Hannibal's Elephant Girl by Ariion Kathleen Brindley

In 218 BCE, Hannibal took his army, along with 37 elephants, over the Alps to attack the Romans. Eleven years before this historic event, on the banks of a river near Carthage in North Africa, one of his elephants pulled a drowning girl from the turbulent waters. Thus began Liada's epic journey with the elephant known as Obolus.
Back cover, Hannibal's Elephant Girl

Liada was only 12 years old when she was thrown into the river and left for dead. At about the time she has resigned herself to this fate a large "snake" pulls her from the river and saves her life. This "snake" was the trunk of Obolus, an elephant in Hannibal's army. Liada finds herself in the middle of an army camp with no memory of her past, including her actual name.

She settles in with Yzebel, a widow who feeds the soldiers nightly, and her young son Jabnet. Liada quickly develops relationships with the other camp dwellers as well -some good and some bad. She also finds herself drawn to Obolus, and he to her. This novel tells of Liada's time in the camp, her relationships with people and animal, and her struggle to remember her past.

Liada and Obolus have a relationship that seems magical to some and almost evil to others. Her ability to control the large beast makes her several enemies. But, this relationship proves to be so strong that no one can deny it. Many of Liada's adventures actually stem from her attempts to sneak time with Obolus.

The characters in this novel are well-developed. Liada is a quick learner and often times remembers details that she has no recollection of every learning or knowing. People are drawn to her, and she develops relationships quickly. She comes across with a touch of class and an over sized heart. Yzebel, her camp mother, is well liked and is a resourceful woman. She struggles with her family's past and current situation, but remains open to those around her. Tin Tin Ban Sunia has little to no voice, but says more with her actions than many around her. She is highly intelligent and loving. I found myself longing to know her story.

This novel drew me in from the first sentence and didn't let me go. Each new day in the story brought a new adventure. As I went along for the ride my fingers were crossed that things would go well. I developed quite an affection for the female characters in Hannibal's Elephant Girl, and it was difficult to read of their struggles and to accept the actions of those who plotted against them.

Hannibal's Elephant Girl is an excellent historical fiction novel. It is classified as young adult, but I am in my 30's and enjoyed it immensely. In fact, as soon as I finished it I emailed the author to inquire about the release date of a sequel. Yep, this is the first in a series that I will definitely be following. Per Ms. Brindley there will be 5 to 6 books in the series and the next book should be complete in about 6 months. I hope it stays on schedule. Please check out her site for other work she has written. I hope to be reading Raji soon.

Thurday Thunks - Easy As Pie BABY!!

Questions much to do about nothing.

Welcome to the August 6th version of Thursday Thunks!

(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen, the number 1 and the color of the crap under your shoe.

1. What the hell were you thinking?
Well, obviously I wasn't...but what the hell were YOU thinking??

2. The tornado sirens go off in your neighborhood - what do you do?
Go outside to check out the situation and then go hang out in the basement. If it were just me I would probably stay outside looking, but I have to convince my kids to be safe

3. Give us a recipe.
Hmmm...here's a quick cheating recipe
Buy the philadelphia cream cheese cheesecake container in chocolate, chocolate cookie pre-made pie shell, cool whip, oreos

Put cheesecake in the pie shell, top with cool whip, crumble oreos on the top.

It tastes awesome and people think you worked hard on it!

