A Rose By Any Other Name

A Fine Vintage

          Most families have their pigeonholes and identities. Coming from a family of three girls, I know first-hand about family roles and labels.  My oldest sister, Linda, was “The Smart One”; my middle sister, Sheri, was definitely “The Pretty One”; so as the baby, I had to do something to get everyone’s attention (albeit not enough to get any pictures in the family photo album) so I became “The Funny One.” In Allegra Goodman’s sixth novel, The Cookbook Collector, the two sisters, Jess and Emily Bach are defined as “The Creative One” (read “flighty” “irresponsible” and “granola-natural”) versus “The Responsible One” (read “solid”, “grounded” and “practical”) respectively.

         So, while Emily is cast as a heavy Cabernet Sauvignon with gripping maturity, Jess is more like a fresh summery Sauvignon Blanc. But, both sisters are a fine vintage you will want to spend your time sipping and savoring. This is the perpetual Jungian struggle and in this case, as in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the contrast provides much of the comedic tension in a wonderful tale of love and fortunes won and lost. We sense much sisterly affection along with some slight competition:

”’I’m taking the Berkeley, Locke, Hume seminar, and logic and philosophy of language…’Jess paused to sip her mango lassi. ’And working and leafleting …for Save the Trees. And I’m also taking Latin. I think I might be as busy as you.’ Emily laughed. ‘No.’ She was five years older and five times busier. While Jess studies philosophy at Cal, Emily was CEO of a major data-storage start-up.”

          Like Austen, Goodman has an excellent grasp of personality types and the human psyche, and clearly captures the personal emotions of pain, loss and love. But combine that with a Dickenesque ability to build quirky characters and weave them into the plot in surprising ways—and, well, you’ll just have to read this romp to find out how it all ends. (Although I will warn you that the author cheats a bit at the end and pulls a ‘Wilde’ hare out of her hat reminiscent of The Importance of Being Earnest. But it is so skillfully done, that we quickly forgive this amusing trick.)

          This story is part fairytale and part a cynical treatise a la Wall Street on the temptations of greed and ambition. Set in 1999 amidst the heady pre-dot.com bubble, and continuing through the fall of the Nasdaq—followed by the twin towers—Goodman takes us on a rollercoaster ride along with the dramatic stock market dips and dives. But hearts beat along with the ticker tape, and what could’ve been a depressing story of doom and gloom—come on, we all know what’s coming—is actually an optimistic story of love and hope.

          Combine the industries of computer software, education, religion, antiquarian books, education, and environmental charities—and you have a pretty interesting mix of work settings—all well-researched by Goodman. It reminded me of an irreverent bumper sticker one of my friends drove around with for years, “Nuke the Gay Whales for Jesus.” But the various viewpoints, instead of causing confusion—like the aforementioned bumper sticker—provide a story of rich perspectives, competing motives, and an interesting study in contrasts.

          In addition to contrasts, Goodman has a good time playing with ironies—we can almost see her at her keyboard with her tongue firmly attached to her cheek. First there’s Jess’s tree hugging activities, which contrast with her actual job which is selling books—a product which requires pulverizing those same trees in order to be printed. Then she writes of Emily and Jonathan’s relationship which seemed to be fueled by their individual success as CE-somethings of competing software companies—the same companies that required that they live 3,000 miles away from each other. Also, I wondered at some point if their relationship was based more on the excitement their companies’ IPO were providing than they contributed to themselves. Finally, we read the plethora of letters Emily and Jess’s late mother wrote to her daughters—one to be opened on each of their birthdays until age twenty-five—which would indicate a strong desire to communicate with her little darlings, while meanwhile conspiring with her father to keep them in the dark about significant family secrets.

          Like a fine wine maker building complexities into her vintage, the book deals with the struggle for balance: Work and Home life, Trust and Doubt, Getting and Spending, Ideas and Ideals, and the value of the Material versus the Immaterial. Additional themes include the Morality of both businesses and non-profits; Finding Meaning and Identity; and heady Appetites for Love, Sex, God, Money, Food and, of course, Fine Wine.

          Goodman’s full-bodied characters are as satisfying as the buttery California chardonnays they sip.

          Jess is a perpetual student working on chalking up some more ‘incompletes’ on her doctoral degree in Philosophy. At 23, she also works part-time at Yorick’s Rare and Used Books, part-time leafleting for Save the Trees, and part-time charming the leaders of both. She has an optimistic approach to life. After getting drenched in a rainstorm she tells her sister, “I’m hydrating.” At another point, Goodman writes, “She had a theory about everything, but her ideas changed day to day. It was hard for Emily to remember whether her sister was primarily feminist or environmentalist, vegan or vegetarian. Did she eat fish, or nothing with a face?”

