State of Wonder

State of Wonder is Ann Patchett's best book to date. It is an incredible novel taking the reader deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle. We follow Dr Marina Singh as she journeys there in search of answers about her co-worker who has mysteriously died of a fever in the jungle, while with a team of scientific researchers that nobody has been able to locate for years.

Patchett creates the world of the Amazon jungle and its inhabitants so completely that I felt as if I had journeyed there myself. It is an astonishing book, delving into the ethics of scientific research,  and the interplay between modern and primitive cultures.

Best of all. it is a great adventure story and a really good read. Highly recommended.

Comfort & Joy

Comfort & Joy by India Knight is a novel full of holiday cheer and laughs. It is a little like Bridget Jones and her extended group of family and friends during the holidays.

We follow Clara Dunphy through three Christmases with the ex-husbands, in-laws, kids, parents, friends, etc. It is a book best appreciated at Christmas time. It's full of laughs, as Knight's writing is quite funny and entertaining.

Nothing too heavy here, just some holiday cheer.

There But For The

There But For The by Ali Smith is the best book about absolutely nothing that I have read in a long time. There is a thin story here, about a man at a dinner party who locks himself into the guest bedroom and doesn't come out for months. We find out little else about his story as four people who barely know him narrate seperate sections of the book.

However, the book was still thoroughly enjoyable. Smith seems to be writing for the simple pleasure she finds in words, in language itself, in puns and witticisms. The shorts stories ( for that is really what they are) are each engaging and thought provoking, ending with a story narrated by a very bright and precocious 10 year old that is a lot of fun to read.

If you enjoy wordplay and language and the way its use shapes us and our stories, you will find this book interesting. If you are looking for a book that answers all the questions it presents in the first chapter, you will find this book frustrating.

Gold

Gold is the latest novel by Chris Cleave, author of Little Bee. This time Cleave takes on the world of Olympic biking, following two women who are contenders for Gold, Kate and Zoe.

They are now 32 and have been racing together since they were 19. Zoe has a fierce determination to win at any cost, while Kate has sacrificed her practice many times for her family.

I felt really drawn into the world of Olympic training and into the characters of Zoe and Kate and Kate's family. Cleave did a wonderful job bringing the fast paced world of track cycling to the page while keeping the human element in the story.

I enjoyed this novel much more than his earlier works.

The Elephant Keeper

The Elephant Keeper is a novel by Christopher Nicholson set in eighteenth century England, about a young boy who grows up to become the caretaker of an Elephant named Jenny.

It is still hard to believe how many people don't find animals intelligent, or worthy of care and respect; this was particularly true at the time in which this novel is set.

We follow young Tom Page as his life becomes inextricably linked to the Elephant in his care. He develops a relationship with Jenny that transcends their difference in species, and they find a way to communicate with each other.

I could not always relate to the character of Tom, especially in the second half of the novel. However, I found The Elephant Keeper to be a captivating book, at times sad, and at times beautiful.

Five Quarters of the Orange

Five Quarters of the Orange is a novel by Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat. It is set in a small village in France during the German occupation of WWII, and tells the story of a small girl and her siblings and mother who get involved with one young German soldier with tragic consequences.

This novel is similar to Chocolat in its delicious descriptions of food, but it is a darker, more troubled story. Harris is a wonderful writer who pulls you in to the story through poetic language, imagery, scent, taste, until you feel as if you are almost there. There is a mystery at the heart of the story, and you don't want to put the book down until you discover the answer.

I found this to be an engrossing novel, and a good read, but I still prefer Chocolat.

Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle

Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle by Rosalind Miles is the first of her Tristan and Isolde novels. I love stories based on the Arthurian legends, but was not familiar with Miles works until now. I found the subject matter interesting, but the writing lacking.

Since there are more books to come in this series, we leave our hero and heroine quite alive and well at the end of the novel, and you would have to read the rest of the series to find out how their story ends, if you aren't already familiar with it.

I loved Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and was hoping to be swept away in a similar fashion by this book, but unfortunately, I was not. A mildly enjoyable read for those who like this subject matter.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress (A Memoir of Going Home) by Rhoda Janzen is one of the most hilarious memoirs I've ever read. I'll admit that I didn't know much about the Mennonites before reading this book, and often got them confused with the Amish. Janzen will clarify any and all misconceptions you might have by the end of the book.

After being in a terrible car accident the same week her husband of 15 years leaves her for a guy named Bob, Janzen, broke, broken in body and broken hearted decides to return home, after two decades away, to her Mennonite community to heal.

What she discovers there about herself, her family and her community is indeed healing and laugh out loud funny (although sure to offend some in the Mennonite community.) I am glad she decided to write about it and share her experience with us. It's been quite a while since I've had such a good laugh while reading a book.

The Map of Love

The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif, is a sweeping novel set in Egypt at the turn of the 20th century during British occupation, with a parallel story set 100 years later at the turn of the millenium.

In the modern story, we meet Isabel, an American journalist who has fallen in love with an older Egyptian man, and travelled to Egypt where she becomes close friends with his sister. In a box of Isabel's great grandmother's personal belongings she finds a diary which tells of her life in Egypt after her husband died and she left England, fell in love with a Egyptian nationalist, and married him. Isabel discovers that she is cousins with the man she has fallen in love with, and an intriguing story of love and politics unfolds.

The novel spans centuries and continents and I was fully engrossed in the story the whole time. Soueif does a wonderful job evoking Egypt under British occupation, and showing how although much has changed in the past century, some things haven't changed at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

The Dogs of Babel

The Dogs of Babel is a strange and interesting book by Carolyn Parkhurst. It is the story of Paul, a man whose wife has died, and the only witness is their dog Lorelei. In his grief, he decides to try to teach Lorelei to talk, so he can uncover the truth about his wife's death.

The novel was strangely compelling until it took a turn towards the gruesome. Reading Parkhurst's comments at the end of the book, she says she hopes nobody was disturbed by the animal abuse scenes in the book. I wish I could tell her personally how incredibly disturbed I was, and how it ruined an otherwise original and engaging novel.

I do not recommend this book to anyone who loves animals. It will leave you with horrifying images that are hard to get rid of.

A Wedding in December

A Wedding in December is the first of Anita Shreve's many books that I have read. It tells of school friends reuniting for a weekend in the Berkshires for a wedding. It is the wedding of their friends who were high school sweethearts and are now together again after 27 years.

The story brings to mind the movie The Big Chill. Although in the book, they are not gathered for a funeral, there is the long ago death of their most charismatic friend Stephen, who is on everyone's mind.

Shreve explores the territory of roads not taken, regrets, longing, and secrets uncovered as these friends get to know each other again after so many years apart. It is set in post 9/11 America and this is very much on everyone's mind as well. I didn't find the book remarkable, but I enjoyed it.

The Midwife of Venice

The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich takes the reader deep into the sights and smells of 16th century Venice. I'm not entirely sure that is a good thing, as it was so real I could almost smell all the filth brought to life in these pages.

Through much research, Rich has created a highly imaginative story of a Jewish midwife, who breaks the law by delivering a Christian baby and has to flee for her life, while escaping the plague and trying to reunite with her husband who has been sold into slavery. Although it sounds like a grim tale, it is really a love story.

I loved the main character Hannah, a talented and dedicated midwife who very well may have existed. Rich does a wonderful job exploring the complex lives of women of this time. If you like historical fiction as I do, then you will find this book a worthwhile read.

The Ruins of Us

The Ruins of Us is a debut novel by Keija Parssinen.  It tells the story of Rosalie, an American woman living in Saudi Arabia with her wealthy Saudi husband for almost three decades. When he decides to take a second wife, which is his right by law, their family slowly begins to fall apart.

Having been raised in Saudi Arabia by American parents, Parssinen tells her tale with an inside view, yet always that of a foreigner, no matter how long she lived there. This is a fascinating novel about the clash of cultures, religion, intolerance, women's rights, family, and ultimately love.

Highly recommended.

Lost and Found

I was really enjoying Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan until its totally unnecessary and creepy climax.

It is the story of Rocky, a young woman whose life falls apart after failing to save her husband with CPR after he has a heart attack. She moves to a small island off the coast of Maine, takes a job as an Animal Control Warden, and tries to heal.

