I confess that I’m a sucker for good book blurbs. Sometimes it’s the  ones that claim that if I “like X author or Y book then I’ll just love this book” that bugs me. I don’t like to be pegged by the genres or authors I read but I guess that’s the best way to discover new books. It just feels too presumptuous, you know? The blurb on The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kiernan claimed that his novel was “Michael Crichton meets The Time Traveler’s Wife.” As a reader who enjoys older Crichton books and absolutely loved The Time Traveler’s Wife, I just had to read The Curiosity. 

The Curiosity is a novel masquerading as a love story that explores how life becomes a laboratory experiment when today’s technological advances allows scientists to play God.

In the novel,  scientist Kate Philo and her team discover a man’s body frozen in the deep Arctic ice. She works for Erastus Carthage, a larger than life zealous scientist who believes he can bring small frozen creatures “back to life.” Carthage and his team have successfully reanimated frozen sea life such as plankton, krill, and shrimp but the discovery of a frozen human elevates the experiment to a new level: The Lazurus Project. Eventually Jeremiah Rice, a judge circa 1906, is reanimated. Amid the protests of fundamentalists and the Carthage’s investors, Jeremiah’s humanity become secondary. Kate feels a bond and responsibility to Jeremiah that goes beyond a professional connection.

The book is told from different characters’ viewpoints, alternating from chapter to chapter. When authors choose this device, I actually prefer it this way. Sometimes when the voice or point of view changes within a chapter, it’s hard for me to follow the story. The chapter header lets me know right away which character’s shoes I’ll be walking in.

The Curiosity is a not just a page turner, but offers plenty food for thought. Does a reanimated person have equal rights to the non-reanimated? When will Jeremiah be considered a person as opposed to a science experiment? Science and technology is evolving exponentially but can our ethics keep up? That’s the theme our author explores in this novel masquerading as a love story. Or in classic Michael Crichton theme: what happens when human beings play God? Thankfully Kiernan doesn’t jump right into disasters of epic proportions like Crichton was prone to. The Curiosity is much subtler.

Kiernan also offers his opinions on how our world has changed in the hundred years since Jeremiah fell overboard his ship in the ArcticOcean. One scene that stuck with me was how Jeremiah anticipated eating an orange he purchased at a modern day supermarket. Oranges were a rare treat in his time.  While his mouth watered as he peeled the precious fruit,  his taste buds were disappointed.  To him, modern day oranges were bland and dull. Have we lost the our true selves in the search for faster and more abundant production?

I absolutely loved The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kiernan. Any novel that entertains me and makes me think is a winner. The Curiosity will be released July 18, but you can pre-order it now.

I guess the book blurb was right.

I’m headed to Los Angeles this weekend for V3Con, a conference that connects Asian American Pacific Islander online journalists, creative social media communicators, seasoned bloggers and those interested in engaging on digital platforms. I’ve never been to L.A. but I’m looking forward to hanging out in Little Tokyo.

Here’s what I’m packing in my overnight bag for my short coast to coast trip (affiliate links below):

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. I haven’t read any of her other books, but my friend Anne likes Prep.

The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese by Kathe Lison. I suspect this book will make me hungry. For cheese. Of the stinky variety.

Don’t hurt me when I say this: The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the first Neil Gaiman book I’ve read.  I had no idea what I was missing! His other well-loved novels are long and seemed a bit intimidating, like American Gods, but I think I need to reconsider.

I pretty much read The Ocean at the End of the Lane in one sitting, except when it got a little too creepy for me. That’s because everyone in my family went to bed early so it was just me in a largely quiet, dark apartment. I had to set it down and take a bathroom break.

I’ll share the publisher’s description of the book because I can’t do it justice:

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed – within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.

His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

I truly felt transported the entire time I was reading the novel. The narrator’s memories feel fresh and new as he re-lived them for the reader. Even though it’s a short novel at only 192 pages, it’s packed with non-stop action and creepy stuff. Creepy in a good way. One genre that I don’t read enough of but love is modern fantasy like Gaiman’s novel. I guess I have his entire backlist to visit now.

I’m not going to give away too much, so pre-order The Ocean at the End of the Lane. You won’t be disappointed.

I received a review copy of the book. This post contains affiliate links.

One of the highlights of Book Expo America for me was meeting Amy Tan. Ok, maybe meeting might be too strong a word. I said “Hi” to her as she signed her book and slid it over the table to me.

