Thanks to the publisher, I have two copies of The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart to give away to readers with a US address. I have just started reading the book but wanted to get the giveaway posted before it is published in the next few weeks.
I can already tell you that it is a delightfully original story set in in Victorian England and, like The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise, has a cast of lovable, quirky characters that come to life with Julia Stuart’s whimsical style and dry sense of humor.
Following is a summary from the publisher:
The Pigeon Pie Mystery
by Julia Stuart
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Doubleday
Publish Date: August 7, 2012
Format: Hardcover | 336 pages
About the Book
When Indian Princess Alexandrina is left penniless by the sudden death of her father, the Maharaja of Brindor, Queen Victoria grants her a grace-and-favor home in Hampton Court Palace. Though rumored to be haunted, Alexandrina and her lady’s maid, Pooki, have no choice but to take the Queen up on her offer.
Aside from the ghost sightings, Hampton Court doesn’t seem so bad. The princess is soon befriended by three eccentric widows who invite her to a picnic with all the palace’s inhabitants, for which Pooki bakes a pigeon pie. But when General-Major Bagshot dies after eating said pie, and the coroner finds traces of arsenic in his body, Pooki becomes the #1 suspect in a murder investigation.
Princess Alexandrina isn’t about to let her faithful servant hang. She begins an investigation of her own, and discovers that Hampton Court isn’t such a safe place to live after all.
With her trademark wit and charm, Julia Stuart introduces us to an outstanding cast of lovable oddballs, from the palace maze-keeper to the unconventional Lady Beatrice (who likes to dress up as a toucan—don’t ask), as she guides us through the many delightful twists and turns in this fun and quirky murder mystery. Everyone is hiding a secret of the heart, and even Alexandrina may not realize when she’s caught in a maze of love.
Giveaway Information
Giveaway is open to those with an address in the US only. To enter, fill out the form below on or before July 31st. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
[Contest has ended]
Winners: Gale N. and Joy F.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday
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 July host is Mrs. Q Book Addict.
From Grand Central Publishing for review and giveaway:
The Bourne Imperative
by Eric Van Lustbader
Jason Bourne is back in this new novel in Robert Ludlum’s bestselling series written by New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader.
The man Jason Bourne fishes out of the frozen lake is near death, bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound and drowning. He awakens as an amnesiac, with no memory of who he is or why he was shot–and Bourne is eerily reminded of his own past.
More about the book and enter the giveaway.
From Penguin for review:
Tuesday’s Gone (Frieda Klein #2)
by Nicci French
Sometimes the mind is a dangerous place to hide. The rotting, naked corpse of a man is found amidst swarms of flies in the living room of a confused woman. Who is he? Why is Michelle Doyce trying to serve him afternoon tea? And how did the dead body find its way into her flat? DCI Karlsson needs an expert to delve inside Michelle’s mind for answers and turns to former colleague, psychiatrist Frieda Klein. Eventually Michelle’s ramblings lead to a vital clue that in turn leads to a possible identity. Robert Poole. Jack of all trades and master conman.
From Knopf Doubleday for review:
The Double Game
by Dan Fesperman
A thrillingly inventive novel about spies and their secrets, fathers and sons, lovers and fate, and duplicity and loyalty—a maze of intrigue built from the espionage classics of the Cold War.
A few years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, spook-turned-novelist Edwin Lemaster reveals to up-and-coming journalist Bill Cage that he’d once considered spying for the enemy. For Cage, a fan who grew up as a Foreign Service brat in the very cities where Lemaster set his plots, the story creates a brief but embarrassing sensation… more
From PenguinAudio for review:
Overseas
by Beatriz Williams
A passionate, sweeping novel of a love that transcends time. When twenty-something Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson attracts the notice of the legendary Julian Laurence at a business meeting, no one’s more surprised than she is. Julian’s relentless energy and his extraordinary intellect electrify her, but she’s baffled by his sudden interest… more
The Yard
by Alex Grecian
Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only twelve detectives—known as “The Murder Squad”—to investigate countless murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own . . . one of the twelve.
How was your week?
Thanks to the publisher, I have a copy of The Bourne Imperative, the new Jason Bourne novel by Eric Van Lustbader, to give away to one of my readers in the US or Canada.
I received my copy a few days ago and, although I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I’m excited to discover a new installment in the series. If you enjoy thrillers, there’s a good chance you’ll love Jason Bourne. Just think Matt Damon, who plays him in the movies.
Following is a little information about the book and the author.
The Bourne Imperative
by Eric Van Lustbader
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: June 5, 2012
Format: Hardcover | 448 pages
About the Book
The man Jason Bourne fishes out of the freezing sea is near death, half-drowned and bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound. He awakens with no memory of who he is or why he was shot-and Bourne is eerily reminded of his own amnesia. Then Bourne discovers that the Mossad agent named Rebeka is so determined to find this injured man that she has gone off the grid, cut her ties to her agency, and is now being stalked by Mossad’s most feared killer. Do the answers to these mysteries lie back in southeast Lebanon, in a secret encampment to which Bourne and Rebeka escaped following a firefight weeks ago?
