Book Review: The Ladies of Managua by Eleni N. Gage

As I mentioned a couple of months ago, I almost made the mistake of not reading this one, because I didn't like the font of the title. And I'm SO glad that I didn't judge it by its cover, because I ended up really enjoying it.

Maria Vazquez's family history is complicated. Her father, a Sandinista revolutionary, was gunned down when Maria was four months old, leaving a profound gap in her life. Her grandmother Isabela primarily raised Maria in Miami, while her mother, Ninexin, was off rebuilding the post-revolution Nicaraguan government.

Maria has always felt distant from her intense and hard-working mother, and close to her beloved Bela. She reveled in the stories of Isabela's high society childhood and years of New Orleans boarding school, until Maria moved to New York City in pursuit of an arts career. When her grandfather dies, Maria returns to Managua for his funeral, an occasion that reunites her with Isabela and Ninexin. The three grieving women, each hiding a secret, finally confront surprising details of the past and the possibilities of the future.

Chapters are told alternately from the perspective of each woman, weaving together dramatically different narratives, and letting the reader see events from multiple angles. Covering high society New Orleans, Sandinista jungle camps and exile in Miami and New York City, The Ladies of Managua spans a fascinating range of locations and times. Ninexin's reserve, Isabela's propriety and Maria's passion make for entertaining interactions, and the lush Nicaraguan setting adds an appealing layer of interest. In The Ladies of Managua, Eleni N. Gage (Other Waters) has again combined a strong heroine and captivating setting in a winning novel.

Do YOU like the cover?

I originally wrote most of this review for Shelf Awareness.

Judging by Appearances: Amazing Banana Cookies

We all know that I judge books by their covers. And we know that I have trouble savoring cookies. So it should come as no surprise to you that I judge cookies by their looks. I mean, most of us do, right? 

But sometimes, you shouldn't. Because sometimes there is deliciousness in this world like these amazing banana cookies. They're so ugly. But they're soft and tender in the middle, and a little bit crispy around the edges-- basically like banana bread but magically fluffier. I may or may not have 'savored' seven of them this evening. Ahem.

(But as far as cookies go, they're not too terrible. I mean, there's a whole cup of banana in there! Sometimes I add a drizzle of frosting, but I didn't this time, because they're plenty sweet on their own.)

They're also a cinch to whip up. I had the girls mash the bananas for me while I sifted the dry ingredients, and then it was about 4 minutes tops till everything was combined in one bowl. The hard part is just waiting the hour to let the dough rest in the fridge before you bake them.

Amazing Banana Cookies

Ingredients

1. 1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas
2. 1 cup packed brown sugar
3. 1/4 cup butter
4. 1/4 cup shortening
5. 2 eggs
6. 2 cups flour
7. 2 teaspoons baking powder
8. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
9. 1/2 teaspoon cloves
10. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
11. 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

1. Sift ingredients 6-11 together in a small bowl, set aside. 
2. Mash bananas in a large bowl, and stir in ingredients 2-5, beating well after each addition. 
3. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing till thoroughly combined.
4. Refrigerate dough one hour. Don't skip this step! It's what lets the fat distribute evenly, and makes them nice and tender.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). 
6. Put a large-ish spoonfuls of dough on a slightly greased pan, about 2 inches apart. (They puff up a lot while baking.)
7. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until brown around the edges.
8. Cool on pans for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
9. Makes about 3 dozen cookies which are delicious on their own. Or, take about a cup of powdered sugar, add a few drops of lemon extract, and then add milk one teaspoon at a time until the frosting is drizzle-able. Then drizzle over cookies.
10. Stored in an airtight container they'll last a couple of days at room temp. If you don't eat them all faster than that.

They really are foolproof. Today I was out of cloves, so I left that out, and I used all shortening, so that they'd be dairy free for Juliet, and they were still delectable.

What's your favorite ugly cookie?

Judging Books by Their Covers: A Lesson Learned

You all know I like to judge books by their covers. A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo on Facebook, "Judging Books by Their Covers: Garage Sale Edition" (hand modeling work done by my friend Meghan, who alas does not have a hyperbaric chamber.)

But then last week I had an experience where I nearly judged a book by its cover, and I'm so glad that I didn't!

Based on the cover I never would have picked up The Ladies of Managua. Frankly, I only started it because after Shelf Awareness sent me the ARC, I checked, and it was available on Netgalley. So since it's easier for me to read e-books these days, I gave it a chance, and I REALLY enjoyed it! It's a family saga set in Nicaragua, telling the story of three women.
 
