Day 347 - Playing House

Playing House

Fredrica Wagman

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: May 2006 (35th Anniversary Edition; Paperback)

Publisher: Zoland Books (Steerforth Press)

Pages: 176

Author Site: http://www.fredricawagman.com/

My Rating: 1.5/5

Source: Copy provided by publisher

Synopsis [amazon.com]:

When Playing House appeared in 1973, Publishers Weekly hailed it, “A probing descent into madness that will fascinate the same audience that appreciated I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.” This nationally bestselling story of one woman’s struggle with the lasting effects of a childhood sexual relationship with her brother shocked American readers; it remains a literary work of enduring quality and value. In his foreword Philip Roth writes, “The traumatized child; the institutionalized wife; the haunting desire; the ghastly business of getting through the day – what is striking about Wagman’s treatment of these contemporary motifs is the voice of longing in which the heroine shamelessly confesses to the incestuous need that is at once her undoing and her only hope.”

Review:

I really thought I'd like this novel but I had such a hard time reading it. Incest is not a troubling subject matter for me to read about. But the layout of the story was very confusing for me. I realize it may very well be that way on purpose because of the nameless main character's state of mind. The effects of her sexual relationship with her brother consume her entire life. I appreciate the honesty in Wagman's writing but I found myself literally scratching my head after each page I read.

I did like the forward of PLAYING HOUSE. I'm not familar with Philip Roth or his work but I enjoyed reading his thoughts on the book. It did make me think I was going to enjoy it a lot more than I did, but that's okay. After reading other people's thoughts on this book I can see that the problem for me was my comprehension skills and not so much the writing. I just didn't see it the way others have but I do enjoy seeing what others have to say. It actually helps me better understand the novel.

It was tough for me to keep the sequence of events straight because of the fact the narrarator herself jumps around in her story-telling. It didn't really "read" like a book or anything I've ever read before and I suppose I was just WAY out of my comfort zone and therefore didn't enjoy it as much. I've read praise of PLAYING HOUSE and I'm glad there are readers that can appreciate the author's unique way of writing. I will be trying out her other books. I like the honesty and emotional feeling of her words and I hope to enjoy the other books more than this one.

Day 339 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mark Haddon

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: May 2004 (Trade Paperback)

Publisher: Vintage

Pages: 226

Author Site: http://www.markhaddon.com/

My Rating: 3.75/5

Source: From Paperbackswap.com

Synopsis [from randomhouse.com]:

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.

Review:

This was a highly unusual read for me but something I really enjoyed. Christopher is a strange lad and his mystery/coming-of-age story is one that can definitely be described as unforgettable. After finding a a neighbor's dog killed, he becomes a detective and is determined to find out who killed Wellington. Along the way he finds out more than he bargained for about his family and the world he lives in while becoming a much more mature young man than when he started.

The story is told in an odd fashion, but one that will keep you turning page after page. Christopher is fifteen years old and attends a special school while living at home with his father. A guru at math, he often does math problems in his head to calm himself. Along with his fascination with prime numbers, he sees things in a very black and white scale. He's entirely honest and innocent and he interprets things logically and actually very literally since he's unable to determine if someone is being dishonest or devious.

Taking after one of his favorite books, THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES by Sir Arthur Canan Doyle, he is determined to write a book about Wellington's murder, after he finds the killer of course. Things are never simple for anyone in life, and difficult things may be amplified for Christopher but he always seems to find ways around obstacles using the logic and skills he has gained from teachers and the world around him. Since he has a tough time with the concept of feelings, I found myself empathizing with not only him, but also his family, as he deals with fear and frustration in an entirely different way than most people.

Author Mark Haddon did a remarkable job created a unique character that was so easy to become attached to. Through his quirky writing and style, I can see many readers becoming invovled with Christopher's journey, and even experiencing the many ups and downs in his successes and failures in this story. I recommend everyone give this book a try, I promise it's unlike anything you've ever read before!

Day 339 - Q&A with Author Hannah Friedman & GIVEAWAY

I'm super excited to post the interview I did with Hannah Friedman. Check out my review of her memoir EVERYTHING SUCKS!


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A lil background info before we go on:

Hannah Friedman (Peekskill, NY) is a recent Yale University graduate. She is the daughter of gold-record singer/songwriter Dean Friedman. An article titled, “When Your Friends Become the Enemy” about her experiences applying to an Ivy League University was published in Newsweek in 2004. Ms. Friedman is the winner of the Yale 2007 Playwright’s Festival, as well as the New York Television Festival’s 2008 “Flying Solo” Pilot Contest. Her pilot about transitioning from college student to author will debut at the Festival in September 2008.

Follow Hannah on Twitter. She is in the top 600 Twitter-ers in the world!

Visit Hannah’s website, and watch her videos HERE.


