Sunday Salon: The Virgin River series by Robyn Carr

I have posted a few times in Sunday Salon about reading series, but today I thought I would talk about the things I don't do when reading a series, and then I am going to tell you about the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr. I have actually been thinking about writing this post for months, but finally, today is the day!

So let's start with the things I don't do.

No. 1 - I don't read contemporary romance, or at least not very often. The only exceptions to this rule were Jennifer Crusie and Nora Roberts.

No. 2 - I never read series books back to back. This means there can often be a break of a month or two between each book when reading which means with long series it will take me years to catch up, and quite a long time to read through long series

No. 3. If my library has a book, I don't get impatient and buy the ebook version so I can read it right now.

And now, let me tell you about reading the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr. This is a contemporary romance set in a fictional small town in the mountains of Northern California. The town revolves around Jack's Bar, the meeting place for food, company and conversation in good times and bad. It is owned by former marine Jack Sheridan, who just may end up on my list of favourite romance heroes, ably assisted by Preacher, who does all the cooking. Jack's former marine buddies come and go from the town, but an amazing number of them end up staying in the town as they meet the women that they will fall in love with.

I would like to stress though that this is probably a bit more to the women's fiction side of contemporary romance, so even if you don't read a lot of romance, these may be novels that you can read an enjoy. There is a happy ever after in every book, there are strong romantic themes, but Carr also takes the time to discuss lots of other issues - loss, infertility, the effect of war on servicemen, abuse, drugs, alcoholism, danger and so much more. One thing that has surprised me a little is that Robyn Carr isn't afraid to kill of some of the peripheral characters in the interest of moving the narrative along.

My no. 2 rule is that I don't read books in a series one after another. There are only a very few times where I have had to ignore this rule and read consecutively, and that is when I absolutely cannot get enough of the books, like the early Outlander books, and the first two Bronze Horseman books by Paullina Simons, and now this one.

I read the first book in this series, Virgin River, back in January 2010, and absolutely loved it. I immediately requested the next book in the series from the library who had Shelter Mountain on order. I waited, and waited, and waited for the book to come in, but when I bought my ereader one of the first things I bought was an bundle of the first four books (as an aside, this book is still on order at my library! I am so glad I bought the bundle). I read Shelter Mountain in October 2010. I picked up the third book at the beginning of December 2010, and then proceeded to read the next 11 books in the next month and just recently read the latest release. I have never, ever read 11 books in a series that closely together. I stayed up late at night, started books at 11 o'clock at night knowing that I wouldn't put it down until I was finished and therefore wouldn't have enough sleep. You could say that I more than read this series - I inhaled it!

So here's a little bit about each of the books. I will try not to give any spoilers away from previous books, but the hero and heroine will have to be named.

Virgin River 

Mel Monroe needs a new start. After her husband is murdered in a robbery gone wrong, and burning out in her busy job as a nurse in a big city hospital, the idea of starting again in a small town as a midwife/nurse practitioner sounds very attractive, especially when you throw in a rent free log cabin as part of the bargain.

When she arrives in Virgin River she finds that the cabin is a dump, the doctor doesn't want help, and when a baby is left on her doorstep life is even more complicated. It gets even more so when she starts having feelings for Jack Sheridan, the handsome ex marine who owns the bar in town.

Shelter Mountain

When Paige Lassister arrives in Virgin River late at night with her three year old son in tow, she is looking for somewhere to hide from her abusive husband. John "Preacher" Middleton is immediately determined to protect Paige, no matter the cost.

The man can seriously cook, and when he fell for Paige, he fell completely. It was fun to watch a man who is so uncomfortable with women struggle with how to approach Paige as his feelings developed.

Whispering Rock

Mike Valenzuela isn't the kind of man that you would trust your sister with. Married twice, but with a long history of broken hearts behind him, Mike comes to Virgin River to recover after he was invalided out of the LA police department after being shot in the line of duty.

Also new to town, Brie Sheridan, Jack's baby sister. Jack knows that Mike is a player, after all he was present for many of Mike's adventures. But Brie is struggling after a brutal crime was committed against her, and she needs a friend more than anything, and Mike is that friend.

A Virgin River Christmas

Former marine Ian Buchanan lives in a remote cabin on a mountain away from civilisation, and away from people, and that's the way he likes it. At least, until Marcie Sullivan turns up on his doorstep. Marcie is the widow of Ian Buchanan, a man that Ian rescued when he was injured in battle. Marcie has spent the last three years looking after her badly injured husband, and now that he has passed on, it is time to find the man who saved him and say thank you. Ian has however chosen not to respond to her, and once she finds out where he is, she is determined once and for all to find him, so that she can move on with her life.  It could be though that through her actions, Ian is going to be forced to face both his past and his future.

Like all Christmas novels, there is a chance of being too sickly sweet, and there were elements of that, but for the most part Carr manages to avoid that.

Second Chance Pass

Paul Haggerty promised his best friend and fellow marine Matt Rutledge that if anything ever happened, he would look after Matt's wife Vanessa and their unborn child, never dreaming that he would be called on to honour that promise. The problem is that he has had feeling for Vanessa for a long time.

Vanessa is both rejoicing at the birth of her child, but grieving for the loss of her husband, but after a while it is time to move on. When she starts to show interest in the new doctor in town, Paul is going to have to either walk away from Vanessa once and for all, or tell her how he feels about her.

This book introduced some great characters that we then follow through the next few books, especially Vanessa's father! The biggest weakness in the book though for me was Vanessa, who I really didn't warm up to that much.

