Thursday Quotables: Black Dove, White Raven

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
(published March 5, 2015)

A peek inside the newest book from the author of the amazing Code Name Verity:

Black and white, night and day, that’s what people used to say. On the ground, when people were watching, Momma and Delia milked that contrast for all they could get. But on their own and in the sky they never paid any mind to black and white — they were just two crazy people who loved flying.

One more:

We laughed like cackling chickens. It doesn’t take much when you’re five.

And then the plane started to move and soon it was bumping over the grass and then, without me or Teo even realising what was going on, we were flying. We were so little we couldn’t see out of the cockpit. All we could see was Momma’s arms in the straps over our heads and the upper wing like a big sail and the blue sky all around us, and all we could hear was the engine and the wind singing in the wires. And Delia was flying.

That is my earliest memory.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

17Mar2015

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: Weightless

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

Weightless by Sarah Bannan
(to be released June 30, 2015 )

When 15-year-old Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother, she rattles the status quo of the junior class at Adams High School. A good student and natural athlete, she’s immediately welcomed by the school’s cliques. She’s even nominated to the homecoming court and begins dating a senior, Shane, whose on again/off again girlfriend Brooke becomes Carolyn’s bitter romantic rival. When a video of Carolyn and Shane making out is sent to everyone, Carolyn goes from golden girl to slut, as Brooke and her best friend Gemma try to restore their popularity. Gossip and bullying hound Carolyn, who becomes increasingly private and isolated. When Shane and Brooke—now back together—confront Carolyn in the student parking lot, injuring her, it’s the last attack she can take.

Sarah Bannan’s deft use of the first person plural gives Weightless an emotional intensity and remarkable power that will send you flying through the pages and leave you reeling.

I’ll admit it: The pretty summer colors and imagery on the cover are what initially attracted me to this book, but the synopsis drew me right in as well. I’m intrigued, and hope to get a copy (maybe an ARC?) in time for those glorious summer reading months…

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

16Mar2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR List

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is about reading plans for spring. What’s on my to-be-read list? Well, I suppose I could start with the six books from my winter TBR post which I still haven’t read… but where’s the fun in that?

So, to welcome spring, here’s a brand new set of 10 books that I’m looking forward to reading:

1) Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell

2) Prudence by Gail Carriger

3) A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley

4) A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

5) Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova

6) The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

7) The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver

8) The Well by Catherine Chanter

9) Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

And turning to books that have been on my to-read list for far too long…

10) With the passing last week of Sir Terry Pratchett, I realize that it’s time for me to stop saying that I’ll eventually read some Discworld books and just go ahead and get started! Or, you know, finally read the copy of Good Omens that’s been calling my name for a few years now. RIP, Terry Pratchett.

What books are you looking forward to reading this spring?

Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

16Mar2015

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/16/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs: LOVED IT. A new book in a favorite series is always a treat. Check out my review here.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy: This was a book group pick, and reading it in our tiny increments (one chapter per week) was not the ideal way to enjoy it. I’m glad to finally be done… although I’m also glad in the end to have read it. My review is here.

In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl: Done. My book club will be discussing this book during the coming week, so I buckled down and plowed through the last 50% over the weekend. My review is here.

Off-line:

Fangirl heaven! I went to a talk by Neil Gaiman (in conversation with Michael Chabon) this week, and it was amazing. Plus, I got to meet Neil Gaiman at the reception before the event, and he was nice and charming and wonderful. Sadly, he didn’t do a book signing, but I was able to buy a pre-signed copy of his newest book. All in all, a fantastic evening. Wish you’d been there? Here’s the video from the event:

Fresh Catch:

My copy of Neil Gaiman’s Trigger Warnings was my only new book this past week. And it’s signed!

I don’t usually read short stories, but in this case, I’m happy to make an exception.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m about 50 pages into Elizabeth Wein’s newest, Black Dove, White Raven. Really excited to finally be reading it!

I’m behind on my review books, and need to get cracking in time for the blog tour for The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose.

Now playing via audiobook:

Continuing on with my audio re-read of the Mercy Thompson series, I finished #4, Bone Crossed, this past week, and I’ve started #5, Silver Borne. Yup, still loving the heck out of this series.

Ongoing reads:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Reading with my kiddo. Still.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week with Outlander Book Club, from now until whenever!

So many book, so little time…

14Mar2015

Take A Peek Book Review: In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

“Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought.