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Me: First off let me have my fan girl moment and say “OMG I TOTALLY LOVED YOU & YOUR BOOK!” *clears throat* OK now we can begin…

Hannah: I'm so flattered! Thank you :)

Me: Can you tell the lost souls out there who haven’t heard about your memoir what they can expect to read?

Hannah: You can expect to read all about going from the biggest outcast in school to the heights of social royalty all whilst juggling a monkey for an older sister and all of the regular growing-up grit that nobody ever dares talk about candidly... sexual experimentation, drugs, arrests, the absolute absurdity of SATs, non-vampire true love...

Me: How’s monkey-sis Amelia doing? (And how much do you hate being asked that question =)?)

Hannah: 1. She's doing great and 2. I guess I should be used to it by now. I've included an exclusive candid photo of Amelia enjoying some time at the beach a few weeks back.

Me: When did you decide to write a memoir of your life?

Hannah: When I realized that I had no job and no vendable skills and was about to move into my parent's basement post-college.

Me: Did any of your classmates or people you knew give you a tough time after your book came out? Or did they already know they would be featured in it?

Hannah: I think my parents were surprised by some of it, but always supportive. My grandmother, however, has yet to lay her hands on a copy and we're hoping it stays that way.

Me: What was the toughest thing about writing Everything Sucks?

Hannah: Just writing it. Often times I honestly didn't think I could finish it up until the day I handed it in. Writing always feels like an uphill battle because you have to be constantly innovating, editing, condensing... it's tough work when all you're used to doing is writing 5-7 page thesis papers for someone else!

Me: If you could go back and change one thing about the book, would you? If so, what would that be?

Hannah: Very excellent question! Hrm... I definitely don't think it's "done." But it seems that most artists feel that way about their work- that there just comes a point where you have to let it go and have its own life, no matter how imperfect you might think it is. If I started this book over now, or 5 years from now, it would look completely different. But I think that's okay. The book captures a unique perspective because of its unique lens, and no matter how much my inner-editor of today would like to change things that I did last year, I don't think any art would remain intact if artists didn't undergo some form of creative abandonment to allow themselves to move on. Which doesn't mean there won't be more to come... we're talking about the movie rights at the moment, and I have lots of fun adaptations in mind for the screenplay.

Me: What was the one thing you desperately wanted to be when you were a little girl? (Other than a hilarious, accomplished Yale-grad and published author, just to name a few)

Hannah: Probably more than anything I wanted to be a cat in the musical Cats. I drew a whole re-imagined ending where the cat who goes up in the tire at the end actually comes back down as an adorable kitten: Me! Me dressed as an adorable kitten hovering above a Broadway stage on a giant car tire. Don't ask me why... but I really wanted that.

Me: What’s next on your agenda?

Hannah: Screenplays, TV pilots, another book, and a host of funny Youtube songs that you're invited to check out here: youtube.com/writinghannah

Me: Any book out there currently winning your attention? Or one coming out soon that you’re looking forward to reading?

Hannah: I got to meet Judy Blume last week at an anti-censorship performance in her honor, so I've actually been re-reading some of her classics and having a wonderful time! Those and the Discworld series by Terry Pratchet. Love them!

Me: Anything you’d like to add =)

Hannah: Even when things really suck, there is infinite potential for them to really un-suck. Have faith in yourself because you're your own best advocate. And always make time to laugh!!

Me: Thank you so much for taking the time out to stop by and chat with me Hannah. And thanks again for the opportunity to read your book. I had a blast!

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Hannah has generously offered a copy of EVERYTHING SUCKS to one lucky winner.

To enter:

-Comment that you'd like the book and PLEASE leave your email address. (I'm afraid I won't be counting your entry if you fail to do so, sorry)

For Extra Entries:

+2-Become a follower/subscriber!! (If you already are one, hugs to you, let me know and you get these!)
+1-Comment on my review! (<---- click the link)
+1-Follow me on twitter!! (Button located on my right sidebar - please leave your @name so I can verify)
+1-Link back to this giveaway. (Must provide link!)

= Total # of possible entries: 6

Giveaway ends November 25th and the winner will be announced the following day on the 26th. US ONLY PLEASE.

Day 339 - Waiting on Wednesday [36]

from penguin.com:

In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past.


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Reason: I love the sound of this. I'm not big on fiction that is based around wars for some reason but the dynamic relationships sound interesting. And I'm just dieing to know what the present and past in this novel have to do with each other.

Cover Discussion: I actually don't like how thin the cover model appears to be. But I do love (1) the color of her dress, (2) her hairstyle, and (3) the design on the bottom of the cover.

The Piano Teacher will be released November 17th!

What are you waiting on this week?
To see more books that are being waited for click here.

Day 338 - Legacy Winner

The winner of LEGACY by Cayla Kluver is ...

Shawna from

The Blind Cupid

Congrats! I hope you enjoy the book!! Thank you to those who entered =)
[I've already received your email and I'll be getting the book out to you soon]