Monthly Archives: May 2009

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Blog of The Week 1/5/09

Blog Is Kate’s Blog : http://www.katesbookblog.blogspot.com/

Books That Make Me Think

She is an author with great literary reviews and check out her great list of literary blogs

Just a quick heads up for those who live in or near Vancouver. Tonight (Saturday, May 30th), two of my favourite writers (and favourite people!), Stuart Ross and Alexandra Leggat, are launching new collections of short fiction at Café Montmartre (4362 Main Street, Vancouver, at 7 pm).

Stuart’s book, Buying Cigarettes for the Dog, first sent out into the world at its Toronto launch on April 1st, has been racking up sales and laudatory reviews ever since. In Now Magazine, Susan Cole writes: “Ross doesn’t waste a word, and the impact is often breathtaking. He knows how to extend a metaphor so that even the most absurd or hallucinatory episodes – and there are many of these – convey deep meaning.” In the Vancouver Sun, M.A.C. Farrant writes: “A writer with an original sensibility, he’s got a gazillion curious, funny and disturbing things to say about our lives and our world. Read this book – you’ll see.” And in The Walrus, Mark Medley sums it up thus: “His fiction is often bold, sometimes infuriating, and always rewarding.”

For Alexandra’s book, Animal, tonight marks not just the Vancouver launch but the launch proper, so as of yet I can’t point you to any reviews. But, judging by her previous work, and having had the pleasure of hearing her read a few of the stories from the new book while it was in progress, I have no doubt that it will be brilliant. Read the title story, “Animal,” online here and see for yourself.

Of course, for those of us who are nowhere near Vancouver, though we can’t celebrate tonight with the authors, we still have access to the best part, the books! Why not mark the final weekend of Short Story Month by ordering yourself a copy of each?

Posted by Kate S. at 12:36 PM  

My Book!

My Book!
My second collection of short stories, All In Together Girls, is now available in Canada, the U.S., the UK, and most other places where English language books are sold. You can buy it at your local bookstore, or order it from online retailers such as McNally Robinson, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo, Powell’s, or The Book Depository. You can also borrow it from a number of public and university libraries in Canada and the U.S. Check with your local library to see if they have it, and please encourage them to buy it if they don’t!

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Prussian Nights — WW11 Poetry (Book Review)

My Book Review: WW11 Poetry—- 5 Star Rating

 Prussian Nights: A Poem (Bilingual ed. Tr from Russian) (Paperback)

 

Author: Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn

Translated By : Robert Conquest

A primary source record of World War 11 in poetry.”Prussian Nights,” is a  1400 line long poem. Through the eyes of a Russian soldier (himself) he tells of the crimes he witnessed and that were committed against the Germans. It makes for sad reading but it is recorded beautifully and is an important Russian document.

Here are two quotes from the book:

The little daughter’s on the mattress,

Dead. How many have been on it

A platoon, a company perhaps?

A girl’s been turned into a woman,

A woman turned into a corpse.

It’s all come down to simple phrases:

Do not forget! Do not forgive!

Blood for blood! A tooth for a tooth!

Victory’s voice with all its joys
–Heart-warming but ear-splitting noise–
Mounts, with a new lot breaking loose:
Howitzers–they’re 152′s.
Having rendezvous to keep
Behind their tractor-type transporters,
They don’t stop night-time and don’t sleep
(No weight checks here to hold them up.)
Whirling down the left-hand file,
Studebakers, to support us,
Are hauling lighter three-inch cannons:
“Hey, there, stovepipe! Grab our tail!”
Dodges–the three-quarter-ton ones–
Rush the forty-fives to fight. . . .

