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2016 Reads and Reviews(Part 1) ~ Anything goes
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry, 3 ***s
This novel is the story of Hannah Coulter told in first person of her life from the 1920's to the early 2000's. She grew up on a small farm in Kentucky, then after leaving the farm, she tells of meeting her husband(s), and of her life on the farm, raising children, being a part of the small farming community of neighbors, and of old age and the death of her husband. I liked it fine. It wanted to be more poetic and thoughtful than I was in the mood for right now, so it might be my own fault that I didn't like it better. It is the July read for my library book club, and I know the leader who recommended it really likes this author and has read many of his books, many of which are connected to each other. But I'm not inclined to read another one :/
Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock by Emily Brightwell – 2.5** I like this cozy mystery series featuring Mrs Jeffries and other servants in the Inspector’s Victorian household, who work together to lead their boss to the solution of the mystery. However, I think I’ve read too many recently and the plots are getting formulaic and thin. Still, it’s a fast read, and an occasional cozy never hurt anyone.
Full Review HERE
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian – 3.5*** Emily Shepard is a troubled teen. Totally understandable, given that she’s been orphaned by a nuclear plant disaster where both her parents worked, she’s homeless, and she’s one of the most reviled people in Vermont, if not all of America. The novel is told as a series of journal entries, and Emily’s recollections are not linear. Often, I was irritated with her, but I grew to like her and root for her. She was intelligent, resilient, tried to be responsible, and very vulnerable. Grace Blewer does a fine job narrating the audio version. Blewer is Bohjalian’s daughter, and she helped him with the slang and cadence of speech so that he could write in a more-believably-teen-aged voice.
Full Review HERE
Mod
The Impossible Lives of Greta Wellsby Andrew Sean Greer
4/5 stars
Greta is suffering, her beloved brother has died of AIDS and now her husband who never wanted children has also left to marry and have a child. To deal with the grief, she meets with a doctor who has promised relief from ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). After the first treatment she travels to the year 1918 after the end of WWI, where she finds the same people in her life but in different roles and she ends up traveling between 1918, 1941 and 1985. But when she is in those different periods the two other Gretas from 1918 and 1941 are also traveling between time periods. What will happen when the ECT ends and how will the changes effect Greta? Fascinating book and beautiful writing. I would read another of his books.
4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie – 3.5*** The story begins when Mrs McGillicuddy witnessed a murder on a passing train. She reports it to the authorities, but as there has been no body found, and no woman reported missing, they dismiss her story as active imagination. This is a great cozy mystery, featuring a fine cast of suspects and amateur sleuths. Miss Marple employs the assistance of the very capable Lucy Eyelesbarrow, a young woman who is smart and steadfast. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with. Joan Hickson - the marvelous actress who played Miss Marple in the television series – is absolutely pitch perfect narrating the audio book.
Full Review HERE
Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich, 4****S
These books are always fun! After twenty-one of them, they sometimes become repetitive...but you always know what to expect! And when I'm in the mood for something light and fun, I always go back to Stephanie Plum and the crew of misfits :)
Hi to all my library lovers. I have definitely used my local branch library this summer. My kids and I have participated in the summer reading program and gotten fun prizes like a free book each and a beach tote bag. I haven't been around here much because I just finished Gone With the Wind and next month I hope to attempt Lonesome Dove. I love being able to read epic books during summer break when the only activity I have scheduled is reading :) :)
Mod
What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms
by Carla Birnberg and Roni Noone
3/5 stars
This book deals with healthy living, watching what you eat and exercising without giving up after a few days. They have lots of suggestions and there is even a online community to help you keep up your healthy objectives on your own terms. I thought the ideas of what to do were great and the small changes are easy for anyone to do.
Mod
Congrats on finishing GWTW. I would love to re-read it but there are so many other books I want to read. Our library has a nice reading program with lots of activities and even has a adult reading program too. It should be a crime not to use the library-not all communities have them and they are such great community resource.