A black Labrador comes into her life, and as the story of his missing owner unravels, the book descends into strange territory.

I liked Sheehan's writing, and was very drawn into the main characters story. I felt there were other interesting characters that were not developed well enough. This could have been a really good book, but somehow it missed the mark.

Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is being made into a movie directed by Ang Lee. I thought I better read the book before seeing the movie.

Life of Pi is the remarkable story of Pi Patel who became a castaway after the ship he was sailing on from India to Canada with his family sank. He, along with a Bengal tiger from his father's zoo, are the only survivors.

Martel writes this as an incredible true story, one that will make you believe in God. Only part way through the book did I realize it was entirely made up. True or not, it is quite an incredible story.  Martel explores in a fascinating way, the nature of stories and the nature of religion and how through stories and through divine faith we find our place in the universe.

However, if you are an animal lover as I am, you might find many parts of the story quite brutal.  I started out liking this book, and by the end was very happy to be done with it.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany

I love Susan Vreeland's novels. She brings to light wonderful works of art, often by women who were unacknowledged in their time, and creates wonderful works of historical fiction. Her latest offering is Clara and Mr. Tiffany. It is the story of Clara Driscoll and her women's department, who were responsible for designing and creating many of the most famous Tiffany lamps.

We are taken into the art world of New York City at the turn of the century, and the fabulous Tiffany glass making factories. It is also a story of women having to fight for their right to work in the arts for little or no recognition and less money than the men. Tiffany would only hire unmarried women, so these women also had to chose between work and love.

However, more than hardship, Vreeland brings to light the beauty of nature that inspires the creative spirit and makes all things possible. Not my very favorite of her novels, but still another another great read from Susan Vreeland.

Caleb's Crossing

Caleb's Crossing is the new book by Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author of March and People of the Book.  Caleb's Crossing tells the little known story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard in 1665.

There is little known about this extraordinary man and his life growing up on what is today Martha's Vinyard, and then finally travelling to Cambridge. Brooks has created a wonderful piece of historical fiction imagining his life and times, as two cultures come together and often clash.

The book is told from the point of view of a colonist he meets as a youth, Bethia, the minister's daughter, who he names Storm Eyes. I loved this novel and found it very interesting, yet it was much more Bethia's story than Calebs'. She was denied an education because she was a girl, yet she always listened in on the boy's studies while doing her chores. She is a fascinating character in her own right.

Whether you read it to learn about a small piece of history or simply to read a really good story, it is a beautifully written book, well worth reading.

The Descendants

The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings is a wonderful novel that was turned into a great movie starring George Clooney. The novel is set in Hawaii, but not the tourist Hawaii, the real Hawaii, with all the pain and loss, heartbreak and struggle one finds anywhere in the world.

Matt King, our protagonist, is coming to terms with the fact that his wife is in a coma and might never recover. He has two daughters, 10 and 17, that have become completely out of his control, and he is at a loss as to how to pick up the broken pieces of his life.

Add to this the rich story of Hawaii's privileged decendants of royalty who have inherited vast fortunes without doing any work themselves. This is the story of Matt King and his cousins. The novel starts in Honolulu, but moves to the Big Island briefly and then to Kauai.

Hemmings has crafted a powerful tale of a family trying to find their way back to one another through grief and loss and the creation of something new. Hawaii is there in the background at all times as a strong force shaping the lives of the characters. A complex and powerful novel.

The Sea is My Brother

The Sea is My Brother is the lost novel by Jack Kerouac. It has just been published 70 years after it was written. Kerouac wrote this novel when he was only 21, seven years before his first novel The Town and the City was published. In true Kerouac style we have been given a glimpse into the writer that he would be become. Themes that he wrote about his whole life are present here in this early work.

Kerouac's struggle to unite the two sides of his personality are here personified by Martin and Everhart. Martin is the free spirit, with no attachments, no commitments, reckless, ready to take life as it comes and live fully in the moment. Everhart is the scholar, settled, living at home, teaching literature, less adventurous, more tied down and worried about the future. They both enlist in the Merchant Marines and set out on a great adventure.

If you are already a Kerouac fan, this is a wonderful addition to his body of work. If you are new to Kerouac, this is a good introduction to his writing, and you can go from here to his more famous works like Dharma Bums and On the Road.

Summerland

Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand is set on Nantucket Island, and tells the story of the peole who live there year round, not just the summer vacationers. The story focuses on a group of high school teenagers from three different families, and a devastating car crash that happens on graduation night.

This is the very real story about how these kids and their parents deal with such great loss. Hilderbrand writes from many different viewpoints and it works. Her characters are well developed and I came to care about most of them and wanted to know what actually happened and what their future would hold.

Some parts of the story I found less believable than others, and it was all summed up into a rather tidy ending. Still, a worthwhile read.

Evidence of Things Unseen

Every once in a while I read a book that is so beautifully written it actually brings me to tears. Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins is such a book.

This is the story of Fos and Opal, who fall in love after WWI, under the stars of the Perseid meteor shower. Fos is a true believer in science, studying anything that lights up. Opal has her own kind of down home brilliance, and they couldn't be more in love.

Fos comes to question his belief in science when his work is used to help create the Atom bomb and the X-ray machine he is so proud of exposes Opal to harmful levels of radiation.

This poetic novel illuminates the world in a way we have never seen it before. It is tender, beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring and wholly original. Highly recommended.

Letter to My Daughter

Letter to My Daughter is a little book of essays by Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou is one of my favorite writers, and if you don't know who she is, you should. Start with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and go from there.

This recent offering is written to all her daughters everywhere. It contains little nuggets of wisdom attained throughout her amazing life. The essays are direct, witty, sassy, strong and full of love. Nothing life changing here, but small things to savor from a wise and beloved elder.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey  is an impressive retelling of Jane Eyre, set in 1960's Scotland.

Young Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland when her parents die, and taken in by her kind Uncle in Scotland. When he dies, she finds herself living with her Aunt and cousins who don't want her there anymore. She is sent off to boarding school as a working girl even though she is only 10 years old, and from there things keep getting harder. Finally she leaves school and becomes an au pair and her real adventures begin.

It took a while for me to get into this book as it was so bleak in the beginning, but Gemma's indomitable spirit shines through so strongly, it impossible not to root for her. She does finally meet some kind people who begin to help her and even love her, as she continues her lifelong search (that eventually leads her back to Iceland) to finally find a place to call home.

Wonderful writing and character development, and a story to really sink into-whether or not you have read Jane Eyre. A good book to curl up with by the fire.

That being said, I enjoyed Livesey's earlier novel, Eva Moves the Furniture even more.

Come in and Cover Me

Come in and Cover Me by Gin Phillips is a novel about an archeologist named Ren who is 37 years old and has been living with the ghost of her brother since he died in a car accident when she was 12.

The novel takes Ren into the canyons of New Mexico where she unearths pottery sherds and begins to see even more ghosts of the women who lived in the canyon thousands of years earlier.

Ren falls in love with a fellow archeologist and realizes she is going to need to move out of the past to embrace her future. It is an interesting story, and I enjoyed the archeological aspects of it. However, I was never drawn in to Ren's character deeply enough to really care about her. Her boyfriend and her brother were more interesting, as was the landscape of the canyons.

The title comes from a Bruce Springsteen song, one of which her brother's ghost is always humming.

Encountering the Self

Encountering the Self is a little book by Swiss Waldorf teacher Hermann Koepke, that is based on the teachings of Rudolph Steiner, and addresses what he refers to as the nine year change. I have mentioned Steiner often in this blog and his teachings continue to inform my life.

This book deals with the change a child goes through in their 9th year, as they are experiencing themselves for the first time as truly separate individuals, different from everyone around them, and essentially alone. It can be a difficult time for the child emotionally, as they can feel quite fragile and not understand why.

For anyone with a child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or friend this age, this book is immensely helpful in understanding this unique time in the child's life and dealing with it in a supporting way.

The Garden of Happy Endings

The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal tells the story of Reverend Elsa Montgomery of the Unity Church. After a shocking tragedy shatters her community in Seattle, Elsa loses her faith and retreats to her hometown of Pueblo, Colorado where she tries to recover by working in a soup kitchen and starting a community garden. She is also reunited with her best friend and former fiancee, who is now a Catholic priest.

