KKs 2011 Reads

Books read with (date completed):

January
Still Life by Louise Penny (1 Jan 11) Review
England, England by Julian Barnes (8 Jan 11) Review
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (11 Jan 11) Review
Mirabilis by Susann Cokal (22 Jan 11) Review
Trespass by Rose Tremain (25 Jan 11) Review
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (29 Jan 11) Review
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali (30 Jan 11) Review

February
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (2 Feb 11) Review
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (4 Feb 11) Review
Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney (9 Feb 11) Review
The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns (12 Feb 11) Review
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (21 Feb 11) Review
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (23 Feb 11) Review

March
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (6 March 11) Review
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (10 March 11) Review
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (11 March 11) Review
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (12 March 11) Review
A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie (12 March 11) Review
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (13 March 11) Review
Life Studies by Susan Vreeland (15 March 11) Review
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (18 March 11) Review
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin (19 March 11) Review
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (20 March 11) Review
The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill (26 March 11) Review
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (29 March 11) Review

April
Something Missing by Matthew Dicks (2 April 11) Review
Haunted Ground by Erin Hart (Did Not Finish) Comments
In the Woods by Tana French (11 April 11) Review
And I Shall Have Some Peace There by Margaret Roach (Did Not Finish) Comments
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (14 April 11) Review
How To Be Cool by Johanna Edwards (Did Not Finish) Comments
Disquiet by Julia Leigh (16 April 11) Review
Without by Donald Hall (16 April 11) Review
Room by Emma Donoghue (23 April 11) Review
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (27 April 11) Review
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (30 April 11) Review

May
Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town by Chris Bohjalian (6 May 11) Review
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (7 May 11) Review
The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood (9 May 11)
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (11 May 11) Review
Silk by Alessandro Baricco (14 May 11) Review
Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson (15 May 11) Review
A Window Across the River by Brian Morton (Did Not Finish) Comments
The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie (18 May 11) Review
The Last Talk with Lola Faye by Thomas H. Cook (20 May 11) Review
Animal Farm by George Orwell (20 May 11) Review
The March by E.L. Doctorow (23 May 11) Review
Soulless by Gail Carriger (28 May 11) Review
The Lion by Nelson DeMille (31 May 11)

June
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat (4 June 11) Review
The Hustle: One Team and Ten Lives in Black and White by Doug Merlino (Did Not Finish) Comments
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (7 June 11) Review
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (12 June 11) Review
Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace (13 June 11) Review
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (18 June 11) Review
The Outlaw Sea by William Langewiesche (22 June 11) Review
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (22 June 11) Review
Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott (22 June 11) Review
Amore and Amaretti by Victoria Cosford (27 June 11) Review
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (30 June 11) Review

July
All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie (3 July 11) Review
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (4 July 11) Review
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (5 July 11) Review
The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill (14 July 11) Review
Partitions by Amit Majmudar (18 July 11) Review
The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig (28 July 11)
Emma by Jane Austen (30 July 11) Review

August
Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (2 August 11) Review
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (2 August 11) Comments
Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich (3 August 11)

I was unable to make my last book of 2010 stretch far enough, so I have started my first book of 2011 just a few hours early: Still Life by Louise Penny. I first heard of this book - and the series - here on LT, so I picked up a copy in a used bookstore. I haven't read a "cosy" mystery in quite some time, so it will be interesting to see how I like it. This will also count towards my 11 in 11 Challenge (category: "Shivers") and the January TIOLI challenge over on the 75ers group (challenge: Start a New Series). I'll be back to share my thoughts on the book when I am finished, or at least farther in than page 20!

Welcome! Good to have you with us.

Thank you!

Still Life by Louise Penny

What The murder of a well-liked denizen of Three Pines, Quebec brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache to the picturesque hamlet where… all may not be what it seems… dundunDUN…
The first in the series of Inspector Gamache mysteries.

Why I wanted a fairly easy read for a car trip, and it was my choice for the 75ers January TIOLI challenge to start a new series in the new year.

How All in all, I enjoyed this book. The “cozy” mystery is not usually a genre I read, but I wanted to try something different, and I was not disappointed. The characterization of Gamache was excellent and he was immensely likable, as was Clara Morrow. Some of the secondary characters, and the village itself in all its cuteness, came off as somewhat clichéd, but the descriptions were spot-on in bringing the people and setting to life. I am interested to see if Yvette Nichol, a trainee in the security force, returns in any of the other books – I loathed her and secretly hope she meets an untimely end.

As for the mystery/plot itself, there were plenty of red herrings to throw off a reader like me who doesn’t read a lot of mysteries, but I wonder if a die-hard mystery fan wouldn’t have it figured out well before the end. The story moved along nicely to a rather melodramatic conclusion (which felt out of keeping with the rest of this quiet, gentle read). A solid read, and one good enough to send me to the bookstore to look for the next in the series. 3 stars

hey katie, thumbed your review--good job! I'm not a mystery reader either and even though people say this is the one to read, I'm still going to pass. :o)

I almost wish I had passed because it's not a book that's going to change my life, but I have this need to read series in their totality once I start, so now I have four new books on my wish list... Guess there are worse things in life :-) Thanks for my first thumb!

Katie: I've read all of Penny's Three Pines mysteries, and quite enjoyed them all. I think you'll find that the melodramatic ending of Still Life isn't typical of the others. If you enjoy character-driven series, you will probably like these.

#8 - I am definitely planning to read the next one. The writing was so good and some of the characterizations so strong that I think there's a lot of potential in the series.

Things to look forward to:

http://www.themillions.com/2011/01/most-anticipated-the-great-2011-book-preview....

I love round-ups like this!

I am about a quarter (maybe a third) of the way into England, England by Julian Barnes. I hope it picks up soon, as so far it's a bit of a slog - funny in places but almost trying too hard to be over-the-top satire. I think (hope!) that it will improve when the story and ridiculous premise really get going.

Spent my lunch break at Half Price Books - I went to pick up Sense and Sensibility for the 75ers 2011 Austenathon January/February read. I have all of Austen's work in a six (maybe seven?) volume Oxford Illustrated set that belonged to my mother, but they are getting old and fragile, so thought I should pick up a new (used) copy. Also ended up getting Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. Then the clearance shelves called my name and I wandered over, and came out with:

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

No more lunch breaks for me, though I spent under $25!

ETA: trying to fix touchstones...

Ah, the clearance shelves at Half Price Books . . . . always calling my name.

You picked up some good reads.

>13 Talbin: Now I just have to fit them into my reading plan!

England, England is getting a bit better, but I'm just not into it. I haven't engaged with any of the characters at all and I know it's partly due to the nature of the book, but I love Christopher Buckley's satires and have no trouble there. If it weren't under 300 pages, I would just toss it and move on, but I'm practically halfway through. I guess I'll power through it and hope the next read is better.

thanks for visiting my thread. I had already visited you, and responded to your comments about Still Life (in my head at least), so didn't realize I hadn't said, Hello. We do have a lot in common--especially our propensity for traumatic childhood memoirs. ;-) Not a memoir, but in the same vein: Ellen Foster. Have you read it? We'll have to line up some of our TBR's to read together. I'm off now to begin the read-a-thon. It started 20 mins ago.

Hi Bonnie - I haven't read Ellen Foster but I will put it on the ever-growing list. Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck is one of my all-time favorite reads; one wishes it was fiction rather than a memoir, it's so sad. I'd love to do a read together - I haven't done one before but I'm willing to try it!

I used the last of my Christmas gift cards today and brought home:

Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
Born Round: A Story of Family, Food and a Ferocious Appetite by Frank Bruni
I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells
The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum
The Blue Notebook by James Levine
Thanks for the Memories by Cecilia Ahern
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
The Gates by John Connolly

After that binge, I went and got a library card (my bank account thanked me) and took out three other books that have been on my wishlist:

Mirabilis by Susann Cokal
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

About half of these have been recommendations from here on LT. I am especially excited about Await Your Reply, The Water's Edge and Little Bee.

Thanks for the link. You're starred now.

Great haul of books you got yourself for Christmas! I have not yet read Await Your Reply or Little Bee. Interested to know your thoughts when you read them. I'll second Bonnie's rec of Ellen Foster. I read that ages ago but remember liking it too. Still Life was good. I'm due to start the 3rd Three Pines book soon. Everyone here on LT says the Inspector Gamache books just keep getting better!

I have the second Gamache book and am looking forward to reading it, as I, too, have heard they get better.

England, England by Julian Barnes

What A megalomaniac billionaire decides to recreate an idealized England, and its history, on the Isle of Wight as a one-stop tourist destination.

Why For the January TIOLI Challenge on the 75ers group to read a book with a duplicate word in its title. Also highly recommended by my best friend several years ago.

How I had difficulty settling into this satirical look at identity, authenticity and nationalism. None of the characters were particularly engaging; the “heroine,” Martha Cochrane, is a rather morose and cynical figure, though she is introduced in the first chapter in an engaging and touching look at her childhood. The parts of the book dealing with the conceptualization and opening of the faux England had some wonderful, funny moments but as a whole, the book was inconsistent. There were times where I felt Barnes was trying too hard to go over the top and get his point across where I would have preferred a more subtle approach. The end of the novel provides a seeming antidote to the rest of the book but one is left to question the actual authenticity of the pastoral world to which Martha ultimately retreats. It is easy to imagine another megalomaniac billionaire coming along and marketing Anglia as the next big thing. England, England is a study of the inherent paradox of trying to construct an authentic existence, especially in a post-modern society more concerned with personal comfort and convenience than genuine interaction with the world around it.

Because I think I might have enjoyed this book more at a different time, and because it was laugh out loud funny in (too few) parts, I am giving it a hopeful 3 stars and keeping it on my shelves for a possible re-read.

>21 katiekrug:, Sounds like an amusing set up for a book. Too bad it didn't work out for you! Kind of reminds me of the Holy Land Experience in Florida, where someone has attempted to recreate a bunch of sacred sites from Israel. Fabulously tacky; I dream of one day going there.

>22 fannyprice: I struggled with the review (almost as much as with the book!). I wanted to be fair, and I really think I'd like it better at another time.

I'll be interested in your thoughts on Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter since it's on my wishlist, and on Still Missing, because I've been considering it, but am not decided.

Happy Reading!

>24 citygirl: Hi Citygirl! I have just started Still Missing so should be able to review it in a few days. I wasn't sure about it either, but grabbed it at the library when I saw it. Not sure I would have bought it...

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

What Told through her sessions with a therapist, Still Missing is the story of Annie who is abducted, held in a remote cabin for over a year suffering daily abuse, and finally escapes. It is the story of her captivity and her return to "normal" life.

Why I can't remember where I first heard about this book but it was probably here on LT. I picked up a copy when I saw it at my library. I was in the mood for something that would keep my attention and be an easy read.

How It was an easy read, but not a fun one. The descriptions of what Annie goes through while being held captive were very disturbing and hard to read in parts. The book kept my attention and kept me turning the pages because it is well-paced and riveting in parts. The writing is adequate but it was quite obviously a work done by a first-time author. The characters were not well-developed and I did not find myself engaging with any of them. Even Annie came across as fairly one-dimensional. The "twist" at the end felt kind of forced. I don't think it was needed; the book would have been stronger if it focused on Annie's experience and recovery rather than trying to be suspenseful or surprising. All in all, a great premise that didn't live up to its potential. 3 stars .

It was an easy read, but not a fun one.

Hope your next one is a more satisfying 5-Stars. Good review though. I always find it more difficult to post my comments about the books I don't like.

21: England as Disneyland, huh? I can't decide whether I'll like the main character and/or the book yet or not. Good review yet.

>27 L-Anne: Louanne - My year hasn't gotten off to an "adequate" start but I am definitely looking forward to one of those books that just pulls you in and won't let go!

>28 bonniebooks: Bonnie - It's a great premise for a book and had some incredibly funny moments. If you see it super cheap or at the library, give it a try.

Thanks, katie. I'll skip Still Missing. Yay! It's like saving money, a book I don't have to read, to make room for those I do.

>30 citygirl: - Definitely not worth the time with so many other great options out there.

My first three books of the year have all been similar in that they were good enough to finish but during and after the read, I kind of felt like I had wasted time on books that weren't worthy when there are so many out there that are! At least Still Life introduced me to a new series and I have been told they get better as the series moves on.

Hi, katie. I hate to hear about disappointed readers, so I've taken the liberty of perusing your "Favorites" and I've come up with a list of books I think you'll like, some of which you've probably already read. I've read most of these in the past 3 years, since I joined LT.

Katherine by Anya Seton
Tana French, start with In the Woods
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George
The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, Alias Grace, and The Robber Bride.

I won't be offended if you take none of my unsolicited recommendations.

