Throwback Thursday Review: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Title: Charlotte's Web

Author: E.B. White
Illustrator: Garth Williams

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2014

Publisher: Puffin Classics

Genre: Children's, Classics

Pages: 184

ISBN13: 9780141354828
Awards: Newbery Honor (1953), George C. Stone Center for Children's Books Recognition of Merit Award (1970), Massachusetts Children's Book Award (1984), Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (1970)

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Some Pig

The tale of how a little girl named Fern, with the help of a friendly spider, saved her pig Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat little pigs.

(From Puffin Books)

An affectionate pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, White reminds readers to open their eyes to the wonder and miracle found in the simplest of things.

  

Elwyn Brooks White was a leading American essayist, author, humorist, poet and literary stylist and author of such beloved children's classics as Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and, five or six years later, joined the staff of The New Yorker magazine. He authored over seventeen books of prose and poetry and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1973. 

White always said that he found writing difficult and bad for one's disposition.

Mr. White has won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, which commended him for making “a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

Puffin: Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube 

     Puffin Books is releasing a series of 20 classics with new covers and extra goodies inside. The one I've had the opportunity to review for today is none other than the beloved tale of Charlotte's Web. Now I'll be honest, I've developed a slight fear of spiders since I was a kid, but a huge part of me still loves our eight-legged heroine from childhood.

In this book, you will find pages and pages enriched with the original illustrations by Garth Williams. Does that name sound familiar? If so, its probably because he is also the illustrator of a few other books you may have grown up reading, such as Stuart Little and Little House on the Prairie. With this edition, you have the joy of reliving the intricate sketches and designs from Charlotte's Web.

Puffin Books has added some neat features to this version: background information on the illustrator and author, including what inspired E.B. White to write Charlotte's Web, definitions of the words used to describe Wilbur in the web, and a quiz at the end adding an educational experience for the reader.

The galley I received wasn't quite formatted well for my kindle, so everything was a bit jumbled. I'm sure the final product is user-friendly, but mine, unfortunately, was not. However, all the things that I was able to pick out from the galley are all great things that enhance the reader's interaction with the story.

I'm really looking forward to the next set of books that Puffin will be putting out in this collection. The covers are definitely something to note as well. They've really amplified the illustrations we associate with childhood, making the old seem new again. I can't wait to see the rest!

Review: Stephen Downing is Dead by Dan Goss Anderson

Title: Stephen Downing is Dead

Author: Dan Goss Anderson

Publication Date: June 4th, 2013

Publisher: Peer Publishing

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 282

ISBN: 0989200906

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Fledgling defense attorney Owen Bartlett understands that this murder trial, against a seasoned prosecutor, is way over his head. Having come west to leave his past behind, he planned to build a new life in this wild, open land. But with only a law degree from the Boston YMCA and no courtroom experience, he has been roped into defending a man accused of murder. Now he faces a jury of ranchers, storekeepers, miners--men with little love for Mexicans like Owen's client, Miguel Cordero. If he fails, Miguel will hang. 

Behind Owen is Miguel's wife, Gabby, her future too in Owen's hands. In the rear of the courtroom, the widow Eva Downing listens, her heart in her throat with the secret knowledge that the wrong person has been accused of murdering her husband. She does not yet know, or care, that this young defense attorney from Boston has already fallen for her. STEPHEN DOWNING IS DEAD follows the trajectory of three intertwined lives, each shaped by the killing of Stephen Downing and by the trial of his accused murderer. It's the story of the search for a redemption that seems always just out of reach, a tale of cowardice, ambition, and real love at the dawn of the modern American west.

  

Dan Goss Anderson grew up mostly in the desert southwest. After a stint in the military, he worked as a janitor, factory worker, and landscaper, until finally returning to school to study creative writing. 

He completed a Master of Fine Arts in fiction writing at the University of Arizona, and went on to teaching college writing courses and freelancing for various magazines. In his forties, he once again returned to school, this time to study law, and became a public defender. 

He now lives in southern Arizona, where he divides his time between fiction writing and the practice of law.

Website | Facebook | Blog

      With a title like Stephen Downing is Dead, expectations are automatically set high for Dan Goss Anderson's new novel. Based in Tuscon at the turn of the 20th century, Owen Bartlett is an inexperienced defense attorney who has taken on a case that is too big for him to chew. To make matters worse, the prosecutor has some time under his belt. It is possible they have the wrong man. Tie a three-strand cord of lives together, and you've got Stephen Downing is Dead.

