Book Review: THE MAP THIEF by Heather Terrell

REVIEW OF THE MAP THIEF

The Map Thief

The Map Thief  by Heather Terrell links 15th century, Ming Dynasty, Admiral Zheng He with Portugal explorer Vasco da Gama, also of the 15th century. The two men sailed their ships on the same routes, perhaps 70 years apart. 

How a map of Zheng He's travels lands up in the hands of the Portugese navigator to Vasco da Gama is the mystery the novel tries to solve. In present day New York, Mara Coyne, antiques finder, hopes to solve the mystery after being called in to investigate and recover a priceless 15th century map stolen from an archaeological dig in China. How did a copy of this map reach Portugal so many years ago? And where is that copy now? 

The book takes you from New York, to China, and to Lisbon, and blends historical facts with fiction to explore an interesting theory regarding the first sailors to "discover" America and the New World.

This informative, well written and researched novel, printed in 2008 by Ballantine, presents some interesting and challenging historical questions for readers and scholars alike.

Mailbox Monday: A Bit of Magic

Visit Mailbox Monday, hosted by Vicki, Leslie, and Serena, to see other bloggers' mailboxes each week.

Thanks to Penguin for some delectable cozies for review, these with a magical, enchanted, or witchcraft theme:

Some Enchanted Eclair: A Magical Bakery Mystery

From Fear to Eternity: An Immortality Bites Mystery

A Vision in Velvet: A Witchcraft Mystery

Be Careful What You Witch For: A Family Fortune Mystery

Did you get anything spooky good in your mailbox last week?

Sunday Salon:Summer Reading

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! Also visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer; It's Monday: What Are You Reading? at Book Journey.

Books for summer reading: Southern fiction, a few mystery novels, and historical fiction.

The Hurricane Sisters

The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank takes us deep in the heart of the magical Carolina Lowcountry--a sultry land of ancient magic, glorious sunsets, and soothing coastal breezes, where three generations of strong women wrestle with the expectations of family while struggling to understand their complicated relationships with each other.(goodreads)

In Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman, Clyde Fortune has returned to her seemingly quiet hometown of Crystal Haven, Michigan. In spite of the psychic powers of its residents, there’s no telling what trouble is brewing in this burg…(goodreads)

and an audio win from Soho Press: 
The Blood of An Englishman by James McClure, a mystery set in South Africa.

I am currently reading a library book:

Fleur de Lies by Maddy Hunter has travel agency owner Emily Andrew-Miceli taking her band of tech-savvy seniors to France, cruising down the Seine River. But once a guest is found dead along Normandy's famed Alabaster coast, Emily bids adieu to the hopes of a fatality-free trip. (goodreads)

For a book tour by the publisher, I'm also reading

The Beautiful American by Jeanne Mackin:  From Paris in the 1920s to London after the Blitz, two women find that a secret from their past reverberates through years of joy and sorrow. (goodreads)

What books are on your summer reading list? 

Saturday Snapshot: June 2014

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy.

Last year's yellow rose.
Waiting for this year's to blossom fully.

Also waiting for these multicolored daylilies to show up later in the summer.

And waiting for this round flowerbed to fill out again...

Margarita Wednesdays by Deborah Rodriguez

Friday 56 Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader  *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. *Post it. *Add your (url) post in Linky at Freda's Voice.

Also Book Beginnings by Rose City Reader.

Title: Margarita Wednesdays by Deborah Rodriguez
To be published June 10, 2014; Gallery Books
Genre: memoir, travel

page 56:

"Yes. I mean, no. Oh, Mom. I just don't know what's wrong with me. I'm miserable, and I have no right to be."

Book beginning:

The explosions seemed to have come out of nowhere, their familiar pop-pop-pop catapulting me from under the covers and onto my feet in a flash. I instinctively dropped down and covered my head with my arms, through knotted wool of the Afghan rug scraping my bare knees as I slid to the floor. The cool air from the open window did little to calm my racing heart. I tried to breathe, but couldn't. I tried to call out, but nothing came from my mouth My eyes were sealed shut against the flash of light still visible through the lids. 

Deborah Rodriguez is remembering in her dreams the drama of Afghanistan, where she had opened a beauty school for the local Afghan women, a story she told in her 2007 memoir, Kabul Beauty School: An American Goes Behind the Veil. But now she opens her eyes in Mexico, where she is attempting a new life after being forced to leave Afghanistan and her school behind.

Book description:
After returning from Afghanistan, Rodriguez finally packs her life and her cat into her Mini Cooper and moves to a seaside town in Mexico. Despite having no plan, no friends, and no Spanish, a determined Rodriguez soon finds herself swept up in a world where the music never stops and a new life can begin. Her adventures and misadventures among the expats and locals help lead the way to new love, new family, and a new sense of herself. (goodreads)

I haven't read Kabul School of Beauty but I think I can read Margarita Wednesdays without having read it. Her Mexican adventure sounds like a good alternative after the danger of her former life.
What do you think?

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review/feature.

Wordless Wednesday: In My Garden

Visit
Wordless Wednesday  for other photo submissions. Photos by Harvee Lau.

Finch at the birdbath

Baby cottontail rabbit

Armchair BEA Giveaway Winner

 Armchair BEA 2014 was an event for those who didn't attend Book Expo America or the BEA Bloggers Convention in NYC 

The winner of the giveaway of A Roux of Revenge: A Soup Loving Mystery by Connie Archer and
Ghost of a Gamble: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery by Sue Ann Jaffarian is

Carol N. Wong #14

Sending you an email. Congrats! 
Thanks for participating, everyone who entered the giveaway.