July, 2017--Celebrate Canada's 150th birthday with a diverse, alternative read

Off to northern Manitoba for a brief visit with family.

Taking a copy of Orwell's HOMAGE TO CATALONIA in case there's time for reading between fishing and batting away mosquitoes.

?

Is that the one Orwell wrote in his backgarden cabane au sucre whilst keeping an eye on the cooking or the one he wrote about serving in a brigade of Albertan separatists?

I'm reading The Collected Writings of Joe Brainard and re-reading dear Mr Gissing's The Emancipated. Neither Brainard nor Gissing was Canadian though Brainard spent a few weeks in Calais ME which is pretty damned close.

An amazing book. A very well-to-do Brit, one of the best writers of all time, decides to fight in a foreign Civil War, on a side totally disparaged by propagandists, and his wife stops in for a visit, as if he's on holiday.

Never even got time to read on my family trip. Too busy fishing, socializing and drinking really good whiskey.

I envy the fact that you can actually eat the fish you catch. Around here private ponds or fish from the coast {depending on how much the species concentrates mercury- king mackerel,drool, are out} are about the only areas that are ok. Everywhere else there are lists for frequency can be eaten and varies with species for each major body of water.

Congrats on the good time!

It...was...fantastic.

Lovely setting, lovely people.

And until you've had a jackfish (northern pike) on the line, you haven't REALLY been fishing. And they have teeth too.

That 4 days is pretty much it for time off this summer. A new project in the offing, long days filled with research and scribbling. Might not be posting here as much--I tend to go into silent mode when I'm immersed in heavy duty writing.

The Japanese Lover - Isabel Allende
Audio book read by Joanna Gleason
3***

In 1939, with the Nazis rising in power throughout Europe, Alma Mendel’s parents send her from their Warsaw home to live with her aunt and uncle in their San Francisco mansion. Her childhood playmate becomes Ichimei Fukuda, the son of the estate’s gardener. But Ichimei and his family are sent to an internment camp after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Decades later, Irina Bazili, a care worker with a troubled past, meets Alma Belasco and her grandson, Seth, at Lark House, where Alma resides in an assisted living apartment. Irina and Seth become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, and thus learn about Alma’s secret passion.

This is a sweeping love story that spans decades. Told in alternating time frames, and with alternating points of view, the story unfolds as Irina and Seth discover tidbits of information. I loved Alma; she’s an independent, intelligent, strong-willed woman. But she has had decades of practice guarding her privacy and she’s not about to give up her secrets easily.

Which makes Irina a perfect care giver / companion / assistant for her. Irina has a pretty big secret in her life as well. Like Alma, she left her home to come to the US as a child for the promise of a safer, more secure life. But Irina’s childhood was much different from the pampered Alma’s. She’s a fighter, emotionally fragile, but intelligent, resilient, fiercely independent, scrupulously honest, a hard worker and a tender care giver. As her friendship with Seth and Alma develops, Irina’s past slowly comes out.

I was intrigued and interested in the puzzle of Alma and Ichimei’s relationship. The title alone is a pretty clear indication of what is to come in the novel, and yet I was fascinated to learn the details. I thought the subplot of Irina’s background story was a distraction, however. And while it does remind me that everyone has a story to tell, even the minor characters, I wish that Allende had left it out of this book. I also felt that the men in the story – Ichimei, Nathaniel, and Seth – deserved a little more attention. I felt their characters were not so developed as the two women’s were.

Joanna Gleason does a fine job performing the audiobook. She has a good pace, and I was never confused about time frame or which character’s story was being told. That being said, she does nothing to try to differentiate the voices of the characters. Everyone sounded the same – man or woman, old or young.

The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland - Rebekah Crane
1*

From the book jacket: According to sixteen-year-old Zander Osborne, nowhere is an actual place – and she’s just fine there. But her parents insist that she get out of her head – and her home state – and attend Camp Padua, a summer camp for at-risk teens. Zander has only one word for her fellow campers: crazy. In fact, the whole camp population exists somewhere between disaster and diagnosis. … Amid group “share-apy” sessions and forbidden late-night outings, unlikely friendships form, and the teens begin to reveal their tragic secrets. Zander finds herself inextricably drawn to (fellow camper) Grover Cleveland’s earnest charms, and she begins to wonder if she could be happy.