     If his readers weren't already hooked by the mysterious title, Anderson grabs a second hold of their attention with the opening line, "Life changes in a moment."He then proceeds to leave the reader in the dark while describing a situation that we definitely would like some answers to! This is a historical mystery novel that will keep you turning pages and asking questions until the very end. Anderson has a sophisticated way of writing that is enjoyable and intriguing. This is one of those books that could easily be made into a movie. That's what it felt like reading it, like watching the story unfold on a filmstrip in front of me.

     The characters are interesting enough to where even the minor characters seem to play a major role, and the author is very detailed. Not in an overly-fluffed, overcompensating kind of way, but tastefully and effectively. May it be noted that the author communicates to the reader that he had every intention of being as historically accurate as possible, but also intended to provide the reader with maximum comprehension. This is something I can definitely appreciate from the author. Having a sense of purism without compromising efficacy is an admirable quality for an author to possess. 

     If you're looking for a mystery that is easy to read but still carries  rounded content, then this is the book for you.

Review: The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

Title: The House We Grew Up In

Author: Lisa Jewell

Publication Date: August 12th, 2014

Publisher: Atria Books

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 400

ISBN13: 978-1476702995

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Meet the Bird family. They live in a honey-colored house in a picture-perfect Cotswolds village, with rambling, unkempt gardens stretching beyond. Pragmatic Meg, dreamy Beth, and tow-headed twins Rory and Rhys all attend the village school and eat home-cooked meals together every night. Their father is a sweet gangly man named Colin, who still looks like a teenager with floppy hair and owlish, round-framed glasses. Their mother is a beautiful hippy named Lorelei, who exists entirely in the moment. And she makes every moment sparkle in her children's lives.

Then one Easter weekend, tragedy comes to call. The event is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear the family apart. Years pass as the children become adults, find new relationships, and develop their own separate lives. Soon it seems as though they've never been a family at all. But then something happens that calls them back to the house they grew up in -- and to what really happened that Easter weekend so many years ago.

Told in gorgeous, insightful prose that delves deeply into the hearts and minds of its characters, The House We Grew Up In is the captivating story of one family's desire to restore long-forgotten peace and to unearth the many secrets hidden within the nooks and crannies of home.

  

Lisa Jewell (born 19th July 1968, Middlesex, London) is a popular British author of chick lit fiction. Her books include Ralph's Party, Thirtynothing and most recently 31 Dream Street. She lives in Swiss Cottage, London with her husband Jascha and daughters Amelie Mae (born 2003) and Evie Scarlett (born 2007).

Website | Twitter | Facebook

      There is something to be said about an author who can take a story reflecting the simplicities of every day tradition and the dysfunction of varying family dynamics and materialize it into a novel that captures your attention. The Bird family could easily be any family. Throughout the book, I found myself associating the characters with either myself or people that I know. Lisa Jewell is one of those gifted writers that can take the reality of life's messiness and turn it into a masterpiece. This is my first impression of Jewell, and I was not disappointed.

In The House We Grew Up In, we follow the Bird family, past and present, through their struggles and interactions as a family unit. Jewell does well to cover all four corners of the family dynamic with the cynicism of Megan, the traditional (and slightly insane) Lorelei, the lovely Bethan, and the troubled Rhys. We spend several Easters with the family, watching tradition dwindle as everyone grows older and separates into their own. One fateful year, everything changes when tragedy strikes the household. We journey with the family as they overcome shock, bitterness, confusion, and regret. 

This is such a good story I just couldn't put it down. It's one of those books that really makes you feel and connect to it. It is a masterful work of fiction, and I would recommend it to anyone in search for a heart-tugging journey that will leave a lasting impression on your soul.

Review: Bury Me With My Pearls (Humor with a Spiritual Twist) by Jane Jenkins Herlong

Title: Bury Me With My Pearls (Humor with a Spiritual Twist)

Author: Jane Jenkins Herlong

Publication Date: November 12th, 2013

Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

Genre: Memoir, Motivational

Pages: 155

ISBN13: 978-1938499333

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Bury Me with My Pearls is a real-life, roller-coaster ride of laughter, tears, and stomach-churning truths by a professional speaker, humorist, and singer who, as Miss South Carolina, represented her state in the Miss America pageant and has been singing, speaking, and writing ever since. Incorporating the analogy of pearls, this book uses humor and spiritual principles to bravely address difficult issues many in her audiences encounter within changing roles, self-actualization, and families.

