Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon

I've signed up for Dewey's Read-a-Thon for the first time! Though I'll not be able to read for 24 hours straight, I'll be doing my best to read, visit other blogs, do a mini challenge or two, etc. The reading event begins Saturday, Oct. 22. The start time here in Ohio is 8 a.m. For start times all around the globe, click start times.

Here's some info re Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon: "For 24 hours, we read books, post to our blogs about our reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day. It happens twice a year, in April and in October.

It was created by the beloved Dewey. The first one was held in October 2007. Dewey died in late 2008. We’re still saddened by her absence, but the show must go on. The read-a-thon was renamed to honor its founder in 2009. Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon is hosted by Trish and Shesten with help from volunteers."

Starting tomorrow, I plan to read:

A Gilded Shroud (A Lady Fan Mystery) by Elizabeth Bailey

Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language by Deborah Fallows

Success Secrets of Sherlock Holmes: Life Lessons from the Master Detective by David Acord

Wish me luck!

 To join in as a reader or to volunteer, host a mini challenge, donate a prize, or be a cheerleader, click on the Read-a-Thon link.

E-Book Review: Little Elvises by Timothy Hallinan

Title: Little Elvises: (The Junion Bender Series) Kindle Edition
Author: Timothy Hallinan
Publisher: Hallinan Consulting, LLC (August 16, 2011)
Genre: thriller

I am a great fan of satire. Jonathan Swift's books were among my favorites back  in school, though I pretty much stick with  modern books nowadays. But I was delighted to find some modern satire combined with a genre I like - mysteries - not like the classics of course, but satire that made me nod my head and chuckle.

The book was an e-Book, Little Elvises, a Junior Bender thriller by Tim Hallinan, a very modern day writer who takes off on LA and Hollywood culture in his fairly new mystery series. The writer gives a bird's eye view of the goings-on in the San Fernando Valley, in Hollywood, and in La La Land in general.

Little Elvises comes off as wry humor and is very entertaining. It's also a good thriller. It has an engaging character, Junior Bender, who is sympathetic and as honest as a professional burglar can be who works for other crooks. Even though the thriller itself is fiction,  the social commentary is there and all pervasive. I loved the irony in the humor.

Product description: 2011 Edgar and Macavity nominee, Tim Hallinan, brings back Junior Bender, a top-of-the-line burglar who also works as a private eye – for crooks, and the hero of CRASHED, the first in the mystery/thriller series.  Little Elvises is a hilarious Los Angeles thriller about old-time rock-and-roll, missing persons, the world's oldest gangster, and a terrifying if somewhat hapless hit man named Fronts.

I received a complimentary copy of this e-Book.  

Book Review: The Ugly Sister by Jane Fallon

Title: The Ugly Sister: A Novel by Jane Fallon
Publisher: Penguin (September 29, 2011), 448 pages
Rating: 4/5

'I've decided to go back to modelling,' Cleo says. 'After all, Kate and Naomi still work, so why shouldn't I? It's just that I've been away for a while so I need to get my face out there, show people that I've still got it. And if that means having to endure a few go sees then...'

'Gosh. Good for you.'

The Ugly Sister is a study of sibling rivalry, a novel that does an excellent job of exploring and developing this theme. Told from the point of view of Abi, the younger sister who has grown up overshadowed by her older sister, the book is a character study as well as a novel of late fulfillment and finally realized dreams. It drags just a bit towards the second half of the book but overall it was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

Plot summary:
When Abi gets an invitation from her older sister Cloe to spend the summer at her home in London, Abi isn't sure what to make of it. The sisters have not been close since Cloe left home at age 16 to pursue a modeling career. Now Cloe has a family - a successful husband and two little girls, ages 10 and 7 -  and wants to revive her modeling career.

Abi soon begins to suspect that the self-absorbed Cloe only invited her to act as a nanny for the two girls while she goes off on photo shoots and appointments. Cloe's frequent absences from the house brings Abi closer to Cloe's husband Jon and the two girls, and Abi soon has an attack of conscience when she finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Jon. She is horrified when she realizes Jon reciprocates her interest.

Abi's intention has all along been to renew her friendship and her family relationship with her older sister. Abi has always considered herself the "ugly ducking" in the family and her sister Chloe the beautiful swan. Abi tries to discuss their childhood with Cloe, tries to rediscover the girl who used to be her sister Carolyn before Carolyn's name change to the more glamorous "Cloe". Is it too late for the sisters to reunite and be as close as they used to be as children?

About the author: Jane Fallon is a British television producer and novelist. Her book Foursome was nominated for a Melissa Nathan Award. This is her fourth novel.

A complimentary copy of this book was sent to me by Penguin Books.