Synopsis:

(via Goodreads)

Iris Crane’s tranquil life is shattered when a letter summons memories from her bittersweet past: her first love, her best friend, and the tragedy that changed everything. Iris, a young Australian nurse, travels to France during World War I to bring home her fifteen-year-old brother, who ran away to enlist. But in Paris she meets the charismatic Dr. Frances Ivens, who convinces Iris to help establish a field hospital in the old abbey at Royaumont, staffed entirely by women—a decision that will change her life. Seamlessly interwoven is the story of Grace, Iris’s granddaughter in 1970s Australia. Together their narratives paint a portrait of the changing role of women in medicine and the powerful legacy of love.

My Thoughts:

In Falling Snow was my book club’s pick for March, and chances are it would never have crossed my radar otherwise. Written by an Australian author, In Falling Snow creates a fictional portrait of life at Royaumont, a real-life field hospital run by a completely female staff during World War I. I found the historical elements of this book the most compelling, witnessing the amazing bravery of the women doctors, nurses, orderlies, and drivers who refused to be pushed aside or belittled, who didn’t accept that women weren’t skilled or tough enough to perform surgery and treat wounded soldiers. The fact that this hospital really existed as described is so inspiring, and I was thrilled to read the author’s afterword with citations of her non-fiction sources.

The fictional characters and the structure of the novel are only middling successful, in my opinion. The storyline shifts between Iris as an old woman and her granddaughter Grace, an Australian obstetrician, and Iris’s memories of her war-time experiences at Royaumont. We’re meant to focus on Iris’s friendship with a fellow hospital staffer named Violet; Iris abruptly cut ties with all of her friends from that time immediately after the war, and it’s around Violet that her thoughts circle, but I didn’t feel the chapters on life at the hospital ever really convinced me that their friendship was so exceptionally special.

Iris is tormented by guilt over her younger brother Tom, and learning his fate and what it meant for Iris is one of the more compelling parts of the story. Early on, I was much more interested in Grace and her family, but her story comes and goes throughout the book and loses steam somehow, even though all the pieces come together by the end.

Overall, I’d say this historical novel is quite interesting in parts, but lacks momentum until about the last third of the book, making big pieces of it feel like a slog. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but there’s an odd detachment in long sections of the book. The events of Iris’s experience are described, but I couldn’t get any sense of feeling from them. On the positive side, the elements of the war experiences taken from the historical record are fascinating and horrifying, especially reading about the senseless deaths and terrible experiences of the young men who suffered so horribly in the trenches and battlefields. By the end, the revelation of the secrets that Iris carries throughout her life is a good one, and helps make sense of certain pieces of the novel that seemed random or disconnected.

In Falling Snow takes a bit of patience in parts, but ultimately, I’m glad to have read it. I recommend In Falling Snow for anyone interested in women’s roles in medicine and in reading about World War I- era history.

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The details:

Title: In Falling Snow
Author: Mary-Rose MacColl
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: 2012
Length: 448 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased

14Mar2015

Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy debuted as a stage play in 1903, and was subsequently rewritten as a novel. Reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, it’s hard to miss the dramatic flourishes and beats; the reader can practically see the moments when a character enters from the wings or hides behind some stage prop.

I had only ever heard of the book in passing and had never seen any of the many movie adaptations when my book group picked The Scarlet Pimpernel as our classic read. I really had no idea what to expect, other than a vague impression of dashing swordfights à la Errol Flynn.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is set during the Terror following the French Revolution, when members of the French aristocracy could be sent to the guillotine for crimes as innocuous as a remembered insult given to a passing stranger years earlier. The Scarlet Pimpernel is the nom de guerre of a heroic mystery man who, with a league of comrades, rescues the aristos from under the noses of the French citoyens who seek their deaths. Tales of the Scarlet Pimpernel’s daring escapades inspire hero worship back in England, and his true identity is the most sought-after secret among the French police who seek to capture and make a lesson of him.

The main focus of the book, however, is not the hero himself, but a young woman named Marguerite Blakeney, revered as the most beautiful and “cleverest” woman in all of Europe. She is married to Sir Percy Blakeney, described as a jovial but essentially stupid fop, who is lazy, impeccably dressed and groomed, very wealthy, and always the life of the party.

