Tag: Contempo Lit

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

Review: Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace

What is better than getting presents on your birthday….getting unexpected gifts on your birthday :).

I had seen the book Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace listed as a free advanced copy giveaway on the Goodreads website.

There were many others I could have entered but I was immediately drawn to this one. Without reading the description I knew I would instantly fall in love with the book as I simply love the subject of the book (Impressionist art) without question, one of my favorites being Van Vogh himself.

I was thrilled to get the email that I had won the book on my birthday!

I started the book Friday night and finished it Saturday night, needless to say it was an engrossing tale!

Regardless of the reviews and expectations that I had seen about the book, nothing could prepare me for how this book draws you in and you instantly become part of the energy while reading the tale. I became drawn to the book, sucked in if you will, by the romanticism and the overall tragedy of the characters and story…..so tragic but so familiar in many ways.

I have been a Van Gogh fan for years. Though there are other Impressionist painters that I like better than Van Gogh (Manet, Degas, Monet, and Renior are a couple of my favs)–there is no one like Van Gogh. No one can match how he views people…he really gets into your mind and the result is rather unsettling.

I will thrilled that the book was able to really grasp the essence of these paintings and show the reader how troubled the artist was. It was rich and colorful….ironically like a painting. The story is written from the perspective of  Dr Paul Gachet, Van Vogh’s personal physician in the months before his death. Continue reading “Review: Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace” →

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

Review: The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart

I had seen the book The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart at bookstores and was intrigued by both the title and the book cover, so simple by catching nevertheless.

The summary sounded interesting and above all, it sounded funny–finally light reading! At long last I finally picked up the book, welcoming the change in literary matter.

I did not read this book for any challenge, I simply just needed a break and to read something random, new, and relaxing and I was not disappointed. Not many books really make me laugh out loud but there were many parts of this book where I found myself in hear hysterics…especially at the beginning.

I had read mixed reviews about the book and was a little hesitant to start it, fearing it would not meet expectations but it was truly entertaining. One of the things I liked best about the book was the absurd characters and plot…..not to mention the voice/tone of the novel–very dry, witty, and intelligent humor….characteristically British!  Continue reading “Review: The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart” →

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Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I chose to read Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay for the Jewish Literature Reading Challenge. I initially picked the book out at a bookstore because I really liked the cover (The Luxembourg Gardens was one of my favorite places in Paris so of COURSE the cover grabbed my attention!).

The summary sounded intriguing and moving so I added it to my TBR list.

Lots of Jewish Literature focuses on Holocaust remembrance and Sarah’s Key is no different. The book initially takes place in occupied France during 1942 where we meet 10 year old Sarah Starzynski, a little Jewish girl who’s family is seized during the Vel’d’Hiv’ Round up–which took place in Paris and involved the French police (working for the Germans) who arrested and carted off to Auschwitz concentration camp.

When the police come, Sarah hides her brother in a secret cabinet in their apartment to keep him safe from the police and promises to return to him shortly and free him. She leaves him with some water, snacks, and a book as she assumes she will be returning in the morning. It goes without saying that the Vel’d’Hiv’ Round up is considered one of the darkest hours in France’s history.

The book alternates between Sarah’s story and that of modern day American writer Julia who is living in Paris. Julia is writing a story for a Paris magazine about the Vel’s’Hiv anniversary and since she doesn’t know much about it, she starts researching the event and discovers many things about the round up including the story of little Sarah which has a direct influence on her life and family.

Here is the official summery from Shelfari: Continue reading “Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay” →

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

Review: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

I don’t even really know where to start with the review of the last novel I read, sometimes there are just no words to describe things and this is one of those times.

The novel Wetlands by Charlotte Roche was mentioned in Literature Monthly Magazine as a ‘top ten novels out of the mainstream’ and since I recently read Rooftop Soliloquy based on their recommendation I thought I would read Wetlands.

The novel was hugely popular in Germany and seems to have gained more attention in the literary world since it’s recent translation from German to English–though don’t ask me why.

I have to say, I have a pretty bad mouth and like to think of myself as fairly tolerant and as  ‘life experienced’…an open minded person and this book—-trumps any like of foul mouthed expression I could EVER think of. I mean, this book should have come with a disclaimer!

I mean it was raunchy–and when I say something is raunchy—its RAUNCHY! This book was SO bad as far as crude humor and smut I can possibly think of. Not many books should be considered XXX rated but this was defiantly one of them—this is like WELL above rated R and even NC-17. Not just based on sexual content, but the unsanitary nature of the character.

Continue reading “Review: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche” →

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

Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, How it Ends by Laura Weiss. It is one of those that just captures you right away. It is a quick read and Weiss does a great job making interesting characters that readers can relate to.

I would classify the novel as having a split personality disorder meaning it could be classified as a Young Adult (YA) and adult book as one main character is a high school student and the other is an older woman.

Hanna (the high school character) is really engaging and captures the essence of a young teen struggling with the heart break of her first love. Every girl goes through that rude awaking moment when they realize their life isn’t going to turn out like a Walt Disney movie and Hanna does a great job of conveying those feelings of disappointment.

Her boyfriend, Seth, is such an asshole though that it’s hard to understand Hanna’s ‘love’ for him at some points, it made it more difficult to like him but at the same time, Hanna did a great job reminding the reader what attracts girls to guys like Seth in the first place at that age–at any rate Seth as a total loser and Hanna just can’t stay away from him.

One of the things Seth points out to Hanna is that she reads too much and lives her life in fiction. Everyone has a story (in most cases STRANGER than fiction) and some times it’s so easy to get lost in someone else’s reality. Being an avid reader I can sympathize with Hanna, it is sometimes hard to see the line between fiction and reality. Continue reading “Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess” →