Star Book Review and Contest: The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry takes readers and listeners on a psychological journey through the eyes of Zee. Zee was born and raised on the North Shore of Massachusetts, frequenting the towns of Salem and Marblehead. Zee is the product of the estranged marriage between her Parkinsonian-afflicted father, Finch, and her late mother, Maureen, who suffered from bipolar disorder. As you might imagine, Zee’s parents, especially the death of Maureen, have greatly affected Zee’s sense of self her entire life. Although she’s a well-respected psychological counselor in Boston today, Zee, at one time, had given in to her inner rebel and had an obsessive passion for stealing boats. She was very good at it, careful to always cover up her tracks, but like all things in life, her bad behavior eventually caught up with her and it was time for Zee to face the music, so to speak. In The Map of True Places, we find Zee at yet another crossroads in her life, dealing with the death of a client and the progressive illness of her father, and once again, Zee must grapple with a hard reality and learn to grow from her experiences.

          I would not consider The Map of True Places to be a traditional chick lit novel, but with its overarching theme of self-growth, I would classify it as women’s fiction. Like many novels of this genre, we meet our heroine at a place in her life where she is essentially backed into a corner or hitting rock bottom, as some might call it. Zee is faced with several difficult dilemmas that upon first glance seem to be rooted in various dramas involving her family, love relationships, and career. However, upon more careful inspection (and a lot of introspection), Zee realizes that she must do a lot of soul-searching before she can even begin to contemplate any of her outward problems. Zee embarks on a journey of self-exploration, learning that you can nerve be too old to grow.

          I enjoyed the set up of Zee’s character and the back and forth between the past and present during the opening prologue and first two parts of the novel. For me, it became harder to pay attention to the audio during Zee’s scenes with her father, Finch and his partner, Melville; but I must say the intertwining characters and intersecting storylines was very intriguing and worth your full attention during the entirety of the audio. As a psychology graduate student I especially loved the sneak peak I was given into the world of counseling as well as the deeper exploration of characters. I think this novel also hit so close to home with me because I am from Massachusetts and could picture the places Zee visited.

The Map of True Places takes risks that other novels do not, approaching the often taboo and difficult subjects of bipolar disorder, homosexuality and suicide. Brunonia Barry proves her talent as an artist of words, crafting articulate chapters and dividing the book into several sections. She is also the bestselling author of The Lace Reader. This was my first listen to narrator, Alyssa Bresnahan, who succeeds in creating a lovable heroine in Zee and fulfilling her duties as a variety of other, memorable friends and family.

3 STARS

For more information on Brunonia Barry, check out her web site at http://www.brunoniabarry.com/.

She also hosts two sites specifically for her bestselling novel, the Lace Reader, a story about a woman who can foretell the future in patterns of lace, and The Map of True Places. Visit http://www.lacereader.com/ and http://themapoftrueplaces.com/ for the book trailers, information on where to buy and more.

If you want to learn about the writing process and how Brunonia Barry was able to accomplish writing such a complex and popular novel, please check out the guest post she did at Lip Gloss and Literature back in April:

To WIN your very OWN COPY of THE MAP OF TRUE PLACES BY BRUNONIA BARRY, simply enter below.

You need not be a follower or re-publish this contest. Comment and be sure to include an email address where I might be able to reach you should you be the winner of one (1) paperback copy of The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry.

Open to US/CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY. This contest will be active today through next Wednesday, May 25. The winner will be chosen at random via Random.org and announced the next day. A big thank you to Anna at FSB Media for providing a copy of The Map of True Places to the winner at Lip Gloss and Literature. Comment today to enter!! GOOD LUCK!!

Musing Mondays: Where Would Chick Lit Be Without the Library???

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading every Monday. This week’s question asks bloggers to contemplate….

The local Catholic school board is closing its school libraries, and parents and teachers –and even the students– are in an uproar. Budget cuts demanded that the board choose something to get rid of… they choose libraries. As such, many librarians have lost their jobs. And, the board is moving the books to the classrooms, instead. They feel that it is a good solution.

What do you think? Should the schools be without an actual “library” room? Is this a good solution?

