Theresa Smith's Blog, page 43
January 24, 2022
Book Review: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.
The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.
The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.
Published by Montlake
Released 18th January 2022
My Thoughts:I’ve never met a Colleen Hoover novel I haven’t liked, and I’ve also never met one that I haven’t read cover to cover in the one day. Reminders of Him is no exception to this streak. Once again, Colleen Hoover has delivered a compelling drama that tugs at your heart. I even shed a some tears a few times throughout this one.
Grief and forgiveness are the core themes within this novel and as she is so well known for doing, Hoover gives us a nice murky grey area to wade through, because just as in life, nothing is simple and straightforward. I could relate to this story as a mother in a two-fold way: I could understand Kenna’s yearning to connect to her daughter, who had been removed from her at birth, and I could understand Grace’s grief at losing her son and wanting to keep his daughter safe and protected from the woman she regarded as the cause for all of their grief.
The story is multilayered and compelling, a slowly unfolding drama that I found impossible to put down. It’s been a few years since I read a novel by Colleen Hoover but Reminders of Him has reminded me why Hoover has always been an auto buy for me and that it’s about time I started reading the ones I haven’t gotten to in recent years.
Highly recommended for fans of life-lit family dramas.
4/5
January 23, 2022
Book Review: The Fields by Erin Young
IT STARTS WITH A BODY-a young woman found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture.
For Sergeant Riley Fisher, newly promoted to head of investigations at the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, an already horrific crime takes on a personal edge when she discovers the victim is an old friend, from a dark past she thought she’d left behind.
Rumour travels fast in small towns, while sweltering heat and state-wide elections only add to the pressure-cooker atmosphere. When another body is found, Riley is in danger of being engulfed by the fear and the frenzy. Something deeply disturbing is out there – and it reaches far beyond Black Hawk County.
Beautifully written and masterfully crafted, The Fields is a stunning crime debut.
Published by Hachette Australia – Hodder & Stoughton
Released 25th January 2022
My Thoughts:Billed as a debut, The Fields is actually a crime debut rather than a novel from a debut author – an important distinction. Erin Young is the pseudonym of acclaimed historical novelist, Robyn Young, author of eight internationally bestselling novels, and the quality of writing within this novel, The Fields, is evident of this experience.
I am most at home within the crime genre when reading police procedurals. I like being pulled into the investigation and following the clues with the detectives. The Fields is the first in a planned series following the lead detective, Riley Fisher, and I enjoyed her as a character so this is definitely a series I would be interested in following. Riley has a lot of baggage, undealt with trauma and family issues that need working through, but she’s excellent at her job, intent on proving herself worthy of her family legacy and the promotion to sergeant she has recently received.
This novel is not for the faint hearted though. The crimes are brutal and specific, certain aspects of them quite horrific. The case is rather complicated and many layered, but the author shows her skill as a writer, stepping us through it all with minimal room for confusion. The plot was incredibly clever, tapping into issues relevant to contemporary America whilst weaving them into a suspenseful and action-packed crime scenario. I’m not entirely convinced of the realism of what eventuated, but it certainly made for a cracking good story.
Highly recommended.
4/5
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 21, 2022
The Week That Was…
Well, this was a week I wasn’t anticipating. Seven days on from my first Covid symptoms and I can report that I feel as though I am over it. I am grateful I prioritised getting my Covid booster as I think that definitely made a difference; apart from one night with a fever and dizzy spells, my symptoms mimicked a mild cold that left me as quickly as it arrived. I am still easily tired, but from what I’ve read, that may hang around for a couple of weeks. I am still officially in quarantine though as I never got my test done until the Tuesday, and it is seven days quarantine from your test, not from when your symptoms appear. Two of my teens have now succumbed, symptoms for them began on Thursday. They are not too sick, more glassy eyed and lethargic with runny noses and mild coughs, my daughter reported the dizziness that I felt on my first night, and my son says he has total body aches and pains. Such a strange virus, the way it afflicts people differently. Both have been double vaccinated and so far, it seems to be offering them some protection in lightening the severity of the illness. My other son remains Covid free, but he lives downstairs in the man-cave that Zeus is so fond of and he’s been totally keeping to himself, eating his meals alone and he even has his own bathroom. I am quite confident he may have dodged it.
