Say When

I've read a lot of Elizabeth Berg's books, some I like better than others. Say When is probably one of my favorites. It is such an honest portrayal of a marriage falling apart. Berg writes convincingly from the point of view of Griffin, the husband.

Although I didn't always understand Griffin's choices, or that of his wife Ellen, the story felt so real to me-it told of two flawed people, just like any of us, trying to make their marriage work. I felt sympathy for all the characters, including their eight year old daughter Zoe.

It would have been depressing in the hands of a less gifted writer, but Berg is a wonderful writer, at some moments funny, others sad and even tender. I truly enjoyed this book.

Flying Changes

Flying Changes by Sara Gruen is the follow up to her first novel, Riding Lessons. We again follow Annemarie Zimmer and her daughter Eva who is now ready to ride competitively, with the possibility of having an Olympic career; a dream that ended for Annemarie when she was 18 and had a tragic fall that killed her beloved horse, and nearly killed her.

Although at first this seems like it is a novel about Eva, it turns out to be the continuing story of Annemarie and her 20 year long journey of healing. She's rather neurotic and not always likable. Still, the novel is compelling and Gruen is a wonderful writer. It's worth reading for the in depth details and descriptions of the horses alone.

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, a novel in pictures, by Caroline Preston is a wonderfully original book that I didn't want to end. It is written in the form of a scrapbook filled with pictures, ticket stubs, ads, candy wrappers, vintage postcards, etc.  It's the kind of book you just slowly pour over again and again.

Frankie is a young and independent girl in the 1920's, and although her story is a bit cliche and predictable, it doesn't matter. The book is a visual feast. and I only wish I had put it together myself.

Stone Arabia

I picked up Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta, author of Eat the Document, as it seemed like an interesting departure from what I'd been reading. It follows Denise and Nik, siblings who grew up in 80's LA, now in their late 40's. Nik is a brilliant, but obscure, musician/artist who obsessively creates art only for himself and his sister, Denise, who more often than not ends up supporting him.

Spiotta is an original writer, delving into the depths of the sibling relationship and also into the mind of a true artist. However, the book was so depressing that I found it hard to read. We follow the slow loss of their mother's mind, while Denise herself is slowly losing her own memory and slipping into sadness. This is punctuated by brief pictures of the LA music scene.

None of the characters were fully developed (including Denise's daughter Ada who decides to make a documentary about Nik.) The story is messy and never really goes anywhere, like life itself, and this seems to be Spiotta's point.

Although I appreciate Spiotta's writing, the novel didn't really work for me.

Feast of Roses

Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan is the follow up novel to The Twentieth Wife. This new novel follows the life of Mehrunnisa after she marries Emperor Jahangir in 17th century India and becomes Empress Nur Jahan, "Light of the World." We learn that it is she who is really in control of the Empire.

This book is a fascinating portrait of India during the height of the Mughal Empire, and of one woman who managed to rule an empire against all odds. We learn of life in the imperial zenana (royal harem) and the politics there, and how Empress Nur Jahan became the power behind the veil.

It is a brutal time in history when sons fight with brothers, cousins, and fathers to claim rights to the thrown. The most famous of the Mughal Emperors is Shah Jahan, Emperor Jahangir's son, for it is he who erected the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife, and unfortunately, Empress Nur Jahan has been all but forgotten. Sundaresan brings her story to life here.

However, without first reading The Twentieth Wife, Feasts of Roses can be a difficult book, and much of the depth of the characters is lost. I enjoyed reading The Twentieth Wife more, and I think it is a better novel, but I was happy to read The Feast of Roses, to find out the end of Mehrunnisa's story. To truly enjoy this novel, I would suggest starting at the beginning.

House at Riverton

I love Kate Morton's novels. They are big, detailed, intriguing stories that pull me in and keep me up half the night reading. The House at Riverton, her debut novel, is no exception.

Here Morton has brought us to 1920's England, a time between the 2 world wars, and shown us the dichotomy between the wealthy inhabitants of the manor, and their staff who serve them. We are told the story by Grace, now 98 years old, remembering her years of service at Riverton when she was still a girl.

There is a mystery at the heart of the novel, as well as a love story. Morton shows us a way of life that has completely disappeared and we almost feel as if we were there. A very enjoyable read.

Abide with Me

Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout is a rather grim book about a Congregationalist Preacher and his daughter in a small town in New England in the late 1950's.

Although I love Strout's writing, (there are even moments here reminiscent of Marilyn Robinson's masterpiece Gilead,) reading her novels would have you believe that the world is full of small minded, small hearted, gossiping people who aren't satisfied until they have caused harm to others, and only then are the repentant.

I would love to read something by Strout that was not quite so depressing. So far I haven't found it.

Big Girl Small

Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin is an unexpected delight. We have the clear strong voice of Judy Lohden who seems much bigger than her 3'9" stature. She is an overly smart, yet troubled teen.

De Woskin's writing is wonderful. At times hilarious, at other times sad.  This is an inside look at modern teen culture, as well as the life of a "little person" trying to navigate her way through main stream American highschool.

This is a modern day coming of age story with all its sad and scary moments as well as great love and the kindness of strangers.  This is one book I won't soon forget.

Falling Together

I loved Marisa de los Santos' first two books, Love Walked In and Belong to Me. I was so excited to read her latest, Falling Together. I liked it a lot, but I can't quite say I loved it.

It is the story of Pen, Will and Cat, three inseperable college frineds who haven't seen each other in six years. Cat mysteriously summons them to their college reunion and from there they begin a long search for her which takes them to the other side of the world.

I loved the character of Pen, but never really understood Jason, Cat's husband. Sometimes the story worked and sometimes it didn't.

I still think Marisa de los Santos is a truly wonderful writer with the rare ability to really draw you in to the story and the characters, and I look forward to reading her next book.

Blue Shoes and Happiness

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith is the latest book I have read in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series.

If you are not familiar with Precious Ramotswe and her Detective Agency in Botswana, then you should be. The simple wisdom she imparts is wondeful, and the beautiful pace of African life always draws me in. I love these books!

Riding Lessons

Riding Lessons is the debut novel by Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants. It is the story of Annemarie Zimmer, a world-class equestrienne who has a terrible accident at 18 years old, resulting in the death of her beloved horse and severe injuries to herself. Her physical wounds heal, but her spirit never does, and 20 years later she finds herself jobless, divorced, at odds with her teenage daughter, and returning home to her family farm to be with her dying father.

This is the story of a long journey of personal healing, hitting rock bottom, and discovering a horse that slowly helps her find her love of life again.

Gruen is a wonderful writer. Here she skillfully portrays broken families and how they can sometimes heal. Anyone interested in horses will love this novel. It is a worthwhile read for everyone else as well.

The Bowl of Light

The Bowl of Light by Hank Wesselman is a beautiful book detailing the friendship between Hank Wesselman, the scientist, and Hale Makua, the Hawaiian Elder. Makua is the carrier of great ancestral wisdom, and the conversations these two men shared over the course of their 8 year friendship are profound and inspiring.

It was a great loss to the Hawaiian community and to the world when this wise elder died in  car crash in 2004. It is wonderful to have at least some of his knowledge preserved here in The Bowl of Light.

Tea Shop Mysteries

Oolong Dead and The Teaberry Strangler are the latest two Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs that I have read.

These books are just for fun; to revisit old friends in Charleston's Indigo Tea Shop, sip a good cup of tea and solve the latest mystery....

Interior Design with Feng Shui

If you are interested in Feng Shui, as I am, then Interior Design with Feng Shui New and Expanded, by Sarah Rossbach is a fascinating book to read.

Rossbach translates Feng Shui teachings from the Master Lin Yun for a western audience. She goes in depth into many Feng Shui cures for home and office; many are practical and some more esoteric.

Although I found it a worthwhile read, it definately left me wanting more.

I Married You for Happiness

I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck is a slim, elegant novel tracing memories back and forth over a forty year marriage. Tuck's writing is spare and poetic and drew me in immediately.

It opens with the line "His hand is growing cold; still she holds it." Nina's husband Philip has just died, and she sits with him all night long remebering moments all throughout their long marriage, starting with their meeting in Paris.

Tuck moves back and forth through time and across continents, but never loses the thread of the story. We are drawn so deeply into the characters of Nina, a painter, and Philip, a mathematician. Through all their ups and downs, their marriage, their friendship, their love and their happiness ultimatley endured.

This is a lovely novel that I would recommend.

The Twentieth Wife

The Twentieth Wife, by Indu Sundaresan, is historical fiction about Empress Nur Jahan, born Mehrunnisa, and later becoming the favored wife of Emperor Jahangir during the early seventeenth century, at the height of the Mughal Empire. She is said to have ruled the empire with him. Their love is not as famous as that of the next Emperor, Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife, but it should be. Theirs is a love story spanning many decades and filled with political intrigue.

The story comes alive in Sundaresan's deft hands. I was captivated by Mehrunnisa and fascinated by her story. I learned much about the life within the zenana, the imperial harem, at the time. Women had power inside here, behind the screens and behind the veil, as they did nowhere else in India at this time.

