Sunday Salon: Traveling Through Books

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week.Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer; Also visit It's Monday: What Are You Reading hosted by Book Journey and Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews.

My recent armchair travel has taken me from the backlands of Brazil to New Orleans, then to Mississippi, to Scottsdale AZ, and next to Singapore. I've had some good adventures in these places via my recent books!

Some rew cozies will head me further to Victorian London, to Oyster Bay in North Carolina, then to Michigan and Northern California. Can't wait!

Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentlemen: The holiday season brings a mix of merriment, mayhem, and murder. And it falls to Inspector Witherspoon—with a significant portion of help from the ever-watchful Mrs. Jeffries—to find the culprit… 

Lethal Letters:  Restaurant owner and aspiring novelist Olivia Limoges is busy planning a delicious menu for Oyster Bay’s biggest soiree of the spring. But she’ll need to serve some justice as well after one resident gets eighty-sixed…

The Chocolate Book Bandit :When it turns out a member of Warner Pier’s library board has been living on borrowed time, Lee is determined to discover who wrote the victim’s final chapter…

A High End Finish:  In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove in northern California, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman—contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, she’s about to discover that some problems aren’t so easily fixed....

And back to the Victorian times, but in Manhattan, a new series:

Snow White Red-Handed:  Miss Ophelia Flax is a Victorian actress who knows all about making quick changes and even quicker exits. But to solve a fairy-tale crime in the haunted Black Forest, she’ll need more than a bit of charm…

Where are your current reads taking you?

Book Review: Whiny Whiny Rhino by McBoop

Whiny Whiny Rhino

Title: Whiny Whiny Rhino by McBoop
Published July 2014; Blue Blanket Publishing
Genre: children's literature
Rating: 4/5

My comments: A great picture story book for little scaredy cats who whine about lots of things and are afraid to try new friends or new things to do. Excellent illustrations, full of color, that any child would enjoy looking at.

Book Theme:

"We all get apprehensive when encountering new experiences and this often leads us to avoid ever trying anything new. Just having a little courage to try new things can often lead to a much more exciting and enriching life."

Author's Bio:

McBoop is the creative team of Carmin Iadonisi & Amanda Iadonisi-Word, a father-daughter duo that co-wrote and illustrated Whiny Whiny Rhino. They live in New England where they enjoy making art, reading comics, playing board games, eating fancy chocolate and whining about the weather.

Connect with them at Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Thanks to iRead Book Tours for a review copy of this book.

Tour Schedule for Whiny Whiny Rhino

Sept 22 - Cherry Blossoms - review

Sept 22 - The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass - review

Sept 23 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review

Sept 23 - One Frugal Girl - review

Sept 24 - Christy's Cozy Corners - review / giveaway

Sept 24 - Crossroad Reviews - review

Sept 25 - Bless Their Hearts Mom - review

Sept 25 - Savings in Seconds - review / giveaway

Sept 26 - This That and the Other Thing - review

Sept 26 - A Peek at My Bookshelf - review

Sept 29 - Bluerose's Heart - review / giveaway

Sept 29 - Thoughts in Progress - review / giveaway

Sept 30 - Bookroom Reviews - review / guest post / giveaway

Sept 30 - Walking With Nora - review

Oct 1 -     Brooke Blogs - review

Oct 1 -     Savvy Verse and Wit - review

Oct 2 -     Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway

Oct 2 -     Deal Sharing Aunt - review

Oct 2 -     Like a Bump on a Blog - review

Oct 3 -     Rockin' Book Reviews - interview / giveaway

Oct 3 -     I'd Rather be Reading at the Beach - review / giveaway

Oct 3 -     Pinky's Favorite Reads - review / giveaway

Oct 6 -     View From the Birdhouse - review / giveaway

Oct 6 -     Heart of a Philanthropist - review / interview / giveaway

Oct 7 -     Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers - review

Oct 7 -     Sara's Organized Chaos - review / giveaway

Oct 8 -     3 Partners in Shopping - review / giveaway

Oct 8 -     Create With Joy - review / giveaway

Oct 9 -     Bound 4 Escape - review

Oct 9 -     That Artsy Reader Girl - review

Oct 10 -   Book Dilettante - review

Oct 10 -   Kincavel Korner and Book Blast Central - review

Thanks to iRead Book Tours and the publisher for a review copy of this picture book.

Book Review: A Hero for the People by Arthur Powers

Title: A Hero for the People:
Stories of the Brazilian Backlands by Arthur Powers
Publication Date: May 3, 2013; Press 53
Genre: General Fiction/Literary

Arthur Power’s debut collection of short stories set in contemporary Brazil, where he and his wife lived for almost 30 years.