Temptation Ridge

Shelby McIntyre is a young woman who has carried a heavy burden for many years, caring for her terminally ill mother. Now that her mother has passed away, she is determined that she is going to take the chance to live - to travel, to study. First stop, Virgin River. She is coming to town for a short visit with her Uncle Walt and her cousin Vanessa. Virgin River is however just the first stop for her, until she meets Luke Riordan, former helicopter pilot and now co-owner of some cabins along Virgin River that he is renovating with a view to renting out to tourists. Luke is jaded after many years in the military, a checkered romantic historic, and now he is all for a good time. Just don't ask him for a commitment.

Luke and his family, including a whole bunch of very yummy brothers, all start to feature in Virgin River books now. I really loved his mother's storyline too!

Paradise Valley 

We met Rick Sudder in the first Virgin River series. Rick was a young man that Jack and his friends had taken under their wing. He found himself in trouble early on and dealt with issues that many older people never had to deal with. Jack was proud when Rick chose to join the Marines and he served with distinction. However, when he comes home a shattered man, having lost part of his leg, the man who returns is nothing like the boy that went away. He is damaged both physically and emotionally, and he is taking it out on everyone around him, especially his girl who has been waiting at home patiently for him. 

Under the Christmas Tree (novella in That Holiday Feeling anthology)

When a box of puppies are found under the town Christmas tree, Annie McCarty is determined to look after them, with or without the help of the new town vet, Nathaniel Jensen.

Annie is a local girl, and Nathaniel is returning to Virgin River to take over the local veterinary practice after many years away.

This Christmas story was a little more treacly than A Virgin River Christmas but I did like Nathaniel and Annie together, and could have done with seeing more of them as a couple in future books. They do appear a bit in one, but not as much as I would like.

Forbidden Falls

Reverend Noah Kincaid has no idea what he is let himself in for when he buys an abandoned church off of eBay in a small town called Virgin River.

He has even less idea of the upheaval it will cause in his life when he hires Ellie Baldwin as his assistance.

Ellie is a former pole dancer who is desperate for work. She needs to prove that she is a responsible mother so that she has some chance of getting custody of her kids from her creepy ex husband.

Angel's Peak

When Sean Riordan comes to Virgin River to visit his brother Luke, the last thing he expects is to run into his ex. It seems that Franci Duncan has well and truly moved on, but it does appear that she may have chosen to not tell him something very important.

Franci and Sean still have really strong chemistry. Can they move through the issues that drove them apart in the first place, can Sean forgive Franci for her deception, and can they find a way to be together in the future knowing full well that Sean is due to go back to his job in the Air Force soon, and could be posted anywhere in the world?

Another delicious Riordan brother.

Moonlight Road

Erin Foley is the sister of Marcie who we met in Virgin River Christmas. She has been the rock for her brother and sisters for many years, all the while studying towards a career in law. She is a very successful lawyer, but she needs a break, and so she heads to the cabin in Virgin River that belonged to Ian Buchanan, after a significant upgrade of course. Erin is not the kind of girl who enjoys roughing it. She meets Aiden Riordan when he scares her due to his shaggy, mountain man appearance, but once they learn to trust each other there is definitely a strong attraction.

There are a few things that could stand in their way though. They are very different people, and Aiden comes with a history in the form of his crazy ex wife.

Midnight Confession (from the Midnight Kiss anthology)

Jack is throwing his first ever New Year's Bash at Jack's Bar. Amongst the crowd are two lonely hearts. Drew (brother of Erin and Marcie) has come to Virgin River to study in the peace and quiet of the cabin. Sunny has come to visit her uncle Nate, still nursing the humiliation of being jilted at the alter a year before.

This story didn't work for me as well as a lot of the others as there was too much baggage to really be explored without sounding maudlin, and too many other characters showing up in the narrative. The novella felt crowded and rushed.

Promise Canyon

I was very excited when I read the set up for this novel. Both the hero and heroine are Native American and I was interested to see where Carr would take their storyline. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.

Clay Tahoma is a well known horse whisperer type. He has spent the last few years with his now ex wife in LA, but he is ready to get back to his roots with a much less glamourous and stressful lifestyle by working as an assistant to the town vet. Everyone in town has made him feel very welcome, except for Lily Yahzi who has sworn off good looking native men after having been burned when she was a very young woman.

Wild Man Creek

Yay, another Riordan brother.

Colin has come to Virgin River to recuperate from horrific injuries sustained in a helicopter crash. He loves his family, but he feels suffocated by them. What brings him joy is his art. The area around Virgin River provides him with lots of inspiration, and the solitude is refreshing.

When he meets Jillian Matlock, he knows he is attracted but he does not want to be tied to anyone or any place. Jillian has just bought an old house with a view to renovating. Other than that she doesn't know what she wants. She was a high flying PR exec who got burned as a result of an unwise affair, and she now really needs to find out what it is that she wants to do with her life.

Harvest Moon 

Phew! Made it to the end.

Kelly Matlock is a chef in a famous restaurant. She is driven and passionate, but when she collapses at work she knows she needs to make some changes. She comes to Virgin River to stay with her sister, and to work out what to do next, knowing that she can't go back to the restaurant she left.

She meets Leif Holbrook in town and is interested, but Leif is dealing with his rebellious young stepdaughter. She has been acting out for a while now, after the death of her mother and rejection by her real father, but Lief is losing hope that he will ever be able to break through the rebelliousness to find the daughter that he used to know.

If Lief lets Kelly into his life, will Courtney find even more reason to break away from him?