           Jonathan is the least likable character—as bloated as his company’s stock price. Although we know his back story and admire his persistence, we never fully trust—or like him. We don’t dislike him for who he is, it’s just that we’re disappointed because he could be so much more. The only time the story lags is when Goodman spends too much time on the East Coast with ISIS, Jonathan and his cohorts there. But just as you begin to miss California—and the sisters—Goodman switches us back to the main event—and we find the absence has made us grow fonder—if that’s possible.

          To mix Austenian metaphors, George, the owner of the antiquarian book store, is our Mr. Darcy. Goodman gives us a succinct bio on him:

 “He was old money, a Microsoft millionaire now returned to Berkeley where he’d gone to college in the seventies, majoring in physics with a minor in psychotropics…George retired, traveled, and donated to worthy cause. But he was eccentric as well. He was a reader, and autodidact with such a love for Great Books that he scarcely passed anymore for a Berkeley liberal. Previously anti-war, at thirty-nine his new concern was privacy. He grew suspicious—his friends said paranoid—of technology, and refused to use e-mail or cell phones. He…boycotted the very products with which he made his fortune, and called Microsoft the Evil Empire, although he still owned stock. In the eye of the internet storm, George sought the treasures of the predigital age.”

          ‘Cookbook’ feels like historical fiction not only due to the Dickensian, Austenesque and magical fable-like qualities, but also the sharp details Goodman uses to conjure a world—though only a decade ago—markedly different from today including: dial-up connections, economic confidence, and Republicans in office. Her tone remains optimistic amidst tragedy, loss and disappointments: “Sometimes sadder, sometimes wiser, laid off programmers returned to graduate school to finish their degrees, or joined The Peace Corps, or scrambled for money to start new companies, as seedling grow in rings around a redwood struck by lightning.”

Cheers!

BCC

About the author: New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman, has previously written the novels, Kaaterskill Falls (1999; a National Book Award finalist), Intuition (2006) Paradise Park (2001), and The Family Markowitz (1996); a short story collection, Total Immersion (1998); as well as a young adult novel, The Other Side of the Island (2008). Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker and Best American Short Stories. She is a winner of the Whiting Writer’s Award and a fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She lives with her family Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Links and Details:

The Cookbook Collector, by Allegra Goodman

• Release: July 6, 2010 from The Dial Press (Hardcover)
• 394 pages
• Author’s website link: www.allegragoodman.com
• Publisher’s website link: dial-press.atrandom.com
• Source: Completed copy from Publisher

A Summer Adventure for

Your Book Club

           Is your book club looking to go on a grand journey this summer? You need go no further than M.L. Malcolm’s international adventure, Heart of Lies. Fans of Water for Elephants will enjoy the historical aspects of the book. Devotees of Shanghai Girls will love the inside glimpse at the exotic settings—including Shanghai, Budapest, Paris, and Manhattan. Followers of Ken Follett, Jeffrey Archer and David Baldacci will love the political intrigue angle. And admirers of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet will love the fact that Heart of Lies is also an old-fashioned love story.

            Born a Hungarian peasant, Leo Hoffman leverages his good looks, wit, and a gift for languages and social mimicry to become a rich and powerful man, only to have circumstances and naive choices from his past threaten everything he holds dear. 

            Set in Europe, Asia and The New World, Leo’s escapades sweep you across the globe. The tumultuous history of the time period—1920’s and 30’s—helps to drive the plot. As many of you know, I love this period of history between the two World Wars, and Ms. Malcolm sprinkles some wonderful tidbits plucked from history into Leo’s story, such as the Hungarian counterfeiting scandal of 1925, the manipulation of the rubber market in 1926, Chiang Kai-shek’s weakening hold on China, the bombing of Shanghai in 1937, and the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, the rise of Hitler’s power, and the Jews fleeing from Germany and Europe…Whew! OK—maybe she does more than ‘sprinkle’…There’s definitely some meat to the history piece!

            Although Malcolm tells a fast-moving adventure story, it is not at the expense of the characters, dialogue or prose. Ms. Malcolm’s vivid descriptions and meticulous research are reflected in the language of Leo’s story. Here’s what she writes as the soldiers returned to Hungary after their defeat in WWI:

“Honor and country had called them to the battlefield of Europe and then abandoned them there, where a weary grayness drifted into their eyes, settled into their hearts, and wrapped around their souls, souls that had been slit open and sucked dry by the beast of the Great War.”