In other news, it was my birthday on Tuesday and I bought this as an addition to my tea cabinet:
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What Zeus has been up to:
Zeus has been enjoying some company for his afternoon chill. He always sits on the back deck in the afternoon hours, catching the breeze and surveying his kingdom. I love this photo of my daughter with Zeus: together but alone. He’s happy to have her company, just as long as she doesn’t interrupt his routine!
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Joke of the Week:
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What I’ve been watching:
I’ve been reading a lot during the day, but tiredness has seen me turning on the TV at night. Fortunately, I have found more than enough to watch and keep me entertained. The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary special was delightful, a real trip down memory lane with my kids watching as well and reminiscing on their own lives as they were when each book and movie came out. The Cleaning Lady is a weekly show and only two episodes have been released so far, but I am already hooked and looking forward to the next one. Wolf Like Me was a refreshingly different sort of love story, I really enjoyed it. A Discovery of Witches wrapped up nicely with its third season, I like it when a series finishes properly. I Know What You Did Last Summer was good, quite the fright night with the horror, but it went a bit loopy at the end in terms of who the killer was…one of those twists where it’s so unlikely it remains unbelievable. There was also an obscene amount of sex and drugs and overall, everyone was pretty horrible and shallow with little redemption on show. Not my favourite series, that’s for sure.
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What I’ve been reading:
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Until next week!
January 20, 2022
Book Review: Mergers and Acquisitions by Cate Doty
A delightfully warm, witty, and poignant memoir about falling in love, and an eye-opening behind-the scenes tour of the rarefied world of The New York Times weddings pages – from the good and the bad to the just plain weird.
Growing up in America’s romantic south, where tradition reigns supreme, Cate Doty thought about weddings a lot. So, when she moves to New York City in pursuit of love, and to write for The New York Times, she finds her natural home in the pages of the wedding section, one of the Big Apple’s most esteemed, talked-about – and competitive – institutions.
Soon Cate is thrown into the cut-throat world of the New York marriage market, experiencing the lengths society couples go to have their announcements accepted and the lengths the writers go in fact-checking their stories; the eye-opening, status-signalling details that matter most to brides and grooms; and the politics of the paper at a time of vast cultural and industry changes.
Cate is surrounded by love, or what we’re told to believe is love. But when she falls head over heels herself, she begins to ask her own questions about what it means to truly commit . . .
Equal parts charming, addictive and funny, this is a delightful meditation on love, privilege and the human condition, and a young reporter’s own romantic coming of age.
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Released 5th January 2022
My Thoughts:I enjoyed this book so much. Many of you know that I’m not really a fan of memoirs, however in recent years, I’ve been able to establish that it’s more the type of memoir, rather than the form itself. In short, I hate misery memoirs, particularly the ones that detail the many ways in which the author’s parents ruined their lives. I far prefer the more topic driven ones, such as this, where the memoir is woven into another sort of story, with some social and political history thrown in, whilst still maintaining a light and entertaining read. When an actual writer also writes that memoir, then I’m all for it. Mergers and Acquisitions is exactly this sort of book. Entertaining, well written, interesting, reflective, and above all (possibly most importantly) very funny.
I would never for the life of me have thought that so much research and fact checking went into writing up a wedding announcement. I have a journalism degree, so the ins and outs of the industry are not foreign to me, but even so, for a few lines announcing a wedding, there was a heck of a lot involved! I thoroughly enjoyed this peek into the inner hub of The New York Times and following Cate’s career progression. Her own story of love and weddings was skilfully interwoven into the narrative about the wedding pages whilst also reflecting upon weddings within American society and what they symbolise as a construct separate from the marriage that is to come once the wedding is done.
