Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1 & 2
Coyote Moon, by John Vornholt
Night of the Living Rerun, by Arthur Byron Cover
Portal Through Time, by Alice Henderson
Halloween Rain, by Christopher Golden & Nancy Holder
Bad Bargain, by Dina Gallagher
AfterImage, by Pierce Askegren
2010 edition
Sometimes I want to read something that I can simply read and not unconsciously examine for writerly things like plot, characterization, etc. Something that will just take me out of my life for a while and free up my mind.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer books filled the bill for me in the last two weeks. I picked up two anthologies, each a fat 650 pages bearing three separate books, off the bargain table at Books-A-Million and settled in each evening for some monster slaying and 1300 pages of reading.
I loved the series, so the characters, being familiar and all, are like old friends.
Simon and Schuster, the publisher, should be ashamed of itself for allowing so many typographical errors in the first text, though. What, you couldn't afford a proofreader for that first run?
None of these stories were bad; however, they also aren't especially memorable. Halloween Rain was my favorite story. I think it was the most complex. It was about a scarecrow that comes to life.
Buffy precedes the current vampire Twilight stuff and so is a grannie of the genre. The TV series sort of fizzled out at the end, as so many do, but when it was on, it was on and well worth watching.
I've read a lot of the books over the years (but didn't keep track of them) and most of them are okay. They're like TV episodes that didn't make the air. Generally the writers catch the characters well enough that it flows with what you already know.
Showing posts with label Books: Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books: Fiction. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 02, 2012
Books: The Last Promise
The Last Promise
By Richard Paul Evans
Audiobook
Read by Jonathan Davis
8 hrs 55 min
Copyright 2002
Richard Paul Evans gives us yet another love story in this nice tale set in Italy.
Eliana (Ellen), an American from Utah, has married a count and now lives at his vineyard with their young son. The boy is asthmatic, and his father is seldom around. He travels a great deal and has several mistresses to keep up, to boot.
Ross Story is an American from Minnesota, a somewhat melacholy fellow who becomes a tenant at the vineyard.
As you might be able to predict, Eliana and Ross fall in love.
The story then revolves around whether or not their love will be unrequited.
This is a straight character story with a basic love affair plot, and I enjoyed listening to it. Evans' tales require very little of the reader; he has a nice style and the stories flow well. They are somewhat predicable but when I'm killing time in the car and driving, I really don't want to have to concentrate hard on what I'm listening to. So these are perfect for those half-hour trips back and forth to the city.
By Richard Paul Evans
Audiobook
Read by Jonathan Davis
8 hrs 55 min
Copyright 2002
Richard Paul Evans gives us yet another love story in this nice tale set in Italy.
Eliana (Ellen), an American from Utah, has married a count and now lives at his vineyard with their young son. The boy is asthmatic, and his father is seldom around. He travels a great deal and has several mistresses to keep up, to boot.
Ross Story is an American from Minnesota, a somewhat melacholy fellow who becomes a tenant at the vineyard.
As you might be able to predict, Eliana and Ross fall in love.
The story then revolves around whether or not their love will be unrequited.
This is a straight character story with a basic love affair plot, and I enjoyed listening to it. Evans' tales require very little of the reader; he has a nice style and the stories flow well. They are somewhat predicable but when I'm killing time in the car and driving, I really don't want to have to concentrate hard on what I'm listening to. So these are perfect for those half-hour trips back and forth to the city.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Books: The Land of Painted Caves
The Land of Painted Caves
By Jean M. Auel
Copyright 2011
Audiobook
Unabridged
Read by Sandra Burr
I have read all of the Earth's Children books, beginning with The Clan of the Cave Bear.
After the third book, they have grown progressively worse. This last one was the longest audiobook I have ever listened to in my life. And it isn't, really, the longest book I have ever listened too, at least not in terms of number of CDs and time.
It just felt that way.
To be honest, I have thought for some time that the last books, including this one, were not written, at least not entirely, by the original author. Auel was born in 1936, and while 76 years old is not too old to be writing a book, I think the books have been taken over by a book packager or something.
How else could one account for such a decline in talent?
Not only that, whoever edited this book should be fired immediately. Surely some editor could have reduced the length of this 800+ page tome to about 200 pages without losing a single bit of story line.
I was sorry I chose to listen to this book, instead of reading it. Had I read it, I could have skipped a lot of repetition. For this book repeats itself ad nauseum, endlessly, page after page.
There is little plot, and little character development.
But . . . there is detail. And depth. And the creation of a vast world. A world familiar yet not. That was why I kept listening, well, that and the hope that something would happen. Which it occasionally did, apparently enough, that, like Pavlov's dog after a bone, I kept on with the story.
This book received more than 600 bad reviews on amazon.com, and only a few 5 star reviews. Many people were disappointed, I fear.
I would not say I was disappointed so much as tired by the time I finally finished listening to disc 29.
If you are a fan of Ayla, the heroine of these stories, then you will want to skim this book (don't do the audio) for closure. But otherwise, unless you like repetitive, detailed books about humans who lived 30,000 years ago, look elsewhere.
By Jean M. Auel
Copyright 2011
Audiobook
Unabridged
Read by Sandra Burr
I have read all of the Earth's Children books, beginning with The Clan of the Cave Bear.
After the third book, they have grown progressively worse. This last one was the longest audiobook I have ever listened to in my life. And it isn't, really, the longest book I have ever listened too, at least not in terms of number of CDs and time.
It just felt that way.
To be honest, I have thought for some time that the last books, including this one, were not written, at least not entirely, by the original author. Auel was born in 1936, and while 76 years old is not too old to be writing a book, I think the books have been taken over by a book packager or something.
How else could one account for such a decline in talent?
Not only that, whoever edited this book should be fired immediately. Surely some editor could have reduced the length of this 800+ page tome to about 200 pages without losing a single bit of story line.
I was sorry I chose to listen to this book, instead of reading it. Had I read it, I could have skipped a lot of repetition. For this book repeats itself ad nauseum, endlessly, page after page.
There is little plot, and little character development.
But . . . there is detail. And depth. And the creation of a vast world. A world familiar yet not. That was why I kept listening, well, that and the hope that something would happen. Which it occasionally did, apparently enough, that, like Pavlov's dog after a bone, I kept on with the story.
This book received more than 600 bad reviews on amazon.com, and only a few 5 star reviews. Many people were disappointed, I fear.
I would not say I was disappointed so much as tired by the time I finally finished listening to disc 29.
If you are a fan of Ayla, the heroine of these stories, then you will want to skim this book (don't do the audio) for closure. But otherwise, unless you like repetitive, detailed books about humans who lived 30,000 years ago, look elsewhere.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Books: The Little Prince
The Little Prince
By Antoine De Saint-Expurery
Translated by Richard Howard
Copyright 1943
83 pages
This is not, I think, a children's book, though I suspect it is often considered to be one.
I believe it is an adult fable. It's about loneliness, heartache, and love. Perhaps it is also about finding yourself and how, really, in the end, only you can accomplish that task.
The book has lovely drawings in it, to illustrate the words.
The story begins with a narrator who has grown up and is not an artist. He wanted to be an artist, but he was surrounded by adults who had no imagination.
He would draw a picture of an elephant inside a boa constrictor's body, but the adults all said he was drawing a hat.