This book delves deeply into the issues of faith and religion and God. It is also a very real story about life and hardship and romance. The characters were well developed, but sometimes  I felt as if the author was trying too hard to make sure the story ended with happy endings for all, as the title suggests.

Eurythmy

Drawing on decades of experience as a teacher, performer and therapist, Cynthia Hoven brings the world of Eurythmy alive in her new book Eurythmy, Movements and Meditations-A Journey to the Heart of Language.

Eurythmy is a movement art created by Rudolph Steiner in the early 1900’s in which the sounds of language become visible through movement and gesture. Eurythmy is most often done as an accompaniment to music or poetry and has been known to have healing effects on millions of people worldwide, both young and old.

A deep understanding of what Eurythmy really is, and a dawning of its benefits unfolds while reading this book. We are taken on a journey through 24 major sounds of language. The description of each sound read like meditations, and indeed this is exactly what they are. There is also detailed instruction on how to move each sound, for beginners and those already familiar with Eurythmy. This is invaluable for those wanting to work with the sounds at home.

Through this highly accessible book, Hoven brings the world of Eurythmy out of the realm of Waldorf schools (previously the only place one would be exposed to Eurythmy,) and offers Eurythmy’s healing benefits to the world at large. She invites the reader to become acquainted with this fascinating, yet little known art, that is so relevant in these stressful times in which we live.

Zorro

Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors. I was surprised to see that she had written a book about Zorro, but also curious. In her hands his story is reborn, as Allende imagines the early life of Diego de la Vega, before he becomes Zorro.

Allende is a master storyteller, and she takes us into the world of  late 18th/early 19th century California, populated by Indians and Spaniards.Young Diego is a product of this world with an Indian mother and a Spanish father. He is sent to Spain as a teen to be educated, and here he meets his fencing master who enlists him into a secret society that fights for justice for all.

I was caught up in the adventure, and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Bravo!

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck is the new novel by Hugo Cabret author Brian Selznick. It is a novel in words and pictures, for young and old alike. My daughter insisted I read it after she finished it.

There is one story happening in fabulously detailed black and white drawings and another in words. By the end, the two converge. It is an exploration into Deaf culture, family, museums, and much more, all beautifully woven together by a master storyteller.

Selznick's novel soars.

World and Town

World and Town by Gish Jen is a novel that tackles big subjects with tenderness and grace and humor. At the heart of the novel is Hattie Kong, a retired science teacher who is a descendant of Confucius. Now in her late 60's and living in a small New England town, she gets a chance to start over-possibly with her long ago love that she hasn't seen in over 30 years.

Jen enters the tricky territory of science vs. religion, immigrants in America during the time of 9/11, and simply what it means to be a good neighbor and a part of the larger community.

The novel is written in several different voices, and at times I found this a bit distracting. However, it did paint a deeper picture of each character, as Jen delves into their histories and disects their lives to help us understand how they come to be who they are, and why they act in the ways they do.

This is a well written, engaging, deeply moving novel. I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Pirate's Daughter

The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson is part historical fiction, part adventure story, part family saga, set in Jamaica during the late 40's-70's during turbulent times when Jamaica was trying to find it's own identity as a newly independent nation.

The starting point for the novel is Errol Flynn's arrival in Jaimaca in 1946, where he fell in love with the place, bought an island, and stayed. Cezair-Thompson then imagines his affair with a beautiful local girl, who has his daughter, and the story unfolds from there.

I was fully engaged with this novel from start to finish. Cezair-Thompson is a wonderful writer who was able to weave together so many different aspects of this story. I felt transported to Jamaica the entire time. I could see all its beauty and the violence, smell it's gorgeous flowers, taste the delicious food, and hear the lively Patois of the local people.

Ultimately, it is just a really good read.

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness

Alexandra Fuller's first memoir that came out ten years ago, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, was a truly astonishing account of growing up in Africa. Her follow up is the recently published Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. This book goes back to tell the lives of her parents and how they came to be who they are.

Fuller celebrates her parents eccentricities, their madness, generosity, courage and dignity in this book. We might not always agree with or understand certain choices they make, but that's really not the point.

I wasn't as blown away by this book as by the first one. Maybe because I already knew parts of the story. If you haven't read either, start with Don't Let's Go to The Dogs Tonight, then read Cocktail Hour for a complete picture of this truly original family.

The Lace Reader

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry is a wild ride of a mystery set in present day Salem, Massachusetts, full of witches, religious fanatics and other eccentric characters.

The story is told by Towner, also named Sophya, who has come back home to Salem after 15 years away in California, escaping from her troubled youth. We learn about the mysterious death of her twin sister and try to unravel her memories, which are muddy at best, and told in an almost dreamlike manner.

The death of her Aunt and a missing teenager have the police searching the town. This is all entwined with Towner's own unreliable memories, climaxing in a fully unexpected ending that made me want to go back and re-read the entire book.

Barry has created a page turner of a mystery, one that will keep you up late into the night and keep you thinking long after the last page is finished.

Sonata for Miriam

Sonata for Miriam is a slim, elegant novel by Linda Olsson, author of Astrid and Veronika.

Sonata takes us on both a physical and emotional journey with Adam, who has just lost his daughter Miriam in an accident in New Zealand. He returns to Poland where he was born, in search of his past and then to Sweden where he was raised.

Reading the novel is like listening to the different movements in a piece of music. Olsson's writing is spare and lyrical, she guides us on our journey, but leaves many details for the reader to imagine. I have fully enjoyed both of her novels.

The Street of a Thousand Blossoms

Gail Tsukiyama is a wonderful and prolific author of such novels as The Samurai's Garden and Women of the Silk, to mention just a couple.
 
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms tells the story of  Kenji and Hiroshi, who are orphaned as young boys and raised by their grandparents in a quiet neighborhood of Tokyo. The story spans almost 3 decades from the late 30's-60's.

Hiroshi has always dreamed of someday becoming a sumo master, while Kenji is fascinated by the masks of the Noh theater and dreams of being an artist. Pearl Harbor, and Japans entrance into the War changes everything.

Tsukiyama is at heart a wonderful storyteller. She takes the reader on a journey into another time and place and creates characters that we care about and teaches us a new way of looking at the world. This is a beautiful, well written, and at times sad novel. It is steeped in Japanese tradition and at the same time moves effortlessly in the modern world. Tsukiyama captures the essence of the fragile beauty of life that is constantly changing, like the title's cherry blossoms.

The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is the best book I've read in a long time. An incredible debut, I just didn't want it to end.

Morgenstern creates an amazing and magical world inside the travelling circus called     Le Cirque des Reves, that only opens from dusk until dawn. No matter how many times you enter that world, there are always more wonders to discover.

The plot circles around a challenge between two young illusionists that are magnetically drawn to one another; a challenge set up by their mentors years ago, bringing all sorts of interesting characters into the mix.

Totally original, totally mesmerizing, a feast for the imagination. This is one not to be missed.

The White Garden

The White Garden, A Novel of Virginia Woolf, by Stephanie Barron is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf's last days. There is a three week period between the time Woolf supposedly committed suicide by drowning herself in the river, and her body was found. During this time, Barron's mystery unfolds, in which Woolf is very much alive, yet possibly in grave danger.

The novel centers around American gardener Jo Bellamy, who has come to Sissinghurst Castle in England to view the famous White Garden, and to try to understand her grandfather's recent death. She finds out her grandfather knew Virginia Woolf when she discovers a diary written by Woolf, after the date she supposedly died.

The story unfolds a bit like The Da Vinci Code. There is a chase through grand old buildings in Europe, searching for clues in the form of ancient books and documents, there is a secret society, and one clue leads to the next as Jo tries to unravel the mystery she has stumbled upon.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It is an interesting, fun, historical mystery set in the beautiful English countryside with even a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

Stephanie Barron aka Francine Mathews, a former intelligence analyst for the CIA, also writes The Jane Austin Mystery Series which might be worth checking out if you like this sort of thing.

