Book Review: Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

Welcome to the next stop in the TLC Book Tour of Daphne Kalotay's Russian Winter.  We have quite a few blogs participating in the promotion of this beautiful novel-- I encourage you to stop by the other sites on the tour:

Participating Blogs

Tuesday, April 5th: Library Queue
Wednesday, April 6th: Luxury Reading
Thursday, April 7th: nomadreader
Friday, April 8th: Chefdruck Musings
Monday, April 11th: A Few More Pages
Wednesday, April 13th: Red Lady's Reading Room
Thursday, April 14th: We Be Reading
Tuesday, April 19th: Books Like Breathing
Thursday, April 21st: Book Addiction
Monday, April 25th: Red Headed Book Child
Wednesday, April 27th: Bloggin' 'Bout Books
Thursday, April 28th: Calico Critic
Friday, April 29th: Wordsmithonia
Monday, May 2nd: Historical Tapestry
Tuesday, May 3rd: Man of La Book
Wednesday, May 4th: In the Next Room
Thursday, May 5th: Life in the Thumb
Friday, May 6th: she reads and reads

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From Goodreads:

A mysterious jewel holds the key to a life-changing secret,

in this breathtaking tale of love and art, betrayal and redemption.

When she decides to auction her remarkable jewelry collection, Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead, the former ballerina finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland and of the events, both glorious and heartbreaking, that changed the course of her life half a century ago.

It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of the theater; that she fell in love with the poet Viktor Elsin; that she and her dearest companions—Gersh, a brilliant composer, and the exquisite Vera, Nina’s closest friend—became victims of Stalinist aggression. And it was in Russia that a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape that led Nina to the West and eventually to Boston.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest: Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian who believes that a unique set of jewels may hold the key to his own ambiguous past. Together these unlikely partners begin to unravel a mystery surrounding a love letter, a poem, and a necklace of unknown provenance, setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

Interweaving past and present, Moscow and New England, the backstage tumult of the dance world and the transformative power of art, Daphne Kalotay’s luminous first novel—a literary page-turner of the highest order—captures the uncertainty and terror of individuals powerless to withstand the forces of history, while affirming that even in times of great strife, the human spirit reaches for beauty and grace, forgiveness and transcendence.

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Daphne Kalotay

First let me say that I was stunned to learn that this is Daphne Kalotay's debut novel.  Her writing style is so well formed, such a delight to absorb.  At almost 500 pages, Russian Winter is not a quick read, but it somehow retains the feel of a page-turner.  Dozens of pages would go by without notice, in my experience.  It does not have the feel of a first-time novel.

Upon further research of Ms. Kalotay, I found that she is actually quite an educated, experienced writer.  She has studied psychology (which makes sense in the descriptions of how her characters were thinking), fiction writing, Modern and Contemporary Literature.  She's won awards and has had work published in several periodicals.  So while this is her first full-length published novel, she is certainly no amateur.  Her experience and wonderful talent are clearly evident in her work.

Russian Winter is a wonderful piece.  Epic in scope, it revolves around the exquisite ballerina Nina Revskaya, who began dancing in 1930s Russia and went on to be quite the luminary with Bolshoi Ballet, before a dramatic escape from her Stalinist country to the United States.  She has her secrets, but this novel is not a mere mystery.  It's a tale of relationships, forgiveness and the beauty and necessity of art.  Not told in straight chronological fashion, it alternates between present day and other time periods in the past seven or so decades.  I love time-travel stories, and while this certainly is not that, it had that feel.  I suppose that Kalotay's writing was so effective, I felt immersed in the time period in which I was reading at any given moment.  Her transitions were not jarring or confusing, but almost dream-like.

If you are looking for a long, lush, engrossing read with secret intrigue, beauty and wonderful plot and character development, look no further.  Take your time with this one, and enjoy every bite.  It's the kind of book that you will relish and will also not look forward to finishing.  I'd love to revisit it again on the big screen, but I can't imagine that a film could do it proper justice.  It's a rare moment when this film buff would say-- Leave it be.  A screen would diminish it somehow.