For more on this week’s Musing Monday check out Should Be Reading’s May 16^th post:

Lip Gloss and Literature says…where would Chick Lit be without libraries? Where would I got to get all my books, audio books and ebooks? Libraries are a great resource that I know I do not want to lose anytime soon. Read on…

“Medicine for the soul;” that is what the Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes reads and so it has been agreed upon since the creation of the library. I mean just look at all the quotes on the sanctity of libraries, dating back to the Roman age:

A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.
Henry Ward Beecher

A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.
Norman Cousins

And my father always took me to the library. We were both book addicts.
Cornelia Funke

To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul.
- Cicero

Libraries are as the shrine where all the relics of the ancient saints, full of true virtue, and that without delusion or imposture, are preserved and reposed.
- Bacon

I go into my library and all history unrolls before me.
- Alexander Smith

A library of wisdom, then, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it.
- Richard de Bury

It is, however, not to the museum, or the lecture-room, or the drawing-school, but to the library, that we must go for the completion of our humanity. It is books that bear from age to age the intellectual wealth of the world.
- Owen Meredith, from Inspirational Quotes About Libraries, Librarians and Book Collections

For more quotes on libraries and any other topic, please visit Brainy Quotes at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/library.html#ixzz1MX78Ga34

It doesn’t end there. A library is not just a concept. It is so much more. I remember back to kindergarten, when I was first introduced to the library. Once a week, our class would walk together to the library, where Mrs. Young, the librarian would read us a story, and then suggest a few others that we might check out. Then, we had maybe 20 to 25 minutes to scour the shelves and check out or two books to bring home for the week. Next to recess, it was the most exciting activity of the school week.

Sex and the City: The Movie
Carrie and Mr. Big get married
 at NYC Public Library

I have never lost my fondness for the library. I remember when I lived in Boston when I was a late adolescent, college student and young adult in the working world. I frequented the Boston Public Library every chance I could. I was reading so many books while taking the T (Boston’s underground subway system) to work every day. It was at the library that I was introduced to the writings of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes and my love for chick lit grew stronger. Libraries have even evolved with the changing times, offering ebooks, audio downloads and more through Overdrive Media service so that library patrons nationwide can upload their favorite and new release books, audio books, videos and more.

Today I visit my local library semi-regularly, most often to check out the latest selections at their book sales. More often, I use my local and state library’s website to locate books if interest and to download materials I’ve checked out. And, yes, I do own an ereader, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t still love to go to the library. Even if I don’t check anything out (although usually I can’t resist), I could get lost in the stacks of books for hours.

"Authors" of Jersey Shore fame

Clearly, I am not the only lover of the library. Look at all the memorable sightings of various libraries in the mainstream media. In Sex and the City: The Movie, Carrie and Big plan to tie the knot at New York City’s famous public library. Many celebrities from all over the world have joined the campaign, urging young ones to READ, including the Cast of the Twilight and Harry Potter movies! Check out all the celebrities who’ve written (or maybe co-written?) books lately. If Snooki and J-Wow are penning novels, books must be the thing to be seen with. Finally, if it’s on MTV, you know it’s “Hot” and the slapstick, hit comedy game show, Silent Library is proof that Libraries are more popular than.




Twilight and Harry Potter cast support READ campaign

 

So please, if you like to read, I urge you to support your local and state library. I know I want to be able to take my kids to the library one day so that they can create some of their own fond memories surrounded by stacks upon stacks of books.



Celeb, Jennifer Garner,
walks her kids to
and from the library



I do not work at a library. I am not affiliated with a library. I just love to read and I think it would be a shame to see another staple of our culture lost in the economic windfall of these tough times.

What’s your opinion on the library?

Star Book Review - Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax

Three women. Three strangers. Three victims of a major financial scandal. One man, Malcolm Dyer, has taken away the money, families, businesses and sense of self of three very different women. Madeleine Singer, Nicole Grant and Avery Lawford have all been left virtually penniless. Their only hope for retribution lies in their newly shared property, seized from the runaway thief’s known assets, in Pass-A-Grille, Florida. Unfortunately, upon meeting each other and seeing the property for the first time, any hopes they had of selling the house for a quick turnaround is abruptly shattered. Once considered a rare, architectural gem, Bella Flora, the mansion and its surroundings have since been deserted and are in dire need of a complete renovation before the three women can even think about selling it. The women are left with two choices. One, they can pay to have the house demolished; or two, they can move into the mansion for the summer and work on the cleaning and construction together in an effort to get it into saleable condition by Labor Day. After taking a vote, they unanimously decide to pool their resources and work together for the summer to restore Bella Flora.

Maddie, Nikki and Avery trade their familial, posh and plush lifestyles for a summer of sleeping on mattresses on the hardwood, dusty floors, sharing one bathroom and shopping in discounted bulk without even so much as the comfort of a guarantee that their hard work will even pay off come September. But what choice do they really have?

