The Hummingbird's Daughter
by Luis Alberto Urrea
Copyright 2005
499 pages
Kindle Edition
My book club chose this book for its March read. I daresay it will be among the best books I read this year.
Luis Urrea has created an intriguing world and characters based on nonfiction. In this story, which is set in Mexico, Teresa is a waif born of a woman known as The Hummingbird. Teresa is left on her aunt's doorstep, and pretty much left to fend for herself.
Teresa has a keen mind and quick wit. She is an astute observer of humanity, and Huila, the local healer, takes her under her wing. She teaches Teresa (aka Teresita) every thing she knows.
Along the way Teresa is noticed by Tomas, the lord of the ranch, and he eventually recognizes her as his daughter. Tomas is an interesting character in his own right, a man's man who takes women when he wants them and who lives in different worlds - the one his wife has created, and the more wild one he prefers.
Teresita learns to be a midwife and accompanies Huila on healing missions. The child appears to have great powers, and eventually this comes to be. Teresita dies and returns to life even as her family is telling her goodbye. She is hailed as a saint, who then performs miracles.
As in all things, politics plays a huge role, and religion is nothing if not political. The Catholic leaders cannot allow this heresy, and as rebellion stirs throughout the nation, the government and religious leaders move to shut off anything they deem a threat.
I will say no more to allow the reader to find out for herself what happens here, but suffice it to say the ending is fitting.
This book is an interesting commentary on religion, human relations, the patriarchy, government, and immigration. Who really should run a country, anyway? The people in some far-distant land or the locals who know what is going on? The conquerors who arrive with guns ablaze or the simple people who eek out a marginal living. And who is to say what religion is or isn't, and what is wrong or right?
My favorite quote from the book was this:
"The doing of good is the only prayer that God requires." Teresita spoke these words to pilgrims who flocked to her.
This was a long book but it moved very quickly. It took me a while to read it but I never grew bored. Many of the chapters are very short, and there appears to be a good deal of white space as transition throughout the book.
The page numbers are listed at top for reference, but as I read it on my Kindle I am not certain how long it was. I am categorizing this as fiction but it is really historical fiction based on truth, as the main character really existed.
Showing posts with label Books: Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books: Fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Books: Skipping Christmas
Skipping Christmas
By John Grisham
292 pages
Copyright 2002
Audiobook
I don't know why I chose to listen to a book about Christmas with the holiday just behind me, but when I saw the title in the library I recalled that I had enjoyed another of Grisham's non-courtroom novels, so I picked it up.
This is a short book - five hours tops - and I knew from the beginning how it would end.
The Kranks say goodbye to their daughter, who leaves the US a month before Christmas to join the Peace Corps in Peru. Luther Krank, who is an accountant, goes home and adds up all they spend on the upcoming holiday. Holy cow, it's $6,100! All of that money for gift wraps, turkey, presents, parties, dresses, and other stuff, down the drain.
He convinces his wife Nora, sad about her daughter's leaving, that they should just skip Christmas this year. Instead they should take a cruise and pamper themselves a bit.
The story is more about the crass commercialism of the holiday than anything else, as well as a biting commentary on the pressure our family and friends place upon us to conform to the norms. Luther and Nora are now outcasts in a sea of friendly faces. No one can believe they will skip Christmas. The neighbors take great pleasure in trying to one-up themselves decorating simply because the Kranks are not. It becomes so bad that the Kranks have to sneak in and out of their own home. I felt sorry for them but not once did I think this overblown. It all felt very real - too real.
If this sounds familiar, it's because there was a movie, Christmas with the Kranks, made out of this story. I thought so but I'm not much of a movie watcher so I wasn't sure until I just looked it up. The movie stars Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. I will have to try to watch it sometime.
By John Grisham
292 pages
Copyright 2002
Audiobook
I don't know why I chose to listen to a book about Christmas with the holiday just behind me, but when I saw the title in the library I recalled that I had enjoyed another of Grisham's non-courtroom novels, so I picked it up.
This is a short book - five hours tops - and I knew from the beginning how it would end.
The Kranks say goodbye to their daughter, who leaves the US a month before Christmas to join the Peace Corps in Peru. Luther Krank, who is an accountant, goes home and adds up all they spend on the upcoming holiday. Holy cow, it's $6,100! All of that money for gift wraps, turkey, presents, parties, dresses, and other stuff, down the drain.
He convinces his wife Nora, sad about her daughter's leaving, that they should just skip Christmas this year. Instead they should take a cruise and pamper themselves a bit.
The story is more about the crass commercialism of the holiday than anything else, as well as a biting commentary on the pressure our family and friends place upon us to conform to the norms. Luther and Nora are now outcasts in a sea of friendly faces. No one can believe they will skip Christmas. The neighbors take great pleasure in trying to one-up themselves decorating simply because the Kranks are not. It becomes so bad that the Kranks have to sneak in and out of their own home. I felt sorry for them but not once did I think this overblown. It all felt very real - too real.
If this sounds familiar, it's because there was a movie, Christmas with the Kranks, made out of this story. I thought so but I'm not much of a movie watcher so I wasn't sure until I just looked it up. The movie stars Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. I will have to try to watch it sometime.
Friday, February 07, 2014
Books: The Heist
The Heist
By Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Copyright 2013
Unabridged Audio read by Scott Brick
8.5 hours
Kate is an FBI agent; Nick Fox is a con artist. Kate chases Nick and finally catches him. Nick cuts a deal with Kate's boss, and suddenly Kate and Nick are working together.
They create a massive con to catch an international embezzler, with the FBI's blessing.
That's the basic premise of this story. I am not sure how one classifies this, as it is neither mystery nor romance. It reminded me a little bit of David Baldacci's King & Maxwell series of books, and I don't have a genre for those, either.
At any rate, this was fun to listen to in the car. It sounds like it could become a series - or not. As I listened to this, I found myself trying to figure out the parts that Evanovich might have been responsible for. I am not familiar with Goldberg so I couldn't pick him out. There were a few turns of phrases that I thought sounded like classic Evanovich, but not many.
I would consider this a good beach read. If it were summer. And I was at the beach.
The audio is available at the local library (or will be when I turn it back in).
By Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Copyright 2013
Unabridged Audio read by Scott Brick
8.5 hours
Kate is an FBI agent; Nick Fox is a con artist. Kate chases Nick and finally catches him. Nick cuts a deal with Kate's boss, and suddenly Kate and Nick are working together.
They create a massive con to catch an international embezzler, with the FBI's blessing.
That's the basic premise of this story. I am not sure how one classifies this, as it is neither mystery nor romance. It reminded me a little bit of David Baldacci's King & Maxwell series of books, and I don't have a genre for those, either.
At any rate, this was fun to listen to in the car. It sounds like it could become a series - or not. As I listened to this, I found myself trying to figure out the parts that Evanovich might have been responsible for. I am not familiar with Goldberg so I couldn't pick him out. There were a few turns of phrases that I thought sounded like classic Evanovich, but not many.
I would consider this a good beach read. If it were summer. And I was at the beach.
The audio is available at the local library (or will be when I turn it back in).
Monday, February 03, 2014
Books: Abhorsen
Abhorsen
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2003
518 pages
This is the third in the Abhorsen trilogy books by this author. I also reviewed Sabriel and Lireal.
