"However, after ninety years on the planet, I can confirm one absolute, fundamental, inarguable truth about life: it is an endless series of surprises. We old people---no, make that us folks who have lived a long time---have learned this basic truth: no one knows what is going to happen next. It's all a mystery wrapped in a gift box that you only find when you least expect it."
-Dick Van Dyke
With the subtitle and Other Tips and Truths About Aging, this book seems like a manual of how-to grow old gracefully. It was easy to read, just over 200 pages, with some very good advice for seniors.
Many of the "tips and truths" I had read or heard before but Van Dyke has put his advice together in an entertaining way, spicing it up with some of the humor for which he is well-known. Since I love to dance, I really appreciated his suggestion that the best way to stay sharp is dancing! Keep Moving gets a rating of 3 from me.
I have been a fan of Van Dyke's work but didn't know he currently sings with a quartet called the Vantastix. They do charity performances, including in hospitals. Throughout the book he includes anecdotes about his work and the people who have influenced him, particularly Carl Reiner. I didn't realize Stan Laurel was his idol, but it makes sense.
The chapter titled "Ninety Years--a Report Card" was cleverly written, covering the biggest news of his lifetime and grading each from A-F. Interestingly, his 3rd wife, Arlene is more than 40 years his junior. How they got together after the loss of his beloved 2nd wife to cancer added some romance to his book.
If you are over 60 and need some inspiration for staying young, read this one!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
"Then the sound....caused a sudden explosive chain reaction in Strike's brain, lighting a landing strip for a theory that he knew, with the certainty of a prophet, would lead to the killer. As the steel joists of a building are revealed as it burns, so Strike saw in this flash of inspiration the skeleton of the killer's plan, recognizing those crucial flaws that he had missed---that everyone had missed---but which might, at last, be the means by which the murderer and his macabre schemes could be brought down." -from the novel
This novel was written by J. K. Rowling by another name, a pen name she chose after finishing her Harry Potter series, which I loved. Her first was The Casual Vacancy which I finished but really disliked. Then came The Cuckoo's Calling, the first of the Cormoran Strike crime series, a better novel, in my opinion. Career of Evil is the third of the series with one called The Silkworm being the second and one I was unaware of until now. Not sure how I missed it and I am wondering if something I missed would have made a difference in my enjoyment of this one. Also I read The Cuckoo's Calling so long ago I had forgotten much of its plot. To add to all that, the thread of Blue Oyster Cult lyrics was lost to my understanding, since I have no experience with that music. Even the novel's title comes from one of the Cult's song titles, "Career of Evil." All things considered I give this one a 3.5. It WAS a page-turner, well-written, but the graphic violence was far from entertaining. Sort of reminded me of James Patterson's grisly themes. Most likely I will go back and read The Silkworm, if that tells you anything.
This thriller begins with Robin Ellacott receiving a woman's severed leg at the office where she is assistant to Cormoran Strike, private detective. It soon becomes apparent there is a vicious serial killer on the loose, one who is stalking Robin, seemingly to exact revenge on Strike. It doesn't take long for Strike to come up with 3 suspects, all of whom have been an ugly part of his past. The story alternates between Strike's investigation with Robin's help to the stalker's evil plans. Pretty exciting about 400 pages in!
I did enjoyed the setting of London since my husband and I visited there last spring. Mentions of the Tube and other landmarks like The Gherkin (a pickle-shaped building) elicited fond memories. I loved the British slang, expressions like nip into the office, mobile (cell phone), spot on, crisps (potato chips), car park, fag or cig for cigarette, ring pull (pop tab) and cashpoint for ATM. Many dialects were used by minor characters, some a little challenging to figure out. This was interesting to me since I was recently talking with someone from London who was saying how you can tell what part of London a person is from by how they speak.
One of these days I am going to go back and reread all those Harry Potter books. I believe they showed this author at her best!
This novel was written by J. K. Rowling by another name, a pen name she chose after finishing her Harry Potter series, which I loved. Her first was The Casual Vacancy which I finished but really disliked. Then came The Cuckoo's Calling, the first of the Cormoran Strike crime series, a better novel, in my opinion. Career of Evil is the third of the series with one called The Silkworm being the second and one I was unaware of until now. Not sure how I missed it and I am wondering if something I missed would have made a difference in my enjoyment of this one. Also I read The Cuckoo's Calling so long ago I had forgotten much of its plot. To add to all that, the thread of Blue Oyster Cult lyrics was lost to my understanding, since I have no experience with that music. Even the novel's title comes from one of the Cult's song titles, "Career of Evil." All things considered I give this one a 3.5. It WAS a page-turner, well-written, but the graphic violence was far from entertaining. Sort of reminded me of James Patterson's grisly themes. Most likely I will go back and read The Silkworm, if that tells you anything.
This thriller begins with Robin Ellacott receiving a woman's severed leg at the office where she is assistant to Cormoran Strike, private detective. It soon becomes apparent there is a vicious serial killer on the loose, one who is stalking Robin, seemingly to exact revenge on Strike. It doesn't take long for Strike to come up with 3 suspects, all of whom have been an ugly part of his past. The story alternates between Strike's investigation with Robin's help to the stalker's evil plans. Pretty exciting about 400 pages in!
I did enjoyed the setting of London since my husband and I visited there last spring. Mentions of the Tube and other landmarks like The Gherkin (a pickle-shaped building) elicited fond memories. I loved the British slang, expressions like nip into the office, mobile (cell phone), spot on, crisps (potato chips), car park, fag or cig for cigarette, ring pull (pop tab) and cashpoint for ATM. Many dialects were used by minor characters, some a little challenging to figure out. This was interesting to me since I was recently talking with someone from London who was saying how you can tell what part of London a person is from by how they speak.
One of these days I am going to go back and reread all those Harry Potter books. I believe they showed this author at her best!
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Forever Island by Patrick D. Smith
"What good will there be in a park where nothing grows and no animals can live. Who would want to see that? If Big Cypress dies, the park [Everglades National Park] dies. And that's a fact."
-newspaper man Albert Lykes, from the novel
Though this book is fiction, it comes eerily close to the truth. Main character Charlie Jumper, an elderly Mikasuki Seminole, is faced with being forced from the land he loves in Big Cypress Swamp. In reading the novel one can learn much of the history of the Seminoles in Florida and the efforts by 20th century natives to make a living and maintain their culture while dealing with "progress." The story is short, simple and touching. My rating is a 3.
I am always struck by the profound respect that native Americans have for nature---the land, water, plants and animals. Forever Island reminds me of a song called "Seminole Wind" by Floridian John Anderson. Both the song and novel portray the unfortunate toll of land development on out beautiful state. I attempted to attach a link to the YouTube video with no success. Look for it if you are interested. The address is below.
https://youtu.be/KGoBQIhyFFM?list=RDKGoBQIhyFFM
-newspaper man Albert Lykes, from the novel
Though this book is fiction, it comes eerily close to the truth. Main character Charlie Jumper, an elderly Mikasuki Seminole, is faced with being forced from the land he loves in Big Cypress Swamp. In reading the novel one can learn much of the history of the Seminoles in Florida and the efforts by 20th century natives to make a living and maintain their culture while dealing with "progress." The story is short, simple and touching. My rating is a 3.
I am always struck by the profound respect that native Americans have for nature---the land, water, plants and animals. Forever Island reminds me of a song called "Seminole Wind" by Floridian John Anderson. Both the song and novel portray the unfortunate toll of land development on out beautiful state. I attempted to attach a link to the YouTube video with no success. Look for it if you are interested. The address is below.
https://youtu.be/KGoBQIhyFFM?list=RDKGoBQIhyFFM
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
"It is all connected, Dominick. Life is not a series of isolated ponds and puddles; life is this river you see below, before you. It flows from the past through the present on its way to the future...Life is a river. Only in the most literal sense are we born on the day we leave our mother's womb. In the larger, truer sense, we are born of the past---connected to its fluidity, both genetically and experientially." -Dr. Patel, from the novel
It seemed like I would never finish this novel of 897 pages but it was such an intriguing story, I was sorry when I finally did. It gets a 5 rating from me.
In this ultimate dysfunctional family story, Dominick Birdsey has an identical twin who is schizophrenic and a mother who has never revealed the identity of their father. Dominick feels overwhelmed with being brother Thomas's protector and frustrated by the mystery of his paternity. When Dominick meets with Dr.Patel to try to help her analyze his brother, he comes to grips with much of his own guilt, grief and fears. In efforts to help Dr. Patel understand Thomas, he begins to actually find himself.
The novel seems to me to be a story within a story within a story. Not only does the reader follow Dominick's own story but as he reads the autobiography of his late grandfather, we learn the story of a first-generation Sicilian immigrant of the early 1900's. Within the grandfather's story is another story involving two women, one of whom ends up being Dominick's grandmother. There were also flashbacks to the childhood and youth of the twins.
I mentioned this was a dysfunctional family story so it was depressing at times, infuriating at others. Not much entertainment value but very thought-provoking and even profound in places, especially in Dr. Patel's therapy sessions. (See quote above.)
I did enjoy the challenge of figuring out the Italian words and phrases in the grandfather's autobiography, the ones not translated in footnotes by the author. At times, I could use my slight knowledge of Spanish and the context to come up with a meaning. For example, il mal occhio---the evil eye and ovazione in piedi---standing ovation.
A fascinating saga, carefully researched, beautifully written---I Know This Much Is True!
It seemed like I would never finish this novel of 897 pages but it was such an intriguing story, I was sorry when I finally did. It gets a 5 rating from me.
In this ultimate dysfunctional family story, Dominick Birdsey has an identical twin who is schizophrenic and a mother who has never revealed the identity of their father. Dominick feels overwhelmed with being brother Thomas's protector and frustrated by the mystery of his paternity. When Dominick meets with Dr.Patel to try to help her analyze his brother, he comes to grips with much of his own guilt, grief and fears. In efforts to help Dr. Patel understand Thomas, he begins to actually find himself.
The novel seems to me to be a story within a story within a story. Not only does the reader follow Dominick's own story but as he reads the autobiography of his late grandfather, we learn the story of a first-generation Sicilian immigrant of the early 1900's. Within the grandfather's story is another story involving two women, one of whom ends up being Dominick's grandmother. There were also flashbacks to the childhood and youth of the twins.
I mentioned this was a dysfunctional family story so it was depressing at times, infuriating at others. Not much entertainment value but very thought-provoking and even profound in places, especially in Dr. Patel's therapy sessions. (See quote above.)
I did enjoy the challenge of figuring out the Italian words and phrases in the grandfather's autobiography, the ones not translated in footnotes by the author. At times, I could use my slight knowledge of Spanish and the context to come up with a meaning. For example, il mal occhio---the evil eye and ovazione in piedi---standing ovation.
A fascinating saga, carefully researched, beautifully written---I Know This Much Is True!
Saturday, November 21, 2015
READING LIST 2015
Here are the books that Page Turners have read in 2015, the ratings we assigned them and how they ranked.
rank rating title/author
rank rating title/author
1. 4.4 All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr January
2. 3.9 The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon August
3. 3.7 In the Garden of Beasts by Eric Larsen June
4. 3.5 The Martian by Andy Weir November
5. 3.4 Another Man's Treasure by Charles Hall April
6. 3.2 Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes March
7. 3.1 The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini February
8. 3.0 The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant October
9. 2.9 The Lost City of Z by David Grann September
10. 2.8 The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht May
11. 2.1 Bossypants by Tina Fey July
The Martian by Andy Weir
"Okay, enough moping. I am having a conversation with someone: whoever reads this log. It's a bit one-sided but it'll have to do. I might die, but damn it, someone will know what I had to say."
-from Mark Watney's log
I was skeptical about how I'd react to a science fiction novel since it's a genre I rarely, if ever, select. It was highly recommended as a book that anyone could like. Having read it I'd say techie types would enjoy it more---it has lots of technical descriptions, science terms, chemical formulas and space jargon.
In this novel astronaut Mark Watney is assumed dead by his crew and abandoned on Mars so the story is of his struggle to survive in an environment unconducive to life. His intelligence and educational background as mechanical engineer and botanist, his intense astronaut training,
his resourcefulness and his powerful will to live combine to help him overcome challenge after challenge. The intensity and high-tech detail of Watney's log is relieved by occasional narrative accounts of Earth's reaction to his predicament---that is Mission Control. And a while later the reader becomes aware of the Ares 3 crew's reactions, as well.
The reading would have been far more tedious without Watney's sense of humor, for example at one point he states that "Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped" and at another claims to be "the best botanist on the planet." His sarcastic comments about 70's music and TV reruns, his only entertainment thanks to Commander Lewis's collection, are funny and add nostalgia for the reader who remembers the decade well. He even chose the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive" as his theme song. (I was, and still am, a fan.)
The paperback copy of the book contained A Conversation with the Author and an essay by him, an admitted science nerd. These were very interesting and added to my appreciation of his work.
The novel seemed like a cross between "Castaway" and "Apollo 13." Like the latter it was very exciting even knowing the outcome of the story. I rated the book a 3. I liked it, didn't love it.
-------------------
Eleven members of the Page Turners group met to discuss the book. Ten had read it and half voted a rating of 4 and the other half, 3---average: 3.5; even I could do that math in my head. One member pointed out that the highest ratings were from the retired engineers! (Remember what I predicted earlier?) In discussing most of the 20 questions provided by the publisher, we agreed that Mark Watney was a likeable character, that his challenges and problem-solving were believable and that his humor kept the story entertaining, and may have actually helped to save his life. We agreed it was not so much science fiction as a good survival story. One person described the novel as Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Can you guess what our refreshments included? Potatoes, of course! (If you haven't read it, you may not get the significance.) Some in our group had seen the movie and liked it. I am looking forward to seeing it soon!
-------------------
So the movie version was excellent! My husband accompanied me, not having read the book and he loved it, as well. The casting was outstanding and the acting was superb, especially Matt Damon in the lead role. I was delighted that the commander of Ares 3 was a woman, in both novel and movie.
The film followed the book very well, I thought. There were less obstacles in the movie but the ones included were more dramatic because of the multi-media experience---cinematography and sound effects. I would say many parts were frighteningly realistic and I KNEW how it would turn out! I loved hearing some of the 70's music in places and being better able to visualize Mars, the Hermes ship, the Hab, the rover, Pathfinder, etc.
A big addition to the movie is an Epilogue, something our group thought would have improved the ending of the novel. There would be good reasons to see the movie before reading the book but either way don't miss The Martian!
-from Mark Watney's log
I was skeptical about how I'd react to a science fiction novel since it's a genre I rarely, if ever, select. It was highly recommended as a book that anyone could like. Having read it I'd say techie types would enjoy it more---it has lots of technical descriptions, science terms, chemical formulas and space jargon.
In this novel astronaut Mark Watney is assumed dead by his crew and abandoned on Mars so the story is of his struggle to survive in an environment unconducive to life. His intelligence and educational background as mechanical engineer and botanist, his intense astronaut training,
his resourcefulness and his powerful will to live combine to help him overcome challenge after challenge. The intensity and high-tech detail of Watney's log is relieved by occasional narrative accounts of Earth's reaction to his predicament---that is Mission Control. And a while later the reader becomes aware of the Ares 3 crew's reactions, as well.
The reading would have been far more tedious without Watney's sense of humor, for example at one point he states that "Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped" and at another claims to be "the best botanist on the planet." His sarcastic comments about 70's music and TV reruns, his only entertainment thanks to Commander Lewis's collection, are funny and add nostalgia for the reader who remembers the decade well. He even chose the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive" as his theme song. (I was, and still am, a fan.)
The paperback copy of the book contained A Conversation with the Author and an essay by him, an admitted science nerd. These were very interesting and added to my appreciation of his work.
The novel seemed like a cross between "Castaway" and "Apollo 13." Like the latter it was very exciting even knowing the outcome of the story. I rated the book a 3. I liked it, didn't love it.
