Review: A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley

At only five years old, Saroo Brierley got lost on a train in India. Unable to read or write, to recall the name of his hometown or even his own last name, he survived alone for weeks on the rough streets of Calcutta before ultimately being transferred to an agency and adopted by a couple in Australia.

  Despite his gratitude, Brierley always wondered about his origins. Eventually, with the advent of Google Earth, he had the opportunity to look for the needle in a haystack he once called home and pored over satellite images for landmarks he might recognize or mathematical equations that might further narrow down the labyrinthine map of India. One day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for and set off to find his biological family.

  A Long Way Home is a moving, poignant, and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. It celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.

Paperback, 288 pages

Published June 24th 2013 by Penguin Aus. Imprint:Viking 

Genre: Non Fiction/Autobiography/Memoir

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I was really excited to receive this book. After reading a few different books that take place in India I have discovered that I have a real fascination with it. Also, my sister Terri (the other half of Twin Spin), spent an extended period of time living there and I found her stories incredible. The way of life there is so extremely different from what I know and I couldn't wait to dive into the book. I did not know Saroo Brierley's story before reading it but I can assure you that I have since thoroughly researched it and watched the 60 Minutes Australia segment on him.

My rating is based solely on the story itself and not on the writing. This is a Memoir and I don't think it is fair to base my thoughts on the actual writing because Brierley is recounting his story and does not have a background in literature and writing. For this my rating is based only on the incredible story itself, how it made me feel and how much of my normal day was ignored in the effort to finish it.

I absolutely loved this story! It is amazing what this man was able to do and if I hadn't read it I never would have believed it was possible. I don't want to go into too much detail because it is not a long book and I could never do it justice. Everyone needs to read this story to believe it. What Brierley goes through as a five year old boy lost in one of the most populated cities in the world to his eventual adoption and his unthinkable search for his birth place is beyond words.

Brierley's story is being made into a major feature film and I for one will be sure to watch it. Readers of all ages will be sure to enjoy the book and eventually the film. It is just a fascinating story.

About the Author

When Saroo Brierley used Google Earth to find his long-lost birthplace half a world away, his story made global headlines. That story is being published in several languages around the world and is currently being adapted into a major feature film. Brierley was born in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India. He lives in Hobart, Tasmania.

Connect with Saroo

Facebook

Review: The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry

Jack McNulty is a 'temporary gentleman', an Irishman whose commission in the British army in the Second World War was never permanent. In 1957, sitting in his lodgings in Accra, he urgently sets out to write his story. He feels he cannot take one step further, or even hardly a breath, without looking back at all that has befallen him.

He is an ordinary man, both petty and heroic, but he has seen extraordinary things. He has worked and wandered around the world - as a soldier, an engineer, a UN observer - trying to follow his childhood ambition to better himself. And he has had a strange and tumultuous marriage. Mai Kirwan was a great beauty of Sligo in the 1920s, a vivid mind, but an elusive and mysterious figure too. Jack married her, and shared his life with her, but in time she slipped from his grasp.

A heart-breaking portrait of one man's life - of his demons and his lost love - The Temporary Gentleman is, ultimately, a novel about Jack's last bid for freedom, from the savage realities of the past and from himself.

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published May 1st 2014 by Viking Adult

Terri's Thoughts

I won a copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.  I originally gave up hope on it as it took so long to arrive but alas it showed up.

I have mixed feelings about this book.  On one hand I enjoyed it greatly and on the other I found I had a hard time getting through it.

This book is about a man reliving his past by writing down his journey in a journal.  The heart of the story is a love story however it is not a one of the conventional kind.  It is about the downward spiral of two people who love each other yet are toxic for each other.  This I found interesting.

I was not particularly fond of Mai or Jack.  I found them both to be selfish and without a great sense of character.  This is where I struggled.  Had they been more likeable I may have enjoyed the book more and had a greater connection with the tragedy of it.  I also had a hard time at first following along with the story.  It is told out of sequence without any real identifier that it has changed course.

Putting aside my struggles with the story the core of it was a good one about the decisions people make and the consequences as a result.  This was not a happy go lucky read but did manage to entertain me.  Without spoiling the story I found the ending appropriate and really the only way it could wrap up.

About the Author

Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. He is noted for his dense literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland's finest writers

Barry's literary career began in poetry before he began writing plays and novels. In recent years his fiction writing has surpassed his work in the theatre in terms of success, having once been considered a playwright who wrote occasional novels.

He has twice been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his novels A Long Long Way (2005) and The Secret Scripture (2008), the latter of which won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. His 2011 novel On Canaan's Side was long-listed for the Booker.