My reactions
Okay, I knew this was a YA novel about a summer camp for at-risk teens, going into it. I knew from the title and cover art that some sort of summer romance would come into play. But I am so over the teen angst phase of my life, that I find it overly dramatic and cliched.

In addition to Zander the kids at camp include: her cabin mate Cassie, who describes herself as a a “manic-depressive-bipolar-anorexic,” Alex Trebec, called Bek, who is a pathological liar, and Grover Cleveland (yes, like the president), a cute guy who is certain he’ll be schizophrenic one day, given his family history. We don’t know Zander’s problem up front, but she has a tendency to obsessively conjugate French verbs when feeling stressed. Populating the novel with these kids was just a bit too over-the-top for me to enjoy it.

The crisis that results in some break throughs is somewhat believable given the emotional and mental difficulties these kids face. But the way in which this is resolved is totally unbelievable. It’s a relatively fast read, and satisfied a couple of challenges, so I finished it, but that was really time wasted.

For some reason, this thread didn't show up on my "talk" feed until now. I was wondering if Cliff had taken sick.

It's funny that you mention Homage to Catalonia, as I was just researching it yesterday at random.

Well, I finally did it. I read my first Stephen King book - and I was truly impressed. After years of fretting over which book of his to start with as the "first," and meanwhile not reading any of his books at all, I just started The Gunslinger. I still feel overwhelmingly confused as to what exactly was going on, but in a good way.
Now to attempt to get my hands on the second book in the series here in China, where English-language books are rare creatures.

I am currently reading Perdido Street Station - Miéville is another author that I wasn't sure where to start with.

Shinju by Laura Joh Rowland was an excellent discovery. I have been dying to find a well written historical mystery series with a rich setting, and I think that this series may be the answer.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers – Mordecai Gerstein
4****

From the book jacket: In 1974, as the World Trade Center was being completed, a young French aerialist, Philippe Petit, threw a tightrope between the two towers and spent almost an hour walking, dancing and performing tricks a quarter of a mile in the sky.

My reactions
Gerstein brings the sense of awe and wonder to Petit’s amazing feat. He also recognizes the illegality of the stunt and that Petit was arrested and charged with a crime for trespassing, though his sentence was to perform free for the children of New York.

His illustrations are beautifully rendered, and I particularly enjoyed those from a “bird’s-eye” perspective. They even evoked a sense of vertigo. Two fold-outs expand the scope, one showing the view as Petit crosses the wire, with birds flying beneath him, and the Hudson far below, the other giving a sense of the vertical height from the ground as spectators watch in amazement.

BookConcierge You inspire me to write more book reviews!

>11 jordantaylor: Thank you, Jori

Tigers in Red Weather - Liza Klaussmann
Book on CD read by Katherine Kellgren
2**

Cousins Nick and Helena grew up spending idyllic summers at Tiger House, the family’s estate on Martha’s Vineyard. As World War 2 ends, the two young women are about to begin their “real” lives – Helena is off to Hollywood and a new marriage to producer Avery Lewis, while Nick travels to Florida to reunite with her husband Hughes Derringer, home from the war. But reality doesn’t meet their expectations. Twelve years later, the cousins – along with their children Daisy and Ed – try to recapture their memories by once again spending the summer at Tiger House. But when Daisy and Ed make a gruesome discovery, the secrets and lies that each family member thought were safely buried begin to push to the surface.

This is Klaussmann’s debut and I see a nugget of a good novel here. But the execution falters. The dialogue is tortured. And the fractured timeline and changes in point of view do little to help the story arc. Klaussmann gives the reader some clues … dividing the book into sections titled with the character from whose point of view events will be relayed: Nick, Daisy, Helena, Hughes, Ed, and heading each chapter with the year and month. However, within the chapters events go back and forth in time as the character reflects on things. So, a chapter might be titled 1947: February, but some events relayed may have taken place months or years previously. I’m sure the author intended that this device would help build suspense, but mostly it just confused me. By the time the big reveal takes place I didn’t care, I just wanted the book to end.

Katherine Kellgren’s performance on the audio does nothing to help the novel. She has a tendency to be overly dramatic when voicing the characters. I wound up reading the text for more than half the novel. ZERO stars for the audio performance.

Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Book on CD read by Gerard Doyle
3***

From the book jacket: When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

My reactions
This is # 1 in The Inheritance Cycle series. I am clearly not the target audience for this fantasy novel. I found the continued “danger – fight – use of magic - flight” sequence repetitive.

However, kudos to Paolini for creating this complex world, with many characters and beings, mythology, history, diverse landscape, and complex social structure. I liked the central relationship between Eragon and his dragon, Saphira. I also liked the relationships Eragon forged with both Brom and Murtagh – two men who genuinely help the youngster on his quest.

The final battle scene is exciting and innovative in some aspects, though I found the use of magic a little bit of a “cheat” to get the characters out of the impossible situation Paolini had put them in. That’s a small quibble, though – I DO recognize that this is a fantasy novel. The open-ended finale is an obvious attempt to get readers to buy/read the next installment. Totally understandable in this kind of series, but it irritates me nonetheless.

I definitely see the appeal for the intended audience, even if it’s not really my cup of tea. I’ll have to ask my nephew if he read it.

Gerard Doyle does a fine job narrating the audio book, although I thought the voice he used for Saphira was unnecessarily “growly” (can’t think of a better adjective). He especially does a fine job of narrating the battle scenes, adding a sense of apprehension, danger and excitement all at once.

Finished LIVING IN THE WEATHER OF THE WORLD, Richard Bausch's latest.

A very good collection of stories--love is rarely requited, betrayal lurking around every corner.

Recommended.

>14 BookConcierge:, genre fans generally don't hold a high opinion of Eragon for its being so derivative, but it is passable YA reading. I read the opening pages and couldn't do it. I did manage to sit through the movie, but I can't recommend it.

Re Eragon, I could not get over the pedestrian writing. I know he was a teenager when he wrote it (at least the first book) but geez. I did read all three books as my son was also reading them at the time and we were discussing them. I tried not to be too negative. To young people it will seem less derivative just because they have not read the volume of stuff we have.

I agree about Eragon - I have quite a low opinion of it.
Also, did anyone else notice the glaring similarity to Star Wars: A New Hope??

If anyone cares to be further convinced (warning, some spoilers) -

Orphan farm boy who lives with his uncle, has a normal, happy life until he finds a mysterious object.
A princess in trouble leaves something behind for him to discover.
Confused, he consults an old, wise man who is his friend.
He comes back to his farm to find that it has been set on fire, and his uncle is now dead.
He leaves with an old man who is his friend, and discovers that the old man has hidden, amazing abilities. The old man gives him a very special weapon and trains him how to use it. They go on an adventurous journey and the boy learns to fly and fight. He finds the princess who had left him a message, and befriends her.
He meets another young man whom he really dislikes at first, but gradually becomes friends with.
The mysterious old man who taught him how to be a warrior is tragically killed.
He must defeat the evil villain - who turns out to actually be his father.

I mean, really now.

>18 jordantaylor: wow, now that you mention it, that's uncanny! Also, hilarious.

Hamlet – William Shakespeare
BBC Audiobook performed by Michael Sheen (Hamlet), Kenneth Cranham (Claudius), Juliet Stevenson (Gertrude) and Ellie Beaven (Ophelia), and a full cast
4****

I’ll dispense with the summary for this classic tragedy by William Shakespeare, but as I’ve said before, I really dislike reading plays. I much prefer to see them performed live by talented actors, the medium for which they are written. The next best thing to a live performance, however, must be an audio such as this one, with talented actors taking on the roles and really bringing the play to life for the listener.

There are hundreds of editions of this work, and I recommend that readers get one that is annotated. The text copy I had as an accompaniment to the audio was published by the Oxford University Press, and included several scholarly articles, appendices and footnotes to help the modern-day reader understand Shakespeare’s Elizabethan terms and use of language, as well as historical references. One appendix even includes the music to accompany the songs!

Band of Brothers – Stephen E Ambrose
Book on CD read by Collin Smith
4****

The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.