-------------------
Eleven members of the Page Turners group met to discuss the book. Ten had read it and half voted a rating of 4 and the other half, 3---average: 3.5; even I could do that math in my head. One member pointed out that the highest ratings were from the retired engineers! (Remember what I predicted earlier?) In discussing most of the 20 questions provided by the publisher, we agreed that Mark Watney was a likeable character, that his challenges and problem-solving were believable and that his humor kept the story entertaining, and may have actually helped to save his life. We agreed it was not so much science fiction as a good survival story. One person described the novel as Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Can you guess what our refreshments included? Potatoes, of course! (If you haven't read it, you may not get the significance.) Some in our group had seen the movie and liked it. I am looking forward to seeing it soon!
-------------------
So the movie version was excellent! My husband accompanied me, not having read the book and he loved it, as well. The casting was outstanding and the acting was superb, especially Matt Damon in the lead role. I was delighted that the commander of Ares 3 was a woman, in both novel and movie.
The film followed the book very well, I thought. There were less obstacles in the movie but the ones included were more dramatic because of the multi-media experience---cinematography and sound effects. I would say many parts were frighteningly realistic and I KNEW how it would turn out! I loved hearing some of the 70's music in places and being better able to visualize Mars, the Hermes ship, the Hab, the rover, Pathfinder, etc.
A big addition to the movie is an Epilogue, something our group thought would have improved the ending of the novel. There would be good reasons to see the movie before reading the book but either way don't miss The Martian!
Friday, October 30, 2015
The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant
"Studying the dogs, she had learned how to live within herself entirely: to sit without expectation, to rest, eyes half-closed, and panting through the stifling heat, sniffing subtle changes in the air, succumbing to sleep when it came. The dogs were neither noisy nor silent, neither idle nor busy. They snored and sighed, coughed, scratched, and snapped at buzzing passersby. They stood and stretched, ambled to the bushes to lift a leg, or crouch, returned to shade or tall grass to circle and settle again. They smelled one another lazily, chewed on the grass, lifted their chins to follow the motion of a bird or a scent on the wind. Ruth passed whole days among them, floating through time like it was warm water."
-from the novel
This book didn't do much for me. Had it not been a book club selection, I'm not sure I would have finished it. I had read The Red Tent by this author some time ago and it was much better. I'm only rating this one a 2.
Though the setting was 1814 Massachusetts I didn't get much "flavor" of that period other than the mention of witches and lack of modern conveniences. There were so many characters I had trouble keeping up with the relationships between them let alone becoming involved with any. One could say that Judy Rhimes was the main character and I did develop some empathy for her. Easter Carter was an admirable woman, as well, so positive and compassionate. Most characters had so much emotional baggage that the story couldn't help but drag the reader down---ill-treated orphans, drunks, prostitutes, lonely spinsters, star-crossed lovers.
The frequent appearance of dogs and descriptions of them probably had some significance that I didn't quite get, in fact the beginning quote may hint at it.
I hope our group discussion will shed some light on this hodge podge of a novel and show me some redeeeming qualities.
-----------------------------------------------------
Our group rating is a 3 for The Last Days of Dogtown; in fact the majority voted a 3. At least two people of our eleven really liked the book, seemingly because several of the characters were resilient and managed to rise above their unfortunate circumstances. Some descriptions of the mood of the novel were: grim, bleak, dreary, depressing. Perhaps we should have expected that from a book with such a title. Most of us thought the ending was plausible and satisfactory. A couple of members agreed with me that Easter was one of the more consistent and likeable characters and added that she was a central, connecting figure in the story.
When someone mentioned the part where Stanwood's "angelic visitation" took place, we all had a good laugh remembering one of the lighter events of the plot.
Four or five of us had read The Red Tent by this author and enjoyed it. If you've read nothing by Diamant, I would start with that one!
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Basket Case by Carl Hiaasen
"'Basket Case'
by Jimmy Stoma and Warren Zevon
My baby is a basket case,
A bipolar mama in leather and lace.
Face like an angel,
She's a perfect waste.
My baby is a basket case.
Dracula's daughter, Calamity Jane,
Smoke on the water, water on the brain.
Pretty as a picture
And totally crazed.
My baby is a basket case.
She's gonna make a mad man outta me.
She's gonna make a mad man outta me..."
My husband an I enjoyed the audio version of this book on a round trip to Tennessee by car. We don't really choose the same reading material so it was a wonderful surprise that we both liked it so much. We were familiar and appreciative of Carl Hiaasen as a writer of young adult fiction but I don't think I'd ever read one of his "grown up" books. Apparently he is considered a master of Florida Noir fiction. Who knew?
In this novel Jack Tagger, a former newspaper journalist demoted to obituary writer for the fictional Union Register, is confronted with the death of James Bradley Stomarti, a has-been rock star. As a fan of Stomarti, known as Jimmy Stoma of the rock band Jimmy and the Slut Puppies, Tagger becomes suspicious and begins his own investigation of Jimmy's fatal and mysterious scuba diving accident. It doesn't take long for him to be convinced that Jimmy's widow, Cleo Rio, a one-hit-wonder rock star wannabe, is the one who somehow arranged his death.
The reader/listener learns that Jack has been relegated to the obit section after blatantly insulting the CEO of his publishing company, Race Maggad III. (He calls him Master Race!) In fact, Jack admits to being an "incorrigible hothead." His work has led to a morbid obsession with death which likely contributed to a break up with his girlfriend. An underlying factor is the disappearance of his father when he was young and his curiosity about the man. As the plot evolves the reader/listener meets numerous quirky characters read engagingly by the talented George Wilson, including his ex-girlfriend's sassy daughter, Carla; whiz kid Dommy; the elderly MacArthur Polk, band member Jay Burns and, of course, the far-from-grieving and usually drunk Cleo Rio.
Layered into this murder mystery is message about the sorry state of newspapers today, not surprising since Hiaasen is a journalist for the Miami Herald. I also read that Basket Case was his first novel using first person point-of-view. I cannot imagine the story told by anyone other than Jack Tagger.
Tagger, a rather bitter and cynical man at the beginning, is rather eccentric with his kooky fixations on death and a very strange pet, a Savannah monitor lizard named Colonel Tom. (Wait until you see how Colonel Tom fits into the story!) His irreverent humor kept us laughing through much of the book. The dialog was hilarious, with lines like "I'll be there like a gator on a poodle." The novel was even more fascinating because of the many mentions of real-life celebrities, both living and dead, and for us as Floridians, references to many places in Florida, even our hometown Orlando. Add a little romance and a satisfying ending with Tagger describing himself as "the luckiest nutcase I know" and you get a first degree entertaining read. Both my husband and I give Basket Case a 5 and we will be looking for another Hiaasen for the next car trip!
by Jimmy Stoma and Warren Zevon
My baby is a basket case,
A bipolar mama in leather and lace.
Face like an angel,
She's a perfect waste.
My baby is a basket case.
Dracula's daughter, Calamity Jane,
Smoke on the water, water on the brain.
Pretty as a picture
And totally crazed.
My baby is a basket case.
She's gonna make a mad man outta me.
She's gonna make a mad man outta me..."
My husband an I enjoyed the audio version of this book on a round trip to Tennessee by car. We don't really choose the same reading material so it was a wonderful surprise that we both liked it so much. We were familiar and appreciative of Carl Hiaasen as a writer of young adult fiction but I don't think I'd ever read one of his "grown up" books. Apparently he is considered a master of Florida Noir fiction. Who knew?
In this novel Jack Tagger, a former newspaper journalist demoted to obituary writer for the fictional Union Register, is confronted with the death of James Bradley Stomarti, a has-been rock star. As a fan of Stomarti, known as Jimmy Stoma of the rock band Jimmy and the Slut Puppies, Tagger becomes suspicious and begins his own investigation of Jimmy's fatal and mysterious scuba diving accident. It doesn't take long for him to be convinced that Jimmy's widow, Cleo Rio, a one-hit-wonder rock star wannabe, is the one who somehow arranged his death.
The reader/listener learns that Jack has been relegated to the obit section after blatantly insulting the CEO of his publishing company, Race Maggad III. (He calls him Master Race!) In fact, Jack admits to being an "incorrigible hothead." His work has led to a morbid obsession with death which likely contributed to a break up with his girlfriend. An underlying factor is the disappearance of his father when he was young and his curiosity about the man. As the plot evolves the reader/listener meets numerous quirky characters read engagingly by the talented George Wilson, including his ex-girlfriend's sassy daughter, Carla; whiz kid Dommy; the elderly MacArthur Polk, band member Jay Burns and, of course, the far-from-grieving and usually drunk Cleo Rio.
Layered into this murder mystery is message about the sorry state of newspapers today, not surprising since Hiaasen is a journalist for the Miami Herald. I also read that Basket Case was his first novel using first person point-of-view. I cannot imagine the story told by anyone other than Jack Tagger.
Tagger, a rather bitter and cynical man at the beginning, is rather eccentric with his kooky fixations on death and a very strange pet, a Savannah monitor lizard named Colonel Tom. (Wait until you see how Colonel Tom fits into the story!) His irreverent humor kept us laughing through much of the book. The dialog was hilarious, with lines like "I'll be there like a gator on a poodle." The novel was even more fascinating because of the many mentions of real-life celebrities, both living and dead, and for us as Floridians, references to many places in Florida, even our hometown Orlando. Add a little romance and a satisfying ending with Tagger describing himself as "the luckiest nutcase I know" and you get a first degree entertaining read. Both my husband and I give Basket Case a 5 and we will be looking for another Hiaasen for the next car trip!
Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky
"Later when she'd been away from Kansas for years and finally came home again to run the farm, with children of her own who couldn't tell the difference between a stalk of corn and a sheaf of wheat, the colors were what Lara remembered from that day. Most of the other details she'd forgotten, or they'd merged in her mind with all the other shocks and horrors that made up one long year of grief."
-from the novel
I chose this book thinking it was historical fiction about the "bleeding Kansas" of pre-Civil War days. However, the setting was present-day Kansas with only mentions of 19th century history. Disappointing!
The story reminded me of the Hatfields and McCoys since it involved two farm families with a long history of conflicts, their ancestors having settled in the 1850's---the hard-nosed, holier-than-thou Schapens and the Grelliers, our protagonists. Other families of the surrounding areas take one side or the other over various issues. When a single woman, a confessed Wiccan, moves into the historic Fremantle house, prejudices flame up and bring out the worst in many characters.
Add in the birth of a "perfect red heifer," supposedly a religious omen, and the budding romance between teenagers of opposing sides (think Romeo and Juliet?) and the plot becomes complex and pretty intriguing. The beginning quote reflects main character Lara's thinking about the events of the year in which the story takes place.
I know nothing about the Wiccan beliefs or ceremonies (nor do I want to learn!) so I got little out of those references. One humorous quote I will probably remember is "You are an Olympic medalist in the conclusion jump!"
I am rating the book a 3. I liked it more than I thought I would at first but it won't make a list of favorites. I think Burning Kansas might have been a more fitting title. If you have read it or read it after this, I'd be interested to know if you agree.
-from the novel
I chose this book thinking it was historical fiction about the "bleeding Kansas" of pre-Civil War days. However, the setting was present-day Kansas with only mentions of 19th century history. Disappointing!
The story reminded me of the Hatfields and McCoys since it involved two farm families with a long history of conflicts, their ancestors having settled in the 1850's---the hard-nosed, holier-than-thou Schapens and the Grelliers, our protagonists. Other families of the surrounding areas take one side or the other over various issues. When a single woman, a confessed Wiccan, moves into the historic Fremantle house, prejudices flame up and bring out the worst in many characters.
Add in the birth of a "perfect red heifer," supposedly a religious omen, and the budding romance between teenagers of opposing sides (think Romeo and Juliet?) and the plot becomes complex and pretty intriguing. The beginning quote reflects main character Lara's thinking about the events of the year in which the story takes place.
I know nothing about the Wiccan beliefs or ceremonies (nor do I want to learn!) so I got little out of those references. One humorous quote I will probably remember is "You are an Olympic medalist in the conclusion jump!"
I am rating the book a 3. I liked it more than I thought I would at first but it won't make a list of favorites. I think Burning Kansas might have been a more fitting title. If you have read it or read it after this, I'd be interested to know if you agree.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Back Seat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
"Saint Roch tried to speak, and I said, 'Shut the hell up,' to him. He didn't know how Gretel was. None of them did, this chain of saints bobbing in my wake, and these saints all came from her, too, didn't they? She was the one who had always called them. They'd answered her in ways they'd never answered me before today."
-Ro Grandee, from the novel
I enjoyed this novel though not as much as the others I have read by this author. I began by listening to the audio format in my car, read by the author. It was off-putting at first since the main character starts out planning to kill her abusive husband. However, I was intrigued enough to start reading the print copy at home which I could finish more quickly. Be prepared for a surprise ending! I will rate this one a 4.
Ro Grandee is the main character and narrator of the story. She has an alter ego---Rose May Lolly, her feisty teenaged self, who comes to the forefront when a tarot card reading by a gypsy woman predicts a frightening future. Ro has had a rough life, from being abandoned by her mother and beaten by her alcoholic father to marrying a very violent man. After her plan to kill him goes awry, she runs away from her husband Thom, takes on a new identity and sets out to find her first love and later, her enigmatic mother. In this process she revisits her father, who has not aged well, and will not be the protector she had envisioned.
Jackson furthers her southern settings by starting this story in Texas. Previous novels I have read were set in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
The theme of the novel is pretty intense with family dysfunction, domestic violence, and revenge but thankfully there was some humor now and then. In describing the interior of a Krispy Kreme in Alabama Jackson says "It was a rathole in Fruiton's small and seedy downtown, with bright blue-green Formica counters and pumpkin-colored vinyl on all the stools and booths. It looked like a demented and slightly color-blind Auburn fan had been cut loose in there to decorate." As an Auburn fan that made me laugh. When the character named Parker is described wearing "floppy black pants that look like pajama bottoms" and "fighting nothing in slow motion" I visualized my husband's tai chi moves. I was reminded of the comic strip "Rose Is Rose," obviously because of Rose May Lolly's name but also cartoon character Rose has alter-egos---a biker babe and a little girl. The similarity ends there since the comic strip is never ugly or violent.
If you read the novel, I would love to know your thoughts!
-Ro Grandee, from the novel
I enjoyed this novel though not as much as the others I have read by this author. I began by listening to the audio format in my car, read by the author. It was off-putting at first since the main character starts out planning to kill her abusive husband. However, I was intrigued enough to start reading the print copy at home which I could finish more quickly. Be prepared for a surprise ending! I will rate this one a 4.
Ro Grandee is the main character and narrator of the story. She has an alter ego---Rose May Lolly, her feisty teenaged self, who comes to the forefront when a tarot card reading by a gypsy woman predicts a frightening future. Ro has had a rough life, from being abandoned by her mother and beaten by her alcoholic father to marrying a very violent man. After her plan to kill him goes awry, she runs away from her husband Thom, takes on a new identity and sets out to find her first love and later, her enigmatic mother. In this process she revisits her father, who has not aged well, and will not be the protector she had envisioned.
Jackson furthers her southern settings by starting this story in Texas. Previous novels I have read were set in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
The theme of the novel is pretty intense with family dysfunction, domestic violence, and revenge but thankfully there was some humor now and then. In describing the interior of a Krispy Kreme in Alabama Jackson says "It was a rathole in Fruiton's small and seedy downtown, with bright blue-green Formica counters and pumpkin-colored vinyl on all the stools and booths. It looked like a demented and slightly color-blind Auburn fan had been cut loose in there to decorate." As an Auburn fan that made me laugh. When the character named Parker is described wearing "floppy black pants that look like pajama bottoms" and "fighting nothing in slow motion" I visualized my husband's tai chi moves. I was reminded of the comic strip "Rose Is Rose," obviously because of Rose May Lolly's name but also cartoon character Rose has alter-egos---a biker babe and a little girl. The similarity ends there since the comic strip is never ugly or violent.
