Friday, December 14, 2007
Various and Sundry
I would like to suggest a new thread. Why don't we comment on books that we read outside of our blog selections? Sometimes I have an opportunity to read a book in between our selections that I think you might be interested in reading - or I might not even like it and want you to not waste your money. Let's use this thread for those "extra" books.
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Second Honeymoon by Joanna Trollop
The story opens with the mother, Edie, mourning her last son leaving home. She feels she doesn't have a purpose in life and she needs something to fill her time. Her husband, Russell, encourages her to try out for a play. She gets the part. Over the next few weeks, her children start moving back in for various reasons.
I feel as if I was drawn to this book because it runs so parallel to my own life. I have missed Sara so much while she has been off to school. Emily runs between school, social events, and work. She occasionally wants to "hang out" with me. This usually ends with her asleep on the sofa because her schedule is so full. But - when they are both home, I am overwhelmed with dishes that don't get washed, wet towels on the bathroom floor, and rooms that need to be cleaned in the worse sort of way. Be careful what you wish for!
This was not one of those books that you say - Wow, this is this best book I have ever read. It is the sort of book that can help you think through your problems and see that there can be equitable solutions for everyone involved. Life moves on!
I like the idea of "various and sundry." There are lots of books to read which don't always invite discussion but definitely warrant a comment. Looking forward to reading comments and book suggestions from others as well.
I am currently engrossed in "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi. It is a memoir written by Nafisi of a time when she and 7 of her most dedicated students met secretly to read and discuss forbidden Western classics. I have found it fascinating to see how many common threads tie us, women, together as a sex. Whether we choose to live behind the veil, are forced to do so or in desperation create our own kind of "veil," there are the same wants, needs, fears and desires hidden there with us all.
One passage in particular struck a chord deep within me. Nafisi writes about her studets,..."they have no clear image of themselves; they can only see and shape themselves through other people's eyes." I have realized that is true of myself. However, as I enter my decade of rediscovery, I am creating an image of myself which I hope will bring me the fulfillment I so long for.
Too Great a Lady - The Notorious Glorious Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton by Amanda Elyot
This story is a work of fiction but it is based on the life of Emma, the mistress of Lord Nelson, officer of the British Navy. Emma was born in a small Welsh village. Through a series of circumstances, Emma rises through the British class system. She refines her personality, receives an education in bits and pieces, and circulates with the highest of royalty.
Although I am no expert in British history, this book seems well researched. We are given lots of glimpses into the British class system and the life of royalty. Emma had quite an interesting life.
I enjoyed the bits of history throughout the story. The history gave me insight into how the times effected Emma's life. I would recommend this book.
The Perfect Royal Mistress by Diane Haeger
Nell Gwynne is a girl of the streets. She, unknowly, meets the king outside of the theater in London soon after the plague and a fire have decimated London. The king is intrigued with her and makes sure their paths cross again.
Without giving away the whole story, Nell has a relatively easy life. I really enjoyed the book about Emma, Lord Nelson's mistress, much more. Emma had a much more eventful and exciting life. The Perfect Royal Mistress is a good read though and lets you have a peek into the life within the royal court in the 1600's.
After friend"lee" suggested Water for Elephants a while back, I decided to give it a try. I loved this book! The flashbacks from the 93-year-old in a nursing home to his days in the circus gave a stark contrast between the sedate life in the nursing home and the exciting life of the circus. The inside look at the circus life was intriguing. I especially enjoyed the individual stories of the circus workers and the language they spoke between themselves.
The story has a surprise ending. Go forth, be brave, do the unexpected!!!
I enjoyed two stories of historical fiction - I, Mona Lisa and The Borgia Bride. They are both by Jeanne Kalogridis. In my opinion, these stories were almost like narratives. (The "Emma" story, previously discussed, was much more exciting.) Both of these stories took place in the 1400's in Italy. The stories had intertwining elements so, after reading I, Mona Lisa, I had an idea of what was going on during the time of The Borgia Bride. I think we often romanticize the times of kings and queens and castles as being an idyllic life. This period in history was unbelievably violent. Not only were nobles constantly looking for advantage through marriage and political alliances but the church was corrupt. These stories were a shocking look into that period of history.
The story was great. I think the writing was not as exciting as it could have been.
The Godmother by Carrie Adams
Tessa is a thirty-plus lawyer that feels that life is passing her by. She is godmother to four and mother to none.
This is not your usual chick-lit. The book was well written and the story line plausible. Tessa is the glue that holds all the friends together. She's the one everyone calls when they need a favor. She spends so much time taking care of everyone else that she really doesn't spend time trying to take care of her own problems - or maybe she doesn't want to face them.
All the twists and turns definitely keep you interested. I vote for The Godmother to be made into a movie. I don't think I could get my husband to go. (There wouldn't be enough things blowing up...) But I would be there in a heartbeat! Good read.
I picked up Sisters by Danielle Steele. What a waste! I didn't even finish it. I thought that such a popular author would write to a higher standard. Not so! This is definitely for the masses. I don't consider myself highbrow but this was not for me. Save your money!
Just finished The River Knows by Amanda Quick....it is a fairly predictable easy read. I enjoy historical romance with a dash of mystery or vice versa historical mystery with a dash of romance. And I have always enjoyed this particular author. That said....if you'd like to read this book I'd advise borrowing it rather than buying. Quick's earlier works seemed to be more intriguing or perhaps as a reader I hadn't figured out her "fornula" yet.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
I loved this story. The main character, Claire, has trouble with letting new things into her life. She resists change. I often feel like Claire. I could empathize with her feelings and fears.
