Winner, Alice coming your way

I’m pleased to announce, that  Anne-marie Baggstrom  is the winner of That Book You Like’s Putting Alice Back Together give-away. Thanks for your entry Anne-marie!

Anne-marie, I’m sure you’ll find this novel very entertaining, and quite moving as well.

Just email me your details (postal address) to info@thatbookyoulike.com.au by end Sunday, 15.04.12 and I’ll make arrangements for a copy to be sent to you! If the prize isn’t claimed, I will redraw on 16.04.12

Thanks to everyone for entering.

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A royal gift…

I’m pleased to announce, that  Grace is the winner of That Book You Like’s Makeda give-away. Thanks for your entry Grace!

Grace, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this fantastic novel.

Just email me your details (postal address) to info@thatbookyoulike.com.au by end Wednesday, 11.04.12 and arrangements will be made! If the prize isn’t claimed, I will redraw on 12.04.12

Thanks to everyone for entering. Remember, if you’d like to buy a copy of Prue Sober’s Makeda, it’s on the TBYL Bookshelf…you’ll find it in store here.

While I’m here, don’t forget we’ve another great give-away running at the moment as well…we’re giving a copy of Putting Alice Back Together, by Carol Marinelli to one lucky reader. Full details on how to enter are here.

Finally, stay tuned tomorrow for my review of The Forgotten Land by Keith Mcardle, my thoughts on this wild time-travelly ride.

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Give-away: Putting Alice Back Together

Last week I reviewed the very interesting, surprisingly gritty Putting Alice Back Together, and was lucky to be able to quiz the author Carol Marinelli. You’ll find my review here…

In addition, I’m really pleased to be able to offer one lucky reader a copy of this entertaining novel.

To go into the running to win a copy of Putting Alice Back Together, all you need to do is:

1. Leave a comment on this post, or

2. Visit our Facebook page and leave a comment,

…and tell us what you do to make a crappy day brighter.

I’ll draw one winner at random on Wednesday 11 April 2012. As usual, you’ll have 4 days to claim your prize or I’ll redraw.

You can find out more about the book, the author, and about how to get hold of a copy here…

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Poor Alice…

As with most books, the first thing I did when I received Carol Marinelli’s Putting Alice Back Together was to flip to the back cover and read the blurb. This is what I found…

“I have a fantastic wardrobe, brilliant friends, massive credit card debt – all the usual stuff. I don’t think about it at all. I’m too busy being normal.”

Mmm, normal. I was hooked. No such thing, is there? I knew I was in for a good story, and Alice had me fascinated…

“Alice is the friend you wish you had. The girl who makes a party more fun, pulls a funny face to make you feel better, drinks wine out of a mug and makes you laugh while you’re crying over an ex. Alice is totally happy, everything is amazing and there is nothing at all to worry about…except, well…”

It became clear fairly early on in this read that not everything was sunshine in Alice’s world. Her inner thoughts and outer life were hopelessly at odds, and despite trying incredibly hard to appear in control, at this stage in her life she seems to be barely coping.

On the face of it Putting Alice Back Together might seem to be straightforward chick lit, and in some ways it is – it’s very character driven, it’s pretty reliant on (very clever) dialogue and includes a level of detail that would have driven my husband a bit batty. But, I must emphasis that this novel is quite bit more than ‘just’ chick lit. It’s quite dark, it’s challenging (Alice’s character is at times very hard to like) and it’s intent is wonderfully honourable.

Carol’s story really is largely about being honest, true to yourself, so to speak. It’s about cutting yourself some slack and living a good life by challenging yourself to be who you really are, and in turn to do what you really want to do. This is a sentiment I can most definetly relate to. Although I did at times find Alice difficult to identify with, by the end of the book I found I was very endeared to her. Her journey was a difficult one, but she rose to the challenge – enjoyable to see as a reader, and I felt very good for her as the story concluded.

I read this book in a weekend, and had trouble putting it down. In someways it was a bit like good TV (I was reminded a bit of Offspring) and it was equally entertaining. Great holiday reading maybe?

Carol was kind enough to let me quiz her on her book and on how she fits writing into her busy family life:

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How would you describe “Putting Alice Back Together”? Have you found it difficult to categorise?
I do find it difficult to categorise Putting Alice Back Together. I think it is a gritty read, but there are funny parts too.  Dark chick lit maybe?

I was, when I started, expecting something a bit closer to simple entertainment, some romance perhaps, but I got so much more than this from your novel. What do you hope people will get out of your book?
I hope that the reader feels they have been on the journey with Alice – through both the good and bad parts of her life and that they feel proud of her as she emerges. I would love it if it made someone look at where they might be holding themselves back.

Alice as a character is not always likeable. Perhaps justifiably, she judges people harshly and herself most harshly of all. Was it difficult to write a character like Alice?
Alice was very hard to write at times – my friend would read it and say “she can’t say that”, but then she fell in love with Alice too. As you say, Alice was so judgmental and at times downright rude that it held me back. However, in her defense, Alice rarely voiced her horrible thoughts. There is so much prejudice around and I wanted Alice to be a real person, not necessarily a perfect one. I really wanted to see her change.

