Book Review: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Published by Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Rating: 4.5 stars

BROWSE INSIDE to read the beginning of the book!!

This book is the fascinating memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered a massive stroke in 1995. Once he regained consciousness after a three week coma, Bauby was left with an active mind trapped in a functionless body, known as Locked-in Syndrome. The only muscle that retained any movement was his left eyelid and so he spent most of 1996 dictating this book letter by letter by blinking as someone read out the alphabet to him. In 1997, three days after the book was published in France, Jean-Dominique Bauby died.

Bauby was a well-known journalist and author and editor of the French version of ELLE magazine. Though he must have had many interesting stories to recount about his days as an editor and journalist, he decided that the book's content would focus on the smaller joys of life. It's a much quieter and more subtle book than you'd expect from such a high-profile man but I think that is really where the beauty of this book resides. Day to day events and memories of spending time with his children fill the pages of this book. Focusing on the little tasks of everyday life after his stroke, it makes you realize just how much we take for granted by simply being able to move our muscles.

For this man to have lost his basic functioning and still maintain hope and the strength to transcribe this book LETTER BY LETTER in itself is quite remarkable. It was clearly important to him to pass on his insights to the world and make the most of his last days. With the insight he gained from his experience, this book makes for a powerful read that will stay with you for a long time.

This memoir was made into a film in 2007, with the same title as the book. As you can see, this cover is from the movie tie-in version (which I usually find pretty corny), but I really like this particular one. I haven't seen the movie yet but it has won awards at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globes, plus it received four Oscar nominations.

The movie really does looks wonderful - here is the trailer:

As you may expect, given the unique form that this book was written, it is quite short. However I would certainly not equate brevity with a lack of substance, because this book is both inspirational and meaningful, in short - a very worthwhile read.


BIG THANKS to Deanna and HarperCollins Canada for my review copy

Book Review: Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou

Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir by Heather Summerhayes Cariou

Published by McArthur & Company

Rating: 4.5 stars

Sixtyfive Roses is a memoir written by Heather Summerhayes Cariou, whose younger sister Pam was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at age four. The book is called "Sixtyfive Roses" after the way Pam was able to pronounce "Cystic Fibrosis" as a child. The doctors told the family that Pam would only have months to live but they were determined to save their daughter and did everything in their power to do so. With the help of their community and others' support, Heather's parents founded the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which raised awareness and funds for further research and discovery of new treatments. With the encouragement of family, friends and the community at large, Pam lived until the age of twenty-six.

Though this book primarily focuses on the relationship between Heather and Pam, there is so much more to be found and discovered while reading this book. Heather's writing is beautiful and I really appreciated her inclusion of excerpts of family letters and writing, especially those from Pam's point of view. This book shows both the wonderful and difficult moments for the Summerhayes family, without glossing over any of the inevitable arguments and tension that arose over the years.

My experience reading this book was both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Knowing this is a true story really heightened my emotions and made me ache for all that Pam and her family endured. Though Heather has done an excellent job in portraying the trials and tribulations they all went through, I still cannot begin to imagine how it must have felt.

On the other hand, I think that what Pam would have wanted readers to take away from her story is a sense of triumph, rather than pain. In the moments leading up to her death, it was Pam who asked Heather to write down their story. Though Pam did ultimately pass away at a young age, it is important to remember that she lived TWENTY-TWO years longer than the doctors had predicted. She lived life to the fullest and refused to be bound by her illness. Pam's story is a lesson in courage and strength that is truly inspirational.

Currently, Eva Longoria and her production company have optioned the film rights to Sixtyfive Roses and I certainly hope that this moving story will be put on screen to further raise awareness about Cystic Fibrosis and this powerful story.

This is an incredibly touching story that will stay with you long after you finish the book. I encourage everone to buy a copy of this book - it is highly recommended and as an added incentive, McArthur & Company publishers will donate 5% of proceeds from book sales to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

BIG THANKS to Sarah of Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. for my review copy.

