Contents of blog copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2023
I've been gone a while. I started reading fanfiction to escape and I got sucked in an abyss.

I have no idea if someone else is hosting similar challenges. I just grabbed some of what I have hosted before.

Here's to a happy year of great reading
Jan2023: Not much has changed. Writing a fanfiction now O_o as well as reading but I bought 7 new books in December and hope to get those read soon. Crossing fingers about adding challenges (late!)

Friday, July 17, 2009

Friday Finds

MizB at Should be Reading hosts the weekly event Friday Finds.
The idea is to share, every Friday, about books that you’ve recently discovered (never heard of before) that sounds really good!

Every Friday, those who have blogs will write a post at their own blog, and then come back and leave others a link to follow on that week’s “Friday Finds” post here at Should Be Reading. For those who don’t blog, you can just tell us about your “Friday Finds” in a comment on that week’s post. )

Let’s try to keep this clean… that’s all I ask, okay?

Clicked over from somebody's blog roll (sorry, don't remember where I was)....


Lourdes at Lost in Books recently (March is still recent, right?) reviewed The Savage Garden and gave it a 4.7. That's better than "a book I'd recommend" at 4.0 - it's almost a "Wow" at 5.0.



The setting is Tuscany in 1958, where a young art scholar is sent by his thesis adviser to study a Renaissance garden built by a Florentine banker in memory of his wife, who died in 1548 under mysterious circumstances.

She says it all very well so check out her post.

The Savage Garden
Mark Wills

Berkley Trade
May 6, 2008
352 pages ( 8 x 5.4 x 1 inches)

amazon.com's sales rank as of 6-28: #26,580 in Books

~amazon also has it at a bargain price under $5




I found this one at ChainReading.

"In the true spirit of storytelling, I listened to this on audio. It was a good choice--the author reads it brilliantly ... And, just a warning, I needed Kleenex at the end. I won't say if they were happy or sad tears."




This is available for audio download and on the kindle at amazon.

Publisher: Harper Paperback
Release date: February 5, 2008
pages: 576 (trade: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches)

amazon sales ranking: #13,858 in books
#49 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Family Saga

from amazon:
From Booklist
To paraphrase a World War I song, it's a long, long way to the end of Delaney's reland--in more ways than one. In 1951, Alison O'Mara cast out the "last" seanachi, a wandering storyteller who told stories from Irish history and myth to the household and neighbors in exchange for housing and food. The old man left, taking with him the family's peace, stirring up family tensions and secrets. By alternating folklore and historical stories with the story of the O'Mara family, Delaney paints a vivid portrait of the country and fits both storyteller and family into it. There's something for everyone in this book: newcomers to Irish history will relish the rich stories based on real and imagined characters, while readers familiar with tales of the old sod will plow through the stories to find out what happens with the O'Maras. Heavy publicity will ensure demand for this novel, which recalls the work of James Michener and will appeal to readers of family sagas and popular historical fiction. Ellen Loughran
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.



Being sent for me to review....

The Lie: A Novel
Fredrica Wagnar

Publisher: Zoland Books
Release Date: April 7, 2009
Pages: 224
Format: paperback ( 7.4 x 5 inches)

Ramona Smollens has a chance meeting on a park bench with an older man, Solomon Columbus. The two became lovers, and soon Ramona is leaving the home of her mother and recently deceased father for marriage and the trappings of adult life. She takes with her a dark family secret, the sort of secret one simply did not talk about, one that would stalk her as she matured into her role as wife and mother. Coming of age in 1950s America, Ramona gets her cues about a woman's role from the world around her, and about female sexuality from the silver screen. But when experience teaches her that Hollywood's ideal is in fact "the lie," truth and desire collide with a force that is deeply moving and unforgettable.


amazon's sales rank as of July 16: #1,403,663

4 comments:

gautami tripathy said...

Those are great finds!

Here are my Friday Finds

Jess said...

Savage Garden sounds like an interesting read, great finds!

jlshall said...

I remember hearing about The Savage Garden earlier this year, and thinking it sounded intriguing. Thanks for reminding me about it! Very nice finds.

Mary (Bookfan) said...

The Savage Garden grabs my attention. Thanks!

Disclaimer

In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Book Dragon's Lair. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won in some kind of contest, or received in exchange for an honest review.