ETA: Rebecca

>32 citygirl: Citygirl: That is so thoughtful! I actually own all of them except the Niffenegger (I do have Her Fearful Symmetry) and the George, but have only read Alias Grace. I'll definitely be reading In the Woods and The Help sooner rather than later. I've just started a book that's due back at the library soon - Mirabilis by Susann Cokal (historical fiction set in 14th c. France). I'm only 30 pages in but I think it's going to be a good one. After that, I am planning to do a group read of Sense and Sensibility, but plans may change as I know I'll have more luck reading what fits my mood rather than what fits a particular challenge.

Thanks again for your suggestions - I will definitely be referring back to this post!

ETA: I'm an idiot - I thought you were signing off as "Rebecca" but just saw it was a touchstone and you meant it as a suggestion...

Just placed an order with Amazon for some books on my wishlist:

Parrot and Olivier in America - less than $10
The Imperfectionists - less than $8
The Wet Nurse's Tale
The Invisible Bridge - less than $16 for hardcover!
Forty Words for Sorrow - $6
The Bookseller of Kabul

Very excited to add these to the already over-crowded TBR shelves :-)

I've added The Imperfectionists and Forty Words for Sorrow to my wishlist. The Bookseller of Kabul is wonderful, and eye-opening. It'll make you mad.

How is Mirabilis going?

I am enjoying Mirabilis but I'm not sure what to say about it. It's a strange story, but I really like the writing and some of the imagery. So far, it's definitely better than my last three reads... I feel like I am actually using my brain while reading it.

Mirabilis by Susann Cokal

What A gorgeous, lush story of 14th century France, rife with sensuality, miracles, heresy and magic. It’s the story of Bonne, a wet nurse on the fringes of society, who becomes the savior of her town during a famine.

Why This one had been on my list of books to read for a long time. Don’t remember where I first heard about it. Fits into my 11 in 11 challenge for historical fiction.

How My first really good read of the year, Mirabilis is a beautifully written, intriguing story of religion and superstition. There is a lot going on in the book – purported miracles, rumored heresy, famine, healing, mischief and devotion – and it would be difficult to do justice to the story here. There are three primary voices in the book, and they weave together into a vivid tapestry depicting the society and environment of medieval France. The descriptions of place are very strong, and the character development is well done. Some of the details are very explicit, though not gratuitous, and for me, made the story come that much more alive; some readers, however, might be turned off. 4 stars

I started Trespass by Rose Tremain yesterday. It's my first book of hers and I am enjoying it. It's a bit slow at first but I can tell it's building to something and I love how it's taking its time. I only hope the pay off (whatever it is) doesn't disappoint.

I hate coming to the end of an excellent book - I feel so much pressure to pick exactly the right one next... I had to tear myself away from the last 20 pages of Trespass to get showered and dressed for work (work is SO inconvenient) and then spent the drive to work mentally reviewing my TBR shelves to see what I would pick up next. Trespass is pretty intense so I am probably going to go for something lighter...

#39 Oh my goodness Katie.... I SO do that! I have a 45 min drive to and from work and I mentally scroll my TBR books to decide what to pick next :)

I am glad you really liked Trespass I have been wanting to read that one for awhile, so I am curious to see your review or thoughts....which ever one you do :)

>40 curlysue: Good to know I'm not the only one!

Hope to have my thoughts and/or review up tonight after I finish the book. Unless something major changes my feelings, it'll be a positive post.

Trespass by Rose Tremain

In a nutshell: A beautiful and haunting novel of lives and memories disrupted by the trespass of truth and secrets.

There is a good range of reviews on Trespass here on LT; it seems most people either love it or hate it. I am in the former camp. While it’s true that most of the characters have few, if any, redeeming characteristics, I still found myself drawn in and caring about them. This is a dark, lyrical book where the bleached landscape is mirrored in the lives of the four main characters who seem to be bleached of all happiness. I don’t want to call it grim, because it isn’t; it is infused with melancholy and lost opportunities but in the absence of innocence and contentment in these lives, one is left with the knowledge of what is good and true in one’s own. 5 stars

>43 katiekrug:: I can't get the book cover image to appear... oh, well!

To counteract the darkness and intensity of Trespass, I have picked up The Secret History of the Pink Carnation which I have had on my TBR shelves for a few years. It's light and frothy and exactly what I need.

nice thoughts on Trespass Katie....now I am really looking forward to reading it :)

Katie, try these two threads, I found them VERY helpful when I want to post links or pictures etc. :)

Basic HTML started by TadAD here

Things Every Woman (and Man) Should Know About HTML and other techie questions answered started by christiguc here

I hope they help :) Kara

>46 curlysue: Thanks, Kara. I've had no problems doing images in my posts before (once I learned how), so I am thinking maybe the URL I grabbed was bad or something.

Yes, do read Trespass - so good!

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

In a nutshell: A cute historical romance centered on English spies in the Napoleonic era.

I picked this one up after a rather intense read of Trespass; all I was looking for was an engaging piece of mind candy, and Pink Carnation certainly fit the bill. It is primarily a historical romance, though some chapters follow a contemporary grad student doing research on the historical characters. Those parts felt unnecessary to me, but the author was a grad student in English history, so maybe she wanted to write herself into the story. Anyway, there isn't much in the way of mystery or surprises and the romance is nothing one can't find in a million other books. What I did rather enjoy was the wry and sometimes sarcastic sense of humor of several of the characters. Also, the secondary characters were a lot of fun - I think I enjoyed them more than the protagonists. This is the first in a series, and I may look for the second at the library when I find myself in need of fluff. 3 stars

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali, with Delphine Minoui

In a nutshell: A true account of one young Yemeni girl's quest for justice.

Nujood is 9 or 10 (no one can tell her for sure when she was born) when her father marries her off to a man three times her age. After a few months of sexual and physical abuse, she escapes and petitions for a divorce. That part of her story is shocking enough, but equally shocking is that this young girl found the strength inside herself to expose what was going on and demand justice in a very conservative Muslim country where girls rarely go to school, much less have a voice.

It's an interesting story and a quick read - I think it is intended as a YA book - though not particularly well-written. Whether that is the fault of the translator or Nujood's young voice, I don't know. Definitely worth reading, especially for those with an interest in international womens rights and/or understanding other cultures. 3 stars

I'll be starting Sense and Sensibility tonight for the first book in the 75 Books group's Austenathon group reads.

I got a very rare day off from work today due to the ice storm here in Dallas. I plan to make good progress on Sense and Sensibility and maybe break it up with a shorter, easy read. I am also enjoying the apocalyptic local news coverage - the airport is closed! the roads are icy! how will the Packers and Steelers get to Cowboy Stadium for media day?!? It's hilarious.

Enjoy your day off!

When the Hurricanes came through Florida back in 2004 all we heard were the words "hunker down" ......understandable at the time; we were pounded that year by 3 major named storms .......

now severe storm warnings cause the same panic....news coverage can be so doomsday

media day? god forbid they miss that :)

Thanks, Kara. Wasn't I just raving about the beautiful weather here over the weekend?! Gotta love North Texas...

Where in Florida are you? My husband is from Hollywood and we visit at least once a year. And he is always comparing the weather there to here :-)

Deltona....

32 miles north of Orlando and about 30 min from Daytona Beach

Hollywood is a little south of me :).....maybe 4-5 hours? I used to live in West Palm Beach when I was a teenager

Got another snow (ice) day tomorrow. I'll be finishing up S&S (which I would have finished today if I hadn't done some work) and then it's on to something new!

This is one huge storm - I have a day off too, and I'm on the southern edge of Ontario.

Third day off from work tomorrow. This is crazy - I can do work from home but it's hard to concentrate. I spent most of today curled up with S&S. I am supposed to fly to Houston for work on Friday, but there may be snow in the forecast. Who woulda thunk it in Texas?

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

In a nutshell: Not Austen’s best, but a fine and entertaining introduction to her work.

I really enjoyed my first reading of Sense and Sensibility, despite being familiar with it through the Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet film. This was Austen’s first published work and a good introduction to the themes and ideas that concern her most. The characterization is very strong without endless descriptions and explanations. The dialogue and actions of the characters provide us all the detail we need to know what Austen wants us to know about each. The minor characters are especially entertaining – selfish Fanny, spineless John Dashwood, vulgar but loveable Mrs. Jennings, and mean-spirited, sneaky Lucy. There is some wonderful commentary in the novel; my favorite line:

”Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition.”

And another favorite:

”…and because they were fond of reading, she fancied them satirical; perhaps without exactly knowing what it was to be satirical; but that did not signify. It was censure in common use, and easily given.”

I won’t go into the Elinor vs. Marianne, sense vs. sensibility arguments. This was my first reading and I read mainly with an eye to the plot and characters. A second reading will provide better opportunity for deeper reflection. 4 stars

Katie - Catching up here. I happen to have some things in common with your husband. I'm also from Hollywood, FL and now living in TX. I'm in Houston (and it is supposed to snow here tonight, last I heard. Good luck with your flight!)

>59 dchaikin: Hi there, Dan. Small world! I see you are a geologist/geophysicist (and in our common books is a copy of The Prize by Daniel Yergin) - are you in the oil and gas industry, by chance? I work for the Society of Petroleum Engineers and am headed to Houston for an Offshore Technology Conference Board meeting, so I was just wondering what field you were in...

Thanks for stopping by my thread!

Katie

Katie - Yes, I'm way upstream. I work for a seismic company as a seismic processor/interpreter. It does seem like a small world at the moment. (The Prize is a favorite book of mine, by the way.)

I haven't read The Prize cover to cover. I dip into it now and then.

My husband is actually interested in what the industry is doing with seismic and how it compares/relates to his work with signal data processing (must be something in the water in Hollywood...).

ETA to fix touchstone, which is only giving me a romance novel called "The Prize"... oh, well.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

In a nutshell: Strong sophomore effort in the Inspector Gamache series.

I read Penny’s first mystery, Still Life, at the start of the year, and while I thought it was good, I didn’t really understand all the rave reviews of the series I had heard. But after finishing the second in the series, I am starting to understand. While I had some complaints about this one, they were minor and were far outweighed by the beautiful writing and imagery. A Fatal Grace is much darker than Still Life, but the darkness is broken up by startling rays of light provided by the goodness and fellowship of some of the denizens of Three Pines.

The mystery in A Fatal Grace is intriguing, but I found myself more caught up in the mystery surrounding Gamache’s past and the machinations against him from his superiors. This tangle was first hinted at in Still Life but there is much more of it in A Fatal Grace, and I look forward to learning more in the third book. My thanks to those on LT who encouraged me to stay with the series after my initial blah reaction. I plan to acquire #3 as soon as possible. 4 stars

#62 Katie - Ha! We (he and I) have parallel lives. This thing in the water, I wasn't aware of it before. I don't know of another person from my childhood with an oil, geologic or physics/mathematical connection (well, not from the Hollywood part, anyway).

58 - I just finished up S&S as well and enjoyed your review.

>62 katiekrug: Dan - I made it to Houston yesterday (thank you, Southwest!) and back this evening. Hope you were able to avoid the ice - it was pretty much gone by the time I got there. Let me know if you want a free pass to OTC in May - we cover seismic :-)

>58 katiekrug: Thank you!

#62 Katie, Funny that you were able to fly in, and I wasn't willing to drive on highway. :) The ice kept me home on Friday. I'll pm you about OTC.

I am currently reading Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney. I spent a week and a half in Egypt a few years ago and had an amazing time. With all the turmoil there now, I've been thinking about it a lot so it seemed like the right time to pick this book up. So far, it's pretty good.

Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman’s Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney

In a nutshell: Interesting travelogue evocative of modern Egypt but lacking some depth.

Rosemary Mahoney does an excellent job of depicting the experience of being a foreigner, especially a woman, in Egypt. The overly helpful and solicitous Egyptians who ask a lot of questions and the overly familiar (bordering on inappropriate) comments of Egyptian men who seem to look on foreign women as an entity wholly “other” from Egyptian or other Muslim women are perfectly captured here. I visited Egypt in 2007 – business in Cairo and then a short vacation cruising up the Nile from Luxor to Aswan – and Mahoney’s narrative brought back many memories. (If interested, I’ve posted some photos on the gallery in my profile.)

The book is about the author’s attempt to row down the Nile from Aswan to Qena, and the difficulties inherent for an American woman in doing so – from trying to buy a boat to avoiding the authorities who would prevent her from making the trip. She intersperses the story with excerpts from, and reflections on, the letters and diaries of other visitors to Egypt, most notably Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert in the 19th century. She also includes stories of her previous visits to Egypt and its various tourist destinations.

I enjoyed this book mostly because of my own experience in the country and because I could draw parallels between her impressions and mine. I think the book would also be a good source for understanding parts of Egyptian culture for people planning to travel there (current turmoil not withstanding). I expected it to be more of a memoir, to provide insight into Mahoney’s impulse to attempt a difficult journey, and to gain a better understanding of who she is and what drives her. Instead, the book is more of a straight travelogue with occasional insights into what she gained from the experience. And in that sense, the book was somewhat of a disappointment. But there were wonderful parts that certainly made it worth reading – especially the relationship she develops with Amr, a Nubian falucca (the traditional sail boat) captain who assists her at the start of her endeavor. As a person who has been blessed to travel far and wide and to a variety of interesting places, I liked and agreed with her final sentences: “Travel never makes one cheerful. But it makes one thoughtful. It washes one’s eyes and clears away the dust.” 3.5 stars

ETA: balky touchstone...grr...

