Author: Maeve Binchy
This is another wonderfully chatty book with many points of view, lots of secrets and surfaces and a few happy surprises. Just as expected.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Steven Galloway
Another book club choice (K's). I read this when it first came out and was hoping that I hadn't confused the novel with another one. I so wanted it to be the one with the water gathering and street crossing and was delighted to find that it was. Something about those simple acts resonated so strongly.
This time through I was aware of how much narrative distance I felt, that the author kept the reader emotionally apart from the events, in part because of the characters methods of dealing with their reality. Generally that kind of distance annoys me, but in this book it worked well, and served as a coping device.
One of the more engaged discussions came out of this, or my expectations of book talk at book club have adjusted.
Another book club choice (K's). I read this when it first came out and was hoping that I hadn't confused the novel with another one. I so wanted it to be the one with the water gathering and street crossing and was delighted to find that it was. Something about those simple acts resonated so strongly.
This time through I was aware of how much narrative distance I felt, that the author kept the reader emotionally apart from the events, in part because of the characters methods of dealing with their reality. Generally that kind of distance annoys me, but in this book it worked well, and served as a coping device.
One of the more engaged discussions came out of this, or my expectations of book talk at book club have adjusted.
Bel Canto
Author: Ann Patchett
Another great read. This was one of my book club choices. Terrorists invade a birthday party and take hostages and relationships evolve. The end was devastating, the denouement saved it in a sorrowful way. Very rich writing, characters that can do little, but feel a great deal, so well depicted.
Also loved the way that the characters rose to the occasion, taking on new roles, finding reasons to get up in the morning, and caring for the individuals that held them hostage.
Another great read. This was one of my book club choices. Terrorists invade a birthday party and take hostages and relationships evolve. The end was devastating, the denouement saved it in a sorrowful way. Very rich writing, characters that can do little, but feel a great deal, so well depicted.
Also loved the way that the characters rose to the occasion, taking on new roles, finding reasons to get up in the morning, and caring for the individuals that held them hostage.
A Crimson Warning
Author: Tasha Alexander
A murder / scandal mystery set in London in the Victorian era. Well told, despite a few bumps of complexity that strained belief (why hide things in the museum library using such a cryptic coding system?).
Liked the characters, and actually felt sad upon discovering the villain.
A murder / scandal mystery set in London in the Victorian era. Well told, despite a few bumps of complexity that strained belief (why hide things in the museum library using such a cryptic coding system?).
Liked the characters, and actually felt sad upon discovering the villain.
Bird Lake Moon
Author: Kevin Henkes
The lake cottage, a dead brother, a displaced kid next door and friendship and a tiny bit of mystery. Very gentle in the telling of the friendship between two boys and the ways in which they cope. Particularly loved that Mitch only connected with his Grandma over the card table.
The lake cottage, a dead brother, a displaced kid next door and friendship and a tiny bit of mystery. Very gentle in the telling of the friendship between two boys and the ways in which they cope. Particularly loved that Mitch only connected with his Grandma over the card table.
Stargazing Dog
Author / Illustrator: Takashi Murakami
Lovely, sad story of a lonely man and his dog and the child he tries to help, who (I think) ultimately helps him. Beautifully drawn, and the dog talks, but it isn't as irritating as that might sound.
Lovely, sad story of a lonely man and his dog and the child he tries to help, who (I think) ultimately helps him. Beautifully drawn, and the dog talks, but it isn't as irritating as that might sound.
A town Like Alice
Author: Neville Shute
I loving having books that are worth rereading again and again over the years. This is one of them. Admittedly, very much of its time and place, so really quite racist, yet with an endearing low key feminism.
I loving having books that are worth rereading again and again over the years. This is one of them. Admittedly, very much of its time and place, so really quite racist, yet with an endearing low key feminism.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Dreaming of You
Author: Lisa Kleypas
An authoress goes out in the field to do research and ends up hanging out at a gambling hall, buddies with the prostitutes. As often in romances, the villainess was a bit much and the hero as well. The female lead was more to my taste - regency feminist!
An authoress goes out in the field to do research and ends up hanging out at a gambling hall, buddies with the prostitutes. As often in romances, the villainess was a bit much and the hero as well. The female lead was more to my taste - regency feminist!
Flatscreen
Author: Adam Wilson
I will take this guy over Phillip Roth any day of the week. He's funny, self-aware and hopeless. Loved the Kahn character and the adoptive father persona he carried for the novel. I'd like to reread this to see what shifts in language brought Eli out of the dark funk and back into the light. I felt it happen, but didn't see any of the strings.
I will take this guy over Phillip Roth any day of the week. He's funny, self-aware and hopeless. Loved the Kahn character and the adoptive father persona he carried for the novel. I'd like to reread this to see what shifts in language brought Eli out of the dark funk and back into the light. I felt it happen, but didn't see any of the strings.
How to be Good
Author: Nick Hornby
Despite being overwhelmed by the narrator's unceasing monkey mind chatter, this turned out to be an interesting look at trying to be good and what comes of it. It makes you question many assumptions, which was unexpected in an amusing novel.
Despite being overwhelmed by the narrator's unceasing monkey mind chatter, this turned out to be an interesting look at trying to be good and what comes of it. It makes you question many assumptions, which was unexpected in an amusing novel.
The Sisters Brothers
Author: Patrick DeWitt
If not for the remarkable voice of the narrator, gentlemanly and precise, I doubt I'd have picked this book up. It was fantastic. Bizarre, comic, violent but such a satisfying read. Even the intermissions, which made no sense at first came to have meaning, like a strange dream.
If not for the remarkable voice of the narrator, gentlemanly and precise, I doubt I'd have picked this book up. It was fantastic. Bizarre, comic, violent but such a satisfying read. Even the intermissions, which made no sense at first came to have meaning, like a strange dream.
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