Julie I have gotten that response by so many people that they'd love to reread GWTW after seeing how much I enjoyed it but they have more books to read for the first time. I feel that way about Isabel Allende's House of the Spirits. Maybe I will read it on my birthday if my schedule allows it. In the meantime I continue to get all my reading material from my library. Why buy a book if the library has it
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – 3*** The novel – a combination of historical fiction and fantasy – tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. In general, I like fantasy, and I love magical realism, so I really wanted to like this book. But it never really captured my attention, and I found it tedious to read in places. I was not swept away. Still, there are passages that were riveting and I never felt like I should just give up on the book. Final verdict: a decent but uneven debut, and I won’t be in any hurry to read the planned sequel.
Full Review HERE
BC thanks for the review. This book is on my radar but I have a lot of other books to read so I'll pass for now.
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier – 2.5** In 1850, Honor Bright accompanies her sister to America, hoping for a new start. But the “frontier” of Ohio is very different from the long-established English community Honor left, and she feels adrift and unwelcomed. I’ve been a fan of Chevalier’s for a long time. I like the way she puts the reader into the time and place of her historical novels, and this is no exception. But I didn’t really believe in Honor. It seemed to me that Chevalier got herself into a corner and didn’t know how to get out, so she used the most convenient way to end things. It was so dissatisfying, to me, that I dropped half a star.
Full Review HERE
Mod
Are You My Mother?
Alison Bechdel
3/5 stars
Cartoonist Alison Bechdel who chronicled her relationship with her father, takes on her relationship with her mother in this graphic novel. Bechdel has a tumultuous relationship with both parents but her father had died before she wrote Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. However, as we find in this book her mother is still alive and her dread in showing this book to her mother is a big part of this book along with her relationships with her lovers and therapists. As Bechdel deals with her psychological issues with her mother, she also writes about the history of the psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott who she is studying to get a grip on her issues. Not an easy read. Uncomfortable subject matter but interesting. I liked Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic better because the story line flowed better for me. This has a lot of psychological terminology and the story line breaks when she discusses Winnicott which is distracting but this is an amazing and brave book and kudos to her for writing it.
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff– 5***** In October 1949 Helene Hanff, a single woman living and working in her small New York apartment, responded to an ad placed in the Saturday Review of Literature by Marks & Co, a bookshop in London that specialized in used books. Thus began a two-decade long correspondence and friendship between the reserved bookseller and the irrepressible Miss Hanff. What a delight it is to be allowed to watch this growing relationship, fueled by a shared love of books, and an ability to laugh at oneself and one’s follies. It’s the kind of book I’ll read over and over just for the sheer joy of it.
Full Review HERE
84 Charing Cross Road sound good. It's on my TBR. I just read Absalom's Daughters. I am currently reading Redemption Road by John Hart. It is not a genre I would normally read but highly recommended and so far so good.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, 5*****s
This is an amazing effort by the author to try to follow his food from the farm to the table. However..... he finds that he is unable to do so because of how our food today is grown, harvested, shipped, prepared, etc. So he does the next best thing and just tries to learn and experience as much as he can about each of these processes. He decides to break down his research going from "industrial" food all the way down to hunting and foraging; with some intermediate stops along the way, such as a farm where all the animals are raised with respect but, of course, they still get eaten ;)
Anyway, Pollan does a very good job of trying to give all the sides of our American food story so that everyone can decide for themselves what they are most comfortable with and what they think is healthiest for their bodies, the animals, and the planet. Very readable, very interesting! And a little scary :/
Book Concierge wrote: " The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – 3*** The novel – a combination of historical fiction and fantasy – tells the story of two supernatural creat..."
I'm glad to see your review. I also was not swept away & felt odd because every one else seemed to love it so much. Thanks for your honest thoughts.
Mod
Letters from Skye
Jessica Brockmole
4/5 stars
Elspeth Dunn is a poet living on the Isle of Skye in Scotland pre-WWI when she first receives a fan letter from a young college man, David Graham from Illinois who admires her books of poetry. They strike up a friendship and then much more. Their story is told through letters and spans between the two world wars. What a sweet, lovely story and very hard to put down.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman – 4**** Subtitle: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. This is a fascinating medical mystery, and a balanced exploration of two very different points of view. I thought the book could have used more editing; Fadiman tends to repeat her message. Still, I was really caught up in the story, and appreciated learning more about the Hmong culture.