© Harvee Lau 2011

Book Review/Tour and Teaser: You Never Know by Lilian Duval

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

"Calm down," the man says. "No Madoff. Your money is in the best place - Goldman Sachs. They rejected Madoff's fund for all their clients. Safer than Uncle Sam. I told you that you'd be in good hands." (ch. 17)

Title: You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner
Author: Lilian Duval
Paperback, 354 pages
Published January 1st 2011 by Wheatmark
Objective rating: 4/5

Comments: I was afraid this story about a lottery winner would end badly, as many stories on TV and in the news have often reported about lottery winners. I was afraid that there would be unbelievable loss, grief, tragedy, even death. Imagine my pleasant surprise when the very worst doesn't happen, although there are strains along the way for Tobias and his wife and daughter. There are even threats of divorce and bankruptcy, and actual threats of harm to the family.

The book's message seems to be that there doesn't have to be tragedy, however, for someone who has accidentally and suddenly become fabulously wealthy, as long as there is generosity and compassion, friendship, love of family, and a good shoulder on one's head.  Overall, a very pleasant and surprising book to read on this subject.

Goodreads book description: Tobias Hillyer had a promising future until a car accident claimed the lives of his parents. Abandoning his dreams, he dropped out of college to take care of his orphaned, brain-damaged younger brother. Now in his late thirties, Tobias must struggle to provide for his family, working dead-end jobs that fall far short of the academic career he had imagined.

Then he wins the lottery.

His financial worries eliminated, Tobias anticipates nothing but smooth sailing ahead for himself and the people he loves. But he soon finds that his amazing stroke of luck may threaten everything he holds dear. Over peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey will challenge everything we think we know about luck, life, and what we value most.

About the Author:
Lilian Duval is the author of the forthcoming story collection Random Acts of Kindness. She is an amateur classical guitarist and a survivor of the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Lilian and her husband live in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

A copy of this book was provided for review by Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Join Book Journey for a weekly look at what others are reading this week. Then sign up on her linky to list your reads. Here's what's on my list:

The House of the Wind by Tatiana Hardie, Headline Review

Breakthrough: the 5 Living Principles to Defeat Stress, Look Great, & Find Total Well-Being by Shea Vaughn, Health Communications, Inc.

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro, William Morrow.
The Alphabet of Vietnam by Jonathan Chamberlain, LibraryThing
The Labyrinth of Terror by Richard P. Wenzel, Brandyland Publishers

What books do you have on your list this week?

Sunday Salon: Not Enough Time....

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

My project to repaint the house, cold weather and winter coming notwithstanding, still stands. Door by door, closet by closet, wall by wall, it is supposed to happen! In the meantime, there are shelves of books to be read, meals to be cooked, a garden to tend before winter sets in. And a new granddaughter expected in a few weeks!

With all the chores, what's a body to do? Write a Sunday Salon and then get a good cup of coffee to finish my Kindle e-book, Little Elvises by Tim Hallinan, a Junior Bender mystery set in LA, a city that spawns good writers, having such good material to work with.

My husband loves horse chestnut trees, especially the one with the beautiful bright coral flowers. He planted two of the seeds in pots outside and two hours later the very active squirrels had sniffed them out and squirreled them away. Broken hearted, my hubby plans to drag me along to the Botanical Garden to see if any more of the seeds are lying under their tree. I am not so enamored of the idea though I'm open to the idea of having a huge horse chestnut in the front yard.

On another note, I did four book reviews last week, a lot for me. I have another tour book to post on Oct. 18, so I had better get cracking.

What have you been reading/doing this past week?

Library Finds: A Memoir, Two Travel Novels, and a Fantasy

Here are a few of the books that caught my eye at the library recently.

Yoga Bitch by Suzanne Morrison, Aug. 16, 2011
What happens when a coffee-drinking, cigarette-smoking, steak-eating twenty-five-year-old atheist decides it is time to get in touch with her spiritual side? Not what you'd expect... (book description)

I like the idea of yoga althought I don't practice it as often as I could. I've read some really good nonfiction books on yoga, though. The title of this one really grabbed my attention.

Cuba: A Novel by Emily Barr, March 2003
The travel bug is very, very contagious, and Cuba is such an exotic destination. It doesn't take long for Maggie to decide that Libby and Dave won't be going alone...(book description) Cuba is on my "someday" list of places to visit.

The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel by Nicole Mones
A novel of friendship, love and cuisine by the author of "Lost in Translation "and "A Cup of Light." Maggie travels to China and discovers a world of food rooted in centuries of history and philosophy. (book description).
Books on the old country and old style Chinese cooking are always interesting to me.

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern, Sept. 13, 2011
Beyond the smoke and mirrors, a fierce competition is under way - a contest between two young illusionists. As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. (book description).
I've seen so much about this one and good reviews, too, that I thought I should try it.

What books have you found at the library recently?
Check out more book finds at Friday Finds.