Tag Archives: Alice Hoffman

February 26, 2013 · 7:39 am

Tammy’s Top Ten Authors On My Auto-Buy List

Top Ten Tuesday New copy

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! It’s been a while since I’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday, but I couldn’t pass up this week’s theme. It was hard to narrow the list down to ten authors, because there are many more than that whose books I buy the minute they’re released. But these ten, except for a couple of relatively new writers, are authors I’ve loved for many years and I don’t even think twice before purchasing their books. If you read this blog on a regular basis, I don’t think the first one will surprise you…

1Stephen King.  My very first book purchase Stephen Kingwith my own money was The Stand, and after that I never looked back. I’ve been collecting Stephen King for…many years! And yes, he’s had some duds, but I still love the man despite his flaws. Hey, isn’t that what love’s all about? Even bookish love??

2Joe Hill. Like father, like son—sort of.Joe Hill Joe Hill definitely got the talent genes from his father, but he’s got his own unique brand of horror. So far I haven’t been disappointed by anything he’s written. Not only does he write fiction, but he writes a pretty amazing graphic novel called Locke & Key. His latest NOS4A2 comes out this year!

3Dan Simmons. Words cannot express how muchDan I adore his books. Some of my fondest reading memories involve Dan Simmons novels. He’s one of those writers who can write just about any genre he wants to, and he does each one so well. He also has a new book coming out soon, but it might not be until 2014.

4Ann Patchett. When I read Bel Canto, I knew that I had discovered a very special writer. Although some of her earlier novels didn’t affect me as much, she seems to get better and better with each book she writes. Her latest novel, State of Wonder, was pretty amazing. If you haven’t read Bel Canto yet—well honestly, why haven’t you??

5Donna Tartt. Tartt takes ten years orDonna Tartt more to write each book, so she’s only written two books so far (and her third has just been announced). Even though I didn’t love her second book, The Little Friend, I would put her on my auto-buy list based on The Secret History. Seriously, anyone reading this that hasn’t read that book needs to do so, immediately!

6Christopher Moore. Moore is another authorChristopher Moore I’ve been collecting for more than twenty years. Since his first hysterically funny novel, Practical Demonkeeping, he’s had me hooked with his off-beat brand of humor and crazy story lines. In fact he’s one of the few humorous writers that actually makes me laugh:) Ah, Fluke, my very favorite Moore!

7J. K. Rowling. I’ll admit I still haven’t got J.K. Rowling around to reading The Casual Vacancy, but I will soon. Rowling is another author that grows with each book, and I love the fact that she can write children’s books and then turn around and write an adult book that is the complete opposite of Harry Potter.

8China Miéville. OK, this choice may seem odd China Mieville, because Miéville’s written two books that I just couldn’t finish. But he’s also written some of my all-time favorites, and I can’t ignore the fact that he just might write another one! So because of Perdido Street Station and The Scar, he makes my list.

9Laini Taylor. You may know her for Laini TaylorDaughter of Smoke & Bone and Days of Blood & Starlight, but Taylor has written other gorgeously written, carefully crafted novels as well. Her writing is what draws me in, and her characters are what keep me reading.

10Alice Hoffman. My first Alice Hoffman bookAlice Hoffman was Turtle Moon, and I was enchanted by her quirky characters and magical stories. I wanted my life to be like a Hoffman novel, and so I’ve read pretty much everything she’s written. I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear about your “auto-buy authors”!

13 Comments

Filed under Top Ten Tuesday

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

December 31, 2011 · 8:44 am

Tammy’s Top Ten Books of 2011 I Never Got to Read But Wanted To

It’s a sad truth: there is never enough time to read everything I want to.  But look!  You can see from the above photo that I own all ten books.  It’s not like I couldn’t find them at the library!   Kids, husband, dogs, life…they all try to pull me away from reading.  They want to be fed (kids).  They want their laundry done (husband).  They want to be walked and given duck treats (dogs).  Often when I finally lie down to read, I am interrupted.  Such is life, I guess. And so, like many readers, I end up with a very big “to be read” pile of books.

This post has been revamped for The Broke and the Bookish‘s Top Ten Tuesday, so my apologies if you’ve read this already.  This week’s “theme” is a Freebie, whatever top ten list you want to share!