Stand out moments from the book for me include the first ‘unofficial’ date with her own husband – very funny – and I was deeply moved by the telling of her maternal grandparents’ love story under the shadow of her grandmother’s demise and passing to dementia. You don’t have to be famous or damaged to write a memoir, but you do have to be a good writer and have something interesting to say – Cate Doty checks both these boxes!
Highly recommended for those seeking an entertaining read on a fresh topic.
4/5
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 19, 2022
Book Review: Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham
A cool, cruel, rediscovered classic of American noir, soon to be a major motion picture directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Stanton Carlisle, employed as a carny at a travelling circus watches their freak-show geek – an abject alcoholic, the object of the voyeuristic crowd’s gleeful disgust and derision – and wonders how a man could fall so low. There’s no way in hell, he vows, that anything like that will ever happen to him.
Unlike the tragic figure he sees before him, Stan is young, clever, and ambitious and quick to learn from the other carnival acts. Initially teaming up with a beautiful but vulnerable woman as part of a double act in which he mesmerises her, Stan soon leaves his circus days behind him, becoming a successful spiritualist who exploits the weak and the wealthy.
But even the very best con-men can meet their match….
With a new introduction from James Smythe, Nightmare Alley is a forgotten classic of Depression-era America: a brilliant, horrifying, compulsive journey into the true darkness of the human mind.
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing – Raven Books
Released 30th November 2021
(First published 1946 in the United States by Rinehart & Company)
My Thoughts:As harsh as it might sound, I can see why this book became a forgotten classic, emphasis on the forgotten. The new introduction by James Smythe was far more compelling than the novel itself. I can however see it playing out as film. At times, the narrative was confusing and chaotic, better suited to hearing than reading; likewise with the visualisation of scenes, messy descriptions that had me skimming over rather than attempting to visualise what was even happening – perhaps a film will articulate this better. The intent of the novel was clear though: picture a snake eating its own tail and you’ll know what this story was about.
Stan Carlisle is about as cliché as they come: white, middle-classed upbringing, suffering a case of abandoned by his mother syndrome. He grows up to be an over entitled man who thinks he can get rich quick by swindling and deceiving, blames women for his troubles, and hates all men who resemble his father. I kept reading the book out of curiosity, it did well in its day, but the author was never able to match the success with subsequent books. I’d say there were clearly slimmer pickings back in 1946 for this to have been a tremendous success!
I am familiar with the author, William Lindsay Gresham, as American poet, and writer Joy Davidman’s first husband – this novel was originally dedicated to her. She married Lewis Carroll on her deathbed and remained the great love of Carroll’s life. Gresham was not a particularly good husband, constantly having affairs, once with Joy’s own cousin in their own home whilst she was recovering from childbirth. He spent his adult life continually battling alcoholism and struggling with psychological issues – a struggle he eventually lost. Needless to say, I am more of a Davidman fan than a Gresham one.
To me, there were too many parallels between Stan and Gresham himself – I began to have difficulty as the novel progressed, separating the two and this affected my enjoyment of the novel because Stan was a despicable human being and that’s kind of the way I regard Gresham. The depiction of depression-era America was quite closely realised though, along with the rise of the Church of Spiritualism and the way in which its practitioners preyed on the lonely and the desperate – provided they were rich. Poor lonely and desperate people were of no interest to these charlatans. Ultimately, Nightmare Alley is a depressing novel. Not even a little bit horrifying or scary – clearly, I skimmed that part – and definitely not brilliant.
2.5/5
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 16, 2022
Book Review: The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
The captivating story of a trailblazing young woman who fought against incredible odds to bring one of the most important books of the twentieth century to the world. For readers of The Paris Library, The Age of Light and The Paris Wife.
PARIS, 1919.
Young, bookish Sylvia Beach knows there is no greater city in the world than Paris. But when she opens an English-language bookshop on the bohemian Left Bank, Sylvia can’t yet know she is making history.
