"People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told that they see."
-the man in the grey suit, page 28 of the novel
I enjoyed The Night Circus. I hadn't read a true fantasy in quite a while and it was refreshing to "suspend my disbelief" and enter an illusory world. Not all the Page Turners book club agreed with me. In our discussion there were varied words to describe the novel: creative, confusing, enchanting, dream-like and even tedious. Someone said it reminded him of a fairy tale. The group voted a rating of 3.8 out of 5, with individual ratings from 5 to 2. I personally voted a 4. Most of us agreed that the book was well-written; the story just wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Many of us do not read much fantasy and perhaps our imaginations get rusty! Some in our group just found the changes in narrative perspective and the non-linear sequence difficult to follow.
I found myself comparing the book to the Harry Potter series, which I loved. I am in awe of writers who can invent a whole different world and then make us feel we have entered it for a time. I thought the characters were well-developed and interesting. I identified with Celia most, understandably. Perhaps a male reader would favor Marco. These are the two main characters pitted in a competition that even they don't understand until late in the story.
If you enjoy fantasy and can follow the action, you will like The Night Circus.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Murder at the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman
"An author whose inside knowledge of Washington is matched by her ability to spin a compelling mystery plot."
-a review from Crime Times
We had a tour of Washington D.C. planned when I noticed this book on a shelf in the library. I wasn't looking for it but it just sort of found me. I started reading, hoping we would get to the Library of Congress although it was not on our itinerary. And what do you know? On the last day, something was cancelled and we ended up at the Library after all! Such a stunningly beautiful building! It was interesting to see the main reading room, really the only part mentioned in the book that was visible on a short tour.
I had read one other mystery by Margaret Truman and enjoyed it. This one was quite entertaining, as well, with a many-faceted plot including more than one murder and the theft of a painting. I liked the main character, Annabel Reed-Smith, an artist/writer researching an article on the diaries of Bartholome de Las Casas. He was a 16th century explorer who sailed with Columbus and may have kept his own diaries which, if found, would be extremely valuable historically. This history mystery was intriguing to a history buff like myself. With the elements of history, the sleuthing of a shocking murder AND mention of places I was visiting at the time, what was NOT to like about this one? I would give it a 4.
-a review from Crime Times
We had a tour of Washington D.C. planned when I noticed this book on a shelf in the library. I wasn't looking for it but it just sort of found me. I started reading, hoping we would get to the Library of Congress although it was not on our itinerary. And what do you know? On the last day, something was cancelled and we ended up at the Library after all! Such a stunningly beautiful building! It was interesting to see the main reading room, really the only part mentioned in the book that was visible on a short tour.
I had read one other mystery by Margaret Truman and enjoyed it. This one was quite entertaining, as well, with a many-faceted plot including more than one murder and the theft of a painting. I liked the main character, Annabel Reed-Smith, an artist/writer researching an article on the diaries of Bartholome de Las Casas. He was a 16th century explorer who sailed with Columbus and may have kept his own diaries which, if found, would be extremely valuable historically. This history mystery was intriguing to a history buff like myself. With the elements of history, the sleuthing of a shocking murder AND mention of places I was visiting at the time, what was NOT to like about this one? I would give it a 4.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
All Around the Town by Mary Higgins Clark
"East side, west side,
All around the town,
The tots sang 'Ring-a-Rosie,'
'London Bridge is Falling Down.'
Boys and girls together,
Me and Mamie O'Rourke,
Tripped the light fantastic,
On the sidewalks of New York."
-lyrics from "The Sidewalks of New York"
This Mary Higgins Clark was as good as any other of hers I have read. She is appropriately called "The Queen of Suspense." Clark is one of my go-to authors when I just want to enjoy a thriller and not think too hard. Our Page Turners group tends to read literature with more challenging plots and more profound themes so an easy read like this is refreshing at times, just mindless fun. Most of Clark's novels are centered around a song, often oldies, and this one is no exception. If I ever hear "The Sidewalks of New York" again it will probably give me goose bumps! And I never want to see a decapitated chicken!
Two sisters are the main characters, one a lawyer and one a troubled young lady with multiple personality disorder. The second sister, Laura, finds herself accused of a murder and the older sister, Sarah, takes on the task of defending her. Short chapters and a gripping plot made this book a true "page turner"---I could hardly put it down! I would give it a 5.
