Review: The People Who Watched Her Pass By

Read 10/9/10 - 10/11/10

4 Stars: Strongly Recommended

Pgs:146

God, I love indie publishers. They put out some of the most interesting books I have ever read.

The People Who Watched Her Pass By is author Scott Bradfield's fifth novel, though it is the first book I have read by him.

And it's a horrifying concept - a 3 year old girl kidnapped from her home by the hot water heater fixer. Not only does this guy kidnap her, he deserts her too. And it's the story of this 3 year old girl wandering from house to house, being taken in, and then being let go, over and over and over again. Until she takes matters into her own hands and chooses when she will be taken in, and when she will walk away.... Until the world finally catches up to her.

So, although it's every mother's worst nightmare - to have her child stolen from her, and not being able to find her, or know what has happened to her - and not a very easy novel to digest, it has some of the most amazing and quotable lines I have read in a very long time.

Bradfield twists and manipulates the english language so beautifully that you actually forgive him for writing a book about such a terrible and unspeakable crime. He takes the life of 3 year old Salome and turns it into poetry.

Seriously. Read this line:

"Life is a sweet mistake that happened when the world wasn't looking."

I love this line so much that I almost want to take it to a tattoo parlor and have it etched into my skin so I can keep it with me forever.

And this one, that describes a major turning point of sorts between Salome's previous life (of living in a laundromat) and her next life:

"We can only have one home at a time. But if we are not ready to appreciate it, or we forget the keys, then we can't have any home at all."

One more, I promise:

"When we die... All the things we ever loved become furniture. The hollowness we feel turns into a house. There aren't any other people in it, and that's one of it's blessings. It's just filled with the ghosts of objects we used to own, things we used to feel, memories of patience and heat... In the afterlife, everything is already over. We don't have anything to regret or anything to look forward to."

The entire novel is peppered with these gorgeous moments that simultaneously grab you by your heart and break it in two.

It is this strange, surreal account of a little girl who wanders almost aimlessly through backyards, and down dirt roads, into and out of peoples lives, people who for some reason don't call Child Services, who don't question this little blonde haired angel they have suddenly crossed paths with, who seem hell-bent on bestowing words of wisdom and advice on her, on telling her their sad soul-crushing stories, on giving her a temporary place to stay...

It is not a book for everyone. It will stir some strong emotions. It will piss some people off. It is a book to be experienced, at the very least.

It is the type of book that only an indie publisher would take a risk on, and bravo, Two Dollar Radio... for the opportunity to review it!

Will the Real TNBBC Please Stand Up

So, I admit it. I google myself from time to time, just to see what other people see when they search for me. Imagine my surprise when I see this pop up out of almost nowhere:

TNBBC.blogspot.com

Needless to say, this isn't me. Nor are they trying to be. Anyone who is looking for me will most certainly discover that fact once they take one look at it. It's some japanese dude who uses this blogspot account to support some other facet of his life. But man - it's kinda freaky to see my acronym being used for something that is not mine. I mean, how does he even get TNBBC out of those words? I don't it!

The really strange thing, though, is that this blog account opened in Sept 2007, the same month and year that I created The Next Best Book Club on Goodreads. Tell me that isn't some weird shit!! And it has never appeared in any of my google searches before...

Heed this, followers and fellow bloggers - always google yourself and your sites to see what other nefarious, poser-like things may be lurking out there, tricking curious web searchers into their dark and scary webs.

The real TNBBC has spoken!

Review: Marvellous Hairy

Read 10/5/10 - 10/9/10

3.5 Stars - Strongly recommended to readers familiar with genre

Pgs:263

Mark A. Rayner is an author with a fantastical sense of humor and a dangerous imagination. Part big corporation take-down, part scientific bizarro experimentation, this novel is perfect for fans of the strange and unlikely!

Full of mayhem, madness, and monkey-business, Marvellous Hairy takes the reader on a roller coaster of a ride through the many layered friendships of Nick, a man who is willing to sell his body to science for a couple of bucks; Max, a doctor who takes recreational drug use to the next level; Hot Helena, who works as a VP for Gargantuan Enterprises and it's slightly insane head honcho Ted; and our narrator Rob, BFF to Nick, our monkey man in the making.