4. It's the middle of the night, there isnt a car in sight and you are stuck at a red light that just won't change.... how long do you wait until you run it?
A couple of minutes...then I probably call someone to complain and then I just GO

5. When was the last time you got all dressed up fancy-like? Where did you go?
Fancy?? Probably someone's wedding or something. Who knows

6. Have you ever had a mole removed?
Yes, on my arm and it left an ugly scar that feels really weird when you touch it

7. Are you in an area of record highs or record lows for the temps this summer? Are you lucky and stuck in the middle where it's somewhat normal?
Most of the summer it has been record lows, but not the last couple of days it has been hot

8. When was the last time you changed your furnace filter?
In April or so...I look really good being able to say that, but we were finishing the basement and I noticed how horrible it looked so I changed it

9. What's your favorite type of frog?
I've never really thought about it. I like colorful ones you see on TV, but aren't they usually poisonous

10. If you were to go on America's Got Talent, what would you do for your talent? (and choosing not to go is not an option....)
Can I speed read? That's about all I am good at unless I can count bossing people around

11. Have you ever been on a rooftop of a building?
yes, my house for several years growing up was an earth contact (3 walls underground). We hung out on the roof all the time. It was cool to layout up there.

12. What is the first website you go to each day when you sit down at your computer, other than your email?
Normally yahoo mail

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Ok here is my teaser. I have actually finished this book, but it is the closest to me:

I didn't actually lie to Yzebel," I said to Tin Tin when we rounded the bend to the trail. "We are going to see Bostar,but first I want to do something else."
When we were out of Yzebel's sight, I left the trail and slipped into the woods.

Hannibal's Elephant Girl by Ariion Kathleen Brindley.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci

From failure to fusilli, this deliciously hilarious read tells the story of Giulia Melucci's fizzled romances and the mouth-watering recipes she used to seduce her men, smooth over the lumps, and console herself when the relationships flamed out. From an affectionate alcoholic, to the classic New York City commitment-phobe, to a hipster aged past his sell date, and not one, but two novelists with Peter Pan complexes, Giulia has cooked for them all. She suffers each disappointment with resolute cheer (after a few tears) and a bowl of pastina (recipe included) and has lived to tell the tale so that other women may go out, hopefully with greater success, and if that's not possible, at least have something good to eat. Peppered throughout Giulia's delightful and often poignant remembrances are fond recollections of her mother's cooking, the recipes she learned from her, and many she invented on her own inspired by the men in her life. Readers will howl at Giulia's boyfriend-littered past and swoon over her irresistible culinary creations.
Hachette Book Group


I finished this book last week, and I think it had the unfortunate incidence of being read after a memoir that I absolutely loved (Jantsen's Gift). I didn't dislike this book, but it seemed a bit pointless. I spent much of the time reading it and trying to decide what made Guilia's love life worthy of a novel. Sure some of it was funny, but her desperation to find love was also a bit sad. I had a hard time understanding why she had a connection with most of her "loves" except for her desire to have something meaningful. In that sense, I will say that if many women were to look closely they would probably see a bit of themselves. I know I did. It made me think about the times I have held on to a relationship that was unhealthy or pointless.

I loved the recipes included in this novel, and they are what made it stand out. Everything in here was something that could easily be made by an intermediate level cook. And, most of it was made with basic enough ingredients that you would actually eat it. Personal tastes turned me away from a couple recipes, but that would happen with any cookbook. I did like that she included the recipes that kept her going during all of her mishaps and attempts at love. I also liked the little comments she would include with many of the recipes and those did give me a giggle.

I found this novel to be more of a personal journey for Guilia Melucci. It seemed that she wanted to free herself of the mistakes of her past, so she could look to a better future. Also, so she could accept herself for where she currently is.

This isn't a novel I would read again or gushingly recommend to friends, but I don't feel like I wasted my time. I would definitely pass on the recipes.

Doubleback by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Georgia Davis is back in this thriller, the follow-up to 2008's acclaimed novel Easy Innocence. The kidnapping of a little girl on the North Shore of Chicago sets in motion a chain of events that brings together Georgia Davis and Ellie Foreman from the lakes of Wisconsin to the rocky terrain of Arizona.
www.bleakhousebooks.com

There is a lot going on in this book - kidnapping, murder, misappropriated funds, illegal immigrant smuggling, and drugs. Now, if you can keep all that straight you can enjoy Doubleback.

