The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

The Baker's Daughter is a novel that will warm your heart and tease your palate.   Germany is a country of people with mountains of pride and a somewhat painful past.  It is a country of beer, bratwurst, bread and war.  Elsie,  the baker's daughter lives in Garmisch, Germany during the second world war.  Elsie is young and naive and becomes a witness to shocking horrors that she didn't believe Germans capable of.

Fast forward to El Paso, Texas in 2007 where we meet Elsie and her daughter Jane, as they are interviewed by local reporter, Reba Adams.  Reba is drawn to these two women, their stories and of course their delicious baked goods.  A picture hangs on the wall of Elsie and her mother on Christmas Eve, 1944, in Germany, and Reba is curious is about what really happened that night all those years ago.  Reba has her own secrets that Elsie and Jane work to pry loose as they wonder why she wears her engagement ring around her neck.

In this amazing parellel storyline, we learn Elsie's and Reba's story and how their two histories intertwine.  My grandmother was 100 percent German and Elsie reminded me of her.  My grandmother was not a baker by trade but she did bake.  Her cinnamon bread was the best.  The Baker's Daughter contains some recipes for the delicious bread mentioned throughout the story and I can't wait to try one of them.  I loved the German words, the culture, the historical setting and time period in the book, all of which made me long for my lost German heritage.

My grandfather flew in Ninth Army Air Force during the war and McCoy mentions the Ninth in the book as a group who visited Garmisch, Germany.  It makes me wonder if my grandpa was stationed there or visited after the war.  This book contained a lot of personal connections for me.

The Baker's Daughter is a multi-layered book with themes of war, immigration, and human cruelty.  It is also a story of full of love, food, compassion and survival.    This is a book you will definitely want to savor.
Gutenacht.

Kara, Lost by Susan Niz

Kara, Lost by Susan Niz

Kara is sixteen and she is a runaway living on the streets of Minneapolis.  Kara runs, partly because her family doesn't understand her. She turns to her older sister for help but she has a controlling boyfriend who won't let Kara stay there.  She has no choice but to try and make it on her own.  She doesn't have an ID of any kind, therefore getting a job or a place to live will prove difficult.

There are predators that prey on young vulnerable teens on the streets.  Kara is naive and isolated and that makes her vulnerable.  Kara is very trusting and yet has some street smarts as she is able to procure a job washing dishes and a small apartment in a really bad neighborhood.  She makes friends and dreams of returning to school so she can get off the streets.  She is lonely and unsure of herself.  Kara struggles to be self sufficient.

Kara's story is based on the author's real life experience as a runaway teen on the streets.  Kara, Lost is well-written and believable.  Reading the book reminding me of my own story as a runaway for one week, living in my car, which I parked in front of my boyfriends house.  It was January, bitter cold and my boyfriend's mother refused to let me sleep in the house.  I brushed my teeth and washed up at the local Perkins then drove to work or school.  I went back home.  Kara didn't.

The ending of the book was so powerful and scary, it seriously took my breath away.  No teen should have to endure the streets alone.  I couldn't sleep after reading the ending of the book and spent most of my night thinking about it.  Kara, Lost does not read as a typical Young Adult novel.  Susan Niz penned each word with precision and fore thought and what emerged is a gritty, raw novel that takes time to absorb.  Kara, Lost is not cheesecake, it is torte of magnificent proportions.

Note:  I am not sure why I used this analogy but it seriously works.  There aren't any cheesecakes or tortes mentioned in the book. But there are egg rolls.  LOL.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Azalea is the oldest of twelve sisters, all princesses, each named for a letter of the alphabet.  Entwined begins on Christmas Eve, the day of Azalea's first ball and the day her youngest sister is born.  It is also the last night Azalea will speak to her mother as she dies during the night.  Before she dies, she makes Azalea promise to take care of her sisters and she gives her a special silver handkerchief.

