Half as Happy is a group of short stories by Gregory Spatz that encompasses a variety of situations including the loss of a child, eating disorders, m...moreHalf as Happy is a group of short stories by Gregory Spatz that encompasses a variety of situations including the loss of a child, eating disorders, marriage in later years, twins separated at birth, and a group of youths getting into trouble. The stories are written with a beautiful almost dreamlike quality. They jump from scene to scene and never end quite where you would expect them. Though they can be hard to follow for lack of spacing and the stream of consciousness quality in some of the stories, Spatz is a capable and promising writer.
Hot Pink is a collection of short stories that cover things like love, abuse, drug use, friendship, homosexuality, amputee-ism (is that a word?), in a...moreHot Pink is a collection of short stories that cover things like love, abuse, drug use, friendship, homosexuality, amputee-ism (is that a word?), in a fresh and fascinating voice. Adam Levin’s characters are rich and beautiful, even if a little sensationalist. I loved the story called “Scientific American,” which was about a man whose wall oozed gel. The mental deterioration of the man is incredible well done. I also really enjoyed “Frankenwittgenstein” and “The Extra Mile,” and I particularly liked the “Jane Tell” story, in which the girlfriend of the protagonist likes getting punched or otherwise hurt by random men. “Jane Tell” was an incredible story of how psychologically damaging it can be to be in love with a person who is mentally ill. Things I didn’t like about the collection included: killing animals for one reason or another (this happens like 3 times!) and the story about how to be a Jenny, Steve, Rick, and/or Geoff–I found myself skimming and ultimately skipping most of it. It seemed more like a way for the author to work out what those names meant to him, rather than a story.(less)
Jessica Soffer’s debut novel is a story of love, loss, betrayal, and finding happiness in yourself and others. We oscillate between Lorca and Victoria...moreJessica Soffer’s debut novel is a story of love, loss, betrayal, and finding happiness in yourself and others. We oscillate between Lorca and Victoria, two women very different in age but very similar in their love for food and cooking. Lorca is 15 and has moved to New York City with her mother. Lorca tries to win her mother’s love and appreciation through her cooking, but her mother is extremely self-absorbed and doesn’t notice Lorca’s efforts. So L fills this gap in her life with cutting and other forms of self-harm. When she overhears her mom talking about the masgouf (a fish dish) that she had years ago, Lorca is determined to make it for her.
Victoria, an immigrant from Baghdad, has recently lost her husband, who never forgave her for giving up their only child. In the wake of his death, Victoria becomes determined to find their daughter and make amends. Her neighbor, Dottie, cons her into hosting a cooking class, to which only one person shows up: Lorca. The two of them strike up a friendship and when Victoria learns that Lorca’s mother was adopted, she begins to hope that Lorca is her family.
Soffer’s ability to create two distinctly different voices, young and old, in the first person POV is incredible! Lorca and Victoria’s insecurities and desires come through distinctly. I loved the food analogies peppered throughout the book (see what I did there), which made it feel authentic. The book is rich with Iraqi-Jewish culture and FOOD. I just love books about food. I was hungry pretty much the entirety of Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots. The only thing I didn’t like were the two sections from Joseph. I thought they felt out of place and unnecessary, because he’s dead and we could learn what he had to tell us through like a journal entry or a conversation between (living) characters.(less)
Bel Canto is a story that begins with a terrorist attack. In a South American country, many people gather for Mr. Hosokawa’s, the CEO of a major Japan...moreBel Canto is a story that begins with a terrorist attack. In a South American country, many people gather for Mr. Hosokawa’s, the CEO of a major Japanese tech company, birthday. The famous American soprano singer, Roxanne Coss, is performing some of Mr. Hosokawa’s favorite opera music when the lights go out and the terrorists descend from the air vents. Forced into a hostage situation for four plus months, the terrorists and the hostages almost forget their differences. The translator, Gen, falls in love with a female terrorist, another terrorist is taught to play chess, another is taught to sing by the famous opera singer. With no common language, except music, the hostages and terrorists form both romantic and brotherly bonds, brotherly love, and other various bonds form between characters who would otherwise have never met. I have zero problems with this book except that it was slow going. It didn’t grab my attention until the last 100 pages. And then I thought the ending was a little too Hollywood.(less)
The Dud Avocado has been compared to Edith Wharton and Henry James novels about young American women abroad. However, written in first person, this bo...moreThe Dud Avocado has been compared to Edith Wharton and Henry James novels about young American women abroad. However, written in first person, this book gets inside the woman’s neurotic head. Sally Jay has an allowance from her rich uncle to stay abroad for two years after school. She’s trying to be an actress without much success. The story begins with her meeting Larry, a director, who she attended a summer program with in the States. He is producing Tennessee Williams plays and asks her to audition. She is captivated by Larry’s good looks and immediately falls in love with him. We follow Sally Jay through breaking up with her married lover, different roles on the stage and in film, “falling in like” with a painter, and all the while she is madly in love with Larry.