Siam

Siam or The Woman Who Shot a Man is a slim, elegant novel by Lily Tuck. It takes place in Thailand in 1967 as the US begins bombing North Vietnam.

Claire, a young newlywed has just moved to Thailand with her husband James, a government contractor. Shortly after arriving, she meets Jim Thompson, an American Millionaire who is the owner of the Thai Silk Company. Within weeks, he disappears in the jungle and Claire becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him.

Tuck captures beautifully the strangeness of being in a foreign place. With little to occupy her days, Claire begins a slow descent into loneliness and even paranoia. The novel moves slowly and not a lot happens, yet  I felt transported to a particular time and place in history. A spare yet gripping novel.

Julia's Child

Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo is an entertaining, contemporary novel about a Mom of two small boys who quits the corporate world to start an organic food company for toddlers, called Julia's Child.

At times it made me laugh, yet I found it somewhat contrived and predictable, with nothing special about the writing or the characters. Some of it was simply hard to believe.

However, Pinneo does capture the feeling of a harried Mom of young children trying to make all the right decisions for their health, while creating an income and finding time to actually spend with her family. This is the part of the novel that rang true.

A passable debut.

Luncheon of the Boating Party

I've come to love Susan Vreeland's historical fiction based on famous works of art. Luncheon of the Boating Party is perhaps my favorite. It is based on Renoir's famous painting Le Dejeuner des Canotiers.

In it, the fourteen people captured enjoying lunch along the Seine in 1880's France, come alive. Each modeled for Renoir for eight Sundays over the course of two months in late summer to complete the painting before the light of summer disappeared. Vreeland brings to life the actual people in the painting, who were friends or aquaintances of Renoir, artists, actresses, lovers, mimes, writers, seamstresses etc. All part of la vie moderne that he wanted to capture a fleeting moment of in his painting.

This was at the time when the group of Impressionists he was a part of was breaking apart. It was the biggest, most ambitious project taken on by any of them. Through Vreeland's brilliant storytelling, the painting comes alive, as well as the time and place. It is like taking a stroll through 19th century Paris and hanging out with friends, enjoying delicious food and wine along the Seine. Wonderful!

The Sparrow

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is a futuristic novel about a Jesuit mission to a newly discovered planet and an unknown species. Sounds far fetched? Doria Russell's novels are so well researched and intriguing, I was captivated for most of the novel.

This novel works because it is character driven, by the group of  mismatched friends sent on the mission, led by Puerto Rican Priest and linguist Emelio Sanchez.

It was reminiscent of Star Trek, and in fact the author mentions Star Trek several times. Unfortunately, I found Doria Russell's take on first contact with a new species not at all original, and the fact that it devolved into such brutality was entirely unnecessary and in my opinion ruined the book.

We are to believe that Sanchez is something of a mystic or saint who has his faith in God tested to the limit. An interesting idea, badly executed.  I think I will skip the sequel Children of God.

The Snow Child

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is a wonderful novel, mixing fairy tale magic with the realities of life, homesteading in the Alaskan wilderness in the 1920's.

Mabel and Jack always wanted children, but this was never to happen. Searching for a different life, they head to Alaska, only to discover vast wilderness, bitter winters, and hard earth that doesn't seem able to yield enough food to live on. One night, during the first snow of the season, they build a snow girl and dress her in mittens and a scarf. In the morning, she is gone and in her place a mysterious snow child seems to have appeared running through the trees and leaving little gifts for them.

Ivey does a wonderful job of blending magic with reality, exposing our greatest longings, hopes, dreams and fears. I was drawn into this story immediately and carried away to another world. It reminded me of why I love to read. A beautiful book.

The Bird Sisters

The Bird Sisters, the debut novel by Rebecca Rasmussen, is about two sisters, Milly and Twiss, who are old now, but are remembering back to the summer when they were teenage girls in Wisconson in 1947. That was the summer their cousin Bett came to live with them and everything in their lives changed.

I wanted to like this novel more than I actually did.  It was lacking in plot and character development, and for some reason, it never fully drew me in. The writing was promising though, and I would be willing to try another novel by Rasmussen in the future.

The Lake Shore Limited

I find Sue Miller's novels to be hit or miss. Her latest, The Lake Shore Limited, is, I believe, one of her most accomplished novels. She writes from the perspective of four different people whose lives all intersect around a play titled The Lake Shore Limited. It is very loosly based around events of 9/11 and the playwright's own experience of losing her lover on that day.

But this in no way is a story about 9/11. Is it about human reactions to events and to each other, and unexpected emotions that may or may not have surfaced at the time. Not all of the characters are likable, yet Miller does a masterful job of weaving the four stories together and giving enough depth to each character that we want to know what will happen to each of them.

This is also a story of how art effects life, and the novel mirrors the play of the title in that the end is really only a beginning, as in life itself.

Labyrinth

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse is an epic thriller similar in ways to the Da Vinci Code. It is a big, thick, historical mystery set in the Pyrenees mountains in modern day France and at the same location 800 years ago.

Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig, uncovers a tomb by accident, setting into motion events beyond her control, and bringing up memories of the past, and a woman named Alais, that she is strangely connected to. The mysterious labyrinth is always at the heart of the tale, as the past and present stories unfold.

The novel tells of the brutal crusade led by the Catholic Church, and at times was a bit violent for my taste, but Mosse stays true to history. The writing could have been better, and at times it was distracting going back and forth from past and present with so many characters to keep track of. However, if you like books filled with secret societies and grail hunts, this book is sure to keep you up half the night.

Agony of the Leaves

Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs is the latest in the Tea Shop Mystery Series, reuniting us with Theodosia Browning and the crew of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston.

This time, Theodosia is hot on the trail of the murderer of her ex-boyfriend Parker Scully. These books are formulaic and pretty silly, but full of fantastic tea lore that I love. So, if you're looking for something light to read with a good cup of tea, it can be a satisfying choice.

Child's book is not to be confused with the wonderful non-fiction book The Agony of the Leaves: The Ecstasy of My Life with Tea, by tea expert Helen Gustafson. This is a wonderful book, highly recommended for tea lovers.

The Almost Moon

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold, author of The Lovely Bones, is one of the most disturbing books I've read in a long time. Sebold is a gifted writer who choses difficult subject matter to explore. Her writing can be compelling and absorbing, but her gifts were lost here, as there was so little to redeem this novel.

The novel opens with Helen Knightly murdering her mother, who suffers from demention, and it spirals down from there into even more and more disturbing events. There were no characters or stories to care about here, and this is where the novel truly failed.

I didn't feel so much that the subject of mental illness was explored, as I felt Sebold was trying to wrench out the readers insides and stomp on them-not a good feeling at all. I will leave it at that.

The Saffron Kitchen

The Saffron Kitchen is a bittersweet debut novel by Yasmin Crowther set in equal parts in London and Iran.

Sara has grown up in London, the daughter of a British father and Iranian mother (like Crowther herself,) and always sensed a sadness in her mother when letters from Iran would arrive and her mother would be torn between her old life and new life. 

This culminates in an event at the opening of the novel which sends Maryam, Sara's mother, back to the village where she grew up in Iran, that she hasn't visited in over 40 years. What follows is an often tender, often sad unfolding of events that help Sara understand the place her mother came from.

Crowther has done a wonderful job portraying the struggle to brigde the gap between two very different cultures, and she leaves it to the reader to answer some of the hard questions about the nature of love, family obligations, and obligations to oneself. A thoughtful novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dreamers of the Day

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell is a wonderful piece of historical fiction set during the time of the Cairo Conference in 1921. The ficticious main character, Agnes Shanklin, is in Cairo at the time, along with Winston Churchill, T.E. Lawrence, Gertrude Bell and others.

This is fabulous storytelling mixed in with well researched historical fact. I was captivated from the beginning. Whether you want to find out more about Lawrence of Arabia and the creation of the modern Middle East, or just read a good story about a school teacher from Ohio who finds herself in Egypt at an important time in history, Dreamers of the Day will satisfy. A wonderful novel.

When Autumn Leaves

When Autumn Leaves by Amy S. Foster is a novel set in the small town of Avening on the Pacific coast, where magical things seem to continually happen. Autumn, the town wise-woman, is leaving Avening and looking for someone to replace her, someone with magical gifts of her own. The town draws many unusual people to live there, and many unexpected women and girls come forth seeking this position. This is their story.

