elevenpages

Spring for Susannah - Catherine Richmond

2011-07-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Title:Spring for Susannah
Author: Catherine Richmond
Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Pages: 352
Source: Litfuse Publicity Group
Format:paperback
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "'Fourth Siding,' the conductor yelled as he trundled down the aisle. 'Your stop, miss.'"
Overall rating:

         When her parents die suddenly, and no suitors call, Susannah resigns herself to the only option available: becoming a mail-order bride. Agreeing to marry her pastor's brother, Jesse, Susannah leaves the only home she's ever known for the untamed frontier of the Dakota Territory.
          Her new husband is more loving and patient with her than she believes she deserves. Still, there is also a wilderness to him that mirrors the wilderness surrounding them. And Susannah finds herself constantly on edge. But Jesse's confidence in her - and his faith in God's perfect plan - slowly begin to chip away at the wall she hides behind.
          When she miscarries in the brutal Dakota winter, Susannah's fledgling faith in herself and in God begins to crumble. Still, Jesse's love is unwavering. Just when it seems like winter will never end, Susannah finally sees the first tentative evidence of spring. And with it, the realization that more than the landscape has changed.
           She looks to the future with a renewed heart. Yet in her wildest dreams, she couldn't predict all that awaits her.

            Spring for Susannah is a well written historical Christian romance novel. This is just the generalized genre, however, and I would say that this book breaks the mold and becomes much more than a standard Christian romance novel.
             Susannah is an enjoyable and relatable character, despite being a timid woman attempting to adjust from a comfortable life to being a mail-order bride in a shack on the desolate Dakota frontier. She is understandably shy much of the time but also strong in surprising ways. Jesse couldn't be a better husband to her and although it takes Susannah time to come out of her shell, it becomes clear that the two fit really well together. The two worked together to overcome what each was going through. The time period is fascinating and the author's research paid off.
             I found some pieces to be too cheesy for my taste, as it is with many romance novels. I also found that the transitions between events were rushed and often times confusing. Things would end and begin abruptly without much notice or explanation. This would make it so that it took me some time and flipping pages before I realized what was going on. The transitions over all, could have been more clear.
            The time Jesse spent missing was also confusing. I'm still not entirely sure what happened while he was away, even though there were accounts from his point of view.
            Overall, I would say that Spring for Susannah is a unique novel with components like time period and characters that work well together.

You can visit Catherine Richmond's website here.

Pearl - Jo Knowles

2011-06-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Title: Pearl

Author: Jo Knowles
Publication Date: July 19, 2011
Pages: 224
Source: Banned Book Tours
Format: ARC
Publisher: Henry Holt
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "Henry and I get comfortable in our usual Days of Our Non Lives positions on his mother's scratchy plaid couch in their tiny living room."
Overall rating:

Bean (née Pearl) and Henry, misfits and best friends, have the strangest mothers in town. Henry’s mom Sally never leaves the house. Bean’s mom Lexie, if she is home, is likely nursing a hangover or venting to her friend Claire about Bean’s beloved grandfather Gus, the third member of their sunny household. Gus’s death unleashes a host of family secrets that brings them all together. And they threaten to change everything—including Bean’s relationship with Henry, her first friend, and who also might turn out to be her first love.

I absolutely love this book. The characters, the plot, the overall warm feeling I got from it.

Henry and Bean are such true to life fifteen-year-olds and I really felt for them and their situations. I thought Knowles did a fantastic job of portraying the various characters and although I was annoyed with Bean's mom and some of the others, I saw them as truly identifiable characters with really great detail.

The story was unique and interesting with a dramatic spin. The book made me want to be a teacher just so I could have my students read this book. I think it's a relatable story that students would appreciate.

This is a coming of age story about two fifteen-year-olds stuck in a small town with no dads and not very reliable moms. I see that this book has received some stigma for the controversial issues that it covers but I absolutely loved it. I thought it was real and something that needs to be covered in YA fiction. It's life.

Pearl made me want to run out and grab any and all of Jo Knowles' other books. I look forward to reading them because if Pearl is any indication, she is a great writer.

You can visit Jo Knowles' website here.

Dirty Blood - Heather Hildenbrand

2011-06-13T00:02:00.000-07:00

Title: Dirty Blood
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Publication Date: April 7, 2011
Pages: 288
Source: Received from author for Indie Author Month
Format: ebook
Publisher: self-published
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "'C'mon Tara, you didn't even give tonight a fair chance,' George said."
Overall rating:

I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.

Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.