If anyone knows the meaning of the saying “when it rains, it pours”, it’s these three women. As if their financial ruin and the daunting task ahead of them weren’t enough, each woman has plenty of baggage they carry with them to Florida. Madeleine deals with a depressed husband, a pregnant daughter and a son who’s just lost his entire college scholarship. Avery, an HGTV celeb, known more for her looks than her architectural education, has just been booted from her own Hammer and Nail TV show only to be replaced by her pompous ex-husband. Finally, Nicole lost her entrepreneurial, A-list, match-making business and now there’s an FBI agent following her every move from California to Florida. None of the women dares to tell anyone their secrets, but after a few weeks of living in confined quarters, a few skeletons are bound to fall out of someone’s closet.

This was my first Wendy Wax novel and I loved it. I especially enjoyed the set up of the story, beginning with the overarching prologue and then how she introduced readers to each of the main women, one by one, living their separate, unique lives at the same point in time. The story reaches a crossroads when they all venture down to Florida to check out their shared ownership of Bella Flora. From there, even more excitement, action and predicaments ensue.

Ten Beach Road is a definite must read for summer. Friendship, marriage, family, fidelity, hard work and facing adversity are just a few of the themes you will find throughout the novel. It’s the perfect beach bag accessory or even a reliable read over a rainy weekend. You’ll feel like you’re racing through the book right alongside the women as they hammer away ‘til Labor Day.

     4/5 Stars

Wendy Wax is also the author of The Accidental Bestseller and Magnolia Wednesdays. Check out her website for more information on her books, bio and more.

**Thank you so much to Erin at the Penguin Group USA for sending me a review copy of Ten Beach Road. I did not receive any other type of compensation for my review. My thoughts and opinions are based solely on my own experience and have in no way been influenced by anyone else.**

Winner Announced: Beneath A Starlet Sky Special Book Giveaway

Cover found at
 Goodreads

I’d like to extend a big thank you to the Publisher who has so graciously agreed to provide a copy of Beneath a Starlet Sky to the winner. Thank you to EVERYONE for participating and a sincere Congratulation to Jennifer for winning!! I hope you enjoy the book and please, come back to Lip Gloss and Literature and let us know what you thought of it.

Check back soon when I celebrate YOU for helping me reach the 100 Follower mark. There will be many more reviews, interviews, and everything chick lit related in the coming months. Keep reading and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Putting On My Lip Gloss #4: From the Sidelines to Center Stage - Reading & Writing Characters

Reading about Characters….

A while back the Chicklit Club voted on the “Best” chick lit characters of all time. See who made the list:

http://www.chicklitclub.com/top10bestcharacters.html

L to R: Bridget Jones, Rebecca Bloomwood, Miranda Priestley (film adaptations)

Do you agree? Who are some of your favorite fictional characters?

As I’ve been working on my current WIP, I’ve been thinking a lot about characters. What point of view to tell their story in? Who to include? What should I call them? How much of their lives should I reveal? When should I introduce them? When should I show conflict between them and when should it be resolved?



Film version of One for the Money by Janet Evanovich 
(Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum, Middle)



 In my research on writing fiction, I have learned there are three (main) ways to craft a novel. One, from a message or idea; two from plot, action or events; and three, from character. For those of you who, like me, love chick lit, you are probably very familiar with the character-driven story. In chick lit, the story is often based around a strong leading heroine who finds herself in some kind of dire situation which thwarts her out of her comfort zone, forces her to take action and then causes her to grow from the inside-out. All in all, a character story can not exist without that specific character. Who else but Stephanie Plum could star in Janet Evanovich’s romantic, adventure-mysteries? Who but Miranda Priestley could have led the fashionistas in The Devil Wears Prada? There’s no character more synonymous with a shopping addiction than Sophia Kinsella’s beloved Becky Bloomwood. Who else could smoke 20 cigarettes a day; 4 pints of alcohol and end the night with 2 brownie sundaes like our lovable Bridget Jones? But what does it take to make a character so memorable that the reader wants to continue to read about their saga?

What do you look for in a character when you read? What are some of the most unique traits you have read about in characters?

Writing about characters…

One of my favorite websites is Girlfriends Book Club. It’s compiled by various chick lit and women’s fiction authors who rotate publishing posts every day. Not only is it a special treat for me because it is written by so many fantastic writers, but the content and advice is always a treasure! As fate would have it, wouldn’t you know it but all my favorite ladies had a bit to say about how to create that perfect leading lady:

http://girlfriendbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/5-tips-for-creative-believable.html

Another one of my absolute favorite emails comes from Daily Writing Tips, an invaluable (and free) subscription. From using the zodiac calendar to archetypes and great literary personas, find out where writers draw inspiration for their characters:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/use-archetypes-to-create-literary-characters/

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/5-qualities-to-consider-during-character-development/

Where do you draw your inspiration for characters?