            Besides Leo, you will root for the two loves of Leo’s life: his wife, Martha, the great beauty with the lovely voice, and his daughter, Maddy, with her infectious laughter and gift for music. You’ll also meet two characters you will love to hate: Amelia, the scheming temptress, and Lui Tue-Sheng, the powerful head of the Chinese mafia who has a secret hold on Leo’s life. Although Leo denounces his heritage and reinvents himself time after time, he seems to be unable to leave his past behind him—which threatens his future and that of his family.

            And though the book is set up for a sequel to follow, I felt the major plot pieces were suitably closed so that the reader feels satisfied, and yet eagerly awaiting that next book for more of Leo and Maddy’s exploits. (Watch for Heart of Deception releasing next year.)

            Ms. Malcolm deals with themes that book clubs will want to discuss such as Survival and Perseverance; Deception and Forgiveness; Passion and Love. There are reading group questions and an author’s interview in the back, and the author is available for a visit or phone call to your book club. 

            Be prepared for your book club to fall in love with Heart of Lies. I sure did.

Links and Details:

Heart of Lies: A Novel by M.L. Malcolm

• June 8, 2010 release from Harper Paperbacks
• 336 pages
• Includes a Readers Guide and Author Interview
• Author’s Angle column M.L. wrote for Book Club Cheerleader.com earlier this year: www.bookclubcheerleader.com
• Book’s website link: www.heartoflies.com/
• Publisher’s website link:  www.harpercollins.com
• Source: Advanced Readers Copy from Author

Better Than Room Service!

Have you ever stood in the lobby of a 5-star metropolitan hotel speculating about what really goes on within such a sumptuous establishment? Did you wonder if it might be even remotely possible that someone similar to you has checked into that penthouse suite? Well, place those musings into Manhattan’s Four Seasons Hotel and you have the premise of Based upon Availability, a recently released novel by Alix Strauss, a lifestyle trend writer who appears on national morning and talk shows.

In Availability, Strauss takes you into the lives of eight very different but equally compelling women; all of whom are connected in some way to Morgan, the hotel’s seemingly “got it all together” general manager and the book’s central character. The author uses her “lifestyle trend” expertise to describe each character’s individual struggle to establish truthful, meaningful human connections.

In addition to the aforementioned Morgan, who is still grieving for the sister she lost over 20 years ago, we meet Louise, a drug-addicted, faded rock star attempting rehab in the hotel’s Suite 2410; Anne, a sad and lonely hotel concierge suffering from OCD; and Ellen, a decorator whose self-worth is irretrievably tied to her ability—or lack thereof—to conceive a child. And not to be overlooked are Robin and Vicki who manage to take sibling rivalry to a whole new level. Are you hooked yet?

          You’ll be sorry if you dismiss this novel as merely another shallow beach read. While Availability is without question imminently entertaining, it is also an insightful and engrossing character study of eight women not so very different than you or I. Looking past their superficial differences, you will find yourself identifying, in at least some small measure, with each and every one of them—like it or not! Who cannot relate to feelings of isolation—whether it be in the middle of Manhattan or simply at a family gathering? And who among us has not had to face the heartbreaking reality that the object of our deepest affection—be it lover, sibling or friend—doesn’t share that emotion?

          Availability is smart and unpredictable, and alternately dark and humorous. Strauss’s writing is superbly crafted as evidenced by how she conveys each character’s story in a manner that is simultaneously concise, yet complete. I found that the ties she established between each character to Morgan and the Four Seasons were incredibly clever, yet totally believable. The primary strength of this novel, however, is Strauss’ ability to not only cause us to relate to these characters but to also make us care what ultimately happens to them—yes, even Lou, the druggie!

          Availability is a natural choice for book clubs. Members will relish hashing over the all-too-real trials and tribulations of these Manhattan ladies. And when these individual scenarios are played out in the suites, offices, bars and restaurants of a swanky Manhattan hotel, you’ve got one truly satisfying read—on or off the beach!

by Kay Hodges,  (The Other) BCC

Links and Details:

Based upon Availability, by Alix Strauss

• June 8, 2010 release from Harper Trade Paperpack Original
• 352 pages
• Author’s website link:  www.alixstrauss.com
• Publisher’s website link:  www.harpercollins.com
• Source:  Advanced Readers Copy from Author

The Outside Boy Simmers

with Inner Conflict

Jeanine Cummins has written a beautiful coming of age story about a motherless gypsy boy, who struggles to discover who he is in a rapidly changing world—1950’s Ireland.