I know that you’re a busy, writing, working Mum. What are your tips    for maintaining a balance between work and family?
I’m still struggling with that balance!

I think losing the guilt is the main thing. It is so easy to burn out trying to get everything done and then leave nothing in the tank for yourself, yet it is important to pursue your own interests, friendships and goals – the same way we would want our children to.

What do you most like to read? How do you fit reading into your busy days?
I read anything and everything. I love romance, contemporary fiction, biographies, fashion, cooking….. I have the biggest TBR pile in the world. I am loving Marian Keyes Saved By Cake and am making her Lavender and White Chocolate Cheesecake this weekend and I have The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh waiting for me this evening. I always have a ‘real’ book on the go at home and I have my E-Reader in my bag for unexpected times when a reading opportunity arises.

Finally, what’s next for Carol Marinelli?
Well, I am working on revisions at the moment. It’s linked to Putting Alice Back Together, but it’s probably not the characters people will be expecting. Oh, and my friend is reading it and shaking her head and saying “She can’t do that.”

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You can find out more about the book, the author, and about how to get hold of a copy here…

This book is very entertaining, without being frivolous. I’d recommend it, and I’d trust you’ll get a few good messages out of it, as well as it being a great reading break from the daily grind.

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Taking stock of my reading pile

Of late, I have been very, very lucky, to have been given the chance to read a whole bunch of new novels, some of them even a bit earlier than the general public (I love a pre-release). It’s a bit of dream come true for me, I’ll admit, and I often find myself looking wistfully at my varied and growing reading pile.

I thought you might be interested in a little sneak peak at what I’m reading at the moment…

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Firstly, there’s Makeda, by Prue Sobers. This is technically on my ‘have read’ pile now as I’ve actually just finished this luscious novel and its story of the beautiful and spirited Makeda, the Queen of Sheba. I was also lucky enough to have a chance to chat to Prue herself, to find out a little more about this meticulously constructed adventure. I’m looking forward to posting my review and author-interview this coming week. You can pick up your own copy of Makeda here…

Next, is my re-read of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity. I stayed up far too late the other night reading this moving, humorous, and nostalgic novel.

As you know, from my review last week, it’s one my absolute favourites, and this read-through has been nothing less the fantastic.

We’re about to start our chat about this book over at the TBYL Book Club, this coming Monday.

The book I’ve been reading this weekend is a saucy little book called Putting Alice Back Together, by Carol Marinelli. It’s just been released this month by Mira and it’s quite compelling. Alice is a challenging character, not always likeable, but always identifiable.  This is a story of coping, of romance, and about what it is to ask the Universe to just cut you a break. I’m really enjoying it, and am looking forward to chatting with Carol next week. If this book sounds like your cup of tea, you might like to enter this great competition being run now by Harlequin.

Next on the list is Jodi Picoult’s newest novel, Lone Wolf (Allen and Unwin). Believe it or not, this will be my first Picoult read, and I’m looking forward to it. This novel sounds intriguing, and pretty dark: “Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: his dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.” From what I know of Picoult, this novel sounds like it will be to her usual form, and I can’t wait to take a look.

A book that I started to read last month, but had to put down to skip to a couple of other titles, is The Forgotten Land, by Keith Mcardle.

I really must get back to this, because I was having a ball. It’s all kinds of action, military, sci-fi and time-travel to boot.

I can’t wait to get back to find out what happens to Sergeant Steve Golburn and his patrol in this other worldly adventure.

One of the most recent books that I’ve received is Mary Bennet, by Jennifer Paynter (Penguin). I don’t know a lot about this book yet, except to say that it’s a retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice: “Mary Bennet has been long overshadowed by the beauty and charm of her older sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, and by the forwardness and cheek of her younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia. From her post in the wings of the Bennet family, Mary now watches as Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy – and Mr Wickham – glide into her sisters’ lives. While she can view these three gentlemen quite dispassionately (and, as it turns out, accurately), can she be equally clear-sighted when she finally falls in love herself?” I’m thinking this might make a good book club book…

Lastly, is a brand new book for the reading pile, one that I picked up from the post office this morning. It’s Kyo Maclear’s A Thousand Tiny Truths (Pan Macmillan) and I’m bracing myself for a troubling but ultimately hopeful tale.

It would seem that this story has a bit of everything, adultery, questions of race and heritage, and an investigation into what it is to be cared for, and to care for others.  Due to be released in April, I’ll be reviewing this shortly.

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As you can see, it’s a big reading pile, and a stunning one. Is it any wonder that I take a little look at it each time I walk by? Maybe this’ll give you a few reading ideas? And if all else fails, don’t forget next month’s TBYL Book Club book, Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany – I’d love for you to join us. You can pick up a copy here if you want to join in (I hope you do!)

What are you reading at the moment? Any of these tickle your fancy?

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