Ambrose chose one unit and followed the men of that unit through their years of training, and combat during World War II. He profiles the officers and enlisted men alike, showing their reactions to training, to the regimented lifestyle the military requires, to combat, and to each other. In this way, the reader experiences the boredom of routine drill, the excitement and anxiety of waiting to go on the next mission, the adrenaline rush and terror of combat, the anger and compassion on seeing your comrades wounded or killed.

Ambrose conducted hours of interviews with the survivors, and was given access to letters, journals and military documents. The personal stories lend great authenticity to the narrative. The text edition includes photos of the soldiers, and maps of Europe, as well as of specific battle sites.

Collin Smith does a fine job narrating the audio book. He has great pacing and really brought the work to life. However … after listening to the first disc I realized the copy I got from the library was an abridged audio, so I read the text for the remainder of the book.

One final footnote: In the last year of his life, Ambrose was accused of plagiarizing several passages in his book The Wild Blue. He responded that all his works are footnoted, and his sources documented. He said that his main concern was with telling the story, and he regretted that he didn’t always use quotation marks. Forbes magazine did additional research and found suspect passages in at least six of Ambrose’s books. However, THIS book, was NOT cited.

So You Want to be President?– Judith St George
Illustrated by David Small
4****

This picture book for young children tells some of the interesting tidbits about the American Presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton. The message is that almost anyone can be president – fat, thin, tall, short, born in a log cabin or a mansion, college graduate or struggled to learn to read, army general or tailor. There is an updated edition, that includes George W Bush, but even that one states all that all the presidents have been white men, and that no woman has even run for the office. (Although there is acknowledgement of Geraldine Ferraro’s historic run for Vice President.)

David Small’s illustrations earned the Caldecott medal. His near caricatures are fun and engaging, and he includes small details to delight both children and the adults who may be reading aloud. I loved Teddy Roosevelt playing with a train set on the floor, or Richard Nixon bowling, or the Presidential “band” with Bill Clinton on the sax, Chester Arthur on the banjo, and Thomas Jefferson on the violin.

I think I would probably rate this only three stars if it weren’t for the illustrations. Small’s drawings earned that extra star from me.

To celebrate Canadian writers, I acquired Disappearing Moon Cafe by Sky Lee. A novel, family saga covering several generations who emigrate from China to Vancouver's Chinatown.

It just arrived today, so I haven't read it yet. But it qualifies as a "diverse alternate read."

That's the spirit--enjoy a Canuck-oriented weekend...

The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency – Kathryn Smith
4****

From the book jacket: Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was the private secretary and right-hand woman of Franklin Delano Roosevelt for more than twenty years, serving as de facto chief of staff in the White House – a position never held by a woman before or since. From her perch at Roosevelt’s side, she offered him counsel on Supreme Court and cabinet appointments – and on events as momentous as the unfolding war in Europe (and as minor as whom to invite for dinner).

My reactions
I had never heard of Miss LeHand, and yet she was written about during her tenure as Roosevelt’s private secretary, with a Time magazine cover in 1934 that featured the four people who formed FDR’s secretariat, and several profile articles in Life and Look magazines, as well as regular mention in newspapers. So how is it that she has slipped out of our collective memories?

Perhaps the answer is that, until this work, there has never been a biography of this extraordinary woman. Smith did extensive research and she includes detailed notes and a bibliography at the end of the main biography. Her interest in Missy and her access to letters, journals and records, helped Smith craft a book that is interesting, balanced and fascinating. There is controversy, to be sure, about LeHand’s actual role in FDR’s life, with some people claiming that she was the President’s mistress, while others refute that. Smith’s research leads her to the conclusion that Missy was not a love interest but a close and reliable confidant, a person the Roosevelts (both Franklin and Eleanor) trusted and depended upon. The high regard in which Missy LeHand was held is evidenced by the fact that the Roosevelts paid for all her medical expenses after her major stroke, and the family continues to pay for the maintenance of her gravesite.

I found the Afterword and Acknowledgements section almost as fascinating as the main biography. In it Smith relates how she came across a reference to Missy LeHand which piqued her interest. When she began searching for a biography to read, she discovered the lack of one. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Serpent’s Tale – Ariana Franklin
Book on CD performed by Kate Reading
3.5***

From the book jacket: Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison—and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

My reactions
There are several things I like about this series. I love a strong, independent, resilient, and resourceful heroine. Adelia Aguilar is all these things, and then some. Her personal life is more complicated now that she is a mother, but this also adds interest.