Mix in some unauthorized highly secretive genetic manipulation, a ghost haunting, two kidnappings, and a pair of unstable drug dealers, and you now have a recipe for disaster.

While reading the proof for the novel, which was signed and sent to me by the author upon my request for review, I found myself overlooking the editing issues (hence the reason I noted it was a proof copy) and thoroughly enjoying the storyline.

The back cover blurb leads the reader to believe the novels sole plot is to follow Nick Motbot through his transformation from man into monkey, however there really is soooo much more to it than that.

Rob worked as a temp on a super secret scientific project involving a weather satellite at Gargantuan Enterprises, when he discovers his best friend Nick has signed on with the same company for some experimental testing. Concerned for his friends well-being, and increasingly strange behavior, Rob enlists the help of the company's VP of Marketing, and his old college buddy Helena, to root around and dig up information on the classified test.

The group of friends stumble upon some pretty unethical and downright scary stuff, and decide to take matters into their hands - Kidnap the CEO, publicize what they know to bring the company crashing down around his knees, and hopefully save their banana-loving, bow-legged, devolving buddy at the same time.

How can you NOT want to read this??

I want to just take a moment to clarify something:

The novel is marketed as "Literary Fiction" under the subcategory "Fabulist Satire" (as found on the back of the book), and I think it's for good reason. Readers who like straight up, no nonsense fiction may find themselves confused and frustrated with the crazy capers and high-jinx that populate this novel. Those readers who love to indulge in a good old medical mystery novel might find themselves tsk-ing and tut-ing over the numerous other story lines that flow throughout the book.

That being said, Rayner's novel is romping good fun, and begs you to pay more attention to your inner monkey and lizard - the normal animalistic parts of the human psyche that we force into submission! Everyone... It's time to "Release the Monkey's"!!!

Review: The Report

Read 9/29/10 - 10/5/10

4 Stars: Strongly Recommended

Pgs:235

Many thanks goes out to Graywolf Press for allowing me a copy of this book for review. I have mentioned in a past review that I tend to steer clear of books that deal in and around war, however @totesmarisa swore by Jessica Francis Kane's novel and talked me into giving it a shot. And I am so thankful that I did.

While The Report does partially take place during World War II, it's focus is solely on the Bethnal Green London Tube Disaster, in which 173 civilians died in a horrific accident on the steps of an air raid shelter.

Jessica does a brilliant job of creating a fictional version of the events that took place on that terrible night in March 1943.

She draws us in using sparse, specific prose to guide us through the panicked London streets as that fateful air siren went off, ushering the townspeople towards the shelter, and onto the crowded staircase... enabling us to visualize the slip and crush of bodies on the steps of the tube entrance, the suffocating death of those unfortunate souls who were unable to escape the twisted mess of bodies that piled one on top of the other in an effort to get under cover from the bombs they thought were coming.

She allowed us to listen to the interviews that were conducted, the survivors and shelter volunteers recounting what they remembered of that night, where they were, what they thought was going on, how they attempted to help, or walk away alive. We understood the frustration that Magistrate Laurence Dunne felt when each testimony seemed to contradict the one that came before.

She introduces us to the cover-up, the true details of the event that took place on those steps in the stairwell, the real story spoken to him by an innocent eight year old girl, a truth that Dunne knew should never be revealed to the public.

She plagues her characters with guilt, and shame, crippling loss, and a fierce determination to make things right.

To think that people once had to live in a state of blackout - heavy curtains drawn over windows, no lights allowed after dark - and struggle with food and flower bans, to live every moment in fear of the enemy dropping bombs on their town, rushing to the nearest shelter when the air raid sirens went off, scurrying and cramming into underground tube stations until given the all clear... To think that this was once a normal way to live.

I could not imagine living a life like that, let alone raising a child through it all. My generation is so far removed from that type of fear. We have been spoiled by free wi-fi, and gourmet coffee, and designer sunglasses. We cry and pout if we can't have what we want the moment we want it.

Jessica's novel helped me to gain a greater appreciation of the life I am living today, and opened my eyes to the way the world used to be. Her book encouraged me to research a moment in time that, up until I began reading The Report, I never even knew existed.

For more information on The Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, follow these google links and videos .

Scary Story Retro Review: Come Closer

The leaves are lying on the lawn; the air is brisker, cooler; the days are getting shorter; the smell of burning logs escapes our neighbors chimney... There is no denying that Fall is officially here.

