75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2012 Completed)
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Alecia's 2012 Challenge
Yes, but you might think differently as it has a clever twist. I liked it a lot, just not as much as I had hoped. Certainly more than most of the books I have read this year! But there are a lot of people who really like it, so you may be one of them...
Book # 35 Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes 3/5 starsThe writing in this book is good. It engages and moves the reader along quite well, once one gets used to the back and forth chapters in time. Catherine Bailey is in an ever evolving terrifying relationship with handsome, mysterious Lee. That story is told in the older time chapters (2003-2004).In the 2007-2008 chapters, Catherine has become Cathy, lives in a different town, and is suffering from OCD. She has also started a romantic relationship with a conveniently located kind psychologist who lives upstairs.
Although this novel moves along briskly and is quite readable, I did have some problems with the characterizations. I found it very difficult to believe that all of Catherine's friends would choose to believe Lee's version of their relationship over her's. That did not ring true at all to me. Some of her behaviour in the later chapters seemed unlikely, and I also found the ending rather trite, and also quite unrealistic. I did find the description of Cathy's OCD quite good, and the author did convey the terror experienced in being trapped in such a violent, unpredictable relationship.
Book # 35 Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall 2/5 starsI thought I would like this book. The prose is lyrical, and the story line is intriguing. During the Civil War, a plantation wife is found guilty of madness, and sent off to the Sanibel Asylum for Lunatics in Florida. There she is to be restored to a good, compliant wife. But I found it to be a rather murky read (maybe intentionally so?) and ultimately, not for me.
Book # 36 The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen 3.5/5 starsI enjoyed this strange and enthralling book very much. I would give it 3.5 stars for the author's wonderful child-like imagination. I was not as crazy about the ending, and found it disturbing and also somewhat unconvincing. But it is hard to wrap up such a creative work.
The novel is narrated by ten year old Judith McPherson who lives with her very distant and cold widowed father. They are part of a religious sect that sounded somewhat like Jehovah's Witness, but it is never mentioned. Judith and her father are thought of as weird and eccentric in the neighborhood (part of their religion is door-to-door proselytizing), and Judith is bullied in school. Her life is basically miserable, and she creates the Land of Decoration, a model in miniature of the Promised Land made of scraps, in her bedroom. Judith is convinced she is causing miracles to happen, and she has conversations with God.
I thought it was a very good book, and worth reading for the author's creativity alone.
Alecia wrote: "it is hard to wrap up such a creative work"I've not read this particular book, but I have had this thought in the past. It's disappointing to come away dissatisfied, but not know quite what would have made the ending live up to the rest of the book. The Night Circus specifically comes to mind, for me.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 36 The LAnd of Decoration by Grace McCleen 3.5/5 starsI enjoyed this strange and enthralling book very much. I would give it 3.5 stars for the author's wonderful child-like imagination. I ..."
I struggled with the rating on this book. I didn't like every aspect of it but ultimately I gave it a 5 simply because I was still thinking about it and wanting to discuss it with someone for days after I finished reading it. Glad you enjoyed it too :-)
JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "Book # 36 The LAnd of Decoration by Grace McCleen 3.5/5 starsI enjoyed this strange and enthralling book very much. I would give it 3.5 stars for the author's wonderful child-like ..."
SPOILER ALERT:
The main reason I read it was because of your review. I really did think it was very different and creative, and I enjoyed the read, as well as her writing. I am thinking the conversations with God signified a brewing mental breakdown for Judith. What did you think? And because of that, the ending didn't feel right to me...I didn't think the happy reunion between father and daughter felt right. I don't give my 4 and 5 stars that freely..such power I wield :-)
Charleen wrote: "Alecia wrote: "it is hard to wrap up such a creative work"I've not read this particular book, but I have had this thought in the past. It's disappointing to come away dissatisfied, but not know q..."
I think if you liked the book Room, you might like this one also. Even though I didn't care for the ending, I thought it was well-written and something different.