I was disappointed that the story ended when it did-I would have liked to read the next chapter, and I believe there will be a sequel. I look forward to reading it.

Love Finds You in Lahaina Hawaii

Despite the really silly title of this book, Love Finds You in Lahaina Hawaii, by Bodie Thoene, is actually a very interesting novel. It is historical fiction based on the life of Princess Kaiulani, heir to the throne of Hawaii, after Queen Liliokulani, Hawaii's last monarch.

We follow the princess in her early years when she is sent to England to be educated and prepared to be Hawaii's next Queen. There is a twist at the end of the novel that could be fact or all fiction-it is up to you to decide. This novel is both a love story and a tragedy, retelling the events that led to Hawaii's illegal takeover by American businessmen.

There is nothing spectacular about the writing, however, if this subject interests you, it is an easy and worthwhile read.

The Silver Boat

The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice is set in Martha's Vinyard and traces the lives of three sisters looking for their father who sailed away to Ireland 28 years earlier and was never heard from again.

I loved Dar, the main character, who is a graphic novelist and uses her art as a means of understanding herself. I didn't always understand the motivations of the other two sisters, their characters weren't as well developed.

I think Rice is a wonderful writer, especially when writing about family dynamics, and the novel kept me engaged and interested throughout, but it wasn't my favorite novel of hers.

Tea Shop Mysteries

Chamomile Mourning, Dragonwell Dead, and Silver Needle Murder, are the latest Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs that I have read. It is fun to revisit friends Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop, her dog Earl Grey, master tea blender Drayton, and their chef and baker Haley.

There is always a mystery brewing in historic Charleston, and Theodosia and crew help solve it over many, many good cups of tea. These books are good fun for tea drinkers and mystery lovers alike.

Eddie Would Go

Eddie Would Go-The Story of Eddie Aikau, Hawaiian Hero, by Stuart H. Coleman, is the true story of Hawaii's favorite Big Wave Surfer and all around Waterman, Eddie Aikau.

It is a tragedy, as Eddie was lost at sea at only 32 years old trying to save his fellow crewmen onboard the Hawaiian Canoe Hokule'a. If you've never heard of the Hokule'a, it's worth reading just for that.

It is also a story of inspiration and hope. Eddie was part of a larger revival of Hawaiian culture, and his memory and bravery have inspired so many people over the years, including myself.

Coleman does a wonderful job telling the story of his life and his family, his humble beginnings and his rise to one of the best surfers in the world. There are hundreds of people in these pages whose lives were saved or inspired by Eddie.

There was never a wave too big for Eddie to surf, or conditions too dangerous that he wouldn't risk his own life to swim out and save someone else-hence the phrase-'Eddie Would Go,' that one can see plastered on bumper stickers all over Hawaii. He was a true Hawaiian hero.

The Sacred Power of Huna

The Sacred Power of Huna, Spirituality and Shamanism in Hawai'i by Dr. Rima Morrell, is a book that takes a deep look at the ancient teachings of Hawaiian Kahunas (spiritual masters.)

At first, I questioned reading a book like this written by a westerner, but Rima spent many years living in Hawaii and studying with Kahunas, and seems to be Hawaiian at heart.

We learn of the sacred power of the Hawaiian chant and the hula, among other things. It is a beautiful introduction to spiritual teachings that we can all learn from.

Waking Up in Eden

Waking Up in Eden, by journalist Lucinda Fleeson is partly a memoir, partly a botany lesson, and fully a wonderful story of what it means to live in Hawaii.

Flesson left her job with the Philadelphia Inquirer to come to Kauai and work at the National Tropical Botanical Garden. This book tells the story of her journey, and along the way we learn of the imperilled state of Hawaii's native plants.

At it's heart, it is a very personal story of one woman's quest to simplify her life and find what truly matters. There were some parts of the book that felt out of place when Fleeson veered too far away from the subject at hand, but overall it was a wonderful and educational read. Highly recommended.

The Red Garden

The Red Garden is the latest novel from Alice Hoffman. I think Hoffman is a wonderful writer. She imbues everything she writes with a bit of magic realism. However, I was less taken in by this book than I have been by her others.

We follow the settlers of Blackwell, a small town in the Berkshires from it's founding in the late 18th century, to present day. The novel is written in vignettes, each leading into the next. The problem with this, is that there are so many characters to remember and trying to keep their connections in mind becomes tiresome. Also, once I would get really interested in a character, it was time to move on to the next story.

The Red Garden of the title didn't seem as central to the story as I thought it would be. I would have like to have seen this aspect of the novel much more developed. It seemed to me that the bears were actually central to the story.

As always, Hoffman's writing is wonderful, and as a concept, this was a very interesting way to present a novel. For me though, it just didn't really work.

Miss New India

Miss New India by Bharati Mukherjee is a novel about the changing face of India, especially Bangalore, the call center of the world. This is the first of Mukherjee's novels that I have read, but it won't be the last.

We follow Anjali/Angie Bose from her small town of Gauripur to the big city of Bangalore, and a world she has no idea how to navigate. Mukerjee is brilliant at depicting a changing India, where young people-girls especially- are desperately trying to break out of the traditional roles expected of them (ie arranged marriages) and find a life of freedom and happiness and financial independence on their own.

Sometimes the plot wore thin, and not all of the characters were developed as much as I would have liked, but it is still a fascinating and timely novel that I enjoyed reading.

Blood Orange Brewing

Blood Orange Brewing is another Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs. We revisit the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, and its plucky owner, Theodosia Browning, trying to solve the latest mystery.

I didn't like this one quite as much as Scones and Bones. However, if you enjoy a good cup of tea, these books are fun, quick reads.

Home Repair

Home Repair by Liz Rosenberg is a beautifully written and engaging novel that I couldn't put down.

Eve, the main character, lost her first husband in a car crash thirteen years ago. Chuck, her second, and much younger husband, has just walked out on her and the kids during the middle of a garage sale never to return. Eve is left to pick up the pieces.

Rosenberg has created a character in Eve that is so real, sad, flawed, vulnerable, yet ultimately resiliant and capable. The story was moving and believable and the writing flowed in a way which reminded me that Rosenberg is a poet as well as a novelist. I loved this book.

Conquistadora

Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago, is historical fiction about 19th century Puerto Rico, during the days of the sugar cane plantations. I was really excited to read this novel, as I have loved all of Santiago's other books.

This is the story of Ana, who left Spain and travelled to Puerto Rico with two brothers to take over a sugar cane plantation during the mid-1800's. We follow Ana through her adventure to the new world, falling in love, being the patrona of a plantation, and trying to come to terms with owning the slaves who work for her. This a very well researched, epic novel.

However, it was hard to relate to, or really care about, any of the characters, so I found it less enjoyable than I had hoped. I still think Santiago is a wonderful writer, but I was a little disappointed by this novel.

Disappearing Moon Cafe

Disappearing Moon Cafe by Sky Lee is a fascinating and disturbing novel about four generations of Chinese women that make up the Wong family. Immigrants to Canada in the early 1900's when there were 10 Chinese men to every 1 woman. This had many disastrous repercussion, one of which was rampant incest.

While trying to keep track of all the people in this family tree and uncover all the secrets of their true identities, I felt quite overwhelmed. The story is told in part by Kae, a 4th generation Wong woman trying to untangle the web of her family's past. Lee brings the story together by the end, so we have an understanding of the larger picture, but the journey was quite confusing, and not really that enjoyable. None of the characters are developed enough or likable enough to care about.

Still, it is an interesting and honest look at Canada's Chinese immigrant population, particularly the women.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

This month's choice for my local library's book club pick is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I have seen the movie Smoke Signals, but didn't know it was written by Alexie, and I haven't read anything else by him. I was in for quite a wonderful surprise with this novel.

Based on Alexie's own life story as a teen growing up on a reservation in Wellpinit, Washington and going to an all white school 20 miles away in Reardon, this is an often hilarious, often tragically sad novel. It is filled with wonderful drawings by Ellen Forney that help bring the character of Arnold Spirit alive. It's impossible not to root for him, against all odds.

Alexie's writing is so fresh and so original, I was drawn in from the very first page. I absolutely loved this book.

Scones and Bones

Scones and Bones by Laura Childs is the first of the Tea Shop Mystery novels that I have read. I was simply drawn in by the cover and always love a book about a good cup of tea-and Childs knows her tea, that's for sure!

Like Alexander McCall Smith, Childs has written several different series of books. This is book #12 in her Tea Shop Mystery series, but each one stands alone.

Filled with mystery and intrigue, pirate lore and Charelston history, and many, many good cups of tea, this book was simply a lot of fun.

The Uncoupling

When The Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer came out, there was so much hype about it, I finally read it. I didn't like it at all. However, I thought I would give her new book, The Uncoupling a try. Though I am still not a Wolitzer fan, I did like it more than The Ten Year Nap.