And with Fall comes every child's favorite dress-up holiday: Halloween. Which, of course, gets me thinking about some of the creepy, crawly, twisted, terrifying reads I have ever read.

I usually take time during the month of October to indulge in a seasonal book reading binge - where books containing Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, Monsters, Witches, or Magic get bumped to the top of the TBR pile. This year will be first year, due to my review priorities, that I won't be able to read October Themed novels. So, instead, throughout the month of October, I plan to showcase the best of the best scary stories I have read over the years...

Starting with this one:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Read Dec'2007)

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:224

Looking for a scary book you can read in one sitting? Try out Come Closer by Sara Gran.

It's quite short, barely 200 pages.. and a terrifyingly quick read. I think I worked myself up about it a bit too much, based on the reviews I had read.... afraid to start it until I was sitting in full daylight, fearful that it would be way too creepy and have me sleeping in bed with my kids....too chicken to risk a nite in bed alone...

Chilling and creepy, sometimes leaving me with that tingle-up-my-spine feeling...

A very cleverly, conversationally written book about a woman who slowly and knowingly gets posessed by a demon, slowly sinking into its clutches...

I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, kinda-creepy read that is unlike much of anything you've read before.

Thank You all for Following TNBBC's Blog!

It's taken 10 months to get there, but I have finally joined the 100 followers club. Phew! I want to thank my long time followers for being there through the thick and thin, for putting up with my crazy posting schedule (I'm not as organized as other bloggers, scheduling posts ahead of time and setting up guest posts when they know they will be off-line for awhile), and commenting on my reviews and silly ranting and ravings.

Welcome to my newer followers! I hope you find things on this blog that are worth sticking around for, and support me by letting me know what you like and what you would like to see more of!

If you like what I'm doing, help spread the word!

I know it's only a number, but a few more TNBBC fans wouldn't hurt, right?

You guys rock!

Indie Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio

Have you met The Two Dollar Radio Movement yet? No??

May I be the first to introduce you? Wonderful! Ok. Here we go. (A-hem)....

Two Dollar Radio, meet TNBBC!

TNBBC, meet Two Dollar Radio!

My own introduction to TDR was a happy accident. I was poking around on Goodreads and random blogs searching for some newer unknown novels, and I stumbled across their website. (For the life of me, I cannot recall who exactly linked me there - oh the frustrations of a too-young-to-be-senile mind!)

The books they were showcasing on their site were so quirky and odd - right up my alley! -and I emailed them for a copy of one or two in the hopes that I could review them. Eric Obenauf, the Editor in Chief and Publisher, shipped me off two novels: The People Who Watched Her Pass By and Termite Parade - which I should be starting sometime in late October.

Here's a little background:

Brian Obenauf, Eliza Jane Wood, and Eric Obenauf created Two Dollar Radio Movement in early 2005 after the group read "The Business of Books by Andre Schiffrin, which inspired (them) to start (thier) own new idealistic book publishing company, following the footprints left by the likes of John Martin and Barney Rosset".

The name came from an overly rowdy old timer at a bar, who, when he realized he was putting people off, said “Don’t mind me, I make more noise than a $2 radio.”

They characterize the books they publish "as bold literary fiction: subversive, original, and highly creative".

And check this out - Two Dollar Radio Movement is giving away a free lifetime subscription to any hardcore fan willing to brand themselves with their tattoo. If you send them a photo of the tattoo while it's in progress, and once it's completely healed, you will receive a copy of every book TDR has ever or WILL ever publish!

How cool is that? And it's a cute little tattoo isn't it?

If that's not a great way to spread the word about an Indie Publisher, I don't know what is!

Stop by their website, take a look through their catalogue and you never know, you might just find yourself a Two Dollar Radio Movement fan!

*text in parentheses and italics were quoted from the Two Dollar Radio Movement Bio page*

Review: Dog Blood

Read 9/24/10 - 9/29/10

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:322 (Book two of the Hater trilogy)

It's war baby, and the Unchanged don't stand a chance.