Alecia wrote: "JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "Book # 36 The LAnd of Decoration by Grace McCleen 3.5/5 starsI enjoyed this strange and enthralling book very much. I would give it 3.5 stars for the author's wonderfu..."
SPOILER ALERT:
(view spoiler)
FYI, you can hide text behind spoiler tags by using < spoiler > and < /spoiler > (only take out the spaces between).It's very handy for when you (view spoiler). (And that's not a real spoiler for anything, just an example.)
JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "Book # 36 The LAnd of Decoration by Grace McCleen 3.5/5 starsI enjoyed this strange and enthralling book very much. I would give it 3.5 stars for the au..."
I agree with you about her future need for therapy, and I absolutely thought her conversations were part of a (perfectly understandable) mental breakdown. I think the portrayal of the bullying done to her in school was very powerful, and Judith showed amazing strength during those episodes. I also (view spoiler)
Charleen wrote: "FYI, you can hide text behind spoiler tags by using and (only take out the spaces between).It's very handy for when you [spoilers removed]. (And that's not a real spoiler for anything, just an ..."
Thank you, Charleen, I learned something new!
Alecia wrote: "Thank you, Charleen, I learned something new! "You're welcome! I thought it was pretty nifty when I first discovered it. Perfect for discussions like these.
Charleen wrote: "Alecia wrote: "Thank you, Charleen, I learned something new! "You're welcome! I thought it was pretty nifty when I first discovered it. Perfect for discussions like these."
Yes, Charleen, thanks! I always wondered how that was done!
Alecia wrote: "JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "Book # 36 The LAnd of Decoration by Grace McCleen 3.5/5 starsI enjoyed this strange and enthralling book very much. I would give it 3.5 sta..."
Alecia, I do agree it was a drastic change for the reader. But perhaps it was gradual. We're not given glimpses into his thoughts and feelings. Maybe he had chinks in his armor we didn't know about? I know, I'm making excuses perhaps because I really liked the book :-)
Book # 37 Alys, Always by Harriet Lane 3/5 starsFrances has an unspectactular job as a subeditor, or as she puts it,"an invisible production drone". One rainy night, she comes upon the aftermath of a car crash and comforts the dying passenger, Alys Kyte. Frances agrees to see the bereaved family to offer them a few words of comfort, as she was the last to see their mother/wife alive. When she notices the rarified world the family lives in, privileged and wealthy, she starts to cultivate a friendship with the daughter, Polly. The reader sees Frances slowly manipulating people and events to attempt to reshape her life. Frances is an outsider yearning to be part of this world, and her "grand plan" is the story in this novel. It reminded me a bit of Patricia Highsmith's stories. I would have liked Frances's character to have been a bit more nuanced. Her voice is very measured and steady, which is chilling, yet a bit unsatisfying, and Frances remains a cypher. But, Alys, Always is an interesting book.(less)
Alecia wrote: "Book # 37 Alys, Always by Harriet Lane 3/5 starsFrances has an unspectactular job as a subeditor, or as she puts it,"an invisible production drone". One rainy night, she comes upon the aftermat..."
That does sound like an interesting book!
Book # 38 The Typist by Michael Knight 2/5 starsI liked the way Michael Knight writes in this novella. But I think the drama could've been a little more dramatic. This is a quiet story of Francis Vancleave, who is stationed in Tokyo in 1944. He is an excellent typist, and this skill keeps him off the battlfield while he works for General MacArthur (his men call MacArthur "Bunny" to each other in this book). Francis's experiences here make up the book, and include a baysitting job with MacArthur's eight year old son. But ultimately, I was left unmoved by the story. Stewart O'Nan, by comparison, also writes "quiet" short novels, but they also can pack a powerful punch dramatically.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 38 The Typist by Michael Knight 2/5 starsI liked the way Michael Knight writes in this novella. But I think the drama could've been a little more dramatic. This is a quiet story of Francis..."
Sorry this one didn't work for you, but you've just reminded me to move an O'Nan book up my to-be-read list!
