Kindle Archives - Jane Heller

Now Playing On My Kindle: "Heroic Measures"

September 1, 2013

I’m not even a dog lover and I loved this book. What a gem. In a few spare words, Jill Ciment tells the story of 48 hours in the lives of an elderly couple, their beloved dachshund and the NYC walk-up apartment where they’ve lived for most of their adult lives and which they’ve put on the real estate market for sale – all while the city is in a state of panic over a potential terrorist on the loose. Ciment somehow manages to make a domestic drama read like a thriller, a comedy of manners and a love story. She even gives the dog a few chapters to narrate.

Ruth, a retired schoolteacher, and Alex, an artist who has trouble getting up and down the stairs, are readying their apartment for the realtor’s open house the next day when they notice that Dorothy, the dachshund, can’t move her back legs. They tenderly carry her out of the apartment on a cutting board and attempt to travel uptown to the animal hospital, only to find traffic at a standstill because of a gas tanker that’s stuck in the Midtown Tunnel, causing gridlock around the city. Is the driver of the tanker a terrorist? How will an attack affect the real estate market? Where will Ruth and Alex go if they do sell their apartment? What will become of poor Dorothy?

It’s all described in perfect prose, right down the bidders on the apartment, the other dogs at the animal hospital, the couple with whom Ruth and Alex have dinner in the midst of all this chaos, and, of course, their long and loving relationship.

What a treasure. I’m so glad a friend recommended it.

Now Playing On My Kindle: "Is This Tomorrow"

June 28, 2013

I loved Caroline Leavitt’s previous novel, the New York Times bestselling Pictures of You, so I was excited when her new one came out. It did not disappoint, and I enjoyed it even more than the last one.

Set in suburban Massachusetts in the 1950s, it’s the story of Ava, a beautiful, divorced mother of a 12-year-old boy named Lewis. They’re the only Jewish family in their small town, a place of Eisenhower Cold War paranoia where anybody who’s “different” provokes suspicion. When Lewis’ friend and classmate, Jimmy, goes missing, the neighbors shun Ava entirely. The fact that she has a jazz musician for a boyfriend doesn’t help, and when he breaks off their relationship Ava is more isolated than ever.

But the novel is very much about Lewis too and how he tries to cope over the years with his friend Jimmy’s disappearance as well as his father’s disinterest. All the characters in the novel are richly layered, and the story builds to a surprising climax. Just when I thought I knew how things would go, Leavitt took the plot in another direction. She has a wonderful way of turning tragedy into compelling reading and of turning a flawed woman like Ava into someone you truly root for.

It’s so satisfying to finish a book and be able to recommend it without reservation to others, and I do recommend it. Leavitt is a beautiful writer and I can’t wait until she spins her next tale.

My Novels Have Gone Digital!

June 27, 2012

When I started writing fiction, there was no such thing as an ebook. Yes, this makes me sound like some relic unearthed during an archeological dig, but the fact is that ebooks are a relatively new phenomenon. As recently as the mid-90s, we authors submitted our manuscripts by schlepping them over to Kinko’s, getting copies made and sending them to our editors, after which the books were published bricks-and-mortar style.

My last three books were recent enough to come out both as physical entities and as ebooks, so readers have been able to download An Ex to Grind, Some Nerve and Confessions of a She-Fan as well as buy the actual printed versions.

My earlier novels, on the other hand, weren’t available as ebooks and it was frustrating.

Not anymore.

Thanks to Ellen Levine, my literary agent, and the ebook division at her company, Trident Media Group, all eleven titles are going digital, with kick-ass new covers (courtesy of the talented designer Lilien Hoffman), starting with the first six that are being launched today: Best Enemies, Clean Sweep (Formerly Cha Cha Cha), Crystal Clear, Infernal Affairs, Sis Boom Bah and The Club.

Coming in a week or so will be four more titles (Princess Charming, Name Dropping, The Secret Ingredient and Lucky Stars), followed in another month by Female Intelligence, which had some technical problems during the conversion process. I’ll post their on-sale dates as soon as I know them.

Some readers may still prefer to buy the physical books, and they’re around too, but now there’s the ebook option, which will satisfy all those who’ve said the hardcovers and paperbacks have been hard to find and will offer the novels at a very affordable price. I adore my Kindle and I’ve read more books on it than I ever thought I would. I think it’s great that we have so many devises on which to buy and then read – in the time it takes to click a link – whether it’s on a Nook, an iPad or a smartphone.

Getting everybody to read when there are so many demands on our time is the key. I hope my new ebooks will please long-time fans of my work as well as attract a whole new readership.

Now Playing On My Kindle: "The Rules of Civility"

May 26, 2012

When my friend Laurie recommended Amor Towles’s novel, I’d said, “Yeah, yeah. I heard it was good and I’ll get around to it.” I don’t know why I didn’t jump into the book right after she’d touted it so highly. The reviews had been exceptional but I was busy scoping out “Fifty Shades of Grey” to see what the fuss was about. (I shouldn’t have bothered. What a bore.)