In Dog Blood, the sequel to David Moody's novel Hater, No one cares about what caused the Hate anymore. Self-preservation is the priority. The world is beginning to fall apart, buildings rotting away or damaged in battle. Food and clean water is becoming harder and harder to come by. Unchanged men, women, and children slowly begin to move into the cities, cramming themselves into office buildings, and apartments, waiting for their food rations to be doled out. Soldiers take teams of volunteers out beyond the exclusion (or safe) zones to seek out people who have been surviving on their own, to bring them back to the home base. They feel safer and stronger in groups.

Haters join together and attack these rescue missions, picking off the Unchanged one by one. The war between "us" and "them" is inescapable. And it won't stop until one or the other are wiped off the face of the planet.

One Hater, our Hater, Danny, bounces from place to place, preferring to remain alone. He finds comfort in the shadows and the outskirts, believing that his ability to remain hidden, his hunger for killing, and his desire to find his 5 year old daughter Ellis is what has kept him alive this long. Yet, ironically enough, it's during his search for Ellis that Danny finds himself captured by a group of Unchanged people... who are determined to teach Danny how to hold the Hate.

Can Haters be taught to control the urge to kill? Will they ever be able to walk among the Unchanged and blend in with society again?

David Moody creates a bleak and devastating world in which man has turned against man, where trust and companionship no longer live, a world of constant turmoil and chaos. He takes us deeper inside Danny's head and introduces us to the filthy, brutal life of a Hater. Though Danny appears to be selfish and self serving, we discover that looking out for number one is the only way to ensure ones existence. It's the new way of life, and one that most people quickly adapted to.

Brilliantly narrated, violent and ferocious, unlike anything I have read before it - With his Hater Trilogy, Moody ushers in the newest fiction monster craze! Say goodbye to Zombie and Vampire Lit, shelf the wanna-be-breakout novels about Angels and Unicorns. Moody's Haters are taking the world by force, and leaving a sea of bloody corpses in their wake. And their sights are set on you!

A gigantic thank you goes out to author David Moody, who made these review copies available to me!

Hater

Read 9/18/10 - 9/24/10

5 Stars - Highly Recommended/ The Next Best Book

Pgs:281 (Book one of the Hater Trilogy)

When a book begins with a man brutally gutting a female stranger with an umbrella, I'd say "Buckle those seat belts, readers! Looks like we are in for one helluva ride!".

David Moody, author of the novel Hater, paints a grim and twisted picture of "us" against "them", a world where people have to learn to live in fear of being suddenly and violently attacked by strangers, coworkers, and loved ones. It can happen almost without warning. And no one knows for sure why it's happening. Or how to stop it.

Imagine walking to work, and finding yourself a witness to a seemingly unprovoked street fight. You watch in awe as one person beats the other unconscious. And continues to beat him. You are one of many within the crowd, yet no one moves a muscle to come to the others defense.

Later that week, you and your spouse and children are eating dinner out at a restaurant. Before you can clean your plate, you watch in horror as two people at the bar suddenly engage in a violent fight that ends when one man brutally stabs the other with a steak knife. Everyone is paralyzed with fear, not sure what is going on, and urgently heads for the front doors.

When you get home, you turn on the television to see news reporters covering multiple acts of violence that have been occurring around town. They seem unrelated, though they sound so much the same - random, sudden, brutal, unexplainable. The body count is climbing.

You think that the news is playing a part in all of this - sensationalizing the murders, encouraging others to go out and instigate more of the same with little to no consequence.

A few more days pass... you can't seem to head outside without watching people attacking each other. They seem to turn on a dime. One minute they are walking by you, or having a normal conversation with each other, and then there's this blank stare and then BAM - you are fighting for your life as they thrash and slash and smash you. Now the news reporters request you do not leave the house unless absolutely necessary. They suggest creating a "safe room" for you own protection. They warn you to be wary of people who display any signs of anger or aggression. They say they have it under control. Yet no one is saying what exactly is happening. Stores and cars are being looted. It's not safe to go outside... but DON'T PANIC?!?

Written in first person narrative, David Moody sucks the reader right into the middle of the confusion and chaos that is taking place. We know only what our narrator Danny knows, which, for most of the novel, is not much. Unable to process what is going on, Danny and his family move through myriad emotions as the violence and brutality increases, and moves closer and closer to his front door.

What I find most amazing about this novel is the fact that it's author self-published it online back on 2006, and sold it's film rights to Gueillermo del Toro, all without the help of an agent! How could any publishing company have turned this away?