I wish he'd hurry up and write a new one!
Mod
Andrea, I'm still waiting for those elusive (for me) 4 star reads...A couple of interesting ones are on my TBR pile, so maybe soon...
Book # 39 Heading Out To Wonderful by Robert Goolrick 2/5 starsThis book was not for me (but I see from other reviewers that many people liked this). I gave it two stars, not one, because Goolrick's writing is good, and sometimes quite eloquent. However, I found the story melodramatic and overwraught, with the main character, Charlie Beale, behaving in a way I found quite unbelievable. (view spoiler)
Book # 40 Hellbox by Bill Pronzini 3/5 starsI have always enjoyed Bill Pronzini. His Nameless Detective series is a sure thing in terms of an enjoyable read, and this new one does not disappoint. In the early books, Nameless did not even have a first name. But now, the reader knows him as Bill (no last name). Bill's chapters in the novel are told in the first person, and the others are in the third person. This has always worked well and continues to do so.
Bill and Kerry are looking at different areas for a second home. They have settled on a place that they think might be perfect, but Kerry goes missing while on a hike by herself. Bill gets nowhere with the local police, and calls in his longtime associate, Jake Runyon, to help him find Kerry. Bill is certain that Kerry is still alive. There are no great surprises here, but Pronzini is very successful in mixing PI work with honest human emotion.
Book # 41 Last Call for the Living by Peter Farris 2/5 starsI liked the first part of this boook, and the description of bank teller Charlie is very good. The reader really gets a sense of Charlie being a very odd duck, and this sets up his being taken as a hostage in the bank robbery very well. We know that his abductor is a cold, violent man, and we cringe on Charlie's behalf. But as the story progressed, although I liked the writing, I found it a bit overlong and meandering (for example I found the long chapters about Sheriff Lang and descriptions about a pentecostal church service unecessary and distracting from what should have been a tight narrative). I think sometimes less is more (think Richard Stark).
Book # 42 Pure by Andrew Miller 2/5 starsThis book was not for me. Although the prose is quite lovely at times, lyrical and poetic, the story line and characters felt leaden to me. The story started off in a promising fashion as Jean-Baptiste Baratte, an engineer, waits in the Palace of Versailles for an interview. He learns he is charged with emptying the overflowing cemetery of Les Innocents, an ancient place where the stench is poisoning the local area. About half-way through the novel, I found it harder and harder to pick up the book to read. I know the metaphor is a huge one, as France is on the brink of the revolution, and cleaning out the cemetery is supposed to be very meaningful in this regard. But it did not grab me at all.
Book # 43 Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 3/5 starsWhen I started reading this book, I thought it was terrific...multi-layered, multi-voiced, interesting, well-written and different. But as I read on, I thought it a little too layered and multi-voiced. It also went on a bit too long. But parts of it were really well done, including parts set in 1962 Italy, and some of the present day chapters. I especially liked the early chapters set in Hollywood, showing the wheeling and dealing done while pitching movies. Some of that was quite funny, also. The time jumps around, which works, but there is just too much of it. Some of the story threads are are more interesting and better done than others. But I think it is worth reading.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 43 Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 3/5 starsWhen I started reading this book, I thought it was terrific...multi-layered, multi-voiced, interesting, well-written and different. But as I rea..."
Alecia, I just started listening to the audio of this yesterday and so far I'm enjoying it but I'm just a few hours into it. I've read similar complaints as yours in some reviews. The narration is fabulous but I can tell I'm going to have to be doing something totally mindless while listening so I can keep all the different story lines straight. I do really like the humor.
Jan,I hope you enjoy it! This would seem to be a good one to listen to the audio. I'll be curious to know what you think when you're finished. I really loved it when I started it. But as I said, it was a worthy read, and I liked the humor also. I thought it was a huge effort on the author's part, as there were so many threads.
