October 19, 2015
Birds of Passage by Joe Giordano
What turns the gentle mean and the mean brutal? The thirst for wealth? The demand for respect? Vying for a woman? Birds of Passage recalls the Italian immigration experience at the turn of the twentieth-century when New York’s streets were paved with violence and disappointment.
About Birds of Passage
Leonardo Robustelli leaves Naples in 1905 to seek his fortune. Carlo Mazzi committed murder and escaped. Azzura Medina is an American of Italian parents. She’s ambitious but strictly controlled by her mother. Leonardo and Carlo vie for her affection.
Azzura, Leonardo, and Carlo confront con men, Tammany Hall politicians, the longshoreman’s union, Camorra clans, Black Hand extortion, and the Tombs prison.
My Thoughts
As a third generation Canadian Italian, I never had to go racism or cultural hate. I have never been assumed to be a certain way because of my heritage. When I pick up and read a novel like Birds of Passage, I can then relate to what my ancestors did when they sailed across the ocean for a better life for family. They wanted and needed hope. What did they find when they landed? Mistrust, corruption and misunderstandings.
Birds of Passage is an incredible story of immigrating to the US from Italy during a particularly rough time in New York history. The book is honest, well written and you can feel the pain and struggle these immigrants went through. The lack of jobs, of respect and just trying to make it in a culture so different from their own. The blending of cultures is a constant struggle as individuals try to escape their past only to have it resurface in the ‘new world’. A lot of this can still be seen today as immigrants leave their country for a new life.
I loved how Joe includes the corruption of certain politicians, Mafia and family members to illustrate exactly how people lived during these times. This novel is a story that you will not want to put down because of all the raw emotions, corruption and pain. It was definitely well-loved in my home!
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. His father and grandparents immigrated to New York from Naples. Joe and his wife, Jane have lived in Greece, Brazil, Belgium and the Netherlands. They now live in Texas with their shih tzu Sophia. Joe’s stories have appeared in more than sixty magazines including Bartleby Snopes, The Newfound Journal, and The Summerset Review.
Q&A with Joe Giordano
Q: When you were writing the book, did you have a possible film version in mind? If so, did you write in a way that lends itself to film adaptation? For example, lots of dialogue and present day action, not so much description and back story.
A: I’m sure every writer hopes their book will be adapted for the screen. My goal in writing Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story, was to create vibrant characters and put them into challenging situations. That’s the touchstone of any good movie. I often visualize my scenes and rehearse the dialogue, a sort of mental storyboard, to insure believability of my writing.
Q: What do you think of the way Italian Americans have been portrayed in Hollywood films over the years?
A: Early Italian immigrants faced prejudice. For example, Jacob Riis in How the Other Half Lives, an 1890 exposé on the deplorable conditions of tenement life, labeled Italians as the lowest of the new immigrants and “dirtier than the Negro.” Italian immigrant labors were given the worst jobs, and although they were instrumental in building New York’s subways and skyscrapers, were often used like human steam shovels. In Birds of Passage, I use small asides by Americans to recall these biases against Italian immigrants.
Early Hollywood films portrayed Italians as swarthy gangsters, cheap peddlers, or in a ridiculous comic role. A number of Italian-American organizations pushed back. Ironically, the turning point may have been “The Godfather.” Here, the gangsters were portrayed as wise, clever, resourceful, loyal, and largely in control of their destinies. More recently in, “The Sopranos,” Tony suffers a dysfunctional family, struggles to maintain his position as capo of a gang against internal and external rivals, and seeks psychological counselling. Notwithstanding that he occasionally kills someone, he lives a life of quiet desperation, like the rest of us. In Birds of Passage, my protagonist, Leonardo Robustelli, starts out as a somewhat naïve young man, quick to anger, and then learns that to avoid being buffeted in the world and take control of his own destiny, he must take certain decisions. Of course, there are consequences, but you’ll need to read the book to find out more.
Q: Italy, of course has a vibrant and very important film industry. Have Italian filmmakers paid much attention to Italian Americans? This may be a tough one to answer.
