Almost wordless: I leave native plants and seedheads in the winter garden as a source of food and shelter for birds and small animals. When it snows they provide some interesting photos. Although it looks black & white, this was taken in color.
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On Such a Full Sea
by Chang-rae Lee
Narrated by B. D. Wong
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: January 7, 2014
Format: Audio, 11 hours | 8 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy – Intermediate
Rating: 3 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
In a future, long-declining America, society is strictly stratified by class. Long-abandoned urban neighborhoods have been repurposed as high-walled, self-contained labor colonies. And the members of the labor class – descendants of those brought over enmasse many years earlier from environmentally ruined provincial China – find purpose and identity in their work to provide pristine produce and fish to the small, elite, satellite charter villages that ring the labor settlement.
In this world lives Fan, a female fish-tank diver, who leaves her home in the B-Mor settlement (once known as Baltimore), when the man she loves mysteriously disappears. Fan’s journey to find him takes her out of the safety of B-Mor, through the anarchic Open Counties, where crime is rampant with scant governmental oversight, and to a faraway charter village, in a quest that will soon become legend to those she left behind.
My Thoughts:
Chang-rae Lee has beautifully portrayed a disturbing, dystopian world: An America several hundred years in the future that is plagued by the evolution of many of today’s problems. Pollution, climate change, economic decline, few available jobs, rationed health care, class and racial division, and financial inequality have created a divided society. The Open Counties are where the outcasts of society reside, the laborers live in The Settlements – the remnants of former major cities, and the wealthy elites live in The Charters.
This is the story of Fan, a young woman from the settlement of B-Mor, the former city of Baltimore. Fan’s boyfriend, Reg, disappears one day and she sets out on a quest into the open counties to find him. Her story is presented as a folktale told by an unnamed narrator, presumably from B-Mor. Fan is revered by her people. He refers to her fondly as ‘our Fan’ and often uses the term ‘we’.
The prose is beautifully descriptive and the first half of the book was compelling. As Fan traveled we learned more about the world she inhabited and the people who lived in it but after a while the plot didn’t feel like it was progressing. It began to feel more about the place and not the story or the characters.
I never quite understood Fan. She seemed easily distracted from her goal of finding Reg. She set out on a dangerous journey but was not a strong character. She let others direct her and make decisions for her. There were times when she should have run from a clearly uneasy situation but instead remained. Her staying provided more opportunity for social commentary, descriptive prose and world building but slowed down the pace of the story.
When we finally got to the ending, there was little explanation. Perhaps there is a sequel planned because lot of questions were left unanswered. While I enjoyed the detailed world building, I needed a little more substance to the plot. Those who revel in exquisite prose and detailed observations of the time and the place will enjoy this novel.
Audio Production:
The narrator, B. D. Wong, read the story as if he were relating a fable or fairy tale. This was a fairly easy novel to listen to with a linear story line, no quick jumps in time and place, and one main character. There are a lot of secondary characters, world building and storytelling, so a little extra attention to detail is needed, but overall a solid audio production.
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Source: Review copy
© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Welcome to Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia of To Be Continued, a place where readers share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.
After several years of being on tour with different blogs as the monthly host, the Mailbox Monday Blog is now the permanent home for the meme.
Nothing new delivered by the postman last week. I did receive a few e-books in the digital mailbox.
New Arrivals
The Martian by Andy Weir
Apollo 13 meets Castaway in this grippingly detailed, brilliantly ingenious man-vs-nature survival thriller-set on the surface of Mars.
To Tuscany With Love by Gail Mencini
Bella Rossini, a vivacious college junior, lands in jail overnight with acquaintances whom she mistakes for friends. Shipped off to Tuscany by her mother, Bella is suddenly thrust into living with seven strangers during one life-altering summer.
What are you reading?
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Water in the Cold
Birds can survive harsh, below freezing winter weather if they can find food, water and shelter. Last week I talked about coping with the cold and how birds burn calories to generate body heat and therefore need to eat a lot more high fat food. In addition to food they need to find water for drinking and cleaning their feathers.