My friend Inga, who lives in England, turned me on to this trilogy after we had a discussion about necromancers following the initial showing of The Hobbit.
In this fantasy world, there are two lands - the Old Kingdom and the new one. They are separated by a magical wall, but the wall can be crossed. The Old Kingdom has magic, but the new one has science.
Sabriel is the Abhorsen, which is to say, someone who puts the dead back where they belong after a necromancer brings them back to the world of the living. Lireal, we learned in the book of the same name, is her sister, though neither knew that until late in book two. Lireal is the Abhorsen-in-waiting, meaning she will take over the duties of Sabriel when she dies.
Abhorsen picks up where Lireal left off, and it really is more of a continuation of that story than one in its own right. I suppose one might read this book without having read the other two, but I would think at the least reading Lireal might be in order.
Lireal is with Sam, her nephew, and they are trying to reach Hedge, a very powerful necromancer who has enslaved Sam's friend Nick. Nick is from the new world and is using science to help free a very powerful magical being.
They are helped by two magic creatures, the Disreputable Dog and Moggot, a cat. Both are ancient magic beings themselves.
The story moves along very quickly as Lireal and Sam attempt to save the world from the trapped magical being. I won't give it away in case you want to read this (or better yet the entire trilogy) but I enjoyed this romp very much.
Nix creates a fascinating world that is both believable and incomprehensible. I was reminded a little of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass as I read; there was a tiny bit of what I consider steampunk in the old world, which had technology akin to early 20th century and yet the division between the two lands was great in many ways. Even the weather and the moons were different, so that passing through the wall was like moving through time and space into a parallel universe.
All in all a very good read, and if you like fantasy this is a trilogy you will want to pick up.
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2003
518 pages
This is the third in the Abhorsen trilogy books by this author. I also reviewed Sabriel and Lireal.
My friend Inga, who lives in England, turned me on to this trilogy after we had a discussion about necromancers following the initial showing of The Hobbit.
In this fantasy world, there are two lands - the Old Kingdom and the new one. They are separated by a magical wall, but the wall can be crossed. The Old Kingdom has magic, but the new one has science.
Sabriel is the Abhorsen, which is to say, someone who puts the dead back where they belong after a necromancer brings them back to the world of the living. Lireal, we learned in the book of the same name, is her sister, though neither knew that until late in book two. Lireal is the Abhorsen-in-waiting, meaning she will take over the duties of Sabriel when she dies.
Abhorsen picks up where Lireal left off, and it really is more of a continuation of that story than one in its own right. I suppose one might read this book without having read the other two, but I would think at the least reading Lireal might be in order.
Lireal is with Sam, her nephew, and they are trying to reach Hedge, a very powerful necromancer who has enslaved Sam's friend Nick. Nick is from the new world and is using science to help free a very powerful magical being.
They are helped by two magic creatures, the Disreputable Dog and Moggot, a cat. Both are ancient magic beings themselves.
The story moves along very quickly as Lireal and Sam attempt to save the world from the trapped magical being. I won't give it away in case you want to read this (or better yet the entire trilogy) but I enjoyed this romp very much.
Nix creates a fascinating world that is both believable and incomprehensible. I was reminded a little of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass as I read; there was a tiny bit of what I consider steampunk in the old world, which had technology akin to early 20th century and yet the division between the two lands was great in many ways. Even the weather and the moons were different, so that passing through the wall was like moving through time and space into a parallel universe.
All in all a very good read, and if you like fantasy this is a trilogy you will want to pick up.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Books: Green Mansions
Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest
By William Henry Hudson
Copyright 1904
About 350 pages
Kindle Edition
My mother once told me that Green Mansions was her favorite book. Upon reading it, I think I may have read it when I was very young, as the storyline had some familiarity (and probably wondered then, as I do now, why my mother loved the book). I ran across the story as a free Kindle download and decided to read it since my mother had thought so much of it.
The story, set in South America in Venezuela in the mid to late 1800s, is about a man named Abel. It is told by an unnamed narrator who befriends Abel in his later years. Abel is open with this person except for one part of his past, of which he will not speak. Finally the two have a little argument and Abel tells this story.
Abel is on the wrong side of the government when agitators take over, so he flees into the jungle. The man has some very prejudiced views about the native inhabitants and definitely believes in the superiority of the white man. Those types of attitudes, including the racism, are all throughout the book, and this made it a little difficult for me to read. However, it is a product of its time.
Eventually Abel, about out of things to trade with the natives, settles with one tribe. He takes a walk through a forest that the natives will not visit because it is haunted by the Daughter of Didi, whom they claim is an evil spirit.
Abel doesn't believe in such things, and he enjoys the forest. However, he soon learns he is not alone there. A young girl who speaks in bird-like language follows him around; he seldom sees her. Eventually they meet and Abel is bitten by a poisonous snake. She takes him to her grandfather's hut in the forest, and Abel lives. He stays with them and soon decides he is in love with the strange girl.
Rimi, the girl, is the last of a people who no longer exist, vegetarians who commune with nature and speak to all the animals. Rimi grew up in a Spanish-speaking community, though, and so could speak that language, too. Abel learned her mother had fled to a new land when the people vanished through whatever befell them (the book was not clear about that). She longed to find her mother's land, though, to see if there were others who lived who might understand her. The old grandfather, a con man of sorts, had found the woman and taken her to the nearest village because she was with child. When the woman died, the old man adopted Rimi, and took her to the mountains to live because the town life made her ill.
Abel and the grandfather finally agree to take Rimi to Riolama, the land were he found Rimi's mother. But once there, they find nothing and Abel tells Rimi that she never will, that the people have vanished. Rimi faints and Abel fears she has died; she comes back around, they kiss, Rimi leaves to head back to their old home.
Abel and the grandfather follow, but due to bad weather and other circumstances do not get back to the hut very quickly. They find the hut has been burned to the ground by the natives and Rimi is missing.
After some time Abel discovers what happened to Rimi, and he suffers terribly because of her tragic death.
That's pretty much the basic story. To be honest, I do not know why this book appealed to my mother, but then, she probably read it as a young teenager in the 1950s and found it very romantic. Attitudes were different then and I imagine some of the discussions about race, etc., in the book were more acceptable.
I don't know that I would have finished this story without the ghost of my mother peering over my shoulder, mostly because of the racism and the superiority attitudes. The language was flowery, descriptive, and passionate. The book was well-written and I can understand why it was successful in its time. According to Wikipedia, Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie adaptation of the book. The movie was a flop.
By William Henry Hudson
Copyright 1904
About 350 pages
Kindle Edition
My mother once told me that Green Mansions was her favorite book. Upon reading it, I think I may have read it when I was very young, as the storyline had some familiarity (and probably wondered then, as I do now, why my mother loved the book). I ran across the story as a free Kindle download and decided to read it since my mother had thought so much of it.
The story, set in South America in Venezuela in the mid to late 1800s, is about a man named Abel. It is told by an unnamed narrator who befriends Abel in his later years. Abel is open with this person except for one part of his past, of which he will not speak. Finally the two have a little argument and Abel tells this story.
Abel is on the wrong side of the government when agitators take over, so he flees into the jungle. The man has some very prejudiced views about the native inhabitants and definitely believes in the superiority of the white man. Those types of attitudes, including the racism, are all throughout the book, and this made it a little difficult for me to read. However, it is a product of its time.
