Really happy to be a part of the Random Things Tour for this book today.
Description
‘Awfully opinionated for a girl’ is what they call Hillary as she grows up in her Chicago suburb.
Smart, diligent, and a bit plain, that’s the general consensus. Then Hillary goes to college, and her star rises. At Yale Law School, she continues to be a leader— and catches the eye of driven, handsome and charismatic Bill. But when he asks her to marry him, Hillary gives him a firm No.
How might things have turned out for them, for America, for the world itself, if Hillary Rodham had really turned down Bill Clinton?
With her sharp but always compassionate eye, Sittenfeld explores the loneliness, moral ambivalence and iron determination that characterise the quest for high office, as well as the painful compromises demanded of female ambition in a world ruled by men.
Review
‘Awfully opinionated for a girl’ was the quote that made me want to read this book. I'm not really into politics and certainly not those in the USA, but I was drawn to want to read this novel. My only concern for myself is that I recall the events in this book as fact in the future and doubts on my sanity would prevail!
The book begins with what actually happened - that is Hillary met Bill. It was so realistic that I actually thought I was reading an autobiography and had to keep reminding myself it was a work of fiction.
Next comes what is essentially a sliding doors moment for Hillary. She doesn't marry Bill and we see her progress through her life, mainly on the campaign trail. It was these parts of the book I loved the most as it felt like real fly on the wall stuff. How her team protected her and discussed what she would say - novel or not, I had my eyes opened.
Some of the book does have facts woven into it, albeit in an alternate history. When Bill Clinton does the famous 60 minute interview, this time Hillary is viewing it on TV, only with Bill and his wife where Hillary in real life by his side. As the book progresses Hillary ponders what would life have been like had she married Bill? It felt a little surreal at this point, as of course we know! I thought this was just genius writing by the author.
Some other hints of realism occur when Trump enters the book. I felt part of it sounded just like him and I think the author had lifted some of what he says from a real speech he gave. There was just enough of "entry level" politics that I knew what was happening, if you are more of a buff then there is a more depth too. I found I could just read the politics without too much comprehension of the whys and wherefores and it didn't affect my understanding of the book at all.
I just marvelled at the autobiographical style of telling a story that is in fact fiction. There are many, many little details, that I kept thinking why would you think to include them, but they just made the book so real. So real in fact that at the end of it all I had a tear in my eye! To tell you why would be a spoiler, so just go and read it for yourself, it's amazing.
I'm giving this fantastically crafted book 5 out of 5 stars.
Hardcover is out 9 July, the kindle version is available now.
My thanks to Random Things Tours for the invite to the book tour. Thanks also to Random House,Transworld Publishers and netgalley for the ARC to review.
About The Author:
Curtis Sittenfeld is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Prep, The Man of My Dreams, American Wife, Sisterland, and Eligible, and the story collection You Think It, I’ll Say It, which have been translated into thirty languages. Her short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post Magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories, of which she was the 2020 guest editor.Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, and Vanity Fair, and on public radio’s This American Life.
THEN 1976. Loo and her sister Bee live in a run-down cottage in the middle of nowhere, with their artistic parents and wild siblings. Their mother, Cathy, had hoped to escape to a simpler life; instead the family find themselves isolated and shunned by their neighbours. At the height of the stifling summer, unexplained noises and occurrences in the house begin to disturb the family, until they intrude on every waking moment . . .
NOW Loo, now Lucy, is called back to her childhood home. A group of strangers are looking to discover the truth about the house and the people who lived there. But is Lucy ready to confront what really happened all those years ago?
Review
This book was chosen by a virtual library book club I've just joined, meaning I haven't chosen the book myself. It seemed like an interesting read, so I thought I would give it a go.
The story flips between "Then" which is 1976 and "Now" which is present day (whenever that may be). Most of the time the flip between the timelines was ok, and it is certainly headed up in the chapter. However, I still found myself getting a little confused, until I hooked onto the fact that Loo is now calling herself Lucy but she is also called Lucia in 1976. Too many names.
I do have a pretty vivid imagination so when the strange goings on ramped up in 1976 I did wonder whether it was the right book to have read before I went to sleep. I found these scenes the ones with the most life about them, they were well written and a little scary.