Many leading writers of the day, from Ernest Hemingway to Gertrude Stein, consider Shakespeare and Company a second home. Here some of the most profound literary friendships blossom – and none more so than between James Joyce and Sylvia herself.
When Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Sylvia determines to publish it through Shakespeare and Company. But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous book of the century comes at deep personal cost as Sylvia risks ruin, reputation, and her heart in the name of the life-changing power of books.
Published by Hachette Australia – Headline Review
Released 25th January 2022
My Thoughts:I love biographical historical fiction, particularly when it’s literature themed. The Paris Bookseller tells the story of the birth of Shakespeare and Company, a revolutionary bookstore that first opened its doors in the early 1920s in Paris, offering a literary haven for expats, writers, and French people seeking books written in English. What initially seemed an impossible dream rapidly became a wonderous reality for Sylvia Beach, an American writer abroad, who opens the store on the bohemian Left Bank of Paris, a place where artists convene and lifestyles that are banned in other countries can be experienced without fear of persecution or condemnation. When Sylvia decides to publish the banned manuscript of Ulysses by James Joyce, the trajectory of her life is irreparably altered.
There is a lot of name dropping in this novel, which to some may feel ostentatious, but to me, is one of its greatest assets. In a place and time such as when the book was set, you get this feeling of community from the novel, all revolving around Shakespeare and Company. There were in fact a lot of American writers living in Paris throughout the 1920s, the lifestyle a complete contrast to that within America, which was intensely conservative and prohibitive. I loved the way they moved in and out of each other’s lives, some getting along, some not, but all at some point in time gravitating towards the English language bookshop on the Left Bank that was Shakespeare and Company, and its generous and inspiring owner, Sylvia Beach.
Ulysses was the only novel ever published by Shakespeare and Company and the reasons for this were both simple and complex. The relationship between James Joyce and Sylvia was intense and draining, rewarding and lifechanging, complex and familial. I was fascinated by all the ins and outs that went into publishing a novel, the complications exacerbated by the fact that it was banned, and that James Joyce seemed to have no boundaries, a man who would spend freely despite being broke and revise his novel, over and over, post typesetting, despite the expense that nearly caused the project to go under. While the novel does not demonise Joyce, one is able to read between the lines with ease and draw your own conclusions as to the type of man he was.
Sylvia was a remarkable and beautiful woman, so generous of spirit with a deep intelligence and an appreciation for literature that was all consuming. As well as being the story of Shakespeare and Company and the publishing of Ulysses, this novel is also about Sylvia’s own love story, her sexual awakening in Paris and her lifelong devotion to Adrienne Monnier. The author reminds us in the author note at the end of the novel that this is fiction and provides a bibliography of books that one can read if they are seeking the facts, but she does detail what was truth within her novel and informs us that much of it was drawn from Sylvia’s own memoir.
‘She’d taken a gamble, and it had been the right one. It had all been worth it. This moment, this book, this writer, this city.’
Facts versus fiction aside, I think the author has done a brilliant job at crafting a tribute to Sylvia, Shakespeare and Company, and Ulysses. I was transported back in time, immersed into history with vivid realisation. This is a captivating novel, and I loved every page of it. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 11, 2022
Book Review: The Maid by Nita Prose
I am your maid.
I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry.
But what do you know about me?
Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice?
But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Released 20th January 2022
My Thoughts:What an utterly delightful novel this was! Part cosy mystery, part dark comedy, part life lessons, this novel really caught me by surprise. I enjoyed it so much I missed reading it once I was finished. There was something so satisfying about sinking into the pages of this one and it’s got the honour of being my first five star read for 2022.
Molly works as a maid at a fancy hotel, living alone since her beloved grandmother died, struggling to make ends meet, and isolated socially by those around her who think she’s odd, amongst other insults. Molly’s social skills differ from the ‘norm’ and without her grandmother to interpret things for her, she finds herself in a vulnerable position, unable to see the danger lurking right in front of her and unable to read the not so good intentions of those who want to take advantage of her goodness. People assume that because her social skills are less honed, that she is stupid – so not the case!