Set in the suburbs in New Jersey at a small high school, we find out what happens when a new Drama teacher is hired and stages the play Lysistrata. Suddenly, a spell is cast on all the females in the town and they find themselves no longer wanting sex with their men. You can imagine all the problems that follow.

Wolitzer's writing is certainly witty and she is a true observer of modern culture and how we all react to it and to each other. For some reason though, I always find her books mildly depressing more than humorous. Still, this was an interesting read.

The Peach Keeper

I usually really enjoy Sarah Addison Allen's novels for the magic realism they are filled with. However, her latest, The Peach Keeper, is not my favorite.

The book never really delved deep enough into the characters, especially the character of the myserious travelling salesman Tucker Devlin, who is at the heart of this story. I never really understood him at all, there just wasn't much to go on.

The novel is set in the South and follows two women into an unlikely friendship like their grandmothers 75 years before them. There was a lot of potential here, but the book lacked the magic of Allen's earlier novels. I really wanted to like it, but it just fell short of the mark this time. I recommend reading any of her 3 earlier novels, and skipping this one.

The Forgotten Garden

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton is a wonderful book to get lost in. A big, thick, well drawn out mystery starting with a little girl arriving alone by boat in Australia in 1913 and not knowing her name or where she came from.

It's such a delicious mystery that I don't want to spoil the fun by telling too much here. Only that the little girl returns to Cornwall as a much older woman and searches for the truth about her origins.

We are taken from hot days in Brisbane to cold foggy nights in the English countryside; through overgrown mazes and into hidden gardens, in a realm filled with fairies and ghosts.

Morton had me hooked from the very first page, and kept me up late at night trying to find out what would happen next. I loved this book and I didn't want it to end.

Friendship Bread

Friendship Bread is a lovely, feel good novel from Hawaiian author Darien Gee.  Set in the small town of Avalon, we meet 3 very different women, each healing from their own personal tragedies. They come together to share a cup tea and some Amish Friendshp Bread. Before long the whole town is involved.

I loved the characters and the town that Gee has created and I wanted to bake right along with them. Recipes are given at the back of the book for those who want to try. This is a book about loss and love, family and friendship. I enjoyed every delicious minute of it.

Once Upon a Time, There Was You

The lastest offering from Elizabeth Berg, Once Upon a Time, There Was You, is not my favorite book by her.

It is the story of John and Irene, long divorced whose only common interest is their 18 year old daughter Sadie. There were some very distubring events in this book which I was not expecting in a Berg novel. She used these, I think unecessarily, to bring John and Irene back together again to protect Sadie, and through the process, re-evaluate their feelings for each other.

One of the problems I had with the novel was that I didn't like Irene-the main character. This makes it hard to care much about what is happening to her.

I still think Berg is a great writer and she usually develops wonderful characters, so I will continue to read her books. This one I could have skipped.

East Wind, Rain

The first book I read after just moving back to Hawaii is East Wind, Rain by Caroline Paul. This is a wonderful novel that takes place on the Hawaiian Island of Niihau.
This is historic fiction based on the little known event of a Japanese fighter pilot crash landing on Niihau on Dec. 7th 194, after attacking Pearl Harbor.

The Niihauans were completely unaware of the war, and this is a portrait of how this event changed their way of life and even had much farther reaching repercussions than anyone could have imagined.

Paul gives us a wonderful portrait of life on Niihau, a portrait of the land, its people, its isolation and also the religous conflicts, and rascism that was going on at the time.

It is beautifully written book that I thouroughly enjoyed reading.

The Season of Second Chances

The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier is an in depth character study of Joy Harkness, a Henry James scholar and professor at Columbia who moves from NYC to Amherst Massachusets, buys an old house that needs a lot of work, and finds herself becoming part of a community, against her better judgement.

We are taken on Joy's journey with her as she learns to slowly open herself up to the people around her and let them in- to her life, her home and eventually her heart.

This is a beautifully written novel. I found Joy's character entirely believable and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Weird Sisters

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown is a wonderful and witty and truly unique novel.

It follows the lives of three sisters who have moved back home at ages 27-33, all for different reasons. Their father is a Shakespearean scholar who speaks almost entirely in verse. This could have been a silly ploy, but in Brown's deft hands the result is nothing short of brilliant.

I loved all the characters and didn't want this book to end. This is about a family of readers and I was blissfuly happy sharing their journey from the first page. Highly recommended.

Lady of the Butterflies

Finally, a book I can really sink my teeth into! Lady of the Butterflies by Fiona Mountain is a wonderful novel. It is historical fiction based on the life of naturalist Eleanor Glanville in the late 17th century.

She was accused of being insane at the time for her interest in the natural world and her preoccupation with butterflies. These were acceptable things for a man, but not a woman. This is the story of a remarkable woman who defied convention at the risk of her very life.

The daughter of a wealthy Puritan landowner, Eleanor grew up in the Moors around Somerset. She found much beauty in this natural environment, which led to her love of butterflies. In later life her husband (who she had been passionately in love with) and her eldest son, tried to have her declared insane to gain control of her land.

There are remarkable descriptions of the environment, of the plants that apothecaries we're learning to use to treat illness, of the coffeehouses in London where men (only) would gather to have intellectual discussions, as well as the religous battles and civil war of the times.

This book is rich in detail, well written, and it is the story of an amazing woman. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Men and Dogs

Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch is a quick, mostly forgettable book. It is well written, and drew me in for sure, I just never really cared that much about the characters, and nothing much happened.

Hannah, a 35 year old woman who drinks too much and has made a mess of her marriage, returns home to the South to look for her missing father who disappeared 20 years ago. The book centers on her search for questions that have been unanswered her whole life. She's not particularly likable, and nothing much is resolved.

I also think the title is misleading, but it is a decent enough summertime read.

Back When We Were Grownups

I am new to Anne Tyler and this novel, Back When We Were Grownups certainly didn't impress me.

Rebecca, the 53 year old protagonist seems to be going through a mid-life crises. There are just too many characters in the book that are all undeveloped and I didn't even particularly like Rebecca. I kept waiting for something to draw me in, but by that time the book had ended.

Everyone recommends reading Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by the same author, so maybe I will give her another chance.

Dreams of Joy

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See is the much awaited follow up to Shanghai Girls. This is the kind of historical fiction that I love. However, with such high expectaions for this book, based on how much I loved See's earlier novels, I was a little disappointed.

We continue the story of sisters Pearl and May that we met in Shanghai Girls. Now their daughter/niece Joy has run away to China during Mao's Great Leap Forward, and Pearl, who is very frightened for Joy's safety, follows and tries to find her.

The problem I had with this book is that I didn't entirely believe Joy's character. It seemed far too easy for her to enter China and find her father and start her life there, then, again too suddenly, things went desperately wrong. 

It was sobering to learn some of the truths of what went on in the countryside during Mao's Great Leap Forward, when an estimated 45 million people starved to death. I love that See's books are so well researched and I learn so much about the times reading them, however it is her capacity to tell a great story that makes her such a great writer.

For me, Dreams of Joy fell short in comparison to her earlier novels. If you've read Shanghai Girls, you will surely want to read this book. See remains one of my favorite writers, I just don't think this is her best novel.

The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel

The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley is a mildly fascinating novel about the Chinese princess Eastern Jewel. I think I would have enjoyed the novel more if it hadn't been billed as historical fiction. Although Easten Jewel is an historical figure, most of this story seems to be made up.

Her life story is nonetheless intriguing. She was a strong woman of Chinese birth, cousin of the last Emperor, raised in Japan, sent to Mongolia, and later became a spy for the Japanese during WWII. She was a great beauty who often dressed as a man, smoked opium, flew planes, had many lovers, and betrayed most of the people she came in contact with.

In this novel, she isn't very likeable, and this made it hard to truly care about her. I suspect the true Eastern Jewel was a much more interesting and even likable person than the character Lindley has written.

Known as the "Eastern Mata Hari" and the "Joan of Arc of Manchuria" she deserves a better biographer than Lindley to tell her tale. However, since this was not meant to be a biography, it is still an interesting read.

Under the Mercy Trees

I picked up Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton in the library, not knowing what to expect, and  was pleasantly surprised by this debut novel.

This is a character driven novel, centering on the siblings of a missing man in rural North Carolina. When Leon Owenby is discovered missing, his brother Martin returns from a depressing life in NYC to a rather depressing life back in his hometown, to help look for him.

This could have been a grim novel, yet Newton magically weaves the stories of all these broken family members together in a way that makes us care deeply about them. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next, and I found myself pulling for Martin until the end.

Newton plumbs the depths of family relationships with great skill and insight. An impressive debut.

The Summer Without Men

The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt attracted me first by its title. Then I came to enjoy it for its fresh writing and poetic narrative.

Poet Mia Fredricksen is fresh out of the hospital after a breakdown caused by the departure of her husband of 30 years for a younger woman, referred to as "The Pause." She spends the summer back in her hometown with her mother and 5 elderly women, as well a a group of 7 young pre-teen girls enrolled in her poetry class. All these women, young and old and without men, make for a very interesting summer indeed.

