bias. His relationship with Cassie is adorable – they would bounce one-liners, zingers, and banter back and forth constantly. The dialogue and chemistry were immensely entertaining during the sludge of “whodunit” ruts.
  
  Because of their relationship, Cassie was the most fascinating character. I think a part of it had to do with my familiarity of her narrative in the second book, but also because she was the most alive and most truthful character in the murder investigation. Rob’s murky past and turbulent present cause for some anxious monologues and self-reflection in the midst of clinical descriptions of facts, evidence, and interrogations.
  
  The murderer was not someone I would have guessed either. So many fingers pointed in so many directions that when the murderer was revealed, I was baffled. Even the explanation was startling! This was the moment in the work when psychological expertise took a heavy role. I have to applaud French on her ability to create such multidimensional and accurate (psychologically) characters, motives, and reactions!
  
  Rating: ★★★★ of 5
  
  Goodreads: 3.62 of 5
  
  Posted in Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: mystery, goodreads, review
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- Hello, I’m Laura!
  
  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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