Katie - enjoyed your review. The book sounds interesting, although the final lines are curious...really "never"?

>70 dchaikin: Dan: I travel mostly for work which does not lend itself to being cheerful, at least in my case. I think one can enjoy, learn from, and appreciate travel and all the experiences inherent in it, but there is also so much stress, uncertainty and discomfort (physical and mental) involved that I don't think one can be truly "cheerful." Even at Disney Land - what with all the screaming children :-) One of my favorite places was Bangkok - fascinating city, warm and lovely people, no hiccups on the trip, and I want to go back. But I was never cheerful there; happy, yes, but cheerful to me is something entirely different.

Travel is stressful, but I must balk at "never". I've had those wonderful moments while traveling, where I was past (or between) the stress. It depends how comfortable you are able to get where ever you are. (My honeymoon to Florence, the opposite extreme of Egypt alone by skiff (!), "cheerful" is a very bland word for that experience.)

Ooh, I loved Florence. I guess there are always moments, even hours where I am cheerful, but if I look back on each trip, the sum total does not add up to cheer. Maybe I'm just not a cheery person :-)

I am working my way through The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns. I thought this would be a fairly quick read, as I expected a straightforward mystery/suspense story, but it is so much more than that! I am really enjoying it.

The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns

In a nutshell: Creepy and well-executed exploration of a small town’s descent into suspicion and hysteria.

The Church of Dead Girls has been languishing on my shelves since 2004 – I don’t know why, it was just one of those books that never made it to the top of my TBR list. Had I known what I was missing, I would have gotten to it a lot sooner.

I picked it up a few days ago, expecting a typical mystery/suspense story. And while all the elements of that kind of novel are present, this book is much more. It is narrated by a man who protects his solitude, so while a part of the town, he is also apart from it. This allows the reader to understand the setting and characters from a near perspective, while also seeing it all from a certain remove. As young teenage girls go missing, the citizens of Aurelius, New York begin to look upon one another with increasing suspicion and a touch of hysteria descends on the town. At first, outsiders are blamed, anyone different from the established norm, but as the mystery deepens, neighbors begin to look askance at one another and families are divided.

While the mystery aspect is solid, and the suspense builds well, I was most taken with the portrait of the town and its people and their disintegration, as the community turns on itself. Dobyns does it with a light and subtle hand, so that the evolution is natural and understandable, but still haunting. 4 stars

I've picked up Life Studies by Susan Vreeland and will soon be starting The Awakening by Kate Chopin for my RL book club. I've got a business trip next week with 28 hours of flying time (roundtrip and not counting lay-overs), so I hope to get some good reading in then. I always find it hard, though, to choose books for trips - what if none of them appeal to me at the time, or don't keep me engaged, or....??? Such pressure!

Kindle, kk, kindle. Business trips will never be the same.

>77 fannyprice: - I've been seriously considering a Kindle for just this reason, but am not quite ready to take the leap!

Woo hoo! Free book in the mail! I got my first ever Early Reviewers book in the mail today. There is nothing like opening up the mail box to see a big package and knowing I didn't spend a dime. The book is The Hustle, a nonfiction account of race and class divisions in Seattle. It looks pretty good...

79 - I just got that one too. Will be looking forward to your thoughts.

>80 janemarieprice: - And I to yours! I probably won't get to it for a while, though...

One of the local school districts is holding its annual used book sale this weekend. I was there as soon as they opened this morning, and scored three big bags full of books, including near-perfect hardcovers of:

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Heir to the Glimmering World by Cynthia Ozick
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

What a great book day!

And I will probably go back tomorrow when you can fill up a paper bag for $10 :-)

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

In a nutshell: Lush, evocative writing is not enough to save this one for me.

I wanted to like The Awakening, I really did. As a strong, independent woman, I know it is my duty to celebrate others like me, whether real or fictional. But good Lord, Edna Pontellier has got to be one of the most unsympathetic, frustrating, and annoying heroines in all of literature.

Yes, her husband is a boor, her life is a bore, and she feels stifled. I can understand that and sympathize with it, and I applauded her small declarations of independence. What I could not get past, though, was the never ending internal struggle and swings of mood and emotion from one extreme to the other. I think this book is less a classic of feminist fiction and more an early exploration of bipolarity.

I will say no more so as not to give anything away. The novella is beautifully written, with incredibly evocative descriptions of place, home, weather, etc. The strength and beauty of the writing earned this one an extra star for that alone, bumping it up from a paltry two. 3 stars

I'm headed off to the airport shortly for the first leg of my trip to the UAE. Experience tells me I'll have very little free time while I'm away, so I'll see y'all next week!

I remember having mixed feelings about The Awakening too. It's such a small book, I should read it again. I'm curious, who do you think is bipolar? The author or the main character?

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Category: Facts

In a nutshell: Riveting account of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster.

Jon Krakauer was a member of one of the groups caught in a sudden storm on Mt. Everest in May 1996. He was on assignment for a magazine, and this story benefits from both his mountaineering and journalistic experience. This book was, for me, a classic page-turner, and I zipped through it on a flight from Dallas to London, with plenty of time to spare. Krakauer’s descriptions of the mountain, the snow, the climbing, and the intense cold give the reader a feeling of “you are there, ” and his account of what happened when a blizzard suddenly came upon the dozens of people at or near the peak is gripping. His own sense of guilt and sadness provide a human dimension to the narrative and help to reinforce the power of the story. 4 stars

"Riveting" is really the key word, isn't it?! I loved that book, and I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to go out into the cold, even if it's only a few steps to get the mail.

>87 bonniebooks: - I thought his descriptions of the cold and the physical toll the climbing took on his body were just incredible.

Have you read any of his other books? I have not and am wondering if they could be nearly as good, in that I think a lot of the power of Into Thin Air was due to the fact that he was there and experienced it - he wasn't just reporting on it after the fact.

>85 bonniebooks: - Bonnie, just saw this message from you last week. I thought Edna, the main character, was a classic example of bipolarity. All those emotional extremes, the paralysis of indecision, etc, etc. It just screamed it at me, but maybe I read too much into it.

Unfortunately, I didn't get as much reading done on my trip as I had hoped. Airplanes seem to have a soporific effect on me, and my eyelids grow heavy rather quickly and the next thing I know, I am waking up. So I started and finished Into Thin Air and started Fingersmith, which I am enjoying greatly. I have a lot of good reads lined up for March that I am eager to get to, but I am really savoring Waters' novel.

>89 katiekrug:: It just screamed it at me, but maybe I read too much into it.

I know what you mean, I see modern diagnoses even in old stories. I remember reading one version of the story of St. Francis and thinking he had some symptoms associated with being in a manic state. I asked whether you thought it was the author or the character, because a lot of artists, including authors, seem to suffer from this illness. For example, the author Kaye Gibbon has admitted to being bi-polar. She wrote a book, Ellen Foster, which is a favorite of mine, but in some of her other books you can hear the mania, and in others you can feel the depression.

P.S. Fingersmith is a fun read!

>91 bonniebooks: - There was a long introduction to the work by some professor that I skipped, meaning to go back and read it after I read the book, but I never did. I may do that this weekend and see if there is anything in there about possible parallels.

And I am LOVING Fingersmith.

I caved and purchased a Kindle today - I think I'll use it primarily for "lighter" fare: chick lit, mysteries, spy thrillers, etc. When reading more literary stuff, I like to be able to flip back to previous chapters and I don't think that will be as easy on an e-reader. Plus, I usually want to keep those books for possible rereads in the future... We'll see how much use I get out of it. The hubby is pretty interested in using it, as well, so hopefully between the two of us, it won't just gather dust!

I will be participating in the "Mega" Readathon this weekend, which is running from 5pm EST Friday to 5pm EST Sunday over on the 75ers threads. The hubby will be gone all day tomorrow, and I have zero plans except to finish unpacking and do laundry, so this first foray into the readathons should be fun! I'll post reviews here of any books I manage to finish - hope to get through the second half of Fingersmith and to knock off a couple of mysteries for Mystery March.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

In a nutshell: Heartbreaking but life-affirming young adult novel.

If I Stay is the story of Mia, a seventeen year old musician in Oregon who, after a horrible car accident, finds herself in the space between life and death, forced to choose whether to hold on or to let go. The novel shifts between Mia’s experiences outside her body – able to see the results of the accident, know what happened, see her friends’ and family’s reactions and vigils at the hospital – and her memories of life before the accident. Forman gives us a picture of a somewhat unconventional family, one bound by love and acceptance of each other. It’s a beautiful portrait, but I found the sections describing the hours after the accident the most gripping. The idea that sometimes a victim is allowed to choose whether to live or to die, in a part of reality invisible to us, was wonderfully explored, and the horror of what happened to this young woman and her family is ultimately tempered by the reader’s knowledge of all that she still has to live for. 4 stars

So according to the UPS website, my Kindle has been delivered and will be waiting for me when I get home from work. And then I'll be waiting for hubby to get home to help me figure it out.

I am currently in the midst of three books - a new experience for me, as I don't usually have more than one going at the same time.

I put Fingersmith aside after this weekend because it is not the kind of book I want to dip in and out of; I want to give it all my attention in long stretches of time. Luckily, I am taking a few days off this week and next, and have the weekend, to really savor the last third or so.

I have been dipping in and out of Life Studies, a collection of short stories by Susan Vreeland. It's fine, no great shakes, but perfect when I want just a little something. I may try to always have a short story collection going for just this purpose...

And, finally, I am about halfway through White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi, which is the oddest book I have read in a long time. The story, the structure, the narrative voices - all very odd. I almost gave up on it after the first 50 pages, but my perseverance seems to be paying off, as I am starting to enjoy it a bit more. Or am just getting used to it.

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

In a nutshell: Challenging novel of psychological horror that will stay with me.

I don’t really know what to say about this odd little novel. It tells the story of Miranda Silver, a British girl afflicted with all sorts of problems from the physical to the mental, her twin brother Eliot, the house they inhabit in Dover, England, and the ghosts of their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. The house is a malevolent force and so much a character in the book that it gets its own narrative voice. There are, in fact, multiple narrators here, and most of them are unreliable. The narrative perspective changes often, as does the time, so that the reader is left to figure out if the story has advanced or moved back. In reading other reviews, I found some of them contradictory to each other and to what I thought had happened – Oyeyemi obviously is playing with time and perspective and the reader never does get a handle on the story as a whole. Reading this book is like trying to read through a prism or pieces of fractured glass. I felt like I was always missing something, some fragment that would make sense of it all. That being said, the imagery in the book is wonderful – very rich and textured, and the sense of foreboding and horror build nicely. I struggled with the first half but settled in for the second and was rewarded. Though still confused. 3.5 stars

Enjoyed your review of white is for Witching. Dover is a good setting for such a novel, one of the most depressing places in England I think.

Thanks, baswood. I have not been to Dover but if it is grim, then it is a good setting....

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

In a nutshell: Rollickingly fun ride through Victorian melodrama.

Fingersmith started off a little slow for me, like the beginning of a roller coaster as it slowly makes its first ascent; and then it just takes off, sweeping down and around the twists and turns, up and down, until one can do nothing but enjoy the ride. There are over a hundred reviews of the book here on LT alone, so I’ll just say that the historical detail, world-building of Victorian London, and intense atmosphere more than made up for any slight flaws that I felt existed (for instance, the first real twist in the plot wasn’t difficult to anticipate), and I only took so long to finish this one because I didn’t want it to end. 4.5 stars

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Mohsin Hamid’s novella takes the form of a single monologue, delivered by a Pakistani man named Changez, to an American stranger in a café in Lahore. At first, it is a seemingly straight forward narrative of Changez’s success in realizing the American dream – attending Princeton, landing a lucrative job at a prestigious financial firm in New York, and falling in love with a beautiful American woman. As the narrative progresses, and the tension builds, we learn of Changez’s inner turmoil after 9/11, how his life and perspective are changed and challenged.

Nostalgia emerges as a theme early on and is carried throughout the novella. The grip of memory, of what once had been, is a destructive force here, as Hamid seems to be commenting on the danger of looking too much backward. The truth of what is, and what was, is not always universal. This is most clear in Changez’s relationship with Erica, a classmate with whom he falls in love, but who remains out of his reach, devoted to the memory of her first love who has died.

The monologue is interspersed with Changez’s reassurances to the American who exhibits some wariness, suspicion and discomfort at various times during their evening together. It is in these brief asides that I found the central tension – that two people, sitting in the same place at the same time, can view the same action or observe the same situation but see it completely differently. Experience colors everything and contributes to misunderstanding and distrust. The abrupt ending only reinforces this idea, as the way in which the reader will fill in the blank depends very much on personal perspective and bias.

