Friday 9 October 2009

Friday Finds


Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at You Should Be Reading and you can find it here. MizB does a fantastic job with this meme every week, so do pop over and pay her a visit.

This was a really tough one to do this week, as I have been furiously writing lots and lots of new book titles in my little sparkly pink book that contains the list otherwise known as the 'TBR'. You are all so bad at tempting me with these wonderful books. I felt like Simon Cowell, on The X Factor, trying to reduce my six contestants to three. Trying to determine which books I should profile this week has been an immense struggle, but in the end a decision needed to be made.

1) Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman.

I found this book over at Lesa's Book Critiques and from what I can understand this book is billed as the next 'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd, so if you loved that one then this is a book for you. This is the author's debut novel and will apparently be a hit with reading groups and book clubs.

Here is the description from Amazon.

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell. In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.
I am predicting that this might just be a big hit for the Southern Reading Challenge next year over at Maggie Reads.



2) Walking Through Walls by Phillip Smith.

This was one of Trish's choices for The Non Fiction Five challenge which she hosts every summer. If you are not a big non fiction reader and would like to read more, then I can highly recommend this challenge. It runs from May to September, so do look out for it next year.

Here is the book description from Amazon.

Walking Through Walls is Philip Smith's astonishing memoir of growing up in a household where seances, talking spirits, and exorcisms were daily occurrences, and inexplicable psychic healings resulted in visitors suddenly discarding their crutches and wheelchairs or being cured of fatal diseases.
While there are benefits to having a miracle man in the house, Philip soon discovers the downside of living with a father who psychically knows everything he is doing. Surrounded by invisible spirits who tend to behave like nagging relatives, Philip looks for ways to escape his mystical home life -- including forays into sex, surfing, and even Scientology.
By turns hilarious and profound, Walking Through Walls recounts Philip Smith's often bizarre but always magical coming of age in a household that felt like a cross between Lourdes and the set of Rosemary's Baby, and shows how he managed to map out his own identity in the shadow of a father who, truly, loomed larger than life itself.


Just to remind you all, Trish of Trish's Reading Nook is also responsible for the 100 mile fitness challenge, so if you are thinking of getting fit for Christmas, there is still time to join.

3) One Day by David Nicholls.

I found this book over at Michelle's site Fluttering Butterflies. It was lovely to see Michelle back to reviewing books this week as I find I always like the books that she picks.


Here is the synopsis from Waterstones.

'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, with malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.' He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.' 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN.

It reminds me of a film, which I cannot for the life of me remember the title, where they meet up on a certain day every year. Now I know it is an old film, so if someone can tell me the name of the film, I would appreciate it as it will stop me from winding myself up.
I really like the sound of this and from what I have read his first novel Starter For Ten is definitely worth a read too. Has anyone read Starter for Ten?


4) The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Now you know I am a sucker for dystopian YA novels, so I was totally captivated by this book when I saw it over at Kittling Books. It is the first book in a trilogy, so more exciting books to follow.

Here is the description from Amazon.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.



Well there you have my selection of books for the week. I love the covers on all of them and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

What did you find this week?

22 comments:

  1. I know the film you mean - didn't it have Alan Alda in it? That's going to bug me too now... Can't picture the woman but I can picture him...

    Maze Runner and Walking through Walls definitely appeal to me. Good picks again Viv ;)

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  2. I SO want to read The Maze Runner and I like the sound of One Day.

    Here's my finds this Friday

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  3. some great finds you have here! I love the sound of The Maze Runner, I'm a sucker for YA dystopian novels too!

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  4. Saving CeeCee has a gorgeous cover. <3

    I wan to read One Day too - I read 'Starter for Ten' by David Nicholls and absolutely loved that. It was in my top ten for such a long time because it perfectly coveyed going to uni after coming from nothing for me. :)

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  5. Great finds Viv. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Cee Cee Honeycut this week. I LOVE the cover :0

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  6. All great finds. Walking Through Walls does intrigue me, thanks!

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  7. That first cover is stunning! After reading the summary of 20 years one day I know I have to have it. :) I'm reading The Maze right now, but haven't gotten very far into it because I've been so busy.

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  8. I saw saving CeeCee on another blog and it looks great, not to mention the very beautiful cover as well.

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  9. The only one I've heard of is Walking Through Walls (or, um read). I was telling Joanna earlier today, this book truly is stranger than fiction.

    And you're totally rocking the 100 Miles! Great job so far, Vivienne.

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  10. I also loved Michelle's review of One Day. It sounds fabulous! No idea about the film though, sorry!

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  11. These are sound great and other than the last one are all new to me!

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  12. One Day is on my WL and I'm adding The Maze Runner to it!

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  13. You have some really interesting books here! I love the cover for Saving Cee Cee Honeycut and Walking Through Walls sounds bizarre, in a good way! Thanks for the info on the non-fiction challenge, I'm going to look into that

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  14. Great finds, Vivienne! I will definitely check them out!

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  15. Great finds, Vivienne! I will definitely check them out!

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  16. That "one day" book looks fabulous and right up my street.

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  17. Great finds! I got a couple of these books at a trade show recently.

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  18. Hello! Feels like it's been months since I've caught up on your blog! You should definately read One Day, it was wonderful. Glad so many of your other readers are interested as well. It was simply lovely.

    Also, I tried reading Starter For Ten, but I'd already seen the film with James McAvoy, and it felt like the film took all the funny bits from the book and made them funnier. So I gave up on the book. If only I'd read the book first!

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