The problem for me with books like this is they are not very memorable and there is really no redeeming social value that I can see. A couple of weeks from now I will have forgotten much of it. It was a great ride while it lasted!
All around the town,
The tots sang 'Ring-a-Rosie,'
'London Bridge is Falling Down.'
Boys and girls together,
Me and Mamie O'Rourke,
Tripped the light fantastic,
On the sidewalks of New York."
-lyrics from "The Sidewalks of New York"
This Mary Higgins Clark was as good as any other of hers I have read. She is appropriately called "The Queen of Suspense." Clark is one of my go-to authors when I just want to enjoy a thriller and not think too hard. Our Page Turners group tends to read literature with more challenging plots and more profound themes so an easy read like this is refreshing at times, just mindless fun. Most of Clark's novels are centered around a song, often oldies, and this one is no exception. If I ever hear "The Sidewalks of New York" again it will probably give me goose bumps! And I never want to see a decapitated chicken!
Two sisters are the main characters, one a lawyer and one a troubled young lady with multiple personality disorder. The second sister, Laura, finds herself accused of a murder and the older sister, Sarah, takes on the task of defending her. Short chapters and a gripping plot made this book a true "page turner"---I could hardly put it down! I would give it a 5.
The problem for me with books like this is they are not very memorable and there is really no redeeming social value that I can see. A couple of weeks from now I will have forgotten much of it. It was a great ride while it lasted!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
The House I Loved by Tatiana De Rosnay
"I think of our happiness, I think of the happy, simple life that is woven through these walls, the fragile tapestry of our existences. I think of the long, tall windows glowing out to me into the night when I used to make my way home from the rue des Ciseaux, a warm, beckoning light. And there you used to stand, waiting for me. I think of our doomed neighborhood, the simple beauty of the little streets stemming from the church that no one will remember."
from Rose's letter, the novel, page 220
I chose this book for our Page Turners group to read and discuss this month because some of us had read Sarah's Key by this author and loved it. Also the novel was available as a Book Bundle, multiple copies from our public library. It did not disappoint me. I can't really say I liked it quite as much as the other but I did enjoy it.
The time and place were not terribly familiar to me---Paris in the mid-1800's. European history is not a strength, to say the least. The story takes place at a time when Napoleon III and his prefect, Baron Haussman, are carrying out a plan to modernize Paris. The whole plot is carried by letters written by the main character, Rose Bazelet, to her late husband, Armand, centered around the possible destruction of their family home. Occasionally letters TO Rose from Armand, her late son, her daughter, brother, mother-in-law, and friends appear, some providing flashbacks and revealing much about the characters.
I believe the clearest theme of the book is reaction to change. It is interesting to get into the heads of those who see the "progress" or "improvements" others are making as destructive and sad.
My favorite parts of the novel are when Rose is introduced to flowers by Alexandrine and to books by Zamaretti, particularly the description of Rose's first experience with a "page turner," Madame Bovary by Flaubert (see pp.147-50).
I look forward to hearing what my friends thought of The House I Loved. I will rate it a 4. In the Author's Note we are told just where to go and what to look for if we should go to Paris. Wouldn't it be lovely if our group could take a field trip there?
***
Our group met today and gave The House I Loved mixed reviews. The average rating was 3.0 but 4 people of 12 gave it a 2 and there was only one rating of 5. During the discussion, several members commented on what they thought was a lack of character development. None of us could relate to Rose's obsession with the house. Those of us who have also read Sarah's Key by this author agreed it was a much better read than The House... Luckily one member provided mini-quiches and petit fours as refreshments! Another member sent us background on the setting of the story from an encyclopedia and even shared with us the poem that Rose particularly liked.
The group thought my idea of a field trip to Paris sounded great. Now we just have to come into bundles of money to make that happen!
from Rose's letter, the novel, page 220
I chose this book for our Page Turners group to read and discuss this month because some of us had read Sarah's Key by this author and loved it. Also the novel was available as a Book Bundle, multiple copies from our public library. It did not disappoint me. I can't really say I liked it quite as much as the other but I did enjoy it.
