From The Review Pile (4) / Throwback Thursday

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday. The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review. (or any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I am showcasing All He Saw Was The Girl by Peter Leonard. I received it in April for a book tour by Partner in Crime Tours

Book Blurb:

Rome:

McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.

Detroit:

Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.

Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, All He Saw Was The Girl sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.

I have read  Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard and really liked it. Going by that I think, All He Saw Was The Girl  is going to be good novel too.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61188-042-7  *  E-book ISBN: 978-1-61188-043-4

Publication Date: May 15, 2012  *  290 pages

Trade Paperback Price: $16.95  *  E-book price: $3.99

Buy the book at: Amazon  *  Barnes & Noble  *  Apple  *  Chapters/Indigo *Kobo * Sony * Your local bookstore

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Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!

It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

Here I am showcasing a forgotten writer.  His has 60 novels to his credit. His novels are now collecters' item! I own 5 and feel so good.

George Warwick Deeping (1877–1950) was one prolific English novelist and short story writer. His most famous novel is Sorrell and Son (1925). He was born in Essex into a family of doctors. He studied in Trinity College and finished his medical studies at the Middleton Hospital. After attaining success as a writer, Deeping gave up his job as a doctor and become a full-time writer. He wrote Historical Romances in his initial years of writing.

Deeping was a master storyteller. His words hold interest. He could get into the heart of matter. He seems to have been forgotten as of now. He is one author who needs to be re-discovered. His works need to be widely read.

Many of his works can be found for free in Read Any Book. Do check him out!!

Booking through DIY

If you could write a book, what would it be about, and why?

I am a poet and I would love to publish my work someday. I have written more than 1700 poems. My poems cover almost everything under the sun. One more thing I must mention, I want to write a verse novel someday. About what? I don't know as yet! If anyone is interested read my poetry, please visit my poetry blog, rooted. I am posting two of my poems here-

Strings

I offer that sacred bowl
to the goddess
I let the rituals take over my senses
I might not understand its significance
yet I cut fruits into strings
I do not wish demons to visit
to taste the elaborated food
I never did comprehend their intentions
or the way they followed the flags of peace
only to cause devastation

demons are indigenous, 
goddess is usurper;
reaching the summit, only to fall
let us drink from that bowl
before we sell our very soul

Top Ten Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope People Are Still Reading In 30 Years

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, we get a theme to list our top tens. 

This Week's Pick: Top Ten Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope People Are Still Reading In 30 Years


Here goes:


1) The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini
2) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini
3) Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling
4) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
5) The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson


Well, if you carefully count, I have listed more than ten books!

