The Peach Keeper by, Sarah Addison Allen~~Review

The Peach Keeper by, Sarah Addison Allen

Another great book by, Sarah Addison Allen. This is the story of 2 generations of women grandmothers and granddaughters, friendship, secrets and ghosts. The 4 main characters Paxton, Willa, Sebastian and Colin are all trying to find where they belong and who they are. In highschool they were the princess, the joker, the freak and the stick man all of them are trying to live down these reputations and come into their own.

Paxton is in the process of restoring the house The Blue Ridge Madam which was originally owned by Willa’s family before they lost their fortune and the house in the 30’s. Willa’s grandmother grew up in the house but never talked about it to Willa. But strange things have been happening ever since the project has started that will bring Paxton and Willa together in a way neither sees coming.

I loved this book Sarah Addison Allen is the queen of magical realism she writes it so beautifully and it is so believable. The characters in this book make you want to cheer for them and be friends with them. We also get an unexpected although brief visit from some old friends who are there to cater a party. This is a must read for lovers of southern fiction, magically realism and strong friendship stories. This is going on my favorites list and with all other books by this author will be one I will read again!

I received this book from Librarything Early Reviewers Program

5 Stars

2011 Books to Movies

There are some good ones coming up some I'm almost afraid of because I am scared I will be disappointed. I am most looking forward to The Help and of course the last Harry Potter.

Which ones are you looking forward to?

I am Number Four by, Pittacus Lore
The Lincoln Lawyer by, Michael Connelly
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Beastly by Alex Flinn
One for the Money Janet Evanovich
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 by, JK Rowling
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
Breaking Dawn, Part I by Stephenie Meyer
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Sherlock Holmes by, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Winnie the Pooh by, AA Milne
Mr Poppers Penguins Richard Atwater
Wuthering Heights by,Emily Bronte
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair by, CS Lewis
Arabian Nights
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy John le Carre
Diary of a wimpy kid Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
One Day by David Nicholls
The Rum Diary by, Hunter S. Thompson
War Horse by,Michael Morpurgo
Midway to Heaven by, Dean Hughes

Climbing the Stair By: Padma Venkatraman

Summary:

This is a great novel.

This is the story of a young girl named Vidya. She has one true dream. She wants to go to college. This, she thinks, is almost impossible. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen does. Her father is killed. This means moving to a new house where her Periappa is in charge. He is a mean old man who is really into tradition.

When she arrives the house is even more awful than she expected. Her aunt hates her, periappa thinks she is an idot, and she is no longer allowed to read. This is the worst of all. The only good thing is Raman. He is a boy living in the house and she hardly ever sees him, that is until she starts to sneek up the stairs to land of men to read in the library. They slowly fall in love. The problem is that her brother wants to go away to the war and she wants to go to college. Eventually every thing piles up and spills out in the most interesting and wondeful thing that could happen. Vidya finally realizes what she must do. See what she decides in Climbing the Stairs.

My thoughts:

This book is an amazing tale of the life of a young girl. Padma Vewnkatraman is a wonderful writer and has captured every feelin this young girls has with an amazing ease. I love this book.

Rating:

5 stars *****

Madame Tussaud:A Novel of the French Revolution by, Michelle Moran

Madame Tussaud:A Novel of the French Revolution by, Michelle Moran

Another hit for Michelle Moran! I am learning so much about the French Revolution that I never knew. And about Madame Tussaud, I have been to Madame Tussauds in London and to learn this background about her and how extremely talented she was, it’s all just so very interesting. How the King & Queen were so oblivious to what was really going on in their country, or at least the king was.

How awful this revolution was, they said the King was a tyrant but how it turned these revolutionaries into way worse than the King ever was. The horrors that Marie had to see and sculpt she was an amazing and strong woman. When she is asked to make these death masks it’s all quite gruesome.

I was amazed how her and her Uncle Curtius straddled the two sides of the revolution for as long as they did and how they changed the displays sometimes daily how fast she was able to sculpt these amazing works of art.


I’ll be honest I was never that interested in the French Revolution until this book now I am googling everyone mentioned! To me that is what makes a good historical fiction book is if you want to learn more about the events and people and this one definitely did that!

This was a fascinating look into the life of a woman I think most people have heard of but never really knew about. This is a great read and as usual I look forward to more from Michelle Moran!

5 Stars

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Ah, the dreaded threequel. So many story arcs to tie up. So many questions to be answered. So much to live up to depending on the success of the previous installments. Rejoice Hunger Games fans because Mockingjay does not disappoint as the third and final novel in the Hunger Games trilogy. Mockingjay picks up not too far after Catching Fire with Katniss Everdeen, protagonist and unwilling, unknowing participant in the rebellion, finding refuge in District 9, headquarters of those fighting against the Capitol. The love triangle established throughout the series is maintained, and adds surprising twists and turns throughout. More detail really can’t be dispensed for fear of spoilers which would be criminal in such a surprising turn of events. Most enjoyable is Katniss herself. Her doubts, uncertainties, and mental instability never truly dissipate because this isn’t a conventional story of a hero conquering “the bad guys.” It’s a fascinating read that evokes chills, gasps, perhaps tears, and the occasional laugh. Also, it’s nearly impossible to put down once begun. Mockingjay manages to build off the tension the series has been accumulating over the past installments rather than having an anticlimactic feel that many sequels suffer from. Simply put, Mockingjay ended a wonderful series with finesse and competence, and is not to be overlooked. 4 ½ stars.