Friday Memes and 'Love and Treasure' by Ayelet Waldman

Alison Can Read Feature & FollowAnother Friday and the first week of my last term as an undergraduate has come to an end. I love the new modules I am doing and to my shock and horror I am even enjoying Paradise Lost. So, let's crack on with the memes, shall we? Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. This week's question was suggested by The Realm of Books:

Hard print (real thing) or Kindle/Nook, which is your favourite?

Oh God, this is a really hard question. Like most readers I am a sucker for a beautiful hardcover since they are simply fabulous. However, paperbacks aren't always as nice so if it's a choice between those two I'd always go for a hardcover. But that's not the question! I absolutely love my Kindle. It is like the baby I haven't had yet! It goes where I go and if it is having trouble, like it currently is (why won't it connect to the wifi?!) I get irrationally upset. Because I am moving a lot at the moment my Kindle is a lifesaver because I simply cannot move all the books every single time. Books are heavy and take up a lot of space, which I simply don't have at the moment. So a purely rational answer is that my Kindle is currently my favourite. However, there will never come a day on which I will say no to a good hard print book.

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer and this week's question was suggested by Elizabeth over at Silver's Reviews:

Do you ever get comments from authors when you have posted or tweeted your review?

It happens sometimes, in which case I am excited for the rest of the week. A lot of the books I read are classics though and the chance of John Milton coming out of the grave and getting onto the internet to comment on my thoughts about Paradise Lost is slim. However, when it does happen it is usually independent authors who self-published because they tend to be a lot more connected with the reviewers than authors at big publishing houses. On Twitter they tend to respond to my Tweets about the review, but I doubt they have the time to stop by and comment on everyone who reviews their books.

Love and TreasureBook Beginning and Friday 56 are hosted by Gillion over at Rose City Reader and Freda at Freda's Voice respectively. This week I'm featuring a book I am currently reading, Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman, which is absolutely beautiful, if heart-breaking as well.

In 1945 on the outskirts of Salzburg, victorious American soldiers capture a train filled with unspeakable riches: piles of fine gold watches; mountains of fur coats; crates filled with wedding rings, silver picture frames, family heirlooms, and Shabbat candlesticks passed down through generations. Jack Wiseman, a tough, smart New York Jew, is the lieutenant charged with guarding this treasure—a responsibility that grows more complicated when he meets Ilona, a fierce, beautiful Hungarian who has lost everything in the ravages of the Holocaust. Seventy years later, amid the shadowy world of art dealers who profit off the sins of previous generations, Jack gives a necklace to his granddaughter, Natalie Stein, and charges her with searching for an unknown woman—a woman whose portrait and fate come to haunt Natalie, a woman whose secret may help Natalie to understand the guilt her grandfather will take to his grave and to find a way out of the mess she has made of her own life.
The blurb is longer, but I don't want it to give anything away! So onto the teasers.

BB:
'Jack Wiseman, immersed as ever in the pages of a book, did not notice the arrival of the bus until alerted by the stir among the other people waiting in the overheated station lounge.' p.1
I really like the beginning because I think it is a situation most readers can recognize. When haven't we pulled out a book to pass the time and gotten completely absorbed in the reading?

F56:
'" I'm sorry"."Stop apologising!"He started to apologise for that, too, but caught himself just in time."I like you very much, Ilona. Not only because you're beautiful, but...""Shh," she said, squeezing his arm. "You don't know, Jack. I am not good for you." p.56
I really like how the relationship between Jack and Ilona is developing and especially how Waldman allows the direct aftermath of WW2 to influence them while not letting it overtake the simpleness of two people liking each other.

So, how about you?

Comments

  1. Nice! I shudder at the thought of having to move. Which I believe I will one day! So I hope by then I'll have a nice big strong hot boyfriend to do all the heavy lifting, preferably shirtless! LOL!

    Needless to say I love my real books, though I do appreciate my kindle!

    Here's my Follow Friday

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  2. Love real books too, put my kindle travels everywhere with me. Very handy.
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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  3. If Milton stopped by to comment that would be quite a shock! I have read a nonfiction book by Ayelet Waldman and I like her writing style even when she's annoying me. This is definitely a book I want to read.

