Lily and the Octopus

Back in July 2013, I posted a review of 'The Rosie Project', a book I absolutely adored. 

It's been a while since I've come across a story like that.  A story that doesn't ask a lot of my poor, frazzled brain; except to smile, nod my head, and laugh a little bit.  It became a book worth recommending, and I couldn't stop talking about it.

Now, much to my delight, I've found another such story. But this one tugged at my heart quite often.  There was a point, however, when I had to step away from it.  I knew what was coming, and I had to disengage myself for a short time. It brought back memories of my beloved Molly and the ones who came before her.

But 'Lily and the Octopus', written by Steven Rowley, is a novel that will also take you totally by surprise.  It's funny, it's thoughtful and sensitive, it's engaging.  Most of all, it's precious. Yes, precious.  Many reviewers consider it a cross between The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Life of Pi; both stories asked for a lot of emotional investment, and they were richer for it. 'Lily...' asks much the same.

It's about the little dance of love and forgiveness between a man and his beloved, aging dog, Lily.


I cannot say enough about it.  Honestly, I really can't say enough about it because I don't want to ruin it for you.  

When it comes out in June, please read it.  Recommend it to friends and family.  This wonderful story deserves to land in front of as many hearts-and-minds as possible.

Thank you, Steven Rowley, for hitting me in the gut with a story I won't soon forget.  





'Lily and the Octopus', by Steven Rowley, will be published in early June 2016 by Simon & Schuster.  Book Hog would like the thank the publisher for letting her read such a phenomenal story in advance of publication.

Ink and Bone

I think I'm in love.

Not love in the romantic sense.  More like, I love this story.  I love this author (but not in a romantic sense, remember?).  I squeal with delight whenever I find that a beloved author has a new book coming out, and better yet, one that will be a great Summer read.

Spencer Quinn's 'Chet & Bernie' books. Anything by 'Little Stevie' King.  David Mitchell (his latest, 'Slade House', is the creepiest, weirdest story I've ever read).  Kate Morton. Charlaine Harris.  Neil Gaiman.  I could name more, but for now, I want to concentrate on Lisa Unger.

Yes, Lisa Unger.  Lisa Unger, the phenomenal author of stories that are a combination of horror and thriller.  Yes, there is a difference.  And Unger has a gift for bringing them together in a way that works very well.

Finley, the young psychic in her newest novel, 'Ink and Bone', finds that her gift is becoming too big for her to handle, so she runs to her grandmother, Eloise, a well-known psychic who assists the local detective, Jones Cooper, in investigations in The Hollows, New York.  Finley's lover and tattoo artist, Rainer, follows her there, and although she isn't pleased about it, she's quietly grateful that he did.  

Drawn into the case where a little girl went missing while she and her family were on vacation in The Hollows, Finley works with Cooper, and finds that the voices in her head are stronger than ever.  It is up to her to locate the little girl and find closure for the dead who are drawn to her.

But just when you think you know what's around the corner, or how the story will end, Unger throws us for a loop.  Things aren't always what they seem, and in this story, nothing could be truer.  

Author Lisa Unger

If you love a good thriller, especially one mixed with some good horror, read 'Ink and Blood'.

And the little twist near the end will take you by surprise.










'Ink and Bone', written by Lisa Unger, will be published in June 2016, by Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster.  

Every Heart a Doorway

I think that many of us have a secret fantasy world.

Some have a 'Fifty Shades of Gray'-type thing going on.  But most of my friends and family have Hogwarts, Narnia, Wonderland...  The list of fantasy worlds may be endless, but there are some who are creating new worlds right now.

The Syfy channel is currently ending the first season run of 'The Magicians', the first book in Lev Grossman's phenomenal trilogy.  It's dark, it's very adult, and it's rather amazing.  In my opinion, the series is like a cross between Harry Potter, Narnia, and Less Than Zero.

However, I like my fantasy worlds to be a bit lighter in tone.  I prefer a bit of humor, a bit of fantastical magic, a bit of humanity.  If I had the choice, I'd be in Hogwarts.  

  

But what happens when one leaves their chosen fantasy world?  That is addressed in Seanan McGuire's new novel, 'Every Heart a Doorway'.  I waited for it for what seemed like forever, and once I got it home, I finished it in two hours; no lie.  I loved it.  Tor.com even has a chart based on McGuire's types of fantasy worlds; 'Logical', 'Netherworld', 'Nonsense', etc.  

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions---slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe.  Or a suitcase with a stairway. Even down a rabbit hole.

But what happens after the children are sent back to the 'real world'?  The children attending 'Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children' know all too well.  Each of them are seeking a way back into their magical worlds...even Miss West.  

Something dark, however, is threatening the school.  After tragedy occurs, the newest student, Nancy, and her new-found friends must get to the heart of the matter.

