May, 2017---The ideologically correct books we are reading

Think I'll start off May with Wyl Menmuir's THE MANY, which I spotted while I was browsing at the main library in Saskatoon.

I know nothing about the author or the book, but it sports a blurb from Mark Richard so that's promising.

I'm reading The Gene Machine about prenatal genetic testing and the issues surrounding it.

Finished BROTHER SAM, Bill Kinison's memoir about shock-comedian Sam Kinison.

This sibling isn't afraid to bare it all--the book is a firsthand account of a wounded genius.

Open City , a half German half Nigerian flaneur confronts radicalism, loneliness, photography, caring for the mentally ill as he observes his own journey one winter in NYC and Brussels.
An easily entertaining and intelligent read.

A culturally ambiguous, perhaps even revisionist, yet possibly "correct" historical fiction about the early Spanish exploration of North America based on a true (real life historical) character. The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami. It doesn't shirk describing the Spanish brutality toward the native populations.

Wrapped up THE ABCs of SOCIALISM.

Produced by Verso Books, a primer for Leftie politics.

Recommended.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy – Rachel Joyce
Audiobook performed by Celia Imrie
5*****

From the book jacket: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry followed its unassuming hero as he traveled the length of England – a journey spurred by a simple letter from his old friend Queenie Hennessy, writing from a hospice to say goodbye. Harold believed that as long as he kept walking Queenie would live. What he didn’t know was that his decision to walk had caused her both alarm and fear. How could she wait? What would she say? Forced to confront the past, Queenie realizes she must write again.

My reactions
Oh, I love Queenie! She admits that her first instinct when faced with a difficult situation has always been to flee – from home, from university, from Harold Fry. Now, at the end of her life she faces the secrets she has been hiding, and hiding from, with courage and grace, and pours out her heart in a long letter to her one love, Harold Fry. This is a love that was never declared, and certainly unrequited, but a love that will ultimately help Queenie achieve peace.

Joyce also gives us more about David’s struggles. I have to say I really disliked this young man. Yes, I understand his great unhappiness and depression, but I wanted to just slap him for his cruelty and lashing-out. His story is incredibly sad, but I can’t find it in my heart to sympathize with him.

But the book is not an unrelenting exercise in self-examination and regret. Queenie is at a hospice center, and there are other patients as well as the nuns who care for everyone. Joyce gives us glimmers of these patients’ personalities, of their hopes, dreams, fears. Some lend a bit of humor to what might otherwise be a very bleak story, and for that I’m thankful. And as word spreads of Harold’s journey to visit his dying friend, hope surges in their hearts and everyone adopts his request to Queenie … they will ALL wait for Harold. They will all wait for one more chance to express love and forgiveness.

Celia Imrie does a fine job of performing the audiobook. She has good pacing and skill as a voice artist. I did have the text handy, however, and I think I might have enjoyed the book even more if I read it rather than listened. Changes in typeface, use of quotations (or not), etc make it clear when someone is speaking vs just thinking. And the text also has a lovely illustration of Queenie’s Sea Garden; I’ve looked at it several times now, imagining walking through, feeling the breeze, smelling the sea air, listening to birds and enjoying the peace.

The Mighty Miss Malone – Christopher Paul Curtis
4****

In Bud, Not Buddy, Bud met a precocious girl at a camp next to a railroad track near Flint, Michigan. That girl was Deza Malone and this is her story.

It’s the Great Depression, and times are hard in Gary, Indiana, where the Malone family lives. Mr Malone has a hard time finding work; the few jobs available don’t go to black men like him. He makes the difficult decision to leave for Flint, Michigan, where he’s heard there may be a job. But when the family doesn’t hear from him for weeks, Mrs Malone decides to take Deza and her older brother Jimmie, and go looking for him.

