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What Are You Reading / Reviews - December 2016
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Leah
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Dec 01, 2016 11:26AM
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Heartless by Marissa Meyer
4 stars
I so looked forward to reading this and I so wanted to love it...I just couldn't. Now, don't get me wrong...I really enjoyed reading this back story which explains the origins of the Queen of Hearts. I love retold fairy tales and I think Marissa Meyer is the best at retelling them. She's a much more readable Gregory Maguire (whom she acknowledges at the end of the book). I love her vivid imagery, fully drawn characters, and wonderful details. What bothered me about the book is that it wasn't in the Lunar Chronicles world. I know, I need to just get over it and realize that the Chronicles are done..but I'm just not ready...especially with the graphic novel coming out the first of the new year which will continue Iko's story, at least. But if you loved Lunar Chronicles, you will enjoy (and maybe even love) Heartless (if you're more mature than I am). It's a great read but with a sadder ending than I had hoped for but should have expected.
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TEXT –
Summer by Edith WhartonAUDIO in the car -
Money, Money, Money by Ed McBainPortable AUDIO -
Long Man by Amy Greene
As all the books I'd want to read right now are not in my possession because I'll only get them for christmas and the ones I have I deem too for me to finish before Dec. 24, I decided to continue with the Fables comics :) and I quite enjoy them ... a very different reading experience'
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Malinche
– Laura Esquivel – 4**** Malinalli was a Native woman from Tabasco, whose ability to speak Spanish as well as two native languages brought her to the attention of Hernan Cortes. In this lyrical, poetic novel, Esquivel gives us a strong woman with deeply held beliefs who wanted to free her people, and realized her mistake far too late. I love Esquivel’s writing. Her imagery is vivid and tangible. This is a decidedly Mexican novel. Esquivel infuses the story with magical realism, mysticism, and spirituality. It reminds me of the oral story traditions of my grandparents.
LINK to my review
Truevine by Beth Macy
4 stars
This was an amazing story that starts out in 1899 with the "kidnapping" of 2 albino children, George and Willie Muse, from the tobacco field where they were squishing the bugs off the leaves of the plants. They were offered candy and went with "the very bad man" and later when they cried for their mother, they were told she was dead. So begins their journey as side show "freaks" with a variety of circuses. It was years later that their mother finally tracked them down and brought them home. The young men soon decided to return to the circus life and their family was finally allotted payment for their services, although over the years their mother would have to continually fight over and over again to maintain that contract. Woven throughout this story is much information regarding the circus side show participants (i.e. the Doll family, the Texan Giant and the acts normally presented) and the day to day attitudes and actions of people in the Jim Crow South--both white and black. This is really fascinating reading, particularly if you are at all interested in the circus and it's history. There are about 30 pages of black and white photos included.
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
4 ★
It may have been a long book, but I enjoyed every word. The author did an excellent job rounding out the story and ending on a smooth note. In my opinion the reader was not left with any questions. I also enjoyed how the author put the main characters into the middle of everything and they all didn't walk out unharmed. There are some "gasp" moments that keep you wondering. I hope to see future books about these great characters and where their lives go from here.
Melissa wrote: "Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
4 ★
It may have been a long book, but I enjoyed every word. The author did an excellent job rounding out the story and..."
I don't know if you are at all interested in graphic novels but Iko's adventures will be continued next year--here's what I found:
Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 (Wires and Nerve #1)
by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author), Douglas Holgate (Illustrations)
4.56 · Rating Details · 73 Ratings · 85 Reviews
In her first graphic novel, #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller Marissa Meyer follows Iko, the beloved android from the Lunar Chronicles, on a dangerous and romantic new adventure -- with a little help from Cinder and the Lunar team.
In her first graphic novel, bestselling author Marissa Meyer extends the world of the Lunar Chronicles with a brand-new, action-packed story about Iko, the android with a heart of (mechanized) gold. When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers' leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the bestselling series. (less)
Hardcover, 208 pages
Expected publication: January 31st 2017 by Feiwel & Friends
Beverly wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
4 ★
It may have been a long book, but I enjoyed every word. The author did an excellent job rounding o..."
Thanks for the information, Beverly. I'll have to look into that.