I usually enjoy books filled with magical realism, but this is not the best one I've read. However, it is charming and enchanting in it's own way, and mildly interesting if you like this sort of thing.

Butterfly's Child

Did you ever wonder what happens to Madame Butterfly's child after she kills herself at the end of Puccini's Opera? Butterfly's Child by Angela Davis-Gardner is the imagined story of the blond haired Japanese boy named Benji, son of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Frank Pinkerton and the geisha Cio-Cio-san, known as Madame Butterfly.

Benji is taken from Nagasaki, to a farm in Illinois with his father and step mother, his true identity concealed, to a life he knows nothing about. He grows up in a small American town where he is treated with a mix of racism by many and unexpected kindness by others. It is a hard life, and he always dreams of returning to Japan one day to find his mother's family.

I was captivated by the story from the beginning and read it straight through. Davis-Gardner doesn't disappoint. The novel continues to surprise all the way to the end. It would make a wonderful movie.

In the Kingdom of Men

In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes is a novel set in Saudi Arabia in the 60's. It is the story of Americans working for Aramco, the Arabian American Oil Company there, and living within its gated compound.

Newcomers Gin Mitchell and her idealistic husband Mason McPhee from Oaklahoma, find themselves way out of their depth, as problems with the company spiral out of their control.

This is a fascinating novel, giving us a portrait of a time and place most of us know very little about. Told from a woman's point of view, by Gin, we are transpoted to the desert, full of all it's mysteries.

I loved this novel. Highly recommended.

The Shortest Distance Between Two Women

The Shortest Distance Between Two Women by Kris Radish is the story of a 78 year old widow and her four grown daughters, all but one of which still live within walking distance of each other in South Carolina.

It is told from the point of view of Emma, the youngest daughter, as she struggles to make peace with the crazy women in her family and find happiness in her own life. It is a feel good story reminding us of the power of sisterly bonds and the strengh two women have to hold each other up.

Although I found it sometimes funny, and mildy entertaining, this book is dripping with way too much Southern melodrama, (a little too much for my taste,) and the story got lost underneath it all.

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go is a haunting novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, author of The Remains of the Day. We meet Kathy, Tommy and Ruth, all growing up at Hailsham,a secluded boarding school in the English countryside, and from the beginning it's obvious that something is not quite right. The story unfolds as Kathy looks back at her life at and we are given subtle hints as to what was really going on.

Part coming of age story, part science fiction, Ishiguro has crafted a mildly disturbing novel which brings to light issues that linger on, long after the last page is read.

Although the premise of the novel is compelling, I didn't like it as much as I had hoped I would. I never felt myself caring about any of the charcters deeply enough to feel truly moved, so I felt disappointed by the end.

Still an interesting read. It was made into a movie as well.

Prayers and Lies

Prayers and Lies, the debut novel by Sherri Wood Emmons, is set in rural Appalachia, in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia. The novel is narrated by Bethany, a young girl who lives with her 3 sisters and parents in Indianapolis, and visits the Coal River where her Mother grew up, every summer to spend time with her cousins there.

Her cousin Raena May becomes like a sister to her, and the book traces their lives as they grow together, and then apart, as their differing circumstances throw them into different worlds.

This is a page turner of a novel that I just couldn't put down. I was immediately drawn into this book and grew to care about all the characters and had to find out what would happen to them. Family secrets slowly get revealed along the way and the tension builds until the end. Wood Emmons has done a masterful job for a first novel.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is a beautiful new novel by Jan-Philipp Sendker.

After coming across an old love letter from her father to an unknown woman, Julia, a New York lawyer, sets off for Burma in search of her father, four years after his disappearance. There she meets a man named U Ba who claims to know her father and the story of the first twenty years of his life growing up in a remote village in Burma. The novel unfolds like a long poem as he tells this story to the Julia.

This is one of the most beautifully written novels I've read in a long time. Sendker's writing transports us to the other side of the world, into the heartbeat of the tiniest creatures, even an unborn bird about to hatch from it's egg. A heartbreakingly tender and magical love story, reminding us of the possibililty of unconditional love. Highly recommended.

The Master Quilter

The Master Quilter by JenniferChiaverini is part of the Elm Creek Quilts Series. I have enjoyed some of these in the past, particularly The Aloha Quilt. This one, however, is not one of my favorites.

All the regular quilters are here, but this time they are all keeping secrets from one another and the sense of a strong group of women, coming together with a love of handwork and supporting each other through all aspects of their lives is a little lost here, although it all comes together by the end.

Still enjoyable for readers who love this series, just not Chiaverini's best.

The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn

The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn by Janis Hallowell is a story of ordinary people longing for the divine and finding it in the form of a 14 year old girl at a local cafe. It shows how faith can make even the impossible seem true, and that devotees come in all forms, from loving to violent.

The novel tells of the universal search for God, for miracles, for something extraordinary in even the most ordinary of places. The story is told from four points of view and most of the time this format works. It's not the best novel I have read, but it is certainly original and thought provoking.

The Forest Lover

I had read some of Susan Vreeland's other historical fiction, Girl in Hyacynth Blue, The Passion of Artemesia, and really enjoyed it, so I picked up a copy of The Forest Lover, Vreeland's historical fiction based on the life of Canadian painter Emily Carr.

I will admit that I hadn't heard of Carr before, much to my loss. She is Canada's most celebrated female painter, although she was hardly recognized in her lifetime.

Living and painting in Vancouver at the turn of the twentieth century, she became fascinated with the native culture that existed in the wild forested areas of western British Columbia. She made friends with many native people and set out to paint their totem poles before they had all but disappeared. This was totally discouraged by polite white society at the time, and even though Carr was an extremely talented painter who had studied in San Francisco, London, and Paris, she found very little recognition of her talent in her lifetime, yet her passion never died.

Vreeland brings her story to life in this wonderful novel, and Carr's fiercely independent spirit shines through these pages. A fascinating portrait of a truly remarkable woman.

The Cat's Table

The Cat's Table, the new novel by Michael Ondaatje, is the semi-autobiographical novel of an 11 year old boy's journey from Colombo to England aboard the ship Oronsay. Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka, took a similar voyage alone as a boy, later became a writer and now lives in Canada. All these things are true of the Michael in the novel. However, all the wonderful characters who the boy meets at the cat's table (the table farthest from the captain's) are entirely ficticious.

Michael Ondaatje is one of my favorite writers. I was so disappointed with his last novel, Divisadero, that I almost gave up reading him, but I am glad I didn't. The Cat's Table is a wonderful novel. Full of the adventure of journeying from East to West, the journey as experienced through the freedom that exists only in childhood.

The novel is eloquently written and full of wonderful characters and stories woven together as only a master storyteller can do. I loved this book. Highly recommended.

Grayson

Grayson, by Lynne Cox is the true story of Cox's encounter with a baby gray whale off the coast of Southern California when she was 17 years old.

Cox is a world famous American long-distance open-water swimmer, she was the first person to swim the Straits of Magellan in Chile, and the first to swim around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, just to name a couple of her many, many accomplishments.

Grayson is the wonderful story of Cox's encounter with a baby gray as he was seperated from his mother on their migration South to Mexico. She knew he would die if he wasn't reunited with his mother.

This is her true story of their amazing journey together. This is an inspiring little book that everyone should read, about our ability to connect with all life, if only we take the time to try.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Helen Simonson's debut novel, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, is an unlikely love story between a retired British Major and a Pakistani shopkeeper in the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in the English countryside.

The Major's quiet  life of tea, golf, and literature is disturbed when he finds himself longing for the company of Mrs. Ali, the shopkeeper who he knows very little about, but can't stop thinking of. As their friendship develops, gossip spreads, and their new relationship is frowned upon by the local village people as well as their families.

Simonson is a wonderful writer, and this novel is  full of wit and charm. The perfect read with an afternoon cuppa tea. Highly recommended.

The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid

The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid, Travels Through My Childhood by Bill Bryson, is a memoir of a very ordinary boy growing up in Des Moines in the 50's. Nothing drastic ever happens here, yet all the little details are captured in a laugh out loud journey back in time, when life was simple.