So he studied math and geography instead of art, so that he would be doing something useful (we can't be studying liberal arts, you know).
He grows up to be an airplane pilot. He crashes his plane in the desert, and the next day he is startled by the voice of a child. And The Little Prince comes into his life.
The Little Prince comes from another world. He is on a quest, of sorts, and has been to several different planets. Now he is on earth.
His own planet is so small that The Little Prince can see the sun rise or set over 200 times a day, if he only moves his chair. His planet has three volcanoes and one lovely and very selfish flower. The flower is the reason he leaves home.
The story is rich in allegory and pathos. It is truly quite lovely.
You can read this story in its entirety, and see the illustrations, at this link.
By Antoine De Saint-Expurery
Translated by Richard Howard
Copyright 1943
83 pages
This is not, I think, a children's book, though I suspect it is often considered to be one.
I believe it is an adult fable. It's about loneliness, heartache, and love. Perhaps it is also about finding yourself and how, really, in the end, only you can accomplish that task.
The book has lovely drawings in it, to illustrate the words.
The story begins with a narrator who has grown up and is not an artist. He wanted to be an artist, but he was surrounded by adults who had no imagination.
He would draw a picture of an elephant inside a boa constrictor's body, but the adults all said he was drawing a hat.
So he studied math and geography instead of art, so that he would be doing something useful (we can't be studying liberal arts, you know).
He grows up to be an airplane pilot. He crashes his plane in the desert, and the next day he is startled by the voice of a child. And The Little Prince comes into his life.
The Little Prince comes from another world. He is on a quest, of sorts, and has been to several different planets. Now he is on earth.
His own planet is so small that The Little Prince can see the sun rise or set over 200 times a day, if he only moves his chair. His planet has three volcanoes and one lovely and very selfish flower. The flower is the reason he leaves home.
The story is rich in allegory and pathos. It is truly quite lovely.
You can read this story in its entirety, and see the illustrations, at this link.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Books: Forty Thorns
Forty Thorns
By Judy Light Ayyildiz
Copyright 2011
335 pages
I am pleased to tell you about this novel by my friend, Judy Ayyildiz.
Forty Thorns is a fictionalized story of Adalet, a progressive woman who grew up in Turkey during a period of great change in that country's history. She lived through the fall fo the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Turkish Republic, enduring a war and the changing face of a country.
The story is based on the life of Ayyildiz's mother-in-law. The author researched Turkish history in great detail and links Adalet's journey through life to the historic changes in Turkey.
The heroine was born in Thrace in 1901. The novel gets its name from an incident early in Adalet's life. She is called upon to perform a heroic act to save her sister's wedding. She must remove 40 evil thorns from a wedding gown cape so that the nuptials can move forward. While she is disposing of this evil, she catches the eye of her future husband.
In many ways this story is a coming-of-age novel, for Adalet grows up as the reader moves through the tale. This heroine has great courage and must face many hardships as she embraces the new republic and its changing ideals for women. She defies her parents to marry, and must live with the consequences of having a mind of her own at a time when such activities were frowned upon.
This is very much a women's book, and a feminist's one, at that. Americans will find it filled with information about a part of world history that they no little of, and will find themselves rethinking every stereotype of Middle Eastern culture that they believe they know.
For ultimately, Adalet is a strong woman, encompassing the roles of women of all nationalities. She is wife, mother, daughter - she gives and loves, feels pain, and finds her inner strength when she thinks she will not have hope again.
It is no mistake that "Adalet" also means "justice," in the woman's native language. For she seeks justice throughout the book, not only for herself, but for her country.
The book has received much acclaim in Turkey. Ayylidiz in interviews has found the reception less ardent in the United States but is hopeful that will turn around. She took 19 years to write the book; her mother-in-law asked her to write her life's story as she neared death. After hearing the tale, Ayylidiz felt compelled to move forward with the request.
At the end of the book, Adalet tells her sister that she wants a book written about her life. Her sister laughs and says:
"We've had small and average lives."
"Nations come from wombs like mine," Adalet answered, feeling again like the teacher. "Our hands keep fires while wars rage. We clean the burnt homes, help re-stack the rocks, gather the suffering ruin to our breasts and hide what we can."
Indeed, the story of women is a powerful one, and Ayylidiz has made certain that this woman's life will not be lost to the winds of time. Her history will endure, and the author should be thanked for this.
***
I have known Judy for many years. I interviewed her for an article in the late 1980s, and we have spent time together in writing groups and in arts and letters organizations. I am very pleased to recommend her work and I thank her for giving me the opportunity to read this fine work.
By Judy Light Ayyildiz
Copyright 2011
335 pages
I am pleased to tell you about this novel by my friend, Judy Ayyildiz.
Forty Thorns is a fictionalized story of Adalet, a progressive woman who grew up in Turkey during a period of great change in that country's history. She lived through the fall fo the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Turkish Republic, enduring a war and the changing face of a country.
The story is based on the life of Ayyildiz's mother-in-law. The author researched Turkish history in great detail and links Adalet's journey through life to the historic changes in Turkey.
The heroine was born in Thrace in 1901. The novel gets its name from an incident early in Adalet's life. She is called upon to perform a heroic act to save her sister's wedding. She must remove 40 evil thorns from a wedding gown cape so that the nuptials can move forward. While she is disposing of this evil, she catches the eye of her future husband.
In many ways this story is a coming-of-age novel, for Adalet grows up as the reader moves through the tale. This heroine has great courage and must face many hardships as she embraces the new republic and its changing ideals for women. She defies her parents to marry, and must live with the consequences of having a mind of her own at a time when such activities were frowned upon.
This is very much a women's book, and a feminist's one, at that. Americans will find it filled with information about a part of world history that they no little of, and will find themselves rethinking every stereotype of Middle Eastern culture that they believe they know.
For ultimately, Adalet is a strong woman, encompassing the roles of women of all nationalities. She is wife, mother, daughter - she gives and loves, feels pain, and finds her inner strength when she thinks she will not have hope again.
It is no mistake that "Adalet" also means "justice," in the woman's native language. For she seeks justice throughout the book, not only for herself, but for her country.
The book has received much acclaim in Turkey. Ayylidiz in interviews has found the reception less ardent in the United States but is hopeful that will turn around. She took 19 years to write the book; her mother-in-law asked her to write her life's story as she neared death. After hearing the tale, Ayylidiz felt compelled to move forward with the request.
At the end of the book, Adalet tells her sister that she wants a book written about her life. Her sister laughs and says:
"We've had small and average lives."
"Nations come from wombs like mine," Adalet answered, feeling again like the teacher. "Our hands keep fires while wars rage. We clean the burnt homes, help re-stack the rocks, gather the suffering ruin to our breasts and hide what we can."
Indeed, the story of women is a powerful one, and Ayylidiz has made certain that this woman's life will not be lost to the winds of time. Her history will endure, and the author should be thanked for this.
***
I have known Judy for many years. I interviewed her for an article in the late 1980s, and we have spent time together in writing groups and in arts and letters organizations. I am very pleased to recommend her work and I thank her for giving me the opportunity to read this fine work.
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Books: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
By Mark Twain
Audio read by Carl Reiner
I don't know how I missed reading this Mark Twain classic when I was younger, but I did.
This is the story of a factory worker from Connecticut who, in the late 1800s, is conked on the head. The resulting blow sends him back in time to the 500s, when King Arthur was head of Britain.