In the Bag by Kate Kilse

"He was adorable in every shot with his wide-open smile and rumpled hair. I, meanwhile, looked like a girl who wears granny panties and padded bras----which I don't. Not anymore, anyway."

~~~Page 192, In the Bag

Title: In the Bag
Author: Kate Klise
ISBN: 9780062108050
Publisher: William Morrow/2012
Pages: 306

After a long time, I finished a book in one go! I just couldn't put down In The Bag. Two similar bags get wrongly picked by two teenagers and rest, as they say, is history!! Webb and Coco, the two teenagers are frantic about their lost luggage and one of them finds an email id of the other and writes. There is a massive exchange of emails between the two. They feel some sort of pull towards each other. Webb comes to see Coco in Paris, without telling his father Andrew, who is in Madrid for work.

Coco's mother, Daisy leaves for Madrid to help out an old friend, Solange. She is a famous chef. There she meets Andrew and they hit it off! Now Andrew had slipped a note into her bag but she does not know that, thinking it is from some creep and he cannot tell her that it was him. 

Meanwhile, both the kids meet, without telling their parents and although they have a great day, both part somewhat sad, thinking they offended the other. Now Andrew and Daisy decide to meet again in Barcelona, along with their kids. Coco and Webb meet again. They are too shocked to talk to each at first. But soon they are chatting like old friends. And it is time for the parents to have misunderstandings!!

Both have the same flight schedule to Paris and both change that to avoid the other. No guessing. All end up in the same flight. What happens next? Well you gotta read the novel to find out!

The email exchanges are great, the interactions between the kids as well as their parents are witty, quirky and funny. Told in the voices of Coco, Webb, Daisy and Andrew, I liked the pace, the thought process of all four involved. Go for it! Who knows it might answer that big question, are there chance meetings or designed by Universe? Food for thought....

BTW, I learnt a lot about Jimmy Webb.......

Mondays: Mailbox/What Am I reading?/Musings

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books. This month it is hosted by Martha of Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf. 

I received the following poetry books, thanks to the poet, Michael Meyerhofer:

1) Damnatio Memoriae, winner of The Brick Road Poetry Prize

2) Blue Collar Eulogies, finalist for the Grub Street Book Prize

3) Real Courage, winner of the Terminus Magazine and Jeanne Duval Editions Poetry Chapbook Prize

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey 

I am in the midst of reading

Too many books!

I finished reading:

Love Thy Neighbor by Mark Gilleo

Ship Of Dreams by Brenda Hiatt

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? 

Sometimes yes, not always.

Saturday Snapshot: May 26, 2012

Ancient Temple. No one worships here any more.

Rameswaram Temple: One of the "must see"Shiva Temples

Taken during vacations in South India (19-25 March 2012). Both are in Rameswaram.

Posted for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Alyce of At Home With books 

Love Thy Neighbor by Mark Gilleo

Title: Love Thy Neighbor
Author: Mark Gilleo
ISBN: 9781611880342
Publisher: The Story Plant/2012
Pages: 438

 Love Thy Neighbor deals with terrorism, which is a hard reality in the current times. No country is immune from it. It exists all over the world in one form of the other. And the neighbors we think are harmless might turn out out to be terrorists, in guise.

I live in India, our neighboring country is Pakistan. We have had too many terrorist attacks. And those are not going to stop anytime soon. The novel appealed to me as I could connect with it. Terrorist activities might go on right under our nose and we choose to ignore those. We turn a blind eye thinking it is not going to affect us.

Clay Hayden comes home to his mother Maria, who is suffering from Dementia. It is Maria who notices strange men in her neighborhood and calls CIA. No one listens to her initially. FBI follows and also a person from IRS who is looking out for tax discrepancies regarding Maria and her deceased husband. Clay finds himself in the midst of it all.

Not going into much detail, I would say, it scares us. It makes us ponder, if we can prevent terror activities by being vigilant. It does not seem that way here. Based on a true story, this work of fiction makes us question ourselves and our Govt. agencies. (For me it is the Indian Govt.)

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain

"But what about....." I saw Savannah give a little nod in my direction.
"collateral damage, " Roy said a hushed voice, but I didn't miss it.
~~~Page 304

Title: The Good Father
Author: Diane Chamberlain
ISBN:9780778313465
Publisher: Mira/2012
Pages: 368

Travis Brown, at 23 has a 4 year old daughter Bella. He took a decision to raise her all by himself and does it very well. There may be shortage of cash flow but there is no compromise on love. He adores his little girl. Then tragedy strikes. His house gets burnt, his mother dies in the fire while saving Bella and They are left homeless as He loses his construction job too.

Then there is Erin, who has lost her 3 year old daughter and is grieving for her. We also see Robin, Bella's mother, who had a heart problem when Bella was born.

When Travis's job is lost, he comes to Raleigh as he has a good offer. But that is some short of criminal activity and he is not keen to take it. When he finds himself in dire straits, he has no option. He takes it knowing, he might lose Bella forever. He meets Erin a coffee shop and leaves Bella with her without informing Erin.

The Good Father touches us. We see that Travis might lack money but Bella does not lack anything. She is well brought up child. Travis's love for her shines through the entire novel, even when he takes a bad decision.....

Erin heals in the presence of Bella. She falls in love with this little girl and comes n term with her own grief. And Robin. She has had a heart transplant, is hale and hearty now, is engaged to rich and well known person. Yet she thinks of Travis and the girl she gave birth to. She knows what she has been missing.