A: I can’t recall Italian filmmakers portraying many Italian Americans. In fact, I suspect that most Italians consider Italian Americans just Americans. Our cultures are quite distinct. I’m old enough to have known people born in the nineteenth-century. One of the reasons I wrote Birds of Passage was to recall how early Italian immigrants thought and acted, which is quite distinct from many Americans of Italian heritage today.
The Giveaway!
October 15, 2015
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Box Set Giveaway
The My Little Pony Equestria Girls are back in three full length movies stored in a beautiful boxed set, making it the perfect gift for your little Equestria Girls fan!
The My Little Pony Equestria Girls set includes the movies:
Equestria Girls
When a crown is stolen from the Crystal Empire, Twilight Sparkle pursues the thief into an alternate world where she transforms into a teenage girl who must survive her biggest challenge yet: high school!. With help from her new friends who remind her of Ponyville’s Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, she embarks upon a quest to find the crown and change the destiny of these two parallel worlds.
Rainbow Rocks
Canterlot High is hosting a musical showcase and Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy are going to be performing with their new band, The Rainbooms. A new girl group, The Dazzlings, arrive at CHS and convince everyone to turn the friendly showcase into a Battle of the Bands. Tensions mount and a reformed Sunset Shimmer realizes that the Dazzlings may not be ordinary girls and are after something far more sinister. The Rainbooms call on Princess Twilight to return to their world to help them perform a musical counter-spell so that they can win a battle that now determines the fate of the entire school.
Friendship Games
Canterlot High meets its rival school, Crystal Prep Academy, in a competition that’s a long-standing tradition, the Friendship Games. Sunset Shimmer is tasked with keeping magic out of the games to avoid the appearance of impropriety while she and her friends compete against Crystal Prep’s top students led by someone with an equal amount of interest in Equestrian magic , this world’s Twilight Sparkle.
Bonus features include:
- Through The Looking Glass of Equestria Girls
- Deleted Scenes from My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games
- Audio Commentaries
- Animated Shorts
- Sing-Alongs
The My Little Pony Equestria Girls has been a huge success and the movies are even more so. Full of humour, moral lessons and fantastic graphics, your child will not want to stop watching these fantastic films! We had a My Little Pony movie marathon going on at our house with my niece, who loved the films. The box set comes with a holographic cover which suits the theme of My Little Pony. The movies are not only visually appealing but offer fantastic lessons for young girls (and boys who are My Little Pony fans!).
My Canadian and American readers can now enter to win their own boxed gift set via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD set in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 14, 2015
How to Plan Your Fall Family Getaway
Fall is the perfect time to plan a family getaway for the weekend. The weather is not too hot and not too cold, the scenery is spectacular and with the stress of back to school time, I think the whole family needs a time out to just relax and focus on the most important thing in the world: family.
Not all fall family getaways are created equal. There are several factors that you should consider prior to booking a quick family getaway, besides the usual price and time.
Here are some tips to help plan your next fall family getaway:
Location, location, location! You want to make sure your hotel room is in a location that is central to all activities planned for the weekend, as well as within walking distance of restaurants and coffee shops (hey moms and dads want to enjoy too with a glass of wine!). Being in the centre of the activity gives you easy access to activities as well as the ease of being able to enjoy some quiet time when the younger children become too tired to carry on.
Look for a location that provides fun, physical outdoor activities. Fall is a great time to get outdoors so take advantage of this cooler weather and look for locations that provides hiking trails, gondola rides and plenty of opportunities to just get out and explore the environment.
A location with plenty of restaurant choices. While a kitchen in the suite is an extra bonus for families for snacks and early breakfast meals, being close to a good variety of restaurants is important too. This really allows us as parents to sit back and enjoy our time with our family.
Look for amenities that your family will actually use, such as a pool or even a restaurant in the hotel. Our boys love going for an early or late night swim so this is always number one on our list.
Blue Mountain in Collingwood offers all of this and more. We stayed at the Seasons hotel and were extremely impressed with the amenities not only in the hotel itself but the surrounding area. Being in the centre of the village allowed us to move around easily around the village, visiting new shops, going on hikes and trying out new restaurants (my husband tried his first beaver tail!). We had a fabulous weekend away from home just focusing on us as a family and exploring nature. A definite win win for us as a family.
