Book Review | “The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George #BloggingForBooks

Posted Friday, 20 May, 2016 by jorielov (Translator) Simon Pare, Crown Publishers, Crown Publishing Group, Nina George, Penguin Random House LLC, The Little Paris Bookshop 1 Comment

Acquired Book By: I decided to join the “Blogging for Books” programme (on 9th July, 2014) which is a book for review programme created by the Crown Publishing Group. As a book blogger you are offered books in exchange for an honest review on your book blog as well as the ability to reach new readers when you cross-post your review to the Blogging for Books website. The benefit for the blogger is exposure as a reviewer as they put direct links back to your blog post on the book you select to review as well as your homepage.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Little Paris Bookshop” direct from the publisher Crown Publishers, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

Although I have taken a bit of a reprieve from seeking out French Literature from writers who are French bourne or simply stories that arise out of being set in France – I must confess, I still have a healthy interest in reading any story that would warm a Francophile’s heart. I simply think I overdid it initially – you can overtake your sensibility at times, wherein you devour such a large portion of something you love that a short hiatus away from it is better than becoming burnt out completely. In regards to the topic at hand, I believe I kept picking such hard hitting stories of the French, my mind and heart could not re-sync to yearn for more at that particular point in time.

When I first learnt of the story inside The Little Paris Bookshop my heart swelled with interest, as any booklover would whose also a bonefide postal correspondent – such as I. The mere idea of how letters are intersecting with personal lives and how stories are capturing the hearts of unexpected readers through circumstances that are quite kismet as they are karmic and serendipitously lovely. What is not to love at the onset of digging inside a novel like this one? I felt for the first time in a long while, I might have stumbled across a novel that would be enchanting rather than mind numbing and uplifting rather than angst ridden to the extreme. Personally I think I should limit how many war dramas I consume per annum. It has a way of getting to a girl! And, why pray tell I have the tendency to read such emotionally draining works of French Lit is beyond me – I need to sprinkle in some contemporaries and some light-hearted historicals; or simply expire my ticket for war dramas for a fraction of time before resuming where I left off.

Notation on Cover Art: Do you see that little postal stamp in the upper right corner of the postcard? Notice how half cover is overtaken by said postcard? Do you have know wicked happy it is to receive a letter by postal mail? There is such a ferret of joy erupting out of seeing a postmark, a stamp and an envelope addressed to you arriving by Post. A well of happiness about to enter your life via the written or typed conversation eagerly greeting your fingers as you slice open the envelope to reveal it’s contents. So too, is the same thirst for excitement I found in spying this book cover as a precursor to what I might find inside it’s novel’s heart. The backdrop of Paris was quite a smashing find as well.

The Little Paris Bookshop
by Nina George
Source: Publisher via Blogging for Books

Monsieur Perdu can prescribe the perfect book for a broken heart. But can he fix his own?

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people’s lives.

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780553418774

on 23rd June, 2015

Pages: 400

Published By: Crown Publishers (@crownpublishing)

(an imprint of Crown Publishing Group)

Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook & Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #TheLittleParisBookshop + #BloggingForBooks

About Nina George

NINA GEORGE works as a journalist, writer, and storytelling teacher. She is the award winning author of 26 books, and also writes feature articles, short stories, and columns.

The Little Paris Bookshop spent over a year on bestseller lists in Germany, and was a bestseller in Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands. George is married to the writer Jens J. Kramer and lives in Hamburg and in Brittany, France.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Posted Friday, 20 May, 2016 by jorielov in Adulterous Affair, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Apothecary, Blog Tour Host, Blogging for Books, Book Review (non-blog tour), Bookish Discussions, Cats and Kittens, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, France, French Literature, French Novel Translated into English, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Humour & Satire in Fiction / Non Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Literary Fiction, Men's Fiction, Mental Health, Modern Day, Philosophical Intuitiveness, Publishing Industry & Trade, Vulgarity in Literature, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage

Book Review | “A Captain for Laura Rose” by Stephanie Grace Whitson A new-to-me-author of #INSPY #HistFic!

Posted Thursday, 19 May, 2016 by jorielov A Captain for Laura Rose, FaithWords, Hachette Book Group Inc., Stephanie Grace Whitson 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a new reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, starting with FaithWords which is their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been enthused to start reviewing for them, as I picked a small selection of stories I felt I would enjoy reading; three of which were from FaithWords.