If you read the novel, I would love to know your thoughts!
Friday, September 25, 2015
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges---
behind the Ranges---
Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting
for you. Go!"
-from Rudyard Kipling's 'The Explorer,' a favorite poem of Fawcett
Had this book not been a Page Turner selection, there is a very good chance I would have abandoned it. That being said, I'm glad I made myself finish it because I learned a lot, including why I never want to explore the Amazon! (I facilitate our book club meetings so I don't really give myself the option of not finishing.) I did find this nonfiction interesting though not particularly entertaining, I am rating it a 3.
The book is written by David Grann, a staff writer for The New Yorker, his first as I understand it. It is very thoroughly researched and primary sources---journals, letters, interviews---are quoted, making it more appealing.
Appropriately subtitled A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, this is the story of Percy Harrison Fawcett whose explorations in South America in the early 1900's were legendary in some circles. (I had never heard of him so that was the first thing I learned.) In 1925 Fawcett led an expedition, including his son and his son's best friend, to the Amazonian forests to locate evidence of a legendary ancient civilization he called the City of Z. The disappearance of the group became a "history mystery" of huge significance to the world of explorers and adventurers, as dozens lost their lives in their attempts to rescue, or later, discover what happened to the Fawcett party.
The chapters of the book alternate between Fawcett's life as an explorer and Grann's own extensive efforts to uncover the mystery of Fawcett's expedition and the Lost City of Z. Other chapters are meant to describe topography, give related South American history and tell of the other explorers who took great risks in this hostile land.
At times I was intrigued, at others I felt I was slogging through the book like Fawcett and others had slogged through the jungle. I was grossed out by the descriptions of the miserable and dangerous conditions---pests, diseases, hunger and unpredictable natives.
The Lost City of Z reminded me of The River of Doubt by Candice Millard about Theodore Roosevelt's expedition on a tributary of the Amazon. In fact, Roosevelt's trek was mentioned a few times in Grann's book. Actually, I remember the Millard book being much more compelling.
--------------------------------------
The book club rating was 2.9 for The Lost City of Z. Though we admired Grann's extensive research, we didn't find the book to be much of a page-turner. We agreed that Fawcett had extraordinary self-confidence to the point of arrogance and one person suggested the phrase "hard-driving narcissist" to describe him. We felt he was quite selfish in the way he ignored the needs of his wife and family to indulge his obsession. It was a relief that his treatment of the natives was more respectful than many other explorers of whom we have heard.
Our group agreed that we knew little about South America and appreciated what we had learned from the book.
Michael Heckenberger was a key figure, we thought, perhaps even a hero. He is an acclaimed archaeologist from the University of Florida (We can always be proud of an accomplished fellow Floridian!) whose contribution is revealed toward the end. I must not tell you more lest I spoil the reading if you have decided to undertake it.
Our discussion questions from litlovers.com suggested Brad Pitt purchased film rights to The Lost City of Z in 2010. In 2015 we are wondering if a movie is still in the making.
One of our creative members came dressed for exploring the Amazon and proceeded to show us what she had brought in her vest pockets----a can of Vienna sausages, binoculars (more like opera glasses), a map, a compass, a journal and a "machete" (actually a tiny knife), among other things. She wore a scarf---to trade with the natives, of course. What fun that was!
behind the Ranges---
Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting
for you. Go!"
-from Rudyard Kipling's 'The Explorer,' a favorite poem of Fawcett
Had this book not been a Page Turner selection, there is a very good chance I would have abandoned it. That being said, I'm glad I made myself finish it because I learned a lot, including why I never want to explore the Amazon! (I facilitate our book club meetings so I don't really give myself the option of not finishing.) I did find this nonfiction interesting though not particularly entertaining, I am rating it a 3.
The book is written by David Grann, a staff writer for The New Yorker, his first as I understand it. It is very thoroughly researched and primary sources---journals, letters, interviews---are quoted, making it more appealing.
Appropriately subtitled A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, this is the story of Percy Harrison Fawcett whose explorations in South America in the early 1900's were legendary in some circles. (I had never heard of him so that was the first thing I learned.) In 1925 Fawcett led an expedition, including his son and his son's best friend, to the Amazonian forests to locate evidence of a legendary ancient civilization he called the City of Z. The disappearance of the group became a "history mystery" of huge significance to the world of explorers and adventurers, as dozens lost their lives in their attempts to rescue, or later, discover what happened to the Fawcett party.
The chapters of the book alternate between Fawcett's life as an explorer and Grann's own extensive efforts to uncover the mystery of Fawcett's expedition and the Lost City of Z. Other chapters are meant to describe topography, give related South American history and tell of the other explorers who took great risks in this hostile land.
At times I was intrigued, at others I felt I was slogging through the book like Fawcett and others had slogged through the jungle. I was grossed out by the descriptions of the miserable and dangerous conditions---pests, diseases, hunger and unpredictable natives.
The Lost City of Z reminded me of The River of Doubt by Candice Millard about Theodore Roosevelt's expedition on a tributary of the Amazon. In fact, Roosevelt's trek was mentioned a few times in Grann's book. Actually, I remember the Millard book being much more compelling.
--------------------------------------
The book club rating was 2.9 for The Lost City of Z. Though we admired Grann's extensive research, we didn't find the book to be much of a page-turner. We agreed that Fawcett had extraordinary self-confidence to the point of arrogance and one person suggested the phrase "hard-driving narcissist" to describe him. We felt he was quite selfish in the way he ignored the needs of his wife and family to indulge his obsession. It was a relief that his treatment of the natives was more respectful than many other explorers of whom we have heard.
Our group agreed that we knew little about South America and appreciated what we had learned from the book.
Michael Heckenberger was a key figure, we thought, perhaps even a hero. He is an acclaimed archaeologist from the University of Florida (We can always be proud of an accomplished fellow Floridian!) whose contribution is revealed toward the end. I must not tell you more lest I spoil the reading if you have decided to undertake it.
Our discussion questions from litlovers.com suggested Brad Pitt purchased film rights to The Lost City of Z in 2010. In 2015 we are wondering if a movie is still in the making.
One of our creative members came dressed for exploring the Amazon and proceeded to show us what she had brought in her vest pockets----a can of Vienna sausages, binoculars (more like opera glasses), a map, a compass, a journal and a "machete" (actually a tiny knife), among other things. She wore a scarf---to trade with the natives, of course. What fun that was!
The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy
"The master of clowns, Bernie could twist his face into a thousand contortions to get kids to laugh with or at him. Bernie would tell me, 'Boy, keep them laughing. Make them laugh so damn hard and so damn loud that they don't realize they are learning.'
My tactics were different. I concentrated on variety as the primary method. Sweet talk, Shakespearean monologues, Marine Corps brutality, prayers---anything that could possibly inflame the imagination, even momentarily, of someone imprisoned in my classroom all day."
-from Pat Conroy's pre-Yamacraw theory of teaching
I have recently become quite a fan of this author, having read South of Broad and The Prince of Tides and enjoying them immensely. This was my favorite of the three, however, since I could so easily identify with the story. You will soon see why.
In this memoir, Conroy describes his experience teaching school on Yamacraw Island off the coast of South Carolina, where he becomes an advocate for his poor black students even defying the school administrators in the process. As a former teacher I was impressed with his efforts to help his students, going far beyond his job description. He worked very hard, and I daresay, spent much of his salary to improve their lives, as well as teaching academics. It was important to Conroy, called Conrack by some of the students, for the children to experience the outside world. As a veteran teacher I totally approved his teaching philosophy and applauded his efforts to make learning relevant and fun for the children. I especially enjoyed the field trip to the mainland to celebrate Halloween---his kids' first experience with trick-or-treating, and for most it was their first time off the island. Later in the year a trip to Washington, D.C. and one to see the Globetrotters in Atlanta were even more ambitious.
My emotions while reading The Water Is Wide ran the gamut---from shock at the deplorable conditions and lack of resources for the school to amusement at humorous incidents to downright rage over the racism exhibited by many educators in positions of authority, including Mrs. Brown, the only other teacher/principal who was black herself. Conroy stated "I now had to deal with a principal who acted as though she wanted to be white and an administrative head who was sorry there were blacks." It also made me mad that the educational authorities didn't appreciate what a gem of a teacher he was! Conrad knew most of the students couldn't read the textbooks so he didn't use them, to Brown's chagrin. He searched out a variety of resources including media to enhance their background knowledge. It also seemed to me that he managed a challenging situation without the use of corporal punishment which his cohort, Mrs. Brown, swore by. She seemed to take no joy from teaching and wanted to see that the students experienced none either. I found it appalling that she insulted them to their faces.
I did wonder if Conroy used real names of people he dealt with in his time teaching on the island. I know that Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was sued for invasion of privacy by someone she wrote about in Cross Creek. I did learn that Conroy IS a poet, which I suspected after reading The Prince of Tides.
After what is probably my longest blog post to date, it will be no surprise: I rate The Water Is Wide 5+! I loved it! Now I am on a quest to find the movie "Conrack" based on the book.
My tactics were different. I concentrated on variety as the primary method. Sweet talk, Shakespearean monologues, Marine Corps brutality, prayers---anything that could possibly inflame the imagination, even momentarily, of someone imprisoned in my classroom all day."
-from Pat Conroy's pre-Yamacraw theory of teaching
I have recently become quite a fan of this author, having read South of Broad and The Prince of Tides and enjoying them immensely. This was my favorite of the three, however, since I could so easily identify with the story. You will soon see why.
In this memoir, Conroy describes his experience teaching school on Yamacraw Island off the coast of South Carolina, where he becomes an advocate for his poor black students even defying the school administrators in the process. As a former teacher I was impressed with his efforts to help his students, going far beyond his job description. He worked very hard, and I daresay, spent much of his salary to improve their lives, as well as teaching academics. It was important to Conroy, called Conrack by some of the students, for the children to experience the outside world. As a veteran teacher I totally approved his teaching philosophy and applauded his efforts to make learning relevant and fun for the children. I especially enjoyed the field trip to the mainland to celebrate Halloween---his kids' first experience with trick-or-treating, and for most it was their first time off the island. Later in the year a trip to Washington, D.C. and one to see the Globetrotters in Atlanta were even more ambitious.
My emotions while reading The Water Is Wide ran the gamut---from shock at the deplorable conditions and lack of resources for the school to amusement at humorous incidents to downright rage over the racism exhibited by many educators in positions of authority, including Mrs. Brown, the only other teacher/principal who was black herself. Conroy stated "I now had to deal with a principal who acted as though she wanted to be white and an administrative head who was sorry there were blacks." It also made me mad that the educational authorities didn't appreciate what a gem of a teacher he was! Conrad knew most of the students couldn't read the textbooks so he didn't use them, to Brown's chagrin. He searched out a variety of resources including media to enhance their background knowledge. It also seemed to me that he managed a challenging situation without the use of corporal punishment which his cohort, Mrs. Brown, swore by. She seemed to take no joy from teaching and wanted to see that the students experienced none either. I found it appalling that she insulted them to their faces.
I did wonder if Conroy used real names of people he dealt with in his time teaching on the island. I know that Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was sued for invasion of privacy by someone she wrote about in Cross Creek. I did learn that Conroy IS a poet, which I suspected after reading The Prince of Tides.
After what is probably my longest blog post to date, it will be no surprise: I rate The Water Is Wide 5+! I loved it! Now I am on a quest to find the movie "Conrack" based on the book.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
"I should have known better; I was turning forty-five, and that meant it was a trouble year. Every fifteen years God flicks at us with one careless finger and we spin helplessly off into the darkness. I'd known that Old Testament-style plagues would be stalking my family the second that December ticked over into January."
-Big, from the Prologue of the novel
I read gods in Alabama and Between, Georgia by this author some time ago and enjoyed them both. When I saw this one in a bookstore, I remembered the author's name and put it on my "To Read" list immediately. I recently ordered both the print book and the audio version from the library. When they arrived I quickly loaded the CDs and began listening in my car. I thought it particularly interesting that the novel was being read by the author. It doesn't take long to be intrigued by the plot with a secret grave being found in a back yard. I became so involved that when I wasn't driving enough to satisfy my curiosity, I began reading the print version and finished in a couple of days. A page-turner, it was! I rate it a 5---the second book in a row that I have loved.
The setting is Immita, MS, a fictional town, I am thinking. (Do you suppose we can call Ms. Jackson a Southern writer?)
Three generations of Slocumbs are the main characters---Virginia, called Ginny by friends and Big by family; Liza, the daughter, struggling to recover from a stroke; and 15-year-old granddaughter, Mosey with typical teenage angst and thrown into an identity crisis more profound than most. The reader follows the plot through the narrations of these three women, alternating through the novel. Their voices are very unique. Mosey relates her part often with humor typical of a teenaged girl complete with texting. (I loved finding out how Mosey got her name toward the end of the novel.) Big, the matriarch, is more serious. Liza actually narrates in third person which is fitting because her stroke has left her with minimal ability to communicate. So Liza's parts were the most frustrating and challenging to read, but that made her condition seem more realistic and moving.
Not being a "spoiler" I can't say much about the plot other than what I mentioned in the first paragraph. The mystery of the grave is revealed little by little with exciting twists and surprising turns and even some romance. A wild ride!
-Big, from the Prologue of the novel
I read gods in Alabama and Between, Georgia by this author some time ago and enjoyed them both. When I saw this one in a bookstore, I remembered the author's name and put it on my "To Read" list immediately. I recently ordered both the print book and the audio version from the library. When they arrived I quickly loaded the CDs and began listening in my car. I thought it particularly interesting that the novel was being read by the author. It doesn't take long to be intrigued by the plot with a secret grave being found in a back yard. I became so involved that when I wasn't driving enough to satisfy my curiosity, I began reading the print version and finished in a couple of days. A page-turner, it was! I rate it a 5---the second book in a row that I have loved.
The setting is Immita, MS, a fictional town, I am thinking. (Do you suppose we can call Ms. Jackson a Southern writer?)
Three generations of Slocumbs are the main characters---Virginia, called Ginny by friends and Big by family; Liza, the daughter, struggling to recover from a stroke; and 15-year-old granddaughter, Mosey with typical teenage angst and thrown into an identity crisis more profound than most. The reader follows the plot through the narrations of these three women, alternating through the novel. Their voices are very unique. Mosey relates her part often with humor typical of a teenaged girl complete with texting. (I loved finding out how Mosey got her name toward the end of the novel.) Big, the matriarch, is more serious. Liza actually narrates in third person which is fitting because her stroke has left her with minimal ability to communicate. So Liza's parts were the most frustrating and challenging to read, but that made her condition seem more realistic and moving.
Not being a "spoiler" I can't say much about the plot other than what I mentioned in the first paragraph. The mystery of the grave is revealed little by little with exciting twists and surprising turns and even some romance. A wild ride!
Friday, September 4, 2015
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
"Our life in the house by the river had been dangerous and harmful, yet both of us had found it somehow magnificent. It had produced extraordinary and somewhat strange children. The house had been the breeding ground of madness, poetry, courage, and an ineffable loyalty. Our childhood had been harsh but also relentlessly interesting. Though we could draw up passionate indictments against both of our parents, their particularity had indemnified our souls against the wages of tedium and ennui."
-Tom's thoughts, from the novel
Several months ago I read South of Broad by this author in connection with a trip to Charleston, SC. I loved it! When I saw this novel at a rummage sale, I picked it up and promised myself I would read it. I would list The Prince of Tides among the best I have ever read, rating it a 5 for sure! It was published almost 30 years ago and I can't imagine why it took so long for me to discover it. I know it was adapted for a movie by the same title in 1991 and I am pretty sure I never saw the film. Now I simply must!
