If so, click over to this post on my Giveaways page, where I’ve announced the winner.

Well, you know they used to say about Lucky Charms cereal? It’s true about this marvelous debut novel, The Kitchen Daughter is ‘magically delicious!’

Pop over to my Giveaways page to enter to win The Kitchen Daughter!

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

Back-of-the-book blurb: After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish.

A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cook from dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: I loved this novel!  Oh, you want to know why … here goes … The Kitchen Daughter has all the right components – realistic characters, a compelling plot, dialogue that rings true (anyone who’s ever argued with a sister will agree!), and a family secret ingredient.  Even the format adds to the balance, with recipes that are integral to the story, without being gimmicky or distracting.

Jael McHenry had me at “Bread Soup,” which is the title of Chapter One.  Each chapter is named for a recipe, included (on an illustration that looks like a hand-written recipe card) at the top of the page.

In “Bread Soup,” we meet the narrator;  Ginny Selvaggio is a woman in her mid-twenties who is “socially awkward,” – uncomfortable in close physical contact with others, averse to crowds, hesitant to make eye contact – and has shown compulsive tendencies (she went through a “Turkish rug” phase as a child, now finds security in the solid geometry of rectangles).  She has always been sheltered by her parents, following “the rules” as outlined by her mother. Readers may recognize the behavior of someone who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.

In this excerpt, Ginny is struggling with the mass of mourners who have descended on her parents’ home – her home – after their untimely death (p 2):

But at home, things are worse.  There isn’t even a moment for me to be alone before the house fills up.  Strangers are here.  Disrupting my patterns.  Breathing my air.  I’m not just bad at crowds, crowds are bad at me.  If it were an ordinary day, if things were right and not wrong, I’d be sitting down with my laptop to read Kitcherati, but my laptop is up in my attic room on the third floor.  There are too many bodies between me and the banister and I can’t escape upstairs.  This is my only home and I know every inch of it, but right now it is invaded.  If I look up I’ll see their faces, so instead I look down and see all their feet.  Their shoes are black like licorice or brown like brisket, tracking in the winter slush and salt from the graveyard and the street.  Dozens.

Note how Ginny uses “licorice” and “brisket” to describe the shoes.  Her senses are in tune with food, the familiar and comforting rhythms of cooking center her when the world around her is escalating.

Without the support of her parents, Ginny now needs to navigate that world alone.  Perhaps she’ll find her way indirectly, through her routines, Gert (the housekeeper), and Midnight (her cat).  And her cooking – Ginny’s collection of hand-written recipe cards may be the key to getting herself back on her feet. However, Ginny’s attempts to prove her independence are thwarted by her younger sister, Amanda, who makes many assumptions about Ginny’s future.

As I read Ginny’s story – so authentically told in her voice – I ran through a seemingly endless wheel of emotions – empathy, surprise, anger, happiness, sadness, and -ultimately – satisfaction.  Never did I feel the author was manipulating my emotions; I really was so caught up in Ginny’s narration that I walked in her shoes and felt her reactions to a degree.

Did I have a problem with Nonna’s ghost, or the idea that Ginny attempted to conjure others through her cooking?  Not at all.  I accepted it as magical realism or Ginny’s way of coping.  I didn’t over-analyze or struggle with it; I simply let the story unfold around me and Ginny in that very rectangular kitchen.

In the process of learning more about herself, Ginny explores her relationships with her mother, her father, and Amanda.  Or, maybe it’s a chicken-and-egg thing … maybe exploring those relationships led to a better understanding of her own self.  Either way you crack it, The Kitchen Daughter is a literary omelette to be savored, filled with all my favorites and a few surprises.  (You thought I wouldn’t stoop to a play-on-words pertaining to food?! That’s nuts!)

Author Jael McHenry earned her MFA in creative writing at American University; her work has been published in North American Review, Indiana Review, and the Graduate Review.  She is a passionate home cook who blogs at The Simmer Blog.  You can read more about her and The Kitchen Daughter on her website, and follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Review copy of The Kitchen Daughter was provided by Simon and Schuster / Gallery Books and TLC Book Tours.  Check out the complete TLC Book Tour schedule below – you may find author interviews, guest posts, and a giveaway or two (you might want to stop back here tomorrow, too … I’m just saying!)

Were you one of them?

Were you the lucky winner?

Pop over to my Giveaways page to find out …

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

Back-of-the-book blurb: Mary Beth Latham has built her life around her family, around caring for her three teenage children and preserving the rituals of their daily life. When one of her sons becomes depressed, Mary Beth focuses on him, only to be blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterward is a testament to the power of a woman’s love and determination, and to the invisible lines of hope and healing that connect one human being to another. Ultimately,this is a novel about facing every last one of the things we fear the most, about finding ways to navigate a road we never intended to travel.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: I’ve read Anna Quindlen’s nonfiction columns for years; she wrote The Last Word in Newsweek for ten years (2000-2009), prior to that, her New York Times column, Public and Private, won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992.  I’ve enjoyed two of her essay collections compiled from these columns.