Like most others, I really can't get too excited at the thought of reading another werewolf novel. This one, however, started out with a bang and ended up pleasantly surprising me as I moved forward. I felt like the details of the werewolf plot were unique enough to be more than just another werewolf novel. I enjoyed the concept behind 'The Cause' and Tara's role within it. That being said, there were also a few details on the other side of the spectrum that were a bit too close for comfort to other YA books out there. This can be a little weird but I managed to generally overlook the similar details. The book has both cliches and fresh plot details.

I liked Tara as a character as whole but some of the things she did ended up annoying me! She was newly exposed to this world and often got very angry that the others kept things from her and tried so hard to keep her safe. This often led to tantrums and Tara running off to do really dumb, dangerous things.This made me want to yell at her but the other characters were sometimes able to do that for me.

Wes, Tara's love interest, was a likable character and while their love storyline was alright, I would have enjoyed seeing a true connection. It seems too often that love stories in books are chemical or scientific bonds from the very first moment that the two meet. That almost seems like a cheap, easy way for the relationship to form.

I enjoyed the plot twists and the scenes in which Tara used her skills, and while the ending did leave me hanging, I realize that this is the first book in a series and a second book is on its way. If you're into werewolves, I would recommend Dirty Blood as a book with an interesting spin and an exciting plot.

You can visit Heather Hildenbrand's website here.

Visit the host of Indie Author Month - The YA Fairy.

Six Moon Summer - S.M. Reine

2011-06-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Title: Six Moon Summer
Author: S.M. Reine
Publication Date: April 29, 2011
Pages:198
Source: Received from author for Indie Author Month
Format: ebook
Publisher: self-published
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "Empty buses idled in the parking lot at the bottom of Gray Mountain."
Overall rating:

Rylie's parents are going through a messy divorce. They send her to summer camp to get her out of the way of their fighting lawyers, but she's just as miserable at the girls' camp as she was at home-- there's nothing vegetarian for her to eat at the mess hall, she hates hiking and archery, and the other campers taunt Rylie mercilessly. One night, the bullying goes too far, and Rylie runs away. She doesn't get far. It's a full moon, and she isn't alone in the forest. A wild animal mauls her. She's certain she won't survive. Instead of dying, she wakes up unharmed in her cabin the next morning. The only sign that something has changed are the healed scars on her chest, her increasingly keen senses, and her sudden craving for raw, bloody meat. A boy from the other camp seems to know what's happening to her, but Rylie isn't sure if she can trust herself with Seth. Rylie soon learns that she only has until the end of summer before she becomes just like the monster that attacked her: a man-eating werewolf hungry for human flesh. Unless she can find a cure, she's only six moons away from transforming forever and losing her life to the hunger...

      Six Moon Summer is a pretty quick read about a girl named Rylie and her time spent at a summer camp. This is another story about a girl and some werewolves and the whole story line seems pretty overdone and played out. I did, however, find the ending to be the best part of the book so that is something to look forward to.
      I found the storyline to be fairly underdeveloped, as well as the characters. This is a very short book and I think it could be improved by it being fleshed out a bit so there could be more development. Things moved fast and many major plot occurrences were told in a single sentence or two. I thin more pages could have been devoted to certain parts, as there is definitely room for the novel to be longer.
       Rylie as a character improves throughout the novel, going from being highly unlikable towards the beginning, to much better by the end. The actions that she took really allowed me to like her character a lot better. Seth was a good addition to the story, if not just a little predictable.
       Overall, I would say that the plot is good. Underdeveloped, yes. And as a werewolf novel, a bit overplayed, yes. Despite these minor details that could be easily fixed in the writing process, I was interested in finding out what happened to Rylie and the storyline did keep me going.

You can visit S.M. Reine's website here.

Visit the host of Indie Author Month - The YA Fairy.

Indie Author Month Kick-Off

2011-05-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, I'm back! The end of the semester and finals were killing me for a few weeks but now I am officially on summer vacation. This means I am able to devote the time necessary to Eleven Pages! I've still been reading when I can and checking my news feed so I'm still in the loop. I've just missed posting reviews and things! Eleven Pages is back in full swing.
This return will start with the beginning of Indie Author Month, an event hosted by The YA Fairy in which a few blogs will review the same four books by indie authors. There will be author interviews, contests and reviews - all that fun stuff. And I must say that these authors are amazing and their books have blown me away so far.

I'd like to give a warm welcome to the authors and books we'll be spotlighting throughout the month.

The authors are: Sara Reine, Heather Hildenbrand, Jennifer Sommersby and Lazette Gifford.

The books are:Six Moon Summer, Dirty Blood, Sleight and Silky.