The books aren't without their issues in terms of quality - some are definitely better than others, and there are characters who miss out on page time, sometimes even in their own books. There were a few books when I was a bit over Mel, but even those books were still incredibly readable. Even with all I have written I haven't commented on the secondary story lines featuring among others Dan Brady, a mysterious man who shows up several times, or the mature age relationships that develop, or so much more.


Now of course, things are very idealistic - all the men are handsome, some with more emotional baggage than others, some with the physical injuries that come from being active service men. All the women are beautiful and do killer things in a pair of jeans because they all look so good. I can't help but think that I do killer things to a pair of jeans to, but not quite in the same way as the women of Virgin River. Once the series starts, there are babies popping out everywhere, but no matter that there is this level of triteness, these books are just oh so satisfying to read, and I can't wait for the next books in the series, which I assume will come out early next year. It's probably a good thing that I do have to wait though, otherwise I would be in danger of overdosing on Virgin River books.

Even just having written what feels like the longest blog post ever, I am inspired to go and have a look at the VR books that I own and maybe do a bit of rereading - another thing I don't normally do!

What series have you overdosed on?

Weekend Cooking: Poached Pears

Back in December last year I went for dinner at 15 which is a Jamie Oliver project (you can read my post about that experience here). For dessert I had a really beautiful poached peach and ever since then I have been waiting until it is a more suitable time for me to try poaching some fruit, in this case, pears. Now, with the cold weather setting in, it seemed like a really good time to try this recipe out, although it does turn out that the recipe suggests eating them cold!

As an aside, I always feel as though I have to add a disclaimer when I talk about it being cold here because the temperature where we think it is cold, is very different to what many of the other parts of the world consider cold!

I do remember trying to make poached pears many years ago now for some dinner guests who never turned up, and they were delicious, but I am not sure if this is the same recipe, but it sounds similar.

The boy and I are planning to make this tomorrow night. I am fully expecting him to help make it, but not try it so I could be eating this for a week.

Photo credit

Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears (recipe from Taste.com.au)

• 500ml (2 cups) dry red wine
• 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 x 7cm cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 4 just-ripe packham's triumph
• pears, peeled
• 1 x 250g ctn mascarpone
• 2 tbs icing sugar mixture
• 2 tsp rosewater

1. Combine the wine, sugar, star anise, cinnamon and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add the pears and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, turning occasionally, for 1 hour or until pears are tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pears to a heatproof bowl.
2. Increase heat to high and bring the syrup to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Pour over the pears and set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 4 hours to chill.
3. Place the mascarpone, icing sugar and rosewater in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
4. Transfer the pears to a serving dish and drizzle with syrup. Serve with rosewater mascarpone.

**You can use vanilla essence and rosewater essence if you desire.

 Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. 

Library Loot: May 11 to 17

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Claire has the Mr Linky this week, so head on over to share your post.

I did warn you last week that my haul this week was big, and here is the proof.

Dancing Backwards in High Heels by Christine Darcas - Christine was the Queen of Bling at the ARRC Awards dinner and seems like a very interesting person. I sat at the same table as her at the dinner, but couldn't talk to her because I had lost my voice!

Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake by Sarah McLean - I have heard lots of good things about the trilogy that this book starts. Time to find out for myself how good it is!

Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss - Every now and again I interact with this author on Twitter, and recently she has been talking about the release of the follow up book to this one. I have to start at the beginning though, so I borrowed the first book.

The Wilful Eye anthology - This is a collection of six short stories, all fairy tale retellings. I first heard about this book at Book Smugglers, but I knew I had to read it when I saw that it had a new Margo Lanagan story in it.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming - I have been hearing a lot of good things about the latter books in this series, so thought I would go back to the beginning!

Lady Antebellum - This was the debut album for this band. I loved the second album, and really enjoyed seeing them perform in concert so now I seeing what their first album is liked.


Reloot:

Teaser Tuesday: Emily by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

This week I am teasing from Emily by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, the third book in the Kirov Saga which is set predominantly in Russia. I have now teased from all three books in the trilogy. The first book, Anna, was set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, the second, the title of which is Fleur, is set against the Crimean War, and now this one is building up to to the Russian Revolution.

I find the early 1900s to be such an interesting setting because so much was changing. In this book alone there has been talk about the suffragettes and the preposterous idea of having a telephone in the house amongst other things that today seem completely common place to us.

The teaser comes from page 31:

It's just like a fairy story, she thought. The Transformation Scene, from rags to spangles, Cinderella goes to the ball after all - except that Cinderella hadn't seemed to have any doubt that she would be able to handle the protocol of a full-dress Court function.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out all about it, and how to join in!

Classics Circuit - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I wonder if there is a word that describes people that make the same confession over and over again? If there is, I am about to be guilty of it.

This is my confession:

I have never read Jane Austen.

I know that I have shocked people before when I have confessed this, but somehow I made it through school without reading her, and then managed until now without picking up her books despite being an avid reader for most of my adult life.

This year it is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility so I signed up for the associated challenge with the vague intention of reading Austen at some point this year. It was really only when the call went out for this Classics Circuit event that I got the incentive to start. I had read a Dickens book a couple of years ago so now was the perfect time for me to finally, finally read Jane Austen.

I think there are a couple of reasons for not having read Jane Austen. The first is that I was a bit concerned that maybe I might be one of those people who doesn’t actually like her writing (and they do exist!). It’s not the quickest read as you do have to concentrate on the language but I am enjoying the characterizations, the dialogue and the sharp observations on the society of the time.