Finally, I downloaded “Rules” on my Kindle and started reading. The beginning was slow. I wasn’t sure I’d like the book after all. And then boom – the prologue was over and the author plunged me right into the heart of the story of a smart, pretty, wise-beyond-her-years women named Katey Kontent in 1938 New York City. I became enthralled with her life, with her best friend Evey, with the man they both befriended, Tinker Grey, and all the characters who came after.

The book is such a compelling read. New York back then was a place of glamor and jazz and beautiful clothes, as well as of Depression era poverty and war. Katey, who narrates the story, has such a strong voice that I was utterly drawn in by her changes in fortune. When she loved, I loved. When she hurt, I hurt. I was rooting for her in a way I haven’t felt about a heroine in a very long time.

And to think she was created by a male author. Amazing. Towles’s writing is so beautiful at times it makes you ache with longing. Obviously, I didn’t want the book to end and kept hoping that it would magically go on forever.

But alas, I finished it this morning and I’m in mourning. I didn’t like the ending – not because it didn’t feel right or appropriate but because I’m a romantic sap and I wanted….Well, never mind. No spoilers here.

Since there’s a huge void in my reading life at the moment, I’m in the market for a new book. But it won’t be easy to find one that transports me the way “Rules” did. Sigh.

Now On My Kindle

September 2, 2011

During my month-long stay in CT, I downloaded novels like crazy. Two of the best were deeply affecting and not for those who like their fiction upbeat and cheerful.

The first book in the dynamic duo was “Before I Go To Sleep.”

A debut novel by S.J. Watson, this story held me spellbound from its first page to its last. Seriously. It’s a thriller in the best sense of the word – a book that surprises and scares and keeps you guessing what will happen next. Its heroine wakes up every morning with no memory. She suffers from a very unique brand of amnesia that requires her to keep a daily journal in order to remember who she is and, with any luck, what got her into the precarious state she’s in. Can she trust her husband? Can she trust the doctor who’s treating her? Can she trust her best friend? The author does a skillful job of making the story plausible and the heroine flawed yet someone we can root for. I highly recommend the book unless you’re easily spooked.

My number two favorite was “Room.”

People have been talking and debating and book-clubbing over Emma Donoghue’s novel, so I was curious what my opinion of it would be. What I came away with was a profound appreciation for a writer who took a difficult subject, gave it a five-year-old boy as its narrator and kept the voice consistent throughout.

“Room” is the story of a young woman who was abducted by a brutal rapist, held captive in a garden shed and, after she gave birth to a son, had to mother the boy in their confined space until they escaped. From the boy’s perspective, it’s the outside world that’s full of danger and pain and strange people. Some readers have criticized Donoghue for ending the novel too abruptly and without sufficient resolution, but I appreciate that she left something to our imagination. In my view, the ending was just right – disturbing but appropriate.

I’m just starting another novel, but both “Before I Go To Sleep” and “Room” are staying with me. Maybe I’m not ready to move on.

Now On My Kindle…

June 30, 2011

I’m a creature of reviews if I’m not familiar with an author, and the raves for Jean Thompson’s novel were too good to ignore. Ditto the National Book Award nomination.

I was not disappointed.

Talk about a broad canvas. The story, about the members of an Iowa family, covers over 30 years of American culture – from our wars to our sexual mores, from sibling rivalry to romantic travails. It’s not my usual jam – i.e. it’s fairly depressing what happens to the characters as opposed to a laugh riot – but Thompson is a terrific storyteller and I couldn’t put the book down no matter how many crises were thrown at me.

I love novels that transport me, that have a sense of place, that give the characters a distinctive voice, that have a plot with twists and turns rather than one that slows to a crawl in order to showcase the author’s flair for language. “The Year We Left Home” fulfilled all of my requirements for a book I couldn’t wait to get back to each night.

Highly recommended.

I Have Water!!!!

May 20, 2011

What a relief. It came back on about 3:30 this afternoon and was I ever glad to see it. It was if we had been without it for weeks instead of just days. Toilets were finally flushed, showers were finally taken, dishwasher loads were finally run – such excitement in our household! Crisis over.

It’s amazing what a good excuse not having water turned out to be as far as my writing. Every time I’d sit down at the computer I’d start obsessing about The Water Problem – when it would be resolved, whether we should head over to a hotel, blah blah blah – and before I knew it my writing time was wasted. I could kick myself. Now that I’m starting to feel up to tackling work again after my surgery, I should have been working, not dwelling on something I couldn’t control. Grrr.

I did download another book for my Kindle. Ever since I bought the sweet little gizmo I’ve become a downloading fool. It’s just so much easier to buy and read books now. And I got the most beautiful Cole Haan leather cover for it.

The book I’m reading is Chelsea Handler’s Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.