Hilarity ensues as the Boss, as he comes to call himself, up-ends Britain and its society. He brings about factories, electricity, telephones, and other modern marvels, all of which he ultimately destroys.
The story is a great fantasy, and we're all familiar with the notion as there are many movies today that follow this line of thinking. I've seen a number of them where someone for some reason ends up backwards in time in the Age of Chivalry.
The story also had a great deal to say about society, class, and progress.
Smart guy, that Twain.
By Mark Twain
Audio read by Carl Reiner
I don't know how I missed reading this Mark Twain classic when I was younger, but I did.
This is the story of a factory worker from Connecticut who, in the late 1800s, is conked on the head. The resulting blow sends him back in time to the 500s, when King Arthur was head of Britain.
Hilarity ensues as the Boss, as he comes to call himself, up-ends Britain and its society. He brings about factories, electricity, telephones, and other modern marvels, all of which he ultimately destroys.
The story is a great fantasy, and we're all familiar with the notion as there are many movies today that follow this line of thinking. I've seen a number of them where someone for some reason ends up backwards in time in the Age of Chivalry.
The story also had a great deal to say about society, class, and progress.
Smart guy, that Twain.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Books: Grimm's Fairy Tales
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Read by Sheila Hancock
1983
This adaptation of Grimm's Fairy Tales includes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, Cinderella, Rupelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, Sleeping Beauty, and The Brave Little Tailor.
Grimm's tales have been softened up and watered down so much over the centuries that it is hard to know what you're listening to. I suspect these versions were of the watered down variety, but without comparing I do not know that for sure.
It was a joy to listen to these tales of my childhood, even if they seemed a little different than I recall. My favorites of the ones listed above are Tom Thumb and The Brave Little Tailor. I learned the the latter as "Seven at One Blow" some time ago and recall it fondly.
National Geographic offers a dozen Grimm Fairy Tales at this website.
Some of them have audio.
You can find other fairy tales all over the Internet. There are over 200 of these stories; we're only familiar with less than half of those.
These tales resonate still today. A good background in fairy tales is very helpful in reading, research, movie-watching, and writing.
Try something a little different!
Read by Sheila Hancock
1983
This adaptation of Grimm's Fairy Tales includes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, Cinderella, Rupelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, Sleeping Beauty, and The Brave Little Tailor.
Grimm's tales have been softened up and watered down so much over the centuries that it is hard to know what you're listening to. I suspect these versions were of the watered down variety, but without comparing I do not know that for sure.
It was a joy to listen to these tales of my childhood, even if they seemed a little different than I recall. My favorites of the ones listed above are Tom Thumb and The Brave Little Tailor. I learned the the latter as "Seven at One Blow" some time ago and recall it fondly.
National Geographic offers a dozen Grimm Fairy Tales at this website.
Some of them have audio.
You can find other fairy tales all over the Internet. There are over 200 of these stories; we're only familiar with less than half of those.
These tales resonate still today. A good background in fairy tales is very helpful in reading, research, movie-watching, and writing.
Try something a little different!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Books: War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
By H. G. Wells
Radio Play by Orsen Wells
1939
Audio
It has been a long time since I read this book. I ran across an audio of the 1938 radio drama by Orsen Wells in the library the other day, and I snatched it up.
The story tells how big machines from Mars attack the world and begin to take over the planet. They have a heat ray gun and some kind of dark gas that destroys people. However, just like the native tribes in North America 400 years ago, the Martians have no immunity to our various diseases. These plagues save the world from annihilation and/or enslavement.
The radio dramatization was put on by Mercury Broadcast Theatre and the Columbia Broadcasting System. The first 2/3 of the play take place in the form of news broadcasts, supposedly interrupting symphony play.
The last third is from the point of view of an astronomer, Richard Pierson, who visited the first landing site and somehow survived the initial blasts and gassings.
Reportedly, during and after the original broadcast (which took place on Halloween), some people believed it to be real and thought aliens really were invading the United States. There was a public outcry about this alleged hoax.
It is important to remember the time period. This was a few years before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; World War II had not yet broken out but tensions were high.
Listening to this radio drama reminded me of two things. The first was September 11, 2001. I do not know why this reminded me of the attacks on the Twin Towers, but it did.
The second was an incident that occurred in 1933 here in Botetourt County. Around Christmas that year, the county allegedly came under a series of "mad gasser" attacks.
Local newspapers wrote many stories about these attacks, and my great-aunt remembered one of them happening just down the road from her home. The gas emitted by the Martians reminded me of this odd bit of history.
I am sure I listened to this radio dramatization when I was in school, but it was interesting listening to it in the 21st century. It remains surprisingly current.
By H. G. Wells
Radio Play by Orsen Wells
1939
Audio
It has been a long time since I read this book. I ran across an audio of the 1938 radio drama by Orsen Wells in the library the other day, and I snatched it up.
The story tells how big machines from Mars attack the world and begin to take over the planet. They have a heat ray gun and some kind of dark gas that destroys people. However, just like the native tribes in North America 400 years ago, the Martians have no immunity to our various diseases. These plagues save the world from annihilation and/or enslavement.
The radio dramatization was put on by Mercury Broadcast Theatre and the Columbia Broadcasting System. The first 2/3 of the play take place in the form of news broadcasts, supposedly interrupting symphony play.
The last third is from the point of view of an astronomer, Richard Pierson, who visited the first landing site and somehow survived the initial blasts and gassings.
Reportedly, during and after the original broadcast (which took place on Halloween), some people believed it to be real and thought aliens really were invading the United States. There was a public outcry about this alleged hoax.
It is important to remember the time period. This was a few years before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; World War II had not yet broken out but tensions were high.
Listening to this radio drama reminded me of two things. The first was September 11, 2001. I do not know why this reminded me of the attacks on the Twin Towers, but it did.
The second was an incident that occurred in 1933 here in Botetourt County. Around Christmas that year, the county allegedly came under a series of "mad gasser" attacks.
Local newspapers wrote many stories about these attacks, and my great-aunt remembered one of them happening just down the road from her home. The gas emitted by the Martians reminded me of this odd bit of history.
I am sure I listened to this radio dramatization when I was in school, but it was interesting listening to it in the 21st century. It remains surprisingly current.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Books: The Elegance of the Hedgehog
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
By Muriel Barbery
Copyright 2006
325 pages
What can I say about this book of ideas that has not already been said?
It's a terrific book. On its surface, it's a story of an older woman, Renee, who is a concierge at a rich apartment-like dwelling in France, and a young girl who becomes her friend.
But oh, it is so much more than that. This is book about thinking, about living in your mind, about being in that space that only you can occupy.
It is also a book about society, about social class, about age and gender and the differences and lack thereof between human beings.
The thing had pages and pages of wonderful lines; I wish I had underlined them so I could put them here (but I hate to mark up my books).
Here are a few random lines:
"When we push open a door, we transform a place in a very insidious way. We offend its full extension, and introduce a disruptive and poorly proportioned obstacle. If you think about it carefully, there is nothing uglier than an open door." (152)
I think this was my favorite paragraph:
"... grammar is a way to attain beauty. When you speak, or read, or write, you can tell if you've said or read or written a fine sentence. You can recognize a well-turned phrase or an elegant style. But when you are applying the rules of grammar skillfully, you ascend to another level of the beauty of language. When you use grammar you peel back the layers, to see how it is all put together, see it quite naked, in a way. And that's where it becomes wonderful . . ." (158)
Sigh. How could I not love that?