The novel is carried along by Hustvedt's writing style which is witty, intelligent, humorous, and unique. An unexpected joy to read.

Shanghai Girls

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See is a novel about two sisters, Pearl and May growning up in Shanghai 'the Paris of Asia' in the 30's, and how their lives dramatically change as war comes to China and they are forced to flee to the United States. They endure many, many hardships through the years, at home and abroad, yet always manage to keep their bond.

I read this novel 2 years ago when it first came out, but wanted to re-read it as the sequal-Dreams of Joy-has just been published, and is the next book on my reading list. I feel more caught up in Pearl and May's story than I did the first time around, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

See is a brilliant writer and storyteller, and she has written some of the best historical fiction based in China that I have ever read.  I mentioned her at the beginning of this blog, and I highly recommend all of her novels.

The Good Earth

After reading Pearl of China about the life of Pearl S. Buck, I felt compelled to re-read Buck's classic The Good Earth.

Understanding this book in the context of when it was written  and by whom, it is truly remarkable. This novel, published in 1931, was written by a white American woman, in the first person voice of a Chinese male peasant.  Nobody was writing or reading about the lives of Chinese peasants then, or for many decades to come. The fact that Buck could do this so effortlessly is nothing less than astonishing. For this, she won the Pulitzer Prize, and she continued to write numerous novels set in China for the rest of her life.

The quality of the writing is simple and conveys life as it was for the peasant farmer Wang Lung and his family. Through hard work and belief in the richness of the land, he rose above his meager beginnings to great wealth, however he never lost his connection to the land. The treatment of women at the time, even by other women, is difficult to read about. Buck is not trying to make things better than they were, but rather paint a true picture.

There are a lot of people running 'hither and thither' throughout the book, along with a lot of other outdated language, but this is what I quite enjoyed about the book. A very worthwhile read in the midst of my fascination with historical fiction set in China.

Pearl of China

Pearl of China by Anchee Min is historical fiction about the life of Pearl S. Buck. I knew very little about Pearl S. Buck before reading this novel, and I found it fascinating. It is the fictionalized account of Pearl's life, growing up in a small Chinese village with her best friend Willow. Willow's character is created by Min from many different freindships Pearl had throughout her life.

I found the first half of the novel superb, especially the relationship between the 2 girls and the life of Pearl's missionary family in China at the time. Later, once the women are separated, and Willow goes through so many hardships in old age when she refuses to denounce her friend, the novel loses some of its earlier appeal.

However, it was a such a fascinating read, it has made me want to re-read The Good Earth (which I read about 20 years ago) and many other novels by Pearl S. Buck that I have never read before. After being denounced for so long during Mao's Cultural Revolution, and being denied a visa to ever return home, Pearl S. Buck is finally celebrated in China.

Anyone interested in historical fiction set in China will love this book.

The Three Weissmans of Westport

Aside from the silly name, I actually quite liked Cathleen Schine's novel The Three Weissmans of Westport. Once I stopped trying to compare it to Jane Austin's Sense and Sensibility, I realized I was enjoying it as a clever, insightful and well written novel in it's own right.

A 75 year old divorcee (who refers to herself as a widow) and her 2 grown daughters, all without men, share a run down cottage in Westport together, in their newly reduced circumstances. What ensues is sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking. Yet at other times, I found it to be not entirely believable and I was disappointed by some loose ties at the end.

All in all, the writing was better than most, and I found myself staying up late to find out what would happen next. Not a bad choice for a summer read.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

Alexander McCall Smith's books keep finding their way into my hands, so I read them. Tea Time for the Tradtionally Built is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (at least I think it is-there are so many I can't keep up.)

What's not to love about Precious Ramotswe, the protagonist of these books?  Set in Botswana, and full of insight and good-hearted advice, it is a rare joy to read McCall Smith's simple, unhurried and often humorous dialogue.

If you haven't discovered these books yet, you should. Its a treat to slow down and have a cup of tea with one so wise and compassionate as Mma Ramotswe.

Redemption in Indigo

Redemption in Indigo by Barbadian writer Karen Lord is a rare and wonderful find! The story is based in part on a Senegalese folktale, but it comes wholly alive through the brilliant writing and imagination of Karen Lord.

We meet Paama, an ordinary woman who is led on an extraordinary journey that attracts the attention of spirits called djombi, especially one in particular, the Indigo Lord. There are many other tricksters and lesser spirits throughout the book, and the line between the human world and the spirit world is often blurred.

This novel is witty, tender-hearted and thought provoking. The writing is sensational, and I only hope to be able to read more from Karen Lord in the future. Actually, what I'd really love to do is sit down with her for a cup of tea, because she seems like someone I would like to get to know!

A highly recommended read.

Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage

I have just finished reading Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley. This is quite an extraordinary book! If you thought you knew everything there is to know about the Roosevelts, you should read this book.

Rowley goes in depth into their relationship that lasted 4 decades, until Franklin's death. She brings to life all the people that made up their community of acquaintances, companions, family, friends, lovers?, dedicated staff members, etc. The Roosevelts were never alone and thrived on community. Here it is all brought to life through letters, anectdotes, articles from the time, and more, from the turn of the century through WWII.

The research and insight is extensive, and we are given a picture of 2 of the most fascinating people of the 20th century and the legacy that they left us. Neither could have been what they were without the other. For all their faults, they stayed together until the end, and even though it was a truly unconventional marriage-especially at the time, there was a deep love between them that never got lost.

Sadly to say, Rowley died shortly after this book was published. This is a great loss, and all the more reason to read her final work.

29: A Novel

29 by Adena Halpern is a sort of silly, lighthearted read, about a 75 year old grandmother who wishes she could be 29 again for a day and gets her wish.

It's not the best writing, but it's light fun summer reading, with lots of insights about aging.

In the Lap of the Gods

In the Lap of the Gods by Li Miao Lovett is a book set in the Yangtze River Valley in China, as an old way of life for villagers there ends, and modernization takes over. Many poor peasants loose their homes as a dam rises on the Yangtze and the river floods their villages. They are promised money from the government to move to higher ground, but this never comes, and their farming way of life is lost.

The central charcater in this novel is Lui, a widower who finds a baby girl, who has been abandoned by the side of the river, and adopts her as his own. His life is not without struggles and this is often a very sad story. However, there is a strong bond between father and daughter and he perseveres through hard times to make a life for the two of them.

I found Miao Lovett's writing lovely and lyrical. The novel gave me insight into a subject I know very little about. A truly enjoyable and enlightening read.

Elegies for the Brokenhearted

I loved Christie Hodgen's new novel Elegies for the Brokenhearted. I wasn't sure I would. Why would I want to read 5 pieces about people who I know were each going to die? It sounded a bit too depressing for my mood. And indeed there are many dark moments in this book, but Hodgen's writing is a revelation. She is the kind of writer I always hope to find, one that makes me want to go back and read all her earlier works.

Our protagonist, Mary Murphy takes us on a journey through her broken life, broken town, broken family and broken friends, yet somehow we end up feeling redeemed. Hodgen's writing is so compelling and so full of wit, she finds the humanity in each of these characters who have so deeply touched Mary.

This is not a book I will soon forget. Highly recommended.

All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost

As I sit down to finally write about Lan Samantha Chang's novel All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost, I am thinking that all really is forgotten.

This is the story of a very prestigious writing school and it's enigmatic teacher of poetry and her students. We follow the lives of 2 students in particular, Roman and Bernard. Although Roman gains success and fame from his writing, Bernard lives in poverty until his death, working for decades on a single poem. None of the characters were particularly memorable and there wasn't much to the story.

However, at moments, Chang's writing was so beautiful it reminded me almost of Marilyn Robinson, who she mentions in the book. But only for the briefest of moments. There is a haunting quality that remains with me after reading this novel, more than any of the details. For that alone, I liked it.

The Butterfly's Daughter

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe is a beautiful story of self dicovery. Luz Avila follows the path of the monarch butterflies South from her home in Milwaukee to the butterfly sanctuary in Michoacan, Mexico near her grandmother's hometown, bringing her grandmother home at last, and discovering herself along the way.

This is a story of Luz and all the wonderful women she meets along the way-some of them very unexpected. It speaks of the magic of travel and of opening oneself up to the kindness of strangers, of trusting in oneself and following your heart. It is filled with folklore from Mexico as well as wonderful facts about the butterflies themselves.

I loved this novel and look forward to reading more by Monroe.

The Wife's Tale

The Wife's Tale is the new book by Lori Lansens, author of The Girls. I loved The Girls. It was such a compelling, well written story. So I was a little disappointed by The Wife's Tale.

It is the story of Mary Gooch, an obese wife in Canada whose husband leaves her on the eve of their 25th wedding anniversary. She finds courage she didn't know she had, and boards a plane for the first time in her life to California to look for him. The series of people she meets and her tranformation along the way is the slow journey of this book. I understood that this story was about Mary's personal journey, but I found the ending dissapointing and  anti-climactic.