I'm excited for this month and I hope you enjoy!

Chevy Stevens Event Going on Now!

2011-05-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Chevy Stevens, author of Still Missing, is currently having an online chat on BookTrib! Still Missing is a fantastic thriller and I cannot wait for Chevy's second book, Never Knowing to be released on July 5th. Head over to BookTrib and the chat is on their home page!

You can also find my review of Still Missing here

Book Blogger Hop 04/30

2011-04-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to elevenpages if this is your first time around here! I'm Jenna and I'm always looking for new blogs to follow. I've got a few really cool features and reviews coming within the next week, so keep an eye out and feel free to follow the blog!

"Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan! I discovered this book through NetGalley and now cannot wait to read it. It will be released on June 9, 2011. The story sounds amazing and the cover is gorgeous.

A moving and insightful debut novel of great friendship interrupted. Can the relationship survive when the memories are gone?

Marissa Rogers never wanted to be an alpha; beta suited her just fine. Taking charge without taking credit had always paid off: vaulting her to senior editor at a glossy magazine; keeping the peace with her critical, weight-obsessed mother; and enjoying the benefits of being best friends with gorgeous, charismatic, absolutely alpha Julia Ferrar.

And then Julia gets hit by a cab. She survives with minor obvious injuries, but brain damage steals her memory and alters her personality, possibly forever. Suddenly, Marissa is thrown into the role of alpha friend. As Julia struggles to regain her memory- dredging up issues Marissa would rather forget, including the fact that Julia asked her to abandon the love of her life ten years ago- Marissa's own equilibrium is shaken.

With the help of a dozen girls, she reluctantly agrees to coach in an after-school running program. There, Marissa uncovers her inner confidence and finds the courage to reexamine her past and take control of her future.

The Art of Forgetting is a story about the power of friendship, the memories and myths that hold us back, and the delicate balance between forgiving and forgetting.

Amazon

Let me know which summer 2011 release you're most excited for!

E-Book Deal Alert

2011-04-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Jenna Black's Glimmerglass is on sale in e-book format for only $2.99! This is a great deal for a very good young adult book, the first in the Faeriewalker series.

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Enjoy!

2011 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Fiction

2011-04-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced! I love Pulitzers because they recognize both journalism and the arts - both of which I am very interested in! The 2011 winner in fiction is Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad.

Jennifer Egan's spellbinding interlocking narratives circle the lives of Bennie Salazar, an aging former punk rocker and record executive, and Sasha, the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Although Bennie and Sasha never discover each other's pasts, the reader does, in intimate detail, along with the secret lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs, over many years, in locales as varied as New York, San Francisco, Naples, and Africa.
We first meet Sasha in her mid-thirties, on her therapist's couch in New York City, confronting her long-standing compulsion to steal. Later, we learn the genesis of her turmoil when we see her as the child of a violent marriage, then as a runaway living in Naples, then as a college student trying to avert the suicidal impulses of her best friend. We plunge into the hidden yearnings and disappointments of her uncle, an art historian stuck in a dead marriage, who travels to Naples to extract Sasha from the city's demimonde and experiences an epiphany of his own while staring at a sculpture of Orpheus and Eurydice in the Museo Nazionale. We meet Bennie Salazar at the melancholy nadir of his adult life -- divorced, struggling to connect with his nine-year-old son, listening to a washed-up band in the basement of a suburban house -- and then revisit him in 1979, at the height of his youth, shy and tender, reveling in San Francisco's punk scene as he discovers his ardor for rock and roll and his gift for spotting talent. We learn what became of his high school gang -- who thrived and who faltered -- and we encounter Lou Kline, Bennie's catastrophically careless mentor, along with the lovers and children left behind in the wake of Lou's far-flung sexual conquests and meteoric rise and fall.
A Visit from the Goon Squad is a book about the interplay of time and music, about survival, about the stirrings and transformations set inexorably in motion by even the most passing conjunction of our fates. In a breathtaking array of styles and tones ranging from tragedy to satire to PowerPoint, Egan captures the undertow of self-destruction that we all must either master or succumb to; the basic human hunger for redemption; and the universal tendency to reach for both -- and escape the merciless progress of time -- in the transporting realms of art and music. Sly, startling, exhilarating work from one of our boldest writers.

Have any of you read this? It's been on my To Be Read list for a while now. Egan's got quite a few books out and I've heard good things about many of them. This makes me want to read A Visit From the Goon Squad even more!