Russian Winter was six years in the making.  I'm sure it was a labor of love by Daphne Kalotay, with many hours in research and revision.  I'm thankful for her efforts, for she has given a gift to the world that will be enjoyed for years to come.

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To supplement your enjoyment of the book, check out these resources:

• Daphne's Website

• Daphne's Facebook Page

• Reading Guide

Wednesday Contest Report - April 27th

If you're into YA, check out the Half-a-Blogoversary Mega Giveaway, where quite a few titles are up for grabs!  Deadline to enter is May 7th.  Here's the link:

http://amyriadofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/half-blogoversary-mega-giveaway.html?spref=tw

Winners!

After hundreds of entries, we now have the two winners in my two latest giveaways-- congrats to the winners, and thanks to all who entered!

• From the band Tin Cup Gypsy, their latest album Calico goes to Scott Bredin

• A $60 promotional credit to CSN.com goes to Ericka, a.k.a. humanecats

Movie Review: The Greatest Story Ever Told

If you're looking for something to watch this Easter weekend to commemorate the life of Christ, you may want to consider the 1965 classic, The Greatest Story Ever Told.  While somber in nature, it's a beautiful, respectful piece that would be wonderful to share with your family.  Read my full review on MovieScribes.com:

http://www.moviescribes.com/the-greatest-story-ever-told

Book Review: Wickham's Diary by Amanda Grange

From the back cover:

Why should I be beneath Fitzwilliam?  I am just as handsome as he is; I am just as intelligent, even though he works harder at his books; and I am just as amusing; in fact I dare say I am a great deal more amusing for Fitzwilliam is so proud he will not take the trouble to entertain other people.

Yet although he is no better than me, when he grows up he will inherit Pemberley, and I will inherit nothing…

Jane Austen’s ultimate bad boy finally gets his say.  Faced with an uncertain future – while his friend Fitzwilliam Darcy is set for life – dastardly George Wickham plots and cavorts in this rollicking prequel to Pride and Prejudice.  Bestselling author Amanda Grange daringly explores the inner turmoil and secret motivations of the character every Austen fan loves to hate…

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I’ve read quite a few Pride and Prejudice prequels, sequels and spinoffs, but this is the first I’ve read that is presented from George Wickham’s perspective.  It’s also the first I’ve read of Amanda Grange, other than her short story contribution to A Darcy Christmas.  At less than 200 small pages, Wickham’s Diary is also a quick read, a brisk enough novella to enjoy in one sitting.

Grange stays true to Austen’s original character, not shying away from his caddish ways, philandering and irresponsible spending habits.  Like in Pride and Prejudice, he’s selfish and generally only wants to look out for himself.  While he desires approval from the Darcy clan, this yearning doesn’t compel him to live in a gentlemanly fashion. He wants the trappings of Darcy’s elevated lifestyle, but he cares not for integrity, honor and respectable behavior that goes along with it.

I liked how the story began when he was just a child, with both parents still in his life and his relationship with Darcy still in an innocent youthful state.  He doesn’t seem devious, but you can see where the seeds of selfishness and physical/material desires have already begun to germinate in his heart.  His writing style in decidedly less mature, lending believability that a boy is truly making the journal entries.  As the years pass, his thought patterns change with him, becoming more worldly and even more selfish.  Sometimes I just shook my head at him and laughed—he is such a mess!

Wickham’s Diary was a light, enjoyable read.  Amanda writes well and manages to keep the intimate details of Wickham's licentious ways to a minimum.  My only reservation is that I wish there had been more material, expanding beyond the novella format.  The story line could have continued for a few more years, and I think I would have enjoyed Grange’s treatment of the events that would have followed.  Wickham has always been a bit of a delicious villain, and he’s handled well here.  I just wish there had been a little bit more!

Sourcebooks.com

This title was provided to me by Sourcebooks Landmark.

No obligation other than an honest review was required.

Guest Post: Sharon Lathan Reflects on Faith, Marital Unity and Writing

Guest posting today is Austenesque writer Sharon Lathan, author of the Darcy Saga series of novels.  Her latest work, The Trouble with Mr. Darcy is the fifth title in this collection.