Marguerite becomes embroiled in intrigue when a French agent, Chauvelin, corners her and threatens her beloved brother, himself a former French republican now turned against the cruelties of the Revolution. If Marguerite wants to save Armand’s life, she must aid Chauvelin by tracking down the Scarlet Pimpernel, infiltrating his inner circle, and informing on him. Only upon the Pimpernel’s arrest will her brother be returned safely to her loving arms.

Much woe ensues, full of breast-beating, doubt, anguish, betrayal, protestations of love, feelings of terrible guilt, and a cliffside ambush and rescue full of a number of true cliff-hangers.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is not a long book, but is chock-full of action. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, we can see the forerunner of many modern dramatic tropes: the damsel in distress, the hero with the hidden identity, laughing in the face of danger, the foolish police captain always one step behind, victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. As a period piece, it’s quite interesting. I was amused imaging how new and daring some of these set pieces must have seemed to the contemporary audiences at the time of publication.

Certain aspects seemed rather laughable to me as a modern reader. If I had to hear one more time about Marguerite’s beauty or her unmatched cleverness, I might have pulled my hair out. Really, she seemed like kind of a ninny a lot of the time. She dithers and moans, she ignores her husband or thinks badly of him, only later to realize that he’s truly the love of her life. Her inner monologue is given to melodramatic, self-centered fancies, imagining dying in her lover’s arms as the ultimate happiness. Um, wouldn’t it be better for you both to survive? Just a thought.

My book group takes a chapter-a-week approach to our classic reads, and in this case, I think the pacing worked against my overall enjoyment of the book. The chapters are fairly short, and the plot moves forward only incrementally from chapter to chapter. By reading only one chapter each week, I think we basically had too much time to find and focus on the silliness and melodrama of the characters (particularly Marguerite), rather than enjoying it as a whole.

Do I recommend The Scarlet Pimpernel? Yes, I do. I think, had I read it all the way through in a day or two, I would have become caught up in the race to elude Chauvelin, the Pimpernel’s daring, and Marguerite’s attempts to save the day (even though I tend to think that she mostly mucks things up, rather than actually helping anybody). Although the attitudes and overall writing style are quite dated (and easy to poke fun at), the story itself is nicely entertaining. Overall, I was glad to have read it, although I won’t be tracking down any of the numerous sequels.

Meanwhile, I look forward to checking out a few of the many film adaptations, most notably the 1934 version starring Leslie Howard and the 1982 film starring Jane Seymour as Marguerite and Ian McKellen as Chauvelin.

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The details:

Title: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Publisher: varied (available free for Kindle)
Publication date: 1903
Length: 264 pages
Genre: Classic/adventure
Source: Purchased

12Mar2015

Thursday Quotables: In Falling Snow

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl
(published 2012)

I’m about 100 pages into this WWI-era historical novel, and I was quite taken by the contrast between lust and other emotions in the opening pages:

They made love there on the floor. Later she got up and surveyed the room, their clothes leading from the door, his boots, the last thing to come off, at the bottom of the bed. She would remember none of those details but would never forget the long lateral muscles of his back, where angel wings would start. And the shame. She would never forget the shame.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

10Mar2015

Book Review: Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

If you’ve ever visited my blog before, chances are you’ve seen me raving about Patricia Briggs and the detailed, layered, rich world she’s created in her novels. Patricia Briggs is probably best know for her Mercy Thompson series (which I love more than words can say!) — and fortunately for her devoted readers, she’s also given us a wonderful spin-off series, the Alpha & Omega novels.

And… after a wait of three years, we finally have Dead Heat, the 4th book in the series. Worth the wait? You bet. (Thank you, Ms. Briggs!)

In a nutshell, the Alpha & Omega books center around main characters Charles and Anna Cornick. Charles is the 3rd most dominant werwolf in North America, and the only born — not made — werewolf, thanks to his Native American mother’s magical talents. Charles has inherited his werewolf nature and scary strength from his father, the ruler of the wolves, and a gift for magic from his mother. Charles is feared by all, as he’s been given the role of enforcer and assassin, sent by his father to keep the peace and keep werewolves in line.

The Alpha & Omega series is driven by Charles’s relationship with his wife and mate, Anna, a rare Omega werewolf who has the power to soothe anyone she encounters. Over the course of the series, Anna has grown from scared, brutalized victim into a powerful yet gentle presence whose unique talents make her a perfect partner for Charles.