Below a House Finch and House Sparrow stop for a drink at my heated bird bath. I took this through the window. It was way too cold to open the patio door.
Are Heated Bird Baths Beneficial?
There are mixed opinions on the necessity of a heated bath. There is no question that water will attract birds, but does it help them?
In below freezing temperatures birds usually get the water they need from snow and ice. When the air temperature is extremely cold a heated bath will steam like a spa and may tempt a bird to jump in and bathe. On freezing days birds should use the water for drinking only, not bathing. But do the birds know enough not to wade in?
I have a heated bird bath mounted on my deck railing which I leave up year-round. I’ve had it since 2009 and am very pleased with its performance. Other than having to modify the mounting bracket to keep it from tipping, it was easy to set up and is easy maintain.
So, is it safe for the birds? I think so. On the coldest days, none of the birds tried to go in the water. Of course there is always the danger that one will fall in, but there are many dangers in nature. Finding fresh, clean water is helpful. Who knows what is in the ice, snow and water on the roads and in our backyards.
Starlings Love the Bird Bath
The only birds I saw wading into the water on days when the temps were slightly below freezing were House Sparrows and European Starlings. I see them do this every year. Five or six birds jump in at once and splash around. I guess this says something about the stamina of these birds: Both are non-native species from Europe and both have adapted and prospered in North America.
You Never Know Who Will Show Up
Water attracts many species of birds, even those that don’t come to feeders.
In February 2011 Chicago had one of its epic snowstorms that shut down the city for a few days. The morning after the storm a Yellow-rumped Warbler was outside my window taking a drink at the heated bath. Chicago is on the northern edge of their winter range, most of these birds migrate further south, especially in cold winters, so finding one in my yard was a special treat.
And then there are the squirrels and other critters. They could use a drink of fresh, clean water too. There was a possum on my deck last night but as far as I know he didn’t try to get in the bath.
Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. It is now hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles
by Katherine Pancol
Narrated by Ellen Archer
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: December 31, 2013 (orig 2006)
Format: Audio, 11 hours | 22 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
When her chronically unemployed husband runs off to start a crocodile farm in Kenya with his mistress, Joséphine Cortès is left in an unhappy state of affairs. The mother of two is forced to maintain a stable family life while making ends meet on her meager salary as a medieval history scholar.
Meanwhile, Joséphine’s charismatic sister Iris seems to have it all—a wealthy husband, gorgeous looks, and a très chic Paris address—but she dreams of bringing meaning back into her life. When Iris charms a famous publisher into offering her a lucrative deal for a twelfth-century romance, she offers her sister a deal of her own: Joséphine will write the novel and pocket all the proceeds, but the book will be published under Iris’s name. All is well—that is, until the book becomes the literary sensation of the season.
My Thoughts:
This was a delightful novel – funny and entertaining, lots of characters and a multitude of subplots. Once I got all the names straight and the relationships figured out the story began to flow at a quick pace. The individuals are so unique and well-developed I didn’t have any problems remembering who was who.
The main plot revolves around timid, reserved Joséphine and her transformation into a stronger, confident woman. Surrounding her is a large cast of quirky characters including Iris, her outgoing, charismatic sister; her two daughters, Hortense and Zoe, polar opposites themselves; her worthless husband Antoine – the guy with the crocodiles; Luca, a hot guy she meets at the library; her mom and second husband Marcel and his mistress; Shirley, her neighbor, a woman with a secret of her own; and more.
Characters, plots and subplots are intricately woven together and, after a few unexpected twists, most of the stories wrapped up neatly, although a few plot lines were left hanging. I was sorry to have to come to the end of this novel and was happy to learn that this is book one of a trilogy. The original novel was published in French and books two and three do not appear to be available yet in English. I found the translation very readable/listenable – only a few awkward phrases here and there. If anyone’s read it in French feel free to comment.