I just love Deza Malone! She’s smart, courageous, resilient and big-hearted. The family’s journey is perilous at times, and Mrs Malone’s worry is well-founded. But they also have moments of joy, and meet with kindness and compassion from total strangers. There are many twists and turns in their journey, but they continue on despite any setbacks, certain that their destination is “a place called Wonderful” and that together, they will make it there.

Middle-grade readers will learn some history and how people dealt with homelessness, hunger and racism in that era. Curtis also give a strong message on the power of family unity, of working together for a common goal, and of never giving up your dreams.

Rocket Boys– Homer Hickam
Book on CD read by Beau Bridges
4****

Homer Hickam Jr (a/k/a Sonny) grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia – a “company town” in built and owned by the mining company for whom his father worked. The only thing that mattered in that small town was coal and high school football. And Sonny hadn’t much interest in either. Sonny and his friends, fellow misfits, didn’t seem to have much future to look forward to, until their imaginations were ignited by watching the Soviet satellite Sputnik. They began with simple “kitchen experiments,” learned from their failures, improved their rockets and garnered the admiration and support of the town.

In his memoir, Hickam brings the residents of Coalwood to life. He shares stories of growing up, of high school football, a beloved teacher, unlikely allies, young love, and his mother’s determination that her boys would NOT go into that mine. All the “Rocket Boys” went to college, three of them in engineering. The town of Coalwood was eventually abandoned when the mine was closed and allowed to fill with water.

Beau Bridges does an excellent job voicing the audio book. He has great pacing and a delivery that is just perfect for this story.

WORLD GONE BY by Dennis LeHane.

Not as good as the book that precedes it, LIVE BY NIGHT, but a gripping, intelligent crime novel.

Yesterday I read Out of the Dark by Patrick Modiano and really enjoyed it. Though a Nobel Prize winner, his works are largely unknown (and untranslated, sadly) outside of France.
I am currently reading Lonesome Dove and a dreadful book about a French opera singer, The Queen of the Night.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on Lonesome Dove! I'm about halfway through.

>11 jordantaylor: I have the McMutry on my TBR pile but haven't got to it yet, it's a monster. I think I'd like to read True Grit first.

LONESOME DOVE is one of my favourite westerns--epic, thrilling, well-researched. I remember it with great fondness.

That book and THE LAST PICTURE SHOW will ensure McMurtry's place in American letters.

11>

IMO, Lonesome Dove is the great American novel. I hope you choose to read it and that you enjoy it. Not merely a rip-roaring action and adventure novel of a cattle drive from southern TX to northern MT, it's a great exploration of male friendship; the ambiguity of justice; man's inhumanity to man; the nature of a broad spectrum of loves; how legends are made; an examination of heroics and cowardice; what and it's full of Christian and Natural symbolism. (Pay attention to the names of Newt's horses throughout, note battle between the bear and the lead steer on the cattle drive; consider who is/are the "lonesome dove(s)" in the novel.

Also IMO, it's one of the richest and most perfect of books ever written, and it will inspire the devoted student of literature to study it in re-reading beyond the initial pleasures offered by plot, characterization, rose, and dialog.

Finished Wyl Menmuir's THE MANY.

Set in a remote village, "a coastal town/they forgot to close down" (to quote Morrissey), the local fishermen trying to ply their trade in toxic, poisoned waters.

The narrative vague and formless, the novel eventually trailing off into inconsequence.

Not recommended.

Finished Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, a very powerful collection of testimonies about the collapse of the Soviet Union. It really is an extraordinary collection, illuminating and ambitious. Gives you a sense of the complexity of the issues and the scale of the trauma. It is also a grueling read, manipulative on occasion, and somewhat morbid. Great book though.

I'm glad to hear that everyone has such a fond praise for Lonesome Dove. It is well deserved.

Contrastingly, the other day at the bookstore I quickly read The Alchemist. I am always wary of books that the general public is forever raving about and recommending, especially when paired with proclamations of "It will change your life!"
Well. There is a reason.

Finished Thomas Frank's LISTEN LIBERAL, a book about the Democratic party selling out to monied interests and abandoning its working class roots.

