pageturner: lone wolf (and giveaway!)

I seem to see novels by Jodi Picoult everywhere I go. The department stores always have a big display of her latest bestseller. So I picked up Lone Wolf in my op shop the other day, despite not being a fan of tortured family dramas and giggling at the reminder of the best man's re-enactment of the speech from The Hangover performed at our mates' wedding.

Having a week where I've had trouble maintaining focus, I struggled to engage with this story. The plot was a little formulaic and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. The drama follows a whole family's journey after a motor accident, with lots of fashbacks and skeletons in closets and the like. It was a pretty easy going read, probably perfect for lounging on the beach with. I imagine if you are a fan of Jodi Picoult's work, then this would be a winner!

Speaking of winning, I would like to gift one follower(within Australia) with the book of their choice from August. Let me know if you would like
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, or
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
in the comments, here. I will pick someone in a random fashion on the weekend.

winner announcement!
Congratulations Michele! Let me know which of my August reads you would like me to send you. Shoot me an email tuppennylanevintage (at) gmail (dot) com with your postage details. You too Christina, I'd love to send you something also :)

Time to restock for September!

pageturner: the shadow of the wind

Picked up at my local op shop on $2 novel day was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Translated from Spanish to English, the mystery/romance/coming of age novel wouldn't be something I would ordinarily pick up. But, boy. Am I glad I did.

This book was written for readers. Those of us who grew up with our nose in a book and our favourite characters as best friends. I had marked a few pages, with the most glorious language, but in the end, this part of the book says it all:

Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind, and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day.

The story follows Daniel, the young son of a bookstore owner who discovers a book by a mysterious author. Set against a backdrop of Barcelona's civil war, Daniel's quest to uncover the truth about the author and the disappearance of his novels is a really engaging tale. The language is so rich, it took me a while to sink into. Like strong, dark chocolate, I could only manage a few small nibbles at a time for the first half of the book. I read the second half in one sleepless night. As I turned the final page, sometime around 2.45am, I let out an audible exhale. Loved it.

Are you reading something that makes you feel like a great reader now?

pageturner: a thousand splendid suns

Last week was two-dollar-novel day at my local op shop. My happy day. A chance to stock up on words. And the promise of quiet; absorbed in the lives of new friends.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is by Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner. I have not read The Kite Runner, and that makes me feel inferior.

Hosseini weaves the two tales of Mariam and Laila, two women living in Afghanistan, in the most beautifully engaging way. I became so absorbed in the lives and loves of these characters that I finished the book within 24 hours. It's a take-to-the-bathroom kind of book. Reading A Thousand Splendid Suns made me see my complete ignorance about the real lives of fellow daughters, wives and mothers living in places fractured by war.

I absolutely recommend this story, if you are someone who enjoys an epic tale of love, friendship and endurance.

Have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns, or The Kite Runner? What did you think? Are you a book buyer or a borrower?