My one previous exposure to Quindlen’s fiction was Blessings, which, frankly, didn’t bowl me over.  I read it six or seven years ago, pre-blogging days, and my copy of the book doesn’t have any notes in it, so I can’t point to exactly why it didn’t strike me.  But, it was enough to make me stick to reading her older nonfiction work, instead of the newer novels.

Until now.  Having read (um, been consumed by) Every Last One, I’ll keep my eye out for Quindlen’s other novels.

She writes authentically in the first-person voice of Mary Beth Latham, unspooling the story in “real time” as events occur. Back story is woven seamlessly into the narrative, never distracting from the present, but filling in details naturally for the reader.  There is never any foreshadowing of what is to come, we experience Mary Beth’s reactions and emotions in the moment, without any warning.  It’s this full-on connection between Mary Beth’s self and the reader that makes Every Last One so powerful; because Mary Beth is narrating, her inner thoughts, knee-jerk responses, and self-analysis are brutally honest.

I’m going to share only the bare bones about this storyline.  I knew only the jacket copy going into it, and I was so pleased with what I discovered while reading it … I will tell you that you’ll need a Kleenex or two to properly digest this novel!

Mary Beth and Glen Latham live with their three teenage children in a suburban community in Vermont.  Glen is an opthamologist with his own thriving practice, and, once their kids were all in school, Mary Beth created and grew her own Latham Landscaping business.  Ruby, their eldest child, is a confident young woman entering her senior year of high school; she has a literary talent and a circle of close friends.  Fraternal twins Alex and Max are entering their freshman year of high school. Alex is a stand-out in most any sport, and is surrounded by friends;  Max is more artistic, preferring quiet and less active pursuits.  The Latham’s house is always full of kids, and Mary Beth never hesitates to put an extra plate or two on the dinner table for unexpected dinner guests.

And then … something happens.

The way Quindlen tackles the aftermath, speaking in the voice of Mary Beth, is stunning.  Mary Beth grapples with her role as a mother, trying to understand where to draw the line between nurturing and independence, between responsibility for others to responsibility to one’s self.

I’ve pulled a few favorite passages, to give you a flavor of Quindlen’s writing and wisdom:

It’s only before the realities set in that we can treasure our delusions.

And a bit more of the character of Mary Beth Latham; how others perceive her, and how she sees herself:

“Mommy, the thing you do, trying to make everyone happy?  Sometimes it makes nobody happy.  You’re always making excuses for him, like you’re trying to make up for something …”

… I drove over to the high school to watch the team get on the bus.   I handed Alex his duffel bag and a box of chocolate-chip cookies. “They’re still warm,” I’d said.  As the doors to the bus closed with a hiss, I saw the cookies being passed from seat to seat.  Alex was talking to someone across the aisle as the bus pulled out.  I waved goodbye to no one.

I have two selves now, too, the one that goes out in the world and says what sound like the right things and nods and listens and even sometimes smiles, and the real woman, who watches her in wonder, who is nothing but a wound, a wound that will not stop throbbing except when it is anesthetized.  I know what the world wants:  It wants me to heal.  But to heal I would have to forget …”

Curious to read more?  Check back tomorrow, when I’ll a giveaway of one copy of Every Last One.

You can learn more about the author and her books by visiting Anna Quindlen’s website.   And, follow the TLC Book Tour of Every Last One for additional insights – and perhaps other extras like interviews, guest posts, and giveaways:

• Monday, March 21st:  Book Club Classics!
• Tuesday, March 22nd:  Lit and Life
• Wednesday, March 23rd:  Chaotic Compendiums
• Friday, March 25th:  Joyfully Retired
• Monday, March 28th:  Peeking Between the Pages
• Tuesday, March 29th:  Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
• Wednesday, March 30th:  Caribousmom
• Monday, April 4th:  Luxury Reading
• Wednesday, April 6th:  Book Hooked Blog
• Thursday, April 7th:  Acting Balanced
• Monday, April 11th:  Lori’s Reading Corner
• Tuesday, April 12th:  Rundpinne

Sunday 10/19 – This afternoon I attended a reading at our local bookstore by Julia Glass, who is on tour promoting I See You Everywhere.  She read a lengthy excerpt from the novel, and was very generous with her time in answering lots of questions from the audience.  I’ll have a full posting about this later in the week.

I stopped short of literally running into author Gregory Maguire who lives in town and was browsing in the shop and stayed for the reading.  I am a huge fan of his and am looking forward to reading his latest novel, A Lion Among Men.  I nearly ran into him as I walked into the store, realized who he was, issued a meek “Hi”, and fled to my seat.  I am such a book geek!