The first is Isabela, the grandmother and high society lady. Next, her daughter Ninexin, former Sandinista revolutionary, current government minister. And finally Maria, Ninexin's daughter, a would-be artist who has escaped her family's tangled history to live in NYC, until her grandfather's death calls her back to Managua. ‪The book alternates between the perspectives of these three very different women, making for an engaging read, with an awesomely lush background. I'll post my full review later, once it's run in Shelf Awareness.
  

Have you ever regretted judging a book by its cover?

Bookworm Friday #10 - Judging Books by Their Covers: TFIOS

The Fault in Our Stars is the December pick for the Young Adult Book and Movie Club. I was all "Oh, I should use TFIOS for the Judging Books By Their Covers post this month!"

But man, TFIOS cover options are pretty boring. I guess they just came up with such great cover art for the American one, that most languages copied it? I've seen a ton of memes using the black and white clouds on a blue background motif. How about you? Can you think of another book whose cover art is so instantly recognizable? 

Why don't you visit some previous Bookworm Fridays posts? And don't forget to link-up your own Judging Books by Their Covers below!

31 Days of Book Pics: Day Three- Book Cover [A Link-Up]

I know it's the first Friday of the month, and thus a Bookworm Friday, but instead of your regularly scheduled Judging Books by Their Covers link-up, today is going to be part of the 31 Days of Book Pics. In savvy fashion (for once in my life) I planned ahead though, and made today's photo prompt Book Cover, so that things tie in.

While hunting for good covers to take a picture of, I realized that I own three copies of Georgette Heyer's The Foundling. Whoops! A few years ago I set myself a limit of no more than 2 copies of any one book... one collectible/expensive copy and one every-day copy, max. So one of them has to go. The one on the left is worth the most money, the one in the middle is part of a set of matching bindings, but I think I like the one on the right the best. Decisions, decisions.

Now it's your turn! Link up your #31bookpics posts. I'll leave the link-up open all week (till next Friday's link-up), so feel free to wait a bit if you want to add more of your pictures to your post before linking.

An InLinkz Link-up

Which Foundling would you get rid of?

Unfamiliar with 31 Days? Here's my post explaining all the details of my 31 Days of Book Pics Project. Find all of my #31bookpics here. And don't forget to share your own Book Cover pics online with the hashtag #31bookpics!

Bookworm Friday #6 - Judging Books By Their Covers: Persuasion

Time to get our judgy-pants on again! This time I'm looking at Jane Austen's Persuasion. I re-read this a couple of months ago for the Motherhood and Jane Austen Book Club, and I was surprised how much I loved it. I think Anne Elliot might actually slightly edge out Elizabeth Bennet for me at this point. As soon as I re-read P&P I'll probably change my mind again, but let's just say that I really enjoyed Persuasion.

I'm thinking maybe I just read it too young the first time around? So the eight wasted years seemed SO LONG. And the 28 year old heroine seemed positively ancient. Whereas now she seems quite youthful, ha!

Anyway, on to the covers. I like the two in the top row the best I think. The bottom right one just cracks me up. Why were books in the 60s so orange?!

Which cover do YOU like the best? Share in the comments or link-up your own posts below.

An InLinkz Link-up

P.S. Love judging books by their covers? Check out lots more of these posts here.

P.P.S. Six months of Bookworm Friday link-ups, awesome! I'm pondering changing it to just #bookwormproblems, since those seem more fun to write. Will any of you be crushed if the Judging Books by Their Covers link-ups go away?

Summer Sickness

If I tell you I'm a little bitter, you won't hold it against me, right?

Because so far this summer, we've had two cases of pink eye, two cases of thrush, three colds, and one unidentifiable malaise between us. IN THE SUMMER. For Pete's sake, what is winter going to be like?

I'm especially annoyed because right at this moment the girls are supposed to be at my parents' house, and Noel and I are supposed to be on our way to a night of fun and relaxation in Scottsdale.

But, no.

We decided that we're on vacation for the next few days, even though we're home and feeling lousy. So we're ordering in food, watching too much tv, and generally being lazy.

Which works out well, since I typically take off the week around our anniversary as my "summer break" from blogging. I may pop in midweek, haven't made up my mind yet, but I may just take the whole week off.

In which case I'll be back for the Bookworm Friday link-up next Friday! Get your Judging Books by Their Covers posts ready!