The major reason for not reading the books is that I already knew the story that was contained within the pages, particularly in relation to Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and to a lesser extent Northanger Abbey. What I am finding though is that I only thought I knew the story. I have only partial memories of the story of Sense and Sensibility which I gained through watching bits and pieces of the mini-series. I found myself reading something early in the book and thinking how can there be more than 200 pages to go if this is happening now! I am finding that I can’t help but see Alan Rickman whenever Colonel Brandon enters the narrative, and similarly Hugh Grant every time that Edward Ferrars is mentioned, but that isn’t a totally terrible imposition really.

So far, I like the book. I am not quite finished, but I can definitely see myself reading more. It’s not all plain sailing though. Let’s start with the not so good aspect. Reading this book, particularly the section where we first meet Colonel Brandon makes me feel very old! I am rapidly approaching the end of the decade where my age begins with a 3, so when this is the first description that we read of Colonel Brandon, I wasn’t particularly thrilled:

He was silent and grave. His appearance was not unpleasing, in spite of his being in the opinion of Marianne and Margaret an absolute old bachelor, for he was on the wrong side of five and thirty; but though his face was not handsome, his countenance was sensible, and his address was particularly gentlemanlike.

Perhaps he is so gentlemanlike because he had so much practice! A bit further on there is reference to the rheumatism he occasionally suffers from. In context, I know that the expected life span was much shorter when the book was written, and that when you are 19 years old, then 35 does look like a long way away, but when you are past that point, you don’t necessarily feel old.

There were plenty of times that I really could appreciate Austen’s ability to comment on the human condition. This passage, for example, very much sums up how I think I am thought of by all but my very closest friends:

"Brandon is just the kind of man,” said Willoughby one day, when they were talking of him together, “whom every body speaks well of, and nobody cares about; whom all are delight to see, and nobody remembers to talk to.”

As I think about the characters, it is clear to me that Austen either likes her characters, or she doesn’t. There isn’t always a lot of nuance. I do expect that this is partially because this is her first published book and so will be interested to see if this changes in future books. To be fair, for several of the characters like Mrs John Middleton for example, there isn’t much to like, and for those sensible characters like Elinor, Edward Ferrars and Colonel Brandon there is obvious affection from the author, which this reader shares.

I have about 80 pages left to go, and I have every intention of finishing the book in the next couple of days. Not only do I want to get to the end so that I can say that I have finished it, but also because I will have yet another reason to watch the mini series again, and then this short clip from Vicar of Dibley, just because I can (not a blatantly gratuitous Richard Armitage posting - honest).

And then, it will not be another 20 to 30 years before I read another book from Jane Austen.




To see all the stops on the Dueling Authors: Austen vs Dickens tour, check out all the tour stops here

Sunday Salon: March and April reads

Between going to Sydney for ARRC and participating in Aussie Author Month in April, it's been a busy couple of months here on the blog - so busy in fact that I never got around to posting my March reads. I was going to let this week's Sunday Salon pass me by but then I realise it may well be June before I get to actually post this list, so I am pushing on to get it posted tonight.

Here are my March 2011 reads


Wallaby Track by Aaron Fletcher 4.5/5
Sold by Brendan Gullifer 3.55
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning 3/5
Fleur by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 4/5
India Black by Carol K Carr 4/5
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 5/5
Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason 3.55
The Third Pig Detective Agency by Bob Burke 4/5
Started Early, Took the Dog by Kate Atkinson 4/5
Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres 4.5/5

And my April 2011 reads

The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore 4.5/5
Ransom by David Malouf 4/5
Vampire Dimirtri by Colleen Gleason 3.5/5
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 5/5
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 4/5
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen 4/5
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith 4/5
When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James 4.5/5
The Last Letter from your Lover by Jojo Moyes 5/5
Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley 4/5
Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr 4/5
Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry 4/5
Home for the Holidays by Sarah Mayberry 4/5
Love me Tender by Heather Boyd 4/5
Royal Weddings Anthology 3.5/5

Sold, Glitter Rose, Ransom and Little Paradise all count for Aussie Author Challenge. Only one more book required to complete this challenge.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party counts for What's in a Name challenge (life stage). I have two more to read for this challenge - Number in the title and Evil in the title.

Wallaby Track, Fleur, India Black, The Betrayal, Little Paradise and Russian Winter count for Historical Fiction challenge.

Melbourne Book Blogger Meet Up

Are you a book blogger, tweeter, author or other person associated with the online book community? Are you going to be in Melbourne on Thursday May 26?

If yes, then how about joining us for the inaugural Melbourne book blogger get together? Doesn't matter what genre you read, whether you have been blogging for years, or just a little while. This is a chance to get together with some like minded people and talk books, and perhaps have a couple of drinks! It will be fun and informal and a great chance to meet new people!


We had a get together earlier this year in Sydney, so if you want to have a look to see what to expect then check out my wrap up post!


Here are the details:

When: Thu, 26 May from 6.30pm
Where: The Sherlock Holmes Inn (Website) - Basement, 415 Collins Street, Melbourne.
Who: Tweeters, Goodreaders, authors, publishers, editors, booksellers, librarians, reviewers and readers are all welcome. Anyone who hangs around the online book communities. The more the merrier!

If you are interested in attending, then please click on the link below to RSVP, so that we can get some idea of numbers!

RSVP Here

I look forward to meeting lots of new people on the night!

