What I read in March 2011

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

No connection in Lansdowne, Brenda...I am about 40 miles west of you, near Kennett Square.

Also, my daughter skated in Ardmore and Chestnut Hill - I remember the signs for Lansdowne on the Blue Route.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Brenda (Lansdowne) wrote: "I didn't know there were signs for Lansdowne on the Blue Route. Have never noticed them. Weird!
.."

Maybe they are no longer there. This was right after the Blue Route was built, and everyone was lost!

[Maree]

Was Room good? I think I've got it on my eReader to read.

Here are my March reads:

[Alias Reader]

Maree, what were your thoughts on Let the Great World Spin? My f2f book group was thinking of reading it.

[Sherry (sethurner)]

For what it's worth, I was a fan of Let the Great World Spin. Didn't see it as individual short stories, but rather a series of interconnected stories (rather like Short Cuts, or Crash), with the incident of the Frenchman who walked a wire between the towers of the World Trade Center as glue holding them together.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Brenda (Lansdowne) wrote: " thoughts on Let the Great World Spin....

Alias, I tried reading that one, and couldn't get into it......."

Here is my comment on this book which I "abandoned":

I started this book one night, then read 3 pages the next day (not a good sign) and last night hunkered down and finished the story of Corrigan. Sorta. I skimmed some of it. I found the writing too dense and showy yet the characters were not developed. If an author is going to write so many words (and some of the writing seemed very contrived), why doesn't he at least give some motivations, some inner thoughts of the characters'?

I realize that the short story form is very difficult and I do not think this author had a grasp on it, at least in this one story. So it will go back to the library, unfinished. Sigh. My first abandoned book of the new year

[Alias Reader]

Someone told me if you like NYC history you will like the book. Since I live in NYC I am interested.

Do you think that is an accurate statement about the book ?

[Bobbie]

Sherry (sethurner) wrote: "For what it's worth, I was a fan of Let the Great World Spin. Didn't see it as individual short stories, but rather a series of interconnected stories (rather like Short Cuts, or Crash), with the ..."

My group read this and I agree with Sherry as it being interconnected stories as in Crash. In general we felt that the author tried to do too much and there were some characters that we wished we had learned more about. An okay read but not a super great book was our group assessment.

[Bobbie]

Alias --
I forgot to say that if you know a lot about NYC history already this is not going to broaden your knowlege. It is more the other way around. It helps to already know the city.

[Marialyce]

We also read it in my f2f book club and we all liked it. As Bobbie said it was a good book, not a great one and all of us being New Yorkers could have lent something to the tale. It was clever though how the author interwove the story and characters with the famous World Trade tightrope walker, Philippe Petit.

[Alias Reader]

Bobbie57 wrote: "Alias --
I forgot to say that if you know a lot about NYC history already this is not going to broaden your knowlege. It is more the other way around. It helps to already know the city."

----------------

Thanks, Barbara.

[Alias Reader]

Marialyce wrote: "We also read it in my f2f book club and we all liked it. As Bobbie said it was a good book, not a great one and all of us being New Yorkers could have lent something to the tale. It was clever thou..."
-------------

Thanks, Marialyce and Sherry!

[Maree]

Here's my review, most of which, until the end, is spoiler-free (but marked as such when it's not): Maree's review

I actually ended up liking it, but I definitely agree that the beginning was super slow. I actually didn't like the main parts of the story nearly as much as I enjoyed the outlying action.

If your group is studious and willing to stick with it, then I say go for it. I'm someone who really likes interconnected stories and seeing the behind-the-scenes on stuff, and it's fun for that. :)

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

I enjoy interconnected stories and I liked Let the Great World Spin. I gave it four stars, but then I'm pretty free and loose with my 4-star ratings, am a lot stingier with my 5-stars. This is what I had to say about the book:

1974, New York. While a funambulist (a new word for me) is walking, running, hopping his way across a wire cable between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the messy business of life beneath is going on, both by those who notice him and those who will never know he existed. This novel is a heart-on-my-sleeve telling of the intertwined stories of multiple people as they join and separate and join again: Irishmen, holy men, prostitutes, grieving families, children, all very human beings with the attendant beauty and darkness. Mostly, the characters do not want their souls exposed and the author strips away their facades anyway, often with lyrical, touching prose. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Susan wrote: "I enjoy interconnected stories .."

I usually do, too...just not this one.

[Alias Reader]

Let the Great World Spin

Maree wrote: "Here's my review, most of which, until the end, is spoiler-free (but marked as such when it's not): Maree's review
----------------------

Thanks, Maree. One f2f group is a library group. The librarian selects books that she can get for the whole group.

I was going to read this one on my own, but I'm in no hurry.

