Tag: Contempo Lit

Book Critic, Book Review, Books

Review: Feast Day of Fools (Hackberry Holland #3) by James Lee Burke

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Feast Day of Fools (Hackberry Holland #3) by James Lee Burke

Sheriff Hackberry Holland is at it again! James Lee Burke’s third Hackberry Holland novel, Feast Day of Fools, is a tremendously complex and gritty mystery novel sure to make you stand up and pay attention. The fabulous ladies over at The Book Lady’s Blog were giving away this novel as part of their weekly Friday Reads give-a-way and I was the lucky winner.

I have never read anything by this author and was very excited to receive it after I read the description(not to mention I love the cover!). It sounded like a novel that I would not normally read which intrigued me. I am always enthusiastic about reading books that are out of my comfort zone and controversial. For me personally I would say this book was both of those things.

Set in a modern day Texas border town, a local indian by the name of Danny Boy witnesses a grizzly murder in the desert that sparks a richly thrilling story of murder, espionage, cartel activity, and terrorism with all the characters swimming in the ghosts of their past (some of them quite literally!). Sheriff Holland and his deputy, Pam, are in a race to catch the killers of the initial homicide, notorious mass murderer Jack Collins, and trying to locate the hottest thing on two feet….a national security threat…Noie Barnum. Continue reading “Review: Feast Day of Fools (Hackberry Holland #3) by James Lee Burke” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Like music to a readers ear, Jennifer Egan’s novel A Visit from the Goon Squad flows lyrically from page to page. The story, character, words, and tone of the novel come together  in perfect harmony from beginning to end.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer Egan at Portland’s book festival, Wordstock, this past month where I had her sign my copy of Goon Squad. Not only was she charming and polite in person, she was also very ‘real’ and down to earth, smiling and greeting every fan and answering all their questions with genuine interest.

I had heard lots of great things about this novel, not to mention its won numberous awards including the Pulitzer Prize. Needless to say, Egan was the author I was most looking forward to seeing at Wordstock. My husband and I listened to her reading from Goon Squad and it’s hard to NOT like a book that so clearly challenges social acceptance and norms. Listening to hear reading the except from her book, it was even harder for me NOT to be excited about reading the book.

I started reading the book shortly after Wordstock, and it was very clear that I was reading something special and different. The book whole tone of the book is gritty, hard boiled….almost a film noir style book. It is set in punk rock era NYC (as well as a host of other cities and locations)…..where the underground music scene rules this vibrant city. Continue reading “Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

by The Lit Bitch10 Comments on Review: The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

I think I must be the only girl on earth who hasn’t seen The Notebook. I am just not into Nicholas Sparks, and I had no interest in watching The Notebook let alone reading a Nicholas Sparks novel. However, at the behest of one of my friends, I decided to cave and read ONE Sparks novel.

I picked The Wedding.

Now, in general I too fancy myself a jaded cynic so Nicholas Sparks has never really had any appeal to me what-so-ever….he seems a little too over the top sappy.

Romance as a genre in general has never been one that I am particularly into though I do like Para-Romance books (I’ll swoon for Eric Northman any day!)….I just don’t understand the draw for romance novels like those by Sparks, and I REALLY don’t understand the draw for books like Danielle Steele, or some of the harlequin romance novels….though I am willing to give Sparks a shot.

Half way through the book, I felt a little lost, like I was missing a huge piece which made me kind of drag my feet reading it. There were references to various characters and past stories that I just felt like I wasn’t getting.  I confessed I had no idea what was going on! Continue reading “Review: The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasumussen

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasumussen

I won a copy of The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen thanks to a Goodreads giveaway.

I had heard lots of good things about this book on Twitter and read lots of awesome reviews on Goodreads about this book and I must say in this case the book lives up to its hype….it was GREAT :).

The story follows the lives of two sisters who couldn’t be more opposite–Twiss and Milly. The sisters are spinsters who live in the same house that they grew up in and are now in their 70’s. We get a little background on them in the beginning of the story and then the story shifts and goes back to one summer that changed their lives forever when they were young girls.

The sisters parents are clearly having marital problems, Twiss struggles with some gender/identify issues and Milly with the uncertainty of a first love, and then as if that isn’t enough their older cousin Bett comes to stay with them for the summer which more or less causes all hell to break loose in their ‘perfect’ worlds. I don’t want to give too much about the story away but having Bett there causes both girls to lose their last bit of innocents and faith. The book is more or less about coming of age and innocents lost but it is also about forgiveness.  Continue reading “Review: The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasumussen” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami (Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge)

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami (Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge)

I just finished reading Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami as part of the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge hosted by Murakamichallenge.blogspot.com.

I will admit, I knew absolutely nothing about this author and I am NOT a huge fan of Asian literature except for the more popular/mainstream Asian fiction books like Memoirs of a Geisha and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

When I saw this reading challenge I decided to join because the author sounded intriguing and from what I read, his books sounded like something that would be right up my alley. I am a huge film/literary noir, hardboiled, and avant-garde fan and from what I read about Haruki Murakami (HM), his books have many of these themes. HM’s books focus on surreal, mystical, post modern ideals of loneliness and isolation.

When I decided to join the challenge I went with the list of options–reading one book by HM as I was not sure what to expect and I’ll be honest I have to be in a ‘mood’ to read some of the darker, heavier books and most of HM’s books seemed heavy.

I choose Sputnik Sweetheart for the challenge because it sounded like I could relate to the main character the most out of all his other books. While the story WAS far from light, it was very beautiful–the language was very lyrical and poetic which helped relieve some of the heavy content. The story follows protagonist Sumire, a young aspiring writer who falls in love with her older friend Miu. Though much of the book is based on this love story, it is more about self discovery, isolation, and loneliness. Continue reading “Review: Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami (Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge)” →