Eventually Abel, about out of things to trade with the natives, settles with one tribe. He takes a walk through a forest that the natives will not visit because it is haunted by the Daughter of Didi, whom they claim is an evil spirit.
Abel doesn't believe in such things, and he enjoys the forest. However, he soon learns he is not alone there. A young girl who speaks in bird-like language follows him around; he seldom sees her. Eventually they meet and Abel is bitten by a poisonous snake. She takes him to her grandfather's hut in the forest, and Abel lives. He stays with them and soon decides he is in love with the strange girl.
Rimi, the girl, is the last of a people who no longer exist, vegetarians who commune with nature and speak to all the animals. Rimi grew up in a Spanish-speaking community, though, and so could speak that language, too. Abel learned her mother had fled to a new land when the people vanished through whatever befell them (the book was not clear about that). She longed to find her mother's land, though, to see if there were others who lived who might understand her. The old grandfather, a con man of sorts, had found the woman and taken her to the nearest village because she was with child. When the woman died, the old man adopted Rimi, and took her to the mountains to live because the town life made her ill.
Abel and the grandfather finally agree to take Rimi to Riolama, the land were he found Rimi's mother. But once there, they find nothing and Abel tells Rimi that she never will, that the people have vanished. Rimi faints and Abel fears she has died; she comes back around, they kiss, Rimi leaves to head back to their old home.
Abel and the grandfather follow, but due to bad weather and other circumstances do not get back to the hut very quickly. They find the hut has been burned to the ground by the natives and Rimi is missing.
After some time Abel discovers what happened to Rimi, and he suffers terribly because of her tragic death.
That's pretty much the basic story. To be honest, I do not know why this book appealed to my mother, but then, she probably read it as a young teenager in the 1950s and found it very romantic. Attitudes were different then and I imagine some of the discussions about race, etc., in the book were more acceptable.
I don't know that I would have finished this story without the ghost of my mother peering over my shoulder, mostly because of the racism and the superiority attitudes. The language was flowery, descriptive, and passionate. The book was well-written and I can understand why it was successful in its time. According to Wikipedia, Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie adaptation of the book. The movie was a flop.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Books: Runaway
Runaway
By Alice Munro
Copyright 2004
335 pages
This was my book club's book of choice for January. Alice Munro in 2013 received the Nobel Prize in Literature for her stories.
I confess I have not yet finished the book. I read the first three short stories. I usually don't review a book until I have read it all, but I don't expect to finish this any time soon.
The stories are about women who are, well, runaways. They are running from their lives, their husbands, their parents. They are portrayed as rather weak and ineffective people in some of these stories, as well as manipulative and easily manipulated.
The writing is very literary in nature, and I normally enjoy this, but I found these stories depressing. Perhaps it is simply the time of year or the place I am in my life, but I am in the mood for a little more light-hearted reading these days. Life is tough enough without the things I read reminding me of that fact.
I also was a little appalled when I realized that much of my fiction writing is similar to this in tone. I think I need to change my style and find my genre. I always thought I wanted to be a literary writer, but I think now I would rather just be a good writer.
Munro has written numerous books, none of which I have read. I would pick up her other work without question, because I can tell from the clarity of the writing that she is, without a doubt, a great literary writer. And I probably will finish this book at some point. Just not right now.
By Alice Munro
Copyright 2004
335 pages
This was my book club's book of choice for January. Alice Munro in 2013 received the Nobel Prize in Literature for her stories.
I confess I have not yet finished the book. I read the first three short stories. I usually don't review a book until I have read it all, but I don't expect to finish this any time soon.
The stories are about women who are, well, runaways. They are running from their lives, their husbands, their parents. They are portrayed as rather weak and ineffective people in some of these stories, as well as manipulative and easily manipulated.
The writing is very literary in nature, and I normally enjoy this, but I found these stories depressing. Perhaps it is simply the time of year or the place I am in my life, but I am in the mood for a little more light-hearted reading these days. Life is tough enough without the things I read reminding me of that fact.
I also was a little appalled when I realized that much of my fiction writing is similar to this in tone. I think I need to change my style and find my genre. I always thought I wanted to be a literary writer, but I think now I would rather just be a good writer.
Munro has written numerous books, none of which I have read. I would pick up her other work without question, because I can tell from the clarity of the writing that she is, without a doubt, a great literary writer. And I probably will finish this book at some point. Just not right now.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Thursday Thirteen
Here are thirteen websites that offer free reading. I have checked all of these out this morning and listed only those that you can dive right into without signing up for something. I suppose if you have a browser on your e-reader you can access all of these in some fashion, as most can be read in the browser. Some might be difficult on small screens, though.
1. Project Gutenberg - Among the first and probably the best well-known sites for free books. It has download formats for most of the popular e-readers.
2. Page By Page - Books and other resources available for reading at your computer.
3. Classic Reader - this has a place for a member sign-up but I am not sure why. These books are available for reading at your computer.
4. Bibliomania - This site also has free study guides for some classics
5. The Online Literature Library - More classics online.
6. Fiction.US - More classics online.
7. By Gosh - This site titles itself as being for children and offering children's literature, but Heart of Darkness and The Art of War do not seem like kid's lit to me. Anyway, you can find lots of poetry and other things here, too.
8. International Children's Digital Library - This site is worth visiting just to look at the pictures in some of the books. The book pages appear to have been scanned or photographed in some, if not all, instances.
9. The Complete Works of Shakespeare - If you feel a little lost or haven't read much Shakespeare, here's the space for you.
10. Plays Online - Bills itself as for play readers and writers.
11. Public Bookshelf - This site says it is for romance readers.
12. Bored - this site has literature, cookbooks, music and game books, etc.
13. Just English - A link that lists all of these sites and many others.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 328th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Project Gutenberg - Among the first and probably the best well-known sites for free books. It has download formats for most of the popular e-readers.
2. Page By Page - Books and other resources available for reading at your computer.
3. Classic Reader - this has a place for a member sign-up but I am not sure why. These books are available for reading at your computer.
4. Bibliomania - This site also has free study guides for some classics
5. The Online Literature Library - More classics online.
6. Fiction.US - More classics online.
7. By Gosh - This site titles itself as being for children and offering children's literature, but Heart of Darkness and The Art of War do not seem like kid's lit to me. Anyway, you can find lots of poetry and other things here, too.
8. International Children's Digital Library - This site is worth visiting just to look at the pictures in some of the books. The book pages appear to have been scanned or photographed in some, if not all, instances.
9. The Complete Works of Shakespeare - If you feel a little lost or haven't read much Shakespeare, here's the space for you.
10. Plays Online - Bills itself as for play readers and writers.
11. Public Bookshelf - This site says it is for romance readers.
12. Bored - this site has literature, cookbooks, music and game books, etc.
13. Just English - A link that lists all of these sites and many others.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 328th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Books: The Tao Of Writing
The Tao of Writing
By Ralph Wahlstrom
Copyright 2006
210 pages
I recently became interested in the Tao Te Ching, and just happened to have this book here on my shelf. (As an aside, I don't know how long it had sat unread on my shelf, but it is not made with the best paper and it had become musty, so I ordered it again and downloaded it to my Nook. The lack of dust is the most valid reason for e-readers ever.)
In any event, this is a book about creativity and flow. I was most intrigued by a section on something called "I Search" which is a form of writing wherein the author explores something - rather like I do on this blog, actually. You find something of interest and delve into it however deep you want.