           

Review: Now and Yesterday by Stephen Greco

Peter, a 59-year-old gay advertising executive, lost the love of his life years ago, and since then he has played the merry widower. Then he meets Will, a handsome waiter-turned-magazine editor of 28. Will accompanies Peter to the opera. And thus begins a tentative romance in which both sides must navigate the generation gap - and confront the demographic hole punched by AIDS in the gay population - to find love.

Paperback, 464 pages

Published May 27th 2014 by Kensington
Genre: Contemporary


Kristine's Thoughts:

I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This book was different from what I have read before. That is a good thing. I always like to get lost in the pages of something that I am not very familiar with. Now and Yesterday took me into the gay community with Peter as he struggles with past and present.

There is a good story here with good writing but it took a long time to get there. It started out slow and I found it took a long time to catch my interest. With the slow start I found that I was indifferent to both Peter and Will and they both came across a little boring. I did however plug through it because I always see a book through to the end and it did eventually improve.With a little more editing and a few pages removed I think this book could go from good to great. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either.

About the Author

An arts-and-entertainment journalist by trade, Stephen Greco is Director of Content for Classical TV, which streams full-length performing arts videos online and across platforms.

He is also Intelligence Director of True, an advertising agency focused on global transcultural audiences, with bases in New York and London. He is a former Senior Editor of Interview magazine, the program magazine Stagebill, and the New York weekly, 7 Days.

Greco has contributed features on the arts and entertainment, style and fashion, youth culture, and new media to publications such as The Advocate, American Way, aRude, Art News, Casa Vogue, Dancemagazine, Elle, Elle Decor, Empire, France, HX, Harper's Bazaar, Latina, the London Observer, the Journal of Movement Research, Manhattan File, New York magazine, the New Yorker, the New York Times online, Opera News, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Review: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

Terri's Thoughts
 

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Harlequin Teen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is July 29 2014.     
 

This was an interesting read for me.  Although clearly aimed for the Teen audience I found that I still enjoyed it even though those days are behind me.  I liked how it was written as five short stories with only one common thread and that was Leila.  The way she breezed in to each persons life and impacted it was something special.
 

Without disclosing too much of the plot I found each story had an individual theme that make it unique.  Love, grief, comedy (although perhaps should have also been love), adventure (again should be love) and homecoming.  While the common theme is love each is told in a different way.
 

Here are my thoughts on each story

Hudson - boy/meets girl love story.  Very cute and clean
 

Bree - My least favorite.  I felt the rebellion was taking it a little bit too far.
 

Elliot - such a funny story.  While it references a bunch of different 80's movie it also reads exactly like one
 

Sonia - A little bit of adventure with comedy mixed in.  Entertaining.
 

Leila - While the only character present throughout her story brings the theme of all the others together.
 

Overall this was an enjoyable read and a little bit different than the stories currently dominating the genre.  For that I am thankful.

About the Author

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut


Website:  http://www.somewhereoverthesun.com
Twitter:  AdiAlsaid

Review: Desperate by Daniel Palmer

Brimming with suspense and unrelenting twists, acclaimed author Daniel Palmer's latest thriller delves into the waking nightmare of a well meaning couple whose biggest and most ordinary dream has gone terrifyingly awry Gage Dekker still blames himself for the car accident that claimed the lives of his first wife and young son. Then he meets Anna, who understands grief all too well. Within a year, Gage and Anna are married, his career is thriving, and both feel ready to become parents once more.

After a heartbreaking miscarriage, they begin the long adoption process, until fate brings Lily into their lives. Young, pregnant, and homeless, Lily agrees to give her baby to Gage and Anna in exchange for financial support. It's the perfect arrangement for everyone. Seeing his wife's happiness and optimism for their new life and child, Gage begins to feel a sense of hope he thought he'd lost forever.

But something isn't right once Lily enters their lives. At work and at home, Gage is being sabotaged, first in subtle ways, then things take a more sinister turn. Every attempt he makes to uncover the truth only drives a wedge between him and Anna. Even as he's propelled toward an unthinkable choice to save his marriage and his job, Gage discovers that the most chilling revelations are still to come.

Hardcover, 330 pages

Published April 29th 2014 by Kensington
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Kristine's Thoughts

I received a copy of this book directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I'm not going to re-tell the story because the synopsis does a pretty good job of telling you what the book is about. I will say that this book took me by surprise. It starts with the introduction of Lily into the lives of Gaga and Anna. She seems to be the answer to their problems and a dream come true. It doesn't take long for the reader to realise that there is more to the story and that Lily isn't what she appears. Gage also begins to question the woman that seems to have miraculously appeared in their lives.

I found that I couldn't stop reading because I was dying to know what would happen next. There were so many twists and turns and they seemed to get bigger and gain more momentum as each page was turned. In all honesty, I couldn't see how it could possibly end well. I was nearing the end of the book and it was still gaining momentum to the point that I thought there would have to be a sequel. This book has a "Whoa" moment in it with a shocking twist that I did not see coming.