If you have any queries at all then please email me and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Rachel Caine signing

This afternoon I was very excited to go to see author Rachel Caine visit one of our local library branches, in an event that was organised by Collins Werribee! This is the second event I have been to recently that was jointly run between these two, and I think it is totally awesome that a local bookshop is working with the local library to do this kind of thing!

The other thing is that it is totally awesome to have a NYT best selling author come to our little corner of the world!

There were probably about 40 people there counting the kids, enough to have quite a few questions asked, but not too many to lose that feeling of intimacy.

The signing and publicity was all in honour of Bite Me, the tenth book in the Morganville Vampires series. I haven't actually read any of that series, but I am a big fan of the Weather Warden series that she writes. It is, however, a series that I have read from the library so I don't actually own of them. I did own the first Morganville book, and I bought the next three after that so now I have the first four Morganville books signed.

Rachel talked a bit about how she came to be Rachel Caine, after she had started writing under two other names, about her reading and writing habits and more! She spoke very naturally and was a very interesting speaker, so I was glad to have made the effort to go and see her. In addition to getting my books sign we also got awesome bookmarks (holographic isn't the right word, but you know the ones where if you move it one way you see one picture, and something else when you move it the other way - one of those)

And for posterity

Afterwards I went for coffee with a few friends and had gorgeous waffles with strawberries and icecream and lots of melted chocolate! Yum!

I have realised though that every photo I have put up of myself over the last few months shows me wearing grey shirts. I promise I only own two! Going to have to think about wardrobe choices going forward!

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan

Yellowcake brings together ten fiercely original and quietly heartbreaking short stories from the extraordinarily talented author of Black Juice, Red Spikes and Tender Morsels.

Normally on a Saturday I do a Weekend Cooking post, and given that the title of this book has cake in it, I really thought about including this post as Weekend Cooking, but really there is not a lot to do with food in this book, and the term yellowcake is often associated with uranium, so the link would be tenuous at the least! Instead, you get a straight review.

Margo Lanagan is an author I had heard a bit about before, and had recommended to me a few times by various people. When I saw that she had a new short story collection coming out, and it coincided with Aussie Author Month in April, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to try a new to me author. I am now a fan, and I am trying to track down as much of her work as I can find.
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This is a collection of stories that have been published in various places over a number of years, with only one being previously unpublished.

Bearing in mind that at this stage I have only read the ten stories in this collection, Margo Lanagan seems to see the world a little differently than the rest of us and has an extremely fertile imagination. All of the stories in this collection are standalone, some of them show a world that is recognisable as being allied to our everyday life, but others are completely different. Some of the stories are poignant, others are confronting, and some are dark, but all of them are supremely crafted.

This wasn't a short story collection to read one after the other. For the most part I read a story and then took time to think about it before moving onto the next, so as a result it took me a while to read the whole collection. Whilst I love to read a book that I just can't put down, there is also something ultimately satisfying about taking your time and savouring each individual story. Yellowcake is definitely a collection to be savoured.

Here are my thoughts about each of the stories in the collection:

The Point of Roses - young kids meet some Travellers and play a game where the travellers have to guess what three items that Billy has bought with them. What they don't realise is that the residue from the three items settles over the Billy's family as well, forcing his grandfather Corin to reevaluate his life including his feelings for his wife and the way he has interacted with his children. One of the three items was a rose as referred to in the title of the story, and one of the items was a spinning ashtray. My dad had one of the spinning ashtrays when I was little, and my sister and I used to love spinning the ashes away. Makes me shudder a little to think about that now! Loved this story.

The Golden Shroud  - What happens when Rapunzel's hair takes on a life of it's own. So much fun!

A Fine Magic - a young man is rebuffed by two sisters and takes his revenge in a most unlikely fashion.The story features a carousel, and the rhythm of the storytelling definitely had me seeing and feeling the music and the motion of a carousel in motion.

An Honest Day's Work - Interesting story about a monster that is bought in from the sea and then large groups of men need to get to work on dismembering.  I didn't dislike it, but felt more disturbed by this one.  It was interesting to read that this story was inspired by the ship breaking that is done in India. Old ships that have reached the end of their life are taken to this coast and are slowly dismantled, removing all the items that can be reused. I had seen this mentioned before in Jojo Moyes book Ship of Brides, when one of the characters is travelling along the coast and sees the ship that she travelled to the UK on as a war bride.

Into the Clouds on High - only new story in the collection, and had an ethereal quality to it. Marcus's mother has been preparing him for this day, the day when she can literally no longer keep her feet on the ground.

Night of the Firstlings - retelling of the first Passover and the Exodus. I liked this one a lot, especially the final scene. I must confess that I had never thought about the fact that the floor of the Red Sea would have been anything other than smooth walking before.

Ferryman  - this was the first story I read out the collection - instantly made me think of the song Don't Pay the Ferryman. Sharon is going to follow in her father's career footsteps, but what happens when he is the ferryman who rows the dead across the river Styx.

Heads - didn't like this one as much as some of the other stories mainly because it was quite confronting. It is however a powerful piece on the effect of war, particularly on the young.

Living Curiosities - A man visits the circus to see all the freaks, and yet he ends up being the one who is observed. There are also ghosts, and a somewhat maniacal circus owner.

There were several quotes that I thought about posting from the collection, but I just loved this one, which also features the carousel.

And there in the golden glow I sat high-headed above the hats and feathers and turbans of the ghoulish crowd turned away from me. I wished the light were as warm as it looked; I wished the music were filling my ears. I dreamed - hard, as if the vehemence of my dreaming would make it happen - that my shiny black horse would surge forward beneath me, and that I would be spun away from this place and this night, lifted and lowered instead past Lake Geneva, past Constantinople, past Windermere and Tokyo Palace and Gay Paree, past Geneva again, and the Lake, again and again around the whole picturesque gilt-framed world, for as long as ever I needed.

