Girls in White Dresses

Jennifer Close hits a literary home run with Girls in White Dresses; there is no better way to debut your writing.  Witty, sharp, and realistic, Girls in White Dresses follows three close friends as they navigate through college and try to find a life after.  Marriage, dating, sex, babies, family – no topic is safe from wry observation and comment.

Girls in White Dresses covers issues we, as women, have all felt at one time or another.  Your friends are all getting married or engaged, while you haven’t been on a date in six months.  You’re not ok with the suddenly domestic and suburban turn your life has taken.  You lose your job instead of getting the raise you were expecting.  You date a series of ugly, rude, or otherwise unsuitable men.  We’ve been there.  And if you haven’t, you will, and Girls leads the way, lights blazing.

You will laugh (out loud!), cry, sympathize and anger; you’ll find solace in this delightful blend of women, who will remind you so much of yourself.

What Alice Forgot

What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty, is a charming tale of what might happen if we left all the anger, bitterness, and unhappiness of the past behind.

Alice, 29, finds herself lying on the floor at the gym (the gym?  She never goes to the gym), apparently having fallen off of a stationary bike.  More importantly, the last ten years of her life have already happened, unbeknownst to Alice, and she can’t remember any of it.  The child she was newly pregnant with is ten years old and has been joined by two more; her beloved husband is nowhere to be found; she is surrounded by a life that she has no recollection of building.

Liane Moriarty has skillfully set 29-year-old Alice next to 39-year-old Alice.  She has successfully and realistically shown the effects of ten years on a life, marriage, and person.

You’ll find yourself hanging onto every word, until you get to the very last page, where you’ll find yourself wanting more.  Will Alice regain her memory?  Will she retain the relationships she’s made that she still doesn’t remember?  The story is humorous and smart, peppered with adorable anecdotes and heartfelt scenes.  You’ll find yourself feeling as confused and baffled as Alice, and you’ll laugh at all the craziness along with her.  Moriarty has done an excellent job with her characters, each as realistic and developed as a live person.

An easy and fun read, yet with depth and substance.  A can’t miss book.

Lucky Stiff

~by guest reviewer Susan Miller

Bees loose during a “bee convention”, removing hookers from the men’s room, rescuing a virgin from a local brothel, dealing with a prima donna chef, and the dead body of Numbers Neidermeyer, local bookie, found floating in the shark tank at another local casino is just an average day for Lucky O’Toole, head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, mega-resort on the Vegas strip.  And all of this during one of the biggest weekends of the year-Fight Weekend.  But nothing comes her way that Lucky and her staff can’t handle.

With humor and fast-paced action, Deborah Coonts grabs the reader and sends you head long into Las Vegas life in her book Lucky Stiff.  Coonts’ character development has you pulling for the good guys and booing at the villains.  With a surprising twist at the end, you won’t want to put down this book.

Lucky Stiff is about relationships.  Lucky’s staff of two, Brandy and Miss P are as dedicated as Lucky when it comes to making sure their customers are satisfied.  No 9 to 5 for these ladies!  The gorgeous men in Lucky’s life, both gay and straight, keep Lucky on her toes, but they are always there for her when she needs them.  Lucky’s mother, madam at a local brothel, only recently divulged the fact that Lucky’s father is the Big Boss, a real Las Vegas legend.  Then there is Teddie, the love of Lucky’s life.  Teddie dabbled in impersonation, both female and male, but once Lucky sends his music to a producer, his career takes off.  Lucky is afraid Teddie will leave her behind as he gets wrapped up in his music.  But when Teddie writes a special song just for Lucky, she starts to think there really will be a future for them.  Tough as Lucky is in her business life, her vulnerable side comes out where Teddie is concerned.

Lucky loves her town and does everything possible to make sure all the guests experience the true magic of Vegas.  “Vegas was magic- and it was my job to keep it so,” claimed Lucky.

Coonts writing style keeps the reader involved, and keeps your interest until the very end.  I am ready to read more about Lucky O’Toole.  If you enjoy a good book that combines a little romance, a little mystery, a little murder and a whole lot of action, I would highly recommend Lucky Stiff.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

As I’ve said before, I have a soft spot for historical fiction – especially history that has happened in the past hundred years or so.  It’s still new – it hasn’t been picked apart by history books, told over and over to school children, or eulogized in movies.  There’s still an air of mystery, still time to stake your claim in the land of fiction and inform people about an event they may not know of.

Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, has successfully done so.  He has created a magical, heart-wrenching story full of skilled storytelling and smart writing, set during the little-known time of 1940′s Seattle.