No one's parents seemed to worry about things like drinking too much, smoking too much, kids running through DDT or nuclear fallout from test sights.

Bryson makes us remember all the simple joys of childhood and long for it's simple pleasures while pointing out in equal measure the beauty and the absurdity of a time and place that will never exist again.

My guess is you might enjoy it even more if you used to be a little boy, but either way it's hilarious and worth reading.

How It All Began

How It All Began by Penelope Lively is a novel of chance meetings and experiences that create more chance meetings and experiences that alter the courses of many lives like a domino effect.

This is all based on chaos theory, or more specifically, the butterfly effect. The idea that the flapping of a single butterfly's wing in the Amazon produces a tiny change in the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done, causing a tornado on the other side of the world.

Lively's novel takes one incident, the mugging of Charlotte Rainsford, and follows the chain of events this accident causes, tracing the effect on the lives of several people that Charlotte knows nothing of. It is an interesting premise and for the most part an interesting book. 

Nothing too extraordinary here, but still an enjoyable read. This is the first of Lively's books that I've read and I would like to read others, as she is quite prolific.

The Piano Teacher

I really enjoyed Janice Lee's debut novel The Piano Teacher until the end. It tells the story of Claire, a young piano teacher from England who has just moved to Hong Kong with her husband in 1953. The Other part of the story is told from voices of expats living there ten years earlier, through the war years.

One in particular, Will Truesdale, ties the story together. In 1942 he is in love with a beautiful Eurasian socialite, Trudy Liang. Ten years later, broken by events during the war, he is having an affair with Claire.

I was transported to Hong Kong during the 40's and 50's, and the city itself became one of the main characters of the story. Lee had me hooked for most of the novel, but I felt truly disappointed by the end when so many of the characters were just left hanging, or quickly tied up.

Although it is titled The Piano Teacher, it doesn't really seem to be Claire's story, although whose it is is unclear. It's a pity, it really could have been a very good book.

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

I've read several of Jeanette Winterson's novels, and was excited when her new memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal, came out. I don't usually buy books in harcover, but I did this time, and I wasn't disappointed. Winterson's memior is brilliant.

She was born in Manchester, England in 1959 and adopted at 6 weeks old. She never new who her birth mother was, and always believed she was dead. Her adopted mother was a depressed, religious fanatic and Winterson suffered greatly in her new home.

She tells her story with such wit and humor, that I found myself laughing out loud several times. But this is much more than just another humorous, anecdotal memoir. Winterson plunges into the depths of her own soul in her journey of self discovery with unflinching bravery and honesty.

This is a book that will stay with me for some time. Highly recommended.

The Kitchen House

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom is a powerful and disturbing novel. Set in the South at the end of the 18th century, a seven year old Irish girl, Lavinia is orphaned during the sea crossing to America. She is taken in by the Captain and given to his slaves in the kitchen house to raise her and serve their family. Boundaries get confused as she grows into the white woman she becomes and can no longer live with the black family who raised her.

This is a painful and tragic novel, well researched and based on actual events. Grissom does a wonderful job of bringing the story to life so we can bear witness to one of the most shameful periods of our history. However, there is so much love and hope, courage and loyalty in these pages, amidst all the tragedy, that through it all, this novel shines.

If You Could See Me Now

Cecelia Ahern writes lighthearted, feel-good novels full of just a little bit of magic. If You Could See Me Now is no different. Ahern lives in Ireland, and this novel, as her previous novels, is set in the charming Irish countryside. P.S. I Love You (one of her earlier novels) was made into a movie starring Hilary Swank, and If You Could See Me Now is soon to be a movie as well.

It tells the story of six year old Luke and his Aunt Elizabeth who has adopted him, although she has never wanted children and prefers a life of strict order and control. Luke's mother is an alchoholic, like Elizabeth's mother before her, and Elizabeth has always worked hard to be the responsible one. But along the way she forgot how to have fun. Enter invisible friend Ivan, and the magic begins......

If you're in the mood for a little playful, light reading with happy endings for all, Ahern's novels are sure to please.

The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe

The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O'Hagan, certainly has a catchy title, which seems to be what drew so many people to this rather tiresome book.

It is narrated by Marilyn Monroe's highly intelligent, and well read little dog Maf. A gift to her from Frank Sinatra, Maf went everywhere with Marilyn in the last two years of her life. The book is more a commentary of the times, than a biography of  Monroe's last days.

The fifties are just ending, the sixties have begun, along with the civil rights movement. JFK is elected president and the nation is hopeful. Monroe travels from LA to New York, Mexico and back to LA, always in the circle of artists, intellectuals, singers, musicians, playwrites, movie stars and directors.

Sinatra comes across as a real jerk, and Monroe seems destined to repeat the sadness, lonliness, and mental instability that claimed her mother.

There are some interesting insights in the book, but for the most part I found the writing style tedious and couldn't wait to be done with this book.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson is a wild roller coaster of a ride through the deep South. We follow three generations of Slocumb women aged 45, 30, and 15 in small town Mississippi as they try to uncover the truth about the bones found underneath the old willow tree in the backyard.

Jackson writes like no other, and this novel kept me up half the night trying to unravel all the plot twists and turns to figure out what was really going on. The book takes you to many places in the deep South you'd never like to return to, but this is the place young Mosey, the books heroine, comes from.

I liked Jackson's earlier novel, Gods in Alabama, but I like A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty even better. It grabs you and won't let go.

Dreaming in Chinese

Dreaming in Chinese, Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love and Language by Deborah Fallows is a book about Fallow's attempt to learn Mandarin while living in China for three years with her husband.

Fallows has a PhD in linguistics, and this small, deceptively simple book is full of penetrating insights into Chinese culture, thinking, body language, and much more. A captivating look into the heart of the Chinese people. Fallows writes with understanding, humor and honesty. This is a wonderful little book.

While in China, Fallows reads the novel A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo. This is novel I read several years ago and really enjoyed as well. It would be great companion reading with Dreaming in Chinese.

Songs Without Words

Songs Without Words by Ann Packer is a beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking novel. It tells the story of the lifelong friendship between Liz and Sarabeth, two women now in their 40's living in the Bay Area.

Sarabeth's mother committed suicide when Sarabeth was only 16. She then moved in with Liz's family, and their bond as sisters was forever formed. Now decades later, Liz has a teenage daughter of her own in crisis, and Liz and Sarabeth's friendship is put to the test.

Packer writes so convincingly and with such introspection about the relationships we have with our family, our friends, and even with ourselves. She also writes of the harrowing descent into depression. She uncovers our deepest emotions and fears, our frailties, and  ultimately our humanity. Songs Without Words is a thoughful and moving novel.

I Never Fancied Him Anyway

I Never Fancied Him Anyway by Claudia Carroll is a lighthearted, funny novel about a 28 year old psychic named Cassandra who has her own magazine column and eventually TV show in Dublin, helping mostly single women looking for their perfect mate.

Cassandra is likable, but the novel is pretty silly. If you're in the mood for some chick-lit light it might just hit the spot. Supposedly it's being made into a movie. Maybe it will be more entertaining on the big screen.

The Postmistress

I tend to avoid novels set during WWII, as there have just been way too many of them. However, I picked up The Postmistress by Sarah Blake at my local library and found it quite interesting. Iris James, the postmistress of the novel's title, tells us in no uncertain terms that there is no such thing as a postmistress, it is simply postmaster for a man or a woman, so I do have to question the title of the novel.

Set in a small coastal town on Cape Cod, life goes on much the same as usual during the onset of WWII, while over in London, Frankie Bard makes her radio broadcasts with Edward Murrow during the Blitz.

It is a tale of two very different worlds colliding and how we tell and hear and react to the stories of what is really happening. It's a wonderfully written novel, woven together beautifully. It hooked me from the beginning.

I only wish some of the characters had been better developed, especially the doctor's wife Emma, who is central to the novel, yet she was never fully developed and I felt like we were left hanging trying to figure out what happened to her. This is true for Iris, the postmistress, as well. Frankie's character was my favorite of the three women the novel centered on.