You could say the same thing about major Leftist parties around the world.

Depressing...

>17 jordantaylor: I had read the Sufi tale on which The Alchemist is based years earlier and about a fifth of the way through the Alchemist I was like "should I even bother reading this through?" It just felt like a waste of time and I didn't think the two-page parable really needed to be padded out into a book.

But, I did recommend it to my kids who were maybe 11 and 12 at the time, and I think it was really meaningful for them at that point. I think some books are just not all that for us if we read them too late in life. We have figured out some of those things so long ago that they just seem trite.

Eligible – Curtis Sittenfeld
Audiobook performed by Cassandra Campbell
4****

The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. This is the fourth installment of the planned retellings that comprise The Austen Project, wherein contemporary authors tackle one of Austen’s works and reimagine it in a modern setting. I previously read Alexander McCall Smith’s version of Emma.

Sittenfeld sets the tale in the USA – Cincinnati to be exact. The Bennet “girls” are about 15 years older that Austen’s characters: Jane is nearly 40, and Elizabeth is 38. And reality TV, cross-training, and text messaging play a central role. Still, Mrs Bennet is just as irritatingly pushy when it comes to finding husbands for her daughters, and Mrs Bennet is just as laid-back and confused by the romantic shenanigans. I recognized most of the plot elements, though Sittenfeld did split the Wickham character into two different men.

All told, I found it entertaining and fun. Definitely helps if you’ve read the original, though it spoils any surprises as you anticipate “when will they …?” or “how will she include …..?”

Cassandra Campbell is flawless narrating the audio book. She has become one of my favorite voice artists.

Death in the Clouds – Agatha Christie
3***

Hercule Poirot is flying back to London from Paris along with ten other passengers. From his seat (No. 9), he should have a clear view of all that’s happening, except that he sleeps through most of the flight. When he’s disturbed it’s to discover that a woman has died, apparently from a wasp sting. Or was it murder?

Christie’s Belgian detective has become my go-to comfort read. I never tire of watching Poirot exercise his “little gray cells” to the amusement and astonishment of fellow investigators, suspects, innocent bystanders, and, of course, the culprit. I was startled by several racist terms and condescending statements regarding women, but I recognize this work is a product of the times in which it was written, and prevailing attitudes in that era.

This is number twelve in the series, but readers do NOT really need to consume them in any specific order; they are more like stand-alone novels, featuring the same detective.

The Christmas Thief– Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
Audiobook performed by Carol Higgins Clark
3***

From the book jacket: Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, teams up with private investigator Regan Reilly to solve another Christmas mystery. This time the case involves an eighty-foot blue spruce that has been chosen as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The folks who picked the tree don’t have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask full of diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison, had hidden there over twelve years ago.

My Reactions
There’s not much holiday spirit in this slim volume; it is more a fun and entertaining comic crime caper than a mystery. The coincidences required for the plot to work stretch credulity a bit, but they do add to the suspense and enjoyment. I like this cast of characters: Alvirah and her husband, Willy; Regan and her fiancé, Jack, as well as her parents, Luke and Nora; and Alivirah’s friend Opal, a fellow lottery winner, who lost her money to Packy’s scam. And then there’s Packy and his band of incompetents: Jo-Jo, Benny and Milo.

Carol Higgins Clark narrates the audio version. Her pacing is good, but the voices she used for the various characters just irritated me.

>22 BookConcierge: BookConcierge I love your reviews!

Finished an early collection of poetry by John Cooper Clarke, TEN YEARS IN AN OPEN NECKED SHIRT.

Clarke is more of a performer than a poet and I think reading him reveals some of his aesthetic short-comings and gimmicks, whereas when you watch and listen to him, you're charmed and amused.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-aVtKEhpO0

Wrapped up TRAJECTORY, Richard Russo's latest.

Four longish stories, each appealing in its own right. Strong on character, as always with Russo.

