SHADES OF THE 60S

Sway by Zachary Lazar

3/7/09 - My review copy of Sway showed up yesterday, and it's all I can do not to dive in right away because it looks so good! I especially like the cover art. Jagger was so gorgeous back then. (I am a sap for "bad boys," and that's sure his look in that photo.) Anyway, I started on the first page of the first chapter and when I got to page 7 I had to force myself to put it down and finish the books I'm already reading. The first chapter has to do with the Manson family, which is still one of the creepier things about the 60s. Anyway, my eyes keep getting drawn back to that cover art, but I'm holding firm (so far).

I hope to be able to start reading it on Monday after a weekend gorging on my other review books (see TBR sidebar).

Tomorrow's the drawing for the free copies of Sway, so be sure to leave a comment if you haven't already done so.

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Oboy, oboy! Or, as we used to say back in the day, groovy! No, wait ~ I never really said "groovy," did I? God, I hope not. Cool. Hip. Bitchin' maybe. Never groovy. *shudders at the thought*

Anyway, back at the ranch (another 60s slang term ~ I'm full of 'em tonight, aren't I?!), I just heard about this really cool book about the 1960s scene. I have to say, I am excited about the chance to read it! I mean, it's about the era of my own misspent youth. How can I resist? I'll be reviewing it here as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is a description of the book from the Hatchette website:

Three dramatic and emblematic stories intertwine in Zachary Lazar's extraordinary new novel, SWAY--the early days of the Rolling Stones, including the romantic triangle of Brian Jones, Anita Pallenberg, and Keith Richards; the life of avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger; and the community of Charles Manson and his followers.

Lazar illuminates an hour in American history when rapture found its roots in idolatrous figures and led to unprovoked and inexplicable violence. Connecting all the stories in this novel is Bobby Beausoleil, a beautiful California boy who appeared in an Anger film and eventually joined the Manson "family."

With great artistry, Lazar weaves scenes from these real lives together into a true but heightened reality, making superstars human, giving demons reality, and restoring mythic events to the scale of daily life.

"One hypnotic tone poem.... It is not the now-historic acts of violence that make Sway so riveting, but its vivid character portraits and decadent, muzzy atmosphere, all rendered with the heightened sensory awareness associated with drugs and paranoia.

The near miniaturist precision with which he describes Keith Richards's attempts to master his guitar, Brian Jones's acid trips and Anger's obsessive desire for Beausoleil bring this large-scale tableau into stunning relief." --Liz Brown, Time Out New York

I've got up to five copies to give away courtesy of the nice folks at Hatchette Book Group. To enter, please leave a comment here along with a way for me to get hold of you if your name is pulled from the hat. You can also blog about this contest for a second entry. Contest ends March 8 when I put all the names in the aforesaid hat and get my neighbor's cat to pick the winners. *mreow* >^..^<

Open only to U.S. and Canadian residents with a mailing address other than a P.O. Box.

*slouches over to pile of CDs to see if I can find my copy of Beggars' Banquet*

"The Italian Lover" ~ CONGRATULATIONS!

Well, we have our winners! There were three (because there were 15 comments):

Gwendolyn B.
Wendy aka Misswendiki
Olympianlady

I'll be in touch via email to get your snailmail addys, and soon after that I hope to hear that you received your copy!

The winner of the candle was Gwendolyn B. (she was entered twice because of the West of Mars - Win a Book blog post). I'll get that out to as soon as she decides which candle or candleholder she prefers.

Happy Valentine's Day and my thanks to all who participated. I wish you all could have won the prize!

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No, I'm not giving away a real, live, flesh-and-blood Italian lover. (I assure you that, if I had one, I'd keep him for myself. Yowza!) I am giving away up to five copies of Robert Hellenga's The Italian Lover, a novel of romance, art and food in Florence, Italy, which is almost as good, at least to those of us who love good books.

Anyway, thanks to the good folks at Hatchette Book Group, I'll be drawing names for a copy of The Italian Lover (now in paperback) on February 14, just in time for Valentine's Day. For every five comments I get, I'll add another copy of the book for up to five copies. If you blog about the contest and send me the link, it'll be counted as another comment and another entry. (So sorry, but winners are restricted to residents of the U.S. and Canada, and the book cannot be mailed to P.O. Boxes.)

Here is some information about the book, which I plan to review here in the near future. (I can't get enough of that cover art!)

THE ITALIAN LOVER

An exhilarating novel of romance, art, and food in Florence, featuring the beloved Margot Harrington, who graced Robert Hellenga's The Sixteen Pleasures. Margot Harrington's memoir about her discovery in Florence of a priceless masterwork of Renaissance erotica - and the misguided love affair it inspired - is now, 25 years later, being made into a movie.

