Review: Coffee At Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own “grown up” lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking in.

Coffee at Little Angels follows how each character deals with the death of a childhood friend while at the same time dealing with their own ignored demons after years of separation. Events unfold as the group tries to rekindle the friendship they once shared to honour the memory of a friend they will never see again. (via The Katalina Playroom)

This is the kind of story that anybody could relate to in one way or another. Each chapter is dedicated to the thoughts of one character, as they guide you through their perspective of the unfolding events. The alternation between these is clearly indicated, and they each have their own manner and voice, so you never get lost trying to figure out whose side of the story you're getting.

Though I felt that I couldn't fully relate to Coffee At Little Angels, having been fortunate enough to have not lost anyone that's ever been close to me yet (with the exception of some non-human family members), I could understand the tensions between these estranged friends. It's hard for them to see each other after so many years, especially as some parted under less than amiable terms. I can imagine that when you're back face-to-face under especially stressful circumstances, it would be near impossible not to resurface old feelings and unresolved issues. This is something that concerns me about my own future, when there's someone I must see again out of respect for another.

Overall, I felt that this was a good story with good intentions. There were parts of it that I thought could use some work and some characters who could've shared their perspectives more (Melanie in particular), but a valiant first novel from Nadine.

Rating: 3.5 / 5


If you would like to find out more about Nadine and Coffee At Little Angels, check out her guest post here.

Guest Post: Nadine Rose Larter – author of Coffee At Little Angels

A warm welcome to Nadine Rose Larter, my very first guest poster! She's here to talk about her debut novel, Coffee At Little Angels (review can be found here)...

Hi Book Lovers!

I must first thank Sophie for inviting me here to share a bit of my story. I am sure her kindness will not be overlooked by the cosmos

A bit about me...

My name is Nadine Rose Larter and I was born in a small South African town called Molteno, tucked between the mountains in the heart of the Karoo. After my last year of high school I moved with my family to the city of Port Elizabeth where I now live with my son, my fiancé, and my two step children. I’m a bit of a free-spirit and have never been happy having a “day job”. I spend my days writing, or thinking about writing. Sometimes I do a bit of work. Usually I just write and call it work.

I have always been a writer. I started writing poems and short stories when I was little, and I have intermittently kept diaries since I was about nine years old. In the last two years I have started taking my writing more seriously and have made the decision to become a full-time author. I have no formal education, aside from a year of Literature and Creative Writing study, but I am constantly trying to grow as a writer. Sometimes being a wife and mom makes fitting it all in a little tough but I am learning how to juggle it all slowly.

Next month, my first novel, Coffee at Little Angels finally comes out in paperback. I have worked pretty hard to get it all to this place and though I’ve done it mostly on my own, I would never have coped without the help of some pretty damn incredible friends and family members.

A bit about my book and why you might like to read it...

I wrote Coffee at Little Angels after a high school friend of mine died in a car accident. I locked on to the idea that had he died just two or three years earlier his death would have been even more excruciating to deal with. I was devastated by the loss of course. This was the boy who gave me my first kiss. He was a sweetheart with blue eyes and a beautiful smile. And he is missed by many. Including myself. But...in my case I don’t always miss him as though he is dead. I simply miss him as someone I haven’t seen in a while. Someone who I would love to catch up with sometime, should we be fortunate enough to bump into each other in the street. It often feels simply as if we no longer live in the same town.

I tried to write this book in a way that just about anyone can relate to it. It’s not aimed at any specific demographic and was not designed to carry across any specific message or agenda. You may notice that there are few proper nouns in this novel. There are no last names or town names. I didn’t forget to put them in. I left them out because I hope that Coffee at Little Angels will be the kind of novel that absolutely anyone can pick up and feel like they understand it. I hope that you will pick it up and feel like it could be about you.  Other than that, Coffee at Little Angels is just a book. I do hope you like it, but if you don’t, I will simply try harder with the next one.

Download a sample chapter here: http://katalina.co.za/?page_id=198

Buy the ebook here: http://katalina.co.za/?p=387

Ebook will also soon be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore and Sony Readerstore.

Other ongoing projects...

One of my biggest writing loves is an internet project I created called The Poetry Project. Basically The Poetry Project is a project where South African poets and photographers get together to express their works symbiotically. Through this project I have met some of the most incredible people in this country and it has truly been such a blessing to get to know these people. I have taken a giant break from The Poetry Project over the last couple of months because I have been so focused on getting my book out, but I will soon be reviving the project and injecting new life into it, with the help of some old friends and hopefully some new ones too.  Once the first Poetry Project book is out I am even considering making it an international project because I think the comparison between different countries and different styles of writing and taking pictures could prove to be quite interesting.

For more information visit The Poetry Project online: http://www.thepoetryproject.co.za/

Otherwise my second home is The Katalina Playroom. Here I share my love for literature and writing. I do blog challenges and pretty much indulge in whatever takes my fancy at any particular moment. I like to think that it is a place where you can find some good inspiration as a writer. http://katalina.co.za/

Other contact info:

Follow me on twitter: @Nayes1982 & @KatalinaBooks

Say hi on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nayes

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5012087.Nadine_Rose_Larter

LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/home/NadineRoseLarter

BookBlogs: http://bookblogs.ning.com/profile/NadineRoseLarter

Thank you again for having me here today. I wish you all day of happy surprises!