Full Review HERE
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan – 3*** This was a fascinating memoir – drawn partly from interviews with friends, relations, colleagues and medical personnel, her journal writings during the period, and her medical records – of a time period when Cahalan was nearly completely lost. Her training as a journalist is evident here. She includes much background information on the research into the disorder – anti-NDMA-receptor encephalitis. I was engaged and interested from beginning to end, though I did feel it was a bit repetitive. Heather Henderson does a fabulous job reading the audio book. Her performance really brought to life the deterioration Cahalan experienced, as well as how anxious and confused she felt.
Full Review HERE
Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis – ZERO stars This cozy mystery is the first in the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series. There’s a decent idea for a cozy here. But the execution is terrible. The characters are cardboard cutouts, the plot (thin as it is) is completely ridiculous, and the dialogue is tortured. I kept reading only because it fulfilled several challenges. At least it was a fast read.
Full Review HERE
July 17 – currently readingTEXT –
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes / Elizabeth BardAUDIO in the car -
The Little Paris Bookshop / Nina GeorgePortable AUDIO -
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission / Hampton Sides
A Cold-Blooded Business by Dana Stabenow – 3.5*** After one too many drug-related deaths at the site, former DA Investigator Kate Shugak is asked to go undercover to the Prudhoe Bay oil fields to find out who is dealing drugs. I had read the first book in this series a couple of years ago and I was not impressed, but I’m glad I gave the series another chance. I like that Shugak is a strong woman, smart, resourceful, dedicated, committed and independent. I also like her strong sense of integrity. I did find some of the characters thinly drawn, however.
Full Review HERE
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
What an exciting story written in 1870! I had always heard about Captain Nemo, and now I'm glad to have finally read this book of underwater adventure!
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan, 3***s
This book tells the very interesting story of the building of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during WWII. Many of the workers in the Oak Ridge, TN plant were women. And even though the people who worked there didn't know what they were producing at the time because everything was Top Secret, they knew it was important work.
The information in this book is very interesting, however....it was very long, very detailed, and highly technical, and it didn't make me want to keep coming back to the story to see what was happening to each one of the characters. I read it for my library book club, so I made myself read 25 pages a day so that I would finish it in time. And I hate to say, as much as I wanted to know about this subject, if I hadn't been reading it for book club, I'm not sure I would have finished it :/
Mod
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denis..."
Sounds interesting but the detailed technical stuff makes me want to hold off.
Mod
The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower
Robert Graysmith
3.5/5 stars
Graysmith writes an intriguing true life story that centers around the movie Psycho, especially Marli Renfro, the body double for Janet Leigh in Psycho, Sonny Busch, the killer of elderly women in California in the 1960's and the changing morality of the country at that time including the rise of Playboy, nudity in films and gambling. This was hard to put down and my only complaint was that times he was a bit wordy but it was still worth reading. A big thanks to whoever recommended this book.
The Rise of the Rocket Girls by Natahlia Holt. Finished this book a few days ago and loved it. Was really interesting to get to know that these women, considered Computers, where at the beginning of the rocket science. The Engineers relied on these women to check and figure out the mathematical equations needed to get this science off the ground. There were no problems of thinking that this was not women's work, they worked side by side the men at JPL without being made to feel unwanted or unnecessary. There is a lot of technical detail written in this book about what was happening in this industry and the problems they were having with the government and with the Soviets beating them in space but these women were up for the challenge. What a remarkable story. One of the best books I've read this year.
Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard – 3.5***When Bard was a graduate student in England (art history), she took a weekend trip to Paris, where she met and had lunch with a Frenchman. And the rest, as they say, is history. This is a charming memoir where Bard explores the many differences between French and American culture. I loved her descriptions of the many meals she enjoyed, and was inspired by several of the recipes she includes.