Book Review: Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg

Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg

Published by Hyperion Books

Rating: 4 stars

Annie's Ghosts is a real-life mystery about Beth Luxenberg (the author's mother), who always claimed to be an only child until one day at almost eight years old, she casually revealed the existence of a disabled sister. After Beth's death in 1999, more information about a secret sister was discovered, and Steve Luxenberg used his journalism skills to find out more. He tracked down old acquaintances and friends and persuaded people to offer records about his mother sister, Annie, who it turned out was hospitalized at age twenty-one and remained in a mental institution until her death many years later.

This book is incredibly interesting and rare, being a true account of a family's secrets and a mystery that the author set out to solve. The events that are uncovered as just as intriguing as one might imagine they would be.

Though there were some instances when the narrative was bogged down by too much detail, for the most part I enjoyed reading about the intricacies of the story. The most fascinating thing about this story is how each detail discovered led to another revelation and helped Luxenberg get one step closer to the truth. As such, this book also contains information about Beth and Annie's ancestry and provides a very well-rounded account of all that transpired in these women's lives.

This book also features information about the state of mental institutions years ago and provides an insider's look into how someone can fall through the cracks of the system. The terrible treatment of Annie and her physical and mental health is truly unfortunate, but the fact that Steve Luxenberg has searched for meaning and answers about his aunt, pays tribute to her name and respect for the life she lived.

For a wonderful combination of mystery and history, this book comes highly recommended.


BIG THANKS to Julie of FSB Associates for my review copy

Book Review: Shotgun Shopping by Sheevaun Moran

Shotgun Shopping by Sheevaun Moran

Published by Master Your Life Publishing

Rating: 3 stars

Shotgun Shopping is about educating consumers and providing tools to shop better and more efficiently. Sheevaun Moran explains how she has always hated shopping so she eventually came to create the "shotgun shopping" method to avoid spending too much time and money shopping. According to Sheevaun, though we are always shopping, we are doing so unconsciously without giving enough thought to each purchase. As a result, we are left with many items that we don't need or want. Throughout the book there are little anecdotes and personal examples of the shotgun shopping method.

When I heard of the premise for this book, I was intrigued. Especially in economically difficult times, I was excited to learn about some great tips that I could apply to my everyday life. Unfortunately for me, much of the practical tips offered seemed like common sense. I don't consider myself an expert shopper, but advice such as avoiding salespeople who will persuade you to buy anything, is something I already do. There were some interesting tips regarding the best and worst times to shop which I will keep in mind in the future.

What I did really enjoy reading were the little stories and personal experiences shared throughout each chapter. Though there wasn't much explanation as to how specifically people got amazing shopping deals, I still liked reading about them.

This book teaches the "shotgun shopping" and though I did learn a bit from some of the tips, I was left feeling a little disappointed by what seemed to me like a lack of substance. It's possible that I'm not the right target for a book like this though, and those who feel overwhelmed when entering a shopping mall and detest shopping, could stand to benefit a lot more from this book.

BIG THANKS to Lorain of Energetic Solutions for my review copy

Book Tour - Review & Giveaway: House of Ghosts by Lawrence Kaplan

House of Ghosts by Lawrence Kaplan

Published by Westfield Press

Rating: 4 stars

Book synopsis:

Imagine that Raymond Chandler wrote The Winds of War and you can begin to understand why House of Ghosts is such different and compelling detective story. Detective Joe Henderson is the modern incarnation of Philip Marlowe--hard boiled, hard drinking, hard loving, delightfully cynical, offering wry observations of life in the age of Starbucks.

The tale begins in the sweltering summer of 2000 when Preston Swedge, an alcoholic recluse and World War II veteran, has died in Westfield, New Jersey. At his estate sale, retired local police detective Joe Henderson discovers a 1944 diary describing a rogue attempt by a Jewish-American pilot named Paul Rothstein to drop his bombs on Auschwitz's killing complex where nearly 300,000 captives were about to be murdered.