Eyelids of the Dawn - a behemoth, that happens to be a suburban shopping centre complex, awakens and feels the need to wash itself clean of the human fleas by taking a dip in the ocean. This act is witnessed by two people - a young woman trying to settle her baby during the night and a milkman doing his early morning rounds.

Expect to hear more about Margo Lanagan on my blog in the future!

This book counts for both the Aussie Author Challenge, and Once Upon a Time V (short story peril)

Coo-eeee!

Yesterday I put up my Library Loot, and the one and only book that I got from the library was called Cooee by Vivienne Kelly. In the comments to the post, Julie from Read Handed said

The title is fun to say. I have no idea what it means, but it's fun to say. Thanks for sharing!

The word cooee comes from Aboriginal tribe known as the Darug who originally occupied the land that most of modern Sydney is built on. The word means come here, and when done properly, the sound can cover quite a long distance. It is especially fun to do in an environment where there is a good echo.

I wouldn't say that it is a word that is in common usage in modern Australia, but it is fair to say that it is pretty much irresistable to give a few coo-ees if you find yourself in the bush, or up a mountain!

Here's an example of how it is done.

Library Loot: May 4 to 10

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I have been a neglectful library patron this week. I really need to visit the library, but I didn't realise how much until I checked the catalogue and found out I have 11 items to pick up, not to mention the overdue items I have to return.

I guess that is fair warning that my loot next week is going to be huge! For this week though, just the one book:

Cooee by Vivienne Kelly - I had never heard of this book until it was chosen to be the next read for my book club!

Tell us about the loot you got this week by leaving your link in Mr Linky below!

Teaser Tuesday: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I am attempting to address something of a shortfall in my reading history. I am not sure how it happened, but somehow or another I have never managed to actually read Jane Austen. Shocking, right? How I made it through high school without doing so is something of a puzzle, but now is the time!

My teaser comes from page 4:

Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgement, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence. She had an excellent heart: her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.

Sounds like perfect heroine material!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out  all about it, and how to join in!

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

A mysterious jewel holds the key to a life-changing secret, in this breathtaking tale of love and art, betrayal and redemption.

When she decides to auction her remarkable jewelry collection, Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead, the former ballerina finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland and of the events, both glorious and heartbreaking, that changed the course of her life half a century ago.

It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of the theater; that she fell in love with the poet Viktor Elsin; that she and her dearest companions—Gersh, a brilliant composer, and the exquisite Vera, Nina’s closest friend—became victims of Stalinist aggression. And it was in Russia that a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape that led Nina to the West and eventually to Boston.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest: Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian who believes that a unique set of jewels may hold the key to his own ambiguous past. Together these unlikely partners begin to unravel a mystery surrounding a love letter, a poem, and a necklace of unknown provenance, setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

Interweaving past and present, Moscow and New England, the backstage tumult of the dance world and the transformative power of art, Daphne Kalotay’s luminous first novel—a literary page-turner of the highest order—captures the uncertainty and terror of individuals powerless to withstand the forces of history, while affirming that even in times of great strife, the human spirit reaches for beauty and grace, forgiveness and transcendence.

As soon as I first saw this book being talked about, I knew I wanted to read it. There is something about Russian history, particularly 20th century Russian history, that makes for compelling reading for me, and this book was no exception. I was however a bit concerned that my lack of knowledge about ballet might be problematic, but in the end, this was a minor issue. Most of the time, I was lost in the world that the author created in both Moscow and Boston.

The three main characters in this drama are Nina Revskaya, a former ballerina and star of the Bolshoi Ballet, Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian, and Drew Brookes who works in a prestigious auction house.

The story begins when Nina, who is now wheelchair bound due to her physical afflictions gained through many years of dancing , decides to sell off many of the jewels that she has accumulated throughout her years as a famous ballerina and to donate the proceeds to the Boston ballet. Some of the jewels are gifts received since her defection, but there are others that she bought with her from Communist Russia, and it is really those that are the catalysts for the stories that we hear about Nina's life.

We first meet Nina as a young child who is taken to try out for the famous Moscow ballet school. From that time on, Nina lives and breathes ballet, determined to work her way up through the ranks of the competitive and prestigious Bolshoi Ballet.

When Nina meets poet Victor Elsin, she not only falls in love but also loses some of her political naivety. This is the second novel I have read in the last month that is set in Stalinist Russia (the other being The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore). Both books do a great job of showing readers, who in most cases can only begin to imagine, what it is like to be constantly on edge, worried about which ones of your neighbours or friends is informing on you, and knowing that it doesn't take much to lose a person in the notorious prisons of the time.
When Nina agrees to sell her jewels, the auction house sends Drew Brooks to try and garner more information from the famous ballerina - photos, anecdotes, anything that can be used in the auction catalogue. Nina, who has never really learnt to trust anyone, is resistant to sharing those memories, despite the fact that each day she (and the reader) is transported back in time to spend time with her friends: Gersh, a Jewish composer, and Vera and Polina who are also dancers. Drew is devoted to her work, often going above the call of duty, but she is not quite as successful in her private life, much to her mother's consternation.
The third strand of the story is that of Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian at a prestigious university, and a man who has a strong professional interest in the poetry of Victor Elsin (Nina's husband), for reasons known initially only to him at the beginning of the book. When Grigori decides to also donate a  necklace that appears to match some of Nina's jewels, Brook is left with more questions than answers. Is the necklace part of the same set, but most importantly, what is the connection between Nina and Grigori?