Faithless (Grant County #5) by Karin Slaughter
4 ★
It may have taken we awhile to finish this book, but that had nothing to do with the story. Although the story line was disturbing, I enjoyed the telling of it. Sara and Jeffrey have an amazing relationship. They have been through so much and yet continue to stick together. This book centered around a sort of church cult and it makes you wonder about the non-fiction churches out there. The treatment the girls endured was awful. I was able to determine who the "bad guy" was long before Sara and Jeff, but it didn't ruin the story. I am a bit sick of Lena, though. She continues to act so strong yet so weak and it gets irritating. Hopefully things will look up in the next book.
The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
3 stars
This audio was read by Gloria Reuben, Tina Benko and Santino Fontana, all of whom I thought provided just the right tone for the story. I would probably actually rate this at 3.5 because there were parts of the story that I really liked, especially the first half of the book when it was about Rachael in her youth and early motherhood. Living on the island of St. Thomas in the early 1800's in a small community of Jewish refugees, she has a happy childhood but struggles in the relationship with her mother. Rachael is much too headstrong. In her late teens, in order to help save the family's business she is forced to marry a widower with several children. She adapts, loves the children and has more with her husband. When he dies, because she's a woman, they send for his nephew to come and take care of things. When he arrives, they immediately fall in love and are basically ostracized by the community because it's considered unseemly for 2 people in the same family to have a relationship. They remain together, very much in love and more children are produced. In fact, they become parents to the painter Camille Pissarro; the Father of Impressionism. Once Camille started narrating the story, I had a more difficult time following the story, it just seemed to jump around a bit and I couldn't keep up with all the threads. But, overall, a good read that ended up teaching me about a painter that I had no knowledge of.
The Lost Girls
by Heather Young, 4****sI really liked this book! I don't know if I can review it without going into a lot of detail, so I'll try to keep it very basic if I can:
This is the story of a family with three daughters and the youngest one goes missing. The rest of the book is about how her absence affects the family. But, how the youngest sister goes missing is not a major part of the story until almost the end. Just the effect of her being gone is the major theme: how it affects the dad, mom, the two older sisters, and some of the community.
Now, the other interesting part is that the whole book is told by two different people: one part is told in first person by one of the older sisters starting back in the 1930's during the summer that the whole "missing sister" mystery began. The other story is told in the present by the granddaughter of the other older sister in third person! Are you confused yet?! I thought I was going to be, but as soon as I figured out who was telling which part of the story, I really liked both stories equally, and they both held my attention.
I will say that it was not really fast-paced until you start to get about three-fourths of the way through, then I couldn't put it down! Because there are two stories going simultaneously, there are two pretty big climaxes that happen, one after the other.
I really did like this story and the author's writing style a lot, and would definitely read other books that she writes!
John Steinbeck,
In Dubious Battle
[1936] 250 pagesSteinbeck's most significant novel. When I reviewed Grapes of Wrath I noted that while it was a good description of the treatment of the workers by the growers, Steinbeck says that there would have been a revolution if there had been proper leadership and he never explains why there wasn't. This book doesn't answer this exactly, but he does deal with a strike movement and its leaders. If by the Party he meant the CP, as I assume he did, he obviously has no idea of their overall policies -- not many people did in the thirties -- but it's probably a good description of their rank-and-file activists, subjectively revolutionary but with a tendency to manipulate rather than lead. The novel contains a lot of ideas which have still not been worked out yet. have still not been worked out yet.
My favorite book this year was The Shack and this is my new favorite book of all time. It is really sad in parts but it is also an extremely beautiful book.
Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
4 stars
I really enjoy the Longmire series. Not only because this is just a well written series but because we watch the television show as well and I love being able to visualize the characters and the surroundings as I read. That being said, this particular story actually takes place, for the most part, in Philadelphia. Walt decides to tag along to the big city with Henry Standing Bear so that he can visit his daughter, Cady. They hardly make it to the city before Cady, who has unknowingly become entangled in a dangerous political cover-up, is viciously attacked and hospitalized in a coma. Walt and Henry, along with Deputy Vic Moretti and her extended family are suddenly in a whirlwind of activity between keeping up with Cady's recovery and tracking down exactly why she was attacked. Certainly an action packed book, even though I prefer the crew being out west in Absaroka County where they belong. I really love these characters and intend to move along to the next book in the series shortly.