Flavors - Emily Sue Harvey

2011-04-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Flavors
Author: Emily Sue Harvey
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Pages:120
Source: Received from publisher for review
Format: Paperback
Publisher: The Story Plant
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "Today, lounging here in my easy chair, eyes closed, with television tuned to Sirius 40s and 50s Pop Hits, I listen to a familiar old song by the Nat King Cole Trio."
Overall rating:

             Emily Sue Harvey’s first novel, Song of Renewal, was praised by New York Times bestselling author Jill Marie Landis as “an uplifting, heartwarming story,” by bestselling author Kay Allenbaugh as a work that will “linger in the memory long after readers put it aside,” and by Coffee Time Romance as “a must-read book for anyone doing a little soul searching.” New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry said, “It captures your attention, and whets your appetite for more,” while Peeking between the Pages called it “quite simply a beautiful book.”
           Now, in Flavors, this master storyteller of the human heart sweeps us along with twelve-year-old Sadie Ann Melton as she enters a life-altering season. The summer of 1950 will change everything for her. For in that summer, she will embark on an odyssey at once heartbreakingly tender and crushingly brutal. At times, she will experience more darkness than she has ever witnessed before. At others, she will thrill to lightness and joy she never imagined. By summer’s end, the Melton women in Sadie’s journey &ndash loving her, coaxing her, and commanding her &ndash will help shape her into the woman she becomes. And they will expose Sadie to all of the flavors of life as she savors the world that she brings into being.
          Filled with charm, wisdom, and the smorgasbord of emotions that comes with the first steps into adulthood, Flavors once again proves Emily Sue Harvey’s unique ability to touch our souls with her unforgettable stories.

      This novella was a breath of fresh air. Only a few pages over one hundred, Flavors provides a look back on a summer Sadie Ann spent on her grandparents' farm. Highlighting various milestones and memories from the summer in the 1950s in which she and her little brother had to spent their weeks at the farm, the story reads almost like a memoir.
       I loved the various flavors of the summer and how Harvey was able to tie those in very nicely. There was vivid imagery and I was able to see things as they happened through Sadie's twelve-year-old eyes. This is definitely a story of a coming-of-age and I especially liked how the prologue and epilogue worked to bring the reader in and out of the important summer. The epilogue shows a present-day Sadie with a much different life than the one she led as a twelve-year-old. It is very clear that the events from the summer shaped and molded her. Sadie had to see some things that are unfair but that is all apart of growing up, isn't it?
       The characters worked well together and even though her parents weren't in the story very often, it was clear that they were loving. I even felt for tough, old grandma. It did get difficult to distinguish between the twelve or so aunts and uncles of Sadie running around but it wasn't a big deal.
   This coming-of-age novella is just long enough to get its message across and leave you with a satisfied feeling.

You can visit Emily Sue Harvey's website here.

Follow Eleven Pages on Twitter

2011-04-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

It's official - Eleven Pages has just created a Twitter! Feel free to follow us and get updates regarding posts, reviews, publishing industry information, authors and books! Click the giant button above or the new Twitter feed button in the left side bar next to the GoodReads button.

PS: Bear with me and expect a new review either later today or tomorrow!

Kat, Incorrigible - Stephanie Burgis

2011-04-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Title: Kat, Incorrigible
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
Pages: 304
Source:Galley Grab
Format: ebook
Publisher: Atheneum
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "I was twelve years of age when I chopped off my hair, dressed as a boy and set off to save my family from impending ruin."
Overall rating:

Twelve-year-old Kat Stephenson may be the despair of her social-climbing Step-Mama, but she was born to be a magical Guardian and protector of Society--if she can ever find true acceptance in the secret Order that expelled her own mother. She’s ready to turn the hidebound Order of the Guardians inside-out, whether the older members like it or not. And in a society where magic is the greatest scandal of all, Kat is determined to use all her powers to help her three older siblings--saintly Elissa, practicing-witch Angeline, and hopelessly foolish Charles--find their own true loves, even if she has to turn highwayman, battle wild magic, and confront real ghosts along the way!

This book was adorable. A quick, light, fun read for middle-grade readers. The historical aspect was awesome - I love seeing that in books for younger audiences and considering I just read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the connection in time periods was great.

