Friday, October 28, 2011

The House in Via Manno - Milena Agus

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· pages: 121

· Genre: Contemporary fiction/ Adult

· Published: 2009 by Scribe Publications (first published 2006)

· Shelf Recommendation: Borrow

· Date Finished: 28th October 2011

· Rating: 3 Stars ***

Synopsis:

In this magical, jewel-like novel, a young Sardinian woman explores the life of her Nonna — her romantic, beautiful, and somewhat crazy grandmother. Nonna is an unforgettable character whose life spans much of the twentieth century. A dreamer with fierce loyalties and unbridled passions, we follow her search for perfect love to an ending both surprising and profound. Along the way, against the stunning Sardinian landscape of cities, marinas and mountains, we meet the members of her large family, and the mysterious Veteran, the man of her dreams — each one drawn with warmth, humour and deep insight.

Milena Agus writes of family loves and secrets, of sexuality, of music, and of the harsh realities of war and migration in twentieth-century Europe in a powerful, compelling, and yet whimsical voice.

Review: [notes]

For the best part, this novel was rich in detail, full of magic and subtle dark undertones. With its complexities of life and love and what it means not only to live passion, but to deny yourself of it and the consequences and suffering of a life hardly lived, this book at the worst of times was daunting and confusing; however kudos to Milena for the unique style of writing, and for opening my eyes to a different kind of reading.

I enjoyed this book, and not in the way I was expecting. It wasn’t mind blowing, but it was provoking and a learning experience. I found myself getting tangled in the language which I didn’t understand and lazing over the historical elements, like facts on war. Although I did enjoy the history and scenery of what it was like during the period this story is set in and getting to know Nonna as her own character as well as her role as a mother, mistress, friend and lover.

While this wasn’t ideally my cup of tea, it was a nice change from the more heavily American influenced novels I read. If you are looking for something intense, and culturally full then I would recommend picking up this short book.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Interview with R.J Gonzales - Author of Mundahlia

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If you have been reading my blog, you’ll know that a few weeks back I read a fantastic novel -Mundahlia by the very talented and friendly R.J Gonzalas. I was blessed enough to share my love for the book and to and ask him a few questions about the novel and his writing process. So sit back, relax, enjoy a cuppa and if you haven't already pick up this book right now- damn it !!!

****

B: Jett is such a self aware and confident [at times humorously charming] character how do you find the right blend between proud and genuine confidence when writing in a males perspective when many characters in other novels are depicted as either highly arrogant or dependably weak?


R.J: When writing Mundahlia, I knew from the very beginning that all the characters in this book were different from one another. Jett and Rini are sort of a blend of many things that just make them their own unique individual. Jett is such an interesting character. He is confident and carries himself well, and I'd be lying if I said he wasn't somewhat of a flirt, haha, but he also has that respect and curiosity toward women and others. Finding the right blend was difficult. He has that classic charm with a modern-day style. Many times had I thought about going back and changing things, but in the end I kept it just how it was and am glad I did.

B: Rini also showed positive signs of being aware of herself as well as abiding by her morals and self- respect how important to you think it is to establish a strong, assertive and protactive female character ?


R.J: I think it was very important, you know, I wanted a different character, I wanted Rini to stand out. I didn't want her character to be one-dimensional. Sure she may be a little curvier then the usual YA characters these days, but she loves that about herself, and doesn't let herself be bullied. She also isn't afraid to speak her mind, and sticks up for what she knows is right. Those alone are the qualities that I love about her. Someone who accepts and loves themselves just the way they are.

B: Did you create the concept and mythology of the Mundahlians?


R.J: I created the world of Mundahlia, and gave new life to old myths and legends, and gave a reasoning as to why these Gods and deities in egypt had the features or heads of animals and bodies of humans, as to why interesting hybrid creatures like mermaids, centaurs, minotaurs..etc. exist in Greek and Roman mythology but in nothing else. All of these ancient hybrid creatures were interesting, their images are inked in pages of books, on the walls of some egyptian pyramids or carved in statues in our world and it fascinates me how people back then had such vision of these creatures. I decided to give a reasoning and a story/history as to why these beings "all of a sudden" disappeared. While also incorporating other mysterious landmarks such as the Bermuda Triangle. So history and science played a huge part in the making of this series. The Mundahlian Era series is essentially their side of the story.

B: What research [if any] went into writing Mundahlia?