Follow Friday – #5

This week's featured blogs are

The Book Addicted Girl

and

The Little Book Blog

Welcome to my 5th Follow Friday! Here's this week's question:

Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you? 

I had to go on a major witch hunt to track down a slogan, but I'd say that this one fits me pretty well being an '80s baby! Short, sweet and to the point!


Thanks for stopping by, guys! What would your t-shirt say?
 
Be sure to enter my 100 follower giveaway while you're here and check out the blog's new Facebook page!

Review: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want--husband, country home, successful career--but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. (via Goodreads)

I hadn't heard of Eat Pray Love before the film publicity started up. Then me and my cousin both bought copies of the book, but neither of us got around to finishing it. So, after leaving it lying on the shelf for the past year, it was definitely time to stop staring at it and pick it up!

 The book is split into three different sections, each based in a different location and each serving essentially a different purpose on Elizabeth's path to happiness and acceptance. Hence the title Eat Pray Love -- eat in Italy, pray in India, and love in Indonesia.

Eat was definitely my favourite part of the book, as it resembles myself the most. I absolutely love to travel and indulge while I'm doing so, and this entertaining account of her time in Italy eating everything in sight, studying the language and experiencing the culture very much appealed to me. Now I am desperate to visit Italy myself and get caught up in it all!

Pray and Love are interesting and uplifting, and provide great insight into Elizabeth's mind and her journey, but they didn't appeal to me as much as Eat. These two parts are largely based on spirituality, and so if you're unsure or aren't 'into' that type of thing, then you might not enjoy this all that much. They aren't oriented towards any specific religion and nor do they preach to you in any way, but Elizabeth does talk a lot about meditation, yoga, and other different types of spiritual practice. But, with this aside you do also find out a lot about Indian and Balinese culture and the people she meets along the way, as she does go into fun detail about these.

I would recommend this book to you if you're interested in world culture, spirituality or are perhaps are seeking a little comfort, insight and inspiration. Though I could've done without some of the lengthy explanations and descriptions, I definitely got something out of Eat Pray Love (I've taken down numerous page numbers and quotes incase I need them later!)


RATING: 4 / 5

* Ratings are new!

Blog now has a Facebook page!

Calling all followers! I've just made a Facebook page for the blog and it's in need of a few likes!  Please go right ahead and like it by clicking here, or use the Facebook widget on the sidebar.

Thanks everyone! And don't forget to enter the 100 follower giveaway. :-))

A Bit Of A Book Haul!

In the month and a bit since starting this blog, I've gone a bit used book buying crazy. Although, as I piled them all up for this post I kind of thought that there weren't all that many! Perhaps this reaction is just a measurement of my book obsession? Take a look. Does it seem like a lot to you?

Okay, so they look pretty impressive piled up like that, but let me break it down for you. Here's what I got...


These hardbacks I got in various places. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Yearbook was a mandatory buy, seeing as I'm a huge fan of that show and it was only £1.50! The Amazing Maurice by Terry Prachett was a mere 50p at a car boot sale, and The Roots Of Betrayal by James Forrester is the only brand new book I've aquired (won from Mel's blog giveaway).

The books in these next two images were also from a car boot sale, and they only cost 10p each! They had heaps, but these were the only ones that appealed to me.

Okay, so yes -- two children's books. I can't be the only person with no kids who buys these from time to time, right? Kipper is so adorable & Little Red Fox just looked like a sweet story!

I've read some Bill Bryson in the past, and he's pretty hilarious. Lorna Doone was just a random book I kind of liked the look of, and as for The Railway Children... well, there's another classic I haven't read yet!

This gem was aquired from an amazing shop in Oxford called Arcadia, who sell tons of these iconic Penguin books (among many other things -- not just books. I'll show you someday on another post.) It cost me £5.00, but is a 1939 edition. Then again they did have cheaper titles, so I'm not sure what my logic was there! Nah well.









This lot I've gotten from various charity shops for some bargainous prices (of course!) I've wanted to read Girl With A Pearl Earring for a long time, but have never been able to bring myself to pay full price for it or order it online for some reason! Glad I found it in Oxfam, unread, for £2! The rest of them -- Tolkien (determined to read all his works), Robinson Crusoe (loved Treasure Island so will probably love this), etc., etc., etc.!





You get the point -- I won't say any more! Ha. What do you think? Too much?

How many books have you bought this month?

Closed for entries | The 100 Follower Giveaway is here!

A big shoutout to Books Ahoy for being my 100th follower!

And to thank all you awesome folk for reading my blog,

IT'S SUPER SWEET INTERNATIONAL

GIVEAWAY TIME!

