I'm sad to say I had never heard of this book until the author died recently and many of my friends were reminiscing online about loving this story. N...moreI'm sad to say I had never heard of this book until the author died recently and many of my friends were reminiscing online about loving this story. Now that I've read it, I really wish it had been a part of my childhood reading experience! Great little book. (less)
Two reasons why you should read this book pronto: 1. The main character is the place. The seasonal mood swings, the beauty, the cruelty. If a sense of...moreTwo reasons why you should read this book pronto: 1. The main character is the place. The seasonal mood swings, the beauty, the cruelty. If a sense of place is important to you, you will love this. 2. The marriage. Plenty of other books have the love-at-first-sight and subsequent seduction phase but this story specialized in the everything after. This is one of the most beautiful depictions I have ever read of growing old together with love, humor, tenderness, and forgiveness. 3. The balance between the magic and the realism. It can be a very difficult balance to get right but the author handles both sides with an amazing skill. I can definitely see why this became a Pulitzer finalist.
I think my enjoyment of the book was also helped immensely by Mark reading it aloud to me. He did a great job with the voices, especially in distinguishing the younger men from the older men and he was a hoot as Esther. (less)
Picked this up as a "Blind Date" book from the public library. The description on the gift wrap said "Local Author Romance" and indeed - the author is...morePicked this up as a "Blind Date" book from the public library. The description on the gift wrap said "Local Author Romance" and indeed - the author is someone we've seen at book reading events in the area.
I don't usually read romance but Tawna Fenske made this one a lot of fun. The heroine is very smart, there are scenes that are absolutely hysterical, and the characters have wonderful quirks. Lots of oddballs rather than the shiny cardboard stereotypes that I've always associated with the romance genre. As with most fluff fiction, though, there are some phrases that end up becoming cliches of the book by the end.
But still, it was a fun light read for a weekend and now I've read a book by someone from Bend! (less)
Lots of backstory this time, with a much better understanding of what the Cabal is. Still has that underlying thread of "what is story?" and "how do w...moreLots of backstory this time, with a much better understanding of what the Cabal is. Still has that underlying thread of "what is story?" and "how do we really use stories?" which I find so very delightful. Looking forward to the next one. (less)
The selection of poems seemed ... well ... very odd. From looking at the cover and the size, you might think this is a children's book but with poems...moreThe selection of poems seemed ... well ... very odd. From looking at the cover and the size, you might think this is a children's book but with poems by folks including Sylvia Plath and several brooding on death, not to mention The Highwayman (!), I'd have to say no - not really for children.
But I am not a child, so I can enjoy anyway I please, and enjoy this book I did. The 4 stars are for the illustrations. Beautiful, incredible watercolors. The pictures with The Owl and The Pussycat and many of the Yeats selections were especially nice. (less)
Definitely not a comic to share with kids, but the art is amazing. The facial expressions and body gestures were so fully expressed, it felt like watc...moreDefinitely not a comic to share with kids, but the art is amazing. The facial expressions and body gestures were so fully expressed, it felt like watching a movie rather than reading a book. I do wish it wasn't being told as a flashback from the baby's point of view, but that's a small thing. Definitely looking forward to more. (less)
(mild spoilers?) The story of a story run amok takes on the Song of Roland and a spoof of Beatrix Potter in which one of the characters is fed up with...more(mild spoilers?) The story of a story run amok takes on the Song of Roland and a spoof of Beatrix Potter in which one of the characters is fed up with being a cutesy rabbit, goddammit. I think the series is getting better and better. (less)
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