The novel is set in Colleton County, SC (an area Conroy knows well and uses often in his writing) and revolves around the Wingo family---Tom who narrates the story and his two siblings, parents and grandparents. To call the family dysfunctional is an understatement. There's a lot to dislike, or even be repulsed by, about the parents, but the grandparents, Tolitha and Amos, are interesting with such endearing qualities---Tolitha, with her mischievous sense of humor and Amos, a devout Christian walking the walk.
As the book begins, Savannah, Tom's twin, has attempted suicide in N.Y. City and Tom immediately leaves his wife and daughters to go to her. He soon meets Savannah's psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein, and in the process of trying to help her help Savannah, he shares stories of their family and youth. These flashbacks are fascinating stories in their own right, for example the rescue/kidnapping of a dolphin called Snow and the first-time integration of their high school by Benji Washington. The funniest family episode was when Tolitha takes the grandkids to help her make her end-of-life arrangements and she decides to "try on" a casket, much to their embarrassment. That very idea is humorous but there's more! At least one of the memories is very intense and goes a long way to explain some of Savannah's demons.
The Prince of Tides is lengthy at 567 pages but so worth the effort. Many chapters and even paragraphs are longer than average. His vocabulary challenged me, as well. Some might say Conroy is verbose but I loved the elegance of his writing style which is often poetic. In the novel, Savannah is a poet; in fact, her second book of poetry was titled The Prince of Tides. I assume the poetry quoted in the novel and attributed to Savannah was written by Conroy.
This novel was poignant, humorous, exciting, romantic---all qualities that make a page-turner and one that I will not soon forget!
-Tom's thoughts, from the novel
Several months ago I read South of Broad by this author in connection with a trip to Charleston, SC. I loved it! When I saw this novel at a rummage sale, I picked it up and promised myself I would read it. I would list The Prince of Tides among the best I have ever read, rating it a 5 for sure! It was published almost 30 years ago and I can't imagine why it took so long for me to discover it. I know it was adapted for a movie by the same title in 1991 and I am pretty sure I never saw the film. Now I simply must!
The novel is set in Colleton County, SC (an area Conroy knows well and uses often in his writing) and revolves around the Wingo family---Tom who narrates the story and his two siblings, parents and grandparents. To call the family dysfunctional is an understatement. There's a lot to dislike, or even be repulsed by, about the parents, but the grandparents, Tolitha and Amos, are interesting with such endearing qualities---Tolitha, with her mischievous sense of humor and Amos, a devout Christian walking the walk.
As the book begins, Savannah, Tom's twin, has attempted suicide in N.Y. City and Tom immediately leaves his wife and daughters to go to her. He soon meets Savannah's psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein, and in the process of trying to help her help Savannah, he shares stories of their family and youth. These flashbacks are fascinating stories in their own right, for example the rescue/kidnapping of a dolphin called Snow and the first-time integration of their high school by Benji Washington. The funniest family episode was when Tolitha takes the grandkids to help her make her end-of-life arrangements and she decides to "try on" a casket, much to their embarrassment. That very idea is humorous but there's more! At least one of the memories is very intense and goes a long way to explain some of Savannah's demons.
The Prince of Tides is lengthy at 567 pages but so worth the effort. Many chapters and even paragraphs are longer than average. His vocabulary challenged me, as well. Some might say Conroy is verbose but I loved the elegance of his writing style which is often poetic. In the novel, Savannah is a poet; in fact, her second book of poetry was titled The Prince of Tides. I assume the poetry quoted in the novel and attributed to Savannah was written by Conroy.
This novel was poignant, humorous, exciting, romantic---all qualities that make a page-turner and one that I will not soon forget!
Friday, August 21, 2015
The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag
"I was being brought into the fold of the Alibi Club and I knew without question I would find Irina Markova's killer among them. It was like being brought into a den of lions. Luckily for me I was an adrenalin junkie. I wouldn't miss it."
-Elena Estes, from the novel
I have read a few mysteries by Tami Hoag but not for a while. I must admit I didn't technically read this one. I listened to it on CDs in my car so I can't say it was a page-turner but it could have been! In some ways it was even more intense because of the talented reader, Beth McDonald, especially at the climax of the plot. I was quite impressed with her ability to do Spanish, Russian, and other accents and distinctive voices for the characters. I'm rating this one a 5 for sheer enjoyment.
The setting of the story is Wellington, Florida, aka Palm Beach. Main character Elena Estes is a former cop who discovers the body of a murdered acquaintance in the first chapter. She is determined to find the killer among the Alibi Club, a group of wealthy, privileged men including her former fiancé, a charismatic Spanish polo star, and others. In the course of her sleuthing, she trades insults and information with another ex-lover, Detective James Landry, who has official charge of the case. Throw in a Russian mob boss, the lover of victim Irina raging for vengeance, an unethical parking valet and a naïve polo pony groom and you have the makings of a thrilling plot.
I really enjoyed Elena's narration of her parts of the story. She is smart and independent with a very dry wit, irreverent at times, and eliciting laughs. In the novel she is described as sassy. In fact Elena admits she is "overflowing with sass." I am wondering what other Hoag mysteries feature her. I'll be looking for one soon!
-Elena Estes, from the novel
I have read a few mysteries by Tami Hoag but not for a while. I must admit I didn't technically read this one. I listened to it on CDs in my car so I can't say it was a page-turner but it could have been! In some ways it was even more intense because of the talented reader, Beth McDonald, especially at the climax of the plot. I was quite impressed with her ability to do Spanish, Russian, and other accents and distinctive voices for the characters. I'm rating this one a 5 for sheer enjoyment.
The setting of the story is Wellington, Florida, aka Palm Beach. Main character Elena Estes is a former cop who discovers the body of a murdered acquaintance in the first chapter. She is determined to find the killer among the Alibi Club, a group of wealthy, privileged men including her former fiancé, a charismatic Spanish polo star, and others. In the course of her sleuthing, she trades insults and information with another ex-lover, Detective James Landry, who has official charge of the case. Throw in a Russian mob boss, the lover of victim Irina raging for vengeance, an unethical parking valet and a naïve polo pony groom and you have the makings of a thrilling plot.
I really enjoyed Elena's narration of her parts of the story. She is smart and independent with a very dry wit, irreverent at times, and eliciting laughs. In the novel she is described as sassy. In fact Elena admits she is "overflowing with sass." I am wondering what other Hoag mysteries feature her. I'll be looking for one soon!
South Moon Under by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
" But if the road had been hard, it was also pleasant. If a living was uncertain, and the sustaining of breath precarious, why existence took on an added value and a greater sweetness. The tissues of life were food and danger. These were the warp and woof, and all else was an incidental pattern, picked out with vari-coloured wools. Love and lust, hate and friendship, grief and frolicking, even birthing and dying, were thin grey and scarlet threads across the sun-browned, thick and sturdy stuff that was life itself."
-from the novel
Had I not recently become a Marjorie Rawlings fan in preparation for teaching a class about her and her work and in my reading of The Yearling, I probably would not have chosen to read this book at all. As it turns out, I am glad I did because it reminded me of many things I had learned about this author. First, Rawlings, a relative newcomer to Florida in the early 1930's, had stayed for some months with Piety and Leonard Fiddia in the Big Scrub, what is now part of the Ocala National Forest, researching this book. She modeled her main character Lant and his mother, Piety Jacklin, after the two of them. Just as Leonard and his kinfolk made a living off the land any way they could---hunting, fishing, trapping, timbering, moonshining---both by legal and illegal means, so does Lant in South Moon Under. Second, much of this novel reminded me of The Yearling, written a few years later. For example, a wife filled with bitterness much as Ora Baxter; a hunt for a stock-killing wildcat using dogs, reminiscent of Penny and Jody's hunt for Slewfoot the bear; beautiful descriptions of travel on the river and, of course, the Cracker dialect and culture was similar. Also South Moon Under was a Book of the Month selection and a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, which the author would win with her third novel, The Yearling. A significant difference was the passage of time, several years in this novel, while The Yearling spans only one year.
I was curious about the title. Apparently, these early Florida folk predicted much animal behavior by the movement of the moon, as in Lant's thoughts: "The deer and the rabbits, the fish and the owls, stirred at moon-rise and at moon-down; at south-moon over and at south-moon-under. The moon swung around the earth, or the earth swung around the moon, he was not sure. The moon rose in the east and that was moon-rise. Six hours later it hung at its zenith between east and west, and that was south-moon-over. It set in the west and that was moon-down. Then it passed from sight and swung under the earth, between west and east. And when it was directly under the earth, that was south-moon-under."
I am rating South Moon Under a 4. Hints of romance and some vigilante justice keep the theme of survival from becoming too tedious. Some readers may find too much description in this novel but it does give an accurate picture of life in Florida in the early 20th century before it became a tourist mecca. And one cannot help but admire these people who were bound and determined to eke out a living under extreme circumstances. Just think---August in Florida with no air conditioning!
-from the novel
Had I not recently become a Marjorie Rawlings fan in preparation for teaching a class about her and her work and in my reading of The Yearling, I probably would not have chosen to read this book at all. As it turns out, I am glad I did because it reminded me of many things I had learned about this author. First, Rawlings, a relative newcomer to Florida in the early 1930's, had stayed for some months with Piety and Leonard Fiddia in the Big Scrub, what is now part of the Ocala National Forest, researching this book. She modeled her main character Lant and his mother, Piety Jacklin, after the two of them. Just as Leonard and his kinfolk made a living off the land any way they could---hunting, fishing, trapping, timbering, moonshining---both by legal and illegal means, so does Lant in South Moon Under. Second, much of this novel reminded me of The Yearling, written a few years later. For example, a wife filled with bitterness much as Ora Baxter; a hunt for a stock-killing wildcat using dogs, reminiscent of Penny and Jody's hunt for Slewfoot the bear; beautiful descriptions of travel on the river and, of course, the Cracker dialect and culture was similar. Also South Moon Under was a Book of the Month selection and a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, which the author would win with her third novel, The Yearling. A significant difference was the passage of time, several years in this novel, while The Yearling spans only one year.
I was curious about the title. Apparently, these early Florida folk predicted much animal behavior by the movement of the moon, as in Lant's thoughts: "The deer and the rabbits, the fish and the owls, stirred at moon-rise and at moon-down; at south-moon over and at south-moon-under. The moon swung around the earth, or the earth swung around the moon, he was not sure. The moon rose in the east and that was moon-rise. Six hours later it hung at its zenith between east and west, and that was south-moon-over. It set in the west and that was moon-down. Then it passed from sight and swung under the earth, between west and east. And when it was directly under the earth, that was south-moon-under."
I am rating South Moon Under a 4. Hints of romance and some vigilante justice keep the theme of survival from becoming too tedious. Some readers may find too much description in this novel but it does give an accurate picture of life in Florida in the early 20th century before it became a tourist mecca. And one cannot help but admire these people who were bound and determined to eke out a living under extreme circumstances. Just think---August in Florida with no air conditioning!
Friday, August 14, 2015
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
"For thus hath the Lord said unto me,
Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."
-Isaiah 21:6
If asked the titles of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird would be among the first. Perhaps that very high esteem set me up for disappointment in this novel by the same author. I have to agree with The New Yorker critic who wrote that ...Watchman would make barely any sense if the reader didn't already know ...Mockingbird. The magazine review went on to describe Go Set a Watchman as a failure as a novel and further that if ...Mockingbird did not exist, it would never have been published now, as it was not when it was written in the mid-1950's. Amen. Some might say to cut the author some slack; it was her first novel. I would reply that I have read other first novels that were excellent. One could even ask why this one was published and hyped to the max.
When 26-year-old Jean Louise Finch, known as "Scout," returns to visit her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, she finds many changes that make her uncomfortable, including reactions of the community to the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement and the influence of the NAACP. When Jean Louise sneaks into a Citizen's Council meeting where father Atticus and boyfriend Henry are participants, her world is rocked to its foundation! This part reminded me of Scout sneaking into court in ...Mockingbird. Though the plot of the book was weak, some flashbacks were amusing like when Scout as a child, along with her brother, Jem, and friend, Dill, decide to have a mock revival that involves a baptism. When Jean Louise remembers a high school dance and what happened to her first "falsies," I had to laugh.
I waxed nostalgic at times, as I lived in North Alabama in the early 60's. I remembered Jitney Jungle supermarket and heard my mother use the expression "blue murder." I had never heard of "missionary vanilla" aka whiskey---cute.
I found it difficult to understand how Jean Louise's emotions could turn so dramatically. Perhaps her hard-headedness was a result of her young age and egocentricity. It was difficult for me to identify with her holier-than-thou attitude.
As a fan of To Kill a Mockingbird I felt I had to read this book so I am glad I did but I can rate it no higher than 3. It just had none of the beauty and innocence of Harper Lee's classic. I had thought I might choose this novel for our Page Turners but I have changed my mind.
Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."
-Isaiah 21:6
If asked the titles of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird would be among the first. Perhaps that very high esteem set me up for disappointment in this novel by the same author. I have to agree with The New Yorker critic who wrote that ...Watchman would make barely any sense if the reader didn't already know ...Mockingbird. The magazine review went on to describe Go Set a Watchman as a failure as a novel and further that if ...Mockingbird did not exist, it would never have been published now, as it was not when it was written in the mid-1950's. Amen. Some might say to cut the author some slack; it was her first novel. I would reply that I have read other first novels that were excellent. One could even ask why this one was published and hyped to the max.
When 26-year-old Jean Louise Finch, known as "Scout," returns to visit her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, she finds many changes that make her uncomfortable, including reactions of the community to the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement and the influence of the NAACP. When Jean Louise sneaks into a Citizen's Council meeting where father Atticus and boyfriend Henry are participants, her world is rocked to its foundation! This part reminded me of Scout sneaking into court in ...Mockingbird. Though the plot of the book was weak, some flashbacks were amusing like when Scout as a child, along with her brother, Jem, and friend, Dill, decide to have a mock revival that involves a baptism. When Jean Louise remembers a high school dance and what happened to her first "falsies," I had to laugh.
I waxed nostalgic at times, as I lived in North Alabama in the early 60's. I remembered Jitney Jungle supermarket and heard my mother use the expression "blue murder." I had never heard of "missionary vanilla" aka whiskey---cute.
I found it difficult to understand how Jean Louise's emotions could turn so dramatically. Perhaps her hard-headedness was a result of her young age and egocentricity. It was difficult for me to identify with her holier-than-thou attitude.
As a fan of To Kill a Mockingbird I felt I had to read this book so I am glad I did but I can rate it no higher than 3. It just had none of the beauty and innocence of Harper Lee's classic. I had thought I might choose this novel for our Page Turners but I have changed my mind.
The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
"...and he was no hero. He was just a man who'd loved. A man who'd felt treasured by a beautiful girl that he'd become more than he'd known he could be. A man who'd, yes, gotten loads of acceptance and respect from friends and employers, but---Tell yourself the truth---had never felt that treasured again."
-Homan's thoughts from the novel
The Story of Beautiful Girl is a beautiful story although a grim reminder of the treatment of many disabled people in the past. It begins in1968 with the escape of Beautiful Girl, Lynnie, and Number 42, Homan, from the "Snare," their nickname for the Pennsylvania School for the Incurable and Feeble-minded. The two seek sanctuary with a lonely widow named Martha, whose life is changed forever by their brief stay and the infant they are forced to leave behind in her care. Thus begins a 40-year saga, told alternatingly from their different points of view. This technique made for a real page-turner as the reader was left "hanging" by one character while catching up with the next. As the stories progress, the reader learns the background of Lynnie and Homan and how they came to be at the Snare. Very touching!