I have been wanting to read the stories of Stephanie Grace Whitson for awhile, and felt this was a good author to start with as I become familiar with INSPY by FaithWords. Being an avid reader of Historical Fiction (including within the INSPY fiction market) I was delighted she focuses on this genre to tell her stories! I received a complimentary copy of “A Captain for Laura Rose” direct from the publisher FaithWords (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On my passion for INSPY Fiction & Historical dramas:

Ever since I first picked up a copy of Frontier Lady by Judith Pella, I have been truly inspired by historicals written by INSPY authors! Little did I realise this story would spin itself into a trilogy, as I do have a copy of Stoner’s Crossing but not of the final story Warrior’s Song. I have only read Frontier Lady as a result and looking back, this is a prime example of my beginning roots as a ‘book blogger’ as I remember gushing about this book to such a level of joy, my family told me my ‘memories’ of the story felt as if they had actually sat down to read the story for themselves! Even then, as a young girl I was finding my voice to talk about stories and how those stories gave me such visual joy in reading them!

INSPY fiction has been in my life for such a long time, it’s hard to think back on a moment I was not reading it, as I have previously disclosed my joy in finding the Cooper Kids Adventure series, inasmuch as the fact I have roamed through INSPY and Mainstream markets since I became an avid reader somewhere in my youth – between the angst of learning to read (as a dyslexic reader) and finding my niches along the way by the time I hit Fourth Grade when my teacher refused to believe I couldn’t find enjoyment out of the written word. Mum and Da encouraged me to read whatever interested me, whilst encouraging my Indie spirit to seek out book shoppes that were not major chains… this helped twofold, as Indies were more lax about children in their stores who were seeking a ‘next read’ but needed time to sort that out and they had a larger inventory of books in which to seek! I also had a healthy curiosity of the fiction I’d find at a local Christian Book Store – where I’d spend hours looking through the adult fiction sections before I stumbled across the Mandie series and Cooper Kids Adventures. From there, I jumped straight into adult INSPY fiction as I found the Children’s Lit sections a bit too limiting – hence Judith Pella! The collective works of Dee Henderson soon followed suit, by the by!

I hadn’t realised it until I became a book blogger three years ago, I have the tendency to soak inside the historical past moreso than the Contemporary offerings throughout the fiction realms! Should have noted this I suppose along the way, but I read so very diversely across genres, it’s hard to pin-point me down to any particular ‘genre’ or style of literature at any given moment! Laughs. If you’ve visited my Story Vault by Genre you’d understand immediately! However, for a bit of a short history about my appreciation for INSPY Fiction, look towards my 70 Authors Challenge which this year I am making enroads towards whittling down a bit to where more entries are listed!

When it comes to the works by Ms Whitson, I felt like she was approaching the historical dramas with story-lines that not only appealed to my historical passion of interests, but with a touch of what I seek when I look towards INSPY writers who are crafting historical stories! Since I’ve become a book blogger, you might have seen my enthused joy in reading historicals by Susan Meissner (time slip historical – A Fall of Marigolds); Carolyn Steele (Willow Springs & Soda Springs) and Carla Kelly (Softly Falling & Summer Campaign). It has been an honour of mine to pick up the search for inspiring historical novelists since I first discovered Judith Pella and Lois Gladys Leppard (Mandie series) – I had a sense Ms Whitson might become the next author I add to my ‘short list’ of personal favourites; hence why I was wicked happy FaithWords gave me the pleasure of selecting two of her novels to begin reading as I become a reviewer of theirs and join their blogger team!

A Captain for Laura Rose

Laura Rose White's late father taught her everything he knew about piloting a Missouri River steamboat. He even named their boat after her. Despite that, it seems that Laura will forever be a "cub pilot" to her brother Joe, because in 1867, a female riverboat captain is unheard of. That is, until tragedy strikes and Laura must make the two month journey from St. Louis to Fort Benton and back in order to save her family's legacy, her home, and the only life she's ever known.