The death of the Queen sends the whole household into a miserable period of mourning.  Dancing is not allowed.  Every one must wear black and the house is darkened, clocks stop ticking and the girls are forbidden to go outside.  Since dancing is their favorite adventure, they search for a way to dance.  The palace is a fortress of hidden magical places and Azalea finds a secret dancing pavilion which they enter through their fireplace.  The pavilion is guarded by a strange and handsome man whom they call the Keeper.  The Keeper is not what he seems and the girls are to trusting.

The Entwine is a style of dance also known as the Gentleman's Catch.  It is similar to a waltz and danced with a long sash or ribbon.  Each partner must hold the sash.  The object of the dance is for the gentleman to try to entwine the ribbon about the lady's wrists while she tries to evade capture.  Azalea excels at avoiding capture.

Entwined is the first ebook I bought for my Nook.  I was attracted by the beautiful cover design.   Little did I know, Entwined was a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.  I have never read The Twelve Dancing Princesses however, and enjoyed the book immensely.  Entwined appealed to my inner princess, my wish to dance all day with handsome men and whirl away the day with adventures in magical places.  Entwined gave me a chance to escape and to dance in my dreams. 

Susan Niz Visits South High

Susan Niz Visits South High

In honor of "I Love to Read" month, South High invited several local authors in to speak about their books.  The first author to share her story and her book is author and Minneapolis native, Susan Niz.  She visited South High School on Tuesday to talk to students about her book Kara, Lost. 

Susan is a ELL teacher at a local elementary school and she wrote a compelling Young Adult novel about Kara, a teenage runaway.  Kara, Lost is based on Susan Niz's personal story as she herself was a teenage runaway in the early 1990's. 

Susan prepared a compelling speech as she detailed her experience as a teenage runaway.  She talked about how she took a fiction writing class at the Loft Literary Center taught by author, David Housewright.  He gave her book a full length critique and believed in her novel.  This gave her the confidence she needed to finish her book and find a publisher. 

After her speech, Susan let students ask questions.  One student asked her a question that was sort of rude and Susan handled it with grace.  He asked her What is the worst thing that happened to you on the streets?  She responded with, "Read the book".  After reading Kara, Lost, I firmly agree with Susan's answer, if you want to know what happened to her on the streets as a teenage runaway, read the book! 

Susan has been working with runaway youth at Lincoln Place in Eagan, Minnesota and handed out information to students in case they wanted to volunteer.  Susan also works with a teen writing group after school and invited South students to join.

Here is a picture of Susan Niz and I.  I am holding Susan's book, Kara, Lost. 
Thanks Susan, for a memorable visit. 

Kara, Lost Contest

Contest for Kara, Lost by Susan Niz

Hey Everyone, Susan Niz, Minnesota author in the spotlight, here on Booksnob is giving away two copies of her Young Adult book, Kara, Lost.  The contest is open to followers in the United States and Canada and ends on 2/29.


Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD KARA FLEES THE SUFFOCATION OF HER SUBURBAN LIFE, TRADING IN HER HOME AND FAMILY FOR A GRITTY, ANONYMOUS EXISTENCE ON THE STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS. SHE BEGINS A PERILOUS JOURNEY, NAÏVE, WELL-INTENTIONED, AND ISOLATED AS SHE STRUGGLES TO RECONNECT WITH HER OLDER SISTER.

Contest Rules:
Leave a comment
Fill out the Form.
Must be a U.S./Canada resident
Must be a Booksnob follower.
Contest ends 2/29 at midnight.

Good Luck!

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Tinkers is a story about George Crosby who is lying on his death bed with eight days of his life remaining.  He fades in and out of consciousness while his family surrounds his sick bed with around the clock visitations.  George revisits his past as his memory and body plan their imminent escape.

As George fades, his memory of his father and his childhood emerge to paint a complicated and impoverished upbringing in New England.  George lives a full life with a wife, children and grandchildren.  He built his house with his own hands, retires to tinker with outdated clocks and slowly grows old. 