Some reviews call this a "fable of love, friendship and the beauty of Art." Others call it "succinct, unusual, light yet erudite." They use words like "charming, intelligent, extraordinary."
One French review (in the front of the book) says that a Parisian psychotherapist prescribes the book to her patients, calling it a "real toolbox that one can look into to resolve one's problems."
The book has no real action. Renee goes about her life trying to hide her intelligence (concierges are supposed to be idiots, apparently) and the young girl wants to kill herself because she thinks her family hates her.
They both learn very big lessons before the book ends, proving that you are never the old dog who cannot learn, nor too young to understand at least some of the complexities of life.
This is a book I plan to read again. I do not say that about books often.
This was my book club read for March, and in discussion, I was the only person who took the ending as a negative. Others took it as a positive affirmation. I won't give anything away, but I do think there are two ways to look at it, and both are right.
By Muriel Barbery
Copyright 2006
325 pages
What can I say about this book of ideas that has not already been said?
It's a terrific book. On its surface, it's a story of an older woman, Renee, who is a concierge at a rich apartment-like dwelling in France, and a young girl who becomes her friend.
But oh, it is so much more than that. This is book about thinking, about living in your mind, about being in that space that only you can occupy.
It is also a book about society, about social class, about age and gender and the differences and lack thereof between human beings.
The thing had pages and pages of wonderful lines; I wish I had underlined them so I could put them here (but I hate to mark up my books).
Here are a few random lines:
"When we push open a door, we transform a place in a very insidious way. We offend its full extension, and introduce a disruptive and poorly proportioned obstacle. If you think about it carefully, there is nothing uglier than an open door." (152)
I think this was my favorite paragraph:
"... grammar is a way to attain beauty. When you speak, or read, or write, you can tell if you've said or read or written a fine sentence. You can recognize a well-turned phrase or an elegant style. But when you are applying the rules of grammar skillfully, you ascend to another level of the beauty of language. When you use grammar you peel back the layers, to see how it is all put together, see it quite naked, in a way. And that's where it becomes wonderful . . ." (158)
Sigh. How could I not love that?
Some reviews call this a "fable of love, friendship and the beauty of Art." Others call it "succinct, unusual, light yet erudite." They use words like "charming, intelligent, extraordinary."
One French review (in the front of the book) says that a Parisian psychotherapist prescribes the book to her patients, calling it a "real toolbox that one can look into to resolve one's problems."
The book has no real action. Renee goes about her life trying to hide her intelligence (concierges are supposed to be idiots, apparently) and the young girl wants to kill herself because she thinks her family hates her.
They both learn very big lessons before the book ends, proving that you are never the old dog who cannot learn, nor too young to understand at least some of the complexities of life.
This is a book I plan to read again. I do not say that about books often.
This was my book club read for March, and in discussion, I was the only person who took the ending as a negative. Others took it as a positive affirmation. I won't give anything away, but I do think there are two ways to look at it, and both are right.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Books: March
March
By Geraldine Brooks
Copyright 2005
Read by Richard Easton
Unabridged 10 hrs 21 min
Geraldine Brooks, an author who has written other works I have reviewed, including Year of Wonders and People of the Book, offers up an account of Mr. March, the patriarch of the fabled March family of Little Women fame.
In Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, the father has gone off to serve in the Civil War. Brooks, after doing extensive historic research, gives us her imagining of his story.
The Reverend March is an idealist and a philosopher who, though about the age of 50, feels it is his duty to enlist as a Union preacher in order to further the abolitionist cause.
He is a flawed character, quite human and ultimately not the ideal soldier. Nor is he the ideal religious figure. But he is a man, and Brooks takes great pains to show his humanity.
The story opens at a battle. March joins others in a retreat as the Confederates take ground. He finds himself on familiar soil, for as a young man he was a peddler who made his fortune selling trinkets to Virginia plantation owners. Now he is back at a spot he remembers.
As the story progresses, March goes to help with contraband, freed slaves who are now working for pay on southern plantations. The Union has an interest in harvesting the cotton and other goods from the land, while the Confederate goal is to burn the plants before the Union can make a harvest. It is in this framework that much of the story takes place.
March spends a lot of time trying to write cheery letters back home to his wife, Marmee, and his "little women," Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. He does not tell them of the horrors he experiences.
Finally, he takes ill. The narration to this point has been in his voice, in first person, but when he is no longer conscious, Marmee takes over the narrative duties, also in first person. She joins her husband at the hospital in Washington DC in order to nurse him back to health.
I was listening to an audio version and while I enjoyed it, I did wish that the narrator had changed to a female during the two hours or so that Marmee spoke. I think it would have helped with the audio version. I doubt it mattered in the text, though I did wonder if the author considered third person for this part.
I have read a number of Civil War books, both fiction and nonfiction. I found this to be historically accurate and an excellent imagining of the horrors of war.
4 stars
By Geraldine Brooks
Copyright 2005
Read by Richard Easton
Unabridged 10 hrs 21 min
Geraldine Brooks, an author who has written other works I have reviewed, including Year of Wonders and People of the Book, offers up an account of Mr. March, the patriarch of the fabled March family of Little Women fame.
In Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, the father has gone off to serve in the Civil War. Brooks, after doing extensive historic research, gives us her imagining of his story.
The Reverend March is an idealist and a philosopher who, though about the age of 50, feels it is his duty to enlist as a Union preacher in order to further the abolitionist cause.
He is a flawed character, quite human and ultimately not the ideal soldier. Nor is he the ideal religious figure. But he is a man, and Brooks takes great pains to show his humanity.
The story opens at a battle. March joins others in a retreat as the Confederates take ground. He finds himself on familiar soil, for as a young man he was a peddler who made his fortune selling trinkets to Virginia plantation owners. Now he is back at a spot he remembers.
As the story progresses, March goes to help with contraband, freed slaves who are now working for pay on southern plantations. The Union has an interest in harvesting the cotton and other goods from the land, while the Confederate goal is to burn the plants before the Union can make a harvest. It is in this framework that much of the story takes place.
March spends a lot of time trying to write cheery letters back home to his wife, Marmee, and his "little women," Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. He does not tell them of the horrors he experiences.
Finally, he takes ill. The narration to this point has been in his voice, in first person, but when he is no longer conscious, Marmee takes over the narrative duties, also in first person. She joins her husband at the hospital in Washington DC in order to nurse him back to health.
I was listening to an audio version and while I enjoyed it, I did wish that the narrator had changed to a female during the two hours or so that Marmee spoke. I think it would have helped with the audio version. I doubt it mattered in the text, though I did wonder if the author considered third person for this part.
I have read a number of Civil War books, both fiction and nonfiction. I found this to be historically accurate and an excellent imagining of the horrors of war.
4 stars
Monday, March 12, 2012
Books: Wish You Well
Wish You Well
By David Baldacci
Copyright 2000, 2007
420 pages
This is a wonderful book.
I have been reading David Baldacci for a while now, and have zipped through many of his tales. He is mostly known for mystery/suspense stories.