This story is told in the unique and intuitive voice of a 12-year old Irish Pavee boy, “Christy”—short for Christopher. They call themselves “Travellers.” Unkind town folks, or “Buffers” call them “Tinkers”—you would know them as “Gypsies.”  At this point you’re probably starting to hum as Cher’s rendition of Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves begins to swell in the background… However, Cummins’ s sympathetic treatment of these members of society’s fringe, may cause you to want to join their merry band—painted wagons, campfire songs, and all… Christy provides an excellent point of view for us to learn about his Pavee culture, and the react  these outsiders get from the townspeople—both the inclusive and the cruel.

Although Christy is the primary character, we come to care about many of the other supporting cast-members that make his world go round.  In fact, two family members that take up a lot of energy in his mind and space in his heart, are deceased—a term our young narrator notes is “a nicer word than dead’.” His “Mam”, who died during childbirth, and thus causes him to carry around huge tinker-buckets full of guilt, and his “Grandda” whose passing provides the drama for the prologue, setting the stage for how Christy’s life will drastically change. Christy’s Dad, Christopher, his cousin, Martin, his Aunt and Uncle, their other children and “Granny” make up the small family of Travellers that take us on Christy’s journey of self-identity.

Although The Outside Boy is a character-driven book, their development is strong enough to move the plot forward in a well-paced story. And while the paperback hefts at over 350 pages, you’ll turn them quickly—so don’t worry about that. The ending promises some surprises and difficult choices for Christy, but still manages to satisfactorily tie up most loose ends.

Cummins’s novel addresses universal themes such as Freedom and Belonging, Pride and Prejudice, Books and Education, Identity, Family and the Concept of Home—all in a way that makes us, the reader,  reflect on our own family values. You’ll have tons of topics for your book club to discuss! And yes, there’s a Readers Guide in the back.

Christy’s distinctive voice is innocent, insightful, and honest—and he makes us not just see, but feel what he is experiencing as the plot unfolds. He describes his Granny’s anguish at the death of her life partner in this way:

 “The keen she let up was so thick and tender I could nearly see it coming out of her, her breath spiraling out violently in torrid colors, defeating the darkness and drenching the camp with grief.”

          And he tells us about his brotherly relationship with his cousin, Martin, with this description of the two of them as they huddle together in a blanket watching their Granny:

 “Martin squirmed in even closer beside me, and I could feel his elbow stuck between two of my shivering ribs, like we was twins for minute, instead of cousins, We was joined at the eyes and ears, joined at the dread. Everything was silent and stretched—only the tidal rhythm of our shared breath pushed the seconds forward….”

           It’s a voice which also reflects his life’s paradoxes:  his love for books and reading combined with his spotty formal education; his common sense approach to life—with just a touch of the dreamer.

Yes, I wanted to adopt Christy from the beginning to the end. I mean, who can resist an Outside Boy looking for his home. And—trust me—he’ll be at home in your book club. Read it!

• June 1, 2010 release from NAL Trade Paperback Original
• 360 pages
• Includes a Readers Guide
• Author’s website link: http://www.jeaninecummins.com/
• Book’s website link: www.theoutsideboy.com
• Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC1j7XDYoA4
• Publisher’s website link:  us.penguingroup.com
• Source: Advanced Readers Copy from Author

The Book That Fell to the

Top of My Pile

Recently I received an Advanced Readers’ Copy of a debut novel, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, by a yet-unknown-to-me author, Heidi W Durrow.  It had recently received the Bellwether Prize for Fiction for best fiction addressing issues of social justice. Intriguing—but not really why I read it right away. The great Barbara Kingsolver wrote the cover blurb—again, not a real reason to read it next. I read the authors bio—and  not only does she have a kazillion degrees—somewhat like my Handsome Husband—but she has won way too many awards to remember—eh, still not a reason to give this book cuts—I was sure it was a nice, polite book which could wait its turn in line. As many of you know I have a to-be-read pile that “Save a Tree” activists would love to flog me for. But in reading the book jacket, the premise of this book was so compelling, I just had to pick it up and read it. Right then.  Am I ever glad I did!  This book was such a treat—not because it was a light, fluffy and happy book—indeed it is quite disturbing in parts. But because Heidi Durrow takes you inside this young girl’s head and makes you see another side, another life, another world.