I know. I’m late to the party with this one too. I’m catching up on all the bestsellers I’ve been missing. I decided to get Handler’s second book because it’s the basis for an upcoming TV series this fall and I wanted to see what Hollywood bought. I’ve never really watched her late-night show on E! but after devouring the first 50 pages of the book, I have to say she’s nuts – in a good way. I’ve been laughing throughout at her total brashness. And I thought I had a vivid imagination. She has me beat by a longshot.

Now On My Kindle: "A Reliable Wife"

April 17, 2011

I finally finished “Water For Elephants.” Wow. I loved the book. I know there were people here who didn’t get into it, but I was mesmerized right from the beginning and my interest only grew. And the ending didn’t disappoint in the slightest. How Sara Gruen was able to write so convincingly about Depression-era circus life, having never even been to a circus before embarking on this book, amazes me. But her storytelling – and her ability to get inside the head of her male protagonist – trumped the research. Very impressive novel.

When I asked for recommendations for what I should read next, it was my sister who suggested Robert Goolrick’s “A Reliable Wife.” (I downloaded Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” too, but I was in the mood to start another novel.) So far, I’m hooked. I think I’m halfway through the book and I only started reading it this morning. Goolrick’s writing is overwrought in spots (do we really need to hear how desperate the main character is for sex – like 1,000 times in one chapter?), but the plot is fascinating and I can’t wait to see where it leads. Has anybody else read this one?

Am I The Last One To Read "Water For Elephants?"

March 28, 2011

Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch up to what the rest of the world is reading. I’m too busy with my own stuff to keep up. But after I finished the Agassi book I was ready for some fiction and decided to download “Water For Elephants” on my Kindle. Sara Gruen’s novel has been a fixture on bestseller lists and will be a movie next month with Reese Witherspoon. I figured I’d better get with the program.

So far, I’m loving it. What a unique voice Gruen has and what a fascinating backdrop. If you told me I’d be reading about a circus, I’d say, “Nah.” But I was hooked from the first page and have stayed hooked.

If there’s anything else I should put on my Must Read list, please let me know. I love recommendations.

A Twitter Friend Has Written A Novel!

March 22, 2011

What a pleasure it is to bond with someone on one of the social networking sites. I never expect to and yet it’s happened to me numerous times. You discover you have interests in common and start communicating back and forth and suddenly you’re “friends.”

In the case of “Bayla Highland,” which is a pseudonym for my Twitter buddy, we found out that we not only rooted for the Yankees but were both writers. A physician, she’s more at home with medical backdrops than the more domestic settings most often found in my novels, but she, too, is writing both fiction and nonfiction.

Her first published novel is an e-book thriller available from amazon for a whopping ninety-nine cents. Don’t you love these prices?

Here’s the description from its amazon page:

Thirty-two-year-old Lisa Caprelli seems to have the perfect life: loving father, doting husband, and a powerful satisfying job that has made her wealthy beyond her wildest dreams. But beneath the surface lie many secrets and deceptions.

Lisa has just found out her husband has been having an affair and is about to issue divorce papers. Her fury over being deceived would be more understandable were it not for the fact that she has been conducting her own extramarital affair with her younger, extremely handsome Executive Assistant, Jeff. But regardless of her own actions, she feels betrayed and acts quickly to dissolve her farce of a marriage.

Before the divorce papers are signed, Lisa suffers a near fatal car accident causing temporary memory loss. Her husband Roger spends his days at Lisa’s hospital beside, and his nights with his mistress Kelly. With Lisa in a vulnerable state, Roger’s feelings towards her soften, enraging Kelly, driving her to take matters into her own hands.

Lisa’s father and her lover Jeff step in to help. Now it is Roger and Kelly who are in mortal danger. This is where the fun begins. That is if you consider fun heart pounding suspense, with unexpected reversals of fortune and surprises at every turn. The novel is compelling until the very last word, with an ending that is unexpected yet satisfying.

Who wins and who loses? Rest assured, they all get what they deserve.

Sounds pretty intriguing to me. My Kindle is ready for a download.

I Did It. I Crossed Over.

February 17, 2011

I feel traitorous for having bought a Kindle the same week that I was moaning about Borders’ bankruptcy, but it had to happen. Not only was I curious about e-readers after so many people had written to me saying they had just downloaded this book or that book of mine, but also I thought that owning a little device would be practical for me. I buy a lot of books, both for pleasure and research. My local independent store doesn’t always have what I need in stock and my Borders has closed, as I’ve mentioned. I can order from amazon but I hate paying those shipping costs, and who wants to wait for the books to arrive?

So now I’ve joined the club and will be purchasing my very first e-book soon. Of course, there’s one tiny problem. I don’t know how to “work” a Kindle. I’m not especially tech savvy, so this should be interesting. I’m assuming you just order the book, it appears on your screen and you hit “Read?”

I didn’t think so. OK, so maybe it comes with a manual. Or more likely there are instructions on amazon’s site. I hope the thing is waterproof. It’s supposed to be delivered outside my door tomorrow and we’ve got a 99% chance of rain. Maybe I should have ordered one of those snazzy cases for it.