As a Christian, I wondered how her faith affects her writing and romantic story lines.  Here is Sharon's response to my topic request:

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Sharon Lathan

“The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 2: 23-24

In the beginning of my creative journey I was flying by the seat of my pants and wrote a short story recounting the wedding night of Mr. Darcy and his new bride Elizabeth. Primarily I wanted to explore the beauty of the first night as an intimate couple, highlighting the joy involved as well as the playful humor naturally occurring when two people cross that barrier for the first time. It was meant to be romantic and sensual but also lighthearted and fun.

I wasn't intentionally going for deep spiritual meaning or considering the scripture quoted above when I penned the initial five or so short stories. My conviction of commitment and happiness within the bonds of matrimony was the prime impetus for writing a sequel, that is true, and I knew my Christian beliefs served as a foundation for the marriage of Darcy and Lizzy. It was something I found lacking in the few continuations I had read in the online Jane Austen fan-fiction communities. If sequels were written they generally leaned toward the Darcys being unhappy, plagued with repeated trials, overwhelmed with misunderstandings, torn apart by secrets from the past, and similar plot lines. This isn't what I imagined for these wonderful literary lovers, nor is it what I typically desire for any couple who marry. I anticipate happily-ever-after!

Nevertheless, I did not overtly approach the story from a spiritual or religious perspective, and few would consider the Saga as Christian literature. The spiritual fundamentals were there and it was after some ten chapters - they were no longer "short stories" by that time - when I realized I saw no end in sight and felt it necessary to assign a title, that the above scripture from Genesis popped into my head. It was immediate and I simply knew it was what my title should be: Two Shall Become One.

That simple but profound phrase, written by Moses as God described the creation of Adam and Eve, and later quoted and reiterated by Jesus to be recorded in the Gospels, encapsulated one vital aspect of my saga. Exploring the what, how, and when of becoming one flesh, delving into the practicality of being married and showing the fruits of God's promise, was originally what my story was all about.

I say "originally" not because I have changed my mind about the theme of my saga or strayed away from focusing on the positivity of marriage - not at all! Over time the story has grown to encompass history, the Regency world, a host of additional characters, a fair amount of drama and adventure, and much more. No longer is it simply about Fitwilliam and Elizabeth on their honeymoon! Yet as the tale has evolved and expanded, it provided greater opportunity for me to convey the truths founded by the Creator as possible within a marriage.

Truths such as - Commitment. Enduring passion and desire for each other. Respect and admiration. Tolerance for a spouse's annoying habits. Honesty. Sharing of one's deepest thoughts. Selfless giving. Happiness and delight in the companionship. Trust and protection. Familiarity, intimacy, peace. Working through the tough times to forge a stronger relationship and bond. Joy of parenthood. - Just to name a few.

For Darcy and Lizzy I wanted to show what I know is possible. Not only because God said it is so - and that is enough for me to believe it is possible - but because I live these truths with my husband of nearly twenty-five years. There was no reason for me to think the Darcys could not have the same. Perhaps even better since this is a storybook ideal! Why not? Should we not all strive for the ideal?

Moving beyond the central chord of matrimonial affinity that runs as a vein throughout all five novels, and the Christmas novella, is my heartfelt desire to write stories that are positive and uplifting. Sure there may be the occasional knuckle-biting trauma tossed in, but my saga is largely one that will leave the reader smiling, laughing, and with a warm sensation in their heart. We live in a world of sadness and tragedy that is nearly impossible to avoid. I like to think that my novels offer an escape but in a realistic way that will inspire and encourage.

Search for that man who will love you unconditionally! Believe that marriage can be passionate and healthy as the years pass! Learn how to treat others with respect and kindness! Experience the blessings of old-fashioned ideals! Appreciate the glory of propriety and modesty!

Do we not need more of that in our world? I think so and if my story, even in the tiniest way, can serve as a ministry to that cause then I am content.