When I first finished this book, my initial reaction was apathetic – interesting story, well-done narrative, but I don’t like it as much as I am “supposed” to. In thinking on it more, however, I’ve come to appreciate what Hamid was attempting and how he succeeded. The story made me uncomfortable and frustrated me, but it made me think and gave me insight to a perspective much different from my own. 4 stars

#101 katie, intrigued by your review of The reluctant fundamentalist. I am going to check it out.

>102 baswood: It's well worth reading, baswood!



A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
In a nutshell: Enjoyable first entry in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma Jones mystery series.

There was nothing very surprising or groundbreaking here, just a solid, enjoyable mystery introducing Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, and his Sergeant, Gemma Jones. I think I may have developed a little crush on Kincaid – he is smart, dryly humorous, and has toffee-colored hair. Three pluses in my book. I believe the series now numbers around 13, and I look forward to reading more. One note: this was the first book I read on my new Kindle and was a perfect page-turner (button-pusher?) for the format. 3 stars

The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

“(They) scraped with their tiny tools at the surface of the hidden world, hoping for what? To find a microscopic tracing of buried life. Life turned to stone.”

Daisy is an ordinary woman whose life story is told through a third person narration, occasionally alternating with Daisy’s own perspective and that of family and friends, as well as through letters written to her. Throughout the book, we see her life through others’ eyes and as it went on, I began to see this as the central theme of the book – how a woman’s life is framed by others’ perceptions and experiences of her and how she can maintain her own identity in those circumstances. Loneliness and numbness and the transience of existence are explored, not only through Daisy’s story but through those of some of the secondary characters.

The novel is broken up into several sections; interestingly, the section on “Motherhood” is broken up into several sub-parts, which brought to mind the fragmentation of a woman’s life – wife, mother, friend, etc., and the subsuming of the whole person to these various roles. And in the last section, “Death”, Daisy’s life is reduced to a recitation of lists, a few recipes, and scraps of conversation among her family who never seem to truly have known who she was.

A few favorite passages:

“Is this what love is, he wonders, this substance that lies so pressingly between them, so neutral in color yet so palpable it need never be mentioned? Or is love something less, something slippery and odorless, a transparent gas riding through the world on the back of a breeze, or else – and this is what he more and more believes – just a word trying to remember another word.”

“In turn it perceives nothing of her, not her history, her name, her longings, nothing – which is why she is able to love it as purely as she does, why she has opened her arms to it, taking it as it comes…”

“So much had happened, so many spoken words and collapsed hours, the rooms of his life filling and emptying and never guessing at the shape of their outer walls, their supporting beams and rough textured siding….. There are chambers, he knows, in the most ordinary lives that are never entered, let alone advertised, and yet they lie pressed against the consciousness like leaf specimens in an old book.”

“… hurling herself at the emptiness she was handed at birth. In the void she finds connection, and in the connection another void – a pattern of infinite regress which is heartbreaking to think of – and yet it pushes her forward, it keeps her alive.”

Shields writes with grace and a subtle depth of feeling that grows as the story advances. There is a lot to reflect on in this novel, and I have only touched on a bit of it. I have not done justice to a beautiful book that pulled me in from the beginning. 5 stars

I think you're smart to put Fingersmith aside until you can spend some extended time with it; it's such a fun/great story to get immersed in.

I love what you said about Stone Diaries; it makes me want to go back and read it even though it was one of the Booker Prize books (or was it the Pullitzer?) that just didn't move me. I remember I felt such distance from the main character, and those quotes remind me why.

Thanks, Bonnie. I believe it won the Pulitzer. I know what you mean about feeling distant from the main character; I found it a little off-putting at first, but then I just got kind of immersed in the book, and that distance seemed to take on significance. It made what I felt Shields was trying to do more real to me, if that makes any sense...

Yes, it does--and that's why I think I should go back and read it. I'm a very emotional reader, so usually much prefer a book that's written in first-person, but the idea that all these other people had their own perspective of Daisy appeals to me now as I'm getting older. I was just with my 2 sons and my mother this weekend, and a couple of times I thought about how much we hold on to our own perspectives of important events in our lives.

Sounds like it could be a good time to give it another read!

I am planning on participating in a group read of Jane Eyre in April over on the 75ers group. I found this article interesting. I am more of a Jane girl, myself, and though I have not yet read any of Anne Bronte's work, it seems she is a little too easily dismissed by the article's author.

Katie, catching up - wonderful review of The Reluctant Fundamentalist - makes me want to read it. Several other nice reviews here too. Glad you posted excerpts from The Stone Diaries, enjoyed them.

About Krakauer - I've read Into Thin Air and two other of his books and found them excellent. He gets carried away in his subjects and projects himself into them, and for me this works. Into the Wild is my favorite book by him. Under the Banner of Heaven serves, if nothing else, as an introduction to Mormonism where the that word, "riveting," is most appropriate.

I didn't like that dismissal either, but it's true, from my pov that Anne's books lack the je ne sais quoi of JE and WH, that thing that makes the story live inside of you. Anne was good and definitely worth reading, but a bit humorless and moralizing. I wonder how she and Emily got along.

I am so ridiculously pleased when people stop by and comment on my thread - thanks to you both!

Dan - I definitely think Hamid's book is worth reading. Thanks for the notes on Krakauer - I have both of the ones you mention and hope to get to at least one of them this year. Sounds like I can't really go wrong with either.

Citygirl - I have Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall on the TBR shelves. Would you recommend one over the other?

Life Studies by Susan Vreeland

In a nutshell: Mixed bag of stories with some beautiful images and languages.

Susan Vreeland has established her own cottage industry in writing fiction based on the lives and works of famous artists. The first half of this book contains stories in a similar vein, while the second half is focused primarily on regular people discovering the power of art and artistic creation. Some of these stories worked better than others - in particular, one focused on Modigliani’s daughter and one on a young girl exposed for the first time to death and to art were very moving. Unfortunately, more of the stories felt rushed and somehow incomplete.

I actually started this book in February and would dip into it now and then. I can’t tell if it would have had a bigger impact on me taken as a whole, and perhaps I did not give it enough of my attention. As I said, some of the stories were lovely, and all of them were well-written but none have really stayed with me. Still, an interesting take on the role of art in illuminating the ordinary of the everyday.
3 stars

katie, it's been many years since I read Agnes Grey and I had a good impression of it. Strangely enough I read it before JE or WH. I read the TofWH late last year and very much liked it. It was controversial at the time because of the subject matter (it was deemed inappropriate for ladies!) and some of the details given, which for some reason were shocking at the time. But there's no way to transport your brain back to the early 19th century rural England, so...??? Charlotte didn't like it and was dismissive of it; maybe she felt it was airing the family laundry as Anne used/was inspired by their brother Branson (the Charlie Sheen of their shire) for a character study and was the incentive for the polemic tone of the novel.

Geez. I know more than I think I do.

109 - Ooh, can you direct me to the group read. I could stand a reread since I didn't last year (I usually read it every year).

>115 janemarieprice: Hi Jane - The group read thread is here. Join us! I haven't read it in at least 5 years...

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

In a nutshell: Perfect young adult fantasy.

This was my first book by Neil Gaiman, and I loved it. Loved, loved, loved it. In Nobody (Bod) Owens, Gaiman has created an endearing portrait of childhood with all its attendant inquisitiveness, humor, curiousity, fear, and sweetness. Bod exists in a charming world – a graveyard – populated with wonderfully imagined characters, and I love how Gaiman brought it all to life (no pun intended!). While there is darkness and suspense in this story, it is more than balanced out by the humor and love with which Bod is surrounded. I laughed out loud, and teared up, at various times, and did not want the story to end. And it was such a bittersweet ending, a perfect conclusion to a wonderful book. I am looking forward to sharing this with my little cousins (currently aged 5 and 2) when they are old enough. 5 stars

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

In a Nutshell: Lushly atmospheric tale of murder, loneliness and race in Mississippi.

I won’t do justice to this book, no matter what I write. I am not even sure how to categorize it – mystery, coming of age, Southern gothic, an exploration of race – they all fit to one degree or another. Gorgeously written (despite some bad copy editing which left one too many typos in my edition), Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the story of two boys – one black, one white – each with his own pain, who find common ground for a few months and transcend their histories, family expectations, and loneliness to be just boys – roaming the woods and creek beds of their southeastern Mississippi home.

Fast forward 25 years and now the boys are tormented men (though for different reasons and in different ways), and old secrets and truths begin to come to light. Tom Franklin has created an authentic sense of place in tiny Chabot, Mississippi, as well as two compelling characters in Larry and Silas for whom it is impossible not to feel deep sympathy. While dark and sad throughout, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is ultimately a story of redemption and hope (and yes, I know it’s a cliché, but even clichés can be true). The book fell short of 5 stars for me due to a bit of a clunky resolution to the “mystery” part of the novel; however, one should not read this in anticipation of a typical work of suspense or a thriller. It is so much more. 4 stars

ETA: My thanks to RidgewayGirl for the impetus to move this one to the top of my Read NOW pile.

Nice review! I've already got this on my wish list, but I'll add you as a 'recommender.' Good to know it's more than a thriller-type book.

Thanks, Bonnie! It's a great read.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In a nutshell: Really? If you don't know what it's about or how great its awesomeness is, just go read it.

One of my favoirtes of all time. Nuff said.

5 stars (though I'm tempted to take away some tiny tenth of a star for the annoyingness that is Jane Bennett)

I'm currently reading The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill, which is the first in her Simon Serailler mysteries and is quite good. Should finish it up tomorrow.

In other news, the clearance shelves at the original Half Price Books in Dallas (huge!) were calling my name (everything is either $1 or $3) and I went a bit crazy. $50 later, I dragged myself home and am one happy camper - er, reader.

Among my $1 deals, all in near-perfect condition:
Unless by Carol Shields
The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham
Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
City of the Mind by Penelope Lively

The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill

In a nutshell: Very good police procedural dealing with a serial killer, alternative medicine, and the intriguing DCI Simon Serailler.

This is the first in a series of mysteries featuring Simon Serailler. I read somewhere that it was also Hill’s first time working in the genre, and though that is evident in some small ways, I think she acquitted herself well, and I look forward to reading more.

The Various Haunts of Men deals with a serial killer in the town of Lafferton. There is a lot going on here, not all of which seemed necessary to the story arc, and Hill introduces a lot of characters – many tangential – which prevented the novel from being a perfectly tight, gripping read. Those are the kind of flaws, though, that will probably diminish as the series goes on and Hill finds her footing. The strength of this book is the characterization of the primary figures – some of them likeable, some of them enigmatic, and a few infuriating.

And speaking of infuriating, I did throw the book down in anger about 10 pages from the end when Hill throws in a twist that completely gobsmacked me and turned my expectations for the book and the series on their head. After that outburst, I did pick it up and finished it; though still not happy, I respect Hill for the choice she made and look forward to the second entry in this series. 3.5 stars

#123 Lucky you were not reading it on your kindle. That's another advantage of books over a kindle they are much less expensive to throw around. Enjoying your reviews.

Good point, baswood! And thanks for checking in.

#124 :)

Katie - catching up, and enoying your reviews. i will try to remember the Graveyard book, but skip the Hill and Vreeland books.

Thanks, Dan!

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

In a nutshell: Somewhat desultory short novel about a girl lost in the woods.

This one didn't really work for me. I think it would have been better as a longish short story, rather than a shortish novel - it seemed as if it was being dragged out to meet a length requirement rather than unspooling a good narrative. Especially distracting to me was the fact that this girl is 9 years old but some of her thoughts and comments were more fitting to a teenager or even an adult. I repeatedly kept shaking my head, thinking "No 9 year old would ever think that, much less be able to articulate it."

I picked this one up for the TIOLI challenge to read a book on the the NYT bestseller list on your 21st birthday. I don't think I should have bothered trying to meet that particular challenge. 2.5 stars

This is one reason I tend to avoid all challenges...

I enjoy some of the challenges and others not so much. I'm a moody reader and if I try to make something "fit" a challenge when I don't really have much interest in it, I usually end up regretting it. Oh well, they can't all be good reads.

2011 Quarter 1 Summary
Books Read: 25
Pages Read: 7805
Favorites:
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (re-read)
Trespass by Rose Tremain
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

2011 Totals
Books Read: 25
Pages Read: 7805

Comments: I joined LT in November of last year and am amazed at how it has rekindled my love of good books and reading. I’ve cut out a lot of TV watching and discovered some great new books and authors thanks to the threads here. I have already read more this year than in all of 2010 (though my personal best was about 120 books in 2003 or 2004 when I had a long commute on public transportation and no life outside of work)! It’s been great fun “meeting” people here and exchanging thoughts, and I am looking forward to more good reading and conversation in the future. The only downside I can see is the amount of money I’ve been spending to move books off my wish list and onto the groaning TBR shelves…

Something Missing by Matthew Dicks

In a nutshell: Charming story of a quirky thief.

