Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Mar 13

4

Review & Giveaway: Appearances and Other Short stories by Margo Krasne

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on March 4, 2013
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2013 • My Past Giveaways  | 6 Comments

Book Description:


Publisher: Wasteland Press, October 23, 2012
Category: Fiction- Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Relationships
Available in: Print & Ebook, 160 pages

In this debut collection, Krasne wields insightful irony and cathartic black humor to illuminate her themes of loss, yearning and survival, bringing to it a biting female perspective. An adept stylist with an ear for dialogue and an eye for personal foibles, Krasne cleverly captures the distinct voices of her characters as they strive to negotiate the subtle and not-so-subtle minefields of family obligation and personal conflict. She has a knack for getting inside her characters’ heads as they strive to keep up appearances. Readers will most surely recognize themselves, their friends and family members in all of these beautifully rendered stories.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book!  Most of the stories are linked so they read like a novella. Part of the reason I loved it so much is that I could personally relate to some of the characters in the linked stories.  They were about a Jewish family,  The Wallachs, living in New York.  I lived in a Jewish family in Minneapolis, often referred to as the “Mini Apple”.  Some of the things the parents would say to their youngest daughter, Alice, my parents said to me. Alice is the narrator, so we see the family dynamics through her eyes.

Another reason I loved Appearances is for the poetic prose of Margo Krasne.  The characters leap off the page and invite you in.  It felt like I was Alice while I was reading.  She wanted to be heard and I heard her loud and clear. It was like riding an emotional rollercoaster. There is also a lot of black humor.  All of the stories are stories that will stay with me.  You don’t have to be from a Jewish family to appreciate Appearances and Other Short Stories  I highly recommend this book to those who love literary fiction and family sagas.  It is a true gem!

5/5

About Margo Krasne:

Margo Krasne, born and raised in Manhattan, has always led two lives. As a radio advertising producer, she sculpted; as a sculptor, she was an extra in commercials, and for the past 24 years, as a communications coach and author of Say it with Confidence, she writes fiction whenever possible.

Thanks to Margo, other tour hosts and myself are giving away one print copy of the book.  Sorry, this giveaway is open to the U.S. Only and ends on March 27, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour:


So Many Precious Books Mar 4 Review & Giveaway
Love at First Book Mar 5 Review
Love at First Book Mar 6 Interview & Giveaway
Walk on Words Mar 7 Review
Walk on Words Mar 8 Interview & Giveaway
West Metro Mommy Mar 11 Review & Giveaway
She Treads Softly Mar 12 Review
Stephanie’s Book Shelf Mar 12 Review
Raging Bibliomanania Mar 13 Review
Sweeps for Bloggers Mar 15 Review & Giveaway
Reading for Sanity Mar 18 Review
Lost in Books  Mar 19 Interview & Giveaway
Saving for 6 Mar 20 Review & Giveaway
Joy Story Mar 21 Review
In This World of Books Mar 22 Review & Giveaway
Bookworm Brandee Mar 25 Review
Bookworm Brandee Mar 26 Interview & Giveaway

Buy Appearances and Other Short Stories at:

Tweet

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Feb 13

25

Review: Before You Say I Do by Benjamin Berkley

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on February 25, 2013
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2013 • Non-Fiction  | 3 Comments

Book Description:

Publisher: Frederick Fell Trade (September 15, 2009
Category: Non-Fiction, Self-Help (Legal)
Available in: Print, 240 pages

Learning from the mistakes of a failed first marriage and telling yourself you will do better the next time around is like saying if you lose a football game you’ll win the next one.  You will but only if you learn some new plays before you go back on the field.  Presented   by an attorney who has seen all the warning signs, “BEFORE YOU SAY I DO, AGAIN!” will teach those new plays to avoid coming up on the losing side again.

Note, book shelves are filled with warm and fuzzy titles authored by psychologists and family counselors.  Their message is to teach how to listen to each other and improve the relationship.  “BEFORE YOU SAY I DO, AGAIN!”is not a how to book to get back together or to stay together.  Instead it takes the gloves off and provides insight as to the issues one must consider before walking down the aisle a second time.  Tackling a serious subject, but presented in a sometimes whimsical fashion, “BEFORE YOU SAY I DO, AGAIN!” puts the brakes on the wedding ceremony and provides the reader with the questions that must be answered before she drives down the path of destruction.

In addition,   it provides information regarding the legal consequences of a failed second marriage. “BEFORE YOU SAY I DO, AGAIN!” is a “tell it is like it is guide”   to avoid an impending disaster.

My Thoughts:

Boy do I wish this book would have been around when I was younger.  I was only 19 when I got married and it was for all the wrong reasons.  I was very shy at the time and lacked self confidence.  That was a recipe for disaster for me.  The guy I married ended up being very abusive.

