"One of the wondrous things about Florida, Rudy Graveline thought as he chewed on a jumbo shrimp, was the climate of unabashed corruption: There was absolutely no trouble from which money could not extricate you." -from the novel
I have only read a few books by this author and a couple were young adult fiction. My husband and I listened to his Basket Case in the car on a trip a while back and really got a kick out of it. Now I am preparing to teach a class featuring 4 Florida authors including Hiaasen so I need to familiarize myself with his work. Skin Tight was entertaining, to say the least.
Protagonist Mick Stranahan, a former state investigator, is apparently on someone's hit list. A case comes to light that involves the disappearance of a young woman just after her appointment with a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Rudy Graveline. I surely don't want to spoil this action-packed plot for you but even if I didn't mind, I am not sure I would be able to explain it all. Suffice it to say, it involves a hit man with a grotesque skin condition, a totally incompetent plastic surgeon, two journalists---one who looks for a good story more for his own glory than informing the public and the other who provides the love interest. Oh, and I forgot to mention the "pet" barracuda!
I can tell you this: if you've ever thought of having plastic surgery you will likely change your mind after reading this book! In particular the description of a liposuction was pretty disgusting.
I don't think anyone could consider Skin Tight great literature but it surely was fun! If you like a good detective story with a bit of humor thrown in, you just might enjoy it. I will rate it a 4+.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Friday, February 24, 2017
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
"And time is a curious thing. Most of us only live for the time that lies right ahead of us. A few days, weeks, years. One of the most painful moments in a person's life probably comes with the insight that an age has been reached when there is more to look back on than ahead. And when time no longer lies ahead of one, other things have to be lived for. Memories, perhaps. Afternoons in the sun with someone's hand clutched in one's own. The fragrance of flowerbeds in fresh bloom. Sundays in a café. Grandchildren, perhaps. One finds a way of living for the sake of someone else's future. And it wasn't as if Ove died when Sonja left him. He just stopped living."
-Ove's musings from the novel
A couple of friends suggested this book for a Page Turners selection. I am SO glad! What a unique and delightful read it was! Swedish author Backman's style is very simplistic with use of many sentence fragments, as illustrated by my beginning quote. At times it is rather poetic and profound, also reflected in the quote. I actually had to choose between many quotable passages. Short chapters and frequent foreshadowing make the novel a real page-turner. The author's dry wit had me often smiling and even giggling. I will rate it a 5 since I enjoyed it very much. A Man Called Ove reminded me of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the reason will be obvious) and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (not so obvious unless you have read both books).
In the beginning, title character Ove is a curmudgeon, to be sure. He argues, complains, criticizes and generally doesn't find much in the world to like. He has a tendency not to even name people except by describing them, for example the Lanky One, Pregnant One, the Blond Weed and so on. Through flashbacks the reader soon learns more about Ove's past---traumas and tragedies that have made him angry, cynical, intolerant and sad. Before too long you will find yourself feeling sympathetic. The secondary characters, new neighbors and a cat in particular, are charming, tolerant, patient and forgiving to a fault!
The adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" surely comes to mind. I would say unconditional love would be one theme of this novel and it makes for a poignant, sweet story.
More after our meeting...
----------------
Most of our Page Turners loved A Man Called Ove---ten 5's out of 16 ratings! Only one person disliked the book but she REALLY disliked it, giving it a 2. It probably made for an even better discussion, however. The group average was 4.5.
One member shared the correct pronunciation of the protagonist's name---oo vay and also brought pictures of Saab automobiles, very prominent in the story. A retired social worker in our group took exception to the very negative portrayal of the social worker in the novel. When discussing Parveneh's personality, we agreed that she was just the right neighbor to bring the lost color back to Ove's life. When someone said he thought his life was ovah (over), we cracked up! You probably won't get the humor without reading the book.
-Ove's musings from the novel
A couple of friends suggested this book for a Page Turners selection. I am SO glad! What a unique and delightful read it was! Swedish author Backman's style is very simplistic with use of many sentence fragments, as illustrated by my beginning quote. At times it is rather poetic and profound, also reflected in the quote. I actually had to choose between many quotable passages. Short chapters and frequent foreshadowing make the novel a real page-turner. The author's dry wit had me often smiling and even giggling. I will rate it a 5 since I enjoyed it very much. A Man Called Ove reminded me of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the reason will be obvious) and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (not so obvious unless you have read both books).