The time and place were not terribly familiar to me---Paris in the mid-1800's. European history is not a strength, to say the least. The story takes place at a time when Napoleon III and his prefect, Baron Haussman, are carrying out a plan to modernize Paris. The whole plot is carried by letters written by the main character, Rose Bazelet, to her late husband, Armand, centered around the possible destruction of their family home. Occasionally letters TO Rose from Armand, her late son, her daughter, brother, mother-in-law, and friends appear, some providing flashbacks and revealing much about the characters.
I believe the clearest theme of the book is reaction to change. It is interesting to get into the heads of those who see the "progress" or "improvements" others are making as destructive and sad.
My favorite parts of the novel are when Rose is introduced to flowers by Alexandrine and to books by Zamaretti, particularly the description of Rose's first experience with a "page turner," Madame Bovary by Flaubert (see pp.147-50).
I look forward to hearing what my friends thought of The House I Loved. I will rate it a 4. In the Author's Note we are told just where to go and what to look for if we should go to Paris. Wouldn't it be lovely if our group could take a field trip there?
***
Our group met today and gave The House I Loved mixed reviews. The average rating was 3.0 but 4 people of 12 gave it a 2 and there was only one rating of 5. During the discussion, several members commented on what they thought was a lack of character development. None of us could relate to Rose's obsession with the house. Those of us who have also read Sarah's Key by this author agreed it was a much better read than The House... Luckily one member provided mini-quiches and petit fours as refreshments! Another member sent us background on the setting of the story from an encyclopedia and even shared with us the poem that Rose particularly liked.
The group thought my idea of a field trip to Paris sounded great. Now we just have to come into bundles of money to make that happen!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
"She was embarassed that her five-year-old was asking questions that had not occurred to her. But she refused to be first in the long line of people who would shrug him off. 'We'll have to look that up.'.....Googling a butterfly. It sounded comical, like tickling a catfish, but she knew it wouldn't sound that way to Preston. He would clamber up to the computer at Bear and Hester's and punch the keys, finding what he needed in there. Having children was not like people said. Forget training them in your footsteps; the minute they put down the teething ring and found the Internet, you were useless as a source of anything but shoes and a winter coat."
-from the novel, page 93
I chose to read Flight Behavior because I saw it on the Best Seller list a few months back and because I had read The Poisonwood Bible by this author several years ago and liked it. I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much; I will rate it a 3. The writing is excellent, though wordy at times. She can really turn a phrase, for example when the main character, Dellarobia, is describing her young daughter scattering Cheerios in the living room carpet as if she were planting seeds, she writes that the resulting grit on the soles of everyone's feet will be "like a beach vacation minus the beach, and the vacation." Humorous, I thought.
I had a hard time relating to the setting, a farm in Tennessee. Dellarobia's family raised sheep which I knew little or nothing about. Because of these things, it was somewhat difficult to identify with the characters. The science got a little deep for me at times also, understandable since the author studied biology and worked as a scientist. I was intrigued by the appearance of the monarch butterflies, seen by some in the story as a miracle. I especially loved the idea first put forth by Josefina, the little Mexican-American girl, that when babies die, their souls become butterflies. A lovely idea!
I absolutely could relate to the environmental theme of the story. Global warming is something that I believe is real and it greatly concerns me. Quite possibly this is what kept me reading to the end.
-from the novel, page 93
I chose to read Flight Behavior because I saw it on the Best Seller list a few months back and because I had read The Poisonwood Bible by this author several years ago and liked it. I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much; I will rate it a 3. The writing is excellent, though wordy at times. She can really turn a phrase, for example when the main character, Dellarobia, is describing her young daughter scattering Cheerios in the living room carpet as if she were planting seeds, she writes that the resulting grit on the soles of everyone's feet will be "like a beach vacation minus the beach, and the vacation." Humorous, I thought.
I had a hard time relating to the setting, a farm in Tennessee. Dellarobia's family raised sheep which I knew little or nothing about. Because of these things, it was somewhat difficult to identify with the characters. The science got a little deep for me at times also, understandable since the author studied biology and worked as a scientist. I was intrigued by the appearance of the monarch butterflies, seen by some in the story as a miracle. I especially loved the idea first put forth by Josefina, the little Mexican-American girl, that when babies die, their souls become butterflies. A lovely idea!