These are the top ten that I really wanted to read this year but just didn’t get to:

1.  FLASHBACK by Dan Simmons. (Little, Brown & Company, 2011)  I love Dan Simmons. He’s written two of my favorite books of all time (Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion). Flashback is a set in a future America where most people are addicted to a drug called flashback, which allows the user to relive the best times of their lives.  It’s the story of a cop who is trying to solve a murder.  It’s long, but I will make time to read this book:)

2. THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler. (Razorbill, 2011)  This was one of my weekly recommendations.  It’s the story of two teens in 1996 who log onto AOL on their computer one day, only to see themselves on Facebook—15 years in the future.

3. THE TAKER by Alma Katsu. (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Press, 2011)  The plot sounds confusing, but this book has had some great reviews.  It’s a supernatural tale of unrequited love and redemption.  And has a character that appears to be immortal.

4. THE MARRIAGE PLOT by Jeffrey Eugenides. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011)  Despite the really ugly cover (apologies to the book designer!), I’m betting this is great. I’ve read mixed reviews, but I’m a big Eugenides fan, so I’m looking forward to finally (someday) reading it.

5. THE DOVEKEEPERS by Alice Hoffman. (Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 2011)  Enough said.

6.  THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME by Donald Ray Pollock. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2011).  This book has had comparisons to Oliver Stone and Flannery O’Connor. Wow! It is set in rural West Virginia and is filled with odd, violent, and damaged characters. Sign me up!

7.  VAMPIRE EMPIRE: BOOK ONE: THE GREYFRIAR by Clay Griffith. (Pyr, 2010)  Book Two was published in 2011, so I’m really behind on this series. It’s received rave reviews and is a steampunk novel set in an alternate England in the year 2020.  A book with vampires and princesses, how can I resist?

8.  ROBOPOCALYPSE by Daniel H. Wilson. (Doubleday, 2011)  In a nutshell, robots take over the planet.  Humans vs. technology is always entertaining.

9.  SKIPPY DIES  by Paul Murray.  (Hamish Hamilton, 2010)  This book also came out in 2010 and has been languishing on my TBR pile for almost two years now. I believe it’s a sleeper and one of these days the movie will come out and everyone will be scrambling to read the book.

10.  DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth.  (Katherine Tegen Books, 2011)  This book is on almost everyone’s top ten list in the young adult category.  The second book in the series, Insurgent, comes out in May 2012. so I need to read this soon. It’s one of many dystopian novels that came out this year, but from what I’ve heard it’s better than most.

In case you missed it, here is my Top Ten list of my favorite books of 2011 that I actually read.

So, here’s to catching up…and here’s to 2012!  Happy New Year, everyone!

5 Comments

Filed under Top Ten

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 20, 2011 · 10:18 am

Book Into Movie: AQUAMARINE

I’m going back a few years for this one, but Aquamarine was on TV last week, and I was reminded how much I love this movie.  Yes, it’s mostly for preteens and has lots of silly preteen moments, but at heart it’s a sweet story about friendship and selflessness.

If you’ve seen Aquamarine, you may not know it’s based on a book by Alice Hoffman.  Ms. Hoffman, in fact, has written several books for the middle grade crowd, and they are all worth reading.  Scholastic Press did a lovely edition of Aquamarine in 2001 (shown here), and although this version can only be found on Ebay these days, you can still buy it in paperback.  The book is short and spare and merely a sketch of the film version, but it can be read in an hour, and the premise is mostly the same.  Hailey and Claire are twelve years old and have been friends their whole lives. This summer, however, is their last together, as Claire is about to move away with her grandparents.  They spend the hot days of summer at a run-down beach club, mooning over Raymond who works at the club snack shop.  One day after a violent storm, they discover something amazing:  a mermaid has washed up from the ocean and landed in the club swimming pool.  Now the girls must find a way to get Aquamarine back home before she “turns to dust.”  Hoffman’s beautiful prose perfectly evokes the strangeness of the mermaid and the emotional heartbreak of leaving someone you love.

The movie expands on the book’s simple plot, but the message of true friendship remains intact. I recommend both, and I guarantee after reading Aquamarine you will want to check out more of Alice Hoffman’s young adult books, which you can find here.

Her latest for adults is The Dovekeepers.

1 Comment

Filed under Book Into Movie

Tagged as , ,

October 12, 2011 · 9:43 am

Curse of the Bestsellers

I love Entertainment Weekly. I even subscribe to it.  But I’ve noticed something disturbing lately, and I want to explain myself.

Entertainment Weekly covers the Big Four of entertainment: Movies, TV, Music and Books.  I love movies and TV. And if you’ve read any of this blog before, you know I love books.  (I love music too, but I don’t really follow the music industry. I just don’t have time for everything, you know?)  As far as “popular” entertainment magazines go, EW has a fantastic book review staff.  I am always eager to see what the hot books are for the week. But as I am a pretty busy person, I usually get around to reading my EW about a week after it comes out, and by that time, it’s too late.