This one will undoubtedly end up on my "Year's Best" roster. Finished it in two sittings.

Finished REVENGER, by Alastair Reynolds, action-filled sci-fi, great fun.

Reynolds is my favourite SF writer these days, always dependable.

Listening to a selection of essays by Orwell, Such, Such Were the Joys. I like his personality, very humane and likable. Not entirely convinced by his arguments though. His essay on Dickens has some illuminating observations but at some point it starts to feel forced and heavy handed. It just goes on and on and on...

>23 jordantaylor:
Thank you, Jori

Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli
Audiobook performed by John H Ritter
5*****

From the Goodreads description From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’ s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.

My reactions
I’m long past high school, but I still remember the “pack” mentality that required conformity. It’s painful to revisit that, but Spinelli does a great job exploring what might happen, and how the events might affect some of the students.

I loved Stargirl, and especially so when she was the target of bullies and yet remained true to herself. What a brave, courageous young woman! My heart went out to Leo as well, though he succumbed to peer pressure eventually, realizing too late how much this very different and special girl meant to him.

John H Ritter does a fine job performing the audio. He has good pacing, and I believed that he was a teenaged boy telling this story.

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions– Margaret Musgrove
5*****

Illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. Winner of the 1977 Caldecott Medal for illustration in children’s literature.

Margaret Musgrove was born and raised in Connecticut, but she has lived and studied in Ghana. She supplemented her own experience with extensive research to write this children’s book which explains some of the customs and traditions of various African tribal peoples. In this work she examines 26 different tribes, across the African continent, from Ashanti to Zulu.

Leo and Diane Dillon’s illustrations are simple magnificent. In each portrait they not only illustrate the customs about which Musgrove writes, but they give a glimpse of more of the culture of that tribe. Most illustrations include a man, a woman, a child, a typical dwelling, some cultural artifact, and an animal indigenous to that tribe’s area of Africa. I found myself examining the many details of the pictures. As a bonus the front and back cover are two illustrations which are not contained within.

The Polar Express – Chris Van Allsburg
5*****

On Christmas Eve a boy struggles to stay awake, intent on hearing the jingle of bells from Santa’s sleigh. What he hears instead are the sounds of “hissing steam and squeaking metal,” and when he goes to the window he sees a train pulled up outside his house! Grabbing his robe and slippers he ventures outside and is just in time to climb aboard before the train sets off for the North Pole.

What a lovely Christmas story; it reminds children (and adults) of the magical power of belief. I wish I could still hear the jingle of bells.

The illustrations are richly detailed. I enjoyed examining each picture, looking for the train as it moves across the landscape. The expressions on the faces of the children aboard the train were marvelous, whether filled with excitement, or consoling the boy on the trip back home.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Grace Lin
Book on CD narrated by Janet Song
4****

From the book jacket: In the valley of fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli’s mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune.

My reactions
What a delightful story for middle-school readers (and adults). Inspired by Chinese folklore, Lin weaves a fantasy tale of one young woman’s quest to help her family. Minli’s courage, grace, kindness and perseverance are to be admired. Over and over again she is tested, and always finds a way to succeed. But her ultimate test is one of friendship and faith, for she has had help along the way and one friend in particular, a dragon, has asked her to pose a question to the Old Man of the Moon.

I loved the many stories told by Ba and Ma as much as I enjoyed the central story of Minli’s adventurous journey. I am reminded of the stories my grandparents, aunts and uncles told on many a night, as we sat on the front porch in the dark, my imagination running wild with tales of adventure.

Janet Song does a superb job performing the audio book. Her delivery was perfectly suited to this type of fantasy. I was mesmerized. I’m glad that I also had a copy of the text, however, because it includes some lovely illustrations.

Late last night I wrapped up SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA, a novel by Jaroslav Kalfar, a Czech writer who's lived in the USA for the past fifteen years.

A solid debut, funny and sad, an author worth keeping an eye on...