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About the Author 

Sharon Lathan is the author of the bestselling novels Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley, My Dearest Mr. Darcy and In The Arms of Mr. Darcy. Sharon also wrote a novella as part of an anthology with Amanda Grange and Carolyn Eberhart, A Darcy Christmas. In addition to her writing, she works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. For more information, please visit www.sharonlathan.net. Come to Austen Authors – www.austenauthors.com where Sharon and twenty other authors of Austen fiction blog together.




The Trouble With Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan
Sourcebooks Landmark   ISBN 1402237545

Even charmed lives will encounter troubles along the way....

After a time of happiness and strife, Darcy and Elizabeth gather with family and friends in Hertfordshire to celebrate the wedding of Kitty Bennet. Georgiana Darcy returns from a lengthy tour of the Continent with happy secrets to share, accompanied by the newlywed Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Simone, who may have secrets of their own. The stage is set for joy until the party is upset by the arrival of the long absent Mr. and Mrs. Wickham.

Wickham's jealousy and resentment of Darcy has grown steadily throughout the years and Darcy rightly suspects that Wickham is up to no good. Darcy enlists the aid of Colonel Fitzwilliam to keep an eye on Wickham's activity, but neither anticipate the extreme measures taken to exact his revenge. Nor do they fathom the layers of deception and persons involved in the scheme.

George Wickham returns to Hertfordshire bent on creating trouble, and Elizabeth and her son are thrown into danger. Knowing that Wickham has nothing left to lose, Darcy and Fitzwilliam rush to the rescue in a race against time.  This lushly romantic story takes a turn for the swashbuckling when Mr. Darcy has to confront the villainous Wickham and his own demons at the same time... devoted as he is, what battles within will Mr. Darcy have to face?

Thanks to Sharon for stopping by The Calico Critic!

Book Review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

From the back cover:

David Ponder is back – and this time,
the fate of mankind may be in his hands.

This is humanity’s last chance.  Centuries of greed, pride, and hate have sent mankind hurtling toward disaster, and far from its original purpose.  There is only one solution that can reset the compass and right the ship—and that answer is only two words.

With time running out, it is up to David Ponder and a cast of history’s best and brightest minds to uncover this solution before it is too late.  The catch? They are allowed only five tries to solve the ominous challenge.

Readers first encountered David Ponder in the New York Times bestseller The Traveler’s Gift. Now, in The Final Summit, Andrews combines a riveting narrative with astounding history in order to show us the one thing we must do when we don’t know what to do.

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Christian fiction with allegorical as well as overt spiritual messages has always been a favorite of mine.  As is mentioned in Fred Lygrand’s book, Glaen (reviewed here), the best way to hold readers’ attention with non-fiction concepts is to mix in a bit of tension-meets-resolution narrative.  Authors C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan were masters of this genre, deftly blending compelling stories with timeless truths.  Jesus Christ himself used storytelling to convey many of his lessons.

In The Final Summit, Andy Andews attempts to continue this tradition, just as he presented in his previous work, The Traveler’s Gift.  While other readers (such as PGA Champion Hal Sutton) may compare him to the likes of C.S. Lewis, I unfortunately cannot make that leap.  While many of the concepts that Andrews presents are timeless, true, helpful and proven to be effective, I found his execution to be very lacking.  Andrews’ writing is weak, lacks credibility and never prompted me to suspend disbelief during his fantastical storyline.

The issue that was most disconcerting was the overall theme of the book.  Andrews posits that the world is going down the drain faster than we ever would believe, and to solve this problem, we must be the ones to do something about it.  And while I agree the human race is frequently the cause of suffering in the world, I do not believe we are the only solution to this problem.  Yes, I agree that we must do something to make the world a better place, but it is not up to us completely save it.  Only Jesus Christ can do that.  Ultimately, only the power of God will justly deal with all the ills of the universe.  We are participants in the divine nature (II Peter 1:4), but we do not hold sway over it as much as the characters of The Final Summit.