Many characters enter the story at various turns, some kind and helpful and some devious or downright evil. A number of the better sort are former students of Martha, who is a retired 5th grade teacher like me. I was touched by her relationship with these students. She had apparently corresponded with them often through the years, and even held regular reunions. I rather envied this bond of hers, something I have experienced rarely and to a minimal degree. Perhaps, it would be more common in a small town like the fictional Well's Bottom.
I was intrigued by the Author's Note and Acknowledgements as she shared how the idea for the novel was conceived and described a real person on whom she based the character of Homan. Ms. Simon is also the author of Riding the Bus with My Sister, a memoir adapted for a TV movie. I know I either read it or saw the movie but can't remember which. I will look for the book one of these days.
I couldn't help but think about the problems today with lack of affordable facilities for the mentally ill. Apparently, we have come a long way since 1968 but still have far to go.
I will rate ...Beautiful Girl a 4. Our book club meets to discuss the book later this month and it will be interesting to see if others agree and to hear everyone's thoughts. I will return to share....
--------------------------
Page Turners met today to discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl. Fifteen attended, more than we have had in the last few months. We used an amazing set of questions from the publisher to direct us (find them at LitLovers.com). There were 20 good questions and we certainly did not cover them all. Our group rating was 3.9, all votes between 5 and 3. I actually went back to my original mark of 5 and changed it to 4 as I realized I liked the book but didn't LOVE it.
Some group members were surprised at just how deplorable the conditions were in the institution mentioned in the story---called "the Snare" by the residents. We wondered aloud if that was the rule back in the late '60s or one of the exceptions. A number of folks spoke of past experiences involving disabled, particularly mentally challenged, people. Some had known them through church or childhood neighbors or friends. It seemed that those who were kept by families were better off by far than Lynnie and Homan in the novel. We agreed that years ago it was much more likely for "abnormal" children to be institutionalized.
Several of our members thought there were parts of the book that seemed contrived, especially the parts that involved Sam, and the ending which I won't go into---I don't want to be a spoiler! Most of us thought Martha was a hero for taking in an infant at her advanced age but that she probably had no idea what she was getting into! I believe we all agreed that the Author's Note and Acknowledgements at the end added a great deal to our understanding of the author's purpose and inspiration. Many expressed an interest in reading Riding the Bus with My Sister by this author. The Story of Beautiful Girl is a worthwhile read at the very least!
-Homan's thoughts from the novel
The Story of Beautiful Girl is a beautiful story although a grim reminder of the treatment of many disabled people in the past. It begins in1968 with the escape of Beautiful Girl, Lynnie, and Number 42, Homan, from the "Snare," their nickname for the Pennsylvania School for the Incurable and Feeble-minded. The two seek sanctuary with a lonely widow named Martha, whose life is changed forever by their brief stay and the infant they are forced to leave behind in her care. Thus begins a 40-year saga, told alternatingly from their different points of view. This technique made for a real page-turner as the reader was left "hanging" by one character while catching up with the next. As the stories progress, the reader learns the background of Lynnie and Homan and how they came to be at the Snare. Very touching!
Many characters enter the story at various turns, some kind and helpful and some devious or downright evil. A number of the better sort are former students of Martha, who is a retired 5th grade teacher like me. I was touched by her relationship with these students. She had apparently corresponded with them often through the years, and even held regular reunions. I rather envied this bond of hers, something I have experienced rarely and to a minimal degree. Perhaps, it would be more common in a small town like the fictional Well's Bottom.
I was intrigued by the Author's Note and Acknowledgements as she shared how the idea for the novel was conceived and described a real person on whom she based the character of Homan. Ms. Simon is also the author of Riding the Bus with My Sister, a memoir adapted for a TV movie. I know I either read it or saw the movie but can't remember which. I will look for the book one of these days.
I couldn't help but think about the problems today with lack of affordable facilities for the mentally ill. Apparently, we have come a long way since 1968 but still have far to go.
I will rate ...Beautiful Girl a 4. Our book club meets to discuss the book later this month and it will be interesting to see if others agree and to hear everyone's thoughts. I will return to share....
--------------------------
Page Turners met today to discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl. Fifteen attended, more than we have had in the last few months. We used an amazing set of questions from the publisher to direct us (find them at LitLovers.com). There were 20 good questions and we certainly did not cover them all. Our group rating was 3.9, all votes between 5 and 3. I actually went back to my original mark of 5 and changed it to 4 as I realized I liked the book but didn't LOVE it.
Some group members were surprised at just how deplorable the conditions were in the institution mentioned in the story---called "the Snare" by the residents. We wondered aloud if that was the rule back in the late '60s or one of the exceptions. A number of folks spoke of past experiences involving disabled, particularly mentally challenged, people. Some had known them through church or childhood neighbors or friends. It seemed that those who were kept by families were better off by far than Lynnie and Homan in the novel. We agreed that years ago it was much more likely for "abnormal" children to be institutionalized.
Several of our members thought there were parts of the book that seemed contrived, especially the parts that involved Sam, and the ending which I won't go into---I don't want to be a spoiler! Most of us thought Martha was a hero for taking in an infant at her advanced age but that she probably had no idea what she was getting into! I believe we all agreed that the Author's Note and Acknowledgements at the end added a great deal to our understanding of the author's purpose and inspiration. Many expressed an interest in reading Riding the Bus with My Sister by this author. The Story of Beautiful Girl is a worthwhile read at the very least!
Monday, July 27, 2015
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
"Ever'
man wants life to be a fine thing, and easy. 'Tis fine, boy, powerful fine,
but 'tain't easy. Life knocks a man down and he gits up and it knocks him down
agin. I've been uneasy all my life...I've wanted life to be easy for you.
Easier'n 'twas for me. A man's heart aches, seein' his young uns face the
world. Knowin' they got to get their guts tore out, the way his was tore. I
wanted to spare you, long as I could. I wanted you to frolic with your
yearlin'. I knowed the lonesomeness he eased for you. But ever' man's lonesome.
What's he to do then? What's he to do when he gits knocked down? Why, take it
for his share and go on."
—Penny Baxter in The
YearlingIf you have read my last several posts, you already know I've been teaching a class on the work of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. This is the last one in that series, at least for a while.
I selected The Yearling for my class to read and discuss because it is MKR's best known novel and most highly acclaimed, having won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939. I was quite sure I had read it several years ago when I first took on an acting role portraying the author. In listening to the audio version in my car, I realized in the last half of the novel that I had NOT finished it. Maybe, I only thought I had because I had seen the 1946 movie version. At any rate, I enjoyed the book much more than I had back then and possibly due to the talented narrator who was so adept at reading the dialogue and making the characters come alive. I'm rating The Yearling a 5 and I have no doubt I'll read it again.
My class seemed to genuinely enjoy the book, as well. We all loved Penny, the wise and loving father of Jody who is actually the main character. We agreed that the obvious theme was the coming of age story of a boy but thought perhaps the theme of survival was just as significant. We learned that MKR had a great love for the land of North Central Florida and its flora and fauna. This reverence for nature is evident in Penny's philosophy in the novel.
Don't think of this one as a young adult fiction. Think of it as a valuable historical fiction beautifully capturing the life of early pioneers of Florida. I recommend it highly!
Bossypants by Tina Fey
"One of the worst parts of [playing Tina Fey] was that I learned what it felt like to be a lightning rod. I got some hate mail and there are definitely people out there who will dislike me for the rest of my life because of 'what I did' to Sarah Palin. On an intellectual level, this doesn't bother me at all. On a human level, I would prefer to be liked. There was an assumption that I was personally attacking Sarah Palin by impersonating her on TV. No one ever said it was 'mean' when Chevy Chase played Gerald Ford falling down all the time. No one ever accused Dana Carvey or Darrell Hammond or Dan Ackroyd of 'going too far' in their political impressions. You see what I'm getting at here. I am not mean and Mrs. Palin is not fragile. To imply otherwise is a disservice to us both."
Had I not been leading the discussion of this book for our Page Turners group, I likely would not have finished it. I selected it from a list of our library's book bundles because I thought it would be funny. I don't believe I laughed aloud a single time in the reading of the book. Perhaps I could admit to an occasional smile or snicker. The funniest part was the script of Tina and Amy Poehler's skit portraying Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton because it brought back the memory of viewing that very humorous event on "SNL." Overall, though, I guess Fey's type of humor is just not my cup of tea. I gave the book a 2 rating.
When our group met to discuss the book, most agreed it was mediocre. The group's rating averaged 2.1, the lowest in quite a while. I actually apologized to our male members for this selection---it was "chick lit" to the nth degree! As always, our discussion was enjoyable---much more so than the book. Some of the negative comments were about Fey's "potty mouth" and juvenile humor. Most agreed the cover photo was disgusting but it did seem to symbolize Fey's feminist ideas. We thought perhaps she told her story to inspire women to persevere in a man's world as she did. In our discussion, someone brought out the fact that many in our age group have not been exposed to Tina Fey's comedy on "SNL" or "30 Rock." It seems possible that younger adult readers, particularly female, would find Bossypants more entertaining and worthwhile.
Had I not been leading the discussion of this book for our Page Turners group, I likely would not have finished it. I selected it from a list of our library's book bundles because I thought it would be funny. I don't believe I laughed aloud a single time in the reading of the book. Perhaps I could admit to an occasional smile or snicker. The funniest part was the script of Tina and Amy Poehler's skit portraying Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton because it brought back the memory of viewing that very humorous event on "SNL." Overall, though, I guess Fey's type of humor is just not my cup of tea. I gave the book a 2 rating.
When our group met to discuss the book, most agreed it was mediocre. The group's rating averaged 2.1, the lowest in quite a while. I actually apologized to our male members for this selection---it was "chick lit" to the nth degree! As always, our discussion was enjoyable---much more so than the book. Some of the negative comments were about Fey's "potty mouth" and juvenile humor. Most agreed the cover photo was disgusting but it did seem to symbolize Fey's feminist ideas. We thought perhaps she told her story to inspire women to persevere in a man's world as she did. In our discussion, someone brought out the fact that many in our age group have not been exposed to Tina Fey's comedy on "SNL" or "30 Rock." It seems possible that younger adult readers, particularly female, would find Bossypants more entertaining and worthwhile.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Cross Creek Cookery by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
"My father used to say this grace at table: 'Receive our thanks, our Heavenly Father, for these mercies. Bless them to our bodies' good, for Thy name's sake. Amen.'
Food imaginatively and lovingly prepared, and eaten in good company, warms the being with something more than the mere intake of calories. I cannot conceive of cooking for friends or family, under reasonable conditions, as being a chore. Food eaten in unpleasant circumstances is unblessed to our bodies' good---and so is a drug-store sandwich---or a raw duck. Some of my dishes, such as alligator-tail steak or Minorcan gopher stew may horrify the delicate, who may consider them, too, unblessed. I have included nothing that is not extremely palatable, and the reader or student of culinary arts may either believe me or fall back in cowardly safety on a standard cook book."
-Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek Cookery
In following up that quote, this is surely NOT a standard cookbook. Open a cookbook on your shelf and tell me, do you see: Florida Soft-Shell Turtle (Cooter) Soup; Aunt Effie's Custard Johnny Cake; Poke Wee, Cross Creek; Cow-peas; Swamp Cabbage Salad; Orange Lake Frog-legs; Shrimp Pilau; Pot Roast of Bear; Sweet Potato Pone, Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie, Mayhaw Jelly? Hmm...I didn't think so.
Cross Creek Cookery makes interesting reading but I would not recommend it as a cookbook since the ingredient amounts and directions are ambiguous, at best. I read it in preparation for the class I am teaching on Rawlings, the author. Apparently she wrote it in response to requests by fans of Cross Creek, her chronicle, or memoir, of her experiences living in "this enchanted place" in North Central Florida. The longest chapter in Cross Creek is "Our Daily Bread," describing many popular foods of the region and admitting to culinary skill being her greatest vanity: "For my part, my literary ability may safely be questioned as harshly as one wills, but indifference to my table puts me in a rage."
Many of the recipes are very rich, involving plenty of her Jersey cow Dora's butter and cream. A friend said she should include a Jersey cow with each cookbook!
The longest section is desserts. Caution: Your mouth will likely water!
I will rate Cross Creek Cookery a 3.5. It seems a bit odd to rate or blog this book since I didn't actually read it "kivver to kivver." I did read all the narratives which were pretty entertaining and skimmed the menus and recipes. Most are too labor-intensive for me! And as I mentioned, often not very concise. I recommend it to fans of Rawlings, especially as a companion to Cross Creek, but as a cooking tool, not so much.
Food imaginatively and lovingly prepared, and eaten in good company, warms the being with something more than the mere intake of calories. I cannot conceive of cooking for friends or family, under reasonable conditions, as being a chore. Food eaten in unpleasant circumstances is unblessed to our bodies' good---and so is a drug-store sandwich---or a raw duck. Some of my dishes, such as alligator-tail steak or Minorcan gopher stew may horrify the delicate, who may consider them, too, unblessed. I have included nothing that is not extremely palatable, and the reader or student of culinary arts may either believe me or fall back in cowardly safety on a standard cook book."
-Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek Cookery
In following up that quote, this is surely NOT a standard cookbook. Open a cookbook on your shelf and tell me, do you see: Florida Soft-Shell Turtle (Cooter) Soup; Aunt Effie's Custard Johnny Cake; Poke Wee, Cross Creek; Cow-peas; Swamp Cabbage Salad; Orange Lake Frog-legs; Shrimp Pilau; Pot Roast of Bear; Sweet Potato Pone, Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie, Mayhaw Jelly? Hmm...I didn't think so.
Cross Creek Cookery makes interesting reading but I would not recommend it as a cookbook since the ingredient amounts and directions are ambiguous, at best. I read it in preparation for the class I am teaching on Rawlings, the author. Apparently she wrote it in response to requests by fans of Cross Creek, her chronicle, or memoir, of her experiences living in "this enchanted place" in North Central Florida. The longest chapter in Cross Creek is "Our Daily Bread," describing many popular foods of the region and admitting to culinary skill being her greatest vanity: "For my part, my literary ability may safely be questioned as harshly as one wills, but indifference to my table puts me in a rage."
Many of the recipes are very rich, involving plenty of her Jersey cow Dora's butter and cream. A friend said she should include a Jersey cow with each cookbook!
The longest section is desserts. Caution: Your mouth will likely water!
I will rate Cross Creek Cookery a 3.5. It seems a bit odd to rate or blog this book since I didn't actually read it "kivver to kivver." I did read all the narratives which were pretty entertaining and skimmed the menus and recipes. Most are too labor-intensive for me! And as I mentioned, often not very concise. I recommend it to fans of Rawlings, especially as a companion to Cross Creek, but as a cooking tool, not so much.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
"Yet when a wave of love takes over a human being, love of another human being, love of nature, love of all mankind, love of the universe, such an exaltation takes him that he knows he has put his finger on the pulse of the great secret and the great answer." -Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek
Any followers of my blog will already know that I start each post with a quote. Cross Creek has so many pithy ones, it is difficult to choose just one! I have read this book twice before and I enjoyed it this third time, while preparing for a class I am teaching about Marjorie Rawlings. (You may notice the last few posts are related.) I must rate it a 5.
The genre of Cross Creek is a little difficult to pin down. It is a chronicle of the author's time in North Central Florida but has also been called autobiography. I think you could describe it as a memoir or even a series of short stories. Whatever you want to call it, it has much to offer---humor, poignancy and lovely description. Two of my favorite chapters are "The Evolution of Comfort" and "A Pig Is Paid For." I got a little bogged down with "Our Daily Bread," one of the longer chapters and all about food. Parts of the "seasonal" chapters at the end were a bit dull, especially after so much humor and excitement at the start.
"The Census" is an important chapter since it included a description of a "friend" that later brought a lawsuit against Mrs. Rawlings. During the trial Marjorie said this book was a "love story to a place" but I believe her affection for Cross Creek, the place, may have been slightly diminished by the disappointment and stress of the trial because she never wrote about it again. If you have never read Rawlings' work, do start with this one!