I really enjoyed this novel and loved Molly as a character. There are many take home messages from this story, and while it is ultimately a feel-good novel, it dips in and out of these important themes with ease. Above all, never assume, you know the old adage: ASS-U-ME. The Maid is a top-notch story and I believe the film rights have already been snapped up. It would make a terrific film with the right actor in the role of Molly. A funny, heart-warming, original story that I recommend widely.
5/5
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 8, 2022
The Week That Was…
2022 Book Resolutions:
I gave up reading challenges a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back. But I have been reflecting of late on some personal reading challenges, one being, finish that series. I have a few (*a lot) series that I haven’t finished. I have all the books here on my shelf, but I’ve just never gotten around to actually finishing them. The majority of offenders are the third book in a trilogy, but I also have a few longer series that I’m only part way through. I would like to try and focus in on this and spend some of my reading time this year finishing them off.
Another personal challenge is to read more from my classics book shelf. I have some beautiful classic editions on there and each one has been bought with the intent to read, not just display. The first one I’m going to tackle is The Woman in White, a story I am familiar with, from having watched an adaptation a couple of years back, but the book has remained unread. This I will set out to address in January/February.
2022 Personal Resolutions:
I’m really not one for making New Year resolutions. However, in the spirit of oversharing, this week has been one of deep reflection for me. In March of last year, I quit my job with the Education Department and decided a change was in order. I applied for and was accepted into a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, a four year full time degree. I have since had a couple of casual jobs and have settled into working at Big W, which surprisingly (for me), I actually really like. Now, the thing is, last year, when the proposed study was just something I was doing ‘next year’, I was all for it. But next year is now this year, and after looking through the course material and thinking about the next four years of studying and how that might look in terms of the disruption to my current life, plus a lot of really deep thinking about myself and what I do and don’t want to do, the study is in the don’t want to column. And I’ve decided that I’m okay with that. I already have two degrees and further certificates. I was a career advisor for 10 years and I know the value of education. But I also know the value in being on the right pathway and wanting to do what you are doing. So I withdrew from the course and felt this enormous weight I didn’t realise I’d been carrying just float away. I have always been guilty of thinking I need to be doing more, being more, striving for more. Maybe I can finally just look at my life and how far I’ve come through so many changes in such a short time and breathe out with relief and gladness, content in the satisfaction that I am living a good life and making the most of each day as they come. I am definitely a different person now than I was in March of last year and I’ll probably be a different person again next year. And I think I’m actually okay with that.
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What Zeus has been up to:
Well, Zeus has been doing some reflecting of his own. Specifically, reflecting on the fact that just because the garage door malfunctions and opens of its own accord, you don’t need to run away. After a frantic 45 minutes of searching and panicking and crying and thinking he was surely dead from being hit by a car, I saw Zeus directly across the street walking up the neighbours stairs. I called him home, called the search party off, and called an electrician to fix that damned door. All’s well that end’s well…but even so, a little loyalty and obedience wouldn’t go astray Zeus! Here is Zeus, reflecting on his own behaviour…or reminiscing about that time he hung out at the neighbour’s house?
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What I’ve been watching:
TV has been about watching one thing with my daughter and another thing with my son. Which I love. With my son, I watched The Tourist on Stan. Very good. Plenty of plot holes, but still a great Aussie show. He loved it and we enjoyed watching it together.
With my daughter, I watched season two of Emily in Paris. We both agreed it was better than the first.
Speaking of my daughter, she flew back to Brisbane on Friday only to be informed on Saturday that the college where she lives is closing on the 16th for a month on account of the current Covid outbreak. So she will drive back home end of next week and we get her for a month at least. I can’t say I’m disappointed!