Packing punch after punch, chapter after chapter, Moody kept me turning the pages faster and faster, and I found myself on the edge of the seat time and time again.

You've seen vampires, zombies, and nuclear bombs that helped issue in the end the world as we all knew it. Now it's time to meet the Haters!

A brilliant kick-off novel to a trilogy that screams to be read by lovers of post apocalyptic novels with a strong stomach and a head for thrillers.

Go ahead, get your Hate on! I dare you!

To learn more about David Moody and his novel, check out these links:

http://www.djmoody.co.uk/
http://www.djmoody.co.uk/Books.htm
@davidjmoody

When Authors Attack

Momma Said Knock You Out

It's a rough, tough world out there for authors these days. With social media sights like Goodreads, Library Thing, and Shelfari, the rise of book blogs, and the networking vehicles of Facebook and Twitter, it is nearly impossible to hide from what the world thinks of you and your novel.

Most novelists have jumped in feet first, making themselves accessible by creating their own personal accounts on these sites in an effort to update the public and remain in contact with their fans. They review the work of other authors, comment on the reviews readers have written on their books, and even participate in online group read discussions to answer whatever questions readers may have, thanking members for helping to spread the good word.

But what happens when the word that is being spread about an authors book is not so... good?

Do they have a right to initiate contact and plead their case? Should they shame the person, degrade the person, or beg the person to reconsider, to ask the reader or reviewer to put themselves in the authors shoes and see how damaging a bad review can be to their image and their livelihood? What if they created mass fake "profile" accounts to back themselves up, show support for themselves, or force reviews and votes to get their novels out to the public?

Butting Heads Is a Bad Idea

The urge to retaliate, to want to show someone the error in their thinking, leads to nothing more than a locking-of-the-horns. A head-to-head battle of ego and willpower. An unprofessional verbal catfight.

It's really boils down to a case of intent versus impact.

The authors intent, when they reach out to someone who shared negative feedback, is to persuade them to take a second look at what they wrote, or said, or decided. I believe we are all in agreement here, yes? The intent is never to harass or bully someone. The author may be seeking the persons empathy by describing how hard they worked on their book, the numerous attempts at getting someone to sign it, the years they devoted to promoting it, or by sharing a sad, heartbreaking story to get you to change your mind.

The impact, however, is quite different. It can be received by the reader/reviewer as pushy, forceful, or unprofessional. It may leave a bad taste in the persons mouth, turning them off of your future or past novels. It can be seen as an attack, and when faced with the threat of an attack, natural human reaction is "fight or flight". Do I engage this author in an attempt to further explain myself? Or do I ignore them?

I Choose To Fight

When my integrity is called out on the line, I choose to defend it, and for good reason (though not always with good outcomes!).

As creator and sole moderator of the goodreads group The Next Best Book Club, I owe my members a friendly, safe, and enjoyable experience. I love being able to share great books with them, and allowing them the opportunity to interact with their favorite authors.

When a member alerts me to a situation that is occurring within the group that revolves around the behavior of an author or the way they promote their novel, I owe it to that member to investigate and, if necessary, control it.

In my eyes, if an author is ignoring group guidelines or attacks a member (or myself, for that matter) due to negative or constructive feedback, ignoring the situation not only allows the author to believe their behavior is acceptable, it also sets a standard to anyone else who follows that that behavior is acceptable. Silence is acceptance.

In the early days of TNBBC, I used to banish the authors (and new members) who misbehaved to "The Spammers Circle in Hell" - which was a comical way to showcase those who felt they were above the rules that were created for behavior within the group. I have since grown up, and also understand I have more options than simply embarrassing people.

I am proud of the relationships I have built with authors, publishers, and lit agencies over the years and I understand the power and influence I can have in regards to them. Wasn't it spiderman's uncle who said "With great power comes great responsibility"? I choose to use my influence for good.

Putter There Pardner

Authors and reviewers/readers/moderators should not be working against one another. We should be seeking out opportunities to work with one another. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live in a world where there was no such thing as a negative review? I know I sure would!

But that is unrealistic, isn't it? So how do we find a middle ground? How can we give an author constructive feedback without turning things into a verbal beat down? How can an author remain open to feedback, and reduce the natural urge to defend themselves and their novels?