I still think Lansens is a good writer and would check out her next book, but I found this one was a bit underwhelming.

The Widowers Tale

The Widowers Tale is the new novel by Julia Glass, author of Three Junes. I really liked Three Junes and I wasn't disappointed with her new novel. It is just the kind of story you can sink your teeth into. Long enough to develop all the characters into people we really get to know and care about.

It is the story of Percy Darling, a retired Harvard librarian who lost his wife decades ago in an accident at the pond where they live. At 70 years old, his life takes a new turn when his beloved barn is turned into a preschool called Elves and Fairies. His wayward daughter comes home and works there, and he becomes close with his very bright, but misguided grandson. Love is also in the air for Percy Darling.

I won't tell more of the plot, I will only say that it is a wonderful inter-generational story, and I loved getting to know all these characters. Glass is a gifted writer who keeps the reader engaged until the end.

The History of Love

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss is a beautiful and sad novel about elderly writer Leo Gursky. He is at the end of his life and fears becoming invisible. The novel traces his past from a small Polish town that he fled during the Jewish persecution of WWII, and the girl he loved and lost, Alma, who he wrote The History of Love for.

He thought the novel lost, but it ended up in South America, translated into Spanish and published by another writer; where it was given by another man to his love, and later their daughter was named Alma after the main character. Years later, this young Alma searches for the author of this forgotten manuscript and we follow both the journey of the elder Leo and the young Alma throughout the novel.

At times I was confused by the story-unsure of who was even speaking, and frustrated by her overuse of the phrase "And yet." Other times I was taken in by the beauty of Krauss's writing. 

Overall, I think it was a truly beautiful, well crafted, and yet, heartbreakingly sad book.

The Lady Matador's Hotel

The Lady Matador's Hotel is the new novel by Cristina Garcia, author of Dreaming in Cuban.

This novel follows the lives of six very different men and women over the course of a week, all staying at or working at a very upscale hotel in an unnamed Central American capital. Some of their stories are dark and violent, corrupt and depressing, echoing the true history of Central America and its violent civil wars. Others  are filled with passion and courage and poetry, without which no Latin American story would be in the least bit true.

The stories all circle around the charismatic central figure of Suki Palacios, a Japanese-Mexican-American bullfighter. Garcia has a wonderful way of letting the stories unfold and overlap, and the novel is filled with unexpected bits of humor throughout.

I cannot say I loved this book, it was painfully dark at times, but I really liked it.

Seven Year Switch

Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook is another light read perfect for this sunny Spring weather. Nothing to heavy. Cook is the author of Must Love Dogs, which I also liked.

Seven Year Switch takes us on Jill Murray's journey to rediscover herself after being left alone 7 years earlier with a 3 year old daughter, while her husband disappears to Africa taking all their money with him. He has turned up again now that their daughter is 10 and somehow wants to make things right.

Jill was a big traveller in her pre-Single Mom days and now works as a travel agent. The book is filled with wonderful tidbits from all over the globe and I loved this part. Also, I was quite engaged in the story until  everything seemd to wrap up super quickly in just a few pages and then it was over. The ending left me a little unsatisfied as I wanted more, otherwise, another great, fun read.

Perfect Timing

Perfect Timing by Jane Mansell is Brit Chick Lit at its best.

This was just what I was in the mood for. A really good read, nothing too heavy, just a lot of fun.
I have a real soft spot for British writers, so I was easily pleased by this funny romp.

Perfect with a cup of tea, or a glass of Cointreau. I had no idea what that was, but it was mentioned in the last 2 British novels I read. Apparently a popular liqueur in England. Grab yourself a glass and enjoy!

Keeping Time

It is hard not to fall in love with Daisy, the protaganist of Stacey McGlynn's new novel Keeping Time.

Daisy is 77 years old, living alone in her own home in Liverpool, England. Her husband has passed away a couple of years ago and she is resisting selling her house and moving into a retirement community, as she is being urged to do by her son. Determined to do things on her own, a series of mishaps ensues, involving a badly mowed lawn and a flooded basement. About to give in to her son, Daisy discovers new strength and determination when she comes across a watch given to her by an American soldier she was in love with long before she ever met her husband.

Determined to find him after all these decades, she decides to travel alone to NYC and stay with cousins she's never met and search for her long lost love. During the search, she discovers more than she could have ever hoped for.

I love a good story with good characters, and McGlynn has given us one here. Based on her own cousin Dot and her visit from England, Daisy is full of spunk and strength, and it makes us all hope to age so gracefully.

A wonderful, easy read. The perfect thing to go along with a good strong cup of English tea!

Ursula, Under

Ursula, Under is the amazing debut novel by Ingrid Hill.  How a single mother of 11 children had time to research and write this book, I will never know.

The story starts with 2 1/2 year old Ursula Wong falling down an abandoned mine shaft in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is the story of Ursula's parents, Justin and Annie and all their ancestors, both Chinese and Finnish, dating back over 2000 years, whose genes have travelled across continents and through the centuries, culminating in this one unique little girl, Ursula.

The message here is that we are each special and unlike any other, yet not one of us is alone in the universe. We are standing on the shoulders of our ancestors so to speak.

I loved this message and the concept of the book and I think Hill is a terrific writer. However, sometimes I found myself hurrying through some of the stories of the ancestors to get back to the present and find out what was happening with Ursula and her parents and even her grandparents, as these were the characters I really cared about.

Overall, I really liked this book and think it is well worth reading.

Girl in Translation

Finally a book I really liked! After so many bad novels, Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, is a welcome delight.

This is the story of Kimberly, an 11 year old Chinese girl who comes to Brooklyn from Hong Kong with her mother, only to live in the projects and spend her days working in a sweatshop beside her mother. She doesn't speak a word of English or understand anything about American culture when she arrives. However, Kimberly is extremely bright, hard working and determined to make a better life for herself and her mother, and after many long hard years of struggle, she finally does.

The book is so believable due to the fact that it is in large part based on Kwok's own life. Truly wonderful and inspiring. Highly recommended.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

I so much enjoyed the beginning of this book, that I had high hopes for finally sinking my teeth into a good story. Aimee Benders novel The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake tells the story of eight year old Rose Edelstein who discovers she has a very unusual gift. She can feel the emotions in food when she eats it- how the cook was feeling when they made it, where all the ingredients come from, if a person is sad, rushed, angry etc.; and to her dismay she feels the huge emptiness and sadness inside her mother who has baked her a lemon cake.

This is a unique and interesting coming of age story of a girl with a very unusual gift. I liked the premise and found the story very interesting, until it vereed off into the story of Rose's older brother and his unusual "gift?"

It became so strange that I'm not even sure where Bender was going or what we were meant to believe by the end when her brother finally disappears. I wish it had stayed more focused on Rose. It could have been a really good book. As it was, it left me confused and unsatisfied by the end.

Adam & Eve

I am happy to suspend my disbelief when reading a story, and I even try really hard to believe in  all the characters. I come in giving the author the benefit of the doubt. But Sena Jeter Naslund's new novel Adam & Eve stretched beyond my capacity to forgive it's weaknesses.

The story is about Lucy, wife of a scientist 10 years in the future who is murdered for his discovery of extra-terrestial life (she wears his much sought after flash drive around her neck throughout the novel.) When she takes on the task of smuggling documents out of Egypt, that happen to be another version of Genesis (yes that's right) in a plane she conveniently knows how to fly herself, she crashes in Mesopotamia where she finds fellow naked traveller Adam (gorgeous traumatized soldier who believes her to be Eve) and thus begins their healing stint in the garden of Eden. The plot becomes much stranger from here with many more even less believable characters to fill in the gaps.

Although it was mildly interesting, it was just too unbelievable and sloppily written to take seriously. There has been such praise for Naslund's earlier book Ahab's Wife, maybe I will give her another chance and try reading that book instead-and if you are also new to this author, I would recommend doing the same.

Swamplandia!

Swamplandia! is the amazing new novel by Karen Russell. It's been a long time since I've come across such an original book with such compelling characters and great writing.

I was immediatley pulled into the story of 12 year old Ava Bigtree and the Bigtree family of alligator wrestlers in Florida. Ava is wise and strong beyond her years, but she is still just a girl. I felt as if I travelled deep into the swamp with Ava on her journey to find her missing sister, the descriptions were so mesmerizing. This novel is full of eccentric characters, each of them memorable.

I will say that is is darker and more disturbing than I had imagined it to be. Otherwise, I loved it.

Russell is an incredible new voice in fiction, and I look forward to reading more from her. I have no idea what to expect from her next.

Lyrics Alley

Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela is a wonderful novel set in northern Sudan and Egypt during the 1950's, when Sudan was gaining it's independence from Britain.

This is a deeply moving story of the Abuzeid family led by Mahmoud Abuzeid, the patriarch, with his 2 very different wives (one very traditional and one modern) and their children and extended families. It highlights the cultural differences between Muslims in Sudan and Cairo at the time.