Book # 44 Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann 4/5 stars
The title of this book did not give me much of an indication of what would be between the covers. I was very pleasantly surprised to find an author who is able to portray her characters with such realism and unpredictability. The story line jumps back and forth in time, from 1959 to the late 60's, but that flows pretty well. Nick (female) seems to be the main character, but this novel is told from five different points of view. Somehow, to me, she seemed to be the strongest one. They all were very engaging and their lives were eminently readable. The one who tells his tale in the first person (the other points of view are in the third person), Ed, is quite a disturbed individual. But his observations of the others add to the whole mix, making this a very enjoyable read. I look forward to more from Liza Klaussmann. It says in her bio that she is the great-great-great granddaughter of Herman Melville. While that is a lot to live up to, I think she did a fine job this time around, and she shows great promise.
Book # 45 Dare Me by Megan Abbott 3/5 starsAlthough Megan Abbott can write like crazy, and I was eagerly awaiting this new book, I was somewhat disappointed in this one. I would probably rate it 2.5 stars, but rounded it off to 3 because she is such a good writer. This novel about "cheerleaders gone wild" is a rather lurid piece, without the other qualities I liked so much in her other works. I found the story line itself rather limiting, and I thought the characters were somewhat cliched. Abbott does have the ability, however, of getting inside a young girl's head and bringing that home to the reader.
Book # 46 The Hollow City by Dan Wells 3/5 starsI am not a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy. In spite of that, I found Dan Wells's writing to be very good and very readable. I loved the unreliable narrator, Michael Shipman, who is a paranoid schizophrenic and may just be telling the truth! Not only is he running from "faceless men", police, FBI, Doctors, etc., etc., he is also running from himself and his hallucinations. This makes for a very unusual read that moves along at a great pace.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 46 The Hollow City by Dan Wells 3/5 starsI am not a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy. In spite of that, I found Dan Wells's writing to be very good and very readable. I loved the unreliable narr..."
This one is on my TBR, glad you enjoyed it.
Charleen, I enjoyed it up until the ending. But maybe that's the genre, and I'm not used to that type of resolution. I'll be interested to know what you think and I hope you enjoy it.
Book # 47 The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman4/5 stars
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, but went with 4. The emotions depicted in this debut novel by the two mothers were painfully and, I thought, accurately portrayed. The situation of the story, set in the early 20th century, is an unusual one. Tom Sherbourne takes a job as a lighthouse keeper after serving for four harrowing years on the Western Front. He miraculously finds Isabel, a lovely young woman, who loves him and wants to live with him in this extreme isolation. The isolation of living on Janus Rock is also evoked very nicely. But after 2 miscarriages and one stillbirth, Isabel is grieving and cannot come to terms with her inablity to have children. When a boat washes up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby, her wishes seem to be granted from above. Difficult decisions and moral principles are addressed, as are human emotions that are very understandable and well observed. I was drawn in and understood both sides of this dilemma, and that made it quite a powerful read.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 47 The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman4/5 stars
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, but went with 4. The emotions depicted in this debut novel by the two mothers were painfully and, I t..."
This sounds good...it's going on my tbr list!
Book # 48 The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson 4/5 starsI believe this book was a labor of love for the author, Isabel Wilkerson, and it shows. It is a success in many ways. It provides the reader with a wide, sweeping, panoramic view of the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South and Jim Crow for northern and western cities, and it focuses specifically and compassionately on three of those individual lives.
The details of the Jim Crow laws, and what it was like to live in the South under those conditions are jolting and horrific. It translates mere words from the recent past into a reality that the reader can absorb and feel viscerally. Wilkerson also portrays the three main characters and their individual journeys with empathy and poignancy. This is a beautifully written work, comprising both history and personal lives. I think it should be suggested reading on school syllabuses.
Book # 49 The Prophet by Michael Koryta 3/5 starsWay too much football in this book, both literally and (perhaps?) as a metaphor. Not a big fan of the game, so there were many pages of boredom and skimming of excrutiating (to me) high school football game details. Kent Austin, one of two brothers who are the novel's protagonists, is a beloved high school footbal coach. He and his brother Adam have not spoken in years, since their sister was abducted and murdered. Adam is a bail bondsman, struggling with overwhelming guilt and remorse relating to the night of his sister's death.