Looking for your feedback and experiences! Bloggers, reviewers, writers, authors, publishers.... What do you struggle with when it comes to interaction? What do you find helpful, hurtful, unnecessary? Let's reach out a hand and build partnerships. Let's get past the defensiveness, let's put the ego to bed, and throw away those personal barbs. Let's get better at giving each other feedback.

"The Wilding" Winner

Congrats to Jamie of The Perpetual Page Turner and The Broke and the Bookish.

She won the signed copy of The Wilding with this post describing an experience in the woods/camping:

Eh the woods/camping. I think nature is BEAUTIFUL but not liking bugs/snakes/dirt/my hair getting icky etc. put camping lower on my to-do list. I'm sure you could have guess that by meeting me this weekend that I'm not too outdoorsy.

Every camping/woodsy experience goes like this-- "EW! OMG! Ehh get that bug! What is that? I heard an animal! I'm going to get eaten. Are you sure a snake isn't going to get in here? NO--I refuse to poop in the woods!" Etc. Etc.

I really do love nature though..which is why I keep torturing myself :)

I sure hope this book doesn't ruin her already fragile feelings on the great outdoors!

The Wilding

Read 9/11/10 - 9/18-10

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:258

Dark and suspenseful, a bit twisted, and certainly not for the weak of stomach, The Wilding is going to make you think twice about camping out in the woods!

Graywolf Press sent me the arc for this novel quite a few months ago. The premise - grandfather, father, son, and dog head deep into Echo Canyon for one last camping trip before it's destroyed and replaced with an Indian Casino - caught my attention and something about the title and the blurb whispered "creepy read"....so I added it to my review pile and there it sat, patiently awaiting it's turn to be read.

About two weeks ago, Graywolf surprised me by sending me the Hardcover edition of the novel, which goes on sale next week. When I thanked them, I was informed that the author was going to be reading from the book at the Brooklyn Book Festival (which took place on Sept 12th, and of which I was already planning on attending!).

To the very top of the review pile it went!

I had the fascinating pleasure of listening to Benjamin Percy read a chapter from this novel (during the BKBF panel entitled "What Fresh Hell is This" - and what a fitting title name that is!) while I was still in the process of reading the book myself. His deep and booming voice stuck with me for the remaining days as I finished reading his novel. In my head, I could hear him narrating as the characters moved through their strange and terrifying experiences within Echo Canyon.

This novel is a tricky little devil. The suspense builds from page to page, at times creating a nail-biting urge within me to shout out loud through the pages to the characters to warn them of what I am afraid is coming. There were moments of false build up, where I felt myself release a breath that I did not realize I had been holding. And other moments where Benjamin twisted and turned me down a path I was not expecting.

A good portion of my teenage summers were spent camping out in the middle of the woods that was interestingly named Devil's Hole. Waterfalls and a decrepit water mill stood hidden, deep in the woods, in the middle of two developments. My friends and I would rough it out there - no tents, certainly no weapons, just sleeping bags, blankets, hamburger meat and hot dogs to cook over the fire, and some cheap booze to keep us warm when the stars were twinkling in the cool dark of night.

Never once did we think we were putting ourselves in danger of a bear attack, though we knew the area was crawling with wildlife, and luckily one never crossed our path out there. And I count those nights in Devil's Hole as some of my fondest memories. However, after reading The Wilding, I doubt I would ever venture out into the middle of the woods again, at least not without the proper protection. Or let my children have similar experiences as they get older, for fear of what might be waiting out there for them.

Benjamin not only scared the camp-girl out of me, but he also played around with the human / animal element throughout his novel.

Owls can be found throughout the story - one falls down the chimney of our main character Justin's fireplace, flapping its smoking wings throughout the house until his wife ushers it out the door. Others can be heard in the woods when Justin, his father Paul, and his son Graham are sitting around the campfire in Echo Canyon. According to owl lore, they are thought to symbolize dread and death, and I do not think it is by accident that Benjamin included them in his novel, since dread and death are abundant and at the very core of this story.

