Monday Book Give Away, #35

I'm really trying to clear my shelves, so, today four books are up for grabs. Let me know which, one or all, you'd like. I'll do my drawing next Sunday and let the winner(s) know.

November 22, 1963 by Adam Braver. With a captivating mix of fact and fiction, Braver (Mr. Lincoln's Wars) chronicles the events surrounding JFK's assassination to moving effect. The event is no stranger to the literary world, but Braver's recreation, owing to small and often previously off-camera details, remains hauntingly original. Some of these details, like the ones that open the book and dwell on Jackie's fashion preferences, present a factual backdrop against which later scenes-e.g., where Jackie refuses to remove her blood-splattered pink suit-tragically play out. Others, like the way JFK's eyes keep popping open during the autopsy, underscore the grisly reality of his death. While the accumulation of small moments gives the book its weightiness, the stories of people peripherally associated with the assassination make the book sing; through the experiences of the Texan who sold the government Kennedy's casket, the mechanic in charge of the limousine in which Kennedy was shot and numerous others, Braver reveals the tragedy of a national story that decades later can still be acutely felt.

The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey. A family's future is in the hands of one very brave young Irishwoman in this accomplished debut set between WWI and the growing violence of the Irish war of independence. Eileen O'Neill inherits a lifetime of struggle and heartbreak when her family is ripped apart by war, disease, mental illness and greed. And if civil war and family strife weren't enough to deal with, Eileen is torn between James Conlon, a passionate Irish nationalist, and Owen Sheridan, a British army officer and the son of a wealthy family. As the war's presence in her life intensifies, Eileen continues to weigh her heart's pull against national pride, family loyalty, class divisions and her own spirit. This novel delivers the best of both worlds: secrets, intrigue and surprising twists will keep readers flipping the pages, while Falvey's insight and poetic writing tugs at the heartstrings of the most cynical audiences.

The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott. Paris, 1815. Daniel Connor, a young medical student from Edinburgh, has arrived to study anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes—only to realize that his letters of introduction and precious coral specimens, on which his tenure with the legendary Dr. Cuvier depends, have been stolen. His thief turns out to be a beautiful woman who lives in a shadowy realm of outlaws, philosophers, and émigrés. As Daniel falls in love with her, he discovers a radical theory of evolution that irrevocably changes his conception of the world.

Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale. Written for Young Adults. Readers will be swept away into the brilliant world of this fast-paced fairy tale. Hale's colorful language and descriptive storytelling bring the story of friendship, love, and discovery to life. As in many fairy tales, the ending and many events are predictable, but it is an enjoyable read nonetheless. Fans of Ella Enchanted and Hale's previous works will welcome this book with enthusiasm.

The winner of The Marrow Bone Marble Company is hip chick.