The complex trail links to the mission given to Treadstone directors Peter Marks and Soraya Moore: find the semi-mythic terrorist assassin known as Nicodemo.
In the course of Bourne’s desperate, deadly search for a secret that will alter the future of the entire world, he will experience both triumph and loss, and his life will never be the same.
Now everything turns on the amnesiac. Bourne must learn his identity and purpose before both he and Rebeka are killed. From Stockholm to Washington, D.C., from Mexico City to Beijing, the web of lies and betrayals extends into a worldwide conspiracy of monumental proportions.
About the Author
ERIC VAN LUSTBADER is most widely known as the New York Times bestselling author of twenty international bestselling thrillers including Ninja and Black Heart. He is also the author of two successful and highly regarded series of fantasy novels, The Sunset Warrior Cycle and The Pearl Saga. His novels have been translated into over twenty languages.
The original three books in this series, better known as The Bourne Trilogy, were written by Robert Ludlum. After Ludlum’s death in 2001, Lustbader took over the character in his own series of novels.
Visit the author on Facebook and Twitter. Visit the official Ludlum Website.
Giveaway Information
Giveaway is open to those with an address in the US or Canada only. To enter, fill out the form below on or before July 31st. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
[Contest has ended]
Winner: Wrighty
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Source: Review copy.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Instead of birds, this week I have some flowers from my garden.
I’m also trying a new way of watermarking my photos. Instead of placing the watermark at the top or bottom, I’m making it transparent but placing it in the photo. I’m not sure if I like it, but it is the only way to deter unauthorized use or outright theft of my photos. Disabling right-click or copy doesn’t stop the thieves; it’s very easy to defeat.
What happened now you are wondering? In the past I’ve had photos used without permission by other blogs or websites, and when it happens I ask them to credit my blog or delete them. Recently someone stooped to a new low and stole several of my bird photos, cropped out the watermark and claimed they owned these birds and were trying to sell them. I received an email from the individual they were attempting to defraud with copies of my altered photos attached.
Anyway, on to the flowers and let me know what you think of the new watermarks. I’ll be playing around with fonts and colors until I come up with something I like so any suggestions or comments are appreciated.
Shade flowers: Begonia, coleus, impatients. This barrel didn’t receive much hail damage during the storm a few weeks ago as it was protected by the fence and my garden shed.
The verbena is in a hanging basket which I took down before the storm.
The tall yellow coneflower is starting to bloom this week.
The pink spider flower is one of my favorites. I grow them from seed and most are white or pale pink, but a few will be a vibrant pink like this one. Seeds from a pink flower won’t necessarily produce pink plants next year; about one in ten are hot pink.
A couple of sunflowers opened up this week.
Have a great Saturday everyone. I’m out on a bird walk this morning and will be visiting your photos later in the day.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The Chaperone
by Laura Moriarty
Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: June 5, 2012
Format: Audio, 13 hours | 14 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 5 of 5
I was expecting The Chaperone to be a fictionalized story of silent movie star Louise Brooks, but instead I discovered a wonderful novel about Cora Carlisle and the 1922 summer she spent chaperoning a young Louise on a journey from Wichita, Kansas to spend five weeks in New York City.
Louise Brooks was the product of a disinterested mother and too busy father. Neither had time for her and when she wanted to attend dance classes in New York, her mother asked if any of the local Wichita ladies would accompany her. Cora has an ulterior motive and would love to travel to New York to search for information on her birth parents, in an era where being adopted was often secret and shameful. Cora agreed to go on the trip and would conduct her research while Louise was at class.
I enjoy fiction that melds real life characters into the plot. We get an amazing journey through the raucous era of the early 1920s where fashion and morals were rapidly changing. Through the actions of young 15-year-old Louise, a woman ahead of her time, we experience the fledgling women’s movement. In contrast to Cora, who is in her 30s, younger women no longer feel constrained by the dictates of society and want to dress and act as they please and experience the freedoms afforded to men.
The majority of the book is Cora’s story; a well-written, likeable character. As she reminisces back on her life we share the high points and the low points, at times happy and others sad and often shocking at how women and children were treated in the not so distant past. I was cheering for Cora, hoping that now in the present she would find the answers she needed and the happiness she deserved.
Elizabeth McGovern’s narration was a joy to listen to with an excellent range of accents and ability to differentiate characters. A smooth, well-paced performance. This would make an excellent choice for those new to, or thinking about trying, an audiobook.