Margot, with the help of her lover, Woody, writes a script that she thinks will validate her life. Of course their script is not used, but never mind - happy endings are the best endings for movies, as Margot eventually comes to see.

At the former convent in Florence where "The Sixteen Pleasures" - now called "The Italian Lover," - is being filmed, Margot enters into a drama she never imagined, where her ideas of home, love, art, and aging collide with the imperatives of commerce and the unknowability of other cultures and other people.

For more about The Italian Lover , Robert Hellenga, and his other books (which sound fascinating and wonderful!), visit Robert's website.

The Sixth Wife of Henry VIII?

Your result for The Six Wives of Henry VIII Test...

Katharine Parr

Intelligent, Kind, Headstrong, Outspoken, Nurturing

"To Be Useful In All That I Do"
Katharine Parr was Henry's sixth, final, and surviving wife. She was highly intelligent, somewhat educated, stylish on a scale that exceeded any of Henry's previous wives, devout, and kind. She believed in the Reformation, making many enemies in the kings court- many of whom were still conservative catholics. So outspoken was Katharine Parr that her conservative opponents hatched a plan to have her arrested- but the person to serve the warant dropped it in sight of one of Katharine's loyal courtiers. They raced ahead to warn her, and Katharine avoided arrest by feigning illness. Henry was furious, and chastised her for being too outspoken, too proud, and far outplaying her station. Katharine appeased Henry by saying the only reason she argued with him was so that she could be corrected and instructed by him. It should be noted that although Henry broke with the Catholic church in order wed Anne Boleyn, and brought the Reformation to England, Henry remained a devout Catholic throughout his life. The religion that he created, he actually wanted no part of, and was just as likely kill a Protestant for the crime as heresy as he would a Catholic. Katharine was a devout Protestant on the verge of evangelical, a flaw that Henry indulged when he was feeling well, but that infuriated him when he was not. During one of Katharine's lectures, Henry was ill, and infuriated, and it is quite likely that it was Henry himself who ordered a false arrest warrant in order to frighten Katharine into minding her opinions, or quite possibly very much intended to have her arrested. In any case, Katharine had a very good understanding of the king's vanity, and by appealing to it, she saved her neck as well as her marriage- Henry would lavish her with presents and affection openly and often throughout the marriage.
The twice widowed Katharine had never been allowed to marry for love, and marrying the king was no different- she had caught his eye at court, and a king would have what a king would have.
Katharine did not love Henry, but she was always good and affectionate with him. Henry's age, weight, and illness took a toll on his virility, but he was able to consumate, and more often than not- Katharine ordered black satin nightdresses and spent most nights in the kings chamber. She nursed over his ulcerated leg, doted on him during his legendary migraines, and could be seen sitting on his lap during court. Henry had married twice for power, twice for lust, and now, twice for love- Katharine Parr was considered as beloved to him as Jane Seymour, if not more so- when gone to France, he left Katharine as regeant, or sole ruler in his absence. He had granted this distinct power to no other wife except Katharine of Aragon. He returned from France to find his kingdom well run, which probably made him love her all the more.
Katharine was also good hearted, and not at all under the delusion that she would bear the king's desired second male heir. Henry was in his 50s, obese, and in failing health. His relationships with his daughters, in particular Princess Mary, had been damaged terribly by his disasterous marriages to Katharine of Aragon, his first wife, and Anne Boleyn, his second. Jane Seymour, his third wife, had bore him a sole male heir, and had made mending the kings familial relations a priority, but she died 12 days after childbirth. Anne of Cleves, wife four, had been a good stepmother for the child Elizabeth, and maintained friendship with Mary, but had not attempted to reconcile Henry with his daughters. Catharine Howard, wife five, was far too involved in her own indescretions and was far too immature to mother any child, and had nothing to do wih either princess or the prince.
Katharine Parr, however, was a loving stepmother to both princesses, and after Henry's death, Elizabeth lived with her and husband Thomas Seymour- brother of third wife Jane Seymour- whom she had always been in love with. Indeed, Katharine and Thomas' love affair was interrupted by the King's want of her, and they had parted no less in love, but aware that Henry's wishes took precedent over their own. Thomas Seymour, however, was easily seduced by the power to be inherited through Katharine on the king's death, and his naked ambition cost Katharine her sovereignity. Katharine was not fussed- she had not asked to be queen, after all- but Thomas was furious. His brother was custodian of Prince Edward, a family feud that would come to a head during Edwards reing. Thomas was also the modern day equivalent of a child molester- he would enter Elizabeth's room while she was in bedclothes under the pretense of 'playing a game'. Things were fine when Katharine was present- but Seymour began entering without Katharine's presence, and doing more than playing little games with Elizabeth. He was charged with being 'too forward' with Elizabeth, and Katharine had no choice but to send her away- a heartbreak for her, as she thought of Elizabeth as her own daughter.
Henry VIII died in January of 1547, after four years of marriage. Katharine was finally free to marry for love, hence her hasty marriage to Thomas Seymour. Thrice widowed and childless, Jane became pregnant in November of 1547, but fell victim to the poor medical knowledge of the 16th century, and died 6 days after giving birth to a daughter. Besides being the only surviving and most lved wife of Henry, she left behind religious writings that are still considered some of the most profound and beautiful works of devotional literature.