This fresh coming of age story is alternately narrated by several unique voices—and in this way, dark family secrets are slowly revealed to the reader. We see the story unfold from: Rachel, the title character; her late mother, Nella, by way of journal entries; a neighbor boy, Brick (aka: Jamie); Nella’s supervisor, Laronne; and by Rachel’s father, Roger, in a solitary, yet insightful entry.  Rachel’s voice is by far the strongest. Her honest words resonate with quiet wisdom as she struggles with such themes as: racial identity, love and loss, affection and sexuality, abandonment and belonging, and growth and survival. Durrow also addresses gritty themes such as alcoholism and recovery, and abuse and caretaking. In a skillful counterpart, Brick struggles with many of these same issues as Rachel.

As a sixth-grade girl, we hear Rachel describe her new grandmother: “This is the picture I want to remember: Grandma looks something like pride. Like a whistle about to blow.” Later, as a freshman in high school, we hear Rachel lament “...the other black girls in school think I want to be white. They call me an Oreo. I don’t want to be white. Sometimes I want to go back to being what I was. I want to be nothing.” Or as James McBride’s mom would’ve described it, “the color of water.”

Rachel is a broken soul and in order to try to make sense of her outward self, she stuffs her feelings: anger, sadness, hurt—and anything she believes may not be acceptable to those around “the new girl”—into what she visualizes as an internal blue bottle with a stopper to keep all of her “bad” feelings in…Heartbreaking, and yet in Durrow’s sparse prose, so clearly seen and felt.

The ending was a bit unsatisfying, but the powerful story, the haunting prose, and the idiosyncratic, well-developed characters overshadow this tiny flaw. Hey—didn’t Margaret Mitchell end Gone With The Wind with “Tomorrow will be another day?” Book Clubs will certainly have plenty to discuss.

Coming of age, coming to terms with loss—without completely coming undone…Rachel’s story will yank at your heartstrings. This cheerleader gives Heidi Durrow’s freshman novel a two pom pom cheer!

Yay, Heidi!

BCC

 Rah Rah, Reading!

BCC 

Kay Hodges (the other BCC),
 author Carolyn Turgeon, and BCC
 toasting Godmother in
  “Magical” New York City

People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks has been one of my obsessions for the past few months. Of course, Pulitzer-prize winning Brooks knocked our socks off a few years ago, when she wrote March—the missing story of the father who was absent during the saga of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. Ms. Brooks is known for her great characters, and complex stories, outdid herself with ‘People.’ The multiple story lines, changing timelines, and diverse characters will have you running for a map to keep track of them all. I created the chart below, and found it helpful in getting all the facts in order. I hope you do too. As my map footnote indicates, it is a work in progress. If you find errors or omission, please contact me so that I might update the chart.

Rah Rah, Reading!

BCC

Among the Mad—The Sparks Do Fly!

                The marvelously mysterious duo of Jacqueline Winspear and Maisie Dobbs are together again for the sixth time—although for them, the first time was certainly a charm. Henry Holt and Co. has just released the latest novel in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series, Among the Mad. So, I can’t wait to finish this piece, crack Mad’s hardcover, and escape into 1930’s London and the lives of some strong and unusual characters! If it’s anything like the first five Maisie Dobbs novels—I know I’m in for a treat!

             In spite of the fact that there was only water for the speaker instead of her customary tea—and despite her contention that “in a Zen way, one must allow the mystery to exist” so she couldn’t say much about her new book, Jacqueline spoke to a packed house at The Book Passage in Corte Madera on Monday night. Many readers in the audience were, like me, already staunch Jacqueline fans from her prior contributions to the series: Maisie Dobbs, Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, Messenger of Truth, and An Incomplete Revenge, and were anxious to learn about the next installment. Others came, attracted by the grassroots buzz around the Maisie Dobbs series that has built up among book clubbers—and perhaps the ever-loudening press raves (check out the February 23 copy of People Magazine.)

             With a nod to Steven King, who wrote about “inspirational sparks” in his autobiography, On Writing, Jacqueline spoke about her sparks for Among the Mad as being three-fold. Her first inspiration came from her community service experience in high school (or “A levels” as the Brits say.) Beginning at age 16, Jacqueline volunteered every Wednesday afternoon at a psychiatric support center (or ‘lunatic asylum’ as they were called back in the day.) And while playing games with, making tea for, or just chatting with these patients, Jacqueline noticed that many of the residents seemed quite sane. In fact, she thought she’d seen more insanity at Safeway on a Sunday afternoon.