The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant is historical fiction set in Medici Florence at the time of the fanatical monk Savonarola in the late fifteenth century. It is a time when art flourished and Botticelli's Venus was born.

Our story follows the life of fifteen year old Alessandra Cecchi, a young artist and daughter of a cloth merchant. Although her character is fictional, she could have been real, and the events and people all around her are taken from history. This story is about her own birth into womanhood and her stuggles against the conventions of the times.

Dunant weaves a captivating story of art and sin, decadence and piety, at a time when everyone was struggling to understand man's place in relation to God, and art was at once widely revered by many and actively denounced as decadent by others.

Although there are some flaws in the novel, (I didn't quite believe the ending) I found it captivating nonetheless, and it does a great job of bringing fifteenth century Florence alive.

The Good Mother

I have read and enjoyed several of Sue Miller's novels. The Good Mother is her first novel.

It tells the story of Anna Dulap. A recently divorced mother of a 3 year old little girl. After the divorce, Anna finds a new lover that she loses herself in.  This keeps her from always having the best judgement.

I tried to sympathize with Anna, but I found it hard to understand some of the choices that she made. I actually found the novel mildly disturbing, not to mention out of date. Not my favorite of Millers.

Islands, The Universe, Home

Gretel Ehrlich has spent countless hours in solitude in the observation of nature and how we fit into the big picture. Her observations cut so deep and are so heartwrenching, sometimes I just need to stop reading and let her words sink in.

Islands, The Universe, Home is a book of 10 essays that take us through the seasons on her Wyoming ranch and on pilgrimage to Japan and other places.

At times I am reminded of Robinson Jeffers, Gary Snyder, Matsuo Basho, yet Ehrlich's prose is so original and personal, and at the same time universal, it is truly breathtaking.

Her earlier book of essays, The Solace of Open Spaces is fantastic as well. If you're not familiar with Ehrlich's writing, you're in for a rare treat.

Middle Son

Middle Son by Deborah Iida is a small, deeply moving novel about the middle son of a Japanese immigrant family, growing up in the worker's camps in the cane fields on Maui. The novel brings us to the place so completely I can almost feel the cane spiders crawling on my skin and see the cane fires burning.

Iida has crafted a tale of family tradition, love and obligation; also the need to distance oneself from their place of origin, yet in the end a returning, coming home, making peace.

The language is spare and elegant and lyrical. This is a very subtle, yet powerful work of fiction. Beautiful. I loved this novel.

The Night Journal

The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook kept me up all night reading. It is set in New Mexico, past and present, and weaves together four generations of women.

Meg, who is now 37 has taken her grandmother back to her childhood home in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where long buried secrets are uncovered. There, she finally reads her great grandmother Hanna's journals, that she has avoided reading all her life.The journals give us a wonderful portait of New Mexcio at the turn of the 20th century, and the landscape becomes one of the main characters of the story.

An intriguing mystery unfolds, and there are so many plot twists and turns, I just couldn't put this book down. A beautifully written, very enjoyable novel.

The Last Aloha

The Last Aloha by Gaellen Quinn tells of the takeover of the Hawaiian Monarchy in the late 1800's by American businessmen, descendants of missionaries. If you don't know this story already, this is a good piece of historical fiction that will clearly paint the picture for you.

The characters of Laura and her missionary relatives, were interesting, but not the best part of this book.

The history lessons, and the story told of Hawaii's last monarchs are what make this well worth reading. It is a story that still saddens me to this day, but one that needs to be told-and read.

Crooked Litttle Heart

I love Anne Lamott and have read everything she's written, but somehow missed Crooked Little Heart, until now.

It is the story of thirteen year old Rosie Ferguson, a gifted tennis player, just on the verge of adolescence, whose father died when she was four years old.

Lamott writes with such heart and honesty, at times it is almost painful to read. She explores the vulnerability of the human heart, and all the sadness, grief and fear we can feel when we are brave enough to love each other deeply.

She also finds small miracles in day to day life, and in nature as grand as mountains and as small as tidepools. This is Lamott at her best.

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon is a tender, funny novel set in the English countryside, about a kennel of abandoned dogs and their unlikely new owners.

Dillon has crafted a novel that appeals to dog lovers as well as those who consider themselves 'not really dog people.'

A fun, sweet read-it's hard not to want to take home some of the dogs yourself, by the end.

The Romantics

The Romantics by Pankaj Mishra is a revelation. It comes across gently, slowly, with subtle grace that draws you in before you even know what's happening. Mishra's language is deceptively simple. His ideas and concepts are not.

I was transported to Benares through the story of Samar, a young Indian, meeting many westerners for the first time, and following a very real journey of self discovery.

I thought this was a truly beautiful book. The images of India, and the feelings Mishra evoked will stay with me for a long time.

Another Summer

Another Summer by Georgia Bockoven takes us to a Santa Cruz beach house that has a history of bringing happiness to whoever stays there. It is a follow up to Bockoven's novel called The Beach House. Different people rent the house for each month of the summer and Bockoven weaves their tales together into a satisfying novel.

There are times you have to suspend your disbelief, not just for a bit of magic, but because everything can't always end so happily, so quickly.

However, I still enjoyed this novel very much, maybe even enough to go back and read The Beach House.

Corduroy Mansions

Corduroy Mansions is the first book in the newest series by Alexander McCall Smith. McCall Smith has written so many books at this point, that I wonder how he has anything new or interesting to say, yet he still seems to.

Corduroy Mansions introduces us to a whole new set of eccentric characters living in a desirable London neighborhood, including one small dog, Freddie de la Hay, who is my favorite character of all.

McCall Smith is a wonderful writer, and Corduroy Mansions is a charming read, full of his usual philosophy and wit.

Shelter Me

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay is a novel I just couldn't put down.

It tells of Janie, a woman in her mid 30's with two young children, whose husband has just died in an accident. We follow her through the first year of her loss, through her anger and grief as she finds solace in the most unlikely places.

There is nothing cliche about his novel. Fay has created very real characters with real emotions and flaws and I was so drawn into the story I stayed up half the night reading; sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, always fully engaged.

It's hard to believe it is her debut novel. I look forward to what she writes in the future.

The Lady of the Rivers

The Lady of the Rivers is the latest historical fiction by Philippa Gregory. It tells the tale of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, mother of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

Jacquetta is descended from the river goddess Melusina, and was believed to be a witch. These were dangerous times for a wise woman, and she had to hide her skills with herbs and seeing the future, for fear of being put to death.

Gregory gives us a portrait of a fascinating woman who was deeply devoted to her Queen, Margaret Beaufort, and also to her husband, Richard Woodville. 

I got tired of reading of all the battles during the War of the Roses, but this is a fault of history and not the author. If you like historical fiction from this time period, Philippa Gregory is the best, and there are many more of her novels to keep you reading for a long time.

Girls in White Dresses

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close is billed as being wickedly funny. I was looking forward to a witty, well written novel, and to laughing out loud. Instead, I couldn't wait for this book to be finished.

The women in this novel are all extremely immature, unkind, they drink way too much, and they're all desperate to be married. I didn't like any of them and found nothing funny here, in fact it was mildy depressing.  One to miss.

Swim Back to Me

Swim Back to Me is a new book of short stories by Ann Packer. I picked it up thinking it was a novel, so I was disappointed when I started reading it, as I am not really a fan of short stories.

However, the writing is wonderful, and Packer has great insight into family life, especially that of teenagers.

I prefer novels because they give you a chance to get to know the characters a little better before moving on to an entirely different set of characters. But if you like short stories, this is a good collection of well written fiction.

The Printmakers Daughter

The Printmaker's Daughter by Katherine Govier, is historical fiction based on the life of the daughter of Japan's most famous painter, Hokusai, the legendary printmaker famous for his images of Mount Fuji, and The Great Wave.

According to Govier, much of Hokusai's work, especially later in his life, was actually done by his daughter, Oei, even though she was never given any credit for it.

It's a fascinating picture of nineteenth-century Edo, as well as the lives of artists and courtesans of the time. It's up to the reader to decide how much is fact, how much is fiction. Either way, it's a great story.

It took me a while to get engrossed in this novel, but once I did, I thought it was a wonderful read.