NOTE:  The above text was taken from the result I got at the HelloQuizzy "Take the Six Wives of Henry VIII Test" website.  I didn't write it myself. 

Take the Six Wives of Henry VIII Test at HelloQuizzy!

Happy New Year 2009!

New Year's Eve 2008.  It's frigid in NYC, with snow flurries and a biting wind coming down from the north, and tonight, with the wind-chill factor, it's supposed to get down to -10 to 0 by midnight.  I'm getting ready to greet the new year with a nasty cold and am not looking forward to going out tonight.  But, here I am in NYC, with reservations at a restaurant near Times Square for dinner with my daughter, her boyfriend, and another couple, so have no choice but to go out. Thank goodness for Emergen-C!  And my Ugg boots, down-filled puffy coat, and long johns.  

Last book of the year was The Wildcats of Exeter, a medieval mystery set in around 1088, featuring Ralph Delchard, head of the Royal Commission investigating land disputes for the King's Domesday Book.  It's the 8th book in the series, and I've enjoyed all of them pretty much equally.  A light, easy read.

First book of 2009?  Probably The Secret History by Procopius, about Julian and Theodora and their court, or perhaps The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar.  Not sure yet.  I went to The Strand in the East Village the other day and picked up five books ~ the three I just mentioned, plus The Gettysburg Gospel and The Ruby Tear by Suzy McKee Charnas.  I love that place, even with the crowds and the sauna-like heat of the interior and the difficult to maneuver shelving "system."    

Christmastime in Manhattan

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and are now getting geared up to welcome in the new year.  I am filled with hope that 2009 will be an improvement on 2008.   Frankly, it had better be, because things cannot get worse or even stay the same without terrible consequences.   

My prayers are with President-Elect Obama, as he readies himself to take the helm, that he is able to steer us through the treacherous waters in which we find ourselves, that he stay strong, that he stay safe.   So far, I am encouraged, though I know it will take more than one man to effect a sea change.  (How's that for keeping to sailing metaphors?)  

I think it particularly fitting, on many different levels, that he has chosen to take the oath on the same Bible used by President Lincoln.

I spent Christmas Day on a flight to New York City to visit my daughter.  The plane was surprisingly full considering it was a major holiday.  Not one seat was unoccupied!  But that is, on second thought, understandable, since there is no other place like Manhattan at the holidays.   During the flight, I listened to Salvation in Death, the newest Eve Dallas mystery by J.D. Robb on my iPod and dozed on and off.  Not that Salvation in Death is boring, just that I was really tired from being up late on Christmas Eve and getting up early on Christmas morning to pack.  

Today is a quiet day ~ my flight did not arrive at JFK until midnight, and, by the time my daughter and her boyfriend picked me up and we got to her place, opened Christmas presents, and visited for awhile, it was around 3 a.m., so I'm feeling wiped out, but there are plans afoot to go ice skating in Central Park a little later in the afternoon, and I think they are going to try to get me on skates.  That should be interesting, to say the least ~ I haven't been on ice skates for over 20 years.

Sunday we're going to Lincoln Center to see The Nutcracker ballet, in which the daughter of a friend of mine is dancing.  At some point, I'd like to go to Rockefeller Center and gawk at the decorations (and the other gawkers), as well as to the Metropolitan Museum, and the Natural History Museum, and the Empire State Building.  (I've been to NYC at least a half dozen times but never made it to the top!)  I want to look at the Christmas displays in the department store windows and go to see a Broadway show.  Oh, yes, and visit the Strand bookstore, where I plan to buy A Pirate of Exquisite Mind for my daughter, who finds pirates fascinating.  I'll try to restrain myself, though I'll probably walk out of their with an armful of books which I will have to find room for in my already overstuffed suitcase to get them home.  I'm also planning to visit Ground Zero where I've gone as if on pilgrimage each time I've been to NYC since 9/11.   

I also hope to get some reading done during the quiet times when my daughter is at work.  In that regard, I've already read half of Patrick Suskind's Perfume, a particularly compelling novel about a murderer in pre-Revolutionary France with a fascinating insight into how perfumes were made.