Matthew Dicks has created a memorable hero in Martin Railsback, a thief with a touch of OCD who takes only items that won’t be missed from his “clients’” homes – some laundry detergent, a few groceries, a rarely worn piece of jewelry. In this way, Martin has escaped detection, despite routinely entering some people’s homes repeatedly over the course of many years. He has come to consider his clients as friends, though they have never met. It is this instinct which gets him into trouble – while trying to play guardian angel to those he cares about, Martin finds that keeping his identity a secret may be impossible.

Something Missing is charming and laugh-out-loud funny in many parts, and though you know intellectually that what Martin does for a living is wrong, he is so engaging a character – so modest and self-effacing – that you can’t help rooting for him. If I were to look for a deeper meaning in the novel, I would say that it is about personal relationships and what holds us back from connecting to other people. Only by moving out of what we consider safe and known can we really know ourselves and come to truly know other people. 3.5 stars

"I have already read more this year than in all of 2010 " - By Apr 2...well done! Also, Something Missing sounds interesting. Nice review.

Dan - I'm really inspired being here on LT and just love it. I actually have to thank my husband for it, as he discovered it when he decided "building/coding/writing/whatever" the database I wanted for my books was going to take too much time and did some research. I'm kind of embarrassed I didn't think to look for a site like this years ago.

My first abandoned book of the year - Haunted Ground by Erin Hart. It's a mystery set in Ireland (two pluses in my book), but I could only get to about page 45. It seemed like Hart was trying to prove just how well she knows Ireland and the Irish (she's from Minnesota) but all she proved was that she can stuff a page with stereotypes and cliches. I could tell it was going to be a rather melodramatic story, full of useful coincidences and unsubtle explication. I read the end and was vindicated. Bleh.

Four new books, courtesy of a BOGO sale on Borders.com.

The White Family by Maggie Gee
Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig
Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides
Season of Ash by Jorge Volpi

I want to read all of them, right now.

I would wish that you would start with Beware of Pity. It is too marvelous to let sit unread for long.

>137 lilisin: Thanks, lilisin. It is definitely near the top of the pile to be read sooner rather than later.

In the Woods by Tana French

In a nut shell: Darkly atmospheric suspense set in contemporary Dublin.

I have had In the Woods on my TBR shelves for a while now and expect I’ll be adding French’s other two novels shortly. Simply put, I loved this book. I loved the fine character development, the sharp dialogue, and the sweet, dark sadness at its heart.

Beautifully written, In the Woods is less a police procedural than an exploration of memory and experience as it explores two separate but tenuously connected mysteries: the present day murder of a little girl and the disappearance, twenty years earlier, of two children. The two missing children happen to have been the best friends of the lead detective on the murder case and his inability to remember what happened a long ago summer day still haunts him. French’s evocation of childhood summers – that intense feeling of freedom and wonder where the world seems to be all yours – is excellent. Equally good is her depiction of the friendship and camaraderie between the narrator – the lead detective – and his partner. The toll the case takes on each of them and on their relationship is heartbreaking but rings truer than not.

The solution of the mystery of the murdered girl is not all that surprising, but nor was it the heart of the book so it didn’t really bother me. French uses that story to tell a deeper one and one well worth reading. 5 stars

And I Shall Have Some Peace There by Margaret Roach

This was the first book I received through the LT ER program after joining. I love the idea of getting books for free, and this one sounded interesting – I like memoirs and I like stories of people making major changes in their lives, probably because I am such a settled homebody and creature of habit.

And I Shall Have Some Peace There is Roach’s story of leaving a high-pressure corporate job as an executive at Martha Stewart’s company to live in her weekend home in upstate New York. It is a chronicle of her decision to make this change, the challenges involved and how the experience affected her. There is so much potential here, and in almost every way, this book fell short.

There is little in the book to enlighten or inspire. Roach describes the difficulties of living full-time in a rural setting; I snorted as she detailed her list to prepare for the winter, including special boot attachments to navigate the ice and snow and several camp lanterns in case she loses power. I snorted because the town she moved to is about 5 miles from where I grew up where our preparation for the winter amounted to buying some kitty litter to provide traction on ice. So maybe I’m a little biased…?

All that aside, though, I could have made it through Roach’s book had it been well-written and at all coherent. As it was, her circuitous, stream of consciousness style was almost impossible to follow. Eventually, I no longer wanted to try. I skimmed to the end and finally came to the conclusion of the story of a woman who made a choice, had enough money to finance that choice, and felt the need to write an entire book about how brave she was to make that choice. I need to read a paean to someone’s own self-indulgence like I need a hole in the head. 1 star

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

In a nut shell: Charming collection of Wooster/Jeeves and Reggie Pepper stories.

There is not too much to say about these bits of fluff. I read them on my Kindle during lunch hours and they proved a nice diversion. I enjoyed the Bertie Wooster and Jeeves tales more than the others, as Jeeves is just such a perfect straight man. Some of the off the cuff remarks and descriptions were very funny. My two favorites:

”…I hadn’t the heart to touch my breakfast. I told Jeeves to drink it himself.” from “Leave It To Jeeves”

”She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips that season.” from “Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest”

I look forward to reading more Wodehouse but will do so in small doses. I think it would lose its charm if taken too much at a time. 3 stars

Katie, the Tana French novel sounds good and looking on the LT site there are two other novels in the series highly rated. I will have to explore these

I am very much looking forward to reading the other two French novels. In the Woods was, for me, the rare achievement of being an entertaining page-turner AND very well-written and thought-provoking. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it!

How To Be Cool by Johanna Edwards

I am giving up on this book about 110 pages in. I used to gobble up "chick lit" regardless of the quality, but this was just really bad. There are too many good books out there for me to waste my time on something I am not enjoying.

Disquiet by Julia Leigh

In a nut shell: A spare, barely-there story of a broken family trying to become whole again.

With a minimum of dialogue and description, Leigh captures the bleak atmosphere of an old French chateau where a woman has come for refuge, with her two children, from an abusive husband. Also present are the woman’s mother, brother, and sister-in-law, as well as the body of a stillborn baby. Spare and haunting, Disquiet is a novella of betrayed trust and shattered dreams and the struggle to reconnect in a new reality. Powerful, though at times almost too spare. 3.5 stars

Without by Donald Hall

In a nut shell: Poems on the illness and death of the poet Jane Kenyon.

Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon, both well-known poets, had a long and happy marriage despite a substantial age difference, his multiple bouts with cancer and her clinical depression. Then, she was diagnosed with leukemia, endured a long treatment and eventually died in 1995. These poems chronicle the time of her illness and the period after her death, and are incredibly moving.

Some favorite bits:

"Dying is simple," she said.
"What's worst is...the separation."
When she no longer spoke,
they lay alone together, touching,
and she fixed on him
her beautiful enormous round brown eyes,
shining, unblinking,
and passionate with love and dread."
(from "Her Long Illness")

Tonight the Andover fireworks
will have to go on without me
as I go to bed early, reading
The Man Without Qualities
with insufficient attention
because I keep watching you die.
Tomorrow I will wake at five
to the tenth Wednesday
after the Wednesday we buried you.
(from "Independence Day Letter")

I grew heavy through summer and autumn
and now I bear your death. I feed her,
bathe her, rock her, and change her diapers.
She lifts her small skull, trembling
and tentative. She smiles, spits up, shits
in a toilet, learns to read and multiply.
I watch her grow, prosper, thrive.
She is the darling of her mother's old age.
("Postcard: January 22nd")

This book was published on the third anniversary of Kenyon’s death and lays bare Hall’s pain, both at what she endured and at her eventual death. It is a beautiful, 80-page volume of naked grief and lonely mourning. 4 stars

Hmmm...powerful stuff.

Room by Emma Donoghue

There are plenty of excellent reviews of this book here on LT and elsewhere, so I won’t say much. I know some readers were enthralled by the first half of the book and liked the second half less. I was the opposite, finding the transition Jack and his mother had to make very interesting and thought-provoking. It’s difficult to go into it here without spoilers….

As others have noted, the book is narrated by 5-year old Jack and his voice is wonderful. The dichotomy of a horrible situation being seen through the eyes of a young child who doesn’t know any better made this a gripping read for me. The narrow perspective provided by Jack serves to make the reader more acutely and uncomfortably aware of the heartbreaking circumstances and allowed me to engage with the story in a unique way. 4.25 stars

beautifully said, Katie-- so glad to hear someone else say they loved Jack's voice. Here's one book I'd like to buy when it comes out in paperback. :o)

Thanks, Jenny. It's definitely a keeper.

-146 - those excerpts from Without are incredibly powerful, especially the first one. Thanks for posting. Also interesting comments on Room, haven't read it though.

Thanks, Dan. Room is an interesting read in that you can just read it, find it a good story and move on (hence it's popularity), but I would hate to see it dismissed as just popular fiction - there is a lot going on and some thought-provoking considerations of identity and reality.

I found Room easy to read and quite enjoyed reading it, however it has left me with a nasty taste in my mouth. It reeks of exploitation. Here is a horrific kidnap case based on real news events dumbed down and made pretty cutesy because the story is told by an extremely precocious five year old. I found myself asking; what about Ma the real victim here, not even given a name. Ugh.

> 153 Interesting thoughts, baswood. I see what you mean, to a certain extent, but I didn't feel it was exploitative. While based on actual events, it is still a work of fiction, and I found Donoghue's choice to tell a horrific story from a child's perspective (and how she did it) very interesting.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Audio book Read by Shelly Frasier

This was my first-ever audio book, and it was a good introduction to the format. Roach takes us through the different possible fates of bodies donated to science after death and provides a lot of fascinating historical anecdotes dealing with the same. This was my first encounter with Roach’s work, and I look forward to getting to more of her books. I appreciated the excellent detail and humor throughout.

The narration by Shelly Frasier was very smooth, and she hit just the right notes of wryness and irony in the humorous asides and stories being recounted. The only problem, really, was that there were a few scratches on some of the discs (I borrowed this from the library) and I missed out on some parts. While I enjoyed listening to the book – done mostly during my commute to and from work – I find that I am left only with general impressions. I don’t know if this is because of the new-to-me format or the nature of the book, or my inexperience in listening rather than reading, but I can provide very few details. I think most of my deep reading will have to be done the old-fashioned way. 3.5 stars

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Audio book; read by Derek Jacoby

What a delight! I have never read any of Josephine Tey’s books but have seen glowing reviews here on LT. I stumbled across this audio book at my local library and decided to give it a try during my drive from Dallas to Houston. Never has I-45 passed by so quickly…

Daughter of Time is not a traditional mystery. It is the story of a Scotland Yard detective who is laid up in the hospital after an injury and who, in an effort to alleviate the boredom of being bed-ridden, begins a historical investigation into King Richard III of England. Richard is widely believed to have had his two nephews killed in order to secure the throne for himself. A detailed explanation of all the political and familial machinations would be too difficult to attempt here, and some of it was a bit difficult to follow on audio (had I been reading the book, I would have been flipping back a lot). But Tey does a wonderful job of elucidating the situation and laying out the evidence.

There is very little action in this book, but it’s filled with wonderfully-drawn characters and sharp dialogue. Highly recommended for fans of mysteries, history, or just darn-good stories. 4.5 stars

Hi, katie! Just catching up. So glad you discovered Tana French. Go get The Likeness NOW! I promise you won't be sorry.

Also, I agree 100% with you re Room. I found it astonishing.

#156 This mystery was published in 1951 and sounds intriguing. I had not heard of Josephine Tey before, I will look out for this book

155 - Ooh, I've got this one my TBR. Glad to see another good review of it.

>157 citygirl: Hi, cg! I have already obtained a copy of The Likeness and plan to read it this month. Definitely looking forward to it.

>158 baswood: It was really good, baswood. I hope you enjoy it, too.

>159 janemarieprice: Hope you like it!

Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town by Chris Bohjalian
Audio book read by the author

Eh, this one really didn’t do it for me. I have read and enjoyed a couple of Bohjalian’s novels and have a few more TBR, so when I saw this collection of his columns for a newspaper in Burlington, Vermont, I thought it would be a good choice. Not so much… The first problem was the reading. Bohjalian has a strange, awkward pacing that I found off-putting, especially when he ended every essay as if the last few words were separated by periods. It. Was. Very. Annoying.

Also bothersome was the self-congratulatory tone. Why, look at me! I moved from New York City to the wilds of Vermont and what fun I’ve had learning the ways of the natives! Being from a small town, I loathe this kind of patronizing condescension. Bohjalian takes great delight in recording the eccentricities of small town folk who name their cows, shop at the general store, hunt deer, and participate in civic activities. I got the sense that he wanted desperately to fit into this community but by continually drawing attention to its “otherness” (in his eyes), I don’t see how he ever could.

And finally, I don’t think Bohjalian is as funny as he would like to think. He continually employed a faux self-deprecating humor that fell flat. And there was always a pause after one of these “humorous” asides, as if he was giving the listener a chance to finish laughing. I don’t think I chuckled once through the whole thing, much less laughed.