Bookworm Friday Link-Up #4 - Judging Books by Their Covers: Agatha Christie

Can you believe it's already the first Friday in June?! And thus, it's time for a new Bookworm Fridays link-up - and since it's an even month, we're judging books by their covers.

I've read a lot of Agatha Christie lately, since I've been on such an e-book kick, and there's nearly always one available for immediate download from the library.

Last Sunday I read The Body in the Library, with the #1 cover. It was so bright and happy on my bookshelf every time I opened the Overdrive app. So maybe that influenced me, but I think my favorites are the ones that emphasize the books, rather than the dead girl.

But I do kind of like the simple/modern aspect of #5 too.

Which is YOUR favorite cover?

Share in the comments below - and don't forget to link up your own Judging Books by Their Covers posts too!
 

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm Excited About: Babies, Bookworm Problems, and Free Audiobooks!

Photo found here.

It's Friday, are you so excited? I am! I get to go meet my new niece who is just barely 5 days old. I foresee little reading this weekend, but that's fine by me! Cute snuggly newborns beat books any day.

In reading news, I finished The Good Suicides this week, and started The Cuckoo's Calling. (Plus I also finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Shh, don't tell the YABMC that I'm sneaking ahead!) I'm thinking next up will be Love Life and Mary Poppins.

In link-ish news, don't forget that the #bookwormproblems link-up is open through tonight. And check out Sheila's post about her neverending to-read pile. I can so sympathize!

(Next month's Bookworm Friday link-up WILL happen on the first Friday of the month, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die. So have your Judging Books by Their Covers posts ready for June 7th!)

And, it would be a dereliction of my booknerd duty if I didn't remind you about the amazing awesomeness of Sync Audiobooks, which give you a 100% free YA book and classic book each week this summer! This week's downloads are Warp: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer and The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I'm so excited for all the books I'll get to listen to this summer.

What are YOU excited about?

Bookworm Friday Link-Up #2 - Judging Books By Their Covers (Harry Potter Edition)

 

In honor of the Young Adult Book and Movie Club selection for this month, I decided to judge Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by its cover!

The top row: British, American, French.
The bottom row: German, Spanish, Japanese.

I think for once I actually prefer the American cover! Well, there are several different British covers, but I prefer the American one to the one pictured here. The German Harry is just weird (although Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch is awfully fun to say). 

The hardest to determine was the Japanese cover... it was difficult to decipher which Harry Potter book was which, since I don't read Japanese. But after some googling, I found it! And, hilariously, the Roman-alphabet version of the Japanese title appears to be "Hari potta to hono no goburetto". I'm going to start calling him Hari Potta all the time!

But based purely on cover, I'd pick up the American, Spanish, or French ones for sure. Pretty sure I'd leave the others on the shelf.

I can't wait to see which books you guys are judging by their covers! Link-up your posts below. (If you're reading via email or feed reader, you'll have to click through to link your post or read other's posts).

An InLinkz Link-up

Which cover is YOUR favorite?

Currently // Announcing That / Annoyed With / Looking Forward To

Time // 3:02pm
Hoping that // This crazy, crazy weekend goes well. At least it's crazy because it's full of fun stuff - date night for Noel and I, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban party, cute tea party-themed baby shower to co-host - plus laundry and church and trips to the park and the usual.
Eating // Snitching some bits of pumpkin pasty that I made for the HP party! (Delicious, if I say so myself.) And pita chips. I think I might need a pita chip intervention soon; things are kind of out of control.
Annoyed with // Facebook. They changed their algorithms again I think. The Quirky Bookworm page has 281 likes, and I used to get about 120 views for most of my posts. Which wasn't great, but it was at least close to half of the people who liked the page. But all of the sudden, no more than 60 people have seen any of my posts. Which makes posting seem a little pointless sometimes, sigh. If you're not seeing my posts - the easiest way is to 'like' a couple of my updates when they show up in your feed. The more you like of someone or something, the more they'll show up.
Planning for // Disneyland! And the Tucson Festival of Books! Both of which are coming my way in less than 3 weeks. So much planning/packing/scheming to do. But I'm SO VERY EXCITED on both counts!
Working on // Reviews of Solsbury Hill and The Eternal Nazi. And trying to hurry up and read more April books whose reviews are due all too soon (since tomorrow is March. How did that happen?).
Wishing that // There will be a teensy bit more winter in my near future. Like 5 days with highs below 60. That's all I'm asking! Fortunately we made it with no AC in February (even though it got as high as 81 degrees in the house!) but I'm worried about March. I might have to break my no-AC-till-April rule this year.
Looking forward to // A new Rob Lowe book is coming out! I can't wait for Love Life. I'll have to listen to it on audio too, since I liked Stories I Only Tell My Friends so very much.
Announcing that // the very first Bookworm Fridays link-up will be coming up next Friday, March 7th. Based on your survey feedback, I'm creating a link-up the first Friday of every month. It'll alternate between Judging Books by Their Covers in even months and #bookwormproblems in odd months. So get your #bookwormproblems posts ready!