Amy Tan holds a special place in my teenage years. Prior to The Joy Luck Club, I don’t remember reading any contemporary books about the Asian American experience. Especially books about mother-daughter relationships. Like any teenager, my relationship with my mom was fraught with drama and battles of being Vietnamese versus American. Being first generation Asian American has its unique challenges. The Joy Luck Club comforted me because I realized I wasn’t alone in my challenges. It was also the first book I read about the Asian American experience that wasn’t about refugees and war.

For some reason, when you’re Vietnamese, people want you to read books like “The Boat People.” Not exactly a subject I could relate to since I was born and raised in rural Louisiana. Her book gave me the motivation to search for more books about the Asian American experience, with emphasis on the American.

I’ve been a fan of Amy Tan every since. From the book to its film adaptation that gave so many Asian American actors their break.

During her BEA talk, Amy Tan discussed her writing process as well as her inspiration behind her newest book The Valley of Amazement, due out in November 2013.  I keep talking about how The Joy Luck Club resonated with me as an Asian American. However, the themes in the book are universal. I think many mothers and daughters can relate to the struggles in the novel. In fact, the audience during the talk was very diverse, in ethnicity and age. That is a true testament to Amy Tan’s work.

You can watch the official video of Amy Tan’s talk. I started to take one on my phone, but there were so many people walking up to take photos of Amy Tan, my video isn’t very good.

Which author or book made an impact on your teenage years?

We’re starting off our first summer book club read with Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff. The books’ family members whose lives are forever intertwined not just by blood and marriage but by a tragic accident. You’ll be able to relate to at least one, if not many of the characters in the book.

I’m also very excited to announce that you can win a live video chat with Lee Woodruff so you and your book club (or friends) can talk about Those We Love Most!

First, take a look at how our From Left to Write members were inspired by our book club selection this month:

• Rebecca of  Life of an Army Wife mourns the loss of a childhood friend.
• Jennifer from Ramblings of a Semi-Conscious Mastermind Mommy hasn’t lost her boy, she’s gained some understanding.
• Janaki at More Than Four Sides remembers a painful time in her life.
• Nancy of The Real Nani knows that a test of her marriage is inevitable.
• Char from I (Don’t) Know Mommy was a nervous wreck with her third child.
• Eva Greene Wilson of SocaMom.com thinks about how different life would have been if her mother never had a stroke.
• Jodi at jodifur talks about how life changes in a split second.
• Ashley B. from Memoirs of a Modern Day Wife shares her thoughts on helicopter parenting.
• Pamela Gold of  2 Much Testosterone asks if you believe in karma or is it just bad luck?
• Emily at Keeping Time finds an expression of love after a near disaster.
• Alicia S from Titere con Bonete is not enthused about Reality TV, Infidelity and especially Jerry Springer!
• Michelle of Honest & Truly! struggles with walking the line between being “that mom.”
• Cristie Ritz-King at TheRightHandMom contemplates all the growing up we all have to do.
• Carrie from poet in the pantry considers that the grass is not always greener.
• Amy Heinz of Using Our Words reflects on her wedding day hopes and dreams, 10 years later.
• Shannon at Shannon Morgan | Creative  mourns with her community.
• Jennifer Wolfe from mamawolfe considers the teeter-totter of motherhood, balancing on the cusp of change.
• melanie of tales from the crib contemplates how to survive marital melancholia.
• Thien-Kim at I’m Not the Nanny made her husband switch to the other side of the bed.
• Meghan K from Crazy Casa K wonders when we switch from being a child to being responsible.
• Bay from Queen Mother Blog wonders how to support the bereaved.
• Amy of Oh What A Life is not too sure of our love affair with phones!

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Here are the books I mentioned in my video (affiliate links)

The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L Silver (releases 6/11/13)

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (releases 6/4/13)

The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden (September 2013)

A Beautiful Truth by Colin MacAdam (September 2013)

Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman (October 2013)

Any of these book sound interesting to you?

How do you like the videos on here? Do you prefer to just read about the new books? I’d love your feedback!

Edited to add:

Here are the books I talked about in the video (affiliate links)

A Well-tempered Heart by Jan-Phillip Sendkher

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

The Returned by Jason Mott. You can download the prequel short story for free: The First (The Returned)

Stripes of All Types by Susan Stockdale

I dipped my toes into BEA by attending BEA Blogger yesterday. I also went to awesome book parties and met some authors we’ve read as a book club here on From Left to Write. I’m on my way out the door for the first day on the Expo Hall (follow my tweets for photos, etc), but wanted to share some photo goodness with you!

I met Tom Reiss, author of The Black Count (affiliate link). Did I mention that he recently won the Pulitzer Prize and that it was From Left to Write book club selection? He’s a great guy! Don’t you love it when authors of books you love are nice?