What do you look for when booking a family getaway?
October 14, 2015
Convergence by Trudie Hayes
Three pre-teens, whose paths had never crossed before, will have their lives forever changed in Convergence.
About Convergence
It was the first day of school and anxieties were running high. For certain there was the excitement of moving up a grade, but there was also the dread of anything and everything that could go wrong. Not only were the possibilities endless, they were totally out of your control. Whether or not you were accepted rested squarely on the shoulders of the popular kids. Suppose you were too short or too tall; too smart or not smart enough; too rich or too poor; or just plain different?
These thoughts were fresh on the minds of Otis, Chandler and Marissa. Three pre-teens whose paths had never crossed, although they lived in the same town in Connecticut. Their backgrounds were so diverse they may as well have lived worlds apart. That was all about to change when on their way to school a series of bizarre events lump them together. Literally!
Join them on this unreal journey to alternate realities never before revealed. Go back in time to a parallel past, the All Agos. Coexist in a present experience that mirrors your own, the Ne’er Now. Finally and with greater understanding, manifest in a future of your creation, the Will Be Once.
My Thoughts
The plot line in Convergence is very appealing to the youth. Here are three young teens, struggling through school and acceptance, they are brought together in an interesting way. These are teens that would never have really have come together in any other circumstances. They come together at first in acts of kindness and then later as the adults in their lives guide them.
I found at times this novel was hard to follow along with. Situations changed quickly or were underdeveloped causing it to be hard to understand for me. At times, I had to retrace the story to see if I had missed something. I love fantasy and sci-fi novels but I found some of the concepts harder to follow in this novel, maybe having it further developed may help?
This novel is geared towards teens who love fantasy. I think older teens will appreciate this novel more as it may be more difficult for younger teens to follow.
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.
Rating: 3.5/5
About the Author
Trudie L. Hayes’ personal story and family life influenced her mission to spread the core values of self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-love to children and persons of all ages. An affiliation with physically and mentally disabled adults and children spanning many years is a major contributing factor. The caregiver role has been paramount throughout much of her life, even while furthering her education or working full-time in a corporate setting.
These experiences have given her a deep understanding of the trials and struggles associated with a compromised existence. As well as the inspiration and joy derived from living life to one’s personal best.
It is through these myriad life experiences that Hayes began writing and registering several related trademarks. With a grander vision of promoting confidence and self-worth.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Hayes still calls the Nutmeg State home. The oldest of two children, she remains close to her siblings. When Hayes is not writing or managing her business, she dedicates her time to other creative outlets and artistic pursuits. Hayes has a deep appreciation and passion for music in its many forms; she enjoys writing song lyrics, performing, and has an affinity for Jazz.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 14, 2015
Threading the Needle by Gabriel Valjan
Book Three in the Roma series, finds us back in Italy in Threading the Needle.
About Threading the Needle
Milan.
Bianca’s curiosity gets a young university student murdered but not before he gives her a file that details a secret weapon under development with defense contractor, Adastra. Guilt may drive her to find justice for the slain student Charlie Brooks, but she is warned by the mysterious Loki to stay away from this case that runs deep with conspiracy. Bianca must find a way to uncover government secrets and corporate alliances without returning Italy to one of its darkest hours, the decades of daily terrorism known as the “Years of Lead.”
My Thoughts
It is hard to believe but book three in this series is even more incredible than the first two!
Threading the Needle is all about building trust. Bianca has to break with her personality traits and trust her friends in order to solve this new case. Each character plays a strong role in solving this intense plot that starts with the murder of Charlie Brooks. Threading the Needle is intense, action packed and full of suspense. It constantly left me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out the next step only to be fully surprised! Even more so, with real world events mixed in I found myself looking up the events to understand the novel even more so. It opened up a whole new world for me that I was not even aware had happened. I love novels that make you think like this and expand your knowledge.
Threading the Needle is the perfect third novel in this series that you will not want to put down! It has everything you need and more with no disappointments.
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Gabriel Valjan lives in New England, but has traveled extensively, receiving his undergraduate education in California and completing graduate school in England. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize for his Boston noir, Back in the Day. His short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and online magazines.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