This is not of that genre. This is the story of two children, Lou and Oz, who are plopped down in Southwest Virginia in 1940 after a tragic accident. Their father is killed and their mother comatose. There is nothing to do but go live on the mountain farm with great-grandma Louise.
The story is told mostly through Lou's eyes. She is the oldest child, a precocious girl who takes after her father. She does not question the route she must take to find her new path in life.
The book takes on the coal industry, the lumbering industry, and the natural gas industry, too, as it deftly points out how companies move into rural communities, use up the resources, and leave the population barren and bereft. It is at times a chilling discussion of power.
I stayed up very late one night. While I used to do that a great deal, as I have aged I do it less and less. It is a rare book that has me still wide awake and eagerly turning the pages at 2 a.m.
And while part of that was an unusual sleepless night for me, the other part was I wanted to see where this story was going. I had an idea but wanted to read on.
It is my understanding that this book is going to be made into a movie, and Botetourt County where I live is actually in the running for the film location. A facebook site is being courted by county residents, who are submitting photos of the area. You can read a story about the county's efforts here.
Baldacci, by the way, is a Virginia writer. I love to support the local writers, even if they are in the northern part of the state.
5 stars
By David Baldacci
Copyright 2000, 2007
420 pages
This is a wonderful book.
I have been reading David Baldacci for a while now, and have zipped through many of his tales. He is mostly known for mystery/suspense stories.
This is not of that genre. This is the story of two children, Lou and Oz, who are plopped down in Southwest Virginia in 1940 after a tragic accident. Their father is killed and their mother comatose. There is nothing to do but go live on the mountain farm with great-grandma Louise.
The story is told mostly through Lou's eyes. She is the oldest child, a precocious girl who takes after her father. She does not question the route she must take to find her new path in life.
The book takes on the coal industry, the lumbering industry, and the natural gas industry, too, as it deftly points out how companies move into rural communities, use up the resources, and leave the population barren and bereft. It is at times a chilling discussion of power.
I stayed up very late one night. While I used to do that a great deal, as I have aged I do it less and less. It is a rare book that has me still wide awake and eagerly turning the pages at 2 a.m.
And while part of that was an unusual sleepless night for me, the other part was I wanted to see where this story was going. I had an idea but wanted to read on.
It is my understanding that this book is going to be made into a movie, and Botetourt County where I live is actually in the running for the film location. A facebook site is being courted by county residents, who are submitting photos of the area. You can read a story about the county's efforts here.
Baldacci, by the way, is a Virginia writer. I love to support the local writers, even if they are in the northern part of the state.
5 stars
Monday, March 05, 2012
Books: What We Keep . . .
What We Keep Is Not Always What Will Stay
By Amanda Cockrell
Copyright 2011
257 pages
This book in December was named to the Boston Globe's list of best children's books! It also was named a best book of 2011 on this list. The book also receives some good reviews over at Goodreads.
These are honors well deserved. I loved this book.
Angie is a 15-year-old girl who lives in a Hollywoodish town in California. Her mother has recently left her stepfather, Ben, whom Angie loves as her father. The young woman has chosen to live with her stepfather in hopes her mother will return to him. She wants her parents to be together.
Even though Lily is Angie's close friend, Angie doesn't feel comfortable talking to her or anyone else about certain things. So she visits a statue of Saint Felix in the basement of the church. She pours her heart out to the statue. One day, the statue talks back.
Angie is startled but she accepts the fellow who used to be a statue. She can't decide if he is the statue come to life, or a homeless person, since the statue is missing. She continues to visit him, though she is not quite as vocal as she used to be. After all, it is one thing to talk to a statue that doesn't say anything in return; quite another to offer confidences to a living man.
She also makes a new friend, Jesse. Jesse, at age 19, has been to war. He has returned from Afghanistan, minus a leg, and is now back in school trying to finish his degree.
The young girl is determined to fix the many things she has found broken - her parents' marriage, Felix's odd state, and Jesse's moodiness. But all of these things are too much for a young girl to handle.
The book has many life lessons in it, and it has a definite point of view - anti-war, for one thing, that I loved. It also deals with relationships - abusive and otherwise - and trust issues.
The story is told in the first person, and I found the voice quite believable. The details of the town were vivid and the characterizations rang true. I enjoyed every word.
I will say I think the title is a bit of a mouthful, but it works in the end.
Young girls - maybe as young as 10 but perhaps a bit older - will find this to be a terrific story, one with a lesson about who you can and cannot save (and how to figure out the difference). I plan to buy a second copy and give it to my 10-year-old niece, but perhaps not until Christmas 2012, when she will be almost 11.
This is an easy read; I finished it in two nights and one sitting would have been satisfactory if I had had the time.
Full disclosure:
The author, Amanda Cockrell, is a professor at Hollins University. She is not just any professor; she's MY professor and I consider her to be a friend. She most recently was my thesis advisor. I have had classes with her off and on since 2002.
I purchased the book when Amanda held a book signing back in October. However, since we were working together on my thesis, I decided to hold off reading it until my project was finished. Once I completed that and the grade was on my transcript, I felt it would be fine to read the book and do a review of it. I like to avoid conflicts like that when I can.
Many thanks to Amanda for writing such a great book!
5 stars
By Amanda Cockrell
Copyright 2011
257 pages
This book in December was named to the Boston Globe's list of best children's books! It also was named a best book of 2011 on this list. The book also receives some good reviews over at Goodreads.
These are honors well deserved. I loved this book.
Angie is a 15-year-old girl who lives in a Hollywoodish town in California. Her mother has recently left her stepfather, Ben, whom Angie loves as her father. The young woman has chosen to live with her stepfather in hopes her mother will return to him. She wants her parents to be together.
Even though Lily is Angie's close friend, Angie doesn't feel comfortable talking to her or anyone else about certain things. So she visits a statue of Saint Felix in the basement of the church. She pours her heart out to the statue. One day, the statue talks back.
Angie is startled but she accepts the fellow who used to be a statue. She can't decide if he is the statue come to life, or a homeless person, since the statue is missing. She continues to visit him, though she is not quite as vocal as she used to be. After all, it is one thing to talk to a statue that doesn't say anything in return; quite another to offer confidences to a living man.
She also makes a new friend, Jesse. Jesse, at age 19, has been to war. He has returned from Afghanistan, minus a leg, and is now back in school trying to finish his degree.
The young girl is determined to fix the many things she has found broken - her parents' marriage, Felix's odd state, and Jesse's moodiness. But all of these things are too much for a young girl to handle.
The book has many life lessons in it, and it has a definite point of view - anti-war, for one thing, that I loved. It also deals with relationships - abusive and otherwise - and trust issues.
The story is told in the first person, and I found the voice quite believable. The details of the town were vivid and the characterizations rang true. I enjoyed every word.
I will say I think the title is a bit of a mouthful, but it works in the end.
Young girls - maybe as young as 10 but perhaps a bit older - will find this to be a terrific story, one with a lesson about who you can and cannot save (and how to figure out the difference). I plan to buy a second copy and give it to my 10-year-old niece, but perhaps not until Christmas 2012, when she will be almost 11.
This is an easy read; I finished it in two nights and one sitting would have been satisfactory if I had had the time.
Full disclosure:
The author, Amanda Cockrell, is a professor at Hollins University. She is not just any professor; she's MY professor and I consider her to be a friend. She most recently was my thesis advisor. I have had classes with her off and on since 2002.
