The Promise of Stardust, by Priscille Sibley

Matt has known Elle, literally, since she was born.  Having grown up next door to each other, Matt and Elle have always been a part of each other's lives; now they are married.  The only issue is that they have been unable to successfully start a family.  When Elle suffers a tragic accident that leaves her brain dead, Matt is prepared to follow her wishes and cease life support.  When it is discovered that Elle is pregnant, Matt must struggle with which desire Elle holds more dear- the desire to die with dignity, or the desire to give life to a child no matter what the cost.

Very rarely do books make me cry, but this book left me a soggy, blubbering mess, and I loved every moment of it.  The word intense does not even begin to describe this book.  The story is complex on so many levels.  First and foremost, the choices Matt must make are heartbreaking.  The choices of those around him are equally difficult and often enraging.  And the back story is no walk in the park either.  Matt and Elle have been through so many difficulties, both separately and together, prior to the current crises, you wonder how much more they can take.  The story is full of legal and medical technicalities which are so important to the story, without being overly distracting.  The narrative moves around on the timeline of events, but when there is a shift in time, it always makes sense, and it is always relevant to the current action of the story.

I love that we meet Elle's character through the lens of Matt's memory, the emotional responses of her family, and her own diaries.  It feels incredibly intimate, and is some of the most earnest character development I have ever read.  Matt's character is developed through his actions; the character shows us who he is, rather than just telling us.  I personally enjoyed that.  There were a lot of extraneous characters, most of which I cared very little about, or simply felt angry at, but Matt and Elle were always at the center of the story.  

These are intense issues covered in the book.  Terminal illness, teen pregnancy, right to life, right to death, alcoholism.  Yet there is something, ultimately, uplifting about the book.  Do not get me wrong, you will need tissues, but you will feel glad that you read the book when it is all said and done.  For people who have suffered fertility issues, miscarriages, stillbirths and other forms of infant loss, or loss of a loved one due to traumatic brain injury, this book will most likely serve as trigger, so be aware of that.  Even though the book left me emotionally exhausted, I feel thankful to have read it, and the story simply will not leave my mind; a brilliant showing for a debut novel.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

 

Blogfest 2010 Post and Giveaway

It is my supreme honor to be a participant in Blogfest 2010.  This is my first year as a participant, and I am so excited to be among so many talented bloggers.

I am also super stoked about what I have to offer as my giveaway!

Are you ready for it.....

Tiffany's Book shelf is giving away, for Blogfest 2010...

Autographed copies of Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver and Linger.

How cool is this prize?  You know you want it right?

So, here are the rules, they are pretty simple:

1.  You must be a follower of Tiffany's Bookshelf to enter.

2.  Contest is open to US and Canadian residents only.

3.  Contest will run from 12:00 am 9/10/10 to 11:59 pm 9/12/10.

4.  To enter, simply leave a comment with your name and email address.  No email, no valid entry.

That's it.  Pretty simple right?  I hope you think this is as awesome as I do, and I hope you take some time to look around on my blog before you move along to the next blog on the party.

The next stop on Blogfest 2010 is The Bookworm's Library so once you are done here, please head over to that supremely excellent blog to continue the fun.

Also, don't forget about the massive BlogFest 2010 grand giveaway!  Head on over to http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net and click on the Tracking Site link to head to our own exclusive tracking site.  Once there you can register with a valid email address (to be used solely for the purpose of contacting the winner).  This site will allow you to track your progress through BlogFest 2010!  You can log on from anywhere at any time and continue where you left off.  The best part is that every blog that you visit and mark off through this tracking site will give you one entry into the massive giveaway!  We have a great collection of books, goodies and other swag that is looking for a new home!

Thanks so much for participating in the Blogfest 2010 fun!

Summer Reading Challenge Update

As you all know, I joined a Summer Reading Challenge  at the Community Bookstop.

I committed to reading 25 books during the Challenge.  As of today, I have read 21, and posted the reviews for 20!  I am so proud of myself, because I have also been spending a lot of time with my friends and Hubby, so to have nearly accomplished this goal before August even starts is pretty amazing!  I hope you are all enjoying the reviews!

In the hopes of meeting new bloggers, I am joining some hops this week.

First off is the Crazy for Books book blogger hop.  We are supposed to talk about our favorite authors, and why they are our favorite.  I have so many favorites, but I will choose 2 about whom I will speak.  First is Stephen King, one of my favorites because his stories are memorable and I love to be scared.  Another favorite is Nicholas Sparks, because his stories are usually set in the Outer Banks area, and I absolutely love it there.  I can almost feel the breeze on my skin when I read his books.

There are tons of other hops I am joining too, so check them out!

Check out these awesome hops!

A winner, a review (Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante), and some hops

First of all, I want to congratulate Kelly from the Book Sanctuary Blog, she was the winner of The Devil's Diaries!

Opinion dear readers....would people be interested in winning used books?  Sometimes I review a book that I know I will probably never read again, but would love to pass it on.  Would people think it tacky if I gave away my copy that I reviewed?  These would be released books only, no ARCs.  Leave me your thoughts in the comments.





Amanda Delany was a young starlet.  Talented, sexy, scandalous.  All the makings of a big name star.  So when she ends up brutally murdered, no one can make heads or tails of the situation.  As the investigation goes on, Detective Inspector Anna Travis begins unraveling a lifetime's worth of secrets and lies, showing the truth behind who Amanda was, and why someone would have wanted her dead.  Was this a crime of passion, of revenge, or covering up some treachery?  Anna is determined to find out.

This is my first time reading one of La Plante's thriller mysteries, and I can tell you this, it will not be my last.  Apparently, other Anna Travis stories have been published, and I now want to read them all.  La Plante kept me on the edge of my seat, and though the book was lengthy, I finished it in 24 hours, because I simply had to!  I needed to know, who killed Amanda, and how was this going to play out.

La Plante puts plenty of plot twists in this book, so that you are compelled to keep reading, but you are never confused with where the action was, is, and is headed.  The characters are real, and memorable.  Although other Anna Travis stories exist, this is a great stand alone novel.  You need not have read any other stories to fully appreciate this book for the masterful work that it is.  I could literally hear the characters' voices in my mind, which is fantastic, because I get to imagine them with British accents.

This is the first modern novel set in England that I have read since the Bridget Jones books hit the stands, and I have to say, very rarely did I run across anything that was confusing or vastly different from American cultural references, which I found refreshing as a reader.  You are always aware that the setting is in England, but it rarely seems odd, and you can equally imagine the plot playing out in Hollywood.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, mysteries, dramas, and due to the storyline anyone who likes celebrity gossip, because although these are fictional characters, there is a lot of juicy gossip to be found in the book!

I received a copy of this book for review purposes courtesy of the publisher.

Friday Book Blog Hop

In order to try to get more suggestions from readers, I am joining a Friday Book Blog Hop as many Fridays as I can remember, so this may become a weekly themed series post.

Come visit the Book Blog Hop, hosted over at Crazy for Books, and meet some more book lovers!