I like the return of certain characters (even if I don’t necessarily like all of them): Mansur (Adelia’s Arabic manservant), Gyltha (their housekeeper), Sir Rowley Picot (Bishop of Saint Albans), and King Henry. And I loved her smelly little dog, Ward!

Franklin does a lot of research and it shows in the way she sets the tone and describes the landscape and relationships in 12th century England. Book two in this popular series includes much more actual history of the period, though Franklin takes liberties in imagining this plot. The plot is intricate, and had more than one surprise for the reader.

Kate Reading is fast becoming a favorite narrator. She has great pacing, and is a talented voice artist, able to give the many characters unique voices.

Finished THE HOT JAZZ TRIO, three stories by William Kotzwinkle.

I used to like Kotzwinkle's work in the 80s and 90s, but now I find him silly and affected. I'll be weeding a couple more of his books.

Just finished The Autobiography of Malcolm X (wow! Should have read it many decades ago!) and two Stephen Gallagher mysteries, which were OK, The Bedlam Detective and The Authentic William James. Still working on the Third Chimpanzee and got Finnegans Wake back out to show my son and back to trying to read a page a day.

The reason I got FW out was because there was an article about translating it into Chinese mentioned on another LT thread and the difficulties of translating it just exploded in my brain and I had to share it with my son, but he'd never heard of the book so I found it and made him read the first paragraph aloud. To say the least, it is really wonderful to see a non-lit person's reaction to it in real time.

I love James Joyce, especially his Portrait, but I stopped with Ulysses and left the Wake puzzle for finer minds than mine to decipher. It's not even a straightforward book to illustrate: https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2014/mar/26/finnegans-wake-james-joyce...

Wrapped up another William Kotzwinkle book, THE QUEEN OF SWORDS (no touchstone).

Better than the last one (see: Post #27), some amusing bits and a wonderfully annoying central character.

Final Jeopardy – Linda Fairstein
3***

Linda Fairstein mined her own experience as a top prosecutor in New York’s Sex Crimes Unit for this debut thriller, starring NYC prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. The book opens with Alex reading her own obituary – a case of mistaken identity when she loaned her vacation home to a Hollywood star.

This is definitely what I look for in this genre. It’s a fast-paced mystery with plenty of suspects, interesting plot twists, a likeable main character, and some complicated relationships. I was kept guessing right along with Alex and the detectives. In the meantime, I became invested in Alex’s personal life and public work. She’s a complex woman, and I like that she doesn’t wait around to be rescued but figures out a way out of her own dilemmas.

Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea
Book on CD narrated by Susan Ericksen
3.5***

In the tiny coastal town of Tres Camarones, Sinaloa, Mexico, nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop and dreams about her father, who left for America years ago. Her aunt Irma is campaigning for Mayor, and when a gang of bandidos begins to move in, the women and children of Tres Camarones realize that they are helpless – all the men have left for “el norte.” Inspired by a showing of Steve McQueen’s The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli and her girlfriends: Vampi, Yolo and Tacho (who is the local homosexual), agree to go on a mission to bring some Mexican men back from the United States to repopulate their village.

This is a quest novel, a coming-of-age story, and a road trip adventure, populated by one of the most eclectic cast of characters in literature. I loved Nayeli, whose smile is like the sunrise. She’s honest, fierce, loyal to her friends, and determined to succeed in her mission. Despite many set-backs – losing all their luggage, being mugged, caught by the border patrol, etc – she keeps her mind on their goal and keeps her troops together and moving forward. Along the way the warriors meet some people who help them: Porfirio and Ariceli, who share their meager shack and a meal, Atómiko, who is their best chance for getting across, Rodrigo, who rescues Tacho, Matt, a surfer dude and former missionary who welcomes them to his late mother’s San Diego house, and – my favorite – a librarian who provides the key to Nayeli’s quest.

Despite loving Nayeli, Tacho, Tía Irma and a host of other characters, I thought the novel was a just okay. The plot and message seemed to get lost in the quirkiness. I liked it. I’m glad I read it. But it wasn’t the kind of memorable read that gets a fourth star – at least not from me.