The Hunger Games– Suzanne Collins
Audiobook performed by Carolyn McCormick
3***

In a future dystopian world, in what used to be the United States, the people are starving, and are used by the Capital as pawns in an annual competition: The Hunger Games. All children from age 12 through 18 have their names entered in a drawing to pick the two tributes – one boy, one girl – who will represent each of the twelve districts in the country of Panem; the twenty-four contestants will fight to the death on live TV. When 12-year-old Prim’s name is selected, her 16-year-old sister Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place.

I had heard much about this book, with many friends recommending it to me, but dystopian novels are not high on my list of must-reads and I put it off. I haven’t seen the movie(s) either.

Collins writes well, and does a good job of setting up this dystopian society, explaining how it works and the challenges faced by the residents. I was drawn into the story and invested in Katniss as the heroine from the beginning. I liked how Collins set up the televised aspect of the games, and perhaps readers will recognize how much of “reality” TV is manipulated and created by the producers.

What I really liked was the strong female heroine. Katniss is resilient, intelligent, resourceful, physically and mentally strong. She is a survivor, having learned from her father how to hunt and gather plants in the wild to help supplement the family’s diet. Since her father died, she’s been the primary source of food for her mother and younger sister. This gives her an edge over other contestants who have not had to struggle for every day survival.

Collins doesn’t make it easy for Katniss, putting her in danger from the natural world (lack of water, poisonous plants, deadly wasps), the Gamemakers who invent ways to force the contestants together, and the other tributes intent on eliminating the competition. I appreciated the untenable position she’s placed in and applauded her efforts to maintain some sense of humanity when forced to “kill or be killed.”

Collins also adds a love interest in her fellow District 12 tribute: Peeta, the baker’s son who as a young boy saved her from starvation by throwing her a burnt loaf of bread. While I appreciate that this adds to the drama and appeal for the intended YA audience, it did nothing for me. I felt as if Collins was doing just what the Gamemakers were doing – manipulating events to boost ratings.

What really annoyed me … and lost a star … was the cliff-hanger ending. Don’t get me wrong. I’m perfectly fine with ambiguous endings that let the reader wonder and surmise what will happen next (e.g. “After all, tomorrow is another day.” From Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind). But Collins (or the publisher) chose to add “End of Book One,” an obvious set-up for readers to purchase Book Two to find out what happens. I’m certainly in no hurry to continue … though I may read the next one if I have a challenge for a dystopian novel.

Carolyn McCormick does a great job performing the audio version. She has great pacing and was able to make the various characters easily identifiable. I particularly loved how she voiced Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy.

Maurice – E M Forster
4****

Written between 1913 and 1914, Forster’s novel of a young man’s awakening homosexuality was not published until 1971, a year after the author’s death. The novel caused a sensation when it was released, not just because of the subject matter, but because Forster dared to write a “happy ending.”

Still, there is much distress for Maurice as he comes to terms with his “inclinations” and struggles to form a relationship that will be honest and true. But then, many a heterosexual young person also struggles to find true love and acceptance.

I loved the way that Forster developed this character, showing Maurice’s confusion and naivete as a young man at boarding school, his headlong reckless nature as he pursued his pleasure and found first love, his despair when he thought all was lost and felt compelled to “find a cure” for his condition, and his eventual awakening to the possibilities that a mature and loving relationship might offer him.

I was appalled by some of the attitudes expressed in the novel, but sadly recognize some of the same behavior in current society. While much has changed in regard to societal attitudes about homosexuality in the hundred years since the book was written, and even in the nearly 50 years since it was first published, there is still hatred and persecution aimed at the members of the GLBT community.

E.M. Forster is one of my favourites. Haven't read that one yet but will do.

Edit: correct touchstone: Maurice

Sorry >35 BookConcierge: your link to "Maurice" led to The Odyssey

I have been meaning to read Maurice for a long while now.

I started Red Mars a few days ago. I have resolved lately to branch out in my reading, and I haven't read much sci-fi. This one came up when I looked for suggestions as an introduction to the genre.