The only way for her to overcome the nearly insurmountable odds is with the help of her brother's disreputable friend Finn MacKnight, a skilled pilot with a terrible reputation. Laura loathes having to accept MacKnight as her co-pilot, especially when she learns she must also provide passage for his two sisters. Straight-laced Fiona has a fear of water, and unpredictable Adele seems much too comfortable with the idea of life in the rough and tumble environment of the untamed river and the men who ply it. Though they are thrown together by necessity, this historic journey may lead Laura and the MacKnights to far more than they ever expected.

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781455529056

on 4th March, 2014

Pages: 336

Published by: FaithWords (@FaithWords)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #StephanieGraceWhitson, #INSPYbooks, #ChristFict or #ChrisFic

& #INSPYfiction & #HistFic or HistRom

About Stephanie Grace Whitson

STEPHANIE GRACE WHITSON is a bestselling inspirational author of over 20 books. She's a two-time Christy Award finalist and the winner of an RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Inspirational Romance.

When she's not writing, she enjoys taking long rides on her Honda Magna motorcycle named Kitty.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Thursday, 19 May, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Apothecary, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Coming-Of Age, FaithWords, Female River Captains, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Missouri River, Naturopathic Medicine, Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), River Captains & Freight Carriers, Steamboat, Widows & Widowers

Blog Book Tour | “1906” by James Dalessandro

Posted Wednesday, 18 May, 2016 by jorielov 1906, Chronicle Books, James Dalessandro 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary used copy of “1906” direct from the author James Dalessandro in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read ‘1906’:

I have garnished an appreciation for ‘natural disaster’ stories – mostly via motion pictures or tv adaptations since I was a young child. I credit this to being surrounded by natural disasters in a region of the United States frequently plagued by everything you can think of save earthquakes, such as the one at the center of what went wrong in San Francisco in ‘1906’! I’ve survived my fair share of tornadoes, hurricanes, severe lightning storms and have been downwind of impressive forest fires which blocked out sunlight and daylight in equal measure. Nature has a way of imparting it’s fury on us at times where I tend to think we’ve missed a lesson somewhere about minding our actions and being more respectful towards the environment we’re meant to be stewards.

The heart of the story within in ‘1906’ is not entirely centred on the quake itself, but the back-story of what was happening in the city – at the corruption and the actions of others who set into motion a spiraling vortex of destructive damages that would lead to the greatest cost of the event itself.

-as revealled on the Guest Post by the author I previously showcased on this blog tour

1906: A Novel
by James Dalessandro
Source: Author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Every disaster has a backstory, none more thrilling than this one. Set during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, this page-turning tale of political corruption, vendettas, romance, rescue—and murder—is based on recently uncovered facts that forever change our understanding of what really happened.

Told by a feisty young reporter, Annalisa Passarelli, the novel paints a vivid picture of the Victorian-era city, from the mansions of Nob Hill to the underbelly of the Barbary Coast to the arrival of tenor Enrico Caruso and the Metropolitan Opera. Central to the story is the ongoing battle—fought even as the city burns—that pits incompetent and unscrupulous politicians against a coalition of honest police officers, newspaper editors, citizens, and a lone federal prosecutor.

With the appeal and texture of The Alienist, Carter Beats the Devil, and the novels of E. L. Doctrow, James Dalessandro weaves unforgettable characters and actual events into a compelling epic.

Genres: Biographical Fiction, Biography / Autobiography, Historical Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

ISBN: 0811849414

Also by this author: Guest Post on writing '1906'

Published by Chronicle Books

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 361

Published By: Chronicle Books (@ChronicleBooks)

Loved reading the Mission Statement on behalf of Chronicle Books!

Small discrepancies: my used copy of ‘1906’ is dated ‘2004’ however I cannot determine an exact publication date for this edition as mine is paperback not hardback. Also, my cover-art matches the hardback edition from 2004 not the paperback edition of 2005; ergo the cover art on the blog tour is for the ebook edition which was released in 2013.

Note about a used copy for review: I only mentioned it as relevance for having a different book cover and the issues determining the publication date, etc. I am thankful I had a print copy to read for this blog tour and as I’m a regular book buyer of used books, the fact my copy has slight wear and tear on it from previous readers did not bother me as most used books come with a bit of ‘history’. As a whole, I don’t believe my copy was overly read as the pages felt crisp and clean as the only wear on it at all were the edges of the book itself except for the curious ‘note’ I found on the very last page which applies to a certain medical supply company and product I have never heard of – thus hinting another reader has this copy before I did myself. The rest of the pages are untouched – I found it most curious!