I love the characters.  So finely-drawn, so memorable.  Some shine, some are so dark.  But it is Nancy, the girl who went to the Halls of the Dead, who I remember most.  The girl who can stand as still as a statue.  The girl who is given the chance to make sure she wants to stay in the Halls of the Dead forever.  McGuire has given us a character who is meant for another time and place, yet is a fish-out-of-water in our reality.  She's a girl on the brink of womanhood, and more courageous than she realizes.

Author Seanan McGuire

Yes, it's a dark tale, and your heart will break while reading about children who had found their true happiness, but had it wrenched away. Although it's only about 169 pages long, it's a well-written tale about discovery, tragedy, and yearning.  

An excellent fable for our time.

'Every Heart a Doorway', written by Seanan McGuire, and published by Tom Doherty Assoc. (Tor Books), is available at your local library and favorite bookstore.  ISBN 978-0-7653-8550-5

'The Passenger'

A few years ago, while happily reading the first book in Lisa Lutz's wonderful 'Spellman' mystery series, I became hooked on the witty, sarcastic dialogue, and the great character interactions. "What a strange family," I thought.  "I want to be them".  I still wish I could meet the narrator, Isabell Spellman.  To this day, I can't say enough about the series; it's still a point-of-pride knowing that I introduced many friends and customers to the books.

And now I can't say enough about Lisa Lutz's new book, 'The Passenger'.

But this isn't 'The Spellmans'.  It's dead serious, dear reader; 'dead' being the key word.

It's so good that I read it in one sitting; on the sofa, not caring what time it was.  It pulled me in and wouldn't let me go. Sure...that statement may be a total cliché, but it's true in this case.

Each chapter is headed by each name used by the woman-on-the-run protagonist, Tanya Dubois.

Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband's body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair, and flees town.  And it's not the first time.

On the road, she meets Blue, a woman who recognizes the haunted look in Tanya's eyes.  They form an uneasy, yet necessary, alliance.  But who is Blue? A kindred spirit?  Or someone with nefarious designs?

There are so many twists-and-turns in this story, and if you're paying attention, you'll enjoy the ride.  Lutz has a gift for creating characters you want to explore, but they are soon left behind, and for that, you feel very sad.

The story runs at an amazing pace, yet along the way, I found myself learning more about her backstory (and her clever ways of obtaining identifications); the hair colors and cuts were firmly set in my mind, giving me a solid picture of each of her aliases.

So much of the story is breathtaking, chancy, she'sonthevergeofgettingcaught. She works hard to find places in which to hide, and you long for her to obtain some freedom, if only for a little while.  It's heartbreaking when she has to leave everything behind as she makes yet another getaway.

Author Lisa Lutz

But when she decides to go back home to 'face the music', that's when the answers are revealed.  The pieces come together as you finally learn why she's on the run, and you meet the characters who were only hinted at in previous chapters.  It all comes down to secrets being exposed...and then the surprise ending.  

And that epilogue....it was totally worth it.

I'm happy that Lisa Lutz has given us the gift of another fine creation.

I can't say enough.



'The Passenger', written by Lisa Lutz (author of the incredible 'Spellman' series) is now available at your favorite bookstore and local library.  Book Hog would like to thank Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this pre-publication! 

'Hide'

It's not often that I find a story that truly stays with me; a story full of tenderness and a feeling of frustration.

I find that story in my real life.  I am not a 'young one'.  I'm heading into my sixties, a time I wish to warn the young ones about.  A time that lends me frustration with my partner; my love.  He does things that really, really piss me off.

I've learned that it really doesn't matter what gender or persuasion that I cling to.  I'm heterosexual, and my husband makes me crazy.  Really, really crazy. When you're a 'caretaker', life takes a more than casual spin.

He makes me as crazy as the partner, Frank, in the fantastic new novel, 'Hide', written by Matthew Griffin.  I love this story because I can truly relate to it.  No matter the gender, no matter the orientation.  We are merely humans, first, aren't we?

I can relate to Wendell, Frank's partner.  And I find that love is love.

Wendell and Frank meet at the end of World War II, when Frank returns home to their North Carolina town. Soon he's loitering around Wendell's taxidermy shop, and the two come to understand their connection as love-a love that, in this time and place, can hold real danger. 

Cutting nearly all ties with the rest of the world, they make a home for themselves on the outskirts of town, a string of beloved dogs for company. Wendell cooks, Frank cares for the yard, and together they enjoy the vicarious drama of courtroom TV.

But when Wendell finds Frank lying outside among their tomatoes at the age of eighty-three, he feels a new threat to their careful self-reliance. As Frank's physical strength and his memory deteriorate, the two of them must fully confront the sacrifices they've made for each other-and the impending loss of the life they've built.

I cried throughout this tender love story.  It is written so well, and the characters could almost be anyone I know (you know who you are...).  Except for the fact that they must hide their love.  It made me mad.

