Feb 17

14

Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan: Giveaway

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on February 14, 2017
Posted in My Past Giveaways | Tagged With: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan | 7 Comments

Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan

Thanks to Claire Leaden of St. Martin’s Press, I am giving away one print copy of Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan.

Description of Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan

At four hundred pounds, Billy Brennan can always count on food. From his earliest memories, he has loved food’s colors, textures and tastes. The way flavors go off in his mouth. How food keeps his mind still and his bad feelings quiet. Food has always made everything better, until the day Billy’s beloved son Michael takes his own life.

Billy determines to make a difference in Michael’s memory and undertakes a public weight-loss campaign, to raise money for suicide prevention—his first step in an ambitious plan to save himself, and to save others. However, Billy’s dramatic crusade appalls his family, who want to simply try to go on.

Despite his crushing detractors, Billy gains welcome allies: his community-at-large; a co-worker who lost his father to suicide; a filmmaker with his own dubious agenda; and a secret, miniature kingdom that Billy populates with the sub-quality dolls and soldiers he rescues from disposal at the local toy factory where he works. But it is only if Billy can confront the truth of his pain, suffering, and the brokenness around him, that he and others will be able to realize the full rescue and change they need.

Set in rural, contemporary Ireland, The Weight of Him is an unforgettable, big-hearted novel about loss and reliance that moves from tragedy to recrimination to what can be achieved when we take the stand of our lives.

Praise for Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan

“Rohan [is] one of those rare, courageous writers who dare to take on the ‘ordinary’ and show just how extraordinary it really is.”—John Banville, Man Booker prize winning author of The Sea

“Poignant and inspiring…When you’re finished, you’ll want to go for a long, grateful walk.”—Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child

“Involving, terrifying and ultimately quite beautiful.”—Tom Barbash, author of Stay Up With Me

About Ethel Rohan

Ethel Rohan is the author of two story collections, Goodnight Nobody and Cut Through the Bone, the former longlisted for The Edge Hill Prize and the latter longlisted for The Story Prize. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, World Literature Today, GUERNICA Magazine, Tin House Online,The Rumpus, and many more. Born and raised in Ireland, she lives in San Francisco.

Giveaway of Weight Of Him by Ethel Rohan

This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on March 3, 2017 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jan 17

7

Infinite by Nicholas Mainier: Review

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on January 7, 2017
Posted in Books Read in 2016 | Tagged With: Coming of Age, Infinite by Nicholas Mainier, Literary Fiction | 6 Comments

Infinite by Nicholas Mainier

When I heard about this book at a webinar with Harper Collins, I knew I had to read it. I have read a couple other Katrina and post-Katrina New Orleans books that I have really enjoyed. Plus, Infinite also deals with the illegal immigrant issue, a bit, as well as the drug war and violence in Mexico. Though ‘The Infinite’ is fiction, these are all topics I have interest in so it seemed like it would be a good fit.

After Hurricane Katrina, teenagers, Luz and Jonah are romantically involved. They both come from broken families and come to depend on each other for comfort and respite from their problems. Jonah has virtually no family left and basically has to fend for himself while Luz, who snuck into the U.S. with her father, only has him to look after her. It is clear that her father loves her but is also struggling to care for her. He has to line up early in the morning at the hardware store, in hopes of getting work, as an un-documented worker.

When Luz becomes pregnant, Jonah tells her that he lov3es her and will quit high school and join the army to support them. However, Luz’s father sends her to live with her grandmother in Mexico instead. This is when the book really heats up. Stuff happens on her journey to her grandmother’s. Stuff that no one should have to deal with or experience!

When Jonah doesn’t hear from Luz, he decides to drive to Mexico. Little does he know that Luz is struggling to save herself and the life of her unborn child!

I had a really hard time getting into this book. It took about 100 pages for it to finally grab me. No, I don’t usually need a lot of action and violence to get into a book, but I did with this book. Once Luz started her journey into Mexico, I really started to warm up to ‘The Infinite’ and I enjoyed it the rest of the way through. I certainly am glad I read it and can recommend it. I will defiantly check out more books by Nicholas Mainier.

I received the ebook version via Edelweiss for my honest review.

4/5 Stars

About Nicholas Mainier

Nicholas Mainieri’s debut novel is The Infinite, published in 2016.

Born in Miami, Florida, in 1983, Nicholas has also lived in Colorado and Indiana. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, he earned his MFA from the University of New Orleans.

His short stories have appeared in the Southern Review, the Southern Humanities Review, and Salamander, among other literary magazines. He currently teaches writing and literature at Nicholls State University, located in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.

He resides in New Orleans with his wife and son.

Oct 16

28

Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne: Giveaway

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on October 28, 2016
Posted in My Past Giveaways | Tagged With: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne | 6 Comments

Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne

Thanks to Courtney Brach of Simon & Schuster, Inc., I am giving away two print copies of The Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne.

Description of Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne

Inspired by the Greek myth of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon’s turbulent relationship, Dunne turns the classic myth into a passionate and tragic tale of modern revenge set against political unrest.

THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED is set in 1960s through the 1980s, sweeping across the lush European backdrops of Spain, Greece, and Ireland. For fans of Elena Ferrante’s unflinching portrayal of female personhood, the novel weaves together intricate revenge plots crafted by two wronged women—both of whom are part-victim, partvillain—to explore the themes of motherhood, power, and failed relationships. As the women’s schemes begin to unravel, shockwaves are sent through their families, echoing for many generations to come.

Dublin. Calista is young, beautiful, and headstrong. When she falls in love with the charming, older Alexandros and moves to his native Cyprus, she could never imagine that her whirlwind courtship would lead to a dark and violent marriage. With two young children dependent on her, Calista learns to survive Alexandros’s abusive ways. She knows she will find peace when she can finally seek retribution.

Madrid. Pilar Domínguez grew up in rural Spain and has finally escaped to a new life, and she is determined to leave poverty behind her. As Pilar plunges into a life of work and saving money, she becomes enchanted by an older man and revels in their romance, her freedom, and her accruing wealth and success. She’s on the road to realizing her ambitions . . . but is suddenly abandoned by her lover. Now alone, there is one thing that Pilar is searching for, and it’s the one thing she knows will make her truly happy.

Praise for Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne

“Lived-in, hard-earned feminism swirled with a noir tone and dark turns makes for a great read.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Both women are nuanced, sympathetic characters whose lives and loves are well developed throughout this darkly compelling story.” —Publishers Weekly

“In this page-turner that’s both poignant and satisfying, Dunne knows how to write the woman scorned, betrayed, and eventually reborn.” —Booklist

About Catherine Dunne

CATHERINE DUNNE is the author of nine previous novels including The Things We Know Now, which won the 700th anniversary Giovanni Boccaccio International Prize for Fiction in 2013. She was recently long-listed for the inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction Award in 2015. Her work has been translated into several languages. She lives in Dublin.

Giveaway of Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne

This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ends on November 11, 2016 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.