I did listen to all 4.5 hours while sitting in Houston traffic, because it was (slightly) more enjoyable than listening to reports on the radio of how crappy Houston traffic is. 2 stars

Being from a small town, I loathe this kind of patronizing condescension.

Me too.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This was a re-read for me. I think I originally read it as a teenager, and remember liking it. There was a lot in the story I did not remember – the horrors of Jane’s childhood at Gateshead, her friendship with Helen at Lowood, and the recurring religious theme, in particular. It took me almost three weeks to read the book – not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because life kept getting in the way. When I was able to sit down and read, I tore through the pages quickly. It was kind of an odd reading experience for me – I was never eager to pick it up but when I did, I didn’t want to put it down. Also strange was the fact that I liked it so much almost despite the fact that I didn’t really care for many of the characters in it. Mr. Rochester was creepily over-bearing, St. John Rivers horribly sanctimonious, and even Jane grated on me most of the time. I most enjoyed the flashes of fire in her when she was roused to great emotion, but those times seemed few and far between. Despite all of this, I really enjoyed the book and am having a hard time figuring out why exactly. Nevertheless, it’s a 4.5 star read for me.

163 - I recently reread as well. Still trying to piece together my thoughts as it's one of my favorites.

Jane, I'll look forward to your thoughts on Jane Eyre.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Audio book read by the author

The Uncommon Reader was a wonderfully sharp, funny and charming story of the universality of reading and how books can expand one’s world. Bennett uses the premise of Queen Elizabeth discovering the wonder of books and reading as a way to discuss themes and truths that will resonate with any book lover.

While one would assume the Queen has everything she could possibly want, it is not until she begins reading for pleasure that we (and she) begin to see the narrowness of her world, despite all her unique experience. Bennett’s Queen is a sympathetic figure, and his telling of her story is both gentle and very humorous. He accomplishes a difficult task: enabling the (common) reader to identify with the Queen of England. And that feat points to what seems to be his central point: the experience of reading – no matter who you are or what your circumstances – is by its nature universal and democratic.

I loved this novella – especially the end (no spoilers here!). I intend to pick up a physical copy of the book to add to my personal library. 4.5 stars

Boy, I agree-- the ending had me grinnin' for hours! :o)

Sounds lovely. I might have to keep my eye out for it. Who read the book (I mean the reader of the audio)? Comments?

>167 GCPLreader: Hiya Jenny. It was too perfect.

>168 citygirl: CG - The version I had was read by the author and it was pretty good, but I will definitely reread it when I get a physical copy as I think I missed some bits...

Great review of a really good little book!

Thanks, Bonnie!

Silk by Alessandro Baricco

A slight (88 small pages) but rich novella of a 19th century silk merchant who travels to Japan and falls in love with a concubine, without ever exchanging words with her. Silk is like a beautiful piece of music with motifs repeated throughout and each of the merchant’s journeys to Japan is a variation on a theme. The language is spare but lyrical and caught me up completely. A quick but very satisfying read. 4 stars

Nice review of Silk, Katie; I enjoyed it, too.

Thanks, Darryl!

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson

This is the first book in the Gaslight Mystery series, set in turn of the century New York and featuring Sarah Brandt, a midwife, and Frank Malloy of the New York City Police. I enjoyed the historical tidbits and details regarding life in the city at that time, especially those related to the corruption and attempted reform of the police force. The mystery was solid and interesting, though the ending was both unsurprising and rather melodramatic. I plan to continue reading the series, as it is light and eminently readable, perfect for when I am not in the mood for anything complex or brain-taxing. I look forward to the development of the relationship between Sarah and Frank, two likeable and intriguing characters. 3 stars

My order from BookCloseouts.com arrived this afternoon. I love it when I order books and then can't remember what exactly I am expecting, so opening the box is like Christmas morning :)

The haul:
Felicia's Journey by William Trevor
Selected Stories by William Trevor
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
Segu by Maryse Conde
The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle
Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo
Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace
The Old Romantic by Louise Dean
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley
Seven Types of Ambiguity Elliot Perlman
A Dangerous Woman by Mary McGarry Morris
Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean
The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustian
How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu
Death to the Dictator! by Afsaneh Moqadam

I am abandoning A Window Across the River by Brian Morton for now. I just can't get into this story of impossibly smart, cool New Yorkers grappling with insecurity. I'll keep the book on my shelves and see if it appeals to me some other time.

The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie
Audiobook, read by Susan Boyce

Jennifer Crusie is my go-to brain candy author. She writes smart, funny, contemporary romances. There is little depth in her novels, but she consistently writes strong, sharp heroines and wonderfully quirky secondary characters. They are the perfect kind of book to listen to.

Apparently, this is a re-release of one of her early works, and I did not like it as much as some of her more recent novels (Bet Me, Welcome to Temptation). It’s a classic opposites attract romance with two endearing lead characters and a strongly drawn supporting cast. Not much else to say – a fluffy escape during rush-hour traffic. 3 stars

The Last Talk with Lola Faye by Thomas H. Cook

Do you ever pick up a book, smugly knowing exactly what to expect, and read maybe 100 or 150 pages, getting more and more frustrated because the author is taking so long to get where you know he is going, but you keep going because once he gets there you know it will be worth the wait? And then there are only 50 or so pages left, and you realize the author is not doing what you expected and you realize you probably would have enjoyed the book more had you gone in with no expectations?

Such was my experience with The Last Talk with Lola Faye. I thought it would be a tight, suspenseful mystery with a big reveal at the end. About a quarter of the way in, I had already decided what that big reveal would be and how the story would resolve itself. I wasn’t totally wrong, but instead of enjoying the process of getting there, I was impatient with what I perceived to be Cook’s digressions, mis-directions, and ham-handed way of telling rather than showing. It was only in the last third of the book that I realized Cook was telling a much more subtle story, and that the suspense – the expectation by the reader of some sort of action-based denouement – was actually driven by the careful disentangling of threads.

Last Talk is a dialogue between Luke, a mediocre historian and academic and Lola Faye, an old acquaintance. Years ago, tragedy struck Luke’s family and he has spent years with the ghosts of his past and his certainty about what happened. The novel switches between Luke’s recollections and his conversation with Lola Faye in a hotel bar. Slowly, everything Luke thought he understood is revealed to be based on his own assumptions and biases. What takes the place of Luke’s “truth” is a story of miscommunication, misplaced anger, and missed opportunities. The youthful Luke is a character entirely devoid of sensitivity, empathy or understanding, despite his academic brilliance. The adult Luke is a man frozen in place and numb to the world. Neither one evokes any sympathy in the reader, and the redemptive ending of Luke’s story seems a little too pat and happy.

Despite these flaws, I admire how Cook deftly drew me in and shattered my assumptions and expectations of the story, just as Luke’s are during the course of one evening. 3.5 stars

Animal Farm by George Orwell

A perfectly executed political allegory and indictment of totalitarianism, Animal Farm is also an engaging story full of insight and humor. There are purges, obligatory "spontaneous" celebrations, and a cult of personality to make Stalin proud. But in the end, it is heartbreaking to an extent I did not expect. Each character is beautifully drawn, from Napoleon, the porcine leader of the rebellion, to Benjamin, the cynical and depressive donkey. Orwell is masterful in his depiction of the transformation of a revolution into nothing more than a re-ordering of the status quo. Brilliant. 5 stars

Catching up. Your experience with Last Talk is one I have with books all too often. Lately i find that for a lot of books I need to start them, and then put them down for some time, maybe a few days, just to let my brain adjust from what I thought the book would to be to something more open to what the book a actually is (or will be)...

Hi Dan. I'm usually pretty open-minded when I start a book so not sure what happened with this one... Maybe I was just in the mood for escapism and tried to make Last Talk fit the mold in my head?

The March by E.L. Doctorow

”I don’t know what to think. I’ve lost everything to this war. And I see steadfastness not in the rooted mansions of a city but in what has no roots, what is itinerant. A floating world.” (page 61)

The March is, quite simply, exactly what historical fiction should be. It brings alive a specific time and place, creates characters that are complex and reflective of their period, and brings to the reader the sights, smells and sounds of that period.

Doctorow tells the story of Sherman’s March to the Sea and the end of the American Civil War through numerous characters – white, black, free, slave, army, civilian, rich and poor. The sheer number of characters and stories could be overwhelming but they are connected by the March itself, a shared experience, and really the central character of the book. Through a kaleidoscope of images and stories, Doctorow pieces together a portrait of war, death, brutality, kindness, hope and redemption.

One of my favorite parts was the brief glimpse we are given of President Lincoln very near the end of the war. Wrede, a doctor observes: ”His affliction might, after all, be the wounds of the war he’d gathered into himself, the amassed miseries of this torn-apart country made incarnate. Wrede, who had attended every kind of battle death, could not recall having ever before felt this sad for another human being.”

This book sucked me in, both as a very good, well-told story, and as a fictionalized account of a part of American history I am not deeply familiar with. My one complaint would be that a map of Sherman’s route through Georgia and the Carolinas would have been helpful, as would some indication – perhaps in an afterword – of what characters were real or based on historical figures and which were purely fictionalized (some are obvious, but I now have a lot of Googling to do). 4 stars

Excellent review of the March. I read so much Civil War history a few years ago that I've been avoiding fictional works about the period, but you've made this one sound quite enticing.

Thanks, Steven. It's pretty engrossing and moves quickly.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

I’m not quite sure how to characterize this book – it’s a mix of historical romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, steampunk, alternate history and probably a few other things I don’t know about. This was my first foray into whatever this genre is, and it was a light, easy, occasionally fun read. Ultimately, though, not really my cup of tea.

Alexia Tarabotti is a preternatural – a being with no soul – living in Victorian London where vampires and werewolves exist side-by-side with “regular” folk. She stumbles upon a bit of a mystery and matches wits with Lord Maccon – a werewolf – who doesn’t appreciate her meddling in his investigation. Alexia and Maccon, of course, fall in love, solve the mystery and get married.

This is the first in a series and, while Carriger builds an interesting world and injects some sharp humor into her descriptions and dialogue, I quickly grew tired of it all. Maybe because it was my first introduction to this kind of novel, it just seemed a little too “cute” to me. I don’t think I will continue with the series; it wasn’t terrible but there are too many other books out there that I know I will enjoy more. 2.75 stars

hi Katie! wouldn't you just love to see a mini-series of Doctorow's The March?
I trust your review of Soulless and have stricken it from my tbr list--thanks! :o)

Hi Jenny - Oh, yes, a mini-series or film version of The March would be excellent!

Luckily, I got Soulless from the library, so no harm, no foul :)

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

”She told me about a group of people in Guinea who carry the sky on their heads. They are the people of Creation. Strong, tall, and mighty people who can bear anything. Their Maker, she said, gives them the sky to carry because they are strong. These people do not know who they are, but if you see a lot of trouble in your life, it is because you were chosen to carry part of the sky on your head.” (p. 25)

Breath, Eyes, Memory is Danticat’s first novel, and while it suffers from some familiar flaws of first novels, it rises above those to tell a painful and beautiful story of family and women in Haiti. There are many layers to the story – the immigrant experience in New York, political violence in Haiti, maternal love, duty to family – and all are told in a rich prose that I imagine, were it tangible, would have the consistency of a thick, sweet caramel.

”Great gods in Guinea, you are beautiful,” {he} said… “I would crawl inside your dress and live there. I can feed on your beauty like a leech feeds on blood. I would live and die for you. More than the sky loves its stars. More than the night loves its moon. More than the sea loves its mermaids. Strike me, thunder, it’s no lie. We do not know one another, I know. Still I must tell you. You can be the core of my existence. The ‘I’ of my ‘We.’ The first and last letter of my name, which is ‘Yours,’…” (p. 93)

Sophie is twelve when she leaves the only home she has ever known – with her aunt in a village in Haiti – to go to her mother in New York City. But always there is Haiti, both a country and a legacy, which informs their lives and their relationship and whose traditions and superstitions cause a rift between mother and daughter. Eventually, Sophie returns to Haiti with her baby daughter, and this part of the novel with Sophie, her aunt, and her grandmother, was probably my favorite. We are treated to Haitian folk tales, religion, cooking, and other aspects of everyday life. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking.

The end of the novel was less successful for me, as it seemed Danticat felt the need to throw in as many “women’s issues” as possible – abortion, bulimia, suicide, female genital mutilation – in order to indicate the Importance of her story. Unfortunately, her story needed very little else than what it already had; what could have been a 4.75 or 5 star read for me suffered from this debut author’s over-enthusiasm. 4 stars

Other passages I liked:

“I felt broken at the end of the meeting, but a little closer to being free. I didn’t feel guilty about burning my mother’s name anymore. I knew my hurt and hers were links in a long chain and if she hurt me, it was because she was hurt, too. It was up to me to avoid my turn in the fire. It was up to me to make sure that my daughter never slept with ghosts, never lived with nightmares, and never had her name burnt in flames.” (p. 203)

”I come from a place where breath, eyes, and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to. My mother was as brave as stars at dawn. She too was from this place. My mother was like that woman who could never bleed and then could never stop bleeding, the one who gave in to her pain, to live as a butterfly. Yes, my mother was like me.” (p. 234)

hey, a hot review! congrats --(but doesn't sound like something I'll rush to read)

Thanks, Jenny. I think that's my first "hot" review!