Additionally, the author talks about feng shui and how clutter and a room that is not open can inhibit the writing process. This has caused me to take another look at the structure of my office. I am not sure how I might remake things - for one thing I can't move my desk simply because I am too puny - but perhaps there are changes I can make that would help. There is a lot of *stuff* in my office that perhaps doesn't need to be here.
At the end the author offers up 60 writing exercises that look very intriguing and interesting.
Definitely a good addition to any writer's library.
Just a note unrelated to the book - I learned with my Nook order that if you don't get the right version of the book, you can't enlarge the text. I apparently ordered the actual book publisher's version and could not make Nook notes in it, or highlight passages. Until this I hadn't realized that it made a difference what version of a book you ordered, and frankly this particular version is less useful in an e-reader. The book took me much longer to read than it should have simply because the text was so small in the e-reader and this book version that I ordered would not let me enlarge it. There was another version available and apparently that was the one I should have ordered. Barnes & Noble apparently will not let you return Nook purchases so I was stuck with it and certainly wasn't going to pay for the book a third time. I don't know if Amazon lets you return Kindle purchases but if so that is certainly a reason to look at the Kindle.
Since I have a hard copy, I plan to make photocopies of the exercises in the back for my own use and then donate the book to the library, since it has become too musty for my sensitive lungs. Of if anyone reading wants it, let me know. I know book dust doesn't bother everyone.
By Ralph Wahlstrom
Copyright 2006
210 pages
I recently became interested in the Tao Te Ching, and just happened to have this book here on my shelf. (As an aside, I don't know how long it had sat unread on my shelf, but it is not made with the best paper and it had become musty, so I ordered it again and downloaded it to my Nook. The lack of dust is the most valid reason for e-readers ever.)
In any event, this is a book about creativity and flow. I was most intrigued by a section on something called "I Search" which is a form of writing wherein the author explores something - rather like I do on this blog, actually. You find something of interest and delve into it however deep you want.
Additionally, the author talks about feng shui and how clutter and a room that is not open can inhibit the writing process. This has caused me to take another look at the structure of my office. I am not sure how I might remake things - for one thing I can't move my desk simply because I am too puny - but perhaps there are changes I can make that would help. There is a lot of *stuff* in my office that perhaps doesn't need to be here.
At the end the author offers up 60 writing exercises that look very intriguing and interesting.
Definitely a good addition to any writer's library.
Just a note unrelated to the book - I learned with my Nook order that if you don't get the right version of the book, you can't enlarge the text. I apparently ordered the actual book publisher's version and could not make Nook notes in it, or highlight passages. Until this I hadn't realized that it made a difference what version of a book you ordered, and frankly this particular version is less useful in an e-reader. The book took me much longer to read than it should have simply because the text was so small in the e-reader and this book version that I ordered would not let me enlarge it. There was another version available and apparently that was the one I should have ordered. Barnes & Noble apparently will not let you return Nook purchases so I was stuck with it and certainly wasn't going to pay for the book a third time. I don't know if Amazon lets you return Kindle purchases but if so that is certainly a reason to look at the Kindle.
Since I have a hard copy, I plan to make photocopies of the exercises in the back for my own use and then donate the book to the library, since it has become too musty for my sensitive lungs. Of if anyone reading wants it, let me know. I know book dust doesn't bother everyone.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Books: State of Wonder
State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett
Copyright 2011
353 pages
My book club chose State of Wonder as its November book. I put it in the same category as our last choice, Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver, at least in its multiple messages.
In State of Wonder, Marina is a pharmacologist who is sent by her employer to the Amazon. The reasons for this are many: the company has another doctor there working on a fertility drug but the doctor won't send regular reports and updates, and Marina's coworker, Anders, who was sent to check on the drug's progress, reportedly died while he was there.
While the book is a character study of Marina, it is also full of environmental messages and warnings. What are we doing when we delve into things we might better leave alone? What eco systems are we destroying, what habitats and peoples are we negating in the search for the next, best cure or fix? Why can't we just leave well enough alone?
These are very good questions, and the book asks them but does not offer straightforward answers. There is an implication, though, that the meddling is not for the best and that humanity might be better served by preserving instead of destroying.
by Ann Patchett
Copyright 2011
353 pages
My book club chose State of Wonder as its November book. I put it in the same category as our last choice, Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver, at least in its multiple messages.
In State of Wonder, Marina is a pharmacologist who is sent by her employer to the Amazon. The reasons for this are many: the company has another doctor there working on a fertility drug but the doctor won't send regular reports and updates, and Marina's coworker, Anders, who was sent to check on the drug's progress, reportedly died while he was there.
While the book is a character study of Marina, it is also full of environmental messages and warnings. What are we doing when we delve into things we might better leave alone? What eco systems are we destroying, what habitats and peoples are we negating in the search for the next, best cure or fix? Why can't we just leave well enough alone?
These are very good questions, and the book asks them but does not offer straightforward answers. There is an implication, though, that the meddling is not for the best and that humanity might be better served by preserving instead of destroying.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Books: Chesapeake Blue
Chesapeake Blue
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2002
Read by James Daniels
9 hours
Unabridged
This is book 4 in Nora Roberts Chesapeake series. I didn't know it was a part of a series when I picked up the audiobook, but no matter. The book stands alone as it is.
Seth Quinn is a famous artist who returns to his home in St. Christopher, located somewhere along the Chesapeake Bay. Seth has a troubled past, thanks to an abusive mother who essentially sold him to his grandfather so he could take the boy away from terrible circumstances.
At home, Seth discovers that Dru Whitcomb Banks, granddaughter of a famous senator and all that goes along with that, has escaped from Washington DC and opened up a flower shop in his hometown. She has troubles of her own, though nothing as bad as Seth's.
Dru doesn't love or trust easily, and Seth's past has left him a target for blackmail, something he keeps a secret. Can these two find love amidst all of this stuff?
That's the premise of the book, and one that Roberts readers will enjoy.
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2002
Read by James Daniels
9 hours
Unabridged
This is book 4 in Nora Roberts Chesapeake series. I didn't know it was a part of a series when I picked up the audiobook, but no matter. The book stands alone as it is.
Seth Quinn is a famous artist who returns to his home in St. Christopher, located somewhere along the Chesapeake Bay. Seth has a troubled past, thanks to an abusive mother who essentially sold him to his grandfather so he could take the boy away from terrible circumstances.
At home, Seth discovers that Dru Whitcomb Banks, granddaughter of a famous senator and all that goes along with that, has escaped from Washington DC and opened up a flower shop in his hometown. She has troubles of her own, though nothing as bad as Seth's.
Dru doesn't love or trust easily, and Seth's past has left him a target for blackmail, something he keeps a secret. Can these two find love amidst all of this stuff?
That's the premise of the book, and one that Roberts readers will enjoy.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Books: Lirael
Lirael
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2001
464 pages
This is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy.
Lirael is raised by Clayr, which is a group of mostly women who have the ability to see the future. But Lirael never receives her "calling" and she is ashamed that she does not have the "sight."
Sam is the prince of the Old Kingdom, and he is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. However, he doesn't want the job. He's kind of a schmuck, actually.