Told in voices of Travis, Robin and Erin, the story impacts us, hits our guts and we all fall in love with the little girl Bella, not to forget the main three characters. Travis is indeed the good father.  Although the ending was predictable, I loved the book.

Mondays: Mailbox/What Am I reading?/Musings

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books. This month it is hosted by Martha of Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf. 

I received the following, thanks to the authors/publicists:

Perla by Carolina De Robertis: Perla Correa grew up a privileged only child in Buenos Aires, with a cold, polished mother and a straitlaced naval officer father, whose profession she learned early on not to disclose in a country still reeling from the abuses perpetrated by the deposed military dictatorship. Perla understands that her parents were on the wrong side of the conflict, but her love for her papá is unconditional. But when Perla is startled by an uninvited visitor, she begins a journey that will force her to confront the unease she has suppressed all her life, and to make a wrenching decision about who she is, and who she will become.

The Accused by John Grisham: Theo Boone might only be thirteen, but he's already uncovered key evidence in a groundbreaking murder trial and discovered the truth behind his best friend's abduction. Now with the latest unfolding of events in Strattenburg, Theo will face his biggest challenge yet.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey

I am in the midst of reading:
Calico Joe by John Grisham
The Good Daughter by Diane Chamberlain


I finished reading: (Mostly Trash!!)
The Morning After by Sally Clements
The Texan's Bride by Geralyn Dawson
The Marriage Bargain by Sandra Edwards
Shameless by Cheryl Douglas
Intentions of the Earl by Rose Gordon


I plan to read:
Love Thy Neighbor by Mark Gilleo

What do you do with the book before you start reading it?


I read the back cover. That's about
 it!

Saturday Snapshot: May 19, 2012

Taken during vacations in South India (19-25 March 2012), in a spice garden.

Posted for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Alyce of At Home With books 

Mondays: Mailbox/What Are You Reading?/Musings

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books. This month it is hosted by Martha of Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf.

I received two books this past week, thanks to authors/publicists:
1) The Virgin Journals by Travis Laurence Naught: Travis Laurence Naught is a poet who is not willing to trade on tragedy. He is a man of risk, afflicted with ferocious, unrestricted thinking and ruthless questioning, though he has never taken an independent step in his life. Many in his shoes might feel confined by the metal of a wheelchair, but Naught's work conveys a freedom and an audaciousness that will surprise readers with his startling views. The Virgin Journals speak truth through poetry and prose. They tell the reader about Naught's frustrations, from being a quadriplegic to his life of celibacy in his late twenties. In the end, his expectation is for readers to forget physical disabilities and concentrate on that which makes us similar: life, love, and the obstacles we work to overcome.

2) The Islands by Carlos Gamerro: Buenos Aires, 1992. Hacker Felipe Felix is summoned to the vertiginous twin towers of magnate Fausto Tamerlan and charged with finding the witnesses to a very public crime. Rejecting the mission is not an option. After a decade spent immersed in drugs and virtual realities, trying to forget the freezing trench in which he passed the Falklands War, Felix is forced to confront the city around him - and realizes to his shock that the war never really ended. A detective novel, a cyber-thriller, an inner-city road trip and a war memoir, The Islands is a hilarious, devastating and dizzying surreal account of a history that remains all too raw.

Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter or can you stop anywhere?


I can stop anywhere. I don't even use a bookmark. I remember the page number and start reading right away!

Saturday Snapshot: May 12, 2012

With my youngest brother (we don't have many pics together)

My brother and Sister-In-Law

Posted for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Alyce of At Home With books 
me With books

Booking through In or Out

Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert?
I am an extrovert for people I know. I realize that it is an absurd response! I can talk dime a dozen with people I know or those I am close with. But if I see a book lover then I can talk to a complete stranger with no inhibitions.

Mondays: Mailbox/What Are You Reading?/Musings

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books. This month it is hosted by Martha of Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf.

