The Bird Sisters

If you're not familiar with Goodreads and you like to read I suggest you sign yourself up. Goodreads is a social network for readers with a mission  "to get people excited about reading." Members recommend books, compare what they're reading, form book clubs and occasionally get lucky like me and win an advance copy of a new book to read which they hope you'll take the time to review.

Which is how I came to read The Bird Sisters. It's the first of what I would guess to be many novels by Rebecca Rasmussen. Have I mentioned how I love reading first novels? Especially in this day and age when publishing houses take so few chances on new writers. It inspires me.

Crown was smart to choose this one. Rebecca is a wonderful writer whose prose set a time and pace that reaches all of your senses. It's one of those stories that you feel physically wrapped in, of two sisters and the events of one summer that led them to grow old together in their childhood home. It is an engaging story about life and the choices we make and one I recommend reading, not without warning you that I found a sadness to it I couldn't quite shake. So I would advise if you are looking for an uplifting, fun read this is not your book.

I''m thankful Goodreads gave me the opportunity to receive my copy. Without them I would have missed two lessons.

The first is how important a book cover is. I've been thinking about that alot lately as I plan my own. The cover  can compel someone to open the book up or pass it by, even on line. I didn't like the cover nor did I like the name Twiss, the younger of The Bird Sisters. So chances are I would not have picked this up and taken it home with me. Which brings me to my second lesson. Say yes to what you might ordinarily not. You just never know what you will find. In this case I discovered a brilliant new novelist whose stories I will now seek out.