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C is for Corpse
– Sue Grafton – 3*** I love Kinsey Millhone; she’s smart, determined, hard-working, loyal to her friends, and strong in mind and body. I also like that Grafton occasionally gives us a little humor to ease the tension of some very dark situations. It’s an entertaining series, and I’ll keep reading it.
LINK to my review
The Irish Lass Kat wrote: "My favorite book this year was The Shack and this is my new favorite book of all time. It is really sad in parts but it is also an extremely beautiful book."I enjoyed The Shack as well. The story line was definitely a hard one, but the meaning behind it all was fabulous!
Death by Didgeridoo by Barbara Venkataraman
4 ★
Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, still reeling from the death of her mother, is pulled into a game of deception, jealousy, and vengeance when her cousin, Adam, is wrongfully accused of murder. It's up to Jamie to find the real murderer before it's too late. It doesn't help that the victim is a former rock star with more enemies than friends, or that Adam confessed to a murder he didn't commit.
My Review:
I was asked by the author to read and review her book and I'm glad she did. It was a quick enjoyable read. The characters in this cozy mystery are unique and pleasant. Jamie Quinn's cousin, who has Aspergers syndrome, is accused of murder and, although she's a divorce lawyer, she takes the case to clear her cousin. Duke, a PI who helps in the case, is an extremely interesting individual who I'm sure will appear again. I hope to see the DA again as I think him and Jamie have some unfinished business.
James B. Pritchard, ed.,
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
[Third edition with Supplement, 1969] 711 pages This is a huge book -- 8 1/2 x 11 inch pages and small type for the text, smaller for the introductions to the selections and almost at the limit of readability for the notes. If it were printed in normal type and in a normal size book, it would run to two or three thousand pages. Needless to say, it's taken me a while to read. Ancient Near Eastern Texts, usually cited as ANET, was long the standard reference in translation for those of us who don't read Middle Egyptian, Sumerian, Akkadian, Aramaic and Hittite. Although the title mentions the Old Testament, the editor takes "relating to" in a very broad sense; the book contains excerpts from most of the important texts which were available and translated at the time it was written, from the Enuma elish and the Epic of Gilgamesh to the Macedonian conquest (other than the Bible itself). It is arranged by topics, such as "Creation Myths", "Legal Documents", "Historical Inscriptions", "Didactic and Wisdom Literature", "Proverbs", "Prayers", etc.; within each topic, it begins with the Egyptian, then the Sumerian and Akkadian, then the Hittite, and then the Aramaic texts (and a small number of South Arabian texts); and within each language it is roughly chronological.
The translations are by leading scholars of the time, among others John A. Wilson for Egyptian, S.N. Kramer for Sumerian, William Albright, Albrecht Goetze for Hittite, etc., and were very reliable for the period. The third edition reprints the material from the first two editions (1950 and 1955) together, then adds a supplement (arranged the same way) of materials found or translated between 1955 and 1969.
I read the two volume paperback abridged edition of ANET in the 1970's, but never had access to the full book until I found it at a library booksale a few years ago, and I've been meaning to find time to read it since. The main problems with the book are that it is divided into so many sections that there is no real feeling for development over time (it was really intended more as a reference than for reading through) and that some of the excerpts are too short; and of course the translations (and more importantly, the interpretations) are now over fifty years old. I've read the Egyptian material in more complete editions (some more recent, some even less) and have recent anthologies of the Sumerian and Akkadian texts on my reading list for early next year, and the Hittite materials for later on; but ANET still gives the most complete general overview of the whole region over the longest time span that I know of.
This Year It Will Be Different, and other stories
by Maeve Binchy, 4****sMaeve Binchy at her best! This is a collection of short stories all set at Christmastime! Each story has a different set of Christmas problems and, of course, the famous Maeve Binchy twist at the end. I would highly recommend reading this book, especially during Christmas :)
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Song of the Swallows
– Leo Politi – 4**** This lovely picture book tells the story of the Swallows of Capistrano. Full of the soft light of a summer evening, the detailed illustrations give me the same feeling of peace as a walk through a garden. I can practically hear the tinkle of the fountain, or the twitter of the birds, and smell the roses.