I purchased the book when Amanda held a book signing back in October. However, since we were working together on my thesis, I decided to hold off reading it until my project was finished. Once I completed that and the grade was on my transcript, I felt it would be fine to read the book and do a review of it. I like to avoid conflicts like that when I can.
Many thanks to Amanda for writing such a great book!
5 stars
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Books: On Writing
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
By Stephen King
Copyright 2000
Narrated by Stephen King
8 hours audio cassette
This book, part memoir and part how-to, details Stephen King's life. He goes into great detail about his childhood at the first part of the book, and talks about writing later on.
First, let me say that, while I have read a number of Stephen King's books (Carrie, Salem's Lot, Misery, and started Cujo but couldn't finish it), and watched several of his movies (The Shining, The Green Mile) I do not consider myself a fan. I liked horror up until my teenage years, and then I dispensed with it.
However, that doesn't mean I dislike the writing. Disliking content is entirely different matter. It just means I have a touchy tummy.
King reveals in the memoir part that he had a problem with drugs and alcohol. I was rather disappointed to learn this, though not surprised. That kind of thing seems to follow writers.
Another thing that struck me about the book was that he wrote it for men. I don't think he intended to do that; I think he thought he was writing just for writers, but ultimately, he was writing for males. Women simply can't shrug off the kid's soccer practice because they want to write.
Phyllis Whitney, in her book Guide to Fiction Writing, said all writer's need a wife. And if you're the wife, well, you have to do the laundry.
Nor did he offer any silver bullets for writing or writers. All of the advice I'd heard before.
He advocated ridding your work of adverbs, using simile and metaphor, and writing first drafts with the door closed, which means, without worrying about what anyone else on the planet thinks about the work you're putting out.
The main thing to do is write. He emphasized that. And then submit it after you find out where it fits.
This is a good book. I personally would have liked a little more on the writing and a little less on Stephen King, particularly his early years, but it is always interesting to hear how writer's work and how they came to do what they do.
I do wonder how he might update it to reflect the broader use of the internet, e-books, and other changes in the industry.
You can find a section of some quotes for the book here.
By Stephen King
Copyright 2000
Narrated by Stephen King
8 hours audio cassette
This book, part memoir and part how-to, details Stephen King's life. He goes into great detail about his childhood at the first part of the book, and talks about writing later on.
First, let me say that, while I have read a number of Stephen King's books (Carrie, Salem's Lot, Misery, and started Cujo but couldn't finish it), and watched several of his movies (The Shining, The Green Mile) I do not consider myself a fan. I liked horror up until my teenage years, and then I dispensed with it.
However, that doesn't mean I dislike the writing. Disliking content is entirely different matter. It just means I have a touchy tummy.
King reveals in the memoir part that he had a problem with drugs and alcohol. I was rather disappointed to learn this, though not surprised. That kind of thing seems to follow writers.
Another thing that struck me about the book was that he wrote it for men. I don't think he intended to do that; I think he thought he was writing just for writers, but ultimately, he was writing for males. Women simply can't shrug off the kid's soccer practice because they want to write.
Phyllis Whitney, in her book Guide to Fiction Writing, said all writer's need a wife. And if you're the wife, well, you have to do the laundry.
Nor did he offer any silver bullets for writing or writers. All of the advice I'd heard before.
He advocated ridding your work of adverbs, using simile and metaphor, and writing first drafts with the door closed, which means, without worrying about what anyone else on the planet thinks about the work you're putting out.
The main thing to do is write. He emphasized that. And then submit it after you find out where it fits.
This is a good book. I personally would have liked a little more on the writing and a little less on Stephen King, particularly his early years, but it is always interesting to hear how writer's work and how they came to do what they do.
I do wonder how he might update it to reflect the broader use of the internet, e-books, and other changes in the industry.
You can find a section of some quotes for the book here.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Books: Fractured Facade
Fractured Facade
By Elena DeRosa
Copyright 2011
E-book
The author of this book is a personal friend. We met through our blogs and we are a member of the same organization, the Roanoke Valley chapter of the National League of American Pen Women. Full disclosure and all of that. However, she did not ask me to read or review her book and she does not know I am putting this review on my blog.
Her blog is Ms. Elenaeous Rants & Raves. Her author page is located here.
I bought the book when Elena put it up as an e-book back in October or November, but because I was in school and working on my thesis, I was not able to read it then. I did want to support her, though, with the purchase. It is, to date, the only author-published (I believe Elena uses the term "indie" published) book I have purchased on my Nook. Actually, it's the only book I have purchased on my Nook. I'm afraid I have not yet taken to the e-readers.
Fractured Facade is billed as a novel told as memoir. I think Elena has struggled to find the proper genre for the story, and after reading it, I wonder if she has considered the True Crime genre. I don't read those, but it seems like it might work there.
The story, told in the first person, gives us a heroine, Marie, whose father has passed away. The book then details Marie's journey to New York to find out what happened to her dad. Her father, who was widowed, was seeing a very strange woman, and Marie unfortunately inherits the girlfriend.
Alas, the world is full of gold diggers who will take advantage of people. The strange girlfriend is one of them, and dealing with her takes all of the fortitude that Marie can muster.
The book goes into detail about problems with the girlfriend, the police department, the medical examiner's office, and the court system. The story is an important one, for it points out the problems older folks run into, particularly when family members are not close by or checking up on them every single day. It begs the question - at what point do the children become the caretakers? Of course, that differs in every family, and it is a very hard thing to figure out when and how to do.
It also demonstrates out how important it is to have your affairs in order. We never know when it will be our time to go. The people you leave behind may have to deal with all sorts of trouble if things are not as they should be. Marie sheds many tears because she must work through governmental systems that care little for her pain. It is hard to do these things when you are grieving the loss of a loved one.
This book has many lessons in it. It is definitely a cautionary tale. The writing is quite emotional at times, so be prepared for a bumpy ride. However, it is very true to life - I suspect more truth than fiction here - and the author does a good job of carrying the story forward.
I am very proud of Elena for moving forward with her project. It takes guts to venture out into the world with your baby (i.e., the story). She has also undertaken some interesting and different marketing techniques here locally. I have been watching her activities with curiosity and admiration, and it has been quite an adventure for her.
I congratulate her on her accomplishment.
By Elena DeRosa
Copyright 2011
E-book
The author of this book is a personal friend. We met through our blogs and we are a member of the same organization, the Roanoke Valley chapter of the National League of American Pen Women. Full disclosure and all of that. However, she did not ask me to read or review her book and she does not know I am putting this review on my blog.
Her blog is Ms. Elenaeous Rants & Raves. Her author page is located here.
I bought the book when Elena put it up as an e-book back in October or November, but because I was in school and working on my thesis, I was not able to read it then. I did want to support her, though, with the purchase. It is, to date, the only author-published (I believe Elena uses the term "indie" published) book I have purchased on my Nook. Actually, it's the only book I have purchased on my Nook. I'm afraid I have not yet taken to the e-readers.
Fractured Facade is billed as a novel told as memoir. I think Elena has struggled to find the proper genre for the story, and after reading it, I wonder if she has considered the True Crime genre. I don't read those, but it seems like it might work there.
The story, told in the first person, gives us a heroine, Marie, whose father has passed away. The book then details Marie's journey to New York to find out what happened to her dad. Her father, who was widowed, was seeing a very strange woman, and Marie unfortunately inherits the girlfriend.