At it's heart, Russian Winter is a story about reevaluating what you think you know about your life,. For Nina, this means reevaluating her life through the lens of her memories of her life with her husband and in the oppressive regime where no amount of success guaranteed safety. For Grigori, it is not only his past as a recent widower and his struggle to move on with his life, but also a search for identity, for belonging, for answers he has been searching for his whole life. And for Drew, questions about her grandfather's life, about her failed marriage, and her future happiness  - about looking back, but also about moving forward.

I love it when story lines are interwoven with each other, and going backwards and forwards in time, but it has to be done well. With all three of the characters looking back at their lives, there could have been capacity for Kalotay to lose some of those strands, but she managed to weave the various story lines together with aplomb.

I also really liked that between each chapter there was a description of some of the items that were going up for auction, and I especially liked it when we got to see how it was that Nina came to own that particular piece.

If I was to make a criticism of this novel, it would only be a small one, and that relates to the way the novel was wrapped up - it was too soon! There was one event that was telegraphed but that the reader didn't get to see, and I really wanted to experience that moment with the characters! The other thing is that, there was one particular relationship that felt too convenient. Without giving too much away, the chemistry was good between the characters, but I am not sure that I necessarily felt that the connection between them was as strong as it was implied to be.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it, especially if you enjoy reading about Russia, ballet, jewellery or if you are in the mood for a fascinating story that you can get lost in for a few hundred pages.

Once again, I am grateful that by agreeing to participate in a blog tour I was given that extra push to read a book that I would have eventually read, but it would have taken me ages to actually get to. I am almost reluctant to return Russian Winter to the library now!

To find out more about the author and her book, visit her website, her Facebook page, or the reading group guide.

To see what other people thought of the book, check out other stops on the Russian Winter blog tour, as organised by TLC Book Tours:


Tuesday, April 5th: Library Queue
Wednesday, April 6th: Luxury Reading
Thursday, April 7th: nomadreader
Monday, April 11th: A Few More Pages
Thursday, April 14th: We Be Reading
Tuesday, April 19th: Books Like Breathing
Tuesday, April 19th: Chefdruck Musings
Thursday, April 21st: Book Addiction
Monday, April 25th: red headed book child
Tuesday, April 26th: Red Lady’s Reading Room
Wednesday, April 27th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Thursday, April 28th: Calico Critic
Friday, April 29th: Wordsmithonia
Monday, May 2nd: Historical Tapestry
Tuesday, May 3rd: Man of La Book
Wednesday, May 4th: In the Next Room
Thursday, May 5th: Life in the Thumb
Friday, May 6th: she reads and reads

Sunday Salon: Aussie Author Month wrap up

Last week I didn't post a Sunday Salon post because I was struggling to think of what to post and therefore I took a week off. This week, I have three posts running around in my head, but in the end it was an easy decision on which one to write about!

It is hard to believe that it is May already, and that Aussie Author Month is over, for this year at least.

Every year, one of my blogging goals is to read more Aussie authors, and Aussie Author Month has definitely helped me to work towards this goal. I might not necessarily have read them this month, but I have got several new authors that I am intending to read soon.

The other thing that happened this month is that I really discovered short stories, and these two things are linked, because I thought that short stories would be the best way to introduce myself to as many new authors as possible in a short period of time. I didn't post about as many of them as I would like, but definitely enjoyed reading them more than I expected to. I may get to post about some more of them eventually.

So here's a recap of my Aussie Author Month.

Guest posts from Tansy Rayner Roberts, Sara Foster and Elisabeth Storrs.

Recap of Australian Romance Reader's Convention Part 1 and Part 2.

Reviews: Relentless Adaptations by Tansy Rayner Roberts (short story), Ransom by David Malouf, the Carmine Island stories from Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres.

In addition to the authors mentioned above who were all new to me authors, I also read Sarah Mayberry, Heather Boyd, Stephanie Laurens (yes, I know, as a historical romance reader it is way past time that I have read her), Thoraiya Dyer, Sean Williams, Stephanie Campisi, Peter M Ball, Simon Brown, Margo Lanagan and Gabrielle Wang.

Just a couple of things to finish up!

The winners of the giveaway of two copies of The Wedding Shroud by Elisabeth Storrs are:

Maja and Bree

I have sent an email to each of you. Once I have your contact details I will forward those on to the publishers and get your prize on it's way to you!

Finally, thank you to everyone who participated in Aussie Author Month by posting, commenting, tweeting, donating to the Indigenous Literacy Project (it's not too late to donate to this excellent cause), posting on our Facebook page, and thank you to the other organisers for asking me to be part of it.

I look forward to Aussie Author Month being back, bigger and better, next year.

Weekend Cooking: What's your coffee personality?

My Weekend Cooking post this week is inspired by a character in Sarah Addison Allen's The Peach Keeper. The character, whose name is Rachel, works in a camping store owned by one of the two main characters in the novel. She is the one who is responsible for keeping the cafe section of the store running and she has some very interesting ideas about coffee and how the coffee that you feel like having each day can be reflective of your mood! So if you come in happy you may want a frappucino for example, and if you are not so happy maybe something a little less frothy.