Okay, I’ll just say it: I love these two. Their love story is special, I love their dynamic as a couple, and they bring out the best in each other. Plus, only Anna allows Charles the room to let his gentler, loving side out. He’s strong and terrifying, but he’s also a total sweetie who’s madly in love with his wife.

Charles just stared at her.

“You know that, right?” she said. “Most people stay out of your way, but the defenseless ones, the hurt ones, they just sort of gradually slide into your shadow. Not where you’ll notice them too much — but you keep the bad things away.”

He still didn’t say anything. She buttoned her jeans and then took the two steps to press against him.”We know,” she whispered to him. “We who have been hurt, we know what evil looks like. We know you make us safe.”

He didn’t say anything, but his arms came around her and she knew that she had told him something he didn’t know — and that it mattered.

Each of the Alpha & Omega books revolves around a central mystery which Charles and Anna must help to solve. In Dead Heat, someone has targeted the human family of an Alpha werewolf in Arizona at the same time that Charles and Anna are visiting to purchase a new horse. While protecting the family, they realize that a dangerous fae is involved and is most likely responsible for the disappearances of children from the area over the course of decades. Charles and Anna team up with both FBI and supernatural law enforcement specialists to track down the bad guy (a very, very bad guy) and make sure that no other children become its prey.

I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t go any further in describing the plot. Suffice to say, Dead Heat absolutely lived up to my expectations and had me furiously turning pages (when I wasn’t cursing the fact that I didn’t have the time to just read straight through without stopping). The action and adventure are pulse-pounding, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. There’s tension and drama, yet at the same time, Briggs keeps the banter and love between Charles and Anna at the forefront, so that we still get to savor the little, lovely moments between them that are the heart of these wonderful novels.

Adding a nice touch to the book is the introduction of Charles’s old friend Joseph, a Navajo and son of a werewolf, who is in the process of dying an old man’s death when the book starts. Joseph’s extended family covers generations and brings together some new and interesting angles, adding new depths to what we know of Charles and his past and introducing some great characters. I hope we’ll see more of this group in future books!

My only complaint about this book is that it takes place almost entirely in Arizona, and I missed the Montana setting of earlier books, as well as the Montana pack and its familiar characters. While Charles’s father Bran is always in the background in both series, I would have loved to see a bit more of him in Dead Heat, as he’s one of my very favorite characters. Still, the Arizona storyline gets an A+ as far as I’m concerned, which more than compensates for my minor little complaints.

Actually, I do have one additional complaint: I want more! The book wraps up when the mystery of the fae is resolved, but I wanted more of Charles and Anna! They’re at an interesting point in their relationship (I’m being intentionally vague here), and I want to see what happens next. Plus, the downside of reading these books as soon as they’re released is the excruciatingly long wait (okay, it’s only a year, but it feels longer!) for the next book, either in this series or in the Mercy Thompson series.

I can’t say it often enough: If you enjoy urban fantasy, and require your series to include well-defined characters, compelling story arcs, and an altogether unforgettable, fully-formed world, then you must check out Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series. Go in order, take it slowly, and enjoy. I don’t know anyone who’s started these books who hasn’t become hooked. Quality writing, amazing characters, fantastic plots. What more could you want?

** A word of clarification: While Dead Heat is the 4th Alpha & Omega novel, the story actually starts with a novella called Alpha and Omega, available as a stand-alone e-book or in two different collections, On the Prowl and Shifting Shadows. Be sure to start with the novella or you’ll be missing the crucial beginning to the story. Spoken by one who learned the hard way!**

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The details:

Title: Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega, #4)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Publication date: March 3, 2015
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Purchased

9Mar2015

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/9/2015

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

What did I read last week?

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park: Very enjoyable! My review is here.

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs: I’ve barely had time to read this week, which is SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING, especially since I finally have Patricia Briggs’s new Alpha & Omega book in my hands. I’m trying to savor every moment, even though my reading is all happening in teeny, tiny snippets.

Off-line:

An insanely busy week at work plus a hectic home schedule has kept me hopping (and not reading). But on the plus side, my wonderful daughter came home for a few days and we’re having fun family time.

Fresh Catch:

Two books I’ve been dying for arrived on their release day — Dead Heat (see above), plus the newest from Mary Doria Russell, who is just brilliant no matter what she writes about:

And look what else came in the box along with Epitaph! Okay, it’s not a book, but I was still thrilled when it arrived (and hey, it’s based on a book!):

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

First up, I need to finish Dead Heat! (Although, to be honest, I kind of hate the idea of finishing and then just having to wait for another installment in the series.)

