We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, is the haunting new novel by Karen Joy Fowler. Told by Rosemary, a 22 year old undergraduate at UC Davis, she recalls her early life with her older brother Lowell, and her sister Fern, neither of which she has seen in over a decade.

The story of this unusual family becomes more mysterious as it unfolds. Fowler is a brilliant writer. She has created a story so complex and rich in detail, that it is impossible to separate the beauty and joy from the pain and heartache; they are all tightly woven strands of a rich and colorful tapestry.

I loved this novel, yet also found it highly disturbing. Not a book that will be soon forgotten.

The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing

I never read The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank when it was wildly popular a decade ago. I just recently picked it up, and it is as funny and relevant now as it was then.

It is written as a series of connected short stories featuring young, single Jane Rosenal trying to make her way through the treacherous territory of dating, family relations, work, etc.

Bank's writing is funny and insightful. I laughed all the way through this book.

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin tracks a year of Rubin's life where she sets out very systematically to become happier. I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't relate to most of Rubin's thoughts on how to pursue happiness. It was not until the end of the book that she even considered changing her own attitude, and then only begrudgingly.

She has methods and systems in place to help others set up their own Happiness Project and a blog you can follow as well. She has a pretty happy life to begin with, which she admits, so this isn't a book aimed at truly unhappy people. I liked the idea, but nothing here really resonated with me. Others, however, might find some insight here.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple is one of the most original books I've read in years. Told from the point of view of Bernadette's fifteen year old daughter Bee, and written mostly in email correspondences, the book could have been nothing more than a gimmick that didn't really work.

However, due to Semple's wit and clever writing style, the story flows seemlessly through countless emails, memos, police reports etc. We meet Bee's mother, Bernadette, a brilliant architect who has been in hiding for the past 20 years, then literally goes missing in Antarctica.

The story is original, funny, entertaining and heartfelt. A surprisingly deep novel that captures the emotions of all three family members searching for something that has been lost.

Semple is a brilliant writer. I loved this book.

Corfu

Corfu by Robert Dessaix is a novel loosely based on the life of little known Australian writer/actor Kester Berwick. 

The main character, also an Australian actor and traveler, finds himself in Corfu and rents Berwick's house for a few months while he is away. While there, he meets up with the local ex-pat community, puts on plays, and reads Berwick's books, letters and other writings. His own life begins to mimic Berwicks, as he tries to navigate his way through failed love affairs and contemplates heading back home.

This is a novel for travelers. Anyone who has spent a great deal of time away from home will appreciate Dessaix's observations and longings. A beautifully written novel.