Thanks for posting your review, Susan.

[John]

My March reads were:
1.All Over But the Shoutin'
2.A Lesson in Secrets
3.True Grit
4.Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America
5.Sarah's Key
6.In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything
7.The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival
8.Travels in a Thin Country: A Journey Through Chile
9.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
10.Shiloh: A Novel

[Maree]

How did you like True Grit in novel form? And did you enjoy Sarah's Key? I thought it was okay.

[Fiona (Titch)]

Solo: Extreme Race - Jane West[
The Uniform - Tommy Donbavand
The Gambling Habit - Pete Guppy
Hide and Seek - Catherine Mcphail
The Ghosts of 2012 - Graham Hurley
Hero? - Pete Johnson
Four Degrees More (Shades) - Malcolm Rose

Book Circle Book (loved)

When Will There Be Good News? - Kate Atkinson (disliked)

Others were ok

[John]

Maree wrote: "How did you like True Grit in novel form? And did you enjoy Sarah's Key? I thought it was okay."

I really liked True Grit. I had just seen both versions of the movie and neither of them got the book quite right. Sarah's Key was fine but not great. I loved it for the photo on the cover. I had lunch in that same spot!

[Alias Reader]

John wrote: "My March reads were:
1.All Over But the Shoutin'

-----------

Thanks for sharing your March reads with us, John.

I have All Over But The Shoutin' on my TBR. How would you rate it?

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D]

John wrote: "My March reads were:
1.All Over But the Shoutin'
2.A Lesson in Secrets

Some good books there, John. I thoroughly enjoyed All Over But the Shoutin' several years ago. I love the Maisie Dobbs books but haven't read them all yet; have you? I never read True Grit (saw both films), but I did like another Portis book, the title of which escapes me now (something about a bus?). Sarah's Key will be our local book group selection in a few months, so I'm holding off reading it for now. And The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was very good.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I liked A Lesson in Secrets but not as much as some of the other Maisie Dobbs books. Here is my comment:
"Another dependable and well-resourced book in the Maisie Dobbs series. I always appreciate the author's references to things that occurred/existed during the time in which the book took place. Her references always seem to be very authentic.

The reason I did not give this four stars is because, for me, it dragged a lot in the middle. Too much information is how I would describe it. Some parts just went on and on.

[Madrano]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I always appreciate the author's references to things that occurred/existed during the time in which the book took place. Her references always seem to be very authentic.

The reason I did not give this four stars is because, for me, it dragged a lot in the middle. Too much information is how I would describe it. Some parts just went on and on. ..."

JoAnn, reading your post helped me put something into focus for myself. Thank you. When i read classics, one of the things i treasure is the bits i learn about life "back then", so the references to things "that occurred/existed" during that time is savored. However, that kind of thing also tends to be the very thing i dislike about contemporary novels. So a future version of myself might really like the very books i have little tolerance for today. Illumination.

deborah

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Deb, by contemporary novels, do you mean ones written about contemporary times or ones published now about any times?

[John]

Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "My March reads were:
1.All Over But the Shoutin'

-----------

Thanks for sharing your March reads with us, John.

I have All Over But The Shoutin' on my TBR. How would ..."

All Over But The Shoutin was a good read but not exactly what I thought it would be about. Bragg said it was a tribute to his mother but much of the book was about Bragg himself. I much preferred Ava's Man, it is one of my favorite books ever.

[John]

Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: "John wrote: "My March reads were:
1.All Over But the Shoutin'
2.A Lesson in Secrets

Some good books there, John. I thoroughly enjoyed All Over But the Shoutin' se..."

I am new to Maisie Dobbs books because a rarely read a mystery. But I will look for more of her stories from now on. I will also look for more Portis books.

[Madrano]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Deb, by contemporary novels, do you mean ones written about contemporary times or ones published now about any times?"

Good question, JoAnn. I meant books written about contemporary times but i'm also bothered by novels by today's authors who set their stories in different times but with characters who think the way today's people do, as far as equality of races, gender and sexuality. I'm really rough on my contemporaries, which is probably not fair.

And i must say that when i talk about contemporary novels about our time, i do not mean the ones which tell a story simply. Rather, those which seem to want to convey a sense of the time in which i was an adult. I do not want to be walked down memory land, i guess, using someone else's memories.

deb, being picky

deb

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

John wrote: "I am new to Maisie Dobbs books because a rarely read a mystery. But I will look for more of her stories from now on. I will also look for more Portis books. .."

I rarely read mysteries, either, John, but the Maisie Dobbs books have mostly all appealed to me.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Madrano wrote: "Good question, JoAnn. I meant books written about contemporary times but i'm also bothered by novels by today's authors who set their stories in different times but with characters who think the way today's people do, as far as equality of races, gender and sexuality. I'm really rough on my contemporaries, which is probably not fair.