Slowly ties between 1976 other than Loo/Lucy emerge and I wondered if a secondary story was about to present itself. More information about what happened in 1976 is forthcoming from Loo/Lucy and the plot thickened.
I found it an ok read. I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars. My fellow bookworms didn't really seem to warm to this one.
EVERYONE’S INVITED. EVERYONE’S A SUSPECT. AND EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT IT.
‘Ripping, riveting’ A. J. Finn ‘Clever, twisty and sleek’ Daily Mail ‘Unputdownable’ John Boyne ‘Foley is superb’ The Times ‘Chilling’ Adele Parks ‘Terrific, riveting’ Dinah Jefferies
In a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, old friends gather for New Year.
The beautiful one The golden couple The volatile one The new parents The quiet one The city boy The outsider
The victim.
Not an accident – a murder among friends.
Review
It's taken me a while to get around to reading this book. I initially didn't buy it because of all the hype and some comparisons to Agatha Christie, which I couldn't believe it would be as good as her work. Well I was wrong! Move over Agatha Christie this is the best writing I have read that could really knock Agatha Christie off the Queen of crime throne.
The books has a set of characters that are as unlikeable as you are ever likely to meet, certainly all together at one time. From privileged backgrounds in the main, this is certainly similar to an AC novel. Why do you hate them all so much? Because of the wonderful writing and character development.
The book begins with the party of friends arriving in Scotland for the New Year. It also tells the back story of two of the employees of the estate they are to party at. Flipping between present (a shifting timeline) and before the murder we get to see the story unfold from different perspectives.
It was a slow starter, but once the tension rose it was so hard to put down, in fact I didn't, I just kept reading and was so engrossed.
Two women. A dying wish. And a web of lies that will bring their world crashing down.
Nina and Marie were best friends-until Nina was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she died, Nina asked Marie to fulfill her final wishes.
But her mistake was in thinking Marie was someone she could trust.
What Nina didn't know was that Marie always wanted her beautiful life, and that Marie has an agenda of her own. She'll do anything to get what she wants.
Marie thinks she can keep her promise to her friend's family on her own terms. But what she doesn't know is that Nina was hiding explosive secrets of her own.
Review
This was a book with so many twists and turns. I changed my mind several times throughout reading the book about what was happening and who was doing what.
Initially I had very little sympathy for Marie, could you trust anything she told you as she was the narrator of the story and a self confessed liar. It was quite scary the way Marie had decided that she wanted Nina's old life and the means she used to get it.
As the story progressed and other lies were revealed (or were they lies, if Marie was lying...) it began to get really intriguing and a real puzzle. Soon it becomes apparent that Marie may be not the only liar. Will Marie regret wanting what she thought was a perfect life?
The writing was well paced and whilst you may not like the characters this is certainly a slice of life that I will remember. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.
My thanks to Pigeonhole for the daily staves and the chance to read along with Karen.
A stray cat dances through Tokyo, connecting a group of apparent strangers, in this inventive literary debut.
In Tokyo - one of the world's largest megacities - a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways. But the city is changing. As it does, it pushes her to the margins where she chances upon a series of apparent strangers - from a homeless man squatting in an abandoned hotel, to a shut-in hermit afraid to leave his house, to a convenience store worker searching for love. The cat orbits Tokyo's denizens, drawing them ever closer.
In a series of spellbinding, interlocking narratives - with styles ranging from manga to footnotes - Nick Bradley has hewn a novel of interplay and estrangement; of survival and self-destruction; of the desire to belong and the need to escape.
Formally inventive and slyly political, The Cat and The City is a lithe thrill-ride through the less-glimpsed streets of Tokyo.
Review
It's hard to believe that this is the author's first book or that it is not in fact written by someone who is Japanese. The writing is just brilliant and certainly evoked memories of my trip to Japan. I have to say I never visited the seedy side of Roppongi district in Tokyo so I can't vouch for that, and some may find some of that side of the book not to their taste.
When the author wrote this book he would have no reason to doubt that the Olympics would not be going ahead in 2020 and so you do have to go along with the references of Tokyo preparing for the Olympics and people flying in for them.
Seemingly full of short stories, as you begin to read further into the book one or two of the characters are repeated and so you start to see the connections. The main connection throughout is of course the cat in the city. My only trouble was the mixed up time line - when you meet the characters again it could be before or after you last read about them. I almost want to read it again and really get to know them all better.