CLOSED

Good luck guys, and be sure to tell your friends! :-D

Follow Friday – #4

This week's featured blogs
We Fancy Books
and
A Novella's Tale

Hello fellow hoppers and yay for my fourth week joining the Book Blog Follow Friday, hosted by Parajunkee & AlisonCanRead! 

My blog is nearly at 100 followers! You can be sure that when it reaches that epic number, there'll be a suuweet international giveaway! So stop by, pull up a seat, follow me, I'll follow you and we'll all live happily ever after!

Here's this week's question:

Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

My answer is going to be slightly predictable if you've been reading my blog, haha. But here they are...

Jane Austen - I'd want to know right away about what happens to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, and all the other characters after the end of Pride and Prejudice! I know that there are many sequels by other authors out there, but they just don't satisfy me because they're not Jane's words and therefore, not her thoughts. You know what I mean? I'd want to know the true story.

Sophie Kinsella - I want to ask her why the lead characters in her books are essentially the same, because even though I enjoy them, it annoys me. But I'd be nice. ;-)

J.R.R. Tolkien - There is so much I would ask him, but first I might request an extensive lesson in Elvish. Would be awesome to speak a language few understand! Ha.


So there you have it guys!

Which authors would you choose?

Review: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Bored on a hot afternoon, Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole – without giving a thought about how she might get out. And so she tumbles into Wonderland: where animals answer back, a baby turns into a pig, time stands still at a disorderly tea party, croquet is played with hedgehogs and flamingos, and the Mock Turtle and Gryphon dance the Lobster Quadrille. In a land in which nothing is as it seems and cakes, potions and mushrooms can make her shrink to ten inches or grow to the size of a house, will Alice be able to find her way home again? (via amazon.co.uk)

Everyone is familiar with Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, whether they've encountered it by watching, listening or by reading. I admit this is actually the first time I've read the book itself, but I've seen the Disney cartoon and most recently the Tim Burton adaptation (which of course is very different as it features an older Alice). So going in, I had a good idea of what to expect.

There really isn't much for me to say about this book that hasn't already been said. It's such a well-loved story, and it's so easy to see why. The characters are unbelievably silly, the plotline is crazy, and the dialogue is sharp and witty to no end. Precisely my type of book! My favourite exchanges, arguably, are those between Alice, the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle. This had me laughing for ages:

"When we were little," the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly, though still sobbing a little now and then, "we went to school in the sea. The master was an old Turtle -- we used to call him Tortoise ------"
"Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?" Alice asked.
"We called him Tortoise because he taught us," said the Mock Turtle angrily. "Really you are very dull!"

I single that part out, but really there were so many moments that had me tickled. There can't be many book lovers who are yet to pick up Alice's Adventures, but if you haven't, do. It's so charming and offbeat that it will keep you light and happy on even the dreariest of days!

Farewell, Borders...

As I write this, I am close to tearing up. Borders bookstore will soon only be a memory in the minds of people across the world. To many of these it was just another shop, but to me it was more than that, and the recent announcement that Borders is to close in the USA has resurfaced my sadness.

Oxford Borders in its last days. {photo source}

My first experience with Borders was on a visit to the States, and is actually where I got the book I talk about in my second Follow Friday post. I fell in love with the place because, at the time, I hadn't seen such an extensive book shop here in the UK. It was just so inviting with chairs you could sit in and read, magazines to browse uninterrupted, shelves and shelves of books, CDs and DVDs just waiting to be explored. I only wished that we had a store like this on our shores.

It wasn't until a few years later on a visit with a few close friends that I actually discovered that there was a Borders in Oxford! I'd caught a glimpse of a small hanging sign a couple of years before, but as it was down a small alleyway I thought it wouldn't be on the same scale and didn't bother looking. Back then I didn't venture into Oxford much as it was unfamilar, but as my familiarity grew (and my confidence in the public transportation system), I began taking regular trips in, and spent hours inside at a time.

A lot of my memories involve these close friends, who were were exchange students visiting for a few months and were discovering the city at the same time as I was. We'd always end up inside Borders as it was so near the bus stop, and also right in the heart of the main shopping centre. Of course, I'd visit the store with other friends too, including my particularly bookish friend who could spend as many hours browsing the shelves as I could. It was also a fantastic place to get newspapers and magazines from all over the world... I remember going all the way there just to get, ahem, Teen People every month/week/whenever it came out! Then my addiction to Starbucks flourished. What's better than the world's best coffee attached to the world's best bookstore?! Yup, Borders became a place of real comfort to me.

And now we all must move without it. Even though it has been ages since we lost Borders here, I still hate walking past the Tescos Metro that now stands in its place in Oxford. I know it might sound dramatic, and there might be a few people rolling their eyes, but this is a heart-wrenching loss to me. Sure, in the UK we have other bookstores, and lately I've been avoiding chains and opting for second-hand and independent booksellers, but they're not the same at all.

So thanks for all the memories and the comfort, Borders. This girl misses you very muchly!

--
I'd love to hear about your views/experiences of Borders, whether they were positive or negative. Am I the only crazy person out there? ;-)

The empty Oxford Borders. Sighage. {photo source}