My main complaint is that the style of the novel is erratic and often hard to follow. Scenes melt into one another without sufficient breaks. The middle section of the novel is composed as Sally Jay’s diary, where as the beginning and end are narrative. There is an abundance of characters, scenes of distress, humiliation, and hilarity, which are entertaining yet often disorienting.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Dundy beautifully renders the voice of a young woman, who is all but alone in the world. This is a coming of age tale. Sally Jay is young and impressionable. She sways whichever way is fitting to her mood. In many ways this is the attitude of an eccentric, an artist, but in other ways it is just the attitude of youth. There are moments that remind me of the awkwardness of shows like The Office. I found myself being like Sally Jay, you did NOT just say/do that!(less)
Henrietta Cynster is known as the matchbreaker. She is the woman that all of the ladies of the ton go to when they want to make sure their suitor is m...moreHenrietta Cynster is known as the matchbreaker. She is the woman that all of the ladies of the ton go to when they want to make sure their suitor is marrying them for honorable reasons. She gets the dirt on the groom-to-be and prevents young brides from entering into ill-fated matches.
James Glossup’s grandmother has given him one year to marry and that year is coming to a close. When Henrietta ruins his chances with one lady of the ton, he is furious. Henrietta agrees to help him find a match, going from matchbreaker to matchmaker. But what happens when James begins to think that Henrietta is the one for him? And what happens when her life is threatened by a sinister mystery man, who has murder on the brain?
I loved the premise of this book! Having the heroine be a matchbreaker is a novel (wink) idea! However, the romance part is essentially over half way through. The couple falls in love very quickly without any real problems,and then there is a super long part about getting ready for the wedding.Maybe I’m alone in this, but I don’t like reading about the point leading up to the wedding. What kind of flowers will there be? Who will be invited? What dress? etc. I hear about that in real life and I don’t care. So that’s where the book lost me.
I wanted the romance and the mystery to be more integrated. As it is, they are two separate stories thrown together, like part one: romance and part two: mystery. So, basically if the romance and mystery had been one story, and we deleted the pages about the wedding, I would have been pleased.(less)
I Married You for Happiness is more like a collection of stream of consciousness poetry (is that a thing?) than a novel. It begins with Philip’s death...moreI Married You for Happiness is more like a collection of stream of consciousness poetry (is that a thing?) than a novel. It begins with Philip’s death. Nina spends the night by his side recollecting moments of their history together, which include infidelities, insecurities, love, anger, joy, intimacies, pretty much what you would expect of a marriage lasting 40+ years.
I Married You is told in very short memories, some only one or two lines long, others a few paragraphs. It is hard to distinguish the present day from memory and memory rooted in truth from constructed memory. Nina is an extremely unreliable narrator, and one that I couldn’t connect with at all. She is cold and reserved. Her memories paint herself in a terrible light. She does make an interesting connection between life, mathematics (Philip was a math professor), and the afterlife. Philip believes everything can be explained through math, but Nina is less sure. Though she seems intrigued by his explanations and logic, as an artist her beliefs naturally collide with his. I liked this idea that Nina explores throughout the novel that you can never REALLY know the person you love. They will always be mysterious in some way and you will always somehow elude them.
However, after reading I asked myself what was the point? Nothing happens in the story. We have no idea how Nina will cope with Philip’s death or how her life will turn out now that he’s gone. I found this very frustrating! Also, I thought that the mechanics were more the point of the story, which I can’t stand. By mechanics I mean the structure of the stream of consciousness memories. I could tell that Tuck took great pleasure in how she connected the memories, and they are very well done. However, when the art of the story is more about it’s craft than the story itself, I can’t help but be like WHY did I just waste my time with that. The novel is more like a writing assignment written solely to impress your professor–and all of the other students are like WTF.