                And so she began to question, “What got someone into this place?” and  “Where was the line between those who were ‘in’ and those who were ‘out’?”

                Spark number two came from her experience working in downtown London in the early-80’s—a time rife with terrorism. Often, if the weather was nice, Jacqueline would take her lunch sitting in Regent’s Park, listening to the bands playing in the bandstand. One day, however, as she had just left the park, the earth shook with deep reverberations—not from the band—but from the eight bombs that exploded simultaneously, directly under the bandstand. Investigations of the incident, showed that those who actually set off the bombs had to be fairly close-by in order to detonate them, and were placing themselves in mortal danger with their actions. This caused Jacqueline to wonder, “ What kind of person would do that?” and what she learned was rather shocking. In the late-70’s most of the mental institutions in Great Britain were beginning to “deinstitutionalize” their populations, and many of these former residents were not welcomed into society, but rather, shunned. Terrorists were then recruiting the ‘disenfranchised’, giving them a sense of belonging—while serving their own purpose.

                The third spark that inspired Jacqueline was related to her grandfather, who had fought in WWI and was wounded in the Battle of the Somme. Not only did he live for the rest of his life with shrapnel in his legs, but he had also been gassed and suffered from shell shock. The latter ailment proved to be the most serious, and caused a sensitivity to loud noises. Particularly, screaming could bring him to tears, and as a child, Jacqueline remembers having to be extremely quiet around her grandfather. She later learned that by unofficial count it is thought that 200,000 to 250,000 cases of shell shock resulted from WWI action.

                As an adult, Jacqueline has visited Flanders three times—she called it a pilgrimage. On July 1, 1916, in the first hour of The Battle of The Somme, 2,000 soldiers were killed—by the battle’s conclusion in November, over 620,000 Allied troops would be killed. She said as she walked the sacred ground in the Somme Valley, you could almost hear the ghosts in the silence.

             With three such powerful inspirational sparks, I can’t wait to see where Maisie takes us this time around.

             For a great in-depth interview with Jacqueline, and a review of Among The Mad, follow the links to bookreporter.com. Also, don’t miss the video link on  Battle of the Somme, live footage of this controversial WWI battle.

Rah Rah, Reading!

BCC

The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy,
by Robert Leleux

I laughed when Jessica prayed for Jesus to smite the cars off the freeways when she was in a hurry. I cried when Robert watched all of his earthly goods ruined in a freak summer downpour. And I wet those aforementioned spankies when Jessica’s infected lip implant flew across the room, injuring a small child.

Of course, one of my favorite analogies was when he described his mother’s new fake hair as looking and sounding like a yellow pom pom. It was as if he wrote that line with me in mind…

If Texas is this funny—I can’t wait for him to write about New York City. This cheerleader gives The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy a two-pom-pom cheer!

                Other praise for Robert’s first book includes:
"Winning…sprightly…head tossing, high-strung comedy.”—The New York Times
“Utterly beguiling…witty, irreverent, a romp on paper.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Wickedly funny and tender…ridiculously tasty.” –The Seattle Times
“This hilarious, heartbreaking memoir is a pure joyride for the reader.”—Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
"[Leleux] displays a nice self-effacing wit, a talent for constructing funny scenes, and a genuinely sweet spirit that engages the reader's sympathy." –Booklist  

Learn more about Robert, his book, his life, and his antics at www.robertleleux.com.

Cheers!

BCC

Ad Hudler,

Author of Man of the House

        Ad Hudler is one of my favorite FaceBook Friends! He is always so entertaining that I look forward to his wall posts each day. You may also remember him as the guy who painted his face green and arrived at the Pulpwood Queen’s ‘Over the Rainbow’ Ball earlier this year, dressed as The Great and Powerful Oz—complete with the curtain! Well, he just got back from his whirlwind “Tailgate Tour”—you know—one of those tours where, “If it’s Tuesday, This Must Be Baton Rouge”—visiting a kazillion book clubs and helping them celebrate his latest novel, Man of the House. And from the posts and pictures I’ve seen from his excited book clubs fans, I believe his tour could’ve also been called “The Ad-miration Tour”!

         We at BookClubCheerleader.com figured Ad would have some book club stories to tell our readers, and he did not disappoint… Oh, and if your book club is reading Ad's humorous novel, be sure to check out our Fun and Festivities column for a great icebreaker game you could play at your meeting! 