My comments: The stories show a history of Brazil and the differences that existed and may still exist between the wealthy and the poor in the jungles and remote areas, the backlands of this vast country. What I gleaned from the variety of stories is that rich landowners, farmers and ranchers have killed and driven off the native population from lands their families have occupied for generations, land that legally belongs to the backlanders because of the length of time they have lived on it. However, ignorance of the law and their legal rights and fear of those more powerful in terms of money and political influence kept the indigenous and poor people downtrodden.

A close look at the people in these revealing and well told stories show some of their superstitions, their way of life, and how they cope with their situation. What they needed and need in order to keep and benefit from their land, according to Powers, is a "hero for the people."

"We have just learned they got a court order to oust the families from Agua Fria," the lawyer's voice said over the line.

"But that's illegal," Brother Michael protested. 

"Of course it is. But we will get it reversed in a few days. But in the meantime, we can't let them take the people off the land. Once they are off the land, it's almost impossible to get it back. (from "A Hero for the People", 1988)

Arthur Powers went to Brazil in 1969 and lived most his adult life there. From 1985 to 1997, he and his wife served with the Franciscan Friars in the Amazon, doing pastoral work and organizing subsistence farmers and rural workers’ unions in a region of violent land conflicts. The Powers currently live in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Arthur received a Fellowship in Fiction from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, three annual awards for short fiction from the Catholic Press Association, and 2nd place in the 2008 Tom Howard Fiction Contest. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many magazines & anthologies. He is also author of  The Book of Jotham (Tuscany Press, 2013).

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thanks to the author and Book Junkie Promotions for a review copy of this book. Visit their website for other reviews. 

Book Review: Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu

Title: Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu
Published September 30, 2014; William Morrow
Genre: mystery

Publisher description:
Aunty Lee’s Delights, a restaurant in Singapore run by Rosie “Aunty” Lee, the feisty widow and amateur sleuth, is catering a brunch for socialites Henry and Mabel Sung. But soon after arriving at the Sungs’, her curiosity turns to suspicion. Where is the missing guest of honor? Then Mabel Sung and her son, Leonard, are found dead.

The authorities blame it on Aunty Lee’s special stewed chicken with buah keluak, a local black nut that can be poisonous if cooked improperly. She’s certain the deaths are murder—and that they’re somehow linked to an organ donor scandal. To save her business, she’s got to unmask a dangerous killer.

Excerpt: 

Sharon scooped up some of the buah keluak gravy in a spoon and tasted it.
"Why did you do that? Isn't that for Lennie?" GraceFaith stepped up.
"I always taste food I'm serving," Sharon said. "It's a personal rule. Then nobody can blame me if something's wrong with it."
"I do the same thing!" Aunty Lee said. (p. 63)

My comments: It's always nice to find out about another kind of cuisine, the good and the bad, or in this case, the bad that can happen if you don't prepare a food properly. The buah keluak nut is the culprit in this mystery set in Singapore. It reminded me of the puffer fish that is a delicacy in Japan, good only if you can prepare it minus its poison. It also reminded me of the akee fruit in the West Indies that is poisonous if eaten or cooked before the seed pod has opened.

Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials has included more than ill timed food, however. The book adds an organ donor scandal as part of the murder plot.

Exotic in flavor (food and setting) and intriguing in plot, Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials is a book that mystery readers will really enjoy.

Ovidia Yu is one of Singapore’s most acclaimed writers. She has had more than thirty plays produced and the author of a number of mysteries. She received a Fulbright Fellowship to the University of Iowa’s International Writers Program and has been a writing fellow at the National University of Singapore. Connect with her through Facebook Twitter. 

For more reviews, check out the tour schedule by TLC Book Tours.
I received a review copy of the book through the tour and publisher.

Book Tour: Lust, Poems by Diana Raab

Teaser Tuesday meme courtesy of MizB at Should Be Reading. Share quotes from a current read.

Lust by Diana Raab
Published February 1, 2014; WorldTech Communications
Genre: poetry

"Raab examines the emotional and physical complexity of love, helping readers navigate the risks of intimacy as we move toward the realization that every experience enriches our lives, whether we perceive it as joy, pain, or out of the ordinary. Yet for all their psychological richness, the poems’ simplicity and accessibility will resonate with women and men across all walks of life." (publisher)

My comments:  This collection of love and erotic poetry has several themes, including the various physical and emotional feelings engendered by love, the kindness of the lover, bliss and delight, wondering. The poems also include themes of the wounds of love, wondering about love, illicit relationships, removal from reality, loss, being alone, and jealousy and panic. At the end, there are poems included on love's endings and memories.

