Waiting On Wednesday .... Rodham

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of American Wife and Eligible, a novel that imagines a deeply compelling what-might-have-been: What if Hillary Rodham hadn’t married Bill Clinton?

In 1971, Hillary Rodham is a young woman full of promise: Life magazine has covered her Wellesley commencement speech, she’s attending Yale Law School, and she’s on the forefront of student activism and the women’s rights movement. And then she meets Bill Clinton. A handsome, charismatic southerner and fellow law student, Bill is already planning his political career. In each other, the two find a profound intellectual, emotional, and physical connection that neither has previously experienced.

In the real world, Hillary followed Bill back to Arkansas, and he proposed several times; although she said no more than once, as we all know, she eventually accepted and became Hillary Clinton.

But in Curtis Sittenfeld’s powerfully imagined tour-de-force of fiction, Hillary takes a different road. Feeling doubt about the prospective marriage, she endures their devastating breakup and leaves Arkansas. Over the next four decades, she blazes her own trail—one that unfolds in public as well as in private, that involves crossing paths again (and again) with Bill Clinton, that raises questions about the tradeoffs all of us must make in building a life.

Brilliantly weaving a riveting fictional tale into actual historical events, Curtis Sittenfeld delivers an uncannily astute and witty story for our times. In exploring the loneliness, moral ambivalence, and iron determination that characterize the quest for political power, as well as both the exhilaration and painful compromises demanded of female ambition in a world still run mostly by men, Rodham is a singular and unforgettable novel.

This book immediately caught my interest due to the 'what if' element combined with it being based off of real events and involving a real person.

It seems like it'll be thought provoking, and interesting to read at the very least. It also might be a great one for book clubs as I anticipate many conversation starters from this book.

It's set to come out in May (as long as there are no delays) so there is a bit of a wait for it, but I think it'll be a popular one to read this summer.

Expected release date - May 19, 2020

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Release Date - April 19, 2016

Publisher Website - Penguin Random House
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 512 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received from publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From the “wickedly entertaining” (USA Today) Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times bestselling author of Prep and American Wife, comes a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. A bold literary experiment, Eligible is a brilliant, playful, and delicious saga for the twenty-first century.

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . .

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

Wonderfully tender and hilariously funny, Eligible both honors and updates Austen’s beloved tale. Tackling gender, class, courtship, and family, Sittenfeld reaffirms herself as one of the most dazzling authors writing today. 

Two words, for me, sum up Eligible: Hate. Sex. These words should tell you everything you need to know about this Pride and Prejudice retelling set in modern times. Filled with brash humour, insightful, and filled with characters that you'll either love or hate. This satire may not appeal to everyone, but I predict Pride and Prejudice fans will be curious enough to want to check it out.

This is not Jane Austen's version of Pride and Prejudice. Her subtly is lost in favour of a more in your face style of writing. This modernization is loud, and so current that it'll easily date itself in a few years. The nuance that you come to expect from Pride and Prejudice is there, it's just found in different places. The tone of this novel skews more toward comedic than romantic, and that may not work for everyone.

I adore this version of Liz. She, like the character who inspired her, takes control of her own future. She is strong willed, and that makes her engaging. She's someone who does things her own way and I've always loved that about her. I've always considered myself more like Jane, but I've always wanted to be more like Liz and this version is no exception. She's flawed, and  real. This characterization is something Curtis Sittenfeld writes with accuracy. The little flaws and quirks of human nature. Be it prejudices of Mrs Bennet, or the unfiltered declarations of Mr Bennet and everything in between.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is just as swoon worthy as his counterpart. He's shown to be handsome, broody, and to have a surprisingly kind-heart. These are all characteristics he shares with his namesake. The author obviously wanted to retain that allure of mystery that Mr Darcy has. I, however, wanted the opportunity to explore his character a little more and update him for the modern age. Chip Bingley also suffers this fate. He feels very similar to his namesake. He's shown to be a very kind, easily swayed young man. I would have loved some updates to his character as well, but this was, perhaps, the right choice as the tone and feel of the original are retained.

Plenty of the updates to the story work rather well and feel natural. Some of them, however, feel jarring. The update to Wickam's character, for me, did not retain the spirit of the original character. The entire Wickam storyline did not work for me in this. The Lydia updates, however, were fantastic. Her storyline is perhaps the most surprising because it's the one that is the most different from the source material.

The sisterly bond is something I've always loved about the original and that spirit is retained here. The relationship between Jane and Liz especially worked for me. I found their bond charming and real. I believed that they cared about each other. Their bond with their younger sisters was filled with equal parts love and exasperation. It's the strongest carry over from the source material. You believe that this family loves each other even when they don't like each other very much.

The romance, which is the thing everyone will be most interested in, was one of my favourite parts of the story. The longing, and tension between Liz and Darcy is captured here. You will become invested in the outcome of their relationship and the twists and turns it takes along the way. Even Chip and Jane's romance is sweet enough for you to become invested.

Pride and Prejudice for the modern age complete with reality television shows, crossfit and modern prejudices. Part of this novel's charm is the nostalgia factor, and this novel is sure to hit those notes time and time again. This may not be the book for everyone but those who do enjoy it will certainly look forward to whatever Curtis Sittenfeld writes next. 

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

Lots of amazing books made their way into my mailbox this week.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (goodreads)

Finding Fraser by KC Dyer (goodreads)

I received Eligible for review from Penguin Random House Canada, so a huge thank you to them. I also want to thank Berkley Books and Netgalley for the review copy of Finding Fraser. If you're a fan of Outlander you many want to check this one out (and the ebook is currently available).

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada (especially HCC Frenzy) for This Savage Song. I have heard nothing but great things about this so I am REALLY excited to read it. I've loved all of Victoria's other books so I am sure this one will be no exception.

I was also offered the opportunity to review a book from BookByYou.com. A huge thank you them for sending this. It sounds like it'll be REALLY fun and funny! This will be part of a summer event I have planned so be sure to check back for thoughts on putting yourself in a story!

And lastly, we had our yearly book club party for the book club that my friend Ciara hosts at Chapters Pinecrest here in Ottawa. The lovely people at Penguin Random House Canada sent over some books and I am SOOOOO excited about the one I took home with me.

Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten (goodreads)

A HUGE thank you to Ciara (for hosting an incredible event) and Penguin Random House Canada!

What bookish items made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Waiting On Wednesday ..... Eligible

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . 

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

Wonderfully tender and hilariously funny, ELIGIBLE both honors and updates Austen’s beloved tale. Tackling gender, class, courtship, and family, Sittenfeld reaffirms herself as one of the most dazzling authors writing today.

As a huge Pride and Prejudice fan any adaptation is going to catch my attention. This one is a modernize take on the classic and sounds perfectly delightful. The April release date isn't even that far away at this point and I am very excited to get my hands on it!

Expected release date - April 19, 2016