I absolutely could relate to the environmental theme of the story. Global warming is something that I believe is real and it greatly concerns me. Quite possibly this is what kept me reading to the end.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
"But experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire. That will, wherever it finally leads, does at least move you forward. And after a time you may recognize that the proper measure of success is not how much you've closed the distance to some far-off goal but the quality of what you've done today."
After seeing a TV interview of Sonia Sotomayor and having one member of our book club suggest we should read her recently published memoir, I selected it as our March book. I am so glad I read it! Justice Sotomayor is a new hero of mine!
I especially loved the first 200 pages or so of the book, the part where she describes her family, her early years and her education. I was so impressed that a young person with a difficult life and many strikes against her could rise to higher and higher levels of success, up to her selection as the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic heritage.
As quite a fan of crime and courtroom television dramas, I found her early career as an attorney interesting, as well, though not as compelling as the part I mentioned previously. Sotomayor was very perceptive and intuitive in her work and apparently she attributes much of her talent in this area to the way she grew up in a far-from-ideal home.
It was striking to me that with all her assertiveness and independence, she never aspired to be a "rabble rouser." At Yale, Sotomayor was a member of Accion Puertorriquena, an activist group who addressed minority problems on campus but also became involved with national issues. She says, "Not that I didn't care passionately about the group's causes; rather, I had my doubts that linking arms, chanting slogans, hanging effigies, and shouting at passersby were always the most effective tactics. I could see that troubling the waters was occasionally necessary to bring attention to the urgency of some problem....Quiet pragmatism, of course, lacks the romance of vocal militancy. But I felt myself more a mediator than a crusader. My strengths were reasoning, crafting compromises, finding the good and the good faith on both sides of an argument, and using that to build a bridge." Personally, I wish we had more people in positions of authority who had those strengths!
I appreciated Justice Sotomayor's writing style also. It was clear, personal, descriptive and at times, poetic, as in this description of her first visit to Puerto Rico as an adult: "In the rain forest at El Yunque, waterfalls trick the eye, holding movement suspended in lacy veils. Wet stone gleams, fog tumbles from peaks to valleys, mists filter the forest in pale layers receding into mystery. On the beach at Luquillo, when the sun appears under clouds massed offshore and catches the coconut palms at a low angle, the leafy crowns explode like fireworks of silver light." I thought she added just enough humor in her story, as well.
I liked putting my smallish Spanish vocabulary to work through the book and when I got stuck, there were usually context clues, or as a last resort, the glossary in the back of the book.
It was my good luck that I saw another interview of Justice Sotomayor on "Oprah's Next Chapter," which aired on March 24, after reading the book. She was very candid and down-to-earth. She seemed rather in awe of sitting with Oprah, and I believe the feeling was mutual!
Tomorrow the book club meets to discuss the book. Hopefully we will have enough to talk about since I could never find questions on the Internet as I usually do. I hope others liked My Beloved World as much as I did. I have rated it a 5. I will return to finish after the meeting.
*****
The Page Turners met this morning, a smaller-than-normal group due to Easter plans for the weekend, travel and so forth. Refreshments included flan and plantains, relating to the author's heritage. Everyone liked My Beloved World; no one rated it lower than 4. The average was 4.2. We had a wonderful discussion using some generic biography questions I found online after my extensive search had not located book-specific ones. We all agreed that Sonia Sotomayor is an amazing woman and someone we would like to know!
-Sonia Sotomayor, My Beloved World preface
After seeing a TV interview of Sonia Sotomayor and having one member of our book club suggest we should read her recently published memoir, I selected it as our March book. I am so glad I read it! Justice Sotomayor is a new hero of mine!
I especially loved the first 200 pages or so of the book, the part where she describes her family, her early years and her education. I was so impressed that a young person with a difficult life and many strikes against her could rise to higher and higher levels of success, up to her selection as the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic heritage.
As quite a fan of crime and courtroom television dramas, I found her early career as an attorney interesting, as well, though not as compelling as the part I mentioned previously. Sotomayor was very perceptive and intuitive in her work and apparently she attributes much of her talent in this area to the way she grew up in a far-from-ideal home.