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What I’ve been reading:
This week was a disappointing one, reading wise, with these two books.
Things are looking up though with this one!
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Until next week! Stay safe, read plenty, and be happy.
January 6, 2022
Book Review: The Furies by Mandy Beaumont
Cynthia was just about to turn sixteen when the unthinkable happened. Her mother was taken away by the police, and her father left without a word three months later. After that night, Cynthia began to walk in slow circles outside the family home looking for traces of her sister Mallory – she’s sure that she must be somewhere else now, wherever that is.
Cynthia knows that she doesn’t belong here. Her mother never belonged here either. This is the place of violence. Despair. The long dry. Blood caked under the nails. Desperate men. Long silences. The place where mothers go mad in locked bedrooms, where women like Cynthia imagine better futures.
As a threatening wind begins to dry-whirl around her, seldom seen black clouds form above, roll over the golden-brown land – is that Mallory she can hear in the growling mass? In the harsh drought-stricken landscape of outback Queensland a woman can be lost in so many ways. The question is, will Cynthia be one of them?
Published by
Hachette Australia
Released 26th January 2022
My Thoughts:I did not get along well with this novel. While I appreciate the intent of this story and I also applaud the author for the boldness of it, the brutality and rage was relentless and I found the story so entirely devoid of hope, bleak to the point of desolation. It was a tough read.
The author has a unique writing style, a very different way of structuring her sentences. I think I might be a little too old school to appreciate such a break in convention. I found the technique distracting and chaotic, but perhaps that’s the point?
There are quite detailed and vivid scenes of animal cruelty throughout this novel, specifically taking place within an abattoir. There are also many scenes of sexual violence against women that are graphic and disturbing. This novel is not for everyone.
Why did I continue to read it when there were all of the above-mentioned factors pushing me to stop? It was eerily compelling and tragically familiar after having lived in the outback for 9 years. Sometimes it’s beneficial to sit outside of your comfort zone for the duration – even if it is a tough sit. Important themes prop up this story, issues pertinent to our society and the never ending cycles of violence and desperation that perpetuates from generation to generation.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 4, 2022
Book Review: Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser
Michelle de Kretser’s electrifying take on scary monsters turns the novel upside down – just as migration has upended her characters’ lives.
Lili’s family migrated to Australia from Asia when she was a teenager. Now, in the 1980s, she’s teaching in the south of France. She makes friends, observes the treatment handed out to North African immigrants and is creeped out by her downstairs neighbour. All the while, Lili is striving to be A Bold, Intelligent Woman like Simone de Beauvoir.
Lyle works for a sinister government department in near-future Australia. An Asian migrant, he fears repatriation and embraces ‘Australian values’. He’s also preoccupied by his ambitious wife, his wayward children and his strong-minded elderly mother. Islam has been banned in the country, the air is smoky from a Permanent Fire Zone, and one pandemic has already run its course.
Three scary monsters – racism, misogyny and ageism – roam through this mesmerising novel. Its reversible format enacts the disorientation that migrants experience when changing countries changes the story of their lives. With this suspenseful, funny and profound book, Michelle de Kretser has made something thrilling and new.
Published by Allen & Unwin
Released October 2021
My Thoughts:The structure of this novel was certainly interesting, although calling it a novel is a bit of a stretch. It’s more like two novellas, one set in the 1980s, another set in the future, both featuring Australian migrants. The novellas are bound into the book back to front and upside down with two different covers – intended to represent the upside-down feeling of migration.
I read Lili’s story first, set in France in the 1980s. I failed to become engaged at all with Lyle’s story and abandoned it after 50 pages. The three scary monsters – racism, misogyny, and ageism – were certainly evident throughout, so much so, I felt a little like I was being gas lighted. I have enjoyed Michelle de Kretser’s satire in the past but this time around it felt less humorous and more pointed and accusatory.
Unfortunately, my high expectations of this author were not met with Scary Monsters but I will continue to look forward to new work by Michelle de Kretser.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