The POV switches throughout the book from young Henry Lee to old Henry Lee.  Young Henry Lee is a young Chinese American boy who falls in love with a Japanese American girl during Seattle’s Japanese round-up, World War II.  Old Henry Lee still lives in Seattle, still walks by the same neighborhood in which he grew up, still looks back on what might have been.  A little older, a little wiser, more realistic, but still the same dreamy Henry Lee.

At times humorous, at times despairing, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a well constructed story that you won’t want to put down.  Each character is masterfully developed, with personalities and quirks all their own.  In all, a very realistic piece of fiction.  Not to mention the title – I would have personally bought the book just for that.

Pick up this book, reader.  Historical fiction with a twist – you won’t be disappointed.

Reign of Madness

Rarely do I ever pick up an historical fiction; I’m not sure why, I love history, and being entertained by true but unknown stories.

I read Reign of Madness in one day.  I began at 8am, while the child I nanny was watching Curious George.  I finished 14 hours later, relaxing in the bathtub at my home.  I couldn’t put it down.

Once I figured out who each character was and settled into the formal dialogue, the story flowed like water from a raincloud.  I found myself immersed in history, intrigue, love, violence, lies, and happiness.  Reign of Madness gives you rare insight into a 15^th century royal family, and, while the details are fiction, depicts a way of life that is shocking, yet not fully unexpected.

The story follows Juana, a princess who, through unexpected mishaps, becomes heir to the Spanish throne.  We first meet her as a young child, and as the chapters pass she moves to teen to wife to mother, all whilst chronicling her daily life.

There actually was a Queen Juana the Mad in the early 15^th century; as the story goes, upon her husband’s death she was locked into a tower and not seen for around 45 years.  Since that is all that history offers, Lynn Cullen decided to do some research and constructed a beautiful story that seems altogether realistic.  She captured the dialogue, thoughts, settings, and characters perfectly.  She achieved excellent character development and I found myself loving, cheering for, and even hating certain characters.

Lynn Cullen has found her niche, and I look forward to other stories that she may have hiding up her sleeve.

Silver Girl

It’s a story as old as time – big shot investor illegally invests millions, cons dozens of his loyal customers, and ends up in a jail cell, the media clamoring for anything they can get.  What no one really hears about, however, is the Ponzi-scheme wife.  Silver Girl, by Elin Hilderbrand, tells the unknown story.

Meredith Martin Delinn, wife of newly incarcerated swindler Freddy Delinn, swears she had no idea that her husband was shuffling millions illegally.  As expected, no one believes her.  The opening chapter finds Meredith in a car, on the way to Nantucket, with her former best friend Connie.  She’s on the run from the press, desperate for a quiet corner while the authorities decide whether or not to charge her for assisting her husband.

What follows is a tale of friendship, love, and second chances.  Meredith and Connie re-discover their friendship and hurdle over old stumbling blocks with surprising grace.  Hilderbrand gave a definite voice to each character, and constructed a realistic and entertaining story.  I found myself picking up the book, even when I only had a few moments to read.  I stayed up late, desperate to reach the end of the book, to find out Meredith’s fate.  You’ll find yourself cheering for her by the last chapters, rooting her onward.

Silver Girl is a well-written piece of literature, a book perfect for the beach or a quiet Saturday night.  Hilderbrand constructed a realistic and heart-felt world, and we should all spend some time in it.  Pick up this book today.

Water for Elephants

I admit, I happened upon Water for Elephants later than I should have.  But sometimes things slip through the cracks, especially since there are so many books out there to read.

Author Sara Gruen weaves a magical tale of love, set in a Depression-era traveling circus.  Jacob, a student one test shy of graduating with a veterinary degree decides to fly the coop, and accidentally-on-purpose joins up with The Benzini Brothers Circus.  They happen to need a vet; he happens to need something to take his mind off the recent death of his parents.

What follows are all mostly true stories from the bygone circus era – elephants who sneak lemonade when their trainers aren’t looking, a toothless lion, a dead hippo carried around in a vat of formaldehyde, and a great animal escape that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.

Intermingled with all this excitement is a classic love story – boy sees girl, boy falls in love, boy realizes girl is married to a psychotic man, boy plots to steal girl away – with a new twist I swear you won’t see coming.

The story skips from a 23-year-old Jacob to a “ninety or ninety-three” year old Jacob – the former, experiencing new things every day, flying by the seat of his pants; the latter, mourning the loss of his wife, his life, and his freedom, both physical and mental.  Gruen masterfully captures each voice, young innocence shining one moment, the next a bitter but still slightly hopeful cynicism.