My parents and siblings knew something was wrong and when one of my older brother’s came to town for a visit, he got it out of me.  With my family’s support, I got out of it. I had to quit my job because he kept showing up there but that ended up being a good thing.  I decided to go back to university and little by little my confidence grew.  I was finally living totally in my own apartment, something I never thought I could.  Eventually I even moved to a Canada from the U,S. for a great job.

The thing is, I believe that if I hadn’t gone through that horrible experience, I wouldn’t be who I am today.  I’ve been here in Canada for over 20 years now.  16 years ago I married a Canadian.  I was never going to marry again.  I found my independence and no one was going to take that away from me.  However, I did agree to lived with Bill and a year later agreed to marry him.  We did some relationship workshops together, which really help.  Today, he is still the love of my life.

What I didn’t know then is that I was following some of the advice of Before You Say I do Again by Benjamin Berkley.  Believe me, it is sound, no nonsense advice that anyone can follow.  Though the book is directed at women, men can certainly benefit from it too. I also recommend it for people thinking about getting married for the first time.  In fact, I think it should be required reading!

I highly recommend Before You Say I Do Again by Benjami Berkley!  In fact,  today is the last day of my giveaway to win a copy for yourself.  Go enter the giveaway, here.

About Benjamin Berkley:

Benjamin Berkley is the author of four self-help books:  ”My Wishes, Your Plan for Organizing Your Family’s Needs” (Sourcebooks, June, 2006)   “The Complete Executor’s Guide” (Sourcebooks, June 2007)   “Winning Your Social Security Disability Case” (Sourcebooks, February, 2008) and “Before You Say I Do Again, A Buyer’s Beware Guide to Remarriage.” (Frederick Fell Publishers, September, 2009). “Against My Will” (Fell Publishers, September, 2012) is Benjamin Berkley’s fifth book and debut novel.

And though writing is his passion, for over 34 years he has conducted a busy law practice in which he has seen many interesting clients come through his door.  One in particular, an older woman with white hair, the kindest smile, and an amazing story became the inspiration for one of his characters for “Against My Will.”   Berkley lives in southern California with his wife Phyllis and their cat Riley.   He has two grown children and is always bragging about his most beautiful grandson and granddaughter.

Buy Before You Say I Do, Again at:

Tweet

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Feb 13

7

Review: The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on February 7, 2013
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2013  | 4 Comments

Book Description:


Publisher : Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, October 1, 2012
Category:  Grades 5 & up/YA Crossover
Tour Dates: February, 2013
Available in: Print and Kindle, 320 pages


Like thousands of other children in post-Soviet Russian, five-year-old Mishka finds himself trying to survive on the streets of Moscow after his mother disappears and he has no home. Help comes from an unlikely source: a pack a feral street dogs! For two years, Mishka and the dogs protect and love each other, becoming a family in every sense of the word. When Mishka has the chance to rejoin the world of humans, will he want to? Inspired by a true story!


My Thoughts:


OMG, I loved this book so much!  Let me count the ways.  First, Bobbie Pyron can spin a true story into fiction and turn into a compelling, gripping, heartfelt read.  Second, the characters including the dogs leaped of the page.  I felts like I was the little boy, Ivan while I read. Third, I was not able to put it down!  I was up until 2:30 AM because I had to read the entire book in one sitting, it was that amazing!


I read The Dogs of Winter weeks ago and I cannot get it out of my head.  It even visits me in my dreams.  It is written for as a children\YA crossover but I found it as a crossover to adults as well.  I’m 49 years old and don’t read many children’s books and I loved it. 


I highly recommend this book!  Please watch for my interview with Bobbie Pyron and for your chance to win this book tomorrow!


5/5


I received this book for my honest review.
  

About Bobbie Pyron:


Bobbie was born in Hollywood, Florida and spent her growing up years up in the panhandle, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and dreaming of being a mermaid.  She has degrees in Psychology and Anthropology, and a Masters degree in Library Science, and has worked as a librarian for over twenty-five years.


Her first book, a novel for teens titled The Ring (WestSide Books), was published in October of 2009. Her second book, A Dog’s Way Home (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books), was published to starred reviews in March of 2011. The Dog Writers Association of America recently awarded Bobbie the Maxwell Medal of Excellence and the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award.  It was also named a Banks Street Best Books of the Year.


Her new book, The Dogs of Winter (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic), came out October of 2012. The Dogs of Winter is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Kirkus Best 100 Children’s Books of the Year. Bobbie lives in Park City, Utah with her husband, three dogs, and two cats.

Tweet

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

« Previous Page — Next Page »