In the beginning, title character Ove is a curmudgeon, to be sure. He argues, complains, criticizes and generally doesn't find much in the world to like. He has a tendency not to even name people except by describing them, for example the Lanky One, Pregnant One, the Blond Weed and so on. Through flashbacks the reader soon learns more about Ove's past---traumas and tragedies that have made him angry, cynical, intolerant and sad. Before too long you will find yourself feeling sympathetic. The secondary characters, new neighbors and a cat in particular, are charming, tolerant, patient and forgiving to a fault!
The adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" surely comes to mind. I would say unconditional love would be one theme of this novel and it makes for a poignant, sweet story.
More after our meeting...
----------------
Most of our Page Turners loved A Man Called Ove---ten 5's out of 16 ratings! Only one person disliked the book but she REALLY disliked it, giving it a 2. It probably made for an even better discussion, however. The group average was 4.5.
One member shared the correct pronunciation of the protagonist's name---oo vay and also brought pictures of Saab automobiles, very prominent in the story. A retired social worker in our group took exception to the very negative portrayal of the social worker in the novel. When discussing Parveneh's personality, we agreed that she was just the right neighbor to bring the lost color back to Ove's life. When someone said he thought his life was ovah (over), we cracked up! You probably won't get the humor without reading the book.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
"Soul. The word rebounded to me, and I wondered, as I often had, what it was exactly. People talked about it all the time, but did anybody actually know? Sometimes I pictured it like a pilot light burning inside a person---a drop of fire from the invisible inferno people called God. Or a squashy substance, like a piece of clay or dental mold, which collected the sum of a person's experiences---a million indentations of happiness, desperation, fear, all the small piercings of beauty we've ever known."
-Jessie's thoughts from the novel
This is the third book I have read by this author and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the others---The Invention of Wings and The Secret Life of Bees. I will rate it a 3.5. The writing style is the usual high quality but the plot didn't really draw me in. The mixture of Catholic ritual and mythical elements were a bit confusing to this protestant; "The Mermaid's Tale" a little far-fetched. It reminded me of an older novel, The Thorn Birds, also the love story of a conflicted priest.
Each of the Kidd's novels I have read were set in South Carolina, this one no exception. Artist Jessie Sullivan must make a trip to her childhood home on Egret Island, SC, when her mother mysteriously mutilates herself. While dealing with her mother's mental and physical issues she meets Brother Thomas of the nearby monastery of St. Senara. Though married, she finds herself strongly attracted to him and the feeling is mutual. He has his own emotional baggage, along with often living up to his namesake "doubting Thomas." His story is told in 3rd person while Jessie narrates her own.
As if the problems above don't offer enough conflict, Jessie is also dealing with the guilt of believing she may have been responsible for her beloved father's death when she was very young. She makes some surprising finds that add suspicion to the circumstances of his demise. Through all the turmoil she makes important discoveries about herself.
-Jessie's thoughts from the novel
This is the third book I have read by this author and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the others---The Invention of Wings and The Secret Life of Bees. I will rate it a 3.5. The writing style is the usual high quality but the plot didn't really draw me in. The mixture of Catholic ritual and mythical elements were a bit confusing to this protestant; "The Mermaid's Tale" a little far-fetched. It reminded me of an older novel, The Thorn Birds, also the love story of a conflicted priest.
Each of the Kidd's novels I have read were set in South Carolina, this one no exception. Artist Jessie Sullivan must make a trip to her childhood home on Egret Island, SC, when her mother mysteriously mutilates herself. While dealing with her mother's mental and physical issues she meets Brother Thomas of the nearby monastery of St. Senara. Though married, she finds herself strongly attracted to him and the feeling is mutual. He has his own emotional baggage, along with often living up to his namesake "doubting Thomas." His story is told in 3rd person while Jessie narrates her own.
As if the problems above don't offer enough conflict, Jessie is also dealing with the guilt of believing she may have been responsible for her beloved father's death when she was very young. She makes some surprising finds that add suspicion to the circumstances of his demise. Through all the turmoil she makes important discoveries about herself.
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