There was a mystical, magical quality thoroughout the book. I think everyone has special things that they are good at. In Claire's family, the special things were a bit out of the ordinary. This was a nice twist in the story line.
I vote for this book to be made into a movie. The story line was different enough to provide some surprises. A fun book with a happy ending.
I loved Garden Spells! It captivated me from the very beginning....and made me wish the unusual people who inhabited this story were real and that I could meet them. I will probably put this book on my "read it over and over" shelf.
Just finished The March by E.L.Doctorow......it was enthralling! The novel is about Sherman's march through Georgia and beyond. The author does a wonderful job of evoking the horrors visited upon both sides of the conflict. He opens a window into the lives of not only the combatants but upon the civilians left behind trying to cope with the ravages, physical and mental, ofthe Civil War. I would like to read more books by this author.
Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex
Leonardo's Swans are four women who's lives are as entertwined as a Celtic knot. The two main characters are sisters, Isabella and Beatrice. The sisters are very different but find themselves competing in many ways. As they get married and form political alliances in 15th century Italy, Isabella and Beatrice become more like each other than they ever imagined possible.
Beatrice's husband is the patron of the artist Leonardo da Vinci. Isabella desparately wants to be painted by him and tries to manipulate her brother-in-law into making it happen.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the two sisters and their husband's mistresses. I think I would have been pulled into the story more if it had been told in first person. The writing had a very journalistic quality - reporting on facts rather than pulling you into the story with details and emotions.
After finishing the story, I read the blurb at the end about the author. She is - guess what? - a journalist.
The Ivy Chronicals by Karen Quinn
New York City parents get a bit over the top when they try to get their four year olds into kindergarten in the finest private schools. Our hero, Ivy Ames, leads the way down a crooked path through the admission process. This story is a light-hearted look at the lengths parents will go to get their child into a "first tier" private school. A fun read - try it!
The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
Confessions has a rather odd storyline. Max is born with an abnormality that causes him to age in reverse. He begins life as an old man and proceeds to a youthful body and an aged mind.
Max meets Alice at a fairly young age but he appears to be in his mid fifties. Alice becomes his lifelong love but comes and goes from Max's life. As their lives cross, Alice does not recognize Max because he looks younger each time.
Max's story is unusual to say the least and carries a unique set of problems. I enjoyed the story and would recommend it.
By the way, a movie - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - just came out that follows a very similar storyline. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a short story on which it is based. It will be interesting to read the other and compare the two. Fitzgerald's was written in 1922. Greer's in 2004.
Check out The Judas Strain by James Collins......I thoroughly enjoyed it. It got a little complicated but the characters kept me coming back for more.
The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella
I was drawn to this book in a strange sort of way. The wedding officer is the British officer assigned to keep British soldiers from marrying the local Italian women. My friend's parents met when her dad was in the Navy stationed in Italy. I thought I might have some insight in how their lives might have become intertwined.
Sadly, the harsh realities of WWII were woven throughout the story. The idyllic life in the Italian countryside contrasted sharply with the bombing going on in Naples. Traditional women's roles were turned upside down as the war progressed and men left home to fight.
Although this is a fictional novel, romance and humour are interspersed with dark events that actually happened during the war. Through the entire story I was on "the edge of my seat" to see what would happen next. The book has been picked up to be made into a movie. I will be first in line to get tickets!
The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland
Emily Carr is a real woman that lived in British Columbia around the turn of the last century. This novel is a fictional account of her life based on fact.
Emily Carr was an amazing women. She was a painter and chose to record the Indian way of life that was quickly disappearing in British Columbia. She travel to Paris to learn to paint in a style that would become much more meaningful to her - but rejected by the public in British Columbia.
In recording the Indian history around her, Emily traveled deep into the forest - sometimes by herself, sometimes with a guide. Her habits deeply confounded her more conventional sisters. She was constantly at odds with them but she depended on them for monetary support from their joint trust fund. She would have also liked to have found encouragement from them but that did not often come. I admired Emily's perserverance in the face of so much adversity.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I hope you will too.
I have started a series of mystery books. I have read the first three and I am really enjoying them. The series is The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. The first three books are The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, and Morality for Beautiful Girls. The series is about the only lady detective in Botswana, Mma Ramotswe and her friend/fiance Mr. JLB Matekoni. Morality and the traditional way of life is intertwined in the stories.
These stories are easy and enjoyable.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? by Peter Hedges
This book was really wonderful. Funny, sad, touching, real. The characters have many layers - reading the book is like peeling an onion. You think you have it all and then you learn something new. I think this will be an all-time favorite.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
I just finished this book and the whole thing was a surprise to me. I didn't know what it was about when I started it. I needed something to read and picked it up off my daughter's shelf.
The story takes a Greek family from the 1920's through present times. The premise is a genetic abnormality passed down through a family and how it affects that family. It was a "typical" Greek family with the matriarch always quite sure that a tragedy is right around the corner. And it is - but it takes about 50 years to get there.
This story has lots of ups and downs but does end on an upbeat note. Well worth the read.
Just finished Sepulchre by Kate Mosse. I'd read Mosse's other book Labyrinth last year and was captivated by her ability to weave past and present into a smooth narrative spiced with a bit of the supernatural. Sepulchre was written in the same manner and just as intriguing. The difference was in the characterizations. I felt much more drawn to the people and story line in this novel and felt saddened when the story ended. I hope Mosse continues to intrigue us with her fascinating stories.
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