You see, many of my “Read Me!” selections seem to wind up on EW‘s list as well.  And I want to set the record straight: I am not culling my list of recommended books from EW.  Coincidentally, I happen to have the same sensibility about books that their book review editors have.  For example, in the latest issue, the one pictured here, they mention not one, not two, but three books that have appeared, or will appear, on this blog.  Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot was my recommendation this week. I recently listed Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor as “Currently Reading.”  And much to my chagrin, my pick for next week also appears here: Zone One by Colson Whitehead.  Colson Whitehead isn’t even a bestselling author, and yet here he is, getting the number two spot in “Books” for the week of October 14th.  I’m baffled. I’m pissed. I’ve known about Zone One for months!  EW is scooping me.

Go back a week to the previous issue and you’ll see the “main pick” of the week is The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.  Need I remind you that I recommended The Dovekeepers last week?  And last month I reviewed The Night Circus, which, yes, appeared larger than life in a recent edition of EW.

So what does this tell us about Tammy, you ask?  Is she hung up on bestsellers?  Is she going for the popular book pick?  The answer is a resounding “NO!”  My goal when I started this blog was to expose readers to books and authors that I love.  To introduce you to writers you may never have heard of before.  To share magical reading moments with you.  If some of the books I love turn out to be bestsellers, well, there’s not much I can do about that. Although the word “bestseller” leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, I can’t help but be pleased when good writers who write good books get the credit they deserve.

So if you’ve never heard of Colson Whitehead, chances are you soon will.  And not because Entertainment Weekly has featured his new book, but because you, loyal reader, will read about him here. Next week. Stay tuned.

1 Comment

Filed under Ruminations

Tagged as , , , , ,

October 4, 2011 · 10:04 am

Read Me! THE CAT’S TABLE & THE DOVEKEEPERS – Recommended Reading

Fall is always a busy time for publishing, it seems.  Best-selling authors oftentimes release their latest and greatest in the fall. I mean, when was the last time Stephen King didn’t release a novel in October or November? (And yes, he has a new novel coming out this fall. More on that later.)  This week two favorites of mine are back and I hope you’ll check them out as well.  The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje follows an eleven-year-old boy in the 1950′s who takes a sea voyage to England. Here’s what some reviewers are saying:

“The Cat’s Table is an exquisite example of the richness that can   flourish in the gaps between fact and fiction…. It is an adventure story, it is a meditation on power, memory, art, childhood, love and loss. It displays a technique so formidable as to seem almost playful. It is one of those rare books that one could reread an infinite number of times, and always find something new within its pages.”
—London Evening Standard

 
“[Ondaatje] is justly recognised as a master of literary craft….As we read into The Cat’s Table the story becomes more complex, more deadly, with an increasing sense of lives twisted awry, of misplaced devotion….The novel tells of a journey from childhood to the adult world, as well as a passage from the homeland to another country…. All that was seen and experienced, is carried ashore by the passengers in memories, damaged psyches, degrees of loss, evanescent joy and reordered lives.”
—Annie Proulx, The Guardian

I have been reading Alice Hoffman since a friend gave me a paperback copy of Turtle Moon many years ago.  I love her lyricism and the dreamlike quality she brings to her writing.  I don’t think I have ever been disappointed in an Alice Hoffman book, and I doubt I ever will be.  Her latest, The Dovekeepers, is out today. Goodreads can describe it better than I can: “In 70 CE, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on a mountain in the Judean desert, Masada. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic historical event, Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary, bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path. Yael’s mother died in childbirth, and her father never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker’s wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her twin grandsons, rendered mute by their own witness. Aziza is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and expert marksman, who finds passion with another soldier. Shirah is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege, as the Romans draw near. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets—about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.”

And a few glowing reviews:

“Beautiful, harrowing, a major contribution to twenty-first century literature.”—Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate in Literature

“In her remarkable new novel, Alice Hoffman holds a mirror to our ancient past as she explores the contemporary themes of sexual desire, women’s solidarity in the face of strife, and the magic that’s quietly present in our day-to-day living. Put The Dovekeepers at the pinnacle of Hoffman’s extraordinary body of work. I was blown away.” —Wally Lamb, author of The Hour I First Believed

Better start reading! There are a lot more recommendations coming this fall…

3 Comments

Filed under Just Released

Tagged as , , , , ,