Bury Me with My Pearls addresses the importance of how to guard the countless gifts given by our Lord and that doing the right thing is the right thing, regardless of our feelings or circumstances. It is about trusting God in all things and how he can turn our irritants into to pearls. Bury Me with My Pearls encourages us to develop our pearls, protect our jewels, carefully wear them next to our hearts, and share with others. All of this with a good splash of humor.

Explore how to walk in love while pruning the family tree in an environment filled with difficult people and how God's power is released when learning to trust Him, to embrace the lessons being taught, and to grow spiritually no matter how painful. Like the process of the pearl, so many women need to find and embrace their buried treasures.

  

Jane entertains using funny, original Southern stories, folksy wisdom and singing to help folks live more productive, stress-free lives. Jane believes in the extraordinary healing power of humor and story telling.  This is evident in Jane’s most recent accomplishment of being an Amazon “Best-Seller” for her new book, “Bury Me with My Pearls.”

As a Southern Humorist, Jane combines humor, original Southern stories, and her award-winning singing (you may hear a parody or two) with life lessons. Combining her talents audiences “laugh at” while learning “how to” handle difficulties at home and in the workplace.

Jane is a Certified Professional Speaking (CSP), professional singer, recording artist and published author. Jane’s award-winning singing and humor is featured on Sirius XM Radio and Pandora. She criss‐crosses the country sharing her “down‐home principles delivered with uptown humor”. Jane has also spoken in New Zealand and Germany and is fluent in four languages: English, Southern, Northern and Gullah (gul‐la).

Jane is active in her church and community and serves on an the Parent Board at Clemson University, Commissioner at Piedmont Technical College of South Carolina, Chair of the National Speakers Association Scholarship Committee and serves on the Foundation Board of the National Speakers Association.

However, Jane’s proudest accomplishments are being a wife and mother. Jane and her family live on the family peach  farm in Edgefield County, South Carolina.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

      Jane Jenkins Herlong is a bona fide pearl to add to your strand of inspiration. Very much like Melanie Shankle and Mandy Hale, Herlong brings humor and wit to the scene, even in the most desperate situations. If you're in need of a little perspective, then this book is for you. The book opens up with Herlong's "Mothers of Pearl" where the reader is introduced to the ones who inspired the author throughout her life, planting seeds that grew into [spiritual] fruit that determined several situations in her life.

It doesn't take long to get to know Herlong in Bury Me With My Pearls. She is very open, candid, and has no fear of becoming acquainted with her reader. She takes us through several situations throughout her book of stories about not just her, but of people in her life that added to her strand of pearls. Each story is unique, and comes with its own set of problems and out-of-ordinary solutions that will have you laughing and crying along with them. You will take quite the joy ride through this book, and hopefully you will be left encouraged and inspired as well.

The format of the book is easy to read and easily organized to fit a busy schedule. Each segment is broken up into chapters and subchapters that are short and sweet, but rich in impact. There are only 8 chapters in this book. You will also find plenty of resources in the back to hook you up with more of Herlong's ministry.

The only thing that was missing from my galley was an author bio. It's possible that it's included in the hard copy of the book, but I didn't have access to it at the time. However, I wanted to learn more about the author and was unable to. 

Definitely, if you need a laugh, some encouragement, and a dose of inspiration (so basically, if you are a breathing human being with a soul), then you need to pick up this book. You won't regret it!

Review: The Butterfly and the Violin (A Hidden Masterpiece Novel #1) by Kristy Cambron

Title: The Butterfly and the Violin
Series: A Hidden Masterpiece Novel #1

Author: Kristy Cambron

Publication Date: July 8th, 2014

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 329

ISBN: 1401690599

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating:

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz--and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

  

Kristy's been fascinated with the WWII Era since hearing her grandfather’s stories of his experiences as a B-17 co-pilot in the war. She writes WWII and Regency Era historical Christian fiction titles. THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN, Book One in the 'A Hidden Masterpiece' series on the prisoner camp art of Auschwitz, will release from Thomas Nelson Publishers in July, 2014.

She's a proud Hoosier, living in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good Christian fiction read. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

     Can I just say WOW? This book turned out to be infinitely more than I expected it to be. Kristy Cambron has emerged into the scene with a masterful work of art that will pull the reader into the worlds of Adele and Sera. This is one of those books that hooks you, and it keeps you there even after you turn the last page. 