Andrews offers quote after quotable quote, stringing them together with cameos of many historical figures.  I found the book (as well as its predecessor The Traveler’s Gift) to be the kind of thing you’d find in a Joel Osteen or Tony Robbins program.  For the most part it’s harmless, with many philosophies that are true and good, but in the end it’s a string of adages and platitudes (p.187).

I cannot say that Andrews’ work is necessarily to be avoided—I’m sure there are some young readers (especially history students) who would benefit from the messages and historical tales shared in his works.  Just so many far superior writers could be enjoyed instead.  Stick with C.S. Lewis, Bunyan, or even better—the Holy Bible for the best in spiritual inspiration.  Writers of Christian fiction and allegory can produce classic and quality writing.  I’m sorry to say that I didn’t find Andy Andrews to be one of those authors.

Buy		Read

This title was provided by Thomas Nelson and the Book Sneeze Reviewers Program.
No obligation other than an honest review was required.


Thomas Nelson Product Page

Book Review: My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones

Welcome to the next stop in the TLC Book Tour for Cindy Jones' My Jane Austen Summer.  Be sure to check out the list of participating blogs at the end of this post and read what others are saying about it!






From the back cover:

Lily has squeezed herself into undersized relationships all her life, hoping one might grow as large as those found in the Jane Austen novels she loves.  But lately her world is running out of places for her to fit.  So when her bookish friend invites her to spend the summer at a Jane Austen literary festival in England, she jumps as the chance to reinvent herself.

There, among the rich, promising world of Mansfield Park reenactments, Lily finds people whose longing to live in a novel equals her own.  But real-life problems have a way of following you wherever you go, and Lily’s accompany her to Enlgand.  Unless she can change her ways, she could face the fate of so many of Miss Austen’s characters, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
My Jane Austen Summer explores how we fall in love, how we come to know ourselves better, and how it might be possible to change and be happier in the real world.

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The premise of My Jane Austen Summer seemed attractive enough.  I highly enjoyed Shannon Hale’s Austenland, which also features a young lady going away on an Austen novel-themed journey.  It’s also interesting to see how Austenian themes can be woven into modern tales such as this one.  The cover art is gorgeous, and I was all in the moment I saw it.

However, I was unable to connect with Cindy Jones’ first novel as I had hoped.  There were some interesting themes—a romantic story line, family drama and Lily’s growth as a person, but ultimately I came away dissatisfied with it.  For the most part, I found almost all of the characters to be unlikeable, distasteful types that I normally wouldn’t care to spend time with.  Lily was insecure, neurotic and borderline disturbed.  The staff at Newton Priors were neurotic and selfish.  I kept hoping that things would improve, that the annoying traits of the characters would soften or develop into something more palatable, but it just didn’t happen.  I was pleased to see Lily grow a bit of a spine toward the end, but by then it was of no consequence to me.

Ms. Jones is a wonderful writer, phasing thoughts and presenting theoretical concepts (Lily’s imaginary Austen) in interesting ways.  Her literary skills far exceed mine—I am in no place to judge in that department.  Despite my distaste for this particular work, I hope it opens the doors for Jones to continue writing and publishing.  I’d still like to read more from her, as My Jane Austen Summer may have just had incompatibility issues with me as a reader.  It’s clear that Jones is not only a Janeite at heart, but also a well-read individual who has a deep love for literature.  There were even moments in the text that led me to discover new writers, such as Matthew Lewis.  Because of Cindy Jones, I now have Lewis’ The Monk on my Kindle and have added it to my TBR list.

So while I cannot fully recommend My Jane Austen Summer, I might say that certain readers may enjoy it, and I hopefully expect to read another Cindy Jones title in the future.  Check out other opinions on the TLC book tour—they may feel differently and have diverging and interesting thoughts on the subject.