Flash forward, and yet another teenage girl is found murdered. Again, there are ties to both brothers, and details emerge that involve them both in this crime. They unite to try and and stop this killer. The story moves along (football parts excluded) and it works well regarding the brother's relationship, and the horrors of dealing with grief over violent deaths.
Book #50 Triburbia by Karl Taro Greenfeld 2.5/5 starsThis is a somewhat difficult book for me to review, and I'd probably give it 2.5 stars. On the one hand, I liked Greenfield's writing, and found it engaging. On the other hand, I didn't feel that these interlocking stories were successful as a whole. The Imperfectionists and Olive Kitteridge (other books with connecting stories)achieved a unity and wholeness for me that Triburbia somehow did not. I am not sure if it is the lack of empathy I had for the different characters, or whether the stories got too confusing with the large amount of families to follow. Whatever the reason, I was not moved in any way by this book, and that lessened it's impact for me.
Alecia wrote: " The Imperfectionists and Olive Kitteridge (other books with connecting stories)achieved a unity and wholeness for me..."Alecia, Olive Kitteridge is one of my all-time favorite books!
Jan, I also loved Olive Kitteridge and Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. Have you read The Imperfectionists?
Alecia wrote: "Jan, I also loved Olive Kitteridge and Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. Have you read The Imperfectionists?"I haven't but it's going on my wish list now. And I keep meaning to get to another of Strout's books.....
Book # 51 And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman 3/5 starsI have never read anything by Laura Lippman, and was pleasantly surprised to find what a clear, intelligent writer she is. This is more of a character-built novel than a mystery or suspense one. It is kind of static, and in that rather still, plodding way, Lippman does let us know a lot about her main character, Heloise Lewis (nee Helen). Heloise is a madame, and she is raising her young son in a suburban area, keeping her background and her occupation a secret. Some of this is believable, some of it stretches the imagination a bit. But Heloise is a pretty well-fleshed out character, and I liked the first half of this book. I felt it started dragging a bit during the second half, and I kept waiting for it to pick up and become somewhat suspenseful. Although that does not really happen, I kind of liked the way Lippman ties up the ending, even though I stongly suspected the character who causes the turn of events at the end.
Alecia wrote: "And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman 3/5 starsI have never read anything by Laura Lippman, and was pleasantly surprised to find what a clear, intelligent writer she is. This is more of a charac..."
Alecia, what a coincidence. I have never read anything by Lippman before either but I'm currently listening to What The Dead Know. I'm not far enough into it to have an opinion of the story but so far I'm enjoying her writing.
Yes, Jan, another coincidence. We are on "the same page" a lot! I would try another Lippman book, I think.
Alecia wrote: "Yes, Jan, another coincidence. We are on "the same page" a lot! I would try another Lippman book, I think."Yes, we are. It's my turn to pick a book club selection and I'm stumped....maybe I should just have you choose for me, haha
I'm sure we'd be on "the same page" with the book club choice also! I found it was rather slim pickins this year reading-wise, with a few notable exceptions including Steve Jobs. Maybe something else will turn up to blow me away before 2013...
Alecia wrote: "I'm sure we'd be on "the same page" with the book club choice also! I found it was rather slim pickins this year reading-wise, with a few notable exceptions including Steve Jobs. Maybe something el..."Steve Jobs will no doubt be at the top of my list this year. Do you listen to audiobooks? I would highly recommend another book at the top of my list this year: a memoir/bio, Little Princes by Conor Grennan. It's probably good in print too but the audio really shines.
No,I don't listen to audiobooks. Should I try it in print?
I would give this book a 3.5 rating for it's unpredictable plot twist alone. I think tighter editing might have benefited this novel, as some parts..."
I thought this one sounded interesting, but I wasn't a huge fan of the other Flynn novel I read recently, so this one is sort of a "maybe eventually" read for me.