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 Metroreader.
Only one book this week and it’s one that I was excited to receive an early copy. Baseball is my favorite sport and wouldn’t you know it, I’m a Cub fan.
From Doubleday for review:
Calico Joe
by John Grisham
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.
Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…
How was your week?
Shadow Patrol
by Alex Berenson
Read by: George Guidall
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: February 21, 2012
Format: Audio CD | 11 hours and 30 minutes
Rating: 4 of 5
Synopsis:
In 2009, the CIA’s Kabul Station fell for a source who promised to lead it to Bin Laden, but instead he blew himself up, taking the station’s most senior officers with him. Now, more than two years later, the station is still floundering, agents are dying, and at Langley the CIA’s chiefs wonder if the unthinkable has happened, if somehow the Taliban has infiltrated the station.When they ask John Wells to investigate, he reluctantly agrees to return to the country where his career as an undercover operative began. But there, he finds a vipers’ nest of hostility and mistrust-and clues that hint at a drug-trafficking operation involving the Agency, the military, and the Taliban. Americans are dying, and an American is responsible. And only John Wells stands in his way . . . for now.
Although I’m an eclectic reader, I don’t usually choose espionage or military thrillers. After receiving an advance copy of the audiobook of The Shadow Patrol, I had an opportunity to give another one of them a try. Every once in a while it’s good to move outside my usual genres and sometimes I’m surprised to find a good book that I wouldn’t have normally read or listened to.
I approached the story as if it were a stand-alone book even though a quick read through the synopsis told me it was book six of a series. It’s always nice to have more background information on the characters but this didn’t stop me from following the plot itself. In a perfect world I would go back and read every series from the beginning but that’s not always possible, so I just jumped in.
I’m not sure what Wells role was in previous books but now he is working for the CIA as an independent contractor on a mission to find out who the mole is at Kabul Station, Afghanistan. The story moved along at an even pace. I was provided with enough character background to stay engaged and as I listened I got wrapped up in the adventure and forgot that this was part of a series.
I admit I am not very knowledgeable about Afghanistan but the writing and descriptions brought the dangers in the country and the tensions among the locals to life. While I eventually had a pretty good idea who the bad guy was, it wasn’t until the end that I was sure. There were enough characters with hidden agendas to keep me guessing.
Narrator George Guidall was, as usual, a pleasure to listen to. His voice was perfect for tough guy John Wells plus I had no trouble believing his different Arabic accents. As a bonus, I know when I see his name as narrator that there will be believable female voices and I was not disappointed. He is one of the few I’ve listened to that pulls it off nicely.
While a cast of terrorists, snipers and soldiers is not my usual choice in books, the story was well written and kept me entertained. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre and to anyone wanting to stretch outside their usual reading.
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Source: Review copy.
I saw this bird a few years ago while on vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. There were quite a few of them at the resort and they didn’t seem to mind people. While sitting on the balcony I could see them eating the fruit in the trees.
If you’ve seen the movie The Big Year you will know what I mean when I say this bird was a ‘lifer’ for me. I knew I was looking at an Oriole but I needed my bird guide to know exactly which one. The Hooded Orioles are only found in the southwestern US and Mexico so this is not a bird I would expect to see at home. The Orioles that I usually see are the Baltimore variety found in the eastern half of the United States.
The bird in the photo above is a male. He is more brightly colored as is usually the case in the animal world. In the photo to the right there is a male and a female eating fruit in the palm tree. (Click on images for sharper view.)
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Thank you!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by the past few weeks and entered the contest to win a copy of The Snow Child and to those readers old and new who found their way here from The Literary Blog Hop.
The response to both events was fantastic. The blog hop introduced new subscribers and there were over 100 entries for my review copy of the audiobook of Home Front. Thank you to Judith at Leeswame’s Blog for hosting the event.
And now for the winners:
Inspired Kathy
was the winner of Home Front.
Cecilia H.
Darlene and
Karen B
each won a copy of The Snow Child.
More Opportunities To Win:
If you enjoy historical fiction I have a new giveaway of 2 copies of May the Road Rise Up to Meet You
by Peter Troy.