Have you read it, Cliff? Thoughts?

I've been on a John Straley kick. Read the earlier novels in the Cecil Younger detective series, The Woman Who Married a Bear and The Curious Eat Themselves. Also bought his non-genre novel The Big Both Ways.

On the nonfiction front I am reading Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language by Robin Dunbar, and still dipping in and out of Washington Irving's travel essays, Tales from the Alhambra.

>38 jordantaylor:, I'm not Cliff, but my two cents for you to keep in mind is that Red Mars veers into a lot more directions than merely the science, as its prologue suggests. Politics especially is very much in the foreground. The timeline advances more quickly than you might anticipate, and there isn't much hardship encountered in the colonization aspect. You may enjoy your reading more, knowing that in advance and not expecting it to be a story it isn't. In fact, although you'll get boatloads of detail about science along the way it's probably a good choice for someone who doesn't read a lot of SF.

#38 Ian is a bigger fan of Kim Stanley Robinson than I am.

I read RED MARS ages ago and it was all right...but I couldn't bring myself to tackle the other two books in the trilogy. The series just didn't pass my "so what?" test.

He's definitely one of the better SF writers out there, but I have to say I prefer the books of Alastair Reynolds.

>38 jordantaylor: I read the global warming series (40 days of rain etc) and I thought they were very good, but there are a lot of explanatory tangents, some of which I could have done without. This critique may just be me not being used to the hard science fiction genre.

Hard SF is filled with exposition, pages and pages of techno stuff that shows the writer knows their science and wants to explain every rivet in excruciating detail.

I've pointed this out in the past and gotten blasted by fans of that sub-genre...

>43 CliffBurns: Mansplaining?

Almost exclusively. Invariably.

Seen on the Internet: Someone came up with the term "correctile dysfunction" for "mansplaining;" I could not stop laughing.

But then it wouldn't be hard SF, would it?

Provided we're not implying that women cannot write hard SF then yes, funny. ;)

Well, that's odd .... Doesn't even have one letter in common!

I've corrected it now.

Fates And Furies – Lauren Groff
Audiobook performed by Will Damron and Julia Whelan
4****

From the book jacket: They meet in the final months of college, and by graduation, they have married. It’s 1991. …A decade or so later, though, Lotto and Mathilde are on their way. He is a world-famous playwright, she is integral to his success. Their life and marriage are the envy of friends, the very definition of successful partnership.

My Reactions
Well I certainly didn’t see THAT coming! I don’t read the book jacket summaries before reading a book-club selection, so had no warning of “an explosive twist” other than the title.

The book is told by the two central characters. Lancelot / Lotto tells their story in the first section: Fates. Groff is masterful building these characters, with qualities that draw the reader into their circle. They are young, in love, each other’s champion against the world. Mathilde never stops believing in Lotto, encouraging him, supporting them with her small gallery job as he struggles as an actor. When his mother cuts them off, Mathilde makes sure Lotto’s Aunt Sallie and little sister, Rachel, are welcomed for annual visits. She hosts parties for their friends, and includes his childhood buddy Chollie, who seems not much more than a moocher. They are a devoted couple. Apparently.

One revelation breaks the bond. Forcing first Lotto, and then Mathilde to examine their relationship.

When Mathilde takes over narrating in the Furies section the truths and lies tumble one after another, leaving this reader reeling. Every single character’s “other side” is revealed. No one and nothing is what it seemed at first. By the end I’m left feeling battered and bruised and stunned. I want to start reading it again from the beginning so I can pick up any clues Groff may have buried.

Will Damron and Julia Whelan are perfect in performing the audio version. I absolutely believed in their characters, was drawn in and held captive from beginning to end.

Readers take note: There is considerable sex in the book, some of it disturbing.