Audio Production:
Narrator Ellen Archer does a great job of creating different voices for each of the characters and I was able to identify many of them by voice alone. The large number of characters introduced quickly in the beginning of the novel could make this a challenge for the listener. The chapters are fairly long with frequent changes in characters and place. I find audiobooks easier to follow when there is a new chapter when the scene changes, but that was not the case with this book so closer attention to detail was needed. I wouldn’t recommend this as one’s first audiobook but for those comfortable with the format I definitely recommend the audio.
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Source: Review copy provided by Penguin Audio.
© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Almost wordless: Some trees were still dropping leaves last week. This one was illuminated by the setting sun in a field of snow. Not sure what type of Oak Tree this fell from – probably a Black Oak.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Gail Mencini’s debut novel is an adult coming-of-age story set in the Italian countryside. I am looking forward to reading this and escaping to Italy, one of my favorite settings.
The book releases today and thanks to the publicist I have a copy of To Tuscany With Love to give away to one of my readers with a US mailing address.
Following is a little information about the book and the author:
About the Book
To Tuscany With Loveby Gail Mencini
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Capriole Group
Publish Date: January 7, 2014
Format: Paperback | 392 pages
Bella Rossini, a vivacious college junior, lands in jail overnight with acquaintances whom she mistakes for friends. Shipped off to Tuscany by her mother, Bella is suddenly thrust into living with seven strangers during one life-altering summer.
Meet Hope, the sturdy and practical girl, steadfast in her loyalty to her boyfriend; Meghan and Karen, identical twins with an eye for fashion and beauty to match; Stillman, haunted by his hard past, and Phillip, an athlete, both fueled by competition; Lee, by family mandate in pre-med; and Rune, the Hollywood-bound wild child. All add sizzling chemistry and rebellious humor to the mix.
In one whirlwind summer, while uncovering the charms of Italy, they discover both friendship and love. After their summer together, life – and loss – happens.
Returning to Tuscany 30 years later, their dreams, anger, secrets and disappointments create an emotional kaleidoscope. Their reunion sends them on a startling collision course that none of them could have predicted.
Set against the allure of Tuscany, with an irresistible fusion of heartbreak and humor, this debut novel, “To Tuscany with Love”, explores the fear of letting the past determine the future and the power of friendship.
About the Author
Gail Mencini makes her literary debut with “To Tuscany with Love” (January 2014, Capriole Group) an adult coming-of-age novel set in central Italy. Born in rural Nebraska, Mencini graduated with honors in 1976 from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where she majored in accounting, economics and business administration. She holds a Master of Laws of Taxation degree from the University of Denver College of Law.
Mencini co-owned an accounting firm and practiced for 15 years in public accounting, specializing in tax law related to mergers and acquisitions and real estate. She also spent time in the higher education field, working as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and Metro State College, as well as the University of Denver College of Law. She was a repeat speaker at national continuing education seminars and
a featured presenter in a real estate conference in the Caribbean.
In 1990 when she married her husband, Mencini became an “instant mother” of three boys plus another son two years later, which opened the doors to becoming a full-time mother and igniting her long-time passion for creative arts, gourmet cooking and traveling.
She went on to become a contributing editor and photojournalist for Buzz in the ‘Burbs, writing monthly cooking columns featuring dinner themes, recipes and complementary wine suggestions. She also served as interim director of marketing for Wine Master Cellars as the company transitioned to new leadership. She has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for nearly 20 years as well as the Pikes Peak Writers for over 10. She most recently joined Author U based in Aurora, Colo.
She writes and cooks in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and family who are always ready to critique her abundance of story ideas and recipes.
Connect with Gail
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Webpage
Giveaway Information
Giveaway is open to those 18 years or older with a US mailing address. To enter, leave a comment on or before midnight, January 18, 2014. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway and leave the link in your comment. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
[Giveaway Has Ended]
Winner: Emma @ Words and Peace
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© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Source: Review copy and giveaway provided by JKS Communications.
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