>Interesting review of Breath, Eyes, Memory - I think I might need to buy this book!

I think you'll be glad you did, Cait!

The Hustle: One Team and Ten Lives in Black and White by Doug Merlino

This was an ER book, and the second work of non-fiction I've received from the program. I think I will stop requesting non-fiction from unknown authors. It is a difficult genre to do well, and Merlino does not seem up to the task. I'm about halfway through this book and have decided to abandon it.

The premise of The Hustle is interesting but I don't think there is enough of a story here. To fill pages, Merlino discusses the settling of Seattle, the city's economy, and the beginning (and end) of the dot com bubble. The center of the story is supposed to be a youth basketball team in 1986 that drew players from the inner city and an exclusive prep school. The idea was that boundaries would be crossed, opportunities provided, lives changed, etc., etc., etc. None of that really seems to have happened, and the story is pretty shallow. It just could not hold my interest.

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

Another very good entry in the Inspector Gamache/Three Pines mystery series. Penny continues her strong characterization and dry humor in this one, and the creepy suspense is well-balanced by the charm of the village and its denizens. There is a lot of depth to this series; don’t be fooled by the “cozy” façade. 4 stars

As an aside, I own a copy of the book, but after reading so many great reviews on LT of the narration by Ralph Cosham on the audio version, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed and very much enjoyed listening to this one.

195 - That's a shame. I got this one too but haven't had a chance to start it yet.

Jane - I hope you like it more than I did. Different strokes and all that...

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

I approached Mansfield Park with a bit of trepidation, as most Austen fans I know consider this the worst of the lot. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. I think the key is to go in with an open mind and to not compare it too closely to Pride and Prejudice or any other work. The writing is excellent and Austen’s humor is very present, especially in the descriptions, dialogue and actions of the secondary characters.

Mansfield Park is different from the other Austens I’ve read (P&P, Sense and Sensibility and Emma) in that it is more serious in its concerns and more of a commentary on morality. But far from boring or preachy, Austen strikes a nice balance between those concerns and the humor and social observation included in her other works.

While I did wish Fanny Price had more spunk in some situations, the circumstances of her childhood and her being brought to Mansfield are such that her rather timid and retreating nature were understandable. Since Mansfield Park is not, to my mind, intended as a romantic work, the lack of chemistry between Fanny and Edmund also makes sense. Austen is less concerned with them as lovers than as moral figures whose interior compasses bring them inexorably together.

This is definitely not my favorite of the Austen novels I’ve read, but it is still entertaining and perhaps more thought-provoking. 4 stars

Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace

This was a fun, fast read that I devoured on an airplane. It tells the interconnected stories of three women – the first female President of the United States, her White House Chief of Staff, and a network reporter covering the White House. While some of the plot developments force one to suspend disbelief in order to succeed, it was a surprisingly good page-turner for a debut novel. There is a lot of drama, some humor, and excellent behind the scenes details about working and living on the 18 acres of the White House complex.

The author is a former White House and campaign staffer and knows of what she speaks (full disclosure: I worked at the White House at the same time as the author, but I don’t think we ever met.). There were a few details that were flat-out wrong, but I think Wallace was trying to advance the story in a coherent way. For instance, a WH Chief of Staff would never have the role in a campaign that the character in this book has; it’s illegal! All in all, though, a good read, especially for a recovering political junkie like me. 3.25 stars

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

”The war has ruined us for everything.” (page 87)

I am a realist, both in everyday life and (as a former student of political science) in my thinking on international affairs, as well. So I don’t buy into the whole “If only our leaders knew what war was like, there would be no more war” argument. There will always be war, plain and simple, like it or not. And some wars are good and useful (yes, I said it). So with all that out in the open, all I can say with regards to All Quiet on the Western Front is “Wow.”

I’ve read other books about war (fiction and non-fiction), seen movies, talked with veterans, etc., etc., etc. But I have never experienced anything like this book. It is real and visceral and haunting and so beautiful. Remarque brings a poetic rhythm to his description of life in the trenches of World War I (the War to End All Wars – HA!). He writes movingly of the sense of loss, of comradeship, of universality amid the everyday horror and terror.

”At once a new warmth flows through me. These voices, these quiet words, these footsteps in the trench behind me recall me at a bound from the terrible loneliness and fear of death by which I had been almost destroyed. They are more to me than life… they are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere: they are the voices of my comrades. I am no longer a shuddering speck of existence, alone in the darkness; I belong to them and they to me; we all share the same fear and same life, we are nearer than lovers, in a simpler, a harder way; I could bury my face in them, in these voices, these words that have saved me and will stand by me.” (page 212)

The narrator, a 20-year old German soldier, leads us through life at war – the stretches of boredom punctuated by intense fear during an attack, the hunger and deprivation, the pain of bullets and shrapnel and gas, the reality of death and suffering, the discomfort and alienation at going home, the sense after a while, that the only place one will ever belong and feel right is at the front. Remarque is strongest when describing the narrator’s growing sense of futility and common cause with all the young men of his generation, whether friend or foe. The war connects them in ways no one else could understand though they may stand on opposite sides.

The novel is full of dichotomous passages that use beautiful prose to describe unspeakable things:

”No longer do we lie helpless, waiting on the scaffold, we can destroy and kill, to save ourselves, to save ourselves and to be revenged. We crouch behind every corner, behind every barrier of barbed wire, and hurl heaps of explosives at the feet of the advancing enemy before we run. The blast of the hand-grenades impinges powerfully on our arms and legs; crouching like cats we run on, overwhelmed by this wave that bears us along, that fills us with ferocity, turns us into thugs, into murderers, into God only knows what devils; this wave that multiplies our strength with fear and madness and greed of life, seeking and fighting for nothing but our deliverance.” (page 114)

An elegiac, haunting testament to the horror of war that deserves to be read, pondered and re-read even if it changes nothing. 4.75 stars

gorgeous review, katie. I need to read this -- my WWI unit at school was my weakest this past year and I need some inspiration to bring that particular war to life for my kids. (and besides, you make it sound so damn irresistable!)

Excellent review Katie. Yet another book that I must get round to reading

Great review, Kaite. I read this in high school and still carry some impressions of it. It's time that I read it again.

Thanks, Jenny, Barry and Steven. It definitely bears reading and re-reading. I knew what to expect when I picked it up, but I didn't really expect to have it affect me as much as it did.

Oh, I totally agree with your review of All Quiet on the Western Front. It is such an important book, one of the few that I think should be read by just about everyone. The part where the narrator kills an enemy soldier face-to-face, and reflects on how all soldiers are the same, regardless of what side they are on, is one that will stay with me forever. I loved reading your review :)

#200 - You've provided a unique review of Eighteen Acres. Enjoyed your review of AQOTWF too. I have an unread paperback copy around here somewhere.

psst - you have the #1 hot review right now...with AQOTWF.

Thanks, Cait. That scene was one of the most powerful for me, too. I also found the part where the narrator goes home on leave to be especially heart-breaking.

Hi Dan. I hope you get to AQOTWF soon. I think you'll be glad you did. And no way! I don't think I've ever had a hot review before!

I've been in Monterey, CA for several days for work and am a little behind on my reviews...



The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

This was a solidly enjoyable read that I initially wasn’t crazy about because I expected something different. Nice bits of magical realism counter-balanced the somewhat heavily caricatured main figures in the story. I will try more of Allen’s books, but will borrow them rather than purchasing. 3.25 stars



The Outlaw Sea: A World of Freedom, Chaos, and Crime by William Langewiesche

I listened to this on audio, read by the author himself. It was a random pick from the library, though I am somewhat familiar with the author’s work for Vanity Fair. In reading other reviews once I finished, I learned that the books was really a collection of articles Langewiesche wrote for The Atlantic. I would not have guessed that, as it was pretty seamless, though more interesting in some parts than others. Langewiesche recounts various episodes of crime, piracy and tragedy on the high seas (especially moving was the account of the sinking of The Estonia, a ferry between Talinn and Stockholm which sunk in 1994). The overarching concern of the book seems to be the effects of economic globalization on the safety and health of the world’s oceans. 3.5 stars



Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott

A somewhat fictionalized account of Alcott’s time as a nurse in Washington, DC during the Civil War. At times humorous, eye-opening and very moving, I was much more engaged in this read than I expected to be. It is a short work that stands the test of time. 4 stars

meetings on a Sunday? so sorry.. when do you get back home? too funny-->" It was a random pick from the library..." -- suprised at you having random library picks when your tbr list is a mile long!
I've never read any Alcott. That might be a good one to start with. I hesitate on Little Women only because I've seen the movie so many times. Right now I have My Name is Mary Sutter on my nightstand which seems to be a hf about a nurse/midwife during the Civil War. Usually can't go wrong with any Civil War hf. :o)

Hi Jenny - I got back yesterday. I guess meetings on a Sunday are the trade-off for going to fun places...

My TBR list doesn't get any shorter, because I am always picking up random things at the library! It's a disease, or psychosis or something.

Hospital Sketches is very short and a fast read. I loved Little Women when I was younger and am a bit hesitant to do a re-read because I don't want to have my good opinion of it changed!

I think My Name is Mary Sutter is on my wishlist...

Amore and Amaretti by Victoria Cosford

"It is as if the food is just a symbol, an expression of everything that inspires, animates and activates a part of me that ceases to exist when I leave. As if I am two people, or simply a more complete woman."

This was a somewhat disjointed but adequately written memoir of the author’s several sojourns in Italy, focusing on her relationship with a charismatic but temperamental chef. I didn’t find much depth in Cosford’s reflections, but she perfectly evoked Florence and Tuscany for me, a landscape I am always happy to return to. The descriptions of place and cuisine seem to be Cosford’s strengths; I found myself repeatedly drooling over the passages related to the meals she consumed.

"We eat home-grown egg tomatoes drizzled with green olive oil and fresh basil, thick slices of moist white mozzarella, paper-thin cuts of cured beef dressed with oil, finely chopped rocket leaves and shavings of Parmesan cheese, mushrooms marinated in lemon juice and garlic, strips of red and green capsicum bathed in oil, garlic, and parsley, slices of spicy pancetta. There is crusty bread to mop up the juices, and wine is flowing freely."

Mouth-watering food aside, though, I was glad to have received this book gratis from NetGalley, as there wasn’t much to it. I often wanted to throttle Cosford and had little patience for her peripatetic and self-indulgent life. 2.5 stars

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

"There were only two real people in the world, Chris and this woman whose personality was sounding through her squalor like a beautiful voice singing in a darkened room."

I don’t know how to do justice to this perfect little gem of a book. An intriguing story, sparely but fully drawn characters, and language that is rich and languid and heartbreakingly beautiful – it is all here in a book that despite the plot is less about war and more about duty and the sublimation of one’s true character.

Chris Baldry is the titular soldier who returns from the front of World War I suffering from shell shock and amnesia which has erased his memory of the past 15 years. He does not recognize his current life, home, or wife; in fact, he is still infatuated with Margaret, his first love from 15 years ago. The story is narrated by Chris’ cousin, who provides the perfect balance between distance and proximity to the story. As it unfolds, the narrator’s views slowly evolve as she perceives the truth of Chris’ life.

"I felt, indeed, a cold intellectual pride in his refusal to remember his prosperous maturity and his determined dwelling in the time of his first love, for it showed him so much saner than the rest of us, who take life as it comes, loaded with the unessential and the irritating."

How the three women – the wife, cousin, and first love – react to Chris’ condition and the circumstances in which they find themselves forms the central tension of the story. The resolution is both expected and heart-wrenching.

Beyond the plot, however, West imbues the simplest gesture and act with import and grace. Describing a woman sitting beside the sleeping figure of a man, she writes:

"It was the most significant, as it was the loveliest, attitude in the world. It means that the woman has gathered the soul of the man into her soul and is keeping it warm in love and peace so that his body can rest quiet for a little time. That is a great thing for a woman to do… What we desire is greatness such as this, which had given sleep to the beloved."

I had downloaded this onto my Kindle, and at the next opportunity, purchased a copy to add to my permanent library. 5 stars

It is not very long since I read Black Lamb and Gray Falcon. I am absolutely ready to accept your enthusiasm for this novel by Rebecca West, and it is right now going onto my wish list.

Thank you,

Robert

I enjoyed your review of Return of the Soldier. It is one of those books I have always been aware of but never got round to buying. Your review has made me want to read it

Robert & Barry - I cannot recommend it highly enough. I don't re-read a lot of books, but I know I will return to this one.