After that, I need to start tackling a book club book (In Falling Snow) and a review book for an upcoming blog tour (The Witch of Painted Sorrows).

Now playing via audiobook:

It’s a Patricia Briggs era chez moi, for sure. Continuing on with my audio re-read of the Mercy Thompson series, I’m about halfway through with book #4, Bone Crossed. I’m loving every moment.

Reading with my kiddo:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Week 3 of our Eragon read. Sloooooooow going. But we’re hanging in there.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. One chapter per week… we’ll be done next week!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015.

OBC Book of the Month for March: In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl. I’m really looking forward to this one! Discussion opens March 18th.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

7Mar2015

Blogger Spotlight: Meet Eugenia!

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I have so many wonderful people in my life who are just as crazy about books and reading as I am! I thought I’d put together some reader and blogger spotlight posts to highlight some of the folks who I love talking books with. Getting the ball rolling…

Meet Eugenia! My friend Eugenia is someone I know from real life, an avid reader, and one smart cookie. She’s recently joined the book blogging world, and I’m thrilled to be able to chat with her about her new blog, Jewish Books Are Awesome:

Introduce yourself! Who are you, what’s your background, hobbies, interests, etc..

My name is Eugenia, coming to the web waves courtesy of Shargorod, Ukraine and Berkeley, California. I am a Jewish accountant (one of several in my family’s current generation) working for a Jewish Bay Area organization. I have absolutely no background in literature other than my abundant twenty-five years of love of reading and few dozen essays I had to write in college. I haven’t had an interest in writing books since my teenage years of poorly written poetry. I read. That’s what I do.

Why did you decide to start a blog? Why “Jewish Books Are Awesome?” How did you come up with the name, and what does it mean to you?

I started this particular blog as a bit of a joke initially. I’ve written in diaries for as long as I can remember and I have every single one I’ve written since the age of 13. I experimented with online diaries back in the ’90s and early ’00s with the help of Open Diary and LiveJournal, but those blogs had no real purpose other than spewing out my inner thoughts and experiences onto the world. They gave me an opportunity to share myself behind the anonymity of a computer screen, but eventually life got in the way and I found less and less time to talk about myself. And yet, the nagging thoughts continued. At one point about three years ago, I almost had it when I thought that I could turn my reading obsession into something tangible and started a generic book review blog…..but I got lazy and it never went past 4 entries. It may still live somewhere in the web clutches, but I can’t even find it. 🙂

Anyway, enough history (as if such thing is possible – I LOVE and LIVE history). About six months ago, I was having a silly conversation with my best friend (who is like a sister and is a rabbi!) on Facebook. Prior to this, I had started giving her Facebook community group Judaica book recommendations. She had recently self-published her first book and was telling me about an idea to promote her book. She offered bloggers a free copy of her book in exchange for a special feature on her author page complete with blogger bio and photo. So she says to me, “So it would look something like this – Example: Eugenia, Blogger at JewishBooksAreAwesome.com and provide link to their site.” I being the giant nerd, thought the name was brilliant and for some infernal reason decided to right then and there create a blog with that name before it had been taken. So really, blame my sister.

Can you tell us a bit about your blog? What’s your main focus? What types of posts might we expect to see?

Ultimately I had started a blog because I felt I had something unique to say. As a Jew I am very proud of my people and my heritage and it felt so natural to want to show the world, those who may know a little about us and those who may know a lot, that we are not just characters in news headlines and protests. Jews as a people have four thousand years of culture to offer the world. I wanted to try and offer a tiny slice of that. And what better way to share it with the world than through my love of reading? What better way to show the world that Jews are awesome than through written word?

My focus is specifically Jewish-themed books. These are books about Jewish culture, Jewish history, Jewish art, Jewish characters written by and large by Jewish authors but that is not in any way a requirement. So far I’ve done an even mix of fiction and non-fiction works and would really love to continue maintaining that mix. I noticed that I enjoy not just writing a single post about a book of choice, but often write a mid-read reflection of it as well. Occasionally I do throw in posts about my love of reading in general, I try not to be too partial to memes but sometimes they capture how I feel about reading so much that THEY MUST BE SHARED!