LINK to my review
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Summer
– Edith Wharton – 3.5*** Wharton’s novel of a young woman’s awakening sexuality shocked readers when it was first published in 1917. Wharton knew the social makeup of turn-of-the century America, and used her novels to explore the nuances of the “rules” – spoken and unspoken – by which people, especially women, had to live. It’s a slim novel, and a great introduction to Wharton’s writing.
LINK to my review
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Cinderella
– Marcia Brown – 4**** This is a new translation / adaptation of Charles Perrault’s famous story, with wonderful illustrations by Marcia Brown. What I really like about this version of the story is the way that Cinderella is portrayed as a very kind young woman, but clearly not a doormat. She speaks up for herself when it counts.
LINK to my review
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, 4****sI really enjoyed this book, but I'd have to warn any Ishiguro fans: if you're looking for Remains of the Day, this books is not for you. However, if you are looking for a fairytale with ogres, dragons, and pixies, then start reading and have fun! I think that if the reader is armed with the knowledge that this book is different than others by this author, then he/she will enjoy it just fine :)
John Steinbeck,
The Wayward Bus
[1947] 227 pagesNot one of Steinbeck's better novels, this dark comedy takes a miscellaneous group of people on a bus trip under difficult conditions during a storm and describes their interactions. The characters are the Mexican bus driver, Juan, his wife Alice, his apprentice Kit (otherwise known as Pimples), a businessman and his wife, their college student daughter, a stripper who claims to be a dental assistant, a travelling salesman, a star-struck waitress, and a dying old man. The whole setup reminded me of Gilligan's Island only with more "adult" situations, and it was clearly written with an eye to the movie rights. Most of the short book is taken up with establishing the back-stories of the various characters. One or two are treated with some degree of psychological realism, but the others tend toward caricature, especially Pimples with his fixation on cake, pie and candy. All the characters are "trapped" in various ways, and there are a lot of crises, self-revelations and resolutions made, but at the end one suspects that nothing has changed for any of them.
James wrote: "John Steinbeck, The Wayward Bus
[1947] 227 pages
Not one of Steinbeck's better novels, this dark comedy takes a miscellaneous group of people on a bus trip under difficult conditions during a ..."
Thanks for the review. This book is on my list. I've read a lot of Steinbeck & love his writing, so I wanted to read this one too. I still will, but I will have an idea of what to expect before I get into it. I think that will be helpful :)
You're welcome. I still have four more to go after this (I'm skipping East of Eden because of the length) to finish up Travels with Charley for the Utah State Library discussion group next month.John Steinbeck, Burning Bright [1950] 68 pages
Like several of Steinbeck's works around this time, this originated as a play and then was adapted into a novellette. The structure is somewhat interesting; the three "acts", though the action is continuous, have the same characters in different lifestyles, as though they were in parallel worlds. The content is somewhat trite and too obviously moralized; I suppose one really can't object to people wanting children, but in 1950, whether or not Steinbeck was conscious of it, that had an ideological purpose: it was part of the effort to remove women from the workforce after the war (the result was the "baby boom").
Dec. 18107. John Steinbeck, The Short Reign of Pippin IV [1957] 151 pages
I'm not quite sure what to make of this short novel. The premise is that the French government is deadlocked between parties, and decides to re-establish monarchy. They choose an ordinary person who happens to be descended from Pepin (or Pippin as he spells it) to be king. (Actually not so ordinary; he doesn't work and lives in a mansion off the rent of some vineyards somewhere.) He's intended to be a figurehead, but wants to accomplish something. His program is frightfully radical (actually it's pretty tame liberalism.) The blurbs call the book a satirical comedy, but it doesn't have enough "bite" to be satire; more like a farce. There is some mild humor; he points out (in 1957) that Americans are obsessed with royalty and all the little American girls want to be princesses. There's some nonsense about how American corporations are "socialist" because they give the workers health insurance. After Grapes of Wrath and In Dubious Battle, or even his more comic works like Cannery Row, this is a real decline; and most unlike Steinbeck, the characters are not well-drawn.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
4 stars
One of the few books that I have to say I enjoyed the movie more than the book itself. Of course, I also saw the movie before I read the book which may have had some bearing on it. What I loved about the book were the photos--I loved the both the tone and the content of them and thought they conveyed the appropriate atmospheric setting to go with the story. The story line, for those few who have not yet read this, is about 16 year old Jacob whose grandfather has always told him wildly imaginative stories about a group of youngsters he knew in his own youth. They each had a peculiarity (i.e. overly strong, able to float, filled with live bees) and lived together in a type of "orphanage". After Jacob's grandfather dies under very strange circumstances, Jacob decides to visit the island mentioned in the stories and do some research. Amazingly enough, his grandfather's imaginative stories turn out to be less wild than the truth.