BCC


Being an author definitely has its perks: For starters, you can work, uninhibited, in your underwear. Also, you’re very close to a refrigerator all day long (oops: that’s a bad thing, too), and it’s easier to get the laundry done because you’re home all day.


But my favorite part of being an author is connecting with readers – especially through book clubs. Having written four novels, I’ve visited hundreds of book clubs, either in person or via Skype or speakerphone. Recently, I finished a Tailgate Tour, in which I drove my F150 to chapters of the Pulpwood Queen book-club group that had chosen my newest novel as their July read. I breezed through six states in as many days, and the Queens treated me like a King. (Thanks, ladies!)


Now and then, you meet a book club that defies description. Recently, I visited one in Louisiana that was comprised of women of all ages, ranging from their early 20s to nearly 70. (This is unusual in book clubs). Over the course of two hours these women examined my characters and me more thoroughly than a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. I left, having learned much about myself and my work.


Still, I wondered how and why this group was different. And then someone told me: several women in the group were engineers. Aha!  Of course! It made perfect sense. My male engineer friends are always intrigued with how and why things work. Well, wouldn’t it make sense that their more-sensitive female peers would approach novels and their characters and relationships in the same manner? They would disassemble a novel and scrutinize its parts, right? All in all, a fascinating, enlightening experience.


Still, I’ve detected some similarities, some templates of book clubs over the years:


Cosmo-and-Tequila Girls: Usually, these book clubs meet on Friday or Saturday night. Often, they are composed of young mothers who desperately need a break from their kids who have ridden them hard all week long. The author’s challenge in these groups is to speak loud enough that he can be heard over the whir of the blender and clanking of the cocktail shaker. A lot of times the members talk more about their husbands and problem teachers at school than about my book, which is okay with me as long as someone serves me a Cosmo or three. Mascot: Paris Hilton


The Professors: These book clubs usually only serve wine (and usually red), and they meet in the afternoons because there’s generally a lecture or art exhibit they want to see that night. Several of the book club members belong to the American Association of University Women, and there are at least four women with graduate degrees in the group. As readers, they are deep and critical, and they’ll say things like, “I think there are some inconsistencies in chapter five. Your protagonist wouldn’t have _________; it is out of character for him to do so.” Usually, these book clubs choose weighty, serious literary titles, and they’ve chosen one of my funny novels as their lite summer read. The copies of their books are filled with questions, scribbled in the margins. Mascot: Madeleine Albright


The Shrinking Violets: Sometimes you get a book club that is very quiet. Once, three book clubs from Knoxville, Tennessee decided to read my entire collection of work (four novels), then invited me up to discuss them over a fancy luncheon in the Cherokee Country Club. I was really looking forward the event, thinking it would be fascinating to get other peoples’ take on my largely autobiographical novels. These women were going to help me make sense of my life. It was going to be as good as FREE THERAPY – right? But the luncheon turned out to be just that: a luncheon. Only one woman asked a question: “Do you like to write in the morning or in the evening?” When this happens I have to wonder: Is it me? Did I make them mad or scare them in some way? Was I scratching myself down there and not even aware of it? Mascot: Queen Elizabeth.


So … which of these best describes your book club? The above descriptions are the extremes. Are you a little of each? Does your group’s behavior depend on the type of book you’re reading that month? Are the margaritas going to flow as freely when you’re tackling something weighty and sinewy like a Wally Lamb book?


All I can say is, when it comes to book clubs, viva la difference!  Thanks for keeping us writers thinking and engaged. Thanks for your comments and thoughts and suggestions to help make our work better.


Oh, and thanks for the martinis, too.


Ad Hudler  

Marcia Fine,

Author of Stressed in Scottsdale

At the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Conference last month, I met a charismatic and high-energy author, Marcia Fine. She was part of a group of us who seemed to stick together all weekend enjoying the workshops and great speakers. Although Stressed In Scottsdale is Marcia’s latest endeavor, I am currently reading her historical fiction novel, Paper Children - An Immigrant's Legacy —and loving it! I asked Marcia if she would like to write a little something for Book Club Cheerleader readers—so here you are:

I love to read! Our book group is all women who are only children save one, so a book was our best friend growing up. I didn’t go anywhere without something to read. Still don’t. I even read the back of cereal boxes at breakfast.

I didn’t have many career choices growing up so like many of us, I could only choose from: secretary, nurse or teacher.