Clearly, I didn’t love this novel. However, Lily Tuck is a critically acclaimed writer and not necessarily one to be “written off” :) because of one plot-less book.(less)
Frances and Bernard is an epistolary novel that features mostly letters between Frances and Bernard (obv) but also between them and their friends. I l...moreFrances and Bernard is an epistolary novel that features mostly letters between Frances and Bernard (obv) but also between them and their friends. I liked that we got to see both sides of their letter writing. The two of them are both writers and they develop a correspondence based mainly on the craft of writing and on their Catholic faith. But their letters to their friends have more details about their every day lives and about their relationship with each other. They seem much more accessible in these letters, less abstracted. Frances and Bernard start out as friends, then their relationship grows sort of professional, and then it grows romantic. But when Bernard suffers from a mental break down their relationship is thrown into turmoil. I don’t want to give too much away, so there it is!
This was an interesting read as far as philosophy on faith (though that’s not really something I’m interested in). I also like their romantic relationship, which seemed very real and avoided being cliche. However, in their letters to each other, especially the early letters, they are a bit pretentious and judge-y of people less talented. For example, Frances writes to Bernard that she met a historical romance writer at a function of some kind. The language Frances uses to describe the woman is patronizing at best. The woman goes on and on about her writing process and how lucky she is that it comes so easy. Frances just hates her and tells Bernard that she doesn’t want to be like this woman, etc. BUT SHE IS. That was really frustrating to me. Frances is almost worse because she doesn’t see herself as pretentious or patronizing, just as reserved. This turned me off considerably, because I didn’t feel like I could connect to her at all.(less)
Travis and Alicia were rivals in college. Both were smart and business minded. Alicia came on to him once at the end of senior year and he turned her...moreTravis and Alicia were rivals in college. Both were smart and business minded. Alicia came on to him once at the end of senior year and he turned her down. When he calls her company 10 years later for a last minute flight to Boston to see his friends. She sees her opportunity to get what she wants (his bod) and to finally get back at him from the rejection all those years ago.
So this is incredibly short! You could read it in like an hour or two. My only complaint with this book is that it’s too short to really give us a sense of who our characters are and why they are good for each other. Basically they just have a bunch of really awesome sex and are like let’s give this a try.(less)
Cherry St. Croix is a super feminist during the industrial revolution in England. She lost both of her parents in a laboratory fire and spent her youn...moreCherry St. Croix is a super feminist during the industrial revolution in England. She lost both of her parents in a laboratory fire and spent her younger days working for a circus type thing. Now she is a young lady living with a chaperone, who will inherit quite a fortune in only a year’s time. She is addicted to opium to calm her night terrors and she is a collector on the side to supplement her income. When she is called on to collect a man murdering prostitutes, she may be in for more than she anticipated. And when she starts to fall for a dangerous man (or two?), it could jeopardize everything she’s fought for.
This book was a little over the top angry feminist at points. And some of the urban fantasy elements were a bit over dramatic. Also it is the first book in a series! I should have been tipped off by the fact that you don’t meet the hero(s) until like half way through the book. Also by the cover saying THE ST. CROIX CHRONICLES. I effing HATE series books. You mean that’s the ending?! And the next book doesn’t come out until when?
We have a sexy duke who has been tattooed on his travels to Africa. And a writing girl who goes undercover as a maid in his household staff to uncover...moreWe have a sexy duke who has been tattooed on his travels to Africa. And a writing girl who goes undercover as a maid in his household staff to uncover the mystery behind this foreign man for her gossip column. They develop a camaraderie that’s a little unbelievable for a duke and his house maid, but promises late night rendezvous. But can he get over the fact that she’s using their friendship (ahem) to run his reputation into the ground? Yes. Yes he can. And can she forgive him for proposing to Hade’s own harpe because he desperately needs the money? Well, we’ll just have to see.