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Money, Money, Money
– Ed McBain – 3.5**** This is the first book by McBain that I’ve read, and it will not be the last! Fast-paced, intricate plotting and colorful characters make for a quick and enjoyable read, despite the high body count. It may be Christmas but the criminals are busy, and so are the police. I was interested from page one to the very end.
LINK to my review
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Time of Wonder
– Robert McCloskey – 5***** McCloskey is probably best known for Make Way for Ducklings, but I think I like this book even more. Here the reader explores an island with two girls. The illustrations are simply beautiful – in color, detail, scope, feel. Some are bright at a summer day, others muted by “fog.” The stars sparkle in the night sky, and the waves pound the shore during a storm.
LINK to my review
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
4 stars
Fascinating book. Li Lan, a young Chinese girl in Malaya, has been asked by her bankrupt father to become the ghost bride of a deceased young man from a good family. This would secure her future. Although her culture still lives by this ancient practice and she understands what it would mean to her father and her own future, she is reluctant. The "bridegroom" begins haunting her dreams and she is even more certain that she wants no part of this arrangement. And so begins a fantasy journey through the Plains of the Dead. Li Lan assumes a ghostly half-life and goes in search of the answers she needs before she can decide what to do. Once she discovers the truth she seeks, will she be able to get back to her real life and continue on with her regular life? I really enjoyed reading about being a ghost bride and other customs of the Chinese. Great historical fiction with a paranormal element.
Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier
3 stars
A trio of stories written by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier which revolve around gingerbread cookies and murder. My favorite story was the last one by Leslie Meier which had a character carried over from the last book I read by her, Candy Corn Murder. If you like cozy mysteries filled with Christmas celebration, murder and silliness, grab a cup of hot chocolate and dig in for a lovely holiday read.
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin, 4****sThis is just an adorable book about a sweet, outgoing, intelligent girl with a wonderful optimistic view of life and how she touches the lives of those she comes in contact with. Yes, it's very similar to Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, and Heidi. But if you love those girls, you'll also love Rebecca!
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
4 stars
This was such an enjoyable cozy. I hate when I have to read out of order but this was the book (#6) we're discussing for our mystery book discussion this week and I just couldn't get the other 5 read before I tackled it. Fortunately, this lapse did not keep me from enjoying this delightful mystery. Lady Georgiana Rannoch is 35th in line to become the queen of England. Currently, due to her financial situation, she is living with some relatives who are less than thrilled to have her and now, with the Christmas holidays fast approaching, the threat of even more family descending upon the household has her wondering what she is going to do to save her sanity. She applies for a position with a family who needs someone to keep the young people entertained during a grand Christmas celebration. When she arrives, not only does her mother show up in town with Noel Coward but her errant boyfriend turns out to be one of the guests. the town is in a bit of a stir as one of the neighbors fell out of a pear tree and another has accidentally driven off a bridge...not a good start to the holidays. But as the deaths keep on coming, it starts to occur to Georgie that all these accidents just may not be accidents. A cute read that kept me wondering just exactly what the solution would be. Now to get to those first 5 in the series.
Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture by Rosanne Welch, 4****sA very well-written, informative, insightful book about the influence of The Monkees on "Teenagers, Television, and American Pop Culture." I enjoyed it very much. Which Monkee was your favorite? ;)
Leonard Cohen,
Beautiful Losers
[1966] 307 pagesAfter Cohen's recent death, I read some of his poetry last month, and I decided to look for this novel and by chance I found it in the next box I unpacked. It was published in 1966 (like most of the poetry, it was written before he became a song writer and performer), and I think it couldn't have been written at any other time; the style is a cross between Naked Lunch and Henry Miller, the background is Quebec politics and the foreground is mostly sexual fantasies. There isn't really any coherent plot, just a sort of kaleidoscopic view of the internal dynamics of the characters. There are only four characters; the unnamed narrator is a "loser", an aging (and obssessively constipated) scholar who has dedicated his professional life to studying an Indian tribe known for never having won a battle, and now reduced to a dozen or so members; his wife, Edith, one of the last members of that tribe, who has committed suicide shortly before the novel begins; his childhood friend/tormentor/gay lover, F., a Quebec nationalist who had represented Montreal in Parliament, and had also died just before the beginning of the book; and Saint Kateri (Catherine)Tekakwitha, a seventeenth century Mohawk who became a Catholic Saint, known as "the Iroquois Virgin" and "the Lily of the Mohawk" (I assumed she was fictional, but discovered on Wikipedia that she was an actual saint and her life was more or less as depicted in the novel; although he anticipated a bit, as she wasn't made a saint officially until some twenty years after the book was written.) The novel is divided into three parts; the first and longest is an internal monologue on the part of the narrator, partly addressed to the other three characters; the second part is a long letter written to him by F. from the hospital for the criminally insane just before his death; and the third part is a short epilogue. The cover calls Cohen "the most daring new novelist on the scene today", and I assume the book was rather scandalous when it was written; the changing attitudes over the past half-century, particularly with regard to bisexuality, have deprived it of much of its shock value. It contains some interesting writing, but I think its main value today is as a sample of the avant-garde literature of the sixties.
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson, 4****sA wonderful history of English, with all of its eccentricities and word-play. If you like words, then you'll like this book! And if you are a Bill Bryson fan, as I am, you won't be disappointed :)
Silas Marner: The Weaver of RaveloeSilas Marner by George Eliot
3 stars
Finally I can check Silas Marner off my list of books to read!!!! When I first started reading the book, which we read for one of my book discussion groups this month, I thought...Oh no, this may be a short read but I don't know that I can make it through this. I just could not get into the story, for whatever reason, Silas was just not a character that I was interested in although I did feel somewhat sorry for him. However, the turning point was when the child appeared at his little home. Not only did I suddenly care about Silas--because he blossomed and actually became a person with a personality--but the entire story just took a turn for the better. So, if you give this book a go, don't give up...it will get better and I think you'll appreciate the story and the outcome.
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan, 4****sA wonderful story about a thirteen-year-old Mexican girl, Esperanza, from a well-to-do family who, after the death of her father, is forced to move with her mother and family servants to southern California. They must become migrant workers picking fruits and vegetables and living in a migrant camp. Through the eyes of this privileged child, the reader learns how it feels to "come down" in life, and also how it feels to be "looked down on" by others because of one's ethnicity and social standing, or lack thereof.
Esperanza also does a lot of growing up because of missing her grandmother who doesn't get to come along with them when they leave Mexico, and because of her mother's illness. She has to do a lot of growing up fast.
This story is based on the author's own grandmother's story, and it gives some of the history of migrant workers in the 1930's. It really is a story that includes several different issues that could be taught to younger children and middle-aged children. And even I, as an adult, was interested in learning of this era! Now I understand why it is on Amazon's Top 100 Children's Books List!
Beverly wrote: "Silas Marner: The Weaver of RaveloeSilas Marner by George Eliot
3 stars
Finally I can check Silas Marner off my list of books to read!!!! When I first started reading the book, whi..."
I'm so glad you liked this! I haven't read it for a long time, but you're right -- when the child comes into the picture it become a whole other book! :)
Claude McKay,
Selected Poems
[1999] 52 pagesThe Jamaican-born poet who was a major influence on the Harlem Renaissance; this is a slight selection out of his more than 300 poems. After reading these, I intend to get his Complete Poems, either through the library or by buying them on Amazon. There are selections from his two books written in Jamaica in 1912, the year before he came to the U.S. (Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads) and from his later collection, Harlem Shadows, as well as some which were not collected previously. The subjects include love poems, poems about Jamaica, and poems dealing with racism and oppression in both countries. All are worth reading.