Excellent review of The Return of the Soldier, Katie. I see that the Kindle version is on sale for 99 cents, so I'm downloading it now.

Hope you like it, Darryl!

2011 Quarter 2 Summary
Books Read: 30
Pages Read: 6306
Audio Hours: 45:33

Favorites:
In the Woods by Tana French
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Without by Donald Hall
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The March by E.L. Doctorow
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

2011 Totals
Books Read: 55
Pages Read: 14,111
Audio Hours: 45:33

Comments: I was a little less focused this quarter, though I completed more books than in the first (due, no doubt, to my beginning to delve into audio books). I had a lot of misses this quarter, including several books I abandoned. I would like to challenge myself more in the next quarter and read more of my translated and literary fiction. I would also like to do some more reading related to World War I which was the background to two of my favorites of the last few months.

Katie, congratulations on your accomplished reading. Have you read Birdsong yet? I'm going to try to get to it soon.

Hi Jenny - I did read Birdsong several years ago. It is very good - I think you'll like it!

All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie

This is the second in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series, and a fine example of a genre I like to call the “throwaway mystery”. It’s perfectly acceptable, a decent story, and competently written, but nothing really knocks my socks off. There was some further development in the two main characters from the first book, and the mystery plot itself was sufficient to hold my attention, but I know that within a month or so, I won’t really remember much about it. That being said, I will continue with the series – especially since I seemed to have acquired the next 11 books at a Borders closing sale... 3 stars



Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

This Newberry Medal winner is just as charming as I remembered, though for different reasons. As a child, I liked the idea of the pioneer life and a happy family coming together. This time around, I was taken by MacLachlan’s ability to capture perfectly a child’s experience of loss, loneliness and fear. It’s such a sweet story of a motherless family welcoming a mail-order bride to their farm on the prairie, but told with such beautiful imagery and language that there is enough to hold an adult’s attention. 4.5 stars

oh, love your review of SP&T-- the way Sarah describes the sea to the children, sigh. I've read this aloud to my students many times and they always respond so positively.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

"Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another – physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion. In equating physical beauty with virtue, she stripped her mind, bound it, and collected self-contempt by the heap." (page 122)

The Bluest Eye is a searing and brutal story of African American lives in the first half of the 20th century. Incorporating several points of view and different stories, the emotional center of the story is Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl who dreams of having blue eyes, believing they will make her beautiful. Morrison explores themes of prejudice, beauty and self-worth in prose that slices and burns, but which is yet somehow still beautiful. My favorite passage (it's long but worth reading):

"The birdlike gestures are worn away to a mere picking and plucking her way between the tire rims and the sunflowers, between Coke bottles and milkweed, among all the waste and beauty of the world – which is what she herself was. All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us. All of us – all who knew her – felt so wholesome after we cleaned ourselves on her. We were so beautiful when we stood astride her ugliness. Her simplicity decorated us, her guilt sanctified us, her pain made us glow with health, her awkwardness made us think we had a sense of humor. Her inarticulateness made us believe we were eloquent. Her poverty made us generous. Even her waking dreams we used – to silence our own nightmares. And she let us, and thereby deserved our contempt. We honed our egos on her, padded our characters with her frailty, and yawned in the fantasy of our strength." (page 205)

Pecola’s story is riddled with the ugliness of life and the tragedy of betrayal; through her, Morrison is telling us something about the desire for perfection and the striving for the superlative. There is so much going on in this slim novel that I cannot do it justice. Read it. 5 stars

You are reading some great books at the moment Katie. The Toni Morrison is another I will add to my to buy list

Thanks very much, Barry!

love Toni Morrison so much. this novel's one of my favorites. did you see her on Oprah when she said, “When your child walks into a room, does your face light up?” That has always stuck with me. She's so wise--I could listen to her talk for hours. :o)

Hi Jenny - I hope to read more of Morrison's work. I did not see her on Oprah, but the few interviews with her that I have seen/read have been really interesting.

-----------

After dinner last night, the hubby and I headed over to one of our favorite used bookstores. I did not have a copy of my WL handy, so I spent a pleasant hour just browsing and stumbled across a few books I knew were on the WL but also some surprises. The haul:

The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (a cute little square hardcover)
Mary Anne by Daphne DuMaurier (an old 1970s Penguin edition with a hideous cover)
The King's General by Daphne DuMaurier (I think I read this when I was 13 or so but I don't remember much about it)
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (the copy I read a few weeks ago was from the library and I wanted to have a copy of my own)
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page by G.B. Edwards (a NYRB edition of an intriguing-sounding story about an old man on Guernsey reflecting on his life)
Rhapsody by Dorothy Edwards (an old Virago edition of short stories by an obscure British author who committed suicide at 31)
Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty by John W. De Forest (published in 1867; the story of a Southern woman who is changed by the Civil War; according to the back cover, it's the first novel to depict the Civil War with realism)
The Farm by Lough Gur by Mary Carbery (a nonfiction account of rural life in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries)
Night and Day by Virginia Woolf (first heard about on Ilana's (smiler69) thread)
The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell (I am on a WWI kick; I read parts of this in high school and college - it's very, very good)
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (the copy I read earlier this month was from the library, and I wanted to have a copy of my own)

So, yay! more books :) I am currently watching the USA v. Brazil womens World Cup quarterfinal, creating collections on my Kindle, and doing laundry.

My current read - The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill - had a slow start but really picked up for me last night, so I hope to make more progress on that today, as well as doing some prep work for the week ahead in the office.

The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill

If you like neat, clean, tied-up-with-a-bow resolutions to your crime novels, then this one is not for you. The Pure in Heart is the second in the series featuring Simon Serrailler, and like the first (The Various Haunts of Men), it’s a well-written and thought-provoking read. I found it a bit slow and ponderous for the first 50 pages or so, but after that, I was pulled into the story – actually stories, as there are several parallel plot lines. What Hill does so well, and differently from a lot of crime writers, is explore the effect of tragedy on those left behind. That is where her concern lies, not in the actual whodunit.
Her character development is organic and never forced, and she beautifully renders a sense of place. I found her writing to be exquisite in places:

There had been a place she had kept secure, a place in which there had been a small bright patch of warmth and hope into which she had been able to retreat. No one else knew that it was there but she had relied on it because in there was the truth, that David was alive and well and would come home. Alan had sent a blade slicing through the wall and all the light and brightness and hope had leaked out and turned black, a pool of darkening blood on a floor. The place was empty now, the air foul and contaminating. He had killed the last resource she had. Now there was no hope or comfort.” (page 218)

While there were no easy resolutions to any of the multiple storylines, I finished the book with a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment. 4.25 stars

love the cover, love your review-- might give this one a try :o)

I hope you do, Jenny! I think you'd like it.

Partitions by Amit Majmudar

"If there is one thing dangerously abundant right now, it is certainty. Certainty makes possible in men the most extreme good and the most extreme evil. A land like the Punjab, five rivers and three faiths, could do with a little less certainty." (page 159)

This is a fascinating book about a subject I don’t know very much about – the partition of India in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan. Majmudar tells three stories which parallel the story of Partition and its attendant displacement, fear, violence and loss. There are the twin Hindu boys who are separated from their mother while fleeing what has become the Muslim state of Pakistan; a young Sikh girl who escapes the death planned for her by her own family to prevent her being shamed by the marauding gangs; and an old Muslim doctor who sees his clinic destroyed by Hindu gangs and starts the trek to Pakistan on foot to start anew. As these tales unwind, we are also provided some back-story which provided insight into different kinds of partition within these lives and their families, faiths and communities.

"How little we know each other, though for centuries our homes had shared walls. How little we will learn, now that all we share is a border." (page 97)

This is a harrowing read, with a lot of implicit and explicit violence. It’s also suspenseful, as the reader senses that these three narratives are going to converge, and hopeful in its resolution. It does suffer, in parts, from over-writing (especially in the beginning), but it still grabbed me right away. Overall, a strong debut novel; I hope to see more in the future from Majmudar. 4.25 stars

I have seen other positive reviews of Partitions it's now on my wish list.

I hope it works for you, Barry. There were definitely some flaws, but the sheer power of the story went a long way for me.

Katie - catching up...beautiful review of The return of the soldier, and lots of other great stuff here. The Bluest Eye and Partions sound particularly interesting.

Thanks, Dan. I feel like I am forever trying to catch up on threads! The three that caught your eye are three of the best for me so far this year, and The Return of the Soldier is on the all-time favorites list for sure.

Emma by Jane Austen

This was a re-read for me; I first read it one summer in the late 1990s, I think, when my best friend from college and I tried to start a long-distance book club (epic FAIL). This is also my fourth work by Austen this year as I participate in the Austenathon, and it is my least favorite to date.

What I Liked:
- Austen’s characteristic sly humor
- Sweet Mr. Woodhouse
- The perfect picture of life in a small English village
- Mr. Knightley, especially imagined as Jeremy Northam in the 1996 film version with yucky Gwyneth Paltrow

What I Didn’t Like:
- Not enough of Austen’s characteristic sly humor
- Insufferable Emma Woodhouse
- Nearly every single character in the entire novel

I tried, I really did, to like Emma. And I began to by the end when she suddenly matured and saw the error of her meddling, self-centered ways. By that point, though, I had suffered through about 400 pages of gritting my teeth and snarling in disgust, so it was a little bit of too little, too late.

All that being said, Jane Austen is so great – and remains one of my favorite authors – because I can still love her novels even when I seem to hate most parts of them. 4 stars

4 stars?! I don't get it. You said ..."All that being said, Jane Austen is so great – and remains one of my favorite authors – because I can still love her novels even when I seem to hate most parts of them." I suppose it's a sentimental connection. I prefer my Jane Austen on the big screen.

Hi Jenny. I know it's totally weird. I hated almost every character in the book, but I love her writing and how she built this world in Highbury, and I kept looking forward to getting back to the book... I can't explain it, I just liked it despite all my issues with it :)

It should probably be more like 3.5 or 3.75 stars, but just the fact that it's by Austen bumps it up a bit...

Bright’s Passage by Josh Ritter

”There were no cherubs, no judges, no dying saints. There were no angels or mustard gas, no smoke or beautiful young girls; the dome was simply, blessedly, empty. He felt that he might like to drift in that sky forever, breathe that clean, cold air, and leave the earth below to consume itself.” (page 123)

Musician Josh Ritter has produced a novel that, were it a song, would be one of those heartbreakingly bleak Appalachian folk ballads, sung in a plaintive twang and telling a tale of loss and grief and violence and maybe, just maybe, redemption. Bright’s Passage is an elegiac reflection on lost innocence and lost faith, told through the story of Henry Bright, a veteran of the Great War who returns home to West Virginia accompanied by an angel. Henry’s history is told backwards, while the plot advances forward, and in this way, we learn about his hardscrabble existence in the mountains, his experience in the war, and the cause of the journey he is now on with his new born son, his angel in the guise of a horse, and a goat. And yes, somehow it all works. After a slow start, the intertwining narratives picked up, and I became enthralled in Henry’s story. 4 stars

lovely review, Katie. I've been waiting to see if this one is good. You were probably attracted to it because of your WWI reads?

Hi Jenny - it's definitely a little odd but not as odd as one might think... Yes, I am on a bit of a WWI kick lately an that was part of my interest in Bright's Passage. I had also read a few positive reviews, and it was available at the library.h

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Home from work today with a strained neck, so I picked up this childhood favorite that I had not read in years and years. The story of comraderie and friendship on a farm is just as charming as I remembered. I hope it is still being shared with children today. 4 stars

I hope that you feel better soon, Katie!

Aw, thanks Darryl! It's more an inconvenience than anything else - makes it hard to drive and last night I barely slept as I couldn't find a position that didn't cause pain. It's getting better so no more days off :(

Katie - I can sympathize, I've been seeing a physical therapist for a month now to deal with my neck and shoulder...apparently I have been sitting wrong at work for several years now. Good luck. And great review of Bright's Passage.

Dan, I am convinced part of my problem (I get frequent back and neck pain) is due to my office set up. Fortunately, they are about to start a major renovation of our building and work spaces which will include more ergonomic furniture and computer set-ups. Until then, my addiction to BioFreeze roll on pain reliever will continue...

As I'm reading that, I'm sitting up straighter...

Charlotte's Web is definitely still being shared with children today. My 8-year-old granddaughter is with me as I am scanning your posts, and as soon as she saw the cover image, she cried out "Oooh! Charlotte's Web!"

Oh yeah, teachers still read Charlotte's Web to their classes! But I just hate it when the movie(s) is shown in school. The beauty of the writing is missed. All these films of the great classics are causing our students to avoid reading the originals. :o(

#250 - Dan, I should have mentioned that I have terrible posture which doesn't help...

#251 - You made my day, Steven!

#252 - Good point, Jenny. I love movies, but they can really mess things up but good. I love all those jane Austen adaptations, but they give a lot of people not familiar with her work the wrong impression that it's just old-fashioned chick lit or something. Bah.

New thread is here.