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  4. I carry a book everywhere. Now it is electronic not paper.

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  5. I also love my Kindle a lot, for similar reasons (the space, definitely the space). It can be a real lifesaver, and money saver as well, when the books are less expensive. But I still love my physical copies of books, there will never be something quite like it.

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  6. I have been wanting to read this one...I have read Love and Other Impossible Pursuits and Red Hook Road, by this author. Thanks for reminding me of this one!

    And thanks for visiting my blog.

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  7. I've heard good things about this book, although the subject matter is very sad.

    Thanks for visiting my Book Beginnings post.

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  8. LOL on the classic authors. It is exciting to hear from authors. I have even had e-mails.

    Have a great reading weekend.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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  9. The cover is so cool and the opening and 56 are quite intriguing. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. I agree with you! I've moved so much and every time it is such a pain to move books around. I know we have at least two more moves ahead of us and my book inventory has vastly increased recently... I feel like my husband isn't going to be happy when he has to move the boxes! :P Haha! Old follower!

    Here's my F&F!

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  11. If given the choice and I had the funds I would pick nothing but hard print books. My home bookcases are overflowing. But hard print books get expensive, so usually it's my favorite authors' new release that go on the bookcase shelves because I collect them. Kindle is becoming more convenitent for me especially for the NetGalley offerings and those I want to read it now purchases. So I'm torn. I love and use them both.

    New follower on Bloglovin'

    My FF this week

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  12. What an interesting quote, thanks for sharing! :)

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  13. Love and Treasure sounds like a fascinating book. I'm intrigued by that historical era. Thanks for letting me know about this book and for leaving a comment on my blog today.
    Sandy @ TEXAS TWANG

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  14. Ooh, I love the cover for this 56 and the blurb sounds so interesting. Happy reading!

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  15. I like both print and e-books, they each have advantages. I occasionally get comments from my authors on my posts and reviews and it usually makes me happy.

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  16. Sounds like a bittersweet read!
    Happy weekend!

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  17. Yeah, there are a few little drawbacks to having the Kindle or any eReader for that matter, but I also find them a lot of fun and even useful to have. So, I kind of have a kindred spirit connection with mine. Hee.

    But, physical books, gimme all them books! :)

    Happy Reading and Hopping Through! :)
    Suz @ A Soul Unsung

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  18. I prefer my e-reader. I like changing the font size and I love carrying all my books with me all the time.

    That's a great 56!

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  19. Love the cover art. The print would be lovely on fabric or canvas. What a tender, touching snippet. Thanks for sharing and coming over to my site.

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  20. I love both. But I would be completely lost without my Kindle, I use it pretty much every day. I do enjoy holding physical books and the smell. But it easier to go places with my Kindle. Great answer!
    New Follower via GFC
    My FF

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  21. The book beginning is something I can definitely relate to, and the cover art is so beautiful! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend Juli :)

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  22. I feel the same way. I love my kindle because of how convenient it is to take all my books with me, and read as much as I want in a short period of time. But I still have a huge collection of books and will never stop reading them. I always buy my favorite books, even if I already bought them for my e-reader. They're beautiful, they smell great, and they are basically a part of me.
    Check out my
    FF
    Always,
    Elizabeth @ Stuffed Shelves

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  23. I've screamed with joy when my favorite authors reply to my Tweets. But if Milton would leave a comment that would be a big shock! That would be crazy lol. I know authors are busy but it feels good when they notice what we've done (even though sometimes I'm not sure if it was their assistant responding lol).

    I hope you have a great week =)

    Kathy @ My Nook, Books & More
    My Blog Hop Answer

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  24. Authors tend to reply via Twitter and I rarely read about authors commenting on the review post itself. Anyway, your books sounds interesting :)

    BookBloggerHop@EverythingNyze
    BookBeginning@EverythingNyze

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  25. I love the convenience of the kindle and ebooks are much cheaper too!
    Nice 56% and beginning. I hope you're enjoying it.

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  26. I am still a lover of books. I love the smell, the feel and all of it. Books are so amazing. But there are pluses to using my ipad. Like reading in the dark and having 10 books in my purse.

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