I just started The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry, and I couldn’t resist telling you about it. Barry owned* me from the third page. FYI: I’ve never done this before, promoted a book I haven’t even finished, written by an author I’ve never read before. But Barry’s that good.
I picked Lace Reader off the shelf at my local, independent bookstore. The jacket flap copy was shorter than usual, but I was intrigued by the idea of reading lace: telling the future by looking at a person through a piece of hand-made lace.
Then I read the first paragraph, and I knew I’d be buying the book: “My name is Towner Whitney. No, that’s not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time.”
That’s a great first paragraph, with a fabulous voice. But it just gets better. In the first three pages, there are umpteen fascinating details — fascinating enough that an entire novel might have been built around them, but Barry has tossed them off as throwaway attributes of secondary characters. An ancestor with a penchant for sniffing cinnamon. A woman who gives one of her children to her barren half sister in a fit of generousity (“besides, she had been blessed with a matching set”). A character who speaks only in clichés.
Googling “Brunonia Barry” led me to the author’s blog: The Bru-haha. She turns out to be just as interesting and wonderful a person as Towner, her main character. One example: Barry’s mother died 10 days ago, an amazing woman she based her character Eva on, and after a week or so to grieve, Barry is back on book tour because that’s what her mother would have wanted. Amazing woman, no? I just might have a new favorite author.
I’m on Page 56, but if I could make predictions based on reading lace? I’d predict I’ll be finished with the book by tomorrow, day after tops. And I predict I’ll be giving away a lot of copies of this one.
*I originally typed that Barry pwned me, and yanno? That’s not inaccurate, though the being owned wasn’t humiliating, just complete.
September 23, 2008 at 11:49 am |
Oooh, I can’t wait to read this one!
September 23, 2008 at 2:40 pm |
This book sounds great. In fact I saw it on the newly released shelf at the library but didn’t grab it….should have!
September 23, 2008 at 4:45 pm |
You will be giving away a lot of copies?! I thought I’d read that wrong and it was just wishful thinking on my part. I can’t wait to hear your full review.
September 23, 2008 at 5:51 pm |
I have this on my TBR list because every blogger that’s read it love it too.
September 23, 2008 at 7:03 pm |
Kathy: fortunately, you have a copy on its way to you since you wisely asked for Lace Reader as Your Choice.
Brook: Yep, you should have. Might want to see if it’s still there!
Sandra: I won’t be able to help myself. You know I’ll give away at least two copies, and I’m famous for accidentally buying extras, and then I’ll have to give it away when it’s released in paper, and I’ve already shipped a copy to Kathy AND you know people will request it on the weeks when the prize is “Any Book I’ve Mentioned,” especially after I finish it and rave some more. Yanno?
Ladytink: Yep. And to think, when I bought it off the shelf, I’d heard nothing about it. Yet.
‘Scuse me, ladies. Sorry I can’t stay. I have a book to read.
September 23, 2008 at 8:52 pm |
That is a great review for only 56 pages read! Although, I’m sure the number has doubled by now! Poor kids – was dinner, “Fix whatever you can scrounge up tonight?” That’s what happens at my house when a book like that enters!
September 23, 2008 at 10:11 pm |
wow Katrina, sounds like a great book. I have read a couple of good reviews of this book, but yours is the tops.
September 24, 2008 at 2:14 am |
I just picked this up from the library today myself!
September 24, 2008 at 12:17 pm |
What if it has a terrible, terrible ending that makes you sorry you ever read it?
No matter. It’s on my “Want to Read” list on Facebook’s Visual Bookshelf now, and I’ll be seeking it out at the library.
September 24, 2008 at 12:24 pm |
Rene: LOL. Come, now! I would never make my children fix their own dinner just because I was reading a great book! No, I went through the drive-through at Burger King.
Violet: Yeah … can’t wait to see what I say when I’ve actually finished the dang thing! BTW, I’m on P. 156. I wasn’t feeling great last night and fell asleep with the book in my hands. *sigh*
Marg: I’ll definitely be interested in hearing whether it hits you the same way.
Trudy: ROFL. Yeah, that is definitely a risk. Believe me, I thought of that. Fortunately, though, you won’t have to wait long to hear what I thought of that last half of the book.
September 24, 2008 at 3:46 pm |
My review of this book is posted here!
It’s one of my favourite reads this year.
**Edited by Katrina to add: I finished it last night. LOVED it. And unlike you, I didn’t see the end coming at all (though when it came, I thought, DUH). Hard to believe it’s a debut novel.**
September 24, 2008 at 3:47 pm |
Eek, sorry about the typo in my last comment! (Your blog even chastised me for commenting too fast!)
**ROFL! I fixed the typo. But … my blog chastised you? I never gave it the authority to chastise my friends. How rude is that?!**
September 25, 2008 at 7:50 am |
Hey Katrina … Yes! You know I loved this book and loved doing that self-guided tour with my family. I’m glad you found my post! Did you see that I was able to meet Brunonia at a bookstore appearance? She is amazing! I knew her mother was ill, but didn’t realize she had passed away …
I’ve actually moved my blog over the weekend, so I’m still SheIsTooFondOfBooks, but without “wordpress” in the address (I copied your comment over to the new site – thanks!)
September 25, 2008 at 8:42 am |
Dawn: I did NOT see that you had met her. I scrolled through your old posts until I found it though. I am so so SO jealous. And, oh, my heck, you’re a lovely woman. That photo of you with Brunonia is a treasure (please tell me it’s a great photo of you, not that it’s a lousy photo and you’re actually much prettier in real life).
Thanks for the update about your move. I had, indeed, missed it, but I’ve now updated the link (one of these days, I’ve got to update my blogroll — that list is getting out of hand).
September 26, 2008 at 10:56 pm |
I just got this one, and I can’t wait until I have the time to read it. I’ve seen nothing but glowing reviews about this book! Can’t wait to read your thoughts about it, too.
October 6, 2008 at 10:57 am |
This one is at the TOP of my TBR list. I have heard so many good things about it that I really, really want to read it. Winning it would be even better!
Thanks for all your great reviews!