It pissed me off, actually.

Author Matthew Griffin

There is, however, one passage that totally surprised me, but I will not divulge it.  Let's just say that I didn't see it coming.  I cried like a baby, and for that, I'm a bit upset at the author. I loved the small character of Daisy. Let's not see that in your second brilliant novel, okay?

If you love love, no matter what.  If you don't care what the world thinks.  If love is love, in your world.

Read this.  Love should never have to hide.

It must be shown to the world.  Thank you, Mr. Griffin. Book Hog loves 'Hide'.

'Hide', written by Matthew Griffin, can be found in your local library and favorite bookstore.  Book Hog loves it, and so will you!

'The Immortals'

Mythology has always interested me.  Be it in a comic/graphic novel universe, an ancient civilization, or even a children's book series.  Not all of it centers around religion.

But the book I just finished does center around religion, albeit an ancient one.

'The Immortals', a new book written by Jordanna Max Brodsky, takes ancient Greek mythology and turns it on it's ear.  It's the first in a series, and after experiencing great satisfaction in reading it, I'm anxious for more.

The city sleeps as Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson river. She enjoys her solitary existence; she doesn't have friends, and she doesn't speak to her family.  Most of of them are simply too dangerous.

During her walk, she finds the body of a young woman that has been gruesomely mutilated and wearing a laurel wreath. Selene's ancient rage arises, and so does the memory of a promise she made long ago---when her name was Artemis.

This book was recommended to me, and once I held it in my hands, I wasn't sure if I had the time to do my customary 'plopping down on the sofa' and devoting a couple of hours to the story. 


But I did.  And I was pleasantly surprised.  Brodsky is a good writer; she keeps up the frenetic pace, and really knows her Greek mythology.  The story is set in our time, and Greek gods and semi-gods are walking the earth, no longer important idols.  As the centuries pass and civilization forgets about them, their powers lessen, while their anger grows.

As most scholars (and fans) of Greek mythology know, Artemis was the Huntress, and the twin sister of Apollo. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. But in this story, Selene-Artemis is given a chance to narrate her own life. She chose chastity, but fell in love with Orion.  She was the goddess of the natural environment, yet lived in the city where she spent the last of her days.

Author Jordanna Max Brodsky

At first, I didn't have much sympathy for her (Artemis was a rather aloof goddess), but when I learned that her current passion for helping women in distress was her life choice, I grew to respect her.  After a slow start, the story began to move, and with it, more characters were introduced.  Theo Schultz, a professor of mythology, comes into her orbit; Helen, the murdered woman was once his lover and a colleague.  As the story progresses, Theo and Selene set off to find Helen's murderer, and in doing so, discover that an ancient ceremony is taking place, one which offers up human sacrifices. 

Jordanna Brodsky 'knows her stuff', and it's a wonderful education for the reader.  

But, most of all, it's so damned interesting.


    

'The Immortals', first in the 'Olympus Bound' series by Jordanna Max Brodsky, is available at your local library and favorite bookstore. 
ISBN 9780316347181

'Pax'

I should know better than to read stories about animals.

They reach in and tear out my heart, even if the story is fiction.

One that comes to mind is 'Pax', the story of a little fox and his boy, written by the wonderful children's author, Sara Pennypacker.

You see, the problem I have with animal stories is that the animal usually dies, and I cannot handle the grief.  I end up on the couch, crying my stupid eyes out, while my cats circle me and wonder when I'm going to feed them.  Every time I'm in a bookstore, or the library, and find an animal book, I always ask if the animal dies.  Most know better than to tell me.

'Pax' is a wonderful story about, as I said before, a little fox and his human boy.  The boy saved the fox when it was just a kit, and it lived with Peter and his father.  It had no taste for the wild, aside from various animals milling about the yard while Pax was in his cage.

But when Peter's father enlists in the military, he makes Peter return Pax to the wild.  Although Peter ends up living with his grandfather, who lives 300 miles away, he strikes out on his own to find his beloved companion.

While Peter continues on his journey back home, Pax keeps a look-out for his boy, and finds adventures of his own.

Author Sara Pennypacker

This is such a gently-written story, so full of love and compassion.  Peter and Pax make a remarkable pair, although they are separated for most of the story.  But the 'not knowing' hit me hard; I wanted to read ahead, but the story deserved my fullest attention.  It is very compelling and full of suspense.  

Writing a children's story is hard work, and much care goes into it.  There are lessons to be taught, and lessons that are learned.

And, in this case, tears that are shed for a story that will be cherished for generations to come.


'Pax', written by Sara Pennypacker, is available at your local library and favorite bookstore.  ISBN 9780062377012.  Ms. Pennypacker is the award-winning author of the 'Flat Stanley'  and 'Clementine' series, along with many other stories for children.