Full Review HERE
Mod
Much Laughter, a Few Tears: Memoirs of a Woman's Friendship With Betty Macdonald and Her Family
Blanche Caffiere
4/5 stars
I love Betty MacDonald, author of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and The Egg and I and have read a lot of her books years ago but now with the internet I have been able to find more books about her and this book was about her and her friendship with the author. I thought this book would be just so-so but I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and a fast read. This is not just about MacDonald, Caffiere talks about her life, her family and life in Washington State. It was also a peek to what life was like during and after the depression and before TVs and computers. This book was not readily available at a lot of libraries but thank goodness for inter-library loan-I got this from a state 1400 miles away but it is also available to buy online.
A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams – 3*** This is a pretty interesting cozy mystery, featuring a group of aspiring authors who together try to solve the murder of one of their group. I like Olivia Limoges, and especially like that her faithful dog – a standard poodle named Captain Haviland – is a DOG, not a character who helps solve the crime. I thought Adams did a good job of setting the scene; I really got the sense of a small sea-side community. It held my attention, it had a good pace and I enjoyed trying to figure out who-done-it. I’ll definitely read another in the series.
Full Review HERE
The Insides by Jeremy Bushnell, 3***sThis is a book that I received as an Early Reviewer.
"The Insides" is the story of several different people trying to acquire a magic knife. The main characters are: Maja,the girl who is "the finder"; "Pig," who wants to rule the world; and Ollie, the girl who just gets caught up in the middle by accident. But they all possess some magical powers, some more than others. It is set in our current time period, but there are references to the distant past, and also the recent past, and how each of the main characters acquired their magical abilities.
My opinion: This fantasy genre is not one that I usually read, but I did enjoy this book. I liked the writing style and the pace of the story, which moved along pretty fast. The author gave good insight into the characters' minds, what they were thinking and why. So, that part was all good.
However, I was kind of let down by the ending. Everything was moving along very fast, and then it suddenly...ended. I didn't feel that there was enough explanation. The only thing I can think of is that Mr. Bushnell is gearing up for a sequel, and an ending like this left the story more open for him to continue? Maybe? You be the judge!
Mod
Invisible Ellen
Shari Shattuck
4/5 stars
This compelling story follows Ellen, a young woman, obese, scarred literally and figuratively, overweight and abused as a child. She feels invisible, living a lonely, regimented life avoiding others until one day she runs into Temerity, a blind female violinist who befriends her and things start to change for Ellen. The story line is quite absurd but the friendship between the women is very moving and funny and you just want to root for Ellen. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel because I just got to find out what happens next to Ellen and Temerity.
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, 3***s
This is the re-telling of "The Taming of the Shrew." I liked it fine, but I like Anne Tyler's other books much better. She's one of my favorite authors, and I thought that since she had to stick to the Shakespeare story, it limited her a little bit.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George – 3*** I really wanted to love this book. Several people whose opinions I trust have recommended it, and there’s much here to like. But … I never understood why Manon acted as she did. She is such an important part of this book, and yet I feel that I don’t really know her, and never cared about her. And as a result I couldn’t understand why Perdu cared so much. Still, it’s Paris, it’s a love story, it’s about reading. And I did like the “literary prescriptions” at the end.
Full Review HERE
The Pike4 stars!
A wonderful read from the post-JAWS killer fish era. Really very well written; the story moves right along. The author started to stray dangerously into the gratuitous-sex zone, but saved the day for me by making it a blisteringly intense romance, out of nowhere, minus the usual pointless sex scenes. Totally awesome ending -- really original. This is going to make a corker of a Cliffie's Note when I review it for my fish blog!
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides – 4**** Sides crafts a story that is gripping, informative, horrifying and inspiring; the forgotten tale of an “impossible” mission to rescue hundreds of American and British POWs from a Japanese camp in the Philippines. I was captured from page one and mesmerized throughout. I felt that I really got to know the men involved – prisoners and rescuers. This is a history that will appeal to fans of Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken or Doug Stanton’s In Harm’s Way.