The UK edition

          Kat is an unruly 12 year old for the Regency period and is often getting into trouble and causing mayhem. She's an endearing character and so are her sisters, Elissa and Angeline. The slew of characters are all really great additions to the novel. I especially enjoyed Frederick Carlyle as he provided a lot of amusement. All of the sisters were unique and had their own signature quirks and traits.
         I did feel some parts of the book moved too quickly and that some key ideas were passed over without much explanation or though. Kat's brother is mentioned a few times as the reason her family is in danger of being in debt but other than that, he is not seen in any scenes or involved at all. It seems as if he is used solely as a financial handicap for the family, without ever being a part of anything.
        The magical aspect of the book was also very cute but was definitely not explained well enough. Considering the book is the first in a three book series, there is room for more later explanation but this first book lacked in information. Some things about the Order and Kat's powers were touched upon very briefly and I had many questions that went unanswered. I also felt the ending was very abrupt, which tons of things happening within the last couple pages.
         Overall, I think middle-grade readers will love Kat and the story. It's adventurous and magical - exactly what middle-grade readers are looking for.

You can visit Stephanie Burgis' website here.

Spreading the word about books.

2011-03-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

       There has been a lot of talk throughout the book blogging community about book blogs in general. People have been discussing what their purpose is, if they're helpful and what is in it for the bloggers.

       This has inspired me to write my post about why I, individually, blog about books. There are hundreds of book blogs, some good and some bad, and sifting through them and seeing many that are around for the wrong reasons, can be frustrating.
      I blog for one huge, important reason: to spread the word about books. If I read a book and love it, I want other people to know about it. There is nothing I love more than reading a comment that says that I influenced an opinion of a book or made someone go out and buy it. I promote reading. I mainly review books that I own, meaning I rarely review new releases. I have recently seen an increase in books received for review and I absolutely love and appreciate it. The fact that authors and publicists want their books reviewed on my blog is incredible. I am willing to review just about anything I can - especially if I see a real potential in the book.
I also do occasionally post reviews that are not-so-sparkling if the book is not-so-sparkling. I don't believe in not posting a review just because I personally didn't really enjoy the book. Reviews are opinion-based and people can take my negative reviews as just that - opinion. If a review is negative, it's an honest opinion of a reader shared with others. If a review is positive, it definitely can be a great way to promote a book. But like I said, I overall promote reading. Secondly, I promote books that I really enjoyed. I also keep my negative reviews as professional as possible and am sure to emphasize the opinion aspect in these situations.
       The next topic is giveaways. I love giveaways. I hope to host my own in the very near future. I am also unafraid to admit that I do enter contests on blogs that I follow. I see no harm in that because they do a great job of spreading the word about books and the blogs hosting them.
        I really enjoy the book blogging community and hope to see more good things to come from it.

Damage - Josephine Hart

2011-03-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Title: Damage
Author: Josephine Hart
Publication Date: March 1991
Pages:180
Source: Netgalley
Format: ebook
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media LLC
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "There is an internal landscape,a geography of the soul; we search for all its outlines all our lives."
Overall rating:

An astonishing debut novel--dark and shocking--that tells the story of a fatal, erotic obsession. Hart tells the story of a wealthly, successful man who falls in love with his son's fiance, a woman who wields a dangerous power over him. As the son's marriage grows imminent, the father falls deeper and deeper into the abyss of his obsession, plunging toward unfathomable tragedy.

This is a well-written, intriguing story. The blurb really got my interest and the writing style

of the first few pages of the book really drew me in. Hart writes in an urgent voice that made me want to keep reading. I would almost describe this as a sort of thriller because of the way it was written.The narrator of the story remains unnamed through out the entire book, adding a mysterious sort of element to the plot.

The story is a unique one and the way the author goes about telling it is as well. The story moves quickly and while the book is relatively short, it provides lots of story. The book delves deeper than the storyline of a man in love with his son's fiance and explores elements such as obsession. It is interesting to see into the mind of a man who, on the surface, has everything he could want but finds himself in an uncontrollable, obsessive state of mind.

The supporting characters do exactly what they're supposed to - which is play the roles surrounding the narrator. Anna is especially interesting because of her mysterious personality and almost eery way about her. Of course, the narrator's family earns sympathy but the narrator himself earns a different sort of sympathy, most closely related to pity. One thing is for sure, this book is powerful.

Reading Damage is witnessing scandal cause the demise of an upstanding, successful man and not knowing whether to look away or sit and watch with wide eyes.

This novel is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary! Published in 1991 and a film adaptation produced in 1992, Damage remains a fascinating story to this day. In this video, Jeremy Irons, who stars in the 1992 film, discusses the movie and the book.

A big thanks to Laura at Open Road Integrated Media!

You can visit Josephine Hart's website here.

Enter to win Beth Revis' Breathless Contest!

2011-03-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Beth is giving everyone in the US a chance to win signed hardcover copies of all books featured on the Breathless Reads tour! GO for it - it's an incredible contest!