An engrossing, epic American drama told from four distinct perspectives, spanning the first major wave of Irish immigration to New York through the end of the Civil War.
And next month I will be hosting several more giveaways so be sure to check back.
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You
by Peter Troy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday
Publish Date: February 28, 2012
Format: Hardback | 400 pages
An engrossing, epic American drama told from four distinct perspectives, spanning the first major wave of Irish immigration to New York through the end of the Civil War.
I will be reading my copy this week followed by my review but I didn’t want to wait to post this wonderful giveaway.
The publisher has made available two copies for me to give to my readers in the US and you have until March 11th to enter. Here is a little information about the book and the author:
About the Book
Four unique voices; two parallel love stories; one sweeping novel rich in the history of nineteenth-century America. This remarkable debut draws from the great themes of literature—famine, war, love, and family—as it introduces four unforgettable characters. 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.
About the Author
PETER TROY is a former journalist and high school history teacher. He lives in New York State, where he is at work on his next novel.
Connect with the author:
Visit Peter Troy’s blog
Visit the webpage for the book
‘Like’ the book on Facebook.
Giveaway Information
The publisher has generously offered two copies for giveaway.
- Contest is open to those with an address in the US only.
- To enter leave a comment. It is not necessary to be a subscriber or follower to enter but new subscribers are always welcome.
- For an extra entry, tweet the giveaway and leave the URL to the tweet in a second comment. (Click on the time stamp link of the tweet and copy the URL that appears in the address bar.)
- The deadline for entry is Sunday, March 11th. I will draw winners using random.org. They will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
Contest is now closed.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Ann Patchett was on The Colbert Report Monday night and discussed the importance of brick-and-mortar bookstores and explains what prompted her to open one in Nashville.
The clip is about 6 minutes long but funny and well worth watching.
The Technologists
by Matthew Pearl
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: February 21, 2012
Format: Hardback | 496 pages
Rating: 5 of 5
The Technologists is historical fiction that is part mystery, part thriller set against the background of the newly evolving field of science and technology in 1868 Boston.
In Boston Harbor ships begin to crash into each other in the fog as compasses momentarily fail to function. Days later glass in the buildings in the financial district begins to melt causing destruction and panic only to solidify moments later, disfiguring anyone who touched it. The people are alarmed and demand that the perpetrator be stopped. Everyone fears another disaster will soon occur.
The police turn to Harvard, the preeminent and trusted institution, and ask the professors there to help them find an answer. Several students at the newly formed Massachusetts Institute of Technology want to help with the investigation but they are told to stay away. The public views MIT with distrust as the very word “technology” scares people. The trade unions fear the many new emerging technologies will eliminate jobs and the press sensationalized what they did not understand. A small group of MIT students form a secret society which they call The Technologists and surreptitiously begin their own research, determined to save Boston from the madman who is causing these disasters.
It took the first 60 to 70 pages for me to get oriented, figure out who all the characters were and get accustomed to the language of the time period or perhaps it was the author’s writing style. After that, the story just took off. The pace picked up and I didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoy historical mysteries and the addition of science made it irresistible for me. The characters were well-developed and believable, the protagonist likeable and the story a suspenseful mystery. It had the feel of a Sherlock Holmes adventure and there were a few great plot twists along the way to the mystery’s conclusion.
I especially enjoy a book that makes me curious about the history of the characters and the setting, and inspires me to learn more. Were they based on real people? I began looking them up on Wiki. Yes, some of them were. Two of the students were based on actual individuals who attended MIT in the early years, one being the first woman in America accepted to any school of science and technology.
It is apparent that the author did a remarkable amount of research that gave this novel an air of authenticity. 19th century Boston, a time and place I am not familiar with, comes alive. At the end of the book is a several page Afterword. The author cites his inspiration for the story, provides more information on the characters, the science of the day and some factual background on MIT’s fight for legitimacy in the early days when the concept of scientific education was considered dangerous.
I definitely recommend this for those who like historical mysteries and the techie types who like a little science mixed in will enjoy it even more. This was my first book by Matthew Pearl and I’m looking forward to reading more from him.
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Source: Review copy.
Under My Apple Tree 