Ready to link-up?!

A Few Quick Bookish Thoughts and a One-Question Survey

Happy Thursday!

Both of my girls are asleep right now (miracle of miracles); so I'm jotting down some quick bookish thoughts.

Oddly enough, given the grim subject, I've rather been enjoying The Eternal Nazi. Although since I've mostly been reading it while Juliet naps on me, I have to chuckle at the juxtaposition of cute baby + Nazi-hunting.

I listened to the entirety of The Rosie Project on audiobook in only 3 days; I enjoyed it that much! It helped that I listened over last weekend, so I was able to escape for a couple of long walks while Noel watched the girls. [Sidenote: dear East coast, I'm sorry that you're struggling with snow, but I'm dying of heatstroke already. Summer is BY FAR my least favorite season, which is ironic since I live in a region where summer lasts 5 1/2 - 6 months. But this year it looks like it'll be 8 months... since we're already having temps as high as 88. Stupid polar vortex.]

And finally, I've been meaning to start an ongoing link-up. I've been loving the What I'm Into and the Twitterature link-ups from Leigh Kramer and Anne Bogel (I get about 90% of my book recommendations from them, I swear!). I'm thinking the 5th of each month would be when I'd pick, so that people could plan their posts accordingly.

My first idea was #bookwormproblems, since that first link-up was so fun, but I'm not sure if any of us have enough #bookwormproblems to make it a monthly thing. Then I thought about something more generic like "Bookworm Life"; which could incorporate problems. And then I thought about maybe Judging Books by Their Covers, or even a "Best of / Worst of ______ ".

And then I decided I needed to stop wiffle-waffling in my sleep-deprived brain, and ask you guys! Since presumably you'll be the ones linking up, ha.

So I'm embedding a little poll below. You may have to click through to vote if you're reading via email, I'm not sure. Do me a favor and answer it? Thanks!

Judging Books by Their Covers: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

I adored Life After Life, but somehow didn't notice until I was already done with it that the cover had one rose stem with two flowers on it. (Ahem. Apparently attention to detail is not my strong suit lately.) So out of curiosity I looked up some other covers, and then realized that I hadn't done a Judging Books By Their Covers post since last November! Thus, here you go, time to get judgmental about Kate Atkinson this time!

Here's the publisher's synopsis of Life After Life: 

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?

And here are the three most common covers I could find.

The left one is the British hardback, which I think is easily the best representation of what the book is about. The middle one is the American, which at least gives a sense of things growing and living in unusual ways, but otherwise has nothing to do with the book. And the right one, the British paperback, gives you a sense of snow and foxes, which is apropos for Ursula's birth, but doesn't give a reincarnationish vibe at all.

Which cover do YOU like the best?

Judging Books By Their Covers: Over Sea, Under Stone

In honor of my re-reading of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence, I thought it would be fun to judge the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, by its cover. It was published long enough ago that there are a ton of different versions, which makes for more fun judgments! Third from the left is an audiobook version, but the paperback that I own has the exact same cover.

All of those fit the themes of the book, and the gold one is quite pretty. But I think I might actually like this vintage one that I found on amazon.co.uk the best!  

Which cover do YOU prefer?

This post is part of my ongoing Judging Books By Their Covers series. Check out more of the books you've helped me judge here.

Images are Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Quirky Bookworm!

Judging Books by Their Covers: Divergent

I'm not the only one who was ridiculously excited to watch the Divergent trailer, right? Yippee, I think it looks fun. And ooh, Four is quite dreamy! I found this featurette on Hulu too, which explains the five factions, in case you're not familiar with the premise.

So, I decided to judge some Divergent book covers! I don't think there are any movie tie-in ones yet, and most of the international ones seem to have followed the American example. It took me a while to find different covers to show you. Here they are, from left to right: American, British, French, and Italian.

 

Which cover do YOU prefer? 

Cover images are Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Quirky Bookworm! And if you want to judge more book covers, check out the rest of my Judging Books By Their Covers series.