And i must say that when i talk about contemporary novels about our time, i do not mean the ones which tell a story simply. Rather, those which seem to want to convey a sense of the time in which i was an adult. I do not want to be walked down memory land, i guess, using someone else's memories.

deb, being picky"

Deb, I am really tired and am not sure exactly what you are saying....but it sounds good!

JoAnn, being dense

[Alias Reader]

John wrote: "I much preferred Ava's Man, it is one of my favorite books ever.
--------------

Thanks !

[Madrano]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Deb, I am really tired and am not sure exactly what you are saying....but it sounds good!

JoAnn, being dense ..."

JoAnn, i was probably being muddled as i wrote it, which wouldn't help you. If i contemporary of ours writes about the past, i tend to see it as historical fiction, which i really don't like. If a contemporary writes about events which we all experienced, i am not fond of it.

However, if a writer today, such as Anne Tyler, writes about individual lives without much mention of "today things", i am more inclined to read it. BUT they really have to be close to Tyler's style.

I hope that made it easier. :-)

deborah

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Madrano wrote: "If i contemporary of ours writes about the past, i tend to see it as historical fiction, which i really don't like. If a contemporary writes about events which we all experienced, i am not fond of it.."

Could one summarize by saying that you do not much like contemporary writers?

JoAnn, still confused

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

Now that it is time to list what we read in April, maybe I should get around to posting my March reads. As usual, I'm a day (or 30) late and a dollar short. I have full reviews on each book's page.

I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish
Dr. Abuelaish has a remarkable story to tell, and most remarkable of all is that after three of his daughters and his niece were killed in the Gaza strip, he still wants peace, not revenge. This alone says worlds about the man. The various wars, conflicts, and at the best of times, unease, between the Palestinians and the Israelis is tragic. Like two dogs, one bone, like schoolyard bullies. I don't pretend to know the solution but continued fighting, deprivation, and hate isn't it. This is the message that Palestinian Dr. A. is spreading despite the suffering he has endured, despite the near-impossible border crossings. His descriptions of life in Gaza were eye-opening for me. This book is well worth reading for its story of struggle and hope

Marker by Mel Green
This is a funny, entertaining novel. Or it is a touching, engaging memoir. Which is it? This “true story of misery and misinformation with an Appendix of Lies” is both, based on the author's life but jumping into the (gene) pool of fiction whenever it suits him. Thus, the appendix of lies. At any rate, Bert Kelly manages, somehow, to make it to age 30 despite what he learned at 15 in the first sentences of this book.

I'm not saying it was all roses up until the day my father told me, at fifteen years old, that I would likely be dead from a disease in just as many years. But after that day, things sure as hell took a turn for the worse.

The story is funny but it is also reflective of real thoughts and feelings. The 15-year old Bert is sophomoric and there is some bad language, but fitting for someone his age who is angry and scared. He really, really has trouble trying to grow up. The book occasionally meanders a little too much for my taste but it all comes together fabulously in the end.

Maggots in my Sweet Potatoes by Susan Madden Lankford
Maggots in my Sweet Potatoes is an impressive book, impressive in that you will come away with an expanded and perhaps new impression of what life is like in a women's jail. Ms. Lankford is a photojournalist and this large format (~13” x ~10”) book is filled with stark black and white photos. It is not, however, just another coffee table book. The author follows the stories of real people and this book should be read, not just thumbed through.

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
When I read the first of this Earth's Children series, The Clan of the Cave Bear, several years ago, I loved it. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed learning about a time that was completely unfamiliar to me. I became less enamored of the series as it went on, eventually abandoning it. It became too predictable, the characters too cliched, and just not interesting. When I learned of this newest one, and the last in the series, I thought it was time for another try.

Perhaps my reading tastes have changed too much since I read the first book. Perhaps this wasn't the right time to tackle this long (~750 pages in my ARC version) book. For whatever reason, I'm afraid it was a DNF for me. After about 200 pages of stilted conversation, way too much repetition, and very little action, I threw in the towel. Ayla is portrayed as some sort of superwoman who can do no wrong, and that got annoying to me. And to quote the bard, there was much ado about nothing.

Fire Season by Philip Connors
Five miles from the nearest road, sitting on top of what is essentially a lightning rod with a roof – that's not something most of us could tolerate, much less crave. Something Mr. Connors chose to do for several summers in his job as a fire lookout. (Something that I, being a bit of a loner, would probably like. Except for the lightning. And the snakes. And the dead mice stuck to the floor when the cabin is first opened for the season.)