If I had to critique the story I would have to say that the characters were not as engaging and likeable as I would have liked. Although I wanted to know what happened to him next, I wasn't on the edge of my seat routing for him and the same goes for Anna.

Overall, this is a quick and easy read that will keep you guessing. The chapters are all short and if you are a "one more chapter" kind of person you will have it done in no time.

About the Author

Daniel Palmer spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer helping to build first generation websites for Barnes & Noble and other popular brands. An experienced musician and songwriter, Daniel has recorded two CDs and licensed his songs for commercial use. Daniel's co-written two short stories for the trade organization International Thriller Writers, which were published in Thriller (edited by James Patterson) and First Thrills (edited by Lee Child). His debut thriller novel, Delirious, is scheduled to be published by Kensington in early 2011, part of a three book contract with the publisher. He holds a master's degree in mass communications from Boston University, and currently resides in New Hampshire with his wife and two children.

Connect with Daniel

Website/ Twitter/Goodreads

Review: Interview with Mrs. Berlinski by Lauren Walden Rabb

Mrs. Berlinski, the reclusive widow of a famous concert pianist, decides to finally talk to a journalist about her life. But her revelations about a love affair six decades earlier leave the journalist in a quandry, as she can't go public with the information. And yet, she can't stop listening either. Three days later, the journalist is left with one burning question: is Mrs. Berlinski's tale of one great love or great foolishness? Based on a true story, this is a many-layered look at love, and the lies we tell ourselves and each other in the name of it.

Terri's Thoughts

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.  It appears that this book has been released for quite some time now however there are minimal reviews or information about it.  Hopefully that will change.

This is a story right up my alley.  The story is the life and love story of Emma (Mrs. Berlinski) as she shares all of her secrets to a journalist who is interested in her deceased husbands story.  The end result is that her story is much more interesting and haunting then her husbands was.

I do not want to give away the plot as this is not a long read however the readers learns about a forbidden love and the path these choices take the characters on as a result.  It describes an innocent love that becomes not so innocent due to the marriage of one of the characters.

I have to say that although I was drawn in to the love story I was not a fan of Jack. I must stand on my moral high horse and the fact that he was married made all of his actions (to me) seem manipulative.  I understand the deep love that they shared however I do feel that a better man would not have led the lifestyle that he did.  To top it all off the direction he took his life toward the end of the book added to my dislike of him.  I loved Harold on the other hand and felt that he may have been too good for Emma.

Essentially the story was about Emma and not so much Jack so I was able to forgive his actions.  I loved how it was from an older Emma's voice that we hear of the story of her life.  The way she made her decisions and stuck to them reflected a great strength of character although it did not necessarily lead to the best choices for her well being.  Add to that the era of the great depression and it spun a magical story for me.

To go back to the question posed in the books synopsis.  Is Mrs. Berlinski's tale of one great love or great foolishness?  My answer is it doesn't matter.  Regardless of opinion this book had me glued to find out how it would all end.  My only wish is that this book was marketed a little bit more as I had a hard time finding information on it and I feel it may get lost in the shuffle as a result.

About the Author

Born in the Midwest but raised in South Brunswick, NJ, Lauren is an art historian and author with two published novels: “Walking Through Time” (based on the life of 19th century artist William Lamb Picknell and his wife Gertrude) and “Interview with Mrs. Berlinski” (based on the life of Lauren’s great-aunt). Her current work, a comic novel, memorializes many real life adventures working for Hollis Taggart Galleries in the 1980s. Her short story, “The Conversation,” was published online at The Whistling Fire literary magazine on May 29, 2014.

Feature and Follow Friday #36

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme that allows book bloggers to interact with each other and find new blogs! It has two hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The rules are...
 
(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog.

This week's question is...

If you had a time machine (i.e. a TARDIS), where would you go? 

Terri's Answer

Oh boy another tough question for me.  There are so many things and places that I would love to go visit that I can't possibly pick one.  I think I would love to go back to the sixties to experience what life was like then.  It was such a time of change that it would be interesting to experience it first hand.  Not to mention that I would love the fashion of the 60's.  I was born much to late to experience that!

Kristine's Answer

I like Terri's answer but I think I would go back to when my girls were toddlers so that I could experience them being little again. They are growing up so fast and I miss their sweet little baby voices and the fact that there wasn't anything that mommy couldn't make better. I've just entered the "taxi driver" stage of parenting and although I am proud that they are becoming responsible and independent young ladies (except for the driving), I really miss the days when they needed and wanted me to take care of them.

That is our Feature and Follow Friday for this week! Comment down below if you're a new follower of ours with a link to your blog and we will make sure to follow you back. You can follow us via gfc, bloglovin, email, facebook and/or twitter.