Cambron gracefully alternated the reader between two worlds: present day and the dark days of the Holocaust. She incorporates the facets of art in both forms of music and paintings. In addition, the author is not shy to show us a glimpse of the monstrosities of the Holocaust and the affects of it. Although I have not experienced anything remotely close to what the characters did, I still felt connected to the story as though I was living and experiencing everything vicariously through them.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a historical thriller that will engross you in its every corner and leave a lasting impression on your soul. This will definitely be added to my personal collection.

Throwback Thursday: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Title: David Copperfield

Author: Charles Dickens

Publication Date: Published in monthly parts May 1849-November 1850

Publisher: Bradbury & Evans

Genre: Classic

Pages: 1,024

ISBN13: 978-0140439441

Source: Personal Library
Rating:

Synopsis (from Penguin):

David Copperfield is the story of a young man’s adventures on his journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. 

Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters he encounters are his tyrannical stepfather, Mr. Murdstone; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora; and the magnificently impecunious Micawber, one of literature’s great comic creations. 

In David Copperfield—the novel he described as his “favorite child”—Dickens drew revealingly on his own experiences to create one of his most exuberant and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure.

  

Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, the son of a clerk at the Navy Pay Office. His father, John Dickens, continually living beyond his means, was imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea in 1824. 12-year-old Charles was removed from school and sent to work at a boot-blacking factory, 12-year-old Charles was removed from school and sent to work at a boot-blacking factory earning six shillings a week to help support the family. earning six shillings a week to help support the family. This dark experience cast a shadow over the clever, sensitive boy that became a defining experience in his life, he would later write that he wondered "how I could have been so easily cast away at such an age.”

This childhood poverty and feelings of abandonment, although unknown to his readers until after his death, would be a heavy influence on Dickens' later views on social reform and the world he would create through his fiction.

Dickens would go on to write 15 major novels and countless short stories and articles before his death on June 9, 1870. He wished to be buried, without fanfare, in a small cemetery in Rochester, but the Nation would not allow it. He was laid to rest in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, the flowers from thousands of mourners overflowing the open grave. Among the more beautiful bouquets were many simple clusters of wildflowers, wrapped in rags.

DP's Charles Dickens Page |  Dickens Museum

      Published in 1850, David Copperfield has often been considered Charles Dickens’s best novel and his most autobiographical.  Readers familiar with Charles Dickens’s biography will see many similarities between Dickens and Copperfield, such as being taken out of school at a young age to do labor or sharing the profession of court reporter and author. This novel is rather long – over 700 pages – and I would guess that many individuals have foregone giving it a go because of its intimidating appearance. To those individuals and to those who simply have not considered reading it, this review is for you.

The novel follows its namesake from literal birth (the first chapter is “I am Born”) through adulthood, in what most Victorian scholars would call a “bildungsroman” – which is a fancy term for a coming-of-age story. Readers will see David as he struggles with death, poverty, and the everyday struggles of life and come out of those struggles successful and content. This summary in itself cannot do the novel justice because of its simplicity. As in reality, it is not the parameters of birth and death that define “life” – it is the many moments in between that make life so much more than mere “existence.” Within David Copperfield,  the many joyful, sorrowful, or lovely moments that occur within the main character’s life make the novel worth reading again and again. 

I would not go so far as to claim that David Copperfield is the best novel that Dickens has written because I have not yet read them all! However, I think that any Dickens fan should read it because of the autobiographical potential. There are raw moments within the text that belie genuine emotion and might make even the driest eyes teary. The vivid imagery, endearing catchphrases, and unforgettable characters – anticipated with any Dickens novel – abound in David Copperfield. You will fall in love with the characters and situations that Dickens masterfully paints. 

This book is safe for the whole family. There are no embarrassing moments or vulgar language. The only problem I would foresee for readers is confusion at the changes in social response. For instance, part of the novel deals with what Victorians called “fallen women” – or women who ran away with men before marriage. The climate was not very forgiving in that time, and this may  have to be explained to young adults or children. However, despite social expectations during that time period, one of the most inspiring moments in the novel occurs when the relative of one “fallen” girl chooses to search the world to redeem her rather than forsake her for her mistake. Again, these situations are not given any graphic or lingering attention, so there should be no blushes at the dinner table.

For any avid readers out there who want to pick up and devour David Copperfield because of the description but shy away at its massive bulk, you might try reading as the Victorian reader would. David Copperfield was originally printed serially – in small, manageable chunks. Try reading three chapters of the novel at a time; soon you won’t be able to keep setting it down.

Mary Anna