I received four books this past week, thanks to authors/publicists:

1) Flame: The story of my mother Shahnaz Husain by Nelofar Currrimbhoy :


Universally recognized as much for her flaming tresses and her inimitable style as for her stupendous and sustained global entrepreneurial success, Shahnaz Husain is a legend in the world of cosmetology and pioneering Ayurvedic beauty treatments. Starting with a small beauty clinic in the veranda of her home set up with the help of her devoted husband and daughter, Shahnaz Herbals employs over 1800 people today, with exports to sixty countries and a range of over 250 high-selling products.


Born into an aristocratic family, Shahnaz is seen as never before through her childhood, her adolescence and the charmed years of her early married life. In this warm and affectionate biography, shot through with vividly-remembered anecdotes of her vivacious mother’s years of struggle and the close-knit family life they all shared, her daughter, Nelofar Currimbhoy, provides a fascinating insight into the personal and professional life of this remarkable woman.


2) Ninepins by Rosy Thornton: 


Deep in the Cambridgeshire fens, Laura is living alone with her 12-year old daughter Beth, in the old tollhouse known as Ninepins. She's in the habit of renting out the pumphouse, once a fen drainage station, to students, but this year she's been persuaded to take in 17-year-old Willow, a care-leaver with a dubious past, on the recommendation of her social worker, Vince. Is Willow dangerous or just vulnerable? It's possible she was once guilty of arson; her mother's hippy life is gradually revealed as something more sinister; and Beth is in trouble at school and out of it. Laura's carefully ordered world seems to be getting out of control. 


With the tension of a thriller, NINEPINS explores the idea of family, and the volatile and changing relationships between mothers and daughters, in a landscape that is beautiful but - as they all discover - perilous.


3) Cuts Like a Knife by M. K. Gilroy:

Detective Kristen Conner goes undercover to find a serial killer who selects his victims - all successful young professional women - in the most unlikely of places - only to find herself as his next favorite target.

When Leslie Reed is found dead in her fashionable townhome, a red flag goes up in Washington, D.C. The FBI knows an elusive "organized killer" on a decade-long crime spree is at work again.  The problem is the Feds have only one tenuous lead to assist local police in the manhunt ... a most unlikely place the killer likes to find his victims.

Conner is light one her feet and packs a powerful punch - growing up in a cop's home, intense hand-to-hand combat training, and not being able to shoot a handgun straight - all encourage that. Her life is built on faith and family: she coaches her 7-year-old niece's soccer team, the Snowflakes, always shows up hungry for family dinner, and only misses church when she is fighting with her mom and glamorous TV news reporter sister - or relentlessly tracking down a ruthless killer.

4) Hurrah's Nest by Arisa White (Poetry):  A vivid and varied collection that addresses family loyalties, dysfunction, violence, and differences, Hurrah's Nest is White's imaginative and emotionally honest exploration of growing up the second oldest, first daughter of seven siblings. Childhood experiences are looked at with rawness, sensitivity, and crafted with precision: be it the cutting of her dreadlocks, mother's abortion, drug trafficking, or her sister's developmental disability, the language is tender and startling. Hurrah's Nest--from the confusion of our lives--asks us to make meaning and good from what we've bargained and haven't bargained for.


It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey

I am in the midst of reading:

Calico Joe by John Grisham

If you were going to write a book, what would you write about? Would it be fiction, or nonfiction?

I want to write a book on mathematics. Short cut methods in math for easy calculations. I have it my mind and will surely write one soon.

Saturday Snapshot: May 5, 2012

Pepper Tree

Cinnamon and Nutmeg tree

Lemon Grass

Pineaaple tree

Stevia plant

Taken during vacations in South India (19-25 March 2012), in a spice garden.

Posted for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Alyce of At Home With books 
me With books

Booking Through Siblings

Do you have siblings? Do they like to read?

Yes, I have three brothers and all I can say is, they liked to read. I have inherited their collections of Perry Masons, Agatha Christies, Alistair MacLeans, TinTins and many many more. At one time we all used to read together. But it has all changed. Being engineers, they stick to technical reading and don't read fiction or other stuff any more. If they do, it happens very rarely.

Yes, I miss sharing my thoughts about books with them.