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback and Ebook

About James Dalessandro

James Dalessandro was born in Cleveland Ohio, and educated at Ohio University and UCLA film school. In 1973 he founded the Santa Cruz Poetry Festival with Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Ken Kesey, the nation’s largest literary event.

He has written for Playboy, the Examiner newspapers, San Francisco magazine. He was writer of the House of Blues Radio Hour and created the nationally syndicated program “Rock On” with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.

He has published four books: Canary in a Coal Mine (poetry); Bohemian Heart (noir detective fiction); Citizen Jane(True Crime); and 1906: A Novel (Historical Fiction).

He is award winning writer/director/producer of the documentary film THE DAMNEDEST, FINEST RUINS (PBS/KQED), and writer/producer of the Hallmark Movie “Citizen Jane,” based on his book. He is screenwriter of “1906” the upcoming Pixar/Warner Brothers live action film based on his novel of the same name. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Katie and best pal Giacomo Poochini.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Wednesday, 18 May, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Indie Author, Passionate Researcher, Re-Told Tales, Writing Style & Voice

Author Interview | #WriterlyYours PR presents it’s 1st #blogtour: #ShadowShifts! Here’s a lovely convo I had with the author behind the MG Lit series, J.M. Bogart!

Posted Tuesday, 17 May, 2016 by jorielov J.M. Bogart, Liminal Lights, Liminal series, Morning Rain Publishing, Shadow Shifts 1 Comment

This particular interview has a lovely back-story attached to it, as it truly speaks to how Wrimos can find each other throughout their continued writerly journey! You see, last November I created a special guest post for Priya – of whom was the book blogger I met through the book blogosphere event #Bloggerthon in [2015]. You can see why we hit it off straight out of the gate by reading our conversation from that event! We started to think of ways we could continue to collaborate with each other, and my essay about why I entered Nanowrimo 2008 was one of the best joys I’ve had in articulating my own writing process and journey.

My guest feature became a bit lost in a blog overhaul, but has the pleasure of being re-highlighted this upcoming Nanowrimo (November, 2016). I look forward to re-linking and promoting the post this Autumn, as like I said, it was a definitive moment for me where I could share a bit of my own story in regards to being ‘a writer’ who happens to be ‘moonlighting so to speak’ as a book blogger! We all have our seasons, and this is mine: not to work on my own manuscripts and stories, but to focus directly on the stories currently being published and/or fall into one of my passionate genres of interest – including with prime focuses on INSPY, Children’s Lit and Classical Lit!

The author I had the pleasure of interviewing for Priya’s debut blog tour (J.M. Bogart) has a connection to Nanowrimo herself – as it was her novel “Newvember” which originally winked an eye of interest for me to read! She was also focused on last November – as Priya brought together different writers and bloggers who shared a common thread of interest with the immersive writing challenge whilst providing inspiring stories of how we each found our own path to follow.

I knew I wanted to broach questions that would pertain to the Liminal series which drew a concern on my own behalf but also, to focus on Ms Bogart’s writing voice, style and approach to being an Indie Author. She happens to be on the team of a Canadian Indie Publishing house as well! For those of you who might have as keen of an interest in reading Middle Grade Lit as I do, I asked to host a small excerpt of the novel “Shadow Shifts” to help introduce my readers to her series! I felt this was a lovely compliment to our conversation!

I look forward to hearing your thoughts after you’ve had the chance to read through our conversation – perhaps inspiring the convo to continue below the post!?

When Bean fails to secure Nadia’s human magic, she puts her entire race at risk. Liminals fade as fast as Shadow-monsters emerge, creating a disturbing imbalance between light and dark. Liminals aren’t the only creatures affected by things that go bump in the night…

Knowing the ravenous appetites of the Shadow-monsters will grow out of control, Bean, Tissa, Pritt, and Ping are forced to deal directly with the dire situation. Armed with the ancient secrets of their people, they band together to destroy their enemies and return balance to their magical realm.

The existence of all things Liminal depends on their success.