Has anything about blogging taken you by surprise?

I have been most surprised by the amount of work blogging takes. I used to think that I could just pick a book, sit down, read it, and then go right to talking about it. Book reviews are actual legitimate work. I found that I can do most of the above mentioned things easily (though reading a book in one sitting is a bit of a stretch) except the last. It’s rather hard to just get to talking. It’s hard to talk without any kind of a framework because without some form of structure, I feel that the reviews just become babble. No one wants to read a disorganized mess. In line with that, I was surprised by the fact that in order to have a structure in my reviews, I actually needed to take notes. Kind of like where I was in college. Notes about the characters, notes about the events I thought pivotal. And the odd curious quote.

What’s been your best experience as a blogger so far?

I am very easy to please. All it takes is the little WordPress notification at the top of my tablet toolbar and I am happy as a clam. I’m just excited people are giving it the time of day. I knew that with a niche blog like mine it would be a challenge getting people interested, but I’ve had the pleasure of knowing that people on multiple continents have dropped in on my blog. Australia, India, UK, Philippines. How cool is that? It just blows my little heart that people are interested in what I have to say.

What book that you’ve featured on your blog has meant the most to you or had the strongest effect on you, and why?

When one reads books about Jews, one can never escape the specter of the Holocaust. Three Minutes in Poland has had the most profound effect on me and my readers’ reactions to it have reassured me that I was on the right path with this blog and its purpose. I wouldn’t want to turn this particular answer into yet another discussion of the book (ok, I actually would but I don’t think we have time for that so here is a link to the review instead.) But let it suffice that reading about Glenn Kurtz’s doggedly determined search of the people featured in his grandfather’s film shows to me how relevant history still is. They always say “Never Forget” and yet, we are human so we do. Books like Three Minutes serve as more than a testament to the dead, they are reminders of our relevance as a people and how extremely important it is for people to continue to be educated about what could be. One should never ever stop learning.

Tell us about your reading habits – what do you read for fun?

FYI, I do not just read Jewish-themed books. I’d probably lose my mind a bit if that were the case. I’ve been trying to read a non-blog book while reading something for the blog. I have been known to indulge in chick lit though I have my standards. I am a big fan of Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner.

What’s your favorite reading spot?

I like to read in bed the most but I have been blessed with the ability and desire to read just about anywhere. In a passenger seat of a moving car, standing on a packed commuter train, walking through a hallway at work, occasionally in the bathroom…..

Do you have any requirements for when you’re reading (music, location, no talking, etc.)?

If I am really focused on a book, I can’t handle much noise. Music generally isn’t a good idea though I can handle talking around me as long as no one is expecting me to fully pay attention to the conversation. I’ve been known as a child to read in the presence of classmates while ignoring them completely.

Besides the books you feature on your blog, what’s your favorite book from the last 12 months?

I’ve really fallen in love with Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. I think I wolfed down all 8 books in less than three months.

LOL. “Wolfed” down. Oh, that’s awesome…

What book do you find yourself recommending most often?

Other than Three Minutes in Poland? You might think I am a bit of a weirdo, but Great Mortality by John Kelly was fantastic. It’s the history of the European Black Death aka the Black Plague that took out millions in the late 1340s and beyond. I am also a huge fan of Mary Roach’s work, especially Bonk. Anything by Lisa See and Jim Butcher. Hands down.

Any books you regret reading?

I haven’t thought much of Jane Green’s and Sophie Kinsella’s last -oh I don’t know- 3 books each? Either I grew up or their story telling ability just went out the window.

What are your hopes and dreams for Jewish Books Are Awesome?

I hope people keep reading and enjoying my musings. Now is not the easiest time to be a Jew and I want to continue conveying to people how fascinating my people and our stories are. We are the People of the Book (Shout out to Geraldine Brooks!) and it’s only appropriate that through books I can share our history and culture.

Anything else curious readers should know?

I can read in two and a half languages! I am also a pretty bad-ass embroiderer and a halfway decent crocheter.

Thank you, Eugenia!

Don’t forget to check out her reviews and musings at Jewish Books Are Awesome!

Did you enjoy this post? I did! I plan to continue shining a spotlight on the readers and writers in my life, whenever inspiration strikes (and I can find willing victims). If you have suggestions for future spotlight posts, please let me know! And I’d really love it if you’d leave a comment or two on my chat with Eugenia. Thanks!