R.J: I spent many hours of many days doing research. I studied mythology, researched strange happenings in the Bermuda Triangle, watched many Animal Planet and Discovery Channel programming about insects and animals, and the way they act. I also researched different languages, which is how I've come up with some of the words in this series. It's really difficult to pinpoint exactly what I've researched because there was so much involved. I basically went from site to site, surfing around the internet and reading some different books on a variety of topics from paranormal destinations to animals.

B: Did you have a soundtrack while writing it and if so what did you listen to?


R.J: I do have a playlist I have on my iTunes that I listened to along the way or thought would fit Mundahlia. I did make a short video playlist on it, but had to remove it, I may just make a playlist and post it on my blog soon.

Until then, I can say that it involves: Hans Zimmer, Enigma, Enya, Sarah Brightman, as well as few other artists like Clare Maguire, Duran Duran, and more.

B: What are your favourite three authors?


R.J: I have so many authors who I consider my favorites. I love Simone Elkeles and her ability to craft novels with raw emotion that make you feel alongside the characters. There is also Stephenie Meyer, a lot of people bash her for some reason, but I think she is fantastic and can't wait to see if she has something else in store for us. I read all the books in The Twilight Saga in the same week more or less. But there are far more authors out there who I consider my favorites as well.

B: There seemed to be a strong cultural influence when reading Mundahlia. Did this come into play as a result of your cultural background and if not where did the inspiration come from?


R.J: It did come as a result of my heritage. I wanted to give light to a different type of character while at the same time giving readers a little sneek peek into another culture.

B: When did you start writing?


R.J: Mundahlia began as a short 5 page story I'd written after having a dream my freshman year of high school (2006) Ever since I was small, I've written short stories, just for fun, and keep them in this box. Sometime during my senior year (2009-2010) I found that short 5 page story and said, "you know what, I have something here" and I began the actual process of adapting the story into a full length novel. The last few scenes of the novel were part of the dream I had.

B: Do you prefer short story or novel?


R.J: I LOVE writing and reading novels. Now I write too much, originally Mundahlia was about 500 pages more or less, but I had to go back and remove some things to bring it down to at least 350. It's very difficult for me to write a short story now, but not impossible. Short stories are to-the-point and wrap it up in under 140 pages. But on the other hand, novels give you more in-depth things and lets you get to know the characters more, or let the story "marinate" for that extra "flavor."

B: You said your pleasure was reading romance, what if any romantic characters inspired the love shared between Rini and Jett?


R.J: There are many famous couples out there in the romance world. It's very hard to select specific characters, but if I had to select the top 3 most influential couples in romance history, I would have to go with the obvious. Romeo and Juliet had the forbidden love that made readers want to urge their relationship on. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice) have that timeless romance as well. Two lovers from different upbringings, families, or lifestyles. Then of course there is also another timeless couple, Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. I wanted to capture that olden time romance in a modern day world.

B: What animal do you think you would be if you were a Mundahlian?


R.J: I think I would be a wolf Mundahlian, not just because in the book there are only a few of them left, but because wolves are fascinating creatures.

B: Is there any advice that you would give a writer looking to self-publish and promote there own novel?


R.J: Yes, there is! I would recommend (only if you would like a chance at traditional publishing) querying for a little bit first, you never know, you could have the exact story an agent/publishing house is looking for. If you would like to self-publish, I would recommend researching many different types of self-publishing companies (Createspace, Lulu, Lightning Source..etc.) and choose the one you feel would be best. Then find/create a cover. I bought the license to use the hourglass image from Istockphoto.com, there (or other stock photography sites) you will find many photographs you can use. You have to read the license careful though, as it will list things you can and cannot do with the image, as well as how many times you are able to use that image depending on the type of license. Promotion is both fun and challenging. There are many tools you can use like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube to promote your book, and then there is buying advertising on sites. Yet another way is to print out copies of your book and go to book blogs and see if a blogger will review your book. I wish any writers out there the best of luck in their writing endeavors!



Thanks so much! :D
-RJ

Monday, October 24, 2011

Odd One Out- Monica McInerney

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Pages: 151

· Published: January 1st 2006 by Penguin

· Genre: Contemporary Fiction

· Date Finished: 25th October 2011

· Shelf Recommendation: Buy/Borrow

· Rating: 5 stars *****

Synopsis:

Sylvie has always been the odd one out in her family. Her mother is a celebrated artist, known for her bohemian lifestyle. Her father, long estranged from the family, is a respected poet and academic. Sylvie’s two beautiful sisters and her big brother are also making their mark in the design world.

Sylvie hasn’t an artistic bone in her body. On the verge of turning thirty, back living in the family home in Sydney and working for her mother and sisters, she feels stuck in a major rut.