While camping out in the canyon, our three men hunt for deer, and happen to shoot and track one down into a bone graveyard. As the men stand over the dying deer, preparing to gut and skin it, they realize that the walls of the cave they are standing in houses caveman-like drawings that mirror their exact situation. Some depict men holding spears, others show men attacking a bear, some are very old, while others look fairly new. Though the scene was quite gruesome and heartwrenching (the deer in his final moments, the son asking if deer know they are dying), there was something poetic and ... normal... about that moment. A history of man vs animal laid out before them, the survival of the strongest, or smartest. The thrill of the hunt, and the excitement of the kill.

The Wilding will have you locking your doors, replacing those burnt out flood lights around the house, and carrying a flashlight when you head out for your late night strolls. It will keep you huddled around the campfire, if you're brave enough to go camping at all. One thing I know for certain - It will keep you up late into the night as you refuse to put the book down, and find you pulling those covers up around you tightly.

Support Your Indies

No! I didn't mean Undies. I meant Indies! I finally jumped on the IndieBound bandwagon. I am very excited about this partnership for two reasons :

(1) 90% of what I read and review comes from self published authors and independent publishers. It simply makes sense that I promote these wonderful novels and companies through independent bookstores as well.

(2) Every time you click on the indiebound link located on my blogs sidebar, and purchase a book (whether or not it is one that I've reviewed here), I will receive a small percentage of the sale. This money will go towards bigger and better giveaways for you, my dear friends. How exciting is that?

Independent bookstores need our business. They are hard working, book loving folks, like you and me. Their shops were built on a foundation of love for the written word. Help them thrive and grow by making all of your book purchases through them.

I invite you to share your favorite independent bookshops here. Which bookstores do you shop at? Is there a story behind their shops name, or history? Do you have a favorite sales associate?

"The Wilding" Giveaway

This is an extra special TNBBC book giveaway. Why you might ask? Well. Because the book I am about to give away was held in it's very own creators hands as he signed it for you, that's why!!

Benjamin Percy, author of The Wilding, was part of the WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS panel at the Brooklyn Book Festival this past Sunday. I had the pleasure of listening to him read a selection of his forthcoming release from Graywolf Press, and then followed him down to the signing area to get his 'John Hancock" on a hard covered edition of the novel.

Here is the books description from Goodreads:

"Echo Canyon is a disappearing pocket of wilderness outside of Bend, Oregon, and the site of conflicting memories for Justin Caves and his father, Paul. It’s now slated for redevelopment as a golfing resort. When Paul suggests one last hunting trip, Justin accepts, hoping to get things right with his father this time, and agrees to bring his son, Graham, along.

As the weekend unfolds, Justin is pushed to the limit by the reckless taunting of his father, the physical demands of the terrain, and the menacing evidence of the hovering presence of bear. All the while, he remembers the promise he made to his skeptical wife: to keep their son safe.

Benjamin Percy, a writer whose work Dan Chaon called “bighearted and drunk and dangerous,” shows his mastery of narrative suspense as the novel builds to its surprising climax. The Wilding shines unexpected light on our shifting relationship with nature and family in contemporary society."

In order to win a copy of this novel:

1- Simply post a comment to this thread sharing a camping or 'in the woods' experience you have had.

2- Include your email address or a way for me to contact you so we can notify you if you win.

This giveaway is available Internationally and will end on September 22nd. Upon it's close, I will choose one winner at random, emailing them and announcing them here on my blog.

Good Luck!!

BKBF Was Wet and Wonderful

Weather report: 30% chance of rain, high of 71

Actual weather: wet, windy, and chilly, high of 55 (if we were lucky)

As you can see from the photo above, the 2010 Brooklyn Book Festival was a damp and soggy event. This photo was taken around the 5 o'clock hour, with one last set of panels to see, ending in one last author signing, and the crowd was visibly thinning out.

The weather, however, did nothing to damper the bookish excitement and anticipation of meeting authors, publishers, and fellow book bloggers!

The week leading up to BKBF was a stressful one for me. Constant monitoring of the weather (lots of good that did me!) and the festival's website found me attempting to create a schedule with the perfect balance of author panels, author signings, and time to wander to my favorite publishers booths. Jamie, from The Broke and the Bookish and The Perpetual Page Turner, and I were emailing each other back and forth like maniacs, figuring out when and where to meet and planning out our day together. Jamie has been a member of TNBBC for 2 years and I couldn't wait to meet her in person.