After the Leaves Fall - Nicole Baart

2011-03-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Title: After the Leaves Fall
Author: Nicole Baart
Publication Date: September 19, 2007
Pages: 368
Source: Kindle ebook edition bought for FREE from Amazon on January 30, 2011
Format: ebook
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "Waiting is a complicated longing."
Overall rating:

Julia DeSmit can't wait for her life to begin. After her mother leaves when Julia is nine years old, she's raised by an unassuming, gentle father and a saintly, matriarchal grandmother until her father dies just as Julia is becoming a young adult.
On the cusp of womanhood, Julia feels jaded by her circumstances and longs for a new identity. College seems like the perfect place to start over. But when Julia makes a mistake that will change her life forever, she returns to her grandmother's farm, defeated and convinced of her own worthlessness. Only through the gentle prodding of her loving grandmother does Julia begin to accept the imprint her childhood has left on her life and look for hope in a loving God who longs to make all things new.

I really, truly loved this book. I went into the novel not knowing much about it and didn't realize it was Christian fiction until much later into the book. I don't read much of this genre, considering I am relatively indifferent regarding religion but I enjoyed this book so much that the religious aspect was not even very noticeable. The messages were subtle and didn't take away from the story at all. I think the book flowed wonderfully and all aspects worked well together.
Baart writes beautifully. She has an incredible way of scene-setting that is so visual and appealing to a reader. Much of her writing was very poetic and I found this to be a real highlight of the book. I think most people are able to really appreciate beautiful writing and Baart puts hers on display in a strong story. After the Leaves Fall includes a solid storyline and impressive writing.
I found myself able to relate to the main character, Julia, in really interesting ways. This is a coming-of-age story about a girl that has lost her way after some very traumatic life experiences. I felt for her and although the novel can be considered dark, I found it endearing and hopeful. I also really love the title of the novel. I think it is a great representation of the story and like much of Baart's writing, flows in a pleasing way.
I was very happy to hear that this is the first book in a three-book series. The second book is called Summer Snow and the third Beneath the Night Tree. I definitely look forward to reading more from Nicole Baart.

You can visit Nicole Baart's website here.

Women's History Month

2011-03-12T01:32:00.000-08:00

"Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history, she learns she is worth less."
– Myra Pollack Sadker

Hi everybody!

I wanted to take some time to recognize and celebrate Women's History Month. This is a month to take notice of the tremendous influence women have had throughout history and into the present. Huge strides have been been made over the years to recognize women as a strong and equal force.

This holiday is especially relevant to Eleven Pages and book communities everywhere because of the many influential female authors over time. Many of my absolute favorite authors are women and it is good to know that the times in which it was recommended that women writers use male pseudonyms in order to be taken seriously are over. The Brontë sisters, for example, wrote a book of poetry called Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. It was believed that if they wrote with their true names, their work would be judged more critically. Lucky for them, their best and most popular work (and now classics) were written under their true, female names Present day women authors do sometimes still write under male pseudonyms but when their secrets are discovered, audiences widely don't mind the difference.

I have a video from Open Road Media that I would like to share with everyone. This video highlights the women in history that inspire authors Susan Minot, Lisa Alther, Josephine Hart, and Ruth Gruber. The video works to show the correspondence between women writers and the women that inspire them.

Who inspires you?

Book Blogger Hop 03/11

2011-03-11T02:19:00.000-08:00

"If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"

This is a really great question because I'm genuinely interested in the responses. It's clear that the majority of us don't have the funds to fully support our book-buying habits so a lot of purchases have to be put on hold for a while. If I had $80 to spend solely on books, I would buy (in no particular order):

The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - William Kamkwamba

April and Oliver - Tess Callahan

Looking For Alaska - John Green

Summer Snow - Nicole Baart

Bright Young Things - Anna Godbersen

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

I've heard wonderful things about all of these books. Summer Snow is the second book in a series by Nicole Baart and I absolutely loved the first book. John Green is supposedly an amazing author and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is the Book in Common in my town and at my university. I do have to get around to the Iron Fey trilogy someday.

What would you buy?

Austenland - Shannon Hale

2011-03-11T02:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Publication Date: May 29, 2007
Pages: 208
Source: Bought
Format: ebook
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a thirty-something woman in possession of a satisfying career and fabulous hairdo must be in want of very little, and Jane Hayes, pretty enough and clever enough, was certainly thought to have little to distress her."
Overall rating:

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

This is a standard chic-lit novel for fans of Jane Austen. The references made will be best understood by those that have read at least one of her novels. I was assigned this book in my Women Writers course, once we finished Pride and Prejudice. Austenland follows the theme of Pride and Prejudice and adds a modern twist with a Darcy/Colin Firth-obsessed protagonist.