TLC Book Tour Participating Blogs

Tuesday, March 29th: Books Like Breathing
Wednesday, March 30th: Unputdownables
Thursday, March 31st: Book Reviews by Molly
Friday, April 1st: My Reading Room
Monday, April 4th: It’s All About Books
Tuesday, April 5th: Bookfoolery and Babble
Wednesday, April 6th: Calico Critic
Thursday, April 7th: Colloquium
Tuesday, April 12th: Life in the Thumb
Wednesday, April 13th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Thursday, April 14th: Diary of an Eccentric
Monday, April 18th: A Bookish Way of Life
Tuesday, April 19th: My Life in Not So Many Words
Wednesday, April 209th: Stephanie’s Written Word
Thursday, April 21st: MariReads

Fool for Books / 40th Birthday Giveaway Winners

Thanks to all of you who entered the Fool for Books/40th Birthday Giveaway.  We had 113 entries that came in before our 11:59pm EST deadline.  I have contacted our winners via email, so go check your In Box if you haven't already!

Winner #1 is Sarah E, who had four entries.  She chose as her prize Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine.

Winner #2 is Lisa of A Casual Reader's Blog, who had two entries.  She chose as her prize Mr. Darcy's Secret by Jane Odiwe.

Winner #3 is Carol of Reading Under the Moonlight, who had three entries.  She chose as her prize Mr. Darcy's Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson.


Congrats to the winners, and thanks to all of the participants!

Book Review: Only Mr. Darcy Will Do by Kara Louise

From Goodreads.com:

In this fresh and original retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet's greatest fear comes to pass-Longbourn is entailed to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth finds work as a governess in London, widening the social divide between her and Mr. Darcy and making it more difficult than ever for them to find their way to each other...

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Several months ago I had the great pleasure of reading Kara Louise’s Darcy’s Voyage, which has become my all-time favorite Austenesque novel.  I absolutely adored it, couldn’t put it down, wanted to read it again and passed it on to one of my best friends, who also promptly fell in love with it.  When given the opportunity to get a free Kindle copy from its publisher Sourcebooks, I promptly downloaded it to have in my permanent collection.

So it was with a certain measure of excitement that I began reading Kara’s Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, previously published in 2008 under the title Something Like Regret.  Louise has once again returned to the world of Pride and Prejudice, this time staying a bit closer to the original text than she did in Darcy’s Voyage, which diverted wildly from the source material for most of the novel.  In this case, however, Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet has suffered the loss of her beloved father, leading her to take on the role of a governess for a local family.  This further lowers her status in society, making her an even more unlikely match for Mr. Darcy, whose marriage proposal she’d spurned a year before.  Elizabeth wonders if she will ever find true love, or if she will be destined to be a governess for the rest of her days.

To quote another book reviewer, this was a very sweet love story.  Kara Louise captures the spirit of Pride and Prejudice, more so than in Darcy’s Voyage.  Her portrayal of Mr. Darcy is right on target.  Everything is very chaste and appropriate, but passion is very much evident in the lives of several characters.  I commend Louise’s ability to craft a pleasant story in a family-friendly, yet romantic way.

Having said that, I think that my expectations for Only Mr. Darcy Will Do were a bit lofty.  As sweet and likeable as the story was, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Voyage.  It was just a quiet, good-hearted tale.  There were times when I became weary of the frequent mentions of the state of Elizabeth’s heartbeat, as it was often utilized to measure the intensity of her feelings in various situations.  It was just a bit repetitive. 

I also felt that Louise’s characterization of Elizabeth Bennet was a bit weak, taking out some of Lizzie’s spunk and self-confidence.  She was often in frequent states of regret regarding her earlier refusal of Darcy’s intentions (hence the previous title), and as a governess she felt less inclined to stand up for her convictions.  Maybe that latter quality was because of the limitations of her new social standing, but I just had a hard time seeing Lizzie as somewhat of a shrinking violet.  Some of her spirit seemed to return toward the end of the book, but for most of the time she seemed a bit timid.

Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is a likeable novel, one that I probably could have read in one sitting had my schedule allowed it.  I devoured the first half in one day, which is evidence of my enjoyment.  I will again be recommending Louise’s work to my local friend, but it will not be with quite the violence of affection that I had with Darcy’s Voyage.  Regardless, I remain a fan of Ms. Louise’s work, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Sourcebooks.com

This title was provided to me by Sourcebooks Landmark.
No obligation other than an honest review was required.