Until the Real Thing Comes Along

I generally like Elizabeth Berg's novels. She is good at creating very real and honest, believable characters. She often delves specifically into women's issues, all things I love.

However, in Until the Real Thing Comes Along, I just didn't really like Patty, the main character, very much. I liked Ethan, her gay best friend much better.

It is the story of a woman in her late 30's, obsessively longing for a baby, a husband, and a home. By the end, she gets two out of three, and somehow this is enough.

I liked the book, but didn't love it. Still, I'm sure it's not the last novel by Elizabeth Berg that I will read, as this is definately not the best example of her writing.

Saving CeeCee Honeycut

Saving CeeCee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman is as sweet and syrupy as a tall glass of sweet tea on a hot Georgia day.

It's a feel good, girl power novel filled with all sorts of eccentric Southern women and a 12 year old protagonist who is taken under their wings.

There's nothing particularly original about this novel, but it's hard not to root for CeeCee, even if you know from the start that she's going to be just fine.

A good, light read if you're in the mood for a little Southern fiction.

Distant Hours

I love Kate Morton's novels, and The Distant Hours is no exception. It's a big thick gothic mystery set in a crumbling old castle in the English countryside, spanning time from WWII until present day.

I was drawn in immediately to all the characters and just couldn't put the book down. Morton is a master storyteller. This is the darkest of her novels, filled with intrigue and suspense and lost love.

The Forgotten Garden remains my favorite of her books, but this one is still guaranteed to keep you up all night reading.

The Middle Place

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan is a memoir about a woman and her father who both survive cancer.

I wanted to like this book-I really did, and although there were some funny and tender moments, overall I found it tiresome, and I couldn't wait to be done.

I'm sure Corrigan is a lovely person, but that doesn't make her a great writer.

Local Knowledge

Local Knowledge by Liza Gyllenhaal is a novel I immediately got drawn into and couldn't put down. It is about Maddie Alden, a small town girl in New England, now a realtor selling second homes to rich urbanites who come to the country for the weekend.

Gyllenhaal probes the disparity between these two groups of people, as Maddie finds herself walking the line between lifelong bonds and new friendships springing up with the wealthy new crowd she longs to be a part of.

I loved this book all the way until the end. I won't spoil it, as I still think its a good read. Gyllenhaal's writing shows her deep observations of how we behave, what motivates us, and how we react to diffucult situations. I only wish it had ended differently.

The Favored Queen

The Favored Queen, A Novel of Henry VIII's Third Wife, by Carolly Erickson, is historical fiction lite.

This is a novel about Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's wife following Anne Boleyn. It was mildly entertaining, but way too  much of the story was fabricated. It left me disappointed, and longing for a more in depth tale of Tudor England.

Look Me in the Eye

Look Me in the Eye, My Life with Asperger's, by John Elder Robison is a memoir about growing up different from everyone else, but not knowing why.

Robison wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's until he was 40. Until then, he was told all sorts of reasons why he was different. That he was a deviant sociopath seemed to be a recurrent theme, because he was percieved as being rude, and he would never look people in the eye when talking to them.

He grew up thinking something was very wrong with him and this led him to fail out of school when he was 15 even though he tested in the 99th percentile. From there, his life takes all sorts of interesting turns, including designing smoking guitars for KISS.

This memoir is written with humor and honesty, and gives great insight into the life of people with Asperger's. It was a wonderful book. Highly recommended reading.

The 19th Wife

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is historical fiction based on polygamy within the Mormon church, both in the past, and as it exists today.

It is the fascinating story of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young's infamous 19th wife, who divorced him, left the church and fought to get polygamy made illegal in the United States. Her story, and the story of the founders of the church and it's first pioneers, is intermingled with a modern day story of a 19th wife in jail in Utah for murdering her husband.

I loved this book and only wish the modern day story had more to it, as it deserved a novel of its own. Edershoff really takes us on a journey to discover what it must be like to be a plural wife, or a child raised within this system. The things Brigham Young did and said in the name of God are downright scary, as is the fact that this is still going on in modern day America.

At times, the format of the book didn't always work. Still, I highly recommend it both for its historical interest and because it's a really good story. I couldn't put it down, and it left me with a lot to think about.

Empress

Empress by Shan Sa is historical fiction based on the life of China's only female Emperor, Empress Wu (AD 625-705) who lived and ruled during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.

Her story is written in the first person, beginning by narrating her own birth. EmpressWu, known as Heavenlight in the novel, rises from obscurity through her own intelligence and determination to become China's only female Emperor in 5000 years. She is wise and strong and sometimes very cruel. Its hard to know how much of the novel is based on truth and how much is imagined.

It was an interesting and rather depressing look at life inside the Forbidden City- full of gossip, scandal, power struggles, murder and intrigue (not at all unlike life in the Imperial Zenana of Mughal India described in the Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan.)

However, I did not love this novel. I found it often slow and indulgent, caught up in too many minor details, and by the end, depressing and difficult  to read. It is obvious that Shan Sa has the heart and mind of a poet and a feminist and is immensly talented, but here her talent was somehow lost. I love historical fiction, but this was not the best.

The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise

The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart is a quirky novel set in the famous Tower of London.

Our protagonist, Balthazar Jones, is a Beefeater (Yoeman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Member of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extrodinary.) 

He is given the job of keeper of the Queen's menagerie, which includes all the exotic animals that have been gifted to the Queen from all over the world; including a zorilla, a Komodo dragon, and an Etruscan shrew of a particularly nervous disposition, to name a few.

What enfolds is a hilarious tale, intermixed with the gory history of London's famous prison and all its resident ghosts. At the heart of the novel is a very tender love story between the protagonist and his wife Hebe Jones.

This novel is many different things at once and yet somehow succeeds. I found it highly entertaining and original.

A Wild Ride Up the Cupboards

A Wild Ride Up the Cupboards is a brilliant and emotionally charged debut novel by Ann Bauer. She writes of  4 year old Edward disppearing from his family and the world, into a slow and uncharted descent into Autism.

Bauer writes from the point of view of Rachel, Edward's monther, and shows the effect Edward's withdrawal has on her, and her marriage, and the things that desperate parents will do to try to help their children.

The story is so believable in part because the character of Edward is loosly based on Bauer's own child, and in part because she is a wonderful writer.

I found the book sad, moving, at times funny, but always engaging-I just couldn't put it down-and I won't soon forget it..

The Dive from Clausen's Pier

The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer is an amazing debut novel-the best novel I've read in a while.

Set in Wisconsin and New York City, we follow the lives of young Carrie Bell and her fiance Mike as their relationship changes, due at first to growing apart and then to a tragedy that changes them both forever.

I loved Packer's writing and was drawn in from the start. She created a story with honest characters and moral dilemas I will continue to ponder long after having finished this novel.

A brilliant piece of storytelling that won't soon be forgotten. Highly recommended.

Quite a Year for Plums

Quite a Year for Plums is a quirky little novel by Bailey White. The story was original and funny and engaging. I loved all the peculiar characters.

Roger, the peanut pathologist, Della the bird artist, Louise and the typographer attempting to contact aliens with just the right combination of letters and numbers, to name just a few.

I was transported to the slow pace of small town Georgia life and didn't want to leave. Bailey White is a magnificent storyteller and I look forward to reading  Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Sleeping at the Starlite Motel, also by her.

Bossypants

Bossypants by Tina Fey seemed to be a huge hit with everyone this past year, so I decided to read it. I did find it mildly entertaining and at some moments even laugh out loud funny, but it just kept making me think of  another book - Everybody into the Pool-True Tales by Beth Lisick, a female comedy-memior that really had me laughing out loud until I was crying. Very different books for sure, and Lisick's book might not be for everyone, but I loved it, and even enjoyed her follow up Help Me Help Myself, (although not quite as much.)

Back to Tina Fey. Admittedly a funny woman.  I loved her on Saturday Night Live as Sarah Palin, so the jokes weren't lost on me-but do we really need to read about what we all saw already?  I haven't watched 30 Rock, so there were huge sections of the book that were meaningless to me. And I still question memoirs at the age of 40.

If you love Tina Fey (and she really really wants you to) you will find this book interesting and funny and worth reading. Its quick and harmless enough (if you can get past the disturbing cover.)