The novel is translated from Spanish to English, but still includes much Spanish and even some “Spanglish.” This may be challenging for readers who don’t speak Spanish.

The audio book is performed by Susan Ericksen. While she did a reasonable job with all the many characters she had one major flaw. Her Spanish pronunciation is TERRIBLE. Surely the publisher could have found a narrator with better Spanish for this very MEXICAN book. 1 star for her performance.

>31 BookConcierge: Linda Fairstein was interviewed by CBS Sunday Morning last week. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/linda-fairstein-living-the-dream-one-murder-at-a-tim... I've not previously read any of her work, but after seeing her interview I think I will.

>33 varielle:
Thanks for that link!

Finished a horror/thriller offering that's been getting a lot of buzz, Ezekiel Boone's THE HATCHING.

Astonishingly mediocre book, the narrative choppy, characterizations thin, the whole thing as formulaic as a book of equations.

NOT recommended.

Finished Elizabeth Taylor's Angel - excellent stuff. The title character is even more eccentric in the book than depicted in the film by Ozon. Now reading Gene Wolfe's Home Fires and I suspect I will be throwing it at the wall at some point...

There's something about Wolfe's prose that maddens me. And yet there are folks I like and admire who revere the man.

I don't get it...

Finished Waterloo. I've not read any of the Sharpe novels but his non-fiction account of the battle is so well done that now I want to.

Malicious Intent – Kathryn Fox
3.5***

From the book jacket: (Sydney’s) only female freelancer in the male-dominated field, pathologist Dr. Anya Crichton will take any work she can find to pay child support and her mortgage, get her new business of the ground, and battle her ex-husband for custody of their three-year-old son. When her expert forensic evidence is instrumental in winning a high-profile case, new work offers start pouring in. But Anya’s investigation into the drug overdose of a young Lebanese girl is raising troubling questions. Startling coincidences between this death and a series of seemingly unrelated suicides that Anya is also examining, suggest that there’s a (serial killer) at work.

My reactions:
Great debut in a crowded field. Fox writes a tense, compelling mystery thriller with a (mostly) strong female lead. Anya is intelligent, resourceful, and tenacious. But she is also prone to self-doubt when it comes to certain aspects of her life. As a free-lancer, and female to boot, she’s fighting an uphill battle convincing the police that her findings point to a crime, so she forced to pursue the investigation on her own. Her best friend, Kate, is a detective and begins to become an ally, but then betrays Anya’s trust when dealing with the lone survivor.

Because this is number one in a series, there’s a lot of personal background that has to be covered, and in this case Anya’s own back story is instrumental in shaping the current plot. It helps to explain why she’s such a loner, and her personal troubles with her ex-husband make her emotionally vulnerable.

I had identified the culprit pretty quickly, certainly by half-way through the novel, but enjoyed watching the characters figure it out for themselves. I recognized that Fox gave the reader clues that Anya and the police did not have. The ending somewhat sets the reader up for future installments. I would hope that her relationships with Kate, Martin and Brody are continued and developed further as the series progresses.

Happy Never After – Kathy Hogan Trochek
Digital audio book narrated by Hillary Huber.
3***

From the book jacket: In this fourth installment of the Callahan Garrity series, the South’s favorite cleaning lady/sleuth immerses herself in the world of sixties girl groups and nineties rap groups to hunt the killer of a suave, self-serving record producer.

My reactions:
I like this mystery series. It’s a little edgier than a traditional cozy, because Callahan is a former Atlanta Police Officer, but it has many of the classic elements of a cozy: an “amateur” sleuth, a regular cast of characters surrounding the main character’s life/business (in this case, her mother and the other maids of her house-cleaning business), and murder that happens (mostly) off the page. We also have a love interest that is getting complicated. Callahan, however is NOT an amateur – she’s a licensed private investigator, and can carry a gun (and shot it). She’s also intelligent, determined and usually gets herself out of a jam rather than wait around for help.

I really enjoyed the premise in this installment, especially as I was a teenager in the era of the sixties girl groups. There were plenty of references to that era that kept me entertained and enough plot twists and red herrings to keep me interested. And … I did NOT guess the perpetrator until the reveal.