Any followers of my blog will already know that I start each post with a quote. Cross Creek has so many pithy ones, it is difficult to choose just one! I have read this book twice before and I enjoyed it this third time, while preparing for a class I am teaching about Marjorie Rawlings. (You may notice the last few posts are related.) I must rate it a 5.
The genre of Cross Creek is a little difficult to pin down. It is a chronicle of the author's time in North Central Florida but has also been called autobiography. I think you could describe it as a memoir or even a series of short stories. Whatever you want to call it, it has much to offer---humor, poignancy and lovely description. Two of my favorite chapters are "The Evolution of Comfort" and "A Pig Is Paid For." I got a little bogged down with "Our Daily Bread," one of the longer chapters and all about food. Parts of the "seasonal" chapters at the end were a bit dull, especially after so much humor and excitement at the start.
"The Census" is an important chapter since it included a description of a "friend" that later brought a lawsuit against Mrs. Rawlings. During the trial Marjorie said this book was a "love story to a place" but I believe her affection for Cross Creek, the place, may have been slightly diminished by the disappointment and stress of the trial because she never wrote about it again. If you have never read Rawlings' work, do start with this one!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Blood of My Blood by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
"You'll never know how much your father loves you. You're mine---blood of my blood, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh." -Arthur Kinnan to daughter, Marjorie
This is the first book written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, completed in 1928, refused for publication, undiscovered for decades and finally published in 2002, long after the author's death. It was originally submitted for a writing contest as a novel but it is VERY autobiographical. It begins with the story of Marjorie's grandparents and the upbringing of her own parents. Marjorie is born around page 50 and the last 2/3 of the story is hers, concentrating mostly on her conflicted relationship with her mother and the closeness of her and her father. I would describe her mother, Ida, as a tiger mom on steroids! She was very controlling, trying to relive her own life vicariously through Marjorie. Fortunately she did seem to mellow after Marjorie had flown from the nest.
Marjorie's last book was The Sojourner which, ironically, borrows from this first one. I have not read it yet but apparently the line "blood of my blood" shows up more than once and the main characters are based on Rawlings' maternal grandparents. Also, the setting is a northern farm.
Blood of My Blood was very helpful in enlightening me about Marjorie's family, childhood and youth in preparation for the class I am teaching this month at Rollins College, "The Life and Literary Works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings." For that reason I will rate it a 4. Fans of Rawlings will probably enjoy it but one could not call it a page-turner.
This is the first book written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, completed in 1928, refused for publication, undiscovered for decades and finally published in 2002, long after the author's death. It was originally submitted for a writing contest as a novel but it is VERY autobiographical. It begins with the story of Marjorie's grandparents and the upbringing of her own parents. Marjorie is born around page 50 and the last 2/3 of the story is hers, concentrating mostly on her conflicted relationship with her mother and the closeness of her and her father. I would describe her mother, Ida, as a tiger mom on steroids! She was very controlling, trying to relive her own life vicariously through Marjorie. Fortunately she did seem to mellow after Marjorie had flown from the nest.
Marjorie's last book was The Sojourner which, ironically, borrows from this first one. I have not read it yet but apparently the line "blood of my blood" shows up more than once and the main characters are based on Rawlings' maternal grandparents. Also, the setting is a northern farm.
Blood of My Blood was very helpful in enlightening me about Marjorie's family, childhood and youth in preparation for the class I am teaching this month at Rollins College, "The Life and Literary Works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings." For that reason I will rate it a 4. Fans of Rawlings will probably enjoy it but one could not call it a page-turner.
Idella, Marjorie Rawlings' Perfect Maid by Idella Parker with Mary Keating
"For the most part, she did not smile, and to me she seemed a lonely woman, no matter how many friends and admirers she had. She was always looking for happiness, only I don't think she ever really found it."
-Idella Parker, describing Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
I read this memoir the first time when I began playing a cameo role of Marjorie Rawlings. I found it very interesting then, as it shows different characteristics of the famous Florida author than what I have read in biographies. In my rereading of the book to prepare for a class I am teaching, I am once again reminded of her strengths and imperfections. Though Idella, who Rawlings referred to as her "perfect maid" felt great love for her employer, she worried about her, sometimes pitied her and at times, resented her. The quote above, I think, reflects some of the worry and pity, along with Idella's concern about Marjorie's unhealthy habits. Some of the resentment stemmed from the racial relations of the time but also the volatile temper which flared when Rawlings was drinking too much or depressed about her writing going badly.
An interesting quote near the end of Idella's book summarizes the relationship quite well:
"In private, we were often like sisters, laughing and chatting and enjoying one another's company. We shared many years [10] together, helped one another through bad times, and rejoiced for each other's happiness. Between the two of us there was deep friendship and respect, and no thought of the social differences between us.
But whenever other people were around, the barrier of color went up automatically. Without acknowledging that we were doing so, we became more distant to one another. She became the rich, white lady author, and I became quiet, reserved, and slipped back into her shadow, 'the perfect maid.'"
In the acknowledgements, Idella says she wishes that Mrs. Rawlings had lived to see integration because she truly believes Rawlings would have welcomed it.
A couple of my favorite parts of the story were when Idella invited Marjorie to go to church with her and the humorous results that followed. Also, examples of the racial divide were shown in the Ocala movie theater episode---pretty funny to read but very frightening for Idella at the time. I applauded Marjorie when the restaurant would not allow Idella to use the restroom somewhere in GA or SC and she refused to stay there and made Norton, her 2nd husband, drive on to a place where they could pull over and go in the woods!
All in all, this is not the greatest literature, but seems to have a lot of "heart." I am a fan of Marjorie Rawlings and if you are, you will surely find this a good read---an easy one, too, at only 129 pages with a number of photographs. I rate it a 4.
-Idella Parker, describing Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
I read this memoir the first time when I began playing a cameo role of Marjorie Rawlings. I found it very interesting then, as it shows different characteristics of the famous Florida author than what I have read in biographies. In my rereading of the book to prepare for a class I am teaching, I am once again reminded of her strengths and imperfections. Though Idella, who Rawlings referred to as her "perfect maid" felt great love for her employer, she worried about her, sometimes pitied her and at times, resented her. The quote above, I think, reflects some of the worry and pity, along with Idella's concern about Marjorie's unhealthy habits. Some of the resentment stemmed from the racial relations of the time but also the volatile temper which flared when Rawlings was drinking too much or depressed about her writing going badly.
An interesting quote near the end of Idella's book summarizes the relationship quite well:
"In private, we were often like sisters, laughing and chatting and enjoying one another's company. We shared many years [10] together, helped one another through bad times, and rejoiced for each other's happiness. Between the two of us there was deep friendship and respect, and no thought of the social differences between us.
But whenever other people were around, the barrier of color went up automatically. Without acknowledging that we were doing so, we became more distant to one another. She became the rich, white lady author, and I became quiet, reserved, and slipped back into her shadow, 'the perfect maid.'"
In the acknowledgements, Idella says she wishes that Mrs. Rawlings had lived to see integration because she truly believes Rawlings would have welcomed it.
A couple of my favorite parts of the story were when Idella invited Marjorie to go to church with her and the humorous results that followed. Also, examples of the racial divide were shown in the Ocala movie theater episode---pretty funny to read but very frightening for Idella at the time. I applauded Marjorie when the restaurant would not allow Idella to use the restroom somewhere in GA or SC and she refused to stay there and made Norton, her 2nd husband, drive on to a place where they could pull over and go in the woods!
All in all, this is not the greatest literature, but seems to have a lot of "heart." I am a fan of Marjorie Rawlings and if you are, you will surely find this a good read---an easy one, too, at only 129 pages with a number of photographs. I rate it a 4.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Sojourner at Cross Creek by Elizabeth Silverthorne
"Sift each of us through the great sieve of circumstance and you have a residue, great or small as the case may be, that is the man or the woman."
-Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek
I read this biography several years ago, likely soon after I took on a cameo role where I portrayed Marjorie in front of school groups. I have just finished rereading it in preparation for a class I am teaching at Rollins College in the Lifelong Learning program there. The course title: The Life and Literary Works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings." I enjoyed this reading so much more, perhaps because I have been involved in the Rawlings Society, visited Cross Creek and read so much more of her work. I have gone from being interested in Mrs. Rawlings to being a true fan! As biographies go, this one is quite good; I will rate it a 4.
Marjorie's life is fascinating and a good example why one should never give up on their dreams. She was a precocious child and a promising writer through her school days. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with honors she went to New York with high hopes of beginning a writing career. After 10 years of newspaper work, she had no luck selling her short stories or an early novel she had written, Blood of My Blood, and was becoming doubtful of achieving her goal to be a famous author. It was after moving to north central Florida, a place known as Cross Creek, that her writing career really took off. When she was inspired by the tranquil, wild surroundings and her Cracker neighbors, she wrote short stories and later novels that were published and proved popular and successful. Her best-known novel is The Yearling, although Cross Creek, a chronicle of her experiences, would rank high as well. The Yearling won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939.
I especially admire Rawlings' ideas about the earth, for example "No man should have proprietary rights over land who does not use that land wisely and lovingly." Time and again, her love of nature appears through her writing. In reading The Yearling again, and listening to it on CD, I'm discovering much humor along with the beautiful descriptions.
Marjorie was extremely generous it seems, both with financial help to her family, friends and employees, but also with her time in helping aspiring writers. Much is known of her, too, by her prolific correspondence, especially with her beloved editor Maxwell Perkins. She also answered many letters from readers and wrote to servicemen often during WWII.
I have come to know and appreciate Marjorie's many good qualities, including her great love for Florida (my home) and the attention she brought to its beauty by her writing. Her second husband wrote her epitaph:
-Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek
I read this biography several years ago, likely soon after I took on a cameo role where I portrayed Marjorie in front of school groups. I have just finished rereading it in preparation for a class I am teaching at Rollins College in the Lifelong Learning program there. The course title: The Life and Literary Works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings." I enjoyed this reading so much more, perhaps because I have been involved in the Rawlings Society, visited Cross Creek and read so much more of her work. I have gone from being interested in Mrs. Rawlings to being a true fan! As biographies go, this one is quite good; I will rate it a 4.
Marjorie's life is fascinating and a good example why one should never give up on their dreams. She was a precocious child and a promising writer through her school days. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with honors she went to New York with high hopes of beginning a writing career. After 10 years of newspaper work, she had no luck selling her short stories or an early novel she had written, Blood of My Blood, and was becoming doubtful of achieving her goal to be a famous author. It was after moving to north central Florida, a place known as Cross Creek, that her writing career really took off. When she was inspired by the tranquil, wild surroundings and her Cracker neighbors, she wrote short stories and later novels that were published and proved popular and successful. Her best-known novel is The Yearling, although Cross Creek, a chronicle of her experiences, would rank high as well. The Yearling won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939.
I especially admire Rawlings' ideas about the earth, for example "No man should have proprietary rights over land who does not use that land wisely and lovingly." Time and again, her love of nature appears through her writing. In reading The Yearling again, and listening to it on CD, I'm discovering much humor along with the beautiful descriptions.
Marjorie was extremely generous it seems, both with financial help to her family, friends and employees, but also with her time in helping aspiring writers. Much is known of her, too, by her prolific correspondence, especially with her beloved editor Maxwell Perkins. She also answered many letters from readers and wrote to servicemen often during WWII.
I have come to know and appreciate Marjorie's many good qualities, including her great love for Florida (my home) and the attention she brought to its beauty by her writing. Her second husband wrote her epitaph:
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
1896-1953
wife of
Norton Baskin
Through her writings she endeared
herself to
the people of the world
Friday, June 26, 2015
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
"But history will record that in a period when the forces of tyranny were mobilizing for the extermination of liberty and democracy everywhere, when a mistaken policy of 'appeasement' was stocking the arsenals of despotism, and when in many high social, and some political, circles, fascism was a fad and democracy anathema, he [Dodd] stood foursquare for our democratic way of life, fought the good fight and kept the faith, and when death touched him his flag was flying still."
-Claude Bowers, friend of William Dodd and ambassador to Spain and Chile
I selected this book for our Page Turners book club because it was a library book bundle (multiple copies). Also I had read another book by Erik Larsen---The Devil in the White City---that was a real page-turner. This one, not so much, though I am glad I read it. I will rate it a 4.
This nonfiction book examines William Dodd's experiences as the first ambassador to Germany after Hitler began his rise to power. His family accompanies him---wife Mattie, son Bill and daughter Martha, whose romantic escapades add much color to the story. The reader sees the events mostly through Dodd's and Martha's eyes, due to so many written records they left behind.
Larson seems to have thoroughly researched this subject as evidenced by almost 60 pages of notes, bibliography and credits. My knowledge of WWII is sketchy, at best, limited mostly to the Holocaust. I had much to learn from the reading of this book---especially about the early days of the Third Reich. The book confirmed my opinion of Hitler as evil but I never realized his reign of terror included his fellow Nazis, even friends. He reminded me of an animal that eats its young!
The subtitle of In the Garden of Beasts---Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin---was somewhat puzzling. I didn't see that much love and only half the family was featured. You can bet there was terror aplenty!
---------------------------------------------
When Page Turners met to discuss the book our average rating was 3.7 with individual marks between 5 and 2. The discussion was lively, using questions from LitLovers, a favorite website. Several members agreed that Dodd, though disrespected among many in the U.S. State Department, and not well-prepared for what he faced, was a principled man. We found his frugality refreshing in light of the unjustified spending we see among politicians today. Our group thought the roles of Mattie and Bill were subjugated but realized they weren't the ones who described their experiences in writing. By using so much primary source material from Ambassador Dodd and Martha, the book offered emotional connection often lacking in nonfiction texts.
The question about why Dodd's and others' warnings about Hitler fell on indifferent ears and whether it was due to "purposeful ignorance or sheer disbelief," we thought the answer might be "yes" to both. We were reminded that the U.S. wanted loan repayment from Germany and, after WWI, was desperate to stay out of any future European conflicts. Certainly these were factors in the lack of attention by the State Department.
I think our whole group was impressed with Larson's research and most of us felt we learned much we didn't know about Hitler's early days, so it was a worthwhile read. However, we are more than ready for something light! July's book: Bossypants by Tina Fey. It should be great for some laughs.
I would love to read any comments you have about this book or others!
-Claude Bowers, friend of William Dodd and ambassador to Spain and Chile
I selected this book for our Page Turners book club because it was a library book bundle (multiple copies). Also I had read another book by Erik Larsen---The Devil in the White City---that was a real page-turner. This one, not so much, though I am glad I read it. I will rate it a 4.
This nonfiction book examines William Dodd's experiences as the first ambassador to Germany after Hitler began his rise to power. His family accompanies him---wife Mattie, son Bill and daughter Martha, whose romantic escapades add much color to the story. The reader sees the events mostly through Dodd's and Martha's eyes, due to so many written records they left behind.
Larson seems to have thoroughly researched this subject as evidenced by almost 60 pages of notes, bibliography and credits. My knowledge of WWII is sketchy, at best, limited mostly to the Holocaust. I had much to learn from the reading of this book---especially about the early days of the Third Reich. The book confirmed my opinion of Hitler as evil but I never realized his reign of terror included his fellow Nazis, even friends. He reminded me of an animal that eats its young!
The subtitle of In the Garden of Beasts---Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin---was somewhat puzzling. I didn't see that much love and only half the family was featured. You can bet there was terror aplenty!