It was striking to me that with all her assertiveness and independence, she never aspired to be a "rabble rouser." At Yale, Sotomayor was a member of Accion Puertorriquena, an activist group who addressed minority problems on campus but also became involved with national issues. She says, "Not that I didn't care passionately about the group's causes; rather, I had my doubts that linking arms, chanting slogans, hanging effigies, and shouting at passersby were always the most effective tactics. I could see that troubling the waters was occasionally necessary to bring attention to the urgency of some problem....Quiet pragmatism, of course, lacks the romance of vocal militancy. But I felt myself more a mediator than a crusader. My strengths were reasoning, crafting compromises, finding the good and the good faith on both sides of an argument, and using that to build a bridge." Personally, I wish we had more people in positions of authority who had those strengths!
I appreciated Justice Sotomayor's writing style also. It was clear, personal, descriptive and at times, poetic, as in this description of her first visit to Puerto Rico as an adult: "In the rain forest at El Yunque, waterfalls trick the eye, holding movement suspended in lacy veils. Wet stone gleams, fog tumbles from peaks to valleys, mists filter the forest in pale layers receding into mystery. On the beach at Luquillo, when the sun appears under clouds massed offshore and catches the coconut palms at a low angle, the leafy crowns explode like fireworks of silver light." I thought she added just enough humor in her story, as well.
I liked putting my smallish Spanish vocabulary to work through the book and when I got stuck, there were usually context clues, or as a last resort, the glossary in the back of the book.
It was my good luck that I saw another interview of Justice Sotomayor on "Oprah's Next Chapter," which aired on March 24, after reading the book. She was very candid and down-to-earth. She seemed rather in awe of sitting with Oprah, and I believe the feeling was mutual!
Tomorrow the book club meets to discuss the book. Hopefully we will have enough to talk about since I could never find questions on the Internet as I usually do. I hope others liked My Beloved World as much as I did. I have rated it a 5. I will return to finish after the meeting.
*****
The Page Turners met this morning, a smaller-than-normal group due to Easter plans for the weekend, travel and so forth. Refreshments included flan and plantains, relating to the author's heritage. Everyone liked My Beloved World; no one rated it lower than 4. The average was 4.2. We had a wonderful discussion using some generic biography questions I found online after my extensive search had not located book-specific ones. We all agreed that Sonia Sotomayor is an amazing woman and someone we would like to know!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
"Stoneybridge was a paradise for children during the summer, but summer in the west of Ireland was short, and most of the time it was wet and wild and lonely on the Atlantic coast. Still, there were caves to explore, cliffs to climb, birds' nests to discover, and wild sheep with great curly horns to investigate. And then there was Stone House."
-from the novel, page 3
It is ironic that I finished this novel by an Irish author and set in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day! I enjoyed it very much. I think I have only read one other of Binchy's books but I will look for more. Unfortunately, Maeve Binchy died soon after completing this novel.
The story is told by proceeding from one character to another, starting with Geraldine Ryan Starr, or Chicky as she is called. After some wandering and soul-searching, Chicky returns to her home in Stoneybridge and turns the much-loved Stone House into a bed and breakfast inn. One by one the reader is introduced to a great variety of characters, first some family members who end up working at the inn, and later the guests who would spend the grand-opening week at Stone House. Each character or pair of characters has their own story so there are a number of sub-plots going on.
It was fascinating to me how these 10 guests, if I counted correctly, all end up spending this "week in winter" together. As each individual or couple is brought into the story, the main plot moves forward a bit more. I found this technique effective and it made the novel a "page turner" for me. I would rate it a 4 and if asked to describe it in one word, I'd say "sweet."
-from the novel, page 3
It is ironic that I finished this novel by an Irish author and set in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day! I enjoyed it very much. I think I have only read one other of Binchy's books but I will look for more. Unfortunately, Maeve Binchy died soon after completing this novel.
The story is told by proceeding from one character to another, starting with Geraldine Ryan Starr, or Chicky as she is called. After some wandering and soul-searching, Chicky returns to her home in Stoneybridge and turns the much-loved Stone House into a bed and breakfast inn. One by one the reader is introduced to a great variety of characters, first some family members who end up working at the inn, and later the guests who would spend the grand-opening week at Stone House. Each character or pair of characters has their own story so there are a number of sub-plots going on.
It was fascinating to me how these 10 guests, if I counted correctly, all end up spending this "week in winter" together. As each individual or couple is brought into the story, the main plot moves forward a bit more. I found this technique effective and it made the novel a "page turner" for me. I would rate it a 4 and if asked to describe it in one word, I'd say "sweet."
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