Product details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (May 1977)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0374513910
  • ISBN-13: 978-0374513917
  • Product Dimensions: 22.1 x 14.3 x 0.9 cm
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Timeline by Michael Crichton (Book Review)

Timeline by Michael Crichton (Book Review) This book was published in paperback by Arrow in 2006. It is a science fiction thriller that has since been made into a movie. It is fast paced and full of danger, a gripping read. Doniger, Head of ITC plans a theme park with artefacts from the past for profit and he wants to revive it via his time machine. In 1999 his chief historian the professor has got in trouble in fourteenth century France and the young historians need to go back in time to save him. They are unaware of the dangers of the 14 th century France and they only have 37 hours to save him. They get split up but find their way home. It is an old fashioned adventure. Crichton has done alot of research for this book and it shows. He combines science of the future with historical past. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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The Good War: An Oral History of World War 11 by Studs Terkel (Book Review)

 This bestseller by Studs Terkel was republished in 1997 by New Press. It won The Pulitzer Prize for non fiction and rightly so. The author presents over 120 interviews with people of all classes and all levels of involvement in World War 11. He interviews people both famous and infamous from both sides to give us as many perspectives as possible. It is a unique collection of primary sources on World War 11 and it is moving and very thought provoking. It is not an easy read and must be read in stages to ponder the true significance of the experiences of those involved. This oral history addresses the perceived notion that World War 11 was a good war. He proves that the Nazis needed to be defeated but there is no good war and no bad peace. In different voices the survivors tell of the impact and everlasting implications the war had on them. I do believe he was selective on who he interviewed but that is not important it gives us many other points of views. The book is confirming the authors own views on pacifism and it is an important historical document for anybody remotely interested in World War 11. Newsday describes it best as:” a vivid resurrection of a lost time”. It recounts the true cost of war and so as a primary source it is a highly recommended for those who are even remotely interested in history. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella (Book Review)

Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella (Book Review)

                Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella is now in paperback. Ms Kinsella is the author of the internationally best selling Shopaholic Series. She writes funny chic lit with happy endings and this novel has all her usual ingredients for a great read. It is a well written easy read that made me laugh out loud and cry for poor Lexi. The book’s ISBN is 05527727653 and it is published by Black Swan.  The main character Lexi wakes up in a hospital after a car crash with amnesia and she thinks it is 2004 and she is most unhappy with her life. Gradually, she discovers that it is 2007 and all is prefect. She has a well toned body, she has fixed her teeth, she is no longer in a dead end job she is the director, the director from hell. She meets her husband a drop dead gorgeous millionaire and lives in a penthouse over looking the Thames. The novel is her journey in discovering her path to success. She learns her husband is a control freak and her friends have disowned her. Her sweet little sister is now a hormonal teenager and her job is way too competitive. She wonders is her life really that perfect? Then a hunky man turns up on her doorstep to reveal they are secret lovers. Followers of Sophie Kinsella and chic lit novels will enjoy this, I did. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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Grow Your Own Drugs (Book Review)

Grow Your Own Drugs: Easy recipes for natural remedies and beauty treatments by James Wong. (Book Review)

 

Grow your own drugs is the accompanying book to the BBC Series by James Wong. It is published by Collins and its ISBN is 0007307136. This hardback book is beautifully laid out and gives clear and easy to follow instructions on how to make your own lotions and potions for common ailments and beauty treatments. Wong explains how easy it is to cure yourself and have control over what medicine you put into your body , at a fraction of the high street prices. Mr. Wong is a lecturer at Kent University and a qualified ethnobotanist but confesses he learned a lot of his recipes from his Malaysian grandmother. He selects the top 100 plants to grow and gives their natural healing properties. A must for natural medicine practitioners or for those interested in alternative medicine. I highly recommend this book in conjunction with using conventional medicine. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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This Year Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy (Book Review)

This Year Will be Different is a collection of 15 short stories by Maeve Binchy. It was previously published abroad as The Return Journey. The paperback’s ISBN is 9780752876283 and it is published by Orion in Ireland and the UK. Its theme is Christmas with a twist and it discusses feelings that cannot be hidden. In a warm and sympathic way Maeve introduces power struggles, affairs and unwelcome discoveries. Everything from cranky grandparents, exhausted mums, bold teenagers and mistresses are characters in the stories. Its message is hope and new beginnings. I prefer her long novels but it is great as a bed time read to dip in to and read a very short story each night. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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Blog of the Week 25th May 2009

Authors on the Internet Writing Journal : http://www.internetwritingjournal.com/authorblogs/

The Best Author Blogs

It is no secret that authors write some of the very best blogs. Our editors have compiled a list of author blogs that they believe are truly outstanding. Although the styles and subject matter of the author blogs vary widely, they all share two important qualities: they are all frequently updated and interesting to read.

