Who by Fire by Diana Spechler

18 CommentsMonday • June 8, 2009 • by michelle

You may remember when Diana Spechler, author of Who by Fire, guest posted here? Well it’s time for my review.

Who by Fire tells the story of Ash and Bits, a brother and sister whose younger sister Alena had been kidnapped more than a decade ago. When their mother informs them that her remains have finally been discovered, it’s up to wild child Bits to go to Israel and convince her now Orthodox Jew brother to come home for a memorial service—no easy feat as he’s been out of touch with the family since entering the yeshiva.

The book is told from shifting perspectives, really getting into the minds of the various characters. I’m no expert on Orthodox Judaism, so I can’t comment on how accurate the scenes in Israel might be, but I do know that I couldn’t put this book down.

None of the characters are particularly lovable, at least not for me, but that didn’t stop me from devouring this book—I believe it’s called the train wreck syndrome. What I mean is that each character is a bit (or a lot) of a mess—the book itself is far from a train wreck. Indeed, it’s fabulous.

The plotting, pacing, and writing all shine; I particularly love Spechler’s conversational, down-to-earth writing style, which you might not expect in a book with such deep subject matter. Spechler shows that humor has a place everywhere, even when dealing with heavy topics, and this is something that I firmly believe as well.

I give this books five espresso cups out of five. I simply couldn’t stop reading, and as I wrote to Diana after I finished, I then found myself imagining what happened to the main characters—the true sign of a great book.

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The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover

21 CommentsTuesday • June 2, 2009 • by michelle

The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover tells the story of Abraham, a young man from Venice who escapes the city’s ghetto and restrictions on its Jewish citizens in the fall of 1598. His work takes him to the Burmese kingdom of Pegu, which has a rather unique custom of asking foreign traders to deflower young brides (this, by the way, is historically accurate).

And so enters Mya, testing Abraham’s faith, good manners, and everything he believes in. Just when he thinks he has those things figured out, Pegu goes under siege, and he has to make even more difficult decisions, including whether to try to smuggle Mya to Venice, a crime that could lead to the deaths of many.

I think because of its switching narrative perspectives, it took me a while to get into this book; at about 75 pages in, though, I was hooked, and at that point, there was no stopping me.

For several days, I took Abraham and Mya everywhere with me. I couldn’t wait to find out what he was learning about himself, Judaism, Catholicism, Mya, and Pegu itself–and how he was expressing it in letters to his cousin Joseph back in Italy. And what was young Mya feeling, in this strange house with a foreign man?

The Jewel Trader of Pegu is an extensively researched and beautifully written book. It was surely a great challenge for Hantover to write from the alternating perspectives of Abraham, a 16th century Jew in Venice, and Mya, who is illiterate, but it didn’t show at all in the prose–and I consider that a sign of great writing.

If you like well-crafted, well-written, compelling stories that delve into cultural differences, historical customs, and the meaning of true love, The Jewel Trader of Pegu absolutely delivers.

It wasn’t a quick read for me as it had me stopping and thinking every few pages, and that’s part of why I enjoyed it so much.

I give this book four espresso cups out of five.

Be sure to check out Cherrye’s review of this book as well!

What are you reading this summer?

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I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

7 CommentsSaturday • May 30, 2009 • by michelle

Remember when Lisa Steinke and Liz Fenton, authors of I’ll Have Who She’s Having, guest posted here a while back? Well here is my review of their book:

I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is fun, fast-moving read about two sisters who are struggling to find happiness—but looking in all the wrong places.

One is single and the other married, but the big thing they have in common is that neither is feeling particularly fulfilled; their searches lead them both to Tim, a hunky volleyball coach in whom they both see salvation.

As Scooby Doo would say, “Ruh roh!”

I really, truly enjoyed this book. The story is told from several perspectives, which I almost always love and certainly did here; the writing throughout is witty, snappy, and just plain fun to read.

I especially loved all the pop culture references sprinkled brilliantly throughout the book—describing someone as Jack of “Will and Grace” says so much in so few words. Yes, it places the book firmly in the time in which it was written, but it works, especially as those references made me feel like I was hearing the story from a girlfriend over the phone. And I love that in a book.

Great for the beach or a long cold night, this book had me furiously turning pages, deeply involved in the lives of Kate, Kelly, and the gang after only a couple chapters. In fact, I’m kind of hoping for a sequel. Hint hint….

I give it four espresso cups out of five—because I’m trying to convince the authors to fill that fifth espresso cup in a new book. Sequel! Sequel!

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Too Much Tuscan Wine by Dario Castagno

50 CommentsSunday • May 24, 2009 • by michelle

Too Much Tuscan Wine is Dario Castagno’s wildly entertaining book about his experiences with, not surprisingly, too much Tuscan wine.