The novel is inspired by the life of Aboulela's uncle, the poet Hassan Awad Aboulela. Although it is in many ways a tragedy, there is such life force and hope and beauty coming from these characters, that I liked almost all of them. I would haved liked more of a glimpse of life outside of the wealthy households of the Abuzeid family so that I could have been transported more deeply into the place at that time.

However, I really liked this book, especially Aboulela's message- that even though the poet seemed to be the tragic character, in the end it is his words alone that will live on eternally to inspire generations.

Saving Fish from Drowning

I love Amy Tan, so I was excited to read one of her more recent novels, Saving Fish From Drowning. Although this was a departure from her usual subject matter, I really liked this novel.

It is  narrated by a very fiesty ghost named Bibi Chen, and follows the journey of 12 travellers into China and Burma on what ends up being a very unexpected experience deep in the Burmese jungle. The book brings to light the plight of the Karen hilltribe people and other little known truths in present day Myanmar.

I loved the setting and the journey and I was fully fooled by Tan regarding the authenticity of some facts around the novel, so it kept me interested. That is all I will say. There were some problems with the novel, but overall I really enjoyed it.

The Rice Mother

The Rice Mother by Rani Manica drew my attention because it is written by a Malaysian woman and the story is set in Malaysia. This alone is a rare treat and not something we often get to read.

The novel tracks 4 generations of a Tamil family from Ceylon living in Malaysia, starting with Lakshmi, the indomitable rice mother herself. She is married off under false pretenses at only 14 to a much older man and sent to live with him in Malaysia. Although he is simple and poor, he is kind to her her whole life and she doesn't realize until much too late that she actually loved him.

It is the story of her fierce love for her 6 children and the horrible times suffered during the Japanese occupation of WWII when she trys to protect her daughters from Japanese soldiers. The novel  then follows the lives of 2 more generations, ending with Lakshmi's great-grandaughter Nisha.

It is an ambitious and sprawling saga, huge in its scope and I think overreaching. There were too many new characters introduced in the second half of the novel and the thread was lost on some of the characters I came to care about in the beginning. Manica tried to tie this all up at the end, but I dont think she succeeded completely. The other problem I have with this novel is that it's just a bit too grim. As I was reading, a line from a Jack Johnson song kept running through my mind: "Where have all the good people gone?" Truly, can everybody be so messed up and depraved?

Still, there was much I loved about this book, not least of which was to be drawn so completely into the setting and taken away to another land, complete with sights and smells and tastes. A good debut and an author to be watched.

Old Border Road

For a first novel, Old Border Road by Susan Froderberg is quite brilliant. It is set during a long drought in the Arizona desert and there are two main characters here, Katherine, (referred to only as Girl or Darling or Daughter) and the landscape itself.

Katherine marries Son when she is only 17 and they live together in the old adobe house with his parents on Old Border Road. She soon finds she is spending most of her time with her father in law-Rose's Daddy-as Son is off drinking and womanizing most nights. The novel is Katherine's own coming of age story, within the confines of this new life she finds herself in. The lanscape and the weather are central to the story and the climax comes with the huge storm that finally ends the drought, just as Katherine is discovering what it is she truly wants.

The language Froderberg uses is lyrical, poetic and even at times Biblical. We are drawn so deeply into the setting that I felt as if I had red dust under my fingernails and I could almost feel the heat. There were times however when I felt almost tired reading this book. It is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy, but not quite there yet. Still, a masterful and original first novel, well worth reading.

Of Love and Evil

I am a big fan of Anne Rice, especially the Vampire Chronicles, so I was looking forward to the latest from her. Of Love and Evil is the second novel in her Seraphim Series (somehow I missed the first one.)  This slim little novel  is what I would call Anne Rice-lite.

This is the story of Toby, a hired assasin who has changed his ways, and with the help of the angel Malchiah he is given the chance to do good deeds and redeem himself. He moves back and forth through time (Angel TIme) to do this, so we still have some rich imagery and historical settings which Rice fans have come to love and expect.

I don't mind that she has veered towards more Christian themes in recent years, but there was just not much to this novel. It was over almost as fast as it began, and that is just not what one has come to expect from Anne Rice. I was longing for much more depth and many more layers to the story, so I was a bit disappointed. I'm still an Anne Rice fan though, just hoping her next offering will be a bit meatier.

My Name is Memory

I really liked the first half of the novel My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. I love the premise of retaining one's memory from life to life as you are reincarnated in a different body each time. It reminded me of  'Interview with a Vampire,' or 'Highlander.' Even though those characters are immortal, Daniel, the main character in this novel shares many characteristics with them. Such as learning  many languages through the centuries, playing many instruments, stockpiling wealth, knowing science, history, medicine, sailing etc., all because he's done these things many times over.

I also liked the format of the novel, taking us back in time to Daniel's earlier lives, then bringing us up to date in the present, until the two meet. He is looking for his lost love Sophia, who also continues to reincarnate, but has no memory of her previous selves, or of Daniel. He has finally found her again in the present, after centuries of searching for her, and her name now is Lucy.

As I got about half way in, I kept thinking that this would make a great movie, and in fact I think Brashares wrote it with just that intention (It's meant to be a movie in 2012.) Therefore, she had to introduce an evil villain - Daniel's brother Joaquim, and set up an epic battle that even death wouldn't end. This is where I got a little bored, and by the end I was pretty disappointed, as it became more of a silly movie script than what could have been a really good book. It's also obvioulsy set up to be a sequel, so at the end we're left hanging, with so many loose ends not tied up. This is an extremely unsatisfying way to end a book-especially when you've come to care about the characters, and you're left with no idea what happens to any of them.

I think the movie will be a huge hit-maybe even a trilogy, and she's obvioulsy found a way to make money off of this, but this does not make it a good novel, unfortunately. That being said-will I read the next one when it comes out?-sure-or maybe I'll just see the movie.

Freedom

My bookclub finally got me to read Freedom by Jonathon Franzen, and that is what I've been slogging through for the past week. I never would haven chosen to read this book on my own, despite all the hype. Almost 600 pages later I feel that I wasted a good many hours of my life reading it. Tedious is the word that keeps coming to mind.

Is this the great American novel? I really really hope not. I found it to be so cynical and depressing and preachy. There wasn't a character in the book that I cared about. Franzen has a skill for manuvering through some difficult emotional times in peoples lives and bringing them to life on the page, but really, there is not a single likable person in all these pages.

I didn't really see the point of it all. My advice -save yourself some time and read three really good 200 page novels instead -you're really not missing a thing here.

The Book of Tomorrow

The Book of Tomorrow is Cecilia Ahern's new novel. She is a very prolific writer. After the less than wonderful novel The Gift, this book is a welcome change. Just enough magic and interesting charcters to keep me up late at night turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.

Young, rich and spoiled Tamara Goodwin has to leave her home after her father dies, to go live with her bereaved mother and her mother's relatives in a small country town far from the Dublin city life she has known. Here, she meets many interesting charcters including a bee-keeping nun, and a cute mobile library driver. The real mystery starts to unfold when she finds a blank diary that seems to write itself.

There is much going on here that Tamara can't quite figure out and Ahern keeps us in suspense as we try to unravel the mystery along with Tamara. The setting is wonderful-mostly in the ruins of an old castle, and so is the writing. I enjoyed this book a lot, and it made me remember why I keep picking up new Cecilia Ahern novels when I see them.

But Not For Long

But Not For Long by Michelle Wildgen is about a smaill group of people living in a co-op in Madison, Wisconson, and what happens to them over the course of three days during a blackout.

This seemed more like a short story than a novel to me. Introducing several characters, showing us a small slice of their lives, and ending after a particularly traumatic incident happens, leaving us all hanging on and wanting to know more, or perhaps care more deeply.

The characters were somewhat compelling and Wildgen is a promising writer, but this book is very forgettable to me and I still haven't even figured out what the title is referring to.

Lovingkindness

Lovingkindness is a powerful little novel by Anne Roiphe. I had never heard of Roiphe until I found this book for a dollar at our local used book store. I picked it up because it looked really interesting-and it is!

This is the story of Annie, a feminist Mom who became a young widow and raised her daughter Andrea with all of her own feminist values. Annie, however, gets very lost, and roams the world trying out drugs and men and looking for something to make her happy. She finally thinks she finds it in a very conservative orthodox yeshiva in Israel where she now wears long skirts, learns to cook, studies Hebrew and is awaiting her arranged marriage.

This is a painful story of loss for both Annie and Andrea on many levels, but it is also a story about what it means to love, accept and let go. Roiphe is a wonderful writer and I found this book deeply moving.

The Invisible Mountain

The Invisible Mountain is an epic debut novel by Caroilina de Robertis. Although it is fiction, it is based on factual accounts of Uruguay's history. It is the family saga of three generations of Uruguayan women, spanning the 20th century. Pajarita, the grandmother, Eva, her daughter and Salome her grandaughter. These are all strong women living in difficult times in Uruguay, often in the midst of poverty and oppression, war, revolution and prison. But the spirit of all 3 women miraculously stays in tact through it all. The men, however, are not such strong characters, nor are they as likable.