Then her brother Sebastian steps in with a rescue plan. He offers her a room in his Melbourne apartment for as long as she likes, on one condition. In an updated version of a treasure hunting game they played as children, she has to follow his instructions and go exploring the city.

Within days, she’s doing things she’s never done before, going to places she’s never been and beginning to think of ideas for a new career. She is also getting to know a very lovely man. Life is looking up.

Then Sebastian reveals one final challenge…

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Review:

Definitely a book for book lovers, Odd One Out was a brilliant start to my week. New to Monica’s writing, I scoured my local library finding only one book. I hadn’t planned on reading it so soon, but the cover kept enticing me and I had to take a peak. Never looking back, this was one of my favourites.

Meet Sylvie, an overworked temp who for the past few years has been a doormat for he mother and her two sisters, Heckle and Jeckle [nicknamed by Sebastian.] I instantly felt for Sylvia, the need to take care of those you love to the point that you forget what your life is really about and what other opinions were out there. She was a wonderfully likable character, flawed and hilarious in her own way. Honest and cheeky, and one who I could sit and read about for hours on end and never want to leave her world. Her flight from controlled to independent was one that I thoroughly enjoyed and I loved her little personality quirks.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Sylvie and Sebastian, it was so natural and the charismatic, sarcastic and hilarious chemistry as siblings are concerned really propelled the relationship. I adored Sebastian, he was the constant breath of fresh air, the hilarious pick-me up even through the uncomfortable and uncertain times in the novel.

Ergh and her mother and sisters, don’t even get me started. From the first chapter I already had a strong, unpleasant reaction that made my hands clench into tight balls and the urge to punch them rip into them all the more. I love it when characters make me feel this way. And that is one of the things I many things I love about Monica McInerney’s writing, she really injects uniqueness and interest into her characters, making them truly unforgettable.

Every character in this novel has me wanting more, each of them was realistic and charming in their own way. With scenerio’s hitting close to home I felt myself cringe for everyone involved and Monica really has a way of bringing insightful truthfulness of everyday situations and lives and spinning it into a masterpiece of fiction.

Odd one out was such a hilariously fun and warm novel about family, friendship, getting lost and finding your footing in the world at large and as a person. The journey travelled through the story had hardly any rocky roads and I was turning pages faster than I could read. Totally absorbing, richly promising and heart-warming; this is the perfect book for any season, time, place or mood.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Silence - Becca Fitzpatrick - # 3- Hush Hush Series

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Pages: 438

Published: October 4th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Date Finished: 23rd October 2011

Shelf Recommendation: Buy it/ Borrow – For fans of series.

Rating: 3.5 Stars ***


Synopsis:

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.


Review:

I have been anticipating this book all year, being a fan of the Hush Hush series I overspent just to get my hands on a copy as soon as I saw it in the bookshop window, this was before I heard that there was going to be another book in the previously mentioned ‘Trilogy’. Casting that aside I set out to get stuck into Silence, but soon realised that this was not the conclusion but more of a transition book that relied mostly on backtracking past history between the previous to books to lead to what should have in my opinion started in the first 100 pages.

I love Becca’s writing, there is no doubt about that, but this one ran a little too slowly for my liking and I didn’t really get into it until mid -200 pages. From there it certainly picked up and I felt my way around until I felt comfortable in the story, but there was always this nagging through in the back of my mind while reading. Why the flashbacks? Why the repeated history, clearly a fan of the series could benefit from a little reminded, but over a half a book? But after reaching that point I understood why it needed to read that way.

I was pissed, but kept reading because I loved the characters and had already invested so much time in the series and in the book itself it seemed stupid not to and it’s around this time that my favourite characters start showing up and I swoon madly over the two men in her life. Who doesn’t love a little danger and flirtatious teasing? Still something felt off and it wasn’t until Nora started reliving everything from memories that I realised just how invested I was in the novel and the connection I’ve developed with all of the characters.

The romance in this novel is dulled down which made the action more enjoyable in my opinion. It still lingers, warm and comforting, hidden beneath the layers of intensity and I am glad that there is no love triangle at all between Nora, Scott and Patch. I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to read a story where there is one faithful love and another platonic.

Upon finishing the novel I realise now why Becca set the story up the way she did. The cliff-hanger ending, like always made me that much hungrier for the next novel and while I did get that burning desire, overall the novel didn’t leave me feeling satisfied in the way the previous novels in the series did. Still, it was another amazing novel by one of my favourite authors and I cannot wait till the next instalment comes out- hopefully next year- ah the agony of waiting.