This novel begins with an elevator scene in a undisclosed location. Fear grips all involved as the express elevator comes to a sudden stop, throws everyone to the floor and goes dark. Jump to three days earlier and a child is stolen from her school with a warning to keep the police out of it and nothing else. Now enter Georgia Davis, a former police officer turned P.I., and Ellie Foreman, a video producer and neighbor of the kidnapped child. Ellie becomes involved as a neighbor and calls in Georgia hoping that she can help solve the kidnapping. However, the child is returned 3 days later unharmed. Story over...not quite. This is followed by the murder of a bank executive and then the mother of the child. Georgia is hired by the ex-husband to solve the crime. As she begins to investigate she is thrown in many directions and must travel to Arizona to solve the mystery surrounding all the illegal activity.

I enjoyed this novel, but I think I would have liked it more had I read Easy Innocence. Several references were made to the first novel without much information on what happened. If I have read the first novel I appreciate that, but as a new reader it left me with questions. I guess that is good for the author, because I enjoyed this enough that I would read Easy Innocence.

BBAW Questions - I am a Newbie!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week was created by My Friend Amy last year to celebrate book bloggers and promote reading, writing, and everything associated.

This year BBAW will be September 14-18. If you haven't already signed up get over there and put your name down. Then take the time to nominate those blogs you have enjoyed.

Questions to help those of us who are new to connect and those who are experienced to guide us along.

1) What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
Getting involved in such a positive community. I had always wanted to do more than just reading(my friends and family say I have a bit of an addiction) my book. I have loved having others that share my love and aren't bored or annoyed by my desire to talk about my books. And, they have actually read or at least heard of the book. Also, I'm not gonna lie I do like getting free books. I would do it without them though.

2) What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
Any blogger I have asked has been helpful. I have gotten help from My Friend Amy, Booking Mama, Book Journey, and My Own Little Corner of the World. Presenting Lenore also sent me a great link to her blog which answered questions for new bloggers. And, in addition, the authors and publishers have been so positive and informative.

3) What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?
What exactly am I supposed to be doing besides voting on bloggers for awards? I feel like I should be doing something more...

Giveaway - Jantsen's Gift by Pam Cope

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 5 copies of this awesome book to giveaway. The contest with end August 15th at 11:59 pm Central time.

Nine years ago, Pam Cope owned a cozy hair salon in the tiny town of Neosho, Missouri, and her life revolved around her son's baseball games, her daughter's dance lessons, and family trips to places like Disney World. She had never been out of the country, nor had she any desire to travel far from home.

Then, on June 16th, 1999, her life changed forever with the death of her 15-year-old son from an undiagnosed heart ailment.

Needing to get as far away as possible from everything that reminded her of her loss, she accepted a friend's invitation to travel to Vietnam, and, from the moment she stepped off the plane, everything she had been feeling since her son's death began to shift. By the time she returned home, she had a new mission: to use her pain to change the world, one small step at a time, one child at a time. Today, she is the mother of two children adopted from Vietnam. More than that, she and her husband have created a foundation called "Touch A Life," dedicated to helping desperate children in countries as far-flung as Vietnam, Cambodia and Ghana.

Pam Cope's story is on one level a moving, personal account of loss and recovery, but on a deeper level, it offers inspiration to anyone who has ever suffered great personal tragedy or those of us who dream about making a difference in the world.
Hachette Book Group

I just reviewed this book and the review can be found right below this giveaway. Trust me this is one you want to win!!!

To enter this giveway:

*For 1 entry leave a comment answering the question: Have you ever traveled abroad (or within the U.S.) to help those less fortunate? If so, where did you go and did it change you? If not, where would you go to help?

*For another entry please sign up to follow my blog publicly. If you are already a follower you get 2 entries.

*One entry for blogging about this - give me the link

*One entry for tweeting and including me @alipet813

Unfortunately, this is limited to shipping addresses U.S. and Canada only.

Good luck to all!!