Author Blogs

Group Blogs

Author Blog Directories

Author Blog Search
The links below have been configured to search for information about authors and blogs using the keywords “authors” and “blogs” on the the search engine indicated. Just click on the source, and it will bring up the search results.

General Blogging Resources
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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Book Review)

 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is a number one bestseller. It is published by Bloomsbury in paperback and its ISBN is 978074758297724. It is a wonderful romance story but also a powerful and sad insight into war and the carnage and chaos it causes. One cannot read this and be unmoved by the suffering of women in Kabul during the Taliban rule. It is told from a female perspective. It catalogues the lack of education of women, rapes, beatings, arranged marriages, head covering and their low social status in vivid detail. The main character is Miriam who at the tender age of five discovers she is illegitimate and gradually becomes to realise her father does not acknowledge her in public and has her living in a hut miles from civilisation. When her mum Nana commits suicide her father Jalil runs her out of town and marries her at 15 years of age to a 45 year old man. Rasheed her husband inflicts upon her a life of beatings and torment. Until he takes a second wife Laila and things get worse for Miriam. Slowly the women form a friendship that eventually leads to a mother and daughter type of relationship. Miriam in a final confrontation with the violent Rasheed stabs him to death to give Laila freedom and a new life. While Miriam is sent to prison, Lalia, Tariq and the kids escape to Pakistan until it is safe to return home to Kabul. They return to help rebuild it and start work in an orphanage. Lalia becomes pregnant, a new life, a new beginning, the ultimate metaphor for the rebirth of Kabul. This is a beautiful novel depicting the cruelty of war and the beauty of family and romance. I highly recommend this novel. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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39th Listowel Writers Week

Listowel Week is available online at : http://www.writersweek.ie/2009/competitions_award.htm

 

booksp

Prize

€15,000 for a published work of fiction by an Irish author.
 

Shortlist

DISGUISE
by Hugo Hamilton

NETHERLAND
by Joseph O’Neil

MOLLY FOX’S BIRTHDAY
by Deirdre Madden

THE SECRET SCRIPTURE
by Sebastian Barry

JOHN THE REVELATOR
by Peter Murphy
 
 
 

Adjudicators

 Niall MacMonagle & Giles Foden
 

Winner 2008
 

Anne Enright | The Gathering
 
 
 

Shortlist 2008
 

Joseph O’Connor | Redemption Falls
 

James Ryan | South of the Border
 

David Park | The Truth Commissioner
 

Julia Kelly | With my Lazy Eye
 

Previous Winners

2007
Roddy Doyle
Paula Spencer

  

 

 
 

2006
Sebastian Barry
A Long Long Way

  

 

 
 

2005
Neil Jordan
Shade

 

 

 
 

2004
Gerard Donovan
Schopenhauer’s Telescope

 

 

 
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Irish Bestselling Books May 2009

Mass Market Fiction Bestsellers May 2009

1. The Secret Scripture by Sebstian Barry

2. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

3. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

4. The Business by M Cole

5. The Damned UTD by David Peace

 

Paperback Non Fiction Bestsellers

1. 4 Ingredients by Kim Mc Cosker and Rachael Bermingham

2. Dying to Survive by Rachael Keogh

3. Forever in my Heart : The Story of my Battle Against Cancer by Jade Goody

4. What should Ma Say? by Kathleen Doyle

5. Low GI Diet Bible by Patrick Holford

 

Hardback Non Fiction May 2009  Bestsellers

1. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

2. The Irish Times Universal Atlas by The Times

3. The Times Great Irish Lives : An Era in Obituaries by Times Books

4. Jamie’s Ministry of Food by Jamie Oliver

5. Irish History : Minipedia S Parragon Book Service

 

Kids Bestsellers May 2009

1. Disney Hannah Montana Backstage Pass

2. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

3. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

4. Breaking Dawn by S tephenie Meyer

5. Dark Calling : The Demonata by Darren Shan

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My Literary Blog of the Week 17/5/09

GalleyCat: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/

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Thursday May 14, 2009

Denise Oswald Outlines Soft Skull Plans

softskull.jpgIn her first official statement since taking the helm of Soft Skull Press three weeks ago, Denise Oswald assured readers: “I’m just an old school punk rock girl with a love of smart thinking, good writing, and culture both highbrow and gutter low.”