Trophy Hunt – C J Box
3***

Book number four in the Joe Picket mystery series opens with Wyoming Game Warden Joe taking his daughters on a fishing trip. They discover the carcass of a moose, and Joe is disturbed to notice signs of mutilation. It’s only the beginning of the nightmare.

I like this series, mostly because I really like Joe Picket (and his wife, Marybeth). He is the quintessential “good guy,” fighting to preserve the environment and a peaceful setting for his family and the residents of Twelve Sleep County. Box gives us plenty of action – in addition to the moose there are cattle mutilations, a horse is attacked, and two men killed. His daughter’s playmates seem bent on leading her into trouble, and I about screamed in fright along with the kids when …. Well, I won’t spoil the action for you.

But I was dissatisfied with the ending. Too much “aliens” mumbo-jumbo, and a too-convenient demise made me feel as if Box had run out of ideas and turned to 1950s sci-fi films for inspiration. Still, it’s a good story and a fast read; I haven’t given up on the series, but I’m in no hurry to read the next one.

>39 anna_in_pdx: anna_in_PDX I am also a Straley fan. Have all the Younger novels and have read The Big Both Ways and Cold Storage Alaska.

22 Britannia Road – Amanda Hodgkinson
Audiobook narrated by Robin Sachs
4****

At the end of World War II, Silvana and her seven-year-old son Aurek board a ship that will take them to England, where her husband, Janusz, waits for them. As the war escalated, he had joined the Polish Army, leaving his wife and infant son behind. Then Warsaw was bombed and Silvana fled to the forest with Aurek. Now he has settled in England. He wants nothing more than for them to become a proper English family, with a normal life in the small house at 22 Britannia Road.

Hodgkinson’s debut novel is beautifully told. The war has affected all of them, and they each bear secrets that lead to misunderstandings and feelings of distrust. How these damaged people struggle to become a family once again forms the central theme of the book.

I was engaged and interested in the story from beginning to end. Hodgkinson divides her chapters by location/time and by character, telling parallel stories: Poland during the war, England after the war. I liked how she used this technique to slowly reveal to the reader what Silvana and Janusz endured during their years apart. The choices they made carry consequences they dare not share with one another. And yet, they must find the love they once shared and nurture it, for themselves as individuals, for their child, and for their family.

Aurek fascinated me. When he and Silvana arrive in England he is understandably clingy. Janusz knows they lived in the forest for a time, but he’s not prepared for a son who hoards food, and doesn’t know how to tie his shoes or even how to sleep in a bed. Silvana tells Aurek again and again that they are safe, that Janusz is his father and loves him. But Aurek learned to be suspicious of men during their time in the forest, and he thinks of Janusz as “the enemy.”

Robin Sachs does an excellent job narrating the audiobook. He has good pacing and clearly differentiated the characters. I was never confused about who was speaking or what time frame I was in.

The Whole Town’s Talking – Fannie Flagg
Audiobook performed by Kimberly Farr
3***

This is the fourth book about the residents of Elmwood Springs (though it is not listed as part of the series). In this volume, Flagg tells the history of Elmwood Springs, beginning with the 1889 founding of the settlement by Swedish immigrant Lorder Nordstrom, who recognized the perfect environment for a dairy, and encouraged fellow Swedes (plus a Norwegian and a German) to join him in Missouri. Several favorite characters from previous books make an appearance here, most notably Elner Shimfissle.

This isn’t great literature, but Flagg spins a darn good yarn. It’s entertaining and full of lively characters – both good and bad. There are marriages, births and deaths. People form alliances and work together to build the town. I like the way world events impact the residents of the small town, and how life changes for them through the decades. It’s a somewhat idyllic view of small-town life, though some residents struggle with alcohol addiction and drug use, and there’s at least one murder.

I liked the “residents” of Still Meadows being able to discuss what was happening in town, though they had to rely on new arrivals and the occasional visitor to their gravesites who might talk aloud, in order to learn what was going on. It reminded me somewhat of Thurber’s Our Town. On the other hand, I found the Epilogue anti-climactic; it almost seemed as if Flagg was at a loss for how to end the story.