John Steinbeck,
The Winter of Our Discontent
[1961] 263 pagesSteinbeck's last novel, written in 1961, and much better than anything else he wrote after the Depression (possibly excepting East of Eden, which is now the only Steinbeck novel I haven't read). It's the story of an honest man who is corrupted (but perhaps not entirely) by the corrupt environment he's living in. The description of America in the fifties is as true as his descriptions of the thirties were in the novels of that period. Only one aspect of the plot doesn't seem realistic, and that in the end doesn't happen. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, because this is a book where it matters and there may be some who are getting ready to read it.) One of Steinbeck's faults in most of his "lesser" novels is that the characters, improbably, all speak and think like -- well, like Steinbeck. Here, the protagonist in terms of his education and position is enough like Steinbeck that it's not a problem.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
3 stars
Although I'm not a huge horse or horse racing fan, I still found this to be an interesting read. Pretty much what you'd expect, this is the story of Seabiscuit's racing history. Along the way the reader also learns quite a bit about the jockeys, how they maintain their racing weight, the type of injuries they may suffer and their love and loyalty to the horses they ride. This was read by Richard M. Davidson who did an adequate job.
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Long Man
– Amy Greene – 4**** Greene delivers a riveting story that explores the question: What cost, progress? The Dodson’s loss of their home is representative of the hundreds of families displaced by such projects. The novel is peopled with strong characters, with tangled relationships. Their competing loyalties are what made the decisions so difficult: to stay or to go, to delay or to embrace change
LINK to my review
Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski, 3.5 ***sThis is a cute YA novel about Devi, as a high school senior, having the ability to call on her cellphone (mysteriously) back to her freshman self -- time travel! It is about how senior Devi tries to tell freshman Devi how to live her life to make things turn out better for her at the end of her senior year (got that?). However, every time freshman Devi does something different than she did in her original history, things change immediately for senior Devi which turns out to be pretty funny -- sometimes! But in the end both freshman and senior selves learn important lessons about life. It was light and enjoyable. I listened to the audio book and Cassandra Campbell did an excellent job of reading, as usual :)
Sam Keith, from the journals and photographs of Richard Proenneke,
One man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
[1973] 223 pagesOne of the books for the Utah State Library book discussion in January; a nonfiction account of Richard Proenneke's building a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness and living in it for sixteen months. There was a lot of good description of the Alaskan landscape and the animals who lived in the area (brown bear, moose, caribou, and so forth), and the resourcefulness of Proenneke in making use of natural products in furnishing his cabin. I can understand how this sort of life might appeal to some people, although not to me (I'm definitely an urban person, and if I had the money I would be living back in Manhattan, if not London or Paris.) In any case, it's good to know that this sort of unspoiled area still exists (or did fifty years ago -- for all I know there's probably a leaky pipeline running through it now.)
Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide to Royalty by Chris Colfer
(Land of Stories Companion)
A nice addition to an excellent series. This is a short book by Queen Red Riding Hood that tells the reader how to do everything the royal way. She talks about how everything started for her and goes through telling you how to host a party for royals. It's quite humorous in parts. My 8 year old loved it.
Truly Madly Guilty
by Liane Moriarty, 4****sThis is an interesting story of three couples and how one afternoon barbecue changes all their lives. And in true Liane Moriarty style, the reader doesn't get to know "what happened" until at least half way through the book. So the mystery of trying to figure it out makes the story even more exciting. I have enjoyed three of Moriarty's books and will look around for more!
The Mother Goose Diaries by Chris Colfer
(Land of Stories Companion)
Oh my goodness! This was a fun read. Mother Goose tells us all about her adventures in the Otherworld (our world). The diary entries begin in 100 DA (Dragon Age) and end in 2015, Washington, DC. All of her most interesting times are covered. We learn how she ended up with the fairies and how she got Lester and became Mother Goose. She visits London in 1349 during the plague and falls in love with Leonardo da Vinci in Italy in 1503. If you know your history and like it, you'll love Mother Goose's side of each event. She was involved somehow and many are quite humorous.
Paging All Bookworms!
Books mentioned in this topic
A Christmas Memory (other topics)A Lone Star Christmas (other topics)
Parable of the Talents (other topics)
The Anteater of Death (other topics)
Dan Versus Nature (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Edith Wharton (other topics)Ed McBain (other topics)
Amy Greene (other topics)