The reader follows these two characters and learns about them and the ways of the Old Kingdom, which is full of magic, good and bad. Necromancers practice bad magic, and it is the job of the Abhorsen to fix what the necromancers do, which is make the dead rise up and do their bidding.
I enjoyed this book up until the end, mostly because it just sort of ends and it obviously leads into the third book. I prefer my stories to be a little better rounded and to have an obvious and satisfying ending. This ends with a revelation about Lirael that I had figured out in the first pages, so perhaps that is why I did not find the ending quite satisfying and anti-climatic.
The book does end in an obvious place for a cut-off, though. I suppose the book had to end or it would have been a very fat book indeed.
I look forward to reading the third installment and seeing how things ultimately end.
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2001
464 pages
This is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy.
Lirael is raised by Clayr, which is a group of mostly women who have the ability to see the future. But Lirael never receives her "calling" and she is ashamed that she does not have the "sight."
Sam is the prince of the Old Kingdom, and he is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. However, he doesn't want the job. He's kind of a schmuck, actually.
The reader follows these two characters and learns about them and the ways of the Old Kingdom, which is full of magic, good and bad. Necromancers practice bad magic, and it is the job of the Abhorsen to fix what the necromancers do, which is make the dead rise up and do their bidding.
I enjoyed this book up until the end, mostly because it just sort of ends and it obviously leads into the third book. I prefer my stories to be a little better rounded and to have an obvious and satisfying ending. This ends with a revelation about Lirael that I had figured out in the first pages, so perhaps that is why I did not find the ending quite satisfying and anti-climatic.
The book does end in an obvious place for a cut-off, though. I suppose the book had to end or it would have been a very fat book indeed.
I look forward to reading the third installment and seeing how things ultimately end.
Books: Chasing Fire
Chasing Fire
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2011
Performed by Rebecca Lowman
15 hours
Rowan Tripp is a fire jumper. She leaps from planes into the mouth of a burning inferno and then, with her close-knit crew, she puts the fire out. She is tough and she doesn't fall in love.
But then the new crop of rookie jumpers come in, and she's drawn to Gulliver Curry. He's got fast feet and good talk and she breaks her own rules when it comes to him.
She also has nightmares because one of her buddies died in a fire the previous year, and she can't get him out of her mind.
Add in a mystery - who is the father of the fire base cook's baby - and even more mystery - who wants Rowan dead - and you have a pretty good story for the wife of a firefighter to listen to.
It's so good, in fact, that her fire-fighting husband will be listening to it next.
To be honest, I can't believe how good this story is. It is about as perfect a piece of work as I have read (or listened to) in quite a while. Nora Roberts uses lots of vivid imagery and great story telling to draw the reader in.
I guess now I am a Nora Roberts fan.
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2011
Performed by Rebecca Lowman
15 hours
Rowan Tripp is a fire jumper. She leaps from planes into the mouth of a burning inferno and then, with her close-knit crew, she puts the fire out. She is tough and she doesn't fall in love.
But then the new crop of rookie jumpers come in, and she's drawn to Gulliver Curry. He's got fast feet and good talk and she breaks her own rules when it comes to him.
She also has nightmares because one of her buddies died in a fire the previous year, and she can't get him out of her mind.
Add in a mystery - who is the father of the fire base cook's baby - and even more mystery - who wants Rowan dead - and you have a pretty good story for the wife of a firefighter to listen to.
It's so good, in fact, that her fire-fighting husband will be listening to it next.
To be honest, I can't believe how good this story is. It is about as perfect a piece of work as I have read (or listened to) in quite a while. Nora Roberts uses lots of vivid imagery and great story telling to draw the reader in.
I guess now I am a Nora Roberts fan.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Books: Flight Behavior
Flight Behavior
By Barbara Kingsolver
Copyright 2012
436 pages
Barbara Kingsolver is one of those authors I am supposed to love - but don't. I don't hate her but I have attempted to read several of her books and this is the first one I have actually finished.
It is very good, though as with her other books I did not connect with it on an emotional level. This is more a book for the intellect, I think.
The book was on the bestseller list for a while, as most of Kingsolver's books are.
The story, told in the third person, takes place in the fictional town of Feathertown, TN. Dellarobia is an unhappy wife and mother of two who, after a decade of marriage, would like for something to change. She goes about this in the wrong way at first, looking for passion outside the marriage.
On her way to a secret tryst in a shack on the family farm, she stumbles upon a magnificent sight that forces her to rethink her entire life. Monarch butterflies have settled in the valley on the family's acreage - millions of them. Instead of flying to Mexico as they have in the past, for whatever reason the butterflies have ended up in Tennessee.
The novel takes on climate change in a rather spooky way - the book seems to foretell the summer we've had here in 2013 - too wet, too cool, too wrong for Virginia's mid-Atlantic climate. Dellarobia's husband, Cub, is a farmer from a farming family - and too much rain, too much of the wrong weather, wrecks the farming community (much as it has done in reality this summer). Her father-in-law wants to log the farm, which would destroy this new butterfly habitat.
The butterflies create a sensation as word spreads, and a scientist, Ovid, comes to study the insects. The novel investigates the differences between science and religion, education and the lack thereof, as well as class and other issues, all in one tidy bundle. However, Kingsolver does not preach nor does she make her characters do handstands to get the points across. Instead she weaves a fine tapestry that, when unfolded, shows us the whole of the issues.
If you already like Kingsolver I imagine you will love this book. If you like to read books about the issues of the day, you will love this book. Based on the reviews, some people will be turned off by the implied environmental lecture - probably the ones who most need to hear it but aren't listening anyway.
And I still don't "love" Kingsolver, but I must admit that she is a fine writer, and after finishing this book I like her better than I did.
By Barbara Kingsolver
Copyright 2012
436 pages
Barbara Kingsolver is one of those authors I am supposed to love - but don't. I don't hate her but I have attempted to read several of her books and this is the first one I have actually finished.
It is very good, though as with her other books I did not connect with it on an emotional level. This is more a book for the intellect, I think.
The book was on the bestseller list for a while, as most of Kingsolver's books are.
The story, told in the third person, takes place in the fictional town of Feathertown, TN. Dellarobia is an unhappy wife and mother of two who, after a decade of marriage, would like for something to change. She goes about this in the wrong way at first, looking for passion outside the marriage.
On her way to a secret tryst in a shack on the family farm, she stumbles upon a magnificent sight that forces her to rethink her entire life. Monarch butterflies have settled in the valley on the family's acreage - millions of them. Instead of flying to Mexico as they have in the past, for whatever reason the butterflies have ended up in Tennessee.
The novel takes on climate change in a rather spooky way - the book seems to foretell the summer we've had here in 2013 - too wet, too cool, too wrong for Virginia's mid-Atlantic climate. Dellarobia's husband, Cub, is a farmer from a farming family - and too much rain, too much of the wrong weather, wrecks the farming community (much as it has done in reality this summer). Her father-in-law wants to log the farm, which would destroy this new butterfly habitat.
The butterflies create a sensation as word spreads, and a scientist, Ovid, comes to study the insects. The novel investigates the differences between science and religion, education and the lack thereof, as well as class and other issues, all in one tidy bundle. However, Kingsolver does not preach nor does she make her characters do handstands to get the points across. Instead she weaves a fine tapestry that, when unfolded, shows us the whole of the issues.