Monday 10/20 – David Ebershoff’s TLC Book Tour stops off at my blog today!  I’ll run a post about his novel The 19th Wife, give a quick review, add more info about his author event last month, and ask for your questions for an upcoming interview with him.  That’s right, it’s audience participation time!

I’m attending a program called A Cross-Cultural Love Story at our branch library.  Author Christina Thompson will be speaking on the experiences that led her to write Come on Shore and We Will Kill You and Eat You All.  I’ve just started the book, what an amazing tale!

Tuesday 10/21 – If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium, does anyone else remember this classic flick? (disclaimer:  I watched it on re-re-re-runs on an old black and white TV set when I was a kid!).  OK, If it’s Tuesday, it must be time for the Boston Bibliophile’s TuesdayThingers.  Check back to see what Marie asks us about our LibraryThing things.

Wednesday 10/22 – Spotlight on Bookstores runs on Wednesday … I’m not running a traditional Spotlight this week, but will offer pieces of my vacation experience, where I searched for a bookstore to spotlight!

Book Club Girl’s discussion of The Safety of Secrets and on-air interview with author Delaune Michel is tonight.  If you’ve read the book, call in to ask Delaune a question, or post it on the BCG website.

Thursday 10/23 – Tonight is another Festival event.  Literary critic James Wood will be discussing his philosophy of the novel, answering such questions as What makes a story a story?  What is style?  What’s the connection between realism and real life? 

Friday 10/24 – I host Patricia Mendez’s EZ Entertaining today.  This was a very fun book to review and “test-drive”.  I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.

Saturday 10/25 – I’ll squeeze in a few other book reviews this week.  Notably, Revolutionary Road is on my list, along with a few children’s books.

Sunday 10/26 – Another Festival event; this one hitches on me finding a babysitter though, so it’s not set in stone that I’ll attend     The branch library is hosting a program called New Literary Voices with three novelists reading from their current works.  They are: 

• Amy MacKinnon – Tethered
• Margaret Cesair-Thompson – The Pirate’s Daughter
• Peter Clenott – Hunting the King

OK, I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine and have a nice quiet evening in preparation for this week (NOT!  Our four kids are running around on a sugar high from the candy LW6 brought home from a birthday party!).  It’s going to be a great week – cross your fingers that my husband gets home in time for “the changing of the guard” so I can do everything I have scheduled!

I received House and Home by Kathleen McCleary.  I’m going to read and review this novel in preparation for an author blog tour coordinated by Lisa at TLC Book Tours; this is the first book/author I’ve promoted with TLC Book Tours and I’m looking forward to working with them – the tour stops at SheIsTooFondOfBooks on September 15!. 

We moved about a year ago and I understand the angst of having strangers assess your house and ultimately make it their home; what makes a house a home?  Read on:  The story of a woman who loves her house so much that she’ll do just about anything to keep it.

Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she’s about to lose it all.

After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen’s husband, Sam–who’s charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly irresponsible–has disappointed her in more ways than she can live with, and they’re getting divorced. Her daughters are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be sold.

Ellen’s life is further complicated by a lovely and unexpected relationship with the husband of the shrewish, social-climbing woman who has purchased the house. Add to that the confusion over how she really feels about her almost-ex-husband, and you have the makings of a delicious novel about what matters most in the end . . .

Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary’s funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.

Cheryl Jarvis’ The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment that Changed Their Lives will be published September 9.  The premise of this non-fiction book is very interesting:

Four years ago, in Ventura, California, Jonell McLain saw a diamond necklace in a local jewelry store display window. The necklace aroused desire first, then a provocative question: Why are personal luxuries so plentiful yet accessible to so few? What if we shared what we desired? Several weeks, dozens of phone calls, and a leap of faith later, Jonell bought the necklace with twelve other women, with the goal of sharing it.

I received my first “graphic” book, The Shiniest Jewel: A Family Love Story by Marian Henley.  This is a memoir written in graphic format, complete with dialogue bubbles and whimsical drawings.  I loved this book and have already posted my review.  The Shiniest Jewel will be released for sale on September 15.  Here’s what the publisher has to say:

At 49, cartoonist Marian Henley hasn’t committed to marrying the man with whom she has been dating for seven years. But as the Big 5-0 looms, she realizes that above all else she wants a child. Her story follows the heartbreaking ups and downs of going through the international adoption process; deciding when it’s time to grow up and maybe even get married; and in the end, it’s the story of a daughter’s relationship with her father, and how becoming a mother finally led her to understand him. THE SHINIEST JEWEL is a touching narrative, accompanied by Marian’s winsome drawings, that beautifully weaves together her realizations about the joy, and sometimes heartbreak, of building a family.

I enjoyed The Shiniest Jewel so much that I’m ready to take on a few more books in the graphic format … any suggestions?