literary lady: room, the story sisters & the piano teacher

I love reading and I'm determined to do much more of it this year, so in addition to being part of a book club, I decided to join a 50 books in 2012 Facebook group. It'll be a great way to challenge myself to read 50 books by the end of this year, and I also think it'll be interesting to see what other book lovers are reading.

I'm not sure if I'll meet the goal, but I do know I'll be enlightened in trying.

Here's to my first three reads of the year. Only 47 more to go!

Book 1 - Room by Emma Donoghue.

I was excited to delve into this book and wasn't disapppointed. Room takes its basic plot from the Fritzl case as well as the cases of Jaycee Lee Dugard in California and of Natascha Kampusch and Sabine Dardenne. The story is told through the eyes of five-year-old Jack and packs an emotional punch. Second half is not as strong as the first but is still highly imaginative and poignant. Highly recommend!

Read the New York Times book review.

Book 2 - The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman.

This book is rife with fantasy and magic realism and reminded me of books I've read by South American authors. It's a haunting yet uplifting tale that describes how each of the three Story sisters meet their fate. Ultimately, it's a tale of redemption and forgiveness. The imagery is vivid and the tone may be dark, yet this one stayed with me, long after I had set it down.

Read the New York Times book review.

Book 3 - The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee.

"Sometimes the end of a love affair is only the beginning."
Set in Hong Kong, this evocative historical novel is laced with intrigue and tells the tale of two love affairs, both involving the same man. Did I mention it also involves betrayal and is set during the Japanese invasion of World War II? I quite liked it and look forward to more from this promising first novelist.

Read the New York Times book review.





Next up for this bibliophile is Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier - our book club selection for March, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - a novel my friend Kat has recommended.

What's sitting on your nightstand? I'd love to know.

Dajana (:

literary lady: american wife

I've been a voracious reader since I was a wee little lass. Books were my one true love growing up (yes, I was a nerd). While my parents thought I was all snuggly asleep in my bed, I would actually be reading well into the night, using the glow from the street lights to lead my eyes across the pages. Now, I belong to a ladies book club and currently on our list is American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld - a New York Times bestseller.  Did I mention it's pretty thick? Yup, like a cankle. I need to devour 555 pages by mid-March. Um, I haven't even started yet. I may be seeing a few more late nights.

What about you? What book(s) are you reading right now? My fav tomes include Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez but I also like a light & fluffy read now and then. I'd love to hear what's on your must-read list!

p.s. Did you know that the amazing Edmonton Public Library offers book club kits? It surely does! Isn't the EPL the best? :)