If you already like Kingsolver I imagine you will love this book. If you like to read books about the issues of the day, you will love this book. Based on the reviews, some people will be turned off by the implied environmental lecture - probably the ones who most need to hear it but aren't listening anyway.
And I still don't "love" Kingsolver, but I must admit that she is a fine writer, and after finishing this book I like her better than I did.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Books: Nora Roberts
All I Want for Christmas
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 1994
Read by Patrick Lawlor
3 Hours
The Villa
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2002
Read by Laural Merlington
6 Hours
Nora Roberts is a prolific author who has written over 200 books since 1981. Many of them fall in the romance category, but she has also delved into mainstream fiction and fantasy.
Here is where I confess that I seldom read romances, so I have generally avoided Roberts. But an interview with her that I saw on CBS's Sunday Morning show piqued my interest.
In All I want for Christmas, Roberts gives us a single-parent family with two twin boys who want THE MOM for Christmas. Not just any mom, but the mom that fits the bill - she likes dogs and little boys and chocolate chip cookies. Of course the newest lady in the small town just happens to fit that description.
In The Villa, Roberts brings us a bit of a mystery. The story is set in the Napa Valley in California, as well as in Italy, and gives us the adventures of a wine-making family with a crazed enemy who will stop at nothing to ruin their century-old business.
Roberts is a good writer; she has a great command of metaphor and similes and does a fine job with her stories. I imagine I will be listening to more of her work from the audiobooks at the library.
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 1994
Read by Patrick Lawlor
3 Hours
The Villa
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2002
Read by Laural Merlington
6 Hours
Nora Roberts is a prolific author who has written over 200 books since 1981. Many of them fall in the romance category, but she has also delved into mainstream fiction and fantasy.
Here is where I confess that I seldom read romances, so I have generally avoided Roberts. But an interview with her that I saw on CBS's Sunday Morning show piqued my interest.
In All I want for Christmas, Roberts gives us a single-parent family with two twin boys who want THE MOM for Christmas. Not just any mom, but the mom that fits the bill - she likes dogs and little boys and chocolate chip cookies. Of course the newest lady in the small town just happens to fit that description.
In The Villa, Roberts brings us a bit of a mystery. The story is set in the Napa Valley in California, as well as in Italy, and gives us the adventures of a wine-making family with a crazed enemy who will stop at nothing to ruin their century-old business.
Roberts is a good writer; she has a great command of metaphor and similes and does a fine job with her stories. I imagine I will be listening to more of her work from the audiobooks at the library.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Books: Notorious Nineteen
Notorious Nineteen
By Janet Evanovich
Copyright 2012
Audio read by Lorelie King
Unabridged
6 hours
I am sure that if I were reading this series of books instead of listening to it, I would have given up a long time ago.
But Lorelie King is such a wonderful reader that I continue to listen to these books in the car.
The stories have grown thin, tired, and predictable, but even so, listening to them read aloud can make me chortle. This is not a bad thing while one is driving on the back roads of my rural county.
In this installment, Stephanie is still out of money, she still gets her cars blown up, and she is still a bounty hunter who seldom catches her quarry. Lulu her faithful companion joins her in her quest to find several nefarious runaways, including a man who stole $5 million from an old folks home and a homeless guy who put up a Hawaiian statue as bounty.
She still doesn't make up her mind about her two love interests, Ranger and Morelli, though it sounds like she is ready to settle with Morelli sometimes. He offers marriage; Ranger offers excitement.
This time the story became just a little too unbelievable for me near the end - Stephanie's reaction to a terrible incident in her apartment was, well, abnormal if you ask me, because she basically has little to no reaction. But it's fiction and I was on the last disk, so there you go.
These are very light reads, but as I said, I prefer to listen to them. If you've never listened to one of these read by Lorelie King, you might check it out just for fun.
By Janet Evanovich
Copyright 2012
Audio read by Lorelie King
Unabridged
6 hours
I am sure that if I were reading this series of books instead of listening to it, I would have given up a long time ago.
But Lorelie King is such a wonderful reader that I continue to listen to these books in the car.
The stories have grown thin, tired, and predictable, but even so, listening to them read aloud can make me chortle. This is not a bad thing while one is driving on the back roads of my rural county.
In this installment, Stephanie is still out of money, she still gets her cars blown up, and she is still a bounty hunter who seldom catches her quarry. Lulu her faithful companion joins her in her quest to find several nefarious runaways, including a man who stole $5 million from an old folks home and a homeless guy who put up a Hawaiian statue as bounty.
She still doesn't make up her mind about her two love interests, Ranger and Morelli, though it sounds like she is ready to settle with Morelli sometimes. He offers marriage; Ranger offers excitement.
This time the story became just a little too unbelievable for me near the end - Stephanie's reaction to a terrible incident in her apartment was, well, abnormal if you ask me, because she basically has little to no reaction. But it's fiction and I was on the last disk, so there you go.
These are very light reads, but as I said, I prefer to listen to them. If you've never listened to one of these read by Lorelie King, you might check it out just for fun.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
Here are some books I have on my reading list. They are not in any particular order:
1. At Home, by Bill Bryson (nonfiction)
2. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia A. McKillip (fantasy)
3. Love Overboard, by Janet Evanovich (romance)
4. The Lost Years, by Mary Higgins Clark (mystery)
5. Full House, by Janet Evanovich (romance)
6. The Widening Stream: The Seven Stages of Creativity, by David Ulrich (nonfiction)
7. Lirael, by Garth Nix (fantasy)
8. Roar of the Heavens, by Stefan Bechtel (nonfiction)
9. A Wizard Alone, by Diane Duane (fantasy)
10. The Squire's Tale, by Gerald Morris (young adult, historical)
11. Creative Visualization, by Shakti Gawain (nonfiction)
12. As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen (nonfiction)
13. The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp (nonfiction)
I generally read about 50-55 books a year.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 302nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
2. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia A. McKillip (fantasy)
3. Love Overboard, by Janet Evanovich (romance)
4. The Lost Years, by Mary Higgins Clark (mystery)
5. Full House, by Janet Evanovich (romance)
6. The Widening Stream: The Seven Stages of Creativity, by David Ulrich (nonfiction)
7. Lirael, by Garth Nix (fantasy)
8. Roar of the Heavens, by Stefan Bechtel (nonfiction)
9. A Wizard Alone, by Diane Duane (fantasy)
10. The Squire's Tale, by Gerald Morris (young adult, historical)
11. Creative Visualization, by Shakti Gawain (nonfiction)
12. As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen (nonfiction)
13. The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp (nonfiction)
I generally read about 50-55 books a year.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 302nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Books by Richard Paul Evans
A Winter Dream
By Richard Paul Evans
Copyright
Read by Fred Berman
Approximately 6 hours
Lost December
By Richard Paul Evans
Copyright 2011
Read by John Dossett
Approximately 6 hours
Richard Paul Evans is nothing if not formulaic. These two books are almost interchangeable in plot, though they are based on two different Biblical premises. The first, A Winter Dream, is a rewriting of the tale of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors. The second, Lost December, is a rewriting of the prodigal son.
In both books, the young up-and-coming son leaves home, runs into trouble, finds himself again, and returns home. The only difference is that in A Winter Dream, Joseph is forced to leave home, and in Lost December, Luke leaves home by his own choice.
In each book, the short chapters begin with a line from the protagonist's diary. He also does this in his series The Walk.