I loved the part about the American translator and it was so clever the way her footnotes were built into the tale she translated. I also loved the "cat scan" and could sense where that part of the story was heading.
The book does contain a lot of Japanese words - most of which I was familiar with and got the "jokes", but don't let that put you off as the story flows without knowing what they mean. It even contains a bit of manga, which I found difficult to read on the kindle.
I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.
One week in Italy. One week to make her dreams come true . . .
Romance is the last thing on Charlotte Alexander's mind. Her perfume business is flourishing. And a glamorous new life in New York awaits. Just one more thing is needed: a supply of artisan lavender for her trademark scent.
But when Charlotte stumbles across the infuriating and infuriatingly handsome Alessio Rossini, her plans begin to fall apart. With New York finally in reach . . . should she follow her dreams or her heart?
A captivating, feelgood summer romance set in the beautiful Italian countryside.
I'm so thrilled to be on the Book Tour today.
Review
With a Jack Vettriano painting on the cover, I just knew I had to read this book. I loved every minute of it, just pure escapism into fantastic settings with wonderful writing.
Charlotte has created a fabulous perfume and she needs to secure a lavender field to supply the demand for the scent in her creation. She's also got a new life lined up in New York, but before she can take up that new life off she goes to Italy to find a lavender field. Unlike a too cool heroine you might not have anything in common with, after minutes of arriving in Italy she's been splattered with wine and twisted her ankle in not so sensible shoes. Albeit rescued by a handsome Italian. She's a down to earth and loveable fashionista character.
Her love life doesn't fair much better, but she certainly has her pick of handsome leading men to choose from. While she could choose an Italian stallion she actually goes for an Italian Mare called Calandra over men.There is a beautiful but haunting scene where she rides her out in a storm.
Although she is only in Italy for a week she does pack a lot into that time. As you might expect things don't quite go as planned. Between several visits to Venice (which are described so wonderfully) taking on the local mafia and sampling some fabulous food she partakes in a deal to secure a lavender field.
The story doesn't end there though and we get to experience Charlotte moving to New York and celebrating a New York Christmas, finally fulfilling her dreams. Is there more to the story? Yes! There certainly is, but I will leave you to discover it, just as I did and loved it too.
I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to #LoveBooksTours and bwpublishing for the ARC to review and inviting me to the Book Tour.
Author Bio
JANEY JONES is a full-time writer with a love for food, fashion and all things French and Italian. She is the author of the fantastically successful Princess Poppy series, with sales of over 4 million copies. Before Princess Poppy took over her life, Janey had always intended to write contemporary fiction, and Perfume Paradiso is her second novel after the very popular Secret Life of Lucy Lovecake (writing as Pippa James).
How far would you go to maintain the illusion of The Perfect Life?
Appearances can be deceptive…
Molly Chatwell has a beautiful house, a handsome husband, two children and a job she likes. It all seems so perfect but when her two children leave for university, she realises her life has become dull and empty. When her husband refuses to go away with her, Molly decides to go alone.
But what should have been a relaxing break turns into a nightmare.
Back at home in London, Molly tries to put it all behind her but when the police arrive at her door and tell her that a body has been found with connections to her, Molly realises that her perfect life is under threat…
Review
What I liked most about this book was the dialogue - it really felt true to life and so did the day to day activities of the characters. I got a real feel of understanding for all the characters but most of all for Molly.
The book begins with Molly having to economise in the home, letting her housekeeper go and then the cleaner also. I did find it amusing that her husband felt they could cope now the children had left home, yet he continued to do nothing to help on the housekeeping front, not even a mug in the dishwasher!
Molly then goes away alone for a weekend with a friend and her husband. Things aren't looking good for Molly and her husband and she is constantly second guessing what he could be up to and with whom. Maybe that's what leads her to have a little "moment" of her own with a complete stranger. It's this that leads to her perfect life being under threat, as the stranger is found murdered.
Who was the stranger?, what did Molly do that's now threatens her perfect life? These and more questions are at the root of this clever book together with a lot more too. I was on the edge of my seat for the second half of the book - I couldn't put it down.
I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Bloodhound books for the ARC to review.
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