---------------------------------------------
When Page Turners met to discuss the book our average rating was 3.7 with individual marks between 5 and 2. The discussion was lively, using questions from LitLovers, a favorite website. Several members agreed that Dodd, though disrespected among many in the U.S. State Department, and not well-prepared for what he faced, was a principled man. We found his frugality refreshing in light of the unjustified spending we see among politicians today. Our group thought the roles of Mattie and Bill were subjugated but realized they weren't the ones who described their experiences in writing. By using so much primary source material from Ambassador Dodd and Martha, the book offered emotional connection often lacking in nonfiction texts.
The question about why Dodd's and others' warnings about Hitler fell on indifferent ears and whether it was due to "purposeful ignorance or sheer disbelief," we thought the answer might be "yes" to both. We were reminded that the U.S. wanted loan repayment from Germany and, after WWI, was desperate to stay out of any future European conflicts. Certainly these were factors in the lack of attention by the State Department.
I think our whole group was impressed with Larson's research and most of us felt we learned much we didn't know about Hitler's early days, so it was a worthwhile read. However, we are more than ready for something light! July's book: Bossypants by Tina Fey. It should be great for some laughs.
I would love to read any comments you have about this book or others!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
"Now for me, it's different. Because I am a time traveler, I jump around a lot from one time to another. So it's like if you started the tape and played it for a while, but then you said Oh I want to hear that song again, so you played that song and then you went back to where you left off but you wound the tape too far ahead so you rewound it again but you still got it too far ahead. You see?"
-Henry, explaining to Clare
Are you confused by my opening quote? Prepare to stay that way throughout the reading of this novel! It is like a "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" of a story! It just about gave me a headache trying to keep track of the "jumping around" in time. My last book was The Tiger's Wife, a strange saga to say the least. I begin to wonder if I am punishing myself with two weird ones in a row. Time to look for a good old murder mystery!
The Time Traveler's Wife is essentially the unconventional love story of Henry DeTamble, a librarian and Clare Abshire, an artist. They first meet when Clare is VERY young. The difference in their ages is puzzling because most of the time Henry is 8 years older but at certain points the age gap is 7, 11, 23, even 30 years! Thank goodness the author begins each chapter with the date and ages. The story is told alternately from his and her points of view, an interesting technique. The two end up getting married (obvious from the title) and Clare spends a great deal of her life waiting for Henry to return from his travels. It is extremely odd when Henry goes back in time and literally interacts with his younger self. He literally meets himself coming and going! When he jumps to the future and returns, he knows what is going to happen---both a blessing and a curse, for example he knows on New Year's Eve, 1999, that there will be no Y2K disaster but he also knows when he will die. I found it rather humorous when Henry tells Clare "My whole life is one long deja vu."
It was surprising that when Henry vanished into another time, his clothes stayed behind! Then when he reappeared, he was naked and had to beg, borrow or steal clothes. I found it almost believable when Dr. Kendrick has Henry's DNA analyzed and locates a gene for CDP---chrono-displaced person---and then begins research on mice to explore the implications and possible drugs for Henry.
I am rating this book a 2. It was a page-turner but mostly because I wanted to be done with it! At 500+ pages it was tedious along with being challenging, as I've already indicated. The book cover has a medallion that indicates the novel was adapted to a "major motion picture." I can't help but wonder what the movie would be like!
I would love to read your comments!
-Henry, explaining to Clare
Are you confused by my opening quote? Prepare to stay that way throughout the reading of this novel! It is like a "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" of a story! It just about gave me a headache trying to keep track of the "jumping around" in time. My last book was The Tiger's Wife, a strange saga to say the least. I begin to wonder if I am punishing myself with two weird ones in a row. Time to look for a good old murder mystery!
The Time Traveler's Wife is essentially the unconventional love story of Henry DeTamble, a librarian and Clare Abshire, an artist. They first meet when Clare is VERY young. The difference in their ages is puzzling because most of the time Henry is 8 years older but at certain points the age gap is 7, 11, 23, even 30 years! Thank goodness the author begins each chapter with the date and ages. The story is told alternately from his and her points of view, an interesting technique. The two end up getting married (obvious from the title) and Clare spends a great deal of her life waiting for Henry to return from his travels. It is extremely odd when Henry goes back in time and literally interacts with his younger self. He literally meets himself coming and going! When he jumps to the future and returns, he knows what is going to happen---both a blessing and a curse, for example he knows on New Year's Eve, 1999, that there will be no Y2K disaster but he also knows when he will die. I found it rather humorous when Henry tells Clare "My whole life is one long deja vu."
It was surprising that when Henry vanished into another time, his clothes stayed behind! Then when he reappeared, he was naked and had to beg, borrow or steal clothes. I found it almost believable when Dr. Kendrick has Henry's DNA analyzed and locates a gene for CDP---chrono-displaced person---and then begins research on mice to explore the implications and possible drugs for Henry.
I am rating this book a 2. It was a page-turner but mostly because I wanted to be done with it! At 500+ pages it was tedious along with being challenging, as I've already indicated. The book cover has a medallion that indicates the novel was adapted to a "major motion picture." I can't help but wonder what the movie would be like!
I would love to read your comments!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
"Everything necessary to understand my grandfather lies between two stories: the story of the tiger's wife and the story of the deathless man."
-Natalia, from the novel
The Tiger's Wife is wildly unique, one of the strangest I've read in a while. The switchbacks in time and meshing of folklore and realism was quite challenging. I found myself alternatingly intrigued and confused by three story lines.
Main character, Natalia, is a young doctor just setting out on a medical mission trip when she receives the sad news that her precious grandfather has died under mysterious circumstances. She hears from her grandmother that his body has been returned but his belongings are missing. Natalia feels compelled to learn more about his death and retrieve the personal effects that are needed to complete his death ritual.
During the course of these endeavors, Natalia remembers many stories her grandfather has told her, with interesting characters and a number of animals. The "deathless man" has an important role but villagers Luka the butcher, Darisa the Bear and the Apothecary are other primaries. There are many mentions of The Jungle Book, which Natalia's grandfather had carried religiously and references to Shere Khan, the tiger of that story. A rogue tiger related to the title "tiger's wife" is most significant of the animals, of course, but there are also an elephant, a bear and a parrot who recites poetry.
From reviews I have read, The Tiger's Wife, Ms. Obreht's first novel, is seemingly a critical success. At her young age and with her vivid imagination, she will likely reach literary heights. I am rating this book a 3---a story I didn't quite understand or enjoy but with a writing style I could definitely appreciate. It left me with perhaps more questions than answers. In fact, one discussion question from the publisher's suggested list was: Would you want to know if you were going to die or go "in suddenness"? I look forward to our group discussion. More after the meeting....
-------------------------------
The Page Turners' ratings for The Tiger's Wife averaged 2.8, the lowest in several months. Among the words used to describe it were weird, frustrating, confusing. We didn't like that we were jerked around by changes in time period without knowing when things were taking place. One member thought the author had a few short stories in mind and decided to weave them into a novel but wasn't very successful. Most of us did appreciate the loving relationship of Natalia and her grandfather. The genre is designated as fiction---certainly not historical fiction since the history and geography are very ambiguous. And there is so much myth or fable or legend mixed in that make the plot (if indeed there IS a plot) even more perplexing.
-Natalia, from the novel
The Tiger's Wife is wildly unique, one of the strangest I've read in a while. The switchbacks in time and meshing of folklore and realism was quite challenging. I found myself alternatingly intrigued and confused by three story lines.
Main character, Natalia, is a young doctor just setting out on a medical mission trip when she receives the sad news that her precious grandfather has died under mysterious circumstances. She hears from her grandmother that his body has been returned but his belongings are missing. Natalia feels compelled to learn more about his death and retrieve the personal effects that are needed to complete his death ritual.
During the course of these endeavors, Natalia remembers many stories her grandfather has told her, with interesting characters and a number of animals. The "deathless man" has an important role but villagers Luka the butcher, Darisa the Bear and the Apothecary are other primaries. There are many mentions of The Jungle Book, which Natalia's grandfather had carried religiously and references to Shere Khan, the tiger of that story. A rogue tiger related to the title "tiger's wife" is most significant of the animals, of course, but there are also an elephant, a bear and a parrot who recites poetry.
From reviews I have read, The Tiger's Wife, Ms. Obreht's first novel, is seemingly a critical success. At her young age and with her vivid imagination, she will likely reach literary heights. I am rating this book a 3---a story I didn't quite understand or enjoy but with a writing style I could definitely appreciate. It left me with perhaps more questions than answers. In fact, one discussion question from the publisher's suggested list was: Would you want to know if you were going to die or go "in suddenness"? I look forward to our group discussion. More after the meeting....
-------------------------------
The Page Turners' ratings for The Tiger's Wife averaged 2.8, the lowest in several months. Among the words used to describe it were weird, frustrating, confusing. We didn't like that we were jerked around by changes in time period without knowing when things were taking place. One member thought the author had a few short stories in mind and decided to weave them into a novel but wasn't very successful. Most of us did appreciate the loving relationship of Natalia and her grandfather. The genre is designated as fiction---certainly not historical fiction since the history and geography are very ambiguous. And there is so much myth or fable or legend mixed in that make the plot (if indeed there IS a plot) even more perplexing.
The Appeal by John Grisham
" The case was gone, forever dismissed by five supposedly wise men, none of whom had ever shown much sympathy for those who suffer. He had to wonder if the other four...had ever roamed the tomb-like halls of a hospital at all hours of the day and night waiting for a child to live or die. No, they had not. Otherwise, they wouldn't be what they are today."
-musings of Ron Fisk, from the novel
John Grisham seems to be the king of legal thrillers and The Appeal was definitely a page-turner. I didn't find the ending to be very satisfying so I am rating the book a 4.
The plot reminded me of Erin Brockovich with toxic wastes of a chemical company wreaking havoc on a small town in Mississippi. At the beginning of the novel, a jury delivers a large judgment for the plaintiff who has lost her husband and son to cancer caused by the tainted water in Bowmore. I found myself identifying with her attorneys, the very likeable Mary Grace and Wes Payton.
Now an appeal will be forthcoming and Carl Trudeau, owner of Krane Chemical, sets out to use his wealth and power to "buy a seat" on the Mississippi Supreme Court. The process was shocking but frighteningly believable. It makes one wonder how often such things happen in real life. A quote on the book jacket states, "Politics has always been a dirty game. Now justice is, too."
As I said, I didn't like the ending, but I can't say more without spoiling it for you. If you read it, I'd love to know your thoughts.
-musings of Ron Fisk, from the novel
John Grisham seems to be the king of legal thrillers and The Appeal was definitely a page-turner. I didn't find the ending to be very satisfying so I am rating the book a 4.
The plot reminded me of Erin Brockovich with toxic wastes of a chemical company wreaking havoc on a small town in Mississippi. At the beginning of the novel, a jury delivers a large judgment for the plaintiff who has lost her husband and son to cancer caused by the tainted water in Bowmore. I found myself identifying with her attorneys, the very likeable Mary Grace and Wes Payton.
Now an appeal will be forthcoming and Carl Trudeau, owner of Krane Chemical, sets out to use his wealth and power to "buy a seat" on the Mississippi Supreme Court. The process was shocking but frighteningly believable. It makes one wonder how often such things happen in real life. A quote on the book jacket states, "Politics has always been a dirty game. Now justice is, too."
As I said, I didn't like the ending, but I can't say more without spoiling it for you. If you read it, I'd love to know your thoughts.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Miss Julia Lays Down the Law by Ann B. Ross
"So my day and evening schedules were now filled, leaving little time to grapple with worrisome matters like suspicious detectives, slippery preachers, and daring sheriff's deputies hanging out on windswept billboards."
-Miss Julia, from the novel
I love, love, love Miss Julia in this series of 16 novels! This adorable Southern lady is likely 60-something and a staunch Presbyterian---all of which I identify with. To top it off, her antics are often laugh-out-loud funny! I enjoy all the minor characters, as well; after reading all 16 books they seem like friends.
Miss Julia Lays Down the Law wouldn't be one of my favorites as it has a bit more serious tone than most so I will rate it 4+. Instead of Julia's usual efforts to help her family or friends in which she gets into some kind of mischief, she is trying to prove herself innocent of a mysterious wrong-doing. Lamar Owens, a new character and seemingly a good-for-not-much street person, shows up in this story, partners with Julia in trying to clear her name and provides much comic relief.
My beginning quote from the novel should whet your appetite for reading the book, but if you have read other Miss Julia adventures, you'll need no incentive!
-Miss Julia, from the novel
I love, love, love Miss Julia in this series of 16 novels! This adorable Southern lady is likely 60-something and a staunch Presbyterian---all of which I identify with. To top it off, her antics are often laugh-out-loud funny! I enjoy all the minor characters, as well; after reading all 16 books they seem like friends.
Miss Julia Lays Down the Law wouldn't be one of my favorites as it has a bit more serious tone than most so I will rate it 4+. Instead of Julia's usual efforts to help her family or friends in which she gets into some kind of mischief, she is trying to prove herself innocent of a mysterious wrong-doing. Lamar Owens, a new character and seemingly a good-for-not-much street person, shows up in this story, partners with Julia in trying to clear her name and provides much comic relief.
My beginning quote from the novel should whet your appetite for reading the book, but if you have read other Miss Julia adventures, you'll need no incentive!
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Another Man's Treasure by Charles R. Hall
"That is the new name of your company...It's like my Uncle Lou used to say about stuff at tag sales: "One man's junk...is another man's treasure.'"
-Orel Hughes, from the novel
Another Man's Treasure was suggested by one of our Page Turners whose neighbor is the author's mother. She was even able to order autographed copies of the book for those of us who wanted them. The setting was very familiar to us Central Floridians---a beach community on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Names of establishments like the Gulf Oasis Motel and the Sunset Tavern seemed believable.
Throughout the first several chapters I had a difficult time getting into the book and wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was challenging to identify with the preteen main characters or that some of the dialect didn't ring true to me or that I was confused by the shifting of the story from one subplot to another so abruptly. Somewhere past the halfway point when the plot really got rolling, I became involved and found myself wanting to finish as opposed to needing to, in order to lead the discussion. Even so, I'll rate the book a 3.
Orel Hughes was a mysterious character at first but became my favorite as he seemed to be a transformative influence on most of those around him. Twelve-year-old Lucy was an enigma to me---mature at one point and playing Barbies at another, seeming a tomboy for much of the story but turning into quite a romantic at times. She won me over at the end as she tried to live out Orel's advice: "As long as you go out there and ripple the pond, everything will be fine, sweetie."
I don't want to spoil the plot but let me say it is multi-faceted and keeps you turning the pages near the end. The themes of greed and redemption make it a worthwhile read. I look forward to hearing what the group will have to say on Thursday. I'll revisit this entry with the results.
--------------------------------------
As often happens in our meetings, some of us thought our discussion was better than the book! Our average rating was 3.4. We used 8 thought-provoking questions composed by the member who suggested the book. When we got to strengths and weaknesses, folks had a lot to say. We decided on the plus side the characters were pretty well-defined and the plot was believable. Also the locale was familiar to us. Many of us agreed that the tempo seemed off with the beginning being quite slow and the ending moving perhaps too rapidly. I wasn't the only one who took a while getting into the story and others agreed that at first the child characters were not as interesting. One person suggested the theme was Orel's idea of the "ripple effect." I guess you will have to read it to see if you agree.
I'd love to see your comments!
-Orel Hughes, from the novel
Another Man's Treasure was suggested by one of our Page Turners whose neighbor is the author's mother. She was even able to order autographed copies of the book for those of us who wanted them. The setting was very familiar to us Central Floridians---a beach community on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Names of establishments like the Gulf Oasis Motel and the Sunset Tavern seemed believable.
Throughout the first several chapters I had a difficult time getting into the book and wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was challenging to identify with the preteen main characters or that some of the dialect didn't ring true to me or that I was confused by the shifting of the story from one subplot to another so abruptly. Somewhere past the halfway point when the plot really got rolling, I became involved and found myself wanting to finish as opposed to needing to, in order to lead the discussion. Even so, I'll rate the book a 3.
