Review and Giveaway: The Broken Parachute Man

From the book cover: After middling pharmaceutical company executive Clyde Young boards an airplane to attend a national meeting to make a presentation concerning his employer's premium drug, his schedule is thrown into a curve when terrorists hijack the plane. After refusing to keep his head down, he is hurled out with a parachute that barely functions.

He is able to survive in the wilderness, but upon his arrival back to civilization, no one believes his story. They assume he is one of the terrorists that hijacked the airplane, so Young escapes to Las Vegas to determine why he was targeted and who was responsible for his ordeal. He lives as a street person and meets four people who believe his story: a sociopath, a prostitute, an alcoholic doctor and a pickpocket.

These people become his allies. They travel with him to the east coast and then to Europe. As Young continues his investigation, he discovers abuses on the part of his employer that could result in mortal danger for innumerable innocent patients. He must act quickly to expose the danger by staying one step ahead of the unknown criminals who are closing in on him and his allies.

I received an promotional review copy of this book early in February. The author, Robert Bolin, is an oncologist, and that fact, probably unfairly, made me skeptical of his creative talent. The beginning of the book sucked me in, as I read of Clyde’s struggle to survive in the wilderness amidst flashbacks to his corporate life. He even talks to us, the readers, at some points. I got to know him as a person with complex emotions and a drive to survive. Clyde’s escape to Las Vegas and his connection with the group of homeless people kept me interested. I was reading of a man who found a way (if at times far-fetched) to take charge of a situation into which he had be thrust and, in doing so, evolved as a person.

The second half of the book is where Clyde really begins to connect the dots regarding his employer’s scheme with the help of his homeless allies. I have to admit that my interest waned at points that were crucial to the plot. As I considered why this was, I decided it was at this points that I lost touch with the characters. Their personalities were overshadowed by the logistics of the plot, which was at times pretty complicated.

Clyde happens upon some extremely lucky opportunities for a homeless person and, with the help of his homeless friends, is able to capitalize on all of them in ways I think would be tough for anyone, much less people afflicted with mental illness, addiction, and other complicated life issues. I also felt that the pieces of the puzzle came together too cleanly. I can’t say it wasn’t captive suspense that kept me reading to the end, but simply the need to know what Clyde would do with what he learned. I must admit I was underwhelmed.

This being my first promotional review, I had hoped it would be glowing, as I appreciate the opportunity to help authors promote their creative efforts. I can only begin to empathize with the energy that goes into producing a novel and getting it published. The book does have its merits, as I mentioned above, and I think someone with a particular interest in the pharmaceutical industry might find the motivations of the big, bad drug company and related players entertaining. But, it probably won’t make my list of best reads in 2009.

Though I’m new to blogging and my readership is low, I am offering my copy of this book as a giveaway to anyone in the U.S. who might be interested. Just leave me a comment on this post with a way to contact you. I will draw a winner (if there is more than one interested party) on March 28, 2009.

Breaking More Rules

My goal was to only make recipes that I had already accumulated. However, I still subscribe to many food blogs and am bombarded with ideas daily. Tuesday I came across two new recipes that were so easy that I couldn't resist trying them out.

Tuesday night we had Taco Bake which was featured on What's for Dinner. It was super simple and tasted good. The only solicited feedback I got was that the chili beans did not soften up enough. I agreed. Next time I might consider getting them started in the microwave before adding them to the beef. I froze a couple leftover pieces of this too. I'm skeptical of how the crust will hold up after thawing and reheating.

Last night I made Rice Noodle Soup with Shrimp from Dishing Up Delights. I seem to have a problem with adding too many noodles to recipes and last night was no exception. The amount of noodles did not allow the bok choy to wilt enough and they seemed to diffuse the garlic and ginger flavors. I will probably give this one another shot, but will increase the garlic and ginger and decrease the noodles.

I Fell Off the Wagon

I have no library books in my house, I was reading a book that qualifies for the Mysteryreadcafe Challenge, and I was looking forward to whittling away the books on my TBR bookcase...and then the Animal Humane Society annual book sale happened...

Last year I went to the book sale on the third day it was open. This time, I went on the day it opened, and when I saw people walking out with grocery bags full of books, I was hoppin' to get in there and shop. Pictured above is the "damage." But how can you feel bad about supporting such a good cause? :-)

In addition to my book sale haul, I received my first ARC ever, The Broken Parachute Man by Robert Bolin. I'm only about 30 pages in so far, but I'm liking it. I also borrowed two books from my mom and one from a collegue that had been on my Bookmooch wish list. I need to start practicing all those techniques I learned in my high school speed reading class!

Introducing Morgan!

The newest addition to our happy household!

Review: A Blessed Child

From Publishers Weekly: Amid Summering tourists on the tiny Swedish island of Hammarso, a blended multinational family comes together in this arresting and well-observed saga from Ullmann (Grace). Isak, professor prone to fits of rage, has a loving second wife in Rosa and three daughters by three different women. The eldest, Erika, 13, and the youngest, Molly, five, are flown to Sweden in the summer by their mothers to spend sometime with their brilliant, and infuriating father. Middle girl, Laura, Rosa's daughter, welcomes them; together, the girls apprehend terror in Isak's irrepressible fits and, tragically, in Ragnar, a local boy Erika's age who doesn't fit in. The narrative moves back and forth in time, as the three daughters converge 25 years later on Hammarso to visit their aging father, now mourning the loss of Rosa. In adulthood, each woman possesses a profound inner life haunted by buried childhood memory.

I finished reading A Blessed Child by Linn Ulmann right after Christmas. I had read good reviews of it and was interested by the fact that it had Scandinavian roots, being of Norwegian heritage myself. The book had its strengths. The descriptions of the island were vivid, and the use of what I assume to be common Swedish expressions, helped set the geographic tone. The emotions of the girls as daughters, sisters, friends, and adolescents, though sparsely described at times, were real to me and kept me interested in reading the book through to the end.

The overall sparseness of the book is what left me feeling somewhat empty at the end. There was so much material that could have been expanded...the daughters' relationship with their father; their reactions to being shipped of to live with him and their half sisters for the summer (I suppose it may not seem odd to them if it's the only life they've known); their relationships with their mothers; Ragnar's inner thoughts. My training in psychology is showing, I think. For some, the beauty of the book is likely that so much is left to the imagination. For me it felt hollow.

I don't feel like I wasted my time reading this one, but it wasn't near the top of my favorites for 2008.

I Won!

There are many generous bloggers out there who host giveaways, either sponsored by an author or publisher or by the blog authors themselves. When I come across a book that looks particularly interesting, I enter the giveaway.

Well, I just won a blog giveaway for the first time! Dawn from She is Too Fond of Books hosted this giveaway recently. H.L. Mencken is an author I have heard much about and never read. Additionally, this book picqued my interest and is outside the realm of what I would typically choose at the library or bookstore. I am excited to read it. Thanks again, Dawn!