Jane' story is a cute one and follows the chic-lit formula to a science. The writing was light and easy to read, considering the book is relatively short. In my class, we discussed the ways in which Austenland can be compared and contrasted from Pride and Prejudice but I won't do that here because I'm sure it's boring if you haven't read the latter. The character of Jane is one that is meant to show growth because her main problem is her fixation on finding a man just like Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Once I finished the book, I was disappointed with the growth in Jane. I felt like the author was trying to have her cake and eat it too. It was clear that she had wanted to show growth, but in the end, the chic-lit formula won instead.

This is a fresh and funny take on Pride and Prejudice with a really great plot twist in the end. I was entirely shocked. I think the entire concept of Austenland as a place really made the book. If you expect an overall moral from a book, I would say that Austenland is lacking in that respect. It is, however, a light, fun chic-lit novel with a unique spin on Jane Austen. Fans will enjoy if they're willing to step outside of the authentic Regency period and go along with the 21st century character's experience.

You can visit Shannon Hale's website here.

Ex Libris - Anne Fadiman

2011-03-06T23:14:00.001-08:00

Title: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader
Author: Anne Fadiman
Publication Date: November 25, 2000
Pages:162
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "I began to write Ex Libris when it occurred to me how curious it was that books are so often written about as if they were toasters."
Overall rating:

A wise and funny essayist reflects on reading, language, and her life among books. Writing with remarkable grace, Fadiman revives the tradition of the well-crafted personal essay, moving easily from anecdotes about Coleridge and Orwell to tales of her own pathologically literal family.

This is a non-fiction book about reading and books. While not my regular genre, I've been wanting to read this for a long time and finally found it at my school library. The book consisted of eighteen essays written by Fadiman about various aspects of book such as buying them secondhand, the merging of her library with her husbands and growing up in a very literary family.
The book consistently made me smile. I loved the personal stories told about books, editing and other related things, such as pens and personalizations written in books by authors and friends. It was a quick, enjoyable read with each essay being only a few pages long. While this type of book may not be for everyone, I found it enjoyable and interesting. It's not exactly informative but instead does provide an inside look into the life of a woman surrounded by all things literary. I was able to appreciate many of her references and found the book to be a good experience.

In My Mailbox 03/06

2011-03-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It gives bloggers a chance to share the books that they've received, bought and borrowed for the week! I'm Jenna and I try to review a wide range of book genres. This week I bought a quite a few books, borrowed two, and received a couple for either for review or from a contest.

Recieved:

The Girl Who Became a Beatle - Greg Taylor (release date: February 15, 2011)

Ironside - Holly Black

The Goddess Test - (release date: April 19, 2011)

Library:

Freedom - Jonathan Franzen
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Anne Fadiman

Bought:

-Delirium - Lauren Oliver

-Leftovers - Laura Wiess

-Impossible - Nancy Wertin

-A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

-All the Sad Young Literary Men - Keith Gessen

-More Than It Hurts You - Darin Strauss

What came in your mailbox this week? Have you read anything that I got?

Need - Carrie Jones

2011-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Title: Need
Author: Carrie Jones
Publication Date: December 23, 2008
Pages: 320
Source: Borrowed
Format: ebook
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "Everybody has fears, right?"
Overall rating:

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

I'm generally pretty iffy about paranormal YA novels. I've just never gotten into the whole craziness surrounding them and am never too thrilled when werewolves and pixies are concerned. However, I read Need in its entirety and found myself really interested to see what came next. The storyline was intriguing and kept my attention throughout.

I don't think any review of this book could be written without the mentioning of Twilight. Yes, there are many parallels between the two, with a few swaps in creatures. Zara and Bella essentially play the same role in both. I have only read the first book in the Twilight series but I know enough to see the resemblance.

Depth was lacking and many questions were left unanswered. I was expecting a major action battle but the ending was less than thrilling. My reaction was kind of like, "....oh. That's it? That's all they had to do?" Also, all of the characters were really quick to believe the paranormal aspects which I understand may be necessary to keep the novel moving, but a lot just seemed very unrealistic. And this is not including the paranormal aspect. Of course I don't expect that to be realistic, but the characters found out that there were paranormal things at the same time as the reader and they took all of five seconds before basically saying, "Oh, okay cool."