The publisher hired Oswald as editorial director of Soft Skull Press and senior editor of Counterpoint to replace Richard Nash–who left the press to pursue new opportunities. Oswald spent nearly ten years at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, editing writers like Colin Beavan, Anne Carson, and Courtney Love.

Here’s more from her inaugural post: “Although, as Soft Skull author extraordinaire Jonathan Evison was pointing out to me, Soft Skull may be the only place that I could land where my experience at FSG renders me a corporate suit worthy of suspicion. I’ll do my best to dispel any rumors to that effect … I’m looking forward to continuing our editorial mission, which at the moment seems to be obsessed with disaster, apocalypse, …and zombies.”

Posted by Jason Boog | 03:23 PM | | Email this post | 0 Comments
Mediabistro event

Join the Circus!

Mediabistro Circus
Extraordinary Impact: Where Media Meets Technology
June 2-3, 2009 – The Times Center, New York City

Discover ways to do more with less in today’s digital media environment. Hear from Gina Bianchini (Ning.com) on Why You Should Create a Social Network, Tim Ferriss (The 4-Hour Workweek) on How to Create a Global Phenomenon, and Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library TV) on Giving Your Brand Personality. Register today!

Thursday May 14, 2009

Catcher in the Rye Sequel Has Mysterious Origins

salingerbook.jpgThe literary blogosphere has been buzzing all morning about John David California‘s sequel to J.D. Salinger‘s famous novel, “The Catcher in the Rye.” While the author’s Guardian interview seemed earnest, GalleyCat thinks the whole thing might be more like “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and less like “Wide Sargasso Sea.”

The Wikipedia entry for J.D. California lists his birthday as April 1st, 1976. Secondly, his Amazon bio includes some fantastical elements: “The former gravedigger and Ironman triathlete has been captivated by the story of Holden Caulfield for years. After finding a well-travelled copy of The Catcher in the Rye in an abandoned cabin in rural Cambodia, the iconic characters within saw John through the most maniacal of tropical fevers and chronic isolation.”

Finally, the Amazon entry for “60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye” lists the publisher as Nicotext. GalleyCat uncovered a mission statement from a publisher with that name with a fairly satirical mission statement: “Hi! We are Nicotext. We make books. More specifically, we make books whose sole purpose it is to make you giggle. While thumbing our collective nose at the literati, we have found our niche amongst the useless, the trivial and the potentially offensive.”

Posted by Jason Boog | 12:23 PM | | Email this post | 0 Comments

Party Like a New Yorker Editor

pleasestepbackd.jpgIn his Twitter essay this week, Dan Baum called the New Yorker office atmosphere “vastly strained,” and Susan Orlean objected. As a real life counterpoint, one New Yorker editor’s book party wasn’t a bit strained earlier this week.

GalleyCat Secret Agent Rachel Sklar prowled Ben Greenman‘s book party at Galapagos Art Space. The editor was celebrating the release of “Please Step Back,” and the two-level party was packed with literary types. Greenman even unveiled his theme song, “Please Step Back” by Swamp Dogg.

Here’s more from Rachel Sklar: “Who else was there–Sasha Frere-Jones (on stage w/ him); Jody Rosen (Slate); David Sax (Save The Deli), Alana Newhouse (Nextbook Editor in Chief), Dan Rollman (URDB); Lauren Mechling (“Dream Girl” ); Larry Smith (Six Word Memoirs). Greenman commented: ‘Brooklyn humiliates other cities in terms of how many people are doing good work.’”

Posted by Jason Boog | 11:23 AM | | Email this post | 0 Comments

Amazon Opens Kindle to Bloggers

kindleblog.jpgAmazon.com, Inc. has created a self-service method for bloggers to add their content to the Amazon Kindle–offering writers a 30 percent cut of a subscription price that Amazon will determine.