This is the second book of Maya Rodale’s Writing Girls series that I’ve read. And I liked this one so much more than the last! I loved Rodale’s writing style, but her character development was lacking in the last book. This one had everything I wanted!(less)
These Days Are Ours is like a conversation piece for 20-somethings about the problems 20-somethings face. “It’s like Thought Catalog the book” as one...moreThese Days Are Ours is like a conversation piece for 20-somethings about the problems 20-somethings face. “It’s like Thought Catalog the book” as one eloquent friend of mine said. It’s a dialogue driven narrative about how shitty it is to be unemployed, looking for love, trying to understand life and where you fit in it. And it’s a lot of #firstworldproblems, which I can relate to! She’s a recent BU grad and has moved back to New York City (post 9/11) to get a job. Hailey comes from a wealthy, but broken, family, and she wants to make it on her own. Her constant following up on job interviews and total obsession with a boy who doesn’t like her back are #reallife situations that most of us deal with, and Hailey has a sense of humor and a willingness to learn that makes her sympathetic and endearing. Haimoff really nails the angst and the speech and the burning desires of 20-somethings. If you want a fun read that will make you laugh and make you think, this is it!(less)
Ida lost her mom at a young age and lives with her father. She befriends Jackson and James, who live on her street and they become her quasi-family. I...moreIda lost her mom at a young age and lives with her father. She befriends Jackson and James, who live on her street and they become her quasi-family. Ida and Jackson have a hard time understanding that they are different people. To further complicate this Jackson calls her “I.” As they mature, Ida and Jackson have a tumultuous relationship that eventually leads to them living together as adults, but when they break up for good (this isn’t a spoiler. promise!), Ida’s entire world shifts and she has to learn how to live without her blood, her family. This is a non linear narrative that takes the reader through their childhood together and the events leading to the break up. Alcott is a fantastic writer! Her imagery is bold and fresh and her prose is almost like poetry. And her characters are young and artsy (my fave!). There were moments that I wasn’t convinced by the plot, but I think her next piece will work out some of those kinks. I look forward to getting my hands on it!(less)
Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles is tumultuous story of obsessive love, failed chances, faked suicide, and fame, oh and a running fascination with artif...moreFlimsy Little Plastic Miracles is tumultuous story of obsessive love, failed chances, faked suicide, and fame, oh and a running fascination with artificial intelligence. Let me just interject here to say that none of what I’m writing in this post will ruin the story for you. You pretty much know the deal from the first couple of pages.
So, the protagonist (Ron Currie, Jr. – we’ll come back to that) lost his book in a fire. So he moves to a Caribbean island to work on a new book because his editor is expecting something. All this time he and Emma are tearing at each other. Their relationship is abusive and needy and uncommunicative at its worst, but when it’s good it’s SO good. When Emma leaves him he tries to commit suicide and fails, then see’s his chance to disappear and start over. So he fakes his own death. During his 3 year absence from the U.S., his book becomes a best seller and Emma gets married. When he returns to “face the music,” he finds people aren’t so welcoming. They feel they’ve been duped. This is where Tim O’Brien’s theory about story truth versus happening truth come into play (this is a fairly well stomped ground for writers and for literature majors. Currie explains the thin line between fiction and reality, and I was nodding my head the whole time.) Basically, the idea is that what is published as fiction is just that. No matter how much like the life of the author it is, it is still fabricated, still not entirely “true.” It may feel more true than what happened in reality (which is the point). Currie (the author) is playing with us: What parts of this book are true? There are a lot of correlations with Currie’s life. Does it matter if we know? Will we ever know for sure? No. Writers are very good liars.
I really liked this book! It was well written and well thought out. It was heartbreaking to see the relationship with Emma end the way it did even though I knew that’s how it would end. I wanted to be like Ron, man, you gotta just talk to her. But I have done similar things in relationships, so I know that feeling of wanting to seem untouchable because you’re afraid of being hurt. Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles also made me think about my own writing and the fine line between reality and fiction. Plus, it gave me some refreshing insight into the male perspective, which my reading has been lacking lately (except for My Life in Heavy Metal).(less)
My Life in Heavy Metal is a series of short stories, mostly from first person POV, and mostly about men in their twenties (there is one story about a...more My Life in Heavy Metal is a series of short stories, mostly from first person POV, and mostly about men in their twenties (there is one story about a lady). They range from cheating on girlfriends to hookup culture to relationships gone badly. Though they were written over 10 years ago (can you believe it!), they still feel modern and relevant. Steve Almond is a fantastic writer. Really, he’s brilliant. But some of these stories I found the subject matter generally uninteresting or that it fell flat toward the end. Anyway, read this book for the first story, which the book was named after. It was so good! (less)
Daphne comes from a huge loving family. Simon is an only child and heir to the Duke of Hastings. He was despised by his father because of a disability...moreDaphne comes from a huge loving family. Simon is an only child and heir to the Duke of Hastings. He was despised by his father because of a disability. He swears never to marry because he doesn’t want to continue his father’s title. He and Daphne become friends, but when her brothers grow suspicious of their relationship, they force the two into marriage and shatter Simon’s dreams of revenge.
Julia Quinn is a great writer! Her stories are always funny and her heroines are endearing. I enjoyed the hero of The Duke and I a lot! Simon was tortured and angsty, but still witty. Quinn masters the flirtation between her characters. The first half of her books are always A.W.E.S.O.M.E. But around page 150-200 I start to lose interest. Once the characters get together, Quinn seems to revert to romance stereotypes as far as plot development and characterization.(less)
Natalie E.
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