Since I listened to these back-to-back, it was not hard for me to see the similarities in these books.
However, Evans writes well and tells a good story. His main character is always interesting, even if these two fellows were nearly interchangeable. He always has a happy and satisfying ending, even if you have to wonder if things like that really happen (and you know they usually don't).
Evans gives us hope in his stories. That, I think, is why he is such a successful author. He helps the readers think that maybe, just maybe, all that is wrong in their lives will somehow turn out all right in the end.
If you are a feminist, you might find these stories lacking. Women are not generally front and center in these books, and do not come off well. In both books there is a girlfriend who deserts the boy and destroys his faith in humanity, and another woman who is sweet and kind and worthy of him. Women also tend to hold traditional jobs in Evans' stories - they are secretaries and waitresses.
Even though there are some things about Evans's books I don't like, I have to give him a solid rating of 3.5 - 4 when I review him, simply because the stories are solid and well written. They also make me feel something, usually, and that means a lot.
By Richard Paul Evans
Copyright
Read by Fred Berman
Approximately 6 hours
Lost December
By Richard Paul Evans
Copyright 2011
Read by John Dossett
Approximately 6 hours
Richard Paul Evans is nothing if not formulaic. These two books are almost interchangeable in plot, though they are based on two different Biblical premises. The first, A Winter Dream, is a rewriting of the tale of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors. The second, Lost December, is a rewriting of the prodigal son.
In both books, the young up-and-coming son leaves home, runs into trouble, finds himself again, and returns home. The only difference is that in A Winter Dream, Joseph is forced to leave home, and in Lost December, Luke leaves home by his own choice.
In each book, the short chapters begin with a line from the protagonist's diary. He also does this in his series The Walk.
Since I listened to these back-to-back, it was not hard for me to see the similarities in these books.
However, Evans writes well and tells a good story. His main character is always interesting, even if these two fellows were nearly interchangeable. He always has a happy and satisfying ending, even if you have to wonder if things like that really happen (and you know they usually don't).
Evans gives us hope in his stories. That, I think, is why he is such a successful author. He helps the readers think that maybe, just maybe, all that is wrong in their lives will somehow turn out all right in the end.
If you are a feminist, you might find these stories lacking. Women are not generally front and center in these books, and do not come off well. In both books there is a girlfriend who deserts the boy and destroys his faith in humanity, and another woman who is sweet and kind and worthy of him. Women also tend to hold traditional jobs in Evans' stories - they are secretaries and waitresses.
Even though there are some things about Evans's books I don't like, I have to give him a solid rating of 3.5 - 4 when I review him, simply because the stories are solid and well written. They also make me feel something, usually, and that means a lot.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Books: Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
By Fannie Flagg
Copyright 1987
402 pages
I have long enjoyed the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, which starred Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Mary Louise Parker. It is one of my favorites.
However, I had never read the book, an oversight that I decided to correct since I have read many other books by Fannie Flagg.
Very rarely do I decide that the movie is better than the book. In this case, I think it is a tie.
The movie succinctly showcases the heart of the story, and tells it well, if not better, than the book. But the book is rather like southern potato salad - more creamy and filling than the movie ever thought of being.
The book goes into greater depth and offers up additional characters, and I enjoyed that. The movie has a number of differences from the book, too, and it was interesting to note those as I read.
The book Fried Green Tomatoes is set up in an unusual manner for the reader - there are many time and location changes, and things jump around a good bit. Some of the story is told by Ninny Threadgood, an old woman in a nursing home, who is visited by Evelyn Couch. Evelyn is a modern day 48-year-old woman who is trying to find herself (and I confess I have in the last decade identified with her character strongly whenever I see the movie. Towanda indeed.).
Other parts of the story are told by an omniscient narrator, and still other parts read as if they are torn from the local gossip sheet.
I think in this instance the two works are best taken in separate lumps, and better off not compared. Each has its strong points. If you want a bit more potato salad than the movie offered, read the book.
By Fannie Flagg
Copyright 1987
402 pages
I have long enjoyed the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, which starred Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Mary Louise Parker. It is one of my favorites.
However, I had never read the book, an oversight that I decided to correct since I have read many other books by Fannie Flagg.
Very rarely do I decide that the movie is better than the book. In this case, I think it is a tie.
The movie succinctly showcases the heart of the story, and tells it well, if not better, than the book. But the book is rather like southern potato salad - more creamy and filling than the movie ever thought of being.
The book goes into greater depth and offers up additional characters, and I enjoyed that. The movie has a number of differences from the book, too, and it was interesting to note those as I read.
The book Fried Green Tomatoes is set up in an unusual manner for the reader - there are many time and location changes, and things jump around a good bit. Some of the story is told by Ninny Threadgood, an old woman in a nursing home, who is visited by Evelyn Couch. Evelyn is a modern day 48-year-old woman who is trying to find herself (and I confess I have in the last decade identified with her character strongly whenever I see the movie. Towanda indeed.).
Other parts of the story are told by an omniscient narrator, and still other parts read as if they are torn from the local gossip sheet.
I think in this instance the two works are best taken in separate lumps, and better off not compared. Each has its strong points. If you want a bit more potato salad than the movie offered, read the book.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Books: The Shoemaker's Wife
The Shoemaker's Wife
By Adriana Trigiani
Copyright 2012
Approx. 15 hours (Audio)
I have read or listened to almost all, if not all, of Adriana Trigiana's books. The author is from Southwestern Virginia, which makes her a hometown girl, and for that reason alone I take pleasure in her work.
While I still think her Big Stone Gap book series is her best work, her recent books about shoemakers in New York (Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine) have also been entertaining.
The Shoemaker's Wife takes us back in time to the immigrants who came to America to learn the trade of making shoes. Two young boys, Eduardo and Ciro, are orphaned after their father dies and their mother leaves them at a convent because she cannot care for them. The story follows Ciro for a while, then switches to Enza, a stalwart, hard-working young woman whose destiny is entwined with Ciro's, and back again.
The story is told in third person omniscient, always an interesting point of view and one not seen in many new works these days. I always like it.
It is always better for me to be listening to long books while I am in the car, and this one was no exception. The story at times grew lengthy and I think some strong editing would have made the book better, but all in all it was a nice addition to Trigiani's work. Having read her earlier pieces I could see where this story was coming from, and had an idea of where it was going.
Trigiani is strong in character study and she's good with description. This book took advantage of both, probably a good thing since it was a little short on plot. It would not be unkind or wrong to call this a literary romance, for boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-again truly is the plot line.
The details of the time period are nicely done and since I have not been to Italy or Minnesota, and it's been quite some time since I was in New York, I found her descriptions interesting. Some might find them a little long-winded, though.
The only issue I had with the audio CD was a change in readers about half way through the book. At the end of the book, the author (who was the last reader) explains that this change of voice was done to emphasis the change in locale and time and to create a radio-play type of feel to the audio book. Unfortunately I found it a little jarring - the first reader was quite softspoken and feminine, and Trigiani - well, she's from around these here parts and has a tougher, louder, voice. It's not an unpleasant voice, but the two did not mesh. While I understand what the author wanted to do with the switch, the end result was more along the lines of "good grief, what happened, did they run out of money to pay the reader?" than I suspect was intended.
If you're a fan of Trigiani, and I hope you, then this is another good read for you. If you're just finding her, you might want to start with another of her works before you tackle this one.