Here are a few other various resources on Creating Characters:

http://storymind.com/dramatica/characters.htm

http://www.underdown.org/mf_characters_dialogue.htm

More helpful books on characters:

Creating Characters by Dwayne V. Swain

Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card

Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Dr. Linda Edelstein

45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt

What are some traits that you feel MUST BE INCLUDED when creating a character?

Putting on My Lip Gloss is a series of blog posts that represent my personal thoughts, ideas and general ramblings related to chick lit reading and writing. Every day is an inspiration – I never know where my next post is going to come from, but when it does, I always feel like putting on my lip gloss! Thanks for reading.

Star Book Review: Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

My first novel by Jill Mansell came in at number 15 on the Chicklit Club’s Ultimate 100 Chicklit Collection and I would not deny it any of its rave reviews. Although I’m still not sure what Miranda’s ‘'Big Mistake’ actually was, the story and its characters were certainly no mistake at all, with exciting and unusual plot points, often intersecting at various turns. I love books that intertwine as the story and characters did in Miranda’s Big Mistake and for the first 100 pages or so, I was anticipating the big she-bang of colliding characters. That’s not to say that the story was predictable because other than thinking that the characters paths’ would eventually cross, that was it. I did not know in what way or under which circumstances such an event might transpire.

Miranda is a very kind-hearted woman who works as an assistant to Fenn, a hairstylist with very A-List clientele. Even with her wild hair of blue and green, she’s so easy to fall in love with (as becomes very obvious with her many suitors throughout the novel); she’s the type of person who would quite literally give you half her sandwich even if it meant she’d go hungry later. She ends up meeting two men through a stint on a candid camera-type TV show, one of whom turns out to be the husband of her pregnant roommate, Chloe and another, Danny, who turns out to be an undercover reporter who had posed as the homeless man she took a liking to outside her salon. Determined to find a man who can be open and honest with her, Miranda finds love in a celebrity race car driver, Miles, who she meets at Fenn’s salon. However, he has a clichéd celebrity girlfriend, who is conveniently abroad during the time he and Miranda get to know one another. Will Miranda ever find her luck in love?

Meanwhile a very pregnant Chloe is working on regaining her independence and general sense of self after her husband, Greg, leaves her, demanding she have an abortion. Chloe takes up residence with Florence, her boss’s elderly mother and landlord to Miranda, to avoid the wrath of her own mother who blames Chloe for the entire debacle. Fenn begins to take a liking to Chloe the more time he spends around her, finding more and more excuses to invite her out with him. His reputation as a waif, model-dating player leaves him even more conflicted about these new emotions he’s feeling towards this pregnant woman.

Add a little to a lot of chaos into the mix, and you have the fun, fast-paced read that is the British chick lit novel, Miranda’s Big Mistake. I most definitely recommend checking out this book if you can. It’s hilarious and heartfelt, incorporating themes of love, revenge, scandal, good-byes, death and dying, grieving, new beginnings, friendship, kindness, loyalty, crazy hair, fast cars, good looking men and outlandish celebs. Miranda is like the girl next door. She grew on me and I found myself rooting for her the whole way through. I hope you do too! This was my first of many Jill Mansell books read.

4/5 Stars

For more information on Jill Mansell or any of her books, please visit:

http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/

Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Goodreads.

Waiting on Wednesday - Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

 

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my third week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

Maine by J.Courtney Sullivan

Touted as THE book of Summer 2011, Maine is the second release by author J. Courtney Sullivan. Scheduled for release June 14, 2011, I am already on the wait list through my local library’s web site for the audio book version. While it might not be June yet, maybe we can start summer a little early this year…

Three generations of women converge on the family beach house in this wickedly funny, emotionally resonant story of love and dysfunction from the author of the best-selling debut novel Commencement (“One of this year’s most inviting summer novels” —The New York Times).

The Kelleher family has been coming to Maine for sixty years. Their beachfront cottage, won on a barroom bet after the war, is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and threadbare sweaters are shared on chilly nights. It is also a place where cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and ancient grudges simmer below the surface. As Maggie, Kathleen, and Anne Marie descend on Alice and the cottage, each woman brings her own baggage—a secret pregnancy, a terrible crush, and a deeply held resentment for misdeeds of the past.

By turns uproarious and achingly sad, Maine unveils the sibling rivalry, alcoholism, social climbing, and Catholic guilt at the center of one family, along with the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to the family house, and to one another.

For more info on J. Courtney Sullivan or any of her books, please visit:

http://jcourtneysullivan.com/

What Are You Waiting On this Wednesday???