Alas, the world is full of gold diggers who will take advantage of people. The strange girlfriend is one of them, and dealing with her takes all of the fortitude that Marie can muster.
The book goes into detail about problems with the girlfriend, the police department, the medical examiner's office, and the court system. The story is an important one, for it points out the problems older folks run into, particularly when family members are not close by or checking up on them every single day. It begs the question - at what point do the children become the caretakers? Of course, that differs in every family, and it is a very hard thing to figure out when and how to do.
It also demonstrates out how important it is to have your affairs in order. We never know when it will be our time to go. The people you leave behind may have to deal with all sorts of trouble if things are not as they should be. Marie sheds many tears because she must work through governmental systems that care little for her pain. It is hard to do these things when you are grieving the loss of a loved one.
This book has many lessons in it. It is definitely a cautionary tale. The writing is quite emotional at times, so be prepared for a bumpy ride. However, it is very true to life - I suspect more truth than fiction here - and the author does a good job of carrying the story forward.
I am very proud of Elena for moving forward with her project. It takes guts to venture out into the world with your baby (i.e., the story). She has also undertaken some interesting and different marketing techniques here locally. I have been watching her activities with curiosity and admiration, and it has been quite an adventure for her.
I congratulate her on her accomplishment.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Books: Paladin of Souls
Paladin of Souls
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Copyright 2003
470 pages
This book won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards for Best Novel in 2004.
It is a sequel, sort of, to The Curse of Chalion, which I have not read.
However, you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one.
Ista is a 40-year-old woman of royalty who has spent years in madness, courtesy of the gods. She has been released from that and, after the death of her mother, most of her other duties. Her children now rule the land.
The dowager was a minor character in The Curse of Chalion and the author does a splendid job of painting the land and offering up back story. The book really stands on its own.
Ista sets out on a pilgrimage, mostly to get away from the castle where she has spent most of her life, and her keepers who are intent on keeping her safe and watching her.
The pilgrimage quickly goes sour when she is taken captive and then rescued by a loyal fellow who owns part of the lands in the borderlands.
Once safe in his castle, she discovers that nothing is at it seems, the Bastard God has determined she will do his bidding and make things right.
I really enjoyed reading about a heroine who was an older character. Ista is a wonderful heroine, full of spunk and curiosity, yet wise because of her years. She is soft from too much castle living, but she soon overcomes that. I appreciated the details of her inner life, which were very well done.
If you like fantasy with strong characterization, this book is highly recommended.
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Copyright 2003
470 pages
This book won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards for Best Novel in 2004.
It is a sequel, sort of, to The Curse of Chalion, which I have not read.
However, you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one.
Ista is a 40-year-old woman of royalty who has spent years in madness, courtesy of the gods. She has been released from that and, after the death of her mother, most of her other duties. Her children now rule the land.
The dowager was a minor character in The Curse of Chalion and the author does a splendid job of painting the land and offering up back story. The book really stands on its own.
Ista sets out on a pilgrimage, mostly to get away from the castle where she has spent most of her life, and her keepers who are intent on keeping her safe and watching her.
The pilgrimage quickly goes sour when she is taken captive and then rescued by a loyal fellow who owns part of the lands in the borderlands.
Once safe in his castle, she discovers that nothing is at it seems, the Bastard God has determined she will do his bidding and make things right.
I really enjoyed reading about a heroine who was an older character. Ista is a wonderful heroine, full of spunk and curiosity, yet wise because of her years. She is soft from too much castle living, but she soon overcomes that. I appreciated the details of her inner life, which were very well done.
If you like fantasy with strong characterization, this book is highly recommended.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Books: Body Surfing
Body Surfing
By Anita Shreve
Copyright 2008
Audiobook Version
Read by Lolita Davidovich
7.5 hours
Sydney has had a rough life. Before she is 30, she has been divorced and widowed.
Now she is spending the summer helping a developmentally slow 18-year-old girl, Julie, learn what she must to get into college.
She does this at the Edwards' summer house. And then Julie's brothers, Ben and Jeff, show up.
Jeff charms her. They fall in love. She moves in with him and they live together in Boston.
He asks her to marry him. Things go wrong. Sydney will not be a bride a third time. Will she live happily ever after, though?
This book is set at Fortune's Rock, though it is never explicitly spelled out. Shreve readers will know that this is the locale for The Pilot's Wife and Sea Glass.
Anita Shreve is a solid writer. Her books have strong characterization, good setting, and interesting plot. This book was not quite as strong as some of the others - I thought part of the ending was a little weak - but it was a worthy read.
By Anita Shreve
Copyright 2008
Audiobook Version
Read by Lolita Davidovich
7.5 hours
Sydney has had a rough life. Before she is 30, she has been divorced and widowed.
Now she is spending the summer helping a developmentally slow 18-year-old girl, Julie, learn what she must to get into college.
She does this at the Edwards' summer house. And then Julie's brothers, Ben and Jeff, show up.
Jeff charms her. They fall in love. She moves in with him and they live together in Boston.
He asks her to marry him. Things go wrong. Sydney will not be a bride a third time. Will she live happily ever after, though?
This book is set at Fortune's Rock, though it is never explicitly spelled out. Shreve readers will know that this is the locale for The Pilot's Wife and Sea Glass.
Anita Shreve is a solid writer. Her books have strong characterization, good setting, and interesting plot. This book was not quite as strong as some of the others - I thought part of the ending was a little weak - but it was a worthy read.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Books: My Summer of Southern Discomfort
My Summer of Southern Discomfort
by Stephanie Gayle
Copyright 2007
Audio Book Version
7.75 hours
Read by Julie Dretzin
This first novel by a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer takes place in Macon, GA.
Natalie Goldberg, daughter of a noted civil rights attorney, is now a prosecutor with the Macon, GA district attorney's office. How she got there is part of the story - think heartache and betrayal and you won't be far off.
Now she's trying to find herself in her new surroundings. She's originally from Cambridge, MA and the job from which she is running was in New York.
The South takes a little getting used to.
Fortunately, author Stephanie Gayle manages to portray the south without resorting to caricature, and I was grateful for that. Her heroine is nicely portrayed and very human; she was someone I wouldn't mind getting to know and calling "friend." It's not always easy to portray a character to that degree. Her southern characters are done very well, too.
Throw in a capital murder trial for a girl who doesn't believe in the death penalty, and you have a thoughtful and occasionally gut-wrenching story about growing up, learning lessons, and finding yourself.
Highly recommended read.
by Stephanie Gayle
Copyright 2007
Audio Book Version
7.75 hours
Read by Julie Dretzin
This first novel by a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer takes place in Macon, GA.
Natalie Goldberg, daughter of a noted civil rights attorney, is now a prosecutor with the Macon, GA district attorney's office. How she got there is part of the story - think heartache and betrayal and you won't be far off.
Now she's trying to find herself in her new surroundings. She's originally from Cambridge, MA and the job from which she is running was in New York.
The South takes a little getting used to.
Fortunately, author Stephanie Gayle manages to portray the south without resorting to caricature, and I was grateful for that. Her heroine is nicely portrayed and very human; she was someone I wouldn't mind getting to know and calling "friend." It's not always easy to portray a character to that degree. Her southern characters are done very well, too.