By Adriana Trigiani
Copyright 2012
Approx. 15 hours (Audio)
I have read or listened to almost all, if not all, of Adriana Trigiana's books. The author is from Southwestern Virginia, which makes her a hometown girl, and for that reason alone I take pleasure in her work.
While I still think her Big Stone Gap book series is her best work, her recent books about shoemakers in New York (Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine) have also been entertaining.
The Shoemaker's Wife takes us back in time to the immigrants who came to America to learn the trade of making shoes. Two young boys, Eduardo and Ciro, are orphaned after their father dies and their mother leaves them at a convent because she cannot care for them. The story follows Ciro for a while, then switches to Enza, a stalwart, hard-working young woman whose destiny is entwined with Ciro's, and back again.
The story is told in third person omniscient, always an interesting point of view and one not seen in many new works these days. I always like it.
It is always better for me to be listening to long books while I am in the car, and this one was no exception. The story at times grew lengthy and I think some strong editing would have made the book better, but all in all it was a nice addition to Trigiani's work. Having read her earlier pieces I could see where this story was coming from, and had an idea of where it was going.
Trigiani is strong in character study and she's good with description. This book took advantage of both, probably a good thing since it was a little short on plot. It would not be unkind or wrong to call this a literary romance, for boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-again truly is the plot line.
The details of the time period are nicely done and since I have not been to Italy or Minnesota, and it's been quite some time since I was in New York, I found her descriptions interesting. Some might find them a little long-winded, though.
The only issue I had with the audio CD was a change in readers about half way through the book. At the end of the book, the author (who was the last reader) explains that this change of voice was done to emphasis the change in locale and time and to create a radio-play type of feel to the audio book. Unfortunately I found it a little jarring - the first reader was quite softspoken and feminine, and Trigiani - well, she's from around these here parts and has a tougher, louder, voice. It's not an unpleasant voice, but the two did not mesh. While I understand what the author wanted to do with the switch, the end result was more along the lines of "good grief, what happened, did they run out of money to pay the reader?" than I suspect was intended.
If you're a fan of Trigiani, and I hope you, then this is another good read for you. If you're just finding her, you might want to start with another of her works before you tackle this one.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Books: The Postmistress
The Postmistress
By Sarah Blake
Copyright 2010
369 pages
Pay attention. That was the message secreted in The Postmistress. While the book was about three women at the edge of America's involvement in World War II, it was also a message for today. Be alert, see what is happening in the world around you. For God's sake, pay attention.
Frankie Bard is a journalist who broadcasts with Ed Murrow from London in 1941, as the city is being blitzed nearly nightly. Emma Fitch is the new wife of the town's doctor in a sleepy Cape Cod town. Iris James is the town's postmaster.
It seems unlikely that Frankie Bard would have cause to meet the other two women, but that meeting is the point of the novel. Most of the story leads up to their inevitable conversation in Emma's living room.
The story on its surface hinges on the supposition that Iris James did not do her job and deliver a particular letter. However, the journalist is unable to do her job, too, and perhaps even the doctor's wife fails unintentionally in her new role as caregiver to the caregiver. What is it like to be human?
Here is the book blurb for this novel:
I found the book to be very cerebral, not emotional. I like to read the reviews of various books and I was struck by the fact that the reviews on Amazon.com for this particular novel were all over the place. I can't recall ever seeing a book receive over 330 reviews and have them be nearly even for every number, one through five.
The reviews that gave the book a "1" degraded it for its lack of emotional involvement with the character. The reviews that gave it a "5" called it a wonderful blend of literary fiction and women's fiction.
I liked it because I could tell it was well researched. I bonded with Frankie Bard right away, being a journalist myself, but in a cerebral, "ah ha, yes I understand why you would do that," sort of way. Having been a reporter who chases story - and one who has, on occasion, left them sitting solidly in my notebook, never to see the light of day - I understood the need to speak the truth and yet run from it, too. And I never dealt with war zones like Frankie Bard did.
I thought author Sarah Blake did a good job of capturing these women, the journalist and the postmaster. Her failure, I suspect, was not in better detailing the emotional state of the doctor's wife, and in the ending. I have read worse endings - this one just made me sigh and go, oh well, I'm not sure what else she could have done to wrap this up. But it did seem like an awkward finale.
So I would give the book a 4, because of the research and the two characters I most enjoyed getting to know.
Plus I loved the idea of a female broadcast journalist in 1941. How could I not?
By Sarah Blake
Copyright 2010
369 pages
Pay attention. That was the message secreted in The Postmistress. While the book was about three women at the edge of America's involvement in World War II, it was also a message for today. Be alert, see what is happening in the world around you. For God's sake, pay attention.
Frankie Bard is a journalist who broadcasts with Ed Murrow from London in 1941, as the city is being blitzed nearly nightly. Emma Fitch is the new wife of the town's doctor in a sleepy Cape Cod town. Iris James is the town's postmaster.
It seems unlikely that Frankie Bard would have cause to meet the other two women, but that meeting is the point of the novel. Most of the story leads up to their inevitable conversation in Emma's living room.
The story on its surface hinges on the supposition that Iris James did not do her job and deliver a particular letter. However, the journalist is unable to do her job, too, and perhaps even the doctor's wife fails unintentionally in her new role as caregiver to the caregiver. What is it like to be human?
Here is the book blurb for this novel:
In 1940, Iris James is the postmistress in coastal Franklin, Massachusetts. Iris knows more about the townspeople than she will ever say, and believes her job is to deliver secrets. Yet one day she does the unthinkable: slips a letter into her pocket, reads it, and doesn't deliver it.
Meanwhile, Frankie Bard broadcasts from overseas with Edward R. Murrow. Her dispatches beg listeners to pay heed as the Nazis bomb London nightly. Most of the townspeople of Franklin think the war can't touch them. But both Iris and Frankie know better...
The Postmistress is a tale of two worlds-one shattered by violence, the other willfully naive-and of two women whose job is to deliver the news, yet who find themselves unable to do so. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in history's tide, it examines how stories are told, and how the fact of war is borne even through everyday life.
I found the book to be very cerebral, not emotional. I like to read the reviews of various books and I was struck by the fact that the reviews on Amazon.com for this particular novel were all over the place. I can't recall ever seeing a book receive over 330 reviews and have them be nearly even for every number, one through five.
The reviews that gave the book a "1" degraded it for its lack of emotional involvement with the character. The reviews that gave it a "5" called it a wonderful blend of literary fiction and women's fiction.
I liked it because I could tell it was well researched. I bonded with Frankie Bard right away, being a journalist myself, but in a cerebral, "ah ha, yes I understand why you would do that," sort of way. Having been a reporter who chases story - and one who has, on occasion, left them sitting solidly in my notebook, never to see the light of day - I understood the need to speak the truth and yet run from it, too. And I never dealt with war zones like Frankie Bard did.
I thought author Sarah Blake did a good job of capturing these women, the journalist and the postmaster. Her failure, I suspect, was not in better detailing the emotional state of the doctor's wife, and in the ending. I have read worse endings - this one just made me sigh and go, oh well, I'm not sure what else she could have done to wrap this up. But it did seem like an awkward finale.
So I would give the book a 4, because of the research and the two characters I most enjoyed getting to know.
Plus I loved the idea of a female broadcast journalist in 1941. How could I not?
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