When I was thinking about this post I spent ages looking for information about what your coffee drinking habits reveal about you, and unfortunately for me, I didn't come out particularly well in the results that I found. You see, I am not much of a coffee or tea drinker. I will drink them when I go out, but it is very rare for me to actually make myself a coffee or tea when I am at home by myself. In fact, when I was cleaning out my pantry this week, I threw out two jars of instant coffee. One was nearly empty, but the expiry date was three years ago, and the other jar hadn't even been opened but expired even longer ago.

Luckily, someone has written a book that addresses this topic. The You Code was written by Judi James and James Moore and was released last year. It also looks at other topics like your favourite TV programme, to the filling in your sandwich and analyses what that says about you.

I am closer to a non coffee drinker than anything, but when I do have coffee, I will either have a cappuccino or a latte, so lets see what the results say for someone with my coffee tastes:

The non-coffee drinker:

"Unfortunately, the verdict isn't good. Frightened of coffee equals frightened of life. If the taste of coffee puts you off you really are a child and it's time to join the world of grown ups. But there's hope. "Twenty one days is all it will take to break your cycle of disgust and then you'll be back in the real world."

The latte drinker:

"Typically metrosexuals or cuddly-toy collectors, latte drinkers are pleasers with an overwhelming compulsion to be liked. A latte drinking boss will use a baby voice to tell you off. By taking a dark and dangerous drink and turning it into a comforting milky bedtime beverage latte drinkers reveal that while they may want to come across as hot shot contenders, they have an immature side."

The cappuccino drinker:

"Like their drink, cappuccino drinkers are all froth and bubble, bored by detail and liking - but not obsessed with - material objects. The cappuccino drinker enjoys sex but is easily bored by an unimaginative partner."
"Cappuccino froth gives the tongue the mother of all workouts and is all to do with the physicality of the experience rather than the basic consumption of the beverage."

The instant coffee drinker:

"These are cheerful, straight forward types, who like a laugh and live by the maxim "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". But instant coffee drinkers can be unadventurous in their careers and need to let others see the hidden depths in their personality. The no-nonsense instant coffee drinker is allergic to pretentious behaviour, and they are likely to keep their socks on during sex"

So what about the more hard core coffee drinkers?

The espresso drinker : 

The espresso is 'the unfiltered cigarette of the coffee drinking world'. Espresso drinkers tend to be moody, hard-bitten and hard working. They are into leadership and fast goals. They don't suffer fools but are hard living and prone to 'night-time shenanigans, followed by a rather louche attempt at day time repair". The espresso drinker can be an experienced, exciting and consummate lover but is not known for reliability or unswerving loyalty."

The decaf soy milk drinker:

"A self-righteous eco-worrier and attention seeker with a tendency to be picky, fussy - and squeamish in the bedroom. What's more, this faux choice implies a pretentious, high-maintenance type who wants what they can't have and is disguising their true personality."

The frappucino drinker :

"Flighty and shallow, the frappucino drinker will try anything once - especially if a celebrity has done it first. They fancy themselves trend setters but send out the message that they are someone who favours style over substance. The frappucino drinker's relationships often last as long as their drink choice"

To be honest, when I look at those there isn't really any type of coffee drinker that comes out of it very well!

At the beginning of this post, I said that it took a while to find examples of this. Turns out I should have just looked at Sarah Addison Allen's website as she not only has some recipes from the book, but also has some other personality evaluations based on your coffee choices (click on the Not Just Fiction link).

Another fun thing is to input your coffee order into The Oracle of Starbucks which will tell you your personality type based on your coffee order. Somewhat predictably, my result said I was lame!

You would have to wonder what the Oracle would make of some of the following orders:






As an aside, if you want some really fun reads and haven't read Sarah Addison Allen, I would highly recommend them. They also tend to feature a lot of food related story telling with emphasis on the magic of food. For example, in one of her books, there is a character who bakes cakes that effect the mood of the town, and in another there is a caterer who uses different edible plants in her food. Claire from Garden Spells makes a cameo appearance in The Peach Keeper, and it was great to see her again.

 Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs.

Library Loot: April 27 to May 3

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Our local libraries were closed for 5 days over the Easter break and I have to tell you it was torture! When I went there early this morning it was apparent that I wasn't the only one who was missing the library as it was very, very busy!

This week I have decided to post about my reloot in particular a bit differently. Normally I put a small explanation as to why I am borrowing each book, but I am only going to do that with new loot from now on!

So here's my new loot:

Every Secret Thing by Emma Cole - Emma Cole is a pen name for Susanna Kearsley, so I just had to borrow this one. As soon as I have read this one though, that is it in terms of the books by her that I can access from the library!

Farewell to Lancashire by Anna Jacobs - I love a good saga, and this one is set in my home town of Perth, and is historical fiction, so ticks a lot of my reading boxes!

Bereft by Chris Womersley - This is the only one of the three novels shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Prize, which is possibly the most prestigious of Australia's literature prizes.

Reloot:

Claire is hosting the Mr Linky this week, so head on over to add your link so that we can come and see what loot you picked up from your library this week!

Teaser Tuesday: Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang

It's only fitting that for this final Tuesday of Aussie Author Month that my teaser for Teaser Tuesday comes from an Aussie author. It is also fitting that the day after Anzac Day, the book is set during WWII. 

The teaser comes from page 122 of Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang:

Slowly, carefully, she tucked the pouch into the corner of her suitcase. But at the same time she made a promise to herself: no matter what had been predicted, she was going to fight for JJ, fight to keep him, fight for their future together.

Isn't the cover on this book gorgeous! Even more so when you realise that the image comes from a photo of the author's mother!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out  all about it, and how to join in!