Hilary Huber does a fine job of narrating the audio version. She has good pacing, clear diction, and the skill to give the many characters distinct voices, making it easy for the listener to distinguish who is speaking. I particularly love how she voices the elderly Easterbrooks: Baby and Sister.

Elephant Company – Vicki Constantine Croke
3.5***

Subtitle: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II

Jim “Elephant Bill” Williams was a veteran of World War I when he went to colonial Burma in 1920 to work as a “forest man” for a British teak company. He was immediately fascinated by the large beasts who were the true workers in this industry. He appreciated their intelligence and social structure, and keenly observed the relationships between the elephants and the uzis/mahouts who were their constant companions. One Burmese man, Po Toke, helped Williams develop a different method of training and caring for the valuable animals, and introduced him to the young male calf who would become his favorite tusker – Bandoola.

The subtitle really intrigued me and I was eager to read about this particular episode, but the author gives us more than 200 pages of background before we get to World War II and the vital role Williams and his elephants played in the fight against the Japanese. Admittedly all that background was interesting and helped to explain the extraordinary relationship Williams had with these animals and their riders. His respect for and loyalty to them was returned in kind, making him an exemplary leader.

Croke did extensive research. In addition to the memoirs written by Williams, she was able to access a treasure trove of personal papers kept by Williams’ children and other descendants of key people. I read all the notes following the main text, they were so interesting.

Baker Towers – Jennifer Haigh
Audio book performed by Anna Fields.
3.5*** rounded up to 4****

Adapted from the book jacket: Bakerton is a company town built on coal, a town of church festivals and ethnic neighborhoods, hunters’ breakfasts and firemen’s parades. The looming black piles of mine dirt (are called) Baker Towers; they are local landmarks, clear evidence that the mines are booming. The mines were not named for Bakerton; Bakerton was named for the mines. This is an important distinction. It explains the order of things. Born and raised on Bakerton’s Polish Hill, the five Novak children come of age during wartime.

My reaction:
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I love to read and discuss with my F2F book club. Haigh focuses on the Novak family to tell the story of America in the years following World War II. It’s a microcosm of American life, that encompasses many of the issues faced by the nation during the 1930s through 1970s.

The five Novaks are as different as night and day. The oldest, Georgie, serves in the Pacific during World War II, but after the war he moves away with his new wife, rarely returning home. Next is Dorothy, a pretty but insecure young woman who takes a job in Washington D.C., but falters. Joyce is the middle child, smart and driven, always helping out and taking charge of the household when her widowed mother is unable to cope. Sandy is the family charmer, relying on his good looks and smooth talk to get by in life; like his older brother, he leaves home and rarely returns. And finally, there is Lucy, who is showered with affection and seems unable to grow out of her role as the baby of the family.

Through the lens of this family the reader watches the changes in America as the town prospers in the post-war era, deals with changes in American manufacturing, and begins an inevitable decline. The residents face the changing expectations as women get a taste of “important” work during the war and chafe against restrictions when the men return. Haigh mentions the changes outside Bakerton – the death of FDR, the Eisenhower years, the assassination of President Kennedy, Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the moon, etc – but the changes within the town have greater impact, from getting a phone or car, to a long strike for better conditions and wages at the mine.

I do not usually round up when awarding half-stars, but I will in this case because it’s a discussion-worthy book.

Anna Fields does a fine job performing the audio book. She has a good pace and enough skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters.

Finished Frederic Gros' A PHILOSOPHY OF WALKING.

A defense of taking life slower, meditative walks, escaping superficiality. Gros identifies great thinkers and philosophers who were also great walkers.

Enjoyable read, well-translated.

>43 CliffBurns: that one sounds up my alley, thanks for the rec.

Wrapped up a 1987 collection of short stories, TOWN SMOKES, by Pinckney Benedict.

The trials and tribulations of poor white trash--a refreshing dearth of sentiment and treacle.

Solid storytelling.

Just finished Travels with Charley: In Search of America. I found Steinbeck's views especially interesting as he was completing these travels about the time I was born. Perhaps not surprisingly, his views remain relevant today.