Any blogger with an RSS feed can participate after filling out an online form–the blog should be available within 12 to 48 hours. Kindle users can subscribe to the blog, and content will be automatically updated via Amazon’s wireless system.

Here’s more about Amazon’s terms for bloggers: “[Q:] Do I get paid for making my blog available on Kindle? [A:]Yes.You will get paid 30% of the monthly blog subscription price for every subscriber to your blog. Please see the terms and conditions for details. [Q:] Can I set the price for my blog? [A:] No. Amazon will define the price based on what we deem is a fair value for customers. [Q:] Can I make my blog free? [A:] No, Amazon will define the price based on what we deem is a fair value for customers.”

Posted by Jason Boog | 10:23 AM | | Email this post | 0 Comments

Bookstore Sales Dipped 4.2 Percent in Q1 of 2009

census.jpg
As the recession continues, U.S. bookstore sales slipped 4.2 percent during the first quarter of 2009. However, the slide seems to be slowing–February saw sales drop 11 percent, while sales only dipped 1.2 percent in March.

Publishers Weekly has the complete report, crunching retail estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Compared to slipping sales in all retail markets, the bookselling drop is less steep.

Here’s more from the article: “February the worst month for bookstore sales since the downturn began last fall. For all of retail, March sales were down 10.7% and first quarter sales were off 10.2%.”

Posted by Jason Boog | 09:23 AM | | Email this post | 0
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Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (Book Review)

Brooklyn is a new novel by Colm Toibin.It is now available in paperback , its ISBN is : 067091813x and its publisher is Viking. This enchanting novel is narrated in the third person but told from Eilis’s perspective. Set in Ireland after World War 11, Enniscorthy  was a poor and Catholic place to live. Rose and her mother with the help of Fr.Flood arrange for Eilis to go and live and work in Brooklyn. The shy, unworldly girl travels by boat and is physically sick with fear. She must start a new life and make her own decisions. She realises on the boat  journey that this voyage was her sister’s dream and she sacrificed it for her. After a very sad and lonely journey to settle into American life she meets an Italian man Tony and love blossoms. Rose dies suddenly and Eilis out of a sense of duty return homes. Tony is in America, her new life and career is in Brooklyn and she realises she is a new modern women and her mother wants her to stay in Ireland. She is tortured with guilt:  duty or love. Then an Irish version of Tony is attracted to her, more chaos. She now has 2 men and 2 countries to choose from. She returns to America to continue her life. With a slow pace and lots of elegant prose Toibin beautifully captures the problems of all women duty versus career and duty versus love. He is incredably insightful to women’s feelings and protrays them perfectly.I felt her homesickness and her heartbreak. Her character grew up along the story with you. A lovely coming of age tale which I highly recommend. (I am bias I am Irish and a romance writer) Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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Good Book Revies Ive Read and New Books I am Going to Read in 2009

<div id=”ShelfariWidget97032″><a href=’http://www.shelfari.com/’>Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog</a><script src=”http://www.shelfari.com/ws/97032/widget.js” type=”text/javascript” language=”javascript”></script><noscript><p>Share a <a href=”http://www.shelfari.com/books”>book review</a> on Shelfari, where this <a href=”http://www.shelfari.com/”>reader</a> meets fellow readers.</p></noscript></div>

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Irish Book Award 2009

Irish Fiction Award 2009: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
This book is now available in paperback, published by Faber and Faber and its ISBN is: 0571215297. It was short listed for the man Booker Prize 2008 and won the Costa Book of The Year 2008. It is literary Irish fiction at its best. It records the past dominance of church in secular relations and the maltreatment of women in the hands of men. The story is heard in two voices the elderly Roseanne Mc Nulty a patient and Dr.Greene a psychiatrist. Roseanne is a very old woman who records her secret history in her secret journal and in vivid poetic prose. The doctor is forced to re-evaluate his patients in the asylum and see if they can be released into the community, therein lies the plot of the tale. Our purpose is to discover the reason for Roseanne’s admission and in doing so we get a history of Irish life in Sligo in 1930. Dr. Greene too records his interviews with Roseanne. His voice is in a different more modern tone to hers. He is an independent impartial observer to her tale. Gentle not to upset her he teases information from her and so we are left to discover the truth for ourselves. The paradox of the imperfection of human memory as opposed to the factual written word is show here. She develops a wonderful relationship with the doctor based on empathy. He too is grieving the death of his wife and his own imperfection as being the ultimate healer. Roseanne was a beauty in her day living on the outskirts of society who has been maltreated by her community. By recording her tale she gives a voice to the woman who was institutionalized by priests and by society unjustly. In recording her annals she healed herself. She is not so much a victim as a survivor. While some were dismayed by the ending I enjoyed the novel for me it is a wonderful tale on compassionate, love, life and on human inter relations. It is story telling and dialogue at its best. What he records is important but equally so is his eloquent language.

Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap

Irish Non Fiction Award 2009

Stepping Stones by Seamus Heaney and Denis O Driscoll. Its ISBN is 9780571242528 and it is published by Faber and Faber. Dennis O’ Driscoll interviews Seamus Heaney in this book. Seamus supplies samples of essays, plays, translations and his poetry. He also supplies personal interview and family photographs in a lovely collection. It is well written and a pleasure to read. A must buy from one of the great poets of our time. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.

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My Recommendations of Good Books

My Bookshelf  Annette Dunlea at weRead.com

Favorite BooksView All
Kane & Abel
Kane & Abel
byJeffrey Archer
loved it

Two businessmen–William Lowell Kane, a millionaire financier, and Abel Rosnovsk..

Read more»

Deception Point
Deception Point
byDan Brown
it was amazing

 

A shocking scientific discovery. A conspiracy of staggering brillianc.. 

Read more»

Da Vinci Code
Da Vinci Code
byDan Brown
it was amazing

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgen..

Read more»

Books I Have ReadView All
Arctic Drift (A Dirk Pitt Novel, #20) (Dirk Pitt Novels)
Arctic Drift (A Dirk Pitt Novel, #20) (Dirk Pitt Novels)
byClive Cussler
loved it

As with all Clive Cussler’s dazzling Dirk Pitt novels, critics said Treasure of ..

Read more»

Medusa
Medusa
byClive Cussler
loved it

For seven books, Clive Cussler has dazzled readers with the “spine-tingling adve..

Read more»

WEREAD

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Goodreads

Check out my books on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/profile/AnnetteDunlea

Annette’s favorite quotes

“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.”— Ingrid Bergman

Irish Author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap
Author’s website:  http://www.annettedunlea.com

 

activity
Joined in May 2009

 

interests
reading, writing, interior design, gardening,

 

favorite books
The Thorn Birds, Bridget Jones, Secret Life of Bees, JAne Austen,

 

favorite authors
Annette Dunlea, Maeve Binchy, Sarah Webb, more…

 

about me
Author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap

Authorwebsite:http://www.annettedunlea.com

Literary blog: http://www.annettedunlea.blogspot.com
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Books I have Read

Always%20coverhoneytrap_2booksrow
Follow the link to view my elibrary on Shelfari:

Annette D

Author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.
Author website: http://www.annettedunlea.com
Literary Blog: http://www.annettedunlea.blogspot.com
  • Cork, Ireland
  • member since May 11, 2009

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Netherland by Joseph O Neill (Book Review)

Netherland by Joseph O’Neill is now in paperback. Its ISBN is 007275706 and it is published by Harper. It is a complex book with long sentences balanced with elegant prose. It has many intellectual contemplations and it is indeed a great literary novel. Some readers will find its jumping back and forth in time confusing. The plot is America through immigrants eyes after Sep 11th and on the verge of the Iraq War.It discusses New York City and cricket at length, the many pages of detail I could have done without. The story centralises around Hans a banker who lives in Chelsea Hotel after 9/11. His wife Rachael has left him and taken their child to live in London. Hans is devastated and mixes with other immigrants in New York. We read of their dreams, seeing the US as outsiders looking in. His friend Chuck wants to introduce cricket into the US but then this rogue is found dead. Rachael comes back to Hans in the end. This stands as a metaphor of hope and strength and rebirth of the US. I found it unncessarily detailed and long winded in places and would have liked more development of story and characters. It is well written and I do recommend you read this. This is reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.