The morning of the festival arrived, and found me driving out to the city before the sunrise. I parked at Port Authority (a pro at this now, thanks to my experience during the BEA's back in May) and walked myself over to Penn Station to await Jamie's train.

Jamie had a horrible morning, missing her original train and parking in a tow zone to boot!! But she made it! And she brought along Lenore, of Presenting Lenore, and Lenore's husband Daniel, who is an illustrator for children's books.

We took the subway from Penn Station to the Festival and got ourselves situated as best we could. By now we were starting to feel the beginning drops of what would eventually become a very damp and uncomfortable day!

We stopped off at Le Bagel restaurant for some coffee and bagels, and sat down on the steps of Borough Hall to eat as the festival began. On the main stage we watched this amazing little kid recite the Jabberwocky poem - from Alice in Wonderland - from memory. And how cool is this? I made it onto the news footage of the festival. While we were sitting there, a news crew shot some scenes and if you watch the first 3 seconds of the clip, you will see me sitting on the lower far right hand corner of the screen, chit chatting with Lenore and Daniel. Jamie had stepped away to take a phone call and missed her 3 seconds of fame!

The first panel Jamie and I attended was the 11 o'clock NEXT TEXT panel - which included Tanya Wright (Deputy Kenya from True Blood!), Ivy Pochoda, Sean Ferrell, Helen Simpson, and Teddy Wayne.

Sean pronounced himself The Leader based on his position at the center of the table and ordered each one of us to get him a root beer. "And I don't mean each of you collectively getting me one root beer. I mean each one of you get me one root beer!". Watch out for this guy! He's gonna be huge!

Teddy Wayne blew the crowd away with his very well chosen selection from Kapitoil. Every paragraph solicited laughter. I will not lie. Teddy was one of the reasons I had attended BKBF in the first place. He and I met back in May during the Book Blogger Convention Reception, I recently reviewed his novel, and he had so wonderfully participated in an interactive interview with the members of TNBBC. I went all fangirl on him when he remembered me at the signing tables, and we chatted for a minute before I asked if would take a picture with me. What a sweetheart!

At noon, Jamie and I split up. She went to see Rob Sheffield's panel while I stayed put to hear Paul Harding read from his novel Tinkers for the LIVING THROUGH DYING panel. When the readings were over, I took the opportunity to ask the authors, since all of their novels dealt with death, which way they would prefer to die -were they given the choice- and which way they were most terrified to go. My question was received well and was even turned back to me, so that I had to answer! I learned so much more about what went into the creation of Tinkers, which helped me to appreciate it,not only as an exceptionally well written piece of fiction, but also as a glimpse into the not so fictitious history of the author, of which his novel was based.

After that signing, Jamie and I met up again and wandered through the rainy and windy vendor booths. I stopped by to say hello to the friendly staff at Graywolf Press, and we chitchatted with Erica and Amy from Harper Perennial, two of the most hardworking marketing women I know!

We also got the chance to put faces to names with a few other fellow bloggers during a slight break in the weather. Nicole from Linus's Blanket, Allie from Hist-Fic Chick, Mitali from Alley of Books, and Spencer from 59th and Peach. She and Jamie know each other from Jamie's college student group on goodreads. Spencer was a ball of personality and I was so glad I got the chance to meet her! She and Jamie took off to the Youth Stoop at 2pm, and I headed over to the WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS panel to see Benjamin Percy reading from his new novel The Wilding. God does that man have the deepest, most booming voice I have ever heard! I was thrilled to have him sign both the arc and hardcover of his novel!

Jamie, Spencer, and I left the Festival at 3pm for a starbucks coffee and some horribly overcooked KFC for lunch and then said our goodbyes to Spencer as we made out way back out into the wild wet weather to see Per Petterson read during the BEING IS SCARY set. His novel, I Curse the River of Time was one of my favorites this year, and hearing him read from it was heavenly. Sadly, Per was not signing at the end of this panel so my books went home unsigned.

However I did manage to visit Salman Rushdie, Dennis Lehane, and Simon Van Booy and get their novels signed (though I did not see their panels. Choices, Choices!)

Before we left, Jamie and I headed back over to our favorite publishing lady Erika to say our farewells. We all looked like wet dogs at this point. Poor Erica and Jamie were shivering. But we survived the day, and had a wonderful time, and made promises of meeting soon in NYC to take the literature world by storm once again!