Highly recommended and one of my favorites for the year for both the audio production and the story.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: July 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover | 336 pages
Rating: 4 of 5
Harold Fry has recently retired from the brewery where he has worked for decades. He resides in a modest home in the English Village of Kingsbridge with his wife Maureen where the two live almost as strangers, barely speaking to one another. Maureen blames Harold for the problems with their son, David, and says he was the reason David left.
One morning Harold receives a letter from a former co-worker, Queenie, that he hasn’t heard from in 20 years. She is dying, is residing in hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed, and is writing to say goodbye. Harold writes a reply and walks to the mailbox to send the letter. On his way he stopped at a petrol station for some refreshment and began a conversation with the girl at the checkout counter. He told her about his letter and she told him about her aunt that had cancer and that he had to have faith that Queenie would survive as her aunt had. At that point Harold was inspired to deliver the letter himself, by walking to her; for as long as he walked, Queenie would live.
In a most unlikely journey, Harold begins walking the 500 miles to deliver the letter in person. He isn’t wearing proper shoes or clothing and he doesn’t even have his mobile phone with him, but he continues anyway. As he walks he thinks back on his life, his childhood, his marriage, his son, the mistakes he’s made, the pain he has caused others, and how he failed Queenie.
We are introduced to an odd array of people that Harold meets along the way, each with their own story to tell and many eager to help him. Harold believes that “in walking to atone for the mistakes he had made, it was also his journey to accept the strangeness of others”, so he listens to them and walks with them. But is Harold walking toward Queenie or away from his own life and his unhappiness?
Meanwhile Maureen remains at home. She too reflects on the past and her mistakes and begins her own journey of acceptance of Harold, their life together and events that have transpired in their past. She begins to change, to evolve and travel her own path of personal growth.
The story is told from alternating points of view from Harold and Maureen. As they each reflect back on their lives, the years are peeled away slowly revealing their story to the reader. This is a complex but at the same time simple story about relationships, beliefs, faith, healing and the realization that we cannot change the past but we can create a better future.
Rachel Joyce has crafted a beautiful story with well developed, sympathetic characters. Although at times I did get a little frustrated with Harold and his insistence on seeing only the good in everyone, even when it compromised his own goals, I couldn’t help but like him.
About the Author
Rachel Joyce is an award-winning writer of more than twenty plays for BBC Radio 4. She started writing after a 20 year acting career performing lead roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and also winning multiple awards. Rachel Joyce lives in Gloucestershire on a farm with her family and is at work on her second novel.
Click HERE for the tour schedule.
A Giveaway
The publisher has generously offered a copy to give away to one of my readers with a US mailing address (no PO boxes). If you would like to be entered in the drawing let me know in the comments. One random winner will be selected. Enter through Monday, July 30th. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond.
[Contest has ended]
Winner: Jayme@Beachreader
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Source: Review copy.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Fifty Shades of Grey
by E. L. James
Narrated by Becca Battoe
By now I’m sure almost everyone has heard of the book Fifty Shades of Grey so I won’t waste any space introducing Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. What? You aren’t acquainted with them? Then hop on over to the review page at Amazon where over 8,000 people have already expressed their opinions.
From the synopsis I already knew this would not be my type of book; romance is not my genre, but curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Once in a while I like something different and outside of my usual range. I read and liked the erotic memoir Nine and a Half Weeks and thought Fifty Shades might be similar. (No. It’s not.)
Not having time to squeeze in another print book I got a copy of the audio version. I made it through a little over one-third of the book before I couldn’t take it anymore. This is not a commentary on the story itself, but is a review of the audio production. I rarely write bad reviews, preferring to say nothing if I didn’t finish the book, but the audio was so awful I felt the need to share. I am always trying to bring new listeners to the wonderful world of audiobooks, and most are well done, but run away from this one.
The narrator’s voice got very annoying after an hour or two. In trying to sound young all I could hear was a “valley girl” type voice that was grating on my ears. The female voices all sounded the same and the narrator could not do a convincing male voice much less a hot, sexy male. Hearing her “Christian” speak was an immediate turn-off. Nothing erotic was coming to mind, I was envisioning a dorky guy. This is a book that needed, no, required, a sexy-voiced male actor to play Christian.
The dialog isn’t very good and the audio version emphasized that enormously. If I had to hear “jeez”, “holy $hit” or how “weird” something was one more time I was going to scream! At almost 20 hours, this is too much for anyone to bear. It probably isn’t as noticeable in print, but in audio format a book can come across differently. You can’t skim boring parts, speed up, or slow down. You are stuck with the pacing of the narrator, and this was too slow.
If you are inclined to read this, I recommend going with a print version. With that awful voice of Christian stuck in my head, I don’t feel any urgency to pick up the book and finish it, but I guarantee I won’t be going back to the audio version.
Perhaps Ellen Degeneres should have agreed to record the book!
Have you listened to the audio of Fifty Shades? Read the book? Intend to read it?
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© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Under My Apple Tree 