Despite all the vitriol we've directed at it, despite all the technology we've deployed to fight it, wildfire still erupts in the union of earth and sky, in the form of a lightning strike to a tree, and there is nothing we can do to preempt it. The best we can do, in a place like Gila, is have a human stationed in a high place to cry out the news. If this gets to sounding borderline mystical, as if I've joined the cult of the pyromaniacal, all I can say is: guilty as charged.

This is more than just a memoir about sitting on top of a lookout tower. It is also about the history and changing view toward wildfire management. It is about ecology, and how we have encouraged nature to get so out of balance. It is about cattle grazing on public land, their ranchers paying a pittance while the cattle destroy the natural habitat. I say this all as a complete hypocrite, living in a forested area with lots of lightning and careless people, due for a natural fire and wanting it to be stopped immediately if (when) it comes.

The book was entertaining and informative, and the time I spent reading it was well spent.


Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee
Sandy, Emily's selfish, rich, and unlikeable husband, get smooshed to death early in the book, the result of a little, ugly, old dog running into the street near him. The rather cranky Old Man gives him a chance to redeem himself by coming back as a dog, Einstein, and making up for his human shortcomings. Softhearted Emily adopts Einstein, thinking he is just an injured stray who needs a home. This is not a girl-and-her-dog story. Other than being trapped in a dog's body, there is nothing dog-like about Sandy/Einstein. It is a story about relations, regrets, and possible redemption wrapped up in a feel-good novel. I especially enjoyed the characterizations of Emily's free-spirited and irresponsible sister, Jordan, and of her cold and calculating mother-in-law, Althea. The author doesn't make them just stereotypes but shows us why they are the way they are. This is a fun read, great for entertainment but also with something deeper to take away if you care to.

The Source of All Things by Tracy Ross
Tracy Ross, as a young child, dearly loved her stepfather, more a real father to her than her biological father who died when she was an infant. Until, that is, he started sexually abusing her. She continued to love him, but her love was mixed with hate and confusion. And this conflict colored the rest of her life. This memoir is heartfelt and touching, and I am so sorry that Ms. Ross experienced what she did. The abuse never went to the level of rape in the technical sense, but this story proves that it doesn't have to be that violent in order to be devastating.

While the story is an important one and it was certainly brave of the author to tell it, I do have some problems with it. During much of the middle of the book, I felt like I was being beat over the head about the abuse. I know about the abuse. To me, it took away from the story to explain everything with writing again that she had been abused. Sometimes, less is more. Overall, this is a touching, honest, and brave book, but the writing was a bit too uneven for me to love it.

Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Lexi is a teenager, an orphan who has been bounced for years between her drug-addicted mother and various foster homes. When her mother overdosed, she learned of a long-lost relative who was willing to take her in. So can a girl determined to not follow in her mother's footsteps find happiness in a worn-out double wide, living with an older woman and going to school with the rich over-privileged kids on their classy island? And something goes wrong – you knew it had to, didn't you?

There are people who will love this coming-of-age story, seeing it as sweet, romantic, and entertaining. There are people who will dislike it, seeing it as trite, predictable, maudlin, melodramatic.

I guess it all depends on your taste and what you enjoy reading. I fall somewhere in the middle. I think that the negative adjectives are appropriate. But I also found it entertaining enough to take me through to the end. I really liked the character Eva although she was a relatively minor character. Jude, the rich mom, just got annoying. Lexi, despite some of her decisions, was too good to be true. I haven't read any other books by this author, but if this book is typical of her writing, I think her fans will enjoy this one. While I wouldn't like a steady diet of stories like this, I did enjoy this one.

by Izzeldin Abuelaish
by Mel Green
by Susan Madden Lankford
by Jean M. Auel
by Philip Connors
by Linda Francis Lee
by Tracy Ross
by Kristin Hannah

[Alias Reader]

Thanks for posting your March books. Better late than never ! :)

I enjoyed the reading the reviews you gave each book.

[Madrano]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Could one summarize by saying that you do not much like contemporary writers?

JoAnn, still confused ..."

Pretty much, if you mean fiction writers. But then i don't know where to put those living novelists i enjoy, such as Anne TylerChris Bohjalian, Russell Banks and others. So, i don't think i could make that much of a blanket statement. I'm just very picky about them and am disappointed much more often than i am pleased when i try contemporary authors.

deborah, needing to coin a word which covers it

[Marialyce]

Susan, I am reading Night Road now and totally agree with your review. It is for lack of a better term a "chick lit" type of book. It is a quick read which is just what I need right now. Thanks for your great reviews!

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

Thanks, Marialyce. When I decided to read it, I was thinking, for some reason, that it was a mystery more than chick lit. Not so, but it was a decent read anyway.