The novel is reminiscent of a Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende novel. It is long, detailed family saga set in South America with much magic realism thrown in. I usually love this type of novel, and for a debut I found it to be extremely ambitious and well written. I can't say I loved it though. Maybe it was just my mood, but I found myself tired of reading of so much oppression at the hands of drunk, and abusive men. I know there are kind and decent men in Latin America, but this novel leaves you thinking they are very few and far between. It is the strength of the women that shines and I suppose that is the point.

There is, however, much to like about this book, and it is an impressive debut from a new author worth watching.

The Outside Boy

I loved The Outside Boy by Jeanne Cummins. This is a wonderful novel about Irish Travellers or Pavees, often referred to as Tinkers.  The book is about their nomadic culture that is rapidly coming to an end in Ireland. These are people who have lived this way for centuries, but are now on the fringes of society and looked down upon by settled "buffers."

The story is told by 11 year old Christy, a Pavee gypsy roaming with his father and aunt and grandparents from town to town, never settling for long in any one place. Christy is intelligent and curious, wildly free and enormously likeable. I wanted to be out on the open road in Ireland with him. I even started questioning living confined within four walls of a house all the time.

It is a search to discover who you are and where your place in the world is. An age old story, but refreshing and new in Jeanne Cummins deft hands. It is so beautifully written, it honors the long history of Irish storytelling. I loved every minute of this book. I didn't want it to end.

Just Kids

I absolutely loved this memoir-Just Kids by Patti Smith. It probably helps to start off as a big fan of Patti Smith or Robert Mapplethorpe, but in the end I'm not sure if that even matters. I saw Patti Smith about 20 years ago, reading her poetry and playing her songs on just an acoustic guitar with no back up. She was hypnotic. Someone in the audience behind me kept yelling "Tell us about Mapplethorpe!" and I know she heard him because it was a small club, but she never acknowledged him, which I was happy about since he was really annoying. But here, in her new book, she has done just that-tell us about Mapplethorpe and herself-when they were just kids, living in New York and finding themselves and the artists they would become.

It was an amazing time to be a young artist in New York in the late sixties and early seventies. Living in the Chelsea hotel and surrounded by people like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grace Slick, Sam Shepherd, Andy Warhol, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Bob Dylan, and many many others. For all the sex, drugs and rock and roll going on at the time, surprisingly the word that comes to my mind when I read this book was -'innocent.' That's how Patti Smith seems to me. No one can believe she's not either a junkie or a lesbian because of the way she looks and who she hangs out with. She is always hardworking, not involved in the drug and alcohol culture that brought so many of these artists down, and she and Mapplethorpe are deeply loyal to each other throughout their lives. I thought it was a beautiful and tender love story, and also an inside look at two artist's lives, emotions and experiences-and the willingness it takes to sacrifice all for your art-meaning many hungry nights when you must choose between art supplies or food or go without altogether.

Patti Smith won the National Book Award in Non-Fiction for this book. I watched her cry when she recieved her award-a lifelong dream of hers. She has experienced the loss of so many loved ones in her lifetime, yet she continues her work. I am grateful to her and inspired by her, and thankful that she shared her story with all of us. Her writing is lyrical and poetic and full of so many small details I felt transported back to that time in New York.

For fans of Patti Smith or Robert Mapplethorpe this is a must read for sure. But even if you're not a fan, this is a book worth reading.

Note: This is strikingly similar to the historic novel Claude & Camille-A Novel of Monet, that I read just before this book. That was set during a very creative time in Paris in the 1860's and 70's-a hundred years earlier, and those artists were also poor and hungry and sacrificing everything for their art. I couldn't help but compare their similar circumstances having read them back to back. Even though they were very different times, nothing really changed for poor, unkown artists trying to make their way in the world and have their voices be heard. It is a life that takes nothing less than absolute, unwavering committment, and this doesn't seemed to have changed in the past century.

Claude & Camille - A Novel of Monet

The new novel Claude & Camille- A novel of Monet, by Stephanie Cowell is my favorite type of historical fiction. Cowell has taken us on a journey with Claude Monet during his early years as a struggling artist in Paris. Here he meets the lovely Camille Doncieux who comes from an upper class family, but decides to go against her family's wishes to live a poor, bohemian lifestyle with Monet and his friends.

This is such a creatively rich time in Paris during the 1860's and 70's with artists like Renior, Manet, Pissarro, Cezanne, Bazille, Degas and more struggling to make a living painting in a new style which would come to be known as Impressionism.

This novel is so beautifully written, I was transported-I could almost see the paintings being created, feel the cold rooms they were living in and taste the wine they drank in the cafes of Paris at the time. Although there is much that is tragic in this story, it is at heart a love story between a great artisit and his muse.

Stephanie Cowell is a wonderful writer. I highly recommend this novel. I am also looking forward to reading an earlier novel of hers called Marrying Mozart.

Good Things I Wish You

I love historical fiction, especially when it is based on strong women, so I was really looking forward to reading Good Things I Wish You by A. Manette Ansay. This is the story of Clara Schumann, wife of composer Robert Schumann, and her relationship with Johannes Brahms. Clara was a much more accomplished pianist than her husband and toured all over the world playing concerts in the 1850's, while raising eight children. However, after reading the book, I don't feel like I know much more about her than I did before I read it.

It is written in an interesting style, weaving a modern day romance in with that of the past relationship between Clara and Johannes. I liked the inclusion of photographs as well as actual correspondence between Clara, her husband and Brahms. This brought authenticity to the story, yet somehow it was still lacking depth. Nevertheless, it is a quick and interesting read.

A Thread of Sky

A Thread of Sky is a beautiful debut novel by Deanna Fei. This is the story of six very strong Chinese and Chinese/American women-three sisters, their mother, aunt and grandmother all travelling on a tour of China together to find a connection that has been lost between them. It is a different journey for each of them, yet they are all united in a way they never have been before. The sisters are each struggling with their own issues after the death of their father. They are struggling with cultural identity, what it means to be a strong and successful woman, and what it means to be a family, among other things.

Deanna Fei is a beautiful writer and I loved the journey this book took me on, both through China and  its history, and the journey into the inner worlds of each of these remarkable women. I look forward to what Fei has to offer us next. Highly recommended.

The Last Time I Saw You

I generally enjoy reading Elizabeth Berg's novels. Many are like reading a good issue of People magazine from cover to cover and being fully engrossed in the stories as I read, then forgetting them the second I finish the magazine. Her latest novel, The Last Time I Saw You, is much the same.

This is the story of a group of people reuniting at their 40th high school reunion. Some have led happy lives, others less so. I won't go into more details as I've already forgotten them.

One of her earlier novels I did enjoy reading was The Year of Pleasures. There is a time and place and mood for Berg's novels, and if you're in it, then they are just the thing.

Olive Kitteridge

I've gotta stop reading depressing books set in small towns on the seacoast of Maine. That pretty much sums up Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

To be fair, I will say that I enjoyed Strout's writing style- a novel set in stories, revolving around her main character, Olive Kitteridge. I think she is a talented writer and I enjoyed the format. However, the first story, Pharmacy, was my favorite and it went downhill from there. Henry, Olive's husband was my favorite character by far-the only one I ever really cared about. He got sick, then died early on, and I never really cared what happened to Olive. This is the main problem I had with this book.

The book offers slices of small town life and the complexity of feelings that each character experiences, but couldn't there have been a few characters that were a little bit happy? Too morose for my tastes.

The Household Guide to Dying

I've been reading a lot of pretty good books lately, but finally I read one that I loved! Debra Adelaide's The Household Guide to Dying is a wonderful novel. Although from the title, it seems a bit depressing, this is actually a very life-affirming novel.

Delia, the main character, is dying of cancer, and with all her typical organizational skills, she writes a guide about it, along with lists and other preperations for her family-she even orders her own coffin and takes pictures of herself in it for the cover!

The novel moves back in forth through time to when she was a young mother up to the present day. I don't want to write too much about the story. You should read this wondeful novel for yourself. It is an honest, tender and intelligent novel.

It is also full of so many references to literature, as Delia is a lifelong lover of books. This was just an added bonus for those of us who share her passion. I was sad to put this book down when it ended.

Red Hook Road

Read Hook Road, the new novel by Ayelet Waldman is set on the coast of Maine, and if you haven't been there, then this book will take you there-complete with lobsters, blueberries, sailboats, and the tension between locals and "from aways."

It is the tragic tale of the death of two young newlyweds just minutes after they are married. It could have been a depressing novel, but in Waldman's talented hands it became a story not only of grief, but of healing and forgiveness between the families of the bride and the groom. These two families couldn't be more different, and it takes the whole of this novel for them to find common ground.

Some of my favorite parts of the story were the beautifully written and lyrical passages between the older violin virtuoso, Mr. Kimmelbrod and Samantha, his young protege.