Gruen has created a realistic world on these pages.  My senses were assaulted by both the beautiful and the terrible, and I found myself rooting for the characters early on.

Water for Elephants is an instant classic, a soon-to-be guest on everyone’s must read list.  Go find it immediately.

The Language of the Sea

Upon first examination of The Language of the Sea, by James MacManus, I thought the book to be just another piece of literature about boats, the sea, fishermen, and the northern United States – all subjects that, I thought, had been exhausted.  Then I read the prologue.

The Language of the Sea not only describes a world most of us will never witness – seals in the north Atlantic – but also delves deeply into the thoughts, feelings, and personalities of each character.  From the burgeoning alcoholic Margot Kemp, who is silently blaming her husband for the three-year-old death of their son, to Leo Kemp, outspoken professor who goes missing after a boating accident and chooses to stay such, MacManus skillfully creates a separate world for each character, major or minor, and with each chapter draws the reader further into said worlds.

For instance, Leo Kemp’s intense love of the ocean and the seals who inhabit it would seem, to an outsider and the general public, to be a little crazy.  What you never seem to get, however, is an understanding of what makes that kind of person tick.  The reader, however, comes to not only understand Kemp’s view but also embraces his way of thinking.

I found myself drawn back to this book, despite my other commitments.  I found it intelligent and well-written, MacManus clearly knowledgeable about the aspects of the sea as well as having a clear understanding of people and their quirks.  His writing style is sharp, his tone clear and polished.  The Language of the Sea stands among the best, and I look forward to reading more of MacManus.

The Night Circus

“The circus arrives without warning.”

So begins The Night Circus, a gripping tale with a window into a magical circus, set in the early 20th century. The reader is thrown straightaway into a story unlike any on the market today. A world-renowned magician and an old associate decide to bring up a competition long dead, where they each choose a student, train him or her, and set them against each other. The loser is the one first driven mad by the building pressure to win; the winner is the survivor.

The venue for this competition is this night circus, called Le Cirque des Reves, or the Circus of Dreams. From the outside, this dream circus reveals nothing out of the ordinary; on the contrary, it much resembles any normal circus. On the inside, however, all bets are off. The food is the best and freshest; the pathways and tents seemingly go on forever; the tents themselves hold truly magical exhibits, from a wishing tree lit with real wishes, an illusionist who can turn handkerchiefs into doves, a tent whose hundreds of bottles hold hundreds of memories, and a cloud tent, where one can climb, float, and fall, all without fear of injury.

What no one counted on, however, were the two competitors falling in love. If the entire first half of the book was about the circus itself, introducing characters, situations, scenes, the second half brings these now familiar aspects together into a delightful cacophony of what happens when love interrupts our plans.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book; not only is it brilliantly written, each character personalized and described so they came alive in my head, but it also made me feel – I wanted to visit this circus of dreams, to walk the pathways, see myself reflected in the hall of mirrors and let go of my past regrets and sadness at the Pool of Tears. Erin Morgenstern masterfully concocted a world both realistic and magical, half fairy tale, half reality. The Night Circus is Morgenstern’s first book; if this is what we can expect from her, I look forward to the many other pieces of literary art that are certain to come.

Hello world!

Hello world!

Welcome to the blog of Peerless Bookstore.  Allow us to share with you our humble beginnings.

We are a new, used, rare, and out-of-print bookshop on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia.  But that’s only the beginning of who we are.  We’ve been open a little over a month and have already held numerous book signings.  Co-owner George Scott has brought with him his extensive list of author friends, and there is no end in sight.  Drop in on any given weekend and you’re sure to find an author, book in hand, just waiting to meet a new fan.

George’s partners, Mike and Susan Jimison, are also part of the party that is Peerless Bookstore.  The staff of this fine establishment know their books.  It’s not unusual for you to come in, a little unsure of what exactly you’re looking for, and then leave an hour later with a bag full of books and a heart full of good conversation.  We have a healthy selection of everything, from literature to romance, mystery to biography, young adult to current bestsellers.

So, hopefully by now we have piqued your interest!  Here are some ways you can find us.

An address!  8465 Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA, 30022

A phone number!  770 – 650 – READ (7323)

Online!  http://www.peerlessbookstore.com or find us on Facebook!

And, of course, don’t forget to check back here often.  Laura (that’s me!) will be posting book reviews, photos, events, and lots of other goodies.  You can subscribe, which would make it easier as we would send you an email every time this blog is updated.  You’ll find that option on the homepage.

Thanks for reading!