Orel Hughes was a mysterious character at first but became my favorite as he seemed to be a transformative influence on most of those around him. Twelve-year-old Lucy was an enigma to me---mature at one point and playing Barbies at another, seeming a tomboy for much of the story but turning into quite a romantic at times. She won me over at the end as she tried to live out Orel's advice: "As long as you go out there and ripple the pond, everything will be fine, sweetie."
I don't want to spoil the plot but let me say it is multi-faceted and keeps you turning the pages near the end. The themes of greed and redemption make it a worthwhile read. I look forward to hearing what the group will have to say on Thursday. I'll revisit this entry with the results.
--------------------------------------
As often happens in our meetings, some of us thought our discussion was better than the book! Our average rating was 3.4. We used 8 thought-provoking questions composed by the member who suggested the book. When we got to strengths and weaknesses, folks had a lot to say. We decided on the plus side the characters were pretty well-defined and the plot was believable. Also the locale was familiar to us. Many of us agreed that the tempo seemed off with the beginning being quite slow and the ending moving perhaps too rapidly. I wasn't the only one who took a while getting into the story and others agreed that at first the child characters were not as interesting. One person suggested the theme was Orel's idea of the "ripple effect." I guess you will have to read it to see if you agree.
I'd love to see your comments!
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews
"...James thought of an old joke. It was about how Savannahians are just like the Chinese---they both worship their ancestors and eat a lot of rice."
-from the novel
This book was the first in a queue of books set in Savannah I planned to read in connection with our trip there. I started it while we were in the city the last of March but just finished because there wasn't much time to read while on our tour. I had read Savannah Blues previously, probably before our last visit there some 9 years ago. Some aspects I remembered, but not all. It was an enjoyable read though less so than the Savannah from Savannah series by Denise Hildreth that I read recently. The latter series was gentler (less strong language, for one thing) and funnier, in my opinion. I'm giving Savannah Blues a 3.5.
Eloise "Weezie" Foley is an antique picker on the rebound from a failed marriage. Early on she gets in big trouble while attending an estate sale. The plot involves a murder mystery, the attempt to save an antebellum rice plantation home, a crooked antique dealer selling knock-off antiques and a budding love affair---the perfect ingredients for what my husband would call "chick lit" but then I am a chick!
Some of the humor came from quaint Southern sayings, a few I had never heard before, like "gripes my grits" and "give a pee-diddly." "I swanneee" was an exclamation I fondly remembered my mother and aunt using. I had never heard the phrase "making mattress music" but I bet you can figure that out!
I noticed the change of perspective from time to time, most of the story in first person from Weezie's point of view. Occasionally, the author would switch to third person. I haven't seen that element in a while.
It was fun reading fiction centered around places and things we had seen and learned about on our Road Scholar Savannah program, which was sponsored by Armstrong State College, Weezie's alma mater. On both our Charleston and Savannah tours we heard a lot about the culture of rice production and preservation of historic sites and buildings so I could easily relate to those references in this novel.
It was not surprising that the author was a former antique picker; she shows her knowledge of that world through Weezie's exploits. Apparently she also was a journalist who reported on the trial of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a novel you cannot help hearing about frequently while visiting Savannah.
I recommend this novel to any "chicks" who want some light reading and especially those planning a trip to Savannah!
Would love to read your comments!
-from the novel
This book was the first in a queue of books set in Savannah I planned to read in connection with our trip there. I started it while we were in the city the last of March but just finished because there wasn't much time to read while on our tour. I had read Savannah Blues previously, probably before our last visit there some 9 years ago. Some aspects I remembered, but not all. It was an enjoyable read though less so than the Savannah from Savannah series by Denise Hildreth that I read recently. The latter series was gentler (less strong language, for one thing) and funnier, in my opinion. I'm giving Savannah Blues a 3.5.
Eloise "Weezie" Foley is an antique picker on the rebound from a failed marriage. Early on she gets in big trouble while attending an estate sale. The plot involves a murder mystery, the attempt to save an antebellum rice plantation home, a crooked antique dealer selling knock-off antiques and a budding love affair---the perfect ingredients for what my husband would call "chick lit" but then I am a chick!
Some of the humor came from quaint Southern sayings, a few I had never heard before, like "gripes my grits" and "give a pee-diddly." "I swanneee" was an exclamation I fondly remembered my mother and aunt using. I had never heard the phrase "making mattress music" but I bet you can figure that out!
I noticed the change of perspective from time to time, most of the story in first person from Weezie's point of view. Occasionally, the author would switch to third person. I haven't seen that element in a while.
It was fun reading fiction centered around places and things we had seen and learned about on our Road Scholar Savannah program, which was sponsored by Armstrong State College, Weezie's alma mater. On both our Charleston and Savannah tours we heard a lot about the culture of rice production and preservation of historic sites and buildings so I could easily relate to those references in this novel.
It was not surprising that the author was a former antique picker; she shows her knowledge of that world through Weezie's exploits. Apparently she also was a journalist who reported on the trial of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a novel you cannot help hearing about frequently while visiting Savannah.
I recommend this novel to any "chicks" who want some light reading and especially those planning a trip to Savannah!
Would love to read your comments!
Monday, April 6, 2015
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
"South of Broad is a conspiracy of platelets, son: blood and breeding are all that matter there. No, that's not true: there's got to be a truck full of money somewhere near the blood bank."
-Jasper King from the novel
South of Broad was chosen specifically to enhance a spring trip to Charleston, SC, the setting of the novel. I checked out not only a print copy but also the audio version on CDs. My husband and I began the story together, listening in the car en route to Charleston, and enjoying it immensely. I don't believe I've read Pat Conroy before but I will add him to a list of preferred authors.
In the prologue we find that main character, Leo King, has been emotionally damaged by a family tragedy when he is very young. With therapy he is much stronger as a senior in high school on "Bloomsday," 1969, Part One. (You must read it yourself to find the significance of Bloomsday!) On that fateful day, he becomes involved with helping several students new to his school to transition. These are to become his closest friends.
The plot moves ahead 20 years to a reunion of sorts, where they demonstrate what friends are for. Then in a flashback to high school, the reader begins to discover how Leo, affectionately nicknamed "Toad," was the glue holding the nine of them together. The group of friends and some other characters are quite unique---some quirky but lovable, a few hard to like and a couple who are mysterious and downright evil. Along with the characters, we loved the author's use of both pathos and humor.
While on our arranged tour in Charleston, it was amusing to find actual places which figured into the novel. We visited the gorgeous chapel at the Citadel, where some of the friends were married, Middleton Place Plantation where a wedding reception was held and a mansion on East Battery, where we could imagine the home of the Rutledges. We passed by the Yacht Club, the scene of a luncheon on Bloomsday, and visited the beautiful St. Michael's church, the scene of another wedding. It was even fun discovering the familiar street names in the Historic District, where Leo delivered newspapers in his youth. We heard the blueblood South Carolina family names referred to many times while seeing them on the pages and learned the meaning of the title, hinted at by Leo's father in the quote above. I even had my first she-crab soup---absolutely delicious!---which was a specialty Leo made for his friends in the novel.
When we mentioned the book to one of our group leaders, she really had nothing positive to say. She cited historical and geographical discrepancies and, surprisingly, even gave away some of the plot. We found this annoying and it certainly lessened our fondness for her. But she IS a historian; I suppose she never learned to "suspend her disbelief" to enjoy fiction. Her loss!
You can probably tell I REALLY liked South of Broad. I give it a 5 and will read another Conroy soon.
-Jasper King from the novel
South of Broad was chosen specifically to enhance a spring trip to Charleston, SC, the setting of the novel. I checked out not only a print copy but also the audio version on CDs. My husband and I began the story together, listening in the car en route to Charleston, and enjoying it immensely. I don't believe I've read Pat Conroy before but I will add him to a list of preferred authors.
In the prologue we find that main character, Leo King, has been emotionally damaged by a family tragedy when he is very young. With therapy he is much stronger as a senior in high school on "Bloomsday," 1969, Part One. (You must read it yourself to find the significance of Bloomsday!) On that fateful day, he becomes involved with helping several students new to his school to transition. These are to become his closest friends.
The plot moves ahead 20 years to a reunion of sorts, where they demonstrate what friends are for. Then in a flashback to high school, the reader begins to discover how Leo, affectionately nicknamed "Toad," was the glue holding the nine of them together. The group of friends and some other characters are quite unique---some quirky but lovable, a few hard to like and a couple who are mysterious and downright evil. Along with the characters, we loved the author's use of both pathos and humor.
While on our arranged tour in Charleston, it was amusing to find actual places which figured into the novel. We visited the gorgeous chapel at the Citadel, where some of the friends were married, Middleton Place Plantation where a wedding reception was held and a mansion on East Battery, where we could imagine the home of the Rutledges. We passed by the Yacht Club, the scene of a luncheon on Bloomsday, and visited the beautiful St. Michael's church, the scene of another wedding. It was even fun discovering the familiar street names in the Historic District, where Leo delivered newspapers in his youth. We heard the blueblood South Carolina family names referred to many times while seeing them on the pages and learned the meaning of the title, hinted at by Leo's father in the quote above. I even had my first she-crab soup---absolutely delicious!---which was a specialty Leo made for his friends in the novel.
When we mentioned the book to one of our group leaders, she really had nothing positive to say. She cited historical and geographical discrepancies and, surprisingly, even gave away some of the plot. We found this annoying and it certainly lessened our fondness for her. But she IS a historian; I suppose she never learned to "suspend her disbelief" to enjoy fiction. Her loss!
You can probably tell I REALLY liked South of Broad. I give it a 5 and will read another Conroy soon.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Savannah or a Gift for Mr. Lincoln by John Jakes
"I beg to present you as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with one hundred fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton."
-General William Tecumseh Sherman to President Lincoln, 1864
A big fan of historical fiction, I have read many novels by John Jakes. Years ago I enjoyed his Bicentennial series which began with The Bastard and his North-South trilogy of the Civil War era. Recently I read Charleston in anticipation of a trip to that city. We will be visiting Savannah, GA soon, as well, thus the selection of this novel.
Savannah or a Gift for Mr. Lincoln was one of the more entertaining historical fictions I have read lately with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. I liked the novel enough to rate it a 5. The main protagonist, young Hattie Lester is brave, sassy and very likeable. One plot centers around efforts by Judge Cincinnatus Drewgood, a devious rascal, to get his hands on Silverglass, the rice plantation of Hattie's widowed mother. Other side plots involve "Uncle Billy" Sherman's stay in Savannah, the kidnapping of a free black under the pretense of "recruiting," the revenge of a prison escapee who was falsely accused, the low-life acts of a band of foragers and, on the lighter side, some hints of romance. It all centers around late fall to Christmas of 1864 and the holiday figures into the story in a compelling way. There was even a good bit of humor, especially in the use of figurative language, for example "Grandpa smelled like the inside of a steamer trunk used for storing dead squirrels." The author's use of now-obsolete words such as sockdologer and slanticular amused me; he explained in the Afterword.
I would love to read any comments you may have.
-General William Tecumseh Sherman to President Lincoln, 1864
A big fan of historical fiction, I have read many novels by John Jakes. Years ago I enjoyed his Bicentennial series which began with The Bastard and his North-South trilogy of the Civil War era. Recently I read Charleston in anticipation of a trip to that city. We will be visiting Savannah, GA soon, as well, thus the selection of this novel.
Savannah or a Gift for Mr. Lincoln was one of the more entertaining historical fictions I have read lately with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. I liked the novel enough to rate it a 5. The main protagonist, young Hattie Lester is brave, sassy and very likeable. One plot centers around efforts by Judge Cincinnatus Drewgood, a devious rascal, to get his hands on Silverglass, the rice plantation of Hattie's widowed mother. Other side plots involve "Uncle Billy" Sherman's stay in Savannah, the kidnapping of a free black under the pretense of "recruiting," the revenge of a prison escapee who was falsely accused, the low-life acts of a band of foragers and, on the lighter side, some hints of romance. It all centers around late fall to Christmas of 1864 and the holiday figures into the story in a compelling way. There was even a good bit of humor, especially in the use of figurative language, for example "Grandpa smelled like the inside of a steamer trunk used for storing dead squirrels." The author's use of now-obsolete words such as sockdologer and slanticular amused me; he explained in the Afterword.
I would love to read any comments you may have.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Oolong Dead by Laura Childs
"And there were loads of tourists, too. Folks who'd been drawn to the romance and genteel beauty of Charleston and journeyed from all points of the globe. They explored the 250-year-old historic district, trod narrow cobblestone walkways, marveled at the Italianate, Georgian, and Victorian mansions that lined the Battery, gasped at the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean rushing in to meet the Ashley and Cooper rivers, and succumbed to the charms of Charleston's bountiful gardens that seemed to flourish anywhere and everywhere. And for some intriguing reason, a lot of these tourists ended up at the Indigo Tea Shop."
-from the novel
One of the later additions to the prolific Tea Shop Mystery series by this author, Oolong Dead is only the second I have read. It was an easy read and quite entertaining; I'll rate it a 3.5. Both were chosen because of an upcoming trip to Charleston, S.C., the setting of the novels in this series. The author admits the Indigo Tea Shop is fictionalized so it will be interesting to see how many other places mentioned in the novel really exist. I do know that our Road Scholar program in Charleston includes Gullah culture, sweet grass basket weaving, visits to several ante-bellum mansions and a tea plantation, all of which figure into the story.
The main character, Theodosia Browning, once again discovers a dead body early in the novel, this time while riding in a horse race. (In The English Breakfast Murder, Childs has Theo finding a body while participating in a turtle watch on the beach which makes me wonder if this is the pattern of all the mysteries in the series. A little hard to believe one person would come across multiple dead bodies in their lifetime!)
The corpse turns out to be Abby Davis, a journalist and sister of an ex-boyfriend, as well as Theo's adversary. Always the amateur sleuth, Theo sets out to catch the perpetrator. Suspects are numerous since the victim was tough and abrasive. There are clues that involve an extra-marital affair, workplace revenge, a jewelry theft and a secret society with a little black magic thrown in. One pretty exciting part was when Theo and her prima donna friend, Delaine, explore a dilapidated mansion and become trapped in scary circumstances.
During the course of her investigation, Theo falls in love with a "dream house" that is for sale. I may have to read another tea mystery to find out if she buys it.
-from the novel
One of the later additions to the prolific Tea Shop Mystery series by this author, Oolong Dead is only the second I have read. It was an easy read and quite entertaining; I'll rate it a 3.5. Both were chosen because of an upcoming trip to Charleston, S.C., the setting of the novels in this series. The author admits the Indigo Tea Shop is fictionalized so it will be interesting to see how many other places mentioned in the novel really exist. I do know that our Road Scholar program in Charleston includes Gullah culture, sweet grass basket weaving, visits to several ante-bellum mansions and a tea plantation, all of which figure into the story.
The main character, Theodosia Browning, once again discovers a dead body early in the novel, this time while riding in a horse race. (In The English Breakfast Murder, Childs has Theo finding a body while participating in a turtle watch on the beach which makes me wonder if this is the pattern of all the mysteries in the series. A little hard to believe one person would come across multiple dead bodies in their lifetime!)
The corpse turns out to be Abby Davis, a journalist and sister of an ex-boyfriend, as well as Theo's adversary. Always the amateur sleuth, Theo sets out to catch the perpetrator. Suspects are numerous since the victim was tough and abrasive. There are clues that involve an extra-marital affair, workplace revenge, a jewelry theft and a secret society with a little black magic thrown in. One pretty exciting part was when Theo and her prima donna friend, Delaine, explore a dilapidated mansion and become trapped in scary circumstances.
During the course of her investigation, Theo falls in love with a "dream house" that is for sale. I may have to read another tea mystery to find out if she buys it.
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