A poem of loss that I especially liked:  (p. 24)

SATURNED

Your planet encircles mine
Once a year
when you call
to the phone I once held
and which now sits
in the dark at the back
of my old underwear drawer
in the empty bedroom
where you stayed
on that night you whispered
how I was no longer the fantasy
of all your unmet dreams.

Diana Raab, an award-winning poet, memoirist, began crafting poems at the age of ten. She is the author of four poetry collections, My Muse Undresses Me (2007); Dear Anaïs: My Life in Poems for You (2008); The Guilt Gene (2009); and Listening to Africa (2011). She is editor of two anthologies, Writers and Their Notebooks (2010) and Writers on the Edge (2012), co-edited with James Brown.

Diana has two memoirs, Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal (winner of the 2009 Mom’s Choice Award for Adult Nonfiction and the National Indie Excellence Award for Memoir), and Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey (winner of the 2011 Mom’s Choice Award for Adult Nonfiction).

 She is a regular blogger for The Huffington Post and writes a monthly column for the Santa Barbara Sentinel, “The Mindful Word.” She lives in Southern California with her family and is working on her doctorate in psychology, researching the healing power of writing and creativity.

For more reviews of Lust, visit TLC Book Tours. I received a review copy of the book for this tour. 

Sunday Salon: Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week.Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer; Also visit It's Monday: What Are You Reading hosted by Book Journey and Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews.

I've been reading a lot but posting short reviews on goodreads only, not on this blog. No time, and not enough time to tackle those books I want to read. By the end of November, I will have finished the book tours and hope to have none or few from thenceforth! Let's see if I can follow this resolution.

Only one new book this past week, plus two cozies for book tours.

Thanks to Ecco for a review copy of Rooms - "a tale of family, ghosts, secrets, and mystery, in which the lives of the living and the dead intersect in shocking, surprising, and moving ways.

Bless Her Dead Little Heart

Gossamer Ghost

Bless Her Dead Little Heart and Gossamer Ghost are for book tours organized by the publisher, Berkley. 

I finished reading and reviewing recently on goodreads:

A Possibility of Violence by D. A. Mishani, mystery set in Tel Aviv

Stillwater by Nicole Helget, historical novel set in Minnesota, a surprisingly good book. 

What interesting books have you read or received recently? 

Book Reviews: The Marco Effect; and For the Dead

Check out Book Beginnings by Rose City Reader.

For the Dead

The Marco Effect

I became quite attached to the young protagonists in these two mystery novels, two crime series books set in Bangkok, Thailand and in Denmark, respectively.

Thirteen-year-olds, Miaow and Andrew, in For the Dead, come across a stolen iPhone, a phone belonging to a hit man for a powerful and influential person in the upper echelons of the police department in Bangkok. The phone has pictures that would reveal a major plot and scandal. The two kids naturally become targets, but targets who, young as they are, add to the suspense as they help Poke Rafferty, fighting to keep them safe, resolve the complex case. For the Dead is the sixth in the Poke Rafferty mystery series by Tim Hallinan, to be released November 4, 2014. My thanks to Soho Press for an advance edition for review.

Fifteen-year-old Marco, in The Marco Effect, discovers a body buried by his uncle Zola and his cohorts, a gang of thieves that force youngsters to become pickpockets in the streets of Denmark. Marco discovers an even bigger and more significant plot linking to the dead man, and he is hunted by both Zola and these new enemies. How he helps the police and Department Q unravel the plot while hiding and running for his life is the main theme of this suspenseful novel. The Marco Effect by Jussi Adler-Olsen was published September 9, 2014 by Dutton Adult. My copy came from the library.

Book beginning of The Marco Effect: 

Prologue
Autumn 2008
Louis Fon's last morning was as soft as a whisper.
He sat up on the cot with sleep in his eyes and his mind still a muddle, patted the little one who had stroked his cheek, wiped the snot from the tip of her brown nose, and stuck his feet into his flip-flops on the stamped clay of the floor.
He stretched, squinting at the light as the cackle of hens and the distant cries of boys as they cut bananas from the palms drifted into the sunbaked room. 

I rated both The Marco Effect and For the Dead a 5! Great reading for lovers of international crime fiction with compelling plots, sympathetic characters, and unusual settings!