Full Review HERE
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis – 3*** I love cozy mysteries – they are my reading comfort food. This has a pretty good premise, and I liked the rivalry between Sophie and Natasha. The story was filled with more suspects than you could shake a turkey leg at, and plenty of plot twists to keep the reader guessing. However, the central murder mystery plot was pretty thin, and the big reveal stretched credulity a little too far. Still, it’s a satisfying, fast read, and I’ll continue the series.
Full Review HERE
Die Job by Lila Dare – 2.5** I read cozies for the atmosphere – especially when they are set in a small Southern town – and for the quirky cast of characters. BUT, I do expect a reasonable murder mystery, and that where this particular book fell short. This is book three in the series, though it’s the first one I’ve read, and perhaps the author is running out of ideas. Still, it’s a fast read and I might pick up another if it’s fulfills several challenges (as this one did).
Full Review HERE
Mod
4/5 stars
This is the biography of Betty MacDonald, author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books. Wellman follows the life of Betty from the very beginning, including what family history could be found. Very interesting and it fills in details that are left out of her books. If you are fan, you will appreciate this biography.
Beloved – Toni Morrison– 4****
This is a challenging book to read (and to listen to) because Morrison uses multiple narrators, switches time frames without notice, and dribbles out clues to what really happened in a way that keeps the reader off balance and unsure where the story is headed. I did think the “atmospheric” writing sometimes got in the way of the storyline. Still, I loved Morrison’s use of language; I felt immersed in the story, the timeframe, the magic, the brutal reality.
Full Review HERE
by Forrest PritchardLoving this book about how tough it is to make a living from the family farm and organic farming specifically.
Coincidentally, I just gave 3 stars to The Killer Bean Of Calabar And Other Stories: Poisons And Poisoners, which points out that the Black Plague, which killed between a third and a half of the entire population of humanity, may have been made possible by the fact that they only had organic farming in the 1300s. Eater beware!
Fishface wrote: "Coincidentally, I just gave 3 stars to The Killer Bean Of Calabar And Other Stories: Poisons And Poisoners, which points out that the Black Plague, which killed between a third and a...Chemicals and antibiotics. Cant live with them and cant live without them.
Just finished The Book Stops Here by Kate Carlisle. Was an interesting cozy in this series Really like the characters so far and even thought I'm reading these out of order it's not bad. This one is about a special book, and who really owns it and the value of this book (big money). Brooklyn seems to be able to find dead bodies wherever she goes and of course this is no exception. She is doing a spot on "This Old Attic" (like Antiques Roadshow) evaluating peoples books and a woman comes in with a book that Brooklyn says is unique and is surprised that she found it in a garage sale. Once word gets out it seems there are people who want it back and will do almost anything to do that. And along with that mystery the Host of the show seems to have a stalker and it is getting more and more dangerous. As I said, interesting and a fun read.
Mod
Zia Summer by Rudolfo Anaya – 3*** This is a very atmospheric murder mystery, full of the magical realism that goes with ghost stories and folk tales. But the plot has a fair amount of very real and gritty violence, perpetrated by flesh-and-blood humans, not paranormal entities. The way Anaya describes the landscape, and various characters’ relationship with the land is frequently poetic. I particularly loved Don Eliseo and his cronies, and the ways they helped (or hindered) Sonny’s investigation.
Full Review HERE
The Diva Takes the Cake – Krista Davis– 1.5*
Book two in the Domestic Diva series has event planner Sophie Wilson in charge of her sister, Hannah’s, wedding. I read mysteries – even cozy mysteries – for the murder plot. And this one is just plain ridiculous. The best thing about the book is the rivalry between Sophie and Natasha, including the competing advice given at the beginning of each chapter. Oh well, it satisfied several challenges and it was a fast read.
Full Review HERE
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Onions in the Stew 1954
Betty MacDonald
Betty is one of my favorite authors and she wrote so few books that I re-read this one about her life with her daughters and second husband on Vashon Island in Washington state at the end of WWII. She is funny and smart and has the same problems we have with our children even in different time periods. My favorite book of hers was The Plague and I and talked about her time with TB. She is best known for her book The Egg and I which was made into a film and covered her first marriage while living on a farm. And how can I forget her children's series about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.