Kimberly Farr does a great job performing the audio. She has good pacing and sufficient skill as a voice artist to handle the large cast of characters. Farr really brings the various characters of Elmwood Springs alive, but I particularly loved how she voiced Lorder, Katrina and Elner.

Columbine – Dave Cullen
Audiobook narrated by Don Leslie.
4****

From the book jacket: On April 20, 1999, two boys left an indelible stamp on the American psyche. Their goal was simple: to blow up their school, Oklahoma City-style, and to leave “a lasting impression on the world.” Their bombs failed, but the ensuing shooting defined a new era of school violence – irrevocably branding every subsequent shooting “another Columbine.”

My Reactions:
Gripping, fascinating, and horrifying. Many of the things I was certain I knew about the event were just wrong. Cullen has done extensive research and made every effort to remain an impartial journalist, ferreting out facts and revealing them without judgment. The result is perhaps even more disturbing than what I thought I knew about it.

This one quote provides chilling insight: Eric was less concerned about killing hundreds of people on April 20 than about tormenting millions for years. His audience was the target. He wanted everyone to agonize: the student body, residents of Jeffco, the American public, the human race.
Eric amused himself with the idea of coming back as a ghost to haunt survivors. He would make noises to trigger flashbacks, and drive them all insane. Anticipation satiated Eric for months. Then it was time to act.

Don Leslie does a marvelous job performing the audio version. He was able to change inflections to give us excited teenagers, depressed boys, worried parents, puzzled law enforcement and dedicated educators.

Please Look After Mom– Kyung-Sook Shin
Translated by Chi-Young Kim
Book on CD read by: Mark Bramhall, Janet Song, Samantha Quan, and Bruce Turk
3***

From the book jacket: A million-plus-copy best seller in Korea – this is the stunning, deeply moving story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway.

My reactions
I enjoy reading fiction from and about different cultures. Shin’s work gives the reader some insight into contemporary Korean life, but it was missing something for me.

I had an idea that the book dealt with the mother’s dementia. I guess I had in mind a sort of Korean version of Still Alice. I don’t know where I got that impression, but I’m sure it affected my overall reaction, because that’s not what this book is. Rather, it is the story of one family’s dynamics. As the characters search for their missing mother / wife, they recall past events … a first day of school, a trip to the beach, meals shared, etc … that help to paint the picture of this family’s relationships, home life, aspirations, disappointments, and triumphs.

The author tells the story from the perspective of four characters: a daughter, son, husband and mother. She also uses second person voice for much of the book. Perhaps she intended to draw the reader in with this technique, or perhaps it is a common grammatical choice in Korean, but I found it difficult to connect to the characters. It was as if they were not telling their own story, but supposing what might happen to “you.”

Using four different voice artists for the audio version was a great move, however. It clearly indicated the change in character from one section to another.

Death, Taxes and Hot-Pink Leg Warmers – Diane Kelly
2.5**

From the book jacket: It’s bad enough that Tara has to go on trial against the mortgage-frauding “Tennis Racketeers” who cheated banks and homeowners of millions in between doubles matches. Now she has to go undercover – in a strip club – to strip the sleazeball owner of his indeed illegal livelihood. At least she’s working as a bookkeeper, not a pole dancer. And who needs tips when her undercover crush, Special Agent Nick, is the club’s bodyguard?

My Reactions
This is book five in the series featuring IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway. I haven’t read any of the others, and picked this one strictly to meet a challenge for a pink cover.

I like that Kelly has given us the premise of a strong female heroine – intelligent, resourceful, powerful – but she doesn’t really deliver. I could do with fewer segues to think about what Tara and Nick might be doing in bed, and more concentration on the professional woman. In fairness, the hot-pink cover, not to mention the title, was a pretty good clue that this would be a lighter, fluffier “crime” novel.

It’s a fast read and mildly entertaining, but I’m in no hurry to read more of the series.