Sycamore Row – John Grisham
Audio book performed by Michael Beck
3***

Seth Hubbard, a wealthy man dying of lung cancer, hangs himself from a sycamore tree. Before he dies, he hand-writes a new will, mailing it to lawyer Jake Brigance, and instructing him to ensure it is enforced. In it he specifically disowns his children and grandchildren, and leaves the majority of his estate to his housekeeper, Lettie Lang, an African-American woman. The courtroom brawl that ensues will keep everyone scrambling.

John Grisham can certainly write a thriller, and his courtroom scenes are entertaining, suspenseful and informative. I liked the various characters in the novel, even the smarmy attorneys hired by Seth’s children and Lettie’s n’er-do-well husband and distant relatives. That is to say, I like the way Grisham writes these characters. I particularly enjoyed the back-and-forth play between Jake and sheriff Ozzie Walls, or Jake and Judge Atlee.

However, I thought the conclusion was rushed and dissatisfying, even if it was more realistic that other alternatives.

Michael Beck does a great job of voicing the audio book. He has great pacing and can easily differentiate the various characters.

They Were Strong and Good – Robert Lawson
2**

Lawson tells the story of his parents and grandparents, and how they came to help shape the history of America. He accompanies the stories with detailed pen and ink drawings, for which he won the Caldecott medal. Some of these illustrations are delightful – I liked the contrast between “modern” city and the farm land that was just two generations previous, and laughed at the illustration of the aftermath when a parrot nearly devoured a Panama hat. I also appreciate Lawson’s acknowledgment of oral story telling traditions, and of children listening and learning their own family histories from their elders. I certainly spent many an enjoyable evening listening to my grandparents, aunts and uncles regaling us with stories of our family’s past.

So why the low rating? I realize this is a product of its time (originally published in 1940), and that Lawson was proud of his ancestors and their accomplishments. But I am disturbed by the racism within. The depictions of “happy slaves” and “thieving Indians” just leave a really bad taste in my mouth. And now that I know this is the “revised” edition (see WIKIPEDIA entry for some of the original language), I’m even more unhappy. Perhaps it offers an opportunity for parents to have difficult discussions with their children about those episodes in America’s history, and the changing attitudes over the years. But I just don’t like it.

I just finished A Handful of Dust yesterday. As the genie stated in the great Alif the Unseen, if it is about bored people having sex, it must be a Western novel. (Meaning Western as opposed to Eastern, not Western as in Zane Grey)

Anyhow, although it reminded me of how much I hated The Sun Also Rises as a kid, I also feel like it was worth reading for the tone, the atmosphere, and the really incredibly weird last fifth or so of the book. Recommended. Although it's about bored people having sex.

ETA: As in >48 BookConcierge:, I was kind of struck/distracted/troubled by the casual racism in the book, of that peculiarly British sort (casual use of the n-word to describe black porters in the Amazon, for example).

Bliss – Kathryn Littlewood
2**

From the book jacket: Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke – an ancient leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and key while their parents are out of town, but then a m mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic dishes for dinner.

My reactions
Okay, I knew it was a children’s middle-grade book, and I knew it involved magic. But still … this was just so awful I don’t even need some Cookies of Truth to write this review.

Rose is only eleven, but she is so unsure of herself, so certain she isn’t pretty or clever or (insert positive attribute here), and she bemoans her lack of looks, brains, etc on practically every page! Given her lack of confidence, it’s no wonder that she’s quickly seduced by Aunt Lily’s glamour and flattery. This, of course, makes me wonder why her parents would entrust the key to the special cabinet to Rose – or any of the children, for that matter. Why not just lock it up and take the key with them? Clearly, I’m not the intended audience, but I can’t imagine my nieces and nephews enjoying this either.

Still, I admit that some of the unintended results of their experiments were entertaining. So I’ll give it 2 stars.

>50 BookConcierge: well that sounds like one that if I ever see it I will know to give it a miss. Probably middle readers are a bit too juvenile for you. I used to read kids' books all the time, but find that they are increasingly formulaic, or maybe I have just read too many books and am seeing formulas everywhere.

Since it's Canada's 150th b'day all year, I'd like to report the new purchase of a diverse and alternative read by an Asian Canadian author.

Disappearing Moon Cafe by Sky Lee about the hidden and mysterious history of the Wongs, beginning in 1892 when Wong Gwei left China for British Columbia. The setting is mainly Chinatown, Vancouver.

Any Canadian fans of this feminist writer?