During BEA Blogger, I learned about THIS. Yes, you read that right, J.J. Abrams has a novel S. coming out this October. It’s shrouded in secrecy, like all of his projects. This postcard is the first clue to it. I predict this will be a best seller. S.  (affiliate link) is available for pre-order but there’s no cover art or anything yet. Abrams has an elaborate marketing plan that includes a lot of bread crumbs like this postcard and internet Easter eggs.

Just had a book blogger come up to me in the food court raving about WOOL. Then found her review. #BEA13 fromlefttowrite.com/book-review-wo…

— Hugh Howey (@hughhowey) May 29, 2013

Then I accosted Hugh Howey at the food court yesterday. He was totally gracious as I got all fan girl about his book Wool (affiliate link). Of course I told him that I was a book blogger. An hour later, I see this tweet! How fun is it when authors tweet our the reviews we write about their book? That made my afternoon. Plus I didn’t feel bad about interrupting his conversation with 6 other people. Also, guy how stole a french fry off my tray while I talked to Hugh? I would have given you one if you had just asked.

There’s so much more, but I need to get dressed and head down to Day 2 of Book Expo!

There’s just a few more days left in May, but I just had to announce our June book club selection. I’m excited to share that our From Left to Write members are reading Those We Love Most, Lee Woodruff’s first work of fiction. This novel explores how a family adjusts to life after an unexpected tragedy. As each person tries to adjust to their new life, secrets start creeping out of their closets.

Life is good for Maura Corrigan. Married to her college sweetheart, Pete, raising three young kids with her parents nearby in her peaceful Chicago suburb, her world is secure. Then one day, in a single turn of fate, that entire world comes crashing down and everything that she thought she knew changes.

Maura must learn to move forward with the weight of grief and the crushing guilt of an unforgivable secret. Pete senses a gap growing between him and his wife but finds it easier to escape to the bar with his friends than face the flaws in his marriage.

Meanwhile, Maura’s parents are dealing with the fault lines in their own marriage. Charismatic Roger, who at sixty-five, is still chasing the next business deal and Margaret, a pragmatic and proud homemaker, have been married for four decades, seemingly happily. But the truth is more complicated. Like Maura, Roger has secrets of his own and when his deceptions and weaknesses are exposed, Margaret’s love and loyalty face the ultimate test.

Those We Love Most chronicles how these unforgettable characters confront their choices, examine their mistakes, fight for their most valuable relationships, and ultimately find their way back to each other. It takes us deep into the heart of what makes families and marriages tick and explores a fundamental question: when the ties that bind us to those we love are strained or broken, how do we pick up the pieces?

You’ll want to pick up a copy of Those We Love Most so you can join our book club discussion on June 6th. Make sure you keep the tissues nearby when you read it. I read my copy on the airplane and had to hold back the tears lest my seatmate think I was insane. Or scared of flying.

Keep up with Lee Woodruff and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

After sharing my slightly ambitious reading list for the Memorial Day weekend, I only managed to finish one book from the list: Wool by Hugh Howey. And I’m glad I finished it!

The morning after I finished reading Wool by Hugh Howey, I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters from his post-apocalyptic world. Never mind that I had only read the last few pages a mere 6 hours ago, staying up well past my usual bed time. Sure enough, I had a book hangover. I have no idea what the remedy for a book hangover is, but it must involve purchasing the second book of the trilogy: Shift.

Let me backtrack a bit. Wool takes place in the “silo,” a self-sufficient city-state filled with citizens who have never been outside it. In fact, they are raised to be afraid of the outside. The ultimate punishment for its people is to be sent outdoors as a “cleaner.” The cleaner only survives long enough to clean the outdoor cameras. Throughout the novel, our main characters sense that something is wrong in their way of life. Humans aren’t supposed to live completely indoors. Why aren’t they allowed to send electronic messages but written ones are ok? Why do the cleaners look so happy to be outside even if they are being sent to their death?

The novel unwinds slowly, offering its readers little breadcrumbs. We eagerly peck at each word and rush for more. This can be good or bad, depending on your level of patience. Howey takes the time to build the silo-world for his readers. Just enough for me to feel like I’m living among the sheriff or a mechanic, but leaving out clues that keep me turning its (virtual) pages.

While it’s obvious that the book was written and published in parts, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Howey’s writing improves with each installment. His characters become more complex and the story becomes more engrossing.

It’s been several days since I finished reading Wool and I’m still wondering what happens next to Juliette and her friends. Guess I better pick up a copy of the next book in the series.

I’m at Book Expo America this week. Follow my Twitter stream for updates and nerdy bookish stuff!