Almost wordless: Saturday the sun came out, melting the ice in the veggie garden birdbath. The frozen plants are broccoli.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The Man In The Empty Suit
by Sean Ferrell
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Publish Date: February 5, 2013
Format: Hardcover | 300 pages
Suspend your belief. You’re a time traveler. You’re bored. You’ve been everywhere throughout human history. You crave a little entertainment. So every year on your birthday you travel to an abandoned hotel in 2071 New York and party with … yourself!
Every year you arrive at the party and all the guests are versions of you at different ages: older versions, younger versions, but still all YOU. There’s a set of rules spelled out that you need to adhere to so nothing gets messed up in the timeline. But this time something does get messed up. The year you turn 39 you encounter the dead body of your 40-year-old self. Later a women shows up at the party and the only guests that should be there are YOU. Now you have a year to figure out went very wrong, and all your lives hang in the balance.
Are you still with me? Science fiction fans and anyone that wants to read something very, very, very different, stick around.
This is not a time travel story in the traditional sense. This is reality-bending, mind-twisting time travel filled with more paradoxes than you can even begin to count. It brought to mind Michael Moorcock’s Dancer’s at the End of Time, or most anything by P.K. Dick, known for his surreal fantasies.
The first hundred pages were confusing and I felt like the story was going in circles. I didn’t like the guy in the suit (who never does give us his name) and all of the characters at this point were different versions of him, some more appealing than others. There was frustratingly little detail about the world of 2071. Infrastructure was breaking down, but I wanted to know why Manhattan was mostly deserted. Why was it in decay? And then there were all the parrots. Twice I almost gave up and abandoned the book in confusion, but it was such an interesting premise and had so much potential that I persevered. And I’m glad I did.
At about the half-way point things get interesting, and I was finding it easier to understand what was going on. Our man jumps back in time to six months before the party to prevent another death, a couple of new characters are introduced, and we get some background on Lily, the woman who showed up at the party but didn’t belong there, and there was more about those parrots, too. More pieces begin to fall into place during the six months preceding the night of the party, but ultimately we end up back where the book began, at the birthday party.
I tend to give science fiction a little more leeway on plot and world building. The writing is good, but the reader is kept deliberately disoriented and perplexed, and while I liked the story and loved the concept, the confusing nature of the plot at times left me unsatisfied. Perhaps if I re-read the book I’d pick up a lot more detail and insight, and maybe someday I will.
This book is not for everyone. It takes a little work to read, but if you enjoy a complex, mind-bending plot with a little mystery, thriller, and science fiction mixed in, then I recommend giving this book a chance.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The February host is Audra @ Unabridged Chick.
Although it’s still winter and there is snow on the ground, I’m already thinking Spring and landscaping. So I’m excited to be able to preview a copy of Gardening for the Birds.
For review from Timber Press (eGalley):
The Backyard Bird Sanctuary:
How to Create a Bird-Friendly Garden
by George Adams
With hundreds of native plants, extensive seasonal bloom and fruiting charts, and the techniques for creating a balanced ecosystem, this book helps you turn any space—from a small, urban terrace to a large suburban yard—into a home for a fascinating variety of birds. Close-up profiles of birds from across all regions of North America teach you their nesting, breeding, and feeding habits.
A win from Criminal Element:
Stalked (Lucy Kincaid #5)
by Allison Brennan
A new trainee at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Lucy Kincaid has already seen more than her share of murder and mayhem. Still reeling from the sex-crime case that sealed her reputation, she’s found a true friend and mentor in Agent Tony Presidio. No matter what goes down at the Bureau, Tony’s got her back—until he’s called to New York to help investigate the murder of a reporter with ties to Lucy. But the reporter may not be the first victim of a patient killer with a penchant for revenge, and she’s definitely not the last. Connections between closed cases, a missing person, and Tony himself lead Lucy to fear for those she cares for most.
Purchased the e-book for a Book Circle discussion:
Friendships Don’t Just Happen!:
The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends
by Shasta Nelson
In Friendships Don’t Just Happen!, Shasta Nelson, friendship expert and CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com, reveals the most important proven steps, processes, and secrets vital to establishing the five different levels of friendships, or Circles of Connectedness, that women—no matter their age or relationship status—are longing for in today’s stressful and mobile culture. This revolutionary, engaging guide will also benefit women who already feel rooted to fabulous friends, with insightful principles that will help them maintain and enhance their current friendships.
What are you reading?
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© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Citizen Scientists Needed
The Backyard Bird Count is an opportunity for citizen scientists to help researchers by spending a few minutes next weekend counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. It’s as easy as looking out your window for 15 minutes or going for a walk at a local park.
People of all ages and skill levels can participate. You do not need to be an expert to contribute. Even if you can only identify the common birds you can still take part in the count.
Count Is Now International
From the GBBC Press Release:
For the first time, anyone anywhere in the world with Internet access can participate in the 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) February 15-18. Participants simply watch birds at any location for at least 15 minutes, tally the numbers of each species they see, and report their tallies online at www.BirdCount.org. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.