Tinkers is a novel of the senses with detailed descriptions of just about everything.  The clocks are a metaphor for life that runs continually throughout the book, as Harding meditates on nature, clocks, life, family, birds nests, lightning, death and more.  At times the book moves forward slowly as the reader's mind wanders.  So then, the reader must re-read.

I was drawn to this book for it's beautiful cover, it's Pulitzer Prize winning status and my perception of it as being a quick read.  At 191 pages, it took me longer to read it than I thought it would, and as the story progressed, my mind had trouble focusing during the long digressions on nature and life. I found Tinkers worthwhile and meaningful but wished I was able to focus my mind on its complexities and fully comprehend its unique subtleties.   

Tinkers is a intimate, beautiful look at how death comes to each of us.  Each word is purposeful.   Tinkers is a reminder that life is slowly unwinding and ticking away, tick, tock, tick, tock. 

A Discovery of Witches Contest

 A Discovery of Witches Contest

Today is my anniversary of being a book blogger.  I have been blogging for two years now and continue to love it.  It has changed my life for the better and I treasure all the friendships I have made with fellow bloggers and have enjoyed working with multiple authors.  Book Blogging is such a great experience.  I only wish I could make a living doing it.

In honor of my 2 year blogging anniversary, I have a signed copy of A Discovery of Witches to giveaway to one my followers.  I had the chance to hear Deborah Harkness speak a couple of weeks ago and as I have not read her book yet, I found the talk really fascinating.

Deborah states the book began entirely by accident while she thought about the question "If you were a vampire, what would you do for a living?"  She is a Historian of Science and specializes in the 16 century.  She is currently teaching college in California as well as writing books.  Deborah says her goal is to write one to two pages a day which takes her about two hours and if she accomplishes this, it is a good day.  She states that writing fiction is a form of alchemy.

Deborah Harkness describes her book as a fairy tale for grownups.  She states A Discovery of Witches is a love letter to books, libraries and librarians.  She has also included little treasure hunts for the discerning reader, eggs of knowledge to seek and find.  A Discovery of Witches is the first book in a trilogy and has already been optioned for a movie.  I can hardly wait to read it, what about you?

Contest Rules:
1.  Leave a comment
2.  Fill out the form
3.  Open internationally
4.  Must be a BookSnob follower

Contest Ends 2/29
Good Luck!  Spread the Word.

The Fantasic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

This is beautiful and Magical. If you love books and reading you will love this animated short. It is up for an Academy Award. Watch it with your kids! It is simply breathtaking.

Between Light and Shadow Contest Winner!

Between Light and Shadow Contest Winner!!

I am happy to announce the winner of a personalized and signed copy of Between Light and Shadow from Jacob Wheeler, January's Minnesota author in the spotlight.

Congratulations Steph from Stephthebookworm!


If you didn't win you can still order a copy of Jacob's book from Amazon. 
This is such a great story.

Check out Jacob's website at www.betweenlightandshadow.com

February-Hometown Track Author in the Spotlight

February-Hometown Track Author in the Spotlight

Welcome to the great month of February. The month of love, black history and books. Did you know it is I love to read month? It is also the anniversary of my second year of blogging. So let's celebrate with a new young adult author from Minnesota. I met February's author at the MN book fair in October and her book about a teenage runaway based on the authors personal story intrigued me. So without further adieu, meet Susan Niz author of Kara, Lost.

Here is the synopsis of Kara Lost from Goodreads:
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD KARA FLEES THE SUFFOCATION OF HER SUBURBAN LIFE, TRADING IN HER HOME AND FAMILY FOR A GRITTY, ANONYMOUS EXISTENCE ON THE STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS. SHE BEGINS A PERILOUS JOURNEY, NAÏVE, WELL-INTENTIONED, AND ISOLATED AS SHE STRUGGLES TO RECONNECT WITH HER OLDER SISTER.

This month you can expect a book review, a author interview, a contest and a guest post. You can also check out Susan Niz's blog susannizfiction.blogspot.com and website here. susanniz.com Check back often this month as you can expect great things to happen on Booksnob!