With the fortitude of a Maccabean zealot and the patriotism of an American freedom fighter Rothstein had set out to defy his commanders who had prohibited any attempt to save Jewish lives. Joe Henderson's curiosity launches him on a crusade for the truth and a shocking revelation when he tracks down the last living witness who can solve the mystery of why the raid never happened.

Epic in its breadth, House of Ghosts sweeps effortlessly from contemporary Westfield, New Jersey to the Princeton University of 1939, and on to the aerial battle above Italy and Poland in 1944. Along the way you'll meet up with notables such as Charles Lindbergh, Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., General Fulgencio Batista, and Alina Gilbert, the exotic dancer who helps to make this the hottest summer on record.

My review:

As I began reading House of Ghosts, I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea since it starts off like a traditional mystery book and I usually like mysteries that have a unique slant to them. However, as I continued reading further, I realized how intricate the storyline is and found myself fascinated with the descriptions of the war and how it affected each character in different ways.

The book is a compelling novel that combines elements of mystery with historical fiction. The inclusion of the historicals aspects adds depth and authenticity to the story and allowed me to become increasingly invested in the story. The shift in narrative from the different characters from the past, as well as the present allow for a wide range of perspectives and interesting sub-plots.

My one small issue was that one of the characters included in the book is an exotic dancer and while that may have been incorporated to spice up the book, for me that sexual content was unnecessary and detracted from the story. Nonetheless I really enjoyed my reading of the book and was intrigued by all that transpires. Not only does the book have an interesting storyline, it is also well-written and features great characters that I got to know very well.

Despite some extraneous material included throughout the novel, House of Ghosts makes for a very interesting and appealing mystery book that expertly combines historical fiction into its plot.


Author bio:

Lawrence Kaplan is a 1979 graduate of New York University School of Dentistry, runs a dental practice in New Jersey, and lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his wife and menagerie. House of Ghosts is his first novel. For more information, visit his website.

Now for the giveaway details .......

Larry Kaplan is giving away a signed copy of his book, House of Ghosts, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to Larry’s book tour page, http://larry-kaplan.omnimystery.com/, enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 7975, for your chance to win. Entries from Bookopolis will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow. No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on Larry’s book tour page next week.

Be sure to visit Larry's book tour page for more reviews, author interviews and guest posts!


BIG THANKS to Lance of Omnimystery for arranging this great tour.

Book Review: The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Published by Shaye Areheart Books, a division of Random House

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Story Sisters opens with three sisters who are the closest of friends, and then as time goes on, their common bond begins to unravel. The book spans many years and we follow the girls from teenagers to grown adults and witness love, heartache, despair and hope. With the inclusion of magical and mystical elements weaved in throughout the novel, this family saga makes for an engaging and certainly unconventional reading experience.

I think Alice Hoffman has succeeded in writing another wonderful story with its own unique mystical undertones, that can inspire both awe and even a little fear. This story is by no means a horror, however certain parts are pretty creepy and somewhat disturbing. The plot fluctuates from warm and heartfelt to dark and sinister, but the majority of the book seems to slant towards oldest daughter, Elv, who appears to be haunted by her own demons and is constantly engaging in self-destructive behavior. There is so much more to say about the other characters as well but I think it's best to read about them without any pre-conceived notions and to judge for yourself.

Despite the melancholy feel that the book tends to elicit, there is an overall message of hope and triumph that takes shape as the book nears its end. Many tragedies have taken place, certainly more than any typical family, but each character attempts to find peace with themselves, even if it takes years to do so.

Though it sometimes feels like there is too much taking place and the plot gets a little chaotic, that is also what makes the book so intriguing. From the first chapter, I was pulled into the world of the Story sisters and was engaged and ultimately moved by them and their tale.

Alice Hoffman is a magnificent writer and I think both fans and newcomers will enjoy this latest novel.


BIG THANKS to Jessica and Random House of Canada for my review copy