Book Review: The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams

Title: The Stranger You Seek: A Novel by Amanda Kyle Williams Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Bantam (August 30, 2011)
Genre: thriller

Comments: I consider this thriller part of the noir genre because of the nature of the crimes and the graphic descriptions. The book gave me hints along the way re the type of criminal that might be involved and even though the ending was meant to be a surprise twist, I was kind of expecting it. It was a little bit gratifying to guess the type of culprit, if not the actual person.

From the publisher's book description: In Atlanta, a killer is preying on the unsuspecting, writing taunting letters to the media, promising more death. Desperate to stop the Wishbone Killer, A.P.D. lieutenant Aaron Rauser turns to the one person he knows can penetrate a deranged mind: ex–FBI profiler, Keye Street, a rising young star at the Bureau....In an unexpected turn of events, the hunter becomes the hunted—and the stranger Keye seeks is closer than she ever imagined.

About the author: The Stranger You Seek is Amanda Kyle Williams' suspense debut. There are two more Keye Street thrillers planned. She lives and writes in Georgia.

An ARC of this book was sent to me by the publisher.

Book Feature: Katy Perry, The Unauthorized Biography by Alice Montgomery

Many books have been written about pop star Katy Perry. This is the latest, an unofficial biography of the singer from California.

Opening sentences:
Santa Barbara, 1984
When a really big new star springs out of the show business firmament, it's tempting to look back to their early childhood in order to find some clue as to what inspired their talent, drive to succeed and ability to stand out in a  vastly competitive world. Sometimes the clues are there; sometimes they're not, but it's difficult to think of a single major pop sensation who's experienced the same kind of childhood as Katy Perry, which was happy, secure and seemed to set her up for life - though not as a controversial pop star married to an equally controversial comedian=turned=actor. The contrast between Katy's past and present couldn't be more stark.

Title: Katy Perry: The Unofficial Biography
Author: Alice Montgomery
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Michael Joseph (September 15, 2011)

Book description: Ever since the international chart-topping hit, "I Kissed a Girl", Katy Perry hasn't stopped making headlines. From reaching number one in charts worldwide to selling out concerts around the globe, her phenomenal success has propelled her to the A-list.

But it didn't always seem like she was destined for stardom. Brought up in a deeply religious community, Katy was allowed to listen only to church music. However, with her astounding musical gift, along with plenty of willpower, Katy was determined to follow her dream. Her rise to the top was cemented in 2010, when after a flurry of media gossip, she married the most controversial figure on British TV - Russell Brand. Bestselling biographer Alice Montgomery traces Katy's steps to stardom from her choir girl beginnings to her breakthrough in the music business and her secret wedding ceremony in India, to reveal the intimate story behind the most exciting and unpredictable pop star around. (from book cover)

About the author: Alice Montgomery is a freelance writer living and working in London. She writes under a pseudonym and has written other biographies, including Susan Boyle: Dreams Can Come True.

A copy of this book was sent  to me by the publisher for possible review/feature.

Teaser: Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

I'm often asked, "Do you have a favorite mountain?"
"Any mountain where Atticus and I can be alone on top," I say. (ch. 25)

Title: Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Author: Tom Ryan
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (September 20, 2011)
Genre: memoir

Product description: Tom Ryan and miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch are an unlikely pair of mountaineers, but after a close friend dies of cancer, the two pay tribute to her by attempting to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four-thousand-foot peaks twice in one winter while raising money for charity. In a rare test of endurance, Tom and Atticus set out on an adventure of a lifetime that takes them across hundreds of miles and deep into an enchanting but dangerous winter wonderland. (from book cover)

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to choose sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.

Three European Novels

I am thrilled by the arrival of these three novels published in England:

Title: The Ugly Sister by Jane Fallon
Paperback, 448 pages, fiction
Published September 29th 2011 by Penguin

Title: The Tea Lords by Hella S. Haasse
Portobello Books Ltd (2011)
Paperback, 352 pages, historical fiction

Title: The Thread by Victoria Hislop
Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: October 27th 2011 by Headline Review (first published June 23rd 2011)
Genre: historical novel

The Ugly Sister is set in modern day London. The Tea Lords is set in Java, Indonesia and The Thread in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Review: Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems by Emma Eden Ramos

Title: Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems
Author: Emma Eden Ramos
Paperback:  37 pages
Published September 3rd 2011 by Heavy Hands Ink
Genre: poetry

Comments: The poems in this chapbook, a small book of verse, deal mostly with family tragedies that affect three women - Annette, a psychotherapist, and her daughter Julia, and a Croatian immigrant, Milena. The poems about them compose the Triptych of the chapbook's title. The poems are moving, each woman revealing herself and her history in her words, reflecting on the tragedy of their stories.
Publisher's description: "A truly unique and awe-inspiring collection, Emma Eden Ramos wows readers with her narrative-style writing in Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems. -Heavy Hands Ink

This chapbook was sent to me by the author. My review is in no way influenced by my receiving a complimentary copy.

Sunday Salon: Book Giveaway

Welcome to the Sunday Salon. Click on the logo to join in.

I'm enjoying The Language of Flowers, a novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I learnt that one of my favorite flowers, the peony, really meant anger to the Victorians who assigned meanings to flowers. What to do with my box of notecards with those pale pink peonies, and with the yellow roses that mean jealousy, infidelity. Just have to make sure that the people I write to aren't interested in the language of flowers!

Thanks to HarperCollins, I'm giving away three books of Sanctus: the Novel by Simon Toyne. I describe the book as a religious thriller in the style of The DaVinci Code, but even more outrageous! Click here to enter the giveaway, which ends Oct. 4.

What have you been reading this past week?

Book Review: How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

""Once you leave Japan, it is extremely unlikely that you will return, unless your husband is stationed there again or becomes wealthy.

Take a few reminders of Japan with you. If you have room. Or make arrangements to write to a caring relative who is willing to send you letters or items from your homeland. This can ease homesickness.

And be sure to tell your family, "Sayonara." (from the chapter, "Turning American" )

(The book later tells you that "Sayonara" doesn't mean just "goodbye," but "goodbye forever.")

Comments: This novel tells the story of a young Japanese woman who marries an American soldier after WWII and comes to live in America, becoming estranged from her brother Taro who remains bitter over the results of the war and the American bombing of Nagasaki.  In America, the young wife Shoko struggles to live among strangers in a different culture, and is given a book of advice by her American husband Charlie - How to Be an American Housewife. The story and the book are from the 1950s and the advice reflects the times.

Shoko's story is sad because of the estrangement from her brother, the hard time she has with English and raising her son and daughter in an environment unfamiliar to her, and also sad because of a secret she carried from Japan with her that she has told no one about. Redemption comes in the second part of the novel, when Shoko's adult daughter Suiko or Sue agrees to return to Japan for her mother, who has suffered a stroke and is unable to travel. Sue meets Shoko's cousins and reunites with Shoko's brother Taro, seeing Japan for the first time.

The novel is well-written and the characters, especially Shoko, realistic and sympathetic. The author based her book on her Japanese mother's experiences and the book that her father had given her mother to help her adjust to American society - How to Be an American Housewife.

Title: How To Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition (August 2, 2011)
Genre: fiction, historical fiction
Objective rating: 4.5/5

This book was sent to me by the publisher through Shelf Awareness. My review and rating were in no way influenced by my receiving a complimentary copy.

Submitted to Japanese Literature Challenge V and  Immigrant Stories 2011 Challenge.