Read an Excerpt from the Novel:

taken from Chapter 3 of Shadow Shifts, 2nd novel in the Liminal series Read More

Posted Tuesday, 17 May, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Children's Literature, Faeries & the Fey, Fantasy Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Middle Grade Novel, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Writerly Yours PR

Blog Book Tour | “Camelot’s Queen” (Guinevere’s Tale, No. 2) by Nicole Evelina #HistFantasy

Posted Monday, 16 May, 2016 by jorielov Camelot's Queen, Guinevere's Tale, Lawson Gartner Publishing, Nicole Evelina 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “Camelot’s Queen” direct from the author Nicole Evelina in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I appreciate reading Nicole Evelina’s Guinevere Tale series:

Evelina has taken us into the heart of Guinevere and her girlhood peers, as we walk inside those hours she spent on Avalon honing her talent and learning about the world from a point of view not concurrent to her parents or ancestral home. Evelina re-develops the image of Guinevere and the back-story therein, allowing us the grace to re-examine what we think we know of the characters being brought back to life inside this trilogy. It’s a curious undertaking, because although it’s rooted in a canonical history of literature, mythos and lore; there is a new attempt at re-developing a story whose depths are grounded by the character’s will of heart and spirit of passage through their growing years.

The complexity and the authentic voice inter-combine to bring a scope of realism to Guinevere and to the back-story of her life. It’s a wholly original complex origin story where even if you are as under-read as I am about Camelot and Arthurian Legend, you can curl inside this novel due to how well-told Evelina evoked it’s heart out of the pages she lent us to read!

Mythology, fable and lore can feel disconnected at times to an actuary world if the conception of their perimeters are not fully fleshed out and brought to such a high level of vision by their writers. This is where Nicole Evelina excels as her vision of the story is portrayed in such a convicting manner as to etch your heart directly into the lifeblood of her characters; you feel everything they are sensing and appreciate the direct connection in order to best understand their world. Definitely a harbinger of emotionally writ historical fiction centred on known persons who have inspired many but of whom feel more three dimensional inside this story as they are presented with equal fragility as their contemporary peerage.

The research Evelina put into this work of a trilogy is evidenced by how she chose to tell the story, first through direct sight of Guinevere approaching hard choices and managing her emotions in the thick of it and secondly, through enlivening the background with such scope of depth as to embrace the mystical and mythology of how Camelot exists. She even kept the continuity alive by bringing together the origins of those who call Avalon home with their familial heritages and beliefs; such as I celebrated in seeing Guinevere’s Rhiannon and Lugh arriving in time for her ascension to Priestess of Avalon. The fundamentals of religion and ancestry are inter-woven to the core of who Guinevere is and what she stood for thereby granting the reader a more grounded vision of the woman Guinevere became latter in life.

– as disclosed on my review of Daughter of Destiny, Guinevere’s Tale No.1

Camelot's Queen
Subtitle: Guinevere's Tale Book Two
by Nicole Evelina
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Jenny Quinlan (JennyQ)
Source: Author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

History remembers Guinevere’s sin, but it was Arthur who transgressed first.

Forced into a marriage she neither anticipated nor desired, Guinevere finds herself High Queen, ruling and fighting alongside Arthur as they try to subdue the Saxons, Irish and Picts who threaten Britain from every direction. Though her heart still longs for her lost love, Guinevere slowly grows to care for her husband as they join together to defeat their enemies.

Meanwhile, within the walls of Camelot their closest allies plot against them. One schemes to make Guinevere his own, another seeks revenge for past transgressions, while a third fixes her eyes on the throne. When the unthinkable happens and Guinevere is feared dead, Arthur installs a new woman in her place, one who will poison his affections toward her, threatening Guinevere’s fragile sanity and eventually driving her into the arms of her champion.

Amid this tension a new challenge arises for the king and queen of Camelot: finding the Holy Grail, a sacred relic that promises lasting unity. But peace, as they will soon learn, can be just as dangerous as war. As the court begins to turn on itself, it becomes clear that the quest that was to be Arthur’s lasting legacy may end in the burning fires of condemnation.

This highly anticipated sequel to Daughter of Destiny proves there is much more to Guinevere’s story than her marriage and an affair. See the legend you think you know through her eyes and live the adventure of Camelot’s golden days yourself – but prepared to suffer its downfall as well.