Throw in a capital murder trial for a girl who doesn't believe in the death penalty, and you have a thoughtful and occasionally gut-wrenching story about growing up, learning lessons, and finding yourself.
Highly recommended read.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Books: Finding Noel
Finding Noel
By Richard Paul Evans
Copyright 2006
Audio Read by the Author
Richard Paul Evans offers up another of his special brand of heartbreaking yet cheery life sagas. In this book, Mark Smart has lost his mother in a car wreck and his scholarship at school. His father, with whom he has never gotten along, has told him not to come home.
He is thinking about suicide when his car breaks down at a coffee hut. A young woman named Macy helps him out and cheers him up.
She has problems of her own, including a missing sister. The story centers around her search for her sister but includes several love stories.
This was a strong story with well-rounded characters. Highly recommended as a heart-warmer for the holiday season.
By Richard Paul Evans
Copyright 2006
Audio Read by the Author
Richard Paul Evans offers up another of his special brand of heartbreaking yet cheery life sagas. In this book, Mark Smart has lost his mother in a car wreck and his scholarship at school. His father, with whom he has never gotten along, has told him not to come home.
He is thinking about suicide when his car breaks down at a coffee hut. A young woman named Macy helps him out and cheers him up.
She has problems of her own, including a missing sister. The story centers around her search for her sister but includes several love stories.
This was a strong story with well-rounded characters. Highly recommended as a heart-warmer for the holiday season.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Books: The Little Friend
The Little Friend
By Donna Tartt
Copyright 2003
Abridged Audiobook 6 hours
Read by the author
Sometimes I wonder why I pick up particular audiobooks. This one read like a mild mystery on the blurb. In a way it was, but then again, it wasn't. This was a book that in many ways was quite an indictment on today's society.
Harriet is 12 years old. When she was four months old, her brother, Robin, died in a mysterious incident in the family yard. He was found hung from a rope. However, no one was ever convicted of a crime.
The death sent her mother spiraling into a depression. Her father took a job in Nashville and left their Mississippi home, leaving her mother and nursemaid Ida to raise Harriet and her older sister Allison.
Since Harriet is raised virtually unsupervised, at 12 she is willful and, frankly, mean. I had a hard time feeling sorry for the character, though I think I was supposed to.
She decides she will find out who killed her brother. She thinks that if she solves this mystery, her life will be better.
Her sleuthing, though, leaves a lot to be desired. She determines that Danny Ratliff, now grown, killed her brother. She bases her knowledge solely on Ida's word and on the fact that Ratliff grew up and still lives on the wrong side of the tracks. He is, in local parlance, white trash. So of course he must have killed her brother.
This insane logic drove me crazy and it made it hard for me to enjoy the story. Not only was Harriet sure that Ratliff was the murderer, she decided that she had to kill him in order to obtain retribution. This kind of thinking is so out of line with my own value system that I had a very hard time with it. I am not much on an eye-for-an-eye at any time, but to want to kill someone just because you're sure of something, whether it's logically true or not, is just plain wrong.
Her determination leads her to peril and misadventure, none of it particularly pleasant. She even nearly kills Ratliff's grandmother, but shows little remorse over this mistake.
This book offers a lot of things to think about. For example, do you believe in vengeance? If so, why? And what happens if the wrong person pays for a crime he didn't commit?
The book is full of class issues, too. Harriet's family is old money, genteel folk who are no longer wealthy but still have social status. The Ratliff's are painted as drug-dealing ne'er-do-wells, but the author, thankfully, switches point of view to show how much they care for their grandmother and gives them a little humanity.
I just wish I had felt a little more love for Harriet. I found her impossible to like.
By Donna Tartt
Copyright 2003
Abridged Audiobook 6 hours
Read by the author
Sometimes I wonder why I pick up particular audiobooks. This one read like a mild mystery on the blurb. In a way it was, but then again, it wasn't. This was a book that in many ways was quite an indictment on today's society.
Harriet is 12 years old. When she was four months old, her brother, Robin, died in a mysterious incident in the family yard. He was found hung from a rope. However, no one was ever convicted of a crime.
The death sent her mother spiraling into a depression. Her father took a job in Nashville and left their Mississippi home, leaving her mother and nursemaid Ida to raise Harriet and her older sister Allison.
Since Harriet is raised virtually unsupervised, at 12 she is willful and, frankly, mean. I had a hard time feeling sorry for the character, though I think I was supposed to.
She decides she will find out who killed her brother. She thinks that if she solves this mystery, her life will be better.
Her sleuthing, though, leaves a lot to be desired. She determines that Danny Ratliff, now grown, killed her brother. She bases her knowledge solely on Ida's word and on the fact that Ratliff grew up and still lives on the wrong side of the tracks. He is, in local parlance, white trash. So of course he must have killed her brother.
This insane logic drove me crazy and it made it hard for me to enjoy the story. Not only was Harriet sure that Ratliff was the murderer, she decided that she had to kill him in order to obtain retribution. This kind of thinking is so out of line with my own value system that I had a very hard time with it. I am not much on an eye-for-an-eye at any time, but to want to kill someone just because you're sure of something, whether it's logically true or not, is just plain wrong.
Her determination leads her to peril and misadventure, none of it particularly pleasant. She even nearly kills Ratliff's grandmother, but shows little remorse over this mistake.
This book offers a lot of things to think about. For example, do you believe in vengeance? If so, why? And what happens if the wrong person pays for a crime he didn't commit?
The book is full of class issues, too. Harriet's family is old money, genteel folk who are no longer wealthy but still have social status. The Ratliff's are painted as drug-dealing ne'er-do-wells, but the author, thankfully, switches point of view to show how much they care for their grandmother and gives them a little humanity.
I just wish I had felt a little more love for Harriet. I found her impossible to like.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Books: Long Time No See
Long Time No See
By Susan Isaacs
Copyright 2004
Audiobook 6 hours
Abridged
Judith Singer is a Doctor of History with a penchant for solving crimes. When we catch up with her, it has been 20 years since she last solved a crime.
I love that this heroine is 54 years old. She is widowed and lives alone. She has an old love affair in her background. She serves on the local library board.
In this mystery, she decides to try to figure out what happened to a missing woman. Courtney Logan disappears on Halloween. Her body turns up in the family swimming pool in April. The police are sure the husband did it, mostly because his father is a local mafia dude. Fancy Phil, the mafia dad, decides to ask Judith for help after he learns of her interest.
She follows the clues and eventually figures out the crime. Along the way she rekindles an old love.
A nice, smooth novel with an intriguing character!
By Susan Isaacs
Copyright 2004
Audiobook 6 hours
Abridged
Judith Singer is a Doctor of History with a penchant for solving crimes. When we catch up with her, it has been 20 years since she last solved a crime.
I love that this heroine is 54 years old. She is widowed and lives alone. She has an old love affair in her background. She serves on the local library board.
In this mystery, she decides to try to figure out what happened to a missing woman. Courtney Logan disappears on Halloween. Her body turns up in the family swimming pool in April. The police are sure the husband did it, mostly because his father is a local mafia dude. Fancy Phil, the mafia dad, decides to ask Judith for help after he learns of her interest.
She follows the clues and eventually figures out the crime. Along the way she rekindles an old love.
A nice, smooth novel with an intriguing character!
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