My parents insisted I go to college and wouldn’t let me take typing in high school because I’d miss band practice (I looked stunning in the quasi-military grey uniform made out of heavy wool, a five-pound hat with a plume and nurse’s shoes.) If I missed band practice that meant I wouldn’t be able to march in the Orange Bowl Parade on a hot Florida night behind the horses. So no secretarial/ shorthand pool for me!

Nursing was out because my mother said I couldn’t touch strange men’s private parts—so becoming a teacher was my only option.  After choosing English as my subject, I spent the early part of my career teaching students how to love the written word. And to spell correctly. And put in punctuation.

But I always wanted to write. It took a number of career changes (kept the same husband along the way which was much harder!) until I got to my goal. As an author of five novels I write in two different genres: historical and satire.  The historical novels take longer to write because I do extensive research—even visiting the countries of my character’s origins.

Paper Children - An Immigrant's Legacy is based on letters my grandmother gave me from her family who were trapped in Poland during WWII. She called her precious relics, “Paper Children.” That novel has been a finalist in three major contests. The Blind Eye, First Prize winner from the Arizona Author’s Association, is a parallel story of an aunt protecting her niece in 15^th century Spain and Portugal, and a contemporary Cuban-American woman who sees her life with a jaundiced, satirical view.

Gossip.com, Boomerang and Stressed In Scottsdale are part of a series about Jean Rubin, a multitasking mama who deals with a distracted husband, a nagging mother, self-important kids and lots of issues from academic freedom to the environment.  Stressed In Scottsdale won First Prize in the Humor/Satire category from the Arizona Publishing Association, as well as Second Prize (Silver) for Women’s Fiction from the “Living Now” Awards.

All of the above means I have plenty to talk about! Especially to Book Clubs—who ask the best questions. They like to know what’s fiction and what’s not in Paper Children (I travel with family pictures and some of my grandmother’s accessories), am I as stressed out as Jean Rubin (some of the time), and how did I do research in Portugal when my topic is 500 years old (I visited ancient sites and archives.)  I love to share how I find my material and make them laugh. I’m never more at home than when I’m speaking to a group who loves books and reading. Sometimes my husband wonders where I’ve been all evening. When I tell him I’ve been “bonding” over books, he smiles and says, “Only you.” But I know there are thousands out there just like me!

Be sure to check out the Book Club Cheerleader interview with Marcia about her book club, The Spicy Cashew Book Nuts, in our Book Club Close-up column, as well!

BCC

         I met so many wonderful writers at the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend’s Weekend last January! One author, M.L. Malcolm, approached our table and introduced herself. She was wearing the most beautiful hat I’d ever seen—I had to remind myself to quit staring at it and listen to what she was actually saying. Well, we chatted for quite some time and then I kept bumping into her the rest of the weekend. On a recent trip to LA to see my son, we got together again, and I was amazed to discover what a rich experience she has had with book clubs! I asked M.L. Malcolm to write about it for Book Club Cheerleader readers—be sure to note the special offer at the end!

MISSION:  POSSIBLE

M.L. Malcolm, Book Club Buccaneer

          I receive a short communication, usually in a digital format, but occasionally by phone.  Most of the time the message comes from a person whose name I do not recognize.  It’s better that way, I think.  Better for my contact to reach out to me anonymously before getting too involved; once I’ve agreed to accept the mission and have received my instructions, there’s no turning back for either of us.

          At the designated time I get into my car, catch a plane or a train, and head to the rendezvous.  Despite having undertaken dozens of similar assignments, every engagement is a new adventure, different in every detail, and I try to prepare accordingly.

          As I approach my destination my heart pumps faster.  I double-check my coordinates.  I arrive.  I put on my hat.  I’m M.L. Malcolm, novelist and Book Club Buccaneer.  I’ve been invited to visit another book club, and I am THRILLED to be there!

          Even before my first novel was published I was a huge book club advocate.  My own book club experience grew out of a “play group” made up of five professional-women-turned-at-home-Moms and our five toddler boys.  The play group disbanded on the day we sent our darlings off to kindergarten.  At our official “farewell” lunch one of the other Moms turned to me and asked, “Why don’t we start a book club?  We can each invite a couple of friends, and meet once a month to talk about books.”

          She called me just two hours later.  “Have you talked to anyone about the book club yet?”

          “Yes,” I replied.  “It’s amazing. I’ve already talked to four people who practically leapt through the phone line they were so excited about the idea.”

          “Well, we’d better sto