Backyard Birds
It probably goes without saying that I will be counting birds next weekend. I expect to see most of the usual suspects like the House Finches, above, who will no doubt stop at my backyard feeder, or the Robin, who I often see on walks in the park. Another backyard favorite is the Goldfinch, below, and last week’s winter favorite, the Dark-eyed Junco.
Several species of woodpecker also show up regularly at my feeders, the most frequent is the little Downy Woodpecker, below.
And of course, everyone’s favorite, the Cardinal.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Welcome!
Welcome to The Literary Blog Hop hosted by Judith at Leeswames Blog.
The hop will run from February 9th – 13th. Over 40 blogs are participating and each will be offering a book or bookish items of a literary nature. There is a linky list of participants below and many giveaways are open internationally.
New visitors, feel free to take a look around. I’m an eclectic reader who enjoys a wide range of subjects and genres. Regular visitors already know I’m especially fond of audiobooks and love to photograph birds.
Giveaway: The Time In Between by María Dueñas
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Atria
Publish Date: November 8, 2011
Format: Advance Reading Copy | 624 pages
This sweeping novel, which combines the storytelling power of The Shadow of the Wind with the irresistible romance of Casablanca, moves at an unstoppable pace. Suddenly left abandoned and penniless in Algiers by her lover, Sira Quiroga forges a new identity. Against all odds she becomes the most sought-after couture designer for the socialite wives of German Nazi officers. But she is soon embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy as she passes information to the British Secret Service through a code stitched into the hems of her dresses.
How To Enter
- Fill out the form below. The giveaway is open to anyone 18+ years of age with a US mailing addresses. You do not have to be a follower, although new followers are always appreciated.
- For an extra entry, leave a comment on this or any other post.
- The deadline for entry is midnight February 13th. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours.
[Contest has ended]
Winner: Katie @ Doing Dewey
Read more…
The School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: January 22, 2009
Format: Audio, 6 hours | 4 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy – Intermediate
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Once a month on Monday night, eight students gather in Lillian’s restaurant for a cooking class. Over time, the paths of the students mingle and intertwine, and the essence of Lillian’s cooking expands beyond the restaurant and into the secret corners of their lives, with results that are often unexpected, and always delicious.
My Thoughts:
I’ve had this book on my goodreads list so long that I thought I had already read it. When Erica Bauermeister’s new book, The Lost Art of Mixing was published, I was eager to read it. When my copy arrived a few weeks ago, I scanned the back cover and from the synopsis realized this was a continuation of The School of Essential Ingredients, and I hadn’t read it yet. Not wanting to ruin the story by reading the books out of order, I dashed to the library and got a copy of the audiobook.
The audio, narrated by Cassandra Campbell, a favorite of mine, was a delight to listen to. Other than needing to keep track of eight characters, this was an easy listen and at only six hours, the time flew past.
The chapters are written from the viewpoint of the students, strangers who come together on the first Monday of every month at Lillian’s restaurant for a cooking lesson. Each has their own reason for attending but all will find their lives changed by the experience.
Richly textured and overflowing with descriptive images of food, the story comes alive. I could almost taste sauces and smell the various dishes. Brimming with metaphors, it was a delightful and charming story.
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Source: Review copy
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
One of my favorite books last year was MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search For A New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche, a memoir about her mission to go on fifty-two friend-dates over the next year to find a new best friend.
One of the ways Rachel met people was by joining the group GirlFriendCircles.com, an online community that connects women to new local friends. Intrigued and inspired by her experience, I decided to join. My local group is wonderful and the events I’ve attended have been positive and uplifting. In a couple of weeks we will be meeting to discuss the book Friendships Don’t Just Happen! by Shasta Nelson, founder of GirlFriendCircles.com.
Friendships Don’t Just Happen!
by Shasta Nelson
Publish Date: February 12, 2013
Format: Paperback and Kindle | 254 pages
Book Overview:
In short, this is a book about how to create meaningful friendships as adults—going through the 5 steps from how to meet them and eventually leading to what I call Frientimacy—Friendship Intimacy. Most of us aren’t just craving more contacts, but actual real friends. This book is written for women to better understand which of the 5 types of friends we have, which ones we need right now, and to know how to develop those friendships that matter.
The book is divided into three main parts:
- The first part, “From Loneliness to Frientimacy,” helps women identify their personal relational needs using Shasta’s 5 Circles of Connectedness and helps set healthy expectations.
- The second part, “Five Steps to Turn Friendly People We Meet into Friends Who Matter,” teaches the 5 Steps to Friendships, taking one chapter to cover each step: Be Open, Initiate Consistently, Add Positivity, Increase Vulnerability, and Practice Forgiveness.
- The third part, “Friendships Don’t Just Keep Happening: Be Intentional,” covers the five friendship threats—jealousy, judgment, non-reciprocation, neglect, and blame—and helps the reader end the book with a clear plan of how to move toward the friendships that matter most to her.
I’ve ordered my copy. I’ll have a review and update of our group discussion in a few weeks.
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Post linked at “Waiting On” Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
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© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Under My Apple Tree 