There are many different characters in this novel, and there were moments when I realized that I didn't care too deeply about any of them. However, by the end, Waldman brings them all together so well that every misstep along the way is forgiven, and I found that I truly enjoyed this book.

Outside the Ordinary World

Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller is a very good first novel. It follows the present life of Sylvia Sandon, as an adult and mother stuggling with her marriage, and it takes us back to her childhood, when she was 12 years old and a witness to the dissolution of her parents marriage.

It is the best book I have ever read about affairs. How and why they start, how they fulfill parts of us, and how they sometimes destroy us. Also, how sometimes they last. It is a deeply honest look at family dynamics, and how even the best marriages are tested by the burdens of children, work, and other outside pressures. It also shows the effect our marriages have on our children.

This is an honest, intelligent and heartfelt book. It shines a light on the joys and sorrows we all expereince in our everyday lives. Beautifully written and worth reading.

Heads by Harry

Heads by Harry, a novel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka,  is set in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Since I spent many years living on the Big Island, I fell in love with reading the Pidgin English that this book is written in. However, this was a difficult novel to read. It was graphic, often violent and fiercely honest. These are also the things that made it a good book.

The story is about Toni, the middle child of 3, in a lower middle class local Japanese family in Hilo. Her dad Harry runs the taxidermy shop that they live above. The book centers around their lives and the lives of the other locals who share this block of downtown Hilo with them. There is a lot of brutality both in the hunting scenes depicted in the book and in the local drinking and fighting culture.

If you haven't been to Hawaii, this book will not make you want to go there. I can't say I enjoyed reading this novel, however I do think Yamanaka is a brave and wonderful writer showing us some painful truths, but also moments of great tenderness and beauty.

Long for This World

Long for This World is the wonderful debut novel by Sonya Chung. Chung's writing is precise and effortless, with nothing superfluous to get in the way of a good story.

It is the story of  a Korean family and their Korean-American relatives. There are many fascinating characters whose lives are woven together throughout the story. Although there is a lot of tragedy and loss, there is also a lot of hope here. Some are not "long for this world," but others are, and this is a story about the survivors and what that means.

It gave me a rare glimpse into Korean culture, a culture I know very little about. Chung is a brilliant writer who masterfully portrays both female and male characters. She has a keen eye for detail, and this is a superb novel. I can't wait for her next novel.

The Buddha is Still Teaching

The Buddha is Still Teaching-Contemporary Buddhist Wisdom selected and edited by Jack Kornfield is a wonderful book. I tend to read very fast and this was just the book to slow me down-way down.

I have been fortunate enough to meet and study with several of the teachers whose writings are included in this book, and I am familiar with many more from having read their books in the past. Some were entirely new to me. These are our present day teachers, carrying on the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, passed down through generations of teachers to us today. It is a wealth of wisdom compiled in this little book, and the only way to really let it sink in, is to slow way down with it. So I "took the one seat" as Jack Kornfield calls us to do, and I savored these teachings.

Whether Buddhism is new to you, or something you've studied for years, you will find this book to be a gem. I also highly recommend some of Jack Kornfield's earlier books, particularly After the Ecstasy the Laundry and A Path with Heart.

The Gift

The Gift by Cecilia Ahern is a magical holiday novel. It is the story of Lou, a workaholic, who meets Gabe, a homeless man, outside his building and gives him a cup of coffee and then a job in a moment of unusual generosity. Things get strange from there. Gabe (the angel Gabriel?) seems to know more about Lou's life than he knows himself, and he always seems to be in two places at once.

The novel is set in Dublin, where Ahern lives. It is meant to be a modern day take on A Christmas Carol. It is not Ahern's best. It was enjoyable to read, but not memorable.

I liked some of Aherns earlier novels much more, including  Thanks for the Memories and P.S. I Love You. She is a good storyteller and I enjoy reading her novels when I'm in the mood for something not too heavy. I also have a soft spot for Irish writers. I will look for what she writes next.

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes

In the spirit of full disclosure (and this blog was started as a place to record everything that I read) I must mention  The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes-A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson.

I checked this book out from the library for my husband who does computer animation, then I proceeded to read the entire thing myself. It has been so many years since I've read Calvin and Hobbes, I'd forgotten how funny it is. I now have a child Calvin's age (although not quite as precocious) whose constant companion is our cat, and I can relate so much more to the parents than I could before, so I found this book hilarious.

Calvin is so smart and imaginative. Watterson's comics seemed just as fresh to me as they did years ago. If you're looking for a really good laugh, you'll find it here.

Half Broke Horses

I finally got around to reading Jeanette Wall's Half Broke Horses. It is what she calls a true-life novel. It is the story of her grandmother, Lily Casey, and as such, it is a sort of prequel to her memoir The Glass Castle.

First, I will say that it is a wonderful book. Walls is a great writer, and with subjects as compelling as her grandmother, it makes telling a good story a lot easier. Her grandmother was a very strong, independent woman who grew up poor on ranches in Texas and New Mexico and Arizona. With a long stuggle to finally get an education, she became a teacher, but in the meantime she broke horses, drove cars, learned to fly a plane and even sold liquor during prohibition just to get by.

Even though it is such a great story, it is no Glass Castle. That memoir took me on such a wild ride I hardly knew if I should believe everything I was reading. Wall's grandmother's life seems no less interesting than her own or her mothers, yet it is told in a much drier and sometimes passionless voice that left me wanting just a little bit more. I would have loved to meet the real Lily Casey.

Half Broke Horses is definately a book worth reading, and if you haven't already read it, then get yourself a copy of The Glass Castle as well.

Born Under a Million Shadows

I just finished reading Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield. I loved this novel and I didn't want it to end.

It is the story of Fawad, an eleven year old Afghani boy growing up in Kabul, in post-Taliban Afghanistan. I was nervous to read this book because I was unsure if I was ready to delve into all the pain and tragedy that I know is a part of life for all Afghani people. I was so pleasantly surprised by Busfield's powerful and moving and often hilarious novel. It isn't without tragedy, but it doesn't dwell there.

Busfield is an English journalist who spent 2 1/2 years living in Afghanistan. She learned the language and fell in love with the country and the people, especially the children-and it shows. This is her tribute to them.

Writing in the voice of an 11 year old Afghani boy couldn't have been easy, but it was pitch perfect. I found myself looking at the world through Fawad's eyes, and this was so often laugh out loud funny. He is a very clever and lively boy with a big imagination and an even bigger heart. I can't remember the last time I fell in love with a main character as much as I did with Fawad.

This novel was an unexpected joy, and I think that everyone should read it. I look forward to hearing more from Andrea Busfield.

Note: At the back of the novel, Busfield mentions visiting the Shah M bookstore,  made famous in  'The Bookseller of Kabul'  by Asne Seierstad. This is another book about Afghanistan worth reading.

Into the Heart of the Canyon

Into the Heart of the Canyon by Elisabeth Hyde is a wild ride. It is a journey down the rapids of the Colorado River through the heart of the Grand Canyon. A dozen very different people are brought together for this 2 week rafting trip. Each character is well developed, interesting and believable, and the story unfolds as they journey down the river together, learning about each other and about themselves- with some interesting surprises at the end. The most powerful charcter in the novel seems to be the river itself, and I got a true sense of it while reading this book.

I have spent 8 days hiking through the Grand Canyon several years back and came across very few people. The river, the canyon, the magnificent colors of the rocks and the beauty of the place were indescribable. But I didn't run the rapids, and this wonderful novel made me feel almost as if I did.

This is Hyde's love song to the river, and it shows. I, for one, enjoyed the ride.


Note: I would also love to read Hyde's earlier novel, The Abortionist's Daughter which brings to mind, based on the title only, two other wonderful recent reads that I thought I'd mention: The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards and The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim. Both worth reading.

Reunion

Reunion by Therese Fowler is a perfect book to read on a rainy day, or even better, on the beach. I liked this book a lot. The characters were well developed and I couldn't put the book down-I wanted to find out what was going to happen.

Blue Reynolds aka. Harmony Blue is the main character, who, heartbroken at 19 runs off for a year and gets into trouble and has a baby boy that she gives up for adoption without telling anyone. 20 years later, when she is a rich and famous talk show host, she hires a P.I. to try to find her son.

The book is set partly in Key West where vivid descriptions of warm beaches and tropical birds and plants made me feel warm even during this cold, rainy winter when I was reading the book. It was a lovely escape. Here in Key West, Blue runs into her old love-the one that broke her heart 20 years ago, and from there the heart of the story unfolds.

Blue reunites with her younger self, her true heart, and a family who had a big impact on her when she was young. She finds true love unexpectedly as well.


Spoiler Alert:
I suppose this was the reunion of the title, however, I always took it to mean the reunion with her son, and although we are left assuming this is going to happen soon, we never get to witness the event. For me this was really disappointing. It was what I was waiting for the whole time, so I felt let down.

However, I enjoyed this book. I would like to read her first novel Souvenir as well.