I really did like the love story piece of this book. Of course, in many YA novels, the two usually fall in love way too quickly and often without any real conversation at all. Need isn't too different from that but I swooned over Nick just like Zara and I especially loved his outdoorsy trait. He was absolutely perfect, of course. Zara was a likable character -a teen that is aware of worldwide problems and a love for Amnesty International. Both she and Nick have the same desire to save the world, which may be one of the reasons they work so well.

Despite the things I didn't like about the book, it does gain that extra half a star because I am willing to read the sequel! That in itself says something about the book and the storyline.

You can visit Carrie Jones' website here.

Valentine's Day.

2011-02-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, readers! Celebrate by sitting down with a good book.

Expect a review from me by the end of this week! <3

The Running Dream - Wendelin Van Draanen

2011-02-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

Title: The Running Dream
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
Pages: 352
Source: Banned Book Tours
Format: Paperback ARC
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "My right leg has no foot."
Overall rating:

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?
As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.
With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.

I want people to read this book. As a runner myself, this book hit close to home and was really eye-opening. It was a quick read with very short chapters that kept me interested. I think the short chapters did a great job of keeping the reader's attention and not allowing me to stray. Ironically enough, I read most of this book while running on a treadmill at the gym.
Many aspects of this book are heartbreaking. From Jessica losing her leg, to another girl on her track team, Lucy, losing her life. The character of Rosa also plays a major role, a girl with cerebral palsy. The book really does a great job of raising awareness of incidents like this and acceptance is a huge theme. I think everyone can read this book and learn from it. The message is incredibly heart-warming and I found myself smiling through many scenes in which Jessica's friends show how much they care for her.
The book is about pushing your own limits and believing in yourself and others. I love the messages of the book and the inside look into prosthetic legs and life after losing a limb. The process Jessica went through is shown in a great way. We get into her brain and see the depression she faces early on and then get to watch her learn and build strength.
The characters were all very supportive to both Jessica and Rosa, showing the good in people. While the book ends happily, the author was sure to not sugarcoat the story. The Running Dream makes readers thankful for everything they have and teaches that nothing is impossible. Inspiring.

You can visit Wendelin Van Draanen's website here.

Alone in the Company of Others - Kelly Huddleston

2011-01-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

Title: Alone in the Company of Others
Author: Kelly Huddleston
Publication Date: January 25, 2009
Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Format: E-book (only format available)
Publisher: Open Books
Buy: Amazon
First sentence: "At first there were six, all of whom were related, but none of whom knew one another intimately; a man of plurality; his wife Wanda; his two sons Russell and Wilsie; his sister Connie; and me, his niece Camille."
Overall rating:

"Camille's mother Connie collects people. After Connie's brother Wilson has 'the accident' (a single shot to the abdomen; the blood in the snow beside the flagpole; the siren and the ambulance), they move into an abandoned ski resort in Colorado with Wilson's widow Wanda, an agoraphobic veterinarian, and her two sons, Russell, who only wants to be normal, and Wilsie, who is anything but normal. Determined never to use his voice, Wilsie communicates on a blackboard and records other people's conversations on a Fisher Price tape recorder.

Camille's mother Connie makes sure there are many voices to record: Teresa, an ex opera singer; Helen, Stacey, and Winnie, three Certified Veterinary Technicians; Margie, a lonely, suicidal librarian; Finn Green, a PR man; and a group of disillusioned hitchhikers no one will pick up.

Wilsie records the progress of their lives, a world of sex, death, and white noise, but when Wilsie is finally forced to use his voice Camille is left with over four hundred cassette tapes documenting the rise and fall of a micro society with one unmistakable message: we are all alone, even in the company of others."

This book was interesting. There were good aspects and not so good aspects. For a long time in the book I couldn't figure out where it was going or what the point was. Eventually, it panned out. The ending was satisfying and left with a well-rounded feeling. It was just a little tough to get there.

I was able to appreciate the book though. Even though there were many, many characters, the ones that stood out were very colorful and well-written. I loved Wilsie, the boy who writes on a chalkboard to communicate and uses a Fisher Price recorder to document their lives. He was very entertaining, often being the voice of reason in the house. I also enjoyed Camille and Russell's relationship, as bizarre as it was.

The story often flipped between present and future before doubling back to the present and sometimes even back to the past. This gave me some trouble and I found myself having to retrace my steps and figure a few things out.

This book is definitely not for some people. It is quirky and far from an average book. Some pieces I just didn't get it. Flew right over my head. Which made it confusing and a little frustrating at times. Some pieces could have been completely cut all together. But I despite all of this, I appreciated the story and the writing. I liked the concept of 'alone in the company of others' and it fit really well. Overall, two and a half stars.

You can visit Kelly Huddleston's website here.